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News articles on green
Mongabay.com news articles on green in blog format. Updated regularly.
Malaysian government says no more forest clearing for oil palm plantations
(06/26/2008) The Malaysian government said it will prohibit forest clearing for the establishment of oil palm plantations.
Global warming causes plants to move to higher elevations
(06/26/2008) Global warming has caused many plant species to move to higher elevations, report researchers writing in the journal Science.
Tropical biodiversity on "a trajectory toward disaster"
(06/26/2008) Despite recent debate over the extent of regenerating secondary forest cover, the effectiveness of protected areas and tropical extinctions protections, global biodiversity remains under great threat, warn scientists writing in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
Study redraws family tree of birds
(06/26/2008) The largest-ever study of bird genetics has rewritten avian taxonomy. The work is published in this week's issue of Science.
Sarawak to continue logging forests for oil palm plantations
(06/26/2008) Despite a prime minister's directive banning conversion of forest reserves for oil palm plantations, the Malaysian state of Sarawak will continue to open up forest land for oil palm plantations, reports the New Straits Times.
Elephants may explain Mount Kilimanjaro's bamboo enigma
(06/25/2008) At nearly 6,000 meters in height, Mount Kilimanjaro is both Africa's tallest mountain and the world's highest solitary peak, home to a diverse range of habitats that support a large variety of plant species. Yet, unlike any other mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro contains no bamboo.
Kenya to convert 20,000 ha of key wetland for ethanol production
(06/25/2008) AThe Kenyan government will allow more than 20,000 ha (50,000) of ecologically-sensitive wetland to be converted into a sugar cane plantation for biofuel production, reports The Guardian. Environmentalists were "shocked" by the decision.
Brazil seizes cattle illegally grazing on Amazon forest lands
(06/25/2008) In an unprecedented move Brazilian authorities seized 3,100 head of cattle found grazing on illegally deforested lands in the Amazon, reports the New York Times. The cattle's owner had been fined 3 million reais ($1.86 million) in 2005 for illegal forest clearing and had ignored a court order to remove the livestock from the lands.
Photo: Red ruffed lemur at the Bronx Zoo's new Madagascar exhibit
(06/25/2008) The critters in Madagascar! the Wildlife conservation Society's new immersion exhibit at the Bronx Zoo are really enjoying their new home.
Photo: brown collared lemur at the Bronx Zoo's new Madagascar exhibit
(06/25/2008) Vivienne, a brown collared lemur, is leaping for joy inside her new Madagascar! home at the Wildlife conservation Society's Bronx Zoo.
Photo: Wild animals need regular physicals just like humans
(06/25/2008) Dr. Paul Calle, Wildlife conservation Society Director of Zoological Health, assisted by Pam Manning Torres, veterinarian technician supervisor, checks little Bella's teeth as part of her regularly scheduled health exam.
High bird diversity reduces risk of West Nile virus to humans
(06/25/2008) Areas with higher levels of bird diversity have lower incidences of West Nile virus infection in human populations, reports a new study published in the open-access journal PLoS ONE.
69% of Floridians believe coast threatened by rising sea levels
(06/24/2008) 69 percent of Floridians believe that parts of the state's coasts may need to be abandoned due to rising sea levels over the next 50 years according to a new survey conducted by researchers at Yale University and the University of Miami.
Britain, Norway commit $210 million towards Congo rainforest conservation
(06/24/2008) The governments of Britain and Norway last week announced a $211 million (108 million) initiative to conserve rainforests in the Congo Basin. The plan calls for the use of an advanced satellite camera to monitor deforestation in the region and funding for community-based conservation projects.
Global warming threatens California's native plants
(06/24/2008) Two-thirds of California's native plants could suffer an 80 percent or more reduction in geographic range by the end of the century due to changing climate warns a study appearing tomorrow in the open-access journal PLoS ONE.
Amazon soy moratorium extended; may be expanded to other products
(06/23/2008) Soy crushers operating in the Brazilian Amazon have extended a two-year-old moratorium on the purchase of soybeans produced on rainforest lands deforested after 2006, reports Reuters.
The green movement has to become a rainbow-colored movement in order to be successful
(06/23/2008) Van Jones, a social and environmental activist, believes a greener economy not only could save the planet, but also must provide pathways out of poverty for America's disadvantaged communities. A civil rights lawyer from Yale University, Jones started promoting the idea of "green-collar jobs" in 2005 through the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland, California. In September 2007, he launched the "Green for All" campaign. Jones recently took time to share his perspectives with Mongabay.com.
Biofuel production on abandoned lands could meet 8% of global energy needs
(06/23/2008) Using abandoned agricultural lands for biofuel production could help meet up to 8 percent of global energy needs without compromising food supplies or diminishing biologically-rich habitats, reports a new study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.
U.S. may allow corn farming on conservation land
(06/23/2008) The U.S. Department of Agriculture may allow farmers to plant corn on million of acres of conservation land to bolster the food supply in response to flooding in the Midwest and record high prices spurred by demand for domestic ethanol production, according to a report in the New York Times.
China's log imports fall in Q1 2008
(06/20/2008) China's log imports fell 11.5 percent in volume during the first quarter of 2008, but higher prices resulted in an 8.2 percent rise in the value of imports, reports the International Tropical Timber Organization's (ITTO) Tropical Timber Market Report
EU may mandate certification system for Amazon timber
(06/20/2008) According to O Estado de Sao Paulo and the International Tropical Timber Organization, the European Union is considering a green-labeling program for certifying the origin of timber imports. The label is said to target widespread illegal logging in the Amazon. Europe about 47 percent of timber produced in the Amazon region.
Miles-per-gallon misrepresents gains in fuel efficiency from scrapping worst gas-guzzlers
(06/20/2008) The use of miles-per-gallon instead of gallons-per-distance to measure fuel-efficiency may be clouding Americans' judgement when it comes to choosing whether to take the worst gas-guzzling vehicles off the road, argues a new paper published in the journal Science.
Scientists call for mining ban, new protected areas in Suriname
(06/20/2008) In a resolution set forth at their annual meeting in Paramaribo, Suriname, the largest group of tropical biologists called upon the Surinamese government to evict informal gold miners from three ecologically important areas in the South American country. Miners have been blamed for a number of environmental problems including over-hunting of wildlife, deforestation and destruction of riparian habitats, erosion, and mercury pollution in waterways.
Rainforests face array of emerging threats
(06/15/2008) Tropical forests face a number of emerging threats said a leading biologist speaking at a scientific conference in Paramaribo, Suriname.
New Google Earth layer offers insight on global deforestation
(06/15/2008) A new Google Earth KML file presents a geographical account of global deforestation.
Nestle Chairman: Biofuels are "ethically indefensible"
(06/14/2008) The emergence and expansion of biofuels produced from food crops has exacerabted world's agriculture and water crisis and is a bigger short-term threat than global warming, argued Peter Brabeck-Letmathe in an editorial published Thursday in the Wall Street Journal Asia.
More than 8% of the Brazilian Amazon is illegally owned
(06/14/2008) More 42 than million hectares — eight percent — of the Brazilian Amazon is not legally owned, reports a study released last week by a national environmental NGO.
China's CO2 emissions 14% higher than America's in 2007
(06/14/2008) China emitted 14 percent more carbon dioxide than the United States in 2007 according to a report released by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. China's emissions grew 8 percent from 2006.
Does logging contribute to AIDS deaths in Africa?
(06/14/2008) Logging activities in tropical Africa may pose hidden health risks to wildlife and humans according to a veterinary pathobiologist speaking at a scientific conference in Paramaribo, Suriname.
Hunting, deforestation wipe out 6 of 7 hornbill species in Borneo park
(06/14/2008) Logging, forest conversion for palm oil, and hunting have triggered a precipitous drop in key wildlife populations in Malaysia's Lambir Hills National Park, on the island of Borneo, said a biologist speaking at a scientific conference in Paramaribo, Suriname.
Geology, climate links make Guiana Shield region particularly sensitive to change
(06/14/2008) Soil and climate patterns in the Guiana Shield make the region particularly sensitive to environmental change, said a scientist speaking at a biology conference in Paramaribo, Suriname.
Reforestation a growing, but complicated, initiative
(06/12/2008) As the rate of deforestation continues apace — 13 million hectares per year in a global basis — several countries have begun to look at reforesting degraded areas to aid suffering biodiversity, indigenous groups, and small local economies. However most of the interest and activity surrounding reforestation is as a tool to mitigate climate change. A new program just launched by the Nature Conservancy and several local partners plans to plant a billion trees in the fragmented Atlantic Forest of Brazil. The United Nations Environmental Program has already planted over two billion trees worldwide and plans to plant five billion more. China has planted billions more. However effective reforestation is not proving as easy as simply planting trees and waiting for them to grow, in fact, sometimes it may be best to leave the whole process to nature.
New discoveries about past forest changes may help predict future ones in a changing climate
(06/12/2008) There is no better method to understand the future than to look to the past. Several new studies of the earth's glacial history are transforming the way scientists look at tree behvaior during extreme changes in climate. Scientists Remj Petit, Feng Sheng Hu, and Christopher Dick described such changes in relation to current global warming in the new issue of the journal Science. They report that already "in some parts of the world, tree species have started to shift their distributions in response to anthropogenic climatic warming", thus raising the stakes for understanding how tree species will adapt to coming changes.
REDD could trigger bias in conservation funding towards carbon-rich ecosystems
(06/12/2008) The Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) mechanism proposed as a means to fight global warming and protect forests may leave some ecosystems at risk to development argue researchers in an editorial published in the journal Science.
Forestry will play a critical role in slowing global warming
(06/12/2008) While reducing deforestation and forest degradation would pay great dividends in the fight against global climate change by eliminating up to a fifth of greenhouse gas emissions, other mechanisms can also enhance the capacity of forests to sequester carbon from the atmosphere, show researchers writing in this week's issue of the journal Science.
Unlocking the potential of forests to limit climate change
(06/12/2008) Understanding the complex interactions between forests and climate may "unlock the potential of forests to limit global climate change," argues a researcher writing in the journal Science.
Lemurs are key to health of Madagascar's rainforests
(06/12/2008) Lemurs play a key role in the health of Madagascar's tropical rainforests said a renowned primatologist speaking at a meeting of conservation biologists in Paramaribo, Suriname.
Large shark populations fall 97% in the Mediterranean
(06/12/2008) Populations of some shark species in the Mediterranean have plunged by more than 97 percent over the past 200 years, report researchers writing in the journal conservation Biology. Several species are at risk of extinction.
Forests face governance challenges
(06/12/2008) Governments "own" about 86 percent of the word's forests, but recent changes in forest management structure means they effectively control far less than they did just a generation ago. As such, the fate of forests is increasingly determined by concesssionary agreements with extractive industries and the whims of market demand for commodities produced on forest lands. Climate change and rapid economic growth are poised to further complicate effective management of forest areas.
Sea ice loss may triple warming over northern Alaska, Canada, and Russia
(06/11/2008) Fast-declining Arctic sea-ice could spur rapid warming in northern Alaska, Canada, and Russia triggering thawing of permafrost and a release greenhouse gases from the frozen soils, reports a new study published in Geophysical Research Letters.
Brazil levies $279 million fine for illegal Amazon logging
(06/11/2008) Brazilian authorities slapped the largest-ever fine on a timber company now owned by a Swedish sporting goods magnate for alleged illegal logging, according to the Associated Press.
94% of Americans support solar energy development
(06/11/2008) 94 percent of Americans say it's important for the U.S. to develop and use solar energy, according to a new poll that found support for solar power runs across the political spectrum.
Kayapo tribe gets trust fund for Amazon protection
(06/11/2008) The government of the Brazilian state of Pará and conservation International-Brasil (CI) have established a trust fund to support conservation and sustainable development initiatives by indigenous Kayapó groups in the Amazon rainforest. The fund will have an initial endowment of 10 million reals (US$6.2 million).
Madagascar signs big carbon deal to fund rainforest conservation
(06/11/2008) Madagascar will sell more than nine million tons of carbon offsets to fund rainforest conservation in a newly established protected area. conservationists say the deal protect endangered wildlife, promote sustainable development to improve the economic well-being of people living in and around the park area, and help fight global warming.
Colombia creates rainforest reserve to protect medicinal plants
(06/11/2008) Colombia today announced the creation of a rainforest reserve dedicated to the protection of medicinal plants. The Orito Ingi-Ande Medicinal Flora Sanctuary encompasses 10,626 hectares of biologically-rich tropical rainforest ranging in altitude from 700 to 3300 meters above sea level. The sanctuary is based on an initiative launched by local indigenous communities with the support of the Amazon conservation Team (ACT), an innovative NGO working with native peoples to conserve biodiversity, health, and culture in South American rainforests. Members of the communities — which include the Kofán, Inga, Siona, Kamtsá, and Coreguaje tribes — combined their rich knowledge of medicinal plants with cutting-edge technology to determine the placement and extent of the reserve. Their contributions to the effort are reflected in the name of the reserve, according to ACT.
China's economic growth may be helping panda habitat recovery
(06/11/2008) Rapid economic growth may be helping the recovery of key panda habitat in Wolong Nature Reserve in China, said a researcher speaking at a meeting of conservation biologists in Paramaribo, Suiname.
Caribbean Monk Seal is officially declared extinct
(06/10/2008) The NOAA fish service has officially declared the Caribbean Monk Seal extinct. The seal--the first to go extinct by human causes--has not had a confirmed sighting for fifty-six year. Many scientists believe sightings that have followed the last confirmation were probably of Hooded Seals and not the Caribbean Monk.
Major tiger conservation effort gets underway
(06/10/2008) A broad alliance of environmentalits, scientists, and celebrities have teamed with the World Bank Group and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to help protect wild tigers.
Argentina's primates under threat from agriculture
(06/09/2008) Five species of non-human primates inhabit in northern Argentina: black and gold howlers, brown howlers, black capuchins, brown-capped capuchins, and owl monkeys. Although two of these species are clearly endangered (brown howlers and owl monkeys), populations of all other species are disappearing due to anthropogenic changes of their habitats. Most of the forests where these species inhabit are under continuous alteration and degradation due to soy, rice, and forest plantations, and exotic pastures for livestock. Moreover, protected forests in Argentina are insufficient to protect these primates.
Tropical dry evergreen forests in India protected by religious and cultural beliefs
(06/09/2008) Tropical dry evergreen forest has restricted global distribution — limited to parts of Asia (on the Coromandel coast of India, northern Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand), Africa and Central America — but is highly variable in terms of height and the species it contains, depending on site location, soil type and the level of human impacts. A new study, published in the June issue of Tropical conservation Science by N. Parthasarathy and colleagues, looks at tropical dry evergreen forest on the Coromandel coast of India where the ecosystem occurs both in patches and as sacred groves or temple forests protected by the local people on religious grounds.
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Hey Guys!
I created this poll about this Y-axis inversion thing in the general discussion because I am genuinely interested in having a good estimation of the proportion of people inverting their controls and which controllers they invert. For example, I always invert my games, both 3rd and 1st person on a gamepad but I do not on a mouse...although I used to at one point...
so please take a look at the poll and vote because the more the better !
link to the poll:
cheers !

subset: commoncrawl


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The game already looks very polished. The title screen is futuristic, the menu is simple yet elegant, easy to use and fairly quick to get into. This was a competitive multiplayer game mode, so when Waldo and I began our game together we decided that I would play the Tower Commander, and he would play the Human Convoy.
I would of course like to take this chance to remind everybody that this was a press beta that focused on the competitive multiplayer mode, and it is still very much in development. During our play the game was updated three times, so this is definitely a work in progress. We were also asked to submit our feedback on the gameplay, so I am confident that the studio is working hard to balance the game. For a look into the single player side of the game you can read another article by Jolly here.
So, how does it play?
Kit: Playing the part of the Aliens, the defending force, I felt in control of the situation as soon as I saw the map. At first the UI and tower placement was confusing, but as soon as I got to grips with the placement mechanics I began to spread outwards. You play as an Alien commander, and it certainly begins to feel like that as you start to place those destructive towers down.
You begin the game with a set of generators, each worth a varied amount of points to the Human player. The towers themselves can only be placed within a set radius of each other on the placement grid. After a tower is placed your grid expands, and you can move towers further afield, but you can only have a limited number of towers down at any one time. There is a strategic element to this, as you need to keep some towers back to allow you to build and react quickly to the Human player's movement.
There are several commander buffs - the Heal which does exactly what it says on the tin, healing your towers, the Beserker which increases your damage rate, the Taunt which protects a tower from damage and the Kamikaze which destroys a tower in return for massive damage against the convoy.
These can be activated on any tower at any given time, although you can only use them on one tower at a time. Some of them have areas of effect, such as the healing ability, which can then be stacked over other abilities. This, I feel, is a little too powerful. Perhaps limiting the area of effect on the ability to one or two adjacent towers would be a better approach to balancing this, as it was very easy for me to simply apply beserker to all the Towers in range of the convoy, stack a heal on top of that and add a few taunts to quickly overpower what the Humans had coming.
There are many towers to choose from, and each tower has a range of abilities that can be used to destroy the Humans. One of the most essential towers is the Harvester, which can be used to increase your resource pool or buff pool or to just push you closer to victory. Unfortunately this variety doesn't often get used until later into the game, I found that I really only needed to use the first, basic cheaptower over and over again in large quantities near the Human player. Perhaps the game could benefit from having some restrictions as to how many of one type of tower can be placed in the same few squares.
Waldo: Playing as the Humans, the assaulting force, things felt a bit on the clunky side. You play as a commander that tells his convoy of heavily armed vehicle what route to take on their quest to destroy the Alien generators and towers, gathering supply drops to deploy more vehicles or upgrading them and collecting power ups that help in the war effort along the way.
Vehicles have two forms. The first is just a standard tank of some sort, the secondary form is usually a robot. These two forms work very differently from each other, and while it is obvious that some forms were built to work better in certain situations, I found myself sitting my vehicles in one mode more than the other simply because the way it worked was far better. It was hard to justify switching my artillery tanks from their robot mode when it could shoot in every direction with a good deal if oomph while the tank mode was only able to fire directly in front of it.
Handling and Interaction
Kit: Building a tower is a very simple task. You wait for your resource pool to reach the level you want, then pick a tower and place it within your build radius. In build mode the game highlights available build squares, so its pretty simple to get used to. Pick a tower, click it, place it down. This is easily spammed to quickly build towers, especially if you upgrade your tech to allow faster placement.
You move around the map with the WASD keys. There is also a tactical map, which highlights the movement of the Human convoy, as well as marking out all of your towers and defendable objectives. Using a mixture of the map and your standard view quickly becomes very important, as you have to be able to react to the Human movements very fast. This often requires selling and replacing towers over the map rapidly, so its important the tower player has a smooth and easily accessible control system. This is probably why the tower player has a huge advantage over the convoy player, who could use a little help in the way they place and position abilities, as currently they are at a huge disadvantage in not being able to move while they decide on placement, units or abilities.
Waldo: Anomaly 2 unfortunately feels as though it was developed to play primarily with a controller. There are certain things that I feel I should be able to do that simply can't achieve with the available game controls.
The most painfully obvious of these is the use of powers. You have two choices in how to deploy them - A) Run your commander to the exact spot you want it in and hit the corresponding power ability to deploy it without seeing just how far its radius will reach, or B) Click on the power and lose your ability to move while you decide where to deploy it. On the bright side, you do get to see what will be affected by your ability.
I would have preferred being able to use the keys and see the radius around my commander before hitting the key again to confirm its placement. Better yet, being able to move while I used the mouse to place it would be an improvement, as the current set up leaves you hilariously vulnerable to enemy towers.
Speaking of planning out your route and transforming your units, there's really no quick way to do this in Anomaly 2. Players have to pause the game to transform their units rather than simply clicking them. Changing the route of the convoy involves scrolling out to a map and adjusting the path from there, rather than having a means to do so while running around and dodging the Alien towers popping up all around the player's commander character and their convoy.
Difficulty and Balance
Kit: As the Alien side, I felt immediately that I was in control of the situation. This is a important feeling, I believe the Aliens should feel superior because they own the planet. The Human convoy has to follow set paths, which puts them at a huge disadvantage when faced with a Alien opponent. I was able to predict the path Waldo would follow and simply make sure my build radius would extend that far, allowing me to quickly rain death upon him with sudden placement of towers. To counter this, I would suggest that the convoy has either a inherent inhibitor to build around it within a larger range, or perhaps a new cheap unit that can be used to stop the Alien player placing towers within a set radius of the convoy. This is definitely something that could use some work.
Towers can also spin around, and most of them are able to aim in any direction and rain fire upon their foes. This is a incredible advantage and really takes away from the tower defence aspect - rarely did I have to worry about the direction in which my tower was facing, or where I should place it. I quickly discovered that spam placement was immensely beneficial. Using the map to quickly sell my towers and then spam-build towards Waldo, I was always able to overpower him. Most of the time my death or loss was caused by not being familiar with the game mechanics or simply messing up placement of towers. To counter this, I would like to see the towers have less rotational ability. Tower placement should feel important and strategic, never disposable.
Another aspect of towers is that they each have an inherent shockwave ability, which can be used in various ways. Harvesters can instantly build around them, basic towers can electrocute the convoy, etc. These damage the tower when used, but I don't particularly feel as though these should be in the game, they just push the balance out of the window once you realise you can, for example, combine the heal ability with these to essentially keep repeating them. Perhaps these abilities could replace the current commander buffs, and instead one of the towers could be made to cast heals, so that you have a lot more strategic placement going on as an Alien player.
One thing I do not like is the Harvesters. They can instant-build anything within a certain radius as a special ability, they can then be set to produce resources, allowing the tower commander to tech-up faster, or abilities, allowing the tower commander to spam the buffs, or points to simply get a chunk of score. I can see the tactical bonus of the game here, but I actually found it way too easy to stack Harvesters in the most defensible position, place towers and simply point farm to victory. Its important to note that they can only produce one reward at a time no matter how many you place, but it still is a pretty overpowered mechanic.
I would also like to see the Human player get some sort of invisibility or strategic advantage. Currently they have a unit who can cause the convoy to become invisible, but this only works in battle, and so again, this allowed me as the Alien player to simply plot their route and place towers to stop them. The Aliens have a tower called the Scrambler, which makes their towers completely invisible to the tactical view, giving them yet another huge advantage.
Waldo: Playing as the Humans, it felt like an uphill struggle right out of the gate, and that wasn't just because the controls were clunky and made dealing with a player opponent countering my every move a hassle. Towers suddenly springing up around my convoy was a common sight, and since your convoy is incapable of going off road, the tower player has a pretty easy time guessing what the Humans are going to be doing.
To make matters worse, the hardest hitting vehicle Humans have access to can only shoot straight forward, while most all of the hardest hitting towers can fire in any direction and have a huge buff to their damage over a large area. This, stacked with a repair buff means that chances are the Humans aren't going to kill many, if any of the towers.
There's a final nail in the coffin for Human players; if they don't manage to destroy enough Alien towers or bring down any of their Generators and Harvesters, which tower players can also repair, they're not going to earn any points. Tower players, on the other hand, gain points just by plinking away at Human units. The multiplayer does feel pretty one sided and is in serious need of balancing, but it was still an interesting game to play.
Units and Towers
Kit: I have to say that my favourite tower was the Enforcer. This heavily armoured version of the basic tower had all of the perks the starting tower had, but it also has huge armoured shields that surround it and give it an immense defensive bonus. It was only a little bit more expensive to build than the basic one, and yet so much better. As to the buffs, I really liked the combination of the Heal and Taunt, allowing you to heal a tower while it takes a pounding but lower the damage it takes overall.
Waldo: My favourite unit was the Assault Hound in Hell Hound mode. While its range was hilariously short and its increase in damage and durability hardly excused the lack of range, it was still an awesome looking robot. As for abilities, Repair has to be my favourite just for being so goodat keeping my convoy alive. EMP didn't have enough of an area to be more than kind of useful and the decoy was always dropped about as quickly as any of my other units, so it didn't distract the towers for more than a few seconds.
Graphics and Interface
Kit:The art style is stunning. The game has some pretty impressive visuals, although I feel it would benefit from a true first or third person view for the commander of the Humans. The overview for the Aliens is sleek, smooth and highly functional, but I do feel that it could do with a touch of Alien flare to the UI to enhance the experience. Alien symbols, different colourations or other such graphical touches would really help to improve the Alien command feeling.
I do feel that the camera should be able to view the whole map in the tactical view at least, as it does get a bit painful to repeatedly scroll around to make sure everything is in working order. However, in regards to the rest of the gameplay perhaps this is intentional, giving the Human opponent a chance to sneak attack something.
Waldo: I did enjoy the art style of the game, but I can't help but agree that Anomaly 2 would benefit from a third or first person view. Being able to zoom in from the strategic and tactical views to the third or first person view of the commander on the ground would certainly make it all the more dramatic when you're running through a corridor with those large Alien towers covering the area in laser death.
Kit:The weaponry, fire effects and music all have a pretty good feeling to them, although the music is a tad repetitive. This is of course only a beta, so I assume that there will be a bigger soundtrack on release. I particularly enjoy the sounds that my towers make when they murder something, although I wonder if it would be possible to give the towers a more 'organic' feel, perhaps a death screech or something.
Waldo: The weapons sound solid, but I would be lying if I didn't zone out the music by focusing more on keeping my convoy alive and cringing every single time Kit decided to spawn a hall way of xeno horrors around my convoy's only path and viable exits.
Overall Experience
Kit: I really enjoyed my look into Anomaly 2. I do feel that it currently has balance issues, but its a wonderful take on the Tower Defence genre. I hope for a co-op multiplayer mode though. As this was a multiplayer test we did not try out the singleplayer (although a VR training was provided), but all in all, the game promises to bring some interesting gameplay to the table. I look forwards to the release.
Waldo: Generally speaking I did enjoy Anomaly 2. I felt it's still a great twist on the Tower Defence genre and I have to give 11 bit studios a pat on the back for taking a chance on throwing competitive multiplayer into the mix. It just needs a few balance passes so it feels like both factions have a chance at winning. I would still love to see a co-op mode for Anomaly 2, however!


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Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday chief
Happy Birthday
Just go to the Efed forums section and look for the EWA Official Roster Thread. Create your own character there and your in.
this is KOTR not a championship match. i just did this as a special you can come back soon I just want to give others a chance first
© 2011 eWrestlingNews, All Rights Reserved.


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Published on: Friday, August 27, 2010
The Office of Alumni Relations is now accepting applications for the 2011 Alumni Board. If you are interested in serving in a leadership position, please consider the following positions available commencing January 1, 2011:
Secretary/Treasurer: an officer position, automatic succession to the position of President-elect, President and Past-president.
Director, 2 year term: a voting member of the Board, 8 positions open.
To apply, please complete the Candidate Profile Form, which is due no later than November 30, 2010. The Appointments Committee will review the applications received and will appoint new members to the 2011 Alumni Board. Appointments will be announced at the Alumni Christmas Celebration on Thursday, December 9, 2010.
If you have questions, please contact the Office of Law Alumni Relations at firstname.lastname@example.com or 651-962-4863.
For a more detailed and complete understanding of the responsibilities of serving on the Board and selection criteria, please see the and Board Selection Criteria. To view the current Alumni Board, visit the Alumni Association web page. Please note that each term will begin in January and conclude in December.


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Weymouth, MA (PRWEB) May 01, 2014
InfoTrends is pleased to announce a new study entitled Opportunities and Challenges in B2 Digital which focuses on the market for B2 and larger sheet fed color digital presses, based on both electrophotographic and inkjet technologies.
B2 and larger format color digital presses are forming a new, exciting wing of the digital print market in 2014, a dynamic segment that will be influential for many years to come. Sheet fed, full color digital presses for B2 and "B2+" format media starred at drupa in 2012 and since then the commitment of key suppliers to such printers has only grown, as has the interest of prospective users. "Today, the 'B2' digital press market is at a tipping point," says Bob Leahey, Associate Director for InfoTrends' Color Digital Labels & Packaging Service. "More than 100 presses in this class have been placed globally; meanwhile, more B2 models and even some larger 'B1' models are about to launch, and multiple vendors will need major placements to justify their big investments." Leahey added that several top digital press vendors are competing in the B2 and "B2+" market, such as Fujifilm, HP Indigo, Konica Minolta, Landa, Océ, and Screen.
This study will provide unprecedented research into the most important new class of digital printers that the market has seen in many years. This research will answer questions such as:
For more information or to become an early subscriber, please visit our online brochure or contact Scott Phinney at 781 616 2123 or scott.phinney(at)infotrends(dot)com.
Early subscriber rates are available through May 15, 2014.
InfoTrends, a Questex company, is the leading worldwide market research and strategic consulting firm for the digital imaging and document solutions industry. We provide research, analysis, forecasts, and advice to help clients understand market trends, identify opportunities, and develop strategies to grow their businesses. Additional information about InfoTrends is available on the Web at http://www.infotrends.com.
For media inquiries contact Donna O'Malley at +1 781 616 2116 or email donna(dot)omalley(at)infotrends(dot)com.


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The opportunity for ordinary Americans with talent and dedication to win elections in our country is steadily disappearing. In 1982, the average race for the U.S. House seat cost $265,000, according to the Federal Elections Commission. Now a contested race will cost well over a million dollars, depending on the media market.
The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United represented a major step backward—allowing corporations and rich individuals to contribute unlimited sums of money without any accountability. Congress must enact strong campaign finance reform and end once and for all the current practice of allowing elections to be bought by the highest bidder.
LEGISLATION MARCY HAS SPONSORED IN THE 113TH CONGRESSH.R. 128. Fairness in Political Advertising Act of 2013. Congresswoman Kaptur's bill would require TV broadcasting stations and also cable operators to make available free air time for political advertising. The bill was referred to the House Energy and Commerce committee.
H.Con.Res. 6. Re Buckley v. Valeo. This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. Supreme Court misinterpreted the First Amendment in the case of Buckley v. Valeo when it equated campaign spending with free speech. It has been referred to the Judiciary Committee.
H.R. 195. Ethics in Foreign Lobbying Act of 2013. Congresswoman Kaptur's bill would prohibit contributions and expenditures by multi-candidate political committees that are controlled by foreign-owned corporations. The bill was referred jointly to House Administration and the Judiciary Committee.
H.J. Res. 12. Constitutional Amendment. This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to address campaign contributions and expenditures. Referred to the Judiciary Committee.
H.J. Res. 13. Constitutional Amendment. Congresswoman Kaptur's resolution proposes a constitutional amendment saying that First Amendment protections do not apply to the political speech of any corporation, partnership, business trust, association or other business organization with respect to campaign contributions or expenditures. Referred to Judiciary.
H.J. Res. 14. Constitutional Amendment. This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that waives the application of the first article of amendment to the political speech of corporations and other business organizations with respect to the disbursement of funds in connection with public elections and granting Congress and the States the power to establish limits on contributions and expenditures in elections for public office. Referred to Judiciary.
H.R. 195. Ethics in Foreign Lobbying Act of 2013. Congresswoman Kaptur's bill would prohibit foreign-controlled corporations and associations from contributing to federal campaigns or spending money in federal campaigns.


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In around 2004, Brandon realized that he could automate tasks by writing a small program in PHP. His first application, an online roleplaying game, inspired him to continue learning how to use PHP. Shortly after he graduated in 2007 from University of the Pacific in California, Brandon became a full-time software developer. For Brandon it was a learning experience and a true dream job – one he's loved doing ever since.
Living in the Washington, DC area, Brandon is a software developer working on the Socorro project, which is Firefox's crash collection and analysis system. Brandon works from home in Olney, Maryland. In his free time, Brandon is a certificated private pilot and loves to explore Maryland and Pennsylvania from the air.
Brandon is a frequent speaker at conferences and user groups. He has spoken both nationally and internationally at conferences like OSCON, PHP UK, ZendCon and user groups like DC PHP and Baltimore PHP. Brandon is also the author of Mastering Object Oriented PHP and The PHP Playbook.


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The idea of having a strong Federal government was controversial in the early United States, and one of the ways Federalists reassured Americans that it wouldn't become tyrannical was to append a Bill of Rights to the Constitution.
That attempt to prevent despotism has failed, because the Federal government and its various agencies have set aside the Bill of Rights as a dead letter, substituted for them a bizarre set of interpretations of law, and either avoid having the courts adjudicate their fascist fantasies or managed to have appointed to the bench unethical or authoritarian judges that will uphold virtually anything they do.
How corrupt our system has become is evident when even the New Yorker emphasizes that a secret Senate report found that torture in the Bush years was "unnecessary" and "ineffective." Not that it was "unconstitutional."
The Eighth Amendment of the US constitution forbids 'cruel and unusual punishment.' US courts have found that the Framers' injunction was intended to be dynamic, and did not only forbid those things thought barbaric in 1789 but those things contemporary Americans would find cruel and unusual. As Cornell Law school put it,
Waterboarding is illegal (not to mention setting German shepherds on people to viciously bite them). Professor of Law Wilson R. Huhn writes:
Fourth Amendment ban on unreasonable search and seizure. As long as the unreasonable search and seizure happens on the internet, apparently that is all right. What arrogance, what hypocrisy, what fascism.
An honest appeals court just ruled that the government needs a warrant to put a tracking device on your car and follow you around by GPS. But your cell phone metadata also reveals your movements, and the NSA is scooping that information up, effectively following you around without a warrant, exactly what the court just found unjustified. But the Federal government (yes, the Obama administration) has succeeded in keeping NSA practices out of the courts.
While few Americans care that the NSA was intensively spying on the Mexicans, French and Germans, even on German chancellor Angela Merkel's private cell phone, they should. The Bill of Rights were once a point of inspiration for human rights activists around the world. Much of what the youth who led the Arab upheavals of 2011 wanted was enshrined in the Bill of Rights. American ideals and rule of law were part of America's soft power in the world. The European Union is suddenly less cooperative because of our allies' outrage at being spied on. No one wants to be like creepy peeping toms or vicious torturers, and that is what Americans have become.
Moreover, the NSA foreign spying is racist. Yes, on top of everything else, it involves a racist hierarchy. The US doesn't intensively spy on Canadians, British and Australians, i.e. on what were called in the 19th century 'Anglo-Saxons.' It is only the inferior races that Washington subjects to surveillance.
But all that is crashing and burning as the US government has betrayed those ideals over and over again. We're being massively spied on by our government, our location, the people we call, the websites we visit, all being monitored constantly. And if the government decides we are terrorism suspects, we could well be tortured. Martin Luther King's principle of civil disobedience would be categorized as terrorism today, and if he were active in our time, instead of naming a Federal holiday after him, the government would have MLK waterboarded by police dressed up as military commandos.


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Ugandan president continues to undermine national forest reserves
November 4, 2008
President Yoweri Museveni's ongoing battle with Uganda's National Forest Authority
"National Forest Authority (NFA's) name should be changed to National Deforestation Authority because they don't care about forests. But we shall sort them out," Museveni was quoted as saying by Uganda's New Vision newspaper. "You cannot have investment without regulation of the environment."
Museveni has been at odds with the National Forest Authority (NFA) over his attempts to grant 7,000 hectares of Mabira forest reserve to a sugar cane plantation company and to hand over a forest reserve on Bugala island in Lake Victoria to oil palm developers. Both projects have now been shelved (Mabira in October 2007, Bugala in May 2007), but Museveni has also battled NFA over evictions of encroachers in protected forests ordering the agency to halt evictions in 2005.
Rainforest in Uganda. Photo by Rhett A. Butler. More Uganda photos.
"When we go against the encroachers, politicians and businessmen who deal in items like timber resist us," he continued. "It has got to an extent where NFA officials have been assaulted in the process of securing the forests."
"It is true that deforestation is taking place, but much of it is affecting forests on private land. The mandate of NFA is restricted to forest reserves."
New Vision reports that over 70 percent of Uganda's remaining forest cover is located on private land, while 15 percent is managed by NFA.
Uganda's annual deforestation rate has climbed 21 percent since the end of the 1990s. The country lost an average of 86,400 hectares of forest—or 2.1 percent of its forest cover—per year between 2000 and 2005. On a generational time scale, Uganda lost 26.3 percent of its forest cover (1.3 million hectares) between 1990 and 2005, mostly due to subsistence farming and cutting for fuelwood, but increasingly the result of industrial activities. This forest loss is directly threatening some of the highest concentrations of biodiversity in Africa: Uganda is home to more than 5,000 plant species, 345 species of mammals, and types of 1,015 birds.
Gerald Tenywa. Uganda: Politics, Corruption Fuelling Destruction of Forest Reserves. New Vision (Kampala) 2 November 2008


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GULF BREEZE - Sheriff's deputies are investigating bullet holes discovered by a resident in the front of his home on Venetian Way on Saturday, according to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office.
The resident contacted police at 2 p.m. Saturday about several bullet holes in his front door, the incident report stated. One left a mark on the homeowner's car.
The homeowner found three .22-caliber Remington casings in the road, the incident report stated.
Deputies estimate the incident occurred about 1 a.m. Saturday. They did not know the motive.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 983-1100 or Crime Stoppers at 437-STOP.


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Patrol Cars To Get Tech Upgrade
Posted: March 26, 2013 at 5 a.m.
Police patrol cars will soon have the latest technology in video camera equipment.
This story is only available from our archives.
« Previous Story
Deputies Search For Stabbing Suspect
Washington County deputies were looking for a bald-headed man with a brown goatee whom a woman says stabbed her about noon Monday in the northwest corner of the county. Read »
Next Story »
Finnegan's Bond Set At $250,000
A Garfield man said he designed his vehicle to look like an undercover police unit, according to court documents filed Monday. Read »


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‹ Exit photo gallery
PHOTOS: Davy Jones of the Monkees dies
Davy Jones rose to fame in 1965 when he joined The Monkees, a British popular rock group formed for a U.S. television show. Jones sang lead vocals on songs like "I Wanna Be Free" and "Daydream Believer." He died at the age of 66.
This 1966 photo shows The Monkees, singing group. Shown from left, are, Davy Jones, Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz and Mike Nesmith.
(Photo: Associated Press) fullscreen mode


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Stores »
A great dog toy that's inexpensive and perfect for puppies.
We are a community of shoppers sharing our best finds from across the web.
© 2015 ThisNext, Inc. ThisNext is a member of BUZZMEDIA Entertainment, a division of BUZZMEDIA.
Create your own free digital magazine at our new site Glossi.com


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Auctioneer: Pifer's Auction & Realty
Address: , Fertile, MN
310 Acres – Polk County, MN
AUCTION LOCATION: Fertile Community Center - Fertile, MN
Tuesday, December 10, 2:30 PM (CT)
AUCTION NOTE: This property features 290.7 acres in CRP with exceptional potential for cropping, tiling, and hunting. The buyer will have the option to keep or cancel the existing CRP contracts, making for potential 2014 cropland use!
CONTACT: Steve Dalen at 701-893-8517 or Kevin Pifer at 701-238-5810 for more information, or Pifer's Auction & Realty at 877.700.4099 for a complete catalog.
Acres: 149.88; Legal: SW¼ 28-148-44, Godfrey Twp.
Potential Cropland: 135.7 +/- acres
CRP: 135.7 acres at $48.75/ac. = $6,548/yr. – Expires: 9/30/2022
Acres: 161.44; Legal: E½ E½ 32-148-44, Godfrey Twp.
Potential Cropland: 154.96 +/-
CRP: 155 acres at $39.00/ac. = $6,045/yr. – Expires: 9/30/2018
OWNER: Naomi Erickson
AUCTIONEER: This sale is managed by Pifer's Auction & Realty, Kevin Pifer, MN #14-106. All statements made the day of the auction take precedence over all printed materials. This property is subject to prior sale. The seller reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids. View all property, maps and pictures at www.pifers.com!


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Bruce Yandle 02/01/2011
PERC Senior Fellow Bruce Yandle orginated the theory of Bootleggers and Baptists in the early 1980s. In essence, two different groups suppor the same, regulations, but benefit from different effects of the regulation. Has anything changed?
Bruce Yandle 03/01/2010
By Bruce Yandle Clemson University
, Bruce Yandle 09/14/2009
By Jody Lipford and Bruce Yandle
Thoughts on the Relative Merits of Cap-and-Trade versus Emission Taxes for Controlling Carbon Emissions.Bruce Yandle 05/27/2009
By Bruce Yandle
, Bruce Yandle 01/01/2002
By Bruce Yandle and Stuart Buck


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(C) 2015 Healy, Bender & Associates, Inc.
Firm Profile | Philosophy | Services | Leadership
Healy | Bender is dedicated to serve our clients. Our mission statement emphasizes our commitment to client-oriented service, and we demonstrate it through the daily involvement of our principals from the first meetings through project completion and beyond.
Our ability to manage the total planning, design and construction process for projects of most sizes and scopes has led to a history of delivering projects on time and within budget. Our philosophy is that successful design combines creativity with efficiency and cost-effectiveness. And, our commitment to the highest quality of design and service is represented by award-winning projects ranging from elementary school additions, major new high schools and community-based facilities and beyond.
More >


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Nov 12
Nov 12
Tags: america, American People, Business, Decline, democrats, economy, GOP, Mitt Romney, obama, policy, Recovery, Republicans, Rush Limbaugh, Victim, Victory
This entry was posted on November 19, 2012 at 3:06 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Posted in Conservative Videos DailyRushbo by Dyno Rush Comments Off
Comments are closed.


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MMA News
Quick Quote | Rockhold Thinks Jacare Will Be The Next Challenger For His Middleweight Title | Strikeforce News
By Jamie McAllister
Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold in an interview with Sherdog.
Rockhold defeated Tim Kennedy this past weekend via a unanimous decision to defend his title for the second time. For his next defence the Champion has one contender in mind, a rematch against the man he took the title from on September 11th 2011 Jacare.
"[There will be] many more [defenses] to come. I'm not giving it up. I'll be damned if anybody takes this belt from me. There are quite a few new middleweights in the division now, like Lorenz Larkin and Roger Gracie, but I think 'Jacare' is the most likely challenger, as long as he wins [his August bout against Derek Brunson]. Our fight needs closure, and I'd like to have a chance to finish it."
For all the latest MMA news and fight updates stay tuned to BJPENN.COM
2 Responses to "Quick Quote | Rockhold Thinks Jacare Will Be The Next Challenger For His Middleweight Title | Strikeforce News"
Does anyone give a rats ass?
Strikeforce, where defending the title once = cleaning out your division!!!
Bring on the rematches!
Leave a Reply
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The internet's most popular search engine Google has been accused of supporting Chinese internet controls by omitting contentious news stories from search results in China.
State-sponsored internet providers in China routinely block access to internet sites deemed inappropriate by the government. These include both Chinese and foreign news sites carrying reports that criticise the Chinese government.
Researchers at Dynamic Internet Technology (DIT), a US company that provides technology for circumventing internet restrictions in China, have discovered that the recently-launched Chinese version of Google News omits blocked news sources from its results.
The origin of a computer sending a search request can be identified using its internet protocol (IP) address.
World view
Google admits to omitting some news sources within China but says this is meant to improve the quality of the service.
"In order to create the best possible news search experience for our users, we sometimes decide not to include some sites, for a variety of reasons," says a statement issued by the company. "These sources were not included because their sites are inaccessible."
Bill Xia, chief executive of DIT, however, accuses Google of reinforcing Chinese internet restrictions by leaving some sites off its list. "When people do a search they will get the wrong impression that the whole world is saying the same thing," he told New Scientist.
DIT enables Chinese internet users to get around government restrictions by connecting to computers located outside of the country.
Inside out
Some users recently reported that Google's Chinese news search returned different results depending when they searched using a computer based outside of China. The claims were substantiated by researchers who connected to computers inside the country.
In the past, other search companies have also been accused of supporting Chinese internet controls. In 2002, for instance, Yahoo's Chinese search engine was modified to provide only limited results for queries related to the banned religious group, Falun Gong.
And Xia notes that Google recently acquired a stake in a Chinese search company called Baidu.com.
Ben Edelman, of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, part of Harvard University in the US, says Google will face increasing pressure from the Chinese government to adhere to its restrictions as it extends its reach.
"As Google gains more interest in China and even comes to have financial interests in China, it's hard to imagine Google won't do so," he told New Scientist.
If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.


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'Tis the season for the holiday rush! It's heading straight our way and we are about to get all wrapped up in the holiday spirit yet again! I'll admit I was a scrooge for a few years, but now that my little one is big enough to "get it", the magic is back for me!… [read more]
Let's get TRUNKI for the holidays! #Giveaway
November 5, 2012 by 3 Comments
A bit of wanderlust.
July 31, 2012 by 1 Comment
Sunny day! It's a Sesame Place family vacation!
May 22, 2012 by 32 Comments
Not too long ago, I told you all how I was hoping to plan a family vacation soon. It's been one looong year, and some time away as a family is sorely needed. Like, NOW. The only hitch? My husband is heading back to school next month and our budget is tight. Big, expensive vacations… [read more]


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Cars for Sale
|Home | Events Calendar | Technical Info | Speedster History | Racing Speedsters | Books etc. | Videos | Useful Suppliers | Weblinks
Cameron Sports Cars - Tygan/Chesil Speedster replica for sale
Tygan/Chesil Speedster for sale £22,990
Tygan/Chesil 356 Speedster. A faithful recreation of the classic Porsche 356 Speedster of the 1950s and 60s. We also have a similar car in Avus Silver for sale at the same price. Please view our website cameronsportscars.co.uk for full details and images.
Finished in Black with Full Imperial Red Leather Upholstery, Claret Wool Carpets, Motalita Wood Split Rim Steering Wheel, Black Mohair Hood, Heated Windscreen, Bucket Seats, Ivory Dials, Chrome Polished Handbrake, Independent Rear Suspension, Type 1 Air Cooled 1800cc Engine, Rear Bench Seat, Front Disc Brakes, 12v Power Socket.
Lee Stoddart
Tel: 01225 89 22 44 Mob: 07795 215119
click on any image to enlarge
|© 2012 Net Communications Maidstone UK Privacy Policy Site Map Contact Form Advertising on this site


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Most Popular Articles Today
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If you are considering using a heat pump for your home heating and air conditioning, you may want to know the difference between a heat pump and a geothermal heat pump. They both have the same function — pumping heat from one location to another. In summer, they pump heat from inside your home to the outside where it can be dispersed. In cold weather, they gather heat from outside and pump it into your home. The major difference in the two is their outside energy source. A standard heat pump draws heat out of the cold outdoor air; a geothermal heat pump draws heat out of the earth which remains at a stable temperature throughout the year. For this reason, a geothermal heat pump is often called an earth source heat pump and a standard heat pump may be called an air source heat pump.
How Heat Pumps Work
Air source heat pumps and geothermal heat pumps both use refrigerant to collect heat from outside your home and deliver it into your home in the winter. Refrigerant has the ability to rapidly expand and absorb heat and then rapidly condense and shed the heat in the process. Inside your home, the heat may be discharged through a coil in an air handler or furnace, or it may be released in a radiant heat system. In the summer, the refrigerant flow is reversed and it collects heat inside your home and takes it outside, effectively cooling your home by removing heat.
Earth Loop or Outdoor Coil
How the system collects heat outside is the basic difference between a heat pump and a geothermal heat pump. In a air source heat pump, a condensing unit sits outside the house. It contains a coil that is composed of copper tubing and fins like you might see on the back of a window air conditioner or a car radiator. When heating your home the refrigerant cycles through the copper tubing and collects heat from the outdoor air. When cooling your home, it collects heat inside and sheds it in the outdoor coil where it radiates out through the coil fins.
With a geothermal heat pump, an earth loop is buried in the ground. The earth loop is a closed loop made of high-density polyethylene pipe, chosen because it won't corrode or rot and has a life expectancy of 200+ years. Earth loops come in various designs depending on the size of the lot, the type of soil and other factors. Liquid flows through the earth loop and the temperature of the water becomes the same as the temperature of the soil around it. The water cycles through a heat exchanger where the refrigerant captures heat in the winter. The water is cooled because heat is drawn from it. It circulates through the earth loop and warms back up, ready to offer heat to the refrigerant. Through the use of a reversing valve, the refrigerant releases heat into the water in the summer. The heated water circulates through the loop and is cooled.
Pros and Cons of Geothermal Heat Pumps
The primary disadvantage of a geothermal heat pumps is that it is more expensive in terms of the equipment. They need to be viewed as a long-term investment that will save you money over many years. If you aren't committed to your home for 7-10 years minimum, a geothermal heat pump might not be cost-effective.
The advantages include their very high efficiency. They are more efficient than air source heat pumps. In the winter, heat is being collected from the ground, which is warmer than the outside air in most cases. In the winter, the geothermal heat pump is shedding heat into a source that is cooler than the outside air in most cases. Therefore, a geothermal heat pump does not have to work as hard to collect and dump heat as an air source heat pump does. Ground source heat pumps are also quieter because they don't use a noisy condenser that sits close to the house, and they are the most environmentally sound way to heat and cool your home.
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The Future Of Breaking News Is Here (And It's Called RYOT)
The internet has given us faster and more transparent access to breaking news than ever before, and that's a good thing. The challenge comes in when you consider how much of the news being shared by major media outlets is sensationalized and skews negative, overly focused on problems without offering any clear solutions. This can leave people read »My Say, Contributor


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The best band in the world take care of their own!
I recieved my winter brutality package today.
The beanie is a little on the small side for a thickheaded hairy viking like me, but it fits and it's awesome!
But I also got some bonus goodies! like the Enemy of god wristbands and one hordes of chaos sticker, one Ultra riot sticker and an Ultra riot postcard!
Next order will be the inner circle fan package when the new shirt arrive.


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LUTHERAN CHURCH MISSOURI SYNOD: MT. OLIVE LUTHERAN CHURCH Pastor Paul C. Sizemore Pastor Jeffery J. Wilson, Asst. 1541 Lake Murray Blvd. 803-781-5845 Worship & Holy Communion Sat. 5:30 PM Sun 8 & 10:30 AM Sunday School 9:15 AM Preschool Ages 2-4, 781-7180 www.mtolivesc.orgMore info Email a friend
CATHOLIC: OUR LADY OF THE LAKE CATHOLIC CHURCH Serving the Chapin & Irmo Community 195 Amicks Ferry Road 5 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Sunday Masses Daily Mass: 12 Noon 12 Noon First Friday of Month Phone 345-3962More info Email a friend
EPISCOPAL: TRINITY EPISCOPAL CATHEDRAL Trinity Episcopal Cathedral 1100 Sumter Street - across from the State House - Worship Services in the Cathedral: 7:45 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite I 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, RiteII Nursery available 8:30-11:30 pm Holy Eucharist...More info Email a friend
UNITED METHODIST: SHANDON UNITED METHODIST 3407 Devine St. 8:45 & 11 a.m. Traditional Worship 11:05 a.m. LifeLine Contemporary Worship 9:45 a.m. Sunday School Nursery Provided Dr. Michael L. Guffee, Sr., Senior Minister 256-8383 www.shandon-umc.orgMore info Email a friend
SOUTHERN BAPTIST: SPRINGDALE BAPTIST CHURCH 357 Wattling Road, 796-8110 Sunday Services: 9:30 a.m. Bible Study for all ages 10:30 a.m. Worship Service 6:00 p.m. Evening ActivitiesMore info Email a friend
BAPTIST INDEPENDENT: GANTT STREET BAPTIST CHURCH Cayce, S.C.S.S. 10am Worship 11 am & 6 pm Wed. Bible Study & AWANA 7 PM I-26/Airport Exit/1/2 mi. Rev. Gene Rowell 803-794-6280More info Email a friend
CATHOLIC: ST. JOHN NEUMANN CATHOLIC CHURCH 100 Polo Road Saturday 5:15 p.m., 7:00 p.m. Korean (2nd & 3rd Saturday) Sunday 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 12:00 Noon, 5:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. SpanishMore info Email a friend
UNITED METHODIST: GRACE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 410 Harbison Blvd. Columbia, SC 29212 803-732-1899 Pastor: Walter C. Ballenger III Worship Service 8:30am &11am ASL Interpreter Available Upon Prior Request Sunday School 9:45 AM Nursery Provided www.GraceColumbia.orgMore info Email a friend
EPISCOPAL: ST. LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 1300 Pine Street (corner of Pine and Lady Sts.) 8:45 a.m. - Christian Education 10:00 a.m. - Holy Eucharist The Rev. Calvin R. Griffin, Rector www.stlukescolumbia.org 803-254-2327More info Email a friend
ANGLICAN: CHURCH OF THE APOSTLES 1520 Bull Street Worship: 10a 803.256.0545 www.apostlescolumbia.org PEAR USA, ACNAMore info Email a friend


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A small uncrewed aircraft is set to fly through the fierce winds surrounding the eye of a hurricane to take the first continuous data on how such storms gain their strength, according to a plan by NASA and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.
The craft, called an aerosonde, will measure the temperature, pressure, humidity and wind velocity inside the storm in an effort to crack the tough problem of predicting changes in hurricane intensity.
It will make the measurements when the hurricane is over the sea, where it builds in intensity. A hurricane is a giant heat engine, powered by the evaporation of warm seawater that then condenses inside the storm, releasing energy.
Unfortunately, understanding that process requires flying instruments a few hundred metres above the ocean, where wind speeds are highest. "It's far too dangerous to get there with manned aircraft," says Joe Cione of NOAA's National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, US.
NOAA and NASA now monitor hurricanes from satellites, and crewed hurricane-hunter planes fly through the upper layers of the storm. To measure near-surface conditions, though, the agencies drop 20 to 30 instrument packages called dropsondes into the storms.
Eye of the storm
Each $700 dropsonde takes measurements as it falls through the storm into the sea. But the method yields data on only scattered spots in a storm - not enough information to forecast rapid changes in its intensity. In 2004, "Hurricane Charley went from Category 1 to Category 4 in six to eight hours," Cione told New Scientist. "We don't understand that at all."
Now, the agencies hope to shed light on this question by taking much longer observations with aerosondes developed by the Aerosonde Corporation of Wallops Island, Virginia, US. The $50,000 aircraft are launched from a rack on top of a small truck and can carry instrument packages that weigh just a couple of kilograms.
But they can fly for 18 hours at a time at altitudes of 150 to 600 metres. Plans call for them to transmit data in real time as they spiral inwards to the eye of the storm, then retrace their path back out again. By flying two aerosondes in succession, Cione hopes to monitor the transfer of energy from the ocean to the storm for 36 hours.
The key test will be flying the aerosonde into a hurricane, but no hurricanes have yet come within 500 kilometres of Florida's Key West Naval Air Station, where one of the aircraft is stored.
Key West is normally an ideal point for observing mature storms, and the test was scheduled for September, traditionally the busiest month of the hurricane season. "Mother Nature is laughing at us," says Cione. With additional funding, team members could keep trying to launch the aerosonde in October.
If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.


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Sappi celebrates completion of capital conversion project
November 1, 2013 at 6:40 am in Pine Journal
It's official. After $170 million in expenditures and a sparse one-year construction period, Sappi Fine Paper's capital conversion project dubbed "Project Athena" after the patroness of weaving was officially declared fully functioning and on budget this week.
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text: 1 CANON PIXMA MG3250 Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer WiFi & Canon Easy-WebPrint Apple AirPrint 4800 x 1200 dpi Up to 9 ipm 412 reviews Brief product description Ideal for home or office, the Canon PIXMA MG3250 Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer allows you to connect wirelessly and offers high quality printing, scanning and copying with professional-looking results. Wireless connectivity Thanks to the built-in WiFi connection, you can connect to the PIXMA MG-3250 wirelessly from anywhere around your home, avoiding the need for cables. Print as and... Find out more £34.97 Home delivery unavailable Collect in store available


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The University of Michigan
University of Michigan
Stay connected to U-M with the official University of Michigan app. News, events, locations, class resources, and more are at your fingertips. Features include: CTools - Check your course and project sites on the go. View grades, access resources, read announcements, and more. MPrint - Send...
One Cool Thing
It's a simple promise: One cool thing delivered to you every day. Cutting-edge technology Amazing photos New discoveries No matter what it is, we promise that it will be cool. The One Cool Thing app comes to you from the editors of The Michigan Engineer magazine and the University of Michigan...
The Eyes Have It
The Eyes Have It (TEHI) app is designed to teach medical and optometric students, and to assist physicians, optometrists, ophthalmic technicians, nurses and other health care providers in diagnosing and managing eye care problems. Written by respected University of Michigan ophthalmologist...
A nutrition reference app for pediatric dietitians, pediatricians, and other interested clinicians that includes growth charts, predictive equations, guidelines for diagnosing malnutrition, and formula information.
Jetlag is the result of a disrupted circadian clock. Entrain simulates your circadian clock on the phone and makes mathematically optimal lighting recommendations to help you adjust as fast as possible to new timezones and schedules. The recommendations, which tell you when to seek light and/or...
This app is a simplification of the Three-Dimensional Static Strength Prediction Program for PCs developed at the Center for Ergonomics at the University of Michigan. This professional program is used by Ergonomists, Occupational Therapists, Forensic Scientists and other scientists throughout the...
Stay in the Blue
Stay in the Blue is designed to help University of Michigan students have a great time while drinking. Stay in the Blue makes it easy for you to track your drinks over time to make the most of your night out or football Saturday. Stay in the Blue also features a list of A2 cabs to get a safe ride...
Mott Tiles
Through a partnership with Detroit-based Pewabic Pottery, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital patients and their families were able to leave a lasting impression on the University of Michigan C.S.Mott Children's Hospital. Over 1,600 hand-made tiles were created for the new hospital. Mott Tiles...
This free basic app converts medical language into everyday English. It is based on the award-winning Plain Language Medical Dictionary widget designed by Taubman Health Sciences Library, University of Michigan. Features • Browse for a medical term and view its non-medical definition. • Search a...
Return2Play For Concussion
Return2Play from the Pediatric Trauma Program at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, in partnership with Michigan NeuroSport, is the first concussion recovery journal app that helps concussion patients track their activities and symptoms, and share that information with their healthcare team. Are you...
Get more out of the Teaching and Technology Collaborative at the University of Michigan by staying up to date with the official TeachTech Android app. Browse information on sessions, get directions, and even register for sessions directly from within the app.
Nerve Whiz
Designed by a neuromuscular neurologist at the University of Michigan, Nerve Whiz is a free application for medical professionals interested in learning the complex anatomy of nerve roots, plexuses, and peripheral nerves. Select which muscles are weak, or point to areas of sensory loss, and the...


text: Fritzsch offers readers the opportunity to listen in on a meeting of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and a present-day physicist. While he introduces the theory of relativity, Fritzsch teaches its sources, its workings, and the ways it has revolutionized our view of the physical world. An Equation That Changed the World dramatizes the importance of relativity, for the human race, and the survival of our planet.Edition/Copyright: 94


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Make a difference on Mandela Day in Cape Town
Rob PetersMandela Day 2015 on July 18 marks what would-have been our beloved Tata Madiba's 97th birthday and it's the ideal opportunity to follow this great man's example by channelling your inner charitable spirit. Here are 10 ways you can get involved in the Mother City.
@lovecapetown twitter talksWe love hearing about Cape Town from those who are here, who have been here and want to be here. It is for this reason that we occasionally host a twitter chat and we want YOU to get involved! Here's how.
Theatre review: Mpinga MorningsMpinga Mornings is a one-person play told from the perspective of three Rhodesian-born (now Zimbabwe) characters – a farmer's wife, her daughter and their domestic worker. It spans the time from around the start of the Rhodesian Bush War to the land grabs and beyond and shows the different ways in which each character was affected by these events.
Travel like a local in Langa
Rob PetersWe are always on the lookout for authentic experiences. The word 'authentic' obviously means different things to different people, but I recently found a real authenticity on a tour of Langa.
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Cape Town welcomes #MeetSouthAfrica travel bloggers
Bloggers love South Africa – we know this from our #LoveCapeTown campaign. This campaign saw us bringing four international travel bloggers (@traveldudes @velvetescape @landlopers and @wildjunket) to Cape Town in July 2012 during a social media drive in which Capetonians interacted with the bloggers and their followers, telling the stories of Cape Town and her people.
Ready, steady, go… World Design Capital 2014 in Cape Town
The first call for projects to highlight Cape Town during World Design Capital 2014 is out. The Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Alderman Patricia de Lille, officially opened the call for World Design Capital Cape Town 2014 submissions at the Design Indaba Expo on Thursday 28 February, 2013.


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With the popularity of high-definition 3D entertainment continuing unabated, Toshiba has unveiled its first Full HD 3D camcorder – the Toshiba Camileo Z100 – which packs 1080p high-definition recording capabilities, glasses-free 3D functionality and a stunning selection of top of the range features.
Measuring 120 x 54 x 62mm and weighing a mere 285g, the Toshiba Camileo Z100 is a compact and lightweight device that looks great and fits comfortably into the hand. And with its hardwearing matt black finish and resilient build keeping it well protected, it is every bit as tough as it is gorgeous to look at.
Beneath the surface is where the Toshiba Camileo Z100's real heart lies, though. Built around two back-illuminated 5-megapixel CMOS image sensors, you can capture flawlessly sharp Full HD 3D video in all lighting conditions up to a frame-rate of 30fps, for the best 3D video wherever you go.
With an 8x optical zoom available when shooting 3D video, the Toshiba Camileo Z100 lets you get up close with the action, while you also get a staggering 120x digital zoom when shooting in 2D mode. And you can even snap stunning still photos up to an ultra-sharp resolution of 16-megapixels.
But it's not just image zoom and resolution that the Toshiba Camileo Z100 handles with ease, as a range of fantastic extra features are packed into its compact chassis to ensure your videos and photos always look their best.
As well as built-in Electronic Image Stabiliser technology to smoothly counter camera shake when you're on the move, you can also enjoy a range of advanced motion detection technologies, such as Face Tracking and Smile Detection, to ensure your subjects are always captured in the sharpest detail.
And maybe best of all, when you've captured your latest Full HD 3D video you don't even have to wait until you get home to see the results, as the Toshiba Camileo Z100 packs a 2.8-inch, 3D LCD touchscreen for you to enjoy your videos in full HD 3D with your friends, without the need for any 3D glasses.
And when you do get home and want to watch your 1080p Full HD 3D videos on your Toshiba 3DTV or 3D Toshiba Qosmio laptop, you can get connected in seconds thanks to the Toshiba Camileo Z100's built-in HDMI port and enjoy immersive high-definition images you can share with your friends and family.
Even if your friends are further afield, the Toshiba Camileo Z100 still makes it easy to share your videos and photos online at the touch of a button. Thanks to the Toshiba Camileo Upload Software you can easily upload your files to social networks such as YouTube, Facebook, Picasa and Twitvid in just a few quick clicks.
And rounding out the Toshiba Camileo Z100's impressive features are a USB port for connecting to your computer, up to 128GB of storage via the built-in SD card slot and a striking, newly designed user interface, which walks you step-by-step through all the Camileo's settings on the touchscreen display.
Offering cutting-edge features, great usability, a gorgeous design and stunning Full HD 3D images, the Toshiba Camileo Z100 is a fantastic camcorder that packs all you'll need now, and for a very long time to come.
To find out more about the Toshiba Camileo Z100 and the full range of Toshiba Camileo camcorders, please visit Toshiba UK (http://uk.computers.toshiba-europe.com/innovation/generic/camcorders/).


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Bring young music- and theatre-lovers to the Sunday, March 10 matinee and participants can enjoy a variety of family-friendly activities throughout the afternoon, including a special activity sheet, costume try on and a chance to visit with cast members during intermission. Recommended for ages 10 and older.
Tickets on sale for the family matinee performance on October 29, 2012
*Please note: valid student ID or proof of age is required for entry. One full-priced adult ticket MUST be purchased with EVERY student ticket order—limit four $15 student tickets for every full-priced adult ticket purchased.
Feb. 23 - Mar. 10, 2013
Use hashtag #AllAboutMimi
La Bohème
Voix Humaine & Suor Angelica
Enter your code prior to selecting seats to receive your discount.
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© Rozarii Lynch, La Bohème, Seattle Opera, 2007
Performances at: McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer Street, Seattle, WA 98109
Administrative Offices & Mailing Address: 1020 John Street, Seattle, WA 98109
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Chopped Liver
9 comments | Leave Comment
Chopped Liver
- Ready Time : 0 min
- 1 lb chicken liver**
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 10 Dorot Onion Cubes
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- a pinch of salt and sugar
Preparation: Sauté the liver with a little olive oil. Put the liver in a food processor with all of the spices, and blend until coarsely chopped. Put in the refrigerator for several hours before serving.
Source: Dorot
**Note – if the liver is not already broiled for kashring by the butcher you must broil it before using.


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Ed Tech in the NJ Classroom
Today I had the pleasure of presenting to a group of faculty/staff from Fairleigh Dickinson University in NJ. I promised them that I would post the slidedeck and resources while at Starbucks soaking up wifi in-between meetings. Unfortunately, I could not get to a Starbucks, but I was able to find a Panera and write the post.
I had originally presented this information at WETech Symposium back in March. Using this blog post, I gathered stories from educators from around NJ regarding how they were using technology in their schools.
The following are the resources and websites that I referred to in the presentation:
- The 2011 Horizon Report – K12 Edition
- Evernote for Schools
- Scratch
- Book Creator for iPad
- Voicethread for iPad
- Glogster and Glogster.edu
- Jing
- Classroom 2.0 Live
- Global Education Conference
- Google On Air
Marysol Diego permalinkMay 17, 2012 1:11 pm
Thanks Lisa. It was great meeting you today. Thank you for the informative presentation!
Chelsea Strong permalinkApril 28, 2013 8:26 pm
Hello my name is Chelsea Strong and I am a student at the University of South Alabama in Dr. Strange EDM 310 class. Before I started this class I never knew technology had become this big in school. You have shared a ton of information in this post that i can use when i become a teacher. Thanks so much!
April 15, 2014 7:45 pm
This post is great! As a teacher looking to return to my career, I need to update myself on the tools that are available that can make learning engaging and fun in my classroom. Last week, I posted to my own blog about some of the tools that I had discovered. Now, I have even more items to add to my technology toolbox! Thanks!


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There's a road closure in Ohio County Monday.
Local News
Cass Union, Downey Ridge Roads Closed
Road Work Affected Dillsboro Residents
Folks who live on certain streets in Dillsboro should park their vehicles elsewhere Monday and Tuesday.
Funeral Director Accused Of Sexual Battery
A funeral director and landlord is accused of grabbing the breasts of two women on multiple occasions.
Floyd Co. Serial Killer Trial Will Take Place In Oct.
A death penalty trial in Floyd County, Indiana that will use jurors from Dearborn County is slated to begin in October.
Family Unforgiving Of Intoxicated Driver
A Cleves man is going to prison for eight years for causing a crash that claimed the life of a Cleves woman. Television cameras caught the victim's mothers harsh words for Dennis Alsip, Jr. on tape.
Vacant Home Goes Up In Flames
A vacant house caught fire Friday morning in Sunman.
World's Longest Yard Sale On US 127 This Weekend
Tri-State bargain hunters can take part in the World's Longest Yard Sale this weekend.
Bennett "Fearless" About Ed. Assessment Review
The Florida education commissioner who was the Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction until last year has resigned from his post in the sunshine state. Tony Bennett, Governor Mike Pence, and teachers unions are all asking for reviews of Indiana's school assessment system.
Crash Puts Three In Hospital
Three people – one of them a 2 ½-year-old boy – are recovering after an accident on U.S. 50 in Lawrenceburg Thursday afternoon.
VIDEO: Ky. Side Of Milton-Madison Bridge Blasted
Another blast will bring down a second portion of the old Milton-Madison Bridge Thursday morning.


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SIOUX CITY (AP) - A man accused of transporting illegal immigrants from Arizona to Iowa has pleaded guilty to a federal immigration charge.
The U.S. attorney's office says Jose Trujillo-Perez, of Mexico, admitted to knowingly transporting five illegal immigrants on Nov. 5.
Trujillo pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of transportation of illegal aliens in U.S. District Court in Sioux City.
According to the U.S attorney's office, an Iowa State Patrol trooper found the illegal immigrants when he stopped a van Trujillo was driving in Woodbury County.
Trujillo, who has been deported twice and voluntarily left the country 10 times, faces up to 10 years in prison.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa News, Sports, and Weather
Man Pleads Guilty to Immigration Charge in Iowa
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In 2009, Visafone won THISDAY's 'ICT Company of the Year' Award as a result of its cutting edge strategies and market penetration. Raheem Akingbolu writes that since then, handlers of the brand have continued to build on the record to sustain its leading position in the market
Setting the Tone
Like every brand conceived by a Nigerian, the arrival of Visafone in 2008 was received with indifference in many quarters.
For those who believed that a brand must enjoy 100 per cent support from foreigners to thrive in the market, the dream was considered a tall order.
But with the rumour that the former Managing Director of Zenith Bank, Mr. Jim Ovia had a hand in it, a few analysts sounded positive as a result of the success the banker had made out of Zenith Bank. It was with this background that Visafone sauntered into the market with determination to prove the cynics wrong.
Though it began operation in February 2008, the company was incorporated in 2007 following the acquisition of Cellcom.
It later received a Unified Access Service Licence as a telecom operator from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to offer mobile, fixed and any other tele-communications service to its subscribers.
Brand Conceptualisation
From day one, the decision of the promoters of Visafone to settle for colour 'red' seemed to be the first magic that helped the brand to register its presence.
Coming from the same background with Zenith, which had also become a breakaway brand in the banking sector and also wore red, it was easy to identify the new telecom brand with the sister brand.
Having realised the affinity between the colour and members of the public, they moved a step further and created a platform that would enable the older brand rub on its kid sister.
This explained while nearly all the branches of Zenith Bank were instantly used as line extension of Visafone's customer services. At the beginning, youths in branded vests used the platform to sell Visafone products, but today it has become a stop-shop for customers who have enquiries to make or complaint to lodge.
In order to achieve the company's objectives, the management team also formulated innovative and winning strategies encompassing a handset offering and a marketing strategy.
The lesson here is that the brand leveraged on the influence of the umbrella body - Zenith, which played a driver role by adding associations that are relevant to the customer.
Market Understanding
Visafone was not the first brand conceived by a Nigerian, which had breakthrough in the market. In the GSM market, the arrival of Globacom, owned by Mike Adenuga, was also received with mixed feelings. But it soon humbled the so called market leaders with innovation and market understanding.
Three things work for Globacom; market understanding, positioning and association with Conoil and ETB, two successful brands from the same source. Having experienced the oil and gas, and banking sector, management of Glo had a clear understanding of what Nigerian market looked like and so pushed the new brand.
As a positioning strategy, pricing was deployed to pull competitors into line. Before then, existing operators were doing per-minute billing, but Glo came with per-second billings, which was unprecedented.
Though at the time Visafone came into the market, the GSM revolution had taken place, but millions of Nigerian were still denied access because of the cost of purchasing phones and lines.
Handlers of the new brand again saw this as opportunity and swiftly moved to introduce the handset strategy, through which they started selling both lines and phone at a little above N2,000.
It was this innovation that ignited the emotional relationship that has continued to exist between the brand and people in the last level of the market pyramid.
There exist petty traders, students and youths which occupies the largest segment in the pyramid. Meanwhile, since 2008 when it launched its mobile office solution designed to revolutionise the way the busy business executive conducts business away from the office, it has warmed itself into the upper echelon of the market.
It was in line with this strategy that it recently introduced Motorola XT 800 and ZTE R750 dual SIM touch-screen smart phones, which operate on the Android Operating System.
All these explained why the company was able to amass over 3 million subscribers after 16 months of operation, and also crossed the 1 million subscriber mark in just 6 months from its launch in February 2008.
Thus, it recorded an unprecedented industry milestone as the fastest growing mobile company in Nigeria since the earliest it took a Nigeria-based GSM company to hit 1 million was 9 months. The achievement later earned the brand an award.
Competition for Leadership
From any angle one chooses to look at it, the brand is one of the few locally built brands that have proven its mettle in the market place.
Today, despite all odds, it seems to be making inroads to assume the top position in the CDMA market. This was confirmed recently, when a news magazine named it the Best CDMA network nationwide.
While conferring the award on Visafone, in Abuja, Senator Ben Obi said "the award was in recognition of the brand outstanding services and contributions to the society."
Speaking to newsmen after the award, the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Srinivasa K.V, said the awards the network had been receiving this year were strong statements buttressing the leadership role the company was taking in providing voice clarity and data.
According to him, "we are in the forefront of providing quality of service and super-fast data in this business and we are capping that with a clear customer experience reinforced through our 83 retails shops spread across 26 states and 71 cities nationwide."
Before then, the company had won the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) award for the network with the widest spread in terms of retail outlets, shop and consumer experience and friendly initiatives. It also won ICT Company of the year award at the 2009 THISDAY Awards.
The war to determine the leader in the CDMA segment of the market is currently between the brand and Starcoms.
While the two are flexing muscles because of their savvy in the area of provision of good internet services, Visafone seems to be ahead in penetration and spread.
For Multilinks and Zoom, this is not the best of times, as they are currently behind the duo of Visafone and Starcoms. But if the market trend continues as it is now and it covers the entire country in due course, then the final answer could be imagined.
In a recent interview with THISDAY, the Managing Director of Visafone, Mr. Sailesh Lyer, admitted that there has been a meteoric rise in the profile of the company, which he linked to a variety of factors.
Lyer, who disclosed that the network could now boast of 66 per cent of the market share, also added that the way the company was growing was not a surprise to people who are versed in telecommunication operations.
According to him, "Many things are responsible for the growth but I think the most sensitive factors are; quality network, quality in terms of customer services, quality in terms of marketing and our strong technological base, which has made it easy for us to offer good solution that, would endear customers to the network.
"Besides, I think we are consistent in our offering and understand the need of the consumers, especially in the area of mobile and data services," he added.
The CEO also spoke on the uniqueness of two exciting packages tagged Visa World Connect and Visa IDD (International Direct Dial), which enable both new and existing customers to make international calls for as low as N6 per minute to 30 countries.
He said the package ensured that new customers who purchase Visa World Connect package would enjoy a bundled package of 500 minutes and a free handset with a year's warranty to make international calls to their favourite destinations like US, Canada, India, China, UK Fixed and 25 other fixed destinations upon activation and call for as low as N6/min to these destinations.
In the same vein, he stated that existing customers can also subscribe to Visa IDD Bundled Minutes by dialling the appropriate short code for packs of 100 minutes, 300 minutes, or 500 minutes to call these destinations at the same rate.
Speaking further, he said the introduction of these packages underscored the company's commitment to offering reduced international tariffs to its customers.
"We are mindful of the increasing need to keep in touch with friends, families, loved ones and business partners in key countries and have therefore created a truly affordable package that can address this need," he added.
Grassroots Market
Speaking on why the relationship between the brand and commercial telephone operators had been steady over the years, Lyer said the company provided para-shops, tables and phones at subsidised rates for unemployed youths to start off and offer feedback services through its customer service unit.
"Consumers are always eager to associate with brands that offer seamless solutions at affordable prices. We realised this and tailor our service along that. Out of 750 people in our employment, 500 people are in customer service. This is the largest chunk and we have call centres that are managed 24/7 to attend to customer needs.
To further strengthen the relationship between the brand and customers, the company recently drew trade partners from across the Lagos sales area on the heels of plans by the company to deploy additional 200 new retail outlets across the six geopolitical zones of the country to bring its services nearer to the people.
Lyer, who spoke at the forum, said about 200 new retails shops are to be opened across the country before year end, adding that it was part of the company's resolve to dialogue with customers in order to serve them better.
Earlier, Head Customer Care, Lynda Amechi, had reiterated Visafone's commitment in ensuring excellent service delivery which she said was key to customers' satisfaction.
"For us at Visafone, we believe in the maxim that customers are kings and as such we strive daily to ensure that each customer gets a unique feel of the Visafone experience," she said.