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Original Link: http://www.anandtech.com/show/1948
Asus A8R32-MVP Deluxe: First ATI RD580by Wesley Fink on March 1, 2006 9:00 AM EST
- Posted in
- Motherboards
The Asus A8R-MVP created quite a stir when Asus introduced the $100 AMD Socket 939 motherboard based on the ATI RD480 chipset. This was a mainstream motherboard that featured the ULi M1575 Southbridge for full SATA2 3GB/sec drive support and uncompromised USB performance. In addition, the A8R-MVP turned out to be an outstanding overclocker. We were very pleased with the value of the A8R-MVP and praised the board in our A8R-MVP launch review.
However, some realities set in as the A8R-MVP made its way to market in volume. Many complained that a 2T Command Rate was required for overclocks above 260/265 clock speed - something that we initially missed due to 2T being the Auto default on reset of the A8R-MVP. The A8R-MVP was very fast at 2T, but everyone expected that it would be even faster at 1T. In addition, the high overclocks required a slow progression to the overclock speed in 5 to 10 MHz increments, as we had reported in our initial review. We had seen this on other boards, but this overclocking requirement is often a real time-waster with serious overclockers.
The great news with the A8R-MVP was that it had no difficulty whatsoever with ATI Dual x8 Crossfire. The simple paddle design seemed to succeed where more complicated designs often failed with 2 ATI video cards in Crossfire mode. The A8R-MVP, therefore, became the board of choice for ATI Crossfire video.
Fast forward to today's launch of the ATI RD580 chipset. Asus is now shipping the updated Asus A8R32-MVP, which is widely available for purchase at the launch of the ATI RD580 chipset. Asus has certainly updated their ATI chipset board with the RD580 chipset and Dual x16 capabilities to compete with the best AMD chipsets available, but they have done more than merely update the A8R-MVP with a new chipset. Asus has listened to buyers and answered the concerns, complaints, and suggestions of A8R-MVP buyers. The result is an Asus A8R32-MVP that is definitely worth your attention.
We said in our A8R-MVP review that we really hoped that Asus would deliver a super high-end board, much like the Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe, which is an 8-phase Asus design. The A8R32-MVP is still not that top-end design, but Asus has added enough to the A8R32-MVP to move it to the Deluxe name. When we talked to Asus about the positioning of the A8R32-MVP, they were clear that the board performance had been improved and the board is a superb overclocker. However, we will likely not see the full-blown treatment until the AM2 version of the A8R32.
In checking with other major motherboard manufacturers, DFI and Abit will be launching top-end RD580 motherboards, but many vendors like MSI and ECS will not have an RD580 offering until the AM2 launch. This makes some sense, since RD580 fully supports AM2 and AM2 is now expected within 3 months of this official RD580 launch. However, we are grateful that Asus, DFI and Abit decided to go ahead with a Socket 939 version of RD580, since it is looking as if RD580 will be an outstanding chipset for the AMD processor.
Two things stand out about the Radeon Xpress 3200 chipset:
- RD580 is a true Dual x16 PCIe design with both x16 PCIe slots off the north bridge.
- The RD580 was designed from the ground up for high-speed overclocking. In fact, most RD580 boards will be able to run at around 300 clock frequency at the base 5X (1000) HTT frequency instead of having to drop to 3X (600) as on other chipsets.
Asus A8R32-MVP: Board Layout
Asus has moved the Dual X16 A8R32-MVP to the Deluxe name. This is reflected in the upgraded packaging with the upgraded Asus Sleeve and inner box. The dark gray AI Life package also emphasizes the addition of Stack Cool 2 for better overclocking and the 3-year Asus warranty.
The new RD580 northbridge is incredibly small, as you can see in this photo without the Northbridge heatsink. However, this chip drives both x16 PCIe channels. Other IO tasks are generally handled by the Southbridge.
The Asus A8R-MVP was the first board we reviewed that used the ULi M1575 south bridge instead of the SB450. That meant full support for 4 SATA2 devices, and fully competitive USB performance with 8 USB 2.0 ports. Asus is continuing the use of the excellent ULi M1575 Southbridge on the A8R32-MVP Deluxe. This looks like a wise move, since we will not likely see the updated ATI SB600 Southbridge until the launch of the new AMD AM2 processors.
Since the A8R32-SLI Deluxe is an upgrade to the current A8R-MVP, the best way to compare the two boards is to take a closer look at what has changed in the upgrade.
The only other layout change of any significance involves the PCIe slots. Asus has spread the 2 PCIe slots to a distance of 2 slots between the two x16 slots. This allows better video card cooling. It also requires a slight rearrangement of the available slots, but the total slots - 2 x16 PCIe, 1 x1 PCIe, and 2 PCI - remains the same.
If you look closely, you will see that the RD580 does not need a supplementary 4-pin Molex connection like the earlier 480, and that connector has been removed from the A8R32-MVP. We had no problems with stability of 2 video cards, even with dual X1900XT video cards, so the extra power connection is not necessary for stable dual video on the A8R32-MVP.
The rest of the updates to the A8R32-MVP Deluxe are not so obvious at first look.
The 6-channel AD1986A HD audio codec of the A8R has been upgraded on the A8R32 to the Realtek ALC 882 HD codec. The 8-channel Realtek is a well-regarded High Definition codec that has performed well in recent tests. Realtek has been upgrading their HD drivers frequently, and each new version seems to improve the performance a bit more. You can find more information on the Realtek ALC882 HD at their site.
The ALC882 has superb specifications, providing five 24-bit stereo DACs and three 20-bit stereo DACs driving the multimedia features. All DACs provide sample rates to 192kHz and up to 4 channels of microphone input are supported. Signal-to-Noise ratio is specified to be greater than 103dB. Realtek features the ALC882 as a premium HD part.
Just above the Northbridge heat sink, you will see another addition to the A8R32-MVP. In another move to "Deluxe", Asus has added a second SATA2 controller to the A8R32-MVP. While both boards feature the 4 SATA2 ports provided by the ULi M1575 Southbridge, the A8R32 adds 2 more ports controlled by the well-regarded Silicon Image 3132. This brings SATA2 ports to 6 on the A8R32-MVP.
Another addition that justifies the Asus move of the A8R32-MVP to the Deluxe moniker is the addition of a second Gigabit LAN. Where the A8R has just the slower PCI Gigabit Ethernet, the A8R32 adds a second full-speed Gigabit LAN on the PCIe bus. This will be an important addition for some buyers.
The A8R32-MVP provides a full compliment of rear IO connectors, including both optical and coaxial SPDIF. The new connector to the right of the SPDIFs is for an external SATA device. Two Firewire ports are provided, but both are supported by an auxiliary slot bracket included in the A8R32-MVP package or with header connections to case Firewire ports.
The refinements to the A8R32-MVP Deluxe layout are subtle, but they improve on the already excellent design of the A8R-MVP. Asus has a reputation for paying attention to details in their board layouts, and they do not disappoint with the A8R32-MVP.
Basic Features: Asus A8R32-MVP
|Asus A8R32-MVP Deluxe
|CPU Interface
|Socket 939 Athlon 64
|ATI RD580 Northbridge - ULi M1575 Southbridge
|Bus Speeds
|200 to 400MHz in 1MHz Increments
|Memory Speeds
|DDR200,266,333,366,400 (433,466,500 with Rev. E AMD)
|PCIe Speeds
|100 to 150MHz in 1MHz Increments
|Fixed at 33/66
|Core Voltage
|Auto, 0.8V to 1.4V-1.55V* in 0.025V increments
PLUS 0.1V & 0.2V with vCore Over-Voltage
(Maximum vCore 1.6V to 1.75V)
*Max Voltage depends on CPU ID. To 1.55V with Clawhammer
|CPU Clock Multiplier
|4x-25.5x in 0.5X increments
|DRAM Voltage
|Auto, 2.6V to 3.2V in .05V increments
|HyperTransport Frequency
|1000MHz (1GHz)
(Stable in overclocking to 1500+ HT)
|HyperTransport Multiplier
|Auto, 1X to 5X
|Northbridge Over-Voltage
|Auto, Disabled, Enabled
Enabled adds 3 New Voltage Options Below
|Core Voltage
|HyperTransport Bus Voltage
|PCI Express Voltage
|Southbridge Overvoltage
|Auto, Disabled, Enabled (+0.1V)
|PEG Link Mode
|Auto, Disabled, Normal, Fast, Faster
|PEG Buffer Length
|Auto, Short, Long, Longer, Longest
|AI Overclocking
|Manual, Auto*, Standard*, Overclock Profile**, AI N.O.S.**
*CPU Frequency and Other OC Parameters Set Automatically
**Manually Set CPU Frequency and Other Parameters Auto Adjust
|Overclock Profile Options
|AI N.O.S. Options
|Memory Slots
|Four 184-pin DDR DIMM Slots
Dual-Channel Configuration
Regular Unbuffered or ECC Memory to 4GB Total
|Expansion Slots
|2 PCIe x16
1 PCIe x1
3 PCI Slots
|Onboard SATA/RAID
|4 SATA2 Drives by ULi M1575
PLUS 2 SATA2 Drives by Silicon Image 3132 (RAID 0,1)
|Onboard IDE/IDE RAID
|Two Standard ATA133/100/66 (4 drives)
|Onboard USB 2.0/IEEE-1394
|8 USB 2.0 ports supported by ULi M1575
2 Firewire by TI 1394a
|Onboard LAN
| PCIe Gigabit by Marvel Yukon 88E8053
PCI Gigabit by Marvel 88E8001
|Onboard Audio
|Azalia HD Audio by Realtech ALC882 codec
|BIOS Revision
The BIOS adjustments of the A8R-MVP were a pleasant surprise for a low-end board, but they were not as extensive as those seen on top-end Asus boards like the 8-phase A8N32-SLI. The BIOS for the A8R32-MVP is very complete, and does not really have any Asus high-end adjustments missing at all. The available adjustment ranges have been improved over the available options on the A8R-MVP, and Asus has added more options for processor and chipset voltages.
As on the A8R-MVP, memory voltage can be adjusted from 2.5 to 3.2V - much wider than most boards and the equal of the Asus A8N32-SLI. The A8R32-MVP adds finer memory voltage adjustments, in 0.05V increments. Memory voltage does not extend to 4.0V as it does on the DFI, but the only memory requiring these high voltages is OCZ VX and Mushkin Redline, both of which have been discontinued.
On the A8R-MVP, the available vCore options depend on the CPU installed on the A8R32-MVP. Our test Athlon 64 has a default voltage of 1.35V and the A8R32-MVP provided adjustments to 1.45V. A Clawhammer provided adjustments to 1.55V.
There is an important addition, however, in the vCore overvoltage option. This can be set to Auto, disabled, 100mv, or 200mv. This means that you can add up to .2V to any vCore settings that you can select in the BIOS. The A8R-MVP had just Enabled or Disabled for vCore overvoltage. The value turned out to be about 0.1V. With the added 200mv option, vCore can be adjusted up to 1.65V on our Athlon 64 specified to run at 1.35V. You should be able to achieve similar results of a .25V to .3V vCore overvoltage with any Athlon 64 processor.
Voltage adjustments are one area where buyers asked for more, and Asus has added quite a few new voltage adjustments with broader ranges in the A8R32-MVP. Northbridge Core voltage can be adjusted from 1.2 to 1.5V, as can HTT voltage, and PCI Express voltage.
The A8R-MVP has a very wide range of memory timing adjustments in recent BIOS revisions. Asus has expanded beyond these in the A8R32-MVP Deluxe. While the A8R32-MVP still defaults to a 2T Command Rate at Auto for widest memory compatability - it is now very easy to force 1T, even at high speeds. Unlike the A8R-MVP, which required 2T above 260-265, the A8R32-MVP supports 1T Command Rate to well over 300 Clock Speed. This is the kind of performance enthusiasts want on this board.
The RD480-based Asus A8R-MVP has a very wide range of overclocking controls for a board in the $100 price range, but it is weak in voltage adjustments and memory Command Rate settings. The RD580-based A8R32MVP, for the most part, corrects those deficiencies by providing finer adjustments, a larger number of BIOS-adjustable voltages, and higher vCore settings. Most users will be pleased with the additions and refinements. The A8R32-MVP stands up well against just about any overclocking board available in terms of the available overclocking options and the range of control available. The Asus designers did an excellent job of listening to buyers of the earlier A8R-MVP and adding the most asked-for improvements.
Overclocking: Asus A8R32-MVP
|Asus A8R-MVP Overclocking Testbed
|Athlon 64 4000+
(2.4GHz, 1MB Cache)
|CPU Voltage:
|1.425V (default 1.35V)
|Thermaltake Silent Boost K8 Heatsink/Fan
|Power Supply:
|OCZ Power Stream 520W
|OCZ PC4800* Platinum
(Samsung TCCD Memory Chips)
*The current equivalent OCZ memory to OCZ PC3200 Platinum Rev. 2
|Hard Drive:
|Hitachi 250GB 7200RPM SATA2 8MB Cache
|Maximum OC:
(Standard Ratio)
| 246x12 (5x HT, 2.5-3-3-7)
2952MHz (+23%)
|Maximum FSB:
(Lower Ratio)
|322 x 9 (4x HT, 1T, 3-3-4-7)
(2898MHz, 2 DIMMs in DC mode)
(+61% Bus Overclock)
One of the most interesting new features in overclocking the RD580 is that the chipset is designed for high-speed operation. In most cases, current NVIDIA and ATI chipsets need to have Hyper Transport frequency adjusted to 3X around a 260 to 270 Clock frequency to keep HT speed at or below 1000-1100. The RD580 chipset was designed for higher HT speed. We consistently found that the board could easily handle HT speeds in the 1450 to 1550 range. For most overclocking this means, for the first time, that it is not necessary to even adjust the 5X HT setting for most overclocks. It was only where we were exceeding around 1500 (300 Clock Frequency) that we had to drop the HT one notch to 4X. Overclockers should be very happy with this new feature of the RD580 chipset.
One word of caution: it appears that the RD580 chipset will not reset an HTT strap or ratio unless you first power down. We had seen this in other testing of the RD580 and it is also a reality on the Asus A8R32-MVP. For instance, if you try to set the ratio to 4X (from 5X), the board will not implement the ratio change until you have powered down the system. Thankfully, this will rarely be necessary with the high-speed HTT capabilities of the RD580, but please keep this in mind when adjusting HTT ratios.
The Asus A8R32-MVP required no special approaches to achieve high overclocks. There is no longer the need to inch your way up on overclocks. High overclocks could be set directly, and as long as the settings were workable, it is possible to boot directly into Windows XP at the higher overclocks. However, there were many times when we set reasonable overclocks and the board failed to boot the first time. In this case, power down the board and restart, and your settings will likely work. Similarly, a bad overclock almost always requires that you turn off the power and restart for recovery. Fortunately, the Asus normally recovers, but often you will need to power off first with overly aggressive OC settings.
The 1T command Rate, which was an issue on the A8R-MVP, is definitely working as you would expect on the A8R32-MVP. We confirmed with memtest86 on boot and Systool in Windows that we were setting and maintaining a 1T Command Rate in high overclocks. We did find that Asus is using a very clever tool to protect the board when settings outside the board's capabilities are detected. If we set values (Ratio and Clock Speed) that would result in an HTT higher than the board's capability of about 1500, the board would read 1T Command Rate in memtest86 (prior to Windows boot) and then change to 2T in Windows. Apparently, Asus is lowering the Command Rate to allow a boot under impossible circumstances - after the BIOS initialization. This was never a problem if you kept the resultant HTT within the board's very wide capabilities, but you should definitely find out where HTT fails to effectively overclock the A8R32-MVP.
Asus has also introduced a very unique and effective new means of dynamically adjusting memory timings for the widest possible compatibility. Asus has developed a means of dynamically controlling memory clock skew to achieve better memory compatibility and better overclocks. The best way to illustrate this feature is with a diagram.
By dynamicly extending setup time, Asus claims the overclocking ability of the A8R32-MVP Deluxe is significantly enhanced. Another important effect is improved memory compatability with Auto Clock Skew. Asus also uses dynamic clock skewing on the nVidia-based dual x16 A8N32-SLI. If you own that board, you should download the latest BIOS to make sure you are getting the most up-to-date version of the dynamic clock-skewing feature.
The Asus A8R32-MVP does appear very flexible in handling different memories at default settings, and the overclocking performance at 1T is outstanding. These are certainly indications that Dynamic Clock Skewing is working as claimed. However, some overclocking purists will not be happy with any scheme that second guesses their overclocking settings. For maximum manual control Asus has included BIOS switches for turning off the auto memory clock skew.
You can then manually adjust the memory clock skew for each bank of memory with the broadest range of memory clock skew timing adjustments that you will likely see on any production board.
Those who don't understand overclocking or who don't want to bother will find automatic overclocking options in the Asus BIOS. This allows you to set an overclock and have the board adjust the related settings. These work well for moderate overclocking, but they will not allow the extreme results achieved manually on the Asus A8R32-MVP.
Optimum tRAS
In past reviews, memory bandwidth tests established that a tRAS setting of 11 or 12 was generally best for nForce2, a tRAS of 10 was optimal for the nForce3 chipset, a tRAS of 7 was optimal for the nForce4/ATI RD480/ULi M1697 chipsets, and a tRAS of 10 produced the best bandwidth on the ULi 1695.
Since this is our first review of a board with the new ATI RD580 chipset, tRAS timings were first tested with memtest86, a free diagnostic program with its own boot OS that will boot from either a floppy disk or optical disk. Bandwidth of OCZ PC3200 Platinum Rev. 2, based on Samsung TCCD chips, was measured from tRAS 5 to tRAS 15 to determine the best setting.
|Memtest86 Bandwidth
Asus A8R32-MVP with Athlon 64 4000+
|5 tRAS
|6 tRAS
|7 tRAS
|8 tRAS
|9 tRAS
|10 tRAS
|11 tRAS
|12 tRAS
|13 tRAS
|14 tRAS
|15 tRAS
The tRAS setting that produced the highest memory bandwidth with the ATI RD580 chipset was 8. The tRas 8 setting was used for all memory testing on the Asus A8R32-MVP Deluxe.
Memory Stress Testing
The Asus A8R32-MVP easily handles 2-2-2-8-1T timings at stock speed. The default setting for Command Rate in the Asus BIOS is 1T, which makes it much easier to assure that the A8R32-MVP consistently delivers top performance than the 2T default seen in the earlier A8R-MVP. We are pleased that Asus decided to implement the more sensible 1T timings in the update to the A8R-MVP.
Running four double-sided 512MB or 1GB DIMMs is much more demanding than running two DS DIMMs, and Asus did not have any special magic here. Like every board that we have tested, except the DFI RDX200, we needed to drop the Command Rate to 2T with 4 DS DIMMs. This really should not be a surprise, since the DIMM timing is primarily a function of the memory controller on the AMD processor. With 4 DIMMs, the A8R32-MVP remained stable with the same aggressive 2-2-2-8 timings that worked best for two DS DIMMs.
|Stable DDR400 Timings - 4 DIMMs
(4/4 DIMMs populated)
|Clock Speed:
|CAS Latency:
|RAS to CAS Delay:
|RAS Precharge:
|Precharge Delay:
|Command Rate:
Test Setup
|Performance Test Configuration
|AMD Athlon 64 4000+ (2.4GHz) Socket 939
|2 x 512MB OCZ PC3200* Platinum Rev. 2
*The current equivalent OCZ memory is OCZ PC4800
|Hard Drive(s):
|Seagate 120GB 7200 RPM SATA (8MB Buffer)
|Video AGP & IDE Bus Master Drivers:
|ATI 6.2 Catalyst
|Video Card(s):
ATIX1900XT Crossfire
|Video Drivers:
|ATI Catalyst 6.2
NVIDIA nForce 81.98 Release
|Operating System(s):
|Windows XP Professional SP2
Direct X 9.0c
|Asus A8R32-MVP (ATI RD580/ULi1575)
Asus A8R-MVP (ATI RD480/ULi1575)
Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe (nF4 Dual x16)
DFI LANParty UT RDX200 (ATI RD480/SB450)
DFI LANParty nF4 SLI-DR (nForce4)
Tests used OCZ PC4800 Platinum (current equivalent to standard OCZ PC3200 Platinum Rev. 2), which uses Samsung TCCD chips. All memory ran at 2-2-2-8 timings in all benchmarks.
We tested with the NVIDIA 7800GTX on the Asus A8R32-MVP to provide test results that could be compared to the most up-to-date performance results. Resolution in all benchmarks is 1280x1024x32 unless otherwise noted. 3DMark and Aquamark3 benchmarks use "Standard Score" setup, which is 1024x768 video resolution.
We also tested using the latest ATI X1900XT to provide comparison results to the NVIDIA 7800GTX. Additional ATI Crossfire testing was performed on the Asus A8R32-MVP at a resolution of 1600x1200, with antialiasing and anisotropic filtering, to provide comparison results to the Asus A8N32-SLI NVIDIA SLI results - NVIDIA Dual x16 to ATI Dual X16.
The NVIDIA 7800GTX and ATI X1900XT are readily available for purchase in the marketplace. Since the 7800GTX 512 is not available for sale anywhere and has not been available for weeks, it seemed unfair to compare x1900XT results to products that are not available for purchase.
Results for the Asus A8R32-MVP are in light green for 7800GTX, orange for X1900XT, and red for x1900XT Crossfire. Similarly, test results for the Dual x16 NVIDIA Asus A8N32-SLI are in light green for the single 7800GTX and dark green for 7800GTX SLI. Results for other boards in the comparisons are light blue and represent test results with a 7800GTX.
General Performance
There is little in the performance of the Asus A8R32-MVP in Winstone benchmarks that stands out. The Asus board is competitive with the best Socket 939 Athlon 64 boards that we have tested. We have already established in past motherboard reviews that the ATI chipset competes well with other AMD chipsets.
With the Memory Controller on the Athlon 64 processor, Winstone benchmarks are no longer very revealing of motherboard performance. In fact, we see boards that are tweaked for best gaming performance are often near the bottom of a tight range of benchmark performance numbers. The Winstone tests themselves are rapidly becoming dated, and are no longer supported by ZD Labs or Veritest. While Winstones are still useful in providing real world performance data, we will be dropping them from our motherboard test suite soon.
PCMark 2005 results with the A8R32-MVP Deluxe were outstanding, on the other hand. Performance of the Asus RD580 topped the PCMark05 results, and the dual x16 boards, ATI and NVIDIA, held the top two spots in the 05 results.
We were never completely comfortable with PCMark04, but PCMark05 is proving to be a much more useful overall performance benchmark. It is generally more sensitive than the older Winstones and PCM04 to recent improvements in PC architecture. PCMark05 results, in general, relate well to the other performance results that we find in our board tests - providing a quick and reliable snapshot of board performance compared to other motherboards.
Graphics Performance and Encoding
The 3DMark benchmarks, published by FutureMark, are probably the most widely quoted gaming performance benchmarks available. While the benchmarks are based on game sequences written by FutureMark to reveal subtle differences in gaming performance, they still have to be considered synthetic benchmarks. They are useful for broad Graphics comparisons, but they are no substitute for benchmarks with real gaming engines that are currently being played.
3DMark06 was recently introduced and you can find more in-depth information about this new 3DMark at in the AnandTech article Futuremark's Latest Attempt: 3DMark06 Tested.
You would expect the most recent and most feature-rich cards to distance themselves from the competition in the most recent updates of 3DMark. That is exactly what happens. The latest, greatest X1900XT is only about 1500 points ahead in 3DMark03, but it grows to a 30% lead (10657 vs. 7698) in 3DMark05 and a similar 30% lead in the latest 3Dmark06. However, comparing apples to apples (the A8R32MVP running an MSI 7800GTX to NVIDIA boards running a 7800GTX), results were too close to call an advantage for the NVIDIA or ATI chipset boards.
Encoding results should not be affected by the graphics card used during the encoding benchmarks. This is demonstrated again by the archive test results for AutoGK using an AMD 4000+ processor with a wide assortment of video cards. The performance range of those encoding tests is just 48.1 to 48.9 - a difference form high to low of just 0.8 frames. Clearly, the biggest influence on this encoding benchmark is the CPU used for testing.
Standard Gaming Performance
We tested with our standard group of game tests, which includes Quake 4, Aquamark 3, F.E.A.R, Far Cry, Splinter Cell – Chaos Theory, Doom 3, and Wolfenstein-Enemy Territory. All boards were tested with the Stock MSI 7800GTX with 81.98 drivers to allow direct comparison of motherboard gaming performance. Benchmarks were also run using the latest ATI X1900XT video card on the Asus A8R32-MVP Deluxe for comparison and to provide a baseline for future performance tests.
The Asus was generally the top performer in standard gaming when compared to NVIDIA boards running the same 7800 GTX. This should put to rest any concerns as to whether or not an NVIDIA video card will perform well on the upcoming RD580 chipset. We have already seen in the X1900XT launch reviews that it is now the top video performer – at least until NVIDIA launches their new architecture in the near future. It should come as no surprise that the X1900XT topped all the gaming charts – some by wide margins.
Crossfire Gaming Performance The RD580 chipset brings ATI Dual X16 Crossfire video to the marketplace, so both the major players in the Video market now have flagship Dual X16 solutions. SLI and Crossfire are about gaming, so Crossfire tests were confined to gaming benchmarks, and the test suite is heavily slanted to recent and popular titles where SLI and Crossfire make the biggest difference.
Single Video
The practical reality today is that NVIDIA SLI only works on NVIDIA boards, and ATI Crossfire works on ATI and Intel boards. This limits our ATI Dual X16 testing to Crossfire and we are forced to compare to NVIDIA SLI on another board.
Clearly, with 4X AA turned on at 1600x1200 resolution, the X1900XT outpaces the 7800GTX. X1900XT Crossfire is also the clear winner, but the sweep is not complete as NVIDIA still leads or is razor-close in the Open GL games. The Asus A8R32-MVP ran the single NVIDIA 7800GTX, the X1900XT, and X1900XT Crossfire with no problems at all.
It should be pointed out, however, that ATI has a very clumsy means of enabling Crossfire – and there is nothing intuitive about it. You must install Catalyst Control Center for Crossfire to work. You then go into CCC, select the Crossfire tab and enable the feature. NVIDIA warns you that an SLI-capable system is installed and prompts you to enable SLI. There is no warning at all with ATI. The only clue you will have that Crossfire is not turned on is the poor performance results.
Last year, maximum overclock data was added to our Performance graphs The overclocking performance graphs allow a visual comparison of the overclocking capabilities of tested boards. For more details on the specific overclocking abilities of a specific board, please refer to the Overclocking and Memory Stress Test section of individual board reviews.
The overclocking performance of the Asus A8R32-MVP Deluxe was outstanding. Overclocking reached 322 at a 1T Command Rate at the reduced multiplier, which is the highest 1T overclock that we have measured with this processor on air cooling. Performance at the stock 12X multiplier matched the highest stock overclock of 246 that we have tested with this CPU. Both results are at the top of our overclocking results ch arts. Considering that the competition at the top is the very best and, generally, the very expensive boards designed specifically for overclocking, the overclocking performance of the A8R32-MVP is all the more remarkable. Time will tell if this outstanding performance is the result of an excellent Asus board design, an RD580 chipset with great overclocking capabilities, or a combination of both.
USB Performance
USB has been a problem area for the ATI SB450 chipset, but it has not been a major issue with the ULi M1575 southbridge. To test performance of USB on the A8R32-MVP, we ran our standard USB throughput test using an external USB hard drive.
Our test method uses a RAM disk as our "server", since memory removes almost all overhead from the serving end. We also turn off disk caching on the USB and Firewire side by setting up the drives for "quick disconnect". Our results are then consistent over many test runs.
We use just 1GB of fast 2-2-2 system memory, set up as a 450MB RAM disk and 550MB of system memory. Our stock file is the SPECviewPerf 8.01 install file, which is 432,533,504 bytes (412.4961MB). After copying this file to our RAM disk, we measure the time for writing from the RAM disk to our external USB 2.0 or Firewire 400 or Firewire 800 drive using a Windows timing program written for AnandTech by our own Jason Clark. The copy times, in seconds, are then converted into Megabits per second (Mb) to provide a convenient means of comparing throughput. Higher Rates therefore mean better performance.
The A8R32-MVP Deluxe performed virtually the same in USB tests as we have measured in other recent tests of the ULi M1575. While USB performance is a bit slower than NVIDIA, it is definitely competitive with the NVIDIA results, with throughput about double the ATI SB450. This big improvement is the reason why Asus, MSI, Abit, and soon DFI are using ULi M1575 instead. This will likely change after the introduction of the updated ATI SB600, which is expected to arrive around June of this year.
In addition to competitive USB performance, the M1575 also provides the SATA2 ports missing from the ATI SB450. The ULi SATA2 also supports RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5, and JBOD.
Disk Controller Performance
The AnandTech iPeak test was designed to measure "pure" hard disk performance using the Intel iPeak benchmark. The hard drive is kept as consistent as possible while varying the hard drive controller. The idea is to measure the performance of a hard drive controller with a consistent hard drive.
We played back Anand's raw files that recorded I/O operations when running a real world benchmark - the entire Winstone 2004 suite. Intel's iPEAK utility was then used to play back the trace file of all IO operations that took place during a single run of Business Winstone 2004 and MCC Winstone 2004. The drive was formatted before each test run and a composite average of 5 tests on each controller interface was tabulated in order to ensure consistency in the benchmark.
iPeak gives a mean service time in milliseconds; in other words, the average time that each drive took to fulfill each IO operation. In order to make the data more understandable, we report the scores as an average number of IO operations per second so that higher scores translate into better performance. This number is meaningless as far as hard disk performance is concerned as it is just the number of IO operations completed in a second. However, the scores are useful for comparing "pure" performance of the storage controllers in this case.
The regular ATI SB450 is a very good performer compared to NVIDIA solutions, even though it is only regular SATA instead of the SATA2 supported by NVIDIA. We found the ULi M1575 to be an outstanding performer in our earlier tests and the Asus A8R32-MVP performed at levels consistent with our earlier test s of the M1575.
Audio Performance
For audio testing, we used the latest version 2.2 of the Rightmark 3D Sound CPU utilization test. This benchmark measures the overhead or CPU utilization required by a codec or hardware audio chip. Versions earlier than 2.2 would not work properly on the RD580 chipset based A8R32-MVP.
The High Definition audio codecs have generally shown lower CPU utilization in audio benchmarking than earlier AC'97 audio solutions. The Empty CPU and 2 D audio both showed extremely low utilization scores in the 1 to 3% range. However, 3D audio on the Realtek ALC882 was around 9% - far from the 30 to 40% that we have seen in the past, but still enough to steal a few frames-per-second from games. It is worth mentioning that the even more demanding 3D Audio+EAX test showed a slightly lower 8.82% CPU utilization
Realtek has been very consistent in recent months in releasing regular updates to their HD audio drivers, and we suspect that trend will continue, with ATI and Intel both firmly committed to HD and NVIDIA also introducing hew HD solutions. Each new Realtek update has lowered CPU utilization and we also hope that will continue.
ATI chipset motherboards have the necessary hooks to deliver Azalia High Definition audio. Those who have been complaining about the poor AC'97 audio present on most AMD boards should be very pleased to find Azalia HD on the ATI chipset boards. The nForce4 family does not offer the necessary chipset hooks to support HD Azalia audio on their top Athlon 64 chipsets. However, recent introductions by NVIDIA have included the HD audio option and we expect future NVIDIA chipsets to offer this feature.
Ethernet Performance
The one area where the Asus A8R-MVP was mildly disappointing was in their choice of an Ethernet controller. Instead of using a PCIe LAN that is capable of providing full 1 Gb bandwidth, Asus used a PCI solution that will be limited in maximum speed by the PCI bus. The A8R32-MVP Deluxe keeps the PCI Ethernet, but it adds a second PCIe Ethernet controller capable of full bandwidth Gigabit LAN.
In practical terms, the PCI bus Ethernet is not much of a roadblock. It caps out about 700 Mb/s compared to the 950Mb/s capability of a PCIe solution. Since most broadband Ethernet connections barely tax 10Mb/s, this will really only matter to those who do sustained high-speed transfer of very large files over a true 1 Gb network - probably less than 1% of users. Still, PCIe Gigabit Ethernet is always a better solution, and it is good to see that Asus addressed this issue in the A8R32-MVP.
The Windows 2000 Driver Development Kit (DDK) includes a useful LAN testing utility called NTttcp. We used the NTttcp tool to test Ethernet throughput and the CPU utilization of the various Ethernet Controllers used on the AMD motherboards.
We set up one machine as the server; in this case, an Intel box with an Intel CSA Gigabit LAN connection. Intel CSA has a reputation for providing fast throughput and this seemed a reasonable choice to serve our Gigabit LAN clients. At the server side, we used the following Command Line as suggested by the VIA whitepaper on LAN testing:
Ntttcps -m 4 ,0,‹client IP› -a 4 -l 256000 -n 30000On the client side (the motherboard under test), we used the following Command Line:
Ntttcpr -m 4 ,0,‹server IP› -a 4 -l 256000 -n 30000At the conclusion of the test, we captured the throughput and CPU utilization figures from the client screen.
As you can clearly see, the PCIe Gigabit LAN on the A8R32-MVP is capable of about 35% faster speed than the PCI Gigabit LAN used on board. This won't matter to most users, since high-speed internet barely taxes a 10Mb/s connection. The speed difference may be important, however, if you routinely transfer many large files on a full 1 Gigabit network.
Final Words
The Asus A8R-MVP was a board that was brilliantly positioned by Asus for success. It performed well, overclocked well, and was very cheap. Selling into a market that had no compelling reason for choosing ATI instead, the A8R-MVP had just the right combination of features to attract a large number of buyers.
In some ways, however, the A8R-MVP made promises that it could not keep. The wonderful and fast overclocking required users to adjust down to a 2T Command Rate at high overclocks. Many enthusiasts did not like this requirement, despite the fact the Asus was as fast at 2T as most other boards at 1T. There was always the thought of how much faster it might be at 1T. The other major issue was the very limited vCore overclock options, which many made a bigger deal of than what facts or true performance justified.
Since the launch of the A8R-MVP, however, the AMD market has changed. Now, the ATI X1900XT is the fastest video card on the market instead of the nVidia 7800GTX. Instead of last generation's X850XT Crossfire, ATI's recent X1900XT Crossfire is now the fastest dual video solution that you can buy. The top end of the Socket 939 market is also now moving to dual x16 PCIe and ATI is finally introducing their RD580 dual x16 chipset. This is the chipset that will likely put ATI firmly on the AMD roadmap. Asus appears to understand these changes in the market, and the updated A8R32-MVP Deluxe has been positioned upward. Asus tells us the A8R32-MVP Deluxe is positioned as a high-end board, but the street price will be lower than the nVidia-based dual x16 A8N32-SLI and higher than the dual x8 nVidia A8N. This should translate into a selling price in the $150 to $200 price range once the high introduction prices begin to settle down. While this is higher than the initial estimates, it is still a lower price than the nearest competition based on nVidia chipsets.
In the process of updating the A8R-MVP to the A8R32-MVP Deluxe, Asus has also listened to buyers of the A8R-MVP. With the move to the new rock-solid ATI RD580, Asus has updated just about every complaint with the original A8R-MVP. There are even finer adjustments for many BIOS settings, voltage adjustment options have been greatly expanded from simple on/off to expanded adjustment ranges, the AD1986 6-channel HD codec was replaced by the even better 7.1 channel Realtek ALC882 HD with 103dB S/N ratio, a second full-speed PCIe Gigabit LAN was added, two more SATA2 ports were added with the excellent Silicon Image 3132, and the list goes on. Asus enhanced the A8R32-MVP and moved it from corporate pale brown to Deluxe black. Along the way, the range of BIOS options expanded to one of the best ranges of overclocking controls available on any Asus motherboard. The good things were also kept, like the full SATA2 3Gb/sec ULi M1575 Southbridge instead of the outdated ATI SB450, and the passive cooling without noisy fans on the chipset.
The big question then is: do all the changes improve performance? Based on our tests here, the answer is a resounding "YES". Where the A8R-MVP had to drop to 2T at around 260-265, the A8R32-MVP is stable at 1T Command Rate to 322 in our tests - the highest 1T overclock that we have measured with this processor/memory on air cooling. The board is also solid and exceptionally cool-running, even when pressed hard. We measured a Northbridge temperature of just 109F while looping 3DMarks at over 300FSB; the Southbridge was a similarly cool 107F. This was with passive cooling and the board under high-stress conditions. This performance is really more a compliment to ATI's RD580 chipset than to this Asus design.
The bottom line is that the updated A8R32-MVP is an easy board to love. It will cost more than the A8R-MVP, but it also delivers more. The A8R32-MVP Deluxe provides the best dual x16 video performance that you can currently buy. A pair of X1900XT video cards in Crossfire mode is the current best in video, and the Asus A8R32-MVP drives this video package effortlessly when coupled with an appropriate high wattage power supply. The feature set is competitive with any Socket 939 available and also includes on-board high-definition audio that is not available on current NVIDIA Dual x16 SLI boards. The design is also elegantly simple with an RD580 chipset designed from the ground up for high-speed overclocking and for Dual x16 video.
None of this means that the A8R32-MVP Deluxe is perfect for all users. There will be users who find that 3.2V vDIMM is not enough for their discontinued VX or BH5 memory chips, others will complain that only 1.65V vCore for a 1.35V processor is just not enough to drive their Opteron to 3.x GHz, and some will rightly find fault that there is no usable PCIe slot left if you run Crossfire with dual-slot video cards on this board. However, for most end-users and most enthusiasts, the A8R32-MVP will do exactly what they want to do with their AMD Athlon 64 processor. This even includes some of the highest and most stable overclocks that we have seen on a Socket 939 board.
We will need to see more RD580 boards before we know if the A8R32-MVP is that good or whether it is the RD580 chipset that is the goodness here. We can confess that the A8R32-MVP Deluxe has become a favorite board in the lab in a very short time and it is likely AMD board we would choose today - at least until the AM2 socket late in th esecond quarter, or until that possible killer DFI RD580 comes along. For now, this is a board worth searching out. It looks as if Asus has a young motherboard Engineer on a dynamic development team who is going to give some legends in the industry a run for their money.
Thanks for listening, Asus.


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Showing 481-488 of 488 items
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Gateway Fun Park
Gateway features mini-golf, go-karts, an arcade, bumper boats, a kiddie track and Rudy's Restaurant.
Splash City Family Waterpark
Surfing in Illinois? Yes! The FlowRider creates a perfect wave for surfing and body boarding. Water slides, a lap pool, the lazy river, a sandy play area and "Monsoon Mountain" make for a family adventure.
Bob's Civil War Fort
Tucked away in the rolling hills of Germantown is a Civil War Fort. There is a jail, civil war cannons, a stage coach, a livery, log cabins, and much more.
Laser Force Lazer Tag Zone
A 5,000 sq. ft. laser tag arena and a 2,500 sq. ft. game arcade is conveniently located by hotels and restaurants off I-64.
World's Largest Catsup Bottle
This 170-foot-tall bottle that resembles a Brook's Catsup Bottle served as a water tower for the catsup manufacturer after being constructed in 1949. A popular roadside attraction, it makes for a great photo op.
The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
Built in 1927, Old Chain of Rocks was the fifth bridge to cross the Mississippi River, which shortened the distance between St. Louis, Missouri, and Edwardsville, Illinois by 15 miles.
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
Illinois' only United Nations World Heritage Site. This 2,200-acre site preserves the central section of the largest prehistoric Indian city north of Mexico. An Interpretive Center presents a coherent account of this sophisticated prehistoric culture. Climb Monk's Mound, see the film and life-size village. Don't miss annual events that focus on Native American culture.
Carlyle Lake
The largest man-made lake in Illinois (26,000 acres), is a premier location for outdoor sports. Known to sailors, it is one of the best and most challenging for sailboats. There is also boating, fishing, hunting, bird watching, sand beaches, and camping areas. Hotels, cabins and golf courses make the area a true outdoor lover's playground.

subset: commoncrawl


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There are many Chiari patients who also have EDS. An added caution is needed due to the diagnosis of EDS. Chiari is typically treated in one of two ways: drug management and/or surgery. With EDS, the surgical protocol must be altered to protect connective tissue, deal with arachnoid scarring or adhesions and prevent cranial-cervical instability. The surgical techniques are different, too. They are designed to protect fragile tissues and prevent or minimize bleeding, and post operatively, there is more emphasis on preventing or fixing would dehiscence. Seek out and consult with Chiari-experts before undergoing any treatment or surgery. It is generally not an emergency, unless you have any of the three red flag symptoms: choking, breathing problems or drop attacks. Those indicate more severe brainstem involvement, so don't delay in seeking treatment for them. Resource: (Grubb 2002 - Rowe er.al 1999)
Hereditary disorders of connective tissue may present with Chiari I malformation, occipitoatlantoaxial hypermobility and functional cranial settling. C. Francomano, T. Milhorat, P. Bolognese, M. Nishikawa, N. McDonnell. We report an association of hereditary disorders of connective tissue (HDCT) and Chiari malformation 1 (CM1), presenting with lower brain stem symptoms attributable to occipito-atlantoaxial hypermobility and functional cranial settling. The prevalence of hereditary disorders of connective tissue (HDCT) was determined in a prospectively collected cohort of 2,813 patients with CM1. The diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) or other HDCT was made in 357 of 2,813 of patients with CM1 (12.7%). The clinical features of HDCT/CM1 were distinguished from those of CM1 alone by clinical stigmata of HDCT, a greater female preponderance (7:1 vs. 3:1), a greater incidence of lower brain stem symptoms (0.43 vs. 0.05), retroodontoid pannus formation (0.71 vs. 0.16) and hypoplasia of the oropharynx (0.45 vs. 0.02). In patients with HDCT/CM1, upon sitting or standing there was reduction of the basal-dens interval (3.6 mm), enlargement of the basal-atlas interval (3.0 mm) reduction of the clivus-axis angle(10.8o), reduction of clivus-atlas angle (5.8o) and reduction of the atlas-axial angle (5.3o). These changes were reducible by cervical traction or returning to the supine position. In normal controls and patients with CM1 alone, these measurements did not change with position. The identification of HDCT in 12.7% of patients with CM1 establishes an association between these previously unrelated disorders. Patients with HDCT and symptoms suggestive of CM1 should be evaluated with brain MRIs in the supine and upright positions. Full paper available from http://bit.ly/xesPlJ.


text: I have a time series date set that contains a date/time field and data fields (sonic temperature, WS-U, WS-V, WS-W). The data are recorded at 10hz. I would like to calculate an average for each of the data fields on a 20min frequency so it can be matched up with data collected by another instrument. It is pretty straightforward to calculate hourly averages using convert from scikits.timeseries. Does anyone have any ideas on how I would calculate 20min averages for this data? Thanks in advance Mike -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.scipy.org/pipermail/scipy-user/attachments/20110318/501b0a76/attachment.html


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|THE STORY: You're Reuben Matsumoto, and you @#%*'ed up. You gave your robot bartender, Tim, sentience, and now he's raised an army to destroy the city of Boston Sky. His lieutenants are what he calls his 12 Centerfolds — your former robot bar workers. We tell the story over the game's 52 levels and Tim's angry voicemails.YOUR OWN GIANT ROBOTS: The Giant Robot Construction Kit lets you build both bosses and their arenas, and Steam Workshop integration lets you share. There are currently over 650 bits of user-generated content, including Y-4-NG_DR-4-G-0-N, The Trilobyte, and N-0.R-3.
Launch Trailer:
Other Media
Much more information here.
Press Contact info:
Press contact: email@example.com
Website: www.dejobaan.com/drunken
Dejobaan: www.dejobaan.com
Twitter: @dejobaan


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8 of 8
Gifts That Give Back
Incorporate tzedakah into your Hanukkah gift giving with stuffed plush vegetables and fruit, and sturdy illustrated mugs. Sales benefit numerous philanthropies and causes: IKEA supports global education through UNICEF and Save the Children, and West Elm's proceeds go toward one of seven charities, including Architecture for Humanity, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Teach for America, and Heifer International.
(a: Torva broccoli, carrot, and strawberry, IKEA, starting at $5 each. b: Charity mugs, West Elm, $10 each)
‹ previous: Food as Art


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It's Good to Be Boss: Yahoo's Marissa Mayer Has Nursery Built Next to Her OfficeSunny Chanel
There has been quite an uproar on the internet lately about the new policy that Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer established for the employees of Yahoo.
Starting this June, there would no longer be a telecommuting policy making it so that every Yahoo employee would need to come into the office to work. Those most affected, and irked, by this news were parents, many of whom need the flexibility in order to care for the needs of their families.
Huffington Post's Lisa Belkin wrote in her piece Marissa Mayer's Work-From-Home Ban Is The Exact Opposite Of What CEOs Should Be Doing, "Rather than championing a blending of life and work, she is calling for an enforced and antiquated division. She is telling workers — many of whom were hired with the assurance that they could work remotely — that they'd best get their bottoms into their office chairs, or else."
It's a, 'forget the families and do what is best for company' mentality. And while many companies are trying to give employees more work/life balance, Yahoo is taking a big step backwards. Oh, except if you happen to be the boss!
Before the dust had a chance to settle on the debate of telecommuting politics and the modern workplace, word leaked that Marissa Mayer doesn't need to work from home. She is having her home life brought directly to her. She reportedly had a nursery built in her office for her baby. It doesn't seem very fair now does it, unless they offered this perk to all their employees. I guess that's why it's good to be king, or queen in this instance.
If Marissa Mayer gave all her employees this choice, now that could be applauded. Bring your baby to work? Sure! Have your school age kid doing homework at your desk? Why not! Bring that sick toddler to the office to make sure they're taken care of? Of course! But that, as we all know, would not be practical. It would be distracting, loud, and hectic with the din of crying infants, toddler tantrums and kids just being kids in what is supposed to be a place of business not a daycare. If all employees could bring their kids to work, like Marissa Mayer, I bet that "work from home" policy would be reestablished immediately.
Do you think it's okay that Marissa Mayer has special treatment for her child, but other working families who rely on working for home for their kids don't?
Photo Source: Twitter/ Marissa Mayer


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The Listeners - Tales of Young Americans Series
By Gloria Whelan
Sleeping Bear Press
27500 Drake Road
Farmington Hills, MI 48331-3535
"The lives of slaves depended on circumstances beyond their control. They had nothing to say about whom they would work for or where they would live. They never knew when they might be separated from their children or their spouses. Hoping to learn their fate, they sent small children to hide near the windows of their masters' homes to listen."
The Listeners
is the story of three of those children. Bobby, Sue, and Ella May have to help work on the plantation and they each have their jobs, but when the night gets quiet and the master and the mistress start talking in the big house, the little ones have the most important job of all--they have to listen. They listen for their futures and they listen to find out what may happen to their pa's and their ma's. The children find out they will be getting a new overseer and they are happy since the one they have is a cruel man. They bring this news back to the family. The family isn't so sure that this is good news or bad.
We see the life on the plantation beautifully illustrated in warm earthy colors by Mike Benny and we learn about the close relationship the children have with their parents. We see them in the white folks' church and then we see them in their own church out in the forest. But all this may change with what the children hear on a different night. Master Thomas says that he has had an offer for Ella May's daddy, William! She listens closely to hear what Master Thomas will do. Thankfully, he isn't going to sell him. She lets out her breath with a sigh of relief and hugs her friend, Sue. Her daddy was sold away last year and she does not know if she will ever see him again.
Master Thomas is angry with the results of the election of President Lincoln and the children have to especially pay attention. What will happen to them? Will there be war? The book ends with Daddy sharing, "We see the road, but we don't see all the way to where the ending is. We got to know how long is that road and how we get down it. Bobby, Sue, and you, Ella May, your listening is just begun."
As with all the titles in the
Tales of Young Americans Series
, this is a beautiful moving book. It perfectly conveys the message that the lives of the slaves were not their own. There was no easy carefree childhood for them.
The Listeners
portrays a difficult time in our nation's history in a stirring manner for children. This book is not to be missed and would be a perfect addition to any Civil War study.
Product review by Kate Kessler, Product Reviews Manager, The Old Schoolhouse
Magazine, LLC, November, 2009
©2016 TheHomeschoolMagazine.com is a division of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC. All rights reserved.
No content may be removed or used without permission from TheHomeschoolMagazine.com.
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Lindsay Lohan got handcuffed today! Boom shocka locka!
Today was the big day for Freckles but apparently we can now say that November 2nd will be the real BIG day. Today Judge Stephanie Sautner not only revoked Lilo's probation, she had her hand cuffed (you know damn well her bail bondsman was already present to dish out the dough) and will make her go back to court for a hearing. This is where we will all see as to whether she will get her booty sent to the slammer.
We heard that she was thrown of the Downtown Women's Center where she was supposed to complete her community hours, but as we all know THAT didn't happen because she got her ass canned for NINE no shows.
Let me just say that when the Judge addressed our beloved Lilo, the Judge was effing annoyed.
We've got a couple of clips from the hearing below.
Even though Probation gave Freckles a good report, the Judge said "hell no". The Probation Dept has absolutely NO authority to send Lilo to a different place for her community service and with that, she will NOT get credit for the time she was there.
So here's the deal: Lilo MUST complete SIXTEEN hours at the morgue before her hearing on November 2nd.
Unfortunately for all of us, Freckles will probably not get thrown in jail due to overcrowding and all that other shenanigans.
At any rate, here are the fun videos from our friends at TMZ:
Freckles waltzing off in a huff in cuffs…
And the "I hear she is supposed to be an actress or something" video…
Image via Wireimage.com


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Tech at Night: Jay Rockefeller admits the truth of Lieberman-Collins, and there's no escaping basic economics
The masks are slipping on Cybersecurity. The CISPA debate has died to a dull roar now that the House is done with it, while the Senate may or may not pass it, and the President has promised a veto. And yet, still not outrage against Lieberman-Collins, despite Jay Rockefeller (who introduced a version of the bill the previous two Congresses) admitting he's anti-business and anti-profit, | Read More »


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3 June 2013
West Africa and the Sahel region is not expected to experience severe precipitation deficits during the July-September rainy season, according to the seasonal climate outlook issued the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD).
Based on the current state and expected evolution of sea surface and sub-surface temperature patterns over the global oceans and their known relationships with the West African climate, as well as statistical and dynamical model outputs and expert judgment, the precipitation outlook for July-August-September 2013 is as follows:
"The region is not expected to experience severe precipitation deficits," according to the Regional Climate Outlook Forum for West Africa, Chad and Cameroon (Prévisions saisonnières climatiques en Afrique de l'Ouest) at its 16th session held from 27 to 31 May 2013 in Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria, and coordinated by ACMAD.
The climate outlook provided advice for users like the agricultural and disaster management communities.
WMO supports ACMAD and is promoting the development of seasonal climate outlooks through Regional Climate Outlook Forums in many regions of the world as part of the Global Framework for Climate Services to increase the availability of user-friendly climate information for decision-makers and local communities alike.
The outlook further says that available experimental products and expert knowledge on sub-seasonal monsoon precipitation variability suggest an increased likelihood for normal to slightly earlier than normal onset of the monsoon over much of the Sahel and disruptions in the distribution of precipitation events during 2013 summer over the region.
Because of the weakness of climate drivers, particularly sea surface temperature anomaly patterns this year, large uncertainties were noted in models outputs. Continuous monitoring and updates of the regional climate situation will be made on a regular basis, especially over zone 1 (see diagram) as this is the area with the highest risk of above average number of extreme rainfall events that may lead to floods.
>> See the Outlook


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Pirates who prey on international shipping along the Horn of Africa and even more distant waters have claimed that their actions are motivated by illegal fishing in Somali waters. This is a spurious justification for criminal behavior.
The United States and 44 other nations and seven international organizations, including the International Maritime Organization and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, are working together through the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (www.state.gov/t/pm/ppa/piracy/contactgroup/index.htm) to develop and implement anti-piracy measures.
To learn more about piracy off the coast of Somalia and the United States' and international response to it, visit www.state.gov/t/pm/ppa/piracy/index.htm.


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Your Opinion: Food 'tweaking' safe
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Dear Editor:
I realize that a lot of people are scared of what they eat, but GMOs are not the Frankenfoods that Robert Allen would lead you to believe.
There are groups out there that oppose GMOs like Greenpeace and the Organic Consumers Association and they fund research studies to give GMOs a black eye.
And there are groups who are pro GMO like AgBioWorld who fund studies that tout GMOs safety.
For every study that Allen can come up with that indicate serious health risks, I can come up with a study that either disputes the findings or supports GMOs safety.
He claims that the feeding of GMOs to animals causes a wide variety of gastrointestinal problems, infertility, immune problems, allergies and so on.
Here is what I know. As a pork producer and cattle raiser for almost 40 years, I think I can argue those claims.
Our hog operation is farrow-to-finish and we buy all of our corn and soybean meal. We grind and mix all of our feed. We have literally fed thousands of tons of corn and soybean meal in 40 years, probably 20 years before Bt corn and Round-Up Ready soybeans were introduced and 20 years worth of Bt Corn and RRbeans. We knew we were feeding both GMOs from the onset.
Never in the 20 years that we have fed GM products have we seen any adverse affects. You would think that after 20 years of a Frankenfood there would be some evidence and I have never heard any other pork producers voice any concerns.
As for the insecticide in Bt corn, it is not your garden variety, off-the-shelf type of insecticide. It is only the natural resistance within the corn's DNA that has been allowed to emerge by "tweakiing" its DNA.
GMOs are a new frontier in food production. We have experienced these before and it is part of the process of evolution in agriculture.
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Jedi Knight III
BaseJKA Security Fix
Before I begin this review, I must send out my most sincere apologies to a lovely lady named Sarah. I'm so terribly sorry I DDoS'd the [i]crap[/i] out of your server in the process of testing this
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patch. I'm even more sorry that I happened to do it during a ranked ladder TFFA match that I was completely unaware of at the time. [img]http://www.filefreak.net/images/smilies/eek2.gif[/img] Can you ever forgive me? :( On to the review! This patch supposedly prevents various types of attacks on JKA servers. The attacks in question are Denial Of Service, buffer overflow, "fake players". As a bonus, the patch also corrects the inherent terrible-ness of JKA's built-in logging system with various enhancements to server logs. Sounds good, doesn't it? Well, I'm going to keep this short, because otherwise I might end up circumventing FileFront's Acceptable Use Policy, and being fired and possibly sued is never a good thing. Let me just say that I found one inherent flaw with this. It only tends to work against these attacks when they are generated by the various utilities scattered around the internet. When using such a utility (which the author kindly - albeit unintentionally - provided me with for testing purposes), the patch worked like a dream on blocking Denial Of Service attacks. It was only semi-successful with the fake players - I managed to flood JA+, Lugormod and Makermod servers to the point of them having hardware crashes, yet JAE was tight as a button. (I didn't try ClanMod, so if anyone would like to test it for me and post the results in the comments, it would be appreciated - just let your server provider know that you're going to attempt a flood attack first so that they don't cut your service!) (I've never had a buffer overflow error in my life, and wouldn't know how to replicate it even if I tried, since baseJKA automatically caps off command strings at a reasonable limit below the crash-point level.) However, when not using a utility - i.e. carrying out manual attacks - there was really no change in the effects between when this patch was installed and when it wasn't. I still managed to thrash the servers* the same way I could even if the patch hadn't been installed, but I believe that's probably because unlike a program, humans are dynamic - we don't follow a pre-set subroutine and therefore we're less predictable, and thus the patch can't really block us because it doesn't know what to expect, therefore since it doesn't know what to expect it doesn't know how to react. So, as a general rule, against someone who [i]really[/i] knows what they're doing, the effects of this security fix will be limited. However, since that kind of "hacker" is generally working at security software companies earning a six-figure salary rather than sitting at home crashing game servers, all you have to worry about are the little Matrix-era haxor kiddies who make up stories about "hackin' mainframes and shizzle" when they tell their friends about how they downloaded an Eminem MP3 - and against that kind of person, this patch will do a very nice job of securing your server. Server owners, this patch may just do you a few favours, so it's a very useful add-on to have in your defensive arsenal. Oh, and as a side note, if any of you [i]are[/i] one of the haxor kiddies I described above, then please do society a favour, and take the [i]blue[/i] pill. >_> ~ Kouen * I would just like to add as a postscript, that I would never do such a thing for any reasons other than purely scientific or technological ones.
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YOU Can Fix Many Sewing / Stitching Problems!
You can fix Common Sewing Machine Problems Yourself. Problems like improper threading, machine or thread jams, tension issues and thread breaking are easy to fix. After working with Student machines for many years, I've become fairly good at working on machines even though, I don't have the actual skill to repair something. If it is a threading, tension, or bobbin problem, I can generally fix that. Here are some ideas to try if you are having sewing machine problems and your machine is not working properly for you.
Check your Machine Operating Manual for proper threading of top thread and bobbin when you have sewing machine problems.
Improper threading is probably the number one problem of poor stitch quality. Check this before you do anything else! If you no longer can find your operator's manual, I am 99.99% sure, you could google your sewing machine make/model and find the entire operator's manual and print it out. At least you'll find the proper threading directions /images for your machine if you feel you may not be threading the top or bobbin correctly.
Here are some solutions to common problems you can correct yourself:
1) One of the most common reasons for jamming occurs when you do not pull the threads loose from the bobbin area before you start sewing again.
The top thread always gets tangled in the bobbin area and then you start sewing again and the machine jams. Check to make sure both top and bobbin thread are loose from the bobbin area and pull freely each time before you sewing again.
2) The second most common problem of jamming is incorrect top or bobbin threading.
Things to check:
1) Is the machine threaded correctly?
Machines are even particular about which way the thread comes off the spool – from the top or bottom of the spool…
2) You cannot properly thread the top with the presser foot down.
The thread cannot get engaged in the tension discs, (which pulls the thread through correctly), because the discs are closed when the presser foot is down the thread doesn't get seated in the discs and then the tension discs cannot do their job. Be sure to make sure the presser foot is up when threading. Also, as a second precaution, I always hold the thread lightly just where it comes off the spool with your right fingers while gently pulling at the thread near the needle after you have threaded it. This pulls the thread into the tnesion discs. If the thread is not properly seated into the tension discs, it may sew okay for a short ways, but then the thread comes out and causes a jam.
3) Is the bobbin placed in the bobbin race correctly?
The bobbin thread almost always comes off the bobbin in a clockwise direction. So, when you pull on the thread when it is placed and seated in the bobbin race, the bobbin would spin clockwise. This is not always true, however, as mine comes off counterclockwise. You might try changing the way the bobbin is seated in the bobbin race, if #1 and #2 above doesn't work for you.
4) Lint build-up in bobbin area?
Another problem, could conceivably be a lint buildup in the bobbin area. If you can get under /behind your bobbin to see if there is a lot of lint. Fabric and thread make a lot of lint – a lot! And, it can be cleaned out with a little brush and that mighty help if that is part of this problem.
Tension Problems?
The tension is normally set at 4, but tension problems do not usually cause jams, it just causes the top or bottom thread to not sew correctly and is too loose or too tight. So, if the machine is not sewing properly ALWAYS rethread and check the things I said above BEFORE messing with your tension.
Tension is a tug of war. If you see loops on the bottom side of your sewing, the bobbin tension is winning the tug. If the loops are on the top, the top tension is too tight. Try going very small incremental changes in tension to 3 or 5 and seeing if that helps.
Needle Size-Type and Thread Size-Type and Tension
The more common problem where tension will usually come into play is if the thread size and needle size do not work together. Threads come in different fibers and sizes for a large variety of uses. If you have a heavy thread and a small needle, you will run into problems. If you have a large needle and a small thread, it won't pull through properly. Also, different types of thread may need a looser or tighter tension to sew properly.
Cheap thread causes a lot of lint and has a lot of little nubs on it. These nubs cause the thread to be unable to flow through the thread pathway of your machine as easily as it should. Check your thread to see if is "nubby". It is quite obvious. If that is what you are using, consider using better quality thread.
I use and sell SUPERIOR THREADS and you can purchase them through me at a savings.
Visit this link – https://www.superiorthreads.com/reference-guides/ – they show a great reference guide for best results with types of thread, the best type of bobbin thread to use, needle size, tension settings. I highly recommend Masterpiece Thread on the top and using Bottom Line in the bobbin with a size 75/11 Quilting Needle for great results in piecing quilts.
Contact me if you would like to purchase Masterpiece Thread or any other thread you see. Masterpiece is available at Crivitz, but in the Iron Mountain area.
Have your machine cleaned / maintained by a professional sewing machine repair person at least once a year!
Here are a few places that do repairs and sales of new machines in Iron Mountain or within 1 – 1 1/2 hours from Iron Mountain.
*Rick Downtown Sew & Vac (906) 774-8931 at Iron Mountain, MI
*Al Karen's Quilt Corner (715) 477-2603 at Eagle River, WI
I have never dealt with the following sewing machine shops, but nonetheless, there are more choices:
Julie's (920) 965-0680 at Green Bay, WI
Quality Sew & Vac (906) 786-4772 at Escanaba, MI
Tebear Sewing Center (906) 786-6431 at Escanaba, MI
If you do not in my locale, do a Google search for Sewing Machine Sales and/or Service near you and you'll find someone.


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My new tank and new fishies =)
4 Attachment(s)
Have set up my new tank and recently added some new fishies =)
As well as being my first big tank it is also my first planted tank. I am hoping to have some success with the plants but haven't had much luck with them in the past in my smaller tanks so any advice is welcome.
My tanks first occupant was my guppy Misty, who I had left from my little 20L (5gal) tank.
Then I added six cherry barbs. super cute. Then my betta Sebastian. I wasn't too sure about him but he has been in there over two weeks now and doing well. He is happy to school with the other fish (lol) and doesnt mind sharing the tank with others. No nippyness either side so far.
The weekend just past I went to get some more fish to add. I was after some corys and bought two sterbai ones home, before I realised that one was sick! :shock::-(:cry: He had a layer of white fluffy stuff all over him, and I had bought him just before closing time at all the lfs'. Have never had to medicate a fish before and didn't really want to as I was worried I would do it wrong and eventually affect the other fish when I put them together. Took them both back the next day (they spent the night in alternative accomodation) and was luckily able to exchange them. I exchanged them for five peppered cory's, who were my second choice over sterbai but i wouldnt trade them back now. They are so cute =) and have made the tank so active. I was trying to get a mix of top/mid/lower level fish but they all seem to like to school and group together for the most of it.
Anyway.. here are some pics that I took today =)
1. My tank.
2. my new peppered corys
3. My corys and cherry barbs cruisin around together along the bottom of the tank
4. sharing is caring =p
awe, it looks great! Sorry the sterbai were sick :(
Very nice tank and photos ! I love the pepper corys also. Cherry Barbs have always been one of my favorites.
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March 19, 2010
Coach Kelly Graves, Gonzaga
On playing close to home
"I think there are a lot of positives about it. Just the fact that we know the city, we know the arena, we know how to get in and out of the place. We've played on the floor, not just last year in the tournament but we play the Huskies here every other year. I think all of that can help. A lot of our players are from Washington, several from the west side. But the bottom line is the game tomorrow against tomorrow North Carolina, you throw all that stuff out because it's just going to be about who's better during those 40 minutes."
On playing a big-name school like UNC
"We've always felt that if we just focus on what we do and the way we play, then all of that will take care of itself. If we're better than North Carolina tomorrow, we win. If we're not, we lose. I think we've tried not to get caught up in that. We've prepared no differently for North Carolina then we have all year long. We've tried to keep the same schedule, same game plan, same practice plan. Hopefully tomorrow that'll pay off for us."
F Vivian Frieson, Sr.
Defining point of the season
"I think when the season started we were a little inconsistent, and a lot of people point to when we played Texas A&M in the Holiday tournament as the turning point in our season. We really clicked as a team and realized that we can play with any team out there. The second half of the season really showed us how well we can play when we are clicking, and after that we were able to work on building our offense and defense."
G Courtney Vandersloot, Jr.
Coming home
"Whenever we come home we still like to stay here and be with the team. Even though we are coming home we treat it as a business trip. We are here to play basketball and not to be home. We have plenty of time after the season to come back and enjoy home, but when we are here now we like to stay with the team and keep it strictly business."
Handling close games in the tournament
"We have made sure all season that we know that it is not just about the scoreboard. We make everything, including practices, as competitive as we can because we know that every possession counts just as much in 50 point as it would in a 2 point game. We practice so that we know how to handle every situation."
F Heather Bowman, Sr.
Playing in Seattle again this year
"I think that it is a little different here than last year, we are playing a different team, but there still is a little familiarity behind playing here at this time of year. There is that familiarity, but this is still definitely a different situation for us."
Defining moment of the season
"I think that the Texas A&M game really was our turning point this season. We are a team that is full of different players with different skill sets, and I think the Texas A&M game really showed us that we can put everything together and really play as a team."
On Courtney Vandersloot
"Courtney has become more of a balanced player throughout the year both passing and shooting the ball. She is a true point guard and would rather make the pass over taking the shot. I think what Courtney has really developed is here scoring ability, because now she is a big threat that other teams have to focus on, and then she completely opens up our offense with her passing ability."
G/F Katelan Redmon, So.
On the game and North Carolina
"I think everybody is real excited and we're pumped to go out there and play them. I mean, it's a big team from the ACC so we're excited to play them." "It's one of those things that's like, they're a very well-known team and everything, but we know we're just as good as them so we're just going to go out there and play hard."
G Tiffanie Shives, Sr. On their reaction when they found out they'd be playing in Seattle On what they have to do against UNC On how they're going to combat that size and athleticism
"I played here for a whole year [freshman year, before transferring] so I know the gym and everything, so it'll be nice to play here again and get back in the gym."
On the game
"We're really excited, just focusing on ourselves right now and just getting our gameplan prepared. We're just excited to be here."
"All the girls went nuts. We're excited because it's kind of like a home game for us. We get a lot of fan support here; it's just a comfortable feel."
"We have to rebound. They're a very strong and athletic team, and we just really have to focus on the little things--playing hard, taking care of the ball, rebounding--they're very athletic so we have to make sure we contain them."
"It's all about boxing out. Honestly I think all week we've been working on that part of our game. Just making sure we get a body on somebody and messing them up because they'll be bigger than us all game."
G Tiffanie Shives, Sr.
On their reaction when they found out they'd be playing in Seattle
On what they have to do against UNC
On how they're going to combat that size and athleticism


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I did a search around the forum wondering what a decent RPAT score would be. I noted that most that I found were from before 2008 for the most part. With the current budget cuts and (at least what I was told by a recruiter) depot taking 16 troops this year, down from 56... have the practical RPAT standards gone up?
Is an RPAT score above 4.10 considered a good mark? I don't want to say my exact score because I don't want to be treading at all on the don't talk about the RPAT with others clause.
Also curious about how many get recruited from D Division. I haven't seen too many threads on recruiting related to Manitoba.
Thanks in advance for the info.


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Juvenile common five-lined skinks have conspicuous bright blue tails which fade with age.
Related species for the Rufous night-heron (Nycticorax caledonicus)
By Habitat
« Back to the Rufous night-heron (Nycticorax caledonicus)
Lesser sand plover (Charadrius mongolus)
The lesser sand plover is a small wading shorebird with greyish-brown upperparts, a white abdomen and throat, and a black forehead. During…
White-faced heron (Egretta novaehollandiae)
A slender, medium-sized heron species, the white-faced heron (Egretta novaehollandiae) is easily identified by its blue-grey body and…
Black tern (Chlidonias niger)
A small, graceful tern species, the black tern is unmistakable during the breeding season, when it displays the distinctive dark plumage for…
Dog-faced water snake (Cerberus rynchops)
Information on the dog-faced water snake (Cerberus rynchops) is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly.…
More about the dog-faced water snake »
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Common greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
The largest species in the genus Tringa, the common greenshank (Tringa nebularia) is an elegant wading bird with a long, stout, slightly…
Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)
The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is the largest of all crocodilians, and the largest reptile in the world, with unconfirmed…
Little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius)
Information on the little ringed plover is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly.…
Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
An elegant and striking bird, the avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) gains its common name from the black colouration on its head, which…
Little black cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris)
A small, slender and elegant water bird, the little black cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) has black or brownish-black plumage, which…
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White-bellied sea-eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)
A relatively large and slender eagle, the white-bellied sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) is a grey and white bird of prey with long, broad…
Hairy-nosed otter (Lutra sumatrana)
Perhaps the world's rarest otter, the hairy-nosed otter is a little-known, enigmatic species endemic to Southeast Asia. The most distinctive…
Common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
The common sandpiper is a rather small, short-legged wader with a long, straight beak, relatively drab colouration, and a distinctive…
Striated heron (Butorides striata)
Also known as the little heron due to its small size, the striated heron has a dark grey back, a thick grey to reddish-brown neck, a large…
Large pied cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius)
As its name suggests, the large pied cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) is a relatively big cormorant species with conspicuous black and white…
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The ruddy turnstone is a small, stocky, brightly-patterned shorebird, named for its habit of turning over objects such as stones, shells and…
White-breasted kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)
Information on the white-breasted kingfisher is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly.…
Congo clawless otter (Aonyx congicus)
With its long, sinuous body set on short-limbs, tapering tail and unwebbed feet, the Congo clawless otter is very similar in appearance to…
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Double-banded plover (Charadrius bicinctus)
Information on the double-banded plover is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly.…
Purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio)
Information on the purple swamphen is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly.…
White-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)
The white-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) has mixed brown-grey shoulder and back feathers, a pale grey-white breast streaked with…
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Black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
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Red-capped plover (Charadrius ruficapillus)
A small, slender Australian shorebird, the red-capped plover (Charadrius ruficapillus) is most easily recognised by the male's bright…
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Information on the little stint is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly.…
Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)
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ArtPrize Sculpture at Kentwood Branch
The Art Prize sculpture "Flights of Learning" has found a home at the new Kentwood branch. The sculpture was purchased for $30,000, funded by donations to the Kentwood Foundation and the city for library artwork. The artist, Bryce Pettit, is constructing a permanent pedestal for the statue.
Besides the sculpture, the Kentwood branch has pieces by eight other artists on display. The artwork was purchased with donations to the new library, and the art collection will continue to grow.
Posted by: Katie


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Nelly 2003
While still in high school, Nelly formed the St. Lunatics, who enjoyed local popularity with their single "Gimme What Ya Got".
Here are some interesting things about Nelly. He is just one of many entertainers already booked for the 2014 Tom Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage. To book a cabin, check out pricing, the itinerary, and see who else will be performing, click here: Tom Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage 2014
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End of life - pain management; Hospice - pain management
Palliative care helps people with serious illnesses feel better. One of the problems a serious illness can cause is pain. No one can look at you and know how much pain you have. Only you can feel and describe your pain.
Pain that is always or almost always present can lead to lack of sleep, depression, or anxiety. These can make it harder to do things or go places, and harder to enjoy life. Pain can be stressful for you and your family. But with treatment, pain can be managed.
First, your doctor or nurse will find out:
You can tell your doctor or nurse how much pain you have by measuring it on a scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (the worst pain possible). You choose the number that describes how much pain you have now. You can do this before and after treatments, so you and your health care team can tell how well your treatment works.
There are many treatments for pain. Which treatment is best for you depends on the cause and amount of your pain. Several treatments may be used at the same time for the best pain relief. These include:
You can also take medicines, such as:
Understand your medicines, how much to take, and when to take them.
If you have concerns about your pain medicine, talk to your nurse or doctor.
Some people who take narcotics to treat pain become addicted to them. If you are concerned about addiction, talk to your nurse or doctor.
Call your doctor if your pain is not well-controlled or if you have side effects from your pain treatments.
Bookbinder M, McHugh ME. Symptom management in palliative care and end of life care. Nurs Clin North Am. 2010;45:271-327.
Mercadente S. Challenging pain problems. In: Walsh D, Caraceni AT, Fainsinger R, et al., eds. Palliative Medicine. 1st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2008:chap 253.


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Carpal Tunnel InjectionEn Español (Spanish Version)
Carpal tunnel injection involves injecting corticosteroid medications (eg, prednisone ) directly into the carpal tunnel area of the wrist. This is procedure is designed to treat carpal tunnel syndrome , which occurs when the median nerve—running from the forearm into the hand—is squeezed at the wrist. This results in pain, weakness, or numbness in the hand and wrist, and pain which may radiate up the arm.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
© 2008 Nucleus Medical Art, Inc.
Reasons for Procedure
Carpal tunnel injection is used to relieve inflammation and treat mild or intermittent symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
What to Expect
Prior to Procedure
Your doctor will ask you if you are allergic to steroids or any other drug.
You will be given an injection of local anesthetic to numb the area.
Description of the Procedure
Your doctor will fill a needle with corticosteroid medication. With your palm facing upward, your doctor will aim the needle toward the tip of your middle finger, insert the needle into the carpal tunnel area of the wrist, and inject the medication.
After Procedure
Your doctor will bandage the injection site and discuss what you should expect in the coming days.
How Long Will It Take?
The procedure typically takes a few minutes.
Will It Hurt?
You may feel some pain after the anesthetic wears off.
Possible Complications
- Irritation and swelling of tissues
- Infection
- Increased pain in the area for 24 hours
- Tendon rupture may occur due to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) , which causes carpal tunnel syndrome. The injection itself does not cause the rupture.
Average Hospital Stay
Carpal tunnel injection does not require a hospital stay
Postoperative Care
If recommended by your doctor, you can relieve pain by applying ice to the area of injection for 15 minutes several times a day and by taking an oral pain reliever.
Steroid injections can help improve symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome for three months or longer after treatment. There is evidence that injecting steroids can result in good long term results, possibly requiring no further treatment.
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
The Arthritis Society of Canada
College of Family Physicians of Canada
Carpal tunnel injection. DynaMed website. Available at: http://dynamed101.epnet.com/Detail.aspx?id=161674 . Accessed February 28, 2007.
Carpal tunnel syndrome fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/carpal_tunnel/detail_carpal_tunnel.htm. Accessed February 28, 2007.
Joint and soft tissue injections. American Academy of Family Physicians website. Available at: http://familydoctor.org/774.xml. Accessed February 28, 2007.
Last reviewed February 2008 by Robert Leach, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © 2011 EBSCO Publishing All rights reserved.


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Assisted Suicide: A Christian Choice and a New Freedom
It's time for Christianity to grapple with the ethical issues that face us at the end of life.
A century ago it was not an option. The final moments of life came with no heart pump or ventilators, no shrinking of tumors with radiation, no ability to cleanse a person's blood supply. Death was normally quick, since medical science had little help to offer. Then came the quantum leap in medical knowledge that expanded longevity beyond anyone's fondest dreams.
I rejoice in these incredible human accomplishments, grieving only at their limited availability across the world. Religious leaders universally applaud these medical advances that seem to validate the claim that life is sacred and calls us anew to acknowledge and even to worship the Source of this sacred life, whose name, they proclaim, is God.
These stunning developments, however, did not come without raising huge issues. If death is not as inescapable as it once was, a whole new level of decision making must be engaged. We are no longer simply children leaning on the Deity with no responsibility except to embrace our destiny. New dimensions of maturity become obvious. We now share in the life and death decisions that once were thought to lie solely in the domain of God.
There is no virtue in refusing to accept this new human reality. Nothing is changed by hiding our heads in the sand. This revolution has called us to frontiers where many religious ideas about the end of life must be set aside as no longer fitting our world. When that occurs, assisted suicide--under certain conditions--emerges as a new alternative for Christian people; the values marking the Christian faith and those motivating the 'Death with Dignity' movement begin to merge. The key to this union lies in the commitment by both groups to defend the dignity and sacredness of human life. That is a rapprochement I welcome and hope to facilitate.
As these new realities engage both groups, core definitions demand to be recast. For Christians that will not be easy. Just as we have come to believe that St. Paul was wrong in his attitude toward women and homosexuality, we now must see that he was also wrong when he viewed death as an enemy, even the "the last enemy" that had to be destroyed. When Paul wrote those words, he was under the influence of the ancient biblical myth of creation.
In that story, first thought of quite literally and later regarded as only metaphorically true, the explanation was offered that the disobedience of the first man and woman had plunged the whole world into sin, breaking the divine image in human life and causing banishment from the Garden of Eden. This fall was also said to have destroyed our immortality, causing us ultimately to die. The fact that no one escaped death was prima facie evidence for those like Paul, who were shaped by this defining myth, that sin was universal and death, its punishment, was the ultimate human enemy that had to be overcome.
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Man receives 3 years for Auburn tree poisoning
Saturday, March 23, 2013
OPELIKA, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama fan who poisoned the iconic Toomer's Corner oak trees at rival Auburn has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Court filings Friday show Harvey Updyke Jr. pleaded guilty to desecrating a venerated object and damaging an animal or crop facility. The sentence requires him to serve at least six months in jail and spend five years on supervised probation. He has been credited with 104 days already served.
Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob A. Walker III also fined Updyke $1,000. The probation terms include a 7 p.m. curfew and prohibit Updyke from going onto Auburn's campus or attending a college sporting event.
Auburn fans traditionally gather at Toomer's Corner to celebrate victories. The resolution ends a case that highlighted the emotions in the year-round rivalry.
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Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a…..cow.
Even the Jersey cows are getting into the Superman spirit as the island prepares for its first ever film premiere on Friday (14 June).
The heroic herd became donned the superhero's famous blue-and-red cape in anticipation of Hollywood's arrival for a very special premiere of one of this year's biggest films – Man of Steel.
Locals even etched out the iconic 'S' logo on one of the island's sandy beaches.
Jersey-born Henry Cavill who plays the leading role will be the star attraction and the reason behind the extraordinary premiere location, having made a specific request to the film company to give something back to the island where he was born and spent most of his childhood.
The Jersey premiere will take place on Friday, after the London event, in order for Henry and other big name Hollywood superstars to attend.
Henry's family still live on the island and will be joined by friends and supporters for a series of special screenings.
David de Carteret, director at Jersey Tourism, said: "Jersey's over the moon to be hosting such a prestigious event. We're all incredibly proud of Henry and the whole island is delighted to get the chance to host such an important premiere on our shores.
"Island life is gearing up for Henry's arrival; from the Jersey Evening Post turning into the Daily Planet for a day to local produce being prepared for the premiere's after party. Even our famous cows can't wait for Superman to fly in on Friday."


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David Beaver
|Faculty Profile
Research Description
Professor Beaver researches and teaches on the semantics and pragmatics of natural languages, in particular on how information is organized at the sentence and discourse level. Within this, he has worked on presupposition, anaphora, topic and focus. He also has interests in temporal and event semantics, in simulations of language evolution, and in broader philisophical, psychological and computational themes from cognitive science.
Affiliated Departments
Affiliated Research Units
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She was independent and hard-working. She was smart and she was funny. And she lived to be 100. But sadly, our beloved "flower lady," Frieda Foertsch, passed away yesterday. From 1954 until 2009, Frieda graced us with her formidable presence. Whether working the front gate, helping in the kitchen, sewing a new red suit for…Read More »
Posts Tagged: Frieda
"I'll be a lady of leisure"
Today, our staff bid a fond farewell to this sweet face: After many, many years of helping to make Santa Claus Land and then Holiday World & Splashin' Safari an especially lovely place, she's decided to become "a lady of leisure." Over the years, she's appeared as a calendar girl, won a state-wide honor, been…Read More »
A woman for all seasons
Frieda is in the news again. Rich from the Evansville Courier & Press wrote a wonderful feature story about her a number of years ago. Ever since then, he asks about her each time we talk. A week or so ago, Rich came up to visit with Frieda again and catch up with her. He…Read More »
Ninety-five candles
Those pretty flowers throughout Holiday World & Splashin' Safari? We have Frieda to thank. And today's her birthday. She's 95. Frieda has worked in just about every department over the years. Front gate, food services, the Betsy Ross Doll Museum. Since she "retired," she's been in charge of our greenhouse. Our "plant manager," if you…Read More »