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HP DX5150 – OEM plus AMDby Jarred Walton on 12/14/2005 11:15 PM EST
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ozgure - Thursday, February 02, 2006 - linkYou have said "Full 5.1 audio is supported with speakers". I couldn't manage to get a sound from line-in port. Are you really sure?? Can you share me howto? Reply
bzsetshot - Thursday, December 22, 2005 - linkI standarized my company to this machine almost as soon as it came out and I have not regreted this decision for one second. Ultra stable, ultra flexible and perfect size. It even has integrated RAID!! I highly recommend this machine. Reply
trexpesto - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - link
It may become necessary to install a faster GPU once Windows Vista ships
That is so wrong. Or very funny. Can't tell if you are serious == great writing.
:D Reply
JarredWalton - Friday, December 16, 2005 - linkOh, I'm serious about that. Vista will have a bunch of graphical effects that will actually leverage the power of the GPU. You should be able to drop back to a Windows XP style interface, and technically the DX9 integrated graphics should be able to handle the new UI effects... but then, technically the DX9 IGPs can run all the latest games at reasonable rates. :) Reply
mino - Saturday, December 17, 2005 - linkHave you tested it or is it just a guess? Actually many would like to know how high performance is necessary to achieve acceptable performance of aero-glass. Nice theme for a short folow-up article IMHO. Reply
JarredWalton - Monday, December 19, 2005 - linkJust a guess, hence the "may" part. What I'm basically saying is worry about Vista when Vista is actually available. If it turns out that the graphical effects don't work well with an IGP, then you can upgrade. Reply
Ditiris - Friday, December 16, 2005 - linkI believe the integrated GPU, the X200, supports the 3d Aero Glass theme in Avalon/WPF. So, there shouldn't be any need to upgrade.
I don't think this is much of an issue for business users, but home users considering the model might want the eye candy. Reply
Foxbat121 - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkI bought a HP a1250n from CC recently. It comes with x2 3800+, 1GB memory, 250GB HDD, 1 16x LightScribe DL DVD Burner and 1 DVD-ROM Drive, meida card reader, 300W PSU, MCE 2005 OS. All for just $799 AR. Upgraded to a 6600GT and plays BF2 and HL2 just fine. I configured a DIY system on NewEgg, and it is around $1,000. When compare OEM system to DIY, please also take into account of OS cost (for your DIY). I know it's not much for OEM, but it will cost you $100+ for MCE or XP Pro legally. Reply
Lifted - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkBought one of these a while back to have a user test out and it's working out great. I am ordering another 10 next week, from CDW since they have them in stock, for $850 or so in a bundle with an HP 19" monitor. $599 for the system and $250 for monitor is a great deal, especially considering they both have standard 3 year next day on site support. 4 and 5 year warranties are also available for not too much more. Reply
Lifted - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkOh, one odd thing though. I comes with two video ports but the DVI is digital only, meaning no DVI - VGA adapter. So if you want to use two montiors, which IS supported by the on board ATI chip, you have to use one analog monitor and one digital monitor, or buy two analog/digital monitors which cost more. I think they did this to sell the optional PCIe cards. The system is cheap enough though so I'm happy with it. Reply
falcc - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkThanks for providing this review. I would love to see more reviews like this but with comparisions to similarly specced options from DELL, Lenovo etc. No one seems to do reviews like that.
We have 100 of the SFF 5150's on order. If we are happy with them we will be ordering another 700 or so next year.
I would have liked to of seen some testing on Windows Vista beta. Most corporates lease, and any machines leased now for 3 years could easily be running Windows Vista in a couple of years time when the company updates their SOE. Reply
sprockkets - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkI remember when HP used Delta power supplies. Who makes that one inside the computer? HP? Sure. Dell has been using low quality power supplies and their systems fail to properly turn on all the time, and for what, $5-10 dollars savings on a system?
Better to get an AMD system. Use any application that requires the cpu in a prescott based system to go 100% and the cpu fan turns on full blast. I found out that can happen just by scrolling up and down a pdf document (Acrobat's fault). Out of say 100 Dell prescott systems at work, 3 of them have their cpu fan stuck on full speed, which is extremely annoying to other workers. Well, these are the small factor pc's though. But since they are so cheap they are not going to pay $500 for their own internal IT staff to fix them (different accounts within the business). Reply
WackyDan - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkWhat a lot of people miss when comparing OEM systems to DIY for business use is what to do with the systems 3 or 4 years down the road.
You just can't throw them in dumpster anymore, and most of the time you can't donate or you don't want to sell to employee's as if they dispose of them improperly, you can still be one the one getting fined by the EPA.
Buying OEM systems allows you the opportunity to lease, at very attractive rates, and if you don't lease, every OEM has a decent asset recovery/disposal service. You'll get a higher return at end of lifecycle with OEM boxes every time. Reply
MrEMan - Monday, December 19, 2005 - linkAre you sure that the disposal rules apply to low quantity home DIY PCs?
And what is to keep you from various parts in with your normal trash and letting the scavengers take the case if you don't plan to reuse it (I actually reused 2 Zeos desktop cases to build 4 different PCs over the years until Baby AT, Super Socket 7 boards were phased out)? Most likely the LCD display will be transferred to a new PC anyway or can be sold or give away. Reply
Jellodyne - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkWe OEM our own corporate systems at work. I think that some of the specs in the DIY system were overdone, especially when compared to the HP. First, using a 4000+ in this type of system is unbalanced, and a waste of money. The processer outclasses the rest of the system. A 3200+ or 3400+ gets you most of the performance for a lot less money. Also, a 250 GB hard drive is great if you're ripping movies and mp3s and installing games, but most corporate users never need more than 20GB. 80 GB drives are more than enough, and a huge cost savings. Premium memory is also a waste. As you say, CL3 memory is somewhat more reliable, and significantly cheaper, if a bit dowdy, but we use it for those reasons, just like HP. Finally, the case and power supply is the hardest part of the equation, but we finally settled on an awesome Chenbro case with a 380 watt PS, which we were able to buy in pallet quantities for about $45. Each of these things saves a little money but the end result is a lot.
Last years build was as follows:
$80 MSI RS480M2-IL Radeon Xpress 200 board
$160 Socket 939 3000+ (Retail) (This was months ago, would be a 3200+ now)
$90 2x512 Kingston PC3200 (CL3)
$70 WD 80 GB SATA HDD (this would be 160GB now for same price)
$45 Chenbro MicroATX 380 watt case
$9 FDD (Some people still need 'em)
Total < $500
No warranty, that's in house. Most of the parts come with a warranty. If you can build 'em you can support 'em. Furthermore, once your staff has built 'em they are better at supporting them then if they hadn't. Assembly is a pain, but we come in on a couple of Saturdays to get it done 1 person can easilly assemble 4 an hour so even at overtime rates, total cost is still under $500. We assemble 80-100 once a year and roll out most of them ASAP, and keep some on hand for spares and growth needs. No OS either, but we license Windows through an entrprise agreement. If you don't have this you need to include an OEM copy of Windows.
I think you would find it tough to beat this system for anywhere near this price -- it has 80-90% of your $1100 system performance at less than half your cost. Shop the $500 price point anywhere and you're not getting a gig of memory, and you're getting Celeron doggy CPUs. And it also has the capability of accepting A64x2 CPUs -- in fact we're starting to use this motherboard with A64x2s in a rackmount case for low end servers. Reply
gdtaylor - Sunday, December 18, 2005 - link
No OS either, but we license Windows through an entrprise agreement. If you don't have this you need to include an OEM copy of Windows.
I hope Microsoft or BSAA never audits your company. You CANNOT use the Enterprise Agreement upgrade licences for Windows on machines purchased without an OEM version of Windows.
Questions & Answers
Q: What if a volume licensing customer purchases new machines that do not have an operating system pre-installed ("naked" PC)?
A: Customers should request that their new machines come with a desktop operating system pre-installed (i.e., Microsoft Windows XP Professional, OS/2, etc.). Microsoft's Volume Licensing programs only offer upgrade licenses for the Windows desktop license. A customer will not be legally licensed for Microsoft desktop operating system software if they acquire a PC that does not have a full desktop operating system license preinstalled and then use the Windows upgrade license media acquired through a Volume Licensing program to install a full operating system license.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/4/4/14441...">Microsoft Operating System Licence Requirements
Wellsoul2 - Friday, December 16, 2005 - linkI would agree the 4000+ is kind of a waste for an office system though the dual 3800+
might be useful.
You can't beat the 3000+/3200+ Compaq versions (1610NX I beleive)
of these - I've bought four over the last month -
3200+ (939skt)
DVD Rom/CDRW
Radeon 200 graphics
We paid $380 US after the rebate...no way you can beat that.
We picked up 512K extra memory for $37 after rebate.
This computer is so much better than the usual crappy Celerons I am priced into buying
for my company. Reply
razor2025 - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkIMO, the pre-built OEM systems are the best way to go for business. Sure, having in-house built system could save you money, but you lose one key element of business-computing. CTO. By doing it in-house, you have to be able to provide the same support/service as an OEM without the cost benefit of being an OEM. HP can store their spare parts much more efficiently than almost any IT department. However, since I've never done IT support for business, I'm not too sure on how the cost/benefit in service turn-around "time" is for prebuilt vs in-house.
OEM systems like these are also great for enthusiast. I.E. I just bought a Dell E510 desktop off Dell outlet for mere $310 shipped/taxed. It had P4 3ghz/ 1x256 DDR2 / 80gb WD SATA/ DVD-CDRW. It has a BTX case and motherboard, so it's relatively small (size of typical retail HP/compaq case), and it only has 1x 120mm fan to cooling. It's extremely quiet (to the point of danger, as I actually attempetd to install a video card without noticing that the computer was still on). I added about $100 worth of upgrades, mainly 1 more stick of 256mb DDR2, a used 6600 PCI-E, and a Buffallo USB Wireless aadpter. I installed my spare TV-tuner and a Chaintech AV710 I had as spare. So, for mere ~$400, I built myself a quite respectable HTPC that is dangerously silent, small, and looks nice. Overclocking and tweaking options are non-issue for its HTPC role. If I want to game, another kit of 512mb or 1gb DDR2 (for ~$40 - $70) will let me play BF2 and DoD:S quite nicely. If I went to self-build route for everything, I'm sure I would have to add about $100-200 to the equation. Also, the Dell came with Windows MCE, so that's another $100-150 savings on top.
Don't dismiss OEM as "PC for Noobs". OEM setups can be great for non-gaming use, and they certainly can be a good base for nice systems at significant discount. Reply
JarredWalton - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkThe system that I reviewed was obviously a bit on the high end for the processor. That's what HP chose to send me, but many people would probably be happy with the lower end configurations. If you want to check those out, here are the links:
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF25a/1245...">Desktop Models
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF25a/1245...">Tower Models
The $600 models are pretty good deal. 80 GB hard drive, 3200+ processor, and 512 MB RAM. It only comes with a 48X CD-ROM, but everything else is sufficient. Remember, that still includes the three-year on-site next business day warranty. For about half the price of the system I reviewed, it provides 80% of the performance. Reply
Questar - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkNice article.
I wonder though, why all the game benchmarks for a business machine? Reply
JarredWalton - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkI was waiting for someone to ask that. :-)
Honestly, I threw them in for home users that might want to purchase such a system. For businesses, they mean nothing. Still, to a certain extent, benchmarks are benchmarks; many of the gaming tests are impacted by the GPU used, but if a system like this can handle high end game, it can certainly handle running Photoshop, Word, Excel, Internet Explorer, and all the other typical office applications. Reply
Ditiris - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkI work for a small defense company (I fell/was forced into the IT position) and purchased ten of these systems for our new classified LAN where most of the work will be compute intensive applications (MATLAB simulations, for instance). I have, up until this time purhcased Dell systems because pricing on AMD systems from other OEMs was too high to justify the performance gains over the Intel systems from Dell.
It was nice to see your article follow the same line of reasoning that I did Jarred. I would be very interested in similar articles in the future, from the perspective of the small to medium business needs.
For those saying there isn't an X2 core, I can verify that indeed they do have an X2 core. I got all my systems shipped with X2 3800+ cores. I don't know if the sku numbers are right, but you can definitely get the system with an X2 core.
For the caution, the first system, which I purchased as a test system, arrived in less than a week. After testing the system with all our software and making sure there were no WinXP 64 compatibility issues, I ordered nine more on 11/23 which took until 12/14 to arrive.
I received an automatic notice from HP that there was a delay in fulfilling my order after a week and that the original ship date on my order confirmation would be, well, delayed. Since there wasn't an estimated ship date on my order confirmation, nor a new ship date on the delay notification, I can say HP's order estimation needs some work. Fortunately, this wasn't an issue for me.
I ordered the sort of bargain configuration with 160 GB drive, CD-ROM, 512 MB RAM. Because of security requirements, we are required to remove the hard drives and put them in caddies. So, I separately purchased DVD-R/W's and 4 GB of RAM for each machine. If we're taking apart the systems anyway I'm not paying 300% markup for those parts.
For what it's worth, I'm extremely satisfied with the test box I've been using for three weeks. But, you might want to talk to a CSR to see what the wait time will be if you need the systems fast. Reply
AstroCreep - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkYeah, my company has bought a few of them too. Great little systems!
We've been purchasing HP (and Compaq before them) for a few years now and have been pretty happy with the quality & service (better than the Gateways we used to buy before I worked here).
We've been getting the $600 system which consists of an Athlon64 3200+, 80GB HDD, 512GB RAM. For our needs, they work wonderfully; sure we might consider something different for our CAD guys and graphic-artists, but for the rest of our users who are more or less just 'Office' people, they're great!
I can also attest to the shipping issues of HP-Direct. We have an account with them and for the last few years we bought direct. This past year however has changed my opinion - by June three of our six orders I placed direct were delayed beyond the quoted date (which was always about a week after the order was placed to begin with), so now I generally go through CDW, PC Mall, Insight, etc. Besides, HP is changing their business focus and are placing greater emphasis on selling through reseller channels versus direct. Will obviously still be an option though. ;) Reply
OrSin - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkOne other thing I'm sick or people stating. Amd could not uspply all the OEMs. Of course not, becuase right now they do need to. Who the hell is goig to have the capacity to supply 5 time what is in demand. If more OEM use them they will ramp up just like every other company in the world. AMD have not had a supply problem in 4 years. Intel has had chipset supply and processor supply problems off and on for the last 3 years, but no one says let stop buying intel they can't supply us stuff. I know its not all OEM problesm since most of the buying managers are old farts, that still be believe IBM is the greatest company on earth. So you see how far behind the times they are. Reply
johnsonx - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkit's the same old thing: no one ever got fired for buying Intel (formerly IBM). If you're an IT manager for a company, why buy AMD? If you buy Intel, and some odd problem comes up, no one will blame you (after all, Intel is THE standard). If you buy AMD, and some problem comes up, well good luck finding another job. Sure, it isn't likely, but why bother with it in the first place?
JarredWalton - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkYou also have to remember that even when Intel has had supply problems, those are mostly for the retail market. Big OEMs get first priority, and the bigger you are the higher your priority. Business OEM chips are almost never in short supply from Intel. It's the high-end "exotic" parts that are sometimes more difficult to buy, but the starndard SIPP components are almost always in abundance. Reply
OrSin - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkWhat really getting me about all the OEM is the way they just disrespect AMD systems.
HP's catalog does list a since AMD system. But if you talk to them in person or go on line they push how great thier AMD systems are if you bring it up. ITs like AMD is an after thought for them. But hwta really pisses me off is the way HP had push thier low cost amd systems for the Black friday sales, then all of sudden they will not sell them any more. It stays out stock on thier site. It really mean we perfer to sell intel only we only have amd to get people to look at us.
Furen - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkPower supplies are rated on their output current, not their input current. If you are measuring the power draw at the plug (before the power supply) then your power draw will be quite a bit higher than what the system is actually drawing (Seasonics achieve ~85% efficiency and I doubt these PSUs are comparable to those).
I would guess the efficiency of that PSU is around 80% TOPS (that's a great efficiency, since most PSUs out there struggle to hit even 75%) which would mean that your power draw is actually ~180W using a 7800GTX (225 * 0.8), which means that you should have quite a bit of juice still left (if the PSU can actually achieve a 210 or so on the 12v rail, having 70W or so on the 5v line doesn't really help). Reply
JarredWalton - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkThat's true, but wall power is a lot easier to measure. :-) Reply
PrinceGaz - Friday, December 16, 2005 - linkI think he's referring to this bit you wrote:
"... but even in the worst-case scenario (i.e. using a 7800 GTX), power draw never reached above 225 Watts. You would still have enough room to add a second hard drive, assuming that the power supply can sustain 250 Watts."
That situation when the INPUT power was 225 watts most probably meant that the OUTPUT power from the PSU was likely to be no more than 180 watts. That is a full 70 watts under the 250 watts the PSU is rated at, whereas you suggest there was only 25 watts to spare. But a very good review overall, Jarred. Reply
JarredWalton - Monday, December 19, 2005 - linkI understand, though I would never want to actually reach the point where I was running a PSU at maximum output power. I personally like to think of the input power as a buffer: if your input Watts exceed the rating of a PSU, you're treading on dangerous ground (IMO). Reply
Cygni - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkIm loving the variety of reviews coming out of anandtech recently. When there isnt much new stuff coming out (like right now), its great to have something from a totally different angle to read and chew on, like this review. The addition of the add on graphics board and 6150 comparison system was a great touch, and really helped me think about my needs for my next box.
All in all, some may not enjoy this article because it isnt a 500 card 7800GTX reference design roundup (which nobody reading can afford anyway), but i certainly think it was a good touch... if for nothing else than "Hey, lets look how an upper-mid level system from a builder performs versus a homebuilt" or "Lets look at true integrated graphics performance." Reply
Sunrise089 - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - link...but this article has given me more info about graphics performance than many recent video card write-ups here. You actually tested at a variety of setttings and on hardware that didn't incllde an FX-57. I know the cards may be CPU limited, but so what. I now know that I can build someone an office computer and tell them that if they add a $100 6600 they can play some pretty nice games at 60+ FPS at decent quality, something the FX-57 with all settings on 'high' articles wouldn't tell me. Please keep this trend up, and feel free to work in the other direction as well - higher levels of AA and AF and Image Quality tests. Reply
Sunrise089 - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkJarred - You and Anand continue to be my favorite writers here at AT. I really like the intro to this article, especially the background you provide. By letting us know your out-of-AT existance it makes it easier to understand why you are reviewing this particular part and how it is not an example of AT "selling out". I think this is a great example of how the internet era allows a much closer relationship between the content providers (you editors and writers) and the users (us) that can help us identify with your perspective on hardware. I strongly support this type of intro for the other writers here - let us know who you are and what you do, so we can view your opinions in the framework of your actual life. Reply
JarredWalton - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkThanks, Sunrise! :)
I do my best to keep the readers happy. The extra benchmarks on this are really somewhat extraneous to the actual review, but I hope a lot of people found the numbers useful. Reply
kilkennycat - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkJarred, I suggest correcting the last paragraph ASAP.
Why AMD decided in their (er) wisdom to use the same base number for the 2 different parts beats me. Reply
JarredWalton - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkI have a direct from an HP representative that the linked SKU is in fact an X2 3800+. Here is a direct quote from the e-mail I received:
"We actually have an X2 3800+ Smart Buy, sku # pz635ua#aba....it might be
listed incorrectly as a 3800+, but it's an X2. I'm in the process of
getting that fixed."
Obviously, that needs to be corrected, but for now I'll trust the management of the small-business division. :-) Reply
Furen - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkAMD did not want to release an X2 3800+, if you remember. People bitched and moaned about the X2s being expensive so the 3800+ was released. Reply
Paratus - Wednesday, December 14, 2005 - linkWe've got HPs at work and I'm generally happy with it for a work computer. The LCDs are fine the chip was a P43.2 which was a nice step up from a 2.2 P4. Only main issues was the lack of dual channel ram (512mb only) Reply
phaxmohdem - Wednesday, December 14, 2005 - linkYeah, unfortunatly for some reason, corporate buyers seem to think that RAM is the least of their worries when purchasing. Faster CPU's and stuff are nice, but if you don't give it the memory to play with whats the point? A PIII 1GHz machine with 1GB of ram is still hella fast for any standard white-shirt business task.
I simply don't understand it, its a relatively inexpensive upgrade but businesses just don't go for it. Whatever, I'm sure they have a good reason. Reply
gibhunter - Wednesday, December 14, 2005 - linkThat's not an X2 3800+. It's the standard 2.4GHZ 3800+ single core.
Regarding these HPs, I have a few of these at work. They are realy great. For $500 and change you get an Athlon 64, 512MB of ram and a WinXP Pro. Try and put a system like that yourself and you'll spend just as much or more and that's not counting the snazzy keyboard and mouse that comes with that system. It really is a good deal. Reply
JarredWalton - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkJust to reiterate, the linked 3800+ is indeed an X2:
"We actually have an X2 3800+ Smart Buy, sku # pz635ua#aba....it might be
listed incorrectly as a 3800+, but it's an X2. I'm in the process of
getting that fixed."
That's from an HP representative, one of the marketing managers of the small-business division. Reply
Googer - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkEqually impressive for the $500-ish range is this http://e4me.com/products/products.html?prod=eMachi...">e-machine Reply
LoneWolf15 - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkIf you're a business, e-Machines isn't equally impressive. Part of what you are paying for is the support. The system reviewed carries a three-year warranty (par for the course on business systems) and probably carries business-level support too. Most HP systems also use a fair number of brand-name parts (i.e., ASUS mainboards in most systems). I don't deny that eMachines has its place, but it comes nowhere near something that HP puts out.
P.S. While I like most of HP's system configurations, even home ones, I haven't heard good things about home-level support. And one other thing, Jared...why does the article say this system has a Clawhammer core CPU? I thought Clawhammers went the way of the dinosaur on Socket 939 long ago. Anything this new ought to have a Venice or San Diego core chip in it. Reply
JarredWalton - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - linkWell, it does have a ClawHammer -- at least the system I have does. You have to remember that AMD only has one fab producing 90 nm parts, and they have an old fab that still produces 130 nm parts. Perhaps AMD gives them a better deal on the older chips? Or perhaps it's just that this model was made a little while ago? If it had used a San Diego core, I expect power draw would have dropped another 20 W at least. Reply
mino - Saturday, December 17, 2005 - linkYou are wrong on this. AMD publicly stated sometime in the Q2 that they have converted all of their lines onto 90nm production.
Also AMD does have only one fab - FAB30 - currently in producing CPU's. While there is FAB25 it produces flash and is part of Spansion division and there is also FAB35(or 36?) in qualification process the only fab producing AMD CPU's in volume is currently FAB30 on 200mm wafers. Reply
JarredWalton - Friday, December 23, 2005 - linkHmm... obviously I'm not paying close enough attention to AMD's fabs. I could have sworn they still had a 130nm fab making CPUs. I would have thought 130nm would be sufficient for a lot of stuff - better to keep what you have running instead of retrofitting old fabs, right? Then again, new fabs are getting more and more expensive. Reply
mino - Sunday, January 01, 2006 - linkWell, Austin FAB25 was not suitable nor meant for smaller than 180nm process (for logic products). AMD thus made a cash cow out of it during hard AthlonXP times. Also the capacity of any FAB is measured in wafers/time not chips pre time. In other words AMD could make twice as many K8 CPU's on 90nm than on 130nm. Couple that with huge capacity constraints AMD faced in 2005 and fact they had only one 200mm FAB and it becomes clear why not to produce on 130nm. Around this time FAB35 should come online so the tight supply of the last quarter should not repeat for some time. Also AMD's 90nm SOI process is pretty good so don't expect FAB30 phase-out anytime soon(90nm is last logic process for FAB30). Shame FAB35 wasn't online in 2005, Intel would've had a way hotter year than it had. Reply

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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But Facebook's validation of Kickstarter isn't just financial. It's also spiritual. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg approaches Oculus with the same fanboy fervor as the 9,522 Kickstarter backers who collectively donated $2.4 million to get Oculus off the ground. But instead of a few hundred bucks, Zuckerberg put in $400 million cash, 23 million Facebook shares, and $300 million in performance incentives.
This week, Zuckerberg spoke of Oculus' high-resolution stereoscopic goggles in almost religious terms, saying they'll change communications, entertainment, education — you name it. "Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures," Zuckerberg said. "Oculus has the potential to be the most social platform ever." That may sound over the top, but it's music to the ears of people across Silicon Valley who are looking to bootstrap new companies.
Tarikh Korula, whose last startup made set-top boxes like the Ybox and Pixelmusic 3000, says we shouldn't be surprised if venture capitalists follow Zuckerberg's lead. Korula's startup had trouble raising capital during its seven-year lifespan. But he sees things changing. "In my experience, VCs don't lead innovation. Hackers do," he says. "I've always felt that had Kickstarter existed for the Ybox and our other ideas that we would have been able to make a business out of the hardware thing."
Source Article from http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661449/s/38abecbe/sc/21/l/0L0Swired0N0Cbusiness0C20A140C0A30Coculus0Ea0Eboon0Eto0Ekickstarter0C/story01.htm


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 2/10/2012 (1785 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Gentil Misigaro's name means kindness in French, but kindness is only a small part of the message the local musician is trying to spread.
The 24-year-old singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and teacher was born in the wartorn country Congo .
Misigaro's father taught him how to play guitar at the age of six, and the Fort Garry resident says he's wanted to be a musician from an early age. Most of his musical talents are self-taught.
After five years of living as refugees in Uganda, Misigaro's family moved to Winnipeg in 2010, and his career as a musician began to thrive.
On Sept. 29, Misigaro released his first solo EP, which he produced himself, with a packed concert at the Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain.
Misigaro describes the four-track EP, as a "new sound" — a mixture of African, reggae, classical and other musical styles.
"It's a new flavour, influenced by different genres of music," he said.
More important than the sound, though, is the message Misigaro is trying to spread with his music.
"My music, I define it as music bringing hope, support, and love. All of my songs are based on that," Misigaro said.
"They say stay strong, I can make a change."
Misigaro said this message is so important to him because he's seen the "other side of life".
"It's not good. Being in wars and fleeing from one country to the other. (That's why) I thought I'd be able to use my music as a tool of healing and bringing information," he said.
"Many people don't support others because they don't know. I thought I would use my music as a tool to raise awareness of how life is more than just living, it's being there for others and supporting, and encouraging."
Misigaro doesn't just share his message through performing his music, he lives it, too. He volunteers much of his time at Status4, a free music and activity program for kids in Elmwood, where he teaches guitar, drums, voice, piano and dance.
When Misigaro isn't volunteering at Status4, he's teaching music to high school students, as well as teaching private lessons at Mar-Schell's Music on Henderson Highway.
"I get to do what I love every day. It's never boring and never tiring. Sometimes I go for 16 hours a day, but I don't feel like it's working. I get to do what I love to do and it's the best thing," he said.
Community advocate Janine LeGal met Misigaro when he arrived in Canada and took a creative writing course she was teaching for new Canadians.
"I immediately knew I was in the presence of someone very special — a star in the making," LeGal said.
LeGal has worked with Misigaro on several community events and has seen him perform many times.
"Every time, I have witnessed the effect of his music — lifting the spirit, energizing and inspiring to all who hear it. The words offer hope and… joy even in moments of darkness," she said.
"I'm struck by his level of professionalism, talent and kindness. (He) gives his time freely and contributes so much to youth in this city by mentoring them in music, building their confidence, and helping them dream of brighter futures."


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 5/8/2013 (1478 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
VANCOUVER — It was closer than many thought it would be, but in the end, it will be recorded as another loss for the now 1-5 Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The Bombers fought until the final seconds of the game but were unable to pull off a miracle and lost 27-20 to the B.C. Lions.
Winnipeg now goes on the bye week and next plays on Aug. 16th at home against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
B.C. improves to 4-2.
The Lions put 10 points on the board in the fourth quarter against Winnipeg's three and that was the difference in this game.
The Bombers were hanging tough in Vancouver and sat tied with the heavily favoured Lions 17-17 after three quarters.
B.C. Lions quarterback Travis Lulay got into a groove in the second quarter and struck twice to give his club a 17-9 lead.
A turnover gave the Bombers the ball deep in the Lions half of the field and Winnipeg quarterback Justin Goltz romped into the endzone for a major to cut the lead to one.
The Bombers got off to a quick start against the B.C. Lions and led 8-3 at the end of the first quarter.
The Bombers fumbled the opening kickoff but held the Lions to just three points and then answered with a Chad Simpson TD before the first 15 minutes had expired.
Winnipeg, now 1-5, gave Goltz his second career start. The team named Goltz its No. 1 quarterback in the middle of last week. His debut last week at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg yielded a 37-24 loss against the Calgary Stampeders.
"I think he's put a little more pressure on himself but we've talked to him about that because really nothing's changed from last week to this week other than probably more media scrutiny," head coach Tim Burke said in advance of today's game. "The focus will be more on him from outside of the team."
Goltz passed for 194 yards, completing 19 of 35 throws last week.
In the week leading up to the game, Burke admonished his defence numerous times and said this week's focus will be to be "assignment-sharp."


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Singapore's mm2 to partner with HK's Smart
Singapore's mm2 Entertainment today at Filmart is announcing a partnership with Hong Kong's Smart Limited to co-produce at least two films a year.
The films will be shot in Hong Kong, with partial financing from China. Hong Kong actor Ha Yu will oversee the partnership.
The first film, produced by Ha, will be heartwarming comedy ATM (working title), due to go into production this August.
The second feature will be horror film Black Magic, based on actual events, to start shooting in October.
Established in 2009, mm2 Entertainment produces and distributes films in Southeast Asia and has offices in Beijing and Shanghai as well. The company has recently seen success with Jack Neo's Ah Boys To Men 1& 2 [pictured], the second of which at SG$8m is the highest-grossing local film in Singapore to date.Both films were funded under Singapore's Media Development Authority's Production Assistance grant.
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Researching Employers
Researching employers (companies) is a critical part of the job search process. It can be helpful for:
- Deciding where you might want to work
- Writing a cover letter or tailoring your resume (to figure out how to position your skills/experience to match the company's needs)
- Preparing for a successful interview
The following resources provide easy access to comprehensive information on employers.
A good source for background reading. Great way to do your homework for an interview quickly, particularly in providing up-to-the-minute key financial performance indicators.
To access, visit the Careers in Engineering LibGuide and search for "Factiva.
Global Business Browser
The best place to quickly find recent news articles and summaries of recent company developments. Very useful in determining how subsidiaries of a corporation differ in job function/industry sector by specific location.
For a username and password please contact Engineering Career Services.
Wonderfully comprehensive, particularly strong in providing information that allows you to compare companies with one another.
Hoovers is widely regarded to be one of the premier resources for researching companies for both employment and investment purposes.
Hoover's also offers weekly e-mail newsletters with information on significant business news which site visitors can subscribe to receive.
Search for company profiles in LinkedIn, find connections and useful information. If you don't have an account, here are some resources to begin.
Interesting anecdotal information. Industry overviews, interview resources and company information are invaluable but remember to take anecdotal observations with a "grain of salt."
If you choose to use this site, use it to supplement your research but don't rely on what's in the Vault alone.
Thayer Career Services has partnered with Dartmouth Career Services to offer students full access.
- Access Vault through DartBoard's resource library tab - premium access includes free downloads of interviewing guides.


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Phoenix Rise and Berlin @ Coach House Concert Hall
Phoenix Rise
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 8:00 PM - Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 12:00 AM (PST)
Who's Going
San Francisco, California
London, United Kingdom
Florence, Italy
Event Details
Please Try Calling The Box Office at (949) 496-8930!
Phoenix Rise will be opening for the legendary band Berlin (Metro, Take My Breath Away) at Coach House Concert Hall on Saturday, January 26. Come see us perform our new music live at one the best venues in Orange County!
Shaena Stabler, Rick Allen, Denny Rambo, Wes Jones, Bart Broadnax
Please remember to purchase your tickets through us so that we get credit through the venue - and so that we can play more cool shows here in the future. :)
Tickets purchased here will be left in an envelope at will call to be picked up the night of the event.
Doors open at 6 p.m. - show starts at 8 p.m. Dinner reservations are recommended - please call the venue to put your name in line as soon as you purchase your tickets through us here.
Thank you to all our friends and family for supporting us - we can't wait to present our new music for you!
When & Where
Coach House Concert Hall
33157 Camino Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano,
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 8:00 PM - Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 12:00 AM (PST)
Add to my calendar


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Release Date:September 07, 2010
Also on:PlayStation 3 PC Xbox 360
Viewing USA:Also on UK.
A well produced game responding well to the controls and with a good playing screen interface.
Super Gamer Dude
PlayStation 3
A well produced game responding well to the controls and with a good playing screen interface. To play R.U.S.E you have to be precise and concentrated, you need to have a prior plan but even so you must still be prepared for anything that may come up which may require you to make quick decisions and may cause you to deviate temporarily from this plan. The game has three settings and plays differently on each. Beware, it is not easy to undo mistakes you have already made and chances are that you will have to restart when you make them. You will, however, have a helpful back-up that comes in useful at to some critical moments, but these are not available on higher difficulty missions, and beware, some secondary missions turn out to be death-traps. When the game begins you are treated to hints on how the game should be played in its later stages.
Part of the complicated story is set in a North African country at the end of the Second World War and features an American serviceman called Joe, a lower ranking officer who has his sights set upon becoming a General. Joe is guided by a charismatic British officer, but the unfortunate Joe gets tired very easily and seems more concerned about disputes within his own army than he does with the war itself.
At times you will be faced with a battlefield packed with German fighter planes, bomber aircraft and all the other usual hardware of desert warfare. Then all this disappears and you are taken back to Tunisia in 1942. The game jumps in time and you are also involved in espionage with a German agent called Prometheus, and in this world of spies and spooks nothing is what it seems to be. As the war progresses you will see Joe climb through the ranks, join new units, helping to organize the building of new bases and more besides.
The aptly named RUSE techniques will slowly start to open up. The RUSE units move slowly and when the game starts, the initial phases seem to proceed at a crawl. The battle's speed wholly relies on your ability to foresee the next move of the enemy and counter their attacks by ambushing and strategically deploying the right units. RUSE has its own intelligence techniques that allow you to intercept and understand the enemy intelligence transmissions, which determine their own movements, and enable you to send agents behind the enemy lines to discover exactly which units are hidden there thus giving you advanced warning and increasing the speed and accuracy of your own planning.
When you get Joe to the rank of General you can create some extra equipments and munitions to make up for lost ones. The game maintains it's relatively slow pace throughout but interest in the plot makes up for this and there are some faster moments of tension at certain points in the game such as when masses of the German Axis troops counter attack and creep slowly and inevitably towards your base as you rapidly try to organize defenses.
The visuals and graphics are of good quality and are well matched to the game. The game has both single and multiplayer games, and while not fault free, is perfectly good entertainment. Very good overall.


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Miley...seriously GIRL; have you NOT embarrased yourself enough? For once, can't you think of your family first???? They are involved by proxy. IE; I'm sure they were great parents, soooo, WHAT HAPPENED?
Originally written on Larry Brown Sports | Last updated 11/19/14
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is known for having some of the most polarizing figures in the entertainment business accompany him to the ring before fights. Whether you love her or despise her, there is really no arguing that Miley Cyrus has perfected the art of creating a buzz. That's why she makes perfect sense for The […]
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2 Comments:
Miley has good handlers and I'm doubtful she will merge her brand to the brand of a convicted person.
Cyndi Lauper was a person with 10 times the talent and she linked herself to Capt. Lou Albano in pro wrestling.....her career nosedived. The good news is her talent ruled and MANY years later she showed the world she had immense talent
Miley has no talent...this could be a career killer
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Chris Stuart, CFA
Chris Stuart, CFA, is a former employee of TheStreet Ratings.
Recent Articles By The Author
5 More Companies That Are Distressing Investors
Their Altman-Z Scores suggest they're not worth buying.
5 Companies That Are Distressing Investors
They're in a vulnerable state, according to a gauge known as the Altman Z Score.
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Still, performance has suffered recently as investors pile into growth stocks.
Dividend Stocks Lag as Investors Load Up on Risk
The Dividend Stars portfolio underperformed the S&P 500 in February.
Dividend Stars Portfolio: January Update
The Dividend Stars portfolio underperformed the S&P 500 by 2.25% in January


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Kathryn Earhart reviews medical content for Healthwise, a nonprofit
organization with a mission to help people make better health decisions. Ms.
Earhart is a Certified Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse in enterostomal therapy at
Mountain States Tumor Institute in Boise, Idaho.
Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board
This reviewer reported no financial conflicts.
Last Revised:
January 27, 2010
Healthwise Staff
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


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This just in… according to Larry Brooks, Wade Redden will be put on waivers at noon.
Which means he'll clear. Which will then allow the Rangers to demote him and his cap hit to the Wolf Pack, soon to be the Whale.
Wonder if that means he'll play tonight in case anybody wants to see him.
Whatever, it's the first step in what was obviously inevitable since the end of last season.
Today's a football Saturday, so I won't be around … and I don't even know if I'll be able to put up the rosters for tonight's game at Newark, 7 p.m., on MSG. Maybe. Not promising.
Though I'm sure the key guys who didn't play Thursday will play tonight: Lundqvist, Callahan, Del Zotto, Avery, Anisimov, Gilroy, Prospal, not to mention Redden, and I'd guess that Grachev will play tonight.
Fourteen days until the Opener.
14: Lou Piniella, Bill "Moose" Skowron.
14: Y.A. Tittle, Fred Biletnikoff, Dan Fouts.
Completely unrelated, and borderline jibberish (or gibberish), a friend of the blog sent this along. Don't know how many of youse were into the Honeymooners, but yours truly was better at reciting Honeymooners lines than Seinfeld lines once upon a time.
Will have a new blank thread at game time.


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A WOMAN has suffered injuries after a car crashed into a house in Clacton.
The serious accident happened shortly before 12pm today when the car collided with the porch of a house in Washford Gardens.
A woman in her 70s, who was inside the house, has suffered injuries and the air ambulance has been called.
East of England Ambulance Service duty operations manager Steve Box, who attended the scene said: "We believe the woman was struck by the car whilst she was stepping inside the house from the porch, she sustained serious injuries to both ankles."
Steve added: "Our crews and the critical care team from the helicopter worked extremely hard to stabilise the woman at the scene before she was airlifted to Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridgeshire for further care."
Two fire engines from Clacton were called to the scene and frefighters secured the site and gave a woman oxygen therapy.


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Four-Star Series presents Vera Bradley
March 8th, 2012 |
Those famous paisley patterns, swirls of pinks, greens and blacks, became an overnight sensation in women's fashion. The trendy totes are so recognizable, that the name Vera Bradley is now a staple in department stores and upscale boutiques across the country. Branding that effective doesn't happen by chance. Hear the intriguing and informative Vera Bradley story from Jill Nichols, executive vice president for Vera Bradley, on March 21, 2012, at 7 p.m., in the Cecilian Auditorium at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Nichols will focus on maintaining a positive and productive company culture, fostering brand and customer loyalty through relationships, as well as discuss other topics in the business world. The event is free and open to the public.
Vera Bradley is a tribute to the American dream. In 1982, founders Patricia R. Miller and Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, sought to create luggage with a feminine appeal. Within weeks of the initial idea, these entrepreneurs launched the company named after Barbara's mother. The distinctive styles, designs and quality continue to resonate with consumers, turning Vera Bradley into a global enterprise. Located in Fort Wayne, Ind., Vera Bradley has more than 3,500 retailers and stand-alone stores and employs more than 900 people.
With the company for more than 21 years, Nichols served in a variety of positions, including controller, director of operations and chief operating officer. A graduate of Indiana University, she completed the Leadership Fort Wayne program and has participated in a variety of volunteering opportunities. She currently serves as a director and the treasurer of the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer, the chair of Riley Children's Foundation's NE Regional Team and a co-chair of a capital campaign for Day Away, a local daycare for patients with Alzheimer's disease.
The Four-Star Series at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College offers a diverse spectrum of performing arts and esteemed speakers who inspire, challenge and stimulate the imagination. Designed to enhance the College's curriculum and to enrich cultural exploration, the series has presented world-renowned lectures, musicians and productions.
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THE Bridgwater and District Table Tennis League held their annual closed competition at Chilton Trinity School over the weekend of April 12/13.
In the juniors event, the future of Bridgwater Table Tennis was demonstrated with some great matches.
The under 11 events were dominated by Enmore School with the winners and runners up in the boys and girls coming from the local school.
In the boys event, Bertie Kelly beat William Stokes 3-0 in the final - and in the girls, Imogen Venner was the winner with Maddy Marsh finishing as runner up.
In the under 13 Boys, Sam Coles of Haygrove school, beat off all the opponents to win the event and Bertie Kelly stepped up an age group to claim runner up.
In the under 15 Boys, Max Sellick defeated Bridgwater Junior TTC fellow member Sam Coles in the final.
In the girls event, sisters Juste and Aiste Mockeliunaite fought for the title - and older sibling Juste won in a close five set final match to defend her title from last year.
In the senior events the day had lots of extremely close matches.
In the Premier singles, two of the four groups had to go on count back to determine the players going through the group.
John Crabtree of Stockland Tigers secured the title.
The senior doubles event saw defending champions Ed Martin and Dave Yarde retain their title The restricted singles saw Jack Brindley of Division 2 beating Paul Bovett of Wembdon - and in the veteran singles, the final saw John Crabtree make it a double success on the day for him.


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The FT has upgraded its mobile site, in the new design and with improved functionality. It works on any phone, but is optimised for the iPhone and BlackBerry which together account for over 60 per cent of FT.com mobile traffic.
Go to m.ft.com
Press release here.
And let us know what you think.


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Whenever out-of-state relatives visited, my family would always take them on a weekend trip to give them a chance to see a different part of Arizona other than the valley. It would be an adventurous activity up north, in an attempt to prove to them that Arizona isn't all saguaros and dirt like most perceive it to be. One year, we took a friend on the must-see Pink Jeep Tour where we went deep into red-rock country for some bumpy four-wheeling fun. Another time we took our grandparents on the Verde Canyon Railroad, which is known as the longest-running nature show in the state. The train weaves through a valley at 12 mph, allowing passengers to see the flora and fauna in between Clarkdale and Perkinsville. All the trips are filled with gorgeous sights and long-lasting memories.
However, the number one most memorable moment was during a trip to the Grand Canyon with our aunt, uncle and cousins who were visiting from Indiana.We made the drive in two cars via the Flagstaff route. Once we reached the park, we settled into our two cabins before going to see one of the world's wonders. The best part of taking friends or family that have never been to the Grand Canyon is watching their face when they finally see it. Their eyes grow twice their normal size as if trying to take in the entire vastness of the canyon, and their mouths drop open saying "wow" in a non-verbal way. After the initial shock-and-awe wore off, we took them down the Bright Angel trail a bit. We walked down the trail that was no wider than arm's length, hugging the side of the canyon wall and moving out of the way of the donkeys. When we felt we had gone far enough, we turned around to make the tiring hike back up.
We went to bed early because we were all tired, but also because we planned to catch the sunrise the next morning. You cannot visit the Grand Canyon and not watch the sunset or sunrise. It let's you see the shadows slip away and the shades of red painting the walls and valleys. We drove to the lookout where a bundled-up crowd had slowly started growing. Right before the sun began to crest, we saw a light in the distance grow brighter and brighter. You could hear surprised gasps escape the mouths of everyone around you once they realized what the light was that they were seeing. It was a meteorite falling into the earth's atmosphere right over the Grand Canyon. The flaming fireball zoomed right at us and many ran to hide while other tourists began snapping pictures. I clung to my father, as I watched my life flash before my eyes – literally. However, we were lucky that day. The meteorite disintegrated as it flew through the atmosphere and disappeared right over the forest behind us.
A quiet had enveloped the crowd. Everyone was looking at each other with large eyes and open mouths wondering if they had really witnessed what they just had. The sun rose over the horizon in a silence, as all the minds were still replaying that morning's site that was now burned into memory.


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Pitchford Dark Grey 1 Drawer 2 Door Glazed Display Unit - Fixed Shelves
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About the Author: The 2001 Syracuse University graduate (School of Information Studies) is also the owner of Wisdom Digital Media, an award-winning leading design company for entertainment and technology web sites. In his previous life, he held an executive position for the world's leading publisher of technology magazines, web sites and conferences and, as a result, was named among the "Top thirty magazine industry executives under the age of 30" by FOLIO Magazine. Robert Diamond founded BroadwayWorld.com in 2003, which has now become the largest theatre web site in the world. He also serves as the site's Editor-in-Chief, covering Broadway and beyond, with specific local coverage for 100 cities in the United States, 35 countries worldwide and 15 other related areas of entertainment - including dance, opera, fashion, concerts, comedy, films, television and more. In May of 2014, the site was awarded a 2014 Award for Excellence in Theatre Arts Education by the prestigious Theatre Museum. Diamond got his start in the entertainment field, accidentally, when he created the 'official web site' (while in college) for Michael Crawford, the popular actor and original Tony and Olivier Award-winning star of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. (He still blames Crawford - and credits him - for anything that goes particularly right or wrong during an average day.) As a respected member of the Broadway and theatre community, Diamond also served as Lead Producer for a series of sold-out shows using the BroadwayWorld.com 'brand' for a set of 'Standing Ovations' concerts, which also branched out into titles that included Holiday Shows and even more specific concerts like 'From Stage to Screen and Back Again' in tandem with publishers and movie studios. All proceeds were in turn donated to Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS, the industry's leader in aid for performers in need. Robert lives in Manhattan with his wife and two dogs, growing the business and getting little sleep. In addition, you can usually find him in a theatre many nights a week. Robert's very popular blog, 'The Broadway Pulse' appears daily on BroadwayWorld.com and he also wrote weekly about theatre for the USA Network's Character Approved blog. In December of 2011, Diamond was one of 5 Syracuse University Alumni, all having achieved success in the world of start-ups, business growth and venture capital, participating on a panel addressing young alumni who are currently pursuing their dreams of running their own business and experiencing the day to day challenges of a startup. It is part of the university's new Student Accelerator Program, for which Rob was recommended by Syracuse University's i-School. In late 2012, Wisdom Digital Media announced the official spinoff and launch of 10 new entertainment web sites including BWWMoviesWorld.com, BWWTVWorld.com, BWWFashionWorld.com, BWWBooksWorld.com, BWWMusicWorld.com, BWWArtWorld.com, BWWComedyWorld.com, BWWDanceWorld.com, BWWClassicalWorld.com and BWWOperaWorld.com. In January of 2013, BWWGeeksWorld.com, devoted to home entertainment, mobile technologies and social media launched as well, followed by BWWFitnessWorld.com and BWWTravelWorld.com in April of 2013. In July of 2013, BWWHub.com launched as a portal to the complete family of entertainment and lifestyle offerings. In 2014, BroadwayWorld.com returned to the concert stage, with a series of benefit concerts featuring Broadway's brightest stars. A new partnership with Rock-it Science Records will record and release these special evenings, with proceeds benefiting various charities.


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CRADLEY put in another imposing display to see off visitors Kent at Monmore Green tonight.
The Heathens won every heat of the National League encounter to win 65-27.
Kent never had a better opportunity than the very first heat when Cradley's Matt Williamson slide out and was excluded from the re-run.
However, skipper Paul Starke came home in front to ensure the points were shared.
Kent Kings failed to pick up an early victory but did bag a number of second spots to keep them in the contest.
Heat four saw Steve Worrell claim his first victory on way to a sublime 18 point maximum.
Other impressive displays from Starke, Clegg and Greaves soon saw Cradley pull away as their visitors challenge petered out.
a number of 5-1 scores in the second half of the clash pushed the home side further and further ahead.
It was the perfect way for the Heathens to warm up for next week's home double header against Scunthorpe in the league and Mildenhall in the second leg of their Knockout Cup tie.
Cradley: Paul Starke (13+2), Tom Perry R/R, Max Clegg (14+1), Nathan Greaves (8+3), Steve Worrall (18), Matt Williamson (8+1), Danny Phillips (4+1).
Kent: Simon Lambert (7), Benji Compton R/R, Ben Morley (6), Luke Chessell (4+1), David Mason (6), Luke Harris (3), Danny Ayres (1+1).


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Margarita Time Bowls
Set of two lime green and turquoise bowls to go with your chip and dip. Lime green inside "Party Time" with Martini glass, turquoise outside. Turquoise inside "5 o clock somewhere" with margarita glass. Colorful raised dots all over. Ceramic. Hand Painted. Tags: Margaritas, Bowls, Party, Partyware, Dinnerware, Lime, Green, Turquoise, Fiesta, Hand Painted, Entertaining, Martini, Party Time, 5 o clock somewhere


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...Be Luckier
For twenty-one days I simply followed the advice of people around me. Every morning I jumped out of bed, tried to get a little air. This was a tip from a salesman. ("When things are going bad, you have to attack the world. Try to jump out the door. Make the day your own.") Every time I came across a candle — in a church, in a bar, even once in a Pier 1 — I lit it, on the advice of an old crone, a tax collector who claimed fire does the trick. I handed money directly to a priest, asking nothing in return — the suggestion of the most Catholic guy I know. Every time I took a shower, I dumped a tall glass of cold water on my head, because an old baseball coach told me that's what they did back when he tooled around the bush leagues. And I always exited a building through the same door I'd used to enter, because a painter friend, gripped by OCD, swore it worked for her.
Sounds confidently pagan, vaguely metaphysical, maybe a little heavy on the superstition. But I had no expectations. Let's face it: I made up this particular alchemy, and so expectation seemed irrelevant.
What happened was, I became mindful; I paid attention to every detail of every day. And then, on the twenty-first day, on the thirteenth hole at Puakea, a knotty little public golf course on Kauai, Hawaii, I got a hole in one. The mother of all luck. When I plucked the ball from the hole, I kissed it. "Make a wish," one of the group told me. And I did, without thinking. But why? Why wish for more when your luck finally flips? Why think of all the Powerball tickets you could have bought with the taste of golf-course pesticides still fresh on your lips? Luck, I can tell you, wants nothing to do with wishing.


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Vin Diesel bursts into a quiet hotel room, his team in tow, brandishing a speaker attached to his mobile phone.
The Hollywood action man then selects a disco track to blast out (the 1974 Redbone tune Come And Get Your Love) and proceeds to shake his gym-honed body to the beat, as an assistant films proceedings for the star's "archive".
It's not exactly the entrance you'd expect from the Hollywood tough guy, known for portraying gravelly-voiced, burly bruisers in films such as xXx and the Fast & Furious franchise.
But then, Diesel's latest acting gig couldn't be further removed from the usual 'hard man' roles, which have helped earn his Facebook page almost 82 million 'Likes'.
The 47-year-old former bouncer provides the voice for a giant tree creature named Groot in the Marvel action movie Guardians Of The Galaxy (which features the Redbone song on its soundtrack).
Groot and his fellow Guardians, a quintet of intergalactic misfits led by adventurer Peter Quill (Parks And Recreation star Chris Pratt), must ensure that a potentially destructive orb doesn't get into the hands of a power-hungry villain called Ronan.
Loyal, kind and mighty, Diesel's character takes the notion of a strong, silent type to the extreme - he can only communicate using three words ("I Am Groot") and a series of grunts.
"It's the most innocent character I've ever played, clearly, which is why I've kind of been so silly," Diesel says when he settles down post-dancing, his sizeable muscles packed into a dark T-shirt and combats.
"I'm not talking about heavy issues that I'm usually talking about with the movies I make... I get to have fun!"
It's been a difficult few months for the New York-born actor, whose friend and Fast & Furious co-star, Paul Walker, was killed in a car crash during a break from shooting the hit franchise's seventh film last November.
A hush descends on the room as Diesel discusses finishing the film without his friend, whose brothers were drafted in to help complete his unfinished scenes.
"[It] was the hardest film to do - and blessed, because there was such a sense of family and coming back. But surreal," he says, looking downwards as he speaks.
"You would never imagine that you would ever have to mourn someone so close to you, and simultaneously pretend that they're sitting next to you. It's kind of a strange thing to have to do as an artist, and as a human."
Voicing the role of Groot shortly after the tragedy was a "very healthy and therapeutic thing to do" for the actor.
"When we deal with death, our appreciation for life is represented in so many ways," he adds. "We appreciate everything that's alive, the very trees in our backyard. And this character [Groot] celebrates life, in so many ways."
Diesel, who has two children with his model girlfriend Paloma Jimenez, says it was his three-year-old son who encouraged him to play Groot.
"I remember someone in my office saying, 'No, you've got to play this or that, what the hell are you going to play a tree for?'
"I went to the living room and showed my children the concept art and opened it up to a page where it had all the characters and said, 'Which character do you think Marvel wants Daddy to play?', and my son pointed to the tree."
He continues: "Jump cut to him seeing the movie with me... As I was riding home, my son was looking out the window at trees and he said, 'Daddy, look, it's your brothers and sisters'."
Director and co-writer James Gunn supplied Diesel with a special script for his stints in the voice-over booth.
"With every 'I Am Groot', on the right hand side of the page was a paragraph or a sentence of what Groot was really saying," the actor explains. "So that was how I was trying to get the meaning into each 'I Am Groot', and make each of them different."
Diesel, whose breakthrough role came in the 2000 sci-fi thriller Pitch Black, and who has also worked as a producer, director and screenwriter, insists that voicing a monosyllabic tree alien wasn't easy.
"I was being challenged as an actor, as a thespian - the idea of playing a character without any facial mannerisms or allowing your body physicality to play into the character, and being limited to such a small vocabulary," he says.
Despite never appearing on screen, Diesel wanted to understand Groot's movements, and so donned a pair of jumping stilts.
"[I wanted] to feel a little bit how it would be to be this towering figure. It played into the character and somehow affected my performance," he explains.
Getting the moves right is important for the star, who was part of the breakdancing scene in Eighties New York (in fact, some of his early performances can be found on YouTube).
Before Hollywood came calling, Diesel made ends meet as a bouncer - "because I could dance for free in nightclubs".
"The only time I got in trouble, as a bouncer, was when I was dancing," Diesel adds with a smile. "Watching my children dance has changed my whole perception of dance. I appreciate the - what would you call it - non-dance dance. My kids move with no rhyme or reason and there's something so fascinating about that."
Fittingly, Groot gets to display some dance moves of his own in a sweet scene during the film.
As Diesel's 'people' try and hurry him along to his next engagement, the star grandly announces: "I am going to let you be Groot. This is an exercise and you don't have to participate if you don't want to, no one will judge you..."
He proceeds to pick up his phone again and urge those present to start shaking their shoulders, whooping and cheering his encouragement as an upbeat song plays out.
"That felt good and you know it! You feel liberated, you feel like a better person.
"At the end of the day," he adds, his voice becoming a deep growl: "We. Are. Groot."
And with that, the breakdancing, stilt-wearing, tree-hugging action man makes his exit.
EXTRA TIME - MEET THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY :: Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) - Quill is an interstellar adventurer who was abducted from Earth at a young age. His late mother gave him a Walkman full of retro hits, which he dances to at every opportunity.
:: Gamora (Zoe Saldana) - Green alien Gamora was abducted and raised by mysterious ruler Thanos to become his personal assassin. She now wants redemption for her past crimes.
:: Drax (Dave Bautista) - Muscle man Drax wants revenge against villainous Ronan, who killed his family. With his penchant for big words, he's been described as a walking thesaurus.
:: Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) - This bounty hunter and mercenary is a formidable warrior - despite being a cybernetically enhanced, talking raccoon.
:: Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) - Groot descends from a race of walking flora and resembles a living tree. What he lacks in communication skills, Groot makes up for in loyalty and strength.
:: Guardians Of The Galaxy is released in cinemas on Thursday, July 31


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FOUR men have been charged with murder as part of an investigation by West Mercia Police into an incident at HMP Hewell on Monday, January 28.
Prisoner Adnan Rafiq, aged 25 and from Moseley, Birmingham, was found with serious assault injuries at the Tardebigge prison on Monday afternoon.
He was taken to hospital in a critical condition but died on Thursday evening.
After he was found, West Mercia Police launched an investigation and arrested four other inmates on suspicion of attempted murder later on Monday 28.
Following the death of Mr Rafiq, they were charged last night with murder.
They are Jahnel Faure, 28 and originally from West Bromwich; Jermaine Christie, aged 27, originally from Birmingham and later Telford; Paul Coulter, aged 27, originally from Swansea and Barry Mundle aged 34, originally from Wolverhampton.
Christie and Coulter appeared at Worcester Magistrates' Court today while Faure and Mundle appeared at Kidderminster and Redditch Magistrates' courts respectively.
All were returned to prison custody and referred to Birmingham Crown Court where they are appearing together on Tuesday morning.


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Competed in 18 matches…Participated in 46 sets…Amassed 230 assists (5.00 A/S)…Collected 47 digs (1.02 D/S)…Aced 13 serves…Posted three kills…Registered double-digit assists in 11-of-18 contests…Set career-high of 33 assists against West Texas A&M (09/11/10)…Secured career-high nine digs against Tampa (09/28/10).
Reed Did Not Compete.
Named to the All-District Academic Team in both 2007 and 2008 at Clear Creek HS…Selected as both Houston Chronicle and MaxPreps AVCA Player of the Week …Her squad won the 5A Region III Championship in 2008 and concluded the season 5A state runner-ups.
Born June 12 in Monterrey, Calif...Undeclared major…She has a plethora of hobbies including playing volleyball, running, ice skating, cooking, reading/drawing and spending quality time with friends…Her career goal is to do something in life that makes her genuinely happy…Believes her best assets to the team are her ability to play as a leader, her support and positive attitude…Names Craig Biggio her favorite athlete and the Houston Astros as her favorite team…She chose Saint Leo because it is a small school with a friendly environment...She also enjoyed the welcoming nature of the team, the coaches and its prime location…Daughter of Don and Patty Reed…She has three sisters, Sydney, Gina and Danielle…Danielle is currently a volleyball player at Southwest Baptist University.


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Did you know?
South Africa has the oldest wine industry outside of the Mediterranean and Europe.
The West Coast of South Africa has become a popular international holiday destination with its virgin beaches, dramatic mountain ranges and carpets of stunning spring flowers.
Visitors can experience its diverse geology and natural life in the West Coast National Park, Rocherpan Nature Reserve and Bird Island Nature Reserve while whale and dolphin watching off the coast will give a view of the area's rich marine life.
The spectacular Cederberg Mountains can be found here and a series of picturesque fishing villages like Paternoster and historical towns of Darling and Citrusdal offer a range of accommodation and recreational activities.
The area is especially famed for its seafood and tranquil atmosphere.
The flower season occurs from July through to September and is a truly spectacular sight and the area is a bird watchers' paradise.
The country's rich ancient history is displayed in San cave paintings and the renowned West Coast Fossil Park offers daily tours of its fascinating live exhibit of an ongoing excavation of fossils that are approximately five million years old.
For those with a taste for the outdoors the Western Cape coastline offers hiking trails and whale watching with golf at the Langebaan Golf Course or windsurfing for those craving a bit of exercise.
In winter visitors can snuggle next to warm fires and experience the wild seas off the Cape of Storms and enjoy the rich bounty of food and wine from the area.
This jewel of a coastline is easily reached from Cape Town and enchants visitors with its unpretentious atmosphere and unique natural beauty.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
West Coast Tourism
Tel: +27 (0)22 433 8505
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
How to get here
Drive up the R27 from Cape Town and check out the towns of Yzerfontein and Langebaan, or take the N7 towards Namibia and turn off to coastal towns like Lambert's Bay.
Best time to visit
Springtime, in August and September, offers the most spectacular carpets of flowers and good weather. A stay can be as long as 2 weeks as there's so much to do and see.
Around the area
The town of Darling is known for its Wild Flower and Orchid Show in September and the Darling Flora Reserve and Darling Tienie Versveld Flora Reserve are worth visiting. The Darling Wine Route and West Coast Fossil Park shows the area's present and past.
Tours to do
Apart from flower and wine routes, the West Coast kayaking route is well worth a try.
What to eat
There are plenty of interesting restaurants in towns along the way.


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Similarities abound for Elizabeth Forward, West Mifflin in Big 9 battle
It is difficult to discern the difference between the Elizabeth Forward and West Mifflin football teams this season.
Sure, the Titans offense may be a little more potent, but both are outstanding on that side of the ball and led by dual-threat quarterbacks. And the Warriors may have slightly better defensive numbers, but each force turnovers and are aggressive getting to the ball.
When all is said and done, as the two prepare to meet Friday at West Mifflin (5-0, 5-0), the only real difference between the two teams is 11 points. That's how many it would have taken for Elizabeth Forward (3-2, 3-2) to make this a matchup of undefeated teams.
Instead the Warriors lost to Trinity in their opener, 14-7, and dropped a 21-19 nail-biter to Thomas Jefferson on a missed two-point conversion and have since rebounded for their first three-game winning streak since opening the 2008 season 3-0. They also are over .500 five games into a season for the first time in 13 years.
It may be one of the reasons Elizabeth Forward has, to this point, sailed just a bit under the radar.
"It's hard to speak for other people and what they think, but I knew we played very well in the first two games and obviously there's a feeling that we can do better and that's what we're working at," Elizabeth Forward coach Mike LeDonne said. "But it's our second year in, the kids are understanding the offense and defense better and they have a full year of weight training. The kids got stronger and they're executing better."
To say the improvement is dramatic would be an understatement. Elizabeth Forward has already won one more game than it had in the previous two seasons combined. Though part of it is coaching and the kids buying into the system, it helps to have an athletic quarterback such as McKeesport transfer JaQuan Davidson — who was a student at West Mifflin as a freshman but did not play varsity football — running the spread-option offense as well as he has.
"I think they've really improved. Their record shows it. They're playing teams really tough, and they picked up the Davidson kid at quarterback that's really making them go," West Mifflin coach Ray Braszo said. "Playing against their spread, it kind of makes you move people around a little bit and put them in different positions. And it changes your reads, and you really have to shift your people into places where you wouldn't want to."
Of course West Mifflin, which is averaging a Class AAA-best 47 points per game, knows a little bit about offense as well. Titans quarterback Derrick Fulmore is just as dangerous running as throwing, and no team has been able to stop running back Jimmy Wheeler, who leads the WPIAL with 1,151 yards, an average of 230.2 yards per game.
"We have our game plan ready to kind of slow (Wheeler) down, and obviously he's had a heck of a season and put up yards against everybody he's gone up against," LeDonne said. "Hopefully, what we can do is do our keys well and get to the football. This is a great challenge for us as far as our defense is concerned, and we've got to find a way to slow him down."
Keith Barnes is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at email@example.com or 412-664-9161, ext. 1977.


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The Welsh wonderkid Jonny Williams could not hide his delight after signing a new contract that will keep him the blue and red of Crystal Palace until the summer of 2018.
A fans' favourite, 20-year-old Williams has made 64 appearances for the Eagles since making his debut in 2011.
Moreover, after his mercurial performances in midfield, Williams has gone on to earn four international caps with Wales.
Speaking to the Palace programme after signing his new long-term contract, Williams said: "I'm very proud to be playing for Palace and to be signing another contract.
"It's something I always dreamed of as a kid and to be signing another four-and-a-half year deal here is just a great feeling.
"I've been here since I was eight and I think this is the third professional contract I've signed at Palace.
"I still remember the feeling when I got my first one when I was 17 – it's just a great feeling."
He added: "It's a great honour to play for Palace and now we're in the Premier League it can't get much better than that."


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That's right, the first edition of Up in Smoke is coming your way today. If you haven't signed up already, now is the time. This first issue will be made public on the site. Upcoming issues will be housed at a secret location, available only to subscribers for one month after publication. So join up today!
And this is the thread to offer your feedback, tips, questions, and more.


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The Height of each Uppercase letter is approx 2.0". Maximum of 5 letters per line if all upper case letters are used. Maximum of 7 letters per line when a combination of upper and lower case letters are used.
Your Design will be created exactly as it is typed (please verify spelling)
Above are some samples of Script 2.0 font.
Apply this motif to your own apparel OR select from our apparel and we will be happy to apply it for you. Please read Rhinestones 101 before purchasing for instructions and recommendations on applying rhinestone transfers. We highly recommend using a professional heat press.
Please take into consideration the size of apparel on which the rhinestone design will be applied. We recommend a maximum of 9-10" wide for ladies fitted tees, 7-8" or less for youth tees and 5-6" or less for toddler tees.
Special pricing is available for 6 or more pieces.


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Get Used To It
by John Vannie
Notre Dame managed to stumble into another inexplicable defeat on Saturday, as the Irish handed a 28-27 gift to the previously unheralded and decidedly mediocre Tulsa Golden Hurricane. The visitors had taken the lead with 3:23 remaining on a 27-yard field goal, but freshman quarterback Tommy Rees led Notre Dame well within kicker David Ruffer's range as the clock ticked down. With the ball resting between the hash marks at the Tulsa 19 yard line and 45 seconds left, Irish coach Brian Kelly had a better idea.
The Irish simply needed to set up the chip shot for Ruffer, call timeout, and send the Hurricane packing. Whether his strategy was driven by a fatal devotion to the pass regardless of the game situation, or simply an over-inflated ego, Kelly was not satisfied with such a mundane finish. Instead, he ordered Rees to launch his 54th pass of the day. As one might expect in this season marked by boneheaded play calls, Tulsa's John Flanders made an all too easy interception in the end zone to seal the victory.
The loss overshadowed encouraging performances by Rees and the much maligned Notre Dame defense. Rees was pressed into service when Dayne Crist was knocked out of action at the end of a 29-yard scramble by a hit near the Irish sideline. The hard-luck Crist, who injured his right knee on October 31, 2009, suffered a torn patella tendon in his left knee in the early moments of the game. Rees came in and threw for 334 yards and four touchdowns, but his third interception of the game will be remembered above the rest of his passes.
Notre Dame defense started a bit shaky, but settled down after the first quarter to smother the Hurricane until a critical breakdown led to Kevin Fitzpatrick's winning field goal. The Irish held Tulsa scoreless on nine consecutive possessions from the beginning of the second period until late in the fourth, and forced two turnovers in this stretch. Unfortunately, poor coverage on a third and 26 pass by G.J. Kinne to Ricky Johnson enabled Tulsa to convert, and a 32 yard pass to Genesis Cole two plays later set up Fitzpatrick.
The game had the makings of a shootout in the early going. Tulsa drew first blood with an impressive first drive, and Notre Dame was attempting to answer when Crist went down. Rees provided a spark with quick, pinpoint passes, and his ten yard bullet to Michael Floyd completed the drive that Crist had initiated. Instead of a 7-7 tie, however, Tulsa blocked the extra point and returned it for two points.
The Hurricane extended its 9-6 lead by three points on the ensuing series after a 37 yard field goal. A solid kickoff return by Bennett Jackson set up another well-execute drive by Rees, and the Irish took a 13-12 lead when T.J. Jones grabbed a short pass and pitched it back to Cierre Wood, who streaked into the end zone from 23 yards. This play seemed to energize Notre Dame's defense, who immediately forced a Hurricane punt. When return man John Goodman fumbled it at his own 14, the Irish defense rose to the task and ultimately forced an errant field goal attempt by Fitzpatrick.
Notre Dame took advantage of the momentum swing to complete another long scoring march. After a 21 yard reverse by Jackson off a fake punt kept the drive alive, Rees hit Floyd again for a 20-12 advantage midway through the second stanza. Tulsa's offense went into a funk, and the Irish were looking to pad their lead just before intermission.
As has been the case in several games this season, Notre Dame hurt itself with a key mistake at the end of the half. This time, a screen pass by Rees was tipped by a Tulsa player and intercepted by linebacker Shawn Jackson, who returned it for a 66 yard touchdown with only 37 seconds remaining. The Hurricane failed to tie the game with a two-point conversion, so the Irish led by 20-18.
Tulsa began the second half with a promising drive, but Darrin Walls recovered a fumble deep in Irish territory at the end of an 18-yard run by Ja'Terian Douglas. Rees went back to work and directed an 81-yard march that resulted in his fourth touchdown pass. Wood was on the receiving end of this one from four yards, and Notre Dame led 27-18 midway through the third quarter.
The teams then traded defensive stops, but Notre Dame came up short on this exchange. Damaris Johnson took an Irish punt, eluded the first wave of tacklers and burst 59 yards for a score to trim the lead to 27-25. Neither offense could generate a threat from that point as the game moved well into the last period.
It appeared that Notre Dame would hold on after a sack and offensive pass interference penalty on Ricky Johnson put the Hurricane in the 3rd and 26 hole, but Johnson managed to get open downfield for a 31-yard gain that devastated the Irish. Although the defense kept Tulsa out of the end zone, Fitzpatrick's field goal provided the narrowest of winning margins.
One can point to a number of individual plays that could have changed the outcome. The blocked extra point resulted in a negative impact of three points, and Jackson's interception return accounted for seven while preventing the Irish from adding a field goal on that drive. The punt return by Damaris Johnson was as much a breakdown by Notre Dame as a great play by the speedy all-purpose athlete.
Despite each of these failures by the Irish, the pain of a loss might have been avoided if Ruffer had been afforded a chance to send 80,000 fans home happy. Instead, gutty performances by several players were wasted, and the 4-5 Irish will most likely end their season in Los Angeles at the end of November rather than at a bowl game. Kelly defended his all-or-nothing approach after the game, stating that the aggressive play will continue and Notre Dame fans should "get used to it". Unfortunately, the only thing Irish faithful have gotten used to in recent years is losing to teams with inferior talent.
Let's take a final look at the questions raised in the pregame analysis.
Will Notre Dame be ready emotionally to battle another highly motivated opponent? The team started slowly on both sides of the ball, but played with heart after the first couple of series.
Can Crist find the accuracy and consistency needed to win? Sadly, Crist will not have a chance to finish the year with a flourish. Rees' performance was a pleasant surprise, but Tulsa's pass defense is the nation's worst.
Will the depleted Irish defense allow Tulsa to convert third downs at a 50% clip? The Hurricane were held to 6 for 16, but the 3rd and 26 conversion was a game-changer.
Can the Irish avoid costly turnovers? Ummm, no.
Will Floyd's presence be enough to lift Notre Dame's offense? Floyd was outstanding – 11 receptions, 104 yards and two touchdowns.
Which team's 3-4 defense will do a better job of stopping the run? Tulsa had over 200 yards rushing to 125 for Notre Dame. Crist accounted for 29 of these on his ill-fated scramble.
Will the Irish be strong enough to overcome adversity during the game? Absolutely. The players fought through the loss of Crist, and both defensive and special teams scores by Tulsa. They deserved better than the utterly indefensible decision by Kelly.
Notre Dame has a bye next weekend before facing Utah in the final game in Notre Dame Stadium this season. Players such as Floyd, Theo Riddick, Jamoris Slaughter and Carlo Calabrese have a chance to get completely healthy, while Crist, Armando Allen and Ian Williams are likely out for the duration. A more important goal for the Irish, however, is to repair the confidence that has been shattered in the wake of two deflating losses to teams they must know they should have beaten. The Notre Dame community as a whole must never get used to this.