What to Do When Settlers of Catan Isn't Enough

What to Do When Settlers of Catan Isn't Enough:
from Wired Top Stories by Erik Wecks
 How do you sort through the clutter and find games that you will enjoy? Here are three ways to find out about great games?

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0 A.D. raises the game for open-source RTS

0 A.D. raises the game for open-source RTS:
from BetaNews by Mike Williams

Open-source RTS games aren’t generally known for having quality graphics, even when finished, so you probably wouldn’t expect too much from an alpha build. Which is why 0 A.D. is a real surprise, thanks to visuals that are more impressive than many commercial products.
Okay, it’s true, the program has been in alpha for a very long time (running on Windows, the Mac and Linux must make for a complex development process), but the attention to detail is still impressive. Your citizens are people, not anonymous blobs. Buildings look as though like people live in them, with seating areas, pots and vases scattered around. And they live in a realistic and complex world, so for instance a desert will have sand, rocks, animals, perhaps palm trees which cast true shadows.
This continues throughout the game, too, so as you upgrade your simple homestead into a mighty citadel, or build a huge army (or navy) 0 A.D. still looks better than the cover art of some of the competition.
The program isn’t just about the graphics, though: there’s plenty of gameplay, too. You must create units of various types, collect resources, construct new buildings to expand your empire, and of course build an army to protect yourself from (and, ultimately, conquer) your enemies. This isn’t quite as intuitive as we’d like so you’ll probably need to spend some time with the online manual (which also could be better organised), but once you’ve mastered the basics then you’ll be ready to explore all the game has to offer.
The graphics aside, though, you do have to keep in mind that this is an alpha version, so problems and deficiencies are to be expected. Enemy AI can be a little on the basic side, for instance, and the program crashed a couple of times.
Still, if you’re a fan of this kind of RTS game and willing to make allowances for the occasional issue then there’s a lot of entertainment value to be found here: with more than 50 scenarios to play, and a multi-player option too, 0 A.D. could keep you busy for quite some time.

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Brianna Acosta Miss Hawaii 2013

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Miss Hawaii USA 2013

Judges on Sunday named Brianna Acostathe new Miss Hawaii USA.

Acosta describes herself in her Twitter profile as “a nerdy coconut girl in a high fashion world; independent, intellectual young woman destined and determined to conquer the world!”

She will represent Hawaii at the 2013 Miss USA pageant.

The Miss USA pageant is owned by Donald Trump and NBC Universal. Winner of the national pageant represents the United States at the Miss Universe competition.

If Acosta is crowned Miss USA, she will become the fifth Miss Hawaii USA titleholder to win the national pageant.

The first four were Miss Hawaii USA 1962 Macel Wilson, Miss Hawaii USA 1972 Tanya Wilson, Miss Hawaii USA 1978 Judi Andersen and Miss Hawaii USA 1997 Brook Lee.

Lee was crowned Miss Universe 1997 and Andersen was first runner-up for Miss Universe 1978.

Another state titleholder, Miss Hawaii USA 1981 Teri Ann Lynn, gained recognition for portraying Kristen Forrester Dominguez on the TV soap, “The Bold and the Beautiful.”

Lynn also knew future President Barack Obama at an early age. They were classmates at Punahou School in Honolulu.

Dates and locations for the 2013 Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants will be announced later. The final evenings of competition in both pageants will be broadcast live on NBC.

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Miss Thong Swimsuit Competition in Macedonia

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Miss Brazil USA Bikini Contest 2

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MISS BRASIL 2013

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MISS BRASIL 2012 - VENCEDORA

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Miss Serbia Nikolina Bojić Resigns

Nikolina Bojić, who was crowned Miss Serbia 2012 on October 6, 2012, resigned from her title yesterday. According to her resignation letter to Miss Yu Company, organizers of the contest, she does not meet the requirements and would not be able to fulfill the duties of Miss Serbia and she therefore willfully abdicate to the title.

However, the organizers did not mention the claims about her being married. They have an obligation with the Miss World Organization and have certain rules to follow, Miss Yu company explained.

Currently, the company is holding series of meetings with the runner-ups,Alexandra Doknic and Ana Vrcelj, and the top 10 finalists to decide who is the most suitable for the Miss Serbia title.

According to the organizers, by rule, the crown should go to the runners-up. However, quite a few factors must be taken into account such as work, university, family, etc.

The new Miss Serbia 2012 will be announced during a live TV press conference on Sunday, October 21st. Whoever she is, she will represent the country in the Miss World 2013 beauty contest which is scheduled to take place in Indonesia.

Nikolina Bojić was crowned Miss Srbije 2012 or Miss Serbia 2012 at the TV Pink Studios in Šimanovci on October 7, 2012. Nikolina from Kulais is 25 years old and stands 1.75m. Her hair color is Blonde. Nikolina is studying at the FISAF Serbia Fitness Academy for fitness. Her hobbies are playing tennis and cooking. She speaks English very well.

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Does your company help with certification? Dilbert Comic for June 10, 2012

Comic for June 10, 2012:
from Dilbert Daily Strip

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Miss Russia 2012, Elizaveta Golovanova

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Miss Venezuela Universe 2013, Gabriela Isler

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Crowning Moment of Miss Vietnam 2012 Dang Thu Thao

Crowning Moment Photos of Miss Vietnam 2012 Dang Thu Thao. She was crowned on August 25 in Da Nang. Thu Thao is 21 years old and stands 1.73 m. She is currently a student of Tay Do University, majoring in Finance and Banking. It is unclear she will represent Vietnam in any International Beauty Pageant. Elite Vietnam is the license holder of International Beauty Pageants in Vietnam. They will select the candidate and submit to the Ministry of Culture and Communication for approval. Dang Ngoc Han, Miss Vietnam 2010, did not represent Vietnam in any International Beauty Pageant while her runners-up did.

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