text:
Student access to online content
Use the coupon code purchased from your school bookstore or a credit card to get access to the online interactive content.
Click on the icon below to redeem your coupon code.
Already purchased access?
Real communication involves both language and cultural skills. So our curriculum develops language proficiency while simultaneously developing systematic understanding of cultures where German is spoken.
Auf geht's! and Weiter geht's! create a community of language learners transformed by the experience of learning both German language and the cultures of the German-speaking regions. We want students to become bilingual, to self-identify as bilingual, and to commit themselves to becoming members of the global community. Their German courses should have a lasting impact and be an key step towards becoming committed lifelong learners of the German language and of other cultures.
Learner focused interactions
The interactive software presents the bulk of the vocabulary, cultural learning and especially listening activities outside of class, preparing students for writing and classroom activities.
Integrated multiple media
Different learning media have strengths and weaknesses. we strive to use multimedia, print, and classroom-based tasks in creative ways though out our curriculum. This allows the strengths of each medium to be emphasized, enhancing student learning.
All materials, as an authentic form of content-based education, are about real people and seek to reinforce the broad cultural understanding necessary to engage with people from German-speaking countries.
The Auf gehtâs! Lernbuch has a robust, model-based writing program far beyond anything in traditional textbooks.
Extensive listening practice
Auf geht's! and Weiter geht's! use authentic, unscripted narratives that are aimed at non-native speakers. These listening tasks are conducted in the software component, which also provides vocabulary and other support to help students understand. While challenging at first, this approach develops excellent listening comprehension skills.
Culture-based textbooks for College German
Auf geht's!
Designed for First-year German classes, our goal is to target Intermediate Low proficiency in German while providing a well-rounded understanding of everyday life in the German-speaking countries. Auf gehtâs! works well for a fast moving one-year course, as well as beginning sequences that are spread over three semesters.
Weiter geht's!Â
Intended for Intermediate German courses, Weiter gehtâs! focuses on providing a solid grounding in topics such as multiculturalism, recent German history, German as a social democracy, Switzerland and Austria, and more. The content is designed to help Intermediate-level students âbridge the gapâ into upper division culture and literature courses.
Cultural curriculum
Learner focused interactions
 Integrated multiple media
Unlike 985-260-7345a monolithic textbook, the Lernbuch used in both Auf gehtâs! and Weiter geht's! does not attempt to fulfill every function. Rather, they are designed to handle the tasks that are best done in print and leave to the interactive software the learning functions that work best in software.
So our Lernbuch combines the best elements of a textbook and a workbook into one medium.
 Authentic materials
Our 7736710519phrase âSympauthentic inputâ refers to unscripted speech elicited from native German speakers speaking to or for non-native German speakers. The interviews that form the core of listening activites for Auf gehtâs! were conducted with beginning learners in mind â choosing appropriate interview questions is crucial. Asking âWhat can Germany do to further world peace?â will elicit a much different response than a question such as âWhat is in your refrigerator?â
Written texts and listening pieces are drawn from hundreds of interviews with native German speakers, with content appropriate for novice and intermediate learners. This real, unscripted and normal-speed language provides students with excellent training in listening comprehension, preparing students for real encounters in the target language as well as providing natural models for their own production. Careful selection of interview questions and responses, along with varied pedagogical interventions make this authentic language accessible and âdoableâ for beginning and intermediate learners.
 Model-based writingÂ
The Auf gehtâs! Lernbuch has a robust, model-based writing program far beyond anything in traditional textbooks. Normally, student writing at the novice level is very limited, and attempts to write beyond their level result either in incomprehensible German or, when students give up, computer-translated text. By providing thorough scaffolding through writing models, students can âbootstrapâ their writing and produce meaningful written discourse that is level appropriate and develops their awareness of how German works in a successful manner.
Extensive listening practice
We conducted over 240 interviews with native speakers and long-time residents of Germany, Switzerland and Austria to form the basis for the listening program for Auf gehtâs! and Weiter gehtâs! The interviews are all unscripted. We culled them for the best and most relevant language samples to serve as listening comprehension texts.
Students learn a very real spoken form of German, and become accustomed to dealing with authentic audio. This prepares them very well for actually using German in âreal lifeâ, either in German speaking countries or with German speakers in their own community. We feel that it is crucial to get students used to actual German, because traditional listening texts, scripted to cover grammatical features and spoken slowly and clearly by professional voice talent, aids comprehension but does not actually prepare students well for listening âin the wildâ.


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Keep it clean, stay on the subject of this board & don't be threatening, abusive, or defamatory -- or we may delete it.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Stevia Seeps Into Beverages
So do honey and monk fruit/luo han guo extracts, as drink makers try to reduce calories while also keeping labels clean and simple.
Beverages ceased being about mere thirst ages ago. Although not without their share of controversy, beverages have become a preferred delivery system for energy and sustenance — so much so that the hand naturally reaches for a beverage when the body feels a lack of vigor.
Let's focus on that moment of controversy though: Research has uncovered evidence the body perceives calories taken in liquid form in a different fashion than it does those from solid food. Specifically, the calories are not "counted" as readily. So while a sugary drink might deliver 140 calories, our internal accountant dismisses that energy and seeks more to fill the need – even though the need is no longer there.
With the needle of the obesity compass pointing toward this, beverage makers stepped up to the plate — or bottle, as it were — and set R&D to the task of creating functional drinks that not only satisfy taste and other cravings but act as aids to weight and energy balance instead of hindrances.
New research from Cargill Inc. (www.cargill.com), Minneapolis, indicates three key factors affect the taste experience of beverages: sweetness, flavor and mouthfeel. These factors must be examined in relation to each other because any time one is modified; it affects the way the others are perceived.
"When producing calorie-reduced beverages, manufacturers typically lower the sugar content of their product, a move that affects the sweetness of the beverage and impacts mouthfeel and thus the total taste experience," says Andy del Rosal, leader of Cargill's North American beverage applications group of scientists. "To compensate for the reduction of sweetness, zero- or mid-calorie sweeteners are added and often combined with taste-masking and enhancing flavors. Although this combination effectively addresses the loss of sweetness, the beverage is still likely to deliver a 'thinner' mouthfeel and a different taste profile."
Cargill developed texturizing components — "pre-screened texturizing blends," commercialized under the brand name Trilisse — to optimize mouthfeel in reduced-calorie beverages, based on specific applications.
Stevia takes its place
Technical considerations in using stevia as a beverage sweetener have become less and less of a concern since the ingredient was approved in the U.S. for food and beverage applications three years ago.
"American consumers prefer all-natural products. They are more educated about artificial sweeteners, even colors and flavors, and this seems to be a growing trend," says Cecilia McCollum, executive vice president of Blue California (www.bluecal-ingredients.com), Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.
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The Life of the Party was not Andrei Kirilenko, but the AK-47
As noted in my post yesterday, it was the president of CSKA, Andrei Vatutin, that brought the AK-47 to the press conference.
We saw Andrei Kirilenko holding the AK-47 while it was pointed in Victor Khryapa's direction, but not only did we have Khryapa later taking his turn…
…the entire team took its turn. In short, the AK-47 was the life of the party.
Little known fact about the two [North] American players on the team, Sammy Mejia (DePaul) and Jamont Gordon (Mississippi State): They left the U.S. to escape that weapons prude David Stern's heavyhanded, authoritarian suppression of firearms–automatic or otherwise–in locker rooms.
Maybe I've got it all wrong. Maybe in Russia, AK-47s are standard issue along with uniforms, practice gear, and socks. Jerry Sloan and Karl Malone would approve.
Oh, and did I mention that Masha got in on the action too?
P.S. Speaking of Masha, kinda cute how she was there taking pictures of AK during his photo shoot:
SurlyMae permalinkOctober 7, 2011 12:03 am
Masha with gun – coolest pic.
SinCityJazz permalinkOctober 8, 2011 6:12 am
She looks like the only one who knows what she's doing with the AK-47. Not just the best pic, but the scariest.
October 8, 2011 2:14 pm
The first photo looks like the poster to a magnificently silly buddy-spy spoof.
And I can picture Masha in a spy thriller too. She'll be in a tight pinch, cornered with someone she doesn't know if she can trust. That someone will run out of bullets but also have the only angle for a shot. Masha will scowl, fondle her gun a bit, then sigh:
"Okay, but I only give a free pass once a year."
Damn, why can't I write Hollywood screenplays?
Hello Kitty permalinkOctober 14, 2011 2:43 am
Just had a nickname AK47! Not the fact that the machine gun was in working condition.
Unlike America, by the way, Russia has banned trade in firearms!


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- MFLS Forums
Forums : MFLS Central Forum Thread : Champions' League Registration
[thread started by SDFC Macross on Sat 2/21 13:19 ET]
[moderated by 1860 Oakland, SDFC Macross]
from SDFC Macross
on Sat 2/21 13:19 ET
Reply to This Message
The Champions League and the Cup Winners Cup are the two most prestigious competitions in Major Fantasy League Soccer (MFLS). The Champions League was founded in 1997 and has consistently been comprised of the top teams from the top divisions in MFLS. The Cup Winners Cup was founded in 1999 and is a competition for the winners of the top division's own tournaments and a few winners of interdivisional tournaments. Both tournaments have become MFLS tradition, and despite switching websites and commissioners, the tournaments have stayed intact.
Champions League
*Only the commissioner of a division will be allowed to sign their division up. If you are not the commissioner, but you want your division to participate in the CL, then contact him/her and have him/her sign up in the forum.
*In order for a division to participate it must have 8 or more teams participating in its division, and in order to avoid any controversy, I will make no exceptions to the rule. Eight teams minimum and there is no maximum.
*Deadline for registering a division or cup for the CL or CWC � TO BE ANNOUNCED IN THIS THREAD.
--- Game week for CL qualification ---
CL berths lock in at the end of week 20
Group Stage - 21, 22, 23
Round of 16 - 24, 25
Quarter-Finals - 26, 28
Semi-Finals � 29, 30
Final - 31
The deadline for registration is unspecified at present and will be announced later when the Silversmiths commissioner chooses a deadline.
Note that registration for CL and CWC is now separate. This is the CL Registration thread.
from Arrows SC
on Sat 2/21 15:38 ET
Reply to This Message
I am the division manager for Brew City FA, a division of more than eight teams. Brew City FA requests permission to participate in the Champions League 2015 season. from Hounds FC
on Sat 2/21 23:58 ET
Reply to This Message
The All American Premier League (AAPL) is ready to participate in the Champion's League. Sign us up! from Port City Navigators
on Sun 2/22 11:46 ET
Reply to This Message
DoGS will be ready to go! from rancho chevron fc
on Mon 2/23 0:30 ET
Reply to This Message
Trojan League sending in the Wooden Horse.:)
Unite & Attack!!
from Locomotive Baltimore
on Fri 2/27 14:58 ET
Reply to This Message
The Black & The Red FA returns for more
degradation (both competitions)
from 1 FC Red Devils
on Mon 3/2 12:37 ET
Reply to This Message
The Casbah Division is back and ready for Champions
from El f�tbol es as�
on Fri 3/6 14:33 ET
Reply to This Message
"La Armada Invencible" tries to do it better this
year in Champions League too...
from SDFC Macross
on Fri 3/6 18:00 ET
Reply to This Message
The deadline to register will be March 20th at the deadline for week three. from SDFC Macross
on Fri 3/20 11:34 ET
Reply to This Message
Registering USA vs World for the CL
I'm extending the CL registration deadline to the
deadline for MFLS Week Four.
from SDFC Macross
on Wed 3/25 16:03 ET
Reply to This Message
All American Premier League added to CL
Brew City FA added to CL
Casbah added to CL
Division of Great Significance added to CL
La Armada Invencible added to CL
The Black & The Red FA added to CL
Trojan League added to CL
USA vs World added to CL
I'm keeping the deadline open until Saturday as I said I would, but I'm not expecting any more entries. RevMFLS is the only division from last season not on this list, and they are playing the official MLS game this season.
from SDFC Macross
on Wed 4/1 16:54 ET
Reply to This Message
CL registration is now closed as of last Saturday. from SDFC Macross
on Wed 7/15 11:35 ET
Reply to This Message
This is the final weekend before the teams in the Champions' League are locked in. Like I have said previously, if you're already in the top 25, you're probably going to make it in. If you are not already in the top 50, you probably aren't.
I choose a starting date that does not have any midweek games. However, I have a real life commitment this year that requires me to make the brackets in the middle of next week, so any MFLS corrections that do not occur early in the week may result in teams not getting the correct seed or may result in teams getting left out.


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The phrase "off the grid" is not yet universally understood. These days, when people say they're traveling off-grid, they might mean they're heading somewhere with spotty cell phone coverage. Others use the term even more inaccurately when they mean to say, "off the beaten path."
Off-grid actually means off the electricity grid: i.e., a location that is self-sustaining—it uses solar, wind, hydro or other means of power. But we thought "no Internet/other gadgets" and "secluded" were good qualifications to find fascinating vacation spots for this slideshow as well. Some are so far flung as to not be accessible by car, so you may need to hike or arrive by boat.
In many cases, the following destinations have been green by necessity due to their remote locations, before Al Gore ever posited an inconvenient truth. But off-grid doesn't have to mean primitive as can be, either: although only one of the following destinations brags of having high thread-count sheets, most are still luxurious in scaled-down ways.
By Colleen Kane
Posted 14 April 2011


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|General PC Hardware Troubleshooting and discussion of any computer hardware. Includes UPS's and monitors.
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
Beto's 2013 new Performance PC build
Greetings folks,
Ive been searching the hardware market for some time now for all the necessary Components & Accessories for my 2013 new Performance PC build. I have specific purposes and many ideas for this Performance PC. Its been a long road, but finally here it is!
Of course, first the mandatory Q&A section:
1. What will YOUR PC be used for; meaning what types of tasks you'll be performing?
A: It would mainly perform 2 tasks:
Workstation: Programming, Visual & Network design, Encoding, Video editing, File server, etc.;
High end Gaming: FPS (BF3), RTS (SCII), Driving & Flight Simulators (NFS:MW / Lock On Platinum), RPG (Deus Ex: HR), etc.
Talking more in detail, High Quality & Performance and Compatibility without compromise is the name of the game here:
Load times and Copy/write times must be kept to a minimum;
Multitasking is a must, say 5 to 7 tasks: Compiling a program, Encoding a Video, Copying files, Gaming, Burning a DVD or Blu-Ray, etc.;
Visually stunning.
2. How much is YOUR budget? A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread.
A: Total available budget:
$3,800.00 (USD), Hardware;
Up to $250.00 (USD), Shipping fees.
Ive chosen a Standard warranty for all components.
3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from?
A: Ill be purchasing most components from:
United States of America @ Amazon.com;
Honduras: the UPS and the DVD+/-RW drive will be purchased @ a local PC Hardware store (ACOSA http://www.acosaonline.com/estore/de...ws?category=09).
NOTE: Perhaps you may ask, Why only Amazon.com? Answer: No other hardware site would accept my Credit card, Ive been purchasing there since Q1 2008 and I have free shipping with Amazon PRIME.
4. Do YOU have a brand preference?
A: Yes, I do favor some brands due to my experience using their products. To mention a few:
Intel (CPUs & Motherboards);
Corsair (DDR Memory);
Zalman (CPU coolers);
Western Digital (HDD);
Thermaltake (PSU);
NZXT (PC Chassis);
Cooler Master (Chassis Fans);
Creative Labs (Headsets);
Logitech (Mice).
Nevertheless, Im willing to try new brands if a particular product proves its worth.
5. Do YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, which are those parts?
A: No. Its a new build, so all parts will be brand new; except my Saitek keyboard and my copy of Win7 x64 Ultimate (system builder).
6. Do YOU have searched and/or read similar threads?
A: If by this youre asking if I have taken my time to do my homework, then YES. Ive researched every single component, starting with the CPU which determined the Motherboard and everything else, to finally the Logistics. I went through dozens of online Site reviews / Video reviews, hundreds of Customer reviews @ Newegg, TigerDirect & Amazon, and many Forum posts. I even called the manufacturers.
I mean its my hard earned money Ill be spending. I must first know everything I can about a product: Performance, compatibility, quality & the Peoples (customers) approval, and then compare it to similar products to make an informed decision. Purchasing a product without first doing a proper research would be like walking blindfold; I dont recommend it (unless youre Riddick or have a bottomless budget).
7. Do YOU plan on overclocking or runnning the system at default speeds?
A: The System would remain at Default speeds on the first 3 months for system monitoring purposes, and then I would gradually Overclock it up to the highest point where thermals, acoustics and general System stability are not compromised. According to my research, a 25% to 40% Overclock its within the possibilities.
My overclocking experience level its just theoretical from my research, since Ive only slightly overclocked a GPU once many years ago. This new overclocking experience should prove very interesting and beneficial to my general PC Hardware knowledge.
8. WHEN do you plan to build it?
A: If all components are available for immediate purchase and Logistics are on time, Ive scheduled for it to be assembled on Saturday, April the 27th or May the 4th, 2013. Ive asked a friend for assistance.
Ive already purchased some components like the GPU, PSU, Monitor & Wireless Router. The rest of the components could be bought next week (1st week of April) since it would take them approximately 3 weeks to arrive.
9. What resolution and settings do you use?
A: Im used to play all games with all video settings @ max including AA.
10. Are there any specific technologies you want?
A: Ill just mention a few:
Hyper threading, RAM disk, SSD & Hybrid (SATA III), USB 3.0, PCIe 3.0, SLI, PhysX, 3D Vision, Dolby 7.1 Surround sound, WiFi, Hardware level monitoring & control, Silent Performance air cooling, etc.
Im not really interested in:
All-in-one memory Card readers, water cooling, eyfinity, audio card, etc.
Talking about other details:
I. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
A: No.
II. What are YOUR priorities for your build?
A: In order:
a) Quality;
b) Compatibility;
c) High Performance;
d) Ease of Maintenance;
e) Upgradeability.
III. Whats your Noise & Power consumption expectancy?
A: Its important for this PC to be as silent as possible and power consumption should be kept within reasonable parameters.
IV. Is this your 1st build ever?
A: No, this is my 2nd time researching the hardware market for a performance build; my 1st build was in Q1, 2008 (the PC Im currently using).
Now on to the fun part, heres the full list of the Components Ive researched and chosen for my 2013 new Performance PC build, with Part # & Price (@ Amazon.com, 03/26/2013):
1. Intel® Core i7-3930K [BX80619I73930K] | $565.70;Accessories and misc hardware list:
a) Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound with ArctiClean [ARTICOMBO] | $12.89;Your expert advice, suggestions and comments regarding my project will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Best regards,
That's most definitely quite a detailed post!
The build looks good, but I can't help to notice your choices on storage. Why are you buying a hybrid SSD/HDD drive when you are already buying an SSD anyway? There are no advantages to this if it will not be your OS/program drive, which I presume are going onto the SSD anyway.
Intel's 520 SSD is no longer the best pick. It's also incredibly expensive for what it offers these days. The Samsung 840 Pro is generally regarded as the best SSD on the market in terms of performance and reliability. And it's still cheaper than Intel's 520 (which itself offers much lower performance) Link
I would recommending changing the Momentus XT to a regular HDD and putting the money into a larger capacity model. But if for some reason you absolutely must buy a hybrid drive, Seagate has already replaced the Momentus XT with its "SSHD" brand of drives. These use 5200RPM drives at the core, so performance would be worse than a regular basic 7200RPM HDD when used for large file copying & storage. It's best to just use a good SSD plus a large capacity HDD storage drive for a desktop build!
Regarding the GPU, you are paying a big premium for that FTW model. A normal 670 is priced around $375, in fact Newegg sells the same FTW model for $370 after 20 rebate.
There are two ways to go with this. The 660 Ti+ performs nearly identically to the original 670's. I would suggest going with this EVGA 660 Ti FTW @ $310 for the best bang for your buck. But if you insist on the best performance then instead of paying such a high premium for the 670 FTW, you should just consider a full-blown EVGA 680 SC which start around $475, or $40 more than what ya were looking at.
|The Following User Says Thank You to Kougar For This Useful Post:
Beto Garcia (03-28-2013)
SSD Hybrid, audio and upgrades.
Hello there, thanks for your comments, advice and the Dollars saved here.
An SSD Hybrid? Good question. My little brothers Laptop is slow, so I want to help him with this upgrade.
As for me, a Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB should be fine for storage. It would be purchased a couple of months after the built is completed.
Regarding Audio, as you might have noticed from my 2 options, Im looking for a Dolby 7.1 Surround sound Wireless headset. Yes, I said Wireless; Im tired of tangling cables. I searched the market and there arent many options out there and no possibilities to try them out simply 'cause none of them are available locally.
Talking about upgrades, I would add another EVGA GeForce GTX 670 FTW Edition down the road for SLI fun or even go the 3-way SLI route.
Time is running out and I need to order soon the PC Components and Parts in order to fulfill the planned schedule. Any other thoughts regarding my Performance PC build?
Nevertheless, youve helped me save a couple hundred Dollars and shared your experience & knowledge which I really appreciate. Thank you very much!
Ok then, finally I would like to ask your expert advice regarding tips for during assembling the PC and after the build is complete; DOs and DONTs, testing, etc. Please have in mind that Ive asked a friend for assistance.
Ill await your valuable comments.
System assembly & acknowledgement.
No advice? OK then.
Taking into account all of the above, I have proceeded to assembly the X79 system and will be testing / benchmarking it.
I extend to all of you my gratitude for all your kind help; I really appreciate it.
Best regards,
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Home > RIZOMA > Bike Specific Parts > Rizoma Parts for BMW Models > BMW R Nine T Series > BMW R Nine T 1200 Racer Rizoma Parts
Spend £500 or more and spread the cost over 6, 9 or 12 months interest free with as little as a 10% deposit through Close Brothers Retail Finance.
(Details shown apply to the default selection)
Part Number: MA302BBrand: Rizoma
Simple parts with a strong aesthetic impact, Rizoma's bar ends feature exceptional style and colours. Rizoma confers elegant, minimal styling, ideal for use on any make of motorcycle. Furthermore, Rizoma bar ends are equipped with a vast range of adapters to ensure trouble free fitting to original and aftermarket bars.
Weight - 83gms each
Adapters for OEM handlebars included for all bikes except -BMW R Nine T 2014+BMW F800 R 09-14BMW R1200 GS 2013+BMW S1000 R 2014+BMW S1000 RR 2009+BMW C600 Sport 2012+BMW C650 GT 2012+Yamaha FZ1 / FZ1 Fazer 2006+Yamaha FZ6 / FZ6 Fazer 2004+Yamaha MT-01 2004+Yamaha FZS1000 Fazer 00-05Yamaha T-Max 500 / 530 2004+Yamaha XJR1300 2014+Yamaha XJ6 2008+Yamaha MT-09 2013+Yamaha FZ-09 2013+
Yamaha XSR700/900 MA600B is required
Adapters for the above bikes are available to buy separately, please click here
Moore speed racing has over 15 years in the performance motorcycle parts trade with an extensive knowledge of all types of motorbike. We strive to stock the very best quality parts from around the world from all the leading manufacturers of motorcycle parts chain, sprockets, handlebars, grips, Rizoma bar ends, exhaust systems and silencers, dynojet kits, power commanders, rear sets, digital speedos & instruments, tyres, brakes, levers, discs, plus much more. We can supply OEM or pattern parts for most makes of motorcycle including Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, Harley Davidson, Buell, Ducati, BMW, KTM, Triumph, Moto Guzzi, Victory motorcycles & Indian Motorcycles. As an independent retailer we can source almost any brand of motorcycle parts if it's not listed on our site give us a call and we shall do our best to find the parts you need.


text:
Video Acceleration API is a successor to XvMC, providing partial and full hardware offloading of video decoding. This interface is available on Intel graphics. Interface frontends are also available for ATI's XvBA and nVidia's VDPAU. This interface is supported by MythTV as of 0.25.
Enable VAAPI
You need to install the libva VAAPI library and the related hardware drivers.
Intel Graphics
Install necessary packages
Using Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install libva1 i965-va-driver libva-intel-vaapi-driver vainfo
Using other distributions
You can use the official Intel graphic installer available at: https://01.org/linuxgraphics/downloads/2013/intelr-linux-graphics-installer-version-1.0.2
Or build from source:
If your distribution doesn't include recent drivers (0.32 and above is recommended). Install Intel drivers (taken from: step 5 of GUIDE Simplified Guide for a perfect minimal HTPC on INTEL platforms):
cd ~ sudo mkdir Builds cd Builds sudo apt-get build-dep libva1 git clone git://anongit.freedesktop.org/vaapi/libva cd libva git checkout vaapi-ext sudo ./autogen.sh --prefix=/usr sudo make sudo make install cd.. git clone git://anongit.freedesktop.org/vaapi/intel-driver cd intel-driver git checkout vaapi-ext wget http://paste.kde.org/184874/raw/ -O ./increase_micro_version.patch sudo autoreconf -v --install sudo patch -p1 < ./increase_micro_version.patch sudo ./configure --prefix=/usr sudo make sudo make install
TestCheck to see if newly installed software is working by running
vainfoYou should see something similar to this: (note, output will be different for those running different versions of the Intel integrated graphics, you are looking for VAEntrypointVLD with some of the codecs)
vainfo: VA API version: 0.32 vainfo: Driver version: i965 Driver 0.1 vainfo: Supported profile and entrypoints VAProfileMPEG2Simple : VAEntrypointVLD VAProfileMPEG2Main : VAEntrypointVLD VAProfileH264Baseline : VAEntrypointVLD VAProfileH264Main : VAEntrypointVLD VAProfileH264High : VAEntrypointVLD VAProfileVC1Simple : VAEntrypointVLD VAProfileVC1Main : VAEntrypointVLD VAProfileVC1Advanced : VAEntrypointVLD
Configure MythTV for VAAPI
- Make sure you are using OpenGL or Auto as painter
- MythFrontend -> Setup -> Appearance, make sure Painter is set to Auto or OpenGL (not Qt)
- Select VAAPI Playback Profile from Mythfrontend:
- MythFrontend -> Setup -> Video -> Playback -> (Screen 3/8) -> Select "VAAPI normal" profile in list
Hit Next until you are back out to the main screen
Try playing back a recording or another video and you should notice a decrease in CPU usage.


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Low cost Deal on Pentax DA 50mm f1.8 lens for Pentax DSLR CamerasPosted in Camera By admin On September 22, 2015
One of the best and cheap low price deal available on FlySight 32 Ch Black Pearl 5.8Ghz 7″ DiversityPentax DA 50mm f1.8 lens for Pentax DSLR Cameras Monitor with Integrated Battery (RC801). This is one of the most sold item which is very popular and useful product and also is available at very low price makes it an attractive and interesting buy.
Technical details of Pentax DA 50mm f1.8 lens for Pentax DSLR Cameras
Name of the brand – Pentax
Item Dimensions – 1.5 x 2.5 x 2.5 inches
Weight of the product – 8.5 ounces
Available Colors – black
Model number – 22177
Price of the product – $103.34
Shipping Cost – FREE
Shipping – select countries outside the U.S
Pentax DA 50mm f1.8 lens for Pentax DSLR Cameras Rating and Reviews
There are 130 Reviews for this product by users who brought this product online and below are the rating provided by the users who brought and used this product.
Excellent – 80%
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PHILLIPSTON - A 63-year-old Athol man was killed Wednesday when his all-terrain vehicle crashed in woods off Willis Road, according to authorities.
William McLaren of 98 South Royalston Road, Athol, was found by friends about 6 p.m. He hadn't been seen for some time and his friends were searching trails in the area, according to Timothy Connolly, spokesman for the district attorney's office.
The friends came upon Mr. McLaren and his overturned ATV in woods near 1025 Willis Road, Mr. Connolly said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. No foul play is suspected, Mr. Connolly said.
Mr. McLaren was an educator and coach in Philipston and Athol for many years. There was an outpouring of grief in the Athol area today over the accident.
Joan Putnam Hamlett of Athol said Mr. McLaren taught at Phillipston Elementary and at Athol Middle School for many years. She said his last assignment was teaching third grade at Sanders Street School in Athol before he retired.
He also coached baseball, and Carol Forand of Athol said he ran the town's Recreation Department for about 30 years.
"You could call anyone in Athol and they would know him," Ms. Forand said. "It's tragic."
Laurie Parker of Athol said she, her husband, Jeff, and their children always loved Mr. McLaren's patient and humorous ways with the children in the summer playground program.
"He had a unique sense of humor and a well-blended persona that included certain noises and gimmicks to get his players to perform," said Athol Selectman Lee Chauvette. "People may not have always agreed with his styles and mannerisms, but the bottom line is he was there for the youth.
"He was a person who devoted his adult life to the betterment of area youth," he said.
In addition, Mr. McLaren was an outdoorsman and hunter who loved working with his hunting dogs, according to David Small, president of the Athol Bird and Nature Club.
Amy Balchuinas of Templeton said her mother, Doris Brooks, worked with Mr. McLaren for many years when he taught in Phillpston before going to Athol.
"He was amazing ... coach, teacher, dad, friend," she said. "Many are devastated."
Former Athol resident Jamie L. Langlois of Florida said Mr. McLaren was her science teacher in seventh grade and then her summer school teacher in eighth grade.
"He then he taught my son in the third grade," she said "He was a great teacher, who made class fun. He was my, and my son's, favorite teacher. He will be missed so much."
Jennifer Mosher of Phillipston said he taught her when she was at Phillipston Elementary School. She said he was also there when her older siblings were in elementary school.
"He was the most charismatic teacher ever," she said.
Ms. Mosher's sister Sherry Berube also knew Mr. McLaren as a teacher.
"Bill was a great teacher and had a way with kids," she said. "They loved him, and he could foster a love of learning even in the most disinterested child."


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Wind and Fire Event Update
Energy Use
Energy Use FAQ
Understanding how much energy you use in your home is the first step toward making smart energy-saving decisions. Choose from the commonly-asked energy use questions below for more information.
A. To get started, here are three of the best ways we know to save energy:
Keep inside air in and outside air out. Insulate, weatherstrip, and caulk cracks and holes.
Adjust your thermostat higher in warm weather and lower in cool weather so your heating and cooling systems don't have to work so hard.
Conserve energy. Turn off lights, TV sets, appliances, and other electricity users when not needed.
To request a free energy survey, call 1-800-278-8585, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Electrical use is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), in the same way gallons are used to measure gasoline. One kWh equals 1,000 watts of electricity used during one hour.
The amount of electricity used during each billing period is in the far right column of your statement, under "Electricity Usage."
For a detailed explanation of your statement, visit Understanding Your Bill.
Some of the most common causes of higher-than-expected electric bills are weather-related.
In hot weather, your electric bill may reflect:
- Higher-than average air conditioning use.
- Extended use of swimming pool and spa pumps.
- Increased energy needed to keep refrigerators and freezers cold.
In cold weather, you may use more energy when:
- Heating systems are in use more.
- Portable electric heaters are in use.
- More lighting is required for longer nights.
- Holiday lighting and appliances are used for entertaining.
- Your electric bill may also affected by:
- More days than average in the billing period.
- A previous unpaid balance.
The balance from multiple accounts included on your bill.
Though we can boast meter reading accuracy of more than 98%, sometimes errors do occur. If you think the meter reading on your bill is in error, you can you can contact us at 1-800-655-4555.
You can estimate the amount of electricity an appliance uses with the equations below.
Note that these equations do not account for the power required by motorized appliances, such as air conditioners, dishwashers, and refrigerators. Additionally, these equations assume that the power supply is single-phase, which is typical for most homes.
First determine the amount of power (watts) of the appliance. Manufacturers typically indicate the wattage on the back of the appliance. If the wattage is not given, look for the amperage (AMPS) and voltage (volts) listed on the appliance.
To determine how much it costs to operate an appliance for a month, simply multiply the wattage times the number of hours the appliance is used and divide by 1000 to get the kWhs.
For example, let's calculate the monthly cost of a 60 Watt light bulb used 5 hours per day:
60 Watts X 5 hours per day = 300 Watt hours
300 Watt hours X 30 days per month = 9000 Watt hours
9000 Watt hours / 1000 = 9 kWh
9 kWh X $0.14 = $1.26 Monthly cost to operate
KWH conversion
amps x volts = watts
watts x hours used = watt hours
watt hours / 1000 = kilowatt hours (kWhs)
kWh X $0.14 = hourly cost
Energy conservation is an important part of Southern California Edison's heritage. We currently offer many programs that can help both residential and commercial customers save money and energy. For rebate and incentive programs, visit the Rebates & Savings area of our website.


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Home > Mayor delivers State of the City speech, focuses on recovering local economy, plans for the future
Mayor delivers State of the City speech, focuses on recovering local economy, plans for the future
SEATTLE - Mayor Mike McGinn today delivered his 2013 State of the City address in Seattle City Council Chambers. He detailed indicators of a recovering local economy, building great neighborhoods, new efforts to improve early learning in Seattle, a plan to update the Neighborhood Policing Plan and work to build out Seattle's rail transit network. He also announced that Gigabit Squared has expanded its initial plans to build next generation high-speed broadband to now include West Seattle and Ballard, bringing the total number of demonstration projects to 14.
The mayor detailed new efforts to expand his administration's support for early learning in Seattle. The City currently provides support for early learning in 23 sites across the city. This fall, the City Office for Education will launch an Early Learning Academy to provide high quality, evidence-based early learning training for preschool providers in Seattle. This initiative will improve school readiness outcomes for young children and serve as an important element of the City's pre-kindergarten through third grade focus. The Mayor's Office will work to link high quality preschool to K-3 education, to bring all children to reading at grade level in third grade - a critical milestone for success.
The mayor renewed his request to the City Council to move forward on expanding planning for high capacity transit on Eastlake, connecting Downtown to the University of Washington. The study is supported by major employers on this route who would like to see that study start in 2013. This corridor could carry as many as 25,000 riders per day, and it's a corridor that Sound Transit's light rail project won't serve. Completing the study sooner supports Seattle competing for federal grants to finance the construction of a new rail line.
Additional transportation efforts covered in the mayor's speech included requesting for funding a study for a new multi-modal crossing of the Ship Canal, new partnerships with Sound Transit to accelerate planning a rail line from Downtown to Ballard via Fremont and planning for the Center City connector line.
McGinn also updated the public on his administration's public/private partnership with the University of Washington and Gigabit Squared to bring next generation high-speed broadband infrastructure to Seattle. Gigabit Squared has now added central Ballard and the West Seattle junction to their demonstration project, bringing the total of demonstration projects to 14 neighborhoods. More than 3,300 people have signed up with an interest in using Gigabit Squared services, along with more than 130 businesses and numerous apartment buildings. Gigabit Squared has also secured the funding they need to begin detailed engineering.
The full text of the mayor's 2013 State of the City speech, as prepared, can be found online at seattle.gov/media
All Mayor's Office press conferences, town halls and general public meetings are archived by Seattle Channel. Many town halls and press conferences are also broadcast live to the web. Sign up for The Reader, our office newsletter, at our website. And learn more about your neighbors and the mayor's activities on our blog.
The Complete Guide to Pike Place Market
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Southern Poverty Law Center Report: Antigovernment 'Patriot' Movement Continues Explosive Growth, Poses Rising Threat of Violence
Southern Poverty Law Center Report: Antigovernment 'Patriot'...


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24.07.2014: You can now register and book "on-site" accomodations: http://2015.bookcrossingevents.com/
Questions will be answered in the bookcrossing Forum.
24.04.2013: One of the procedures at an anniversary convention is to choose the city who will host the next anniversary convention in 2 years. Again, there was only one bid, which has been presented at this year's convention in Gothenburg by the lovely MissMarkey for her city Oxford in the UK.
As expected, every one agreed to this choice.
And so will, after Melbourne in 2014, again be an anniversary convention in Europe: April 10 – 12, 2015, Oxford, UK


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Dec. 6, 2010
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (seminoles.com) –
Florida State baseball coach Mike Martin expects to welcome 15 outstanding new players in the fall of 2011 as the legendary Hall of Fame coach announced another outstanding recruiting class. The highly rated class consists of seven pitchers (five left handed pitchers), three outfielders, four infielders and a catcher as the Seminoles continued the annual process of reloading their roster which consists of many of the top collegiate players in the nation each season.
Martin, who has led Florida State to 31 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, is the third winningest coach in the history of college baseball with 1,627 all-time victories. His winning percentage of nearly 75 percent for his entire 31 year career as the Seminoles' head coach is the best in college baseball and he has led the Seminoles to five ACC championships. Martin guided the Seminoles to the 2010 College World Series and to the fifth ACC championship in school history.
Florida State's 2011 recruiting class features 11 players from the state of Florida and two from Georgia – long considered to be two of the top producing states of top baseball talent in the entire nation. The Seminoles and recruiting coordinator Jamey Shouppe also reached into the very fertile Midwest region of the country to sign top recruits from the states of Missouri and Illinois.
"Our entire staff did an outstanding job of evaluating and targeting the types of players we will need to add to our roster for next season," said Martin. "Jamey Shouppe and Mike, Jr., knew how important this class is going to be for the future of our program and they went out and flat got the job done. This class is heavy on pitching – especially left handed pitching – that we felt was necessary to add to our roster. The players we will welcome into our program will fit in nicely and help us win many ballgames during their careers. Recruiting is so important in every sport and we are elated with the prospects who will become the next crop of outstanding student-athletes and productive Seminole baseball players."
Here is a look at the 2011 Florida State baseball recruiting class with comments from recruiting coordinator Jamey Shouppe
Gio Alfonso
Port St. Lucie, Fla./Lincoln Park Academy
Shouppes' Comments: "Gio is an outstanding kid first of all and a very good student. He's a lot like our current second baseman Devin Travis; one of those players who teammates gravitate to. He is a great baseball player who is going to be a very good college player. Gio plays for the All-American Prospects team in the summer for head coach Dave Parra. Parra swears he'll play in the major leagues."
Cody Alling
Pensacola Catholic H.S. / Pensacola, Fl.
Shouppes' Comments: "Cody is a pitcher who tops out at 86 mph who throws from across his body from a low three-quarter arm slot. He's pitching motion is very deceptive and he makes it very difficult for hitters to square up on the ball. He throws a good change up and has a very good sweeping slider and is a player who will definitely get a look by the coaching staff at the very beginning of his career. He will have an opportunity to come in as a situational left hander who will be able to come in and get left hander hitters out. He's not very big in stature but really knows how to pitch and really aggressive for a player so small in stature. He is listed at 5'11 155 and he may not be that big but he is going to be good. His motion is very similar to (former Seminole All-American) Randy Choate."
Mario Amaral
Ronald Regan H.S./Miami, Fla.
Catcher, 6-1 205 (Bats Right/Throws Right)
Shouppes' Comments: "Mario is a big kid who swings the bat really well. He's a right handed hitter who is one of those guys who's best baseball is certainly in front him. He's a little raw and not quite where he's going to be but he certainly has a very high ceiling. He's a 6'1 205 pound catcher and Perfect Game has him ranked among the 250 top collegiate prospects in the nation. Mario is going to be a pretty good player for us and a pretty good catcher."
Kyle Bird
Clay H.S./Jacksonville, Fla.
Shouppes' Comments: "Kyle is a skinny left handed pitcher who tops out at about 87-88 miles per hour. He really knows how to pitch and as he gets stronger his velocity is going to increase. In my opinion, Kyle is going to grow into one of our top pitchers and one of the better pitchers in college baseball. His future is definitely bright; he is another one of those guys that has a tremendously high ceiling. Kyle is a guy we saw this summer pitching and really not a whole lot of people knew a whole lot about him. He made a name for himself this year and is a guy that we are extremely excited about."
Jose Brizuela
Archbishop McCarthy H.S. / Miami, Fl.
3B/RHP, 6-1, 175 (Bats Left/Throws Right)
Shouppes' Comments: "Jose is an outstanding two-way player who we feel has a chance to be a high draft pick in next summer's MLD Draft. He is a great competitor who excels as a third baseman and as a right handed pitcher. He throws the ball very well and is a left handed hitter with a little bit pop in his bat. He may be the best position player in this class. Jose is ranked among the top 175 players in the nation by Perfect Game.
Mike Compton
Branson H.S./Branson, Mo.
Shouppes' Comments: "Mike is a guy who has topped out at 88 miles per hour. He has a loose arm, a very good arm slot and a low three quarter arm slot and an interesting slider. He had some pretty good numbers in high school. I think he's going to be a good pitcher at Florida State."
Josh Delph
Barton H.S./Barton, Fla.
OF, 6-2, 180 (Bats Left/Throws Left)
Shouppes' Comments: "Josh is another of our recruits who's best baseball is certainly in front of him. He is a big left handed hitter with a big glove who is only going to get better in our system once he gets to Florida State. Josh had a very good summer and we feel like we found a gem of a left-handed hitter when we scouted and evaluated his talent."
John Holland
Northview H.S./John's Creek, Ga.
Infielder, 5-10, 170 (Bats Left/Throws Right)
Shouppes' Comments: "John is a player that we are very excited about. He has so much potential and is going to be a very good player in the future. John is a multi talented infielder who will help us at a number of positions including second base and third base."
Bryant Holtman
Breese Central H.S./New Baden, Ill.
Shouppes' Comments: "Bryant is a very tall lefthander pitcher – the kind of pitcher we have been looking to get into a Seminole uniform for a long time. His fastball tops out at 90 miles per hour and he throws a cut fastball at about 85 miles per hour. He has also worked hard on developing an outstanding change-up. Like the other left-handed pitchers in our class he is quickly going to develop into a good pitcher in the near future and become an outstanding pitcher in our rotation."
Taylor Layner
Osceloa H.S./St. Petersburg, Fla.
OF/LHP, 5-9, 160 (Bats Left/Throws Left)
Shouppes' Comments: "Taylor is a guy we are very excited about because of his tremendous will to compete and his amazing will to win. He is a little guy and no one really wanted to give him a chance. He will do anything he needs to do to win a baseball game. Taylor will come to Florida State and compete for playing time in the outfield and who has a chance to become a closer for us. He is a tremendous two-way player who is a guy we want in our line-up.
Brandon Leibrandt
Maris H.S./Alpharetta, Ga.
Shouppes' Comments: "Brandon is a player who should be able to get his fastball up at or above 90 miles per hour and we are excited about that. He has a good frame for a pitcher, rally knows to pitch and most importantly knows how to win. Brandon is potentially a very high draft selection next summer. His father is former major league pitcher Charlie Leibrandt."
John Nogowski
North Florida Christian/Tallahassee, Fla.
Shouppes' Comments: "John is a local player who we have had on our radar for quite some time now and are glad that he is finally a Seminole. He is an outstanding two-way player who will help is as both a lefthanded pitcher and as a first baseman. As good as he is on the mound and as strong as he is on defense at firstbase we also like his ability to consistently hit the ball and hit for average. John is going to help our ball club in many different ways during his career. His is ranked as one of the top 250 prep prospects in the nation in this recruiting class."
Jordan Priddle
Leon H.S./Tallahassee, Fla.
Shouppes' Comments: "Jordan is one of the local players we signed who we have had our eyes on for much of his high school career. He is a tremendous young man and a good student who will do well academically at Florida State. He throws up around 90 miles per hour and we expect him to increase his velocity once we get him into our strength and conditioning program. Jordan is going a very good pitcher during his career at Florida State."
Roman Quinn
Port St. Joe H.S./Port St. Joe, Fla.
OF/INF, 5-9, 165 (Bats: Switch/Throws Right)
Shouppes' Comments: "Roman is without a doubt the best athlete in our recruiting class and we are excited about what he can do on a baseball field. He is extremely fast and can play just about every position in both the infield and the outfield. We are looking forward to utilizing his talents – his bat, his glove and his speed – to help is add many different dynamics to how we approach different situations."
Luke Weaver
Deland H.S./Deland, Fla.
Shouppes' Comments: Luke is a player we targeted to add to our pitching staff within this recruiting class. He throws better than 90 miles per hour and is still developing as a pitcher. Luke is rated among the top 100 players in this recruiting class and he has the ability to join our rotation right away."


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If a need is presented by a first party, and that need is filled by a second party, and the first party pays the second party with an agreed amount of money, is the exchange now finished? Is everybody now even, or does one party still owe the other?
No, that is not a question on a Business Law 101 exam. If it were, the answer would be that it depends on whether or not the parties have acted in good faith, and upon the existence of any warranties, express or implied. Okay, let's assume that each party acted in good faith, and there was no warranty issue with the product or service. Was it a fair exchange, or is one party still owing? Let's test your answer.
The year is 1972. The Arabs have just realized that they can control the world with oil prices. A gallon of gasoline, which has cost under 30 cents for 50 years or more, is inching up to 50 cents ,and there is wild talk of it going to a dollar. Supply begins to falter. Gas stations cannot get enough to meet demand, and long lines form around the block waiting to get fuel. A local station operator decides to limit each customer to 10 gallons, hoping to please as many customers as possible before his tanks are emptied again. He is threatened with fist fights by people who want more for themselves. He is scolded for not appreciating the fact that they have "given" him their oil change business in the past. "Given." He got pretty steamed by that phrase. He had busted his butt taking care of their cars, and this was their response, that he owed them more?
Flash ahead to 2013. A car is towed in to a garage. The diagnosis is a failed fuel pump. The owner is furious. "You guys just had it in here last week and charged me $500. You should fix this without charging me any more money." In fact ,the $500 job was for other work, completely unrelated to the fuel pump. "You should have known the fuel pump was going bad." In fact, the car needed $1,000 worth of work last week, and the owner refused to have it done, saying he wanted it back for $500, and didn't want the shop to keep finding problems with the car. He insisted that the shop owed him more, because he had "given" them $500.
A lady has an oil change, and then proceeds to a gas station for fuel. While there, she notices a nail in her tire, and it is going flat. After a frustrating wait for her auto club service truck to come and change her tire, she goes back to the oil change place and announces that they owe her a tire. The tire has a roofing nail in it. The oil change place has a concrete roof. No roofing nails on the site. They are not equipped to do tire repairs, and explain that she'll have to take it to a tire shop for repairs. She is convinced that they caused it, because they had just worked on it, and that's all the proof she needed. And, anyway, she had given them her business, so they owed her.
The point in these scenarios is that there was no dispute with warranty or good faith. The implication is that these consumers feel they paid too much, and had more goods or services owed to them. I can assure you though, that the providers of those goods and services feel that they did not charge enough, and the providers can hardly accost the consumers with demands that they pay more after the fact. That luxury resides solely with the consumer. For the shops, it's the nature of the business, and they learn to live with it. Sometimes that "service with a smile," is really an effort to "grin and bear it."


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10 Anticipated Albums That Probably Aren't Dropping In 2014
Did Azealia Banks' debut album, Broke With Expensive Taste, really just get delayed again? Ugh. It feels like we've been waiting for it forever now—it was originally scheduled to hit stores in late 2012. Banks said she's still perfecting the album, but… you know how that goes.
She's not the only artist who might let us down this year. Lots of anticipated albums that are supposed to drop in 2014 might not make it. Check out 10 whose releases seem dubious.
Photo Credit: Getty Images


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A new customer required a Parker Denison R5U (R5U12) relief valve, which was to be mounted directly onto a pump. The valve is now being delivered to the customer.
Cartridge Valves
2-way cartridge valves are elements that have been designed for a compact block design. The power part is installed in a receiving hole of the manifold and closed with a control cover.
This online catalogue only showcases a small selection of the products that we supply from a comprehensive range of hydraulic brands and manufacturers - we couldn't possibly squeeze everything we do in here! So don't worry if you can't find what you're looking for… Our experienced team should still be able to help.
Call us now on:+44 (0)845 644 3640 or enquire online and "let us take the pressure!"


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Bethlehem, N.H.
IN an engineering move that pursues the delicious — if elusive — goal of having one's cake and eating it, too, Ford is offering the 2013 Taurus family sedan with a fuel-efficient turbocharged 4-cylinder engine.In doing so, Ford is going unconventional with its most conventional vehicle, a large sedan with a curb weight of almost two tons.
Not radically unconventional, mind you: small engines are arriving in big cars from many makers, and Ford even offered a 4-cylinder in the original Taurus of 1986, when gas seemed cheap at a pump price of less than $1 a gallon.
The goal in 2013, of course, is to provide full-size accommodations with something closer to pint-size fuel economy. It is a tactic that makes the Taurus, with a combined city-highway rating of 26 m.p.g., the country's most fuel-efficient large traditional sedan, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. In second place is the 2013 Toyota Avalon, with a combined rating of 24 m.p.g.; that car has a 3.5-liter V-6.
In recent years the once-popular Taurus — it was America's best-selling car five years running and peaked at more than 400,000 in sales twice in the 1990s — has had a troubled on-again, off-again existence. When its popularity dimmed to near invisibility, it was replaced by the 2005 Five Hundred. But the Five Hundred was so disappointing that Ford — in what some saw as desperation — renamed it Taurus for the 2008 model year.
The base engine in the new Taurus is a 3.5-liter V-6 built in Lima, Ohio, and rated at 288 horsepower. In a reversal of the norm, the extra-cost option is a smaller engine, the 240-horsepower 2-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder built in Spain. It costs $995.Continue reading the main story
The EcoBoost 4 is a relatively advanced engine, using not just a turbocharger but also direct injection of gasoline into the combustion chamber, a design intended to provide more power and better fuel economy. Its torque output of 270 pound-feet tops the V-6 engine's 254, and it reaches that peak 1,000 r.p.m. sooner. Both the 2.0 EcoBoost and the V-6 engines are paired with attentive and effective 6-speed automatic transmissions.
The EcoBoost label, incidentally, simply means it is part of a family of Ford engines in various sizes, all sharing turbocharging, direct injection and a higher price.
To Ford's credit, the 2.0 EcoBoost is a stand-alone option on the Taurus and is available on even the least expensive version, the SE. That model has a starting price of $27,395 with the V-6, and adding the EcoBoost engine option inflates the window sticker to $28,390.
With the 2.0 EcoBoost, the Taurus is rated at 22 miles per gallon in town and 32 miles per gallon on the highway. That is 3 m.p.g. better than the standard V-6 in both types of driving.
According to the E.P.A.'s Web site (www.fueleconomy.gov), the EcoBoost would save about $250 a year compared with the V-6. That calculation is based on 15,000 miles a year (55 percent city driving) and 87-octane gas priced at $3.39 a gallon.
Stated another way, to reap any savings from the 2.0 EcoBoost option, an owner would have to keep the car almost four years — though it could pay off sooner if gas prices zoomed or if the car were driven an extraordinary number of miles.
The Taurus can be ordered with all-wheel drive, though the 2.0 EcoBoost is available only on front-drive models, including the Limited version that I tested.
The test car had a starting price of $33,795, including a $795 destination charge. Ford then added $6,880 in options, including the EcoBoost ($995); navigation system ($795) and adaptive cruise control and collision warning ($1,195).
There was also a $3,500 package with a long list of features including a heated steering wheel, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, an automatic parallel-parking system, a Sony audio system and blind-spot monitors. The total sticker price was $40,675.
Particularly with all the creature comforts, the Taurus is a pleasant and accommodating large sedan. The front seats are comfortable, a good compromise of soft and supportive, making a five-hour stretch on the road possible.
But rear legroom is only adequate for a 6-foot adult. Its 38.1 inches is 0.2 inch less than in the 2013 Ford Fusion, a midsize car.
The 20-cubic foot trunk is huge, however.
Ford's notorious and ill-conceived MyFord Touch system continues as the bad boy of ergonomics despite the automaker's attempts at rehabilitation. It is supposed to make controlling everything from the audio system to the climate control easier, but it doesn't. It just makes things that should be simple, like changing the temperature, more complicated.
A voice-control system offers an alternative. But it can be a chore, requiring several steps to do something that one should be able to handle with one twist of an old-fashioned knob.
On my test car, the touch screen sometimes had to be touched several times before the system responded. During one daylong drive, the lower part of the navigation screen went blank for about eight hours, and then returned. Ford said its dealer was not able to duplicate the problem.
Whether on the Interstate or on a country two-lane, the Taurus offers a comfortable ride with the kind of dutiful but unenthusiastic handling that one expects from a large family car. For drivers who want a greater level of engagement, Ford offers the Taurus SHO with more power and a sport suspension.
Even with three adults and a trunk filled with luggage, the 4-cylinder Taurus easily ambled along at 70 m.p.h. on the Interstate, and it has adequate power for merging onto freeways among New York City's less-than-forgiving drivers.
The issue is not the car's accelerative potency, but its refinement. Under even moderate acceleration there is a level of 4-cylinder noise and vibration that would be marginally acceptable in a modestly priced sedan, but seems out of place in an upscale car like the Taurus Limited.
Over 350 highway miles — at typical speeds of 65 to 75 m.p.h. — I got 27 m.p.g. That's a huge 5 m.p.g. less than the E.P.A. estimate, but I was driving in hilly terrain with a heavy load.
Ford is hoping the improvements to the Taurus, as well as the 2.0 EcoBoost engine, will help win sales, which haven't been great.
Through the first 11 months of the year, Ford sold 67,471 vehicles, including some police cars and fleet sales, according to LMC Automotive, a market research firm.
That compares with 159,710 Chevrolet Impalas, 63,572 Chrysler 300s, 74,725 Dodge Chargers and 55,212 Nissan Maximas, LMC said.
The auto industry can be a rude and disappointing arena, and Toyota will try to spoil things with its redesigned Avalon, which goes on sale this month.
The E.P.A. ratings for the Avalon with a 268-horsepower V-6 will be only 1 m.p.g. lower for both city and highway use than the 4-cylinder Taurus.
There will also be a hybrid version of the Avalon with a 4-cylinder engine, which Toyota says will be rated at 40 m.p.g. in town and 39 on the highway. However, the least expensive V-6 Avalon will be $31,785, which includes leather upholstery and heated front seats. Direct comparisons can be tricky because of variations in standard equipment.
The least expensive Avalon Hybrid will be $36,350.
In each of the last three years, Toyota never sold more than 29,000 Avalons, which is not much more than a curious footnote in the large-sedan segment.
So, yes, the 2013 Taurus with the 2.0 EcoBoost is a pleasing combination. But the package is hardly compelling because its strongest draw — the lure of better fuel economy — is undermined by the extra $1,000 that it costs.
INSIDE TRACK: Ho-hum.Continue reading the main story


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September 07, 2011
The Los Angeles tournament featured 24 teams representing 20 countries
Click here to view video of on-field victory celebration
LOS ANGELES, CA (September 7, 2011) - 384 amateur soccer players representing 19 African countries were featured in the first-ever African Community Soccer Tournament that saw Sierra Leone's Leone Stars defeat Cameroon's L.A. Lions team 2-1 to capture the 1st Annual ACST Cup title on Saturday, September 3. The championship match took place in front of over 2,500 people at the John Ferraro Soccer Complex in Los Angeles.
From the 24 team tournament that featured teams representing 20 countries overall -- 19 African nations and also Jamaica -- with some of Los Angeles' best amateur soccer players, the Leone Stars emerged victorious, capturing one of the most prestigious and culturally significant titles for the team of West African immigrants who never had the opportunity to actually play for the national team of their native country.
"Representing Sierra Leone in the African Community Soccer Tournament was important to us," explained team captain and midfielder Brian George, 27, of Los Angeles. "It's been our dream to represent our national team back in Sierra Leone, but because of certain circumstances, we were not able to do that. So, to win this tournament, it really means a lot to us and we're proud of that."
A graduate of Hamilton High School (2007), George came to America from Sierra Leone's Freetown when he was 11 years old. He is set to graduate from Everest College next year with a degree in criminal justice, which he hopes will help him pursue his dream of joining the Los Angeles Police Department as an officer.
In addition to George, the Leone Stars were represented in the 2011 ACST by midfielders Ibrahim Kebe, Christian King, Kedrick George, Mohammad Kamara, Osman Kamara, and Mickey Rickey; defenders Alimamy Kanu, Abdul Kamara, Tejan Kallou, Miguel Alvarez, and Francis Sesay, forward Salieu Fofana; strikers Adrian Hamilton and Albert Sapateh; goalie Joe Hernandez, and team managers Tejan Sesay and Thomas Kamara.
Midfielder Christian King was named MVP for scoring 3 goals throughout the tournament, all while playing with a serious knee injury.
The Leone Stars defeated Ethiopia's L.A. Stars (0-2) and Togo's Black Hawks (0-1) in first round match-ups before advancing to the quarterfinals to face Nigeria's Black Eagles (0-2). In the semi-finals, the Leone Stars sealed their place in the finals by taking out Ghana's Africa United team 5-4 in penalty kicks.
The Leone Stars were formed in 1990 by a group of Sierra Leoneans living in Los Angeles. The team plays in various local, state, and national tournaments including the Sierra Leone Old Athletics Association's (SLOAA) annual soccer tournament that assembles Sierra Leoneans from all across the United States.
Sulaiman Turay, 33, an electrical engineer and former member of the Leone Stars before retiring due to an injury, was at Saturday's tournament to cheer on his team. "Joining the team helped me grow as a person. It gave me a sense of community - community that I had left behind in Sierra Leone. We've never played in a tournament of this magnitude. It was amazing to just be a part of it. We didn't care about winning, we just wanted to be a part of it and to represent our country."
The tournament's organizers, Vuvuzela Media and Marketing, a niche marketing group that focuses on Los Angeles' African and West Indian communities, believes that the ACST is paving the way for the recognition and contribution of Africans in Los Angeles.
"Los Angeles has a vibrant African community," explains Charlotte Kouassi, company co-founder and Republic of Côte d'Ivoire native. "The African Community Soccer Tournament is an event that puts a face on our community and puts on display our love and passion for soccer while bringing us all together to celebrate our common bonds - Africa, soccer, and the city of Los Angeles."
In Los Angeles County there are about 26,000 Africans representing almost 3 percent of the black population. African countries in Los Angeles County with the most immigrants include Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa.
The tournament's presenting sponsors were Broadway Federal Bank, Soccer Shop USA, and MoneyGram International, who sponsored the ACST Cup and $3,000 first place prize money. The tournament was sanctioned by Cal South (the California State Soccer Association-South), the official youth and adult state soccer association of the United States Soccer Federation, USASA and US Youth Soccer in Southern California.
In addition to the action on the field, Los Angeles' African dignitaries, including South African consul general Cyril Sibusiso Ndaba and Egyptian consul general Hesham Moussa Elnakib, came out to root for their respective countries as well as support the overall event.
"We're excited about 2012 and look forward to the return of this year's teams and the addition of new teams," says Isaac Appiah, Vuvuzela Media and Marketing co-founder and Ghana native. "We congratulate all of this year's participants. With the success of this first time event, we all are winners."
For all of the 2011 African Community Soccer Tournament highlights including scores, photos, and videos, please log onto www.africansoccerla.com, the home of the ACST and the new upcoming African Soccer League.


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Justin Bieber & Selena Gomez: Benihana Dinner Date!
Justin Bieber and his on-and-off again girlfriend Selena Gomez grab dinner together with friends at Benihana restaurant on Monday (November 19) in Encino, Calif.
Before dinner, the 18-year-old singer donned red shorts while heading for a workout session at Equinox gym in Los Angeles.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Justin Bieber
On the same day, Justin tweeted, "looking forward to this interview. @oprah growing up in front of everyone is not easy. thanks for taking the time."
Earlier in the day, Selena was spotted exiting a hospital ER room in Los Angeles.
FYI: Justin is carrying an MCM backpack.
15+ pictures inside of Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez having dinner together…


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12:00 pm
Democracy In America "Federalism: U.S. V. The States" This program explores federalism as a Constitutional compromise, especially in terms of present-day conflicts between people who believe that power should reside primarily in the national government and those who want government authority retained within the states. D
12:30 pm
Democracy In America "Civil Liberties: Safeguarding The Individual" This program examines the First, Fourth, and Sixth Constitutional Amendments to show how the Bill of Rights protects individual citizens from excessive or arbitrary government interference, yet, contrary to the belief of many Americans, does not grant unlimited rights. D
1:00 pm
French In Action "Portraits II" Robert is slim, well-built, athletic and maybe just a bit less quick than Mireille. What will happen when these two meet?G
1:30 pm
French In Action "Genealogy" An impromptu visit to the family's country house, where we meet many of Mireille's relatives, including a 10-year old sister who has a mind of her own.G
2:00 pm
Unfinished Nation "Rivals and Friends" Election of 1796, first contested presidential election, won by John Adams. His opponent, Thomas Jefferson becomes vice-president. Adam's difficult relationship with cabinet, congress, and Jefferson. Struggle with France on the high seas; the Alien and Sedition Acts set stage for election of 1800, won narrowly by Jefferson. Lame-duck Congress changes court structure; Adams appoints Federalists to new posts before he leaves office. Jefferson challenges appointments. Role of Chief Justice John Marshall and Marbury vs. Madison decision in strengthening Supreme Court.G
2:30 pm
Unfinished Nation "Best Laid Plans" Republican desire to minimize national government and encourage small town/agrarian lifestyles overtaken during Jefferson's presidency by economic vitality and growth of cities, beginnings of industrialization, the Louisiana Purchase, expansion to the west. Jefferson's embargo in response to Napoleonic Wars hurts economy of northeast. Election of James Madison in 1808; Jefferson lifts embargo as he leaves office. The War of 1812.G
3:00 pm
Discovering Psychology "The Mind Awake and Asleep" Surveys the nature of sleeping, dreaming, and altered states of consciousness, and how consciousness empowers us to interpret, analyze, and direct our behavior in adaptive, flexible ways.G
3:30 pm
Discovering Psychology "The Mind Hidden and Divided" Delves into the subconscious mind, examining how events and experiences that take place below the level of consciousness alter our moods, bias our actions and affect our health as demonstrated in repression.G
4:00 pm
Design Squad Nation "Musical Bike" Judy and Adam meet Beatriz in her hometown of Emeryville, CA, to help her combine her passion for music and bike building. Working at The Crucible -- a non- profit educational foundry and metal fabrication shop -- they design and build a pedal-powered bike organ for Beatriz to unveil at her high school block party. D
4:30 pm
Biz Kid$ "A Closer Look at Financial Careers" When is a job more than a job? The Biz Kids look at what it takes to find your true calling. You'll learn ways to start exploring careers. The kids talk to several celebrities and find out how they got their start and how they keep achieving their dreams. D
5:00 pm
Wishbone "Salty Dog" This live-action program follows the exploits of Wishbone the dog and his human friends, Joe, David and Samantha through their adventures intheir hometown of Oakdale. Wishbone's everyday experiences trigger hi s imagination and he finds himself in scenes from classic works of literature. In this episode, Samantha leads Joe and David into a dangerous adventure while searching for treasure. D
5:30 pm
Cyberchase "Hackerized!" Someone has hacked Sensible Flats so that everyone looks and acts like Hacker. The real Hacker tries to find out who did it while the CyberSquad seeks to save the town. To do so, though, they must scale a rocky cliff in less than three minutes.G
6:00 pm
Sewing with Nancy "Sew Techie Covers, Part 1" Make a personalized cover for your e-tablet or paper tablet. Learn how to sew covers for your electronic devices and paper tablets using templates or commercial patterns. Then embellish them with applique, quilting, techie circles, undercover stitching accents, plus more. D
6:30 pm
Scheewe Art Workshop "Olive Basket" This casual painting is for the gourmet. Learn the ease of "under-painting" and adding glazes. D
7:00 pm
Joanne Weir's Cooking Class ""Saintly" Penne & Fried Oyster Caesar" Joanne finds her student Ron's enthusiasm for food contagious as she shows him how to prepare a pasta dish whose star is a spicy olive oil condiment, and shares the story of how she came up with a novel take on a popular salad. Recipes: (1) PENNE WITH OLIO SANTO, RICOTTA SALATA, OLIVES AND MINT, (2) FRIED OYSTER "CAESAR" SALAD. Student: Ron Martin - Firefighter. D
7:30 pm
Cooking with Nick Stellino "A Shrimp Feast" Nick visits the fish monger and guides the viewer though a series of tips and techniques on how to make incredibly flavorful shrimp recipes which are fool proof and look and taste like a million dollars. Chef Stellino prepares Shrimp with Garbanzo Beans, Arugula & Sun-dried Tomatoes in a Chardonnay Sauce and a Salad with Shrimp, Watermelon & Goat Cheese. D
8:00 pm
Ask This Old House "Replacing A Leaky Skylight/Repairing A Noisy Toilet" Tommy and Kevin replace a leaky skylight. Richard repairs a noisy toilet. And the guys ask, "What is it?". D
8:30 pm
Rick Steves' Europe "European Travel Skills, Part 2" Rick's travel tips includes planning an itinerary, hurdling the language barrier, traveling by car or train and avoiding scams. Part 2 of 3G
9:00 pm
Rudy Maxa's World "Four Great Cities of Asia" Only three per cent of the world's population lived in cities in 1800s, but that number will swell to 70% by 2050. Cities in Asia underwent rapid growth in the past century, and "Four Great Cities of Asia" examines the remarkable evolution of the mega-city. From the world's largest city, Tokyo, to the colorful chaos of Delhi, and from the modern miracle of Seoul to the teeming streets of Bangkok, "Four Great Cities of Asia" is a passport to the high-tech marvels and back-street secrets of four of the world's most amazing cities. D
9:30 pm
Lidia's Italy In America "It's Chicken Time" Everyone loves a great chicken dish and in this episode Lidia demonstrates the Braised Chicken with Smoky Provola and the Chicken Cacciatore Dishes. She also prepares a wonderful summertime salad, Panzanella, made of tomatoes and day old bread. D
10:00 pm
Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen "Chicken for Everyone!" NULL
10:30 pm
Pati's Mexican Table "Tomatillos" Meet the tomatillo - this small, plump, green fruit was a favorite of the Aztecs and stars in any number of Mexican dishes today. Its tart flavor is worlds apart from the taste of tomatoes, but is just as juicy and unforgettable. In this episode, Pati will show you where to find tomatillos, how to cook with them and offers tips and tricks for creating amazing dishes. D
11:00 pm
Cooking Odyssey "Metsovo" Chef Yianni experiences a traditional way of life that has stood the test of time when he visits Metsovo. Chef Yianni demonstrates how to make Bouyourdi, Greek lamb with roasted potatoes and Halva. D
11:30 pm
Rick Steves' Europe "European Travel Skills, Part 2" Rick's travel tips includes planning an itinerary, hurdling the language barrier, traveling by car or train and avoiding scams. Part 2 of 3G


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I wrote a position paper about a different approach towards development of information extractors, which I call Sherlock Holmes-style based on his famous quote "when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth". The idea is that we fundamentally treat annotations as uncertain. We even start with a "no knowledge", i.e., "everything is possible" starting point and then interactively add more knowledge, apply the knowledge directly to the annotation state by removing possible annotations and recalculating the probabilities of the remaining ones. For example, "Paris Hilton", "Paris", and "Hilton" can all be interpreted as a City, Hotel or Person name. But adding knowledge like "If a phrase is interpreted as a Person Name, then its subphrases should not be interpreted as a City" makes the annotations <"Paris Hilton":Person Name> and <"Paris":City> mutually exclusive. Observe that initially all annotations were independent, and these two are now dependent. We argue in the paper that the main challenge in this approach lies in efficient storage and conditioning of probabilistic dependencies, because trivial approaches do not work.
Handling Uncertainty in Information Extraction.
Maurice van Keulen, Mena Badieh Habib
This position paper proposes an interactive approach for developing information extractors based on the ontology definition process with knowledge about possible (in)correctness of annotations. We discuss the problem of managing and manipulating probabilistic dependencies.
The paper will be presented at the URSW workshop co-located with ICSW 2011, 23 October 2011, Bonn, Germany [details]


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a) Generally to help and encourage members to maintain these fine cars in good running order and appearance.
b) To organise rallies and meetings nationwide, and to field an annual Show Day. Members can compete at these events for trophies, these being awarded for the best cars in restoration, and most used classes.
c) To offer technical advice to those people seeking help. We also help those not wishing to carry out their own repairs, as some of our members are motor engineers and specialise in the various models within the club.
d) Spares are offered for sale through the club magazine, and several of our members have stocks of spares for sale.
© VPOC 2012 - Site Design by sweetjamgraphics.com


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Secretary Rokita announces new provision to increase protection for senior citizens and stiffen penalties against unethical investment professionals
For Immediate Release
July 29, 2010
Senior Model Rule sets new designation guidelines for investment professionals to follow in an effort to stem abuse against senior citizens
INDIANAPOLIS – A new regulation aiming to increase protection for senior citizens from dishonest investment professionals took effect this week in Indiana. Known as the Senior Model Rule, the regulation is designed to prohibit the practice among some investment advisors of using bogus professional designations aimed at deceiving senior citizens.
Under the regulation, professionals whose titles include the words "senior," "retirement" and "elder" in combination with the terms "specialists," "adviser" or "consultant" will violate the Indiana Uniform Securities Act. However, professional titles approved by the American National Standards Institute or by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies will be exempt from the rule.
"Adopting the Senior Model Rule adds yet another tool Indiana can use to increase investor protection," Secretary Rokita said. "Specifically, it will help us continue our ongoing efforts to protect senior citizens from falling prey to illegitimate investment offers."
Investment professionals who violate the rule could face a $10,000 fine and potentially have their professional licensed suspended or revoked.
The adoption of the rule is the latest in a series of efforts by the Secretary of State's office to promote investor protection and increase penalties against individuals who target senior citizens. In 2009, efforts of the Secretary of State's office, in working with the Indiana General Assembly, resulted in an amendment to the Indiana Uniform Securities Act that raised the felony level for fraud committed against those age 60 years or older from a Class C felony to a Class B – carrying a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
For the last two years, fraud against seniors has been a specific focus of Indiana Investment Watch – a program of the Secretary of State's office responsible for increasing financial literacy in Hoosiers and educating them about the various types of securities fraud. Hoosiers can gain useful money management tips and tools to protect themselves from investment scams by visiting, http://www.indianainvestmentwatch.com/.
Media Contact: Jim Gavin: (317) 233-8655 or firstname.lastname@example.com


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Introduction to Discernment of Spirits
April 22, 2016 by Dan Burke
Filed under Dan Burke, DI Radio, Ignatius of Loyola, Melissa Elson, Show Notes, Spiritual Warfare
Introduction to Discernment of Spirits This week Dan and Melissa explore Saint Ignatius of Loyola's techniques for tackling the negative thoughts and lies that enter into our minds and lead us away from God. Topics/Questions covered in the show: What is the best way to expel the negative thoughts, lies, and/or feelings of depression that enter into our minds? Reject the lies and negative thoughts... Read More


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Wonder Woman (US - BD)
Marcus crash lands on Themyscira and spends some time with the Amazonians
After defeating the God of War, Ares (Alfred Molina), Queen Hippolyta (Virginia Madsen) and her Amazon warriors were granted a life of solitude from man's world on the mystical island of Themyscira. There, Hippolyta forged herself a child from clay and she grew up to be Princess Diana, or to us mere mortals, Wonder Woman (Keri Russell). Themyscira has remained pure ever since, keeping Ares imprisoned and its female warriors strong, but now the island has an unexpected visitor—a downed pilot by the name of Steve Trevor (Nathan Fillion).
I never used to like Wonder Woman too much. I had a fading memory of the seventies TV show and there was a period in the 1990s when I casually collected her comics but in general I didn't really get her nor did I understand her significance in the larger DC Universe. That was until the Justice League Animated Series (later to become Justice League Unlimited). I fell for Wonder Woman in spades. How she was represented in that show made her just as important as Superman and Batman—a genuine third point of view on what should happen and not merely the token female as many a super-heroine can come off as in a super group.
This is the latest direct-to-video animated project under the DC Universe banner and once again this next stage in the Bruce Timm evolution of animated DC characters is one to sit back and enjoy with a sense that it's being done right. Being the first project to really get into the origins of a character ( Doomsday was an event, New Frontier was a story arc, and Gotham Knight was a series of short stories) Wonder Woman really is a character that deserves this amount of time dedicated to her.
Design wise I love what they've done with Wonder Woman here. She's less doll-like than she was in some of the Justice League designs (not that I have a problem with that look either) and has a very strong look about her without coming across too tough looking. It's Wonder Woman looking pretty spot on, though I have to mention that my two little girls were quite vocal in their unhappiness that she didn't come with her star earrings in this feature. Girls love those star earrings.
The first thing that strikes you is just how PG-13 this is. There are decapitations a plenty, some of the usual fantastically effective DC Universe fights with a little extra brutality and even the odd hint of sexuality (well, within the restraints of a PG-13 movie anyway). The set up for Diana doesn't veer too far from the original origin, yet manages to fit into the modern way of doing things and the story really makes use of the movie runtime by countering the many fight scenes with some nice human moments between Wonder Woman and her new cocky pilot friend Steve.
As you'd probably expect, the story leads up to another war with Ares, who looks a lot like a Fist of the North Star character and Molina sounds like a nasty He-Man in his voice work (seriously he sounds so much like him). The action really ramps up as a huge battle ensues in Washington and the scale of the finale is epic in both action and emotion with many of the Amazonian warriors going through a lot more than just hand to hand combat.
Wonder Woman proves without a doubt that she can sustain a feature length dedicated to her and adds even more weight to the argument that a live action adventure is needed to make this character's importance wider than just the built in comic book fan base. All we need now is a story at least as strong this one, a director that can sell the premise of a strong female character who runs around in a gold, red and blue swimming costume kicking bad guy ass and for someone at Warner Bros. to give Angelina Jolie a contract to sign.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love 2D animation in HD. Everything just looks so clean, every colour glows, every piece of the hand drawn animation is captured fantastically and the step up from small screen work in the Justice League TV show to this 'more room to breathe' project, shines off of the screen.
This really has moments that show off just how good 2D animation can look and some of its more epic shots are some of the best work the DCU has provided so far. 2D on Blu-ray is such a delight to watch and the SD screen caps used here don't represent just how good the HD image looks.
Much of the audio lives in the front speakers. The sound design rarely even uses the rears beyond the odd jet fly by or spear throw. Saying that, everything in the front is clear and consistent and is quite dynamic considering its limitations.
Generally this all works well with the good use of bass making the overall mix sound better than it probably is. This isn't a high end action movie, despite the visuals on the screen out-doing most of what's on offer in the live action field and while the 5.1 system isn't used to full effect, it's not really missed either.
Well first up we get a solid commentary from Gregory Noveck, Bruce Timm, Lauren Montgomery and Michael Jelenic. As per usual this is mostly headed by Bruce Timm, giving his insight into the animation, the history of the character and what works and what doesn't. Director Lauren Montgomery talks plenty about the tricks she used to make this as grand and epic as she could.
'Wonder Woman: A Subversive Dream' (00:25:35) is a nice look at the history of the character and her evolving role of being a symbol of female strength in a male dominated medium and how she's become such an icon in everyday life. This is complimented with 'Wonder Woman: Daughter of Myth' (00:25:28) which looks at the mythological backgrounds to the Wonder Woman character. While both of these documentaries were good, I would have liked a bit more on the history of the comic book stories and the evolution of her design under different artists.
'A First Look At The Animated Feature Film Green Lantern' (00:10:12) shows us a flew glimpses at the next DCU release. There's not much in the way of final product but plenty of sketch work and a real sense that this will be spending plenty of time in space rather than on earth. Oh and it's Hal Jordan Green Lantern, so count me in as excited.
Also there're some previews of Justice League: The New Frontier (00:10:45), Wonder Woman: The Amazon Princess (00:10:26) and Batman: Gotham Knight (00:10:11). These are all from previous releases and nothing new is included.
The 'Bruce Timm Picks' for this release are the Wonder Woman centric Justice League episodes, 'Paradise Lost' Parts 1 & 2, 'To Another Shore' and 'Hawk and Dove' (all running at around twenty two minutes). Even though I have all of these episodes on previous releases, it's still a joy to watch them back again and they just remind me that I really must do a big Justice League re-watch soon.
Wonder Woman continues to be a character that I love seeing on screen. The mix of noble warrior and let's face it, hot chick kicking ass, is one that I've grown to love within the DC universe (and beyond).
The DC Universe feature length animated projects continue to go from strength to strength and I'd probably have to put this one at the top of the list. It's fun, action packed, full of character and looks bloody great on Blu-ray.
Now all I have to do is wait patiently for Green Lantern in a few months and hope that somewhere down the line Bruce Timm announces a big, feature length, Justice League project to warm my fanboy heart.
*Note: The images on this page are not representative of the Blu-ray release. Thanks to Andy for the screen caps.
Review by Marcus Doidge
Chris Gould Editor Join Date: May 2001 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 7,171
Wouldn't want to see Jolie as Wonder Woman. For me it would have to be a relatively unknown actress or a newcomer, preferably a younger one. Jolie is too old for the character now, especially if you take possible sequels into consideration. Not Megan Fox though, as many seem to be suggesting.
Marcus1138 Contributor Join Date: June 2008 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 910
The choice comes from the feeling that Jolie is the only actress that I could see giving attitude to Batman and Superman in the eventual Justice League movie, without it coming across as forced or out of her depth and she has the look down too.
Her or an unknown would be fine with me. Megan Fox can be Catwoman.
Her or an unknown would be fine with me. Megan Fox can be Catwoman.
Cinque Member Join Date: June 2007 Location: United States Posts: 710
I got this and watched it at home, the day it came out, and I gotta say, this is the best DC Universe DTV feature they've done yet. Kerri Russell, Alfred Molina, Nathan Fillion, Rosario Dawson, and everybody else, all did great work. It was a lot "edgier", more violent, and there was way more sexual innuendo than I expected, and I absolutely love that Bruce Timm and Co. went there.
As for someone to play a live-action WW, I'd rather it be an unknown with a very strong and athletic build, but not overly muscled.....
As for someone to play a live-action WW, I'd rather it be an unknown with a very strong and athletic build, but not overly muscled.....
watcher517 Member Join Date: November 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 92
This is my favorite DC Universe movie so far.
dbduece Member Join Date: June 2006 Location: United States Posts: 20
No one under 27, 5'9" or 130 lbs (the operative word is "woman", not "girl" or "hottie chick". Natually dark, ethnic (almost any European accent will do) and big. Think of a younger Lucy Lawless or, better yet, Monica Bellucci (mercy! I'd seriously give thought to taking her straight-up at her age now!). Push comes to shove, you can get Stacy "legs for days" Keibler as well.
Stephen Etherton Member Join Date: October 2003 Location: United States Posts: 706
Jolie would be terrible for it, and would screw up any chances for a sequal. Go for an unknown.
This DVD was very well made, and although I bought it the day it came out, I did not watch it for a few days afterward. I just could not get into the Wonder Woman mood. Once it started, though, I was very pleased with the entire DVD, story art, design, all of it was very well made.
Bring on the GREEN LANTERN now, and many others! ! !
This DVD was very well made, and although I bought it the day it came out, I did not watch it for a few days afterward. I just could not get into the Wonder Woman mood. Once it started, though, I was very pleased with the entire DVD, story art, design, all of it was very well made.
Bring on the GREEN LANTERN now, and many others! ! !
kubrickf923 Member Join Date: October 2008 Location: United States Posts: 97
I watched this movie, and once it ended I said "..WHAT!?"
Worst Nightmare Senior Member Join Date: July 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 6,716
I think Megan Fox needs to stay in my bedroom...naked...than star in Wonder Woman
Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13
Disc Details
Release Date: 3rd March 2009
Discs: 2
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 1.85:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Subtitles: English, French
Extras: 2x Documentaries, Commentary, 4X Justice League Cartoons, Exclusive look at Green Lantern Animated Movie, Peaks at Justive League New Frontier, Wonder Woman, Batman Gotham Knight, Digital Copy.
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Lauren Montgomery
Cast: Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Alfred Molina
Genre: Action and Animation
Length: 73 minutes
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