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View our excellent offers for St Patrick's Day.
The Ardilaun Hotel, Galway are delighted to scoop the Gold Medal Award for the first time at the Irish Accommodation Services Institute Awards (IASI) ceremony held in Slieve Russell Hotel, Co. Cavan recently in the four star hotel category, especially having achieved the silver award almost every year since 1990, when The Ardilaun first became accredited with it.
IASI is a national body representing the professional interest of the Accommodation industry in Ireland and was founded in 1985. Its members include Accommodation Managers, Supervisors and all personnel working in the accommodation field. It is a very active in promoting best practice standards across accommodation, it provides a forum to meet and network with other professionals in our field of work. A record 100 businesses entered the IASI Awards this year with nominees from hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, colleges and schools throughout Ireland.
Accommodation Manager Anne Kelly, one of the longest serving members of staff at The Ardilaun Hotel said "the awards scheme is a very useful benchmark for accommodation providers throughout the country. We are delighted and honoured to have secured this prestigious awards programme, considering the significant number of other high profile hotels that have also competed for the Awards".
The Ardilaun Hotel received this worthy accolade on the merit for achieving excellence in accommodation service standards for quality, hygiene and cleanliness of its bedrooms and public areas, and upon receiving this with Gold status the property has to get 95% plus in their inspection, which the hotel and their accommodation team achieved.
John Ryan Managing Director of The Ardilaun Hotel noted: "As a family owned and managed hotel, The Ardilaun celebrates its 53rd year on St. Patrick's Day and are very proud and thrilled to have been awarded with Gold Status this year by IASI. This award reflects the true values of The Ardilaun Hotel and each staff member of the Accommodation team. We continuously strive to serve all of our guests to the highest standards with great care and attention and this award is testament to our aim. All the credit goes to the team who, each day, make all our guests feel so welcomed. It is proven the cleanliness and condition of the bedrooms are the most important factors in customer satisfaction ratings".
Many of our guests are now familiar faces at The Ardilaun as they return to stay with us year after year."
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The Ardilaun Hotel is a well known and much loved landmark hotel and leisure club. The hotel is known for it's service, it's family-run warmth and it's stunning location and grounds. The Ardilaun also adds outstanding food to its list of qualities – with the launch of The Ardilaun Bistro this quality is set to become even more prevalent.
Executive Head Chef, David O'Donnell has headed up the kitchen team in The Ardilaun across all it's food offering: the fine dining restaurant The Camilaun, the events and wedding catering and the soon-to-launch The Ardilaun Bistro – a casual bistro-style restaurant, previously known as Blazers Bistro. David has held senior positions in high profile hotels such as Knockranny House Hotel, Mount Juliet and The Heritage.
David explains, "We saw that there was a gap in the market for a restaurant/bistro within a hotel which feature local artisan food producers. We have strong relationships with suppliers who focus on the quality and consistency in what they produce. We are focusing on utilizing the seasons and we incorporate what is in season into the menus which enables us to come up with some amazing combinations. We work with Le Petit Delice which provides us with for freshly baked bread everyday."
The Ardilaun Bistro will launch at the end of this month ( 30th January). The Bistro will be open for lunch from 12:30pm to 4pm and dinner from 5:30pm to 9pm. The 60-seater restaurant will feature a menu which highlights some of the best ingredients produced locally and in the west of Ireland.
Diners can expect lunch time eats such as French Style Tartines for a light bite (including Cornamona Hot Smoked Salmon with Fisherman Bread with Cornamona Hot Smoked ,Salmon, Fennel and Dill Cream Cheese, Pickled Cucumber Ribbons or Rye Bread with "8hr Cooked" Castlemine Farm Pork Shoulder, Avocado Puree, Celeriac and Apple Salsa, Candied Pecan Crumbs).
Lunch menu mains include Eamonn Giblin Venison Pie (Claremorris Fallow Deer with Sweet Potatoes, Leeks, Thyme and Ballyhoura Mushrooms Topped with Achill Sea Salt and Cumin Scented Pastry) or the renowned Ardilaun Beef Burger (Chargrilled Steak Burger with Beef Tomato, Arugula Leaves and Jalapeño Relish, Aran Dillisk Gouda Cheese) served on a Brioche Cereal Bap and Side Salad or Orecchiette Pasta (fresh pasta tossed with Aubergine Caviar, Rocket, Roasted Bell Peppers, Gabriel Faherty's Feta Cheese, Carragh's Micro Greens and Flat Leaf Parsley Pesto).
The Evening Menu served from 5:30pm to 9pm is just as impressive, dishes to entice include Achill Mountain Lamb (Juniper Scented Pressed Belly and 6hr Braised Shoulder "Bon Bons" with Sweet Potato And Smoked Gubeen Puree, Buttered Romanesco and Braising Jus Infused with Port) or Rossaveal Hake (Pan Roasted Fillet of Hake on Sea Spaghetti with Linguine Pasta, Purple Potatoes and Vine Tomato Concassee, Chervil and Pernod Cream), Kilmore Quay Scallops and Kelly's Surf Clams (Dillisk Scented Seared Scallops with Wild Surf Clams with Butternut Squash, Leek and Fennel Fondue, Dillisk, Lemon and Vermouth Butter Cream).
Desserts take on life of their own under pastry chef Lorraine Mullen in The Ardilaun Bistro, one signature dish is sure to set chocolate lovers heart's racing Michel Cluizel Chocolate Truffle Torte ("Elainza Noir" Chocolate Truffle Torte Served with Dulce de Leche, O'Malley Honey and Irish Mist Ice Cream, Pistachio Tuille and Caramel Gel).
John Ryan Managing Director of The Ardilaun Hotel says, "We are thrilled to be launching our new extensive dining experience at The Ardilaun Bistro, partnering with local Irish artisan producers in bringing Galway a very new and unique taste".
The Ardilaun Bistro will launch 30th January. For more news and updates, and exclusive competitions follow on Twitter @ArdilaunBistro or find 'The Ardilaun Hotel' on Facebook.
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Author Archives: The Ardilaun Hotel
Celebrating with Mum for Mother's Day at The Ardilaun
The Ardilaun Hotel has the solution to all your Mother's Day preparations this year. Being a family owned Galway Hotel, The Ardilaun is always a good choice for celebrating Mother's Day with family and friends on Sunday 10th March.
Camilaun Restaurant
Why not take a break from the kitchen and have Sunday Lunch out for Mothers Day in the award winning Camilaun Restaurant. Enjoy a Four Course Lunch in the pleasant surroundings overlooking hotel gardens for all the family served between 1.00pm and 3pm. Choose from a large selection of main course dishes from the carvery, including old favourites for this time of year – Roast Beef, Turkey and Ham as well as some tasty alternatives, followed by a wide array of delicious dessert options. The Ardilaun have lovely cosy lounges in their comfortable and spacious lobby so the advice is to come early and make the most of this special day. There will be a complimentary voucher worth €15 towards Avalon Beauty Salon and a Day Pass to our Leisure Club along with another surprise gift from The Ardilaun for every mum dining with us in The Camilaun. All this for €23 including service charge. Children's Menus are also available at €11.50 per child. Advanced bookings are recommended on 091 521433 to avoid disappointment. Alternatively Blazers Bar & Bistro is also available for more casual dining with lunch dishes available from just €9.75. If you cannot make lunch, hot food is served throughout the day until 9pm. There is great value with our 2 course and 3 course evening menus including wine for €21 and €24 respectively.
Ardilaun Gift Card
A perfect gift for mum is the Ardilaun Hotel Gift Card which can be topped up for use in any part of the hotel. There is a huge selection of special packages that can be purchased and presented by means of the Ardilaun Hotel Gift Card for any monetary amount. The choices are endless from lunch or dinner for two at the Camilaun Restaurant or Blazers Bar and Bistro or beauty treatments in the Ardilaun's Avalon Beauty Salon or a Yonka Gift Set.
Avalon Mothers Day Packages
Avalon are offering packages for all mums of every age. Mothers Day packages include the Award winning Yonka mini-facial and Half Body massage, all for just €65. Alternatively you can combine the mini-facial with a Full Body Salt Exfoliation or an Indian Head Massage.
Avalon Beauty Salon is also offering all mums who dine in The Ardilaun Hotel on Mothers Day, whether it is in Blazers Bar and Bistro or Camilaun Restaurant, a gift of €15 discount voucher per person which can be put towards any Avalon treatments or packages valued at €30 or more. Advanced booking is essential on: 091 514708 for this offer and not applicable in conjunction with any other offers. Gift Vouchers and Leisure Club Membership (both short term and long term packages) at The Ardilaun Leisure Club are available to purchase for your mum that has everything, which includes free entry to many of the 55 exercise and aqua classes held weekly.
For reservations or further information call 091 521433 or become a fan of The Ardilaun on facebook.
A Time for Love and Romance Be our Valentine at The Ardilaun
Love is in the air at the popular Camilaun Restaurant and more casual Blazers Bar and Bistro at the Ardilaun Hotel in leafy Taylors Hill. Renowned for good food, excellent service and fine wines the award winning team at The Ardilaun have whipped up an extraordinary menu for this Valentine's Day. Soak up the atmosphere as you relax and unwind with your valentine whilst availing of our specials which include meals from €21 to include a glass of Prosecco, along with His and Her Cocktails from €5 each, or stay overnight with all-in packages from just €75 per person sharing.
Camilaun Restaurant
The candlelit restaurant overlooking gardens, will host a romantically themed evening on Thursday 14th , Friday 15th & Saturday 16th February where guests will be treated to a five course table d'hote gourmet meal for two with special touches and a bottle of house wine, all for just €75 per couple. Advance booking is advisable.
Valentines Ball
The Ardilaun Hotel Galway plays host once again to the National Breast Cancer Research Institute (NBCRI) annual Valentine's Ball this year. The gala evening, which always marks the start of Galway's social calendar, is one of the charity's major fundraising events and monies raised go to support breast cancer research carried out by Prof. Michael Kerin and his research team based at NUI Galway. It's a testament to the directors of NBCRI and the great support of the public and local businesses that despite very difficult economic times they have managed to maintain the event over the years. One of the highlights of the night will be 'Dial-A-Diamond' where guests have a chance to win a stunning pair of 18k white gold diamond earrings, round brilliant cut pave setting with a total of 2.50 carats worth €3,000, donated by Cara Diamonds.
The Ball takes place on Saturday 16th February with a champagne reception at 7.30pm followed by gala dinner. MC this year is singer/songwriter, radio and TV personality Marc Roberts, with music by 'Oddity' and dancing till late with DJ Kevin Belton. Tickets are €100 and are available by contacting Mairin Clancy 091 526677 or Email: firstname.lastname@example.com . Special overnight rates are also available.
Blazers Bar & Bistro
This Valentines if you are looking for the more casual setting, look no further than Blazers Bar & Bistro, with comfortable surroundings where you can enjoy cosy atmosphere and avail of the Valentines Special running each evening, which includes a romantically themed two course meal with a glass of prosecco for just €21 per person or a three course meal with a glass of prosecco with a glass of prosecco for €24. Live Music in Blazers Bar will be on Thursday 14th & Saturday 16th February.
Avalon Beauty Salon
Enjoy the atmosphere of luxury and sanctuary at the popular Avalon Health and Beauty Salon at The Ardilaun Hotel, with a choice of relaxing, invigorating and indulging treatments with something to suit everyone with Valentines packages to include a choice of two treatments for €65 so call the salon directly on 514708.
The romantic setting of the 4 star Ardilaun Hotel makes it a perfect wedding venue catering for the newly weds big day. Originally a country manor, on its own secluded grounds, this much sought-after family run hotel provides a unique setting with landscaped gardens and an experienced team who provide a personalised service on the most important day of your life. Gift Vouchers for Valentines including Leisure Club membership are available call 091 521433 for reservations.
Fifty Years of Christmas Cheer at The Ardilaun
Celebrating fifty years in business this year, the team at The Ardilaun Hotel are busy preparing for an action packed Christmas and New Year Programme this year with a wide range of parties to choose from. Whether it is a party night where you join in the fun with others, or party in private, or enjoy lunch or dinner in Blazers Bar & Bistro at the Ardilaun. The Ardilaun caters for parties of any size from 25 up to 380 guests, and a night to remember is guaranteed.
Join in the Office Party nights with everything organised for you – mulled wine reception on arrival with Guinness Jazz Band, four course festive meal, Live Bands and DJ every night, late bar, festive decor, spot prizes and free parking – all for just €39 per person. Dates now selling are: Saturday 1st , 8th , 15th & Friday 21st December. Party in private from just €33 per person with customised packages available. A great excuse to stay overnight at the Ardilaun at €45 per person sharing which will give you a hearty full Irish Breakfast and the luxury of the Ardilaun leisure club facilities. The in-house solarium and beauty salon are available for guests convenience also, with the very latest in Bio-Detox and YonKa Aroma stone massage treatments.
Blazers Bar & Bistro offers Pre-Christmas Lunches and Dinners with Festive Four Course Luncheon Menu with all of the trimmings, Monday to Friday throughout December at just €20 per person including a glass of house wine, right up until Christmas Eve. Also for larger parties the formal Camilaun Restaurant is available for parties of 30 or over with full four course lunch with a glass of house wine for €25 per person.
Ring in the New Year in style at the New Year's Eve Banquet at the Ardilaun Hotel and enjoy a more relaxed night out with Sparkling Wine, Festive delicacies and jazz reception on arrival, 5 course Gourmet Dinner, wine with meal. Ring in the New Year with a glass of bubbly at midnight and Dance the night away to the music of the sounds of Carmel Dempsey & Band.
Date for Diary: Sunday 4th November, 2 – 6pm Fashion, Frolics & Fun at The Ardilaun Hotel Wedding Fair
It is that time of year again when The Ardilaun Hotel are busy preparing for another busy Annual Wedding Fair which promises to be bigger and better than ever, where all bride and grooms-to-be and their families can come along free of charge on Sunday 4th November from 2pm to 6pm to see Galway's favourite Wedding venue for themselves. The Ardilaun offers an oasis of calm in private, secluded surroundings for your Special Day, with new wedding proposal packages for everyone.
The Wedding Fair has become hugely popular over the past few years, so the message is to come early. Enjoy a complimentary glass of mulled wine on arrival, Cascading Chocolate Fountain, live entertainment on the day by the Guinness Jazz Band. The beautiful ballroom of The Ardilaun will be packed with a host of wedding necessities and trimmings, with full list of exhibitors coming soon on our website.
An exclusive fashion show is one of the highlights during the fair with Catwalk Models featuring the latest fashion trends for brides, grooms, the wedding party and mother of the bride. All attendees at the Wedding Fair will be entered in a free draw for a whole host of super prizes sponsored by the exhibitors and the top prize will be a Luxury Break for two with Select Hotels of Ireland. Admission is free, so come along and enjoy the day. For further information on the wedding fair, Moposa software, new proposals and wedding brochure contact Orla on: 091 519703 for further details.
Sponsors of the Listed Oyster Stakes at the Autumn meeting of the Galway Races
The Autumn meeting of the Galway Race begins Monday 10th September for three days, consisting of 21 races, both flat and national hunt races. One of the highlights of the racing festival will be the Ardilaun Hotel Listed Oyster Stakes, which takes place on the first day of the races, Monday 10th September, which is now in its twenty first year. Celebrating fifty years in business this year, the Ryan family of The Ardilaun Hotel first became associated with this prestigious race in 1991 and have continued their support over the years.
Since 1991 when this race was first introduced, well-known and highly acclaimed trainers, jockeys and owners have chosen to enter this race, one of only two listed races in the Galway Racing calendar. As far back as 1969 Paddy Ryan, who sadly passed away in the last few years, was a member of the Race committee when the decision was made to add the Autumn meeting to the racing calendar, creating an extra attraction in an effort to prolong the Galway tourist season; drawing visitors and tourists to the region from all over Ireland and abroad.
'The Galway race course is a superb asset to theGalway region, attracting visitors to stay and enjoy the area and providing a great source of revenue to all sectors.Galway has benefited greatly over the years and the Ardilaun are pleased to be associated with it,' said John Ryan, Managing Director of the Ardilaun Hotel,' We are certainly looking forward to another great day's racing.'
The Ardilaun Hotel Listed Oyster Stakes is a flat race open to colts, geldings and fillies who are three years old or more. Over the years the cream of the stables, trainers and owners have participated in this race with regular entries from leading trainers John Oxx who won last year, Dermot Weld, Aidan O'Brien, Kevin Prendergast, Jim Bolger and Mark Johnston.
Over the years The Ardilaun Hotel Listed Oyster Stakes has drawn entries from internationally renowned owners such as Aga Khan, Godolphin Enterprise, Moyglare Stud, John Magnier and Lady Clague.
This meeting is also very popular with people involved in the tourist industry who may not have been available to attend during the Summer. Special offers are now available visit Facebook.
Select Hotels Invaded by Little Cookie Monsters Across the Country in aid of Barnardos
There wasn't a crumb in sight after families from all over Ireland attended a huge Milk & Cookies Morning at participating Select Hotel members last week, as part of Select Hotel's nationwide fundraising event, with all donations going to Barnardos.
The successful event took place from 11am – 1pm on Wednesday 8th August and provided a wonderful morning of fun and entertainment including kiddies disco, cookery decorating classes, clowns and magicians, arts and crafts, a colouring-in corner, board games, animal balloon making, face painting, princess hair styles.
The Ardilaun Hotel were delighted to participate in this popular event with lots of children attending from their Koala Kids Club Summer Camp which was a FREE open day for local children and residents alike, with party games, children's disco, musical chairs, facepainting, art and crafts. Parents had a chance to sit back and enjoy homemade scones and coffee. Afterwards, children had an opportunity to go for a free swim in the Ardilaun Leisure Club with all voluntary contributions going to Barnardos.
Una Young, GM of Select Hotels of Ireland, was delighted with the feedback from the hotels "I am so pleased we had such a great turn out at each of the participating hotels, it has been fantastic. We are very grateful for all the hard work they have put in, building on the success of our previous fundraising initiative – Select Hotel's Teddy Bear's Picnic. Barnardos is such a worthy cause and I hope our event has helped create awareness of the valuable services this amazing charity provides for children and families around Ireland. I look forward to finding out how much we have raised."
Una went on to say "I would also like to thank Jacobs and Avonmore who provided over 2,000 glasses of milk and cookies on the day! Their generosity contributed to making this event such a great success."
Ruth Guy, Barnardos Director of Fundraising and Marketing stated: "We'd like to say a big thank you to the staff and management of Select Hotels for organising such enjoyable Milk and Cookies Mornings in aid of Barnardos, and thanks also to the many families who attended and gave so generously. We rely heavily on the generosity of the public and the support of Irish businesses like Select Hotels to help us continue our vital work. Each year we work with more than 6,300 children out of 42 Barnardos centres located in the heart of communities throughout Ireland."
Select Hotels would like to thanks the following Select Hotels who all hosted their very own Select Hotels Milk & Cookies Morning: Silver Tassie Hotel, Wyatt Hotel, Athlone Springs Hotel, Manor West Hotel, Kilkenny River Court, Royal Marine Hotel, City North Hotel, The Ardilaun Hotel, Castle Oaks Hotel, Celtic Ross Hotel, County Arms Hotel Birr, Dingle Skellig Hotel, Downhill House Hotel, Falls Hotel, Kenmare Bay Hotel, Midleton Park Hotel, Oranmore Lodge Hotel, Westgrove Hotel, Whites of Wexford, Trident Hotel, Dooley's Hotel, and The Montenotte Hotel.
For further details on any of Select Hotels of Ireland's twenty six Hotels, visit www.selecthotels.ie or follow Select Hotels on facebook. For further information on Barnardos visit www.barnardos.ie.
About Barnardos
Barnardos supports children whose well-being is under threat, by working with them, their families and communities and by campaigning for the rights of children. Barnardos was established in Ireland in 1962 and is Ireland's leading independent children's charity.
Ardilaun Hotel Great Carvery Of The Year Competition
We would be delighted if you would kindly vote for us in this year's Great Carvery of the Year competition. To vote click here and follow the simple steps.
Top international rugby player Tommy Bowe will launch the third annual Great Carvery of the Year competition. Looking ahead to the Grand Final, Tommy Bowe said: "There are a huge number hotels in Ireland serving up top quality carvery every day and the Great Carvery of the Year competition uniquely recognises this effort. As the newest member of the Great Carvery team I'm really looking forward to seeing what this year's competition serves up, whether it be exceptional value, first-class customer service, clever use of local ingredients or all of the above."
Unilever Food Solutions' Business Development Chef Mark McCarthy shares his top tips for those looking to vote in this year's competition: "A great carvery meal is about more than just the quality of the food served. It's about atmosphere, value and exceptional customer service and attention. So remember to consider the overall offering when casting your all-important vote!"
About Unilever Food Solutions:
At Unilever Food Solutions they help chefs all over the world serve tasty, wholesome meals that keep guests coming back for more. They create ingredients that save precious preparation time in the kitchen, without compromising on flavour or flair. They constantly provide ideas and inspiration that keep menus fresh and exciting. Unilever Food Solutions' ingredients are some of the staples of professional kitchens in 74 countries around the world, and include Knorr, Hellman's, Lyons and more.Unilever have been involved in food since the 1880s. They understand the critical balance between impressing guests and making a profit, and how to keep menus fresh and exciting as times and tastes change.
Thank You for Your Support.
Ardilaun Win Silver at Accommodation National Awards Ceremony
The Ardilaun Hotel Galway recently won a Silver Award at the Irish Accommodation Services Institute Awards (IASI) for achieving excellence in accommodation service standards for quality, hygiene and Cleanliness of its bedrooms and public areas of the hotel. This accommodation awards are the only ones in the country for the Accommodation Department and to be awarded with Silver status the property has to get more than 87% in their inspection.
IASI is a national body representing the professional interest of the Accommodation industry in Ireland. Its members include Accommodation Managers, Supervisors and all personnel working in the accommodation field. It is a very active in promoting best practice standards across accommodation, it provides a forum to meet and network with other professionals in our field of work.
John Ryan Managing Director of The Ardilaun Hotel noted: "As a family owned and managed hotel, The Ardilaun continues to celebrate its 50th year this year and are very proud and delighted to have been awarded with Silver Status by ISAI. This award reflects the true values of The Ardilaun Hotel and each staff member. We continuously strive to serve all of our guests to the highest standards with great care and attention and this award is testament to our aim. All the credit goes to the team who, each day, make all our guests feel so welcomed. Many of our guests are now familiar faces at The Ardilaun as they return to stay with us year after year."
Cradle Cycling Tour of Ireland 11th to 16th June 2012
A brand new cycling event was launched recently at The Ardilaun Hotel, Galway. The "Cradle Six-Day Cycling Tour of Ireland" will be a spectacular cycling trip around Ireland. Starting out at The Ardilaun Hotel Galway on Monday June 11th and riding through Longford, Dublin, Kilkenny, Cork and Limerick before finishing back in Galway at The Ardilaun Hotel on Saturday 16th .
Event coordinator, Niall Kennedy said, this epic tour of Ireland is a culmination of nine years of experience in organising cycling events for charity. Last year's Cork to Galway cycle was over-subscribed and we had to turn people away. The six-day tour will be run as three separate events running consecutively and cyclists can choose to do two, four or all six days. So there is something here for all levels of cyclist. It is not a race or endurance test. We put as much emphasis on the social side of the event as we do on the cycling.
One thing cyclists can be assured of, that is they can expect the same quality of services and facilities both on and off-road that they have come to expect from our events. The event will be raising funds for two charities. "Cradle" and "Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association" (IMNDA). Cradle is a Dublin based charity ( www.cradle.ie ) that reaches out to children in war-torn regions and areas of natural disaster. They are currently active in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Kosovo, Moldova, Thailand and Cambodia.
The funds raised from the cycle will fund their building projects in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Thailand and Cambodia. The Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association ( www.imnda.ie ) is the primary support organisation in Ireland providing care for people with MND, their families, friends and carers. The cornerstone of its approach is to put people with MND at the heart of all of its focus, to champion their voice and dignity, to provide information resources and support so as to empower them to make informed decisions for themselves as individuals, whilst also providing every possible support to their families and carers.
Irish Cycling legend Sean Kelly will be participating in the event which is always a great attraction for our cyclists.
There is a minimum sponsorship amount to be raised by each participant depending on how many days you choose to do. All food, accommodation and on-road services will be provided. All proceeds raised by cyclists will go directly to the charities as all the organizing and support team work is done on a voluntary basis.
To find out all about the event and register to participate visit www.cradlecycle.com You can also follow us on www.facebook.com/cradlecycle. This event promises to be the best cycling event of its kind in the country this year. Places are limited so register early to avoid disappointment.


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The new face of healthcare in DL: Peter Jacobson to start Oct. 3 as president of Essentia Health-St. Mary's
Though his tenure as the new president of Essentia Health-St. Mary's won't officially begin until Monday, Oct. 3, Peter Jacobson is already in the midst of transitioning his office from Fargo to Detroit Lakes.
"For the past couple of weeks I've been spending a portion of my time out there (in Detroit Lakes)," said Jacobson Monday from his office in Fargo.
Are you a newspaper subscriber but you don't have a Digital Access account yet? https://secure.forumcomm.com/?publisher_ID=40&event=subscriber/lookup.
You will need your subscription account number and phone number. Not sure if you have an account? Email us at email@example.com and we can help you.

subset: commoncrawl


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The new "Tiger" c/s applied on this Austrian Air Force Saab 105OE looks beautiful! It is seen here during a rehearsal for the Beauvechain Air Show 2010.
The Tucano T1 is wearing a "Battle of Britain" c/s, to represent a Spitfire flown in the Battle of Britain. It is seen here during the rehearsal for the Beauvechain Air Show 2010.
The new RNLAF demo pilot Capt. Tobias "Hitec" Schutte shows the bottom side of his "Orange Lion" while retracting the landing gear.
The Belgian summer always grants us crappy lighting for special events like this low pass.
The static display at Beauvechain Airshow 2010 along runway 23L/05R.
This nice Italian SF-260EA had some nose-art applied when visiting Beauvechain AFB for the celebration of "40 years Marchetti in the Belgian Air Force"


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Wildmind Meditation News
Nov 13, 2010
Burma releases pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi
The Burmese military authorities have released the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, from house arrest.
Appearing outside her home in Rangoon, Ms Suu Kyi told thousands of jubilant supporters they had to "work in unison" to achieve their goals.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner has been detained for 15 of the past 21 years. It is not yet clear if any conditions have been placed on her release.
US President Barack Obama welcomed her release as "long overdue".
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Ms Suu Kyi was an "inspiration", and called on Burma to free all its remaining political prisoners.
Read the rest of this article…
We have a brief biography of Aung Sang Suu Kyi in the context of a post we …
Wildmind Meditation News
May 19, 2010
Prison meditation courses expand in Burma
Prisoners in Myanmar jails, sometimes accompanied by warders and other prison staff, are studying meditation and Buddhist doctrine as more courses on Dhamma are being offered to inmates.
The first course, in 2008, took place at Insein prison and attracted 50 prisoners and was followed by a second course for younger prisoners.
In 2009, meditation courses were held for the first time at Tharyarwady prison in Bago Division. Four more have been conducted at Tharyarwady since then, while three courses have been held at Mandalay prison.
The instructors are provided by the Dhamma Joti Centre, on behalf of S N Goenka, a leading teacher of Vipassana (insight) meditation. The Vipassana method was preserved in Myanmar by the great teacher Sayagyi U Ba Khin …
Aug 17, 2009
Meditation zeitgeist, August 17, 2009
A not-entirely-random selection of blog posts on meditation.
A few days ago, the indefatigable Reverend Danny Fisher attempted to start a viral campaign of people reading the Metta Sutta in response to efforts by Burma's ruling military junta to keep monastics from chanting it at least one large monastery. He has been pleased with the response so far. The Rev. Danny (did we mention that he's indefatigable?) also carries a link to a Denver Post story claiming that Buddhism can be a path back to the church for many Americans, but also carries opinions from Christians hostile to other faiths: "It starts with labyrinths," commented one.
The Tricycle Editors' Blog reports that the brain …
Wildmind Meditation News
May 31, 2008
Monks succeed in cyclone relief as junta falters
Monks Succeed in Cyclone Relief as Junta Falters – NYTimes.com
KUN WAN, Myanmar — They paddle for hours on the stormy river, or carry their sick parents on their backs through the mud and rain, traveling for miles to reach the one source of help they can rely on: Buddhist monks.
At a makeshift clinic in this village near Bogale, an Irrawaddy Delta town 75 miles southwest of Yangon, hundreds of villagers left destitute by Cyclone Nargis arrive each day seeking the assistance they have not received from the government or international aid workers.
Since the cyclone, the Burmese have been growing even closer to the monks while their alienation from the junta grows. This development bodes ill for the government, …


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'Miracle on the Hudson' survivor reunites with Palisades Medical Center staff on fifth anniversary of crash
Wednesday, January 15, 2014 9:43 PM
Inappropriate photo? Alert us.
Hudson County Chamer of Commerce guests listen to a speech from Dave Sanderson, who was a survivor of US Airways Flight 1549 which crash landed on the Hudson River. Sanderson spoke at Waterside Restaurant in North Bergen on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014, the fifth anniversary of the event which has come to be known as the "Miracle on the Hudson." Molly J. Smith/The Jersey Journal


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Thinkin' Things 1...Our children will live and work in an Information Age that we can only imagine. As they master the basic skills of the three R's, they must also develop a broader, higher-level set of thinking skills that will transfer to the content of the future. Given appropriate opportunities, the young mind is amazingly capable.
Edmark's Thinkin' Things Collection 1: Toony the Loon's Lagoon is designed to offer young students experiences with a variety of thinking skills: memory, critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity. Thinkin' Things Collection 1 celebrates intellectual diversity. A student's musical more...
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"The harder you work, the luckier you get." by Gary Player
Below is the poem entitled THE TRUEST BOND OF FRIENDSHIP which was written by poet Andrew Crisci. Please feel free to comment on this poem. However, please remember, PoetrySoup is a place of encouragement and growth.
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Roses have different colors that entice and please; a yellow rose stands out... symbolizing the truest bond of friendship one ever finds. This yellow rose grew in warm light and steady rain; doesn't my joy also grow being touched by friends who show their kindness through profound love?


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Thermo Fisher to Showcase Mass Spectrometry Applications and Solutions at IMSC 2009
02 Sep 2009
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced that at the 18th Annual International Mass Spectrometry Conference (IMSC) it will showcase a variety of innovative mass spectrometry solutions that deliver improved analytical performance and ease of use. During the conference, which runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 4 in Bremen, Germany, the company will showcase these solutions at the Thermo Scientific booth A+1 within Messe Bremen Hall 4.1
"Thermo Fisher is proud to be part of IMSC 2009 in Bremen, the home of our revolutionary Orbitrap™ technology," said Dr. Ian Jardine, vice president of global research and development for Thermo Fisher Scientific. "The products we are showcasing for the first time at IMSC offer our customers a huge advantage in resolving the high levels of analytical complexity they find in areas like proteomics and metabolism. Innovative new technologies like the Thermo Scientific LTQ Velos and LTQ Orbitrap Velos™ deliver a combination of data quality, sensitivity and high mass accuracy that is simply not available anywhere else."
At IMSC 2009 Thermo Fisher will feature mass spectrometry solutions for proteomics, drug discovery, biomarker research, food safety, environmental analysis, toxicology, forensics, climate research and many more industries and applications.
Featured Thermo Scientific hardware technologies at IMSC include:
• LTQ Velos™ ion trap mass spectrometer – New dual-pressure ion trap technology enables optimal pressures during analysis, increasing both scan speed and resolution. This provides greater coverage in the analysis of complex peptide mixtures and improves protein identification at low sample levels.
• LTQ Orbitrap Velos hybrid mass spectrometer – This new system's innovative and efficient HCD cell technology provides improved quantitation of isobarically-labeled peptides. Electron Transfer Dissociation (ETD) generates complementary information for highly sensitive PTM analyses and de novo sequencing.
• Exactive™ benchtop LC-MS – This system and its companion Pathfinder software are designed for high-throughput and high-performance screening and compound identification applications. Leveraging Orbitrap technology, Exactive offers resolutions of up to 100,000 for precise mass identification.
• TSQ Vantage™ triple-stage quadrupole mass spectrometer – New ion optics deliver up to 10 times more sensitivity than previous optics, without a commensurate increase in noise. For the quantitative analysis of small molecules, peptides, biosimilars, and biologics, the Thermo Scientific TSQ Vantage delivers the highest sensitivity with the lowest noise.
• TSQ Quantum GC™ mass spectrometer – This system's ability to define up to 3000 unique SRM transitions per run makes it uniquely suited to multi-component target compound analysis. Simultaneous quantitation and structural confirmation are provided via Quantitation-Enhanced Data-Dependent MS/MS (QED-MS/MS).
• TSQ Quantum Access MAX™ triple-stage quadrupole mass spectrometer with TraceFinder™ software – A complete workflow solution for food and environmental safety testing, this system performs library matching, structural confirmation and quantitation of hundreds of compounds in an experiment.
• MAT 253 isotope ratio mass spectrometer coupled to the KIEL IV Carbonate Device – These instruments are ideal for isotopic analysis of small carbonate samples, providing high linearity, sensitivity and throughput in climate research applications such as paleoclimatic reconstructions.
• irm-GC/MS – isotope ratio monitoring GC/MS reveals the history and origin of individual compounds by reading their isotopic signature at highest precision. irm-GC/MS is ideal for analysis in fields including geochemistry, ecology, petrology, forensics, food testing and environmental studies.
• XSERIES 2 quadrupole ICP-MS analyzer for routine and high performance ICP-QMS applications - featuring advanced H2/He collision cell technology (licensed from Battelle) the XSERIES 2 overcomes the challenges of spectroscopic interferences, providing uncompromised multi-element analysis for all elements including Ca, Fe, As and Se.
Featured Thermo Scientific software technologies at IMSC include:
• Watson™ LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) 7.4 – Purpose-built for bioanalytical applications, this software now includes a built-in data interchange with the company's TSQ Series mass spectrometers, allowing for direct data acquisition, peak integration and re-integration, storage, archiving and reporting of raw data, all under the control of Watson's centralized Oracle® repository.
• Pinpoint™ software and iSRM – These products increase the productivity of quantitative proteomics research. Intelligent Selective Reaction Monitoring (iSRM) improves the throughput of SRM assays, while Pinpoint software offers automated method development and quantitative analysis of SRM-based targeted peptide assays.
• Mass Frontier 6.0 – This powerful software helps manage, evaluate and interpret MSn spectra. It's ideal for small molecule structural elucidations in metabolite identification and impurity analysis in pharmaceutical and toxicology studies.
Other Thermo Scientific technologies on display at booth A+1 at IMSC include the KingFisher Flex system for purifying DNA, RNA or proteins; the Accela™ 600 Pump for high flow rate applications, and QuickQuan™ software, which simplifies automation required in lead discovery and lead optimization environments.
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Fossil Footprints Are On The Move In Colorado
A detective or a hunter wants to find fresh footprints. But Martin Lockley, is interested in tracks that are millions of years old.
A detective or a hunter wants to find fresh footprints. But Martin Lockley, is interested in tracks that are millions of years old.
Colorado economists say business leaders are wary of the country's financial situation, even though job growth in Colorado was actually better than expected during the first part of the year. Ear
The Colorado BioScience Association holds a competition every other year to find the state's top new biotechnology start-up company.
One of Colorado's biggest health care challenges is simply staffing clinics in rural parts of the state. There's a chronic shortage of doctors and nurses.
Research from CU Boulder finds that, even though women are better represented in the workforce these days, they're still expected to bear the brunt of housework and childcare duties.
Students and faculty from the University of Denver law school are blogging the Ward Churchill trial. KCFR's Mike Lamp talks with Professor Jay Brown, and DU law student Charlene Hunter.
Fired CU professor Ward Churchill is still waiting to find out if he'll get more than just vindication from his lawsuit against the University of Colorado.
With as much as a 50% cut in state aid looming, colleges and universities are pressing the state for more authority to raise tuition and allocate financial aid. The Senate Education committee vote


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Daniel Coursey scored 17 points and Mercer pulled off the biggest upset in the NCAA tournament so far by knocking off Duke 78-71.
Jakob Gollon added 20 points for the 14th-seeded Bears.
The Bears were simply too much for a Duke team with stars Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood.
Mercer scored 11 straight points during the late 20-5 run that clinched the biggest victory in school history. It's the second one-and-done in three years for the third-seeded Blue Devils.
Mercer won the Atlantic Sun conference championship. That's the same conference that produced 2013 tournament darling Florida Gulf Coast.
Duke upset in first round of NCAA Tournament
Published On: Mar 21 2014 03:52:27 PM EDT
Copyright 2014 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Total Overdose Walkthrough :
This walkthrough for Total Overdose [PC] has been posted at 27 Jun 2010 by jskin and is called "Total Overdose FAQ/Walkthrough". If walkthrough is usable don't forgot thumbs up jskin and share this with your freinds. And most important we have 1 other walkthroughs for Total Overdose, read them all!
jskin |
Walkthrough - Total Overdose FAQ/WalkthroughFAQ/Walkthru for Total Overdose: A Gunslinger's Tale in Mexico by Doug Elder, aka AchtungNight Foreword: Welcome to my 4th FAQ. This is for Total Overdose: A Gunslinger's Tale in Mexico, an action thriller that plays like Grand Theft Auto Lite with a distinct South-of-the-Border flavor. It's like a big Mexican action B-movie. I recently tried the game out and found it to be fun as heck. I hope you will too. Before we start, a few disclaimers. First, this FAQ was written for the PS2 version of the game. All herein may or may not apply to other versions. The game is rated M for Mature- no impressionable children or idiot A-Dolts here please. :) Second, this FAQ contains SPOILERS. You are warned. Third, this FAQ is my property and may only be posted on GameFAQs and any other site that requests my permission first via email (it will be granted, don't worry, you have but to ask). All feedback, questions, and so on should be emailed to firstname.lastname@example.com. Fourth, this FAQ is mainly for the missions. It does not cover the game's freeroam aspect much except in general descriptions and some info on the things I was able to find while roaming around to reach each mission. I'm not planning to fully explore the game to find all the bonuses and so on- doing so is beyond the scope of this FAQ. Anybody who wants to write an FAQ that does that has my blessings. Fifth, I unfortunately do not have every mission in the game listed herein- only as many as I was able to complete and unlock with my own humble skills. This includes all the story missions, but not all the challenge missions. The game unfortunately requires you to score high at certain challenges to unlock certain others. Where I have been unable to unlock a mission I will note below. Anyone who can contribute information on missions I have not been able to unlock will have my eternal gratitude. Please send all information to firstname.lastname@example.com. Sixth, I apologize in advance if any Hispanics out there are offended by any of the stereotypes in this FAQ. I can't help the way the game was written unfortunately. Please know I have great respect for Mexican culture, a respect that has enabled me to greatly enjoy this game. Seventh, I am not going to review the game herein other than to say that I really liked it and enjoyed playing it. It's got lots of great elements borrowed from other games (Max Payne, Grand Theft Auto), and also its own great story and combat system. There are a few bad points too, but if you play with an open mind they won't matter that much. Read the reviews for the game to find out about some of them. Finally, let me give a shout-out to Elena Ruiz, Benito Rios, Raquel Searles, Ramon Medina, Jeff deSantiago, Lupe Villareal, Art Villareal, the staff of Nuevo Leon, and all my other Hispanic friends out there. Thanks to having known you I have enjoyed this game and all things Mexican far more than I would have otherwise. Vaya con dios, amigos y amigas. Thanks also to Lisa Telman for continued inspiration and to Ben "B.Z." Shapiro for aid in completing the game. Thanks to the folks at Eidos Interactive for making another cool game and to CJayC and company for putting up GameFAQs and to all the fans for keeping this industry alive. Now let us begin. Contents: 1. Dedication and Version History. 2. Game Story and Cast. 3. Explanation of Basic Controls. 4. Items and Weapons Listing. 5. The Missions- Walkthru. 6. Final Thoughts. 1. Dedication and Version History. This game is dedicated to Roberto Ruiz, Phillip True, and all the other millions of victims the Mexican drug wars continue to stack up every day. May they rest in peace and may their murderers get what they deserve. Version 1.0 FAQ Posted with complete walkthru. I did it all at once to save time and energy. Hope y'all weren't too impatient. :) 2. Game Story and Cast. You are Ramiro "Ram" Cruz, insane criminal turned Drug Enforcement Agent. You have been sent into the Mexican border city of Los Toros and its surroundings by your bueno-dos-zapatos hermano Tommy, who wants you to find out who killed your father Ernesto. You also will be infiltrating and taking down the biggest drug cartel in Mexico and battling it out with dope dealers, banditos, corrupt Federales and Mexican Army, loco luchadores, zombies, guerillas, and other bad guys. Between missions you can play free-form, exploring Los Toros and gathering bonuses to rack up a high score. The cast of this game is as follows: Ramiro "Ram" Cruz: The playable character for most of the game. An insane gringo who was in jail on multiple felonies, but then the DEA got him out to take his twin brother's place taking on the criminal elements of Los Toros. Ram does not believe in being careful, playing by the rules, or letting his enemies live very long. He's like most videogame heroes that way. :) Tomas "Tommy" Cruz: Ram's twin brother, playable for the second mission only. Tommy is a high-ranking DEA agent who has been trying to take down the Morales Cartel and clear his father's name. Unfortunately he gets seriously wounded early on in the game and is unable to carry out his mission. Instead his hermano Ram must do it. Tommy does help some via a radio link through which he provides advice Ram may or may not take. Ernesto Cruz: The boys' father, playable for the first mission only. A deep-cover DEA agent who unfortunately fell victim to an overdose on some drugs and jumped out of a plane after getting too much into his assumed identity. Or is that what really happened? Play the game to find out! Papa Muerte: A mysterious drug lord who is responsible for the death of Ernesto Cruz and countless others. His true identity is unknown, and you will spend most of the game hunting him down. Commander Trust: Tommy's boss, who is not too thrilled with Ram being sent to handle things. Oh well, you can't always get what you want, pal. :) Marco the Rat: Informant for Tommy and owner of Marco's Junkyard, which will be a good home base for you during your stay in Los Toros. Officer Mendez: Tommy's contact in the Mexican Federal Police. He will supply Ram with hardware and contacts with the local cops. A valuable if rarely seen ally...at first anyway. Ceasar Morales: Head of the notorious Morales Cartel, this fatso runs most of the drug traffic in Los Toros, though he faces increasing competition from the Virgilio Cartel. He also owns a meat packing plant, a trucking company, and a shipping business. Not to mention the fact that he's the Los Toros Bullfighting Commissioner and is also running for President of Mexico. And he has information on Ernesto's death. Gotta love them Renaissance men bad guys. :) Angel: Ceasar Morales's beautiful chauffeur/enforcer. Ram likes her, but at the same time she is his enemy. Or is she? Whose side is this chica muy bonita really on? Joey Virgilio: This Mexican redneck heads a clan of drug-growing farmers and banditos. He also owns a really cool street racer. Rico Virgilio: Joey's no-good cousin, another high-ranking member of the Virgilio Clan. Special Agent Johnson: Former partner of Ernesto, a highly trained veteran DEA agent who has put a lot of work into the Papa Muerte case seemingly with little result. Also known for his cowboy hat and John-Wayne-style modus operandi. What secrets does this man hide? Special Agent Piersson- Another veteran DEA agent who worked with Ernesto. A good friend to Tommy and Ram. General Montanez: A corrupt high-ranking leader of the Mexican army who has worked with the CIA and DEA but is currently employed by Papa Muerte's cartel. Elvez Gonzales: Wealthy playboy thug, good friend of Ceasar Morales, also a heavy dealer in arms and automobiles. Definitely a source of information to be mined. There are also of course countless goons, civilians, merchants, mission-givers, and other unnamed characters. We shall meet them in the walkthru below. 3. Explanation of Basic Controls. Well, this is a shoot-em-up, so it should be pretty easy to guess the controls. Move your character with the left stick, camera with the right, R1 to attack, X to jump, Triangle to reload; L1 to do fun stunts like shootdodge, run up walls, etc. O and Square do other special moves like headshots, targeting barrels, and shooting grenades you throw in midair. Many of these moves are further explained in the walkthru below. You can also steal cars with the Triangle button like in Grand Theft Auto- when driving use the X and Square buttons to acclerate and brake respectively. No drive-bys unfortunately, but you can run over your foes and use vehicles as explosive battering rams. More special moves are controlled with the directional buttons- loco maneuvers like El Toro (Bull Charge), Sombrero of Death (throw a killer hat), and Tornado (spin around shooting). Fun fun. A word of advice- This game is like Grand Theft Auto yet has important differences. First off, you are DEA and the Mexican Federales are on your side- pretty much. You don't need to worry about getting busted or ducking wanted levels. So feel free to commit as much crime as you want- you're supposed to be a crazy gringo. Act like it! Secondly, there's no money system in the game. All your weapons and ammo you will have to acquire off dead enemies or through achieving high scores to get bonuses (details below). Third, the missions each take place in a totally different environment from the free roaming you do between them and your score is seperate in each. Concentrate on scoring as high as you can in each mission- you unlock many bonuses through this. Your overall (global) score is also good for unlocking bonuses- you will earn weaponskill, health, and stamina upgrades as it gets higher. Fourth and most importantly- health is far scarcer in this game than in GTA. So learn to shootdodge all you can and be quick and accurate on the trigger if you want to survive. Pay close attention to your red meter (life) and white meter (stamina for cool tricks like shootdodging). The latter meter recovers quickly when you are not using it, and both can be upgraded with bonus items (see below). Shootdodging and other cool stylish stunts is not only the key to survival- it's also the key to getting a high score and unlocking bonuses. You get points for both style and skill. That's the basics, I will cover more advanced controls in the sections below. 4. Items and Weapons Listing. **Power-Ups: The stuff that makes you do your thing faster, better, longer, whatever. Rewind- Like Continues. These icons allow you to rewind the game's action a few seconds to perhaps pull off a more interesting combo or do something different so you didn't just die. Very useful. Health- It's obvious how useful this is. :) Armor- This gives you temporary invincibility. Useful and rare. Bonus Points- These add to your score whenever you grab them. They come in increments of 100 to 3000 and can be found all over the place, usually in hard to reach spots like rooftops or hanging in the air. Life Point (Red Blooddrop Icon)- A collectible, also awarded for high mission scores. Every 10 you get gives you a 10% maximum health increase (up to 200%, double the bar with which you start). Stamina Point (White Blooddrop Icon)- Just like the Red Blooddrop except every 10 you get ups your Stamina bar. Weapon Skill Point (Two Pistols Icon)- Another collectible. Every 10 of these you get increases your weapon skill and brings a differenr awesome reward. 10 icons- Dual Wield Pistols. 20 icons- Dual Wield Sawn-Off Shotguns. 30 icons- Dual Wield Submachine Guns. 40 icons- Dual Heavy Handguns. 50 icons- Dual Rifles. 60 icons- Infinite Grenades. 70 icons- Infinite Hand Gun Ammo. 80 icons- Infinite Sawn-Off Shotgun Ammo. 90 icons- Infinite Grenade Launcher Ammo. 100 icons- Infinite Rocket Launcher Ammo. Gold Combo Skull- Whenever you kill an enemy in this game you have about 10 seconds to find and kill another one and earn a higher score and bonus multiplier. The Combo Skull doubles the time you have to do this- and of course every time you kill an enemy it restarts the clock. Useful for racking up points. Flaming Skull- Grabbing this in freeroam starts the Day of the Dead minigame. The air gets hazy and suddenly the civilians of Los Toros are replaced by respawning angry Mexican-style zombies who are well-armed and out for blood. Kill as many as you can in about 30 seconds for extra weapons and points. Luchador Glove- Another 30 second minigame starts when you grab this. Ram turns into a Loco Luchador (Mad Wrestler) and other luchadors randomly spawn around you looking to fight. You can only use melee weapons in this minigame (same for the enemy), but just as in Day of the Dead the enemies soon respawn after you beat them. Take out as many as you can before the minigame ends. **Vehicles: Lots of these appear in the game. Most are old cars, pickups, vans, and flatbed trucks typical of the Mexican auto market. You can also find tractors, eighteen wheeler cabs, fuel trucks, police cars, ambulances, and even street racers and DEA cars as you get deep into the game. One car that deserves special mission is the gold taxicab- you can ride these for free anytime to a variety of destinations around Los Toros. The destinations include the various neighborhoods, the El Macho bar, and Marco's Junkyard. Taxis are the only vehicle which you must kill the driver first to steal. All other cars you can just hop right into and drive around in, often making amusing comments to the drivers just like in Grand Theft Auto. You can also use ramps and drainage canals to do insane car stunts and use all vehicles as explosive battering rams. Only things that stink about the cars in this game are the lack of radios (although the Mexican mariachi and hip-hop music in the game is pretty fun nonetheless), the inability to perform drive-bys, and the fact that you can't toot those novelty horns so many of the cars have. Oh well. **Weapons: Fists- Your basic weapon. Always with you, always useful. Note that your method of using them changes depending on your angle to the enemy. You can punch, kick, elbow smash, groin stomp, head butt, and do all kinds of dirty smackdowns. Have fun! Melee Weapons- Iron bar, baseball bat, rake, shovel, machete, etc. Grab these to increase your hand-to-hand skills. Pistol- The most common weapon of your foes. Ammo is plentiful and guns are accurate. Heavy Handgun- Can you say 44 Magnum? It holds less ammo than the pistol and is a bit rarer, but its shots are more powerful. Sawn-Off Shotgun- Like the pistol it's quite plentiful. Very powerful but runs out of ammo quick. Combat Shotgun- You can find this at police stations or in the hands of enemies. Packs more ammo than the Sawn-Off Shotgun, but no Dual Wield. Submachine Gun(SMG)- MP5s, Uzis, Ingrams. Gotta love 'em. These hold lots of ammo and are great for spraying around while shootdodging. The smaller ones can be dual-wielded once you have enough Weapon Skill. Rifle- Your basic long range gun, usually found in the hands of enemies. You can get Hunting Rifles or basic Rifles- which can be Dual Wielded with enough Weapon Skill. Assault Rifle- AK47s or modern M4s. Long range with rapid fire. Very nice. Grenades and Other Explosives- Grenades, Dynamite, Molotov Cocktails. All useful, all available. Note that the Grenades and Dynamite bounce when you throw them so be careful. You can also shoot them while they're in the air for maximum effect. You don't want any of these going off near you of course. Grenade Launcher- Hee hee. This gun launches bouncing explosives over a long distance. Very fun to blow up groups of enemies with. Rocket Launcher- I choose you, Rocket Launcher! Heavy damage, very hard to find. Will blow up most any structure or vehicle in one shot. Be careful you're not nearby when the shell impacts. Gun Turret- These can be found in freeroam and some missions on high places overlooking the street. Get up to them and you can shoot down as many enemies as you like with infinite ammo for righteous kill combos. For some reason whenever you get on one in freeroam lots of corrupt heavily armed Federales show up to shoot at you. Take them down for lots of points. Of course you can't shootdodge while manning a turret so be quick on the trigger! **Loco Moves: These moves are special attacks you can pick up by scoring large amounts of points and combo kills. Use them wisely to eliminate particularly tough foes (like bosses) and/or groups of enemies. Note that you are invincible for a limited time while executing a Loco Move. Golden Gun- For a limited time all your bullets are automatically lethal to all enemies except bosses. One shot, one kill. You can't beat skill like that for a million dollars. Tornado- Ran spins around firing submachine guns and takes down all enemies in a 360 degree radius. Very useful when you're surrounded. El Toro- Ram lowers his head like a bull and runs around in an automatic forward motion. Anybody he bumps into dies. Use the left analog stick to steer Ram and um, ram enemies before time runs out. Ole! El Mariachi- We've all seen the El Mariachi Trilogy movies, right? If not, see them. Seriously, you're missing out on some excellent action and spicy Salma Hayek Antonio Banderas shoot-em-up comedy if you don't watch these. They're directed by Austin's own Robert Rodriguez, the genius behind Spy Kids and Sin City, and he made them at suprisingly little cost. Anyway, this Loco Move gives you two guitar cases with machine guns hidden inside. Use these guns' infinite ammo to take down enemies in a blaze of glory that is also a homage to a character in the second El Mariachi movie (Desperado) who used similar guns. This will keep the fans happy. :) Sombrero of Death- This move creates a computer controlled sombrero-wearing zombie wielding a shotgun who will help you eliminate your foes. Both you and the zombie are invincible for the duration of the move and the two of you should be able to easily handle whatever gets in your way. Explosive Pinata- This is kinda obvious, but still fun. Ram throws a pinata time bomb, causing a big bang that is of great use against groups of enemies. Fun! Mad Wrestler- This move summons Numero Cinco, my favorite minor character from the fifth season of the very much missed WB show Angel. A powerful luchador wielding a baseball bat, Numero Cinco will be of great aid in defeating your enemies. 5. The Missions- Walkthru. Before you start you should of course check out the Options Menu and set up the volume, subtitles, difficulty and so on as you like it. A note- on difficulty. It only alters the toughness of the enemies you face and the amount of damage they do. Not much difference otherwise. I wrote this FAQ on the Normal setting. When ready, start a new game. ***Story Mission 1: The Father*** Okay, you start out as Ernesto Cruz. You're deep in the jungle escaping from a Mayan ruin full of cartel soldiers gunning for your blood and trying to get back the vital evidence you've stolen. A DEA plane is waiting for you, but first you have to get there. Slide down the zip line at the beginning, shooting whatever enemies you spot with your SMG. Don't waste too much ammo, though- the ride is short. A goon with a rocket launcher nearly blows you up and you fall into a warehouse. Climb on top of the boxes and grab the AK, Hunting Rifle, and Rewind icon. The latter is most useful, as with it you can turn back time and prevent yourself from dying or pull off a cooler move than the one you just did. Using these does not affect your score, so have fun! Bad guys are in the next room, armed with weapons like you just picked up. Shoot them down and get those guns. This is a good time to learn how to shootdodge and perform classy kills. You can also shoot the explosive barrels to take out anybody nearby. In the next room you can pick up more weapons, Health, and another Rewind. Eliminate your foes and open the garage door. Now you need to run for the plane and help your fellow DEA agents fight off the goons attacking. You can pick up pistols from dead enemies as well as more Hunting Rifles and AKs. There's Health in the tent if you need it. Make sure you don't get hit by the trucks speeding around the landing strip. In particular watch out for the guy manning the machine gun on the back of the pickup- take him out as soon as possible. When you hop on the plane, it immediately takes off but unfortunately you soon find you've been set up to die horribly by some corrupt compadres. Darn it! ***Story Mission 2: The Good Son*** Fastforward to a few years later. Ernesto's son Tommy, also a DEA agent, is looking for what really happened to his father. He knows it was not a drug overdose and is sure corrupt DEA agents are to blame. His boss Commander Trust doesn't agree, but it's a little too late for him to stop Tommy's investigation. :) You start this mission as Tommy and are charged with taking out a convoy belonging to the Virgilios, some rivals of the Morales Cartel. Your buddy Marco the Rat has provided you with a weapon and a vehicle to accomplish this. Get in the flatbed truck for a quick driving tutorial and then head for the tanker marked on your radar. As you approach you will be shown how to use your vehicle as an explosive battering ram by hitting the gas and then diving out the open door. Do this to destroy the tanker, then gun down the eight enemies in the service station around it with your pistol. They are armed with rifles, pistols, and sawn-off shotguns, plus a couple with melee weapons. Some are right by the station, some near a trailer in the back. When they're dead, head through the garage and shoot the barrels by the dope van parked back there to destroy it. 5 more goons come rushing in. Take them out and you get a cutscene of Tommy facing one last enemy armed with a grenade. Tommy shoots him, but the explosion blows up the gas station and leaves Tommy in a wheelchair. Remember this! The action now shifts to two weeks down the road, where Tommy's loco twin brother Ram has been sprung from jail and sent to continue Tommy's investigation. You will be Ram for the remainder of the game. ***Free Roam*** Get in the red car directly in front of you and get ready to explore the city of Los Toros. Your first goal is to meet Officer Mendez at the GreaseBurger, but you can roam around the city first and look for bonuses if you want, Let's do so, shall we? :) Note that you can now rack up a score and get bonuses in Weapon Skill, Stamina, and Health every time you hit a plateau. Check the Pause Screen for what plateau you're on and your current bonus levels. You can also press select to view your current goals and warp directly to any available uncompleted story or challenge mission. I prefer to roam the city to get to each mission so I will not be doing this, but those who want to breeze through the game can. You'll notice Los Toros is divided into several sections. You begin in Centro, the downtown area where most of the highways and ritzy joints can be found (this is where I'm going to stay for now). There's also Barrio del Toro, the biggest residential area that also holds a sports arena. Barrio Antiguo is the older part of town and is home to the red light district along with many banditos and seedy gangs. Cerro de Los Angeles is a ritzy upscale suburb on the outskirts where you can find hilltop condos and luxury cars. Zona Industrial holds the local factories and Marco's junkyard, and Puerto Los Toros has the city docks. Also note that you have an expanse of Mexican countryside to the south and the US Border and DEA compound to the north. We'll be visiting all these later. For freeroam you are restricted to the city. To travel between sections look for a blue glow around an icon of some kind- a ship for Puerto Los Toros, skyscraper for Centro, factory for Zona Industrial etc. Also keep an eye out for blue spotlights- these are places where you can save your game. You get an automatic autosave at the start and end of every mission if you have the option on, but it's better to save as much as you can, right? :) Anyway, you first want to head for the nearby orange icon on your radar. That's a training area where you can learn all kinds of cool gunplay moves. On the way there you will probably spot some ramps you can use to make stunt jumps. Bonus point icons and other goodies are hanging in the air near these- use the ramps to grab them. You may also come across a police station, a gas station, and a church with Health icons on their doorsteps. Note that very few enemies will be around to bother you and that you do not earn points for killing civilians. You aren't penalized either, but it ain't nice, okay? So avoid the innocent and grab the bonuses. In particular keep an eye out for Red and White Blooddrops as you roam the city. These are helpful to increase your life and stamina. Gun icons will up your weapon skill- grab these too. A note to humble cheaters- do not use codes that give you more than one of these at a time. You will not recieve your bonuses! :( Look for Flaming Skulls and Luchador Gloves also- these start fun minigames that can earn you quite a bit of points. Whenever possible get up to the rooftops via ladders, stairs, awnings, etc- or just create steps by parking a vehicle near a building and climbing. Many of the bonuses you might like are on the roofs. More are in the alleys, inside buildings (try every door), or on top of climbable objects. Some are also hanging in the air near places where you have to jump to grab them- in a car or on foot. Have fun collecting all these bonuses- just be careful not to get run over. You can't swim either so stay out of the water. If you do want to get into trouble, note that you can steal hats off people's head with the X button (the owners might not be happy and pull out guns if you do this though). Remember this during your fights- catching hats that fall off dead fools' heads gives you extra points. You can also punch people (most run away but some fight back) or jack cars for humorous comments. Otherwise activate the minigames for your best source of combat fun. Look for people being chased by jerks with weapons- you can save these folk if you're so inclined. The big parking garage is a good source of bonuses and will be important later. You can also find some good bonuses in the shantytowns and the park. To continue... ***Training Area- Pistoleros Asociados*** You'll find a Gun Icon right outside this place. Talk to the guy with the green arrow oevr his head (X button) to enter the training area. Note that any weapons you may have are taken away each time you enter the area (to avoid accidents) but you will get them back when you leave. You can't take anything from here, but the weapons do respawn so make use of them. You have five areas to visit, a different trainer in each. Approach each of these men and learn their lessons. I will cover them in numerical order. 1. Special Maneuvers. Here you can learn how to kill enemies while doing cool moves. Remember these skills and practice them- they are the key to high mission scores. The goal of each move tutorial is to hit a target using the move five times. Keep practicing- you'll get each right eventually. The moves you learn are Shootdodge Kill (shoot a target while shootdodging), Head Shot Kill (line up on a target's head and fire with proper timing to take them down in one shot), Havoc Kill (destroy a target by shooting an explosive object nearby such as an oil drum), Wall-Walk Kill (shootdodge up a wall and then shoot while you're running up the wall), Wall Bounce Kill (jump off a wall and fire at targets while you're in the air), Reverse Shoot Dodge (spin around |


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text: Playing In The Bush Legue: The sporting life of Preside... Playing In The Bush Legue: The sporting life of Preside... by Curry Kirkpatrick SI 60 Q&A: Curry Kirkpatrick plays tennis and talks tra... SI 60 Q&A: Curry Kirkpatrick plays tennis and talks tra... by Ted Keith SI.com's 10 most popular stories from the week ending F... SI.com's 10 most popular stories from the week ending F... by SI Wire Report: English Premiership rugby discussing eliminatin... Report: English Premiership rugby discussing eliminatin... by SI Wire The Highlight Zone: Biggest plays, latest news from las... The Highlight Zone: Biggest plays, latest news from las... by SI Wire Nevada regulators vote to allow sports betting for 2016... Nevada regulators vote to allow sports betting for 2016... by SI Wire New York City girls' basketball team wins playoff game... New York City girls' basketball team wins playoff game... by SI Wire Openly gay athlete speaks out after school calls homose... Openly gay athlete speaks out after school calls homose... by SI Wire Cheerleader of the Week: McKenna Cheerleader of the Week: McKenna The Highlight Zone: Biggest plays, latest news from las... The Highlight Zone: Biggest plays, latest news from las... by SI Wire Faces in the Crowd: Feb. 9-16, 2015 Faces in the Crowd: Feb. 9-16, 2015 by Ali Fenwick Leading Off: Pictures of the Week (Feb. 18-24) Leading Off: Pictures of the Week (Feb. 18-24) Olsson of Sweden wins 15K freestyle race at Nordic worl... Olsson of Sweden wins 15K freestyle race at Nordic worl... The Highlight Zone: Biggest plays, latest news from las... The Highlight Zone: Biggest plays, latest news from las... by SI Wire Progress lacking on Rio's legacy projects for 2016 Olym... Progress lacking on Rio's legacy projects for 2016 Olym... by SI Wire Olbermann taken off air for the week after negative Pen... Olbermann taken off air for the week after negative Pen... ESPN's Olbermann won't host show this week over Penn St... ESPN's Olbermann won't host show this week over Penn St... by SI Wire Wacky Sports Photos of the Week (through Feb. 24) Wacky Sports Photos of the Week (through Feb. 24) Close Tweet0 Share0 Comment0 Share0 Share0 Stumble It0 Print0 More More Sports In fight for home-court, Bulls may be more desperate than Celtics by Ian Thomsen Twitter Facebook Email Posted: Fri Mar. 18, 2011 Several playoff matchups appear to be in place, but there is much to be decided over the final four weeks of the season.The most important fight is being fought atop the Eastern Conference, where the young Bulls and stubborn Celtics each hold the tiebreaker over No. 3 Miami, which is too far back to displace either of them.Not only will the winner of the No. 1 seed earn home-court advantage throughout the Eastern bracket, but it will also be rewarded with the easier path to the NBA Finals. If Chicago was to maintain its current half-game lead at No. 1 in the conference, the Bulls would be facing these likely opponents in the playoffs:Opening round: Indiana, Charlotte or MilwaukeeConference semifinals: Orlando or AtlantaConference finals: Boston or MiamiShould the Celtics finish No. 2, this would be their punishment: A more difficult opening-round matchup, with the 76ers or Knicks; a brutal second-round series against the Heat; and then -- if they've survived -- a conference finals against Derrick Rose and Tom Thibodeau's defense.The race for No. 1 could be decided April 7, when Boston (which holds a 2-1 lead in the season series) visits Chicago. Some will argue that the older Celtics can't afford the more difficult postseason schedule, but they have a history of flouting that logic -- last year they won on the road against Cleveland and Orlando and came within five minutes of upsetting the Lakers on their home floor in Game 7 of the Finals. Home-court advantage may be more important to the Bulls because Rose has never won a playoff series and will be dealing with an entirely new level of intensive opposition with each successive round. The Celtics know they can win on the road, while this Bulls team has yet to win a series under any circumstances.The other important race in the East has developed between the Nos. 6 and 7 Knicks and 76ers, who were a half-game apart through Thursday. Should New York hold on to the No. 6 seed, Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire would likely earn an opening round against LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Heat are superior defensively and would be favored in a majority of the individual matchups, but it would be terrific theater to see James visit New York in a matchup against Anthony. After eight years in the NBA, dating to the comparisons that formed when they were viewed as the top two prospects of the 2003 draft, they would be postseason rivals at last.The big race in the West is between the Lakers and Mavericks, who are tied for No. 2 in the conference as they look forward to a March 31 meeting in Los Angeles that will decide their postseason tiebreaker (they've split a pair of games in Dallas this season). Home-court advantage will be crucial to their potential matchup in the second round because Dirk Nowitzki's Mavericks haven't developed a lot of playoff confidence after winning one series in the last four years, while Kobe Bryant's Lakers haven't won a postseason series on the road since 2004, when Shaquille O'Neal was still in charge.The first-round opponents for L.A. and Dallas -- most likely either the Trail Blazers or Hornets -- will be determined over the closing month. The Lakers would probably prefer to avoid visiting Portland, where they've had a hard time winning in recent years. But the defending champs are a combined 5-0 vs. both teams and will be confident of prevailing in either matchup.The Mavs will be more nervous. They're 1-2 this season against the Hornets and 2-1 vs. the Blazers, but all six games have been decided by five points or fewer. The opening round will show whether the Mavs' improved defense has made legitimate contenders of them.The Nuggets will have incentive to maintain their current No. 5 seeding -- not only because they'll want to avoid the Lakers or Mavericks, but also because they'll look forward to a series of sprinters' heats against the No. 4 Thunder. Denver and Oklahoma City are among the top five scoring teams, and the more often the Nuggets are able to run and distribute the ball in transition, the less likely their absence of star power will hurt them in the playoffs.The No. 8 spot in each conference remains under construction. While Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley has been stocking his team for a return to the playoffs this year, he is being chased by two franchises -- the Jazz and Suns -- that are torn between winning now and repositioning themselves for the future. Give the edge to Memphis (especially when Rudy Gay returns from a shoulder injury over the next few weeks) in the West and to Indiana in the East, where the Pacers are being chased by the Bobcats, who recently unloaded the salary of team leader Gerald Wallace, and the Bucks, who have been thoroughly depleted by injuries.The questions are fabricated, my answers are for real.What is wrong with being candid and direct? Shouldn't honesty be praised? The mistake by me would have been to not tell it like it was.-- J.R., Detroit, Mich.Jalen Rose, in your documentary, The Fab Five, you acknowledge that you used to view Grant Hill as an "Uncle Tom" when he was starring at Duke against your Michigan team. I do commend your honesty, because your statement clearly wasn't meant to make you look good at his expense. Just the opposite: You were acknowledging envy for Hill's upbringing and lifestyle. But don't you see why Hill has been wounded by your comment? It's because you didn't go on to explain how you feel about him today. You didn't finish your thought. Do you really believe he has earned that aspersion? It is absolutely unfair to him, and regrettable for everyone.The documentary itself was terrific because it cast you and your talented Michigan teammates as real people who were vulnerable to the scrutiny and criticism you received. It brought to mind the criticism the Heat stars have been receiving this season. People don't want to hear about the feelings of the Heat players because they (like the Fab Five) asked for it by bringing the attention upon themselves and (unlike the Fab Five) are being paid in the millions for their trouble. But from their point of view, they insist they came together to form the best team, just as you and your Fab Five teammates chose to do two decades ago.I've long viewed Chris Webber as a sympathetic figure -- an extraordinary talent who struggled with the pressures that were created by that talent. And yet he didn't shy away from the biggest stages: He kept putting himself in positions that exposed him to those pressures. In Miami, LeBron James is filling the role of Webber as the extraordinary talent on an audacious team. A majority of fans don't feel sympathy for James now, just as they didn't feel sympathy for Webber as leader of the Fab Five. But to watch your documentary was to see Webber from a new perspective, as a young player overwhelmed by the environment created by his talent, and also by the choices he made in response to that environment. It all makes me wonder what we'll be saying about James 20 or 30 years from now, because perspectives of all of these stars change as they grow older and retire, and the view of James will surely change as well.Why do we let the opposing player shoot on our court for more than an hour after he loses to us? Why are we accommodating someone who wants to beat us?-- C.B., Miami, Fla.Chris Bosh, your recent statement -- that the lights should have been shut off around Kobe Bryant as he practiced shooting after his March 10 game on your home court -- was one of the best things to come out of Miami this season. There is a feeling that players of your generation are too friendly to be hardcore rivals with each other. As a team you haven't shown that ruthless side in most of your games against rival contenders. After a full season together, will that ruthlessness emerge during the playoffs next month?Did you just expect me to give up and not play again?-- M.R., Milwaukee, Wis.Michael Redd, you've spent the last two years undergoing and recovering from successive major knee surgeries. You could have retired on the huge contract that is paying you $18.3 million this season. But like Bill Walton, Grant Hill, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Yao Ming and others over the years, you show courage by trying to return. Good luck to you.Through the eyes of Ettore Messina. Long regarded as the best coach outside North America, is Messina now free to pursue a career in the NBA?If so, he insists he would come to the NBA to serve as nothing more than an assistant coach."It would be interesting," Messina said Wednesday from Spain, where he shocked European basketball by resigning as coach of Real Madrid two weeks ago. "But I need first of all to see if I could be a good assistant after many years of not being an assistant. And then it would have to be made clear that I am not going there to steal anybody's job."Messina does not delude himself about becoming an NBA coach. Whenever the topic has come up over the years, he has shot it down quickly by referring to the fundamental differences between the leagues of Europe and the NBA."It might be an interesting opportunity," said Messina, a 51-year-old Italian who speaks excellent English. "A few years ago I didn't see it like this, but now, getting older, you understand. You see it differently because experience gives you a different point of view."His recent experience with Madrid opened the door to new possibilities. After a loss to Siena in a meaningless Euroleague game that didn't alter Madrid's place in the standings -- Real was No. 1 in its group going into the playoffs -- Messina decided to resign with one full year remaining on a contract that paid him close to $3 million annually.Messina had a fundamental problem with the mission of Real Madrid, which was Europe's most successful club in soccer and basketball in the last century. The club was so focused on the end result that it ignored the process of building a championship team.He compares the mission statement of Madrid to that of CSKA Moscow, where Messina won two Euroleague championships before moving to Spain in 2009. He said the mission statement on the wall of the CSKA arena read, "We are here to win" -- implying that the team had done all of the hard behind-the-scenes work to position itself to succeed.The mission statement at Real, according to Messina, was focused on the end result: "In Madrid the only thing that counts is winning."Messina has no problem with seeking to win: He has won four Euroleague titles overall."The sentence at CSKA says we are here to win -- which doesn't mean we will win," he said. "It's a big, big difference. We are here to win, but we cannot guarantee that we will win."The statement in Madrid represented a myth of arrogance that winning was a right of the club. But Messina was overseeing a young team, including 20-year-old Nikola Mirotic, a 6-foot-10 power forward who is being scouted by the NBA. He was trying to create an environment of humility that would eventually position them to succeed, but he was convinced the habits couldn't form at a club that wasn't invested in the process.There are very few clubs that have the budget and ambition to help Messina fulfill his vision for how a team should be built. If he can't find a promising offer to remain in Europe next year, he may be open to spending a season or two on an NBA bench, where he could learn a new perspective while also providing his team with different strategies. In the meantime, Messina plans to accept an invitation from San Antonio to spend eight days with the Spurs -- and his former star at Bologna, Manu Ginobili -- later this month."I'm really excited to see a couple of practices, some games, watch some films with the team, and of course to see Manu," Messina said. "I've never had the opportunity to see Manu during the season."NCAA excellence. It rarely turns into an NBA career, as you can see from these lists of the annual NCAA leaders in the top statistical categories over the previous 10 seasons. Among the 37 annual leaders listed below, 11 played in the NBA and eight are in the NBA today. If you're going to be the best in any category, control the boards: Rebounding is a skill that readily translates to the NBA.(NBA players are in bold)(NBA players are in bold)(NBA players are in bold)(NBA players are in bold)Scoring: Jimmer Fredette, BYU (28.5)Rebounds: Kenneth Faried, Morehead State (14.5)Assists: Aaron Johnson, UAB (7.7)Blocks: Williams Mosley, Northwestern State (4.8) Promoted Stories Comments


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16th April 2010, 00:52 | #1 |
Madshrimp Join Date: May 2002 Location: 7090/Belgium
Posts: 78,794
| Benchmark Performance SSD Testing: AHCI vs IDE (or perhaps not) My attention was recently directed to an article over at Benchmark Reviews. The piece intended to point out SSD performance differences when testing with different SATA protocol modes (AHCI vs. IDE). There's only one problem - their testing did not "demonstrate the difference between AHCI and IDE" at all. http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=901
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