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Review: Great performance spells $$$ for Nvidia
Today we'll show you Nvidia's GTX 295, the company's "new" single-PCB card which Gainward included in their offer. The card's full name is Gainward GTX 295 1792MB Dual DVI and its name makes it a bit hard to differentiate between this card and the dual-PCB GTX 295.
As you may already know, the original GTX 295 came out as a dual-PCB card, where each PCB housed one GT200b graphics core together with the accompanying components. Communicating via the internal SLI connection, the two GPUs render a picture as two standard Geforce cards would've done following predefined modes from within the driver. A good thing about internal SLI however, is that the end user sees the dual-PCB GTX 295 as one piece of hardware, rather than two chained in SLI.
Despite being fast and strong, Nvidia was looking for a way to replace this expensive and unprofitable product with a new, single-PCB based one, which would bring more cash as the production costs drop significantly.
The new GTX 295 single-PCB graphics card has the same specs as the dual-PCB GTX 295 when it comes to GPU power and speed. So we, the end users, shouldn't notice any performance difference between the single and dual-PCB versions of the GTX 295.
As far as speed goes, the GTX 295's chips are somewhere between the GTX 285's and the GTX 260's, where the Geforce GTX 295 comes with the GTX 260's frequencies and memory quantity, and the shader processors from the GTX 285.
The GPU is built in 55nm, whereas the clocks (both chips have the same specs) are: 576MHz for the core, 1242MHz for the shaders and 1998MHz for the memory. The card comes with 1792MB of memory, so each chip addresses 896MB of memory. It's easy to see that the card has a 448-bit memory interface and that one ROP partition has been disabled. Each of the 7 ROP partition is connected to the 64-bit memory controller, totaling to a 448-bit interface. Each framebuffer partition is connected to 128MB of memory, resulting in 896MB of memory per GPU.
The full GT200 chip (found on GTX 280/285) supports the 512bit interface for GDDR3 and come with 8 ROPs and 8 frame buffer partitions. One ROP partition contains 4 ROP units, resulting in total of 28 ROPs. In order to maximize the card's power, Nvidia used all available shaders on the GTX 295, all 240 of them. Since the GTX 295 is a dual-GPU card, we can multiply all the numbers by two and say that the GTX 295 has 480 shader processors, 56 ROPs and 160 texture filtering units. The card's bandwidth is 223.8GB/s.
Gainward didn't alter the reference frequencies much, and you can see a slight difference in memory clocks, as it runs at 1008MHz (2016 effectively).
The following photo shows Gainward's GTX 295 (single PCB) card.
Here's how it looks under the hood.
Separate aluminum blocks with a large copper based and heatpipe technology were used to keep core temperatures in check, and it's quite effective. The fan-driven air courses through aluminum fins and cools the GPUs on both sides by a couple of degrees Celsius lower than on the dual PCB card.
Just like its dual PCB version, our today's GTX 295 requires an 8 pin and a 6 pin connector, and the card will draw up to 289W in toughest scenarios. It's important to use a quality PSU with recommended 20A per rail, whereas the high-end systems should run on at least 650~700W PSUs. If by any chance the card is not enough of a performer by anyone's standards, the ever power-hungry can always opt on Quad SLI. Note that an addition of another GTX 295, whether it's single or dual PCB version, will require up to 289W more.
The I/O panel features two dual-link DVIs with HDCP support, whereas the HDMI can be done via the DVI-to-HDMI adapter which Gainward included in their package.
The package contents:
- Graphics card
- Documentation + Driver CD with ExpertTool
- DVI Adapter + HDMI Adapter
- PCI-Express power cable
- SPDIF audio cable


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Darien Babe Ruth rides late rally to 7-2 win
Recommended Video:
The season may have been winding down and the district portion of its schedule completed. But the Darien 15U Babe Ruth baseball team still came with its best stuff Tuesday, leading to a 7-2 victory over the BVSA Fury, a 15U travel team from the Bobby Valentine Sports Academy. New Canaan native and Fury center fielder Justin Stemmerman recorded both of his team's RBIs from the No. 8 spot in the order.
His counterpart, Darien center fielder Mark Schmidt, tallied a game-high three hits and scored twice, including once during a four-run bottom of the sixth. Three late Fury errors allowed the Blue Hawks to sizably extend their 3-2 lead and provide greater cushion for reliever Matt Andruiness, who earned a two-inning save.
"Overall, (it was) just a good game," Blue Hawks coach John Miceli said. "We got down early, we fought back and tied it up. And as I've said to these guys all year, if we pitch and play defense, we'll be in games, and then it's just continuing to fight offensively ... they made some errors and we took advantage."
Following a Chris Vernal strikeout that opened the sixth, Darien catcher Cord Fox reached and advanced to second base on an overthrow from Fury third baseman Joe Prisco. Fox then came around to score on a Schmidt single, as he was allotted extra time by a momentary bobble in left field. Another error put shortstop Chris Davey aboard, when Darien sandwiched a base hit and a walk around a run-scoring groundout.
Second baseman Henry Adiletta, who later made a spectacular sliding grab in the seventh, next brought home the final run of the game with a two-out RBI single.
"It was a close game. Both sides played really well, and both sides hit the ball really well," said Fury coach Mike Parisi, who also assists with the New Canaan High School varsity team. "In one inning the floodgates opened a little bit, and at this age, the game goes really fast sometimes."
Andruiness returned to the rubber in the top of the seventh and promptly sat down three of four Fury hitters to polish off a near-perfect relief effort. One frame earlier, he took the mound and escaped a two-on, nobody-out jam by retiring three straight hitters. During the bottom of the fifth, he knocked in Harrison Kadish via a two-out infield single for the Blue Hawks' first lead of the game. Andruiness' clutch hit broke a 2-2 tie set up by early Fury offense.
Prisco and New Canaan's Pat Diamond jump started the game by taking advantage of some initial rust from Darien starter Arthur Xanthos, stroking base hits to the outfield with one out. After Prisco reached, Diamond headed for home in the next at-bat following a hard grounder to third. There, he was cut down on a perfect throw from Vernal. However, two runners remained and quickly moved into scoring position on an ensuing hit by pitch.
Stemmerman subsequently worked a bases-loaded walk for his first RBI of the day and a 1-0 lead. Two innings later, he scored Prisco on a fielder's choice hit towards second. Backed by a 2-0 edge in the bottom of the fourth, the Fury changed pitchers from starter Chris Bell to Jason Trumpbour. Trumpbour recorded two outs and then surrendered a pair of runs born from four consecutive singles,
Despite the fact the Blue Hawks hadn't taken the field in nearly a week, Miceli shared that Tuesday showcased arguably his team's best contest of the summer.
"Definitely," the Darien coach said. "Between this game and our Greenwich game in district, it was definitely one of the top two games."
Parisi, who has also been coaching a young team through a packed summer schedule, shared that his aim is for this season to be only a piece of a longer development process for Fury players.
"The season's been good. It's been a learning experience. We haven't won a ton of ballgames, but all the kids are learning, and we're going to keep on," he said. "Hopefully next year they continue to learn. It's a long season."
Fury 101 000 0--2 6 4
Darien 000 214 X--7 12 0
Batteries: F--Chris Bell, Jason Trumpbour (L) and Blake Warmund; D--Arthur Xanthos (W), Matt Andriuness and Cord Fox. Highlights: F--Centerfielder Justin Stemmerman knocked in both Fury runs. Chris Bell notched four strikeouts over three shutout innings. D--Mark Schmidt recorded a game-high three singles and scored twice. Eight different Blue Hawks recorded a hit.

subset: commoncrawl


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Fly fishing is usually associated with quests for trout. Five Arkansas angling enthusiasts hope to alter this with a television series about going for several other species along with trout.
A contract for a 13-episode series on the Pursuit channel has been signed by Tim Bull and Heath Graham of Russellville, Paul Hoelscher and Jordan Case of Conway and Chris Morris of Little Rock.
Filming is under way, and the series is scheduled to air in January. The title of the program is Chasing Waters.
The series came about in a reversal from customary television procedure. Instead of the five Arkansans selling their idea to a channel, the channel came calling on them after some video caught wide attention on social media.
Fly fishing has long been regarded as an elitist way of angling, both by observers and by many of its practitioners. Hoelscher said that Chasing Waters will try to change that.
"We want to focus on fly fishing on a budget, something anyone can do," he said.
All of the 13 episodes will be filmed in Arkansas, and all 13 will be on different waters, according to Bull, who operates a fly fishing business, Toad Fly, in Conway. There will be trout fishing, yes, but so will there be striped bass fishing, largemouth bass fishing, bream fishing, white bass fishing and others.
"Fly fishing is like golf. You never master it," Hoelscher said.
Some of the Arkansas waters the five fly fishermen are considering for their television series include the familiar trout streams White River, North Fork River and Little Red River, the western Arkansas warmwater stream Fourche LaFave, some backwaters of the Arkansas River and others.
There is a chance that a show may be on using fly fishing techniques to go after really big largemouth bass on some areas of the lower Arkansas River.
"Diversity" was a term used by Hoelscher and by Bull.
A few days ago, some of the group had a fly fishing outing on Gold Creek upstream from Lake Conway. They caught 70 white bass in three hours using Clouser Minnow flies for the most part, Bull said.
The television show will include how-to material — instructions and demonstrations to help beginners learn more about fly fishing.
Some of the five fly fishermen are licensed guides, and a route for improving fishing skills is to invest in a day with a guide, many anglers suggest.
At present in Conway, the fly fishermen offer small-group classes in fly tying on Thursdays and in fly casting on Saturdays.
Bull said the television episodes will touch on the artistic aspects of fly fishing. An example is the logo already selected for the show, a black and white scene of a boat with two anglers and a fly line whipping through the air and dripping droplets of water.
This is a traditional and popular view of fly fishing, the line working back and forth then dropping to a precise point where a fish is hopefully waiting.
Another technique of fly fishing is roll casting and it is often used by beginners as well as experienced anglers. Roll casting is worked the fly rod to "roll" a fly low in the air and across the surface of the water to the desired spot.
Many fly fishing enthusiasts like to construct their own flies.
Bits and pieces of feathers and animal hair are fastened by colored threads to small hookers. "I tie my own" is a proud comment.
Joe Mosby is the retired news editor of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Arkansas' best known outdoor writer. His work is distributed by the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock. He can be reached by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Reward for missing Colo. boy grows to $20,000
The reward for help finding a missing Colorado boy has grown to $20,000.
Thirteen-year-old Dylan Redwine has been missing since Nov. 19 after arriving at his father's home in southwestern Colorado for a court-ordered visit during Thanksgiving break.
The money could be awarded to a person offering a lead resulting in an arrest or someone who provides information about Dylan's whereabouts.
Dylan was living with his mother, Elaine Redwine, and his 21-year-old brother Cody in Colorado Springs when he traveled to Vallecito to visit his father on Nov. 18.
His father, Mark Redwine, said he last saw Dylan asleep when he left home early to do some errands the next day. He reported Dylan missing that afternoon when he couldn't find him.
Information from: Durango Herald


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Ease & Efficiency
The world today is a bustling, busy and sometimes hectic place. Whether it's a working parent seeking a safe childcare option, a busy executive struggling to meet high professional and personal demands, or an oil rig worker needing to reach out to a family member– the moment arrives when everyone needs a little help in carrying out their daily tasks.
Further Researches
Studies show that 63 percent of parents are more productive at work while using quality childcare. Sodexo's passionate childcare teams meet this need by ensuring the best in child development and well-being while also accommodating the schedules of working parents. In addition, our concierge services handle a variety of requests from dry cleaning to booking a company dinner or planning a family vacation. These services save office and hospital employees an average of 2.5 hours for every handled task while helping them remain productive on the job.
Learn more on the Quality of Life Observer.


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Peter Drucker, the management visionary and guru, was fond of saying, "Because its purpose is to create a customer, the business has two—and only two—functions: Marketing and Innovation. Marketing and innovation create value; all the rest are costs."
Philip Kotler, S.C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, known to many as the Father of Marketing, has defined his life-long discipline as, "Generating the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication and business development. Marketing is an integrated process through which companies build strong customer relationships, and create value for their customers and for themselves."
So why does marketing so often appear as an afterthought in the world of federal contractors?
So many contractors—of all sizes and segments—bake marketing into their business development or sales functions or into their government relations or communications functions.
Join Kevin Young of Lohfeld Consulting for a webinar on the Top Ten 'Go-to-Market' Mistakes Made by Federal Contractors on Feb. 26. Register here.
There appears to be very little or consistent go-to-market strategy among contractors as well as limited go-to-market execution, management, or measurement.
There is a constant fight for funding of marketing staff and programs as well as infrastructure to support go-to-market initiatives.
Many contractors take a Sales-First (Inside-Out) approach to their federal government market—the largest buying consortium in the entire world—and treat their marketing organization simply as a cost of doing business.
"Outside-In," not "Inside-Out"
Drucker and Kotler would each vehemently disagree and argue that, not only is marketing clearly a value; but, in targeting the behemoth that is the U.S. federal government, critical success factors must include strong and sustained marketing strategy, planning, and execution. Contractors must take a customer-first (Outside-In) approach.
How many senior and executive managers at federal contractors can quickly and candidly answer these basic, yet critical, go-to-market questions:
10 key components of a successful GTM strategy…many times ignored
It's no secret that the most successful companies in their respective industries—business-to- consumer, business-to-business, and business-to-government—are also leaders in marketing strategy, planning, and execution and in marketing practices, processes, and methodologies.
Successful marketing fuels successful business, and a successful go-to-market strategy should include the basic blocking and tackling elements of:
1. Current-state business mission and objectives
2. Situational analysis (strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats)
3. Target market (industry/segment) knowledge and dynamics
4. Competitive environment
5. Solution offering (products/services) and gaps
6. Positioning, pricing, and branding
7. Go-to-market launch marketing plan
8. Go-to-market launch budget
9. Go-to-market launch goals and metrics
10. Go-to-market launch implementation, execution, management, and measurement.
A discipline supported and endorsed by business' top thought leaders
As Drucker stated, a "Business has only two functions: Marketing and Innovation."
A few other successful business and thought leaders would trumpet the importance of marketing.
"Begin with the end in mind," wrote Stephen R. Covey (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People), which speaks to strategy and planning.
"Never invest in a business you cannot understand," said investor, businessman, and philanthropist Warren E. Buffett, which speaks to knowing what you do not know (re: market and competitive knowledge).
"Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing," wrote tycoon, investor, and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, which speaks to image and promotion, two key facets of marketing.
Standing still means you're losing ground
So, where is your company today, this very minute, in terms of marketing strategy, planning, and execution?
Is your company, for the most part, just standing still? Perhaps running in place? Treading water?
If so, be confident in the fact that doing nothing—or doing little—means you're going to be losing ground:
About the Author
Kevin P. Young is a principal consultant and practice leader for Lohfeld Consulting Group. He also is an adjunct professor for George Mason University's School of Management and Volgenau School of Engineering. He can be contacted at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Really Marketing and Innovation are the most important tools that are required for a company. Marketing and innovation create value; all the rest are costs.So many contractors—of all sizes and segments—bake marketing into their business development or sales functions or into their government relations or communications functions.
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There is something existentially dreadful about watching a parody of American Idol where the contestants have to not only out-sing but out-fight one another—when you're supposed to be playing a video game.
I speak, of course, of Grand Theft Auto V. What other game would even have a bunch of joke TV channels? And that's part of the problem. Like a faded beauty decking herself out in baubles, bangles, and beads, Grand Theft Auto has been on a decade-long spree of piling on "features," hoping you won't notice how much it's aged.
Looking back, it's amazing how little evolution the series has experienced. Kidnap someone playing Grand Theft Auto III in 2001, bring him in a time machine to the present day to play GTA V, and the only actual gameplay differences he'll notice are that now you can fly helicopters and ride motorcycles, and you won't die when you touch a body of water. That's pretty much it. And those changes were made in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the very next game after III.
The rest of the changes, and there are a lot of them, are all peripheral. In V, for instance, you can play fetch with your dog, get in shape by playing tennis, get mauled by a mountain lion, pilot a submarine, screw with apps on your phone (like you don't have enough apps to keep track of in your real life), and even get an R-rated lap dance at the strip club, pressing buttons to get your hands off the girl when the bouncer's looking. These are all good for a laugh with your buddies, but if Los Santos (the Grand Theft Auto series' second stab at making a video game version Greater Los Angeles) has so much to see and do, why does every play session devolve into seeing how many bystanders and cops you can kill before you're arrested or killed, just like it did 10 years ago? If this is such an incredible sandbox, why do we build the same castle over and over again?
Like George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books—the ones on which HBO's Game of Thrones is based—Grand Theft Auto is great at world-building, but not so great at making you care about what goes on in that world. Just as Martin makes sure we know the color and material of even the most minor characters' doublets, as though we know what doublets are anyway, the folks who spent five years on GTA Vwant us to see how they've laid every brick, wardrobed every pedestrian, and rendered every fender-bender tenderly. Martin's continent of Westeros, and the worlds the Grand Theft Auto developers assemble, are wonderful in the way snow globes are wonderful—as intricate, self-contained spectacles. But also like snow globes, they're totally inconsequential and get boring fast. And the ironic culprit behind the lack of consequence has taken up residence in Westeros and Los Santos alike: too much consequence, too fast.
Amid his many narrative quirks, Martin is known for killing off major characters—that is, characters the reader thought were major—early in his books, because, hey, people die randomly in real life, don't they? As he explains, "when my characters are in danger, I want you to be afraid to turn the page, [so] you need to show right from the beginning that you're playing for keeps." His belief that fiction should play by the same rules as reality is admirable, but as anyone who's read the books or seen the show knows, he's turned it into something of a fetish. The character turnover is so high that you hardly get to know anybody, and as the Teddy Bears sang, you can't love, love, love people without knowing, knowing, knowing them.
But at least Martin has a philosophy behind his bloodbaths. GTA V ups the body count whenever it doesn't know what else to do, which is all the time. Compare the game with last year's first-person shooter Far Cry 3, which attempted to show how circumstances could turn a spoiled rich kid into a cold-blooded killer. Your character's transformation wasn't earned as completely as it should have been, but Far Cry 3 was a rare game that reminded you that killing people is no joke. GTA V, like a horror movie that shows the monster in the first scene, wastes no time in getting to the murder. The game has barely told you how to move your character when you're killing your first cops and laughing when your nervous wheelman is shot in the head. It's not all killing sprees, of course; it's also mundane tasks like towing cars and using a crane to rearrange shipping containers. The banality of the missions that serve as the game's narrative tent poles are the closest thing to undeniable proof that the folks behind GTA V spent 90 percent of the last five years laying out Los Santos, and 10 percent thinking about what the player would do there. As in past games, the missions are essentially radio plays, as you listen to your co-workers—I mean, fellow street thugs—deliver exposition as y'all do your chores. After which you'll save your game, shoot some strangers, and kill as many cops as possible, because, as I said, that's how every session of GTA ends anyway.
For a path to consequence, Grand Theft Auto should look at some of its copycats. GTA III, the groundbreaking game that switched the series switched from a top-down, Sim City-style view to full 3-D, singlehandedly invented the genre of open-world sandbox games, but two other franchises have taken what GTA III started in more interesting directions. The Saints Row series, which started out as a joyless act of grand theft game design, has blossomed into a cult favorite by taking Grand Theft Auto to its logical conclusion, with everything turned up to 11. In the latest installment, for instance, your street-thug character has been elected president of the United States and must use his superpowers to fight off an alien invasion by escaping from a Matrix-esque computer simulation of his old gangland stomping ground.
Taking the opposite tack, the Hong Kong-set Sleeping Dogs sings to those of us who think Grand Theft Auto is fundamentally broken by the fact that you can drive on the sidewalk and knock over a light pole in plain view of a cop, and the cop won't react. Sleeping Dogs subscribes to broken windows theory: If the small things matter, the big things feel like they really matter. The game charges you for every fire hydrant you run over, every storefront you ram, every bumper you knock in, and presto, the whole enterprise is more engaging. As my mom always says, what's given too freely is valued too lightly. Sadly, Sleeping Dogs was a commercial failure. That is, it's safe to say it wasn't the fastest entertainment property to ever hit $1 billion in sales, like a certain other game mentioned in this article.
While Grand Theft Auto occupies an unhappy medium between Saints Row and Sleeping Dogs, the game that threads the needle of consequence most cleverly is the Wii U's Lego City: Undercover, an honest-to-God "Grand Theft Auto for kids" that's fun enough for adults, too. In Lego City, it doesn't matter if you plow through crowds and crash cars—everything and everyone are made of Legos and are magically put back together again.
It's not like GTA V doesn't make any improvements on its predecessors. The multiple characters you control throughout the game are more interesting than any single protagonist of a previous GTA. The dialogue feels less fake, possibly because they had gang members do the voice acting. Animation is much improved, even though people's faces still look like they're made out of moist clay. Most mercifully, they fixed the save system, so you don't have to go on a journey every time you want to record your progress.
And, of course, things like skydiving from a plane you stole and commandeering a cop car to chase bad guys are as fun as you remember. The sound track is great. And it's still a blast to get together with some homies and pass the controller around, seeing who can cause the most ridiculous mayhem.
But these are the same pleasures we took from Grand Theft Auto 10 years, and four main-series games, ago. That GTA V is essentially a high-definition remake of 2004's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas means the folks behind the franchise have some thinking to do about exactly what kind of games they're trying to make. Are they content to design a brilliantly realized city every few years, then sit back and count their money? In the words of one of GTA V's characters, Michael, a jaded millionaire who sits out by his gorgeous pool every day, "Good palm trees are just a substitute for not knowing what the fuck you're doing on this Earth."
As for George R.R. Martin, well, there's a new print run of his best work, Tuf Voyaging, so that's something.


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Step inside Edinburgh's 'other castle', once a rural retreat from Scotland's capital.
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March the length of this massive fort built in the wake of the Battle of Culloden to see why it's served the British Army so well for 250 years.
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Dane Cook's Videos
Comedy Camp 2013
Watch tomorrow's comics in this showcase of The Laugh Factory's 2013 Comedy Camp graduates.
Dane Cook
Named a comedian phenomenon and icon by Entertainment Weekly, Dane Cook has maintained his reputation as one of today's most prolific stand up comedians, while simultaneously distinguishing himself as a charismatic and versatile actor in a variety of film and television projects. Cook created, directed, and starred in the network's nine part comedy documentary series, Tourgasm, and wrote, executive produced, and starred in Dane Cook: Vicious Circle, a feature length stand up event.
Combining energetic physical comedy, clever wordplay, and trenchant observations about human behavior, Cook's unique brand of stand up and accessible guy-next-door attitude have galvanized audiences of all ages. He catapulted to media headlines when his sophomore comedy CD/DVD Retaliation bucked industry trends by debuting at #4 on the Billboard 200. The album, which has hit double platinum, marked him as the highest charting comedian in 27 years, earning him a place alongside best-selling comedy vets Bill Cosby, George Carlin, and Steve Martin. His debut CD/DVD release, Harmful If Swallowed, appeared on eight different Billboard charts and is certified platinum.
Cook hosted Saturday Night Live, helping the program earn the highest non-sports ratings of any network that year. A highly sought-after talk show guest, he's appeared multiple times on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He has headlined Comedy Central's Dave Attell's Insomniac Tour DVD movie and has lent his voice to Crank Yankers and Shorties Watchin' Shorties.
In addition to appearances at such venues as Carnegie Hall and Chicago's Allstate Arena, Cook performed two record-breaking shows of 38,000 at Boston Garden, and has appeared for crowds of 39,000 at Madison Square Garden, and 50,000 at the University of Florida's Gator Growl.
Raised in the Boston suburb of Arlington, Massachusetts, Cook began his career at age 18, honing his craft on the college and comedy club circuits. A firm believer in connecting personally with his fans, Cook became one of the first comics to develop and maintain his own website to reach out to audiences. He still routinely spends hours every day personally answering fans' emails and works tirelessly to remain accessible through blogs, podcasts, and free downloads of his routines. As a result of his efforts, his website, www.danecook.com, receives over 500,000 hits per month, and his MySpace following has grew to an unprecedented community of 2,300,000 friends.
Among his many honors as a stand up comedian, Cook was named Rolling Stone magazine's "Hot Comic," Stuff magazine's "Coolest Comic of the Year," and the winner of Comedy Central's Stand-Up Showdown. His arrival on the cultural stage was confirmed when Time Magazine listed him on the "Time 100" list as one of the world's "100 Most Influential People."
Cook currently lives in Los Angeles, where he continues to develop new comedy material, and film and television projects.
Dane Cook COMEDY VIDEOS
Dane Cook -Comedy Camp 2013
Comedy Camp 2013
Watch tomorrow's comics in this showcase of The Laugh Factory's 2013 Comedy Camp graduates.Read More
Dane Cook -Laugh Factory Birthd
Dane Cook - Laugh Factory Birthday March 18 2010
Happy birthday, Dane!
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Front fork assembly
These suspension units serve the purpose of limiting excessive suspension movement; their intended role is to dampen spring oscillations. Suspensions use monitoring of oil and gasses to absorb excess energy from the springs. Spring rates are chosen by the manufacturer based on the weight of the vehicle, loaded and unloaded.


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What the…? School Security Guard Punches Disabled Student [VIDEO]
The issue of school violence took a surprising turn at one California high school.
A security guard at Oakland High School was caught on camera punching a student in a wheelchair on May 19.
The guard, identified as Marchell Mitchell, has been arrested, was urging students to hurry to class when he had a disagreement with the wheelchair-bound student that led to him attacking the teen. Francisco Martinez, 17, who suffers from cerebral palsy, spat on Mitchell before the guard retaliated by hitting him several times and dumping him on the floor.
Injuries were so bad Martinez had to go to the hospital, although he is expected to recover.
The school's principal wrote a letter to parents condemning the incident. It said, in part, "I'm shocked and deeply hurt by this behavior and apologize on behalf of the staff at Oakland High. This incident is not reflective of the kind of culture we cherish at our school or how we treat one another."


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KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan police say a suicide car bomber has killed five civilians and wounded another 25 in a botched attempt to hit a convoy of NATO supply trucks in eastern Afghanistan.
Gen. Faziluddin Ayar, who is responsible for the east, says the bomber missed the convoy, which suffered no damage. The attack took place Friday in the Tagab district of eastern Kapisa province.
The Ministry of Interior says in a statement that the bomber instead rammed into a residential home, killing those inside. It says four of the dead were from the same family.
The Taliban claimed responsibility in a text message sent to news media.


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The department of Computer Science is constantly trying to improve the quality of the services it provides to students. Your feedback on this form will be used to help determine how we can best serve students in the future. Thank you for your time and willingness to complete this survey.
Peter Cooper
Department Chair
Once again, thank you for your time and effort


text:
Free US shipping in 5-7 working days.
Free UK Standard dispatched within 3-5 working days.
All International dispatched within 7 working days.
Please see our shipping policy for more details, including a full list of delivery options and costs and information on duties.
Silver Bobble Chain Choker
Perfect for layering, the Silver Bobble Chain Choker can be worn alone or adorned with any of our pendants - the jump rings are designed so that any Missoma pendants can be added.
Metal: Sterling Silver
Dimensions: Total length 380mm with extension links starting from 310mm continuous to 380mm
Chain width: 1mm
Weight: 2g
Free US shipping in 5-7 working days.
UPDATE: Due to the current global pandemic our courier partners are currently not accepting returns at this time.
We have extended our returns period to 90 days to give you more time to send orders back once these restrictions are lifted. We will update the site once returns can be posted back to us.
We still aim to process all previously returned orders within 14 working days, however in some cases this may be extended to 30 working days, due to current events at this time.
Please note: Engraved and Monogrammed items are non-returnable / non-refundable unless faulty.
Every piece of Missoma is covered by our one year warranty. Should your jewellery suffer a breakage or tarnishing due to a manufacturing defect, we are committed to ensuring that your piece is replaced at no cost to yourself if returned in under one year of receipt of the product.
To ensure your Missoma pieces stay bright and shiny for as long as possible, keep them away from chemicals such as perfume and chlorine, and store them in a cool dry place in an individual pour of box to avoid your jewellery tangling or scratching each other.
If you have any questions, please do Contact Us


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Smart3D SupportGenerator (formerly BAMBOO) runs in Rhinoceros
and offers the following advantages:
# Work with many types of input files.
# STL Slicing system with error correction
# Compatible with RapidShape®, DWS® (DigitalWaxSolutions) 3DSystems®,
envisionTEC® and other systems.
# Using Rhinoceros there is no need to switch applications.
# Multiprocessor computing.
# 32 bit and 64 bit Environment (64 bit only for Rhinoceros 5.0)
# Build 3D supports structures in a real 3D environment.
Smart3D SupportGenerator has the following features:
# Management with error correction of
self-intersecting meshes, double or open.
# Automatic detection of "growth points".
# Recognition and management of the areas to be supported.
# "Tree-View" window manager for a quick and easy
identification of families of supports.
# Automatic recognition and construction of "Object to Object"
and "Object to Base" supports.
# Branch of supports.
# Editing of supports previous designed and saved.
# Tools for mirrors, polar array, copy and move of the supports.
# Closed Solid supports (for DWS or others) or
two-dimensional meshes (no Boolean operations needed).
# No need of Boolean operations (object+support)
using .slc file format (not yet supported).
# Output Files in "_s.stl" format.
The price list for this product is 1800.00euros.
Request special discount prices from our resellers.
(This product is already bundled with RapidShape, ask to your prototyping manifacturer to contact us for a possible bundle)
Contact us to know our resellers in your country.


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Busting some popular summer myths
To stay healthy the rest of the summer, make sure you know the facts. First myth – a base tan prevents sunburn? There's no such thing as a base tan. Any sun exposure damages the skin.
You've probably heard that you can't get sunburned on a cloudy day, but UV rays go through the clouds. Dr. Debra Jaliman, a New York City dermatologist, says that some of the worst sunburns she has seen were from patients who failed to use sunscreen on a cloudy day.
Can ocean water heal a cut? Ocean water is full of microorganisms. Sand, dirty water, and soil can all cause infection. Instead, use a sterile saline solution or bottled water.
You may have heard for a jellyfish sting that you have to pee on it, but it could actually make the pain worse. Salt water deactivates the venom, but the salt in urine is unpredictable and can cause venom to be released if it is too dilute. Try ocean water instead.
Another myth – any drink can hydrate you. Dietician Amy Jamieson-Petonic with the Cleveland Clinic says that certain beverages have a diuretic effect, which can lead to dehydration. So stay away from caffeine, alcoholic beverages, and drinks high in sugar like soda and fruit drinks. Water, low-fat milk, 100% fruit juices, low-sodium vegetable juices and herbal teas work best.
Copyright 2013 by Ivanhoe Broadcast News and News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Once HD processing company Pixelworks revealed that Apple was providing more than 10 percent of its revenue in 2013, its stock price ballooned.
After the news became public Thursday, Pixelworks' stock price went up 80 percent, according to Forbes. While the numbers itself is not impressive -- Pixelworks' total revenue was $48 million -- the bigger speculation is what Pixelworks is making for the Cupertino, Calif. company. Is it the new Apple TV?
Pixelworks creates and develops semiconductors, software and other ways to process digital video. It also can optimize screen size and deliver high-definition video with a substantially lower energy consumption. The San Jose-based Pixelworks was founded in 1997 and employs 223 people.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
While this new move could mean that a new Apple TV is coming, it could also easily be that Pixelworks is working on improving video playback on the iPhone or iPad. Either way could both be a win for consumers.


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Contact us
If you are a race organiser you can provide your race details directly through the site.
If you would like more information about a race listed on our website, please contact the race organiser directly through the links provided.
For all other enquiries use the contact form below.
Our contact details
- Address
- The Freetime Initiative
Suite 5a
23 Eagle Street
Craighall Business Park


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Here are a few of our commercials that you may have seen on TV. We hope you enjoy watching them as much as we do making them.
05.08.2013 | by Tom Rose
Pricey proms
Read More
Southwestern PA Main Office - Pittsburgh 412-391-8000
Northwestern PA Main Office - Erie 814-451-1131
Toll Free: 1-800-360-9392
The Law Offices of Steidl & Steinberg | 28th Floor, Gulf Tower | Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Copyright © 2016 Steidl & Steinberg.
Site by Imagebox


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It's written by Muriela Agator. If you like simple and elegant designs, you have probably already come across some of her designs on ravelry. She writes them in French (of course) and in English. Not all of her patterns are translated into English though.
But if you´re not on ravelry then don't despair. Muriela sells her designs and the book from her shop. Seing her things in the new release will be very existing.
And while we are talking about cool children knitting books, then I look so much forward to this book coming from Annette Danielsen's hands.


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Apple's Quicktime, available for Macintosh and Windows, has been a pioneer in VR and still is one of the best performers. Quicktime is distributed at no cost and payment is only required if you want to use editing functions. Unfortunately, under Windows, Quicktime reminds the user of the need to upgrade to the Professional Version the first time it is run after a reboot. Some Windows users (particularly the majority who do not need Quicktime's editing functionality) find it a nuisance. As many Apple products, Quicktime is probably technologically ahead of most other competitors, but lacks the installed user base and third party software.
See Apple's site for QuickTime detection via JavaScript and another article on O'Reilly Network about Plug-In Detection with JavaScript.
Although QuickTime is only available for Mac and Windows platforms, on Linux the Windows version can be installed via wine


text:
We offer 6, 9 and 12 month lease terms. Lease terms vary based on floor plan and availability.
Excellence in Customer Service
Reviewed on Renter's Voice
Apartment ratings by renter's voice
Some photos are for representation purposes only. Information subject to error, change or deletion.
© 2020 Simpson Property Group. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy Sitemap


text: There is something about sitting around a campfire with family and friends that connects us and brings us closer. Camp Chef Fire Pits make great additions to backyard patios by creating a gathering place to share time together. Enjoy the warmth and benefits of a clean, beautiful campfire in your backyard or patio. Pull out the roasting sticks and enjoy some fun, quality time together.


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Yesterday Zarhym replied to a stupid troll so he could post about how people tend to treat LFR and why they shouldn't feel as though it's required. He subsequently tweeted this to his many followers, and it became quite popular throughout the twitter sphere, spawning responses at Gamebreaker TV and at Wow Insider. I rather liked Zarhym's original post, and thought it was respectful and discussion oriented with a lot of very effective points (particularly with reference to normal modes). However, I also thought he was wrong.
When I read his post originally, I thought he was claiming that right now, HM raiders have no reason to do LFR. This is just factually wrong; every raider worth their salt has done a ton of LFR and plans to do so for some time. LFR is part of our raid week right now.
I have this personality flaw where I'm unable to witness people being wrong on the internet without replying. And so I posted in reply, laid out several reasons why LFR is functionally required for HM raiders, and tweeted it so I could gather my Twitter Army to come support me in that thread (I'm classy, I know). Later poor Zarhym came back to see all those bitchy tweets from me, and actually took the time to respond in great detail.
I think this is an interesting topic, and I don't necessarily think that Zarhym is entirely wrong or that I'm entirely right. Here are some more thoughts on the LFR issue, and why we feel as though it's still required.
Newsflash: I am very glad that LFR is in the game.
It's great for alts. It's basically free purples. It is fake raiding. While I understand why people get annoyed with pugging it, I absolutely don't get why anyone complains about how easy it is. It's easy by design, and that's totally fine with me.
Why? Because when LFR is easy, raiders get nice things.
Have you SEEN (real) MSV and Heart of Fear? This is not Dragon Soul anymore, kids. These fights are serious business. I don't know what kind of crack the encounter designers are smoking, but I hope that Blizzard keeps them well supplied.
I am absolutely 100% certain there is a correlation between "easy LFR" and "challenging normal/heroic raids." Players who previously were funneled into normal modes with gatekeeper easy bosses and nerf after nerf, now get to do LFR. Normals and heroics are both significantly more serious than we've seen since T11. I'm not going to say they are harder, but they are more interesting for sure. I really have a lot of respect for anyone raiding on any difficulty level, 10 or 25, normal or heroic right now. I hope you are having fun — whether you are still working through the challenge of Stone Guard, or whether you are powering through heroics with 300 stat food and masks and etc.
Raiders… casual and hardcore… normal and heroic… 10 and 25… LFR is why we can have nice things!
However, I really hate doing LFR on my main.
LFR drops relevant gear.
We run it on tuesdays since we don't raid on tuesdays. And this has been a little frustrating for me; my 3 night a week raid schedule has been effectively upped to 4. I pugged it for a couple of weeks, but that extends the amount of time it takes by up to 2 or 3 hours. It's a much more effective use of my time to go with my guild, as well as being much more enjoyable.
I really want my tuesdays back, but missing guild LFR is very annoying, so I try and make it. Another day when I feel like I should be home, on WOW. LFR represents one of the many ways MOP has chipped away at my free time out of raid, and so it frustrates me.
Regarding LFR feeling required & respect for playstyles
"But Ana, no one's forcing you to do it."
Agh. I hate this reply and responded very unhappily to it in the thread.
I try to keep an open mind about the people who play this game who are extremely different from me. I try to stay away from "you need to play the game like me," and accept and welcome the fact that there are tons of people who enjoy very different things from me in-game. I might fail at it, in which case I expect to be called out on it, but I really do try and remember. I really hate to see 'my people' (i.e. HM raiders) disrespect or completely write off those who gain enjoyment out of different tasks than us. I play the game my way, they play it their way, and as long as I get my raids, I'm glad we can all play nice together!
So… it really annoys me to see my style of play disrespected by others. Comments like:
- You have a guild problem
- That's a playstyle choice
… are really disrespectful to me. They completely miss the point.
LFR and the word "Required."
Our detractors are right that no one is forcing us to be hardcore raiders. Oh, for sure! No one is forcing me to play World of Warcraft either.
All of us, if we want to be happy in game and enjoy our time, find a set of activities which makes us very happy and frustrates us the least. For me, I am not happy in a casual guild… I am just not. I love the atmosphere in my guild just as much as any casual raider loves their laid back and fun-promoting atmosphere. Everyone has that style of gameplay that works for them. This is mine.
Calling that a playstyle choice and writing it off is just…. missing the point.
Calling it a guild choice is even dumber. There is no crazy dictator forcing me to log in at 9 on tuesdays. I play in my guild because my guildmates and I have similar goals and trust each other to treat the game and our time together in a way we all enjoy. If you aren't in a guild where that is true, you are doing it wrong.
Yes, we choose to optimize our gear. And so we all consider that LFR is required. Furthermore, yes, we trust the people we raid with to feel the same way about their own gear and time. We choose to play that way, and together.
Yes. We choose to treat LFR this way. This choice is effectively the same as, "What is fun for me? Oh right, hardcore raiding. I want to do that."
Is this playstyle choice supported by the devs?
My argument would be: a resounding yes.
If the developers didn't care about what hardcore raiders felt "required" to do, then they would not have gone through all the trouble of altering the ilvl in LFR to ease how required the gear felt to us, they would not have gated two reps behind Golden Lotus to limit our rep farming to 2 VP factions at a time, and they would not have made the recent VP re-tuning change in response to our QQ. The devs do, actually, care about controlling the quantity of what we feel required to do. They will certainly and sneakily give us tons and tons of things we'll feel required to do, and I don't agree with all of them, but their design here is very purposeful. They are well aware that a couple hundred thousand Anas exist in game who will sigh and grind out all of the things just because they're there.
Zarhym's post drives it home, too. If no one cared about respecting this playstyle choice, then he would not have needed to post on this topic at all.
So hopefully that lays out my position on LFR as clearly as I can.
I believe it is a positive thing for the game. It is not my target content. I am very happy it exists. However, I am a little annoyed that I have to run it on my main every week. It's very annoying to have this tacked onto my raid week.
So what was the end result of this discussion we had on the official forums? Well, I think that Zarhym gave me a lengthy and thoughtful reply. He seemed to accept my argument that LFR was relevant now and to argue that it will be a lot less relevant in the future. And, he pointed out that the idea isn't to remove LFR from HM raiders entirely. The devs just intend to ease our reliance on LFR. I don't like all of these answers, but I accept them.
Dan Desmond's post here on Wow Insider suggests a couple of alternate solutions to this
Agh. I, personally, just don't want to do LFR on my main. I wish I only had to run one content level of raid per week. I was hoping the ilvl change reflected that the devs agreed.
What about LFRs after Terrace? Will this problem go away?
Hmm. That's really where the ilvl change in LFR will kick in. AFTER Terrace LFR.
The design intent, and the origin of Zarhym's blue party line, is for us to ignore these post-Terrace LFRs. The LFR gear will hopefully be such a lower level than the gear we exit Terrace in, that even the trinket procs and the tier procs will be irrelevant. Mostly.
We'll just have to see. I am extremely suspicious.
There's no question that the ilvl change is a good one. It's absolutely a step in the right direction and eases our reliance on "upgrading" to LFR each tier. I just don't know if it will create this magical imaginary world where HM raiders don't have to run LFR at all, and that's the point I wanted to argue with Zarhym.
I guess we'll see. I hope it works out like Zarhym thinks it will!


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'Super Bowl' tag.
Super Bowl Sunday – one of the very few and rare moments in time when Jason is home for a full day and a whole night. No work calls, no office madness, he's all mine. The fact it's the Super Bowl Sunday (which to me it's just as thrilling as the Groundhog Day) has nothing to do with Jason's freedom. It's a pure coincident, serendipity if you will.
I've turned down invitations to various parties involving beautiful people, gourmet food, belly dancers and notables such as celebrity stylists and monarchs of whole countries! Ok, I kid, silly. However, I did make sure that the only thing we had planned for today was NOTHING. And then I got this email from Leslie:
Not only did I love the remix, but also I could not say no to Leslie, except we pushed it to Sunday. Had she lived closer, I'd probably have her hang on to the spare key to our house so she can come visit more often. And believe it or not, I've never baked potatoes the way she described. Back in Poland, we do it Neanderthal style – we set up bon fire and bury potatoes under its flames. Those babies taste like nothing you've ever had in your life.
So I bought a bag of Russet potatoes for later today. I'll give them such a makeover their own mother won't recognize her Russet babies. There will be make up, and glitter involved, mani/ pedi, and hair spray. I'll then record the session on a series of color photographs and post them along with my next entry.
Speaking of potatoes, I went through a meat-free week and in the process reinvented a couple of veggie dishes from my repertoire. When Friday glanced into our refrigerator, a day before our habitual grocery shopping spree, there were only 2 bell peppers left, green beans, mustard and one sad bunch of greens. I was to make dinner out of those bustards.
I paced through the kitchen scratching my forehead, nodding along as I threaded back and forth, with an occasional hum breaking that intense silence. Half an hour later, as I was juggling a pot of boiling water with potatoes and green beans and simultaneously stirring caramelizing onions and red bell peppers in an iron skillet, Jason walked back from work and asked:
What are you making?
I don't know. Ask me again when I'm done.
Then I dove again into the refrigerator and surfaced back holding the lettuce with my teeth and squeezing a half-empty jar of mustard in my armpit. I put together all the dressing elements and let the Magic Bullet do its magic. I drained the potatoes and beans and tossed them together in a large bowl with the vinaigrette, chopped Romaine lettuce and parsley. I seasoned it with more salt and pepper, and then topped the mountain with my caramelized onions and bell peppers. The sugar and balsamic vinegar turned them into that sweet and tart cherry that tops the proverbial cake. Loose leaves of mint perfumed the dish, giving it a new twist.
Here's the summary:
– red skin and purple potatoes, cut in thick slices
– green beans
– Romaine lettuce
– large onion
– 2 red bell peppers
– 1 tbsp ground fennel seeds, for caramelizing
– fresh parsley, roughly chopped
– fresh mint, roughly chopped
– 3 tbsp of raw cane sugar, for caramelizing
– 3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, for caramelizing
– olive oil, for the dressing
– white balsamic vinegar, for the dressing
– 1 tsp Dijon mustard, for the dressing
– 1 tbsp honey, for the dressing
– salt + pepper to taste, for everything.
Fill a small BOWL with the SALAD and be assured this will be plenty for a full, nutritious and satiating meal. You don't need to be a fan of football to enjoy your own SUPER BOWL.


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Think again. The important part on this picture is not that 2 people managed to get below the blue tank. The point is that the only useful DPS in the run is not a "nice guy" who "wants to help out undergeared people". He call them suckers.
Yet when the second boss came, and the warrior managed to pull the same stunt:
To kick someone you need 3 votes. Me and the tank are 2. We can assume that the borderline useless hunter supported the other M&S. So both votes were decided by the good DPS, who did not have any love for the M&S. So why did he supported him?
He answers it clearly: he wants a fast run. Blizzard made almost perfect job. The bosses give badges to everyone, if you solo the boss, you don't get 5 badges. So carrying a dead weight costs you nothing (I assume no one wants any loot from the bosses). Even 500 DPS speeds up the run a bit, so why bother? Also the replacement of even a DPS costs you time: the interface jumps up, you press buttons, wait 10-15 secs until he gets into the instance and another 40-50 secs until he reaches the group. On the top of that you have only one kick, so if you use it to kick a useless DPS, you might cannot kick the tank or healer if he goes AFK (I mean literally). To make things worse, you can't kick anyone in the first 15 minutes, so unless all DPS are useless, you are closing to the endboss, there is 5-6 mins left from the dungeon. Why bother kicking?
Blizzard created a system where not carrying slackers costs you time. So only "moral" people refuse to boost, who selflessly sacrifice their own time to "teach a lesson" to an M&S to "make the world better". A goblin would suck it up and boost. Perfect!
Or not. Remember, every non-market system is abusable! The above system is perfect to enforce tanks and healers to boost. You can only boost or completely stop, and the latter costs you (and the team) more time. Also, since they are already in the instance, they can kick a tank or healer easily as they will get a new one soon (the collateral cost is paid by every DPS in the queue). However the system is abusable by the DPS!
If a DPS says he refuse to boost, and says after the first boss that he goes AFK if the moron is not kicked, he doesn't stop the group, just slows it down. At that point the group can kick him, the slacker or no one:
- kick no one: the run is slow, and you get your badges AFK. You can Alt-tab (just switch windowed mode on) and read blogs, e-mails, news, eat, walk your dog, whatever. Just be on autofollow and the badges will come.
- kick the moron: they will lose the replace time, but win the difference of moron-DPS and the average DPS of the new person
- kick you: they will lose the replace time, and lose the difference of your good DPS (I'm assuming here you are not an M&S yourself) and the average DPS of the new person.
So to stop M&S, all you need is to mention that you can join the M&S! Make a macro today and spam it every time you go LFD as DPS: "I will post damage results on the first boss showing who is pulling his weight and who is slacking. I will suggest to kick the lowest DPS unless he is above the tank. If you refuse to kick him, I will go AFK and just /follow the healer. If he can slack, I can too". Remember, the vote of you + tank + healer is enough for the kick. With your macro, you are threatening the tank and the healer that they will soon 2-men the instance with 3 DPS on /follow. So they will be forced to kick someone, and the most obvious choice for kicking is the lowest guy. If they are "good souls", then enjoy your brand new AFK badges!


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M.U.L.E. Trivia (Commodore 64)
Published by
Developed by
Also For
Atari 8-bit, MSX, NES, PC-88, PC Booter, Sharp X1 | Combined View
1001 Video GamesM.U.L.E. appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.
Cancelled successorDespite the popularity of M.U.L.E. and the game's cult status, an official sequel or remake was never released. At least one version was in development, however. Developed by the German programming team Infernal Byte Systems exclusively for the Amiga, Deluxe M.U.L.E. was in the works in 1990. Aside from updated graphics and sound, the gameplay would remain mostly unchanged, with two exceptions: the terrain would be randomly generated, and players would be able to build weapons arrays to defend against space pirates. Deluxe M.U.L.E. was never released, because of both programming troubles and Electronic Arts revoking the license.
Sources: Power Play magazine 8/90 and 10/92
InspirationThe game was inspired by the novel Time Enough for Love by writer Robert A. Heinlein. The book describes among others colonists using genetically engineered mules.
ReferencesM.U.L.E. was originally released for the Atari 400/800 home computer system. This fact explains the name of the planet your intrepid planeteers cultivate: IRATA. Spell it backwards. The planet name appears in both the C64 and Atari versions.
- Computer Gaming World
- March 1988 (Issue #45) – Introduced into the Hall of Fame
- November 1996 (15th anniversary issue) - #3 in the "150 Best Games of All Time" list
- GameSpy
- 2001 – #25 Top Game of All Time
- GameStar (Germany)
- Issue 03/2013 – One of the "Ten Best C64 Games"
Contributed by Zaghadka (71) on May 04, 2004. [revised by : Alaka (68763), FatherJack (62738) and Patrick Bregger (248655)]. -- edit trivia


text:
Also found in: Wikipedia.
see enkephalin.
POMCA gene on chromosome 2p23 that encodes proopiomelanocortin, the melanocortin family of hormones, which include alpha-, beta- and gamma-melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). The melanocortins bind to the melanocortin receptors, a group of five G protein-coupled receptors (MC1R to MC5R) which are involved in a wide range of physiological functions, including pigmentation, energy homeostasis, inflammation, immunomodulation, steroidogenesis and temperature control.
Molecular pathology
Defects of POMC are associated with susceptibility to obesity and proopiomelanocortin deficiency.


text:
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| 16°C Dublin
OWEN Coyle has admitted he would welcome an approach to discuss the possibility of taking over as Scotland boss.
The Republic of Ireland international has been out of work since he was sacked as Bolton manager in October but has been touted as a candidate to replace Craig Levein.
Levein was sacked on Monday night following a disappointing start to Scotland's World Cup qualifying campaign that finds them bottom of their group and without a win in four games.
Coyle, who was born in Glasgow, would welcome an approach from the Scotland Football Association and revealed he had already turned down clubs in England since leaving the Reebok Stadium.
"I'm always open to hearing what someone has to say. It's a great job, that's for sure," Coyle told BBC Radio Scotland.
"It's a fantastic job for whoever's lucky enough to be asked to lead Scotland.
"I've already turned down a couple of approaches down here, but I've listened to what people have had to say.
"And, for me, the next thing has to be the right fit in terms of matching the same ambition as I have.
"There's no doubt there's a good squad of players there."
Coyle won a single cap for the Republic of Ireland as a player but spent most of his playing days in Scotland while making his name as a manager with St Johnstone.
And while the 46-year-old would like to fill Levein's shoes in Scotland's top job he admitted his sympathy for the outgoing boss.
"My first thoughts are with Craig, as I get on very well with Craig," he said.
"I think we all understand how that works in football, and I wish him well for his speedy return to the game.
"I think Scotland are very fortunate that there's many fantastic candidates capable of doing that job."


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Peter Byrne of The Gold Report - Fri, Jan 25, 2013
Gold Carpet Treatment Promised for Miners in the Dominican Republic: Alexander Medina
The Gold Report caught up with Alexander Medina, the newly appointed director of mining for the Dominican Republic. With gold discoveries popping up all over Hispaniolathe country shares the metal-rich island with HaitiMedina is a very busy government minister. But he was happy to spare a little time to talk to The Gold Report about what his office is doing to ensure that mining companies get the gold carpet treatment under the new administration.
The Gold Report: What is the main job of the director of mining management?
Alexander Medina: I oversee all the mining policies of the Dominican Republic. And I am in charge of granting mining permits and licenses to explore for precious and base metals and minerals.
TGR: What experience do you bring to this job?
AM: I have worked in mining operations, mineral processing and management for 35 years. As a chemical engineer, my background is in precious minerals and metals. I worked in the nickel business here in the Dominican Republic, first with Falconbridge then Xstrata Plc (XTA:LSE) when it took over Falconbridge.
TGR: Does the new administration of the Dominican Republic support responsible exploration and mining development?
AM: Investors and explorers in the Dominican Republic have the full support of the Dominican government. Actually, we are currently improving our processing methods in order to speed up the permitting of mining ventures. I am intent that exploration permits be granted within a few months of application, instead of a couple of years, as has often been the case, unfortunately.
TGR: Will it be easier for junior mining companies to get permits to conduct exploration and then to open up mining operations?
AM: It will be easier for exploration permits. The new president of our country, Danilo Medina, has instructed my office to speed up the permitting process for exploration. But licensing a mine for production can be much more complicated than exploring for resources. An environmental permit is required for going onto production, and that can take some time. There are many complex issues involved in making sure that the mines are environmentally safe and sound.
TGR: Can you briefly explain the permitting process, and what a firm has to do to be permitted to explore for metals and minerals?
AM: According to Dominican law, all foreign companies must have a local representative, an arrangement with a local company. And that local company can take charge of meeting with mining officials and submit a request for mining exploration license, providing the information necessary to obtain a permit from the government. We go over all of the data presented before determining if the project is a fit.
"Investors and explorers in the Dominican Republic have the full support of the Dominican government."
Under Mining Law 146, the terms of the formal arrangement between the foreign company and the local company must be legally registered with our office, because the venture is subject to taxation. In order to get the concession, the principals in the venture must declare what kind of minerals and metals they are searching for. They must describe in detail the geological features of the geographical area that they wish to explore. That's about it.
TGR: It is estimated that the Dominican Republic has $58 billion (B) in metal and mineral reserves. Can you talk about what firms are leading the way to develop this resource?
AM: The largest mining operation in the country today is Barrick Gold Corp.'s (ABX:TSX; ABX:NYSE) Pueblo Viejo deposit. It's an investment of $4B. It's a world-class deposit containing more than 24 million ounces (Moz) gold. It's a polymetallic deposit. Pueblo Viejo includes gold, silver, zinc and copper. All of these metals are going to be recovered in the life span of the mine. In addition to the proven reserves, it has now been inferred that there is another 10 Moz gold in the Pueblo Viejo deposit, which needs to be confirmed. That means that the operational life span of the mine could easily increase from 25 to 35 years.
"We are currently improving our processing methods in order to speed up the permitting of mining ventures."
The second largest operation is Xstrata's nickel property. It's a 40-year-old mine. It can produce 30,000 tons of ferronickel. It may be old, but it still has enough in proven reserves to operate for 20 years or more.
The third largest property is Perilya Ltd.'s (PEM:ASX) Cerro de Maimón mine. This operation has 10 years of reserves and produces copper, gold and silver. The fourth largest property is PanTerra Gold Ltd.'s (PGI:ASX) Las Lagunas mine. This operation recovers gold by processing tailings. It will take about seven years to recover 75,000 ounces of gold and 0.5 Moz of silver
There is also a very promising exploration project run by GoldQuest Mining Corp. (GQC:TSX.V). That is the Romero project in the southwest of the country in San Juan Province.
Unigold Inc. (UGD:TSX.V) has a very promising exploration project too, located in the northwest of the country.
And Everton Resources (EVR:TSX.V; ERV:FSE; EVRRF:OTCQX) is doing successful exploration in an area close to the Pueblo Viejo mine.
In addition to these metal mining ventures, the Dominican Republic has an excellent deposit of bauxite. This mineral can be exported to China or the United States, dependent upon market prices and the terms of the sales contract.
TGR: Do these mining firms have all of the permits that they need?
AM: They already have all the permits and licenses that they need for exploration.
TGR: What happens when they are ready to go into production?
AM: My office will support them to get any permit they need in order to advance their projects. An application for an exploitation license should be submitted, including a feasibility study proving economics and feasible and proven operations for the proposed project.
TGR: Are there environmental issues? Some local groups are objecting to problems that occurred with Barrick's operation at Pueblo Viejo. How are you dealing with those issues?
AM: All of the environmental issues at the Pueblo Viejo deposit have been addressed by the new operation. The operation is now on the right path.
"We wish to have a transparent permitting and licensing process so that foreign firms and their local partners receive all the help and cooperation from the mining department that they need."
TGR: What is the difference between the previous administration and the new administration regarding mining?
AM: The largest difference is the interest that the new president has in providing full support to investors. We wish to have a transparent permitting and licensing process so that foreign firms and their local partners receive all the help and cooperation from the mining department that they need.
TGR: Are there any new rules and regulations for mining waiting in the wings?
AM: There are no new regulations up to now, just a clear attitude to help investors.
TGR: Given some of the historical problems with natural and manmade mining disasters, why should foreign investors feel safe putting their money into firms working in your country?
AM: First of all, the Dominican Republic is a very quiet and peaceful country. It is very well organized politically and economically. It has proven time and again that it's a safe place to invest. The Dominican government is very conscientious about protecting foreign investments. We will provide full support to any investor putting capital into the mining sector, or tourism or any other economic area.
TGR: Does the government take a cut of the mining proceeds?
AM: We partner with mining firms when the deposits are government-owned. But there is no interest from the Dominican government to partner with investment in the private mining sector. We believe in free enterprise and we have mining laws that protect investors and tax mining the same as any other investment venture in the country.
We are very optimistic about our future, because even though we are a small island, there is lots of mining potential in the Dominican Republic. The ongoing operations that we have talked about have really proved that future is very exciting.
TGR: Thank you for taking the time to talk with us, Mr. Medina.
Alexander Medina is the new director of the Mining Management Office of the Dominican Republic. Trained as a chemical engineer, he was an executive with Falconbridge and Xtrata for many years before assuming his new role officially overseeing the exploitation of metal and mineral resources estimated to be worth $58 billion.
Want to read more Gold Report interviews like this? Sign up for our free e-newsletter, and you'll learn when new articles have been published. To see a list of recent interviews with industry analysts and commentators, visit our Interviews page.
1) Peter Byrne of The Gold Report conducted this interview. He personally and/or his family own shares of the following companies mentioned in this interview: None.
2) The following companies mentioned in the interview are sponsors of The Gold Report: Unigold Inc. Streetwise Reports does not accept stock in exchange for services. Interviews are edited for clarity.
3) Alexander Medina: I personally and/or my family own shares of the following companies mentioned in this interview: None. I personally and/or my family am paid by the following companies mentioned in this interview: None. I was not paid by Streetwise Reports for participating in this story.
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Browsing Working papers by Author "Crabtree, Andrew"
Now showing items 1-2 of 2
Crabtree, Andrew (København, 2007)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Prahalad's thesis is extremely vague, indeed it identifies seven versions. The paper then turns to examining the 12 major cross-country case studies that Prahalad uses as corroboration for his views. It argues that the evidence that Prahalad offers to support his claims fails to do so, or, proves to provide counter-examples. Furthermore, the case study approach that Prahalad uses is methodologically weak for the strong claims that he makes. Placing the argument in a broader perspective, it is argued that the bottom of the pyramid approach can do more harm than good if it, as Prahalad does, plays down factors which have been important to large scale poverty reduction in countries such as South Korea, China, India and Vietnam. After assessing the book on its own terms, the paper asks whether or not income poverty is the correct space in which to evaluate the impact of business activities. The concepts of income poverty, multidimensional poverty and capability deprivation are discussed and a notion of fundamental capability deprivations as being the relevant evaluative space is defended. It is argued while the Bottom of the Pyramid approach fares better on these criteria, but still leaves a lot to be desired. The eradication of deprivation requires more than self-interested firms. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6755
Files in this item: 1wps-2007_no.1_andrew.crabtree.pdf (241.6Kb)
FDI with chinese characteristicsCrabtree, Andrew (København, 2008)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: China's FDI to Africa has drawn much attention recently, partially because of the high profile China has given it, and partially because of the political and economic effects it is having on Africa. This paper begins by outlining the political context which is needed to understand Chinese outward FDI, namely the introduction of the "open door" policy and, more particularly, its policy towards Africa. The paper then goes on to give an overview of Chinese FDI in Africa. The paper then turns to ask the question: Is Chinese FDI developmental? To answer this question, it examines the notion of development and argues that much of the "western FDI" debate is severely limited in as far as it concentrates on income poverty and ignores other aspects of multidimensional poverty. After giving an overview of China's involvement in Africa, the paper turns to four case studies of Chinese FDI, examining the developmental impacts on a variety of dimensions (as far as is possible) of different types of FDI in different regimes, namely resource seeking and manufacturing in Zambia, an infrastructure project in Botswana and construction/tourism in Sierra Leone. It warns against generalising from these cases, but suggests that the developmental effects so far have been limited. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6753
Files in this item: 1wps-2008_no.9.pdf (167.5Kb)
Now showing items 1-2 of 2


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Using a certified public accountant or enrolled agent is a good way to know that your finances will get some quality attention this tax season.
Using a certified public accountant or enrolled agent is a good way to know that your finances will get some quality attention this tax season.
Millie Tobolsky of the Tobolsky and Wachsler accounting firm in Sharon and Norwood, Mass., said certified public accountants could be subject to a $5,000 fine or the loss of their licenses if they make a mistake on a return.
Tobolsky suggests seeking the guidance of a professional tax preparer if you have recently undergone a major lifestyle change such as getting married or having a child.
David Dennis, managing partner of the Dennis & Associates accounting firm in Quincy, Mass., said poorly qualified preparers may overlook important deductions and credits or make mistakes that could cost you penalties and interest.
"Stick to CPAs and professionals that you know are in the community year-round," Dennis said.
A tax preparer that is only open seasonally may not be able to help you if you need additional assistance at another time in the year with a previous return.
CPAs require at least 80 hours of continuing education each year to keep up with changes in the tax law, Dennis said.
But Dennis said that not everyone needs the assistance of a CPA. If you have a simple return without many deductions, going to a chain such as Liberty Tax Service or H&R Block could be a good option and may be less expensive.
Shaunna Gately may be reached at email@example.com.


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Double-the-love chocolate cake
Nutrition and extra info
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal729
- fat43g
- saturates26g
- carbs83g
- sugars60g
- fibre2g
- protein7g
- salt0.79g
- 400g butter
Butter is a dairy product made from separating whole milk or cream into fat and…
- 200g plain chocolate
- 700g plain flour
- 800g caster sugar
- 100g cocoa
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Bicarbonate of soda
Bicarbonate of soda, or baking soda, is an alkali which is used to raise soda breads and full-…
- 4 large eggs
The ultimate convenience food, eggs are powerhouses of nutrition packed with protein and a…
- 400ml buttermilk
There are two types of buttermilk. Traditional buttermilk is a thin, cloudy, slightly tart but…
To assemble
- 2 x 200g bars white chocolate
White chocolatewhy-t chok-lit
To purists, this is not chocolate because it is made only from the fat or butter of the cacao…
- 550g softened butter
Butter is a dairy product made from separating whole milk or cream into fat and…
- 550g icing sugar
- 2-3 x 80g bags white chocolate buttons, flowers and ribbons, optional
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base and sides of deep, round 20cm and 15cm cake tins with baking parchment – making sure the paper comes a few cms above the sides.
Boil the kettle. Put half the butter and chocolate in a pan and gently melt, stirring. Mix together half of the flour, sugar, cocoa and bicarb with a pinch of salt. Whisk 2 of the eggs and 200ml buttermilk together. Scrape the melted chocolate mixture and egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Add 150ml boiling water and whizz everything together with an electric whisk until lump-free. Divide between the tins and bake for 40-45 mins, swapping round after 30 mins if they're on different shelves (the 15cm one should be done after 40 mins). To test they're cooked, push in a skewer and check it comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their tins.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 again, so you end up with 2 x 20cm cakes and 2 x 15cm cakes.
Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Beat together the butter and icing sugar, then beat in the white chocolate. When the cakes are cool, split each one in half. Use the icing to sandwich back together so you end up with 2 x four-layered cakes. Sit the 20cm cake on your serving plate and spread some more icing over the top. Sit the smaller cake on top of that, and completely cover with icing. Decorate with the chocolate buttons.
If you want to add some flowers choose something edible, like roses. Make a posy, wrapping the stems in a little damp kitchen paper then some cling film, add a ribbon and add to the cake on the day of the wedding.
Recipe Tip
Store itOnce iced, the cakes will be fine for 24 hours in a cool-ish place, but not the fridge. The un-iced cakes will still taste great after two days, so if you don't have room in your freezer you can still start baking a couple of days before the wedding and ice the day before. Then all you have to do on the big day is poke in some flowers, if you like.
Recipe Tip
Ice itThe buttercream will be fine in the fridge for up to a week, just bring it back to room temperature before using it so that it is soft enough to spread.
Recipe Tip
Freeze itThe un-iced, un-cut cakes can be well-wrapped in cling film and frozen for up to a month (just defrost overnight at room temperature before decorating).


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A. Heath Abshure, Arkansas securities commissioner, began on Tuesday a one-year term as president of the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), replacing Jack Herstein, assistant director of the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance and head of the department's Bureau of Securities.
In his inaugural address at NASAA's annual conference, Abshure said his presidency will focus on NASAA's response to a rapidly changing regulatory environment. "I want to focus on what we can do, and if we harmonize our efforts, what we can become," he said.
"Considering our illustrious history, our excellent track record, our universal reputation for fighting the good fight, and our physical presence throughout all of North America, we stand poised to be the most thoughtful, appropriate, and influential voice whenever changes to the system of securities regulation are being considered," Abshure said.
"Consider our ability to strike the reasonable balance between investor protection and capital formation along with our ability to speak reasonably and collectively with one voice. Now add the benefits of our physical presence in each state, territory and province. It is clear to me that we should have an active voice that is not only heard by lawmakers, but heeded. However, history has proved that not to be the case. This is what we must change," Abshure said.
Abshure went on to say that "If the JOBS Act is any indication, lawmakers appear willing to sacrifice reasonable regulation for perceived economic growth," Abshure said. "However, reasonable regulation is essential to facilitate the investor trust necessary for economic growth."
In 2011, he was appointed as a member of the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies.
Abshure also announced NASAA's new board of directors, including: President-elect Steven Irwin, Pennsylvania securities commissioner; Past President Herstein; Fred Joseph, Colorado securities commissioner; Chris Naylor, Indiana securities commissioner; Douglas Brown, Manitoba securities commission director of legal, enforcement and registrations; Matt Kitzi, Missouri securities commissioner; Melanie Lubin, Maryland securities commissioner; and Patricia Struck, Wisconsin securities administrator.


text:
- Store
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These are 100% genuine Bosch products and may come in various Bosch packaging.
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1 Quantity = 8 Parts. Please change quantity to purchase if need is more than 8 parts Boxes can show shelf ware and/or tape but are guaranteed 100% new and complete. We inspect each package before shipment.


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Pop stars are hitting their Facebook accounts hard in the weeks before MTV's Video Music Awards in hopes of garnering a coveted Moonman.
Several singers, such as Pink and Nicki Minaj, are reportedly asking fans to head to the MTV website to vote for them, according to The Independent (U.K.) The leader of the pack with the largest increase of fans this week, according to data from Famecount, was singer Pink followed by Minaj and Rihanna.
The data from social media analysts shows that Pink gained the most fans over the week prior to August 16 with 1,683,303 new Facebook fans. The closest musician to Pink was Nicki Minaj with 870,522 fans followed AC/DC with 717,759 fans - though the inclusion of the veteran rockers was not directly related to the awards. . . .The popularity of the awards among Facebook users is illustrated by Pink's post regarding the VMAs, which so far has attracted nearly 10,000 'likes' alone.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Singer Minaj is also shamelessly trolling for VMA votes, with her Facebook page linking to her post "Nicki Minaj Wants Your VMA Votes!" can attest.
Looking over Famecount, Lady Gaga has the highest number of followers -- more than 42 million on Facebook alone (and she is also up for a VMA) but isn't actively fishing for votes. However, Gaga is extremely active on social media and responsive to fans -- probably the reason her fans will likely vote for her without any prompting.


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I have been on an unintended blog break for the last couple of weeks. Two weeks ago I did my first market of the year (and only my third ever), the Artefact Market. Really, I don't know how people do them on a regular basis! I was flat out, especially the week of the market, I didn't even go to sleep the night before. Yeah....I will never do that part again.
That said, I did enjoy the market. For me markets are not about the selling, but the response to my making. And the response from the market goers was wonderful. They especially loved my felt food creations. It was fun to see their smiles, hear their comments, and watch them bring someone else over to see them:) My felt Weet-bix got the biggest response. Who knew something so silly would have such an impact? Laura and Penny from the Oh! Hello Geelong blog did a review of the Artefact market and highlighted (including pics) my felt creations. How can that not make you feel good about what you create?
It was also fun to see people get what I am trying to do. While I do make many things, when I decided to start selling my handmade items I wanted to be different. I also wanted to be able to create all manners of things in a way that would seem consistent and connected. That ultimately led to me focusing my making for selling on items that have an Australiana theme. I loved having people exclaim over my gumnut babies bibs, or Possum Magic bag tags or Magic Pudding magnets. To hear people comment on my felt lamingtons, wool embroidered native flower hoop art or koala crayons. Yes, all my items are functional and have a purpose, but they also evoke memories and connections.
In the two weeks since the market I have had a string of sales in my Madeit shop (including a custom order) and have just been trying to catch up on all the things I had neglected. But as I look around my house I am thinking there is still lots of catching up to do! So I am glad the school holidays are about to start - I am actually looking forward to just being at home. No kinder, no school, no ballet, no netball, no swimming etc... No schedule:) There will, however, be some crafting. Both girls have birthdays in April, so I have some projects to finish:)
I hope you have been getting lots done in your creative space and I look forward to catching up on my blog visiting. Check out Our Creative Spaces to see what others have been up to. Cyndy Pin It


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In an era of warming climates and cooling economies, Malthusian limits to growth look to be not just real but hard upon us. More people once meant more innovation. Now it just seems to mean less for each: Less water for cattle herders in the Horn of Africa. Less land for farmers from the Philippines to Guatemala. Less atmosphere to absorb the heat-trapping gases the global economy exhales. Less energy and food. And if the world's economy doesn't bounce back, fewer jobs.
This predicament brings back an old sore topic: human population and what, if anything, to do about it. Not that any immediate respite is possible. There are nearly 6.8 billion of us today and more on the way. To make a dent in these problems in the short term without throwing anyone overboard, we'll need to radically reduce individuals' footprint on the environment through improved technologies and, for the well-off, a downshift in lifestyle.
Raw population growth is worrisome enough. Rising consumption rates make it more so. As nations develop, their consumption – and its environmental harm – rises. The average American consumes many times the resources the average African does. Americans are just 4.5 percent of world population, but there are 1.2 billion people in industrialized countries. And another 2.4 billion people in China and India are clambering up the consumption ladder. Today's rapid growth in consumption on top of rapid population growth is a one-two punch that has the environment reeling.
One obvious need is to cut individual consumption rates – somehow. But until the world's population stops growing, there will be no end to the consumption squeeze. With the 9 billion people demographers project by 2050, even a global average lifestyle such as South Africa's could be unsustainable. Acting on both population and individual consumption consistently and simultaneously is the key to long-term environmental sustainability. For the sake of the poor, let alone the rest of the world, we'd be better off if population ended its growth soon and moved gradually to a level lower than today's.
For most of the public, slowing population means "population control," as in China. But the concept of "control" is, for good reason, anathema to most people. As it happens, it's actually more effective to address population based on our right to decide for ourselves if and when to have children. The basis for action is something that also makes sense for other reasons: Make unintended childbirth as rare as possible. The benefits ripple out from women's lives in particular to all of humanity and to nature.
The idea is hardly new. At a United Nations Conference in Cairo in 1994, almost all the world's nations agreed to reject population control and instead help every woman bear a child in good health when she wants one.
That approach, which powerfully supports reproductive liberty, might sound counterintuitive for shrinking population growth, like handing a teenager the keys to the family car without so much as a lecture. But the evidence suggests that what women want is not more children but more for the fewer children they can reliably raise to healthy adulthood. Left to their own devices, women collectively "control" population while acting on their own intentions. Governments can, and should, get out of the way, merely helping assure that family-planning services are safe, inexpensive, and available to those who seek them.
More than 200 million women in developing countries are sexually active without using effective contraception even though they do not want to be pregnant anytime soon, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive-health research group. The result: Some 80 million pregnancies around the world are unintended, a number similar (though not strictly comparable) to the one by which world population grows every year.
In the US, which spends about 17 cents per dollar of economic activity on healthcare, nearly half of all pregnancies is unintended. Yet in all nations in which a choice of contraceptives is available, backed up by safe abortion services, women have one or two children. Combine such services with education for girls and decent opportunities for women, and average global fertility would fall below two.
True, old-style population control seems at first glance to have helped slow population growth in China. But most of the drop in Chinese fertility occurred before the one-child policy went into effect in 1979, and given fertility trends elsewhere in Asia, it's likely the drop would have continued without coercion. Many developing countries – from Thailand to Colombia to Iran – have experienced comparable declines in family size by focusing on making schooling and family-planning services as accessible as possible.
With President Obama in the White House and Democrats dominant in Congress, the US government is at last supporting the kind of development abroad and reproductive health at home most likely to encourage slower population growth. Like nearly all other politicians, however, Mr. Obama doesn't talk about population or its connection to problems from health and education all the way to food, energy security, and climate change. The topic is still too sensitive, despite the recent upsurge in attention.
Bringing population back into the public conversation is risky, but people increasingly understand that the subject is only one part of most of today's problems and that "population control" can't really control population. Handing control of their lives and their bodies to women – the right thing to do for countless other reasons – can. There is no reason to fear the discussion.
Robert Engelman is vice president for programs at the Worldwatch Institute and is author of "More: Population, Nature, and What Women Want." A longer version of this essay first appeared in the magazine Scientific American.