text:
I stood in a DJ booth weaving a musical story to hundreds and sometimes thousands of punters on a pair of technics 1210's. Sometimes I went to work at 10.00 pm, sometimes at 2.00 am or sometimes even at 4.00 am. My office was a dark subterranean chamber impregnated with hypnotic rhythms, pounding bass and punctuated by a kaleidoscope of swirling illuminations, and the camera flashing winks of a dazzling strobe. Before me a swarming throng of misshapen silhouettes hugging, dancing, whooping, gyrating. Arms swaying like seaweed at high tide or fists joyously punching the air as if a favourite team had scored a hat trick. Hands transformed into angular fish like shapes that carved out intertwining forms in the energetic pulse of the club atmosphere. A flowing togetherness. A community of loved up glowing clubbers sharing the same experience; MUSIC.
This was acid house. A nation of post indie rockers had finally learnt to dance.
It was no accident I became a DJ. I'd always loved music and made mix tapes for friends. I'd gravitated to boyfriends in bands. The arrival of acid house in '88 prised me away from my indie rock credentials and opened my eyes to unadulterated rhythm. And I was a 'keen member' of the, wait for it, Rave Society at University. It goes without saying that I didn't study very much in my third year.
Then I turned 21 and threw my savings and birthday money on a pair of technics record decks which in '92 didn't come cheap. It took me a while to master blending the beats of two records together. The moment I finally accomplished this nimble fingered skill sent a fated lightening bolt down my spine. Intuitively, I knew in the depths of my bones that DJ'ing was my life calling. Destiny.
My DJ moniker was Tantra.
And so it began. My singular vision to become a professional DJ sent a synchronistic wheel in motion attracting a belly full of opportunity; I met other DJ's, played at numerous house parties, and then I landed my first residency on a local pirate radio station. Tantra's dulcet tones transmitted on the airwaves of West Yorkshire but I wisely let the grooves do the talking. Mix tapes went out, club promoters bugged and DJ agencies joined. My first club gig was a night in Liverpool - I rocked it.
I was in the right place at the right time. I was in a minority; a talented female DJ, and I milked this for all its worth. My career snowballed as I played in clubs across the UK and Europe. My music of choice was deep house and techno; everything from Kraftwerk inspired European trance to the disco influenced, funk infused minimalism of Detroit electronica. I built a solid reputation for long, seamless mixes and emotive sets which undulated in musical style, tone and pace.
I spent my weeks making hallowed pilgrimages to record shops. My favourite was Eastern Bloc Records in Manchester. The boys there were great. An assorted pile of 12"s always greeted me when I eagerly rushed through the doors every Wednesday morning. I ate vinyl. I was what was affectionately termed as an anorak. I had a record collection of 1000's organised meticulously into different genres, labels and artists.
The memories are myriad ...
The comforting aromas wafting from Parisian bakeries at 6.00 am as weary street sweepers cleared the detritus from the night before. Racing precariously through a pot holed field on a bear hunt for the location of a very secret party. Bottle green dragon flies on a Southern French hill top hovering unnoticed over bobbing heads, and brightly painted faces in the soft light of dawn.
I played in a bunker in East Germany. I played on a moving float at the Zurich Love Parade; the streets overflowing with dancing, cheering, empty beer cans. I once played a gig in Germany on Christmas day - I can recall the eerie desertion of Manchester airport, the festive dish of rare beef and sauerkraut with the club promoter and her father. The strangest gig was an outdoor rave at 8.00 am. Can you imagine having breakfast and then spinning your best vinyl to, by that time of day, a hoard of messy, unappreciative clubbers? My biggest event was spinning a nerve wracking opening set to 20,000 ravers in Germany. That was a buzz on every level. But my favourite gigs were the homegrown ones, the smaller clubs, and playing to my friends.
And then one year it all crumbled. I met HIM. Not Younger Dad. But a rotten apple. An apocalyptic messenger of heartbreaking change. When I resurfaced a year or so later I found myself at the back end of my twenties with a withering career. Like parched paper evaporating in a flame, the European gigs shrivelled up. I was past my shelf life.
I moved to London. I worked in a grey office somewhere in Aldgate. I tried to revive my career and continued playing at a few select clubs here and there. I even promoted my own night. Then one day, somewhere in my mid thirties, I decided that enough was enough. I'd lost interest in late nights, parties and the must have release. It was time for something new. So I settled back and let life's compass point me in a fresh direction.
I treasure the fun times I had, the friends I met and the cultures I tasted. But I still live with a small handful of sadness. Where would I have been if I hadn't met HIM? But then life seems to have a mysterious trajectory for all of us. Its only when we look back that we can clearly see the road map that led us to this particular point. One thing I can confidently say is that if I'd carried on DJ'ing I wouldn't have met Younger Dad or held Little A in my arms. This is how it was meant to be ..... in the end I was intended for motherhood.
One day I will be able to regale Little A with all my turntable adventures.
Once upon a time her mummy was a cool DJ.
So once upon a time, what did you enjoy (or dislike) doing, seeing or creating? It could be anything. What were you like many moons ago? Do you have a once upon a time story to tell or picture to share? It could be a happy, sad or humorous tale. The skies the limit. I've decided to turn this into a monthly meme blog hop thing. So do Link up below and grab the badge code ... and don't forget to tweet #onceuponatime.
Grab the badge code ...


text:
Welcome to Savage Woods!
FREE SHIPPING for Orders over $150!
(Free Shipping for U.S.A Mainland only, excludes Hawaii)
Cocobolo for sale! Ziricote for sale!
Savage Woods imports rare tropical hardwood, and specializes in lumber, turning blanks, and luthier sets including ziricote, cocobolo, granadillo, katalox and several other musical grade tonewoods!
Hardwood In Stock
Find the hardwood you are looking for. Browse by species, or specifications such as Luthier Blanks or Turning Blanks. We maintain an inventory of large board Ziricote and Cocobolo lumber as well as Ziricote and Cocobolo turning blanks. Among the many uses for ziricote and Cocobolo are gun stocks, Ziricote and Cocobolo bowls and art pieces, Ziricote and Cocobolo guitar sets and Ziricote and Cocobolo table tops. Our Austin, Texas tropical hardwood inventory also consists of Granadillo, Katalox, Chechen, Tzalam, Chakte Viga, Chakte kok, Chico Zapote, Caribbean walnut, Caribbean rosewood, Mexican Royal Ebony, and Black Poison Wood.
We Value our Customers
If you are not already, make sure to get on our FIRST PICK LIST to have photos of newly imported hardwood emailed to you before we load it to our site. As a customer of Savage Woods you will have the privilege of showcasing the work you have done with any of the wood you purchase from Savage Woods in our CUSTOMER GALLERY. In addition, we also offer a WOODWORKERS DIRECTORY. If you would like to include your contact information in this directory, click here. You do not need to be a customer of Savage Woods to add your listing. Get found by customers looking for the perfect lumber by having your expertise available directly to them.
Volume Orders
If you are interested in volume tropical hardwood lumber for flooring or other projects, please let us know and we can import a dedicated hardwood load cut to your specifications. We take pride in our customer service and will manage your dedicated shipment from start to finish, providing you with a turnkey solution for filling your volume order needs.
Contact Us
If you would like more information about the products and services we provide, feel free to give us a call directly at 512-619-9101 or send us an email.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
KENDE manufacture good quality ZX7-200Q IGBT Inverter MMA Stick Welding Machine
- Brand name:KENDE
- Place of Origin:China
- Type:IGBT Module
- Usage:Welding
- Packing:Color box
- Technology:IGBT Inverter Welding
- Certification:provide relevant certification,such as GS/CE and EMF safety certificates etc
- Accessories:Electrode holder,earth clamp,welding cable,brush/hammer,protrctive mask,carton box.
- weight:4.700kg
- Condition:New
- Rated supply voltage:110/240V
- Supply frequency:50/60
- Rated input capacity:8KPA
- Rated supply current:40A
- No-load voltage :60V
- Welding current range:25-200A
- Welding current max:200A
- Rated welding voltage:28V
- Rated duty cycle:15%
- Usable electrode:1.6-5.0
- efficiency:85%
- Power factor:0.9Cos
- Degrees of protection:IP21S
- Net weight:4.7KG
- Machine size :L330*W150*H260
Packaging & Shipping
- Delivery Lead Time:7 days for ready goods
- Minimum Order:1 Piece
- Supply Ability:10,000 Set/ Sets per Month
- Total Quantity In Stock:Over 5000
- Delivery Port:Any Port In China
Product Description
1.Special design of the circuit and structure of these welding power sources.
2.Has been authorized China and patent of utility.
3.Super strong ability of the anti-fluctuating of power supply voltage.Under 130-270V,the welding power source will has output current,and can weld.
4.Under longer welding cable,the welding machine can weld.
5.Good waterproof,moisture-proof,mould proof,anti-corrosion,anti-vibration or vibration-proof and anti-conductive dust.
6.Practical protection class exceed IP23.
7.Use powerful IGBT switches and advanced inverter control technology.
8.Use PWM control technology and constant current (CC) output control,welding current can be exactly controlled,Continuous adjustment on welding current in large scale.
9.Excellent are characteristics and good welding performance,with anti-stick,hot start are force.
10.Minimizing,lightness,it can be moved easily,high quality and energy savings up to 30%.
11.With auot protection functions of over-current and over-heat.
12.Be able to weld all kinds of metal,for example carbon steel,alloy steel,cast iron as well as stainless steel etc.with complete accessories.
Electrode holder,earth clamp,welding cable,brush/hammer,protective mask,carton box.
Product Show
Company Profile
Company Profile
Kende:The home of Welding,Cutting,Charging and Heating.Kende leads the market of arc welding,spot welding,plasma cutting,heaters,chargers and starters.we are always ready to exceed to our customer's expectations.Kende is a company system certified according to ISO9001:2008,ISO 14001:2004 and OHSMS1800.Kende as a leader in technology,all design activities must aim not only for high performance,but also for reducing energy consumption and RoHS-compliant raw material/components,within the framework of sustainable development.the first chinese enterprise who obtains GS/CE and EMF safety certificates of welding machine.and we fulfill the sound quality management system,all the products meet the safety standard requiement of the selling countries(EN60974-1 or IEC60974-1 for European countries UL551 for America,etc.)
Why choose us
Q1:Are you original manufacture?
A:Yes,We Kende are a official leading manufacture in welding machinery in china and we have the whole series products you need.
Q2. How could I know if this machine is suitable for me?
A: Before ordering, we will provide every details of the machine for your reference, or you could tell us your detailed requirements, our technician will recommend the most suitable machine for you.
Q3.How long is the warranty time for your products?
A:We offer 1 year warranty for your welding machine.
Q4.I haven't done business with you guys before,how can i trust your company?
A: We would trade on online to make sure your money is safely; Kende build on 2001, we has rich experience of intelligent welding factory solutions. Kende had established business relationship with so many famous brands. Quality is reliable.
Q5:How about your Kende service?
A:365x24 Year-round service
we have profressional overseas service center available after you purchase our goods if have any issue.We are committed to year-roung 24-hour service during holidays,in line policy of always providing "a response within 15 minutes and job completion within 24 hours.
After-market worry-free service
We are committed to providing after-market services,including trade-ins,overhauls,and recycling.we always stick to responsibility and mission of handing your concerns as best we can.Quality warranty
We grant our clients a twelve-month or 2000-hour warranty for any machine purchased from us .


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I like women in comic books, both as villains and heroes. Once upon a time, there were very few of either type, and they were sometimes painfully derivative (e.g., Miss Arrowette). So part of me likes that there are now so many female costumed adventures, good and bad.
Yet another part of me hates it. It's been my observation that, on the whole, women are not nearly as likely to be idiotic as men. I mean, how many women appeared on Jackass, or imitated things they saw on Jackass?
While I understand women's desire for parity with men in positive areas like rate of pay, I pale when it myopically expands into a desire for parity with men in negative areas as well. It makes me sad to think that in order to become men's socioeconomic equals, women would have to stoop to men's level of jackassery.
I will believe a man can fly. It is substantially more difficult for me to believe that women are as likely as men to put on a costume and fight crime. That's the kind of self-aggrandizing theatrics driven by a savior complex that I associate with the typical flaws of men, not of women.
Yes, I like Kate "Manhunter" Spencer, but throwing on a costume, grabbing some random high tech weapons, and dashing to a sewer to confront Copperhead on the spur of the moment is the exactly kind of jackassery that's even harder to credit in women than in men.
It's even more of a strain to unflinchingly accept woman villains. Men are more violent than women. Men are more likely to become criminals. Although the number of female prison inmates has grown dramatically, that's due to drug convictions (a crime of weakness to which all people are equally prey) rather than violent offenses (crimes of aggression to which men are more prone).
One may not like stereotyping as a matter of principle, but stereotyping is seldom baseless: men are more violent and criminal than women, which is why they outnumber them in prisons by at least nine to one.
Setting aside for a minute men's hormonal tendencies toward aggression, men are stupid. Or perhaps more accurately, men are more likely to be narrow-minded or short-sighted.
The reason that most people are good citizens instead of criminals isn't because most people are good; it's because because it's easier. That's part of the whole point of society. In the long run, being good and cooperative with society is safer, easier, and more profitable than being a criminal.
Ever watch those reality teevee cop shows, where some moron tries to rob a gas station or lead cops on a chase, or run away naked from a domestic dispute? You immediately think: "What on earth is that person thinking? Do they really think they're going to get away and what will they do next when they do?" The answer is simple: they aren't thinking. Not past the moment, anyway. Now, who's more likely to do that, a woman or a man?
Yet, because the costume crowd are the stars of our comic books it feels manifestly "unfair" when more capes belong to men than women, regardless of how much more realistic that would be. And so we all find ourselves clamoring for more female nutjobs in spandex, including villains.
In what other context would people consider it acceptable to say the equivalent of: "People need to realize that women's capacity for evil, selfishness, foolishness, aggression, and blind stupdity is every bit as great as men's!" That may be "equality" but I'm hard-pressed to view it as empowerment or advancement. Except in, you know, professional sports.
Come now. "I intend to rule the world!", "I shall destroy you all!", "Mine, mine -- it's all mine!", and even "Hahahahahaha! Die at the hands of Dr. Virus -- and Kryptococcus, the Omni-Germ!" really do sound more natural coming out of man's mouth than a woman's. Most women couldn't say stuff like that without laughing; men say stuff like that to themselves while shaving.
There's an unfortunate side-effect of all this. The comparative incredibility of female villains pushes writers toward dangerous motivational waters.
Because world-conquering and bank-robbing don't feel like hobbies that women are keen on, writers veer toward other motives -- then get in trouble with readers for stereotyping. Let's see how many female characters you can put under the following headings:
- "She's doing it to get back at a man/men."
- "She's doing it to get a man's attention."
- "She's doing on behalf of her man."
- "Her emotions/powers are out of control."
- "She likes jewelry."
That last one's my favorite. Men, you see, steal piles of cash that they can then convert into anything commerce permits. Women skip the middle-man and go straight for the shiny shinies they want; yes, Catwoman, I'm looking at you.
All this is part of why I am unhappy with Catwoman as a hero and fine with Batgirl as a villain: because female villains with any sort of remotely realistic motivation are hard to find.
Catwoman was a good villain because her motive was simple, realistic, and comprehensible: she wanted what she wanted when she wanted it. She wasn't out to hurt anyone, defeat anyone, or conquer anything. And if you got in her way, she either pushed you out of the way or did an end-run around you; no hard feelings. She was the anti-Luthor.
As for Batgirl, well, yes, the turn to villainhood is a dramatic one and a severe shift away from the direction previous writers had taken her, but I least I understand her motivations (unlike, say, the Vilification of Leslie Thompkins, who let Spoiler die to, um, prove a point -- or something). Still, it is uncomfortable that what seemed to push her over the edge was simply the fact that "there was another woman in her Daddy's life"; icky.


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Films, videos, etc.
Welcome to David Kidman's homepage, you can have access to films, videos, written and other work.
Events :
January 2013
Claude Rutault film at the Auditorium of the Museum in Strasbourg,
January 2013
at Les Arts au Mur, Pessac, France
December 2012
Alternative, Belgrade, Serbia, presentation of students' films from EsbaTALM
November 2012
Road End, Train/Run, Stochastics, Studio Work screening, with Dumbphone and Foam Film presented at Opetka Ateliers, Cologne, Germany. Thanks to Peter Beyer for the invitation, the soup and the glühwein.
September 2012
In residence at York
University Future Cinema Lab, Toronto, Canada, preparing work for the Land/Slide exhibition in September
Presentation of the project at the Centre for social innovation,
July 2012
Stochastics at TIFF Bell Light
Box in the Fractured Movement /
Constituent Parts programme.
March 2012
Hot Society,
Train/Run, Dumbphone, Road Ends, Home Turf at the Cultural House
(Dom Kultura) auditorium, Studentski Grad, Belgrade, Serbia
February - March 2012
In residence at the
Alternative, Belgrade, Serbia, working on a new
project on the image of the scientist in popular culture.
December 2011
Xavier Veilhan film at the Auditorium of the Museum in Strasbourg, France
November - December 2011
Xanadu and John Ford's Point from Hot Society in Taxonomies at the Museum of the Object, Blois, France
October 2011
Stochastics at Jihlava International Documentary Festival, Czech Republic
September 2011
Lab Meeting associated with 25FPS Festival, Zagreb, Croatia
August 2011
Stochastics and Dumbphone at Videoholica, Varna, Bulgaria
July 2011
Stochastics at the Fab Festival of Fringe Film at Hanover Drive-in, Hanover, Ontario, Canada
Stochastics at Images Contre Nature, Marseille, France
June 2011
Stochastics at Coté Court, Pantin, France
April 2011
Projections at the nD Auditorium, Seoul, South Korea
Studio Work
Hot Society
A Fully Flipped Screen
Time Based Corrections, exhibition at Media+Space, Graduate School of Communication and Art, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
Stochastics at Experiments in Cinema, Albuquerque, New Mexico
March 2011
Stochastics at Regensberg Filmwoche, Germany
December 2010
In Situ, exhibition at the Agence d'Urbanisme, Orléans, France.
Orléans poster/press release (fr) here
Stochastics at the Festival des Cinémas Différents de Paris
Stochastics at Tous Courts, Aix en Provence, France
Stochastics at Alternative, Belgrade, Serbia, Prize, Important cinematic work
Stochastics at the H2O Gallery, Bercelona, Spain, during BAC!
Road Ends Here, Run/Train, Remade Loops and Stochastics at Tether Gallery, Nottingham, England
Stochastics at KLEX, Annexe Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaisia
Stochastics at the International Animated Film Festival of Banja Luka, in Bosnia Herzegovina
Stochastics at the Festival de Cine Internacional de Ourense
Stochastics at Film Forum Arsenals, Riga, Latvia
Stochastics at Ex-is, Seoul, South Korea
Hot Society, Attention, Foam Film installed, Sapporo University of Education, Hokkaido, Japan
Hot Society, Attention, Asagaya Art School, Tokyo, Japan
Hot Society, Attention, Nippon Engineering College, Tokyo, Japan
Hot Society, Attention, Zokei University, Tokyo, Japan


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Carrie Underwood's X-Ray Shows She's Healed, But What Is That Thing?
Carrie Underwood's wrist has healed! An Instagram photo of her latest X-ray indicates she's all fixed up, thanks to a doctor, a "PT angel" and something that looks like a tiny rake.
Or it may be a six-string finger piano with a short arm attached? Actually, it kind of looks like a tiny robot hand.
It's not clear if Underwood needs to keep the apparatus, but per her original revealing of the broken wrist and surgery, she may. "All went well ... even though I'll be setting off airport metal detectors from now on, " she said in November, just days after taking a spill at home. In addition to the injured wrist Underwood also suffered some serious cuts to her head and face that required 40 to 50 stitches. She's been mostly quiet about the fall, aside from a post to fans on New Year's Eve that revealed she'd look different the next time she's on camera.
Upon learning that her injury was much more serious than originally reported the singer's fans rushed to social media to offer words of support and encouragement. Aside from a single photo she has remained out of public eye since the fall, which happened two days after the 2017 CMA Awards.
Career-wise, Underwood shared that she returned to the studio this month to begin work on her next studio album, expected in 2018. Her song "The Champion" was recorded last year and is being used for NBC's promotional coverage of the Super Bowl. It's not clear if this collaboration with Ludacris will make her next album, but radio has not embraced it.
Fans Rush to Support Carrie Underwood


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Founded and headquartered in the Netherlands, Wolters Kluwer is a global information service provider with a rich heritage of more than 180 years in innovation and technology. We are proud and honored to act as the main industry sponsor for SEMANTiCS 2017 in Amsterdam.
Data, information and knowledge is our business—and our main asset in helping professionals in more than 180 countries around the world make critical decisions with confidence. The decisions our customers make help save lives, improve the way business is done, shape better global systems and contribute to a more just society. So they have to be right.
And so, understandably, we engage deeply with the semantic web, linked data, data science in general, and open data initiatives. SEMANTiCS is a great fit with Wolters Kluwer, and we are happy to build on our long-lasting relationship by offering an opening keynote from Sandeep Sacheti on the strategic implications of semantic technologies in our industry; an industry workshop covering application areas of semantic technologies in health, compliance, legal and tax sectors. We also have a booth, where students and professionals can find out more about positions with, partnerships and collaborations with Wolters Kluwer. And of course, we have a number of conference attendees who will share their personal experience with semantic web technologies.
The semantic web is an important enabler both for us as a company, and for the information industry as a whole, to be able to build and run and extend data intensive information systems on a global scale. As business models—even entire industries—continue to be disrupted, fundamental change is required to manage, survive and thrive. The continual evolution of data, information and knowledge is crucial. We look forward to sharing our experience and insights at SEMANTiCS 2017.


text:
Credit Repair: Remove Errors & Improve Your Report
Get rid of your debt faster with debt relief
Choose your debt amount
Or speak to a debt consultant 844-731-0836
- 6 min read
- You can remove inaccurate items from your credit report through a the dispute process.
- Accurate negative information remains for 7-10 years.
- Repair your credit using good financial habits.
Correct & Improve Your Credit With Credit Repair
Buying a car or house? Renting an apartment? Looking for a job?
What do all of those actions have in common? Your credit score and credit history affect your ability to get a loan, rent an apartment, or sometimes even to get a job. A low credit score or the presence of a collection item on your report may prevent you from getting a loan, or cause you to pay higher interest rates.
Your credit score is based on your reported credit history, and what shows on your report is not necessarily correct. We all have read stories about wrong information appearing on credit reports due to confusion about Social Security numbers or names, as well as due to identity theft. Whatever the reason, it is upsetting to see inaccurate information on your credit report. If you see mistakes on your credit report, it is important for you to take the right steps to repair your credit.
To repair your credit, learn:
- Which items can be removed from a credit report
- How to remove an inaccurate item from a credit report
- How to improve your credit
Credit Repair: What Can Be Removed?
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a federal law, requires consumer credit reporting agencies to report accurate information. If you find any inaccuracies in your credit report, dispute the inaccurate derogatory account with the credit bureau reporting it.
The table breaks down your credit report into three categories:
Type of Item | Can the Item be Removed | Comments |
Inaccurate or incomplete items | Yes, through a dispute process | Includes items that have a mistaken identity due to social security, name or address mix-up, or identity theft. |
Accurate negative items | According to the FTC, accurate information cannot legally be removed before the date of expiration, which is usually between 7-10 years from the original date of delinquency. | Dispute any items that remain on your report longer than is allowed by the FCRA. |
Positive items | No need to remove. | Positive items help to build your credit score. |
FCRA 7-Year Rule
Federal law controls the behavior of credit reporting agencies. Under the FCRA an account in collection will appear on a consumer's credit report for up to 7½ years (including the first period to determine delinquency, between 30-180 days). To determine when the credit reporting agencies should remove a derogatory account from your report, add 7 years to the date of first delinquency.
Subsequent activity, such as resolving the debt, is irrelevant to the seven-year rule. However, if the debt is a tax lien, that can appear for 7 years from the date of payment. A bankruptcy can appear for 10 years from the date of filing (15 U.S.C. §1681c). Delinquent federal student loans can be reported indefinitely, for as long as they are delinquent.
Credit Repair: How to Remove an Item From Your Credit Report
Now that you know what items you can remove, let's look at how you can get those inaccurate items removed from your credit report. Here is what the FTC writes about credit repair:
"No one can legally remove accurate and timely negative information from a credit report. The law allows you to ask for an investigation of information in your file that you dispute as inaccurate or incomplete. There is no charge for this. Some people hire a company to investigate on their behalf, but anything a credit repair clinic can do legally, you can do for yourself at little or no cost."
Bills.com has detailed information about disputing a credit report. Here is a brief explanation of the credit repair process:
1. Get a credit report: You are entitled to one free credit report each year from each of the major consumer credit reporting agencies (CRAs) — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. You can receive them through the Web site AnnualCreditReport.com. In general, it is a good idea to stagger the reports, getting one every four months, so you can view a free report three times a year. However, if you see incorrect items on one report, you should consider taking out all of the reports at once.
2. Look for errors: Pay special attention to personal details, including your name, social security, and address. Go over all the reported credit accounts and verify that they belong to you. (If you are not sure, then read about verifying a debt).
3. Dispute any error(s) with the CRA reporting the error(s): Each CRA is independent of the others and may report different information about you. Send a letter or use the CRA's online process to dispute any inaccurate item(s). The three major CRAs offer the ability to dispute an inaccuracy online:
Equifax | Experian | TransUnion |
800-685-1111 | 888-397-3742 | 800-916-8800 |
Equifax.com | Experian.com | TransUnion.com |
File a credit dispute online at Equifax | File a credit dispute online at Experian | File a credit dispute online at TransUnion |
Image courtesy of Equifax.com
4. Dispute the Errors with the Creditor: Send a dispute letter to the creditor, with copies of any supporting documents.
Professional Service? Be Careful
Both the FTC and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) both recommend using a do-it-yourself approach to credit repair. They warn of credit repair scams and consumers paying unnecessary fees. Some people do use professional credit repair companies. Bills.com does not recommend using a professional service. If you make this choice, make sure you pay for services you need. A professional credit repair company cannot perform miracles. There is no guarantee any derogatory but accurate information can be removed. Check out the Bills.com article Lexington Law Review - MUST READ THESE FACTS! about a credit repair service, including both positive and negative reader comments.
Credit Repair: Improve Your Credit
Although some people do dispute accurate negative items, that information can be deleted only with permission of the creditor. Sometimes a dispute letter is sent to the creditor, who does not respond, and therefore the item is deleted from the credit report. However, if the creditor reports the item to the CRA, the item will be reinstated. According to the FTC fact sheet, "Consumer reporting companies must investigate the items you question within 30 days — unless they consider your dispute frivolous".
Some credit repair services promise to get rid of all kinds of information. However, accurate information that is removed due to an untimely answer from the creditor can reappear.
The best way to deal with repairing and improving your credit is to deal with your debt problems. That means taking the following steps:
1. Analyze your debt problems: Make a personal budget and know how much you make and how much you spend. Work on controlling your expenses. Make sure you have an accurate account of all your debts, including the amount, the interest rate, the servicer, the monthly payment, and the payment schedule.
Find a Debt Payoff Solution
Problems with debt? Try out Bills.com Debt Payoff Calculator to find a debt relief solution that fits your personal financial situation.
2. Pay off your delinquent accounts: Any collection items should be dealt with. There are different debt relief options, including loan consolidation, credit counseling, debt settlement and bankruptcy.
Get A Free Debt Relief Consultation
Contact one of Bills.com's pre-screened debt providers for a free, no-hassle debt relief quote.
3. Maintain good financial practices: Use some of these techniques to improve your credit. including:
- Timely payments
- Lower credit utilization
- Avoid minimum payments
Disputing inaccurate items on your credit report can improve your credit profile. However, good financial habits are the best way to create and maintain a good credit history.
Get rid of your debt faster with debt relief
Take the first step towards a debt-free life with personalized debt reduction strategies.
Choose your debt amount
Or speak to a debt consultant 844-731-0836
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Liquid or solid plant food?
You want to care for your plants as well as possible. But what form of plant food is best: pellets, powder, or liquid food? In this article, we discuss the pros and cons of liquid and solid food.
Solid plant food
Is the surface you are going to fertilise relatively large, like a lawn? Then solid plant food in the form or pellets or powder can be handy. You can weigh out the right amount on a scale and then scatter the food evenly.
Solid plant food must first dissolve into the soil before the nutrients are released. It therefore takes a while for this fertiliser to have an effect. Bear in mind that you should not scatter solid fertiliser during a dry period or on dry substrate. Pellets cannot dissolve in dry soil. This plant food is usually suitable if you do not need to fertilise the plants regularly.
Liquid plant food
If you fertilise the plants weekly or daily and do not need to spread the fertiliser over a large area, liquid plant food is recommended. Liquid fertiliser is easy to use. The correct dosage is shown on the cap of the bottle. If you follow these instructions closely, your plants will never get too much or too little nutrition. However, you should pay close attention to the needs of the crop. Some plants grow slower and need less nutrition. In that case, you need only give a quarter of the dose.
Liquid plant food contains all the nutrients your plants need. You only need a bottle and you need not give your plants any extra water, because the food is already in liquid form. So you save a great deal of water too. Your plants absorb the nutrients in the liquid plant food immediately.
Personal advice regarding plant food
At BAC, we sell different kinds of nutritional products that have a beneficial effect on the development of your plants: organic products, chemical products and plant stimulators. We would be delighted to provide you with personal advice about what your plants need. Contact our specialists.


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Tired of the princesses always getting all of the attention? Do you think that witches and sorceresses are vastly misunderstood? If you're looking for the perfect women's Halloween or Carnival costume, don't go without your Maleficent costume. She's the villain of the story, the wicked witch who wants to do away with Sleeping Beauty in the Disney story, but also the fairy who wants to save and protect the magic of the forest she calls home. Get your best friend to wear a Sleeping Beauty costume to the next party and you'll do the honors in your Maleficent costume, you'll be the best-dressed pair at the next Halloween party! The Maleficent costume is a great choice that ever disappoints on Halloween. Make it look even more grotesque and malicious with some good purple and green makeup, and scare everyone into thinking you're really the Queen of Darkness. If you think Disney Princess and Prince Charming costumes are so passé, these Maleficent costumes are your Disney costumes!
49,99 € Before


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Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors, and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:
Conservation Biologist Explains Why 'Feathers' Matter: Thor Hanson's new book looks at the evolutionary significance of feathers in birds. Hanson tells Fresh Air that he's amazed by birds' magnitude of feathers, how feathers grow and how they're the "most efficient insulation known."
Why Your Cellphone Could Be Called A 'Tracker': ProPublica investigative reporter Peter Maass says cellphone companies monitor where we are, who we call, what we buy — and often provide it to law enforcement when requested. "They are collecting a heck of a lot more information than we expect them to be collecting about us," he tells Fresh Air.
Advocate Fights 'Ambient Despair' In Assisted Living: Martin Bayne entered an assisted living facility at 53 after he was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson's disease. Now he writes about long-term care reform. He tells Fresh Air about recording residents' final days and how death is handled "very poorly" in facilities.
You can listen to the original interviews here:
- Conservation Biologist Explains Why 'Feathers' Matter
- Why Your Cellphone Could Be Called A 'Tracker'
- Advocate Fights 'Ambient Despair' In Assisted Living
Copyright 2023 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air.


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The Skinny:
- Built solid
- Easy to use with a low learning curve
- Affordably priced; great lifetime warranty
The Skinny:
- Built solid
- Easy to use with a low learning curve
- Affordably priced; great lifetime warranty
Things We Love:
If you're looking for an affordably priced premium grill, then Lion Premium Grills should definitely be considered. Lion grills are solidly built using 304 stainless steel and the hood is double-lined for extra durability. The grill comes with cast stainless burners that radiate heat well and tend to last longer than other burners.
One thing I like about Lion is that it's simple to use and has a lower learning curve than many other premium grills. The control panel is uncluttered and easy to operate, and the grill heats up quickly to get you grilling in no time.
Love the wonderful, smoky flavor of cooking with charcoal? As an upgrade option, you can add a charcoal tray to your Lion, giving you cooking versatility. The tray sits above the burners and the charcoal is lit by the burners, with no lighter fluid needed.
Lion also gives you the option to upgrade the included steel flame tamers to a ceramic rod flame taming system, which I highly recommend. The ceramic rods cover more grilling area and help to better distribute the heat across the entire grilling surface.
As a final upgrade option, you can purchase the interchangeable searing burner which can replace any of the standard burners. This gives you the option to customize your grills burner configuration any time you grill by simply swapping out the burners.
Lion stands behind their grills with a great lifetime warranty, which covers the burners, cooking grids, and stainless steel frame and housing.
To top it off, Lion is currently including a grilling gourmet package when you buy their grill. The package gives you cool extras like a rotisserie kit, grill cover, smoker box, griddle, and griddle plate remover with bottle opener. Who doesn't love lagniappe (a little something extra)?
Things to Consider:
While Lion offers a lot of upgrade options to consider, they are not included with the grill, which will add to the final price tag.
One upgrade I highly think you should consider is the grills flame tamers. By upgrading to the ceramic flame tamers, you will see a huge difference in the grills performance with a more evenly heated grill surface and minimal flare ups while cooking.
You'll Like This Grill If:
You're seeking an affordably priced premium grill with accessories and options that will thrill any griller.
View on BBQGuys.com


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Coronavirus Update
Our Office's Safety Precautions
To help prevent the transmission of all respiratory infections, including COVID-19, we adhere to standardized infection control measures, such as performing hand hygiene, providing tissues and no-touch receptacles to throw away used tissues, and offering facemasks to patients who are coughing. We follow routine cleaning and disinfection strategies, using cleaners and water to pre-clean surfaces prior to applying an EPA-registered, hospital-grade disinfectant, as well as appropriate sterilization of all tools and equipment. We also use new facemasks and gloves for each patient per guidelines set by the FDA and CDC.
While our office already adheres to these standard precautions, there are several common sense recommendations we are implementing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- Screening patients for signs or symptoms of infection when we update their medical histories.
- Making sure our masks, gloves, and eye protection are appropriate for the procedures performed.
- Cleaning and disinfecting public areas frequently, including door handles, chairs, and bathrooms.
If you have an appointment scheduled within the next few weeks, please contact our office if you experience any of the following:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Travel within the past 14 days to affected geographical regions
We will discuss your health status, the dental treatment you require, and whether or not visiting our office will be safe for you, our other patients, and our staff.
When you visit our office, we ask that you arrive on time for your appointment, rather than too early. This will minimize the amount of time you spend in our waiting room or reception area. If you have respiratory symptoms, we will ask that you wear a facemask.
How can you prevent contracting or spreading COVID-19?
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds. If you don't have access to soap and water, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Maintain at least six feet of distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. Do not use your hands.
- Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Calling in advance will allow your healthcare provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility.
If you would like more information about our office's dedication to your health and safety, please give us a call. For more information about what you can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19, please visit the World Health Organization website.


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This is somewhat related to question Right forum for effort estimation question?, but I'd like to be more specific:
Given a detailed set of requirements for a small and simple greenfeeld (.NET/Windows Forms) project, would it be OK to ask the Stack Overflow users for their effort estimation?
Would it also be OK to ask this question multiple times for different projects?
This could be useful for several reasons:
As a developer, it would give me a basic idea about my performance. As a novice project manager, it would give me a basic idea about what would be a reasonable amount of time to give my developers.


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~~ Book Published by T. Hasegawa ~~Kohana San 22 Page Version, 1892 (22 Page Version) There were two printings of this book. There are minor differences in the printings. I call this the 22 page version. The other version has 24 pages and I believe that it was published in 1893. For more information on the two printings, click here.
Key Actors in the Production Process. These books involved several key actors in the production process.
Frederic Sharf, in his work Takejiro Hasegawa, Meiji Japan's Preeminent Publisher of Wood-Block-Illustrated Crepe-Paper Books (see here) records a remarkable amount of information on all these key individuals. In his bibliography of these books, he documents the books and, as far as the information was available, gives the names of these key people. His book also provides an in depth discussion of Hasegawa's life and business and the key authors and translators he employed. Sharf's work is an essential resource for the collector and student of these books. Size. There are four basic sizes of the crepe paper books.
Crepe/Plain Paper. In the second edition of Oyuchasan, published in 1893, Hasegawa advertised The Japanese Fairy Tale Series, Nos. 1-20 in "Ordinary Paper & Crepe Paper." On this matter, Sharf notes that the Maruzen company in Tokyo sold Hasegawa/Kobunsha books and until 1893 all listed in company catalogues were on plain paper. The 25 numbers of the First Japanese Fairy Tale Series, as well as No 1 & 2 of the Second Series, were apparently all sold in plain paper versions. They were also sold in crepe paper versions. Bindings. Discussed and illustrated below.
Wraparound Cases (Chitsu). A very few of the Hasegawa books were sold with tradational Japanese wraparound cases (bone/ivory clasps) although they are seldom seen with material currently being offered commercially. When the books are enclosed in these hinged cases, the top and bottom of the case are open. The following have been confirmed with folding cases:
Colophons (Japanese Language). The books contain Japanese language colophons, generally at the rear. These colophons usually state:
They also generally state in English and/or Japanese - "Copyright Reserved" / "All Rights Registered and Reserved." An example of a colophon with English translations annotated is here. A word of caution is necessary regarding colophons in these books. It was not unusual for a later reprint of a book to contain the same colophon found in the earlier edition. Dating these books can be a complicated undertaking and that is discussed below. Distributor/Agent Imprints. Brentano's, New York Griffith, Farran & Co. Imprint Books. The first 16 Fairy Tales were printed by Kobunsha with the Griffith, Farran & Company imprint. The special printings for Griffith, Farran & Company were published ca 1888. These books are generally found bound into four volumes but sometimes unbound and in the original state. Regarding the Hasegawa - Griffith, Farran & Co. relationship, Sharf notes: Early on in his career, he had prepared a special edition of his crepe-paper fairy tale series for the venerable English publisher Griffith, Farran & Company. With offices in London and Sydney, and with a solid reputation for their children's books, the firm was an important client for Hasegawa in the 1880's. The books that Griffith, Farran contracted with Hasegawa to produce were more in the Western vein, with sewn and glued spines, and with Griffith, Farran identification on the cover. (Sharf at page 22, underlining is mine) From a binding perspective the major distinction in these special production books is that they are not bound by stab ties or external string ties. Additional information on several of these books is found here. Different Language Versions. The Fairy Tale books were printed several languages.
Hasegawa Output Over the Years (1885~1930). I have not seen a definitive listing of all the books and calendars produced by The Kobunsha and T. Hasegawa over the years. However, a review of this material that I have seen indicates more than 250 different and distinctive books or calendars were produced over this period. One advanced collector has placed the total at more than 700. This includes crepe and plain paper books of the same title as well as versions of the books in different languages as distinctive publications. It does not include different printing of the same item. Quantities Produced. I have not found a record of the output of the various Hasegawa publications. Sharf notes that the books were "...produced in quantities of either five hundred or one thousand copies per title...." (Sharf at page 11). I am aware of only one book where the quantity printed is actually stated. That is Japanese Dramen: Terakoya u. Asagao. At least seven editions of the book were produced with a quantity of 1,000 copies per edition. In this book the quantity is stated on the folding case, on the title page and in the colophon. Takejiro Hasegawa in Japanese. In the colophon of these books you often see Hasegawa's name in this manner: Hasegawa Addresses in Japanese (all in Tokyo). A listing of addresses and dates is provided in the Sharf book at Appendix Three. The Kobunsha
Michael Hollander, in his List of these book, states the following regarding the English language Japanese Fairy tale books: A true first edition set of the Fairy Tale series will consist of the first twelve titles on plain paper, with titles in phonetic Japanese, and the imprint Kobunsha. The titles numbered 13-20 on creped paper with the titles in English and the imprint of Kobunsha and the titles numbered 21-23 on creped paper and with the imprint Hasegawa & Co., complete a first edition set. (Hollander, at page 339) Unfortunately, it is not as simple as this. I find it interesting that Sharf does not deal with the matter of the various editions in his comprehensive book on T. Hasegawa aside from presenting printing and publication dates. Since earlier dates were often repeated verbatim in later editions, the dates you find are not absolutely determinative as to whether a book is a first edition. I will present my tentative observations/conclusions regarding first editions below. I believe that the plain paper books predated the crepe paper books for the first 20 English Japanese Fairy Tale Series books. Plain Paper, First Editions |
The Perry Expedition: General Information : Related Books/Pubs The Lithographs: Characteristics : Condition : Listing : Buying Order On-line: Lithograph Price List : Book Price List ABE Book List: BaxleyBooks Inventory on ABE Special Interest Books/Art: ~ K. Ogawa - Color Collotypes and Books/Prints ~ T. Hasegawa - Color Woodblock Books ~ Shimbi Shoin - Art Reproduction Books ~ Tamamura/Takagi, Kobe - Color Collotype Books ~ Georges Bigot - Etchings & Art ~ Keisuke Serizawa - Calendar Folios & Art ~ Woodblock Printing - Process & Miscellaneous Books ~ Japanese Woodblock Prints ~ Blackie the Photographer - Okinawa Photo Essay Books Meiji Era - Japan Views & Images (Price Lists & Information): ~ Albumen Photos : Chromolithographs ~ Colored Albumen Photographs (from Brinkley Books) ~ Stereoviews : Kazumasa Ogawa Collotypes ~ CDV - K. Ogawa : CDV - Other : Cabinet Cards ~ Glass Slides, "Magic Lantern" - Hand Colored ~ Fujiya Hotel, Miyanoshita PayPal Accepted: Pay for Purchases with PayPal Buying Books: Our Book Buying Interests BaxleyStamps: Main Page : Ryukyu Stamps : Japan Stamps Copyright and Fair Use Policy is here. |
If you have material to sell, please visit this page: Buying.
George C. Baxley
Perry Expedition to Japan Books & Lithographs |


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At a secluded retreat center outside Austin, about a dozen, mostly middle-aged women are gathered in a quiet conference room. Some huddle under blankets to ward off the chill from an unusual Texas cold spell.
This session's topic: guilt and shame.
"Does anybody feel like they're still dealing with, like, shame? Like, feeling bad about yourself as a person, because of what you've done in the clinics?" Abby Johnson asks the women seated in a circle of chairs around her.
The room is mostly silent. But as the weekend goes on and the participants get more comfortable, they begin to cry and pray together, and to share their stories.
This is a retreat for women who used to work in health centers that perform abortions and now feel conflicted about that work. Johnson, 37, is the CEO and founder of the Texas-based anti-abortion group And Then There Were None. (She says when she came up with the name, she didn't really think about the Agatha Christie mystery by the same title.)
Most anti-abortion rights groups aim to restrict the procedure through state legislatures and the court system, or by urging pregnant women to carry to term.
Johnson's goal is to persuade as many workers as possible to leave the field.
She and other members of And Then There Were None visit clinics where abortions are performed. They hold up signs, pass out pamphlets and urge the workers to quit their jobs.
For those who do leave clinic work, the group offers temporary financial assistance, resume help, and spiritual and emotional support, including retreats like the one near Austin. The group does not have a formal religious affiliation, but has a "prayer team" and offers to connect former clinic workers with Christian churches and pastors.
Johnson, a mother of seven, generated headlines — and a fair amount of skepticism and controversy about her story — after she quit her job as a Planned Parenthood clinic director in Bryan, Texas, in 2009. She says she had a change of heart about her work after viewing an abortion through an ultrasound. She describes the moment as a "spiritual awakening."
Planned Parenthood has disputed some of the details of Johnson's story, and at one point filed a restraining order against her, fearing she would release confidential patient records from the clinic. Johnson responded that she never intended to disclose any private information, and a judge dismissed the case.
Retreat participant Annette Lancaster, 40, is currently a stay-at-home mom. For several months, ending in May 2016, she managed a Planned Parenthood health center in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Lancaster says events like this one provide a place to talk about details that friends on both sides of the abortion debate can be reluctant to discuss.
"These are my sisters, who I can talk to about things I've seen and done in the clinic that other people would probably turn green and pass out about," Lancaster says in a private moment away from the group.
She says the job began to make her feel "dark and morbid," and she was troubled by the way she says she and some of the other workers referred to fetal remains.
"I just now started being able to use the deep freezer in my home by going through [therapy], because we used to call the freezer the 'nursery' ... And we used to think that was funny," she says.
Lancaster says she felt pressure to keep up the number of abortions performed at the clinic each month, even if patients seemed hesitant.
In a statement to NPR, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic denies those claims. The organization says Lancaster was fired for reasons related to her job performance.
The statement, attributed to Associated Affiliate Medical Director Dr. Matt Zerden, reads, in part:
"I would never tolerate my staff using disrespectful language, and Planned Parenthood does not have a fixed number required for any of its services. Planned Parenthood follows all applicable laws and advises patients on the full range of pregnancy options, including choosing adoption, ending a pregnancy, or raising a child. We insist on extremely high standards for all of our staff."
After her departure, Lancaster says And Then There Were None helped cover a couple months' salary and a few other expenses.
The group also provided temporary financial support to Noemi Padilla, a 47-year-old licensed practical nurse, who left her job at Tampa Woman's Health Center last year.
"I just woke up one Monday morning and I was like, this is it. Today is the day," Padilla says.
The Tampa clinic performs abortions well into the second trimester of pregnancy — up to 23 weeks, six days gestation. Padilla says the work had begun to plague her conscience.
In an interview with NPR, clinic director Dorothy Brown said several other workers have also left the clinic with assistance from Johnson's group. She believes many were motivated by the chance to quit their jobs and still get a temporary paycheck.
Abby Johnson says it's likely that a small number of former workers are primarily motivated by her group's offer of money. But she says And Then There Were None remains in regular contact with more than 300 people who have left abortion-related jobs.
Abortion-rights advocates say they're skeptical about that figure.
"The numbers just don't add up," says Elizabeth Toledo, a former vice president at Planned Parenthood who now runs a communications firm.
Toledo notes that only around a dozen people (And Then There Were None's count is slightly higher) have gone public with their regrets about working in clinics where abortions are provided. Johnson's group counters that many former workers are hesitant to speak out about their experiences because they are ashamed that they worked at a clinic, or they fear retaliation from former employers.
Whatever the total number of healthcare workers who've left abortion-related jobs as a result of Johnson's advocacy, Toledo says it's not enough to make a major impact on the availability of services. But, she says, the attrition can affect workers and patients nonetheless.
"It's just another stressor on people who are already going to work in a highly-charged political environment," Toledo says. "And I don't think that they're going to be successful, but they are going to make people have to deal with an additional layer of stress — about their workplace, about their decisions, about their families, and their lives."
Abby Johnson says after she left her job at Planned Parenthood, she also suffered from that highly charged environment. Some abortion-rights opponents refused to accept her into the movement, calling her "disgusting" and saying she deserved imprisonment or eternal damnation because of her work at the clinic.
"They were, like, 'You either need to go to jail or hell' — those were the options," she says with a laugh.
But Johnson says now those comments have largely faded. She has gradually been embraced by the anti-abortion-rights movement, as one of the rare people who has spent time publicly on each side of this divisive issue.
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Beautify your booty with this darkly stunning rose! Featuring a smooth metal finish in lightweight aluminum, it features a beautiful deep black rose at the end which will flash as you bend over and tease your lover. The slim shaft will keep it from slipping out of place even during vigorous play. The nickel free aluminum alloy is nicely weighted and temperature sensitive for the perfect amount of sensation. When play is over, the non-porous material will clean easily without harboring any harmful bacteria. Make that booty bloom!
Measurements: 3 inches in total length, 2 insertable, 1 inch in diameter
Material: Aluminum alloy, ABS plastic
Color: Black


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I once read that children books should also be designed to target parents since they are the ones buying the books. I would think that there is some truth to that since parents probably look at content and often times decide for their kids. Do you have any words of wisdom on this?Yes, that's absolutely something we consider in publishing, especially in picture books.
Picture books are most often bought by the adult for a child. Once you get into books with chapters, it's a more even mix of kids shopping with adults who pay vs adult shoppers alone. But yes, even then, the adult holds the purse strings and may refuse to buy something they disapprove of.
Is it possible to write a bestselling book that by far appeals mostly to adults and leaves children cold (or even creeped out)? Yes. Favorite examples include Love You Forever and The Giving Tree. You may have noticed that many people who are serious about children's books abhor and detest those books for their wildly dysfunctional relationships, but lots of adults get all mushy over them. So the authors (and their estates) can feel in need of therapy all the way to the bank.
Is it possible to write a bestselling book that by far appeals mostly to children and which outrages and disgusts adults? Yes. Favorite examples include Captain Underpants and Junie B Jones. You may have met upright people who abhor and detest these books for their bathroom humor and bad grammar, but lots of children will read them because they're funny. So the authors can feel juvenile all the way to the bank.
But here's what we're mostly shooting for: books that serve children-- their needs, their tastes-- and that will get by the gatekeepers with a minimum of fuss.
A certain amount of sympathy for parents is not out of place-- it's a tough job raising kids; a heroic job. That doesn't make laziness acceptable, and I'm one of many who think that if you know how to discipline your children, no amount of undisciplined-character exposure can undo the training your children get at home. But it does make tiredness acceptable, so I'm sympathetic to parents' preference for shorter bedtime reads.
A huge amount of sympathy for children is always appropriate. Being a child is a tough job; a heroic job. One of the things we fight in slush all the time is people who want to write for children and really don't know much about children at all. (Why do they do this? I would never decide to write for wombats. It perplexes me.)
In terms of audience, my recommendation: Children first, always. Adults advisedly.


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Brendan Brader
President / CEO
(518) 631 2884
John Reyes
Vice President / CTO
(518) 631 2884
3rd Apr 2013
We are very excited to have launched two new voicemail features this week.
Until now, you have been limited to having your voicemails sent to one email address as an attachment. In the Voicemail Options section of the online control panel you will now find the option to have your voicemails sent as attachments to as many email addresses as you would like. When adding additional voicemail notification email addresses you will now find a checkbox labeled: Attach Voicemail. Checking this box will enable the attachment of your voicemails to the notification email that is sent whenever you receive a new voicemail.
We have also released the Delete on Email Delivery feature into the Voicemail Options section of the online control panel. For those of you who prefer to have your voicemails emailed to you instead of managing a voicemail inbox, this feature allows you to have your voicemails automatically removed from your voicemail inbox after they are emailed to you as an attachment. You will keep your voicemail inbox organized and will eliminate the stutter dial tone that informs you of a waiting voicemail.
If anyone has any feedback about these new features or would like to suggest a new service feature, log into your online control panel and click on the Beta Lab icon or simply send an email to email@example.com
posted by The Rude
5th Mar 2012
The development team at ViaTalk has had its nose to the grindstone. In the past few months we've been working hard to increase server reliability, stability and have expanded our network to bring you the best phone service we have ever offered. We've been working on some exciting features and one of them has been released today into the Beta Lab.
Call Forwarding When Busy can now be found in the 'Set Forwards' section of the online control panel. This feature allows you to forward your calls automatically whenever you on the phone and a second call comes in. You will not hear a call waiting tone and the call will be automatically forwarded to the 'Busy Forward' number you specify.
If you have any questions about the new Busy Forwarding message you can call our support staff or email firstname.lastname@example.com and keep your eyes peeled for updates to the Beta Lab as we expect to roll out some brand new features in the near future.
posted by The Rude
20th Dec 2011
From everyone here at ViaTalk, we wish you all a very happy and healthy holiday season!
We are very excited to be moving into the New Year with our talented and dedicated staff. A huge THANK YOU goes out to our loyal clientele; 2011 has been an amazing year!
ViaTalk looks forward to continuing to provide the industry's best VoIP service in 2012!
Happy Holidays!
posted by The UX Yenta


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045834291 085 7379394
045834291 085 7379394
Mon - Fri 08:00 - 5:00pm Sat -09:00 - 3:00pm
0857379394 Emergency Call
One of the posts
Overalls bearing the company's logo are related to economy and practicality. A preference of corporate style involves a significant increase of costs for development of design solutions, customized tailoring, selection of necessary materials and so on.
Overalls long ago ceased to perform exclusively utilitarian function. Often the image part plays a very important role.
The choice does not cause interest for many businessmen and that is why it is ignored. A better solution for such businessmen is serving logotype on clothing, like sweatshirt or order of the t-shirts, hoodies. Such an approach also ensures recognition of firm, understanding of potential customers.
In some sorts of btl-actions promotional costumes are applied - spectacular and colourful advertising anchors that effectively attract attention. There is also a sense in applying logo on the company clothing since under these conditions, it will be remembered at an intuitive level will complement the pleasant emotions of the event.
Workwear with logo of outline type is rather popular. There are some methods of implementing this kind of logo that require the possibility of large images. Transfer print gives a possibility of designing small accessories-handbags, caps, bandanas, etc.
It is important to understand that overalls and the company's logo are images, the face of the company, it is a tool to be remembered by the clients.
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text: Today's blog post comes from archives specialist Jackie Budell. On May 22, 1863, the War Department issued General Orders 143, establishing a Bureau of Colored Troops in the Adjutant General's Office to recruit and organize African American soldiers to fight for the Union Army. With this order, all African American regiments were designated as United … Continue reading The 150th Anniversary of the United States Colored Troops


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Contact Paul Teasdale
Set a Meeting orSend a Message
Try our FREE Utah County Listings database, which has every home for sale. After searching for a home, register with us and our system will email you the day a new listing appears in the city in the price range you want. This service has helped hundreds of our buyers find homes.
Forget about guesses, appraisals, fantasy dream prices, and inexperienced Realtors' opinions. How about reality? Our service is fast, friendly, FREE and without obligation. We will prepare a 20-page color report comparing your home to similar sold homes.
Paul Teasdale is the Principal Broker of Team Teasdale Realty and has been selling homes in Utah County for over 23 years. Hire one of the most experienced Realtors in Utah County to help you buy or sell a home in Utah County. Paul has sold over 1,300 homes in Utah County.
2018 Market Conditions What is happening in the Utah County Real Estate Market? Paul Teasdale, the Principal Broker of Team Teasdale Realty Has Been Selling Homes in Utah County for over 23 Years. The Video on the Left Shows Paul's In-Depth Analysis and Market Forecast for 2016.
In 2018 about 2% of the homes for sale in Utah County are Bank Foreclosures. There are less bank foreclosures than short sales in Utah County. Paul has SOLD HUNDREDS of Bank Foreclosures in his 20 year career of selling Utah County listings. Below is a list of all the current Utah County Bank Foreclsoures. This list is automatically updated daily.
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Rolling Element Bearing Fault Diagnosis
This example shows how to perform fault diagnosis of a rolling element bearing based on acceleration signals, especially in the presence of strong masking signals from other machine components. The example will demonstrate how to apply envelope spectrum analysis and spectral kurtosis to diagnose bearing faults and it is able to scale up to Big Data applications.
Problem Overview
Localized faults in a rolling element bearing may occur in the outer race, the inner race, the cage, or a rolling element. High frequency resonances between the bearing and the response transducer are excited when the rolling elements strike a local fault on the outer or inner race, or a fault on a rolling element strikes the outer or inner race [1]. The following picture shows a rolling element striking a local fault at the inner race. The problem is how to detect and identify the various types of faults.
Machinery Failure Prevention Technology (MFPT) Challenge Data
MFPT Challenge data [4] contains 23 data sets collected from machines under various fault conditions. The first 20 data sets are collected from a bearing test rig, with 3 under good conditions, 3 with outer race faults under constant load, 7 with outer race faults under various loads, and 7 with inner race faults under various loads. The remaining 3 data sets are from real-world machines: an oil pump bearing, an intermediate speed bearing, and a planet bearing. The fault locations are unknown. In this example, only the data collected from the test rig with known conditions are used.
Each data set contains an acceleration signal "gs", sampling rate "sr", shaft speed "rate", load weight "load", and four critical frequencies representing different fault locations: ballpass frequency outer race (BPFO), ballpass frequency inner race (BPFI), fundamental train frequency (FTF), and ball spin frequency (BSF). Here are the formulae for those critical frequencies [1].
Ballpass frequency, outer race (BPFO)
Ballpass frequency, inner race (BPFI)
Fundamental train frequency (FTF), also known as cage speed
Ball (roller) spin frequency
As shown in the figure, is the ball diameter, is the pitch diameter. The variable is the shaft speed, is the number of rolling elements, is the bearing contact angle [1].
Envelope Spectrum Analysis for Bearing Diagnosis
In the MFPT data set, the shaft speed is constant, hence there is no need to perform order tracking as a pre-processing step to remove the effect of shaft speed variations.
When rolling elements hit the local faults at outer or inner races, or when faults on the rolling element hit the outer or inner races, the impact will modulate the corresponding critical frequencies, e.g. BPFO, BPFI, FTF, BSF. Therefore, the envelope signal produced by amplitude demodulation conveys more diagnostic information that is not available from spectrum analysis of the raw signal. Take an inner race fault signal in the MFPT dataset as an example.
dataInner = load(fullfile(matlabroot, 'toolbox', 'predmaint', ... 'predmaintdemos', 'bearingFaultDiagnosis', ... 'train_data', 'InnerRaceFault_vload_1.mat'));
Visualize the raw inner race fault data in the time domain.
xInner = dataInner.bearing.gs; fsInner = dataInner.bearing.sr; tInner = (0:length(xInner)-1)/fsInner; figure plot(tInner, xInner) xlabel('Time, (s)') ylabel('Acceleration (g)') title('Raw Signal: Inner Race Fault') xlim([0 0.1])
Visualize the raw data in frequency domain.
figure [pInner, fpInner] = pspectrum(xInner, fsInner); pInner = 10*log10(pInner); plot(fpInner, pInner) xlabel('Frequency (Hz)') ylabel('Power Spectrum (dB)') title('Raw Signal: Inner Race Fault') legend('Power Spectrum')
Now zoom in the power spectrum of the raw signal in low frequency range to take a closer look at the frequency response at BPFI and its first several harmonics.
figure plot(fpInner, pInner) ncomb = 10; helperPlotCombs(ncomb, dataInner.BPFI) xlabel('Frequency (Hz)') ylabel('Power Spectrum (dB)') title('Raw Signal: Inner Race Fault') legend('Power Spectrum', 'BPFI Harmonics') xlim([0 1000])
No clear pattern is visible at BPFI and its harmonics. Frequency analysis on the raw signal does not provide useful diagnosis information.
Looking at the time-domain data, it is observed that the amplitude of the raw signal is modulated at a certain frequency, and the main frequency of the modulation is around 1/0.009 Hz 111 Hz. It is known that the frequency the rolling element hitting a local fault at the inner race, that is BPFI, is 118.875 Hz. This indicates that the bearing potentially has an inner race fault.
figure subplot(2, 1, 1) plot(tInner, xInner) xlim([0.04 0.06]) title('Raw Signal: Inner Race Fault') ylabel('Acceleration (g)') annotation('doublearrow', [0.37 0.71], [0.8 0.8]) text(0.047, 20, ['0.009 sec \approx 1/BPFI, BPFI = ' num2str(dataInner.BPFI)])
To extract the modulated amplitude, compute the envelope of the raw signal, and visualize it on the bottom subplot.
subplot(2, 1, 2) [pEnvInner, fEnvInner, xEnvInner, tEnvInner] = envspectrum(xInner, fsInner); plot(tEnvInner, xEnvInner) xlim([0.04 0.06]) xlabel('Time (s)') ylabel('Acceleration (g)') title('Envelope signal')
Now compute the power spectrum of the envelope signal and take a look at the frequency response at BPFI and its harmonics.
figure plot(fEnvInner, pEnvInner) xlim([0 1000]) ncomb = 10; helperPlotCombs(ncomb, dataInner.BPFI) xlabel('Frequency (Hz)') ylabel('Peak Amplitude') title('Envelope Spectrum: Inner Race Fault') legend('Envelope Spectrum', 'BPFI Harmonics')
It is shown that most of the energy is focused at BPFI and its harmonics. That indicates an inner race fault of the bearing, which matches the fault type of the data.
Applying Envelope Spectrum Analysis to Other Fault Types
Now repeat the same envelope spectrum analysis on normal data and outer race fault data.
dataNormal = load(fullfile(matlabroot, 'toolbox', 'predmaint', ... 'predmaintdemos', 'bearingFaultDiagnosis', ... 'train_data', 'baseline_1.mat')); xNormal = dataNormal.bearing.gs; fsNormal = dataNormal.bearing.sr; tNormal = (0:length(xNormal)-1)/fsNormal; [pEnvNormal, fEnvNormal] = envspectrum(xNormal, fsNormal); figure plot(fEnvNormal, pEnvNormal) ncomb = 10; helperPlotCombs(ncomb, [dataNormal.BPFO dataNormal.BPFI]) xlim([0 1000]) xlabel('Frequency (Hz)') ylabel('Peak Amplitude') title('Envelope Spectrum: Normal') legend('Envelope Spectrum', 'BPFO Harmonics', 'BPFI Harmonics')
As expected, the envelope spectrum of a normal bearing signal does not show any significant peaks at BPFO or BPFI.
dataOuter = load(fullfile(matlabroot, 'toolbox', 'predmaint', ... 'predmaintdemos', 'bearingFaultDiagnosis', ... 'train_data', 'OuterRaceFault_2.mat')); xOuter = dataOuter.bearing.gs; fsOuter = dataOuter.bearing.sr; tOuter = (0:length(xOuter)-1)/fsOuter; [pEnvOuter, fEnvOuter, xEnvOuter, tEnvOuter] = envspectrum(xOuter, fsOuter); figure plot(fEnvOuter, pEnvOuter) ncomb = 10; helperPlotCombs(ncomb, dataOuter.BPFO) xlim([0 1000]) xlabel('Frequency (Hz)') ylabel('Peak Amplitude') title('Envelope Spectrum: Outer Race Fault') legend('Envelope Spectrum', 'BPFO Harmonics')
For an outer race fault signal, there are no clear peaks at BPFO harmonics either. Does envelope spectrum analysis fail to differentiate bearing with outer race fault from healthy bearings? Let's take a step back and look at the signals in time domain under different conditions again.
First let's visualize the signals in time domain again and calculate their kurtosis. Kurtosis is the fourth standardized moment of a random variable. It characterizes the impulsiveness of the signal or the heaviness of the random variable's tail.
figure subplot(3, 1, 1) kurtInner = kurtosis(xInner); plot(tInner, xInner) ylabel('Acceleration (g)') title(['Inner Race Fault, kurtosis = ' num2str(kurtInner)]) xlim([0 0.1]) subplot(3, 1, 2) kurtNormal = kurtosis(xNormal); plot(tNormal, xNormal) ylabel('Acceleration (g)') title(['Normal, kurtosis = ' num2str(kurtNormal)]) xlim([0 0.1]) subplot(3, 1, 3) kurtOuter = kurtosis(xOuter); plot(tOuter, xOuter) xlabel('Time (s)') ylabel('Acceleration (g)') title(['Outer Race Fault, kurtosis = ' num2str(kurtOuter)]) xlim([0 0.1])
It is shown that inner race fault signal has significantly larger impulsiveness, making envelope spectrum analysis capture the fault signature at BPFI effectively. For an outer race fault signal, the amplitude modulation at BPFO is slightly noticeable, but it is masked by strong noise. The normal signal does not show any amplitude modulation. Extracting the impulsive signal with amplitude modulation at BPFO (or enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio) is a key preprocessing step before envelope spectrum analysis. The next section will introduce kurtogram and spectral kurtosis to extract the signal with highest kurtosis, and perform envelope spectrum analysis on the filtered signal.
Kurtogram and Spectral Kurtosis for Band Selection
Kurtogram and spectral kurtosis compute kurtosis locally within frequency bands. They are powerful tools to locate the frequency band that has the highest kurtosis (or the highest signal-to-noise ratio) [2]. After pinpointing the frequency band with the highest kurtosis, a bandpass filter can be applied to the raw signal to obtain a more impulsive signal for envelope spectrum analysis.
level = 9; figure kurtogram(xOuter, fsOuter, level)
The kurtogram indicates that the frequency band centered at 2.67 kHz with a 0.763 kHz bandwidth has the highest kurtosis of 2.71.
Now use the optimal window length suggested by the kurtogram to compute the spectral kurtosis.
figure wc = 128; pkurtosis(xOuter, fsOuter, wc)
To visualize the frequency band on a spectrogram, compute the spectrogram and place the spectral kurtosis on the side. To interpret the spectral kurtosis in another way, high spectral kurtosis values indicates high variance of power at the corresponding frequency, which makes spectral kurtosis a useful tool to locate nonstationary components of the signal [3].
helperSpectrogramAndSpectralKurtosis(xOuter, fsOuter, level)
By bandpass filtering the signal with the suggested center frequency and bandwidth, the kurtosis can be enhanced and the modulated amplitude of the outer race fault can be retrieved.
[~, ~, ~, fc, ~, BW] = kurtogram(xOuter, fsOuter, level); bpf = designfilt('bandpassfir', 'FilterOrder', 200, 'CutoffFrequency1', fc-BW/2, ... 'CutoffFrequency2', fc+BW/2, 'SampleRate', fsOuter); xOuterBpf = filter(bpf, xOuter); [pEnvOuterBpf, fEnvOuterBpf, xEnvOuterBpf, tEnvBpfOuter] = envspectrum(xOuter, fsOuter, ... 'FilterOrder', 200, 'Band', [fc-BW/2 fc+BW/2]); figure subplot(2, 1, 1) plot(tOuter, xOuter, tEnvOuter, xEnvOuter) ylabel('Acceleration (g)') title(['Raw Signal: Outer Race Fault, kurtosis = ', num2str(kurtOuter)]) xlim([0 0.1]) legend('Signal', 'Envelope') subplot(2, 1, 2) kurtOuterBpf = kurtosis(xOuterBpf); plot(tOuter, xOuterBpf, tEnvBpfOuter, xEnvOuterBpf) ylabel('Acceleration (g)') xlim([0 0.1]) xlabel('Time (s)') title(['Bandpass Filtered Signal: Outer Race Fault, kurtosis = ', num2str(kurtOuterBpf)]) legend('Signal', 'Envelope')
It can be seen that the kurtosis value is increased after bandpass filtering. Now visualize the envelope signal in frequency domain.
figure plot(fEnvOuterBpf, pEnvOuterBpf); ncomb = 10; helperPlotCombs(ncomb, dataOuter.BPFO) xlim([0 1000]) xlabel('Frequency (Hz)') ylabel('Peak Amplitude') title('Envelope Spectrum of Bandpass Filtered Signal: Outer Race Fault ') legend('Envelope Spectrum', 'BPFO Harmonics')
It is shown that by bandpass filtering the raw signal with the frequency band suggested by kurtogram and spectral kurtosis, the envelope spectrum analysis is able to reveal the fault signature at BPFO and its harmonics.
Batch Process
Now let's apply the algorithm to a batch of training data using a file ensemble datastore.
A limited portion of the dataset is available in the toolbox. Copy the dataset to the current folder and enable the write permission:
copyfile(... fullfile(matlabroot, 'toolbox', 'predmaint', 'predmaintdemos', ... 'bearingFaultDiagnosis'), ... 'RollingElementBearingFaultDiagnosis-Data-master') fileattrib(fullfile('RollingElementBearingFaultDiagnosis-Data-master', 'train_data', '*.mat'), '+w') fileattrib(fullfile('RollingElementBearingFaultDiagnosis-Data-master', 'test_data', '*.mat'), '+w')
For the full dataset, go to this link https://github.com/mathworks/RollingElementBearingFaultDiagnosis-Data to download the entire repository as a zip file and save it in the same directory as the live script. Unzip the file using this command:
if exist('RollingElementBearingFaultDiagnosis-Data-master.zip', 'file') unzip('RollingElementBearingFaultDiagnosis-Data-master.zip') end
The results in this example are generated from the full dataset. The full dataset contains a training dataset with 14 mat files (2 normal, 4 inner race fault, 7 outer race fault) and a testing dataset with 6 mat files (1 normal, 2 inner race fault, 3 outer race fault).
By assigning function handles to ReadFcn
and WriteToMemberFcn
, the file ensemble datastore will be able to navigate into the files to retrieve data in the desired format. For example, the MFPT data has a structure bearing
that stores the vibration signal gs
, sampling rate sr
, and so on. Instead of returning the bearing structure itself the readMFPTBearing
function is written so that file ensemble datastore returns the vibration signal gs
inside of the bearing
data structure.
fileLocation = fullfile('.', 'RollingElementBearingFaultDiagnosis-Data-master', 'train_data'); fileExtension = '.mat'; ensembleTrain = fileEnsembleDatastore(fileLocation, fileExtension); ensembleTrain.ReadFcn = @readMFPTBearing; ensembleTrain.DataVariables = ["gs", "sr", "rate", "load", "BPFO", "BPFI", "FTF", "BSF"]; ensembleTrain.ConditionVariables = ["Label", "FileName"]; ensembleTrain.WriteToMemberFcn = @writeMFPTBearing; ensembleTrain.SelectedVariables = ["gs", "sr", "rate", "load", "BPFO", "BPFI", "FTF", "BSF", "Label", "FileName"]
ensembleTrain = fileEnsembleDatastore with properties: ReadFcn: @readMFPTBearing WriteToMemberFcn: @writeMFPTBearing DataVariables: [8×1 string] IndependentVariables: [0×0 string] ConditionVariables: [2×1 string] SelectedVariables: [10×1 string] ReadSize: 1 NumMembers: 14 LastMemberRead: [0×0 string] Files: [14×1 string]
ensembleTrainTable = tall(ensembleTrain)
Starting parallel pool (parpool) using the 'local' profile ... connected to 6 workers. ensembleTrainTable = M×10 tall table gs sr rate load BPFO BPFI FTF BSF Label FileName _________________ _____ ____ ____ ______ ______ ______ _____ __________________ ________________________ [146484×1 double] 48828 25 0 81.125 118.88 14.838 63.91 "Inner Race Fault" "InnerRaceFault_vload_1" [146484×1 double] 48828 25 50 81.125 118.88 14.838 63.91 "Inner Race Fault" "InnerRaceFault_vload_2" [146484×1 double] 48828 25 100 81.125 118.88 14.838 63.91 "Inner Race Fault" "InnerRaceFault_vload_3" [146484×1 double] 48828 25 150 81.125 118.88 14.838 63.91 "Inner Race Fault" "InnerRaceFault_vload_4" [146484×1 double] 48828 25 200 81.125 118.88 14.838 63.91 "Inner Race Fault" "InnerRaceFault_vload_5" [585936×1 double] 97656 25 270 81.125 118.88 14.838 63.91 "Outer Race Fault" "OuterRaceFault_1" [585936×1 double] 97656 25 270 81.125 118.88 14.838 63.91 "Outer Race Fault" "OuterRaceFault_2" [146484×1 double] 48828 25 25 81.125 118.88 14.838 63.91 "Outer Race Fault" "OuterRaceFault_vload_1" : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
From the last section of analysis, notice that the bandpass filtered envelope spectrum amplitudes at BPFO and BPFI are two condition indicators for bearing fault diagnosis. Therefore, the next step is to extract the two condition indicators from all the training data. To make the algorithm more robust, set a narrow band (bandwidth = , where is the frequency resolution of the power spectrum) around BPFO and BPFI, and then find the maximum amplitude inside this narrow band. The algorithm is contained in the bearingFeatureExtraction
function listed below. Note that the envelope spectrum amplitudes around BPFI and BPFO are referred to as "BPFIAmplitude" and "BPFOAmplitude" in the rest of the example.
% To process the data in parallel, use the following code % ppool = gcp; % n = numpartitions(ensembleTrain, ppool); % parfor ct = 1:n % subEnsembleTrain = partition(ensembleTrain, n, ct); % reset(subEnsembleTrain); % while hasdata(subEnsembleTrain) % bearingFeatureExtraction(subEnsembleTrain); % end % end ensembleTrain.DataVariables = [ensembleTrain.DataVariables; "BPFIAmplitude"; "BPFOAmplitude"]; reset(ensembleTrain) while hasdata(ensembleTrain) bearingFeatureExtraction(ensembleTrain) end
Once the new condition indicators are added into the file ensemble datastore, specify SelectedVariables
to read the relevant data from the file ensemble datastore, and create a feature table containing the extracted condition indicators.
ensembleTrain.SelectedVariables = ["BPFIAmplitude", "BPFOAmplitude", "Label"]; featureTableTrain = tall(ensembleTrain); featureTableTrain = gather(featureTableTrain);
Evaluating tall expression using the Parallel Pool 'local': - Pass 1 of 1: 0% complete Evaluation 0% complete
- Pass 1 of 1: Completed in 3 sec Evaluation completed in 3 sec
featureTableTrain=14×3 table
BPFIAmplitude BPFOAmplitude Label
_____________ _____________ __________________
0.33918 0.082296 "Inner Race Fault"
0.31488 0.026599 "Inner Race Fault"
0.52356 0.036609 "Inner Race Fault"
0.52899 0.028381 "Inner Race Fault"
0.13515 0.012337 "Inner Race Fault"
0.004024 0.03574 "Outer Race Fault"
0.0044918 0.1835 "Outer Race Fault"
0.0074993 0.30166 "Outer Race Fault"
0.013662 0.12468 "Outer Race Fault"
0.0070963 0.28215 "Outer Race Fault"
0.0060772 0.35241 "Outer Race Fault"
0.011244 0.17975 "Outer Race Fault"
0.0036798 0.0050208 "Normal"
0.00359 0.0069449 "Normal"
Visualize the feature table that has been created.
figure gscatter(featureTableTrain.BPFIAmplitude, featureTableTrain.BPFOAmplitude, featureTableTrain.Label, [], 'ox+') xlabel('BPFI Amplitude') ylabel('BPFO Amplitude')
The relative values of BPFI Amplitude and BPFO Amplitude might be an effective indicator of different fault types. Here a new feature is created, which is the log ratio of the two existing features, and is visualized in a histogram grouped by different fault types.
featureTableTrain.IOLogRatio = log(featureTableTrain.BPFIAmplitude./featureTableTrain.BPFOAmplitude); figure hold on histogram(featureTableTrain.IOLogRatio(featureTableTrain.Label=="Inner Race Fault"), 'BinWidth', 0.5) histogram(featureTableTrain.IOLogRatio(featureTableTrain.Label=="Outer Race Fault"), 'BinWidth', 0.5) histogram(featureTableTrain.IOLogRatio(featureTableTrain.Label=="Normal"), 'BinWidth', 0.5) plot([-1.5 -1.5 NaN 0.5 0.5], [0 3 NaN 0 3], 'k--') hold off ylabel('Count') xlabel('log(BPFIAmplitude/BPFOAmplitude)') legend('Inner Race Fault', 'Outer Race Fault', 'Normal', 'Classification Boundary')
The histogram shows a clear separation among the three different bearing conditions. The log ratio between the BPFI and BPFO amplitudes is a valid feature to classify bearing faults. To simplify the example, a very simple classifier is derived: if , the bearing has an outer race fault; if , the bearing is normal; and if , the bearing has an inner race fault.
Validation using Test Data Sets
Now, let's apply the workflow to a test data set and validate the classifier obtained in the last section. Here the test data contains 1 normal data set, 2 inner race fault data sets, and 3 outer race fault data sets.
fileLocation = fullfile('.', 'RollingElementBearingFaultDiagnosis-Data-master', 'test_data'); fileExtension = '.mat'; ensembleTest = fileEnsembleDatastore(fileLocation, fileExtension); ensembleTest.ReadFcn = @readMFPTBearing; ensembleTest.DataVariables = ["gs", "sr", "rate", "load", "BPFO", "BPFI", "FTF", "BSF"]; ensembleTest.ConditionVariables = ["Label", "FileName"]; ensembleTest.WriteToMemberFcn = @writeMFPTBearing; ensembleTest.SelectedVariables = ["gs", "sr", "rate", "load", "BPFO", "BPFI", "FTF", "BSF", "Label", "FileName"]
ensembleTest = fileEnsembleDatastore with properties: ReadFcn: @readMFPTBearing WriteToMemberFcn: @writeMFPTBearing DataVariables: [8×1 string] IndependentVariables: [0×0 string] ConditionVariables: [2×1 string] SelectedVariables: [10×1 string] ReadSize: 1 NumMembers: 6 LastMemberRead: [0×0 string] Files: [6×1 string]
ensembleTest.DataVariables = [ensembleTest.DataVariables; "BPFIAmplitude"; "BPFOAmplitude"]; reset(ensembleTest) while hasdata(ensembleTest) bearingFeatureExtraction(ensembleTest) end
ensembleTest.SelectedVariables = ["BPFIAmplitude", "BPFOAmplitude", "Label"]; featureTableTest = tall(ensembleTest); featureTableTest = gather(featureTableTest);
Evaluating tall expression using the Parallel Pool 'local': - Pass 1 of 1: Completed in 1 sec Evaluation completed in 1 sec
featureTableTest.IOLogRatio = log(featureTableTest.BPFIAmplitude./featureTableTest.BPFOAmplitude); figure hold on histogram(featureTableTrain.IOLogRatio(featureTableTrain.Label=="Inner Race Fault"), 'BinWidth', 0.5) histogram(featureTableTrain.IOLogRatio(featureTableTrain.Label=="Outer Race Fault"), 'BinWidth', 0.5) histogram(featureTableTrain.IOLogRatio(featureTableTrain.Label=="Normal"), 'BinWidth', 0.5) histogram(featureTableTest.IOLogRatio(featureTableTest.Label=="Inner Race Fault"), 'BinWidth', 0.1) histogram(featureTableTest.IOLogRatio(featureTableTest.Label=="Outer Race Fault"), 'BinWidth', 0.1) histogram(featureTableTest.IOLogRatio(featureTableTest.Label=="Normal"), 'BinWidth', 0.1) plot([-1.5 -1.5 NaN 0.5 0.5], [0 3 NaN 0 3], 'k--') hold off ylabel('Count') xlabel('log(BPFIAmplitude/BPFOAmplitude)') legend('Inner Race Fault - Train', 'Outer Race Fault - Train', 'Normal - Train', ... 'Inner Race Fault - Test', 'Outer Race Fault - Test', 'Normal - Test', ... 'Classification Boundary')
The log ratio of BPFI and BPFO amplitudes from test data sets shows consistent distribution with the log ratio from training data sets. The naive classifier obtained in the last section achieved perfect accuracy on the test data set.
It should be noted that single feature is usually not enough to get a classifier that generalizes well. More sophisticated classifiers could be obtained by dividing the data into multiple pieces (to create more data points), extract multiple diagnosis related features, select a subset of features by their importance ranks, and train various classifiers using the Classification Learner App in Statistics & Machine Learning Toolbox. For more details of this workflow, please refer to the example "Using Simulink to generate fault data".
This example shows how to use kurtogram, spectral kurtosis and envelope spectrum to identify different types of faults in rolling element bearings. The algorithm is then applied to a batch of data sets in disk, which helped show that the amplitudes of bandpass filtered envelope spectrum at BPFI and BPFO are two important condition indicators for bearing diagnostics.
[1] Randall, Robert B., and Jerome Antoni. "Rolling element bearing diagnostics—a tutorial." Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing. Vol. 25, Number 2, 2011, pp. 485–520.
[2] Antoni, Jérôme. "Fast computation of the kurtogram for the detection of transient faults." Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing. Vol. 21, Number 1, 2007, pp. 108–124.
[3] Antoni, Jérôme. "The spectral kurtosis: a useful tool for characterising non-stationary signals." Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing. Vol. 20, Number 2, 2006, pp. 282–307.
[4] Bechhoefer, Eric. "Condition Based Maintenance Fault Database for Testing Diagnostics and Prognostic Algorithms." 2013. https://www.mfpt.org/fault-data-sets/
Helper Functions
function bearingFeatureExtraction(ensemble) % Extract condition indicators from bearing data data = read(ensemble); x = data.gs{1}; fs = data.sr; % Critical Frequencies BPFO = data.BPFO; BPFI = data.BPFI; level = 9; [~, ~, ~, fc, ~, BW] = kurtogram(x, fs, level); % Bandpass filtered Envelope Spectrum [pEnvpBpf, fEnvBpf] = envspectrum(x, fs, 'FilterOrder', 200, 'Band', [max([fc-BW/2 0]) min([fc+BW/2 0.999*fs/2])]); deltaf = fEnvBpf(2) - fEnvBpf(1); BPFIAmplitude = max(pEnvpBpf((fEnvBpf > (BPFI-5*deltaf)) & (fEnvBpf < (BPFI+5*deltaf)))); BPFOAmplitude = max(pEnvpBpf((fEnvBpf > (BPFO-5*deltaf)) & (fEnvBpf < (BPFO+5*deltaf)))); writeToLastMemberRead(ensemble, table(BPFIAmplitude, BPFOAmplitude, 'VariableNames', {'BPFIAmplitude', 'BPFOAmplitude'})); end