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Happy Monday everyone! I don't know what your porch looks like this morning, but on the porch here, it's sunny, wintery-warm, and… to tell you the truth… a little too quiet. I've just come home from an action-packed weekend of books, readers, and writer friends at the Pulpwood Queens annual Girlfriend Weekend book and author extravaganza in beautiful Jefferson, Texas.
I've been flooded with story, and writer talk, and the stories behind the stories, but more importantly, I've been reminded that In this busy, speed of light world, where so many things are ours at the touch of a button, face-to-face human connections do still matter.
Perhaps, they matter now more than ever.
In this modern world, it's easy to live the island life–to let connections drift and disappear as we stare at our computers, and tablets, and cell phones, our minds and eyes rushing from one screen to another, always keeping up, but never looking up, so entangled in our own tasks and issues that we miss the ships passing by our secluded islands of self.
For me, Girlfriend Weekend is always a reminder of the importance of taking time to build, and nurture, and maintain friendships. It's impossible to watch book clubs like this one and not realize that these friendships, these sisterhoods, these ties that bind women in their similarities in their differences, are manna for the spirit.
Literally, the deep, lasting friendships of women are soul food. Without them, some part of the heart grows hungry. It can't be fed by pixels, and diodes, and backlit screens. The heart needs flesh and bone, shouts and whispers, the brush of shoulders, the embrace of arms, the sudden smile, the wink, the nod, the laugh, the shared story.
We are, none of us, meant to live long on our electronic islands of many tasks. We are meant to wade out through the currents of busyness, ford the shoals of stacked-up To Do lists, swim past the rocks of maybe I shouldn't take the time for this, and meet those passing ships in the clear, clear blue. We're meant to splash around in life together, to laugh at the waves, and float along beneath the clouds, and cling close to one another during the storms.
We may survive on our own, but we don't thrive on our own.
This morning, I find myself once again affirming it as I think back to the fun and fuel and late-night conversation that was Girlfriend Weekend 2014. I almost missed the party this year — too many obligations, both work-related and family related. Too many reasons to stay home.
Now that Girlfriend Weekend has come and gone, I'm so glad I didn't miss out. I've come home refreshed, renewed, filled once again with the true understanding of the life-changing power of girlfriends and stories 😉
The Prayer Box — Selected as One of Booklist's Top Ten of 2013!
Latest posts by Lisa Wingate (see all)
- Meet Me On the Porch - November 22, 2015
- Changing Seasons (from Lisa Wingate) - November 8, 2015
- A Writer-Dog's Life (The Straight Scoop From Huckleberry Wingate) - October 25, 2015


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The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the Psychology Academic Reading Career Peer Mentoring Program (PARC PM) facilitates the participants achievement and career/graduate school preparation. Peer mentors in this program will consist of upper-class college psychology students who demonstrate significant academic achievement and are interested in assisting other students. The peer mentors will mentee freshman psychology majors who want to: (a) improve their study and time management skills; (b) further their knowledge of psychology careers and graduate school preparation; or (c) increase reading comprehension. Each mentor will focus on one topic area and use a variety of behavior strategies while working with his/her mentees. A multiple probe research design will be used to evaluate this peer-mentoring project.
|Jaclyn Spina (Undergraduate Student)
Thomas Stuart (Graduate Student)
|12 Hartwell
|3 pm (Session IV)

subset: commoncrawl


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Handel: Floridante / Alan Curtis, et al
3 CD / Deutsche Grammophon / 2007-04-10Works: George Frederick Handel: Il Floridante, HWV 14
Performers: DiDonato, Joyce; Invernizzi, Roberta; Mijanovic, Marijana; Novaro, Riccardo; Priante, Vito; Rostorf-Zamir, Sharon
Conductors: Curtis, Alan
Ensemble: Il Complesso Barocco
Pre-eminent Baroque specialist Alan Curtis sheds light on another neglected opera masterpiece. Following the critical acclaim of his milestone recording Rodelinda, Curtis turns his attention...continue...
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Vivaldi: Montezuma / Curtis, Priante, Mijanovic, et al
3 CD / Deutsche Grammophon / 2006-05-09Works: Antonio Vivaldi: Montezuma, opera in 3 acts, RV 723
Performers: Basso, Romina; Beaumont, Maite; Invernizzi, Roberta; Kalna, Inga; Mijanovic, Marijana; Priante, Vito
Conductors: Curtis, Alan
Ensemble: Il Complesso Barocco
"The performance is stunning. Vivaldi augments the usual strings and winds with horns and trumpets, and Curtis leads a rich reading, filled with more drama...continue...
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The Totoro Bed is inspired from the creation of premiere Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki and his award-winning film, "My Neighbor Totoro".
This bed would go well with a toddler or a young child's house, who will, no doubt, find amusement in it. It's a bed that delivers both pleasure and play, because the design of it is hardly restricted. Because it is set so low, there is no danger of a child falling of it. The whole thing measures 39cm (15.4″) in width x 28cm (11.0″) in height and is made of polyester and cotton.
The whole bed weights roughly less than four pounds and can be bought here.
Check out other interesting tags at MattressZine: hayao miyazaki, japanese animator, measures, my neighbor totoro, no doubt, pleasure, polyester
See more Categories at MattressZine: Kids Mattress, MATTRESS News.


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BOULDER — You didn't have to go to Jon Embree's first spring football practice Friday to see the different atmosphere surrounding Colorado football.
You could've heard it.
Embree made it clear he'll be a hands-on coach. Make that loud and clear. Embree could be heard — maybe from the Flatirons — yelling at the defense during 7-on-7 drills, "DON'T LET THEM COMPLETE IT!" and "TASTE THE BALL!"
He laid into redshirt freshman quarterback Nick Hirschman for throwing the ball out of bounds on a second-and-4 when he could've run for the first down. And if you see a junior-college transfer walking around campus today with nostril hairs singed, it's Brent Burnette, who threw two interceptions, fumbled a snap and fumbled after a run.
"I'm going to have to get some throat lozenges," Embree said.
After five consecutive losing seasons, no CU player questioned Embree's methods. Disposed Dan Hawkins had his moments but it was mostly "here and there," linebacker Jon Major said.
"It's pretty awesome," Major said. "And it's the most minuscule details too. It's not just out here. It was every workout. If he didn't think somebody was running hard enough, he'd start the whole thing over again."
Embree is coming from a totally opposite space than Hawkins did. As an alum, Embree is embarrassed about the last five years. As a former tight end coach for the Washington Redskins, he's a teacher.
He won't sit in a tower watching practice.
"That's the only way I know," Embree said. "I've got to be me. I was like that as a position coach. I'm very demanding. I'm going to be on them. There's going to be a standard. You either do or you don't, and we can't bend or compromise it."
One problem: He has some players who haven't voted more than twice. Some have never played a down of major college football. In Kansas City, he had future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez and in Washington he had Donovan McNabb throwing to the tight ends.
How patient can Embree be? How patient can he afford to be with a schedule featuring seven bowl teams, not counting Southern California?
"I'm taking the same approach because skill has nothing to do with effort," Embree said. "That's what I've hammered on these guys. It's about effort. You're going to make mistakes. You're going to get beat. Yeah, I don't have Tony Gonzalez out here but that has nothing to do with effort."
The Buffs practiced in shorts and helmets, but Embree had the defense try stripping the ball on every play.
Colorado finished 10th in the Big 12 in forced turnovers with 19.
"People don't finish," Embree said. "They assume the play's over. They assume the game's won. Just like they thought Kansas was done. Then you fool around and get beat. You finish."
Embree announced two position changes. Freshman Justin Gorman was moved from quarterback to defensive back, and junior Eric Richter was moved from offensive line to defensive line.
John Henderson: 303-954-1299 or firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
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And it's heart-healthy too.
Since May we've been working on the first ever heart-healthy cooking contest. Actually a cook -off, that took place this weeekend. To get ready:
We read — over 4,500 recipes from 49 states (What are you all cooking in South Dakota??)
We tested and tasted — over 216 recipes from Sunday Morning Soda Bread to Cherry-Glazed Pork Tenderloin.
We ranked — 36 semifinalist recipes for the American Heart Association to review for accordance to their standards.
We invited — 18 finalists to come to NYC for a weekend of cooking -- and fun.
The finalists cooked — each prepared her recipe for our judging panel
The panel judged
And we have a $125,000 Cook Your Heart Out winner!!
Jan Valdez from Chicago, IL, a first-time culinary contest entrant, poached and diced her way to $125,000. For her Tropical Citrus Shrimp Ceviche, Jan squeezed, lemons, limes, and oranges and mixed them with some favorite tropical fruits and a splash of pineapple juice for a truly delicious spin on a South-of-the-border classic. Jan suggests serving it with baked tortilla chips. For the contest, she shortened her marinating times by half... and the judges liked her ceviche so much they made her the grand prize winner.
Tropical Citrus Shrimp Ceviche
1 ½ pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1 mango, peeled and diced
1 cup diced jicama
½ red onion, minced
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1. Bring a large pot of water to boiling. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp turn opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and transfer shrimp to bowl of ice water; let stand until shrimp are cold. Drain shrimp well. Cut shrimp into ½-inch pieces and transfer to large bowl. Add orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, and pineapple juice; stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Stir in mango, jicama, onion, cilantro, and jalapeno; cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Stir in avocado, oil, salt, and pepper and let stand 15 minutes before serving. Makes 12 appetizer servings.


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Foot Astro Reader
Main Category: Services
Sub Category: RF/Analog
Title: Foot Astro Reader
Price: 0
66AQĀYantrik Joshi has done much to educate Americans about Ayurved.
Country: US
State: IN
City: vadodara
Zip: 39021
Send a Message
You need to be a member to send a message on this! Join Circuit Sage!


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Star Battalion
by Gameloft
Download this app if: you want to be a star fighter pilot.
Developer Notes
New iPhone games sale! Now at $0.99/ 0.59£ / 0,79€ for a limited time:
Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X
Star Battalion
OPTIMIZED FOR iPHONE 4! High-definition graphics that fully utilize the iPhone 4 Retina display and new gyroscope controls make this the benchmark for space combat simulation that fans...
Great graphics — One of the better space combat games around, Star Battalion is worth a look.


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Cardiac glycosides are a class of medications used to treat heart failure and certain irregular heartbeats. Cardiac glycoside overdose occurs when someone accidentally or intentionally takes more than the normal or recommended amount of this medication. Because cardiac glycosides are found in the leaf of the digitalis (foxglove) plant (the original source of this medication), people who accidentally eat these leaves in large amounts may also develop an overdose syndrome.
Long-term (chronic) poisoning can occur in patients who take these medications every day. It can happen if patients develop kidney problems or become dehydrated (especially in the hot summer months). This usually occurs in elderly patients.
This is for information only and not for use in the treatment or management of an actual poison exposure. If you have an exposure, you should call your local emergency number (such as 911) or the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
Digoxin overdose; Digitoxin overdose; Lanoxin overdose; Purgoxin overdose; Allocar overdose; Corramedan overdose; Crystodigin overdose
Cardiac glycoside is a chemical that has effects on the heart, stomach, intestines, and nervous system. It is the active ingredient in many different heart medicines. It can be poisonous if taken in large amounts.
Cardiac glycosides are the main (active) ingredients in certain prescription medicines, including:
Cardiac glycosides also occur naturally in certain plants, including the Lily-of-the-Valley plant. For information on poisoning from other such plants, see:
Note: This list may not be all-inclusive.
Eyes, ears, nose, and throat:
Heart and blood:
Nervous system:
Psychological system:
* These symptoms are usually only seen with chronic overdose cases.
Do not make the person throw up unless told to do so by poison control or a health care provider.
Determine the following information:
The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.
This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.
See: Poison control center - emergency number
The health care provider will measure and monitor your vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated as appropriate. You may receive:
The greatest risk of death and bad outcomes is seen in young children and older adults. Older persons are especially likely to suffer from problems of chronic (long-term) cardiac glycoside poisoning.
Lapostolle F, Borron SW. Digitalis. In: Shannon MW, Borron SW, Burns MJ, eds. Haddad and Winchester's Clinical Management of Poisoning and Drug Overdose. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 58.
Cole JB, Roberts DJ. Cardiovascular Drugs. In: Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, et al., eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby; 2013:chap 152.


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Welcome from Central Iowa!
and I should add, I just passed my Utah CHL yesterday (65 days to wait now to get it in the mail).
I'm the proud owner of a Bul Cherokee Compact 9mm
Have a blessed day
Welcome from Central Iowa!
Welcome neighbor.
Welcome from the swamp. Enjoy.
Welcome to HandGunForum.net!
"Placement is power" -- seen in an article by Stephen A. Camp
(RIP, Mr. Camp; you will be remembered, and missed)


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Super soft, warm and beautifully crafted the Rothco Military Insignia Fleece Blankets make a great gift. Each blanket features the seal and official colors of their individual branch. Manufactured with 100% polyester these fleece blankets are a perfect way to show your pride and are great for keeping warm. Order the Rothco Military Insignia Fleece Blanket in either the United States Marine Corp or United States Navy today!
Available in U.S. Marines or U.S. Navy
Machine washable and dryer friendly.
50" x 60"
One (1) Rothco Military Insignia Fleece Blankets
A well-known industry leader in military and outdoor products, Rothco provides apparel for men, women and children, as well as protective gear, weapons and survival gear. The company has been delivering military products all over the country since 1953. In addition to military gear and apparel, they also offer collections of law enforcement gear, outdoors gear, and paracord & rappelling gear. Click here to learn more about Rothco.


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Hiptage (Hiptage benghalensis)
- Climbing vine-like shrub with yellow and white flowers
- Leaves are opposite and feel like leather
- Native to India and Malaysia, purposely brought to the islands as an ornamental plant
- Grows in dense thickets, smothering other plants
- Winged fruits spread by wind
- Can invade dry and moist areas from sea level to 3500 ft.
In Hawaii:
- Kauai: Only known population is on the edge of Huleia Valley taking over an estimated 500 acres. Landowners are encouraged to control this plant wherever possible.
- Oahu: Found cultivated in gardens at the University of Hawaii campus, in Makiki Heights, Waikane and Lanikai. Several naturalized populations have been mapped from Manoa though the windward side. OISC is currently mapping hiptage and encouraging local control of populations, but is deemed too widespread for OISC to target.
- Maui: None known
- Molokai: Presence/absence unknown.
- Lanai: Presence/absence unknown
- Kahoolawe: None known
- Big Island: Presence/absence unknown


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Fretting hand wrist
Hi! This is my first post in the forums.
I need help with this matter. Just healed from a severe tendonitis (3 years long, take care with your hands!), so i investigated a lot about correct technique, It seems like is recommended to keep the wrist straight all the time, maybe a little bent when really needed. It makes sense, but it feels more natural and easy to bend on the 5º and 6º string, specially on powerchords. But looking at shredder videos lots of them bend their wrist in bizarre angles (75/90º) and seems to be ok for years without any RSI. For example:
youtube .com/watch?v=o-H72ECeZBs
Im paranoid? Do i really need to correct this in order to keep the wrist healthy?
Thanks too much and sorry for wall of text!
You mean this Satriani video?
He dosent always bend his wrist that much. Look at about 2:00. He has the blues thumb. But your not being paranoid - I did get hurt real bad from bending my wrist too much.
You always want to keep your wrist as straight as possible.
Thank for the replies. That video really helped.
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Hidden Valley School to benefit from new walkway/bridge
Hidden Valley Hawks who walk and cycle to school are about to get a new pathway to campus. Construction of a 400-foot sidewalk/pathway is expected to be completed this week. The project will link existing sidewalks on Parker Hill Road and Chanate in front of the K-6 campus. The $190,000 project also includes a walkway/bridge over Paulin Creek. An in-house survey of Hidden Valley students by new principal Liz Newman indicated that approximately 40 percent of fourth, fifth and sixth… Read More »


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Follow The Republic on social media:
Doris Steward, 79, of Seymour, died Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at Schneck Medical Center.
Survivors include her husband, Richard W. Steward; her children, Kevin R. Steward, and Terry L. (Troy) Nichalson; two grandchildren; sisters, Fern Morgan, and Faye (Doug) Henderson; brothers Ralph Creech and Gerald (Patsy) Creech.
A memorial service will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Trinity United Methodist Church with the Rev. Mike Seaney officiating. Calling will be from 4 p.m. until service time.
Memorials may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church or Relay for Life.
Voss Funeral Service was in charge of arrangements.
All content copyright ©2016 The Republic, a publication of AIM Media Indiana unless otherwise noted.
All rights reserved. Privacy policy.


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Search Swinburne Research Bank
Home List of Titles Spectrally resolved femtosecond nonlinear spectroscopy of vibrational coherence relaxation in molecules
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/102
- Title
- Spectrally resolved femtosecond nonlinear spectroscopy of vibrational coherence relaxation in molecules
- Author(s)
- Dao, Lap Van
- Abstract
- We investigate the potential of spectrally resolved femtosecond nonlinear spectroscopy for studying the dynamics of vibrational relaxation of molecules on a time scale of vibrational coherences in the specific case of the transient grating. Using a three-pulse two-colour spectrally resolved nonlinear technique we have carried out a detailed study of the dependence of the observed spectra on the wavelength of the excitation laser pulses for different dye molecules. The influence of molecular structure on the transfer of the coherence ensemble, which can be observed in the nonlinear spectrum and could be related to homogeneous and inhomogeneous broadening of molecular energy states, is discussed. The dynamics of dephasing and vibrational relaxation (80 fs/10 nm) can be deduced from the spectrally resolved measurement.
- Publication type
- Journal article
- Research centre
- Swinburne University of Technology. School of Biophysical Sciences and Electrical Engineering. Centre for Atom Optics and Ultrafast Spectroscopy
- Source
- Journal of luminescence, Vol. 106, no. 3/4 (Apr. 2004), pp. 243-252
- Publication year
- 2004
- Keyword(s)
- Rhodamine; Photon echo; Time-resolved spectroscopy; Transient grating
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Format
- pp. 243-252
- 0022-2313
- Publisher URL
- Copyright
- Copyright © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
- Peer reviewed


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words used to describe objects,activities and other aspects of Christmas
advent calendar
a special calendar used to count down the days to Christmas and which usually has small doors you can open for each day.
a vertical pipe that allows smoke from a fire to pass out of a building up into the air,
Santa Claus traditionally enters a house through the chimney
to show that an event is important by doing something special
People celebrate Christmas by giving each other gifts and eating a big turkey dinner.
Christmas carol
a joyful traditional song sung at Christmas. Singers visit people's houses at Christmas to sing carols and collect money, usually for charity.
a decorated cardboard tube wrapped in paper that makes a big noise (crack) and releases a small gift when two people pull it apart.
A small green flower which is hung from the ceiling around Christmas time. When two people walk under the mistletoe at the same time, they have to kiss each other.
a decoration such as a small ball, toy or piece of chocolate that people hang on a Christmas tree.
a container ( usually in a barn or a stable) from which cattle or horses feed. According to the Bible, Jesus was born in a stable and slept in a manger.
Christmas stocking
a long sock which children leave in their house on Christmas Eve to be filled with presents
Santa Claus
an imaginary old man with a white beard, and a red suit who brings presents to children on Christmas Eve. ( also called Father Christmas )
secret Santa
a person who chooses a name from a hat and keeps the name secret, but who buys a gift for that person. The person who receives the gift does not know the name of the "secret" gift giver.
a bitter and/or greedy person; from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, an elderly stingy miser who is given a reality check by 3 visiting ghosts
Auld Lang Syne
a traditional Scottish song, customarily sung on New Year's Eve; the title means "Old time past."
glad tidings
happy news about something specific, especially used at Christmas to announce Jesus' birth
Flickr Creative Commons Images
Some images used in this set are licensed under the Creative Commons through Flickr.com. Click to see the original works with their full license.
- "advent" image
- "advent calendar" image
- "Bethlehem" image
- "Boxing Day" image
- "candle" image
- "chimney" image
- "decorate" image
- "celebrate" image
- "Christmas cake" image
- "Christmas carol" image
- "Christmas Eve" image
- "cracker" image
- "holly" image
- "fairy lights" image
- "ornament" image
- "noel" image
- "manger" image
- "Christmas stocking" image
- "tinsel" image
- "twinkle" image
- "secret Santa" image
- "elves" image
- "reindeer" image
- "tradition" image
- "stocking stuffers" image
- "wreath" image
- "yuletide" image
- "yuletide log" image
- "Scrooge" image
- "Jack Frost" image
- "Auld Lang Syne" image
- "festive" image
- "festive season" image
- "tidings" image
- "glad tidings" image
- "rejoice" image


text:
Record oil prices sent the markets tumbling to a sharply lower close with the Dow plummeting 112 points to 12,582. Nasdaq plunged 22 points to 2332.
On the upside
Hospira (NYSE: HSP) reported sharply higher fourth quarter earnings that beat expectations by 6 cents and forecast 2008 results ahead of estimates.
Higher prices boosted third quarter earnings for Del Monte (NYSE: DLM) to surpass estimates prompting the company to lift its full year outlook.
Fluor (NYSE: FLR) reported fourth quarter earnings that more than tripled due to a substantial tax benefit and higher sales.
On the downside
Borland Software (Nasdaq: BORL) blamed a difficult spending environment for widening fourth quarter losses and forecast 2008 revenue below estimates.
MF Global (NYSE: MF) fired trader Evan Dooley after incurring nearly $142 million in losses through unauthorized trades.
Limited Brands (NYSE: LTD) reported lower fourth quarter earnings due to markdowns and slow foot traffic and warned that first quarter results will fall short of estimates.
In the broad market, declining issues outpaced advancers by a margin of nearly 7 to 3 on both the NYSE and on Nasdaq. The Russell 2000 which tracks small cap stocks tumbled 11 points to 706.


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Crytek Adding Native Linux Support to CryEngine
Score one for Valve in its effort to bring Linux-based gaming to the masses. Crytek has announced full native Linux support in the new CryEngine.
Crytek will be on hand at GDC 2014 to host a number of presentations. Most notably, Crytek announced that GDC will serve as the stage for its Linux-CryEngine reveal.
That's good news for Valve and the 14 PC manufacturers who have already announced they will be releasing Steam Machines featuring Valve's Linux-based operating system later this year.
Valve launched its first version of Steam for Linux in early 2013. One year later, there are more than 300 games for Linux on Steam, an impressive surge that indicates Valve's Linux plans are being embraced by developers.
At least the smaller ones. There are scant few AAA Linux games on Steam as major publishers have yet to get behind Valve's Linux effort. However, with a major engine like CryEngine adding native Linux support, it will likely be easier for the likes of Electronic Arts, Activision, and Ubisoft to greenlight Linux versions of their projects.


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Water profile of Nepal
Geography and Population
Nepal is located entirely in the Ganges basin and is bordered by India in the east, south and west and by China in the north. With fifteen peaks higher than 7,000 meters (m), including the world's highest peak Mount Everest at 8,848 m, Nepal is one of the highest countries in the world. The total land area of Nepal is 143,000 square kilometers (km2). Physiographically, the country can be divided into three parts: the high Himalayas in the north (23.7 percent of the country's total area); the hill and mountain slopes in the center (56.2 percent) which include the lower hills called siwalik where elevations vary between 300 and 700 m; and the plain in the south at elevations below 300 m (20.1 percent). For administrative purposes, the country is divided into 5 development regions and 75 districts.
The cultivable area has been estimated at some 4 million hectares (ha), of which 34 percent in the terai plain, 8 percent in the siwalik, 48 percent in the mountain and hill region, and 10 percent in the high Himalayas. Some 2.6 million ha are cultivated, mainly with annual crops.
The total population was estimated in 1996 at 22 million inhabitants (86 percent rural). The latest national census (1991) showed that 7.8 percent of the total population was living in the mountain region, 45.5 percent in the hill region and 47.6 percent in the terai region. Through comparison with 1981 census data, the annual average growth rate of population has been established at 2.1 percent. The highest population density reached 1,710 inhabitants/km2 in 1991 in the capital district Kathmandu and 1,454 inhabitants/km2 in Bhaktapur district near the capital. The lowest density was 2.4 inhabitants/km2 in Manang district (a Himalayan valley).
Agriculture contributed 40 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1996 and employed more than 93 percent of the economically active population of the country. The main agricultural exports are pulses, jute, and rice. The prevailing high population growth and low growth rates in the agricultural and industrial sectors have resulted in a continuous deterioration in real per caput GDP.
Climate and Water Resources
Extremely varied topography within a small width ranging from 145 to 241 kilometers (km) influences the weather and climate of Nepal. The country experiences tropical, meso-thermal, micro-thermal, taiga, and tundra types of climate. The mean annual rainfall is 1,500 millimeters (mm), with a maximum annual rainfall record of 5,581 mm in 1990 at Lumle in Kaski district (elevation of 1,740 m) in the mountain region; and a minimum record of 116 mm in 1988 at Jomosom in Mustang district located at 2,744 m in the Kaligandi River valley near the Annapurna Himalayan range. There are two rainy seasons in Nepal: one in the summer (June to September) when the southwest monsoon brings more than 75 percent of the total rainfall, and the other in winter (December to February) accounting for less than 25 percent of the total. With the summer monsoon, rain first falls in the southeast of the country and gradually moves west with diminishing intensity. Thus, more rain naturally occurs in the east of the country. On the other hand, during winter, rain occurs as a result of westerly disturbances. This rain first enters Nepal in the west and gradually moves east with diminishing intensity.
The temperature decreases from the lowland terai (northern part of the Ganges plain) to the high Himalayan region. The extreme temperatures recorded show that in Lomangtang (Mustang district) located at an elevation of 3,705 m the minimum temperature was -14.6°C in 1987, while in Dhangadhi (Kailali district) located at an elevation of 170 m the maximum temperature reached was 44°C in 1987. Precipitation falls as snow at elevations above 5,100 m in summer and 3,000 m in winter. Temperature is a constraint on crop production in the Himalayas and the mountain region where only a single crop per year can be grown. On the other hand, in the terai, three crops a year are common where the water supply is adequate. Single rice cropping is possible up to elevations of 2,300 m while double rice cropping is limited to areas below 800 m.
River Basins and Water Resources
All rivers in Nepal drain into the Ganges River. The country is divided into five river basins, which are from west to east:
- the Mahakali River basin, which is shared with India, with an average flow from the Indian tributaries into the border river estimated at 15 cubic kilometers pear year (km3/year) and some 3.4 km3/year from the Nepalese tributaries;
- the Karnali River basin, with an average outflow estimated at 43.9 km3/year;
- the Gandaki River basin, with an average outflow estimated at 50.7 km3/year;
- the Kosi River basin, with an average outflow estimated at 47.2 km3/year, but which receives a contribution of some 12 km3/year from the upper catchment area located in China (47,2902);
- the southern river basins, which produce some 65 km3/year of water flowing into India.
The seasonal distribution of flow is extremely variable. It might be as low as 1.5-2.4 percent of the total runoff in January, February, and March, and as high as 20-27 percent in July and August for snowfed rivers, while the corresponding figures for purely rainfed rivers are 0.5-3 percent from March to May and 19-30 percent in July and August.
The surface water resources produced internally are estimated at 198.2 km3/year. The groundwater resources have not been fully assessed. Ongoing studies show that a good potential for groundwater extraction exists, especially in the southern lowland plains (terai) and inner valleys of the hilly and mountainous regions. Much of the terai physiographic region and some parts of siwalik valleys are underlain by deep or shallow aquifers, many of which are suitable for exploitation as sources of irrigation water. A rough estimate can be made by assuming a groundwater resource equivalent to ten percent of surface water, i.e. approximately 20 km3/year, which corresponds to the base flow of the rivers. The total internal water resources would therefore amount to 198.2 km3/year. Chinese statistics mention an average outflow to Nepal of 12 km3/year, which brings the total renewable water resources of Nepal to 210.2 km3/year. This makes Nepal one of the Asian countries with the highest level of water resources per inhabitant. It is assumed that all the renewable water resources of Nepal flow out of the country to India.
No agreements have been established with China for the sharing of water resources. A joint commission for the exploitation of the Kosi River was set up with India in 1954 and 1966, and another for the exploitation of the Gandak River in 1959. Recently, a new treaty on the Mahakali River has been ratified by parliament. The treaty makes provision for equal entitlement in the utilization of water from the Mahakali River without prejudice to respective existing consumptive uses.
Lakes and Dams
The total dam capacity is 85 million cubic meters (m3), although the potential exists for at least 138 km3. Hydroelectricity accounts for more than 96 percent of total electricity generation. The two main diversion barrages are the Kosi and Gandaki reservoirs.
Water Withdrawal
Water withdrawal for the domestic sector is from different types of sources such as springs, wells (open and tube), rivers/streams, traditional stone taps, and modern piped systems (Figure 1). Data on withdrawals exist only for public piped systems developed after 1974. However, a feasibility study conducted by a Thai study team in November 1993 on the Kodkhu Water Supply Project estimated that the industrial consumption (including commercial) for the urban valley of Kathmandu represented about 5 percent of the domestic demand in the year 1991.
None of the irrigation systems in Nepal measures the quantum of water supplied to irrigation. The available data are: (i) annual diversion requirements for monsoon and year-round irrigation based on physiographic regions; and (ii) irrigation command areas split into seasonal (monsoon) and year-round. Considering that water application depends on soil type, land type, cropping pattern, evapotranspiration, effective rainfall and conveyance losses, a special study needs to be conducted to determine a more accurate estimate of irrigation water withdrawal.
It is reported that the piped domestic water supply reached 67 and 39 percent of the population in urban and rural areas respectively in 1992. Compared with the statistical data on piped water supply for the 1994/1995 fiscal year, the average consumption per caput per day in the areas with access to piped water is about 83 liters.
Irrigation and Drainage Development
Irrigation development in Nepal has a long history. Numerous small raj kulos (canals) in the government sector first appeared in and around Kathmandu valley in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The first large public sector irrigation canal system (the Chandra Canal System) with a net command area of 10,000 ha was constructed in 1922 and is still in operation.
The irrigation potential of the country has been estimated at 2,177,800 ha, including some 412,000 ha which are not cultivated, mainly in the terai area. This potential is mainly for surface irrigation, but some 352,050 ha are potentially irrigable from groundwater in the terai region, consisting of 292,600 ha from shallow tube-wells (83 percent) and 59,450 ha from deep tube-wells (17 percent)
In 1994, the total irrigated area in Nepal was estimated by the Land Resources Mapping Project at 1,134,334 ha. This included 140,195 ha of groundwater irrigation, 837,913 ha of surface water irrigation and 156,226 ha of irrigation systems not fully identified (Figure 2). Except for one system (the Banganga system with 6,500 ha), all the areas under existing surface irrigation systems are dependent on transit flow availability at the sources. Therefore, the irrigated area varies from season to season and from region to region. The total year-round irrigated area has been estimated at 355,054 ha.
Irrigated areas in Nepal are often classified as public systems and farmer managed irrigation systems (FMISs) (Figure 3).
Public schemes cover an area of 283,658 ha, with 258,416 ha (91 percent) dependent on surface water and 25,242 ha (9 percent) dependent on groundwater (Figure 4).
They are managed by the Department of Irrigation. These public surface irrigation schemes have expanded steadily since 1973 (Figure 5). Out of the 283,658 ha equipped for irrigation, only 187,153 ha are irrigated in summer, 86,056 ha in spring and 3,200 ha in winter (Figure 6).
FMISs in Nepal have operated successfully for centuries. Most FMIS diversion structures are constructed from brushwood and boulders, and are therefore temporary and often washed away during monsoon season. The FMIS canals are generally unlined and prone to damage. There is, typically, a large expenditure of labor every year to restore the systems or to maintain them. In spite of these physical limitations, FMISs have demonstrated managerial skills (at community level) that have kept them functioning and contributing significantly to Nepal's food supply. The total area of the FMISs was estimated at 850,676 ha in 1994. FMISs can be either entirely managed by farmers or assisted by specialized agencies.
The great majority of irrigation systems use surface irrigation (basin, furrow). Recently some areas in the hills and mountains have begun to use sprinkler irrigation, but no figures are available.
The modernization of irrigation systems and improved water management practices could lead to a reduction in irrigation water withdrawal. On the other hand, a higher cropping intensity on the irrigated areas (only 16 percent of the irrigable areas are irrigated year-round), which would be desirable because of the increasing need for food supply, would result in increased agricultural water withdrawal.
Nepal is mainly a rural society, and there is a traditional belief that water is a god-given free commodity. Only the water supplied to urban areas for domestic use is charged on a volumetric basis. Irrigation water is levied as a service charge. This charge is levied only for the public irrigation systems. It varies from US$1.3 to 8.0/ha depending upon the type and source of supply.
The average cost for irrigation development varies from US$2,900 to 3,700/ha for the large schemes, and from US$850 to 4,300/ha for small hill schemes. The average cost for irrigation rehabilitation varies from US$1,000 to 1,800/ha. The average cost of operation and maintenance (O&M) is about US$42/ha in the smaller schemes, and US$8-14/ha in the larger schemes.
The main irrigated crop is paddy, followed by wheat in winter.
Non-formal associations have existed for a long time in almost all FMISs. WUAs received legal status after the promulgation of the 1992 Water Resources Act. The WUA has now become a prerequisite for the transfer of public schemes to users.
Institutional Development
The major government institutions currently involved in the water resources and irrigation sectors are:
- the Ministry of Water Resources (MOWR);
- the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, in charge of water resources assessment, and monitoring;
- the Department of Irrigation (DOI). The DOI's main functions consist of the planning, design, and implementation of major and minor irrigation systems and the sustained O&M of some of the completed systems. Its mandate covers all aspects of irrigation, irrigated agriculture and policy implementation.
Other institutions that have direct linkages with the irrigation sector are:
- the National Planning Commission Secretariat (NPC), which prepares plans for all sectors including irrigation;
- the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS), which is a consultative body of the Government;
- the Department of Agriculture (DOA), whose function is to increase agricultural productivity, notably through irrigation;
- the Agriculture Development Bank of Nepal (ADB/N), which provides concessional loans and channels government subsidies for rural projects.
In addition, FMISs can also be classed as institutions in that they are voluntary associations of farmers who organize themselves to build irrigation infrastructures, and to manage them in accordance with formal or informal rules and procedures.
Trends in Water Resources Development
The 8th Five Year Plan (1992-1997) recognized that farmer participation is crucial for the improved management of the available supply of irrigation water. Accordingly, the following policy elements have been emphasized by the Government:
- The irrigation projects managed at government level should be gradually transferred to WUAs. Such a transfer would affect the schemes of 2,000 ha in the terai and 500 ha in the hills and mountains.
- No water service charge should be levied on schemes transferred to WUAs.
- Before transferring the schemes to WUAs, the schemes should be rehabilitated and strengthened in accordance with the demands of WUAs. For this, a cost-sharing mechanism should be introduced with a view to providing WUAs with a sense of ownership. About 5-15 percent of the rehabilitation cost should be financed directly from WUAs and farmers.
In addition, the Government has also given individual farmers the possibility of receiving subsidies. Farmers wishing to manage small irrigation systems (up to 25 ha in the terai and 10 ha in the hills and mountains) would be required to bear the investment cost (in kind or cash) up to a maximum of 60 percent as follows:
- for shallow tube-wells - 60 percent
- for sprinkler or drip irrigation - 40 percent
- for lift irrigation - 25-60 percent
- for surface (gravity) irrigation - 40 percent
The remainder could be financed by the Government, NGOs, or social organizations.
Water management should be adjusted to enable the conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater.
Further Reading
- Water profile of Nepal, Food and Agriculture Organization.
- World Factbook: Nepal, Central Intelligence Agency.
- Canadian International Water Energy Consultants. 1990. Master plan for irrigation development in Nepal, p. 220. Kathmandu.
- Central Bureau of Statistics. 1994. Statistical pocketbook, p. 275. Kathmandu.
- Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. Climatological and surface water records of Nepal.
- East Consult (P) Ltd. Kathmandu. 1995. Updated master plan for irrigation development in Nepal. Four volumes.
- Ministry of Finance. 1994, 1995 & 1996. Economic survey reports.
Disclaimer: This article is taken wholly from, or contains information that was originally published by, the Food and Agriculture Organization. Topic editors and authors for the Encyclopedia of Earth may have edited its content or added new information. The use of information from the Food and Agriculture Organization should not be construed as support for or endorsement by that organization for any new information added by EoE personnel, or for any editing of the original content.


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ASUS GTX 650 Ti DirectCU II TOP Review
Reviewed by: RHKCommander959
Reviewed on: October 9, 2012
Today NVIDIA is launching the new GTX 650 Ti line of graphics cards! This card is intended to fill the gap left between the GTX 650 and GTX 660 released back in September. The competition it is designed to beat is the AMD HD 7770. The core has ~2.54 billion transistors on a 28nm fabrication process. It contains 768 CUDA processor cores and four SMX units, 64 texture units, and 16 ROP units. This design does not use GPU Boost like higher models. Reference clock speeds are 925MHz core and 5400MHz memory. The card is able to support up to four outputs and the reference design is only 5.65" in length. Power consumption is low as indicated by the single 6-pin PCIe power connector; it is rated at 110W TDP. Memory consists of 1GB of GDDR5, with a 128-bit memory bus.
ASUS comes out strong with a DirectCU II TOP variant; this card is the best from ASUS for this model. It is equipped with the DirectCU II high performance heat sink and comes factory overclocked to 1033MHz! Features such as the DIGI+ VRM power the card and reduce power transfer loss while, increasing efficiency. Super Alloy Power technology is used on the card meaning that more efficient chokes, capacitors, MOSFETs, and other components are used to increase lifespan and performance while reducing temperatures. ASUS bundles its Voltage Tweak overclocking software for even more speed — core voltage and frequency, memory frequency, and fan speed profiles can be adjusted! All of these features combine to hopefully allow this card to overclock well.
Closer Look:
The front of the box has three intense glowing red claw marks going through what looks to be a textured surface. The box itself is completely smooth. At the top left are the ASUS brand and part of the card model: DirectCU II TOP edition. This card is the top dog of the ASUS GTX 650 Ti line and operates at an overclocked speed of 1033MHz core! To the left is a picture describing what the DirectCU II heat sink looks like. The whole bottom half lists some of the key features — TOP Overclocked Edition, 1GB of GDDR5 memory, DIGI+ VRM and Super Alloy Power components, and GPU Voltage Tweak real-time graphics tuning software. The back of the box is dedicated to specifications and features of the card. The left side clearly shows which outputs are supported through imaging and labeling. One HDMI and two DVI ports, along with a VGA port, are the provided outputs. The DirectCU II heat sink has three flattened copper heatpipes that make direct contact with the GPU core for improved cooling performance. The right side explains the DIGI+ VRM & Super Alloy Power combination as reducing power noise by 30%, enhance power efficiency 15%, and increase stability and longevity by 2.5x. The bottom has 12 different translations of the basic specifications.
The sides of the box match except one has a picture of the DirectCU II heat sink while the other has part of the NVIDIA logo. Both sides clearly state that this is an ASUS GTX 650 Ti DirectCU II TOP. The bottom has two features listed — TOP Overclocked Edition and DIGI+ VRM Super Alloy Power Stable Overclocking. The top of the box is similar to the sides and front, reiterating the model name and key features. The bottom has the recommended system requirements listed in 12 languages. A bar code sticker is at the bottom right and has the Serial and Part numbers, UPC, and EAN.
Inside the main box is a smaller box that has some texture. The ASUS logo is on each box in gold. The smaller box contains the driver disk and manual. To the right is a block of foam that is there to keep the accessories box from shifting around. Lifting these up reveals the graphics card safely protected by the antistatic bag and thick foam around and under it.
On to the next page to see the graphics card up close!
Closer Look:
With the DirectCU II heat sink installed, this card is hard to distinguish from other models from ASUS with the same setup. This is the GTX 650 Ti DirectCU II TOP edition, with a GK106 Kepler core built at 28nm with 2.54 billion transistors comprising 768 CUDA cores, 1GB of GDDR5 memory with a 128-bit memory bus, and 4+1 SAP power phases. The DVI and PCIe x16 slot are protected by blue caps, the 6-pin PCIe power, VGA, and HDMI port are left open. Two smaller grills surround the top DVI port to let some of the air out of the case; positive pressure designs are beneficial here. The rear of the card is primarily the heat sink overhanging, with the 6-pin PCIe power connection exiting the side and upside-down even for easier unplugging. Two diagnostic LEDs sit above the connector near the notch in the PCB, which is for the PCIe port latch. A nice ASUS logo sits underneath. Nearby is part of the stiffening bracket.
The red stripes and chrome letterings are all textured nicely. The smokey translucent fan impellers sit off center to the card. It looks like the heat sink could have been shortened with some reworking. Nonetheless this is a great looking card. At the bottom right of the PCIe x16 slot is a golden ASUS logo similar to what was seen on the boxes. The back shows how much overhang the DirectCU II has — more than half of the second fan is hanging over. Small case owners should check to make sure that the card will fit as this is about the size of a normal high performance card. Four empty pads sit on the back where a second gigabyte of memory ICs could have been installed. All phases are installed (4+1). The heat sink is held on by four screws with springs to even out the pressure.
Underneath of the cooler there is a decent amount of space. Four screws — two on each side — hold the black and red-striped shroud to the heat sink. Both PWM fans are joined and connect into one port. SLI is not supported with this model so there is no slot here, but the stiffening bracket is still notched for one. The bracket and the shroud both have the ASUS logo for double the amount of shiny branding.
Removing the heat sink shows how simple this design is compared to prior generations. SAP components such as the chokes, which are engraved, should provide cooler operation, less noise both power-wise and audibly (no buzzing!), and increased power efficiency. The GK106 Kepler GPU die sits off-center surrounded by memory ICs and phases. Four phases power the GPU while one takes care of the memory. The die is built at TSMC on the 28nm fabrication process, which has been behind on supply. 768 CUDA cores and four SMX units, 64 texture units, and 16 ROP units make up the power plant, with the TOP model clocked at 1033MHz and does not feature Boost. Four Hynix memory ICs provide 1GB of GDDR5 to the card and are connected through dual 64-bit memory controllers — a 128-bit memory interface. The memory is lead- and halogen-free and RoHS compliant. The memory is rated for operation at 1.50GHz with 1.6V so that leaves a decent amount of potential headroom for overclocking as they are under-clocked to 1350MHz.
The DirectCU heat sink uses three flattened heat pipes to wick heat away from the GPU core directly. This design has been on the CPU market for quite a while now and has proven to perform well. The second fan and fin assembly sit behind beyond where most of the PCB lies when installed; this has the potential to cool motherboard components. It also means less air resistance for this fan, equating to less noise and more efficiency. The dual fan design is able to run at lower RPMs and thus lower noise levels to achieve good cooling versus loud blower motors or high-RPM fans. Proper thermal paste reapplication is placing thermal paste into the grooves between the heat pipes to ensure the most contact and coverage possible. It is also very important to get paste on the whole GPU core to avoid hot spots! The memory is not cooled except for air passing over the ICs.
Behind the 6-pin PCIe connection are two LEDs, one green and one red. When proper power is applied the green LED comes on. When something is wrong however, the red light comes on to alert users. This is a nice feature that likely cost little to implement; it can help identify damaged or loose connectors. It also saves time for consumers who might think it is the card being bricked rather than a power-side issue.
Super Alloy Components are reinforced with a specially developed alloy formula and produced under high pressure and temperatures. These components are designed to deliver noise-free operation, reduce temperatures up to 35 °C, increase lifespan to 150,000 hours, and boost performance up to 15% with the Super Hybrid Engine.
The next page lists the specifications and features of the GTX 650 Ti.
Graphics Engine:
|GeForce GTX 650 Ti Kepler GK106
PCI Express x16 3.0
Memory Type:
Memory Size(MB):
Memory Interface:
128 bits
Core Clock Speed(MHz):
CUDA Cores
Memory Clock Speed(MHz):
Memory Bandwidth(GB/sec):
Texture Fill Rate(billion/sec):
DVI Output:
D-SUB VGA Output:
HDCP Support:
HDMI Support:
Dual-link DVI:
Display Output (Max Resolution):
DirectX Version Support:
OpenGL Version Support:
- Top-selected and overclocked: Factory overclocked to Performs at an incredible 900MHz, 80MHz faster than stock performance, resulting in higher frame rates in games.
- DirectCU II: Based on ASUS DirectCU architecture, which uses copper heat pipes in direct contact with the GPU to speed up heat dissipation for over 20% cooler performance, DirectCU II takes cooling further with twin 80mm fans for doubled airflow.
- Super Alloy Power: Super Alloy Power technology uses special alloy formula in critical power delivery components for a 15% performance boost, 35°C cooler operation and 2.5 times longer lifespan.
- Voltage Tweak: Full throttle overclocking with exclusive ASUS Voltage Tweak via Smart Doctor – boosting 50%* more speed, performance and satisfaction!
- ASUS Smart Doctor: Your intelligent hardware protection and powerful overclocking tool
- ASUS Gamer OSD: Real-time overclocking, benchmarking and video capturing in any PC game!
- ASUS Splendid™ HD Video Intelligence Technology: Optimizes colors in various entertainment scenarios with five special modes — standard, game, scenery, night view and theater.
- Powered by NVIDIA® GeForce GTX650 Ti
- GeForce CUDA™: Unlocks the power of GPU's processor cores to accelerate the most demanding system tasks
- NVIDIA PhysX™: Dynamic visual effects like blazing explosions, reactive debris, realistic water, and lifelike characters
- NVIDIA® 3D Vision™: Immersive yourself in 3D gaming world Full DirectX 11 Support
- DirectX® 11 Done Right: Brings new levels of visual realism to gaming on the PC and get top-notch performance
- Microsoft® Windows® 7 Compatible: Enable PC users to enjoy an advanced computing experience and to do more with their PC
All information provided Courtesy of ASUS
Testing of the ASUS GTX 650 Ti DirectCU II TOP will consist of running it and comparison cards through the OverclockersClub.com suite of games and synthetic benchmarks. This will test the performance against many popular competitors. Comparisons will be made to cards of a range of capabilities to show where each card falls on the performance ladder. The games used are some of today's newest and most popular titles, which should be able to provide an idea of how the cards perform relative to each other.
The system specifications will remain the same throughout the testing. No adjustment will be made to the respective control panels during the testing, with the exception of the 3DMark 11 testing, where PhysX will be disabled in the NVIDIA Control Panel, if applicable. I will first test the cards at stock speeds, and then overclocked to see the effects of an increase in clock speed. The cards will be placed in order from highest to lowest performance in each graph to show where they fall by comparison. All NVIDIA comparison cards will be using the 306.23 drivers; AMD will be using Catalyst 12.8 drivers.
- Processor: Core i7 2600K @ 4.4 GHz (100 MHz x 44)
- CPU Cooling: Corsair H100
- Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z68AP-D3
- Memory: Mushkin 993997 9-11-10-28 1866Mhz
- Video Card: ASUS GTX 650 Ti DirectCU II TOP
- PSU: Corsair AX1200
- Hard Drives: Corsair Force GT 240GB
- Case: Corsair Obsidian 650D
- Optical Drive: LG DVD-RW
- OS: Windows 7 Pro 64-Bit SP1
Comparison Video Cards:
- Sapphire HD 7870 Flex
- Sapphire HD 7950 OC
- ASUS GTX 560 Ti DirectCU II TOP
- ASUS GTX 660 Ti DirectCU II TOP
- ASUS GTX 660 DirectCU II TOP
- MSI GTX 650 Power Edition
- NVIDIA GTX 650 Ti
- ASUS GTX 650 Ti DirectCU II TOP 1255MHz, Memory 1463 MHz
The ASUS card overclocked really well. Being that the card is fresh out means that some programs would not read the overclocked settings properly. Loading a 3D application in the background with the ASUS GPU Tweak software running shows the true speed. Much further than 1255MHz core and 1463MHz (~5850 effectively) memory would cause artifacts or freezing until the card recovered to stock clocks. Core voltage is able to be increased about an eighth of a volt to 1175mV. With the fans at 100% they were definitely audible but not deafening by any means. When left on auto they blend in well with the case fans.
Maximum Clock Speeds:
Testing for the maximum clock speed consists of looping Unigine 3.0 for 30 minutes each to see where the clock speeds fail when pushed. If the clock speed adjustment fails, then the clock speeds are adjusted and the test is rerun until each card passes the testing.
- Gaming Tests:
- Metro 2033
- Batman: Arkham City
- Battlefield 3
- Sid Meier's Civilization V
- Unigine Heaven Benchmark 3.0
- DiRT 3
- Mafia II
- 3DMark 11
- Usage:
- Temperature
- Power Consumption
Part first-person shooter, part survival horror, Metro 2033 is based on the novel of the same name, written by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky. You play as Artyom in a post-apocalyptic Moscow, where you'll spend most of your time traversing the metro system, with occasional trips to the surface. Despite the dark atmosphere and bleak future for mankind, the visuals are anything but bleak. Powered by the 4A Engine, with support for DirectX 11, NVIDIA PhysX, and NVIDIA 3D Vision, the tunnels are extremely varied – in your travels, you'll come across human outposts, bandit settlements, and even half-eaten corpses. Ensuring you feel all the tension, there is no map and no health meter. Get lost without enough gas mask filters and adrenaline shots and you may soon wind up as one of those half-eaten corpses, chewed up by some horrifying manner of irradiated beast that hides in the shadows just waiting for some hapless soul to wander by.
- DirectX 11
- 4x MSAA
- 16x AF
- Global settings = Very High
- PhysX = Off
- DOF+ Off
With settings turned up Metro 2033 is quite choppy for the mid-range cards. Overclocking the TOP got it closer to stock GTX 560 Ti levels. The reference design was behind slightly due to lower clocks.
Batman: Arkham City is the sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum released in 2009. This action adventure game based on DC Comics' Batman super hero was developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Batman: Arkham City uses the Unreal 3 engine.
- DirectX 11
- 4x MSAA
- 16x AF
- Global settings = Very High
- PhysX = off
Batman is decently playable with these settings, especially when overclocked. The 650 Ti seems closer to the 650 rather than the 660 in performance so far with a gap between that the 560 Ti tries to fill.
Battlefield 3 is a first-person shooter video game developed by EA Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts. Battlefield 3 uses the Frostbyte 2 game engine and is the direct successor to Battlefield 2. Released in North America on October 25, 2011, the game supports DirectX 10 and 11.
- Game settings = Ultra
Battlefield 3 is somewhat playable except for scenes with a lot of particles or explosions. Overclocking helped tremendously.
Unigine Heaven Benchmark 3.0 is a DirectX 11 GPU benchmark based on the Unigine engine. This was the first DX 11 benchmark to allow testing of DX 11 features. What sets the Heaven Benchmark apart is the addition of hardware tessellation, available in three modes – Moderate, Normal and Extreme. Although tessellation requires a video card with DirectX 11 support and Windows Vista/7, the Heaven Benchmark also supports DirectX 9, DirectX 10, DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4.0. Visually, it features beautiful floating islands that contain a tiny village and extremely detailed architecture.
- 8x AA
- 16x AF
- Shaders = High
- Tesselation = Extreme
- Measurement = FPS
Overclocking has the 650 Ti getting closer to the 560 Ti. This benchmark is choppy on and off. Performance differs greatly between the GTX 650 Ti and 660.
Civilization V is a turn-based strategy game. The premise is to play as one of 18 civilizations and lead the civilization from the "dawn of man" up to the space age. This latest iteration of the Civilization series uses a new game engine and massive changes to the way the AI is used throughout the game. Civilization V is developed by Firaxis Games and is published by 2K games and was released for Windows in September of 2010. Testing will be done using actual game play with FPS measured by Fraps through a series of five turns, 150 turns into the game.
- 8x MSAA
- Global Settings = High
- DirectX 11
Civilization V plays well with the ASUS card even with these high settings. The 650 Ti gets about half as many FPS as the 660 Ti.
DiRT 3 is the third iteration of this series. Published and developed by Codemasters, this game uses the EGO 2.0 game engine and was released in the US on PC in May of 2011.
- 8x AA
- 16x AF in CP
- Ultra Settings
DiRT 3 is another game that runs great on this card. Overclocking gained roughly 10 FPS!
Mafia II is a third-person shooter that puts you into the shoes of a poor, Sicilian immigrant, Vito Scarletta. Vito has just returned home from serving overseas in the liberation of fascist Italy, to avoiding his jail sentence, to finding his family in debt. The debt must be repaid by the end of the week, and his childhood friend, Joe Barbaro, conveniently happens to have questionable connections that he assures will help Vito clear the debt by that time. As such, Vito is sucked into a world of quick cash. Released in North America for PC in August of 2010, the game was developed by 2K Czech, published by 2K, and uses the Illusion 1.3 game engine.
- 4x AA
- 16x AF
- In-game settings = High
- Ambient Occlusion = On
Mafia II ran pretty smooth on the overclocked settings. NVIDIA was correct when it said that the 650 Ti was about 40% faster than the 650.
3DMark 11 is the next installment in Futuremark's 3DMark series, with Vantage as its predecessor. The name implies that this benchmark is for Microsoft DirectX 11 and with an unintended coincidence, the name matches the year proceeding its release (which was the naming scheme to some prior versions of 3DMark nonetheless). 3DMark 11 is designed solely for DirectX 11, so Windows Vista or 7 is required along with a DirectX 11 graphics card in order to run this test. The Basic Edition has unlimited free tests on performance mode, whereas Vantage is only allowed for a single test run. The advanced edition costs $19.95 and unlocks nearly all of the features of the benchmark, while the professional edition runs $995.00 and is mainly suited for corporate use. The new benchmark contains six tests, four of which are aimed only at graphical testing; one to test for physics handling and one to combine graphics and physics testing together. The open source Bullet Physics library is used for physics simulation and although not as mainstream as Havok or PhysX, it still seems to be a popular choice.
With the new benchmark comes two new demos that can be watched, both based on the tests. Unlike the tests, however, these contain basic audio. The first demo is titled "Deep Sea" and involves a few vessels exploring what looks to be a sunken U-Boat. The second demo is titled "High Temple" and presents a location similar to South American tribal ruins with statues and the occasional vehicle around. The demos are simple in that they have no story – they are really just a demonstration of what the testing will be like. The vehicles have the logos of the sponsors MSI and Antec on their sides – the sponsorships helping to make the basic edition free. The four graphics tests are slight variants of the demos. I will use the three benchmark test preset levels to test the performance of each card. The presets are used as they are comparable to what can be run with the free version, so that results can be compared across more than just a custom set of test parameters.
- Default test settings
- Entry test: 1024 x 600
- Performance test: 1280 x 720
- Extreme test: 1920 x 1080
3DMark 11 is the only benchmark where the GTX 560 Ti performs at the same level as the 650 Ti's. Overclocking gave roughly a 15% increase in scores for this benchmark.
Temperature testing will be accomplished by loading the video card to 100% using Unigine's Heaven Benchmark Version 3.0, with ASUS's GPU Tweak overclocking utility for temperature monitoring. I will be using a resolution of 1920 x 1080 using 8x AA and a five-run sequence to run the test, ensuring that the maximum thermal threshold is reached. The fan speed will be left in the control of the driver package and video card's BIOS for the stock load test, with the fan moved to 100% to see the best possible cooling scenario for the overclocked load test. The idle test will involve a 20-minute cool-down, with the fan speeds left on automatic in the stock speed testing and bumped up to 100% when running overclocked.
- Monitoring with ASUS GPU Tweak
- Unigine Heaven 3.0 1920 x 1080 8x AA
- 5-run sequence
- 20-minute idle duration
- Temperature measured in degrees Celsius
The ASUS DirectCU II heat sink and supporting components brings the best temperatures in all four tests here! This graphics card ran quietly on automatic and wasn't very loud at full speed. 40 °C load temperatures are excellent!
Power consumption of the system will be measured at both idle and loaded states, taking into account the peak wattage of the entire system with each video card installed. I will use Unigine's Heaven Benchmark version 3.0 to put a load onto the GPU using the settings below. A 15-minute load test will be used to simulate maximum load with the highest measured wattage value recorded as the result. The idle results will be measured as the lowest wattage value recorded with no activity on the system.
- Unigine 3.0 Heaven Benchmark
- 1920 x 1080 Resolution
- 8x AA
- 15-minute load test
- 15-minute idle test
- Measurement is in watts
Having a low TDP indirectly correlates that power consumption is low too. The effects of the SAP components such as the Super Hybrid Engine are highly visible when compared to the reference NVIDIA card. The power consumption numbers are the second best and aren't far behind first when taking performance into account.
The ASUS GTX 650 Ti performed spectacularly in its range, offering top of the line temperatures and power consumption. The SAP components did not emit any buzzing, which can be heard on many reference cards with cheap components. Fan noise blended in with the case unless forced to run faster than automated control, even then they weren't that loud. Overclocking results were impressive as well: 1255MHz core and 1463MHz memory from 1033MHz and 1350MHz respectively! The two diagnostic LEDs near the 6-pin PCIe power connection should help users and technical support in trouble shooting any issues relating to power. The ASUS GPU Tweak software seems really useful and worked well at overclocking and monitoring the graphics card. With the four outputs available almost everyone should be able to plug the card in and run it. Only three outputs can be used for NVIDIA Surround Technology though. The attentions to detail make this a high quality product that worked perfectly throughout testing!
There really are not any noticeable cons to this product. It performed spectacularly for its model. The only criticism that can be given is really just nit-picking. The heat sink is long, and a inch or two could have been shaved off the length with a redesign. Retooling would cost more for ASUS so I don't blame it for leaving the heat sink as it is. Most cases can fit this card anyway so as said before, this point is just nit-picking and shouldn't be held against it.
Reference prices start around $149 so pricing will decide how hot this card will sell. GTX 660s are currently about $230, so as long as ASUS is fair it should do well! Not many cards run under 50 °C with fans running quietly on automatic at full load.
- Exceptional Cooling Performance
- Lower Power Consumption
- Overclockability
- Diagnostic LEDs
- Stiffening bracket
- Heat sink length


text: I been thinking about our problem with people dumping sofas, mattresses and other possessions they no longer want (Journal, Jan. 19). A few years ago I tried to get rid of two box springs from a vacant lot behind my house by hauling them to the street on "clean up" day. Unfortunately, Recology Auburn Placer does not pick up things bigger than 3-feet-by-3-feet-by-3-feet on "clean up" day. Auburn City and Placer County officials need to negotiate an arrangement with Recology Auburn Placer to pick up bigger items on "clean up" day as they did in the past. This would help solve the problem in two ways: (1) people would be less likely to dump if they can get rid of big things on "clean up" day, and (2) volunteers could pick up dumped items and put them out on the street on "clean up" day. Walton Perkins, Auburn


text:
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MacGyver is returning home through the Little Haiti neighborhood after a hockey game. In a nearby shop, Sergeant Concassuer is threatening the owner, Denise, who has signs up protesting the dictatorship in Haiti. He reminds her what day it is and Denise starts to pay up, but her niece Cherine protests and tells him to get out or he'll call the police. MacGyver comes in and Concassuer leaves. He warns Cherine that he'll introduce her to Baron Samedi the next time they meet. Denise greets them and Cherine leaves for a protest rally. Concassuer and his men grab Cherine outside and MacGyver runs out and is nearly run over. As they go, Concassuer drops a voudon doll in the street. Denise quickly picks it up.
Later, Sergeant Rudley takes Denise's statement but she claims she didn't see anything useful. MacGyver gives his statement and insists that Denise can identify Concassuer. Rudley warns that it's the third recent kidnapping but nobody will testify. After Rudley leaves, MacGyver asks Denise why and she claims he wouldn't understand. She finally explains that the Tonton Macoute, Papa Doc's former secret police in Haiti, are responsible and left the voudon doll as a warning.
MacGyver goes to see Mama Lorraine, who is curing a client's headache. He shows her the voudon doll and she explains that it's sacrilege. She devotes herself to the left and right hand, good and evil, but some dedicate themselves only to evil. The Tonton Macoute have placed a curse on Cherine. Lorraine refers MacGyver to Dr. Pierre Redemteur, who knows Cherine. He explains that Cherine has been protesting the Haitian government and explains that the Tonton Macoute stay to the shadows. When MacGyver mentions that Concassuer described Baron Samedi, Redemteur explains that Samedi is the keeper of the graveyard and master of zombies. The doctor explains that the proper drug can induce a coma state that can't be distinguished from death. Some of his own students at the college are joining the religion.
Concassuer takes Cherine to see Colonel Devraux, one of Papa Doc's men. She accuses him of using voudon for his own purposes but Devraux insists he'll bring peace and stability to their people. He blows a powder into her face and she collapses, seemingly dead.
Back at Mama Lorraine's shop, MacGyver cuts open the voudon doll and determines the oily silt inside came from a dried riverbed. He realizes the oil comes from a turbine at the old Liberty Dam. They go there and spot Concassuer leading a religious ceremony. Cherine is there, lying in a coffin. MacGyver refuses to believe that there is magic but Mama Lorraine insists that it's a drug that will leave Cherine conscious but totally paralyzed. Mama Lorraine has an antidote but warns Cherine will only have a few hours at most before she truly dies. Mama Lorraine joins the procession and distracts the guard, MacGyver slips in and meets Mama Lorraine when she comes after him. He goes to look for Cherine while Mama Lorraine joins the ceremony. Concassuer greets her and they watch as Devraux, dressed as Baron Samedi's representative, makes his entrance. He rallies the people to conquer the enemies of Papa Doc and displays Cherine. He offers to bring her back as his servant.
Once the curtains are closed, MacGyver slips backstage and tries to revive Cherine. Outside, Concassuer tries to convince Mama Lorraine to join her power with them but she refuses. He warns her to carefully consider his offer. She leaves and finds MacGyver, but Devraux and Concassuer find them. They grab MacGyver and beat him, and then Devraux blows more of his dust into MacGyver's face. As he collapses, Mama Lorraine tries to help her but Devraux warns that MacGyver will soon pass out unless Mama Lorraine joins forces with him. In return he'll let her revive MacGyver. She says she'll do what she must do, and slips MacGyver a bit of a herb to preserve him a little longer.
They take Mama Lorraine to Devraux's chamber and place MacGyver in a coffin and take him ot to a van to be taken away. Once alone, MacGyver eats the plant as the coffin is hauled away. He pulls a rope through a knothole in the side of the coffin, and lets the back and forth motion of the van shift the coffin until the side is pulled off. MacGyver then pounds on the back of the cab and knocks out the two men when they come to investigate. He drives away in the van and heads back to Mama Lorraine's shop. He staggers inside and takes some of her plants as a temporary cure. He hears someone come inside: Dr. Redemteur. The doctor explains he was sent to recover the voudon doll and draws a gun on MacGyver.
Redemteur explains that he's and Devraux are working together and he used his position to recruit students and provide the proper poisons to the colonel. He also warns MacGyver that he'll still need hospitalization. MacGyver keeps him talking long enough to grab some of Mama Lorraine's flash powder and distract Redemteur so he can knock the man out.
Concassuer tells Mama Lorraine to hurry. She warns him that the very air is poisonous and he nervously backs out.
MacGyver returns to the dam and drops the voudon doll behind the guard. When the man comes to investigate, MacGyver swings down and kicks him unconscious.
Mama Lorraine begins the ceremony to revive Cherine and demonstrate Devraux's power. Meanwhile, MacGyver enters the damn and finds some empty oil barrels and a circuit box with wiring. He uses the wiring to tie a brick to a gate and balances the oil drums atop the brick.
Mama Lorraine wakes up Cherine and Devraux prepares to make his entrance. MacGyver slips in through the back and crawls beneath the stage. He finds the trapdoor that Devraux uses to make his entrance and a wire leading to the catch. He also finds a remote activator. He then goes down to Devraux's dressing room and waits until the colonel starts up the ladder. MacGyver slams the ladder and Devraux into the wall, knocking the colonel out.
Concassuer realizes that Devraux is taking too long and starts to send a man to investigate. Suddenly MacGyver, dressed as Baron Samedi, appears in a flash of smoke and tells the worshippers gathered that Concassuer and the others have no magic and are their enemies. He uses the remote activator to set off another flash and flees with Mama Lorraine and Cherine. They flee down the tunnel, get through the gate, and then pulls the wire, releasing the oil barrels to fall down on Concassuer and his men as they follow.
Later, MacGyver is released from the hospital and Mama Lorraine tells him that Cherine will recover in time to testify against Devraux. MacGyver admits that he has a lot to learn about her religion and she explains that she interceded for the gods and he doesn't have to sacrifice a goat because he's a vegetarian.
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This has to be one of the worst bastardizations I have ever seen – not that it was poorly executed, just that it is so very … wrong – but I find myself wanting it on some strange level… I doubt I could afford it, and I doubly doubt I would use it to its fullest extent, but it surely seems like an entertaining toy.
And speaking of "entertaining", or "toys", depending on your perspective, I have started idly truck-shopping; our remodeling of our current house demonstrated that a four-door sedan and a two-door coupe simply do not have the load capacity or trunk space to move around some of the things we really needed/wanted, and a recent trip to an outdoor range adequately demonstrated that two low-slung vehicles are ill-suited for anything not on pavement. The good news is that I do not want/need much, which should make the search easier… should.
So here is roughly what I am looking for, in no particular order:
– Enough ground clearance to take it off pavement without having to worry about breaking the frame. We are not going to go mudding, but being able to traverse a dirt track would be nice.
– Four-wheel drive would be nice, but not mandatory (four-wheel drive gets you stuck where two wheel drive would never let you go).
– Two rows of seats. Having one car without a functional back seat is enough.
– Pre-mid-1980s. This is for a variety of reasons, but mostly because I want something I can tinker around with myself, and maintain myself should I have/need to.
– Automatic transmission would be nice, but not mandatory.
– A/C and power steering both would be really nice, but not strictly mandatory.
– It must run as-is and must not be turning into a rust farm.
– Does not need to be a daily-driver, but does need to be highway-capable.
– As cheap as we can get it.
I have no particular brand preferences for used cars, so what makes/models should I start looking into? What specific features should I look out for or problems should I avoid? As you can tell, I have been toying around with the idea of an International Harvester Scout, but that is just a random idea.


text:
It seems like a good idea!
I love to play homeword and half-life And i have à ps3 and play call of duty But i love GTA to =)
i was thinking what if i set 10 or 20 old hw2 in one new mod?
the new mods for hw2 are awsome (and my own) but the old mods? the first mods?
i am going to put al these old mods by one.
and then you can try if not all the old mods are good delete it!
leave a comments what you are thinking if this is good.


text:
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Vote Smart Just The Facts
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Macario Saldate IV's Biography
Contact Information
Capitol Email
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1700 West Washington, Room 115
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: 602-926-4171
Fax: 602-417-3162
Full Name:Macario Saldate IV
- EdD, Special Education Administration, University of Arizona, 1972
- MA, Special Education/Visually Hanicapped, University of Arizona, 1967
- BA, Elementary Education, University of Arizona, 1965
- Representative, Arizona State House of Representatives, 2010-present
- No caucus information on file.
- Director, Guadalajara Summer School, University of Arizona, 1989-present
- Professor, Educational Foundations & Administration, University of Arizona, 1985-1996
- Director, The Mexican American Studies & Research Center, University of Arizona, 1981-1994
- Associate Professor, Education Foundations & Administration, University of Arizona, 1978-1985
- Director, Bilingual Education Programs, University of Arizona, 1974-1981
- Assistant Professor, Education Foundations & Administration, University of Arizona, 1972-1978
- Assistant Director, Multicultural Education Center, University of Arizona, 1972-1974
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text:
ReelzChannel recently talked with the prolific entertainer Tyler Perry about his latest movie The Family That Preys.
ReelzChannel: What theme were you going for in this movie?
Perry: You know what I was going for in this film, just live. Enjoy your life. Life is short. You can have all the money in the world, and still won't be happy. You could have nothing and still won't be happy. What you get is a gift, make the best of it and live with it. So, yeah, all of those things are still present, but this one's about just living your life.
RC: This is a departure for you...
Perry: People are saying that. I don't think so, though, because I have kind of like two brands at work. One is the Madea Brown silliness -- you know, where you are having fun and laughing and just being over the top -- and then there's Daddy's Little Girls, Why Did I Get Married, and The Family That Preys. I kind of think they're all in the same line, yeah.
RC: Did you have specific actors in mind when you wrote this?
Perry: Yeah. I was just completely blown away by Sanaa [Lathan]. The thought of her saying yes, and when she did I was like, 'She said, wait a minute, Alfre's [Woodard] doing the movie? I'm in.' So, the two of them together was just good. I didn't have Kathy (Bates) in mind because, you know, what's awful is that I wouldn't allow my mind to even go there, which I should have. Yeah.
RC: You've got to aim high...
Perry: Yeah, once I got Alfre I mean, how much higher can you aim?
RC: What about Robin Givens?
Perry: Robin Givens who was on House of Payne with me -- which is going to syndication on the 22nd of September, which I'm so excited about -- was so cool. She was so cool. I was like, 'I've got to do something with this woman. She's beautiful. She's been around. She's wise and she's working.' So, Robin was a great choice. I wrote the role for her. That was a later role that I added in just because I thought it needed some kind of nemesis there, you know?
RC: There's a rumor that you write the strongest roles for women. How does that feel?
Perry: That's a good thing. That's a good thing. That's an homage. Well, that's me saluting my mother, you know, I just ... we spent a whole lot of time together when I was a kid. So, that means I paid attention.
RC: Did you work on Kathy's southern accent for the movie?
Perry: Not at all, not at all. She came in and fell right into it.
RC: Did you only shoot in Georgia?
Perry: Yeah, this whole movie was shot entirely in Atlanta.
RC: But we see New Orleans and everything else.
Perry: I'm sorry. We did go to New Orleans, my hometown. What am I thinking? So many films. The reason I forgot is because we spent a day there. It was very quick. It was just one day we went down. I didn't want to be there too long because at the time we were shooting there were several other films going. There was a lot of filming going on in New Orleans which I'm really happy about.
RC: How has New Orleans changed since Katrina?
Perry: I don't think anything's changed. I think people are still living the theme of trailers. They're being evicted from those trailers. There are still people trying to find homes. Don't let anybody tell you it's any different because there are still tons of folks, those same folks that were on those rooftops are still displaced.
RC: In this movie you play a blue collar construction worker...
Perry: Yeah, my father was a construction worker.
RC: So, it's something you can relate to...
Perry: Totally. When I was pulling that tape and putting that thing down I knew exactly what I was doing. Man, I could've put that whole wall up there. I knew what I was doing.
RC: Did you recently renovate?
Perry: You know what? I did. I bought a place two years ago that we were moving out of, and I'm building a new place that I move into in two weeks that is amazing.
RC: Is it going to have the same name?
Perry: It is still Tyler Perry Studios. It is 30 acres, 5 sound stages, 200,000 square feet of office, and a 5-acre pond, a walking trail. It's what I want.
RC: There were a lot of witty lines from other movies in this. 'You want some fried green tomatoes?'
Perry: Yeah. Ad-libs, ad-libs. Alfre and Kathy were ad-libbing on some of those things and I kept them because I thought they were great.
RC: How do you do it all [write, direct, produce, act], and is it difficult?
Perry: You know what I did? I took the small role because I really wanted to focus on the directing. I really wanted to watch these people act, and especially I mean, Kathy and Alfre; watch their process, and how they get into it. So, I went to school myself, but it wasn't difficult at all because I had a great team.
RC: Did you learn from them?
Perry: Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? Yeah. I think from the first film I started learning from Kimberly Elise because I had never done film, and Cicely Tyson, and Louis Gossett, and now Kathy and Alfre.
RC: Is music a big part of your movies ... is that the case?
Perry: Yeah, I think it's a big part of our lives. So, and I try to write about life. So, I think music would definitely do that.
RC: There was a rumor Jennifer Hudson was tied to this movie...
Perry: I don't even know where it came from. You know, I saw Jennifer on a red carpet somewhere, and she was like, 'We gotta do something,' and I said, 'Yeah we gotta do something. I've got something coming up.' OK, fine. Next thing you know I look on the Internet, and Jennifer Hudson's going to be in the movie. I would love to work with Jennifer so at some point we will.
RC: What's next for Tyler?
Perry: Where do I want to go? Besides vacation? Ya know, I think right now this whole month of great things coming up here in September. So, I'm going to take some time off and just ... I'll work, but I'll take the time and just enjoy myself for a little bit.


text:
By Dwight Hobbes
Contributing Writer
U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN), up for reelection this November, has represented Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District since 2007 and is co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus for the 112th Congress. He is, it goes without saying, a household name in the Twin Cities, having established before entering politics a high-profile career as a North Minneapolis-based attorney and activist for civil rights as well as environmental protection. In November 2002, Ellison was elected to his first public office as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives serving House District 58B. At the time he took his seat, his party was the smallest House minority in Minnesota history. During this session, Ellison was appointed to the Governmental Operations & Veterans Affairs Policy Committee, the Judiciary Policy & Finance Committee, and the Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Committee. Continue Reading →


text:
July 26, 2011
Jayna Knipp, left, and Annastyn Trimble help display the baskets donated by local businesses and organizations for the silent auction.
Stories this photo appears in:
Annunciation Ladies of Sodality Hold Fundraiser for Moniteau Christian Ministries Center
A hamburger and brat dinner sponsored by the Annunciation Catholic Church Ladies of Sodality was held at California United Church of Christ Saturday, July 23.
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Magnet Train
Revision as of 03:37, March 7, 2012 by 126.96.36.199 (Talk)
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The Magnet Train is a train that runs between Saffron City, Kanto and Goldenrod City, Johto. It runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. it allows rapid travel between the two cities, going over 340 mph.
To board the train, a rider must have a pass. To get a pass, you can get one from Copycat in Saffron City after returning her Clefairy Doll to her.Of the two methods to get from Kanto to Johto, the Magnet Train is faster and runs more often. The other choice is S.S. Aqua. Or you may Fly to the Indigo Leauge where the player can fly anywhere.


text:
Credit: © Indigo/Getty Images
Twisted and pinned-back sections make Freida Pinto's updo look fun and glamorous.
Styling Tip
Step 1: Start with dry, slightly curly hair. Take a two-inch section on top and hold it straight up. Use a tight-tooth comb and backcomb in short strokes along the back of the section toward your scalp. Repeat with all sections on top.
Step 2: Take a two-inch section from one side, twist and pin it up in back. Repeat on the other side and then continue with all sections on top.
Step 3: Gather remaining length in back and twist several times before pinning it against the back of your head with the ends sprigging up.


text:
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Uganda's Catholic Archbishop Opposes Anti-Homosexuality Bill
Jim Burroway
December 24th, 2009
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Uganda, Cyprian Lwanga, has denounced the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill in his annual Christmas message from Rubaga Cathedral.
In a report from Uganda's independent NTV, Archbishop Lwanga is shown denouncing "the introduction of the death penalty and imprisonment for homosexual acts." While maintaining the Catholic Church's condemnation of homosexual acts, the Archbishop condemned the bill, saying it "targets people, rather than seeking to counsel and reach out in compassion to those who need conversion, repentance, support and hope."
Approximately 42% of Ugandans are Roman Catholic, making Catholicism the country's largest Christian denomination.
A BTB reader in Uganda provided this cell-phone capture of the Archbishop's remarks from last night's broadcast of NTV Eleven.
Update: We now have the full text of the Archbishop's remarks.
Click here to see BTB\'s complete coverage of recent anti-gay developments in Uganda.
Transcript of the NTV Eleven Broadcast.
I'm Morris Mugisha, good evening and thank you for joining us. Tonight, lobbyists against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill have been boosted with the backing from the head of the Catholic Church in Uganda.
While delivering his Christmas message today, at Rubaga Cathedral, the Archbishop of the Kampala Diocese, Dr. Cyprian Lwanga said, much as homosexuality is sin, the practice should be condemned but not those who practice it. He also opposed the death penalty for aggravated homosexuality and life imprisonment for gay acts. Since it was tabled in Parliament, the bill has caused an international furore, with some donors threatening to cut aid to Uganda if it's passed into law. As Emma Mutayizibwa(?) reports, Archbishop Lwanga also spoke out against the Land Bill.
One of the leading clerics in the country, Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, has punched holes in the anti-gay bill, saying it does not conform to certain biblical teachings. Although Archbishop Lwanga says homosexuality epitomizes moral decadence, he denounced the proposed death sentence and life imprisonment penalties which the David Bahati bill… which the David Bahati Bill prescribes.
Archbishop Lwanga: "The introduction of the death penalty and imprisonment for homosexual acts targets people, rather than seeking to counsel and reach out in compassion to those who need conversion, repentance, support and hope."
Many conservative religious leaders in Uganda have blown a moral trumpet against homosexuality, and support the proposed harsh punishments. But Archbishop Lwanga says, targeting the sinner and not the sin is a flaw.
Archbishop Lwanga: "The bible says in Luke 6:36-37, 'be merciful as your Father is merciful. Do not judge and you'll not be judged. Do not condemn and …not be condemned'."
The bill has ruffled feathers of western powers, like the United States and Britain, as well as human rights activists. Bahati's Bill. which proposes death for aggravated homosexuality and life imprisonment, was tabled in Parliament on 14th October, eliciting uproar in the west with donors threatening to cut aid if the bill is passed the way it is.
Archbishop Lwanga also says Parliament hurriedly passed the controversial Land Amendment Bill into law. He says the law fundamentally errors by placing a landlord and a tenant on equal footing.