Fast forward to January 2008 - I've received Sapphire Atomic 3870 graphics card (www.sapphireatomic.com) and what made this card special is single-slot vapor chamber cooling, meaning this is the only air-cooled single-slot Radeon 3870 board out here.
After six months of working without a hitch, card suddenly started to overheat… you had 10 minutes of gameplay and the driver would crash. But before I thought about RMA, I've decided to void my warranty and disassemble the cooler to see if single-slot may be the cause of problems.

As you can see on the pictures, complete cooler was blocked, with roughly 5mm of dust, meaning thin aluminum fins could not dissipate heat… at all. Now, what made this case particularly interesting is the fact that this card was housed in a case protected with dust filters, and the cleaning of inside would happen every month or so. Every cleaning included a visit to the card's fan and cleaning it – yet, there was no way in seeing that the cooler will become clogged.
Sapphire is currently developing its solutions for 4800 generation of products, but I can't help but feeling that future single-slot cards should have see-through cover, so that every user could see if the board became clogged with dust or not.
See-through acryl may not look attractive as a black plastic, but at the end of the day, these babies are race cars, not bikini-wearing models. Just a thought.

Here in the north of Scotland we are now experiencing Autumn in its full splendor. Chilly and misty mornings, hills turning brown and trees slowly loosing their leaves - they all together create melancholic atmosphere when you dream of hot chocolate by the fireplace or at least a candle. One such evening I was browsing one of my beloved books with photos of Rene Lalique designs - the essence of Art Nouveau and I was contemplating the Peacock Brooch… and that was the beginning of the Weaving Autumn Mist pendant.

The earrings - a very feminine design was, similarly to the Weaving Autumn Mist pendant, inspired by  Rene Lalique masterpiece. This time, however, the hues are more vibrant and full of joy. It recalls the colour palette of a rainbow which I often see here in the Scottish Highlands when frequent and sudden showers together with strong autumn sunshine create heavenly arches; or like the turning leaves of sycamore tree I see on the hills.

Available exclusively at Wire Boutique :)

Now, for the situation.

On last week, Bravo aired another installment of their 'Real Housewives' reality series. This time, they are featuring 'housewives' in the 'Black Mecca' known as Atlanta. Considering that the city boasts of more African American millionaires than most metropolitan areas, the series largely focuses on four African American women and one White woman. Three of the African American wives are involved with professional athletes; one is married to Cleveland Cavaliers' Eric Snow, one is married to Ed Hartwell of the Atlanta Falcons and the other one is actually divorcing Bob Whitfield, an NFL player.

There's one whose married to an ultra rich real estate investor; but she has about as much class as a cricket. Her nickname says it all, NeNe. Lastly, the one and only White woman on the show is involved with a man who wants to remain a secret, so she refers to him as 'Big Papa'. Oh, by the way, she is a self-prescribed 'Black woman in a White woman's body'.

DeShaun Snow, her husband Eric, and their three sons have just moved into a 15,000 sq. ft home in a gated community. According to her, she's always known, even as a little girl, that she was going to be 'somebody'. But after one show, we haven't seen her do too much other than state that she's conducting interviews for her house staff, which will be complete with an estate manager, governess, and nanny. Oh yes, she explained the purpose of the estate manager; this person acts as 'her' and handles all of the problems of dealing with the house staff so that she won't have to deal with the 'other people'.

The former wife of Bob Whitfield, Sheree, is seeking a lump sum in her divorce settlement in the sum of seven figures. Let's see, on the series premiere, she was throwing herself a birthday party at her home, complete with valet parking and over 100 pretentious, upper echelon guests. Prior to that, she goes shopping for her party and spends over $6,000 dollars on attire, including a $3,200 bag that she supposedly owns exclusively.

So does this show sound like another battle that Black women must fight in this seemingly never-ending war of images? You bet it is. Do I, and other African American women bloggers, need to run some damage control. Indeed.

Well, here it is. In the midst of history, scores of African American women have defied the odds and accomplished tremendous feats. In addition, they have given voice to the perils of living in a country that denied a people the notion of humanity. The list is too long to name all of them, but let's just say that Black women have come a tremendously long way.  Apparently, we have even further to go.  This show, as well as 'Flavor of Love' and 'I Love NY' proves it.

For those of you who are unaware, there is a haunting stereotype that follows African American women. The image of Sapphire, brought to life by the popular radio and television series Amos and Andy, seems to still linger as the typical demeanor of a Black woman. Minister Terri McFaddin-Solomon sums it up in her book, Sapphires and other Precious Jewels:

"And without a doubt sapphire is a fitting metaphor to describe the beauty and value of women of African ancestry...but sapphire also bears a negative connotation. The stereotypical image of a loud, ill-tempered Black woman who has a love-hate relationship with men looms in stark contrast to the beauty and brilliance of the gemstone."

Interestingly enough, the idea of success to these women as well as to the show's producers rest on their ability to marry well, in particular, a ballplayer.  Supposedly, the show will begin to offer some insight into the women's respective ventures.  Most of them are looking to expose some charitable foundation that they have founded but you can believe that the main emphasis will be on drama.  In actuality, the series undermines women in general, but when it focuses on Black women, we have to hold our breaths to make sure it will do us some justice.

Well, for the Real Housewives of Atlanta, it doesn't.  While these women are individually beautiful and brilliant like a Sapphire and they are even able to afford real sapphires, the attitude or 'tudes that have become the standard characterization of Black women is alive and well.  It's either being reflected in the snotty, condescending demeanors of DeShawn and Sheree or it is exemplified as outright ghetto like NeNe.  Either way, it's a mainstream television show where millions will be able to tune in and actually believe that they are getting a real glimpse at Black women with money.  Unfortunately, the perception will be the same.

"You can dress them up, but....."

Now, I know many will say that the show is for entertainment, but let's dig deeper.  Unless you have been existing in a vacuum, then you will know that African Americans have been the brunt of some of the cruelest jokes and image distorting realities throughout history.  Speeding ahead into the 21st century, how much longer are we to tolerate it?  For a fact, Atlanta (as well as the rest of the country) boasts of some sisters that are putting it down, making money through their own efforts and managing families with sound morals and values.  Best of all, a lot of those women are drama-free, but I guess that won't make good prime time television, will it?

You know, I'm not done with this.  But I will stop here and reload my ammunition because the war wages on.  Meanwhile, peep the madness on an episode of MadTV, featuring Mexican American comedienne and actress Anjelah Johnson as 'Bon Qui Qui'.

]]> http://sharpiron.wordpress.com/?p=2705 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:26:59 +0000 Christian Beyer http://sharpiron.pl.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/lesbian-blues-artist-gaye-adegbalolaon-forgiveness/

I love the blues. 17 years ago I bought a double CD - Alligator Record's 20th Anniversary Collection - and it was, as expected, superb. On that album I was introduced to a wonderful trio of ladies, "Sapphire: The Uppity Blues Women". They were three gals who started their musical career in their mid-forties and their sound was lively, fun and unique.

I hadn't heard anything by them for a while until I caught a song on XM called "Lying Preacher Blues", a solo offering by one of the gals, Gaye Adegbalola. Gaye is a lesbian and a Christian and was at one time militantly active in the civil rights movement. In the following interview she talks just a little bit about love, forgiveness and acceptance. Her story struck me as being particularly relevant in today's world, as America deals with enemies that seem to have nothing redeemable about them.

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.713119&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26]

These are the lyrics to "Lying Preacher Blues" or check the link to hear Gaye perform the song herself:
10-lying-preacher-blues1

LYING PREACHER BLUES Adegbalola 2/2005, Rev 5/2005

Any preacher with more than two suits is living a lie
Any preacher with more than two suits is living a lie
I don't stand in judgment
But when you talk about an eye for an eye
Any preacher with more than two suits is living a lie

Any preacher supporting a war is living a lie
Any preacher supporting a war is living a lie
I don't stand in judgment
But when you talk about an eye for an eye
Any preacher supporting a war is living a lie

Bridge:

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
What would Jesus do?
What would Jesus wear?
Who would Jesus shoot?

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Now I call on you
I heard that Jesus
Loves me too

Any preacher who's driving a Jaguar is living a lie
Any preacher who's driving a Hum V is living a lie
I don't stand in judgment
But when you talk about an eye for an eye
Any preacher driving a Jaguar is living a lie

Any preacher molesting a child is living a lie
Any priest molesting a child is living a lie
I don't stand in judgment
But when you talk about an eye for an eye
Any preacher molesting a child is living a lie

Bridge:

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
What would Jesus do?
What would Jesus drive?
Who would Jesus screw?

I say Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Now I call on you
I heard that Jesus love me too

Tag with "amen" ending: I heard that Jesus love me too

Say hello to the biggest gentlemen's club on the planet. The length of half a football field, it's stacked with hundreds of beauties who take turns igniting the circular stages and overhead platform, and see to it that no table goes un-pampered. The eye candy is incredible and the lap dances out of this world. For a special treat, take a lady into the VIP area or, better still, into one of the very private rooms. Long bars cap each end of the club's main space and you can enjoy a drink while chatting with a gorgeous girl. Drink packages and bachelor packages are available, as is a special VIP Skybox Package. Watch music videos on the giant screen while the topless foxes work the poles – if you can tear your eyes off them. Most of the girls here are low pressure and won't push the patrons for any services they've declined. Entrance is free for locals who arrive by car. Sapphire truly is one of the jewels of Las Vegas strip clubs.

The Tiffany jewellery range was inspired, unsurprisingly, by the designs of the jewellers Tiffany & Co. of London. As with every design, the finished product is rarely identical to the inspiration, the process of building, the qualities of the prims and the limitations/lack of limits of Second Life each adding to it's
uniqueness.

The Tiffany Drop Earrings consist of glittering diamonds set in the finest platinum and fall in two strings from a large, rare gem encircled by precision placed micro-prim diamonds to form an earring that few will surpass. “Luxury, elegance, and decadent sexuality in equal measure.”

The three Tiffany necklaces are hand built and djusted to perfection. The Tiffany Pendant uses two attachment points (chest & spine) and boasts a combined weight of 346 prims, an ARC of only 40 and two pendant types, to suit shapes of all proportions. Finally the Tiffany Double Strand Necklace - the necklace of every woman’s dreams - showcases 417 tiny twisted and hand placed prim jewels and should be worn with pride to be seen in.

Weighing in at a mere 126 prims each, the subtle design of the Tiffany Studs add class to any outfit. In spite of the number of prims, careful design and build technique has ensured that these gems won’t lag you down, their Avatar Rendering Cost being only 35.

Comprising a single flawless 7.15 carat Linden precious gemstone surronded by double row of 75 melee diamonds set in platinum on a band shouldered by a further double row of diamonds, the ring is available with five central gemstones - Diamond, Ruby, Amethyst, Sapphire and Emerald. With an Avatar Rendering Cost of only 20-25 (minumum possible being 10, suggested avatar total being 500-1000) this ring is the perfect way to show a loved one just how much you care. Two rings are included in the box, fitted to the left and right hand respectively, and whilst sized for the average female hand size (20), it is fitted with a resize script to ensure the perfect fit for every shape.

~flirt~ jewellery and Avatar Rendering Cost
Each piece of ~flirt~ jewellery is hand built and 100% prim-based. Care has been taken to assure the lowest possible Avatar Rendering Cost (contribution to sim lag) possible whilst 7 below 100 in whichever combination you choose.

Where required, your jewellery is fitted with a resize script. Simply click on the root prim, usually the largest central gem, to open a dialogue box and follow the instructions. A full instructions notecard is included should you need it. You are strongly advised to use a pose stand when repositioning your
jewellery, one is provided. Should you run into difficulty, and if your shape is transferable, I will be more than happy to fit your jewellery for you. This service is only available for transferable items.

Customisations

We offer customisation services for all items. This can be changes to metals and stones and - where applicable - engravings. An additional cost of 500 L$ per customisation applies.

Pricing and availability

~flirt~ Tiffany Bracelet: 400 L$
~flirt~ Tiffany Necklace: 700 L$
~flirt~ Tiffany Double Strand Necklace: 1000 L$
~flirt~ Tiffany Drop Earrings: 450 L$
~flirt~ Tiffany Pendant: 1000 L$
~flirt~ Tiffany Ring: 700 L$
~flirt~ Tiffany Stud Earrings: 350 L$
~flirt~ Tiffany Set: 3000 L$ (1600 L$ rebate compared to single items)

Right now, these items are only availbale in-world at the ~flirt~ mainstore (SLURL), our booth at Glamour Expo (SLURL) and our booth at Jewelry Expo (SLURL). It will take a bit until we have listed them on Xstreel SL (SL Exchange) and OnRez - please bear with us.

At all 3 locations you will also find DEMOS of the pieces, so you can try them on before you buy.

Please enjoy the Tiffany Range!

GAH! 

That's all I have to say on the matter.

Yes, Master Gotama, sometimes friends & colleagues, relatives & kinsmen come to me as guests.

And what do you think: Do you serve them with staple & non-staple foods & delicacies?

Yes, sometimes I serve them with staple & non-staple foods & delicacies.

And if they don't accept them, to whom do those foods belong?

Akkosa Sutta

Via The Big Picture.

The photos are amazing and some are heartbreaking, and they serve to remind us that, as with all industries, there are good choices and bad. It's always important to make sure your products are coming from responsible suppliers.

The tiny village of Ilakaka, Madagascar had barely 40 residents before 1998. Then, a large deposit of sapphires was discovered along a nearby riverbed, and caught the eye of some Thai businessmen in the gem trade. Word got out, and Ilakaka swelled to tens of thousands of residents - the center of a sapphire boom, today the source of nearly 50% of all the sapphires in the world. Illegal miners mixed with large-scale operations, all operating under little or no regulation, in a wild-west atmosphere of potential fortunes, lawlesness, violence and hardship. In the years since, the easily-mined sapphire fields have been picked clean, and the remaining miners often work in deep holes, climbing far underground. Mining is also a family effort - according to an official study, of the 21,000 children living in the region, 19,000 belong to working families.

Wow, I just love this. It has got that pumping deep bass, 80's space synth and the "neon" feel to it.. "neon" feel to it.. Yeah you heard me.

The producer p e a c eFIRE is, according to Myspace, from Kobe, Japan.

Strange how there seems to be little electro bands coming from Japan, even though they seem to have the most fluorescent light and neon signs.. Heh.. Eh..

Grum made a edit of p e a c eFIRE's Sapphire song. Which is great. LISTEN!

mp3: p e a c eFIRE - Baghdad Rainbow

mp3: p e a c eFIRE - Sapphire (GRUM Edit)

By Jan

Otherwise, I've been relatively busy lately, I've moved into my room in London, been sorting various things out, had spotty internet connection over the weekend, etc. etc. So clearly, I haven't been blogging much. Gah.

The double-strand necklace with an impressively low Avatar Rendering Cost of only 35 features a total of 417 tiny and expertly tortured, hand placed prims and exceeds the linkset limit of 256 prims by far. Therefore it comes in two parts that get attached to chest and spine.

The FRAGILE! series of high couture statement jewellery from ~flirt~ is a range of individual pieces hand-crafted from glass and sterling silver. The dichotomy of the materials is a reflection of the human condition. More specifically, FRAGILE! represents our innermost self and how we choose to display it to the outside world. Oftentimes our core is tender, easily broken, sensitive. We choose either to display this and risk damage, or to protect it, sheathing it from harm, but also covering it's reflective beauty.

Each piece of ~flirt~ jewellery is hand built and 100% prim-based. Care has been taken to assure the lowest possible Avatar Rendering Cost (contribution to sim lag) possible whilst maintaining the aesthetic beauty of the piece. See http://thedressingupbox.blogspot.com/2008/05/avatar-rendering-cost-jewellery-some.html for further details. The ARC of all pieces in the Tiffany range is well below 100 in whichever combination you choose.

Where required, your jewellery is fitted with a resize script. Simply click on the root prim, usually the largest central gem, to open a dialogue box and follow the instructions. A full instructions notecard is included should you need it.

Find the preview items at the Glamour Expo at Vanity Universe http://slurl.com/secondlife/VANITY%20UNIVERSE/170/8/24

Many gem scholars agree that the tradition of birthstones arose from the Breastplate of Aaron described in the Bible (Exodus 28, 15-30). The breastplate was a ceremonial religious garment set with twelve gemstones that represented the twelve tribes of Israel and corresponded with the twelve signs of the zodiac and the twelve months of the year.

Sapphire is the modern September birthstone and the gem designated for the 5th, 23rd and 45th wedding anniversary; a star sapphire is typically given on the 65th wedding anniversary.

Sapphire is a variety of the mineral species corundum. Sapphires occur in all colors of the rainbow with the exception of red, which is ruby. The name corundum comes from the ancient Sanskrit "kuruvindam", while the name "Sapphire" comes from the Persian word "safir", meaning "beloved of Saturn", (or Greek sapphiros). It is noted in several texts that sapphire was the lapis lazuli of the ancient world, probably because the stones both have the same intense blue coloring.

Sapphire is mined in Australia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Other producers are Burma, Kampuchea, Kenya and Tanzania. Sapphires are commonly heated to improve their color and reduce cloudiness that is caused by rutile inclusions. The rutile inclusions are responsible for the "star" or "cat's eye" in star sapphires.

Sapphires found on Etsy

After doing a search on etsy for sapphires, I was amazed at the incredible variety available.  I was also stunned at how high-end some of the listings are.  Here's the most expensive listing on etsy that has sapphires in it.  It retails for $35,000!  Although not a member of etsyBEAD, the designer certainly has a creation worth mentioning.

This luscious pair of earrings is from etsyBEAD's very own Glamorosi and feature blue sapphires as well as another blue stone, kyanite.

This gorgeous necklace from one of etsyBEAD's newer members, beadyIze, showcases the variety of hues with all blue sapphires in a terrific cascade.

Remember, sapphires don't just come in blue, as Nomolos Design shows us in their spectacular matching necklace and earrings called 'harvest'.

American Born Chinese: Fantastic. The Sig Fig even stole it when I left it sitting in the living room, and was desperate to finish it instead of her homework. I was expecting to like this one since it's spoken so highly of, and by people I like, so I'm glad it lived up to the hype. I'd be really curious to hear reactions from teen readers.

The Big Splash: What's up with me randomly reading books about young detectives? Again, really didn't think I'd like the whole precocious-boy-as-hard-boiled-investigator angle, but once again I was pleasantly surprised. I'd love to follow the character through elementary school. What was particularly touching were those descriptions of "first like."

Empress of the World: Someone checked this out of my library and I excitedly went, "Oh, I know her!" ...No reaction. Well, whatever, *I* think that's cool. Anyway I checked it out myself and read it in a sitting, and found it delightful if a bit anti-climactic. Oh, those high school lesbian romances...

Getting It: I only knew of the author from the whole Rainbow Boys deal (none of which I've read, but it seems my library just got a bunch of them), and I'll be honest--the cover drew me in. (I do find it weird that our hard and paperback copies have different guys on the front.) I thought it was a pretty touching little story about growing up and facing your own feelings. I will say I was put off by the little Spanish glossary in the back, and I suspect teens might be too. (But maybe I'm wrong. Who knows.)

Push: I really enjoyed this one, but by the end things were getting pretty repetitive so I more or less skimmed. It was refreshing to see all the phonetic spellings (which can be disastrous in the hands of some authors) and watch the narrator's writing improve steadily.

Junie B. Jones, Cheater Pants: I actually wrote this while I was waiting for things to load on a really slow internet connection. (Or possibly just WilsonWeb gasping and wheezing, as usual. Who can say?) No doubt a lot of people make connections with Beverly Cleary and Ramona, which is fair enough. I wouldn't mind reading more about Junie B., although I do generally like my books to take longer the twenty minutes to read.

• As of 2000, the cost of 1 carat (0.2 g) of a typical uncut, gem quality sapphire was about $1,600 USD (nice!).
• Sapphires and rubies are often found together in the same area, but one gem is usually more abundant (neat!).
• There are black and grey sapphires (no way!).
• The 45th wedding anniversary is known as the "sapphire anniversary" (that's a long time!).

One of my personal favorites is the star sapphire, which is a little cloudier than your regular sapphire, with a star in the middle.

Here's another one of my favorites, which anyone, please feel free to buy for me. My bday is next month people.

Four. Hundred. and. Twenty. Three. Carats.

DROOL.

This next lady's pretty impressive, too, at 61, 500 carats. You heard me.

Good luck toting that around on your finger.

And now, courtesy of Twist and Ylang23, here's some droolicious (ack! blayne!) sapphire jewelry you can wear even if you weren't born in September!

Happy September!

Τα υπόλοιπα χαρακτηριστικά της κάρτας γραφικών δεν διαφέρουν από τις υπόλοιπες εκδόσεις του είδους και έτσι χρησιμοποιεί το διαύλο PCI Express 2.0 για την επικοινωνία με το σύστημα, η GPU ενσωματώνει 800 stream processors, υποστηρίζει την multi-graphics τεχνολογία  ATI CrossfireX ενώ είναι συμβατή με DirectX 10.1.

Tiny blue to white sapphire faceted rondelles linked to a round white freshwater pearl, with sterling earwires and findings.

1st day no fee entrance into Hammonasset!
a beautiful windy summer day
hot, dry and windy sorta of like California
but so much greener and full of life
sapphire blue skies
puffy big white clouds
cranes, seagulls, herons flying about
their giant wingspans shadowingy the earth below
the smell of fresh salt air
out on Meigs Point on the Magical Salt Marshes
the roaring sea
the leaves changing
and those lucky enough to enjoy it
linger and take it all in, like kids playing hookie
e

DJ set: Office Twins.

More pictures after the cut.