text:
Centrifuge fluid container
A fluid container particularly useful in a centrifuge system for separating the various fractions in blood. The container comprises two circular sheets of flexible material, having central openings therein. The outer peripheral edges are sealed together, as well as annular-like portions extending outwardly from the central opening. Concentric-like inner and outer annular-like channels are thus formed at the outer peripheral portion of the assembly. Radial arcuate portions are sealed off, thereby providing interrupted annular-like channels. At a first end of the inner annular-like channels, an inlet tube is provided, extending outwardly from the central opening and communicating with the first end of the inner annular-like channel. At the outlet or second end of the inner annular-like channel, there is provided a radially extending inter-channel connector, which comprises a sealed off portion extending between the adjacent ends of the inner and outer annular-like channels. Also at this outlet end of the inner channel, a radially enlarged region is provided, acting as a first collecting chamber, into which an outlet tube is sealed, extending from the inner opening. A second collection chamber is provided at the outlet end of the outer annular-like channel. A plurality of outlet tubes extend radially outward from the center of the bag to open within the second collection chamber at different radial distances. Through these outlet tubes, selected separated portions of the fluid are withdrawn from the bag.
Latest IBM Patents:
Previous centrifuges for separating the components of blood are known in which the centrifuge bowl or chamber is reusable. These devices must be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized after each use, a costly and time-consuming procedure.DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
Bag-like containers for holding blood or other fluids for processing are known in the art as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,064,647 -- R. P. Earl; 3,096,283 -- G. N. Hein; 3,145,713 -- A. Latham, Jr.; 3,239,136 -- G. N. Hein; 3,244,362 -- G. N. Hein; 3,244,363 -- G. N. Hein; 3,297,243 -- G. N. Hein; 3,297,244 -- G. N. Hein; 3,326,458 -- H. T. Meryman et al; 3,456,875 -- G. N. Hein; 3,545,671 -- E. D. Ross; 3,679,128 -- H. P. O. Unger et al; 3,708,110 -- H. P. O. Unger et al; 3,724,747 -- H. P. O. Unger et al; 3,748,101 -- A. L. Jones et al; and 3,858,796 -- H. P. O. Unger et al. Also, IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Volume 17, Number 2, July 1974, pages 404 and 405. However, none of this prior art discloses a bag configuration as herein disclosed and claimed, including interrupted annular-like channels as centrifuging channels.
In citing the above prior art, no representation is made nor intended that a search has been made, that better art than that listed is not available, or that other art is not applicable.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a general object of this invention to provide an improved centrifuge container.
A particular object of the invention is to provide an improved fluid container for centrifuging blood to obtain different fractions thereof.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved fluid container for centrifuging blood, which is simple and economical in construction, disposable after a single use.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and described in connection therewith in the annexed specification.
Briefly described, the improved fluid container provided by this invention comprises two connected interrupted annular-like containers or channels. It is preferably formed by sealing two identical circular pieces of suitable flexible elastic material, such as medical-grade polyvinyl chloride, at the periphery thereof and at selected interior portions, to thereby provide at least two concentric interrupted annular-like channels. The parts are proportioned and arranged so that one end of the inner channel, a first enlarged chamber or volume is provided from which selected blood fractions can be withdrawn via a first outlet tube. The first channel is connected by a passage to the inlet end of the outer channel.
An inlet tube is molded into or sealed into the bag, having its interior end opening into the inlet end of the first or inner channel. A plurality of outlet tubes are provided, opening into the enlarged end of the outer channel, each tube extending radially outwardly to a different distance, so that the various blood fractions which exist at different radial locations as a result of the centrifuging, can be selectively drawn off.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a centrifuge fluid container comprising a preferred form of the invention; and
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional elevation view of the container of FIG. 1, taken at the section 2--2.
Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings, the fluid container is circular in shape as can be seen in FIG. 1. Two circular pieces of suitable plastic material 1a and 1b, forming the top and bottom of bag, are sealed together at their periphery, as by suitable heat and pressure, forming a fluid-tight weld 3 at the outer edge of the bag, as seen in FIG. 2. FIG. 1 illustrates the appearance of the bag with the top piece 1a removed. At a first predetermined distance radially inward from the periphery, a second sealed portion 5 is provided, extending almost around the circumference of the bag as shown.
A central opening 7 is provided in the circular pieces, and the juxtaposed edges are welded to form the interior boundary seam 9 as shown.
An outer annular-like channel 11, formed principally by the welds 3 and 5, is not continuous around the periphery of the bag, being interrupted by the radially extending weld 15. One end of the channel 11 is enlarged to form a collection and outlet chamber 17. First and second outlet tubes 19 and 21, respectively, extend into this chamber from the central opening 7. Tube 19 opens into the inward portions of the chamber, and tube 21 opens into the outward portion of the chamber, the tubes having different radial lengths, as can be seen from the drawing.
The other end of the first or outer annular channel 11 is connected to the outlet of the second or inner annular channel 23 by a radial connecting channel 25 formed by the welds or sealed portions of 1a and 1b. The radially sealed means for forming this connecting channel comprises an inwardly directed hook-shaped sealed portion 26, at one end of the ring-like sealed portion 5, which separates the inner and outer channels, as well as the radial seal means 15. The outlet end of the inner channel 23 is enlarged to form a collection and outlet chamber 27. An outlet tube 29 is provided for this chamber, extending, as shown, from the central opening 7 to the outer portion of chamber 27.
At the other or inlet end of the inner channel 23, there is provided an inlet tube 31, extending radially outward from the central opening 7 to the channel 23, as shown.
In use, the bag is placed in the bowl of a centrifuge which may be constructed in general accordance with the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 3,748,101. The inlet and outlet tubes are connected to a suitable rotating seal to permit the admission of whole blood and withdrawal of the selected fractions. The centrifuge bowl cover (not shown) is grooved to receive the channels when filled, as shown in the cross-section view of FIG. 2. Whole blood enters the bag through the rotating seal and tube 31. The blood then flows around the innermost channel 23 of the processing bag where it is subjected to a radial G force induced by bowl rotation. At the end of this first separation channel is the small collection volume 27 where the packed red cells are accumulated for removal through the tube 29. The radial distance, channel cross-section area and the angular rotation are selected to provide separation which will produce platelet-rich plasma (PRP) at an efficiency of approximately 60%. The PRP is not removed from the system at this point, however, but is led via channel 25 to the outermost separation channel 11. The PRP flows around this channel and is separated into platelet-poor plasma (PPP) and a platelet concentrate (PC). These fractions are withdrawn through their respective tubes 19 and 21.
Previous experience with batch and continuous flow platelet separation indicates that the separation parameters to produce PC from PRP should be approximately four times those required to produce PRP from whole blood. Using as a measure, G multiplied by the time exposed to the G force, as a measure of the separation ability of a particular channel, it can be shown that R.sub.1 should be approximately 0.8R.sub.2.
From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present invention provides a novel centrifuge container which is advantageous from the standpoint of being economical to fabricate and because the economy is adapted to single use, wherein the bag with its associated tubing, etc., is used one time and then discarded, thereby relieving the duties of cleaning and sterilization required with reusable centrifuge containers.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
1. A flexible collapsible centrifuge fluid container comprising two circular pieces of material sealed together at the outer periphery and each having a central opening, the edges of the openings being sealed together,
- a plurality of sealed-together annular-like portions of said two pieces of material, forming a plurality of separate concentric-like annular channels, and
- inlet/outlet tubes sealed in said material and communicating with said channels.
2. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which said material is medical-grade polyvinyl chloride.
3. A container as claimed in claim 1 further characterized by at least one radially sealed means for sealing said pieces of material to form said interrupted annular-like channels.
4. A container as claimed in claim 3 in which two radially extending seal means are provided to form a connecting passage between the annular channels.
5. A container as claimed in claim 4, wherein said channels are connected by said seal means to provide a serial flow path through the innermost of said channels, through said connecting passage, and through the outermost of said channels.
6. A flexible collapsible centrifuge fluid container comprising two circular pieces of material sealed together at the outer periphery and each having a central opening, the edges of the openings being sealed together,
- a plurality of sealed-together annular portions of said two pieces of material, forming an inner concentric annular-like channel and an outer concentric annular-like channel, and
- inlet/outlet tubes sealed in said material and communicating with said channels.
7. A container as claimed in claim 6 in which said material is medical-grade polyvinyl chloride.
8. A container as claimed in claim 6 further characterized by at least one radially sealed means for sealing said pieces of material to form said interrupted inner and outer annular channels.
9. A container as claimed in claim 8 in which two radially extending seal means are provided to form a connecting passage between the annular channels.
10. A container as claimed in claim 9, wherein said channels are connected by said seal means to provide a serial flow path through the innermost of said channels, through said connecting passage, and through the outermost of said channels.
|June 1967
|Meryman et al.
|January 1973
|Unger et al.
|April 1973
|Unger et al.
|July 1973
|Jones et al.
Type: Grant
Filed: Nov 21, 1975
Date of Patent: Mar 8, 1977
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY)
Inventors: Robert Melroy Kellogg (Endwell, NY), Victor Robert Kruger (Apalachin, NY)
Primary Examiner: George H. Krizmanich
Attorney: Paul M. Brannen
Application Number: 5/634,209
International Classification: B04B 500;


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Playing the detective: spotting fraud in Chinese diplomas
FeeFree download
- Admissions & accreditation
What's in store for you?
Release date: 05 June 2014
Discover the key issues when dealing with possible fraudulent diplomas from China. Gain useful tips to help you discover fraud, for example by understanding the methodology of the system behind the registration number on the diplomas. Various Chinese verification databases on national, provincial and institutional levels will be examined. You will also be able to view a sample of a regular undergraduate diploma set against a Chinese diploma from a Project 211 university with a different layout.
The webinar will comprise of a presentation, sample documents with annotations, exercises, polls and a Q&A session. A hand-out with a list of links to verification databases, further reading about 'wild chicken universities' and a document with Chinese educational terminology will be provided.
Is this webinar for you?
The webinar is aimed at credential evaluators/admission officers (beginners/advanced level) who are dealing with Chinese credentials in their work.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the webinar you will be able to:
- Identify important Chinese educational terminology in documents
- Identify the mistakes made in fraudulent education documents
- Use different verification possibilities for Chinese diplomas
- Identify 'wild chicken universities' and their non-legitimate diplomas
Practical details
- Need technical assistance? See the Technical information page.
- Do you need to cancel your attendance? See the Cancellation page.

subset: commoncrawl


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At school, I was a diligent student – a "brain strain" as my brother liked to call me – but the only subject I ever came top of the class in was home economics.
I'm no gourmet, but cooking is fun for me, a creative outlet and a way to relax. Or at least it was. Parenthood kind of ruined that.
These days, cooking is mostly a utilitarian activity. Preparing dinner is a precarious mission to get something palatable and vaguely nutritious on the table before someone has a meltdown (usually me).
Cooking dinner for kids may not be a walk in the park, but it doesn't have to be a nightmare either. Here are four things I do to make it easier.
Ways to simplify getting dinner on the table
- Make a meal plan
The one thing worse than cooking dinner is thinking up what to cook for dinner. Meal planning is a real sanity saver. The genius of meal planning is it relegates the daily dread of trying to come up with what to cook to a single time each week.
If you've tried meal planning and you hate it, or think it's too much work, try again. It doesn't have to be complicated. I spend no more than 10 to 20 minutes writing up a meal plan and shopping list for the week. Check out my how-to guide, complete with step-by-step pictures of my method.
- Keep it simple
I love cooking shows and browsing recipe books. But they're not helpful. Besides making me hungry, they set the bar way too high. "Ordinary meals for ordinary days", that's my mantra. This is family dinner, not an elimination challenge. When I think back to what my mum cooked for us when I was growing up, it was nothing fancy – it was perfect.
Easy, family-friendly meal ideas include:
- Tray bakes or sheet pan dinners – like this chicken or this veggie dish
- One-pot wonders – like these
- Slow cooker dumps – like these
- Double down on preparation
Rather than meal prep marathons, on calmer days, I do a bit of extra prep to make the frantic days easier. Ways to meal prep while you are already in the kitchen include:
- Make two and freeze one – double the recipe and put one portion in the freezer. Curries and chillies are excellent for this.
- Make a big salad – serve as a main one night and side the next day, or two sides, or a side and lunch the next day. Grain-based and roast veggie-based salads last longer than green salads.
- Make meal bases in bulk – to make cooking from scratch less of a fuss, cook extra components for meals you make regularly. This cuts down on overall preparation time. I regularly make a double batch of burger patties and falafel and triple batches of brown rice, quinoa and pearl barley. They are all waiting in the freezer and I only need to do an assembly job.
- Keep the kids occupied
Easier said than done and something I'm sure you've turned your mind to! Things that work for me include:
- If they're old enough (and you're both in the mood), get them helping. Washing veggies, chopping veggies, getting stuff from the pantry.
- When they're little, put them in their highchair where they can see what's going on. Crack out the play dough or give them something to eat.
- Feed them as you prep – most nights my son has eats most of his veggies before dinner is even served. Sneaking them off the chopping board is so much more appealing (pretend you didn't notice).
- Put on a podcast or audiobook for them to listen to – great for kids who always want a story as soon as you start doing something.
Want to simplify more of the everyday tasks of family life? I've got you covered:
- Laundry
- Clothing and dressing
- Errands and admin
- Cleaning and housework
- Decluttering with little kids in the house
- How to simplify any activity
What tricks do you use to make getting dinner on the table easier?


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If you transfer to a brand new metropolis or place and you aren't conscious of the native market, then it may possibly turn into a really hectic factor for a number of causes. One of the essential issues could be the house enchancment chores reminiscent of damaged glass window repairs, and so on. that you'll likely face, whereas transferring to a brand new dwelling. If you're the one who has lately moved to Alexandria, VA and wish to seek out the very best native Alexandria, VA glass restore firm or technicians, then right here is how you are able to do it in a quick and efficient method. 1. Speak to the neighbors Probably the most handy and genuine method to discover a respected firm or glass technicians doing window repairs could be to satisfy the neighbors and focus on your want with them. Due to the truth that your neighbors are probably there for years, so that they likely would have the data relating to a dependable service supplier round. They may by no means misguide you and this fashion you may get profit from their expertise and information. 2. Go to the web web sites There numerous companies doing window glass restore in Alexandria, VA and surrounding areas. All of them will surely have an internet site, if they're doing it professionally. Through the use of the Google search or by visiting the native on-line enterprise listing, you may get the contact particulars of the native service suppliers. This methodology will get you the situation, cellphone quantity, and firm data, however to just remember to rent the correct firm you need to observe the beneath ideas See the corporate's license & expertise
Discover out for a way lengthy they have been offering window restore providers in Alexandria, VA. Always remember to take a look at their working license as this may guarantee their professionalism. If you happen to discover out that the corporate is having the license and doing the enterprise for not less than 5 years, then you may anticipate high quality and credibility. Learn consumer testimonials Subsequent, it's worthwhile to go to the corporate's web site and have a more in-depth take a look at their consumer testimonials. Learn what their purchasers have written about their providers and learn how many purchasers are glad with their providers. Referral hyperlinks will be useful All the very best firms would really feel proud to give you the referral hyperlinks, the contact particulars of the corporate's earlier purchasers. You should use these hyperlinks to speak on to the corporate's precise purchasers and know what high quality providers they've skilled from the corporate. If an organization is shying away or not providing you the referral hyperlinks, then you need to perceive that they do not have perception of their service high quality. Ask for the standard assurance Eventually, it's worthwhile to ask the corporate for high quality assurance. The reputed firms would all the time be geared up with the trendy know-how and the newest instruments, and will need to have employed the trade's high window restore technicians. This permits them to supply high quality assurance to each single consumer as a result of they know that they've every thing accessible that's wanted for an ideal job.


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Meet the Team
Our team of consultant surgeons and anaesthetists are on the Specialist Register of the General Medical Council and in possession of Certificates of Completion of Training.
All staff at Fitzwilliam strive to be sympathetic to the emotional as well as the physical needs of patients, offering support and ensuring discretion.
Consultant Surgeons
- Stephen Sinclair
- James Small
- Chris Hill
- Andrew Kennedy
- Alastair Lewis
- Harry Lewis
- Julie Reid
- Alastair Brown
To book a consultation, please phone reception or the main contact for each of our surgeons on their page.
Main reception: 028 9032 3888


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By Chelsey Burris
Old Salem Farm was host to a memorable edition of the Adequan®/FEI North American Youth Championships this year. Here are 5 of the most exciting moments from the competition.
- Rookies Score Big – The Region 4 Junior team was made up entirely of NAYC rookies who had never competed at NAYC before. With a tough task ahead of them, they worked together to earn the Team Gold.
- Youngest takes Double Gold – Annelise Klepper, Region 2 Junior riding Happy Texas Moonlight, earned the Individual Gold and Freestyle Gold Medals. She is the first junior rider since 2016 to win double gold at NAYC, and she is the youngest out of all 33 juniors in the division at just 14 years old!
- A Bittersweet Finale – Callie Jones, Region 2 Young Rider riding Don Philippo, earned the Individual Gold and Freestyle Gold Medals. She also won the Fiona Baan Award for the second year in a row. This is her last year of eligibility for NAYC, and she finished in style! Region 2 swept the Individual and Freestyle competitions, earning Gold in both the Junior and Young Rider divisions.
- Like Father Like Son – Nicholas Bryan, Region 3 Junior, was cheered on by his father at his first ever NAYC competition. His father, Todd Bryan, won the dressage Individual Gold Medal at NAYC 30 years ago.
- Personal Bests Help Earn Gold – Kayla Kadlubek, Region 1 Young Rider riding Perfect Step, scored a personal best of 72.647% which helped her Region 1 team clinch the Young Rider Team Gold Medal.


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QuickBooks Payroll Support Phone Number +1866-644-7717
QuickBooks Payroll Support Phone Number
QuickBooks Payroll Support Phone Number +1866-644-7717 In search for process excellence and economies of scale, multinational companies nowadays makes all of the process standardized and centralized, payroll is not an exception out of this. QuickBooks supports companies by giving payroll software more and more organised by moving form disparate local, national or regional payroll systems to a single global payroll operation, centralized and optimized and thus helps in significant cost benefits.
QuickBooks payroll software helps you to meet up with the challenges like decreasing the operational cost, provides customisable support according to the payroll needs and easy accessibility to all the employees.
QuickBooks payroll software helps in providing automation of payroll processing thereby highly helps in elimination associated with the need of manual calculations and save times. Quick books helps the users to eradicate payroll redundancies and inaccuracies.
Quick books payroll provides the power of authority to get into payroll and HR data form anywhere and anytime. QuickBooks payroll software system technically QuickBooks Payroll Support Phone Number +1866-644-7717 supports employees to easily access and update their private information through employee self service portal and therefore they can download payslip, leave application and look other employee availability while on the move.
QuickBooks payroll software helps meant for execution and implementation and therefore thereby made payroll process easy plus it highly reduces the requirement of separate IT crew, also QuickBooks safely saves all of the data on cloud and thereby you can access and update from your own handheld devices. Thus, QuickBooks Payroll Support Phone Number +1866-644-7717 software technically avoids human errors and gives employees freedom to update their data from anywhere.
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You can dial QuickBooks Payroll Support Phone Number telephone number which can help to resolve your concern when you look at the fastest and most efficient way. The tech support team person is likely to be looking forward to work with you by answering all of your technical queries. Incase if users experience call drops during the conversation it really is assured that QuickBooks payroll tech support team person will call you back from QuickBooks Payroll Support Phone Number +1866-644-7717 technical number and resolve the query within the most satisfactory way.


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Load capacity-Set
60 tons maximum
Load capacity-Idler
30 tons maximum
Load capacity-Drive
30 tons maximum
Rotation capacity
60 tons maximum
Vessels diameter
Min.500mm ~ Max.5000mm
Rotation speed
100~1000 mm/min VFD
Rotation power
2*2.2 kw
Roller wheels
PU (Polyurethane wheels)
Control way
Remote hand control 8m cable
Foot pedal control
Foot pedal switch 6m cable.
380V~480V 50/60Hz 3Phase
One Year
Delivery time
5 days at stock
Price only: US $9,***.00
Our Welding Rollers Standard
1. All of our rollers with CE approval in European standard.
2. The electric system is designed via European engineer.
3. Every electric wire with connect terminal
4. Remote hand control cable is anti fire material cable.
5. Rotation speed is VFD control in digital display.
6. The plugs for control box is very heavy industrial type.
7. Each set rollers being sand blasting for painting.
More Details information of Conventional Welding Rollers
1. The conventional welding rotator including one piece drive roller & one piece idler roller.
2. Bolt adjustment of the C-C distance for different pipe diameters using.
3. Two motors and two gearboxes to ensure the rotation is more stable.
4. All the rotation speed is adjustable in digital display during 100~1000 mm/min.
5. Polyurethane roller wheels, Rubber Roller or steel roller are all available.
Details parts brand
1. Frequency Changer is from Danfoss / Schneider
2. Motor is from NTK / Siemens with CE approval.
3. Reducer is from China famous brand.
4. Main electric elements are from Schneider.
5. Electric box with two cooling window for natural ventilation .
Company & Service
1. Weldsuccess is the original MANUFACTURER, so we can offer the better price, after-sale service and shorter delivery date with super quality.
2. Weldsuccess have strong design & technical team, so we can ensure each project installation service as per the customer's requirement.
3. Weldsuccess main products (Welding Column Boom, Welding Rotator, Welding Positioners ) have been approved CE certificate and test.
4. Weldsuccess have exported our equipments to European, America, Middle East, Southeast Asia etc. more than 40 countries.
5. All the package in standard export package to ensure the goods safety during transportation.
6. Weldsuccess can supply you all kinds of certificates to help you cut down your import duty.
7. Weldsuccess will supply you the details work manual for each equipment.
8. Weldsuccess provide a FREE ONE YEAR WARRANTY for all our items.
Clients worries
1. We worry about the quality!
--- Weldsuccess with more than 18 years experience,and exported to more than 40 countries. We attended the Famous Welding Fair every year, Like the Germany Essen , America Fabtech etc. and more than 50% business are exporting to European market. And we know European quality standard very well. So you do not have to worry about the quality.
2. We worry about the delivery time!
---Weldsuccess is the original manufacturer,so we can adjust the production schedule according to different clients demands. If you have a special request for the delivery time, then we can over time work to ensure your delivery date. Our best speed is finish 76 pieces rollers in 60 days. So you do not have to worry about the delivery date once we agreed with you before the order.
3. We worry about the after sales service!
---Weldsuccess team traveled to USA, Canada, Mexico, UK, Germany, Italy, Holland, Poland, Turkey, Austrialia, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Dubai, Oman and Saudia Arabia etc. countries. So we have the ability to get your country VISA to supply you the installation service.
---Besides this,we keep all normal spare parts at stock,so if the equipments have any accidence during using,we can help you fix it very quickly.


text:
Hamsas For The Divine Feminine is a series inspired by the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute. Each card is one of many pathways that offer us deeper connection with different aspects of the divine. They are the archetypes of connection and creation.
The human form is majestic and magnificent! We become who we are in layers of pain and heartbreak, of laughter and joy. My charcoal on newsprint drawings are simple reflections on the layers of hurt and healing contained in each one of us. We are complex beings who are perfect and imperfect walking miracles. I'm in awe of our miraculousness and aim to capture that in charcoal.


text:
A series of Professional Capability Standards have been developed by IPAA. These Standards support our focus on developing capability and increasing the professionalism of public administration – to enable a high-performing public sector.
The Standards are outcome based designed to complement and integrate seamlessly with public employment and leadership frameworks produced by the public service, Australia-wide.
Three Standards have been published to date (see related documents), including:
The Standards were designed by experts from public sector agencies, professional bodies, and organisations in the private, tertiary and vocational educational sectors.
The standards can help answer questions such as:
For an individual
For an organisation
Tier 1 corporate partners
Tier 2 corporate partners


text:
Sometime in the next day or two, we'll have another "inside update" on Keith Alan Raniere's status at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, NY.
But even before that information arrives, we pretty much know that the report is not going to be a good one – at least not from the perspective of Raniere and his followers.
During the 15 months that he's been incarcerated at MDC, things have not gone well for Keith.
He hasn't got along with his fellow prisoners in the Sex Offenders Unit because of his non-stop bragging and bullshit.
He got beat up several times when he was temporarily placed in General Population because of an insect infestation in the Sex Offenders Unit – the last couple of times by Hispanic guys who were apparently upset because of what he did to the Mexican women who were part of DOS.
The staff at MDC's Medical Unit consider him to be a hypochondriac and a whiner.
Most of the guards don't seem to like him – and some have gone out of their way to make his life more miserable.
And all this happened while Raniere was being housed with other Pre-Trial prisoners at MDC.
Like many federal prisons, MDC's prison population has gone down in recent years,
As of February 2019, the total number of prisoners being housed there was about 1,600.
Of that 1,600 figure, about 100 are so-called "Cadre" prisoners – which includes some who will serve their entire term there and others who are nearing the end of long-term sentences (These are the prisoners who generally do maintenance work, cook meals, teach GED classes, etc.).
Of the remaining 1,500 prisoners, about 1,400 are awaiting trial – and the other 100 or so are awaiting sentencing.
The prisoners who are awaiting sentencing are generally considered to be the most volatile and the most dangerous – which is why they're housed separately from the pre-trial prisoners and why they often have more guards watching them.
This is especially true if they're likely going to be receiving a long sentence or life.
Which is exactly the situation that Keith Raniere is facing.
Based on the crimes of which he's been convicted, Raniere will receive at least a 15-year sentence.
And most court observers and criminal defense attorneys who have followed the case think that Raniere's sentence will much more likely be somewhere between 25 years and life.
Unfortunately for Keith, things are not going to get better any time soon.
Even after he's finally sentenced at 11:00 AM on September 25, 2019, he'll still be held for a period of time at MDC.
Because he is already facing four additional felony charges in the Northern District of New York (NDNY), it's quite possible that the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) will simply leave him at MDC until he is tried on those charges.
And if, as expected, the Feds also bring new charges against Keith – and several of his co-conspirators – for crimes that took place in the NDNY, he could be housed at MDC for quite some time (It took more than a year to bring Raniere to trial in the EDNY after he was captured hiding out in Mexico).
When it comes time for Keith to go to trial in the NDNY, he'll likely be housed in the Albany County Correctional Facility. Most prisoners who have been at both places describes the Albany County jail as being worse than MDC.
But at some point, all the trials will be over – and Raniere will be assigned to a federal prison to serve out his term or terms (It's quite possible he'll get consecutive sentences rather than concurrent ones).
This is when things will get really problematic for the man who used to insist on being called Vanguard, Master or Grandmaster.
That's because federal prison is an especially dangerous place for inmates who have been convicted of sex offenses.
All jails and prisons have their own levels of stratification.
The first level of prison stratification is based on race – with black prisoners, brown prisoners, and white prisoners being the three major groups. Others like Asian prisoners, Indian prisoners, and Native American prisoners tend to associate more with white prisoners.
The next level of prison stratification generally has to do with a prisoner's offense or conviction.
Prisoners that are serving terms for manslaughter, bank robbery, and other classic crimes tend to be ranked higher than those who are in for property crimes or white-collar crimes.
At the bottom of the offense/conviction stratification are snitches, former law enforcement officials, and sex offenders.
Many sex offenders try to pass themselves off as something else: e.g., drug dealers, insider traders, tax evaders, etc.
But most sex offenders are quickly identified as such.
That's because prisoners – often aided by guards – are able to thoroughly research a new inmate's background within 24-48 hours of his arrival.
It's quite common for new inmates to be asked to produce all the available paperwork concerning their case so that other inmates can verify if what they're saying is true.
Prisoners who lie about their crimes go to the very bottom level of the prison stratification system – and rarely recover fully from that mistake.
There are even stratifications within the sex offender prisoners.
Those who simply got caught possessing child pornography are generally ranked higher than those who produced it.
And those who collected pornographic pictures of 15-year-olds are generally ranked higher than those who collect pictures of 5-year-olds.
Similarly, younger sex offenders are usually ranked higher than older sex offenders because they are closer in age to the victim(s) of their crimes.
How bad the situation becomes often depends on where the sex offender is assigned to serve out his term.
Some prisons are specifically set up to house such prisoners – which means that the sex offenders who are assigned there are generally safer than the ones who are assigned to a regular prison.
Most recently, the Bureau of Prisons has been using the U.S. Penitentiary (USP) in Tucson, AZ for its dumping ground for prisoners who have designated as "Sex Offender Public Safety Factor", an internal label that is used to describe those sex offenders who will likely not survive in General Population.
Given Raniere's convictions – and his total inability to defend himself against other prisoners – he may well get assigned to USP Tucson.
Another possibility is the Federal Correctional Center (FCC) in Petersburg, VA. That's because this facility operates an on-site Sex Offender Management Program.
The Frank Report will continue to follow Raniere wherever he ends up serving his sentence.
And we will report on a regular basis how he is faring in prison, whether he is being treated fairly, etc.
The criminal justice system in the United States dwarfs similar systems in other countries.
Although the U.S. makes up less than 5% of the world's population, it accounts for almost 25% of the world's prisoners.
Each year, approximately 700,000 individuals are released from federal and state prisons – and an additional 9,000,000 are released from county and local jails.
In 2010, it was estimated that 19 million Americans had a felony record. Today, that number is estimated to be 28 million. Another 40+ million Americans have misdemeanor convictions.
The NXIVM case clearly underscored the problems that occur when law enforcement officials do not do their sworn duty – and, instead, allow criminals like Raniere and his cohorts to pretty much do whatever they want.
There are other cases – and one particular one I am thinking of – where law enforcement officials abuse their discretionary powers and pursue criminal charges against people they know are innocent.
Both types of outcomes undercut the American concepts of fairness and justice.
And both must be exposed whenever and wherever they occur.
What happens to Keith Raniere – and the other members of his criminal enterprise – will be a good measure of how our criminal justice system is working…


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DEAR ABBY: I have been divorced for almost 15 years. In that time, my ex-husband has been self-employed and works out of his home. He rarely leaves his house, and I think he suffers from depression.
At a school honors event for our daughter for which most of the attendees dressed for the occasion, he arrived in dirty shorts and a T-shirt. I sat next to him to be polite, until I realized he also smelled awful. When I tried to excuse myself saying I needed a "better seat for my camera," he got up, too! It was an unpleasant two hours. I felt bad for the others in our vicinity.
I have tried to suggest that he may suffer from depression in the past, but he denies it. Is there anything I can say that won't be resented (with him possibly showing up even more disheveled the next time just out of spite)? -- UNPLEASANT SITUATION, GETTYSBURG, PA.
DEAR UNPLEASANT SITUATION: While you may have ended your marriage 15 years ago, it doesn't appear you have truly divorced yourself from your ex. Rather than having pussy-footed around the reason you wanted to change your seat, you should have told him it was because he smelled like a goat and showed he lacked enough respect for those around him and his daughter to shower and put on clean clothes.
He may -- or may not -- suffer from depression. Because he denies it, there is no way you can force him into treatment. You are no longer responsible for his attire or his welfare.
Because you're concerned that he may show up looking more disheveled "out of spite," you have my permission to distance yourself if it happens. And if your daughter is embarrassed by his attire, she has every right to talk to her father about it.


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The recent banking crisis has raised concerns regarding the future path that financial regulation and supervision may take in the US. Any kneejerk increase in regulation could disproportionally affect asset classes that are undergoing structural changes or are sources of hidden leverage, such as commercial real state and private equity. Given this background, we offer our thoughts on how regulatory and supervisory changes should respond to the crisis and assess the current state of these alternative asset classes.
At his 22 March press conference, Fed Chair Jerome Powell echoed the views of many when he stated, "clearly we do need to strengthen supervision and regulation". Given the spectacular failures of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), Signature Bank and First Republic Bank, this much is a foregone conclusion at this point. In our view, supervision and regulation are two facets of the same oversight function – both must be scrutinized and any changes to either must be considered in their totality.
There are costs associated with both overly lax and overly restrictive regulatory environments, although the distribution of those costs can be quite different. Often, an overly lax regulatory environment requires a "post-crisis" involvement by authorities and a broad-based distribution of costs across society. By contrast, a very restrictive regulatory environment places high ongoing costs on the regulated market participants but only indirect and broadly deferred costs on the broader society. Finding the right balance is not easy.
Much attention has been focused on the idea of regulatory "tailoring" and the rule changes that the Fed announced in late 2019. Following that review, banks were grouped into four broad categories, with top tier institutions subjected to the most stringent regulatory requirements. SVB fits into category IV (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Scoping Criteria for Categories of Regulatory Capital and Liquidity Requirements
Critics contend that had these tailoring rules not been eased, SVB would have been subject to a higher regulatory burden that might have forced better risk management at the bank. This is not an unreasonable argument, but it is not a complete one. We believe it is worth asking whether more effective supervision within the existing regulatory framework might not have accomplished the same goal. If the answer is yes, we would argue that better supervision, rather than more regulation, is the preferred road ahead.
There are several different types of risks in various parts of the economy, but the buildup of vulnerabilities has some common characteristics irrespective of where they occur. A good rule of thumb is to look for areas that are new, have grown rapidly and are leveraged. Any of these characteristics is a red flag in and of itself, and any combination is doubly alarming. Our point here is that just as we believe the concept of regulatory tailoring to be a valid one, so is supervisory tailoring.
A term often used in banking circles is "enhanced due diligence," often in connection with "know your customer" requirements. Formally enforcing a similar approach in respect to supervision should go a long way in helping to spot risks early on and minimizing trouble down the road.
We emphasize the value of effective supervision because when done well, supervision is not only much nimbler but also very cost effective when compared with regulation. In the same spirit, we hope the lesson from the recent banking debacle would not simply be a kneejerk increase in regulation.
When trying to assess brewing risks, we also look for areas that have undergone some structural change or where there is a general lack of transparency. Given the totality of these risk criteria, we see commercial real estate and private equity as flashing yellow warning signs.
Commercial real estate has seen a strong inflow of capital over the past number of years as investors searched for yield in the low interest rate environment following the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). The additional capital raised in the sector resulted in more competition for assets, resulting in higher property values/lower cap rates.
Investors, however, remained bullish on the asset class as cap rates remained well above interest rates on mortgages (positive leverage), liquidity was strong and tenant rents grew at a record pace. Even more capital rushed into real estate as the Fed lowered interest rates further during the COVID-19 pandemic, driving cap rates down to historically low levels. But the recent rapid rise in interest rates has significantly changed the market, making debt more expensive and slowing the growth in tenant rents. Property cap rates have been increasing across the board for all asset classes as these rates typically increase in tandem with interest rates and bond yields.
There has also been a large impact on the capital markets, but it will not be felt evenly. Commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) are likely to suffer more as they are secured by generally lower-quality assets, less well-capitalized sponsors and less flexible structures, such as that of real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMIC). The results here will also vary greatly with longer-term fixed rate issuances likely to fare better than some of the shorter-term floating rate deals that are immediately impacted by the increase in interest rates.
While banks are generally in better financial shape today than they were in 2007 thanks to regulations put in place as a result of the GFC, the spike in interest rates and the slowdown of the economy will put some stress on their real estate portfolios. Debt service coverage ratios will get tighter and overall loan-to-value leverage levels will be higher as a result of rising interest rates and market cap rates. Given this environment, lenders have become very selective on new originations, focusing on the best quality assets in the strongest markets while tightening terms and conditions.
However, office property loans are facing a much more difficult challenge. The ongoing popularity of the hybrid work model puts office tenants in a position to significantly reduce costs by shrinking the amount of square footage they occupy once their existing leases expire. According to Cushman & Wakefield, just 9% of existing office stock has experienced positive leasing absorption since 2020. According to CoStar, this has resulted in a national vacancy rate of about 13%, which is higher than the vacancy rate experienced during the GFC.
This is happening at the same time that operating costs, insurance premiums, taxes and renovation costs are increasing rapidly, causing large drops in property net operating income levels. As a result of these conditions, lenders have shut down origination of new office loans and are focused instead on troubled debt restructures and asset foreclosures in their existing office books. It is likely that all of this will also result in lenders having to book higher losses or reserves against their office loans in the near term.
The biggest concern surrounding the recent failures of SVB, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank is the impact that anticipated additional supervision and regulation on regional banks will have on real estate lending volume. These smaller banks represent less than a third of all commercial real estate lending today but have been growing over the past few years and are a large provider of construction loans to the marketplace (Figure 2).
Potential bank regulations that result in a reduction in the availability of construction debt capital would likely result in private credit lenders stepping into the space in an attempt to fill the void, but it would be at a higher cost and would contain stronger covenants than what developers are used to receiving from regional banks in the past.
Private equity has also been the beneficiary of strong capital flows in recent years, with record amounts of commitments made by institutional investors to general partners in the sector. The immediate impact of SVB's failure will be felt by the venture capital sector where the bank was a dominant provider of capital to startups. It will be more difficult for those companies without positive operating cash flow to refinance their loans and/or raise the next round of capital.
While there are some private credit funds that specialize in venture capital lending, we expect there will be a large gap left assuming SVB's lending does not resume under First Citizens. The impact will be felt most strongly in recent vintage venture capital funds that deployed most or all of their capital prior to the banking crisis. We would expect strong risk-adjusted returns for funds with substantial dry powder or new funds that invest over the next several years.
Separately, SVB was an active participant in the subscription facilities of many funds in the private markets, including funds with strategies outside of the US. To date, it seems that the general partners of those funds have had no difficulty in substituting other lenders to replace SVB in those facilities. We have heard of isolated examples of funds with Cayman structures that had deposits with SVB outside of the US that are not covered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Increased costs of financing and a general tightening of the credit markets are impacting all sectors of private equity. Companies that took advantage of the easy credit conditions of the last few years may be faced with having to pay down their loan or refinance at a lower principal amount to meet debt service coverage requirements at the same time as being impacted by rising costs and the potential for falling sales/revenues in a downturn.
Generally speaking, the highest quality companies with strong cash flows and contractual revenues will fare best, the middle tier will most likely still be refinanced but at far more painful terms and the lowest tier companies will face an uphill battle. These conditions will favor larger and middle market companies (where private credit funds have made more inroads over the past few years ) over smaller companies (Figure 3).
The impact of additional supervision on lower middle market companies that are more dependent on the banking sector is not yet clear but is likely not positive. Survey data from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Research Center from March shows that small businesses expect tougher business conditions and that both current job openings and those planned for the next three months are beginning to decline (Figure 4).
Given that nearly half of all US employees are employed by small businesses, the importance of proper supervision in the banking sector is magnified.
Finally, the recent announcements by various regulatory organizations in the US, UK, and Europe to explore the growth of private credit in the wake of the GFC have enormous implications for not only private credit and private equity but also for commercial real estate and the public markets.
The banking crisis has raised genuine concerns regarding the state of financial regulation and supervision in the US. While some critics characterize the crisis as a regulatory failure, any hasty implementation of new regulations might put regional banks in a position where they are no longer able to provide their traditional products at competitive terms to alternative asset classes. This potential loss of liquidity comes at a difficult time as the real estate and private equity markets are already struggling from the recent sharp increases in interest rates and the general slowdown in the economy.
As a result of all of these factors, we see lenders continuing to limit financing activity to the highest quality opportunities in alternatives for the foreseeable future. In real estate the focus will be on stabilized properties in the best locations, with office lending continuing to be dormant until property values are reset to levels supported by tenant leasing activity in the current hybrid work environment. For private equity the credit markets will favor larger companies with strong cash flows and contractual revenues in non-cyclical sectors over smaller companies with weaker balance sheets.
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- Google trends have shown that global searchers for 'NFTs' have exceeded those for 'crypto' in the week ending this Christmas.
- The digital collectibles have seen massive adoption and numerous use cases, but have not been free of flaws.
For the week ending on Christmas, global searches for "NFTs" or non-fungible tokens have surpassed those of "crypto," according to Google Trends. Even more, transactions of these digital collectibles on their largest market, OpenSea, have surpassed $10 billion. These occurrences indicate greater mainstream penetration of NFTs, along with heightened trades.
The rising demand for NFTs has also been shown by the pace at which various industries are taking them up. Consumer brands, such as Nike and Adidas have dabbled in these collectibles, and their associated virtual space – the metaverse. Nike joined the metaverse with its acquisition of virtual sneakers and collectibles brand RTFKT. Last month, Adidas purchased a Sandbox metaverse land, while four days ago, it topped OpenSea rankings with its debut NFT collection.
Additionally, public figures from the music and entertainment industry have publicly promoted their own NFT collections. They include Snoop Dog, Grimes, Steve Aoki, and Mila Kunis. Even former US first lady Melania Trump recently announced her own NFT endeavor on the Solana blockchain.
Read More: Former first lady Melania Trump joins NFT wave, chooses Solana to mint and sell her NFTs
Leading social apps such as Instagram and crypto players like Coinbase are also exploring ways to venture into the NFT industry. NFT games like Axie Infinity and Sorare have made it possible for users to learn more about crypto and NFTs. At the same time, they get to earn passive incomes while enjoying their favorite games.
NFTs Take On Mainstream Attention
Moreover, NFTs have brought with them numerous utilities all around. For instance, the Orica platform plans to channel proceeds from its NFT auction into building a school for children in Uganda. Such actions, known as charitable giving, make one eligible for tax deductions in the US. Last but not least, NFTs publicize both new and experienced artists without the need for physical exhibitions. An example of this is the Mongol NFT, which brings tales of nomadic horse riders and the history of the steppes to the blockchain.
Certain NFTs and NFT distributing platforms have stood out this year. One such is Larva Labs' CryptoPunks which have had the highest trading volume ($3.3B) on OpenSea. Bored Ape Yacht Club has closely trailed, with a $1.07 trading volume. Artist Beeple currently holds the record for the first and second-most expensive digital art pieces, according to Art Market Research.
Furthermore, the play-to-earn game Axie Infinity became the first DApp to surpass $2B in NFT trading volume this year, according to DappRadar. NFT game NBA Top Shot also made headlines with a $750.4 million trading volume.
But even then, the industry has not fallen short of challenges. These include spoofing, exit scams, and accusations of money laundering and tax evasion.
Still, Cointelegraph Research predicts a staggering $17.7 billion NFT sales by year-end.
Credit: Source link


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Jack Cross Memorial Show - Winnsboro, TX
November 2014
Jack Cross Memorial Show is our local FFA's annual fundraiser. It is a great show to get some practice with your project before majors or before the county market show.
Since Tud's commercial beef heifer projects were not registered, this is the best time to get them out to their first show. It helps get them some exposure to the showring and to all the other people/animals they don't experience around the ranch. This show can become a bit of a rodeo with the new beef heifers since it is their first event since being halter trained. We have had a few who behaved great at home and went haywire when they stepped off the trailer at Jack Cross for the first time. You have to be prepared for anything! This year, Miss Spicy was a bit nervous, but all in all behaved quite well. She place 3rd in her class.
This show also hosts a Longhorn class for both heifers and bulls. There have been years where Tud has taken as many as 7 head to this event, but we opted to only take one this year, TRK Graceful Gringa. She won the Breed Champion buckle.
Unfortunately my camera was not working well and I was only able to get one grainy photo of the beef heifer class.


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Hi, folks
I apologize for missing my streamer column this week. I'm a college admissions counselor and my weekends have been taken up with reading applications and watching the Olympics. I stumbled into some free time and need to solve a pressing problem on one of my own fantasy hockey teams, so join me as I explore the world of goalies before the fantasy playoffs.
As some of you know I only use one goalie, and stream when necessary. This strategy gets me an additional skater to play for 3-4 games a week, and prevents me from fretting about ratios and wins- I can focus on getting offensive categories and can roll the dice on my ratios (sv% and GAA). I drafted Braden Holtby for this role, but his last few starts have been absolutely terrible: 5, 4, 6, and 4 goals allowed in his last four starts. His GAA on the season is 2.95, nearly a full goal greater than last year and a full half goal above his career average.
Because the playoffs are coming, I need to figure out why this is happening. I've been content to let Holtby's performance slip and slide, but now the heat is on to get decent performances- a championship is on the line. So, I've built a goalie-stats spreadsheet to try and figure out where I can gain an advantage and if need be, work a trade before the end of the weekend, or decide to ride out the storm.
I started with Oddshark's Defensive rankings to start building my sheet. I also have the difference in Goals Save Against Average (GSAA) divided by 60, as a way to compare how goalies are playing against league average. I have Corsi numbers (which I love), shooting numbers, and the magic potion of High-Danger and Medium-Danger Scoring Chances allowed.
Tier 1, AKA Teams with great defenses and great goaltending
Winnipeg, Las Vegas, Boston, Tampa Bay, Dallas, Carter Hutton
Each of these teams has excellent high- and medium-danger shot metrics, meaning the defenses in front of the goalies are preventing opponents from getting good chances in. The goalies themselves have solid-to-brilliant GSAA, and it's no wonder that these teams are the top of the standings (except Dallas) with their Corsi numbers. The ones you might be able to pry off of an unassuming opponent would be Fleury or Hellebuyck- both don't have terrific name recognition and could probably be shipped off for an above-average forward. Carter Hutton has basically moved past streamer status- if he's available, you might want to grab him as goalie insurance. The Blues have great numbers and Hutton compares extremely favorably against the league in GSAA.
Ben Bishop is a unique case- only play him at home, where is GAA is a full goal better than his away splits.
Tier 2, AKA great goalies with mixed-bag defenses
Nashville, Toronto, L.A., San Jose, Columbus
Odds are good that if you have any goalies in this group, you're pretty pleased with yourself. You could make a case for Rinne or Quick to have the best situation of all goalies, taking into account their GSAA, Corsi and shooting numbers, and the defenses in front of them. Trading for one of these guys would be a challenge, as any owner is likely to feel that their situation couldn't be improved. However, if the defenses in front of Andersen, Gibson, or Jones go down for a night, that might be a good time to pounce. Keep your eyes open and send some texts. I might also keep an eye on Aaron Dell and Juuse Saros for streaming opportunities.
Tier 3, AKA Teams with great defenses and OK goaltending
Colorado, New Jersey, St. Louis, Calgary, Minnesota
This group of starting goalies have OK GSAA numbers, but what I love is how their defenses keep their high-danger chances down. The one outlier here would be Calgary, but Mike Smith has proven that he can keep pace with flashier names. If you were to attempt a goalie upgrade, this is the group I would aim for. You could find an owner who would take Matt Murray for Smith, and if your league counts GAA and Sv%, that's a definite win in my book. If you're feeling edgy I might even sell high on Dubnyk for one of the tier 1 goalies- Minnesota's Corsi numbers aren't amazing, and people might be willing to ship Rask or even Vasilevskiy for the Dubnyk brand.
Tier 4, AKA teams with good defense and bad goaltending.
Montreal, Philadelphia, Jake Allen, Florida, Buffalo
This is an interesting and mixed group of goalies, but this is where- if someone is available- you might want to roll the dice and pray for a good night. Each of these teams keeps high-and medium-danger scoring chances to a minimum, but something else is just missing. For Montreal, Price doesn't look like himself, for Buffalo, the high-danger chances are super low, Lehner has just been asleep. If Johnson or Ullmark are playing, definitely give them a long look. I don't know if I would trade for anyone in this group, but if I saw them and needed an upgrade, or wanted to poach a streamer, I might look this way.
Tier 5, AKA getting wins and holding your breath
Washington, Pittsburgh, New York Rangers
What can you say? I'm disappointed that I can't comfortably slot Holtby into a higher group. Grubauer sure, maybe Tier 2.5, but the Washington defense has given up a ridiculous amount of high-danger scoring chances (2nd most in the league), and neither goalie has responded too well. Holtby has been tough to shop, but if you're as fed up as I am, you've gotta keep trying. Pittsburgh has been a mixed bag tending twine, but the wins are there and you never know when their excellent ratios will lend themselves to a blowout playing with lockdown defense. Lundqvist and NYR are slightly better, but their Corsi and high-danger numbers are miserable. Best advice might be to hold these guys and keep rolling them out there, and cross your fingers.
Tier 6, AKA Antti Raanta
The big dog in the desert has started to turn things around, and even though the team in front of him has failed to keep possession, shoot more than opponents, or prevent high-danger chances, his GSAA is one of the best in the league. If he's available, keep an eye open for soft matches or matchups that your gut feels good about.
Tier 7, AKA Bad goalies on subpar defenses
Ottawa, Detroit, Edmonton, Carolina, Vancouver, Chicago
I would avoid these guys, except for the rare spot start. I personally have called on Darling and Ward numerous times, especially when the betting lines are favorable, but for the most part you can ignore these guys. I will say, if you're in a close playoff match and looking to hunt down Wins or Saves, you should stop ignoring and give these guys a look. In Chicago's case, neither Forsberg nor Glass blow me away, but in a pinch you could do worse.
Tier 8, AKA the Islanders
New York Islanders
Terrible Corsi, terrible shots for/shots against, the worst high-danger team and the worst medium-danger team. I wouldn't touch these guys, as their way to win games is just offense-first. It's been working, but the goalies, whether Halak or Greiss, have been left behind. Don't take the chance unless you're looking at matchups and are in desperation mode.
Like I said, I hope this is helpful, and I'll be around when I can to answer questions and provide some advice. Good luck!!


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Thursday, January 27, 2011
Set 373
2149. Approximately 36" long:
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There is a large hole on the top:
This side is hinged and can be opened:
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Opening the door reveals this mechanism:
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A slightly smaller model of a similar device:
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2150.Someone is looking to find the exact purpose of this hammer:
2151. Sent in by a reader of this site:
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2152. An unidentified tool that was submitted by a visitor:
2153. 4-1/2" long, the spike has a hole in it, the black part is hollow and open on the end:
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2154. 37" tall, this was shot at an auction, no one knew what it was meant to hold, Neatorama is giving away T-shirts for the two funniest guesses for its purpose:
2149. This was part of a threshing machine. The grain auger outlet would set in the cradle on top and boxes were slid through to collect the grain. As the boxes passed they were counted by the mechanism.
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2150. This is most likely a log marking hammer:
2151. An antique wood juicer from India:
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2152. Part of a seed oil press, the spiral keeps feeding in seeds which increases the pressure thus squeezing the oil out.
2153. A cigar holder, similar to the one in patent number 276,042:
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2154. Probably a case for holding a Tesla coil:
A video of Tesla coil with a guy in a Faraday cage:
Tesla coils set to music:
A man in a Faraday suit with a Tesla coil:
To submit photos, send them to the address in my profile.
Last week's set is seen below, click here to view the entire post.
More discussion and comments on these photos can be found at the newsgroup rec.puzzles.
8 comments:
2150 - For making lead seals on cash bags?ReplyDelete
2151 - An older version of a ricer/garlic press?
2152 - An auger from a meat grinder?
2152 looks like a wedge to twist into coil springs to make them stiffer.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 27, 2011 at 7:19 PM
2152 is an easy out, for removing broken bolts.ReplyDelete
that last thing looks like a custom made case for a tesla coil.
- AnonymousJanuary 27, 2011 at 11:02 PM
2152 doesn't look like it's meant for removing broken bolts. Shouldn't the twist be reversed if it where?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 28, 2011 at 2:18 PM
2150 - looks like a stamp for leather or metal work.ReplyDelete
2152- does look like the auger bit for a meat grinder.
2152=Pipe reamer for inside reaming cuts on various size plumbing pipe.?ReplyDelete
- tamalecksFebruary 3, 2011 at 1:11 PM
2152 The screw may be a wood splitting tool. Able to be reversed if the wood resists splitting. If it isn't maybe I should patent that.ReplyDelete
- M.WilsonFebruary 18, 2011 at 5:04 PM
2152 looks to be the tip for a post hole auger (boring machine).ReplyDelete
For setting fence post.


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Factors that influence crop yield
There are a variety of factors associated with crop yield and the risks involved with farming. The four most important factors that influence crop yield are soil fertility, availability of water, climate, and diseases or pests.
There are a variety of factors associated with crop yield and the risks involved with farming. The four most important factors that influence crop yield are soil fertility, availability of water, climate, and diseases or pests. These factors can pose a significant risk to farms when they are not monitored and managed correctly. While Omnia Fertilizer specialises in Nutriology® (The science of growing) in order to increase crop yield and to decrease risk, it is still important to understand exactly what influences crop yield and the risks involved.
- There are 18 nutrients that are essential for proper crop development. Each is equally important to the plant, although they are required in vastly different amounts. These differences have led to the grouping of these essential elements into macro and micro nutrients. The function of nutrients in plants is complex and includes process like root, shoot, leaf and fruit development, production of proteins, hormones and chlorophyll, photosynthesis, etc. Soil is a major source of these nutrients to plants and soil fertility (or nutrient content) can therefore have a profound impact on crop production. The absence of any one of these nutrients has the potential to decrease crop yield by negatively affecting the associated growth factor.
- While it may seem obvious, the availability of water has a direct impact on crop yield and profitability can therefore vary widely due to the highly variable nature of precipitation, both in timing and amount. Too little precipitation can cause crops to wither and die, whereas excessive rainfall (especially when it follows irrigation) will also have adverse effects on crop growth. When crops are over-irrigated, water, energy, labour, and fertiliser are wasted and crop production can decrease.
- Perhaps one of the most overlooked (but nonetheless important) factors that influences crop production is climate. Climatic conditions extend beyond just "wet" and "dry". While annual precipitation is an important aspect of climate, there are other aspects to consider as well, such as humidity, temperature, wind, increased prevalence of pests during certain climate conditions, and weather patterns. South Africa's climate varies from region to region and each is associated with certain plants or crops. Planting crops outside the specific climatic region that they are adapted to will negatively impact crop yield. Erratic weather patterns also pose an immense risk to crops, as they can cause extensive damage to crops and may create highly favourable conditions for certain pests and weeds to thrive.
- One final factor that influences crop yield is the presence of pests and diseases. They come in a plethora of shapes and sizes and may cause damage in a number of ways. Besides the direct damaging effect on crops, certain pests (like plant parasitic nematodes) can also cause harm in other ways, such as damaging plant roots (therefore altering the water and nutrient uptake capability of the plant. This can also cause plants to be more susceptible to other diseases.
Omnia Fertilizer provides a wide range of customised solutions that can assist farmers to effectively lower the risks associated with crop production. Our dedicated team of agronomists is instrumental in this process, as they apply the latest technology and scientific knowledge to determine the most efficient solutions that should be implemented.
Farmers who are concerned about potential risks to their farm, or who want to know more about Omnia Fertilizer, should contact us on: 011 709 8888.


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Chris in Cincinnati says this came in the mail with no return address.
The butterfly sticker is a nice touch, no?
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related: Welcome to the neighborhood. You're totally screwing it up.


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In its second major move on the international market in as many months, after agreeing to combine its American operations with those of Molson Coors, SABMiller is offering Euro 48.25 per share, 84.3% above Grolsch's average closing price over the past month.
SABMiller, the brewer behind Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Lite and Peroni, said that the management of Grolsch supported the offer, which values the Dutch company at Euro 816m (£582m). As with earlier deals, including its acquisition of Italy's Peroni and Germany's Beck's, SABMiller is paying a premium, offering almost 15 times the reported 2006 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation.
The announcement, which comes just after the U.K.-based Scottish and Newcastle rejected a bid by Denmark's Carlsberg and Heineken, another Dutch brewer, is further evidence of the trend toward consolidation in the global brewing industry.
SABMiller hopes to employ the Grolsch Premium Pilsner brand across Africa and Latin America, using it to tap into the lucrative premium segment of the market in those regions. In South Africa in particular, analysts expect the new member of the SABMiller family to help plug the gap after Heineken terminated SABMiller-subsidiary South African Breweries' licence to manufacture and distribute Amstel lager beer.
Ab Pasman, chief executive of Grolsch, said that instead of pursuing its own strategy, there was "greater value" for his company in this deal. "In addition to financial considerations, it was important for us to give a lot of attention to the interests of our employees, customers and our home region. When we were asked to consider SABMiller's proposal, the key question was if greater value could be achieved than through our own existing strategy," he said. "Since this appeared to be the case, we entered into discussions and we believe that SABMiller's intended offer delivers benefits to all our stakeholders."
Yesterday's announcement also raised questions about SABMiller's position as a potential bidder for Scottish and Newcastle (S&N).
Trevor Stirling, a beverages analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein, said although he was almost certain SABMiller was interested in S&N, the balance of probability was against them making a bid. "Scottish and Newcastle doesn't really have a well-known exportable brand like Grolsch," he said, "If SABMiller were to bid, it would be for the Russian assets and the 50% in BBH (Baltic Beverage Holdings)."
From the December 3, 2007, Prepared Foods e-Flash


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PHTA Certified Pool Operator
These classes are great for pool service people for a better understanding of the water chemistry and mechanical operations of pools. The class is designed for commercial pools, but all pools use the same water chemistry, circulation, filtration, etc. In addition, in many states, state health department require a class like CPO for commercial pool operators.
NRPA Aquatic Facility Operator
AFO classes are designed by the National Recreation and Parks Association for operators similar to CPO classes. In some areas, AFO is preferred by some organizations, especially City and county Parks departments.
RAIL- Texas Residential Appliance Installer License Prep.
This class is specific to Texas. I have many people from outside the state take the class prior to moving to Texas. This license is required in Texas for any electrical work on swimming pools and spas- replacing pumps, heaters, lights, time clocks- anything that requires removing wires from a piece of equipment. This is a class to help prepare people for the Texas State License exam. The current pass rate on the exam is about 26% overall. This is not a class to teach people how to wire equipment. The class assumes that the individual has the knowledge to do the job, but they need help passing the test.
ISPSC for Service People
This course reviews the 2018 ISPSC (International Pool and Spa Code) with a focus on the aspects that affect pool service and repair of residential pools. Most Pool service People do not realize that the ISPSC does apply to repairs that they may need to do. The ISPSC has been adopted in many cities, counties and states across the USA.
In Texas there are over 100 jurisdictions that have adopted this code. This class also reviews some of the updates that are part of the 2021 ISPSC.
2020 NEC Code Update
This is a free 1 hour review of the changes to the National Electric Code (NEC) from the 2017 version to the 2020 Version. This may be helpful to Pool Builders, but the focus is on the electrical work that pool service people need to know, esp. the Texas Residential Appliance Installer License holders.
PHTA Certified Maintenance Specialist
This course is designed to develop the knowledge and skills for pool service people that are primarily cleaning pools. This certification is great for preparing new employees for the job, as well as clarification for more experienced employees. A CMS certification may also be helpful with marketing, to give someone an edge of the competition to help support price justification with customers.
CPO Virtual July 18 July 29 August 5 & 15 CPO 2 Day In Person Classes Albuquerque, NM
July 13 & 14, August 8 & 9
Las Cruces, NM
August 10 & 11.
Dallas, Ft. Worth, Texas
August 2 & 3
Houston, Texas
August 17 & 18
RAIL Classes
Virtual — July 22, 28, August 5, 16 In Person —
Dallas/Ft Worth, Texas
July 19
Houston, Texas
July 20
San Antonio, TX
July 21
Contact: 512-417-8103; www. Educational-Leverage.com.


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So, without further ado...the Winner is....... SYLVIA VAN DER STEEN..........
So without further ado....Our FEATURED LOs are.....and Congrats to all of you!
Big Congrats Ladies!!ReplyDelete
Congratulations! There were so many gorgeous choices - it must have been so hard to decide. I love these, there is so much inspiration here.ReplyDelete
Wow, I won, can't believe it! Thank you ladies! And big congrats to all the featured ladies, lovely work!ReplyDelete
Congrats ladies!! Much deserved winners and features with those wonderful layouts!! Well done!! :)ReplyDelete
Congratulations ladies, you all did an amazing job!ReplyDelete
Congratulations Sylvia!
I really can't believe that my first ever 12x12 scrapbooking layout was featured.
I feel so proud and excited!!!!
Thanks again everyone and My Creative Sketches for this big recognition and appreciation. I will definitely make scrapbooking becoming one of the important things in my life and will work harder to get more better projects done.
Congratulations Sylvia, and all the featured ladies!!ReplyDelete
Thank you ladies! And to Pam: the prize package has already arrived! Thanks for shipping it out so quickly! Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow on my day off :)ReplyDelete