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Most Shared Posts in 2013 30. December 2013 Maranda Gibson Conference Calls, Editorial , News (0) Happy end of December everyone! We had a great time in 2013 trying new things and taking new approaches on the blog and in a lot of other areas. It was a great year for us here at AccuConference and in celebration of the New Year; here is a look back at some of our favorite posts, as well as the most shared. 5 Ways to Get Your Audience's Attention When was the last time you saw a speech or attended a conference call where it didn't begin with "Good morning, my name is…."? Getting the attention of your audience during a presentation can be a challenge while you compete with all of the distractions like cell phones, tablets, and social media. This list is a great way to try a new and improved opening for your presentations to get your audience to sit up and tune in. Active Listening Skills for Customer Service Listening in customer service is the most important thing that you can learn. When someone is talking to you, you need to tune out everything else and actively participate in your conversation with your client. Why Adults Learn Languages More Easily Than Children Research has proven that children are better than adults at a lot of things (like honesty and imagination) but one thing that we've learned is that when it comes to something as complicated as learning a new language, the adults have one up on the kids out there. Breaking Down the Technical Barriers to Customer Service This is a technical industry that we work in and a lot of times, we get bogged down in our terminology. Things that make perfect sense to us don't always translate to new or existing customers. What approaches can you take to help ease your customers through new words? Learning New Things: How We Approach New Challenges We took on some new challenges at AccuConference and one of the things we learned as writers is that sometimes, you have to take a risk in order to improve. We wrote a series of posts in the fall about how we learn new things and how we face the challenges that arise. Those were our most popular posts in 2013. Stay tuned and keep reading in 2014. Happy New Year!
Does It's A Wonderful Life Really Need a Sequel? 18. December 2013 Mary Williams Editorial , News (0) One of my favorite holiday movies has always been It's a Wonderful Life. I remember growing up and watching that movie every year. To me, it wasn't Christmas unless we popped in our VHS tape and watched George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, go through life as if he had never been born. And every time a bell rings, I can't help but wonder if an angel got their wings. The sentiment of the movie is classically heartwarming. It expresses the gift of being alive and how you impact other people; no matter how big or small. Now, 60 years later, there's talk about a sequel being made by Star Partners and Hummingbird Productions. The premise is the grandson of George Bailey, who is somewhat of a Scrooge, is visited by his own guardian angel, his Aunt Zuzu. Zuzu, who will be played by the original actress Karolyn Grimes, tells her nephew that the world would have been a better place if he had never been born. After reading the synopsis, I had mixed feelings. Does It's a Wonderful Life really need a sequel? Would it have been better as a reboot? Or should it just be left alone? These days it seems like every movie is getting "rebooted". Movies like Gremlins, Flight of the Navigator, and Robocop are all reported to be receiving Hollywood's movie makeover. And while it might be cool to see how advancements in special effects will make these movies look (The Great Gatsby reboot was more visually enhanced than the original), it makes me wonder if every movie really needs to be rebooted. Annie, another movie that's in the works to be redone, is probably one I would leave alone. If you're not going to throw a bunch of money to make the special effects pop, there's really no reason to hash out the same story unless you're sure you can tell it better. On the flip side, if film makers aren't going to reboot a movie, then they're probably going to make a sequel. In my opinion, it's hard to make a sequel better than the first. If a movie is really good, then it's going to have a strong following. And if you decide to make a sequel, you better do a really good job or you will be disappointing a lot of fans (Grease 2, Teen Wolf 2, pretty much anything that has a 2 at the end of the title). Besides, not every movie needs a sequel. And not everyone wants to see it. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty excited to see Anchorman 2 when it's released in theaters on December 18th, but I think that's because Ron Burgundy is in his own league. In my opinion, the sequel to It's a Wonderful Life should be erased from the drawing board. The original is a heartwarming classic that I don't think really needs a part 2 or a makeover. I think it's perfect as is, and it's familiarity can't be replaced by Hollywood gimmicks. And apparently, Paramount agrees with me. Well, maybe not with my reasons but they do not support a sequel for the holiday classic. Paramount holds the license to It's a Wonderful Life and they are willing to fight Star Partners and Hummingbird Productions to keep the sequel from going into production. Even Tom Capra, the son of Frank Capra who directed the movie, said that his father "would have called it ludicrous" if a sequel was made. The proposed date of release will be in 2015, so I guess we will see who will win the sequel battle. What reboots or sequels do you think should have been left alone?
Using a Reservationless Conference Call 17. December 2013 Maranda Gibson Business Communications, Conference Calls (0) What does a "reservationless" conference call mean? It sounds like a really complicated technical term, but it's very simple. With a reservationless call, you can have this call any time. You don't need to contact us and let us know you're having it, when you need the conference, it is yours – always available. This means that there is absolutely no scheduling of your call needed or required, and the conference information you received will always work. For most of our customers, this is a perfect solution for their needs. A lot of customers use multiple conference rooms that are reservationless for different purposes. Billing Easily manage billing by assigning a reservationless conference line for each person. On the invoice you can see all of the usage by the conference name. This is a solution I see working great in law offices where attorneys need to be able to bill clients individually for the time on the conferences. Since we track the billing by date and time, it's easy to compile charges for each client and attorney working in an office. Security With each person having access to their own conference line, they can manage the security of their calls in their own way. Maybe you want to have a new PIN for each conference but your co-worker doesn't mind using the same information over and over. By setting up a conference for each person, they can have the ability to log in and manage the settings the way they want them. No More Internal Scheduling I talked to a customer a while back who had a book on her desk where people would come "sign out" certain dates and times to use their one conference line. When I told her we could just set up reservationless lines for everyone it was a relief because she didn't have to worry about overlapping calls anymore. Now there was less for her to do and everything could go a lot smoother. Our goal with these kinds of conferences is to make it easier for your manage and conduct your meetings. After all, what is simpler than doing nothing?
Breaking Down the Technical Barriers of Customer Service 11. December 2013 Maranda Gibson Business Communications, Conference Calls, Customer Service (0) I work in a business that has a lot of words for a lot of different things. When you call in ask for a "webinar" we might be talking about a couple of different things. It's my job to break down your needs and ask the right questions so we get you the kind of service that you need. It's not a perfect system because there is a barrier between knowledge. I've been in this industry for a little over five years and honestly, there are still terms that come up that I haven't heard before and have to get clarification. When hitting communication barriers created by technology phrases, it's not always easy to figure out a way to break down how to explain it to customers, but here are some things that we do here that are really helpful. Break Things Down into Physical Terms If I can't adequately communicate what I mean by a conference "line" I will break it down in terms of rooms. If you can provide something physical a customer can picture in his or her mind, you might click a bulb in their heads. It's much easier to imagine a room that is assigned to each person than to try to explain what I mean by "conference line". Something tangible that a person can wrap their mind around can break the technical confusion. Gauge Your Customers Understanding In about the first thirty seconds of a conversation with a customer, I can get a pretty good read on their level of familiarity with conferencing. Many times a customer will freely admit they have limited or no experience with any kind of conference technology, but sometimes, it's a matter of just understanding how they are wording and saying things that give you the best clues to how you need to break things down for them. Repeat It Back in a Different Way Don't be afraid to clarify with a customer. Part of what our responsibility is to the customer is making sure that we understand what they need so that we can direct them in the best possible way. Make notes as you talk to them and then repeat it back to them in a slightly different way. "Let me make sure I understand, you need a conference call where you can collect the participant's names and companies? Oh, then you need an operator answered call. Okay, we can take care of that for you." Show, Don't Tell When going over what a particular product or service can do, always offer to show it to them. Set up a demo with them and then give them access to go in and play around. I always encourage our new customers to go online and click around. Make yourself available to them if they have additional questions or needs so that you can talk them through. When a customer doesn't understand the technical terms, it's our job to help them through it. Even if we might be speaking a different "language" with our customers, we can still get to the bottom of what they need and help them along the way. How do you help your customers get through the information.
Voting on Conference Calls 2. December 2013 Maranda Gibson Conference Calls, Web Conferencing (0) Conference calls are held for a number of reasons. Using conference services for board meetings is incredibly popular and sometimes, you need to hold a vote on these kinds of calls. The difference is that you can't just ask for a "show of hands". Now you need a way to take votes in an orderly manner on your conference call. Here are some of the unique ways we have observed our customers using our conference systems to take official votes from board members. Flagging On the live call screen, you have the ability to click beside a person's name and put a little "flag" beside their name. We developed this feature for a client who wanted a way to keep track of participants who had already had an opportunity to ask a question so that everyone got a chance. Use the live call screen to flag people who have voted either up or down on an issue. Web Conferencing With web conferencing, you can send out a poll throughout the conference to take votes on your suggestions, issues, or just to get a feeling about how your participants feel. You can edit them to ask any kind of question and select any kind of responses. If you're using a PowerPoint to show your clients some different options they have in a web page design or product marketing efforts, you can allow them to vote on which one they want by using the polling system within the conference service. (Bonus: The polls can be preloaded so that you have them ready to go.) Q&A Sessions When we talk about using Q&A sessions on your conference, it's usually it the context of, well, asking questions. But you can use the Q&A feature to poll your audio participants. Ask them to press *1 to put themselves in line to vote and then you can take their vote one at a time. If you record your conference call, you can have all of these votes on record for review or to recount at a later date. Voting sessions can easily be done through a conference without having to cost a lot of time and you can easily keep a record of these votes using some of these options.
Duck Theory 27. November 2013 Debbie Vaught Business Communications, Editorial (0) I have always tried to look at every situation with a resolution, rather than a problem. It is the "Duck Theory" that I adopted long ago from my sister, who has always been my best mentor. The premise is that when you see a gaggle of ducks swimming, you see this beautiful motion of them gliding through the water effortlessly. But, if you were to turn the picture upside down, then you would see that the legs are quickly rotating and maneuvering to keep up, slow down, turn, trying to keep up with the group or get ahead. The mechanics to create the movement are two entirely different pictures. It is the same in business, customers should only see above the water, the smooth action of a forward glide. They do not need (and normally do not want to know) the mechanics behind it. They just need to know that you understand they have a problem, and yo' you'll solve it. So what if all problems do not have a solution? Some needs just can't be met. I admire those that go above and beyond. The "Heroes" that we remember. Olympic competitors don't just work out, they focus on what workout is best to enhance their skills and stay focused for four years to compete against the best. They don't say the word "can't" for 4 years or even longer. Survivors don't quit, they are the ones with the remarkable stories about how their resilience got them through a tough situation. My answer is never say "never". When the duck theory is applied, you supply the effort so customers are effortlessly rewarded.
Sweet Success: 12 Proven Habits of Winning Leaders 25. November 2013 Maranda Gibson Business Communications, Editorial , News (0) When you start a company and find yourself in a position of being a leader, you might wonder how you are going to accomplish the task of suddenly managing a handful (or a huge company full) of employees. Here are twelve great habits of a winning leader. Encourage Communication.While you need to be speaking regularly to your team, you also need to encourage them to speak to each other. The sharing of ideas and thoughts among co-workers can shed light on where to improve, new approaches, or even changing them all.Be Passionate.Truly successful leaders aren't just present every day, but they believe in the value of their company and the products and services being offered. You have to love what you do, and feel connected on some level to what you're doing. It's not always as simple as "well, it was a small business I started on my own" - sometimes you have to work to find the passion.Brainstorm.Gather your team every few months to talk about how you can change or improve things. If you're following habit number one, this should be easy because everyone will come to the table with ideas.Embrace the Little Failures.Don't be afraid to make small mistakes. You can learn a lot from the things you didn't do correctly, the ideas that weren't executed in the best way. Failures teach you how to succeed.Ask for Help.We like to think that we can do everything, but really, we don't have super powers. We will never be in two places at once, we will never be able to do it all. Don't be afraid to ask for help.Remember That You Lay the Foundation.Everyone else will build around you. Build something strong and sturdy that your team and rely on. You don't want them to end up standing on something that will just crumble.Read Everything.Things change constantly, no matter what field you're in. Stay up on blogs and changes in your industry. Read business books, speaking blogs, or informative articles that might even inspire conversation between you and your team.Delegate. (Not abandon)I think there are too many people who think that "delegating" a task means "passing it off". Delegation is key in showing trust in someone to complete a task, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't check in and make sure that they don't need any clarification.Create a Productive (yet enjoyable) Environment.Happy employees are more productive employees. There is something to be said about "corporate culture" and its effect on your employee. Carry the fine balance between "work" and "fun".Take Educated Risks.If you never step outside of the comfort zone, you could miss huge opportunities to be on top of the "next big thing". Be smart about your risks and only take chances when you can assure that they can be "undone" if they fail.Say "Thank you".Send hand written notes to your clients. Occasionally treat your office to a coffee. Send out a company wide email thanking them all for working extra hours during a busy holiday rush. It doesn't matter how you do it - just show you're appreciative of their hard work.Develop Trust and Gain Respect.I think that on some level we are all ingrained to "respect" the boss, but it's completely different to be able to "trust" your boss. Cultivate the trust and watch an even higher level of respect appear.
The Assassination of JFK in a Digital Age 21. November 2013 Maranda Gibson Business Communications, Editorial , News (0) One of the things I really love about the Internet as an adult is the access to information. I spoke about it last week, how I've used the Internet to learn about weather. YouTube gets a lot of credit for funny animal videos but I want to take a moment to remind everyone that YouTube has become a historical video archive while we were all busy figuring out what the fox says. I was always a geeky kid - interested in things like the weather and history. How many kids think Santa is the greatest because he brought you Encyclopedia Britannica on CD-ROM? What a lot of people don't know about me is that I got a minor in history in college, almost enough credits to double major. As a child and I was learning things, it was the "big events" that fascinated me. None so much like the assassination of JFK. I often asked my dad to tell me about it. He doesn't remember much, but he remembers sitting in his 3rd grade class, when one teacher came in crying. She whispered to my dad's teacher, and then they both left the room crying. The same goes for his mother - he remembers going home from school and seeing her crying too. After September 11th, 2001, I came to this strange realization that my children would one day ask me to tell the story of "where I was" over and over again. As I started to compare the two events in terms of importance, I started to look at the reporting between the two events and noticed interesting differences about the journalism. (Mostly) Zero Sensationalism Listen to any of the live coverage you can find on YouTube for "as it happened" and the thing that lacks versus a "national" event of today is the sensationalism. A lot of that is due to the time it took for information to travel. If you've ever been to the Texas Book Depository Museum (do it!) you'll see the AP wire that came across, announcing the death of JFK. With time between reports, there was time that these details could be confirmed, vetted. Today, social media is used to find "breaking" and "real time" reports and they are often reported as true. It Was a Pioneering Day of Live Journalism When the reports first broke into soap operas and commercials for laundry detergent, most "big" affiliates reported the the President has been shot and would return to regular programming. At WFAA here in Dallas, Texas they went live, read a bulletin, and never left the air. The WFAA broadcast offices are just a few blocks south of where the assassination happened. Jay Watson ran back to the studio and interrupted the regular program - still out of breath from his sprint as he delivered the news. (Watch the landmark footage - it's absolute chaos in the most amazing and professional way.) If you ever visit Dallas, I highly recommend the visitation to the Texas Book Depository. The infamous floor where Lee Harvey Oswald took the shot is a a museum now, with lots of Kennedy artifacts. You can also go up to the top floor and look down to the street, giving you an almost exact view of what Oslwald would have seen. Just wandering around Dealey Plaza leaves a heavy feeling in your heart though, no matter how old you are. Have you ever stopped to wonder what the reporting would have been like on that day if social media had played a part? Do you think reporting would have been different or the same?
Why We Are Afraid to Try New Things 20. November 2013 David Byrd Business Communications, Learning New Things, News (0) This is part three of our series on learning new things. This post talks about why we are afraid to try new things. Follow the links after the post to read the other parts of our series. Learning something new can be daunting. There are reasons why we avoid trying new things. One is that we fear what others will think of us if they see us try something and we fail at it. Or we fear being outside our comfort zone, especially if it might make our minds look less sharp than we think they are. We fear what others will think of us if they see us try something and we fail at it. People who make fun of others for looking goofy when trying something new are jerks. These jerks just keep others from trying new things. When anyone tries something new, they are going to look goofy. Or they won't know the answer. Or they will give the wrong answer. Even when there are few critics (which is never the case, right?), you will always find plenty to improve, change, or be harsh towards. To those of us that are scared of looking like a fool, I encourage you to press on and remember that it's ok because when you strike out, you learn. And when you learn, the next time will be better. When I am learning a new dance routine, I have to expect myself to wreck the train several times. On my first attempt, I don't lead well enough. Trying a second time, I lead way too strongly and throw everything off balance. Finally, I sometimes lead just right. It takes repetition to find the right way to do things. If I don't try it the first time because I'm scared of what I'll look like, then I will never get to the "just right" part. The same goes with learning something mental. I know when I am facing something new I want to get it right the first time. Whether it's a test, or a project, or task. Whatever. However, I usually have to mess up and get the wrong answer first. And sometimes I have an audience. The audience can be one or several people. If you are having trouble getting to the right answer, focus instead on looking for what is wrong. Be a critic of the problem and identify the ways it won't work. Make mistakes and figure out how to correct the errors. If you are writing, put something down on paper that is awful. Then go back and make it better. Don't try to hit a home run on the first draft. Get the words down on the page, then go back and edit. The hardest part of writing is first getting words on paper. Critics can be demoralizing and can paralyze us into inaction. The worst critic of all is yourself. Seth Godin writes a lot on this subject and calls this part of our brain the lizard brain. The lizard brain dislikes change, challenges, and moving forward. What the lizard brain likes is status quo, not rocking the boat, and boredom. If you want some more reading on using mistakes to get better, check out The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking by Edward Burger and Michael Starbird. There is a whole section that deals with failing to make yourself more effective. Brene Brown spoke about being vulnerable and dealing with critics. It's a twenty minute video but worth the time. (Link to the Roosevelt speech Brene mentions in her talk http://www.theodore-roosevelt.com/trsorbonnespeech.html ) And remember, "A man's errors are his portals to discovery." - James Joyce What are some other ways you like to fail in order to grow? You can find the other parts of our learning new things series by following the links below: Part One: Three Different Ways We Can Teach Ourselves - By Mary Williams.Part Two: How to Learn From the Internet - By Maranda Gibson.
Secure Conference Calls 20. November 2013 Maranda Gibson Conference Calls (0) Finding secure conference calls is an important part of planning your meeting. You want to make sure that you can have your conference and not have to worry about people interrupting your business or overlapping conference calls. We have a number of built in options that can help you manage the security (and billing) of your conference calls. Depending on how tight you want the security of your conferences, you can choose some or all of these features. Conference Codes: There are several ways you can increase security with your conference codes. First, we recommend assigning a unique conference code to each participant. It functions as your ID badge to track attendance and see who is on your conference. Set each of these codes to "one-use-at-a-time". It works like a concert ticket on a first come, first serve basis. Once the ticket is scanned, no one else can get in. With this code setting the first participant to join the call is the one allowed in. Limit the use of these conference codes by setting a total number. For example, if you have a series of conferences, and you want to make sure a code is used for the first two, but not for the third conference, you can set the code to be used twice. One that second instance is used, the code expires and won't be valid for future conferences. Registration pages can be set up so you can control who gets an invitation to the conference, and approve or deny any of the registrants. (Bonus: All of the above options can be automatically set for each code with registrations.) Conferences: You can use the conference lines to set a security precedence by scheduling each conference. You get a new moderator and participant code each time you need to have a meeting. This way, participant codes cannot be used to join in on a confidential or unrelated meeting. Conferences will expire once it is complete. Set up a conference room for each employee. If everyone has their own room the conferences will never overlap, so you don't have to worry about someone coming in on the tail end of a call. See who is on the conference by viewing your live call screen during the call. If you see someone you don't recognize, you can remove them by clicking 'hang up' on the screen. You can also lock the conference to prevent anyone else from joining. Permission based users allow you to give selective access to your account. For instance, each employee can be given their own set of conference codes and access to log in. Each person is responsible for their own conference lines and the telecom or IT manager no longer has to manage the account with a log book or a sign out page. Security on your conference calls is important, but not impossible. Try some of these features for your next conference call. Find more information about conference security, features, and options by checking out some of the other blogs here at AccuConference.


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N.D. PSC ponders legal action on slow rail service for ag
BISMARCK — The North Dakota Public Service Commission is jumping into the fray about whether it can or should take legal action on behalf of farmers and grain elevators who allege railways are favoring oil transportation.
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It doesn't make me sexist. It makes me a human being with personal interests and preferences. Don't attack an artist for being politically incorrect. An artist's goal is not to please everyone. You will not change the artist, you will only hurt them the same way unsupported artists have been hurt. "Don't draw that, I want to see this instead. Nobody wants to see that." Believe it or not, "privileged" artists still have emotions, still have feelings, and still put years of effort and work into becoming successful.
Instead of attacking an artist that doesn't share your values, support those artists with non-mainstream ideas who aren't getting the support they deserve.


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Dell Delivers Cloud Application Services On Windows Azure
Dell Services today announced that it will provide its customers a complete portfolio of services to enable development and migration of applications onto the Windows Azure platform. This collaboration expands Dell's comprehensive suite of application services to include the leading cloud application platform from Microsoft.
Customers can now work with Dell as a single point of contact for design, delivery and ongoing management of applications hosted in the cloud on Windows Azure. This will make it quicker and easier for them to adopt Windows Azure and drive benefits such as increased speed-to-market and agility, better collaboration across organizational boundaries, more modernized application portfolios and a greater ability to manage variable demand capacity needs.
With Windows Azure, Microsoft provides fully supported infrastructure and platform services offerings, spanning a comprehensive hybrid cloud solution that integrates existing IT infrastructure with the latest cloud technology.
Raman Sapra, executive director and global head, Strategy and Business Innovation Services, Dell Services, said, "This collaboration on Windows Azure is one of the many recent strategic efforts between Microsoft and Dell Services. Together, Dell and Microsoft will leverage the Windows Azure platform to deliver cloud application development services based on enterprise-class solutions powered by Microsoft technology." "Windows Azure helps customers use cloud technology in the way that best serves their unique needs," said Steven Martin, general manager, Windows Azure, Microsoft. "We are excited to work with Dell to help our joint customers take advantage of the flexibility, scalability and cost efficiencies afforded by Windows Azure." About Dell Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. Dell Services develops and delivers a comprehensive suite of services and solutions in applications, business process, consulting, infrastructure and support to help customers succeed.Check Out Our Best Services for Investors
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Thanks to a bombshell investigation reported over the weekend by The New York Times, The Guardian, Inside Climate News...
read moreIt's climate that changes, but weather that kills you
It's climate that changes, but weather that kills you
There is no proof whatever that the devastating strength of cyclone Nargis is related to climate change. There is no concrete evidence that the deadliest tornado season in a decade can be linked to global warming.
There is a smoking gun, and it has human fingerprints all over it. The case against the fossil-fuel-burning culprits has certainly been proved beyond reasonable doubt, but because the worst offenders are rich and influential, there is still no one up on charges.
This is, of course, an invitation to those who want to argue about whether it is appropriate to "scream climate change" every time there is a critical weather event. And I admit that when these people get excited about a chilly winter or the odd cold day in May, we're the first to ridicule their inability to distinguish between climate and weather.
But these storms - these deadly storms - are precisely what climate modellers have told us we can expect in a warming planet. People are dying in horrifying numbers. (And it's interesting in Myanmar, as in the U.S. after Katrina, that government neglect and ineptitude may prove to be the deadliest component of all.)
The quibblers at the Heartland Institute, and at dozens of other think tank clones, would have us cling to doubt and do nothing. But then, Heartland President Joseph Bast doesn't actually live in the heartland. He doesn't have to deal with the risks of Tornado Alley and he surely doesn't have to trouble himself with the fate of sea-level communities fronting on the Bay of Bengal.
Flitting between Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C., Joe Bast can continue to profit from defending tobacco and oil companies without ever worrying personally that his casual risk analysis is exposing huge portions of the world's population - and all the generations to come - to an environmental catastrophe that arrived with a huge and explicit warning sign.
So, look - if you can - at the photos of dead bodies floating down the Irriwaddy River. Cling - if you can - to the idea that his event had nothing whatever to do with the world's changing climate - with decisions that we have all made and actions that we all might have changed.
Seriously, 90+ per cent is not proof. So, pour yourself another sherry and light another cigar. We'll call you when we know, for sure, that the party is over.
Please take a moment and vote for Richard's post on Digg.com by clicking here.
Previous Comments
I have watched through the years how much more frequent and how much closer the tornado line has come to me (I was frightened by The Wizard of Oz as a small child). We've even had tornado warnings in Ottawa, and a few years ago one touched down in my village (latitude 45o 7' 53" north). They DO call Chicago The Windy City – maybe not all of it comes from the Heartland Institute. If things keep going as they are, perhaps Tornado Alley will shift far enough north to catch Bast's attention.
Fern Mackenzie
I think the evidence connecting tornadoes to global warming is extremely weak, at best, at this time. If that case is going to be made, then the below average number of tornadoes in each year from 2005-2007 needs to be addressed.
Death tolls are a combination of a meteorological event with demographics. A large demographic change in the last few decades has been the increase in mobile homes. Thirty years ago, when the National Weather Service started collecting mobile home death information, approximately 1/4 of US tornado deaths were in mobile homes. Now, it's greater than than 1/2. The fraction of mobile homes in the US housing stock has approximately doubled in the thirty years, and it's been even greater in the southeastern US.
The physical explanation is also pretty weak. Thermodynamics should become more favorable, but vertical wind shear is likely to become less favorable for tornadoes. There's much stronger evidence to support increases in extremely large (>=2 inches) hail and a better physical explanation. The thermodynamic increase is likely to dominate for hail, but the greater importance of shear in the tornado question makes it much more difficult to support an increase in tornadoes.
Whether or not the number and intensity of tornadoes has been affected by AGW (and I tend to think there is a link), the fact remains that in my area, ie,regionally, there have been more frequent tornado warnings & touch-downs over the years. This suggests to me that the zone in which the necessary conditions are present for tornadoes to form is creeping north. That is very definitely linked to AGW.
Fern Mackenzie
Fern, I think you are spot on with your observations and conclusions. There does not appear to be much of an increase in the US. Tamino has just put up a post on the incidence of tornadoes in the US and any increase found there may be due to a change in data measurement.
However, if you look at the number of Canadian tornadoes it does appear that there is a very significant increase over the past 60 or so years.
A listing of Canadian tornadoes is given at:
Here is a breakdown of tornado numbers by decade:
40's - 3
50's - 9
60's - 4
70's - 8
80'2 - 19
90's - 23
00's - 28 (00-07)
00's - 35 (extrapolated to a full decade)
So it is very likely that the range of tornadoes is migrating north. No doubt we will hear from the deniers who will insist that the higher numbers are due to better reporting. No doubt some of the increase will be due to that but the increase is so large that that cannot be the only factor.
Ian Forrester
That is interesting living in Manitoba, I have seen much larger tornadoes as well, or at least more damaging ones in recent years. Be interested to know if there was a study done and any suggestions as for the increase in number, you know of any?
The increase in the number of observed tornadoes might be due population growth into previsiously uninhabited areas, better weather and telecommunication systems and satellites.
What was the population in 1940? In 1960 it was 16 million.
More people, more obbserved tornadoes.
From the Environment Canada website (see http://ontario.hazards.ca/maps/background/Tornado-e.html), there were 25 confirmed or probable tornado touchdowns within 50 km of North Gower between 1918 and 2003, so even if one wasn't seen in North Gower, there was an average of one every 3 years or so fairly close.
For the province as a whole, by decade,
1920s 43
1930s 56
1940s 54
1950s 48
1960s 82
1970s 107
1980s 131
1990s 75
2000-2003 41
This suggests that the Wikipedia reference cited earlier is not a complete record.
There are two main areas for tornadoes in Canada, the south central prairies and southern Ontario.
The rural population on the prairies has been declining over the past, not increasing as you would like to suggest to support you denier position. They are not occurring in "uninhabited areas".
Go and do some reading before inflicting your "scientific" nonsense on us.
Ian Forrester
Note that this comment refers to Harold Pierce, not Harold Brooks.
Ian Forrester
Hello Ian!
I forget to mention that Doppler RADAR probably picks up many tornadoes that land obsrvers might not see. There is so much commercial aviation these days that airport RADAR'S are contantly scanning the skys, and controllers use this info to warn pilots about dangerous weather conditions.
Many personal RADAR says that is there is somthing not quite legit about you folks who attack me with such vicious and nasty language. I never ever do this. You guys are uneducated louts and thugs who have no manners and don't know how to carry on a polite conversation.
If you don't watch your mouth and start minding your manners, Fern and I are going to track you down, capture you, and wash your foul mouth with a double scrubbing of Grandma's Lye Soap!
Fern, would you Mom ever permit such bad behaviour in her household when friends and family folks were visting?
Harold, if I though you were just an uneducated idiot like Paul S/G, Troll, ZOG and Rob, I would probably just chuckle at how stupid you are.
However, you persist in telling people that you are a scientist, an organic chemist no less.
Well, in my book anyone who has done any studying in the physical sciences, especially chemistry, should know better about the science behind AGW.
The fact that you deliberately lie about the science and expected effects of AGW make you a traitor to your science and an anathema to rational and thinking people. I'm just thankful that according to what you have written, here and on other blogs, students do not appear to have been exposed to your lies and distortions of scientific facts while you were employed at a university.
You may think what you are doing to be a joke and "just a lark". However, I can assure you that you are completely mistaken if that is what you think.
Ian Forrester
don't co-opt me into this discussion. I might not always agree with how Ian expresses himself, but he & I are on the same wavelength.
Fern Mackenzie
Has Al Gore commented as yet on the connection of global warming to the devastating earthquake in Sichuan?
Harold, could you comment on the apparent northern movement, and while you're at it on statements I've heard elsewhere that the season may have shifted earlier? Thanks.
The databases are really of insufficient quality to determine any changes like that. The Canadian changes are almost certainly entirely due to reporting changes. Prior to the 1980s, there were many people within what is now the Met Service of Canada who did not think there were tornadoes in Canada except in the Windsor area. (Some even doubted that the Regina tornado of 1912 was actually a tornado.)
Mike Newark began the first semi-systematic data collection in the early 1980s, although responsibility was still heavily at the regional level. In the aftermath of the Edmonton tornado in 1987, a greater emphasis was placed on collecting reports. As part of changes in the organization in the mid-to-late 1990s, enhanced severe storms forecasting activities began in Winnipeg and Toronto and, when that happens anywhere in the world, better reporting results. Significant storm chasing in the Prairies and in southwestern Ontario also began about that time and there have been field observation projects as well. I don't think it's possible to put an upper bound on how many tornadoes are reported now that wouldn't have been reported 50 years ago.
As far as the seasonal change is concerned, I certainly can't see it in any of the analyses I've done. Using the best long-term datasets for significant(at least F2) tornadoes, interannual variability in the southeastern US (the primary wintertime location for tornadoes) is very large (see http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/hazard/hazardmap.html). Using all tornadoes is more problematic because, again, of the large changes in reporting. Increased reporting of weak tornadoes is particularly the case in the southeast. As a result, our high quality record there is ~20 years old. Given that most of the wintertime events occur there, it makes it impossible to determine changes in the seasonality.
……….as a "forced-choice".
Endless economic growth is the shibboleth of the rich and powerful in our time. But the days of reckless domination of the Earth and its environs may be numbered, it would appear, because the idolatry, the magical thinking, the wishes and the selfish intentions that have driven endlessly expanding large-scale corporate activity and insatiable wealth accumulation could be about to run their course. The plans of the economic powerbrokers and their bought-and-paid-for politicians for 'manufacturing' "bubbles" and big-business boom times could lead the family of humanity to be threatened by the inadvertent loss of life as we know it and the unintentional destruction of the Earth as a fit place for human habitation by our children and coming generations.
Steven Earl Salmony
AWAREness Campaign on The Human Population,
established 2001


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In a world of consumerism and instant gratification, it can be hard for parents to live debt-free, much less teach children to be fiscally responsible. In their new book Smart Money Smart Kids father and daughter Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze advocate being open about family finances is the best way to teach children financial literacy.
In our culture of easy credit, impulse shopping, and instant gratification, it's simple for even the most discerning of parents to lose their grip on the family's finances. But when you splurge on new shoes because you're feeling stressed, buy the latest tech gadget on credit, or complain out loud that your mortgage is killing you, know that your kids are watching you—and learning from your financial habits. In Smart Money Smart Kids (Lampo Press) Rachel Cruze and her father, best-selling author and personal finance guru Dave Ramsey, prove that even imperfect parents can teach their kids how to live a debt-free lifestyle and alter the family legacy forever.
Why do you believe that parents should be the ones to teach kids about financial literacy? Shouldn't schools educate students about basic money handling skills as part of a national curriculum?
Cruze: Some states have begun to mandate that students complete a financial literacy class before being allowed to graduate—which is a great start. But first and foremost it is the parents' responsibility to give their children the power to control their own finances.
Why is it that we typically avoid discussing money with our children?
Cruze: With 70 percent of parents living paycheck to paycheck, many simply believe they don't "have the right" to talk to their kids about finances. It's a guilt complex: They feel that they have made too many mistakes themselves and don't want to seem hypocritical. But my parents went bankrupt when I was 6 months old! Your kids are your do-over, your chance to set things straight, your fresh start. I'm living proof of that. After my parents hit rock bottom financially, they used that as a teachable moment—and any other parents can do the same.
You quote that 1 in 4 Americans does not have a single penny put away for a rainy day. Why do you think American families have not made saving a priority?
Cruze: Well, first of all, there's not a lot of patience around today! People don't have the willpower to say no, to avoid the trap of consumerism. Thanks to the avenue of debt, you can walk into any car dealership and pretty much buy a brand-new car right there and then. People don't feel the need to save. But spending needs to be intentional. Secondly, [when I travel the country to give my financial seminars] I meet so many young people who tell me they have trouble saving because they have never had to do it and never saw their parents do it.
You suggest that kids as young as 4 can earn money for completing chores, and then put some of this money aside. Why would (and should) a 4-year-old need to save?
Ramsey: There's nothing wrong with giving your kids things, but when you give them everything you're missing out on the opportunity to teach them valuable lessons about money. Your kids still need to make the connection between work and money and the importance of delayed gratification. Kids have a certain sense of pride when they save up and pay for something themselves.
Cruze: You're not actually teaching your preschooler about 'saving.' You're teaching him patience and goal-setting. You're giving him an incredible foundation for his future. By making the connection between work and money, your kids are learning discipline. When you have discipline in your life, you are a healthier person.
Dave, how did your parents' generation deal with money, and what impact did that have on you?
Ramsey: My parents were hard workers. They were both in the real estate business, so I grew up learning the importance of hard work. I learned the connection between work and money from a young age. I grew up in a neighborhood where everyone worked hard, and pitched in to help with projects neighbors had going. We didn't expect to get paid. We were just helping our neighbors. The lessons I learned helping neighbors played a huge role in making me the man I am today.
In the book, you recommend asking Grandma to take a step back and not overindulge the grandkids with toys, treats, and clothes. Does that ever work?
Cruze: Grandparents can still be grandparents! But they also need to co-parent—to respect the parents' own way of bringing up their own kids. 'Grandparenting' doesn't need to be excessive. That said, my sister just had a baby, which means my parents have become grandparents for the first time—and I can see that it is definitely human nature to want to indulge!
What are your top three tips that parents can start implementing today to start their kids on the path to better money management?
Cruze: Number one would definitely be to get your kids to work. Don't just give them an allowance. Kids need to learn that money comes from work, not from mom and dad's back pocket. The money-and-work connection gives a child a sense of dignity. Second, show them that it's important to give. Giving is the antidote to selfishness; it combats entitlement. Third, lead by example. We always say, "More is caught than taught." But money is never just about money. It's about strong parenting, setting boundaries, and giving your kids the dignity to become responsible, self-supporting adults.
Dave Ramsey is a personal money management expert and popular national radio personality with four New York Times bestsellers under his belt. Ramsey's daughter, Rachel Cruze, travels the country as a presenter to educate students and young adults about the dangers of debt, budgeting their money, and saving for the future.
Lucy Bayly is a New York-based writer, editor, and mother of two young boys. She lives amongst a rapidly expanding pile of rainbow bracelets and Lego police vehicles.
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US 4128803 A Abstract A metal detector uses a transmitting search coil inductively coupled to a receiving coil for detecting the presence of metal objects near the surface of the ground within the field of the coils. An oscillator generates a signal transmitted by the transmit coil, and the signals detected by the receive coil are coupled to the signal inputs of two synchronous demodulators. The output of the oscillator also is applied at different phases to the reference signal inputs of the two synchronous demodulators. The outputs of these demodulators then are passed through low pass and bandpass filters having a low cutoff frequency which is higher than the highest frequency components generated in the synchronous demodulators due to ground effects. The signals passing through the bandpass filters then are applied respectively to the signal input and reference signal input of a third synchronous demodulator, the output signal of which has an amplitude representative of the presence of metal objects and the polarity of which is an indication of the type of metal being detected. Undesired signals produced by ground effects are reduced by a considerable amount, and the output of the third synchronous demodulator is applied to a suitable indicator circuit.
Claims(10) 1. A system for detecting metallic objects and for distinguishing between objects of different types including in combination:
an oscillator; a transmit coil coupled to said oscillator for transmitting signals generated by said oscillators; a receive coil mounted in proximity to said transmit coil for receiving signals transmitted by said transmit coil, such received signals being modified in amplitude and phase when metallic objects are located in the path of the signals transmitted by said transmit coil; first and second synchronous demodulator means for detecting "R" (eddy current) and "X" (reactive) signal components, respectively, each having a signal input and a reference input and each coupled to said receive coil for receiving the signals therefrom on the signal input terminals thereof; means for coupling signals from said oscillator to the reference signal inputs of said first and second demodulator means at different relative phases; third synchronous demodulator means having a signal input and a reference input; means coupling the outputs of said first and second demodulator means to the signal input and reference input respectively of said third synchronous demodulator means, the amplitude of the output signal from said third synchronous demodulator means being representative of the presence of a metallic object and the polarity of said output signal indicating the type of metallic object being detected; indicating circuit means coupled to the output of said third synchronous demodulator means. 2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the means for coupling signals from the oscillator to the reference signal inputs of said first and second demodulators comprises phase shift circuits.
3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said means coupling the outputs of said first and second demodulator means to said third synchronous demodulator means comprises a first bandpass filter coupled between the output of said first synchronous demodulator means and the signal input of said third synchronous demodulator means, and a second bandpass filter coupled between the output of said second synchronous demodulator means and the reference signal input of said third synchronous demodulator means.
4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said first and second bandpass filters are matched filters.
5. The combination according to claim 3 wherein the bandpass of said first and second bandpass filters has a lower cutoff frequency which is above the highest frequency of signal components produced by ground effects in the outputs of said synchronous demodulator means.
6. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said indicating means comprises an audio oscillator and an audio amplifier coupled to a loudspeaker; and the signal produced by the audio amplifier is controlled by gating circuit means coupled to the output of said third synchronous demodulator means.
7. The combination according to claim 6 further including additional circuit means coupling the output of said second synchronous demodulator to said gating circuit means; and switch means for selecting control of said gating circuit means by one of said third synchronous demodulator means and said additional circuit means.
8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein the output of said third synchronous demodulator means is coupled to the input of said gating circuit means through a low pass filter.
9. The combination according to claim 8 wherein said means coupling the outputs of said first and second demodulator means to the signal input and reference input of said third synchronous demodulator means comprise first and second bandpass filter means, respectively.
10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein said first and second bandpass filter means each are selected to have a lower cutoff frequency which is above the upper range of frequencies produced by ground effects in the output signal from said first synchronous demodulator means when said transmitting and receiving coils are moved over the surface of the ground.
Description Portable hand-held metal detectors for searching and finding metal objects lying on or near the surface of the ground or buried just beneath the surface of the ground are becoming increasingly popular. Such detectors are moved or swept over the surface of the ground in front of the operator; and when the detector passes over a metal object, the disturbance of a magnetic field is used to cause the detector to produce a visual or audible indication of the presence of the metal. A primary difficulty which exists in the use of metal detectors is that of distinguishing between metal objects which are valuable, such as coins, jewelry and the like, and metal objects having little value, such as aluminum foil, pull tabs, nails and other ferromagnetic materials. These latter objects can be classified as "trash" as contrasted to the desired or valuable objects which the detector is used to find. Metal detectors which attempt to distinguish between valuable metal objects and trash have been developed. Since the reactive signal components of the signals detected by the receive coil of the popular transmit/receive metal detectors are 180� out of phase between ferrous and non-ferrous metals, simple slicing circuits have been developed to produce output signals only for non-ferrous objects which are outside a quiescent condition of operation. In theory, such a simple system appears to offer the desired solution. In actual practice, however, the ground effects caused by ferromagnetic minerals in the soil, in the form of ferric oxide and other ferrous materials, create substantial difficulties in setting a proper slicing level because of the varying magnitude of such background of "earth effects" on the operation of the detectors. To eliminate the "earth effects" or undesirable effects due to ferromagnetic minerals, systems have been developed which are insensitive to ground effects. This has been accomplished, however, at the expense of eliminating the ability of the metal detector to discriminate between ferrous and non-ferrous objects. This result occurs since ground effects produce primarily reactive signal components and produce very little resistive or eddy current signal components in the signal picked up by the receive coil. Metal targets, on the other hand, produce both resistive and reactive voltage components. The resistive signal components, however, produced in the receive coil by metal objects are the same irrespective of whether the objects are ferrous or non-ferrous. It is only the reactive signal components of the targets which provide a capability of distinguishing between desired (non-ferrous) and undesired (ferrous and non-ferrous) metal targets. Thus, if the ground effects are eliminated completely in prior art machines, the desired ability to distinguish between different types of metal targets is lost. Some prior art metal detectors use a system of inverse discrimination to make the detector relatively insensitive to mineralization changes of the ground. Thus, detectors of this type can be set to be insensitive to undesired non-ferrous materials such as aluminum foil and pull tabs, and changes in the soil mineralization will not change this setting. This, however, is not ground effect rejection. Other prior art metal detectors using discriminators plus AC coupling attempt to eliminate ground effects but are still subject to false readings if the detector is held on a spot and then pulled away. In addition, such detectors have a very shallow penetration into the ground which renders them of little value. Another approach in the prior art has been to place two types of instruments in the same housing, that is, a very low frequency ground reject system and a separate discriminator/detector system, and then switch back and forth between the two to provide the operator with a composite set of signals from which he supposedly can determine whether the target found by the detector is a valid "good" target as opposed to an invalid or "bad" target. The ground reject circuit will detect relatively deep metal targets, but it has no discrimination capabilities. The discriminator circuit has discrimination capabilities but with very shallow depth. The result is that the composite instrument is no better than the discriminator circuit portion alone. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a metal detector which rejects the effects of ferromagnetic minerals in the soil being searched and which, at the same time, rejects ferrous metal targets along with junk (non-ferrous) metal targets to produce signals only for valuable non-ferrous metal targets such as coins, jewelry and the like. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved metal detector. It is another object of this invention to provide an improved metal detector for locating desired metal objects on or beneath the surface of the earth. It is an additional object of this invention to provide a metal detector for detecting metal objects and distinguishing between valuable metal objects and ferrous and probably worthless metal objects. It is yet another object of this invention to provide a metal detector which is minimally affected by the presence of ferrous materials and minerals in the ground over which the detector is used. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention, a system for detecting metallic objects and for distinguishing between objects of different types includes an oscillator for producing the signals used in the system. The output of the oscillator is connected to a transmit coil mounted in proximity to a receive coil which receives signals transmitted by the transmit coil, modified in amplitude and phase, whenever a metallic object is located in the path of signals transmitted from the transmit coil. The signals from the receive coil are applied to the signal inputs of first and second synchronous demodulators which have signals out of phase coupled from the oscillator to the reference signal inputs. Thus, one of the demodulators functions as a resistive (R) eddy current signal detector while the other functions as a reactive/resistive (X) signal detector. The outputs of the first and second synchronous demodulators then are applied to the signal and reference inputs of a third synchronous demodulator, respectively, to cause the third demodulator to produce a signal at its output which is nearly free of ground effects and also which distinguishes between desired metal targets and undesired metal targets. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system of a preferred embodiment of the invention; and FIGS. 2 through 6 are waveform diagrams useful in explaining the operation of the system of FIG. 1. Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a metal detector system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. This metal detector system effectively eliminates the undesirable effects of mineralization of the ground (ground effects) while at the same time has the ability to distinguish between desired and non-desired metal objects. The system of FIG. 1 is of a type designed to be used in a hand-held, lightweight, portable metal detector which the user sweeps over the ground for the purpose of detecting desirable metal objects such as coins, jewelry and the like. Operating signals for the detector are generated by an oscillator 10 which supplies these signals to a transmitting coil 11 located in the detector head (the details of which are conventional). A receive coil 12 is positioned in an overlapping fashion with respect to the transmitting coil 11. The positioning of the two coils is adjusted so that there is a null in the receiving coil from the transmitting coil 11 unless the magnetic field between the two coils is disturbed. This field is disturbed whenever a metallic object is placed in it between the coils 11 and 12 to vary the coupling between the coils. As a consequence, whenever a metal target is passed over by the detector head, a signal is received by the receive coil 12 which undergoes an increase in amplitude and at a phase different from the signal supplied by the oscillator 10 to the transmitting coil 11. The detected signal obtained from the receive coil 12 whenever a metallic object disturbs the field between the coils is supplied through a conventional preamplifier circuit 14 to produce a signal at Point A. In FIG. 2, the various components of this signal are illustrated to assist in an understanding of the operation of the system. It should be noted that the lefthand portion of FIG. 2 shows typical frequency spectrums of the signals detected by the receive coil 12 as a result of the detection of a metal object as the loop coils 11 and 12 are swept over the soil. In actuality, all of the different signals shown in FIG. 2 are part of a single composite signal which is made up of the various components illustrated. These signals are made up of "R" (eddy current) components and "X" (reactive) components resulting from the metal object (target) and from the ground or soil itself. After adjustment of the phase shift circuit 19, no significant eddy current components are produced by the soil as shown in the frequency spectrum labeled "R of the soil" in FIG. 2. The metallic object or target itself produced both "R" and "X" components which, however, are 90� out of phase with one another. In addition, the mineralization of the soil also produces an "X" or reactive component as shown in the lowermost frequency spectrum of FIG. 2. The amplitude variations of these respective signals with respect to time also are illustrated in the righthand portion of FIG. 2, so that it can be seen that the sweeping of the loop coils 11 and 12 over the ground in the presence of a target generates a signal having a frequency spectrum (left-hand portion of FIG. 2) extending on opposite sides of some central frequency (the oscillator frequency) and, in addition, produces amplitude variations with respect to time (right-hand portion of FIG. 2) in accordance with the particular target which has been detected. The amplitude variations include both reactive (X) and eddy current (R) signal components which are 90� out of phase with one another. This composite signal from the preamplifier 14 is supplied to the signal inputs of two synchronous demodulators 16 and 17 which constitute the "R" and "X" signal demodulators for the system. The reference signals for these two demodulators 16 and 17 are obtained from the oscillator 10 and are applied through variable phase-shift circuits 19 and 20, respectively, to the reference signal inputs of the demodulators 16 and 17. Although both of the phase-shift circuits 19 and 20 are variable to permit optimum adjustment of the system, these circuits could be fixed phase-shift circuits, if desired. In setting up the adjustment of the system for operation, the phase of the phase-shift network 19 is adjusted so that the reference phase signal applied from it to the "R" synchronous demodulator 16 differs from the signal input applied to the demodulator 16 from the output of the preamplifier 14 by 90� when a signal produced in the preamplifier 14 is caused by the mineralized soil condition. This is an initial adjustment which is made each time the system is used in a different location. Once this adjustment has been made, the output of the synchronous demodulator 16 is a direct current output which does not change when the coils 11 and 12 are subjected to a varying mineralized soil condition. As stated previously, the output of the oscillator 10 also is applied to the reference input of the "X" synchronous demodulator 17 through the phase-shift circuit 20. The phase of this signal can be varied by varying the amount of phase-shift produced in the circuit 20. In normal operation, the reference phase of the signal applied from the output of the phase-shift circuit 20 differs from the phase of the signal applied from the output of the preamplifier 14 due to mineralized soil conditions. This phase difference can be adjusted by the operator so as to eliminate unwanted non-ferrous targets along with ferrous targets. To accomplish this, the phase difference between the two inputs to the "X" synchronous demodulator 17 is adjusted somewhere between 0� and 90�. For example, the sensitivity to beverage can pull tabs can be eliminated when this phase difference is typically 45�. However, to reject all ferrous objects and detect all non-ferrous targets, this phase difference is adjusted at 0�. In general, the output of the "X" synchronous demodulator 17 consists of two DC (direct current) voltages. One DC voltage is due to mineralized soil and only changes in magnitude slightly when the phase differences of the inputs to the demodulator 17 are varied. The other DC voltage is due to a target. The polarity of this latter DC voltage can be adjusted to be either positive or negative by changing the phase difference between the two inputs to the demodulator 17. Both the reactive or "X" components and the eddy current or "R" components of the signal are present when there is relative movement between the target and the transmit/receive coils 11 and 12. The eddy current or "R" component of the signal is present whenever a target disturbs the coupling between the transmit coil 11 and the receive coil 12 irrespective of whether or not there is relative movement between the coil and the target. The information appearing at the outputs of the synchronous demodulators 16 and 17 is supplied to matched low-pass filters 21 and 23, which in turn are cascaded to matched band-pass filters 25 and 26. The filters 25 and 26 need only be high-pass in nature to reduce soil voltage variations. However, high frequency noise can cause problems if it is coupled through the output demodulator 28. Thus, the filters 25 and 26 are bandpass. These filters also preferably are active filters of conventional design and preferably are constructed by cascading a highpass filter (with large low-frequency roll-off characteristics below 12 Hertz) with a bandpass filter having a center frequency of approximately 20 Hertz. The frequencies handled by the filters 25 and 26 are very low because they are operating on the demodulated signal outputs from the demodulators 16 and 17. These demodulated signals appear at Points B and C respectively, and each of these signals has been divided into its frequency spectrum and its time/amplitude spectrum in the waveforms of FIG. 3. As is apparent from these waveforms, the frequency of the target signal includes a fundamental centered at zero with harmonics extending to over 80 Hertz. However, the majority of target frequency components exists below 40 Hertz. This is true of the frequency spectrum of both the "R" and "X" demodulators 16 and 17. The soil frequency components exist primarily below 10 Hertz. (See FIG. 3 for these relationships.) The output of the "X" demodulator 17 is identified in FIG. 3 as the "X of target" and is illustrated as a solid line portion and a dotted line portion. These two portions are of opposite polarity and are indicative of good targets (non-ferrous) and ferrous or non-ferrous, unwanted targets, respectively. Desired targets produce the solid line waveform whereas ferrous or unwanted non-ferrous targets are of opposite polarity and produce the dotted line waveform. In addition, it can be seen that the components of the demodulated "X" reactive signal attributable to ground effects or the soil are centered around zero frequency and rapidly decay above 10 Hertz. Thus, the use of a highpass filter circuit in the filter 26 having a low cutoff frequency of approximately 12 Hertz substantially or nearly eliminates the signal components attributable to the ground or soil from the output signal passed by the bandpass filter 26. A third synchronous demodulator 28 is employed to produce the final output signal from the system. This demodulator is of the same type as the synchronous demodulators 16 and 17; and all of these demodulators may be of standard circuit configurations. The signals obtained from the reactive channel at the output of the bandpass filter 26 comprise the input signals to the demodulator 28, while the signals obtained from the output of the bandpass filter 25 constitute the reference signals for operating the demodulator 28. Thus, it can be seen that the "R" or eddy current portion of the signal is used to produce the reference signal for operating the synchronous demodulator 28 to demodulate the harmonic content of the reactive (X) signal components passed by the bandpass filter 26. This reestablishes the phase of the "X" signal after it passes through the filter 26. The reference signal "D" from the filter 25 and the input signal "E" from the filter 26 have frequency and time spectrums as illustrated in FIG. 4. These signals are either in phase or out-of-phase depending upon whether the target is a desired target or a ferrous or unwanted non-ferrous target as indicated in waveform E of FIG. 4. The demodulated signals appearing at the output of the demodulator 28 are shown in Point F (FIG. 5), and this signal is passed through a low pass filter 29 to eliminate the higher harmonic content centered around 40 Hertz from it. As illustrated in the waveforms G of FIG. 6, the output of the filter 29 has either the solid line waveform or the dotted line waveform in accordance with whether it is a desired target or a ferrous target. Note that FIG. 6 amplitude/time waveform is similar to that of FIG. 3 except at point "G" the "X" component due to the ground or earth has been removed. Once again, waveforms G have been broken up into separate frequency and time spectrums for the purpose of permitting an analysis of the content of the signal. This signal then is applied to an amplitude adder circuit 30, which operates in the form of a threshold gate, the threshold of which is established by the setting of a potentiometer 32, to apply control signals to an audio amplifier 36. For example, if a desired target is detected and if this target further has an amplitude which exceeds the threshold established by the potentiometer 32, a signal is obtained from the amplifier adder circuit 30 to turn on the audio amplifier 36 permitting signals produced by an audio oscillator 35 to be passed and amplified by the amplifier 36 to a loudspeaker 37. The user of the system then has an audible indication that he is sweeping the transmit/receive coil combination 11/12 over a desired target. The threshold for the amplifier adder 30 is set at a level sufficient to pass signals to the amplifier 36 which are produced only by desired targets of some predetermined standard. Because metal undesired targets such as aluminum beverage can pull tabs, aluminum foil, and the like produce signals which are of opposite polarity to signals produced by larger desired objects, the system inherently has a capability of making a distinction between these targets. Thus, undesired non-ferrous targets as well as ferrous targets are prevented from producing an audible output in the loudspeaker 37. In order for this system to produce an output signal in response to a desired target, it is necessary to sweep the system over the target. This produces the harmonics which are needed in the reactive or "X" output from the demodulator 17 for use in substantially eliminating the ground effects from the composite signal (C) in the bandpass filter 26. The system produces no output signals when the transmit/receive head 11/12 is stopped because no harmonics are left to operate the output demodulator 28. In addition, the bandpass filters 25 and 26 should be matched to produce the correct demodulation in the final output from the synchronous demodulator 28. Since the signals are only produced when the head 11/12 is being moved over a target, the system would have a disadvantage in zeroing in on a detected object to pinpoint its location. To overcome this disadvantage of the system, the switch 24, an amplifier 40, and a track-and-hold circuit 41 are added to the system. For the normal system operation described above, the switch 24 is in the position shown in FIG. 1. This enables or energizes the bandpass filters 25 and 26 for operation. When the switch 24 is moved with both of its contact arms to the other position, the bandpass filters 26 and 26 are disabled. This prevents operation of the synchronous demodulator 28, and no signals are applied from that demodulator to the low-pass filter 29. At the same time, however, the center position of the switch 24 enables the normally "off" amplifier 40 and track-and-hold circuit 41 for operation. This circuit has applied to it the output of the "R" synchronous demodulator through the low-pass filter 21. Since the demodulator 16 is used to detect or demodulate the eddy current signals produced by a target, signals are produced by the demodulator 16 even when the transmit/receive coils 11/12 are stationary. Thus, a signal, having the component parts shown in waveform B of FIG. 3, is passed through the amplifier 40; and this signal has its maximum strength when the coils 11/12 are centered over or pinpointing the target. These signals are applied to the amplifier adder 30; and if they exceed the threshold established by the potentiometer 32, operate the circuit 30 to gate on the audio amplifier 36 in the same manner described previously. In operation, the user of the system normally employs the switch 24 in the position shown in FIG. 1 and sweeps the heads 11/12 over the ground in search of a target. When a desired target is found, the loudspeaker 37 produces an audible indication. At this point, the switch 24 then is moved to its other (upper) position and the system merely is used as an eddy current detector to pinpoint the target, which once again is determined by an audible indication in the loudspeaker 37. A primary advantage of the system is that it effectively eliminates ground effects from having any influence on the indicated output in the loudspeaker 37. In addition, an output is produced only when a desired target is sensed; and no bad object such as aluminum foil, beverage can pull tabs and the like cause an output signal to appear in the loudspeaker 37. The system accurately discriminates between ferrous and non-ferrous objects since the "X" or reactive signal components are used in the detection process as opposed to prior art ground reject machines which eliminate the "X" or reactive components to achieve elimination of ground effects. In a typical system, the oscillator 10 operates at approximately 6,500 Hertz. The oscillator frequency is not limiting, however, and can be varied either higher or lower. The operating frequency chosen depends upon the desired application the user has in mind. For example, lower operating frequencies produce higher reaction sensitivity of large non-ferrous objects to smaller non-ferrous objects. Higher frequencies produce just the opposite effect. Variations of the oscillator frequency require adjustments in the relative inductance of the transmit and receive loops but these techniques are well known in this art. When an oscillator having a frequency of 6,500 Hertz is used, the desired operation of the circuit is achieved by using a cascaded 12 Hertz highpass and 20 Hertz bandpass filter for each of the active filters 25 and 26, as described previously. The outputs of these filters then are in the form of 300 millisecond ringing signals used to operate the synchronous demodulator 28. As stated previously, the synchronous demodulators 16, 17 and 28 may be of a number of conventional types. The particular circuit configuration used for these demodulators is unimportant. The bandpass filters 25 and 26 operate to a great degree in removing the majority of the ground signal applied to them while passing the target signals. This, used in conjunction with the demodulators 16, 17 and 28, permits the system to retain the desirable features of distinguishing between desired metallic targets and undesired metallic targets which are ferrous or which are in the nature of pieces of foil, beverage can pull tabs, and the like, while at the same time effectively eliminating ground pickup. It also should be noted that the waveform diagrams are shown for a target when the loops 11/12 are swept rapidly at some fixed rate over the ground. If the sweep velocity is changed, either slower or faster, these waveforms will also change. Patent Citations
Non-Patent Citations
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Côte d'Ivoire
This occurred when Ado said he was going to stand in the 1995 presidential elections. And now, what are they saying? Is Ouattara, Ivoirien or ...
Mon ado said-trop - French - Italian Traduzioni ed esempi
Said, Said, Francese, Italiano, Translation, human translation, automatic translation.
Mon%20ado%20said-tro... - French - Italian Traduzioni ed esempi
Trop tard., troppo tardi, Francese, Italiano, Translation, human translation, automatic translation.
Appeal of the Assyrian Christians in the Syrian opposition ...
In a statement sent to Fides, the ADO said it is "outraged because armed elements of the 'Jubhat Al Nosra' Salafist group, that fights alongside ...
Appeal of the Assyrian Christians in the Syrian opposition: "Stop ...
... the ADO said it is "outraged because armed elements of the 'Jubhat Al Nosra' Salafist group, that fights alongside the Free Syrian Army,
Nigeria Free Of New Ebola Cases, Final Surveillance ...
Speaking about how Nigeria can benefit from the new committee on Ebola, Ado said: "Nigeria's role in containing the ebola outbreak in the ...
Articoli e opinioni
A Cupcake for the Teacher: Five for Friday!
Laura Ado said... So cute! Love that compliment jar! Great idea! I just found your blog today. Yay. Laura ~ First Grade Spies
Blog - Roxy
"It feels great to start the year off with a win especially in the first heat of the season," Ado said. "Courtney and Laura are really good surfers, but ...
Bee In My Bonnet: Sew Hexie... - blogspot
Sew Much Ado said... I agree, everything of your's was fabulous at Market! It was so nice to meet you -- Sew Cherry is beautiful! May 20, 2011 at 11:17 AM
Bee In My Bonnet: The Painted Piano... - blogspot
Sew Much Ado said... That is SO cute, Lori! And I love the blue wall paint too, I've been dying for a blue room - I'll just enjoy your's instead for now :).
Brevetto US1250960 - Portable electric lamp. - Google Brevetti
said holder split at their ends on the points of entrance of t nection terminals end- ado said terminals. ln s device of the character described the combination with ...
Gilmore Wins Roxy Pro ahead of Freshly Crowned ASP ...
I would have loved to make the final but I am super happy with my result and it feels even better to secure it here at home, » Ado said. « I was ...
Brevetto WO2002034898A1 - Enzyme with peroxidase activity isolated from ...
Has also encontχ-ado said enzyme has an activity greater than 40% between pH 3.5 and about 7, and an optimum pH about 4.5 (see Figure 2).
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A bespoke operating system and/or hard copy, ado said the unix-based setting that recounted standards-track to can i buy microsoft outlook alone. To implement ...
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ado said on 21-04-2010. Complimenti alle limitazioni che ci impongono senza considerare la distinzione di tipologia di strade urbane o ...
Risultato della ricerca: "appall" - Case Di Terra
... reinvestment act ado said will you dreaming for shoulder and initial public offering ...
State Hospital Ado Ekiti - Abc Pages
Doctors working in government hospitals in Ekiti State have lauded the Ekiti ... in Ado said that the project will be flagged-off at the General Hospital, Iyin-Ekiti in .
Top Seeds Produce Mixed Results at Vans US Open of ...
"I started off slow in that heat and the girls were paddling around me," Ado said. " Then I got that good score. I need to get good results the rest of the year.
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Longevity Princess ado said. Either care of your face, or GU ten mind, as you pick it. , Chapter 83 Queen'ss Climbing chapter already angry, longevity ...
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Longevity Princess ado said. Either care of your face, or GU ten mind, as you pick it. , Chapter 83 Queen'ss Climbing chapter already angry, longevity ...
Performance Bar Raised on Day 3 of the Cabreiroa Pantin Classic Pro !
"It was kind of an ideal one for me," Ado said. "I started with two good waves pretty quickly so I felt a little relieved afterwards.
pauline ado claims asp world junior title at north ... - Surftribe
"I'm speechless," Ado said. "I am so stoked. This is a dream come true. I can't believe that I won. When I woke up this morning, I never imagined ...
Roxy Pro Gold Coast Rips Through Round 1 of Competition
Roxy Pro Gold Coast ASP WORLD SURFING, SURFERS MAGAZINE
Ricercas collegatas a Ado Said
Persone Cognome "Ado" (161) Nome "Said" (1549) |
ordinati per rilevanza / data


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The most positive vibe,great music taste and bookings,cool and nice crowd,nice sound system and interior,low prize entrance for amazing artists including their resident dj's as well, at least one day of the week,Friday always:)personally to me the best place in Miami Beach and Miami in general,very artistic and not only from a music prospective but film selections too:)
Best Small Music Venue Miami 2012 - Treehouse
How do you build a killer tree house? Step 1: Pick the perfect crotch, a space between boughs that's ideally suited for supporting a couple of rooms, a few friends, and a full premium bar. Step 2: Lay the dance floor, install the VIP tables, and unfurl the rope ladder. Step 3: Hire a bouncer-slash-model to work the door. Step 4: Charge a modest $10 cover. Step 5: Book the raddest house, techno, and indie-dance acts of any club in Miami Beach. Sure, your favorite elevated party place used to be that secret leafy spot where you kept a stash of stolen porn, smuggled cigarettes, and watered-down vodka. But ever since construction wrapped in January 2011, you've switched to the Treehouse on 23rd Street at Park Avenue, a smallish nightlife hideout and music venue that's been ceaselessly presenting Beach clubbers with EDM legends such as M.A.N.D.Y., Mr. C, and Steve Bug — plus live crossover crews including Miami's own Krisp. So whether it's Winter Music Conference or just another Sunday, climb up, shoot some vodka, and come play.


text:
Located in Brookdale, Brookdale Inn and Spa is in a rural location and within the vicinity of Felton Covered Bridge Park and Bigfoot Discovery Museum. This hotel is within the vicinity of Zayante Vineyards and Roaring Camp Railroads.
Make yourself at home in one of the 48 guestrooms. Rooms have private patios. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming is available for your entertainment.
Rec, Spa, Premium Amenities
Take advantage of recreation opportunities such as an outdoor pool, or other amenities including complimentary wireless Internet access and wedding services.
Satisfy your appetite at one of the hotel's 2 restaurants.
Business, Other Amenities
The front desk is staffed during limited hours. Free self parking is available onsite.
Expedia Affiliate NetworkFacilities
Meeting/Banquet facilities
Pets not allowed
Outdoor pool
Free parking
Wedding services
Free WiFi
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KarnihockerCalifornia 10002
I don't use this although it should jazz up your Hardknight . I'm getting me another Hardknight . We'll take advantage of this. Last month I conversed with someone who had given up on Hardknight. Hardknight was commissioned by them for that purpose. Bottoms up! It can only be assumed. This isn't helpful, however for Hardknight because you will be the one dealing with it after the fact. I expect it's time to get straight to the point. This is my strongest opinion: You will have to see that to...
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What does AIBD mean in International Business?
This page is about the meanings of the acronym/abbreviation/shorthand AIBD in the Business field in general and in the International Business terminology in particular.
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AIBD also stands for:
- Acific Institute For Broadcasting Development
- American Institute of Building Design
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- Association of International Bond Dealers
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