text:
Hello hello. Welcome to Ecwid. We're an Ecommerce platform with an interest in making selling online easy and hassle free. You're currently reading our blog. But of course, you already know that.
Let's be upfront about something: you don't have to be a seasoned brick and mortar retail professional to start an ecommerce business. In fact, at Ecwid, we believe that you don't have to be a business professional at all. Just a person with an idea, a few tools to get started. Someone who is dedicated to learning as they go.
What you absolutely need to start an ecommerce business:
- A good idea
- Some time and energy to make it happen.
But what makes a business idea good? And what is some time? What do you mean by energy? Don't worry, we'll talk about all this stuff in a minute. But first, I'd like to introduce myself.
A Little Bit About Me
My name is Nicole. I'm a writer and a marketer. I work at Ecwid. Despite that, I don't have a background in
But I do have an idea for a business I'd like to bring to the internet. And I thought that by following me on my journey, I might be able to help you kickstart your own.
So, what makes me equipped to talk to you about selling online like I'm some sort of ecommerce expert? Well, nothing…except for the fact that I work with ecommerce experts all day, every day, and have (hopefully) absorbed some of their
More Than Just a Hobby?
You see, I have hobbies and interests. Lots of them, in fact. But my favorite two things might be film and fashion. Finding a way to put them together? Dreamy! So, when a friend of mine came to me with a wacky idea: to combine our collective love of old movies and vintage fashion into a little online vintage clothing business, I said…sure!
You see, she had a plan: a product she wanted to sell (vintage clothes), and a name: Bad Asta Vintage. But when she looked at her budget and expertise, she realized that she didn't have enough time, inventory, or experience to do it all on her own.
But she did have a friend with similar interests, and a good eye for vintage, who she thought might be willing to go into business with her. And so Bad Asta Vintage was born! Or…was it? We got a business email address, claimed our name on a bunch of social media platforms, and started posting pictures of things we were willing to sell from our own closets with cute captions. Dm for purchase we said to our customers. And basically, no one did.
Obviously, we have a lot to learn about selling to become successful ecommerce merchants. So now, I'm here on a journey to shape our little
Now that we've gotten introductions out of the way, let's get into the very basics of what you need in your toolkit to start out with your own business.
Because that's really why you're here, right? To take that dream of selling things, and start thinking about it in ways that are solid, real, and
Thing You Need 1: A Good Idea for a Product (or two!)
Workable ideas are, more often than not, about execution. Meaning that the thing you want to sell doesn't have to be revolutionary for you to be successful at selling it. How to sell online starts with understanding the things that you are already good at.
Are you an amateur hobbyist? A knitter, or crocheter or crafter extraordinaire? Do you do photography? Do your friends refer to you as their personal Star Baker as they devour your homemade marshmallow squares? Great! You're already on your way to getting started. So now, ask yourself:
- What do I want to sell? / What am I good at that I could turn into a product to sell?
- What characteristics make the thing I want to sell stand out? High quality craftsmanship? Technical expertise? A flair for the dramatic? All vegan ingredients? All good!
Once you've got it down in your head what you're interested in selling, and why you think your product might be appealing, it's a lot easier to actually get started. You see, ecommerce isn't always about giving an online platform to
We seriously believe that lots of people have marketable skills and make really cool stuff. And that the things they make are special and unique, and that other people want to own or use them, or be a part of their world.
So we're here to help get the word out about your stuff, and to help inspire and empower you to give selling online a shot. THAT'S why our platform has a Forever Free plan , so you can dip your toes into the ecommerce pool before having to commit part of your personal savings. Which brings me to:
Thing 2: A Budget
When people think of a budget, they think money. But let's expand that out: any viable business needs a monetary budget, but also a budget for time and energy spent working on the project. Like I said, our budget started out basically nonexistent…we pulled inventory from our closets, and turned our regular
At the beginning, it's much more reasonable to think of your ecommerce business as a side hustle. This will help you create a budget around the current amount of time and money you can put into this project, as opposed to an ideal budget that never seems to materialize. That will definitely get in your way when you're starting out. Quitting your day job? Buying a gold plated watch? That comes later.
Realistic goals, and a budget based on the here and now, are maybe the most important gifts you can give yourself when you're starting out. Minimizing early upfront costs is also important (again, that's why we offer forever free!). Leaving some room to follow good ideas you might come up with in the future is another good idea.
Maybe your first goal is just to sell one item and get one good review on that item. Awesome! That will make your limited budget seem a lot less limited.
How to Make a Budget
Let's not get too prescriptive here, because everyone works differently at this first stage of the game. But the easiest thing to do is to sit down with a piece of paper (or blank document or spreadsheet if that's how you roll) and write out all your ideas. Write down your product idea, why it's awesome, and why you're passionate about it. Then skip a line and write budget.
Some questions to ask yourself:
- How many hours per week can I dedicate to my ecommerce business?
- How much money per week/month can I dedicate?
- Do I already have inventory, or do I need to spend some of my resources on obtaining some?
- Can I solicit help from someone I trust to add to the above?
- How long will it take me to get up and running based on the resources I have?
When you're just starting out, honest answers to these questions might make it seem like you hardly have the time or energy to make selling happen. Maybe you only have 2 or 3 hours a week to dedicate fully to selling online.
BUT! Maybe you can take a whole day next month to do some foundational groundwork: things like opening an online store, taking inventory of what you're going to sell, and buying shipping supplies. After that, putting 2 or 3 hours in a week might feel more realistic.
The same goes for money: maybe you don't have an extra $200 lying around every month. But maybe you already have a stockpile of tea cozies and coasters built up over the last two years that can act as seed inventory while you slowly build up the rest. And maybe that's all you need to get started and work towards that initial goal.
Well, almost all.
Thing 3: A Name for your Brand
You have a name, right? So should the things you want to sell! That's the beginning of a brand, right there! And a brand is crucial for having an online business that's successful in the long term.
Establishing a name is also a great first step towards making your little idea feel more real. Like this business is actually happening (because it is, it's happening!). If you already have a name in mind, great! If not, these questions might help:
- What do you sell?
- What adjectives can you use to describe what it is?
- Who are you trying to sell these to, and what do they want (it's okay not to know this exactly, we're just brainstorming!)
- How do you want your customers to feel when they interact with your brand?
- Do you want your brand to have your name in it? Is your personality a part of what makes your product unique?
- What's the tone of your brand (i.e. a brand that sells blankets for kittens will have a different feel than a brand that sells customizable barbeque accessories…probably).
Once you have a name for your little fledgling idea, a great thing to do is a quick Google search to make sure no one else is using that name to sell things that are similar to your
If you're all good there, a great thing to do is create an email account (like a free gmail one!) with your new name to reserve it, and to start assembling resources for your
You miiiight want to also reserve your brand name on some social media platforms, if that's something you're familiar with. If not, no worries! I promise, we'll get there.
In the meantime, here we have a blog post with some more suggestions for business name ideas.
Key Takeaways from Today
What you Need to Start Your Store:
- A product to sell (something you're passionate about)
- A money budget and a time budget, and a way to reasonable work within those
- A name!
- To tune in for the next installment…
Also in the series:


text:
Hello again! I'm so delighted to share with everyone here about this quilling flower tutorial that I uploaded on my YouTube channel yesterday. Those who subscribes to my YouTube channel probably have already watched the tutorial. If not, please head straight to the video now at the link HERE to find out how you can make this Teardrop Swirl quilling flower.
As always, I decided to share the tutorial because there was so many requests for it. I get most of the requests from my followers on Instagram. They have seen photos of the Teardrop Swirl quilling flowers that I shared there early this year. At the time I was still experimenting on the shape and method of making it so that the shape will always turn out the same each time I make it. Now that I am happy with the method, I could share how to make it with everyone :).
For this quilling flower, I still use the same tool to make it, which is the flea comb. Same with the Triangle Twist flower, I still comb 3 different coloured quilling papers that are joined together. The only difference is how I shape the quilling paper after combing and pinching it. I cut my own quilling papers using my craft knife and metal ruler on a cutting mat. I still use the same A4 coloured printing paper which is 80gsm, so it's not that thick. I rarely shred my papers nowadays. I kinda prefer the clean cut quilling papers. I haven't tried making this flower using thicker papers and I don't think I will. I love making it using the 80gsm type of paper as it is not too thick or thin.
As for the size of the quilling strips...I'm using the same size quilling strips that I used for making the Triangle Twist quilling flower. Which is 5mm (width) and 297mm (length). But if you wish to use a bigger size or smaller size, it is totally fine...all up you, whatever you are comfortable with, whatever works for you. It is also ok to use shredded papers. But I prefer to not use shredded papers when making this vortex design as you want to be able to see the swirl design clearly. Shredded papers just doesn't give that kind of satisfaction for me.
The Teardrop Swirl quilling flower you see above is made using 3 quilling strips joined together but you can also use 2 quilling strips to make each petal. I've tried making a petal using just one quilling strip unfortunately it was just too difficult to do. With the Triangle Twist, I was able to make the petal using one quilling strip. So 2 or 3 quilling strips for this Teardrop Swirl quilling flower is just nice! Not less than that.
At the moment, I could only make stock of this Teardrop Swirl quilling flower. I want to make a lot of them in different colours and sizes. When the time comes, I want to use them for certain projects. It's always good to prepare early.
Well, that's all for April. This year, I'm focusing more on taking care of my health. Once in a while I'll try to make some quilling tutorials (I do hope that is possible, in shaa Allah), I'm praying for my good health. Do pray for me too ya! Haha!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Everyone wants to have the best with custom made wrought iron,
we are working to make it happen.
Our Special Production Wrought Iron is produced with your designs or the models you want. You can share with us a model you have in mind, a wrought iron accessory you have dreamed of, wrought iron pouffes for your living room, a table chair set for your kitchen, a bed for your bedroom, a stylish mirror for the living room, a modern sofa set and more. You can ask us to prepare.
Renovate your home, office and space according to your own taste. Our esteemed masters will do their best for the most special works that will satisfy you. Make no mistake. It is very important to take your designs in required dimensions. Therefore, our special production wrought iron will have a stylish appearance that will fit exactly where you will use it. You can also make the product you want using wood and glass other than iron. We are sure that you will like our custom made wrought iron. Taking a look at all the products we prepared last month can help you to form an idea in your mind.
If you want to make your own touches to the decoration of your home or office,
You can get help from our professional wrought iron masters and contact us.
Our Open Address
Mehmet Akif Mah. İnönü St. Oray St. No: 2 PK. 34290
Ikitelli, Kucukcekmece / Istanbul
Tel: 0212 472 24 26
Working Hours
Weekdays – Weekends
08:30 / 19:00 – 09:00 / 13:30
Direct Communication
Erol UÇAR
Tel: 0539 317 29 71
Thank you for visiting and reviewing our website!


text:
According to Countryaah data, the Itzas were one of the peoples who made up the Mayan empire, which included the south of modern-day Mexico, Guatemala and Belice. They settled in Belize, and participated in the construction of the cities of Lubaatún, Pusilhá and what the archaeologists in the absence of better calling San José.
In 1502 Columbus ruled the coast of the country and christened it Bahia de Honduras. It was primarily the Spaniards who constituted the region's most important colonial power, but they never succeeded in conquering Belize, where they met fierce opposition from the indigenous people. Spain allowed under the Treaty of Paris of 1763 that the English set out on the exploitation of precious wood; an authorization confirmed in the Treaty of Versailles from 1783. From the Yucatan headquarters – present Mexico – Spaniards repeatedly tried to expel the English, mainly engaged in piracy. The British had gained full control of the island in 1798, although the Spaniards still officially retained supremacy. Not until 1862 did British Honduras become an English colony. A government appointed by the British Crown was established in 1871 and the area was administered by the governor of Jamaica until 1884.
Attracted in particular by the cedar, campeche and tinted trees, some English traders settled in the sparsely populated coastal areas in the 17th century and began to import African slaves during this period in order to have the necessary labor. In a short time the number of slaves exceeded the European colonizers, and in 1784, almost 10% of the total population of European descent; a relationship that hasn't changed much since.
According to thesciencetutor, the composition of the Belize population became even more disparate in the early 19th century. At that time, they began to "import" garifuna to the southern part of Belize. The racial war that took place on the Yucatan Peninsula between 1847 and 1853 displaced tens of thousands of Spanish speakers from northern Belize, at the same time as several Mayan communities again settled in the north and west. These migrants brought technical innovations and developed agriculture, helping to not only improve survival opportunities but also help improve sugar production., bananas and citrus fruits. From 1860-1870, the plantation owners provided for the immigration of thousands of workers who came mainly from China and India. At the end of the century, Mayan and Kekchi Indians, who had fled Guatemala, founded self-sufficient communities in southern and western Belize.
In the early 20th century, the ethnic composition of the people of Belice was reasonably stable, but the economy was stagnant and the British colony administration prevented any democratic action. A hurricane destroyed a large part of Belize City in 1931. A series of strikes and demonstrations, organized by workers and unemployed, led to the formation of trade unions and led to renewed demands for democratization. The right to vote was introduced in 1936, but was severely hampered by the requirement to read and write, the requirement to own real estate and the racial requirements. When the governor devalued the national currency in 1949, the union leaders and the colored middle class united to form People's Committees to demand constitutional reform.
- Visit abbreviationfinder.org for business, geography, history, politics, and society of Belize. Also find most commonly used abbreviations and acronyms about this country.
From this movement, in 1950, the initiative for the founding of the United People's Party, led by George Price, emerged overwhelmingly in the first election in which they participated. The general and direct elections to a legislative assembly were introduced in 1954. In 1961 a system of ministerial government was introduced, and in 1964 the country gained autonomy and George Price became prime minister. On June 1, the country changed its name from British Honduras to Belize.


text:
Fence Installation Fresno California
Best Fence Contractor in Fresno
We offer a variety of services to meet a wide range of needs for our clients. Don't hesitate to call and ask if you need help with something that is not specified below. Our staff is always happy to help you with your project needs. We are not only the best fence installation contractor in Fresno, California, but we are also the best fence repair contractor too! At our office we are also able to help you retrieve permits and HOA approvals. Often times when doing projects on properties, permits can become an issue. We can help you understand what can and can't be done on your property so that you don't run into any issues in the future. It is very important to us to make sure that our clients don't break any rules or laws because they can become costly if a fine occurs. Which is why we offer this help for all of our constructions. Calling us is a great next step towards building an amazing fence!
Residential Fence Installation
We construct and install a beautiful fence to match your home. Custom fences can be done.Repair or replace an existing fence structure. A full comprehensive inspection is done to provide you with enough information to decide what should be done to restore your fence.
Residential Gate Repair
Repair or replace an existing gate for your property. We are also able to do automatic gate repairs.
Commercial Fence Installation
We construct and install a fence that works best for your needs. We can do custom fences for commercial use also.
Commercial Fence Repair
Repair or replace an existing commercial gate. Our full inspection will allow us to see what must be done in order to restore the fence.
Balcony Railing Installation
We are able to construct and install a beautiful railing to fit the balcony on your home or property.
Balcony Railing Repair
Repair or replace an existing balcony railing. Don't wait to fix a dangerous damaged railing, call us to get it fixed up ASAP.
Pool Fence Installation
Have any kids or pets? This is a must for all homeowners with a pool. Get the safety and peace at mind that comes with installing a pool fence.
Pool Fence Repair
Accidents happen, don't let it become two accidents. We can fix or replace a pool fence that has been damaged.
What do others say about our services?
Fresno Fence Builders has built a reputation in California for having excellent customer service, high quality fence constructions, and low cost fence repairs. Our clients love how much attention to detail we have, and we consider this a huge edge over the rest of the competition. Compared to the competition we are the best rated contractor in the Fresno area. Another thing that gives us an edge on the competition us that we have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, which gives our clients the reassurance that we are doing are best to make sure that the job is completed as according to our higher set of standards.


text:
While the goal of each training session varies, the ultimate goal is the same - increase the employee's knowledge so they may better accomplish their job. To do so, a company must build its learning content to match the various styles of learning, which varies from generation to generation, as well as personal tastes. It is important that the trainer can assess and identify these styles to implement appropriate employee training processes, with strategies that work better for each learning style, as well as ones to avoid.
Let's start by assessing the most common learning styles and then take a look at the blended learning models that can be used to reach employees with particular learning behaviors.
1. Visual (Spatial) Learners
Traits of Visual Learners
- They are usually creative in their thinking and approach to problem-solving
- They tend to be impatient
- They may frequently interrupt
- They talk fast and enjoy verbal communication
- They describe things in a manner that evokes visual images
Strategies for Training Visual Learners
Approximately 65% of all people are visual learners. Social media sharing trends have shown us that most people value content that is rich in graphics or videos to express even the simplest message. Therefore, it is important to include these in your company's learning content. E-learning environments are perfect for including this method of instruction as displaying a picture is often easier than creating lengthy swaths of texts to convey the same information.
2. Auditory (Aural) Learners
Traits of Auditory Learners
- Tendency to speak slowly
- They are natural and patient listeners
- They are linear in their thinking and approach to problem-solving
Strategies for Training Auditory Learners: About 30% of people are auditory learners. Astoundingly, they retain about 75% of information when consumed in an auditory format, like a lecture or podcast. Using tools like group discussions will be highly beneficial for this group.
3. Kinesthetic (Physical) Learners
Traits of Kinesthetic Learners
- They talk slowly
- They are methodical in their thinking and approach to problem-solving
- They are contemplative and take time making most decisions
- They engage their senses when solving problems
- They value practical knowledge over theoretical concepts
Strategies for Training Kinesthetic Learners
Tactile or kinesthetic learners need to put their hands to something in order to most effectively learn. However, they can learn by watching others perform as well as through interaction with the computer. They need to put all the lessons into practice as soon as possible, though, to complete the learning process. These types of learners provide the biggest challenge for the most e-learning environments. One strategy is to provide instruction time, followed by a lab where the new skill can be demonstrated and practiced. Interactive computer programs should be utilized to keep the kinesthetic learner engaged.
4. Read/Write Learners
Traits of Read/Write Learners
- They prefer text-based communication
- They enjoy reading
- They express their ideas more easily in writing
- They respond to infographics and diagrams
- They are list makers and note takers
- They problem solve by "writing through it"
Strategies for Training Read-write Learners
The best strategy for reaching this group of learners is to provide well-written engaging learning content. Graphics, videos, and diagrams should be captioned and described. Encourage note taking. Computer testing modules should, in addition to, multiple choice distractors, also provide long form input. This allows the learner to express their answers or the reason for their answer in writing, which helps greatly with retention.
Blended Learning Models
Learning requirements and preferences of each learner vary, as well, they can be mixed. One may better learn some subjects visually while other subjects kinesthetically. For this reason, organizations should attempt a blend of training approaches in their eLearning strategies. Blended learning will combine multiple types of media designed in ways that complement each other and promote retention for each learning behavior. Infographics are an excellent tool to incorporate the various teaching modalities needed to reach learners of all types. Video and sound clips can be embedded, and a mixture of text and graphics is used to explain and show a concept. Blended learning can also include a variety of learning activities in a number of environments including physical classroom training, guided e-learning, self-paced e-learning and hands-on practicum.
While no two people learn in the exact same way, most of us share traits that place us in one or more of the four groups discussed. A company seeking to build their learning content around the styles of learning may also consider a more inclusive blended approach utilizing the various learning style strategies.
Knowledge Anywhere can help your company develop a training and eLearning solutions that meet the needs of all your employees regardless of the style in which they learn. Contact us today to learn more!
Similar Posts
Learn how you put education at the center of your organization with these great articles and resources.


text:
10 Convenient iPhone and Android Charging Solutions to Make Sure You Stay Connected For when your battery is dying and you don't have an outlet nearby.
By Entrepreneur Store •
Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you'll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.
We've all been there. About to head into an important meeting, with a few unresolved problems on the homefront, and your battery is rapidly approaching 0 percent. Every entrepreneur should have a few charging solutions on hand for this eventuality. We've rounded up some great options for you here to ensure you've always got power when you need it.
QiStone+ Wireless Portable Charger
Keep your Qi-compatible phone charged up easily with this portable wireless charger. It's built with sharing in mind, with an integrated USB port that lets you charge a second device simultaneously, thanks to the 4,000mAh capacity.
Get the QiStone+ Wireless Portable Charger for $29.99 (Reg. $79), a savings of 62 percent.
HyperCharger PRO V.2 All-in-One Charger
Winner of a Best of Innovation Award at CES 2018, the HyperCharger PRO V.2 incorporates Apple Lightning, micro-USB, and USB-C cables, as well as a USB port so you can charge up to three devices at once. Thanks to 25W charging power and 8,000mAh capacity, it's an absolute powerhouse. Plus, you can get two for the price of one!
Get the HyperCharger PRO for $29.99 (Reg. $59), a savings of 50 percent.
Extreme Boost 20,000mAh Back Up Battery
With a colossal 20,000mAh battery capacity, Extreme Boost is the ultimate back-up battery. With four USB ports, it can charge your entire tech arsenal at once to ensure you're always ready to go.
Get the Extreme Boost 20,000mAh Back Up Battery for $32.99 (Reg. $89), a savings of 63 percent.
SCOUT Wireless 5,000mAh Portable Charger
The Gadgeteer calls SCOUT the Swiss Army Knife of portable chargers because it has a built-in wall charger, cables, quick-charging USB port, and intelligent charging technology. This single 5,000mAh portable charger can power up just about all of your devices on the go. It even offers Qi wireless charging.
Get the SCOUT Wireless 5,000mAh Portable Charger for $39.99 (Reg. $80), a savings of 50 percent.
HyperDigital Ultra Series Charger
A 2019 CES Innovation Award winner, the HyperDigital takes your smartphone from zero to 50 percent in just 25 minutes. With 20W of charging power and 11,000mAh capacity, this powerful charger works quickly to keep you in the game.
Get the HyperDigital Ultra Series Charger for $39.99 (Reg. $49), a savings of 20 percent.
BackPack Magnetic 5,000mAh Powerbank
This clever charger is equipped with extra strength magnets inside that attach to your Qi-compatible smartphone for an elegant, simple charging experience. It also has USB and USB-C ports for a more versatile charging experience. Just snap it on and charge!
Get the BackPack Magnetic 5,000mAh Powerbank for $39.99 (Reg. $49), a savings of 20 percent.
Chargeworx 10,000mAh Power Bank with AirPods Holder
With a 10,000mAh capacity, the Chargeworx can provide up to 75 hours of extra power for your smartphone and other USB devices. It even has a dedicated charging slot for your AirPods.
Get the Chargeworx 10,000mAh Power Bank with AirPods Holder for $41.99 (Reg. $49), a savings of 16 percent.
Porta 3-in-1 Power Bank for Phone, Apple Watch, and AirPods
Why use three different chargers for all of your Apple devices when you can use one? This 3-in-1 charger lets you wirelessly power up your AirPods and Apple Watch while charging your Android or iPhone via USB port. The 8,000mAh capacity is plenty for all of your gadgets.
Get the Porta 3-in-1 Power Bank for Phone, Apple Watch, & AirPods for $49.99 (Reg. $119), a savings of 58%.
BatteryPro Portable Charger for iPhone and Apple Watch
Charge your iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time on the go with this Apple MFi-Certified charger. With a massive 8,000mAh capacity, it has enough juice to provide more than two weeks of Apple Watch charging or three days of iPhone charging.
Get the BatteryPro Portable Charger for iPhone & Apple Watch for $79.99 (Reg. $99), a savings of 19 percent.
CORE Power AC/USB 27,000mAh Portable Laptop Charger
Your laptop needs charging love, too, and this CES Innovation Awards Honoree has the power to oblige. The 27,000mAh rechargeable battery has three USB outputs and a standard 3-prong AC output so you can charge two USB devices and one AC on the go.
Get the CORE Power AC/USB 27,000mAh Portable Laptop Charger for $169.99 (reg. $199) with promo code MOBILE15.
Prices subject to change.


text:
Rockbox mail archiveSubject: Re: feedback on automatic battery level notificationsRe: feedback on automatic battery level notifications
From: Stťphane Doyon <s.doyon_at_videotron.ca>
Date: Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:27:59 -0500 (EST) On Wed, 7 Nov 2007, Woody Anna Dresner wrote: > At 10:37 AM 11/7/2007, you wrote: >> On 8/11/2007 6:51 AM, marten Post Uiterweer wrote: >>> I think that it will be usefull to hear the batterylevel when it is 5 >>> percent or less. So you know, that it will play for a few minutes orso. >> >> Well sdoyon and I thought that there isn't much point in this? The player >> is about to die. Actually that had been my first inclination. I had increased the minimum level because I thought it was lower than the safe limit (under which no writes are done and state is not saved), but I've checked more thoroughly and I was mistaken. The unsafe level is player-specific but it appears to generally be quite a bit lower than 5%. So I've now added the 5% warning. > Since the iPod Nano charges more efficiently when the Apple firmware is > loaded, I would love to have a 5% warning. That would give me time to stop > playing music and switch to the Apple firmware while there was still enough > power to make the switch. Glad it'll be useful. On Wed, 7 Nov 2007, marten Post Uiterweer wrote: > Maybe an option for automatic battery announcement, that is on by > default and can be turned off in the voices menu. There is an option (only it's off by default). -- Stťphane Doyon <s.doyon_at_videotron.ca> http://pages.videotron.com/sdoyon/Received on 2007-11-08 Page template was last modified "Tue Sep 7 00:00:02 2021" The Rockbox Crew -- Privacy Policy |


text:
Dubai, UAE; July 7, 2019: His Excellency Saif Humaid Al Falasi, ENOC's Group CEO has received an honorary degree of Doctor of Engineering by Heriot-Watt University in Dubai for his four decades of significant contribution to the energy industry in the region.
Media Contacts Dubai - Tel. (Switchboard) + 971 4 337 4400 Brand Corporate Communications Management Tel. No: +971 4 313 4701 Fax No: +971 4 313 4702
Please let us know if you have any feedback, request for information or any questions about ENOC.


text:
(AP Images)
By Ritika Gupta | Friday, 02 September 2016 02:21 PM EDT
Henry Kissinger and George Shultz are the latest prominent Republican former White House administration officials to consider endorsing Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump, The Hill reports. Kissinger, 93, who served as national security adviser and secretary of state under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and Shultz, who was secretary of state under President Ronald Reagan, told Politico they have "discussed publicly" backing Clinton.
"We are going to do it together," Shultz said. "It will have more impact."
Shultz also ruled out the possibility of endorsing Trump. When asked what a Trump presidency would be like, he replied, "God help us."
Shultz added that he was impressed by Clinton, citing her "deep knowledge of Mexico."
Meanwhile, Clinton spokesman Jesse Ferguson said the campaign was unaware of the development. "We don't know anything about it," said Ferguson.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.
Interest-Based Advertising | Do not sell or share my personal information
Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.


text:
JIM'S Gardening Noble Park North, Vic
Local Gardening Noble Park North
When you're looking to give the garden a complete makeover, you really want to get in touch with Jim's Mowing in Noble Park North who has the expertise and know-how to provide a first class service. Our fully insured and experience team have the ability to provide the best possible service for the residential and commercial properties in the Noble Park North area.
Whether it is taking care of overgrown plants or hedges or making repairs to an old fence, you can rely on the professional services offered by our team at Jim's Mowing. In addition, Jim's Mowing has built up a solid reputation with 30+ years of experience in the trade, and therefore fully qualified to take on responsibility for the small or large-scale projects.
Use a regular gardening service
Jim's Mowing aims to provide a flexible service and has no issue in providing the one-off or regular service in the city of Noble Park North and surrounding suburbs. Our skilled workforce can provide the fully tailored service that will leave the garden looking well-kept and beautiful. If you are time-poor or not overly keen on working on the garden, why not let the experts at Jim's Mowing take on full responsibility for the gardening needs.
All garden projects accepted
Whether it is clearing the garden of overgrown plant life, cutting the grass, or working on a complete landscaping project, you are certain to get a professional service when using our dedicated workforce. Jim's Mowing in Noble Park North is ready and willing to provide all gardening needs for the residential or commercial property owner.
Make an appointment today
For a free, no-obligation quote on your gardening needs, why not give Jim's Mowing a call on 1300 795 645 who will be ready to fully discuss your requirements in detail and provide the tailored and affordable solution.


text: The weather is just right for grinding some slopes and doing a few backflips here and there, and Spring Bike is a dirt bike game that will let you do just that. You can accelerate your bike using the up arrow key and down arrow key will make you drive in reverse. To lean backward or forward, you need to press the left or right arrow key. If you have to go back, you can change the direction with the enter key. Driving speed is definitely in the everyone get out of my way Im leaving flaming trails with my bike side, and youll knock down every unwitting dead tree or crate that foolishly gets in your way. A few dangerous slopes along with some stumps and boulders that point to heaven will get in your way to try and hamper your wild dash but thankfully there are save points in the levels so you dont have to restart from the very beginning when you meet an accident and landed on your head. Spring Bike is one of our many Driving Games that we publish on TheGamerStop.com. This game is also tagged as a Bike game. Click the play button to start having fun. To play even more free games, view our popular and new games page. If you want to play more games like this, then you can simply check out the games inside the game tags that are the most relevant to your interests or the Driving Games category or the games like this game page at the end of the game tags.


text:
Topic: Early childhood education Essay.
You are required to assist in creating a vegetable/herb garden at an early childhood education and care service spaces that promotes the development of life skills and waste reduction and recycling.
You should include the following areas in your discussion
Promote the development of life skills
Waste reduction and recycling
How you would discuss with children the natural environment and the interdependence between people, plants, animals (insects) and the land
Encourage adults and children to participate in the sustainable practices of the service
How you will identify and encourage opportunities for families and community to be involved
Link the sustainable practices to Early Years Learning Framework.
In 50 words each discuss one standard, one policy and one procedure supporting sustainability, that an early childhood education and care service could have
Type of assignment: coursework
Subject: Education
Pages: 4/1100
The post Topic: Early childhood education Essay appeared first on BoomEssayWriters.


text:
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Zach Randolph had 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 92-84 victory over Philadelphia on Sunday, sending the 76ers to their record-tying 18th straight loss to start the season.
The Sixers have lost an NBA-record 28 consecutive games dating to last season and at 0-18 matched the New Jersey Nets' start in 2009-10.
Mike Conley led the Grizzlies with 20 points, while Matt Barnes and Jeff Green finished with 13 apiece as Memphis won for the seventh time in the last nine.
Isaiah Canaan led the Sixers with 16 points, while Robert Covington and Hollis Thompson scored 12 points apiece. Jerami Grant finished with 11 points.
The Sixers led 76-71 with 7:38 remaining and Memphis fans were booing their team. But the Grizzlies went on a 15-1 run to retake control of the game, with Randolph scoring eight points in the rally.


text:
How EA's FIFA Changed the Game
Electronic Arts' FIFA is one of the most successful gaming franchises of the last decade due to both the sport's popularity as well as the developer's ability to adjust to changing times.
Context – The History of Gaming
Despite tracing its early commercial birth to the 1950s, gaming truly hit the mainstream in the form of the arcade in 1973 with Atari's release of Pong (see image below). In 1975, the first multiplayer shooter was released and in 1977, Atari released the first at-home console. In the 1980s, the rise of personal computers and advances in computing power propelled gaming forward at an amazing rate. The next major advancement came in the early 1990s with the use of LAN (local area network) parties, which allowed numerous users in a room to connect their consoles together via a LAN and play multiplayer games in large groups. Following the LAN, internet really opened up the world to multiplayer gaming, without the constraints of being physically co-located. Despite some early attempts to capitalize on the internet through gaming in the 1990s, it wasn't until speeds increased dramatically in the late 2000s that online gaming really took off. The internet brought about the modern age of gaming, connecting users across the globe. According to a recent industry report, "54 percent of frequent gamers feel their hobby helps them connect with friends, and 45 percent use gaming as a way to spend time with their family" (Tech Crunch).
Source: Google Images
EA's FIFA and The Invention of the Ultimate Team Game Mode
In the late 2000s, there were two major soccer franchises competing on the global scale, EA's FIFA and Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer ("PES", aka Winning Eleven). Market share was tight with many enthusiasts opting for the superior gameplay of PES. That all changed in 2009 when FIFA – in addition to numerous gameplay enhancements made over the years – introduced the Ultimate Team game mode (which EA would add-on to both Madden and NHL franchises in subsequent years) to capitalize on online gaming. See below for a chart of FIFA's post-2009 dominance.
Source: Created in Excel; data from www.vgchartz.com
Ultimate Team is an online trading card game format. Users compete online against one another using collected player cards to form their individual teams. Users earn coins and other prizes for competing (more for winning) which can then be used to either purchase card packs from the store or to buy individual cards from other users on the transfer market, all with the aim of improving one's team. The FIFA Ultimate Team ("FUT") store allows users to buy packs with either coins or real money, a source of added revenue for FIFA. Some users spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars buying packs in an effort to acquire rare players like Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo. This is in comparison to the game's retail price of $59.99 for the basic version and $99.99 for the premium version, which includes two free FUT card packs a week.
Source: Google Images
Delivering A Preeminent Digital Product
Not only has FIFA capitalized users' desire to play and compete with one another online, but it has also augmented the reality of the game through graphics and dynamic player ratings. For example, in the FUT game mode, a limited number of special card versions known as "in form" are released once a week for the players who performed best in "real life" in the most recent week – their "in form" rare card versions include a meaningful ratings boost. This has transitioned into other game modes as well, for example, in the standard game mode, users can choose to play with "live rosters" which include weekly adjusted player ratings based on recent performance. EA provides 24/7 game service monitoring in order to provide these ratings adjustments. Furthermore, FIFA has created a FUT Hub online, allowing users to access, manage, and trade their cards form their computers or smartphones.
EA's Success in Digital Gaming
EA has significantly profited from the creation of FIFA's Ultimate Team and similar digital initiatives. In its recent earnings release, the Company reported $2.6 billion in trailing 12-month revenue from digital channels, $1.4 billion of which is through consoles (where FIFA is predominantly played). The Company, like most game developers, now offers its titles for direct download through consoles rather than selling disks. Of the Company's $2.6 billion in digital sales, $1.1 billion was from "Extra Content" like Ultimate Team. It is estimated that Ultimate Team game modes from FIFA, Madden, and NHL generate in excess of $650 million annually for EA (and grew at approximately 25%).
Source: Electronic Arts Inc. Q2 FY 2017 Results Presentation
The Challenge of the Future
Despite its recent success, FIFA and its developer cannot be complacent. The advent of virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift are poised to disrupt the console gaming market in the future. FIFA's ability to transition from the living room to headset will determine its success in the next decade.
(781 words)
- https://techcrunch.com/2015/10/31/the-history-of-gaming-an-evolving-community/
- http://www.vgchartz.com/
- Electronic Arts Inc. Q2 FY 2017 Results Presentation (November 1, 2016)
- http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2016-03-02-eas-ultimate-team-earning-around-usd650-million-a-year


text:
A month ago, I was talking with my editor about my next article. I've never written a typical healthcare prediction article, so we thought maybe this would be the year to try (cue laugh track). I could cover big topics like staffing, vaccines, technology, new delivery models, policy shifts, money shifts. But when I sat down to think about what I wanted to say that might be of actual value, I came up blank. Nada. Not a single prediction that I felt safe putting out in the world.
The problem is that my crystal ball has spikes … protein spikes. I don't even want to touch it, never mind put my face close enough to gaze into its depths.
In the last few weeks in healthcare, we've seen the rise of a new COVID-19 variant, workplaces bringing employees back and then sending them home again, lawsuits, more trouble accessing medical supplies, and other "disruptors." Put a handful of experts on any of these topics in a room and you'll get five different opinions.
If I had tried to share predictions, they would have sounded like a Hollywood fortuneteller's cliches. You will soon find something you lost (hopefully staff). Someone close to you will offer advice you should heed (possibly contradicted a day later). And a secret admirer will soon be revealed (fingers crossed that it's a swarm of happy patients telling you what a great job you're doing).
Surprisingly, what I discovered instead of predictions was clarity. It's clear that a greater level of uncertainty will be our constant, probably for the next few years. Will our conferences in the spring be held in person? I don't know. Will our hybrid workplace strategy play out as we planned? I don't know. Will we be able to attract and retain all the staff we would like? I don't know.
I've long been a believer that a leader's most important job is managing ambiguity. To do the job well, we have to leverage both flexibility—being agile and adaptable to changing circumstances and new insights—and certainty—focusing on what we know now and what we can control to make the best possible decisions. When we're low on one, we need more of the other.
The next year will test our capacity for flexibility as much as the last two years have, at a time when our desire for certainty is high. I don't mean workplace flexibility. I mean leadership and organizational flexibility. The best thing we can do to prepare for a good 2022, in which we keep our organizations and teams moving in a positive direction, is to increase that capacity. How?
First, get very clear on what matters most.
Being flexible requires strength in our core, as dancer and social psychologist Jennifer Jordan has explained. As leaders of organizations, we have to strengthen the core by becoming crystal clear on what matters most and where we can and cannot bend. Then, we can use our greatest priorities and values to drive every decision and strategy. We might have to change course a month or three down the line, but if the original decision brought us closer to our highest goals, we'll have made the right kind of progress.
Second, invite more opinions and perspectives.
The human brain "perceives ambiguity as a threat," wrote sociologist Christine Carter. And then it tries "to protect us by diminishing our ability to focus on anything other than creating certainty." When we're in the midst of a mental threat response, we have a tendency to develop tunnel vision, which narrows our information gathering. We fall victim to confirmation bias, turning to sources we think will likely confirm what we already believe.
To make the best decisions, we need to fight that tendency. When fear threatens to dominate, we need to focus on creating psychological safety in our teams instead. We can do this by putting systems and people in place that help check our biases.
Third, be prepared to abandon "how we do things."
I'm writing about healthcare, so I feel the need to follow that headline with, "Don't abandon any process that ensures the safety of patients." But in a recent Harvard Business Review article, Amy Edmondson and Ranjay Gulati revealed that the key to responding well to an unforeseen challenge or opportunity is to "deviate from conventional ways of doing things." The companies they studied were agile in important moments because they abandoned how they typically operate and did something fast and different, but not sloppy or haphazard.
In healthcare, process is king for good reason. But that doesn't mean our leadership processes should be, especially when we need to be flexible.
Finally, do whatever it takes to battle burnout.
In 2022, burnout will be our greatest leadership challenge, because it's the root of so many others. A recent MGMA Stat poll found that in 2021, 33 percent of practices had physicians leave or retire because of burnout. Constantly trying to overcome or tamp down the brain's threat response and tendency to hyper-focus on certainty only increases our mental and emotional exhaustion.
At times like these, it becomes more important than ever to take care of ourselves and our teams. We need to give ourselves a break and a bit of grace. We need to focus on building cultures that breed support and wellbeing. And we need to honestly examine what's happening in our organizations that's making the problem worse.
Your crystal ball for your organization might be sharper than mine, but I wouldn't count on anything you see in its swirly center. Instead, focus on those things you can control now, and replenish your capacity for adjusting and adapting as you move forward. With the high levels of uncertainty sure to stick with us, it's your best bet for a successful year.


text:
Fall 2021
Greetings from the Querbes Park Foundation ! We are so excited to have our newly remodeled tennis center up and running……or "humming" should I say. Our new Pro Chris Dudley and his wife Amy are doing a wonderful job of building this business back to what it once was.
The remodel has been complete now for about 22 months. In 2020 The Louisiana Tennis Association named The Querbes Tennis Center the "Facility of the Year" and we are all very proud of that.
This renovation is a prime example of what can happen when private money goes in to helping public money. Again, thanks to the USTA, The Southern Section, The State Association and The Northwest Louisiana Community Tennis Association for all of their help in getting this done. Their contributions to our $250,000 commitment to city totaled $100,000 and were a huge help in getting this done.
The parking lot in front of the park was overlayed at the end of last year and things and starting to look good again at Querbes Park. Our work continues and as always we need your contributions to continue. Thank You.


text:
HINGHAM — More than 350 people packed the auditorium at Hingham High School to hear bestselling author and historian David McCullough for a night that kicked off his tour to support his latest book, "The Pioneers." The event was held to benefit the Hingham Historical Society.
"The Pioneers" is the fourteenth book by the two-time Pulitzer Prize winning author, whose previous subjects have included the Wright brothers, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Johnstown Flood. For more on "The Pioneers," click
All photos by Bill Brett


text:
Oak Grove News
Weekly Update ~ May 31, 2016
Congratulations to the Class of 2016
Oak Grove 8th grade graduation will be held tonight, Tuesday, May 31, 2016. The ceremony will take place at Libertyville High School in the main gym at 7:30 pm. This is a non ticket event.
Curriculum Corner
Hello Oak Grove Community,
The Director of Curriculum and the Science team are interested in receiving feedback on our resource recommendations. The resources are available for review in the Oak Grove District Office, from May 26th through June 3rd, between the hours of 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. While you are in the building for end of year activities, please stop by and see the resources we are considering for 2016-2017 implementation within grades 3-8. The resources being considered are all aligned to the updated Illinois Science Standards, support the science and engineering practices, and will ensure continued differentiation within every classroom.
Proof of Residency Reminder
If you received a letter from Mrs. Azzato requesting, "New" documentation for proof of residency, this will be collected at registration on June 3, 2016 from 9:00 am -1:00 pm.
Summer Reading
Oak Grove Honor Society
Oak Grove School Education Foundation
OGSEF Awards Scholarship Recipients
The Oak Grove School Education Foundation was honored to recognize Tucker Goebeler and Kierstin Thompson as the winners of the inaugural Soaring Eagle Scholarship. Thanks to the strong support of the Oak Grove community, we were able to award two scholarships from a very bright field of applicants. Congratulations to these remarkable and exceptional young adults. Tucker and Kierstin truly represent the Oak Grove spirit. Good luck on your future studies!
Tucker Goebeler
Tucker attended Oak Grove from kindergarten through eighth grade and took his Oak Grove lessons to heart. While he is a strong leader both in the classroom and on the soccer field, what impresses us the most are his actions when no one is watching. Tucker created an anonymous foundation to financially support local kids in need, and the donations provide opportunities for kids to follow their athletic and academic dreams. Tucker states, "Oak Grove helped me soar by teaching me the value of supporting others without the need for direct recognition."
In the fall, Tucker will continue his education at the University of Illinois where he was accepted into the College of Business.
Kierstin Thompson
Kierstin Thompson also spent 9 years at Oak Grove School and has a strong passion for nursing with a desire to become a neoonatal nurse in order to help premature and critically ill babies and their families. Her dedication and leadership skills enabled her to be the ambassador of her Certified Nursing Assistant Program at the College of Lake County's Technology Campus.
Kierstin will enter Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff Scholl of Nursing in the fall to continue her studies. Kierstin noted, "Oak Grove changed my life from the first day of kindergarten, and prepared me for a successful life. I will never forget my Oak Grove family that engaged, empowered, and inspired me to become who I am today."
PTO News
May 31, 2016
Dear 8th Grade Dance Volunteers,
Thanks for making the 8th grade dance a success. The kids were smiling and laughing the entire night. The DJ dancer repeatedly commented that this is the BEST group of kids he has ever worked with. He said he has never seen a group where every kid participated and danced the way they did. He also commented on how nice and kind they were to one another.
Here is a dropbox link of photos thanks to Doug Chung along with a few I took during dinner and one group photo during the dance.
This dance took a village to pull off. We had over 75 volunteers who helped with this dance. That is an impressive number of volunteers for such a small class! The entrance, gymnasium, cafeteria, halls, and bathrooms were transformed to create a starry night ambiance in a few short hours.
The decorations committee was chaired by two amazing and talented women. Nancy Stevens & Kim Moody created the plan and secured the materials. Thanks to Darrell Wiatrowski who cut 100 cardboard trees that beautifully created the forest within the building. Also thanks to Cinda Considine who led the decorations for the outside area and to Anik Obourn for making the large 2016 sign and gathering the votives.
Thanks to all of these hard working people who dedicated their Friday of Memorial Day weekend to help decorate:
Cindy Sanderson, Cindy Harvey, Cristina Buelow, Maureen Burke, Liz Giamis, Kristin Brown, Chris Considine, Kaitlyn Considine, Rita Marra, Karen Kato, Lynn McCracken, Maria Guzman Bueno, Cindy Gleason, Kristin Mahoney, Tom Jermakowicz, Shannon Hertzler, Kristin Fayer, Anna Heard's Grandma, Erin Heard, Mike Calsin, Emily Stone, Maureen Burke, Jennifer Hutchins, Anh Hoang, Doug Chung, Beth Kraft, Snowden Fink, Dave Fink, Paula McGuire, Lisa Rockenbach, Michelle Darnell, Brent Moody, Kris Wilson, Thomas Wilson, Ken Heard, Ed Dapier, Marisa Dapier, Maria Calsin, Cindy Moss, Carlene Lichter, Jeff Frantz, Max Sauers, Gabriela Riley, Amy Sekili, John Stevens, Spencer Stevens, Savannah Stevens, Anik Obourn, Dan Hill, Jamie Hill, Lisa Stone, Kathryn Jajich, Dave Fink, Svetlana Kzleandrova, Bev Sleep, Angela Mack, Ani Mattson, Jen Carabello, Jill Obereiner, Mia Hughes, Hope Moody's Grandparents, Ben Moody, David Stone, Kim Moody, Nancy Stevens, Cinda Considine & Mary Jo Swift.
The beautiful graphics and logos in most of the signs and design were thanks to the talents of Amy Sekili. Amy also designed the adorable invitations. Thanks to Lisa Rockenbach & Cindy Gleason for putting those together in order to surprise the 8th graders at home the evening of delivery.
Thanks to the food committee who planned a delicious meal and a very fun s'mores bar (with real roasting sticks!) and chocolate fountain. Maria Calsin, Maria Guzman Bueno, & Lynn McCracken did an excellent job feeding the kids along with helpers, Karen Kato & Jennifer Hutchins. Special thanks to Libby Kotzan who doesn't even have an 8th grader, but came to receive the food delivery while the other parents were home helping their children get ready.
The portraits were gorgeous. Thanks to Anh & Doug Chung for volunteering much time to prepare the backdrop, purchase & label picture frames, and take the photos. Thanks to Paula McGuire, Anh, & Doug who ran to Walgreens during the dance and had all photos framed and ready to send home with the kids by the end of the night. Very impressive!
The favors were a hit. Hopefully the blanket will be a cozy reminder of their special night and years at OGS. Thanks to Jennifer Hutchins for ordering them and making them look so pretty. Also thanks to Kristin Mahoney, Maureen Burke, Cheryl Gillespie & Rita Marra for helping prepare them.
The entertainment was perfect. The kids ALL danced their hearts out. They ALL left red-faced and sweaty! A few of the boys commented to me as they exited that they had never really danced before until that night. Thanks to Carlene Lichter for arranging for this DJ as well as the photo booth. Thanks to John Lichter who helped the entertainment set up.
The clean up was super quick! We were done within one hour and loading our cars by 11pm. The custodians asked if we could come back and do it every year! Thanks to Amy Frantz for organizing this process so efficiently. Thanks to the hard working crew who came to help, most who had already worked there all day:
Amy Frantz, Jeff Frantz, Thomas Wilson, Ken Heard, Erin Heard, Nancy Stevens, Nate Stevens, Maureen Burke, Tom Jermakowicz, Beth Kraft, Kim Moody, Brent Moody, Hope Moody's Grandparents, Jen Carabello, Dave Fink, Russ Rockenbach, Galina Konshin, Doug Chung, Julie Jermakowicz, Dan Kraft, Karen Williamson, Jeff Williamson, Jamie Hill, Lisa Stone, Emily Stone, Svetlana Kleandrova, Jennifer Hutchins, Doug Hoang and Anh Hoang.
Thanks so much to the Oak Grove Staff who helped make this possible. Kathy Azzato fielded numerous questions throughout the process. Oswaldo Suarez was so kind and helpful in arranging all the special decorating needs and equipment as well as keeping a cool head during the decorating. The OGS custodial staff of Jose, Carlos, Nancy, Heriberto, Pablo, Luis, Mark & Brian were also generous in assisting throughout the entire day and night. Thanks to Mr. Fenton & Mrs. Jackson for attending the dance as well as our super star teachers, Mrs. Oesch, Mrs. Grambo, Mrs. Mahoney, Mrs. Swift & Mrs. Edelson.
We apologize if any names were accidentally left off of this long list. Indeed their efforts are greatly appreciated. We hope all volunteers enjoyed this experience. This is truly a very special group of kids and families.
Best of luck to our 8th grade children as they graduate & transition to high school.
Great news!! Pre-pack ordering deadline has been extended to July 10th!! The company has also changed their shipping service to UPS. This means ANYONE can order. There are no delivery restrictions to apartments or gated communities.
These pre-packs will include all of the supplies you need for your child's grade. Help raise money for Oak Grove with this PTO fundraiser by placing your school supply order at this link. Thank you to all who have already placed orders!!
Enter the school ID: OAK039
Any questions can be directed to Jennifer Liu email@example.com
Box Tops for Education
Congratulations to the following classroom winners for this year's Box Top for Education collection contest! Save room for ice cream! We are so thankful for everyone's support including the Jr. High. Our numbers were down a bit this year, so let's go for it next year! Please continue to save Box Tops throughout the summer so we can hit an all time high next year! We are also looking for "apprentices" to shadow us for the next year or two in preparation to take over the coordinator job when our current chairs say goodbye to Oak Grove in a few years. We've found a 2 or 3 person team is ideal and if you can commit to working together for a couple of years, you get into a groove and it goes really quickly. It's a great project for parents who want to contribute but need to do it on their own time at their own convenience - i.e. early morning, late night, a little at a time, while waiting for a kid to finish practice, etc. Think about it and call us if you'd like to learn more! Thanks so much. Have a good summer everyone!
2015-2016 Box Top Winners:
Kindergarten: Mrs. Taylor
First Grade: Mrs. Alghini
Second Grade: Mrs. Schmidt
Third Grade: Mrs. McCarty
Fourth Grade: Mrs. Moroz
Fifth Grade: Mrs. Gibbar
Elementary Lunchroom Volunteers
We will still need one parent per day to volunteer in the lunchroom next year. The parent will help manage the elementary lunchroom recycling program and assist cafeteria staff as needed. An email will be sent within the next few weeks with a link to Volunteer Spot. Sign up for as many (or few) days as you'd like. This is a fun way to be a part of your child's day and provide a valuable service to Oak Grove!
Spiritwear Fridays
Faculty Wins Again!
Oak Grove School Board of Education
Click HERE to view Board Agenda and Minutes
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: www.ogschool.org
Location: 1700 S. O'Plaine Rd. Green Oaks, IL 60048
Phone: 847.367.4120


text:
Audi considers its A3 series to be a "starting" vehicle for those looking to enter into the world of luxury cars. Today's announcement states that the 2015 A3 series will have a starting MSRP of $29,900 for the version that comes with 1.8 TFI powertrain. For those looking for their 2.0 TFSI powertrain, your starting base amount is going to come in around $32,900.
What do you get for that kind of money? Audi has become famous for its luxury features and the 2015 A3 appears to be continuing that legacy. Standard features at the base price include:
● Leather seats
● Audi's signature Singleframe grille
● Retractable MMI display
● Drive select
● 4G LTE connectivity
● Bang & Olufsen stereo audio system
Audi is also promising drivers that the layout of controls and devices inside the car will set the standard for ergonomics and safe driving. The A3 will also come standard with a sunroof and bi-xenon headlights.
If you are willing to shell out a few more bucks, there are luxury packages that upgrade the A3 into true luxury standards. These features include:
● 18" 10-spoke wheels
● Aluminum interior package
● Keyless entry
Additional packages are also available that up the ante on the sound system and offer such features as driver-assistance and navigation. These additional luxury packages will cost the average driver up to an additional $8,800.
The new 2015 A3s will be out sometime in 2014. Just recently Audi has announced more of its planned 2015 models, including its A3 Cabriolet and a clean diesel model called the TDI.
Written by Bryan Alaspa


text: Our oral care brand Pulporide® is characterized by high-end quality, as well as creative and useful technology which can make your life better and healthier. Both our toothpastes Sensitive & Whitening, as well as our toothbrushes 4-finger bristle & indicator-bristle and our antibacterial mouthwash are produced in compliance with the strictest and highest quality standards. We are constantly working to further develop the quality of our Pulporide® dental hygiene line and to innovate new high-end quality products so our brand will be successively completed. CPF at a glanceConcept & QualityOur brand Pulporide®Our brand Cutifinesse®


text:
Science fiction has become a dominant genre in the popular imagination today. Sci-Fi fans can take a course this summer at Penn State York that is sure to be interesting, fun, and can fulfill a general education requirement in the humanities. Science Fiction (ENGL 191) meets Wednesdays, 6 to 9:30 p.m. from June 28 through Aug 7. The course is offered in a blended format with online and in-class instruction.
"Students this summer will read not only science fiction novels, including 'Old Man's War' and 'Borne,' but also graphic novels, including 'All-Star Superman' and 'The Surrogates,'" said Noel Sloboda, associate professor of English and instructor for the course. "In addition, they will analyze Sci-Fi films, including 'Arrival' and television series, including Netflix's 'Black Mirror,'" he said.
The class explores the literature of technological innovation and social change – its development, themes, and problems. The course is intended for anyone who enjoys the genre of science fiction. For experienced students, and those looking for deeper engagement with the course material, a 400-level version, which meets concurrently but requires extra work, is available.
During the course, Sloboda will discuss the reasons why science fiction has become so popular and make the case that science fiction is not only entertaining but immediate for us because it deals with the challenges of living in a technologically-mediated world, one where power imbalances feel very pronounced. Sloboda notes that works ranging from HBO's "Westworld" to Marvel's "Avengers" films illustrate this point.
Noel Sloboda
Sloboda has been nominated for the Rhysling and Elgin Awards, given by the Science Fiction Poetry Association. At Penn State York, Sloboda regularly teaches Introduction to Creative Writing (ENG 050) and a variety of other English courses. He is the author of the book "The Making of Americans in Paris" (2008), which centers on the autobiographies of Edith Wharton and Gertrude Stein. His writing on Shakespeare has appeared in journals such as "Studies in the Humanities," "Shakespeare Bulletin," "The Journal of the Wooden O," and "The Shakespeare Newsletter," as well as in the anthology "In/Fidelity: Essays on Film Adaptation." During the past decade, Sloboda has also published two books of poetry, half a dozen chapbooks, along with hundreds of poems in journals and magazines.
A graduate of Washington University, Sloboda earned a masters and doctorate in English and American studies. He also holds a bachelor of arts in English and philosophy from Connecticut College. He was the recipient of the 2005 James H. Burness Award for Excellence in Teaching at Penn State York and the 2006 recipient of the campus' advising award in recognition of outstanding advising to students. He was also the first recipient of the Penn State York Faculty Scholarship of Research and Creative Accomplishment Award in 2015, which recognizes outstanding achievement in research and/or creative accomplishment. He was the driving force behind the campus' online student magazine, "Any Other Word," and serves as its adviser.
Sloboda is happy to answer any questions about the course, and can be contacted at [email protected].
Summer classes like this one will be starting soon. Two summer sessions offer students a convenient way to get ahead for fall, catch up on classes, or just get started. The first summer session begins May 13, and the second summer session begins June 26. To learn more about all that Penn State York has to offer this summer, visit the website.


text:
Kirkyard gravestone 8
Kirkyard gravestone 8
Front (A short column with spire) In memory of William CAMPBELL, long an elder of this Parish, one of the poor of this world, but rich in faith, who, by his industry brought up his family in comfort; by his piety trained them in the fear of the Lord, by his love of knowledge, urged on his two sons to learned professions; by his self acquired medical skill, proved a blessing to his neighbourhood and by his economy, was enabled to bestow much, both in time and medicine on many a sick and dying brother. Died 1st Dec. 1829 in the 74th year of his age. (Left) Agnes BIGGS, wife of the late William CAMPBELL, died 7th August 1838 in her 78th year. Jacobina their second child died in infancy. Jean their fifth child died 30th Sept. 1837 in her 36th year and was buried at Traquair. (Right) Sarah CAMPBELL died 31st…….. 1857 aged 72 years.
GC, "Kirkyard gravestone 8," Carsphairn Archive, accessed February 29, 2024, https://carsphairn.org/CarsphairnArchive/items/show/114.


text:
Study of the United States Institutes for Student Leaders Program was designed for participants from Argentina, Brasil, Chile and Uruguay interested in the topic U.S. History and Government.
The institute will host a group of up to 20 students and will be conducted in English. It will take place over the course of five weeks, from January 9 to February 13, 2016 at the Institute for Training and Development (ITD), in Amherst, Massachusetts.
- Deadline for candidate applications: Thursday, September 10, 2015 at 5:00 PM.
- Submit your application now
Program Description:
Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI) for Student Leaders are intensive academic programs whose purpose is to provide groups of undergraduate student leaders with a deeper understanding of the United States, while simultaneously enhancing their leadership skills. The institute will consist of a balanced series of seminar discussions, readings, group presentations, and lectures. The coursework and classroom activities will be complemented by educational travel, local site visits, and volunteer opportunities. The institute will include an academic residency component of approximately four weeks and a domestic travel component of approximately one week.
The program will conclude with three days in Washington, DC where students will meet fellow participants from Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru, who participated in concurrent institutes at other U.S. Universities.
This program to be held at the Institute for Training and Development will be conducted in English, and will focus on contemporary American life, as it is shaped by historical and/or current political, social, and economic issues and debates. Students will be provided with an overview of the foundations of democracy as they learn about the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, the federal system of government, elections, the court system, etc. Students will explore the various complex historical and contemporary issues associated with identity throughout the Americas, including race, ethnicity, and color.
Participants will discuss topics related to immigration and the Latino experience in the U.S.; and will travel to New York City to visit cultural and historic sites. During their study tour they will take a five-day trip to Arizona where topics in immigration will be revisited along with a discussion of the Native-American experience. Other core components of the Institute include leadership development, community service, and fostering cross-cultural understanding. Participants will engage with Americans on campus and will also participate in a weekend homestay.
Program Funding
The Department of State will cover all participant costs, including: program administration, international and domestic travel, ground transportation, book, cultural, mailing and incidental allowances, housing and subsistence. Housing will typically be in college or university owned housing. Participants may be expected to share a room and bathroom with another student of the same gender. Most meals will be provided at campus facilities, though participants may have access to a kitchen to cook some meals on their own.
Health Insurance
Participants will receive the Department of State's coverage of $100,000 with a $25 co-pay for the duration of the program. Pre-existing conditions are not covered.
Program Requirements and Restrictions
Participants are expected to participate fully in the academic program. They are expected to attend all lectures and organized activities, and complete assigned readings. Candidates should be made aware that the institute is very intensive and that there will be little time for personal pursuits unrelated to the program. Participants will not be allowed to leave the institute to visit relatives or friends while in the U.S. Candidates should be advised that they will NOT be allowed to arrive in the U.S. prior to the start date of the institute or remain in the U.S. after its end date. Similarly, participants will not be allowed to leave the institute to visit relatives or friends while in the U.S.
English Language Ability
English language proficiency is a requirement to participate in this program. The program will be conducted in English. The Institute is a rigorous and demanding program; participants will be expected to handle short reading assignments in English and to be full and active participants in all seminar and panel discussions.
Candidate Description and Qualifications*
The participants are expected to be highly motivated first through third year undergraduate students from colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher education, who demonstrate leadership through academic work, community involvement, and extracurricular activities.
*We will put a special emphasis on recruiting participants with little or no prior experience in the United States or elsewhere outside their home country and who have had one year of studies and still have at least one more year to finish the degree.
Candidates nominated for this program will:
- be between 18-25 years old (in 2015)
- be studying at a Uruguayan university, CLAEH, IPA, IFD, CERP or Magisterio
- have at least one semester left of their undergraduate studies, and, therefore, be committed to returning to their home universities following completion of their institute program
- demonstrate strong leadership qualities and potential in their university and community activities
- demonstrate very good level of English (First Certificate level minimum)
- have a sustained high level of academic achievement, as indicated in grades, awards, and teacher recommendations
- have demonstrated commitment to community and extracurricular university activities
- have had little or no prior study or travel experience in the United States or elsewhere outside of their home country
- be mature, responsible, independent, confident, open-minded, tolerant, thoughtful and inquisitive
- be willing and able to fully participate in an intensive academic program, community service, and educational travel program
- indicate a serious interest in learning about the United States and about U.S. history and government
- be comfortable with campus life, prepared to share living accommodations, and able to make adjustments to cultural and social practices different from those of their home country


text:
What if you could use all the best of sports psychology, energy therapy, and throw in some experts in sexology and marriage, then put it all together for a performance that you really care about – your sex life?
Next week you can!
From June 13 – 17 my friend and colleague Gina Parris has put together a Sexy Summit Teleseminar Series.
Ten experts; five days; better sex – all from the comfort of your own home.
I'm one of the experts involved in this series, and I've heard and know all the others – they're awesome and know their stuff (click the link below to read more about the experts). But the best thing about this series, next week the entire thing is free!
If you can't catch all the interviews next week, not to worry. The transcripts and the audios will be available to buy and listen to whenever you wish.
This one week could change everything as you Tap into Sexy!
I think you should do whatever it takes to get in on this tele-summit AND get a hold of the replays and transcripts.
If ever there was a time a performance coach wanted you to take action, it is now!
Go sign up – and raise your game!


text:
Jordan Burroughs shines with spectacular win over Italian Frank Chamizo – 9:2.
The American now has a 3-1 record in this intense rivalry.
He qualifies for the 1/2 finals of the tournament Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov.
BURROUGHS (USA) takes out CHAMIZO (ITA) at the Dan Kolov! 1/4's coming up next 🇺🇲🔥 #uww #DanKolov2019 pic.twitter.com/fi27w8D8EB
— United World Wrestling (@wrestling) March 1, 2019
Burroughs won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He also won gold medals at the world championships in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017.
The Championship is held in Ruse, Bulgaria. It is traditional and intensive competition with wrestlers from 45 countries.


text:
20 Jul FIDE World Cup 2021 – The Biggest Event on the Chess Calendar
The Chess World Cup 2021 is a one of its kind event held in Sochi, Russia, between 10th July and 8th August.
This prestigious event is the 9th edition of the Chess World Cup and has 206 players taking part from across the world. Thi tournament is a single-elimination event, and the top two champions from this event, apart from Magnus Carlsen, will play in the Candidates Tournament 2022.
Simultaneously alongside the FIDE World Cup, the first-ever FIDE Women's World Cup takes place with 103 participants. The World Cup is the biggest event on the chess calendar.
Some of the best participants in the world are taking part in this event, including the reigning World Champion Magnus Carlsen (2847), Fabiano Caruana (2806), Levon Aronian (2782) and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2782).
In the Women's World Cup, we had Aleksandra Goryachkina (2597) and Kateryna Lagno (2559) as the top two players.
The Governing body of the Chess World Cup is the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
The tournament is a knock out tournament with 8 rounds. All rounds are played with two matches. The time control for each game is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 1.
Each match consists of 2 classical games with reversed colours and time control 90 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes to the end of the game, plus a 30-second increment from move 1.
In case of a tie, tiebreaks are played on the 3rd day of the round; two 25+10 rapid games followed, if needed, by two 10+10 games, then two 5+3 games, and finally, an Armageddon game. No draw offers are allowed until after move 30.
- Reigning World Champion.
- Winner, runner-up and two other semi-finalists of the FIDE World Cup 2019 – four players.
- Reigning Women's World Champion GM Ju Wenjun.
- World Junior Champion U-20 2019 – one player.
- Qualifiers from the Continental events eighty players.
- Highest rated players from the average of the twelve standard FIDE rating lists – thirteen players who have not qualified by any path from mentioned.
- One hundred Federations are selected according to the average rating of their ten highest-rated players. These Federations must nominate any player of their choice who is registered to their Federation by June 5th, 2021 – one hundred players.
- Nominees of the FIDE President – four players.
- Nominees of the Organiser – two players.
Prize Money
The sum of all the prize money is 1,892,500 USD, with 20% of every prize being retained by FIDE. The first-place wins 110,000 USD, second place wins 80,000 USD, and third place wins 60,000 USD.
Each round will take three days, two days for classical time limit games and the third day if needed for tie breaks. Day 12 and 22 will be rest days. Games begin at 3 PM local time.
Live Broadcast
All the games are broadcasted live, and you can watch the games at: https://worldcup.fide.com/stream


text:
ARTICLE BY Boon Mark Souphanh
A Closer Look at the Air Jordan 12 'Reverse Taxi' Release: 9 November 2019 Style Code: 130690-017
Colourway: Black/White-Taxi-Black
Style Code: 130690-017
Colourway: Black/White-Taxi-Black
Jordan Brand are unleashing a new Air Jordan 12 to the market before year's end. Dubbed the 'Reverse Taxi', it's a clean 'n mean take on the popular Jumpman staple.
A simple black, gold and white scheme lets the familiar AJ12 silhouette come to the fore. The black suede upper is classy, but it's made even more luxurious with the addition of 'Metallic Gold' on the eyelets. The branding hits keep with the understated theme, as a red Jumpman and taxi-coloured 'TWO 3' on the tongue rounds things out.
The Air Jordan 12 'Reverse Taxi' releases on November 9 at select Jordan Brand retailers and Nike for $190.


text:
The not-so-good news is we are experiencing shipping delays up to about 12 days on some products. The great news is we are here to help! Contact us if you have any questions about shipping your order.
Update your home with the modern flair of our Madison Park Auric Beam Abstract Gold Foil Framed Embellished Canvas. This unique framed wall art features a black, grey, and gold abstract print on a white ground creating a bold and elevated look; while the double molded black and gold foil frame adds an elegant embellishment for a luxurious touch. 2 D-rings are finished on the reverse, making this beautiful wall decor a perfect and easy addition to any space or room.
The Details:
- 29.5"W x 29.5"H x 2"D
- Polystyrene: 35%
- Wood: 45%
- Canvas: 10%
- Karft Paper: 10%


text:
Spotted eagle Ray
A female Aetobatus narinari in all its bespotted glory, wrapped around a swirled base bead of opaque and transparent blue glass. Vertical bead hole, 3/32". Bead measures 32mm high, 29mm wise, and 16mm deep. This bead, like most of my new work is signed with my initials in the form of a glass stamp on the back. All of my work is sculpted from glass in my home studio, and annealed for added durability.


text:
Jul 4, 2019
Gardiner will immediately improve a team's blueline
A smart team will pounce on the opportunity to bolster their defensive corps by signing the impact defenceman, Travis Yost writes.
By Travis Yost
What is next for Jake Gardiner?
That is one of the biggest unanswered questions as we head into the second week of July. Gardiner, who turns 29 on Thursday, was one of the biggest names available at the onset of free agency. But due to his own team's cap commitments (despite a series of moves to grab more space, money is still very tight in Toronto) and his search for a raise from his prior five-year, $20.25-million contract, the blueliner remains unsigned.
It's not yet clear if Gardiner will have to scale back his contractual asks, or if other teams will circle back to him now that free agency has mostly settled. The fascinating thing is how Gardiner ended up in this position. We see a few players initially squeezed out when free agency opens, but usually these are mid-tier talents – the type of players who will surely command multi-year deals, but may not be the high-end impact talents that most general managers are looking for. It's also plausible that Gardiner's back injuries have chilled the market for his services to some degree.
That's what makes Gardiner so interesting. From a performance perspective, Gardiner has regularly delivered over the course of his career. Gardiner's naysayers will remember him for the intermittent defensive zone turnovers or positional miscues in front of the net, but those moments tend to be rare in occurrence. At the end of the day, Gardiner's numbers speak for themselves.
Over the last three seasons, Toronto has been a whopping 58 goals better than their opponents with Gardiner on the ice. Of equal note, with Gardiner off the ice, Toronto has been just 15 goals better than their opponents. All of the underlying numbers suggest Gardiner is a player who does enough things well to drive favourable goal differentials on a routine basis:
The one thing someone might ask when evaluating these on-ice numbers in the context of Gardiner individually – how does teammate quality impact this? It's a fair question. Over the same three seasons, Gardiner's most common teammates include Auston Matthews, Zach Hyman, Mitch Marner and William Nylander up front, and Nikita Zaitsev and Connor Carrick as his partners. He's clearly been the better of the two defenders on his pair for some time, but he has had very respectable forward talent in front of him, which has certainly helped drive offensive performance to some degree.
But there are plenty of techniques to partial out teammate effects. If we look at a Wins Above Replacement measure, which serves to partial out teammate effects and isolate on true individual contributions in all phases of the game, we don't see Gardiner's value diminish. In fact, Gardiner regularly stands out as one of Toronto's heaviest contributors. Over the past three years has added more than two wins per season for Toronto:
Not surprisingly, the vast majority of Gardiner's impact comes from his even-strength performance. His skating abilities and ease at transitioning the puck to some of Toronto's agile forwards consistently made the Maple Leafs a dangerous threat in the offensive zone, far exceeding any reservations one might have about Gardiner's play away from the puck in the defensive third.
But what does two wins really mean to a team, and how does it compare to other defenders around the league? Let's take a look at some of Gardiner's comparables – the defenders who have aggregated a similar number of wins above replacement over the same three-year period:
This, at a minimum, should give teams much more comfort about what a medium or long-term contract for Gardiner might mean. In the context of what he has done over the last three seasons, Gardiner is tightly clustered around some of the better blueliners in the game. There isn't a single defender on this list of comparables that doesn't see substantial top-four minutes on their respective teams.
There has never been a question as to whether or not Gardiner is good. But I do think there is a lot of debate right now about 'how good' Gardiner really is, and whether he should be the type of player commanding a long-term contract. With the usual caveats about the aging curve applied, I think we can put to bed the idea that Gardiner is anything but a high-end, impact defender.
In a perfect, salary-cap free world, Gardiner would have already extended with the Maple Leafs. But the more time passes, the more he is looking like a casualty of Toronto's cap position.
A smart team will pounce on this opportunity and immediately improve their defensive corps.


text:
The Chinese government has launched a multi-pronged attack on global brand Nike, that involves a massive social media campaign encouraging people to boycott the company's products. The pressure campaign comes after Nike published a statement in which it clarified that it had no connection to the cotton sourced through forced labor being used in Xinjiang.
The company's statement is undated and followed recent sanctions imposed by Canada, Britain, the United States, and the EU on some Chinese officials for their involvement in human rights violations in the Xinjiang region.
"We are concerned about reports of forced labor in, and connected to, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Nike does not source products from the XUAR and we have confirmed with our contract suppliers that they are not using textiles or spun yarn from the region…"
"We regularly provide insight and feedback at the request of policymakers on a wide range of public policy issues, including human rights and supply chain integrity, and have not lobbied against the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act," the company said in a statement.
Nike pointed out that it has no ties with facilities like Changji Esquel Textile, Haoyuanpeng Clothing Manufacturing, or Qingdao Jifa Group accused in a report prepared by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI).
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Check your email to complete sign up
Hua Chunying, the Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, calls the accusation of forced labor a "malicious rumor." She warned that companies that offend Chinese people must be prepared to "pay the price" and that citizens will not allow foreigners to benefit from the Chinese economy while at the same time smearing the name of the country.
At a press conference, Gao Feng, spokesman for China's Ministry of Commerce, stated that the "spotless white cotton" that comes from Xinjiang does not need "smearing from any sources." In addition to Nike, several other brands had also issued statements against forced labor in Xinjiang, including H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, Puma, Converse, and Calvin Klein, and they, too, are feeling the heat.
A 'national traitor'
Many celebrities have dropped their contracts with these firms due to potential naming and shaming by Chinese social media. Actor Wang Yibo ended his sponsorship contract with Nike due to the rising negative sentiment against the company. Yibo is known for his love for Nike. Due to his association with the brand, he was called a "national traitor" on social media. But after the actor announced terminating the contract with the brand, users praised his "bravery."
Propaganda videos are being spread online by Chinese Communist Party-controlled media. Beijing-backed state media CGTN shared a video on Weibo that included a quote from an Uyghur farmer who stated that they "fought" to work in the place so as to earn more money. An article published in the state-backed outlet Global Times called Nike the "next target' after a harsh campaign against H&M in social media.
"The hashtag #nike has become the biggest trending topic on China's Twitter-like social media platform Sina Weibo on Thursday with 720 million views and 530,000 comments over its announcement outlining its boycott of Xinjiang cotton… Chinese netizens called the announcement of the company disgusting and asked the brand to get out of Chinese market after it came to light that the company said it has prohibited any type of "forced labor" across its supply chain in Xinjiang, citing so called human rights concerns," the article states.
Follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our email list


text:
ASV Sales & Service is the most trusted provider of construction equipment and in Australia. Headquartered in Newcastle with branches on the Sunshine Coast and Perth, we offer the full ranges of ASV, Terex, Eurocomach, Fecon, XCMG and JCB construction equipment for dry hire.
From the industry leading range of ASV Posi-Track™ loaders to Eurocomach Mini Excavators, Terex Dumpers and Skid Steers, plus JCB Backhoes, Wheel Loaders, Telehandlers and Excavators, ASV Sales & Service has the products, and the support, to keep you working on any job site.
When you want a high-performance machine with reliability that you can count on - but you need the flexibility of hiring - ASV Sales & Service has you covered. And because our rental fleet is maintained by expert factory trained technicians, you can be confident that you'll not only be getting the best gear for the job, but that it's going to work as hard as you do.
Contact us if you are looking or interested in a quote or any other inquiries on our equipment or services
ASV Sales & Services equipment for hire:
Site Dumpers


text:
Austrian company PET Technologies has recently brought to the market a new generation of flexible PET stretch blow-molding machines called APF-Max. Their output varies between 3000 and 14,000 bottles per hour (bph), while the bottle volumes are between 0.1 and 6 L. The product range includes six basic models and five others. The first customers have already highlighted some of the new features.
User-friendly concept and innovative design
The modular concept machines have a streamlined design with alternative coloring and an easy to operate control console. The operation communication interfaces are connected from the top of the device while the electric cabinet is behind. The central lubrication system of the machine makes for easier maintenance. For shipping, the machine is divided into two parts for easy handling and logistics.
The APF-Max blow molder is equipped with a PLC from B&R Automation. (Since 2017, B&R Automation is part of the ABB group and has been well established in India for many years with its head office in Pune in Western India.) The program and the manuals for the machine are available in global languages depending on the customer's location.
The APF-Max series has configurations with 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-,6-, and 8-cavities. The notion of flexibility in terms of the APF-Max series by PET Technologies stands means that –
- There is a wide range of preform neck standards. With the same machine, you can produce both 100 ml bottles for sanitizers, for example, and 1 L wide neck jars for coffee.
- A PET bottle manufacturer can increase the output of the blow molder that it already has running. The 4-cavity model with an output of 7,000 bph can be expanded to 14,000 bph. This is done by installing additional cavities and making the respective changes in the heater.
- A wide range of bottle formats, from 100 ml up to 6 L, is possible. For instance, the model APF-Max 5, to produce up to 2 liter bottles, has five cavities. When a user decides to switch to 1-gallon bottles, the machine is readjusted for three cavities.
- There is a hot fill option applicable to the entire APF-Max series – an additional advantage to the features described above.
- The blow molders are equipped with a double air recovery system to cover the demand of low pressure and the pressure for preblow.
Molds quick change
The flexibility of the Universal APF-Max blow molder can be utilized productively because of its quick-change system. The equipment concept allows using many mold sets for a wide range of PET bottles with minimum change over time. The blow mold is equipped with non-spill quick-change connections that are replaced in one piece.
Thus, 15 minutes are enough to change the blow mold and start producing another bottle format. In the heater of an 8-cavity blow molder, you can change all 108 mandrels in just 4 minutes.
All-electric configuration
The servo drives provided allow more precise positioning together with high speed, stable heater conveyor speed, and blowing process. The stretching rod position is automatically controlled depending on the bottle height when you switch from one bottle format to another. The preblow is also controlled via the B&R Automation PLC.
NIR heating and low total installed power
The APF-Max blow molder is equipped with a special short-wave near-infrared heating system (NIR). Although this is not a common heating method for the PET blow molding market, preform heating is more efficient while fewer kilowatts of energy are consumed. The advantages of a NIR heating system for PET bottle production are uniform temperature distribution between the inner and outer parts of the preform wall and reduced heating time. Additional benefits are the compactness of the heater and its reduced heating time.
Ceramic reflectors are used to improve preform heating and to reduce energy consumption. Automatic temperature regulation is also provided. Overall, the entire design and the NIR heating system mean reduced energy consumption of the blow molder.
Universal and operator-friendly, economical, and flexible
Apart from the flexibility of expansion, low energy consumption, and ease of use, the new AFP-Max PET stretch blow molders are compact high output devices. Early adopters such as Avida (in Russia) and the Kazan milk plant have already installed three blow APF-Max molders, though these were launched in the market not long ago.