text:
Please enter a maximum of 5 recipients. Use ; to separate more than one email address.
| Jain, M., Dorf Ketal Chemicals , Dubai, UAE; Shende, S., Dorf Ketal Chemicals , Mumbai, India; Vijayaraghavan, S., Dorf Ketal Chemicals , Mumbai, India; Mankin, K. D., Dorf Ketal Chemicals , Houston, Texas; Subramaniyam, M., Dorf Ketal Chemicals , Mumbai, India
Although many olefin plants are making big investments in hardware and metallurgy to improve compressor performance and to extend run lengths, the reliability, efficiency and throughput capacity of the CGC are still key influences on plant profitability.
[crcaked gas]
[chemical treatment]
The cracked gas compressor (CGC) is the critical system in
modern ethylene plants. This compressor drives gases from the
crackers for downstream separation. Few plants can afford the
luxury of backup compressor trains. Any downtime or reduced
capacity of the CGC negatively impacts olefin facility profits.
Under this highly competitive environment, even fewer ethylene
operators can afford the thousands or even millions of dollars
per day in lost revenues due to unplanned shutdowns to clean
and repair CGCs.
Significant design advancements have developed more robust
systems. Although many olefin plants are making substantial
investments in hardware and metallurgy to improve compressor
performance and to extend run lengths, the reliability, efficiency and
throughput capacity of the CGC are still key influences on
plant profitability. As engineering designs have improved, more
attention is directed to preventing costly fouling of these
critical systems with innovative chemical treatments.
The purpose of the CGC is to compress the gases from the
cracker for separation in downstream units. Due to the low
boiling points of the light gases, very low temperatures are
required for separation at feed-stream pressures. Fig.
1 is a basic schematic for a five-stage compressor
Compressor fouling problems are common. They are
particularly troublesome in gas crackers due to the low volume
of aromatic gasoline formed during cracking. Aromatic
hydrocarbons are useful because they help keep fouling
precursors in solution for easy removal. Liquid crackers have
an inherent advantage due to higher aromatics production;
however, these crackers also experience extensive fouling. The
fouling rates in liquid crackers processing a variety of feedstocks such as heavy naphtha,
gasoil (GO) and atmospheric GO residues have increased
Costs associated with CGC fouling are high, and they can
increase exponentially as conditions deteriorate.
Result: The reliability of CGCs remains a
serious issue in spite of improvements in design and system
metallurgy. Therefore, olefins plants are exploring new
techniques to optimize compressor performance and run length.
Many operators are discovering that chemical additives can
offer attractive advantages for fouling control.
Gas crackers usually crack ethane and/or propane, whereas
liquid crackers usually crack naphtha. The increasing volumes
of shale gas and advantageous pricing have shifted more
ethylene plants to rely heavily on natural gas feedstocks. However, this pattern is
changing due to competition and growing demand for natural gas.
Several ethylene producers are responding by turning to
heavier, cheaper feedstocks such as GO and residues
to improve profitability and to operate their systems at more
severe conditions, thus increasing throughput. Variations in
feedstock properties, higher cracking severity, and operations
near design capacity accelerate polymerization reactions that
lead to compressor fouling.
Unsaturates formed during the cracking process are reactive
species, and levels found in effluent gas vary depending on the
feedstock. Although some heavier components are eliminated in
the quenching operation, the cracked gas still contains
virtually all the C4s and most of the C5s
and C6s, along with some heavier fractions in the
gaseous phase. This stream also contains appreciable amounts of
highly reactive di-olefins and acidic compounds that are
subject to oxidation and/or polymerization. Unsaturates
contribute to free radical generation via thermal reaction or
Dies-Alder mechanism or oxidation at the high temperatures
found in the compressors, forming polymers. These polymers tend
to accumulate in the compressor discharge lines, casing and
Most of the worlds ethylene producers rely on wash oil
and wash water as a mitigation strategy. Wash-water injection
reduces the compressor discharge temperature, which helps
control fouling. Conversely, water injection also leads to
erosion and corrosion of the compressor wheels and blades.
Wash oil is used in a similar manner but works in a
different way. It serves as a solvent that dissolves some
polymers, thus allowing them to be removed from the system.
For maximum effectiveness, wash oil should be highly
aromatic (60%) and have a boiling range of 175°C to
315°C. Most important, it must be free of styrene,
naphthalenes and diene compounds. Wash oil that meets these
specifications is increasingly more difficult to obtain
locally, and shipping adds significant cost. High cost and
short supplies are discouraging the use of wash oil. A number
of ethylene producers have found that high-quality wash oil and
wash water alone cannot provide sufficient fouling control.
Fouling is a continuous process driven by free-radical chain
propagation, oxidative and catalytic polymerization, and
Diels-Alder reactions. The polymers initially formed by these
reactions are soluble in aromatic streams unless they undergo
continued polymerization. These factors promote polymerization
reactions in CGCs:
Fouling increases with the number of these influences
present within the system. Fig. 2 illustrates
that it is essential to control as many of these factors as
possible to manage the fouling rate before it can begin to grow
exponentially. Failure can make it extremely difficult or
impossible to control compressor fouling.
Fouling within a compressor train is seldom uniform, and
some areas are more susceptible than others. Fouling is worse
in hotter areas along the wheels near the discharge, discharge
piping, after-coolers and diffusers. Medium-pressure (MP)
casing fouling is worse than high-pressure (HP) casing fouling
because the concentration of reactive dienes and other monomers
increases as condensation occurs in these stages, and the
reactive monomers from the gas phase tend to dissolve (or
diffuse) into liquid hydrocarbons that condense during
Once in the liquid phase, the reactive monomers may undergo
polymerization where typically monomers with reactive double
bonds such as butadiene, styrene, isoprene and vinyl acetylene,
react and polymerize. The condensation of lighter hydrocarbons
can make the problem worse. Polymers forming in the
compressors, if not depositing on the machine, will likely
accumulate on the tube sheet or in the shell side of the
Continuous exposure to high temperatures supports
poly-merization. As the reactions between the monomers proceed,
large polynuclear aromatic compounds form. As the polymer
grows, it loses solubility, begins to cross-link, dehydrates
and transforms into brittle and insoluble coke deposits.
At this point, no aromatic stream, wash oil or dispersant
will solubilize the polymers or prevent their deposition.
Increased wash-oil injection may dislodge some of the polymers
and allow them to move within the compressor. Some will
accumulate in the after-cooler inlets or in knock-out pots,
resulting in high pressure drops.
Experience in a number of plants indicates that polymer
deposition on after-cooler surfaces has a significant impact on
plant run-length. Such deposits limit throughput and increase
power consumption, eventually forcing a shutdown. Few olefin
plants have spare exchangers or bypass routes available, so
after-cooler exchangers must be protected from fouling
(Fig. 3).
Conventional chemical mitigation techniques involving
traditional antifoulant/dispersants and wash oil have limited
value. Conventional dispersants work by physically removing
some deposits from the fouling site. However, they cannot
prevent solids generation. They are ineffective on the
insoluble polymers, metal precursors, peroxides and free
radicals that contribute to the fouling. In addition,
dispersants can have costly negative side-effects.
These compounds have an affinity for water; when added in
the CGC system, they can migrate with the wash water. Once in
the quench-water circuit, their surface-modifying properties
can create tight emulsions that make it more difficult to
separate hydrocarbons from process water. Dispersants may also
cause operational upsets and enhance after-cooler fouling by
moving foulants from one location to anotherthe so-called
cleanup effect.
An innovative chemical treatment program can prevent fouling
by inhibiting reactions. This unique formulation contains a
true inhibitor and a highly effective antioxidant. The true
inhibitor reacts with monomers before they can form insoluble
polymers, and the antioxidant-reduced oxidative polymerization.
Compatible metal chelators or passivators are added as
conditions warrant.
This unique formulation traps and inhibits free radicals by
making the precursor or reactive species inert, thus retarding
the polymerization reaction rate and reducing solids generation
by altering the formation of insoluble molecules. The method
attacks the polymerization/fouling processes in the initial
phase where it is easiest to control and dramatically reduce
solids generation. The treatment has allowed some compressors
to run efficiently for five to six years with minimal fouling
in the MP and HP casings and after-coolers.
The new fouling control program contains no metals and less
basic nitrogen than amine-based
antipolymerants currently available in the market. This is
important because traditional high-nitrogen chemistry reacts to
form insoluble salts under acidic conditions, as when hydrogen
sulfide (H2S) is present, essentially trading one
fouling problem for another and contributing to the
after-cooler pressure drops that can eventually force unplanned
shutdowns. A new antipolymerant is effective in the presence of
H2S and does not form insoluble salts regardless of
system pH.
Monitoring is important when any treatment program used, but
it is essential for optimum CGC treatment. Pressures,
temperatures, flowrates, and wash-water and wash-oil injection
rates (if any) are the keys to understanding compressor
performance. Monitoring these parameters allows calculating the
theoretical efficiency of the compressor system as well as
after-cooler pressure drop limits. Other important performance
indicators include machine vibration, knock-out drum polymer
content and turbine energy consumption.
Fouling is a complex process. Both gradual
trends and sudden changes in these parameters can imply
developing problems. Solutions require an understanding of root
causes that may not be immediately obvious. Proprietary models
and sophisticated simulation tools can be used to explain
complex interrelationships between changes in feedstock and
furnace operating conditions and their impact on the
composition of cracked gas entering the compressor.1
Such tools can be used to evaluate how flow variations in
recycle/purge streams influence cracked-gas composition and the
effects on compressor efficiency. The end result is a set of
realistic performance improvement targets based on a complete
understanding of what is actually happening within the
The chemical composition analysis of fouling deposits
provides a wealth of additional information. Organic and
inorganic content can be identified, along with any corrosion
products that may be acting as fouling catalysts. A full
elemental analysis can identify impurities, and the carbon-to-hydrogen ratio indicates
the extent of polymerization in the compressor train as well as
the nature of those polymers.
The analysis allows treatment to be fine-tuned for maximum
performance, but each analysis is only a snapshot of a dynamic
process. Other proprietary assessment tools can address this
problem by allowing online sampling in real time, using a
retractable screen that can be inserted and withdrawn as often
as necessary for sample collection and
A 400,000-tpy (400-Mtpy) olefins gas plant cracked a mixed
feedstock consisting of 80% ethane
and 20% propane. The quench-water tower overhead was compressed
in a four-stage centrifugal unit driven by a steam turbine
operating at 1,500 psig and 950°F. The second-stage CGC
after-cooler design was unusual in that the process side was on
the tube side of the exchanger. This intercooler was
susceptible to fouling and had unacceptably high-pressure
drops. During normal operations, the plant used wash water at
about 0.7% of gas flowrates to maintain compressor discharge
temperature at 194°F and also injected wash oil weekly
(80%90% aromaticity) at about 0.1% of the charge gas
Problem. The plant experienced an unplanned
shutdown approximately 18 months after a previous planned
turnaround. Unfortunately, this plant had no backup reboiler. Reasons
for the unplanned shutdown included:
Considerable fouling was observed in the second-stage
after-cooler during the unplanned turnaround. Because the
compressor had been cleaned during the planned turnaround 18
months previously, the plant expected little fouling and,
therefore, did not inspect or clean it. Conventional
dispersants had been used to wash off the polymers formed in
the second and third compressor stages in an attempt to
eliminate polymer deposits in CGC casings and discharge
Evaluation and recommendations. Foulant
samples were collected and sent to a third-party specialty
chemical research division to identify the fouling precursors
and mechanisms. Based on that analysis, the specialty chemical
company recommended a multifunctional antifoulant to control
fouling where the problem was most serious, in compressor
stages 2 and 3. Dosing hardware and portable feed tanks were
rushed to the site. Due to the rapid pressure drop increase, it
was recommended to install assessment tools to facilitate
polymer sample collection (Fig. 4) and
analysis so that treatment could be optimized and fine-tuned as
conditions changed.2 Fouling declined and plant
performance improved dramatically.
Sample analysis. Data summarized in
Table 1 indicate that although some
polymerization continued to take place, the severity of
polymerization decreased with treatment, as indicated by
polymer molecular weight and degree of cross-linking. Further
analysis showed that the deposit consists mostly of
non-cross-linked polymers. Treatment was successful in
controlling polymerization.
Foulant samples were initially collected
quarterly.2 When the pressure drop across the
second-stage intercooler stabilized, the sampling interval was
lengthened to six months (Fig. 5). Pressure
drop remained stable and sample collection was discontinued
when analysis 4 indicated that the fouling was under control.
In this case, a monitoring program and additives improved
fouling control and increased plant run-length while achieving
substantial energy savings.
A 400 Mtpy-ethylene plant, using a mixture of ethane and
propane feedstock, experienced fouling problems in the CGC
unit. Evidence of severe fouling was found when the system was
disassembled during a shutdown in September 2010, and a
third-party specialty chemical company was approached for
recommendations. A site survey revealed several problems:
Successful antifoulant trial. Following a
turnaround in 2010, the plant approved a six-month antifoulant
trial program, and treatment was initiated in January 2011.
Several CGC parameters were monitored daily:
The treatment program successfully controlled axial
displacement and vibration in all three monitored compressor
stages. The data indicated steady-state performance within
compressor design parameters. Steam consumption per ton of
ethylene stabilized below pretreatment consumption levels.
Discharge temperatures remained below operating targets and
polytrophic efficiency increased during the trial (Fig.
The axial displacement increased, steam consumption began to
climb and the polytrophic efficiency declined markedly. As
discharge temperatures increased, polymer deposits accumulated
at rising rates on compressor internals, causing potentially
damaging vibration and a rapid increase in axial displacement
that soon exceeded the design limit for the MP compressor
Compressor loading reduced to prevent
shutdown. The treatment resumed at the plants
request in August 2011. However, the axial displacement was so
severe that vibrations were almost impossible to control, and
the polytrophic efficiency continued to decline. Management
decided to halt the antifoulant dosing again and reduce
compressor loading by 20% to 30% to prevent the compressor from
going offline and shutting the plant down completely.
The reduced compressor loading forced the plant to operate
below normal capacity, thus lowering gross revenues as steam
and wash-oil consumption increased operating costs.
Unfortunately, the next planned shutdown was many months
Capacity increased with modified treatment.
To improve operating economics and keep the plant running until
the next planned shutdown, third-party specialty chemical
technicians reformulated the antifoulant with enhanced surface
modifiers and dispersants to increase antifoulant activity in
the compressor after-coolers and disperse the organics and
corrosion byproducts (Fig. 7). When the
modified program was implemented in November 2011, the axial
displacement declined and then stabilized slightly above design
Results. The modified treatment allowed a
10% increase in load over the five-month period preceding the
planned shutdown scheduled for March 2012. It also increased
ethylene production by 4%. At an average market price of
$1,400/metric ton, the 15 additional tons of ethylene added
$21,000 to the plants bottom line.3
Average steam consumption declined, thus reducing energy
costs. The plant required approximately 1 ton of steam to
generate 140 kW of energy at a cost of $50/ton (Fig.
8). The additional steam required when treatment was
discontinued between April and August cost the plant nearly
$33,000. Restarting the treatment program offset virtually all
of that additional expense by generating more power with less
steam, saving the plant approximately $31,000.
The plant purchased approximately 25 tons of wash oil
annually at a cost of around $2/kg. The wash-oil savings under
the modified treatment program are estimated at approximately
20%, a savings of $10,000 on an annualized basis.
Even the very best antifoulants are preventive tools.
Fouling is a continuous process. Once fouling accumulates, it
is extremely difficult to stabilize, let alone to remove by
chemical treatment. In this case, the decision to halt the
first treatment regimen allowed fouling to resume and worsen.
Although the second treatment regimen helped to stabilize the
partially fouled system, accumulations occasionally broke free,
causing compressor imbalances and increasing axial shifts. The
on-again, off-again treatment is risky. When fouling symptoms
are observed, the treatment with an effective antifoulant
should be initiated as quickly as possible and maintained
Within six months after a specialty chemical company began
compressor antifoulant treatment in 2008, the olefin plant
changed its feedstock from 100% naphtha to 60% naphtha and 40%
LPG. The treatment allowed the plant to meet a 2012 turnaround
schedule established before the subsequent feedstock changes. The operating
issues were compressor fouling, decreased polytrophic
efficiency and throughput limitations due to increasing suction
pressure. Following the treatment program, plant reliability improved. More stable
operations were possible with less fouling. The olefin plant
could increase throughput capacity and conserve steam
consumption. More importantly, the plant was able to meet the
targeted five-year run length with clean compressors. CGC
efficiency inevitably declines over time as the system wears
and deposits accumulate. Controlling fouling deposits is
essential, given the critical role played by CGCs and their
impact on plant revenues and operating costs.
1 Compressor Advanced Simulation Software
2 Fouling Assessment Tool (FAT)
3 Average market price according to ICIS
All comments are subject to editorial review.
All fields are compulsory.
Edward olivier
After re staging D-R compressor we began to foul our compressors it takes about three months then we have to swap them out.can you give me a name of a laboratory that I can send these carbon samples to...Thanks Edward Olivier
Mr Muraleedharan, we would appreciate if you drop an email on firstname.lastname@example.com
The Nalco chemical number is EC-3102A. Please however see our generic specification of the requirement as under: Generic Specifications:Antifoulant chemical treatment/fouling control program for CGC is adopted to eliminate the possibility of fouling in CGC compressor and inter-stage coolers. Every supplier/Manufacturer have its own specific blended chemical to treat the compressors and improve the reliability of the machine. Antifoulant chemical should designed to handle extreme fouling due to polymeric species like styrene and other di-olefins at very high temperature and eliminating the very root cause of polymer formation (free radical, PNA (poly nuclear aromatics) related fouling, aldol reaction etc.) and will improve the system run length & efficiency. Antifoulant should have robust chemistry and can be the mixture of:· Free Radical Inhibitor· Metal Passivator· Antioxidant· Powerful Dispersant. Apart from above quality following are the specifications which can be consider during evaluation. TypeAntifoulantPhysical StateLiquidIBP>175°CFlash Point62 °C minSulphur content1 ppm maxVISCOSITY @ 25°C1.15 -3.09 mm2/sDensity at 15°C< 0.979 Kg/dm3 Moreover along with chemical supply, supplier also make sure the following services: · Comprehensive treatment method and monitoring program along with report comprising recommendations.· Lab analysis for iron content, fouling mechanism etc. if needed.· Provides reliable information to optimize fouling control program.· Supplier should have similar Ethane & Propane cracker plant's CGC treatment experience.· Please provide your proposal to avoid the fouling.
Dear:what is best to clean inside of barrel compressor?
Multifunctional Antifoulants for compressor fouling control are not new or novel, most vendors can analyse the deposits and recommend polymerisation inhibitors or metal deactivators as required.
Sign-up for the Free Daily HP Enewsletter!
A searchable database of project activity in the global hydrocarbon processing industry
Engineers and designers are highly skilled individuals. Forcing them to enter design changes using tables, forms and spreadsheets is unproductive and uneconomical, and it increases the likelihood of human error—this is the way that most instrumentation software systems currently work. For too long, software vendors have denied engineers and designers the simple practicality of a graphical visual engineering interface with "drag and drop" capability and inbuilt intelligence, ensuring changes are automatically replicated into all the associated data and databases.
Is 2016 the peak for US gasoline demand?
Too soon to tell
July 2016


text:
Expect the unexpected in this wonderful new collection of black-and-white quilts from the founder of Cross Cuts Patterns. This refreshing take on the use of positive and negative values is sure to be a hit with modern quilters everywhere. Black is white hot in quilts today. The vast array of black-and-white quilt fabrics available over the last few years is the canvas for the patterns in this great book. The author uses these special fabrics to create a dynamic look perfect for the style-savvy quilter. This is no-stress quilting at its finest! A dozen great patterns will tickle any quilter's fancy. Sparkling accent colors of red, blue, green, and beyond add pizzazz to these unique and charming black-and-white themed quilts. Patterns are paper or foundation pieced, with colorful names such as WINTER PINES , SNUGGLETIME, HE-MAN , SLAPHAPPY , and many more. Each pattern comes with yardage requirements and detailed instructions. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced quiltmaker, there is something for everyone. Publisher's Review: Black & White Quilts by Design, by Kay M. Capps Cross, contains 12 contemporary and traditional designs, and includes detailed tips for each project which tell how to add drama and sparkle to quilts with your scrap collections.
Item : CCB1

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Grade 70 chain and chain binder are heavy duty tie down devices , both chains and binders are made of carbon steel, the WLL of the chains and binders are higher than most comparable tie down straps , say we compare grade 70 size 5/16" binder chain(which has 4700lbs WLL) to WLL 3333lbs 2" ratchet tie down straps , 3/8" chain(WLL 6600lbs) to 4" tie downs(5400lbs) , you can see that the chains are much stronger, and the load binders are even stronger than same size chains, 5/16"-3/8" load binder(lever or ratchet type) has WLL of 5400lbs and 3/8"-1/2" binder has WLL 9200lbs . If we examine the design factor of chains and tie down straps, we will see that chains and binders have 4:1 design factor while tie down straps have design factor 3:1, that's another reason we consider chains and binders are heavy duty tie downs .
The material recommended by National Association of Chain Manufacturer to make grade 70 chains is carbon steel, the criteria for base steel is Carbon 0.35% max; Phosphorous 0.040% max and Sulfur 0.050% max. As long as the choice made by chain manufacturers meets the recommended criteria and the final products meet or exceeds DOT requirements(or CHP, California Highway Patrol, or some other mandated requirements), we can use these products for transportation purpose and don't have to worry about inspections.
We use these heavy duty chains and binders to haul heavy equipment, for instance, backhoe, bulldozer, forklift, these big rigs are tough or straps, we have to use steel chains to tie them down , when we talk about backhoe, forklift, we need at least 3/8" grade 70 chains and binders to secure them, for something which has less weight we consider 5/16" chains are good fit, of course we still have 1/2" and up chains and binders, these chains will most likely be used to tie down something out of ordinary, such as battle tanks, or some other applications require super heavy duty chains.
Grade 70 tie down chain, also called transport chain, can be used on anything but overhead lifting, you need at least grade 80 alloy chains for overhead lifting. We see people use transport chains to drag the trees, tow the docks, and to tie down the logs out of the the trees, you can go around to find more creative uses of these chains and binders.


text:
Layhmond Robinson appears in the following:
Who speaks for Harlem?
Tuesday, July 28, 1964
This episode is from the WNYC archives. It may contain language which is no longer politically or socially appropriate.
Channel 4 New York
Edwin Newman of NBC News moderates a discussion of the Harlem riots, also discuss the outbreaks of violence in Rochester. Guests include James Farmer, Bayard Rustin, ...


text:
Back to Previous Page | Curriculum Home
MUS304: Piano 2 (2013-2014)
CURRICULUM PROGRAM: Music
COURSE TITLE: Piano II
COURSE LENGTH: 36 weeks
SUGGESTED PREPARATION: Piano I
Major Concepts/Content: The piano II course is designed to further develop students' music and keyboard skills. The content includes, but is not limited to, refining listening skills, and reading and writing notation in bass and treble clefs; reading, writing, and playing more complex rhythm concepts and patterns, constructing major and minor scales with arpeggiated triads and dominant seventh chords played in both hands; playing in varied examples of duple and triple meter; playing technically advanced melodies to enhance left- and right-hand independence, playing varied accompaniment styles and duets; and experimenting with more complex examples of classical and contemporary piano repertoire.
Major Instructional Activities: Instructional activities in advanced piano will include, but will not be limited in scope to, demonstrating advanced knowledge of musical elements and keyboard technique through reading/playing scale and rhythm patterns, under-standing more advanced meters and their application by playing compositions from the classical repertoire, participating in duet playing and providing varied accompaniments, listening to examples of multiple piano styles and forms from different historical periods and composers.
Major Evaluative Techniques: Students will be required to pass written, oral, and playing examinations taken from the classical piano repertoire; and perform all major scales with hands apart, together in octaves, and arpeggiated at 120 beats per minute.
Course Objectives: Upon completion of the piano II course, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of varied piano styles.
- Demonstrate an understanding of more complex rhythm concepts.
- Read and play more advanced piano music, using proper technique.
- Demonstrate an understanding of scale and chord construction.
- Perform as a soloist.


text:
Questions? Call now toll free! (866)666-9198
There are no accessories for this product, but we're working on it. Please call us for details about accessories for this product.
There are no accessory packages for this product, but we're working on it. Please call us for details about accessory packages for this product.
The 2200 lumens Canon LV-7290 LCD Projector is not only a jack-of-all-trades, it's a master of all of them. Just look at the features and specs. It's got a 2000:1 contrast ensuring that what you project shows deep blacks and bright whites. Its XGA (1024 x 768) resolution is a great match for today's laptop and PC monitors. Beyond XGA it can project 720p and 1080i high-definition pictures via its composite jack and it can also handle a number of world TV standards.
The LV-7290 uses only 266W in operation and less than a single watt in Standby. In Normal mode the lamp can last as long as 4000 hours but in Quiet mode lamp life soars to as much as 6000 hours. Fan noise drops from a very reasonable 36 dB to 29 dB, which is literally quieter than a whispered conversation.
Your LV-7290 projects great images and you can tune them to your most exacting specifications. Canon brings the best of LCD technology to the LV-7290 projector. This projector has been designed and specified to deliver the impressive image quality you expect from a Canon product. LCD technology allows the LV-7290 to be small, light and portable, while still giving it the capability to serve as a great installation unit.
If you are giving a presentation to a hearing impaired audience, or are working in a venue with a good deal of background noise, the LV-7290 gives you the option of closed captioning to facilitate understanding of any dialogue.
© 2016 Fumfie.com | All rights reserved
Call us at 866-666-9198
226 Beach 101st Rockaway Park, NY 11694


text:
The Corporate Relations Program offers exciting benefits especially designed for employees and their families. With over 35 permanent exhibitions and up to 10 special exhibtions each year, there is always something new to discover and explore at The Field Museum.
Free general admission
Corporate member employees receive unlimited, free general admission to the Museum for themselves plus one guest. This opportunity is valid for all employees, local and nationwide!
Corporate Family Day
Invite your employees and their families to explore the Museum on a Saturday or Sunday for a special Corporate Family Day! This open-house format includes free general admission & discounted exhibition tickets for each employee plus five family members and provides on-site company recognition.
Discounted tickets to limited-time exhibitions
In addition to free general admission, employees may also receive discounted special exhibition tickets. Discounted ticket rates for 2012 are:
- All Access Pass: (Best value! Includes ALL special exhibitions and one 3-D movie!): Adults $16, Children $11, Students/Seniors $13
- Discovery Pass: (Includes one special exhibition): Adults $10, Children $7, Students/Seniors $8
- Discovery Pass: (With one 3-D movie): Adults $7, Children $5, Students/Seniors $6.
10% employee discount to Dozin' with the Dinos
Employees a 10% discount on tickets to our most popular educational program, Dozin' with the Dinos, where they can explore the halls of the Museum with their families from dusk until dawn.
For more information, please contact Julia Kittle at firstname.lastname@example.com or (312) 665-7668


text:
I thought this question was dealt within a previous discussion, but it has been pointed out to me that it remains somewhat open. My impression was that if you say "er liebt sie immer noch" you were simply talking about a couple that had been in love for a very long time, whereas if you said "er liebt sie noch immer" there was an additional implication to the effect of "despite the way she treats him, he still loves her". Am I totally missing the nuance here?
Sign up
- Anybody can ask a question
- Anybody can answer
- The best answers are voted up and rise to the top
First of all it is important to point out that we are talking about a nuance here. So AFAIK there is no written rule about it.
I think you're right with you're assumption that "noch immer" can have a slightly negative touch.
If a context or an opinion on the subject is given in the same sentence or a preceding one there is no difference between the two.
In this example the person wants it to rain (possibly because the ground is to dry), but it does not. So it is clear that the person hopes for a change, thus it "immer noch" and "noch immer" both have a negative nuance to it.
If the two are used in a sentence without much context, as could be the case in a conversation, the nuance can slightly differ. But IMHO only if you're talking about thing where you doubted it would stay the same, but you hoped for it (ie. the sun shining, or somebody loving someone).
Could be understood as "The sun is still shining, as I hoped". So the person is happy with the situation and maybe surprised it didn't change to the worse.
This on the other hand could be understood as "The sun is still shinging, although I hoped for rain/snow". In this case one is rather disappointed the situation did not change.
A better Example would be love:
But if one is talking about something negative (ie. bad weather), or it is clear that one is not happy with the current situation "immer noch" and "noch immer" don't have this different nuance.
Both imply that the person wanted the situation to change for the better.
In the End the important thing is what you would stress when speaking to tell if "noch immer" or "immer noch" express dissatisfaction or rather surprised agreement with a situation.
It may be that this varies in the different language regions. In Swiss german "immer noch" is commonly used, while "noch immer" is not that common. The two are emphasized differently as well (here in Switzerland):
So the local dialect may be a reason why for some people there is a nuance while other people don't see any.
There is no difference in semantics only in phonetics.
Just a more elaborate way of saying things. Also sounds more old fashioned to say:
I think "immer noch" has a tendency to "has not stopped", whereas "noch" sounds a bit like "still, but may change in future".
Therefore, you could say "Ich liebe dich immer noch" to loved one, but "Ich liebe dich noch" sounds a bit like a threat.
same 800 km further north - "noch immer" is not really used (anymore), it does have an "old" ring to it. IF used, it leans towards "despite".
"Immer noch" is usually used as "still continuing".


text:
5 True Stories Cut from Movies for Being Too Unrealistic
#2. The Wire -- The Real-Life Omar Survived a Jump from the Sixth Floor, Not the Fourth
The Scene:
In Season 5 of The Wire, a gritty police drama about crime in Baltimore, resident badass Omar Little finds himself outgunned in a shootout and decides to escape by jumping out the window. Well, that doesn't sound very badass to us ... oh, hold on, did we mention that the window is on the fourth floor of an apartment building?
In the immortal words of Marlo Stanfield, "That's some Spider-Man shit there."
Somehow, Omar survives the fall and goes on to kill a bunch of people in revenge. The Wire always had a reputation for being more realistic than your average cop drama, so this moment struck some fans as a little odd -- one critic at The Guardian even wondered if the writers had been drinking when they came up with the scene. What's next, Detective McNulty fighting a mountain lion?
The Reality:
True fans of The Wire (the ones who got the decoder ring after they turned in the box tops from the Cap'n Crunch tie-in) know that the show's major characters are based on people creator David Simon met while working as a journalist in Baltimore. This includes Omar himself, who is actually an amalgam of a few folks -- including a guy named Donnie Andrews, who, according to David Simon, actually made the leap from that episode in a similar situation. Only in real life, it wasn't the fourth floor: He made that jump from the sixth.
"Omar fallin', yo!"
We've previously talked about how falls from higher than the third floor are rarely survivable ... the key word being "rarely," meaning that it does happen. In fact, people have survived falls from as high as a 47th floor or even a freaking airplane. Simon claims that he met other people who confirmed real-life Omar's story, so he wanted to include it in the show. When they were shooting the episode, however, they realized that the building they had only went up to the fifth floor, so Simon decided that "The fourth is fine. They're not gonna believe it anyway."
Oh, and by the way, if you're wondering what a guy who makes sixth-floor jumps and survives looks like in real life, just look at that scene again: Donnie Andrews actually plays Omar's friend, who gets shot in the head during the confrontation.
#1. Gladiator -- Roman Gladiators Were Bigger Sellouts Than Russell Crowe
The Scene:
The film Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe, puts a lot of effort into showing you just how barbaric the lives of real gladiators were in ancient Rome. No one gets "knocked out" in this movie: heads are chopped off, bellies sliced open and sandals forever ruined. Before this film, gladiator movies were best known for all the homoerotic wrestling -- now it's all about the gore.
Thanks for ruining that Airplane! joke forever, Russell Crowe.
The most famous line in the movie is when Crowe, having just decapitated a guy and stabbed several others to death, turns to the audience and yells, "Are you not entertained?" The film is drawing a subtle parallel between the sadistic Roman spectacles of thousands of years ago and today's cruel, voyeuristic TV shows. So Maximus is essentially Snooki, is what we're saying.
The Reality:
Originally, that parallel was A) a lot less subtle and B) a lot more realistic. How? Well, a minor subplot in early versions of the script involved Crowe's character becoming a spokesman for a certain kind of olive oil and having his face and name plastered on signs all through ancient Rome.
Just call him "Sellouticus Maximus."
The producers eventually decided to cut all aspects of Maximus' stardom because it would've looked too much like parody, despite the fact that it also would have made the movie more historically accurate. Real gladiators did sponsor products and had their likenesses plastered all over the Roman equivalent of today's billboards. Here's a Roman mosaic depicting popular gladiators in combat, names and all:
They even had their own freaking action figures: Here's a gladiator figurine from that era that still survives, though sadly someone misplaced all the accessories and the file card.
This one originally came with a little spring-loaded rocket launcher, but had no kung fu grip.
In the end, they cut all that stuff, because to most people, it would look as realistic as the Genie from Aladdin putting on a Goofy hat and a Hawaiian shirt. Hey, maybe when they do movies about Jersey Shore 1,500 years from now, no one will believe that shit was real either.
J.F. Sargent is too unrealistic to ever be made into a movie, and you can read all about why on his Tumblr and Twitter.
For more outlandish Hollywood scenes that played out in real life, check out 5 Real Bank Heists Ripped Right Out of the Movies. Or discover 5 Things That Are Way Easier Than They Look in Movies.
If you're pressed for time and just looking for a quick fix, then check out 6 Terrifying Spiders That Will Haunt Your Dreams.
And stop by LinkSTORM to discover which aspect of Star Wars didn't make the final cut for "not being CGI'y enough."
And don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr to get sexy, sexy jokes sent straight to your news feed. Are you on Google+? So are we!
Do you have an idea in mind that would make a great article? Then sign up for our writers workshop! Do you possess expert skills in image creation and manipulation? Mediocre? Even rudimentary? Are you frightened by MS Paint and simply have a funny idea? You can create an infographic and you could be on the front page of Cracked.com tomorrow!


text:
Event Information
What should I expect to accomplish?
The GMAT prep is two one-half day sessions that will help you develop your individual self-study plan and reduce your GMAT anxiety by ensuring that you are familiar with the test.
What will be covered?
The June 7 session will focus on the verbal and writing aspects and help you develop your own self-study program in these areas. This meeting will also introduce you to some strategies to help you become "test wise." The second meeting, June 14, will focus on quantitative analysis and help you to develop your own self-study program in this area. You, of course, are encouraged to attend both if possible.
How much does the workshop cost?
This GMAT prep course costs absolutely nothing. We only ask that you are a potential applicant for either the Seidman Full-time Integrated MBA or the Traditional MBA, the MSA or MST program or that you are currently enrolled or plan to enroll in 500-level foundation courses.
Future Workshops
If you cannot attend this series, the next series of workshops will be scheduled for two Saturdays in October, dates yet to be determined. Please check back with us later for dates.
Just call the Business Graduate office at (616) 331-7400 to register or Click here to RSVP for this event.


text:
Historical Recipes Are the Next Big Thing
Chefs are trolling archives and raiding centuries-old cookbooks in search of inspiration, and the results are some of the freshest recipes around
"SO MUCH OF what's served in restaurants these days isn't even recognizable as food," said Shane McBride. As the chef talked, his hands moved with care through a vintage copy of Richard Olney's "The French Menu Cookbook." He paused on an entry for a dish called Pheasant Salmis, which opened with matter-of-fact instruction on how to spot a good eating bird in the wild.
Mr. McBride estimates that he owns 3,000 books—ranging from August Escoffier's seminal 1903 "Le Guide Culinaire" to a 1950s U.S. Army mess-hall manual—neatly stored in glass-fronted bookcases that line his apartment. Three years into running the kitchen at Balthazar, the ace in restaurateur Keith McNally's royal flush of New York City dining establishments, Mr. McBride has been tasked with re-envisioning the space currently occupied by another McNally joint, a pizzeria called Pulino's. He will not replace it with some Israeli/Mexican fusion taco experiment, nor a Nordic concept with small plates composed from foraged riverweed. It will be a classical French bistro called Cherche Midi. To build the menu, Mr. McBride is turning to books like Olney's "Ten Vineyard Lunches" and Elizabeth David's "French Provincial Cooking," decades-old texts that faithfully catalogue the regional foods of France.
In a culinary landscape filled with Szechuan pastrami and cronuts, it can feel like our chefs are slaves to novelty, forever breaking with traditional foodways in favor of dishes inspired by artistic whims and enabled by modern technology. But look past the clamor of innovation and you'll find some of the country's most gifted toques quietly engrossed in old cookbooks, viewing the historical record as a treasure trove of ingenious techniques and preparations.
'Some of the country's most gifted toques are quietly engrossed in old cookbooks.'
That's the thinking that guides Adam Leonti, who took over the kitchen at Philadelphia landmark Vetri three years ago. He has been gradually shifting the menu—which previously focused on Roman trattoria fare—toward recipes found in historical texts like Apicius's fifth-century "De Re Coquinaria," and the "Opera di Bartolomeo Scappi," from 1570. Rather than joining his contemporaries at international culinary symposia like the trendy "Cook It Raw," Mr. Leonti takes regular research trips to Italy to talk to locals and troll the recipe archives stored in town halls throughout the country. It was on one such trip that he came across testarolo: the earliest recorded pasta, made by pouring batter onto hot clay; at Vetri, Mr. Leonti serves it with pistachio pesto and goats' cheese. He has also revived a saltless bread recipe from 13th-century Tuscany, created to protest salt taxes of the day.
"When you collect books you start to realize that there's all this information about how to make beautiful food—it's not about making old food for the sake of making old food," explained Mr. Leonti. "I'm searching for the best, the most correct way to treat an ingredient." Recipes from the past tend to lack the precise details we see in today's texts, he said, and that provides opportunities for creative thinking and experimentation.
The trend doesn't stem from fetishizing the past so much as from the deeply held conviction that, when it comes to cookery, time-honored methods often trump personal innovation. Jori Jayne Emde, chef and co-owner, with her husband, Zak Pelaccio, of the restaurant Fish & Game in Hudson, N.Y., has dug deep into antique household-management manuals since moving to the country from New York City two years ago. She finds them to be fonts of information for the task of provisioning a locally sourced restaurant through the winter months. From 1903, "The Way To A Man's Heart: The Settlement Cook Book" yielded an unbeatable catsup method; Gervaise Markham's "The English Housewife," first published in 1615, is Ms. Emde's go-to resource for making vinegar; "The Martha Washington Cookbook," a modern reprinting of a 17th-century recipe book handed down through the First Lady's family, includes a recipe for a festive bread pudding layered with quince, currants and beef marrow that Ms. Emde serves around the holidays. "I wouldn't describe myself as a particularly romantic person," she said. "I just find that these books, much more so than modern ones, really make sense with what we're doing up here."
Adam Leonti's Testarolo
This centuries-old pasta dish is prepared like a pancake in a hot skillet, then cut into diamond shapes that are boiled briefly and arranged on the plate in a festive pattern.
Active Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 1¼ hours Serves: 4-6
1½ cups semolina flour
1½ cups durum flour
5 teaspoons salt, plus more for pasta water
4 cups water
6 tablespoons grapeseed oil
Parmesan, grated, for serving
Olive oil for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons minced herbs such as rosemary, thyme, chives and parsley
1. Set a large, lidded cast-iron skillet over high heat and let sit 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together flours, 5 teaspoons salt and water into a thin batter.
2. Pour 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil into hot skillet, tipping to coat. Use a ladle to swirl 1 cup batter into skillet in concentric circles, spreading batter with the back of a spoon to coat pan in a thin layer. Let cook 30 seconds. Decrease heat to medium and cover skillet with a lid and cook 1½ minutes more.
3. Use a spatula to lift testarolo from pan like a pancake. Place on a rack to cool. Repeat until all batter is used, returning skillet to scorching heat and coating with 1 tablespoon oil between each batch.
4. Once testaroli are cool, cut into diamond-shaped pieces about 6 inches long. In a large pot over high heat, bring 2 quarts salted water to a boil. Add pasta pieces and boil 15 seconds, working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding.
5. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pasta to plates, arranging pieces in a decorative pattern such as a star. Top with grated Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, pepper and herbs.
Jori Jayne Emde's Marrow Pudding
Beef marrow lends richness to this old-fashioned bread pudding layered with currants and quince—a recipe borrowed from the family archives of Martha Washington.
Active Time: 50 minutes Total Time: 6½ hours Serves: 6-8
4 pounds marrow bones
1 pint heavy cream
3 blades mace (optional)
¼ cup sugar
1 nutmeg, cut in quarters
2 large egg yolks
¾ cup whole milk
Butter, for baking dish
1 day-old loaf Pullman-style bread, crust removed and sliced ½-inch thick
Sea salt
2 cups dried currants
3 quinces or firm apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch slices
1. In a large bowl, create an ice bath. Submerge marrow bones in water and chill 4 hours. One at a time, remove bones from water and use your thumbs to push marrow out until you have obtained 8 ounces (about 2 cups). (If marrow doesn't yield to gentle pressure, it can be scooped out with a spoon or knife.) Cut marrow into pea-size pieces and set aside. Discard bones or reserve for another use.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cream, mace (if using), sugar and nutmeg to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Strain cream through a fine-mesh sieve and discard spices. Whisk in yolks and milk.
3. Butter bottom and sides of a deep-sided, 4-quart Dutch oven or baking dish. Press a single layer of bread into bottom. Sprinkle bread with a pinch of salt, ⅔ cup currants and ⅓ of the quince slices. Pour ⅔ cup cream over top, followed by ⅔ cup marrow. Repeat process for two more layers, pressing down to compact pudding after each layer. Top with a layer of bread.
4. Cover baking dish with foil or a lid and bake pudding until heated through, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes more. Let rest 30 minutes before serving.
Shane McBride's Oxtail Daube
A daube is a classical Provençal wine-based stew. The first written record dates it to 1723, though the recipe itself is thought to be centuries older. Chef Shane McBride's version was taught to him by Gascon chef Christian Delouvrier, who learned it from his mother. Its unique feature is a weeklong wine marinade, which Mr. McBride says makes the meat gloriously rich and tender. Ask your butcher to cut the oxtail and short ribs into pieces.
Active Time: 1½ hours Total Time: 7½ hours (plus 7-day marinade) Serves: 4-6
3 pounds oxtail, cut into 2-inch discs
1 pound bone-in short rib, cut into 2-inch cubes
6 cups red wine, preferably Syrah
2 bouquets garnis, each made with 6 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs parsley and 1 bay leaf tied with kitchen string
8 cloves garlic, unpeeled and smashed, plus 8 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons duck fat or vegetable oil
6 cups veal or beef stock
½ pound smoked bacon, cut into ½-inch batons
2 carrots, peeled and cut into medium dice
1 large yellow onion, cut into medium dice
½ small head celery root, peeled and cut into medium dice
½ cup Armagnac
3 teaspoons orange zest, plus more for garnish
¼ cup pitted Niçoise olives, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish
1. In a large, lidded container, combine oxtails and short ribs with wine, 1 bouquet garni, 1½ teaspoons orange zest and crushed garlic. Refrigerate at least three and up to seven days.
2. Remove meat from container, reserving marinade, and place on a paper-towel lined plate. Pat meat dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons duck fat in a heavy-bottomed, lidded 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add meat to pan and sear until golden-brown, 5-6 minutes per side. Remove meat and set aside on a platter.
3. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place a large saucepan over high heat. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain reserved red wine marinade into saucepan and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to top. Boil until reduced by ⅓, 30-45 minutes. Add veal stock and return liquid to a simmer, continuing to skim off impurities.
4. Discard rendered fat and salt from meat-searing pot, add remaining duck fat and place pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until light golden, 3-4 minutes. Add carrots, onions, celeriac and minced garlic. Decrease heat to medium and sweat vegetables until just tender but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add Armagnac and let simmer, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan, until alcohol burns off, 4-5 minutes. Add meat, remaining bouquet garni, orange zest and olives, then add enough wine-stock mixture until meat is mostly, but not completely, covered with liquid. Return to a boil, cover with a lid and transfer to oven. Cook until meat is very tender, 5-6 hours.
5. Remove pot from oven and let cool slightly, then transfer meat and vegetables to a large bowl. Cover to keep warm. Return pot to stove and simmer braising liquid over medium heat until reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain thickened liquid over meat and vegetables. Garnish with olives, orange zest and parsley. Serve with egg noodles, roasted potatoes or polenta.


text:
I read up on the limitations and how you can link multiple sitemaps. But my question is, are they to contain links to EVERYTHING or just the most recent X thousand changes?
Ideally your sitemap.xml contains:
Now, if your site is very large, you might need to use the sitemap to only inform the search engines of the newest, most recently added pages on your site. Alternatively you can make multiple sitemaps to have all pages included while still keeping each sitemap below the size limit.
I usually have mine only contain links to every page on my site ... that I want to get indexed by search engines. Search engines are the only users who read the sitemap.xml, so I would not include pages that you do not want to get indexed.
Two examples:
Now the actual sitemap web page should contain a link to every single page in your website (or at least a way to get to every page).


text:
With a lower profile and generally manufactured from softer lighterweight materials than their Fitted and Snapback brothers, the 5 Panel cap has become a firm favourite with headwear enthusiasts globally. With an extensive range from brands including Mitchell & Ness, Franks Chop Shop and Skulls BCN, we're sure to have what you're looking for.
Over the years Caps have been seen in all walks of life from sports to the streets, and have evolved into various styles and fits including snapback, 5 panel and fitted. Our range has all you need, with offerings from the big hitters of the cap world like New Era, Mitchell & Ness and Starter alongside some of the more niche brands like Quintin, Brixton, and Ebbets


text:
The 6 Most Bizarre Medical Hoaxes People Actually Believed
The human body can do amazing things. If you need proof, just type "parkour" into a search engine. But every so often, we're told a story so remarkable that it's almost impossible to believe it. And we should listen to that instinct.
#6. The Pregnant Man
The idea of a pregnant man has fascinated scientists and writers of corny comedies ever since cave people first figured out that some people had babies but some people didn't.
"This make great vehicle for sweaty Austrian man."
But if you believe hundreds of bloggers and YouTube viewers, male pregnancy is already a reality. Malepregnancy.com is a website dedicated to Lee Mingwei, supposedly the first male to achieve a viable pregnancy. There are pages dedicated to Mingwei's everyday life as a pregnant man, ultrasound photos and detailed explanations of the science behind the miracle, such as our most pressing question: How is he going to push a baby out through his dick?
But upon closer inspection, there is something awfully suspicious going on here. Not the least of which is that the site was created in 2002 and is still bizarrely ongoing. There is no location listed for RYT Hospital, which as it turns out doesn't even exist. The news coverage is equally suspicious:
Wait a minute ...
As it turns out, Mingwei and his collaborator, Virgil Wong, are both conceptual artists who say the website was "created to be an exploration of a very likely scenario that may one day result from new advances in biotechnology and infertility treatments."
Interestingly, though this is possibly the least believable of the hoaxes out there, it is one of the most persistent. Videos and blogs about Mingwei continue to garner responses. This is due in part to the sophistication of the site itself. It looks like a hospital website. But the real reason so many people continue to believe it is because Lee Mingwei looks a little bit like someone else.
This man.
Thomas Beatie, a transgendered legal male who chose to keep his lady bits, is credited with being the first legal male to have a baby. His story created a sensation in 2008, and many many people mistook Mingwei for Beatie. Some blogs even use Mingwei's picture when talking about Beatie. Others attempt to dispel the confusion by explaining that these are two different pregnant dudes. And though the Mingwei site is almost 10 years old, many people continue to hold onto the belief that Mingwei is some miracle straight out of science fiction, rather than maybe some guy with really bad, chronic indigestion.
"Hey now, we can't go fact-checking when there are headlines to write."
#5. Vilcabamba: Where Idiots Go to Die
In the 1970s, researchers began flocking to Vilcabamba, a town in the Andes which apparently boasted the oldest population on Earth. Residents regularly reached ages of 115 and beyond but remained as healthy as people much younger. In 1973, National Geographic ran a story by a researcher from Harvard Medical School about this amazing valley and its people's perpetual youthfulness.
Above: The next Aspen.
Many theories were offered to explain this phenomenon, from clean air to super-antioxidant minerals found in the water. Tourists as well as people suffering from chronic conditions began pouring in under the assumption that they were all going to turn into Benjamin Button. Even today, Vilcabamba.org boasts to potential tourists that "years are added to your life ... and life is added to your years!"
Except for one thing. It was all a big lie. Like many cultures that aren't the United States, the people of Ecuador value the wisdom and experience that comes with old age, and to that end it's tradition in Vilcabamba to exaggerate your age. After people turn 70 or so, it starts to get really ridiculous as they tack as much as a decade per year onto their true ages. To confuse things further, because many residents are named after their parents, they can simply claim their parents' birth records as their own.
"And over here is where we keep the immortality juice."
The researchers who studied the people of Vilcabamba fell prey to what is known as confirmation bias: Because they already wanted to believe that Indiana Jones was real and that there was a fountain of youth in some small town in Ecuador, they skipped right over the possibility that the people were simply lying. When people started asking the right questions, Vilcabamba looked less like the "Valley of Longevity" and more like a retirement community in Florida.
#4. The Rabbit Babies, aka The Grossest Thing Anyone Ever Did For Attention
John Howard was a practical man. In 1726, he'd been practicing midwifery for 30 years and thought he's seen everything. So when Mary Toft came to him and told him she'd been giving birth to rabbits, he did what any sane person would do: He totally believed it.
Toft captured the imagination of England when she "gave birth" to several rabbits and parts of other animals in the presence of numerous physicians and skeptics. The charade went on for months, perpetuated by daily newspapers, which were still a novelty. And back then, every newspaper resembled the Weekly World News, in which Bigfoot attacks are every bit as newsworthy as local politics.
The real explanation? If you need to ask, it turns out that Toft was simply stuffing live baby animals up ... well, let's just say that people started to get suspicious about the fact that Toft's husband had been buying a lot of rabbits lately.
She shouldn't have pushed it after birthing the first warren.
Toft had been taking advantage of several old wives' tales doing the rounds at the time. One popular theory in England was called "maternal impression." Doctors back then believed that a mother's experiences during pregnancy could make an "impression" on her baby. Some physicians even warned pregnant women against contact with pets, lest their babies become like animals. She also banked on the "pregnant women are yucky" theory that is still popular today.
Thank God for muumuus.
It didn't help at all that King George I was totally taken in by the story and sent surgeons from the royal household to investigate. Though the claim ultimately destroyed their careers, they were under pressure to agree with the king.
How could you argue with that oval-shaped face and those mountains of brown ringlets?
It wasn't until months later that, under intense pressure and the threat of a painful surgery, she finally confessed to the ruse. Initially, she was arrested and charged with being a "vile cheat and imposter," but she was eventually released, because apparently no one knew what the heck to charge her with.


text:
>Crescent City California News, Sports, & Weather | The Triplicate
Residing in Crescent City for five-plus years has led to one glorious revelation above all others: Living at the beach is far superior to visiting the beach.
Especially Pebble Beach, simply one of the most scenic stretches of coastline anywhere.
It's not that the out-of-towners don't get it. They have a hard time driving along Pebble Beach Drive without pulling over for pictures.
They do this in any weather, aside roiling waves or a still surface, the green water of a gray day or the sparkling blue of a sunny one.
But unless they're lucky, they miss the transcendent events.
They may stay a few days and revel in the sea's transformation from high tide to low, but they haven't experienced those shifts occurring every 10 minutes unless they were here on March 11, 2011.
They may marvel at skydiving pelicans feasting on fish in the summertime, but they probably haven't seen those birds massed at the edge of a bluff, their long bills tucked against a stranding January storm long after they should have flown south.
And they may turn pull-offs into haphazard parking lots at the slightest sign of a Pacific sunset, but … well, you get the idea. Sorry, Visitors Bureau, but the biggest rewards eventually go to those of us who are here for the duration.
Take Tuesday, just past sunset. Laura and I gazed out our front window at a bulbous pink cloud about to be pierced by a jet contrail. An above-average scene.
A seaward line of birds materialized at the top of the glass pane, part of a squadron passing directly over our house. Within seconds, they were just a small portion of a dark string of connected V's.
I flashed on flying monkeys from "The Wizard of Oz." Laura, prone to numeration, exclaimed, "There must be 500 birds there."
The entertainment was just beginning.
As the initial articulated mass diminished with distance, several others came into view, dirtying the sky and seemingly all pointed straight toward the oceanic horizon. But we were pretty sure where they were headed.
If it weren't situated on this remote piece of the continent's edge, the crown jewel of Pebble Beach would be a world renowned landmark simply because of its shape and sprawl. But us Del Norters know that Castle Rock is more than that. It's a national wildlife refuge, northernmost home of the elephant seal along with colonies of other barking pinnipeds, a critical habitat to nesting and migrating seabirds, and blah, blah blah.
Before our eyes, the potential of textbook information was spectacularly fulfilled. The Aleutian cackling geese were bound for their overnight quarters, and it was rush hour.
The lines veered north. Soon a funnel cloud of birds swirled beside Castle Rock — only so many could land at once.
By now we had out the binoculars, watching flock after flock feed the funnel. Forget that early estimate of 500. Thousands of geese were arriving simultaneously. It took about 10 minutes for the sky to clear.
It was one more Del Norte show in an irregular performance schedule that caters to us season ticket-holders.


text:
Why are there kanji, hiragana and katakana? Is there a logical reason behind this or just tradition?
Sign up
- Anybody can ask a question
- Anybody can answer
- The best answers are voted up and rise to the top
That's a good question, I used to wonder about that myself! This is what I've found out through my own experiences:
When the Chinese brought their written language to Japan, there were only Kanji (Literally, Chinese Characters). Unfortunately, although this kind of ideographic writing system works perfectly for the Chinese language, the Japanese language is structured differently. For example, in Chinese, if you want to say something in the past tense, all you do is add the word for "past" to the verb (it would be the equivalent if every verb in English could be put in the past tense solely by adding '-ed' to the end of it {fall-ed, go-ed}), and in Japanese (as in English) the actual word changes.
What the Japanese needed was a way to notate their verb changes. They developed Hiragana and Katakana from already existing Kanji and assigned them solely phonetic meanings. At some point Katakana came to be used for (among other things*) foreign loan-words, but you can still see examples of Japanese words written in Katakana (for example, on old gravestones) and loan-words written in Hiragana (for example, you can see たばこ for tobacco).
*See link in comments below
As for hiragana vs. katakana, it pretty much resembles the distinction between upright vs. italics. People tend to count hiragana and katakana as different scripts, but it makes more sense to consider them as a single script in different styles comparable to upright, italic, bold. In fact, during the history or in special situations (like computers in the old days or telegrams), the roles of hiragana and katakana are often switched. You should count them together as one script. Some bases for claiming that the two kanas are a single script are:
(1) They show an almost one-to-one correspondence (exceptions being the use of the long-vowel symbol and some minor subscript combinations in katakana, which hiragana does not have).
(2) They have several characters which are very similar (such as う and ウ, や and ヤ, か and カ, き and キ, へ and ヘ, り and リ), which goes well with the understanding that they are mere different styles.
(3) Even more of the kanas than mentioned in (2) share the same Chinese character as the origin (such as く and ク, etc.).
As for hiragana/katakana vs. kanji, a characteristics of Japanese is that it does not segment the words (for example, by a space). The different graphical impression of kanji vs. kana plays a role in identifying the word boundary. If often coincides with transitions from kanji to kana or the other way around. Chinese can go with Chinese characters only because a Chinese character corresponds to a single word or a single morpheme, so the layout of a Chinese character as a single block already counts for the purpose of identifying the word/morpheme boundary.
Let me reflect this back as a similar question -- why are there two alphabets in English, upper- and lower-case? Is there any logical reason for this, or just tradition? English can clearly be written using only one or the other.
In that context, it's worth noting that everything about language is largely handed down to us from the past. It's very rare to find moments in history when someone sat down and carefully thought out some aspect of a language; for the most part, language evolves over time to suit the needs and circumstances of its speakers. And that's also the answer for why Japanese has kanji, hiragana, and katakana -- the kanji came first, and were borrowed from the Chinese. It was cumbersome to use kanji to handle writing out the changing parts of Japanese words, and so the most commonly used kanji were simplified for those specific roles. And that's the short, probably over-simplified answer.
Many answers are answering "Why does there need to be 3 ways" or "How are they used", but not really why are there. I'll make an attempt...
The one line answer is: Because the need for a phonetic script was so big that kanji which were previously only used for their phonetic value evolved into separate scripts.
In the beginning, there were only Chinese scripts, and people would study them.
Later, people would start using the kanji in these scripts only for their semantic value, and actually pronounce the scripts in Japanese. But since Japanese and Chinese are very different, including word order, this would mean a lot of jumping around in the Chinese text, adding suffixes as particles that were not explicitly marked in Chinese, etc. This excercise is still done by Japanese students when studying Kanbun.
Later again, in order to make scripts easier to read and write in actual Japanese, people would start using some kanji only for their phonetic value, intermingle them with kanji to express verb endings, particles etc. Modern Chinese also uses characters only for their phonetic value in some cases, but obviously, this need is much bigger in Japanese.
Eventually, these phonetic kanji evolved into kana (which are basically simplified phonetic kanji). Katakana and hiragana were created in different ways, but are similar in this sense. They've been used for different purposes through time, but the need to have both of them has survived until current day.
I'm no expert on the history of Japanese scripts, but this should cover the general idea. Feel free to correct me on inaccuracies.
There are no alphabets in Japanese. For a detailed explanation check wiki, though there are probably tons of writing on this subject. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_writing
Kanji were brought to Japan about 4th centry from China. Hiragana are phonetic characters created from Chinese readings of kanji in around the eighth century in Japan. For example, あ was created from 安 and い was created from 以.
Katakana were mainly created by Japanese scholars from Chinese readings of kanji at the same time that hiragana were created. For example, ア was creatad from 阿 and イ was created from 伊.
The reason why Japanese created hiragana and katakana are that writing kanji is a bother and we want to use phonetic characters.
As far as I know, Hiragana is for normal Japanese words, Katakana is for foreign words such as: 'pizza' and 'hamburger'. Kanji is a symbol for a word, in a way it simplifies writing and doesn't cause confusion.


text:
If a Karaite who knows that his mother is Jewish (Karaite) wanted to join the Orthodox Jewish Community - would he be required to undergo a conversion?
Sign up
- Anybody can ask a question
- Anybody can answer
- The best answers are voted up and rise to the top
Rema (Even Haezer 4:37, citing Beis Yosef) says of the Karaites "they are all possible mamzerim, and they should not be accepted if they want to return [to Rabbanite Judaism]." (Interestingly, Rambam, Hil. Mamrim 3:3, seems to disagree: he advocates trying to help them do teshuvah.)
It seems that there is some dispute about this nowadays, though. This Wikipedia article mentions the views of R. Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron, R. Ovadiah Yosef and others as encouraging marriages between Karaites and Rabbanite Jews, though it also mentions unnamed "Ashkenazi Haredi scholars" who consider them non-Jews and would require their conversion (though of course this would also dispose of the "possible mamzerus" issue).
They are largely intermarried, so I think they would likely need to convert.
However, everything they do for lifecycle events is invalid in Halachah. Therefore, it is just as easy to speculate that the vast majority of those from an uninterrupted Jewish line (without conversion) are Mamzerim, as it is that the vast majority of those who come from anyone who converted under Karaite processes is not Halachically Jewish.
It would be nearly impossible to determine the lineage of anyone, and even a just-in-case conversion might therefore be iffy, though I'm no expert.
A Jew does not convert when allegiances are switched within the various Jewish movements. A Karaite Jew with a Karaite Jewish mother will have no problems becoming an Orthodox Jew if he seeks to observe as a Sephardic Orthodox Jew. This statement is made on the basis of a statement by the Orthodox Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Netanya, Rabbi David Chelouche, who in an article in the Jerusalem Post entitled "Laying Down the Oral Law" on May 22, 2007 said: "Rabbi David Chayim Chelouche, the chief rabbi of Netanya, agrees. "A Karaite is a Jew," says Chelouche, who has written a great deal about the Karaites. "We accept them as Jews and every one of them who wishes to come back [to mainstream Judaism] we accept back. (There was once a question about whether Karaites needed to undergo a token circumcision in order to switch to rabbinic Judaism, but the rabbinate agrees today that it is not necessary.) He cautions, however, that the acceptance of Karaites as Jews should not be confused with acceptance of their practice of excluding the Oral Law. "A person cannot make his own Torah," he says.
It seems according to the Radvaz 1:73 that a man who wants to marry a Jewish woman who was previously a karaite and now accepts all the derabbanans is allowed. He held that their(karaites) kiddushin is not a kiddushin at all and the problem of mamzerut does not apply.
He ends off saying that in Egypt they had a mass conversion of Karaites and they were known to have very good yichus and even more so the chashuv families married into their families.
I recently had a discussion with several Orthodox rabbis about what would be required for them to be comfortable performing a wedding between a Rabbanite and a Karaite. In addition to checking to make sure that the Karaite individual was Karaite Jewish for several generations, none of them seemed to require anything amounting to a conversion. At least one required that the karaite individual accept certain rabbinic Halakha.
The implication seems to be that at least some Orthodox Rabbanites view Karaites (with Karaite lineage) to be Jews, but that (in the rabbinic opinion) Karaites are on the wrong path. In the old days this was called heresy. Implicit in the term heretic, though, is that the individuals is a member of the community, but that the individual holds views that are not commonly accepted. The fact that Karaites were called heretics implies that they were viewed to be Jewish.
I used to serve on the board of directors for the Karaite Jewish University. At that time (several years ago), the Karaite position was that any Jew from any movement can become a karaite without conversion. Of course, Karaites and Rabbanites historically differed on what made someone Jewish (Matrilineal v. Patrilineal). But that is a topic for a different day.


text:
For all that follows, $p$ is a fixed odd prime. In the formulation of the Noncommutative Main Conjecture of Iwasawa theory one uses étale cohomology to define an algebraic object analogous to Iwasawas 'charakteristic ideal' in $\Lambda(G)$ for $G=Gal(k_\infty/k)$, with $k^{cyc}\subset k_\infty$ and $\mu=0$:
Let $M_\Sigma$ be the maximal abelian, pro-$p$, outside of $\Sigma$ unramified extension of $k_\infty$ for a finite set of primes of $k$, $\Sigma$. Then $X:=Gal(M_\Sigma/k_\infty)$ is a $\Lambda(G)$ module. If $G$ has elements of order $p$ we are prevented from seeing this $X$ a relative $K_0$ group, associated to a denominator set, $S$, of $\Lambda(G)$.
Now étale cohomology enters the picture: We use it to define a complex $C$ of $\Lambda(G)$-modules which is $S$-acyclic and quasi-isomorphic to a bounded complex of finitely generated $\Lambda(G)$-modules. Although it looks quite technical, I will give here for the sake of quick reference the definition of
This $C$ is strongly correlated to $X$, namely $H^0(C)=\mathbb{Z}_p$ and $H^{-1}(C)=X$.
Now my question: An expert in the field told me that this $\mathbb{Z}_p$ is 'moraly' related to the pole of a zetafunktion. How is this?
Is this even related to the Main Conjecture, where evalutations at representations of $G$ and $p$-adic interpolation play the lead role? As far as I understand it, the trivial representation, leading to the zeta function, is left undealt with.
I apologize for my ignorance on this basic question of the field.


text:
The one thing I couldn't figure out this weekend if it was possible to do person to person trades like you can in Guild Wars 1. Is that possible or will it only be limited to the Auction house or Guild Storage?
The only way to do person to person trading is to use the mailing system. This is a deliberate decision to encourage the use of the cross-server Trading Post (auction house), to discourage people standing around in common areas shouting "Want to Buy/Sell/Trade", and also to discourage the likelihood of players getting scammed through those player trades.
Face-to-face player trading is not in game and will not be in the game at launch. In a fansite interview with Colin Johanson, the Lead Content Designer, he stated the following, emphasis mine:
As of release, there is no COD for mailing, which means it is still possible to be scammed through mail trading.