text:
Russell, Henry Norris (1877–1957)
In the 1920s, Russell was persuaded by the Jeans-Jeffreys tidal hypothesis to affirm that planetary systems are "infrequent" and inhabited planets "matters of pure speculation." Two decades later, however, on the back of independent claims by Frank Schlesinger at Yale and Kaj Strand at the Sproul Observatory of the discovery of planetary systems around two nearby stars (later demonstrated to be unfounded), he declared that it was time to reverse this view and consider that there may be a very large number of extrasolar worlds.1 Regarding our planetary neighbors, Russell, in the 1920s and '30s, considered Venus almost certainly non-biological but Mars the possible abode of vegetation and other low forms of life.
Related category• ASTRONOMERS AND ASTROPHYSICISTS
Home • About • Copyright © The Worlds of David Darling • Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy • Contact


text:
HALIFAX - The weather this summer hasn't reached the record-breaking extremes of the last two years, but Environment Canada's top meteorologist says Nova Scotians have nothing to gripe about.
© Metro Halifax/Stephanie Taylor
Anderson McEachine cools off in a fountain along the Halifax waterfront on Monday afternoon.
"You're being greedy if you're complaining about the weather this summer," said David Phillips on Monday.
Phillips said the temperature so far in August has averaged 18.6 C – almost bang on the normal of 18.5 C.
That's well below the 20.3 C recorded in July – which was also abnormally humid – and more than a degree lower than in the last two years, possibly feeding a distorted perception of a not-so-great summer.
"It doesn't seem like much, but it's a huge amount," said Phillips, noting the last two summers were abnormally hot and dry. "One degree can make the difference between people saying, 'This was one of the warmest summers on record,' or, 'This was so-so.'"
Although the summer got off to a slow start, at least one weather-dependent local business says the numbers rebounded nicely.
Grandview Golf Course general manager Gavin Fitzpatrick said business was down by about 40 per cent in May. Over the last three months, he said he's seen higher than average turnout – particularly in the cooler mornings and evenings.
"Golf is a strange sport at times, you have to have that perfect temperature," said Fitzpatrick Monday. "When it's 10 degrees or less, the golfers don't come and when it's 35 or more, they tend not to come either."
If the good weather persists, Fitzpatrick said the course could be open well into November, and Phillips said the forecasts look good. Environment Canada's models suggest that September and October will also be warmer and drier than normal.
"We seem stuck on this milder than normal," said Phillips. "The fall looks, from all early indications, very favorable."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
DENVER -- Tim Tebow wasn't on one knee in prayer this time. He was on the ground in misery.
The Detroit Lions (6-2) sacked Tebow seven times and turned his two turnovers into touchdowns as they snapped a two-game skid with a 45-10 victory over the Denver Broncos.
Matthew Stafford hardly showed any ill effects from a sprained right ankle sustained a week earlier, throwing for three touchdowns before leaving with a clean jersey in the fourth quarter.
"It's kind of a competition to see who's going to have a better day," Stafford said. "They're scoring points on defense, we're trying to light up the scoreboard. That's when we're at our best."
The Broncos (2-5) were at their worst as Tebow followed his Miami miracle with a dud in Denver.
|More on Lions-Broncos
|Postgame reports
|NFL coverage on the go
Cornerback Chris Houston had the fourth 100-yard interception return in team history and defensive end Cliff Avril got a sack, strip and scoop, rumbling 24 yards into the end zone with the fumbled football as part of Detroit's 45-point run after the Broncos took a 3-0 lead on their first drive.
"We did an excellent job getting to Tebow and speeding up his clock," Ndamukong Suh said.
Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch celebrated his sack of Tebow by joining the "Tebowing" craze, striking a prayerful pose near the prone second-year quarterback in the first half.
"I figured I'd get to him a couple of times this game and had an opportunity to get it in," Tulloch said. "It was a little fun, man. No disrespect to Tebow. I was just doing a little 'Tebowing.' It's fun when you go out there and get after it like we did."
|CBSSports.com Grades
|Detroit Lions
|The Lions were peeved coming off two losses. It showed. Matthew Stafford resembled a real franchise QB, with TD passes of 41, 1 and 56 yards. The Lions' defense made Denver one-dimensional and, in turn, unleashed their pass rush. Defensive end Cliff Avril and CB Chris Houston each scored in what was a laugher for the last two and a half quarters.
|Denver Broncos
|It was billed as 'Orange Sunday.' Detroit revamped the color scheme to black and blue, kicking the Broncos all over the field. QB Tim Tebow's second start was uglier than his first, minus a spiffy comeback and including his fumble and INT going back for TDs. Denver's defense caved under the utter incompetance of the offense.
|By Lee Rasizer
RapidReports Correspondent
Tebow started the phenomenon that went viral last week by dropping to a knee after his dazzling comeback, rallying the Broncos back from a 15-0 deficit in the final three minutes to pull out an 18-15 win.
There was no let-up by the Lions, who relished in their taunts of Tebow, who has been sacked 13 times in his two starts since supplanting Kyle Orton after a 1-4 start.
"We'll bounce back and have a great week of practice and get ready to go try and get a win next week," Tebow said.
But will he still be under center?
Broncos coach John Fox seemed to leave open the possibility of another quarterback change after this debacle.
"It's too early to say. I haven't even taken a shower yet, let alone look at the tape," Fox said when asked who would be his quarterback next weekend. "But we'll look at it and make changes where we see are needed. We've definitely got to get better."
Champ Bailey sounded the alarm in the locker room, saying "at the end of the day, you've got to win."
"People are probably going to be more patient with him than any other quarterback," Bailey said, "but everybody in this locker room knows you've got to win games."
Tebow knew nothing of his starting status Nov. 6 against Oakland.
"I'm just going to get up early and go to work and try to get better tomorrow and consistently improve and be the best person-slash-quarterback for this organization," Tebow said.
Tight end Tony Scheffler performed a scaled-down version of the Tebow impersonation after catching a 1-yard TD pass against his former team in the second quarter.
Scheffler faked the spike, acted like he was going to kneel and put his right hand on his forehead a La Tebow, then spun around and exchanged the "Mile High Salute" with teammate Calvin Johnson instead.
"It's one of those things where you're so amped up, especially being back kind of where it all started for me," Scheffler said. "I was amped up just doing whatever came into my head. It was fun."
Bailey wasn't bothered a bit by the Lions' frivolities.
"I hate when people cry about showing them up," Bailey said. "So what? Stop 'em. Plain and simple."
Stafford completed 21 of 30 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns, including a 56-yarder to Johnson, who joined Randy Moss as the only wide receivers since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to catch 11 TD passes in his team's first eight games.
Stafford also threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Titus Young for Detroit's first score.
After Eric Decker failed to get both feet down on a 21-yard toss into the end zone on Denver's first drive, the Broncos settled for a field goal. Denver gained just 32 yards on its next 22 snaps before trudging into the locker room down 24-3.
Decker's 14-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter ended Detroit's 45-0 run. By then, even most of the fans decked out in No. 15 Tebow jerseys were streaming through the exits.
Tebow finished 18 for 39 for 172 yards.
"He's a young player, he's got a lot to learn," Tulloch said. "He's a winner. He finds a way to win."
The Lions scored their most points on the road since a 45-point outburst at San Francisco on Oct. 29, 1967.
"He just needs to clean up some things in his pass game," Tulloch said. "That takes time. We had a good game plan. You've got to realize we've got a good front seven here. So, for his second start this season coming against us, it's kind of rough for him."
- Suh will meet with the NFL on Tuesday to talk about all the penalties he's been called for this season.
- Broncos S Quinton Carter (concussion), RT Orlando Franklin (groin) and DB Cassius Vaughn (hamstring) were hurt.


text:
A slow moving area of low pressure continues to creep northward towards the mid-Atlantic coast. High pressure anchored off the New England Coast will interact with the low pressure circulation to increase wind speeds throughout the region.Rain will be developing and as long as the coastal system hangs around, the chance of rain will continue.
Right now, it appears the steadiest rain and gustiest winds will occur on Thursday. Computer models continue to show the potential for the heaviest rain to be just east of Washington. Periods of light rain or showers are expected to continue on Friday. The weekend forecast is quite unsettled. The reason, of course, is the coastal low. When it departs, skies will clear. That might happen late Saturday or early Sunday or later Sunday. See why I am calling the weekend unsettled?
Stay with ABC 7 News, NewsChannel 8, WJLA.com and WTOP for updated weather headlines and forecasts.


text:
|new date 20110731
|Err, too many eve(), rewrite previous fi...
Show this changeset in changelog Changeset Detail
MAIN:ragge:20110731073625 created by ragge on 31 July 2011, 09:36:25 +0200 (5 years 2 months ago) (patch) Understand ASGOP's for complex numbers. Fixes Jira#PCC-373 by Jonathan Gray.
While here, give better error messages for bad cx ops, and remove clause
3 from the copyright.


text:
Information according to § 5 paragraph 1 of the E-commerce law
Company name: Diakonissen & Wehrle Privatklinik GmbH
Adress: Martin-Boos-Straße 4, A-4210 Gallneukirchen
Company Registry Number: FN 425176 i
Wehrle-Diakonissen Private Hospital
Location Andräviertel
Adress: Haydnstraße 18, A-5020 Salzburg
Tel.: +43 (0)662 90509-0
Fax: +43 (0)662 90509-7
E-Mail: email@example.com
(Making known your e-mail address does not imply agreement to the receipt of unsolicited messages in accordance with TKG [Telecom Law] § 101)
Website: www.privatklinik-wehrle-diakonissen.at
Chamber: Chamber of Commerce
Company Registry Number: FN 425176 i
Place of Jurisdiction: Linz
VAT-Number: ATU 69137105
DVR-Number: 4012796
Thank you for your interest in our homepage. Please observe all Terms of Use for information in general and the rules mentioned here in particular.
We accept no liability for contents that are opened via links to other websites in separate windows. We therefore expressly refuse any responsibility for any information given by third parties and any use of such information.
The content of this website is solely for information purposes. Privatklinik Wehrle does not accept liability for the accuracy or relevance of the information and material, nor does it accept liability for this website being available at all times.
All the information provided in this website is therefore the intellectual property of Privatklinik Wehrle. This is also the case for all photos, graphics and downloads, if no copyright by another author is specially mentioned. Any reproduction, distribution or any other use of photographs, images or texts found on this website requires prior written consent by Privatklinik Wehrle.
Management contacts:
Mag. Ines Weiher (Administrative Director)
Picture credits:
Webdevelopment & Webdesign
MP2 IT-Solutions GmbH
1160 Wien, Effingergasse 23a
Tel. 0720 555 955 900
E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Web: www.mp2.at


text:
Skip to comments.A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....03-29-05....Hall of Fame #11
Posted on 03/29/2005 5:25:02 AM PST by Billie
1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
Good morning, Finest Friends. Here are links to all our threads for the past three months, along with the Hall of Fame links to *all* threads from the beginning. Hope you'll drop in and browse through some of the oldies (but goodies, of course) throughout the day.
Good morning, favorite weinie dog. :)
Thank you again for the lovely presentation.
There is something strange going on outside here Billie.. there is a gold glow/ball ALSO outside in the sky... no gloom or rain....
Wonderful. Will check in now & then.. Have fun FReeper FRiends..
Good morning
Glad to hear you have a golden glow in your sky today too - no rain or gloom! :)
Good morning, Gail. I'm off to get some coffee now. ;)
We're going to have a kite contest! Everybody has to build and fly their own kite.
I love kites.
Howdy, Billie!
Good morning, Aunt Billie and Brother Weinie.
Get OFF the computer NOW!
Sigh. . .
Howdy Pipsteroonie!
How's things going?
Slow running DSL this morning made me think I too had struck gold. Then the frames began to fill and sure enough, there's gold in them thar threads. FR's Finest... Hall of Fame - What a GREAT crew.
Good Morning Billie.
All of us have been so close to a temptation that we've lost our perspective. It may have involved something as small as a rumor that we knew shouldn't be passed along, but the urge to gossip blocked out our sense of love and good judgment.
Adam and Eve faced a similar problem. They became so preoccupied with one plant in their garden paradise that they couldn't see the forest for the tree.
Just look at what it cost them. The Garden of Eden had been created especially for them. In it they knew no evil, no trials, no sickness, no death. They enjoyed the company of the Creator Himself. Yet they gave up everything they had-just to eat the fruit of that one forbidden tree.
Their mistake still plagues us. How often do we miss the whole forest of God's goodness for a single tree of testing? The moment of temptation seems so overwhelming, the idea so irresistible, our twisted logic so justifiable.
Think about all that Adam and Eve left behind in the Garden. Fill your mind with the truths of God's Word and rely on the Holy Spirit's moment-by-moment guidance and strength. Then you'll experience the lasting joy of God's blessing rather than temporary pleasure. -Mart De Haan
Seek God with your whole heart (Psalm 119:9-16).
Listen to wisdom (Proverbs 8:1-11).
Resist the devil; draw near to God (James 4:7-8).
Your response to temptation will make you or break you.
What In The World Is Satan Doing?
We are home, Jul is in bed doing just fine..
The doctor said that there was no problems and came through surgery like a champ.
So it is my job to tend to her needs for a week, and she of course is relishing the fact!!
Thank you for your thoughts and Prayers.
Will be prayin' for Jul's speedy recovery.
Good morning, Miss Billie ... )
Back in the USA I am ... whatta wonderful time we had.
Ireland felt like home, the Irish felt like family.
Missed Brit Hume, Laurie Dhue, Dubya, cheeseburgers and the Finest, though .... I'm glad to be back.
Mr. Mayor .... thanks for letting us know about you dear wife ... I'll be keeping you both in mind ... take this opportunity to spoil her goooood!
Wishing all our Hostesses, and all Freepers, a very fine day.
God blesses America ... there's no place like it ... anywhere, anytime, anyhow.
WELCOME HOME! :o)
Good morning, Gill. But I'm a girl.
I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that actually enjoys the slow loading of the threads because of dial up :)
Good morning all.
My computer chose to take a nose dive on me Sunday night so I am currently sharing my daughter's which hubby moved to my "office" this morning. Poor man tried so hard to fix it for me yesterday morning and again when he got home from work, to no avail.
At least we were able to determine it was not a user failure or a hard drive failure (thank goodness for that)......but as hubby said - he can't poop parts - so he got online last night and ordered a new motherboard, processor and assorted other things for it.
As I was not online yesterday - I hope everyone had a lovely Easter.
Thanks, Pippin ... it's good to be back.
Wonderful news! May God be with her as she recovers.
I will !
Welcome home, hope you said Hi to all my relatives over there. Never been there myself..
Thank you Meg!
Good morning, sweet ((Billie)). I've been missing all of you and your fine post. The reason is that I was in a car accident last Monday. My computer at home is down (getting a new laptop this week) and I had to wait until I came back to work to get caught up. I don't think that will happen any time soon but just wanted to let you all know. Other than a few bruises, I'm doing OK. And, I'm glad to be back.
Thank God you are OK, computers can be replaced, you can't..
Hi Rus. You be sure to spoil that precious wife of your. Glad to hear she did well with the surgery.
Howdy Texagirl. Sorry to hear about your accident. Glad is was not serious and glad to have you back!
Hi sistah. Can't believe its time for another Hall of Fame thread. Where is the time going????? Got your freepmail. You'll have mail in a second. ((((billie)))))
A kite contest should keep all those idle paws busy. And just think.....no hi-line wires for the kites to get caught in. :)
Hi, Pippin - saw your note the other day about boycotting everything but the Dose and the Finest. There are some real doozies out there, aren't there.
Hey, Gilligan Man ..... :)
Hey, Temple. :)
Will it never end?
Happy to hear all is going well. (Take every bit of the TLC you can, Jul!)
Hoping your day is going well.
Welcome home, jw, I am so happy you had a good trip.
Texagirl, I am so happy your accident wasn't more serious..
Weinie, I'll bet you are a great kite flyer!
Enjoy? slow loading?! :) Not me, except there is one advantage - you get to see how many layers are under all the glitz and glamour of our opening posts! LOL
Oh, I'm so glad you *only* have a few bruises! Had no idea, but thank goodness you're okay!
Hi, sistah d - got your mail - answered it. Yep - 2 years, 9 months for us now!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


text:
That's not the Alien Syndrome that I know. :/
Looks like PSX
That's not the Alien Syndrome that I know. :/
Now playing: Phoenix Wright, Picross
Wishlist: No More Heroes, SSBB, Disaster: DOC, Fire Emblem DS, Tales of Symphonia 2
UGa football (11-2): Sugar Bowl Champs
It just looks wierd to me...like I wanna get into it but I can't. Maybe the vids will help me out. The screenshots don't do much for me. But then again those could be from a different system all together. Can i0n confirm that these are Wii shots?
those be some nice graphics you got there boy
Strikers: 017280 524282


text:
Klinik Birshof
Basel, Switzerland
Diagnosis and conservative treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (program ID: 180439)
Stephan Bürgin
Department of Rheumatology
Specialized in: internal medicine, rheumatology
Rheumatology deals with the diagnosis of musculoskeletal system diseases and their treatment. Such musculoskeletal system diseases include degenerative or inflammatory changes in the spine and joints, soft tissue rheumatism or pain caused by excessive loads and weights, diseases due to metabolic disorders, orthopedic or therapeutic sequelae, common pain of the musculoskeletal system, as well as it rehabilitation. Along with medicinal treatment of musculoskeletal system diseases, we offer to select and perform the physical therapy, manual therapy of the spine and joints, shoulder decalcification/needling, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis, ergonomic diagnosis and consultation, treatment of trigger points, postsurgical care, injection treatment of the spine and joints, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of functional disorders and pain therapy. Our patients can be treated on inpatient and outpatient basis, and the treatment is accompanied by close collaboration between the various specialized centers of Klinik Birshof.
Rheumatology in Switzerland offers experienced medical experts, modern equipment, and advanced methods of treatment. We diagnose mechanical and inflammatory rheumatic diseases, as well as treat, inter alia, the following musculoskeletal system diseases:
- Arthritis (outpatient care)
- Osteoarthritis (outpatient care)
- Spine diseases (outpatient care)
The center also offers manual therapy and ultrasound diagnosis of joints.
Treatment Methods:
- Manual therapy
- Medicinal treatment
- Invasive pain therapy (adjustable X-ray infiltration of the joints and nerves along the spine)
- Viscosupplementation (joint "lubrication")
In order to provide the patients with the most effective treatment of musculoskeletal system diseases, a rheumatologist collaborates with specialists of the following areas:
- Physiotherapy
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine of the Hospital
- Occupational Therapy
Program includes:
- Initial presentation in the clinic
- clinical history taking
- review of medical records
- physical examination
- laboratory tests:
- complete blood count
- general urine analysis
- biochemical analysis of blood
- inflammation indicators (CRP, ESR)
- indicators blood coagulation
- antinuclear antibodies (ANA)
- anti-dsDNA
- anti-Smith
- blood test for syphilis
- LE prep test
- ultrasound of the abdomen und kidney
- differential diagnosis of other diseases of the skin
- nursing services
- consultation of related specialists
- treatment via chief physician and all leading experts
- explanation of individual treatment plan
(medicines is not included)
About hospital
Some prefer to solve their health problems and receive healthcare abroad, for example, in Switzerland. Since 2002, Swiss hospital Klinik Birshof belongs to Hirslanden, the first group of private healthcare facilities in Switzerland. The merger of the former private hospitals of the country has given important impetus to the Swiss healthcare system and indicated the further direction to move into the future. Modern healthcare has become so complex that individual initiatives have now become pointless. Anyone who wants to provide medical services at the highest level should be able to work interdisciplinary and use efforts in an optimum way. Hirslanden is managed on private economic principles. The success of this group of private healthcare facilities is based on high motivation, flexibility and transparency, as well as on lifelong education, professional development of staff, and active exchange of experience and skills.
Accommodation in hospital
Patients rooms
The kid rooms have everything needed for a comfortable stay. The kid bathroom includes both a toilet and a shower. All rooms offer functional beds with orthopaedic mattresses ensuring unsurpassed support for overall body during sleep. There are bedside stands with pull-out tables, lockers and safe boxes in each room. It is also possible to access the Internet from a PC, smartphone or tablet so that kids always keep in touch with their parents and other family members. There is also a TV in each room.
You can opt for a single or a double room. An accompanying person may stay with the kid in the room. A double room is shared with another patient.
The enhanced comfort rooms are equipped with a safety box, a fridge and upholstered furniture.
Meals and Menus
The patient and the accompanying person are offered a daily choice of three menus. If you are on a specific diet for any reason, you will be offered an individual menu. Please inform the medical staff about your dietary preferences prior to the treatment.
Further details
Standard rooms include:
Christian priests are available for the patients at any time. Representatives of other religions may be requested at any time.
Accompanying person
Your companion may stay with you in your room or at a hotel of your choice during the fixed program.
You may stay at the hotel during the outpatient program. Our employees will support you for selecting the best option.
- Basel, Switzerland
Total amount:
Program [Description]
Diagnosis and conservative treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus
- Hospital: Klinik Birshof
- Department: Department of Rheumatology
- Head physician: Dr. med. Stephan Bürgin
- Type:
- access_time Duration
- date_range
- Transfer
- Visa support
- Interpreter 3 hours
- Interpreter 10 hours
- Translation of medical documents 4 pages


text:
Morris Tech | Boys Bowling
Season Statistics
Morris Tech Devils400 East Main Street Denville, NJ 07834 Map It
2012-2013 Record
- Overall
- 0-2
Become a Reporter!
Submit updates and help us improve coverage of this school. Sign Up »
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text:
Trail : home / Students / Extra-Curricular Activity : Hockey
The content from this area is currently being updated.
We aim to have our website content as accurate and up to date as possible which takes time and allows us to get feedback from Staff, Students and the community before publishing.
We thank you for your patience and understanding during this process. If you have any queries, concerns or feedback please feel free to use the contact form here.


text:
This is an archive page. The links are no longer being updated.
Chairman Greenwood, Congressman Deutsch, other distinguished
members of the Subcommittee, thank you for inviting me to
discuss the history and current status of the Medicare managed
care program, Medicare+Choice. Medicare+Choice offers Medicare
beneficiaries a range of health plan options, including
the traditional fee-for-service Medicare program, and allows
them to choose the types of health plans that best suit
their individual needs, according to the options offered
by the plans. It provides valuable alternatives to traditional
fee-for-service Medicare, and we are committed to strengthening
this program.
Our new Administration, both Secretary of Health and Human
Services Tommy Thompson and Health Care Financing Administration
(HCFA) Administrator Tom Scully, will be placing a high
priority on protecting and improving Medicare+Choice. For
instance, this week, Secretary Thompson gave Medicare+Choice
plans the extra time they have been asking for to prepare
and submit benefit proposals and to make participation decisions
for next year. Health care costs in recent years have been
less predictable, as have decisions by providers to contract
with Medicare+Choice plans. This action will allow plans
more time to collect information on their costs and determine
the viability of their provider networks before having to
make decisions about their benefit offerings and service
areas for next year. We are committed to working with you
and health plans toward our goal of making more health plan
options available to our beneficiaries in all parts of the
country, while helping beneficiaries to better understand
these options.
Medicare has a long history of offering alternatives to
the traditional Medicare fee-for-service program to our
beneficiaries. In the 1970's Congress authorized Medicare
risk contracting with managed care plans, and in the 1980's
Congress modified the program to make it more attractive
to managed care companies. Under that program, HMOs contracted
with Medicare to provide the full range of Medicare benefits
in return for monthly "per person" or "capitated"
payment rates. In the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA),
Congress created the Medicare+Choice program to correct
perceived flaws in the risk contracting program, including
payment differences. Since then, Congress has refined the
Medicare+Choice program through the Balanced Budget Refinement
Act of 1999 (BBRA) and the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP
Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (BIPA).
Today, 64 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries have access
to a Medicare+Choice option; and about 5.5 million, or about
15 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries, have chosen to
enroll in a Medicare+Choice plan. As was the case with the
risk contracting program prior to the BBA, payments under
the Medicare+Choice program vary by county, and plans have
the option of varying their additional benefits or premiums
from county to county. The differences in benefits across
the country and between adjacent counties was an issue with
the risk contracting program, and remains an issue with
the Medicare+Choice program today.
Medicare pays for the health care of almost 40 million beneficiaries,
involving nearly one billion claims from more than one million
physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers.
As the administrator of this program, the Health Care Financing
Administration (HCFA) oversees Medicare's various health
care plan options, including the Medicare+Choice program.
For beneficiaries in Medicare+Choice, we ensure access to
providers, approve promotional materials, and calculate
capitated payment rates. Before the BBA became law in 1997,
Medicare calculated capitation rates under a methodology
known as the Adjusted Average Per Capita Cost, or AAPCC.
Under the AAPCC methodology, we determined, for each county,
the average per person cost for fee-for-service Medicare
beneficiaries living in that county. Health expenditures
were not attributed to the county where services were provided,
but to the county in which the beneficiary lived. For example,
if a beneficiary living in Bucks County received a service
in Philadelphia, that expenditure was included in the AAPCC
for Bucks County. The per capita amounts were then "standardized"
to account for differences between the demographic characteristics
of Medicare beneficiaries in the county and the demographic
characteristics of Medicare beneficiaries across the nation.
Additionally, capitation rates were set at 95 percent of
the AAPCC, with the 5 percent reduction reflecting the assumption
that managed care plans could achieve savings through discounts
and more efficient management of health services. The following
example illustrates how payment was made:
Under the AAPCC method, Medicare capitation rates varied
widely. Since county fee-for-service costs were used to
calculate county capitation rates, the rates reflected differences
among counties in fee-for-service health service usage and
payment levels. In addition to the substantial variation
in rates across the country, there were a number of other
concerns with the AAPCC payment method, including:
-- Payment rates changed unpredictably from
year to year in each county, based on fee-for-service costs
in each particular county;
-- Payment rates could vary widely across adjoining counties;
-- Generally, rates were lower in rural areas; and
-- Hospitals were concerned that HMOs did not compensate
them for medical education like fee-for-service Medicare.
In the BBA, Congress replaced the risk contract program
with Medicare+Choice. The BBA modified Medicare+Choice payment
rate calculations to address a number of concerns with the
AAPCC methodology. It broke the direct link to fee-for-service
spending in a county, and moved to reduce wide disparities
in county capitation rates by bringing both high and low
payment rates closer to the national average payment rate.
In addition to adjusting the payment rates based on demographic
factors, the BBA required payment rates to be adjusted for
beneficiary health status, sometimes referred to as a "risk
adjusted method" of payment. It also provided direct
payments to teaching hospitals for Medicare+Choice patients
to ensure these hospitals were receiving appropriate medical
education payments for their Medicare managed care patients.
The BBA also mandated that the 1997 AAPCC rates would serve
as the basis for the Medicare+Choice rates, and the rates
for particular counties would be equal to the largest one
of three amounts:
1. Minimum 2 percent increase over the prior year's rates,
which protected high payment areas as the medical education
reductions and reductions in geographic disparities took
2. Minimum amount or "floor" amount that
increases rates in historically lower-rate counties where
Medicare managed care plans generally have not been offered.
Beginning in 1998, the BBA set the floor rate at $367; this
floor has been adjusted annually by the rate of growth of
the overall Medicare program.
3. Blended amount, which is calculated by blending
county and national rates, thus increasing rates in historically
lower-rate counties while reducing rates in historically
higher-rate counties. Each year, from 1998 - 2003, a greater
percentage of the payment amount is based on the national
rate, until a 50/50 blend is reached. The blend percentage
for 2001 was 66 percent county and 34 percent national rates.
The "national rate" for each county is calculated
by adjusting the national rate by each county's Medicare
hospital wage index and geographic physician practice cost
As was the case under prior law, the BBA requires plans
to compute whether their projected Medicare revenues, based
on Medicare capitation payments, will exceed their projected
costs for providing Medicare services (excluding Medicare
deductibles and coinsurance). If revenues exceed costs,
the plan must use those funds to provide additional (non-Medicare)
benefits to enrollees at no additional cost to the enrollee.
In 2001, on the national level, Medicare+Choice plans are
using an average of about 19 percent of their Medicare revenues
to provide these additional benefits, such as routine vision
care, dental care, and prescription drugs, which are not
available through fee-for-service Medicare.
As was also the case under prior law, the BBA mandated
that plan premiums or other charges, such as copayments,
for services covered by Medicare may not exceed the actuarial
value of fee-for-service beneficiary cost sharing. For 2001,
that amount is $100.66. Medicare+Choice plans may also offer
supplemental benefits that Medicare does not cover, such
as prescription drugs, and may charge premiums for those
benefits. Depending on the supplemental benefits that a
plan offers, this plan premium may exceed $100 per month.
Congress revised the BBA changes in 1999, through the BBRA,
and again in 2000, through BIPA. The BBRA included changes
to the Medicare+Choice program to make it easier for beneficiaries
and plans to participate, including giving plans more flexibility
in their benefits and cost-sharing, and increasing payments.
The BBRA also included incentives for plans to offer plans
in areas without a Medicare+Choice plan already in place.
Similarly, BIPA increased Medicare+Choice payments and expanded
the incentive program for managed care plans to offer Medicare+Choice
in areas without such options. Congress increased both the
minimum percentage payment rate increase for 2001 only (from
2 percent to 3 percent), as well as the payment rate floor
amount, to $525 in Metropolitan Statistical Areas with a
population of 250,000 or more, and to $475 in al other areas.
The BBA and subsequent amendments have reduced the variation
in payment rates at the national level. In 1997, the county
with the highest payment rate was Richmond County in New
York and the county with the lowest payment rate was Arthur
County in Nebraska; their rates were $767 and $221, respectively
(Chart 1). The ratio of the Richmond County rate to the
Arthur County rate was 3.47, that is, the rate in Richmond
County was about 250 percent higher than the rate in Arthur
County. In 2002, the rates in Richmond and Arthur counties
will be $856 and $500, respectively. The ratio of the rates
will be 1.71, a dramatic reduction from 1997.
This chart also highlights how variation within states
was reduced. In 1997, in Nebraska, the ratio of the highest
to the lowest county was 1.96, that is, the rate in Douglas
County was about 100 percent higher than the rate in Arthur
County. In 2002, that ratio will be reduced to only 1.11.
There will be a similar reduction in New York, from 2.53
to 1.71 in 2002. Thus, the BBA changes effectively reduced
both national and state level variation in payment rates.
The second chart (Chart 2) looks specifically at Medicare
payment rates and utilization rates in Bucks and Philadelphia
Counties. The Medicare law requires payments to Medicare+Choice
organizations in 2001 to be based 90% on the demographic
method and 10% on the risk adjusted method. The first row
in the chart indicates that under the rates used in 2001
for the demographic portion of payments, the rate for the
average beneficiary in Philadelphia County is 22 percent
higher than the Bucks County rate. The next row on the table
shows the percentage difference for rates under the risk
adjustment method. For the risk adjusted portion of payments,
the rate in Philadelphia County is 14 percent higher than
the Bucks County rate. The difference between the risk method
rates in the two counties would indicate that, on average,
beneficiaries in Bucks County are healthier than beneficiaries
in Philadelphia.
Turning to the comparison of the utilization of services
in the two counties, the table shows that beneficiaries
in Philadelphia County utilize more services than those
in Bucks County. In particular, they use more hospital,
home health, skilled nursing facilities, and durable medical
equipment services than beneficiaries in Bucks County. The
greater use of these relatively costly services would be
associated with a population that is sicker and therefore
has a greater need for medical services. This higher use
of services corresponds with the higher 1997 base rate for
Philadelphia County.
Differences in payment rates as well as in benefits and
premiums between adjacent counties were an issue prior to
the BBA and remain an issue today. These premium and benefit
differences are influenced not only by Medicare payment
rates, but also by the ability of the Medicare+Choice organization
to negotiate favorable payment rates with providers and
the presence of other Medicare+Choice options in the market
We are working hard to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries
receive high quality health care, and have a variety of
options to choose from so their health plans most closely
meet their individual needs. The Medicare+Choice program
is one important way we accomplish this goal. As the name
suggests, Medicare+Choice offers many beneficiaries a guarantee
of traditional Medicare fee-for-service benefits, as well
as a choice of other options, which vary from plan to plan.
Congress has made several important improvements to Medicare+Choice
over the last few years, and our new Administrator is strongly
committed to working with you and health plans to expand
and revitalize the Medicare+Choice program. Thank you for
the opportunity to discuss this with you today, and I am
happy to answer your questions.
revised: February 12, 2002


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City hikes tax to the max
The Oak Harbor City Council declared a "finding of substantial need" and raised property taxes by the legal limit of 1 percent Tuesday night despite a negative rate of inflation.
Doug Merriman, city finance director, said the 1 percent bump to the current property tax level is a routine, annual tax increase to help keep up with inflation.
According to state law, a city council cannot increase property taxes more than 1 percent each year unless approved by a public vote. In addition, property taxes cannot be increase if inflation is less than 1 percent, unless officials declare a "finding of substantial need."
This year, inflation was below zero by .848 percent, leaving the council with a difficult decision: Decrease the property tax in a time of economic struggle, leave it the same, or increase taxes by 1 percent.
"It's been a while since we've seen an economy like this and we're in it deep," said Councilman Bob Severns.
"If you wanted to meet in the middle, you can decide not to increase taxes," Merriman said. The ability to raise the city property tax by one percent will be "banked," he said, meaning that the council would still have the option of adding the unused 1 percent increase to any future year's increase.
For example, if the council decided to maintain the current level of property taxes this year, they could add the "unused" increase to next year's hike, which would raise the 2011 property tax by 2 percent instead of 1 percent.
Councilman Rick Almberg pointed out the unusually large number of unemployed people, home foreclosures and a "20 to 30 percent" reduction in business.
"Frankly, I don't think I have the gall to go to the public right now to ask for an increase," he said. "I'd be a lot more comfortable passing a 1 percent increase if we could present a cap on our expenditures."
Merriman reminded Almberg that the city is able to "cap" its expenditures.
"It's called our budget process," he said.
Councilwoman Beth Munns warned the council that a vote to keep property tax steady would ultimately hurt the city.
"'Banking' has really gotten the county into trouble. I know the pain the council went through to balance that budget," she said, listing a few tough decisions made last year, including no cost of living increase and a hiring freeze. "I don't want to pay any more taxes than anyone else, but I'd much rather do 1 percent and keep it steady."
Councilman Jim Campbell sympathized with Almberg, adding that a plan is necessary.
"The next budget cycle we go into we need to do a lot better planning because I think the next one is going to be worse," he said.
But in the end, Campbell voted with Munns.
"I believe, to keep us alive, we should pass the 1 percent," he said.
Councilman Jim Palmer noted the irony of the situation.
"Who would have thought (a 1 percent increase) would be high and not low?" he said.
In an effort to lessen the blow of a tax increase, Councilman Eric Gerber suggested the council pass a 1 percent increase and earmark the money generated from the tax for the Oak Harbor Fire Department reorganization. The department's reorganization plan received a cool reception when it went before council in early October. The council decided not to vote on the proposal at that meeting because the bill did not identify a funding source. A new reorganization proposal will return to the council in December.
"If we can show the public that they're going to receive a direct benefit, I think the fire department is a good idea," he said.
Gerber made a motion to pass an ordinance declaring a "finding of substantial need," increase Oak Harbor property taxes by 1 percent in 2010, and earmark the new revenue for the fire department. The motion, however, received no second and was dropped.
Campbell then motioned to declare a financial need, which was seconded by Almberg.
"Our hands are tied," Campbell said.
The motion passed with a 5 to 1 vote, with Severns voting against.
Campbell also made another motion to pass an ordinance to increase the 2010 property tax levy by 1 percent to meet the 2010 budget. Almberg seconded his motion, which passed with a vote of 5 to 1. Again, Severns voted against the motion.
The increase approximately translates to an additional $3.60 in property taxes on a $180,000 home in 2010.
The city council adopted its 2010 budget in 2008 when it completed the biennial budget process. No changes will be made to update the 2010 budget until March or April of next year, according to Merriman.
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text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Feb 13, 1979
|Filing date
|May 26, 1977
|Priority date
|Sep 9, 1976
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Robert Hanning
|Original Assignee
|Robert Hanning
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (10), Referenced by (31), Classifications (36)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
The present invention relates to apparatus for producing shaped synthetic-resin bodies and, more particularly, to apparatus for the injection-molding of foamed or foamable synthetic-resin materials in a mold cavity to form a body consisting of the foamed material throughout its cross section or having a foamed core.
It is known to produce shaped synthetic-resin bodies and particularly molded bodies of foamed synthetic resin, or bodies having a core or interior portion of foamed synthetic-resin material, by introducing the flowable synthetic-resin mass in a heated state into a mold consisting of a plurality of separable parts and defining a mold cavity of the desired shape. The mass of synthetic resin in the mold cavity is generally then precooled to cause initial setting or hardening, whereupon the body is ejected from the mold cavity (after opening of the mold). The body can then be finally cooled (finish cooled) under conditions assuring temperature homogenization throughout the cross section of the body, i.e. under tempering conditions.
Such systems have been found to be highly effective for the production of relatively massive bodies, such as articles of furniture, since they permit the removal of the initially set unit from the mold cavity before complete setting and hardening of the body, thereby making it unnecessary to retain the body in the mold for the full setting time and markedly increasing the cycling time of the injection-molding machine.
In the prior-art systems, the mold parts are generally cooled by the feeding of a coolant through passages formed in the mold parts. The injection can be effected by mechanical means, e.g. ejector pins or rods, or pneumatically.
A pneumatic ejector has been described in German Auslegeschrift DT-AS No. 23 24 215 and comprises a source of compressed air which is connected to nozzles which open into the mold cavity and are trained against the surfaces of the mold body therein to force the body out of the mold.
Such systems have been mentioned because the compressed air serving to eject the body has a minor cooling effect upon the body and this represents a form of direct-contact cooling between a gaseous coolant and the synthetic-resin material of the body.
However, this effect is minimal, as noted above, and compared to the conductive cooling effect brought about by the cooling of the mold parts, can be treated as insignificant.
Thus, in spite of the fact that the precooling techniques of the prior art enable the initially set and cooled body to be removed from the mold cavity prior to complete solidification and cooling of the body, the latter must remain in the mold cavity and in contact with the walls of the mold for a relatively long time.
In other words, the duration for which the molded mass must be retained in the mold cavity is determined, even in the case of pneumatic ejection, primarily by the rate at which the indirect cooling of the mold parts is able to conductively abstract (dissipate) heat from the synthetic-resin mass in contact with these parts. Since this duration is the determining factor of the cycling time or rate, the productivity of the injection-molding machine is restricted by the conventional cooling approach and, for a given required output rate of molded bodies, may result in the need for additional machines and high capital expenditure. Furthermore, the conventional systems, because of the thermal inertia of the mold, are of low energy efficiency to the extent that they rely primarily on cooling of the mold to effect the precooling of the molded body.
It is an important object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for the molding of synthetic-resin bodies and particularly bodies consisting in whole or in part of foamable synthetic-resin materials or foamed materials, whereby the aforedescribed disadvantages can be obviated.
A corollary object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for the molding of such bodies which can be operated at a higher cycling rate than earlier systems.
It is also an object of this invention to improve the molding and cooling of synthetic-resin bodies and which may have short cycling times, thereby increasing production economy.
These objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are attained, in accordance with the present invention, in a method of making a shaped synthetic-resin body which comprises injecting a flowable mass of a synthetic-resin material into a mold cavity defined between at least two separable mold parts; feeding a coolant in the form of liquefied cooling gas between this mass and the walls of the cavity to precool and initially set the mass at least in the surface regions thereof originally in contact with these walls, the liquefied gas flowing between the juxtaposed mold walls and body surfaces and expanding into the space between them; discharging the coolant from the mold cavity through at least one regulatable cross-section outlet to control the contact time between the coolant and the mass; ejecting the initially set mass from the mold; and finish cooling the removed initially set mass to produce the shaped body.
Thus, the invention attains the aforedescribed objects by bringing the synthetic-resin mass or material in the molded cavity into contact with a liquefied cooling gas (low-boiling liquid) which is preferably in a gaseous state at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. this liquefied gas being intoduced so that it is discharged from one or more controllable openings after an adjustable flow time in contact with the synthetic-resin material.
While I prefer to remove the molded body after it has been initially set as described above and permit the final setting and cooling to be carried out outside the mold cavity, the use of the liquefied gas coolant so increases the rate at which heat is abstracted from the body that the latter can generally be completely cooled within the mold cavity in a shorter time than has previously been experienced using prior-art systems.
Thus, it is the preferred mode of operation, in accordance with the present invention, to carry out the precooling with the use of the liquefied gas such that the flow or contact time is just sufficient to form a cooled and dimensionally stable surface shell on the molded body and so that the dimensionally stable body can be ejected from the mold cavity and introduced directly into a cooling bath in which it is finished cooled and tempered.
The cooling bath, in its simplest case, can be a water bath at a temperature below the setting temperature of the synthetic-resin material, e.g. at room temperature or lower.
The liquefied gas coolant is preferably carbon dioxide, liquefied air or liquid nitrogen.
The invention makes use of the surprising discovery that, when a liquefied gas coolant is introduced in the described manner between the synthetic-resin mass and the walls of the mold cavity, the surface of the yet plastic and unstable synthetic resin is practically instantaneously solidified or set to a dimensionally stable condition because this liquefied coolant tends to distribute itself uniformly and substantially instantaneously over the entire surface of the synthetic-resin body, especially if one or more openings are provided through which the coolant can escape after a predetermined uniform flow time in contact with the synthetic resin.
The opening or openings can be provided, according to a feature of the present invention, with means for establishing a predetermined back pressure to resist the outflow of the coolant. Such means can include pressure-relief valves or the like.
The synthetic-resin mass in the mold cavity is, as I have discovered, relatively compressible, whether because it contains gas inclusions or because it consists of a foamable material or contains a foamable material, thereby permitting the cooling-spreading effect described above to occur. In other words, because of the yieldability of the walls of the mass juxtaposed with the walls of the mold cavity and the back pressure required before the coolant is released, the liquefied gas spreads rapidly between the surfaces of the molded body and the walls of the cavity until the aforementioned pressure is achieved, whereupon the expanded coolant is discharged through the openings via the pressure-relief valves.
According to another aspect of the invention, the mold consists of a plurality of mold parts which cooperate sealingly at the closure regions via elastic sealing means which permit a limited escape of gas, i.e. which is permeable but presents a resistance to the expanded coolant so that again a pressure buildup occurs before the discharge of the coolant. In this case, as well, effective distribution and flow of the cooling gases is assured.
The invention is characterized by the practically simultaneous formation of a stiff shell on the surface of the synthetic-resin mass practically simultaneously on all of the surfaces thereof so that the mass itself is rendered dimensionally stable and can be ejected with ease, in spite of the fact that inner portions of the mass have neither cooled nor rigidified. The control of the escape of the cooling gases, into which the low-boiling liquid expends, should be controlled to regulate the thickness of this shell. In practice it has been found to be desirable to make the shell as thin as possible to provide dimensional stability without imparting self-standing capabilities to the molded body. Consequently, without the subsequent cooling bath, the precooled body is not self-standing. This has been found to be important since a very thin shell permits the further cooling in the cooling bath to be carried out with a minimum of stress formation and hence without difficulty.
This technique has been found to permit molded configurations to be obtained which have not heretofore been possible by injection-molding. Since the statically supporting shell does not suffer collapse upon treatment in the subsequent cooling bath, the molded articles retain their smooth surfaces.
The cycling time of the apparatus, using the technique of this invention, can be markedly reduced, e.g. to one-quarter or one-tenth of the hitherto customary cooling time in the injection molds. In other words, the introduction of the liquefied cooling gas can be effected practically instantaneously after injection of the synthetic resin and more or less directly. Thereafter, the mold can be opened and the mold body ejected.
The ejection can be effected, in accordance with this invention, by mechanical ejectors or by pneumatic ejectors. The synthetic-resin material is not pressed out of the openings of the ejection mold in carrying out the present invention, especially when the cracks or gaps between the closeable mold parts are controlled to vary the gas-outflow cross section or are provided with seals or the like to form valves having the function described previously. Hence the cracks or gaps can function as the coolant-discharge-controlling orifices or openings. By controlling the gap cross sections, control of the flow of the coolant is readily effected.
More specifically, it has been found that unobjectionable synthetic-resin molded bodies can be formed with high precision to conform to the contours of the die cavity when the liquefied-gas coolant and cooling gas is uniformly distributed over the surfaces of the synthetic-resin mass and is simultaneously discharged at outlet locations constituted by the aforementioned opening or openings of the mold halves for the separation gap thereof. In this case it is only necessary to provide the opening or openings in a manner such that the coolant passes uniformly over the surfaces of the molded mass before being discharged. Consequently, a plurality of such openings is desirable, the openings being uniformly distributed over the flow cavities. Correspondingly, the gap can be formed so that the gap or gaps overall have the same flow resistance. Furthermore, the nozzles through which the coolant is admitted into contact with the synthetic-resin body surfaces or between the surfaces and the walls of the mold, are distributed in a uniform manner and such that the flow paths from these nozzles to the separation gaps of the mold halves or the discharge openings have more or less the same distance.
This has been found to be the best approach when the gap or gaps do not function as discharge openings but in the region of these gaps valve-controlled openings independent of the gaps are provided.
To control the flow or contact time, it is sufficient in the last-mentioned embodiment to pulse the introduction of the liquefied-gas coolant into the mold cavity. A pulsating introduction of the liquefied-gas coolant can be defined as an intermittent introduction of the coolant under pressure. In other words, the gas inflow is turned on and off periodically or with a varying time interval between the pulses. In this case, the duration of the pulses can be used to control the flow and contact time. Alternatively, or in addition, it is possible to control flow and contact time by intermittently opening and closing the discharge openings or the gap through which the coolant emerges.
Surprisingly, the liquefied cooling gas can be effectively introduced into a closed injection mold while the usual molding pressure is applied to the mold-closing means and while any outlet openings are blocked. Thereafter, the outlet openings are unblocked and/or the mold closing pressure is relieved to permit a gap to form between the mold halves to permit discharge of the coolant.
This technique utilizes the fact that because of gas inclusions or intrinsic deformability, the synthetic-resin mass is compressed upon introduction of the liquefied-cooling gas at high pressure, whereupon the mold halves are spread apart so that their elastic seals are no longer effective to block the outflow of the cooling gas and the latter, in liquid form or upon expansion and vaporization, is able to spread and flow uniformly along the surfaces of the molded body. According to a feature of the invention, the liquefied-cooling gas, upon developing a predetermined pressure within the mold cavity upon expansion, can press the mold halves apart sufficiently to permit release of the coolant. This result can be achieved when the pressure within the mold cavity, as a result of the introduction of the liquefied gas, is such that the force opposing the mold closing force exceeds the latter.
In its apparatus aspects, the injection mold, according to the present invention, is provided with the aforementioned outlet or gap and the nozzles for introducing the liquefied gas coolant into the mold cavity. According to a feature of this aspect of the invention, the passages and bores communicating with the nozzles for the liquefied-cooling gas are thermally insulated.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the apparatus is so constructed that the opening or openings for the discharge of the coolant are formed in the gap between the mold halves or in the region of the gap or gaps.
Thus the gaps themselves can form the coolant-discharge openings.
By surface machining and appropriate fitting of the parts of the mold together, the gap or gaps can be made over the entire assembly of uniform, i.e. exact, flow cross section and hence equal flow resistance. When addditional openings, apart from the gap, are provided, they too can have the same flow resistance as the gap so that the vaporized liquid coolant is distributed substantially uniformly between the gap and openings and substantially equal flow-path lengths are provided from each nozzle to the openings or gap through which the respective partial streams of the liquefied coolant emerge.
It has been found to be advantageous to provide, in the regions of the gaps between the mold parts, inserts in the form of sealing elements which can be used for setting the flow resistance in the respective region and, therefore, for equalizing the flow resistance over the entire gap.
The aforedescribed modes of construction and operation can be used alone or in combination with openings which are provided with adjustable pressure-relief valves which unblock the respective openings automatically upon an increase in the pressure within the mold cavity, because of introduction of the liquefied gas coolant, to a predetermined level.
The nozzles through which the liquefied-gas coolant is introduced are likewise distributed over the walls of the mold cavity in a number, size and orientation so as to achieve the aforementioned uniform distribution of the coolant between the mold walls and the surfaces of the molded body. Advantageously, these nozzles are formed as flat nozzles, i.e. nozzles which dispense the liquefied-gas coolant (or coolant gas which can form immediately upon entering the mold cavity by expansion at the nozzle) over a two-dimensional flat region. The nozzles can be sintered-metal porous plates through which the coolant is forced. Alternatively, the nozzles can have the configuration of a gap which remains wide open, whereupon the mold is pulsed, i.e. opened and closed with a stroke of, say, 1 to 2 mm, to permit induction of the coolant and discharge thereof upon expansion of the mold cavity and contraction thereof respectively. This pattern can be repeated with any desired cadence to achieve the desired cooling effect.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view through an injection mold according to the present invention for producing bodies of thermoplastic synthetic resin;
FIG. 2 is a similar cross-sectional view through the left hand portion of a mold illustrating another embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3 is a detailed view, drawn to an enlarged scale of the region III of FIG. 1; and
FIGS. 4 and 5 are views similar to FIG. 3 illustrating other embodiments of the coolant-discharge passages or nozzles of the present invention.
In the drawing, various structural elements have been shown diagrammatically since the particular configurations may not be significant. For example, the pumps, valves and fluid sources have only been illustrated diagrammatically and can be of any conventional structure operating in the manner to be described. The system for actuating the ejector plungers has not been illustrated and can be of any conventional design, e.g. utilizing a lost motion ejector carrier or the like.
The injection-molding head or ram and the chamber from which the synthetic-resin material is injected into the mold has not been illustrated and also are of conventional construction. Finally, the mold-closing means which retains the two mold parts together can be of conventional design as well.
The apparatus illustrated in the drawing is intended for the injection-molding and cooling of shaped synthetic-resin bodies of thermoplastic material and preferably of a foamable material so that the synthetic resin expands within the mold cavity after injection (i.e. foam injection). The apparatus comprises a two-part injection mold, 1, 2, here shown to define a mold cavity in the shape of an article of furniture or box configuration. The mold parts 1 and 2 are respectively carried by the platens 3 which form part of the mold opening and mold closing device (not shown) whereby the mold parts can be spread apart for ejection of the molded article. The actuating means for the ejectors is also not seen in the drawing although it can comprise thermally insulated plungers 25 which can be used in conjunction with or independently of pneumatic ejectors.
The plungers 25, to facilitate subsequent description are considered to form part of an ejector means 4.
The mold parts 1 and 2 can be internally cooled and can be provided with cooling channels or passages (not shown) of conventional configuration.
Thus, the plungers 25 of the ejection means 4, which are integrated with the mold 1, 2, can be formed as coolant ducts which terminate in respective nozzle heads 5. To this end, the plungers can be provided with externally-insulated coolant passages 6 communicating with the nozzle heads. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the nozzles for introducing the liquefied-gas coolant into the mold cavity are constituted as fixed nozzles and are formed directly in the wall of the wall cavity independently of the ejection means as shown at 7. Of course, as has been illustrated in FIG. 1, nozzles can be provided both in the plungers of the ejector means and independently thereof. The nozzle configurations of FIGS. 3-5 apply both to the nozzles 5 and to the nozzles 7.
The nozzle heads 5 or 7 can be composed, for example, of a porous material (sintered metal) as has been illustrated in FIG. 3, the sintered metal body 26 being seated in a socket 27 constructed and arranged to receive this body and to define a distribution chamber 28 communicating with the surface of the sintered body turned away from the mold cavity. The sintered body 26 can have its fluid-emitting surface 29 flush with the end 30 of the plunger 25 and with the adjacent surface 31 of the wall of the cavity in a retracted position of the plunger. Thermal insulation for the passage 6 is represented at 32.
In FIG. 4, I have shown a slit-type nozzle 5 which functions in a manner similar to that of FIG. 3 and wherein a nozzle body 33 is received in the end of a plunger 25. The nozzle body 33 consisting of a plurality of bars 34 defining outwardly widening slits 36 between them. As the liquefied-gas coolant emerges from these slits 36, it expands and vaporizes to distribute itself along the surfaces of the molded object F. The slits 36 communicate with the distribution chamber 37 which is fed with the liquefied gas via the passage 6 as previously described. In this embodiment as well, the rectangular insert 33 lies flush with the mold wall.
Still another nozzle arrangement 5 has been illustrated in FIG. 6 and, in this case, comprises a plate 40 whose beveled edges 41 define oppositely inclined slots 42 through which the coolant emerges. The plate 40 is attached to a further plate 43 which is here shown to be received in the plunger 25 and to have a bore 44 communicating between the passage 6 and the distribution chamber 45.
In order to bring about the pulsed introduction of the coolant, i.e. to generate the coolant pulses, or to feed another coolant or other fluid to the mold cavity, each of the nozzle heads 5 or the nozzles 7 is provided with a respective high-pressure valve 8 which can be of the remotely controlled distributing type and has only been diagrammatically illustrated in the drawing. Each such valve communicates via the passage 6 with a source of the liquefied gas and via lines 9 and 10 with other fluid sources, e.g. of compressed air for facilitating ejection of the molded body by the pneumatic principles mentioned above.
The passages 6 may communicate, via respective valves with a pump 11, e.g. a Diesel pump, with a corresponding liquefied gas reservoir represented as a nitrogen bottle 12.
When compressed air is to be introduced to facilitate pneumatic ejection of the workpiece, it can be supplied via respective valves from a compressor through a filter 15 from the atmosphere. A pump 13 with a reservoir 14 can also be connected to the appropriate passages 9 or 10 to feed other fluids to the mold cavity. Best results have been obtained, however, in the injection-molding of articles from thermoplastic synthetic resins, when the shaped body F is subjected to coolant pulses as described.
As can be seen especially from FIGS. 1 and 2, the several mold parts define gaps between them as represented, for example, at 16, while openings 18 can be distributed along the walls of the mold. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the gap 16 is formed by machining the parts of the mold so that the gap has throughout a constant flow resistance, i.e. resistance to the escape of the coolant through the gap. In this case, the gap may be formed automatically when the pressure upon expansion of the coolant between the mold walls and the article exceeds the mold closing pressure. The nozzles 5 and 8 are so disposed with respect to the gap 16 that the coolant flow paths from each nozzle to the gap along the surfaces of the molded article are the same.
In addition, or alternatively, the discharge openings 18 can be provided and can be formed with sintered-metal porous plates of the type shown at 26 in FIG. 3 to provide a controlled resistance to the outflow of the coolant. If the gap 16 is not to serve for release of the coolant, it can be provided with an elastic seal 17. The flow time of the coolant along the surfaces of the workpiece is controlled by providing each of the outlets 18 with a respective controlled valve 20 and pressure-relief valve 19 as has been illustrated in FIG. 2. The coolant flow may be commenced by introducing coolant into the mold cavity and permitting the pressure development thereof to reach a point at which the pressure exceeds the threshold pressure of the respective valve 19. The latter than unblocks the openings and permits escape of the coolant and hence flow thereof for a period equal to that required to drop the pressure in the mold cavity below the threshold pressure of valve 19. Alternatively, the valves 20 can be periodically opened and closed to provide the coolant flow pulses.
In operation, the mold is closed in the usual manner and the foamable synthetic resin is injected. Immediately upon the termination of the injection step and upon complete filling of the mold, the liquefied gas coolant is introduced from the heads 5 and 7 in a succession of pulses to flow uniformly over the surface of the synthetic-resin mass and provide a dimension-stabilizing sheath of extremely small thickness thereon by setting or hardening of the synthetic-resin material. The body is immediately ejected with opening of the mold into a bath of water for final cooling and tempering.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Jul 20, 1955
|Jan 12, 1960
|Philips Corp
|Method of manufacturing mouldings
|Oct 30, 1962
|Feb 16, 1965
|Continental Oil Co
|Apparatus for making plastic tubing
|Sep 29, 1964
|Jul 4, 1967
|Ilikon Corp
|Method of blowing metal objects into mold with porous insert
|May 12, 1965
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ATLANTIC CITY — Four people were shot in two incidents in the city in less than an hour early Tuesday.
Shortly after midnight, three people were reported shot at North Martin Luther King Boulevard and Arctic Avenue.
The shots came from a burgundy vehicle that fled north on Martin Luther King Boulevard.
At about 12:50 a.m., a male was shot once in the knee and once in the upper thigh in the 800 block of North Maryland Avenue. In this incident, his assailant was a male dressed in black who fled south on Maryland Avenue on a bicycle.


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The Chicago Blackhawks will be holding their annual prospect camp starting Thursday, July 7th and running to Monday, July 11th.
Thursday's schedule is from 10:00am to 1:15pm CDT and is the first on-ice session.
On Friday and Saturday, the prospects will be split into two groups, which will practice for 75 minutes each.
The prospects will then spend Sunday and Monday scrimmaging (three 20 minute periods).
A total of 46 players have been invited. The invitees include recent Blackhawks draft picks, such as Mark McNeil and Philip Danault. All of the prospects are either Blackhawks draftees or Unrestricted Free Agents (UFAs) and are not Rockford IceHogs (their AHL-league affiliate) or professionals.
All sessions will be at Johnny's Ice House West in Chicago and are open to the public.
Note: Images for some invitees are missing because I was unable to find a free image or video for the player. A simple search should provide you with an image.


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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The grocery chain Kroger Co. has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a race discrimination lawsuit brought by 12 current and former employees, according to a memo from the chain's chairman and chief executive.
The workers claimed in the 2001 federal lawsuit that Kroger blocked promotions of black employees and paid them less than whites.
A judge hasn't yet approved any agreement in the suit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Louisville, Ky., in 2001 by employees in six states on behalf of blacks working for Kroger nationwide since 1998.
Chairman and Chief Executive David Dill said in a memo to about 1,500 employees Tuesday that the money -- minus attorney fees and administration costs -- will be placed in a fund and disbursed among black employees who meet certain criteria.
The lawsuit named plaintiffs who worked at Kroger stores in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas but said the claims applied to "all stores and geographic areas."


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It was widely reported by print and electronic media that Vice President Biden was present at the recent notable commemoration of the civil rights march in Selma, Ala.
This was highly insulting to me as an American of African ancestry because Vice President Biden represents the Democratic Party, a party that was the inspiration behind the Ku Klux Klan. The Democratic Party enacted Black Codes to keep blacks "in their place," and a party that thought of blacks as only "three-fifths" of a human being.
It was also the party that enacted the Fugitive Slave Laws which took away any safety or freedom of blacks anywhere in the country. Biden's party passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854 a law that strengthened slavery, and Democrats Robert Byrd and Robert Russell in the U.S. Senate in 1964 led the opposition to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The Democrats in Congress also resisted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which ended the disenfranchisement laws and policies that had long been enforced against blacks. If I were Vice President Biden I think I would have found some place to hide in shame.
I could go on and on with example after example even up to today. But I think my point has been made. It is still perplexing to me why so many blacks today embrace and follow the Democratic Party. Democrats won't like what I have said here, but then why should they? I have long advocated that blacks should become independent of both parties to be totally free.


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Clock Changes in Dili, Timor-Leste in 2000
Sep 17
Forward 1 hour
Sep 17, 2000 - Time Zone Change (WITA → TLT)
When local standard time was about to reach
Sunday, September 17, 2000, 12:00:00 Midnight clocks were turned forward 1 hour to
Sunday, September 17, 2000, 1:00:00 AM local standard time instead
Sunrise and sunset was about 1 hour earlier on Sep 17, 2000 than the day before. There was more light in the evening.
Daylight Saving Time in Other Years
DST changes do not necessarily occur on the same date every year.
|DST End (Clock Backward)
|DST Start (Clock Forward)
|2000 — 2009
|DST not observed
|All times are local for Dili.


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PAC: Conservative Majority Fund
This PAC, formed by the political consultant Scott Mackenzie, has been running television advertisements repeating unsubstantiated claims raised by the "birther" movement that President Obama was not born in the United States. On its web site, the PAC "demands Congress investigate Barack Obama's forged birth certificate."
RaisedJan. 1, 2011–Oct. 31
By Month
Spent on Presidential RaceJan. 1, 2011–Oct. 31
By Month
Advertising April 1–Oct. 31
Advertising April 1–Oct. 31
|Attacking Barack Obama
Recent Ads and Videos
July 26 Join Our Fight To Repeal Obamacare
July 26 Shady Past
Source: Federal Election Commission
By JEREMY ASHKENAS, MATTHEW ERICSON, ALICIA PARLAPIANO and DEREK WILLIS


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Oklahoma City University Hosts Peace Festival
The local celebration for the 6th annual International Day of Peace Festival will be held at Oklahoma City University beginning at 5:15 p.m. Sept. 21.
The event is open to all ages and will feature multicultural entertainment and a large pinwheel labyrinth display. The festival will open with a drum circle and continue with activities including informational booths, guest speakers and an origami exhibit.
Students from around the Oklahoma City metro area are working on pinwheels to represent peace and harmony as part of the Pinwheels for Peace Project. Their pinwheels will be on display in OCU's quad lawn.
The project has become an annual international celebration since it was created by two art teachers in Florida in 2005. Last year's event featured more than four million pinwheels installed at 3,500 locations around the world, according to the local organizing committee.
Performers at Oklahoma City University's event will include the Oklahoma University Student Doctorial Woodwind Quintet, Clips & Hips Dance Studio, Junior Miss Asia Angela Zhu, Linwood Elementary School Choir, Mayan School of Dance, Dove Science Academy Folkloric Dancers, Marie Leslie with a Japanese dance, Celtic Cadence Irish dancers and the Seeworth Academy Major I.M.P.A.C.T.S Choir.
For more information or to sign up for the origami and pinwheel-making classes, visit www.pinwheelsforpeaceokc.org.


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Warning: There is a graphic photo of Mallory Owens's injuries below.
MOBILE, Alabama – Tears were frequent from Mobile County Circuit Court Judge Michael Youngpeter's courtroom on Tuesday as the trial of Travis Hawkins Jr. began. Hawkins, 19, is charged with the second-degree assault of Mallory Owens on Thanksgiving Day 2012, but early in the state's case, it was Hawkins' sister, Ally, who broke down on the witness stand.
Ally Hawkins has been Owens' girlfriend, off and on, for more than two years, and the two have lived together throughout that period.
Mobile County District Attorney Ashley Rich is personally trying the case, which centers around events that led to a graphic photograph taken from the hospital on Thanksgiving night. It shows Owens lying with severe wounds to her face – wounds which Rich said Hawkins inflicted, beating her "almost to death," after having a holiday dinner at the Hawkins residence in west Mobile.
Defense attorney Jim Byrd did not argue the fact that his client hit his sister's lover, but said in his opening statement that Hawkins "hit her three times" in protection of Ally, who Byrd said had been forced by Owens to take drugs and have sex with men for money.
"Somebody had to take the law and do something," Byrd said.
The subject of the couple's possible drug use and prostitution was a key point of contest between the attorneys and Judge Youngpeter. At one point the judge abruptly called Rich and Byrd into his chambers, visibly frustrated at questions related to the defense's accusation that Owens forced Ally Hawkins to ingest drugs and work as a prostitute.
Byrd did not ask Ally Hawkins if Owens had ever given her drugs against her will, or forced her into prostitution. However, when Rich asked Owens about those allegations, the victim did not deny the two had taken drugs, or had sex for money, testifying that both had happened within "three or four months" of the Thanksgiving altercation. Under cross examination, Owens told Byrd, "I did not force her to do anything."
When Byrd asked the victim if she kept the money Hawkins earned from the sexual acts, Owens said, "Alex used that money too." It was around that time that Hawkins was working at Diamonds Men's Club, according to Hawkins' testimony.
"Alex" is the nickname Owens used for Ally Hawkins throughout her testimony.
Hawkins testified that, on the night of Nov. 22, she invited Owens to her parents' home, where her family – including the defendant, Travis Hawkins Jr., and other siblings – sat around a backyard bonfire for several hours, talking and dancing.
It was after Ally Hawkins and Owens asked Hawkins' mother for a ride back to their apartment, that the violence started, Ally Hawkins said.
She testified that, from about four feet away, she witnessed her brother Travis punch Owens to the ground. Their father, Travis Hawkins Sr., then pulled his son off of Owens, and the two went into the front yard, she said. But then, Travis Jr. returned and "he said he was going to kill her," Ally Hawkins said.
In the recording of the 911 emergency call played for the jury, Travis Hawkins Sr. tells the operator of an "altercation between my daughter's life partner and my oldest son," and says that Owens is "pretty messed up."
The incident set off a winding set of events over the following months. Initially, some of Owens' family and friends called the incident a "hate crime" and wanted a harsher charge of attempted murder. Rich said that charge was not supported by the facts of the case, and went for second-degree assault. Then there was confusion over a statement released by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which alleged both Travis Hawkins Sr. and his son threatened Owens with metal pipes, and that family members were seen following Owens. The validity of those claims was later challenged by Owens.
Byrd's claim was that, at worst, Travis Hawkins' amounted to nothing more than the lesser charge of third-degree assault, which basically means injuring someone and causing significant pain, but not significant risk of loss of life, which is required for the second-degree assault Hawkins is charged with.
"They didn't come close" to proving the more-serious charge, Byrd told the jury before court was adjourned for the evening.
Both the state and the defense rested their cases before Judge Youngpeter by late afternoon, and the jury chose to come back at 10 a.m. to begin deliberations. If convicted of second-degree assault, Hawkins could face 10 years in prison.


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Good afternoon:
I wanted to take a moment to pass along a couple of important updates as we prepare the building for the first day of school next Thursday, August 20th. As you probably saw in the "Welcome Back" letter we sent out earlier this month, Open House will be held on the Heritage campus from 5:30-7:30 next Tuesday. We look forward to seeing the students as they meet their new teachers and classmates and learn more about the upcoming school year.
We have been receiving many inquiries about class lists this week. As mentioned in the letter, we will post the third, fourth, and fifth grade lists outside the North and South entrances of the building tomorrow afternoon, at 4:00. I know that it will be difficult for many parents and students to make it to the building tomorrow or later this weekend. To that end, attached to this e-news message, you will find copies of the third, fourth, and fifth grade class lists.
We really need to stress that these class lists are final. Now that these lists are in the hands of teachers, we are unable to make changes to the lists at this point, as we went to great lengths to make each classroom an optimal, heterogeneous learning environment. When at all possible, I tried my best to honor as many specific teacher requests as possible. Since January, I received over 300 hundred requests. I am happy to report that the grand majority of teacher requests were able to be honored. Unfortunately, due to the bulk of requests for certain teachers, this was not the case for certain requests. In the event that your child was not placed with the teacher you requested, I tried my hardest to find a similar learning environment for your child to thrive. Please understand that we did our very best with these class lists, and made every effort to honor the wishes of parents while being mindful of the needs of the entire class in each learning environment. As a result, we are unable to make any changes to what is being shared today.
I would like to thank you in advance for your understanding with our classroom policy and wish everyone the best as we wrap up the final days of summer and prepare for an exciting year at Heritage Elementary School.
Mr. Call and Mr. Rickard


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Specifically, it's adding buttons in a few posts to take advantage of the Timeline's ability to backdate content. The first post with this feature asks, "What Was Your First Computer?" For example, you could say that your first computer was an Apple II, and that you got it in 1978, and that would be added to the relevant section of your Timeline. Another post asks, "What Toys Did You Play With As A Kid?"This is interesting to me because I am studying the implications of digital preservation on social media. As companies team up to encourage us to document all of our major life events, we should ask (at least) two questions:
- What are the privacy implications of preserving social media records forever?
- Should we trust the preservation of our cultural record and valuable personal correspondence to corporations?
Sounds like a dissertation.


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Big names come out for YSU event
NILES – It's an event that was close to the heart of the late Wally Bell, which is all that John Hirschbeck needed to know.
Hirschbeck, a 32-year Major League Baseball umpire, was close to Bell, who passed away of a heart attack last October. When Hirschbeck was invited to be a speaker at the annual Youngstown State University First Pitch Breakfast, he didn't hesitate to make the trip north from his winter home in Sarasota, Fla.
"(YSU athletic director) Ron Strollo approached me and asked if I would want to become involved with the program, and I literally jumped at the chance," said Hirschbeck, who also resides in Poland. "I've been in Florida since the first of January, but I flew home for this."
The fourth annual breakfast raised money to benefit the YSU baseball program. There were silent auctions for memorabilia and other prizes available, along with opportunities to meet members of the baseball team.
Other speakers were former Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder-infielder Al Oliver and Cleveland Indians President Mark Shapiro.
Bell, who lived in Austintown, enjoyed supporting local causes. He was popular on the speaking circuit because of his colorful personality, which Hirschbeck spoke of when he eulogized Bell.
The love of a strong friendship was evident during the eulogy. It was no surprise then that Hirschbeck wanted to attend the breakfast, which was held at McMenamy's Restaurant and Banquet Center.
"People that know us know how close we were," Hirschbeck said. "It was like brothers, best friends, father-son. They're big shoes to fill. I know this was important to Wally, and it's for Youngstown State and the community. I always try to do whatever I can to help out."
Shapiro has local ties because of his long tenure with the Indians, which included serving as general manager before being promoted to president. The Indians have a strong area commitment through the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, their affiliate in the New York-Penn League.
"I have a soft spot for baseball in Northeast Ohio," Shapiro said. "I have great respect for (YSU) coach (Steve) Gillespie and what he's trying to build here. I've been through building processes before, so I align with that.
"I'm as supportive as anyone, especially playing amateur baseball in Northeastern Ohio. I know how tough it is. I know the resolve and toughness it takes to play here, and anything I can do to help out is a pleasure for me."
Oliver doesn't have local ties, but he's certainly a fan favorite from his days with the Pirates (1968-77). He was a member of five division championship teams in Pittsburgh and was on the 1971 team that defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.
Having grown up in Portsmouth, Ohio, Oliver feels a connection to the Youngstown area.
"Youngstown over the years is kind of like my own hometown," Oliver said. "It was always a steel mill town with hard-working people. Any time I feel I can help somebody, then I'm usually there."
There was definitely a feel for baseball in the air at the breakfast. Now that January has turned to February and trucks carrying equipment are headed to spring training sites, there was a sense that winter is on its way out.
"I'm starting my 32nd year in the big leagues, and I still get excited to start spring training," said Hirschbeck, who worked the World Series last year. "It's a fun time of the year. With all the excitement of starting a new baseball season, everybody has hope that they could have a chance of going to the World Series."
You could almost hear the crack of the bat.


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In the 2011 season, the Cincinnati Bengals posted a record of 9-7 and made the playoffs but unfortunately lost to the Houston Texans. The Cincinnati Bengals showed signs of great improvement with the addition of their first round draft pick wide receiver A.J. Green and second round quarterback Andy Dalton. These two single handedly carried this team to this team to the playoffs and will look to continue to do so for years to come.
Former TCU quarterback Andy Dalton had an excellent season for a rookie quarterback. He threw 20 touchdowns and also threw 3,398 yards. In the playoffs, he had 257 yards but no touchdowns and 3 interceptions against the Texans. Though the Bengals season ended suddenly, this isn't a bad sign, Bengals fans. Dalton was one of only two starting rookie quarterbacks to make the playoffs; the other one was the quarterback on the team he lost to, who is T.J. Yates. In the next 2 or 3 years, Dalton will be one of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL. He just needs to improve on his decision making and focus on accuracy as well.
His fellow rookie wide receiver A.J. Green also proved to be a force to reckon with. Last year, A.J. Green was simply amazing. He had 65 receptions for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns and averaged about 16 yards every catch. Just like Dalton, Green will viewed as a paragon for wide receivers. He is on his way to a bright future. If the Bengals start focusing on improving their defense, then the Bengals could have a good chance at actually winning the AFC North.
Bengals fans, this team will be a very successful team in the near future. Don't miss out on anything; get your Bengals' tickets now at Frontrow.com.


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FAIRMONT - The Berbernes, a Sherburn family that participates in the Lake Promenaders, came to Red Rock Center in Fairmont on Saturday. By reaching out to Fairmont, they hoped to create more awareness of square and round dancing in the area.
At Red Rock, the Berbernes had enough participants for square dancing.
Every third Saturday of the month, the family hosts square dancing or round dancing, and each month has its own theme. In September, it will be Old School. In October, they will feature a Monster Mash/Halloween.
Article Photos
LIKE?THIS — The Berbernes family offered instruction in square dancing over the weekend at Red Rock Center for the Arts in Fairmont. The family hopes others will discovery the joy of dancing.
For generations, the Berbernes have integrated dancing into their family. Cheryl Berbernes and her sister began dancing at ages 8 and 9. Now Cheryl, who can dance to both the boy's or girl's side, is teaching her 2-year-old niece.
Cheryl grew up with her grandpa as a cuer, someone who tells the round dancers what to do. Both of her grandparents, now in their early 90s, recently retired from dancing, but on occasion they will still get out on the floor.
"You can dance from birth to death," said Fran, Cheryl's mother.
"And you can do it anywhere," Cheryl added. "I've danced in locker rooms, swimming pools and out in the grass. You can even square dance without using your hands."
Cheryl said the dances are healthy, for mind, body and soul, and the Lake Promenaders are certified by the American Heart Association. Enthusiasts say square and round dancing relieve stress and keep a person active, motivate kids to listen and help prevent age-related diseases.
Yet the Berbernes have had a hard time getting anyone involved.
"Most associate square dancing with what they learned in gym class - which is junk," Fran said.
While the Berbernes are based in traditional square dancing, they adapt to more modern styles. They have learned how to match the beats so well that they can dance to not only country, but to groups like the Backstreet Boys or Michael Jackson.
Square dancing first originated when American settlers hosted a barn-raising. It spread around the world during the world wars, thanks to U.S. troops.
"That's why all the calls are in English," Fran continued. "Even though you might not understand someone in another country you visit, square dancing has become a universal language."
The dancing group accepts all kinds of people, regardless of sexual orientation, religious organization or race.
In Western square dancing, endless possibilities await for free spirits eager to learn dancing.
"If [the music you listen to] has a beat, you can dance to anything," Cheryl said.


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COLUMBUS, Ohio - Former Temple big man Anthony Lee, who is planning to transfer for his senior season, has included Ohio State on the list of five schools he is considering.
Lee also will entertain attending Indiana, Iowa State, Louisville and Notre Dame. He posted his five finalists in a message on his Twitter account on Tuesday.
Good morning! Blessed to be able to choose between these institutions an have in my Top 5. Thanks to… http://t.co/QTsgSEmCuE— Anthony Lee (@AntLee_3) March 25, 2014
Lee will be eligible to play immediately, without sitting out a season, thanks to the NCAA rule that allows players who have graduated to take the court without the one-year penalty. At 6-foot-9 and 230 pounds, Lee would seem to be a quick and obvious answer to the Buckeyes' woes inside. Amir Williams and Trey McDonald combined to play 27 minutes without scoring in Ohio State's season-ending loss to Dayton in the Buckeyes' first NCAA Tournament game.
Lee led the American Athletic Conference in rebounding with 8.6 per game, which would have ranked second in the Big Ten. He also averaged 13.6 points per game, which would have ranked second on the Buckeyes. Lee can play power forward or center, and he played inside a lot with the Owls.
The thing is, he'd rather play outside more.
"I'm definitely more of a four, but I had a lot of experience playing the five," Lee told the Temple student radio station WHIP after he had decided to transfer. "I need to be able to face up to the basket more instead of having my back to the basket."
Given that's his preference, the departure of LaQuinton Ross would probably help the Buckeyes in selling Lee. But what Ohio State really needs is more help for Williams and McDonald.
Lee's parents are pastors based in Davenport, Iowa, and he told the student radio station they would like to see him play more than they were able to at Temple. That's why schools in the Midwest make up his final five.
But that also makes it seem like Iowa State, which is still alive in the NCAA Tournament and actually in the state of Iowa, could have the edge in the chase for Lee.