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Paramount is going to release director J.J. Abrams' Star Trek Into Darkness into U.S. theaters later this month. It will arrive four years after Abrams proved able to breath fresh life into the geek-favorite sci-fi franchise - which is nearing the 50 years of existence (and relevance) benchmark - with his critically-acclaimed and lucrative cinematic reboot.
Does the final result justify the, by and large, highly-secretive marking buildup (maybe less secretive in recent weeks)? We've collected together informative excerpts from the initial wave of Star Trek Into Darkness reviews to arrive online, so you can hear it straight from the horses' mouth.
For the full reviews, click on the respective links below (NOTE: These excerpts are all SPOILER-FREE):
Director JJ Abrams has followed up his sensational 2009 Star Trek reboot with a sparkling 3D sequel... And the flashes of crackling, knowing comedy have been retained, punctuating the shuddering fight scenes and chase sequences that are the very currency of the action blockbuster... Everyone is a little more battered, a little less dewy-eyed. People are unlikely to charge out of the cinema with quite the same level of glee as they did in 2009; but this is certainly an astute, exhilarating concoction.
'Star Trek Into Darkness' is a brisk, no-nonsense sci-fi action sequel built around a conflict between the crew of the Starship Enterprise with a slick, slippery new villain, John Harrison [who's] played with relish and poise by Benedict Cumberbatch... The result [this time] is a stop-gap tale that's modest, fun and briefly amusing rather than one that breaks new ground or offers hugely memorable set pieces.
[The 2009 'Star Trek' reboot] represented a fresh start for the Trek canon, and was fired by a swashbuckling spirit and full-blooded sense of adventure... This sequel starts in the same confident frame of mind, but after around 45 minutes it finds a comfortable spot [and] reverts to old bad habits.... A large portion of Star Trek's audience may well be satisfied by a film that amounts to not much more than an incredibly pretty and sporadically funny in-joke. [But] that pioneer spirit? It's gone.
And so, after all the hype, the secrecy and the manipulations of the marketing machine, the final question remains; is the film any good? Thankfully the answer, for the most part, is a resounding yes... Visually, Star Trek Into Darkness is stunning... And yes, J.J.'s trademark lens flare runs rampant once again, which occasionally plays havoc with the film's otherwise impressive 3D transfer... [This] is a big film, building on the foundations of its predecessor and holding true to the nature of the franchise. Combining humour, action and drama, Abrams once again delivers an original experience that feels nostalgic without any hint of being either stagnant nor stale. It's an impressive feat, and one worth catching on the big screen.
Cast members describing Into Darkness as "relentless" weren't kidding... A tad more calm interspersed with the storm wouldn't have gone amiss, but when those rare quiet beats come, they matter... It feels like Abrams still not quite trusting his own rebooted universe, where in every other instance he treads the line between new ground and nostalgia with supreme confidence. Star Trek Into Darkness earns its title, but the dark shades are still primary colors... It's an exhilarating, emotionally rich and utterly pleasurable journey that wears its love for Trek fans old and new on its sleeve.
Star Trek Into Darkness... is by no means flawless [but director J.J. Abrams] has made another fine, and fun, Star Trek film... [The sequel] is permeated with Trek lore, some elements expected, others not, but more often than not the story is served well. The excitement, however, comes from the new... The trip into darkness is as good as its predecessor [but] it misses the greatness it might have achieved if it had kept to the crooked path it was leading away from its past.
Mostly, ['Star Trek Into Darkness'] is fantastic fun: a two-hours-plus blockbuster that doesn't bog down in exposition or sag in the middle. There are reversals and rug-pulls galore, most of them executed with whiplash skill. Trouble is, at a certain point peril-fatigue starts to creep in, putting the story (like the overtaxed Enterprise) at the risk of burning out... But man of the match is, of course, [director J.J. Abrams]. His aim with Into Darkness was to mint a standalone adventure, one that welcomed total Trek neophytes at the door. Mission accomplished...
The J.J. Abrams chorus of writers Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof aren't in a rush to progress their characters to their 'mythic' status... This isn't repetitious or laborious, in fact it's a great device to reveal and explore the essential ingredient of each of the individual iconic crew members... J.J. Abrams applies that big-budget action spectacle to the Trek franchise, whilst staying true to the brand... Star Trek Into Darkness isn't ready to stretch to the unknown pockets of the universe just yet; instead it relishes in the evolution of the key characters in the wake of their defining challenge. It's a rousing adventure and Abrams has laid the platform for a healthy and long lasting franchise.
So, to summarize, the early consensus is:
- Star Trek Into Darkness isn't a franchise game-changer along the lines of The Empire Strikes Back or The Dark Knight, but it offers as much - if not more - entertainment value than J.J. Abrams' 2009 reboot.
- The sequel blends earnest nostalgia for classic Trek lore with innovation and plot/character development, but not always in well-balanced portions.
- This is an enjoyable viewing experience for older and younger Trekkies, as well as those who just love a good action-packed sci-fi blockbuster.
UPDATE: Here is a 3D version of the Star Trek Into Darkness trailer:
Look for Screen Rant's official Star Trek Into Darkness review when the film opens in U.S. theaters, beginning on select 3D/IMAX screens on May 15th, 2013, followed by a full theatrical release two days later.


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KENNESAW, Ga. (AP) Lester Wilson scored 19 points as East Tennessee State shot 69.2 percent from 3-point range and 63.2 percent from the field to defeat Kennesaw State 70-60 Saturday in Atlantic Sun Conference action.
The Buccaneers (5-14, 3-3), coming off a 78-59 loss at Mercer on Thursday, hit 24 of 38 from the field and 9 of 13 from long range - including 8 of 11 in the first half - to beat the Owls for the 14th straight time.
Wilson made 3 of 3 3-pointers and Jarvis Jones knocked down 4 of 5 to finish with 15 points. Kinard Gadsden-Gilliard added a career-high 14 points.
Kennesaw State (2-17, 1-6), which lost its fourth straight, shot 33.3 percent (8 of 24) en route to trailing 37-24 at halftime and could get no closer than eight in the second half.
Aaron Anderson led the Owls with 13 point and 14 rebounds.

subset: commoncrawl


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| Triple Leaders, Team Threats!
First broadcast
English themes
Japanese themes
Triple Leaders, Team Threats! (Japanese: サンヨウジム!VS バオップ、ヒヤップ、ヤナップ!! Sanyou Gym! VS Baoppu, Hiyappu and Yanappu!!) is the fifth episode of the Best Wishes series, and the 662nd episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on October 14, 2010 and in the United States on March 5, 2011.
|Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
After arriving in Striaton City, Ash's first priority is to battle for his first Gym Badge in the Unova region! But when he arrives at the Striaton Gym, Ash is surprised to discover that there are, in fact, three Gym Leaders: a trio of brothers named Cilan, Chili, and Cress. The Gym Leaders tell Ash he can choose one of them to battle, but that isn't enough for Ash—he wants to challenge all three! They accept, and the triple match is under way.
Meanwhile, Team Rocket has also arrived in Striaton City with a new assignment: finding the remains of a research facility somewhere in the area. Once there, they must collect a mysterious substance their boss calls "future energy," which has the power to turn dreams into reality. Knowing that they are the only ones who can handle this tough mission, Jessie, James, and Meowth proceed with excitement and confidence!
Back at the Striation City Gym, Ash manages to win the first round, pitting his Tepig against Chili's Pansear. But he and Pikachu suffer defeat in the second match against Cress's Panpour. It's down to the deciding match, and Ash chooses Oshawott to go up against Cilan's Pansage—an unfavorable matchup that has Iris worried. Can our hero overcome the disadvantage to claim his first Gym Badge?
|This section does not yet meet the quality standards of Bulbapedia. Please feel free to edit this section to make it conform to Bulbapedia norms and conventions.
As Ash explains where he is from, the young man introduces himself as Cilan, a Pokémon Connoisseur. Ash is confused as to what that is, and Iris goes on to call Ash a little kid. Cilan then assures Iris that the job is not well known outside of Unova, so he then goes on to describe what a Pokémon Connoisseur is. Ash became very interested and requests Cilan to examine the bond between Pikachu and him. However, at that moment, Iris reminds Ash about his purpose in Striaton City, and Cilan, who happened to know where the Striaton Gym is, led the way.
Arriving at a large, grand-looking building, Ash barges in and requests for a battle... only to find groups of people seated in tables at what seemed like a restaurant, all eyes fixed upon his questioning gaze. A red-haired and blue-haired waiter greet him, but Cilan reassures him by seating him at an empty table. The waiters then attempt to take his order, offering him Soda Pop, a delicious lunch, and various other consumables, but Ash was not at all interested. Some girls at another table ask who Ash is, and they agree that he isn't very cool. Finally, after a long session of pestering, Ash loses his cool, and demands a Gym Battle by shouting. The various 'customers' (Ash notices they were all girls) in the restaurant all gathered upon hearing the words 'Gym Battle', while Ash, enraged, proceeds to take his leave.
Ash was walking towards the exit when the lights dimmed, and Cilan and the two waiters walked synchronously into an empty area, taking their positions. As a spotlight shone onto each of them, they briefly mentioned how they would battle, and revealed themselves, all three of them, to be Gym Leaders. Together, they recited 'It's showtime!', and the wall behind them receded, revealing a rocky field for battle.
Iris and the group of girls (who already changed into cheerleader outfits) proceeded to the top deck of the Gym. Meanwhile, Ash had to choose a Gym Leader as his opponent: Chili and his Fire-typed Pansear, Cress and his Water-typed Panpour or Cilan and his Grass-typed Pansage. Defeating his chosen opponent would earn him the Trio Badge. However, Ash had an inspiration: he decides to battle all three Gym Leaders. Although it was the first time the Gym ever had such a request, they allowed Ash to do so, and his Badge would be earned by defeating two out of three Gym Leaders instead.
The first battle was a one-on-one battle against Chili and his Pansear. Cilan was refereeing. While the girls were cheering for Chili, Ash sends out his Tepig, clearly having decided to use Tepig for whichever his first battle was against. Starting the battle with Tackle, Tepig charged into Pansear and sent it flying into the air, but it landed softly on its feet. Chili commanded it to use Fire Punch, and with one quick blow, Tepig was sent rolling back onto the ground. Taking this opportunity to attack, Pansear followed up with Flamethrower, a streak of fire was sent streaming in Tepig's direction. Quickly, Tepig used Ember in attempt to block off the attack, but the smaller flecks of Ember was swallowed up by the oncoming Flamethrower. With a loud bang, the Flamethrower hit Tepig and whipped up the surrounding dust and sand, causing a cloud of particles to form.
Immediately, Pansear used Dig at its Trainer's behest; it flipped backwards and dug a hole into the ground. As the cloud started to disperse, Tepig started looking around for him opponent and found it: suddenly appearing right below his feet. Tepig was sent flying into the air, spinning and landed with a thud on his belly. As the Fire Pig Pokémon struggled to get up, the cheerleaders cheered Chili and Pansear on, and Ash warned Tepig to be more careful. Regardless, Chili told Pansear to continue using Dig. Ash, at that instant, told Tepig to keep running, hoping he could avoid getting hit from underneath. For a moment it seemed like it worked, Tepig kept running and Pansear dared not to surface, knowing it would be extremely difficult to hit a running target. However, Pansear chose to appear in front of Tepig, causing him to trip and to be flung into the air. Using Dig once more, Pansear disappeared into the hole it came from. As Tepig was soon told not to let Pansear escape, he dived and disappeared into the hole following Pansear.
Chili watched in shock and Pansear emerged, Tepig biting onto its tail. As Pansear attempted to free itself from Tepig's grasp, it quickly did a back-flip and landed onto the ground, causing Tepig to land together, but twice as hard. Even though Tepig seemed to have suffered quite a fair bit of damage from the flip, he still would not relinquish his bite on Pansear's tail, his teeth sunk into its flesh like a vice. As Ash encourages Tepig to carry on, the Fire Pig Pokémon quickly got up and started spinning Pansear wildly in a circle, like a giant ball spinning at the end of a long thread. Finally, when Pansear had gained enough speed for a decent throw, Tepig released the grip and flung it across the field.
While Pansear struggled to regain balance, Tepig doused it with flames from another Ember and rammed it all the way to the wall with a Tackle attack, causing it to faint. Tepig then runs back to Ash and rejoins him and his Pikachu. Cilan declares Pansear unable to battle, and the cheerleaders all sigh in disappointment. Chili recalls his Pansear, and Ash recalls Tepig. Cress then steps up to battle.
Meanwhile, the Team Rocket trio, Jessie, James and Meowth, are walking along the streets of Striaton City, dressed in black overcoats. They were told to contact the Team Rocket Headquarters the moment they got there, at a specified time and place. As they walk towards the side of a dark alley, they made a turn into it and squatted near a drain cover, pleased at being punctual.
The cheerleaders are now cheering on Cress and his Panpour. Ash chooses Pikachu for battle, and starts by telling him to do a Quick Attack. Panpour responds to Cress's command, creating multiple copies of itself: a Double Team attack. Pikachu passes through one of the clones of Panpour, and as it was doing so, Panpour and all its clones launched a Scratch attack in mid-air, its speed matching Pikachu's. As Pikachu lands on the ground, hurt, Cress comments on Pikachu's type advantage, which would not be very useful against his Panpour. He then tells Panpour to use Water Gun.
Pikachu swiftly dodges the jets of water aimed at him, jumping backwards and sideways on the rocks in the field. As Pikachu readies a Thunderbolt attack, Panpour aims its Water Gun at Pikachu's feet, causing him to lose focus as he tries to steady himself. Following that, it aims another Water Gun at Pikachu and it hit, sending Pikachu flying... In an instant, Panpour caught up with Pikachu in mid-air and hit Pikachu with multiple Scratch attacks. While the cheerleaders delight in hushed voices, Pikachu lies sprawled on the ground, struggling to get back on his feet.
Ash commands Pikachu to use Volt Tackle, and Cress starts contemplating; he had already developed strategies against Electric-typed opponents. With a big smile and glowing hands, Panpour pummels the ground, causing a lane of mud to form in Pikachu's direction. As Pikachu slips and falls onto the mud created by Mud Sport, Panpour launches a Water Gun attack and sends him flying across the field once again, eventually causing Pikachu to faint. Cilan declares Pikachu unable to battle, and the cheerleaders go wild with excitement.
Meanwhile, the Team Rocket trio are at the bottom of the sewers talking to Giovanni. As they were told to proceed to the Dreamyard, a place where 'the Future Energy' is produced, he reminds them about Team Rocket's goals and explains the importance of the mission. He logs off and sends them the assembly instructions for the machine they need, while the Team Rocket trio, determined, now heads for the Dreamyard through the sewers.
For Ash's last battle at Striaton Gym, he sends out Oshawott against Cilan's Pansage, and the people watching him exclaim in surprise. Iris thought that it would be better if Pidove was sent out, Cress had no clue as to why Ash made such a decision, and Oshawott, which opened his eyes and finally realized who his opponent was, decides to be a supporter to whichever Pokémon Ash would hopefully send out, and stood behind his Trainer. As Oshawott tries to avoid battling, Ash and Pikachu push him into the field, reminding him how strong and brave he was when he saved Pikachu and Axew from Team Rocket's captivity. After much reconciliation, Oshawott promptly changes his mind and decides to fight for Ash.
For a start, Oshawott attempts to use Tackle, but Pansage dodges it by shifting to the side, causing Oshawott to be extremely surprised at Pansage's non-aggressive response. Pansage then fires a flurry of seeds from his mouth at Oshawott, and Oshawott tries in desperation to avoid the attack by running away. As Oshawott lies on the ground, his back swollen at the area where the Bullet Seed attack hit, Cilan talks about Ash's lack of affinity with Oshawott. He then tries to show the contrast with his Pansage, and tells his Pokémon to move closer towards Oshawott.
As Pansage did so, Oshawott squealed in fear, seemingly looking at something revolting or disgusting. Pansage then started Biting his head, and as the Sea Otter Pokémon ran up and down, arms flailing and tail wriggling, trying to shake his opponent off his head, he was not able to see clearly and hit a rock, while Pansage jumped off and landed on another rock further away. Ash tries to encourage Oshawott and tells him to use Water Gun, but the Grass Monkey Pokémon dodges the jets of water by repeatedly jumping and leaping, thereby causing Oshawott to feel tired after consuming a lot of effort and energy. Ash pushes Oshawott on, telling him to aim carefully, yet none of the jets managed to hit Pansage. Finally, it seemed like it was the opportune moment when Pansage made a leap greater than he did, and with a precisely and carefully aimed shot, Pansage was hit in mid-air. Oshawott was elated.
However, that did not seem to be the end. Cilan had decided to intensify the battle by asking Pansage to collect energy from the sunlight above, and the cheerleaders thereafter became much more excited. As Iris now became worried, Cilan announces the name of the attack: SolarBeam! Collecting a ball of light at the turf on his head, Pansage grabs it, pulls back and shot it at Oshawott. As the light snakes its way across the field, Oshawott, now stunned, is shocked at the thought of what is to come. What would happen to Oshawott and will Ash be able to obtain the Trio Badge?
Major events
- Ash and Iris arrive in Striaton City and meet Cilan, a Pokémon Connoisseur and one of the local Gym Leaders, as well as his brothers and fellow Striaton Gym Leaders, Chili and Cress.
- Rather than challenging just one of the Striaton Gym Leaders, Ash chooses to challenge each of the three Leaders to a Gym battle, with best two out of three counting as a victory.
- The Team Rocket trio receive a mission from Giovanni to capture the "Future Energy" in the Dreamyard.
- Ash defeats Chili, loses to Cress, and starts his battle with Cilan.
- Ash's Tepig and Oshawott are both revealed to know Tackle.
- For a list of all major events in the anime, please see the timeline of events.
Pokémon debuts
- Professor Oak's Pokémon Live Caster: Snivy
- Ash battles three Gym Leaders in one episode for the first time. This beats the former record of two Gym Leaders in one episode, when Ash battled Tate and Liza in Solid as a Solrock. Like this episode, one of the Gym Leaders was voiced by Jason Griffith.
- One of the girls in the Striaton Gym is a lookalike of Janet from All Things Bright and Beautifly!, and another a lookalike of Erica from Mean With Envy.
- This is the only time when Ash loses a battle with an official Gym Leader and doesn't have to take a rematch against the Gym Leader in question.
- The English dub of this episode aired one day before Pokémon Black and White Versions were released in North America and one day after it was released in Europe.
- The dub title could be a play on the terms "team leader" and "triple threat".
- Beginning in this episode's Who's That Pokémon? segment, the Pokémon say their names after being revealed, like in the original series and the Advanced Generation series.
- Ash challenges all three Gym Leaders, much like he attempted to do 655 episodes ago with the Sensational Sisters. This time, however, his request was accepted because Chili, Cilan, and Cress each have a Pokémon able to battle.
- The Scholastic children's book Ash's Triple Threat is based on this episode as well as the next episode.
- Team Rocket doesn't recite their motto in this episode.
- When Tepig is spinning Pansear around by its tail, Pansear's arms turn red for a brief moment.
- In the dub, Giovanni refers to the Dreamyard as the "Dream Site", a possible translation of its Japanese name.
- In the Chinese dub, Pansear's Chinese name is mistakenly written as 炎爆猴 Yánbàohóu (lit. Flame-bursting monkey) in the subtitles of the trailer.
Dub edits
In other languages
|Mandarin Chinese
|Trostruke vođe, prijetne timu!
|Tre Ledere, Tre Trusler!
|Een dreiging van driedubbele leiders
|Kolme johtajaa, iso vastus!
|Keine Wahl, aber dreifache Qual!
|Τρείς Αρχηγοί, Ομαδική Απειλή!
|तीन लीडर्स की टीम का खौफ! Teen Leaders ki Team ka Khauf!
|Tre Leader, minaccia di squadra!
|세 쌍둥이 관장과 바오프,앗차프,야나프!
|Ancaman Pasukan Tiga Beradik!
|Trippelledere, lagtrusler!
|Trzech Liderów, potrójne problemy!
|Três Líderes, Três Ameaças!
|Trio de Líderes, Triplo Desafio!
|Три битвы — один значок!
|Tri vođe prete timu!
|Latin America
|¡Líderes Triples, amenazas en equipo!
|¡Líderes trillizos, triple amenaza!
|Tre leder ett Gym – tre utgör ett hot!
|ซันโยยิม! ปะทะ บาโอปปุ ฮิยัปปุ และยานัปปุ!!
|Üçlü Liderler, Takım Tehtidi!
|This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of the Pokémon anime.


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WASHINGTON -- The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will take up a bipartisan authorization bill Wednesday for the use of force in Syria, sources told CNN.
The resolution, which limits the authorization to 60 days with an option for an additional 30 days, was revised to address some of the concerns expressed during a Senate committee hearing Tuesday.
At the hearing, top U.S. officials faced tough questions from senators about plans for military strikes as House leaders lined up behind President Barack Obama's call to punish Syria for an August poison gas attack near Damascus.
Afterward, Foreign Relations Chairman Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, said he and the committee's ranking Republican, Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker successfully negotiated a revised bill.
According to a copy of that text, provided to CNN by a legislative source, the bill limits the authorization to 60 days with an option for an additional 30-day deadline. It also makes clear there would be no U.S. boots on the ground.
"Together we have pursued a course of action that gives the President the authority he needs to deploy force in response to the Assad regime's criminal use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people, while assuring that the authorization is narrow and focused, limited in time, and assures that the Armed Forces of the United States will not be deployed for combat operations in Syria," Menendez said.
"With this agreement, we are one step closer to granting the President the authority to act in our national security interest," he added.
Kerry: Syria isn't Iraq, we've got the proof
Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as the Obama administration lobbied Congress to authorize military action against Syria. From the outset, Kerry addressed the shadow of claims offered in the buildup to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, reassuring committee members that the intelligence linking Syrian government forces to the August 21 attack was solid.
"We are especially sensitive, Chuck and I, to never again asking any member of Congress to take a vote on faulty intelligence," said Kerry, who like Hagel, voted as a senator to authorize the Iraq invasion. "And that is why our intelligence community has scrubbed and re-scrubbed the evidence. We have declassified unprecedented amounts of information, and we ask the American people and the rest of the world to judge that information."
Kerry said that intelligence includes the trajectory of the rockets used to deliver the gas, Syrian military instructions to troops to don gas masks and concerns by top Syrian officials that U.N. inspectors would discover evidence of the attack.
"Not one rocket landed in regime-controlled territory -- not one," Kerry said. "All of them landed in opposition-controlled or contested territory."
Kerry said Obama isn't asking the United States to go to war -- just "to degrade and deter" the capacity of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to launch another chemical attack. But he and Hagel faced tough questions from senators concerned that giving the administration the green light to attack Syria would draw the United States into that country's civil war, now 2 1/2 years old.
"Americans are understandably weary after the fiasco in Iraq and over a decade of war," said Sen. Tom Udall, D-New Mexico. "How can this administration make a guarantee that our military actions will be limited? How can we guarantee that one surgical strike will have any impact other than to tighten the vise grip that Assad has on his power, or allow rebels allied with al Qaeda to gain a stronger foothold in Syria?"
Kerry said the administration has no intention of sending American ground troops to Syria "with respect to the civil war." But he opposed any effort to put a ban on deploying ground forces into a congressional resolution authorizing military action, leaving open the possibility that U.S. troops may have to seize chemical weapons "in the event Syria imploded" or if extremist groups were poised to obtain them.
Hagel: Risks of action, risks of inaction
Hagel said any military action "would be limited in duration and scope," and won't be aimed at settling the Syrian civil war by force. He testified that the administration's proposal would not authorize strikes outside Syria, against any other government or against non-state groups.
"There are always risks in taking action, but there are also risks with inaction," he said. "The Assad regime, under increasing pressure by the Syrian opposition, could feel empowered to carry out even more devastating chemical weapons attacks. Chemical weapons make no distinction between combatants and innocent civilians, and inflict the worst kind of indiscriminate suffering, as we have recently seen."
And Kerry warned that a failure to act would undermine American alliances, encourage other U.S. adversaries like Iran and North Korea and encourage al-Assad to use chemical weapons again.
U.S. officials have said the August 21 attack left more than 1,400 dead, and Obama said Tuesday that more than 400 of those were children. Syria denies government troops were behind the attack, arguing that they were the victims of a rebel chemical attack.
Syria's U.N. ambassador, Bashar al-Jaafari, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that the allegations of poison gas use by his government "are false and unfounded." Al-Assad told the French newspaper Le Figaro on Monday that an attack on his country risks a regional war.
Administration officials and Obama himself have said the president has the authority to conduct military strikes even without congressional approval. But asked what the administration would do if Congress refused to authorize military action, Kerry said, "We're not contemplating that, because it's too dire."
The session was interrupted early on by a member of the anti-war group Code Pink, who shouted "The American people do not want this" as she was dragged out of the room by police.
Kerry first became famous decades ago as a former Navy officer testifying against the war in Vietnam in front of the same committee. He responded to the protest by saying that "Congress will represent the American people, and I think we all can respect those who have a different point of view."
Weapons inspectors from the United Nations are analyzing samples taken from the scene last week, but their results aren't expected to assign blame. The United States and its allies say the rebels have no capability to carry out a large-scale chemical weapons attack, however.
House leaders line up behind Obama
Earlier Tuesday, the leaders of both parties in the House of Representatives emerged from a White House meeting earlier Tuesday to support Obama's call for American strikes.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, told reporters the use of poison gas was "a barbarous act" to which only the United States is capable of responding. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, added that Washington must respond to actions "outside the circle of civilized human behavior."
But in a written statement later, Boehner said it is up to Obama "to make his case to the American people and their elected representatives" -- including securing support from individual members.
"All votes authorizing the use of military force are conscience votes for members, and passage will require direct, continuous engagement from the White House," the speaker said.
No vote is scheduled before Congress returns from its summer recess on Monday. Kerry defended the delay to seek congressional authorization, saying the move gives the United States time to make its case while adding pressure on al-Assad.
"This is working," Kerry said. "There are defections taking place. There's great uncertainty in Syria. We are building support, a greater understanding, and I would far rather be playing our hand than his at this point in time."
Most of the focus of administration lobbying has been on the House. In the Senate, a Democratic source familiar with Majority Leader Harry Reid's thinking told CNN that Reid is confident any authorization measure will pass his chamber. The source said it is likely 60 votes will be needed to overcome a filibuster, and Reid thinks the votes are there.
U.N. chief calls for end to Security Council 'stalemate'
The United Nations has said more than 100,000 people -- including many civilians -- have been killed in Syria since a popular uprising spiraled into a civil war in 2011. Syrian opposition activists reported another 107 dead on Monday, mostly in Damascus and its suburbs.
New U.N. figures Tuesday point to the staggering impact the war has had on the nation.
The number of Syrians who have fled their war-ravaged country has risen above 2 million, the U.N. refugee agency reported, an increase of nearly 1.8 million people over the past 12 months.
But at the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Security Council members to await test results on the samples collected by U.N. inspectors.
"We should avoid further militarization of the conflict and revitalize the search for a political settlement," Ban said. "I take note of the argument for action to prevent further uses of chemical weapons. At the same time, we must consider the impact of any punitive measure on efforts to prevent further bloodshed and facilitate a political resolution of the conflict. The turmoil in Syria and across the region serves nobody."
He urged member states to work through the Security Council, where Syrian allies Russia and China are expected to block any call for military action.
"The Security Council has a duty to move beyond the current stalemate and show leadership," Ban said. "This is a larger issue than the conflict in Syria. This is about our collective responsibility to humankind."
And al-Jaafari, the Syrian envoy, told CNN that all Syrians will be victims "of any escalation of the situation."
"We don't need wars. We need peaceful settlement of conflicts according to the charter of the United Nations," he said.
During Tuesday's hearing, Udall questioned whether the United States should be doing more to pressure Russia and China rather than going around the Security Council. Kerry said the Russians refused to sign off even on a resolution condemning a chemical attack that didn't assign blame.
"That doesn't mean we should turn our backs and say there's nothing we can do," Udall said.
But Kerry responded that if the Security Council is being blocked, "That doesn't mean we should turn our backs and say there's nothing we can do."
U.N. inspectors await test results
U.N. weapons inspectors left Syria on Saturday with samples that will help determine whether chemical weapons were used in the August 21 attack. Those samples will all be at laboratories by Wednesday and will be tested "strictly according to internationally recognized standards," Ban told reporters at U.N. headquarters.
Those tests could take up to three weeks -- and even then, those tests will only determine whether a gas attack took place, not who was behind it.
"If confirmed, the use of chemical weapons by anyone, under any circumstances, will be a serious violation of international law and an outrageous war crime," Ban said.
Kerry said Sunday that hat blood and hair samples taken from medics at the scene of the alleged attack point to the nerve agent sarin. The samples reached U.S. hands "through an appropriate chain of custody, from east Damascus, from first responders," he said.
But David Kay, the former head of the U.S. weapons hunt in Iraq, said the "shadowing effect" of that war makes the U.N. inspectors' jobs more difficult.
"Remember, these results will be analyzed and re-analyzed around the world," said Kay, the former U.N. weapons inspector who ultimately determined Iraq had dismantled the chemical, nuclear and biological weapons programs used to justify the American-led invasion in 2003. "So as an inspector, you want to get it right rather than necessarily get it quick"
Kay told CNN the question has been settled for the Obama administration "and for many Americans, including myself. But that's not enough, because of Iraq."
™ & © 2013 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.AlertMe


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Rejoice! It's Ryan!
JANESVILLE, Wis.-- Mitt Romney has made his first presidential-level decision, picking Paul Ryan, the 42-year-old, seven-term Congressman from southern Wisconsin, as his running mate. The choice offers the first real hints about what kind of president Romney will be. Here's what we learned: He takes risks, he can adapt, and he's willing to campaign on a bold set of ideas rather than generalities. If you're looking for the attributes of presidential leadership, these are all strong qualities. The Ryan pick also tells us less flattering things about Romney: He's willing to discard what were once deeply held views about the necessity of business and executive experience and to cosset the GOP base for political reasons at the expense of independents.
Thanks to the endless coverage this campaign of gaffes and out-of-context quotes, it had seemed like we were going to have a donut election: fluffy, sugary, and with nothing in the middle. The stakes for voters have always been high, but the way the campaign has played out has not matched the claims by both candidates that this is the most important election of a generation. Romney has had plans he could point to, but he wasn't really running on them. Now he's put a greater emphasis on those plans. They are no longer in the background, which means this election will be a clearer choice for voters. It will touch on the central question of how you refashion government in a time of scarcity and when a majority of the public is scared, thinking the country is headed in the wrong direction.
The Ryan pick is thrilling. That's a first for Romney's campaign. Throughout the primaries, a segment of conservatives were lukewarm about him. Since then, in countless interviews with activists, strategists and voters, it has been clear that Republicans are voting more against Obama than for Mitt Romney. Now conservatives have something to vote for. Paul Ryan is a revered figure in conservative circles. He is a conservative evangelist for the free market and lower taxes, and he doesn't apologize. Ryan, along with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walter, is loud and proud--willing to be specific and controversial despite the political heat.
(Watch Romney and Ryan's remarks at the VP announcement.)
Mitt Romney has never been considered in the same mold. Over the last few months, there has been an influential chorus of Republicans--joined by Walker--calling for Romney not only to get specific about conservative solutions but to campaign on them. To run merely as the anti-Obama alternative was not enough, argued people like Ryan-backer Bill Kristol. Romney had to present a set of alternative ideas and champion them. Others, like Mitch Daniels, argued that only by campaigning with brio could Romney win a mandate for governing.
By picking Ryan, Romney has staked his campaign on fundamentally restructuring the government and its relationship to the people who fund it. Ryan has called for the privatization of Social Security and transforming Medicare from a defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan. The seven-term congressman has pushed these ideas for years, pointing to his continued success in a contested state and in a district that Barack Obama won in 2008 as proof that conservatives could be true to their beliefs and survive politically.
As a conservative ideas man, Ryan is well ahead of most others in his party not just in his level of specificity but in his willingness to stand behind his ideas. But in 2010, Republican leaders didn't embrace Ryan's "roadmap," knowing that it would be too controversial, particularly the change to Medicare. House Republicans were running against Democrats by arguing that Democrats were destroying Medicare, something that would have been hard to do while also championing the Ryan plan, which would have opened them to the same charge. Those ideas are now so central to the party's chances of winning back the White House that they have won Ryan a spot on the ticket.
(Watch Romney flub Ryan's introduction.)
Ryan is loved by conservatives, but he makes moderate Republicans nervous. "We've switched the campaign from being about jobs and Obama's bad record to one about Paul Ryan's Medicare plans," said one Republican strategist, echoing the sentiment of several I interviewed. The Romney team argues that swing state independent voters will see the new policy focus as a road out of their current economic woes. Some Republican strategists think it's a gift to the Obama campaign.
That's because one of the Obama teams' goals has long been to tie Romney to Ryan and his budget proposals. They also wanted this election to be a choice, not a referendum on Obama. When both the campaign and the challenger have the same goals it suggests that one of them really has it very wrong.
Ryan is not a complement to Mitt Romney. He's an injection of energy, like Sarah Palin was for John McCain or Jack Kemp was for Bob Dole. He is telegenic and enjoys sparring with those who doubt him, which are important skills. He's also a possible ambassador to middle class and Rust Belt voters in the way that Joe Biden has been for president Obama. That might put a state like Wisconsin, which was trending toward Obama, back in play. When Mitt Romney talked about his vice presidential pick before it was announced, he said, in an interview with NBC, that he wanted a candidate who had "a vision for the country that adds something to the political discourse about the direction of the country." Sounds good, but the president is the one who is supposed to have the vision. In this case though, the No. 2 has the vision and instincts that Romney doesn't. It's why so many wanted Ryan to run for president. To be fair, Romney is certainly capable of articulating a vision. That's what he did with his health care plan in Massachusetts. But he is reluctant to boast about those achievements.
Perhaps Romney can take a vision graft from Ryan. He'll have to, because voters won't be lured by Ryan's ideas unless the man at the top of the ticket makes the case for them. But for all of the talk of a new emphasis on policy specifics, this is still going to be a campaign deeply connected to American values. When Ryan spoke on Saturday, he talked about the threat Obama poses to the American way of life. Underneath every policy debate will be the argument that when tough choices have to be made about the federal government, you're going to want candidates who share your values when they're doing the awful math of scarcity.
The Romney choice represents a significant adaptation from the plan that the campaign had been running before, which relied mostly on keeping the campaign focused on Barack Obama's record. By picking Ryan, who comes with a very detailed set of ideas and proposals, Romney has embraced the view that he needs to run a campaign that offers bright alternatives to Obama's vision. Even the Romney bus sends this message. It has been redesigned on the outside to read "The Romney Plan."
Every president needs to know how to stick to a plan against all advice to the contrary, but perhaps even more important is that they know when to adapt. Romney has been slipping in the polls against Obama. The Real Clear Politics average has him down four points. Voters have a more unfavorable view of him than they do a favorable one, according to a variety of polls. By picking Ryan, Romney has a chance to redefine himself in a way that might relaunch the brand. But unlike the Sarah Palin pick or Bob Dole's pick of Jack Kemp, this is not an odd couple. It is a rebranding that is mostly consistent with Romney's general approach.
There is one big way in which Ryan is not in the Romney mold: He lacks executive experience. Romney has repeatedly said this shortcoming makes politicians from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama to Rick Santorum unqualified for office. It was the talking point for those who have endorsed Romney, particularly N.J. Gov. Chris Christie: "Let's be very leery, very wary of sending another member of Congress to the White House. Now, see, members of Congress, they can be OK, but they don't know the first thing most of the time about using executive authority. They don't know the first thing about getting things done." Ryan also has no real business experience, a quality that Romney has said should be a qualification for office.
Romney is running an attribute campaign: His argument is that his skills and experience are particularly suited to the White House. Given that, it's no small thing to then throw away the key attribute when selecting your vice president.
In picking a running mate, Romney has said the first criteria is that he needs to be able to step into the job. Either he doesn't mean that or his previous emphasis on the necessity of executive experience was meaningless. It is a time-honored tradition to revise the criteria you set before you picked your vice president to fit the person you actually do pick. It makes the sale harder, though, for a candidate like Romney who has a reputation for ideological malleability.
To get around this, the Romney campaign has sold Ryan as the Washington counterpoint to Romney's leadership skills. "I believe my record of getting things done in Congress will be a very helpful complement to Gov. Romney's executive and private sector success outside Washington," Ryan said at the announcement. This is a new criteria for Romney's vice presidential pick, but it's also one that will require some scrutiny. Is Ryan really the bipartisan deal-maker he claims? He didn't sign on to the Simpson-Bowles, even though a strong conservative like Sen. Tom Coburn was able to in the name of bipartisanship. And he has not been a willing partner with Obama, despite Obama's early view that he could work with Ryan. Liberals cite Obama's appreciation for Ryan as one of his foolish early moves: mistaking an ideologue for someone who actually wanted to exchange ideas.
Romney will now test the proposition at the heart of all of the good advice he was getting from conservatives: Whether specificity kills or whether the country is really hungering for a detailed plan. Until this point, Romney has been almost allergic to specifics. Now he will have to give nuanced, precise, and powerful answers. He's going to have to flip a switch, which might not be that easy given how hyper-careful he has been to this point. His aides have long said that Romney loves policy details. He'll get a chance to prove it now.


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Celtic League
Ospreys and Munster battling for top spot
September 29, 2008
Kiwi winger Doug Howlett scored a late try to propel Munster to victory © Getty Images
The Ospreys sit top of the Celtic League following a comprehensive 42-0 victory over Ulster in the latest round of action, but Irish giants Munster are hot on their heels.
Having shut out fierce rivals and champions Leinster 19-0 on Sunday night thanks to tries from South African back-row Justin Melck and Doug Howlett, Munster sit a point behind the leaders with a game in hand. The Heineken Cup champions have the unerring accuracy of fly-half Ronan O'Gara's line-kicking to thank for their victory, as he continually denied Leinster field position and strangled the attacking instincts of Felipe Contepomi and the Leinster backs.
On Saturday the Ospreys had convincingly beaten a poor Ulster outfit with tries from Shane Williams, Rhys Webb, Lee Byrne and Wales captain Ryan Jones. Their performance left a lot to be desired in terms of accuracy of passing, although their attacking intent and offloading in the tackle was rewarded with a heavy victory.
Cardiff Blues got their season back on track on Friday night with a resounding 50-0 win over a hapless Connacht at the Arms Park. The Blues ran in five tries in nine first half minutes to kill the game off but were guilty of taking their foot off the pedal in the second period. Young wing Leigh Halfpenny, playing at full-back in place of the rested Ben Blair, continued his good early season from with a brace of tries, while Jamie Robinson and Gareth Thomas also got on the score sheet.
Glasgow Warriors roared into life with a bonus-point win over the Scarlets at Firhill. The Warriors were spurred into life by two tries from wing Thom Evans having made a poor start. Nigel Davies' Scarlets side appear to be suffering a dip from their early season form, having been put to the sword by both Scottish provinces in as many weeks.
Andy Robinson's Edinburgh were unable to continue their winning form however, going down 11-9 to a resolute Newport-Gwent Dragons outfit at Rodney Parade on Friday night. A try from Richard Fussell and two Shaun Connor penalties were enough to see off Edinburgh, who again only registered points from the boot of wing Chris Paterson.
© Scrum.com
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Before you can connect to the Internet, you need to pair your computer with your Bluetooth-enabled phone.
Make sure your phone is on and in "discoverable" mode. See the documentation that came
with your phone.
- 1. Choose Search For Phones from the Bluetooth status menu in the menu bar.
2. Select your phone in the "Pair with a Bluetooth Device" dialog, then click Pair.
3. Enter a passkey. Use any combination of numbers. When prompted, enter the same passkey on your phone.
Your computer is now paired with your phone. The name of your phone is listed in the Bluetooth status menu in the menu bar. Apple Bluetooth software remembers the pairing with your phone, so you should only need to pair with your phone once.
You can now use your phone to dial your ISP (Internet service provider) and connect to the Internet. Follow these instructions to set up your computer and connect to the Internet.
Note: To access the Internet, you must have an active mobile phone account capable of digital services and an account with an ISP (fees may apply).


text:
Hackers posted a bogus announcement of a rocket strike against Israel's Dimona reactor and a possible nuclear leak on a Twitter account used by the Israeli military, which said on Friday it was combating such cyber attacks.
The English-language account, @IDFSpokesperson, has 252,000 followers and usually scrolls out rapid updates on Israel's various fighting fronts. It was inactive on Friday, however, as a military spokeswoman said "several incorrect tweets" were being investigated by Israeli authorities.
She did not elaborate, but the Walla news site published a snapshot of a tweet that had appeared on the account on Thursday night before being removed. It read: "#WARNING: Possible nuclear leak in the region after 2 rockets hit Dimona nuclear facility."
That referred to a reactor in Israel's southern desert, where it is widely believed to have developed nuclear weapons.
Israeli websites are frequently the target of pro-Palestinian and Syrian hackers and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has encouraged investment in national cybersecurity.
The most recent authorised tweet on @IDFSpokesman promised the military would "combat terror on all fronts including the cyber dimension".


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Often when brave men and women are serving in a war zone they find themselves adopting one of the many stray dogs or cats that are struggling to survive there.
These soldiers are not only a salvation for the animal; the dog or cat are often described as 'lifelines' to their soldier, providing a respite from war, a moment of peace, home and love.
When the soldier's tour of duty comes to an end, it is unthinkable to leave their four legged comrade that they've bonded with, behind.
Nowzad proudly boasts the first official animal shelter in Afghanistan.
Our well designed and purpose built shelter in Kabul provides a safe home for over 150 dogs. We also have a purpose built cat shelter housing over 40 former street cats rescued by locals or soldiers. Our work has now extended to rehabilitating former working donkeys in a peaceful and caring environment in what is a first for Afghanistan; the Nowzad donkey sanctuary!
The Nowzad 'Conrad Lewis' veterinary clinic is funded solely by your generous donations. We employ fully qualified Afghan national veterinarians who can now expertly perform major surgeries as required in the treatment of injured or ill animals. And we are proud to say our staff include Afghan female veterinarians, which is a ground breaking accomplishment in Afghanistan.
Nowzad provides a practical training program for the Kabul university veterinary students and para-veterinarian students to increase and promote their interaction with dogs, cats and other animals that they are likely to care for.
Our fully 'hands on' workshops deliver vital animal handling experience to enrich and enhance the student training as well as providing life-saving rabies prevention techniques.
Even without the large scale funding we need Nowzad is determined to prevent the unwanted dog and cat populations to be born on to the harsh streets of Kabul.
Where possible we are implementing our humane trap – neuter – vaccinate – return program and thanks to your amazing support we still freely vaccinate all cats and dogs for rabies that visit the Nowzad clinic.
For our Afghan vet team this is one of the proudest and most important aspects of their job.
Working donkeys and horses are the life blood of the local communities in Afghanistan and Kabul is by no means an exception. Where old meets new in the city; many families have access to motor transportation whilst many more, particularly those who inhabit the surrounding mountains, do not.
The working donkey or horse is vital to carry supplies (water, food and building materials) to the outlying villages; including most of Kabul's surrounding urban areas that are built on the side of the unforgiving mountain terrain.
Join Us on facebook
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The Nowzad family is a worldwide group of enthusiastic and determined people who put the FUN into FUNndraiser to make a difference for the animals of Afghanistan.


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Your Approved vehicle from Land Rover is as pristine as you would expect. To ensure it leaves a Retailer in the best possible condition, an Approved customer promise is in place. This gives you absolute peace of mind and guarantees your vehicle delivers the most composed and capable drive possible.
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Composer and multi-instrumentalist Angélica Negrón was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1981 and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. Interested in creating intricate yet simple narratives that evoke intangible moments in time, she writes music for accordions, toys and electronics as well as chamber ensembles and orchestras. Her music has been described as "wistfully idiosyncratic and contemplative" (WQXR/Q2) and "mesmerizing and affecting" (Feast of Music) while The New York Times noted her "capacity to surprise" and her "quirky approach to scoring". She was recently selected by Q2 and NPR listeners as part of "The Mix: 100 Composers Under 40" and by Flavorpill as one of the "10 Young Female Composers You Should Know".
Angélica has been commissioned by MATA Festival 2011, Choral Chameleon, janus trio, pianists David Friend and toy pianist Phyllis Chen (for the "Look and Listen Festival 2011"), among others, and she has curated concerts for El Museo del Barrio (Composers Now Festival), MATA Interval Series and Pregones Theater. Her music has been performed by TRANSIT Ensemble, Cadillac Moon Ensemble, Cantori NY, Face the Music, Iktus Percussion Quartet, NYU Symphony Orchestra and the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, and she has written music for documentaries, films, theater and modern dance. She frequently collaborates with the experimental theater company from Puerto Rico Y No Había Luz writing music for their plays, which often incorporate puppets, masks and unusual objects.
A long time member of the Puerto Rican underground music scene, Angélica is a founding member of the electro-acoustic pop outfit Balún where she sings and plays the accordion and violin. With her project Arturo en el Barco she concentrates on working with lo-fi ambient compositions and has released albums on Observatory (Austria) and Carte Postale Records (Belgium).
Angélica received an early education in piano and violin at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico where she later studied composition under the guidance of composer Alfonso Fuentes. She holds a master's degree in music composition from New York University where she studied with Pedro da Silva and is currently pursuing a doctorate in music composition at The Graduate Center (CUNY), where she studies with Tania León. She has received grants from Meet the Composer (MetLife Creative Connections Program), Foundation for Contemporary Arts (Emergency Grants) and the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, among others.
Also active as an educator, Angélica is currently working as a teaching artist for New York Philharmonic's Very Young Composers and The Little Orchestra Society's Musical Connections Program, and recently co-founded with Noraliz Ruiz the Spanish immersion music program for young children ¡Acopladitos! She has contributed as a writer to the International Alliance of Women in Music Journal and the British magazine The Wire. Angélica was a composer fellow at the Bang on a Can Summer Festival 2011 and was recently selected as a featured Ableton Live artist. Her music is published by Good Child Music.
Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Ark: Survival Evolved Taming Calculator
Ark: Survival Evolved Taming Calculator
35 points Funny
What are you doing in my swamp?!
More Kaprosuchus Funny Tips
428 points Funny
Having a hard time findind these? Go land for stamina on your best bird with all your best gear in the swamp and you are guaranteed to find at least 3
233 points Funny
Walking around Scorched Earth dying of thirst, oh look a watering hole. Is that a mini Sarco swimming towards me? " You were killed by lvl 1 Kaprosuchus"
150 points Funny
Going through the swamp to avoid open waters with a buddy and needless to say he died by titanoboa. Respawned on the boat and goes to get his stuff (I'm still in the driver seat) and out of no where one of these things jumps out of the water and lawn darts him off the boat and into the water behind the boat. I'm dying laughing, he's dying laughing. Good times.
133 points Funny
A real man punches this to kill it.
85 points Funny
The first time I saw one of these I was very curious so I went for a closer look but before I could it started tuning twards my I thought hu it's kinda fast then I found out the hard way that the suckers can jump! SARED ME SO FRICKEN BAD!? But I have fast reaction time... and a sword so I killed it before it dragged me to the water. Always be carful with these guys.. OR SUFFER THE CONCENQUENCES!


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Faster system boot and restart means Windows starts quicker and higher efficiency - No more waiting around.ASUS Boot SettingMulti-startup OptionsThanks to ASUS Windows 8 hardware optimization, ASUS Boot Setting provides better flexibility in customizing your PCs startup process. You can enter the BIOS directly with one click through a user-friendly interface, and quickly select your preferred system boot up method: either get to the OS in seconds or opt for regular boot up. Whatever your choice, settings are saved and persistent, with no need to choose every time you power on.DirectKeyA Dedicated Button to Access the BIOS DirectlyDesigned for those requiring frequent BIOS access, users can easily enter the BIOS automatically when the PC is on standby power with the simple press of a button. It saves you time during boot-up from having to repeatedly press the DEL key. 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This easy OC tool allows you to overclock without exiting or rebooting the OS; and its user-friendly interface makes overclock with just a few clicks away. Moreover, the ASUS OC profiles in TurboV provides the best O.C. settings in different scenarios.Auto TuningAuto Tuning is an intelligent tool that automates overclocking to achieve a total system level up. This tool also provides stability testing. Even O.C. beginners can achieve extreme yet stable overclocking results with Auto Tuning!Latest Transfer TechnologyComplete USB 3.0 IntegrationDouble USB Access, Double ConvenienceASUS facilitates strategic USB 3.0 accessibility for both the front and rear panels - 6 USB 3.0 ports in total. Experience the latest plug & play connectivity at speeds up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0. The F2A85-M PRO affords greater convenience with high speed connectivity.Native SATA 6Gb/s SupportThe AMD® A85X FCH natively supports next-generation Serial ATA (SATA) storage interface, this motherboard delivers up to 6.0 Gb/s data transfer rates. Additionally, get enhanced scalability, faster data retrieval, double the bandwidth of current bus systemsASUS Exclusive FeaturesUEFI BIOSASUS UEFI BIOS offers the first mouse-controlled graphical BIOS designed with selectable modes, providing a user-friendly interface that goes beyond traditional keyboard-only controls. It also natively supports fully-utilized hard drives larger than 2.2TB in 64-bit operating systems.ASUS Exclusive InterfaceEZ Mode displays frequently-accessed info. Users can choose system performance settings and drag and drop boot priorities. Advanced Mode for performance enthusiasts includes detailed DRAM settings via a dedicated memory info page for complete insight.New Upgrade! Quick and Easy Info for Enhanced System ControlF12 BIOS snapshot hotkey for sharing UEFI setup info and troubleshootingNew F3 Shortcut for most accessed infoASUS DRAM SPD (Serial Presence Detect) Information for accessing memory info, detecting faulty DIMMs and helping with difficult POST situationsUSB BIOS FlashbackSimple Plug & Press - Hardware-based BIOS FlashbackA truly revolutionary hardware-based update solution. USB BIOS Flashback offers the most convenient way ever to update the BIOS! It allows users to update new UEFI BIOS versions even without hardware such as a CPU or DRAM installed into the motherboard. Just plug in a USB flash drive containing the BIOS file, and press the BIOS Flashback button for 3 seconds with the power supply connected. The UEFI BIOS will then automatically update without requiring further interaction. With its new, complementary Windows application, users can regularly check for UEFI BIOS updates and download the latest BIOS automatically. Hassle-free updating for the ultimate convenience!* The image beside is for reference. Please see the BIOS Flashback button on the motherboard for actual appearance.Network iControlReal-time Network Bandwidth ControlWith a single-click on/off button, the application currently in use has its data and network bandwidth prioritized over other programs. Moreover, you can prioritize your favorite software easily by configuring profiles through the intuitive user interface. Within the profile, programs can be pre-scheduled to run in a specific time period to avoid network congestion and long-waits on downloads. Auto PPPoE network connection provides a one-step setup for enhanced online convenience. Overall, it's an intuitive network bandwidth control center.Remote GO!One-stop PC Remote Control and Home EntertainmentRemote GO! links PCs, tablets, smartphones and TVs wirelessly together through an existing LAN cable and router setup. It allows users to stream multimedia content from PC to DLNA devices, access their computer anywhere using their mobile device at home, while also allowing easy file transfers between your computer and mobile device. It provides seamless environment for a futuristic connected lifestyle with three useful functions: DLNA Media Hub, Remote Desktop and File Transfer.DLNA Media Hub:Enjoy HD video, music and photos stored in the PC streaming to your DLNA devices via Wi-Fi connectivity. You can even control the PC to play multimedia on a TV with a tablet. It's the perfect match for creating your own home theater!Remote Desktop:Operate and control your PC in real-time from a smartphone or tablet for complete comfort. This function brings notebook-like convenience, by creating a virtual remote desktop, offering portable access to your data in desktop with a smartphone or tablet.File Transfer:Send and share files between your PC and smart devices* with only a right click on the mouse.*iPad/iPhone can send, but not receive files from the PCSet up Your Home PC with Remote GO!1.Wi-Fi environment setup - use an existing LAN cable and router setup to connect PC and smart devices on the same home network2.Install Remote GO! software on your PC3.Download Wi-Fi GO! Remote to your smart devices (Supported Systems: iOS 4.2 or later & Android 2.3 or later)4.Setup complete - get three useful free apps with ASUS Remote GO!USB 3.0 BoostFaster USB 3.0 Transmission with UASPNew ASUS USB 3.0 Boost technology supports UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol), the latest USB 3.0 standard. With USB 3.0 Boost technology, a USB device's transmission speed is significantly increased up to 170%, adding to an already impressive fast USB 3.0 transfer speed. ASUS software automatically accelerates data speeds for compatible USB 3.0 peripherals without the need for any user interaction.AI Suite IIOne-stop Access to Innovative ASUS FeaturesWith its user-friendly interface, ASUS AI Suite II consolidates all exclusive ASUS features into one simple-to-use package. It allows users to supervise overclocking, energy management, fan speed, voltage, and sensor readings. This all-in-one software offers diverse and easy to use functions, with no need to switch back and forth between different utilities.USB Charger+3X Faster Charging for All Smart DevicesWith a dedicated onboard controller, quick-charge all your smart devices such as iProducts. smartphones, tablets and more, all up to 3X faster, even when the PC is powered off, in sleep or hibernation modes.ASUS EZ DIYC.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall)The BIOS C.P.R. feature automatically restores the CPU default settings when the system hangs due to overclocking failure. C.P.R. eliminates the need to open the system chassis and clear the RTC data. Simply shut down and reboot the system, and the BIOS automatically restores the CPU parameters to their default settings.EZ-Flash 2Simply update BIOS from a USB flash disk before entering the OSEZ Flash 2 is a user-friendly BIOS update utility. Simply launch this tool and update BIOS from a USB flash disk before entering the OS. You can update your BIOS only in a few clicks without preparing an additional floppy diskette or using an OS-based flash utility.CrashFree BIOS 3Simply restore corrupted BIOS data from USB flash diskThe ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 allows users to restore corrupted BIOS data from a USB flash disk containing the BIOS file. This utility saves users the cost and hassle of buying a replacement BIOS chip.ASUS Q-DesignDIY Quickly, DIY Easily!ASUS Q-Design enhances your DIY experience. All of Q-LED, Q-Slot and Q-DIMM design speed up and simplify the DIY process!F2A85-M PRO Product OverviewRoHSGreenASUS and ErP ReadyThe motherboard is European Union´s Energy-related Products (ErP) ready, and ErP requires products to meet certain energy efficiency requirements in regards to energy consumptions. This is in line with ASUS vision of creating environment-friendly and energy-efficient products through product design and innovation to reduce carbon footprint of the product and thus mitigate environmental impacts.


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Welcome to the C-Tech Performance website. C-Tech Performance is a high performance machine and chassis shop. If you are looking for porting or head work or looking to add those new parts to your car, truck, or whatever motorized vehicle C-Tech Performance can help. We work on everything from Cummins diesel heads to street and race car heads and motors. We also have both an engine and chassis dynometer to see where your ride stands among the competition.C-Tech Performance LLC "We put more muscle in your motor"
White Knuckle Ride!! (Play Me/Racing Music)


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he Air Force Academy is built upon a proud foundation and so it should be. For the Academy is a bridge to the future, gleaming with promise of peace in a stable, sane world….Our airpower has kept the peace…it is keeping the peace, God willing, it will keep on doing so. This Academy, we are founding today, will carry forward that great effort. --Air Force Secretary Harold E. Talbott, July 11, 1955
Set in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near Colorado Springs, Colorado, the Air Force Academy's sleek modern architecture, monumental scale, and dramatic setting combine to create a stunning national monument. Its gleaming aluminum, steel, and glass buildings are not only a reflection of modern architecture but are a "living embodiment of the modernity of flying."1
Established during the first decade of the Cold War, when the threat of nuclear attack and Communist expansion loomed large, the Air Force Academy symbolized the importance of air power to our nation's security. As the Air Force became the nation's primary military arm during the 1950s, the Air Force Academy was charged with training and educating officers capable of meeting the challenges of the nuclear age. Today, the Academy continues its proud tradition of providing the Air Force with a corps of dedicated officers.
1Testimony of Harold E. Talbott, Secretary of the Air Force, U.S., Congress, House of Representatives, Hearings before the Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, 84th Congress, 1st session, 1955, 224.
About This Lesson
Getting Started: Inquiry Question
Setting the Stage: Historical Context
Locating the Site: Maps
Determining the Facts: Readings
Visual Evidence: Images
Putting It All Together: Activities
How the National Register
The lesson is based on the United States Air Force Academy, Cadet Area, one of the thousands of properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Cadet Area has been designated a National Historic Landmark.


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As President Obama set out to do some damage control following his unenthusiastic debate performance last Wednesday, he decided to shift the discussion away from the future of his campaign and instead toward the future of Big Bird and Elmo.
As we all now know, the Sesame Street stars' job security was threatened by Mitt Romney when he said to debate moderator Jim Lehrer of PBS:
I'm sorry, Jim, I'm going to stop the [federal] subsidy to PBS. I'm going to stop other things. I like PBS, I love Big Bird. Actually like you, too. But I'm not going to—I'm not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for. That's number one.
Obama had no immediate response, but he has since launched a load of zingers:
- "For all you moms and kids out there, don't worry, somebody is finally getting tough on Big Bird. Elmo, you better make a run for it."
- "Elmo has been seen in a white Suburban, he's driving for the border," joked President Obama, comparing Elmo's flight to the car chase that led to O.J. Simpson's arrest in 1994
- "Gov. Romney is going to let Wall Street run wild again, but he's going to bring the hammer down on 'Sesame Street.'"
The campaign took it a step further today by releasing an ad featuring Big Bird and mocking Romney for treating the Sesame Street character as menace to the economy.
The satirical ad didn't go over well with the Republicans or the Sesame Workshop, which demanded that the ad be taken down.
"You have to scratch your head when the president spends the last week talking about saving Big Bird. I actually think we need to have a president who talks about saving the American people and saving good jobs," Romney said of the ad while campaigning in Van Meter, Iowa. The Republican nominee called for the current president to start campaigning on big issues rather than small ones like Big Bird.
The Republican National Committee also slammed Obama for campaigning on Sesame Street, highlighting that while he mentioned Big Bird and Elmo at his recent campaign events, he remained mum on issues such as Libya and how he plans to fix the economy.


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NBA's Blake Griffin Called For Traveling (Back In Time) In New Kia Campaign
By Barry Janoff
October 29, 2012: In Back to the Future, Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd use a DeLorean to travel back in time.
Blake Griffin has a marketing deal with Kia Motors, so he uses a 2013 Optima to travel back to the 1990s and 2000s in new commercials timed to coincided with the start of the 2012-13 NBA season.
Kia Motors, which is the official automotive partner of the NBA, has featured Griffin in a series of humorous spots dating back to the 2011 All-Star Game, when he jumped over the hood of a Kia Optima SX to win the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest.
Five new 30-second spots highlight Kia's UVO voice-activated "infotainment" system, which enables Griffin to travel back to offer suggestions to younger versions of himself. Lead agency is David & Goliath, El Segundo, Calif.
The first two spots, "Football" and "Free Throws," will break on Oct. 30. The others will follow throughout the NBA season. Support includes social and digital platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and Kia.com.
According to Michael Sprague, evp-marketing and communications for Kia Motors America, "Griffin is one of the most exciting and recognizable young athletes in the world, and this latest campaign pairs Griffin's basketball wisdom and athleticism with the youthful style, performance and cutting-edge technology of our wildly popular Optima midsize sedan and the award-winning UVO infotainment system."
In "Football," Griffin is in his 2013 Optima when he requests of UVO, "Take me back to 1997."
As UVO Jukebox plays OMC's "How Bizarre," Griffin lands at a park where a group of kids are playing football.
"Wrong sport," he says to one of the boys as he takes away his football and then drop-kicks it out of sight.
"Who are you?" the kid asks. "I'm you from the future," Griffin responds.
He then continues in a deadpan voice, "And that's my Kia Optima. It's full of futuristic things. Like heated and air-cooled front seats."
The kid and his friend offer no response and look at Griffin as if he just dropped in from the future. Then Griffin offers another bit of advice to his younger self. "Stop wearing jean shorts . . . Just trust me." (See the full spot here.)
In "Free Throws," Griffin goes back to 1995. As UVO Jukebox plays Montell Jordan's "This Is How We Do It," he is transported to a suburban neighborhood. There he finds an even younger version of himself than in "Football." The kid is hanging from a basketball rim attached to a driveway garage, having apparently just dunked.
"Who are you?" the kid asks. "You, from the future," Griffin replies.
The kid, looking at the 2013 Optima, asks, "Is that your spaceship?" "No, it's way better," offers Griffin. "It's my Kia Optima with UVO with voice-activated infotainment system."
"What else can you tell me?" the kid asks. "Practice your free throws," Griffin, who is a 59% free throw shooter, says. True to form, Griffin takes a shot, and the ball gets stuck between the rim and the backboard. "Practice a lot." (See the full spot here.)
In addition to the NBA, Kia has official marketing alliances with about a dozen NBA teams, including Griffin's Los Angeles Clippers, the defending champion Miami Heat, the New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls.
"Blake turned people's heads after his famous dunk over a Kia Optima in the Sprite Slam Dunk contest at NBA All-Star 2011," said Sprague regarding the third-year forward. "His on-court talent combined with his unique comedic style and personality have translated into a powerful partnership that has helped raise awareness and brand perception for Kia."


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Member of Parliament
41 years old
Daughter of a russian born single mother, vice chair of SDP women's organisation, vice chair of SDP, chair of Kalliolan Nuoret and a former chair of Finland's single parent organisation. Before entering politics, she had a long career as a tv and radio journalist.
Aim for the EY 2010
The growth of social exclusion has always strong effects on children and youngsters. If something is going to save this world, it is giving the best possible conditions for children to grow up to become balanced adults. All of us need to contribute to this cause.


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PALLEKELE - Defending champions England and New Zealand hope to put their World Twenty20 campaigns back on track after losing their Super Eights group one matches in Pallekele stadium on Thursday.
England were edged out by 15 runs in an exciting finish to their match against the West Indies, while New Zealand fought back to tie the regular match before going down in Super Over to the hosts Sri Lanka. England next face New Zealand here on Saturday, a must-win match for both the teams, with Broad relishing the challenge.
"The next two games are must-win," said Broad, whose team also face Sri Lanka on Monday. The top two teams from each of the two groups will qualify for the semi-finals before the October 7 final in Colombo. "That's a good place to be as well. You have clear targets of what you have to achieve. We've played on this ground, know what to expect. We have two huge games and some positive signs. We just need to put it all together."
Broad said New Zealand were a big challenge. "We know the dangers they pose. They have a powerful batting line-up with (Brendon) McCullum, (Martin) Guptill and (Ross) Taylor," Broad said, also naming left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori as England's nemesis.
"Vettori has been a thorn in our side for a long time. It's important we don't look too much at the opposition," Broad said, expressing his hope that England don't lose early wickets as they did against the West Indies. England lost Craig Kieswetter and Luke Wright for ducks in paceman Ravi Rampaul's first over before Eoin Morgan (71) and Alex Hales (68) took the fight to the last over before falling short.
"To lose two wickets like we did was frustrating. It was always going to take some overs out of the game. The plan was to keep wickets in hand and explode in the last eight overs."
We didn't quite get there," said Broad. New Zealand captain Ross Taylor praised his team's fightback in their thriller against Sri Lanka.
"To lose tight matches is always disappointing, but from the situation we were in I thought we fought back very hard and never gave up. I am proud of the way we fought to the bitter end," said Taylor. Defending a 175-run target, New Zealand had the match slipping away from them after Tillakaratne Dilshan (76) and Mahela Jayawardene (44) put on 80 for the opening wicket, but they pulled back through accurate bowling to force a tie.
Sri Lanka clinched the Super Over by scoring 13 to New Zealand's eight. Taylor showed no worries over playing again after only a day's gap. "Getting straight back on the horse will be good. We'll reflect on it and be disappointed. But we have to scout England and see how they go. You've got to take every game as it comes and takes positives from the last match," said Taylor. New Zealand's last match in the group will be against the West Indies on Monday.


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The Explosive Evolution of Online Media
If any doubts remained about the soaring demand for online media, the London Olympics probably dispelled them.
With 217 million viewers in the United States alone, it was the most-watched television event in history. But it also illuminated the evolving habits of online consumers. For starters, two events—the women's soccer final and women's gymnastics final—accounted for more online viewership than all events combined during the 2008 Olympics. Tablet computers, particularly the iPad, are driving this trend.
These kinds of striking transitions in online media consumption were top of mind during two gatherings that I attended last week. The first was a roundtable discussion of media executives in Hollywood, which I moderated; the other was a World Economic Forum Industry Partnership Strategy Meeting in New York, focused on media entertainment and mobility.
It was a privilege to be around such industry brain trusts and to share research from Cisco IBSG. Here are four core topics of conversation that emerged:
1. Yes, online video is continuing to grow at a dizzying pace. But the expected conflict between prime-time television audiences and online streaming may not materialize just yet. NBC now argues that online streaming of the Olympics failed to cannibalize its television audience. To the contrary, it drove increased interest in TV, especially considering that sports unavailable on television could be viewed online and on any device.
2. The strong potential for monetizing premium online content was of prime concern, and Cisco IBSG's research drove some of the discussion:
- A majority (70 percent) of consumers watch professionally produced Internet video, with 18 percent watching more than three hours each week.
- Both streaming and downloaded video grew the fastest over the last two years; they are expected to gain at an even faster pace over the next two years.
- Consumers are seeking—and are willing to pay for—an Internet video service with quality, N-screen, and a strong library.
3. As exciting as the upsurge in online Olympic viewing is, the thought of tens or hundreds of millions of mobile consumers streaming one event—say, Gabby Douglas winning the gold in gymnastics—is sobering. It could literally break the network. Our research on usage caps for fixed and mobile services stimulated further discussion. Among our findings:
- Regarding fixed broadband, Cisco IBSG's research indicates that in the United States, 71 percent of consumers believe that usage caps would be unfair. But in the United Kingdom, where usage caps are already in place, only 52 percent view them negatively.
- In the United States, 46 percent of consumers indicate they will reduce online video consumption after usage caps; in Canada, which has had usage caps for more than five years, 56 percent already do.
- On the mobile front, video represents more than 70 percent of traffic; however, on the iPad, WiFi traffic surpasses 90 percent. Furthermore, 80 percent of mobile Internet access is accessed in and around fixed locations, and 84 percent of mobile video occurs in and around fixed locations.
- There is a growing view that technology must evolve to better optimize bandwidth; concurrently, this need will drive greater levels of collaboration between ISPs and media/content players.
4. Data and analytics—and the ways in which precise information on consumer behavior can drive future viewing experiences—were an important topic of discussion. Much of this was centered on how these insights can greatly enhance online viewing by creating a more individualized, personalized experience (just as Amazon's data-driven recommendations are welcomed by many consumers). However, at both events, concerns lingered about the ever-present issue of data privacy and how best to manage it. WEF has a working group dedicated to this issue, but it was of equal concern to media executives.
The myriad changes impacting the industry promise great challenges and terrific opportunities. But all of these key topics loop back to the need for new business models. Collaboration is key, as these models will need to be cross-industry and cross-player. And they must embrace multiple sources of value, including direct payment and advertising.
Regardless, it is a brave new world, and one can only imagine how online consumers will experience future events.
So, sports fans, look out for Rio in 2016!
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