text:
I cannot believe I need to say this but the Internet has gone insane. To be clear:
1. The United States is a Representative Democracy.
2. Citizens elect representatives to represent their local interests on a Federal level.
3. Representatives then represent their constituents in Congress.
4. Congress shall:
– Lay and collect taxes, duties and excises
– Pay for debts for the common welfare
– Borrow money on credit for the United States
– Regulate commerce with other countries and between states
– Establish a uniform rule of naturalization
– Provide punishment for counterfitting
– Establish a post office and postal roads
– Promote science* and technology and the arts
– Punish piracy.
– Declare War.
– Raise and support armies and navies.
– Call up militia
– Make life hard in Washington DC
– To make laws
The United States is not:
1. A direct Democracy.
2. Ruled or have legislation crafted by referendum**.
3. Ruled or have legislation crafted by talking heads, political pundits, or pollsters.
Representatives vote for legislation they ran in the previous election, not what they are going to run on in the next election.*** A bill passed by Constitutionally and Legally elected majorities in the House and Senate is how the system works. The Constitution is here. The Federalist papers are here. If you are not happy, you have a right to voice your opinions at the ballot box every two years when every Representative of Congress is up for reelection. Senators, of course, are up only every six years.
I expect people who are not happy will suddenly discover American Civics and find themselves at the ballot box in November. Or, perhaps, get involved on more than a "posting on the Internet" level. Just as I was equally unhappy over the Iraq War. Or the Bush Tax Cuts. If that results in a swing in November, then that is American Civics in action.
* They need to get on that.
** Unless you're the state of California but that is another story.
*** In theory. Not so much in practice.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
November 14, 2017 06:45 PM
The Minnesota Gophers are coming off their biggest win of the season after beating Nebraska 54-21 last Saturday.
The Gophers will be facing red-hot Northwestern Saturday in Evanston. They have a 5-game winning streak.
"Northwestern is a hot team right now. I have a lot of respect for the job (coach) Pat Fitzgerald has done this season. We'll need to be on our game this Saturday for sure," said Fleck.
The Gophers have beaten the Wildcats three of the last four games they've played.
***To see extended coverage from P.J. Fleck's press conference on Tuesday, CLICK PLAY ABOVE***
Jeff Brioschi
Updated: November 14, 2017 06:45 PM
Created: November 14, 2017 06:30 PM
Copyright 2018 - KSTP-TV, LLC A Hubbard Broadcasting Company


text:
Love all about sex i like to play hard with mi cock and cum 4u i like wild sex and make u cum on my mouth...
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text:
One of the oldest and most complete skeletons of humankind's ancestors has been unveiled in South Africa.
A team spent more than 20 years excavating, cleaning and putting together the skeleton of Little Foot.
Its exact age is debated, but South African scientists say the remains are 3.67 million years old.
This would mean Little Foot was alive about 500,000 years before Lucy, the famous skeleton of an ancient human relative found in Ethiopia.
Both Little Foot and Lucy belong to the same genus – Australopithecus – but they are different species.
Scientists believe this shows humankind's ancestors were spread across a far wider area of Africa than had previously thought. It also suggests there were a diverse number of species.
Little Foot was discovered in the Sterkfontein caves, north-west of South Africa's main city Johannesburg, by Professor Ron Clarke.
It is thought that she was a young girl who fell down a shaft of one of the caves.
"It might be small, but it might be very important. Because that's how it started, with one little bone. And it helps us to understand our origins," Prof Clarke said.
The process of removing the bones from the caves was painstaking, as the fossil had "very fragile bones", which were "extremely soft" and "buried in a natural concrete-like material", he added.
"We used very small tools, like needles to excavate it. That's why it took so long. It was like excavating a fluffy pastry out of concrete," Prof Clarke said.
Analysis: A treasure trove
By Andrew Harding, BBC News, Johannesburg
The full skeleton of Little Foot, as she is known, proves that she is more like us than an ape, with shorter arms and small hands. She probably slept in trees.
Quite how she fits into our family tree is still a work in progress. But she is older than Lucy, a more famous but incomplete skeleton found in far-away Ethiopia.
And that means our ancient ancestors were almost certainly scattered across Africa.
Scientists are used to basing their theories on tiny fossil fragments, but South Africa's caves are fast becoming a treasure trove, and helping to rewrite our understanding of how our species evolved.


text:
In the book 1 of our 1 to 1 series, "WHAT DID JESUS DO?" we took an introductory look at all that Jesus has done because of His great love for us:
- He paid the debt of our sin so we can have eternal life and be reconciled with our Heavenly Father.
- He gave us a new life, new hope and purpose.
- He gave us His Word, the Bible, to lead us and to reveal Himself to us.
- He gave us His Spirit, to comfort us, teach us and help us to live this new life.
- He places us in a family, the Church, with whom we take this journey as Christ followers together.
Our relationship with God is a journey. The word "Saved" in the Bible is not in the past tense. We are saved, we are being saved and we will be saved. It is a lifelong journey!
He HAS saved us (regeneration) – "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Eph 2:8).
He IS saving us (sanctification) – "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day" (2 Cor 4:16).
He WILL save us (glorification) – "Who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:5).
This booklet aims to prepare you with all you need for the journey ahead.
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How do I get onto the wars app group?


text: The risks were high. The new facility had to be finished in time for the final fuel shipment of the season. STG designed and rapidly executed an effective work plan to ensure that Ruby's 180 residents had a place to store fuel before winter—STG finished construction in one summer. Ruby can now store 30,000 gallons of gasoline and 130,000 gallons of diesel fuel year-round.


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This gown features fitted bodice, a sheer Chantilly lace back and beautiful flowy skirt. The skirt is made using one layer of dusty pink chiffon and one layer of beautiful off white soft tulle. Back button closure, the buttons are handmade and covered with matching fabric. Lovely hand beaded satin ribbon sash is included (colours may vary according to our current stock).
The skirt can be done in many different colour variations, contact us to know more.
- Skirt length measures roughly 120 cm (47") at the front and roughly 145 cm (57") at the back. It can easily be shortened using an experienced bridal tailor.
- Both the lining and the shell is made of a high quality poly material. The gown isn't transparent, and can easily spot cleaned. The fabric is very soft, luxurious to the touch, and low maintenance.
- Handmade in Saint Petersburg, Russia.


text:
How long can gold keep making new highs? Insight with Paul Sacks, Aurum Options Strategies principal gold trader.Paul is not worried about the parabolic run of the Gold although he says there may be some sell offs from now on " as you've stated, gold is up about 17%. up over 50% year over year. the easiest thing to say is that a sell off is coming. i just don't see it. i think we're going a lot higher into the fourth quarter and into next year. I think gold will spend next year over $2,000 an ounce" he said
Related ETFs : Ishares Silver ETF (SLV), SPDR GOld ETF (GLD) SPDR GOld ETF (GLD), Powershares DB SPDR Gold ETF (GLD), Newmont Mining (NEM), Barrick Gold (ABX), GoldCorp (GG)


text:
Developing Microservices with Aggregates
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Chris Richardson describes how to use aggregates to design modular business logic that can be partitioned into microservices. He also discussed his ideas on how to use DDD and CQRS concepts as a guide for implementing a robust microservices architecture.
Chris Richardson is a developer and architect. He is a Java Champion, a JavaOne rock star and the author of POJOs in Action, which describes how to build enterprise Java applications with frameworks such as Spring and Hibernate. Chris was also the founder of the original CloudFoundry.com. He is the creator of Microservices.io, a website describing how to develop and deploy microservices.
SpringOne Platform brings together the people, process and tools for delivering and operating software services. Learn and share with the startups and enterprises leveraging modern Java with Spring connecting all the pieces of the modern software puzzle from developer, operator, architect, data scientist to executive.
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My podcast interview about the microservice architecture
Chris Richardson


text: Because of DNS-Server censoring in different country i though about using another DNS-Server as the one from my ISP. I read that some servers offer different Listen Ports (110) https://www.awxcnx.de/handbuch_21g.htm (german) to avoid blocking/intercetions on UDP Port 53 (like germans Vodafone does at their UMTS-Network). Now i'm technically interested if it possible to do this with tomato. The dnsmasq man page http://www.thekelleys.org.uk/dnsmasq/docs/dnsmasq-man.html offers query-port=<query_port>, but also notes: "NOTE that using this option will make dnsmasq less secure against DNS spoofing attacks but it may be faster and use less resources." My first question: why less secure? Does somebody already have used this setting? My other Question, and that points to the Mod TomatoVPN, is: Could i use a DNS Server which is running on my dedicated server where i'm connected via VPN the most time? i would need to set the vpn ip of the server at Basic -> Network 'Static DNS' or? this would route DNS request (could be udp port 53) though the vpn to my dedicated server and also passes dns blocking/interception from my ISP.


text:
Typemonstriters : Jeremy Mayer Makes Frankenstein Proud
Remember typewriters? I barely do. I remember playing with one way back when and even then it was already considered old and useless.
Lovely, as the sounds were that came from pushing buttons and hearing the stop bell ring on an old typewriter, there is no denying that when computers came along typewriters just couldn't compare to computers. Since there was no more need for them typewriters were simply discarded. Fortunately Jeremy Mayer came a long and created a way to rescue some of them from the landfill.
Jeremy Mayer is an artist from Tahoe City, California. His curiosity with typewriters and art began as a boy. Years later he has used his artistic talent to create cats, crickets, human skeletons and even "anatomically correct human figures" or what I like to call his Typemonstriters out of typewriter parts.
He begins by finding old typewriters on eBay, flea markets and second hands stores. He then takes these old typewriters apart by hand, categorized them and then spends hours sometimes years creating his typewriter creatures.
The most amazing thing about his work is that he does not weld, solder or glue together any of his creations. According to his website bio, the process is "entirely cold assembly". It is estimated that about 1,000 hours and about 40 typewriters are needed to put together "a full-scale figurine" such as his reclining female sculpture.
If you are interested in seeing Jeremy Mayer's recycled art live he has an exhibition in Device Gallery, La Jolla, California in the summer of 2009. For more information on Jeremy or pictures of his artwork visit his website Jeremymayer.com.
Via Treehugger and Wired


text: THE Chechen and Ingush peoples of the northern Caucasus region of Russia learned by watching the larger republics that have broken away from the Soviet Union. In late October, they elected their own president - a fiery nationalist and ex-general named Djokhar Dudayev - and asserted their own independence.Russian President Boris Yeltsin at first tried to crack down. He declared a state of emergency and dispatched a few thousand KGB troops toward the tiny breakaway "autonomous republic." That repulsed Mr. Yeltsin's liberal supporters in the Russian Parliament. They accused him of using the same heavy-handed tactics that caused so much trouble in the Baltics and in Georgia. Their concerns were justified. Military action against the Chechen - a people known for tenacity in battle - could, as one member of Parliament put it, become "another Afghanistan." Beyond that, negotiations are much more in line with Yeltsin's professed principles. He recently attempted to mediate the snarled dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Chechen-Ingush gives him a chance to apply diplomacy within his own huge, polyglot republic. It's not clear, however, that Mr. Dudayev is open to talk. Still, an arrangement that would keep the little republic within the Russian federation while granting it expanded self-rule is logical. An independent Chechen-Ingush, with its 7,450 square miles (about the size of New Jersey) and 1.3 million people, has doubtful viability. Russians are concerned that bigger, more centrally located chunks of their republic - notably Tatarstan - might push for independence too. A negotiated political resolution to the Chechen-Ingush problem could be a warm-up for greater challenges just down the road. All this arises as the Russian leader is attempting to implement radical economic reforms in the face of growing public discontent and the arrival of winter. Somehow the argument for free-market reform - that it holds the only hope of long-term prosperity - has to be effectively joined with the argument for continued federation. This task could be a make-or-break test for Yeltsin and his reformist colleagues.


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Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
Select a book to read:
¶1. Paul, a slave of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and for the knowledge of truth that is in accord with godliness,
2. in hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before time began;
3. but in His own appointed time, He revealed His word through the preaching with which I was entrusted by the command of God our Savior.
4. To Titus, my true son in the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior.
¶5. I left you in Crete for this reason, that you might set the remaining things in order and appoint elders in each city, as I directed you,
6. if someone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of wild living or insubordination.
7. For an overseer must be above reproach, as God's steward; not self-willed, not given to anger, not given to wine, not pugnacious, not avaricious,
8. but hospitable, loving goodness, reasonable, just, holy, disciplined,
9. holding fast the faithful message of the doctrine so that he might be able both to exhort with sound doctrine and to confute those who oppose him.
¶10. For there are many rebellious, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,
11. whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things they should not for the sake of disgraceful gain.
12. One of them, a prophet of their own, has said, "Cretans are perpetual liars, evil beasts, and idle bellies."
13. This testimony is true. So then, sternly rebuke them, that they might be sound in the faith,
14. giving heed neither to Jewish myths nor to commandments of men who turn away from the truth.
15. To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Instead, both their mind and conscience are defiled.
16. They profess to know God, but by works, they deny Him, being loathsome and disobedient, and unfit for any good work.
¶1. But as for you, speak things that are consistent with sound doctrine.
2. Elders must be temperate, respectable, sober-minded, sound in faith, in love, and in patience.
3. Women who are elders, likewise, must be reverential in their behavior, not slanderers, not enslaved to much wine, teachers of what is good,
4. so that they might instruct the young women to be affectionate to husbands, affectionate to children,
5. sensible, pure, good homemakers, submissive to their husbands, so that the word of God be not blasphemed.
6. The young men, likewise, exhort to be sober-minded,
7. in every way presenting yourself a model of good works; in doctrine demonstrating integrity, dignity, and incorruptibility,
8. using sound speech that is above reproach so that he who opposes us might be ashamed, having nothing disparaging to say about us.
9. Slaves are to be subject to their masters, pleasing them well in everything, not back-talking,
10. not purloining, but showing utmost trustworthiness so that they might always adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.
11. For the saving grace of God has appeared to all men,
12. teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, and righteously, and godly in this present world,
13. waiting for the blessed hope, even the manifestation of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ,
14. who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all lawlessness, and purify for himself a chosen people, zealous for good works.
¶15. Speak these things, and encourage, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.
¶1. Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be prepared for every good work,
2. to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, magnanimous, demonstrating all meekness toward all men.
3. For we also were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and entertainments, spending our lives in evil and envy; loathsome, and hating one another.
4. But when the kindness and affection of God our Savior for man was revealed,
5. not by works of righteousness which we have done, but in His mercy, He delivered us by the washing of the holy Spirit that brings about a new birth and restoration,
6. which He has poured out upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7. so that, being justified by His grace, we became heirs of the hope of eternal life.
8. This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to be adamant about these things, so that those who have believed in God might have a mind to occupy themselves with good works. These are things that are good and beneficial to men.
9. But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and strifes, and disputes about the law, for they are worthless and vain.
10. After the first and second admonition, reject a man who causes division,
11. knowing that such a man has been perverted, and is sinning, condemned within himself.
¶12. When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, hurry to come to me in Nicopolis, for I have decided to winter there.
13. Generously supply Zenas the lawyer and Apollos for their trip, so that nothing be lacking to them.
14. And again, let our people learn to occupy themselves with good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they be not unfruitful.
¶15. All those who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith.
¶Grace be with you all. Amen.


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Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure
How can I do a Deed-in-lieu of Foreclosure?
Deed-in-lieu of Foreclosure– Occurs when the lender accepts ownership of the property in place of the money owed on the mortgage.
Basically, you simply sign over the property to the bank to avoid foreclosure.
Sounds easy, right? Not so fast!
Most lenders will require that the homeowner first attempt a short sale before they will even consider a Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. Additionally, having multiple lenders can complicate things even further. We have yet to see a Deed-in-lieu accepted on a property with multiple lenders. Therefore, we don't see Deed-in-lieu of Foreclosure as a viable first option for distressed homeowners.
However, things may be changing, we recently received a call from a client who has been asked, by their lender, if they are interested in completing a Deed-in-lieu of Foreclosure. We will have to see if this is an isolated occurrence or the new trend.
Foreclosure Defense Attorneys
Call the Law Firm of Vaughn, Weber & Prakope, PLLC at 516-858-2620 to speak with a foreclosure attorney.
Mortgage Forgiveness and Bankruptcy
Bank of America mortgage forgiveness and bankruptcy
Recently we have written about Bank of America forgiving second mortgages and the National Mortgage Servicer Settlement. Many homeowners facing foreclosure are anxious to find out if their second mortgage will be forgiven by Bank of America.
Well, it appears that one pattern may have emerged. Many homeowners who have already filed bankruptcy are receiving letters stating that their 2nd mortgage will be forgiven. Great news, right? Maybe. Some of these debtors are in active bankruptcy (chapter 7 & chapter 13). Some debtors have already received a bankruptcy discharge and are no longer personally liable for their mortgages. Other debtors have "stripped" their 2nd mortgages and BOA will likely receive much less than 100% of what is owed on the 2nd mortgage.
Not So Good
- It appears that BOA may receive credit, against the amount it owes under the National Servicer Settlement Agreement, by forgiving mortgages they can could no longer collect or only collect a portion of. This may lead to fewer distressed homeowners actually benefiting from the Settlement.
- There may be tax issues (the advice of a tax professional may be necessary).
- Distressed homeowners who are not in bankruptcy are receiving letters from BOA stating that their 2nd mortgages are being forgiven. This will make it easier for some homeowners to avoid foreclosure.
- Debtors in bankruptcy who are paying back 100% of the arrears on their 2nd mortgages and their full 2nd mortgage payment have received notification that their loan is being forgiven. This could alleviate the need for a chapter 13 bankruptcy altogether.
- Some homeowners may find themselves with instant home equity.
Nassau County Foreclosure Attorney
If you have any questions about this or other legal issues, call The Law Firm of Vaughn, Weber & Prakope, PLLC, at 516-858-2620, for a free consultation!
+This is not tax or legal advice.
More Articles:
Federal Trade Commission vs. Mortgage Relief Companies
Federal Trade Commission sues mortgage relief companies
The Federal Trade Commission recently filed three separate lawsuits against mortgage relief companies – Prime Legal Plans/Reaching U Network, American Mortgage Consulting Group, and Expense Management America. According to the FTC's allegations, these companies were fraudulently selling mortgage relief services. The companies charged homeowners for various services that were supposed to reduce mortgage payments or otherwise relieve them of mortgage obligations. In reality, the companies accepted payment without providing services. Additionally, the companies violated other laws by, among other things, calling homeowners that were on the do-not-call registry, fraudulently claiming to be associated with government agencies, fraudulently claiming to be attorneys, collecting upfront fees, and claiming to be charities.
It is bad enough that these companies were charging distressed homeowners without providing services. What's worse is that, by convincing homeowners that their services would be effective, these companies prevented homeowners from pursuing legitimate services and defenses.
According to a recent press release, the FTC has filed more than 40 cases against fraudulent mortgage relief services since 2008. This suggests that such practices might be quite common. Homeowners should always be on guard against potential scams, and should gather as much information as possible about mortgage relief or other debt defense companies before making payments.
The Attorneys at Vaughn, Weber & Prakope, PLLC have experience in Loan Modification Negotiation and Foreclosure Defense. If you have any questions about these areas and would like to schedule a free consultation, call our office at 516-858-2620 today to schedule a free consultation.
National Mortgage Servicer Settlement Progress Report
We previously wrote about the 25 billion dollar National Mortgage Servicer Settlement and how it, supposedly, helps distressed NY homeowners.
The affected servicers are:
- Bank of America: 877-488-7814
- Citibank: 866-272-4749
- Chase: 866-372-6901
- Wells Fargo: 1-800-288-3212
The above servicers have agreed to provide at least $25 billion in relief to distressed homeowners, the 49 participating states, and the federal government.
Well, have they?
Joseph A. Smith, Jr., the Monitor of the National Mortgage Settlement, recently released a "Progress Report" that outlines progress made by the five banks that are parties to the settlement. The Office of Mortgage Settlement Oversight stated the following in a recent Press Release:
"The report discloses that the banks have granted $10.56 billion in consumer relief to borrowers between March 1 and June 30, 2012. Additionally, first lien principal reduction trials were offered and begun for about 28,000 homeowners, totaling approximately $3 billion of potential relief," said Smith. "This information is self-reported and has not been confirmed by the professional firms working with me. Further, it represents gross dollar amounts and cannot be used to evaluate progress toward the banks' $20 billion obligation."
In addition, the report provides an update on the banks' implementation of the settlement's servicing standards.
"As of July 5, the servicers reported to me that 56 servicing standards have been incorporated into their business processes," continued Smith. "Implementation of the mortgage servicing standards outlined in the settlement can be an important contribution to reform of the mortgage finance system.
Our take: We find some of the language used and statements made in the press release somewhat vague and troublesome. Moreover, we have not seen much relief, under the Mortgage Servicer Settlement, for our clients facing foreclosure. However, it is our understanding that all the the new servicing standards must be implemented by October 3, 2012. Hopefully, we will see more help for distressed homeowners soon thereafter.
See the Press release here.
See the Progress Report here.
If you have any questions about this or other legal issues, call the Law Firm of Vaughn, Weber & Prakope, PLLC today, at 516-858-2620, for a free consultation!


text: [Federal Register: June 26, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 123)] [Notices] [Page 33953] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr26jn01-51] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION [CFDA No.: 84.290U] Bilingual Education: Comprehensive School Grants; Notice Reopening Competition for New Awards SUMMARY: On April 16, 2001, a notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2001 was published in the Federal Register (66 FR 19437--19471). This notice was a complete application package and contained all of the information, application forms, and instructions needed to apply for a grant under this program. The notice listed a deadline date of June 15, 2001, for the transmittal of applications and specified that applicants could submit their applications in either electronic or paper format. Due to a power outage affecting the Department's Electronic Grant Application System (e-APPLICATION), applicants that intended to submit their applications in electronic format were unable to use the Internet-based electronic system for submitting applications on June 14-15 and consequently may have been unable to meet the application deadline date. Since the deadline date has passed, this notice is intended to help potential applicants compete fairly under the Bilingual Education Comprehensive School Grants Program by reopening the competition for all applicants and establishing the new deadline dates specified below for transmittal of applications and intergovernmental review. You may submit your application to us in either electronic or paper format. You may access the electronic grant application at the following site: http://e-grants.ed.gov. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 2, 2001. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 30, 2001. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margarita Ackley, Lorena Dickerson, or Jessica Knight, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 5086, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-6510. Telephone: Margarita Ackley (202) 205-0506, Lorena Dickerson (202) 205-9044, Jessica Knight (202) 205-0706. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com; email@example.com; email@example.com. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877- 8339. Individuals with disabilities may obtain this notice in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to one of the contact persons listed above. Electronic Access to this Document You may view this document, as well as all other Department of Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister. To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) toll free, at 1-888-293-6498 or in the Washington, DC area at (202) 512-1530. Note: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet 1 access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http:// www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html. Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7424. Dated: June 21, 2001. Arthur M. Love, Acting Director, Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs. [FR Doc. 01-16002 Filed 6-25-01; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-U


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How do medical claims work?
How do medical claims work? Because there are a heck of a lot of medical claims being submitted electronically through drchrono, the questions is how do we do this? There is something called the "EDI". "EDI" simply means Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). EDI is the electronic interchange of business information using a standardized format; a process which… Continue Reading


text:
Travelon Inflatable Bottle Pouch
Item #9440M
Submitted by | View Details
About Travelon Inflatable Bottle Pouch
Closeouts. With two valves and a leak-proof seal, Travelon's Inflatable Bottle Pouch lets you safely transport a glass bottle of your favorite beverage in your suitcase without risk of breakage.
- Inflatable pouch protects glass bottles from breakage
- Two easy-to-inflate valves
- Leak-proof seal
- Translucent for easy identification and inspection
- Reusable
- Made in China
- Prop 65: This product may contain a chemical or substance known to the state of California to potentially cause reproductive harm
Specs about Travelon Inflatable Bottle Pouch
- Material: Composite
- Weight: 6 oz.
- Made in China
- Prop 65: This product may contain a chemical or substance known to the state of California to potentially cause reproductive harm
Do you own this product? Write a review and help others with their buying decisions!
4.300000 5 Overall Rating: 4.3 Based on 10 reviews
Most Helpful 5-Star Review
Works better than sealed bottles!
Verified Buyer Reviewed by Toby the diligent from Florida on Friday, September 22, 2017
Recently sent this along with bottle of whiskey to a friend as a gift. So happy I decided to open it up and send the bottle in the Travelon Pouch. Apparently the sealed bottle opened up during transport, but the whiskey was saved by the pouch. So my buddy just opened up the pouch and funneled the... Read More
Works better than sealed bottles!Verified Buyer Reviewed by Toby the diligent from Florida on Friday, September 22, 2017Recently sent this along with bottle of whiskey to a friend as a gift. So happy I decided to open it up and send the bottle in the Travelon Pouch. Apparently the sealed bottle opened up during transport, but the whiskey was saved by the pouch. So my buddy just opened up the pouch and funneled the whiskey back into the bottle, not a drop was lost!! I've now purchased several more, one for myself and more as gifts. No more grabbing a plastic hotel laundry bag to bring back wine or spirits from vacation, now my bottles travel in style.
Travelon Inflatable bottle PouchVerified Buyer Reviewed by GAShopper from Georgia on Monday, March 6, 2017Wine bottle fits perfectly. Will use it on next trip.
More convenient than bubble wrap.Reviewed by ajk from California on Sunday, February 12, 2017Similar protection as bubble wrap, but more convenient and reuseable. No need for tape or scissors while packing. Should keep any standard bottle safe inside a checked suitcase. I also store it inside a checked golf bag. Will survive any modest drop, while the neck might potentially be vulnerable to impact with the edge of a table.
Pretty cool!Verified Buyer Reviewed by Tom from Maryland on Tuesday, January 10, 2017I have yet to test it on a plane. I assume that I should allow for the altitude change, or it will end up filling my suitcase at altitude.
Insufficient coverage for a 750ml bottleReviewed by Davey Crockett from Tennessee, California on Tuesday, July 19, 2016Sorry folks, as much as I'd love to give this a glowing 5-star review, and the material quality seems great, the bag just doesn't cover enough of the bottle. Even with the shortest 750ml wine bottle I tried, the neck portion is essentially unprotected from padding. In addition, in between each inflatable bladder (air padding around the circumference of the wine/liquor bottle) is zero air padding. In other words, only *every other* section gets padding. The remaining sections are just non-inflatable composite plastic/ PVC/ vinyl—thus leaving the contents vulnerable.
Anxious to tryVerified Buyer Reviewed by lvjbird from Las Vegas on Monday, July 18, 2016I haven't actually used this yet but it looks like it will work for a wine bottle or any other suitable item that would fit, to keep it safe.
great gifts for travelersVerified Buyer Reviewed by Anonymous from san diego on Tuesday, March 8, 2016my family each gets 1 [bought 6] as they love to bring bottles back from vacation! GREAT idea
Great bottle-bagsVerified Buyer Reviewed by JammaGramma from Iowa on Tuesday, March 8, 2016I bought these to take on a trip to Italy, to bring back olive oil. I tried them a couple of times on short trips & they seem to work fine. Here's hoping that the international airlines can't destroy them!
Worked Well for MeVerified Buyer Reviewed by Zig Zag from New York on Tuesday, July 28, 2015I regularly check bags with bottles of local beverages in them. This package worked well for a bottle of port and a can of beer. There was no breakage, so I cannot attest to the dry-bag style seal, but the inflatable cells seemed protective and the plastic material is quite substantial. Not sure if security pulled the plug and deflated the outer cells for the bigger bottle for some reason, but to be sure, it might be wise to slightly under-inflate them for air travel at lower pressures.
Huge padded pouchVerified Buyer Reviewed by slp from Oklahoma on Friday, July 3, 2015I bought a couple of these to store breakables in my luggage, or in my vehicle while traveling. I have not used them yet so I do not know who well they work or protect. Will update this review at a later date. But they do seem sturdy and will work for what I wanted them for, transport essential oils, glass olive oil, liquid medicines, ect. to and from vacation home.
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South African Journal of Industrial Engineering
versión On-line ISSN 2224-7890
versión impresa ISSN 1012-277X
S. Afr. J. Ind. Eng. vol.24 no.2 Pretoria ene. 2013
Conceptualisation for implementing total productive maintenance through the ISO 9001:2008 standard-based quality management system
N.M. SivaramI, 1; S.R. DevadasanII; R. MurugeshIII
IDepartment of Production Engineering. PSG College of Technology. Coimbatore - 641 004, Tamil Nadu, India. firstname.lastname@example.com
IIDepartment of Production Engineering. PSG College of Technology. Coimbatore - 641 004, Tamil Nadu, India. firstname.lastname@example.com
IIIDarshan Institute of Engineering and Technology Rajkot - 363 650, Gujarat, India. email@example.com
This paper conceptualises the integration of total productive maintenance (TPM) and ISO 9001 certification by contributing a model called TPM 9001:2008. Through this conceptualisation, the eight TPM pillars are amended to the five major clauses of the ISO 9001:2008 standard. To illustrate this conceptualisation, the contents of a sub-clause of the TPM 9001:2008 model are presented, and the rationale behind its designation is appraised.
Hierdie artikel konseptualiseer die integrasie van Totale Produktiewe Instandhouding (TPI) en ISO 9001 sertifisering deur 'n model bekend as TPI 9001:2008 voor te stel. Deur hierdie konseptualisering word die agt TPI-pilare aangepas met die oog op die vyf belangrike klousules van die ISO 9001:2008 standaard. Ter illustrasie van die konseptualisering word die inhoud van 'n sub-klousule van die TPI 9001:2008 model voorgehou en die grondslag daarvan beoordeel.
The customers of any business in the modern world expect products and services to meet the highest standards. The rapid rate of globalisation has prompted customers all over the world to develop these high expectations [40]. This phenomenon has forced organisations to provide products and services at a world class level [28,65], reached through adopting and implementing world class strategies. Total productive maintenance (TPM) and ISO 9001 certification are two of the strategies that propel organisations to reach this world class level [23,26].
The ISO 9001 standard was formally published in 1987 [6,23]. Since then, the rate of adoption of the ISO 9001 standard-based quality management system has been high, and 1,109,905 organisations in 178 countries have been certified to the ISO 9001 standard [31]. The success of the ISO 9001 certification can be attributed to its ability to transform any organisation into a world class organisation. Some of the evidence of superior performances by ISO 9001-certified organisations, reported by many researchers and practitioners, espouses the success of the ISO 9001 certification [22,24,61]. TPM has a similar history reported in the literature. TPM was developed in Japan in 1971 [67]. Later that year it was promoted throughout Japan by the Japanese Institute of Plant Maintenance (JIPM). Over the years, the application of TPM spread to many sectors, and its scope expanded from improving maintenance quality to enhancing the performance of organisations. At present, TPM is widely adopted to enhance the quality, productivity, and profit of an organisation through equipment maintenance. TPM is today regarded as a world class manufacturing (WCM) strategy due to its ability to enhance the performance of an organisation to be sustainable in the global competitive scenario [2,4].
Over the years, TPM has evolved by adopting the principles of various maintenance strategies. As a result, TPM has become a comprehensive strategy to aid enhanced quality in maintenance activities [2,16]. Along with maintenance, TPM facilitates plant management with the emphasis on quality, safety, and productivity, resulting in the overall enhancement of organisations' performance [26,35]. TPM is an application of TQM principles in the maintenance engineering field [26]. TQM principles, like employee involvement, continuous improvement, and customer focus, are encapsulated in the TPM model. The ISO 9001 certification can be regarded as an offshoot of TQM as it embraces eight quality management principles. In other words, ISO 9001 certification facilitates the building of a TQM culture in organisations [41]. These facets imply that TPM and ISO 9001 certification are built on TQM principles. Both TPM and ISO 9001 certification by themselves should thus have common elements. If these common elements are identified and suitably integrated, the synergistic benefits of implementing TPM and obtaining the ISO 9001 certificate can be more effectively obtained. In this context, it is presumed that the integration of TPM principles with the ISO 9001:2008 standard will help organisations to acquire world class manufacturing competencies. However, no research or practical work on this has so far been reported.
To fulfill the need to integrate the TPM principles with the ISO 9001:2008 standard, a model called TPM 9001:2008 has been conceptualised in this paper, which has been organised into five sections. After this introduction, the details of a literature survey conducted before designing the TPM 9001:2008 model are briefly described. The information and knowledge gained by conducting this literature survey were used to design the TPM 9001:2008 model. These details are presented in the third section. The fourth section concludes the paper.
The literature survey reported here was carried out to study the developments that have occurred in the fields of ISO 9001 certification and TPM. After studying these developments, a search was made to identify any research that has resulted in the integration of TPM principles with the ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 9001:2008 standards. These details are described in the following subsections.
2.1 Origin and growth of the ISO 9000 series of standards
The origin of the ISO 9000 series of standards can be dated back to the time of the Second World War. The army procurement standards used in that war planted the seeds of what became the ISO 9000 series of standards. These army procurement standards were adopted in 1979 as the BS 5750 standard. In 1987, the ISO 9000 series of standards were formally published by adopting the contents of the BS 5750 standard. The first revised ISO 9000 series of standards were published in 1994. These standards were made available as ISO 9001, ISO 9002, and ISO 9003, giving quality management systems (QMS) specifications for 'design and development', 'production and installation', and 'final inspection' respectively. The ISO 9001:1994 standard contained 20 clauses. During its revision in 2000, these were replaced by five major clauses. The latest revised version of the ISO 9001 standard is ISO 9001:2008, published on November 15, 2008. The ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 9001:2008 standards do not differ much from each other, as the modifications made to the ISO 9001:2000 standard to evolve into the ISO 9001:2008 standard were minimal [6,47,48,56,61,69,70].
The number of companies obtaining ISO 9001 certification has grown extensively over the years [22]. The statistics provided by the ISO Survey 2009 also indicate this massive growth in ISO 9001 certification [31]. This can be related to the ability of the ISO 9001 certification to aid organisations in meeting global customer requirements. Presently, ISO 9001 certification has become near-mandatory for organisations' recognition and survival in the global market [48,61].
2.2 Benefits and criticisms of the ISO 9001 certification
Some of the benefits gained by companies through the ISO 9001 certification, as reported in the literature, are listed below. Organisations with internal motivation to implement and maintain the ISO 9001 certification have accrued more benefits than organisations that are externally motivated to implement and maintain this certification [72,73]:
- Market expansion [12,37,38,46,48,52,66,70]
- Improved product and service quality [25,36,37,46,48,51,66]
- Cost reduction and financial benefits [25,34,38,51,66]
- Improved customer satisfaction and confidence [25,38,46,52]
- Enhanced employee involvement and morale [48,52,66,70]
- On-time product delivery and improved product performance [25,37,52]
- Systematic organisation [12,25,51,66].
Despite these benefits, a few criticisms of the ISO 9001 certification have appeared in the literature. These criticisms, as reported by some researchers and practitioners, are listed below:
- ISO 9001 certification results in internal bureaucracy and documentation [14,23]
- ISO 9001 certification is combined with very high implementation costs (cost of auditors, consultants, time, and resources) that are unaffordable for various organisations, especially small- and medium-scaled enterprises [14,39]
- The ISO 9001 standard is generic in nature, not industry-specific [39]
- The benefits of obtaining ISO 9001 certification are not clearly evidenced [39,58].
Despite these criticisms, ISO 9001 certification has grown exponentially worldwide, and has been increasingly adopted [48].
2.3 Origin and growth of TPM
TPM was first introduced in 1971 by Nippondenso Co., a company in the Toyota group. Later that year, Seiichi Nakajima promoted TPM throughout Japan. Four decades since its inception, TPM has become a renowned comprehensive maintenance management strategy [2,4,35,43]. Today TPM is successfully implemented in many countries, including the USA, China, India, Malaysia, South Africa, Libya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, Greece, and Italy [1,2,3,16,21,30,45,59,62,63,67]. The 2010 TPM excellence awards have been awarded by the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance (JIPM) to organisations in many countries, including Argentina, India, Brazil, Thailand, Turkey, Serbia, China, Romania, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt [32]. The success of TPM can be attributed to its comprehensive nature, combining the three aspects of maintenance, production, and resources. Another reason for TPM's success is that it has encapsulated the best practices of earlier maintenance strategies; breakdown maintenance, predictive maintenance, and preventive maintenance [2,4,26,49].
2.4 Benefits and criticisms of TPM
Some of the benefits made available through successful TPM implementation are:
- The creation of a defect-free, interruption-free, and accident-free production environment [2,26,35]
- An improvement in end product quality [1,5,11,19,55,63,64]
- An increase in overall productivity [1,2,11,19,63,64]
- The creation of a sense of ownership among the operators through autonomous maintenance [5,15,16,55,62]
- The promotion of employee education and training [16,19,20,55,68]
- Multi-skilling of employees [11,16,20].
- The enhancement of the levels of productivity, quality, financial performance, delivery performance, safety, and morale in the organisation. [2]
In the literature, criticisms of TPM implementation are scarce. Some of them are reported by the researchers below:
- Resource scarcity increases if TPM is implemented simultaneously on too many machines. This can lead to low or even zero productivity improvement, and can result in the demotivation of TPM personnel, in turn leading to the total failure of the TPM programme [16,17].
- Operators performing autonomous maintenance may become frustrated due to the increase in workload [49].
As the benefits override the criticisms, TPM continues to grow as a world class strategy [2].
2.5 Integration of TPM and ISO 9001 certification
TPM is regarded as a world class manufacturing strategy that assists organisations to achieve world class performance [2,71]. Contemporary researchers refer to TPM not only as a maintenance strategy, but also as a 'total productive manufacturing' strategy [71] due to its ability to enhance the levels of productivity, quality, financial performance, delivery performance, safety, and morale in an organisation [2]. The ISO 9001 standard is a widely-adopted international standard [22] that has evolved over the years as a successful standard for developing QMS in various organisations [31].
During the past few years, many researchers have worked on the integration of various strategies to gain synergy. The result is the optimisation of resources and non-duplication of procedures and processes. Some of the integrated models of these world class strategies are the lean Six Sigma [44], agile [28], Six Sigma maintenance [60], and the lean Six Sigma quality management systems [33]. This has led to a literature survey to identify any research reporting the integration of TPM elements with those of the ISO 9001:2008 standard. No model was found in the literature to integrate TPM and the ISO 9001 standard. However, three papers published by Bamber et al. in 2000 [9], 2002 [7], and 2004 [8] were found to emphasise the necessity of integrating TPM with an integrated management system (IMS). In these papers, IMS integrates with ISO 9001-based QMS, the ISO 14001-based environmental management system (EMS), the TPM and 5S-based maintenance management system, the operations management system incorporated with just-in-time and Kaizen, and the BS 8800-based occupational health and safety management system (OHSAS). The authors of these papers pointed out the importance of the roles played by the maintenance personnel in adopting IMS. In particular, the listing of 27 maintenance engineering documents in Bamber et al. [8] that correlate with the QMS, EMS, and OHSAS, is noteworthy. Yet these papers have not contributed any model that integrates TPM and IMS. As a consequence, relevant information and knowledge was gathered from the literature to design a model to integrate the elements of TPM with those of the ISO 9001:2008 standard. This model was named 'TPM 9001:2008'.
In the context of integrating TPM and the ISO 9001 certification, the relationship between the two was examined by reviewing the literature. This literature review revealed the existence of connections between TPM and ISO 9001 certification from four angles [57]. These are briefly described below.
2.5.1 Principle-based connections
Two of the TPM principles - small group activities and continuous improvement - coincide with the eight quality management principles on which the ISO 9001 standard has been developed [13,62].
2.5.2 Element- and technique-based connections
Some of the common elements and techniques of TPM and the ISO 9001:2008 standard found in the literature are total employee involvement, leadership and management commitment, continuous improvement, training, and education [5,41,42,47].
2.5.3 Connections through award-based quality frameworks
The quality management principles are similar to the principles of the quality frameworks; the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the European Quality Award, and the Deming Prize [10,13,24,27,54]. These quality framework principles are, in turn, common with 11 dimensions of the JIPM TPM award [53].
2.5.4 Plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle-based connections
TPM adopts the PDCA cycle in the 'quality maintenance' pillar [1], whereas the PDCA cycle is used in the ISO 9001:2008 standard [61] to portray the clauses of QMS requirements.
The existence of a relationship between TPM and ISO 9001 certification, and the absence of a model connecting their elements, initiated new research. In this context, the TPM 9001:2008 model was designed. The conceptual features of this model are illustrated in the next section.
Researchers have established that the eight pillars of TPM form the foundation of world class performance (WCP) by organisations [2]. On the other hand, the process-based model encapsulated in the ISO 9001:2008 standard is found to be a reflection of Deming's plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle [61], which has been reported to have aided organisations to achieve WCP. On observing these findings, the TPM 9001:2008 model was designed by merging the principles of TPM with the process-based model of the ISO 9001:2008 standard. The details of designing this model are described in the following subsections.
3.1 The constituents of the ISO 9001:2008 standard
The ISO 9001:2000 standard rests on the eight quality management principles and on Deming's PDCA cycle. The five major clauses of the ISO 9001:2000 standard have been retained in the latest ISO 9001:2008 standard [47]. The clauses describing the requirements of the ISO 9001:2008 standard-based QMS are listed below [29]:
- Quality management system
- Management responsibility
- Resource management
- Product realisation
- Measurement, analysis, and improvement.
The working of the ISO 9001:2008 standard-based quality management system is shown in Figure 1.
The four clauses - 'management responsibility', 'resource management', 'product realisation', and 'measurement, analysis, and improvement' - drive the continual improvement of the quality management system. The thrust of this drive comes from the requirements that serve as input to the QMS. The continual improvement of the QMS is realised in customer satisfaction. Any recommendations and feedback from satisfied (or unsatisfied) customers are input into this model. In this way, continual improvement is achieved - and the cycle continues.
3.2 TPM pillars and world class performance
Since its inception, TPM has been built on various pillars. Initially formulated with five, the current structure of TPM is built on eight pillars [2], which are listed below:
- Autonomous maintenance
- Planned maintenance
- Focused improvement
- Quality maintenance
- Education and training
- Safety, health, and environment
- Office TPM
- Development management
An effective TPM programme requires the implementation of these eight pillars, leading organisations to achieve zero breakdowns, zero defects, and zero accidents [2]. In other words, implementation of the TPM pillars enables the organisations to perform at world class level. This is pictorially depicted in Figure 2.
Five of the eight TPM pillars - 'autonomous maintenance', 'planned maintenance', 'focused improvement', 'education and training', and 'development management' - mainly enable interruption-free production through achieving zero breakdowns. (This zero-defect level is promoted by seven of the eight pillars; 'safety, health, and environment' does not do this.) The three remaining pillars - 'education and training', 'safety, health, and environment', and 'office TPM' - primarily reduce or eliminate accidents when implemented [32].
3.3 Amending the TPM pillars in the ISO 9001:2008 standard
The clause entitled 'product realisation' in the ISO 9001:2008 standard helps to fulfil customer requirements. As TPM pillars also facilitate performance at a world class level, it is appropriate to amend the TPM requirements to fit the 'product realisation' clause. Of all the TPM pillars, three ('education and training', 'office TPM', and 'safety, health and environment') are most concerned with the management of resources and the organisation's infrastructure. The 'resources management' clause of the ISO 9001:2008 standard encompasses the sub-clauses 'human resources', 'competence, training, and awareness', 'infrastructure', and 'work environment'. As the contents of these sub-clauses deal with the management of resources and infrastructure, the TPM pillars of 'autonomous maintenance', 'education and training', 'office TPM', and 'safety, health and environment' can be appropriately amended in the 'resource management' clause of the ISO 9001:2008 standard.
The TPM pillar of 'development management' aims to improve existing systems, to train employees to fit in to the improved system, and to initiate new maintenance improvement initiatives. The requirements of this 'development management' pillar will be fulfilled through the implementation of three clauses of the ISO 9001:2008 standard: 'resources management', 'product realisation', and 'measurement, analysis, and improvement'. TPM performance is measured using the 'overall equipment effectiveness' (OEE) parameter. OEE is measured and then analysed to determine the deficiencies, and the activities required to improve the maintenance quality. OEE is the product of three components; 'availability', 'performance efficiency', and 'quality rate' [2]. These three components of OEE measure variables relating to breakdowns and defects. However, OEE does not have a component that measures accidents or variables relating to health and safety [50]. Therefore any suitable measures for measuring health and safety performance are to be added to achieve 'zero breakdowns' - one of the results of TPM implementation. Hence OEE and appropriate measures for health and safety performance can be amended in the 'measurement, analysis, and improvement' clause of the ISO 9001:2008 standard. Successful TPM implementation also requires teams and small groups [2]. This requirement can be appropriately amended in the 'management responsibility' clause of the ISO 9001:2008 standard. In this way, amending TPM elements to match the ISO 9001:2008 standard was conceptualised in designing the TPM 9001:2008 model. The conceptual features of this model reflecting these amendments are shown in Figure 3.
3.4 The TPM 9001:2008 model
As mentioned in the previous section, the TPM 9001:2008 model has been developed by amending the elements of TPM in the clauses of the ISO 9001:2008 standard. To carry out this task, the activities to build each TPM pillar had to be delineated. During the literature survey, it was found that Ahuja & Khamba [2] had pinpointed the activities required to build TPM pillars as a result of their extensive research; and these are appropriate for adoption in organisations. So it was decided to incorporate their activities with small modifications into the TPM 9001:2008 model's design. Those activities are shown in Table 1.
The activities listed in Table 1 were considered 'requirements', and were amended in the ISO 9001:2008 standard in accordance with the conceptual features shown in Figure 2. An excerpt from the TPM 9001:2008 model thus designed is presented in Table 2. As seen there, clause 6.2.2 of the TPM 9001:2008 model is obtained by amending appropriate TPM requirements of the ISO 9001:2008 standard. This aspect is shown pictorially in Figure 3; five of the TPM pillars are amended in the sixth and seventh clauses of the ISO 9001:2008 standard. Apart from the 'office TPM' pillar, the other four TPM pillars are amended under the sub-clauses numbered 6.2.2. f to l. The TPM pillars 'autonomous maintenance', 'focused improvement', 'planned maintenance', 'quality maintenance', and 'development management' are amended under the sub-clauses numbered 7.3.1. These TPM pillars amended in the 6.2.2. and 7.3.1. clauses of the ISO 9001:2008 standard are indicated in Table 2 using bold and italicised letters. An important fact to be observed in Table 2 is that the TPM pillars are amended with ISO 9001:2008 standard elements. This amendment ensures that the ISO 9001:2008-based QMS elements, including documentation, are not disturbed when the TPM 9001:2008 model is implemented in a company. Moreover, the same files used in the ISO 9001:2008-based QMS may be used while implementing the TPM 9001:2008 model in companies. This facility also indicates that the management representative of the ISO 9001:2008 standard-based QMS of the company can continue to perform as 'process facilitator' to facilitate the implementation of the TPM 9001:2008 model in the same company.
TPM and ISO 9001 certification are widely adopted globally, and the benefits gained from applying them indicate the capabilities of these two strategies [2,48]. Despite being recognised as world class strategies, TPM and ISO 9001 certification are applied separately in contemporary organisations. In a search through the literature, no system integrating TPM and ISO 9001 certification could be identified. Only a few authors [7,8,9] have emphasised the importance of linking a maintenance function into integrated management systems. To overcome this deficiency, the TPM 9001:2008 model, amending TPM requirements in the ISO 9001:2008 standard-based QMS, was conceptualised in this paper. The unique feature of the TPM 9001:2008 model is that, while implementing this model, the existing ISO 9001:2008-based QMS in the company is not modified or disturbed. This is because in the TPM 9001:2008 model, the TPM elements are only amended (not mixed) with the elements of the ISO 9001:2008 standard. The audit of the TPM 9001:2008 model may be conducted as a whole. Where the ISO 9001:2008 standard-based QMS is already audited in the company, the elements of this QMS may be excluded, and the remaining elements of the TPM 9001:2008 model may be audited. Thus the implementation of the TPM 9001:2008 model will not affect the ISO 9001:2008 standard-based QMS, but will bring the company benefits such as an increased OEE of the equipment, enhanced safety and health levels of the environment, and interruption-free production. The practical compatibility of this model will have to be checked by implementing it in several types of organisations.
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[26] Graisa, M. & Al-Habaibeh, A. 2011. An investigation into current production challenges facing the Libyan cement industry and the need for innovative total productive maintenance (TPM) strategy, Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 22(4), pp. 541-558. [ Links ]
[27] Heras-Saizarbitoria, I., Casadesus, M. & Marimom, F. 2011. The impact of ISO 9001 standard and the EFQM model: The view of the assessors, Total Quality Management, 22(2), pp. 197-218. [ Links ]
[28] Inman, R.A., Sale, R.S., Green Jr, K.W. & Whitten, D. 2011. Agile manufacturing: Relation to JIT, operational performance and firm performance, Journal of Operations Management, 29(4), pp. 343-355. [ Links ]
[29] International Organization for Standardization (ISO). 2008. Quality Management Systems -Requirements, Geneva. [ Links ]
[30] Ireland, F. & Dale, B.G. 2001. A study of total productive maintenance implementation, Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 7(3), pp. 183-191. [ Links ]
[31] ISO Survey. 2010. http://www.iso.org/iso/survey2010.pdf (visited on February 13, 2012). [ Links ]
[32] Japanese Institute of Plant Maintenance - Solutions, http://tpm.jipms.jp/nprize/index.html (visited on March 27, 2012). [ Links ]
[33] Karthi, S., Devadasan, S.R. & Murugesh, R. 2011. Lean Six Sigma through ISO 9001 standard-based quality management system: An investigation for research, International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 8(2), pp. 180-204. [ Links ]
[34] Koc, T. 2007. The impact of ISO 9000 quality management systems on manufacturing, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 186(1-3), pp. 207-213. [ Links ]
[35] Lazim, H.M. & Ramayah, T. 2010. Maintenance strategy in Malaysian manufacturing companies: A total productive maintenance (TPM) approach, Business Strategy Series, 11(6), pp. 387-396. [ Links ]
[36] Lewis, W.G., Pun, K.F. & Lalla, T.R.M. 2005. An AHP-based study of TQM benefits in ISO 9001 certified SMEs in Trinidad and Tobago, The TQM Magazine, 17(6), pp. 558-572. [ Links ]
[37] Magd, H. & Curry, A. 2003. An empirical analysis of management attitudes towards ISO 9001:2000 in Egypt, The TQM Magazine, 15(6), pp. 381-390. [ Links ]
[38] Magd, H.A.E. 2008. ISO 9001:2000 in the Egyptian manufacturing sector: Perceptions and perspectives, International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, 25(2), pp. 173-200. [ Links ]
[39] Mak, B.L.M. 2011. ISO certification in the tour operator sector, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 23(1), pp. 115-130. [ Links ]
[40] Maletic, D., Maletic, M. & Gomiscek, B. 2012. The relationship between continuous improvement and maintenance performance, Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 18(1), pp. 30-41. [ Links ]
[41] Martinez-Costa, M., Choi, T.Y., Martinez, J.A. & Martinez-Lorente, A.R.M. 2009. ISO 9000 / 1994, ISO 9001 / 2000 and TQM: The performance debate revisited, Journal of Operations Management, 27(6), pp. 495-511. [ Links ]
[42] McKone, K.E., Schroedar, R.G. & Cua, K.O. 1999. Total productive maintenance: A contextual view, Journal of Operations Management, 17(2), pp. 123-144. [ Links ]
[43] Muthu, S., Devadasan, S.R., Mendonca, P.S. & Sundararaj, G. 2001. Pre-auditing through a knowledge base system for successful implementation of a Qs 9000 based maintenance quality system, Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 7(2), pp. 90-103. [ Links ]
[44] Pepper, M.P.J. & Spedding, T.A. 2010. The evolution of lean Six Sigma, International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, 27(2), pp. 138-155. [ Links ]
[45] Perez-Lafont, J.L. 1997. Installation of a TPM program in a Caribbean plant, Computers in Industrial Engineering, 33(1-2), pp. 315-318. [ Links ]
[46] Piskar, F. & Dolinsek, S. 2006. Implementation of the ISO 9001: From QMS to business model, Industrial Management and Data Systems, 106(9), pp. 1333-1343. [ Links ]
[47] Psomas, E.L. & Fotopoulos, C.V. 2009. A meta analysis of ISO 9001:2000 research - findings and future research proposals, International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, 1(2), pp. 128144. [ Links ]
[48] Psomas, E.L., Fotopoulos, C.V. & Kafetzopoulos, D.P. 2010. Critical factors for effective implementation of ISO 9001 in SME service companies, Managing Service Quality, 20(5), pp. 440-457. [ Links ]
[49] Rodrigues, M. & Hatakeyama, K. 2006. Analysis of the fall of TPM in companies, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 179(1-3), pp. 276-279. [ Links ]
[50] Roe, S. & Mba, D. 2009. The environment, international standards, asset health management and condition monitoring: An integrated strategy, Reliability Engineering and System Safety, 94(2), pp. 474-478. [ Links ]
[51] Rusjan, B. & Alic, M. 2010. Capitalising on ISO 9001 benefits for strategic results, International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, 27(7), pp. 756-778. [ Links ]
[52] Sampaio, P., Saraiva, P. & Rodrigues, A.G. 2009. ISO 9001 certification research: Questions, answers and approaches, International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 26(1), pp. 38-58. [ Links ]
[53] Seth, D. & Tripathi, D. 2005. Relationship between TQM and TPM implementation factors and business performance of manufacturing industry in Indian context, International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, 22(3), pp. 256-277. [ Links ]
[54] Sharma, M. & Kodali, R. 2008. TQM implementation elements for manufacturing excellence, The TQM Magazine, 20(6), pp. 599-621. [ Links ]
[55] Sharma, R.K., Kumar, D. & Kumar, P. 2006. Manufacturing excellence through TPM implementation: A practical analysis, Industrial Management and Data Systems, 106(2), pp. 256-280. [ Links ]
[56] Singh, P.J., Power, D. & Chuong, S.C. 2011. A resource dependence theory perspective of ISO 9000 in managing organizational environment, Journal of Operations Management, 29(1-2), pp. 49-64. [ Links ]
[57] Sivaram, N.M., Devadasan, S.R., Sreenivasa, C.G., Karthi, S. & Murugesh, R. 2012. A literature review on the integration of total productive maintenance elements with ISO 9001 standard, International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 9(3), pp.281-308. [ Links ]
[58] Stevenson, T.H. & Barnes, F.C. 2002. What industrial marketers need to know now about ISO 9000 certification: A review, update, and integration with marketing, Industrial Marketing Management, 31(8), pp. 695-703. [ Links ]
[59] Sun, H., Yam, R. & Wai-Keung, N. 2003. The implementation and evaluation of total productive maintenance (TPM) - An action case study in a Hong Kong manufacturing company, International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 22(3-4), pp. 224-228. [ Links ]
[60] Thomas, A., Barton, R. & Byard, P. 2008. Developing a Six Sigma maintenance model, Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 14(3), pp. 262-271. [ Links ]
[61] To, W.M., Lee, P.K.C. & Yu, B.T.W. 2011. ISO 9001:2000 implementation in the public sector - A survey in Macao SAR, the People's Republic of China, The TQM Journal, 23(1), pp. 59-72. [ Links ]
[62] Tsang, A.H.C. & Chan, P.K. 2000. TPM implementation in China: A case study, International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 17(2), pp. 144-157. [ Links ]
[63] Tsarouhas, P. 2007. Implementation of total productive maintenance in food industry: A case study, Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 13(1), pp. 5-18. [ Links ]
[64] Van der Wal, R.W.E. & Lynn, D. 2002. Total productive maintenance in a South African pulp and paper company: A case study, the TQM Magazine, 14(6), pp. 359-366. [ Links ]
[65] Vinodh, S., Shivraman, K.R. & Viswesh, S. 2011. AHP-based lean concept selection in a manufacturing organization, Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 23(1), pp. 124-136. [ Links ]
[66] Wahid, R.A. & Corner, J. 2009. Critical success factors and problems in ISO 9000 maintenance, International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, 26(9), pp. 881-893. [ Links ]
[67] Wakjira, M.W. & Singh, A.P. 2012. Total productive maintenance: A case study in manufacturing industry, Global Journal of Researches in Engineering, 12(1), pp. 1-9. [ Links ]
[68] Yamashina, H. 1995. Japanese manufacturing strategy and the role of total productive maintenance, Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 1(1), pp.27-38. [ Links ]
[69] Zeng, S.X., Tian, P. & Shi, J.J. 2005. Implementing integration of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 for construction, Managerial Auditing Journal, 20(4), pp. 394-407. [ Links ]
[70] Zeng, S.X., Tian, P. & Tam, C.M. 2007. Overcoming barriers to sustainable implementation of the ISO 9001 system, Managerial Auditing Journal, 22(3), pp. 244-254. [ Links ]
[71] Willmott, P. & McCarthy, D. 2001. TPM: A route to world class performance, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford. [ Links ]
[72] Fotopoulos, C.V., Psomas, E.L., & Vouzas, F.K. 2010. ISO 9001:2000 implementation in the Greek food sector, The TQM Journal, 22(2), pp. 129-142. [ Links ]
[73] Starke, F. 2012. Impact of ISO 9000 certification on firm performance: Evidence from Brazil, Management Research Review, 35(10), pp. 974-997. [ Links ]
1 The author is a PhD Research Scholar (Full Time) in the Department of Production Engineering, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India


text:
5,000 signatures reached
To: Welsh Assembly Government
Stop the proposed M4
Dear Assembly Member,
The proposed 'black route' motorway around Newport, Gwent in South Wales would cost over £1 billion. It would adversely affect 2 nature reserves, several Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), the Wales Coastal Path and the Celtic Trail, part of National Cycle Route 4. The new elevated bridge over the River Usk would be a noise nuisance for residents in the southern and central parts of Newport. The Welsh Assembly has a statutory duty to promote Sustainable Development. This proposal is a clear, and possibly illegal, breach of this duty. The Assembly's own environmental regulator and advisory body Natural Resources Wales is against it. Please oppose this awful waste of money that will divert a huge amount of funding from other more deserving issues.
Why is this important?
Protection of unique wildlife on the Caldicot & Wentlooge (Gwent) levels. Reduction in transport-generated CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions. Prevention of noise pollution. Avoid diversion of funding from the NHS and Education in Wales. It will encourage more car-based journeys if it proceeds. It makes no sense to build this motorway based on the discredited 'predict & provide' model when traffic growth has not happened in the past 6 years. If there is too much traffic on the M4 then take steps to reduce it, not build more motorway to encourage more traffic!


text:
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." -Groucho Marx
Friends and Family Quotes
Quotes dealing with family, friendship, and the ever important interpersonal relationships that mold and shape our everyday lives.
William Shakespeare Life Advice
"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none." -William Shakespeare
People are Like Dirt Plato Quote
"People are like dirt. They either nourish you and help you grow as a person or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die." -Plato
Mother Theresa on Love
"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts there can be no more hurt, only more love." – Mother Theresa
Frank Ocean Rich Kids Quote
"Super rich kids with nothing but loose ends. Super rich kids with nothing but fake friends." -Frank Ocean


text:
Comments are Moderated for this blog
While I'm not be actively blogging, do NOT think your spam will get published here! So please go away. : )
Books, bookselling, current events and maybe even something usful
While I'm not be actively blogging, do NOT think your spam will get published here! So please go away. : )
Posted by FrauBucher at 9:28 AM 0 comments Links to this post
I have been considering something for a long, long time. I have
very little time to devote to my blog, yet I don't wish to abandon
it completely. I do not want to inform newbies how to become a
bookseller, either. I do mentor a few privately who desire to become
a better bookseller, though. They know me either personally or by
reputation from personal business dealings. I am by no means perfect.
I have made mistakes, more in the past than present, but occasionally
I do err. I am only human! But - what I take from my mistakes is a
lesson in how to provide better customer service, especially if someone
contacts me with a problem.
I have been buying and selling online for many, many years. (Husband
and I buy a lot of books and items for our respective collections.) I
know what I like and what I don't. To be blunt, I have dealt with many
wonderful, wonderful buyers and sellers and some complete morons
(99% are sellers.) who are totally devoid of common or business sense
and occasionally even ethics! In this vein, a small group of trusted,
respectable booksellers, with whom I am friendly, and I trade
information. We share information on the gems, but possibly more
importantly we spell out who are the losers to avoid at all cost and
As such, I have decided to share this information to better assist the
public.Of course, all names have been changed to protect the guilty.
The beacons of excellence will be known via their business names,
unless requested otherwise.
Here is the most recent example of egregious seller behaviour in
response to an email. We bought a book misdescribed as "Mint."
Yeah, yeah, I know, that is a dead giveaway in itself, but my
husband really wanted the book. Once it arrived, he was
extremely angry and was going to immediately leave a neg on
eBay for the seller. (Yeah, yeah, I know eBay... ugh!) The book
stunk to high heaven of mold, to which I am extremely allergic.
Of course, it had to be taken immediately out of the house by DH
to be properly treated before either I went to the ER or the book
caused problems in our house. (Which is why DH was so very
I told DH maybe the person selling it couldn't smell the mold.
(I don't know how!) and that I would write the seller to explain
the situation. He told me to add in that the book was
misdescribed, also. OK, not everyone selling books is a
professional bookseller, especially on eBay, so I added in a
reference to IOBA.org for help in describing and grading books.
I tried to be nice while explaining our problem with the
purchase plus a little useful info. As the saying goes, "No
good deed goes unpunished."
Immediately following is the reply. Below that is
my original contact with the seller. I did not edit either except
to remove user name.
"Dear fraubucher
Hi there, I my self buy and sell antiques, on line, i find them at
yard sails and grage sales,they come from basements , and
attics, were they are sold, not every one takes a book from there
book shelf and sells it.here we have a book from the collection of
the man who wrote it ,and had the greatest bottle collection of all
time, and was signed by him, and you complain about your
condition. i think if you are dealing with antiques of any kind you
might want to find a different hobby, old things smell just like that
OLD... no matter were they come from, be it a barn or an out
house, sory the price was not cheap enough for you , and better
luck next time, if you can find a better copy put your nose in it and
dont wast my time..... "
Ignorant and Illiterate 06/29/2008 11:02 PM
My email dated June 25, 2008 8:55 AM:
Dear ...,
Hi, The book has an strong odor of mustiness, mildew to it. You
may or not have noticed it, but if you did, you really need to add
that to the item's description. I am extremely allergic to molds
which cause me severe asthma attacks. That fact heavily effects
my decision to buy something. Had I known in advance the book
was mildewed and musty, I would have had the option to open it
outdoors using necessary precaution measures and then
properly treat it before inspecting the book. A book that smells
musty has live mold in it, even if not visible, and will infect an
entire collection. Also, a very helpful reference site is IOBA.org
for their book description standards. It's a great aid if you expect
you may frequently sell books. In my experience books and
bottles are commonly found together in collections. Just to let
you know. Thanks,"
Nota bene: I have dug bottles and bought books 200 to 500+
years old. There is a big difference between smelling "old"
and smelling moldy and musty!
Have any suggestions for the Hall of Shame? Let me know.
Posted by FrauBucher at 11:51 AM 0 comments Links to this post
My heart aches for the Tudor Family. I am one of many, many people who appreciate and love Tasha's art. The world of children's books is a little less sweet. The following is from an email I received today:
"Dear Friend,
It is with great sadness that we must tell you Tasha Tudor, 92, passed away in her Vermont home on June 18, 2008 surrounded by family and friends. We have created an online memorial website and invite all who loved Tasha to share their feelings and memories in the Memory Book section.
The office of Tasha Tudor and Family is closed for the time being and will reopen on June 30th.
Due to the extensive travel plans of our national and international guests, the Secret Garden Tours of Tasha Tudor and Family will proceed as scheduled. They will, however, be led by our capable staff, instead of the family.
We thank you for supporting Tasha Tudor's lifestyle and artwork during her long career. We hope that Tasha's message of 'taking joy' in all that one does will be remembered as we pass through this difficult time together.
-The Tudor Family
The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet, within our reach, is joy. Take Joy.
Fra Giovanni "
Posted by FrauBucher at 3:10 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: children's books, illustrators, Tasha Tudor
Several years back I helped manage a large, monthly, FOL, library book sale. One of the activities I instituted was shipping books to a program called Books For Soldiers. Our branch mailed a lot of really good books to the forces overseas.
Due to health reasons, three or so years ago I quit my volunteering. The wear and tear on my body was too great and since I was tired of doing way too much heavy, physical work myself, I left with no regrets. But... I often wondered if the Books for Soldiers program continued since the woman who actually boxed and shipped the books also left the FOL group after I did. Happily, I learned this year that the mailings continued.
So, it was with some dismay that I learned yesterday via email that the Books for Soldiers program is in dire financial difficulties. I don't think they'll mind my pasting the information in my blog. If even a couple people read this and donate, that is a few more dollars.
Books For Soldiers
2008 Fundraising Update Newsletter April 2008
It Is A Bad Economy
Starting at the first of this year, BFS started a robust fundraising campaign here in North Carolina. We contacted small companies and some large companies you probably have heard of. To date, we have received a stack of letters that begin with "we deeply regret not being able to donate this year" and no cash. From our corporate donation campaign we have received a tad under thirty dollars from a philanthropy grants group in Winston Salem, NC. That was it, nothing else.
Times are tough for all non-profit groups, food banks from all around North Carolina and across the nation are suffering from a lack of donations and a sharp increase of those in need. The article below arrived in my email today about a women's shelter closing because of a lack of donations.
The Next Step
The BFS Board of Directors have discussed this problem for some time and have decided to have another go at fundraising. We are working on a different campaign aimed at companies in larger states - California for example. Every time we want to do fundraising in a state (cold call, direct mail, advertising) we need to file with that state's Secretary of State - filing in all states if prohibitively expensive so we have to pick and choose.
In our last newsletter, we reported on the hacker attacks that coincided with our 5th Anniversary. Those DNS attacks didn't help our balance sheet. Our final IT bill from the datacenter for that week was a tad over $11,000. If you recall, the hackers brought down the whole datacenter just to try to kill us.
The Board set a goal of $70,000 to raise by November 1st of this year. If that amount is not raised, the site will close on December 31st, 2008.
If we cannot make the fundraising target, the Board will seek to sell the site to another 501(c)(3) and any new owner will need to be qualified - have the IT talent to run the site, the funding to keep it going and the funding for the required upgrades, both software and hardware. We would also stop accepting new OVs on November 1st and stop accepting new books requests from soldiers on December 1st, 2008.
What Does It Take?*
It takes a lot to run BFS on a monthly basis. The monthly funds required to run an operation like BFS are large. Here is a partial summary of where the donations go.
All figures are a monthly average for 2007.
Books, DVDs, other carepackage items $1153
Postage $812
Rent $1600
Utilities $277
IT Services (server farm, hosting, bandwidth) $4258
IT Maintenance Contract $1500
IT Security Software License Fees $350
There are other things like broken computers, the occasional software purchase, insurance, pencils, toilet paper for the bathroom, etc. that we purchase.
No one at BFS receives a salary.
The BFS presence on MySpace, Flickr, YouTube are all free. Our presence in Second Life has also been donated.
We will be disabling the uploading of photos in the next few weeks to save bandwidth. Please post your photos to the Flickr BFS Group and include the Flickr link to the photo in your forum post. If you want keep your photos on BFS, place them on Flickr and post the code in your post. Instructions can be found here.
My hopes is that eventually we can raise more than the $70k survival goal. Last year our goal for 2008 was to move to a website design where the cumbersome OV process was performed online and searching and finding soldiers would be a breeze - subscribing to soldier requests is my favorite new BFS feature. Now we are just struggling to stay open.
How You Can Help
The ONLY reason we are open today is because of the OVs that have donated so far this year, but now I need to ask more of everyone.
1) Office party fundraiser - Coordinate a "Save BFS Day" at work and urge, beg, cajole your co-workers into coughing up something for BFS.
2) Have your company cough up some cash. We will send your company a formal donation request, just send us the company name, contact name and address and we will get it out right away. Send these requests to me personally (firstname.lastname@example.com)
3) Have your place of worship pass the plate (hat, kippah, whatever) for BFS. Consult with your church's leader about holding a "Save BFS Offering" one day this month. Checks should be made out to "Books For Soldiers." If they have any questions or concerns, please contact me directly to set up a call.
4) Visit our donation page and give what you can.
or by check
Books For Soldiers
2008 Fund Drive
353 Jonestown Rd #123
Winston Salem, NC 27104
In Closing
I started BFS five years ago and fully expected it to be online for only six weeks, that is the length of time I thought it would take for our troops to finish up in Baghdad and come back home. I am also terrible at predicting who is going to win the next NASCAR race.
If worse come to worse, it has been a good run - a great run in fact. In the first 6 months of operation, we collectively shipped over 400 tons of packages to the Middle East, that is when I stopped counting. We also built the largest English library in the Middle East - together with US soldiers at the Baghdad International Airport in the months following the fall of Baghdad.
We have done a lot of tremendous work, made a lot of great friends and even a wedding or two! We have also lost a lot of friends and we have received way too many memorial flags. Either way, you can all be proud of what we have achieved.
I promise that we will do everything in our power to meet our fundraising goals and will appreciate any help from you.
Thank-you for your support, patience and hard work over the last 5 years.
And most of all thank-you for your support of our troops.
Storm Williams
Books For Soldiers
*Legalese: BFS is exempt from filing IRS Form 990. Any financial information found here should not be considered as a replacement for IRS Form 990 or a supplement to an IRS Form 990.
Posted by FrauBucher at 10:51 AM 0 comments Links to this post
As a little girl, my younger brother and I would walk to the surrounding forests and collect wildflowers on the first morn of May. Lilies of the valley, trilliums, phlox, assorted sweet violets, wild roses, Virginia bluebells, spring beauties, Dutchman's-breeches and trout-lilies were lovingly and carefully collected from Nature's bounty for our Mother and Grandmother. Always mindful to not strip or over pick an area or grouping, we'd walk for hours breathing in deeply the scent of mouldering oak and maple leaves as the ground warmed through the forest's canopy. We traversed the same ground the Native Americans walked many years before. We innately appreciated the wild world due to our constant exposure to it. We blissfully coursed the woods, meadows and swamps without fear of human caused danger.
Once back home, we'd arrange our wildflower bouquets and place the flowers on our front porch. Then the show began. We'd knock on the door and run away to the side of the house to hide. My Mother put on a good production of acting surprised upon seeing the breathtaking token of love on the porch. She'd shower us with hugs and kisses after we jumped out into the open. My Mother then drove us to her Mother's house and the scene would be re-enacted for her benefit. Such was our May Day tradition. Sadly, wikipedia states the tradition of anonymously leaving May baskets has faded since the 20th century.
We also left smaller bouquets on doorsteps of friendly neighbors or the elderly. I miss those times. I miss the forests. I really miss the forest's spring wildflowers.
My May Day gift basket to you is a free poetry book entitled May Day with the Muses by Robert Bloomfield, which can be downloaded at Project Gutenburg, a wonderful source of literature in the public domain.
To introduce yourself or your children to May Day, here are some books you may find if shopping locally at your neighborhood independent bookseller. These also can be found on the net from a worldwide indie by searching by author and/or title at Bookfinder or ADDALL.
The Romantics and the May Day Tradition by Joshua, Essaka
Beltane by Raven Grimassi
On The Morn Of Mayfest by Erica Silverman
Little Grey Rabbit's May Day by Alison Uttley
The Rainbow Tulip by Pat Mora
And, a beautiful music selection:
Beltane: Songs for the Green Time (CD) by Jaiya
Posted by FrauBucher at 10:40 AM 0 comments Links to this post
NINE, yes, 9 authors will be Signing, etc. from Friday to Saturday on the very first weekend of May at San Diego county bookstores.
A nature writing workshop is being held 5 p.m. Saturday at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park in Ocean Beach. The workshop is sponsored by San Diego Writers, Ink. Registration is $25-$30. For information, call: (619) 284-1343.
Sunset Cliffs is a great place to see the sunset over the Pacific if the sky is clear. I prefer to view sunsets from the Laguna Summit or Tecate Divide.
Posted by FrauBucher at 12:36 PM 0 comments Links to this post
"Pricing has always been important to the Postal Service. Now, with greater pricing flexibility than ever, our customers have more choices, and we can price quickly in response to customer needs and the marketplace." - Pricing and Classification Vice President Stephen Kearney
The second half of last year's proposed postal rate changes takes place on May 12, 2008. The most commonly used classes are included in the rate changes. A few discounts will also be put into place, but these will not impact the average postal customer.
For those of us shipping packages:
Express Mail becomes zone-based with a 3 percent price cut when purchasing online or via corporate accounts. Meet USPS' quarterly minimums, will save shippers even more.
Priority Mail offers an average 3.5% savings if using electronic postage or meeting other USPS requirements.
Parcel Select features pricing and volume incentives for large- and medium-size shippers.
Parcel Return Service becomes weight based with savings for lighter packages.
Mr and Mrs John Doe's mailings will also be affected with changes. The USPS website is proud to state: "The average increase by class of mail is at or below the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index."
The changes are as follows:
First-Class Mail letter (1 oz.) = $0.42
First-Class Mail letter (2 oz.) = $0.59
Postcard = $0.27
First-Class Mail large envelope (2 oz.) = $1.00
Certified Mail =$2.70
First-Class Mail International changes depend on destination
Posted by FrauBucher at 11:07 AM 0 comments Links to this post
|energy policy
|Tons of CO2


text:
At least three people have died and seven others injured in a shooting at a movie theater in the US state of Louisiana during a showing of the film "Trainwreck", reports say.
The incident happened on Thursday night at the Grand 16 Theater in the city of Lafayette, Louisiana.
City Police Chief Jim Craft told reporters that the shooter, a 58-year-old white male, fired his weapon "numerous times" at the crowd before killing himself.
Craft said some of the injured people are in critical condition.
There were more than 100 people in the theater at the time of the shooting, Sgt. Brooks David of the Louisiana State Police told CNN.
Television pictures showed a hectic scene at the cinema, surrounded by scores of emergency vehicles and crews.
"We heard a loud pop we thought was a firecracker," eyewitness Katie Domingue told the Louisiana Advertiser newspaper.
Domingue said she saw "an older white man" standing up and shooting down into the crowd.
"He wasn't saying anything. I didn't hear anybody screaming either," Domingue said.
Over 6,000 people have been killed and over 13,000 people have been injured by gun in the United States since January 1, 2015, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
About 4.5 million firearms are sold annually in the country at a cost of 2 to 3 billion dollars.
According to a new report, gun production in the United States has more than doubled under the administration of President Barack Obama.
The report by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives comes as Obama has tried to expand background checks and impose new restrictions on guns following massive shootings like the ones in Charleston, S.C. and in an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012.