text:
Improving the Nation's Oral Health
National Institutes of Health
English and Spanish brochures available free of charge. Limit of 50 copies online.
Need more than 50 copies? Call 1-866-232-4528 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.
Study Takes First Comprehensive Look at Methylation Patterns in Salivary Gland Tumors
More Science News
Practical Oral Care for People With Developmental Disabilities – This booklet presents an overview of physical, mental, and behavioral challenges common in patients with developmental disabilities and offers strategies for providing oral care.
Scientists report in this month's Nature Genetics they have discovered the gene that causes Van der Woude syndrome, the most common of the syndromic forms of cleft lip and palate. The term "syndromic" means babies are born with cleft lip and palate, in addition to other birth defects.
According to the scientists, the discovery could very possibly direct them to genes involved in "non-syndromic" cleft lip and palate, one of the most common birth defects in the world. Among Caucasians, non-syndromic cleft lip and palate occurs in an estimated 1 in every 1,000 live births, and the frequency seems to be even higher in some Asian countries, such as China and The Philippines.
"Since there is so much clinical overlap between the two, we expect that similar genes and maybe even the same genes will be involved in the non-syndromic form," said Jeff Murray, M.D., a scientist at the University of Iowa and an author on the paper.
Murray noted that the gene, called IRF6, seems to play a key role in the normal formation of the lips, palate, skin, and genitalia. He said further study of the gene should provide precise molecular clues into normal human development and suggest specific biological strategies to prevent birth defects, such as cleft lip and palate.
First described in the 1860s, Van der Woude syndrome (VWS) is involved in about 2 percent of all cases of cleft lip and palate, occurring in approximately 1 of every 33,000 live births. Children with the syndrome are born with any of four characteristic birth defects: Pits, or small indentations, in the lower lip, cleft lip, cleft palate, and undeveloped tooth buds.
What has puzzled scientists is those with the syndrome inherit different combinations of birth defects, not necessarily all of them. For instance, half of the children born with VWS have cleft lip, 70 percent have pits in their lower lip, 20 percent have cleft palate, and only about 10 percent do not have a full set of teeth. More puzzling, siblings are often born with different combinations of birth defects, though they inherit the same gene change.
Because the cleft lip and palate seen in people with VWS closely resembles the non-syndromic condition, scientists long have been intrigued with identifying its gene. The hope was the gene not only would permit genetic testing of affected families, the gene might point them to the complex cascade of molecular signals during early gestation that prompt the formation of the lips and palate, critical information in developing viable strategies to prevent clefts.
In the mid 1980s, as scientists became more adept at identifying so-called "disease" genes, laboratories launched their initial attempts to find the one involved in VWS. Based on data from a case report of an individual with VWS that was caused by a chromosomal abnormality on chromosome 1, Murray's group confirmed that other individuals affected with VWS shared an irregularity in the same region of chromosome one, the first step in finding the gene.
But, in trying to pinpoint the precise location of the irregularity, the scientists eventually ran into technical difficulties. Part of the problem was making sense of the region's unusual terrain, which in some people includes a fairly large, but benign, deletion and long stretches of difficult-to-track repeat sequences of DNA.
Another problem was simply wading through all of the genomic information that had become available to them during the late 1990s. According to Brian Schutte, Ph.D., a lead author on the paper and a scientist at the University of Iowa, one of the first genes the group evaluated was IRF6, the subject of this month's paper. However, based on a preliminary analysis, they initially excluded it as the disease gene.
"We tested DNA samples from a subset of people with the syndrome, and we didn't find any mutations in IRF6," said Schutte. "About this time, the full DNA sequence map of the region became available to us. We suddenly had a long list of other genes to evaluate and decided to move on from IRF6."
Added Murray, "At the time, we understood that we were excluding candidate genes that could still potentially be the disease gene. But you always have to choose the best place to focus your efforts, and our data at the time indicated that it was better to move on to other candidate genes."
A break came last year while a visiting graduate student in Murray's laboratory spoke on the telephone to a colleague in her native Brazil. "Her colleague happened to mention that he had just seen so-called 'monozygotic twins,' in which one had van der Woude and the other didn't," remembered Murray. "She told of us about it, and we got quite excited actually."
Murray hypothesized that the twins were genetically identical with one exception: The affected twin would have a change in the VWS gene. Shinji Kondo, a post-doctoral fellow in Murray's lab, then sequenced the relevant portions of DNA from the twins and, soon thereafter, they discovered a syndrome-causing deletion in IRF6.
"I certainly knew it was possible in theory," said Murray. "But, to be honest, if I knew as much then about twins as I do now, I might have been less excited. "
Murray explained that the theory hinged on the possibility the mutation occurred soon after the twins divided into separate embryos, meaning all cells in the body of the affected twin would carry the mutation. If it had occurred later in the developmental process, after various distinct cell lineages have emerged, only some of the affected twin's cells would have carried the mutation. "If that were the case, we might have missed it," said Murray.
"Monozygotic twins are actually quite common in other complex conditions, including diabetes and heart disease," added Murray. "I think our work offers proof of principle that monozygotic twins are a powerful model to search for genes involved in complex conditions, one that may have been overlooked in the past."
To confirm the discovery, Schutte and colleagues sequenced and found mutations in IRF6 among 46 unrelated families with the syndrome. Interestingly, the group also detected changes in 13 additional families with a related condition called popliteal pterygium syndrome, or PPS. This rare disorder involves the same birth defects as VWS, plus underdeveloped genitalia and webbed skin on the back of the legs. Further confirmation was obtained by Mike Dixon's lab at the University of Manchester in England. Dixon's lab showed that IRF6 is made in all the tissues affected by both VWS and PPS during the critical times in development.
Schutte said the gene's involvement in causing both conditions is not necessarily surprising. Researchers have noted previously that some so-called PPS families include members who only have orofacial abnormalities reminiscent of VWS, not those in other parts of the body. "I think that as we learn more about the biochemistry of IRF6, we'll be able to make better predictions about how these syndromes will manifest themselves," said Schutte. "At the same time, there are also probably many other genetic and environmental factors involved, too."
One intriguing possibility raised by this month's paper is cleft lip and palate conceivably could be associated with some type of viral infection during pregnancy. Though poorly studied, IRF6 is similar to other genes that help to trigger the production of interferons, immune signaling proteins involved in responding to viral infections.
Stressing that the viral connection is still extremely speculative, Murray noted, "This would be a wonderful outcome of this paper because, in 2002 at least, attacking viruses is much easier than manipulating genes. "
Already, the group has determined that IRF6 is highly expressed in the tooth buds, hair follicles, genitalia, skin, and palate of the developing human embryo. By further studying the gene and its protein, Schutte said it should be possible to tap into the molecular signals that it helps to relay during human development. "We know that IRF6 is a transcription factor, meaning it binds to certain genes and allows their information to be copied, the first step in producing a protein," he said. "We can now ask which genes it activates and when? All of these genes might be involved in causing cleft lip and palate. Or they could contribute to other birth defects. The point is we stand to learn a great deal from this gene discovery."
The article, which is published in the October 2002 issue of Nature Genetics, is titled, "Mutations in IRF6 cause Van der Woude and popliteal pterygium syndromes." Its authors are: Shinji Kondo, Brian C. Schutte, Rebecca J. Richardson, Bryan C. Bjork, Alexandra S. Knight, Yoriko Watanabe, Emma Howard, Renata L. L. Ferreira de Lima, Sandra Daack-Hirsch, Achim Sander, Donna M. McDonald-McGinn, Elaine H. Zackai, Ed Lammer, Art Aylsworth, Holly Ardinger, Andrew C. Lidral, Barbara Pober, Lina Moreno, Mauricio Arcos-Burgos, Consuelo Valencia, Claude Houdayer, Michel Bahuau, Danilo Moretti-Ferreira, Antonio Richieri-Costa, Michael J. Dixon, Jeffrey C. Murray. The research was supported by the NIDCR.
FacebookExternal link – please review our disclaimer
TwitterExternal link – please review our disclaimer
GooglePlusExternal link – please review our disclaimer
LinkedInExternal link – please review our disclaimer
This graphic notice () means that you are leaving the NIH website.
This external link provides additional information that is consistent with the intended purpose of this site.
NIH cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal site.
Linking to a non-federal site does not constitute an endorsement by NIH or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the site.
You will be subject to the destination site's privacy policy when you follow the link.
NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health


text:
* Prices may differ from that shown
I have bought two of these models for two rooms and can say that I am well happy with my purchase. This radio looks stylish and compact. The buttons have a satisfying click to them and don't look cheap. Most of these DAB radios light the room up at night but this one has a subtle light that does not disturb my sleep. It comes with DAB and FM frequencies but I just stick to DAB as it is a lot clearer to hear. You can store upto 8 preset channels and you can set sleep time from 15 to 90 minutes in 15 minute chunks. Another good thing about these DAB radios is they automatically set the correct time when you plug them in so you never have to set the time again. You can adjust the sound level to your requirements with the lowest volume being almost inaudible unlike some other radios. The only disadvantage I can thin of is I have to press 5 times to get a 90 minute sleep time. It would help if I only had to press one button.
This clock radio is a lovely compact size and is the cheap version of the quality wood encased clock radios. I am not a big fan of plastic, but this is for a spare room, where I have to retreat due to unfortunate noise issues. I wanted something that wasn't particularly posh but not ugly. Despite being made of black plastic it does look quite sleek and smart rather than cheap. In addition to black there is also a white option available.
The product dimensions are 17 x 14.5 x 6.2 cm, weighing in at 454 g.
The radio has both DAB and FM, and a headphone socket, positioned at the back, and is great for not disturbing any bed sharers! This has sixteen station presets eight of which are for digital channels. It even has a USB port for PC users, a helpful function as there are updates for this machine that are available.
I believe mine was purchased in late 2011 and is still in good condition. When unpacking, remember to remove the clear plastic film, which covers the digital face so that it does not cloud your vision of the digital display. I was a bit slow to realise this!
The alarm has three alarm modes for weekdays, weekends, and there is also a snooze setting. You can also choose to wake up in three different ways, to an Fm or a DAB radio station, or a provided tone. These various options are useful but they come with a downside and that means time has to be taken to carefully work through the settings before the alarm is set up successfully, the first time, and again for future changes to the timings. It can be done but this is not for people who want to just touch a button and be done forever. It is certainly not good to be set last thing before you fall asleep. To avoid setting the alarm with a sleepy head you really need to plan alarm setting in advance to be sure to work through the menu in a correct manner.
The other big issue is that I am woken up with the radio station that I last listened to. I can't pre-condition the radio to come on to a preferred station to wake up with and this may well be a different personal preference to the one that I fell asleep listening too.
If you interrupt the daily alarm programme you will need to go through the slightly annoying process of working through all the settings again. The clock will, helpfully, remember your previous settings after a power cut or if you unplug the device.
The clock display, which not only includes 24 hour or twelve hour time, but also text (Intellitext) about the selected station, and alarm icons, is automatically made to adjust to light conditions. This does not work very well. It ought to be designed so that the user can manually adjust the display according to their need. An inclusion of this feature would have given the clock radio an extra star from me.
The display is so poor in darkness that I considered having an eye test. I also consumed copious amounts of carrots but to no avail so I can confirm that eating carrots does not help us see in the dark. It is pure myth. Writing about purity brings me back to the purity of the digital screen as whilst clear, but small, in daylight, is a real pain at night. The back-lit LCD can be dimmed on two different levels but not brightened to the point of being able to actually read the time in the dark! The only possible advantage for a lack of definition in the visual area is that it won't disturb your sleep.
When the radio or alarm kicks in as a wake-up call the time just disappears. Don't think you can wake up peacefully with a few minutes extra of radio listening because with the time gone from the screen you'll have to lean over and turn the radio off just to check out the time. This is a highly stressful way of time keeping but it does make me jump out of bed and move on with the day. It took me a lot of experimenting before I finally discovered, this very morning, that pressing the snooze button will display the clock, but it's not overly convenient. Either this is a canny trick to get us out of bed or this is a serious design fault. On buying a clock radio I never realised that I could only have one aspect working at a time rather than the two parts working simultaneously. If an alarm clock display is too bright at night I would rather throw a magazine or cloth over it than not be able to have full functionality of the clock.
As the digital time display is quite small I would not advise purchase for those that have poor eyesight. If you want a clock with a radio that works at the same time, without having to touch the snooze button, this isn't the clock radio for you.
Please note the buttons are positioned on the top of the radio just in front of the speakers which does make the controls easy to access.
Firstly, reception is excellent. I have tried it in different rooms and it always picks up almost all the radio stations that I searched for. I don't even need to put up the aerial, thankfully, as this makes the slim design look at little less slender. Check if your area has good coverage before buying a DAB radio though this does claim to have the ability to pick up radio stations in remote areas.
This is a very small clock radio so I was dubious about what the sound quality would be like. There is a wealth of choice of stations due to it being both DAB and FM and the sound is very good considering there is only a three inch speaker that lies across the top of the product. So always bearing in mind the smallness of this clock radio you will be impressed with the almost crystal clear sound. The sound is not perfect but in this price bracket of sixty pounds, which I admit is not the cheapest, it is just about value for money when recalling that it is a DAB and FM radio.
Please note, regarding sound, if you fall asleep with a headphone plugged in, the alarm will only sound through the headphones. That could mess up your day which is why I'm warning you to be aware of this.
Once all settings are in place, I can confirm that the alarm clock is reliable to the second, is clear to hear and will wake up all sleepy heads in the vicinity!
Environmental credentials:
The top factor for me about this product is the environmental credentials. All packaging is from recycled materials and every stage from design to finished product takes environmental concerns into consideration. It only uses one watt when in standby and it can be unplugged and plugged back in with the setting still saved. I like that this clock radio is energy saving.
Concluding thoughts:
The environmental consideration, and the quality of the sound, would have earned Pure Siesta DAB/FM Clock Radio five stars but the visual display and inability to run the alarm clock display in conjunction with the radio takes the rating down to four stars.
I have had this clock radio for a few months now after wanting to find something that would work effectively but not be too big for my bedside table. I chose the Pure brand as it had a good reputation and I bought the white version which looks quite classy and which I prefer to the black. It retails at about £37
On first taking the clock radio out of the box I was impressed with the design, which is quite sleek with silver buttons and an interesting triangle shape. The clock radio was easy to set up - the time sets automatically and the DAB radio stations were easily found after a search. You can store up to 10 different presets which is useful
The radio has both DAB and FM but I only use DAB. The reception is mostly good but there is a small wire antennae underneath the unit that needs to be extended to help with this which can be a bit annoying as it looks messy and gets in the way of other things (it is easy to put a glass down on it without noticing and then everything tips over!)
The sound quality of the unit is reasonable but a bit tinny. This is to be expected with a clock radio that is so small and cheap and does not worry me as I mostly just use the radio to wake myself up in the morning when I am too tired to really worry about having crystal clear sound (I normally just wanting to go back to sleep again)
The alarm has all of the features that you would expect including a snooze feature. There are two separate alarms, which is useful as you can set one for the week and another for the weekend. However turning the alarms on and off can be a bit fiddly as have to turn the whole unit on including the radio. To turn the alarm off only takes a couple of clicks but to turn it back on have to go through all the settings again (although it does automatically come up with your choices from before)
The display is clear and easy to read. It has automatic auto dimming at 2 different levels, which is fun when the lights go out. It is not too bright at night so does not keep you awake. However the worse element of the clock radio is that when the radio is on (either when the alarm has come on or the radio is turned on by itself) the time disappears. This is very annoying, especially in the morning when getting ready for work, and I often have to turn the radio off just to check the time. It seems like this clock radio can either be a clock or a radio but not both at the same time!
This review might also be posted on Ciao under my username Star20000
Before I got the Siesta Pure, I had only had a fairly basic radio alarm clock with FM radio and one alarm setting. In comparison, this radio alarm clock is fantastic. Because there are three settings, (and I am a fan of sleeping late at the weekend) I really appreciate having three different alarm clock settings without having to worry about remembering to turn my alarm off on the Friday and switching it back on the Sunday. Ever have that sinking feeling on a Sunday because pushing the alarm on button reminded you the weekend was nearly over? Don't have it anymore!
I'm not a fan of most non-digital radio stations, and they're not what I'd choose to wake up to. So having the choice of the massive range of digital radio stations is great. Even if you don't go for this one, I would highly recommend getting a digital radio alarm clock for this reason, there is a definite improvement to starting your day to a song you like rather than something that annoys you.
There are three other features I really like. It goes into a lower power mode after it goes off so the clock light is dimmed (but still readable in the dark) and doesn't glare. You can set the volume level for the alarm to go off at, rather than it using the last volume setting you played your radio on - great if either you want to listen to something quietly while you go to sleep, but don't want to sleep through your alarm, or if you've been listening to the radio with the volume off and you forget to turn it down to a less frightening alarm volume! And finally, if you turn it off at the socket when on holiday or there is a power cut, the clock automatically goes back to the right time (and picks up BST changes automatically over night) and with your alarm settings where they were.
Only one small downside - I recently moved from a second floor to a ground floor flat. Both my digital radios (I have one in the kitchen as well) pick up a few less stations now, but the alarm clock which has a cable style aerial (rather than an old style metal extending one like the one in my kitchen) doesn't pick up every station that the other does. Having said that, I didn't have any problems when I lived higher up.
Ever since I can remember I have had a radio alarm clock. The idea of waking up in the morning to something other than an incessant beeping noise was perhaps the main appeal. A couple of years ago though my old analogue radio alarm clock gave up and stopped working and so a replacement was required. After researching and looking at a number of different types and styles I opted for the Pure Siesta DAB clock radio and since then haven't looked back, even acquiring a second one for my wife's side of the bed.
So What Does It Do?
Well it works in a similar way to a standard radio alarm clock, only with a host of very clever extra features. First and foremost it works as both an FM/Am radio and a Digital radio meaning that you can obtain a much larger selection of radio stations and perhaps more importantly have a much clearer reception. When you set the radio up it automatically scans the airwaves for the available Digital radio stations and makes them available on your bedside unit. This can be refreshed at anytime by the simple press of a button making it very easy to use.
The Siesta can also be used as a standard radio, a digital radio in addition to being used as a radio alarm and if you so desired a regular alarm clock as well. The range of uses for such a small device do make it the ideal item to have on your beside table. It looks quite sleek and modern and perhaps more importantly it is very streamlined, taking up very little space. At only 17cm wide, 14.5cm long and only a very impressive 6.5cm high, which is quite compact considering the options and features the device boasts. It is perhaps even more impressive when you consider the speaker takes up approximately 10cm of unit and to create a device that can produce such crystal clear sound from such a small unit is incredibly impressive.
Setting It Up
This is perhaps one of the easiest electrical devices I have ever had the pleasure of setting up. Having removed it from the box and plugging it in, I had very little else to do. Firstly it automatically searched for the DAB channels and also set the time on the clocks display panel. The clock itself updates relating to daylight savings time and saves any real need to get too involved in the set up of the system. Once the list of channels has been updated you simply choose which station you want to listen to and its up and running with the minimum hassle.
One of the most impressive features the Pure Siesta has is being able to re program the time display on the clock when there is a power cut or if it's unplugged. This saves the aggravation of resetting the time and more importantly it also remembers the programmed alarms, which saves a lot of time in reprogramming them,
The main reason we bought it was for the alarm feature and this is perhaps where the Pure Siesta really stands out from the crowd. You can set 3 separate alarms on the system and have a choice of Daily, weekdays only, weekends only, Saturday, Sunday or only once. This is very useful as my wife and I both have different working patterns and it means we can set 3 alarms to cover our usual weeks and not have to worry about changing or setting an alarm every night like we had to with our old radio alarm clock.
One of the very few downsides we have found to the Siesta in both the older version I have on my side of the bed and the newer version on my wife's side is the inability to set a radio station to each alarm. The device automatically plays the last station you were listening to and occasionally this has caught us out on the few occasions we've used the Siesta as a standard radio. I am a bit of a creature of comfort and have a preference to waking up to the same show each morning and once or twice have found myself surprised and perhaps a little annoyed at my self for not remembering.
If there was one feature I would add to the Pure Siesta then that would most certainly be it. Of course this slight negative is quickly overlooked when you consider that you can set the frequency and even the volume by which each alarm comes on. It would be fair to say that the downside is far out weighed by the positives.
Radio GAGA
As well as the alarm the system boasts a very clear and crisp quality radio. The FM/AM section of the radio works well and picks up the same signals as our regular radio in the lounge, which is quite impressive considering the aerial is almost half the length. Of course we very rarely use the FM/AM function on this radio, due to the superior sound quality and reception we get on the DAB function.
As we live in Berkshire and my favourite radio station, Xfm, is a London station we previously were unable to get any reception on the analogue radio's, however now using DAB we get as clear a signal on a London only station as we do from one of our locally based stations. This is where the DAB function really comes into its own and justifies the purchase. With a number of additional stations and an improved sound quality it makes the purchase of a DAB capable radio a real bonus, especially if you do tend to have the radio on for long periods of the day.
In addition to the improved sound and range of stations the radio also boasts an intellitext system that tells you not only which radio station you are listening to but also who the presenter is and on the majority of stations what songs they are playing. I felt this was a very useful tool, especially when a song comes on that you like, it makes it a lot easier to get the artist and the song name than it ever has been.
Going Green
One of the main draws towards the Pure Siesta in the first place was the boasts about its power consumption. In creating this radio alarm clock Pure have ensured that it uses the minimal amount of power possible. As far as we can tell the environmental impact has been properly considered, not being an expert in this field, there are a few noticeable items, such as the display going into standby mode, where the display on the front of the clock gets a little duller and this, according to Pure, makes just over a 1W difference in power consumption between the radio being in use and simply being on stand by.
A Worthy Investment
I would certainly say that the Pure Siesta DAB radio alarm clock is one of the best purchases I've made in the last few years. In fact it was so good I went out and bought a second one. It serves us well as a radio alarm clock as well as a radio and with the increased selection of stations it is certainly justifies its £49.99 price tag. You can pick one of these up for between £40 and £50 if you shop around, with various websites offering slightly better prices than I paid for either of mine. They are available from the likes of Sainsburys and Amazon and if your looking for a cost effective radio alarm that provides value for money then the Pure Siesta is it.
Available in Black, Silver, Grey and White
~~Update, January 2012~~
Sadly, I have to report this radio failed to turn on the other day. It seems to have developed a fatal fault and is now out of warranty. Quite a surprise and such a shame!
[Original review follows]
The Pure Siesta is an up-to-date bedside radio and sophisticated alarm clock. It's a quality product that has served us well for over a year. The unit is well-designed, relatively easy to use and still available at a fairly reasonable price of around £50 or less. For a digital radio it's comparatively economic to use, with some creditable energy-saving features.
As the Siesta is an alarm clock radio first and foremost, this review focuses primarily, but not exclusively, on its impressive alarm/clock functions as we've come to use them in our household.
~~The package~~
In addition to the radio itself, the only substantial items are the mains adaptor and a simple manual. These were well packed and presented.
* Owner's manual: illustrated; multilingual with 12 pages in English
* Pure website, for information and updates: http://www.pure.com
The instructions in the manual are clear and I've had no problems following any of them. The website may be useful for updates but this hasn't been necessary to date.
This was straightforward 'plug and play', as we've come to expect nowadays, with the full range of available stations 'autoscanned' successfully. The clock also receives its settings automatically, which is vital. No need for any manual adjustments, even when 'the clocks change' for daylight saving!
Once set up, you can now scroll through stations using + and - keys and/or preset favourites. You can also set several alarm options. (See below)
This unit fits well into a bedside table corner, being basically triangular in shape and compact in size.
Controls are on the top and display at the front. All buttons are quite clearly labelled and accessible, with a large 'snooze' button easily-located in the dark! Everything, if not immediately obvious, is clearly explained in the instructions.
The clear LCD display has dual brightness levels, according to active usage. This has never kept me awake at night but there can be a slight problem with visibility when viewing from certain angles.
~~The radio~~
Sound quality from the 1.7 watt mono speaker is fit for purpose and digital reception is as clear as you would expect from the brand leader Pure. There is a stereo output for headphones but we haven't found this particularly useful in practice, so far.
Up to 8 digital and 8 FM stations can be preset, which is more than adequate for our purposes. In practice we only listen to 3 or 4 digital stations.
The simple wire aerial may not be to everyone's taste aesthetically but it does the job in our house and can easily be adjusted for optimum reception.
Other standard DAB functions supported include 'intellitext'. (See below)
~~The alarm clock~~
This is where the Siesta scores, in my opinion. It combines good clear radio reception of all the national and local stations that we would want (and more) with a sophisticated alarm clock that actually wakes us up quite gently - at the right times!
Three separate alarm times can be set for weekdays and weekends. Many other products only seem to support two.
You can choose whether to wake up to an alarm tone or to the radio (FM or DAB). But there are a few limitations:
1. You can't set different times for individual weekdays, though you can at least for Saturdays and Sundays
2. There's no choice of stations; defaults to last one played. [Note: more recent models may now have this capability.]
The volume can be set for each alarm/station, which is useful to avoid too harsh a wakening or indeed the opposite! Humphrys, Heavy Metal or Holberg Suite - it's up to you... Either way, that Snooze button is always at hand, and the snooze time can be varied between the standard 9 minutes and a whole hour. It's all in the manual.
We currently have ours set to our favourite morning station for weekdays, at a volume that works best for us. Other favourite stations are preset for easy access. This works very well but I am now considering using the other alarms for weekends, with the possibility of different times for Saturdays and Sundays... It's just a shame you can't differentiate between individual weekdays, unless of course I've missed something and you know better(?)
~~A green DAB?~~
This product claims low power consumption (Standby: <1 watt; Active: c. 2 watts). So it's quite environmentally friendly for DAB, with sensible default settings for standby mode. (See technical information for further details)
BTW: Ours is actually silver but other colours are available!
~~Other features, tested and untested~~
* 'Intellitext' (displays extra programme information supplied by broadcasters)
* 'textscan' (not tested)
* Sleep timer (not tested)
* Updatable - via USB and Windows PC with internet access (not yet tested)
Consult Product Information and technical documentation for further details.
This is a quality alarm clock radio at a reasonable price with flexible alarm functions and very few drawbacks. It may be worth shopping around for latest models with updated specifications and best prices for the configuration that suits your own 'alarming needs'!
~~Related links~~
* Manufacturer's website: http://www.pure.com
Many thanks for reading. All opinions expressed are personal. Also on Ciao under the same name.
[© SteveS001 2011]
I recently purchased a new DAB radio alarm clock as I was fed up with the crackly reception on the preceding model. I love listening to the radio in bed on a Sunday morning and wanted a radio alarm clock that had a good sound quality and was small enough to fit onto the shelf next to my bed. Fortunately the Pure Siesta radio ticked all the boxes and more.
The clock itself has a black casing and silver/aluminium buttons which provide a stylish design. The buttons are easy to press and feel of good quality.
The radio has a DAB and FM tuner so you can receive both types of frequencies. You can select up to 8 pre-set stations for both DAB and FM. I must admit that I do not really use the FM function but it is good to have as a back up. There is also a headphone jack which enables you to listen to the sport results without disturbing your partner (always good)!
From an alarm point of view there are three options to wake up to (1) DAB, (2) FM or (3) a ringing tone. There are various alarm settings which can be adjusted for weekdays and weekends and these are intuitive to set-up.
Amazon.co.uk summarises the specification as follows:
Product Description: PURE Siesta - DAB / FM clock radio
Product Type: DAB / FM clock radio
Enclosure Colour: Black
Dimensions (WxDxH): 17 cm x 14.5 cm x 6.2 cm
Built-in Display: LCD
Built-in clock: Alarm, snooze, sleep timer
Radio: DAB / FM radio tuner - digital radio tuner - 16 preset stations
Speaker(s): 1 x speaker - built-in - 1.7 Watt
Power: AC 120/230 V
Manufacturer Warranty: 2 years warranty
I purchased my clock radio from Amazon for £49.95 which I didn't think was bad for a DAB radio. I have been really impressed with the ease of set up and operation. The quality of the digital sound is excellent compared to my old FM radio and I have access to a number of other stations that I didn't previously.
I think that the auto-dimming back lit display feature is pretty cool as it adjusts so that it is not so bright at night. Sometimes the text display can be a little jerky but to be honest I usually turn this off so that it is not an issue.
It is nice to be able to set the alarm for the entire week and then just forget about it. With my old clock I had to set the alarm every night which looking back was a bit of a bind.
If you are looking at buying a new DAB radio alarm, I would highly recommend the Pure Siesta for consideration.
Thank you for taking the time to read my review.
I have used a clock radio for as long as I can remember. For me the main purpose of having one is that I struggle to sleep without a little bit of background noise and find it a lot easier with the radio on. After replacing a number of cheap clock radio's I decided it was time to shell out a bit more so about 2 and a half years ago I went for the Pure Siesta Clock Radio with DAB radio. I bought this from Argos and paid in the region of about £50.
The device itself is black in colour with nice silver operating buttons on the top which are clearly marked. The rectangular display on the front shows you the time (24 or 12 hour) along with which radio station you are listening too and an indicator as to whether the alarm is on. This a very lightweight Clock Radio and compact compared with a lot of other similar ones on the market. I have a small bedside cabinet and manage to fit it on that along with a small lamp and my phone at night.
This is very simple to use the clock set itself the first time I plugged it in with seconds which was a bit of a surprise after using my previous prehistoric models. I worked out how to set the alarm without using the instructions. It has 3 different alarms which can be set, I find this useful as I like to have a bit of a lay in of a weekend but don't want to sleep all day so the multi alarm system means I can set a later time for the weekends and don't have to worry about forgetting to change the alarm time the night before. There are different alarm tones or you can set it to wake up with the radio coming on if you like. I find the alarm wakes me up well although the snooze button does come in handy on cold mornings or after a night out.
The radio is digital but can also receive FM stations for me this is the biggest benefit over my old Clock Radio. The DAB is so much better sounding and I love the fact that there is no tuning button to mess about with. You can save up to 16 Stations in the radio's memory if you wish although I don't use this as I only listen to one station. There is a port on the top for headphones which could be useful for anybody whose partner doe not like the radio on in the background.
This has been an excellent purchase for me and I hope it lasts a good few years yet. I would recommend this to anybody.
I got this as a present from my father, and it's by far the best alarm clock I have ever had. The DAB radio is great, and it means I can easily find radio stations rather than having to scan through all the frequency's, although it does also have FM. It has 16 radio presets, however only 8 of them can be used for DAB, the other 8 have to be used for FM, but I'm not quite sure who would use the FM radio when DAB is available, however the option is there for those that do use FM and want the presets. Sound quality is also good. There are 3 alarms, and on each you can choose what days you want them to go off on or just once only, the volume of the alarm and whether you want it to be radio alarm or a buzzer. There is also a sleep function, and there are 5 different length of times the sleep can last. The clock display is large and easy to read, and also has an internal sensor, so the screen dims in the dark, and gets brighter in the day time, so it is always easy to read. The only problem I have had with this alarm clock is that when going to sleep, I like to use the sleep function, and there is no sound setting that is just right, it's either slightly too loud, or too quiet so I cannot hear what the DJ is saying. Otherwise a great clock radio, and is highly recommended.
I got this Pure radio in 2008, and it still works perfectly!
You can store up to 16 preset radio stations on it (8 FM and 8 DAB).
Also, you can set 3 different alarms, allowing you to set alarms for different times, differrent days, different number of times that it is repeated, and you can also set an 'Alarm volume'.
However, the alarm is only the radio - you cannot have a classic alarm sound set.
You can also set a 'Sleep' time, so you can fall asleep and it will automatically turn off after 15/30/60/90 minutes.
The clock face is a rectangular lit-up area (navy-blue), and the numbers and details come up in white light, so it is easy to see the time in the middle of the night!
The sound is really high quality, and on the display you can see how good your signal is.
Sometimes it can take a few seconds for the radio to turn on, and the signal can stop the radio working, but overall it is great!
The radio is almost triangular, with a flat front and the speaker on the top, along with buttons for volume, setting presets, turning it on and off, setting a sleep time and alarms etc.
I would recommend this product to anyone, as it has great sound and is quite small in size, so would easily fit on a bedside table/shelf.
It costs around £50-£60 in Amazon, Tesco Direct etc.
I got the Pure Siesta DAB radio as a chirstmas present from my father, with the intention that I could use it at University. This high-quality radio certainly fulfills that purpose, but it has various advantages beyond that.
The product allows the user to listen to Digital and FM radio broadcasts. Pretty standard but this radio also has three sperate alarms. A weekday alarm, a weekend alarm and a weekly alarm, allowing you to schedule when you want to wake up at different points of the week or when you want the radio to turn on for specific radio programs. The alarm will turn on the radio itself and thus play the radio and music at a very loud volume (unless you want it quieter). This is a very effective way of waking up in the mornings, and you won't miss your favourite radio programmes.
This tri-alarm system is very useful, and the simple to use, intuitive user interface and buttons means anyone can use it. I would recommend this radio for eco-friendly users, as one of Siesta's main selling points is that it uses one quarter of the power of many other digital radios. In this era of recession, this radio is a must-buy for customers aiming to reduce their power consumption and thus save money.
The design of the radio is very stylish and sleek, with its matt black finish. It is also tiny. It is 7 inches across, 6.5 inches deep and just 2 inches tall. It will take up very little space in your house/room and is very easy to transport (which is why it is benficial to students).
One downside is that the aerial is simply a long, thin piece of insulated wire, instead of an extendable metal aerial like on other radios. This may infuriate some, due to difficulties in trying to suspend the wire from somewhere where it will receive signal. You could cellotape the wire to the wall, but this is unslightly and detracts from the radios otherwise pleasing aesthetic.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The reality is that most teachers take their jobs seriously. There are very few who get tenure and then try to do nothing. What many fail to understand is that tenured teachers are evaluated by their superiors multiple times throughout the school year. If the principal is worth their salary, they will get every teachers to perform. Simply put, principals have creative ways to make teachers life miserable if they dont comply. I dont know of ONE situation where a principal walked into a classroom filled with students and the teacher was doing nothing and told the principal "you cant do anything, I have tenure." I know that many of the teacher bashers want to think that but that is far from the truth.
Firemen, cops, sanitation workers all have tenure as well. They just dont call it tenure. They all have the same job protection with less waiting period (90 days) and FAR less education requirements.
Last edited by copernicus; 03-07-2013 at 09:55 PM.
1) Yet it also protects the status quo in bad schools.
What is the definition of a "bad school?" In all cases it includes a higher percentage of parents who dont care about the kids education. Sometimes bad teachers, but always bad parents. Rarely to never will you see a bad school in a good community. All the change in faculty and making conventional public schools into charters will not change a thing in low income areas untli the parents are made accountable. When 100% burden falls on the teachers and the parents have 0% accountability nothing will change other than good teachers losing their jobs unjustly.
2)There is NO excuse for schools with a 25% graduation rate or high school kids with a 5th grade reading level.
I work in the heart of Flushing, Queens to say that it is predominantly Asian is an understatement. One of my six classes has 35 students, 30 of which only speak Chinese, 2 that speak Spanish, 1 that speaks a Middle Eastern language that no one in the school can translate. There are 2 Asian American students in my class that can speak English somewhat to communicate with the others. Most of these students are not encouraged by their parents to learn English because currently the can survive because most of the store fronts and community speak Chinese. Think any of them have the desire or ability to graduate? BTW, they ALL take the state exams. They can barely write their names because their language doesnt use the same alphabet (minus the 2 Spanish kids). Most of the these students have a pre school rated reading level. Think they have a shot of getting to a 5th grade reading level with barely any parental support to learn English at home? Oh yeah, their scores on the state exams count towards whether or not I am an efficient teacher or not.
3) That is a useless argument when the rest of the world makes leaps and bounds due to competition, innovation and change.
More fabricated numbers from politicians looking to justify firing all teachers on the backs of students.
The US accepts immigrants from all over the world. The countries that "lead" in scores do not come close to dealing with the immigrant issues that we do.
The US forces ALL students, even if they are in the country for less than 6 months, to take mandatory state exams. Its a money maker for the US. Other countries value education more. They know that every student is not "college ready" and do not have an agenda to cut budgets in education. Other countries also "cherry pick" specific students who qualify for state exams. Finland, the model country that everyone turns to when it comes to matters of state exams does not have their students take state exams until they are 17 years old. In the US, we start testing at 5 in kindergarten. Finland also has close to 100% of their students speak one common language and no immigrant issue at all.
As far as "the sky is falling" agenda politicians scream about when it comes to the US "falling behind" to the rest of the world; really? We lead the world in space technology, warfare technology, some of the greatest hospitals and doctors, great minds when it comes to technology as it relates to computers and the internet, and creative minds in the arts like music, theater, and movie making.
The rest of the world is making leaps and bounds because of change and competition? More like they dont have to deal with the same challenges that the US does and their government doesnt appear to have a hidden agenda making them look bad purposely over greed.
How far behind the rest of the world can we be if we are at or near the top in all of these departments?
Last edited by copernicus; 03-08-2013 at 12:16 AM.
Last edited by copernicus; 03-08-2013 at 12:14 AM.
As for the competition comment I was referring to the rest of the world outside of teaching. If it works for every other industry to the point that the government breaks up monopolies then why is it right to create them in education?
Finally, I think school choice encourages some families to get some skin in the game or at least gives the parents that care enough to move their kids to give the kid a fighting chance. Look at New Orleans. After Katrina they were smart enough to look at their school system that was one of the worst in the country and try something new rather than trying to rebuild something that didn't work. They allowed charters to come in. The kids, the same exact kids that were failing in the old system are now succeeding. Also the charter schools got up and running in much less time than the government could ever have done. It works.
That said... the entire country outside of civil service has NO security.
Google anounced 1200 layoffs this morning. Thise people are probably extremely well educated. They have no pensions either.
the real world.
Charter schools are funded by big business but get to use public spaces free of rent. Tax payers pay for the charter school that is currently "housed" inside my public school. There are no union rules so they can do whatever they want. Often they hire their "friends" in positions that they are not qualified for. With no rules, just about anything goes; No space for phys ed? No problem. No services for children with disabilities? Who cares? Skewed lottery system that only takes good students that have parental support? Absolutly. In the public school system, teachers need specific qualifications to step into the classroom, charter schools dont. It is also much easier to "fudge" the numbers in charter schools because they do not have to comply with many of the educational requirements that a regular public school has to. Charter schools have an agenda, to push the product that is funding it. You think charter schools funded by BP will encourage students to research information about alternative energy sources? Not as much as a regular public school with no agenda.
Here's an idea; Let's keep big business and politicians out of the classroom and attack the problems of the public school system like the government attacked the problems they thought they had in Iraq and Afghanastan.
Charter schools are the ideas of big businessmen looking to make profit selling their product to kids all day long.
Often they fail
Last edited by copernicus; 03-08-2013 at 12:38 PM.
It all comes down to choices. I chose to make less but I was rewarded with some job security. Now my government continues to come up with creative ways to fire me simply because I have a pension and have a higher pay scale than someone who is brand new. It has nothing to do with being effective or ineffective. All about money.
The people who chose to work for Google possibly had thoughts of gambling to make millions. Hopefully in times like this, they've made enough to put away so they can survive. Its the choice they made. One of the draw backs of big business is that you can be fired at anytime. One of the positives is that if you are hard working and lucky, you have a chance to make millions.
I will never make millions or be able to put away money in case I am fired. It's the choice I've made.........
Inner city education isn't working for a million reasons. I don't think the teachers are the reason. I do think that if they could make changes like cutting the bad teachers, as I said earlier, the bottom 10% or so, and make changes it would help. Yes the system sucks. Yes a lot of the parents suck. You aren't going to change the parents but charter schools let them get outside of the system a bit.
In NJ you can start your own charter school. I know this because a friend of mine (who is a teacher) and I looked into it about 5 years ago because the High School my town was sending our kids to one of the worst High Schools in NJ. We wanted an alternative. Thankfully with NJ school choice half the kids the town used to send are going to better public schools. No big business, nothing but a person with an idea on improving education. Charter schools aren't the boogyman you want to believe they are.
Another problem for teachers pay is the high amount of kids getting out of school that want to be teachers. That waters down the market just like outsourcing overseas did to IT workers. It is how the market works.
New Jerseys teachers are the fourth-highest-paid in the country, behind Californias, New Yorks and Connecticuts, and make nearly $10,000 more than the national average. But not quite 2 percent make more than $100,000, and the average salary in New Jersey is in line with other Northeastern states with similar costs of living.
I work in an overcrowded atmosphere with little heat in the winter and no air-conditioning when the temperature is hot.
I cant use the bathroom whenever I feel the need.
Often I must supply children with the most basic school supplies out of my own pocket.
I get little support from parents and when unruly, violent students feel the need to curse me out they do with little to no consequence.
I do my best to keep them safe and teach them a skill that will prepare them for life.
If I received only $5 each per student, per 40 minutes I'd be a wealthy man.
I am not, and dont even come close.
Let's not act like America's inner-cities are thriving, and it's those darn, pesky schools that can't keep up.
Spend one day in a high school that has half their students graduate. One day. Your tune will change.
None of your arguement has anything to do with allowing parents that do want to make a difference for their kids to use charter schools, school choice or vouchers to get out of these horrible schools where societal apathy has made it so even the good kids can't learn. That is what the OP originally discussed before the thread devolved into the standard "poor teachers" rhetoric. Your point seems to be, "inner city schools suck because the people don't have traditional American value for schooling so we should just throw our hands up, maintain the status quo, and continue failing these communities.
To use a term from business, (god for bid), we need to change the culture of these schools and these communities. I think allowing parents that want to try something new to have access to choices would be the first step. Yes that is going to make the bad schools worse since the better kids and families will go elsewhere but I think that is better than imprisoning good kids with parents that care but can't afford to move and can't afford private school in a bad situation.
Another thing you will see if you research charter schools is many hold the kids and families accountable. There is real discipline which is sorely needed in these schools. I think another thing public schools could do to help would be to take a page from the catholic school handbook and require parents to volunteer at the school or pay a fine. You have to volunteer for X hours each school year or you owe $1000 toward tuition. I know our current model won't allow that but it should. It would give everyone some skin in the game and force parents to be at least a little involved.
Philadelphia is doing all of the things you are talking about and it hasn't gone well to say the least. Charter schools have opened all over the city and so have the federal investigations. It's a mess, but one thing hasn't changed when it comes to CEO compensation of the school district.
The Republican vendetta against teachers and all civil servants is losing the battle.
Pendulum is about to swing in a different direction.
I just feel terrible for students who had to endure the ideas on No Child Left behind and now Common Core where they were tested in place of being taught.
Hopefully America is beginning to wake up, thank god
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Discipline is sorely needed? When have you walked into a failing public school and evaluated their discipline procedures?
Research charter schools? Research public schools. Any child who attends a school in the NYC school system can attend any high school in any borough. There is access to choice. It isn't working.
You can't solve an entire socioeconomic crisis that has spanned decades, if not centuries, with your big-business, white America ideals.
All we need is parents who care more! Plenty do, and then there's plenty students who don't know who their parents are; who's parents are dead. Who's big brother or big sister is dead. Who have no incentive to learn because they are plagued with the idea that they will be dead or in prison by the time their peers reach college.
And you want to blame this on the unions?
I've taught in two different "struggling districts" and I've seen plenty of parents (especially single moms) who do care but flat out cannot control their child. I don't blame the parent for the child's refusal to learn, but I also see the negative impact it has on the rest of the class and that is flat out unacceptable. If you don't agree with charter schools to give the "good kids" a chance, you at least have to agree to some sort of alternative education for the troubled ones because they're not doing anything but wasting tax payer $$ being in class and keeping classmates from getting the education that money is supposed to provide.
Somewhere along the way schools became foster homes. That might be good for the troubles that ail our society, but it has destroyed what we once called education . . .


text:
Kelsey Grammer's Golden Globe announcement that he was expecting twins was more than a shock to the general public. It was also a shock to ex-wife Camille Grammer and the two children they share!
"Camille and the children had no idea," a source close to the family reports to the Huffington Post. "They found out about it from the media."
"Once again, selfish Kelsey decided to do what's best for him with no concern for his current children," the source adds. "He needs to stop talking about his private life in public. It's very hurtful for the children he already has."
Photos by Fame
BabyRazzi on Twitter!


text:
August 21, 2009
Amazing Rachelle/Victoria Manip
6 comments:
I agree so beautiful.ReplyDelete
She's so beautiful...ReplyDelete
I'm gonna miss her so bad after New Moon is over :(
- AnonymousAugust 21, 2009 at 8:52 PM
thats VICTORIA!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 22, 2009 at 1:28 AM
HEHE I SENT THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ReplyDelete
*Tear* Oh Victoria/Rachelle so pretty! I would have believed Rachelle Victoria seducing Riley more so than Bryce Victoria, don't know why, guess Rachelle's more sultry.ReplyDelete
- Danish Twi-loverAugust 22, 2009 at 5:53 PM
Really, really pretty and moody.ReplyDelete
Love you Rachelle <3
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
© 2009 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Tempers flare as D-backs fall to Giants
Hinch, Stottlemyre ejected; Haren gives up five runs
By Rick Eymer / Special to MLB.com
SAN FRANCISCO -- Dan Haren was frustrated, Mel Stottlemyre and A.J. Hinch were a little disgusted and the Arizona Diamondbacks were no match for Tim Lincecum in a 7-3 setback to the San Francisco Giants on Thursday. It all came to a boil for the trio in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Giants scored a couple of runs, the D-backs making a fielding error that led to one of them, and when Haren walked John Bowker, Stottlemyre came out for a visit. "I had some words with him in my at-bat the previous inning," Haren said of an exchange with home-plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt regarding strike location. "I was probably close to getting tossed and I never said much. I kind of motioned in asking where the pitch was and he took off his mask and came out at me. I don't appreciate anybody charging me." Stottlemyre was waiting for Wendelstedt to come to the mound before starting in on him. The pair walked toward home plate before Stottlemyre was given the heave-ho. "I pride myself in throwing strikes," Haren said. "I don't walk people. That was only my 36th. The coaches came out and told them how they felt." Hinch came out of the dugout to get between Stottlemyre and Wendelstedt and then asked for an explanation. Wendelstedt held up four fingers as if to indicate he gave Stottlemyre four chances. Hinch then appeared to get irate, and it wasn't long before he joined Stottlemyre. "My main problem was when you're supposed to defuse a situation, it wasn't defused," Hinch said. "I felt the two ejections didn't need to happen. I don't care how many games are left; I still have the same intensity and desire. ... I want the players to know we're going to fight to the very end. We ended up getting tossed." Crew chief Dana DeMuth said Wendelstedt warned Stottlemyre four times and warned Hinch three times. The manager and pitching coach were the fourth and fifth ejections of the season for Wendelstedt. Haren (14-10) gave up five runs on eight hits in his six innings. He walked one and struck out five as he dropped to 0-2 in his last three starts. "It was just the one inning," Haren said. "I've been struggling the last few times out. I get into a jam and I can't get out. There was no doubt I was frustrated but I gathered myself and got the next two outs. It didn't linger. I still feel good. I'm just disappointed with the way I finished my season." Justin Upton singled home two runs and Stephen Drew added an RBI single but it was a case of too little, too late. All the runs came in the eighth inning. "Lincecum pitched well," Hinch said. "I didn't feel like he had his most dominant stuff but he's pretty effective even without his A-1 stuff. Premier pitchers around the league find ways to get outs." The D-backs, who won their last two home games of the year, were swept for the eighth time. "It's a big series in Chicago," Hinch said. "Right now we're going, or at least I am, into the offseason with a pretty sour taste in my mouth. Ending the season on a positive note is the goal and we have three games to prove it to ourselves."
Rick Eymer is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Logitech K750 (Keyboard, Wireless, Solar, USB)
Linux compatibiliteit
The Logitech Keyboard K750 is equipped with two small solar panels, which automatically charge the batteries of the wireless keyboard. The keyboard is fully supported by Linux (e.g. since Ubuntu 10.04 LTS). The communication between keyboard and Linux system is performed by the included Logitech Unified Receiver, which is recognized automatically, if plugged into the USB port.
The read out additional information from the keyboard (e.g. to get the status of the batteries) the program Solaar can be used. This program is not part of the Ubuntu distribution, but can be added as an additional repository to the package management system:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:daniel.pavel/solaar sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install solaar
Alternatively, the source code of the program can be downloaded from its Git repository: https://github.com/pwr/Solaar.
Furthermore, the program ltunify allows to manage devices that are connected (to the same) Logitech Unified Receiver.


text:
Talking Points Memo describes how Fox News seems to go out of its way to make us all frightened and depressed about Christmas.
In the days before Thanksgiving, Fox filled its shows with dire, sometimes terrifying segments about all the threats surrounding the merriest season of the year. There's the eradication of free speech by atheist "loons," the possibility of choking on our food, the diseases spread on airplanes, and the endless depression that comes from Christmas commercials.
If we even make it to Christmas, that is. Fox's morning man Bill Hemmer charted the possibility that the "apocalypse" would arrive on Dec. 22, and just how sad it will be when we all get wiped out, leaving all those unopened presents under the tree.
If it wasn't for Fox News, I would never remember to sign up for my annual stint to fight the war on Christmas …


text:
Sign up for our weekend guide
Make your plans with our Weekend Concierge email
sent to your inbox every Wednesday.
Your guide to Miami's adult nightlife, Miami strip clubs, erotic parties, and Miami adult sex toy stores. Check out Miami dancers photo galleries of some of the adult entertainers and reviews of the latest in adult toys. Miami is sexy and hot, so expect plenty of it on the Adults Only channel. Miami is also a top spot to have a bachelor or bachelorette party, so we have guides to help you plan your party, as well as guides to Miami-Dade strip clubs and Broward County strip clubs. To get you in the mood, make sure to check out our coverage of the World Erotic Art Museum on South Beach in Miami Beach, Fl.
Connect with us: Contact us | Like us on facebook | Follow us on twitter | Sign up for our newsletter | RSS
Correct us: Get listed | Report an error
About us | Privacy Policy | Terms of service | About our ads | Sitemap
© 2018 Miami.com. All rights reserved.
Miami.com logos, graphics, designs, page headers, icons and buttons are the property of the Miami Herald Media Co.


text:
Swing Back & Cooler Boat Seats
The iBoats Experience
Boats for SaleBrowse thousands of constantly-updated listings and search by location, brand, and boat type See more...
AdviceConnect with our expansive community and tap into the knowledge base of the most dedicated boaters around. See more...
Shop ProductsBrowse and search for hundreds of thousands of boat parts, accessories, and supplies to suit your every need.
Swing Back Boat Seat With Cooler
Swing back seats are normally wide enough for two people. They provide your boat with additional storage inside the seat base. The storage space in a swing back seat is often designed to be used as a cooler or live well. Smaller cooler seats are also available. These seats allow your cooler to also be used as a seat when space on-board is limited.
Boat cooler seats come in a wide variety of styles to match different boat types. Swingback cooler boat seats and bench seats often have a built-in cooler. This saves space on your boat, eliminating the need to fit extra coolers onboard. Coolers with seat cushions are also available. This gives you the option of a removable seat for anywhere on the boat.


text:
Personal computing discussed
Moderator: JustAnEngineer
PerfectCr wrote:Hello guys! I have not built a PC since 2007. Been using Macs and my iPad, but now it's time for to build another gaming rig. Not going for super high end here, as I used to typically adhear to the "approx $200" rule for all major components (CPU, GPU, Mobo). Here's what I have. I actually took a mix of Sweat Spot and Editor's Choice builds from the March 2012 TR System Guide. I've never been much of an overclocker, I typically will run things stock unless compelled otherwise. I am sure there are a few ways to drop the price (for example not getting the "K" processor and getting a cheaper Mobo) but I like to get quality stuff that will last me at least 2 years. Would love your thoughts! (will get this all from Newegg!)
Core i5-3570K (Ivy Bridge)
Asus P8Z77-V PRO
Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600
eVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti Superclocked
Antec 900 (V3)
Seasonic M12II 620 Bronze PSU (Modular)
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s
Dell UltraSharp U2412M Black 24" 8ms LED Backlight Widescreen LCD IPS Panel Monitor
ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK SATA 24X DVD Burner (no interest in Blu-ray)
Windows 7 64-Bit OEM
PerfectCr wrote:What does a SSD get me in this case? I have one in my MacBook Air (which I am selling, see the BB ) but I'd rather out that $$ elsewhere.
PerfectCr wrote:Would you consider 2x 8 GiB?Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600
PerfectCr wrote:Home Premium 64-bit supports up to 16 GiB. If you expect that you'll ever want to go to 32 GiB, you'll need the Professional or Ultimate edition of the OS.Windows 7 64-Bit OEM
PerfectCr wrote:You need an SSD in the 90 to 256 GB range for your OS and most-used programs.Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s
PerfectCr wrote:Sapphire Radeon HD6950 2GB OC Edition 11188-22-20G for $200 +fs is a stronger performer for less money.eVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB Superclocked 01G-P3-1563-AR for $255 +fs -30MIR
PerfectCr wrote:All good suggestions. Not sure if my budget can absorb a SSD right now. That might be a future consideration. I'll dump the GTX 560 Ti for a HD 7850, seems like that makes sense. That's a wash in terms of price. I'll drop the "K" variant of the i5 and get the i5-3550 instead. I can also drop back to the Seasonic 520W PSU. Really though, that's only saved me about 70 bucks. Not sure that's even worth it at that point.
RE: 8GB vs. 16GB.....I can always drop in 8GB more later if need be, right? The price difference is $75. I might be able to drop my 1TB drive down a bit, probably don't need that much, but again, we are only talking a small amount of overall savings.
Lucky Jack Aubrey wrote:Hey Perfect,
You'll be in good shape with either the base specs you first mentioned, or most of the variations discussed. In general I do agree with going after the beefiest video card you can swing within your budget.
What games are you thinking about installing on this baby?
PerfectCr wrote:Oooooooooo nice deals! Thx! So how does the SSD thing work? Install Windows on the SSD and everything else that's big (games) on the normal HDD?
JustAnEngineer wrote:I suggest installing the OS with just the SSD connected, then connect the HD once the OS is up and running. You'll want things like your browser, media player, etc. to be on the SSD. Your steam directory, downloads, videos, etc. can live on the HD.
PerfectCr wrote:Ok. But really, other than faster boot and maybe load times, how much faster is the system in real world; especially in games (assuming they are installed on the HDD)
clone wrote:I laughed when I read the title because a 5 year old computer can do almost anything just fine even today.
it's not like it's 2004 and we'd be discussing going from single core 800mhz to a 2000+ mhz dual core.
clone wrote:I laughed when I read the title because a 5 year old computer can do almost anything just fine even today.
it's not like it's 2004 and we'd be discussing going from single core 800mhz to a 2000+ mhz dual core.
videssian wrote:There's only $40 difference between the 3550 and the 3570k. That'll get you another 100MHz plus the ability to get another 40% total speed or so later on by overclocking if you need it. Is it worth it?
videssian wrote:Looks good to me!
Since this'll be a gaming rig for you, what are the main games you plan to play on it?
I should have some parts arriving today myself, as I'm doing an upgrade as well. Fun times!
For sheer amusement value, you might want to run some benchmarks on your old system, and run those same benchmarks on the new one, just to get some hard numbers on just how much faster the new system is. I plan to... part of the fun, after all!
PerfectCr wrote:I'd be benchmakring against a MacBook Air! Not exactly fair.
John Steinbeck wrote:If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!


text:
8 Golden Suns, Wonder Boys on winter sports honor roll
By Sean Ingram
Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys senior guard Laithe Massey and Golden Suns junior forward Katie Horsman and sophomore forward Jessica Weatherford were named to the Gulf South Conference Winter Sports all-academic basketball teams Thursday by the league office in Birmingham, Ala.
Eight basketball players, five of them Golden Suns, made the league's winter sports academic honor roll.
Massey, a native of Heber Springs, carries a 3.33 cumulative grade point average in health and physical education. He is one of three first-teamers and a three-time member of the men's basketball academic honor roll.
Horsman, of Fairfield Bay, carries a 3.72 GPA in health and physical education. Weatherford, of Bonnerdale, carries a 3.54 GPA in early childhood education.
Arkansas Tech student-athletes named to the winter sports academic honor roll were Massey, Horsman, Weatherford, junior guard Matt Haney of Dardanelle (3.33, health and physical education), senior forward Ridas Pulkauninkas of Ukmerge, Lithuania (3.40, speech communications), sophomore guard Laura Davidson of Greenwood (4.00, nursing), freshman guard Jackie Dennis of Danville and sophomore forward Sarah Martin of Muldrow, Okla. (3.91, management and marketing).
Their statistics on the basketball court are available online at athletics.atu.edu.
Golden Suns softball ranked third in South
The Golden Suns are ranked third in the initial NCAA Division II South Region softball poll released on Thursday. The poll will determine the eight teams that make the South Regional postseason tournament.
Arkansas Tech (16-11) is 16-9 against DII schools and 15-9 against South Region teams, and its No. 3 ranking is the highest for the Golden Suns in South Region poll history. GSC teams in the poll are No. 1 Alabama-Huntsville (24-1-1 D-II, 20-1 in-region), No. 2 Valdosta State (14-4 D-II, 12-4 in-region), No. 6 Arkansas-Monticello (18-6 D-II, 16-5 in-region), No. 9 West Alabama (19-8 D-II, 16-7 in-region) and No. 10 West Florida (11-11 D-II, 9-11 in-region).
The Golden Suns will host Henderson State (15-18, 9-3) for a pair of doubleheaders, the first at 2 p.m. Saturday and the other at noon Sunday at the Chartwells Women's Sports Complex.
Tennis Suns ranked 13th in South Region poll
Arkansas Tech's tennis team (6-5, 4-4 South Region) is ranked 13th in the first South Region poll released on Thursday. Tech hasn't advanced to the NCAA DII Tournament since 2002, when it finished 14-11 overall.
The Golden Suns' next opponent, Harding University (11-5 overall, 5-2 region) is ranked 10th in the poll. Tech and the Lady Bisons will begin their matches at 2 p.m. today in Searcy.
Wonder Boys spring football
Head football coach Steve Mullins said Thursday's second day of spring practice was shorter than usual, but the Wonder Boys still got some things accomplished in anticipation of today's first workout in shoulder pads.
"If we were going to have a bad weather day, and try to go out and get something accomplished, today was the day," Mullins said. "There's not anything we can do about the weather. When we get the shoulder pads on (today), I think we'll start making progress."
Practice is expected to start before 2 p.m.


text:
This is True®
by Randy Cassingham
Randy Cassingham's Honorary Unsubscribe Recognizes the Unknown, the Forgotten and the Obscure People who Had an Impact on Our Lives
Volume 2 of the Honorary Unsubscribe Book
New! Volume 2 of writeups from 2001–2003 are now available as a book — just $3.99 on Amazon for your Kindle (or the free Kindle apps).
Now Available: Volume 2
These are the people you wish you had known.
Volume 2 of the H.U. series has more amazing inventors: several of the minds that made the Internet possible. The creator of the Smiley Face, and why he didn't get rich from it. The originator of organic foods, and the stores which sell them. The guy who came up with the "Wave" used in sports stadiums.
How about the man who made sure the world knew about Schindler's "list" — because he himself was on it? And wait until you hear what else the inventor of the Barbie doll created. Plus the guy who turned a pie plate into the Frisbie flying disk, and the amusing way he wanted to be remembered.
And then there's the artists — the creators of music and TV shows you love (like Leave It To Beaver, and who that show was based on); even the guy who invented the pinup. Doctors who made radical breakthroughs to improve human life, such as the doctor who wrote the first textbook for paramedics. And yeah, a couple more rocket scientists, plus a few more entertainers who died mostly forgotten.
The mainstream media tend to worship celebrities and sports figures, but the real heroes in life are often anonymous to the public. You've seen the Norman Rockwell print of the small-town doctor, but you likely never heard his name (until now).
All those stories are in this book, plus more than a hundred more (146 total). The stories are fascinating: you won't believe the cool people you have missed in your life. These are the people you wish you had known.
(Also available at Amazon France, Amazon UK, Amazon Germany, Amazon Italy and Amazon Spain)
The Honorees
Included in Volume 2:
- Tree lover Sally White
- MedicAlert founder Chrissie Woolcock Collins
- Stored program inventor Tom Kilburn
- Literary agent Candida Donadio
- Titanic survivor Michel Navratil
- Social activist Fuki Kushida
- Screenwriter Burt Kennedy
- Comedy writer Robert Weiskopf
- Digital communications pioneer Claude Shannon
- Dancer Ninette de Valois
- Schindler booster Leopold Page
- The Intrepid Mir Space Station
- Newspaperman John Oakes
- Smiley Face creator Harvey R. Ball
- Faucet inventor Alfred Moen
- Infrared visionary Fred Gillett
- Everest climber Babu Chhiri Sherpa
- Songwriter James Myers
- Small town physician Donald E. Campbell
- Pinup creator Hartzell Spence
- Transportation innovator Malcom P. McLean
- Comedian Imogene Coca
- Foodie Ralph A. Miller
- Bluesman John Lee Hooker
- Usenet creator Jim Ellis
- Natural food pusher Aveline Kushi
- Peking Man finder Jia Lanpo
- Civil rights attorney Robert Wolfe Gilbert
- Writer Poul Anderson
- Musician Larry Adler
- Bowler Earl Anthony
- Astrophysicist Fred Hoyle
- German Measles vaccine developer Harry M. Meyer Jr
- NASA spokesman Julian W. Scheer
- Passengers and crew of Flight 93
- TV producer Fred de Cordova
- Computer animator Robert Abel
- Coin designer Frank Gasparro
- Cancer surgeon William G. Cahan
- Supervoter Neal Tillotson
- "Red card" inventor Kenneth Aston
- Code-talking promoter Mary Gorman
- The ever-thankful Percy Ross
- Win-win analyzer Stuart Nagel
- "Lady Marjorie" actress Rachel Gurney
- Holocaust alarm raiser Gerhart Riegner
- Spacecraft power developer Jerome Morse
- Band director and waver Bill Bissell
- Comedian Foster Brooks
- No-nonsense producer Julia Phillips
- Laser physicist Alexander Prokhorov
- TV humor writer Mike Marmer
- Computer networking pioneer Richard H. Bolt
- Actor Harold Russell
- Boat designer Graham Guilford Haddock Jr
- French resistance fighter Genevieve de Gaulle-Anthonioz
- Genomic researcher Norman Davidson
- Lifelong newsboy Bernard Green
- Hollywood producer Mimi Roth
- Publishing system inventor Rudolf Hell
- Actress Rosetta LeNoire
- Spacecraft engineer Thomas J. Kelly
- Communications satellite engineer John R. Pierce
- Writer and producer Roy Huggins
- TV bailiff Rusty Burrell
- German freedom fighter Kurt Klein
- Doll — and breast — designer Ruth Handler
- Songwriter Otis Blackwell
- Light bulb collector Hugh Francis Hicks
- MAD cartoonist Dave Berg
- Marine conservationist Milton C. Shedd
- Literary editor Murray Fisher
- Meteorologist John Hope
- Football great John "Jay" Berwanger
- Cancer drug discoverer Monroe E. Wall
- Photographer Yousuf Karsh
- Career advisor Bernard Haldane
- "Mickey Mouse Club Show" composer Norman Baker
- Polymer chemist William A. Mallow
- Frisbee developer Ed Headrick
- Skunk Works test pilot Louis Schalk Jr
- Docudrama inventor Stanley R. Greenberg
- Anthropological Conservationist Carolyn Rose
- "Miranda" lawyer John P. Frank
- Chemical engineer Donald L. Campbell
- Programmer Bob Wallace
- Pilot Aileen Saunders Mellott
- Film producer Sidney Pink
- "OK" etymologist Allen Walker Read
- Restauranteur Sema Wilkes
- Soundman Keith A. Wester
- Space radio engineer Henry Taylor Howard
- "Twilight Zone" savior Bert Granet
- "Great Escape" musician Walter W. Kinnan
- "Bullwinkle" animator William Henson
- Jungle society preservationist Orlando Villas Boas
- Paramedic author Nancy Caroline
- Philanthropist Virginia McKnight Binger
- Classic TV producer William T. Orr
- "Daisies" author Jean Kerr
- Boston Marathon director William T. Cloney
- Death psychologist Herman Feifel
- 7-Eleven founder John P. Thompson
- God's beggar Werenfried van Straaten
- "Beaver" creator Joe Connelly
- Military thinker Eugene J. Carroll Jr
- Pioneering spacecraft Pioneer 10
- Radiation expert Gilbert W. Beebe
- Beeb announcer Alan Keith
- PC pioneer Adam Osborne
- Medical researcher Arthur C. Guyton
- Computer networker Anita Borg
- Immunologist Charles Janeway Jr
- Relational data baser Edgar F. Codd
- "Gilligan" composer George Wyle
- "Pygmalion" actress Wendy Hiller
- Tobacco educator Barb Tarbox
- Dancer Howard "Sandman" Sims
- Movie producer Beverly Bailis Karp
- Concentrated orange juice creator Wallace R. Roy
- Rocket scientist Magnus von Braun
- Betamax lawyer Dean Dunlavey
- Hand surgeon Paul Wilson Brand
- "Siskel and Ebert" creator Eliot Wald
- Vietnam National Veterans Memorial creator Victor Westphall
- Record producer Sam Phillips
- CPR creator Peter Safar
- WAVE pioneer Laura Rapaport Borsten
- Life teacher Connie Douglas Reeves
- Cinematographer Brianne Murphy
- Boys Town resurrectionist Robert Hupp
- "Hogan's Heroes" demolitionist Larry Hovis
- "Superman" writer Jay Morton
- Carbon-14 dater Mark G. Inghram
- Lord Mayor Mary Donaldson
- "James Bond" inspiration Patrick Dalzel-Job
- Alaska conservationist Margaret Murie
- Washington mayor Walter Edward Washington
- True Value creator Edward E. Lanctot
- Actress Penny Singleton
- Bridge engineer Tung-Yen Lin
- Liberty-promoting reporter John Patrick Hunter
- Pioneering TV executive Ethel Winant
- Character actress Madlyn Rhue
- Pearl Harbor radar operator George E. Elliott Jr
- Computer/Internet pioneer Phillip Goldman
(Also available at Amazon France, Amazon UK, Amazon Germany, Amazon Italy and Amazon Spain)
About the HUs
About This is True
Subscribe Free
to This is True
Oldest: Memory savior Miep Gies
Newest: "Rosie" model Naomi Parker Fraley
Copyright 1998-2018 ThisIsTrue.Inc, all rights reserved. May not be copied or archived without express, prior, written permission. "This is True" is a registered trademark of ThisIsTrue.Inc, Ridgway Colorado.


text:
Lisa Johnston: 10 Questions for a Center for Blue Economy Fellow
"The organizations offering Center for the Blue Economy (CBE) Fellowships are some of the best in this field. These are not easy internships to get outside of the CBE!"
1) Your Center for the Blue Economy Fellowship was with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). What was that like?
Working at IUCN in Washington, D.C., really opened my eyes to the policy side of environmental work. This was my first experience working with a multilateral organization, rather than an NGO. IUCN carries out its work in cooperation with a vast network of partners and member organizations, including governments, NGOs, UN agencies, and research organizations. So while the office I worked at was pretty small, with only around 15 staff, we were often communicating with many other organizations. The atmosphere in my office was very fast-paced and every day brought new challenges.
2) What work did you do for the IUCN?
I worked with the Blue Carbon Initiative, part of IUCN's Global Marine and Polar Program. Part of my work involved assisting my boss to coordinate the first workshop of the Blue Carbon Policy Working Group. This working group included top experts in the Blue Carbon field from around the world. I put together a 20-page background document outlining the current state of all policies, international conventions, and programs related to blue carbon to make sure everyone was up to speed and on the same page before the workshop began.
The other main project I worked on was researching and drafting a paper that investigated how mangroves can fit into international climate change policy, in particular a program called Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). The research I produced will contribute to a future IUCN publication.
3) What is Blue Carbon Policy?
Blue Carbon refers to coastal ecosystems that store and sequester huge amounts of carbon primarily in their soil, such as mangroves, sea grass, and salt marshes. When destroyed or degraded, the carbon stored in the soil of these ecosystems is released into the atmosphere slowly for decades. These ecosystems are declining at a rate faster than tropical forests and coral reefs, and make up a significant portion of global carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. Blue Carbon Policy refers to international efforts to incentivize protection of these ecosystems through various payment mechanisms.
4) Why is Blue Carbon Policy important?
Without policies that can provide economic incentives for countries to protect and restore Blue Carbon, these ecosystems are likely to continue declining at a rapid rate. In addition to concerns over carbon emissions, many developing countries depend on mangroves to support their fisheries and protect their coastal cities from storms and tsunamis.
5) How was the experience of putting together a Blue Carbon Policy workshop?
This was a fascinating experience for me. I learned a lot through the process of putting together a background document, assisting with note-taking, and observing how my boss facilitated the workshop. It was great to see the final product of the action plan and timeline, which showed how productive and successful the workshop had been.
6) Who was at the Blue Carbon Policy workshop?
Workshop participants included experts in climate change, ocean and land use policy from a wide range of NGO's, think tanks, the US State Department, UN agencies, the World Bank, and many wetland and coastal ecosystem scientists. This was really a top-notch group of people, so I felt pretty honored to be there.
7) Did you have a lot of opportunities to network with industry leaders?
Absolutely. The Blue Carbon Policy workshop was a great networking experience because I had lots of time for informal conversations with people. Aside from that, nearly every week I was able to go to a lecture or brownbag hosted by institutions throughout Washington, D.C., where I would meet other people in the field.
8) How did this fellowship help you towards reaching your career goal of working on climate change policy and sustainable development in Indonesia?
This internship has strengthened my resume considerably by giving me experience with a reputable, well-known international organization that is involved in high-level policy work. Also I had the opportunity to network with people from many international organizations that may be valuable connections for finding work in Indonesia in the near future.
9) Why are you so interested in working in Indonesia?
I worked there for 4 years before coming to the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS), working with several local grassroots organizations. I became interested in environmental issues affecting this country and the Southeast Asia region while living there, and it's been the focus of most of my work at MIIS so far.
I'm most interested in projects related to coastal ecosystem and land use issues, specifically projects that promote sustainable use of peat forests and mangroves.
10) What advice do you have to students looking at a fellowship with the Center for the Blue Economy?
It's really an amazing opportunity that you should not pass up. The organizations offering CBE Fellowships are some of the best in this field. These are not easy internships to get outside of the CBE!


text:
While there is a surplus of sparkly sweaters on the market right now, there's something about an embellished version that feels more forward-looking. Case in point: 3.1 Phillip Lim's Embellished Wool Sweater ($550) from the Resort 13 collection. Adorned with multicolored glass beads, the crew-neck not only hits on a major trend for the current season, but its decorative look is sure to be a crowd pleaser too. Lucky for its admirers, this month's Do It Yourself project offers an affordable way to get the look!
The Inspiration
It's hard to call out our favorite piece from the 3.1 Phillip Lim resort collection-how can we when there are so many covetable items to choose from?-but the designer's playfully embellished knits are definitely at the top of our list. Thanks to the addition of hand-painted antique beads, the Embellished Wool Sweater ($550) went from cold-weather basic to of-the-moment statement piece.
You can imagine our delight when Erica Domesek of P.S. I Made This showed us how easy it is to make our very own inspired-by version. Some intermediate sewing skills are required, but with the help of a few ingredients and steps, you'll have an equally dazzling piece in no time at all! Read on for all the important details.-Jessica Baker, with Nicole Shoohed
-We recommend recycling a sweater you already own, but if you want to try this project on a new pullover, Forever 21's 3/4 Sleeve Sweater ($15.50) is an affordable option.
–Glass Beads ($7-$9 per strand, you'll need approximately four strands (one stand for each type of bead) for this project)
-10mm x 1.5mm Gold-Plated Round End Tube Beads ($2)
1. Lay your sweater on a large flat surface.
2. Place the glass and tube beads on the front side of sweater creating a geometric pattern.
3. Using a needle and thread, stich the beads onto the sweater.


text:
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
On Wednesday, June 19, 2013, at approximately 8:25 pm, Dawon Nathaniel Markham was shot and killed in front of 221 62nd Street, NE. The Metropolitan Police Department seeks the public's assistance in gathering information regarding this incident.
[PDF] This document is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF). A PDF reader is required for viewing. Download a PDF Reader or learn more about PDFs.


text: Welcome to the website of the World Human Powered Vehicle Association. The WHPVA supports human-powered vehicle competition and ratifies and maintains performance records for the purpose of promoting advancements in human-power technology. On this side you are informed about pieces of news, like modifications of competition rules or record categories, newest records and the next events.


text:
By Hayden Wright
When the late J Dilla recorded "The Anthem" in the early 2000s, one original mix came from a young MC by the name of Kanye West.
Since Dilla's death in 2006, that audio has remained unreleased, until next month. "The Anthem" will appear on The Middle Finger, a compilation of recordings that will be released October 5th.
Related: Kanye West Blasts Back at Kid Cudi During Tampa, Florida Concert
In the 2013 documentary Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton, Kanye elaborated on how formative Dilla was in shaping the musician and MC he became.
"We gotta make music and think, 'If Dilla was alive, would he like this?'" West said. "I have to work on behalf of Dilla. When I put a weird-ass Jamaican sample, it works at first but it's not until I put the [makes discordant musical noise] that it sounds like art or sounds slightly wrong. And now it'll go to the radio now that it's wrong, motherf—–. Now play this. Play this 5-minute song that completely f—- up your programming. The best respect that we can pay to great artists that have inspired us so much is to never sell out."


text:
1. We get our first glimpse of "real" vampires in this chapter. What was your impression of them as a group and as individuals? Did you connect the fact that their red eyes had to do with the type of blood they drank?
Pretty scary, not only the fact that they are "real drink-human blood vampires" but they seemed wild. No shoes? really? And yes, I did connect the dots with the red eyes vs. golden eyes.
2. To me, the book takes on a second sort of plot right here with the emergence of Bella being hunted and put in danger by someone other than Edward. Up until know, the book had a much different feel and rhythm. Do you get the same impression or did you feel something different?
I suppose it could be taken as a different plot since we were dealing with Bella/Edward falling in love. This twist of the story is a more action packed, frantic pace.
3. On page 383, Alice says that there is another option than just running away, which angers Edward into saying, "There-is-no-other-option." What's your take on this moment and what do you think that other option is?
By then, I figured that Alice saw Bella in the future as a vampire..and Edward was fighting against that premonition.
4. Do you think that Bella had the best plan? Do you think things would have worked out better had they gone with Edward's plan? Considering how things worked out, do you have suggestions over what they should have done differently at this point?
The plan worked as well as any other would I think.


text:
4-Door 4WD V6 Manual XE
MSRP based on 4-Door XE 4WD V6 Manual
Select a style
MSRP based on 4-Door XE 4WD V6 Manual
MSRP: $21,049View Classifieds
Quick Specs
Gas Mileage 16 mpg City/18 mpg Hwy
Engine Gas V6, 3.3L
EPA Class 4WD Sport Utility
Style Name 4dr XE 4WD V6 Manual
Drivetrain Four Wheel Drive
Passenger Capacity 5
Passenger Doors 4
Body Style Sport Utility
Transmission 5-speed manual transmission w/OD
EPA Classification 4WD Sport Utility
Weight Information
Base Curb Weight (lbs) 3933
Interior Dimensions
Front Shoulder Room (in) 54.5
Second Hip Room (in) 51.9
Front Head Room (in) 38.6
Second Leg Room (in) 32.8
Passenger Capacity 5
Front Hip Room (in) 52.0
Front Leg Room (in) 41.4
Second Shoulder Room (in) 54.4
Passenger Volume (ft³) 50.2
Second Head Room (in) 37.8
Exterior Dimensions
Track Width, Front (in) 60.0
Liftover Height (in) - TBD -
Width, Max w/o mirrors (in) 70.4
Rear Door Opening Height (in) - TBD -
Wheelbase (in) 104.3
Track Width, Rear (in) 59.3
Height, Overall (in) 69.4
Rear Door Opening Width (in) - TBD -
Length, Overall (in) 178.0
Min Ground Clearance (in) 7.9
Cargo Area Dimensions
Cargo Box Width @ Wheelhousings (in) - TBD -
Cargo Area Length @ Floor to Seat 3 (in) NA
Cargo Volume to Seat 2 (ft³) 44.5
Cargo Area Length @ Floor to Seat 1 (in) 69.5
Cargo Box (Area) Height (in) 39.4
Cargo Area Width @ Beltline (in) 36.7
Cargo Volume to Seat 3 (ft³) NA
Cargo Area Length @ Floor to Seat 2 (in) - TBD -
Cargo Volume to Seat 1 (ft³) 65.6
Fuel Economy
Fuel Tank
Fuel Tank Capacity, Approx (gal) 19.4
EPA Fuel Economy Est - City (MPG) 16
EPA Fuel Economy Est - Hwy (MPG) 18
Performance Specs
SAE Net Horsepower @ RPM 170 @ 4800
Displacement 3.3L/200
Engine Order Code NA
SAE Net Torque @ RPM 200 @ 2800
Fuel System MFI
Engine Type Gas V6
Trans Description Cont. Again NA
Fifth Gear Ratio (:1) 0.81
Transfer Case Gear Ratio (:1), High 1.00
Trans Type 5
Third Gear Ratio (:1) 1.36
Clutch Size (in) - TBD -
Drivetrain Four Wheel Drive
First Gear Ratio (:1) 3.58
Sixth Gear Ratio (:1) NA
Transfer Case Gear Ratio (:1), Low 2.02
Trans Description Cont. Manual w/OD
Fourth Gear Ratio (:1) 1.00
Final Drive Axle Ratio (:1) 4.36
Trans Order Code NA
Second Gear Ratio (:1) 2.08
Reverse Ratio (:1) 3.64
Seventh Gear Ratio (:1) NA
Front Brake Rotor Diam x Thickness (in) 10.9 x - TBD -
Disc - Front (Yes or ) Yes
Rear Drum Diam x Width (in) 11.6 x - TBD -
Brake Type Power
Rear Brake Rotor Diam x Thickness (in) NA
Disc - Rear (Yes or ) NA
Brake ABS System 4-Wheel
Drum - Rear (Yes or ) Yes
Turning Diameter - Wall to Wall (ft) - TBD -
Lock to Lock Turns (Steering) 3.4
Steering Type Pwr Rack & Pinion
Turning Diameter - Curb to Curb (ft) 35.4
Steering Ratio (:1), Overall 17.6
Rear Tire Size P235/70R15
Spare Tire Order Code NA
Front Tire Order Code NA
Spare Tire Size P235/70R15
Front Tire Size P235/70R15
Rear Tire Order Code NA
Rear Wheel Material Steel
Spare Wheel Size (in) 15 x 7.0
Front Wheel Size (in) 15 x 7.0
Spare Wheel Material - TBD -
Front Wheel Material Steel
Rear Wheel Size (in) 15 x 7.0
Shock Absorber Diameter - Front (mm) - TBD -
Suspension Type - Front (Cont.) w/Coil Springs
Stabilizer Bar Diameter - Rear (in) 0.59
Suspension Type - Front Independent Strut
Shock Absorber Diameter - Rear (mm) - TBD -
Suspension Type - Rear (Cont.) w/Leaf Springs
Suspension Type - Rear Rigid Axle
Stabilizer Bar Diameter - Front (in) 1.06
Safety Features
Air Bag-Frontal-Driver Yes
Air Bag-Frontal-Passenger Yes
Air Bag-Passenger Switch (On/Off) No
Air Bag-Side Body-Front No
Air Bag-Side Body-Rear No
Air Bag-Side Head-Front No
Air Bag-Side Head-Rear No
Brakes-ABS Yes
Child Safety Rear Door Locks Yes
Daytime Running Lights No
Traction Control No
Night Vision No
Rollover Protection Bars No
Fog Lamps No
Parking Aid No
Tire Pressure Monitor No
Back-Up Camera No
Stability Control No
Other Features 4-wheel anti-lock braking system
Driver & front passenger airbags
3-point front seat belts w/height adjusters, pretensioners
3-point rear outboard seat belts
Child safety rear door locks
Side-door guard beams
Hood buckling creases
Front/rear crumple zones
Driver & front passenger airbags
3-point front seat belts w/height adjusters, pretensioners
3-point rear outboard seat belts
Child safety rear door locks
Side-door guard beams
Hood buckling creases
Front/rear crumple zones
Basic Miles/km 36,000
Basic Years 3
Corrosion Miles/km Unlimited
Corrosion Years 5
Drivetrain Miles/km 60,000
Drivetrain Years 5
Other Specs
Cooling System
Total Cooling System Capacity (qts) 10.8
Cold Cranking Amps @ 0° F (Primary) - TBD -
Maximum Alternator Capacity (amps) 80
Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Trailer Wt. (lbs) 3500
Dead Weight Hitch - Max Trailer Wt. (lbs) 3500
Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Tongue Wt. (lbs) 350
Dead Weight Hitch - Max Tongue Wt. (lbs) 350
Looking for other models of the Nissan Xterra?Read reviews & get prices
Compare the 2001 Nissan Xterra against the competitionCompare All Cars