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A weekly round-up of the latest DVD releases.
By Damon Smith
The Amazing Spider-Man (Cert 12, 136 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99/3D Blu-ray £29.99)
Marc Webb's terrifically entertaining refurbishment of the Marvel Comics superhero is blessed with an appealing mix of high-octane action and humour. The chameleonic Andrew Garfield tugs heartstrings as teenager Peter Parker, who must wrestle with a destiny he never asked for and a new foe: The Lizard (Rhys Ifans). Twists and turns in the script are the same as Sam Raimi's action-packed 2002 blockbuster but technology has advanced in gargantuan bounds and The Amazing Spider-Man soars in the breathlessly paced action sequences.
Avengers Assemble (Cert 12, 137 mins, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, DVD £18.99/Blu-ray £22.99/3D Blu-ray £25.99)
The special effects-laden amalgamation of four Marvel Comics franchises - Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man and Thor - deftly knits together plot strands from earlier films, threaded with tongue-in-cheek humour. Joss Whedon's frenetic romp doesn't scale the dizzy heights of the original Iron Man but we're thoroughly entertained and energised by his distinctive vision of the Marvel universe. The writer-director gifts the best lines to Robert Downey Jr, including a belting quip about Thor's olde worlde vernacular. Since the cast and script don't take anything too seriously, nor do we.
The Dark Knight Rises (Cert 12, 157 mins, Warner Home Entertainment, DVD £22.99/The Dark Knight Trilogy DVD Box Set £32.99/Blu-ray £26.99/Limited Edition Blu-ray Set £69.99/The Dark Knight Trilogy Blu-ray Box Set £44.99)
Christopher Nolan completes his dark and brooding trilogy based on the DC Comics crime-fighter in suitably grandiose fashion. Breathlessly orchestrated action sequences, including a spectacular opening aboard a C-130 Hercules transport plane, are mightily impressive. However, Nolan has always focused on characters and their twisted psychologies, and he puts all of them and us through the emotional wringer in this final chapter pitting Batman (Christian Bale) against hulking terrorist Bane (Tom Hardy) and wily cat burglar Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway).
The Raid (Cert 18, 96 mins, Momentum Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £19.99)
Rookie cop Rama (Iko Uwais) is part of an ill-prepared Swat team charged with infiltrating a 15-storey apartment block, which doubles as the headquarters of a notorious drug lord (Ray Sahetapy). The cops have one objective: fight their way to the top floor and destroy the criminal network. The Raid is a blitzkrieg of severed appendages and broken bones, which threatens to overdose even the greediest adrenaline junkie on blood-spurting thrills. Welsh-born writer-director Gareth Evans and Indonesia's most daring fight choreographers pull out all the stops to deliver an orgy of carnage and fractured limbs.
Titanic 3D (Cert 12, 186 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 3D Blu-ray £29.99)
James Cameron's mega-budget love story set aboard the doomed ocean liner sails onto Blu-ray in the eye-popping 3D format, which looks stunning: water-logged corridors seem to stretch into the distance, and our stomachs lurch as characters cling to the stern, looking down as fellow passengers tumble to their doom. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet look fresh-faced as the lovers across the social divide, who must fight for their lives as the ship quickly takes on freezing water.
Arthur Christmas (Cert U, 93 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £22.99)
Aardman, the creator of Wallace and Gromit, reveals the truth about Santa's 21st century operations in this hugely entertaining computer-animated comedy that delivers a feast of family fun for the festive season. Arthur Christmas is a treat for the very young and the young at heart, affirming all of the wholesome messages of the holiday season without lingering too long on the rampant materialism. The script, co-written by Peter Baynham and Sarah Smith, is festooned with loveable characters and belly laughs, and Justin Bieber sings a suitably jolly rendition of Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town over the end credits.
Brave (Cert PG, 89 mins, Disney DVD, DVD £18.99/Blu-ray £22.99)
Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman and Steve Purcell's computer-animated fable of female empowerment signals a return to form for the digital wizards at Disney Pixar. Brave strikes a perfect balance between laughter and tears, conjuring excitement and heart-warming sentiment out of the ether as plucky clansman's daughter Merida (Kelly Macdonald) defies her parents' wishes to plough her own path. Merida's fiery flowing locks deserve an Academy Award on their own, such is the exquisite detail of every windswept, animated fibre, and that's before your eyes are wooed by the sweeping landscapes, action-packed chases and colourful supporting characters.
Cinderella (Diamond Edition) (Cert U, 62 mins, Walt Disney Classics, DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £21.99)
Another re-issue of Walt Disney's 1950 animated feature based on the popular fairy tale about a young woman struggling to escape her wicked stepmother and ugly stepsisters Drizella and Anastasia. With the help of her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella does indeed go to the ball, where she wins the heart of Prince Charming, only to flee the ball before clocks strike midnight and leave behind a glass slipper.
Pixar Short Films Collection 2 (Cert PG, 79 mins, Disney DVD, DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £17.99)
The Oscar-winning animation studio demonstrates its artistry, invention and split-second comic timing in 12 short films, some of which have screened theatrically before Pixar feature films. This compilation comprises Your Friend The Rat, Presto, BURN-E, Partly Cloudy, Dug's Special Mission, George And AJ, Day And Night, Hawaiian Vacation, Air Mater, Small Fry, Time Travel Mater and La Luna.
The Simpsons - The Fifteenth Season (Cert 12, 484 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £39.99)
Tony Blair, Glenn Close, Simon Cowell, Jennifer Garner, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sir Ian McKellen, JK Rowling and Mr T guest star alongside Springfield's favourite family - Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie - in 22 hilarious episodes of the award-winning animation. The series begins with the eagerly anticipated Halloween episode, Treehouse Of Horror XIV. In subsequent instalments, Lisa is elected Student Body president and takes her lead from Evita Peron, Homer spends his family's Christmas money on himself and Marge heads to rehab to prevent her life becoming a car crash.
Getting On - Series Three (Cert 15, 360 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £19.99/Complete Series One, Two & Three DVD Box Set £32.99)
Dr Pippa Moore (Vicki Pepperdine), Sister Den Flixter (Joanna Scanlan) and nurse Kim Wilde (Jo Brand) prescribe laughter as the best medicine in another six episodes of the Bafta award-winning BBC Four comedy, which paints a scathing portrait of the modern NHS. In this series, Den discovers she is pregnant, Pippa and Kim disagree on a patient's diagnosis and tensions are evident when an inspector tours the ward.
Modern Family - The Complete Third Season (Cert 12, 493 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £27.99/Seasons 1-3 DVD Box Set £49.99/Blu-ray £38.99/Seasons 1-3 Blu-ray Box Set £67.99)
Four-disc box set of all 24 episodes of the Emmy award-winning mockumentary chronicling the misadventures of a multicultural Los Angeles family. This series, Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) announce they are planning another child and Gloria (Sofia Vergara) is inspired by her friend Shorty (Chazz Palminteri) and his girlfriend (Jennifer Tilly) to drag her husband Jay (Ed O'Neill) to salsa dancing classes.
Ted (Cert 15, 106 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99/Limited Edition Steelbook Blu-ray £29.99)
Ted is a deliciously foul-mouthed comedy that employs the magic of digital trickery to bring to life a rotund stuffed bear (voiced by Seth MacFarlane), who becomes the best friend of a lonely boy (Mark Wahlberg). It's a simple premise - essentially a live action version of Toy Story - albeit with the eponymous bear accepted as a talking, skirt-chasing entity by everyone he encounters. Wahlberg is perfectly suited to his role as a goofy hopeless romantic and screen chemistry with Mila Kunis simmers. Digital effects are excellent, seamlessly melding the bear with live action in hare-brained action sequences, including a hysterical hotel room punch-up.
The Thick Of It - Series Four (Cert 15, 225 mins, 2entertain, DVD £19.99/Complete Collection DVD Box Set £37.99)
Armando Iannucci continues to satirise the inner workings of Westminster in six episodes of the award-winning BBC comedy drama, focusing now on the trials and tribulations of a coalition government. Policy enforcer Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi) schemes to undermine newly installed leader Nicola Murray MP (Rebecca Front) and oust her from power using all of the underhand tactics at his disposal. Meanwhile, Peter Mannion (Roger Allam), Secretary of State for Social Affairs, is resistant to new legislation promoted by coalition partner Fergus (Geoffrey Streatfield).
Twenty Twelve - Series 2 (Cert 15, 435 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £19.99/Series 1 & 2 DVD Box Set £24.99)
David Tennant narrates another seven hilarious episodes of the BBC mockumentary following head of deliverance Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville) and his team as they overcome adversity to stage the London 2012 Olympic Games. PR operative Siobhan Sharpe (Jessica Hynes) has the brilliant idea of the 'Jubilympics' to harness public support for The Queen's Diamond Jubilee and channel it into the summer games. Meanwhile, the Algerian squad threatens to boycott London because the athletes' Shared Belief Centre does not face Mecca.
56 Up (Cert E, 150 mins, Network, DVD £12.99)
Director Michael Apted continues his fascinating social experiment, which began in 1964 with a special episode of World In Action chronicling the hopes and dreams of seven-year-olds from a variety of social backgrounds. At seven-year intervals, Apted has returned to catch up with the 14 original participants, charting their fortunes to see if their backgrounds have indeed influenced their future prospects. In this latest chapter, all but one of the original children lay bare their lives and their disappointments.
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (Cert 15, 89 mins, Artificial Eye, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99)
Chinese dissident Weiwei has garnered effusive praise for his installations, sculpture, photography, films and architectural design, but he has won even greater praise - and countless enemies - for his outspoken views of his own government's human rights record. Film-maker Alison Klayman is granted unprecedented access to the artist and over the course of three years, she follows his every move as he prepares for his high-profile sunflower seed installation at the Tate Modern and clashes with Chinese authorities over the Sichuan earthquake and its aftermath.
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey (Cert E, 73 mins, Dogwoof Pictures, DVD £14.99)
From his 1985 debut on American television, Elmo has become arguably the most popular resident of Sesame Street, dispensing warm hugs to everyone he meets. Unfolding largely in chronological order with warm narration from Whoopi Goldberg, Being Elmo delves beneath the eye-catching red fur to celebrate the talent of Baltimore puppeteer Kevin Clash, who has been the falsetto voice and heart of the lovable monster since his inception until recent events forced Clash to take a leave of absence.
Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel (Cert PG, 82 mins, Studio Canal, DVD £19.99)
Born in Paris, Diana Vreeland famously spotted Lauren Bacall before Hollywood came a-calling and became fashion editor on Harper's Bazaar, a role which brought her into close contact with legendary photographer Richard Avedon. Vreeland advised Jacqueline Kennedy on fashion when John F Kennedy became president and continued to shape global trends as editor-in-chief of rival magazine Vogue. This documentary surveys the doyenne's extraordinary career, including archive footage and interviews with friends and family.
Undefeated (Cert E, 113 mins, Dogwoof Digital, DVD £14.99)
Daniel Lindsay and TJ Martin's sports documentary collected a golden statuette at this year's Oscars, demonstrating our boundless affection for stories of unexpected triumph against adversity. Their film follows Bill Courtney, inspirational coach of an underprivileged American high school football team, as he attempts to revive the squad's fortunes and prove that unity, friendship and courage can overcome financial constraints and break a seemingly endless losing streak.
Boardwalk Empire - The Complete Second Season (Cert 18, 670 mins, Warner Home Video/HBO, DVD £39.99/Complete First And Second Seasons DVD Box Set £59.99/Blu-ray £49.99/Complete First And Second Seasons Blu-ray Box Set £69.99)
Five-disc set comprising all 12 episodes of the award-winning drama set in 1920s Atlantic City where corruption and vice are rife. Enoch 'Nucky' Thompson (Steve Buscemi) senses that his rivals are plotting against him and sure enough, ambitious protege Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt), Eli (Shea Whigham) and Commodore Louis Kaestner (Dabney Coleman) join forces to smear Nucky with damaging allegations of election fraud. Meanwhile, Nucky's mistress Margaret Schroeder (Kelly Macdonald) begins an affair with handsome Irishman Owen Sleater (Charlie Cox).
Breaking Bad - The Complete Fourth Season (Cert 15, 590 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD £29.99)
Four-disc set comprising 13 episodes of the Emmy award-winning drama, following the exploits of high school chemistry teacher Walt (Bryan Cranston) and ex-student Jesse (Aaron Paul) as their crystal meth business goes from strength to strength. This series, the murder of chemist Gale Boetticher (David Costabile) has dramatic repercussions for the business partners as Walt's DEA agent brother-in-law, Hank (Dean Norris), gathers incriminating evidence to secure a conviction.
Breathing (Cert 15, 90 mins, Verve Pictures, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99)
Austrian actor Karl Markovics's directorial debut is a beautifully observed slice of life about a troubled juvenile called Roman (Thomas Schubert) who finds redemption on a work-release programme to Vienna's municipal morgue. Surrounded by grief and loss, the taciturn central character initially clashes with antagonistic work colleague Rudolf (Georg Friedrich) but ultimately learns to cherish the minutiae of his bleak existence, reflected in a bravura and naturalistic performance from Schubert that is the epitome of heart-rending restraint.
Downton Abbey - Series Three (Cert 12, 418 mins, Universal/Playback, DVD £29.99/Complete Collection DVD Box Set £49.99/Blu-ray £34.99/Complete Collection Blu-ray Box Set £54.99)
Death stalks the corridors of Downton Abbey in these eight episodes of the award-winning ITV1 drama. The fate of the grand house hangs in the balance but everyone comes together for the wedding of Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) and Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), including Cora's mother Martha Levinson (Shirley MacLaine), who locks horns with the imperious Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith). Below stairs, first footman Thomas (Rob James-Collier) is physically drawn to new arrival Jimmy Kent (Ed Speleers), and valet Bates (Brendan Coyle) is finally released from prison.
Mad Men - Season Five (Cert 15, 592 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, DVD £29.99/Seasons One To Five DVD Box Set £79.99/Blu-ray £39.99/Seasons One To Five Blu-ray Box Set £119.99)
Three-disc box set of 13 engrossing episodes of the award-winning drama set at the Sterling Cooper advertising agency in New York City between 1966 and 1967. This series, Megan (Jessica Pare) throws a surprise birthday party for new husband Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and turns the heads of most men at the company, Joan (Christina Hendricks) confronts the irreparable breakdown of her marriage and Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) entertains a tempting job offer as chief copywriter with rival company CGC.
Bond 50 (Cert 15, 2975 mins, MGM, DVD £119.99/Blu-ray £134.99)
With James Bond's 23rd mission, Skyfall, now the highest grossing film of all time at the UK box office, relive five decades of Ian Fleming's elite secret agent with a hefty box set comprising the previous 22 action-packed films from Sean Connery's dashing 1962 debut Dr No to Daniel Craig's bruising race against time in Quantum Of Solace. As well as the feature films, the set includes more than 122 hours of bonus features, including an additional disc laden with featurettes, trivia and behind-the-scenes content.
Desperate Housewives - The Complete Housewives (Cert 15, 7470 mins, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, DVD £123.99)
The secrets and lies of the residents of Wisteria Lane are completely exposed in this whopping 49-disc set of all eight series of the award-winning comedy drama, chronicling the vacillations of four female friends - Bree (Marcia Cross), Gabrielle (Eva Longoria), Lynette (Felicity Huffman) and Susan (Teri Hatcher) - who live in the same corner of leafy suburbia. The show begins in the aftermath of an apparent suicide but dark secrets and desires are quickly exposed as the residents reveal the evil that lurks behind those pristine white picket fences.
ET: The Extra-Terrestrial (Cert U, 110 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, Limited Edition Spaceship Blu-ray Box Set £119.99)
Steven Spielberg's masterpiece touches down on Blu-ray for the first time, following Elliot (Henry Thomas), his older brother Michael (Robert MacNaughton) and precocious sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore) as they conceal a stranded alien visitor from government scientists and their own mother (Dee Wallace Stone). This limited edition box set is packaged with a 45-page book and includes a collectible spaceship model with working lights and sound that plays John Williams's unforgettable theme tune as the base door opens to reveal the diminutive alien.
Harry Potter Wizard's Collection Box Set (Cert PG, 1178 mins, Warner Home Video, Blu-ray & DVD Combi-pack £259.99)
Packaged in a limited edition and individually numbered gift box, which unfolds to reveal a magical set of drawers, this 31-disc set contains all of the Harry Potter films including the 2D and 3D versions of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Parts 1 & 2, as well as 37 hours of additional content and five hours of previously unseen featurettes. The set includes exclusive memorabilia such as a map of Hogwarts, concept art prints and catalogues of props and posters designed by graphic artists who worked on the films.
Medium - The Complete Series (Cert 15, 5395 mins, Paramount Home Entertainment, DVD £129.99)
This 34-disc set comprises all seven series of the award-winning drama based on the real-life experiences of a medium, who works with the police to solve crimes. Patricia Arquette plays mother and wife Allison DuBois, whose ability to glimpse shocking events that have already happened creates friction with her husband Joe (Jake Weber) and children. Her gift is invaluable, however, to District Attorney Manuel Devalos (Miguel Sandoval) and Detective Lee Scanlon (David Cubitt) as they solve crimes in Arizona.
American Horror Story - Season 1 (Cert 15, 520 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £34.99/Blu-ray £39.99)
All 12 episodes of the Emmy award-winning drama set in a haunted house. Psychiatrist Dr Ben Harmon (Dylan McDermott) moves from Boston to Los Angeles with his wife Vivien (Connie Britton) and their teenage daughter Violet (Taissa Farmiga). Unaware that their new home is haunted, the Harmons look forward to a brighter future. Alas, the spirits, which reside in the house, play out a deadly and murderous game with the Harmons, driving the family to the brink of self-destruction.
The Cabin In The Woods (Cert 15, 91 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99)
Drew Goddard's grisly horror attempts to reinvigorate the genre with a slick tale of college kids in peril that is three parts bonkers to one part twisted genius. There are some big laughs and lashings of gore, including a possessed zombie appendage that lends a hand at a crucial juncture. The young cast embraces genre archetypes, screaming or disrobing on cue. A big reveal in the closing minutes is a humdinger, including a cameo from an A-list Hollywood star.
Chernobyl Diaries (Cert 15, 84 mins, Studio Canal, DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £22.99)
Shot in a documentary style by director Bradley Parker, replete with juddering handheld camerawork and ambient sound, Chernobyl Diaries follows a hapless group of tourists, who tour the abandoned Ukrainian community of Pripyat, close to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, and become stranded overnight in the ghost town with an enigmatic guide (Dimitri Diatchenko). Director Parker keeps most of the gore off-screen. Dialogue is largely improvised and the cast members demonstrate an impressive array of gasps, whimpers and blood-curdling screams.
Jaws (Cert PG, 115 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, Blu-ray £24.99/Limited Edition Steelbook Blu-ray £29.99)
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, Steven Spielberg's ruthlessly efficient 1975 thriller swims onto Blu-ray. The premise - a monster great white shark terrorises the New England resort of Amity Island - is simplistic but Spielberg directs brilliantly, leading local police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), marine expert Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and salty seadog Quint (Robert Shaw) in search of the beast. John Williams's inexorable theme sets the mood and our nerves on edge.
The Walking Dead - The Complete Second Season (Cert 18, 553 mins, Entertainment One, DVD £39.99/The Complete First & Second Seasons DVD Box Set £54.99/Blu-ray £44.99/The Complete First & Second Seasons Blu-ray Box Set £64.99)
Sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his loved ones continue their journey through a post-apocalyptic world overrun by the marauding undead in 13 episodes of the award-winning drama based on the graphic novels by Robert Kirkman. This series, Rick leads the survivors including his wife Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) and young son Carl (Chandler Riggs) towards Atlanta, where they hope to find sanctuary at Fort Benning. En route, civil rights attorney Andrea (Laurie Holden) is separated from the group and must cope on her own.
Coldplay Live 2012 (Cert 15, 107 mins, EMI Records Ltd, DVD £11.99/Blu-ray £21.99)
Paul Dugdale's concert film captures the excitement and energy of Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion as they tour Mylo Xyloto around the world. Coldplay Live 2012 edits together footage from performances at the Stade de France in Paris, the Bell Centre in Montreal and the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, where the band play album tracks Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, Paradise and Princess Of China alongside old favourites Viva La Vida, Clocks and Fix You. The DVD and Blu-ray are both packaged with a live concert CD.
Hello Quo! (Cert 15, 152 mins, Anchor Bay Entertainment, DVD £19.99/Collector's Edition DVD/Blu-ray £24.99)
Formed in 1962, rock band The Spectres became Status Quo five years later shortly before the release of the single Pictures Of Matchstick Men. Over the next 45 years, Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt and their band mates have conquered the world, selling 128 million albums and topping the UK singles chart twice with Down Down and Come On You Reds. Documentary film-maker Alan G Parker celebrates the enduring appeal of the Prince Of Wales's favourite band with this feature-length portrait, including interviews with current and previous line-ups and the people who know them best, plus archive footage and toe-tapping performances.
Katy Perry: Part Of Me (Cert PG, 93 mins, Paramount Home Entertainment, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99)
In less than four years, Californian singer Katy Perry has become one of the biggest-selling artists on the planet. Part Of Me is a behind-the-scenes documentary that traces her ascent from gospel singer Katy Hudson to the present day, including emotionally raw footage of the breakdown of her marriage to Russell Brand. Concert footage showcases her tremendous vocals, and her zany costumes and stage design wouldn't look out of place in Willy Wonka's factory.
Marley (Cert 15, 139 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99)
Made with the consent and co-operation of Bob Marley's family, Kevin Macdonald's affectionate and extensive documentary traces the history of the musical icon from his childhood when he was bullied mercilessly and became insecure about his mixed-race heritage, to his later years when he spread his love liberally between his adoring wife, mistresses, children and millions of ardent fans. Snippets of concert footage and previously unseen images are intercut with more familiar archive material and interviews with the people who knew the musician best, set to a rousing soundtrack of Marley's biggest hits.
Westlife: The Farewell Tour - Live At Croke Park (Cert E, 100 mins, 2entertain, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99)
On June 23 this year, Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Shane Filan played the final concert of a glittering 14-year career at Croke Park in Dublin - an emotional, sold-out homecoming to celebrate 14 number one singles and almost 50 million worldwide record sales. Cameras captured the show from beginning to end, including the joy and tears of the crowd as the band members sang together live for the final time. The DVD and Blu-ray both include a behind-the-scenes featurette and a souvenir tour booklet.
Quintessential Christmas
Bad Santa (Cert 15, 88 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £16.99)
Terry Zwigoff's foul-mouthed modern day version of A Christmas Carol stars Billy Bob Thornton as Willie T Stokes, a department store Santa who has almost given up on everyone and everything, except for the taste of good liquor. An unexpectedly touching friendship with an overweight boy (Brett Kelly) provides Willie with good cheer and us with tidings of discomfort and joy.
It's A Wonderful Life (Cert U, 130 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £19.99)
The annual re-issue of Frank Capra's life-affirming 1946 fable that perfectly exemplifies the festive spirit. James Stewart stars as suicidal family man George Bailey, who ponders a life without his beloved wife Mary (Donna Reed) and children, but is thankfully saved from the abyss by guardian angel Clarence (Henry Travers). The black-and-white and colourised versions of the film are included on both formats.
Miracle On 34th Street (Cert U, 109 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £9.99)
Les Mayfield's splendid 1994 remake of the festive favourite, headlining Richard Attenborough and rosy-cheeked Mara Wilson. When Macy's department store in New York needs a Santa Claus at short notice, Kris Kringle (Attenborough) steps in to save the day. However, the jovial Father Christmas claims to be the genuine article and he is forced to prove himself in a court of law.
Scrooge (Cert U, 57 mins, Simply Home Entertainment, DVD £14.99)
This classic 1951 adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol stars Alastair Sim as curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge, who doesn't care a jot for the festive season and pays his clerk Bob Cratchit (Mervyn Johns) a pittance. Estranged from his nephew Fred (Brian Worth), Ebenezer prepares to spend another Christmas alone, only to be visited by three ghostly guides who promise to show the miser his past, present and future. In so doing, the spectres force the old coot to re-examine his life and to offer help to Bob, whose son Tiny Tim (Glyn Dearman) is gravely ill.
The Snowman (30th Anniversary Edition) (Cert U, 26 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £6.99/Blu-ray £10.99)
Three decades after it was first broadcast on Channel Four, the animated version of the beloved Raymond Briggs story continues to delight, and an update called The Snowman And The Snowdog will be broadcast on Channel 4 this Christmas. The story centres on a boy called James, who wakes at midnight to discover that the icy figure in the garden has come to life. The snowman and the boy embark on a magical adventure to the haunting strains of Walking In The Air.
Les Enfants Du Paradis (The Restored Edition) (Cert PG, 182 mins, Second Sight Films, DVD £19.99)
A welcome re-release of Marcel Carne's 1945 epic, made during the Nazi occupation of France, released in a lovingly restored two-disc edition laden with featurettes and extras. Mime artist Jean-Baptiste Debureau (Jean-Louis Barrault) falls under the spell of beautiful actress Claire Reine (Arletty), who is known around town as Garance, but fate conspires to keep them apart. When chance allows their paths to converge once more, Baptiste and Garance find their way back to each other, but they now have other people's feelings to consider.
The Five-Year Engagement (Cert 15, 119 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99)
Nicholas Stoller's film charts the rollercoaster romance of San Francisco sous chef Tom (Jason Segel) and his sweetheart Violet (Emily Blunt) as they stumble towards their nuptials. The Five-Year Engagement is peppered with rapid-fire dialogue and some amusing vignettes including an animated discussion between two characters conducted using the voices of Elmo and Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. Segel and Blunt, who are good friends in real life, gel delightfully in front of the cameras and kindle sparks of sexual chemistry.
Friends With Kids (Cert 15, 102 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment (UK) Ltd, DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £22.99)
Manhattan advertising executive Jason (Adam Scott) and best friend Julie (Jennifer Westfeldt) agree the secret to a successful relationship is to raise a brood first and then find a soul mate. So they decide to have a baby together before searching for their other halves, providing this smart, witty and potty-mouthed confection with its intriguing premise. Scott and Westfeldt are a snug fit, and convince us they are destined to find happiness in each other's arms.
The Vow (Cert 12, 99 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £22.99)
Based on a heartbreaking true story, The Vow is an unabashedly romantic tale of love undone by misfortune about a doting husband (Channing Tatum), who must woo his new wife (Rachel McAdams) a second time after she suffers massive head trauma, erasing all memory of the previous 18 months. Michael Sucsy's film eschews slushy melodrama in favour of a sweet courtship riven with frustration and regret. Tatum and McAdams kindle a smouldering screen chemistry in early scenes, which provides us with a compelling reason to root for reconciliation in adversity.
Yossi (Cert 15, 80 mins, Peccadillo Pictures, DVD £15.99)
In the follow-up to his award-winning 2003 film Yossi & Jagger, which charted the tragic love story of two IDF officers serving in Lebanon, director Eytan Fox returns to one of the central characters to see if time has healed old wounds. Talented cardiologist Dr Yossi Hoffman (Ohad Knoller) is haunted by the death of his lover and he remains in the closet. Humdrum routine is shattered by the arrival of a mysterious woman who provides Yossi with an opportunity to exorcise the demons of the past.
Science fiction/fantasy
Cube (Cert 15, 87 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99)
A welcome re-issue of Vincenzo Natali's cult 1998 sci-fi horror set within a cube-shaped labyrinth laden with pitfalls. Five strangers wake and discover they are trapped inside a maze of booby-trapped chambers. Police office Quentin (Maurice Dean Wint) takes the lead with expert jail breaker Rennes (Wayne Robson), autistic genius Kazan (Andrew Miller) and brilliant mathematics student Leaven (Nicole De Boer), who deduces that each room is numbered, and these digits reveal if a room is safe.
Doctor Who - Series Seven, Part One (Cert PG, 245 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £24.99/Limited Edition DVD £27.99/Blu-ray £29.99/Limited Edition Blu-ray £32.99)
Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) begin their final adventures alongside the Time Lord (Matt Smith) in five episodes of the latest series, which pit the time travellers against the Daleks, prehistoric beasts and the diabolical Weeping Angels. The DVD includes Asylum Of The Daleks, Dinosaurs On A Spaceship, A Town Called Mercy, The Power Of Three and The Angels Take Manhattan. A limited edition DVD and Blu-ray with exclusive bonus features and an A3 poster is also available.
The Hunger Games (Cert 12, 136 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, DVD £22.99/Blu-ray £27.99)
Based on the first chapter of Suzanne Collins's post-apocalyptic trilogy, The Hunger Games is a nail-biting survival thriller centred on 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and baker's son Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), who are chosen by lottery to take part in a televised contest of survival. Gary Ross's film is galvanised by strong performances and breathlessly orchestrated action sequences. Handheld cameras sprint alongside competitors, giving a palpable sense of their disorientation and mounting dread as whooping rivals close in for the kill.
Men In Black 3 (Cert PG, 101 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99/Trilogy DVD Box Set £26.99/Blu-ray £24.99/3D Blu-ray £29.99/Trilogy Blu-ray Box Set £38.99)
Third time's a charm for the sharp-suited Men In Black, who rediscover their swagger 10 years after the lacklustre second instalment with Agent J (Will Smith) travelling back in time to 1969 to protect the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) from a Boglodite assassin called Boris The Animal (Jemaine Clement). Director Barry Sonnenfeld imbues each breathlessly orchestrated scene with impish humour. As usual, Smith's wisecracking and the imaginative production design are the constant sources of wonder.
Prometheus (Cert 15, 118 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99/3D Blu-ray £29.99/Prometheus To Alien Blu-ray Box Set £69.99)
Director Ridley Scott journeys back into space, where everyone can hear you scream, for a prelude of sorts to Alien. There are some intriguing ideas embedded within Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof's script - Darwinism vs Creationism, the recklessness of scientific endeavour. Inevitably perhaps, the film reduces to a big budget game of cat and mouse between wily xenomorphs and human interlopers. Production values are impeccable and the numerous dank, foreboding corridors provide plentiful opportunities to slaughter supporting characters.
Stand-up comedy
Channel 4's Comedy Gala 2012 (Cert 15, 126 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £6.99)
Some of the brightest stars of live and television comedy come together at The O2 arena in London to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital. Recorded in May 2012, this concert film features hilarious performances from Jo Brand, Kevin Bridges, Alan Carr, Paul Chowdhry, Jack Dee, Lee Evans, Micky Flanagan, Keith Lemon, Sean Lock, Michael McIntyre, Lee Nelson, Andi Osho, Jon Richardson, Jonathan Ross, Seann Walsh, Jack Whitehall and Josh Widdicombe.
Mrs Brown's Boys: Good Mourning Mrs Brown - Live Tour (Cert 15, 90 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £21.99/Blu-ray £26.99)
Brendan O'Carroll plays his outrageous alter ego Agnes Brown in a live stage version of the hit BBC sitcom. Grandad (Dermot O'Neill) is concerned what the rest of the clan will say about him at his funeral so Agnes decides to stage his final farewell before he dies. Meanwhile, son Dermot (Paddy Houlihan) plans a hare-brained robbery with best mate Buster (Danny O'Carroll) and flamboyant other son Rory (Rory Cowan) instigates a war of words with his boyfriend Dino (Gary Hollywood).
Peter Kay: Live & Back On Nights! (Cert 15, 93 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £21.99/Blu-ray £26.99)
The bubbly and beloved stand-up from Bolton performs to his adoring fans on his sold-out, record-breaking 2011 UK tour, intercut with revealing behind-the-scenes footage that gives some indication of the pressures of life on the road.
Sarah Millican Live: Thoroughly Modern Millican (Cert 15, 86 mins, 4DVD, DVD £19.99)
Crowned the Queen Of Comedy at the 2011 British Comedy Awards - as voted by the public - Millican heads back on the road with another entertaining set of saucy anecdotes and confessions that prove she would rather eat a slice of cake than take to a treadmill. Extras include an interview with the lovable Geordie stand-up and the first episode of her BBC Radio 2 show.
The Secret Policeman's Ball (Cert 15, 136 mins, Eagle Rock Entertainment, DVD £10/Blu-ray £12)
Dating back to 1979, The Secret Policeman's Ball raises awareness of the invaluable work of Amnesty International in protecting free speech throughout the world with a special night of performances from the stars of British and American comedy. Filmed live at the Radio City Music Hall in New York, this year's event features Russell Brand, Jimmy Carr, Noel Fielding, The Muppets, Peter Serafinowicz, Sarah Silverman, Ben Stiller, Catherine Tate, David Walliams and Jack Whitehall, plus music from Coldplay.
Headhunters (Hodejegerne) (Cert 15, 96 mins, Momentum Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £19.99)
Based on the novel by Jo Nesbo, Headhunters is an intricate edge-of-seat thriller that simmers gently for the opening 30 minutes as corporate high flier Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie) plots the theft of a priceless painting from suave businessman Clas Greve (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). As soon as Roger steps inside Clas's apartment to take the painting, director Morten Tyldum steadily cranks up the tension, building to a frenetic crescendo with a series of nerve-wracking showdowns and chases spattered with blood.
Homeland - The Complete First Season (Cert 15, 634 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £34.99/Blu-ray £39.99)
During a covert operation in Iraq, CIA agent Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) receives intelligence that an American prisoner of war has been turned by Al Qaida and will be unleashed back on home shores to wreak havoc. Soon after, US Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), who has been missing since 2003, is rescued from captivity. Thus begins this award-winning series inspired by the acclaimed Israeli drama, Hatufim. The four-disc set includes all 12 nail-biting episodes.
The Lodger (Cert PG, 79 mins, Network, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99)
Alfred Hitchcock's 1927 silent masterpiece has been lovingly restored to its former glory by the BFI National Archive and looks handsome on the home formats. Matinee idol Ivor Novello is mesmerising in the title role, playing an enigmatic stranger who secures lodgings with Mrs Bunting (Marie Ault), while a serial killer dubbed The Avenger runs amok on the fog-shrouded streets of London. Multi-award winning composer Nitin Sawhney provides a new score to jangle the nerves and both DVD and Blu-ray are packaged with soundtrack CDs.
Margin Call (Cert 15, 102 mins, Paramount Home Entertainment, DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £19.99)
Unfolding over 36 tense hours, Margin Call explores the questionable morality of a fictitious group of men and women at the centre of the current global financial crisis. If Gordon Gecko, the oily anti-hero of Oliver Stone's Wall Street, was right and greed is good, then the characters in writer-director JC Chandor's film are very good indeed. Jeremy Irons chews scenery as the ruthless company CEO, while Kevin Spacey reflects humanity in the eye of a storm as a department head trying to protect the people under him.
Sound Of My Voice (Cert 15, 81 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £27.99)
Shot largely within the claustrophobic confines of a basement lair, Sound Of My Voice is a low-budget cinematic conundrum that steeps ambiguity and suggestion upon inference and innuendo, leaving us guessing about the ulterior motives of a cult in San Fernando Valley led by Maggie (Brit Marling), who claims to be a time-travelling prophet from 2054. Film-makers Peter (Christopher Denham) and Lorna (Nicole Vicius) pose as willing disciples in order to infiltrate the cult and expose Maggie as a charlatan, but the interlopers question their assumptions.
DVD and Blu-ray retail top 10
1 (-) The Dark Knight Rises
2 (1) Ted
3 (-) The Bourne Legacy
4 (3) Brave
5 (-) The Dark Knight Trilogy
6 (2) The Amazing Spider-Man
7 (7) Michael McIntyre: Showtime
8 (-) New Year's Eve
9 (5) Arthur Christmas
10 (8) Mrs Brown's Boys Live Tour: Good Mourning Mrs Brown
Chart supplied by www.hmv.com
DVD rental top 10
1 (-) The Bourne Legacy
2 (1) Ted
3 (-) Rock Of Ages
4 (2) Dr Seuss' The Lorax
5 (5) The Five-Year Engagement
6 (4) Snow White And The Huntsman
7 (-) Prometheus
8 (6) The Dictator
9 (3) What To Expect When You're Expecting
10 (8) Avengers Assemble
Chart supplied by www.blockbuster.co.uk


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


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This whole "chucker" thing is ridiculous. Granger was the only weapon under a JOB philosophy of firing up 3pts. I do believe that JOB had a negative impact on Granger. All that has changed now,, unfortunately for Granger he has not been able to become apart of this just yet.
unless someone believes that murphy, dunleavy, rush, mcroberts were better options than I cant see where the chucker philosophy comes into play when Danny had solid #s forcing on the issue under a coach running a 3 pt centric offense.
Danny wasn't the issue, it was the coach and the talent.


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You honestly talk out of your ass most of the time,don't you?
I find it funny that people still manage to get ddos'd as it is farily easy to stop/avoid it (unless you have static ip-which i assume you don't),also there are quite a few posts on aj for that matter incase you were not aware how to act beforehand.
Though it's true with the attitude you carry i sort of feel it's not hard for ppl to hate you and propably ddos you
This is such a terrible attitude. You're perpetuating the crime against the victim by simply stating how "easy" it is to not be a victim. How about how easy is it to not be a jackass over an online game and commit a felony? That seems pretty easy to me. Also, as to the whole Blizzard has no control. The entire basis of my argument (and I seriously doubt from all the responses ANYONE read it) is that many perpetrators of DDOS brag stupidly about it via in-game chat. Simply serve bans to those that do. Blizzard needs better moderation in-game. Much better moderation! I said this on my battle.net forum post, but noone addressed it. The Blizzard staff is terribly unaware of the happenings in and around the WoW PvP community. In fact, many GMs don't even play this game at all.
Everyone needs to take some time to think. Find solutions. It's so much easier for you all to sit back, mock, and nod me then to actually be productive and make a change. If people are going to criticize, at least come up with a solution. Otherwise, you're useless and a part of the reason why DDOS exists. You contribute to the atrophy of WoW PVP.


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text: George H.W. Bush used to be the captain of the Yale baseball team. Gerald Ford was a center on the University of Michigan football team. JFK was on the Harvard football team. Here is a look at presidents who made a name for themselves on the field before trolling for votes.


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Priceless... even on "the market"
Unfortunately, I didn't see the lecture, so this is a bit out of context, but how sheltered and naive has the academic architecture world become that "I don't care about Utopia, I just care about the market" comes off as an astute, even profound, statement. Or was he being ironic? Interestingly, it would have been more ironic if he was not trying be ironic.
well ok, I have to confess I was kind of pissed at him. He's 3 days were just BORING. Seriuosly no innovation (come on, FOA was not Foster and Partners or SOM). And personally there is something weird happening to that office. He has the right to chose either to be innovative or just to sell out, but even sell outs have eye catching presentations, even gimmicky schemes, their shit was just unbelievably dull. Come on they are on the GSD list and he's the head of Berlage, they surely can grab talented people to do their stuff. Then there was the attitude issue. Using countless diagrams to "prove" their stuff was "right" came off as him being ashemed of their work. That and the phrase he repeated the most "yeah, yeah, we didnt have enough time for this project" or " yeah, yeah, this was a quick render/animation" or "yeah yeah, we are not going to go through that, is not worth it (certain slides)". So, come on, if ur going to give 3 days of lectures, and show material that you dont consider worthy. either ur a buffoon, or u totally lack respect for ur audience.
Going back to he's entitlement to opt for selling out and going to Dubai, he is entitled as anyone, but please, donbt try to come of as being (as we say in s.america) "the discoverer of warm water". If ur message is that we should go "market" then dont come and talk about tesellations, phylogenesis, FOA's ARK, and all the B.S. Just say, dude, in order to be succesfull, bend down.
He also said, "there are somethings that cannot be tampered with, that u cannot change, its like having a car with the steering wheel in the middle" Funny that he said that cause there's a car with the steering wheel in the middle, and it is (or was for some time) the "best sports car in the world". So my point is not that he should be super avant garde everytime. But at least, if ur going to be involved in academia, and if ur shameless enough to present ur work at a lecture at an architecture school (specially one concerned with academia not practice) drop the sell-out attitude.
One of the best lectures of the semester was by BIG http://www.big.dk/ I personally dont like much of their stuff, but at least Ingels finds opportunities to engage the market in an innovative way drawing opportunity out of tight situations.
Anyway, since am not that good at writing, am posting a link to an old article that sort of fits the topic
market. ..wo! not bad ... how many poeple actually have heard it from its real voice?
hmm.. do you have the full interview? would be glad to know what he talked about.. thanks!
i was readin something about otto wagner and to paraphrase him, he stated(which many architects have before and after him) that architects must address the issues of their time on both technological and cultural grounds. the paradox-22 for the contemporary practiononer is that the issue of our time is nostalgia.
The issue of our time is not nostalgia.
The issues are fear and finance.
There's been a discussion around this topic (post-critical architecture) - on archinect before and the issue is still worth processing. The Utopia vs. Market -pairing seems odd in A Z-P's statement: if it would be that simple. He seems to be saying just that he chooses realism instead of contrived academicisms - but wants to say it in a provocative manner. hence "market". but I can't help being a bit sceptical about the hijacking of the market, or the reality of building production, by these proponents of "post-critical" architecture. The word they don't want to use about themselves is opportunists - not actually dealing with the questions of space-production that could cloud the onward march of construction. - When tied to the ongoing CCTV-debate, this is the prominent discussion (of merit) going on at the moment.
China has already raised some issues; and I'm sure the United Arab Emirates and other oil-rich but morally medieval societies will soon enough give rise to more complex questions than just "how tall, how many and for how much."
watch out for Baku, Azerbaijan, and Helsinki, his tone wasnt provocative. He was just totally defensive in the wake of being rightly attacked by the students. He said what he said out of desperation, out of knowing he had nothing to say about his projects "mmm, lets skip this slide its not worth it"
ONUR Farsid spends most of the time at London, Alejandro is the one in charge of the travelling and the lectures, etc., Farsid preffers to stay at London to take charge of the office AND the family...
by the way i dont think thats a new attitude of alejandro (about the market, and about being dull at lectures), or even something they hided before, but i remember couple of years ago, in their website they had 3 e.mails one was if u want a job,, second literally said "if u want to say hi", and the 3rd one said something like: "if u have millions to spend, contact us at: email@example.com"
i think most of the times he had been quite dissapointed with the whole architectural process, he had always complaint about the way contractors execute, about the time clients gives to them, etc.
the only project i think he's fully satisfied is yokohama, actually in the PODCAST of scalae where they interview him (sorry only in spanish) he talks about all of this, about how he gets fustrated about all the agents involved in the realization or not (accurate or not) of any architectural project in the world today (investors, authorities, politicians, critics, general public, old regulations etc)....
i dunno i think this is not a new attitude of FOA i think they had been always like this, is just people wasnt really paying atention to their attitude but only to yokohama...and after a couple of years post-yokohama with the project already assimilated, ppl is expecting maybe something from them, that they never had... who knows, im just kind of thinking out loud here....
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After 6 years working at a commercial firm in London and setting up my own practice with collegues from the AA to deliver a comission for a tower we won in India, I am embarking on a new adventure as studio leader for a local firm in China, trying to reconnect with the experimental mind set I used to have during my days at GSAPP


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CycleClips 11 July 2014
CTC, the national cycling charity, inspires and helps people to cycle and keep cycling. To join or support us visit www.ctc.org.uk or phone 01483 238301/0844 7368451.
Registered office: CTC National Office, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX Cyclists' Touring Club, a company limited by guarantee, registered in England no.25185. Registered as a charity in England and Wales no.1147607 and in Scotland no.SC042541.


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EVGA GeForce GTX 680 Classified Review: Pushing GTX 680 To Its Peakby Ryan Smith on July 20, 2012 12:00 PM EST
The Test
For our review of the GTX 680 Classified we're using NVIDIA's latest beta drivers, 304.79. These drives have no appreciable difference over the previous 304.42 drivers beyond some simple bug fixes.
|Intel Core i7-3960X @ 4.3GHz
|Chipset Drivers:
|Intel 188.8.131.522
|Power Supply:
|Antec True Power Quattro 1200
|Hard Disk:
|Samsung 470 (256GB)
|G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3-1867 4 x 4GB (8-10-9-26)
|Thermaltake Spedo Advance
Samsung 305T
Asus PA246Q
|Video Cards:
AMD Radeon HD 6970
AMD Radeon HD 7950
AMD Radeon HD 7970
AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680
EVGA GeForce GTX 680 Classified
|Video Drivers:
NVIDIA ForceWare 304.42 Beta
NVIDIA ForceWare 304.79 Beta
AMD Catalyst 12.7 Beta
|Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
75 Comments
View All Comments
Belard - Saturday, July 21, 2012 - linkThis card is so old-school looking... like an Atari 2600... or 70s camera. Reply
ekon - Saturday, July 21, 2012 - linkFew people are aware that EVGA was in the compact camera business back in the 70s:
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=65bac5&s=6 Reply
Belard - Saturday, July 21, 2012 - linkWow, Amazing!
Its so cool how a 1970s camera's lens look just like a blower! What were the chances!
:) Reply
Belard - Sunday, July 22, 2012 - linkKinda funny. I showed my 7yr old the big picture of this EVGA GTX 680 classified card and he said "it looked really old"... wow.
For the retro- look, it does look nice. There will come a time when the computer toys we have today will look like OLD OLD junk.
If mankind makes it another 100 years, our PCs, tablets and GPUs would be like telegraph equipment. Reply
CeriseCogburn - Tuesday, July 24, 2012 - linkThat's an amazing comment considering the years long AMD standard block look on 99% plus AMD cards we've been treated to.
I remember being sick to my stomache seeing the same old red red red red red pcb on them all. Finally one amd fan promoter claimed he had a blue pcb amd card and linked a pic but it has the same old sad red square cover with the black lines.
I do realize when the amd double D breast design recently hit many fanboys went into some sort of sexually perverse mental mode, but that shouldn't wipe out the endless years of amd standard fare we were all tortured with.
In the case of this card, there's a lot of white on the outside I haven't seen anywhere else, the white "top" with printing will be staring at you out of the case, something so many cards have been oblivious too for far too long... then we also have the black carbon look - another unusual feature although with the fanboysim over anything and everything black that is understandable as I'm sure their pr boys figured that part a clear win, sadly enough. Reply
Haravikk - Saturday, July 21, 2012 - linkWith 4gb RAM it seems like it's almost intended to be the ultimate Second Life card; powerful enough to handle that app's mediocre but insanely demanding graphics with the RAM to hold all the hundreds of overly high-resolution textures plastered onto every visible surface.
But for $660 I'm not sure it's worth the novelly =) Reply
dave1_nyc - Saturday, July 21, 2012 - linkOK, I know that this is trivial, but the previous Classified at least looked kinda cool and unique. This one seems visually unappealing. Reply
CeriseCogburn - Tuesday, July 24, 2012 - linkBut once you put it in the case, usually within a few minutes of having an insane "unboxing" session much like a religious pilgrimage with a possible absolutely boring youtube minutes somehow considered a "treat" by the disturbed (of which there are many), you shove it in the case and put on the side cover... never to really see it ever again in it's fully glory, until it's death.
What you will see is the big fat WHITE laberl and red classified printing jamming at your face if you have a side window..... clearly the most important aspect - even though 98% don't have a window to look through... but if you do - you're set.
Don't mind me - I'm still amazed how "the feel" of some look makes it or breaks it for 99% of the retarded humans that surround me - especially when "the looking" is done like .000001% of the time as in the case of these video cards.
It must have to do with their estrogen levels I tell myself, or maybe they don't have a girlfriend and that's why... Reply
MrSpadge - Saturday, July 21, 2012 - link> Software overvoltage control is forbidden.
I can understand this for the reference design. But for custom designs? WTF?! Reply
shin0bi272 - Sunday, July 22, 2012 - linkThe instant I saw the original 680 I said that the 256bit memory bus was going to limit it severely. Even before I saw any other stats for the thing I knew id never buy one. Nvidia was cheap when they released the 680 because they saw what the 7970 was putting out and they said we'll call our 660 midrange our 680 high end and we can make more money (also love the fact that you guys test the handful of games that amd's 7 series beats the nvidia 6 series... not cherry picking your benchmarks at all nooo).
This card does push the 680 to its limit which is cool and all but it just proves that a) the 256bit mem bus is still a midrange card designator no matter how much they claim gddr5 is fast enough to not need more than that... it does. And b) Nvidia could have pushed the 680's base clock up much higher and, while it would still be bottle necked bad, it would have been more attractive.
Bring on the 700 series Im done with the 6's Reply


text:
Greek yogurt sales are going through the roof.
According to this story from National Public Radio, sales of Greek yogurt could reach $1.5 billion this year ― almost double last year's sales.
And, now there's evidence that Greek yogurt is stealing some of the thunder from other food categories in the grocery store.
"(Greek yogurt's) growth is affecting deli-prepared meals, like soup and salad bars," Megan Margaff, chief analytics officer of the consumer research firm Spire, told the Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger. "People running in to grab lunch in the middle of the day are increasingly buying Greek yogurt, because of its high protein content, to replace those items. And it's affecting center-store items like soup and frozen meals too." Read more.
One of the leading Greek yogurt companies, Chobani, is a classic American success story, as this story from Dairy Herd Management outlines.


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These scams involve emails or letters sent out offering people a large reward if they help to transfer a large sum of money.
The emails or letters often say the money has come from bribes, government accounts or is unclaimed money from someone who has recently died. They ask you to send your bank details and pay an 'advance fee' to complete the deal. If you pay the advance fee you then don't receive any money in return, and you have no way of getting your money back.


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Moderators: Timko, Fritz, Solty, Booter, Blake_T, Frank Delicious
keltik wrote:I do, I just don't have enough paypal...
sunspot wrote:Which Shocks have the highest parting line?
what'shisname wrote:Ship to Canada? I'd be interested in these two...
Red in 166 -- $15
LimeGreen in 170/173 -- $15
sunspot wrote:One last thing, how are the Volts and Shocks flying for you?
sunspot wrote:Are those Volts on the stable side?
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Bentonville, Ark. Wal-Mart has launched helpaguybuy.com to help men find the perfect gifts for the women in their lives.
The Web site takes visitors through a series of questions designed to determine the type of woman for whom they shopping. The site then displays a suggestion of gift ideas to match the woman's personality, as well as a link to a store finder so visitors can find the nearest Wal-Mart location to make the purchase.


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Topic: MY CT SCAN RESULTS!!!!!!
I figured I don't get to post here too often so I yelled the headline!
Cells are still shrinking and dying and fairly inactive!!!!!
Can you see me smiling? Short of a miracle this is the best news I could have asked for!!!
I firmly believe stereotactic radiation has saved my life!
"Don't just have minutes in the day; have moments in time."
Any opinions I give are based on personal experiences, and are not based on medical knowledge. I strongly suggest receiving medical care and opinions.


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Every new patient is interviewed and examined by me. All recommendations are subsequent to the interview and exam. I provide patient's multiple pre-operative and post-operative pictures to view at their leisure. I also discuss not only recommended treatment but other alternatives if applicable. My office offers information on all cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. We have a comprehensive skin care clinic as well as offering botox and collagen treatments. All office staff members are able to answer questions and assist in the consultation process. I have many former patients who are willing to speak to new patients about their procedures. There is a $100.00 consultation fee that is deducted from the surgical fee if the patient is scheduled for sugery.
I operate at surgical facilities in Mesa, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. These places have overnight stay areas that are geared for plastic surgery patients. The Paradise Valley Cosmetic Surgery Center offers a private and personal agenda surrounded by beautiful landscape. All facilities are accredited by state law and regulations.
- John Carroll University, 1973 - 1976
- Ohio State University, College of Medicine, 1976 - 1979
- Phoenix Integraded Surgical Residency, 1979 - 1984
- University of Kentucky Med Center, Plastic Surgery Residency, 1984 - 1986
- Private Practice, 1986 - Present
- American Board of Plastic Surgery 1988
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons
- American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
- American College of Surgeons
- Desert Samaritan Medical Center, Mesa AZ
- Scottsdale Memorial Hospital-Osborne, Scottsdale AZ
- Scottsdale Memorial Hospital-North, Scottsdale AZ


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Technologist Baby Bodysuits are an Idakoos specialtiy! Idakoos has many things to offer. Whether you want to get a Technologist Baby Bodysuit for a special occasion, give a Technologist Infant Bodysuit as a present or need to represent with a funny Technologist Baby Romper during Holidays or Family and Friends get-togethers, Idakoos is sure to have the right Technologist Baby Bodysuit for you! Even if it turns out you can't find the right Technologist Baby Creeper with the perfect design for all those babies in your family and friends circle; Idakoos offers all of its children's Technologist Baby Bodysuits as Technologist Baby Bodysuits. Personalize any Technologist Baby Snapsuit the way you want to ensure the perfect gift.
Showing 1 - 24 of 97 Baby Bodysuit


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Didnt see one so here you go.
Lets Go Roooooooooooooooooooooooyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!
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Didnt see one so here you go.
Lets Go Roooooooooooooooooooooooyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!
Kobe's game is so smooth.
I must say, those uniforms are ugly even to all star uniform standards
They look like they're just the printed on "replica" jerseys like they sell for cheap also.
That's why LeBron should be in the dunk contest
The shorts don't look like they go with them. they look like a mismatched middle school uniform.
They were playing defense there for a minute, I had my hopes up.
Also, this all reaffirms why Kobe is the frigging man.
ok we need superstars in the dunk contest........ that would make everyone hyped and would be a lot of fun
Roy is going to have trouble keeping this pace
Honestly, I think it'd be pretty pointless. Who do you think could possible beat him?
Yeah I don't know if Roy is going to Do much. I just hope Blake doesn't make a poster out of him.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk
glad Westbrook didn't embarrass Roy
Roy needs a super block
But sadly defense isn't played in this game
Tom Thibodeau's hair is really something to behold.
Hibbert "highlight" lol
Roy making a couple plays, would like to see him score once though.
I would love to see him dunk on Love.


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Avery® Trading Card Pages 76016, Acid Free, Pack of 10Product Number: 76016
Whether you've been collecting all your life or are just getting started, these Trading Card Pages will give your tradable card collection the protection it deserves. Each page holds up to nine cards in translucent pockets that let you enjoy both the photo on the front and the stats on the back. The durable material resists tearing on binder rings and protects your cards from errant liquids and other consequences of handling. When you tuck your cards into these acid-free and archival-safe pages, you'll ensure that your collection will maintain its mint condition for years to come.
Product Description:
Reviewed by 3 customers
This review is from Trading Card Pages 76016:
I love using the Trading Card Pages to hold my coupons. I put them back-to-back. Holds 16 coupons printed from web. I have to cut coupons right on their lines to fit into the pages. Pages don't tear. I use 20 pages in my 2 inch binder.
This review is from Trading Card Pages 76016:
I got this product for my son who has a card collection. It works great to keep his cards organized and clean. Especially clean and undamaged.
This review is from Trading Card Pages 76016:
I have wallet-sized photos of my children, and I get photos from family, and friends. I don't want to throw the older photos away when I get new ones. I use your trading card pages to keep a photo history of the important people in my life. I have pages per family, for the photos that I get every year in Christmas cards. It is great watching the children as they grow. My photos are in one place and I can find them at any time. Unfortunately, this wasn't an original idea on my part, but I sure do LOVE your pages!!!


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Many of the wide receivers drafted into the NFL from 2007 to 2011 are world-class athletes, so it's no surprise they have fit the Olympic motto of "bigger, faster, stronger." With all due respect to the many great quarterbacks, the passing explosion has turned wideout into the league's most glamorous position.
From Calvin Johnson, the first receiver taken in 2007, through last year's class, an impressive collection of college stars has transitioned to the NFL game. With teams using more three- and four-receiver sets, young wideouts get on the field much earlier, which helps their route-running get up to speed.
Every receiver, however, is playing catch-up to the man nicknamed "Megatron."
Five-year draft review
Best overall pick: Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions, 2007, first round, second overall. Injuries and inconsistent quarterback play didn't keep Johnson from producing at a high level early on. So it only made sense that when he became more durable and was able to work with Matthew Stafford, the uncoverable 6-5, 239-pound Johnson would enjoy a monster season. Witness his 96 receptions, 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2011. And because he has become an indispensable target and one of the NFL's best players, the Lions had to break the bank with an eight-year, $132 million deal signed last month to keep him as the face of a young playoff team.
— Assume the positions: Tight ends | tackles | guards/centers | defensive ends | defensive tackles | outside linebackers | inside linebackers | safeties | cornerbacks
Best late-round pick: Stevie Johnson, Bills, 2008, seventh round, 224th overall. Despite a breakout senior year at Kentucky, Johnson slipped past almost everyone. Even the Bills didn't give him much of a chance during his first two seasons. But Buffalo's receiving corps sputtered enough so that Johnson got his chance, and he has clicked with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick for 1,000-yard seasons in 2011 and '12. His five-year, $36.25 contract shows how much he's worth to the Bills passing game.
Best draft class: 2009. There has been plenty of depth in recent classes, with studs coming off the board early and late, and several good complementary receivers/return men in between. In 2009, five wide receivers were taken in the first round, and the last two — the New York Giants' Hakeem Nicks (No. 29) and Tennessee Titans' Kenny Britt (No. 30) — are the best of the group.
— 2012: Mock draft | Wideouts: Kendall Wright | Rueben Randle
Both Darrius Heyward-Bey (No. 7) and Michael Crabtree (No. 10) might have changed their fortunes with the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers, respectively. And if Jeremy Maclin (No. 19) can stay healthy, he's in for a big third season with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The real stamp on this class, however, is Mike Wallace (No. 84) — a third-round steal for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Rising star: Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos, 2010, first round, 22nd overall. Thomas' highlight last season, when he worked in a run-heavy attack with Tim Tebow, was his 80-yard burst for the game-winning overtime touchdown against Pittsburgh in a wild-card game. Thomas, a 6-3, 229-pound product of Georgia Tech, isn't quite Megatron, but he figures to explode with more big plays now that he has a legitimate passer to work with in Peyton Manning.
Last year's top model: A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals, first round, fourth overall. Green worked against some of the best college corners in the SEC, so there was no question his speed was the real deal. He blew by single coverage early, and it didn't take long for opponents to double-team him so he couldn't burn them as much deep. But he also proved he was a gifted route-runner and should improve as he builds his already great chemistry with second-year quarterback Andy Dalton.
Trend to watch: There's an even greater need for speed. Consider the impact last season of the fleet feet of Green, the Atlanta Falcons' Julio Jones and the Baltimore Ravens' Torrey Smith. Teams badly want to stretch the field with a bona fide No. 1 receiver and a dangerous No. 3 who can zip out of the slot. As a result, speedy talents such as Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill, Baylor's Kendall Wright and LSU's Rueben Randle could soar as potential first-round picks behind Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon.
Pro Bowlers drafted: Calvin Johnson, Dwayne Bowe, Sidney Rice, Steve Smith, DeSean Jackson, Matthew Slater (special teams coverage), Percy Harvin, Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, Marc Mariani (returner), A.J. Green.
Position grade: A


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Rabid skunk identified in Sandston
Citizen Staff Reports 10/02/12
Henrico Police announced today that a skunk that attacked a dog on Armstead Circle in Sandston on Sunday was rabid. The skunk was dead when police responded to a call for service, and they took its remains to the state lab for testing.
The dog involved in the incident had a current rabies vaccination and will be quarantined for 45 days. There were no other animal or human exposures reported.
Henrico Police Animal Protection officials are reminding the public to keep pets' rabies vaccinations current to ensure their safety. Abnormal wildlife behavior should be reported by calling the Henrico Police Non-Emergency Communications Center at (804) 501-5000.
The dog involved in the incident had a current rabies vaccination and will be quarantined for 45 days. There were no other animal or human exposures reported.
Henrico Police Animal Protection officials are reminding the public to keep pets' rabies vaccinations current to ensure their safety. Abnormal wildlife behavior should be reported by calling the Henrico Police Non-Emergency Communications Center at (804) 501-5000.
State trooper shot in Henrico cul-de-sac
Citizen Staff Reports 09/20/2017 General NewsPublic SafetyCrime Report
SEPT. 20, 11:30 A.M. – A North Carolina woman who Virginia State Police say shot a state trooper in Henrico last night has been charged with attempted capital murder of a police officer and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
The woman, Karisa Shyanne Daniels, 23, of Durham, N.C., allegedly fired at Senior Trooper C. A. Putnam on Lakeway Court, a Henrico cul-de-sac near September Drive shortly before midnight, following a chase. > Read more.
C-SPAN bus to visit UR Sept. 27
Citizen Staff Reports 09/20/2017 EducationGeneral News
The University of Richmond will host a multi-media C-SPAN bus Sept. 27 from 1 to 3 p.m. The "50 Capitals Tour" – open to the public on – is designed to engage students and community members through interactive demonstrations of C-SPAN's multi-platform public service resources.
The 45-foot customized motor coach will be placed on the University Forum. > Read more.
Free flu shots available at MedExpress, opening Sept. 20
Citizen Staff Reports 09/18/2017 BusinessGeneral NewsHealth
MedExpress Urgent Care will open a new neighborhood medical center in Henrico Sept. 20 at 8040 W. Broad St. To help Richmond-area residents prepare for the upcoming flu season, the new center will offer free flu shots to patients ages four and up starting the day the center opens and while supplies last.
An open house celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held prior to opening day, Sept. 19 from noon to 2 p.m. > Read more.
Crime Stoppers' Crime of the Week: Sept. 18, 2017
Citizen Staff Reports 09/18/2017 General NewsPublic SafetyCrime of the Week
Crime Stoppers is seeking information about a shooting in Richmond that resulted in an injured child and the murder of an adult.
At approximately 10:21 p.m., Sept. 9, Richmond Police were called to the 3200 block of 5th Avenue for a report of a person shot. They quickly located two victims suffering from gunshot wounds, a 57-year-old male and a 9-year-old female. > Read more.
Business in brief
Citizen Staff Reports 09/18/2017 BusinessBusiness in BriefGeneral News
Commonwealth Senior Living at the West End, located at 2400 Gaskins Rd., will hold their grand opening on Oct. 3 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The community recently underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation which included the addition of a new memory care neighborhood, new resident suites, an expanded dining room, and brand-new courtyards and additional outdoor spaces. Commonwealth Senior Living associates will be on site to provide tours of the newly renovated community. > Read more.
Business in brief
Wegmans to sponsor Turkey Trot 10K
Publix to open at Virginia Center Marketplace Oct. 11
Statewide tax amnesty period underway
Henrico Master Gardener training program accepting applications through Oct. 27
- More News
Print Edition
Sep. 21, 2017Current edition | Archive
Weekend Top 10
Restaurant Watch
Weekend Top 10
Restaurant Watch
Willow Lawn to host 'Doggie & Me' event Sept. 23
- More Entertainment
Obituary – Margaret B. "Peggy" Catlett
Obituary – Patricia Wells Melton
Obituary - Dorothy M. Wade
- More Obituaries
Lewis Ginter to host Fall PlantFest Sept. 15-16
Henrico nonprofits sought
Free legal services for seniors, disabled available Sept. 14
- More Community
Growing a grown-up: Part II
How to grow an adult
Make 'em take the pledge: no more snuff boxes!
- More Opinions
SunTrust to sponsor raceways's military appreciation program
Code Lacrosse joins Richmond Strikers
5 Henrico student-athletes win scholarships at awards dinner
- More Sports
|September 2017
Place an Ad | More Classifieds
CalendarThe Richmond Virginia Lyme Group will meet from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Libbie Mill Library. The speaker will be John Kang, a Chinese medicine practitioner who does acupuncture and mixes herbal medicines at his office, Richmond Acupuncture and Wellness. He has practiced in Richmond since 2003. It is not unusual for western medicine to be unable to cure Lyme disease; sufferers may want to consider options like herbal medicine and acupuncture. Admission is free. No registration or tickets are required. For details, call 246-8453. Full text


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Burton Feelgood Smalls Snowboard
Catch-free rocker plus poppy camber for girls who are ready to rock the entire mountain.
We give the girls their due with a kid-friendly version of the Burton Feelgood™ that heroes like Kelly Clark ride. Flying V™ blends the best of rocker and camber for smooth, stable, and playful performance that makes easy work of the entire trail map. Perfect for the little lady who has outgrown the Chicklet™; this hybrid design gives her the fun twin shape, speed, and weight-savings to support her steady appetite for improvement. The Channel™ mounting system means the easiest, most adjustable setup possible with compatibility that works with any binding from most major brands.
- Bend Flying V
- Shape Twin Shape
- Flex Twin Flex
- Core FSC™ Certified Super Fly® 800G Core, Dualzone™ EGD™
- Fiberglass Biax™ Fiberglass
- Base Extruded Base
- Mounting The Channel™
- Features Pro-Tip™
- Burton Warranty 3-Year Warranty


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Va. commission says 911 outage was avoidable
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A state commission says the 911 outage in Northern Virginia after last summer's derecho was caused by Verizon's failure to perform necessary maintenance.
The State Corporation Commission said in a final report issued Thursday that the 911 failure was compounded by Verizon's failure to monitor and respond to the outages.
The June 29 storm included near-hurricane-force winds and caused millions of people to lose electricity. It knocked out power to a Verizon facility in Arlington that resulted in 911 calls not working in Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William counties and the city of Manassas - an area with a population of more than 1.7 million.
The commission said Verizon has taken corrective action. Verizon said in a statement that it will continue to improve its network's resiliency.


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Cognitive Stimulation Program in AIDS
This study has been completed.
University of Pittsburgh
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
University of Pittsburgh
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: February 8, 2008
Last updated: December 9, 2013
Last verified: December 2013
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Detailed Description:
There has been little success in treating the cognitive (thinking) problems associated with HIV/AIDS using medications. The purpose of this study is to determine whether an internet-based cognitive "stimulation" program might help HIV-infected individuals think more clearly. If this is true, then it means that people with mild forms of cognitive impairment may be able to help themselves to get better.
|HIV Infections
|Behavioral: Smartbrain
|Phase 1
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|Pilot Study of an Internet-Based Cognitive Stimulation Program in AIDS
Resource links provided by NLM:
MedlinePlus related topics: HIV/AIDSU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by University of Pittsburgh:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- Global Impairment Rating from battery of neuropsychological tests. [ Time Frame: 24 weeks ]
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- Change in perceived quality of life using MOS/HIV [ Time Frame: 24 weeks ]
|Study Start Date:
|September 2007
|Study Completion Date:
|January 2010
|Primary Completion Date:
|January 2010 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Experimental: Cognitive Stimulation
Subjects will be given Internet access to the Smartbrain cognitive stimulation program. They will complete exercises for ~30 minutes, at least three times per week, for a period of 24 weeks.
Behavioral: Smartbrain
The initial session will be set for 10 minutes, with weekly increases (of 10 minutes) to a maximum of 30 minutes per day, 7 days a week. Each subject will be trained using the same modules of the Smartbrain protocol, with an emphasis on speed of information processing.
Other Name: Cognitive stimulation
No Intervention: Control
These individuals will receive "usual care" during the 24 week follow-up period.
Detailed Description:
The neurocognitive manifestations of HIV/AIDS have long been recognized as important for the management, survival, and quality of life of affected patients and their families. Following the advent of Highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) the incidence of HIV-associated dementia (HAD) has fallen, but the prevalence of the milder forms of HIV-related cognitive disorders has risen. This is important because alterations in cognitive function can have significant impact on work and social activities, mood, and perceived quality of life. To date, pharmacological management of HIV-associated cognitive disorders - apart from HAART - have met with limited success (e.g., Peptide T, Ritalin). Therefore, it appears reasonable to ask whether the use of non-pharmacological tools might help alleviate or ameliorate the symptoms of the milder forms of cognitive impairment, and thus improve mood and activities of daily living. The purpose of this application is to request funds to allow us to complete a feasibility/pilot study of the merits of using an internet-based cognitive stimulation program (CSP) to improve the cognitive functions and quality of life of individuals with HIV/AIDS, and, secondarily, to detect such changes using a computerized assessment tool designed for use in a health care practitioner's office (Computer-Based Assessment of Mild Cognitive Impairment (CAMCI)).
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|40 Years to 65 Years (Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Access to the Internet (either from home or public access)
- Native language is English
- HIV infected
Exclusion Crieria:
- Active drug/alcohol abuse or dependence
- Current major depression
- History of neurological disease, Central Nervous System Opportunistic Infections, tumors, or stroke
- History of learning disability or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (by subject report).
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00619567
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00619567
|United States, Pennsylvania
|Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh
|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213
Sponsors and Collaborators
University of Pittsburgh
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
|Principal Investigator:
|James T. Becker, Ph.D.
|University of Pittsburgh
More Information
Keywords provided by University of Pittsburgh:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 25, 2017
|Responsible Party:
|University of Pittsburgh
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00619567 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
R03MH081723-01 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract )
|Study First Received:
|February 8, 2008
|Last Updated:
|December 9, 2013
Keywords provided by University of Pittsburgh:
Cognitive Stimulation
Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
HIV Infections
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 25, 2017


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Neutrogena Rapid Clear Acne Eliminating Spot Gel Reviews
It just doesn't work.This product is completely worthless. I tried using it as a spot treatment, and it didn't have any effect on my skin at all. It was like I hadn't even used it. Absolutely useless. — 6 years, 7 months agoLittleBunny | 545 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 3 of 5 people said helpful
Just okay acne treatment gel for meI've been suffering from adult acne for years. Even though Clinique Acne Solution system made some minor difference, none of the acne treatment worked completely. This Neutrogena gel eliminated or reduced the size of some pimples, but I kept getting new blemishes at the same time. What I did not like this one is that this stuff left some parts of my face very dry and flaky. I have oily/combo skin, I'm a Neutrogena fan, but I won't purchase this one again. — 6 years, 10 months agoluckybetty | 895 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 3 of 4 people said helpful
Love!I'm surprised to see such negative reviews. I love this and turned my sister on to it. I love it! It works really well for me. I did have to use it more than one day to see complete results but thats fine with me. it does sting a little at first but you have to let it dry completely before applying makeup or going to sleep. I love it! i will def be repurchasing this again. Only down side is that it not that much product in the tube. — 4 years, 9 months agorayshaviolet | 245 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 1 of 1 people said helpful
Skin became much worse!I was very disappointed with this product because I normally trust Neutrogena products. This made my skin SO dry and it didn't help the acne situation... I think it made it worse by over drying my skin. Ended up back in the dermatologist's office shortly after using this. — 9 years, 1 month agoitaliaca | 257 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 3 of 4 people said helpful
Ouch, RednessFor my sensitive skin, I found this a bit too strong. After a few hours, I had noticed redness on the spot where I had applied it and did have some irritation while using this product. It does however, after a few days, help a bit with the appearance of cystic acne but inflammation is still there and redness. — 9 years, 10 months agoVLA | 336 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 2 of 3 people said helpful
my favorite!!!i believe that this is the best product out there for reduced swelling and overall healing of acne breakouts. out of all the products that i have tried, this one really delivers. the package claims that in 8 hrs you will have reduced swelling and breakouts will clear faster. i wish id have known before i tried to pop it myself!! application @ night and by morning the swelling had gone down signifi...read morecantly, 24 hrs later all that was left was a scab from where i had tried to bust the thing the night before.... i love this stuff!! — 9 years, 4 months agocandyapples17 | 223 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 7 of 8 people said helpful
Didn't workI've used this many, many times on major zits hoping, "This time it'll really make a differnece..." It never did. The stuff actually stung on application, and I never really woke up to see reduced redness or swelling. I have to add that this has to be used as an overnight treatment because the consistency is sticky, and no concealer or makeup could possibly be applied over it without chu...read morenking up (another drawback). Anyway, I've found Neutrogena's Acne Stress Control 3-In-1 Hydrating Treatment to be a much better spot product than this. — 8 years, 8 months agoamygab1126 | 242 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 2 of 2 people said helpful
GoodOnly used it for a week or so, but it seems to have really reduced the amount of acne I had. It seems to really clear things up! — 3 years, 5 months agoFootballsis | 188 reviews
Wish they made a bigger sizeI really like this product. I feel that it works quickly, not overnight, but it does seem to speed up the process of getting rid of a zit. It can sting a little bit, especially if your skin is dry. The tube does not have much product in it and I wish you could buy a bigger size. I prefer using this as a spot treatment or in the evening as I am not wild about it under makeup. I would definitely recommend keeping some of this around even if you just get the occasional breakout. — 3 years, 4 months agoemily0220 | 53 reviews
Didnt see a differenceIt didn't really work for me — 2 years, 6 months agonikadari | 6 reviews
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My Reasons for Reporting This


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Simple should never be underestimated. At Bottega Falai, squares of puff pastry tarts ($5) are given the classic pairing of frangipane and fruits. You'll find the tarts complete with apples and pears (pictured), sliced and baked tender. Ask for the corner piece when possible; those few bites of well-browned, almost burnt puff pastry are irresistible, especially with a dusting of powdered sugar. The pastry itself aims for light and flaky, just sturdy enough to uphold that buttery almond joy. Take it to go, or better yet, couple it with an espresso and grab a seat for people watching on Lafayette.
Bottega Falai
267 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10028 (map)
About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan blogs at Kathy YL Chan, where she chronicles her eats and travel adventures between Hawai'i, New York and beyond. She firmly believes that there is always room for dessert.


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Adults know the real world is a cold place full of pain, failure and disappointment but kids are clueless to the harsh reality of life. That's why it's so much fun to watch them fail. Go ahead and take that big wheel down the slide, little Johnny. What's the worst that could happen? Check out these 20 youngsters getting a first hand lesson from the school of hard knocks.
One of these kids is smarter than the other two.
From this point on Timmy had panic attacks anytime he saw an Easter basket.
You've gotta appreciate a well executed Tarzan attack.
This statistically could not have had a worse outcome. Our deepest sympathies.
When are parents going to learn that toddlers and break dancing don't mix?
The kid might be traumatized for life but he'll never forget the capital of Peru ever again.
This was just perfect.
The dog saw this coming a mile away.
It's never too young for a child to learn how to handle a Jehovah's witness.
And the seed of distrustful mother issues has been planted.
Life lesson #33, don't f**k with cats.
Jeremy will never complain about Mark not passing the ball ever again.
As mentioned earlier, kids, cats are not to be trifled with.
Some backyards just aren't meant for playgrounds.
Seriously mom?! How did kicking the big wheel seem like a good idea?
When you tell dad you don't need training wheels you had better not waste his time.
You know the drill…
Okay, this Powerwheel wheelie spinout was probably the most badass thing this kid had ever done up to that point in life.
Josh's nickname as "The human geyser" started long before freshman year of college.


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'Too Big To Fail' Explained
I've written quite a few columns about various aspects of the financial condition of U.S. banks, mostly concentrated on the money centers JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America (BAC), Citigroup (C), and Wells Fargo (WFC). While preparing a series based on fourth-quarter call reports for U.S. banks, it occurred to me an overview of U.S. banking would be a good reference column.
At the end of 2012, there were about 6,500 banks operating in the U.S. with about 97,900 total branches. Each quarter for the past three years, the number of banks has declined at the rate of about one bank every other day. There are about 622 fewer banks today than three years ago, with about 2,000 fewer branches....345 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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2012 Paris - Salon du Cheval Show
Photos from Hussam Altokhais , be sure to visit his page and "like" it on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/HussamAltokhaisPhotography?fref=ts
2012 Arabian Breeder Finals
Thank you to Show Photographers Darryl Larson & Kelly Campbell for these wonderful images.
Youth Nationals 2012
Photos taken at the 2012 Youth Nationals in Albuquerque by the Arabhorse.com Youth correspondents.
2012 Menton Arabian Horse Championships
the 2012 Menton Arabian Horse Championships
2012 Egyptian Event
The 2012 Egyptian Event is has concluded. With wonderful weather, charming friends and spectacular horses it was an Event to remember. We invite you to enjoy a few great images from this year's Event provided by Photographer Randi Clark.
6th Annual Arabian Breeders World Cup - Cox Kids Day
www.cheapshotzphotography.com Danna Russo Lingard
2012 Scottsdale Show | Schatzberg/Osteen
Enjoy photos from the 2012 Scottsdale Show from the official Show Photographers Osteen/Schaztberg. Print orders are available by visiting: www.osteenschatzbergphotos.com
Ajman Show 2012 Day 2
Day 2 photos from the Ajman Show
2012 Ajman Evening Entertainment.....
HH Sheikh Ammar puts on the most amazing horse show of the whole year.... just a small group of photos of the impressive evening
Ajman Show 2012 Day 1
Photos from the first day of the 2012 Ajman Show