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Sick of Skin Spots? Obagi Discusses Hyperpigmentation Concerns
09.27.2013, 14:30 CDT | Posted In: Uneven Skin Tone & Dark Spots, Health & Beauty, Products, Skin Care
One of the most common pigmentation problems, especially for those with darker skin, is hyperpigmentation, or darkening of the skin. It's difficult to avoid hyperpigmentation because of its many contributing factors, which may include: acne, genetics, sun damage and skin trauma. What's worse is that these forms of hyperpigmentation can last months or years and can prevent you from achieving the clear, even complexion so many of you desire.1 We turned to our Obagi Education Managers, Aimee and Perri, to discuss hyperpigmentation, its many causes and how you can reduce its appearance.
What are the different kinds of hyperpigmentation?
Hyperpigmentation can be caused by a number of factors, but in general, most people who are affected by hyperpigmentation will notice one or more of the following: freckling, age spots (sometimes called liver spots), melasma, or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). Our Obagi Chief Scientist and Head of Product Development, Laurence Dryer, discusses these different forms of pigment disorders as well as treatment options in this video: Pigment Problems.
Does my skin tone affect the likelihood that I will get hyperpigmentation?
Yes. Both ancestry (genetics) and outward manifestations of skin color (check to see where you fall on the Fitzpatrick I – VI scale) can affect how susceptible you are to experiencing hyperpigmentation at some point in your life. However, the amount of UV damage that your skin receives throughout your life is also a significant determining factor in causing hyperpigmentation.2
Are certain types of hyperpigmentation easier to get rid of and what are the treatment options?
Everyone's skin responds differently to treatment for hyperpigmentation. In general, freckles are sometimes considered the easiest to get rid of or treat, because they can fade to a certain degree on their own when the skin isn't exposed to UV damage. Conversely, melasma, also referred to as pregnancy mask, is an internal hormonal condition which can require constant treatment for some patients once it appears, and is exacerbated by UV exposure. For other melasma patients, hyperpigmentation can fade away without treatment in the months following a pregnancy.3
The tricky thing about hyperpigmentation is that some treatments that work very well for certain types of hyperpigmentation can actually make other types worse. If you are concerned about hyperpigmentation, visit a skin care physician who can properly diagnose your concerns and offer a treatment plan. That being said, something every patient can benefit from is using a physical-based sunscreen of SPF 30 or above. Remember… cloudy days only disguise damaging UV rays; they are present every single day, and can even affect us through glass.
Why is my hyperpigmentation worse in certain areas of my face?
When hyperpigmentation is more concentrated in certain areas, it may actually be melasma, which is characterized by a patchy appearance. PIH also frequently occurs in an isolated area, depending on where the skin has experienced inflammation. Targeted sun exposure, for example someone who might drive long distances for work, may also contribute more apparent hyperpigmentation on one side of the face, neck and arm (again, don't forget that UV rays can reach us through glass).
What causes post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or PIH?
This is an excellent question. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is probably the least understood by patients because it can be caused by so many things. Basically any type of injury or trauma to the skin that causes inflammation leaves the potential for PIH.
For example: acne, burns (including sunburn), waxing, harsh facial scrubs, insect bites, abrasions, poorly performed aesthetic procedures and even chemicals in certain products can cause inflammation and in some cases this inflammation causes the melanocytes (pigment-producing cells in the skin) to overproduce melanin. After the inflammation subsides, a darker area appears where the inflammation had been.
What is post-laser (fraxel) hyperpigmentation and how do I avoid it?
Post-laser hyperpigmentation is just a form of PIH. Nothing can guarantee that it won't happen, but using a product range like Obagi Nu-Derm®** prior to undergoing a fractionated laser procedure can calm the melanocytes, as well as provide a host of other benefits. This can minimize the possibility for PIH, and actually maximize the benefits of the procedure itself. If a patient is considering a fractionated laser procedure, he or she should ask their skin care physician how to best utilize a Nu-Derm program to optimize their results.
What is hydroquinone and how does it help diminish the appearance of hyperpigmentation?
Hydroquinone is a naturally-occurring substance in many fruits and grains. Hydroquinone selectively suppresses the melanocytes, which are the pigment-producing cells in our skin. Simply put, hydroquinone "turns down the volume" on melanocytes that are producing too much melanin. Contrary to popular belief, hydroquinone does not remove pigment that has already been deposited into the epidermis (the top layers of skin). It can only prevent new hyperpigmentation. That's why it takes a few weeks to start seeing the results of usage. The Obagi Nu-Derm System** and the Obagi-C Rx® System both use hydroquinone to help to improve the appearance of your skin.
Is there a "quick fix" to getting rid of hyperpigmentation?
For most patients, no. There are many ways to address hyperpigmentation, and some work much faster than others. However, each treatment choice requires daily usage of a broad-spectrum sunscreen to help ensure that symptoms of hyperpigmentation don't return. Nothing provides an absolute guarantee that hyperpigmentation won't reoccur, but being smart about shielding your skin from the sun (even on cloudy days) is your best line of defense.
Do you have hyperpigmentation? Talk to your skin care physician about which treatment may be best for you and how Obagi may be able to help.
1. Skin—abnormally dark or light. Medline Plus. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003242.htm*.Accessed August 30, 2013.
2. Dermatologists shed light on common pigmentation problems and solutions in skin of color. American Academy of Dermatology website. http://www.aad.org/stories-and-news/news-releases/dermatologists-shed-light-on-common-pigmentation-problems-and-solutions-in-skin-of-color* Accessed August 30, 2013.
3. Melasma. Medline Plus. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000836.htm* Accessed August 30, 2013.
*Any links to external or third party sites are provided merely as a convenience, and does not in any way constitute or imply our endorsement or recommendation of such third party, its information, products or services.
** CONTRAINDICATIONS: People with prior history of sensitivity or allergic reaction to this product or any of its ingredients should not use it. The safety of topical hydroquinone use during pregnancy or in children (12 years and under) has not been established. WARNINGS: Avoid contact with eyes, nose, mouth, or lips. In case of accidental contact, patient should rinse eyes, nose, mouth, or lips with water and contact physician. Sunscreen use is an essential aspect of hydroquinone therapy because even minimal sunlight exposure sustains melanocytic activity. Contains sodium metabisulfite, a sulfite that may cause allergic-type reactions including anaphylactic symptoms and life-threatening or less severe asthmatic episodes in certain susceptible people. The overall prevalence of sulfite sensitivity in the general population is unknown and probably low. Sulfite sensitivity is seen more frequently in asthmatic than in nonasthmatic people. PRECAUTIONS (ALSO SEE WARNINGS): Treatment should be limited to relatively small areas of the body at one time since some patients experience a transient skin reddening and a mild burning sensation, which does not preclude treatment. Pregnancy Category C: Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with topical hydroquinone. It is also not known whether hydroquinone can cause fetal harm when used topically on a pregnant woman or affect reproductive capacity. It is not known to what degree, if any, topical hydroquinone is absorbed systemically. Topical hydroquinone should be used on pregnant women only when clearly indicated. Nursing Mothers: It is not known whether topical hydroquinone is absorbed or excreted in human milk. Caution is advised when topical hydroquinone is usedby a nursing mother. Pediatric Usage: Safety and effectiveness in children below the age of 12 years have not been established.
Tags: acne, freckles, hydroquinone, hyperpigmentation, melasma, Nu-Derm, Obagi Systems, Obagi-C Rx, pregnancy, scars, sun damage


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Jehane Noujaim was meant to be in Tahrir Square on January 25, 2011, that momentous date when millions of Egyptian citizens took to the streets to protest for change in their country. She'd been filming in the city in the months running up to it, documenting the work of three women fighting for social justice in Cairo. She'd heard the rumblings, foretelling what would become one of the largest gatherings of civil resistance. But she didn't attend.
The well-known documentarian had been invited to Davos, better known as the home of the World Economic Forum, and was wooed by the prospect of being in sessions with global leaders -- more specifically, Arab leaders who'd likely also heard those same rumblings she had. So to Switzerland she went, with one eye on the planned demonstrations at home.
Ahmed Hassan in THE SQUARE. Photo credit: Netflix/Noujaim Films
And then the 25th happened. As predicted, throngs of Egyptians, namely young people, met in the Square, demanding not only the end of President Hosni Mubarak's regime, but also an end to corruption, economic injustice and human rights violations. "People were attacked by police like in other protests, but the difference here was that people went back in big numbers afterward," Noujaim explained. "And they kept coming. They marched toward the square, overtook it, and rejoiced with millions."
Of course, no one from the Egyptian government was in Davos and Noujaim, urged by friends on the ground at the protests, left for Cairo in a heartbeat. And so began "The Square," Noujaim's gripping portrayal of Egypt's revolutionaries, young men and women who occupied Tahrir Square from 2011 to 2013, determined to make their voices heard far and wide. Her story follows Ahmed, a street poet; Khalid, a famous actor; Magdy, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood; Ragia, a human rights lawyer; Ramy, a protest singer; and Aida, a filmmaker. From these various perspectives, Noujaim poignantly outlines the unity amongst Islamists, members of the army and Christians that marked the first months of protests, and later the schism between the Muslim Brotherhood, the military and the rest of the Square.
The work just became the first Egyptian-made film to be nominated for an Oscar, only nine days before the three-year anniversary of the protest's first breath. While it has yet to see its uncensored debut in Egypt, the documentary hits Netflix on Friday, January 17, bringing "The Square" to over 40 million global subscribers. In the run up to its release, we got the chance to speak to Noujaim and "The Square" producer Karim Amer. Here's what the duo had to say about revolution, social media and the fate of democracy in their country.
Your film begins in January 2011, just as the protests in Egypt kicked off. When did you arrive in Cairo?
Jehane Noujaim: I was in Egypt at the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011, filming "Egypt We Are Watching You," about three women who were fighting for human rights and social justice before their time. There was talk of people going down to Tahrir Square on [January] 25th, and these women were like, "I think it's going to big." But I had also been invited to Davos, and I thought it could be quite interesting. So I went. After the protests in the Square broke out, I polled friends on the ground, and they said, "Get to Cairo."
But they warned me that camera equipment was being confiscated at the airport. The government didn't want journalists coming in and filming. So I arrived at the [Egyptian] airport just when the army had taken to streets, and -- as my friends had predicted -- all my cameras were confiscated except my small Canon DSLR. I was taken aside to be questioned, and I was just shocked to see this person was going through my things -- in plain clothes. This was all very new to me. And then they started asking me if I had ever made films in the country. The thing was, I had never put my name on the film I had done -- "Egypt We Are Watching You." I had used a pseudonym because my family still lives in Cairo, and my dad was sick, so I didn't want problems coming into the country. Well, it turns out, the BBC had given me copies of the film -- one of which was in my car -- and was an Arabic-translated copy that, for some reason, had my real name on it. So I was taken in for questioning, seeing people outside being led into rooms and blindfolded, and at a certain point I thought, "I have to get rid of this DVD."
Somehow I was allowed to leave the interrogation room, and I ran to my car [parked outside] and broke up the DVD and shoved it down a toilet drain. I went back into the interrogation room and three minutes later, a guy who had been cleaning toilets came in holding a piece of the DVD in the air. It sounds like something out of a movie. I had a lump in my throat and fear in my stomach. I choked on my words. I started admitting that I had made films before... the last one I made was with three incredible women. "We all know we need change," I said, "and I intend to go to the square after you let me go." Something broke and I just thought, I'm going to say exactly what I feel. After that, I went directly to the square. I saw people of all religions, joined by so many people who wanted to take things into their own hands and change things.
How did you begin the actual filming?
JN: I quickly began to look for characters -- the film is character driven -- to appeal to people. I was looking for characters that people were going to relate to. I met them in the first couple of weeks of being there. And entire crew that worked with me. We were all sleeping together on cardboard.
Khalid Abdalla (L) and Aida El Kashef (R) in THE SQUARE. Photo credit: Netflix/Noujaim Films
What was your -- and your characters' -- perception of Mubarak before the protests?
JN: I moved to Egypt as a really little kid when he came to power. For me, Mubarak was always the president. He represented a very far away figure, somebody who's worst crime was taking away the opportunity of a whole young generation. For my family working in Egypt, conversations around the dinner table revolved around how this project or that project could happen only because so-and-so is involved, related or attached in some way to the president. It was cronyism. There was this feeling of being trapped.
Kamir Amer: Seventy percent of people in Egypt are under the age of 40. So for most, Mubarak was the only face of rule. Egypt is the land of the pharaoh, you know, it's the the way we've always been governed. What happened in that Square was that the pyramid was flipped upside down. Individuals finally had power.
"Youth" became a common descriptor for the people gathering in Tahrir Square, and media outlets were keen to focus on the fact that young people were present at the demonstrations. What were the advantages and disadvantages -- for the revolutionaries -- of being referred to as youth?
JN: The advantages were that for many people -- because they knew 70% of Egypt's population was under the age of 40 -- a youth movement was important.
KA: You know how people use the word millennial in the United States? All the marketing and television shows that center on that word. It's one of those things. The problem is that the youth were never involved as they should have been. The presence of youth gave legitimacy to the protesting groups, but the groups never put youth in decision-making positions. For example, the youth taking part in the original 18 days with the Brotherhood -- their participation gave agency to the Brotherhood. They challenged the non-democratic, top-down perception of the Brotherhood.
But it's always a battle of narrative. One of the overlooked parts of the situation is that the youth has a lot more in common with each other, on generational lines. Whether a young person came from the side of the Brotherhood or the military. And for young people the older generations were stuck in past.
Ahmed Hassan in THE SQUARE. Photo credit: Netflix/Noujaim Films
Social media obviously plays a part in the generational divides.
KA: Yes. The use of social media and citizen journalism is an attempt to show people that there is another narrative. History will not just be written by the victors. One person taking a photo can make an impact. When an image of a body being dragged makes its way to national media outlets, and then the Egyptian media is forced to address it, it makes a difference. Not only will people be killed but that's the way the fight is taking place.
We are also dealing with an archaic generation of military and police able to act with impunity. There's a scene in the outtakes of the film, when Ahmed had filmed an officer shooting bullets out of a gun at a protester. He filmed it with a cell phone camera and brought it into a news station, which then brought in a general to be interviewed about it. They played the footage four times before the general admited that bullets were coming out of the gun. "[The armed officer] must have brought his own weapon," the general said. "We did not provide weapons like that."
But slowly, because of the use of social media, television stations were showing this and questioning. Demanding that the government be accountable.
Surveillance became an obsession for both the military and the revolutionaries, as the latter began to use footage of protests and clashes as "evidence" against the former. You're documentarians who were simultaneously collecting footage yourself, so what was your sense of the need or desire for surveillance?
JN: Yeah, who is watching who, right? When I made the film "Egypt We Are Watching You," as I was making it, I noticed that every time I would leave from interviews with the women, they would get a call from the secret police. "Hey, I thought you said the filmmakers were gone," they would say. Somehow I was being watched during filming. I'd be standing in a square, and I'd look to my left or my right, and I'd find someone with a cellphone camera. They would look a little suspicious -- wearing a suit and filming you. And you just know you're going in some kind of hard drive.
A few characters from the film, they found files of themselves in a security building. Some of the protesters had stormed the state security building because they knew a lot of the documents were going to be burned, and they wanted to save documents because they felt there would evidence there that could be used later. You know, it was all about protecting the narrative. They went in, stormed the building, and they found files on themselves. Not just photographs of many of the activists in the square, but surveillance from years earlier, just having dinner. It was fascinating.
KA: In Egypt you're still watched physically.
Also, in one the deleted scenes of the documentary, we were interviewing one of the military's generals, and we were talking about the security state and how ridiculous it was that surveillance was still happening. "You think Egypt is the only country doing this?" he asked. "The U.S., the land of freedom and democracy, has files on everybody. At least we don't claim to have freedom and democracy."
Khalid Abdalla (L) and Ahmed Hassan (R) in THE SQUARE. Photo credit: Netflix/Noujaim Films
Your film shows the unity that prevailed at the beginning of the protests and the divide that occurred after rumors surfaced that the Muslim Brotherhood made concessions to the military. What is your sense of the current relationship between the Muslim Brotherhood and the other revolutionaries?
KA: The revolutionaries really feel betrayed by the Brotherhood. We stood side by side in the square, and understood that this was a collective mission. And then we have this election -- an election between the one who killed us and the one who betrayed us. When Mohamed Morsi did come to power, there was this feeling of betrayal. The first freely elected president used the tools of democracy and religion to create another dictatorship.
There was outrage. It was almost worse than what was before, because this person was elected. After going through this taste of democracy, it was such a slap in the face. You could hear the doubters, saying Egyptians were not ready for democracy.
Of course the revolutionaries do not agree with what's happened in terms of the force used against Brotherhood protesters or assaults of the Brotherhood in the past or making them illegal. But their actions really cost the country a lot. It made a lot of people exhausted with the democratic process already.
Was this the first time you were this close to demonstrations of this scale, with the violence that did end up occurring?
JN: Yes. Yes. You know, if you asked me a few years ago if I would have put myself in these situations, I would've said you're crazy. But if you think about it, if all the people you loved were in one square, being arrested and shot at for no reason, there's an incredible feeling that comes with that. A lack of fear that comes, and a desire to fight for what you believe. I learned a dedication to principles from the people I followed. I was forever changed by this experience, by being in the Square. It changed my understanding of possibility.
THE SQUARE director Jehane Noujaim. Photo credit: Ahmed Hassan
Have you witnessed any backlash against the film and the way that it portrays individuals?
KA: A lot of people aren't used to documentary films that are character-driven. They assume a documentary will give a more historical, narrated account of all the events that occurred in a period of history. That's very different than what we set out to do. No one owns this narrative, people will be making movies and writing about this for years. We wanted to make an emotional, character-driven film, a slice of what it was like to be those people. That's what we set out to do. This film is really about capturing the fight for human rights and democracy in the 21st century and the tools used to do it. Whether it's Kiev or Athens, we're all part of a global movement to hold people accountable.
JN: This film is about exposing human rights abuses and giving voice to this narrative of kids fighting for social change and justice and freedom in Egypt. It's so crucial for us to have the opportunity to get this film out across the states and Egypt. It creates a type of witnessing, awareness of the people who are still fighting on the ground. It creates protection. The international community is watching, because it's all interconnected. Human rights abuses in one area will mean human rights abuses in other areas. It's a human struggle no matter what.
KA: Right now, the army is trying to white-wash history. The reigning government could stop our film, but what they don't understand is that it makes people want to see it even more. There have been underground screenings, and watching the film has become a subversive act.


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Filled out your Oscar ballot yet? Better hurry — the days are whizzing by.
To help with your choices — after all, the acting categories involve some tough decisions — we decided to turn to our favorite dating app and Tinderize some of the year's best characters. Should you find yourself in the Dolby Ballroom on Sunday night, be sure to swipe right — you're in good company.
Profiles are (obviously) fictitious.


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How unlikely was Tom Brady's game-winning pass to Kenbrell Thompkins? Unlikely enough to make this Win Probability chart for the Saints look like it got stabbed in the heart with a spear.
After Brady missed Julian Edelman with 30 seconds left leaving the Pats stranded at the NO 26, the Saints WP was up to 0.99—the win was virtually assured. With 24 seconds left, it actually shot all the way down to 0.58 after a completion, before recovering to 0.78 with 11 seconds left. And then Brady hit Thompkins and the Saints' needed a miracle.
Win Probability is calculated based on score, time remaining, down and distance, and distance to go. It updates live, so you can see how all the games from the week played out over at Advanced NFL Stats, play by play. And plays like this are what make sports, and following stats, so fun. We can talk about probability forever, but the constant threat of the improbable, and its ability to shake up well laid plans, is impossible to wipe out of sports.


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When Batman: Arkham Asylum came out for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 two years ago, it wiped away all the horrid memories of the failed video game efforts featuring the Dark Knight – even though Batman Forever still scars us a little. No matter, Rocksteady Studios had gone all out to make Asylum a truly involving comic book endeavor, one that many fans thought couldn't be beat when it came to delving into the world of their favorite crime fighter. Well, guess what guys. It's been beaten.
Batman: Arkham City takes everything that worked so well in the original game, introduced a vast, new environment filled with things to do, incorporated the ability to use flight to your advantage, and has managed to include almost every crackpot that Batman has ever run into. The results are simply astounding and make Asylum seem relatively simple by nature. Seriously, it's that much of an improved sequel. We can't even begin to imagine how a third game would fare.
Let's focus on the present, shall we? The game follows closely on the events of Asylum, with the city's mayor allowing a city-wide institution to be built – and run by the diabolically powerful Hugo Strange. It isn't long before Bruce Wayne ends up behind bars for protesting the complex, but he manages to get free, only to find that Catwoman is in trouble, following a break-in of Two-Face's safe. He'll need to rescue her, only to head into further events through Arkham City, as he hears of a strange new plot being hatched by Strange known as "Protocol 10". What could it be? Can he stop it? Only by playing through the game can you find out.
What's superb about Arkham City is how well the story meshes together, yet it gives you plenty of room to explore and get other things done. Your map automatically shows you where objectives are located, and you can spot them in the real world through a huge Bat-signal in the sky, but you don't always have to go on the straight and narrow. You can head off on side quests, completing goals that range from rescuing political prisoners to following Zsasz's heinous crimes throughout the city. You'll run into other villains as well, but to spoil them here would kind of ruin the fun.
Arkham City is a HUGE place. The sequel is five times bigger than what Arkham Asylum offered, and you can tell through every corner of this location how much time and effort Rocksteady Games put into it. It looks simply astounding, and you can spot trouble by once again activating a Detective mode – something that actually doesn't need to stay on full-time going into this game, thankfully. You COULD navigate through it on foot, but the real joy comes from flying around using your Bat-cape, zipping from location to location with your grappling hook, and occasionally diving to gain speed and keep yourself in the air a little longer.
The gameplay in Arkham City is astounding. Not only is your flight well-handled, but your gadgets really feel like they're serving some purpose here, like your descrambler, your batarangs and, surprisingly enough, the Batclaw. We never would've thought of it as an accessory to getting around on a raft, but there it is. The fighting engine shows some refinements as well, as moving around from enemy to enemy and battling into one seamless combo is a thing of beauty. You can also expand your move set and other abilities by earning upgrades through the WayneTech systems. It all feels simply wonderful.
Like we said, you can also hunt for extras to prolong the game's replay value. You can hunt down Riddler trophies, save innocents and take down thugs, or try out the game's challenge rooms, featuring the likes of Batman and Catwoman, along with Robin (if you bought the game from Best Buy). All of them have great fighting and sneaking challenges available, and your best times compare with your friends' on the online leaderboards. Then there are the Riddler challenges, these Saw-like contraptions where you have to save innocent folks in peril. These alone are worthy of play, as they'll challenge your finest Bat skills. (Along with the virtual training challenges, too. Wow.)
Ahhh, Catwoman. Surprisingly, she's just as playable as Batman is. She has versatile moves, the ability to climb around on ceilings (in some cases), and helpful gadgets she carries, including a whip and an enemy-crippling bolo. We're glad that Rocksteady included her in the cut of playable characters. She deserves a game of her own – especially one that'll replace that devastatingly bad Halle Berry example EA released years ago. Yuck.
Visually, Batman: Arkham City will take your breath away. Both the outside and inside environments are well worth looking into, and using the Detective mode will help you uncover a few secrets as well. The animation is superb, especially Batman's cape, which, once again, looks like it's practically floating around in real time. The lighting is elegant and lifelike, and the behind-the-shoulder camera view is once again perfect. We also like being able to fire off a weapon and switching to a first-person view of its trajectory, so we can follow it to its destination. Oh, yeah, and you can switch on 3D, either old-school or stereoscopic. It's a little more distracting than expected (especially in dark rooms), but some of you may want to try it out.
The audio is just as loved by us. The music is pure dramatic Batman, as if Danny Elfman climbed into the game to conduct the orchestra. The sound effects are spot on, especially when you use a smoke bomb and hear it go "poof" into the ground, but it's the voicework that'll really surprise here. Every member of this voice cast is spot on, particularly Kevin Conroy, who could play Batman in his sleep, and Mark Hamill, bidding a fond farewell to his Joker character in style – for now, anyway. (C'mon, he'll be back for part three.)
Let me conclude with this. You like comic book games? Buy Batman: Arkham City. You don't like comic book games? Batman: Arkham City will make you a fan. It's something everyone will absolutely enjoy, merely for the freedom you have within the game to pummel, fly, and do whatever else makes you feel Batty. The design is utterly unbeatable (at this rate, anyway), and the replay value is through the roof – even on the online leaderboards for the challenge rooms alone. This one could easily contend for game of the year in my book. After all, no one beats Batman.
[Reviewed on PlayStation 3]


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Why Have I Never Tried: Time Out?
Ed. Note: When's the last time you tried a new candy—just because? For the SE staff, that time is now. Each day for the two weeks leading up to Halloween, we will try a candy we haven't had before, and tell the tale.
Growing up, I was fortunate to be one of those kids whose parents had the good sense to buy Cadbury chocolate over Hershey's. From an early age, I knew how much smoother and creamier Dairy Milk was than its competition, and how a proper Jewish Easter always involves eating lots of Cadbury Creme, Caramel, and Mini Eggs. On a family trip to London when I was eight years old, I was introduced to the Flake, Cadbury's unusual (at least for an American third grader) bar of airy, flaky, crumbly, thin folded milk chocolate that's wonderful on its own or served with ice cream, and was absolutely revolutionary for me at the time. It's not made in the United States, but is readily available as an import, and I still seek it out whenever possible. Likewise, I recoiled in horror when I learned that several friends who were in the UK more recently had never even heard of a Flake, much less tried one.
A few weeks ago, some of the New York staff and interns took a trip to Economy Candy, the Lower East Side's sugar mecca, to stock up for a few editorial projects and have lots of fun buying a ton of candy at a super-awesome-chocolately-fudgecoated-mega-super candy store (mostly the second one.) One candy bar that caught my attention, sitting in the foreign rack at the front of the store, was Time Out.
According to Wikipedia, Time Out is manufactured by Cadbury Ireland, debuted in Ireland and the United Kingdom in 1992, and arrived three years later in Australia and New Zealand. One package usually includes two narrow bars consisting of a milk chocolate ripple sandwiched between two wafers, all covered in Dairy Milk chocolate, or as its original slogan states, "the wafer break with a layer of Flake." Basically, it's one of Cadbury's best products covered in another. What's not to love?
I eventually sat down and actually ate the thing, and as you might expect, it was pretty good. The two bars are very narrow, and each bite is somewhat airy. The wafer itself was only okay, and wasn't tremendously crispy, but it certainly did its job. However, the Flake absolutely provided its characteristic flaky lightness, and the chocolate coating was every bit as smooth and creamy as Dairy Milk.
Time Out is a solid candy bar that I enjoyed quite a bit, and Jamie described it best as a better version of a Kit Kat. For a chocolate bar that's ostensibly supposed to be an indulgence, it was incredibly light, and I could have easily eaten several more (I wonder what it would be like if Cadbury put caramel into it somehow), but it's very satisfying in its simplicity. For the future, I'll probably stick to enjoying Flake and Dairy Milk separately, but Time Out is delightfully unassuming, and I'd happily have it again.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Nike® MAX Transitions® Speed Tint adaptive lens technology adjusts to light in changing conditions
You choose your shoes, your schedule and your destination. Now, how about the view?
Nike and Transitions Optical, leading provider of adaptive optical and performance sun lenses, teamed up to create the Nike® MAX Transitions® Speed Tint — lenses that adjust to variable light. The lenses are featured in the Nike Tailwind 12, high-performance sunglasses designed specifically for runners. With these game-changing shades, the lenses adapt, as the light changes, helping athletes stay focused and comfortable.
Reduced Light ExposureRunners on the road face both direct sunlight and harsh glare reflected off asphalt. They also tend to focus their eyes on a single spot for extended stretches. The Nike Tailwind 12 with Nike MAX Transitions Speed Tint is precision-engineered to help reduce exposure to the tiring and damaging high-frequency light by adapting to the environment, becoming lighter or darker for peak visual acuity. The lenses help relax the wearer's eyes on the run, automatically moving from 13 percent visual light transmission to a 49.7 percent VLT.
Optical Sweet SpotBecause running rarely happens in a straight line, the Nike Tailwind 12 is also engineered with Nike MAX Optics technology, designed to give superior vision in a larger than average field of view.
Nike MAX Optics technology, available in all of Nike's performance sunglasses, helps provide zero distortion when looking straight ahead and minimal distortion across the curve of the lens. Engineers identify the best optical zone, cutting the lens precisely where the line of sight aligns with the optical sweet spot.
Advanced Vision TechnologyThe integration of these technologies into one lens makes Nike MAX Transitions Speed Tint one of Nike's most advanced running lenses.
Informed by athlete insights, the design delivers a comfortable, functional fit in a lightweight package.
The Nike Tailwind 12 is part of a collection of sunglasses with engineered Nike MAX Transitions lenses that also includes the Nike MAX Transitions Golf and Outdoor tints. The Nike Tailwind 12 is available along with other styles in the collection through Nike.com and select optical retailers.
See photos of the Nike Tailwind 12


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It's the hottest ticket in Washington, D.C. Even the flossiest lawyers in town can't get a seat. Senators, congressmen, Cabinet and White House officials are all vying for a place.
At the U.S. Supreme Court, people have been lining up for days, waiting to hear this week's historic oral arguments on President Obama's health care law. The arguments will last for six hours over a three-day period, the longest argument in more than 40 years.
The court has boiled the arguments down into four questions. The first and threshold question is Monday, when the justices must decide whether an 1867 law called the Tax Anti-Injunction Act prevents the court from even considering this bill right now.
The theory of the law is that the U.S. could not have an effective tax system if every time somebody thought a tax provision was unconstitutional, he could just refuse to pay until a court makes a ruling. Thus, the Anti-Injunction Act requires people to pay the tax and then challenge it.
Under the health care law, the penalty for not having health insurance, which is paid to the IRS, doesn't kick in until 2015, so the argument is that there is no case because nobody has paid the penalty or suffered any financial injury yet.
Assuming the Supreme Court rules that there can be an immediate challenge to the law, the big issue, the central controversy, is the so-called individual mandate.
It requires everyone to have health insurance, in order to spread the risk and pay for the things everyone wants in this bill — namely, affordable coverage for everyone, with no discrimination based on previous medical conditions, and a requirement that insurance companies generally charge people in the same age groups the same rates.
Those challenging the law argue that this is the first time the federal government has required people to buy something they may not want, and that the government simply doesn't have that much power. The government counters that everyone consumes health care and that the only question is when.
There is no way to plan when somebody gets sick or gets hit by a bus, the government argues, and therefore the people who get medical care without insurance coverage are forcing everybody else — taxpayers and those who do have insurance — to pick up the tab.
If the mandate is struck down, the third question asks whether all of the other provisions in the law should fall, or, if not, which parts of it can remain standing. Even the government concedes that the way the insurance business works, if everybody doesn't buy in, the insurance companies can't possibly afford to cover people with pre-existing health conditions at the same price as healthy people.
Thus, even the administration concedes that if the mandate is found to be unconstitutional, the pre-existing conditions provision, which is the most popular piece of the law, would have to go, too.The opponents of the law go further, contending that all the provisions of the act are so inextricably intertwined, that it would all have to be invalidated.
The final question asks whether the Medicaid expansion in the health care law unconstitutionally coerces states into participating in the program. Medicaid is a joint federal-state program in which the states pay up to 50 percent of the costs to care for the poor and disabled. States can opt out, but so far, none has done so.
The Medicaid expansion under the Obama health care law would cover many more poor people — not just children, pregnant women, the disabled and the like. The federal government is paying all the costs of the expansion for the first three years, but then the states will pay up to 10 percent by the end of the decade. The catch is that the states can't opt out of the expansion only — it is take it or leave it for the whole program.
The states contend that such a condition is unconstitutional coercion, but so far, no court has bought that argument.
In addition to the legal arguments, there are also a number of political issues. When President Obama was running for office, he originally opposed having a mandate in his health care plan and criticized the one in Hillary Clinton's.
As president, he was eventually convinced that it was the only way to fund a workable plan for nearly universal coverage. That, in turn, was the only way to begin to get a handle on health care spending because it was impossible to ratchet down spending without everyone in the pool.
The political problem has been with the messaging. Many people still don't understand that in 2014, they aren't going to have to drop the employer coverage they have now and go out and buy a new policy. Additionally, a lot of people think it's just wrong for the government to require a person to buy a commercial product.
The irony is that opposition to the law mainly comes from Republicans, and the individual mandate idea was originally conceived by Republicans in the 1990s.
No matter what the court does, it's going to have an impact on the November elections. If the court strikes down any or all of the law, it will be negating Obama's top domestic achievement and will hardly make him look like a strong leader. If the court upholds the law, however, it will energize the Republican and Tea Party members even more for the November election.
Given everything at stake in the case, it's impossible to make an accurate prediction on how the court will decide. The court's four more liberal members all have pretty clear track records supporting broad congressional authority to regulate a major part of the national economy, and health care represents about one-sixth of the U.S. economy.
But to win, the government will have to convince one of the conservative justices. Justice Antonin Scalia, one of the court's most conservative members, has written approvingly of the federal government's need to regulate broadly in a national market, but he has also said Congress cannot use any means it wants to achieve its goals.
Justice Anthony Kennedy, usually the swing vote in a 5-4 decision, has a soft spot in his heart for federalism, by which he means the limits of federal power and respect for state sovereignty. Many court observers have not written off Justice Samuel Alito, either.
And finally, there is considerable speculation that Chief Justice John Roberts, acting in his institutional leadership position, would be a sixth vote to uphold the law if there are five votes supporting it.
After the arguments this week, it might be easier to get a better fix on which way the wind is blowing.
This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning, I'm David Greene.
Well, this is it. At the Supreme Court, people have been lining up for days for a chance to hear this week's historic oral arguments that could decide the fate of President Obama's landmark health care law. The arguments getting underway this morning will last for six hours over a three-day period. The High Court hasn't devoted that much time to arguments in a single case in more than 40 years.
Joining us in the studio, not for six hours, are NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, and NPR health policy correspondent Julie Rovner; really, the best team in the business on this story.
Good morning, to you both.
JULIE ROVNER, BYLINE: Good morning.
NINA TOTENBERG, BYLINE: Good morning.
GREENE: So we're going to take a look at what's going to happen in the next few days from the issues, to the pitfalls, to the politics. So let's start with you, Nina. How is this all going to unfold the next few days at the court?
TOTENBERG: The court has boiled this down into four questions. The first, and threshold question is today, and, frankly, it's the most boring and arcane.
GREENE: Well, you're going to make it anything but for us.
TOTENBERG: Yeah, we hope so. The question is whether the 1867 law, called the Tax Anti-Injunction Act, prevents the court from even considering this bill right now.
GREENE: OK. Well, tell us about that old law.
TOTENBERG: Well, basically, the theory of that law is that we couldn't have an effective tax system if every time someone thought a tax provision is unconstitutional, they could just refuse to pay until a court rules. So the law requires you to pay the tax and then challenge it. But under the health care law, the penalty for not having health insurance, which is paid to the IRS, doesn't kick in until 2015. So the argument is that since nobody's been hurt yet, nobody has had to pay the tax, there's no case.
Of course, the central controversy is the so-called individual mandate.
GREENE: Individual mandate, I mean that's a term we've heard so much - I mean during the debate over this law once it was passed. And let me go to you, Julie. Just remind us what this individual mandate means.
ROVNER: The idea behind individual mandate is to basically get almost everybody to have health insurance coverage. If you have health insurance from your employer, in most cases that will satisfy the individual mandate. If you don't have health insurance, you're going to be required to buy it. And if you don't have enough money, there will be very generous subsidies.
But for everybody to have insurance, that will allow another requirement for insurers to sell to people with preexisting health conditions, which is a very, very popular part of this law.
GREENE: Well, getting everyone covered, I mean that's such an important premise of this law. And I'm wondering, Nina, what the legal debate is over that.
TOTENBERG: Well, those challenging the law say this is the first time that the federal government has required people to buy a commercial product that they may now want, and the government simply doesn't have that much power. The government counters that everyone is a health care consumer; that there is no way to plan when you get sick or get hit by a bus. And that if you don't have insurance coverage, you're essentially a freeloader, with everyone else - the taxpayers and those who do have insurance - picking up the tab.
GREENE: Before we get to the other questions that the court is going to be covering, Julie, let's just talk about the politics of individual mandate. I mean, it's been coming up on the campaign trail this election year quite a bit.
ROVNER: Originally this was a Republican idea. Back in the early 1990s when Democrats were pushing the idea of an employer mandate, requiring employers to provide everybody with health insurance coverage. It was Hillary Clinton, in the 2008 campaign, who wanted an individual mandate. And candidate Obama was worried that there would be a backlash to this.
But he was later prevailed upon to realize that this was basically the best way to get everybody into the insurance pool, and make it easier to then start to bring down health care costs.
GREENE: So, Julie, just remind us. Why was candidate Obama sort of reluctant at first to sign on to this idea of an individual mandate?
ROVNER: I think candidate Obama was worried about the very backlash that we are seeing now. People did not want to be required to buy something that they may not want. But I think a lot of people also don't understand that with that comes this also very popular thing, which is making sure that an insurance companies have to sell to people with preexisting conditions.
But, of course, unless you have those healthy people in the insurance pool, then people can wait until they get sick to buy coverage, which would make premiums prohibitively expensive. So those two things have to go hand-in-hand.
GREENE: All right, Nina, let's get to the third and fourth questions that the court will be taking this week.
TOTENBERG: Well, the third question asks whether the Medicaid expansion, provided for under the law, unconstitutionally coerces states into participating in the program. So, Medicaid is a joint federal-state program in which the states pay, in some cases, up to 50 percent of the costs to care for poor and disabled people. And they can opt out. But, or course, so far, none of the states have done that.
The Medicaid expansion under the Obama health care law covers many more people. The federal government pays all the costs for the first three years, with the states paying up to 10 per cent by the end of the decade. The catch is that the states can still opt out. But they can't opt out of just that part. It's really a take it or leave it situation. And the states contend that is unconstitutional coercion. So far, no court has bought that argument.
And finally, the last question, is whether if the mandate is struck down, all the other provisions of the law fall. And if not, which parts of it remains standing?
GREENE: Well, if the court decides to strike down the idea of individual mandate, what does that mean for the rest of the law, Julie?
ROVNER: Well, the administration is arguing that there are things that are inextricably linked to the individual mandate. One of them, as we've said, is this question of whether insurance companies have to cover people with preexisting conditions. If the mandate goes, and therefore people don't have to buy insurance, then people could wait until their sick to get coverage. That would drive insurance premiums way high, 'cause only the sick people would have insurance.
GREENE: You wouldn't have healthy people covered.
ROVNER: Exactly.
TOTENBERG: There's no money.
ROVNER: You wouldn't have enough healthy people covered to spread the risk, and so therefore, the insurers would have a real problem on their hands. So basically, what they're saying is that if the mandates goes, so therefore the requirement for preexisting condition coverage would have to go with it.
GREENE: Well, Nina, this is a big test for the court, led by John Roberts. How do you see this all playing out inside the courtroom?
TOTENBERG: Well, I don't make predictions. Presumably, the courts four more liberal members all have a pretty clear track record supporting broad congressional authority to regulate a major part of the national economy, and health care represents about a sixth of the U.S. economy and they'll vote to uphold it. But to win, the government will have to get one of the conservative justices in addition.
And here are the votes arguably in play: Justice Scalia, one of the court's most conservative justices has written approvingly of the federal government's need to regulate broadly in a national market, but he's also said that the federal government can't use any means that it wants to achieve those goals.
Justice Kennedy usually the swing vote in a five-to-four decision has a soft spot in his heart for federalism, by which he means the limits of federal power and respect for state power. And some people think that Justice Alito is also in play.
Finally, the chief justice, John Roberts, is potentially a get for those supporting the law. Once we hear the arguments I think we might get a better fix on which way the wind is blowing.
GREENE: Nina, I mean this is such a politically-charged case, especially during an election year. I mean, do you remember a case that's comparable in any time in recent memory?
TOTENBERG: Well, the only thing similar I could say was Bush vs. Gore, but I would have to say that that was much more politically charged. After all, the fate of the presidential election hung in the balance, and that's really quite different from that.
GREENE: There'll certainly be an impact on this presidential election, if not hanging in the balance. I mean, Julie, talk about the political backdrop and how this has an effect on the campaign.
ROVNER: You know, if the court upholds the law, then it's going to really energize the opponents of the laws, the Republicans who'd like to see it repealed. And then they'll know that the only way they can get it repealed is to elect a Republican president and a Republican Congress. On the other hand, if they strike down the mandate, then you have the president, you know, losing the central part of his biggest domestic achievement.
So either way it's going to be a challenge for President Obama going into the, you know, the major part of the presidential election.
GREENE: That's NPR's health policy correspondent Julie Rovner. Thanks so much, Julie.
ROVNER: Thank you.
TOTENBERG: And NPR's legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg. Good to be with you.
Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


text: Re: Alternatives to Steve Hoffman's Forums Reply #50 – 2017-09-10 06:42:04 Quote from: Boozin Susan on 2017-09-09 03:42:03Well, that was fast...There *had* been a new SC set up (by Spakydog), but it looks like the plug was pulled after only a week or so. Too bad, but I can kind of see the point. Just a few of the original SC.tv cast of characters turned up, so it was kind of hard to get any good snark going.FWIW, I think the plug was pulled a bit too fast. It might have been better to leave the site up, even if things were going rather slowly.I never saw the 'new URL' either. Otherwise I would have joined. WTF?


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So I've made a game that's a 3D sandbox block building game called "Craftables"
I've been working on it for awhile now and it's recently gone public.
Growtopia has been a huge inspiration for the game and it's been a lot of fun.
I'm continually updating the game to get the most fun out of it.
And I'm not competing with Growtopia or ANYONE, I'm just working on this in my free time as a little project, nothing huge.
Anyway there's not too many blocks at the moment as we're in beta but it's enough to work with. We have a currency called "Craftoids" which you earn by destroying blocks and just playing the game.
What I mean by that is everytime you break a block you get 1 Craftoid, but sometimes you'll get 2 Craftoids out of 1 block which stacks up overtime, or if you just play the game you might get random Craftoids.
So you're probably asking, "What's the goal in the game"
Well pretty much nothing!
Try to be the richest, make friends and have a good time. With our chat system you can always have fun, it's also swear-proof.
Keep in mind destroying other people's creations is part of the game the "goal" is to protect your base, which at the moment the only way to so that is hide it or defend yourself with the shoot button.
(You can shoot little red beams )
There's much more to the game but you can play now at
OR check out our forums at
Again I'm not trying to advertise, I'm just showing off the work I've done, which Growtopia has been a huge help
- - - Updated - - -
Probably belongs in fan-made creations... Sorry


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How could you not love this face?
I'm not sure if I've mentioned this on the blog, but my parents' dog (Scooby) hasn't been doing so well the past couple of months. He's getting older (he'll be 10 this coming fall) and has been having some issues with his hips. he's lost a lot of muscle control in his hind legs recently, and gripping booties that prevent his back feet from slipping and sliding on the wood floors, have become his latest fashion statement. Poor guy.
Still, as heartbreaking as it may be to see him struggle to lift those legs, you would never guess he's in any pain when he has a toy in his mouth. He and Maddie chased each other all over the house all weekend. Both were barking and both grinning from ear to ear. It's nice to catch a glimpse of puppy Scooby every once in a while, his body might be starting to fail him, but he's not ready to resign to being an old man just yet.
More power to ya, Scooby. 🙂
Also, more power to Maddie. She's currently curled up at my feet, barely able to keep her eyes open. After a weekend with Uncle Scooby, she is OUT. 🙂
While the dogs played this morning, I slept in. Dad was kind enough to make a lovely Sunday breakfast featuring scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage, and leftover fruit from yesterday's shower.
My mom is a Nicholas Sparks fanatic. I'm pretty sure she's read every one of his books and the ones she reads and loves she usually passes on to me. One of those favorites was The Lucky One, which I read back in 2010 and loved. When I heard the movie was coming out this spring, I knew I had to take my mom to see it.
We caught the matinee this afternoon with my Dad and all shared a bucket of popcorn at the theater.
As is true with every book turned into a movie, the book was better. That being said, the movie wasn't so bad. I just wish they had casted a different Logan. As sexy as Zac Efron is, he still has a baby face (unshaven face or not) and his female counterpart looked about 10 years his senior (in reality she's only 3 years older). I would suggest skipping the theater with this one and saving it for RedBox or Netflix. It's definitely a chick flick, but every girl needs a good chick flick every once in a while.
Did you see Lucky One? What did you think?
After the movie we grabbed lunch at Asian Too next to the theater.
My dad and I split the eel roll
and the bourbon chicken wraps (loved the pickled daikon in these 🙂 )
I guess this means I'll be making a left tomorrow?
Before I hit the road back to Tampa I warmed up a leftover mini apple pie and mini cupcake and served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Holy yum!
I made a bowl of leftovers for dinner when I made it back to Tampa. There's leftover spinach, vegetables, falafels, mac and cheese, pesto, hummus, and pita wedges. 🙂
My mom sent me home with a few of her wedding albums – I can't wait to share what's inside.
I actually have a handful of wedding posts up my sleeves for this week. Nothing like a trip home to get a few wedding related tasks out of the way. 🙂
It's been a fun weekend away, but it also feels good to be home. Time to catch up on some Mad Men episodes (I may or may not already be on season 4!) and head to bed early.
Good night!


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For the past few years I've been meaning to finish 2010′s Metro 2033. I was instantly drawn to the post apocalyptic story driven shooter but have always found the clunkiness of its controls a major deterrent. As Metro 2033 found itself further back in my ever growing backlog of games, the future of its sequel looked as bleak as the post apocalyptic Russian setting that is Metro.
In 2012 it was no secret that THQ, Publisher of the Metro series was in financial trouble. Several games on THQ's roster faced delays while the iconic publisher of video games tried to come up with a solution to their financial woes while still maintaining a level of commitment to the hard work developers like 4A invested into their games. In the end THQ filed for bankruptcy and their games were auctioned off to the highest bidders. Eventually Metro Last Light ended up at Deep Silver and now is available on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.
Metro Last Light picks up where Metro 2033 left off, if you are new to the series be sure to watch the beginning cutscenes that will fill you in on the story thus far. The Metro universe is inspired by the books of Dmitry Glukhovsky and follows our hero Artyom through the devastation and consequences of a nuclear holocaust in his once beautiful Russia. Artyom is a Ranger and is sent to find the last known remaining "Dark One". The Dark Ones were the species Artyom chose to call in a missile strike on in Metro 2033 and is therefore responsible for their extinction.
There is dissent amongst Artyom's fellow survivors as to what is to be done with the last remaining Dark One, who is just a child. Of course, once Artyom finds the lone Dark One, we soon learn that a few other political factions are also on the hunt for the Dark One and have their own agendas as to why. Our hero Artyom has one distinct advantage, he can communicate with the dying race. In doing so Artyom starts to doubt his decision of helping commit genocide against the misunderstood Dark Ones.
Metro Last Light is best described as a shooter / horror-survival hybrid. The nicely paced campaign unfolds with both political upheaval and scary mutants all struggling to control the Metro. The story is very intriguing and well written despite a few weak spots in the plot. It has inspired me to dust off my copy of Metro 2033 and place it at the beginning of my backlog. The Metro world is one I can't wait to revisit.
The setting of post apocalyptic Russia is one of great tragic beauty. 4A's eye for detail and use of light and darkness gives the feel that the most important character of the game is the Metro itself. I found myself adjusting my eyes to adapt to the dark of the underground tunnels and cringing while wiping the imaginary cobwebs away as if my video game surroundings were my reality. Turning off a light will help you hide from human A.I. but will impede your ability to navigate around the Metro and might also catch you off guard from creatures of the dark.
Gameplay was incredibly smooth and much improved from the first Metro. Controls felt natural and were easy to learn, my biggest complaint would have to be the A.I.. Often I could sneak up on a group of 2 or 3 video game enemies and stab all of them in a very un-stealthy fashion without being detected. Non human or mutant enemies were a different story and were much more relentless in their pursuit of Artyom.
Weapons and ammo are plentiful in Metro Last Light as not only were they lying all around, human A.I. almost always had some on them that you could scavenge from their dead corpses. Above ground movement requires the use of a gas mask for survival but once again filters to extend your clean breathing were fairly abundant.
Metro Last Light's gameplay while still challenging at times is easier than I remember its predecessor to be. Most of my in-game deaths resulted from my own stupidity or lack of paying attention. One other issue I had with the game was a few of the automatic checkpoints were inconveniently located, like the time I kept respawning with very little air left on my filter, no replacements in sight, and a great deal of travel left to get to my destination. However, on the subject of checkpoints, kudos for them being frequent especially in long battles or boss fights, unlike some current games I know. That's right, God Of War Ascension and Crysis 3 I'm talking about you!
I played the game on a PC running it at the ultimate settings and if you have a powerful gaming rig, I recommend doing the same. The graphics of Metro Last Light are stunning and despite its devastated Russian setting, it's quite beautiful. If you are playing it on a PC with an AMD video card, be sure to turn PHYSX off in the settings. I played a few hours without incident before I experienced any problems with the graphics. I didn't notice any more issues after turning PHYSX off and the game looked just as amazing with it off as it did on. Also, if you turn PHYSX off mid gameplay you will have to quit to your desktop and restart the game before the setting will change.
I experienced a few minor glitches with the A.I. and for whatever reason during the last battle my weapons would not fire at times, despite having a full magazine. I also had issues with the night vision goggles and never once got them to work. Overall though, my experience with Metro Last Light was very enjoyable. I'd give it an 8 out of 10. In a year where Tomb Raider and Bioshock Infinite have raised the bar on video games, I'd say that is quite impressive.
A very special thank you goes out to the amazing PR department at Deep Silver for supplying me with a review copy of Metro Last Light as well as advice on optimal settings for my PC.
Metro Last Light was developed by 4A Games and published by Deep Silver. The game is now available on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.
Deep Silver opens the gates to Moscow's underground: Metro: Last Light is now available
Metro: Last Light doesn't treat you like a moron
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First League Odds Comparison, Fixtures, Live scores & Streams
The 2020/2021 Ukraine First League matches have been scheduled between -. First League livescore, tables and results are updated in real-time. Check the upcoming games and compare the best odds here on Oddspedia. You can also find the First League live streams and watch the games live.
- 19/03/2021 at 13:00 UTC: Volyn Lutsk - VPK Agro Magdalinovska
- 19/03/2021 at 13:00 UTC: FC Metalist 1925 - Mykolaiv
- 19/03/2021 at 13:00 UTC: Krystal Kherson - Agrobiznes Volochysk
Best betting odds for First League
Find the best value for your bets by using Oddspedia's Football odds comparison. Enjoy the best odds for First League from all major bookmakers available in your country. You can see market prices for First League next to the match in the 1x2 columns. For long term bets go to Odds tab. Click on the event to see detailed odds comparison and odds movement history.


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Exciting times, boys & girls, because Uncle Jay explains the stimulus package!
Uncle Jay Explains the News:
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Uncle Jay Explains the News...
Posted byAmy Jamison at9:33 PM
World View & Market Commentary.
Forest first; Trees second.
Focused on Real & Knowable facts that filter through the "experts" fluff and media hyperbole. Where we've been, what the future may hold and developing a better way forward.


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When a crimping tool is used on a terminal, two crimps take place at the same time. One is the electrical connection between conductor and terminal. The other is the insulation crimp which provides strain relief against vibration and tension. It is important that the electrical connection is gas tight without any voids between the wire strands and the terminal. If there any voids present, then corrosion can occur causing resistance and excessive heat which damages the electrical connection. Using a good quality crimping tool will ensure that a full, gas tight crimp is produced preventing future deterioration of the electrical connection and insulation breakage
From Molex a PremiumGrade manual crimping tool made from high-quality materials and designed to crimp to a high specification. This PremiumGrade crimp tool has been tested to a minimum of 50000 cycles. If the tool is looked after and maintained it produces crimps to the highest specification during this life span. This crimping tool consists of two ergonomically designed soft grip handles with an adjustable preload force, ratchet mechanism, die assembly and terminal locator.
The ratchet is pre-set to a specific force and remains locked until the handles of the tool are fully closed and the dies are bottomed. The handles cannot be opened until a full crimping cycle is achieved, preventing partial crimps. Once the cycle is complete the handles will spring open. The ratchet also enables the operator to repeatedly produce consistent, high-quality crimps. If jamming or terminal misplacement occurs the handles can be easily opened using an emergency ratchet release lever
Over time it may be necessary to adjust the pre-set handle load force. This is achieved by using a setting wheel which can be moved anti clockwise to increase the handle force or clockwise to decrease the handle force
This PremiumGrade hand crimping tool features a user-friendly terminal locator and wire stop which accurately position the terminal and holds it securely in place during the crimping process. The locator is pushed into place between the crimping dies and the terminal loaded into the correctly sized nest on the end of the locator. The locator button is released and the terminal is then positioned correctly for crimping. The pre-stripped wire is inserted through the terminal against the wire-stop and crimping can proceed
This PremiumGrade hand crimping tool can be converted from right handed to left handed operation by removing the locator and reversing the upper and lower parts of the tool
The dies and locator of this hand crimping tool can be used in a power crimp head (Molex Part Number 63816-0800). This crimp head is then connected to a battery powered crimping tool (Molex Part Numbers 63816-0200 and 63816-0250)
Manufactured from high-quality materials
Long service life of 50000 cycles minimum
Ratchet mechanism ensures full crimp cycle
Emergency ratchet release
Locator and wire stop for accurate terminal positioning
Adjustable handle force
Ergonomically designed handles for comfortable use
Right and left handed operation
Locator and dies can be used in battery powered tools
IPC/WHMA A-620 Class 2 compliant
This PremiumGrade hand crimping tool is designed for use in low volume or field repair applications. This crimp tool is also IPC/WHMA A-620 Class 2 compliant. The IPC/WHMA A-620 standard describes the acceptability criteria for crimped, mechanically secured and soldered interconnections. Class 2 covers service electronic products such as computers, copiers, printers and general production equipment
What Terminals can these Crimping Tools be used with?
Stock number 781-2728 is for use with Molex loose piece C-Grid III female crimp terminals with a wire size range from 24 AWG to 22 AWG
Stock number 781-2737 is for use with Molex loose piece C-Grid III female crimp terminals with a wire size range from 28 AWG to 28 AWG
Are There Any Spares for this Crimping Tool?
Yes, the following spares are available:
Locator Assembly - stock number 173-9631
Return spring - stock number 173-9645
Ratchet spring - stock number 173-9646
|Crimp Connector Type
|C-Grid III Crimp Terminals
|Crimp Tool Type


text:
7 Place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris
Transforming Our World.
My Pledges
Stop Depletion of Fish Stocks
- Pledge 1: Choose sustainable seafood.
- Pledge 2: Buy ocean-friendly certified seafood.
- Pledge 3: Ask about the sustainability of seafood before you order in restaurants.
- Pledge 4: Learn more about the fishing and aquaculture sectors so you can make informed choices.
Stop Ocean Acidification by Reducing Carbon Emissions
- Pledge 1: Think before driving. Explore transportation alternatives to reduce fuel consumption.
- Pledge 2: Choose an energy efficient vehicle.
- Pledge 3: Keep your tyres properly inflated (will boost your miles per litre of fuel consumption).
- Pledge 4: Reduce your energy use at home (think insulation, turning off lights, shorter cycles on washing machines).
- Pledge 5: Conserve water (shorter showers, turn off tap when brushing teeth etc). It takes a lot of energy to pump, treat and heat water.
- Pledge 6: Waste less food. Agriculture and food production uses vast amounts of carbon dioxide.
- Pledge 7: Buy locally produced and seasonal food to minimise carbon emissions of transportation.
Stop Plastic Marine Debris
- Pledge 1: Refuse plastic drinking straws.
- Pledge 2: Avoid cosmetics that contain microbeads (hidden plastic). Check for polyethylene and polypropylene.
- Pledge 3: Carry a reusable water bottle.
- Pledge 4: Choose biodegradable or reusable cutlery and plates over plastic.
- Pledge 5: Dispose of plastics properly; don't flush (e.g. Q-tips, sanitary products or sticking plasters).
- Pledge 6: Use reusable shopping bags over disposable plastic bags.
- Pledge 7: Compost your organic waste to use fewer rubbish bags.
- Pledge 8: Reuse, recycle and opt for no packaging when possible
Stop Pollution of the Ocean by Contaminants
- Pledge 1: Use eco-friendly cleaning products.
- Pledge 2: Dispose of chemicals properly.
- Pledge 3: Avoid foods treated with synthetically manufactured pesticides.
- Pledge 4: Do not discharge sewage from boats into coastal waters.
- Pledge 5: Dispose of unused medicines responsibly; don't flush them. Return them to your local pharmacy.


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text:
Yvonne Still-Nichols' friends made jokes and refused to believe her when she said her car was sucked into a sinkhole near Richmond, California six months ago. The laughing's stopped. A construction crew just found her Honda buried 35 feet underground.
Still-Nichols posted pictures of the car to her Facebook page, much to the amusement and disbelief of her friends, one of whom who said "Holy cow! I thought it was lost in the BLACK HOLE!"
Maybe they don't believe you, Yvonne, because of your crazy eyes.
(Hat tip to pidgeonsplatz!)


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June 06, 2013
LAWT News Service
ATLANTA– Platinum hip-hop artist and CEO of CTE World, Jay "Young Jeezy" Jenkins, and Los Angeles-based Gourmet Footwear announced the kick-off and celebration of their recently signed branding and marketing partnership. The brand activation launch party will include a meet and greet with the entertainer and select executives from Gourmet, including its founder, Greg Lucci, at Wish Atlanta Boutique and the private party will continue at Vanquish Lounge for a red carpet affair with VIP guests, local tastemakers, friends of the brand and other music industry elite. The two events will include entertainment from DJ RootsQueen, DJ Baby Yu, a special announcement from Jeezy and Gourmet, catering from Bottle Bar and complimentary drinks from Avión Tequila. In addition, Gourmet Footwear will host contest giveaways for shoes and other brand products throughout the two events.
"Similar to Gourmet Footwear, Young Jeezy is an individual who has seamlessly navigated himself to an aspirational lifestyle from humble beginnings," said Greg Lucci, founder of Gourmet Footwear. "We look forward to partnering with Jeezy and working alongside him on his upcoming projects."
The partnership between Jeezy and Gourmet includes exclusive co-branded digital content, social media initiatives, and creative involvement from Young Jeezy. It also creates a platform to blend the very distinct worlds of footwear, fashion, and music to provide a comprehensive lifestyle experience that both Gourmet and Jeezy have incorporated into their individual brands.
"Partnering with Gourmet just felt like a natural fit for me," said Jeezy. "I've been building my own clothing line for the past few years, so it's only right that I collaborate with a top-tier footwear brand like Gourmet, who I believe to be the perfect blend of luxury and the street, which is what I'm about."


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In an interview with Paper magazine, Beth Ditto admits that she leans toward shoplifting, that corn dogs are her favorite food and when it comes to underwear, exclaims, "I love Delta Burke panties!" But the best part? She explains:
"There was a time when I was sleeping on the couch of my aunt who was dying of cancer. Then she died and I didn't have anywhere to go. How can you do your homework when that's happening? My teacher took some pity on me… But the whole point of me rambling about that is, I said to my teacher, 'I can't be a singer because I'm not pretty enough and I'm fat.' And she looked at me and said, "Tell that to Nell Carter, babe.' That changed my life forever!"
That the little girl from Searcy, Arkansas, had such a positive, inspiring teacher is heartening, and really more important than any of the critics who take one look and call Beth "unhealthy" or a "bad role model." She's not only a singer, but a confident woman, a fashion muse, a magazine cover girl and a well-grounded person (If her singing career fizzles, she says, she'd be "thrilled" to work as a hairdresser.) Will someone someday tell some talented but self-doubting kid out there, "tell that to Beth Ditto"? Who knows. But as an A&R guy tells Paper: "Beth is everything a rock star should be."
Beth In Show [Paper]
Earlier: On Beth Ditto, "Promoting" Obesity & Fat Shame
Paper Magazine." />


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Cool Justice: The politics and economics of information on cable television
The illusion of a free press takes another vicious beating.
That was my first reaction to Time Warner Cable slamming the door on Al Jazeera. I was intrigued to watch the dynamic play out. Would the major cable provider get away with shutting out a foreign voice that is a competitive threat to the corporate interests of major U.S. networks?
First, the distributor announced it was dropping Current TV - within hours of Al Jazeera buying the network. Then, embarrassed by complaints and branded as cowardly and stupid, Time Warner opened the door for negotiations to get a more lucrative contract with the upstart and ridiculously wealthy Arab news service. Call it a "sheikdown." Notably, other major providers - including Dish, Verizon, DirecTV and AT&T - kept Current TV on their systems, allowing Al Jazeera new avenues to U.S. markets.
As youngsters in the U.S., we are taught there is a free press. We are taught that the Bill of Rights is more than a piece of paper. If only it was so simple.
A free press means not only the ability and means to report in-depth without fear or favor. A free press means virtually unlimited access to information - not just what the government, the military or the ruling corporations want us to know.
So-called guarantees of the Bill of Rights are not really guarantees. They all depend on having the resources and influence to use them. As the novelist Aldous Huxley put it, "Liberties are not given; they are taken."
As a practical matter today, unfettered access to news is a consumer rights issue. The battle is being played out at various levels, including public discourse and private negotiations over money.
Why do I want the opportunity to see Al Jazeera English or the fledgling Al Jazeera America via my local cable provider? Because they cover a lot of stories I won't see on ABC, Fox, NBC, CBS or CNN. Europeans have easy access to news networks from Japan, France, China and Russia. It shouldn't be a problem for diversity of thought and reporting to be a part of the basic cable package here at home - even outside the major markets.
It's funny, certain U.S. voices are quick to point out the propaganda spewed by news operations from other countries. What about the volume of warmed-over slop delivered by our networks? With some striking exceptions, we get way too much cheerleading for various wars or other government operations and way too little critical, in-depth reporting. There are narratives focusing on the oddity of whistleblowers like Julian Assange and Bradley Manning with a dearth of ongoing reporting about the government misdeeds and lies they exposed. On top of that, the so-called news packages ooze with mass quantities of entertainment schlock.
I don't know what you call it, but to me that sounds like a willful prescription for ignorance. Propaganda is propaganda no matter what the source.
In an era in which torturers and Fourth-Amendment violators get free passes while leakers are prosecuted selectively, it's time to footnote President Eisenhower's farewell warning about "the acquisition of unwarranted influence ... by the military-industrial complex."
"We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes," Eisenhower said on Jan. 17, 1961. " ... Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together."
The arm of government and sometimes government itself have at times become indistinguishable from the telecommunications companies and mass media. Would today's big media uncover the criminal harassment of Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg and actually publish the Pentagon Papers?
A world increasingly dominated by money, corporations and government lackeys that hide the truth is enabled by a decimated fourth estate. All too often, media is complicit or ineffective. Among the few hopes for sunlight: more voices.
As the Time Warner - Al Jazeera story evolved, I reached out to a couple old friends who are in the fray. They agreed Al Jazeera will enhance the range of news offerings.
"Democracies thrive on a maximum of diverse information," said Paul Levinson, professor of Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University and author of the book, "New New Media."
"With that in mind," Levinson continued, "I think Al Jazeera's purchase of Current TV is a good thing for our country. Under Al Gore's leadership, Current TV was little more than a pale reflection of MSNBC - Current's failure to keep Keith Olbermann was an indication that it was not yet ready to be a major player in delivery of trenchant commentary. Al Jazeera English will give Americans an important additional perspective with which to make sense out of our complex and multi-faceted world."
Dave Marash, the former correspondent and anchor for ABC's Nightline, worked for Al Jazeera English from 2006-2008. Marash left Al Jazeera with some misgivings about its uneven coverage, but asserted the network will offer Americans education they are not getting elsewhere.
"Watch the channel," Marash told me, "and you will learn more about the world in a week than you will on the combined American news channel competition in a decade. This alone makes Al Jazeera's acquisition of Current TV a win-win for American news consumers."
He said AJE has more people in more places doing real video journalism than even the BBC and CNN: "Since Al Jazeera says it intends to make international reporting the basis for its new Al Jazeera America channel, it will bring something new to viewers who have had to settle for CNN, MSNBC and Fox News' limited diet of chatter, banter and spite as a substitute for from-the-scene journalism."
Like any network, Al Jazeera English has warts and faults. As a former insider, Marash was quick to point out a few: "It's committed some indefensible journalistic misdeeds - in Bahrain where it followed Al Jazeera Arabic in mindlessly defending the royal family before righting itself and airing some real human rights-oriented reporting on the democracy movement there, and in not covering the unjustifiable and abusive life sentence given poet Muhammad al-Ajami for daring to criticize the government of Qatar - a virtual extension of Al Jazeera's owners, the Qatari royal family."
The network is also available on line.
As for my local cable service, Cablevision, Al Jazeera remains nowhere in sight. A Cablevision employee told me last week: "I don't think we have that. I'm not seeing it. I could put in a request ..."
After the world turned to Al Jazeera's coverage of the Arab Spring, The New York Times asked Cablevision whether they were considering adding the channel. The Arab Spring or Arab Awakening coverage won a prestigious Peabody Award. Here's the Cablevision non-response response: "Cablevision is always evaluating the channels we carry, based on consumer interest and other factors. Today, our customers receive more than a dozen dedicated news and information networks, with additional news programming available on many other channels."
Andy Thibault is a contributing editor for Journal Register Co.'s Connecticut publications and the author of Law & Justice In Everyday Life. He formerly served as a commissioner for Connecticut's Freedom of Information Commission. Reach Thibault by email at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @cooljustice.


text:
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text: What is bipolar? Expand Bipolar – sometimes known as manic depression – is a severe mental health condition characterised by significant mood swings including manic highs and depressive lows. The majority of individuals with bipolar experience alternating episodes of mania and depression.Both males and females of any age and from any social or ethnic background can develop the illness. The symptoms can first occur and then reoccur when work, studies, family or emotional pressures are at their greatest. In women it can also be triggered by childbirth or by the menopause.The key to coping with bipolar is an early diagnosis, acceptance of the illness and adapting your lifestyle so you are in control of the symptoms as much as possible. Management of the illness can be achieved through strategies involving medication, health care, therapy and self management.


text:
General System Theory: Foundations, Development, Applications
G. Braziller, 1968 - Science - 295 pages
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The Meaning of General System Theory
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text:
Evening Introduction to Wine
Welcome to our exciting Introductory Evening to Wine
Do you want to learn more about wine in just one evening? This tasting session will guide you through how to choose better wine, what to look for, and start you on your journey of wine discovery. If you know what wine you like but want to understand why - then this evening is for you. We will taste at least six excellent wines from around the world, and provide many helpful pointers that will enhance your appreciation of wine.
We will cover how to taste wine like a professional and look at all the major wine regions in a light-hearted and interesting way. There will also be sections on wine making, and food and wine pairing.
This course is for people who are new to wine tasting and just want to have a bit of fun learning more...
We will we taste at least 6 excellent wines from Australia, France, Italy, New Zealand, South America, & Spain. There are also cheeses and nibbles to enjoy whilst you taste the evening away - all for only £30.
Places remaining: 0
Course Date/Time: Fri 30th Oct 2020 at 7pm
Duration: 2 hours
Venue: The Wine Cellars, Fulham, SW6 2ST
The Wine Cellars


text:
The Cretan sun is shining, the olive trees are rustling in the breeze and the cicadas are chirruping incessantly. We, however, are sitting in the Stratigraphic Museum at Knossos looking at sherds. The Museum houses archaeological material excavated in the area by archaeologists working for the British School at Athens over the course of a century: from Sir Arthur Evans's famous excavations at the Palace to material collected over the last few years. With its extensive comparative collection it makes it the perfect place to study pottery.
The sherds we are looking at today were collected by the Knossos Urban Landscape Project in 2005-2008. The valley in which the Palace sits was divided into 20m grid squares and a collection taken from each one. This is how survey projects rather than excavations usually work: material is collected from the surface across a wide area. Rather than digging ourselves we rely on agricultural activities such as ploughing to bring material to the surface. Our job now is to make sense of what we have collected. After separating out the pottery and washing it we lay the sherds out on tables for a first look and divide them into periods spanning the settlement history of the valley (Prehistoric, Hellenic, Roman, Post-Roman).
The interesting sherds (relatively speaking – those with decoration or which are diagnostic of a particular type of vessel) are then scanned and given a unique number in a database.
The specialists examine these sherds and enter more information about them. We are trying to establish what sort of vessels the sherds came from and whether they can be closely dated. We can then plot this information on the map of the survey area to add to the existing picture of how people occupied this valley for the last 5000 years and more: where were the central places, where did they bury their dead, did the settlement grow or shrink over time? I am looking at the Middle Minoan pottery; Antonis Kotsonas is in charge of the Iron Age sherds.
Overseeing the project, and trying to keep track of over 400,000 sherds is one of the project directors, Prof. Todd Whitelaw.
Today has been a normal day: sorting, scanning and studying sherds. The Stratigraphic Museum is part of the British School at Athens's permanent base at Knossos, which also includes accommodation and a library. I'll be off there shortly to work on my book and check my work emails. I'm on leave from the British Museum, where I'm Greek Bronze Age curator, and so this complements my day job perfectly. I've just finalised the programme for a Knossos Study Day at the Museum and will send that off for distribution today: ten archaeologists who have worked at Knossos will be describing their work; some of them are working on other projects here at the moment. No doubt the Cretan sunshine and food will seem far away on an inevitably rainy day in November but at least I won't be surrounded by cicadas and scrappy survey sherds.