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Wow, that sounds like it would be worth a look. However, I'm not sure if I'm in the market for another piece of electronics at the moment. We already have a house full!

No more stock.

There is a new news item posted at »ASE Labs

»ISP\'s Data Retention

How many ISPs are keeping tabs on you? <a href="http://www.wired.com/politics/onlinerights/news/2007/05/isp_privacy">Wired has done a bit of snooping itself to find the answer</a>.

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Wired News, with help from some readers, attempted to get real answers from the largest United States-based ISPs about what information they gather on their customers' use of the internet, and how long they retain records like IP addresses, e-mail and real-time browsing activity. Most importantly, we asked what they require from law-enforcement agencies before coughing up the data, and whether they sell your data to marketers. Only four of the eight largest ISPs responded to the 10-question survey, despite being contacted repeatedly over the course of two months. Some ISPs wouldn't talk to us, but gave answers to customers responding to a call for reader help on Wired's Threat Level blog.

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it will be interesting to see the real world performance from reviews when compre to the quad core from intel.

I find it more settling to think that there is nothing else, personally.

That is a great idea but if it is like anything else they will wait forever to expand on this theory.

There are significant things wrong in KDE 3. The launch feedback absolutely sucks. While KDE integrates nicely with its own apps, its fails to integrate well with Firefox or Thunderbird (or the other way around).

And mounts on Linux are totally messed up for cifs or smbfs.

There is a new news item posted at »ASE Labs

»Gutsy Alpha 1 Released

The unstable version of Ubuntu has had its first release. <a href="http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/tribe1">Do not install this on any production machine</a>. The builds could be and probably are unstable.

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The Ubuntu developers are moving very quickly to bring you the absolute latest and greatest software the Open Source Community has to offer. The Gutsy Gibbon Tribe 1 is the first alpha release of Ubuntu 7.10, and with this new alpha release comes a whole host of excellent new features. The feature list for 7.10 has been slowly growing more exact since Gutsy opened late last month. While looking forward nothing is completely certain, here are some of the new things that have already arrived, such as GNOME 2.19, a new 2.6.22-rc kernel, as well as a good look at the approved specifications for Gutsy.

I hope Gutsy will bring better support to the Kubuntu branch. I had the opportunity to test Xubuntu and since it uses GTK, all the Ubuntu tools work fine. Kubuntu seems like the bastard child of the group... but I like KDE over Gnome or Xfce.

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There is a new news item posted at »ASE Labs

»Ubuntu Moblie in October

I'm hoping that Ubuntu remains on the forefront of the popular Linux distributions. It happens to be my favorite and I look forward to further innovations.

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"At the Computex trade show in Taiwan, the company announced particulars of a mobile version of Linux, Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded Edition. The first full release of the software, which will permit video, sound and full-featured Internet browsing, is due to arrive in October, Canonical said. The software is geared for use on Intel's Mobile Internet Device platform--minitablet PCs using low-power processors and tiny keyboards. Intel announced the Ubuntu MID work, as well as a similar partnership with Red Flag Linux, at its Intel Developer Forum in Beijing in April."

http://news.com.com/Canonical+refines+mobile+Ubuntu+Linux/2100-7344_3-6189214.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news

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I think this is what they really had in mind:

Plenty of ER-PPC's on this baby

Oh also: To prepare for the coming battlemech revolution in combat technology, I give you myomers

Backup your profile directory and reinstall Firefox... see if it works without your profile first.

Thanks?

I think I'm gonna throw up!

Four Rooms, not all that weird, but pretty crazy.

Said By debrajean2

I don't think I've seen this one. What's it about?

Revenge

And this movie is probably one of the best Westerns I have seen ina long long time. Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson were phenomenal!

I highly recommend this movie to ALL!

Star Wars.

I'm not saying it is the best movie I have ever seen, but it had the most lasting impression on me at that age and time. Incredible for it's era!

itt: abbreviations

I've heard really good things about it. I'm seriously considering it, when I get the money to do it. It's a little expensive, but it's supposed to last for the rest of your life. If you would ever need corrective lenses again, it would just be for reading. And that is only IF......

There is a new news item posted at »ASE Labs

»Microsoft Teams With Xandros

Microsoft is partnering with more and more Linux vendors these days. <a href="http://news.com.com/2100-7344_3-6188254.html">Does Microsoft see the writing on the wall</a>? You have to think if there will be a time when we will see a real Winux distro from Microsoft.

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Over the next five years, the two companies said, they will work on improving interoperability between their servers to improve systems management. The pact calls for Microsoft to provide patent covenants for Xandros customers that ensure they are not infringing on Microsoft's intellectual property, according to the companies. Xandros will also ship software for desktop productivity applications that translates between the Open Document Format and OpenXML, which is Microsoft's own document format.

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I wouldn't have the foggiest idea which of the Disney movies I saw first as a child. They were good, but didn't make THAT big of an impression. I guess my favorite would have to be Cinderella, just because I'm a sucker for happily ever afters

That reminds me of "Northern Exposure". Every so often the residents would find a mammoth and make sausage and steaks out of it.

I agree. Eat them shell and all.

There is a new news item posted at »ASE Labs

»Apple May Force DRM Out

Wouldn't it be great if Apple's Music Store said no to DRM completely? <a href="http://news.com.com/2100-1027_3-6187666.html">Some people think that will be the case eventually</a>. Hopefully they are correct.

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Apple on Wednesday began selling unprotected MP3s from record label EMI. Shoppers have the option to purchase either a 256kbps AAC-encoded DRM-free song for $1.29 via iTunes Plus, or the usual 128kbps AAC-encoded DRM version for 99 cents. The move is important on many levels. For the first time, consumers can play music from Apple's iTunes on digital players other than the iPod. For Apple, offering DRM-free songs could hand the company some credibility in dealings with European regulators, who want the company to open up iTunes to third-party hardware makers.

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I moved to Georgia from Chicago in 1993 and people would tease me that I would get an accent. I said, "No way! I hate those accents, I'll never get one!" I find myself sounding a bit southern sometimes and it depresses me a little, because I've still always wanted to move back!

There is a new news item posted at »ASE Labs

»iTunes To Sell DRM-Free EMI Music

This is huge for the industry. <a href="http://news.com.com/2100-1027_3-6187457.html">iTunes will sell the music for $1.29</a>.

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As expected, all the songs from music label EMI that are sold on iTunes are now available in DRM-free versions. Shoppers have the option to purchase either a 256kbps AAC-encoded DRM-free song for $1.29 via iTunes Plus, or the usual 128kbps AAC-encoded DRM-version for 99 cents. "We expect more than half of the songs on iTunes will be offered in iTunes Plus versions by the end of this year," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement. No one at Apple was available for live comment on Wednesday morning.

Please add your comments below.

Hopefully the radio will tank and then people get pissed at the RIAA and then they die.

There is a new news item posted at »ASE Labs

»Wed Reviews

<a href="http://www.aselabs.com/articles.php?id=217">Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2GB PC2-8500

</a>

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When you think of memory, Crucial is a brand that is recognized as stable and trustworthy. It was some time ago that Crucial (and Micron) never provided overclocking RAM and never warranted pushing their modules passed their recommended values. Even back then, people used Crucial modules to push their systems to the limits. Today, Crucial is one of the many memory makers that back overclocking memory as a standard. RAM has come a long way since those early years. Now there are lights and heat spreaders on most memory. The real meat is the speed and timings and that is what we are looking at for the Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2GB PC2-8500 Kit.

<a href="http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/454">OCZ Equalizer Laser Gaming Mouse Review @ Hardware Secrets</a>

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The dog may be man's best friend, but a mouse is a gamer's best pal. The market is flooded with mice that promise high resolutions and dead-on precision in the digital battlegrounds. Every company offers something extra to attract a potential buyer, be it the adjustable weight cartridge from Logitech's G5 line, or the triple threat button from OCZ Equalizer Laser Gaming Mouse, that allows the user to shoot a virtual weapon three times faster then normal. We tested the latter and its impressive range of sensitivity - from 400dpi to 2500 dpi - that can turn any lousy shot into a digital marksman.

<a href="http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zotac/GeForce_8800_GTX_OC">Zotac GeForce 8800 GTX OC Edition @ techPowerUp</a>

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Zotac's new GeForce 8800 GTX OC Edition comes factory overclocked with clocks of 630 MHz core and 1000 MHz memory. This is a nice increase over the standard NVIDIA clocks, especially if you consider the small $20 premium and that you don't lose your warranty. For users who are not willing to spend a lot of money for a GeForce 8800 Ultra this card seems to be a viable alternative.

<a href="http://www.bigbruin.com/2007/crucial8500_1">Crucial Ballistix Tracer PC2-8500 2GB DDR2 Memory Kit Review @ Bigbruin.com</a>

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Quote: You get what you pay for. It's a phrase we hear often, but how much does this statement reflect the truth? The Crucial Ballistix Tracer product lineup is intended to satisfy those who care about aesthetics just as much as performance. So with the Crucial Ballistix Tracer PC2-8500 2GB DDR2 Memory Kit, do you get what you pay for? We'll let you be the judge.

<a href="http://www.thinkgaming.org/nintendo-wii-review.html">Nintendo Wii Review @ ThinkGaming.org</a>

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The release of the Nintendo Wii in November 2006 has brought a different look to next generation consoles. Since is release it has sold over 7 million units. The Wii uses wireless (Bluetooth) remotes, called Wiimotes. Yes, other consoles offer wireless remotes, but they don't offer what the Wii does, interaction. The remote and receiver combination is more of a virtual simulation where how you move physically is affected in the game. This is very different than any other console. Yet some gamers may find this to completely destroy their purpose of video gaming. This usually is to just sit around rather than move. This gives the opportunity for people to lose weight and enjoy themselves while doing it. Who knew that video games could come to this?

<a href="http://www.tweaknews.net/reviews/gigabyte_3d_galaxyII_liquid_cooling_system/">Gigabyte 3D Galaxy II CPU Liquid Cooling System Review @ Tweaknews.net</a>

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With the introduction of the 3D Galaxy II liquid cooling system, Gigabyte has given novice watercooling enthusiasts another option when deciding to take the plunge. This system is feature rich, expandable and great looking. It has good cooling performance as well, and addresses the motherboard cooling issues commonly overlooked by the inexperienced waterhead.

<a href="http://www.techwarelabs.com/reviews/storage/mx-1">Antec MX-1 e-SATA Hard Drive Enclosure Review @ TechwareLabs</a>

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Quote: External hard drives are nothing new to the computer accessories market. External hard drive enclosures are offered by many manufacturers and most perform their intended job well. Antec recently sent us the MX-1 which is their latest external storage enclosure for us to test. We expected an ordinary enclosure and were pleasantly surprised by the performance and features of this product.

<a href="http://www.dragonsteelmods.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2823&Itemid=38">High Power 560watt PSU with LED Power Meter @ DragonSteelMods</a>

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Power supplies are something that we just have to have, and sometimes the cheapie OEMs just don't cut it for the things we need to do. The trend lately is bigger, and bigger for power supplies, sure that's nice thing but what if you don't need that much power? What if you're looking for something that can handle a basic system with no problems and still allow for a bit of upgrading headroom as well? Today for review I have a 560watt supply from our friends at High Power, during my testing I found it absolutely stable, and well within tolerances. One nice and interesting feature is that High Power has included an LED display on the back that lets you know just how much power your system is consuming at any given time...

<a href="http://www.bigbruin.com/2007/ttixoft_1">Thermaltake iXoft R15ON02 Notebook Cooling Pad Review @ Bigbruin.com</a>

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Quote: After having used a handful of notebook coolers that use rigid bodies with fans to get the job done, the iXoft is obviously the quietest, easiest to setup, most portable, and still quite effective. The somewhat mysterious and scientific nature of Thermaltake's heatshift technology makes the iXoft even more appealing, as it is just that much different than the typical cooler.

<a href="http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1102">Antec MX-1 External 3.5 @ Bjorn3D</a>

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The MX-1 is aptly named, as surprisingly it is Antec's first and currently only foray into the HDD enclosure market. Feature-wise, Antec takes great care to stress that the MX-1 is actively cooled, definitely a good start out of the gate. The average hard drive can easily reach temperatures of 40-50c if left out in the open air, while inside a case active hard drive cooling is a must. Antec's choice to equip the MX-1 with both an eSATA and USB 2.0 connectors gives it the potential to perform just as fast as an internal SATA hard drive, while giving it the portability to easily go anywhere. No eSATA port? No problem, an eSATA -> SATA pass through PCI bracket is included in the kit as well.

<a href="http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Good_Work_Systems/FragPedals_Elite">Good Work Systems Fragpedal Elite @ techPowerUp</a>

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The Good Work Systems Fragpedal Elite gives your feet control during your favorite game. Our feet are the only part which we still do not use when sitting in front of the computer. The Fragpedal Elite give you four fully customizable buttons to use in any fash&Atilde;&shy;on you would like. The included software with its own programming environment makes this possible. We give the pedals and the software a try, to see if it makes a good addition to your keyboard and mouse.

<a href="http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=10022">ATI Drivers: Ubuntu vs. Windows</a>

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Yesterday we covered the graphics hardware needed to handle Beryl and on the heels of that article we are taking a quick look at another Linux versus Windows comparison for the official ATI/AMD graphics drivers. NVIDIA's Linux and Windows drivers perform about the same and in some instances the Linux binary driver even running faster, but as we have been sharing now for many months the Linux fglrx driver is handicapped for performance. Has things since improved for ATI? Well, as you'll see in this article by using the official Linux driver from ATI/AMD you can expect your frame-rate to be cut in half compared to the most recent version of the Windows Catalyst driver.

<a href="http://legitreviews.com/article/497/1/">OCZ PC2 9200 2GB Reaper HPC Edition Memory Review @ Legit Reviews</a>

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OCZ brings us face to face with the Reaper... Will you be dying to get your hands on this ram from OCZ? Find out as we take a look at the Reaper and see how it compares to other high quality memory out there. These were the first modules to be incorporate the new Reaper heatsink and are rated at 1150MHz at CL 5-5-5. Read on to see if these copper heat pipe clad memory modules are right for you.

<a href="http://legitreviews.com/article/497/1/">OCZ PC2 9200 2GB Reaper HPC Edition Memory Review @ Legit Reviews</a>

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OCZ brings us face to face with the Reaper... Will you be dying to get your hands on this ram from OCZ? Find out as we take a look at the Reaper and see how it compares to other high quality memory out there. These were the first modules to be incorporate the new Reaper heatsink and are rated at 1150MHz at CL 5-5-5. Read on to see if these copper heat pipe clad memory modules are right for you.

<a href="http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=10012">GPUs Beryl: What is Needed?</a>

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We thought it was already clear what graphics processors and drivers work and don't work with Linux desktop eye candy such as Beryl and Compiz, but it seems based upon the number of e-mails we have been receiving along with messages in community bulletin boards that the line isn't so clear after all. For those that have never tried out Beryl, it is a compositing window manager branched from Compiz (though Beryl will merge back with Compiz soon) that provides a variety of window decorations and other desktop eye candy for X.Org users. In this article we hope to make it clear for you what GPUs will make your Linux desktop look the most pleasurable and what ones just sweat thinking about these desktop effects. We have taken eight different systems, benchmarked them using the Beryl Benchmark, and have our thoughts on these ATI/AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA solutions with Beryl v0.2.

<a href="http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=10000">BeleniX v0.6 LiveCD</a>

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The BeleniX LiveCD that is based off of OpenSolaris with GNU applications has reached version 0.6 after some setbacks. While this release is coming out later than expected, it is based upon OpenSolaris Build 60, uses X.Org 7.2, features Compiz 0.5 for Xfce and KDE, offers usbdump integration, and sports many other improvements. BeleniX is a OpenSolaris distribution we enjoy very much and would encourage all of you experimenting with Linux or Solaris to try it out.

<a href="http://www.xyzcomputing.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1064">Microsoft Reclusa Gaming Keyboard Review at XYZ Computing</a>

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As an encore to the Habu Razer and Microsoft teamed up again, this time to make a keyboard. Rather than build off of Razer's successful Tarantula keyboard, as the company did with its Pro|Type the team decided to put together something very different from it. The Reclusa is a gaming keyboard that, according to today's standards, does not look like a gaming keyboard. In fact it looks more like a media keyboard from 1998, that is at least before you turn it on. This low-key approach to gamer gear is probably a result of Microsoft's influence on the product- an attempt to broaden its appeal- so it will be interesting to see how its performance is affected by this approach.

<a href="http://modders-inc.com/reviews-story--136.html">Ultra Products Gladiator Mid-Tower Case at Modders-Inc</a>

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The Gladiator is a mid tower case that supports AT, baby AT, ATX, and micro ATX motherboards. The case is constructed of 1mm thick high grade steel and has a total of 10 drive bays. The Gladiator also utilizes several Tool-less features from the 5 &frac14; inch drive bays to the PCI slots. The Gladiator even includes an Intel TAC compliant CPU duct and VGA vent.

<a href="http://www.viperlair.com/reviews/cases/other/cases/aspire/xqpack2/">Apevia X-QPACK2 Aluminum Case @ Viper Lair</a>

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Compared to the first generation of X-QPack, the X-QPack2 is a better designed and better performing Micro-ATX case. The improvements design-wise is the slightly deeper chassis which gives a bit more clearance for long video cards and optical drives, and the improved performance comes from the additional cooling and higher rated power supply.

<a href="http://www.thetechlounge.com/article/410/Albatron+GeForce+8600+GT+256MB/">Albatron GeForce 8600 GT 256MB @ TheTechLounge</a>

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Today we have for review an Albatron 8600 GT from Albatron. This is a standard (as opposed to overclocked) version of NVIDIA's 8600 GT. The 8600 GT performance is a little under par with the 7900 GS and the X1950 PRO, which can currently be bought for about the same price. This puts the card in a tight spot. Will it please the hordes of eager gamers looking for an affordable card?

<a href="http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=9962">ASUS P5N-E SLI</a>

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The ASUS P5N-E SLI motherboard rings in at about $130 USD, which makes it substantially cheaper than many of the NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI motherboards on the market and even some of the nForce 650i motherboards. While this motherboard may be affordable, does it deliver upon the ASUS quality and innovations that enthusiasts have come to expect from their cutting edge products? Well, some of its many features include Intel Quad-Core support, NVIDIA SLI, and HD Azalia Audio.

<a href="http://www.modders-inc.com/reviews-story--138.html">OCZ DDR2 PC2-6400 SLi-Ready Memory at Modders-Inc</a>

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The OCZ name is well known when it comes to memory. Offering top notch performance and outstanding overclocking capabilities, it is hard to beat. OCZ's PC2-6400 SLi-Ready memory modules are programmed to boot at 800MHz DDR2 with timings of 4-4-4 1T.

<a href="http://hardwarelogic.com/news/60/ARTICLE/1398/2007-05-24.html">Crucial Ballistix PC2-8500 Tracer Memory Kit Review @ HardwareLogic</a>

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As DDR2 meanders to obsolescence, we're going to send it out with a bang......Today HL begins a four review series covering some enthusiast kits that not only tickle the overclocking itch, but do it without breaking the bank. We'll begin our journey with Crucial's PC2-8500 Tracer Memory Kit, for those of you that want bling in your case....it doesn't get much better than this.

<a href="http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1104">OCZ Trifecta @ Bjorn3D</a>

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Every now again a product comes along that makes you sit up and take notice. It may be the newest video card or a screaming fast CPU. But once is a very long while it is a product that is less revolutionary and more evolutionary. And so I present you with the OCZ Trifecta, the next evolution in Secure Digital memory. The OCZ Trifecta offers microSD, SD and USB 2.0 compatibility at 66x speeds (10 MB/s) all in one convenient package. With capacities up to 2 GB, the Trifecta looks to have a lot of potential. During the time I spent with this device I would test to see how it performs as a replacement for my digital camera's SD card, my cell phone's microSD card and my OCZ Rally thumb drive.

<a href="http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mushkin/XP2-8500-4GB">Mushkin XP2-8500 4 GB @ techPowerUp</a>

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Mushkin's XP2-8500 4 GB DDR2 memory is the only kit on the market that can run DDR2-1066 in a 4 GB configuration. While other manufacturers have to use CL6 @ 800 MHz, Mushkin can use CL5 @ 1066, at around 2.30 V. Having 4 GB of system memory may soon be the recommended configuration when running the memory-hungry Windows Vista. The only drawback of this memory is its price: $679.

<a href="http://www.xsreviews.co.uk/reviews/graphics-cards/sapphire-x1950-pro/">Sapphire x1950 Pro Review - XSReviews</a>

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* Although many have been a bit disappointed that the latest hardware renditions that ATI released didn't take the GTX performance crown, they tend to forget that the money is in the mid to low range cards, not the top end. This is a market that is still held pretty firmly by ATI with their x1950 Pro cards. Today I have Sapphire's version of the series which has proved itself time and time again; let's see how this one fairs against new challengers from the 8600 series.

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You know what's weird is I fart but I try to leave the room when my hubby is around. I guess because the one time I didn't leave the room he told everyone and made such a big deal about me farting.

The only wear a chocker that has the Chinese Zodiak symbol for the rat. Because I was born in 1984, the year of the rat. Oh, btw, I dunno if anyone else watched Miss Universe last night but Japan won, WOOT for Japan. I loved her evening gown!!.

I made sure I told my boys that the people weren't really hurt, that they didn't really die. They seemed okay after that, but I think my 6yo covered his eyes during most of that scene.