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Patent application title: Electrode passivation
Jeffrey C. Andle (Falmouth, ME, US)
Reichl B. Haskell (Nashua, NH, US)
John H. Bradshaw (Atkinson, NH, US)
IPC8 Class: AC23C1652FI
USPC Class:
427 8
Class name: Coating processes measuring, testing, or indicating
Publication date: 2010-12-02
Patent application number: 20100304012
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Patent application title: Electrode passivation
Jeffrey C. Andle
Reichl B. Haskell
John H. Bradshaw
Origin: BARRINGTON, RI US
IPC8 Class: AC23C1652FI
USPC Class:
Publication date: 12/02/2010
Patent application number: 20100304012
A coating providing high abrasion and chemical resistance composed of a
barrier layer from vanadium, molybdenum, niobium, tantalum and the like,
and an outer layer of diamond-like carbon. The coating is especially
applicable for acoustic wave device (AWD) based sensors, and for
passivating an electrode such as an electrode deposited on the AWD
sensing area. The coating provides excellent mechanical and acoustical
characteristics for coating acoustic wave devices allowing the sensor to
operate in harsh environments.
1. A method of passivating an electrode, the method comprising the steps
of:depositing a barrier layer onto said electrode or a portion thereof,
the barrier layer comprising at least one metal selected from the group
consisting of tantalum, niobium, vanadium, molybdenum, or a combination
thereof; and,depositing an abrasive resistant layer comprising
Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) onto said barrier layer.
2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of depositing an adhesion layer disposed between said electrode and said barrier layer.
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said adhesion layer comprises zirconium.
4. A method according to claim 2, wherein said adhesion layer comprises titanium.
5. A method according to claim 2, wherein said adhesion layer comprises a metal selected from a group consisting of chromium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, or a combination thereof.
6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the DLC is boron doped diamond.
7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the electrode is deposited on an acoustic wave device.
8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of depositing at least one chemically selective probe onto said abrasive resistant layer.
9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of employing the abrasive resistant layer as a working electrode in an electrochemical measurement.
10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said electrode comprises platinum.
11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said electrode comprises a metal selected from a group consisting of, gold, silver, copper, aluminum, or a combination thereof.
12. A method according to claim 1, wherein said electrode comprises palladium.
13. A method according to claim 1, wherein said electrode comprises ruthenium.
14. A method according to claim 1, wherein said electrode comprises rhenium.
15. A method according to claim 1, wherein said electrode comprises osmium.
16. A method according to claim 1, wherein said electrode comprises iridium.
17. A method according to claim 1, wherein said electrode comprises carbon.
18. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a carbide alloy interface is formed between the barrier layer and the abrasive resistant layer.
19. A method of passivating an electrode comprising the steps of:depositing an adhesion layer comprising titanium, zirconium, or a combination thereof, over at least a portion of the electrode;depositing a barrier layer comprising niobium, tantalum, or a combination thereof, onto said adhesion layer or a portion thereof; and,depositing an abrasive resistant layer of diamond like carbon (DLC) onto said barrier layer.
20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein:said electrode comprises gold or platinum; and,said barrier layer having a thickness of between 25-300 nm.
[0001]This application is a divisional of, and claims the right of priority to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/814,167, filed in the US Jul. 17, 2007, presently allowed, which in turn claims the right of priority to PCT application No. PCT/US06/15537 filed Apr. 20, 2006. The above mentioned applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
[0002]This application is directed to passivation of electrodes, and more particularly for passivation of electrodes by utilizing Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) material.
[0003]The need to operate sensors in harsh environments is common. Examples include sensors, switches, and the like, which are designed to operate in abrasive environments, in corrosive chemicals, and the like. Oftentimes the long term sensor operation is hindered by the continued contact the environment. The problem is particularly severe in the field of electro acoustic sensors, also known as Acoustic Wave Devices. Thus the present specifications will relate to the application of a coating to mitigate the problems associated with such operations, primarily by using the AWD sensor. The skilled in the art will recognize the applicability of the coating to other devices.
[0004]Piezoelectric sensors are well known. They are used for sensing material properties such as viscosity and density, for detecting the presence of certain materials in an environment, for measuring purity of fluid substance, and the like. Structures known for acoustic sensing range from the simple crystal resonator, crystal filters, acoustic plate mode devices, Lamb wave devices, and others. Briefly, these devices comprise a substrate of piezoelectric material such as quartz, langasite or lithium niobate, or thin films of piezoelectric material, such as aluminum nitride, zinc oxide, or cadmium sulfide, on a non-piezoelectric substrate. The substrate has at least one active piezoelectric surface area, which is commonly highly polished. Formed on the surface are input and output transducers for the purpose of converting input electrical energy to acoustic energy within the substrate and reconverting the acoustic energy to an electric output signal. These transducers may consist of parallel plate (bulk wave) or periodic interdigitated (surface-generated wave) transducers. Each sensor has at least one sensing area which is exposed to the environment being measured. The interaction between the surface and the environment causes measurable changes in the electrical characteristics of the sensor. The sensors may be used for sensing density, viscosity, and other such physical parameters.
[0005]Piezoelectric devices are generally manufactured from hard, crystalline materials. However, even those surfaces change when exposed to certain chemicals or abrasives. Piezoelectric based sensors are very susceptible to changes in the sensing area. Thus their use was so far limited to environments that will not damage such surfaces. Damage may be chemical such as etching, or mechanical such as abrasion. Therefore the usability of such sensors in environments like oil wells measuring of characteristics of drilling mud or oil, sensing characteristics of ink, melted polymers, and similar abrasive materials was heretofore limited as the sensors will suffer from high variability over time. Other environments which can harm such sensors are chemically reactive materials such as strong acids and bases used in polymer processing, pulp and paper processing, and other industrial and chemical processes. Furthermore, the need for a conductive electrode or shield layer in the most desirable sensor topologies introduces a further susceptibility to chemical attack and/or abrasion as virtually all metals have one or more chemical susceptibility and/or are soft, abrasion prone materials. A further common requirement to liquid phase sensing is that the sensing surface be sufficiently smooth. Many liquid phase AWD sensors require nanometer or lower average roughness.
[0006]The electrodes that are deployed in the most desirable sensor topologies are commonly made of gold (Au) deposited by any convenient method. In many cases the electrode have to be electrically insulated from the environment.
[0007]Insulating surfaces, devices, electrodes, and the like, from a hostile environment is commonly done by coatings the likes of plastic, glass or similar materials. However such coatings often interfere with the operation of the sensor. For example in an AWD type sensor, the coating must have acoustic qualities that will not significantly impede the sensor operation, as well as the desired hardness, toughness, electrical characteristics, and the like. Plastics and glass incur excessive damping and are not always chemically resistant, nor are they sufficiently hard.
[0008]Diamond Like Carbon, or DLC hereinafter, is well known coating material. DLC enjoys high hardness and therefore high resistance to abrasion, it may be smoothly applied, and generally provides an excellent coating layer whose thickness may be tailored to need. DLC is deposited using common methods such as vaporizing, ion implanting, and the like.
[0009]Certain materials do not adhere well to each other. DLC suffers from poor adhesion to materials like gold, platinum, silver, most oxides, and many other materials, especially piezoelectric materials commonly used in AWD sensors and the like. Therefore, while the DLC clearly provides the required abrasion resistance, providing adequate adhesion between a DLC layer and a piezoelectric material or an electrode deposited on such piezoelectric material presents a problem. In other cases, different coating materials exhibit undesirably large ion migration problems which adversely effect electrical or acoustic characteristics of the desired coating.
[0010]Implantable medical devices have been demonstrated with relatively thick (in the order of several to several hundred microns) coatings of DLC, on thin (a few nanometers) adhesion layers, as shown in "EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ON DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON AND NOVEL DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON-POLYMER-HYBRID COATINGS" Mirjami Kiuru, PhD Dissertation, University of Helsinki (2004). Typical substrates for such coatings are refractory metal parts such as titanium hips. When these coatings are applied to semiconductor devices the films are extremely unreliable. These coating films often suffer from delaminate and in some cases cause breakage of the silicon substrates.
[0011]Therefore, there exists a continuing and yet unresolved need for a sensor capable of continued operation in broad range of chemical, thermal and mechanical harsh environments.
[0012]It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a coating that will provide the above mentioned characteristics when applied to a sensing area of a sensor. Since no single material offers all of the ideal properties, many applications will ultimately require a series of layers, relaxing the requirements of the individual layers but further requiring compatibility amongst the layers. Preferably the coating should be sufficiently smooth to address fluid-phase sensor applications.
[0013]Many such acoustic sensors utilize an electrode on the sensing surface, and the coating provided by the present invention is particularly beneficial to such sensors. The skilled in the art will recognize that the term electrodes may relate to ground electrodes, transducers (especially in the case of actively driving or driven electrodes), other structures that cause perturbation or reflection in the piezoelectric crystal, or other conductors that either carry electrical energy or deliver it to a predetermined point.
[0014]An additional objective of the present invention is to provide the sensor with a smooth (preferably nanometer scale) sensing surface with excellent abrasion resistance, excellent chemical resistance and the ability to withstand temperature extremes from -50° C. to +350° C. Suitable coatings include alloys of silicon-aluminum oxynitride (SiAION) including the extremes of silicon nitride, aluminum oxide and the like, amorphous boron nitride, amorphous and nanocrystalline carbon, boron carbide (including the like of boron doped diamond and boron doped DLC), and β-C3N4. All of these materials offer abrasion resistance and thermal stability with varying degrees of chemical resistance.
[0015]Of these coatings, so-called diamond-like carbon (DLC) is found to offer the best properties of surface smoothness, chemical resistance and abrasion resistance. While there is considerable debate as to an exact definition of diamond-like, for the purposes of the present invention it shall be taken to imply all films with a molar percentage of greater than 75% carbon and having mixed chemical bonding state of graphitic (sp2) and diamond (sp3). It should be noted that the term also extend to various modification of diamond-like carbon, such as boron-doped diamond (BDD), carbon-rich refractory metal carbides, and the like.
[0016]Diamond-like carbon is well-adhered to metals that form carbides, such as tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, niobium, vanadium, hafnium, zirconium, titanium, and chromium in increasing order of typical adhesive strength. These metals are traditionally used in so-called adhesion layers. The adhesive strength of these metals is in direct proportion to their ability to inter-diffuse and alloy with adjacent materials.
[0017]Inter-diffusion of the adhesion layer into the DLC film is undesirable since it leads to unstable film properties and poor aging characteristics. It is especially desired that the underlying metal have low mobility in the carbon and that metal will have low mobility into the carbon, a condition that may become critical at high temperatures.
[0018]Therefore by way of example, while titanium and zirconium offer excellent adhesion, they are excessively mobile in carbon and vice versa at high temperatures. On the other hand tungsten is an excellent barrier metal (has low mobility and prevents other atoms from diffusing into or through it); however tungsten has the poorest adhesion. Niobium and tantalum are the preferred metals for a barrier/adhesion layer under diamond-like carbon.
[0019]Niobium and tantalum offer good chemical resistance and excellent adhesion of the outermost DLC layer. Both materials are sufficiently conductive for shielding but are inadequate for many electrode requirements. In these cases an innermost layer of a thermally stable material with chemical resistance and high conductivity is required. Although aluminum is frequently employed as an electrode material it is chemically active and highly mobile at elevated temperatures. The preferred metals are gold and platinum, although silver and palladium are also acceptable for some preferred embodiments. Platinum has the most favorable properties while gold is more commonly employed. Ruthenium, Rhodium, Rhenium, Osmium and Iridium may also prove desirable in specific applications.
[0020]Applying the coating to a piezoelectric material presents yet another problem stemming from the extremely high film stresses associated with DLC and the significant mismatch of thermal expansion between DLC and such metal or piezoelectric materials as are commonly employed. The preferred embodiment of the present invention therefore utilizes application of a relatively thin DLC coating (of less than 1 μm) and a thicker adhesion/barrier metal system than is traditionally employed (of about 200 nm).
[0021]The adhesion of tantalum to gold or platinum and of the electrode to the piezoelectric substrate can be improved through a thin adhesion layer of chromium or titanium. The most preferred embodiment would consist of a thin (Circa 10 nm) titanium, zirconium or chromium layer, a conductive (50-200 nm) gold or platinum electrode layer, another thin (Circa 10 nm) titanium, zirconium or chromium layer, a barrier layer (25-300 nm) of niobium or tantalum, and a surface of DLC (10-500 nm).
[0022]The exact composition of the DLC is a matter of choice. Prior art in thin film development suggest numerous dopants or surface treatments ranging from several parts per million to several percent of nitrogen or various metals. Details of thin film may be found in "Synthesis and Evaluation of TaC:C Low-Friction Coatings", Daniel Nilsson, Ph.D. Dissertation, ACTA Universitatis Upsaliensis (2004). Fluorine dopants have been considered from trace levels through 67 atomic percent (perfluoroalkanes). The abrasion and chemical resistance of such films appear best when the atomic percent carbon is maximized.
[0023]Films with only 33% carbon include the limit of hydrocarbons and fluorocarbons (e.g. Teflon®) and have no abrasion resistance. Films in the range of 33% to 66% carbon are characteristic of carbide alloys. These films are extremely hard but are not as chemically resistant or as thermally stable as DLC. In many cases the surfaces are not as smooth as true DLC. Thus only films containing approximately 67% or higher percentage carbon in their bulk are specifically considered as "DLC" herein. Our experience with tantalum-doped and fluorine-doped films indicates that the film should preferably have in excess of 90% carbon and the most preferred embodiment has in excess of 97% carbon.
[0024]While chemical resistance and passivation generally favor an insulating layer as is obtained by pure carbon DLC, certain sensor applications using carbon electrodes in electrochemical sensors, notably electrochemical-AWD hybrids, require a conducting DLC layer. Boron doped (˜1019 cm-3, consistent with silicon doping levels, up to 1% B; 99% C) diamond is a suitable material for use in electrochemical and/or acoustic sensors, and is considered as a type of DLC.
[0025]A further object of the invention includes the ability to attach chemically selective probes to the DLC surface.
[0026]Thus in one aspect of the present invention there is provided a coated Acoustic Wave Device (AWD) based sensor, the sensor having at least one piezoelectric plate having two opposing faces, one of said faces having a sensing area, the sensor having a coating applied to the sensing area, the coating characterized by: a first electrode disposed on the sensing area; a barrier layer disposed over the first electrode, the barrier layer comprising at least one metal selected from the group consisting of tantalum, niobium, vanadium, molybdenum, or a combination thereof; and an abrasive resistant layer comprising Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) disposed over the barrier layer.
[0027]Optionally the coating further comprises an adhesion layer disposed between the barrier layer and the electrode. Further optionally another adhesion layer may be disposed between the electrode and the sensing face. The adhesion layers may be titanium, zirconium, chromium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, molybdenum, or a combination thereof.
[0028]Preferably the first electrode comprises a metal selected from a group consisting of platinum, palladium, gold, silver, copper, aluminum, osmium, iridium, or a combination thereof. Optionally the DLC may be boron doped diamond. Further optionally, chemically selective probes are coupled to the DLC.
[0029]In a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a coated acoustic wave device sensor as described above, having a second electrode disposed on the face opposite the face comprising the sensing area, forming a parallel plate resonator with said first and second electrodes. Optionally, a third electrode is disposed on the face opposite the face comprising the sensing area, wherein the first and second electrodes form an input parallel resonator, acting as an input transducer, the first and third electrode also form an output parallel resonator, acting as an output transducer; wherein the input and output resonators being sufficiently close to couple acoustic energy from the input resonator into the output resonator, for forming a multi-pole coupled resonator filter.
[0030]In another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of passivating an electrode, the method characterized by the steps of: [0031]depositing a barrier layer onto said electrode, the barrier layer comprising at least one metal selected from the group consisting of tantalum, niobium, vanadium, molybdenum, or a combination thereof; and, [0032]depositing an abrasive resistant layer comprising Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) onto said barrier layer.
[0033]Optionally the method further comprises the step of depositing an adhesion layer between the electrode and the barrier layer. Most preferably the electrode is coupled to an acoustic wave device based sensor. Optionally, the method further comprise the step of coupling chemically selective probes to the DLC layer.
[0034]The summary above, and the following detailed description will be better understood in view of the enclosed drawings, which depict details of preferred embodiments. It should however be noted that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown in the drawings and that the drawings are provided merely as examples.
[0035]FIG. 1 depicts a simplified elevation cross section view of an acoustic sensor utilizing a coating in accordance with the most preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0036]FIG. 2. depicts a process for coating a sensor in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0037]An important objective of the present invention is to provide AWD and other sensors with a smooth (nanometer scale) surface with excellent abrasion resistance, excellent chemical resistance and the ability to withstand a wide range of temperatures, with the range from -50° C. to +350° C. being most preferred. While an aspect of the invention relates to coating piezoelectric material directly, a preferred embodiment relates to coating one or more electrodes deposited on the piezoelectric material. FIG. 1 depicts a cross-section of such preferred sensor 75.
[0038]The most preferred sensor geometries require electrodes of excellent electrical characteristics on the sensing area. In those geometries an innermost electrode layer 30 of a thermally stable material with chemical resistance and high conductivity is deposited on the sensing face 65 or a portion thereof. Silver and palladium are examples that offer such characteristics, but the preferred embodiment uses gold or platinum. Platinum has the most favorable properties while gold is more commonly employed. Other candidates include ruthenium, rhodium, rhenium, osmium, and iridium which have the requisite thermal stability and varying environmental stability and conductivity properties. Notably, the electrode layer need not extend to the entire sensing area, and the electrode layer is not necessarily used as an electrode, i.e. it is not necessarily electrically connected to any parts of the sensor circuitry.
[0039]Diamond-like carbon is well-adhered to metals that form carbides, such as tantalum (Ta), niobium (Nb), vanadium (V), hafnium (Hf), zirconium (Zr), titanium (Ti), tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo) and chromium (Cr) by way of non-limiting example. However it does not adhere well to gold, platinum, oxides, or most piezoelectric materials. Therefore, the present invention contemplates an intermediate barrier layer of carbide forming metal, such as those described above. The barrier layer 40 lies between an outer layer 50 and the sensing face 65 of the base material 10 to be coated, and if an electrode layer is used, the barrier layer overlies the electrode layer. In addition to providing good adhesion and enhanced protection to the electrode layer and/or the piezoelectric material, the barrier layer also acts as a matching medium to match the thermal expansion and film stresses of the DLC with the layers below the barrier layer.
[0040]For clarity, in these specifications the term outer layer will relate to a coating layer of high abrasion material as described above. It is important however to realize that other coating layers, either of DLC or other materials, may be overlaid on top of the `outer layer` 50, and the term `outer` should be construed broadly only as relating to the layer interfacing with the barrier layer 40 away from the base material 10. This interface may be direct or indirect as described below.
[0041]To obtain the best coating stability, the underlying barrier layer preferably has low mobility in the carbon, and the carbon has low mobility into the barrier layer. This is an important consideration at high temperatures. Therefore, niobium and tantalum are the preferred metals for a barrier layer under diamond-like carbon. The use of vanadium (V) is also contemplated as a barrier metal since it is in the same column of the periodic table and molybdenum (Mo) is contemplated since refractory metal properties often track along a diagonal rather than vertically. A thin carbide alloy interface which is stable against diffusion over wide temperature ranges, is formed between these metals and the DLC layer. These metals are less reactive with carbon than are titanium, zirconium and chromium but are more adherent than tungsten.
[0042]An additional benefit stemming form the use of niobium or tantalum is that the volume of NbC and TaC are comparable to the sums of the volumes of the metal and carbon. In contrast, titanium, zirconium and chromium form carbides with shorter bond lengths than the bulk metal and bulk carbon, causing an evolving dimensional change as the metal and carbon inter-diffuse and carbide is formed. The preferred embodiment therefore enjoys dimensional stability in the thin film over long periods of time at high temperatures. It is noted that in certain embodiments a niobium or tantalum layer may act as an electrical shield, however it generally does not provide sufficient and stable electrical conductivity to act as good electrodes. This effect relates to the partial oxidization of the metal as it is deposited and the associated film resistance.
[0043]The adhesion of the intermediate layer 40 to the electrode layer 30, and of the electrode layer to the base material 10 may be improved by depositing an optional thin adhesion layer of chromium, zirconium or titanium. The adhesion layer 20 may be deposited only between barrier layer 40 and electrode 30, or as shown by adhesion layer 21 between the electrode and the sensing area 65, or preferably both.
[0044]Thus most preferred embodiment would consist of a thin titanium layer 21 deposited to the sensing area 65 to act as adhesion layer. Preferably the adhesion layer 21 is of a thickness in the range 3-30 nm, and more preferably in the range of 5-15 nm, with about 10 nm being the most preferred embodiment. A conductive gold or platinum film 30 is deposited on top of the adhesion layer 21 to form the electrode. Preferably the electrode 30 is of a thickness in the range 10-300 nm, and more preferably in the range of 50-200 nm, with about 50-150 nm being the most preferred embodiment. Another thin titanium adhesion layer 20 is located on the electrode layer, and is preferably of similar characteristics as adhesion layer 21. A barrier layer 40 of niobium or tantalum is located on the adhesion layer 20. Preferably the barrier layer 40 is of a thickness in the range 25-300 nm, and more preferably in the range of 50-250 nm, with about 150 nm being the most preferred embodiment. An outer layer 50 of DLC is placed on top of the barrier layer. Preferably the outer layer 50 is of a thickness in the range 10-500 nm, and more preferably in the range of 50-250 nm, with about 150 nm being the most preferred embodiment. Notably, adhesion layers 20 and 21 are optional.
[0045]The exact composition of the DLC is a matter of technical choice. Common experience in thin film development suggest numerous optional dopants or surface treatments ranging from parts per million to several percent of nitrogen or various metals. Fluorine dopants have been considered from trace levels through to 67 atomic percent (perfluoroalkanes) with only low (<20%) concentrations being practical. Boron doping up to 1% is especially of interest to provide a conducting version of a DLC coating known as boron-doped diamond. Such films are especially applicable to the integration of electrochemical methods to an AWD.
[0046]The unterminated dangling bonds of the carbon film will react with hydrogen in the air (from acidic moisture) to become passivated. If desired other layers may be attached to the outer DLC layer. Prior to this passivation the surfaces will react with bromo-, iodo-, and chloro-functional molecules including iodo-fluoroalkane, chloro-silanes, and bromo-perfluoropolyethers, by way of non-limiting example. Silane chemistry is a well known method of introducing a wide diversity of functional surfaces including carboxyl and amine groups. The use of peptide bonds to attach bioreceptors for biochemically selective sensing or polymer films for chemically-selective sensing is then a well-know extension.
[0047]In particular, functional chloro-silanes (CISi(CH3)2-R) react with a hydrogen-terminated carbon surface by forming a C--Si bond and evolving HCI. The functional group, R, is then used in a myriad of well known chemical synthesis steps. While not as chemically or abrasion resistant as the DLC surface, the covalently attached monolayers are quite robust.
[0048]In one preferred embodiment chemically selective probes are attached to the DLC surface. It is possible to terminate the freshly deposited DLC film with functional chemical groups including amine and carboxyl groups, allowing further chemically specific layers to be attached. Thus, by way of example, using a commonly available compound such as CI(CH3)2--Si--(CH2)2NH2 to attach -NH2 to the surface, it is then possible to use peptide bond formation to attach a bioreceptor. Succinnic acid anhydride is used to form --NH--C═O--(CH2)2--COOH surface functional groups. These acid residues may then be joined to --NH2 residues on a protein (antibody, antigen, enzyme) or synthetically attached to a DNA or peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probe. The final coupling stage is catalyzed using a water-soluble carbo-diimide. Alternatively the carboxyl groups can be reacted with amines in a polymer film having a preferential absorption of a target measurand. One such example is to select a polymer having preferential absorption of chlorinated hydrocarbons for environmental sensing. Another example is a hydrophilic coating for measuring water content in gasoline and other fuels.
[0049]Sensors in general, and liquid phase sensors in particular are often used in harsh environments such as crude oil slurries and drilling mud for in well measurements, abrasive inks, acids, and the like. Long time stability of such sensors depends largely on the capability to keep the smoothness and consistent characteristics of the sensing area or areas. The utilization of the coating as described in conjunction with an AWD type sensor offers significant advantages as it allows the sensor to operate in areas which heretofore lacked easy continuous coverage of the sensed parameters. By way of example, uses enabled or improved by an AWD sensor coated in accordance with the teachings of the present invention include monitoring "cutting fluids" in metal-working applications, process control in the manufacture of titania and other slurries, oil production applications including drilling mud, paper coating processes, highly caustic chemical processes, and the like. While the benefits are most notable for harsh environments such as those described above, less demanding sensing applications will also benefit from longer sensor lifetime, including for example automotive sensors such as engine oil monitoring.
[0050]A preferred process of creating a coating is shown in FIG. 3. Firstly, the substrate--either the sensor sensing area, or any other surface to be coated, is cleaned 300. Typically this step is carried out utilizing solvent washes and water rinses, followed preferably by an oxygen/argon plasma etch in a vacuum.
[0051]Optionally, a first adhesion layer 21 comprising of chromium (Cr) or titanium (Ti) is then deposited 305 on the surface. Zirconium (Zr) is also applicable and hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb) and tantalum (Ta) are suitable in some cases, but chromium is most prevalent for moderate temperatures, and titanium is considerate most suited for elevated temperatures.
[0052]An electrode 30 is then deposited 310 over the first adhesion layer, if such layer is used. As described, for a conductive electrode there are numerous choices including platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu) and aluminum(AI), as well as more exotic conductors such as ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), rhenium (Re), osmium (Os), and iridium (Ir). Aluminum (Al) is the least expensive material but is sometimes undesirable as it is chemically reactive and has high diffusion into adjacent materials. Platinum (Pt) and palladium (Pd) are the most stable selections and gold (Au) is the most commonly used and is the preferred embodiment for all but the harshest environments and temperatures.
[0053]Note that the electrode region may be selectively deposited using various lithography methods to only cover a specific pattern on the surface. Such patterns may include transducers, electrochemical electrodes, circuits, antennae and the like.
[0054]Optionally a second adhesion layer 20 may be deposited 215 between the electrode and the barrier layer, as was described for the first adhesion layer 21, however in some applications the vanadium, molybdenum, niobium or tantalum of the barrier layer adhere directly to the electrode layer.
[0055]As described, a barrier layer 40 is deposited 220 over the electrode and if applicable the second adhesion layer, to isolate the electrode layer 30 and/or adhesion layer 20 from the outer DLC layer 50. Commonly tungsten (W) and platinum (Pt) are used as barrier metals. However both tungsten and platinum suffer from poor adhesion to DLC. Furthermore, the use of an adhesion layer of titanium or chromium between tungsten and DLC is unacceptable at higher temperatures due to long term inter-diffusion. Therefore the preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention utilizes niobium or tantalum as barrier layer. Vanadium and molybdenum may also be suitable.
[0056]A DLC layer is then deposited 225 over the barrier layer, to provide the desired mechanical characteristics. Proper selection of process allows the barrier metal surface to provide excellent direct adhesion of the DLC by forming a thin (typically circa 5 nm), stable transition region of carbide alloy.
[0057]In the most preferred embodiment, the layers are thus in order starting in the base material 10, a first titanium adhesion layer 21 about 3-30 nm thick, a gold or platinum electrode layer 30 about 10-300 nm thick, a second titanium adhesion layer 20 about 3-30 nm thick, a tantalum barrier layer 40 about 25-300 nm thick and the final DLC layer about 10-500 nm thick.
[0058]In yet another aspect of the invention the coating is applied to passivate at least one electrode deposited on material such as a printed circuit board or other material exposed to corrosive, explosive or other harsh environment. Further application of the coating according to the present invention is for providing coatings for tools, and the like.
[0059]The following is a list of materials that are preferred for practicing the invention.
[0060]It should be noted however that the list relates only to preferred materials and should not be construed as limiting in nature.
[0061]Adhesion promoters for optional adhesion layers 20 and 21: titanium, zirconium, chromium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum.
[0062]Conductive electrode layer 30: platinum, palladium, gold, silver, copper, aluminum. Alloys of the above are also widely used, as well as osmium, iridium and the like, and the invention extends thereto.
[0063]Barrier layer 40: Tantalum, niobium, vanadium, molybdenum.
[0064]The skilled in the art will recognize that the preferred embodiments provided above are provided by way of non-limiting examples and that the teaching of these specifications will allow the skilled to produce a variety of materials to answer specific requirements for which the coating or the coated device are required to meet. Similarly, the skilled in the art will recognize that while the specifications are primarily directed to sensors, and even more particularly oftentimes to AWD type sensors, the coating described is highly applicable to many other applications that may benefit from the mechanical strength and smoothness of a DLC layer, and yet suffer from poor adhesion characteristics to DLC. Thus the invention should be viewed as extending to such embodiments and similar derivatives of the teaching provided herein. Various material combinations answering the specific needs, as well as different coating thicknesses will likely be applied to by the skilled artisan to obtain specific characteristics. However the invention extends to such modifications as well.
[0065]While there have been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other embodiments, changes, and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention and that it is, therefore, aimed to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention, for which letters patent is applied.
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Machi Block isn't the type of guy to blend in. He towers at 6'5" with wild, red hair. He has as big of a smile as he is a guy and it is always on his face. Machi's clothing line isn't here to blend either.
Elevated Clothing started in 2003 in Northwest Montana where Machi, the creator, attended both high school and college. In 2010 he moved the company to Southern California where it is based out of today. Elevated Clothing provides a relaxed style that blends harmoniously with the flashy action sports style. At first, it was a single shirt design (literally only one printed), but after much encouragement (and access to a screen printer), Machi decided to "elevate" his brand.
Machi relied on the encouragement of his friends and family as he left mechanical engineering to study graphic design. He decided that his brand would be more than just something to wear, but instead would stand as an encouragement to extreme sport athletes to pursue their passions and to live a good life. With many opportunities knocking on Machi's door, he and the crew of Elevated Clothing went on a nation-wide tour to promote the brand. The 5 guys hopped into an '85 Chevy Van and proceeded to travel 15,000 miles around the country in 6 weeks.
As a die-hard snowboarder most of his life, Machi naturally fell in love with wakeboarding. He loved the memories that were being made with his friends while traveling. Everything from bonfires in Seattle to catching crabs for the first time off the Pacific Coast (the seafood). Block knew the wakeboard lifestyle was something he wanted to be submersed in, thus his inspiration sprang forth.
He is currently working on the wakeboard style of clothing. They will be launching a new board short that will be very versatile and look like "nothing anyone has seen".
Have no regrets to look back on and live your life to the fullest." - Machi Block
Want to see more from Elevated? They will be at Surf Expo in Orlando Florida September 6-8th. Also check out their website at http://www.elevatedclothingco.com/
-Article by Katie Abbott.
-Article by Katie Abbott.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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text:
This property has been removed by the agent. It may be sold or temporarily removed from the market
3 bedroom terraced house for saleNess at Prestonfields, Jim Bush Drive, Prestonpans, EH32
Property Description
Key features
- Mid-Terrace
- Parking Space
- South West Facing Garden
- Cloakroom
- 884 Square feet
- Superb collection of 3 and 4 bedroom homes
- Village setting close to the town
- Fantastic golf courses and beach walks close at hand
- Under 15 minute train commute to Edinburgh city centre.
Full description
The "Ness" is a fantastic 3 BEDROOM TERRACED HOME with a fitted kitchen and a fantastic sitting and dining lounge area to the rear of the ground floor. The ground floor also benefits from a DOWNSTAIRS SHOWER FACILITY. Three bedrooms, a great stoarage cupboard and a family bathroom complete the upper floor of this fantastic home.
Parking - Allocated Parking
Room Dimensions
- Sitting/dining - 4750 x 3900 millimetre
- Kitchen - 2650 x 2650 millimetre
- Wc - 1450 x 2600 millimetre
- Bedroom 1 - 4750 x 3400 millimetre
- Bedroom 2 - 2950 x 2800 millimetre
- Bedroom 3 - 3250 x 1850 millimetre
- Bathroom - 2050 x 1650 millimetre
Listing History
Floorplan 1
Floorplan 2
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Market Info
Disclaimer - Property reference 3_3. The information displayed about this property comprises a property advertisement. Rightmove.co.uk makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the advertisement or any linked or associated information, and Rightmove has no control over the content. This property advertisement does not constitute property particulars. The information is provided and maintained by David Wilson Homes. Please contact the selling agent or developer directly to obtain any information which may be available under the terms of The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 or the Home Report if in relation to a residential property in Scotland.
Map data ©OpenStreetMap contributors.


text:
10:30AM-3:30PM: Mon, Tues , Sat, Sun
12-7PM: Thurs, Fri
The Muse Café is Located on the lower level of Palm Springs Art Museum,
next to the Annenberg Theater.
Museum admission is not required and parking is easy.
The menu features many fresh salads, sandwiches, soups,
desserts and a special-of-the-day.
Specialty coffees, beer, wine and other beverages are also available.
Choose the café or enjoy outdoor dining surrounded by world class sculpture
in the Marcuse Sculpture Garden.
Museum members receive a 10% discount on all items upon
presentation of membership card.
Extraordinary Sandwiches
Choice of bread: wheat, baguette, or gluten free bread
TG Sandwich 10.60
Matt's Special
Egg Salad Sandwich 10.50
Grilled Cheese Sandwich 8.50
BLT Sandwich 10.75
Greek Sandwich 10.60
Tuscan Panini 10.75
Caprese Panini 10.50
Middle Eastern Wrap 12.95
Veggie Wrap 10.95
Clyde's Wrap 10.95
Chicken Salad Wrap 10.95
Comída Mexicana
Quesadilla de Pollo 10.95
Quesadilla de Salmon 12.85
Quesadilla de Queso 8.75
Chili con Carne 11.50
Taco Burrito or Taco Salad 11.50
Choice of dressings: balsamic vinaigrette, ranch, blue cheese, sesame, lemon pepper.
Palm Springs Salad 10.85
Salmon Salad 12.75
Tuna Salad 10.95
House Salad 9.95
Caesar Salad 9.95
Muse Salad 9.95
Soup of the Day
Bowl 6.00
Cup 4.00
Soup and Half Salad 10.75
Soup and Choice of Half Sandwich 10.75
Iced tea / coffee / lemonade / sodas 2.50
Perrier 3.50
Specialty Coffees
Café latte, latte, cappuccino, hot chocolate 3.75
Espresso 3.00
Wine and Beer
California wine 6.00
Ice cream bar 3.50
The Muse Café located in the
No admission fee required to visit the Muse Café. Use north entrance of the museum. The Muse Café is open during museum hours and before most Annenberg Theater events.


text:
Okay, a few random thoughts on the debate, just finishing up now in the 9 PM replay. My main reaction is that there are just too many candidates to follow any of them through the debate, any real themes, how they're doing, anything like that. The candidates who stood out to me were Clark, Dean and Kerry (and the order there is intentionally alphabetical). I thought each had a good debate.
Clark had some good moments, his opening statement was very good. Mainly he just didn't make any mistakes and, to my mind, showed a lot of energy. As with the rest, there just wasn't enough time hearing him talk.
The same for Dean. I can see why his supporters like him. He was strong, with those moments of sparkle-in-the-eye candor and wit. At the same time, he was on the receiving end of a lot of attacks, which is the sign of a front runner, but also took some of the edge off his game.
Kerry was sharp, strong and smart.
Many of the other candidates gave good answers and came off well — Lieberman, Graham, etc. (Lieberman had one extremely funny moment.) But on balance the others just felt irrelevant to the race. That may be unfair to Gephardt who was definitely all over the debate. But on balance that was my impression.


text:
The downside of drinking soda is the "empty" calories that really don't provide our body with much besides sugar so we have to count these as "Discretionary Calories" according to MyPyramid.gov. We are allowed a certain number of discretionary calories everyday but only about 150 so they add up quickly and if you drink a soda, you are left with no room to spare. The upside of having a soda is that it's a nice cold refreshing drink…and sometimes provides you with a little caffeine boost which everyone needs once in a while. I have survived on seltzer for many years but I do like to offer soda when we have parties or gatherings and I am glad I can now feel good about serving up a slightly healthier version of it.
For more food for thought check out:
The Workweek Diet
Your 7-Day Superfood Meal Plan
15 New, Healthy Recipes for Fall!


text:
Jamie LaReau is the journalist about whom everyone is talking nowadays. It all started when international taste-maker and notorious recluse Michael Banovsky alerted his following to a fascinating August, 2011 article entitled A Porsche From The Passenger Seat Is Still A Porsche. Banovsky is a known talent-spotter, and this time he had spotted someone whose Hemingway-esque economy of words genuinely stood out:
The Porsche I rode in was a 1999 model. I don't recall which style, but let's just say it was one of the good ones. (As if there are any bad ones.)
Indeed. I happened to see Ms. LaReau examining the new Buick Encore with considerable interest after the press conference, but before I could untether my Droid from my laptop and talk to her, she disappeared. Now, it appears that she has applied her unique style to a strong defense of the Encore. Let's check it out.
Jamie's new article is entitled Buick's mini crossover enters a white space that could be red hot. Here at TTAC, we're as click-sensitive as anyone else, so definitely go pay the lady a visit so Automotive News can cover their bills and Crain Communications can continue to promote the most qualified individuals to positions of leadership, no matter who they are. However, we will excerpt the relevant sections here.
Jamie starts out like so:
At auto shows I often eye vehicles and ask myself if they might one day be my next ride.
Sometimes the answer is: definitely, maybe.
General Motors introduced the Buick Encore compact crossover at the Detroit auto show today and I had that definitely, maybe feeling.
I'm not the typical Buick customer — I'm under age 65. But there is currently no mid-luxury, subcompact crossover in the United States. So the Encore is competing in "white space," Buick marketing chief Tony DiSalle says.
So it could be red hot.
Who's the most likely demographic for Encore purchases? Here at TTAC, we believe the Encore will appeal to the critical consumer segments commonly described as
- People who live in China
- Drooling morons who don't
Ms. LaReau has a different idea:
But knowing my peer group, the Encore might be the one Buick we'd be eager to own. And that would take Buick into a customer space the brand desperately wants to tap into — a younger, likely single, urban professional, DiSalle says.
Initially, I thought "DiSalle" might be a sassy urban friend of Jamie's, but then I read the article a second time and realized that "DiSalle" Buick marketing chief Tony DiSalle. This depressed me. I imagined Ms. LaReau, who has a certain statuesque beauty, rolling through downtown Detroit in a Sebring convertible with "DiSalle" and perhaps having amusing, sassy conversations.
"So… I was in a Porsche the other day."
"OOOH GIRL! NO YOU DIN'T! Which one was it?"
"One of the good ones."
"There ain't no bad ones."
"You said it, sister."
"Girl, you need to back up off that 'sister' business. It's insensitive, and when I completed my doctorate at Howard University, my thesis, 'The Tides that Bind: Morphemetic Flow In Post-TCP/IP-Era Linguistic Diasporan Evolution Among Disadvantaged Segments Of Non-Diverse Populations' specifically identified the use of 'sister' by white girls as one of the many ways in which people like you conspire to define womyn of color in a reductionist, disrespectful manner which is tantamount to parody."
"I feel sad now. We need to start communicating on a more respectful level."
"You said it, sister."
Obviously I was wrong about the whole "DiSalle" thing. Let's find out what Jamie thought about the Encore's engine:
Another plus for me is the Encore's 1.4-liter turbocharged engine. It will deliver 140 hp and 148 pounds-feet of torque. That's 41 hp less than the Countryman's turbocharged 1.6-liter engine earns.
I should point out that, earlier in the review, Ms. LaReau had noted her fondness for the Countryman, which earns its horsepower the old-fashioned way: by earning it. After some notes on lead-footed driving not unreminiscent of that Angus fellow's bellowing nonsense in The Monthly Journal Of Free Cadillacs, the review barrels to its conclusion:
But I sure can't wait until early next year when it goes on sale to find out.
Hmm. Waiting until a vehicle is available to render a final verdict? This sounds like journalism. Somebody had better warn Jamie that unless she can either muster unthinking enthusiasm for the pig in the poke or rain cynical distaste upon a turntable-bound new car like a third-rate literary Krakatoa, she may not go as far as Mr. Banovsky believes she will.
Tagged as
65 Comments on "A Rising Star In Journalism Stands Up To Applaud The Encore..."
acuraandyJanuary 10th, 2012 at 10:09 pm
By the way, how the hell did GM get away with using 'Encore' for the name of this model? Doesn't Renault/(Nissan) still own the rights to the name in the US (China notwithstanding)?
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ppxhbqtJanuary 10th, 2012 at 11:36 pm
GM filed for this in '09. Apparently, Renault let it expire. Or perhaps AMC filed in the first place and Chrysler let it expire. Either way, GM owns it now.
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acuraandyJanuary 11th, 2012 at 12:12 am
Ah, the 'statute of limitations' clause. I'm sure the former Renault/AMC lawyer in Kenosha and/or Detroit is long retired and/or passed away now and thus, didn't care.
At least someone knew what I meant by that post. And even if GM cared, they would simply make up some new name (for USDM) or conjure one up from it's pre-bailout past (Skylark comes to mind) if a challenge to 'Encore' did ensue.
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Eddie_515January 10th, 2012 at 10:24 pm
What's that, an 11? Or fuego already?
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Eddie_515January 10th, 2012 at 10:28 pm
Oh my… that thing made it to the US back in the day!
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Athos NobileJanuary 11th, 2012 at 6:19 am
R11. The Fuego looks much better
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turbobrickJanuary 11th, 2012 at 9:31 am
That's an 11, which was a hatchback 9. Fuego was a two door based on the bigger 18i.
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getacargetacheckJanuary 10th, 2012 at 10:26 pm
Love the look of the Alliance/Encore. The American market could really stand to benefit from some unique-looking and softly sprung French cars again.
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acuraandyJanuary 11th, 2012 at 12:13 am
See: Nissan Sentra aka Renault Megane.
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probertJanuary 11th, 2012 at 1:46 pm
I hear you. Also the nissan Versa Hatch. But Iused to have an encore and these don't match the refinement of the Renault Encore; they were a lovely car to drive – light, airy, tons of room – but mechanically maybe not so good.
I have fond memories of that thing.
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Rob FinfrockJanuary 10th, 2012 at 10:37 pm
"Drooling morons who don't…"
More Baruth, please. [Carefully measured doses of] Kreindler.
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Jack BaruthJanuary 10th, 2012 at 10:40 pm
I appreciate the compliment, but without Derek, our NAIAS coverage would have looked like fumble-fingered garbage. I was literally kneeling on a floor, banging away on a $349 Toshiba netbook while tethered to a phone, and Derek was fixing tags, finding images, and squaring things away with ferocity. :)
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Rob FinfrockJanuary 10th, 2012 at 10:45 pm
Yeah, that was a bit harsh. And seriously, TTAC's coverage of NAIAS has been amazing this year. Kudos to all involved.
I liked Derek's earlier articles and reviews for TTAC, but the fawning 2013 Fusion piece reminded me a bit too strongly of some of the "journalism" written by my former boss, a known (aviation) industry sycophant and diagnosed NPD case.
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Jack BaruthJanuary 10th, 2012 at 10:54 pm
We are educating Derek in the TTAC way. The next time he uses "game-changing", he'd better be talking about Tim Tebow.
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acuraandyJanuary 10th, 2012 at 10:57 pm
Yeah, really. This Kreindler guy seems to know 'what's up', with a good eye for automotive photography and journalism.
Excellent, objective, non-'bought' coverage of the NAIAS, guys.
P.S. Jack, I think you must have the same type of Toshiba netbook I consistently hack on every night on this very website; albeit as a rank amateur in a hall of seasoned professionals :)
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Rob FinfrockJanuary 10th, 2012 at 11:04 pm
Original snarky comment respectfully edited… slightly.
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January 10th, 2012 at 11:06 pm
I promise you if I wrote that about the Encore I'd be accused of being too snarky or an anti-GM cretin. Also, I am here to stay.
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January 10th, 2012 at 11:08 pm
@ Rob. I am largely the man behind the curtain now that Ed is gone…but you will have to get used to the roster change, and I will have to get used to being held to the highest standard.
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Rob FinfrockJanuary 10th, 2012 at 11:10 pm
An anti-GM cretin? Why didn't ya say that sooner? I'd actually be OK with that!
It's good, Derek, and welcome to TTAC. Given the choice between articles written with clear enthusiasm versus bitter cynicism, I'll take the occasional "game-changer" piece any day. I say that as someone who clearly lets his opinions occasionally get the better of him on forums like this one. (My own writing gig requires that I keep firm restraint from expressing them on the job.)
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January 10th, 2012 at 11:24 pm
Thank You, Sir!
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cognoscentiJanuary 11th, 2012 at 2:32 pm
Actually, I find pretty much all of the TTAC NAIAS coverage to be pretty cynical so far. I'm not asking you to shill for the industry – I'm just saying that the chip on your shoulders is visible from quite a distance!
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January 11th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
As part of that coverage, I have to take issue with you. I'm as cynical as they come but I don't think you'll find any cynicism in the pieces that I contributed. My piece about the Cadillac ATS reveal was pretty positive and my Acura piece was by-the-numbers reporting.
Derek got slammed for saying nice things about the Fusion.
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Educator(of teachers)DanJanuary 10th, 2012 at 11:12 pm
Jack and Jamie sitting in a tree…
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Robert SchwartzJanuary 11th, 2012 at 12:01 am
What I am getting is that she stoned him.
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January 11th, 2012 at 12:06 am
Brownie McJournalist?
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Mark MacInnisJanuary 11th, 2012 at 8:25 am
What I'm getting is she stoned him, but in his best Baruthian manner, he is looking forward to another go at it next year in Detroit….
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Educator(of teachers)DanJanuary 11th, 2012 at 9:34 am
I was trying to be a wise guy about Jack having a "crush."
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Robert SchwartzJanuary 11th, 2012 at 2:55 pm
Yeah, she crushed him.
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CriticalMassJanuary 11th, 2012 at 12:50 pm
I'll trust Jack's judgement on climbing…limbs….but I would like to know what her "peer group" is that she says may be slobbering to buy in this white space. I mean, how large a demographic can "statuesque auto journalist" be? Perhaps Jack should explore this new niche further; there may be a pocket of demand there that no one has yet seen.
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rentonbenJanuary 10th, 2012 at 11:18 pm
I'm still can't see what's so horrid about the Encore that is making everyone act like it kicked their dog and impregnated their wife, and then pooped in their Wheaties.
As far as I know, the world needs more passable compact cars with dignified interiors – things like the Yaris, Juke, and Sonic deserve more scorn for their styled-by-5-year-old-boys interiors.
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Rob FinfrockJanuary 10th, 2012 at 11:22 pm
Tall, thin and top heavy works well on women. Less so for subcompact crossovers.
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allusterJanuary 11th, 2012 at 9:05 am
Its tall, thin and top heavy for a reason. Buick didn't want it to end up looking like a wagon or hatch or Boxy and have to knock 5 grand off the price to sell. Whether this works or makes it look attractive or pulls in younger buyers is debatable, but it looks the way it does on purpose.
Also the reason why it has 18″ wheels standard. They figured they may save 50 bucks by using smaller wheels, but have to charge $5000 less if it looks like a wagon/hatch.
Plus, SUV like vehicles sell far more than any wagons, and hatchbacks.
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mcsJanuary 11th, 2012 at 6:32 am
I think some of the criticism isn't about the vehicle itself, but that some of us felt it should have been a Chevy. Part of the fear of Buick encroaching on Chevrolet territory is that it could lead to scenarios where Chevys are deliberately cheapened if they are deemed too nice in order to protect Buick sales.
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bryanskaJanuary 11th, 2012 at 9:47 am
As they should be. Chevy is the value brand. Buick entry luxury, inviting. Cadillac premium luxury, red-blooded.
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tekdemonJanuary 11th, 2012 at 10:16 am
I have to say that I would totally consider one…if they couldn't sell any and it ended up getting $13,000 in incentives thrown on it.
But yeah, barring that, there's essentially no market for this car in the US. Could their possibly be a market for a subcompact luxury car? Yeah, but it's not gonna be this oddly proportioned Buick.
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philadljJanuary 11th, 2012 at 10:52 am
As a proudly drooling moron, I personally like Buick's moxie in rolling out this car, not just as a Chinese-exclusive model. It isn't as if Buick is swimming in model choices here (the Encore brings their line up to dizzying five models with the Lucerne dead). What do they have to lose by giving it a chance here? Well, besides Jamie LaReau giving it her vapid stamp of approval…
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Pch101January 11th, 2012 at 11:06 am
I personally like Buick's moxie in rolling out this car
It's a modern day Geo Tracker with an upscale interior. Forgive me if I don't see much courage going on here.
What I do see is an effort to amortize development costs over a larger quantity of sales, combined with the attempt to use Buick's alleged near-luxury positioning in order to squeeze more margin out of it by selling it at a higher price.
Theoretically, that can make sense. But the real world results of such world car efforts are often disappointing, because vehicles with regional appeal don't do well in places where they are not wanted.
I could see it as an upmarket rival to the CR-V if it had another 12 inches of space welded to the back of it. But since it doesn't, it won't. As for the MINI, let's just say that I don't think that BMW corporate has much to worry about here…
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Twitter: phauserJanuary 10th, 2012 at 11:37 pm
I know Jack Baruth is a lot of things, but I wasn't expecting a working knowledge of feminist theory. Forgetting "mid-luxury", what other vehicles exist in the subcompact crossover space? The Soul, Juke, and xB come to mind, but they all, with the possible exception of the Soul, have styling that gives them something less than mass appeal. I could see the Ford EcoSport (with a new name) doing well at a better price point than the Buick or Mini if this class is to take off.
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ppxhbqtJanuary 10th, 2012 at 11:42 pm
I don't see this as being exactly a white space. This car lines up very closely with the Kia Soul, Scion xB, and Nissan Cube. While the latter two haven't exactly been blazing sales records, all have seen their fair share of geezers snapping them up, despite their supposed intended demographic group. Who's to say these older folks weren't really looking for something quieter and softer in the same size, but until now couldn't find it. I'm thinking this might be just the ticket for that group, mainly those looking for a car they can step into rather than fall into yet can still park easily and carry their dog in it.
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January 11th, 2012 at 3:30 pm
I believe that white space Buick is talking about is the fact that Kia, Scion and Nissan are not regarded as luxury brands.
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"scarey"January 10th, 2012 at 11:48 pm
"General Motors introduced the Buick Encore compact crossover at the Detroit auto show today and I had that definitely, maybe feeling."- You GO, Girl !
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January 11th, 2012 at 12:25 am
Really wanted to give Jack some hell, but the engine paragraph quashed that desire.
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Beerboy12January 11th, 2012 at 12:34 am
Looks like Buick has woken up to the idea that some people want a smaller car but don't want to give up all the nice stuff they get with a big car. Jamie LaReau may have noticed this to. There are other cars (not many) like it but they lack the luxury appeal so yes this car is filling a gap. Good luck to Buick with it.
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redavJanuary 11th, 2012 at 8:43 am
Personally, I'd love to grab a semi-luxury compact car. However, there's a dearth of options.
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cognoscentiJanuary 11th, 2012 at 2:46 pm
+1. I'm watching this one closely for my mother in-law in her 60's. She has so far absolutely refused to "downsize" from her 4-door sedan, even though she NEEDS a smaller car (the big parking lot dents and scratches tell the story on her Accord) because she sees that as a reduction in her quality of life. Why should she have to give up the luxuries of a larger car at all? I couldn't get her to drive a Honda Fit if I gave her one.
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SinistermistermanJanuary 11th, 2012 at 1:54 am
Quote from the comments section of the Porsche 'article' Jack linked to:
"I paid $150 for a subscription to this?!"
"This is why Automotive News is such a rag. You employ someone in a senior reporting/writing position who (a) had never before even sampled one of the most famous and revered automotive brands and (b) thinks this story is worth taking up space."
I think there's only one thing for it Jack, you've got to hunt her down and seduce her.
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WriterParty.comJanuary 11th, 2012 at 5:15 am
On one hand, you have a 20-year old rich kid who drops one of the most in-depth, delightful car reviews I've seen lately (a review of the 2012 BMW M5 cuz his dad bought one and let him drive it, on 5post, linked to from other automotive blogs), and then on the other hand, you have professionals writing garbage like what Mr. Kriendler referenced above.
What a weird, weird world it is.
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Motorhead10January 11th, 2012 at 6:57 am
Although her writing is terrible, at least it lacks insight.
I can't help but think that are very good reasons why a "white space" exists in the first place.
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jeanpierresartiJanuary 11th, 2012 at 9:47 am
I guess I will be captain obvious here.
She says that a plus for the Buick is the 1.4L turbo which "earns" 40 odd less HP than the Mini. But then in the next sentence she derides the Mini for not accommodating her lead foot.
This is journalism? She actually gets paid for this?
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BrockJanuary 11th, 2012 at 10:28 am
I was sure I just didn't understand, but was thinking the same thing.
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spykedJanuary 11th, 2012 at 10:15 am
Two things:
1. Does anyone else think the Buick Encore looks like a Suzuki SX4 hatchback, at least in shadow? Or a 3/4 scale version of the second gen Saturn Vue (which I rented and didn't actually hate, BTW)?
2. Was I the only one that thought I was getting to read an awesome review of the proper (Renault) Encore? I feel cheated.
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philadljJanuary 11th, 2012 at 10:44 am
Here's an Alliance review…close as I could get:
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tankinbeansJanuary 11th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
It looks like a 5/4 scale version of the Spark to me.
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FJ60LandCruiserJanuary 11th, 2012 at 11:08 am
I hate this car because it shows the near anaphylactic aversion of Americans and the automotive industry to wagons. A proper boxy wagon based on any of the midsized cars on the market can totally stomp this little car in terms of utility and driveability, not even mentoning fuel efficiency. It also wouldn't sell if it was bundled with every incentive GM used to push its cars for the last few decades.
Instead of having a wide assortment of wagons for the millions of sheeple that buy crossovers every year, we keep trying to pass these tall, ill-handling, poorly packaged, fuel wasting monstrosities as SUVs so some active lifestyle premium crossover shopper demographic suburban technologically connected independent voting mother out there won't have to tell anyone she drives a… wagon… or worse yet a minivan.
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January 11th, 2012 at 1:04 pm
The one constant theme of wagon argument is always knowing what car is best for other people who are simply too dumb and ignorant, and must be enlightened.
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FJ60LandCruiserJanuary 11th, 2012 at 2:36 pm
I just think that in a rational world there is absolutely no justification for owning a crossover. I see them as a twisted remnant of the SUV days where everyone thought… er was convinced they "needed" a 3 ton V8 4×4, then pondered why it didn't have car-like handling or fuel economy (or why the cheaper 4×2 variants were so scary in the snow and rain), so we built car-like SUVs that strangely resemble wagons, just taller, bad handling, fuel wasting versions of wagons… because most people probably need a wagon for their crap, just don't want to admit it. So we take a perfectly good car, ruin the handling, and desperately try to make it look "aggressive" to resemble the SUV days of old. Most of our vehicle marketing is based on the fact that a lot of people need a roomy, boring, slow, safe car (wagon or minivan) but would rather jump in front of a train than be seen in one. What everyone calls a crossover, I just call a crappy wagon.
The car-based 'ute craze in Australia is the closest thing that serves as a direct comparison to this phenomenon.
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cognoscentiJanuary 11th, 2012 at 2:53 pm
@FJ60LandCruiser You are missing a key point. The wagons almost never have 3rd row seating. Regularly having a wife, two kids and a mother in-law in the same car == crossover. I can't cram all of those people and their gear (vacation, anyone?) into any BMW Estate or Audi Avant variant. We're already using a Thule box on the roof as it is!
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86erJanuary 11th, 2012 at 3:03 pm
I thought crossovers were for people too cool for minivans?
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gslippyJanuary 11th, 2012 at 11:36 am
If it wasn't called a "Buick", it would sell better than it will.
But I still like it.
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doug-gJanuary 11th, 2012 at 11:58 am
Ms. LaReau, who has a certain statuesque beauty
Huh. Who'd you say she writes for?
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January 11th, 2012 at 1:00 pm
where's the beef?
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CJinSDJanuary 11th, 2012 at 1:19 pm
I was hoping for an article about the Renault Encore, which I probably could have completed without narcolepsy setting in. I guess I should be grateful that the photo was of an old Renault instead of a new Buick. Little favors.
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tankinbeansJanuary 11th, 2012 at 1:38 pm
I don't have anything intelligent to add here, but wanted to say that this kind of looks like the original US Escort.
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ZykotecJanuary 11th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
So, this 'automotive news' thing, is like a car news site for people who know nothing at all about cars? And they explain the press releases carefully in 'laymans terms' so that prospective car buyers gets to know what looks good, and what has the most horsepower etc? Makes sense…
( I browsed through a few of the so-called articles, and tbh I've seen 'bots' use more flamboyant language…)
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BTEFanSeptember 25th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
The Buick Encore is at least something different. China is its primary market but it will give Buick buyers some sort of variety when they walk in the showroom.
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text:
Wedbush Morgan has predicted that sales of PlayStation 4 will reach 12 million by the end of the year.
The findings come from a new report (via VG247) comprised by ubiquitous analyst Michael Pachter, along with fellow colleagues Nick McKay and Nick Citrin.
The report clearly gives the advantage to Sony's next-generation home console, with PS4 finishing the year with a three million lead on its main rival, the Xbox One. Wii U, meanwhile, lags behind with 3 million units sold.
Wedbush attributes Wii U's failings to the fact Nintendo has failed to embrace online multiplayer, while citing the PS4 has been a "phenomenal success right out of the gate."
Why is PS4 predicted to outpace Xbox One by three million? According to the report, it's because Microsoft's machine is priced higher than Sony's new console. Nonetheless, it adds that Xbox One has "achieved great success."
Sony announced earlier this year that PS4 had moved 4.2 million units globally.
PS4 'a success right out of the gate,' sales to hit 12m by end of 2014 -- analyst
Wedbush Morgan has predicted that sales of PlayStation 4 will reach 12 million by the end of the year.


text: I agree with him too. I like G+ (when i remember to check it) but don't think anyone should be forced to use it. Same. I have maybe a handful of people I've never met face to face but otherwise I know all of my friends. Facebook is good for finding funny pics. For me anyway. I will 'sniper post' - put up my post, maybe read a couple others and then leave with no other traces


text:
Yesterday I went over to check out the new bike shop in my neighborhood, Halcyon Bike Shop. Pinkie's chain had started sounding like a flock of birds, so I stopped by thinking I'd pick up some chain grease, and ended up bringing her back over for a quick overhaul (I had been running errands in the car and didn't have my bike the first time around).
Poor Pinkie felt a bit out of place as we squeaked our way through the crowd of hipsters on well-maintained, customized bikes out front…but I told her not to worry, they were friendly.
Even though the shop has only been open about six weeks, it seems like it's already part of the community. Between the guys riding outside and the customers inside, there must have been about 15 people there during the course of my visit, in addition to the resident dog and cat (love stores that have pets!). Since I normally would go a week without seeing 15 people on bikes, it was a welcome change to see so many people interested in cycling.
While I waited, I looked around front of the shop. They had about 20 reconditioned bikes for sale. Most of the ones in stock were medium-frame men's road bikes, with distinctive vintage looks, priced between $350 and $600 dollars. They sell new and used parts (I may go back for some fenders) and some handmade and vintage bicycle accessories, including some very cute hats.
We left the shop about 15 minutes later, having spent $15 on a tuneup that made the ride home a lot easier — perhaps a commuter bike should get some attention more than once a year? I realized during my awkward conversation with the very nice mechanic that I know more about working on my Mustang than I do my Schwinn. He said they're going to get some community classes on bike maintenance going soon, and I will definitely be signing up.
ETA: I came across this series of video tutorials on BicycleTutor.com that looks like a great intro to maintaining your bike—can anyone suggest other resources?


text:
|2010-05-13, 03:36
|Link #9901
Dea ex Kakera
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Sea of Fragments
I guess I'll throw in my own opinion here. I think it might be more useful to look for correspondences between the adults and the stakes based on the stakes' personalities, rather than what sin they represent. It would be more in keeping with the idea that Ronove and Virgilia provide character development for Genji and Kumasawa.
Lucifer: Krauss
Having written it all out, now I wonder if the age ordering actually lines up completely. Based on the dates on the umineco.info timeline, it seems to work out if you just switch Eva with Kyrie, and there are some points that fit better that way. But then there's Beelzebub's competition with Mammon, so I'm not sure.
|2010-05-13, 05:22
|Link #9902
The Death!
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Purgatorio
So I was looking at episode one again and looked at the order of deaths from the standpoint of the ranking system and who died up the last twilight. Jessica was the highest ranking Ushiromiya left alive during the period when Natsuhi was killed by the gun. Is it possible for Natsuhi to be the accomplice? I mean I know the red says that she is no murderer but does that prevent her from being an accomplice? I mean she could be conspiring with the killer so that in Natsuhi's mind Jessica could become the next head. That letter that Natsuhi received probably wasn't about the man from 19 years ago but a threat to Natsuhi about their agreement. Also she could be the person who had placed the letter on the table. Battler's back was turned to the portrait during the moments when Natsuhi placed the tuna on the table, she was also the one to notice it and make an extremely big deal about it. Another thing I find extremely suspicious is the blatant fact Kinzo was already dead. Why didn't she tell everyone about Kinzo's status when her husband had died. Was it Krauss that was her main motivation behind keeping Kinzo's status a secret? Or was it part of a plan to make Jessica the head all along? I mean the timing is too perfect when Kinzo's burnt body is found.
The killer had killed in an order that would make Jessica the next head without arousing suspicions.
I bet this was a deal the killer and Natsuhi made. But at the end the Killer betrayed Natsuhi with the contents of that latter in the parlor and killer her when she was lured out. The letter was also taken so what was written in it probably had something to do with the deal. It could have also potentially revealed the identity of the killer if I can say that.
|2010-05-13, 07:02
|Link #9903
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: forever lost inside a logic error
|2010-05-13, 07:49
|Link #9904
Back off, I'm a scientist
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: In a badly written story.
|2010-05-13, 07:57
|Link #9905
Back off, I'm a scientist
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: In a badly written story.
Therefore she was at least involved in a plan which required using Kinzo's body at some point, and that one plan has been around for a year, all the time since Kinzo originally died. Whether that plan included murdering anyone or not and whether Natsuhi actually expected anyone to die is not quite clear.
|2010-05-13, 08:04
|Link #9906
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
|2010-05-13, 08:19
|Link #9907
Back off, I'm a scientist
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: In a badly written story.
|2010-05-13, 08:30
|Link #9908
The Death!
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Purgatorio
The only reason I thought of the murder was for the headship was due to the fact the highest ranked Ushiromiyas were killed early on, and the highest remaining Ushiromiya was in fact Jessica.
|2010-05-13, 08:36
|Link #9909
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
It's sort of like the whole "blame Natsuhi" act from Episode 5. Since she was the first to go to bed early, she has the weakest alibi. If Ryuukishi is trying to draw parallels between the question Episode and it's corresponding core Episode, I'd think there would be less reasons to suspect Natsuhi.
Notable though, this actually makes Genji very suspicious for the burning, since he's the only one with access to Kinzo's room when it's locked.
|2010-05-13, 08:46
|Link #9910
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Actually, if there are no adults to inherit the headship, I'm pretty sure the headship would be inherited by George, the oldest male of the Ushiromiya family. Then again, I'm not sure what Japan's inheritance laws are of if they would have any effect on this, but with how partriarch-orientated the Ushiromiya are, this seems more likely to me.
Last edited by Raiza Sunozaki; 2010-05-13 at 09:09. Reason: Episode 1, not 5...
|2010-05-13, 09:42
|Link #9911
The Death!
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Purgatorio
I have to agree the 1st is the easiest one to fake and who knows it could be Krauss that faked his death for all we know. The only thing we can be sure of from Natsuhi is her delusions, aside from that we don't know anything it can go either way with her.
The Ushiromiya's ranking system is pretty strict what with the adults split into two groups during dinner and all, I think Jessica said she was the next in line. In Episode 1 she said she didn't want it. So I think the Ushiromiyas stick to the Rankings. But technically it would be Jessica's husband who would become the next head.
|2010-05-13, 10:24
|Link #9912
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
|2010-05-13, 10:35
|Link #9913
Back off, I'm a scientist
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: In a badly written story.
To sidestep this, the transfer of 'headship', that is, control and legal ownership of joint family property, has to go outside the inheritance laws if the descendants are to receive anything. A natural way is to attach these property rights to the title of 'family head', which should actually be transferable during life, or at least magically jump to the next in line through some kind of legal fiction at the moment the current one is dead, bypassing the concept of property inheritance.
|2010-05-13, 13:22
|Link #9914
Then again have you seen that scene in the manga, there teeth are all smashed and everything. Another question I have for the 1st twlight is; in both the anime and the manga the bodies are mostly neatly against walls or boxes in the front so you see them right away; but why is Shannon's in the back being blocked by stuff? All the others you can see upon openning the shutter, so why is it only Shannon's that is placed in the back behind a stack of boxes?
Last edited by Laserworm; 2010-05-15 at 07:52.
|2010-05-13, 13:48
|Link #9915
Senior Member
It's mentioned in the original VN that Shannon is out of direct view. Only Hideyoshi and Kanon see her corpse. (Also, Episode 3, first twilight, Shannon's corpse is behind a couch and Hideyoshi is the one who looks at it, though in the anime she's in sitting in a chair, and several people examine her closely.)
Last edited by rogerpepitone; 2010-05-13 at 14:05.
|2010-05-13, 15:17
|Link #9916
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: In the Meta- World... on Virgillia's bed.
I think witness accounts still account for a person's alibi. The reason being is that in order to accuse of someone faking their death, you have to accuse the people who have seen his or her corpse of being accomplices.
|2010-05-13, 15:30
|Link #9917
Homo Ludens
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Canada
Age: 27
|2010-05-13, 15:48
|Link #9918
Endless Witch-Doctor
Join Date: Mar 2010
Also, this might not be worth anything, but the order you listed is Krauss, Kyrie, Natsuhi, Rudolf, Eva, Hideyoshi, Rosa. It has been speculated before that maybe Krauss and Kyrie are Battler's parents. That would pair Natsuhi and Rudolf together. Eva and Hideyoshi are next to each other on the list, and Rosa doesn't have a spouse.
And as much as I like the idea of parents = stakes, there's a huge setback in EP2. The adults (except Rosa) should all be dead at the first twilight, so what does it mean when the stakes are killing people after that? Is it possible for the adults to still be alive, or should it be interpreted as something else?
|2010-05-13, 16:47
|Link #9919
Last edited by Laserworm; 2010-05-15 at 07:52.
|Thread Tools


text:
Buzzoven vs Buzzkill
Seven Inch Friday: This little punk rock story is probably one of my favorites although I probably won't do it justice; it's funny none the less. It's the story of how the whole New Brunswick NJ scene got a Buzzov•en t-shirt but first about the music…
This here 7″ has three grunge pot smoking epics that came out in 1992 sometime out on the Santa Rosa CA label Kirbdog Records. The band originated out of North Carolina and was led by Kirk Fisher. He was the guy behind the violence. The instigator of sludge metal. Fans of the melvins/eyehategod know exactly who these guys are. They always used horror film samples in-between songs, real smoke and the slower the rock distortion groove the better. After lots of touring and small releases they made it to Roadrunner records and were later promptly dropped. I had the opportunity to see them several times and witnessed first hand their asinine antics of lighting fireworks and kirk pulling a gg allin drawing blood on himself or throwing bottles of bud across the room; then giggling about it like little girls when the victim could not figure out who it was. I thought it was obvious. One time at the Brighton (photo below) Kirk got upset because Sebastian Bach was asked to leave so he wouldn't get beat up. Sounds funny but apparently he had the good pot. Kirk had his priorities.
mp3 Hatebox
mp3 Fade / On Your Knees
The most notable of nights happened when they decided to get in a fight with Buzzkill (NOt the uk band) after playing The Melody in New Brunswick. Now Buzzkill (formerly Butthead ) with just Dan and Bruce are 12 1/2 feet tall combined. The smelly pot smoking hippies did not stand a chance. For all their stupidity and getting pummeled they decided after being kicked-out of the party by force to take their vengeance on one of the party goers cars. In the end Kirk ended up in a orange suite for a few days in the New Brunswick lock-up and they left behind a whole box of T-shirts. Anyway, be sure to update your calender Sat Dec 26th 2009 as Buzzkill are playing The Court Tavern for a reunion show along with Prosolar Mechanics and The Stuntcocks. Bring back the 90's man.
Mp3 "Rock and Roll Gas Station" from the album UP on A/T
Mp3 "This place sucks" Tooth & Sole
Mp3 "Dirge" from the debut I feel like myself again
If you like this pot music you will dig:
Album Review – 'Til the living end of punk by Zeke (mp3)


text:
The Basic Principles Of used knickers
I jerked off with those panties till the next weekend. I went into my bathroom and there were my panties back on to the floor, thats when I went to your space and had my panties hanging enabling you to see them also to see the look on your own face. You can, apparently, squeeze money from your filthy underpants.
I'm not just a Victoria's Secret design, either - human sexuality is really a galaxy of various fetishes, and there is no age or body type that doesn't have a thriving Web community focused on worshiping it. There's a good demand from ladies for dirty men's underpants, and you would be surprised just how many fetishes there are within the underwear-selling market.
My best sellers may possibly become thongs or bikini design with masturbation and usually with a 5 minute video. I love nothing more than to get home following a long shift, take off my wet panties and send out them straight to you, so you're able to fully take pleasure in my moist, womanly scent. CONS: Reddit is not only limited to being a community of panty retailers so you should focus on how much personal information you divulge.
The panties themselves have already been rarely worn only on special occasions, for the boyfriend needless to say (; and no worries, the panties have definitely in no way been worn during any of my menstruation cycles. The buyer may also want the worn panties with some pee or period stains among other specific requests; and the higher you're at fulfilling like orders, the more you will benefit from selling used panties. We talked to two females, Sofina and Jocelyn, who earn money by selling their utilized panties online.
In a weird way, I don't really observe this as sexual (obviously it is) but I "log off" on understanding that I provide a services for polite and correct men who simply have the odd small kicks! Not all buyers like heavy scent in all zones, however. Some panties nestle into this area better than others.


text:
[Fed] Party Presidency + 6th Parties
Duncan Crowe
Part I - Primary Poll Results + Thank You
Fellow Federalist Party Members (And non-Feds Too
The Federalist Party primary poll is over, and I would like to announce that I am the official candidate-elect for Party President of the Federalist Party.
Final Results:
Would like to thank everyone who voted for me. Without your support, I would not have been successful in my run. So, for all of those who voted for me, thank you very much.
I would also like to thank Jefferson Locke, and the other opponents, for running against me. Out of the three primary races that I have participated in, this one was definitely the most enjoyable and I thank my opponents for making it that way.
If you did not vote for me, I humbly ask you to give me a chance to encourage you to reconsider your opinions of me.
Please, remember to vote for me on the 15th and enjoy the rest of the article.
go feds! p/h!
Part II - Plans For This Month
During the month of December, while I am PP, I would love to improve the Federalist party as much as possible. I have grand plans to make us not only the best party in eRepublik, but also the most enjoyable.
In order to do this, I have implemented a very dedicated, and certainly very p/h team:
VPP: Jefferson Locke
CoS: BigCDizzle
-Financial: Myself (Not Permanent)
-Political: AlexJ1890
-FOP: GreeKM4N
-Retention: Exploration
-Recruitment: Logamac
-FBI: Harry Hill/Stewy
-Media: Fingerguns
With their help, I will:
-Host Federalist Party Meetings
-Create A Fed. Radio Show
- Publish a Federalist Newsletter
-Keep the Media Dept. Buzzing
-Actively Attempt to Destroy the AFA
-Work with 6th parties to improve Congress
-Continue to encourage forum activity and irc activity!
-Continue current recruitment rate/improve current rate
And, above all,
ATTEMPT TO MAKE THE ENTIRE eUSA proud/horny. Please, help support me in my endeavours.
Part III - Calling All 6th Party Members
This term, I also want to encourage Federalist party cooperation with parties that are not currently within the top 5.
If you are a member of a 6th party, and have not yet made any connections with a Federalist party member, I would love to have you mail either myself or another Federalist party member.
This term, I hope to create very strong, steadfast connections with 6th party leaders, and make sure that they know they have a PP friend within the top 5. Working with 6th parties is a great goal of mine, and I hope you allow me to get to know you, 6th parties.
My mailbox is always open. Don't hesitate to mail.
That's about all I wanted to say in this article.
Remember to vote 'Duncan Crowe' on the 15th!
America Runs on Dunks
Thanks for reading!
Please vote, comment, and subscribe if you enjoyed!
Until next time...on behalf of the Feds,
Best Regards,
Fed. Party Page - http://www.erepublik.com/en/party/federalist-party-2263/1
Fed. IRC - http://tinyurl.com/FedsLive
Duncan, if you'd like to borrow the eNPR account for your radio show you're more than welcome to.
Just because I didn't vote for you doesn't mean I think you aren't awesome. : D
Change the economic module!!!
What is this?You are reading an article written by a citizen of eRepublik, an immersive multiplayer strategy game based on real life countries. Create your own character and help your country achieve its glory while establishing yourself as a war hero, renowned publisher or finance guru.


text:
The last big analytics deal of 2010 -- Teradata's late-December acquisition of Aprimo for $525 million -- may well be the prologue for 2011.
Indeed analytics have drawn increasing attention from enterprises for the last few years. And at the center of interest has been improving marketing capabilities.
Aprimo specializes in so-called integrated marketing management, a fast-growing, $5 billion business, according to industry estimates.
"Integrated" means management and analysis capabilities cut across channels -- Web sites, call centers, direct mail and, increasingly, social networks -- as well as across the full life cycle of customer interactions -- from outbound e-mail and direct mail campaigns to long-term analysis of satisfaction with product quality and support.
In Aprimo's case the capabilities are delivered software-as-a-service (SaaS) style through the vendor's Business to Consumer and Business to Business applications. Aprimo's customer base is said to include more than 150,000 individual users and 36% of the Fortune 100, with Bank of America, U.K. utility E-ON, and Warner Brothers as notable examples.
"The opportunity with Aprimo is to have a best-in-class, end-to-end marketing solution that cuts across analytics, campaign management and lots of things Teradata is doing today," said Teradata CEO Mike Koehler in a conference call.
Marketing is a frequent entry point for Teradata, Koehler noted, whether it be in telecommunications, banking or retail. Teradata's data warehousing technology helps marketing departments get a grip on their data -- the raw analytics -- but what it has lacked (outside of one-off and partner-dependent solutions) has been management and analysis capabilities akin to what Aprimo offers.
Once the acquisition is completed, as expected in the first quarter, Teradata will be able to cross-sell and up-sell Aprimo services that might have otherwise gone to competitors. In fact, the acquisition follows closely in the footsteps of IBM's August purchase of Unica. Acquired for $480 million, Unica also specializes in cross-channel campaign management and measurement software, offered both on-premises and SaaS style.
And just as IBM retained Unica's name for marketing purposes, calling it "Unica, an IBM Company," Teradata plans to continue to use the Aprimo name for the marketing services.
If the consolidation trend is to continue in integrated marketing management, which vendors are left to buy in 2011? Marketo and Eloqua come to mind. Both firms offer SaaS-based marketing capabilities and both have hundreds of customers. Oracle and SAP should take a look.
Marketo's client base is dominated by technology-focused companies, and its services are integrated and frequently paired with Salesforce.com. Eloqua's customer base is diverse, including media and sports entertainment companies such as Comcast, the TD (Boston) Garden and the Miami Heat.
"What's driving this heightened interest and momentum in marketing automation platforms is that it is not just about marketing, but about rethinking every aspect of how corporations drive growth and improve revenue performance," said a Marketo statement regarding the Aprimo and Unica deals.
In other words, when companies use analytics to better understand their customers, the insight can change everything from product, manufacturing and supply chain strategies to distribution, retailing and customer communications approaches.
Consolidation has redrawn lines of competition within the analytics community. SAS, for instance, is a leading provider of marketing analytics software, so the recent acquisitions by long-time partners IBM and Teradata can't be sitting too well down in Cary, NC.
IBM had already crossed several lines with its purchases of Cognos, SPSS and Coremetrics. But the Aprimo deal marks Teradata's first real move into data-warehouse-independent analytic offerings.
SAS, too, crossed lines when it announced last year that it would introduce SAS-powered analytic appliances based on HP hardware -- a clear shot across the bows of Oracle, IBM and Teradata.
So the forecast for 2011 in marketing analytics -- as in most IT categories -- is for continued consolidation and stepped-up competition as the big vendors reach into each others' pockets.


text:
(Link in blogroll)
1. There is no need to use that tone with me.
2. Where in the heck did the time go last night?
3. Surf the Internet is all I managed to do.
4. Prospects for more upheaval are good.
5. The medium is the message.
6. Simplicity and tranquility are underrated until you don't have 'em anymore.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to starting this week's laundry and watching TV (what I want to watch!), tomorrow my plans include finishing the laundry and running several errands, and Sunday, I want to watch some football, and iron (but I also have a youth group thing to attend)!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Friday Fill-Ins
at 7:34 AM
Labels: Communication , Friday memes , Internet , Life
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