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Hello, my name is Randy Eads and I live in Austin, Texas. My favorite pastime is to ride the backroads of the Lone Star State on my BMW R1200GS Adventure or my BMW R1200GS HP2. "GS" stands for Gelande-Strasse in German. This translates to Trail and Street in English. My translation is that it means "Go Somewhere" in Texas. I am a life member of the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America. A few of my articles have been published in the BMWMOA Owners News. I created this page to share some of my favorite Texas backroads and to encourage other GS riders to get off the pavement and wander around the dirt roads. You'll also find a few of my other interests, out-of-the-ordinary places to visit, and some other things that might be of interest to someone. Just click on the links below to wander through my page:
The background is from The Rock Art Collection by Taos artist David Sprague. You can see David's work at Studio Sprague in Taos, NM. Click on the the title if you would like to see what "Sun Shaman of the Tatokala" looked like before I made it into a transparency. Used with the permission of the artist.


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Dec 18, 2013
The second update to the cool casual 2D golf game will introduce a complete new tour, a number of yet unknown new features, and something especially cool. For the fans of the impossibly hard platformer, Super Meat Boy, there's going to be a new course, based off of the game. The developer says they "even got the track 'Forest Funk' by Danny Baranowsky", and "Super Meat Boy is one of our all time favourite indie games and having [Team Meat] allow us to make this course was super humbling." The game can be downloaded for free from here: Super Stickman Golf 2 on Google Play.

subset: commoncrawl


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Jane Lynch: Emmys 2011 Host!
It's official – Jane Lynch is hosting the 2011 Emmys!
"I am tickled pink to be hosting the Primetime Emmys. I'm looking forward to singing, dancing and sporting my finest tracksuit," the 50-year-old Glee star said in a statement.
"Jane was my first – and only – choice as the host for this year's Primetime Emmys, and I am glad she said 'yes,'" said executive producer Mark Burnett. "She has incredible comedic timing, and is a charismatic, talented actress whose energy leaps off the screen and stage. I am thrilled and excited to have her as our host."
The 2011 Emmys airs live from Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Sunday, September 18, on Fox.
ARE YOU EXCITED to see Jane Lynch host this year's Emmys?


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At a time when talk of "death panels" commands headlines, George Bernard Shaw's "The Doctor's Dilemma," recently revived in London to critical acclaim, is a particularly timely satire about a celebrated physician who has just discovered a life-saving treatment for tuberculosis. Solomon-like, he must decide whether to use his serum to save an absolute scoundrel who is an artistic genius or an honorable associate who is an undistinguished mediocrity. The fact that he is in love with the genius' wife makes his decision even more problematical.
For almost three hours, Shaw's signature wit is in ample supply. Conversely and irritatingly, so is Shaw's tendency to inject his own social and political beliefs into meandering interchanges of flagrant didacticism.
At the risk of infuriating Shaw enthusiasts and scholars, might one suggest that the frustratingly discursive "Dilemma" could have been, as is so often the case with Shakespeare, judiciously and respectfully pruned?
Enough with such blasphemous musings. After all, if stripped of extraneous rants, would Shaw really still be Shaw? Fortunately, in the play's lively current staging at A Noise Within, director Dámaso Rodríguez and a ready cast ride Shaw's hobbyhorse themes at a full gallop, blowing past the piece's occasional stodginess with sheer comical verve.


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Next to the old castle of Oia we have created the namesake restaurant overlooking the Aegean Sea and the beautiful sunset of Oia. Since 1990 we offer our services with Mediterranean flavors using products from Santorini and the rest of Greece.
such as olive oil which is our production from the estate of the family in the ancient Olympia as well as the wine is produced and bottled in cooperation with family Tsamtsakiri in Halkidiki.
participating in this way in the culinary richness of Santorini. Here you can enjoy the beautiful sunset with a glass of wine and the delicious dishes that we prepare every day for you.


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NHS Health Scotland has been working with representatives of the National Mental Health Improvement Network on creating a vision for public mental health in Scotland.
Good Mental Health for All brings together this vision, and marks the beginning of a collaborative approach to raise the profile and benefits of mental health improvement activity in Scotland. The work focuses on the promotion of mental health and wellbeing, the prevention of mental health problems, and tackling inequalities in mental health. This is sometimes referred to as a Public Mental Health approach.
Like many other countries, we in Scotland believe that mental health should be a priority across all aspects of society. Good Mental Health for All describes how mental health has an impact on our ability to live healthy lives and how we contribute to society.
Good Mental Health for All takes account of the protective factors for good mental health, alongside the risk factors for mental health problems. Good Mental Health for all has an emphasis on wellbeing, outlining the strategies that support people to have positive mental health It brings together a vision of a mentally flourishing Scotland and sets it in the context of current thinking and developments to address health inequalities – essential if good mental health for all is to be achieved.
Good Mental Health for All aims to:
• raise awareness of the value of good mental health for all
• illustrate how, and why, mental health interventions contribute to a range of outcomes within service strategies and delivery plans, as well as contributing to the key priorities identified within Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) functions and Single Outcome Agreements
• reinforce the value of a coordinated, collaborative approach across services, sectors and communities towards improving mental health and tackling inequalities in mental health
• illustrate the contributions that can be made by all sectors and individuals towards achieving improved mental health for all.
Good Mental Health for All presentation:
The Good Mental Health For All presentation provides you with the background and rationale for the approach, and can be tailored to your requirements. Whether you're talking to colleagues in housing, education or Local Government, this presentation can help to identify the contribution everyone can make to achieving good mental health for all.
If you need to talk to someone
Read more...
Keep up to date with what's going on.
Sign up to the Public Mental Health e-bulletin and updates.


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After learning that just one pint of blood can save three lives, I knew that this event and partnership with the American Red Cross could make a huge difference in our community.
Auburn Hills, MI (PRWEB) May 01, 2014
As the American Red Cross likes to say about giving blood, 'the need is constant, and the gratification is instant;' that's why the Crowne Plaza Auburn Hills hotel partnered with the American Red Cross to help save lives by hosting a blood drive on Monday, April 28th.
The demand for blood donations in the Auburn Hills, Michigan area is very constant and donations are needed in order to offset this shortage. Over five million patients all over the country will at some point need blood this year. And each weekday, the Southeastern Michigan Blood Services Region needs to have at least 900 blood donors to help meet the need of patients in the hospitals they serve.
"I am excited to have the opportunity to help save peoples' lives with this blood drive," said Christine Ruedisueli, Director of Catering at the Crowne Plaza Auburn Hills, and the event coordinator for their blood drive. "After learning that just one pint of blood can save three lives, I knew that this event and partnership with the American Red Cross could make a huge difference in our community."
To encourage blood donations, the Crowne Plaza Auburn Hills gave donors the opportunity to win some great prizes. Every donor was entered into a drawing for a $150.00 Kroger Gift Card and a one night stay at the Crowne Plaza Auburn Hills. In addition, all donors also received a 25% off food voucher at O'Malley's Tavern Auburn Hills.
The Crowne Plaza was proud to announce that Troy, Michigan native, Cindy Kanczuzewski, was the winner of the free one-night stay at the hotel! Cindy is a passionate and avid blood donor! In fact, her donation on April 28th completed her 17th gallon of donated blood over her lifetime. You can read more about the blood drive and see photos at the Crowne Plaza Auburn Hills hotel's Facebook page.
About B. F. Saul Company Hospitality Group
Based in Bethesda, MD, B. F. Saul Company Hospitality Group owns and operates a portfolio of full service, select service, and extended stay hotels located in MD, VA, MI and FL. The Hospitality Group serves both business and leisure guests seeking first class DC hotel accommodations, Washington, D.C. area meeting facilities, and banquet venues. The company also operates two IACC Certified Northern Virginia Executive Conference & Training Centers. To learn more about the B. F. Saul Company Hospitality Group go to http://www.bfsaulhotels.com.


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"Don't fetishize the tools."
What you see above is not, it turns out, a brainstorming session at the Gates Foundation's Postsecondary Success Strategy project offices but, rather, a fresco, "The Damned" by Luca Signorelli, circa 1500, in the Chapel of San Brizio, Duomo, Orvieto. But you know, the thing is digitized, too, I'm just saying. http://184.108.40.206/early_renaissance/signorelli9.html
Ok, kids, meet Daniel Greenstein, just now appointed by the Gates Foundation as their leader of Postsecondary Success Strategy, "which aims to boost the number of students earning degrees and credentials by helping institutions adopt strategies and tools that will improve instruction and hold down costs" He replaces Hillary Pennington. (Inside Higher Education)
And he doesn't want you to "fetishize the tools." About which more, below.
First, though, a brief intro. He comes from University of California—he'll start with Gates July 2—where he is Vice Provost for academic planning, programs and coordination.
His most recent accomplishment was the launch of UC's Online Instruction Pilot Project, the sort of venture that creates, among many, anxieties about job security and the future of faculties staffed primarily by human beings.
Greenstein has been quoted on this matter, in the Chronicle: "Change is hard, and fear is rife, especially in bad budget times, so it doesn't surprise me [fears of job loss, especially among lecturers at UC]. But, "We're not looking at replacing people. We're looking at dealing with the undergraduate load with the faculty we've got."
So, no problem there.
Now, I thought I might share with you a few bits from a clip featuring Vice Provost Greenstein, as he chaired a meeting last year on the aforementioned online project.
This isn't a complete transcript of the 12 minute clip, but it does give,I think, a flavor of his philosophy and management style.
"Don't fetishize the tools," he asks his audience, which consists of "Instructional Designers," and faculty, working on the projects' first courses.
"Don't feishize the tools. We have a development budget."
A pause. "But, we can't…"
There's some laughter. What can't we do? I can't make it out.
He picks up again, about the process—the gathering of "roadmaps" for the new offerings, and notes that it "Allows us to identify what the common needs are and then to prioritize our investment in them."
"And from that we'll be able to have a discussion with you about, you know…is that widget that you need,…is, well, you're the only one."
That's clear enough. I suppose it could be rephrased as this: you are the only one who needs that widget.
But even if it is only you, and you alone, he continues, who needs that particular widget, "you're perfectly placed and we'll help you develop it."
I think it's already been mentioned that "We have a development budget."
So I guess there's no problem with your particular widget, except that you're going to have to develop it within your project as opposed to these things that we are going to supply across the commons."
A real life case is now presented: "If there are proctoring tools and there's a bunch of proctoring uses, you know we'll source it collectively. It'll be cheaper for us to source it collectively than for you to source it from scarce funds."
Then again, an exhortation: "Do not fetishize the tools, do not fetishize the budget."
"Don't get all exercised about you know, I need this. I mean some of you do need very specific widgets and so obviously tell us."
"My sense is that the ones who do need specific widgets already know what they are, and what you're telling us is you need that widget, I need my widget, and that's fine, that's important to know too."
"But others are more I need a widget that does something like that, so that's really where we want you to focus on."
Hope this helps with your grant proposals.


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MILWAUKEE — Relying on what New York Coach Joe Walton called "an old-fashioned knock 'em down game," the Jets Sunday defeated the Green Bay Packers, 24-3.
"Our pass rush really took them out of their rhythm," Walton said. "It was a big part of this game plan. We intended to go right at their passing game, and we had some success."
The Jets, who had five sacks, held the pass-oriented Packers to 193 yards offense--122 through the air.
An error-prone Green Bay offense--the Jets scored touchdowns off two fumbles and an interception--was at fault, Green Bay Coach Forrest Gregg said.
"When you get three points in a ball game you have to believe something's wrong," Gregg said. "That won't beat anybody. I am disturbed about the ball game, I am disturbed about the offensive production. I have been disturbed about the offensive production all year."


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Actress America Ferrera is hobbling around on crutches after spraining her ankle following her weekend (04-05Mar17) triathlon triumph.
The former Ugly Betty star completed the grueling Desert Triathlon in La Quinta, California with her husband Ryan Piers Williams on Saturday (04Mar17), but it appears the tough trek has taken its toll.
On Monday (06Mar17), America was photographed on crutches by WENN as she left a Hollywood press event for NBC, the U.S. network behind her TV comedy Superstore, and she has since taken to Instagram to share the nature of her injury.
She reposted a snap of herself on crutches beside This Is Us actor Milo Ventimiglia, who had his right arm in a sling after recently undergoing surgery, and joked about the ailing duo starring in a new series, referencing their two hit shows, This is Us and Superstore.
"'THIS IS SUPER'. NBC's new dramedy starring my sprained ankle and @miloanthonyventimiglia's ailing arm. Fridays at 2:30am," she quipped.
America went on to assure fans she is doing her best to recover in time for her next fitness challenge, the Lavaman Waikoloa Triathlon in Hawaii on 2 April (17).
"And for those of you sweet enough to be concerned about my upcoming Triathlon," she added, "I'm doing PT (physical therapy) and working toward being strong and healed!"
The 32-year-old has become a big fan of the sporting events since completing her very first triathlon, the Nautica Malibu Triathlon, in September (16), on the eve of the 2016 Emmy Awards.
"I just did my first triathlon yesterday. And I survived!" she told E! on the Emmys red carpet. "It was incredible. I'm as proud of committing to it and doing it and accomplishing as I am just about anything I've done in my life. It was incredible."
She continued, "I'm just so grateful for my body and how healthy it is, how strong it is, and that I am able. That was my one main thought was, 'I'm so grateful that I'm able to do this.'"


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The Times is pleased to have Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones guest-blogging for us while he competes on "Dancing With the Stars." Each week while he competes on the show, Jones will answer a few questions from Sports Now editor Houston Mitchell and give some insight into the competition. Here are Jones' thoughts about Week 1, which he offered via email.
Q: They showed a great clip during the show of you dancing with your mom: How did she think you did on your first dance Monday?
My mom is my #1 fan and my greatest critic. She thinks I did a great job considering the short time I had to practice, which was only one week. She did say that due to my height and the intensity of the moves I need to improve on my posture in order to execute with more precision.
Q: You are one of the favorites going into the competition, and football players always do well on the show. Do you feel any extra pressure because of that?


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Vehicle MOT testing
This series presents estimates of MOT non-compliance among vehicles observed driving on British roads.
The Department's estimates of MOT non-compliance are derived by directly observing registration marks from traffic at various sites around the country and comparing these with records held by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, which administers to MOT testing system in Britain.
Browse statistical releases within this series
Notes and guidance
The Department contributed to roads policing operation V79, whose reports provides alternative estimates of both Vehicle Excise Duty Evasion and MOT non-compliance. The V79 operation involved police officers stopping vehicles at random on the road, and carrying out checks on a range of regulatory and documentary requirements for both the vehicle and its driver.
Any differences between figures published in V79 reports and those in this series are caused by the differences in methodology. However, it should be noted that the V79 operation is based on a much smaller sample of vehicles, and its results are not treated as official statistics.
National Statistics
These statistics are not National Statistics. They are presently experimental and are currently being assessed by the United Kingdom Statistics Authority (UKSA). A final report is expected to be published in Summer 2011.
Pre-release access lists
These lists detail the post-holders that are given pre-release access for up to 24 hours prior to release.
Background information
- Roads policing operation V79 report for 2008 (PDF – 402 KB)
- Vehicle licensing statistics
- Vehicle excise duty evasion statistics
External websites
Contact us
- firstname.lastname@example.com
- Phone: 020 7944 3077


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Our goal is for De La Rue to be positioned as an integrated, technology led Group delivering improved growth and profitability.
We have a clear strategic roadmap which will enable us to optimise and flex our print, cash processing and paper products and services while investing and building in the higher growth areas of polymer, components, citizen identity management and product authentication.
In Currency print, CPS and Currency paper we will optimise our operations and improve profitability and cash flow through ongoing operational excellence, reducing costs and optimising our production footprint. We will explore opportunities to partner with third parties to provide extra flexibility in our capacities and thereby reduce the impact of unpredictable orders and more efficiently meet short term fluctuations in order demand.
We expect demand for polymer substrate to grow at a materially faster rate than demand for paper and as one of only two manufacturers we believe we are well placed to capture this growth.
We have an improving pipeline of new component products and we intend to increase the level of investment in innovation in this area to ensure we capture an increased share of the growing market for this high margin product line.
We are already the largest commercial supplier of passports in the world but we see good opportunities to grow our market share in this area. This growth will arise from increased demand for security features within the passport or identity card and the trend towards governments seeking complete end-to-end solutions addressing personalisation, issuance and integration with other government systems.
As governments increasingly seek software solutions to authenticate products either for tax generation or, in the case of tobacco products for health reasons, we anticipate attractive growth prospects for our authentication products. We have considerable experience of producing the physical tax stamp and increasing experience of delivering an end-to-end service with software products and services.
A common theme across all 'Invest and Build' product lines is technology and innovation. We are well placed to capture the growth opportunities and will seek to build on our position through increased investment in innovation and our people and, where appropriate, through joint ventures and partnerships.


text: borchersl Play via YouTube OPEN IN APP NSFW Safe Is this playlist safe for work? Sleep and Dream February 21, 2010 | 11 tracks | 91 5 | Stats Massive Attack Four Tet Flying Lotus electronicalternative rock Liked Collect Share Edit Liked! Share this mix with friends: Sleep and Dream Wrong video Collect Share Liked! Share this mix with friends:


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Pot Roast [Instant Pot]
Instant Pot – Pot Roast
I love pot roast – it is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. Normally I make pot roast in my dutch oven – seasoning and searing the chuck roast in my stove top first, then adding the rest of the ingredients and slow braising in the oven at about 275 degrees for 3+ hours then make gravy from cooking liquid. All in all, between prepping, searing and braise and gravy time, it takes me about 4 hours to produce. It's always worth it! But, not something I can do on the weekday-fly for sure.
My husband got me an Instant Pot on Black Friday – thanks Amazon Prime, lightning deal!
I was excited, but nervous, to use it today. People that own them talk in this "Instant Pot" lingo (I plan to crack the lingo soon – stay tuned). From the lingo to the comments and posts you see online, it can be easy to get intimidated. But, I faced my pressure cooker fear, and made one of my favorite meals — Pot Roast! Needless to say, I was really hoping for as good if not better results from my Instant Pot pot roast trial run. Well… good news!
Total SUCCESS!
Here is how I did it – I included the ingredients in sections based on steps, and also included the time it took to complete steps in directions below:
2 T. olive oil
2.5 lb chuck roast, thawed
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t paprika
1/2 packet onion soup mix
Deglazing liquid:
1/2 cup dry red wine (may substitute beef broth)
Braising liquid:
1 1/2 cups beef broth
2 T. Worcestershire
Vegetable Aromatics for braising:
1 large onion, peeled and cut in half
4 stalks celery, left whole
2 carrots, peeled and cut in half (you can sub 5-6 baby carrots)
4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 bunch fresh thyme, about 8 sprigs
Vegetables (added later per recipe):
8 small baby red potatoes, left whole
1-2 large onion, quartered, depending on how much onion you prefer
1 large sweet potato, cut roughly into 2 inch cubes (optional – if omitted, add 4-6 additional baby red potatoes)
16 baby carrots
Gravy thickener:
3 T. corn starch
2 T melted butter
1-2 T cooking liquid
Set Instant Pot (IP) on sauté, leave lid off and allow to heat. While IP is heating, season roast with salt, pepper, paprika and onion soup mix – make sure to rub in. Once IP display says "HOT", add 2 T. olive oil and roast. Sear for 2-3 minutes each side (about 5 minutes total).
Add wine, and use IP spatula to scrap bottom of pan to deglaze for about a minute, carefully moving roast around to get all the bits. All those bits are FLAVOR – and you don't want to leave them stuck to the IP insert or they may burn.
Once deglazing is done (2 minutes), add beef broth and Worcestershire as well as vegetable aromatics for braising – onion, celery, carrots, garlic and thyme. Place lid on IP and close, and turn vent on lid to "Sealing". More IP lingo… refer to picture below this step. Press "manual" button, then "+/-" to adjust cook time to 45 minutes. NOTE: it will take about 5-10 minutes for IP to pressurize – don't let this make you think you've done something wrong! Once pressurization is complete (5-10 mins), the timer will begin it's countdown.
Once manual cook time is complete (45 minutes), IP will beep and automatically change to "Keep Warm" setting. Carefully turn vent to "Venting" to release the pressure (about 3-5 minutes). This is known as Quick Pressure Release (QPR) in IP lingo! I cover the vent with a towel while QPR is in progress – less noise, less steam on my cabinets. NOTE: IP will not allow you to open the lid until pressure is released – this is for your safety!
Once pressure is released and steam no longer comes from the vent, open the lid. At this point, your work could be done. You could cook veggies separately to go with your roast, or omit if desired and serve over rice perhaps. However, I like my pot roast more "traditional" with the veggies to pair. If you do too, follow the next section – if not, skip to removing roast and making gravy.
Quickly but carefully remove as many of the aromatic veggies as you can & discard – these will likely be rather mushy by now, but have served a very noble purpose! Add additional fresh vegetables: baby red potatoes, onion, sweet potato (optional), carrots (2 minutes). Replace lid on IP, making sure vent is turned to "Sealing". Press manual and "+/-" to change cook time to 8 minutes. Again, it will take some time for IP to pressurize – once pressurization is restored, countdown will begin and when over IP will beep. Press "cancel" then turn vent to "Venting" to de-pressurize – aka QPR! (Removing aromatics, adding new veggies, cooking and depressurizing takes about 12 mins total — remember to place a towel over the vent while venting, if desired).
You're now at the gravy making process. Transfer roast and vegetables to serving platter, but leave all juices – meat will be so tender, it will likely fall apart (YUM!). Cover with foil to keep warm. Using slotted spoon, remove any chunks of veggies from cooking liquid. Press "saute" button on IP. In separate small bowl, whisk corn starch, melted butter and 2 T cooking liquid to create what's known as a thickening "slurry" – make sure to remove all lumps. Whisk "slurry" into remaining cooking liquid in IP, whisking every 10-15 seconds for about 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened (5-6 minutes total).
Finally, serve pot roast over veggies, smothered in savory gravy. This pot roast would be delish served over ANYthing – rice, egg noodles, baked potato, a shoe…
All in all, the entire process took me less than 1 1/2 hours. Definitely an improvement from a 4 hour oven braised pot roast process, no cleaning my glass top stove (score!), and a much more tender, delicious result!


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Writer's Café
Thank you for your interest in submitting an article. In order to submit content, you will need to read and agree to ABILITY Magazine Writer's Guidelines. Please use the form below to add all written content. You will then have the opportunity to send images or graphics after submission.


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By Alexander Dziadosz
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian police deployed security at the homes of prominent liberal opponents of the government on Thursday after a hardline cleric called for their deaths and a secular politician was gunned down in Tunisia.
The death on Wednesday of Chokri Belaid, an outspoken critic of Tunisia's Islamist-led government, was condemned by the opposition in Egypt, where two years of political turmoil has exposed divisions between Islamists and their secular opponents.
The same day, Egyptian liberal politician Mohamed ElBaradei - former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency - sounded the alarm on a hardline cleric's call for his own death.
The cleric, Mahmoud Shaaban, appeared on a religious television channel and said leaders of Egypt's main opposition coalition would get a death sentence under sharia (Islamic law).
He specifically mentioned ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahy.
The statements were denounced by Islamists and leftists across Egypt's political spectrum, including the Muslim Brotherhood, which has dominated democratic elections since mass protests ousted President Hosni Mubarak two years ago.
"The Muslim Brotherhood condemns calls allowing bloodshed and inciting killing, whatever their source," it said in a statement on its website, quoting spokesman Mahmoud Ghozlan.
Abboud al-Zumar, an Islamist who served three decades in prison for his role in the 1981 assassination of Mubarak's predecessor Anwar Sadat, also rejected the statements.
"There's never any place for a person to deal with their political opponents with weapons," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation-sponsored news website Aswat Masriya in an interview.
Prime Minister Hisham Kandil said on his Facebook page the cabinet was looking into legal steps it could take against "all those who issue or spread edicts or fatwas inciting violence".
President Mohamed Mursi, a Brotherhood member, has struggled to restore security and mend the ailing economy in the Arab world's most populous country, with 80 million people, since he was elected in June.
At least 59 people died in more than a week of street protests starting late last month over what demonstrators saw as Mursi's attempts to monopolize power, as well as a broader sense of political and economic malaise.
Activists have called for more demonstrations on Friday. Ahead of those protests, Egyptian police stationed forces in front of opposition politicians' homes, security sources said.
"We've asked the Central Security leadership to appoint a fixed guard in front of the homes of Mohamed ElBaradei and Hamdeen Sabahy," one security source said.
A witness said around 15 police and a security car had been deployed on the street where ElBaradei's home is. ElBaradei's press office said he did not request the protection.
While Islamists enjoy substantial popular support, many Egyptians have grown frustrated at what they see as attempts to hijack a revolution they started to topple a dictator and improve their quality of life.
The Nour Party, which professes a strict Salafist form of Islam, called cleric Shaaban's statements "irresponsible" and said he should be investigated.
The al-Watan party, which split from Nour, and the leftist Popular Current party also criticized Shabaan's utterance.
(Additional reporting by Omar Fahmy and Shaimaa Fayed; Editing by Mark Heinrich)


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Best Burgers and Hot Dogs
Ina's Sliders on the Grill 02:59
Videos In This Playlist
Ina's Sliders on the Grill 02:59
Baby burgers make any occasion seem special -- who can resist them?
Jeff's Chicago-Style Hot Dog 03:52
Chicago native Jeff Mauro knows hot dogs -- and relish, fries and toppings.
Similar Topics:
Bobby's Cedar-Planked Burgers 03:08
Cedar planks add even more flavor complexity to Bobby's barbecue burgers.
Ultimate Burger Bar 02:18
Tyler Florence provides ideas for creating your own ultimate burger.
Grilled Hot Dogs/Pickle Relish 01:44
Bobby makes fresh pickle relish to top his grilled link hot dogs.
Similar Topics:
The Perfect Burger 02:44
Burger-making is an art that's easy to master with a few tips.Step-by-step photos
Bobby's Cheesy Nacho Dog 00:59
For this throwdown, Bobby makes a cheesy nacho on a hot dog.
Similar Topics:
Guy's Killer Inside-Out Burger 04:46
Killer squared: Guy's Inside-Out Burger topped with Worcestershire ketchup.Get the recipe
Bobby Flay's Hot Dog Tips 00:56
Bobby Flay shares tips on grilling the ultimate summer treat: hot dogs.Get the recipe
Tyler's Ultimate Chili Dog 03:40
Tyler's tip: Don't use regular chili -- this one is more like a condiment.
Similar Topics:
Sausage with Marsala Sauce 05:42
Try a recipe from Giada for sweet Italian sausage with peppers and onions.
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Bobby's Crunchburger 02:44
Bobby Flay shares his recipe for his signature burger, the Crunchburger.
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Texas Dog 00:46
Bobby's Texas Dog is an all-beef frank topped with bbq sauce and a pickle.
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Veggie Patties 05:18
Joined by his mom and his sister, Morgan, Guy makes vegetarian burgers.
Perfect Corndogs 04:24
Alton Brown shows you how to make the best corn dog in the world.
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Ree's Special Sliders Recipe 03:04
Ree makes sliders special by adding an unusual ingredient before grilling.
Bobby's Vanilla Milkshakes 02:46
Bobby Flay whips up a vanilla milkshake and a blackberry nutmeg milkshake.
Similar Topics:
Anne's Turkey Burger Secrets 03:30
Anne shares her secrets for giving turkey burgers a pop of Asian flavor.
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Bobby's Grilled French Fries 03:00
Bobby Flay shares how to grill French fries, complete with dipping sauces.
Similar Topics:
Bobby's Miami Burger 02:40
Bobby Flay grills up his Cuban sandwich-inspired Miami burger.
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Bobby's Arthur Avenue Burger 01:56
Bobby Flay adds real New York flavor to his Arthur Avenue Burger recipe.Get the Recipe
Bobby's Washington Burger 02:33
Bobby infuses his Washington State Burger with rich, wild mushroom flavors.Get the Recipe
Cheese-Stuffed Burgers 01:35
Trisha stuffs cheese inside burgers, then grills them to juicy perfection.
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Burger Bash Winners: 2014 SOBE 02:07
The annual Burger Bash at Food Network's 2014 SOBE Wine and Food Festival.More from Food Network
Hot Wieners with Guy Fieri 02:58
Guy wants his hot dogs served all the way - up the cook's arm, that is!
Southwest Turkey Burgers 03:35
These burgers are so scrumptious, you won't believe you're eating healthy!
Similar Topics:
Sliders With Chipotle Mayo 03:10
You've never had sliders till you've had them with Bobby's chipotle mayo.
Sunny's Stuffed Burgers 05:16
Sunny takes all the things you love ON burgers and stuffs them IN burgers.
Guy's Chicken Patty Burgers 07:28
Guy Fieri makes a healthful burger with big, satisfying flavors.
Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers 02:43
The secret to Sandra's teriyaki burgers: pineapple slices grilled on top.
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Mini Memphis Burgers 02:47
The Neelys add extra flavor to their burgers with a homemade mustard sauce.
Guy's Big Bite Crab Burger 03:36
Guy tops his meaty crab burgers with a creamy celery root remoulade slaw.
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Aarti's Burger-Grilling Party 03:22
Aarti throws a burger party -- and shares her tips for perfect grilling.
Mustard-Glazed Brat Skewers 03:29
A secret ingredient sweetens the mustard glaze on Sandra's brat skewers.


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Sergio Garcia left a world-class field in his wake, making eight birdies in his first 15 holes for a 5-under 67 that gave him a six-shot lead in the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte, N.C.
Garcia pulled away with three straight birdies on the back nine and moved to 12-under 204.
D.J. Trahan was at 6-under 210, along with Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk.
Tiger Woods squandered opportunities on the front nine and failed to make a birdie over the final 11 holes for a 73, leaving him at 1-under 215.


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Six degrees of freedom (6DOF) devices allow for movement in three axes, tilt in two axes, and rotation in the third. Some of these devices look like small joysticks -- for example, the SpaceNavigator. These devices are typically used for computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) and other 3-D applications. With a new programming library, you can now also use them with Linux applications.
You might wonder why you would ever want to use such a device with a desktop application. Well, imagine using the rotation of the device to control your video playback speed, or moving the x-axis of the device to see the next image in a slideshow.
Sure you can map keys on the keyboard to increase playback speed 10% in a video player, and pressing Space will show you the next image in a slideshow viewer. But with a 6DOF device, moving the x-axis is not a binary operation. If you move the axis with more force, you should be able to skip through more images per second than if you move the device only 25% in the x-axis. For video playback you might want to move all the way to get playback to happen 20 times faster than real time. As soon as you let go of the dial you might want to revert to normal playback speed or paused video. You can makes the 6DOF device act in a similar manner to a jog shuttle.
I created libsixdof to let applications easily support 6DOF devices. One key to the design of libsixdof was to have a minimal impact on an application (small patch size) in order for it to support control by a 6DOF device. I also wanted to be able to set up complex configurations for a 6DOF device -- for example, using a button on the device to switch axis movement and tilt to control a different function in the application until the base mode was activated again. Some folks may frown on modal input designs like this but I don't see why you should not have the freedom to map device actions to functions in an application any way you want.
The three core things that an application must do in order to support libsixdof are to register an XWindow with libsixdof, let libsixdof see XEvents so it can monitor for events from the device, and provide a callable function table. The libsixdof library takes care of mapping device activity into functions in the application and calling them.
You can register two types of functions with libsixdof: a trivial and a callable function. A trivial function takes no arguments, while a callable function takes a single floating point number as an argument. The floating point number passed to a callable function specifies what pressure is currently put on the currently active axis of the device. For example, if the x-axis is set to call a pan-x function and the device is moved 50% of the total distance in the x-axis, then the argument to the pan-x method will be 0.5. Having callable functions that take the amount of pressure as an argument like this allows libsixdof to perform smoother panning because you can make fewer function calls into the application in order to pan the canvas the same distance.
Apart from letting the user configure what device movements actually do in the application, keeping the device XEvent handling separate from the application lets the user set up calibration of the device and non-linear mappings. An application developer might provide a default configuration of bindings for a 6DOF device to get the user started, but it is ultimately up to the application user, not the developer, as to how device movements control the application when the 6DOF device is used with libsixdof.
As an example of calibration, the GIMP supports Linux /dev/input devices. If you are not using a 6DOF device with XWindow and you have read access to the right /dev/input device, you can tell the GIMP to monitor that device and use the Input plugins to perform GIMP functions when the device receives some events. But there is no support for calibration in the Input plugin. This means that if you set up z-axis movement on a 6DOF device to zoom the current window in, a slight touch of the device will zoom you in beyond any level that might be interesting. Because libsixdof configuration supports calibration, you can tell the library that z-axis movement should have less effect on the zooming function. The result is that you can make zooming less sensitive to the touch of the device. Another example: you could tell libsixdof that an x-axis movement is to move only five images per second when the device is held at 100% on its x-axis.
Non-linear mappings are not implemented yet, but the idea is that you can make movement in an axis be reported to the application in ways that are non-linear, so as you move more on the x-axis, the application function is called more and more aggressively.
You configure libsixdof through a .libsixdofrc file in your home directory. For each application you want to control you have a section in this file telling libsixdof what device actions to map to what application functionality. Part of a libsixdofrc file is shown below. The preamble includes some global device configuration information. The
axis_ settings set up the overall calibration of the device. The axis_move_minval_cutoff setting tells libsixdof not to report any movement in any of the degrees of freedom where the movement is less than 40% of the axis. Having a high setting for axis_move_minval_cutoff means that beginner users will not call multiple functions because they have moved 10% in a second axis as well is 40% in the axis that they are primarily interested in.
The axis and buttons sections allow you to set up mnemonics for both the axis movement and buttons of the device. It can be much simpler when binding movement to a function if you are able to use yaxisback to specify the axis instead of needing to know that Linux reports that as axis 7 movement. Some 6DOF devices also come with more than 10 buttons, and rather than remembering that button 17 is on the left side of the device, it is much simpler to give a descriptive name to each device button. These axis and button mnemonics can then be used throughout the rest of the configuration file.
Each application has a section of its own in the configuration file. In the below example you can see the settings for controlling the feh image viewer. Various axis movements have been assigned to call application functions. The period argument tells libsixdof the maximum number of times that a function can be called per second. This lets you set up how quickly the axis movement will effect functionality in the application. A button configuration example is also included. There can of course be multiple
app sections to specify the bindings for each libsixdof-controlled application.
axis_max_per_second_neg={ 46000, 46000, 21000, 25000, 25000, 35000 }
axis_max_per_second_pos={ 57000, 57000, 28000, 25000, 25000, 18000 }
number=6 name=xaxisleft
number=0 name=xaxisright
number=7 name=yaxisback
number=1 name=yaxisforward
number=8 name=zaxisup
number=2 name=zaxisdown
number=9 name=xtiltaway
number=3 name=xtilttowards
number=4 name=ytiltleft
number=10 name=ytiltright
number=11 name=zrotationanti
number=5 name=zrotationclock
number=17 name=left
number=18 name=right
axis=xaxisright period=10 function=slideshow-next
axis=xaxisleft period=10 function=slideshow-prev
axis=yaxisforward period=6 function=yaxis
axis=yaxisback period=6 function=yaxis
axis=zaxisdown period=10 function=zoom-in
axis=zaxisup period=10 function=zoom-out
axis=xtilttowards period=20 function=move-up
axis=xtiltaway period=20 function=move-down
axis=ytiltleft period=20 function=move-left
axis=ytiltright period=20 function=move-right
axis=zrotationclock period=6 function=rotate-clockwise
axis=zrotationanti period=6 function=rotate-anticlockwise
The function table registration in libsixdof also lets an application provide a description of the function that is being registered. In the future, developers will be able to present this information to users to allow them to set up libsixdof bindings from a user-friendly graphical interface.
For each window that an application registers with libsixdof it should provide a name. In the future the configuration file will expand to allow device bindings to be specified independently for each managed window in an application by adding subsections to the
app sections in the configuration.
Wrap up
Currently, the CVS version of feh has support for libsixdof, and there is a patch to add support to KDE 3.x KPhotoAlbum. MPlayer and the GIMP are on the list for upcoming patches as time permits.
If libsixdof, or some library like it, catches on, then support for six degrees of freedom devices will become more mainstream. In the future you may be able to plug in such a device and immediately control your music player, video player, or even browse the Web with it. With technology like DBus allowing an application to expose its functionality through callable functions, the burden of adding libsixdof support to an application should be even smaller in the future.


text: McCann wins global duties for Nestle's Nescafe branding ads Published on May 14, 1999. Nestle, Vevey, Switzerland, moved global branding ads for Nescafe coffee to McCann-Erickson Worldwide from Publicis, after a seven-month review that also included roster agency Dentsu. McCann's London office will head the business. Local markets will determine their spending on the branding ads, but the campaign is expected to run in more than 100 countries. McCann's hold on the media account in most of the world is unaffected. Copyright May 1999, Crain Communications Inc. Most Popular In this article: News


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Abacus supports the Service Punch Conference 2014
Abacus supported 'Service Punch Conference 2014' as one of the prime sponsors on May 22, 2014 at Royal Palm Golf & Country Club, Lahore. The conference was organized by Activ8 in association with Pakistan Human Capital Forum. The 'Service Punch 2014' was Pakistan's first ever conference focused entirely on customer care and service.
It was designed to help change the future of the customer service delivery in the country by putting together under one roof the brightest minds in the industry to aid organizations in setting trends and explore unique strategies that will maximize customer satisfaction, increase profitability and build credibility. Apart from keynote speeches by renowned speakers and parallel sessions, the event has also offered countless opportunities to network, exchange ideas and encourage dialogue on current issues.


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Elizabeth Banks: 'Let's Talk Grammy's!'
Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman enjoy morning stroll with son Felix on Saturday (January 5) in Studio City, Calif.
The 38-year-old actress and her producer hubby stopped to pick up coffee on their way back home.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth recently expressed her excitement for the upcoming 2013 Grammy Awards on Twitter!
"I'm tired of the Oscar race, lets talk #GRAMMYS leave your picks," the actress wrote with a link to a recent blog on her official site.
FYI: Elizabeth is carrying a Coach Legacy Saddle bag. Elizabeth is using her Baby Jogger City Mini stroller.
15+ pictures inside of Elizabeth Banks out with her family…


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To change local time on VDO digital tacho you need to follow this steps:
Press OK to bring up the menu
use arrow down to find local time setting
you will only be able to change time in 30 min blocks
Stoneridge tacho:
Press ok then use arrow down to find settings and from settings select local time.
If your tacho clock is out and you need to change UTC (universal time coordinated) you need to follow the same steps but you will have to select UTC time set not local time.
You can change UTC time by minutes, however that change is limited to 20 min. If you need to adjust the time to more than that your unit will have to be re-calibrated
Your drivers hours are monitored in UTC time. UTC time is same as GMT so in UK winter time it will be the same as local time and in the summer it will be 1 hour out.


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CheckFree Corporation
"Paladin was able to quickly inventory, audit and
analyze all of our telecom invoices and contracts (fifteen disparate
suppliers) and develop a strategy for reducing costs. Within a few months they were able to deliver audit savings,
but more importantly directly negotiated rate reductions of 35% from
our two largest suppliers, with minimal contractual impact on
CheckFree. Paladin was
successful in obtaining these significant savings without disruptive
network conversions. The savings were beyond our expectations and did
not jeopardize our close carrier relationships".
Grey B. Cleveland
Senior Vice President
Corporate Information Technology
CheckFree Corporation
Norcross, GA
Copyright © 2004 - 2009 Paladin Associates Inc., All Rights Reserved.


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One day after Augusta National announced it was admitting its first two women members, the news was still buzzing among PGA Tour players during the Barclays Championship practice round Tuesday.
Bubba Watson said when he heard the news that two women were going to be joining, his wife said jokingly, "Do you think it'll be me?''
Phil Mickelson said he has played golf with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, one of the new members, calling her "one of my favorite people I've ever been around."
"She's so intelligent and so fun to ask questions to and she loves the game of golf, plays with a passion,'' Mickelson said. "She's a great asset and great member to any club. I'm hoping we have a chance to play a few rounds with her. I haven't checked with her yet, but I'm hoping to sneak in a few practice rounds with her before the Masters next year. That would really be an honor.''
Keegan Bradley called the addition of women members at Augusta "great for the game of golf.''
Nets point guard Deron Williams will play in Wednesday's pro-am with Watson and might even bring his Olympic gold medal with him.
Watson is staying this week in a house on Long Island with some "Wounded Warrior'' soldiers.
"They're in awe of me, but I'm in awe of them," the Masters champ said. "I'm learning from them about how much they fought for our freedom, not knowing who we are or anything about us. They're out there taking bullets and dodging bullets for us to give us freedom to do what we do.
"It's an honor for me to stay with them and hopefully cheering them up a little bit when they get down.''
Dustin Johnson, who won The Barclays at Plainfield Country Club last year in the hurricane-shortened tournament, said he believes Bethpage favors the big hitters.
"Whoever is going to drive it the straightest and the furthest is going to win,'' he said. "The rough is very penal.''
Johnson and Rickie Fowler took Mickelson and Bradley for a few fun dollars in a practice-round match Tuesday, which was closed out when Fowler drained a birdie putt on 17.
"It's a great warmup for the tournament,'' Fowler said of the practice-round matches Mickelson usually sets up. "It gets you in a competitive mentality. Usually it's nothing too serious. You have a couple putts here and there that really mean something.
"Dustin and I played nicely today. It's not about beating up on the other guys, though that is nice because there are bragging rights involved. But it gets you ready for teeing off on Thursday. It's a great tune-up to get ready for this week and the playoffs.''
Spencer Levin withdrew from the tournament because of the death of his brother.


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Flash gets a lot of negative press because it's seen as using a heap of CPU time and bogging everything down. And it's a fair cop. Most flash will eat up your CPU cycles even when it's sitting there doing nothing. But this isn't a fault of flash, but rather of flash developers. Let me explain…
When you start a piece of flash work, you assign it a frame rate at which you want it to run, so it'll update the screen, say, 30 times a second. This is all fine and good for when you're animating things on the stage. But what about when you're not? Well, it's still running at 30 frames per second and chewing up your CPU like a crazy melon farmer. This is Not A Good Thing. So, anyhow, I'm watching this video about SWF Framerate Optimisation, and the guy's showing how you can modify your code to lower the frame rate when there's not a lot happening, and bring it back up when you're animating. So I had a crack at it, and lo & behold, it works fine for the specific piece of flash I'd coded it into, so I wondered if I couldn't just go and make a RateController class. This way, I could add a RateController object to any project to dynamically change the project's frame rate depending on whether the mouse was over the stage or not.
And after much swearing about not having global access to the stage properties, I found that I COULD!!!
Here's a working example placed into the attracting particles code I wrote yesterday:
Note: The animation starts at full speed for two seconds on startup. It'll drop to the sleeping rate (5 fps) two seconds after the mouse leaves the stage, and then ramps back up to its waking rate (30 fps) instantly when the cursor is back over the stage. The FPSCounter shows intermediate numbers because it's based on an average.
To add a RateController to any flash project, you can just use something like:
import RateController;
// Add a new RateController, uses the root stage, runs at 5fps when sleeping, 30fps
// when active (i.e. when mouse is over the stage), and uses a 2000 millisecond
// delay after the mouse leaves the stage before dropping the FPS to the sleeping rate.
addChild(new RateController(stage, 5, 30, 2000));
Not bad, eh?
Full class code & file downloads after the jump…
Continue reading ActionScript 3.0: A Dynamic Frame Rate Switching Class to Lower CPU Usage


text: RICHMOND, Va (WTVR) - The Latin Ballet of Virginia brings us the production, 'The Kiss of the Bee', celebrateing the beauty of our planet and the importance of bees in our world! Artistic Director, Ana Ines King and Francisco El Nano shared a selection from the world premiere. Enjoy the Latin Ballet of Virginia's 'The Kiss of the Bee' starting April 3rd at 10:30am with performances until Sunday, April 6th. All shows are at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, 2880 Mountain Road. For schedule and ticket information http://www.latinballet.com/


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Diamondback Clutch 2 27.5 Women's Mountain Bike - 2017
Save $1,375.01 (34%) $2,624.99 MSRP $4,000.00
Since the invention of the full suspension mountain bike and always with the increasing specialization of bikes, many bike companies would have you believe that you need different bikes for each type of riding. The Diamondback Clutch 2 takes a completely different approach and instead strives to be the one and only bike you'll need no matter what the trail throws your way.
Starting with Diamondback's new Level Link suspension design, the Clutch 2 delivers 130mm of smooth rear wheel travel, growing stiffer as you climb for added efficiency and giving you immense control on even the roughest of descents. Matching this amazing frame is a RockShox Pike RC fork, putting out a whopping 150mm of travel. Keeping these pieces attached to the DB Blanchard wheelset is the latest Boost thru-axle standards so you have a great range of wheel compatibility going forward and also have easy maintenance and security. These wheels are wrapped in Schwalbe's Hans Dampf Performance rubber, keeping you glued to the trail.
All of the fanciest suspension technology would mostly go to waste if you're not able to get the bike moving over the trail. The Clutch 1 utilizes the latest SRAM GX drivetrain with a single ring Race Face crankset up front for better ground clearance and a lighter setup paired to an 11-speed cassette giving you all of the gear range you could ever want. SRAM Level hydraulic disc brakes and dual 180mm rotors let you keep things under control through any situation and the black and yellow paintjob just screams.
No matter what trail, no matter how high the mountain, no matter how rough the terrain, the Diamondback Clutch 2 is ready. Are you?
- Link Level Suspension platform activated by a RockShox Monarch RT3 Debonair Shock (130mm)
- RockShox Pike RC fork, 150mm travel with rebound and compression damping and Boost 110x15mm thru-axle
- SRAM GX 1x11 drivetrain including X-Horizon rear derailleur
- SRAM Level hydraulic disc brakes (180mm rotor front and rear)
- Meaty Schwalbe Hans Dampf tires for eating through dirt and gravel


text:
BMF Leadership Search (Pty) Ltd is a separately registered and wholly owned subsidiary of the BMF which focuses on Executive Search and Recruitment. The BMF leverages its database and extensive networks to contribute towards developing a critical mass of black talent at senior and executive levels in the workplace.
Our objective in this business area of focus is to assist companies to put together their Portfolio of Evidence for rating readiness. The BMF itself will not issue a ratings certificate, but assist companies to resolve obstacles towards effective transformation.
This division provides advisory services within the transformation landscape. Our value proposition offers companies strategic solutions in areas such as retention, mentorship and succession planning, as well as HR audit and review.
MANAGEMENT and LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Management and leadership development is the core offering of the BMF. This division coordinates training and development opportunities for individual members and corporate member representatives via educational service providers such as Business Schools and other professional institutions.


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Great and successful products do not just make money but they engender a love and devotion from their users. These are the Products People Love and they follow the six rules found in this booka the PPL Rules. Six Rules for Creating Products People Love provides clear and actionable guidelines for the design, development, and marketing of successful products. ac Make it Easy to get started ac Make it Useful ac Make it Easy-to-use ac Make it Valuable ac Make it Attractive ac Make it Trustworthy ______________________________________________ Praise for Six Rules for Creating Products People Love aBruce D. Green's PPL Rules have forever changed the way I approach my work... a must-read for anyone looking to define optimal product development strategies.a - Gwen Weinberg, Designer / Owner, Three by Three Seattle aBruce D. Green has defined six essential rules that will successfully guide entrepreneurs to bring to market new products that will asticka.a - Ken Krooner, Founder / President, ESRG, LLCBut, as an ease-of-use advocate, I do not like an approach that requires the user to check his ownera#39;s manual. ... the system image was how my Honda actually worked when it came to changing the clock time. the system image included the actual LED readout with the hours and minutes and the dashboard ... Changing the time could be accomplished by turning the tuning or volume knobs on the radio.
|Six Rules for Creating Products People Love
|Bruce D. Green
|AuthorHouse - 2012-10-02
You must register with us as either a Registered User before you can Download this Book. You'll be greeted by a simple sign-up page.
Once you have finished the sign-up process, you will be redirected to your download Book page.How it works:


text:
TCR's Accommodations America heats up corporate housing Atlanta-based Accommodations America, Trammell Crow Residential's furnished housing division, has signed an agreement with United Dominion Realty Trust to market and manage UDRT's more than 56,000 units in 210 communities nationwide. In 1997, the corporate relocation market is a key topic in the furnished housing industry, and this alliance favors increased exposure for Accommodations America. Earlier this year, Oakwood Corporate Housing and Equity Residential signed an agreement that increased their national furnished housing inventory.
The alliance increases Accommodations America's presence in several key markets including Washington, D.C., Virginia, Florida, Texas and Atlanta. As well, Accommodations America is supported by 16 regional divisions, 26 offices and 95 full-time professionals. The alliance acknowledges industry trends that larger corporate housing clientele request one absolute national provider.
$40 million multifamily development slated for Houston VCK/MFI International Partners Ltd., a venture group combining Martin Fein Interests Inc., VCK Capital Advisors, LLC and Nagron USA, will build a 700-unit apartment complex starting this summer. The $40 million, 40-acre site will be located in the Kingwood market of Houston, and will be completed in two phases. The first phase will deliver 320 units to the Houston market and will be available for occupancy by early-1998.
San Francisco apartments receive $182 million in financing Freddie Mac and Bankers Mutual closed a $140 million loan to refinance Golden Gateway Center -- a 1,254-unit, twin-tower highrise in downtown San Francisco. The deal used Freddie Mac's Early Rate Lock feature to insulate Golden Gateway Center from interest rate risk. The 22-story complex has 58 townhomes with a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The loan was structured at 10-year term with 30-year amortization.
San Francisco-based TRI Financial provided a $42 million, FHA-approved loan with 40-year amortization to finance One Embarcadero South in the China Basin neighborhood near San Francisco Bay. The $65 million, 233-unit complex has 211 luxury apartments and 22 two-story townhomes. The AFL-CIO Investment Trust will purchase the loan upon completion.
GMAC provides $158 million in financing for apartments
GMAC Commercial Mortgage (GMACCM) has extended a three-year, $50 million credit agreement to National Income Realty Trust (NIRT), a New York-based real estate investment trust, to fund acquisitions, pay down debt and continue a stock purchase program. NIRT is the nation's largest REIT that invests primarily in older, moderate-income apartment housing.
As well, GMACCM arranged a $108 million loan to Apartment Investment and Management Co. (AIMCO) and created a Fannie Mae mega-pool at 20-year term with 7.39% at 20-year amortization. The loan refinanced 27 suburban apartment complexes with 6,215 units in Texas, Georgia, Arkansas and Nevada.
Premier Atlanta highrise sold in upscale Buckhead
Buckhead's bustling multifamily market has the premier highrise product in the metropolitan Atlanta area. The Grandview Apartments, one of Buckhead's finest upscale highrises, sold for $25.9 million in a deal that was recently brokered by Atlanta-based real estate firm Richard Bowers and Co. Crescent Heights, a nationwide developer of apartments and condominiums in Miami, Los Angeles, New York and Tulsa bought the apartment tower.
Lakeside City Homes LP. was the seller of record for the 22-unit highrise. The six-year-old property with its 34-story presence in Buckhead will have improvements and upgrades started in late 1997. The Grandview offers amenities such as a 24-hour monitoring system, concierge service and access-controlled underground parking.
Associate Editor Randy Henry covers the multifamily news beat for NREI. He welcomes comments and news items via e-mail to [email protected]


text:
the newest sidebar to the Cannes Film Festival. Actually ACID has been around for 19 years and has been showcasing films in Cannes since 1993. It is an association of film directors who has been promoting the cinema distribution of independent films and encouraging debates between the authors and the audiences. The strength of ACID is its founding principle : the support given by filmmakers to other filmmakers, French or international. It screens nine feature films, fiction and documentary, chosen by ACID filmmakers among hundreds of works from all around the world. It is a sort of Slamdance. Its address in Cannes is La Malmaison 47, boulevard de la Croisette.
years ago where it won a prize. It also won Best International Short Film Award at Reelworld Film Festival in Toronto. His films are part of France's "New Vibe", films made by
those filmmakers living in the "banlieux" or suburbs, that is the Arab, African immigrant neighborhoods of Paris.
I have not seen the film yet, but Pascal has made me aware of these films which he calls part of the "New Vibe" group of filmmakers; Donoma being the best
known. He considers this sort of filmmaking the legacy of a little known but seminal filmmaker he wrote a book about, Paul Carpita who made films in the 1950s in Marseilles and died in 2009. Ken Loach in his preface to a 2009 book of interviews with Carpita, claimed: "Since the censorship of his work, Paul Carpita led a modest existence. Ultimate proof, if necessary, of his integrity. It is finally time for us to recognise him as a hero."
She's hired as a cook in a local association of the Parisian suburb Saint-Denis. Coralie meets Issa (Rafal Uchiwa), the rising star of the hood…
Here is a video of her performing, which inspired Pascal to contact her about his film
The entire film was made with rappers improvising their part in the same style than John Cassavetes used in Shadows. The director hosted a workshop to teach his cast the fundamentals of acting over a month in the city of Saint-Denis (a sort of French Bronx). There is no jazz scene here, it's Hip Hop. In addition the beat-makers Khulibaï and DJ Dusty created original music for the film and helped Pascal produce his first Hip Hop beat, which is included in the film.
Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.


text:
Watch the Trailer
The first-ever animated special from StoryCorps celebrates the transformative power of listening. Listening Is an Act of Love features six stories from 10 years of the innovative oral history project. Each story reflects StoryCorps founder Dave Isay's fundamental belief: "We can learn so much about the people all around us — even about the people we already know — just by taking the time to have a conversation." Framing these intimate conversations from across the country is an interview between Isay and his 9-year-old nephew, Benji. As always, the selections provoke both tears and laughter — and highlight the simple joy found in sitting together and asking life's important questions. Funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Produced in association with American Documentary | POV. This fall, The Penguin Press will release Ties That Bind: Stories of Love and Gratitude from the First Ten Years of StoryCorps — commemorating StoryCorps' decade of recording stories across the country.


text: Creating a Transition Put another way, iMovie can't make your transition stretch across more than two clips (or more than one clip, in the case of the Fade and Wash effects). When you quit while rendering Creating transitions requires a great deal of iMovie's concentration. If you try to save your project, close it, or empty its Trash, you'll be advised to wait until the rendering is over, as shown in Figure 6-6 at right. Figure 6-6: Left: Three messages that tell you there's not enough footage for the transition. Right: Messages that appear when you delete a clip to which you've attached a transition (top); when you try to quit or save your project during ren-


text:
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Some of Shakespeare's best loved characters, the 'Mechanicals' (including the iconic role of Bottom the Weaver) are an under-prepared, yet loveable bunch of craftsmen and women who put themselves forward to entertain royalty at the end of the play. In Bradford the roles will be played by: Tazmin Bennison (Quince); Rachel Brewin (Starveling); Ed Corbet (Snug); Fiona Galloway (Snout); Barry Green (Bottom); Ben Hopwood (Flute); Ken Taylor (Amateur group Director).
Leeds Arts Centre (a registered charity) formed in 1945 and their members range from ages 16 to 80. They produce four plays a year in their main home, the Carriage Works in Leeds. Barry Green has been with the Leeds Art Centre for 10 years and has been acting for 47 years. Barry will be reprising the role of Bottom having featured in A Midsummer Night's Dream three times before as well as Macbeth, Julius Caesar and The Merchant of Venice.
Fiona Galloway has previously played feisty heroine Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing and Ed Corbet has performed in many of the Bard's plays including Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest. For the newest members of the Leeds Arts Centre team, Tazmin Bennison and Ben Hopwood, this will be their first time performing Shakespeare.
The group will perform alongside a cast of 18 professional actors, and a professional creative team, led by RSC Deputy Artistic Director, Erica Whyman. Initially the amateur actors will rehearse in Leeds with their own amateur director, Ken Taylor also of Leeds Arts Centre. They will then rehearse with the RSC team from January 2016. Director Ken Taylor has been with the Leeds Arts Centre since 2012 but he has been acting for 35 years and directing for 14 years.
A Midsummer Night's Dream: A Play for the Nation will visit 12 theatres in each region and nation of the UK between 17 February and 4 June 2016, and will involve 14 different amateur theatre companies. In each theatre a different local amateur theatre company will play the Mechanicals*, and local school children will take part as Titania's fairy train.
The production opens in Stratford-upon-Avon in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in February 2016. After the UK tour, it will return to Stratford-upon-Avon in June 2016, and each of the 14 amateur companies, including Leeds Arts Centre, will reprise their roles on the Royal Shakespeare Theatre stage.
Erica Whyman, RSC Deputy Artistic Director, and director of A Midsummer Night's Dream: A Play for the Nation, said:
"I am absolutely thrilled to be directing A Midsummer Night's Dream: A Play For the Nation, as part of the RSC's plans to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death in 2016. The experience of casting our amateur actors all around the UK has been inspiring and humbling. I have met so many wonderful people: talented, dedicated and brave. The standard has been tremendous, and the wonderful diversity of men and women who will be taking on these major roles is very exciting, and perhaps most importantly, they have really made us laugh! In every single region the cast we have chosen has a distinctive voice and a strong sense of connection to the place where they will perform. I think it will be a real treat for audiences everywhere to see Shakespeare's most magical play with a properly local flavour."
Talking specifically of Leeds Arts Centre Erica added: "A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedy and Leeds Arts Centre did the most difficult thing of all - they properly made us laugh! They are an utter joy to work with. A company of very strong actors, Barry's belting voice and the twinkle in his eye make him ideal for Bottom and Tazmin's Quince is a charming young woman with a lot to give. We couldn't take our eyes off them."
Ken Taylor, the director for Leeds Arts Centre said:
"I have always believed that many of our actors could act alongside professionals and hold their own. Now we will get the chance, with this amazing opportunity given to us by the Royal Shakespeare Company, and in the great Alhambra Theatre no less, one of the most beautiful theatres in the country. It is a 'dream' come true - a dream that we have worked hard for though. As with all directors, I'll be watching from the dark in April 2016, where you might detect a little glow of pride."
The BBC will be capturing all of the action in 'The Best Bottoms In the Land' (Title TBC), which will follow the RSC's journey as they put on the production with both amateur and professional actors during the tour.
Overseen by BBC Birmingham, nine regional programmes will be produced by the BBC English Regions teams. The 30 minute documentaries will show the pressures and pitfalls of such a project, culminating in the opening night of each region's local performance.
'The Best Bottoms in the Land' will follow individual stories from around the country and will air in spring 2016 on BBC One.
A Midsummer Night's Dream: A Play for the Nation is a co-production between the Royal Shakespeare Company and amateur theatre companies across the UK. This is an arrangement developed between the RSC and Equity.
A Midsummer Night's Dream: A Play for the Nation is supported by Arts Council England Cross-Border Touring Fund
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Getting fit to be a healthier you, is just some exercise and eating tips i thought i'd share. It is not an attempt to preach being in shape to others, just passing on useful information.
Just put your mind and heart to it, don't beat yourself up if you slip, pat yourself for trying, treat yourself, get rid of the garbage, fast and junk foods!
Do your best we are humans after all, don't over do it at first and remember the weight did not appear overnight, nor will it disappear in a flash.
Stay focused & Strong.
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The office, with 200 employees, is expected to shrink by some 80 to 100 staffers, executives familiar with the situation said.
Officially, JWT executives described that number as "way too high." Previously JWT said only 50 people worked on the account.
The loss of Sprint to McCann-Erickson Worldwide, New York, leaves the office with about $50 million in billings, primarily Chevron corporate branding, United Distillers & Vintners, various Nestle products and SunSweet Prunes.
Although the loss is a big blow to the agency, JWT West CEO Larry Tolpin said the office will remain open.
"We're not going to close San Francisco," he said. "We've just started to turn around the place" so that it's now perceived as a creative-driven agency.
In some ways, he said, the departure may help the shop on the new-business front-"We won't be perceived as just Sprint's shop anymore," he said.
Earlier this year, Sprint hired Grey Field as director of marketing for its consumer business, and Mr. Field once worked for AT&T Corp., where his agency was McCann. While Sprint said he was several rungs removed from decisionmakers, another executive said Mr. Field was instrumental in moving the business to McCann.
About three months ago, JWT presented a creative package to Sprint for a branding campaign themed "Sprint ahead." The strategy was to expand that branding to the work of all Sprint agencies, including Grey Advertising, New York, which handles business-to-business, and Publicis & Hal Riney, San Francisco, which handles Sprint PCS.
McCann is believed to have its eye on those remaining pieces of the Sprint account, with spending estimated at $155 million.
The move of the core Sprint business to New York also is a blow to the San Francisco and West Coast ad communities, which have seen a number of high-profile clients in the West-or that traditionally used West Coast agencies-shift spending eastward.
"There seems to be something of a market correction going on," a veteran West Coast agency executive said of the account exodus.
Bank of America, founded and long based in San Francisco, picked New York-based Deutsch for its account in March 1997, after years at hometown agencies, the latest being Ketchum. A small part of the business went to Deutsch's Santa Monica, Calif., office.
Intel Corp. this year added Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schmetterer/Euro RSCG, New York, as a second shop to Euro RSCG DSW Partners, San Francisco.
When Dell Computer Corp. opted for a global brand campaign, it passed over longtime product shop Goldberg Moser O'Neill, San Francisco, for J. Walter Thompson USA, Chicago and New York. Dell then fired JWT and hired BBDO Worldwide, New York.
Although local agencies coveted the Charles Schwab & Co. account, long in-house, when the brokerage picked an agency it went to BBDO Worldwide, New York and Los Angeles, and Suissa Miller, Los Angeles.
"Nothing has gone terribly wrong, but [the West Coast] doesn't seem like it has the same fire either," said one West Coast executive.
Mike Agate, president of Select Resources International, an ad consultancy in West Hollywood, Calif., put it this way: "When someone comes to us for a national branding assignment requiring strong strategic disciplines, there are not a lot of agencies that can do that here."
Jeff Goodby, partner, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, whose agency has helped fuel the city's growth in ad billings and creative reputation, said the moves are to be expected.
"Clients go anywhere to get the right stuff," he said. "You can't expect them to stay in San Francisco because they like to eat crab."
Contributing: Beth Snyder, Mercedes M. Cardona.


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A privacy policy is a general statement about how personal information flows through an organisation. It should cover:
- Collecting information – the sort of personal information you gather and why
- Using and disclosing information – when and how personal information is accessed
- Who can access personal information
- Record keeping processes and security.
Your organisation might find it makes sense to have a separate records management policy or a confidentially agreement that volunteers must sign before they have access to information. Depending on their role, you might need to consider having a copyright or intellectual property policy as well.
Records management
Your organisation will also need to ensure that any personal information is collected, kept and used in a way that meets the requirements of privacy legislation. This means that only information that is necessary should be collected and that it needs to be kept securely.
To ensure that you are keeping your records properly, you will need to establish:
- What information is required
- Who is responsible for collecting the information
- What procedure will be used collect the information
- Where it is kept
- How long it is kept for
- How you dispose of records.
This links to National Standards for Involving Volunteers No.2 – Management responsibilities.
Confidentiality agreement
A volunteer confidentially agreement is a document that a volunteer signs to declare that they will follow the privacy policy and related procedures in an appropriate manner. This relates to the collection, storage, access and disposal of records.
It is useful to have a confidentially agreement if your organisation has volunteers accessing personal information or confidential documents, or if they handle client information.
This links to National Standards for Involving Volunteers No.3 – Recruitment.


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What's yellow and round, always smiling and never one to let fruit pass by uneaten? If you guessed Pac-Man, you're dead wrong; he's terrified of them ghosts remember? But LocoRoco, now here's a character that looks evil straight in the eyes, never flinching, never backing off. He and his multi-coloured buddies are the stars of the show here, presenting us with an all-new kind of platformer, where a d-pad, three buttons and a sense of humour is all that's required. LocoRoco is seriously as unserious as they come.
You will have to guide LocoRoco, a sort of spherical blob creature… thing, through some typical platform fare – ramps, tunnels, trampolines, bridges, and so on. However, you don't control LocoRoco directly (apart from jumping). Instead, you tilt the 2D world clockwise and anti-clockwise to manoeuvre him through the obstacles and other presenting challenges such as spikes, water rapids and the odd venus flytrap. L tilts left, R tilts right, L+R makes LocoRoco jump, and easy-peasy controls makes everyone happy. The third and final button used is O, and it is just as important as the other two.
Upon pressing that magic button, a bolt of lightning strikes our poor LocoRoco – nooooo! But in keeping with the light-hearted side of things, our cheery hunk of gunk isn't reduced to a pile of ashes. Instead, he is separated into lots of little mini LocoRocos! You see, as you progress through each stage, eating up berries along the way to grow big and strong, LocoRoco soon plumps up to a size that doesn't allow him to fit through small gaps. Say LocoRoco ate eight berries. Now LocoRoco essentially has nine lives (you start with one, duh) but yes, he's a fat blob. Split now, and each of the little LocoRocos that are born can now wiggle through the aforementioned gaps, especially handy during the times when there's a big neighbourhood spider blocking the way and you think, "if only I could squeeze through the small holes in the floor and roll past underneath it". Once safely out of harm's way, simply hold O and all the little LocoRocos will gather together, cry out as if they're dropping a bomb, and reform into one whole piece again. Hooray!
"LocoRoco is seriously as unserious as they come."Loco Roco features forty main levels split over five worlds. The difference between them lies primarily in the level designs; graphically, it's bright, colourful and nearly always cheery, but with little variation between stages. Although conventional platform mechanics are abound, the new-fangled control scheme makes LocoRoco unlike any other generic platformer you have come across before. There's vine swinging, but the manipulation of gravity is what will get you going like Tarzan here. There's also plenty of slippery slopes, and again, your ability to tilt the environment favourably will determine whether you slide LocoRoco safely to the next step, or off-shoot him right into a pair of spikes. Although this is clearly a game aimed towards younger audiences, things do occasionally get nasty.
Never fear, LocoRoco will never perish! If you accidentally allow him be snatched by the tendrils of the Moja (bad black blobs), or impale him upon something sharp and typically deadly, you'll lose a chunk of blobbiness – in other words, one of the little LocoRocos that you gained by eating berries. This makes LocoRoco an extremely forgiving game for the casual gamer who is only looking for some quick and simple fun and games, without ever worrying about death. Well, if you are down to a loner LocoRoco and are hit, it is game over, but that will rarely ever occur here.
As for the more hardcore players, LocoRoco offers quite a challenge to those that aim to surpass that of mere game completion. Each level houses lots of collectibles. There are those berries that count for life and bulk you up, but you'll also come across a few sleepy friends (wisps of clouds, humongous suns, and all sorts of other weird happy creatures) at certain points and to wake them up you'll need to sing to them. The more full-bodied you are, the more mini LocoRocos you can split up into, and hence the louder the chorus you can blare out to wake these dozers up. They will then open up new passages where you can collect hidden-away house parts that have a purpose later on in the game (and in this review). However, obtaining all twenty berries in each stage, along with three Mui Mui critters and a whole bunch of miniature flea-like pickories, is much easier said than done. With all the craziness going on in managing the rotation of the environment along with dodging all the hazards thrown at you, it is an extremely tough ride for completionists somewhat akin to Nintendo's Yoshi's Island duo of games and its red coin and flower challenges.
"an extremely forgiving game for the casual gamer who is only looking for some quick and simple fun and games"But if you are just playing it for the main game, LocoRoco doesn't last very long. Whatever your gaming skills are like, four hours should be more than enough to see it through to the end. Although there are boss characters, most disappointingly there are no actual boss fights. How so? Well, you do get gobbled up by some large over-sized animals, then having to work your way out of their guts, but these levels are really no different to the others; the colour palette is changed, some specifically relevant platform devices are introduced such as the uvula and the villi, but it still plays out just like any of the other standard stages. It would've been nice to actually go blob-to-blob in some sort of proper duel.
It's good to see then that there is some (limited) extra content unlocked once you're all rolled out. Three mini-games don't seem like many, especially when one is a simple crane game and the other sees you shooting LocoRoco through a series of tunnels to reach the end goal. The last one, however, is a level editor and it's a keeper. While not on the same tier as the one featured in say Mega Man Powered Up, it is nevertheless a worthwhile addition. You are only limited to one screen's worth of junk/art, and without a grid-based placement system it makes it difficult to align your bits and bobs in an orderly fashion. But just like how the main game is delightfully fun despite its simplicity, the same goes for your own user-creations should you spend some quality time with it. And you can even put in as many of those gnarly, swirling wind-currents as you want! True bliss.
There are a few things that don't tip me the right way, though. Six different coloured LocoRocos will be unlocked during your travels. They each come with a different personality and different theme music to accompany them as they bounce along. However, they all play alike. The same can be said for the levels themselves, which just aren't different enough; one or two new devices will pop-up for a while (like the beach balls that you have to knock along at the same time to help you bridge a later gap), but then never used again. At least the levels are short to maintain interest, but it's strange how the four 'demo' levels included (for PSP sharing purposes) are both lengthy and full of creative flair.. dare I say, better than all of the main game's levels! Is this a teaser for LocoRoco 2?!
Well at least we know that LocoRoco isn't just purely a gimmick, that it still has a lot of potential improvement on top of an already sound base. I'm happy and content with what I've got right now in my hands, though. It's a platformer where you'll bounce upon many a hilltop and roll across a similar number of slopes, catching some turbulent wind now and again to be swept away with the spring flowers brimming with glittering exuberance. This game is truly as happy as I make it out to be, and the peppy musical gibberish serves as a perfect audio backdrop to the joyful scene. Flaws aside, of which I'm sure will be addressed in the inevitable sequel, LocoRoco is happy-go-lucky, a wonderful portable experience, and definitely the gaming equivalent of human serotonin.


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Power Color Radeon 9800 XT 256MB Review
If you're on the upgrade path for a new graphics card, you're most likely paying much attention to ATI's line of popular Radeon products. If you've got many dollars to play with you're probably looking even closer at the recently introduced high-end Radeon 9800 XT. This is the refresh of the Radeon 9800 Pro before the next major release in the cycle from the folks at ATI.
The new Radeon 9800 XT offers new improvements over its older brother such as increased core and memory clock speeds as well as temperature monitoring, VPU Recovery for assistance when your system crashes and Overdrive technology which monitors the graphics cards and automatically overclocks for increased performance during game play. All these new features are just another feather in the cap for ATI and only helps reinforce their very strong presence in the graphics chip business over their rivals.
Today we have Power Color's vanilla Radeon 9800 XT with 256MB of DDR SDRAM onboard on the test bed. It is a very much no frills graphics card following the official reference design by ATI with the only thing varying being the package bundle - which yes, does include a voucher for Half Life II when it is released. Read on as we find out if it's worth spending the extra dollars and upgrading to the new 9800 XT over the older Radeon 9800 Pro work horse.
Let's begin!
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The X-PRO 3-Way Head is one of Manfrotto's most compact, precise and reliable 3-way photographic heads.
The compact closed size that makes the X-PRO so easy to pack and carry is down to its retractable levers that can be extended when needed. With the levers retracted and folded for transport, the space occupied by the head is only 13cm x 13.5cm x 13.5cm (5.1" x 5.3" x 5.3"). Friction controls on the X-PRO 3-Way Head's tilt and portrait axes help balance the weight of camera equipment so that fine framing adjustments can be made with the locking knobs open, only locking everything down once everything's ready. And with 3 levelling bubbles on the head, composition can be levelled precisely in-camera, reducing post production work. Sturdily built with a rugged aluminium body for reliability and durability, the X-PRO supports up to 8 kg (17.6 lbs), but weighs only 1 kg (2.2 lbs).
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