text:
Cost: The total cost for my rebuild was $2,300, which included the new short block, a rebuilt head, gasket set, timing kit, pumps, and the performance parts (header, cam, bored throttle body, K&N filter charger).
Performance parts: I bought a performance package from LC Engineering for about $895 which included a bored throttle body, header, K&N filter charger, and a cam. I also bought a Flowmaster 40 series muffler with 2.25" exhaust running no cat.
Installation Time: This job took me longer then expected because I was waiting for parts from LCE (took about 2 weeks longer). Including my wait time, I spent almost 3 weeks.
Tools: Engine hoist, torque wrench, metric ratchet set, metric wrenches, screw drivers, floor jack, garage, cover alls, Gojo, and a radio.
Tips before you start: Read this write up, buy a Chilton/Haynes manual, and research like crazy (costs, companies, general info). Decide how far in depth you are willing to go with this project. You could do the whole job yourself (requires special tools), buy a complete engine (bit pricey), have a mechanic do it (do not do this unless you like to be ripped off), or like me, buy a short block, get your head rebuilt, and buy the rest of the gaskets/ timing set/ pumps that you need, and any performance parts and peice it together yourself.
Companies used: Engine Builder (Engine parts, short block, head rebuild), LC Engineering (performance parts), local auto part stores (lube oil relocation kit, clutch, misc. parts).
**The most important tip is to LABEL EVERY HOSE, WIRE, AND BOLT that you remove. You will thank yourself when you put your engine back together and it runs on the first try!**
The Process
Step One - Planning & Stripping The Engine:
The first step is to decide where you are going to buy parts. This may take a few weeks to find you some good prices and quality products. Don't forget to plan ahead and order your parts early so that they arrive ahead of time and you are not stuck waiting for them...if only you could anticipate backorders and shabby customer reps. Next take some pictures of your engine from a few different angles, as this will help if you need to refer back and see where something hooks up, it also helps to have a friend with the same engine.
Now it's time to commit, no turning back...drain your fluids, then start taking components off your engine, as well as from around it. Only remove the components that need to be taken off in order for the engine to be lifted out. That is, if something can be unbolted and tied out of the way, then do that instead of taking the entire thing out (i.e. Power steering pulley). Remember to label your wires/hoses/any bolts with some kind of system like numbers, letters, etc. Lay all the parts you take off of your engine on a blanket the same way they would go on the engine (basically you are going to build an imaginary engine next to your truck) this just makes it a lot easier to put back together later.
The hardest part about stripping the engine besides labeling is that you will have to remove the whole intake manifold before you can get the wiring harness out of the way. When you are done at the end of the day, you should have a naked long block bolted to your tranny.
Step Two - Unbolting Your Engine & Lifting It Out:
Before you unbolt your engine from your tranny, put your truck in gear, put the parking brake on, and put a log under your wheels. OK, now take a breaker bar and unbolt your crankshaft bolt. This is an extremely helpful tip as I did not do this, and I struggled for some time while I tried to unbolt it with the engine out. Some people have suggested putting a breaker bar on your crank bolt, then taking your igniter plug out, and rolling the engine over which slams the breaker bar into the trucks frame, thus unbolting the bolt. This may seem like that easy way, but it is messy and leaves a lot of room for something to go wrong and break.
Now, get your engine hoist all set up, and start unbolting. First, unbolt the engine mount bolts, then work your way around the tranny. Don't forget about the secret bolt behind the clutch slave cylinder. I believe there are seven tranny bolts total.
Once everything is unbolted and out of the way, carefully work the engine out. The Chilton/Haynes book said that you have to remove the front driveline, differential, etc in order for the oil pan to clear but I found I did not have to, and it saved me some cursing. Make sure you have a floor jack underneath your transmission so that when you pull your engine out your tranny does not drop to the floor. It is very important that you have your tranny supported when the engine is out.
Step Three - Stripping The Long Block:
If you are planning on trading short blocks like I did, then you will have to take every little part off of the outside of your block. Your long block should be stripped to a short block when done (long block=head, timing assembly, and pumps. Short block=pistons, crankshaft). So take everything off except your crankshaft, and pistons. Lift off the head, pumps, timing, clutch, rear oil seal/cover, oil pan, everything. **NOTE - when removing the cutch, your flywheel will spin when you unbolt it. You will need to screw one tranny bolt in, and hold a screw driver in one of the teeth wedged up against the tranny bolt while you unbolt the clutch. Remember the location of all the bolts you take out, as some only go where they came out (pay close attention to you timing cover bolts). You will also have to strip the head as well (there is a certain order for bolting/unbolting your head bolts,find it here or in the Chilton/Haynes manuals), which means everything except for the valves. (The cam sleeves need to be installed exactly how they came off, lay them aside exactly the way they came off.)
Step Four- Building The New Short Block:
As I said before there are many routes you can go when rebuilding your engine, so this is just one approach of many. I researched on the net for a few months and used forums (including ToyotaOffRoad.com) to find the company Engine Builder for my rebuild parts. I chose these guys because I have only heard good things about the company and their products. They also happened to be located only 4-5 hours from where I live. I gave them a call, and found out that they had a rebuilt 22RE short block in stock, and would rebuild my head. They also sold me the rest of the gaskets, oil pump, H2O Pump, timing chain set w/steel guides for a total cost of $760. I drove down and traded short blocks and gave them my head for rebuild. A few days later my head was shipped back looking brand new. (Give them a call cause they now have my 22RE for sale!)
Now it is time to put the parts back on your block and make it look like an engine again. I started with the timing chain...the write up on this site helped me when I got stuck. Make sure you align the shinny chain links with the dots on the timing gears, very important. Make sure you clean all surfaces before you put gaskets down; also rub grease all over the gaskets (I feel that grease is far superior then using RTV or silicone as it is easier to work with, seals better, is not bad if you get it inside your engine, plus is easier to clean up. Don't put anything on your head gasket). Put your timing cover on, oil pump, water pump, clutch (there should be installation instructions with you clutch, if you bought a new one. Make sure you replace the rear engine seal, pilot bearing, and throw out bearing). Bolt your head on; install your cam (this is where you should install your new/better cam if you ordered one, I got mine as part of a package from LCE). Check here for some info on a cam install. Put your rocker assembly on (there is some debate on whether or not you need new rocker arms, I asked the guys at Engine Builder and they said you only need to replace the valve adjusters and or nuts, but if you feel the need, then go for new rockers). Torque everything to the specs in the Chilton/Haynes manuals, or check here if you're lazy.
Step Five - Cleaning The Intake Plenum:
You will notice a huge difference when you clean you intake plenum/manifold. I scraped an inch thick layer of "black goo" from the inside of my plenum. Just take some carb cleaner, a scraper, and go at it.
Step Six - Cleaning The Engine Compartment:
After 18 years of use, there was a significant amount of road dirt accumulated inside the compartment, and on surrounding components. I rolled my truck out, sprayed "engine brite" all over, and pressure washed the crap out of it. Now its all shiny inside. (If you don't have a pressure washer, pick one up at your local home improvement store for about $150, a good investment. Then a garden hose with a thumb over it works just as well). You may also consider cleaning up your wiring if you have added driving lights or any other electrical componentss, as it will be easier to get to them with the engine out.
Step Seven - Relocating The Fuel & Oil Filter:
While your standing inside your engine compartment you might as well make your life easier down the road by relocating your filters. As you know the fuel filter would be a pain to get to if you ever had to replace it, so I relocated/replaced it for easy change. I also relocated my oil filter so that it will not drip oil down the side of my nice new engine, as well as increase my oil filter size. While I was standing inside my engine compartment, I also decided to replace my clutch slave cylinder, as it was really easy to get to.
If you want to add another 10HP "feel" you can paint your valve cover with high temp paint and then spray a clear coat over the top. Really does improve your HP :) !
Step Eight - Dropping The Engine Back In:
After you built your short block you are almost ready to drop the engine back in. Unless you can lock your flywheel you are gonna run into a problem getting your crankshaft pulley to 125 ft lbs. Don't worry about this yet, just make a mental note of it (write it down maybe?) and do it when the engine is back in and you can put your parking break on with the tranny in reverse. Until then, you should turn the engine over with a breaker bar and listen to the engine making sure nothing is binding up. While you have easy access you should lash the valves .012 for exhaust and .008 for intake. Check this site for some good info on valve lashing. Once you are satisfied that everything is smooth, all your bolts are torque to spec (check your crank bearing bolts if you bought a short block - just in case) then you should be ready to hook up your hoist and drop it back in. Warning, if you have young children present then tell them to put earmuffs on (watch "old school" - if you don't know what I'm talking about). Why you ask? Well, this could be the most frustrating part of the whole build. You have to line the tranny up with the clutch. Sounds easy? It's not unless you get lucky.
Step Nine - Hooking Things Up:
Ok, well now that you have your tranny/engine mounts bolted up you can now start putting your components back on. Put your intake runners on (remember to grease your gaskets unless they are exhaust, hot gases, or head gasket), plug your wire harness in, since you labeled everything (you did label right?) this should be really easy, just match and plug. For all your electrical plugs I suggest using some electrical cleaner before plugging them back in. Bolt your EFI plenum on, throttle body ( here is some info on the bored throttle body I bought), and header. I suggest getting a header, here is some info on the header I bought. I like it a lot, it gives the 4 cylinder a nice tone especially exiting through 2.25 inch exhaust pipe with a Flowmaster 40 series muffler and no catalytic converter. Now is the time to torque your crank bolts and cam bolt to spec. Just put your tranny in gear, put a log under a wheel and torque it. Hook up your pulleys, fan, radiator, and hoses. You're almost ready for the pay off.
Step Ten - Fluids:
Fill your engine with some fresh oil (4.5 quarts I believe) and check for leaks. Now fill your radiator with some plain H20 first, just to check for leaks...you don't wanna waste good coolant because it is pouring out of a leak somewhere. Alright, now that you have made sure there is no water leaking, go ahead and drain the radiator halfway, and then add the coolant...should end up being a 50/50 mix of coolant and water.
Step Eleven - Tuning:
Yeah, your hard work and hard earned money has almost paid off. Finally the last step. It's time to install your distributor and wires. So first find TDC for #1 piston and align your rotor. Install your plug wires (should be labeled). Bleed your clutch slave cylinder. If you added the LCE performance package you will need to adjust your Mass Air Flow sensor so that you can trick your engine into running richer because of the increased air flow caused by your upgraded parts. Check here for more info.
Time To Break Her In - Gently:
If you installed a new cam you will have to break it in. To do this you should run the cam at idle speed for 3 sets of 15 minutes with a cool down period in between each set. While you do these sets you can adjust your timing, and adjust your idle. After you are done breaking in the new cam you can take it for a ride around the block. Keep in mind that your engine will feel really tight since it is brand new, so don't expect your engine to be fast. In fact your new engine will run like it is hauling a huge trailer. After a few trips around the block lash your valves again. Make sure you take it easy for at least 500 miles. I went 800 miles just to be sure before I really began feeling what my engine could do. You will need to change your oil after 100 miles, then another 100 miles, then 500 miles, then you will be good for your normal 3000 mile oil change.
My Results - So far I have been very impressed with the increase in power. After the initial 500-mile break in period I have noticed my Runner is a lot quicker. It seems that the engine is perfectly matched up to my 4Rrunner now. Instead of having to shift into 3rd gear in order to make it up a hill, I can now keep it in 4th and even accelerate up a hill. The stock 22RE seemed like it was bogged down when you stepped on the gas pedal whereas now when I step on the gas it accelerates freely. However it still is not a V8. The only problem I that I have is that the truck is a little on the loud side now. The header, 2.25" exhaust and the flow master 40 series creates a pretty aggressive sound, so for someone who wants a quite ride, I would suggest going with a different muffler. Right now if you were to walk up from behind my Runner I believe it could easily be mistaken for a V8. Sounds good, but it is loud when you floor it. No problem if you turn your CD player up.
The best words I have heard for off-road enthusiasts is that 4x4 spelled in capital letters is $X$ ...remember that.
The information provided above was submitted by a visitor to ToyotaOffRoad.com. ToyotaOffRoad.com takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information above. ToyotaOffRoad.com, it's owners, or Toyota Motor Company deny any liability for actions taken based on the information in this article and will not accept responsibility for damage incurred to any vehicle, parts, or person, based on those actions. As always, ToyotaOffRoad.com encourages its visitors to seek the advise of a professional before attempting any modification to any vehicle.
As always drive safely, tread lightly, and keep your wheels on the ground!


text:
In response to BassFishingII's comment:
I am not changing my stance at all. I was specifically talking about Krug's offensive skill set and the quality of his shots. Thanks very much for posting Chara being 3rd and Seidenberg 8th, Beatrice. You're like a little girl and you might have a reading comprehension problem, to boot.
I said Chara is on the ice a lot, so it's not surprising he ranks high, but Seidenberg 8th with his ice time and time on PPs for us these last few years is not good. So, you basically gave me data that supports my premise, yet you're too daft to see that. Not surprising with you.
I had stated it appears like our PP or our lefthanded shooting D Men (Hamilton is right handed and has been riding the bench, prior to injuries), don't seem to get a lot of shots on the net.
ANd, yes, I am talking QUALITY. Since our PP has lacked in recent years, over a long period of time, I am wondering if Krug can help in this area. He's shown an impressive knack in doing this so far. I like how he isn't afraid to shoot it as well.
Jagr should take note, but that's another topic. lol
Leave it to you to follow me around, troll, and be combative. I can't wait for one of your clique buddies to come racing in to side with you on your crappy behavior, too. lmao
My god, are you a tool or what?
I like how isn't afraid to shoot as well, I also like how in his first two playoff games he isnt afraid to come into the zone and join the play. Normally I would think a young player getting his first playoff experience would be so cautious as to just not make any mistakes, especially with Julien....Add that to those plays he did with his feet and this is a kid that beleives in himself. Thats something Bruin fans should be excited about.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Copyright © 2016 Joubert Physical Therapy, Inc. Orthopedic and Manual Therapy Specialization
435 N. Bedford Drive, Suite 102, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
www.joubertpt.com e-mail: Website Design: Emilie Pallos Graphic Design
At Joubert Physical Therapy, each patient receives the finest in individualized treatment and highest quality personal service.
Our Beverly Hills clinic offers extensive treatment and conditioning options, including manual therapy, joint and soft tissue mobilizations, therapeutic exercises, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, custom orthotics, laser light/infrared, pre- and post-operative therapy and pain management.
Whether you are a professional or weekend athlete, senior or anyone who wants to get fit, our experienced
team of licensed physical therapists has one goal:
to get you back in the game!


text:
It is sometimes worthwhile to spend some $$$ on a decent bike.
I just got back on my bike after being off for about 2 weeks (bad weather/vacation). Last night as I am cranking along I notice more and more vibration in the peddles. Just standard pedals on this cheap $200 GT. I can hear a slight grinding in the cranks. This bike is only 9 weeks old!
So now a question for you wise folks.
Does it make sense to try and replace the stock crank set (I assume that this includes the hub/bearings/etc.) with something higher in quality, on a cheap bike? This bike is a comfort bike (hardtail/front suspension) and I intend to buy another set of rims to be used for trail riding (currently only use it for road).
I know I went cheap because I was a bit timid about getting into bike riding, but now I am addicted and want more quality and performance.
I guess my dilemma goes further in that I have been thinking of buying an actual road bike, and leaving this cheapo bike just for trails.
Thoughts/comments appreciated.


text:
I need some fenders, prefer somethin' detachable...recommendations?
I need some fenders, prefer somethin' detachable...recommendations?
Ya know I was looking at those....do they keep the water down? the front one looked like it still probably kicked up some water....
It's not bad honestly. Your feet will get wet but at least the water stays out of your face. I usually keep a pair of shoes at work, and since I bring in a newspaper daily, stuffing my wet shoes so they'll dry is a non issue for me. You could use a crud catcher a bit lower on the down tube
to help with it but I haven't found a real need for it yet.
cool deal. I don't mind getting my pants a bit wet, but thursday morning my whole face had been sprayed with water, I love my Oakleys, so I have decided fenders would be a wise investmetn.


text:
to page content
to site navigation
All Surface Restoration specializes in pressure washing, pressure cleaning, stripping, sealing, staining, refinishing, restoration and other preservation services for all exterior surfaces including wood decks, composite decks, brick pavers, natural stone, stamped concrete, exposed aggregate, brick, masonry & concrete.
A robust online curriculum for entrepreneurs.
Explore Founders School >
A network of U.S. cities facilitating a weekly entrepreneur education program. Go to 1 Million Cups >
Whether you are starting or growing a company, FastTrac will help you live your dream at each stage.
Get started with FastTrac >
Browse our extensive repository of articles, classroom materials and media that includes content from leading scholars.
Want to get connected? Sign up to receive regular news, polls and updates from The Kauffman Foundation.


text:
Archive for category King of Fighters XII
King of Fighters XII Review
Posted by Darrin in King of Fighters XII, PS3 Reviews / Vita Reviews on September 4th, 2009
- Beautiful HD hand drawn art: This isn't 3D models with stylized cartoon rendering, this is authentic classically animated 2D art and animation. 2D art used to be the norm, and it was always limited by the 2D sprite processing technology of the time. Now, new games use 3D modeling, which is for the best overall, but it is amazing to see a new full production game done with hand-drawn 2D art that takes advantage of recent high-definition capable hardware power.
- Excellent Animation: The animation is simply gorgeous. All the animations and transitions are done with large numbers of hand-drawn animation frames and it shows. That is a very labor intensive process, which is why most games have much less animation frames, and more jerky animation. When comparing this, to something like Marvel vs Capcom 2, the difference is striking. (I know that is an older game, and not the most fair comparison).
- Core Fighting Engine: The action mechanics, the controls, the special attacks, the power meter, and the combo/chaining system are all very polished. The King of Fighters series has long been a fan favorite for long-term strategic competitive play, and this doesn't disappoint.
- New User Accessibility: The controls are easier to use and it's much easier to get into than many other recent big fighters.
- Online Play: (with recent 1.02 patch) I was prepared for the worst, but my play experiences were very smooth and had no noticeable lag. For a novice player like myself, the matchmaking was sufficient, and I had no problems finding online games. While, spectating, I had horribly laggy experiences, which was annoying, but it was just spectating.
- Extras: Very thorough and fun trophy system, free XMB theme on the disc.
- Bare Bones Product: While other fighters of recent years have thrown in tons and tons of special modes, special training features, elaborate single player campaigns, hundreds of multiplayer options, hyper polished menu systems, and bonus fan content, this is a disappointingly bare bones affair. For a full-priced 2009 release, this is simply behind the times. There simply are not a lot of modes or extras and the core content is very minimalist. The single player has no real story and is extremely simple. I actually beat it on my first try without using continues (admittedly on Simple control mode). The interface screens are also extremely minimal, unattractive, and confusing to navigate through.
- Less fighters and stages: There are twenty two playable characters, which is low by KoF standards, but perfectly fine compared with other fighters. It's also generous given that SNK reportedly spent as much as a year and a half for a team of ten animators to finish a single fighter. There are also only five stages, which is definitely too few.
King of Fighters is one of the most popular fighting series, and with this release, they're finally giving fans full HD artwork, a major improvement to the animation, a polished fighting engine, and Internet multiplayer. There is a disappointing lack of polish that can be found in other recent fighting games, but this is overall an excellent fighting game, and is obviously much better than the wave of ported back-catalog 2D fighters on PSN.
This review is based on a retail copy of the PS3 version of King of Fighters XII provided by SNK Playmore.
New King of Fighters XII Video
Posted by T0SH in King of Fighters XII on July 13th, 2009
It's amazing how fluid the motion is in this game. I hope there is a demo I'd like to try it out.
King of Fighters XII & BlazBlue
Posted by Darrin in BlazBlue, King of Fighters XII on May 18th, 2009
Fans of 2D fighters are about to get their fill from two big production titles that have been in a long development cycle and are finally set to ship this summer:
- King Of Fighters XII This is the first current-gen console fighter from SNK. The developers are aiming to make this the ultimate 2D fighting game. As opposed to more common place cel shading technology, KoF XII is using completely 100% hand-drawn artwork and animation.
- BlazBlue This is the spiritual successor to the Guilty Gear series. While they have shipped several Guilty Gear up-port releases, this is their first game that is fully designed from the ground up for current-gen HD systems.
Both of these games take the competitive one-on-one fighting genre very seriously and these should be very well crafted titles.
Custom KoF Fighting Sticks
There are two new sticks for KoF XII. They are PS3 exclusive and Japan only however they are regular USB and should be import-friendly. One is a six-button layout stick with custom KoF artwork and other is a four-button SNK black stick with no flashy artwork. KoF is designed for the four-button layout.
King of Fighters XII
Posted by Darrin in King of Fighters XII on March 4th, 2009
SNK is releasing the new version of one of their big fighting franchises to the PS3 this summer.
This game is 100% hand-drawn HD 2D graphics. That is a real rarity these days.
Personally, I'd rather see a new high-quality 2D HD treatment of the Samurai Shodown series, but KoF is a highly respected series on its own.
Will this stand up to SFIV or Tekken 6?


text:
The headlines are grim. The oil disaster in the Gulf (http://www.freespirit.com/) has devastated our oceans' wildlife and destroyed the livelihoods of those who work on the water. The world's ocean temperatures are the warmest ever recorded. Polluted lakes and rivers are being added to endangered lists every day. And in many countries, safe drinking water is hard -- if not impossible -- to find.
Young people across the globe are responding to the world water crisis by transforming their ideas and energy into action and participating in service learning (http://www.freespirit.com/). The call to service is being sounded by world leaders such as Barack Obama, Jane Goodall, and Philippe Cousteau -- grandson of Jacques Cousteau and champion of a new generation of environmental activists. Cousteau has joined forces with service learning expert Cathryn Berger Kaye to give teens the tools and inspiration to answer the call with ''Going Blue: A Teen Guide to Saving Our Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, & Wetlands'' (Free Spirit Publishing, $14.99).
More than a "how to" handbook, ''Going Blue (http://www.freespirit.com/catalog/item_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=710)'' is an adventure guide -- a window into the world of water. The book vividly presents facts and statistics about Earth's oceans and waterways and information about our current water issues.
''Going Blue'' is divided into the five stages of service learning: investigation, preparation, action, reflection, and demonstration. Packed with vital information, practical strategies, useful tips, and inspiring examples of real-life teens in action around the globe, ''Going Blue'' will help kids identify water-related needs in their own communities and make real, positive change. Many teens have helped our environment by going green -- now it's time to rescue our waters by going blue.
Praise for ''Going Blue'':
"Jacques Cousteau would be proud of 'Going Blue.' His grandson, Philippe, is taking up his challenge, and is bringing a new generation with him. Philippe and Cathryn are helping to form tomorrow's leaders and build a better future for us all." -- Daniel J. Basta, director, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
"Kaye and Cousteau have given us a call to action." -- Laurie David, author of ''The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming''
"A must-read." -- Dan Buettner, New York Times best-selling author of ''The Blue Zones'' and ''Thrive''
About the Authors
Cathryn Berger Kaye, M.A., is a former classroom teacher, a nationally recognized expert on service learning, and an international service learning consultant. She works with state departments of education, university faculty and students, school districts, and classroom teachers on a variety of educational issues such as service learning, civic responsibility, student leadership, and respectful school communities. She also is the author of ''THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SERVICE LEARNING'' and the ''How to Take Action!'' series, including ''A KIDS' GUIDE TO PROTECTING & CARING FOR ANIMALS'' and ''A KIDS' GUIDE TO CLIMATE CHANGE & GLOBAL WARMING.'' Cathryn lives in Los Angeles with her husband.
Philippe Cousteau is the son of Jan and Philippe Cousteau Sr., and the grandson of Captain Jacques Cousteau. As a member of the legendary family, Philippe is continuing the work of his father through EarthEcho International (www.earthecho.org]), the nonprofit organization he founded with his sister and mother and of which he serves as CEO. His goal is to engage and empower people to take action for a brighter future.
In addition to his work with EarthEcho International, Philippe is cofounder of Azure Worldwide (www.azureworldwide.com]), a strategic environmental design, development, and marketing company. Philippe is the chief ocean correspondent for Discovery's Planet Green, where he works on various ocean and water-focused documentary programs. Along with his sister Alexandra, Philippe is the host of ''Blue August,'' an entire month of programming on Planet Green that celebrates our oceans (http://www.freespirit.com/). Philippe is currently a host for ''Oceans Blue,'' which will premiere in the United States on Planet Green in August 2010. In addition, he is the chief spokesperson for Environmental Education for Discovery Education.
CONTACT: Jenni Bowring, bowring(at)freespirit(dot)com
Web site: www.freespirit.com
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/service_learning/going_blue/prweb4261434.htm.


text:
What action is the state taking?
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved removing the bald eagle from the state list of threatened species on April 9, 2008. There is also a state rule to protect eagles (F.A.C. 68A-16.002). The new rule went into effect in May 2008. The bald eagle was removed from the federal list of endangered species in August 2007. FWC has also released a state Bald Eagle Management Plan that outlines recommendations to help avoid violating state and federal laws. There are also federal National Bald Eagle Management Guidelines available through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Since the eagle is no longer a listed species is it still being protected? If so, what are the state and federal laws protecting the bald eagle?
Yes, the eagle is still protected by both the FWC and the USFWS. The new Florida eagle rule is F.A.C. 68A-16.002. It outlines that it is illegal to disturb or take an eagle in Florida. For further information please review the state eagle rule. There are two federal laws protecting eagles, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA). For more information about the federal laws please visit the USFWS bald eagle Web site .
What is the current population status (both nationally and in Florida) of the bald eagle?
The current nesting population of the bald eagle in the lower 48 states is 9,789 pairs. Florida has 1,340 nesting territories (2008-2009 nesting season data). Florida is home to more nesting pairs than any other state, other than Alaska and Minnesota.
What has contributed to the recovery of the Florida eagle population?
The Florida bald eagle population and their nests have been protected through science-based land management, regulation, public education and law enforcement. Since the ban of the pesticide Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane (DDT) in 1972, Florida's eagle population has increased more than 300 percent over the last 24 years (or three generations of eagles).
Will the eagles in Florida still be monitored?
The documented nesting population of bald eagles in Florida will be monitored for the next 24 years in order to obtain the information needed to determine if the population continues to stabilize or increases over time. The FWC eagle nesting territory survey is conducted annually from November to March using fixed-wing aircraft. In 2009 the FWC re-designed the survey so we currently visit each nest once every three years. By doing this we are able to focus on a sub-sample of nests (which statistically represent the entire state) and get complete information about productivity and nest status. This information is critical to ensure we are meeting the conservation objectives of the Bald Eagle Management Plan.
I found a new nest or I want to know the status of a nest. Where is that information?
If a new nest has been discovered, make sure it is an undocumented nest using the eagle nest locator and then follow the directions on the Web site to report a new nest. If you have checked the Web site and still aren't sure, e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com with the following information: The county the nest is located in, the global positioning system (GPS) location or nearest address, direction, and distance to the nest and your complete contact information. We will be happy to check in our database to determine if the nest is new.
I have a project and I am not sure if it will affect eagles. What should I do now?
Go to the FWC eagle Web site for more information regarding whether or not the project will affect an eagle. There is a technical assistance page, general information, and links to the state and federal management plans.
I have followed the state management plan guidelines and the eagle abandoned its nest. Am I in violation of state rule?
No, you will not be in violation of the state eagle rule if you abide by the guidelines, whether a disturbance occurs or not. The guidelines are not law, but they are in place to help avoid potentially breaking the state eagle rule. The FWC will not seek to prosecute any individuals who follow the eagle management plan guidelines. The USFWS may require a permit if there is a potential to disturb or take a bald eagle. Please consult the USFWS bald eagle Web site for further information.
I may need an eagle permit. What do I do now?
Go to the FWC eagle permitting Web site for more information regarding whether or not your project will affect an eagle and require a permit. A Regional Biologist or the FWC Eagle Plan Coordinator can assist you with interpreting the guidelines and determining whether or not an eagle permit is actually necessary.
Will previously issued state and federal permits still be honored?
Yes, under part 1.b. of F.A.C. 68A-16.002 Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), FWC permits issued under imperiled species regulations or Biological Opinions or permits issued by the USFWS under the Endangered Species Act will be honored.
FWC Facts:Butterflies taste with their feet.
Learn More at AskFWC
Get FWC News Feeds
Copyright 1999-2016 State of Florida • Technical Help •
EEO/AA/ADA • Privacy Statement • Advertising Statement & Disclaimer • Site Map
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission • Farris Bryant Building
620 S. Meridian St. • Tallahassee, FL
32399-1600 • (850) 488-4676
Pursuant to section 120.74, Florida Statutes, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has published its 2015 Agency Regulatory Plan.
Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing..
Employee Resources (Password required)
Intranet Portal | Outlook E-Mail | Retiree Info
Disaster Information for FWC Employees


text:
Charles Woodson: No New Team in Sight
When the Green Bay Packers released veteran defensive back Charles Woodson, we figured he'd have a new team in a few days. That didn't happen. Then free agency opened and Woodson made only one visit — to the 49ers — in the first couple weeks of that shit show. Now it sounds like there's pretty much nothing on the horizon for the 2009 defensive player of the year.
The 49ers decided to sign Craig Dahl to replace the departed Dashon Goldson, who joined the Bucs for some idiotic amount. Who the hell is Craig Dahl? Some dick who played for the Rams last season and posted these eye-popping totals: 78 tackles, one interception (and no sacks or forced fumbles).
Wednesday, the Houston Texans signed former Baltimore safety Ed Reed, so there goes another DB-needy team. Now what? Charlie doesn't see much on the horizon other than waiting around.
"I thought it would be a little more interest," Woodson said. "I think, looking back, this is my second time in free agency and I've kind of been shunned both times. So I guess this time around, I'm a little more patient with it and just waiting around to see what happens.
"I don't take it personal. I understand how the game goes, I've seen it for 15 years now, and I've seen how it works. Just got to have a little patience."
Woodson has indeed been through this before. The Packers were only able to sign him because almost every other team thought he was washed up after eight seasons in Oakland. In fact, Woodson didn't want to come to small-town Green Bay and only did so because Tampa Bay, his only other suitor, wanted to move him to safety.
Somebody is going to sign this guy. When he got released, we predicted New England and we're still putting them high on the list.
Baltimore seems like a more likely landing spot right now, though. Reed just left and they released their other starter from 2012, Bernard Pollard. The only problem is, Baltimore isn't going anywhere near the Super Bowl this season after getting rid of half the guys that got them there in 2012 so they could overpay Little Joey Flacco. That was one of Woodson's qualifications for a new team. At this point, he might just take the money, though.
If it really is about the Super Bowl, maybe Woodson would accept a lesser role and sign with Seattle. With all their recent moves, signing Woodson would make them the 2012 version of the Eagles dream team. And that worked out pretty well for everyone.
Monty McMahon is one of the founders of Total Packers. He is probably the most famous graduate of UW-Oshkosh next to Jim Gantner.
I wonder if the Packers would bring him back at the right price? I assume he would have to be a backup.
I don't think Packers can do another draft totally focused on the D. Gotta build up some more depth on the OL. I gotta think they are going to draft DL or OL in the 1st (based on past comments by Ted about value).
Personally, I think they are going to with go DT/DE. Ryan Picket isn't going to be there forever. Raji might not sign. I doubt Worthy is going to contribute much if at all with his ACL surgery.
In related news. The Titans signed Bernard Pollard to a one year deal. I was really hoping that somewhere in the back of TT's mind, he was going to bring him in to help replace Woods. We haven't been right back there since Nick Collins departed. I thought Pollard was a chance to pick up a SB winning safety with experience for a steal. So much so.
Thanks for highlighting BERNARD POLLARD'S name–he was my pick to replace Charles for 1-2 year contract, and lo and behold he signed for one stinking year with the Titans?!
Now we have Kerry Rhodes (fringe starter) with decent ball skills as the next best available FA at the position. This confirms my loss of hope for the upcoming season. With our division in such personnel flux, we may once again win the division but I'm still not optimistic about us being crowned World Champs. We'll see…anyway, I would take Charles back now (at about 1/2 price) if he'd be willing to re-sign at that value. Or, what I suspect it they will stay committed to drafting and developing a new safety. I would not expect an early selection though, I think someone like Earl Wolff from N.C. State in the 4th round or Bacarri Rambo (love his name) around the same round would be about right as far as need vs value.
The only thing I want Ted to do this year is trade back and collect that extra pick because really good players can be found after round 1 and before round 3 or 4. I want to collect as many picks as we can in the earlier rounds and I believe like some others, we're going predominantly offense, with a couple of defenders selected.
If we trade back and pick at the top of Round #2, then I'd like RB La'veon Bell to be our first pick, followed by TE Travis Kelce, OT Reid Fragel or QB Matt Scott, FS/SS Rambo or Wolff, finally WR/ KR Josh Boyce and some fat bodies for the D Line and/ or O Line as rotational space pluggers to finish up. I'd also accept a fat D Linemen for our 2nd pick if Kelce is already gone.
After the draft, sign a vet or two to help our D Line out or at least push the competition up a notch.
No one care about who you like, we only care about who Ted Thompson and his scouts like, you know, the people who get paid millions of dollars to do this.
Why the @#$! would we sign another team's unwanted flotsam when we have young promising talent in MD Jennings and McMillan, did you not see the 2 huge pics Jennings had last year?


text:
Congratulations to the OTM Winners for October! These winners have shown true leadership and commitment to Ithaca College.
Campus Winners:
Advisor- Brittany Kenyon
Executive Board Winner- Hannah Oppenheim
Institution Faculty/Staff- Tim Baird
Resident Assistant- Alina Byrne
Social Program- Nails Night
Honorable Mentions:
Harris Feldman
Jake Winslow
Luke Heisinger
To learn more about Of The Month Awards and the National Residence Hall Honorary, visit our website: www.ithaca.edu/orgs/nrhh
0 Comments


text:
WANNA be in the know about water polo? Then splash your way into the world of water polo at large by directing your browser to usawaterpolo.com. National news, membership information, national team updates, player bios, club info, and much much more are just a click away. So don't wait. Get to usawaterpolo.com.
Get in the know.
Here's a taste of the items you can find this week on usawaterpolo.com:
Race on the Base XXIII
While it may sound like the title to an overplayed Hollywood action franchise, it's not. On February 23, you, your team, friends, colleagues, and even your in-laws can help do your part to improve the USA Water Polo National Aquatic Center in Los Alamitos with little more than your running shoes and your pocketbook. And hey…there's even a free clinic in it for the two teams that bring in the most sign-ups! Find out how you can sign up for the 23rd Annual Race on the Base!
Poll Positions…
The word is in on the nation's Top 20 teams. Find out where your favorite school ranks and see what kind of firepower they'll be bringing to the pool in 2002 on www.usawaterpolo.com. Click here:
In With the New at ASU
For the last decade, women's water polo has been making the steady climb into the national spotlight. With the creation of more and more women's programs at the collegiate level, more athletes are getting the opportunity to showcase their skills as a higher level. This season, Arizona State University will be getting its feet wet with its first women's team. They actually increased opportunities for women without cutting opportunities for men! Get the story by clicking here:
Azevedo: The Excellent Amateur
USA Water Polo driver Tony Azevedo has been selected to the list of 14 finalists in the running for the 72nd Annual AAU James E. Sullivan Award. The award is presented annually to the top amateur athlete in the United States by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), and is based as much on leadership, character, and sportsmanship, as it is on athletic accomplishment.
For more on Tony's latest resume addition, click here:
Pompano Beach or Bust!
The International Swimming Hall of Fame is looking to call Pompano Beach, Florida, home for a while. But the white, sandy beaches and tropical climates are just the icing on the cake. Find out what other perks lie in
wait at the ISHOF's new home:
USOC Launches Official Olympic Website…for Kids
To show that the Olympic Games can truly appeal to all ages, the U.S. Olympic Committee has implemented a site specifically designed for kids.
At www.usolympicteam.com/kids, entertaining content and cartoon-like graphics add to the appeal of the Games for kids, while simultaneously helping them
beef upon reading skills. Get the full release by clicking here:
Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Chlorine
Chlorine may help keep your pool gleaming and contaminant free…but what about its effects on your athletes? We may be underestimating its potential
impact on our players. Read up on the science behind chlorination:


text:
Kinesiology-Recreation Sports/Mangement, Assistant Professor, fixed-term non-probationary position
St. Cloud State University in Minnesota
|Open until filled
|Date Posted
|March 5, 2014
|Non tenure track
|Commensurate with experience
|Employment Type
Date of appointment:
August 20, 2014
The Department of Kinesiology at St. Cloud State University includes undergraduate degree programs in Recreation/Sport Management, Athletic Training, Community Health and Health/Physical Education as well as graduate programs in Sport Management and Exercise Science. We seek a broadly trained individual who is student-centered and committed to quality undergraduate and graduate teaching in Recreation/Sport Management.
- Teaching undergraduate and graduate recreation/sport management courses including, but not limited to, marketing, financing, personnel management, liability/risk management, facility management, leadership and other classes based on the applicants background and curricular needs of the Department.
- Engage undergraduate and graduate students in professional development
- Participate in departmental, school, university and community service activities.
- Engagement in scholarship and professional development activities
*Employment for this position is covered by the collective bargaining agreement for the Inter Faculty Organization which can be found at: http://www.hr.mnscu.edu/contract_plans/index.html
Qualifications and experience:
- Masters or doctoral degree in recreation management and/or sport management
- Evidence of experience with experiential learning instruction or classroom teaching
- Evidence of competence in using technology in the classroom
- Evidence of demonstrated ability to teach and work with persons from culturally diverse backgrounds.
- Doctorate degree or ABD
- Teaching experience at collegiate level
- Work and/or consulting experience in recreation/sport management
- Experience working with Council on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) and/or Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions (COAPRT) standards
- Experience with undergraduate and graduate internships and capstone experiences
Application Procedures:
To apply for this position, please continue the process via this website or directly at: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/stcloudstate/default.cfm
Application Review begins April 3, 2014; position is open until filled.
Only complete applications will be considered. A complete application will include the following:
- Cover Letter
- Resume/Curriculum Vitae
- Contact information for three (3) current, professional references
- Copies of Transcript(s) (undergraduate/graduate/PhD); if advanced to finalist, official transcripts will be required.
Contact Information:
Terri Sheehan, Search Committee Chair
Phone: 320-308-3103
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
St. Cloud State University is committed to excellence and actively supports cultural diversity. To promote this endeavor, we invite individuals who contribute to such diversity to apply, including minorities, women, LGBT, persons with disabilities and veterans. St. Cloud State University is a member of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.
How To Apply
You can apply for this position online at http://agency.governmentjobs.com/stcloudstate/default.cfm


text: HomeFighter Talk Kenny Florian Talks About His Title Fight With Jose Aldo At UFC 136 Bruno October 3, 2011 Fighter Talk 13 Comments Kenny Florian Talks About His Title Fight With Jose Aldo At UFC 136. Tweet Pin It Dana White Talks About Dominick Cruz Broken Hand And Referee Stoppages Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem Hype Video For UFC 141 13 Comments Zmayo6 October 3, 2011 I would love Kenflo to win this one Reply steptof October 3, 2011 @Zmayo6 , yeah I agree but I don't see it happening Reply gunnyhighway99 October 3, 2011 K-Flo is probably the better fighter in mental preparation, but Jose is a freaking beast and physically superior in this bout!! Reply Doyle Brunson October 3, 2011 After Kenny loses this one hell move down to fight Cruz for a record 4th title loss Reply IIIIIIII October 3, 2011 lol @ doyle's comment. this is do or die for florian. if he screws this one up, i don't see dana white giving him another title shot in a long time… Reply KungFuLowKick October 3, 2011 Zoolander is a great fighter and I would be happ for him if he wins but Aldo is on another level.He striked with Hominick who is probably the best striker in 145 and he beat him up. Reply PitfighterZ October 3, 2011 Kenny is one of my favorite fighters (with the worst nickname ever) as he uses his brain and technique to beat physically superior fighters. That said, Aldo is too much for him and I am not sure if he even deserved a shot at Aldo. He needed to face a top fighter in the division first, but in the UFC you don't need to earn title shots. Reply SEAN_VANCE October 3, 2011 Use ur nose Ken Flo! I dunno but I think this is gona be a pretty good fight…Ken Flo is very fast and has great jits…Ken Flo wont fisnih aldo but maybe he can pull off a steal with a frustrating decision! ..but I doubt it… Reply hond2dciv October 3, 2011 Ugh. I like Kenny too and I'm not looking forward to him getting tooled. The only aspect in which he may be superior to Aldo is strength, and I think that's a pipe-dream. I expect Aldo will be as strong if not stronger than Florian. Reply xformat October 3, 2011 I hope Kenflo gets some life insurance. He has a zero percent chance of winning. Reply SanClemente October 4, 2011 Kenny is good… but Jose Aldo is a beast!!! Reply bobbo October 4, 2011 I wouldn't count Florian out of this one. If he stuns Aldo…nobody jumps on the back and lands that rear naked choke better than Kenflo. Reply chiroguy October 5, 2011 Aldo by murder!!! Reply Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Name Email Website Current ye@r * Leave this field empty


text:
Sammi Chichester | Jul 23, 2014 | Comments 0 | Tags: Slipknot
Slipknot posted a new NSFW video teaser on their website–watch it right here. The band linked to the video on Twitter with the phrase: "The Cystic/Symbolic/Condition."
The video is the latest in a series of clips that have similarly posted. You can view the previous ones below.
Alert to All Users of the Disqus commenting system: Because of a recent global security issue, the Disqus website recommends that all users change their Disqus passwords. Here�s a URL about the issue: http://engineering.disqus.com/2014/04/10/heartbleed.html
Want to read more stories like this?
Get our Free Newsletter Here!
Get our Free Newsletter Here!


text:
"Jimmy Choo" is best known as one of the finest shoe brands in the world. Among its fans was even the Princess Diana. Shoes from Jimmy Choo became the hero of the cult TV series "Sex and the City". And after it love for this stylish brand became immeasurable. From 1996 year Jimmy Choo started to create eyewear collections. An inspiration for the design came from 70s when the huge glasses covering a half of the face were on the top of fashion. In Jimmy Choo Sunglasses everything is perfect. There is no pile of details or inapposite items of decor. That is why these sunglasses win the minds of thousands women. And there is no limitations for those who can follow Jimmy Choo trends – you only need to have the sense of style and other things the brand will do for you.
In collections of Jimmy Choo Sun glasses you will find a wide choice of square, round, oval and aviators models. Large, even huge, they made in the style of 1970s. Such shapes are good for protecting from destructive ultra violet rays as well as for hiding the owner from prying eyes. Designers of the brand Jimmy Choo are fanciers of colubrine motifs in the models. You can see prints of a snake skin in the colors of Jimmy Choo Eyewear or extraordinary temples in a shape of braided snake. No doubt that Jimmy Choo is a shoes brand – the temples of its sunglasses are decorated with imitation of pretty shoe buckles. The models adorned with crystals Swarovski look especially bright and feminine. The logo with a name of the brand is the part and parcel of each Sunglasses Jimmy Choo. JC cares that their eyewear will be suitable to any kind of outfit. For this it offers glasses of different styles but sticking to the classic black, brown and beige colors. The brand keeps a tendency to combine metals of shiny gold and silver colors with acetate frames. These mixes of plastic and metal look extra stylish in this season.
Safilo Group S. p. A. is a famous optical manufacturer who are responsible for the excellent quality of Jimmy Choo Eyewear. This Italian company provides the best materials for the models: high quality acetate, innovative metals, lenses with ultraviolet filters of the latest generation etc. Such responsible approach to the design and production of Sun glasses Jimmy Choo render homage to the brand and win the hearts of the high fashion admirers. The stylish Jimmy Choo Eye wear will transform your image into something new and desired for a long time. With our fashion shop exboutique.com you can make a profitable purchase without leaving a home. The site offers the best models of the optical market on a lowest prices!
Need more time to shop?
We combine shipping on any additional orders placed within 1 hour.


text:
The successful summer launch of MarketVideos.com reports increasing demand among real estate agents for the popular new video service.
VScreen has successfully filled a void in real estate video with the launch of MarketVideos.com. Hundreds of real estate agents have signed up and are receiving their own personalized real estate videos at an affordable price. The service helps agents attract buyers and sellers by giving them localized information right down to their zip code. It also helps them engage prospects, build relationships, and enhance their marketing efforts.
The patent-pending MarketVideos.com video creation portal is allowing agents to educate buyers and sellers about hyper-local market activity, while also providing useful home ownership video tips for the consumer. MarketVideos.com also plans to provide new features and roll out upgrades throughout the rest of the year to current subscribers.
MarketVideos.com allows the agent to create an instant and personally branded video focusing on local market conditions, including popular statistics like active inventory and median listing price, in thousands of communities utilizing MLS market metrics.
All videos are automatically refreshed every month and provided to the agent via a personally branded video newsletter for them to forward on to their client database, as well as through an agent video profile page for easy social media sharing on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Continue Reading 1 2
Interested in more details on this topic? Click here!
Copyright© 2016 RISMedia, The Leader in Real Estate Information Systems and Real Estate News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be republished without permission from RISMedia.
Content on this website is copyrighted and may not be redistributed without express written permission from RISMedia. Access to RISMedia archives and thousands of articles like this, as well as consumer real estate videos, are available through RISMedia's REsource Licensed Content Solutions. Offering the industry's most comprehensive and affordable content packages. Click here to learn more! http://resource.rismedia.com


text:
Areas mostly getting less state funding
Says state budget deal between Texas House and Senate leaders "funds nursing homes, our public schools and universities and provides financial aid for college students."
On the mark for Republicans but not for entire House
Says the Texas House has "a record number of new members joining our ranks."
© 2016 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111
About PolitiFact | Contact Us | Advertise
Privacy Policy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright


text:
Is your boss a bully?
Do you suspect that the reason your employer gave you for why
you were being fired or disciplined wasn't the real reason?
Do you miss your breaks? Work off the clock? Work overtime without extra compensation because you are wrongly called "exempt"?
All of these things are illegal.
Your employer controls your livelihood, but is not all powerful. Employers are subject to a wide range of State and Federal laws that regulate their actions. Because Marc Phelps has extensive past experience in defending employers from employee lawsuits, he is familiar with their legal strategies and motives, and can put that knowledge to work for you.
The Way Employment Cases Work
A Basic Roadmap to Employment Litigation Through Trial
"Discrimination" cases allege that the employee was wrongfully terminated or harassed at work. "Wage and Hour" cases allege that the employee was underpaid somehow – such as by having worked off the clock or not having been compensated for overtime hours worked. More detail about each of these types of cases can be found in the dropdown menu under practice areas at the top of this page. We, your attorneys, drive the bus on both types of cases. We prepare "discovery," write "motions," make court appearances, negotiate a potential settlement with the attorneys for your employer, and go to trial. We will educate you on exactly what needs to be done and keep you informed every step of the way.
What Clients Are Saying
Choose the Best, According to Our Past Clients
"I really can't say enough about this lawfirm. I found Marc's firm on the internet after two years of being sexually harassed by my former boss. Everyday at my work was worst than the last. It started with being asked out and when I rejected my boss, it got worse and worse to the point where I didn't feel safe coming to work. I'm not the type to complain and I believe in hard honest work but I could not take it anymore and I approached HR. As soon as I did that it turned from being harassed based on my appearence to being pushed out of the company. Everything I did was wrong. I was always getting written up. Finally my boss found a trivial thing to fire me for. I was devastated. Marc's firm fought this evil company back. I felt empowered." – E. S.


text:
May 6, 2016
WASHINGTON (AP) - After 20 years, the nutrition facts label on the back of food packages is getting a makeover.
Knowledge about nutrition has evolved since the early 1990s, and the Food and Drug Administration says the labels need to reflect that.
Nutritionists and other health experts have their own wish list for label changes.
The number of calories should be more prominent, they say, and the amount of added sugar and percentage of whole wheat in the food should be included. They also want more clarity on serving sizes.
Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest says there is concern the labels haven't been as effective as they could be.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
At four years old, children are natural conversationalists. They are well-equipped to engage in conversations that prime them for the language and reading skills they will need in later grades. "Children who enter first grade with limited verbal ability tend to fall farther behind in reading skills as they move through school," says EDC's Nancy Clark-Chiarelli. "Poor children are particularly at risk."
Clark-Chiarelli leads the Literacy Environment Enrichment Project (LEEP) in West Virginia that helps preschool teachers improve how they promote language and literacy in early childhood classrooms. Since the professional development program launched in 2005, EDC has trained close to 100 preschool teachers and assistant teachers in curriculum development and instructional techniques designed to support children's language, vocabulary, reading, and writing development.
According to Clark-Chiarelli, the LEEP's approach to instruction emphasizes direct experiences with conceptually challenging concepts and content coupled with strategies that help children make meaning of their experiences. For example, before a trip to the apple orchard, children and their teacher may read a book about how apples grow and after the trip, engage in a charting of the different sizes, colors, and tastes of apples.
"The teachers have been amazed at what they can bring to their classrooms and what their students are capable of talking about and learning," she says. "The program has been a self-esteem builder for many teachers, and we're seeing significant gains in the children."
Bridging the achievement gap
According to the 2007 West Virginia Kids Count Data Book, West Virginia ranks 44th among the 50 states for at-risk indicators (such low birth weight and low income level) that affect children's living conditions and learning outcomes.
To improve the lives of all children, especially those at risk, West Virginia instituted a universal pre-K system, so that any parent who wants to send their four year old to one year of preschool can do so. The state is in the process of creating more preschool classrooms, and LEEP has been working in partnership with the state to offer content-rich professional development to support teachers working with the West Virginia's youngest students.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, the project is a two-year, college credit-bearing course for preschool teachers. EDC delivers LEEP instruction face-to-face in West Virginia State University classrooms. The course includes:
- One year of curriculum-development training that helps teachers integrate literacy and language learning into preschool activities, such as reading and writing, dramatic play, art activities, and conversation during meal times.
- A second year of teacher mentoring (many mentors are retired teachers recruited for the project), classroom observation and videotaping, and self analysis and evaluation.
"It's an intensive program, and for some of the preschool teachers, it was their first college course ever," Clark-Chiarelli says. "It's gratifying to see their dedication to the program and how the practices have taken hold in their classrooms."
LEEP also trains teachers in ways to engage children in meaningful conversations that help them use the power of words to interpret the world around them and improve their language skills. Clark-Chiarelli uses the word bridge as an example of how preschool teachers can help four year olds learn the power of a single word.
"You can show a four year old a picture of a bridge," she explains. "They understand it is something that goes over water that cars drive over. But the concept of a 'bridge' is something deeper. If you ask them, 'Can a person be a bridge?' They might say no, because a person isn't made of concrete and steel. But a person can be a bridge. There's an opportunity to teach them about using the deeper meaning of a word in context by intentionally exposing them to new words presented in multiple ways and woven into conversation."
Vocabulary for the future
LEEP is now entering its fourth and final year, where the second group of teachers is beginning the mentoring phase. Supporting teachers in expanding children's vocabulary will continue to be an EDC priority and a challenge.
"Our research has shown impact on literacy skills such as alphabet recognition, print knowledge, name writing, and phonological awareness," Clark-Chiarelli says. "The good news is we're potentially affecting children's readiness for kindergarten. But like other researchers, we're still wrestling with how to show impact on the more conceptual areas of children's language and literacy development, such as vocabulary. We still have more work to do."
The success of EDC's preschool teacher training work has led to a new companion project called Expanded LEEP in West Virginia. Directed by EDC's Ingrid Chalufour, the project extends through 2012 and is funded by the West Virginia Department of Education.
Originally published on April 17, 2009


text:
These t-shirts are very cool and printed in a very unusual way, as opposed to the more common screen print these are printed using a carved woodcut. This particular t-shirt of a Polar Bear playing solitaire is part of a series of designs influenced by climate change, and it's a pretty damn good looking shirt as well.
Here's what they say on etsy:
They even have a video tutorial for how to do woodcut prints
(can you believe Etsy has it's own channel, Etsy TV people)
Thanks Joe at FantasticBonanza for posting this as part of Indie Week


text:
|ISSN 1088-6826(online) ISSN 0002-9939(print)
Differentiability of Peano derivatives
Abstract | References | Similar Articles | Additional Information
Abstract: Peano differentiability is a notion of higher-order Fréchet differentiability. H. W. Oliver gave sufficient conditions for the Peano derivative to be a Fréchet derivative in the case of functions of a real variable. Here we generalize this theorem to functions of several variables.
Retrieve articles in Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society with MSC (2000): 26B05
Retrieve articles in all journals with MSC (2000): 26B05
Additional Information


text:
berly2babies's Mom Answers Activity
berly2babies is a star in these topics:
Pregnancy > Giving Birth (2 helpful answers)
Has anyone had to make the decision between VBAC or repeat C section? What did you choose and why?
Most recent answer (01/24/2012):
i have made the decision for vbac because i had a terrible induction/section experience. was way to drugged up on benadryl for the itchi...posted by littlemeshe
What does braxton hicks contractions feel like?
Most recent answer (01/23/2012):
when i was pregnant with my son i had i would say the worst case of braxton hicks. i went to the hospital about ten times thinking i was ...posted by berly2babies


text:
Asus GT240 1GB Review
Reviewed by: RHKCommander959
Reviewed on: May 18, 2010
Price: $TBD
Nvidia has finally released the GTX 480 and other cards in the 400 series family – skipping over the 300 naming scheme. GT 240's and similar still trickle out from manufacturers, though. Based on the G92 architecture, it is essentially a modern 8800. GT 240's are proving to be great PhysX and [email protected] graphics cards, provide DirectX 10.1 inexpensively, and do not require auxiliary power in either 6-pin or 8-pin PCI Express formats, as they run solely off of the PCI Express slot they are installed in. ASUS has provided another GT 240 with 1GB of GDDR5 clocked at 1700 MHz, with the GPU clock at 550 MHz and shaders at 1340 MHz The shader speed is very low on GT 240's and should have a decent amount of overclocking headroom. The memory BUS is 128bit and memory bandwidth speed is balanced with the GDDR5, which is cheaper per IC than GDDR3 and more efficient, and the smaller memory BUS means that the graphics card is all around more cost efficient – a smart move by Nvidia. The GT 240 can support DVI, VGA, and HDMI output – most users will not need an adapter to use the graphics card immediately.
The GT 240 is not SLI compatible, except for the SLI + PhysX mode where this graphics card can be used for PhysX processing solely. Most have overclocking headroom to spare and provide great PhysX processing power, if used on their own they do decently, but don't expect high-end gaming out of this card. If used for the right purpose they can be great graphics cards, though.
Closer Look:
The box has an Orc creature prominently in the center, with a badge and bold World of Warcraft logo to the right that shows off the "exclusive" gifts from ASUS – a free World of Warcraft 14-day trial and a door hanger similar to the ones that other companies provide, except this one is all about WoW and not the card. The 14-day free trial is also available for free from Blizzard directly as a 10-day free trial. The left side has ASUS company logo at the top left and ENGT240 at the bottom left with supported features such as Nvidia PhysX and CUDA. Turning to the back side shows some basic features and specifications, and at the bottom, the recommended system requirements.
The side has another ASUS logo and ENGT240, 1GB GDDR5, and a sticker with the part and serial number, UPC, and other numbers. Opening up the box we find the graphics card is protected in the standard anti-static bag. Other than the graphics card, the box includes a "I'm raiding, leave me alone" door hanger, driver disk, manual on a disk, and a quick guide manual to setting up the card. Personally I wouldn't put the door tag up, but maybe some WoW fans would – looks like a decent door hanger, I suppose.
Time to examine the graphics card!
Closer Look:
Nvidia has a few different options available for configuring the GT 240 cards - either 512MB or 1GB of graphics memory are available size options in both GDDR3 and GDDR5 IC flavors. All circuit boards have been the same length so far and most, if not all of them, come with DVI, VGA, and HDMI output mounted. The board does not feature SLI connections, as the GT 240 series does not support SLI - these cards can however be used in a SLI+PhysX environment where the GT 240 would serve as a PhysX processor. Another missing feature is the lack of auxiliary power connections - these cards draw all of their power through the PCI Express slot, which is rated for 75 Watts and goes to show that these cards have low energy requirements. The lower power requirements stem from the carefully designed operating speeds of the core and memory - 550 MHz core, 1340 MHz shader, and 1700 MHz memory and when combined with a refined circuit board and die shrink, produces a card capable of running off the PCI Express slot power output. The heat sink is reminiscent of ASUS Gladiator heat sinks equipped on other graphics cards that they produce, and is similar in size to the Arctic Cooling Accelero L2 Pro that was mounted on the GT 240 from ECS that I reviewed earlier this year. The fan used only has two wires, so RPM sensing is impossible. Flipping to the back side we see no back plate which is typical for GT 240's, and a clean and relatively empty back side, although there are a few globs of electronics in the usual places - mainly behind the core. Four memory IC's are on each side - the four on the top are hidden by the heat sink, while the rear ones are all exposed.
The ASUS GT 240 supports the most common visual output standards - DVI, VGA, and HDMI. Personally I prefer dual DVI, because an adapter to VGA can be had for cheap if necessary. Adapters to convert VGA to DVI do exist though, but are less available and do not provide full functionality. The heat sink hovers over small capacitors and four of the eight memory chips. Even the top side is fairly barren of electronics, except for the microelectronics. The heat sink uses standoffs similar to the ones used for motherboards in computer cases to bolt to the graphics card and when combined with the thick base, provides the clearance over the small capacitors and other electronics.
Time to take a peek at drivers and software!
Closer Look:
After installing the video card, users will need to install drivers to properly initialize it. Nvidia has drivers and extra software that can use PhysX and CUDA - two supported technologies that enable software to run faster than before for video encoding as well as other types of number crunching; [email protected] makes good use of Nvidia cards as well. Ntune can be downloaded and is added to the Nvidia Control Panel to enable overclocking, fan control, as well as resolution and output quality and control through the standard Nvidia Control Panel. Ntune can also adjust settings on some Nvidia chipset boards. PhysX and 3D Stereoscopic vision are also enabled in Nvidia Control Panel. Inserting the driver disc will bring about an auto-play window with options for installing drivers and software.
Installing the Nvidia driver is really straightforward, just agree to terms and conditions and click next a few times. Once the drivers are done and the system has been reset to reinitialize the video card, settings can be adjusted; there are five groups to choose settings from after installing Ntune. 3D handles in-game settings such as anti-aliasing. Display covers everything that affects visual display on devices such as monitors; the output can be rotated, colors enhanced, brightness adjusted, resolution changed, and so on. Performance allows the graphics card and system to be overhauled and monitored for safe temperatures. Stereoscopic 3D is where users go to turn 3D on or off for Nvidia cards using either 3D Vision technology or anaglyph technology - the anaglyph technology only requires a pair of red and blue 3D glasses that are usually free/cheap, whereas the 3D Vision costs a bit more - special LCD glasses and a 120Hz monitor. Video is just that, video quality adjustments. Next, Badaboom can be properly installed; Badaboom does not require a system restart before the first run, so on to the program!
Once installed, Badaboom empowers users to quickly convert and compress movies for devices such as smart phones, portable media devices, and the Internet aided by Nvidia CUDA technologies. The program is fairly basic so users shouldn't have too hard of a time getting it to do what they need from it, though it only installs as a free limited time trial. Clicking on the advanced tab can also be daunting, as there aren't a whole lot of options but the ones that are there may not immediately make sense. The program can make use of DVDs, DVD files, and other files for converting and compression.
vReveal is another video program but it is able to clean up and fix videos. Say you were shaky while recording a special moment - vReveal can help fix it. If the video is too poorly compressed, it can try to fix that too! vReveal is powered by Nvidia CUDA GPUs to use their parallel processing power and greatly save time over CPU based applications. This software is great for people who have many home videos or people who record TV or other video sources, and for those that like to upload their own files to YouTube or Facebook. There are free demos of Badaboom and vReveal available at their respective websites.
Now we can test out the ECS GT 240 512MB!
GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)
Powered by NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 240 GPU
Fully supports Microsoft® DirectX® 10.1
Fully supports OpenGL® 3.2(Requires R190 drivers or later)
GPU Clock
550 MHz
Shader Clock
1340 MHz
Memory Clock
1700 MHz
Memory Interface Bus
Memory Type
Memory Size (MB)
Bus Standard
|Supports PCI Express 2.0 interface
Microsoft® DirectX®
DVI-I, VGA and HDMI Output
- Specifically designed cooler from Arctic Cooling
- NVIDIA® Unified Architecture
- NVIDIA® CUDA™ Technology
- NVIDIA® PhysX® Technology
- NVIDIA® PureVideo® HD Technology
- Dual-link HDCP Capable
- High Definition 1080p Display Support
- Dual-link DVI, VGA and HDMI 1.3a output
- Microsoft® DirectX® 10.1, Shader Model 4.1 support
- OpenGL® 3.2 support (Requires R190 drivers or later)
- DirectCompute Support
- OpenCLTM Support
- Microsoft® Windows 7 support
- NVIDIA® PureVideo™ HD Technology
PureVideo™ HD is a superset of the PureVideo™ functionality that is essential for the ultimate Blu-ray and HD DVD movie experience on a Desktop PC or notebook computer.
- HDMI Output
Integrated HDMI connector enables sending both high-definition video and audio signals to an HDTV via a single cable.
- HDCP Support
Designed to meet the output protection management (HDCP) and security specifications of the Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD formats, allowing the playback of encrypted movie content on PCs when connected to HDCP-compliant displays.
- Blu-Ray and HD DVD Support
Essential for the ultimate Blu-ray and HD DVD movie experience on a Desktop PC or notebook computer.
- Full Microsoft® DirectX® 10.1 Support
DirectX® 10.1 GPU with full Shader Model 4.1 support delivers unparalleled levels of graphics realism and film-quality effects.
- Microsoft® Windows 7 support
NVIDIA® GPUs are essential for accelerating the Windows 7 experience by offering an enriched 3D user interface, increased productivity, vibrant photos, smooth, high-definition videos, and realistic games.
- Dual-link DVI Support
Able to drive the industry's largest and highest resolution flat-panel displays up to 2560x1600.
- PCI Express 2.0 Support
Offering a future-proofing bridge to tomorrow's most bandwidth-hungry games and 3D applications by maximizing the 5 GT/s PCI Express 2.0 bandwidth (twice that of first generation PCI Express).
- OpenGL® 3.2 Optimizations and Support
Ensures top-notch compatibility and performance for OpenGL® applications.
- RoHS Compliant
Choose an environment-friendly, fully RoHS-compliant ECS product as the foundation for keeping harmful substances out of our ecosystem.
- NVIDIA® PhysX™-Ready
GeForce GPU support for NVIDIA® PhysX technology, enabling a totally new class of physical gaming interaction for a more dynamic and realistic experience with GeForce.
- NVIDIA® CUDA™ Technology
CUDA technology unlocks the power of the GPU's processing cores to accelerate the most demanding system tasks – such as video encoding – delivering up to 7x performance over traditional CPUs.
All Information courtesy of ASUS
Testing the ASUS GT 240 is done following a strict guideline that I adhere to - the video card is benchmarked and the results are tallied up on pages six to fifteen. For the game tests, Far Cry 2, Crysis Warhead, Darkest of Days, Call of Duty: World at War, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Resident Evil 5, Left 4 Dead, and the benchmarks 3DMark 06 and 3DMark Vantage. Since the GT 240 isn't very powerful, it is tested with lower game/benchmark settings and compared to other graphics cards at the same settings that perform and cost somewhat similarly. After all that testing, I will repeat the testing after overclocking the card to a higher, but stable speed.
- Processor: Intel Core i7 920 150x20
- Motherboard: MSI X58 Platinum
- Memory: Mushkin HP3 12800 7-7-7-20
- Video Card: Asus GT 240
- Power Supply: Mushkin 800 watt modular power supply
- Hard Drive: 1 x Western Digital Green 1TB SATA
- Optical Drive: LG DVD-RW
- OS: Windows Vista Ultimate Edition 64-bit SP1
- Case: Hiper Osiris
Comparison Video Cards:
- Palit GT 240 Sonic
- Inno3D GT 220
- Palit Sonic GT 220
- Sapphire HD 4670 Ultimate
- ASUS HD 4770 Formula
Overclocked settings:
I am amazed by how far the ASUS GT 240 was willing to overclock! All testing was completely stable at the speeds 650 MHz core, 1745 MHz Shader, and 1850 MHz memory, equating to approximate gains of 18%, 30%, and 9% respectively. I managed to hit the wall for MSI Afterburner and other overclocking software for shader speed, while the core and memory were at their own inherent speed limitations. At stock idle, the GPU core was running at low to mid 20's °C and load overclocked somewhere in the mid to high 40's °C depending on the test.
- Video:
- Far Cry 2
- Crysis Warhead
- Darkest of Days
- Call of Duty: World at War
- Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II
- Batman: Arkham Asylum
- Resident Evil 5
- Left 4 Dead
- 3DMark 06 Professional
- 3DMark Vantage
Far Cry 2:
Featuring a new game engine named Dunia, this game looks to be another one to stress your video card. Built specially for Far Cry 2, this engine allows for real-time effects and damage. This next generation first-person shooter comes to us from Ubisoft, surprisingly - not from Crytek. The game is set in a war-torn region of Africa where there is a non-existent central government and the chaos that surrounds this type of social environment. If you have seen the movie Blood Diamond, you know the setting. Ubisoft puts the main storyline of the game into focus with these statements: "Caught between two rival factions in war-torn Africa, you are sent to take out "The Jackal," a mysterious character who has rekindled the conflict between the warlords, jeopardizing thousands of lives. In order to fulfill your mission you will have to play the factions against each other, identify and exploit their weaknesses, and neutralize their superior numbers and firepower with surprise, subversion, cunning and, of course, brute force." In this Far Cry game, you don't have the beautiful water, but instead the beauty and harshness of the African continent to contend with. Most games give you a set area that can be played through, while Ubisoft has given the gamer the equivalent of 50km2 of the vast African continent to explore while in pursuit of your goals. The settings used are just a few steps below the maximum in-game settings and offer a good blend of performance vs. visual quality.
- DirectX 10
- Anti-Aliasing: x0
- Game Settings: High
- VSync: Off
Performance between the ASUS and ECS GT 240's line up similarly, 1 FPS apart rounded up. The difference could be the 1GB of memory on the ASUS versus the 512MB on the ECS, or just within standard error/rounding. Overclocking gained nearly 15% performance bringing better performance than the Sapphire 4670 consistently.
Crysis Warhead is a standalone expansion pack situated in time with the storyline of the original Crysis. As Sergeant "Psycho" Sykes, you have a secret mission to accomplish on the far side of the island. Along the way there are EMP blasts and Aliens to contend with, as you hunt down the KPA chief. This game uses an enhanced version of the CryEngine 2.
- Anti-Aliasing: x0
- Game Settings: Mainstream
- Ambush
- DirectX 10
Again lining up as they should - the ECS and ASUS GT 240 are neck and neck at stock until higher resolutions, where the ASUS pulled ahead a frame. Overclocking brings good gains once more, although oddly enough, performance gains weren't as high at 1280x1024 as they were on other resolutions. The 4670 doesn't come close with Crysis Warhead and the overclocked settings were giving double the frames of the INNO 3D GT 220 in the higher resolutions.
What would testing be if you did not show both sides of the fence? In this test, PhysX was set to low, while leaving the remaining settings intact. You have seen time and again where the ATI cards suffer when PhysX is enabled. Mirror's Edge and Cryostasis are two prime examples. Darkest of Days is no different. What happens in this test shows that, although the game can be played by cards from the red team, the video effects and quality are diminished.
Game Settings:
- 4x Anti-Aliasing
- 16x Anisotrophic Filtering
- PhysX: Low
- Ambient Occlusion: On
- Quality: High
- Resolution: 1280x1024 - 2560x1600
Darkest of Days had gains of 3 FPS per resolution for the overclocked results - the 4670 came out far ahead with this game. Overall, the frame rate of all the cards save for the mid-range ones, were low.
Activision's Call of Duty: World at War goes right back to the bread and butter of the franchise - WWII FPS action. In this rendition, you start off in the South Pacific and move through a series of missions that flip back and forth between the Russian front and the island hopping advance toward the Imperial Japanese homeland. Included is a mission on Peliliu Island, arguably one of the more difficult and costly battles in the Pacific theater. The gameplay in the single player mode is rather short, but the game makes up for this shortcoming in online gameplay. If you thought COD4 looked nice, this game is amazing with the graphics maxed out playing at a large resolution. This game just may be my reason to move to a 30-inch monitor. I will use Fraps to measure a section of gameplay in the Semper Fi map on Makin Island to compare performance of these video cards.
- Game Settings: Maximum
- AA 0x
- FPS measured via Fraps
Call of Duty: World at War shows the three GT 240's scoring similarly, with gains over 20% in FPS from overclocking. At stock, the GT 240's score slightly better than the 4670 and when overclocked, the ASUS pushes itself between the 4670 and 4770.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II is a real-time strategy game that is significantly different than its predecessor, with improved AI and an improved physics engine. You can play either as single player in campaign mode, or in a multiplayer game where Microsoft's Live ranking system can be used.
- Vsync: Off
- Medium Preset
- Game Settings: Medium
Gains were similar to Crysis Warhead, where the low resolution had a small gain of 2 FPS and the other two had big gains of 9-11 FPS. Overclocked it fell right in line behind the GTS 250 and far past the 4670.
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a newer game that brings together two bitter rivals, the Joker and Batman. The Joker has taken over Arkham Asylum, Gotham's home for the criminally insane. Your task is to rein the Joker back in and restore order. This game makes use of PhysX technology to create a rich environment for you to become the Dark Knight.
Game Settings:
- 0x Anti-Aliasing
- PhysX: Off
- Ambient Occlusion: Off
- Quality: Medium
- Resolution: 1280x1024 - 1920x1200
Batman: Arkham Asylum is very playable at medium settings and even the GT 220's put out solid scores. Overclocking gains were huge, again ranging from 14 to 22 FPS. Overclocked results were nearly identical to the ASUS 4770 and while at stock, testing the 4670 still wasn't a worthy competitor.
Resident Evil 5 is the sequel to one of the best selling video games of all time. You play the game as Chris Redfield, a survivor of the events at Raccoon City, who now works for the BSAA. Sent to Africa to find the genesis of the latest Bio Organic agents, you meet up with another BSAA operative and work together to solve the problem. The game offers incredible 3D effects and co-op multiplayer.
Game Settings:
- 0x Anti-Aliasing
- PhysX: Off
- Ambient Occlusion: Off
- Quality: Medium
- Resolution: 1280x1024 - 1920x1200
Another game that scaled well with overclocking, as gains over 20% were recorded! At stock, the 4670 got smoked and with overclocking, the GT 240 was able to beat out the 4770 again and fall behind the GTS 250.
Left 4 Dead is a new release from Valve that leaves you as part of a group of survivors in a world where an infection has rapidly turned the populace into a zombie horde. Your goal is to make it to a rescue point, all while fighting what seems like overwhelming odds. Along the way there are safe houses where you can replenish your weapons and health. The movie "I Am Legend" comes to mind to set the stage for this game. But unlike the movie, there are four characters and not just a lone gun and his faithful companion. The horde is not at all like the typical slow walking, foot shuffling zombies. These zombies are quick and work with pack mentality. You have but one job; survival!
- Anti-Aliasing: x0
- Anisotropic Filtering: x0
- Game Settings: Medium
Left 4 Dead was very playable with medium settings as well. At stock speeds, the GT 240 proved to be superior to the 4670 again, but the mid-range cards left the pack in the dust. Overclocking helped quite a bit and would allow for the settings to be cranked up a bit.
3DMark06 is one of the benchmarks that always comes up when a bragging contest begins. 3DMark06 presents a severe test for many of today's hardware components. Let's see how this setup fares. The settings we will use are listed below.
- SM2.0 Graphics Tests: GT1- Return to Proxycon, GT2- Firefly Forest
- CPU Tests: CPU1- Red Valley, CPU2- Red Valley
- HDR/SM3.0 Graphics Tests: HDR1- Canyon Flight, HDR2- Deep Freeze
The GT 240 fell far away from its stronger brother - the GTS 250. Even overclocking left a decent gap between the ASUS GT 240 and the ASUS 4770 in 3DMark 06.
Featuring all-new game tests, this benchmark is for use with Vista-based systems. "There are two all-new CPU tests that have been designed around a new 'Physics and Artificial Intelligence-related computation.' CPU test two offers support for physics related hardware." There are four preset levels that correspond to specific resolutions. "Entry" is 1024x768 progressing to "Extreme" at 1920x1200. Of course, each preset can be modified to arrange any number of user designed testing. For our testing, I will use the four presets at all default settings.
- Settings (each preset): Default
- Entry: 1024x768
- Performance: 1280x1024
- High: 1680x1050
The GT 240's fell between the low and mid-range cards. Overclocking pushed the scores up a solid amount, but not enough to meet the mid-range cards. At high, the ASUS card manages to pass 4000 points.
Highly 'overclockable' and cool running, the ASUS GT 240 provided solid performance in its price group and overclocked surprisingly well for being a low to mid-range card. The high shader speed that I achieved would work great towards pumping work units out in [email protected] and the overall performance could make this a good upgrade for computers suffering from on-board video, as it is a drop-in upgrade requiring only an open PCI Express slot. The free World of Warcraft gift bundle was entertaining to find as a gift, but on a side note, the free trial is also available directly from the WoW website, though the door hanger only comes with the ASUS GT 240!
The great operating temperatures and overclocking capability make this a great graphics card. During testing, it ran completely stable at stock and at overclocked settings once I found what the limitations were. The included accessories were more numerous than with the other GT 240's that I've reviewed, as well. The only con that immediately comes to mind, is that the free game wasn't a better game and that it was only an already free-trial. The ASUS GT 240 is not the biggest kid on the block, but offers up more than just casual gaming performance, with the ability to use many of the applications on the market that make use of CUDA to enhance the user experience with programs such as vReveal and Badaboom. Throw in the better than stock cooling and you have a lower cost, but not quite entry level card, that runs cool and overclocks to boot.
- Cool operating temperatures
- Quiet fan
- Good PhysX processor
- Great overclocking
- Compact size
- VGA port - would have been nice to have two DVI ports instead


text:
The International School of Columbus will move into a former East Columbus church building in time for the 2013-14 school year.
Members of the Columbus Board of Zoning Appeals voted 6-0 during a meeting Tuesday to give a conditional-use permit for the property at 51 N. Brooks St., once the site of The Ridge Church.
About 50 people showed up, some of them neighbors and some of them school representatives, said Tom Weintraut, a planner in the city planning department. Only one audience member spoke, and that person was in favor of the project.
A conditional-use permit is required for a school to operate in a residential neighborhood, according to zoning laws.
Jonah Sims, head of school at the International School, 3136 N. National Road, said he and other school officials now are turning their attention toward meeting the city government's conditions that came with permit approval.
Those conditions include installing a 20-foot wide driveway off Brooks Street, landscaping the northern side of the property as a buffer from houses and eliminating stone gravel areas, according to a planning staff report.
Sims said the two buildings on the property would be made accessible to people with disabilities as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. He said the buildings also would be remodeled and equipped with a sprinkler system.
Work on the buildings should be done by the end of the current school year, Sims said. He said the move to the Brooks Street location would begin the first week of summer break in August.
"It will be very positive for the community and for our school. We're here to stay," Sims said.
Neighbors of the school's future site supported the school's plan from the beginning. Those who attended a meeting with school officials Feb. 23 said they liked that the school would not generate much traffic and that it might improve property values.
Human Services Inc., an agency that provides assistance programs such as Head Start preschool to income-eligible families, had sought in 2011 to move to the Brooks Street property. Its proposal was scrapped when Columbus City Council members voted unanimously against it in October 2011 amid neighbors' concerns that there would be a large spike in traffic.
At a glance
The Columbus Board of Zoning Appeals adopted these conditions when it approved a conditional-use permit for the International School of Columbus to operate at 51 N. Brooks St.:
Install a 20-foot-wide, two-lane paved driveway off Brooks Street.
Install landscaping along the north side of the property.
Remove a tree from the south side of the planned driveway to accommodate fire trucks in emergencies.
Close the gravel driveway, leaving the proposed two-lane driveway as the only access point to the property.
Convert the remaining gravel areas to green spaces.
Remove or alter directional areas in the parking lot to reflect the new circulation patterns for student drop-offs.


text:
- Visit the Hawaii National Guard
- State Benefits
- Army OneSource Community Support Coordinator, your source for local information, news, and valuable resources
State and Community Programs and Services
The Joint Family Support Assistance Program
The Joint Family Support Assistance Program (JFSAP) provides Service Members and their Families immediate access to an abundance of social services and support resources. What is unique about Hawaii's program is it is a multi-component effort without geographic restrictions throughout the Pacific Basin Region. Hawaii's JFSAP provides mobile, high quality family services to augment current DOD family programs to better meet the needs of Active Duty, the National Guard and Reserve families. For more information call (800) 327-2133 or visit www.militaryonesource.mil.
Pets of Patriots
The Hawaiian Humane Society offers the "Pets of Patriots" program which matches volunteers to animals and owners to provide temporary home for pets of deploying Soldiers. For additional information, call 808-356-2217 or visit www.hawaiianhumane.org.
Military Spouse Residency Relief Act
On November 11, 2009, the President signed into law the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act. This Act, among other things, provides that when a service member leaves his or her home State in accord with military or naval orders, the service member's spouse may retain residency in his or her home State for voting and tax purposes, after relocating from that State to accompany the service member. In the State of Hawaii an exemption from Hawaii withholding tax may be claimed if an employees spouse is a member of the US Armed Services and their state of legal residence is not Hawaii. For more information visit http://hawaii.gov/tax/.
Hawaii State Legislature 2010 Military Appreciation Package
The 2010 Military Appreciation Package was created to support the efforts of the men and women in uniform throughout Hawaii and to make their lives a bit more bearable during these difficult times. The pieces of legislation that comprise the Military Appreciation Package address some of the many challenges facing Hawaii military personnel and their families, including significant recruitment and retention issues, especially for the National Guard and Reserves. For more information visit www.ncsl.org.