text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Feb 23, 1988
|Filing date
|Nov 17, 1986
|Priority date
|Nov 17, 1986
|Fee status
|Publication number
|Marek T. Wlodarczyk
|Original Assignee
|General Motors Corporation
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (4), Non-Patent Citations (2), Referenced by (28), Classifications (11), Legal Events (4)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This invention relates to a fiber optic microbend sensor and particularly to such a sensor which uses two wavelengths of radiation to obtain an output free of fluctuations due to changes in components in the optical link.
It is well known in the case of optical measuring instruments to use dual optical beams comprising a modulation beam and a reference beam to distinguish between changes due to the test parameter and any other changes which tend to obfuscate the parameter induced signal. The modulated signal beam is subject to the test parameter as well as undesirable influences such as variations in the light source intensity, coupling variations or variable temperature response of detectors, and the reference beam is subject to all the same influences except the test parameter. By comparing the two beams the changes due to the test parameter are readily isolated.
Fiber optic microbend sensors have incorporated the dual beam principle by using one optical fiber subject to microbending to obtain a modulation signal carrying the parameter information along with unwanted fluctuations and a separate reference optical fiber operating at the same wavelength but not subject to microbending to obtain a reference signal carrying only the unwanted fluctuations so that a comparison of the two outputs allows the true microbend signal value to be determined. Since separate optical paths are required, the two signals are not necessarily subject to the same disturbances.
It is desirable to eliminate the reference fiber since it introduces expense and complexity to the sensor, yet it is necessary to compensate for the unwanted fluctuations. Prior to this invention it had been believed that different wavelengths in an optical fiber subject to microbending were similarly affected by microbending. In particular, wavelengths of comparable value were reported to experience only slight dispersion of microbending losses and would not be useful for the single fiber microbend sensor disclosed herein. See, for example, D. Marcuse, "Microdeformation Losses of Single-mode Fibers," Appl. Opt., Vol, 23, 1082-1091, 1984. That report concerned random microbending. Similar results were known for periodic microbending in multi-mode fibers.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a single fiber microbend sensor compensated for unwanted fluctuations.
The invention is carried out by a microbend fiber optic sensor free of undesired fluctuations due to component changes comprising; a single mode, step index optical fiber subject to strong dispersion of microbending losses, periodic microbending means coupled to the fiber for deforming the fiber in accordance with a parameter, source means for transmitting radiation at a modulation signal wavelength subject to strong microbending loss and at a reference signal wavelength substantially unaffected by microbending loss, both wavelengths being similarly affected by component changes, and detector means for receiving the radiation and comparing the modulation signal wavelength and the reference signal wavelength to determine the microbending modulation of the modulation signal wavelength.
The above and other advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating the wavelength dispersion due to fiber optic microbending losses; and
FIG. 2 is a view of a microbend sensor according to the invention.
The microbend sensor according to this invention is based upon my discovery that in single mode fibers, especially the step index type, periodic microbending losses are strongly wavelength dependent. Moreover the losses experience a peak at one wavelength and reach a cut-off threshold at a wavelength near the peak. This is illustrated in FIG. 1 wherein the attenuation due to microbend loss is plotted against wavelength for some fixed degree of microbend deformation. The peak loss occurs at a wavelength near 1000 nanometers and the losses drop to zero at a wavelength near 800 nm. It is a valuable property of a sensor to have a reference wavelength near the modulation wavelength so that the modulation signal wavelength Ls can be maximized and the reference signal wavelength Lr can be so close that even wavelength dependent fluctuations will affect the two wavelengths substantially equally. Thus if the modulation signal wavelength is chosen just above the cut-off threshold in a substantially high loss region of the curve, the reference wavelength can lie just below the threshold. The two wavelengths are compared to reveal the signal variations that are due solely to microbend losses. It is preferred to compare the wavelengths by calculating the ratio or the log of the ratio of the two signals.
The apparatus, as shown in FIG. 2, comprises a light source 10 emitting radiation containing the desired modulation and reference wavelengths, a single mode optical fiber 12, a microbend device 14 coupled to the fiber 12, a coupler 16 for dividing the optical path into two paths 18 and 20, narrow band filters 22 and 24 for the modulation signal and reference signal wavelengths, respectively, modulation and reference detectors 26 and 28 at the respective filters for generating the electrical signals Ss and Sr, and a calculation circuit 30 receiving the signals and determining the log of the signal ratio log (Ss /Sr).
The fiber 12 is a step index optical fiber for carrying a single mode of radiation. The microbend sensor 14 is the periodic kind and responds to a force as indicated by the arrow to induce microbending in the fiber 12 at a fixed period which results in radiation losses at the modulation signal wavelength. The force may be a measure of strain, pressure or other parameter that could be translated into a force. The source is an LED having a sufficiently broad band to include the modulation and the reference wavelengths, and each filter 22, 24 comprises a grating or interference filter which yields a narrow bandwidth at the proper wavelength.
For example, the source 10 is a GaAlAs LED emitting at 820 nm with 50 nm, 3 dB bandwidth. The fiber 12 is a single mode fused silica fiber having an 8 micron diameter core and 125 micron diameter cladding with a numerical aperture of 0.11. The interference filters 22 and 24 have 10 nm bandwidth centered at 845 nm and 795 nm wavelength and the detectors 26 and 28 are Si PIN photodiodes. The microbend loss device 14 is a grating having 20 grooves at a period of 1.7 mm which is pressed against the fiber 12 to induce lateral deformations in the fiber in accordance with the parameter being measured.
In operation, the microbend deformations cause attenuation of the source radiation proportional to the rates shown in FIG. 1 for the various wavelengths, the actual amount of attenuation of the signal wavelength Ls being dependent on the degree of microbend deformation. The reference wavelength Lr is not appreciably attenuated, although in the example given here, some slight effect is produced due to the overlap of the reference filter 24 with the attenuation curve below 800 nm.
The detectors measure the radiation in the narrow bands defined by the filters and the resulting signals Ss and Sr are compared by the calculation circuit 30 to obtain log (Ss /Sr). Any fluctuations in the source output intensity or other perturbations in the optical link will affect the signal wavelengths substantially equally and will not affect the output ratio.
It will thus be seen that the invention provides an improved microbend sensor since only a single fiber is required and all the benefits of a reference signal are not only retained but enhanced because the reference radiation, except in the detection stage, experiences the same optical path as the modulated radiation.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Dec 17, 1980
|Oct 26, 1982
|Siemens Corporation
|Fiber optical measuring device with compensating properties
|Oct 26, 1981
|Nov 1, 1983
|Western Electric
|Single mode fiber with graded index of refraction
|Sep 26, 1983
|Jan 28, 1986
|Showa Denko Kabushiki Kaisha
|Method and apparatus for measuring methane concentration in gas
|Oct 27, 1982
|Jun 24, 1986
|The Foxboro Company
|Fiber optic displacement sensor with built-in reference
|Marcuse, Dietrich, "Microdeformation Losses of Single-Mode Fibers", Applied Optics, vol. 23, No. 7, 1 Apr. 1984, pp. 1082-1091.
|Marcuse, Dietrich, Microdeformation Losses of Single Mode Fibers , Applied Optics, vol. 23, No. 7, 1 Apr. 1984, pp. 1082 1091.
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Feb 22, 1988
|Nov 14, 1989
|Jones Gordon R
|Optical sensors for measurement of a variable parameter
|Sep 7, 1990
|Jun 2, 1992
|Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation
|Fiber optic microbending sensor arrays including microbend sensors sensitive over different bands of wavelengths of light
|Aug 12, 1991
|Sep 8, 1992
|The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
|Infrared fiber-optical temperature sensor
|Jan 18, 1995
|Oct 15, 1996
|Abbott Laboratories
|Method and apparatus for detecting and compensating for a kink in an optic fiber
|Apr 26, 1994
|Dec 2, 1997
|Hitachi, Ltd.
|Physical quantity detecting apparatus and internal combustion engine control apparatus each utilizing optical fiber
|Jul 21, 1997
|Aug 18, 1998
|Lai; Robert
|Pallet stretch wrapping machine
|Oct 26, 1995
|Nov 3, 1998
|Hitachi, Ltd.
|In-cylinder pressure sensing apparatus for multi-cylinder engine
|Jul 12, 1996
|Nov 3, 1998
|Mcdermott Technology, Inc.
|Fiber optic acoustic emission sensor
|Apr 2, 1998
|Aug 1, 2000
|Mcdermott Technology, Inc.
|Fiber optic acoustic emission sensor
|Apr 2, 1998
|Sep 11, 2001
|Mcdermott Technology, Inc.
|Fiber optic acoustic emission sensor
|May 9, 2001
|Mar 8, 2005
|Robert Bosch Gmbh
|Optical deformation sensor with operational testing by different wavelengths, for side crashers
|Oct 2, 2002
|Apr 5, 2005
|Cicese-Centro De Investigation
|Fiber-optic sensing system for distributed detection and localization of alarm conditions
|Oct 13, 2006
|Apr 12, 2011
|Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
|Method and apparatus for forming a photodiode
|Jun 21, 2011
|Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
|Photodiode module and apparatus including multiple photodiode modules
|Feb 14, 2011
|Mar 20, 2012
|Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
|Method and apparatus for forming a photodiode
|May 16, 2011
|Jun 19, 2012
|Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
|Photodiode module and apparatus including multiple photodiode modules
|May 9, 2001
|Nov 7, 2002
|Frank-Jurgen Stuetzler
|Optical deformation sensor with operational testing by different wavelenghts, for side crashes
|Oct 2, 2002
|Apr 8, 2004
|Mikhail Chliaguine
|Fiber-optic sensing system for distributed detection and localization of alarm conditions
|Jul 7, 2005
|Nov 3, 2005
|Samba Sensors Ab
|Method and a device for bending compensation in intensity-based fibre-optical measuring systems
|Nov 3, 2005
|Sep 14, 2006
|Gennadii Ivtsenkov
|Low cost fiber-optic gage and associated multi-channel all-optical data collecting system
|Oct 13, 2006
|Apr 17, 2008
|David Fattal
|Method and apparatus for forming a photodiode
|Jan 17, 2007
|May 1, 2008
|David Fattal
|Photodiode module and apparatus including multiple photodiode modules
|Jun 11, 2008
|Jan 29, 2009
|Sambra Sensors Ab
|Measuring system for measuring a physical parameter influencing a sensor element
|Jul 21, 2011
|David Fattal
|Method and apparatus for forming a photodiode
|Sep 8, 2011
|Fattal David A
|Photodiode module and apparatus including multiple photodiode modules
|Feb 26, 1988
|Oct 26, 1988
|The University Of Liverpool
|Fibre-optical sensor
|Apr 25, 1994
|Nov 2, 1994
|Hitachi, Ltd.
|Physical quantity detecting apparatus and internal combustion engine control apparatus each utilizing optical fiber
|May 9, 2001
|Nov 29, 2001
|Robert Bosch Gmbh
|Optical deformation sensor with operational testing by different wavelenghts, for side crashes
|U.S. Classification
|250/227.18, 250/227.16, 250/338.1, 250/339.06
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Nov 17, 1986
Owner name: GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION, DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A C
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:WLODARCZYK, MAREK T.;REEL/FRAME:004664/0075
Effective date: 19861111
|Sep 24, 1991
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Feb 23, 1992
|Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
|Apr 28, 1992
|Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee
Effective date: 19920223


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text:
Let nature clean the water…
Chemical-free water garden and swimming pool. The plant portion, or regeneration zone, is separated from the swimming area by the wall seen a few inches below the water's surface. (naturalswimmingpools.com)
The pools have skimmers and pumps that circulate the water through the regeneration zone and back into the swimming area. The aquatic plants filter out contaminants and use nutrients from the water as food, which helps prevent algae. Then rocks, such as granite river rock or haydite, to which friendly bacteria attach, act as biological filters. More questions answered here: ecodesignscape.co.uk & gartenart.co.uk
There are many design options. Beneficial bacteria (micro-organisms and microbes) colonize the rock and help cleanse the water. (clear-water-revival.com)
A gradual slope contains the plants, gravel and loamy sand, a wall keeps them separate from the swimming area.
Vacuum but twice a year and tend to the plants as needed. The plants will need to be cut back in the fall so they do not die in the pool. (naturalswimmingpools.com)
The regeneration zone can be along the perimeter of a natural pool or a pond unto itself, as long as it's connected to the swimming area. (gartenart.co.uk)
For a true natural pool with no help from ultraviolet light or other such technology, the requirement is half-swimming area, half-regeneration area. (biotop-natural-pool.com)
Plants steal the nutrients away from invasive algae. (gartenart.co.uk)
Half regeneration area, half swimming pool (living-pool.eu)
Natural predators such as water striders and dragonflies will come to live in the enrichment area and feast on mosquitoes. If you chose to have a skimmer installed this will keep mosquitoes in check as well. Woodhouse demo pool from naturalswimmingpools.com.
Use your pool as an ice rink in winter, as there is no need for a cover. (gartenart.co.uk)
A first year pool will need at least 60 days to self-adjust, but installing an ultraviolet sterilizer in the pump area will have you swimming almost immediately. (clear-water-revival.com)
Note the plant pond to the right in the natural pool in France. (bioteich.fr)
The pools are most popular in Austria, where a company called Biotop has been designing them for residential and public use since 1986. (homeexteriorinterior.com)
The two-tiered waterfall helps oxygenate the pool. (naturalpoolsnz.com)
A hybrid natural pool usually has two circulation pumps. One where water is circulated through the plant and rock filters before being discharged back to the bottom of the pond. The second surface circulation system pulls water through one or two skimmers filtering out floating debris. Water drawn through the skimmers passes through a filter system, such as a UV filter and/or a biofilter—essentially a box filled with bacteria-laden bio-media—before returning to the pool. A waterfall helps with oxygenation. (South Africa: naturalswimmingpools.co.za)
Love the deck amongst the water plants. An original Biotop pool (biotop-natural-pool.com)
Access through an enrichment area. (clear-water-revival.com)
Love the diving boards. (naturalswimmingpools.com)
Natural pool in the UK. (clear-water-revival.com)
Convert a pond into a swimming pond. Mother Earth News says there are a few options for liners—bentonite clay to seal the soil or a synthetic liner. If you choose synthetic, they recommend ethylene propylene diene monomer rather than PVC. (motherearthnews.com, gartenart.co.uk)
No chemicals so the water is soft. (gartenart.co.uk)
Close up of a Do it Yourself kit from clear-water-revival.com.
Western Massachusetts Water House Pools (waterhousepools)
New free-form construction. (clear-water-revival.com)
How To Covert A Traditional Pool To A Natural Pool
See pics of a conversion process here: clear-water-revival.com
Conventional pools can also be converted to natural pools; above is an internal conversion. (gartenart.co.uk)
Another gorgeous converted pool. (bionovanaturalpools.com)
Conversion with added beach. bionovanaturalpools.com
Plants For Your Natural Pool
Every pool needs to be cleaned. A natural pool is cleaned with plants instead of chemicals—have you ever thought about how many pounds of chemicals go into a typical swimming pool?
A range of aquatic plants are used—submerged (oxygenators), floating, shallow marginals, deep marginals, bog/marsh and waterside species. Whenever possible, use indigenous plants. Some examples of typical water plants: cattails, bulrushes, sedges, duckweed and water lilies.
How To Build A Natural Swimming Pool
schwimmteich-selbstbau.de In German
naturalswimmingpools.com -construction images
The Best Natural Swimming Pool Books
Natural Swimming Pools: Inspiration For Harmony With Nature by Michael Littlewood
How to Build a Natural Swimming Pool by Wolfram Kircher and Andreas Thon
Garden Pools and Swimming Ponds Design, Construction, and Landscape by Richard Weixler
Natural Pool Builders
Natural Pool Builders in Europe
Biotop has been in business since 1984 with more than 3,500 satisfied customers. Their partner network covers 17 countries. (Austria)
BioNova is a global network of partners on 6 continents who work synergistically to push the state-of-the-art of natural swimming pool design, construction, aesthetics and maintenance. (Germany)
Bioteich Baignades Naturelles (France)
Natural Pool Builders In The UK:
Woodhouse Natural Pools with BIOTOP have been developing and building naturally filtered swimming pools in the UK since 2000.
Clear Water Revival are builders who sell kits also.
Natural Pool Builders In The US
Total Habitat, Kansas.
Expanding Horizons, California.
Pond Doctor Dave, Arizona – also does conversions
Water House Pools, Massachusetts
Rin Robyn Pools, New Jersey & MA.
Kane Brothers, Illinois.
Natural Pool Builders In Canada
Tumber & Associates Landscape Consultants, Ontario
Genus Loci Ecological Landscapes, Ontario
Natural Pool Builders In New Zealand
Natural Pools and Landscaping NZ
Natural Pool Builders In South Africa
http://www.ecopoolsonline.com nice designs!


text:
17 January 2014
21 May 2014 Last updated at 04:39 BST
With the Fifa World Cup just weeks away, Brazil is currently holding another international football event.
The first ever Copa Gringos - or Expats' Cup - is a tournament between 24 teams whose players are all expats from around the world, who now live in Sao Paulo.
BBC Brasil followed two players - a Paraguayan clothes maker and a Japanese executive - as they went about their lives in the city and asked what it means to them to represent their country, albeit unofficially.
Video produced by BBC Brasil's Paula Idoeta and Rafael Gomez


text:
Study Guide for McEachern's Macroeconomics: A Contemporary Introduction, 7th / Edition 7by William A. McEachern
Pub. Date: 01/06/2005
Publisher: Cengage Learning
Succeed with the Study Guide for MACROECONOMICS: A CONTEMPORARY INTRODUCTION. This Study Guide includes chapter outlines, definitions of all terms, a bonus section with supplemental material, and a variety of true-false, multiple-choice, and discussion questions with answers.
Succeed with the Study Guide for MACROECONOMICS: A CONTEMPORARY INTRODUCTION. This Study Guide includes chapter outlines, definitions of all terms, a bonus section with supplemental material, and a variety of true-false, multiple-choice, and discussion questions with answers.
Product Details
- 9780324288766
- Publisher:
- Cengage Learning
- Publication date:
- 01/06/2005
- Edition description:
- Older Edition
- Pages:
- 314
- Product dimensions:
- 8.40(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.70(d)
Table of Contents
Introduction to Economics
The Art and Science of Economic Analysis 1
The Economic Problem: Scarce Resources, Unlimited Wants 2
Resources 2
Goods and Services 3
Economic Decision Makers 4
A Simple Circular-Flow Model 4
The Art of Economic Analysis 6
Rational Self-Interest 6
Choice Requires Time and Information 6
Economic Analysis Is Marginal Analysis 7
Microeconomics and Macroeconomics 7
The Science of Economic Analysis 8
The Role of Theory 8
The Scientific Method 8
Normative Versus Positive 10
Economists Tell Stories 10
Case Study: A Yen for Vending Machines 11
Predicting Average Behavior 12
Some Pitfalls of Faulty Economic Analysis 12
If Economists Are So Smart, Why Aren't They Rich? 13
Case Study: College Major and Career Earnings 13
Understanding Graphs 18
Drawing Graphs 19
The Slopes of Straight Lines 20
The Slope, Units of Measurement, and Marginal Analysis 20
The Slopes of Curved Lines 22
Line Shifts 23
Some Tools of Economic Analysis 24
Choice and Opportunity Cost 25
Opportunity Cost 25
Case Study: The Opportunity Cost of College 25
Opportunity Cost Is Subjective 26
Sunk Cost and Choice 27
Comparative Advantage, Specialization, and Exchange 28
The Law of Comparative Advantage 28
Absolute Advantage Versus Comparative Advantage 28
Specialization and Exchange 29
Division of Labor and Gains from Specialization 30
Case Study: Specialization Abound 30
The Economy's Production Possibilities 31
Efficiency and the Production Possibilities Frontier 31
Inefficient and Unattainable Production 32
The Shape of the Production Possibilities Frontier 32
What Can Shift the Production Possibilities Frontier? 33
What Can We Learn from the PPF? 34
Three Questions Every Economic System Must Answer 35
Economic Systems 36
Pure Capitalism 36
Pure Command System 37
Mixed and Transitional Economies 38
Economies Based on Custom or Religion 38
Economic Decision Makers 40
The Household 41
The Evolution of the Household 41
Households Maximize Utility 41
Households as Resource Suppliers 42
Households as Demanders of Goods and Services 43
The Firm 43
The Evolution of the Firm 43
Types of Firms 44
Nonprofit Institutions 46
Why Does Household Production Still Exist? 46
Case Study: The Electronic Cottage 41
The Government 47
The Role of Government 48
Government's Structure and Objectives 49
The Size and Growth of Government 50
Sources of Government Revenue 51
Tax Principles and Tax Incidence 51
The Rest of the World 52
International Trade 52
Exchange Rates 54
Trade Restrictions 54
Case Study: Wheels of Fortune 54
Demand and Supply Analysis 57
Demand 58
The Law of Demand 58
The Demand Schedule and Demand Curve 59
Shifts of the Demand Curve 61
Changes in Consumer Income 61
Changes in the Prices of Related Goods 61
Changes in Consumer Expectations 62
Changes in the Number or Composition of Consumers 63
Changes in Consumer Tastes 63
Supply 63
The Supply Schedule and Supply Curve 64
Shifts of the Supply Curve 65
Changes in Technology 65
Changes in the Prices of Relevant Resources 65
Changes in the Prices of Alternative Goods 65
Changes in Producer Expectations 66
Changes in the Number of Producers 66
Demand and Supply Create A Market 67
Markets 67
Market Equilibrium 67
Changes lin Equilibrium Price and Quantity 69
Shifts of the Demand Curve 69
Shifts of the Supply Curve 70
Simultaneous Shifts of Demand and Supply Curves 72
Case Study: The Market for Professional Basketball 73
Disequilibrium 74
Price Floors 74
Price Ceilings 74
Case Study: The Toy Business Is Not Child's Play 76
Fundamentals of Macroeconomics
Introduction to Macroeconornies 78
The National Economy 79
What's Special About the National Economy? 79
The Human Body and the U.S. Economy 80
Knowledge and Performance 80
Economic Fluctuations and Growth 81
U.S. Economic Fluctuations 81
Case Study: The Global Economy 83
Leading Economic Indicators 85
Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply 85
Aggregate Output and the Price Level 85
The Aggregate Demand Curve 86
The Aggregate Supply Curve 87
Equilibrium 87
A Short History of the U.S. Economy 88
The Great Depression and Before 88
The Age of Keynes: After the Great Depression to the Early 1970s 89
The Great Stagflation: 1973 to 1980 91
Experience Since 1980 92
Case Study: Over Seven Decades of Real GDP and Price Levels 93
Productivity and Growth 96
Theory of Productivity and Growth 97
Growth and the Production Possibilities Frontier 97
What Is Productivity? 99
Labor Productivity 99
The Per-Worker Production Function 100
Technological Change 101
Rules of the Game 102
Productivity and Growth in Practice 102
Education and Economic Development 103
U.S. Labor Productivity 104
Slowdown and Rebound in Productivity Growth 105
Case Study: Computers and Productivity Growth 106
Output per Capita 107
International Comparisons 107
Other Issues of Technology and Growth 109
Does Technological Change Lead to Unemployment? 110
Research and Development 110
Do Economies Converge 112
Industrial Policy 113
Case Study: Picking Technological Winners 113
Measuring the Economy and the Circular Flow 116
The Product of a Nation 117
National Income Accounts 117
GDP Based on the Expenditure Approach 118
GDP Based on the Income Approach 119
The Circular Flow of Income and Expenditure 120
The Income Half of the Circular Flow 120
The Expenditure Half of the Circular Flow 122
Leakages Equal Injections 123
Limitations of National Income Accounting 123
Some Production Is Not Included in GDP 123
Leisure, Quality, and Variety 124
Case Study Tracking a {dollar}12 Trillion Economy 124
What's Gross about Gross Domestic Product? 125
GDP Does Not Reflect All Costs 125
GDP and Economic Welfare 126
Accounting for Price Changes 126
Price Indexes 126
Consumer Price Index 126
Problems with the CPI 128
The GDP Price Index 129
Moving from Fixed Weights to Chain Weights 129
Case Study: Computer Prices and GDP Estimation 130
National Income Accounts 133
National Income 133
Personal and Disposable Income 133
Summary of National Income Accounts 133
Summary Income Statement of the Economy 134
Unemployment and Inflation 136
Unemployment 137
Measuring Unemployment 137
Labor Force Participation Rate 139
Unemployment over Time 139
Unemployment in Various Groups 139
Unemployment Varies Across Regions 140
Case Study: Poor King Coal 142
Sources of Unemployment 143
The Meaning of Full Employment 144
Unemployment Compensation 145
International Comparisons of Unemployment 145
Problems with Official Unemployment Figures 146
Inflation 146
Case Study: Hyperinflation in Brazil 147
Two Sources of Inflation 148
A Historical Look at Inflation and the Price Level 149
Anticipated Versus Unanticipated Inflation 150
The Transaction Costs of Variable Inflation 150
Inflation Obscures Relative Price Changes 151
Inflation Across Metropolitan Areas 151
Inflation Across Countries 151
Inflation and Interest Rates 152
Why Is Inflation Unpopular? 154
Aggregate Expenditure Components 157
Consumption 158
A First Look at Consumption and Income 158
The Consumption Function 160
Marginal Propensities to Consume and to Save 160
MPC, MPS, and the Slope of the Consumption and Saving Functions 161
Nonincome Determinants of Consumption 162
Case Study: The Life-Cycle Hypothesis 164
Investment 165
The Demand for Investment 165
From Micro to Macro 167
Planned Investment and the Economy's Income 168
Nonincome Determinants of Planned Investment 168
Case Study: Investment Varies Much More than Consumption 169
Government 170
Government Purchase Function 171
Net Taxes 171
Net Exports 171
Net Exports and Income 171
Nonincome Determinants of Net Exports 172
Composition of Aggregate Expenditure 172
Variable Net Exports 175
Net Exports and Income 175
Shifts of Net Exports 175
Aggregate Expenditure and Aggregate Demand 177
Aggregate Expenditure and Income 178
The Components of Aggregate Expenditure 178
Real GDP Demanded 180
What If Planned Spending Exceeds Real GDP? 181
What If Real GDP Exceeds Planned Spending? 181
The Simple Spending Multiplier 182
An Increase in Planned Spending 182
Using the Simple Spending Multiplier 184
Case Study: Fear of Flying 185
The Aggregate Demand Curve 186
A Higher Price Level 186
A Lower Price Level 188
The Multiplier and Shifts in Aggregate Demand 188
Case Study: Falling Consumption Triggers Japan's Recession 190
Variable Net Exports Revisited 192
Net Exports and the Spending Multiplier 193
A Change in Autonomous Spending 193
The Algebra of Income and Expenditure 195
The Aggregate Expenditure Line 195
A More General Form of Income and Expenditure 195
Varying Net Exports 196
Aggregate Supply 197
Aggregate Supply in the Short Run 198
Labor and Aggregate Supply 198
Potential Output and the Natural Rate of Unemployment 199
Actual Price Level Higher than Expected 199
Why Costs Rise When Output Exceeds Potential 200
An Actual Price Level Lower than Expected 201
The Short-Run Aggregate Supply Curve 201
From the Short Run to the Long Run 202
Closing an Expansionary Gap 202
Closing a Contractionary Gap 204
Tracing Potential Output 206
Wage Flexibility and Employment 206
Case Study: U.S. Output Gaps and Wage Flexibility 208
Changes in Aggregate Supply 209
Increases in Aggregate Supply 209
Decreases in Aggregate Supply 211
Case Study: Why Is Unemployment So High in Europe? 212
Fiscal and Monetary Policy
Fiscal Policy 215
Theory of Fiscal Policy 216
Fiscal Policy Tools 216
Changes in Government Purchases 216
Changes in Net Taxes 217
Including Aggregate Supply 219
Discretionary Fiscal Policy to Close a Contractionary Gap 219
Discretionary Fiscal Policy to Close an Expansionary Gap 221
The Multiplier and the Time Horizon 222
The Evolution of Fiscal Policy 222
The Great Depression and World War II 222
Automatic Stabilizers 223
From the Golden Age to Stagflation 224
Fiscal Policy and the Natural Rate of Unemployment 225
Lags in Fiscal Policy 225
Discretionary Fiscal Policy and Permanent Income 226
The Feedback Effects of Fiscal Policy on Aggregate Supply 226
U.S. Budget Deficits of the 1980s and 1990s 227
Case Study: The Supply-Side Experiment 227
Case Study: Discretionary Fiscal Policy and Presidential Elections 228
Balancing the Federal Budget-Temporarily 229
The Algebra of Demand-Side Equilibrium 231
Net Tax Multiplier 231
The Multiplier When Both G and NT Change 231
The Multiplier with a Proportional Income Tax 231
Including Variable Net Exports 232
Money and the Financial System 233
The Evolution of Money 234
Barter and the Double Coincidence of Wants 234
The Earliest Money and Its Functions 234
Desirable Qualities of Money 236
Coins 236
Money and Banking 237
Paper Money 238
The Value of Money 239
When Money Performs Poorly 239
Case Study: When Monetary Systems Break Down 240
Financial Institutions in the United States 241
Commercial Banks and Thrifts 241
The Birth of the Fed 241
Powers of the Federal Reserve System 242
Banking During the Great Depression 243
Roosevelt's Reforms 244
Banks Lost Deposits When Inflation Increased 246
Bank Deregulation 246
Savings Banks on the Ropes 247
Commercial Banks Were Also Failing 248
U.S. Banking Structure 249
Case Study: Banking Troubles in Japan 252
Banking and the Money Supply 255
Money Aggregates 256
The Narrow Definition of Money: M1 256
Case Study: Faking It 257
Broader Money Aggregates 258
Credit Cards and Debit Cards: What's the Difference? 259
How Banks Work 260
Banks Are Financial Intermediaries 260
Starting a Bank 261
Reserve Accounts 262
Liquidity Versus Profitability 262
How Banks Create Money 263
Creating Money Through Excess Reserves 263
A Summary of the Rounds 266
Reserve Requirements and Money Expansion 266
Limitations on Money Expansion 267
Multiple Contraction of the Money Supply 267
Case Study: Banking on the Net 268
The Fed's Tools of Monetary Control 269
Open-Market Operations and the Federal Funds Rate 270
The Discount Rate 270
Reserve Requirements 271
The Fed Is a Money Machine 271
Monetary Theory and Policy 273
The Demand and Supply of Money 274
The Demand for Money 274
Money Demand and Interest Rates 275
The Supply of Money and the Equilibrium Interest Rate 276
Money and Aggregate Demand in the Short Run 277
Interest Rates and Planned Investment 277
Adding Short-Run Aggregate Supply 278
Case Study: Targeting the Federal Funds Rate 280
Money and Aggregate Demand in the Long Run 282
The Equation of Exchange 282
The Quantity Theory of Money 283
What Determines the Velocity of Money? 284
How Stable Is Velocity? 284
Case Study: The Money Supply and Inflation Around the World 286
Targets for Monetary Policy 287
Contrasting Policies 287
Targets Before 1982 289
Targets After 1982 289
The Policy Debate: Active or Passive? 291
Active Policy Versus Passive Policy 292
Closing a Contractionary Gap 292
Closing an Expansionary Gap 294
Problems with Active Policy 294
The Problem of Lags 295
A Review of Policy Perspectives 297
Case Study: Active Versus Passive Presidential Candidates 297
The Role of Expectations 298
Monetary Policy and Expectations 299
Anticipating Monetary Policy 300
Policy Credibility 301
Case Study: Central Bank Independence and Price Stability 302
Policy Rules Versus Discretion 303
Limitations on Discretion 304
Rules and Rational Expectations 304
The Phillips Curve 305
The Short-Run Phillips Curve 307
The Long-Run Phillips Curve 307
The Natural Rate Hypothesis 309
Evidence of the Phillips Curve 309
Federal Budgets and Public Policy 312
The Federal Budget Process 313
The Presidential and Congressional Roles 314
Problems with the Federal Budget Process 314
Possible Budget Reforms 315
The Fiscal Impact of the Federal Budget 315
The Rationale for Deficits 316
Budget Philosophies and Deficits 316
Federal Deficits Since the Birth of the Nation 317
Why Have Deficits Persisted? 318
Deficits, Surpluses, Crowding Out, and Crowding In 318
The Twin Deficits 319
The Short-Lived Budget Surplus 319
Case Study: Reforming Social Security and Medicare 321
The Relative Size of the Public Sector in the United States 322
The National Debt 322
International Perspective on Public Debt 323
Interest on the National Debt 324
Who Bears the Burden of the Debt? 325
Crowding Out and Capital Formation 326
Case Study: An Intergenerational View of Deficits and Debt 327
International Macroeconomics
International Finance 329
Balance of Payments 330
International Economic Transactions 330
The Merchandise Trade Balance 330
The Balance on Goods and Services 332
Unilateral Transfers 332
The Capital Account 333
Deficits and Surpluses 333
Foreign Exchange Rates and Markets 335
Foreign Exchange 335
The Demand for Foreign Exchange 336
The Supply of Foreign Exchange 336
Determining the Exchange Rate 337
Arbitrageurs and Speculators 337
Purchasing Power Parity 339
Case Study:The Big Mac Price Index 339
Flexible Exchange Rates 341
Fixed Exchange Rates 341
Development of the International Monetary System 341
The Bretton Woods Agreement 342
The Demise of the Bretton Woods System 342
The Current System: Managed Float 343
Case Study: The Asian Contagion 343
Glossary 347
Index 355
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Lead / Senior Interaction Designer
Creative, Visual Design | Burbank, CA | Full Time
WHAT IS M-GO? Glad you asked.
M-GO is a powerful new app that elegantly streamlines all of your media together in one place including movies, music, TV and more. Formed in 2011, M-GO is a dynamic well-funded startup sprung from the cooperation of Technicolor and DreamWorks Animation. With a deep understanding of entertainment and technology in our DNA, M-GO is uniquely positioned to unify the fragmented landscape of entertainment into one seamless consumer-friendly solution.
The M-GO app will be available for download for free on all major operating systems. M-GO is preloaded on 2012 Samsung and Vizio Smart TV and Blu-ray players as well as Intel Ultrabooks, totaling up to 30 million installed devices. By blending effortless simplicity with cutting-edge functionality, M-GO allows you to enjoy the content you want, when you want it, on all your favorite devices.
We are looking for a Lead/Sr. Interaction Designer to join our Product Management Team. This role will be primarily concerned with building intuitive, and emotionally compelling solutions for the video-on-demand and digital entertainment industry.
Our ideal candidate should have strong experience in:
- Employing UCD to create differentiated consumer experiences
- Interaction paradigms, user flows and behaviors as well as the development of information architecture on web, mobile, and television platforms
- Big picture thinking but still like to get your hands dirty in the details
- Solving complex problems through elegant simplicity
- Communicating and documenting your designs clearly enough to be understood by product managers and developers through wireframe specifications
- Ensuring designs meet product, business, and user requirements
- Partnering with Visual Designers to turn your wireframes into engaging high fidelity prototypes
- At least 7 years of industry experience as a UX designer, interaction designer, user interface designer, or similar role, designing interfaces for web, mobile, and TV applications
- Advanced degree in HCI, IxD, Cog Psy or other related discipline
- Must possess a solid working experience with appropriate prototyping and design tools including; Axure, Photoshop, Illustrator, Fireworks, InDesign, Visio, OmniGraffle, etc.
- Should have experience with 10' (TV) design considerations
- Strong communication, analytical and interpersonal skills working within cross-functional teams
- Working knowledge of visual design principles and familiarity with HTML5, CSS3, AJAX, and Flash are "nice-to-have" skills
- An amazing online portfolio


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A mom I have a feeling we can all relate to is here to help us through this hump day!
Welcome today's feature blogger, The UnCoordinated Mommy.
I am The UnCoordinated Mommy. No really, I am. I sometimes "appear" to have it together. But don't let that fool you! I don't. I think I am Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde when it comes to my coordination. I either am super mom and can juggle a billion things and still have my makeup on, hair done and children dressed to perfection, which happens like twice a year. Or, more commonly, I am the mom in the carpool line with no makeup on and a greasy ponytail, dropping off her kid, late, with an egg salad sandwich and fruit pouch from Starbucks for lunch! At least I always bring kid tupperware and a lunchbox to put it in. So I don't "look" like that mom. 😉 I'm always looking for ways to make me more coordinated, or appear so, and love to share what I find!
The UnCoordinated Mommy thinks you should read these 3 posts:
- A Week In My Life – Day 2
- Why Second Babies Tend To Be Born Earlier
- Pregnancy Brain…..What Happens to People When They Are AROUND Pregnant Women
Go visit The UnCoordinated Mommy and share the comment love! Don't forget to roll call below too!
- 7 Benefits of Cooking Together as a Family - Jun 24, 2016
- 10 Tips For Photographing Food With Your Smartphone - Jun 22, 2016
- Twitter Strategy: 10 Tips For Gaining Followers - Jun 17, 2016
- Don't Be Discouraged: Advice For New Bloggers - Jun 16, 2016
- Get Ready To Write Every Day – These Four Tips Will Help - Jun 15, 2016
- DIY Polka-Dot Party Lights - Jun 10, 2016
- 5 Obstacles That Hold You Back From Writing And How To Overcome Them - Jun 6, 2016
- An Important Message For National Cancer Survivors Day: Early Detection Is Key - Jun 2, 2016
- 5 Words You Need To Learn To Say Without Fear - May 30, 2016
- Strawberry Themed Party - May 27, 2016


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# hockey - Yesterday's News
16 for 16: The most important Irish athletes of the last 100 years - Sonia O'Sullivan
Despite her successes, the Cork athlete could well still wonder what might have been in her career.
# hockey - Saturday 23 July, 2016
Meet Ireland's Olympic Team: Men's hockey
It's their first time to qualify for the Olympic Games and they're determined to make it count.
# hockey - Saturday 25 June, 2016
'People said 'are you mad?'' - Ex-hockey star O'Flynn eyes Olympic 7s
The Cork native is part of the Ireland squad striving to secure the last place in Rio.
# hockey - Sunday 15 May, 2016
History for David Harte as Irish captain tastes European glory on club duty
But his international team-mates have had a weekend to forget in Hamburg.
# hockey - Wednesday 20 April, 2016
How are Ireland preparing for the Olympics? A day in the life of hockey captain David Harte
An insight into the training routine of the world's best goalkeeper.
# hockey - Wednesday 2 March, 2016
# hockey - Wednesday 17 February, 2016
Hockey fan hits referee in groin with beer can from six rows back
But you really shouldn't be throwing full cans of beer at referees.
# hockey - Wednesday 27 January, 2016
Another major award for Irish hockey as Craig Fulton scoops Coach of the Year prize
FIH President praises "huge impact" of Irish coach, who steered country to Olympic qualification.
# hockey - Tuesday 26 January, 2016
David's Day! Ireland captain Harte wins World Goalkeeper of the Year
Harte's super performances helped Ireland to qualify for the Rio Olympics.
# hockey - Wednesday 30 December, 2015
'I was wide awake!' Ireland's David Harte on NOT watching New Zealand-Australia at 4am
The hockey star played an integral role in his side's historic qualification for the 2016 Olympics.
# hockey - Friday 25 December, 2015
From Aviva to Zlatan, an A to Z of the 2015 sporting year
We take a look at the individuals and events that made a mark over the past 12 months.
From nearly men to history makers: Rio only the start of Ireland's journey to the top
As the Irish hockey team prepare for their first ever Olympic Games, we chart their rise from the bottom up.
# hockey - Monday 21 December, 2015
Here's who the Irish hockey team will face at the 2016 Olympics
The Green Machine have been paired in Pool B alongside world number two ranked team Netherlands.
# hockey - Thursday 22 October, 2015
We'll leave it there so: Holohan to headline, Walsh flies to the States and all of Thursday's sport
Plus New Zealand name their XV for the World Cup semi-final.
Here's why every Irish hockey fan will be cheering on Australia this weekend
Craig Fulton's side will be keeping a close eye on the Oceania Cup this weekend.
# hockey - Sunday 4 October, 2015
9 of our favourite images from another busy week of sport
All the action from a different angle.
# hockey - Sunday 30 August, 2015
History makers! Ireland stun England to win bronze at Euro Championships
England were stunned by the Green Machine in London on Saturday.
# hockey - Friday 3 July, 2015
Irish hockey team on course for a place at 2016 Olympics after a historic victory today
The Green Machine will now meet the winners of the Malaysia-France match, this weekend.
# hockey - Saturday 20 June, 2015
Ireland's Olympic dream ends with defeat to USA
A goal from Anna O'Flanagan was merely a consolation amid an emphatic defeat.
# hockey - Wednesday 17 June, 2015
The NHL's epic end-of-season montage even features a rare headed goal
The Chicago Blackhawks became champions for the third time in six years last night.
# hockey - Tuesday 16 June, 2015
Ireland pull off historic win to move one step closer to first ever Olympic qualification
It's been a famous day for Irish hockey.
# hockey - Wednesday 10 June, 2015
Nicola Daly scored a worldy as Ireland's hockey stars stunned South Africa today
And Nikki Evans grabbed a hat-trick.
# hockey - Monday 9 March, 2015
Irish hockey team win gold in San Diego, set to compete for Olympic berth
Goals from Mitch Darling and player-of-the-tournament Shane O'Donoghue inspired a 2-1 victory
# hockey - Wednesday 29 October, 2014
Ice hockey team to 'honour' Batman with one-off jersey
Because why not.
# hockey - Friday 17 October, 2014
Mad yoke hockey fan is SO ready for the weekend
W-w-w-what are you doing to that bear?
# hockey - Wednesday 20 August, 2014
# hockey - Sunday 6 July, 2014
How brothers ended up on opposite sides in yesterday's Ireland-England hockey mach
Paul and Mark Gleghorne each represented one country in the match at Belfield.
# hockey - Saturday 5 July, 2014
Irish hockey team claim historic victory over England
It is the side's first win over their neighbours since 2002 and first win on home soil since 1949.
# hockey - Sunday 20 April, 2014
Blackhawk sparks mass brawl after head-hunting knocks opponent into next week
Chicago's Brent Seabrook declared, post-match, that he was not trying to target David Backes' head.
# hockey - Sunday 2 March, 2014
Hockey as it should be as Blackhawks beat Penguins at snowy Soldier Field
More than 62,000 fans wrapped up warm to cheer on the two sides at the home of the Chicago Bears.
# hockey - Saturday 22 February, 2014
'Loser Keeps Bieber' bet on Olympic hockey game goes hilariously wrong
This amazing billboard really sums it all up.
# hockey - Friday 21 February, 2014
New Zealand paper calls hurling 'hockey mixed with murder'
GAA is catching on in Christchurch.
# hockey - Monday 4 November, 2013
VIDEO: NHL goalkeeper fights dirty with opposite number
Mass brawls are fine in hockey, but you can't really fight a guy who doesn't want to fight.
# hockey - Wednesday 21 August, 2013
England pip Ireland to place in European Championship semis
Shane O'Donoghue scored twice but a 2-2 draw was not enough to see the "Green Machine" through to the final four.
# hockey - Thursday 4 July, 2013
Here's a life-size replica of the Stanley Cup made entirely of meat
So when are we gonna get ham Sam Maguire?
# hockey - Friday 28 June, 2013
Irish hockey star Rebecca Barry nominated for ESPY for wonder goal
Jon Hamm hosts the LA ceremony in July.
# hockey - Saturday 15 June, 2013
All the goals from the Irish Men's Hockey team's defeat by New Zealand
The loss makes it one point from two games for Andrew Meredith's side.
# hockey - Tuesday 19 March, 2013
VIDEO: Huge brawl erupts between minor league hockey teams
One guys seems happy enough to punch the glass, over and over and over….
# hockey - Wednesday 20 February, 2013
VIDEO: 13-goal Ireland destroy Fiji in hockey
Andrew Meredith's side secured a record win in New Delhi earlier today.
# hockey - Tuesday 5 February, 2013
VIDEO: An NHL referee was struck in the head by a puck in an ugly scene
An ice hockey official said the referee "checked out OK."
# hockey - Thursday 10 January, 2013
Landslide: Every NHL governor votes for collective bargaining agreement
The next step to saving the season is getting the players union to do likewise.


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Hazard Maps
Awareness and Preparedness
|REDAS Training for Cavite
|Friday, 11 October 2013 18:15
The participants were taught how to use REDAS software and how they can apply it in their own municipalities and cities for disaster preparedness. The participants were introduced to the use of SQlite, Spatialite and Quantum GIS and how these are linked into REDAS to prepare their risk database. They were taught how to display their multi-hazard maps, administrative and base maps. They were also taught how to different earthquake scenarios using the software. They also had GPS field work where they were able to locate and classify different types of buildings. The participants were also taught how to answer the Exposure Database Module (EDM) in preparation for their exposure daabase activity. They were asked to answer the form on Mainstreaming Hazard Assessment on Land Use Planning where the answers were culled from the display of hazard maps vis a vis the location of risk data. A plenary session facilitated by Angelito G. Lanuza which discussed their answers capped this session.
Ms. Claudette Trixia M. Flores, PR Officer from the Provincial Governement of Cavite, Director Renato U. Solidum Jr and OCD Regional Director Vicente Tomazar were the speakers for the opening ceremony of the training while Ms Cecil Mirands PG-COPS Head and Dr. Bartolome Bautista, the developer of REDAS software, were the guest speaker for the closing ceremony. Speakers and trainers were Director Renato U. Solidum, Jr., Deputy Director Bartolome C. Bautista, Maria Leonila P. Bautista, Angelito G. Lanuza, Janila B. Deocampo, Maricel L. Capa, Allan R. Loza, Lawrence Aaron Banez, Johnlery Deximo, Marcial Vito, Daphnie Agonia, Nora R. Campita, Mary Rose San Diego, Abigail Polintan, Miguel Carreon and Kenneth Quisado.
Prepared by: Abigail Polintan and Maria Leonila P. Bautista


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Please enter a valid city, state or zip code
10 reviews | 5 out of 5
The Wrangler Jean Co. Bootcut Jean is a great value product that best suits my needs compared to the competition. Wrangler offers multiple fits but the Bootcut gives me the rise, thigh, and leg fit that I am looking for. I also like the color choices from lighter blue to darker. I find the Echo Blue to be the most contemporary/cool looking color. The jeans are versatile stylistically for use in the office, at home, or for going out. After trying and measuring Relaxed Bootcut, Relaxed Straight, and Regular Straight I found the 29x30 Relaxed Bootcut to fit the best. The rise is 10", the thigh is 11.250" and the leg opening is 8.5". These dimensions fit me best. I recommend finding what fit in these three areas you are looking for.
My boyfriend said " I need to buy more jeans" I said ill buy them for you I'm going to the mall, I'm thinking wow he wants 4 pair of jeans he is 6'4
those are nice jeans! So he smiled and said I wear WALMART jeans. I said
REALLY!!! I was surprise. So I have to say these jeans are a great fit and the great thing about this it was a click away fast & easy.
My son has worn these for years so I knew they were exactly what we were looking for. It's difficult to find more than one pair in the store in his size so ordering them is great. We received them quickly.
My husband loves these jeans! They are very comfortable and look great! Great price too!
Great Jeans at a great price. Nice fit, last through many washings.
Great item. Very comfortable and very durable
bought for my son, will order another pair.


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August 27, 2011
Hi all, I'm a fresh out of school novice with a tiny bit of web development experience. I enjoyed what I did with school and work and would love to learn more and meet some contacts in the local community.
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Definición de sphinx en inglés:
1.1An ancient Egyptian stone figure having a lion's body and a human or animal head, especially the huge statue near the Pyramids at Giza.
Oraciones de ejemplo
- They were going to see the sphinx and come back with souvenirs.
- The building with the sphinx and obelisks in the center housed Akoun's Beautiful Orient with its bazaar offering wares from the Middle East.
- When the sphinx was crumbling they finally repaired it in plaster, which needs replacing every five years, in order to maintain the point of decay, and clarify the difference.
1.2An enigmatic or inscrutable person: it drove him mad when she turned herself into a sphinx as a ruse to avoid facing the truth
Más ejemplos en oraciones
- The shy, introverted Gandhi, once described as a sphinx and an enigma, has come a long way in the past six years.
Late Middle English: via Latin from Greek Sphinx, apparently from sphingein 'draw tight'.
Palabras que riman con sphinxjinks, jinx, lynx, methinks, minx
For editors and proofreaders
Saltos de línea: sphinx
Definición de sphinx en:
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Ready in 1h
Try this Quakers- Best Oatmeal Cookies recipe, or contribute your own.
191 people want to try | 283 have favorited
Heat oven to 375 F. Beat together margarine and sugars until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, salt and spices; mix well. Stir in oats; mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 9 minutes for a chewy cookie or 10 to 11 minutes for a crisp cookie. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered container. ABOUT 4-1/2 DOZEN For Bar Cookies: Press dough onto bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely; cut into bars. Store tightly covered. ABOUT 4 DOZEN VARIATIONS: Stir in l cup raisins or chopped nuts - stir in 1 cup semisweet chocolate, butterscotch or peanut butter flavored pieces; omit spices. High Altitude Adjustments: Add an additional l/4 cup all-purpose flour and bake as directed. Nutrition Information 1 cookie Calories 90, Calories From Fat 45, Total Fat 5g, Saturated Fat 1g, Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 70mg, Total Carbohydrates 11g, Dietary Fiber 0g, Protein 1g
More ideas
Jokersmom 2y agoI added chopped pecans and semi sweet chocolate chips. Very good recipe.
jamminbaby 3y agoAdded chocolate chips, chopped walnuts and raisins yummy!
Ava79 3y agoYummy! Just like mom made
LDragonfly1980 3y agoLovely cookies, makes a decent sized batch too. Used slightly less butter (1 1/4 cups ) by accident but it turned out really well. Would certainly make again
kmm23us 3y agoVery good! I would recommend chilling dough first and then baking.
DrHorrible 3y ago
19michael69 3y ago
justbaking 4y ago
kimberphillips 4y agoLove these! Just made my second batch this week!
Cadensnana 4y agoWonderful! My husband gives this a 10!


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|Weight (g)
|Silver Melt Value
|Full Melt Value
|Barber (1892-1916)
|90% silver, 10% copper
The Barber Quarter was one of the United States "Barber" series of silver dimes, quarters, and half-dollars coins which were minted from 1892 to 1916. They got their name from the designer Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber.
In 1887 the United States' Mint Director James P. Kimball requested the United States Congress to allow new designs to be created and struck. Kimball also proposed that America's best artists would be asked to submit designs. In 1890 the United States Department of the Treasury asked ten well known artists to submit coin designs. However the artists' prices were considered too high and they tried an open contest.
The judges were Barber, sculptor Augustus Saint Gaudens (who did the 1907-1933 twenty dollar 'double eagle' gold coin), and engraver Henry Mitchell. The designs received in 1891 were not adequate and the new Mint Director Edward O. Leech accepted Barber's designs.
The obverse has a Liberty head which looks similar to the Morgan dollar Liberty however it faces right and the hair is under a cap which has a laurel wreath tied with a ribbon at the back and a diadem with "LIBERTY" inscribed on it. The date is directly underneath with "IN GOD WE TRUST" encircling the top of the coin. There are six stars encircling the right and seven on the left of the coin.
They all have a reeded edge and composed of 90% silver and 10% copper. They all were struck out of either Philadelphia with no mint mark, New Orleans marked "O" (which closed for good in 1909), Denver with a "D" (opened in 1906), or San Francisco with an "S".
The Barber silver quarter dollar coin is 24.3mm in diameter weighing 6.25 grams. Its reverse has a bald eagle with wings and legs spread. The right talon clutches an olive branch and the left clutches thirteen arrows. In the beak is a ribbon with the inscription "E PLURIBUS UNIM". If there is a mint mark it is directly below the tail. There is a field of thirteen stars above the eagle. ".QUARTER DOLLAR." encircles the bottom of the coin and "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" encircles the top.
There is one small variation during the first year in order to address a problem with the silver quarter coins falling when stacked. In 1892 the stack-resistant coins (variety 1) can be distinguished by the reverse; the "E" in "UNITED" is only half covered by the eagle's wing tip (below the middle serif). The corrected coins (variety 2) have most of the "E" covered (the middle serif is covered). Starting during 1900 the wings tip extends past the "E" top.
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Lyrics Depot is your source of lyrics to Kings Tongue by Smog. Please check back for more Smog lyrics.
Kings Tongue Lyrics
Artist: Smog
Album: Sewn to the Sky
Palm ?Broker? got all my clothes on
And he's looking pretty mean
I bought a kings tongue with the money
Preserved in fire water
And I'm feeling pretty mean
Oh I want to dance
With you buckles between my teeth
Oh I wanna pull flying birds eggs
out of your nest
I'll steal your stars
Spit comes in ?tuberculent? wakes
on planet mars
(pretty mean)
Palm ?Brokers? looking
Palm ?Brokers? looking
Pretty mean
Your past out past by the fire (?black coal?)
Doused in fire water
Surprised you're not a mother
The shape that in you're in
Yeah I'm feeling, feeling pretty mean
Smog Lyrics
Smog Sewn to the Sky Lyrics
More Smog Music Lyrics:
Smog - Blood Red Bird Lyrics
Smog - Not lonely anymore Lyrics
Smog - Rain on lens 1 Lyrics
Smog - Stick in the Mud Lyrics
Smog - The Hard Road Lyrics
Smog - The Orange Glow of a Stranger's Living Room Lyrics
Smog - What kind of Angel Lyrics
Smog - You Moved In Lyrics


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Rub Tenderizer for London Broil
Total Time
Prep 10 mins
Cook 15 mins
This rub makes the meat melt and explode in your mouth! This is very well seasoned! Leftovers are great in wraps. Serve hot or cold.
Ingredients Nutrition
- 3 lbs london broil beef
- 1 tablespoon fresh cracked pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon meat tenderizer (Adolphs)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Score meat in diagonal, criss-cross pattern on both sides, about 1/4" deep.
- Mix rub ingredients.
- Spread into meat.
- Refrigerate overnight.
- Grill, covered, over medium high sitting 7 to 10 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
- Remove from grill and let stand 5 minutes.
- Cut into very thin slices.
Most Helpful
Miraculous may be a bit strong, but not much. I used this on a piece of round steak, marinated it for only 6 to 8 hours, and threw it on the grill. I couldn't believe how tender and tasty it turned out. Even the wife and kids commented favorably. Imagine if I had marinated it over night as directed. A unanimous PickyEater 5-Star rating for this one. Thank you!!
This rescript is very spicy. I recommend washing off or just taken of the rub before grilling. First bit and I had to do this. I love spicy food but, I couldn't taste the steak. Good luck.
This one is a hit! The family gives it rave reviews. The best rub I've made to date. Thanks Rita. I made one slight change, since spicy is not to our liking...Instead of the tablespoon of cracked pepper, I used half a tablespoon of black pepper. Grilled over charcoal, I still reign as King of the grill here. Definate keeper. Important to note: DON"T OVERCOOK THE BEEF! Cook medium rare at the very most. The flavor is incredible.


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NOTCH3 functions as a receptor for membrane-bound ligands Jagged1, Jagged2 and Delta1 to regulate cell-fate determination. Upon ligand activation through the released notch intracellular domain (NICD) it forms a transcriptional activator complex with RBP-J kappa and activates genes of the enhancer of split locus. It affects the implementation of differentiation, proliferation and apoptotic programs. Defects in NOTCH3 are associated with cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) (swissprot).
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I don't know if someone already made a thread about this, but it bears repeating. I think Michael Crabtree is going to be like Mike Williams. The reason I say bizarro is because unlike Mike Williams, who had to sit out cause the stupid league ruled two days before the draft that he was not eligible to be drafted, Michael Crabtree is doing this on his own. Mike Williams tried to come back but that year off pretty much shot his career to hell. Crabtree is ruining his reputation that was already shotty to begin with. If he thinks he can sit a year and come back and be drafted at 10 or higher, he must be high himself. The next draft will have better receiving talent than this years. Plus teams aren't gonna go for his 'I should be paid like a veteran' attitude.
Either way he's an a**hole. Unless he hurrys up and signs. Then he's cool again, ha!
[ Edited by FriscoKid220 on Aug 27, 2009 at 9:19 AM ]


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The Sky's The Limit
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The film centers on Astaire, a Flying Tigers pilot home on leave from China before the US entry into WW II, posing as a diletante and Leslie (working for an aircraft manufacturer) trying to "rehabilitate" this intriguing man she just met, all while they are romancing and falling in love. It's a fun B&W movie getting America ready for war and another Astaire "everyman" role with lots of story telling through song and dance. The movie provided a nostalgic trip down memory lane and is highly recommended!
Along the way he meets the fabulous Joan Leslie and, well, falls in love for real.
The movie showcases their love from the awkward "meet cute" (Roger Ebert) to the powerful and quite delicious, mysterious, and surprising ending that is the ending to end all Astaire films.
The music is sublime, led by Johnny Mercer (lyrics) and Harold Arlen (music). The dance sequences are thrilling, tied to the plot in ways that many musical numbers in other musical films are not.
The grim overcast of the war is everywhere and the lovers live under the threat of death and lonliness.
What a movie!
This was the last of the youthful Leslie's great pairings.
She began being the child bride of Gary Cooper in "Sgt. York. Then she was Bogey's first love interest in "High Sierra." She gloriously played Cagney's wife in "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (Finally aged eighteen!) and ended her awesome streak playing Fred's lover (at 19-20!) in "The Sky's The Limit."
After that she made some uninteresting films, got married and moved on with her life.
Such is Hollywood!
At any rate the knockout songs include "Shining Hour," "I Got A Lot In Common," and the astounding "One For My Baby" where the master does the greatest solo dance ever recorded on the screen.Read more ›
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With Fred Astaire's most lauded works being readily available to the public, I've always thought it a great treat to stumble into his lesser known, harder-to-find films. Read morePublished 8 months ago by H. Bala
This is the original movie in which the song One for My Baby was first sung (by Fred Astaire).Published 20 months ago by donquixote
Yes Fred's character is bit annoying at times [stalking?] when he not being his usually charming phenomenal self; but this a Joan Leslie must-see for all of those who have... Read morePublished 20 months ago by renanaha
The picture quality wasn't the best but being a big Fred Astaire fan I put up with it. I would like a better print.Published 24 months ago by JEANNE
My favorite Joan Leslie movie. Despite the fact that there was an age difference, Fred Astaire and Joan Leslie interact surprisingly well. Very entertaining.Published on May 14, 2014 by Humberto Garcia Jr
Fred this time is in the service and has 10 days off before going back. Only he dons his uniform for normal clothes and doesn't want anyone to know he is in the service with... Read morePublished on February 18, 2014 by Stephen E. Lightell
Some great song and dance numbers in this film like set them up Joe. Freds last film for RKO picturesPublished on February 10, 2014 by Pieter A. Kooijman
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Suzanne Vega in the WYEP Studio on Septemeber 28, 2007. Songs Performed: 1) New York is a Woman 2) Pornographer's Dream 3) Frank and Eva 4) Tom's Diner
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It's been a long offseason, but college football is indeed finally upon us. The University of Memphis, coming off its first 10-win season since 1938 last year, will hold its first practice of the summer/fall tomorrow afternoon out at South Campus.
Leading up to tomorrow, the Tigers held a media luncheon where plenty was discussed, including how the team aims to respond to the now-heightened expectations, junior quarterback Paxton Lynch's offseason, and the general roster outlook heading into camp. Here are the most interesting tidbits from the availability on Wednesday.
-- Paxton Lynch gained 15 pounds in the offseason and is now up to 246 pounds. This is a positive development. Coach Justin Fuente said it's helped him with his release point and it obviously makes him an even tougher tackle when he decides to carry the ball, and he'll decide to carry the ball quite a bit, I suspect.
-- There's no getting around the fact that the Tigers lost a significant amount of production on the defensive side. In addition to NFL draft picks Martin Ifedi and Bobby McCain being gone, the Tigers lost linebackers Charles Harris and Tank Jakes, as well as Terry Redden on the defensive line. Coach Justin Fuente will certainly have his work cut out for him, having to replace some of the team's anchors from last season. But he's not shying away from that responsibility — and it helps that he's got a sizable crop of upperclassmen in the program. "That's why I think you'll see a mix of those two classes taking the bull by the horn," Fuente said. "You can't be afraid to stand up for the things you believe are right concerning the program. We'll continue to try and facilitate that and I'm optimistic our kids will do it."
-- If Fuente's mantra from last year of "trying to go 1-0" week to week annoyed you last season, I've got bad news: He's not changing it up. The program is coming off one of the best years in its history, and Fuente credits a large part of that to his team's ability to narrow its focus and concentrate on what they could control. Cliche, without a doubt, but it worked. And not much has worked for this program in the last decade. "Success is dangerous," Fuente said. "Very dangerous."
-- Fuente said wide receiver/running back Sam Craft will start out at running back — meaning he will, for the time being, attend the running back position meetings. That doesn't mean that he won't see any time at receiver, because his versatility happens to be a major weapon for the Tigers, but he'll at least start out in the backfield. I asked Craft about this, who I've seen play quarterback, receiver, and tailback, and he was characteristically humble about it. "I don't have a problem where he's putting me," he said. "I actually like playing running back. Whatever he needs me to do."


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5 Wishes For Central New York In 2016
I write a lot of posts on this blog that begin with the number 5. Some of them have been on the same topic I'm going to discuss today, that being things I wish for central New York. The last one of these I did was in 2014. I missed last year; oops! Because I want to get to the topic first I'm going to list my 5 wishes for central New York in 2016, then I'm going to list all the other "5-fer" posts I've had on this blog to date because… well, I want you to know they exist and possibly go read some of them. 🙂 Here we go:
1. Save Great Northern & Shoppingtown Malls
Back in July I wrote an article about ideas I had for solving the Great Northern issue; I only wish I could have gotten it to the new owners because I think it could be a winner. I wrote in 2012 and asked the question whether Shoppingtown Mall could survive.
I personally think there's not only a place for both of these malls, but with a bit of creativity both of them could be turned into something special. Instead of always trying to compete with Destiny, which both malls will lose on, they need to establish their own identities and make each of the malls unique, while retaining the anchor stores they already have.
2. Get that hotel built in the Inner Harbor and the full renovation of Hotel Syracuse
Supposedly we're close to the 2nd one and plans are moving along for the first. Both of these are important in being able to promote the city of Syracuse as a global marketplace for shopping and entertainment and to take full advantage of all that Destiny and the Oncenter are. Of course this comes with the issue of better parking downtown… I know local government had been touting the growth of downtown parking garages, but after a horrible experience I recently had at the parking garage next to Modern Malt I'm thinking they either need revamping or better management.
3. Give tax breaks for businesses to renovate the area from the former train/bus station up to Teall Avenue on Erie Boulevard.
This area is a total mess! I wrote about this area back in 2012 and believed the west side of Erie Blvd East looks like a wasteland. While all this attention is being paid to the area closer to Dewitt, the area close to the city is being left to decay. That's embarrassing, especially since it's close enough to the university area that visitors probably come straight down University Avenue and see… that; ugh!
My idea is to offer it up to business development, either small business parks or maybe a medical park. Clean up the area around the bridge so the homeless aren't driving commerce away, and while you're at it, take a part of the open space near the U-Haul building and turn it into some kind of nice park where kids can play or people can walk through. Heck, ask the folks at the university to help out; I'm betting they'll have some ideas.
4. Carrier Circle; do I need to say more?
At least they finally tore down Howard Johnson's… kind of. This area used to look really nice and was welcoming to a ton of visitors, most of whom get off the Thruway at Exit 35 and now see… what? I think there's still a Denny's that doesn't look so bad but everything else looks horrific. The only part that looks somewhat inviting is when you go all the way around the circle and head towards what I like to call Hotel Row.
I know McDonalds is balking at some of the ideas for this area but just how well could they be doing sitting over there by themselves with little else around them? I have to admit that I don't have many ideas for what to do with the area because the last thing I believe we want are restaurants right on the circle area. Yet something has to be done, even if all that can be accomplished is clearing away all the trash, taking down a few more decrepit buildings and turning it into a beautiful and inviting green space with maybe some kind of sculpture or statues highlighting the history of central New York. Anything would be better than what's there now.
5. Set up wi-fi access around central New York lakes
It might seem I'm asking for this one because of how much I love walking around Onondaga Lake and how nice it would be to access free wi-fi instead of having to use one's data plan. However, that's not really the reason I have this on the list.
What I'm thinking about is that almost 5 years ago I walked through some pretty scary areas of Green Lake and last year walked through a fairly secluded and dangerous, though paved area of Onondaga Lake that leads to the new Amphitheater off 690 and started realizing that a lot of the areas have so much foliage that it blocks carrier signals and would be hard for someone to call for help if needed. I have no idea if this is a big issue or not but I'm sure I'm not alone in saying it would add a bit more comfort and security.
Still, I'm making this one #5 because I don't feel it's as crucial an issue to entertain as the other 4. I take pride in my adopted home for the last 40 years and I only want to see it get better. Who's with me? Meanwhile, here are other posts you can check out in my 5-fer group:
5 Things To Address New York's Financial Crisis
5 Things I Don't Like About Wegmans
5 Wishes For Syracuse / Central New York In 2012
5 Wishes For Central New York In 2013
5 Things I Wish Would Change At The NYS State Fair
5 Differences Between Food In CNY & The South
5 Takeaways From The Bruce Jenner Interview
5 Thoughts From My Latest Local Blogging Get Together
Sunshine Award… Or Something…
What, again? Back last June I was nominated to participate in something called the Creative Blogger Challenge. This time around I've been nominated by the same person, Holly Jahangiri, to participate in something called the Sunshine Award. In essence, there are 11 questions to answer and then you're supposed to nominate 11 other people and ask them to answer the same questions.
I'm not doing that second part this time around. Last time only one of the 10 people I nominated competed and, frankly, the only reason I'm doing it this time around is because Holly didn't think I would… kind of a double dog dare, which I rarely respond to unless I'm in the mood. lol Based on what I see, this might be one of my shortest blog posts in history; let's find out.
1. What is your favorite drink?
You'd think this would be easy but it's not. I don't really have a specific favorite drink. I like diet soda and I like sweet tea. That's as good as it gets.
2. Where is your hometown?
Liverpool NY, a suburb of Syracuse, where I've been for 40 years! 🙂
3. Do you prefer sweet, sour, bitter or savory flavors?
Sweet, every time, all the time.
4. What is your favorite song?
I Want You Back by the Jackson Five
5. Where do you find inspiration for your blog posts?
Life, news… that's it for the most part.
6. Are you a minimalist or a collector?
I'm definitely in the collector group.
7. What color is your suitcase?
I rarely use a suitcase when I travel but if I do, it's burgundy.
8. Which trees do you like the best?
I've always loved evergreen trees, even though I hate green as a color. They're always the same wherever you go and I always feel like I'm at home when I'm around them.
9. Do you have a day job as well as blogging?
Of course; almost everyone in the world does.
10. What is your favorite smell or scent?
Chocolate; of course it is. lol
11. Do you prefer to eat meat or vegetables?
Meat, meat, meat… did I say meat?
That's it; short and sweet.
Is The World In Danger From Us?
I'm not a great environmentalist. I do care though, to the extent that I make sure to throw my trash away, I recycle, and I don't throw things out of my car windows to add to the pollution that already exists. I'm not yet willing to give up my car and go buy an electric one, but I do worry about global warming, the shrinking of glaciers at an alarming rate and the rising of the oceans. Just thinking about New York City possibly not being there in 30 years, when it's still possible that I might want to visit (possible if not probable) is a depressing thought.Nicolas Raymond via Compfight
Is the world in danger from us? The debate goes back and forth as to whether anything that man does can really affect the environment, ergo the world, in a negative fashion.
There are many people who don't believe in the concept of global warming, and don't believe that pollution has as much of a negative impact on the world as some scientists and other pundits have stated. Even former Vice President Al Gore has come under criticism for some of the green stances he has taken since leaving politics.
The debate stems from the fact that the earth has shown patterns of both warming and cooling throughout its life. The last ice age, which came about 20,000 years ago, came on its own without any impact from humans whatsoever. The Earth's axis is known to tilt a few degrees here and there every so many millennia, and that can affect the climate of the earth.
So even as we seem to be having some very strange weather patterns lately, some people chalk this up to the normal patterns that the earth goes through from time to time. Yet, only last month CNN had a story saying that the next ice age has been delayed because of humans… and didn't say that was necessarily a good thing.
There are some realities that everybody has to deal with that are man made. Pollution is an invention of man, and when there are problems with breathing because there's too much pollution in the air and the air is so warm that it restricts airflow, there can be no debate that man has had an effect on the environment, at least locally. I haven't even mentioned methane and fluorocarbons.
When we know that there is land that suddenly can't produce crops or any other plant life, we know that it was man that pretty much overworked the soil and knocked out everything in the ground that it took to raise those types of things. Land doesn't just go bad on its own, unless there's a great environmental change to bring it on.
When lakes or the air around you starts to turn funny colors, you can pretty much bet that it's related to pollution that's either been put into the air or dumped into the water. Sure, every once in a while water may take on a different color than it normally has, but water usually goes between clear, blue, and green. If water is suddenly brown, yellow, or pink, or even gold, you know that's the result of chemicals that have been poured into the water. When the sky around you is suddenly dense with white mist, pink mist, or pretty much any other color, and it's close to you rather than way up in the sky, you can bet that it's because of chemicals that have been put into the air.
I can talk about some of these things personally. I live in an area that still has what's called the most polluted lake in America. For decades the company that's responsible for it produced some kind of toxicity that went into the sky of one particular village and, at least until the mid 80's, made the sky pink and left most of the houses in the area with films of dirt that couldn't be removed because it couldn't keep up with what the organization was putting out.
It's easy to answer the question then as to whether the world is in danger from us; that answer would be yes. To what extent it's in danger from us might be legitimately debatable, but there's no doubt that in many communities the pollution factors can be so bad that it could affect the health of the people living there. All you have to do is spend a week in Dallas when the temperatures are in the 100° territory and the air is so thick that the city is putting out ozone warnings alerting people that it may be dangerous for them to be outside without something covering their mouths to help them breathe.
This proves it's better to at least try to keep the air and ground around us as safe as possible for our survival. In my area, they're working on cleaning the lake; they have a long, long way to go.
Shoveling Snow At 56
It's now almost 2 hours after what I'm considering as my first real snow shoveling of the year. I've actually been outside twice this year, but one was definitely in 2015 and the other… kind of dicey in my mind. I guess I could have said I've shoveled 3 times this season… oh well.
In any case, those other two times were nothing compared to today. There might have been in inch of snow the first two times. This time, it was somewhere between 5 and 6 inches; I'm not quite sure. The first picture you see is what the driveway looked like before I started. It's hard determining just how much snow there is when you first look at it because it all blends in. Because we've had little snow so far this season, there were no snowbanks on the side of the driveway to measure it against. The second picture shows you a bit more, and hopefully helps people appreciate how much snow I had to remove.
First, some backstory. I haven't really shoveled snow in 3 years. I was out of town for one winter, and last winter I had paid for snow removal because I wasn't sure if I would be home or not. I actually did shovel once both years, very minor stuff, just to keep in practice.
I've lived in cold and snowy conditions for 45 years. I didn't have to move any snow when I lived in apartments, but I've been in the house for 15 years, and the first couple of years I shoveled, then inherited my dad's snow blower and used that for 9 or 10 years when I sold it to Howard Triche (yes, THAT Howard Triche) for $25, along with a riding lawn mower. Then I went back to hand shoveling until the day my wife and I tried to remove 11 1/2 inches of wet snow from the driveway and failed miserably until our younger neighbor, with a monster sized blower, came over the bailed us out; whew!
This year, since I knew I would be home for the winter (I'm a consultant so sometimes I travel, sometimes I work from home), I was hesitant to pay for a snow plowing service for a few reasons.
One, I figured I could stay on top of it; I'm not a weakling after all (even though I did just remember the 11 1/2 inches above…).
Two, the price of plowing went up higher than I thought it should have, knowing that before when it went up it was to cover the rising price of gas, and now that gas is almost half what it was last winter it felt like more of a money grab.
Three, all long range weather predictions have said we're going to get less snow than the last couple of years. To date that's held true, as we had barely a dusting in November and had less than an inch of snow until the last couple of days of December. Even up to last night's storm, where it had snowed every day except 2, we'd had little snow.
Snowstorm; pffbt! I'm not scared of snow! Of course I heard the warning of that woman I'm married to: "You're getting older"; "you're not used to that kind of physical labor anymore"; "don't over exert yourself"; "it's easier to pay for plowing". Yeah, yeah…
Things have changed haven't they? Isn't 50 the new 30? Doesn't that mean 56 is the new 26, which is almost physical prime? Aren't I one of the most experienced snow shovelers in history with the time I've put into it over all these years?
Today we found out. The snow started yesterday evening and continued falling overnight. Although I ended up having to dress myself a couple of times before I was ready, eventually I was all set for the task. The main thing to remember is to dress properly for both the wetness of the snow and the long term exposure to the cold, as it was under 20° when I started. For me this meant a pair of regular and thick socks; sweats with pants worn over them; a shirt, hoodie & heavy winter jacket; hat.
Gloves were a part of this also, but there was a minor fail here. I was shoveling okay when my wife called. I took my gloves off to answer the call, which was only a few minutes. When I put my gloves back on my hands felt like they'd frozen. Thus, I had to come back into the house, grab some protective jelly to coat my hands with (major mistake not to start with that; petroleum jelly of some kind is the way to go), then put on nitrile gloves (I'm allergic to latex) and finally my regular gloves. I'll be coming back to my hands later, but at this point, my hands felt pretty good.
When there's a lot of snow, you're always hoping it's light and dry instead of wet and heavy, because it gives you a chance of pushing a lot of snow instead of having to keep lifting snow. Even if you do have to lift, which I did because of how high the snow was, its much less of an effort and exertion. Truthfully, that would have been dangerous for someone like me at any age because I'm a bulldog when it comes to snow removal. I'm going to push as hard as I can and not take any breaks, for fear that if I stop I won't start back up again; don't be like THAT me. lol
The best way to remove snow is to set yourself up so you can walk in small spaces and not have to deal with too much snow at once; the more snow you have to handle, the heavier it gets. You see the image of my driveway; it's taken from inside the garage. That's obviously where I started.
I cleared all the snow away from the garage first, making a space of about a foot so I could move around. Next, I decided to create a path from the garage to the street. That goes against the small space theory, but it's always smart to have a way for you to reach the street or for help to reach you from the street; trust me on this one.
I had to make that pass 6 or 7 times to clear a space that was also about a foot. The initial passes were heavy, and I had to stop to life and throw snow out of the way. Still, it gave me what I needed, which was space so I could then just push snow to the ends, only having to lift any snow when I got to the end.
That made the job easier, but certainly not any faster; after all, that was still a lot of snow. Including the time on the phone and having to go in and treat my hands before continuing, it took about 2 1/2 hours to clear the snow to the street. I was listening to the 7th Harry Potter book while doing all of that; so I'm a big kid! I left just a little bit of snow down there because I knew the big plow from the village would be coming by and burying the end pretty soon; it came 10 minutes after I was back in the house. 🙂
When I was done I took that second picture and felt pretty good both mentally and physically. I came back into the house, closed the door, then took off my shoes, coat and hat, all covered with snow. I took off the hoodie in the living room and threw it over a chair; I was sweating a lot but since I had a shirt on the hoodie was somewhat spared.
My first stop was to the bathroom for my hands. The rest of my body felt fine but the tips of my fingers were numb; I hadn't noticed it while I was shoveling. Here's lesson two, which I'd forgotten because I'm used to my fingers being cold, not numb. Do NOT, EVER, put your hands under warm or hot water when you've come out of the cold and are cold or numb… unless you like pain. Whoa, the pain! I had to make the water cool to relieve the pain; how the heck do you go from numb to pain? It was about 2 minutes before I could get to warm, and both my hands were giving me more discomfort than comfort; that's why I should have treated my hands before I started shoveling.
The rest of my body started feeling the pain after about 30 minutes. Actually, because of all the walking I do, it's possible that I'm handling the pain better than I might have two years ago. Either that or my luck in the snow being relatively light. I've taken 4 200mg ibuprofen to stem the tide and, by now, 2 1/2 hours later everything is throbbing, including my fingers, but I'm not in enough pain to keep me from doing anything, which is good because my hands are throbbing as I'm writing this.
I'm trying to figure out if I hurt more now at 56 than I did when I was younger. I'm not sure there's a real way to compare the two things. I didn't start taking pain killers "regularly" until around the time I turned 40, which was before I bought this house and after going years without actually having to shovel much (not counting the '93 snowstorm; everyone did some kind of shoveling then). Actually, I feel pretty good because I got it done, all by myself.
One last thing, which also makes me feel good. When I was halfway through the adventure, this young man, maybe an older teen since school was out, came walking by and asked if I needed any help. I told him I was good, but I smiled as he walked on for offering assistance like that. Maybe we will be okay as we get older after all! 😀
Koto At Destiny; Sigh…
Last Wednesday I had to go to the mall and decided to have lunch at Koto Japanese Restaurant. Three and a half years ago I wrote a review of their restaurant on Erie Boulevard, where my friend Josh & I had a wonderful experience. This summer I wrote a positive article about Koto's hibachi express in the food court, and that was pretty positive also.
For some reason, I thought that would turn into a positive experience for a lunch time meal. Unfortunately, things just don't work that way all the time, and this time… well, let's tell the full story.
The reason I went inside was because I was in the mood for salmon teriyaki. I was asked if I wanted to sit at a hibachi table or a regular table and I chose a regular table. Being by myself, it seemed stupid to sit at the hibachi table and watch a performance… whenever they decided to do one.
The menu showed that I could get the salmon lunch hibachi for $12. I've been to other restaurants, like Ichiban on Old Liverpool Road, where they say hibachi but they cook it in the back so I figured I'd get the lunch special. Only… it turns out Koto actually means you have to sit at the hibachi table to get it. Instead, I ordered the regular meal at $19, and asked for fried rice.
What I got was what you see in the picture above. Maybe that's their full size now but look at the picture below of what I used to get at Koto downtown. Maybe the price of salmon is prohibitive enough so that sizes are smaller but it doesn't mean they need to be overcooked, as my salmon was crunchy and hard along the edges and a bit into the fish as well.
That was the first disappointment. The second was the "fried" rice, which, if it was fried, was lame and dry. Truthfully, since I wrote my review from the summer of the hibachi in the food court I've noticed that the quality of the fried rice has degraded drastically. Back then, that was the difference in my choosing Koto before Cajun Cafe, whose rice I've never liked. Since the rice quality has decreased I find myself bypassing Koto more often because I love the bourbon chicken and I don't have to wait for my food at Cajun Cafe.
The kicker was when I got the bill and realized they had charged me an extra $2 for the "upgrade" to fried rice; that irked me a bit more and fully ruined my lunch experience. I paid the bill, and I still tipped the waiter my standard 25% or so, but I'm vowing that I will never go back to Koto in the mall again, at least the restaurant part. The food court… well, the chicken with teriyaki will still pull me here and there and, at only $7, is still relatively inexpensive.