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BenQ XL2720T Gaming Monitor Reviewedby Chris Heinonen on 6/17/2013 4:35 PM EST
79 Comments
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ViperV990 - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkI'm not seeing any mentions of Lightboost (strobing backlight). IMO that is the most important selling point of this monitor. If you think the differences between 60Hz to 120Hz is huge, you'll be blown away by the differences between Lightboost on and off. Reply
ViperV990 - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkIf you're not familiar with Lightboost, this is a good place to start reading up:
http://www.blurbusters.com/zero-motion-blur/lightb... Reply
A5 - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkStrobing backlight is the same thing "240 Hz" LCD TVs use to achieve their effect.
Is the difference noticeable in anything besides specifically designed motion resolution tests?
Considering most games have motion blur shaders on these days anyways, I hardly see the point. Reply
chizow - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkNo, it's not the same thing as 240Hz LCD TVs, instead of counting an inserted black frame or interpolated frame as a new "frame" to accomplish 240Hz, the backlight pulse ONLY strobes when an actual new frame is ready to be displayed, resulting in MUCH less image blur while allowing intermediate or transitional frames to clear.
So instead of a constantly lit, muddy picture full of transitional ghosting and image retention, you get a crisp, true 120Hz image that pulses double-bright only when a true, new frame is ready to be displayed. Really a huge difference, it's why many fast-paced gamers won't go back to anything else but a 120Hz LightBoost panel, despite some of the trade-offs like 1080p limitation, TN panels etc. Reply
Galford007 - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - link@A5, @Chizow:
I initially thought this "lightboost" thing was a gimmick but I recently bought an ASUS 144hz lightboost-capable monitor (VG248QE, ~$300 on Newegg) and I'm now a true believer. It's capable of 3D but I prefer to use it in 2D lightboost mode. There ARE some tradeoffs such as loss of color accuracy and brightness, but it looks AMAZING, especially in games like Battlefield 3. In order to get the full effect, you need to match in-game FPS with the refresh rate, so even with a GTX 580 I have to turn BF3 settings to low and 100Hz. The graphics still look pretty good but it's worth the tradeoff IMO. I'd definitely recommend to check out the Blurbusters site for more info on the technology (as ViperV990 suggested). Basically this "lightboost" thing is a happy accident, but I'm sure it'll gain traction soon. Reply
chizow - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkOh and blur shaders are a huge part of the problem, designed to cover up the muddy ugliness that is the norm with 60Hz non-LightBoost monitors. You'll want to turn all that crap off if you're using a 120Hz panel with LightBoost, if you value a clear, fluid image anyways. Reply
mdrejhon - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkTFTCentral's Motion Blur Reduction Backlights (Including LightBoost)
They said that LightBoost outperformed all scanning backlights they have ever tested.
A good 60Hz vs 120Hz vs LightBoost image comparision is:
There's also a large LightBoost FAQ at:
Also, see the improved Battlefield3 score graphs at:
You will notice that about 20% of amazon.com customer reviews for the ASUS VG248QE monitor (popular LightBoost monitor) have rave reviews about the LightBoost motion blur elimination. Go check out the rave LightBoost reviews:
Within that webpage, hit Control+F and find "LightBoost" in all the Amazon customer reviews! Reply
mutantmagnet - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkI clicked this article just to see if they were going talk about this as well. They talk about sacrificing color correction for smoother gameplay as a mundane thing which isn't the case. Reply
cheinonen - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkI've been testing Lightboost today after reading the comments and will go in and add some commentary on it. Using lightboost for 2D is undocumented (at least as far as BenQ is involved) and requires some messing around with settings, and never came up in my discussions with BenQ as something to be aware of with the display. I didn't notice any commentary on it online until now either, which is how it didn't get mentioned.
Also, I have no idea how the stats didn't make it into the review, that's just a dumb mistake on my part that needs to be remedied here really quick. Reply
mdrejhon - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkBTW, great to recognize the attention needed because LightBoost apparently now sells a significant fraction of 120Hz monitors ever since the extreme enthusiast community figured out how to use it (without needing 3D).
Some good news -- ToastyX is developing a new LightBoost utility (I'm beta testing) that makes it easy to enable/disable. No inf/reg files -- just an easy utility. Finally, it will be easy to enable/disable LightBoost -- with a hotkey shortcut! -- even on multiple monitor setups.
Some tips:
- If you don't have a Titan/780, then Lightboost often benefits older games a lot more (try source engine games, Quake Live, test with both VSYNC ON, and with VSYNC OFF), as it behaves like a 120Hz CRT and needs 120fps to make it sing.
- XL2720T Lightboost color seems better with drivers 320.18
- For picture adjustments, see LightBoost FAQ at http://www.blurbusters.com/zero-motion-blur/lightb...
- I've sent you an email with a link to a new motion test Reply
chizow - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkGlad to see you are revisiting the review of this monitor with a fresh outlook. Honestly, after you have your new results with LightBoost, you may consider just re-writing the entire review. It's a completely different market for this type of monitor that gets away from the muddy mosaics of finely pixeled high-res monitors. Reply
qiplayer - Saturday, November 09, 2013 - linkThe today's problem is comunication. Companies want to throw stuff on the market and us to buy. Actually they have no idea what is our need expectations and so on. They lack on ability to observe. ...Today I saw the graps of gtx 780 gtx780ti gtx titan clock behaviour during heavy load/gameplay. Clock is high and every 45 seconds it drops by 40% =every 40 second you get fps drops. Is it possible that they sell a card for 1000$ and haven't found a better solution? YES, they (nvidia) probably even didn't notice it. It would have been enough to let the max clock be 3-5% lower to avoid the needing to downcloack.
So yes they produce and hope to sell, they found out the solution that many gamers aspire to have in a monitor by case, by looking for a better 3D.
And if we look cell phones, I'm since years looking for something that is not an iphone, but I always felt I can't type half that fast with samsung htc and so on because the keys had a lag lighting up when pressed. For years this aspect hasn't been seen in reviews, then, one day "tadaaahhh" revelation: a test of touchscreen responsetime. Iphone was far better than the best samsung. So is it possible that no one of the thousands worldwide reviewers noticed it? No one engineer? Reply
cheinonen - Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - linkI've added charts and data on Lightboost to the review, as well as commentary on the image quality of it. They can all be found on the gaming use and lag page. Reply
chizow - Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - link"One thing this does do it lock out all the picture controls except color and brightness."
It only locks you out once you enable LightBoost, prior to that you can make any adjustments to presets, color, temperature, sharpness etc. At least that is how it worked on my 2 previous 3D Vision monitors.
Also, you shouldn't lose any brightness, if anything, the image is usually too bright for those who are not accustomed to it as brightness is maxed out and locked and strobing at 2x brightness.
Anyone interested in the truly important vitals of this monitor should follow mdrejhon's links as they give a much more accurate picture of this monitor's strengths. Reply
cheinonen - Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - linkYou're going to lose brightness because it's working with black frame insertion basically to mimic the performance of a CRT in that way. The lack of object permanence on-screen causes the eye to see motion as being more fluid when tracking something. This same behavior also means that instead of the backlight being on all the time, it's shut down every so often and that causes a measurable drop in light output. With the monitor at factory settings, other than Lightboost, and contrast set to the maximum level before clipping, I got under 130 cd/m2. Going higher requires clipping.
As far as the user controls being locked out, at least on the BenQ when it went into Lightboost mode my previously set user color temperature settings were removed, leading to the blue image. Different monitors could easily have different settings, but on the BenQ they were all locked out.
I've read all of mdrejhon's links, and he's providing his perspective. He, and many others, are after the least amount of blur no matter what, and that's fine. To me, the trade-off in brightness, color quality, and noticeable flicker are not worth it to me. But that's my opinion. However I think comments that color quality is unimportant compared to the 120Hz mode is giving BenQ a free pass. They could easily provide both, but choose not to due to cost or another reason. If color accuracy isn't important to you at all, that's fine, but it shouldn't be dismissed outright. Reply
sweenish - Monday, June 17, 2013 - link180-220 is a 10% range, is it not? Reply
brucek2 - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkThanks Chris. I really appreciate direct, straight forward conclusions like yours. The most important part of most reviews to me is the part that says this product is either the winner for some specific use case, or if not here are the likely better options to consider. Far too many reviewers are afraid to be so blunt so I always appreciate it when I see it. Reply
mdrejhon - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkTo be fair, SkyViper (a former CRT user) thought a 120Hz monitor was disappointing until he enabled LightBoost:
"I felt like I may have wasted $300 bucks on a monitor that is full of compromises. The next thing I tried of course was using the Lightboost hack."
[...Enables LightBoost....]
Am I seeing this correctly? The last time I gamed on a CRT monitor was back in 2006 before I got my first LCD and this ASUS monitor is EXACTLY like how I remembered gaming on a CRT monitor. I was absolutely shocked and amazed at how clear everything was when moving around. After seeing Lightboost in action, I would have gladly paid twice the amount for something that can reproduce the feeling I got when playing on a CRT. Now I really can't see myself going back to my 30″ 2560×1600 IPS monitor when gaming. Everything looks so much clearer on the ASUS with Lightboost turned on." Reply
Panzerknacker - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkAgree with your conclusion Chris, TN monitors are just completely worthless for anything, looking at them makes me puke. Many years ago I used to be a hardcore gamer, but when my CRT died and I was forced to purchase a LCD monitor, that completely spoiled the fun I had in gaming. Everything suddenly looked like complete crap, especially the dark atmospheric games I used to enjoy like Doom 3 and Splinter Cell. Displays like this are maybe only good for one thing, and that is proffesional gaming tournaments where nothing matters but respons. Even while practicing at home though I would prefer the better looks of a IPS over the faster respons of the TN.
How do modern IPS screens do in terms of allround gaming vs CRT's? I still use to think all LCD's just suck, I just bought a phone with the best display on the planet and everybody and every review says it has the most awesome black levels ever in a LCD, but imo it still sucks compared to CRT. Reply
Insomniator - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkTN panels ruined gaming for you? Give me a break. Reply
Panzerknacker - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkYes they did, TN panels just produce such mediocre image quality that there is no immersion anymore of any kind. Lighting effects are just colored spots on a TN, black levels are non existant, if you move from CRT to TN you will just give up on gaming, trust me. Plasma is the best of the currently available displays, good respons and superior image quality, but they start at 40 inches which is too big and you cannot comfortable use them for still images such as desktop due to burn in problems. Reply
qiplayer - Saturday, November 09, 2013 - linkSee my 5800x1080 fast gaming on youtube channel qiplayer. Im here looking for 120hz, I actually own 3 asus ve278, the image is great the only downside is blur image when moving fast. But whatch the vid, you'll see that you can actually game quite fast also on 60hz monitors. Reply
bji - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkThe retina display in my macbook pro looks better than any CRT I ever saw, hands down.
Also I put an older Mitsubishi Diamondtron 21 inch next to a fairly old Dell 24 inch IPS panel and I didn't find that I favored one over the other. Reply
BillyONeal - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkThe retina is an IPS panel, so I don't see what point you're trying to make here. Reply
A5 - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkYou must only be remembering the good CRTs. Bad CRTs were really, really bad.
Not to mention heavy, power inefficient, giant bezels, expensive, etc. I sure as hell wouldn't be able to afford 2 1080p+ CRT monitors, and they probably wouldn't fit on my desk, either. Reply
mdrejhon - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkPanzerknacker, have you tested LightBoost? Google "LightBoost:
They give you perfect CRT quality sharp motion on an LCD:
-- Fast panning as perfectly sharp as stationary images.
-- I can read text even during fast scrolling Reply
zehoo - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkPerhaps you should try one of the Korean IPS or PLS 2560x1440 panels that overclock to 120hz if you want better colour reproduction than a TN panel while still having low input latency (models with OSD bypass) and a decent refresh rate. I haven't been able to go back to a 1080 TN 120hz panel since using one.
Of course 120hz TN lightboost hack panels is where it's at for the moment if you need low input latency and fast refresh rates for competitive gaming. The trade off being superior colours. By the way I moved from CRT to LCD and didn't stop gaming. Though I only moved when 120hz TN panels first became available. Reply
EnzoFX - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkProcessing lag. I would think this would still be #1 priority for a gamer. I'm surprised it's so high. Reply
Guspaz - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkThe first page is called "INTRODUCTION, DESIGN AND SPECS", but there are no specs on the page. I don't even see any mention of the resolution. Is it 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 2560x1440, 2560x1600? There should be a table on this page listing all the details: manufacturer, model, size, resolution, panel type, price, inputs, etc. Reply
metril - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkThe first thing I looked for was the monitor resolution and other necessary information. I found nothing. How am I supposed to trust this review if none of the relevant information is presented? Reply
metril - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkNow that others have pointed out, I see the 1080p tag. I agree that a table would have been beneficial. I guess, I'm so used to see tables like in the other reviews that I've come to expect one in any review. It provides a quick overview before I go and read the review. Nonetheless, thanks for the review. :) Reply
brucek2 - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkThe list of tags right under the article's title includes "1080p", and then there's the discussion on the next to last page how all current 120hz monitors are 1080.
Of course the table is a good idea. I feel like there usually is one? Maybe something got lost in the editorial pipeline? Reply
thwaak - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkI agree, this was a major oversight. I had to skim the article till the second last page to determine that it was 1080p, and even then it's really not even directly stated. Reply
Rob94hawk - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkYeah had to read it a few times to figure out what the resolutions was. Reply
r3loaded - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkAre there any 120Hz IPS monitors? I'm sure many people would want one. Reply
jackstar7 - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkOverlord is one of the places you can get the closest thing to 120Hz IPS (at 1440p). Takes some gfx horsepower, but is worth it. Reply
Rob94hawk - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkNo offense but 2560x1440, 2560x1600 gaming is where it's at. Reviewing a 1080p monitor is like reviewing socket 775 all over again. Reply
birru - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkThat's a complete exaggeration. High resolution gaming is awesome, and there's real value there, but 1080p is absolutely relevant. Especially when you factor in trying to maintain 120fps or 144fps to keep up with these high refresh LCDs while avoiding tearing. Even with my GTX 780 I've found that with some recent titles I have to scale back the eye candy a touch to keep the experience at a solid 60fps. And that's at 1080p. So with a top of the line single GPU you'd certainly have to reduce visual fidelity a bit more at higher resolutions. And of course it gets worse with triple screens if you want to go that route. 3x1080p is feasible with one GPU. 3x1440p and you're looking at SLI or Crossfire.
Resolution costs money; how sharp do you want to go? Reply
sxr7171 - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkSame issue here. 780GTX and I need to turn settings down in Crysis 3. This is at 1080p. Can't imagine how that would work out at 1600p. I guess SLI is a must with those resolutions along with all the problems. Reply
brucek2 - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkPer Steam, 1080p and under is something like 98%+ of all gamers (and this is billed as a "gaming monitor" review.)
Sure I'd expect that the percent of newly purchased monitors may be somewhat higher, but I bet it's still well south of 10%. Reply
althaz - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkWhat an absurd thing to say - the vast majority of people have 1080p monitors and it's not just because they represent good value for money.
As a gamer and a worker I have a trio of 1080p monitors for several reasons:
@ 1080p I'll be able to run games at maxed settings for a while (and I haven't upgraded for over a year).
Dual monitor > than one big monitor (by a very long way). Triple monitor is of varying degrees of usefulness to most people, but I find two landscape and one portrait monitor is basically perfect for all tasks (some people find three monitors overwhelming however). Reply
mutantmagnet - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkWe can downsample a lot of games these days. Until strobe backlighting is possible on the IPS panels settling for TN is fine since they are already cheaper and achieving 100+ FPS consistently isn't easy above 1080. Reply
tackle70 - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkYeah I could never go back to TN panels after making the jump to IPS, and I play tons of games. I am guessing that 99.9% of gamers are not good enough for the 120 Hz to make any real difference other than as a placebo effect, and so I don't see the point.
I wish we could get some new technologies out there other than this TN garbage :\ Reply
TesseractOrion - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkI have a Yamasaki Catleap (IPS) and a Qnix Q2710 (PLS) , the latter at 120Hz, the former @ 60Hz (only due to DVI restriction on the 7950 GPU, had it up to 116Hz on the DL-DVI port). Hard to go back to TN and 1920x1080 now... very stripped down monitors, no scaler, OSD or multiple inputs, resulting in low input lag as compensation... Reply
Jedi2155 - Monday, June 17, 2013 - linkThanks Chris for your review. I believe it would be a better format in future reviews to add a table of specifications describing the important aspects of the product during the introduction. It took me multiple pages of skimming in order to find the information that this was in fact a standard TN panel at 1920x1080 resolution (I was hoping for a 27" IPS 120 Hz, or at least 2560x1440).
While this information could be found with some googling, I've always come to expect AnandTech to provide very poignant and useful information very quickly and easily. Good review and I hope you will continue to refine your skills in the future! Reply
chizow - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkQuestionable results and questionable competency with this review. Main concerns below:
1) Was this monitor tested with LightBoost always enabled? Main benefit of these 3D Vision Ready panels is their ability to always be in LightBoost mode if you trick the Nvidia driver to set the 3D Vision mode to "Always On".
2) Input lag results are questionable given this is a 120Hz input panel and the results indicate 3 frames worth of input lag. Highly doubtful on a 120Hz TN. Did you set the panel to gaming mode to see if there is a difference?
3) I'd like to see comparisons against the Asus VG278H or even VG278HE, which have become the standard for 120Hz TN LightBoost panels. Reply
mdrejhon - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkThe input lag is because the Leo Bodnar input lag tester is limited to 60Hz and HDMI. So it's not an accurate measurement of input lag. Reply
chizow - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkWow, nice catch. I didn't even bother reading the testing methodology, but if true that's a pretty epic fail on reviewer's part. Not only is it probably going through the built-in video scaler/processor at that point and introducing additional latency, but it also effectively cuts refresh rate in half while doubling response times.
Really needs to be re-done over DVI and at 120Hz with and without LightBoost. Reply
Samus - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkMy last (and only) two BenQ monitors broke. I should have learned for first time after the second one caught fire. Reply
jigglywiggly - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkWhy did you pick the worst 120hz display? Pick the vg278 or vg248qe
both are 144hz and much better Reply
mdrejhon - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkThe XL2720T has better color quality than the VG248QE.
Someone owns both monitors, and reported this.
The VG278H is actually pretty competitive to the XL2720T, despite its age.
What makes them really worth it, is the LightBoost. Reply
Death666Angel - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkWow, this review badly needs a table of the specs on the first page. Reply
brandonicus - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkI hate to be "that guy" but I found it really annoying you assumed we knew what the resolution was... unless I'm blind the only place it was mentioned was in the "Posted in" header and the seventh and eighth page. I feel like something that important should be mentioned upfront. Reply
blackoctagon - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkThanks for the review, Chris, but WHY exactly did you choose to measure input lag using the Leo Bodnar test? Apart from the fact that it cannot measure the screen's performance at 120Hz (the refresh rate at which this screen is designed to be played), the test itself seems to not have undergone the same verification as, say, PRAD.de's use of an oscilloscope has...for a review that starts out with a discussion about input lag, and even mentions that you were "still in search of" the ideal test, I expected to hear your reasoning for choosing this methodology over others. Reply
cheinonen - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkI actually talked to TFT Central about this, as they have an oscilloscope method as well (which is beyond my means, unfortunately). They've tested multiple ways and feel the Leo Bodnar winds up as the most accurate version out there right now as well, other than a scope method. SMTT was working relatively well, but it has a license, and he stopped selling them. Our license expired, so I can't use it anymore.
Searching for a totally accurate, and affordable, lag measurement device continues. I'll look into the Audrino solution that was mentioned here and see how that looks. Reply
blackoctagon - Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - linkThank you for the reply. Looking forward to seeing where this search leads you Reply
mdrejhon - Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - linkI'm the inventor of the Arduino Input Lag Tester, which runs via a USB cable connected to the computer.
It features:
- Sub-millisecond accuracy
- Works at all computer resolutions and refresh rates.
- USB cable latency compensation (subtracts calculated USB cable latency)
- Costs only $40 to build.
It's currently undergoing beta testing, with custom software I have created.
Contact me at mark[at]blurbusters.com for more information about the Arudino Input Lag Tester. Reply
blackoctagon - Thursday, June 20, 2013 - linkInteresting. But is it 'Audrino,' 'Arduino' or 'Arudino' test? :)
I see all three (mis-?)spellings on this page Reply
mdrejhon - Thursday, June 20, 2013 - linkApologies. It's a hard word sometimes.
The correct spelling is Arduino, which refers to an easy-to-program hobbyist microcontroller:
It's a home made input lag meter involving (1) Almost any Arduino with a USB port, (2) a photodiode, (3) a resistor, and (4) some wires. It's an open source input lag circuit I've developed that is very easy to build (easier than building a computer -- no soldering iron required!). I'll be publishing some software that makes everything run as an accurate input lag tester (including USB cable latency/jitter compensation), since the assembly is connected to a PC displaying flashing squares. Reply
Pastuch - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkHonestly, this review is a huge let down. When I started reading this website 10 years ago the articles were always informed and well researched. This review is sorely lacking in that regard. The only reason people are still buying 120hz displays is for Lightboost capable 2d gaming. The CS, BF and Quake communities LOVE the CRT like motion response of Lightboost and this is one of the better models to have that capability. http://www.blurbusters.com/ has all the relevant info, Mark is an invaluable resource and I implore you to contact him for more info.
You complain loudly about IPS color quality in a gaming review but you admit yourself that gaming isn't a hobby you're interested in. Your conclusion argues that the money could be better spent on an IPS 2560 display. Do you know how many video cards it takes to run Planetside 2 at 2560 at 80FPS+? You need two Geforce 780s! Can I borrow $1200?
I used to own a 2560x1440 IPS for desktop work but I couldn't play CS on it due to slow pixel response and horrible input lag. Once you try lightboost there is no going back. The motion clarity at 120fps + on a LB capable display genuinely changes the gameplay experience. I don't own a LB display yet but I've tried it at a lan party. I was blown away and I was hoping that Anand would provide a comprehensive review of the Benq 2720T. With the latest Nvidia drivers and LB enabled, gamers are reporting almost 1000 contrast ratio on the 2720 which is better than any other LB monitor. Lightboost is a genuine boon to the gaming market, there are Sony FW900 owners that say the motion clarity of LB is BETTER than the FW900. Do you have any idea how amazing that is? People have been waiting 10 years for a monitor that can replace the FW900 for twitch-gaming.
If you want to read solid monitor reviews go to http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/ Reply
Pastuch - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - link"The input lag is because the Leo Bodnar input lag tester is limited to 60Hz and HDMI. So it's not an accurate measurement of input lag."
If this is true you need to change your testing method completely. 120hz displays should be tested for input lag at 120hz with a dual link DVI cable preferably with Lightboost enabled in gaming mode! Reply
mdrejhon - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkInput lag should be measured with and without LightBoost.
There's a very interesting phenomenon with LightBoost with input lag testers including my Arduino Input Lag Tester (google "Arduino Input Lag Tester"; contact me if you want to be on the beta test list). My input lag tester, that I am designing at Blur Busters, supports all refresh rates on all inputs.
LightBoost is an all-at-once strobe backlight (flashes only on fully-refreshed frames) so the input lag is identical for the top and bottom edges of the screen. The top of the screen has more lag relative to non-LightBoost, but the bottom edge of LightBoost has almost identical lag to non-LightBoost.
I am very impressed that so many people here know about LightBoost & are gently nudging the reviewer for forgetting to test this very important monitor-selling feature (as evidenced by mentions of LightBoost by end users in Amazon and NewEgg reviews) Reply
mdrejhon - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkUPDATE:
-- The LightBoost HOWTO is now updated -- http://www.blurbusters.com/zero-motion-blur/lightb...
Easier method. No .reg and .inf files needed anymore! (Completely removed from HOWTO)
-- ToastyX informs that the new utility is coming by July that makes enabling LightBoost as easy as pressing a hotkey!
Good news indeed! Reply
mdrejhon - Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - linkP.S. For those wanting motion clarity matching the Sony FW900 CRT, reduce the LightBoost percentage setting via the monitor on-screen menus (On the XL2720T, you have to find the Brightness/Contrast setting then, scroll down to below the bottom of the menu).
This takes a slight hit to light output, but eliminates even more motion blur because the strobe flash lengths are shorter (motion becomes even sharper). The best motion clarity occurs at the LightBoost=10% setting -- the backlight is strobing for a mere 1.4 milliseconds; resulting in 92% clearer motion than a 60Hz monitor. This works great in dark rooms at night, when the higher brightness modes are too bright anyway. Reply
blackoctagon - Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - link"The only reason people are still buying 120hz displays is for Lightboost capable 2d gaming."
-As exciting as the (NVIDIA-ONLY) LightBoost hack is, it is not the "only" reason people buy 120Hz monitors. Plenty of people buy then for...drumroll...120Hz. If your argument was correct, monitors like the Catleap 2B and Overlord Tempest OC would have magically stopped selling as soon as the LightBoost hack was revealed.
"Do you know how many video cards it takes to run Planetside 2 at 2560 at 80FPS+?"
- Do you realise how inappropriate it is to cite such a poorly optimised code in order to back up your argument? You might choose a 1080p monitor over a 1440p one just for one poorly made game, but that is NOT a valid why a 1440p IPS monitor is money badly spent
"I used to own a 2560x1440 IPS for desktop work but I couldn't play CS on it due to slow pixel response and horrible input lag."
- And I own a 2560x1440 IPS screen overclocked to 120Hz and with minimal input lag. It's not and will never be as snappy as a LB-enabled LCD or a CRT, but it holds its own a hell of a lot better than pretty much any other IPS in a gaming environment, and subjectively feels about as responsive as my old Samsung S27A950D (120Hz TN) monitor did.
"I don't own a LB display yet but I've tried it at a lan party. I was blown away and I was hoping that Anand would provide a comprehensive review of the Benq 2720T"
- I agree with you, but at the same time would like them to review a 1440P IPS monitor overclocked to 120Hz. Given that the latter has been around longer than the LB hack, I doubt either of us are going to get our wish anytime soon. Looks like review sites are only reviewing monitors in a condition that is approved by the manufacturer (i.e., not tinkered with). If you want that, you need to rely on independent reviewers and forums.
"If you want to read solid monitor reviews go to http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/"
- Yes, they specialise in monitor reviews, so they should be better than AT. But btw, PRAD.de is quite a bit better than TFT Central, not least as regards input lag.
"Honestly, this review is a huge let down. When I started reading this website 10 years ago the articles were always informed and well researched. This review is sorely lacking in that regard."
- The review is only a let down because of your expectations, and I'm not convinced those expectations were reasonable (much as I can empathise with what you would have liked to see reviewed) Reply
Pastuch - Thursday, June 20, 2013 - linkLightboost hacks for AMD video cards already exist and are improving all the time.
While Planetside 2 is a bit of a pig, it's far from the only game that is difficult to run past 60fps at 1440P. Metro 2033, Tomb Raider, Far Cry 3, etc. The point of that argument was that Chris suggested spending $150 more for a 1440P monitor was all that was required but that doesn't include the additional video cards necessary to drive almost DOUBLE the pixels.
I'm not against 1440P gaming, I also love the 120hz Korean 1440P monitors and for Civ 5 they are bloody brilliant. I may even order the semi-gloss Qnix 1440P 120hz Qnix with the Samsung panel to go next to a lightboost display.
Prad.de does have excellent monitor reviews but TFT has recently revamped their Input lag testing and provided a solid test of Lightboost. Prad is largely ignoring lightboost.
You're right that my expectations are a little high but I still think Chris didn't give the 2720T a fair review. Testing input lag over HDMI on this monitor is totally unfair and his conclusion is that of a non-fps-gamer who are the target market for the product.
P.S. I too would enjoy a test of a Catleap or a Qnix at 120hz 1440P. Reply
blackoctagon - Friday, June 21, 2013 - linkI didn't realise LightBoost hacks for AMD existed...got a link? I remember reading recently that ToastyX is working on something to simplify the BlurBusters method, but I can't remember if that includes AMD functionality. The BlurBusters how-to still says that this is NVIDIA-only
Take your point about 1440p, but 150 beans to upgrade from this BenQ to 1440p refers to an upgrade from 1080p@120Hz to 1440p@60Hz. If memory serves correct, about the same approximate GPU processing power is required in non VRAM-bound situations to drive 1440p@60fps as is required to drive 1080p@120fps. 1440p@120fps is of course another story, but that's not what I believe Chris is referring to. P.S., 1440p is 77.7777% more pixels than 1080p (not quite 'almost double'), but that's just a detail.
Regarding possible improvements to TFTCentral's input lag testing, I'm no expert so you may well be right. However, I'd understood from this little thread that many of TFT's results are way off compared to PRAD's oscilloscope testing: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1751100
In any case, I agree that this review would have been better with comprehensive testing of the monitor's performance when running at 120Hz. Input lag testing at 60Hz is certainly incomplete. It seems to be a question of AT determining the best (affordable!) methodology and then implementing it. To that end, I would certainly love it if this review could be updated in the future...(hint hint!) :) Reply
Pastuch - Friday, June 21, 2013 - linkThe guys at Hard forum managed to make it work with AMD cards. Blurbusters won't include information on the AMD hack because they don't want to piss off Nvidia (I don't blame them). Overclockers.com forum also has some info, I believe it involves swapping the DVI cable between and AMD and Nvidia card. I run Nvidia at the moment so I didn't look into it much.
TFTCentral has updated their input lag test in the last two months but like Chris said below it's still not perfect. The truth is that no one has a perfectly accurate input lag test yet so I definitely criticized Chris unfairly in that regard. Sorry Chris.
The only other thing I would suggest for future monitor reviews is a short paragraph describing the type of AG used on the monitors. I know this is a difficult thing to describe but after the horribly thick AG coats on the Dell U2311 and other similar LG IPS panels it can be a rude awakening. I know a couple people that returned their monitors based only on the AG coating being so thick it looked like dirt on the display. I love the new Semi-gloss a lot of the manufacturers are using, perfect compromise between reflective and AG. Benq has it on the cheap GW2750HM and a lot of other VA panel monitors have it too. Reply
Pastuch - Thursday, June 20, 2013 - linkNCX posted a pretty excellent review of the Korean Qnix PLS here:
http://wecravegamestoo.com/forums/monitor-reviews-... Reply
cheinonen - Friday, June 21, 2013 - link"Looks like review sites are only reviewing monitors in a condition that is approved by the manufacturer (i.e., not tinkered with). If you want that, you need to rely on independent reviewers and forums."
No one provides limitations or restrictions on how a display can be reviewed. The only restriction that ever comes up is "We need this back in X weeks for someone else to review" but nothing for testing, or I wouldn't do it. Why didn't Lightboost initially get tested? Because it's an undocumented, unsupported features that requires registry tweaks and only works with a specific video card. Basically, because it passed my attention in reading up on the display, and BenQ didn't think to mention it either.
As far as the 1440p, 120Hz monitors you mention: I'll review it if someone can get me one. I don't have the resources to spend a few hundred dollars on a review for a display, so unless I can get a sample, I can't do it. Most forum/independent reviews are from people that have bought the product themselves and so aren't subject to this limitation, but also are subject to a different set of biases. I'd love to review one of them, but since they're all imported without a company or PR firm to loan me a sample, it won't happen I don't think. Reply
blackoctagon - Friday, June 21, 2013 - linkThank you for the clarification Reply
Draconian - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkWhy do they make these gaming monitors so big? 1080p at 27"? The pixel size is huge.
Make a 23" version and I'd be interested in it. Reply
birru - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkThey make 24" versions too, the XL2420T and XL2420TX. Reply
chizow - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - linkThe original 1080p 120Hz models were 23", too small, especially for 3D. I upgraded to a 27" 1080p and the pixel size is fine, small price to pay for the huge increase in screen size. Reply
mdrejhon - Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - linkI just noticed charts being posted for LightBoost measurements.
Good for you AT -- much needed tests.
Which drivers did you use? People reported better LightBoost color quality from nVidia 320.18 drivers than older drivers -- so we're curious which driver you tested with. Reply
cheinonen - Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - linkI used the most recent drivers from NVIDIA. I'd have to double-check the version, but I try to keep them up-to-date as much as possible. Reply
mdrejhon - Friday, June 28, 2013 - linkGood news. The easy LightBoost system tray just came out.
-- It works great on surround 120Hz setups;
-- It allows you to turn ON/OFF LightBoost via an easy hotkey.
-- It also allows you to adjust LightBoost percentage settings. Reply
qiplayer - Sunday, November 03, 2013 - linkThis is a gaming monitor please review it as that. There are thousands of monitors that are good for else and a few 27 that are good for gaming. If I and others are here it's probably to know about that. Reply
qiplayer - Sunday, November 03, 2013 - linkSo 1ms response time and 22ms of imput lag ... it appears you are not the only one that has no idea of what performance it should have. To make a comparison 22ms is also a good ping, but ping isn't interferring with the coordination hand-eyes. A good input lag would be less than 10ms.
It is relevant and you notice it in game when you turn fast from one side to the other, the image turns later than what you do with the mouse. About expensiveness I own a rig worth about 5-6000$, and I'm looking for 3 120hz screens. Too bad there aren't any 2500x1600 one's. The problem isn't about money but about stuff that works, like a cpu overclocked that it doesn't bottleneck 3titans. And by reading reviews of 10, 1or 2 have sense, for example there are people that test a 1000$gpu on a 1280x720 monitor and all kind of such staff
Going back to the imput lag, my monitor has one of 18 seconds and 60hz. So I'm disappointed because when they go down with pixel responsiveness and double the hz it would only have sense to work much also on the input lag. This is needed when making 2 kills in a second and not wanting to be killed from the 3rd player ;) Reply


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Follow @PennSoccer
PHILADEELPHIA – Slump officially busted.
Senior Stephen Baker broke a six-match goalless streak in the 94', breaking a 2-2 tie and pushing Penn into first place in the Ivy League via a 3-2 win over Yale at Rhodes Field. The Quakers ended the weekend in sole possession of first place after the Quakers, Yale and Princeton all began the day in a three-way tie.
Baker factored in all three goals, assisting on a pair of game-tying goals for the Quakers who connected twice on corner kicks. Penn did not lead in the match until the final whistle, twice having to rally after Yale goals.
Baker cooked up a win for the Quakers in the 94', pouncing on a loose ball following a great play from Alec Neumann. The freshman converged on Yale's keeper just outside the six-yard line, blocking a clear attempt which rattled over to two dangerous weapons -- Duke Lacroix and Baker. The ball defelcted off Lacroix and to the foot of Baker who tapped it home for the winning score.
Baker's second assist of the match came in the 87', a low lining serve on a corner kick from the left side which nicked Austin Kinn and found the head of Jonny Dolezal who sent in his second goals of the season to tie the game.
Proceedings almost didn't reach overtime, only a Tyler Kinn stretching save keeping the game knotted. Cody Wilkins headed a shot towards Kinn with four seconds left, but Kinn leaped to his left and deflected the shot wide.
Yale became the first Ivy League team to score a goal on the Quakers in 2013 with a goal from Henry Albrecht in the 45'. Albrecht looped in a free kick from in front of the Penn bench, and the momentum of the shot carried Kinn into the goal, ending a run of 422:07 of Ivy League play without allowing a goal by the Quakers dating back to the final match of 2012. For 2013, Penn's run of 336:47 without a goal came to an end on the Albrecht goal.
The Red and Blue tied the game in the 53', Baker launching a corner kick from the left corner to the head of Matt Poplawski who headed in his first career goal to the left post to tie the game. Sam Hayward almost doubled the lead shortly thereafter, breaking in alone on goal but sending his shot into the sliding feet of Yale's keeper.
The win improves Penn to 6-6-1 in 2013, and renders the Red and Blue 4-0-1 in their last five games. The streak is Penn's longest since a six-game unbeaten streak from Sept. 29-Oct. 23, 2010. Penn's five match unbeaten streak in the Ivy League dating back to last season is its longest since a six-match (4-0-2) streak over the 2008-09 season.
The Quakers have won their last three one-goal matches, each at home. The win in overtime is Penn's first since Nov. 12, 2011 against Harvard – a span of three extra time matches.
The Quakers head on the road for their next game, taking on Brown in Providence Nov. 2 at 4 p.m.
Download: Yale.pdf

subset: commoncrawl


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Growing up a Mets fan, I always thought of the 1969 Mets and the 1980s Mets as two separate entities. Different decades, different players, no overlap. But naturally, that isn't entirely true. And that reality was reinforced last night when I opened a pack of 1986 Topps baseball cards, and a picture of Jerry Koosman throwing in a Phillies uniform greeted me. What an odd sight that is!
Koosman, of course, threw the final pitch of the 1969 World Series. And generally, his role in Met historical consciousness ends when he got traded in December 1978 for Jesse Orosco, who threw the final pitch of the 1986 World Series. But he went on to pitch until 1985-winning 20 games for the 1979 Twins, 11 with both the 1982 and 1983 White Sox, and even another 14 games for the 1984 Phillies. It's that last part that seems odd- Koosman as a regular opponent of the 1984-85 Mets, teams filled with members of the last World Series winner in Queens.
Let's take a look at how he did:
Sunday, April 29, 1984: On a Sunday afternoon at Shea, Koosman faced Walt Terrell, and Terrell got the better of Koosman. A walk to Darryl Strawberry and a single by Mike Fitzgerald forced Koosman out in the sixth inning; reliever Kevin Gross then gave up an RBI single to Rusty Staub, putting the Mets ahead 4-2. A home run by Keith Hernandez, and an RBI single from Jesse Orosco- who pitched two innings, striking out five, to earn the save- provided the 6-2 victory.
Tuesday, June 19, 1984: Koosman easily bested Ed Lynch on a Tuesday night at Shea. He pitched seven strong innings, allowing just two runs, walked one and struck out four. Lynch, meanwhile, gave up home runs to Mike Schmidt and Ozzie Virgil. The Mets made it closer thanks to home runs from Ron Gardenhire and Hubie Brooks off of reliever Al Holland, but the Phillies prevailed, 6-4.
Wednesday, September 26, 1984: In the Mets' final home game of the season, Koosman got roughed up by a lineup that included John Stearns at first base, Billy Beane in right field, Kevin Mitchell at third base, and Sid Fernandez on the mound. Koosman gave up seven its, five walks and four earned runs over six innings, including a solo home run by shortstop Rafael Santana. Fernandez went five before leaving with a sore elbow-precautionary-and the Mets finished their home schedule with a 7-1 win.
Sunday, April 21, 1985: Koosman got knocked out early, leaving in the third inning after allowing a three-run homer to George Foster and a single to Ray Knight. But the Phillies rallied, scoring five off of starter Ron Darling, including home runs from Glenn Wilson and Juan Samuel, and another four off of reliever Doug Sisk. Bottom line: a 10-7 Phillies victory that drops the Mets' record on the season to 8-3, improve Philadelphia's to 3-8.
Thursday, June 13, 1985: Making his first start in a month due to a knee injury, Koosman started fast, with four scoreless innings. But the Mets reached him for a run in the fifth and another in the sixth- a one-out double by Keith Hernandezz chased Koosman from the game. The Mets eventually went ahead 4-2 on a two-run single from John Christiansen. Ed Lynch pitched into the eighth, keeping the Mets ahead 4-3, but reliever Jesse Orosco allowed a two-run homer to Glenn Wilson, giving the Phillies a 5-4 win. It could have been worse; two days earlier, the Mets lost to the Phillies, 26-7. The loss dropped the Mets into third place.
August 15, 1985: Nearly sixteen years after recording the final out of the 1969 World Series, Koosman pitched a final time at Shea Stadium. It didn't go nearly as well. Koosman allowed three home runs in the first inning-to Gary Carter, Ray Knight, and newly-acquired Tom Paciorek. He made it into the second inning, and even got Dwight Gooden on a flyout and Wally Backman on a pop up to first baseman Mike Schmidt. But a walk to Paciorek, a single by Strawberry and a single by Carter- also playing first base- ended Koosman's afternoon. Koosman's opponent on the mound, Gooden, allowed five runs in five innings, a rare poor start durng his 1.53 ERA season. Ultimately, the Mets went ahead in the eighth inning on a go-ahead double by Len Dykstra, and beat the Phillies, 10-7, when John Wockenfuss popped out to Wally Backman. Wockenfuss was pinch-hitting for Darren Daulton, a rookie catcher who would go on to become a star after those '80s Mets faded.


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In a year that started and ended with severe weather, Louisiana's 2012 top weather events included drought, Hurricane Isaac and severe storms that brought tornadoes to various parts of the state.
One weather event that affected a large part of the state was Hurricane Isaac, which slowly made its way through the state after making landfall Aug. 28 at the mouth of the Mississippi River.
It was part of a busy hurricane season that surpassed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center forecasts, which called for between 12 and 17 named storms. Instead, the 2012 hurricane season resulted in 19 named storms — of which 10 became hurricanes.
This was the third year in a row when the hurricane season, which is from July 1 to Nov. 30, produced 19 named storms.
This year, only four of those storms made landfall in the U.S. — Tropical Storm Beryl, Tropical Storm Debby, Hurricane Isaac and Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy. Both of the hurricanes that made landfall in the U.S. were classified as Category 1 storms, but both did extensive damage because of the storm-associated flooding.
Hurricane Isaac brought flooding to areas far above what used to be predicted in the Saffir-Simpson scale's Category 1 storms. Although storm surge heights are no longer tied to the Saffir-Simpson scale because it only measures wind speed, under the old scale a Category 1 storm was expected to produce a 4- to 5-foot surge. But the slow-moving Hurricane Isaac pushed 13 feet of water into some areas of the coast, Barry Keim, state climatologist, said after the hurricane season ended in November.
Another weather event, a drought in the Midwest, caused low water levels in the Mississippi River.
"That has been a threat for a significant part of 2012. This is not a fleeting thing," Keim said. "It's still a problem even to this day."
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor forecast through March, the drought is forecast to continue in most of the Great Plain states, Keim said.
"As a result, all those rivers that drain into the Mississippi River, there's not enough water in them," Keim said. "They're not expecting a large improvement."
The third major weather event was the drought that occurred in some parts of Louisiana during most of the year, Keim said.
"We're probably going to end up with near normal rainfall," Keim said. However, where and when that rain fell during the year meant that different areas of the state went through regional droughts all year, he said.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, as of Tuesday only about 1 percent of the state was considered in drought.
The next three weather events on Keim's list were short-lived storms that brought severe weather, tornadoes and damage to various parts of the state.
On March 21 and March 22, a slow moving cold front traveled across Louisiana, creating severe weather, flooding and 13 tornadoes during a two-day period. Heavy rainfall and flash flooding were also a problem across the state during that storm, including 15.9 inches of rain measured in Leesville, Keim said.
On Jan. 25, a winter coastal storm occurred when a warm front followed by a cold front produced nine tornadoes, primarily in the western coastal parishes.
Finally, the Christmas Day storm occurred when two cold fronts draped across the state producing severe weather, including tornadoes in Catahoula, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Rapides, St. Landry and Vernon parishes.
"It was a wild day," Keim said.


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A Plane TripLogic puzzles require you to think. You will have to be logical in your reasoning.
Two identical airplanes (Plane A and Plane B) make the round-trip flight from Miami to Las Vegas on different days. They both use the exact same route, have the same layover time in Las Vegas and flight conditions are the same, save one: Plane A experiences no winds on the flight, and Plane B experiences a constant wind that gives it a headwind (flying against the wind) going to Las Vegas, and a tailwind (flying with the wind) back to Miami. If both airplanes maintain the same airspeed (speed relative to the wind) the entire flight, which airplane will take longer to complete the round-trip? Why?
HintYou don't need math to solve it.
AnswerPlane B will take longer. The headwind decreases Plane B's speed over the ground the same amount as the tailwind increases it. However, the headwind is acting on the airplane for a longer period of time, consequently slowing the plane down longer than the period it was sped up for.
What Next?
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text:
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color size
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- Cavalry style bib shirt
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The bib shirt, also known as the Cavalry shirt was a popular shirt in the Old West because of the superior chest protection the bib provided from biting winds and dust storms. Scully is bringing the bib shirt to you in 100% durable and comfortable cotton, making it easy to care for. The stylish tapered bib gives the look for a broader chest and smaller in the waist.
Style(s): RW011BLK, RW011BLU, RW011RED
Material: Cotton
Product Weight: 1 lbs
Print Since 1906, Scully has been well known for its design and manufacture of quality western wear. In addition to leather jackets, handbags, business and travel accessories, Scully offers a vast selection of "Old West" as well as "Retro" apparel for both men and women. Scully is proud of its history of clothing and looks forward to developing quality western apparel for the next 100 years.


text:
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 3/9/2014 (1083 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Without conflict, there is no drama.
Without contrivance and manipulation, there is no "reality."
The former statement can be applied to life in general; the latter, however, applies directly to the TV-production community; more specifically, it refers to the way most producers of "unscripted" programming create shows that fall under the ever-more-inaccurate heading of "reality TV."
From Survivor and Big Brother to The Bachelor and The Apprentice, so-called reality-TV programs are structured and, more importantly, cast with the specific aim of creating friction and confrontation between individuals with dissimilar personalities and varying degrees of social dysfunction.
If you're a fan of Survivor, it's likely that the castaways you recall most clearly are the villains -- folks like original sole survivor Richard Hatch, self-proclaimed greatest-ever player Russell Hantz and ultimate family-crisis fibber Jonny Fairplay. Same with Big Brother, where anti-social houseguests such as Jun Song, Dick Donato and Ronnie Talbott tend to make the most lasting impression.
The Apprentice's Omarosa Manigault actually spun her boorish boardroom behaviour into a TV career. And no season of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette is complete without one scheming suitor -- who could forget Vienna Girardi or Wes Hayden? -- whom the others think is on the show "for the wrong reasons."
Casting for conflict is a staple of the reality-TV game, and it isn't all that hard to do -- by their nature, people who apply to be on these shows are attention seekers; within that pool of extroverts, it's easy to find a sub-group of fame-cravers whose desire to be the centre of attention pushes them over the thin line that separates enthusiasm from anti-social excess.
Which brings us to the latest entry in the "unscripted" genre, Utopia, which premières Sunday, Sept. 7, at 7 p.m. on Fox and Citytv. The series' logline refers to the show's participants as 15 pioneering Americans who "wave goodbye -- for an entire year -- to the lives they've known, move to a remote location and set out to create a society from scratch."
For TV viewers hereabouts, the description might conjure memories of Pioneer Quest: A Year in the Real West, the 2000 "living history" series that followed two couples -- Tim and Deanna Treadway and Frank and Alana Logie -- as they spent a full year trying to replicate the prairie-pioneer lifestyle on a homestead lot near Argyle.
As reality-TV projects go, the series was as purely unscripted as its producers could make it. The couples were chosen for their eagerness and aptitude; there was nothing remarkable or anti-social about any of them. And as a result, the conflict captured by Pioneer Quest's cameras tended to be between the sodbusters and the harsh environment rather than anything of an interpersonal nature.
Some, including this TV observer, would argue that Pioneer Quest was great TV precisely because of its lack of contrivance and forced friction. Others, however, would probably view the locally produced project's simplicity as quaint and, well, boring.
Utopia, an ambitious U.S. adaptation of a Dutch TV concept, will follow its 15 participants as they try to build a society from scratch in a rural California location. After its special Sunday première, the series will air Tuesdays and, on six occasions, Fridays. Fans will also be able to follow Utopia online 24/7 at www.UtopiaTV.com.
But if you want to know what Utopia's producers are really trying to create, look no further than the list of "pioneering Americans" selected to take part in the year-long experiment. Evangelizing pastor, meet naked-yoga-enthusiast survival prepper. Christian vegan chef, meet gun-loving libertarian hunter. Moonshine-brewing hillbilly handyman, meet cheese-making polyamourous relationship seeker. Control-freakish serial-dating lawyer, meet holistic-medicine-practising tantric-sex-enthusiast life coach.
If that isn't casting for conflict, I don't know what is.
"The whole point of this is it's not a game show," was how series producer Conrad Green assessed Utopia recently during Fox's portion of the U.S. networks' semi-annual press tour in Los Angeles. "It's not a competition. There's not a prize. It's not motivated like a lot of these types of shows.
"What we're hoping to see is something unique play out, which is people from very different backgrounds across America coming together, working out their differences, working out new ways of structuring a society. And we think the process of that happening will be fascinating, on both a personal level and sort of on a social level, too."
Perhaps that's what the show's makers truly believe. But by casting it as they have, they've followed a very familiar reality-TV blueprint, and created a version of Utopia in which Omarosa and Russell Hantz would feel much more at home than ol' Pioneer Tim.
email@example.com Twitter: @BradOswald


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Cook udon per package directions, rinse and drain. Heat the oils in a large skillet and add the cooked udon, shoyu and green onions. Stir fry over medium heat until hot, stirring frequently. Serve.
Per serving - 241 calories, 5 gram fat (20% calories from fat), 8 gram protein, 38 gram carbohydrate, 3 gram fiber, 0 milligram cholesterol, 329 milligram sodium


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1211: Birds and Dinosaurs
|Birds and Dinosaurs
Title text: Sure, T. rex is closer in height to Stegosaurus than a sparrow. But that doesn't tell you much; 'Dinosaur Comics' author Ryan North is closer in height to certain dinosaurs than to the average human.
[edit] Explanation
Birds are commonly considered to be a separate class of tetrapods. However, this classification is false according to phylogenetic taxonomy. Taking into account that birds developed around 150 million years ago out of small theropod dinosaurs, birds along with crocodiles are indeed the remaining representatives of the archosaur clade. This premise appeared also in comic 867: Herpetology.
This relation between birds and dinosaurs is depicted in the comic in a cladogram which shows that Tyrannosaurus rex is more closely related to the common sparrow than to Stegosaurus. Not only do the former share a phylogenetic branch, but T. rex also lived around 80 million years after Stegosaurus. The concurrence of both species in popular culture is a widespread error. T. rex is also much more alike to modern birds than to other dinosaurs in terms of physiognomy. This relationship was pointed out on the Science journal the week of the comic.
The comic draws the conclusion that if birds must in fact be considered modern dinosaurs, the hunting practice of birds of prey (specifically, the Peregrine Falcon) is consequently a dinosaur fight. For an inveterate dinosaur aficionado like Randall, this fact must make the modern world much more attractive.
The line "This is a good world." could also possibly refer to a famous scene from the pilot episode of the television series Firefly featuring two plastic dinosaurs in a somewhat philosophic dialogue. Randall is known to be a fan of the series.
The title text is a sidesweep to the webcomic Dinosaur Comics drawn by Ryan North, who stands 6'6.5" (199 cm) tall. At that page the title text of the comic strip from the same day refers to Randall and xkcd.
The conclusion of this comic is referenced in the title text of the last image in the Plastic Dinosaurs What if?
[edit] Transcript
- By any reasonable definition, T. rex is more closely related to sparrows than to Stegosaurus.
- [Diagram showing that Stegosaurus came earlier than T. rex, along with it showing that T. rex came closer in time to sparrows. Evaluation criteria "separation by time", "phylogenetic distance" and "physical similarity" are highlighted in red.]
- Birds aren't descended from dinosaurs, they are dinosaurs.
- Which means that the fastest animal alive today is a small carnivorous dinosaur, Falco peregrinus.
- [A picture of two birds is shown.]
- It preys mainly on other dinosaurs, which it strikes and kills in midair with its claws.
- [In red:] This is a good world.
add a comment! ⋅ add a topic (use sparingly)! ⋅ refresh comments!
I added the transcript, That was legit enough. 18.104.22.168 06:03, 13 May 2013 (UTC)
- So the next question is, how tall is Ryan North? This is such a shout out! : ) 18.104.22.168 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
A few minor edits, Made the text "Falco Peregrinus" italic for the lulz. 18.104.22.168 10:34, 13 May 2013 (UTC)
Transcript currently says "...showing that T.Rex came at the same time as sparrows", which isn't what is showed at all (or at least implied, and certainly isn't correct). But I'm not sure about alternate wording of this. Something to do with the common ancestor to both branching much more recently, perhaps, if that isn't already dealt with? 126.96.36.199 12:07, 13 May 2013 (UTC)
- Sorry about that, I added the transcript and I was an idiot at the time so I thought "Maybe they came at the same time?", So I just added that, Sorry about that. 126.96.36.199 22:55, 13 May 2013 (UTC)
- Quote
So I take it that the last line marks him as a Browncoat? --Thisfox 22.214.171.124 07:20, 13 May 2013 (UTC)
- Yes, I believe you will. 126.96.36.199 07:53, 13 May 2013 (UTC)
- Diagram
Some evolution diagrams are honest enough to use solid vertical lines for the bits that are actually known and dotted horizontal lines for the wishful thinking bits connecting the different families. 220.127.116.11 00:00, 16 May 2013 (UTC)


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In his Conservative party-sponsored newsletter to residents of Nailsworth and Horsley, titled intouch, it includes a front page article highly critical of the council's choice to invest in Dursley.
In it he writes: "In the last two years since Labour has been leading the administration of the district council they have made a number of big spending decisions.
"£1.4 million on an extension to Dursley pool. Over a third of a million to buy a housing association... in Dursley. Over a third of a million for new affordable housing on the Littlecombe development... in Dursley.
"And what have they put into Nailsworth and Horsley over this time? Well actually nothing at all.
"We're really happy for the residents of Dursley, and support the much-needed investment in their town. But, as Nailsworth residents pay the second highest council tax in the district, we would call for a little more fairness in council spending."
In response, leader of Stroud District Council and Dursley representative, Cllr Geoff Wheeler said he was surprised Cllr Carter had not mentioned the improvements to Nailsworth bus station in his letter.
"The investment in Dursley Pool will benefit the whole of the south of the district and further afield. It represents a major investment, which will help promote healthier lifestyles for thousands of residents," he said.
"With respect to money being spent on affordable homes at Littlecombe, this is just part of our programme to build 150 new ones across the district.
"The purchase of the Corriett sheltered housing scheme in Cam, not in Dursley, also represented an opportunity to provide affordable sheltered housing for those who needed it."
Speaking to the Gazette, Cllr Carter said he understood Dursley had suffered more than anywhere in terms of employment.
"But if I look at what the administration has been spending, how does that improve their recovery?" he said.
"I can't see myself how that helps Dursley people with the problems it has. I don't think they are spending the money wisely.
"Housing is important but it is just as much needed in Nailsworth."
In the run up to the General Election next year the Conservatives have produced numerous leaflets and newsletters sent to homeowners in the district highlighting the party's work as well as the efforts of Stroud MP Neil Carmichael.


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Femco's HL-35DMSY CNC lathe features a 23-station Durga turret, which is designed to reduce production time by providing enough live tools to complete complex parts without changing tools.
The machine features two spindles with a Y axis and 11 live tool stations. The dual spindle enables users to machine the inside and outside of a part to produce a complete part at one time. According to the company, this helps improve accuracy because the machinist is not moving the part to a different machine. The lathe has a 10" chuck, 2.93" bar capacity and 4,000-rpm spindle speed.
Typical applications include the medical, military aerospace and automotive aftermarket segments.


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iOS 7 was announced yesterday and Apple came out with a slew of new features and a complete redesign of iOS which many of us thought was well overdue. After the keynote, Apple released iOS 7 beta to registered iPhone developers. After hours of fighting with Apple servers, a handful of the ModMyi staff got our hands on iOS 7 and installed it.
Here are some of our thoughts and ideas on iOS 7!
So lets kick this off. What iDevice did you install the iOS 7 beta on?
Kyle - I installed it on my primary iPhone 5, the device I use every day.
Simon - I installed on my iPod touch 5G and iPhone 4S - both secondary devices, have to keep my jailbreak!
ToothFairy - iPhone 4S, which is my primary device at this time.
Cer0 - I have it on my iPhone 5, which is my primary device.
Cowboy - My iPhone 5 which is my primary device.
What are your initial thoughts of iOS 7? Does is feel like a new iDevice to you?
Kyle - Initial thoughts - hate the icons, love the UI. The premise of the whole flat-design concept is "let the content speak." The UI does a great job of removing clutter and putting all attention on your content. However - on the homepage, the icons ARE the content. I miss a little depth and polish. It doesn't feel like a new device - it feels like a minimal theme.
Simon - Very different. Love the new UI and transition animations. The home screen feels a little "bubbly" but that's nothing a jailbreak can't take care of
ToothFairy - No it doesn't feel like a new iDevice at all....
Cer0 - Little slow and laggy, should get better through the betas.
Cowboy - Initial thoughts: cool new features, but I hate most of the design. They change the look and feel an awful lot so it feels quite a bit different.
What do you think of Apple's new design? Did Apple help or hurt iOS?
Kyle - Like I said love the UI, but hate the icons. The color scheme seems straight out of an American Apparel catalog.
Simon - Definitely helped. It was time for a change and for the most part looks to be a good one.
ToothFairy - Its a little cheesy, I felt the other design was very tastefully done! That is what helped make the first iPhone - the beautiful design. However, all good things must come to an end and I am ready for a fresh new look. Change is good and I like to move with technology. After using it for a short time I like most of the things in the new design.
Cer0 - I feel the design is going to hurt Apple. Not a fan thus far.
Cowboy - Once again, I hate the design. I feel like my 4 year old can make these icons. People are calling it "modern" - I disagree. I don't know yet if its going to help or hurt Apple. Everyone I show it to so far loves it. I think the new features outweigh the design.
Apple added a lot of new features such as "Control Center", "Air Drop", and "Camera Filters". What is your favorite new feature or features added to iOS 7?
Kyle - I love SBSetttings, sorry, Auxo, sorry, Control Center. Of course, I've loved it for years.
Simon - Control Center by far. Been waiting a long time for apple to implement this.
ToothFairy - Control Center is great. Love all of the options within it. One flick of my finger and there it is! Very convient!
Cer0 - Loving the Control Center and the new typography.
Cowboy - Big fan of the new Multitasking and Control Center. Also liking the built in camera filters.
Did you feel that the new features help boost iOS 5 years ahead of any other mobile operating system again?
Kyle - No. 5 years? That's a lot. Jailbreakers have had the majority of this (even flat design themes!) for years.
Simon - No. If anything some of the features are just catching up to others. They all do pretty much the same stuff do it always just comes down to personal preference.
ToothFairy - No - however, I have never used any other mobile operating system. Let's compare to some of the other OS features already existing:
1. Swipe from left for various items? Blackberry 10 has that.
2. The notifications center has been around for quite some time on Android, jailbroken iPhones, and now Blackberry with the hub.
3. Blackberry has been developing car integrations for years already.
4. Multitasking tabs already exist on Android and Blackberry.
Cer0 - Not sure if it boosts it ahead any. They had a lot of catching up to do.
Cowboy - 5 years not so much, there is still a lot of stuff missing that could be added and still could be added with new hardware like NFC. I think iOS 7 gets them back in the game though.
Siri got a pretty big update, how do you feel about the new Siri or better yet male Siri?
Kyle - I never use Siri practically, so I couldn't really speak to it. (What is he saying is Siri doesnt seem to understand pimp!)
Simon - New features look pretty good. I don't use Siri much but may start with these added controls. Think ill stick with the female voice too lol.
ToothFairy - I pretty much feel its about the same. However I think the male voice will be a nice option for us ladies!
Cer0 - I don't use Siri so I don't care...
Cowboy - Not a huge Siri user, but I am happy now I have the ability to launch more apps.
What are you missing from the older iOS versions that Apple took away or implemented differently in this new version?
Kyle - The icons. An easier way to view calendar events at a higher level (month, click a date to quick view it while still on month view, or the list view). Removing the top bar in Safari.
Simon - Directly from Apple, nothing. Not missing anything. Not having the jailbreak sucks, which is why my i5 is staying on 6.1.2.
ToothFairy - 1) Swipe to right. 2) The design in iMessages, phone, clock settings, notes. 3) The little lightening bolt through the battery when charging. 4) When deleting a picture you tapped the trash can and it would delete.
Cer0 - Not missing much yet. Maybe with more time I will find something.
Cowboy - Missing the icons, missing the old messaging app, and also swiping right to delete.
How do you feel about the learning curve?
Kyle - I think the flat design makes a lot of sense, but older generations may be confused a bit without the real-world similarities the previous designs had.
Simon - iOS has always been pretty easy to pick up and go. I don't see it being any different with this facelift.
ToothFairy - I can't pick on IOS 7 because I think that many younger users or older users have to learn and understand what they are doing on it and what it does.... I feel the more experienced people aren't going to need help but yes the less experienced people will still need help.
Cer0 - Probably about the same as older iOS versions.
Cowboy - I think that less tech savvy people are going to have a bit of struggle. With out the real world texture it will be hard to identify apps. Everything is more uniform, which is somewhat nice - but on the other hand apps and UI buttons don't pop out like they used to. It makes it hard to figure out what some things are.
What are the Pros and Cons of iOS 7?
Kyle - Pros: Really shines in typography. The way of sorting photographs via "moments" is brilliant.
Cons: Gestures could be tough - the side scroll is used in a lot of apps, not allowing that may get odd for people who've built that into their apps as integral parts. Those icons are horrible.
Simon - Pros: looks beautiful and has some really useful additions.
Cons: no jailbreak (yet), icons a little bubbly.
ToothFairy - Pros: I like being able to get at the control center from the lock screen
I love the real clock
Photos is great it now has everything one needs so now I can get rid of a few apps!
I like seeing how far the battery is charged in the slide to unlock screen
I like being able to see my wallpaper in the slide to unlock screen. Hated those dark areas on the top and bottom.
Love the dynamtic wallpapers
Thought I would hate the icons however its a real clean crisp look
iRadio sorry Pandora
Like that you can turn automatic updates off
The unlimited tabs in Safari
3D that tracks your phone movements
Folders swipe to left for more storage
Cons: I hate automatic update I now have a lot of icons waiting and lines in my folders
I hate when your calling waiting for a answer the colors they used
I hate when pictures ask you if you want to delete one
No contrast within some of the apps
Using a lighter wallpaper on the home screen
Frustrated with the colors used in the phone app... black & red? White and blue or red writing would have been my choice
iPhone 4s can not use filters within the camera app
iPhone 4s can not use Airdrop
Switcher or multitask which you could have the option to swish all instead of one at a time
That they didn't go back to double tap when zooming in when taking pictures
Cer0 - Pros: Shared photo stream with groups that allow everyone is the group to post!
Fluid wallpapers
Cons: Photo app seems cluttered
Not liking the new multitasking
Cowboy - Pro: New Features
Cons: Design design design!
Was it worth losing your jailbreak? Are you still hoping for a quick jailbreak iOS 7 jailbreak when it drops publicly in the fall?
Kyle - Definitely would love to jailbreak this. Themes are going to be huge for iOS 7 - especially icons. Or bringing back a non-flat design. There's also a ton of mods which would be nice - smaller icons with Shrink, MyWi, different ways of allowing the folders to have more icons through Infinifolders, adjusting toggles in Control Center, etc. There are a ton of tweaks which constantly allow customizers to fine tune and hone their device to their personal preferences. That's what the whole idea of jailbreak is - take something you love, tweak it until it's your own.
Simon - Not worth losing my jailbreak. Keeping my iPhone 5 jailbroken for as long as possible.
ToothFairy - My phone was not jailbroken however I read many comments that some say it will be worth it and some still want to hold onto their jailbroken phone.
Cer0 - Eh, I like have the latest and greatest but I really miss Auxo and Clean Status.
Cowboy - I miss my themes but I love it and think it was worth the jump to iOS 7. When it publicly releases I am sure the Devs will get a jailbreak to us ASAP. iOS 7 is great but with a jailbreak it can only get better. I mean without jailbreaking who is Apple going to steal from. Google?
To wrap it up, I (Cowboy) would like to thank the staff that helped me put this article together and I hope you guys share your thoughts!


text:
Run for a Cause 2
Alyx Ulbrich
Saturday, March 2, 2013 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM (PST)
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text:
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 9/5/2013 (1567 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A suspect wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for a Feb. 15 murder in Winnipeg has been arrested.
Winnipeg police said they arrested Morgan Van Bone, 19, without incident in the 1800 block of Elgin Avenue West Wednesday at about 6:30 p.m.
Bone is suspected in the shooting death of a known gang member in Johnny G's Restaurant and Bar on Main Street this winter. William Edward Moar, 24, was shot in the head.
Moar was known to police and known to have gang ties. In 2009, Moar and another man were charged with numerous weapons offences.
Police also found two leather vests with gang insignias and other assorted clothing with gang insignias.
Later the same year, Moar was charged with aggravated assault along with four other men for a vicious attack on a 19-year-old man. The victim sustained serious injuries to the upper body and still required medical care three months later.
Bone is being held at the Provincial Remand Centre.


text:
School systems are faced with both a challenge and an extraordinary opportunity. The chance to rethink and reinvent education to support our most valuable asset: youth.
Why do some countries succeed?
How can we learn from their experience?
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Introduce your stakeholders to the ten components of successful transformation with the Microsoft Education Transformation Framework poster. Then use it to identify your readiness stage - developing leadership and policy, or implementing 21st century pedagogy - and select objectives that fall within your vision.Download poster
To scaffold the transformation model, Microsoft has worked with leading academics to develop a suite of executive overviews and whitepapers under two broad areas: Leadership and policy and 21st century pedagogy These provide evidence and examples of successful transformation and show how technology can enable progress. Use them to define your scope and open discussion with stakeholders.Learn more


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Dear Rodney Dangerfield,
Your Chick-fil-A Bowl tickets will be at the Georgia Dome Will Call on New Year's Eve.
Tell 'em Mike sent you.
Another bowl season is upon us, and once again the LSU Tigers are teeing it up in the No Respect Bowl.
Last year, the winter venue of the Tigers' discontent was a BCS national championship game in New Orleans against Team Do Over, the Alabama team LSU beat in Tuscaloosa in November.
This year it's the Chick-fil-A in Atlanta against Clemson.
This is not to disrespect the Chick-fil-A Bowl itself. It's a fine bowl run by fine people, played in an NFL stadium in a great city, though as with any big city, people's impressions of Atlanta vary widely. And the Dec. 31 matchup between LSU and Clemson (No. 8 and No. 14 in the final BCS standings) is one of the best of the entire bowl season.
It's certainly better than the Orange Bowl between Florida State and Northern Illinois, and light years more compelling than Stanford and five-loss Wisconsin in the Rose.
Those bowls are Exhibit A and B for an archaic and needlessly accommodating bowl system that seeks to mollify champions of underweight conferences at the expense of power conferences that are legislated out of deserved seats at the BCS table.
The domino theory began with Northern Illinois' robust 15th-place finish in the final BCS standings. That got the Huskies into the Orange Bowl, knocked Oklahoma from the Sugar Bowl to the Cotton and knocked LSU out of the Cotton in favor of Texas A&M.
The Cotton wasn't going to pair A&M with Texas, which was set for the Cotton before Oklahoma got knocked down by NIU. That game had major fan and TV appeal but was politically radioactive.
But Sooners-Aggies? No political baggage there.
The Cotton wanted LSU, but not as much as it wanted Texas A&M. Take a step back, Tigers, but we'll be glad to say "Howdy!" in August when you come to play TCU in the Cowboys Classic.
The Outback Bowl, we're told, wanted LSU. And it had Michigan on the other side, with the potential for a first-ever meeting between the Tigers and Wolverines. The Capital One may have even wanted the Tigers, but the SEC wanted to protect SEC Championship Game loser Georgia.
So instead of Georgia making a second straight trip to the Outback Bowl or falling to the Chick-fil-A Bowl, the Cap One protected Georgia, which came up 5 yards short of the BCS title game Saturday against Alabama.
But who protects LSU? The Tigers were the SEC's fourth-highest-ranked team according to the final BCS standings, behind Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Alabama is in the BCS title game. Florida is in the Sugar Bowl. Georgia is in the Cap One. All fair enough.
But LSU deserved the SEC's fourth-best pick. That's the Cotton or the Outback. They're on the same line of the SEC bowl hierarchy. But instead, the teams in those bowls, Texas A&M and South Carolina, are the teams that LSU beat. They are teams that LSU is still ranked ahead of (A&M is No. 9, South Carolina No. 10).
In a way, LSU can blame itself. Not because it didn't lobby hard to get into the Cotton or Outback (it really did), but because the Tigers have no flashy marquee player like Johnny Football, having been forced to punt the Honey Badger in August. They have no flashy end-of-season wins, having closed after the Alabama loss by beating Mississippi State by 20 (it could have been much closer), Ole Miss by six and Arkansas by seven.
Still, LSU deserved better. As long as the SEC is pulling strings and calling in markers, the Tigers deserved to have the SEC say, "Hey, Aggies, you're the new kids here. You're going to the Chick-fil-A. LSU has been at the adults' table for 80 years. We're going to take care of them first."
Instead, LSU was the only one of the six top-10 BCS schools from the SEC that didn't get any of what it wanted.
Really, is this unexpected? This is the same SEC that when knocking together its slip-shod 2013 football schedule stuck LSU with a road trip to Georgia on top of its permanent SEC East game against Florida. Meanwhile, Alabama kept its permanent SEC East game with Tennessee and added a road trip to Kentucky.
UK's football program is in such bad shape the SEC should have sent the Red Cross instead. Tennessee isn't much better. They went a combined 1-15 in SEC play this year. Georgia and Florida were 14-2. Anyone care to guess who will be favored to win the SEC West?
While you chew on that, LSU will prepare for a bowl trip unlikely to generate a buzz among the Tigers' typically passionate fans.
It's not the Chick-fil-A Bowl itself that's a turnoff.
It's the lack of respect for LSU from the SEC and the bowl process.
No respect at all.


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Within our forums and in emails, we've seen numerous requests that we create Fallout 3 items to Xbox LIVE's Avatar Marketplace. On Thursday, November 26th, we'll be releasing the items shown above:
- Vault 101 Suit (male, female)– 240 MS Points
- Bethesda Game Studios Shirt (male, female)– 80 MS Points
- Fallout 3 Ringer Shirt (male, female)– 80 MS Points
- Vault Boy Shirt (male, female)) — 80 MS Points
- Vault Boy Suit (male only) — 240 MS Points*
- Vault Boy Head (male and female)– 160 MS Points
As noted above, all items can be purchased for male and female avatars, with the exception of the Vault Boy Suite (male only). Click the links to purchase them via Xbox.com.
*Updated: As it turns out, we goofed on the price of the Vault Boy Head. This avatar item runs for 160 MS points (we previously posted that it would go for 80 MS Points). Sorry for the confusion.


text: Vendeur: gre0044 (5.330) 100%, Lieu où se trouve: STOKE ON TRENT, Staffordshire, Lieu de livraison: GB et de nombreux autres pays, Numéro de l'objet: 112212617573 1- Piece of Real Atlantic Dried Sea Coral Actual Piece in photo for sale Size: Length – 34 cm Height – 33 cm A Real Atlantic Dried Sea Coral Tree – This new product is suitable for any Tropical, Marine, or Coldwater Aquarium. It will not affect the Ph balance or introduce any chemicals into its environment. This will look stunning in all Aquariums and provide a 100% natural habitat for any fish. This looks like a tree but the water will not change the condition of the material. It is flexible and will not soften, expand or rot! This product will not float! The only recommendation is to soak it for three hours in cold water prior to introducing it to your aquarium. Can be placed in a lot different positions to create the perfect landscape in your fish tank. Satisfaction Guaranteed!!! Your fish will love it!!! Trusted seller ,buy with confidence!!! I have added some pictures from my customers to show you how good the Dried Sea Coral Tree can look in aquarium IF YOU'RE HAPPY PLEASE GIVE ME 5 STARS IF YOU'RE NOT HAPPY PLEASE CONTACT ME BEFORE GIVING NEUTRUAL OR NEGATIVE FEED BACK !!! We offer postal discounts for multiple item purchases. Please contact us for a quote. "eBay images of my listings are intellectual property of my and illegal usage of my images with out my permission could not be acceptable." I will be happy to answer on your questions!!! We also sell wholesale to warehouses and other retailers Please have a look at the other items I have for sale ! Thank you Payment is accepted by Pay Pal All the products we sell are in stock and available for immediate shipment direct to you. All parcels will be sent out ASAP as payments are received. As a seller Positive Feedback is very important to us, as well as our customers. We want all our customers to be happy with there orders, If we have made an error please let us know so we can rectify it for you, please do speak with us before you Leave us Negative feedback we will do everything we can to put it right. We operate a money back guarantee. If you are unhappy with the product for whatever reason, item may be returned with 14 days of receipt. If your item arrives damaged please inform us within 24 hours of delivery, we will replace the item or refund. Type: Ornament, Brand: Unbranded, Main Colour: Red, Item Type: Real Atlantic Dried Sea Coral


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If you require further information on any of the issues we raise you may find the following links useful:
The British Insurance Brokers' Association has a list of firms which provide travel insurance for people with permanent or recurring illness.
What are these?
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NORTH COAST - Six men were rescued from a sinking boat off Greyhound Rock on Sunday morning after heading out from the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor to fish, Harbor Patrol officials said.
The men were in an 18-foot power boat that belonged to one of their sons when one called 911 about 8:30 a.m. to report their boat was sinking, Deputy Harbormaster Sean Rothwell said.
Coast Guard officials advised it would be about an hour until they could make it up from Monterey, so Harbor Patrol deputies from the Santa Cruz harbor took off in their 28-foot patrol boat, reaching the group in about 40 minutes, Rothwell said.
Dispatchers had gotten an approximate location from the phone and a Coast Guard helicopter that was in the area helped them find the boat by hovering above it, he said. It was about two miles off the coast from Greyhound Rock, he said.
The men were OK, though a couple were cold and nauseous, he said.
Rothwell said it is unclear what got them in trouble, in part because there was a language barrier.
"But they were way too far away for a little boat like that," he said. "And the conditions were rough out there. I'm guessing they took a wave, it was sloppy and it probably swamped them."
Coming back was "brutal," he added.
State Parks officials assisted as well, in a personal water craft, he said, and Vessel Assist towed the boat back.
He said he was not sure where the men were from.
Follow Sentinel reporter Cathy Kelly on Twitter at Twitter.com/cathykelly9.


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ORLANDO, Fla. – The Saint Leo baseball team's bats appeared out-of-sync in the late innings on Friday night as the Lions missed an opportunity at their ninth win of the season when they fell to host Florida Christian College 8-5 at historic Tinker Field.
Things looked solid for the Lions in the first when they quickly jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Cracks started showing in the bottom of the second when FCC batters got to starting pitcher Aaron Brandt for three runs before the Lions were able to register the inning's first out. Saint Leo (8-4) would respond with what was ultimately their final run of the game in the third on a Zach Miller blast to left field to make the margin 5-3, but the host Suns would tie things in the bottom of the frame with two more runs.
With both teams reaching into their bullpens, it would be Florida Christian that would get to the Saint Leo pitching staff with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, both coming with two outs in each respective frame.
On the other side of the ball, it was missed opportunities for the Lions as base running mistakes and quirky plays kept them off the scoreboard for the remainder.
In the Lions' half of the sixth, Saint Leo had two runners on with no outs, but a sacrifice bunt attempt by sophomore Chris Newcomb saw Suns pitcher Kyle Harding bare-hand the ball and toss an off-balance throw to third to get the leading runner just in the nick of time on a play that looked like it would go Saint Leo's way.
The next play, with runners on first and second, saw a hot-shot grounder that was hit to third base flipped over to second for out number two, but the second baseman for the Suns would drop the glove-to-hand transfer in an attempt to turn the double play. The drop sparked the Lions' Ryan Brnovich, who had reached third on the play, to try and swipe home; but the ball beat him to the plate and ended the Lions inning.
It ended up being that kind of game for the Lions, playing at a legendary facility that was long passed its prime on a night that would belong to the hosts as Saint Leo left nine runners on base. The loss also snapped a four-game win-streak for the Lions.
Down by three after a Suns solo homer in the bottom of the eighth, the Lions put runners on the corners with two outs in their last at-bat. Any sort of rally would be squashed by the relief pitcher that was responsible for the eighth-inning homer as Andres Cancio got pinch hitter Brendan Collins to pop out to first to end the game.
The loss soured an impressive night at the plate by Miller as he went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a home run. Left fielder Michael Revell also had a solid night at bat, going 3-for-3 with an RBI, collecting the only triple of the night.
Brandt would not factor in the decision for the Lions as he tossed three innings and surrendered five runs. The loss would go to reliever Shaun Gough (1-1) who was the pitcher of record when FCC took their final lead. Gough surrendered just two runs on six hits in three-plus innings of work.
The win went to Florida Christian reliever Kyle Harding (1-0), who's nearly two innings of work shut the Lions' bats down. Two infielders would take to the hill after Harding and only surrender two hits in the final three innings, with Cancio picking up the save.
The Lions will have the weekend to recover before welcoming Clearwater Christian back to Southard Stadium on Tuesday evening in February's final game. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. For the latest news, information, and updates on Lions' Baseball, visit SaintLeoLions.com.


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