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Red Beans and Ricely Yours: Poems
Truman State University Press, 2005 - Poetry - 106 pages
These narrative poems tell the day-to-day lives of Black New Orleans and the rare magic in the culture. Vibrant with local history and colour, these poems have a Black sensibility that reaches beyond boundaries, with folk sayings turned into polished verse. From Black talk to verse forms, Mona Lisa Saloy never loses sight of the African American cultural roots of her community. She makes music in verse.
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Bone pain.
« Next Previous » Category: health Confessions
Posted by creativegoth
on February 4th, 2012 at 11:06 AM
I can't work due to a bone disease, they are crumbling, I've had a few operations to ease my pain, but the pain only eases for a short while, I'm on morphine painkilling patches, which i have to change twice a week, I'm due to see my new surgeon on Monday 6th Feb, for another set of scans and maybe more injections in the base of my spine, its some kind of steroid, I think, I've had these done before, but only short relief, I just hope medicine can improve so that Ican get back to work and have a better standard of life.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Lentil, Bean and Anchovy Salad
This makes a very inexpensive lunch dish for 4 people along with some crusty bread to mop up the juices.
Serves 4
|Oven temperatures and Conversions
|Click here for information
This recipe is taken from Delia's Frugal Food
In advance you'll need to put the beans in a saucepan with plenty of cold water to cover, then bring to the boil, boil for 2-3 minutes and remove them from the heat. Leave them for about an hour to soak, then boil them again until just soft, probably another hour.
There's no need to soak the lentils: just pick over them, wash them and boil them in plenty of water again until just soft (about 25 minutes).
Meanwhile make up the dressing by mixing everything together in a bowl and adding the oil from the tin of anchovies as well. (Chop the anchovies and keep them on one side.)
As soon as the beans and lentils are cooked, drain them and while they're still warm pour on the dressing, toss them around in it and leave them to cool.
Taste and season the mixture well with salt and pepper.
To serve, place some of the bean-and-lentil mixture on to crisp lettuce leaves divided among 4 plates.
Garnish with chopped hard-boiled eggs, chopped anchovies and olives.
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text:
Northerly Island was part of Daniel Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago; it was one of several manmade islands included in the plan, but it ended up being the only one that was actually built. In 2003, then-Mayor Daley ordered workers to bulldoze large X's in the runway of Miegs Field — the airport that operated out of Northerly Island — claiming that the airport's proximity to downtown Chicago was a terrorist threat. Since then, the peninsula has served as a public park and concert venue, but because it lacks landscaping it isn't a big draw among locals.
Studio Gang and JJR plan to radically transform the space into the city's next great park. "It's almost like a Millennium Park of nature," architect Jeanne Gang told the Chicago Tribune in 2010, alluding to the enormously successful park and concert venue in downtown Chicago. The plan calls for moving a lot of earth from the perfectly flat former runway to create a more varied topography that will contain six different ecosystems. According to the Chicago Journal, an oak savannah would be located at the highest point, and at lower points there will be a dry-mesic prairie, a wet prairie, an emergent marsh, and a 4.1-acre pond, which will be connected to Lake Michigan via a narrow channel.
On the north end of the park, a large concert venue would be built into a hillside. A new shoreline would be built to create new wetlands and fish habitats, and a ship would be sunk near the shore for divers to explore. The plan also takes winter into account (winter is of course an unavoidable fact of life in Chicago) with the inclusion of an ice skating rink. With $6.65 million in funding from two federal grants and $1.5 million of the Chicago Park District's money, work will begin this fall on the south and east sides of the park.
via Chicago Journal
1 Comment
Armadillo May 5, 2013 at 4:45 am
Man-made ecosystem park? How oxy-moronic can we get with that.
Yeah, let's jam 25 lbs. of an outdoor DisneyQuest enviro-park into the 5 lb. space of what is already the most pristine and beautiful expanse of park space in Chicago – Northerly Island.
This project makes me literally feel sick to my stomach.
Pure corporate greed.
How can we have this 91 acres generating the maximum cash flow revenue though, don't we? Fuck it over – that's how.
How can we attract even more numbers of cars into a space where there is all ready too frequent total gridlock, and which should really be a NO CAR zone? Build an eco theme park.
Build giant underground parking facilities. Charge $20-$30 for parking. Disrupt and restrict use of the park, with a massive construction that will last many years.
Witness the complete trashing of Northerly Island, and thank you Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Have fun handing out all those fat contracts to you crony capitalist buddies.
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Slashdot videos: Now with more Slashdot!
We've improved Slashdot's video section; now you can view our video interviews, product close-ups and site visits with all the usual Slashdot options to comment, share, etc. No more walled garden! It's a work in progress -- we hope you'll check it out (Learn more about the recent updates).
+ - Robo-gunsight system makes sniper's life easier->
Link to Original Source
+ - Ball catching robot,80% accuracy in 5 milliseconds->
Link to Original Source
Comment: Re:Missing Options (Score 2) 102
+ - Kinect and body movements control Parrot ARdrone->
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"has successfully demonstrated that selection and training can generate remote pilots who, despite undergoing a different sort of training, are as highly trained and eq.ually skilled as traditional pilots in that field."
So is it time for the joystick to disappear in the sUAS world?"
Link to Original Source
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Jones explained that most ATM's run Microsoft Windows CE on ARM processors and they all tend to have remote updating capabilities. Jones wrote a remote exploitation program called Dilinger to remotely exploit the ATM. Then once the ATM is exploited he has another program called Scrooge which is a root kit for the ATM. With those tools, Jones — much to the delight of the massive Black Hat crowd that gathered to see him — he used his tools to exploit a pair of ATMs on stage — Live.
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text:
Editors' Note: The "Download Now" link directs you to the Android Market where you must continue the download process. This download may not be available in some countries.
Publisher's Description+
"The best free (antivirus) app" - AV-test.orgZoner AntiVirus Free is a modern security and anti-virus solution for your device. It provides protection against viruses, dialers, trojans, worms and other malware as well as phone call and message protection. This product has been developed in Europe where many good AV products like AVG, Avast, ESET, Avira or Kaspersky come from.You can test the antivirus using applications containing the EICAR test file: Zoner AntiVirus Test or EICAR Anti-virus Test or Antivirus TESTVIRUSFeatures provided:* Theft Protection (find and control your missing device)* Installed app protection* On-access and on-demand scan* Phone filtering (block calls and messages)* Parental lock for calls* Permission viewer* Task Manager* Automatic and manual database updates* Home screen widgethttp://twitter.com/zoner_antivirusTheft Protection enables you to remotely control and locate your device via SMS messages. If you have lost it somewhere you can get a location or sound an alarm for people to notice it. If it has been stolen you will be notified when SIM is changed.App protection checks all newly installed applications for malware. You can scan any old installed applications from the menu.On-access protection scans any downloaded files and optionally the whole SD Card when plugged in.Phone filtering provides blocking of unwanted SMS/MMS and also protects you from malicious apps that call paid numbers. As a bonus it provides a parental lock for outgoing calls.Keywords: Antivirus, Anti-virus, Anti Virus, Security, Find My Phone, Lost Phone, Missing Phone, Locate, Lookout, Phone Locator, Virus Protection, Trojan, Worm, Malware, Spyware, SMS Filter, SMS Blocking, Protection, PermissionsLanguages: , esky, , Deutsch, English, Espaol, Franais, Italiano, , , Magyar, Polski, Portugus (Brasilia), P, SlovenskyRecent changes:* Hidden numbers now properly blocked* BugfixesContent rating: Low Maturity
What's new in this version:
* Hidden numbers now properly blocked* Bugfixes


text:
|List A - Z | Top 1000 | Random | Origins
Names ending with -sme
3 -sme name results ending with -sme for baby boys, listing 1-3. Here is the list of -sme names for girls.
Cosmo (Italian, Greek) "Order, harmony, beauty." ..
Erasmus (Greek) "To love." ..
Esme (Old French) "Esteemed; to love."
Cosme, Erasme, Esme and Isme are rare names. (2000 U.S. Census)Suggested names ending with: -me.
© 2015 Think Baby Names
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Having lots of fun with the new Elan 400
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Photo Credit: Bill Bengtson
Here we are at the end of the College Disc Golf 2014-2015 regular season. After 24 events all over the country, all but nine National Collegiate Disc Golf Championships qualification berths have been awarded.
We've run the numbers and calculated the end-of-season Innova Collegiate Team Rankings and the Total Points Standings. These statistics are used to award the final spots in the NCDGC.
The College Disc Golf 2014-2015 regular season comes to an end this Sunday, March 15th with the conclusion of the Bombing the Buttes and Gateway Collegiate Classic qualifier events. Four schools will earn their way into the National Collegiate Disc Golf Championships at those tournaments.
Innova and College Disc Golf announce the first annual Dean's Cup Invitational
18 months ago, I could have never seen myself in the position I am in today. At 6:00am, as I was struggling to finish my 1,200th hole of the day, 21 hours in, I told myself that there was absolutely no way I would ever take on an event of this magnitude again. Clearly, I was mistaken. I had no way of knowing that the months of May and June would once again bring me to attempt to play disc golf for 24 hours straight and propel myself into Guinness' archives as a World Record Holder.
The start of the 2014 - 2015 Collegiate Disc Golf Season is fast approaching. Our schedule is packed with more events than ever and we are happy to announce that we will have 25 Qualifier Events for this year's National Collegiate Disc Golf Championships. Due to another superb year of growth, we had to adjust how we compose the qualifier schedule. We have had influx of applications for events and the system we had just wasn't flexible enough to garner the growth.
The College Disc Golf National Championship has already invited back the top 16 finishers and the First Flight and Second Flight Champion teams from the 2014 National Championships to the 2015 event. We will host a field of 72 teams in the Championship division for our 2015 tournament. That means there are 54 spots to award through our rankings, invitations, and qualifying events throughout the year.
We are presenting an opportunity for your area to host one of these events.
There will be four types of qualifier tournaments in the 2014-2015 season, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
The 2013-2014 collegiate disc golf season is starting to take shape. Two weeks ago the Great Lakes Collegiate Open kicked it off. The GLCO was not only the first event of the season, but it was also the first of six Premier Qualifiers that award two Bye Seeds to Nationals held in April. The Innova SouthEast Collegiate Open is the second Premier of the year.
The 2013-2014 Collegiate Disc Golf season kicked off on September 14th. The PDGA and Innova Disc Golf are proud supporters of the collegiate disc golf season and are a great help to our tournament directors and our players.
The University of Cailifornia at Santa Barbara had qualified for the National Collegiate Disc Golf Championships, but they still had another feat ahead of them. The NCDGC is hosted in North Augusta, South Carolina. They needed to help raise money so they could make the trip. Team Captain, Mike Sale, had an idea to help the Gauchos. There was a world record out there that he had been thinking about, the most disc golf holes played in one day. What better way accomplish this great feat than doing it to help get your team to the crowning event of collegiate disc golf.
The 2013 National Collegiate Disc Golf Championships finally came to an end this afternoon after 4 long days of competitive play at the Hippodrome Disc Golf Complex in North Augusta, SC.
After crowning the individual medalist on Saturday evening (Colleen Thompson, representing Illinois State University and Brett Wishon of Kennesaw State), the focus today was on the team competition finals.
Mississippi State University wins women's collegiate national title and Colorado State wins men's national title.


text: The World Without End? wiki last edited by jeffreyv2512 on 08/13/14 01:34PM View full history The issue starts with Valkyrie walking around Greenwich Village, trying to make sense of where her life is supposed to go. A group of hooded thieves try to mug her, but she easily stops them. she then returns to Dr. Strange's sanctum for advice on how to deal with her aggressiveness towards men. Suggesting that perhaps her first step in dealing peacefully with men would be to seek it with her comrades, Strange hands her two crystals that will allow her to find the location of both the Sub-Mariner and the Hulk.Namor is at the home of Betty Prentiss visiting his cousin Namorita, Val finds him and is scolded by the Sub-Mariner for intruding. While explaining that the Defenders are not an ordinary team, Namor is suddenly transported away. Realizing the crystal is still tracking Namor, Val and Namorita decide to go and pick up the Hulk before going after him. However, when the two get to the Hulk, the Hulk in his misplaced rage attacks. During his initial strike he too is transported away, Val and Namorita then decide to find out where they were transported.They are brought to the location where the Defenders previously fought the computer the Omegatron, there the computer captures the two and informs them in spite of the fact that it's trapped in a bubble of slower time it still will end up finishing it's countdown and destroy the Earth. The computer informs them that all it need do after the countdown is speak it's masters name.When Val and Namorita try to stop it, the computer sends duplicates of the Hulk and Sub-Mariner to try and stop them, however the two manage to fight them off. When the Omegatron reaches zero it breaks free of it's computer housing in a gigantic humanoid form. However before it can speak it's masters name, Val chops it's head off, destroying it and saving the world. Afterwards, while the dimwitted Hulk hops away angry, Namor tells her that she has shown her true bravery that day.


text:
An ultrasonic liquid wiper for an ink jet printer maintenance station has a cleaning nozzle confrontingly aligned but spaced from printhead nozzles suspected of having viscous plugs of partially dried ink. A cleaning solution is held within the cleaning nozzle by surface tension to form a meniscus and is caused to bulge toward into contact with the printhead nozzle face and form a bridge of cleaning solution therewith. In addition to dissolving ink, the cleaning solution is ultrasonically excited by a piezoelectric material immediately upstream of the cleaning nozzle to provide a high frequency energized liquid wiper to facilitate viscous plug removal without having physical contact with the printhead nozzle face, thereby preventing wear of any hydrophobic coating on the nozzle face. A vacuum nozzle is positioned on each side of the cleaning nozzle to remove the cleaning solution deposited on the nozzle face, together with any ink dissolved therein. The cleaning nozzle optionally dwells for predetermined time periods to more effectively loosen and/or dissolve the viscous plugs of ink. The cleaning nozzles may have different concave shapes to aid in the ultrasonic cleaning action of the cleaning solution.
1. In a maintenance station for an ink jet printer having a repositionable printhead with a linear array of nozzles in a nozzle face, the printhead being positionable between a printing location for printing and the maintenance station for servicing and capping, the maintenance station including:
an ultrasonic liquid wiper apparatus comprising a tubular-shaped transducer defining an interior space therein, said space containing a liquid cleaning solution, one end of the transducer having a cleaning nozzle confrontingly spaced from the printhead nozzle face, the cleaning solution being held in the cleaning nozzle by surface tension to form a meniscus;
means for selectively increasing the pressure of the cleaning solution in the cleaning nozzle to cause the meniscus to bulge toward and contact the nozzle face; and
means for energizing said transducer so as to ultrasonically excite the cleaning solution and hence the meniscus whereby the portion of the nozzle face contacted by said ultrasonically excited meniscus is cleaned of ink and other contaminants.
2. The maintenance station of claim 1 further including:
at least one vacuum nozzle mounted on the translatable carriage adjacent the cleaning nozzle of the liquid wiper, the vacuum nozzle being confrontingly spaced from the printhead nozzle face for vacuum removal of any cleaning solution deposited on the nozzle face and dissolved or entrained ink therein.
3. The maintenance station of claim 1, wherein the cleaning nozzle has a spherically shaped concave recess.
4. The maintenance station of claim 1, wherein the cleaning nozzle has a conically shaped concave recess.
5. The maintenance station of claim 1, wherein the tubular-shaped piezoelectric transducer has an isolation layer of preferred wetting properties with the cleaning solution.
6. The maintenance station of claim 1, wherein the printer has a printhead mounted on a translatable printhead carriage for printing swaths of information on a stationarily held record medium at a printing zone during each translation of the printhead across the recording medium and, after each swath is printed, the recording medium is stepped the distance of one swath height for printing a subsequent swath of information; and wherein the liquid wiper is fixed in said maintenance station at a location to clean the printhead nozzle face each time the printhead is moved into and out of the maintenance station.
7. The maintenance station of claim 6, wherein the liquid wiper has at least one fixed wiper blade adjacent thereto.
8. The maintenance station of claim 1, wherein the printhead has a full width linear array of nozzles; and wherein the liquid wiper is mounted on a translatable recovery carriage for translation along the full width linear array of printhead nozzles.
9. The maintenance station of claim 4, wherein the maintenance station further comprises:
means for translating the carriage parallel to the printhead nozzle face when the printhead is positioned at the maintenance station;
means for monitoring the location of the carriage relative to each nozzle in the nozzle array;
control means for stopping the carriage, so that the cleaning nozzle is in alignment with selected nozzles of said nozzle array suspected of having viscous plugs of dried ink; and
said control means increasing the cleaning solution pressure to cause the meniscus to contact the selected printhead nozzle and form a bridge of cleaning solution between the cleaning nozzle and the printhead nozzle, then said control means energizing the piezoelectric device to ultrasonically excite the cleaning solution and remove the viscous plug in the printhead nozzle.
10. A method for cleaning the nozzle face of an ink jet printhead, comprising the steps of:
positioning a piezoelectric tubular transducer having an open end extending towards said nozzle face and forming a non-contact, predetermined gap with the nozzle face,
placing a cleaning solution within said transducer,
slightly pressurizing the cleaning solution to create a meniscus at said open end, said meniscus forming a bridge across said gap so as to contact said nozzle face,
and energizing said transducer to produce a high frequency oscillation of the meniscus bridge so as to ultrasonically clean the portion of the nozzle face being contacted by said meniscus.
This invention relates to ink jet printer maintenance systems and more particularly to an ultrasonically excited liquid wiper in a maintenance station for either a partial width array printhead or a full width array printhead, wherein printhead nozzles which fail to eject a droplet or ejects droplets exhibiting misdirectionality are serviced by a liquid wiper at the maintenance station, which is scanned across the printhead face containing the nozzles, while the cleaning liquid between the liquid wiper and printhead face is excited by a piezoelectric device to dislodge and remove any viscous plug of dried ink in the printhead nozzles.
A continuing problem with thermal ink jet printers is the drying of ink at the printhead nozzles, thus causing clogging or partially blocking the nozzles. The result of clogged nozzles is that droplets fail to be ejected or that droplets fail to follow the desired droplet trajectory to the recording medium. To overcome this, a maintenance station is commonly used whereby the printhead is capped or sealed in a high humidity environment to prevent or to greatly retard drying. Maintenance stations include the capability of exerting a vacuum to suck ink from the nozzles to clear the nozzles of dried ink or viscous plugs and to remove any air bubbles that may have accumulated or formed in the printhead. This sucking of ink by the maintenance station is generally referred to as priming. Periodic ejection of ink droplets from the nozzles while the printhead is at the maintenance station also clears the nozzles of dried ink and viscous plugs of ink.
Full width array printheads having 300 to 600 nozzles per inch or more present unique problems for maintenance because of the large numbers of nozzles. For example, a 12 inch wide printhead having 600 nozzles per inch would employ 7200 nozzles, each of which is susceptible of drying out or having ink dry on the printhead nozzle face adjacent one or more nozzles. It is not economically practical to re-prime all of the nozzles each time a few may become clogged or eject misdirected droplets, for too much ink is wasted. Many approaches have been undertaken by the prior art to maintain the operability of all of the nozzles in a full width array printhead, but none have utilized a translating, high frequency energized liquid wiper having the nozzle size similar to the printhead nozzle size to ultrasonically clean the nozzles as the liquid wiper is scanned across the printhead nozzle face.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,250,962 to Fisher et al. discloses a movable priming station capable of priming a portion of an extended array of nozzles at one time in an ink jet printhead by applying a vacuum to at least one nozzle located in the array. The movable priming station includes a support which is moved along the length of the nozzle array and a vacuum tube is attached to the support. One end of the tube functions as a vacuum port which confronts but is spaced from the nozzles, when the support is moved laterally along the nozzle array.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,244 to Yu discloses a device to cap a full width array, thermal ink jet printhead without the need of moving the printhead or the paper transport. The capping device has a resilient gasket which contains magnetic material and is attached to the printhead by a relatively thin flexible boot or sleeve. The paper transport is a belt adjacently spaced parallel to the face of the printhead containing the nozzle array. The transport belt is flat and has a steel bar disposed in sliding contact beneath the belt portion confronting the printhead. During operation of the printer, an electromagnet disposed on the printhead is energized, allowing the steel bar to attract the magnetic gasket and seal the gasket to the transport belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,814 to Markham discloses a sensor circuit and method for detecting the presence of an ink droplet ejected from an ink jet printhead. An integrator integrates the output of the sensor and a high gain amplifier amplifies the integrated signal to provide a sensor circuit output signal. When the droplet at least partially interrupts the light path, the integrated output signal indicates the presence or passage of the droplet. The circuit is preferably used to control a heating element of a thermal ink jet printhead by adjusting the power to the heating elements to assure its operation with a power adequate to eject a droplet.
Copending U.S. Ser. No. 08/047,931, filed Apr. 19, 1993, entitled "Wet-Wipe Maintenance Device For A Full-Width Ink Jet Printer", discloses a shuttle which travels on a track through a fixed path parallel the printhead surface containing an array of nozzles. Mounted on the shuttle are an applicator for applying a liquid to the nozzles and a vacuum device for applying a suction to the nozzles.
It is the object of this invention to use a high frequency energized wiper apparatus to facilitate viscous ink plug removal on a nozzle-by-nozzle basis in a full width array printhead.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cleaning solution in a scanning wiper apparatus having a nozzle, so that the cleaning solution is held in the wiper nozzle by a selectively expandable meniscus which can extend into contact with and bridge to a printhead nozzle wherein the bridging cleaning solution is ultrasonically energized by a piezoelectric device.
In the present invention, an ultrasonic liquid wiper apparatus is translated along the length of a partial or full width array printhead to apply a high frequency energized meniscus bridge along the entire length of the printhead nozzle face or to only one nozzle at a time. This energized meniscus bridge scrubs dried ink from the nozzle face and couples with the viscous plugs of dried ink in the nozzles to loosen and remove them as the liquid wiper apparatus is scanned across the printhead nozzle face. Optionally, the scanning liquid apparatus can dwell for predetermined time periods aligned with a clogged printhead nozzle for hard to remove viscous plugs. In one embodiment, a translating or scanning carriage contains not only the ultrasonic liquid wiper and a vacuum nozzle to remove the cleaning solution deposited by the liquid wiper, but also a droplet sensor to monitor nozzle performance of each nozzle. Problem nozzles are identified and electronically stored in the printer controller. The stored location of the problem nozzles permits a recovery procedure by the ultrasonic liquid wiper apparatus, mounted on the same translatable carriage as the droplet sensor, under the control of the printer controller to address each specific problem nozzle either during a continuous carriage scan across the printhead nozzle face or by only individually addressing the problem nozzles with the liquid wiper for a predetermined dwelled time. Various maintenance algorithms have been programmed in the printer controller. The algorithms include such actions as dwell time or increased dwell time for the problem nozzle, increased vacuum or priming suction, or repeated wet wipe with the ultrasonic liquid wiper prior to a vacuum cleaning operation to remove the liquid cleaning solution and dissolved or entrained ink or other contaminants therein. The corrected problem nozzles are checked again for proper performance after the recovery operation by the ultrasonic liquid wiper apparatus. If all nozzles are functioning properly, the printer controller enables printing by the printer. If one or more nozzles are still malfunctioning, the controller resends the ultrasonic liquid wiper apparatus to the remaining problem nozzles for a programmed number of times. If all nozzles are not returned to satisfactory operation, an error signal is communicated to the printer control panel to display and inform the printer user that the printer is disabled from a printing mode unless manually overridden by the printer user.
The foregoing features and other objects will become apparent from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the drawings, wherein like index numerals indicate like parts.
FIG. 1 is a partially shown schematic plan view of a full width array printhead for an ink jet printer, the printhead being positioned at a maintenance station having a nozzle recovery device, which includes an ultrasonic liquid wiper, mounted on a carriage that is translatable across and parallel to the nozzle face of the printhead.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic plan view of the nozzle recovery device shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the full width array printhead showing the nozzle array in the nozzle face thereof, with a nozzle recovery device shown confronting the nozzle array.
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the nozzle recovery device showing the ultrasonic liquid wiper in cross-section as it confronts a one of the nozzles of the full width array printhead as viewed along section line 4--4 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is an alternate embodiment of the ultrasonic liquid wiper in FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is another embodiment of the ultrasonic liquid wiper in FIG. 4.
In one well known type of drop-on-demand ink jet printer, a full width array printhead 10, such as that shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, is held in a stationary position, when the printer is in the printing mode, and a recording medium (not shown), such as cut sheets of paper, is moved past the printhead at a constant velocity to receive ink droplets ejected from the printhead. The printhead has a linear array of nozzles 15 that extend completely across the width of the recording medium. Thus, if one nozzle out of the entire array malfunctions, a streak of missing image is readily apparent in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the printed sheet of recording medium. When the printer is not printing, the printhead is repositioned to a maintenance station 12, as shown in FIG. 1. Here the printhead nozzles 15 may be sealed by a movable cap 14 to prevent drying of the ink in the nozzles or, as shown in FIG. 1, the cap may be retained in a spaced position and a nozzle recovery device 18 used to correct the problem nozzles by cleaning and priming.
FIG. 1 is a partially shown, schematic plan view of the full width array printhead 10 located at a maintenance station 12, comprising a nozzle recovery device 18, integrally mounted on a translatable carriage 20, and a movable cap 14. The cap 14 is shown spaced from the printhead 10, but may be actuated by any suitable means (not shown) such as, for example, a solenoid, to move the cap into and out of sealing contact with the nozzle face 33 of the printhead, as indicated by arrow 17, when the printhead is not in the printing mode. As is well known, the cap provides an air tight chamber 57 (shown in dashed line), when sealed around the array of nozzles 15 in the printhead face, and the sealed chamber is generally humidified to provide a moist atmosphere which prevents the ink in the nozzles from drying out. The humidity in the cap may be provided in several known ways, such as, by absorbent pad 13, shown in dashed line, which may be filled with ink or other liquid. One known way to fill the absorbent pad is by ejection of ink droplets into it from the printhead nozzles, and another is by way of a separate liquid supply (not shown). In order to cap the printhead nozzles, when the printhead is not printing, the printhead must be moved away from a position confronting the recording medium transport means (not shown), usually a transport belt. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the printhead 10 is shown rotated away from the printing zone (not shown), where it would face the transport means, to a location adjacently confronting the translatable carriage 20 in the maintenance station. The printhead relocation is, for example, by rotation about trunnions 11 which extend from the opposite ends of the mounting substrate 22, as indicated by arrows 39 in FIG. 3. The carriage 20 is translated back and forth along a guide rail 26 and rotatably driven lead screw or threaded shaft 27, which are parallel to each other. The guide rail is fixedly mounted in fixed frame members 31 of the printer (not shown), and the threaded shaft is rotatably mounted in the frame members 31 and driven by electric motor 28. The guide rail and shaft are separated from each other by a distance sufficient to permit the cap to move between them, when carriage 20 is moved to one side of the printhead.
The full width array printhead 10 is assembled from printhead subunits 32 into a linear array of subunits on mounting substrate 22 as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,198,054 to Drake et al., incorporated herein by reference. The mounting substrate is preferably graphite, but may be any suitable metal such as steel or aluminum. The mounting substrate not only provides the structural integrity for mounting of the printhead 10 in the printer, but also is a means of heat management, since it readily conducts and dissipates heat. Additional cooling may be provided by the circulation of a coolant (not shown) through the mounting substrate 22. A printed circuit board 29 is bonded to the mounting substrate adjacent the subunit array and connected thereto by wire bonds 34. To print the required information, a printer controller (not shown) controls electrical pulses to the heating elements 35 (shown in FIG. 4), one heating element being located in each channel 19 of each subunit 32, by individually addressing each heating element via ribbon cable 38, electrodes on the circuit board 29, and wire bonds 34 to the monolithically integrated driver circuitry and logic (not shown) on each subunit 32. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, an ink supply manifold 30 is mounted on the side of the array 24 of printhead subunits 32, opposite the subunit sides bonded to the mounting substrate 22, and is in sealed communication with the ink inlets 25 of the subunit reservoirs 23 through aligned openings 21 in the manifold 30 to supply ink to the subunit array 24. The main ink supply (not shown) is located in the printer separately from the manifold and is connected to the manifold by hose 37 sealingly attached to the manifold inlet 36. The printhead subunits each have a linear array of parallel channels 19 in communication with a reservoir 23. The individual nozzle faces of each subunit 32 are coplanar with each other to form a single nozzle face for the subunit array 24.
Periodically the full width array printhead 10 is relocated from the printing zone (not shown) to a position at the maintenance station 12, so that each nozzle 15 may be interrogated or checked, one at a time, by any suitable means, such as, for example, a droplet sensor 16 (shown in dashed line) for droplet ejection and, if a droplet is sensed, then the droplet trajectory is concurrently sensed for appropriate directionality. In the preferred embodiment, an optical droplet sensor 16 is integrally assembled in a carriage 20, adjacent the nozzle recovery device 18. The carriage 20 with droplet sensor and nozzle recovery device is generally positioned to one side of the printhead, thereby enabling the cap 14 to be moved toward and sealed against the printhead nozzle face 33. The cap is moved between the guide rail and threaded shaft to a position against the nozzle face 33, thereby enclosing the entire array of nozzle 15. The nozzle array is capped, when the printer is in the non-printing or standby mode. Even if the printer is in the printing mode, the printing by the printhead is periodically interrupted and moved to the maintenance station for a short period of time, so that the droplet ejection performance of each nozzle can be checked and any problem nozzle recovered by the nozzle recovery device prior to being returned to the printing zone to continue the printing operation. Any failure to eject a droplet or any directionality problem detected causes the printhead to remain at the maintenance station for a predetermined corrective action by the nozzle recovery device as discussed below.
FIG. 2 shows an enlarged schematic plan view of the carriage 20 with integral droplet sensor 16 and nozzle recovery device 18, comprising an ultrasonic liquid wiper apparatus 42 and two vacuum nozzles 40, one on each side of the ultrasonic liquid wiper apparatus, so that a vacuum nozzle is available immediately behind the ultrasonic liquid wiper apparatus no matter which direction the carriage 20 is traversing. A partially shown portion of the subunit array 24 with the ink supply manifold 30 partially removed for clarity is also shown. The nozzle recovery device 18 has at least one and preferably two vacuum nozzles 40 connected by passageway 41, shown in dashed line, to a vacuum source (not shown) through hose 46. The ultrasonic liquid wiper apparatus 42 comprises a piezoelectric tubular transducer 48 mounted on the carriage 20, one end 45 of which extends from the carriage 20 to form a non-contact gap "t" with the nozzle face 33 having a predetermined distance of about 10 mils or 0.25 min. A meniscus 43 of cleaning solution which selectively contacts the nozzle face 33 when the cleaning solution is slightly pressurized to cause the meniscus 43 to bulge forward and form a meniscus bridge with the nozzle face and the nozzles, as the carriage scans across the nozzle face of the printhead.
Any nozzle 15 which contains a viscous plug 47 of dried ink is first located by the droplet sensor 16, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,814 to Markham and incorporated herein by reference, and then the carriage is stopped with the tubular transducer 48 aligned with each problem nozzle for a 2 to 4 second dwell time. The piezoelectric tubular transducer is continuously energized by the printer controller through leads 49 (FIG. 4) which connect to an AC voltage source (not shown). The vacuum nozzles 40 are also spaced by same distance "t" from the nozzle face to enable vacuum removal of the cleaning solution deposited on the nozzle face by the meniscus bridge as the carriage 20 moves along parallel to the nozzle face. The ultrasonically excited cleaning solution dissolves, loosens, or entrains dried ink and other contaminants, such as dust or paper fibers, thereby permitting ready vacuum removal of the cleaning solution with the dried ink and contaminants therein. By dwelling the tubular transducer end 45 in alignment with the problem nozzles for a predetermined time, the high frequency energized cleaning solution in the meniscus bridge enhances the removal of any viscous plug 47 in the nozzles.
When priming is necessary, a one of the vacuum nozzles 40 is stopped in alignment with the selected nozzle and the vacuum suction is increased by the printer controller (not shown) to suck a predetermined quantity of ink from the problem nozzle. The carriage speed for droplet sensing is about 2 inches/second. The return traverse speed of the carriage to recover problem nozzles and clean the nozzle face 33 with the cleaning solution is about 3 inches/second for nozzles with only directionality problems. The nozzles which fail to eject droplets after a cleaning by the ultrasonic liquid wiper 42 are primed by the vacuum removal of 150 to 300 picoliters of ink. The problem nozzles are identified by the droplet sensor and stored in a memory unit of the printer controller and after a first recovery performance of the recovery device 18, the droplet ejection status of each identified nozzle for which recovery action was conducted is checked again by the droplet sensor 16. Any problem nozzle that is not fully corrected is again cleaned or primed by the recovery device and checked again. If after a predetermined number of recovery attempts, three attempts in the preferred embodiment, the printer controller activates a display panel (not shown) which informs the printer operator that one or more nozzles cannot be cleaned and prevents printing by the printer unless a manual override is activated. The manual override enables the printing of less then optimum quality.
The ink removed by a priming operation through the vacuum nozzle and the cleaning solution removed by the vacuum nozzle are both collected in a collection tank 50 (FIG. 3) located intermediate the carriage and vacuum source (not shown). The collection tank is connected to the vacuum passageway 41 by hose 46. The supply of liquid cleaning solution is provided from supply tank 52 to the ultrasonic liquid wiper apparatus 42 by flexible hose 53. The cleaning solution in the supply tank 52 is selectively pressurized by any suitable means to cause the meniscus 43 to bulge, such as, for example, a cam actuated diaphragm or piston (neither shown), into bridging contact with the printhead nozzle face, so that the high frequency excited cleaning solution can more efficiently remove any dried ink on the nozzle face or viscous plugs of dried ink in the nozzles. A similar recovery device without the ultrasonic cleaning ability is disclosed in copending and commonly assigned U.S. patent application No. 08/047,931 filed Apr. 19, 1993, entitled "Wet-Wipe Ink Jet Printer" by Clafin et al.
The ultrasonic liquid wiper of FIG. 2 may be used in a carriage type ink jet printer (not shown) in which the printhead is mounted on a movable carriage which traverses the recording medium and prints one swath of information at a time, while the recording medium is held stationary. The recording medium is stepped the distance of one swath and then the printhead on the carriage traverses the recording medium again to print another swath of information and so on until the entire sheet of recording medium is printed. A maintenance station is located at one side of the printing zone where the printhead is moved for service such as priming and cleaning. For a more detailed disclosure of such maintenance station refer to U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,044. A maintenance station of this type generally has generally at least one fixed wiper blade which cleans the printhead nozzle face each time the printhead enters or leaves the maintenance station. An ultrasonic liquid wiper of the type disclosed in FIG. 2 could replace the wiper blade or be added adjacent thereto. Thus, in one embodiment of this invention, the ultrasonic liquid wiper with vacuum nozzles on each side thereof is fixed in a maintenance station (not shown), such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,044 incorporated herein by reference, in the location occupied by the wiper blades or adjacent thereto. Thus, each time a carriage mounted printhead enters or leaves the maintenance station the nozzle face is cleaned by the ultrasonic liquid wiper. The printhead could be stopped with the nozzles aligned with the ultrasonic liquid for short dwell times for more thorough cleaning.
In FIGS. 3 and 4, a linearly encoded strip 54 of suitable material, such as Mylar�, is fixedly mounted between frame members 31 (FIG. 1) and contains on one surface thereof encoding marks (not shown) optically detectable by a sensor (not shown) to provide the exact location of the carriage 20 and, therefore, the droplet sensor 16 and nozzle recovery device's vacuum nozzle 40 and ultrasonic liquid wiper 42, relative to each nozzle 15 in the printhead 10, when the printhead is positioned in the maintenance station 12. The carriage 20 has an aperture 56 through which the fixed encoded strip 54 slidingly resides. The carriage aperture 56 accommodates the movement of the carriage relative to the encoded strip 54, as the printer controller moves the carriage 20 from one end of the array of nozzles to the other.
Referring to FIG. 4, the ultrasonic liquid wiper apparatus 42 consists of a piezoelectric tubular transducer 48 having one end 45 which extends from the carriage 20. Transducer end 45 is spaced from the printhead nozzle face 33 by a predetermined distance established to enable a bulging meniscus 43 of cleaning solution, which is maintained within the tubular transducer from a supply tank 52 (FIG. 3), to contact the nozzle face and form a meniscus bridge therewith. An AC voltage applied to the tubular transducer by the printer controller (not shown) via leads 49, causes a high frequency oscillation of the meniscus bridge and ultrasonically cleans the surface. The oscillated meniscus is in contact therewith. As discussed earlier, the tubular transducer may be momentarily stopped in alignment with selected nozzles to dislodge and remove any viscous plugs 47 of dried ink therein.
The tubular transducer has an internal diameter equal to or slightly larger than the printhead nozzles. The transducer end 45 is planar, as shown in FIG. 4, and parallel to the printhead nozzle face 33. The tubular transducer is excited to a 20 or more Khz excitation by the applied voltage and this excitation is transferred to the cleaning solution within the tubular transducer, and thus to meniscus. This arrangement targets a problem associated with most thermal ink jet printers; namely, the evaporation of the liquid carrier and volatile components of the ink at the ink-air interface which results in the formation of viscous plugs 47 of ink at the printhead nozzles. For triangular nozzles, the evaporation problem tends to collect at the nozzle vertices and this can cause directionality problems for the ejected droplets. The ultrasonic liquid wiper apparatus minimizes the accumulation of viscous ink at the triangular nozzle vertices and expedites removal of any viscous plugs of ink that tend to clog up and prevent droplet ejection. Since the ultrasonic liquid wiper does not physically contact the nozzle face of the printhead, any hydrophobic coating deposited thereon will not be frictionally damaged as in the case of the usual wiper blades.
The tubular transducer may require the deposition of an isolation layer (not shown) of preferred wetting properties with the cleaning solution, and any suitable isolation encapsulate material will suffice, such as the use of parylene conformal coatings. A thin layer of parylene conformal having a thickness of about 25 μm has been found to protect the tubular transducer from the effects of liquid inks, while providing a suitable wetting surface. Other materials, such as, for example, Teflon� are also suitable to coat the tubular transducer 48.
Alternate embodiments of the end 45 of the piezoelectric tubular transducer 48 is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In FIG. 5, a spherically shaped concave recess 58 is formed in the transducer end 45, and in FIG. 6, a conically shaped concave recess 60 is formed. These specially shaped transducer ends control the formation and stability of the meniscus shown bridging into contact with a nozzle 15 and viscous plug 47 in FIG. 4. Electrical connection of the leads or electrodes 49 to the tubular transducer may be accomplished by potting the transducer in an epoxy substrate (not shown) for permanent connection or the transducer may be snapped into a female connector (not shown) for subsequent replacement.
In an alternate embodiment (not shown) of the ultrasonic liquid wiper apparatus, the piezoelectric tubular transducer 48 may be replaced by a flexible tube (not shown) having a similar internal diameter as that of tubular transducer 48 with a separate piezoelectric device (not shown) thereagainst to apply the high frequency excitation of the cleaning solution in the flexible tube and thus to the meniscus at the end of the flexible tube confronting the nozzle face of the printhead. The piezoelectric device for this alternate embodiment may be either a disc shape which distorts to apply oscillating pressure to the flexible tube or a rectangular shape which functions in a shear mode to apply oscillating pressure to the flexible tube as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,590 to Fischbeck et al. incorporated herein by reference.
Many modifications and variations are apparent from the foregoing description of the invention, and all such modifications and variations are intended to be within the scope of the present invention.
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October 19, 2007, Columbus, GA – Synovus (NYSE: SNV), the Columbus, Georgia-based diversified financial services company, today announced that Richard Anthony, Chairman and CEO, has been elected to a three-year term as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Bankers Association (ABA).
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Adam Cole is a senior director at the Corporate Executive Board and works with public-sector executives on workforce issues.
Attrition in the federal workforce is at an all-time low, but a closer look at separation rates reveals that there is still reason to be concerned.
Although experienced employees have been slow to leave their agencies in recent years, young workers have been much more mobile. In 2011, federal employees younger than 30 quit their jobs at a rate five times higher than their counterparts over the age of 30. Although 13 percent of 20-somethings left the civil service in 2011, many more are at risk of leaving: 31 percent report that they will consider leaving their organizations in the next year, according to the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.
The combination of an unstable young workforce and an imminent retirement wave poses significant worries for human resources directors. Retaining the public servants of tomorrow and the institutional knowledge needed to operate efficiently and effectively is critical, yet daunting challenges face the federal chief human capital officer community.
Despite the urgency of these human resources challenges, many agencies fail to appreciate the extent to which retention can affect the bottom line. Vacancies limit team effectiveness, and new entry-level hires typically take months to reach their full productivity potential. Meanwhile, recruiting and on-boarding new employees cost agencies thousands of dollars per hire, and considerable hours are required from managers for training.
So what's the best way to retain younger employees?
Some believe that Generation Y is fundamentally different from previous generations and that they should be managed differently to be fulfilled in their careers. Others suspect that workers today are not so different from those of the past, and ultimately they want an authentic experience and a real opportunity for career advancement. So which theory should we trust?
Researchers from the Corporate Executive Board put this question to the test and analyzed which workplace characteristics have the biggest impact on federal employees' intention to stay at an agency. Using the 2011 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey data, we tested discrete workplace characteristics and their impact on the intention to stay of experienced public servants (ages 50-59) and the next generation of public servants (ages 20-29).
The analysis showed that both age brackets shared seven of the top 10 drivers of intention to stay, illustrating that these groups are not so different after all. Three themes permeated the top drivers for both generations.
However, there are some subtle differences between the two age groups. Development opportunities and recognition are more important to young employees, while more experienced employees place greater value on clear expectations and communication from management.
So as agencies ponder how to retain their best and brightest young workers, the answer is not to devise a new formula. Ultimately, what motivates millennial workers is not fundamentally different from what motivates those with more experience. Providing development opportunities and meaningful recognition have always been key tenets of management, and reinforcing both does not need to cost the agency much, if anything. Amid the commotion of constraining budgets, it is nice to know that the public-sector manager has a fair amount of control over the retention of their workers.
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Let the people leave if they want. They have no place to go and there are plenty of others who want their jobs - and by people just as capable. I have been constantly hearing for over 11 years when I joined the Feds about this supposed crises of the large number of employees who are elgible or nearly elgible for retirement. Supposedly we will have a massive brain drain - and the end of the world is near! Seriously, this is just a bunch smoke and mirrors designed to get some extra attention or money to people who do not deserve it. I say we fire these noise makers, concentrate on the real problems at hand, and we will be a lot better off.
Getting young workers to stay or acquiring new talent young or old is all related to one major flaw in the federal employment arena.......the General Services System! I have heard many people support this system because it is fair for all. It is NOT FAIR FOR ALL.......it is THE SAME FOR ALL.....and that is the problem. How do you think you will attract young talent when you tell them they will get their regular raises and step increases just like everyone else? No matter what my output or innovation I get the same as the guy who does crossword puzzles all day? Why stay? Trying to acquire a experienced and talented programmer with experience? Tell them they will come in at a GS-xx and there is no room for negotiation. Convince teh talent to leave a job with 5 weeks a year vacation to begin earning an hour or two of leave every pay. No room to negotiate matching leave or other compensation items. If you cannot provide a system where the hard working and innovative are rewarded and the lazy and unmotivated are weeded out how do you think you will attract talent of any age? When the only thing you can offer is a rock hard caste system with no room for negotiation, how do you think you can acquire talent of any age. Get rid of teh General Services System and you will go a long way in improving your ability to hire talent of any age.
The economy sucks everywhere except the DC metro area. Most of these kids will have no choice except to stay in Federal service. Again, the DC metro area is an exception. Beltway bandits could poach younger empoyees.
They will be in charge for a long time. If they are like the baby boomers, gen "X" is even more screwed!
Well there's some news for ya' ... Us old bulls (and does) closer to the top of our careers are more worried about "good management" so we can get our jobs done and go home to things that matter - like beer and fishin'. And the greenhorns are more worried about learnin' and advancing past the ranks of greenhorn. That article reads kinda' like a George Carlin weather report.
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by Jud
posted Jan 15 2013 4:26PM
Its my first song of the week pick of 2013! ...and this year I promise to be better about posting my picks and not just keeping them to myself. :-P This song has really grown on me the more and more I heard it. This solo band first made you love like woe, then he have you his hand...interesting singles when put together....but yeah. This song makes me want to jump and dance around the room, so I decieded it must be my pick of the week! - Jud
The Ready Set - Give Me Your Hand
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10 Things
Get the key facts on a wide range of technologies, techniques, strategies, and skills with the help of these concise, need-to-know lists.
10 ways to improve the ROI of your software
Just as with hardware and data center investments, it's critical to determine how well your software is serving your business. Consider these factors when assessing your software ROI.
10 areas of IT risk you could be overlooking
Risk management entails more than high-profile issues like data breaches. Smaller, less obvious risks can be just as damaging to your organization.
10 things you should know about Alibaba
Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba has just gone public. Find out what it means -- and why it's a big deal.
10 key technology items for your 2015 budget
What items are essential for next year's tech budget? Mary Shacklett highlights the major areas of corporate IT spending.
10 ways the iPhone 6 could give Android a run for its money
The iPhone 6 was revealed on September 9, 2014. Find out what features should have Android developers scrambling to pick up the slack.
10 things I want in iWatch
Apple has announced an event for September 9th -- and predictions are that it will include the unveiling of the mythical iWatch. Patrick Gray shares his feature wish list.
10 things to consider before you commercialize a service
A growing number of organizations are launching commercialization ventures, offering their IT products and services to external customers. The payoff may be good -- but careful planning is required.
10 tips for easier collaboration between office suites
When you're working with people using a variety of office tools, you can hit some frustrating roadblocks. Here are a few standard (and not-so-standard) suggestions to make your collaboration efforts more efficient.
10 ways to advance your IT career
Worried that your IT career might stall out? These 10 practical strategies can help you achieve your goals as an IT pro.
10 ways your IT vendors can help you
Good vendors can make your job much easier -- but are you getting everything you can from those relationships? Here are some of the benefits you might be missing out on.
10 ways to deal with a project gone wrong
Sometimes projects go downhill. And sometimes they crash. Savvy managers recognize the signs, step up and take necessary action, learn from the experience -- and help the team learn from it too.
10 ways business leaders can get the most out of cloud
The end business is playing a growing role in selecting and managing cloud services. These tips will help business leaders avoid common pitfalls and get the most value from cloud solutions.
10 questions to determine whether hybrid clouds are right for your organization
Hybrid clouds are helping enterprises find a balance between their IT infrastructure and public cloud services. But do they make sense for you?
10 tips for a more user-friendly Linux desktop
Learn a few simple tricks to make your Linux desktop experience as user-friendly as possible.
10 things I miss about old technology
Take a trip down memory lane as Scott Matteson shares some of his favorite memories about technology from way-back-when.
10 ways to deal with an unhappy employee
Most of your team members probably like to do a good job at work, and having a sense of accomplishment is one of the keys to being happy. But as a leader, you will sometimes have to deal with unhappy employees, and it's up to you to find ways to uncover the problem and motivate them to turn things around. Here are a few things you can do to help an unhappy employee become a happy one.
10 reasons Windows 8 will be painful for developers
If you plan to develop Windows 8 native apps, be prepared for some hurdles. Justin James looks at some of the biggest problems you're likely to face.
10 reasons why your kids should be using Linux
Providing tech support for your children can be even more challenging than your IT day job. Jack Wallen explains why he thinks Linux is better suited for those young users.
10 questions non-techie managers should ask about IT projects
Business managers may lack the tech knowledge to make sure a project is on the right track. Here's what they should be asking IT to improve the odds of project success.
10 ways to become an IT superstar
Becoming a sought-after industry expert requires dedication, planning, and hard work. Here are some things you can do to make it happen.
10 reasons to migrate to Exchange 2010
Organisations have shown a reluctance to upgrade to Exchange 2010 -- but they could be missing out on some cost-saving improvements.
10 geek gifts that top this year's shopping list
From Apple iPads to Wi-Fi quadricopters to shirts that supply your own soundtrack, this year's Geek Gift Guide is bound to include at least one gadget that you (or your favorite geek), can't do without.
10 things you should know about Microsoft's revised certification program
Microsoft has made some fairly big changes to its certification program. If you're in the midst of pursuing accreditation -- or you're thinking of heading down one of the new paths -- check out this rundown of new features.
10 things IT pros do that lead to burnout
Stress, exhaustion, health problems, poor job performance, apathy -- all these can be yours if you commit a few career sins and get burned out.
10 SharePoint deployment challenges
Managing a SharePoint deployment entails a number of issues you might not be expecting. Brien Posey runs through some of the most common gotchas.
10 things IT pros should do when a relationship ends
When a love affair ends, a few tried-and-true remedies come to mind, but nothing really helps except time. While you're waiting for time to work its healing magic, however, there are a few practical things you really do need to do -- particularly if you are an IT professional.
10 reasons IT certification will be important in 2009
In the midst of staggering business and economic turmoil, you need all the tools at your disposal to help shore up your career prospects. See why Erik Eckel believes IT certification will become increasingly important for IT pros and the organizations that rely on them.
10 reasons Ubuntu 9.10 will be a game changer for business
The latest release of Ubuntu is just around the corner - and Jack Wallen believes it's going to make a big splash in the enterprise space.
10 predictions for Windows 8
Details on the next version of Windows are mostly nonexistent, but that doesn't mean we can't speculate about what it may offer. Brien Posey shares his ideas about possible features, changes, and Microsoft marketing strategies.


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Slice Source Cube (Data Mining Wizard)
SQL Server 2014
You can use the Slice Source Cube dialog box to restrict the data used to train the model. Typically a cube contains data related to many different dimensions and attributes, such as all stores, all regions, and all products. It is not practical to train a model on unlimited combinations of attributes, so you use this dialog box to choose a specific set to use in training a model.
For example, in the AdventureWorks cube, you might slice by a particular product line, region, or year, to get a portion of the data.
For More Information: Data Mining Wizard (Analysis Services - Data Mining), Create a Relational Mining Structure


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Looking for a fabulous companion for all your cycling adventures? Look no further than Specialized's Ruby Comp. This bike sports Specialized's FACT carbon frame and fork… [more]
Increase your speed and fun factor with Specialized's agile Dolce road machine! It features a light aluminum frame and quick-rolling Axis wheels for confident handling,… [more]
Trek's Neko S WSD is a go-anywhere bike! It's road-bike fast, bike-path capable and fun everywhere. The Neko S sports a spry aluminum frame with the comfort of a… [more]
When the road tilts towards the sky, Trek's 16.3-pound Emonda SL 6 reacts to every pedal stoke, its OCLV carbon frame and BB90 bottom bracket launching you forward… [more]
Head out on the road less traveled with Specialized's Diverge A1. It features a light, responsive aluminum frame with plenty of tire clearance. The Diverge rolls on 700… [more]
Take the crisp handling, active suspension, and playful nature of the Fuel EX and bump it up with 29-inch wheels. You just became unstoppable. The Fuel EX 7 29 uses an… [more]
Practice that victory salute because Specialized's Tarmac SL4 Expert is ready to win races! Whether the race is serious or just for bragging rights, its 10r FACT carbon… [more]
Trek's Lexa is designed from the ground up for women so it fits perfectly and rides like a dream. Its light, nimble-handling Alpha aluminum frame dances down the road… [more]
Specialized's S-Works Turbo sets the standard for how a performance road tire should perform. Fast, light, and supple, the Turbo's 220 TPI casing meets the needs of… [more]
Trek's Cali SLX WSD is stable, capable and confident on a wide variety of terrain—just like you. This is no sized-down version of a guy's bike, it's built for women from… [more]
Smoother is faster. The more comfortable and less fatigued you are, the stronger you'll be throughout your ride. Thanks to Specialized's FACT carbon frameset and its… [more]
Lush describes the ride of Trek's Women's 27.5 trail bike. With 120mm of travel and a confident geometry, nothing stands in your way. Trek's outstanding aluminum frame… [more]
Trek's X-Caliber 6 is ready for big-time on- and off-road fun with its super-light, nimble aluminum frame that features Gary Fisher's G2 Geometry for superior cornering,… [more]
Specialized's Roubaix Pro Tire is built for riders in search of speed, comfort, and handling. Its dual-compound tread provides low rolling resistance and outstanding… [more]
Put Trek's Silque through its paces and you'll revel at its unmatched ride quality, comfort, and quickness. Graced with Trek technology like the race-winning IsoSpeed,… [more]
How to shift your bicycle and find the right gear.
|Make your morning commute the best part of your day with a commuter bike from Canyon Bicycles. We've got an awesome selection to choose from, and whether you're heading to the office or the coffee shop down the street, we've got the right commuter bike for you. Stop by the shop or give us a call today to start finding your next urban bike!


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Our new devotional "If God Loves Me, Why Did I Lose My Job?" explores the struggle of unemployment. Sign up here.
overlay with stones (2 Chr. 3:6), adorn (Rev. 21:19), deck with garlands (Matt. 23:29), furnish (12:44).
In Job 26:13 (Heb. shiphrah, meaning "brightness"), "By his spirit the heavens are brightness" i.e., are bright, splendid, beautiful.


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TweakTown NewsRefine News by Category:
Gaming Posts - Page 109
Microsoft Studios' head promises Halo news at E3 2014
Fans of Halo have been waiting in anticipation for news on when the next game in the franchise will be available to play. We heard rumors that Halo 5 was delayed until late 2015. We have also heard rumors that Halo 2 Anniversary would be launching this year.
This week Microsoft Studios' Phil Spencer tweeted a tidbit that will make fans of Halo really look forward to E3 2014 this summer. Spencer tweeted that Halo news will be coming at E3. He also noted that 343 Industries has a great plan in place, exactly what plan he is talking about is unknown.
The tweet came in response to a gamer that tweeted at Spencer a question about what was going on with the next Halo game. It's always cool when a fan can ask a simple question and get a response from someone with Microsoft that knows. It's cool to get a response even if the response really doesn't offer any more information than wait and see.
March Xbox One Update to add better audio support
Microsoft has been updating the Xbox One console regularly since it launched. The last update brought with it the ability to directly manage storage among other things. The update also brought with it a bug that left some users seeing nothing but a black screen at boot up.
The next update for the console is coming in March and the update will bring with it additional audio options. The update will bring support for Dolby Digital sound. This was something that was missed by some gamers when the console was first announced.
The Xbox One launched with support for DTS Surround Sound. The new update will add the missed Dolby Digital to the mix. It will also bring a new setting under HDMI that will allow you to select Bitstream out. Bitstream out will allow you to select DTS Digital Surround or Dolby Digital.
Continue reading 'March Xbox One Update to add better audio support' (full post)
Minecraft is being made into a movie
Riding off of the incredible success of The Lego Movie, Warner Bros. has just announced it is working on a Minecraft movie. Roy Lee, who was a producer on The Lego Movie, will oversee the Minecraft movie.
Earlier in the week, Minecraft publisher Mojang AB made a deal with the movie studio. Marcus 'Notch' Perrson took to Twitter announcing the news just before Deadline posted details of the deal. Persson said: "someone is trying leak the fact that we're working with Warner Brothers on a potential Minecraft movie. I wanted to be the leak!"
There's no details on what to expect, but it will be a live-action film based in the world of Minecraft.
Steam developers can now offer discounts and sales on their own
Developers who sell their games via Steam can now set their own discount and sales on their own. Steam has confirmed that they have given the necessary tools to developers. The tool will also allow them to choose if they want to be a part of weekly Steam deal.
Doug Lombardi from Valve confirmed that the screenshot put up by a a developer with the username 'Sharkiller' was genuine. He added,"As with the addition of a 'Recently Updated' section to Steam, this is another effort to shorten the distance between developers and customers. This new Steamworks tool allows developers to configure discounts for their own products, on their own schedules. They can define custom sale periods or opt in to regularly scheduled sales. This will enable developers to better coordinate their promotions with events, announcements, or major updates they are planning for their products."
Continue reading 'Steam developers can now offer discounts and sales on their own' (full post)
KDDI GameNow service will stream games over cable in Japan
Japanese gamers who also happen to get their cable service from KDDI will soon be able to play video games on demand. The on-demand game service is coming by way of the GameNow service. This is the same on-demand video service that some LG smart TVs have access too.
The difference between this service on the smart TV and on KDDI's cable system is that KDDI offers the on-demand games over the cable without using an app. One potential downside to the on-demand games in Japan is that the catalog is limited.
Gamers will be able to choose games like Pro Evolution Soccer, WRC3, and Sonic Adventure DX. There may be more games offered by KDDI, but those are the ones we know about right now.
Continue reading 'KDDI GameNow service will stream games over cable in Japan' (full post)
Razer Game Booster saves game settings, data into the cloud
Gaming company Razer announced the ability to use its Razer Game Booster to save game data and setting directly into the cloud-based Dropbox service.
Razer will include support for other cloud storage services when the feature is enabled for the full release. The Game Booster is able to maximize system performance, offering up more frames per second, when unnecessary processes are disabled to enhance game performance.
"We continually work to enhance the gaming experience for our community," said Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO, in in a press statement. "There are few things that take the fun out of gaming more than lost game progress or disappearing settings. It is our hope to rid the world of such frustrations and help make sure that losing game info never happens again."
Continue reading 'Razer Game Booster saves game settings, data into the cloud' (full post)
Teen hangs himself over accidental purchase of games worth 420 pounds
A teenager ended his life in a tragic manner because of an unintentional purchase of video games for his Xbox. After making such unintentional purchase worth 420 UK pounds which was billed on his mother's credit card, Henry Tattersall from Lancashire, UK later committed suicide by hanging himself.
It was told that he was upset after being confronted by his mother about the bill. She said that Henry was genuinely stunned after seeing the amount he spent for games. He told his mother that she can take the money from savings to make up for it, but he feared that he would not get any Christmas presents.
Continue reading 'Teen hangs himself over accidental purchase of games worth 420 pounds' (full post)
Tiny fraction of mobile gamers responsible for half of in-app revenue
A new survey has been published by a company called Swrve. The survey looked at what percentage of mobile gamers spend the most in their favorite game apps. The survey was performance by a company called Swrve and claims to have looked at data from tens of millions of users.
The survey found that a minuscule percentage of mobile gamers are responsible for half of all the revenues generated in-app. Specifically, the survey claims that .15% of mobile gamers make up 50% of in-app profits.
Another survey from the same firm last month claims that only 1.5% of all mobile gamers buy anything in-app. Out of that 1.5%, 49% of them made a single purchase. About 13% of that 1.5% who do buy will purchase five or more items in-app.
Continue reading 'Tiny fraction of mobile gamers responsible for half of in-app revenue' (full post)
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service goes dark May 20 for Wii and DS
If you are a gamer that likes to play games on your Nintendo Wii or DS portable game console, Nintendo has announced something this week that won't leave a good feeling in your stomach. As of May 20, Nintendo will be ending the online gaming functionality of the Wi-Fi Connection service for legacy devices.
That means that Wii and DS gamers will no longer be able to play games like Mario Kart online against other players. Nintendo says that the games will still work in offline mode. Once you get used to racing against other people online, it's hard to go back to playing offline.
Nintendo is also clear that the online gaming support for the new Wii U and Nintendo 3DS will continue to work. That means if you want to play online with Nintendo games you will need to upgrade hardware.
Continue reading 'Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service goes dark May 20 for Wii and DS' (full post)
Call of Duty: Elite shuts down tomorrow
Activision launched Call of Duty: Elite back in 2011, an online service dedicated to the game and its players, but come tomorrow, it will be shut down for good.
Elite launched with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, then went free when Black Ops II launched, and from there, it has been a downhill ride. In-game stats will still be shown for both Modern Warfare 3 and Black Ops II, but Elite will be gone as of 1pm Eastern time tomorrow.