text:
speed rail is right up there with electric vehicles when it comes to
promising green solutions to transportation in the new millennium.
High speed rail uses electricity and mass-transit to drastically cut
emissions when compared to automobile travel. And it's expected
to be far faster and more cost effective transportation method,
albeit with some big up front costs for infrastructure. Much as
the original coal-burning locomotive and oil-burning automobile
revolutionized transportation in the 19th and 20th centuries, the
electric locomotive looks to transform society in the 21st
century.The U.S. under President Barack Obama has committed
$13B USD in high
speed rail investment. That seems somewhat impressive until
one hears about China's high speed rail commitment. China
has already spent
$259B USD on high speed rail and plans on spending a total
of $1T USD by 2020 to install 16,000 miles of high speed
rail track -- or roughly 1/3 of the length of the U.S.'s total
interstate highway system. China put the
exclamation point on its efforts last week with the unveiling of its
flagship high speed rail model, the 380A train. With a 236
miles per hour top cruising speed, the train is the world's fastest.A handful of maglev
trains can beat the 380A in top speed, but they are unable to sustain a faster average speed. The "380" part of its name comes from its 236 mph cruising speed which translates into 380 kilometers per hour. The train will offer a 4 hour ride between Shanghai and Beijing. That cuts the trip time to less than a third of the driving time (12 to 13 hours).A Chinese firm, Changchun Railway
Vehicles Co., makes the impressive vehicles. The first
production model, the "He Xie", was unveiled last week at a
ceremony in Changchun, the capital of the northeastern province of
Jilin in China. At the ceremony, the Chinese government pledged
to purchase 100 of the speedy trains.High speed rail will
provide the Chinese economy with a unique advantage as it continues
to grow and expand. Business travelers will be able to make
trips much faster and regain literally weeks in productivity each
year. And carbon emissions, long a sore
spot for China, will be cut in a way that's
actually beneficial for
the economy.Meanwhile, the U.S. sees its own plans for high
speed rail stalled as it ponders potentially less effective solutions
for carbon control like "carbon-credits".
The 380A and China's high speed rail ambitions have led some to
question if the U.S. will be left behind as the rest of the world
embraces high speed rail.


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Credit Unions Caught in Political Dodge Ball: Editor/Publisher's Column
For a day, credit unions' federal tax exemption appeared to be in jeopardy. H.R. 6474 would have gradually repealed credit unions' tax-exempt status over five years. Fortunately for credit unions, a spokesman for Rep. Dennis Ross, the bill's sponsor, explained that the inclusion of this in the bill was accidental, and it will be deleted by a manager's amendment.
While credit unions seem to have dodged this lob for now, it did draw attention to the credit union tax exemption, which the banking lobby is sure to relish. The issue has been brought up time and again, and particularly since the economic crisis and the resulting Simpson-Bowles commission, but this was the first time credit unions were named specifically in federal revenue legislation in decades, intentional or not.
Credit unions could certainly survive a 15% to 35% tax hit, but they would come out nothing like they are today. Credit unions' net income in aggregate was 86 basis points as of the second quarter, so a tax would very much change the way they operate. Credit unions with less than $50 million in assets would essentially be wiped out if this were to come to fruition. Credit unions with $10 million to $50 million in assets have an aggregate net income of 30 basis points, according to a report from Catalyst Strategic Solutions. Those $2 million to $10 million have net income of 6 basis points. The credit unions smaller than $2 million in assets are already at a negative 49 basis points. Even the $50 million to $100 million category are at 45 basis points in net income.
The credit union community would survive, but the worst result would be that they would be working to pay the taxman rather than helping their members. With all of the other regulatory restrictions and burdens, what would be the point? A tax on credit unions would leave many moderate-income Americans out in the cold. It would eliminate the local, community-oriented nature of most credit unions. There wouldn't be a reason for a true grassroots movement like Bank Transfer Day. Taxing credit unions would give Americans less, not more.
No, the credit union philosophy is worth more, as panelists in Credit Union Times' Not For CEOs session held last week. Panelist Teresa Halleck enthusiastically defended the 'not-for-profit, not-for-charity, but for-service' philosophy credit unions bathe in. It's "what makes us not Wells Fargo," she said, pointing out that her San Diego County Credit Union is the title sponsor of the Poinsettia Bowl every year.
Banks have bashed credit unions that spend this kind of money, but Halleck pointed out that the bowl falls during a slow economic period in her region, and that event brings in money to all the local restaurants and shops, helping the businesses and increasing hours and tips for their employees–a very smooth and well-supported dodge of the banker spin. The credit union philosophy is what helps keep credit union professionals stopping to smell the poinsettias.
On the other hand, Greg Barnes with One Nevada CU in Las Vegas pointed out that his credit union serves a low-credit score area, even when it's not in a recession. One Nevada offers payday loan alternatives with educational pieces and incentives intended to steer members away from the payday loan shops that litter the area. Plus the credit union's fees are much lower. He said he didn't want to refer to his credit union as a "second-chance" institution but often that's what it is for members. With the solid work One Nevada is doing, maybe it won't be one day. Another score for credit unions.
California and Nevada Leagues' Carol Payne very enthusiastically chimed in, "It's about emotions, the emotional attachment members feel to their credit union." Emotional attachments like you'll see in our article this week about how Alabama Telco Credit Union helped make Glenn Sasser and his late wife's dreams a reality.
One wicked curve that credit unions were unable to dodge was the NCUA's 6.1% budget increase for a total of $14.5 million. However, the collective bargaining agreement for the NTEU employees is indexed to the federal pay scale, which means if the federal pay freeze remains in effect, so will it for the NCUA. That would pull the NCUA budget increase back $12.8 million to a more reasonable $1.7 million. Still, in a time when credit unions are cutting their budgets and staffing left and right, in part to deal with regulatory burden coming from the NCUA, CFPB and elsewhere, the agency should do the same.

subset: commoncrawl


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With 2014 in mind, Freedom First Credit Union held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday to celebrate the beginning of the construction of a community revitalization project.
The $300 million credit union in Roanoke, Va., broke ground with the city of Roanoke and the West End Center for Youth for a project to include an urban mix of commercial and meeting space, a community pavilion with a full-service production kitchen, and gardens to encourage and promote healthy financial and physical lifestyles, according to Freedom First.
The project will be anchored by a full-service Freedom First branch scheduled to open in early 2014, which will serve the West End, Hurt Park and Mountain View neighborhoods, as well as commuters to downtown Roanoke.
"This important project will enable Freedom First to reach into the community with the financial education and specialized products we've developed to serve people of modest means," said Freedom First President/CEO Paul Phillips.
"Establishing a community development financial institution in the West End area of Roanoke gives people who are currently unbanked and under-banked a real opportunity to move toward long-term financial self-sufficiency," he added.
Freedom First said it is working closely with nonprofit agencies, local government, and other businesses on this and other projects that serve community and economic development goals.
"We are excited to partner with Freedom First in this venture that will greatly expand the opportunities available to the families we serve," said Joy Parrish, executive director of the West End Center, which owns the property and will oversee its community activities.
The planned production kitchen and gardens will enable the West End Center to bring fresh food and nutrition education to the neighborhood, and the community meeting space will accommodate educational initiatives, according to Freedom First.
"The West End is a neighborhood that is on the rise," said Roanoke City Manager Chris Morrill. "With existing assets like the West End Center, interesting housing stock, and proximity to downtown, the West End is poised to be an even better place to live and work."
"It is our hope that Freedom First's investment in the neighborhood, and services that will be offered to residents and businesses, will be a catalyst to more rapid improvements," Morrill added.


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An Illinois lawsuit alleges that Microsoft and mega-retailer Wal-Mart are at fault for a fire sparked by a faulty Xbox 360 power cord. The suit was filed in December 2006 by the family of Wade Kline, a baby who perished in the accident.
The case came to light this week when Wal-Mart filed a motion to move the proceedings from a state court to a federal jurisdiction. Along with Microsoft and Wal-Mart, an unnamed power-supply maker is also named as a codefendant. The Kline family is seeking in excess of $50,000 in damages for the fire that destroyed their Warsaw, Ill., home.
The lawsuit alleges an overheated electrical supply line for an Xbox 360 sparked the blaze, according to an article in InformationWeek, however the suit claims the fire occurred in late 2004. The magazine concludes that the product involved must have been a first-generation Xbox (not Xbox 360) unit.
Microsoft recalled 14 million Xbox power cords because of potential fire hazards in February 2005, about two months after the Warsaw fire occurred.
In a statement released by Microsoft, the company expressed sympathy for the family, "However, we are not aware of any evidence that an Xbox caused the fire."


text:
"To address the growing interest in tablets among consumers and businesses alike, HP will offer a range of form factors and leverage an array of operating systems," said Alberto Torres, senior vice president, Mobility Global Business Unit, HP. "Our new HP Slate on Android represents a compelling entry point for consumer tablets."
Source: HP


text:
Was $44.95 NOW $24.95
This is the child's scooter with integrated chalk holders that allows a rider to create art on sidewalks and driveways. Its patented "tilt to turn" steering system formed by its twin front wheels provides stability for young riders up to 44 lbs. while a single rear wheel provides smooth gliding. Two coiled springs in the rear secure separate pieces of chalk that mark the ground in twin streaks of color as a child scoots over pavement, asphalt, or concrete. Foam handlebars provide a firm grip while a non-slip deck provides sure footing while pushing-off. Includes four pieces of multicolored chalk. Ages 3 and up. Pink. 21" L x 12" W x 25" H. (5 1/2 lbs.)
Lifetime Guarantee
The Sidewalk Scribbling Scooter comes with The Hammacher Schlemmer Lifetime Guarantee. If this product ever disappoints you, for any reason, you may return your Hammacher Schlemmer purchase for exchange, credit, or refund.
Should you have any questions, we are available seven days a week (8:00 am – midnight EST). Please call 1-800-321-1484 to speak with a specialist or email us at email@example.com to receive a response within three business hours or less.
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COPYRIGHT © 2018 HAMMACHER SCHLEMMER & COMPANY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. W103147 E. 57th ST • NEW YORK, NY • 10022 • 1-800-_321-1484


text:
Swimming is one of the most therapeutic activities that a person can use to rehabilitate their body, get into shape or just relax. Having an aquatic center in Conyers GA in a city offers all of these advantages and many more benefits. Not only is an aquatic center in Conyers Georgia good for a person's health and well-being, but it also serves to increase the value of the community and offers an area where people can get together and enjoy a friendly activity.
An aquatic center in Conyers Georgia is an area that can provide hours of fun for a family. Year-round recreation can be enjoyed by all in a covered aquatic center in Conyers GA. An older member of a family may enjoy swimming laps and training for a triathlon, while a teenager in a family may prefer taking a dip in a hot tub, jumping off of a high dive or relaxing in a section of a pool. Birthday parties can even be held at a local aquatic center in Conyers Georgia. Kids enjoy swimming and lively activity that is combined with special events.
Water therapy is becoming one of the fastest forms of rehabilitation for baby boomers in the United States. As we get older, there is a chance of sustaining injuries which require some form of physical therapy. An aquatic center in Conyers GA that offers rehabilitative swimming programs is an attribute to a community. The use of an aquatic center in Conyers Georgia can reduce healthcare costs and has been shown to help people recover from injuries faster. Less stress on joints and muscles makes swimming at a pool in an aquatic center in Conyers GA a recommended choice by doctors that prescribe physical therapy rehabilitation. Local property values are also increased when an aquatic center in Conyers Georgia is located in an area. Restaurants, local retail facilities and hotels enjoy extra business when an aquatic center in Conyers GA holds regularly scheduled events.It's easy to see why an aquatic center in Conyers Georgia can be a positive aspect for a city.


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Hiruzen feats (Everything in the spoilers are manga pages to support my argument excluding one because I have no idea where that page is.
Konoha called him the professor for being able to use all the jutsu that existed in the leaf.
He truly expressed his mastery of ninjutsu in his entire fight with orochimaru. Lacking large chakra reserves yet holding off hashirama/tobirama and orochimaru is a feat within itself not to mention it means he had perfect chakra control since it was stated he did not have chakra reserves like he used too.
He fought against perfect Edo's. I will explain why they were perfect with proof from the manga.
1: Orochimaru did not show any concern of them lacking power. He was slightly impressed with tobirama's suiton skills.
2: Kabuto stated that orochimaru had perfected Edo Tensei later in part 2. He even went on to say that they could use all their original techniques which I believe was kishi subliminally implying that Hashirama and Tobirama were fighting at their full potential. Also to be noted is that Zabuza/Haku/3rd Raikage/Nagato ect did not show a decrease in power when fighting with no emotions. Even Naruto went on to say that he was more powerful after his emotions were gotten rid of.
Orochimaru had full knowledge of Hiruzen but still could not destroy the leaf village due to hiruzen sealing his ninjutsu and the 1st/2nd hokages.
Hiruzens chakra while severely lacking had a powerful aura to it. It was able to shatter the very ground he was standing on when released. In my opinion that's badass in every aspect of the word.
His speed with hand seals was incredible. Being able to match Orochimaru who was originally supposed to be hokage and being able to attack the 1st and 2nd hokage before they could even form a seal with Fire Dragon Napalm. Lets not forget Orochimaru was a prodigy and a genius ninja.
Hiruzen showed absolutely no fear when the thought of facing the 1st and 2nd hokage's went into his mind. His only concern was against Minato. This shows that Hiruzen while already confident about beating orochimaru was confident in beating the 1st and 2nd hokage as well.
He was able to destroy Wood release with ease using Enma. Something naruto while albeit on a higher scale has only been able to accomplish. I speak of hashirama's perfect wood releasenot Yamato's. Also not even Susanoo's arrows could destroy wood release but only pierce it.
The ANBU acknowledged both Orochimaru, Hashirama, Tobirama, and Hiruzen of being far from any level less then kage. They state it was so advanced meaning only kage level ninja would have a chance in a fight like this.
While struggling to use his Enma in his transformed state, he was able to slip explosive tags on Tobirama and Hashirama without either noticing along with orochimaru. This shows his ability to employ stealth tactics in broad daylight without Kage level ninja noticing. Quite a feat.
Hiruzen didn't use Death Reaper seal just because it was his only seal, but due to the fact that it was the most logical and tactical seal to use. A normal seal would allow orochimaru to summon the 1st and 2nd hokage's again thus prolonging the fight. By using the Death Reaper seal he made it so Konoha can never be attacked by the 1st hokage/2nd hokage/and orochimaru.
Orochimaru who was his student acknowledged him as the God of Shinobi. While he may only be called the God of Shinobi in konoha, it is a testament to his skills. Furthermore Kabuto acknowledges him as the strongest kage of the current 5. (4th Kazekage, 3rd Tschukage, 5th Mizukage, 4th Raikage.)
While using clones he was able to smell Hashirama and Tobirama out in a genjutsu. This is quite arguably is one of the greatest feats for hiruzen. Genjutsu disrupts the shinobi's senses already, clones are only equal to 10% of your skills, yet Hiruzens clones while having disrupted senses were able to smell out hashirama and tobirama and capture them. That is like being blind, only having 10% energy, and beating mike tyson in his prime.
Hiruzen was known to be able to use 1,000 skills(genjutsu in the viz translation) not by ebisu but also sakura acknowledges it.
It was even stated that in his fight with orochimaru and previous hokages he was on equal footing with them. Displaying powers that are beyond that of Hashirama alone, Tobirama alone, and Orochimaru alone. (search bar ftw)
Iruka stated that the third hokage was "The strongest of all" meaning all previous hokages that came before him were weaker then him yes that includes Minato since he was prior to his current term.
It was said that hiruzen fought on the front lines of the Second Shinobi world war. For him to do that fighting against terribly powerful ninja's like Hanzo in his prime(he was stated to be the strongest ninja of his time), the third kazekage(strongest kazekage), and the third tschukage who we have seen is no joke. This only exemplifies his prowess being able to fight battles against these types of shinobi's while surviving.
Hiruzen stated that his powers were far superior to Tobirama before Tobirama's death.
Refuting arguments
Any sort of "This is why hashirama is stronger" argument only makes hiruzen look stronger. You have to understand that since Hashirama was fighting with full use of his powers under a perfected edo tensei(see manga chapter 520 or my section on why it was perfected) it only makes hiruzen look more impressive.
"well iruka's word is worthless since its iruka he is fodder"
Not at all actually. Ultimately it is kishimoto speaking through his characters. Just like when Orochimaru stated hiruzen was the God of Shinobi, that actually wasn't necessary at all in the sentence. He could of just said old age caught up with you but no he said he was the God of shinobi. That title is only shared with the Sage of Six Paths meaning its a far superior title then someone thinking your powers were a fairy tale.
I'm not even gonna get the 1st and 2nd databooks involved since the manga provides so much proof of his status. He rightfully deserves the top ten status through feats and his history.
This isn't too say previous hokages don't deserve top ten or your top ten is weaker, but its to give credit where credit is due. Hiruzen even though he was last written about 13 years ago still proves to be a more capable ninja then the majority out there.


text:
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text: Do you guys think current kakashi can solo any of the past or present members of akatsuki? Whenever he's fought any of them, he's had some sort of backup. Like with itachi and kisame he had gai, asuma, and kurenai. With kakuzu he had team 10 and naruto. And with deidara he had naruto's help. What you think?


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The Montezuma County Board of Commissioners filed an official appeal Thursday against the U.S. Forest Service's travel management plan for the Boggy-Glade landscape.
Concerned that the plan would sharply decrease acreage open to mountain bikes and motorized vehicles, the county added its voice to the chorus demanding the Forest Service put on the brakes.
"I believe we are all comfortable with the appeal," said Keenan Ertel, referring to the trio of commissioners. "From my standpoint, I'm hoping the Forest Service will recognize this has been a flawed process from the outset."
To incorporate last-minute complaints into the appeal wording, the commission held public hearings Wednesday and Thursday this week. Dozens of pro-access residents turned out - both motorized and mountain bike - along with small government conservatives who abhor federal meddling.
Dolores Town Manager Ryan Mahoney spoke up in defense of the plan, calling it "a good start."
"My main message to the commissioners was that (by appealing) we're essentially delaying economic progress," he said Friday. "As a town, we supported this version: Alternative D. It supports a variety of user groups and is a reasonable approach to management."
Specifically, Mahoney is worried that the appeals and resulting deliberations by the Forest Service will stall a planned 7-mile trail stretching from the downtown Peoples (Old Dolores) Cemetery to House Creek Campground. He said Dolores would proceed constructing its end of the trail and assume the alignment will stay consistent when a Forest Service plan is eventually passed. The idea behind the trail is to showcase the shoreline of McPhee Reservoir - "an under-utilized asset," according to Mahoney - and create a recreation loop that doesn't require driving a car to get to trailheads.
James Dietrich, the county's public lands coordinator, outlined nine separate appeal points Wednesday morning. After the constituent input, three more were added.
Among them: inconsistencies with the county comprehensive land-use plan, inadequate and ambiguous scientific data showing that motorized cross-country travel disturbs habitat and watersheds, confusion over 30-foot and 300-foot dispersed camping rules, difficulty in enforcing motorized game retrieval allowances, and opposition to "ripping and berming" as methods of road closure.
The county is requesting that the Forest Service eschew Alternative D in favor of the "no-action baseline alternative," or to reverse course and continue coordinating with the county to iron out disagreements.
The appeal period ended yesterday.
Dolores District Ranger Derek Padilla, who authored the decision, said he had received 11 appeals from individuals and advocacy groups, along with the county commission.
Padilla now has 45 days, starting Monday, to try settling the appeals via informal agreements. If unsuccessful, the appeals are then sent to a review team of Forest Service personnel from Region 2 - Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota - for analysis.
"(The team) makes sure we did things correct procedurally and didn't make arbitrary decisions," Padilla said.
Ultimately the review team would give recommendations to San Juan National Forest supervisor Mark Stiles, who can accept them or make revisions at his discretion. As the appeal deciding officer, Stiles reserves the authority to uphold the plan or remand it to address deficiencies.
If appealing parties still object to Stiles' decision, the matter goes to litigation.


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In mid-September, DailyTech brought you news that congress was working on a new round of tax credits targeted at plug-in electric/hybrid vehicles. The tax credits were projected to weigh in at $3,000 for plug-in vehicles with at least a 6 kWh battery and top out at $7,500.
Toyota, which sells its Prius featuring a 1.3 kWh battery pack, balked at the tax credits as its hybrids wouldn't even qualify for the entry-level tax credit. Toyota also was unhappy that the only vehicle in the near future likely to qualify for the maximum $7,500 tax credit is the Chevrolet Volt.
Despite its opposition, Toyota's fears became law last week when President Bush signed the legislation which passed in the House by a vote of 263 to 171 as a part of the massive $700 billion Wall Street bailout package. The entire 10-year tax package for plug-in electric/hybrid vehicles is worth $1 billion.
Requirements to qualify for the tax credit have changed slightly since its inception in the Senate. The 6 kWh battery minimum dropped down to 4 kWh, while the base tax credit rose from $3,000 to $4,168. The maximum credit remains at $7,500 for the Chevrolet Volt with its 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
The Chevrolet Volt gets its primary power from a 150 HP, 273 lb-ft electric motor. A 1.4 liter gasoline engine is also used to recharge the lithium-ion battery pack once the Volt's 40-mile battery range is depleted. According to GM, the Volt can save customers $1,500 per year in fuel costs based on a daily commute of 40 miles.
The $7,500 tax credit should go a long way towards making the Chevrolet Volt more affordable. Current estimates place the base price of the vehicle at $40,000 or higher.


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NAFCU Disputes Bankers' TAG Support Claims
The Independent Community Bankers Association claimed Friday morning in a press release sent to Credit Union Times, and on President/CEO Camden Fine's Twitter account, that NAFCU and federal credit unions "stand with ICBA and community banks" on the extension of the Transaction Account Guarantee.
On Monday afternoon, the Senate will consider a vote on a bill that would grant that extension.
In the tweet, Fine linked to a Dec. 3 letter from NAFCU to Senate Banking Committee leaders that encouraged packaging member business lending legislation with the TAG extension.
That prompted a "cease and desist" letter from NAFCU President/CEO Fred Becker later Friday, requesting that when communicating with Congress, the administration or general public, the ICBA "not infer in any manner NAFCU's support of any legislation to extend the TAG program that does not include both credit union member business lending and IOLTA coverage."
Becker countered that judging by the ICBA claims, the community banker lobby now supports a TAG-MBL legislative package. If true, he said, NAFCU would work with ICBA to move the legislation forward.
The ICBA did not respond to a request for comment.


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Carmelo goes down. Jeremy emerges out of nowhere and propels the Knicks to .500. He shows that he can be a quality, balanced pg in the NBA, especially with some good coaching and development.
Anthony comes back, no chemistry with Lin; doesn't want to share the spotlight; doesn't want D'Antoni's ball sharing system...D'Antoni quits.
Now, it seems obvious that there's no cohesion between Lin and Anthony, both stylewise and in terms of vision. It's obvious there's no room for both.
The question is, should Toronto look at acquiring Lin.? If so, how could we make that happen?


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odd that you talk about labeling things as arbitrary, then just arbitrarily say these things have value. the use of psychedelic substances is as old as civilization itself, in India they used mushrooms, pot and soma, these things would have been well known to a yogi, the Buddha started out as just a yogi. why then didn't he mention them?Viscid wrote:Tex wrote:
These substances should not be carelessly abused, but you cannot simply dismiss their value.
I'm no prude, these things were a few times a week indulgence for me when i was younger, and even after finding Buddhism i revisited them to just make sure i hadn't missed something or had just used them wrong. they don't lead into insights.
all conditioned things are not-self, impermanent and dukkha, the state of mind you "achieve" by using a substance is a conditioned state, a fabricated state. thus it is not-self, impermanent and dukkha, thus not a path to liberation. so what would be the point , in a dhammic sense, in fabricating another mind-state that is just dukkha?
if you want to do these things, by all means that's your choice, but if you're really honest with yourself you can see its just more saṅkhāra, no different from the state of mind you could create through alchohol, or day dreaming or whatever.
handa'dāni bhikkhave āmantayāmi vo, vayadhammā saṅkhārā appamādena sampādethā ti.
'Disciples, this I declare to you: All conditioned things are subject to disintegration - strive on untiringly for your liberation.' (Mahāparinibbāna Sutta)


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Day 9: Share something sweet
One of the ways that World Vision helps to share joy in communities around the world is by providing beehives to entrepreneurs. Raising bees helps them learn new skills, pollinate their crops, and produce honey that they can eat and sell. Today, read about World Vision beekeepers in Mongolia!
Today's challenge: Give someone something sweet! Some ideas: chocolate, cookies, candy canes…or even a sweet gesture, like giving someone flowers.
"Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." —Proverbs 16:24 (NIV)
A bee-guaranteed life
After driving two hours through beautiful scenery, we arrived at a place in Mongolia where bees were swarming.
Eleven people, representing their families, are keeping almost a million bees there. They are part of the Buman Suregten solidarity group, which means 100,000 beehives. The solidarity group was established in 2010 and consists of 11 families. "We already became like one big family," says Amartuya Khadbaatar, 30, the leader of the group.
Amartuya, with her husband Burensaikhan, were unemployed until they heard an announcement about the bee project facilitated by World Vision Mongolia. The young couple used to have hardly enough to provide their four children with clothes and dinner. The only organization that helped them to bear their cross was World Vision.
Their 7-year-old daughter Enerel has been involved in the sponsorship program. They received support including clothing, school stationery, and some food supplies for their daughter.
"World Vision saved us from hunger and suffering. We used to buy food by the money we saved from school stationery for Enerel," says Amarzaya with a smile. "We still were lost in a market economy and could not find a right way of living. We have tried many kinds of small businesses but they ended by breaking," she adds.
In 2010, Amarzaya and Burensaikhan heard about World Vision selecting beneficiaries for a beekeeping project. The couple decided to apply and joined the project.
"First, it was complicated to communicate and work together with people who did not know each other before. But we had one goal — to reach success and feed our children. We did not have the right to give up. Fortunately, all members of the families were so hardworking and kind. We could become one family and love each other very much," Amarzaya says proudly.
At first, the solidarity group received 37 beehives with more than 15,000 bees in each hive. They agreed to raise more bees, and then return the 37 beehives to World Vision after the other hives were established. Then World Vision could use those bees to start another group.
After a while, the Buman Suregten group started to earn a profit from selling the honey and learned valuable techniques for beekeeping. Now, the Buman Suregten solidarity group has turned the original 37 beehives into 64, and they share the profits from beekeeping.
The solidarity group harvested 150 to 200 liters of honey from each of 10 beehives, with a total amount of almost 1,200 liters. During the winter, they will sell one liter of honey for 25,000 tugrik [US$22]. The monthly income for one family will be around 270,000 tugrik [US$250], which is enough to feed the families as well as save for the future.
After returning the original 37 beehives to World Vision, the group was left with 27 beehives. Next summer, they plan to increase their beehives to almost 80.
"I am happy that World Vision is giving us an opportunity and for other families to start their business with beehives. So we are very happy to give back the 37 beehives to help others who are suffering. All of us were in difficult situations before and now we are saved," Amarzaya says.
Each of the 11 families in the solidarity group was new to bee farming when they received the beehives. They participated in many training sessions with World Vision about how to raise bees and also how to make a family budget. This way, they can buy warm winter clothes and good food rich in vitamins and minerals. Honey is also good for health and can be used year-round.
"Now our life is guaranteed," Amarzaya adds.
At the top: Solidarity group members handling their bees and harvesting the honey. (Photo: ©2011 Enkhbayar Purevjav/World Vision)
The gift of a beehive will give an entrepreneurial family a way to pollinate and grow healthier crops. They can also sell the nutritious honey for additional income. In addition to the beehive, your gift also helps provide things like training in how to care and handle honeybees.


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Star on the field, Posey a class act off it
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- My wife wanted to know if Buster Posey is a jerk.
This struck me as funny, of course, because Posey is anything but. Earnest, accessible, humble, Posey is everything we ideally want from our superstar athletes, and he's maintained all those qualities even as he's accumulated two World Series titles, the 2010 National League Rookie of the Year Award and the 2012 NL Most Valuable Player Award in his first three seasons in the big leagues.
As Giants special instructor Rich Aurilia said, "He is exactly what you want the face of your organization to be."
But my wife, like so many others, saw the "MLB 13: The Show" PlayStation video game commercial in which a reporter interviews Posey about how he "failed miserably" in last year's World Series before cutting to virtual "footage" of the game, showing Posey grounding into a Series-ending double play.
"It's a video game, you moron," Posey says as he storms off the set.
Acting chops, too?
Man, this Posey kid's got it all.
"Actually," Posey told me, "we had been there shooting for a while, and I was a little bit tired by that point. So it was a little bit easier [to act like a jerk]."
It has been interesting, in recent months, to watch the generally reserved Posey more frequently embrace the supplemental elements of his superstardom. He's done several endorsements, he held an online Reddit chat with fans, he posed for GQ and he's the star of his own iPhone app -- a game called "Buster Bash," in which the user swipes his or her finger on the screen to hit home runs off a virtual pitcher.
"That's been a fun experiment," Posey said of the game. "It's been a learning process. There are always tweaks that need to be made to it."
Posey balances all of these off-the-field endeavors against his primary wish, which is to put all his focus on baseball. And the difficulty of that balance increases exponentially when you build the kind of portfolio Posey has.
"First and foremost," he said, "the reason you have those opportunities is your success on the field. So I think it's one of those things where you have to be smart. I feel I have a good agency in CAA that can manage it, because you don't want to be spread too thin. Your main focus is still, obviously, being prepared and ready to go each day when you come to the ballpark."
Posey is eminently marketable, and so the number of opportunities that come his way is staggering.
"Certainly, no one is perfect, and Buster is no exception," said Jeff Berry, Posey's agent. "But the thing that makes Buster so appealing to people is that he represents many of the same qualities we all aspire to. And the great thing is it's not an image. It's what he is."
Still, even nice guys have to learn how to say "no." And a player of Posey's profile has to learn how to say it frequently.
Joey Votto, another recent NL MVP Award winner with a rather tame temperament, said the desire to dodge distractions comes down to a simple value equation.
"I'm not sure how Buster feels about it," Votto said, "but I can speak for myself and say there's nothing off the field that's going to come close to what I can make on the field. And I have a responsibility to the Reds organization because of the commitment they've made to me and I've made to them. So I've tried to avoid any distractions off the field and maximize my energy on the field. I don't care about the fame. I just care about being a great player, being healthy, being a winner. I'd imagine Buster feels the same way, because he's got all the accolades you could ever ask for in a career, in a short period of time."
Votto will no longer have to deal with any distractions related to contract talks. He's set for life, having signed a gargantuan 10-year, $225 million extension with the Reds one year ago.
"I think I was going to make a good bit of money either way," Votto said. "And I was probably going to get a lot of years after this season if I left it healthy and had a successful year. But I think being here where I started in Cincinnati and having the opportunity to play my entire career here is a very rare thing. I feel fortunate to be one of the few in the game to have that chance."
Posey has that chance, too. It is not at all unreasonable to wonder whether the Giants will make a similarly long commitment with their catcher, who turns 26 later this month. Posey just went through his first round of arbitration with the club and came out with an $8 million contract. His cost could skyrocket in the coming years, which is why there are reports about San Francisco talking with Berry about a three-year deal that would buy out Posey's remaining arbitration years.
But many in the industry speculate that Posey, having recovered completely from the gruesome ankle injury suffered in his 2011 collision with Scott Cousins, would be worth a decade-long commitment. Posey's athleticism should allow him to eventually shift to third or first base, if need be, to save his body from the grind of catching.
"I'm happy that we got something done for this year," Posey said. "Really, my focus is just on the upcoming season. Coming here each day and getting prepared and being ready to go. I think the injury I had a couple years ago keeps the game in perspective for me, because I've seen how fast it can be gone. So no matter what you're feeling, not feeling great at the plate or body is a little off, I try to draw on that and remember there might be somebody who is on the shelf and wishes they were out there."
Answers like that are why we respect Posey so much. The guy has shown leadership-type qualities from the day he arrived in the big leagues and has been a class act all the way. The increased exposure and attention haven't changed him a bit.
What has changed Posey -- in a positive way -- is fatherhood. Twins, no less.
"It keeps you grounded," he said. "Mine are so young [19 months], so they're just getting to the point where, when they see me, they get excited to see me. No matter what kind of day you're having, that brings you back to where you want to be and lets you know what's important."
Posey might be more famous and more exposed than ever, but it's refreshing to know he hasn't lost sight of what's important. And it's also nice to know I can honor his request:
"Tell your wife," Posey said, "that I'm not a jerk."
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his columns and follow him on Twitter at @Castrovince. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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AnandTech's Anand Lal Shimpi investigated the performance of Intel's X25-M MLC (Multi Level Cell) SSD, and compared it to OCZ Technology's first generation Core SSD, which used Samsung NAND flash along with a JMicron controller. He found that random write performance was abysmal, due to extremely high write latencies. This was a problem attributed to the JMicron controller, which was problematic since many other SSD manufacturers used JMicron's controller as well.
JMicron has not been too happy about the negative buzz surrounding its controller around the internet. They have been working on the problem but it is hard to change perceptions once first impressions have been made. In the following interview we asked a few questions and gave JMicron the opportunity to tell their side of the story.
Tell us a little bit about JMicron.
JMicron was founded in 2001 and our headquarters are located in Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan. As a fabless IC design house, JMicron focuses on high speed serial link technology such as Serial ATA, PCI-Express, USB, RAID and Storage applications. Our products are widely adopted by major motherboard and notebook vendors such as ASUS, Gigabyte, ACER, HP, Dell, Toshiba, Lenovo, etc. JMicron is also the first fabless company in Taiwan that can mass produce SATA II application products.
When did you first find out about the write latency issue?
We have been developing SSD technology since 2006 and launched our first generation SSD controller, JMF601A/602A at the end of 2007. It soon attracted the attention of SSD makers because of the feature set and high performance. We found the write latency issue around March, 2008. The issue only happens under a special condition, when the system data is close to full and the host keeps writing data on it. It takes time to do internal garbage collection, data merge and housekeeping.
What did you do to solve it?
We revised the hardware architecture and launched JMF601B/602B in June 2008. JMF601A/602A was the old version after B version was available. Currently, all JMicron customers are using latest version, including ASUS NB/EeePC, OCZ, Super Talent, Transcend, etc. The B version improves the write latency a lot. Besides, JMicron also can reserve more spare blocks to alleviate the issue. Because more spare blocks reservation would decrease the drive capacity, most SSD makers tend to not enlarge the spare size.
Note by author: This is part of the reason why OCZ Technology's drives are labeled as 30, 60, 120, and 250 GB instead of the regular 32, 64, 128, 256 GB. Almost all SSDs make use of spare blocks; it is not a feature specific to JMicron.
It should also be noted that AnandTech's testing used OCZ's Core V1 , the Core V2 was meant to address deficiencies and integrate some improvements.
OCZ created a new design that uses up to 64MB of cache to eliminate the write latency issue in their Vertex series of SSDs.
What is the current status of JMicron's controllers?
The JMF601/602 is designed for netbooks and portable applications. They are not so good for servers and heavy access loading (for example, multi-task access at the same time). We think that's why most users have good performance but some don't. We strove to solve the write latency issue after the AnandTech article was published. And we made some progress in the new firmware versions.
Note by author: Each SSD vendor has the ability to use JMicron's own firmware, or to use their own version. The firmware used can make a big difference. More on this in a future article.
What do you have planned for the future?
Some customers have introduced high speed SSDs with JMicron's RAID controller JMB390, plus two JMF602B controllers. The target performance is 233MB/sec on sequential read and 166MB/sec on sequential write. Moving forward, JMicron is developing SSD controllers with DRAM cache and it is expected to be available in Q3 2009. That will totally solve the random read/write performance issue.
DailyTech will present highlights from JMicron's roadmap in a future article.


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Tomorrows Exhibition game (07/24/12): Lithuania vs Iceland 12 ET
Followed by: USA vs Spain at 4:30
The later should be a very exciting game. I think USA has its work cut out for them. Spain does have a size advantage in the front-court (mainly the 4 and 5 positions), which I can see causing USA some problems down the road. It should be a fun game i guess well have to wait and see!


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January 10, 2013
Father José Emilio Fetzer, SJ, 52, who was known in the Fort Worth Diocese for his gift of teaching spirituality at the Montserrat Retreat Center at Lake Dallas, died Dec. 22, 2012, at Ignatius Retreat Center in Atlanta.
"That was his favorite topic ... how to apply spirituality to real life, [and] how to make it influence your decisions and viewpoint," said Father Edmundo Rodriguez, SJ, who worked with Fr. Fetzer while he was at Montserrat. "That was something he worked on and loved doing, lecturing, and discussing," he said.
A Funeral Mass was celebrated Dec. 27 at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, and his body was buried in the Jesuit Cemetery at St. Charles College in Grand Coteau. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28, at Christ the King Cathedral in Atlanta.
Fr. Fetzer was born March 12, 1960, in Lima, Peru. He studied at the University of Lima, then at DeKalb College and Georgia State University in Atlanta. Before joining the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), he was a parishioner of the Atlanta Cathedral, and decided to join the Jesuits while praying in the chapel at the Ignatius Retreat Center.
He entered the Jesuit Novitiate Aug. 14, 1995, at St. Charles College. After his first vows on Aug. 15, 1997, he studied at Creighton University in Omaha, and at Saint Louis University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Spanish.
Fr. Fetzer taught Spanish at Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas 2001-2003, after which he earned a Master of Divinity from Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2006, he joined the staff of Montserrat Retreat House in Lake Dallas.
Fr. Rodriguez said he worked with Fr. Fetzer at Montserrat from 2006 until 2011. Fr. Fetzer was a deacon when he first came to Montserrat, and worked Jesuit or Ignatian spirituality, Fr. Rodriguez said. After Fr. Fetzer was ordained a priest on June 14, 2008 at Immaculate Conception Church in New Orleans, he continued teaching spirituality at Montserrat.
Fr. Rodriguez said Fr. Fetzer was also instrumental in making sure catechists who were teaching in Spanish in various parishes in the Fort Worth and Dallas Dioceses could get credit for attending continuing education classes at Montserrat. Fr. Rodriguez said they taught the classes as a team.
"I mostly taught things like Church history and Christology. He mostly taught the part on spirituality," Fr. Rodriguez said.
In a 2010 interview with the North Texas Catholic while Fr. Fetzer was a retreat director at Montserrat, he elaborated on his desire to help those he served encounter God.
"I see my role as a Jesuit priest as facilitating the encounter between God and the human person," Fr. Fetzer said. "My different experiences of God have been illumined by the Spiritual Exercises [of St. Ignatius]. To give the Spiritual Exercises is to relate one's experience of God with others. Although they require a great amount of preparation, directing the Spiritual Exercises is ultimately sharing who one is and what one has with others. It is sharing one's experience as a loved sinner with others," he said.
Fr. Rodriguez said Fr. Fetzer provided a lot of spiritual direction, particularly in Spanish, for priests and deacons, but also for laypeople. He said Fr. Fetzer also helped parishes in Lewisville, Denton, and Dallas by celebrating Mass on weekdays or weekends when he was available.
"He was very ready to help other priests because they were overloaded or had to take some time off," Fr. Rodriguez said. "He was very excited about becoming a priest. That's why he said as many Masses as possible in different locations with different congregations. He just loved that," Fr. Rodriguez said. "The whole experience of ordination was still fresh in him," he said.
Joanne Jensen, assistant to the pastor at St. Philip the Apostle Church in Lewisville, said Fr. Fetzer helped with the Parish Lenten Mission one year and celebrated many Masses on the weekends at St. Philip.
"He was wonderful. He had this great sense of humor you don't see very often," she said.
Jensen said the parishioners were sad to hear about his death, and they were also sad when he moved to Atlanta because they appreciated how much he helped with the Masses at St Phillips.
Fr. Fetzer left Montserrat in 2011 to work at the Ignatius Retreat Center in Atlanta as a retreat director.
"He was able to make friends with about everyone he met. He wasn't shy at all," Fr. Rodriguez said.
Fr. Fetzer was preceded in death by his father, Emilio Fetzer. He is survived by his mother, Olga Balarin de Thorne, of Lima, Peru, and by his sisters, Maria Alicia Robertson of Redmond, Washington, and Maria Olga, Maria Inez, Erika and Regina Fetzer, all of Lima.
Letters of condolence may be sent to Ms. M. Alicia Fetzer Robertson, 6020 142nd Ct., NE, Redmond, WA, 98052. Donations may be made in his memory to the Jesuit Seminary Fund of "The Jesuits," 710 Baronne St., Ste. B., New Orleans, LA, 70113.
Father José Emilio Fetzer, SJ, 52, who was known in the Fort Worth Diocese for his gift of teaching spirituality at the Montserrat Retreat Center at Lake Dallas, died Dec. 22, 2012, at Ignatius Retreat Center in Atlanta.


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Yes, it's true: we are huge promoters of reading. Now that we are easing into summer, it's time to start making those weekly trips to the library. Or maybe you want to splurge and buy a bunch to have around the house instead. Either way, summer reading is a superb thing to get your kids involved in. Nothing beats it!
This list, from Kensington Patch, is aimed at kids 8 – 12. For more ideas that target kids of all ages go to ReadKiddoRead.com and check out best selling author James Patterson's picks for the summer.
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Two months of being grounded during summer vacation change Jack Gantos' life forever. Especially since it involves the mysterious chore of typing obituaries for his intriguing neighbor.
Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald
What happens when Charlie Joe Jackson, the most reluctant reader EVER has to actually read a book?
Big Nate in a Class by Himself (Big Nate series) by Lincoln Peirce
Things don't always go your way just because you're awesome.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
Dwight is a clueless boy with a prescient Yoda hand-puppet. His classmate Tommy is mystified.
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (Middle School series) by James Patterson
Middle school student Rafe Khatchadorian decides to break every rule in the school's code of conduct. But what happens when things don't go as planned?
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Wimpy Kid series) by Jeff Kinney
Read Greg Heffley's diary detailing trials and tribulations from middle school.
Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Bud, a motherless boy on the run, is armed with his suitcase of secret, important things, his book with instructions on having a fun life and being a better liar and clues to find his father. Nothing is going to come in Bud's way – not hunger, fear or vampires.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
This book weaves prose and illustrations beautifully to tell the story of Parisian orphan, clock keeper and petty thief Hugo.
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Orphan Jeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee decides to run away from his unhappy aunt and uncle. And then he decides just to run.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
A facial deformity prevented August Pullman from going to a regular school. He craves an ordinary life when he joins Beecher Prep. as a fifth grader. But he soon learns that you can't blend in when you were meant to stand out.
Eragon (Inheritance Cycle series) by Christopher Paolini
Can farm boy turned dragon rider Eragon and blue stone turned dragon Saphira join forces to save the world?
Gregor The Overlander (Underland Chronicles series) by Suzanne Collins
What happens when New Yorker Gregor falls through the grate in his apartments and enter the strange world of the Underland?
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter enters the world of magic and realizes his destiny.
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
This intricately plotted story has 16 people who could become millionaires if they can play the tricky and dangerous Westing game.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'engle
Meg Murray, her little brother Charles Wallace and their friend Calvin travel through space and time to find Meg and Charles' father.
Guinness: World Records 2012 by Guinness World Records
Read about extraordinary, interesting daredevils who want to push the limits and their record- breaking feats.
National Geographic Kids Almanac 2012 by National Geographic Kids
Learning about your world and everything in it was never so much fun!
Ripley's Believe It Or Not: Special Edition 2012 by Ripley's Inc.
Read about the bizarre, the hilarious and the incredible in this fun collection!
The ReadKiddoRead program features bestselling author James Patterson's picks for the summer. Find reviews of these books and more in the Pageturners section of ReadKiddoRead.com.


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Contest: Magnificent Prizes Box Office
There are a pair of wide releases coming out next week, The Magnificent Seven and Storks. Both films have a shot at $100 million domestically, but because Storks is a family film, The Magnificent Sevenshould get off to a faster start. Therefore, The Magnificent Seven is the better choice for the target film in this week's Box Office Prediction contest. In order to win, one must simply predict the opening weekend box office number for The Magnificent Seven.
Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going over, will win a copy of Twin Peaks: The Original Series, Fire Walk With Me & The Missing Pieces on Blu-ray. Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going under, will win a previously reviewed TV on DVD release. Finally, we will be choosing an entrant from the group of people who haven't won, or haven't won recently, and they will also win a previously reviewed TV on DVD release.
Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay!
To enter, send your prediction for the opening weekend gross, along with your name, address and phone number to email@example.com. The winner will be determined on September 26th, 2016 once we have the official opening weekend results.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. CONTEST IS OPEN ONLY TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES WHO ARE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. Your participation in Magnificent Prizes (the "Contest") constitutes your full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules. The Contest begins at 7:00:01 a.m. Pacific Standard Time ("PST"), September 16th, 2016 and ends at 9:59:59 a.m. PST, September 23rd, 2016. The Contest is sponsored by The Numbers.
Eligibility: The Contest is open only to natural persons who are legal residents of the 50 United States (including the District of Columbia) ("US") for the duration of the Contest Period. You must also be at least 18 years old in order to participate. Employees and agents of The Numbers, its affiliates, advertising, promotion, and fulfillment agencies, prize providers, and their immediate family members and persons living in their same household and employees, are not eligible to participate in the Contest. Void where prohibited. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply.
Privacy: The Numbers collects personal data from you when you enter this Contest. Please review The Numbers' privacy policy atwww.the-numbers.com/legal/privacy.html. The Numbers will place the name of winner on the publicly available website atwww.the-numbers.com. By submitting an entry, you grant The Numbers the right to place your name or designated pseudonym and your city and state of residence on this website in the event that you are a winner.
How to Enter:
Online: Send email to email@example.com.. containing your name, mailing address, phone number, and predictions for the opening weekend box office number of The Magnificent Seven.
Entries must be received by 9:59:59 a.m. PST, September 23rd, 2016. All entries become the exclusive property of The Numbers and will not be acknowledged or returned. Any submission of robotic, automatic, or programmed entries, or any entries submitted by agencies, other third parties, or through other unapproved methods are void. One entry per mailing address. If there are multiple entries for a mailing address, then only the first entry will be accepted. In the event of a dispute over the identity of the entrant, the entry will be deemed submitted by the holder of the e-mail account.
The Numbers is not responsible for any computer, online, telephone, or technical malfunctions that affect entry submission.
Description of Prize:
Prize for closest prediction without going over: Twin Peaks: The Original Series, Fire Walk With Me & The Missing Pieces on Blu-ray.
Approximate Retail Value (ARV) of prize: U.S. $50 to $72
Prize for closest prediction without going under: Frankenprize.
Approximate Retail Value (ARV) of prize: U.S. $20 to $30
Additional Prize: Frankenprize.
Approximate Retail Value (ARV) of prize: U.S. $20 to $30
No alternative prize, cash, or other substitution is permitted except by The Numbers, which reserves the right to award a prize of equal or greater value if the advertised prize is unavailable. Prize will be shipped two (2) to four (4) weeks from stipulated validation of winner.
Odds: Odds of winning the Prize depends on the number of eligible entries received and the accuracy of your prediction.
Selection of Winner: Potential winner will be determined by comparing the prediction submitted with the actual opening weekend gross for The Magnificent Seven, as announced by the studio on September 26th, 2014. The participant who submits the prediction closest to the actual opening weekend box office, without going over the actual opening weekend will be the potential winner of a copy of Twin Peaks: The Original Series, Fire Walk With Me & The Missing Pieces on Blu-ray. The participant who submits the prediction closest to the actual opening weekend box office, without going under the actual opening weekend will be the potential winner of a Frankenprize. One additional participant who submits a valid entry will be the potential winner of a Frankenprize. In the event of a tie, the participant whose ballot is received at the earliest date and time during the Contest Period shall be the potential winner of the relevant prize. The potential winner will be notified by e-mail or first class mail within fifteen (15) days of the announcement of the box office results. The potential winner will have ten (10) days from notification to accept the prize by e-mail or by U.S. mail by writing to the address specified in the notification.
Requirements of Winner: Potential winners of prizes may be required to sign and return a release of liability and declaration of eligibility within seven (7) days of acknowledged notification. By accepting and/or using a prize, the winner agrees to the use of his/her name or a designated pseudonym and state of residence on The Numbers website. If a selected potential winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim a prize, or fails to timely return the completed and executed declaration and releases as required, the prize may be forfeited and an alternate potential winner selected. In the event of a dispute regarding who submitted an online entry, the entry will be deemed submitted by the authorized account holder of the e-mail account. The Numbers reserves the right to request proof that the potential winner is the authorized account holder of the email account.
General Terms and Conditions: By entering, you agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of The Numbers, which shall be final. The Numbers reserves the right to disqualify any person or e-mail address that The Numbers determines to be in violation of any term contained in these Official Rules. The Numbers and the employees, agents and representatives of The Numbers, its affiliates, advertising, promotion, and fulfillment agencies, and legal advisors are not responsible for and shall not be liable for: (i) late, lost, delayed, damaged, misdirected, stolen, incomplete, illegible, unintelligible entries, notices, releases, forms, affidavits, or other correspondence; (ii) telephone, electronic, hardware or software program, network, Internet, or computer malfunctions, failures, interruptions or difficulties of any kind; (iii) failed, incomplete, garbled, or delayed computer transmissions; (iv) any condition caused by events beyond the control of The Numbers that may cause the Contest to be disrupted or corrupted; (v) any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising in connection with or as a result of the prize, or acceptance, possession, or use of the prize, or from participation in the Contest or arising from the participant's access to and use of the Internet site to the extent permitted by law; or (vi) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Contest. The Numbers reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend or cancel Contest at any time if a computer virus, bug, worms, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud or other technical problem corrupts the administration, security, or proper play of the Contest. In the event of such cancellation, The Numbers reserves the right to award prize in a random drawing from all entries received prior to the time of cancellation. This Contest is governed by the laws of the United States and the State of California.
Winners List and Official Rules: A winners list will be posted on The Numbers web site, www.the-numbers.com, at the conclusion of the Contest. To obtain the winner list (after conclusion of contest) or a copy of these Official Rules, you may print this page.


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Toshiba is issuing a warning for its glasses-free 3D
television about the potential harmful effects of 3D images on young children's
eyes as part of an electronics industry consortium's recommendations.
warning closely follows Nintendo's same warning, which
increased concerns regarding the possible negative effects of 3D images on
children's eyesight. Toshiba made mention of the warning in a press release for
its presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show, which runs
this week from January 6-9.
After releasing 12-inch and 20-inch versions of
the glasses-free 3D television in December, the Japanese company plans to
present 56-inch and 65-inch prototypes of its glasses-free 3D television at the
Consumer Electronics Show. In the press release for this demonstration, Toshiba
said, "due to the possibility of impact on vision development, viewers of 3D
video images should be aged 6 or older."
made the decision to place
the warning on its products due to an electronics industry group's
recommendations for 3D technology. Yuji Motomura, chief specialist in Toshiba's
TV marketing department, has not released the industry group's name, but said
the company has provided research about eyesight health in regards to 3D
technology. The recommendation is based on whether glasses are used or not for
the 3D experience.
the new warning, Motomura believes Toshiba will not see any negative
consequences regarding the sales of the glasses-free 3D
television. In fact, the company plans to launch a glasses-free 3D model that
is over 40 inches in the fiscal year to March 2012. Specifics on what date,
size or price have not been set yet, but Toshiba did note that it would offer a
screen capable of displaying 2D images at "a resolution four times the
quality of today's high-definition televisions."


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text:
The iPhone has been parading through news headlines ever
since its early January
unveil at MacWorld 2007. When the bulk of the tech press was roaming around
Las Vegas totally underwhelmed by the Consumer Electronics Show, Apple was
spilling the beans on a product that had been long
During its unveil, Apple went over the bulk of the iPhone's
features and reporters were quick to point out its deficiencies. A few minuses
that were harped upon with regards to the iPhone included its lack of a
physical keyboard and its sealed battery.
The lack of a physical keyboard has been overcome by many
iPhones users who have become accustomed to the on-screen alternative, but many
still harp on the lack of a user-replaceable battery.
Apple claims that the iPhone's battery is good for 400 charge/discharge cycles.
The design specifications for the iPhone note that the battery will retain 80
percent of its charge after 400 cycles have been exhausted.
For those that weren't satisfied with 400 charge cycles or
experience greatly diminished battery life, Apple announced its $85.95 battery
replacement program. Under the program, customers would pay $79 plus $6.95
shipping in the event of an iPhone battery failure. And considering that users
would be without an iPhone a week or more for repairs, Apple also announced
that it would rent an iPhone ($29) to those who couldn't be without a phone.
iPhone users now have a cheaper option with AppleCare
coverage. AppleCare extends
the iPhone's warranty from one year to two years and is available for $69.
One iPhone customer wasn't happy at all with the iPhone's
battery life or the two alternatives to replacing a defective battery and filed
a class-action lawsuit against Apple as a result. In the suit, Jose Trujillo
claims that:
to the Plaintiff, and undisclosed to the public, prior to purchase, the iPhone
is a sealed unit with its battery soldered on the inside of the device so that
it cannot be changed by the owner.
The suit goes on state:
battery enclosed in the iPhone can only be charged approximately 300 times
before it will be in need of replacement, necessitating a new battery annually
for owners of the iPhone.
To the first point; the fact that the battery was not
replaceable was disclosed to the public from the very beginning and is nothing
new. Secondly, the suit claims that the iPhone battery can only be charged for
300 times before it needs replacement. Apple clearly states that the iPhone's
battery will retain 80 percent capacity even after its design specifications of
400 cycles.
The full text of the complaint can be viewed at Gizmodo,
but it's doubtful that the suit will gain much traction in court.


text: Andrew Bynum was drafted as a project and not an immediate impact player, now he is one of the top centers in the league. In his first season he saw limited floor time with only 7.3 mpg. Last year we received Soloman Alabi from the mavs for cash, and he barely saw any floor time. Are the raptors organization trying to replicate what L.A did with Bynum and increase his minutes over the next few seasons and turn him in to a solid center? I would be happy if we get a serviceable backup out of him.


text:
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March 21, 2013
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text:
Mountain America Credit Union Recognized for Workplace
The $3.5 billion Mountain America Credit Union has been honored with the 2013 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility, the Utah credit announced last week.
The award is part of the national When Work Works project administered by Families and Work Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management.
When Work Works, an ongoing initiative of FWI and SHRM, is a national project to educate the business community on the value of workplace flexibility by sharing research and promising practices, and conducting the annual Sloan Awards, which recognize employers across the country for the use of flexibility and other effective practices as workplace strategies that increase business and employee success.
"This is a huge honor for us and speaks volumes about our workplace practices and employee participation," said Marshall Paepke, executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Mountain America.
"We work hard to provide flexible schedules for as many employees as possible, recognizing that it's not practical for every position," Paepke said. "But where flexibility can be offered, we do, believing that an engaged and happy workforce helps drive member satisfaction and loyalty."
Lynn Stephens, senior vice president of human resources at the 420,000-member credit union, also noted: "We've won work-life awards in the past, but this national recognition is a first for Mountain America. We're truly honored. And the fact that the award is based, in large part, on surveys submitted by employees, verifies that our employees feel that we value them and that we understand the importance of workplace flexibility throughout the organization."
Workplace flexibility—such as flextime, part-time work and compressed workweeks—has been demonstrated to help businesses remain competitive while also benefiting employees, the credit union said. Flexibility in combination with other aspects of an effective workplace—such as learning opportunities and supervisor support for job success—can have a powerful impact on employee engagement and motivation, the announcement said.
"Our research consistently finds that employees in effective and flexible workplaces have greater engagement on the job and greater desire to stay with their organization. In addition, they report lower stress levels and better overall health," said Ellen Galinsky, FWI president.
"As a recipient of the 2013 Sloan Award, Mountain America ranks among the top 20% of employers nationally in terms of its programs, policies and culture for creating an effective and flexible workplace," Galinsky said. "In addition, what makes this honor so special is that their employees have corroborated this, affirming that it is indeed an effective and flexible workplace."


text:
GESA Breaks Ground on Two New Branches
The $1.2 billion Gesa Credit Union in Richland, Wash., recently broke ground to build two new full-service branches, one in Pasco and the other in Richland.
The Pasco location will replace an existing branch located in a retail center.
Both branches will be constructed using Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards for energy savings, water efficiency, carbon monoxide emissions reductions and improved indoor environmental quality.
Both branches, expected to open in early 2014, will house on-site mortgage and commercial lending officers, certified financial consultants, touch-screen kiosks, drive-thru stations and ATMs.
"When we choose to build a new branch, we give careful consideration to location," said Don Miller, Gesa CU's interim president/CEO. " We have selected these locations in west Pasco and south Richland based on the feedback we have received directly from our members."
Currently, Gesa CU operates 12 branches and serves 113,079 members.


text:
I am happy about the trade, but I won't be satisfied unless we get a legitimate stretch 4 like josh smith, or (plan b) millsap.
10 million isn't a huge price tag in NBA these days if you haven't noticed. Though I would like to see how Derozan plays with Gay on the floor first. You cannot just totally flip over the chemistry, roster and culture in the team like that, in the middle of the season.
If the cap goes up by $5M as most people predict then DeMar's $9.5M salary is actually not going to be too difficult to trade. He still has a tonne of potential and SG's are in short supply in the league.
I don't think it would be too difficult to trade DeMar.
But Bryan is the GM. I actually don't think he wants to move DeMar - otherwise what was the point in giving him the extension so early?
Last edited by CalgaryRapsFan; Thu Jan 31st, 2013 at 10:42 AM.
2) http://www.hoopsworld.com/2013-nba-free-agents/ make the gamble that we can sign one of the many free agent power forwards this summer.
I like the idea of having Millsap's Bird Rights so they could resign him without cap implications. The only way I do that is if we unload at least $10M in outgoing salary though - that means either Bargnani or DeRozan or a combination of Fields/Kleiza (or all four)
Anyone think Derozan and his ugly contract is tradeable? BC has surprised us in the past, and I could see a few teams wanting him
I think DeRozan is tradable. Worse has been moved before.
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text:
A risk factor is something that increases your likelihood of getting a disease or condition.
It is possible to develop bipolar disorder with or without the risk factors listed below. However, the more risk factors you have, the greater your likelihood of developing bipolar disorder. If you have a number of risk factors, ask your doctor what you can do to reduce your risk.
Bipolar disorder can run in families. There is a high likelihood that there is a genetic component to this disorder. Eighty to ninety percent of individuals with bipolar disorder have a relative with either depression or bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is not caused by one specific gene. It is caused by many genes that act together.
Being diagnosed with other psychiatric disorders, such as depression, can increase your risk of bipolar disorder.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: Rimas Lukas, MD
- Review Date: 09/2016 -
- Update Date: 09/17/2014 -


text:
Bargnani should be traded for 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th round picks.
Bargnani should be traded for 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th round picks.
or 7th, 8th, 9th ... 15th. 16th....
Twitter: @ReubenJRD NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.
Trade him for the Milwaukee ballboy
Casey needs to design our offense around Bargnani (like Dirk in Dallas). Then everything will fall into place....
If we actually going to unload him before he's expiring, we'll need to find a team in a certain amount of chaos that doesn't have a great decision making process.
To the Kings for Chuck Hayes and Jimmer?
The shitty thing is that "design the O around Bargs" was a legit strategy going into the season (or so we thought). Most of us had him listed as our best offensive player. Casey tried this over and over until Bargnani turned into public enemy #1, and even then still forced the offense thru him. So here we are, less than 1 year later, getting trolled by the idea tha Bargnani could be our first option. #facepalm.
I think we just got so focused on getting Bargs stronger, getting a post up game, getting him more responsible on D, etc, etc, etc, and the team forgot to hone and nuture his true asset - outside shooting. So much focus was put on the other aspects of his game, the part the was taken for granted atrophied. Now he's a shell of his former self and will never achieve his potential. It's both a personal and organizational failure.
Will he ever get his shot going?
Bargnani is lazy ass player, who just was gifted with talent. You can see "LAZY" in his physiognomy. I saw it when I became Raps fan on day 1, but remained silent as majority was still pro-Bargnani, now I can say it without hesitation. As he gets older, he gets lazier, there's no way he will be better than his legendary 13 game mirage.
If the team would have said "Andrea, your job is to put up 1000 shots a day, here is your personal shooting coach" on day 1, we'd probably have a more useful player on our hands now. What do you think?
Dude looked spent as a baller last year. Same old issues about defensive positioning, no nose for the ball, etc, plus the added bonus of being a terrible, terrible shooter. At $11 & $12 mil for the upcoming 2 seasons, his value is at an all time low and he's one of the worst contracts in the game. What are the options for shipping him out?
1) Amnesty.
Widely reported we're using this on Linus. Barg's $23 mil remaining certainly outweighs Linus' $4.6. Pulling the trigger on Andrea would give us more cap room, but also increase the money we're spending on literally no contrabutions. THis option seems more likely if BC is gone because Andrea is his baby to a certain degree.
2) Sit Tight.
We could try to revive him as an off-the-bench scorer, if only his shot would start falling. Maybe we could get a decent 6th man season out of him and deal him as an expiring next year (like Jose this past season).
3) Trade.
As one of the league's worst deals, we're not getting much (if anything) back. BC basically begged for offers this February and got ziltch. There is zero chance we get a first rounder for him. REPEAT: ZERO. We're only going to get a deal done if we take an even more horrific contract back (examples: Gerald Wallace, Amare), we trade a blue-chipper along with Andrea (JV), or we catch a team desperate team in a unique situation and hope they make a dumb move. I don't want Wallace or Amare. I want to keep JV. So who might make a silly trade with us? I suggested that we look at the Kings can ask for Chuck Hayes and Jimmer back. People here thought i was trolling and I'm not sure why. Are we really getting more than that back for our deadweight? Eric Gordon is begging to get out of New Orleans. David Lee is looking like a piece that no longer fits in GState. But those 2 guys are WAAAAY more valuable to AB at this stage.
Do you guys think any of these trades are realistic and intriguing? (Again, I HIGHLY doubt we're getting a pick back for him, so let's avoid tossing any into our hypothetical deals)
Would you rather amnesty him?
Do you want to roll into next year with him?
Anything but sit tight.
Somebody should add a poll to this thread.
Bargnanni has value (even if little) can be traded for something the Raps can use its on BC not to over value him though. Amnesty is for none other than Klieza and sitting tight is not an option Bargnani's value is what it is It cant get any lower and him playing a couple of games into the next season wont make it any better.
1) I think our first priority with the amnesty clause is Kleiza. If that isn't possible, then I'd be more than willing to use it on Bargs. The guy is almost impossible to trade. The only reason any other team would take him at this point would be to help him revive his game. I'd look at another bottom-feeder team as a franchise looking to make use of him.
2) Fairly obvious anyways, but this is the worst thing that could happen. Even if a miracle does indeed occur, and he finds his game to some degree, I think it's been made clear he holds NO PART in this team's future. So why give him minutes that could be used to develop other players, specifically Ross. It's a lose-lose situation for us. Whether he plays or he sits on the bench, he's a detriment.
3) Although we won't get much back, this is definitely the best situation. As for your trades, they're OK.
- Switching David Lee for Amir is a huge improvement offensively, but we regress exponentially on the defensive end. I also feel like Lee and JV would clash a lot, since their games are fairly similar. I could see the pair working if JV continues to develop his mid-range game; Lee is much more of a back-to-the-basket player and his shooting form is awful, so I don't foresee any improvement in that area.
- We're definitely better off with DeRozan than with Eric Gordon, and throwing Bargs in there just makes the trade look worse. We all know at the beginning of the season, Gordon didn't want New Orleans to match the Clippers' offer, and now that he's there he wants out. Who's to say he doesn't do that in a city such as Toronto? Not to mention all of the injury problems...
- Amar'e also has a history of injury problems, but if he can return to form, I can see this trade working. Then again, if Fields ever returns to rookie form, I can see this trade not working. Lots of "what-if's" associated with this one.
- Chuck Hayes is kind of useless even as a 3rd/4th big on this team, especially since Acy's actually showing some sort of potential. As for Jimmer, he can play both guard positions, but as a young guy he'll be fighting for the same minutes T. Ross will be.
- Gerald Wallace would be kind of useless on this team, with Rudy, AA and Fields all playing the 3. Don't know why Brooklyn would do this trade either, unless their looking for someone like MarShon Brooks to step up and start, which isn't likely.
Overall, I do believe trade would be the best decision we could make with him, or if worst comes to worst, straight up amnesty. It's just finding the right trade that matters.
Twitter - @thekid_it
-It's not worth getting Lee if we lose Amir. The gap between them isn't big enough to give up Amir in such a deal, as if Lee puts the team over the hump. Our D would get worse, and we'd still be lacking a good 3rd big.
-It's not worth getting Gordon...at all, soft-ass prima donna jump shooting non-defending useless sack of crap money eating bastard. Even with all DeMar's lacking areas, I'd take him over Gordon every time. Everything about that guy's attitude since he's been in the league has rubbed me the wrong way and I think he's the type of player a team that plans to be bad (or not very good) keeps around.
-Stoudemire is NYK's Bargnani, but gets paid twice as much. Landry Fields might be more useful than either one even with a broken shot. NY wins this deal of losers.
-I think the Wallace trade makes some sense from BKL's perspective, but Wallace isnot a PF, and Gay is our starting SF. It is not a good deal for Toronto.
-So back to the Sacto deal. They could use a scoring threat like Bargs (in theory, obviously), especially in the frontcourt to offset their guard heavy rotation. Offensively, he fits well as a spacer next to Cousins and Evans, is a btter threat than Jimmer, and unlike Jimmer, won't have to fight guards for minutes. Hayes is basically just an extra body. Wouldn't expect too much from him. Jimmer could slide into a normal backup PG role. I don't think it's a great deal, but it is realistic. Neither team saves money and both try to address some roster concerns (though neither ideally).
Bottom line....keep hoping that there are a lot more realistic scenarios that we can't think of. I wouldn't amnesty him under any circumstance. I don't necessarily believe there's a good trade to be had, but at worst, I think you can trade him for other crappy contracts. For instance, I disagree with what you say about no team being willing to give up a pick for him. A team that doesn't expect to suck may try to shed a bad contract for Bargs, and be willing to trade a pick that they don't think will help them. A young team like GSW for example. Biedrins/Jefferson + a lottery protected 1st rder for Bargnani....If Landry declines his option and leaves, I can see them considering that. Toronto would get a pick and shed a year of salary commitment. GSW gets a bench scorer, and some size/insurance at the bigs.
I really want Scola, and would be willing to take Beasley, but the presence of Frye and both Morris twins makes that so hard to see happening, though it also makes them unpredictable. PHX will suck next year and clearly is stocking assets to trade, the questions being when and for what? I wish Bargs played a weaker position...instead he plays maybe the strongest position in the league. Still, I see PHX as a situation to keep an eye one.
Basically, I think they'd have a chance at getting a pick from a team that doesn't expect to have a high pick and has their own dead weight to shed...but this is also contingent on them having some expectation that Bargnani will even be the Bargnani of any other season but this last one. And as for players, I think they'll likely only get a useful player from a bad team looking to shake things up but not concerned about it being a total failure.
And oh yeah, in the absolute worst case a trade of any kind cna't be found...keep him. See if he does anything to help his value as the 3rd big off the bench. If he doesn't, he's shown that while he may have a negative impact on the court, at worst, he's a neutral impact when he's not playing. I don't think Bargs is a team "cancer" or anything. Just an underachiever who's been doing it too long in Toronto for him to still be around.
Last edited by white men can't jump; Thu May 9th, 2013 at 05:03 PM.
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About this Publication TitleConfederate Amnesty Papers
These case files are organized by state, then by petitioner's last name. The majority is predictably from the south, although a few northern states are represented. Applications for pardon were submitted to President Andrew Johnson by former Confederates excluded from the provisions of his amnesty proclamation of May 29, 1865, together with affidavits, oaths of allegiance, recommendations for executive clemency, and other accompanying papers. Most case files are 3-6 handwritten pages, some are longer.
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Happy Holidays: CUNA Mutual Survey Finds CU Members Feeling More Generous
A new survey found that 64% of credit union members intend to donate to charities and organizations at the same level they did in 2011, while 13% of credit union members plan to increase their charitable giving and 11 percent said they would give less.
The survey of 750 credit union members was conducted by TruStage, the consumer brand of CUNA Mutual Group in Madison, Wis.
Because charitable contributions are at or above last year's levels, it could be another sign the economy is stabilizing, said Susan Sachatello, senior vice president of TruStage.
Nonetheless, the survey primarily explored the holiday celebrations and traditions that matter most to credit union members.
While the survey found that 97% of credit union members consider Christmas as the main holiday to be with family members, 93% said Thanksgiving is the most important family holiday.
According to the survey, 50% of credit union members celebrate Thanksgiving with members of three different generations. Additionally, 45% said New Year's Eve/Day is the most important family holiday and 7% said Hanukkah.
"Part of our new consumer focus is to surface the stories and emotional mindset of how credit union members are thinking and feeling. Every time we talk with members they tell us that the generations before them made decisions that allowed them to be where they are today," said Sachatello.
"Since this holiday season is an important time of the year to get multiple generations together, we wanted to understand what traditions and celebrations matter most and are passed from generation to generation. This survey shows just how important it is for members to connect with multiple generations of their families," Sachatello said.
Among the most important holiday traditions: sharing a holiday meal (93%), getting the generations together (91%), telling stories together (69%), decorating the home together (54%) and going shopping together (24%).
"The election is over, the holidays are coming and this survey indicates credit union members are looking forward to the holidays as a respite from the noise and stress the rest of the year brings and returning to focus on what really matters most to them," Sachatello said.


text:
If you want to propose a link to be included in the next tidbit post, simply post it in a comment under this one.
Here's another roundup of minor Fallout-related tidbits. If you have more, please post them here in the comments.
No Mutants Allowed has a collection of early New Vegas impressions from its staff (including The Vault admin Tagaziel). Here's some quotes:
Unlike Fallout 3, the returning factions are provided with logical, comprehensive explanations as to why they are in the Mojave and what they've been doing for the past forty years. For example, the Brotherhood has lost a bloody war over technology with the NCR, and is now dying a slow death, while the Republic grows stronger above. Other returning factions include the Followers of the Apocalypse and Crimson Caravans and, admirably, none feel arbitrarily added to the game for the sake of fan service. When compared to returning factions, new ones don't feel out of place or insignificant. Even the biggest and most controversial one - the Caesar's Legion - fits right in, thanks to the fact that its leader explains in detail why he chose to emulate ancient Rome and what his motivations are. This is true for others as well. From the Van Graffs to Powder Gangers, new factions are provided with adequate context for their presence in the Mojave and a backstory explaining how they came to be.
There is something very odd about the way Fallout: New Vegas' world is designed. Odd, but easy to explain. Unlike its Oblivion engine predecessors, New Vegas doesn't really try to get away with presenting "large" settlements in disproportionally tiny maps. This is good in that it provides a much more convincing game world, but it is bad in that this is the wrong engine to do it in. With its limitations, noticeably on how many NPCs can be present on the map, New Vegas ends up giving us large but eerily empty towns and areas. It makes some sense for a post-apocalyptic game to do so, but as mentioned, this is more of a post-post-apocalyptic game. Furthermore, it is a deterrent to gameplay.
As a Fallout fan, you'll mostly notice New Vegas combines a less nonsensical take on Fallout lore with a kind of light-hearted post-post-apocalypse similar to Fallout 2. The writing is miles beyond Fallout 3 and that's a saving grace for many fans, as is its increased dedication to RPG mechanics. I feel the mechanics and engine's shortcomings keep it from being "the Fallout 3 that was supposed to be", but it's certainly a lot better than Fallout 3, and quite probably the best thing that could happen to the franchise after Bethesda purchased it.
IGN lists 8 things in New Vegas that would supposedly make Black Isle proud:
Fallout 3 had nothing to rival Fallout 2's New Reno, but the New Vegas Strip is perhaps the most effective encapsulation of the Fallout aesthetic and ethos to be found in any of the games. The Lucky 38's Presidential Suite, made of faded leather and velvet and full of battered closets stocked with dirty pre-war apparel, is the physical embodiment of Fallout's decaying American dream. The strip itself, meanwhile, it a glitzy hellhole, full of desperate individuals with so little to live for that this strangled, neon-cast shadow of a once-great city is worth killing over. Shame you can't take a job as a fluffer, Reno-style. That's still probably the most degrading thing in videogames.
Drinking out of toilet bowlsPretty much everything about Hardcore mode recalls Black Isle's Fallout games: the way your companions die, leaving you all alone out there in the wastes; the way a crippled limb or radiation poisoning can lead to a slow and inevitable death; the way everything in the entire wasteland, from the wildlife to the water, is trying to murder you. But there's nothing that depresses us quite so much as lapping irradiated liquid from a toilet bowl to stave off death by dehydration.