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Despite strong reservations from many lawmakers about government's ability to effectively regulate cybersecurity in the private sector, industry efforts to date have been inadequate to protect networks on which the nation's economy and security increasingly depend, according to a panel of federal officials.
James Barnett Jr., chief of the Federal Communications Commission's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, called network operators the first line of defense and praised their efforts before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee.
But "it's not working," Barnett said. "We wouldn't be here talking about it if it were. No one would tolerate this level of criminality, thievery, vandalism or invasion of property if it was done in the physical world, and we can no longer afford to tolerate it in cyberspace."
Related coverage:
Industry to Congress: Hands off cybersecurity
Legal, policy frameworks can hamper cybersecurity
Witnesses at the March 28 hearing stopped short of endorsing mandatory requirements for private-sector cybersecurity, however. They focused instead on improved voluntary cooperation between the public and private sectors. Barnett said government should seek "smart, practical, voluntary solutions through cooperative efforts...wherever it is possible and effective."
The hearing was the third this year in response to a GOP cybersecurity task force that last year recommended Congress concentrate on targeted, easy-to-achieve legislation rather than a comprehensive cybersecurity bill.
The task force also recommended that Congress avoid regulation in favor of incentives for voluntary cooperation. This is at odds with several comprehensive bills that introduced by Democrats that would give the Homeland Security Department responsibility for overseeing minimum security standards for privately owned critical infrastructure.
DHS currently is the lead agency for protecting civilian government infrastructure as well as privately owned systems, but the department has little legal authority in either role. Acting Assistant Secretary Roberta Stempfley of the DHS National Protection and Programs Directorate told the committee the federal government has a responsibility to take part in cybersecurity, but said department's current role is collaborative.
Barnett said major networking companies serving 80 percent of the nation's Internet users have agreed to adopt voluntary recommendations developed by the FCC's Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council, a cooperative public-private organization. They include:
Barnett said the recommendations are "non-regulatory, industry-based and have been worked on in cooperation with our federal partners."
DNSSEC is also a focus of the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration, a non-regulatory agency that helps develop federal communications policy and advanced implementation of DNSSEC on the Internet's root zone.
"DNSSEC deployment at the authoritative root was an important step toward ensuring the integrity of DNS data," said NTIA Associate Administrator Fiona Alexander. "If we are going to maintain the trust of the Internet, we must support further DNSSEC deployment."
Robert Hutchinson, senior manager for information security sciences at Sandia National Laboratories, outlined what he believes government must do to improve cybersecurity:
Witnesses emphasized their current roles in voluntary cooperation with the private sector and did not ask for regulatory authority to ensure baseline security in critical infrastructure. Such a request would be unlikely to be met with favor in the Republican-controlled subcommittee. Subcommittee vice chairman Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) said that, in his opinion, having DHS create rules for an industry sector would be "dooming that industry."
About the Author
William Jackson is a Maryland-based freelance writer.
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What the government could do is establish levels of trust. A 3rd party company could certify that a company has passed various thresholds of tests. Companies are making people get certifications they should also be asked to provide their certifications of confidentiality, integrity and availabilty and history of incidents to customers. That way a person could make better buying decisions as to whether they want to become a customer and risk their information to that company.
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Municipal Election Candidate Forum Wednesday Night At Carnegie Town Hall
The Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, along with the League of Women Voters, is hosting a 2014 Municipal Election Candidate Forum tonight beginning at 5:30 pm at Carnegie Town Hall. The event is free and open to the public.
Each candidate will have one minute to make an opening statement, one minute to respond to various questions submitted from the audience through a moderator and one minute to make concluding remarks.
The schedule is as follows:
- Mayoral: 5:30-6:30 p.m.
- At-Large Council "A" and Council "B": 6:45-7:45 p.m.
- Central District Council and Southeast District Council: 8-9 p.m.
Online viewing is also available at www.siouxfalls.org (under "Key Resources" select City Council Meetings located on the right hand side). Citizens may call in with questions during the forum (605-367-8080) and questions emailed from the viewing audience will also be accepted during the forum (email@example.com).
Cable Channel CityLink will broadcast the event live and rebroadcast it from March 21 through April 6. Times of rebroadcast are 2:30 p.m. each Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, as well as at 6 p.m. each Monday and Wednesday.
Also, the deadline to register to vote is Monday, March 24; absentee ballots start Tuesday, March 25, and the election is Tuesday, April 8, 2014.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Just a reminder that our offices will be closing early on Friday, December 30 at 3:00 p.m. P.S.T. Our offices will also be closed on Monday, January 2 and will reopen at our normal time on Tuesday, January 3.
We'd like to take this opportunity to remind our producers to be safe this holiday weekend. Remember, put that taxi service on speed dial or be sure you have a sober driver as you party in the new year.
Be safe and have a blast. We'll talk with you all next year.More >>


text:
Congo accuses Rwanda of 'kidnapping' soldier
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congolese officials accused Rwandan soldiers of detaining a sergeant from Congo's army near the countries' shared border Sunday, a move they described as a "provocation."
The incident appeared to ratchet up tension in the border region, which was the sight of heavy fighting late last month between the Congolese army and a rebel group allegedly backed by Rwanda.
Sgt. Munanga Kafakana was detained Sunday while trying to visit family in the eastern Congo city of Goma, army spokesman Col. Olivier Hamuli said. Rwandan officials said Kafakana had crossed into Rwandan territory, but Hamuli insisted he had not.
"He had not crossed the border, but he was found in a neutral zone when the Rwandan soldiers kidnapped him," Hamuli said. "We are trying to calm the tension here at the border, because the population that alerted us to this arrest wants to go look for him on the other side of the border."
The arrest was confirmed by Rwandan military spokesman Brig. Gen. Joseph Nzabamwita, who said Kafakana was arrested inside Rwanda not far from where a shell allegedly fired by Congo's army during the fighting in late August killed a Rwandan woman and seriously wounded her 2-month-old baby.
A Rwandan immigration official in the border town of Gisenyi, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to brief the media, said Kafakana crossed into Rwanda at around 1 p.m. but was unable to produce documentation. The official said Kafakana had a machine gun and armor.
Congo's army has engaged in several rounds of heavy fighting in the border region this year with the M23 rebel group, which observers accuse Rwanda of backing despite consistent denials from Rwanda's government. As the most recent bout of fighting escalated last month, a convoy of military vehicles was seen leaving the Rwandan capital, Kigali, for the Congolese border, heightening fears the two nations, which have gone to war twice before, might be heading for another confrontation.
Congolese government spokesman Lambert Mende said Sunday that the arrest of Kafakana was "pure provocation."
"It's clear that we cannot tolerate the Rwandan army kidnapping a Congolese soldier found in the neutral zone," Mende said. "We demand that he be set free immediately and without condition."
Sheik Hassan Barame, mayor of the Rwandan border town of Rubavu, said dozens of Rwandans had been stranded in Congo after a border post was closed in response to the sergeant's arrest.
"We have learnt that dozens of Rwandans are stranded across the border and some have been detained by Congolese authorities as they went about their private affairs," Barame said.
Hamuli, the Congolese military spokesman, said there had been no official decision to close any posts along the border.
Associated Press writer Edmund Kagire contributed to this report from Kigali, Rwanda.


text:
Title Page
This report was produced by Westat under U.S. Department of Education Contract No. ED-00-CO-0116. David Chin served as the contracting officer's technical representative.
U.S. Department of Education
Rod Paige
Office of Postsecondary Education
Sally L. Stroup
Assistant Secretary
July 2004
This report is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted. While permission to reprint this publication is not necessary, the citation should be: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, Meeting the Highly Qualified Teachers Challenge: The Secretary's Third Annual Report on Teacher Quality, Washington, D.C., 2004.
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text:
Cloud computing is fast becoming as ubiquitous as the clouds circling the Earth. As more and more people depend on "the cloud" to store sensitive data, they also realize it isn't perfect —and sometimes it fails because of storm surges or human error.
The fact is there will be outages. If you only have one server location, you are exposed," said Bernard Golden, vice president at enStratus Networks, an IT consultant supporting providers such as Amazon Web Services, Google Storage, and VMware. "The appropriate response is to operate switch regions," he said.
(Read more: Top 20 Startups of Next Year)
Events such as Amazon Web Service's outage in October, which affected its most heavily used data center in Virginia, support Golden's claim. Some AWS customers, such as Netflix, have duplicate cloud systems. As a result, their businesses stayed up and running during the outage. Others, including popular sites like Reddit and Pinterest, temporarily went dark.
Hurricane Sandy also tested the cloud systems of McGraw Hill, which operates a cloud-based data server in lower Manhattan. "The electricity went out, and the system went with it. But customers weren't impacted, because they have enough other data centers to keep it going. There are backups on the West Coast, in New Jersey, even London," said Vipul Nakum, who worked as product team manager for Standard & Poors, now owned by McGraw Hill.
The very concept of one cloud, never mind two, is confusingly abstract. But one VMWare consultant put it simply: "Entering the cloud is the act of storing data on someone else's server."
(Read More: What Is Cloud Computing? CNBC Explains)
It is a maturing market. Cloud service providers, who typically charge on a per server, per user basis, are ready and waiting for consumers to hedge their risk and buy subscriptions for multiple locations. Amazon, for example, says it now operates eight AWS regions worldwide and 21 "availability zones." Having a "global" presence on the cloud is even an option. But is it an advantage?
Skeptics are quick to point out the privacy, security, and retention risks posed by the public cloud. But these are weighed against major cost savings. Keeping data private, whether on traditional servers or on private cloud servers that are custom-designed and protected by corporate firewalls, can be enormously expensive.
"Top financial firms often pay $500 per user, per year for private cloud services. One of our clients has 80,000 users," said the VMWare consultant, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "That's just licensing cost per user; never mind software, IT personnel, and consulting services. That's why people say forget that, I'm going to the public cloud for 5 cents an hour."
Opting out of cloud computing has other downsides. Businesses like S&P, which have monthly and quarterly website traffic peaks pegged to economic releases, often need flexible server capacity to pay for exactly the amount they're using. Traditional servers don't allow for this.
Golden explains: "You have two choices. Either you keep the same everyday number of servers, and once a month you find you don't have enough capacity when web traffic goes up 10 times, or you buy enough equipment to handle peak load, and you're paying for idle equipment 28 days of the month."
(Read more: Five Things to Consider Before Embracing the Cloud)
But again, capacity issues are also cost drivers. And while large companies with highly sensitive data, as in the health care or financial sectors, choose to pay high prices for private cloud services, these costs are simply not possible for smaller businesses — which is why they've gone to the public cloud en masse over the past five years.
"Startups, enterprises, and government organizations are running mission critical applications on AWS — including large websites, e-commerce applications, SAP deployments, scientific analysis, and financial services risk simulations," said Amazon spokeswoman Tera Randall.
The sheer scale of cloud service dependence raises the stakes for risk. If the pricing structures of cloud computing tell us anything, it's that the main risk is privacy. Getting that comes at a premium.
A private-practice attorney in Florida is grappling with an unanswered legal question because her business is run on the public cloud. While she "couldn't possibly pay for a private server," if her client's private information were ever leaked by a hacker, she might be liable for client lawsuits. For this reason, she declined to be identified.
In her case, as in others, cost still trumps these privacy concerns. But the question remains: Are businesses legally protected if cloud systems are breached and private data is leaked?
Questions such as these have Washington researchers at EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center) waging an uphill battle for cloud regulation. The group has unsuccessfully asked the Federal Trade Commission to provide privacy safeguards for Google's cloud-based service Google Drive, which has the right to "reproduce, modify, and create derivative works" using uploaded content, as well as "to publicly display files," according to EPIC.
(Read more: 15 Surprising Global Technology Cities)
Retention concerns soon follow, leaving consumers to wonder whether their data can be corrupted or deleted. Take recent iPhone upgrades, for example. Their default settings sent many Apple customers' data into the "iCloud." How many of its users know that much of this data, according to the company, will likely soon reside in Apple's new center in Prineville, Ore.? If there is an outage, does phone data risk deletion?
The answer is: not likely — because Apple has opted for multiple cloud centers. It seems the answer to risk is to buy backup clouds, or "redundancies" in IT parlance.
The trend is based on the logic that if you are using cloud services, two clouds are better than one.


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Crab Meat Dumplings
A delectable crab mix fills these traditional dumplings. Cooked until golden brown then steamed, these plump pockets are served with a spicy dipping sauce.
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
1 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
2 tsp. scallions, chopped
1 tbs. sweet sherry
1/4 tsp. Chinese 5 spice
1 egg
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 cup corn starch
1 lb. crab meat (claw or special)
1 package wonton wrappers
2 tbs. peanut oil
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 cup water
2 tbs. toasted sesame seeds
Thai Dipping Sauce (optional):
6 oz. lime juice (fresh)
3 oz. fish sauce (nampla)
2 Serrano peppers, chopped
2 tbs. cilantro, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
3 tbs. sugar
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ginger, garlic, scallions, sherry, Chinese spices, egg, lemon juice, and soy sauce. Stir in corn starch until mixture is smooth. Gently fold in crab meat.
- Place approximately 1 teaspoon of filling mixture in the middle of 1 wonton wrap. Fold wraps into triangle and seal the edges by moistening. Continue folding all points of the triangle over so that they meet each other on one side of the dumpling. Place on a wire rack to dry and put in refrigerator to set for approximately 30 minutes.
- In a large sauté pan, add peanut oil and sesame oil and place on medium to medium-high heat. Add dumplings to the pan, one at a time, with the folds of the dumplings facing down. Once all dumplings have been added to sauté pan, and both sides of dumplings are browned, add 1/2 cup of water. Place lid on pan and steam dumplings for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and drizzle dumplings with sesame seeds.
- Optional: Combine Thai dipping sauce ingredients and serve on side. (For best flavor, allow Thai dipping sauce to set for 1-2 hours or even overnight?the longer it sets, the more tangy the sauce.)


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New content and sales for this week's PlayStation Plus update, which include Machinarium coming free for PS Plus members, and an E3 2013 sale on some of the biggest games available digitally. It's a big week, with a ton of content, so read on to learn more
PS+ is a fricken steal. It is an absolutely amazing service package. Its also very clear that Microsoft see's how amazing PS+ is because they announced today they'll be giving out 2 free games per month with XBL Gold.
I'm not knocking Microsoft because I don't blame them for doing it, PS+ is just amazing and Playstation subscribers clearly benefit from its existence.
Walking Dead for $5 is a no-brainer. Planning to try Hell Yeah! since it's only $3.75.
Too bad I'd already wasted money on a prior sale for Machinarium (7.50), Sound Shapes(7.50),Unfinished Swan (7.50) & Walking Dead (11.79).


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The DirectX12 website has been updated added the Xbox One logo
Mistermediax redeemed /s
To be expect tbh. They will most likely talk about the parallels they learnt working with XB1 in transferring that to PC (in terms of the low-level optimizations)
If you say so CBOAT. Dat spin and downplaying. https://twitter.com/tomwarr...
I remember PS3's early performance just after launch and I'll remember XB1's.
These new tools will make Tiled Resources in Direct3D 11+(Directx 11.2, look like warm ups.
Lukas I'm actually confused myself because from my understanding DirectX 12, is a benefit for pc more so than a console, sort of like Mantle is a tool to help PC for lower level programming like consoles already do, but I could be waaay off so I'd appreciate if anybody has a "plain english" explanation.
Edit, I meant to reply to Lukas below.
I do say so misterx insider....
Fiction and delusion works in wonderful ways....
Am sure MS will unlock the 128MB ESram, the second stacked chip thus by making the Xbox have an *innovative memory system* making it HSA compliant and with console level optimization with stereo drivers XB1 will be able to produce 10-12TF* depending on situation.
Same here but from what I understand it means that XB1 could share the API features that DX12 will have.
On a side note I expect a new blog from misterx by tomorrow.
Also looool at me being CBOAT.
"I remember PS3's early performance just after launch and I'll remember XB1's"
Great, but the PS3 wasn't 40/45% down on power.
"These new tools will make Tiled Resources in Direct3D 11+(Directx 11.2, look like warm ups."
No, they won't. Sorry to burst you little bubble there.
Tools/tools/tools/SDK/SDK, what happened to all the cloud power and hidden super duper tripple layered design?
Your dumbness on tech talk knows no bounds.
"I remember PS3's early performance just after launch and I'll remember XB1's."
Sales or hardware performance? With sales, it released a year later than the 360 with a more expensive product. MS took the lead though Sony caught up eventually. Hardware, it had a powerful system that was difficult to program for till people got use to it.
Atm, you have xbone being a less powerful system that's more expensive...
Sigh. It'll only be a few tool updates for Xbox One at best. The real significance is for PC gaming and always has been.
DirectX 12 isn't going to bring some sort of revolution in performance for Xbox One. It'll potentially add or improve some features, but that's what EVERY console EVER has done with their toolset and API, continuous, gradual evolution.
DX12 is much more important and significant for PC, because it should enable much lower level hardware access, closer to the kind of access a console already offers.
It'll effectively make Mantle pretty much DOA just because of how slow AMD have been.
For anyone hoping that DirectX 12 is going to some sort of miraculous performance boost across the board for Xbox One they are going to be disappointed.
DoesUs: "Tools/tools/tools/SDK/SD K, what happened to all the cloud power and hidden super duper tripple layered design?"
I don't know what "super duper tripple [sic] layered design" is, but the much ballyhooed "cloud power" is supposedly coming with Watch_Dogs. It ought to be interesting to see the difference between the PS4 and Xbox One versions. The PS4 has more power and better graphics; but, according to Ubisoft, all that dust blowing and trees swaying stuff in the early trailers is going to be powered by Azure servers in the Xbox One version of the game. I'm eager to see if this cloud thing makes any difference between the two noticeable.
LOL. OpenGL and Mantle is far better suited for console.
Direct X12 is better for PC where you need optimization Direct X12 lacks.
Btw, this does not unlock extra power. It still remains about 50 percent gap of GPU.
In other words...the new moniker will be:
Btw, what really is the point of this if Xbox One is not strong enough to handle features on DX11.
and btw, all DX11 features is literally on OpenGL.
Check this out
Also, real dev who pushes hardware to limit doesnt even use this. They "code to metal" on PS4 and Xbox One to push it to limits.
Then, all it really matters is how much power you got? and Xbox One has far less.
Apparently devs don't even use DX11.2 yet in its entirety if at all so expect games to be using DX12 in about 4 years or more, for console anyway.
Also, that awkward moment when the Day Z dev could be talking about anything lol.
I don't think many people are expecting improvements across the board. If u know tech at all you won't.
But either way any improvements are a good thing. I mean 2 days ago everyone was saying the xbox wouldn't benefit at all because the systems were already done and out before dx12 was finished. So all the people that believed that are wrong.
You're right. DirectX uses Direct Input among other things to help programmers deal with different types of drivers and computers. It could probably still be helpful for consoles, though. Maybe save console devs some hardcoding.
We'll see at GDC.
I don't know, I expect something like "d3d vs ogl" campaign all over again.
Which means piling money on the PR and "ability" (ability as if it's better) while having very similar, while less returns as it's competitions.
So much downplaying here at n4PSg. This news isn't going to change the world but extra supported features are always welcome and if it helps xb1 thats a good thing even for Sony - because better toolsets for xb1 means better multiplats and that should mean the ps4 version won't need to be as badly "gimped" (if that happens)
This should be good news for everyone
Yeah, N4G is the only place where good news is bad news
So what if its coming to Xbox One? IT means nothing really as devs will take a few years to get used to it just like with DX11 meaning if they do use it games won't look as good as DX11. Also you gotta understand how these things work to understand how well they will help a console and the fact is it wont help the xbox one at all at least not from a graphical standpoint. It may make games look better but it will take a bigger hit to hardware than DX11. The BIG plus side is porting PC DX12 games will be a lot easier as they won't be forced to remake in DX11. So it means less chances of devs just saying I CBA making an xbone version because its too much hassle.
Directx 12 will provide a low level graphics AI and a higher level API that abstracts the functionality of the lower level API. Therefore the higher level API should not be too different from DirectX 11. DirectX 12 is basically an improved version of DirectX 11.x that the Xbox One currently uses and it will be added with a software update. Developers will then be able to choose what API to use on Xbox One. I'm currently working with DirectX 11.2 and anxious to see what DirectX 12 will bring to the table.
I said it in here weeks ago and got hundres of disagrees.....
DirectX 12 will bring the possibility to put a whole 1080p picture in the 32mb-ESRAM-Framebuffer. So 1080p will be standard.
FYI: Neither Mantel nor OpenGL exits for (next Gen) consoles. PS3 offers a PSGL API based on OpenGL/ES (incl. CG support).
This could be one of the upcoming features the dayz dev was talking about. I guess we will know more at GDC.
Can someone explain to me what this actually means? I'm such a noob when it comes to things like this.
How can a new SDK and Directx12 improve weaker hardware? Genuine question. How much of a performance boost would this grant and HOW are my main questions.
this from reddit
DirectX is a performance interface that the xbox utilizes. It's designed to handle processes executed by your GPU. In theory, as DirectX is optimized, it's designed to get a little bit more out of the hardware you're using, namely graphics.
Not necessarily weaker hardware, just some key poor choices, stiff design. It is close to PS4, but at same time, miles away due to key choices. No doubt devs will get better with it, and tools to help, but still, MS certainly dropped the ball on X1.
Simply put, a more efficient API will allow developers to access more power with less effort. The most efficient code is machine language and since you can't expect developers to write advanced graphics engines in machine code, the next besr thing is an API that can do the low level talking for you.
For Example, when it was reported that the ICE team had increased tiling performance, the developer also noted that he had written the code in ASM, which is a low level code that is closer to machine code than C. This updated library will become part of the new API that increases the efficiency of higher level development.
On June last year MS showed a presentation where they had a GPU with a 16MB memory limit and used it to stream 6GB worth of textures. This will be the future of gaming.
I'm pretty sure the XO was made with Directx 12 in mind, that would explain the ESRAM and the tile move engines. Interesting..
I would avoid reddit for definitions lol.
The problem with DirectX and OpenGL ( and anything similar ) is that there are layers of higher level code so that developers don't have to deal with technicalities such as machine specific code.
Because of these layers you are adding more overhead to your processing. It takes longer because of more added data that needs to be processed.
Consoles don't change hardware so developers can actually program closer to machine code instead of having all those extra layers to abstract hardware specifications.
This doesn't exist on PC's because of all the hardware configuration. That's why you need that level of abstraction.
But MS ( as well as the developers of OpenGL)is trying to do what AMD did with Mantle. OpenGL and DirectX are not just meant for games. So the API's served their purpose. But it seems like both DirectX and OpenGL are getting an overhaul to optimize code so it's closer to machine code. Less Overhead, more speed.
They are cutting the fat off of the steak. Optimization happens across the board...
Oh, it's you Lukas, I totally bought into this like you didn't know,... Lol, well said.
Still, hardware is like a pool while software fills that pool. Software can only try to maximize hardware, not increase it. So, yes, this helps, but how does it help when comparing hardware.
The problem is with DX is MS have a bad habit of using DX updates to just add new features ( like realistic fire and atmosphere) to the engine rather than optimize it. If anybody ever remembers DX10 it was horrid! You needed 5X the hardware specs to run games in DX10 mode for only 1X times the graphics..
Here's a great example
Those thinking this will help Xbone get better looking games by using less hardware are in for a shock as MS has a bad habit of going the opposite way..
So DirectX12 is coming to X1.
What exactly does that mean again?
my thoughts too..guess we have to wait a few weeks to see...what exactly.
OK, I've been trying to answer that question myself, at first I thought it was just a new tool for pc development, but looks like I was wrong, since micro press release say its:
"better tools so that you can squeeze every last drop of performance out of your PC, tablet, phone, and console."
Im not sure what that means for X1 but I guess we'll find out as GDC. I think it might just be improving X1 drivers a bit but sounds like its going to be huge for pc, because it seems alot of pc sites I just read are pretty excited since the last major update was way back in 2008.
Imagine streaming 6GB worth of texture memory with only 32MB physical memory on hardware. That's what it means. MS showed it on a Directx 11.2 presentation on June last year, this is not magic.
Let's just say the XO was made for Directx 12.
Not a whole lot. SonofGod is going mad like it is some sort of revolution, when it isn't.
For example the feature he talks about in this thread shown for DirectX 11.2 (which Xbox One ALREADY supports) was tiled resources, which was announced several years behind an AMD extension in OpenGL called AMD sparse texture.
There is nothing Xbox One can or will be able to do that Playstation 4 cannot replicate (and probably run faster) if a programmer really desires.
'Partially resident textures' are not a new thing by any means. Although Microsoft are trumpeting them, it is because they are new to DirectX specifically.
Playstation 4 however supports them in hardware. All AMD GCN GPUs do, of which PS4's is the fastest AMD GCN GPU in the current gen consoles. Certainly PS4's texture fillrate is better than Xbox One's.
The technique itself has been around for years and hasn't been used too much, for various reasons. As with anything there are upsides and downsides.
It's not a magic playing field levelling bullet. Nothing is.
http://www.anandtech.com/sh... Have a gander at this.
Look and sound familiar SonofGod?
This article is over 2 years old.
Note the bit at the bottom?
"As D3D is not normally extensible it's really only possible to easily access the feature from other APIs (e.g. OpenGL)"
Sooooo...it's been a feature in OpenGl for years, and D3D hasn't supported it. Until now. Which is why you only just learnt about it and think it's a revolution and new.
Here is DX9 vs DX11 on Crysis 2... in short, it makes a difference lol.
Oh and DX10 was only used for Xbox 360 as a custom API but you could download it for 32bit Vista as well
It just means that it might get a some new features that DX11+ doesnt have and maybe make some other ones more efficient. But DX isnt that efficient to begin with and you lose alot of performance for it. Sure its great for a dev to only have to program to one API and then let the hardware's raw power take care of the performance but when it comes to consoles, you dont really want DX (unless your priority is PC to X1/X1 to PC ports. For a console though you would prefer a custom API written to take as much advantage of the hardware its written for as possible (as close to the "metal" as possible). That way you can squeeze as much performance out of it as possble.
@SonofGod, sourgrouch and Gutz
Youse are all showing your ignorance. Gutz, 360 used DX9 with "SOME" DX10 features, and by some im talking about like 2 features. SonofGod and sour you two obviously know nothing about what you're talking about and instead are just parroting back sh!t youse heard/read on the internet
Dont forget CUDA had it prior to DX too.
To the MS fanboys, tiled resources is not new, like Vulcan said, AMD been had it and both consoles have basically the same hardware for it. And its nothing more than megatextures, already done on Rage on the PS3/360. Its not some revolutionary feature invented by MS, thats just them trying to hype it.
"Here is DX9 vs DX11 on Crysis 2... in short, it makes a difference lol. "
Of course it does- because that is a PC implementation. Also there were over FIVE YEARS between DirectX 9c and DirectX 11. The difference between the DirectX APIs on WINDOWS also included a VAST array of hardware alterations in that time, which made things possible on DX11 class hardware formerly impossible on DX9 class hardware.
Console implementation is a different thing. You can do pretty much whatever you want within the hardware's constraints because you have very low level control of the whole system.
The Xbox One hardware is obviously fixed. therefore the difference between 11.2 now and 12 for a console will only be a refinement of the toolset which is only about 6 months old.
Xbox One hardware may meet some standards of DX12 and benefit from a newer toolset, but it will (obviously) not include hardware changes. Xbox 360 met some requirements of DirectX 10 and benefitted from some of the features, but not all(and not the significant ones), because it's hardware was obviously fixed before that version of DirectX. Much like Xbox One and DX12.
Whereas PC is free to introduce revised hardware specifications and have a more comprehensive implementation of DirectX 12 features.
It means the xbox1 will be aspowerful as 100 xboxes! Than add ClOuDz support and its 200 xboxes in one. Pc master race cant even touch the soon to be al mighty xbox.
It means that the graphics are going to run on a different platform and have one or two new tools. And that Xbox fanboys are going to pretend like this will vindicate eSRAM and make the graphics better, which it won't.
you thought pc games was ahead of console before wait til devs start us dx12. its like leap frog but the little kid is playing against Jordan
I'm no software engineer so correct me if I'm wrong please, but since the the PS4 runs on openGL, which from my understand is extremely customisable, doesn't that mean any rendering technique or compression algorithm dirext12 uses on the xbone the PS4 can also useif the developers code it themselves?
Either way it's good to see both consoles improving. Can't wait to see the innovation in a couple of years.
In short yes! But, the PS4 wasn't made with this being the center, PS4 is relying on raw power. Xbox One was built with this in mind. Also OpenGL isn't DirectX. DirectX is the standard that everything else tries to imitate and follow.
What Ginesis said.
The PS4 can do tiled resources, but at the expense of GPU/CPU cycles & maybe more memory.
The XB1 it would seem was built to take advantage of these, with custom hardware to take the grunt off the GPU/CPU & free up resources/cycles.
So in the end both systems can do it, just one can do it easier than the other.
Also DX takes a lot of the hard work away from the devs, not sure if OpenGL does the same.
Tiled resources, I can't wait for, imagine a game where everything you look at its super high rez, yet running on nothing more than 16mbs of ram, mind would boggle. The new Halo will probably utilise this, if not then there bloody mad.
right and wrong my friend. PS4 uses PSSL a very custom blend low level API developed by Sony. Its core is based on Open GL or OpenES, but its features surpass DirectX11. Not sure how DX12 compares. I assume Sony can patch in the same elements if they see them useful.
Its also features a 2ndary wrapper API that is pretty comparable to OpenGL/DX. That works with the low level API or so I believe.
PS4 was designed to adapt to DirectX11/11.1 code very well I do believe. The advantage of fixed hardware means that the API can be adapted to do special tasks with the hardware pretty easily. So I wouldn't rule the PS4 out of doing the same things XB1 can do even with DX12.
DX is Microsoft's API. Most games that run in Windows utilize it, but not all. OpenGL, OpenCL and so on are used elsewhere with Mac, and Linux, and also in Windows. Rage, and Minecraft are two examples of OpenGL based games.
Now with Steam Machines/SteamOS we could see some developers shift to a more universal API to put their games on more platforms with less cost for porting to new code. Well if SteamOS gains any momentum.
There is also AMD's Mantle which AMD says will be even better than OpenGL/DirectX for gaming on Linux/Windows.
If you care about power then get a pc or even a decent laptop as both consoles are outdated(outdated day 1) and have laughable performance.
When Sony's 1st and 2nd party devs put the games on those devices maybe some will consider it. Atm, I have been good with console gaming since Atari 2600. "Laughable performance." Smh. I and many others DO NOT CARE about pc's uber duper performance. We enjoy our PS4's, Xbox 1's, and Wii U's just fine. Thx 4 ur concern tho.
Im mainly a pc gamer and love my xbox.
He who games on one system misses out on the most games
Here's the clencher..
No GPU yet supports Direct x 12. Not even Maxwell. So good luck with that on the X1.
Talk about hype. And direct x 12 isn't such a win for a console anyway. The only reason MS are starting to talk about direct X 12 is because PC optimization sucks, MS have been lazy in a PC gaming monopoly, and now Mantle has shown what optimization can do to a PC if developers give MS and the unoptimised mess that is direct X the middle finger.
Plus, Steam OS and Steamboxes coming out, could putting more pressure onto MS to react.
If they loose their share of the market in the PC platform to a contestant, they will loose their position of dominance in the gaming sector overall.
It's hard saying things like that to console gamers. Specifically, gamers who never/very rarely game on pc.
I saw it at gamestop when I worked there. They couldn't explain composite cables vs standard AV cables. One a##-wipe left in a puff when I was trying to make sure it was component (vs hdmi) by asking, "5 prongs or 1 plug?" He would just say, "HD ON MY WII?" (Not wii U) - the Wii doesn't natively support hdmi and he didn't know if needed component or hdmi for hd when some tvs go hdmi only. WHY CAN'T YOU TELL ME HDMI OR COMMITMENT OR COMPOSITE?
Tech savvy is rare, even amongst gamers...
Yeah, I drank too much in the comment above, sue me.
My god..all the disagree's. Shows how much people actually know around here
XO dx12 compatibile? Now this makes me think if all the rumors about tiled and mind blowing halo graphics might be true. Well, quantum break does look amazing (stated on official website it was all real time)
Can't wait for tiled resources on Direct X 12 on Xbox one.
Tiled Resources, ray tracing and more incoming :)
also in terms of optimization on porting, xbox could get closer to pc in terms of architecture and allowing feature sets
Tiled resources already exist in DirectX 11.2, which Xbox One currently supports as of right now. Tiled resources is similar to an existing extension in OpenGL....
Ray Tracing isn't something exclusive to any version of DirectX. You could do it on PS3, if you wanted to. Gran Turismo did. It was just pretty slow as it kinda is today. Ray Tracing is a bit of hyped up technique for games, but that's a different story.
Neither are being 'added' if you must know. This is an improved API for the console. It isn't unlocking some hidden wunder features the console couldn't necessarily already do if developers put the effort in.
Potentially it'll just make it easier for developers to access some features. The hardware isn't changing, what it can do isn't changing, just how developers can work with it is being modified.
For the better? Possibly. But it takes time for this sort of thing to mature. It takes time for PC developers to get their heads around it as well, often new versions of DirectX are under utilised and badly optimised for quite a while.
Such is the downsides of legacy support.
Ray Tracing??? Do you know what computing power needs to run Ray Tracing in full force???? Even the best high-end PC's can't run Ray Tracing today. Not yet.
Wow a xbox comment with more agrees then disagrees how did you do it your amazing
And what a difference that will make. /s
Trust me, it will. This is the future of gaming on all platforms. It's not just about hardware anymore.
Should I trust you if I'm a Buddhist, Hindu, or Muslim?
" Trust me, it will."
I'm sorry but I don't trust you at all as you are ranting and regurgitating hype about which you seem to know very little.
I intend to reserve the bestowing of my trust for those more worthy of my respect.
You have to remember that the reason mantle was created in the first place is because Microsoft did such a poor job of keeping software optimised on the PC.
The only reason the XBO has the hardware modifications to allow these features is because if it didn't it wouldn't be possible to run some of the features at all on the weaker silicone. Another case of "catch-up" rather than an advantage.
The cloud is not being used to create better lighting. Its being used to make adaptive AI and shared simulation. Anything that can be translated with a 3D space coordinate and timing will be used. Great if you want enemies that feel real, bad if you want amazing visuals.
Alright, I'm going to hold off buying a new video card is DX12 is coming out later this year.


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Autopsy set for body in truck
Hunters discover vehicle belonging to missing Sand Lake man
NASSAU — A missing Sand Lake man's damaged truck was found Tuesday on a logging road with a body inside, police said.
State Police and the Rensselaer County Sheriff's Office said the body will have to be identified using dental records. An autopsy is planned for Wednesday.
Police have been investigating the disappearance of Ryan M. Patton, 28, of Momrow Road, who went missing on Nov. 12. Patton was last seen at 10:45 p.m. driving away from the Lakeview on Crystal Lake restaurant in Averill Park in his Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. He was later reported missing by his parents.
A State Police helicopter conducted aerial searches of the Sand Lake area last week, but found nothing.
Investigators said the truck recovered Tuesday was damaged from a serious accident and was extensively burned. It was found by hunters on a logging road off Hayes Road, deputies said.
People who knew Patton said he was a happy man getting over a recent breakup with a girlfriend.
"He was always pleasant, friendly and a pleasure to talk to," said Bonnie Wittman, owner of Lakeview, a restaurant and bar at which Patton was a regular customer. She said he had big blue eyes that sparkled when he laughed.
The last night Patton was seen, Wittman came out of the kitchen and spoke with him briefly while Patton sat at the bar and sipped his usual mixed drink, Captain Morgan rum and Coke, shortly before he disappeared.
"He was joking that I had to work on Veterans Day and he seemed fine, like he was settled in and didn't feel like going home," Wittman said. She added that he seemed to have moved on after splitting up with a girlfriend over the summer.
"He was talking to people at the bar that night and exchanged phone numbers with one of the guys in the kitchen," she said. "He was smiling and happy the way he usually was. He never caused any trouble. Nobody knew what to think of him going missing. It just didn't make any sense. It was very strange. He's going to be missed."
Wittman said Patton often stopped both at her spot and nearby Towne Tavern. He was friendly and liked at both establishments, she said.
Patton had worked as a roofer at Phelps Brothers Roofing of Nassau for the past nine years. "He was well-liked and well-respected by his co-workers," said Sharon Phelps, a manager of the family-run business.
Phelps said Patton worked a regular shift on a roofing job on Nov. 12 but didn't show up for work the following day. "The fellas called and he didn't answer his cellphone, which was totally unusual," she said. "They kept trying and trying and knew something was wrong."
Phelps said there was no sign anything was bothering Patton or that he had been depressed. "Absolutely nobody saw anything unusual going on with him," she said. "That's the hard thing about all this. We can't understand it."
Sheriff's deputies said Patton's family thanked those who assisted with the search. They asked that concerned friends not burden the family with calls while they wait for the identification results.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the State Police at 732-4644 or the sheriff's department at 270-5252 or 266-1981.
Kenneth C. Crowe II contributed. email@example.com • 518-454-5696 • @BobGardinier


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New Hanover County Commissioner Brian Berger is no longer a member of the Republican Party.
New Hanover County Commissioner Brian Berger is no longer a member of the Republican Party.
Berger submitted an application to the county Board of Elections Thursday afternoon to switch back to the Libertarian Party, according to county spokesperson Charles Smith.
Berger ran for commissioner in 2008 as a Libertarian and lost, but switched to the Republican Party before his successful election in 2010.
Recently, the New Hanover County GOP has spoken out against Berger.
In late March, the local party adopted a resolution "censuring and repudiating the actions of Brian Berger" and echoed calls for his resignation.
Berger could not be reached for comment Thursday morning.
This move also brings up questions regarding Berger's pending removal from the Board of Commissioners.
The commissioners voted to begin the amotion process April 8 – a North Carolina common law practice that deals with a private corporation removing an officer because he was unfit.
In a typical situation if a commissioner steps down or is removed, his or her party has the opportunity to nominate someone to fill the vacancy. But for Berger will this mean the party he was affiliated with during the election or the party at the time of removal?
According to county Elections Director Marvin McFadyen, it would still be up to the Republican Party to put forward a new candidate.
"The party controls the seat. It's the nominating party that gets it not matter what party the candidate affiliates themselves with," he said. "Libertarians weren't even on the ballot, so they don't really have a right to that seat."
The commissioners don't have to accept the party's recommendation. They can bring forward their own choice to fill the spot for the remainder of Berger's term.
Berger's first term on the board ends in 2014.
Ashley Withers: 343-2223
On Twitter: @AshleyWithers


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New Quaker Stack= Easy Express Oatmeal 2¢ & More!
4 Responses to "New Quaker Stack= Easy Express Oatmeal 2¢ & More!"
I found an even better deal on the Quaker Real Medleys. If you purchase 4, you can use two MFC's and two Target coupons. The Target coupon states, "One coupon or offer per guest". It does NOT say one coupon per transaction. I did this deal today, and had my 4 kids with me. All 4 coupons went through without beeping. I stated to the cashier (whom I know) that I was surprised the second Target coupon didn't beep, and she stated that unless it states "one per transaction", they will allow more than one as long as there is more than one person in your group that is checking out, if that makes sense! Anyway, this is a YMMV, but here is the deal I got :
4 Quaker Medleys (B3GO) = $6.76
Minus $1.69 = $5.07
Used 2 MFC for $1.00 off of two = $3.07
Used 2 TC for $1.00 off of two = $1.07
Total paid was $1.07 for four or $0.26 each.
If those target coupons will work on quaker cookies some of them have 75 cents off of one peelies on them and they are like 2.20 reg
Got 2 of the oat meals they were 1.07 but after coupons .07 each!!!!!!
It says $1/2 items and I noticed that my Target has some of the "box of 2" Quaker Bars for $1, so if you stack both would be free!
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New Terminal at Myrtle Beach Airport Now Open
If you've been flying to Myrtle Beach for a number of years, there is no way you'll miss the new terminal at the Myrtle Beach International Airport, which opened to passengers earlier this month.
Bright, clean and spacious, it's got a "wow" factor like never before.
With 24,000 square feet of passenger space in the terminal and concourse, an increase in the number of departure gates from seven to 13, and three new ground loading positions, this is a major overhaul for the Myrtle Beach Airport. The airport also updated its baggage handling system and created a new rental car facility with a pedestrian canopy, as well as expanded the parking lot and roadway circulation and access.
There are now more kiosks for passenger check-in, which should help speed up getting to your gate on time. Golfers will love the longer baggage belts, which were specifically designed with golf bags in mind. Passengers also love the new restaurants at the airport, including a Nacho Hippo. This funky establishment serves up fun southern twists on Mexican fare, including the Carolina Kid taco with pulled pork and the Tree Hugger veggie nachos.
"Before, the (old terminal) was kind of small and old, and now the kids couldn't believe when they walked in, all the space there was," Faith Fratto from Pittsburgh told a local news team.
Check the Myrtle Beach Airport website for the new traffic pattern to the airport if you're headed there for the first time, and get ready for smooth flying!
Posted 4/24/13


text: This is the third and final installment of the World of Water theme I was doing. This track has various ethnic pitches to it and has a very sweeping and exotic feel. Look for the World of Water music pack coming soon, which will include special loops only available in the pack.


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Oh My Bosh: Heat edge Spurs without James, Wade
San Antonio, TX – The Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs reversed roles.
With home-court advantage possibly on the line throughout the NBA playoffs, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra sat his two superstars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade due to nagging injuries.
But the sometimes forgotten of the "Big Three," Chris Bosh, showed that he's still a superstar too.
Bosh nailed a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left to life the Heat to an 88-86 win over the Spurs.
Bosh, who finished with 23 points and nine rebounds, was 9-of-15 from the floor for Miami, which has won back-to-back games since having its 27-game winning streak snapped against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
"We are the defending champions no matter who we put out there," Bosh said. "We are still the Miami Heat. As soon as I saw (the Spurs) put two (defenders on Allen) on the ball, I knew my opportunity was there."
Tony Parker's bank shot at the buzzer was off the mark which put the Heat three games ahead of San Antonio with nine to play for the NBA's best record.
James played through a right hamstring strain suffered during the first half of Friday's game against the New Orleans Hornets, but sat out the final frame with the Heat comfortably in front.
Wade hurt his right ankle during Wednesday's loss against the Chicago Bulls, but played Friday.
In a game against Miami early in November, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich sent guards Parker and Manu Ginobili, along with forwards Tim Duncan and Danny Green home prior to the contest. The NBA fined the organization $250,000 for the move. The Heat won that tilt, 105-100.
Duncan, Parker and Green all suited up Sunday, but Ginobili was unable to go due to a right hamstring strain.
Duncan registered 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Kawhi Leonard added 17 points and 11 boards for the Spurs, who had won six of their last seven tilts coming in.
Ray Allen's 3-pointer gave the Heat a 74-64 cushion with 9:36 remaining, but the Spurs used a 13-3 run to take the lead later in the frame. Back-to-back Duncan jumpers gave San Antonio an 86-83 edge with 1:21 to go.
Norris Cole drew a foul with 32.1 ticks left and hit two free throws before Duncan's jumper in the paint with 11.9 seconds to play was off the mark. Allen corralled the rebound and was double teamed along the left wing as San Antonio defended for a possible triple.
But Bosh was left free at the top of the arc and nailed the go-ahead triple over Duncan, who couldn't close out in time.
"(Bosh) is a heck of a player, No. 1," Popovich said. "He's also a hell of a shooter."
Earlier, the Spurs led 24-22 after a quarter of play and took a 45-40 spread into the break.
The Heat, though, used a 14-3 swing to put themselves in front, 64-56, in the latter stages of the third before taking a 71-64 spread into the fourth.
Game Notes
The Spurs, who had their seven-game home winning streak snapped, fell to 32-5 at AT&T Center this season ... Allen recorded 14 points and five assists ... Miami scored 20 points off 17 San Antonio turnovers.


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BRISTOL — The Addison Northeast Supervisory Union is looking for a new business manager, the district said on its website. The current Chief Financial Officer is Ed Gomeau.
The chief financial officer oversees a staff of six, reports directly to the superintendent, and oversees $27 million in expenditures annually, the job posting stated. When reached for comment, district data and communications specialist Karen Wheeler declined to say when or why Gomeau was leaving, though the job posting said the new contract start date is Jan. 15, 2014.


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Neal V. Purvis' recent letter to the editor ("If CAT needs money, hike bus fares," April 21) sounds like a good solution on its surface, but a closer look at the situation in which CAT finds itself requires a better solution.
CAT riders are already paying their fair share of the cost of operating the system. During the past year, CAT riders contributed 26 percent of the cost of operations. This percentage, referred to as fare box recovery, is one of the highest in the country.
The average percentage paid by riders nationally is 18.7 percent. MARTA riders pay 22 percent, while riders in Charleston pay 17 percent and those in Jacksonville pay 13 percent.
Mr. Purvis' suggestion that only those who ride the bus are the ones who benefit is simply incorrect. We all benefit from fewer cars on our roads and in our parking spaces because some simply take the bus. Businesses rely on workers being able to get to work using the bus and many of our stores and services can't do without the customers, patients and clients who frequently arrive on the bus.
When a prospective enterprise looks at locating in our area, the question of access to transit always arises.
A number of factors have resulted in the current request to increase the mileage rate for CAT. The increase to 1.24 mills represents a thoughtful response on the part of the CAT Board to meet the challenges the funding landscape unfolds before us.
State government has simply walked away from funding transit. For the past three years, the state has provided funding for transit in Metro Atlanta, but none for this or other parts of the state. While the state never helped to pay for operations here, it has stopped contributing 10 percent of funds needed for purchases of buses and equipment. The Federal Transit Administration, while still funding equipment, no longer funds transit operations at CAT.
Several years ago, the millage rate was 1.3 mills. It was reduced in 2002 to .82 mills and remained there until it was moved .859 mills in 2011, the current figure.
Given the cuts we've seen in support from other sources, the proposed millage increase is not only responsible, but overdue and crucial to the continued success of CAT in our community.
No one likes to pay for a service they don't use. But everyone in this community would be hard pressed to correctly assert that CAT is not a community service from which we all benefit.
Chatham Area Transit Authority
New program designed for mentally ill people
The April 17 grand opening story of a new Savannah non-profit, Reed House, was not printed in the Savannah Morning News, even though the event was covered by the press.
We were advised the Boston bombing tragedy consumed the available space. That's understandable, but the Reed House story, about a psycho-social mental health rehabilitation Clubhouse, could have ironically run next to Boston's horrific articles to offer a glimmer of hope amidst the despair.
There are two new cases of severe mental illness diagnosed in the U.S. every second. Funding is scarce for mental health treatment nationally. Georgia is so lacking that people have to move to another state to find needed services.
Reed House is a supportive environment, where lonely, socially isolated, mentally ill people can be embraced, trained, educated and re-integrated back into society. They need a hand up, and Reed House is doing just that - changing lives and saving people every day.
We cannot ignore mental illness any longer and there is now hope in our community. There are hundreds of ICCD Clubhouses, of which Reed House is a member, already making a difference worldwide.
Reed House Board of Directors
Obama's economic policies like Ponzi scheme
The "new" (actually very old) trend touted by politicians today is a very dangerous scheme amounting to nothing more than a giant Ponzi scheme.
The debt crisis and currency dilution overtaking our economy are real. No one knows how much faster the economy would recover without this effort to scheme.
Massive government intrusion and the massive resulting debt keep healthy investment and new enterprise on the sidelines. Citizens are encouraged to envy wealth while foolishly thinking the government is miraculously above taking advantage of them.
President Obama "chose" Fisker automotive for political reasons and gave them $192 million of American taxpayers earned incomes. Now Fisker joins dozens of propped-up, Obama cronies on the pile of financial failure funded by what has become a $7 trillion heist of taxpayer earnings.
That Americans aren't enraged, or aware of this, and other Obama government squandering is an extremely bad sign of things to come.
Heretofore, America has been a nation of people willing to die for freedom and opportunity. We knew the value of making prudent, wise decisions based on principles of reality, correct philosophy and awareness.
These are high and lofty qualities that don't come from falling off a turnip truck, but from a diligent, persistent, and courageous commitment to truth, goodness and reality.
Do these qualities characterize most Americans today?
Richmond Hill
Smallest library? The one for Obama
Mark Streeter's editorial cartoon on April 25 regarding the opening of former President George W. Bush's Presidential Library got me thinking of what his cartoon for President Barack Obama's Presidential Library opening may be like.
After all, if President Obama's second term is anything like his first term, I am sure there will be many accomplishments to archive. Why, the library needed to house evidence of his hard work ought to be somewhere between the size of a commercial post office box and a self-storage unit.
Anti-Bush cartoon was mean, not satire
I can't imagine how many letters Mark Streeter's "Fiction Accomplished" cartoon will generate. Probably some will come from embarrassed Democrats who are also tired of the mean, if not hateful, tone of opinions from ultra-liberals (Ed Shultz, Al Sharpton, Bill Maher, et al).
While some on the far right are no better, it seems liberals have perfected this approach to criticism.
Streeter just can't help himself. He'll say it's just satire.
We understand that, but we also recognize when it simply becomes meanness. Mark, get over it and move on (as President Obama would say).


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When embarking on a fitness routine or regimen, it is important to track your progress and get some feedback. These days you can find a wide range of sports watches that will help you do just that. You'll find all-purpose digital watches, sports-specific fitness watches, high-end fashion watches and smart watches. Track your heart rate, keep track of laps and reps, chart your route and see how many calories you've burned so that you can be on track to hit your goals and stay motivated.
A fitness watch is an easy and excellent way to give yourself some feedback on how hard and how smart you are working out. It also helps you to chart your daily progress so that you can make sure you're staying within striking distance of your long-term fitness goals. Whether you're looking to lose weight, build muscle, gain stamina or train for a sport or competition, these watches serve as your virtual workout partner.
A good all-around brand to consider is Garmin. You'll find Garmin watches that are specifically designed to help you track their distance, speed, heart rate and other important numbers whether you are a runner, biker or swimmer. They also have products designed to help golfers monitor their distance, scores, and performance. A Garmin GPS watch lets you track your path and help you in case you get lost or when you want to explore a new route.
If you like a combination of serious style and durable functionality, opt for a fitness watch from brands like Invicta, which boast rugged construction, sleek, eye-catching designs and waterproofing to a depth of 100 metres. This type of contemporary fitness watch that seamlessly blends function with style is a smart choice for sports enthusiasts, swimmers and divers who also need to look sharp in the boardroom.
No matter your sport or favourite type of workout, you can find the right device to help facilitate your goals right here.


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Problem Solvers: 10 Uniquely Shaped Shower Curtain Rods
Shower curtain rods – they're all the same, right? Wrong! Shower curtain rods come in a variety of shapes, sizes and convenience. Double, curved, circular — we have a roundup of some unique curtain rods that'll fit a variety of showers.
Unusual Shapes
• Extra Heavy Whittington Corner from Signature Hardware Starting at $126.95
• L-Shaped Shower Rod from Faucet.com $38.76
• Rectangular Chrome Shower Rod from Overstock $90.99
• Kingston Brass Shower Rod Starting at $101
• Wall Mount Circular Shower Curtain Rod from Wayfair $432
• Double Curved Shower Curtain Rod from Signature Hardware Starting at $68.95
• Polder Duo Shower Curtain Rod from Target $42.59
• Curved Shower Curtain Rod from Signature Hardware Starting at $34.95
• Chrome 3-In-1 Chrome Adjustable Curved Shower Rod from Bellacor $37.95
• Home Classics Curved Shower Curtain Rod from Kohl's $39.99


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According to Alderson, he feels the Mets need a pitcher capable of winning at least 10 to 12 games, who can slot in to the rotation now that R.A. Dickey has been traded the Blue Jays. Jeremy Hefner, Collin McHugh and Jenrry Mejia will all be considered in Spring Training for this position, but he expects to sign a veteran free-agent or two to compete as well.
Liriano was 6-12 in 34 starts last season with a 5.34 ERA for the White Sox and Twins.
The Twins have reportedly been working to re-sign Liriano, but talks have been going 'backwards,' according to the Star-Tribune.
Liriano is a hard throwing left-handed pitcher who, while he strikes out a lot of batters, walks a lot of batters as well. He is primarily a fastball/slider pitcher who will mix in an occasional change-up. He held left-handed hitters to a .221 average and allowed just one home run against them in 2012 - he's only allowed six home runs in his career against left-handed pitching. He put together a phenomenal season in 2006, but has battled arm injury and consistency problems since. It's hard to deny Liriano can be electric, but he can also be equally frustrating because of the walks. In a way, he is kind of like Oliver Perez in that there is so much potential, yet he hasn't been able harness it and become the top-of-the-rotation pitcher everyone thought he could be.


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Price: $234.90
Item num: 94811
Blade length: 7.20 in.Cutting edge length: 6.50 in.Total length: 12.50 in.Blade height (at heel): 1.85 in.Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.18 in.Blade thickness (at midpoint): 0.06 in.Blade thickness (near tip): 0.05 in.Item weight: 5.40 oz.Shipment weight: 8.2 oz.Blade: Kurouchi san mai with an aogami super carbon steel core, Rc 63Bolster: Pakkawood ferruleHandle: Macassar ebony
Description: The santoku is the traditional Japanese chefs knife. This comfortable design is a fantastic multipurpose chopper. The Santoku style has quickly become the new favorite for chefs in the West.
Mutsumi Hinoura, is widely considered to be amongst Japan�s elite group of highly revered bladesmiths. He lives in Sanjo, in the Niigata region and is the son of renowned bladesmith Tsukasa Hinoura. This area is renowned for its handmade cutlery experts and is the home of makers such as Yoshikane, Shigefusa, Iwasaki, and more. Mutsumi studied industrial engineering at Niigata College of Technology and graduated in 2001, when he began working as a full time bladesmith. Like his father, he is very active in promoting the art of Bladesmithing within the Niigata region. Mutsumi has become famous for his craftsmanship and ability to forge knives with excellent balance, sharpness and a stark beauty that speaks to Japan�s feudal past.
Each knife is individually hand-forged beginning with an aogami super carbon steel core (hagane). The smaller crystalline size of this carbon steel results in superior edge holding when compared to nearly any other steel. Many knifemakers and users feel that aogami super is among the best carbon steels used on kitchen knives today. Additionally, aogami super is less reactive than many carbon steels such as shirogami. A dark kurouchi finish from the last phase of heat treatment adds a limited degree of rust resistance. This time consuming process creates a knife with outstanding edge holding and beauty. Particular attention should be paid when washing Kurouchi finished blades as a scouring pad can potentially wear off the black finish.The blade is hand forged to shape with a tremendous distal taper - beginning with a thick spine where the blade travels out of the handle and quickly moving into a thin, high performance spine as it moves toward the tip. This ensures optimal balance, strength and control. The spine is nicely rounded for comfort. Convex ground sides assist food to release from the knife while slicing. Because this knife is forged from carbon steels, we recommend using camellia oil to avoid rust.
The "Wa" style handle is called 'shinogi'. A ridge travels along the right side of the handle. While designed for right handed use, most lefties find this handle style equally comfortable. Natural macassar ebony is combined with pakkawood for a handle that will last a lifetime. Like other kitchen knives, this knife should not be put in a dishwasher.
Availability: In stock. Usually ships in 1-2 business days


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Dormont Pool Fundraiser - 8/8/09
Peter Karlovich and Steve Herforth graciously opened up their Mt. Washington home — and beautiful infinity swimming pool — to help save another pool. The Friends of Dormont Pool Fundraiser brought out 100 guests for a charitable evening of live music, cocktails, and hors d'oeuvres. With the city sparkling in the background, the event raised more than $2,600 to help preserve the 80-year-old Dormont landmark. Photography by Megan WylieRead More
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Pets, Pets, Pets
It's time for an episode of "Dogdom's Queen for a Day." Our applause meter will determine which pooch's hard luck story conjures the most sympathy. Unlike the poor women who won on the ghastly precursor to reality TV, the reigning pup won't be getting a new Maytag to wash away his troubles, nor will he have to weep across the stage with his robe, crown and rose bouquet. Instead, he, as well as the runners-up, will get a "new leash on life." Actually, our three canine "Queen for a Day" contestants are male.
You're lucky if you are too young to remember Queen for a Day, the demeaning 1945-1964 radio turned television show that forced poverty-stricken housewives to spill their guts in public about their financial woes in order to win a few appliances or a new set of flatware. Even as a kid, I thought the show was degrading and bizarre; and knew come the next morn, little had changed for these desperate women- except they had now humiliated themselves on national TV.
When you are involved with shelter rescue a long time, you are never shocked at how many pets are mistreated or left to fend for themselves. However, you still come across cases that stop you in your tracks. How can people be so ignorant and callous?
Our three canine contestants on "Dogdom's Queen for a Day" are recent entries in the "whenever you think you've seen the worst" file. We have two common denominators: all three dogs are already getting help, and all three continue to love everyone despite their abusive start. Please decide which one should wear the coveted crown:
Contestant #1- Bingo Boy. Marion County Animal Rescue League posted that friends had come upon a West Virginia house that burned down over a year ago. The people moved out but never took their dog. He had been chained outside to the debris and nail-covered boards with no shelter for the duration. The neighbors had been feeding him, thinking the owners would come back for him. That week the property was to be sold at the courthouse, and this extremely friendly Saint Bernard mix in miniature would be homeless. He would be sent to the local animal control with virtually no chance of being adopted there, so he would be put to sleep. Scrolling down were photos of Bingo tethered to the debris in the snow. That's all it took. Saturday evening we picked him up in Connecticut, the last stop on a rescue transport. As we tucked Bingo in at Last Hope in Wantagh, we promised him, he would never be cold or neglected again.
Contestant #2- Timothy. This Lhasa pup seems less than two years old. He has multiple injuries most likely from being hit by a car, but then he was found on Sunrise Highway again. Why? You may recall reading about Timothy named for "Tiny Tim" of Dickens fame in "Pets" 12/29/11. Timothy has since moved from Babylon Shelter to Last Hope where he's in a wonderful foster home awaiting surgery.
Supposedly a Good Samaritan found Timothy on Sunrise in Lindenhurst and took him to the emergency hospital. Although his left hind leg is rotated completely around, Timothy plays vigorously. He uses his leg like a crutch. The skin is scraped off his foot which will ulcerate and remain vulnerable to infections, if ignored. He has no feeling in his paw. Presently his foot is bandaged and he wears a special bootie when outdoors. Timothy has leg and pelvis fractures that healed by themselves in a crooked way. His muscles have atrophied, and the twisted leg has neurological damage. Orthopedic repair would require several surgeries with no guarantee of success, possibly a fused ankle. There's a chance that after physical therapy, he would still have to wear a brace for the rest of his life. Another option is to amputate the leg. That is what we are going to do. He will get along just fine. Ask my cat Veto, if you can stop him when he zooms by. He had the same hind leg amputated 14 years ago by the same skilled surgeon.
Contestant #3- Hector. This tiny, sweet Havanese also appeared on the WV rescue radar screen. I noticed this cutie because he looked so much like our Timothy. Hector was only about a year old, yet his mouth was so smelly that he was in the back of a rural shelter marked for euthanasia figuring extensive dental care would make him unadoptable. Year old dogs tend not to have dental problems. Something was fishy. Happy Whiskers, a local WV rescue, pulled him anyway and a quick trip to the vet prior to transport told them that he had a fractured jaw possibly from being hit by a car that had healed improperly
(similar to Timothy's leg). No x-rays were taken at that time. When Happy
Whiskers (donation hint…www.happywhiskers.org) took Hector to their own vet for his neuter, x-rays showed that the fracture was from a gunshot to the lower jaw with a large portion of the bone missing and bullet fragments still lodged in the jaw and soft tissue. Later the orthopedic specialist who did Hector's extensive and expensive repair felt the wound was from a .22 caliber gun about a month prior. Imagine how much pain Hector endured.
Sadly these rural rescues are accustomed to coming across dogs that have been shot and left to die. I ask you- how could any human being shoot Benji? Camera men, please roll the applause meter!
Babylon Town Shelter Adoptables
(631-643-9270) Lamar St. W. Babylon: This week our poster pups want to drive home the point that Craig's List is NOT the responsible way to rehome your pets. Craig's List is useful for lost and found but not safe as a source of new homes. This adorable, bonded
Puggle #12-60 and Samoyed #12-
61 pair were abandoned and tied up with a bag of food. Their collar tags revealed that their original owner gave them to someone who responded on Craig's List about a month ago. The Samoyed was an angel when we used the rake on him, but we have miles to rake before we sleep.
Male: "Luigi" plus two more Cockapoos; buff Cocker Spaniel; "Otis"
Brindle Pit; "J. Crew" the tuxedo kitten whose sweater comes home with him.
Female: "Sage" Jack Russell; "Hope" Shepherd mix.


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Gas prices up slightly in Savannah
Average retail gasoline prices in Savannah have risen 4.0 cents a gallon in the past week to $3.27 a gallon on Sunday.
The national average has not moved in the last week and remains at $3.43 a gallon, according to gasoline price website SavannahGasPrices.com.
Prices Sunday were 10.0 cents a gallon higher than the same day one year ago and 11.5 cents a gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased 14.1 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 11.0 cents higher than a year ago.
"Thanksgiving Day 2012 featured the highest ever daily average for the holiday, beating out 2011 by over 10-cents per gallon," said GasBuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan. "The national average may continue to moderate slightly by Christmas, but I'm not expecting significant decreases or increases in the national average in the short term at this point."
Wine & Fries set at Ronald McDonald House
Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire will host its annual Wine & Fries event in conjunction with its 25th anniversary celebration on from 6-9 p.m. Dec. 6, at the Ronald McDonald House, 4710 Waters Ave. Tickets are $50.
The evening will showcase three programs including the Ronald McDonald House, the Ronald McDonald Family Room and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile.
Wine & Fries invites participants to pair a variety of red and white wines with fast food favorites, including French fries, hamburgers and cheeseburgers. Byrd Cookie Company will provide cookies, and NLAWS Produce will have fruits and cheeses. A Good Man, the Trainwrecks and Ricky Standard will provide entertainment.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.rmhccoastalempire.org. For more information, contact Nikole Layton, 912-350-7641 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Legislative reception tonight in Beaufort
BEAUFORT, S.C. - The Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce's Annual Legislative Reception is scheduled for tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Historic Beaufort Arsenal, 713 Craven St.
All local, state, and federal elected officials representing Beaufort County have been invited to the event. The state legislators will discuss the upcoming General Assembly. Business and civic leaders from throughout Beaufort and surrounding counties will join the chamber's board of directors and other members at the event.
The chamber's 2013 business agenda includes strategic initiatives in economic and workforce development, tourism, small business growth, military affairs and community vision.
Tickets are $35 for members, $70 for non-members. For information or tickets, call Connie Hipp at 843-525-8523 or email email@example.com.


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Celeste Ann Hess
Celeste Ann Hess, 57, of Borger died September 10, 2013 in Amarillo. Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday at Grace Church with Ricky Griffin, Pastor at Trinity Fellowship in Amarillo officiating. Burial will follow at Westlawn Memorial Park under the direction of Minton Chatwell Funeral Directors of Borger.She was born July 4, 1956 in Hobbs, NM and lived her entire life in Borger. Celeste always had a smile on her face and time to visit. She was a member of the 1974 Class at Phillips High School. Celeste loved working in her yard, cooking, and playing with her dogs. She was preceded in death by her father Virgil Hess.Celeste is survived by her mother Joyce McDonald and her husband R. A. "Mac" of Borger, her two sons Dustin Stephen and his wife Pam of College Station, TX and Brandon Stephen of Borger, her two sisters Tamyra Porter and her husband Dana and Lesia Hathaway and her husband Michael both of Borger. Her precious and beloved grandchildren, Halleigh Stephen, Lori Stephen and Jesse Ince: niece, Maecee Porter and nephews, Tanner Webb and Jonathan Plumley.The family will be at 116 Gardner St.In lieu of flowers donations may be made to American Diabetes Association, P. O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312.


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Can Facebook Save HTC?
HTC's first-quarter profit fell, but the company is betting on two new smartphones for a turnaround. The WSJ's Eva Dou tells Yun-Hee Kim about the Taiwanese tech company's collaboration with Facebook.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
I ... the the ... I twenty and ninety eight percent decline in first-quarter net profit ... Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC is betting on a new smartphone called the HTC one ... to make a come the ... what can see Asia today I'm unique and ... Cheney me now via Sky is even suit IP reporter covering technology ... in that thanks for joining us today ... so we saw a really sharp decline in first-quarter earnings that HTC ... disappointing investors what was a key reason why earnings fell so much this quarter ... well the reason behind that with delays and this event for the HTC one in its new flagship smartphone ... it's been suffering a severe shortage of camera components and so it has not been able to want a ceasefire but at the beginning of March ... as was the original ... aam ... and the firms have begun shipping in smaller markets but will reach the glass into the end of next week ... and so where where is this is supposed to be in them they are expanding in the first quarter ... it almost made now and I said ... in its first-quarter earnings that's a big part of the decline ... well you see at one stage was one of the biggest smartphone makers in the U S a new lease on the market share ... declined steadily ... on how important is the EC seen ... one two yuan Macy's comeback strategy in the U S specifically ... well this is supposed to be a key that projects for its comeback strategy it ... had been prone to lunch at the for its ... major competitors Samsung and ... Apple came out with new phones this year ... so it was ... done taking taking advantage of ... the blunting it's fun for years to get back to its market share ... because in the past year its market share has almost half because of fears her company's competition ... so this is a setback to HTC because it is ... aam has had this delay ... and we've also seen the aam ACC coming out with an announcement that they're putting up with Facebook on the new smartphone ... how will this help the company can a ... turnaround t think that it'll it'll be enough for HTC to ... kind of see an improvement in their earnings in the second quarter ... well it well it should be in helped HTC because it as the first major advantage it is the first phone that is reading off ... Facebook Home widget this new software that that space but ... aam ... write ... to friends and helps and makes it easier to interact with your friends on Facebook ... but to um but they have this offer is also can be rolled out to others smartphone maker was outside HTC and so ... even though its first year at the same ... year of the many other smartphones that also happens program ... I know we we cite CC shares staged an every down today with the shares up as much as three percent so ... clearly investors are closely watching the company ... thanks so much even two wins have paid for covering the story ... from on that story indebted Des beest dot com ... I'm unique in for the last two channel digital network ...


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C-PEAT - Carbon in Peat on EArth through Time
C-PEAT timeline
|June 2014
A peat bog in Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia, southern South America. Photo credit: Zicheng Yu.
Peatlands represent the largest carbon (C) pool as peat in the terrestrial biosphere. At present they store ~600 Pg C that has accumulated mostly since the Last Glacial Maximum. Northern (boreal and sub-Arctic) peatlands contain >90% of this C pool, followed by tropical and southern peatlands. Obviously the size of this peat C pool changes over time during the history of the Earth.
We know that peatlands played a major role in the global carbon cycle during the Holocene as recognized by the latest IPCC report published in 2013; however, we still lack understanding of climate sensitivity of these C-rich ecosystems, especially at continental and regional scales. Also, the lack of data and knowledge on some fundamental peatland processes, such as peatland lateral expansion and fen-to-bog transition, hinders large-scale synthesis and global modeling efforts. Furthermore, we have little idea about the C pool size and dynamics of peat deposits further back in time, such as during the previous interglacials, the Pliocene and beyond.
Understanding the climate sensitivity and contribution of peat deposits to the global carbon cycle in the past, particularly their impact on atmospheric CO2 and CH4 concentrations, is critical to projecting their change in the future. Paleo data are essential not only for documenting carbon sequestration histories but also for evaluating and validating global climate-carbon cycle models.
The C-PEAT Working Group aims to facilitate the interactions of international peat C researchers working on peat of all ages, including ecosystem and global modeling scientists. We continue to focus our effort on the Holocene because of the abundance of information available, but we also start our exploration of pre-Holocene peats using what we have learned from the studies of Holocene-age peatlands.
C-PEAT aims to synthesize data and knowledge on all topics related to peat carbon, and for the current phase has set up the following topical groups:
1. Tropical peatlands
2. Permafrost peat C stock
3. Lost peats underwater or on land
4. Peat during glacial-interglacial cycle
5. Pre-Quaternary peats
6. Data analysis methods
7. Peatland process modeling
Learn more and participate
Subscribe to the C-PEAT mailing list here.
This group is open to anyone who is interested, to participate contact the Group Leaders.


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- Adult Adventure
- Some Body Parts
- Tools and Tapers
- Accessories
- Straight Barbells
- Curved Barbells
- Replacement Parts
- 14k Gold Only
- Captive Bead Rings
- Earlets & Tunnels
- Segment & Seamless Rings
- Ear Plugs
- Hide Your Piercing
- Genuine Diamond Jewelry
- Organics
- Spirals & Claws
- Charms
- Circular Barbells
- Fixed Bead Rings
- Screwball Rings
"The Original" Penis Plug is a great urethral toy that can help you make that distinctive pierced penis look even if you are not pierced. This plug will look like a magnificent piece of penis jewelry so you will sure love it.
The plug is available as hollow (so all the fluids can freely pass through), or as solid so it works like a dam holding back the ocean.
Both versions of the plug are made of 100% 316L Surgical Steel for your comfort and safety.
This is a perfect toy that will give you the look and feel of a pierced penis with beautiful jewelry, all without pain and actual piercing.
Plug dimensions:
Diameter : 5mm to 9 ½ mm Tapered Shaft
Length: 1-3/4"
Customer Reviews
- First Time Review by William
First time user. Took a few times to get it inserted. Got it about 2/3 in and it was just like my penis sucked the rest of it in. Pee splatters every where beware.
Then when removing it it was hard to get it out. Bled a little. But the more I used it the better it got.
(Posted on 7/23/18)
- Hard 2 get out Review by Luvmyboner
This was my first toy. Took a long time to get full diameter into me, when I finally did I didn't know how to get it back out. It was stuck inside me for months. Had to sit down to piss, or would spray all over. Now it easy to get in and nice and snugg to stay in. Takes a little coaxing to get out still.
(Posted on 3/31/15)
- love it Review by Mike
I bought mine a couple years ago and love it,it was tough to get in at first but now goes right in.
(Posted on 2/8/14)
- Awesome device, my first plug leave it in all the time! Review by obx
I ordered this plug almost 8 months ago, it took about 2 months to get my pee slit ready for this, but patience is key if you have a tighter hole. Tried it the first day and there was no way it was going in! Took a few weeks and stretched out my slit with some sounds, and still nothing. Decided to enlarge the slit with a small razor, that was painful and took a week at a time to recover from even 1/8" of careful cutting. This is pretty thick, it is thicker than a bic click style pen. Once I got used to having the gutted pen body inside me I tried this again, slipped right in! Removal was dreadfully painful, could not leave it in for more than a few hours. Kept at it and now it only comes out once a week for cleaning, sex with it in was a learning experience, USE CONDOMS and go slowly. The little ring sometimes causes irritation but I got used to it, the insertable portion made my urethrea ache for a while then it got used to it. I would avoid at all costs using any type of lube with this, including spit or *** for insertion and instead slather it with neosporin and shoot some into your tube as well, the lube just dries up and causes problems. Long term wear will require you to learn how to "move" around again down there. Recommend upgrading to silkier undies as well. Pee takes longer but feels great recommend tucking the ring holes into your slit and there is almost no leakage from the ring holes, shooting a load is great and more fun than ever, keeps your thing on edge all day. Really enhanced receiving oral, little tounge flicks on the ring drive me insane. Would like it if the insert were a little more rounded on the end, but got used to it anyway this is the reason for 4 stars, but every tube is different!
Please DO NOT EVER cut yourself with a razor that is not the proper way to enlarger or stretch to the size you need.
Thank you for the review, but do not do that again!
(Posted on 11/11/13)
- Excellent review for the original penis plug Review by bling
Have been using Hegar sounds and the original penis plug is a great addition to that practice. Wonderful and comfortable fit.
(Posted on 11/7/13)
- Is it me? Review by newguy
Can't get it in no matter how hard I try. Dang! Great Quality though, I just need a smaller one.
(Posted on 1/14/13)
- love it. It took a couple of days to get it inserted all the way and to play with it. Review by guest
Love it. It took a couple of days to get it inserted all the way and to play with it. I was so excited that I had pre cum drip for 2 hours I had it in. Awesome experience!
(Posted on 12/11/12)
- Great quality Review by luvmyboner
Large diameter plug makes it take awhile for full insertion
(Posted on 8/9/12)
- Untitled Review by Terrence Trick
I filled out the information that you requested but when I went to sent it back to you my laptop wouldn't let me click on anything that would do just that, but what I said is that I found the penis plug to be a great item but wish that it was a tad longer and maybe a tad thicker and with a soft point on the inserting end... I was hoping that it would stop both my urine and my semen from escaping. I would like to be able to play with myself and reach an orgasm and back off so that my semen would go where ever it goes inside me
Terrence Trick
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by Guest
Got it. Love it. Is as promised, Thanks.
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by Guest
This product is designed well that I will say.
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by Dennis Taylor
the plug is as advertised... I felt the ring could be a little larger in diameter and the upper edge of the plug was a little sharp... went in easily but scrapped the lining as it was removed...
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by Guest
fit great feels wonderful. wish I would have ordered a longer one
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by mike
awesome fit ,truly great idea
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by Allen
This plug is fantastic. Very well made and comfortable. I had never inserted anything in my pennis before, and it took me a few tries before I got it in, but it is so cool. My lover can't keep her hands off it when I have it in. Thanks for a great product.
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by Robert
I ordered to large, as I haven't got it all the way in as of yet.
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by Rick Johnson
I think the idea is great, the quality fantastic. Unfortunately can't get it in! Open to all suggestions on how to get it in!
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by arney upchurch
It is great the fit is good an the size was great
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by Allen
Great product. I was worried at first never having tried one before, but I had no problem and it feels and looks great. Fast service arrived six days after my purchase. Will be ordering more from you in then near future.
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by randy
getting it in is easy but taking it out is hard even with lube it pulls rele good
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by Guest
it really does stay put. good feeling
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by Guest
Craftsmanship was great,
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by Rudy
Like a lot of others its a little bigger than I thought, but will try some water based lub. to see if I can get it in.
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by Guest
This is a GREAT piece, once you get used to inserting it. A little water-based lubricant just to the widest point seems to do the trick. I\'m now wearing mine all day - and the sensation is fantastic!
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by Guest
Looks hot!
haven\'t quite figured out how to get it IN, it\'s bigger than I anticipated (NOTE TO SELF: next time, actually read the measurements),
but I have bought stuff before that ended up being too small, so
this is probably the right size....
I just ahve to GET it in.
It\'ll happen!
I\'m excited
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by jack
It feels awesome but I\'d like a smaller size.
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by John
Quality seems quite good. Would like to see additional sizes, larger diameter, greater insertion depth. Might be fun.
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by Dave
Exilerating, Enjoyable and Fun, I will deffinately be ordering more products from here.
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by Guest
I like it, but could not get it in very far without seeing a little blood. I used lube water based which helps alot with sliding in and out. The purchase experience was excellent as always.
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by Tim Galtier
It was ashame that this product went on sale the day after I purchased it.
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by L. Ross
This is pretty fun. I can\'t imagine what the other guy is talking about. I say \"Be Careful\". Definitely will stimulate you, but it may hurt to pee for a couple days. Over all, its a keeper.
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by Dave R
NICE little piece ! Try inserting it dry, maybe twisting it if needeed. Stays in a lot better.
(Posted on 10/2/09)


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At Northern Arizona University, we are advancing sustainable energy systems by performing novel research to expand our understanding and the utilization of renewable energy systems and resources. We work to be at the cutting edge in exploring the possibilities for a renewable energy future and directing society to make these a reality.
"Society has a good start on transitioning its electricity system. It has renewable energy technologies that are either cost competitive or nearly so, gaining acceptance in the utility system and which have stable, long-term prices. In order to move forward, people need smart policies and sensible planning processes that reward and encourage long term and holistic thinking. These actions will allow humanity to take advantage of the deep pool of research talent at universities, businesses and national laboratories."
-Tom Acker, PhD
NAU has been awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and National Renewable Energy Laboratory to help launch and work with the Four Corners Wind Resource Center, which will act as a regional knowledge and education center for wind energy issues. Click on the image to read the press release.