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Zero Punctuation: Halo 3
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Indeed...I enjoy a nifty flash presentation as well as the next guy, but have a bit of trouble trusting a fellow named after a mindless dice-rolling game. In addition, the English wannabe colonial displays an almost Al Gore-like smugness as he gives a rather shallow imitation of Stewie Griffin. Oh, yes, it is very chic to flame the most popular console FPS series in history, and that after stating that he didn't play the first two games; but, gee, he's entitled to his ill-informed and ignorant opinion anyway. And so he is--as are the members of the Flat Earth Society. Then, just to underline the incredible lack of understanding of the series popularity, he smugly states that he distains the multiplayer. The tone there being that only Nascar-watching, beer-swilling cretins actually lower themselves to play a multiplayer game, and on a CONSOLE, for God's sake! Oh, the cultural elitists are nothing if not amusing as they wallow in their own gooey hubris. Yes, Bioshock is a better single player game, and so is Half-life, and some others. But none of them are as much pure FUN. So not having played Halo or Halo 2, and participating in nary an online session, and having no idea what-so-ever about the backstory...nevertheless he will produce a cutesy flash offering that only shows his stuck-up prejudice, and flames the game in a pathetic attempt to bolster his intellectual and oh-so-liberal credentials.
Filthy lucre is not my idea of establishing the quality of ANYTHING, but the Bungie folks must be chuckling to themselves as they shop for new BMW convertibles, etc. I HAVE played Halo, and Halo 2, and now Halo 3. I am not the least bit ashamed to admit that I greatly enjoyed the experiences. I do swill beer sometimes, but don't go for the Nascar thing...
Finally, I wonder where the venerable Yahtzee lives. There can be no house or apartment large enough to contain both him and his ego. Drive on, Yahtzee, further into the fog...
it certainly doesn't pain him to do it, otherwise he probably wouldn't do it. so, yeah, he does do it for fun, not in a superficial way but in a self-satisfying way.
and, we assume he's being honest, which is a safe assumption otherwise his argument would probably fall apart (unless it's all well rehearsed lying). but that doesn't mean it's not sensational and incredibly biased. moreover, if we're to assume that he's really as intelligent and we assume him to be, then we'd have to acknowledge that he realizes it's only his opinion and therefore not an end all point of view. so, logically, he'd be milking the sensationalistic part for its own sake. otherwise, he'd just be an egotistical douchebag and no better than a tool.
i'm hoping that he isn't an egotistical tool, because that would ruin the fun of his pieces for me (especially since i don't agree with everything he says). not that he would care, but i'm just chiming in.
I'd like to add something here - I really hope that Yahtzee does not get pidgeonholed as a "funny reviewer". First and foremost, I think he is DEAD ON with all of his reviews.
While I really love what is done with Zero Punctuation, I view this as more of a humor/rant/opinion site than I do a review site.
You, on the other hand, are a professional game reviewer. You're not sony defense force. Your review made it to Metacritic, and is currently the lowest Halo 3 score there. When you review Halo 3 and don't for a moment mention features as innovative as forge and save films, you've made a mistake.
I HATE the stupid plot of Halo games, and feel bungie can't tell a good story to save their lives. But I don't play Halo for the plot, and neither do a lot of people. And thanks to features like four player competitive scoring--also ignored by your review, I believe--even the campaign can be quite fun.
While the Unreal Tournament 3 editor will be WAY more powerful than forge, it will also be VERY complex, and you'll need a computer to use it. Forge allows all gamers to get in and screw with the gameplay in ways never before seen in a mainstream console FPS, and you just ignored that.
And now we see why Yahtzee is the reviewer. If you seriously believe the bolded part is what inspired this review rather than try to believe the fact that someone doesn't like your failure of a game, then you clearly need to understand the concept of free will. That aside, the fact you say Bioshock doesn't have a game attached is proof that you don't actually know what a game is, which I can understand entirely considering you're a Halo fanboy.
It's only bear-baiting because the bears have lost all sense of perspective and reality by praising this good but not great game to the skies and hailing it as the second coming of Christ the Asskicker. In my book, such bears deserve to be baited, since they ruin it for the rest of us.
Yes, it is funny.
He's not the only one, but he's in a small minority. Look at metacritic's Halo 3 page. 100s all over the damn place, and liberal sprinklings of phrases including "best game ever", "most awesomest game", and "OMG HALO 3 ROCKS EVRY1 ELES SUKS!!!!!11111". Even though several of the reviews notice things like AI bugs, story retardation, and stupidly short singleplayer, they breezily slap all of that aside so it doesn't derail the love train.
At this point, I feel I need to rip Halo 3 harder to make up for the unjustified accolades.
gozaimas- i essentially agree with you. my first post was mostly in reference to posts regarding the video as revelation and justification for delusions of superiority (although, if those posts were facetious, i can appreciate that).
but, i think all of yahtzee's pieces are perspicacious and have bear-baiting to various extents. sometimes one more of the other, but it's all fair to me
The thing with Halo is, you have to be a "fanboy" of the series to really appreciate it. I for one have become absolutely engrossed in the universe from the games to the novels and beyond. The mythos has been built up and enriched across all these mediums and understanding them all prior to playing Halo 3 makes the game infinitely more enjoyable. There are so many nuances that you would only get having been a part of all things Halo.
Some argue that Half-Life 2 is better. When I picked it up and played through it, I felt totally lost the entire time. In the end I simply thought of it as Yahtzee thinks of Halo 3, average. So what I'm trying to say is, different strokes for different folks.
Silly me, I thought that better games were defined as being more fun.
Backstory is great, but who gives a shit if it's all but ignored? Am I supposed to make the crappy singleplayer better because I've played Halo 1 and 2 and can imagine what they would have put in the game if they had tried harder?
For those of you who don't have word of the day toilet paper and/or a need to use five-dollar words when conversational ones would do:
Function: adjective
Yahtzee you charismatic bastard, you're absolutely right.
My biggest thrill with the Halo series hasn't really been the game itself. You're absolutely correct. It's "ok". It's not bad, but it's not great. It's fun, but not "OMG SUPER DUPER".
I've always loved the background story (and you are quite correct, you need to have played the previous games, or read the books, for the current plot to make much more sense than "kill the baddies"), and the detail into which Bungie plunges itself when it comes to screwing with your mind and turning you into a Google-junkie as you try to decipher their latest viral campaign. And then tying it in to the twisted version of epic story that they've been toying with various incarnations of since the days of Pathways into Darkness.
I don't even know if I'll play Halo 3. I might, if invited over to a friend's house to waste an afternoon blowing the crap out of each other. But until then I'll settle for dissecting the story, and marveling at the unique meshing of stories that is the Bungie mainstay.
Personally I like Halo 3's single-player and it's probably my favourite game franchise of all time, but a lot of what Yahtzee says is true. You need to know the full backstory to properly get into it, and he's right about the difficulty curve as well. Halo 3 is definatly a lot better if you're playing multiplayer but if you don't care, it is really half a game. I wouldn't say it's run of the mill, and I would argue that Halo 3's combat is better than Bioshock (anyone who says the A.I is shit after comparing it to Bioshock obviously didn't notice that most of the splicers tend to just run at you screaming where in Halo 3 they do employ some tactics).However Bioshock does a better job of conveying the decaying atmosphere of rapture and a more effective story telling technique. They're both excellent games but I prefer Halo 3 as I've been following the story for some time and like multiplayer against friends.
Also, sticking plasma grenades to Grunts never gets old.
Beautiful! :D
Did you read the consumer guide? Oh, and P.S. - not fawning over Halo doesn't make someone a blinkered Sony chauvinist. Check out some of my other reviews, and you'll probably have trouble finding any single thing that I consistently favor (other than brutal violence, of course).
Just because people don't play the game for the plot doesn't mean it isn't there - if Halo 3 had been released as an Unreal Tournament-Style multiplayer-only game, I wouldn't have critized it for having a mediocre single player game, but they didn't, so I did. Also, since they didn't scale up the difficulty, co-op is far too easy, even on Legendary.
Never before seen? Wasn't there a level builder in Timesplitters? And doesn't forge just let you change where various items spawn? Sure, it's a novelty putting a few tanks in High Ground, but the level design is solid enough that most tweaking done seems to be tweaking for tweaking's sake, rather than actual improvement. Sure, it's nice to see a hornet or tank show up in Multiplayer, but the maps really aren't big enough to support them, so what's the point?
Just registered, and though I've enjoyed the other reviews here greatly this is the one I want to comment on and actually went through the few seconds it took to register.
I've been saying this since Halo: Combat Evolved (the first one). Halo's "great" when compared to other consol shooters. It's average compared to everything on PC, especially after Half-Life came out and raised the bar so high all other FPS games for a while after it came out were hard focused on multiplayer.
Doesn't mean I'm not a fan.
And no, I haven't played Halo 3,but after the first two I'm not surprised Halo 3 is pretty much more of the same with a fresh coat of paint.
Anyway, in short, spot on in the flaws it brings up and funny in it's relation of them. ^^ keep up the great work.
God forbid someone not be interested in a game that has never been and will never be anything special to anyone but a bunch of incompetent children. At the very least you prove that even Halo fanboys that try to act intelligent are still as mind numbingly stupid.
Sure, but I'm also an Elite 2 and 3 fanboy too and could kick your arse on a timed manual control run of the Ross 154-Barnard's Star trade route. So suck on that bizzaach.
Do I think rational people are perfectly capable of being disinterested or even disdainful of a global phenomena *because* everyone else is raving about it? Absolutely! I've suffered it myself an awful lot; for years I put off watching Galactica because people were raving about it. I had to be *forced* to watch Brazil and Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud.
And seriously, did you *play* Bioshock? It was a brilliant piece of narrative for sure... but the combat was dull and frankly a game can't live on atmosphere alone. And you know what? I was Bioshock's target audience; I've got a degree [big whoop, look at me!] in Economics and Politics and have read Rand, so the plot was the kind of thing I could lap up by the decalitre; I just don't think the gameplay was even average.
But anyway, that's more me arguing with YOU rather than the flash article.
Gozaimas, are you the guy who owns the Xbox Live gamertag of the same name? If so hey there, long time no see! "Sir Fragula" here. You still freelancing?
Seems like this Yahtzee guy is one of those "it's cool to be contrarian" types. It's like he's walked into the last third of a movie and then blasts the plot and storyline. Yeah, that's a fair and balanced review.
And I had no idea there was actually a FPS console vs. PC war. That's hilarious! You people need to get out more.
some might argue that videogames in general encompass just that. but, of course, we're a little bit more opened-minded than those people aren't you and i? ;)
Great review as always, although when he began the review at faster-than-average speed I thought he was going to swear me (and others) out for criticizing him about his slowness in the Peggle review... :p
I'd just like to add that, while realizing that arguing about this is useless until Yahtzee drops down from heaven to declare one of these propositions false, there are two ways of looking at ZP - one assumes the reviews are always what Yahtzee meant to say, and the other assumes the reviews are, most of the time, the funniest possible way of reviewing a particular game. Personally, I side with the latter, mostly, I suppose, because I do actually like FPSs and Yahtzee doesn't seem to care too much for, quote, "insipid boom fests". :)
Seems like you're an idiot that can't fathom someone genuinely not liking a mediocre game more than it deserves. I'll ignore the ironic hypocrisy in your post as well, because I'm afraid pointing it out will make you cry.
Bragging about a game only works when the other person knows/cares about the game in question, and I can say I'm in neither audience. Never even heard of the games before, so I'm fairly certain I don't really care if you can make the Kessel run in under 10 minutes as well.
Bioshock's combat is only dull because you think Halo's combat is better without giving a single thought to the notion of scale.
First thing I should note when reading people's comments: Yahtzee is pretentious. Yes, he's funny as well, and that's the biggest reason I can watch these. However, he is also pretentious. He makes Adventure Games, where the biggest market is a bunch of other pretentious people. Being someone that looks to design games but with a different background, I can recognize many of his points and agree.
On the topic of Halo 3, Bungie dropped the ball on story altogether. I think this was a horrible conclusion, and after hating Fall of Reach I've said "bollocks" to the rest of the books. In fact, some of what is considered canon actually ruins the story in the games for me. Is the story to all three games horrible? No, and anyone that says such a thing can shove a roll of socks in their mouths. The setting is interesting, and the subtle hints of the origin of Halo, the Flood and information about the Covenant is all great from the start as long as you pay more attention than to "guy in green armor goes to save world", which is all people ever examine when discussing the story. Halo 3, however, has nothing subtle in there aside from the terminals. They even leave some questions unanswered. Once more, ball has been dropped seriously badly on this one with story.
As for gameplay, Yahtzee is and isn't correct. I don't care about the multiplayer much either, to be honest, and I also hate the dicks of Xbox Live. Yet I enjoy the single player quite a bit. Granted the improved combat of Gears of War has diluted my enjoyment, but Halo is unique. The only A.I. that sucks is that which takes over when the Marines drive. Somehow that part got even worse than the previous games. However, the rest of the A.I. works very well and often surpasses that of the competition. While the Grunts provide a comic relief, you also begin to take them seriously when you try to charge a dozen of them and you explode from the Needler. What's wrong with giving your enemy a little personality for a change instead of having them just be big bad growling foes? Plus, while all of the elements of Halo 3 may have already been done, they've been put together in a well designed package. There is no better dual-wielding system, vehicle hijacking works well and is rare enough because the enemies aren't dumb enough to intentionally give you opportunity, tearing turrets off can be a blast and there are few games where grenade pick-ups explode in massive chain reactions when left on the floor. Average is, honestly, an understatement.
If you want nothing but games that make you think, then naturally you won't get this. However, Halo 3 is a combat game, and the Halo series has done combat very well. Of course, Gears dethroned it and Call of Duty 4 likely will as well, but so what? It went from being the best to not. Who cares? Part of the reason it's no longer the best is because it pushed the market anyway. UT2K4 suddenly includes vehicles in there, despite UT2K3 originally not having them? Hmm, I wonder if that has anything to do with Halo's sudden use of vehicles? Etc. etc. and so on and so forth.
Halo may not be the most amazing game ever released. Hell, Halo 3's engine is the strongest of the series, but the story plays it out merely as just another of the series instead of the grand finale it should've been. However, given that I can't find saved films, skulls and, on console, anything like Forge I'd have to say the game has more than others can offer. That doesn't mean it deserves the high scores, but it certainly is above average, even if by a slight.
Again, I like Yahtzee's reviews. Love them to death, in fact. However, I don't take all of his criticisms seriously since he is a pretentious PC gaming fanboy who can't recognize that "dumbing down for the console 'tards" at least introduces more intellectual elements to the one aspect of the gaming market that matters: consoles.
EDITUS: I should note that I do not mean to slant Yahtzee, either. Again, I love ZP, and I've been slowly going through his archives of FullyRamblomatic, and it's even better that ZP brought me to this site at all. I like the articles here. However, from my observations, it is a simple fact that he is pretentious when it comes to gaming, hence why he can nitpick so badly.
Then again, I'm likely guilty of similar things since people on Wii60.com had serious issue with my rating Metroid Prime 3: Corruption an 81/100. Then again, I wouldn't have minded them dumbing Metroid down if the combat was actually worth more of a damn.
Yahtzee, I find that I'm starting to wait anxiously for your reviews on Wednesdays lately. I didn't think you'd do Halo 3 this early, but I suppose you have higher-ups to answer to, just like the rest of us. Screw all the fanboys and anti-fanboys: just keep on doing what you're doing, 'cause its damned funny!
Isn't that like not having heard of Super Mario, Civilisation or Pong? I mean for frak's sake mate...
Flawless logic? And I'm fairly certain scale is one of the foremost things in my mind when I consider just why I love the Halo series so.
I found this very amusing, and can see why everyone found his fast talking review comical and informative.
but i have to admit i'm a halo fanboy. i was very pleased with Halo 1, and played it quite often but of course found myself disapointed with halo 2.
But a review about the story, and the game from someone who had never really truly loved the game from the beginning seems wrong.
granted a critic is supposed to be critical and thats just what this review was extremely critical. but for someone who didn't give a care about halo from the beginning...why is he writing a review about it?
to me the person that reviewed halo 3, was unqualified to really give an opinion on the 3rd installment, having never really played the first one or the second one.
in my opinion, i honestly liked the game, the single player most definietly had its bugs, but i think i was more interested in beating the single player on legendary and finding out what happens to the hero.
the multiplayer most definietly was an excellent feature of the game since it gave the game replayability.
bioshock isn't replayable again and again...
No, and you can't even hope to justify that. Wrong opinion is wrong.
I know the internet is a good place to be a jerk because there is usually no risk of suffering any consequences (i.e., bloody nose), but there's really no need for the idiot comment. I was kind of jerky myself, but I usually refrain from calling people names unless I'm REALLY ANGRY.
Anyway, are you talking about some supposed irony of me blasting such a thing as the existence of a Console vs. PC war? Please elaborate. I'm curious. And don't worry, I have tissues handy.
The thing is, every single other reviewer seems to say '10/10! Best game ever!'. If the single-player is bad, then it isn't 10/10 (a perfect game), despite however good the multiplayer is.
Haha, Yahtzee what have you done. Throwing a halo review into the internet is like throwing a burning match into a fuel-tank.
Seriously, you all care to much. Its an opinion about a console game for gods sake. Its a program to waste some time - thats it. What the hell is wrong with us.
Well, ill sit back and enjoy the show.
Absolutely priceless I loved that review.
As usual a great review. There is one good thing about Halo 3 for me at least, it's made me stop playing console games on a whole and because of this I'm reading more books. So, I guess I can say with the utmost joy YAY HALO.
Look, it's fine if you want to dumb down the vocabulary for the irate fanboys you're hoping to attract from Digg, just don't ask your contributors to dumb down the opinions too. kthxbye!
More flawless logic? 10 out of 10 doesn't mean perfection in any reviewer's opinion that I know of. It just means that the game is the top of the scale. Do you get angry when film reviewers scores a movie with minor flaws five stars? I doubt it.
Anyway, the multiplayer more than makes up for any shortcomings people might have in the single player campaign - though in my opinion that campaign has but one dip in quality and enough epic encounters to counteract it.
Not in the remotest possibility, actually. Mario's been on everything over the last few years, and Pong is something everyone has seena t some point or another. Civilization is hit or miss for recognition as well though, and it's because you quite clearly need to recognize the ranges of knowledge present in each generation of gamers. What might be common knowledge for someone of the C64 era would be ancient secrets for someone of the Playstation era. I've never heard of the series you mentioned, but my exposure to gaming as a hobby was fairly limited to consoles until roughly the mid-late 90's and even then I wasn't that exposed.
If you consider scale to begin with, given the setting of Rapture, you couldn't exactly expect epic gunfights at every corner. In that regard of filling it's slot of 'ravished city wasteland' I think it's definitely got enough excitement in it's battles, especially on Hard when Big Daddies stop being a joke and start becoming rape on legs for the unprepared. If you really considered scale you'd have enjoyed Bioshock, but it seems kind of clear that you enjoy insipid boomfests more. :]
As a product of the American edumacational system, I'd like to say "Thank you Yahtzee, for expanding my vocabulary s'more."
That said, I sort of liked Halo 3. I'd never bother to play it through in 1P. 2P Cooperative is the only way that any Halo game is any fun to play. You can sit there with your friends and bitch about the funky gameplay together and play "Hey y'all, watch this!" that way.
There's only so much enjoyment you can squeeze out of the 'deathmatch' multiplayer as you get spawned right in front of a 12 year old with a sniper rifle who's already spent a significant percentage of his life online playing this game and die before you can even look around again and again and again. It has every single problem every deathmatch game has ever had, and they've done precious little to address it. You still don't have NPCs to kill cooperatively, ther still is no way to balance out some weenie getting the biggest gun and camping over spawn points, and you don't even get to be a floody monster in the 'zombie' game.
What we concluded was:
1. It doesn't suck as much as Halo 2 did.
2. It is not an improvement over the original Halo. The story plays out almost so identically to the original Halo that we may as well strip the '3' off.
3. We liked the original Halo, and still play it, so I suppose we must 'like' this, too, after a fashion. At least it's purdy.
4. The friendly AI is indeed as dumb as a sack or rocks. The marines run around and get killed off like lemmings just like in every Halo game. You give one a rocket launcher that you spent 15 minutes scrounging, and he'll decide he's supposed to drive, or man a turret, and even when he's finally ready to fire, he'll either watch the scenery as you try to convince him to shoot at something, or shoot a rock right next to you both.
5. The enemy AI, well, they worked to allow them to seek cover and flank occasionally, but overall they do simply swarm up out of cover and get shot a lot, and you can still play most of a game on 'normal' without firing a shot (everything can be beaten).
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Java with Jesus
November 13, 2017 @ 6:30 am - 7:30 am
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An event every week that begins at 6:30am on Monday, repeating until May 21, 2018
Senior High Youth are invited to jumpstart their week with a cup of java or a cooler and devotions with Jacob and Pastor Leesa at Caribou Coffee on Cahill (near Wal-mart). Bring a friend!

subset: commoncrawl


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DALLAS — Darren Collison resumed the season as Derek Fisher's backup, a coaching decision he doesn't like, but will have to live with.
Collison, benched Tuesday night after 14 games, said he didn't receive a fair shot as the Dallas Mavericks' starting point guard.
"I don't think so, and we all know that; my teammates, they feel the same way, everybody feels the same way," Collison said prior to Saturday night's game against the Detroit Pistons. He made his first appearance midway through the first quarter and finished with five points and eight assists in 27 minutes.
"But, at the end of the day, coach, he makes the decision," Collison said. "There's nothing you can do about it but go out there and do your job."
The Mavs went 7-7 with Collison running the point. He started the season on fire, leading an up-tempo attack and Dallas to a 4-1 record. He's struggled since with a flat jumper and too many turnovers, as well as with individual defensive matchups.
Coach Rick Carlisle, apparently had seen enough and benched Collison Tuesday at Philadelphia, and then Collison missed Wednesday's game at Chicago with a sprained right middle finger. It was Dallas' third consecutive loss and its eighth in the last 11 games.
On Friday, Dallas signed Fisher to take over as the team's starting point guard. Carlisle called the acquisition "a great situation" for Collison because the fourth-year point guard out of UCLA will be able to learn under the 38-year-old veteran, owner of five championship rings with the Lakers.
Collison said he'd prefer to learn through playing.
"I feel like at this point in my career, if there's anything I need to learn it's just go out there on the court and just learn from my mistakes," Collison said. "That's what a lot of young guards do, you go out there, you learn from your mistakes. As far as Derek Fisher, I think I can learn from him. He's a great leader on and off the court. I'm looking forward to playing with him."
Fisher hasn't played since Game 5 of the last June's NBA Finals with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He remained unsigned until Friday and went through one practice with his new Dallas teammates. Depending on Fisher's conditioning, Collison could still be called on to play starter-type minutes.
Still, Collison didn't hide the frustration of losing his job before December. It's the second time in eight months that he's dealt with moving to the bench. He lost his starting job at Indiana to George Hill after a late-season injury, a scenario Collison said was easier to swallow than this performance-based demotion.
"This is a little bit unique because I've never had a situation like this before," Collison said. "I got hurt before, but not this type of situation. I know how to deal with it. I'll be all right."
When Dallas made the July trade with Indiana to get Collison, 25, they quickly tabbed him as Jason Kidd's replacement in the starting lineup. Carlisle said he has told Collison that he remains a major part of the team's plans.
"Darren's still one of our best players and I've made that clear to him," Carlisle said. "One of the reasons we've had success here in recent years is we've had starting-caliber players playing off the bench. There are areas where Darren's going to get better. I see him as a guy who is still developing and I can't imagine a better situation for a point guard than being at practice every day with Derek Fisher."
Collison is averaging 12.9 points on 43.8 percent shooting (31.6 percent on 3s), 6.3 assists and 2.5 turnovers. All 14 of his starts came without the benefit of Dirk Nowitzki, who remains out after knee surgery on Oct. 19.
"I'm mentally tough," Collison said. "I think I've been through everything throughout my whole career. I pretty much know how to deal with adversity pretty well. As long as I don't let it affect me than I should be all right."


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You know those single women who wear engagement rings so that men won't approach them at bars? This is the opposite of that.
A new startup called MY Single World is trying to convince bachelors and bachelorettes that wearing "MY Single Band," a $9 Livestrong-style bracelet advertising that they're single, will help them find their true loves. So the idea is: see someone attractive on the street, check out their wristband, then approach.
(MORE: Apps to Help You Get Over Your Breakup)
Creators Rob Young and Rina Mardahl claim that the silicone wristbands—embossed with the words "fate," "destiny," and "future"—are the "future of dating," according to their site.
If these bracelets catch on, dating websites will be obsolete, the co-founders claim. "Online dating isn't for everyone, and if you don't go to bars and clubs, then often it can be very difficult to meet other singles," Young told the Daily News. "We wanted to create something that would connect singles in everyday life, be stylish and identifiable and still allow for chemistry between couples."
Young and Mardahl say they came up with the concept based on their own romance. The couple met by chance while both on vacation in Spain. (The "M" and "Y" in MY Single Band stand for Mardahl and Young.)
(MORE: More Couples Saying 'I Do' to Wedding Apps)
But the startup doesn't have singles totally convinced. One blogger on Cosmopolitan points out that her engagement ring has rarely stopped men from approaching her. Women's relationship status is not what deters men from approaching them; more likely, they hesitate because of fear of rejection.
A writer on Jezebel also notes that unless all singles in the world understand the meaning of the band, it will prove fairly ineffectual. There are so many rubber bracelets on the market right now, that it could be mistaken with anything else—especially since MY Singles Bands come in seven different colors. For that matter, even if a woman is wearing a MY Single Band, how can the approacher know if she's gay or straight? How much can color-coded wrist bands clarify?
Now who will buy MY Single Bands? Young acknowledged that there might be a stigma around advertising one's availability. But he said that he believed people shouldn't be embarrassed or ashamed to show that they're not in a relationship. "When MY Single Band becomes popular these concerns will disappear because it will be widely accepted," he said. "The same process has happened with online dating."
Yes, but singles don't walk around with their OkCupid profile on their T-shirts.
MORE: Study: Men Want Women to Chip In on Dates, but Are Afraid to Ask


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We're proud to offer free delivery on all orders over R400, to any destination in South Africa. On small baskets under R400, we offer standard delivery in 3 to 5 working days at a cost of just R60.
When you place an order on this site you will be asked for a physical address that is normally occupied during office hours. For very remote areas not serviced by our normal couriers we will have to deliver via Post Office, or to the nearest town to you that is accessible.
We only deliver gift registry purchases to addresses in South Africa. You can purchase gifts off a registry, but you will not be able to set one up.
Need help? Contact email@example.com
We only deliver gift registry purchases to addresses in South Africa.
Need help? Contact email@example.com


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Young Buck Concert @ Pulse Nightclub w/ Nino [GALLERY]
The YOUNG BUCK show @ Pulse Nightclub this weekend was a club BANGER! Despite the rain and golf-ball-sized HAIL, everyone still came out and packed the house! Thanks to FLY GANG E.N.T. for making it happen!
Check if you see yourself or anyone you recognize in the pics and tag them! See you at the next show....ENJOY!


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Floyd DNA PROJECT
Information Request for Floyd DNA Kit 202563
INSTRUCTIONS: Please keep the info request fairly brief, with
descriptive info such as names, dates, locations, but not, say, pasting in a
huge descent tree-if you wish to share information along that line,
please register
on the Tree portion of Floyd and send your tree to
Your information request will be added as a PUBLIC comment on the DNA Kit #'s individual page on Floyd DNA after being approved (weeding out spammers). On that request, your email will NOT show; anyone wishing to reply to you will go through a captcha (again to deter spammers). If you find that anyone is using this form to send you spam, let us know


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time without meaning 40x60cm only 10 will be produced
time without meaning 40x60cm only 10 will be produced
price is exclusive postage
Please note: To ensure a fast delivery, your order will be transferred directly to production. Subsequent changes or cancellations are not possible for production reasons. When ordering, these are items made specifically for you. The production of your order will start immediately after the order is transferred to our servers.
This will expire the normal 14-day right of withdrawal for online purchases.
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text: All: VIPs and Staff can create vBookie events Staff only can modify these Everybody can participate. FH$: Everybody will get FH$1,000 VIPs will get a an extra FH$1,000 to get started and a paycheck with another FH$1,000 every month! Let me know comments or questions. Basically this is a way to gamble without money as you use FH $ instead.


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Han Solo & Chewbarka: The Early Years
Fresh off the Internetz! Fuel your weekend with a heaping dose of the latest links.
Our favorite links from the Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and Pinterest 'verse:
(Comfortably) Fighting evil by moonlight. Sailor Moon hoodies FTW. (Rarity's Boutique)
Meet Danny Pink: the Doctor's new secondary companion (Doctor Who TV)
How much turmoil does the science project cause families? (Huffington Post)
The Coruscant Tapestry: Cross-stitch tapestry that tells the entire story of Star Wars from The Phantom Menace to Return of the Jedi. (Tumblr)
Artist captures our childhood: Artwork depicting children pretending to be their favorite characters (Craig Davison Art)
Prove your school's geek mettle & claim the title of Geekiest Campus! (ThinkGeek)
Epic Lord of the Rings cake (That's Nerdalicious)
We hope whoever made this earned their Computing Badge! Locate your nearest Girl Scout cookie booth NAO. (Little Brownie)
A theory on the true identity of Andy's mom in "Toy Story". (Jon Negroni)
Successful hunt on Hoth! DIY wall-mounted Wampa head. (Our Nerd Home)
Umbrella level: Totoro (We Heart It)
There's still two tickets to Geek Trivia Night on March 12! (Brown Paper Tickets)
Beyond the Wall the monsters live. Awesome Game of Thrones 3D street art spotted in London. (Winter is Coming)
3D gifs are a thing! (Viral Nova)
BEWARE THE MEEPING ANGELS. (Facebook)
Our eyes are confused. Ghostcubes: magical cardboard cubes (YouTube)
One latte to rule them all. (Tumblr)
No! Don't eat your shoes! Even if they do look like ice cream & cake! (Shoe Bakery)
A museum in your very own home! The Mini Museum: A portable collection of curiosities. (Kickstarter)
Softer on the inside. Doctor Who exclusive TARDIS pillow! (ThinkGeek)
The Catbus carriage awaits! Totoro ballgown cosplay. (Facebook)
GLaDOS is now an educator at NASA. What?! (YouTube)
Cthulhu lamp... or Ood? (Blogspot)
Serious cat lover's home. (Homes and Hues)
Ultimate Pop Culture alphabet (Blogspot)
Forever spinning through time & space. This TARDIS ring really spins. (Facebook)
So wise; so powerful. The might of Cthulhu. (OwlTurd)
If you're in the market for a pet dino, this guide might help you out. (John Conway)
Mathematical! Artist's "Adventure Timey-Wimey" mural for his 9 year old daughter's room (Facebook)
In case you missed it: Check out the full trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy. (YouTube)
Still not warm enough in this ever-lasting winter? Tauntaun hoodie is just for you. (ThinkGeek)
RIP Harold Ramis. So long, Egon. :( (Megacynics)


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Mademoiselle Chanel in Paris. Douglas Kirkland was sent to Paris on assignment for Look magazine, and ended up living with the great fashion designer for three weeks in 1962.
free shippingStandard to anywhere in the world,arrives in 9 to 12 days.
free ReturnsThis piece can be returned for free within 100 days.
call usNeed help? call us at +61419300143
About the Lyons Gallery
Buy fine art photography direct from Lyons Gallery - 100 day free returns guaranteed!
If you would like to buy art prints online in Australia but need some assistance in selecting and sizing the artwork to suit your space, why not let us lend you our expertise? Lyons Gallery's knowledgeable curator is available to guide you through our collection, answer any questions you have while assisting you to select and size editions before you buy artwork online from our website. We understand that when you buy art online it can be an overwhelming process and our unique curatorial service means that you don't have to go-it-alone.
Every Lyons Gallery consultation has one goal in mind; working with you to select artwork that is perfect for you. Our creativity and experience in photography help our clients achieve their vision through a thoughtful and proven selection process. When you are looking to buy art photography prints in Sydney, why not set up an appointment at our gallery for some 1-on-1 time with Sandra our head curator. Our gallery is located at 248 Glenmore Road, in Paddington's Five Ways precinct. Enjoy the current exhibition while Sandra & Mr Lyons personally guides you through the gallery and our online portfolio of collections. We'll discuss your options, show you sample collections and once we've tailored the ideal selection with you, place your order and organise all the logistics. To schedule an appointment with us simply follow the link on our homepage or email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Whether you are looking to add an iconic art flair to your space, or build upon your existing collection, our curators are a fantastic resource to help you source, size and buy photography art prints that are perfect for you.
When you buy limited edition prints online from our website, we issue you with a Certificate of Authenticity signed and dated by the gallery. This certificate serves as a Letter of Provenance for the artwork and indicates the specific edition number of the print purchased.
There are several different print processes and in the case of our limited editions, the printing technique or 'type' depends on the artist and artwork. The specific print 'type' is indicated on our website. In each and every case we use the highest quality archival papers, pigments and inks to ensure that our limited editions are created to museum standard.


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4maeinc necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 17 diseños de 4 diseñadores freelance.
My Energy Matters
We're a new Green Energy Jobs and Green Energy Education/Training company. We are initially offering Government Agencies in the field of Weatherization the opportunity to advertise their new job openings on our website. In addition to that, we will have opportunities to advertise courses for learning new skills in the field of Green Energy. What will make us different from other job board companies is our ability to link the experience of looking for Green Energy Jobs with the acquisition of new knowledge and skills to make workers better educated, and more skilled in their respective Green Energy jobs. Our company is looking for a brand new website to be designed that will encompass our identity of being the premier Green Energy Jobs and Green Energy Education/Training web portal.
We would like a website homepage, and blog page designed, which will serve as the user interface for our brand new Green Energy jobs and Education/Training website. These designs will be eventually integrated with a third-party software system called SmartJobBoard (http://www.smartjobboard.com).
Various Government Agencies throughout the United States that are looking to advertise their Green Energy job opportunities to a large audience. Additionally we will have opportunities to advertise courses for existing or new Green Energy employees that are interested learning new skills in the field of Green Energy.
What is of the upmost importance to us is having a clean look and feel in the design that adheres to the color scheme used in our logo (see the attached logo file). The website layout colors should specifically adhere to the green and blue color palette indicated in the logo design brief (see attached file .pdf).
We have a mock/design (see the attached .jpg file) to indicate where some web elements (drop-down boxes, input fields, etc) will eventually be placed during the coding phase of the project, and are looking for a designer that can further expand this mock-up into brand new usable design.
Please disregard the Weatherization Works in America logo at the top of the mock design, and focus all design efforts on integrating the attached My Energy Matters logo into your new design. So, to make this clear, we DO NOT want a duplication of the mock-design that we have provided. Instead, we would like a new interpretation of this "content".
One way to look at the mock design is as our "OLD WEBSITE". We don't want the old website anymore, we want a BRAND NEW site design. If you have any questions about this, please don't hesitate to ask.
The final design should consist of a layered .psd file that will allow our team to create the appropriate web slices for creating any background images necessary to implement the design. In addition, a final production brief with color swatches indicating the color palette selections would be appreciated as well.
Homepage: One feature of our homepage will be placing a rotating video series in the main left content area. Below the video area, we could like to have a blogroll, where the five latest/newest entries show up. Also, with our homepage design, we would like the designer to be aware of our need to place advertisements on the right sidebar and at the bottom of the homepage above the footer. We also want to have facebook, twitter, and Linkedin icons for linking to our social network destinations. Please refer to the example websites that we have listed below for ideas.
Blog page: We really like the way this blog page has been designed (http://www.salesprorecruitment.co.uk/blog/) and want to have our page modeled after this design/layout. However, we would really like for the designer to have the ability to express creative freedom, so we are open to new ideas that are within reason. If you have any questions about this, don't hesitate to ask.
Navigation: The main top level navigation for the site should consist of the following:
About Us
Find a Job
Post a Job
Post a Resume
Search Resumes
Post Products
Search Products
Contact Us
Please see the attached website mock/wire frame as a representation of what our current website "would" look like. This is only provided for the purpose of showing website elements such as text boxes, check boxes, etc. We want to stress that we DO NOT want our NEW web design to resemble this design at all. Please be creative in providing an ENTIRELY NEW look and feel in your designs.
http://www.cleantechrecruits.com/ - We really like how this site specifically identifies each individual user group, Job Seekers, Employers, and Recruiters. With our mock site, we have identified our individual groups as Agencies, Job Seekers, Contractors, and Suppliers, and want to make sure this comes through in your design(s)
http://www.everysapjob.com/ - In this site, we really like the way the three text boxes are included at the top section in the yellow box, and want to have something similar to this, but with our own twist to it. We will leave that for he designers interpretation. Our mock includes the appropriate web elements that we require.
http://www.pinksrecruitment.com/ - we like the three-part separation in this site. Logo, navigation, and additional links up top, search functions in the middle, content at the bottom.
http://www.salesprorecruitment.co.uk/ - there are two specific things we like about this site: how the video is placed in a very low profile position on the homepage, and we like the design of the blog page. Any questions about this please feel free to ask.


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HALF MOON BAY, CA--(Marketwired - April 30, 2014) - One year after filing suit to open access to Martin's Beach, a well-loved beach and surf spot located south of Half Moon Bay, California, the Surfrider Foundation's lawsuit is set for trial next Monday, May 5 at 9 a.m. PDT.
The Surfrider Foundation, the largest non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the world's oceans, waves and beaches, challenges that property owner and billionaire venture capitalist, Vinod Khosla, violated the California Coastal Act when he posted signage to detour visitors and closed the only public access road to Martin's Beach, after purchasing his 200-acre development in 2008. This ended decades of enjoyment of the beach by the community and visitors who happened upon the picturesque hideaway.
"Surfrider's lawsuit is about requiring Mr. Khosla to comply with the same laws, rules and regulations that every other person in the state is required to follow," says Eric Buescher of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, outside counsel for the Surfrider Foundation on the case. "Surfrider's suit presents an important issue regarding regulatory compliance with the Coastal Act, and seeks to protect the public's rights to access the coast in the face of increasing efforts to privatize coastal property throughout the state."
While a favorable decision on this matter may not explicitly open Martin's Beach to the public, it would require the property owner to adhere to the law and seek a permit for the development which prevents public access, and would give the California Coastal Commission and the public an opportunity to have a say in the matter. Surfrider Foundation encourages members of the public to get involved. Here's how:
- Attend the trial (wear blue!) during the week of May 5. Location: San Mateo County Superior Court, 400 County Center, Redwood City, CA 94063. For time and courtroom assignment info, please check back Monday on http://martinsbeach.blogspot.com
- Write a letter supporting California's bill to open Martin's Beach: http://tinyurl.com/support-sb968
- Write a letter to Vinod Khosla, the property owner: http://tinyurl.com/write-khosla
- Join the Surfrider Foundation: http://surfrider.org/join
Other happenings to secure access to this public beach are underway.
In late 2012 Redenbacher and Brown, LLC, a Santa Cruz-based firm, filed a separate lawsuit aimed at reopening access to Martin's Beach on behalf of a group known as the Friends of Martin's Beach. This case, which takes a broader approach and argues that the California Constitution prohibits an individual or entity from preventing the public access to public beaches, was heard last year and an appeal is anticipated.
In February 2014 State Senator Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) introduced legislation to establish permanent public access to Martin's Beach. His bill, SB 968, would require the State Lands Commission to negotiate purchase of a right-of-way from the property owner to facilitate public access to the beach. If purchase cannot be negotiated by 2016, the Commission would acquire the property via eminent domain.
For more information about Surfrider's Open Martin's Beach campaign, please visit http://martinsbeach.blogspot.com.
About Surfrider Foundation
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world's oceans, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains more than 250,000 supporters, activists and members worldwide. For more information on the Surfrider Foundation, visit www.surfrider.org.


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|Winnebago County Sheriff's PoliceNews Media Release
|News Release Number2012-023
|Information: Narcotic Search Warrant/Arrest
|Date: 8-16-2012
|Time: 11:00a.m.
|Page of 1
On Wednesday August 15,2012 at approximately 3P.M.members of the Winnebago County Sheriff's Police Metro Narcotic Unit, Agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Illinois State Police executed a search warrant at 924 Glen Forest in Machesney Park Illinois for narcotics. During the search of the residence a small amount of marijuana was located, as well as items used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine. The resident was not present at the time of the execution of the warrant but was located at another location later in the afternoon and arrested. Methamphetamine was recovered from his person. The person charged is identified as Bradley Neal Jones (DOB 10-1-61/50yrs old). Jones is charged with the following: -Violation of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act;· Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine Manufacturing Materials· Possession of Methamphetamine/less than five grams· Participation in Methamphetamine Manufacturing -Violation of the Cannabis Control Act · Possession 2.5/10grams of marijuana The charges against Jones are merely accusations. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.


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Our last day in the field was one our Ore Curator, Helena Toman, was particulary looking forward to. We had finished visiting the fossil sites and today we would spend having a look around an active mine and collecting samples for the Museum's collections.
Helena tells us more about it...
Before we delve into the world of ores, it's probably best to clarify what an ore actually is! An ore is any naturally-occurring mineral or assemblage of minerals from which economically important constituents, particularly metals, can be extracted. The field of economic geology focuses on ore deposit formation, ore mineral exploration and the successful extraction and processing of an ore. I like to think of economic geology as occupying one of those crucial interfaces between science and society and so one of the challenges as the Ore Collections Curator is to make the science accessible to society.
Over the past couple of months, you've taken part in our adventure to the geological treasure trove that is Morocco. After sieving for Cretaceous sharks teeth; excavating extinct volcanoes for mantle xenoliths and exploring for minerals we reach the final field stop of this incredible journey, the cobalt-nickel arsenide ore bodies of Bou-Azzer.
On the road into Bou-Azzer mine.
Looking over the mine.
Located in the central Anti-Atlas Mountain range within a very old (788 ± 9 Ma, Gahlan et al., 2006) ophiolite – a section of the ancient sea floor that has been obducted onto land - Bou-Azzer is presently the only mining district in the world to produce cobalt as a primary commodity from arsenide ores (USGS, 2011). As cobalt is usually extracted as a by-product, mineralisation at Bou-Azzer is unusual and therefore scientifically interesting. Put bluntly, we'd be mad not to visit and collect!
One thing that you can safely predict is that most mining operations are located in very remote and difficult-to-access locations. Bou-Azzer is no exception. After a long, bumpy, but visually stunning car ride we were warmly welcomed by mine employees who introduced the group to the geology and mining history of the district. Then, after a much needed sugary mint tea, the moment had arrived. The moment I had been waiting for – access to the ore pile! We drove up. The midday sun beat down on the mass pile of rocks before us.
Looking through the discarded material next to the mine.
Dull silvers highlighted the primary cobalt mineralisation of Bou-Azzer: skutterudite (CoAs3); safflorite (CoAs2); loellingite (FeAs2); nickeline (NiAs) and rammelsbergite (NiAs2) while pale pinks and rich purples drew attention to the secondary mineral, erythrite (Co3[AsO4]2.8H2O) (Ahmed et al., 2009). I have to admit, as ores go, they rarely get 'prettier'.
Some of the samples we collected at the mine.
While I could have stayed for days, our schedule was very tight and it wasn't long before we needed to leave; it really was a case of 'all hands on deck!' Decision making (often against the clock) is part of a curator's in-field skill set, so only samples that best provided an understanding of the mineralogy, mineral assemblages, mineral textures and mineralisation styles present at Bou-Azzer, made it into the suite.
Primary cobalt ore.
Primary cobalt ore.
Secondary erythrite.
This suite (of 30 hand samples) was collected with two purposes in mind:
1) collection enhancement of the existing Natural History Museum ore collection
2) to serve as material for research initiatives investigating cobalt as a 'critical element'
As someone whose scientific interest area is economic geology, visiting Bou-Azzer was the cherry on top of the cake – or, as we are dealing with all things Moroccan, the mint in my tea. Describe the fieldtrip in one word? Ore-some.
If you would like to find out more about ores, the Museum ore collection and our research, please see our ores group webpages, or you can follow up with the references below.
Thank you to Helena for telling us more about the ores and what we collected.
I was particularly excited about going to the mine as we were trying to find some pink minerals, and pink is my favourite colour. Some of the specimens looked wonderful sparkling in the sun and it was great that we were able to collect so many new samples for the ore collections.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Morocco, seeing something new every day and you can learn so much more in the field than reading a book or paper about the area. For me, it was great to learn from the mineralogists on the trip and find out more about what they do and also learn from more senior members of staff (I think we all enjoyed learning from each other and getting to know each other better).
Being able to visit sites I have heard so much about such as the Kem Kem and Goulmima was fantastic. And knowing that finding the fossils (and mineral specimens) during our trip helped to enhance the Museum collections is a great feeling. I am hoping to return to Morocco later in the year to present some results at a conference of specimens we collected during our trip.
Ahmad, A.H., Arai, Shoji, and Ikenne, Moha, 2009, Mineralogy and paragenesis of the Co-Ni arsenide ores of Bou Azzer, Anti-Atlas, Morocco: Economic Geology, v. 104, no. 2, March–April, p. 249–266.
USGS, 2011, Minerals Yearbook: Morocco and Western Sahara (Advanced Release), p. 30.1 – 30.9.
Gahlan, H., Arai, S., Ahmed, A.H., Ishida, Y., Abdel-Aziz, Y.M., and Rahimi, A., 2006, Origin of magnetite veins in serpentinite from the Late Proterozoic Bou-Azzer ophiolite, Anti-Atlas, Morocco: An implication for mobility of iron during serpentinization: Journal of African Earth Sciences, v. 46, p.318–330.


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Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Marisa Tomei's representative denies engagement rumours
A representative for MARISA TOMEI has dismissed reports she is engaged to actor LOGAN MARSHALL-GREEN.
The Oscar winner, 48, was said to have accepted the Prometheus star's proposal over the Christmas (12) holidays, having dated on and off since 2008.
However, a spokesperson for Tomei insists there is "no truth" to the wedding rumours, reports GossipCop.com.
The Wrestler actress, who has previously been romantically linked to Robert Downey, Jr. and Lenny Kravitz, has previously claimed she did not believe in marriage, saying, "I'm not that big a fan of marriage as an institution and I don't know why women need to have children to be seen as complete human beings."


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Even when the party goes after hours, you'll still have plenty of sparkle thanks to our pearl embellished Emma Top!
Featuring a relaxed fit that hangs loose and flowy, this cute top can easily be dressed up or down.
Model Olga is a UK8, 176cm.
Product Specifications
PTP: 18 inches
Shoulder: 14 inches
Length: 24 inches
Additional Information


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BMW of Toledo
7600 West Central Ave
Toledo, OH 43617-0000
Sales: (419) 842-7956
2016 BMW X3 xDrive28i Mineral Silver Metallic AWD Active Blind Spot Detection, Cold Weather Package, Driver Assistance Package, Driver Assistance Plus, Heated Front Seats, Heated Rear Seats, Heated Steering Wheel, Lighting Package, Navigation System, Power Liftgate, Rear-View Camera, Surround View, xLine. CARFAX One-Owner. 21/28 City/Highway MPG

Welcome to BMW of Toledo where we make buying a car easy with LIVE MARKET PRICING. Our live market pricing mission is to present the best pricing to all of our customers. Pre-owned live market pricing is achieved by polling over 20,000 pre-owned web sites hourly. This ensures that every one of our customers receives real time market price on every pre-owned vehicle we sell. We do not artificially inflate our pre-owned prices in the hopes of winning a negotiating contest with our customers! We do not play pricing games. After being in business for 35+ years, we realize that live market pricing is, by far, the best approach for our customers.
Welcome to Yark Automotive where we make buying a car easy! Yark Automotive is a locally owned, family operated dealership in business for over 30 years. We have been the number one volume dealer in NW Ohio and SE Michigan since 1995. We are a 2011 Better Business Bureau Torch Award Winner for Marketplace Ethics and we have been chosen as the *Best Place To Buy A Car In Toledo* for 10 years in a row in the Toledo City Paper's *Best Of Toledo* community awards. You can expect quality, value and great service while shopping for your next vehicle at Yark! *ALL OFFERS ON SELECT MODELS WITH APPROVED CREDIT. PRICING MAY VARY BY STATE. ALL PRICES PLUS TAX, TAG AND TITLE. SEE DEALER FOR FULL DETAILS. **YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTS AND REBATE INCENTIVES ABOVE ADVERTISED PRICE. SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS. CONQUEST AND LOYALTY INCENTIVES MAY APPLY. **All online prices do not include pre-installed accessorized items and may increase the online price ***All vehicles with white stickers are on for protective purposes only. We make the best effort to ensure that your vehicle is in the best possible condition when you drive it home. * The advertised price does not include sales tax, vehicle registration fees, other fees required by law, finance charges and any documentation charges. * Images, prices, and options shown, including vehicle color, trim, options, pricing and other specifications are subject to availability, incentive offerings, current pricing and credit worthiness. * Some used vehicles may be subject to unrepaired recalls for safety issues. You may check for open safety recalls by entering the VIN at https://vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin.
Year: 2016
Make: BMW
Model: X3 xDrive28i
Price: $21,452
Engine: I-4 cyl
Exterior Color: Mineral Silver Metallic
Interior Color: Mocha Nevada Leather
Fuel Type: Other
Stock #: BP23074
Mileage: 64500
City MPG: 21
Hwy MPG: 28
Included Packages
Cold Weather Package
Driving Assistance Package
Driving Assistance Plus
Lighting Package
Additional Options
Roof rails in Satin Aluminum
Navigation system
Run-flat tires
CO2 relevant vehicles
Automatic Start/Stop function
Brake Energy Regeneration
Multifunction steering wheel
Tire pressure monitor
Alarm System
Power tailgate
Universal garage-door opener
Privacy glass
Floor mats
Auto-dimming mirrors
Auto-dimming rearview mirror
Power Front Seats
Split fold-down-rear seat
Storage package
Black high gloss instr panel
Automatic climate control
Dynamic Cruise Control
Ambient Lighting
LED Fog Lights
Hi-fi sound system
Satellite radio preparation
DVD Area coding, North America
BMW Assist eCall
BMW TeleServices
ConnectedDrive Services
Advanced RTTI
Remote Services
Enhanced USB and Bluetooth
Oil Chg 10,000 mls/12 months
Variable Light Decoding
Daytime driving lights
Transport protection
Tier 2


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Table of Contents
> Genes linked to drug addiction
Genes linked to drug addiction
Related terms
Future research
Author information
Related Terms
Abuse, abusers, addiction, alcohol, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), alcohol use, behavior, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), chromosomes, cocaine, dependence, desensitization, disorder, dopamine, drug use, expression, factors, genes, genetics, genetics counseling, glutamate, heroin, inheritance, marijuana, microarray, mood, mu-opioid (?-opioid) receptor (MOR), nicotine, opiates, opioid, pharmacogenetics, prescription drugs, prodynorphin (PDYN), protein, proteomics, recreational drugs, stimulants, substance abuse, tolerance.
Drug addiction, also known as substance abuse, occurs when individuals use drugs for recreational purposes. Abused drugs may be legal or illegal. Drugs available by prescription or over the counter (available without a prescription) are considered legal, but it is illegal to abuse these drugs.
Commonly abused drugs include alcohol, central nervous system (CNS) stimulants (such as nicotine, caffeine, and methamphetamine), cocaine, opiates (such as morphine and heroin), benzodiazepines, and marijuana. Drugs can be taken by mouth, injected into a vein, snorted through the nose, applied to the skin, dropped in the eye, inhaled, or smoked.
When individuals abuse drugs, they are at risk of becoming physically (chemically) dependent. People who have difficulty dealing with emotional issues may abuse drugs as a way to resolve their problems and thereby become emotionally dependent. Over time, individuals begin to develop a tolerance for the drugs. As a result, they may start to use the drug more frequently and/or in larger amounts.
When an addictive substance is discontinued or taken away, withdrawal can occur. Because the body is not receiving the drugs or alcohol it has become used to getting, individuals may experience uncomfortable physical or mental changes including nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety.
Drug addiction can cause compulsive drug cravings. Severe addictions may cause individuals to seek drugs, even at the expense of jobs, families, and other important parts of their lives.
Drug addiction involves positive and/or negative effects on mood and behavior. People may feel euphoria (or a high) or negative effects such as paranoia and anxiety after short-term use of drugs. Long-term use of drugs may lead to changes in mental health such as depression, aggression, and hallucinations.
Drug addiction has been linked to many factors, including the environment, genetics, and personality traits. These factors may determine why some people start using drugs and how easily they may become addicted. These factors may also determine how effective treatment is and the potential for relapse or recurrence of drug use.
While it is known that genetics play a role in substance abuse, research is still limited. Identifying genes that are linked to addiction can be very challenging due to the genetic diversity within and among different populations.
To identify the genes and chromosome regions involved in addiction, various technologies and methods have been used.
Hypothesis testing of single genes is a statistical procedure used to determine if genes are expressed differently. Expression is when the inheritable part of a gene, such as the DNA sequence, is made into a functional gene product, such as protein or RNA.
Genomic and proteomic technologies, such as microarray analysis, may be used to identify candidate genes and protein expression level changes during different stages of addiction.
In microarray analysis, probes that represent various genes are placed on a glass or plastic slide (also called a gene chip). The genes or proteins that are expressed by cells in various biological stages are then identified by the chip in a pattern to be used in biochemical or genetic analysis.
Proteomics is a branch of biotechnology that involves the genetic analysis of the proteins produced by genes during different biological stages or responses. Proteomics may be used to identify protein expression level changes during different stages of addiction.
Association studies may be used to compare genetic markers, or pieces of DNA that differ among individuals, in those who have the disease (drug addiction) and in those who do not have the disease.
Linkage studies are used to examine the inheritance of genetic markers in families. These studies may be used to link inherited genes with different traits, such as addiction. Linkage studies may also help determine the risks of inheriting a genetic marker for addiction.
: There are as many as 1,500 human genes that may be linked to addiction, but not all of these genes have supportive or strong evidence of their association. Only about 400 genes linked to addiction are backed by strong scientific evidence.
These genes may be categorized by the drug or substance to which they are linked, including genes related to alcohol addiction, cocaine addiction, opioid addiction, and nicotine addiction.
Genes linked to alcohol addiction
: Evidence from studies have identified a link between a marker found on chromosome 11 and alcohol abuse. There may also be a region on chromosomes 1, 4, and 7 that links to this particular addiction. Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) is the enzyme involved in the breakdown of alcohol, and the
gene (particularly the
variants) may be involved in alcohol dependence. The genes in the dopamine, GABA, opiate, and serotonin systems may also be involved in alcohol addiction.
Genes linked to drug addiction
: Dopamine, which is responsible for transferring nerve impulses, is perhaps the most well studied subject in addiction research. The motivation to seek reward is linked to dopamine, and some abused substances have been shown to increase dopamine levels. The dopamine receptors D2, D3, and D4 are most strongly linked with reward. Research suggests that lower levels of D2 receptors may increase the potential for drug abuse. It is not known if the D3 receptor is involved in drug addiction, but this receptor has been studied in individuals addicted to cocaine. The D4 receptor is most likely involved in the novelty-seeking aspect of drug use. Novelty seeking individuals are those who are impulsive and eager to take on new interests but may quickly become bored. However, environmental factors and gender differences (men are more likely to be impulsive than women) also need to be taken into account. Studies have shown that the D4 receptor may also be involved in heroin dependence.
The mu-opioid (?-opioid) receptor, also known as MOR, is also involved in reward-seeking behavior. In studies, animals without the
gene show less interest for opiate and stimulants and do not self-administer heroin or cocaine if they are provided. Thus, the
gene may determine the motivation to use drugs.
On the other hand, the prodynorphin (PDYN) opioid system, particularly the
gene, may be involved with the negative effects of drug use such as paranoia and anxiety. Studies suggest that abnormal prodynorphin systems may increase the potential for drug addiction. However, since the mechanism of this system in drug addiction is not well understood, further research is necessary to determine a clearer association.
Besides reward and novelty-seeking behavior, drug use is also associated with inhibition control (or self-control). Genes involved with inhibition may explain the inability of drug abusers to stop their destructive behavior. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), which is involved in the breakdown of dopamine, has been associated with cognitive control in addiction. Some studies have shown that heroin addicts and multiple-substance abusers have lower dopamine levels and lower cognitive control. However, the mechanism of COMT in drug addiction is not well understood.
The glutamate (excitatory neurotransmitter that transfers nerve impulses) system may also play a role in inhibitory control and reinforcement. Abnormalities in this system may result in repeated drug-seeking behavior and relapse or recurrence of the disease. The three genes involved in this system are
, and
. The
gene has been linked to cocaine addiction, but has not been well-studied in opioid abuse.
By identifying the genes associated with addiction, researchers may better understand the biological pathways involved in substance abuse. Understanding the biology behind addiction may lead to new strategies in the treatment or prevention of drug abuse.
Linking genes to drug addiction may also provide ways to optimize treatment plans for patients. Type, dose, and duration of treatment may be adjusted to suit individual patients and their genotypes, possibly leading to better outcomes.
There are as many as 1,500 human genes that may be linked to addiction, but not all of these genes have supportive or strong evidence of their association. Only about 400 genes linked to addiction are backed by strong scientific evidence.
It is still difficult to distinguish the specific genes that are associated with addiction and abuse. Therefore, further research is needed, especially studies that involve different populations. Tools and technologies are continually made and modified to identify genes and their association to addiction.
Future research
Studies on genes and drug addiction are limited. It is still difficult to distinguish the specific genes that are associated with addiction and abuse. Therefore, further research is needed, especially studies that involve different populations. Tools and technologies are continually made and modified to identify genes and their association to addiction.
Physicians may need further training in clinical genetics and genetic counseling to better educate their patients and also to enforce new treatment strategies that best suit each individual.
Author information
This information has been edited and peer-reviewed by contributors to the Natural Standard Research Collaboration (www.naturalstandard.com).
Ball D. Addiction science and its genetics. Addiction. 2008 Mar;103(3):360-7.
Hurd YL. Perspectives on current directions in the neurobiology of addiction disorders relevant to genetic risk factors. CNS Spectr. 2006 Nov;11(11):855-62.
Li CY, Mao X, Wei L. Genes and (common) pathways underlying drug addiction. PLoS Comput Biol. 2008 Jan; 4(1): 28-34.
Mayer P, Hollt V. Genetic disposition to addictive disorders - current knowledge and future perspectives. Current Opinion in Pharmacology. 2005 Feb; 5(1): 4-8.
Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. .
Rhodes JS, Crabbe JC. Gene expression induced by drugs of abuse. Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2005 Feb;5(1):26-33.
Rosenthal RN, Levounis P. "Polysubstance Use." In: Clinical Textbook of Addictive Disorders. 3rd ed. Edited by Richard J. Frances and Sheldon I. Miller. New York, New York: Guilford Press, 2005: 245-270.
Shields AE, Lerman C. Anticipating Clinical Integration of Pharmacogenetic Treatment Strategies for Addiction: Are Primary Care Physicians Ready? Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2008 Mar 5; 83(4): 1-5.
Copyright © 2011 Natural Standard (
The information in this monograph is intended for informational purposes only, and is meant to help users better understand health concerns. Information is based on review of scientific research data, historical practice patterns, and clinical experience. This information should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Users should consult with a qualified healthcare provider for specific questions regarding therapies, diagnosis and/or health conditions, prior to making therapeutic decisions.
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Below are list of international timezones that you can use for your air ambulance flight.
When you are looking for and definitely need the best 24 hour, 7 days a week throughout the year fixed-wing air ambulance service available, there is no better way to choose a truly dedicated international aeromedical flight company to look after you than reading what our previous valued customers have said...
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Our air ambulance service offers a free advice line from its 24-hour control center. We regularly give advice and assistance in all matters relating to medical transport, including the management and repatriation of persons injured or taken seriously ill while overseas, together with advice on every aspect of air ambulance transport either by scheduled airline or air ambulance jet. We are also advisors on such matters as recruitment, training, medical cover and insurance requirements.
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U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
Store Manager Subjected Customer Service Rep to Sexual Assault, Federal Agency Charged
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill.– The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced the settlement of an egregious harassment case against Aaron Rents, Inc., doing business as Aaron Sales & Lease Ownership (Aaron), for significant remedial relief on behalf of a young female worker who was allegedly subjected to a sexually hostile workplace and assaulted by a store manager.
In its lawsuit, filed on September 30, 2008, under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (Case No. 3:08-cv-00683-MJR-DGW), the EEOC alleged that the general manager of Aaron's Fairview Heights, Ill.-based store made sexually explicit comments and requests for sex on a regular basis to Ashley Alford, a young customer service representative. The EEOC alleged that the manager repeatedly attempted to force Alford to have sex with him and that the harassment escalated until he sexually assaulted Alford in the store's warehouse area.
According to the EEOC's court-filed complaint, the male manager, "…touched Alford's body in a sexually offensive manner on a number of occasions and he exposed himself to her several times. Alford complained to her direct supervisor and called the company hotline but no action was taken to end the harassment. In October 2006, [the manager] sexually assaulted Alford in the Fairview Heights facility."
The EEOC's proposed consent decree was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois and is subject to approval by Judge Michael J. Reagan. The decree will provide significant remedial relief, including training for all managers within Arron's St. Louis Region, reporting of any complaints of sexual harassment in this region, and improving its company-wide discrimination hotline. Alford intervened in the EEOC's lawsuit and is represented by Judy and David Cates of Cates Law Firm of O'Fallon, Ill. Alford's case has not been settled and she will proceed in her private lawsuit without the EEOC.
"No one should have to face sexual harassment and assault as part of their job," said EEOC's St. Louis District Director James R. Neely, Jr. "Ms. Alford was the only woman working in this store for most of her tenure. She was only 20 years old at the time of the alleged attack. It is important for employers to be vigilant in protecting young employees, who are one of the most vulnerable segments of the labor force."
According to company information, Atlanta-based Aaron Rents Inc. owns and operates more than 1,500 "rent to own" stores across the United States and Canada. The company identifies itself as "the nation's leader in the rental, sales and lease ownership, and specialty retailing of residential and office furniture, consumer electronics and home appliances and accessories."
The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.


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|Image Courtesy of Bleacher Report
The Dolphins aren't that far away from being a playoff team. It may be hard to believe because of their record this year, but Miami has a lot of talent that was masked by a few poor performers.
So, without further ado, here are the two most important New Year's Resolutions for the Miami Dolphins in 2011.
New QB
Goodbye Chad Henne.
At the beginning of this year the majority of Dolphins fans were expecting Henne to be the future of the Miami Dolphins franchise, and I was one of those fans. Instead, Henne has been really bad, and hasn't even been able to manage games this season.
Now, Miami must try and find a new quarterback for next season who is able to (at a minimum) manage games and (hopefully) make big plays consistently. There are a few prospects in the draft that the Dolphins might have a shot at getting like Ryan Mallett and Cam Newton, and that is where I would prefer them to look first.
It is also possible that they could look into the free agent pool. Players like Kevin Kolb and Kyle Orton may be available, and I think both of those players could be really good in the Dolphins offense.
It is extremely necessary for Miami to find a new quarterback because Chad Henne just isn't cutting it anymore. Instead of being the reason that his team wins like a quarterback is supposed to be, Henne has been the reason the Dolphins have been losing.
There have not been any indications out of Miami about what they will do about our quarterback, but we all need to pray that they don't decide to stay with Henne as the starter.
New OC
Goodbye Dan Henning.
Anyone who has followed the Miami Dolphins at all this season would have been able to guess that I would suggest they get rid of their Offensive Coordinator Dan Henning. His play calling was the stupidest and easiest to read in the NFL.
Miami's offense was so simple and pathetic that defenders were able to guess what routes receivers were running before the play even started. Dan Henning has just been bad all year, and it gets pretty old complaining about him, but I don't have a choice because he always seems to be part of the problem.
Possible replacements that have been revealed are Current Texans Head Coach Gary Kubiak and ex-Broncos Head Coach Josh McDaniels. Both could be very good choices for the job, but first Miami must fire Henning. There have been indications this week that Henning would be fired at the end of the season, so I am not worried about the fact that he will be here next year.
Thanks for reading, and let me know some of the other resolutions you think the Dolphins must fulfill to be successful next year.
People who are interested in all aspects of sports may be
interested in colleges
for sports management.


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This week I will be attending Linaro Connect Q1.12 in Redwood City, California. Infact, I'm in an American Airlines plane at 34,000 feet heading there now. In-flight WiFi is awesome!
Over the past two months Michael Hall and myself have been doing a large amount of work on The Summit Scheduler to get it ready for Connect this week including modifying more than 2,400 lines of Summit code. You can find out more about that in my previous post.
I have a few things that I want to get out of Connect. The first is that I want to get feedback on the changes to Summit, as well as figure out what other things we may need to change. The second thing that I want to do is to learn more about the Beagleboard-xM that I have and how to use it for the many different things it can be used for. The third thing that I want to do is to learn about Linaro's LAVA.
LAVA is an automated validation suite used to run all sorts of different tests on the products that Linaro produces. The things that I would like to get out of Connect in relation to LAVA are how to setup and run LAVA, how to set it up to run tests, and how to produce results and display those results the way that I want them.
If you are at Linaro Connect, and would be willing to talk with me about Summit and the way you use it and your thoughts on the changes, please contact me and we will set aside a time to meet.Read more


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We build outdoor events that will bring down the house!
Customize the Maude Bar with colors and fabric inserts that fit your style.
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The Alley
From South Africa Rock Climbing Routes Wiki
You can walk to the Alley from De Bos. This takes about 20 minutes. Either walk down the river or follow a higher (good) path along the mountainside. Either way, the last part of the walk-in involves a steep hike up the hillside on a bad path to get to the Alley.
This is a great crag for summer as it is mostly in the shade.
- Routes
- Open Project
- A Bronx Tale 26 [6B] Craig Bruton
Originally (in less PC times) named Gutter Slut
- The Woodstock Saints 25 [5B] Craig Bruton
Originally named Gang Rape
- True Romance 24 [6B] Deon Hugo
- Romancing the Stone 23 [6B] Deon Hugo
- Hired Hands 23 [6B] Steve Downing
- Baseball Bat Treatment 28 [6B] Guy Holwill
- Zero Tolerance 25 [4B] Craig Bruton
- Lolita 18 (on the slab on the facing the main wall)
- Slag 18 (on the slab on the facing the main wall)
- Gutter Slut 26
- Fatal Beating 25
- Forced Entry 27
- A Slight Mugging 24
- Blunt Instrument 25
- Elephant Hitman 24


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Nobel Laureate Visits, Oct. 3, 2005
SOCORRO, N.M., Oct. 3, 2005 – Nobel Laureate F. Sherwood Rowland of the University of California at Irvine recently paid a daylong visit to the New Mexico Tech campus, first attending a luncheon held in his honor with various Tech faculty and administrators. Rowland, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1995 for his collective research work in atmospheric chemistry, also later gave a public lecture on global warming on the day of his visit to Tech. Pictured chatting before the luncheon are Bill Stone, Tech mathematics professor (on left), Oliver Wingenter, Tech chemistry professor (center), and Rowland (on right).


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Story highlights
- As 2012 ends, here are our tech dreams for 2013
- Will the big guys stop suing and start making the best gadgets possible?
- We'd love a "perfect" social networking site
- More "Made in the U.S.A." tech and longer battery life would also rock
What is tech but yesterday's dreams realized?
From touchscreen tablets to virtual reality, it all has to start in somebody's mind before it ends up on the shelves of a store (or, let's be honest, in an Amazon warehouse somewhere in the middle of nowhere).
No, we here at CNN Tech haven't dreamed up any technological breakthroughs that will change the world. At least none that we're willing to discuss publicly.
But we do think about tech stuff a lot and ponder how to make it better. So as this new year dawns, we came up with these five wishes for the tech world in 2013.
Are they all likely to come true? Almost certainly not. But some might, and the others may be useful as conversation starters if nothing else.
Let us know what your tech hopes and dreams for 2013 are in the comments.
The Wozniak Initiative
You don't have to be an Apple fanatic to love The Woz.
Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple who is known more as a gadget geek than a ruthless businessman, showed where his heart is when asked about the constant barrage of lawsuits flying back and forth between tech companies these days.
Apple sued Samsung. Samsung sued Apple. Apple sued Google. Google sued Apple. And so on. And so on.
Wozniak, who has dropped out of the business end of things at Apple, had a solution.
"I hate it ..." Wozniak said. "I wish everybody would just agree to exchange all the patents and everybody can build the best forms they want to use everybody's technologies."
We're with Woz.
If the consumer-tech titans quit squabbling over the details and use all the tools at their disposal to make great products, we as consumers win, right?
But we're not holding our breath.
Estimated chance: 2%
The perfect social site
More than 1 billion of us have made social networking a regular part of our lives. So why is everyone so unhappy?
With Facebook, if it's not concerns about privacy, it's irritation at ads or frustration with "friends" who share those stupid "click this or you hate puppies" posts. Twitter's microbursts of news and info, much of it snarky commentary, definitely aren't for everybody. (That said, can even the biggest Twitter haters agree with us that "Twitter is for twits" is an old, tired, unoriginal insult and move on?)
So let's hope for the perfect networking site to come along out of nowhere in 2013. Failing that, maybe the existing sites will put their differences aside and combine the best of each into a single super-network. (Google+ sure does look pretty. But how many folks do you know who use it on purpose?)
Oh ... and our pipe-dream social network will be bankrolled by some billionaire as a public service, so there'll be no annoying ads or worries about your data being used to serve advertisers. Hear that, billionaires? Get busy.
Estimated chance: 7%
Affordable 3-D printers
OK ... so, "affordable" is one of those things that's definitely in the eye of the beholder. And by some early-adopter standards, the $2,200 or so you can plunk down for a MakerBot Replicator or other 3-D printer qualifies as a bargain.
But we'd love for 2013 to be the year that these living-in-the-future devices gain enough traction for the inevitable price drop that always eventually comes with new technology. (Witness: The $1,389 VCR)
The potential of 3-D printers is one of the truly exciting promises of emerging tech. The ability to reproduce tiny parts of bigger, more complicated objects -- say, cameras, appliances, etc. -- could help consumers extend the lifespans of our increasingly disposable gadgets.
But, let's be honest. We'd probably use ours to make action figures or dinosaur skulls or a bunch of bad guys from Doctor Who.
So, yeah. Hurry up with that price drop.
Estimated chance: 46%
Made in the U.S.A.
It's not just about the goodwill they'd get from customers, although there would probably be no shortage of that.
But it's increasingly looking like good business for top tech companies to start making their products in the United States.
In 2012, we saw glimmers of hope. Apple announced that it will begin manufacturing one of its computers in the United States in 2013. Lenovo, the Chinese electronics company, announced it will be opening its first U.S. factory in North Carolina.
And Google gave "Made in the U.S.A." a shot as well, with its ill-fated Nexus Q device.
Apple, among other tech firms, has taken some lumps over reports of poor worker conditions on its assembly lines in China. Now, with production, transportation and other costs in China increasing, experts say it might not be long before it makes financial sense to move factories back to the States.
As the U.S. economy continues to slowly rebound, let's hope 2013 sees its fair share of that move.
Estimated chance: 50%
Battery life
We get it.
We ask our smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices to do more, and do it faster, every year.
We also want them to be small enough to act as fashion accessories (even as their display screens get bigger). And we realize that all that surfing, texting, streaming and downloading burns power.
But is it too much for us to dream of a day when we can go from sunup to sundown without having to stay tethered to a USB port? A day when we can stream music or videos without growing anxious about preserving the precious remaining drops of juice in our gadgets?
There's some room for optimism here.
MIT researchers say a new amplifier design they're working on could double battery life in smartphones. Research on consumer applications is underway, and, if we're lucky, it will mean durable, environmentally friendlier batteries that will make finding public spots next to power outlets less of a blood sport.
Estimated chance: We have no idea, but our fingers are crossed


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Resident Mom Review: Britax Chaperone
Reviewed By: Resident Mom Rebekah
Britax Chaperone Travel Collection (stroller and infant carrier)
Price: From $450 with rebate. Check online for best price
Buy It Here
Ages: Carrier: 4-30 lbs., Stroller: 6 months - 5 years
Mom Says: As a mom of a two year old and twin three month olds, I have gone through several strollers trying to find the perfect fit for us. We destroyed several with my daughter because they just weren't built to last. We took the Britax out for a full day of Trick-or-Treating, rain and all! We were very impressed. The stroller is easy to push and maneuver! It can be difficult to push a lot of the strollers once children start to get a little bigger and there is more weight in the stroller, but that was not the case with the Britax.
The big wheels made it very easy to steer, and things like the adjustable handle made it comfortable to push. There is plenty of storage under the stroller which is a must for anyone with multiple children in tow. I loved the tray on the front which can be lifted and set down with one hand. The only two problems we had were the brake and putting the stroller away.
The brake is very nice in that you don't push it up and down, you step on it once to apply the brake and then once to let off the brake. This was very nice, but broke after only a few uses. We walked the rest of our route with the brake partially on. The adjustable handle bar, while comfortable, does also seem a little flimsy and I worry about it breaking.
The stroller folds differently than any stroller I've ever seen (there is a pull down in the middle of the seat) and I'm not too impressed with that, it is not very easy to do on your own and we cannot get it to snap shut so it takes a lot of space in our car.
The infant carrier is heavier than all of the ones we have, but is more cushioned inside. I wish we would have had this when we brought home our preemie twins. The baby just seemed to sit more snug in this car seat than in the ones we have. It makes me feel a bit safer when they are small. I also loved the rebound bar, that insures the seat doesn't bounce backward if there is an accident. So, I do feel that this is a very safe car seat you can feel confident putting your baby in. The infant carrier fits very well in the stroller. There are several steps to prepare the stroller to put the carrier in, but then you can just leave it that way until the baby is no longer using the carrier.
Overall the stroller and infant carrier are both very nice products, I would recommend them as good items. They are very pricey and I am not sure I would be willing to pay so much for a stroller. However, they both seem to be built to last and able to grow with your child, so if paying this price once keeps you from having to buy several strollers as your child grows, than it is very much worth it!!
Pros: Easy to maneuver, easy to steer, comfortable to use, works well with infants and toddlers.
Cons: Pricey, Difficult to fold up
Mom Rating: B