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How It Works
What We Do
Full Service Junk Removal- We are Greater Cleveland's most reliable Full Service Junk Removal company. We come to your home or business and haul away old your furniture, appliances, yard waste, garbage, rubbish and any Junk that you need to get rid of. We Haulaway almost ANYTHING from ANYWHERE, and we do all the work.
Dumpster Rental-
We Rent 10 and 15 cubic yard driveway safe dumpsters for self service Junk and Trash Removal. Take your time to sort and load your Junk into our dumpsters. We offer 3 and 7 day rentals.
We're not a 1-800 franchise (no extra fees). Team members are not on commission. We offer the most competitive prices and great services. We are locally owned and operated and not a franchise operation. We guarantee the lowest prices along with the most professional services.
How It Works
Step 1:
Step 2:
Upon the arrival of the truck team, please specify what it is you'd like to have removed from your property. We will present you with an upfront price to remove the junk that you need to get rid of. Once we agree on pricing, we can usually start loading up immediately on the spot.
Step 3:
Payment is processed once you are completely pleased with our service. Your junk is then sorted and transported for donation, disposal, or recycling.
What We Take
We remove almost anything from your home, office or work site: old furniture removal, appliance removal, drywall hauling, garbage and trash removal, construction debris haul-away, concrete hauling, electronics removal and recycling, computers recycling, printers removal, yard waste hauling and more. If you're not sure, just give us a call and our friendly staff can confirm whether or not we can remove your junk.
- You don't need to lift a finger. Our fully trained crew removes the junk for you, whether it's stored in the basement, attic or 40th floor of a building. Call us for Junk Removal, Basement cleanout, Attic cleanout, Garage cleanout, Office cleanout
- Single item removals Appliances, Tvs, Tables, Sofas, Loveseats, Chairs, Couches, Copy Machines, Mattress removal, Bed hauling, Recliner removal,
- Materials we remove Carpet Removal, Debris removal, Wood removal, Metal removal, Plastic recycling, Dirt and Concrete hauling, Paper removal boxes and Cardboard hauling, Brush removal, Branches hauling, Leaf removal, Rock removal, Brick hauling,
- Commercial Junk removal Office furniture, Equipment removal, old Machine removal, Desk removal, Table removal, E-Waste removal, Cubicle removal and hauling
Even if its not on our list, if its non-hazardous chances are we can get rid of it for you. Call us and we can let you know if we can take what you need to get rid of
*We cannot remove hazardous waste items such as oil drums, gasoline and chemicals. Call for more details.
Areas That We Serve
- Bay Village
- Beachwood
- Bedford
- Bedford Heights
- Berea
- Brecksville
- Broadview Heights
- Brook Park
- Brooklyn
- Cleveland
- Chagrin Falls
- Cleveland Heights
- Euclid
- Fairview Park
- Garfield Heights
- Highland Heights
- Independence
- Lakewood
- Lorain
- Elyria
- Sheffield lake
- Lorain County
- Kent
- Ravenna
- Aurora
- Portage county
- Lyndhurst
- Maple Heights
- Mayfield Heights
- Middleburg Heights
- North Olmsted
- North Royalton
- Olmsted Falls
- Parma
- Parma Heights
- Pepper Pike
- Richmond Hts
- Rocky River
- Seven Hills
- Shaker Heights
- Solon
- South Euclid
- Strongsville
- Westlake
- Mentor
- Painsville
- Fairport Harbor
- Willoghby and surrounding areas
- University Heights
- Lake County
- Warrensville Heights
- Bentleyville
- Bratenahl
- Brooklyn Heights
- Chagrin Falls
- Cuyahoga Heights
- Gates Mills
- Glenwillow
- Highland Hills
- Hunting Valley
- Linndale
- Mayfield
- Moreland Hills
- Newburgh Heights
- North Randall
- Orange
- Valley View
- Medina
- Hinckley
- Brunswick
- Oakwood
- Medina County
- Walton Hills
- Woodmere
- Chagrin Falls Township
- Olmsted Township
- Bay Village
- Beachwood
- Bedford
- Bedford Heights
- Berea
- Brecksville
- Broadview Heights
- Brook Park
- Brooklyn
- Cleveland
- Chagrin Falls
- Cleveland
- Akron
- Stow
- Cuyahoga Falls
- Summit County
- chagrin Falls
- Burton
- Chardon
- Geauga county


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I admit that I used to be one of those people who drove my vegetarian friends crazy with questions like, "But how do you get enough protein?" Like most of society, I carried around the belief that the only real way to get all the protein we need for optimal functioning was through animal products. Well my friends, after years of digging deeper into the issue, my eyes have been opened to the fact that through a diet rich in vegetables, legumes, good grains, seeds and nuts, our bodies will easily get all the amino acids (which form a "complete" protein) it needs, and there are major benefits to eating a plant-based diet, both for our bodies and for the planet. While I do incorporate small amounts of meat and fish into my diet a few times a week, many more of our meals these days are getting all their nutrients from plant-based sources. Keep scrolling for my current favorite recipes that feature protein-packed meatless mains, and I'd love to hear if you guys are giving vegetarianism a try!
If you'd like to learn more about the benefits of a plant-based diet, here are a few sources that I'd highly recommend: Forks Over Knives (the film), Eat Vegan Before 6:00, The Beauty Detox Solution.
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sheryl.bulloch thinks this is interesting:
Chapter 7. How to Empower Teams
Ultimately, the only power to which man should aspire is that which he exercises over himself.
—Elie Wiesel, writer, political activist, Nobel Laureate (1928–)
Sir Francis Bacon once wrote the famous words "knowledge is power." (Actually, he wrote "for also knowledge itself is power," but history decided that wasn't catchy enough.) This resonates with the idea that knowledge workers are (em)power(ed) workers. They have the knowledge, so they are the ones wielding...
- Chapter 7. How to Empower Teams
- from Management 3.0: Leading Agile Developers, Developing Agile Leaders
- Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
- Released: December 2010
In knowledge-rich environments, the knowledge workers have the most critical jobs. In an agile environment, management is more comparable to leading a sports team, where as the manager you act a facilitator and coach. The work of the project is done by your star players, the development team. This lesson discusses ways to empower your team and the types of activities you should avoid.
Share this highlighthttp://www.safaribooksonline.com/a/management-30-leading/27138/


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Waqar Akbar Cheema Muhammad Ibn Sa'd's (d. 2330/845) work "Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir" or "Tabaqat al-Kubra" is an important source of information regarding life and times of early Muslims including a detailed account of events and aspects the life of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Part of the work covering the life of the Prophet was translated into English by S. ... Read More »
Category Archives: 9. Muslim History
The Critique of Criticism: Analysis of Ibn Khaldun's Objections to the Narrations about al-Mahdi
Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi*[1] Translated and Annotated by Waqar Akbar Cheema Abstract Belief in the advent of Imam al-Mahdi is an important tenet for the vast majority of Muslims across sectarian lines. However, some have come to question the decisiveness of the hadiths concerning the advent of al-Mahdi, especially based on Ibn Khaldun's arguments in his Muqaddimah. The current work ... Read More »
Jalaluddin Khwarazm: A Visionary Leader | An Intrepid Warrior
Waqar Akbar Cheema 1. Introduction Every nation has a natural tendency to polish its history. All nations do it and they do it even at cost of distorting facts. Not that distortion of facts is anyway justified, but the attitude is natural somehow. However, in our society we come across people who are going against all these natural trends and ... Read More »
Unverified Story of Uwais Al-Qarni Breaking his Teeth
Waqar Akbar Cheema It is popularly held that on hearing about the injury of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) during the battle of Uhad Uwais al-Qarni broke all his teeth. Earliest well known source mentioning the story is Tazkirah al-Awliya of Farid ad-Din al-Attar (d. 607 AH). He relates that Uwais had the following conversation with 'Umar and another companion; ثم ... Read More »
6 Phases of the Islamic Scientific Tradition
Dr. Muzaffar Iqbal "Assessed in the most general terms, the Islamic scientific tradition can be seen as having passed through the following major phases: (i) a formative phase under the shade of Islamic religious sciences; (ii) a quick maturation through the massive infusion of data, information and theories from the Greek, Indian and Persian traditions; (iii) a phase of careful ... Read More »
Ottomans and the Printing Press: Answering Misconceptions
Dr. Hidayet Y. Nuhoglu The time lag of almost three centuries which elapsed between Gütenberg's setting up his press and Müteferrika's publishing his first book Van Kulu has been interpreted in various ways by contemporary historians, which resulted in the common belief that this was one of the main reasons for the Ottoman State's backwardness. The description of Müteferrika's printing ... Read More »
Myth and Reality of the Ottoman Harem
Leslie P. Peirce We in the West are heir to an ancient but still robust tradition of obsession with the sexuality of Islamic society. The harem is undoubtedly the most prevalent symbol in Western myths constructed around the theme of Muslim sensuality. One of the most fertile periods for the production of texts and images treating this theme was the ... Read More »
Muhammad b. Qasim and the true story of "damsels in distress"
Waqar Akbar Cheema 1. Introduction In recent times we have seen a host of pseudo-intellectuals and self-styled historians with borrowed minds questioning the episodes of Islamic history that they fail to reconcile with the peculiar image of the Muslim heroes originally painted either by the Orientalists or Hindu fanatics. Backdrop of Muhammad bin Qasim's conquest of Sindh is one such ... Read More »


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"Without the Tap program our family would not be able to survive. I don't have any other words to describe how much they have helped us, help our son Logan."
-Tonya Painter, IL
"With 1-in 68 children currently being diagnosed with autism, it is CRITICAL that we continue to fund programs that help these children succeed. The TAP program provides evidence-based treatment which educates and empowers these children so they do well in school, at home, and in our community."
-Laurene Cichon, IL
"I want to tell how important it is to me that the state of Illinois continue to fund The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP). When my son's preschool teacher told us he wasn't like other 3 year olds and that we had to remove him from the school, we had no idea where to turn. We had two visits with our pediatrician who failed to see anything was different about him. Finally, we found out about TAP. They connected us with a psychiatrist who diagnosed our son with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. They educated us on autism, how it is treated, and what to do for him. They have connected us with various professionals along the way who have helped with his gross and fine motor skills, communication skills, and social development. Today, our son is a thriving fourth grader in our public school system's gifted program. Each stage of his life brings new challenges, as with any child. When we need extra help, we turn to TAP. I can't imagine where we would be without them. I want other families to have this wonderful resource we have in Illinois."
-Michelle Maier, IL
"My 3 year old son has been going to Tap since he was 2 and has gained so much from the help they have provided. If we lose TAP we would have to drive to Peoria or Bloomington 2-3 times a week. We cannot afford that so my son would lose out on all therapy and would regress. Please keep funding for TAP!"
"The Autism Program of Illinois not only helps individual children like my daughter, but also provides vital training for teachers, assistance in creating IEPs, parent support groups, respite opportunities, and behavioral assessments and training in the home. Our state and society as a whole benefit when these children and their parents are given the resources necessary to foster social and communication skills."
-Sharla Glass, IL
"This is a vital service to the people of this community. My grandson who is autistic is thriving because of TAP. TAP is one of the reasons my daughter relocated to Springfield. Please do not cut this resource from the budget. it is a source of hope to many people."
-Shelley Temple, VA
"As a teacher with students affected by Autism, this program is a must in our state. It provides the resources and education to staff that is invaluable to educating this population of students. I would be lost without these resources."
-Karon Flinchum, IL
"So many of my students' families have used this community resource! Please consider funding for this vital program that provides parents with so much as they work to understand how best to help their children with autism be successful."
-Amy Modrzejewski, IL
"This program has helped my family in numerous ways. Our children need programs like this. TAPs is not just an extracurricular activity that's nice for children to have, it is a necessity in life."
-Marlee Cooper, IL
"TAP has provided education, support, guidance, and advocacy to many individuals, families, and professionals. Their work has been life altering for many families that did not know where to turn. I am a social worker and work with many people who fall through the cracks of services and help. TAP has always filled in those gaps and has stopped at nothing to link families to quality assistance. They also provided me with a practicum while in my MSW program, giving me an education and set of skills that has hugely enhanced my abilities to help. TAP is a program that uses their resources extremely well. If they lost funding, many would be lost."
-Susan Keller, IL
"I can honestly say that TAP saved my family. Thanks to TAP my son regained his speech and is a full functioning 6 year old."
-Aleksandra Hodowany, IL
"I have a child with autism and have worked with the autism community for nearly 15 years. TAP is the one resource that families have been able to count on to get much needed services for their children. Many times Insurance doesn't pay for the many therapies that children diagnosed need. Families do not have the resources to get one on one therapy, social skills, or the guidance needed to provide structure within their homes. TAP has been the one constant that has saved these families. There are few resources for families that are obtainable state wide. Even Easter Seals is priced out of reach of most families unless they happen to have an insurance that covers the services. And even then it usually stops at age 6. Tap does not have an age limit, our children do not have an age limit on needed services."
-Jacqueline Mace, IL
"I have been given the opportunity to intern with TAP. It is a very inspiring program in which the families are so grateful for the help with their children. I have seen so many gains with the children that receive help for their future."
-Samantha O'Connor, IL
"I am a single mother of an autistic 7 year old child. When my son was 3, I started noticing that something was off. I didn't know where to turn. I talked to his doctor and she suggested that I go to TAP for more information. We were unable to get into see a specialist for 9 months, to get a diagnosis. TAP helped out so much with their vast knowledge support and resource room that within a few weeks they were able to get my son into the CDC in Champaign."
-Rachel Dean, IL
"Working at The Autism Program of Illinois truly changed my entire path in life. I am currently in graduate school pursuing Applied Behavioral Analysis all thanks to what TAP has given to me. It does amazing things for both the clients and staff."
-Rachel Arena, AL
"I'm signing because TAP has helped our whole family. We gained knowledge and coping skills from the service. We learned how to support our son, as well as how to take care of ourselves during the storms of meltdowns and breakdowns in communication. We have met others in similar situations and gained social support. We have become donors and volunteers for TAP. Please restore this much needed resource in the Northeast Illinois community."
-Christina Eldridge, IL
"My daughter has autism. She's 5 years old. She has gained so much knowledge, comfort and confidence from the tools/products they provided. Many autistic kids have difficulty functioning without deep pressure. I wouldn't have known about this prior to the weighted vest. I'm also very grateful for the book they gave to us that gives my daughter a way to communicate with me and work on building her language skills. I'm a single mother, I've managed to go to school to finish my associates in Science while working full-time, renting a house, and paying off a car loan. My job as a mom is never ending, your mind and body never stops running, my daughter's sleep cycle is unpredictable, there are moments when she will fall asleep at 12am and wake up at 4:30am. The weighted blanket helps at times. If it wasn't for TAP, I wouldn't of known how to manage some of the things she does. Please keep the TAP Program going. This is a leading disorder that is only growing more in the U.S. 1 in 68 children are diagnosed, 1 in 42 are boys (5xmore likely than girls). Parents, like myself need a program like this are what we need to reach out for when we are struggling. Having a child with autism is definitely a financial strain."
-Serena DeLaRosa
We have a daughter who is 4 years old at this time. Our daughter, Makaelyn Grace was born premature and has multiple health problems. Makaelyn was a strong, through tiny, baby who has survived to be a blessing to all who meet and know her. We are doing the best, with assistance and prayers to help her grow physically, mentally, and emotionally. Developmental Delays have been a constant problem to deal with, along with all the challenges of tube feeding. Vision weaknesses have been noted and are somewhat corrected. Her sensory integration disorder and weak muscle tones are challenges she (and we) face daily. Yes, she has been diagnosed as autistic, which as you well know may involve complex thinking skills to be challenged, channeled and managed. With help such as TAP (The Autism Place) provides, many young people grow up to be very productive adults.
She is improving with eating and may not longer need feeding tube within the next couple years. She has been receiving Early Intervention therapy and it has helped with her muscle and eye weaknesses. In the last couple years, we have noticed the autism (and delays) being the strongest challenge in her thoughts and actions. She has difficulty with eye contact, following directions, focus on activities, playing with objects similar to peers. She prefers to play with cause/effect items that bring sensory outcomes.
Her strength is gross motor skills. She does not have interest in TV and movies but prefers physical interaction and physical activities. She really seeks sensory play. We as parents, have strongly encouraged those opportunities by doing a lot in community recreational programs, programs at our local libraries, and other events she is capable of participating in. She is a strong little girl in her own way.
When she turned 3, she was placed in a program at our local school district. They are able to provide some therapies, adaptive swim and gym, and she joins the regular class for music. The teacher, Nancy, is wonderful; however, I noticed the program didn't seem to match some of her needs. Makaelyn is very mobile and gets around quick to explore. Most of the kids who are in Makaelyn's class have physical disabilities necessitating that they are in wheelchairs and not mobile. Makaelyn doesn't have much chance of physical interaction such as playing activities, "Ring around the Rosie", interactive play, doing physical activities together. I was concerned about this. It was more apparent that she needed to be in a setting with other children who were on the autism spectrum. Also, Makaelyn was using a switch to do actions (for example, stirring a blender to make class baked goodies) when she is fully capable of holding and turning with some guidance. In addition, Makaelyn was often (we felt it was too often) playing with meaningless toys while waiting her turn for many different activities. (Teacher and assistance needed to tend to other kids multiple needs.) This bothered me as she is at the age where children learn so much so fast and I didn't want time wasted when she could be learning various concepts. Personally, I think the class size is too large to meet individual needs often as should but then again district has had to deal with budget cuts and trying to meet needs with limited staff, and etc.
Having taught children who are deaf/hard of hearing for several years in couple different states/programs, I've experienced working with students who had additional disability or health issues such as autism, delays, trache, tube feedings. I had a feeling there was a better educational match for Makaleyn's needs. I had a strong feeling that Makaelyn had autism and I wanted a diagnosis in hopes for her to have help in areas really needed related to her autism aspects. I talked with Makaelyn's neurologist and as he watched Makaelyn and heard my descriptions of her behaviors. He agreed she was on the autism spectrum. Makaelyn was finally diagnosed and I was beyond relieved in hopes Makaelyn could have different type of education related to her autism needs. After talking with school's social worker, we had hoped Makaelyn would be in TAP program. Blessed beyond blessed that Makaelyn got into the TAP program and wow, this was a much better situation for her! She still goes to school district afternoon program for adaptive swim and gym.
I explained and had concerns about Makaelyn's social abilities, independent skills, and communication to the supervisor at TAP. Come to find out those are the major areas that the TAP program focuses on. I was thrilled and excited for Makaelyn! In addition, she would have an adult who works with her individually to help meet her needs which made me feel even better. Within the first year (last year) she has learned the routine and transitioned in also a retired teacher noticed that her eye contact had greatly improved. When she finishes the program in the morning, she is happy and I could tell she enjoyed and learned so much.
In TAP, the ISU students focus on students independently taking coat and backpack off, preparing for class, and other independent skills. They provide story time and often there is action that goes along with the story and Makaelyn likes to listen and watch the actions even then she can't focus on all of it but you can see her smile. At the same time, they provide her sensory chewy so she is not out seeking sensory objects but able to participate in activities by flipping pages in book, clap or other related things during story time. She has learned how to put name on and off schedule board with guidance. She works on fine motor, table top, sensory (shaving cream, pumpkin guts, etc) type of activities. They also have the students sit in a pool (no water) with their favorite toys and teach/encourage students to interact with high fives, turn taking playing with each other toys. They also provide Applied Behavior Analysis and currently Makaelyn is working on following directions, imitation, identifying and etc. This is wonderful for her to work with an adult in an isolated room without distractions to learn various concepts (directions, imitation, etc). They have been teaching Makaelyn the PECS (picture exchange communication system) so Makaelyn has a way of communicating her request. Makaelyn has no brother or sister to play with so Makaelyn REALLY enjoys being surrounded with other kids and sometimes watches them off and on. She sometimes gets tired of being with us adults a lot and likes to be with other kids similar to herself. I feel better with this too as the other kids are working on similar goals and Makaelyn is not treated or viewed as VERY different. This is a GREAT ADAPTIVE preschool setting for Makaelyn. I dream they have education program for elementary grades but that seems very unlikely at this time.
I can't tell you how grateful I am for this program. The staff is VERY optimistic! They know current, effective techniques that help with kids who have sensory disorder and are on the autism spectrum. They are patient and very understanding of each child's situation. They make the students feel good about them and always give positive reinforcement. The environment is relaxed and very positive for the kids. They share star moments and sometimes pictures and videos of just the child herself/himself. They are consistent with the goals of independent skills, communication and social areas. They are always looking for student's growth and want to encourage that growth continuously! They have data to explain to us parents how students are showing growth and they meet with us parents quarterly to discuss data/growths, concerns, other areas that need focus. I really appreciate the notes sent home as they make couple comments on what Makaelyn has been working on and what she has accomplished that day. I'm always looking for accomplishments (no matter how slow or small)and they share those with me. They have a sense of pride when students achieve skills. Students also have a sense of pride and belonging after each morning program. Mothers can sense things about their children and I can sense that Makaelyn really enjoys and grows from this program.
Makaelyn has shown growth in learning how to use a PEC picture to a book full of PECS pictures AND she carries this book around. She is nonverbal and we are in hopes she will talk around 7 or 8 BUT we are also facing reality that she might not speak at all and we are working on PECS with her already now so she is prepared for a communication board in the near future if need be. She also has learned to sign more and eat. She does a lot of communication with body language. In terms of independent skills, she is carrying her own backpack now, hangs up backpack/coat off, pulling up her own panties/pants after bathroom, zips coat, put shirt on almost all by herself, walks from one area to another area on command, and much more. In terms of social interaction, she is learning to give other friends high five independently, how to share toys (waits for them to finish and then plays), imitates what adults do (for example clap during story time, tuck animals into bed during play time, etc.) She is comfortable with other children. She watches ideas from other children and sometimes imitates their actions. She likes to listen to them. When playing on slide, sensory table, jumping, she enjoys that she is with others doing similar thing. This is the greatest thing for me to see in my opinion!
When I had heard that funds might be reduced and the program might be reduced… I was sad for Makaelyn. This is one of the best things in her life! TAP provides so much various opportunities. Makaelyn would only get half of these opportunities if I did home school with her because I don't have all the equipment, resources, services that TAP has. My main goal for Makaelyn is to reach her full potential and I see that happening at TAP. She is learning such variety of different things and growing in so many areas.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't stop this growth. Makaelyn already has challenges and limitations and TAP is a good program that brings great, much strength in her life. She needs TAP program to continue. I can't tell you enough how much she enjoys and learns from this program. She is a happy girl and I want her to continue to be happily learning at the same time. When she doesn't have the interaction or learning opportunities, she becomes blah (not as expressive and she fidgets and rotates with sensory toys) and she is capable of MORE than this. Do I want her life to be stagnating? NO, I want her life to continue with GROWTH and TAP makes this happen! Would you feel you were doing all you could for your child to get the best our of life? Please allow funds for Makaelyn to continue to have an effective quality of life and education and live it to the fullest? She reaches up and out still today and wants to grow. Please reach out and pull her up to continue growing?
-Melissa and Tim Kearney, IL


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ADP Websites
*Corporate Headquarters
ADP Worldwide
We provide payroll and HR services in 113 countries.
Solutions by Business Size
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of any size
What We Do
Our Premier Products
Our Commitment to
Ethics &
We maintain the highest ethical standards in everything we do. Our clients look to us to maintain the highest levels of data security and privacy, as well as to educate and empower them to take their own measures to help reduce risk. Our clients also rely on our experience and expertise to help them comply with ever-changing regulations.
We are successful in our mission when we maintain the trust of our clients and the integrity of their data and information. Success means continuing to attract and hire world-class talent and implementing best-in-class security and compliance protocols and processes to minimize risk. It also means effectively educating, communicating and solving compliance and security challenges that do arise quickly and thoroughly.
ADP has a long and proud tradition of conducting business in accordance with the highest ethical standards...
Carlos Rodriguez, President & CEO, ADP


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Newly renovated 1 or 2 bedroom apartment homes with kitchen track lighting, faux granite counter tops, espresso or maple cabinetry & black appliances.
Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Address: 2200 W. Higgins Rd. Suite #201
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169
Phone: 847-781-9100
Copyright ©2015 Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved.


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Elementary Session
Elementary Camp is a week-long camp that provides younger students with a chance to have new artistic experiences, find new ways to express themselves, and have fun learning a variety of art forms from outstanding instructors who are experienced artists and educators from around the country. The morning session offers students the opportunity to experience a variety of art forms including music, dance, theater, and visual arts. The afternoon session is a chance to focus intently on one art form during a 1.5 hour workshop. We offer adult classes concurrently with Elementary Camp as well as housing options for families from other communities.
In 2018 there are many options available to customize your Elementary Camp experience. Click below for more details on the morning and afternoon sessions.
Morning Sessions
Elementary Camp, students entering grades 1-6
Afternoon Sessions
Afternoon Workshops, students entering grades 1-8
June 11-15, 2018 – 1pm-2:30pm


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Aydan Özoğuz is one of the six representatives of the federal chairmen of the SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany) since December 2011 and commissary of the federal government for migration, refugees and integration since 2013. In face of the current times of unrest, this position should be one of much activity and engagement; the reason for the attention she is getting from the public hasn't much to do with enthusiasm or her workload though, but with her progressive ideas she introduced under the slogan of Intercultural Opening.
Germany, a country of immigrants?
On the 14th of November, the ninth integration summit took place in the chancellor's office. Invited by Angela Merkel herself, prepared by Aydan Özoğuz. Focal point were the duties of the citizenry; and the integration of refugees. To this purpose, a discussion paper was drafted and designed, which outlines the intercultural change of Germany on 28 pages. It was created by an editor group of several <Migrantorganisations>, supported by the comissary of migrations, via the <nonprofit Analysis- and Consultinghouse> Phineo, unter the slogan of: <It's us! Shapening the immigration society.> The last pages of the paper shows of what these organisations are composed. The fact, that a minister of state supports this paper, speaks for itself anyways.
So what then is covered in this paper? First, the term of intercultural opening is being defined vaguely. Barriers for individuals with a migration background shall be removed, social services are to be offered culturally sensitive, the perspective of other cultures are to considered more thouroughly und every form of racism or discrimination has to be condemned, for they are the real reason for the rampant violence and the barbarization of discourse. This intercultural change then shall be rooted constitutionally and thus mad legally binding. The german republic, which is unceremoniously labelled as a country of immigration, shall embed the national goal in it's constitution, that it is just that und that all federal levels are obliged to equality and integration.
Quotas for everybody
Furthermore, more laws and regulations against discrimination, diversity budgeting und bureaucratical controls of the enacted diversity. The aforementioned migrant organisations also demand a council on the federal level for themselves, the support of at least ten million € annually and official certificates for their profession, as to make their antidescrimination highly official. It continues with quotas for individuals with migration background in leading positions, who in turn are to be accompanied by special programs, which in turn again are being designed by said migrant organisations. Additionally funds are to be used for public campaigns, to adjust the current lack of representation of migrants in these positions. Other proposals follow, like the anonymization of job applications and the implementation of a discrimination-monitoring at the job market, which ends – at least in the shortend overview of the introduction – with the strengthening of discrimination protection and the provision of federal money for the research of discrimination structures in organizations and institutions.
Thus this list of measures reads like a list of demands to the government and society itself; not much to be seen of actual efforts from the responsible organisations, and no coverage of actual integration attempts from the migrants at all. Instead, it seems to be the belief, that showering the migrants with money, positions and special rights until they automatically integrate themselves will be the solution. Or the expectation, that integration isn't even needed and a redistribution of ressources is wanted instead. The fact that these audacious demands are supported by official parts of the government suggests, that there is not any respect or understanding of the sovereign nation and it's citizenry left. Or like Vera Langsfeld phrased it: Integration summit or state coup?
Multiculturalism via law
Only a few days earlier, Özoğuz drew medial and political attention through dubious statements. After the Interior Ministry banned an islamic association, which was known for distributing free examples of the Quran in german cities, and the police instigated crackdowns in numerous apartments and mosques across the country, she held an interview with the TV channel Phoenix about this event. Therein she speaks about previous crackdowns that didn't produce any results and describes prevalent arbitrariness against such groups and institutions, issues a warning about conspiracy theories – what the state does against these people – and advises a sense of proportion against such measures and purposes. She also implies that the state and society are to blame – that the lack of openness lead to the radicalization, assuming the role of the victim for them. After a revolting echo from the public, she tried to put her statements into perspective immediately, talked about her faith in our security personnel and argued for a better activity of prevention.
In the same month, she warned of a general ban on child marriage. With flimsy arguments like the potential loss of aliments and hereditary titles, she tried to back the stance of her fellow SPD politician Heiko Maas. In regards to him, we take a quick look into the past: Beginning with this year, the Ministry of Justice passed a bill to reform the law governing sexual offenses, which was allegedly already planned and released before the events of Cologne at New Year Eve. Alas, his long prepared reform, about which the minister displayed such relief, was too lax and didn't reach far enough in the perception of the public and earned criticism and demands for an harsher approach from most political parties, including his own. Months later new demands arose concerning the abrupt rise of child marriages that appeared in Germany because of the migrant crisis.
Maas talked about this himself, to not tolerate any child marriages and that a new bill will be done before the year is over. Shortly after, a new draft implied the opposite, so that the marriage would remain as long as the well-being of the child wasn't at risk. Again, criticism followed. The attempt of justification was the story, that the draft that got leaked was supposedly outdated. Since then, more announcements and promises follow, that remain insubstantial, while the pressure grows. Miss Özoğuz' statements, in this light, can be seen as the general stance of the social democrats.
Red-Red-Green variety
Naturally, the integration commissary and Mister Maas aren't the only ones who want to push and further the intercultural opening of Germany. The governing state coalition of the SPD and the Green party in Lower Saxony passed in the proposal to extend the offer of foreign languages for all pupils in their schools with the following: Turkish, Arabic, Polish and Farsi, from elementary school up to high school. Even bilingual preschools are a topic, to further the establishment of parallel societies as early as possible. This idea probably came after a look at the national capital of Berlin. There, an old debate from ten years ago repeated itself, when the Hoover Oberschule in Berlin Wedding decided with great consensus to implement German as the compulsory language at the school. Representatives from turkish communities and organizations as well as from the green party criticized it heavily, despite the success it had. Now, the new governing coalition from SPD, Die Linke and Die Grünen assumedly made a deal with the aforementioned turkish groups, as they demand that the new government makes true on their election promises and repeal the compulsory language from all schools. The results of such educational politics can already be seen in the case of Berlin. The ultimate consequences for the whole society are rather inconceivable.
The same government in Berlin not only has plans for their education politics, but for the asylum- and migration-politics as well. Red-Red-Green plans to explore every option of abusing the current Residence Act – which Katina Schubert von Die Linke calls racist and rotten – to deport as few denied asylumseekers as possible and to complicate the deportation as much as possible. Via the commission for hardship cases and suspension of deportation, migrants who didn't get a residence permit shall obtain it nevertheless, by staying as long as possible in the country, until they get the necessary permits through time and the german passport after eight years of stay – despite all illegitimacy. Additionally, detention pending deportation shall be abolished, instead using so-called deportation observers, who are supposed to make the process transparent and are being made available by organisations like PRO ASYL.
Open borders, banned messages
In the meantime, it has to be guaranteed, that the image and reputation remains adequate for the intercultural opening, that the right words and pictures are used, to describe the process for the national citizens and paint it in the right light. After the political earthquake of the Brexit and the US american elections of Donald Trump, which was greatly influenced by social media and impacted it all the same, the agenda of the MSM und it's direct interaction with the political caste was made blatantly obvious, it's reputation suffered hard, and it is now on the european media and political elite, to battle the phantom of the so-called trolls and their newest creation: Fake News.
The hysterical panic over the growing expansion of alternative media and reports in the internet reaches ever-new heights; such heights, that Heiko Maas and his leading Stasi general Anetta Kahane aren't sufficient anymore to wage this war. After the warnings of parting US president Obama in Berlin – fresh after the loss of Hillary Clinton, whom he supported all throughout her campaign, and which in turn entertained more than dubious relationships with the US MSM, as was revealed by Wikileaks -, several german politicians followed suit. Sigmar Gabriel, Heiko Maas, Volker Kauder, among others, demanded stricter laws and regulations against hate speech, radical tendencies and sanctions against operators of relevant platforms who don't abide by those. Facebook and Google already planned for such measures taken against so-called Fake News, without there ever being any form of discussion on the matter what applies to this terminology. As such, it wasn't a big surprise when Angela Merkel herself reused the same accusations and demands, after announcing her candidature for the upcoming elections in 2017, as well as the wish for new laws pertaining this topic. At this speech, she also managed the phenomenal sentence: <Openness will bring us more security than isolation.>
Diversity at every cost
And obviously, the country needs more openness. For some people in here, it can't be open enough and it cannot get full enough. How many immigrants are still flooding into the country on a daily basis is impossible to tell: Polish smugglers – entry via Swiss – directly flown in out of Italy or Greece. There is no end in sight, as long as the ones responsible hold onto their absurd politics, repeating their delusional mantra over and over again: Migration is not the problem, but the solution. Thus told the soon-to-be general secretary of the United Nations, António Guterres, his french audience, consisting of politicians and researchers. He persists, that that nations of the European Union have to be forced to accept the burden of mass-immigration. The europeans have to be convinced, that migration is unavoidable, and that it's multi-ethnical, multi-cultural, multi-religious societies, that create wealth; says Guterres.
If these allegations have any rooting in reality, or if Guterres could name any examples of that, wasn't reported. With a little bit of effort, one can visualize the best possible outcome already. Be it in the field of social society, like the case of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where the degenerating problems of the migrantcrisis are forcing the local mayor to surrender before a small horde of North Africans. Be it in the field of economics, where the media attempts to convince the citizenry, that the refugees will save us from a recession. Be it in the field of security, where the cases of violence against german citizens and especially the police is growing more and more, revealing a ever-rising potential of brutality and impudence. Oder ultimately be it in the field of demographics – where pure numbers and statistics document our horrible future.
As a finish for this article, i had intended a quote from Dr. Václav Klaus, Czech politican and former president, in the latest symposium about massimmigration. But this wouldn't do him justice. Instead, i will link the following video of an interview with him and former german state TV news anchor, Eva Herman.


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Crystal Glass Laser Etched Chinese Zodiac Dragon
The Chinese animal zodiac or shengxiao (/shnng-sshyaoww/ "born resembling") is a repeating cycle of 12 years, with each year being represented by an animal. Traditionally these zodiac animals were used to date the years.
Supplied in a beautiful presentation box along with a summary of typical characteristics, these birth signs will make a fabulous birthday, anniversary or christening present which will be treasured for years to come.The Dragon represents the following years:
1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012
H 8cm x D 5cm x W 5cm
Postage & packing to any UK address £3.60


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Family Committee: Parent Education for Healthy Maine Children
To ensure that Maine families have access to a comprehensive array of family-centered, collaborative prevention services, including Home Visiting, Family Literacy, Parenting Education, and child abuse prevention. To ensure that Maine supports family-friendly practices that enable families of young children to secure their basic needs.
This committee is co-led by Council member Jan Clarkin, and Pam LaHaye, the Maine Families home visiting Program Coordinator. There are currently 12 additional committee members representing a wide variety of organizations and individuals with an interest in the priorities of this committee, including Maine state government, the university system, and many other networks, organizations and individuals.
The committee's work plan identifies several areas of interest and attention, including:
- Maine Families Home Visiting
- Strengthening Maine Families (protective factor development)
- Parent Education, including:
o Infant Safe Sleep Education
o Infant Crying & Shaken Baby Syndrome prevention education
o Parent Education Delivery innovation
- Coordination of Dr. Brazelton's Touchpoints training for Home Visitors
- Family Literacy
- Parent Leadership Development
These are not all areas of activity or priority and include areas that we both lead and simply monitor. Examples of accomplishments within these areas include:
- Successful completion of a white paper on Parent Education in Maine, (link to PDF file: Parent Education) prepared in partnership with the University of Maine.
- Continue leading the efforts to expand the Strengthening Families approach throughout Maine – and currently offer a free 15 hour training in Strengthening Families and offer a wide array of trainings throughout Maine
- Fully implemented the evidence based Period of PURPLE Crying
- Shaken Baby Syndrome prevention program in 100% of Maine birthing facilities and support through all of Maine Families Home Visitors, Public Health Nursing and other community partners
- Provide Infant Safe Sleep videos to all birthing facilities and other key community partners to be used in parent education. Link to videos.
- Established a Cribs for Kids chapter in Maine which provides free pack n play cribs to families that would otherwise have their infant in an unsafe sleep situation
Current priority areas of focus for this committee:
- The development of a Virtual Parent Education delivery – Maine Parent's Place
- Expansion of the community support for the Period of PURPLE Crying
- Expansion of an infant safe sleep campaign
- Expansion of Strengthening Maine Families training for Child Care providers as well as the offering of a 30 hour full training through the Maine Roads to Quality (MRTQ)


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Global Release Liner Market: Snapshot
The demand for release liners is highly influenced by the progress in the packaging industry. The growing preference for innovative and quality packaging all over the world, together with the rising investments in the pharmaceuticals and the food and beverages industries, is likely to further boost the global market for release liners over the forthcoming years.
Driven by a widespread usage of release liners in pressure sensitive applications, the opportunity in this market is expected to increase from US$10.0 bn in 2015 to US$17.0 bn by 2024, rising at a CAGR 6.30% between 2016 and 2024. During the same period of time, the consumption volume is estimated to increase at a 4.30% CAGR.
Pressure-sensitive Labeling Technology-based Release Liners to Witness Continued Increase in Consumption
Adhesive applied, pressure sensitive labeling, in-mold, and sleeving are the prime labeling technologies utilized in release liners. Thanks to the heightened need for packaging for food and beverages and pharmaceutical products, the consumption of pressure sensitive labeling-based release liners has been greater than other liners. In terms of revenue, this segment is projected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period and account for a share of more than 44% by 2024.
The sleeving technology segment is also anticipated to gain significant momentum in the coming years due to the high level of efficiency provided by it to release liners. On the other hand, the adhesive applied technology segment will witness a decline in its market share over the forecast period.
Asia Pacific to Continue as Global Leader
The worldwide market for release liners is spread across Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, North America, and Europe. Among these, Asia Pacific surfaced as the leading regional market in 2015 with US$3.2 bn in revenues. Researchers expect this regional market to remain dominant over the forecast period. The presence of a large pool of manufacturers, as well as vendors of release liner products, in Asia Pacific is the key factor behind the growth of this regional market. Apart from this, the increasing construction of new manufacturing facilities in various Asian countries, such as Indonesia and Malaysia is also projected to boost the Asia Pacific markets for release liners over the forthcoming years.
The Middle East and Africa is also anticipated to exhibit a healthy rise in the demand for release liners in the near future, as the market is in its introductory phase in this region. However, Latin America may have to experience a stagnant rise in the years to come, as the regional market is moving towards maturity. Since the markets in North America and Europe have already matured, they are likely to witness sluggish growth over the next few years.
Some of the leading manufacturers of release liners across the world are Mondi Group, Avery Dennison Corp., 3M, Gascogne Group, UPM, Rayven Inc., and Loparex Holding B.V.
Global Release Liner Market: Overview
This report provides forecast and analysis of the release liner market on the global and regional level. The study provides historic data of 2015 along with forecast from 2016 to 2024 based on volume (Mn m2) and revenue (US$ Mn). It includes drivers and restraints of the release liner market along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. The report also comprises the study of opportunities available in the market for release liner on the global and regional level.
In order to provide the users of this report with comprehensive view of the market, we have included detailed competitiveness analysis and company players with unique selling propositions. The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis and basis point share analysis, by application, substrates type and labeling technology.
Market numbers have been estimated based on the average usage of release liner for different kinds of substrates such as film, glassine, polyolefin paper, clay coated paper and art paper. Market size and forecast for each segment have been provided in the context of global and regional markets. Market dynamics prevalent in China, Japan, South Korea, North America, and Europe have been taken into account for estimating the growth of the global market. Market estimates for this study have been based on volume, with revenue being derived through regional pricing trends. The release liner market has been analyzed based on expected demand. Market data for each segment is based on demand volume and corresponding revenue.
Prices considered for the calculation of revenue are average regional prices obtained through primary quotes from numerous regional manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors. All market numbers have been derived on the basis of demand for release liner in different applications in different regions. All existing key end-users have been considered and potential applications have been estimated on the basis of secondary sources and feedback by primary respondents.
Global Release Liner Market: Segmentation
Segmentation comprises demand for release liner in all the regions and important countries in the region. Application segmentation includes current and estimated demand of release liners for applications such as envelopes & packaging, graphic arts, hygiene, industrial, medical, pressure sensitive label stock and tapes segment. While labeling technology segmentation includes present and forecast demand for release liner with technology such as adhesive applied, in-mold, pressure sensitive labeling and sleeving. Substrates segmentation includes current and estimated demand of film, glassine, polyolefin paper, clay coated paper and art paper.
Regional demand patterns have been considered while estimating the market for various application for release liner in different regions. We have used the top-down approach to estimate the global release liner market, split by regions. The global application, labeling technology and substrates segment of the market has been derived using the bottom-up approach, which is cumulative of each region's demand. Regional demand is the summation of sub-regions and countries within a region. Market share of companies has been derived on the basis of revenues reported by key manufacturers.
The market has been forecast based on constant currency rates. Several primary and secondary sources were consulted during the course of the study. Secondary sources include OneSource, Factiva, Hoover's, International Federation of Robotics (IFR), Robotics Industries Association (RIA), Magazines published by the ABB Limited, label expo, packaging world, Alexander Watson Associates BV (AWA) and company annual reports and publications among many others.
Companies mentioned in this report
The report provides detailed competitive outlook including market shares and company profiles of key participants operating in the global market. Key players in the global release liner market include Mondi, Avery Dennison, 3M, Gascogne laminates, Rayven Inc., UPM Reflatac and Loparex. Company profiles include attributes such as company overview, financial overview, business strategy and recent developments.
The market has been segmented as below:
Release Liner Market - Application
- Envelopes and Packaging
- Graphic Arts
- Hygiene
- Industrial
- Medical
- Pressure sensitive label stock
- Tapes
Release Liner Market – Labeling Technology
- Adhesive applied
- In-Mold
- Pressure sensitive labeling
- Sleeving
Release Liner Market – Substrates
- Film
- Glassine
- Polyolefin Paper
- Clay Coated paper
- Art paper
Release Liner Market - Regional Analysis
- North America
- Canada
- Europe
- Germany
- France
- Spain
- Italy
- Russia
- Poland
- Rest of Europe
- Asia Pacific
- China
- Japan
- India
- Australia & NZ
- Rest of Asia Pacific
- Latin America
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Rest of Latin America
- Middle East & Africa (MEA)
- South Africa
- North Africa
- Rest of MEA


text: Located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Taylor Made Solutions is a boutique style owner operated business providing joinery solutions to meet any or all of your requirements. Whether it be updating your kitchen or bathroom, or simply installing cabinetry anywhere in your home, we can help. Servicing both the northern suburbs of Sydney and the Central Coast, we pride ourselves on a truly personalised service with experience and expertise. We hope you enjoy our web-site and gather inspiration for your next project.


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Medium 2 Longer Puns
A guy turns up at a costume party carrying
a woman on his back.
"What are you supposed to be?"
asked the host.
"I'm a snail." he said,
"Can't you see,
I'm carrying Michelle on my back."
I saw a dermatologist about
a nasty red patch on my skin.
I asked it would get better,
but he said he didn't
want to make any rash promises.
There was a man who entered a local newspaper's pun contest.
He sent in ten different puns, in the hope that at least one of the puns would win.
Unfortunately, no pun in ten did.
A pet shop held a competition
to win a parrot.
You could enter without
buying anything,
because there was no
perches necessary.
A woman has twins, and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named "Amal." The other goes to a family in Spain; they name him "Juan." Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his mom. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Amal. Her husband responds, "But they are twins--if you've seen Juan, you've seen Amal.
A hungry lion was roaming through the jungle looking for something to eat. He came across two men. One was sitting under a tree and reading a book; the other was typing away on his typewriter. The lion quickly pounced on the man reading the book and devoured him. Even the king of the jungle knows that readers digest and writers cramp.
Recurring dreams.
First I'm a teepee, then I'm a wigwam,
then I'm a teepee, then I'm a wigwam.
It's driving me crazy. What's wrong with me?
"The doctor replies,
"It's very simple. You're two tents."
atoms are walking down the street and they run into each other.
One says to the other, "Are you all right?"
"No, I lost an electron."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm positive."
Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, but when they lit a fire in the craft it sank.
This proves once and for all that you can't have your kayak and heat it, too.
One day, a man from the Czech Republic came to visit his friend in New York.
When asked what he wanted to see, the visitor replied, "I would like to see one of the zoos in America."
To his delight, the New Yorker took him to the Bronx Zoo. They were touring the zoo, and standing in front of the gorilla cage, when one of the gorillas busted out of the cage and swallowed the Czech whole.
Shocked, his friend from New York quickly called over the zoo keeper. He quickly explained the situation and the zoo keeper immediately took steps to save the man's friend. The zoo keeper got
an axe and asked the man, "OK, which gorilla did it? Was it the male or the female?" The New Yorker pointed out the female as the culprit. Quickly, the zoo keeper split the female gorilla open and found nothing of the Czech.
He looked at the man from New York, who shrugged and said,
"Guess the Czech is in the male."
A doctor made it his regular habit to stop off at a bar for a hazelnut daiquiri on his way home. The bartender knew of his habit, and would always have the drink waiting at precisely 5:03 p.m. One afternoon, as
the end of the work day approached, the bartender was dismayed to find that he was out of hazelnut extract. Thinking quickly, he threw together a daiquiri made with hickory nuts and set it on the bar.
The doctor came in at his regular time, took one sip of the drink and exclaimed, "This isn't a hazelnut daiquiri."
"No, I'm sorry," replied the bartender, "it's a hickory daiquiri doc."


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Hofit 2014 | Blatman-Cohen
10-31-2015: MODERNi: The house location, relatively close to the sea, had a strong influence on its design, in spite having a view to the... Architecture
10-31-2015: MODERNi: The house location, relatively close to the sea, had a strong influence on its design, in spite having a view to the... Architecture
10-31-2015: MODERNi: The buildable site, an existing two-acre plateau, set sixty feet below the access road, affords panoramic views of Westwood, the Pacific... Architecture
10-30-2015: MODERNi: Fashion designer Elie Tahari hired MVVA to add a soothing landscape to a windowless suburban "box" he was renovating to relocate 300... Museum
10-29-2015: Dezeen: Chicago City Council members have voted in favour of MAD Architects' controversial design for the George Lucas Museum of Narrative... Culture
10-27-2015: ArchDaily: Built in 1881, in Vermoim – Vila Nova de Famalicão, the Igreja Velha Palace was for many decades the mansion of an... Museum
10-27-2015: MODERNi: There is a legend which says that the region of the colonial city of Paraty and Angra dos Reis (between São Paulo... Architecture
10-27-2015: MODERNi: The Nueva School is a Pre-K to eighth grade experimental school that emphasizes social-emotional learning, creative arts and integrated studies. It aims... Landscape Design
10-26-2015: ArchDaily: Coarse concrete walls encase this house by Wespi de Meuron Romeo Architetti, which overlooks Switzerland's Lake Maggiore from a wooded site sunken... Architecture
10-25-2015: ArchDaily: The project includes renovation of former garage premises. The garage was located in an extension to the house. The owner decided to... Architecture
10-24-2015: ArchDaily: This project is the first Brazilian nursery developed from a program specially directed for children aged from zero to 3 years, based... Architecture
10-22-2015: ArchDaily: This project consists of, on the one hand, the construction of a pedestrian bridge to improve access between the park and the... Architecture
10-21-2015: MODERNi: The Cathedral of Christ the Light resonates as a place of worship and instills a sense of solace, spiritual renewal, and respite... Architecture
10-21-2015: MODERNi: The private gallery and house is sited in the hills of the Kangbuk section of Seoul, Korea. The basic geometry of the... Architecture
10-20-2015: MODERNi: Sited on a prominent island in the middle of the OCT harbor lake, The 118,400 sf OCT Shenzhen Clubhouse consists of two... Architecture
10-19-2015: MODERNi: A new entry and exhibition space connect a national register 1890s post office with a 1939 planetarium, highlighting the two historic stone... Architecture
10-19-2015: MODERNi: The former head office of Caisse Desjardins de Lévis in the Galeries Chagnon shopping center lacked natural light and was ill-adapted... Architecture
10-18-2015: MODERNi: The landscape design for this LEED Gold candidate project provides a one acre park-like setting for both this cutting edge alternative energy... Landscape Design
10-18-2015: MODERNi: SABO was invited to rethink the Paris apartment of a young fashion designer looking to maximize her space. The design consist of... Architecture


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On July 7 Florida's Marion County reversed course, ended what had only been a seven-day ban on the Confederate flag by raising it again over their Fallen Officers Memorial.
The reversal was the result the county's board of commissioners overruling board chairman Stan McClain's earlier decision to take it down.
The flag had been lowered at the end of June.
According to WKMG, the commissioners "voted unanimously…to reinstate the Confederate flag" on Tuesday and it was "immediately raised once again."
The vote was the result of pubic outcry over the removal of the flag. Residents showed up to the board of the commissioners meeting and demanded a vote, arguing that the flag is part of history and should be displayed because of that.
Resident Buddy Proctor said he though the flag should be "put back" because "it's a Southern flag." And Debbie Rotstein said, "I don't see racism in the symbol of the Confederate flag, I see it was part of the Civil War, and it was part of our history."
State representative Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala) also spoke, making clear his belief that it is wrong to simply start expunging things from history which we find offensive or with which we don't agree. He said, "We are all exposed to messages and symbols that may not connect for us, but we should all honor our ancestors and protect free expression."
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at email@example.com.


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It seems everyday, we are bombarded with labels surrounding the foods we eat like "this food is healthy", "this food is fattening", "have this for breakfast", and "don't eat that for your snack". I am here to say that this type of thinking stifles our ability to really find out what each of us has to do to become healthier. In today's podcast, I discuss why when it comes to better foods, we should begin to think outside the box and not only eat what's in a box.
Bonus: If you are interested in starting on the process of becoming the healthiest you and what the first step is to getting the most out of your foods, you can download a free eBook on what I believe plays the most important role in ensuring the best digestion of the healthy foods you eat. (Click here to get your free copy).
Jared Toay, aka. the "Popsicle Dude" or the "Mad Scientist" has actively been promoting the importance of gut health and digestion for more than 5 years. A weight loss researcher, bodybuilder, and creator of Jared's ProPops and Probiotic Foods, he has had a lengthy journey on his way to healthy living. An accomplished author and speaker, he would love to help you begin your journey to better health by sending you a coupon for a free ProPop. Simply join him on his "Jared's ProPops" fan page on Facebook or share this socially by hitting the "Like" button or tweet this to your friends.
Leave a Reply.
Everyone wants to live a healthier. happier, stronger, and more fulfilling life. Taking care of your gut and digestion with probiotics can be the key that unlocks the box of better health.
March 2017


text:
Rugby League Players
Thanks for visiting
Men Calendar - Male Athlete - Professional Calendar - Screensaver
Entertainment Memorabilia - Rubgy - Football Trading - Football Training
Rugby League Players
Looking for the hottest players in Rugby League? we can help you find them.
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 as a split from the Rugby Football Union over the issue of payments to players. Its rules gradually changed with the aim of producing a faster, more entertaining game for spectators.
In rugby league, points are scored by carrying the ball and touching it to the ground beyond the opposing team's goal line; this is called a try, and is the primary method of scoring. The opposing team attempts to stop the attacking side scoring points by tackling the player carrying the ball. In addition to tries, points can be scored by kicking goals. After each try, the scoring team gains a free kick to try at goal with a conversion for further points. Kicks at goal may also be awarded for penalties, and field goals can be attempted at any time.
Rugby league is a popular sport in Northern England, the states of Queensland and New South Wales in Australia, New Zealand, southwest France, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, the Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea, where it is the national sport. The European Super League and Australasian National Rugby League (NRL) are the premier club competitions. Rugby league is played internationally, predominantly by European, Australasian and Pacific Island countries, and is governed by the Rugby League International Federation. The first Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954; the current holders are Australia.
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text:
Honey Foxxx Ridden Hard
Sweet and sexy Honey Foxxx has her hands full with this thick cock'd dude. He jumps on her immediately stuffing her face full of his rigid pole. She gobbles that dick right down not missing a beat as he flips her around to stuff his throbbing cock into her hot hole and fuck her until she is moaning and begging for more. He hears her pleas and really goes to work on that phat ass fucking her until she is senseless.


text:
PewDiePie subscriber.
by Scrumplex July 31, 2018
A boy who plays Call of Duty and tells his mom to bring him energy drinks, then cussing her out for bringing him Red Bull instead of Monster, then cussing you out incorrectly for shooting him.
9 year old:You brung me Red Bull! Hey punk you shot me you turd! GET WRECKED!!!!
by Cracka531 May 22, 2014
buy the domain for your cat vlog


text:
When: Sat., Oct. 12 and Wed., Oct. 16 2013
Our Nixon, an all-archival documentary presenting home movies created by H.R. Haldeman, John Erlichman and Dwight Chapman and seized during the Watergate investigation, debuts at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 12; $5 to $10. A live Skype follows with co-director Brian Frye. A restored 16mm print of Jack Smith's Flaming Creatures (1963) is screened at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 16; $5. Smith is considered a visionary photographer, the founding father of performance art and a pioneer of transgressive queer cinema. The restored print is touring in celebration of the film's 50th anniversary and LGBT History Month. The screening is cosponsored by the UA LGBT Institute. Visit explodedviewgallery.org for more information.


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6 Styles, 15 Ideas And How to Create An Apartment Office In A Closet
If you're like I am, living in an apartment and desperate to find space for a home studio, you may be standing in the doorway of a closet and day dreaming how to make better use of it. One option is an office in a closet. I had once before used a closet as an office but it was very utilitarian. This time I want something really cool and inviting. And here's how I'll do it:
- Start with a theme.
- Empty the closet
- Decisions to make: Take the door off or leave it on; leave doorway open or add drapes.
- Decisions to make: How much space for how much office furnishing
- Decisions to make: Shelving, keep what's there or replace it
- Decisions to make: Keep it clean and simple or warm it up with color, a wall gallery and object d'art
- Decisions to make: lighting - ceiling or desk top, very bright or ambient cozy
Now let's look at some great examples.
Office in a Closet With Seating For A Co-Conspirator
Just the Basics, Please!
Offices in a Closet with Touches of Pizzazz:
Making the Best of a Tiny Space for an Office in a Closet:
Elements of Contemporary for These Offices in a Closet:
Or Just The Clean, Classic Look for an Office in a Closet
You may also be interested in reading Alternate Use Of A Room.


text:
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I have a 1.3 carrot emerald with good color in a ring made by my uncle for my mother. It is flawless to the point that some jewlers think it may be synthetic. Others think it is natural. If it is natural. What might it's value be?
Emerald's are rarely flawless, especially at 1.3 ct. Flaws are often hidden with oil or synthetic lubricants, but they are almost always present in good emeralds. Any emerald totally flawless is likely a fake. Unless purchased from a reputable dealer with a certificate, i wouldn't trust it.


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Why? The antenna is a key element in an ADS-B setup, but cost can be a barrier of entry. Undoubtedly, a pro antenna (comparison of five commercial antennas here) is the easiest and a homemade antenna is significantly cheaper than most ready-made solutions, but I haven't came across a systematic and published side-by-side performance comparison under real-life conditions for ADS-B antennas.
Sort of a diary, really, I hate excessive technical information whenever unwarranted, but in this case, describing minuscule tidbits are justified as circumstances will influence reception performance.
There's no "assume", simulations, infinite ground planes or conjecture here - I've built antennas, placed them on four mounts on a window ledge, and documented results. Including my errors too, because detailing mishaps might help others trying to run a similar test, something I'd love to see and then share results to the public domain - better approximation of a homemade antenna performance can be only achieved with more data at different locations with different setups.
Images open full-screen when you click or tap on them, right-click and save images to evaluate data. Links open in a new tab, some product links are Amazon affiliate links (you pay the same, full disclaimer here).
If you want the best ADS-B performance easily: buy a FlightAware antenna (Amazon USA) and an Uputronics 1090 Mhz filtered preamp (distributors for UK and USA). $100 well spent, but 1) that's a lot of money for most including yours truly, and 2) we're discussing the other end of financial existence, so none of the homebrew DIY antennas described here cost more than $1, utilize soldering or require expensive equipment.
This is an ongoing test, I'll update with further testing results, follow on Twitter (blue button top left of screen) to get notified.
Special thanks to
I could not have conducted this test without manufacturer support, therefore would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the following companies in alphabetical order: FlightAware for reference antenna and Pro Stick Pro dongle, ModMyPi for two Pi3 Starter Kits, Nooelec for RTL-SDR dongles and connectors, rtl-sdr.com for dongles, Uputronics for 1090 MHz filtered preamp and wideband preamp.
This test is not sanctioned, endorsed nor approved by any of the manufacturers listed above, opinions here and on this webpage are not influenced by them (further details in my Manifesto), but I wanted to make it clear that I could not have done a test involving hundreds of dollars of equipment without their help.
Please support further tests by buying equipment from manufacturers linked above.
Many thanks!
Testing environment
I live in the city centre of Cork, which is the second-largest city in the Republic of Ireland, official population ~ 120,000.
Maximum theoretical range of an aircraft flying at 40,000 feet indicated by blue circle, forum post link how to calculate for your location:
Back-end computing
Results are publicly verifyable from FlighAware station numbers, I refer to stations by IP number in this text: IP 17 is #29213, IP 16 is #29214, IP 08 is #37296, IP 03 is #37301.
Polar plots from planefinder, IP 17 is #94562, IP 16 is #94561, IP 08 is #95661, IP 03 is #95662.
Four ADS-B stations based on Raspberry Pi microcomputers, consisting of two identical Starter Kits supplied by ModMyPi (IP 17 and IP 16, pink ones in images), and two of my own, a Pi 2 (IP 08) and Pi 3 (IP 03). Two 2.5A power supplies coming with ModMyPi Starter Kit, wired 2A power supply for Pi 3, 5V 2A smartphone charger with USB to mictoUSB cable for Pi 2.
RTL-SDRs: Nooelec SMArts, and rtl-sdr.com v.2 and v.3 used interchangeably, previous testing revealed that there's no major difference in ADS-B performance. All testing carried out unless otherwise noted with unmodified, unamped and unfiltered dongles.
Nooelec's F type female to SMA Male pigtails used with F type connectors, transmission line and homemade antennas are from the same 75 Ohm RG 59 B/U cable off the same drum: double-shielded coax with external diameter of 5.76mm, center conductor diameter 0.58mm (AWG 23). Length of coax is 5 meters / 15 foot.
Units of measurements throughout this text are metric units, millimeters and meters from now on: antenna building requires millimeter-level precision, and the majority of the world uses metric, 2.54 mm equals 1/10th of an inch if you're more familiar with imperial.
Antenna elements are expressed in wavelength, full-wave (1 lambda, also written as 1/1) is 300/1090=2752 mm or 27.52 cm. 1/2 is 13.76 cm, 1/4 is 68.8 mm.
Antenna building accuracy to the nearest millimeter, measured by digital caliper. Cutting an antenna to sub-mm precision level is a challenge: blade is 0.6 mm wide, so a quarter-wave element can be 68.5 to 69.5 mm in real life. A household match is ~ 1mm.
Distance unit is the nautical mile, which is 1.852 kilometers, equals 1.15078 land mile. Polar plot references use azimuth, where 000 is North, 090 is East, 180 degrees is South, 270 is West, you do the math for interim cardinal points. For "max is 164.33 @290" read maximum range of aircraft was 164.33 nautical miles on 290 degrees azimuth. I usually get maximum range with aircraft flying in the Europe - USA flight corridor around 290, maximum range ever for my location was ~ 175 nm.
Receive performance measured against a $45 FlightAware antenna (Amazon USA), expressed as percentage of total position reports achieved with FA antenna (=100%). I honestly think if you have spare $50 and never built an antenna, stop reading and save yourself time, effort and unnecessary pain and order one right now with an appropriate pigtail according to your receiver standard - e.g. this N Male to SMA Male for v.3s and SMArts.
Latest PiAware 3.3.0 used, my installation steps here or official link, standard image without any adjustments, did not change gain manually, simultaneously feeding FlightFeeder for polar plots. Guide how to feed multiple sites here.
PiAware starts a new day at 0000 GMT, which is local midnight in Ireland, so I strive to change antennas as close to 2350 as feasible. There's barely any traffic after 2300 in my part of the woods, on a a normal day I usually get between 20,000 and 25,000 position reports, 30,000+ is rarely seen:
Changing antennas at midnight is not always possible due a small hindrance called having a life, but all testing is carried out for at least 20 hours unless otherwise noted.
Your (aeronautical) mileage may vary
No two locations are the same, electrical noise, WiFi, day-to-day weather and aircraft density variations, impedance mismatches, different receivers, antenna materials and construction errors, variation in coax cables WILL have an effect on ADS-B performance (list is not exhaustive).
I built antennas, placed them outdoors next to each other, took images and recorded results. My sole purpose was to test antennas against a reference antenna on the same day, to see what works and what does not.
I don't have expensive lab testing equipment or an SWR meter, because $45 buys a purpose-designed and excellent antenna with a sturdy mount. However, I like building and testing antennas, and firmly believe that a homemade solution can be nearly, and hopefully as good as a commercial product.
Multiply four stations with power supply, microSD card, Pi, LAN cable, dongle, pigtail, F-connector(s), coax, antenna connection, then antenna. That's minimum 40 possible points of error just in hardware, than you got antenna positioning differences and weather, so results are exact, but not absolute, far from it.
Building an antenna and expecting the exact percentage difference versus a FA antenna at a different location will just not happen. As you will see below, on otherwise identical testing setups my figures varied from day to day, and from antenna mount to mount. Same antenna at a different location in a different setup had less performance, and I had different end results with the same antenna as an other tester.
Once again: Your results will NOT be the same.
Links to inspirational ADS-B antenna building posts are included, but not only those referring to antenna designs that are supposed to work according to simulations, I tried designs that "should not work". Limiting antenna choices to tried and tested designs is counterproductive, when progress is made when enthusiasts stray off the beaten path.
Credit and acknowledgement to all fellow maniacs who published their results for the benefit of others.
Day 1 Wednesday
Shakedown to iron out possible problems, check that all stations reliably feed data, mount won't fall on neighbor's roof. Bottom of mount is 39 cm above sloping tile roof (top of FA antenna is 108 cm above), 3.56 meters above ground.
Restricted line of sight due to trees, parabolic antennas and surrounding buildings:
Horizontal separation of 24 cm between antennas, I refer to mount positions from now on as 1-2-3-4, from right to left in the image below, so FA antenna is on mount position 2.
Three homebuilt antennas, 1/4, 1/2, 5/8 monopoles, just strip off insulation and braid from end of coax cable. Discone in foreground marked by red arrows is not part of this test.
Interesting results:
Surprisingly, half-wave monopole collected 64.56% of FA antenna's totals.
Polar plots:
FA outer range ring is at 150 nm, rest is at 125nm, shapes look similar, but mount psn 4 exhibits different maximum range and reception pattern, so will be used for experimental antennas.
Added elements by pushing appropriate length of wire between insulator and braid and put out antennas in a downpour, see what happens tomorrow.
Day 2 Thursday
1/2, Full-wave and 1.25 Dipoles.
1/2 dipole must have had an issue, suspect water ingress due to exposed connection. Full-wave dipole surprising, 91.7% of totals, FA max range 160.3 nm, full-wave range 140 nm.
Day 3 Friday
Same setup as yesterday, to my utter delight, FA antenna refused to cooperate, so no useful figures for comparison today. Full-wave dipole 19,759 Totals, max range 132.94@135.
To be sure that error is not in my setup, took in all antennas, went through connections with a fine comb, de- then reassembled FA antenna. All antennas in the same pigtail => F connector => coax configuration, only variable is the antenna in use. All antennas use the same cable with same pigtails, so the playing field is level for all contestants.
Built tomorrow's menu: half-wave groundplane with four half-wave radials (this is also a type that won't work), cantenna with 1/4 element by abcd and kept in high regard by lots of users, and abcd's recently promoted no soldering, no connectors 1/4 ground plane with eight 1/4 radials.
IP 08 was also acting up all day today, so placed 1/4 8 radials on it.
Day 4 Saturday
As suspected, IP 8 station either has an issue, or the 8 radial antenna is this bad, or placement is off - I strive to keep antenna tops on the same level, but then it's not possible to keep 8 radials equidistant.
Cantenna with 1/4 element was fantastic 88.84%, element is centered and measured from start of F female-female connector.
Cantenna without camouflage sticks out like a sore thumb in a window, so taped it with black tape.
Switched over to rtl-sdr.com dongles, as I use them less than SMArts, two v.3 in boss setup and two v.2 in secondary setup:
Took halfwave with halfwave radials out of circulation, 8 radials 1/4 wave remains for further testing on a different station and on a different mount, can't explain its behavior. It's very likely there's a construction error I made.
Day 5 Sunday
Cantenna performs on the same level at the same mount position, 88.84 % yesterday, 87.62% today, 8 radials a.k.a. 8-legged spider somewhat better, but still unacceptable.
Polar plots for 1/4 element cantenna vs FA antenna:
Swapped 1/4 cantenna to 1/2 top cantenna to see what happens.
Day 6 Monday
1/2 cantenna much worse than 1/4, 44.85% only, puny range.
Connected full-wave dipole (two 1/2 elements) to IP 08 with reimaged microSD card in the afternoon, really curious whether station works, or I'll have to troubleshoot again. Suspect radials are influenced by rain, will test this assumption later on.
Built two antennas: four 1/4 radials with 1/4 and 1/2 top elements.
Smothered top with hot glue, adjusted four droops to cardinals. Tops are slightly higher than FA antenna, but I wish to keep ideal shape, doubt a finger length in elevation will have an effect on performance.
Day 7 Tuesday
Quarter-wave ground plane 1/4 over four 1/4 radials excels, full-wave dipole is close, 1/2 over 1/4 four radials dismal. Antennas marked with red arrows, tops not on the same level:
Impressed by 1/4 ground plane 4 radials, takes a few minutes to make, only requires coax and a way to measure 69 mm, 94.51% of FA totals, max range 151.09@ vs FA max range of 149.88@250. Dipole Only 75% of FA today on mount psn 4, 115.56@250 and 127.33@290, still, the easiest to make of all antennas so far.
Plugged out stations at 2350, tomorrow's menu: manufacturer stock black antenna, same cut back to 1/4, telescopic supplied with many Nooelec dongles (Nano 2, 2+, Mini 2, 2+, XTR and XTR + among others) at 1/2, all on small magnetic mounts, all on identical small dog food / beans tins: diameter 7.4 cm, height 10.8 cm.
Slowly chewing through suggestions on coax collinears and Franklins, 2, 4, 6, 8, shorted top or not.
Day 8 Feb Wednesday
I'll have to rerun today's setup, stock and stock cut to 1/4 no data due to water pooling on tin.
Telescopic at 1/2 astounding, 5.42% better than FA:
Stock telescopic at 13.76 cm max range 162.31 nm@250 is better than FA antenna max range 148.54 nm @250, weather was horrendous all day, like standing under a shower. I've done a similar test earlier, stock telescopic was only 81.93% then in a different setup. I suspect more and more that antenna position on mount plays a part, so shifted 1/2 telescopic.
Day 09 Feb Thursday
No changes from yesterday, suspect two mounts are full of water, been raining heavily over the last few days.
1/2 Telescopic 88.98 % Totals - falls in line with previous test, note to self: outstanding result must be cross-checked at different mount positions.
Polar plots, FA 159.21@135, Telescopic 143.54@135.
Met up with local ADS-B feeder and enthusiast, given him a full-wave dipole, 1/2 arms, to replace FA antenna in his setup, consisting of orange Pro Stick and filter. Long-term results will tell the tale at an another and indoor location.
Day 10 Friday
IP 8 unfunctional, IP 16 FA seems reliable. IP 03 with SMArt's telescopic extended to 13.76 cm got 85.37 % of FA Totals in same mount psn, but less range.
Telescopic at 1/2 was 85.37% today and 88.98% yesterday - day-to-day variation of an antenna's performance at an outdoor location.
Day 11 Saturday
Day off, needed Pis. Looked at mounts and took them in, as suspected, filled with water, explaining earlier results.
Noise profiled all dongles used so far, nothing that would indicate an underlying problem influencing reception on the receiver side.
Day 12 Sunday
Mark as off, system, self and relationship maintenance day.
FA antenna is stable and provides data, new equal lengths of coax on stations 16, 03 and 08, same lengths as FA coax but with F connectors and F female-female barrel to save on coax when swapping antennas.
Monday 13th February
Made 8-element CoCo with velocity factor of .66 and .80 to be on the safe side (exact value unknown), then put out two CoCos and folded dipole. Then 08 has given up the ghost, again, so today's data will not be useful for comparison purposes as I had to dismantle all stations and retest components with SDR#. 0.66 CoCo simply does not work: I know that high gain is possible and some get excellent results, but without knowing the exact velocity factor, good performance is nearly impossible, or by pure luck.
Made loop with screw connectors with and without 4:1 balun to see whether it'll feed data.
Inability to allocate time to testing combined with equipment failures are very, very upsetting.
Tuesday 14 Feb
Finally, a full day's data without any kind of mishap.
Loop, Loop with 4:1 balun, .80 Velocity factor CoCo.
Max Ranges: FA 152.24 @ 250, Loop 115.33nm @ 290, Loop with balun 116 nm @ 195, CoCo 102 nm @ 250. CoCo dismal performance, I do not know the exact velocity factor, will do one more with longer elements, trial and error.
Loops are a dead-end street at the moment.
Wednesday Feb 15
Full-wave dipole day today: 16 is parallel to coax, 17 FA, 08 terminal connectors with coax angling 90 degrees away from antenna vertical, 03 with 4:1 balun, coax at 90 degree angle.
Parallel probably had water ingress. Terminal connectors 64.25%. 4:1 Balun highest, 78.08%.
Ranges: FA 153.32@250, Full-wave with 4:1 Balun
Looked at results of independent site, antenna change at 7pm on the day (full-wave dipole parallel to coax) indicated by arrow, indoor amplified and filtered setup, raw data:
More data:
Results could be down to the presence of amplification and filtering, indoor location, or favorable terrain. Or all of them. Ultimately, 61.59 % average performance of FA antenna over 5 days.
Won't touch my antenna setup tonight, only shift them around to test if antenna location has any affect.
Thursday Feb 16
Same antennas as yesterday, but at different mount positions. Parallel to coax definitely had water ingress at one stage, rest working as they should: IP 17 FA max 155.80 @ 250 and 149.20 @ 130, IP 08 in terminal connectors 71.73%, max 150.88 @ 130, IP 03 with 4:1 balun on a full-wave 93.58%, max 143.54 @ 135, results at 2302:
Different results after swapping mounts, 71.73% vs 64.25%, 78.08% vs 93.58%. Today nearly 30% more traffic than yesteday so larger sample size.
Built two more CoCos for tomorrow.
Friday Feb 17
Looked at results at 0630 and CoCos don't work, despite triple-checking everything, meticulous watchmaker precision with digital caliper to mm level, continuity and shorts checked with a resounding beep after adding each element.
My life expectancy is just too short to spend hours measuring plus/minus 1 mm for a CoCo and to rebuild by guessing exact velocity factor.
Data for today: IP 08 and IP 16 with experimental antennas, 1/2 and 1/4 over two 1/4 radials, didn't really work out. IP 17 FA, IP 03 full-wave dipole with 4:1 Balun, day's results at 2340:
83.14% today. 78.08% and 93.58% earlier, illustrating that one comparison with outdoor antennas will not yield an exact result.
Made Cantenna from a drinks can as per inspirational link tonight, 1/4 top element with a twist: I'm not using an F female-female connector because I hate connectors and wanted to simplify the design at the same time:
I've never seen this solution anywhere, a cantenna in principle but easier to do, doubt it will work, it's too simple. Also made two 1/4 over four 1/4 groundplanes, one with 45 degrees, one with vertical radials.
Saturday Feb 18Morning coffee, then jaw drops: cantenna from drinks can is better than FA at 1035. What's going on?
Raw data off FlightAware control panel included here for accountability, IP 17 is FA, IP 16 is drooped 1/4 over four 1/4 radials, IP 03 is cantenna from drinks can below in yellow, IP 08 is not on:
Today's data shows a cantenna from a drinks can was 28 % better than an FA antenna, but one observation is just one observation, need to replicate antennas tomorrow, will also test 1/2 can and 1/2 element. Haven't seen that design around, see what happens.
Sunday 19 February
IP 16 and IP 17 started the race on the gunshot, IP 08 acting up (had to be reimaged, no planefinder data for today, sorry), IP 03 1/2 over 1/2 can wasted time.
Swapped at 5am out to "Coketenna", and that's a new term, will refer to any antenna made from a drinks can with external diameter of 65 mm from now on as "Coketenna", primarily to distinguish them from Cantennas made from various diameter food tin cans, and because drinks can are quite uniform all around the world and readily available. Measured multiple soft drink cans and beer cans, and 65mm is a common denominator, aluminum wall thickness varies from 0.12 to 0.18 mm.
Three Coketennas against FA antenna, stations off at 2340, data shows that Coketennas are significantly better than FA antenna. All of them, but only IP16 is comparable as IP 03 did not feed from midnight, still they show higher totals:
Why? How? What's going on? All three Coketennas were built in less than 10 minutes, cost nothing, require only one measurement.
I've brought in FA antenna as there are way too much variables in the existing setup for my liking, including the remote possibility of FlightAware antenna problems - the Achilles heel of an FA antenna is water, and it's Noah's daydream here in the last few weeks.
Monday February 20
Mark data today as OFF for comparison purposes.
Four factory-fresh SMArt bundles arrived, tested all four dongles before commissioning, as usual, very close performance by ear, by noise profiles and by measuring case temperatures with infrared thermometer.
Compared FA antenna's performance against local feeders to check for consistency:
Yesterday's FA antenna performance was not on the same level as during the week, therefore Coketenna performance yesterday could have been a one-off.
After all this, I only got 8 points of error for each station: antenna - mount - coax - dongle - Pi - microSD card - Ethernet cable - power supply. I cannot change, nor influence other factors, tomorrow's full day data will establish a better margin of error - I want a figure for system variance before continuing testing and cross-checking existing results.
Tuesday Feb 21
Data at 1628, all three stations with the same antennas, 15.33% difference in max/min Totals:
IP 03's antenna (at FA antenna's mount position 2) showing highest totals, but it was not on the same axis as other mounts (off by 10cm), used a different can as magnetic mount, and to top my misery, polar plots significantly differ, plus too short testing period. Damn, another day wasted.
Rebuilt mount with four identical cans, reimaged stations, reinforced mount. Then by pure luck, found that IP 08's Ethernet cable is intermittently unfunctional, and the microUSB power cable sheath is partially broken. Cannot express with words how much I hate connectors.
Right now, all four stations seem to reliably feed data to FA and planefinder. Only took three weeks.
Wednesday Feb 22
All stations with SMArt bundle's smallest antenna, all on same cans, with same mounts, horizontal position is the only difference for comparison purposes. Black bags over antennas to minimise the effect of weather - it's raining heavily as always, at least the sun comes out now and then:
Mount 1 was IP 08, Mount 2 IP 16, Mount 3 IP 17, Mount 4 IP 03.
12.63% difference in totals between Mount 2 and Mount 3, which are only 24 cm apart. Mount Position 4 plot is totally different from other mounts with less data as suspected.
Thursday Feb 23
Mark as OFF, tested other RTL-SDR dongles.
Friday Feb 24
Same antennas, but swapped stations around to minimize the effect of dongles and back-end setup , Mount 1 is IP 16, 2 is IP 17, 3 is IP 08, 4 is IP 03:
Mount 2 vs Mount 3 difference is 3.44% vs 12.63% two days ago, Mount 1 vs Mount 3 is 9.13%. Mount 4 is seriously lagging behind.
Polar plots comparison:
Mounts 1-2-3 exhibit quite similar reception patterns, maximum range was ~ 144 nm @ 290 for all four mounts (plus-minus 0.3nm), which is the only azimuth on which all four antennas have an unrestricted line of sight to horizon. 1-2-3 will have three Pi 3s, mount position 4 will be reserved for experimental attempts with Pi 2.
Safe figure: 15% margin of error due to testing setup on three mounts. I cannot lower this number without vacationing at a hilltop, where I could place antennas apart with 360 degrees of unrestricted line of sight - hmmm, sounds like a nice day out. On the other hand, it's astonishing that such a small horizontal difference clearly shows up in polar plots.
Met with independent tester armed with the very Coketenna I used for my testing, will see how his results compare to mine.
Saturday Feb 25
Manufacturer antennas: SMArt's smallest on IP 17, stock fixed black on IP 16, stock cut back to 1/4 on IP 03, IP 08 on mount 4 with v.3 telescopic extended to 1.5 but unfortunately tipped over in high winds.
Data at 2300:
2.31% difference in totals between 1/4 stock cut and SMArt's coiled whip, max range was 139.15@290, black stock cut to quarter-wave had 140.85@290, commonly shipped black whip 135.06@290. 27.74% more totals by snipping the top off.
Magnetic mounts are bone dry, despite horizontal rain combined with frequent and strong gusts; plastic bags work for a few days in a row. Look ugly as hell thought.
Sunday Feb 26
Small stock black cut to 1/4 (69mm, testing the argument between ideal 1/4 dimension due to coax length inside magnetic mounts will wait) on 03 versus Nooelec's supplied telescopics, 1/2 with top sections extended on IP 17, 1/2 with bottom sections extended on IP 16, stock at full-wave (conveniently only have to collapse the top section) on IP 08.
Data at 2357:
Bottom sections extended seems to gather more data (13.25% more), but figures within 15% margin of error, noted that wind load is greater than with top sections extended as I had to adjust antenna to vertical orientation twice during the day. 1/1 (27.52cm)Telescopic on experimental mount 4.
Max ranges: 1/4 cut Common Stock 143.54@135, 1/2 Telescopic top section 134.81@290, bottom section 138.07@250 and 133.80@290, Telescopic full-wave 127.33@290, had 61.55% Totals vs other three mounts averaged.
Why full-wave telescopic? Because it's borderline usable for airband due to longer length.
Monday Feb 27
Same antennas as yesterday, day's results at 2351:
Bottom section extended had 6.74% more Totals. 1/1 Telescopic had 61.81% of other three mounts averaged, 61.55% yesterday.
1/4 stock cut had less totals two days in a row than 1/2 telescopic, but figures are so close that it's impossible to say which one is better. One thing is certain: telescopics extended to 1/2 work quite well.
Tuesday Feb 28
Testing the difference between a stock RTL-SDR (v.3 i) versus an amplified RTL-SDR (FlightAware Pro Stick, $17 on Amazon USA) versus an amplified and filtered RTL-SDR (FlightAware Pro Stick Plus, $21 on Amazon USA, £25 at European distributor ModMyPi)
Mounts 1-2-3 with same small antennas (SMArt's small coiled whip), experimental mount 4 with SMArt telescopic extended to 60 cm e.g. 1/4 at 125MHz for airband (118 - 134 MHz) on an rtl-sdr.com v.3.
Data collected between 1330 - 2347:
Ranges: v.3 representing unamped RTL-SDRs 135.00@135 and 132.03@290, Pro Stick 147.64@135 and 13.59@290, Pro Stick Plus 135.43@135 and 140.98@290, caught a plane 156.66@250. 60cm antenna with unamped v.3 122.94@290.
Left antennas in peace, want to run setup for a full day, plus it's -2 degrees Celsius outside with horizontal rain and howling winds.
Wednesday Mar 1
Same config as yesterday, day's results at 2200:
Polar plots comparison:
On a medium-gain antenna. My location rarely exceeds 25,000 position reports with a FA antenna, no matter if a semi-pro Uputronics or consumer-grade FlightAware gear is used. Other feeders in my geographical area did not had such a bump, so it's clear that a Pro Stick Plus did benefit from a lower gain antenna at my location.
And on that happy note February's incessant failures, and this post is complete.
Testing goes on, March 2017 is in progress.