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Posted 04 March 2017 - 02:45 AM
I am obsessed with Homeland. Why aren't you people?
I vowed to never watch after they did what they did to Brody. But now I get my co-worker to illegality fownload the first six epidodes of season 6. Fuc king Petet RABBIT Quinn is KING!!!
Posted 04 March 2017 - 03:11 AM
Posted 04 March 2017 - 07:52 AM
I AM SO FREAK'IN IN LOVE WITH THIS SHOW!!!!!!!!!!! The characters are so amazingly flawed and I've not quite figured out Saul yet. But that's the point cauz he's a spy and all. And seriously, when Carrie goes off of her meds, Claire is so fucking believable. She scares me. And then the reality is, how sad for people because that happens in real life all of the time. People honestly think they don't need their meds anymore and will quit taking them. Especially with mania. Oh it breaks my heart.
Peter is bad ass. Even in this season. I just am praying that they don't kill him off.
How is it that I was secretly rooting for Brody and Carrie and the daughter with that stunning red hair like her dad's just slays me.
Are you up to date Linda? I don't want to ruin anything for you.
Oh hey Linda, since you liked Brody...are U watching Billions? I love that show too.
Edited by kts1997, 04 March 2017 - 08:14 AM.
Posted 04 March 2017 - 01:11 PM
I swore up and down that I WILL NEVER WATCH THIS FUCKING SHOW AGAIN when they did what they did to Brody. Then I took a peak at season 4 and I saw that little baby ( a child with Brody's face- wasn't that freaky?). Then! Jonas - a tall red head!!!! Fuck!
Fucking Dar at the school this season. Mentioning her vulnerabilities and her daughter's bright hair. AND what is that "private" company???
I sure hope Quinn wins some kind of award for his acting. I also LOVE Astrid.
P.S. I am secretly hoping for Brody to vome back?????! Impossible.
I am frightened to watch Billions. It has Damian and Paul. Paul being my ALL TIME FAVOURITE actor. I am worried that it might be bad and I couldn't watch them do that. Sad, I am. I know.
Edited by lindapoirier, 04 March 2017 - 01:13 PM.
Posted 04 March 2017 - 01:20 PM
Edit. Carrie is my dog damn hero!
Edit again. Did you see when they put Brody in swimming trunks? A direct homage to Major Winters in Band of Brothers. I laughed out loud. Secretly wishing for those tight vintage swims trunks!
Edited by lindapoirier, 04 March 2017 - 01:30 PM.
Posted 04 March 2017 - 01:29 PM
I was one who stopped watching after a certain major death. I figured that was going to end the show... but from what I am hearing, it's just as good if not better these days!
Posted 04 March 2017 - 01:33 PM
It is still fucking great. New President (US) in season 6!
Posted 04 March 2017 - 01:41 PM
Edit. You can literally see them both break character. Claire laughing and Damian is slightly pissed. SO funny.
Edited by lindapoirier, 04 March 2017 - 01:44 PM.
Posted 05 March 2017 - 07:57 AM
Dar fucking FREAKS ME OUT! I can't get a grip on that guy and I'm always waiting for him to f someone over. I thought the "private company" was in reference to Carrie meeting with the president elect but I could be wrong.
Hey, Homeland was my first exposure to Damian so I've no idea about Major Winters but now I'm waaayyy curious.
And if you are a Paul fan you will love love love Billions. His character is amazingly dark and a little twisted. Give it a whirl, twirl, peppermint candy cane child twist !!!!
Edited by kts1997, 05 March 2017 - 07:57 AM.
Posted 11 March 2017 - 07:26 AM
That f*!@@#!* Dar !!! UGH!
Posted 05 April 2017 - 12:06 AM
I am are episode 10. 2 left to go. I was reading online that some people think Otto might be involved in that private company.
Edited by lindapoirier, 05 April 2017 - 12:08 AM.
Posted 08 April 2017 - 06:31 AM
Really? Miranda Otto? I thought ..............oh wait ..............what season are you on?
Posted 10 April 2017 - 12:35 AM
Posted 11 April 2017 - 08:20 PM
I HATE what they did to Peter.
An ending like that is okay if I have the next season on dvd... sigh. When does season 7 start?
Edit. I loved thr Joe Stalin comment.
Edited by lindapoirier, 14 April 2017 - 01:34 AM.
Posted 15 April 2017 - 07:29 AM
Oh for shit's sake, I forgot about him. Duh, doesn't take much for me !!
That was shitty about Quinn but I kinda thought they wouldn't keep him around. He was a major character so I'm wondering who will replace him.
I know the season will begin after the holidays. I want to say mid to late January if I remember correctly. I'm so glad they are doing another season. Hopefully it won't be the last for us.
If you get a chance jump into Billions. I'm watching Californication now and I love it. Funny as hell if you can get through all the sexness in it. But I was a huge X-files fan and I think Duchovny can deliver lines with a rhythm like no other.
Posted 25 April 2017 - 10:10 PM
Season 6 - tickets to a New York Islanders
Hmm... some writer is a hockey fan.
Edit. Two references to Brody... moved his body? And, at the hockey game, Sergeant Brody sends his regards. Hmm.
Edited by lindapoirier, 25 April 2017 - 10:15 PM.
Posted 26 April 2017 - 08:47 PM
Really? Hum.....that's interesting.
Posted 27 April 2017 - 01:44 AM
Posted 30 April 2017 - 06:57 AM
I would love to like hockey but I'm afraid I don't understand the game !!! All I see when watching it is a bunch of men skating around in circles with big sticks in their hands and more often than not running into each other. I mean no disrespect to the game, I'm just saying that I'm to dim to understand it on my own. I would need to go to a game with someone who could explain it to me and then "ding ding ding" something would register.
And...I didn't catch those references to Brody or they just went right over my head.
Hey,~~~~~off topic~~~~ I hear that Billions might get cancelled. That would leave Damion open to a new show.
Posted 06 February 2018 - 01:50 AM
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Applied Math Science Fair Projects
Math is an elegant way to model the behavior of pretty much everything we can observe, and kids who won't settle for simply learning their multiplication tables will love exploring the applied math problems in these cool math science fair projects and math fair project ideas. These enlightening experimental procedures have little mad scientists doing everything from deriving equations for how powerful bed springs are to determining how the bore of a rocket's nozzle influences the amount of force the escaping gas can exert.
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Glover vet gets a new home
copyright the Chronicle November 25, 2015
by Tena Starr
GLOVER — Dale Kilby is a Vietnam vet who grew up on a West Glover farm. He's spent the past 20 years living in a tiny silver camper in the woods a few miles south of Glover Village.
He works two days a week at the Glover recycling center, and he walks, or hitchhikes, wherever he needs to go. Since his home has no running water or electricity, that means hauling in everything he needs, including water, on foot. And since he rents the land, it wouldn't make sense to drill a well, even if he could afford such an extravagance.
Some time ago, his decrepit trailer's roof began to leak. He put up with it, but had a particularly tough winter last year. It was bitter, and the interior of the trailer could… To read the rest of this article, and all the Chronicle's stories, subscribe:
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Show all essays by publication: Artforum Magazine | Bookforum | Dalkey Archive Press | Financial Times | Harper's Magazine | Le Monde Diplomatique | London Review of Books | Los Angeles Times | New York Times | Playboy | Rolling Stone Magazine | Salon | The American Prospect | The Guardian | The Nation | The New York Observer | The New York Review of Books | The Wall Street Journal | The Washington Post
New York Times columns
- Rendezvous With Oblivion, September 1, 2006
- Defunders of Liberty, August 29, 2006
- Thus Spake Zinsmeister , August 25, 2006
- G.O.P. Corruption? Bring In the Conservatives., August 22, 2006
- What Is K Street's Project? , August 19, 2006
- A Distant Mirror , August 15, 2006
- The Spoils of Victimhood, August 12, 2006
- The Culture Crusade of Kansas, August 8, 2006
- 'John Kenneth Galbraith': The Presidents' Man , February 27, 2005
- American Psyche, November 28, 2004
- Failure Is Not an Option, It's Mandatory, July 16, 2004
Book Reviews
Joe Klein's Turnip Day, A review of Politics Lost for the New York Observer, May 1, 2006. His bio of Woody Guthrie was better.
The Curmudgeon, Washington Post Book World, February 5, 2006, a review of Marion Elizabeth Rodgers' comprehensive and impressively researched biography of H. L. Mencken.
Taking names: Anti-liberalism in theory and practice, A review of Bernard Goldberg's 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America, Harper's Magazine, February 2006. It's not much of a book, but it speaks encyclopedias about the conservative mindset.
'John Kenneth Galbraith': The Presidents' Man , Review of the excellent biography by Richard Parker, New York Times Book Review, February 27, 2005.
American Psyche, Review of The Great Divide: Retro vs. Metro (and two other books), New York Times Book Review, November 28, 2004. An unfortunate use of some very valuable research.
Essays since the publication of "What's the Matter With Kansas?"
"What's the Matter With Liberals?," New York Review of Books, May 12, 2005. Answers the question: Why do we suck?
"Why WWI?," The American Prospect, January 5, 2006. Answers the even more vexing question: Why do I collect World War I relics?
"Looting Homeland Security," Rolling Stone (with Eric Klinenberg), December 2005. Eight thousand words on the failure of FEMA, and it's still not enough.
Essays relating to "What's the Matter With Kansas?"
How the U. S. Senate is doing its damndest to live up to the blueprint for culture war I describe in the book. For the New York Times.
A dispatch from the Democratic Convention in Boston. For the Los Angeles Times.
For Harper's Magazine I have written a number of feature stories over the years. You need to be a subscriber to the magazine to access these articles online. These are my favorites:
"Brand You: Better Selling Through Anthropology," Harper's Magazine, July, 1999. I attend a gathering of highly educated advertising people in the throes of romantic self-deception. They speak of themselves as liberators. As tribunes of the plebs. They marvel at the magic of "chaos." This essay was later included in The Best Business Stories of the Year, 2001 Edition, edited by Andrew Leckey and Marshall Loeb.
"It's Globalicious," Harper's Magazine, October, 1999. On Thomas Friedman, the New York Times's foreign affairs columnist, and the greatest of the free-market romantics.
"The Trillion-Dollar Hustle," Harper's Magazine, January, 2002. The mind-bending con behind the push for Social Security privatization, and the ways in which it is sold as the purest ambition of idealistic youth.
"Get Rich or Get Out," Harper's Magazine, June 2003. The Bush budget is pushing the federal government deep into debt, but not in the ordinary Keynesian way. In its every nuance, it is an engine for showering gifts on the rich and screwing the working class.
Essays for Le Monde Diplomatique, the excellent French weekly.
The America that will vote for Bush, A primer on the Republicans' appeal to class anger and, more importantly, a discussion of the qualities of the American left that allow them to get away with it.
February 1, 2004
Enron: Elvis lives, A primer on Enron.
February 1, 2002
Malls aren't us, A story about trends in shopping mall design. More interesting than it sounds.
August 1, 2001
US 'newseum' to mediocrity, I visit Gannett's Newseum, a monument to crappy journalism.
August 1, 1999
Creation myth of the "geo-architect",
July 1, 1999
France, an unforgivable exception , On the New York Times's persistent Francophobia. This was long before the UN showdown with France over Bush's Iraq war, remember. Back then the crime for which France was the scapegoat was its infernal skepticism about the claims of the "New Economy" boosters.
April 1, 1998
Essays for Artforum Magazine.
I wrote the "Slant" column for Artforum in 1998-99. The art world made an ideal target for the critique of commodified dissent I was then working on, and a few of the columns were memorable. Unfortunately, I seem to have lost nearly all my copies of the magazine, and nothing from that era is online.
The best pieces I did for Artforum were when I got to write the "Top Ten," a free-format analysis of whatever ten things the author felt like analyzing. I am still proud of the "Top Ten" I wrote for them in April, 1998.
"The Bullshit Boys" It was the summer of 2002: The "New Economy" had fallen apart, Enron had collapsed, the neo-liberal world had fallen on its ass. And yet the leading theorists and thinkers and boosters and puffers of the whole flatulent, fraudulent fiasco were still riding high. (As, I might add, they still are today.) Why are there no consequences for the golden boys of the libertarian right? Unfortunately, this particular critique was not amenable to mass-circulation American publications (since most of them were caught up in the puff-bubble in one way or another) and it had to be published in the Guardian.
"Rocking for the Clampdown" Harvard Design Magazine, Number 17 (Fall, 02). A consideration of the nation's two big rock museums, the Experience Music Project in Seattle, and the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. While the latter is obviously a monument to the music industry, the EMP presents itself as something very different: Interactive, grass-roots, "alternative," even. What it really is, though, is a monument to a different industry: Paul Allen's Microsoft and his vision of the creativity-driven economy.
"Let's Talk Class Again" Conservatism reacted to the collapse of the "New Economy" by suddenly rediscovering the good ol' culture wars. Forget NASDAQ: Get mad about the "liberal elite"! A Review of Bias, by Bernard Goldberg, for the excellent London Review of Books.
"When Markets Rule Politics" Financial Times, April 6, 2001. My first foray into the matter of Social Security privatization. (Guess what, I'm against it.) Main point made here: While pundits worry constantly about the "politicization of markets," the real concern should be the opposite. Investing Social Security funds in the stock market will "marketize" our politics, give Wall Street a weapon with which to threaten any liberal legislator who might want to consider measures that would empower labor or protect the environment or otherwise discomfit the stock market. "Touch Wall Street and you're dead."
I must admit, it is surpassingly strange to me that while American newspapers were generally unreceptive to the above analysis, a British business publication has opened its op/ed pages to me. Another favorite story for the Financial Times:
"America's Sucker-in-Chief" December 14, 2000. Bush's market populism prevails. My stab at writing an election-day story, postponed by a full month due to the Florida recount. A man of utter, child-like credulity is elected to the highest office in the world.
"All Good, No Bad" I visit Singapore, a land where management theory has supplanted politics. Context, December 2000. While you're on their website, spend some money and support the very worthy Dalkey Archive.
"Marching With Mammon" An introduction to the concept of market populism.
Frank vs. Enron In the summer of 1997, electricity deregulation reared its head in Illinois. I was maybe the only person in the state to give a damn about the subject, and as a result I had my first brush with Enron. For the Chicago Reader, December, 1997. Ironically, of the many columns I wrote for the Reader, this was the one that drew the least interest.
My thoughts on Enron on the eve of its (self) destruction. These appeared in the very last print issue of The Industry Standard, July 23, 2001. This was the first story in any American business magazine to call Enron evil.
This one was written during the collapse, and appeared in Salon in December 01.
The bitter aftermath, written for The Nation magazine, April 02. While researching this piece I paid a visit to the Enron tower in downtown Houston and was able to leave the building with one of their company motivational posters ("Enron: Excellence") under my arm.


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text: Composer Lowell Liebermann Wins $40,000 Prize 4/9/2014 by Associated Press FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Lowell Liebermann has won the inaugural Virgil Thomson Award, a $40,000 prize given for outstanding composition of vocal works. The honor was announced jointly Tuesday by the Virgil Thomson Foundation and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The 53-year-old Liebermann is known for such operas as "Miss Lonelyhearts" and "The Picture of Dorian Gray," and the compositions "Sonata for Flute and Piano" and "Concerto for Flute and Orchestra." Pianist Stephen Hough's recording of Liebermann's "Piano Concerto No. 2" received a 1998 Grammy nomination for best contemporary classical composition. Virgil Thomson, who died in 1989 at age 92, was an influential critic and composer. FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME


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Precious time is often lost through the handling of Best Pos System For Small Retail Stores . Similarly, the more cash is handled the greater the security risk in stores. Fortunately, Point of Sale (POS) technology is making better control of cash in retail stores possible, resulting in benefit for both staff and customers.
One German furniture company has estimated that the payment process and handling of cash at the checkout takes between 15 to 25 seconds. As this is only one part of processing pos system, 15 to 25 seconds is quite substantial time and, when the seconds are calculated for the cash handling from every sale throughout the day…till operators are spending more time on this process than most business owners would like.
Then, there is also the concern of cash robbery and theft. On any given day in a retail business, one, a few or many more employees will handle cash. Think how many different times and how many different people will handle cash in a supermarket on any one day. It is also probable that many managers are reconciling cash and making deposits, which is why they use point of sale systems.
How Do You Select the Best Point Of Sale Systems in Best Pos System For Small Retail Stores ?
Observe your typical consumer with pos system when they're out shopping and you'll see that most people will buy something that they did not intentionally set out to buy. This is down to a number of things. Call it what you will - 'an impulse buy' or 'because I deserve a treat' or simply 'I have to have it!'
I believe that the simple reason behind a large number of these purchases, are down to clever marketing and eye-catching and believable promotional displays.
Indeed - how many times yourself have you been stopped in your tracks in a store, when first your mind sees a display, then you recognise the product from the advert you saw on the TV the other day and remember that 'this promised to reduce my wrinkles instantly'
So you walk over, stop and pick up the product and read the back of the box. It, along with the literature shown on the POS display re-confirms the claim. You decide it's a bit pricey but you really want to use this product because it will reduce my wrinkles! You want to buy it, because it will make you feel better about yourself. You go ahead and buy it and leave the store feeling happier because of your purchase. You're going to look and feel better!
So, my recommended lists of five steps to increase sales of your product through cleverly manufactured POS displays are:
1. Find a company that understands the needs of you, the client and the targeted market for your project.
2. Give a clear and concise brief and understand the budget. What does your favoured cost include and exclude.
3. Understand your brand, what may or may not the display build company use.
4. Ensure your chosen company has your trust. They will go the extra mile for you.
5. Keep in touch! It's good to talk and silly mistakes will be avoided.
Finally, sit back and enjoy fantastic product sales for all point of sale software!
What Is A Point of Sale System?
It can be challenging to find the right Point of Sale software system for your business. This article provides a checklist of features you should consider when making your decision. In part one, we will look at point-of-sale, customer tracking, and security features.
Point of Sale
This is the heart of a POS system. Does it feature an intuitive user interface? Will you be able to train employees quickly? Can you customize the software for your unique needs? Features to look for:
- Touch screen support.
- Customizable menu buttons to access frequently sold items.
- Customizable receipts and invoices.
- Ability to email receipts.
- Ability to create and manage quotes, layaways, special orders and workorders.
- Ability to manage gift registries.
- Ability to set up automatic add-on sale suggestions or substitutes for out-of-stock items.
- In-house gift card/store credit tracking.
- Ability to import tickets from a remote location, such as a trade show.
- Ability to interface with credit card processing software. Will you need to switch to a different processor than the one you are currently using?
- Support for electronic signature capture.
- Support for debit card cash back.
- Support for foreign currency.
- Ability to calculate and track sales tax for different municipalities, different customer types, and different types of inventory items.
- Ability to manage recurring billings, (for example, subscriptions).
- Ability to manage tips and customer tabs
- Ability to compute and track commissions and spiffs.
Your point of sale system can help you prevent employee fraud and assist you in loss prevention. Features to look for:
- Bad check tracking.
- Integrated video surveillance.
- Ability to limit employee access and rights.
- Option to require login for each sale or after a specified period of inactivity.
- Security tracking log so you know which employee handled a void, price override, return, etc.
POS - Point of Sale Explained
Point of sale (POS) systems are used by hundreds of businesses in order to streamline the purchasing process as well as track the various financial and inventory data that relates to the sales made. Although the general concept behind each system is virtually the same, different industries can purchase POS systems that are tailor made for their needs. Think of it is a delivery service: A bike delivery would work fine for a local newspaper, but UPS would have to shut down if it didn't have delivery trucks. The same concept applies to POS sale systems used in retail stores, restaurants, and hotels. Each specific industry can benefit from a system that is designed for their specific needs.
Retail POS systems are specialized at quick and easy one time sales. The items stored in their database are well defined, and although there can be many colors or sizes offered for one item, there isn't very much variation in the product. If one person buys a black jacket, although the jacket comes in blue, all the people who buy the black on are still getting the same item. This is why retail POS systems are the simplest in nature. In regards to the sale process, all they need is to pull up an item's information from inventory and remove it upon purchase. Of course, this is just in reference the the sales aspect of the system; there are still complex inventory control settings and sales efficiency metrics that that can be used, but in terms of making a sale, the retail system is the most simplistic.
Clearly, when starting a business it important to take the industry specific POS into account. Don't just try and find the best deal, but rather what will work best to make your company run efficiently. Understanding why each system is unique will help when trying to make the decision for what POS system to purchase. Although the examples given were for specific industries, the systems can be applied to different industries that have similar purchasing processes: The retail POS can be used in stores ranging from clothing to electronics and the restaurant system can be used in various hospitality related industries.


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A spacious holiday rental is the perfect place to stay while you enjoy the twenty-four miles of blindingly white, powder soft sand beaches and emerald green waters in the Fort Walton Beach area. Whether you stay in a sprawling beach house, high-rise condominium, cottage or other holiday rental, you'll relish a carefree lifestyle that is the antithesis of a confining hotel room.
The fun begins and ends on the calm Gulf of Mexico waters. If you're seeking adventure and want to explore the coastline in style, climb aboard the Emerald Dancer, a 46-foot catamaran docked at nearby Harborwalk Marina. Back on terra firm, a kid's favourite is Big Kahuna's Water Adventure Park, with more than 40 water attractions, three mini golf courses and two go-kart tracks. Tee times mean good times in Fort Walton Beach where the impressive menu is highlighted by Kelly Plantation Golf Club, a Fred Couples Signature Golf Course and the Tiger Point Golf & Country Club, a 36-hole complex built along the Santa Rosa Sound.
There are numerous beach venues for family holidays in the Fort Walton Beach area. Whether you prefer the laid-back, lounge in a hammock lifestyle on Okaloosa Island or Fort Walton Beach, with its marinas, shopping complexes and attractions, the area features a wealth of family-oriented holiday rentals. Regardless of where you stay, you'll always be close to great beaches, phenomenal deep-sea fishing, top-notch golf and spectacular shopping.
Holiday rentals in Fort Walton Beach make it easy and convenient to take a shopping excursion to nearby Destin where you'll find deals galore, great dining and entertainment. The Destin Commons is an elegant, pedestrian-friendly, open-air complex with 80 retail stores and eight restaurants highlighted by Bass Pro Shops and the Hard Rock Café. Silver Sands Factory Stores, which bills itself as the nation's largest designer outlet centre, has more than 100 designer stores. Other easily accessible attractions near Fort Walton Beach include Eden State Gardens in Point Washington, an 1895 Greek Revival estate surrounded by resplendent gardens and Florida Caverns in Marianna, Florida's only limestone caverns.
You want the best deal available, right? We have special deals and discounts on a long list of properties in the Fort Walton Beach area. Remember, too, holiday rentals, with their additional space, fully equipped kitchens and great amenities are always a better value compared to a hotel room.


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Albania: UK Helicopter Search for Missing Migrants
Albania's military says British helicopters have joined a search for 27 migrants reported missing while trying to cross illegally by speedboat to nearby Italy.
The British forces were taking part in an exercise in the area and on Tuesday joined Albanian and Italian coast guard vessels in the search in the Strait of Otranto, which separates the two countries.
The Albanian army said authorities received an emergency call from the migrants late Monday, adding that Albanians and migrants from several Middle Eastern countries were believed to be on board.
Albania is a transit point for illegal immigration to Italy, typically after migrants have traveled across Turkey and neighboring Greece.


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Machine-Tending Robots Lead Reshoring Effort
Green-light time on a pair of robot-tended press brakes averages 40 percent higher than on manually tended brakes at contract sheetmetal fabricator Metal Works, Inc., Londonderry, NH.
The firm provides full-service support to hundreds of customers, including engineering, prototyping, machining, painting and powder coating, assembly and custom inventory-management programs. When a bottleneck struck its press-brake forming department about four years ago, an investment in robotic technology saved the day.
Forming enclosures for Suntron and ZeeVee at a Metal Works' robotic bending cell begins with a robot pulling a blank—prefabricated on a turret press—from a rack and placing it against automated backgauges in a press brake.
"We had just acquired three new servo-electric turret punch presses (Amada EM2510NT NT units), and throughput rose so dramatically that our conventional, manually tended press brakes could not keep up," recalls company CEO Fred Pierce. "At the same time, we knew that even if we acquired new press brakes to free the bottleneck, we'd struggle to find qualified operators to set up and run them."
As a result, Pierce opted to add a pair of Amada 10-ft.110-ton Astro II 100NT robotic forming cells to his stable. The automated forming cells, says Pierce, completely integrate what he viewed as two separate functions—a press brake that goes down and up, and robots that feed sheet in and out and position parts against multiaxis backgauges.
"Through software and integration," stresses Pierce, "the two technologies act in sync. We're able to teach the robots and press brake, through the cell's control functions, how to truly work together. As a result, we're able to run both robotic cells with one operator, optimize green-light time and generate cost savings we can pass along to customers. That's allowed us to grow our business in areas where we had not been able to previously."
High-Volume Technology in a High-Mix Environment
As an example, Pierce cites a high-volume job the shop ran during the summer of 2011 for a large solar-energy project that had the firm's pair of robotic press-brake cells churning out parts 16 hr./day, 5.5 days/week. In fact, some of the press-brake production ran lights out. Of course, once that huge job ran its course, it was back to the typical day in the life of a contract fabricator—short-run, quick-turnover jobs. Surmising how Metal Works has been able to adapt robotics to its fabrication shop, Pierce says:
Forming enclosures for Suntron and ZeeVee at a Metal Works' robotic bending cell begins with a robot pulling a blank—prefabricated on a turret press—from a rack and placing it against automated backgauges in a press brake.
"We're utilizing high-volume technology in a high-mix environment."
Asked to provide the key to pulling that off, Pierce says that, "the biggest hurdle was finding the right person to head up the (robotics) program. We went through a learning curve, thinking initially that putting a press-brake operator in charge of the robotic bending cells made sense. But in the end, we had to think more outside of the box and, ultimately we had more success when we handed the cells over to a person more versed in software and programming, who also had some working knowledge of the press-brake forming process."
Now, the two automated bending cells typically run 1.5 shifts/day, under the guidance of one operator who also assumes responsibility for offline programming. Programming is performed on the shop floor using a laptop computer on a roll-around cart, equipped with Amada's Dr. Abe automated bending-expert programming software. Pierce is pushing hard to have as many programs developed as possible to run work on his two automated cells. While the ideal parts routed to the automated cells are the more bend-intensive ones, with six or more bends, there are efficiencies to be gained with just about every job requiring press-brake work, says Pierce. As such, Pierce says at least four or five bending jobs get programmed for the robotic cells each week.
Just What the Doctor Ordered
High-mix small-lot production, it turns out, is exactly what the Astro II 100NT is configured for, with remarkably fast backgauge motion (80 mm/min.) and two robots working in concert to move material in and out of the cell, while positioning parts against the backgauges in sequence. The press brakes are 110-ton HDS-1030NT models with 122.4-in. bending length and 7.9-in. stroke. The robots? They're five-axis models with 44-lb. weight capacity capable of handling blanks to 31.5 by 39 in. (or 11.8 by 70.9 in.).
Compared to manual press-brake tending, productivity and quality can rise significantly. To explain, Pierce describes for us one particular project where costs were minimized enough to convince a U.S.-based OEM customer—ZeeVee, a manufacturer of high-definition video-distribution equipment—to bring the sheetmetal-fabrication work back from China.
Based in Littleton, MA, ZeeVee launched manufacturing operations in 2007 in China, believing that "U.S. manufacturers couldn't adequately support their business model," according to a recent article in Circuits Assembly magazine. When its market shifted noticeably from consumer to commercial, China's aptitude for large batch-oriented production "limited ZeeVee's agility, making it difficult to implement a continuous quality improvement process or introduce product variations," the article notes.
As issues over shipping logistics and inventory control grew worrisome, reshoring production with U.S. partners began to look more attractive to ZeeVee management. Finally, early in 2011 the firm contracted Methuen, MA-based Suntron to manufacture its products. Suntron's supplier of fabricated sheetmetal enclosures: Metal Works, Inc.
Metal Works launched production for Suntron in October 2011, and Pierce expects to support ZeeVee's growing business with production runs in batches of 1000 to 2000 every few weeks. The enclosures measure roughly 18 by 24 in., fabricated from 18-gauge mild-steel sheet that arrives at Metal Works in 4- by 8-ft. blanks. Turret presses prefab the blanks, adding lances, slots, holes and extruded and tapped holes, which then move to the Astro II 100NTs."Thanks to the cost savings from running the work on the robotic press brakes," says Pierce, "we were able to meet requests from ZeeVee and Suntron to come within 25 percent of the price being charged by the Chinese supplier. That effort, combined with avoiding 'gray costs' related to cash cycles, shipping and flexibility, led to us winning the project and bringing production back to the United States." MF
See also: Amada North America, Inc
Related Enterprise Zones: Automation, Fabrication


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Marc Faber came to fame by predicting disaster, and he's still at it a quarter of a century later. The author of the appropriately titled Gloom, Boom and Doom Report correctly predicted the stock market crash of 1987, which had its 25th anniversary last week, and it's been angst and worry ever since.
For the benefit of those just out of business school, Monday, Oct. 19, 1987, saw a 508-point drop in the Dow, to a (now seemingly quaint) 1,738.74, which accounted for 22.61% of the index. Causes of the crash range from computerized trading that got ahead of itself to high-flying, 1980s'-style overvaluations to, of course, investor behavior.
Eventually markets calmed; Faber, however, has not.
In what could be considered his commemorative anniversary edition, Faber told CNBC on Monday that the debt burden in the United States and other Western countries will continue to grow, leading to a "colossal mess" within the next five to 10 years.
"I think the regimes will try to keep the system alive as it is for as long as possible, which means there's no fiscal cliff, there's a fiscal grand canyon," Faber told the network.
Faber argued that the political systems in place in the West would allow the debt burden to continue to go up. Under such a scenario of neverending deficits, the Western world would rack up huge deficits. One day, the system would break, he said, according to CNBC.
"Eventually you have either huge changes occurring in a peaceful fashion through reforms, or usually through revolutions," he said. The U.S. was getting closer to such a revolution, he said, as was Europe.
"I think the timeframe would be within five to 10 years you have a colossal mess… everywhere in the Western world," Faber said.
"I think the deficit here (in the United States)—irrespective of who is in the White House—will stay above a trillion dollars per annum for at least as far as the eye can see," Faber said.
Bureaucracies in the U.S. as well as Europe were far too big, he said, and were a burden on the economy.
"My medicine for the U.S. is: reduce government by minimum 50%," he said. "The impact would be immediately an improvement in the economy."


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This domain is maintained by Ed and Boo Hill and has been our most
permanent address.
When not busy working or out hiking, Boo is
looking forward to another summer session at Camp Juliette Low. Be sure to check out
their new and improved web pages!
Ed is a Lead Research Engineer at BAE Systems AIT.
Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 9:45PM :
Edward Raymond Hill ("Eddie") arrives!
Thu May 20, 2004 @ 5:01AM :Alexandra Sophia Hill ("Alex")
Sat May 1, 2004 :Our new address is:
19 Mystic Ave.
Lynn, MA 01904-2416
Tue Jun 24, 2003 :Our new address is:
224 Kennedy Dr Apt 511
Malden, MA 02148-3422
Sun Jun 8, 2003 :Moving day is nearly here!
We're equal parts thrilled to be living in Boston and sad to be
leaving Colorado. It seems that we didn't get enough time to enjoy
all the outdoor activities and hang out with friends. But then we
could probably live in Colorado for ten more years and still not
come close to seeing it all!
Sun Nov 17, 2002 : New images have been
added to our photo
albums. Many thanks to Kevin Fenzi for the inexpensive Mustek
600-II-CD SCSI scanner which works quite nicely with SANE.
Wed Aug 14, 2002 : Wireless (802.11b)
broadband arrived at our humble abode last night and we are already
wondering how we lived without it.
Wed July 17, 2002 : Returned from our summer
vacation in "the gateway to the Winds" outside Lander, WY. While it
was still very dry (much of the West is suffering from a three-year
drought), we did find some great hiking, birding, and trout fishing.
And Scout found a prairie rattler!
Thu Jun 27, 2002 : Updated our photo albums.
Sat Dec 8, 2001 : Updated packages for Ssnooper (a
serial line debugging utility) and QAXA, an X-ray data
analysis suite.
Sat Oct 27, 2001 : Happy, happy! My
new laptop (IBM ThinkPad A22p) arrived recently and RedHat v7.2
installed on it without a hitch. See Linux-Laptop.net for
detailed descriptions of installs on the A22p.


text:
All Tti News
Two more Tti teachers attain DELTA!
We are pleased to announce that in 2014 two Tti teachers, Sam and John, received their DELTA certificate, the highest qualification in English Language teaching in the UK. Big congrats to Sam & John!
15 years of friendships, memories & English ! :)
As part of Ttis 15th birthday celebration , we have endeavoured to find an alumni student from every year since we opened to contribute to this very special blog post! It has not been so easy. We managed to get a quite a few and we thank each and everyone of you who have participated! We are so grateful for your support !!
** Xavier Frances Delgado ** STUDENT of the MOMENT!
We are pleased to announce that
** Xavier Frances Delgado'**
is Tti Schools STUDENT of the MOMENT!
Marianne Arake - our new Director of Studies
We are pleased to announce that Marianne Arake is our new Director of Studies. Marianne is a DELTA qualified teacher and has taught at Tti since 2011. Marianne holds a MA in Linguist Theory and Practice of Translation and a BA in Translation and Bilingualism. Congratulations Marianne!
Tti 158 now open!
We are pleased to announce the opening of our new building, Tti 158, just ten minutes walk from our main location in Camden High Street.
News in detail
08 Aug 2013: Tti Summer Party!


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My grandpa is a teddy bear of a man, and I'd bet he gives the best hugs this side of the Mississippi. When he found out that I would attend his alma mater, he pulled me in to one of those big hugs, then put on a stern manner and a furrowed brow and said, "Now Hadley, there's one thing you have to remember at CU. No matter what you do, you have to volunteer for the Conference on World Affairs."
When my grandfather attended CU, from the fall of 1959 to the summer of '64, the CWA was just a hint of what it is today. Still, it left an impression on him that would last into a new millennium.
This year, the conference celebrates its 64th year of bringing in participants from all over the world to speak on any topic imaginable. And as with most events that pack in the masses, behind the conference is a staggering amount of work done mostly by volunteers. I am one of those volunteers.
A year's worth of work goes into the planning and execution of the CWA, starting as soon as the first panel ends. Each panel is ranked by the people running it, which helps the committee analyze what worked and what didn't for the next year.
The CWA has seven subcommittees, each representing various areas of expertise: Arts, Business, Human Condition, International Affairs, Politics and Media, Science and Technology, and Students. Each subcommittee has student editors and editors from the community. These editors run weekly meetings, at which other student and community volunteers decide who will be invited to the CWA.
The decision process takes almost the entire first semester, and is handled with extreme care. Before a participant is invited, he or she must be approved by the group of editors. The editors discuss each potential participant, ruminating on types of panels they could speak on and what they would contribute at the conference. Once the participants pass the gauntlet of editor voting, they are formally invited.
The next step in the process is the fun part. The committees get together and discuss what topics will be interesting, thrilling, thought-provoking, inappropriate, funny and relevant come April. As a freshman, it was these meetings that inspired me to volunteer for the conference for the next four years of my life. These brainstorming sessions overflow with topics and titles. The topics are born from ideas that conference participants suggest themselves, and then are molded into panels by the committees.
In mid-February, the committee meets for "Planning Weekend," where from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every panel that has been concocted is presented, complete with a tentative title and at least four participants. The participants are checked and double-checked to ensure that they will be able to speak well on the topic, and that they are all on at least one panel per day. The process of placing panels correctly takes hours, but by the end of Planning Weekend, a skeleton schedule for the entire week of the conference is complete.
Though these are the main meetings involved in putting together the CWA, many others occur to ensure that the whole week runs smoothly. One whole meeting is devoted to tweaking titles, while others are held to coordinate housing for the participants, plan out the schedules of the student volunteers, organize producers and moderators for each panel, design marketing, choose the conference theme, and much more.
Without the work of the volunteers and the staff who have made the conference their life's work, none of it would be possible.
P.S. If you want the advice of a true CWA veteran, these are my Grandpa's picks of panels to attend for the week:
Monday: "Can the Center Hold: Democracy and Governance in a Polarized America"
Tuesday: "Is Anybody Normal?"
Wednesday: "A Spiritual Soup: Defining Faith"
Thursday: "Prisons: The Caging of America"
Friday: "Shifting Sands in the Middle East: New Players, Policies and Directions"
Respond: email@example.com


text:
ShootX necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 95 diseños de 21 diseñadores freelance.
We are a photographer and a photo editor who want to help commercial photographers find new clients and shoot more original photography.
We have two target audiences:
Photographers are the first audience who will be creating profiles and uploading photographs to their individual portfolios.
We want the design to complement and highlight the photography.
On the homepage, this will entail a "featured photographers" section with samples of their photography, location and information about them including a small avatar.
The second audience are the clients: photo editors, art buyers, art directors and other people looking to hire photographers.
When they come to the site, they should be encouraged to browse through
the photographers' profiles and portfolios, along with posting their photo shoot requirements.
Logo placement: We have a logo (attached) which should feature prominently on the page.
Main navigation: The two main areas of the site are "Photographers" and "Photo Shoots". These two links should be featured near the top of the page.
Other navigation: There should be an area for other, less important navigation, such as "Account", "Profile", "Log In/Log Out", etc.
Sign Up Links: We need two separate sign-up links, one for photographers and one for clients, each with some marketing copy.
Featured Photographers: This is where you can really get creative! We want to show off our photographers' work for prospective clients by putting them on the homepage. Each photographer should have a section of the page that includes their name and location, a few (6) sample photos from their portfolio, and a small avatar. Please feel free to suggest different ideas for displaying the sample photos (e.g. slideshow, zooming, etc.) We may put as many as 20 photographers on the homepage at a time.
Color: We are displaying photos, so we want to keep the colors neutral to avoid clashing. The one exception is the teal color in the logo, which can be used for visual accents.
Overall, we want the design to be clean, but also have some character. It should appeal to creatives and avoid looking too corporate.
Link: http://shootx.com/
Similar sites: http://dripbook.com/ http://at-edge.com/


text:
Some old quick sketches during the planning of my 2010 display.
From the Tinies page.
The Zombie Apocalypse doodle.
A super quick concept for Jenny Green Teeth.
A random scarecrow from an idea I ditched.
And another scarecrow design I dug, but couldn't get it to work once I started to build him...
So only his head remains.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Some old quick sketches during the planning of my 2010 display.
10 comments:
- JD said...
Love posts that give a peek inside the Pumpkinrot brain, really cool. Are you going to use that head in something else?
- January 17, 2011 at 12:05 PM
- Goneferalinidaho said...
Cool, thanks for sharing. I love to peek into other's creative process.
- January 17, 2011 at 3:12 PM
- Marrow said...
Really cool post! I love that last fat scarecrow sketch. The mangled pumpkin head is awesome. Especially the bottom row of teeth. I swear you are a god.
- January 17, 2011 at 4:00 PM
- Hopsy the beer drinking clown said...
Very cool, love seeing those behind the scenes sketches, kind of like the making-of bonus features on a dvd!
- January 17, 2011 at 4:17 PM
- Sara said...
Yes, I love your doodles! More! More! Yes! My desire is totally fueled by my nosey nature and wanting to see into everyone's sketchbook. I'm ok with that.
Anyway, these remind me of the beginning of Children of the Corn.
- January 17, 2011 at 5:47 PM
- Rot said...
Not sure if I'll use the head later or not.
Thanks, all.
- January 17, 2011 at 6:01 PM
- JHMDF said...
Nice. Looks like he was going to be a big fat nasty scarecrow.
- January 17, 2011 at 11:05 PM
- ShellHawk said...
I've said it before: your gesture sketches are great. I still have trouble with those!
- January 18, 2011 at 8:27 AM
- Chris 'Frog Queen' Davis said...
Wow, thanks for sharing. Cool to get a glimpse inside your creative process.
- January 18, 2011 at 4:34 PM
- K.O. said...
- January 19, 2011 at 6:52 AM


text:
Mohammadali Behzad
Signed, 1948
Oil on canvas
60 x 97.5 cm
group exhibition, 03 August - 14 August
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text:
Tech Update
Vision Systems Ensure Saw-Blade Perfection
In the finishing area of the Scintilla plant, operators insert eight fabricated jigsaw blades into a fixture mounted on a rotary transfer machine, which positions the blades for inspection. During the first phase of inspection, the vision system inspects the base paint for color and discoloration, as well as for the presence of dirt, scratches or fine lines down to 0.2 mm in size. A second inspection phase then checks the pad imprint on the saw blades to determine the quality of the printed text or graphics.
An important feature of the vision system: The individual shapes of each blade type need not be manually positioned and adjusted. Rather, the shape of the saw blade need only be taught to the system once and then saved. The individual characteristics of each blade—edges, dimensions, shapes, angles, arcs and shades—are isolated and identified. The three-dimensional relationships between these features of the learned image then are compared against the real-time image.
The Cognex quality-control station operates on a three- to four-shift basis and checks 60,000 saw blades each day. The machine runs on a 4.5-sec. cycle, with visual inspection taking 1.8 sec.
Cognex: 508/650-3000; www.cognex.com
See also: Cognex
Related Enterprise Zones: Quality Control


text:
Articles tagged with exhibition, festive
Top Art Exhibitions to see in London in February
Our curator Phin Jennings has his eye on the latest and greatest contemporary exhibitions, and he's always on the lookout for promising up-and-coming artists. If you're in search of your next art fix this February, here are four current London exhibitions that Phin recommends.
Hector's Recommendations | Jamian Juliano-Villani 'Let's Kill Nicole'
Since graduating with a BFA from Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts, New Jersey, in 2013, Jamian Juliano-Villani's star has very much been in the ascendent. Whilst
Hector's Recommendations | Ben Spires Hook and Crook
Ben Spiers has been described by artist, friend, former student and 'Hook and Crook' curator Oli Epp as "one of London's best kept secrets" and "London's most secretive painter", and I for one would, therefore, like to thank both Epp and veteran collector and dealer Kostyál for drawing Spiers out into the spotlight.
Top Art Exhibitions to see in London in July
Hector Campbell, our Curator at Large, has his eye on the latest and greatest contemporary exhibitions, and he's always on the lookout for promising up-and-coming artists. If you're in search of your next art fix, here are four current London exhibitions that Hector recommends.
Start Spring with These 4 London Exhibitions
Our Curator at Large, Hector Campbell, has been scouring every corner of London to find the best up-and-coming artistic talent. Hector's recommendations take us to Annka Kultys Gallery in Hackney, Freelands Foundation in Primrose Hill, Assembly Point in Peckham and The Dot Project in Holland Park.
Bridget Riley | The Hermaphrodite
Bridget Riley was born at Norwood, London, in 1931. Riley gained attention for her illusionary black and white paintings in the 1960s and was grouped under the category of 'Op art' (optical art).
Curator at Large | 4 Current London Exhibitions You Don't Want to Miss
Hector Campbell is our Curator At Large. This means he's out and about visiting the best galleries and the latest exhibitions. Hector always has his eye on the latest and greatest art world news and he's here to give you exclusive access.
The Disappearance of Makepeace | Nick Malone Explores the Intersection of Words and Imagery
We ask Nick Malone about his new exhibition at Bermondsey Project Space, The Disappearance of Makepeace - A Tale of Two Lives, which focuses on the interplay of text and imagery. The artist, who is also a successful writer of poetry and prose, crosses art forms to explore metamorphosis, dissolution and change.
DRAF Presents an Evening of Performances and the Institute of Asian Performance Art
This year, the overarching theme that ties together the David Roberts Art Foundation's programme of events and exhibitions is the human condition. Two of the Foundation's current projects, its annual Evening of Performances and the 11th edition of its Curators' Series, feed into this quest into what makes us human.
5 Things You Didn't Know About David Hockney
From embroiding the front cover of Bradford's 1989 British Telecom telephone directory to his life as a synesthete, we bring you 5 things you didn't know about David Hockney.


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What Is Independent Living?
Independent living refers to a way of life in residential communities designed specifically for those who have reached or are nearing retirement age, but want to remain active and independent. These communities feature social activities, amenities and services to make your life more carefree, in addition to housing options designed with seniors in mind.
Unlike assisted living, independent living communities are for those who do not need help with daily tasks such as bathing or taking medications, although some independent living communities may offer very limited medical services.
What Does an Independent Living Community Look Like?
You can expect a variety of housing options in an independent living community. These can range from apartments and condos to duplex cottages and detached garden homes. Regardless of the type of home you choose, you will usually find handy features designed with safety and ease of senior living in mind, such as:
- Handicap accessibility
- Emergency alert systems
- First floor access to elevators.
These types of communities come in various sizes and layouts, and are often part of a larger community that also offers housing for seniors that require care, such as assisted living or skilled nursing care. This type of larger community that includes independent living as an option is called a Continuing Care Retirement Community. The advantage of this type of community is that you don't have to move far if you get to a point where you need more care.
Independent living communities are typically located in or near residential or urban areas, which means residents can feel part of the overall neighborhood, community and county or city where they live.
What's it Like to Live at an Independent Living Community?
You'll have freedom to come and go in an independent living community, while still having the privacy of being in your own home. There are no limits on when or how much you come and go, and you can have friends and family over as much you like.
In some communities, meals are included in your monthly fee, and you can usually choose between several options each day. You can also still continue to cook in your own kitchen if you'd like. Although transportation is typically included, you can often keep your own vehicle and continue to drive as well.
There are usually lots of scheduled activities ranging from water aerobics to art classes. And you can choose to participate in as many of these as you'd like as often as you'd like. It's really up to you. You also have the freedom to continue to pursue many of your own unique hobbies and interests.
Even though you can remain self-reliant in an independent living community, you'll get peace of mind from the around-the-clock security and knowledge that emergency help is close by if you ever need it.
Is Independent Living Right for Me?
Consider these statements below to determine if they describe you:
- I am still relatively healthy.
- I like having my own living space.
- I like being independent.
- I am willing to move to a smaller home, or am unable to stay in my current home.
- I prefer to live on my own, or do not have a relative or friend with whom I can live.
- I no longer feel safe in my home.
- I feel isolated in my home.
Daily Living
- I need help getting in and out of the bathtub or taking a bath or shower.
- I need help getting dressed.
- I need assistance with personal grooming.
- I get my medicines mixed up or can't remember when to take them.
- I can no longer cook or need help preparing meals.
- I can no longer drive or can only drive very short distances.
- I do not have family or friends nearby if I need help with daily tasks.
- If all or most of the Independence statements apply to you, but not the Daily Living statements, then independent living may be a good option for you. This includes independent living in Continuing Care Retirement Communities that let you transition to a higher level of care when you need it. Since you are still very independent and don't need daily help or nursing care, you might also want to consider these options:
- If most or all of the above Independence and Daily Living statements apply to you, and you do not need regular nursing or medical care, then consider these options:
- If most or all of the above Independence and Daily Living statements apply to you, and you also need regular nursing or medical care, then consider these options:
- Skilled nursing care if you can't stay in your home
- Medical home health care if you want to stay in your home
What to Expect from Independent Living?
Most independent living communities have group dining areas, common areas, clubhouses or other recreation areas where you can enjoy the company of other residents.
If you enjoy being around others, you will also have plenty of chances to do so with daily organized activities, such as:
- Shopping sprees and other trips
- Concerts and entertainment
- Tai chi, yoga and other fitness activities
- Card games and billiards
- Religious services
- Arts and crafts sessions
You can come and go as you like, and still remain as close as you want with your family. Since you have your own private home in the community, you can usually have visitors when you like, and they can even stay overnight. Some independent living communities also allow pets.
There are basic services which are typically included in your monthly fees. Typical services include:
- Home maintenance
- Housekeeping
- Laundry Services
- Meals
- Transportation
Costs of independent living can vary greatly depending on:
- Community location and amenities
- Type and size of residence
- Location of the residence within the community
- Other factors


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THIS EVENT IS BEING HELD AT THE UPPER MARLBORO PUBLIC LIBRARY at 14730 Main Street in Upper Marlboro.
Would you like to buy a home or condo in Prince George's County? We've taken our popular $0 Down Home & Condo Workshop on the road and will be ON LOCATION at Upper Marlboro Public Library on Saturday morning.
This event is FREE and discusses low downpayment and other financing options available in Prince George's. We always talk about programs like:
– The Pathways to Purchase Down Payment Assistance Program
– 1% Down Payment options from online mortgage providers
– Free Credit Repair and paid credit repair options
This Workshop has run from our DC offices for 4+ years producing over 135 successful home purchases for attendees. Come on in & bring a friend. 10 spots are available due to room capacity!
Equal housing opportunity.


text:
October 25, 2013
Albion College is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members of the board of trustees: Ernst & Young senior partner Kevin Asher, '86, and physician and entrepreneur Dennis Wahr, '74.
Asher is a senior partner based in Ernst & Young's San Jose, California office, working with some of the world's largest technology companies and leading the firm's assurance practice in the Silicon Valley. Before moving to California in 2009, Asher was Ernst & Young's regional assurance leader and global coordinating partner in Detroit, serving several Fortune 500 companies within the automotive industry. Asher has handled numerous multinational accounts, providing advice on international and domestic mergers and acquisitions, internal and external reporting, tax accounting, corporate governance, public offerings and cooperation with the Securities and Exchange Commission. He has served as a trustee for the Michigan Colleges Foundation and on Albion's Gerstacker Institute advisory committee.
In the past 12 years, Dennis Wahr has co-founded two successful startup companies to develop medical devices for use in cardiovascular surgery. Following the sale of both companies to larger manufacturers, Wahr is now president and chief executive officer of Holaira, Inc., a device development company focused on new technologies for use in treating lung disease. Wahr previously spent 14 years as an interventional cardiologist and served as chief of cardiology at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor. A member of Albion's Athletic Hall of Fame, Wahr led the Britons to an MIAA golf championship in 1972; he was also named MVP of the 1973-74 Briton basketball team. Wahr received an Albion College Distinguished Alumni Award in 2013. He lives in Hopkins, Minn.


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Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Tonights The Night! for "Ghost Hunters"!
The "Ghost Hunters" episode filmed at the nearby Fort Knox State Historic Site is scheduled to air tonight! Don't miss your chance to find out if the ghosts were located when SyFy's "Ghost Hunters" crew visited last month! The program will air on the SyFy Channel at 7:00 pm EST this evening... watch and let us know what you think! Send us an email, visit us on Facebook or leave a comment on what you thought of the show. Hope to hear from you and hope you enjoy the show!
Posted by Inns at Blackberry Common at 10:01 AM 1 comment:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Genuine Honda Civic Type-R FK2 Passenger Wiper Blade-2015-2016
£15.26 inc VAT
Save 18%
In stock
Genuine Honda Civic Type-R FK2 Passenger Wiper Blade-2015-2016
Blade Length 450mm
Wipers are a simple but important part of your car. The rubber of wiper blades gradually deteriorates due to usage conditions, temperature changes, sunlight or acid rain. This increases frictional resistance where rubber is in direct contact with the glass, causing juddering.
When wiper rubber wipes away ordinary raindrops, they leave a uniform film to ensure a safe level of visibility. Yet when oil contained in exhaust gases from surrounding cars (in particular diesel trucks), wax or similar substances adhere to the glass surface, parts of the rubber also adhere to the glass surface, resulting in an uneven film being generated, distorting visibility.
Honda Genuine Wiper Blade Rubber has been developed to suit the front glass curvature of Honda cars, providing the best wiping performance. They have naturally been designed to prevent rubber from falling off.


text:
Damn, All For The Love Of Money: Cops Bust A Dominican Woman With 50 Condoms In Her Stomach Filled With Cocaine!
"A 21-year-old Dominican woman is in police custody after authorities says she tried to board an airplane with 50 condoms in her stomach filled with cocaine. Police say Luisa Gill of New Jersey swallowed 50 condoms full of cocaine with a street value of $50,000 before hopping on a JetBlue flight from the Domincan Republic to the states. Custom agents stopped her after noticing that she seemed jittery and she admitted to swallowing the stash. She was then taken to a hospital where doctors removed the condoms. Authorities speculate that the woman took shots of olive oil to lubricate her throat before ingesting the drugs."
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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text:
Help with Deflectometers and Extensometers specifications:
Back to Top
|Your choices are...
|Deflectometers are used to indicate the deformation of material while it is subjected to transverse or compressive stress.
|Extensometers are used to indicate the deformation of material while it is subjected to tensile stress.
|Specialty / Other
|This refers to other specialized, proprietary, or unlisted fixture types.
|Search Logic:
|All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.
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|Test Applications:
|Your choices are...
|Adhesion (Bond / Peel)
|Adhesion, bond, or peel tests are used to evaluate joints, adhesives, coatings or adhesive tape adherence, bond strength, or peel strength. ASTM D-952 defines bond strength as being "the tensile stress required to rupture a bond formed by an adhesive between two metal blocks". Additionally, they define adhesion as being "the state in which two surfaces are held together by interfacial forces, which may consist of valence forces, interlocking action, or both". Adhesion is one of the most important properties of a coating (thin film, paint, plating, or other systems). ASTM C-313 standards provide a method to measure of the adherence of porcelain enamels and ceramic coatings to sheet metal. According to ASTM D-903, the peel or stripping strength of an adhesive bond is the average load per unit width of bond line required to part bonded materials where the angle of separation is 180 degrees and separation rate is 6 in/min. ASTM D-1781 uses the applied torque required to separate an adhesive and adherend in the climbing drum-peel test. This test provides the measurement of adhesion or peel resistance. Peel strength is commonly used to characterize adhesive tapes and coatings.
|Spin or burst test are destructive balancing tests. Other machines measure and/or correct for force or couple unbalance.
|During compression a material or product is squeezed by aligned opposing loads or forces. Compression testing can be performed on materials for a variety of purposes which depend on the material type; compressive properties can be dramatically different from tensile properties. Compression tests can be performed on static or dynamic systems. Static systems are usually preferred due to the larger displacement offered, and the relatively slow speed of the system for safety purposes. The most common fixture for compression testing is the compression platen. Ideally, a set of compression platens will provide parallel surfaces for loading of the specimen. Platens should also be of sufficient hardness and smoothness as not to influence the specimen results. Platens are available in two types, fixed and spherical seats. The spherical units provide automatic alignment for higher modules, materials, or specimens that have loading surfaces that are unparallel.
|Creep / Stress Relaxation
|Creep, stress relaxation, or stress rupture tests characterize material performance when under strain/stress conditions at elevated temperatures. These tests can provide important information about material or component properties under longer-term conditions. Creep or stress rupture tests are important for evaluating high-temperature aerospace or jet engine component materials. Stress relaxation tests are usually performed under constant strain conditions; this usually involves going to a specific load or strain point then holding the strain value. The resulting decrease in load or stress values is recorded over time. Creep tests are usually performed under constant load or stress conditions; these types of tests are performed by going to a load or stress point, then holding the load or stress value. The resulting increase in strain is recorded over time. Short and medium term creep and stress relaxation testing can be performed on static or dynamic systems. However, some long-term creep tests utilize a special test frame designed specifically for that purpose.
|Drop / Shock
|Drop/shock testing is often performed as part of a hardware qualification or design process. Information obtained during shock testing can improve the survivability of products and verify that they will perform properly in service.
|Ductility is the ability to undergo plastic deformation in tension or bending before fracturing. The ductility of metals or ductile plastic materials is typically evaluated in tensile tests. The degree of permanent plastic deformation or strain in terms of % elongation or % reduction in area provides a measure of ductility. Specialized bend tests are also used to evaluate the ductility of welds according to ASTM E-190. The ductility of welded joints is often evaluated in bend tests.
|Fatigue / Cyclic
|Fatigue Testers measure the fatigue resistance or resistance to failure of materials under controlled conditions of cyclic deformation. Failure of the test piece is the result of crack growth and the design of the machine. The cyclic load may be applied using a tensile tester with cycling capability, rotating beam tester or vibration tester. Fatigue testers may also be known as dynamic testers.
|Flexure / Bending
|Flexure or flex tests are used to evaluate the strength of brittle, fibrous, anisotropic, or low ductility materials including ceramics, composites, cast irons, highly loaded plastics, wood, concrete and refractories. Flexure testing consists of applying a load to a beam of the test material or sample, which is supported at both ends. Flexural strength, fiber strength, or modulus of rupture (MOR) is reported in these tests. Material properties can vary based upon the direction that stress is applied. For instance, concrete is very strong in compression, but weak in tension. Depending on the material rigidity, stiffness, or specifications either a three-point or four-point configuration is used. Four-point bend tests provide a known, uniform stress between the two central points. Test results are included as long as the sample breaks between the two central points. Specific test standards include ASTM D-790 for plastics, ASTM C-674 for fired whiteware, ASTM D-797 for elastomers and ASTM A-438 for cast iron and ASTM D-86 for glass materials. The term bend test is sometimes used to describe flexure tests, although bend or bending test types vary greatly and can be much different than a simple beam loading test. Bend test specifications are often particular to specific materials. Specialized bend tests are used to evaluate the ductility of welds according to ASTM E-190. Structural steel products are evaluated by bending a sample to a specified inside diameter (ASTM A-360, steel products).
|Friction / Wear
|Friction testers determine the coefficient of friction and the resisting force tangential to the interface between two bodies. This determination is based on the action of an external force where one body moves relative to the other. Wear testers evaluate the amount or type of wear (material, removal, or transfer) that occurs between two surfaces under wet, dry, or lubricated conditions or with abrasive particles. A pin on disc tester is a common machine used for wear tests. An applied load is transmitted through the pin to a rotating disc. The pin and disc are made of or coated with the materials to be evaluated.
|Gaging is the quantitative measurement of product, component dimensional attributes, and form attributes. These measurements include wall thickness, depth, height, length, inner diameter (ID), outer diameter (OD), taper, or bore.
|Hardness testers measure a material's resistance to indentation. This calculation is determined by measuring the permanent depth or projected area of the indentation.
|Hydrostatic / Burst
|Hydrostatic or burst testers apply an internal pressure and/or flow using a fluid (gas or liquid) to evaluate components. Components include fittings, pipe, tubing, vessel, cylinders, and hydraulic, pneumatic, or processing applications. The tests may determine how much flow and pressure a component can withstand before catastrophic failure occurs or leaks develop.
|Impact Toughness
|It is very difficult to measure many of the individual energy contributions however; however, impact tests are a valuable comparative test method. Impact tests measure the energy absorbed by the specimen before it breaks and a quantity composed of several energy contributions. This composition includes the energy absorbed by the impact machine through vibration. Vibration occurs after an initial contact with the specimen and a loss in pendulum energy (during pendulum impact tests). Energy loss occurs when total energy is consumed by specimen deformation and when the hammer striking the specimen.
|Physical / Thermal Properties
|Physical properties' testing includes burst strength, cut and puncture resistance, life cycle and durability, pneumatics and hydraulics, Rockwell hardness, tensile strength, and elongation. Testing for thermal properties or characteristics includes conductive heat resistance, radiant protective performance (RPP), thermal conductivity, heat capacity, thermal protection or insulation properties using thermal exposure simulation, icing and high temperature exposure, or other thermal tests.
|Pressure / Flow
|Pressure and flow testing and inspection includes pressurized liquid or gas exposure, hydrostatic burst tests, flow tests, and evaluation of thermal (icing) effects on fluid systems. Pressure and flow tests are commonly used to evaluate hydraulic, pneumatic, or gas handling equipment.
|Shear / Torsion
|The shear strength is defined as the maximum stress that a material can withstand before failure in shear. In a planar shear test, opposing forces are applied parallel to the cross-sectional area under test. Torsion tests also provide an indication of shear properties. Torsion test evaluate materials or products under twisting loads or opposing radial forces according to ASTM E-143 or ISO equivalent standards. Data from torsion test is used to construct a stress-strain diagram and to determine elastic limit torsional modulus of elasticity, modulus of rupture in torsion, and torsional strength. Calculation of shear strength depends upon the test method. For instance, the shear strength of a plastic is the maximum load required to shear a specimen in such a manner that the resulting pieces are completely clear of each other. Plastic shear strength is reported in psi, based on the area of the sheared edge (ASTM D-732). Timber shear strength is determined by methods given in ASTM D-143 and ASTM D-198. ASTM E-299 defines the shear strength of a structural adhesive has the maximum shear stress in the adhesive prior to failure under torsional loading.
|Tensile testing is the most common type of test for materials and products. Characterizing and reporting tensile test properties are a basic need in most labs from quality control to R & D. Many tensile tests are performed on static systems, although in many cases dynamic systems can be used for tensile tests. System considerations are test speed, control mode, ultimate load, and test displacement.
|Texture Analysis
|Texture analysis is primarily concerned with the evaluation of mechanical characteristics. Specifically when a food is subjected to a controlled force from which a deformation curve of its response is generated. Texture analysis is an integral part of the production chain that processes optimization and production, which is generated from research and development. Key fundamental characteristics affect finished product texture quality. These characteristics are identified throughout the initial stages of development after which they may be selected for at-line process control measurements. Common characteristics analyzed include hardness, cohesiveness, elasticity, adhesiveness, and viscosity. Secondary characteristics include brittleness, chewiness, and gumminess.
|Universal testers have a combination of testing capabilities; these include tensile, compression, shear, or other test types.
|Vibration test systems are used to evaluate materials, products, and packages for design purposes as well as to simulate the vibration effects of product transportation. Vibration consists of an oscillating load.
|Viscosity / Rheology
|Viscometers define viscous properties of a fluid at ambient or defined temperatures. Rheometers characterize a liquid according to its viscous properties and elastic responses.
|Specialty / Other
|Additional specialized, proprietary, unlisted tests or standard methods for testing are another option. These tests include tear tests, breaking or fiber strength, wet strength, spring testers, asphalt testers, or other specialty test equipment.
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|The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is a non-profit organization that develops and publishes voluntary standards for materials, products, systems, test methods, and services. Products that are ASTM-certified comply with design specifications for safety.
|DIN is an acronym for Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN), a German national organization for standardization.
|The International Standards Organization (ISO) is a worldwide federation of national standards organizations from over 100 countries. ISO's mission is to facilitate the international exchange of goods and services. In addition, they aim to foster cooperation in the spheres of intellectual, technological, and economic activity. ISO certifications include ISO 7779, ISO 9000, ISO 9001:1987, ISO 13485, ISO/TS 16949:2002, ISO 14000 and ISO 17025. ISO 7779 is concerned with acoustics, telecommunications equipment, and the measurement of airborne noise emitted by information technology (IT) equipment. ISO 9001:2000 establishes requirements for company quality management systems. ISO 13485 is concerned with medical devices, quality management systems, and requirements for regulatory purposes. ISO 14000 establishes requirements for environmental management policies that minimize a company's harmful effects on the environment. ISO 17025 outlines the general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.
|Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) specify the standards used for industrial activities in Japan. The standardization process is coordinated by the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee and published through the Japanese Standards Association.
|Military specifications (MIL-SPEC) or military standards (MIL-STD) must be acknowledged by suppliers.
|OEM Specific
|Suppliers provide certifications for specific original equipment manufacturer (OEM) internal company specifications or requirements.
|Charpy is a standardized high strain impact test used to determine the amount of energy absorbed by a material during fracture.
|Izod is a standardized impact test. A hammer strikes and breaks the sample. The amount of energy absorbed in the test is a measure of impact toughness.
|This refers to other specialized, proprietary or unlisted standards.
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|The stroke, travel, or maximum opening of the test fixture or grip.
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|User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria.
|Test Temperature:
|This is the required range of test temperature or the temperature rating of the fixture, extensometer, or accessory. Test fixtures that are designed for use in environmental chambers will have an extended operating temperature range.
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|User may specify either, both, or neither of the limits in a "From - To" range; when both are specified, matching products will cover entire range. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria.
|This refers to the overall length of the test fixture.
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Evernote, the popular note-taking app on mobile devices and computers, has been hacked, forcing the company to reset all user passwords.
In a blog post, Evernote said the hackers did not take any private user data or payment information. The system-wide password reset is just a precaution.
Here's Evernote's explanation for what happened:
Evernote's Operations & Security team has discovered and blocked suspicious activity on the Evernote network that appears to have been a coordinated attempt to access secure areas of the Evernote Service.
In our security investigation, we have found no evidence that any of the content you store in Evernote was accessed, changed or lost. We also have no evidence that any payment information for Evernote Premium or Evernote Business customers was accessed.
The investigation has shown, however, that the individual(s) responsible were able to gain access to Evernote user information, which includes usernames, email addresses associated with Evernote accounts and encrypted passwords. Even though this information was accessed, the passwords stored by Evernote are protected by one-way encryption.
All Evernote users will be prompted to change their password next time they try to log in. The company updated its mobile apps today to make changing your password easier.
The Evernote hacking is the latest in a series of hacks of popular tech companies, web services, and apps. All kinds of companies from Facebook to Apple have experienced some form of hacking in recent weeks.


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Every Friday Roots in Alpharetta features an article on food and dining in a series called Foodie Friday.
Popcorn? Gourmet popcorn? It may be America's favorite snack food, but it usually isn't mine. When the entire movie theater is binging on buckets, a handful of popcorn will satisfy me most of the time. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate buttery/salty combinations. There's just something about the texture of popcorn that keeps me from consuming it in significant quantity.
So I was a bit hesitant to try Alpharetta's new popcorn joint. Yet with over 100 varieties available at Heavenly Gourmet Popcorn, I figured there must be something that would appeal to me.
And if my multiplication was correct, I counted about 120 varieties at Heavenly. A seemingly endless wall contains shelves of plastic storage bins. They appear a bit odd at first. These bins look like something you might buy at Target to store knickknacks in your basement. The rest of the store has an upscale feel but the bins do not.
Nevertheless, the bins and shelves divide 120 flavors into three categories; cheese, candied and gourmet. You'll want to take advantage of the free samples as it is difficult to decide on a flavor. On my first trip I went straight to the gourmet choices. Most flavors here contain chocolate, caramel or other rich combinations.
I settled on their "heavenly crunch" flavor which is a best seller. They start with caramel popcorn, then cover with milk chocolate followed by a white chocolate drizzle. It's way over-the-top and sinfully delicious. About half way into the very smallest size (called "snack size") I cried uncle. This is a spoiled dinner waiting to happen.
On my second visit I went for the lighter cheese varieties. A sample of their cajun flavor didn't appeal to me. With some reluctance I bought a bag of dill pickle popcorn. Again, this is a best seller but I had doubts. The first few kernels left strong dill flavors on the back of my tongue. But before long I was addicted! I snacked on it for the rest of the afternoon in my cubicle, wishing I had purchased a bigger size.
The folks at Heavenly make all 120 varieties in-house. A good portion of their business is sure to be corporate and mail order clients. They also might not be a bad choice for a party or event. On one visit I overheard someone asking about popcorn for a wedding reception.
Small quantities are certainly available but tend to be on the expensive side. Their snack size bag (about the size of a soft ball) will set you back five bucks for a gourmet variety. It's an expensive snack no doubt. I'd probably only order this again if I were having a serious craving. The dill pickle popcorn is something I could see buying on a regular basis, and certainly in a larger size.
So pick up a bag of Heavenly's popcorn and bring it back to the office. Even if they don't enjoy it, you're co-workers will still thank you. At least you won't burn a bag in the break room microwave.
Heavenly Gourmet Popcorn is located at 875 N Main Street, Suite 305, right next to Taco Mac.


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Prophet of Yugoslavism
Ivo Banac's book on the origins and creation of the first Yugoslavia in 1918, first published in 1984, has become a classic. Not only does it explain how the state was created but it gives us a basis for understanding the causes of its eventual destruction. It also provides fascinating insights into the life and times of all of the key people of the period. Here Banac discusses the Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović (1883-1962), who was passionately Serbophile and pro-Yugoslav, something which was not so unusual at the time and is often forgotten today. He begins by discussing Meštrović's plans for the never realised Kosovo Temple, to commemorate the battle of 1389. He began work on the project in 1904 and its dome was supposed to be "bigger than St Peter's."
Meštrović's powerful sculptures, fleshy widows mourning the loss of their menfolk in the battle, blind guslars, chanters of heroic songs, and Kosovo heroes, attracted wide attention and were much imitated, inspiring a peculiar quest for the national style, moreover a unitary Yugoslavist style, pursued by the principle artists of the Croat Secession. The high point of this movement was the exhibit of the Medulić Society in November-December 1910, in Zagreb. Under the motto "in spite of unheroic times," the exhibition followed the themes of Prince Marko, the legendary hero of Serbian folk epic. In Meštrović's words, "proud Marko...is the fighter for justice and humanity, the defender of the oppressed...He does not tolerate foreign misdeeds and humiliations and prefers to die rather than submit to injustice. This Marko is our Yugoslav people with its gigantic heroic and noble heart."
In 1911 the Italians held their International Exhibition in Rome to celebrate the city's fiftieth anniversary as the capital of a united Italy. The Serbian Pavilion was built at the instigation of Meštrović, "as a way of allowing his group to show independently of the Austrian and Hungarian displays."
The charged political atmosphere of the event, heightened by the great artistic success of "Serbian" art, was underscored by the fact that fourteen of the twenty-three exhibiting artists at the Serbian Pavilion were Croats (181 works) and four were Serbs from Austria-Hungary (22 works); only five, with 33 works, were Serbs from Serbia....Meštrović's success at the Rome Exhibition established him as the "Prophet of Yugoslavism." It was understood, of course, that the aesthetic side of the Rome manifestation, as enviable as it was, took second place to its ideological importance, "because [wrote one commentator] in its essence, the national principle in art triumphed in Rome, presenting to the Croats and the Serbs, through the medium of Meštrović's synthetic spirit, the genius of our art, which is as unitary as the national spirit [of the Croats and Serbs] is one and the same." Meštrović, a "born Dalmatian Croat, entered into the spirit of the Kosovo epopee so deeply that even the easternmost Serb could not have done better, making him a greater Serb than most Serbs." Meštrović's heroes, unlike Michelangelo's Moses, could not hold their fury. They instilled the will for struggle and revenge and were a source of undying national energy. Meštrović, the lapidary poet of the "Yugoslav race", was seen as the Messiah of Yugoslav unitarism, pointing the way to national salvation.
The National Question in Yugoslavia: Origins, History, Politics. Ivo Banac. 1992.
[pp. 204-5 / Cornell University Press]
April 2007
Tim Judah


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Operators of the two Vreba-Hoff dairies northwest of Morenci have long maintained that the liquid manure they use to irrigate fields is diluted sufficiently for safe application.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) faults the dairies for failing to meet the treatment standards established in the farms' National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
An NPDES permit is issued to regulate the discharge of pollutants into surface waters. In Vreba-Hoff's case, the permit requires the treatment of liquid manure to meet concentration-based limits, imposed in 2007 as part of a modification of a previous court order.
Ingham County Circuit Court Judge James Giddings last week ordered Vreba-Hoff to cease irrigation of wastewater that fails to meet permitted standards. In addition, the dairies were ordered to maintain compliance with all storage capacity requirements of the permit.
In September 2010, Giddings found there was no factual dispute that Vreba-Hoff continued to violate the permit limits as alleged by the DNRE in its lawsuit against the dairies, and he found that Vreba-Hoff had no plan to correct the violations.
An order in favor of the DNRE was granted then, but the parties were granted additional time to negotiate a remedy. Giddings agreed last week that negotiations failed to result in a solution.
The DNRE lawsuit charged that Vreba-Hoff irrigated fields in 2008 and 2009 with wastewater that failed to reach permitted levels, and continued to "unlawfully irrigate" this year after the DNRE's lawsuit was filed in December 2009.
Earlier this month, the Circuit Court approved a $580,000 lien against the dairies on behalf of the DNRE to cover unpaid penalties and financial assurance.
Vreba-Hoff also faces foreclosure action from a mortgage company on $55 million in loans.