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Myra Panache's book of original stories, "Book 1: Short Stories" has been released. Titles include: "Ballin 4" "Downlow Escort" "Female Assassin" "Above Top Secret" "Inside The Life Of A $1,000 Per Hour Call Girl" (Prequel to $20,000 Per Weekend Call Girl), "Female Seeking Female" (Personal Ad Nightmare) and "Experiments." To order, click on the following link, Book 1: Short Stories by Myra Panache
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Tyga doesn't have to worry about rent anymore: Kylie Jenner has moved into her $2.7 million mansion. Kylie was originally planning to move into the luxurious pad when she turned 18-years-old, but with two months to go until she reaches the milestone, she has already made the big move.
Young Money's Drake could not avoid his connection to the Kardashian-Jenner celebrity family this past weekend after being spotted with Kendall Jenner in London. According to reports, Drizzy and various other high-profile hip-hop artists hooked up with Jenner following a Wireless Festival bill. After the festival, the rapper headed over to "Chinawhite nightclub," where he DJ'd. Sources say the group included several famous Jenner pals — Gigi Hadid, Joe Jonas, Rita Ora, and racers Lewis Hamilton and Tommy Hill. We're told they tore through at least 25 bottles of booze — including champagne, vodka, tequila, and cognac and Drake took care of the bill … which came out to $15,000, plus an additional $1,000 for tip.
Jada Pinkett Smith thinks of music as her ''mistress." The actress who is best known for her work in the film and television industries - has admitted she does enjoy an 'affair' with music from time to time.
Dwayne Johnson's home life is ''solid." The actor says things are perfect with his girlfriend Lauren Hashian and 13-year-old daughter Simone, who he has from a previous relationship. He said: ''I've lived with my longtime girlfriend, Lauren Hashian, going on, like, eight or nine years now and things couldn't be better."
Idris Elba has long been rumored to be the next in line to play James Bond once Daniel Craig steps down from the franchise later this year. But while 'The Wire' actor has previously stated he would take on the role, Elba has now dismissed any rumours as pure speculation. Allegedly, Elba is in the running with Damien Lewis (Homeland); Lewis portrayed Brody on "Homeland."
Health & Fitness: You ever wonder how celebrities lose weight so fast yet stay healthy? They use this little known "3 week diet" (mentioned above) created by a celebrity fitness trainer; this diet also works well against belly fat. Click image (above) to learn more. Results are guaranteed or your money back.
Health & Fitness: Coconut oil is a miracle drug and can cure a variety of ailments. The three ebooks (pictured above) are excellent and contain additional information and benefits; never discussed before. Download them for the low price of $10.00 by clicking the above image.
Rumors have always circulated regarding Yvonne Fair's mysterious death in a Las Vegas hotel room. Was it an accidental death or was it murder? The cause of death remains undetermined (professional hit?) and undisclosed.
Fair was one of the world's greatest soul singers although she was underrated. Fair was best known for her 1976 recording of "It Should Have Been Me."
Her album "A Bitch Is Black," is considered the best funk album ever recorded by a female artist.
Marvin Gaye sung background on the song "Get Down," and Fair was the first female artist to record the Stevie Wonder penned "Tell Me Something Good." Chaka Khan's version would sell more units.
Fair was before her time, her lyrics were too raw and gritty; similar to Millie Jackson.
When she appeared on Soul Train to promote the album, she was barefoot and attired in a cave girl costume.
Tammi Terrell and Yvonne Fair had a lot in common, they both had abusive relationships with James Brown and they both left his revue to join Motown. Fair had two children: Leroy Fair Jr. and (with James Brown) Venisha Brown.
Although the women had both dated James Brown, they eventually became friends. Fair was also close friends with singer Mary Wells.
Fair would open for the Jackson 5 and the Commodores were her backing band.
Fair would marry Sammy Strain of the O'Jays (far right) and she would have a cameo role in "Lady Sings The Blues."
A few years later, Fair would fall off the radar.
Rumor had it that she worked as a wardrobe mistress for Dionne Warwick before her death.
Tika Sumpter (above) portrayed Fair in the James Brown biopic "Get On Up!"
Yvonne Fair died, aged 51, from undisclosed and undetermined causes in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 6, 1994. She was 51.
Her death remains an unsolved mystery.
Due to popular demand (overseas), her 1975 landmark album "The Bitch Is Black," was re-released on CD for the first time in 40 years later.
Click on the above image to order a book that details how you can get backstage to meet your favorite entertainers of professional athletes "without" having a backstage pass.
Police in Louisiana want to talk to an LSU football star projected to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft, after a pregnant woman linked to him was shot and killed in her home.
La'el Collins, a three-year starter and by some accounts the best offensive lineman in the draft, has not been named as a suspect in the shooting of Brittney Mills, 29, Friday night in the doorway of her Baton Rouge home, but police in Baton Rouge say they want to talk to him. Collins, 21, is believed to have been romantically linked to Mills, but it is unclear if the baby, who survived, is his.
"There are numerous other people who are going to be interviewed," Baton Rouge Police spokesman Lt. Johnny Dunnam told the Baton Rouge Advocate. "So he is one of many."
Police also are interested in the results of a pregnancy test that could identify Collins as the father, Dunnam told the Shreveport Times.
First responders arrived at Mills' apartment shortly after 10:30 p.m. Friday found the residence door ajar and Mills, who was eight months' pregnant, dead from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso. Mills' body was rushed to a hospital, where her unborn son was successfully delivered. On Saturday, his condition stabilized, and officials say he is expected to live.
Jim Boren, the attorney for the 6 foot, 5 inch, 305-pound Collins, said he has been in touch with Baton Rouge detectives and said Collins, who is in Chicago to attend the draft, will cooperate. Boren, who called the timing of the investigation "poor," said a private investigator was hired to check out Collins' alibi and determined he was nowhere near the murder scene. Police believe Mills let someone she may have known into her apartment.
"We have identified where La'el was the day the lady was murdered to establish he was nowhere around," Boren told ESPN. "We have offered to give names, witnesses who can vouch for his whereabouts that day until after the woman's body was discovered."
Boren said Collins will meet with police when he returns to Louisiana following the draft.
The Times-Picayune reported that Collins is a former Eagle Scout whose background NFL scouts have described as squeaky-clean. But having his name mentioned in the context of a murder probe could scare teams from drafting him, according to NFL experts.
NFL.com draft guru Mike Mayock rates Collins as the top offensive tackle coming out of the college ranks to play pro football. He would be in line to sign a multimillion-dollar contract if selected where Mayock projects him to go.
"The reason I have La'el Collins as my No. 1 tackle is because out of that whole group he's the only one where I bang the table and say: 'I think I know exactly what I'm getting," Mayock said in a recent interview, according to The Times-Picayune.
The Advocate spoke to Tia Mills, Collins' sister, who said the victim left behind two children. When asked about her sister's relationship with Collins, she said, "I'm going to let that play out the way it's supposed to."
Mills told the newspaper her family is mourning their loss and concerned about the children left behind.
"She left behind two kids," Mills said, referring to her sister's 10-year-old daughter and newborn son. "They're going to grow up without their mom, and they didn't deserve that."
A few days before the NFL draft — and a few days after Brittney Mills was killed — Baton Rouge police said they wanted to question former LSU star offensive lineman La'el Collins as part of the department's investigation into Mills' homicide. Collins waited more than a week to meet with them. During the week, it was made public that the police wanted to speak to Collins, and the first-round prospect ended up going undrafted.
After he met with police in Baton Rouge, his attorney, Jim Boren, said Collins answered every question asked by police, and authorities said Collins fully cooperated with the investigation.
Collins — who recently signed with the Dallas Cowboys — was never considered a suspect in the shooting of Mills, and police said a paternity test determined he was not the father of Brenton Mills.
As part of the investigation into Williams' murder, police at one point released some grainy surveillance video footage showing a person drive up to the North Street parking lot several hours before Williams' body was found. It wasn't clear Thursday whether the department's release of the video turned up any leads.
Although Williams was previously arrested multiple times on prostitution violations, with at least one arrest resulting in a conviction, police said Thursday that they don't believe such a lifestyle had anything to do with her killing.
by: Julian Garcia
Armoni Sexton played so much basketball that his mother was certain he would continue doing it for the rest of his life, taking the skills that made him one of the top young prospects in the country all the way to the sport's highest level.
"He would have made it to the NBA," Lawana Sexton said. "He would have made it, his potential was that high. He was on the road, on the right path to it. He had the right people around him who were guiding him in the right way. He was gonna do whatever he needed to do.
"He wanted to go to Kentucky and then he was gonna go to the NBA and play against his favorite player, Kevin Durant."
The 15-year-old high school standout died on Sunday, at 11:55 a.m., leaving a large basketball community grieving and wondering how it could happen to someone with such a promising future.
Armoni was a 6-foot-6 forward who was considered one of the top prospects in the Class of 2018. He played for the Paterson Charter School, where he averaged 16.3 points, eight rebounds and 3.2 blocks as an eighth grader last year.
Realizing Sexton was "too good" for the competition he was facing at Paterson Charter, that team's coach, Tommie Patterson, was hoping to get Sexton into a prep school like Oak Hill Academy in Virginia or Montverde Academy in Florida.
"The goal was to finish out this year and then next year I said, 'You gotta go to prep school,' and his attitude was like, 'No, Coach, I like it here and I like the staff here.'
"I was like, 'No, that's what you want but you have to do what's better for you.'"
According to Det. Capt. Heriberto Rodriguez of the Paterson Police Department, Sexton was walking on Rosa Parks Blvd. just after 8:30 p.m. on Saturday in a group that included two other males and one female. After police responded to a "call of shots fired," they found all four had been wounded in what various reports have called a drive-by shooting. The three other victims are all expected to survive, according to Rodriguez.
Lawana Sexton recalled her son's aspirations just hours after claiming his body from a medical examiner in Passaic County, N.J. Less than 48 hours earlier, Armoni Sexton was gunned down on a street corner in Paterson.
Rodriguez announced the arrest of Gregory A. Oliver, (above) who's been charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder.
Lawanda Sexton says that because of where her son was when he was shot — a notoriously dangerous section of the city — some people had assumed that he was involved in gang activity. But, she said, that was not the case. She also said police have told her Armoni was not the intended victim of the shooting.
Sexton also said she was planning to move her family to Florida soon so she could get Armoni and his three siblings out of harm's way.
"I didn't want my son to be killed," she said. "It's not that I had fear before. It's just that where I live at, it's reality. We got family members, friends, innocent bystanders that we have lost. It's like a routine. It's something you shouldn't have to get used to but you do.
"He had high potential," Lawanda said of her son. "We just didn't expect this to happen."
Armoni Sexton was so popular in the basketball community that New Jersey product Karl-Anthony Towns of Kentucky and Isaiah Briscoe, a Kentucky signee from Roselle, N.J., both tweeted about his death, with Towns writing, "Prayers up to Armoni Sexton's family. Gone way too soon."
Fighting back tears, Patterson said he saw Armoni on Friday and that they discussed plans for the next day, which included Armoni going to practice with his AAU team — the Playaz Basketball Club, which also produced former New Jersey standouts Tim Thomas and J.R. Smith as well as other NBA stars — and the coach attending his own son's 6th birthday party.
"It's not a basketball player who lived a double life or who was a gang-banger," the coach said. "It was a tragedy and not something that was supposed to happen. This kid is supposed to be alive.
"I wish I would have snatched him up and brought him to the birthday party after practice."
Vail: (Black supermodel turned-intelligence broker/assassin-in-training)....
Ryder: (CIA agent who went rogue/current enforcer and assassin for an illegal spider network).
Andreas Xavier: (The General of an illicit invisible empire named "Shadow Syndicate." This criminal conglomerate is involved in every illegal endeavor known to mankind.
Dominique Desiree: (Superstar attorney who unwittingly gets entangled in a web of deceit & deception).
Also starring: Jacks (CIA), G-Mac (Weapons Specialist), Dayna (HIV Assassin), Lear (CIA/Hollywood Fixer), Nikki (Freelance Assassin), Phelps (3-Charley/Sweeper), Lauryn (heads a cocaine banking cartel) and Cartier, (Former Black Hollywood drug kingpin/International Fugitive)......
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We also have a less expensive white value t-shirt in stock. More items will be added in the near future.
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By popular demand! Please join us for a private screening of Ballin 5-7, available on PR for a limited time only!
Ballin 5-7, features: Jacks (CIA), G-Mac (Weapons Specialist), Dayna (HIV Assassin), Lear (CIA/Hollywood Fixer), Nikki (Freelance Assassin), and Phelps (3-Charley/Sweeper).
*Lauryn Allen (Cocaine Banking Kingpin) and her brother Cartier Allen (Black Hollywood Drug Lord) from the short story "Cocaine Banking Cartel," will be making a special appearance in Ballin' 7©.
You will be taken on an espionage thrill ride with a black shadow team of covert operatives from Dubai to Hollywood.
Click Here to read Ballin 4 (free) and: Ballin' 5-7
*For The Black Elite: THE AFFLUENT REPORT
*To read about Hollywood Damage Control Experts (Fixers), International Intrigue and Movie Star Coverups, click the following link: SPYCRAFT & EYES ONLY
*Past " Special Reports & Features," can be found in one of the following 14 categories: Rap Classified Black Data Archives Mainstream Classified & Scandals Declassified Scandal Sheet Blackballed Affluent Report Missing & Unsolved Downfall Coverups Celebrity Tragedies Spycraft/Eyes Only Little Known Information Bizarre & Unusual (Human Oddities)
Additional Old School Features: Motown Era & Scandals Old School Tidbits Where Are They Now? Nostalgia Archives
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Original recipe yields 10 servings
Amount per serving ({{servings}} total)
Based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Ready In
Great recipe, with a few changes. I thought the recipe was a little bland by itself, so i added 1/2 cup of red, green, and yellow peppers, and a 1/2 cup of onions. I was out of oregano, so I sub...
This is really quite tasty. It is great just following the recipe or for a little added flair add some chopped green pepper or about 1/2 cup shredded fresh zucchini.
Very tasty vegetarian loaf. I didn't follow the recipe exactly, using the whole 24 ounce container of cottage cheese which I had purchased and reducing the milk to half. I had no mushrooms, so I...

subset: commoncrawl


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Joel Edgerton began making a name for himself with supporting appearances in the Star Wars prequels, King Arthur and Smokin' Aces. He's since established himself as an actor with a machismo, yet emotive, presence in such recent films as Animal Kingdom, Warrior and The Thing; similarly, he plays a SEAL squadron team leader in next week's Zero Dark Thirty and is going to show up as brutish Tom Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby next May.
That's why Edgerton is a favored candidate on the shortlist for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy; though, he has fierce competition in the form of Lee Pace (who's auditioning for the role of rugged human pilot Star-Lord this week). Meanwhile, Edgerton has entered negotiations for another film altogether: the western Jane Got a Gun.
Here's a synopsis for Jane Got a Gun (via Deadline):
The pic centers on Jane Hammond (Portman), who reaches out to her ex-lover (Fassbender) to help her when her outlaw husband becomes the target of a violent gang. Edgerton would play John Bishop, the leader of the gang coming to kill Hammond's husband.
Good old-fashioned westerns are rare nowadays; the genre's mostly been subject to subversion in recent years, be it through animation (Rango), genre mashup (Cowboys & Aliens) or pastiche (this month's Django Unchained). Interestingly, the last successful traditional tale set on the old American frontier was the Coen Brother's True Grit, a film that bucks convention by featuring a female protagonist (like Jane); moreover, there are western shades to next year's historical drama Serena, which also features a young woman lead (Jennifer Lawrence, currently an Oscar-frontrunner for her performance in Silver Linings Playbook).
In other words: there's been renewed effort to keep the western alive and relevant in our current age, giving rise to numerous projects that offer potentially innovative spins on the genre's standard tropes; thus, the cream of the crop keep flocking to these films. Count us excited to see the results.
Screen Rant will keep you posted on Jane Got a Gun as the story develops.
Source: Deadline


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The rarely seen Glen Ord - a Diageo-owned distillery that pops its head up every now and again in the occasional independent bottle. I really like this whisky - vanilla beans on the nose, a meaty and robust palate for a malt that appears so light, hints of smoke, with a waxy finish that ends in cereal grains. I don't know who wouldn't like this. Plus, it's Glen Ord! How often do we get to drink this? - David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer
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Lagavulin 16-year-old Islay Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Elsewhere $100)
Ardbeg Uigeadail Traditional Strength Islay Single Malt Whisky (Previously $73)
Glenfiddich 12 year old Signature Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Previously $30)
Glenlivet 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Elsewhere $37)
Glenlivet 15 year old French Oak Reserve Single Malt Whisky 750ml


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Pew Research Center survey reports, demographic studies and data-driven analysis
Broad Support for Keystone XL Pipeline
Two-thirds of Americans (66%) favor building the pipeline, which would transport oil from Canada's oil sands region through the Midwest to refineries in Texas.
Most Support Legal Status for Illegal Immigrants
Most Americans say unauthorized immigrants should be allowed to stay, but there is less agreement on whether they should be able to apply for U.S. citizenship.
Favorable Views of Supreme Court Remain Low
As the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments on two same-sex marriage cases, the public's views of the court have changed only modestly. They have remained low since the court's ruling to uphold most of the Affordable Care Act.
Obama Job Approval Slips as Economic Pessimism Rises
Barack Obama's job approval rating has tumbled since shortly after his re-election, as the public's economic expectations for the coming year have soured.
Same-Sex Marriage: Changing Minds, New Demographics
While much of the shift in support for gay marriage is due to the Millennial generation, equally important is that 14% of Americans — and 28% of gay marriage supporters — have changed their minds.
Public Remains Supportive of Israel, Wary of Iran
As Barack Obama arrives in the Middle East this week, the sympathies of the American public remain firmly with Israel in its dispute with the Palestinians.
After 10 Years, Iraq War Still Divisive
A decade after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the public offers a divided judgment of the war and of the original decision to use military force in Iraq.
Why Own a Gun? Protection Is Now Top Reason
Far more gun owners today than in 1999 cite protection – rather than hunting or other activities – as the main reason they own guns. Among the majority of Americans who do not have guns, safety is a major concern.
Public's Views of Economic News Remain Mixed
As federal spending cuts take effect and the stock market has reached record highs, the public continues to say they are hearing a mix of good and bad news about the economy.
After Fight Over CIA Director Ends, A Look at Public Opinion on Drones
The Senate on Thursday confirmed John Brennan to be the new director of the CIA after several senators took part in a filibuster focusing on the administration's drone strategy. A majority of Americans support drone strikes against suspected terrorist targets abroad, but some (31%) express concerns are about the legality of the program.


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Best of 2010
ScoreSetter: Best of 2010
ScoreSetter: Best of 2010
Though brief, this game was a true experience that had me enraptured the whole time I was playing it.
I love open world games with amazing mobility/get from here-to-there feelings...and this was a thrill. Fun as hell!
Zelda in a non-Nintendo, HD skin? Yes please and thank you...I'll take seconds.
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I have a blunt personality and tend to offend on accident. I like walking around Portland, going on adventures, and baking.
I'm not perfect, and I don't pretend to be. I do, however, tend to think I'm not your average lady. I'm also a bit of a geek.
I'm a unicorn!


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fireflies // owl city
'cause they'd fill the open air
and leave teardrops everywhere
you'd think me rude
but i would just stand and stare
fireflies // owl city
'cause they'd fill the open air
and leave teardrops everywhere
you'd think me rude
but i would just stand and stare
fireflies | owl city
.. When violet eyes get brighter
And heavy wings grow lighter
I'll taste the sky and feel alive again
And I'll forget the world that I knew
But I swear I won't forget you
Oh if my voice could reach back through the past
I'd whisper in your ear,
'Oh darling, I wish you were here.'
meteor shower // owl city
i am not my own
for i have been made new
please don't let me go
i desperately need you
If My Heart Was A House - Owl City
" The stars lean down to kiss you and I lie awake and miss you"
Day 132
Vanilla Twilight//Owl City
I'll sit on the front porch all night, waist deep in thought because when I think of you I don't feel so alone.
Luke has the most beautiful shade of blue eyes I have ever seen.
"I'd like to make my self believe that planet earth turns slowly.."
- Owl City, Fireflies
The Owl City albums as cute girls
June (Of June) is a shy and reserved girl, inexperienced in life and innocent as few. She's not very confident, but dreams big and longs to walk the streets of big cities and experiencing the world one day.
Mei (Mei-by I'm Dreaming) is also quite shy. She's a daydreamer and a hopeless romantic. She would rather spent her days in her thoughts, than in reality amongst others. She's often called 'emo' because of her sentimental and poetic nature, but does things her own way regardless of what others say.
Ocean (Ocean Eyes) is a peppy and much adored girl. She's popular with many, though some may say she's too weird and that they just can't make sense of her. She's smiles in the face of difficult times and tries to do the best she can in any situation.
Bo (another version of Beau, as in All Things Bright and Beautiful) is wise and sophisticated - she has her feets on the ground and she's fond of nature. She's deeply religious and looks at life as one big blessing. She finds joy in the simpler things - she's constantly grateful for being alive. She likes thinking about the big questions in life.
Summer (The Midsummer Station) is dynamic, bold and daring. She's confident in her ways, strongwilled and does what she pleases. Because of this, she's often the target of criticism, but criticism doesn't bother her. She's a free, optimistic soul who loves to dance, sing as loud as she can and live her life to the fullest.
Greatly inspired by Rose's idea!
If I'm your boy, let's take a short cut we remember
And we'll enjoy, picking apples in late September
Like we've done for years
Then we'll take a long walk through the corn field
And I'll kiss you between the ears
Owl City - Tidal Wave
"Depression, please cut to the chase
And cut a long story short
Oh, please be done, how much longer
Can this drama afford to run?"
The Tip of the Iceberg | Owl City
my friends hair is so pretty what the heckk
Owl City Tracklists - Ocean Eyes (3/5)
"Everyone grab a limb, we're gonna fly him out of here."
Owl City's "Vanilla Twilight"
I'll watch the night turn light blue, but it's not the same without you
Because it takes two to whisper quietly
The silence isn't so bad, till i look at my hands and feel sad
Cause the spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly


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Harley-Davidson Motorcycle
Harley-Davidson Motorcycle News
News on Harley-Davidson Motorcycle continually updated from thousands of sources around the net.
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Virginia association offers scholarship in memory of Sonny Merryman
February 14, 2014
The founder of school bus dealership Sonny Merryman Inc., who passed away in December, provided hundreds of students in Virginia with scholarship assistance. The Virginia Association for Pupil Transportation offers a $2,500 scholarship that is available to seniors at public schools in Virginia who have a parent or grandparent currently or formerly employed in the public school pupil transportation field within the state.
Virginia legislator calls for school bus seat belt study
January 6, 2014
Del. Scott Lingamfelter introduces a resolution that calls for the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the effectiveness of requiring seat belts on school buses in Virginia. Among other tasks, the commission would have to consult and summarize the findings of past and current studies on the effectiveness of requiring seat belts on school buses and solicit input from each local school board on the effectiveness and cost of requiring the belts on every yellow bus.
Virginia dealership founder Sonny Merryman passes
December 10, 2013
Merryman, who died on Saturday at age 89, launched his school bus business in 1967 when Thomas Built Buses was looking for a new dealer in Virginia. Today, Sonny Merryman Inc. has three locations and more than 125 employees in the state.
Power line falls on school bus during accident
November 27, 2013
Authorities in Newport News, Va., are continuing to investigate the crash, in which a 17-year-old driver struck a guide wire that was supporting a utility pole, which caused the wire to fall into the path of a school bus, and then the wire ultimately fell across the bus. Officers had the 31 students and the driver remain on the bus until the wire was removed.
2 school bus drivers arrested after fight
November 19, 2013
At their bus depot in Portsmouth, Va., the two drivers allegedly engage in a verbal altercation that turns physical, including one of the women hitting the other several times with a stun gun. No children are present during the incident.
2 dogs shot by police near school bus stops
October 17, 2013
Richmond (Va.) Police Department officers respond to the scene after receiving a report of a dog bite with injury. While waiting for Animal Care and Control to respond, the dogs continue to run in the area where children are gathering at the bus stops, and they charge at an officer, who fires twice, killing one of the dogs.
Child's thank-you note makes bus driver feel appreciated
October 10, 2013
Alan Boyle, a bus driver for Virginia's Henrico County Public Schools, receives a note of appreciation from one of his passengers and contacts a local news outlet to share it. Boyle tells the news outlet that his "thankless" profession faces constant criticism, but the note makes him feel special.
District cuts vehicle breakdowns by 50%, crashes by 35%
October 3, 2013
These improvements at Virginia's Prince William County Public Schools started by investing more time in maintenance and money in better equipment for its school buses, which also led to an overall reduction in costs.
54-year Virginia bus driver still going strong
September 18, 2013
Bedford County Public Schools driver James Bryant started his career in 1959 and has no plans to retire. He tells
he looks forward to greeting his passengers every day, and he has had few discipline problems, which he attributes to treating students with respect.
Virginia official moves districts, takes transportation job
July 1, 2013
Josh Davis, chief operating officer for Albemarle County Public Schools, is transitioning this month to become the director of pupil transportation for Henrico (Va.) County Public Schools. In the position, Davis will be responsible for pupil transportation in a school division of approximately 49,000 students across 71 elementary, middle and high schools.
Carter Machinery Co. joins Blue Bird dealer network
June 14, 2013
The company will serve the school bus manufacturer's customers in the state of Virginia. Carter Machinery already supports more than 45 school districts, and Blue Bird officials say the company will provide a high level of support to its customers through its network of eight on-highway repair facilities.
Officer back at work after gun fires on special-needs bus
May 31, 2013
The Winchester, Va., police officer had been placed on paid administrative leave, but he resumed his duties after investigators determined that the gun discharging was not his fault. The officer had calmed a disruptive student on the bus and was sitting next to him when the student reached into the officer's holster and squeezed the trigger with his finger, according to police.
Charges dropped for boy who brought fake gun on bus
February 28, 2013
The 10-year-old flashed an orange-tipped replica gun to another student on the school bus, and he was arrested the next day after another bus passenger reported him. Three weeks after the incident, prosecutors say they "did not feel it was appropriate or productive to proceed with criminal prosecution."
Mom ordered to serve jail time for assaulting bus driver
February 19, 2013
A judge sentences Bethany Rudd to 10 days in jail for the December incident in which she boarded her son's school bus and allegedly hit driver Helen Gibson in the face. However, the judge allows Rudd to file for an appeal, enabling her to avoid jail time for now, and she is due back in court in April for the assault and battery charge against her.
LaHood celebrates 'Love the Bus' in Virginia
February 13, 2013
Outgoing U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visits Tuckahoe Elementary School in Arlington on Tuesday, where students sing and rap for him. LaHood tells the children, "I want you kids to thank your drivers when you go home today. They care a lot about getting you to and from school safely."
Va. bill would allow ads on school buses
January 8, 2013
"Age-appropriate" advertisements could be placed on school buses under a bill introduced for the state's new legislative session. Revenue from the bus ad sales would have to be devoted to the cost of providing pupil transportation.
Students charged for allegedly attacking bus driver
December 4, 2012
Police say six students face felony aggravated assault and assault by mob charges, while a seventh student is suspended in connection with the incident. The driver sustains serious face and head injuries.
Student suffers serious allergic reaction on bus
September 11, 2012
After getting stung by a bee, the student is checked out at school and cleared, and his father gives the OK for his son to ride the bus home. The student develops signs of a serious allergic reaction on the bus, and the driver stops for help.
District revamps transportation for increased efficiency
August 21, 2012
Arlington (Va.) Public Schools implements routing software, establishes a call center to assist families, and plans to assign students to specific routes and bus stops. Bus passes will also be issued for the upcoming school year.
Va. DOE reviews district's special-needs training procedures
November 7, 2011
The announcement comes after a $20 million suit was filed against the Bedford County school system over alleged beatings transportation aides administered to a severely autistic student in 2009. The incident was reportedly captured on the bus' surveillance camera.
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ACCUSED: Lee Clark
Dani Walker, Chief Reporter (South Durham) / / News
Judge Peter Coulson urged the eight women and four men to look purely at the evidence when considering whether Lee Clark is guilty of the manslaughter of five-month-old Charlee (CORR) Cameron Clark.
He said: "You may have found it upsetting and it may have made you angry but you must put that aside and clearly and calmly decide on the evidence."
Loading article content
In summing up, he told members of the jury at Newcastle Crown Court today (Monday, February 11) they needed to consider the whole picture and not approach it as two conflicting versions of how the youngster's injuries were caused.
Charlee died in the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), in Newcastle, on March 1, 2011, five days after being admitted to hospital.
His father, Mr Clark, 28, denies the manslaughter of his son at their home in Neville Close, Gainford, County Durham.
Mr Clark's fiancé at the time, Natalie Holmes had left him caring for their baby while she went shopping in Darlington for a new outfit for his christening, which was planned for two days later.
When she left he was his "normal happy self". However, while she was out Mr Clark told her Charlee had refused his bottle, started making a "groaning noise" and had become unresponsive.
Miss Holmes put it down to him missing her but she soon realised something was seriously wrong.
He was rushed to Darlington Memorial Hospital where medical staff found him to have bleeding and swelling in his brain and bleeding behind his eyes. He was then transferred to the RVI.
The trial continues.
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text:
"Okay, Brent, this is getting really old."
"What? It's my 'thing.' It's what the fans want."
"All I'm saying is that if you do another conversational review it'll suck."
"I think they're really funny and creative."
"Well, I think it's just covering up the fact that you can't write quality analytical essays on music."
"Oh yeah? Oh yeah?! Well... uh... Bah Duh Ba, Bah Duh Ba, Bah Duh Beh."
Original Message
From: Jesus.H.Christ, Da Crossroads [firstname.lastname@example.com]
To: Robert "Brent" DiCrescenzo [email@example.com]
Date: Thursday, September 30, 1999 4:38 PM
Subject: Re: milli and vanilli group plays "voltron" in the creamy thighs
>thanks for dying for our sins and all. I really appreciate it.
Hey, no problem.
>my senior year, when your statue fell off the pedestal and did a faceplant in the soft mud of perfect landscaping?
How embarrasing!
>that new stereolab album yet?
No, I haven't heard it. I never got the promo. I can't get anything from Elektra since I dissed that Flipmode Squad CD. Sorry, I'm just not feelin' Rah Digga. Anyway, I don't think I need to hear the new Stereolab. I'm pretty sure I can guess how it sounds. Granted, I am somewhat omnipotent, but I don't even need that sense to tell me the new stereolab is loaded with gurgling farfisa, monotonous xylophone loops, chiming guitar stabs, ba ba ba duh ba ba, ba duh duh ba ba, ba ba ba duh ba ba, ba duh duh ba be...
Massage Parlor, New Jersey...
"It's been a long time."
"I've been working."
"Your satin Pitchfork jacket looks pretty roughed-up."
"Wear and tear. All things get old."
"Yeah. I never listen to that Lotion album you gave me, and I rarely read your reviews anymore. You're getting pretty predictable."
"It's hard to get inspired when you have to sit through five CDs a week. It all blends into a miasma of mediocrity."
"I think you're just losing your touch."
"So, I'm sort of like your Stereolab."
"Hold on, the phone is ringing."
"I'll get on the table."
"Yes, he's here... Brent, it's for you."
"Really? Who is it?"
"Some girl."
"Hello? Oh. Hey... Yeah. Yes. I know. I know... I know it's lame. I just can't think of anything... Yeah, the massage parlor again... I know it's nothing like me..."
"Who is it?"
"My ex-girlfriend. She thinks it's lame for me to do another review about this massage parlor."
"She has a point."
"No. Yes. I know I've worked others girls into my reviews and not you.
"OK. I'll try. Promise."
"What does she want?"
"She wants to be in one of my reviews."
"It's not that big of an honor."
"She hung up."
"So how are you going to work her into the review?"
"Well, she's be the most impatient person I know when it comes to entertainment. If she doesn't like something, she makes it known right off. She would check her watch about twenty times during a movie with dramatic sighs. She would hate the new Stereolab. I'd set the line at about 24.5 watch checks. The funny thing is, when she would check her watch during movies, I would start to feel self- conscious and embarrassed for the movie. In a way, I pity Stereolab. They seem unsure of what to do next. When you have writer's block and a fanbase, you just gotta crank, crank, crank."
[insert real review here]
"Blue Milk," the stultifying fourteen- minute drone which slowly spins in the middle of Cobra and Phases Group Plays Voltage in the Milky Night like a interest- sucking blackhole, brings to mind Michael Snow's 1967 "short" film "Wavelength," in that it soars to new levels of vexation and artistic solipsism. Actually, Stereolab might take this as a compliment, since they named the first track on Dots and Loops after avant- garde filmmaker Stan Brakhage, and they evidently lounge around in plastic furniture wearing thick turtlenecks, smoking long- stemmed pipes, and debating the subtle differences between Josef Alberts' blue and yellow paintings.
A slow zoom across a minimally- decorated city loft comprises the entire 45 minutes of "Wavelength." Set to the sound of a constant tone, which gradually increases in pitch, the zoom closes on a framed photograph of ocean waves. This is such a cheeky joke for a supposedly groundbreaking art film. The director drags the viewers through grating boredom to deliver a pun which is obvious from the first frame. Like most avant- garde art, it might have a valid statement, but it's not a process an audience needs to or wants to go through. A brief verbal description would suffice. On Voltage, their eighth LP, Stereolab sink so deep into their socialist cocktail jazz schtick that they typify this flaw. Frigid noodling, insipid harmonies, and unmemorable repetition lazily waft from yawning French- poseurs. Fractions of this soulless wankery might stimulate the academic, but when the album clocks in at nearly twice the length of "Wavelength," it becomes a Herculean test of human attention.
Dear Diary,
Is this ever going to end? My lord. The album keeps changing styles, but it all sounds exactly the same. There's only so much twinkling vibraphone I can take. Stereolab are beyond hope. They spent more time coming up with the overwrought album title than their "lyrics." The saddest part is that they claim the title is called that strictly because of its length-- they needed it to run that long to "fit into the album design." Um... the album cover is orange atari text on brown. What a fitting analogy for everything that is wrong with Stereolab these days. The liner notes are illegible and gaudy. When a band makes a point of extensively discussing their cover art (which ends up looking last- minute and tacky, regardless) over writing quality songs, you know they've completely lost touch. Even in music, Marxism doesn't work.
Karl Marx
Idea for a movie:
Louie Anderson is Jim O'Rourke in a lighthearted cyber- tragedy. Jim travels to Japan in 2010 to visit the frozen head of Burt Bacharach. The head is kept in a museum by the docks. When Jim arrives, he finds the museum in disrepair. Burt Bacharach's head watches television from inside a jar. Jim tries lift the spirit of Burt with tales of his work. Jim loves to emulate Burt Bacharach, under the veil of structureless noise. Jim plays Burt a tape he recorded with a band called Stereolab. There are string flourishes and sweeping horns mixed to a dull matte. Burt says, "That's great, baby, but where are the songs?" Jim tells Burt those are the songs. Burt tells Jim that songs need a story, not beatnik freeform. Jim says that he thought Burt was a beatnik. Burt laughs. Burt tells Jim that his having lived in the sixties does not make him a beatnik. Jim cries. Burt tells Jim that he wrote songs for the radio, to make money, and doesn't quite understand art. Aliens invade Japan and Jim is forced to eat the head of Burt Bacharach. Roll credits over blooper reel.
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text:
Originally written on Fox Sports | Last updated 5/8/13
The Houston Astros have moved struggling starter Philip Humber out of the rotation and into the bullpen. Just a year removed from pitching the 21st perfect game in major league history, Humber has had a terrible start to 2013. He is 0-7 with an 8.82 ERA. Dallas Keuchel, who started in Triple-A this season before joining the Astros, will take start on Friday against Texas. Keuchel is 0-1 with a 4.96 ERA in six appearances. Erik Bedard, who was moved into the bullpen after his last start on May 1, will return to the rotation to start on Saturday. Houston manager Bo Porter wouldn't commit to keeping the current rotation and says competition among his pitchers makes it a ''fluid situation.''
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Select Local Merchants
Laura Azbill Personal TrainingRead MoreThese days, Laura Azbill is constantly researching and thinking of new, exciting ways to live a healthy lifestyle, and how to share that information with her clients. But she wasn't always this on top of health and exercise habits. For many years, she relied on a great metabolism, staying pretty oblivious to what she was eating and doing, until she slowly began gaining weight. She even continued to gain weight while she was training for a marathon and working with a personal trainer. So she decided to make a change, and focus more on her dietary habits along with exercise. Now, Laura Azbill shares the knowledge she gained while studying at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, helping her clients create practical lifestyle and nutrition plans. Her personalized plans consider each person's unique body type, lifestyle, and goals. Ultimately, for Laura, it's not just about a healthy weight?it's about creating a healthy body, mind, and soul.131 N Ludlow St.Dayton, OH US
Personally FitRead MoreFitness is for everyone at Personally Fit—from kids to seniors and marathon runners to couch potatoes newly plucked from their living rooms. Along with personal training sessions that begin with a fitness evaluation and personal history, the team also runs special programs for youth, seniors, and clients recovering from injuries or illness. Exercisers can also take advantage of more unique fitness tools than a typical gym usually offers: at Personally Fit, sleds, battling ropes, kettlebells, and sledgehammers are all muscle-building equipment, giving workouts a fresh edge.3578 Kettering BoulevardDayton, OH US
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The Iron RoomRead MoreSunlight bounces off the glossy, light-gray floors of The Iron Room. In its expansive, warehouse-like space, resistance equipment waits to be brought to life with a grunt from a motivated student. Certified trainers Roger Downing and Sarah Reeves lead these pupils––no matter their current fitness level––through boot-camp-style classes that use exercises targeting specific muscle groups, which change daily. For example, a workout that focuses on the back includes the use of rings and battle ropes interspersed with high-intensity aerobics. When no class is in session, the students arrive to use the training equipment at their leisure.4025-A Lisa Dr.Tipp City, OH US
Fit 4 Life OhioRead MoreProfessional Latin dancer and certified Zumba instructor Tabra Tacuri embraces the link between dance and fitness: her dance career with longtime partner Anthony—an award-winning dancer certified by the National Dance Council of America and Arthur Murray—has helped her maintain an enviable shape. Together, they lead others in slimming down while strutting their stuff on the dance floor with a combination of ballroom dance and dance fitness classes at Fit 4 Life Ohio. The pair leads group and private dance lessons in ballroom, Latin dance, and Argentine tango and works with betrothed couples to perfect their first dance for their big night. Shifting the focus to fitness, Tabra once again calls upon her Latin-dance training to help dancers of all levels shimmy their way to narrower waistlines during her high-energy Zumba and Zumba toning classes. She further motivates clients to reach their fitness goals with in-home personal training and nutrition coaching. In her e-fitness program, she leads personal training and group fitness classes via webcam and Skype, allowing clients to get in shape at home or on a crowded commuter train. The e-training sessions also include personal assessments and interviews to ensure that clients stay on track.7677 Yankee St.Centerville, OH US
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text: Advice For Girls From Beauty & The Beast's Belle Margaret Hartmann and 101 othersEditDelete Invite manuallyPromoteXDismissXUndismissBlock for jezebelHide In this video, Belle shares some lessons she learned from wooing the Beast, like, "Find a man who wants to imprison you with his love. The longer you're trapped... it will start to feel like home — Stockholm." » 8/31/10 12:44pm 8/31/10 12:44pm


text:
Chenault Clothing Lace Collar Blouse
We're sorry, this item has sold out. However, we have found some other items you may like. You can find those listed at right.
Feminine details really do make the difference on this lovely, lightweight top. Lace neckline embellishments and pleated front ruffle detail make this top a pretty favorite.
- 16-in. L from under arm
- Scoop neckline
- Short cap sleeves
- Polyester
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- Imported
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text:
Canadian Geese Make Their Annual Stop in West Texas [Video]
Growing up at Possum Kingdom Lake, I looked forward every year to the Canadian geese stopping by during their migration.
Growing up at Possum Kingdom Lake, I looked forward every year to the Canadian geese stopping by during their migration.
It is that time of the year when we see neighborhoods start to hang Christmas lights and I am telling you that I absolutely hate to hang Christmas lights.
Ah yes, it's all about food and football today, ladies and gentlemen. Forget tomorrow being Black Friday, forget about Christmas, all that. It's time to dig in.
The holidays are once again upon us, and it's time to think about a great gift for that hard rock or metal fan in your life or the gifts you'd like to put on your own holiday list.
These turkeys turn the Thanksgiving tables.
Hungry for some sopapilla cheesecake this Thanksgiving? If you live in Texas, you're not alone.
You know that after flying hundreds of thousand of miles, and delivering billions of Christmas presents to millions of homes, that at some point Santa has to drop the elves off at the pool.
While calling a myriad of Lubbock stores to check on Black Friday hours, I found that close to 80% of local stores will be opening Thanksgiving Day!
Now that Halloween is over the countdown to Christmas has officially begun. As of today, there are only 50 shopping days left until Christmas morning 2014 is upon us.
Nightmare on 19th Street isn't just the scariest haunted attraction in Texas. One day each year it throws open the gates a little early for young kids to spend some time with their families in costume and score some free candy before Halloween.
Lubbock went all out this year with the scary Halloween displays. From Vintage Township to The Falls, Lakeridge and houses off of Avenue Q between 34th Street and 19th Street, lights and spooky specters decorated homes and yards all over the Hub City!
I have some last minute tips for the dudes out there that are in need of a last minute Halloween costume, that is easy and cheap and will be pretty cool as well.


text:
A method of wirelessly interrogating a sensing device comprising a plurality of passive sensors, to determine a measurement parameter, comprises the steps of repeatedly interrogating the sensing device using a predetermined transmission signal and detecting the response; estimating the measurement parameter for each sensor by means of an analysis of the data accumulated as a result of the interrogation step, and determining the average of the parameters derived from the estimating step for each sensor, using a weighted average, in which the weightings depend on the amplitude of the sensor response. The measurement parameter may be a resonant frequency where the passive sensors are resonant devices, and the sensors may be SAW devices.
1. A method of wirelessly interrogating a sensing device comprising a plurality of passive sensors, to determine a measurement parameter, f, comprising the steps of:
(1) repeatedly interrogating the sensing device using a predetermined transmission signal and detecting the response;
(2) estimating the measurement parameter for each sensor by means of an analysis of the data accumulated as a result of step (1); and
(3) determining the average of the parameters derived from step (2) for each sensor, using a weighted average, in which the weightings depend on the amplitude of the sensor response.
2. The method according to
3. The method according to
where fj is an individual reading from a sensor, wj is the weight assigned to the reading fj, and N is the number of readings being averaged.
4. The method according to
5. The method according to
6. The method according to
7. The method according to
8. The method according to
G=F 1(σfave)+CF 2(<N>/N a),
where F1(x) and F2(x) are monotonously increasing functions, C is a constant and the variance σ2 fave of the averaged measurement parameter is given by
where wm is the weighting for each of the K classes, σm is its standard deviation and pm is the probability of a reading belonging to the class, Na is the length of the averaging buffer and <N> is the average number of readings required to fill in the buffer, given by
9. The method according to
10. The method according to
11. The method according to
detecting an interference signal in the absence of an interrogation pulse, during a detection window immediately preceding an interrogation period, and
comparing the power spectral density of the interference signal with a predetermined threshold level,
wherein the detection window substantially corresponds to the length of the interrogation pulse plus the device sampling period and comprises two discrete interference sampling periods during which respective interference signals are detected.
12. The method according to
13. The method according to
14. The method according to
15. The method according to
16. The method according to
P=(P1 1/2+P2 1/2)2, where P1 and P2 are the respective maximum power spectral density values for the two interference sampling periods.
17. The method according to
18. The method according to
19. The method according to
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22. The method according
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for interrogating sensor systems based on wirelessly interrogated passive sensor-transponders as used, for example, for measuring pressure and temperature of air in vehicle tires. More specifically, a preferred embodiment of the invention provides a passive sensor interrogation algorithm which allows high accuracy of measurement of pressure and temperature.
2. The Prior Art
Passive wireless sensors based on resonators have been under development for the last 10 years. They offer a cost-effective batteryless solution for the applications where physical quantities such as temperature, pressure, acceleration, torque etc. need to be measured to be pleasured on rotating or moving parts. If surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators are employed as sensing elements then their working frequency within the UHF range makes the antenna size (of around 10 cm) suitable for a wide range of practical applications. At the same time a very high Q factor of the SAW resonators around 10000 makes it possible to measure their resonant frequency wirelessly with a good accuracy.
The basic principle behind the SAW resonant sensors is that the resonant frequency depends on the physical quantities mentioned above. Usually the SAW sensing element is designed in such a way that it contains several SAW resonators, each characterised by a different variation of the resonant frequency with temperature, torque. and pressure etc, in other words, different calibration characteristics. The physical quantities are found by measuring wirelessly the resonant frequencies of all the resonators connected to a single sensor antenna and a subsequent solution of simultaneous equations approximating the sensor calibration characteristics.
One application of the passive wireless resonant sensors in the car tire pressure and temperature monitoring system (TPMS) is described in the paper by B. Dixon, V. Kalinin, J. Beckley and R. Lohr "A second generation in-car tire pressure monitoring system based on wireless passive SAW sensors", Proceedings of 2006 IEEE Frequency Control Symposium. As shown in
Wireless measurement of the resonant frequency is adversely affected by two phenomena—noise in the electronic circuits of the interrogator's receiver and RF interference picked up by the interrogation antenna. The noise causes random errors in the measured resonant frequency that may become unacceptably large when the magnitude of the SAW response picked up by the receiver is small (it happens in TPMS at certain angular positions of the wheels). The RF interference may come from another system working in the 433 MHz ISM band such as a remote keyless entry system (RKE) or from the TPMS transmitter of a neighbouring vehicle. It may block the interrogator's receiver and make interrogation impossible. The same problems can also arise in sensing systems for wireless measurement of not only frequency but also phase and group delays (e.g. in delay line sensor systems), modulation depth or other signal parameters. The aim of this application is to disclose an interrogation method that allows improving noise and interference immunity of the wireless interrogator of the passive sensing system.
The resonant frequency can be measured wirelessly by a number of different methods. The method most suitable for the distance of around 1-3 m has been disclosed in the GB patent 2381074 (and corresponding patent U.S. Pat. No. 7,065,459) and GB patent 2411239. The interrogation is performed in the time domain by launching an RF interrogation pulse at the interrogation frequency close to the resonant frequency of the SAW resonator that is being measured, exciting natural oscillation in the resonator, then picking up the natural oscillation after the interrogation pulse is over and analysing its spectrum. The frequency of the natural oscillation corresponding to the maximum of the power spectral density (PSD) is assumed to be equal to the measured resonant frequency.
The interrogator contains a pulsed transmitter (Tx) generating the interrogation pulses at one of the number of possible discrete interrogation frequencies. The pulse width is such that it can efficiently excite the natural oscillations, i.e. it is related to the loaded Q factor of the resonator+the sensor antenna connected to it. In practice it is of the order of 10 μs. The shape of the pulse envelope and its peak power are such that its spectrum complies with the regulations of the country where the sensing system is used. For instance, the envelope can have rise and fall modulated by a Gaussian function to suppress spectrum sidelobes and the peak power should be below 10 dBm in EU countries. The frequency interval between possible interrogation frequencies is also related to the loaded Q factor of the resonator and it is in the range between 25 and 100 kHz at 433 MHz. This arrangement always allows finding such an interrogation frequency that the natural oscillation can be efficiently excited (the spectrum of the interrogation pulse overlaps with the frequency response of the resonator).
The interrogator also contains a wideband superheterodyne receiver (Rx) picking up the natural oscillation after the interrogation pulse is over. The receiver converts the input frequency to an intermediate frequency (IF) that can be easily sampled by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) but it should be larger than the spectral width occupied by the SAW response. For instance, the nominal IF (the one at the IF output when the input frequency equals the interrogation frequency) can be around 1 MHz. Knowing the frequency of the IF signal, one also knows the frequency of the RF signal at the Rx input. The Rx bandwidth should be wide enough in order to prevent transient processes at the Rx output from corrupting the SAW response. In practice it can be from 1.5 to 5 MHz. The abovementioned documents disclose the use of two IF outputs of the receiver, I(t) and Q(t), shifted relative to each other in phase by 90�. They can be obtained, for instance, by using a quadrature mixer in the Rx frequency down-converter.
The SAW responses I(t) and Q(t) at the IF are sampled by the ADC (samples are taken at the same moments of time both for I and Q channels) during a period of 10 to 20 μs, corresponding to the length of the exponentially decaying SAW response. Then a digital signal processor (DSP) performs a spectral analysis of the signals I(t) and Q(t) and finds precise positions of the maximum of the power spectral density of each signal using parabolic (or any other) interpolation between the calculated spectral lines. The frequencies corresponding to those positions are averaged to give the frequency of the natural oscillation. This method of calculation drastically reduces influence of the unknown initial phase angle of the SAW response on the measured frequency and thus improves the accuracy of the measurement. The alternative approach giving the same high precision is to calculate the power spectral density of the complex signal I(t)+jQ(t) and find the frequency of the natural oscillation as the one corresponding to the maximum of this PSI), again, by using interpolation. It requires fewer calculations in comparison with the previous approach.
The abovementioned documents disclose a general structure of the interrogation algorithm. Interrogation begins with the search phase when the interrogation unit sweeps through all possible interrogation frequencies and finds the ones closest to the resonant frequencies of all three resonators. The documents describe possible ways of finding those optimal interrogation frequencies based on the analysis of the maxima of the calculated PSD values. After the search is complete the measurement phase begins when the resonant frequencies are measured sequentially one after another with high precision. At the measurement phase the interrogation is performed either at the optimum interrogation frequency found during the search or at the interrogation frequency closest to the previously measured resonant frequency (if the measurement is not triggered manually but repeated automatically).
These documents also suggest a number of measures to improve noise and interference immunity of the interrogation unit.
A. Noise
The first measure is to use coherent accumulation of several SAW responses. This is achieved by repeated launching of the interrogation pulses at the same frequency and adding sampled values of I(t) and Q(t) to the values obtained for the previously received SAW response in the DSP buffers. The samples should always be taken at the moments tied to the initial phase angle of the SAW responses to preserve coherency. This can be achieved if the same clock oscillator is used to generate the local oscillator signal in the Rx and the clock frequency in the DSP. Other conditions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,065,459. Coherent accumulation of Nc SAW responses improves signal-to-noise ratio by a factor of Nc 1/2. Influence of the phase noise of the local oscillator is also reduced by the same factor. In practice, Nc is typically 5 to 30.
The second measure is to average several measurement results for each resonant frequency. Averaging Na frequency readings accumulated in the DSP buffer reduces random errors of the measured frequency by a factor of Na 1/2 where, in practice, Na=10 . . . 100. In other words, if σ is the standard deviation of the individual resonant frequency readings fj then the averaged frequency
will have the standard deviation
An example of the timing diagram for the interrogation pulses radiated by the Tx is shown in
The problem with this approach is that the amplitudes of the SAW responses are usually not constant; for example, in the case of TPMS, they vary as a result of rotation of the wheels and thus variation of the distance between the interrogation antenna and the sensor antenna as well as variation of the sensor antenna impedance. For certain positions the amplitude of the SAW response is so small that the frequency reading obtained by the reader becomes unreliable. According to the method proposed in the abovementioned documents these readings need to be disregarded, i.e. excluded from calculation of the average frequency in Eq. (1). As a result, the number of the groups of interrogation pulses needed to all in the averaging buffers can be larger than 3Na by perhaps 25% to 50%. This increases the minimum achievable data update period. In practical TPMS, filling in the buffers can take up to 300 . . . 500 ms for Na=40. As a result, temperature and pressure cannot be updated faster than 1.2 . . . 2 s in the case of the measurement performed in four wheels. For some applications, in particular in motor sport, this update period is too large. One aim of the invention is to provide a method that can either reduce random errors of the wireless resonant frequency measurement for a fixed update period or reduce the update period for a given standard deviation of the random errors.
B. Interference
Broadband interference has the same effect on the measurement as noise. Narrowband interference is more dangerous because it may completely spoil the measurement results or cause an unacceptably large systematic error if its frequency is within approximately �100 kHz around the measured resonant frequency and the amplitude is above a certain threshold level (for instance 20 dB below a typical SAW response amplitude). The abovementioned documents adopt the strategy similar to the one used in CSMA-CD (Carrier-Sense Multiple Assess with Collision Detection) communication protocols. Before launching the interrogation pulse at the beginning of coherent accumulations, the interrogator's receiver "listens" to the interference by taking samples of the IF signal. If interference is detected, the measurement is delayed by a random interval of time. Since the interference needs to be detected only within a limited frequency range of about 200 kHz, much smaller than the Rx bandwidth, detection of the narrowband interference cannot be performed by a simple measurement of the rms or peak value of the IF signal as it is usually done in communication systems. Instead, it is proposed to calculate PSD values of the IF signal within the frequency range of interest and compare the maximum PSD value with the threshold. Detection of interference within the limited bandwidth allows increasing capacity of the system by a factor of three (in the case where there are three SAW resonators in the sensor) because it makes possible simultaneous interrogation of three resonators by three different systems.
The abovementioned documents do not disclose how long the Rx should "listen" to the interference. If a source of interference uses the ISM band for a slow digital data transmission by means of frequency-shift keying (FSK) signals or analogue transmission by means of AM or FM signals then the period of "listening" is not critical, it can be quite short—the interference will not be missed. A more dangerous situation is when the interference is generated by a neighbouring TPMS system of the same type installed on another vehicle. In this case the "listening" period Tl should be as long as the period Ti of the interrogation pulses which is approximately from 20 to 40 μs. It is determined by the length of the interrogation pulse 5 and the length of the SAW response sampling window 6 as shown in
The problem with this approach is that the number of interference samples in this case will exceed the number of the signal samples (the sampling period in both windows should be the same to be able to use the same sine and cosine look-up table and the same routine for calculation of the PSD in the DSP). As a result, the size of the sine and cosine look up table stored in the DSP memory has to be significantly increased, which may pose a problem for inexpensive DSP chips used in the SAW interrogation units. Another aim of the invention is to provide a method of improving robustness of the interference detection and reducing the required number of interference samples.
As explained above, the method according to the invention addresses two main issues:
However, it should also be noted that the invention is applicable equally to measurement parameters other than resonant frequency, depending on the type of passive sensor being employed in a particular system.
The present invention provides a method of wirelessly interrogating a sensing device comprising a plurality of passive sensors, to determine a measurement parameter, f. The method includes steps of repeatedly interrogating the sensing device using a predetermined transmission signal and detecting the response; estimating the measurement parameter for each sensor by means of an analysis of the data accumulated in the interrogating step; and determining the average of the parameters derived horn the estimating step for each sensor, using a weighted average, in which the weightings depend on the amplitude of the sensor response.
The weightings depend on the maximum power spectral density of the sensor response. The averaged measurement parameter fave is given by
where fj is an individual reading from a sensor, wj is the weight assigned to the reading fj, and N is the number of readings being averaged. The weightings wj are selected so as to minimise the standard deviation of fave for a given value of N. The weightings wj are selected according to the rule wj=S/σj 2, where S is a constant, and σj is the standard deviation of the measured parameter.
The measured parameters are stored in an averaging buffer, and the weightings wj are selected so as to minimise the time needed to fill the buffer while maintaining the standard deviation of the averaged measurement parameter. The weightings are integer weightings where wj≧1, and each measured value fj is written into the buffer wj times.
The range of power spectral density values of the sensor responses is divided into K classes, and the weightings for measurement parameter values in each class are selected by minimising the goal function
The parameters governing the K classes are determined from test measurements performed for a given system of sensors. The weightings are selected using a genetic optimisation algorithm.
The interrogation of the sensing device in the interrogating step includes an interrogation period during which an interrogation pulse is transmitted, followed by a device sampling period for receiving the response from the device. An interference detection step, may be provided which includes detecting an interference signal in the absence of an interrogation pulse, during a detection window immediately preceding an interrogation period. Then the power spectral density of the interference signal is compared with a predetermined threshold level. The detection window substantially corresponds to the length of the interrogation pulse plus the device sampling period, and includes two discrete interference sampling periods during which respective interference signals are detected. The interference sampling periods are equal in length, and are located respectively at the beginning and end of the detection window. The length of the interference sampling periods does not exceed the length of the device sampling period. The length of the interference sampling periods corresponds to a substantial portion of the length of the interrogation pulse.
The maximum power spectral densities of the interference signals detected in each interference sampling period are combined to determine a combined power spectral density value. The combined power spectral density P is determined by:
P=(P1 1/2+P2 1/2)2, where P1 and P2 are the respective maximum power spectral density values for the two interference sampling periods. The combined power spectral density P is determined by; P=P1+P2. If the combined power spectral density exceeds a predetermined threshold level, the interrogation period is delayed or a different device or sensor is selected for interrogation.
A second pair of interference sampling periods are located at the end of the repeated interrogation cycle to detect interference emerging during the interrogation cycle. The determined measurement parameters are used to calculate pressure and temperature. The passive sensors are SAW devices. The sensing device comprises a plurality of resonant devices, and the measurement parameter is the respective resonant frequency of each resonant device. The resonant frequencies are estimated by means of spectral analysis of the data accumulated as a result of the interrogation step.
Prior to the interrogation step, the method may include the step of determining an optimal interrogation frequency for each resonant device, by interrogating each resonant device a plurality of times at its determined respective optimal interrogation frequency. The spectral analysis in the determining step includes performing discrete Fourier transforms, or is based on parametric signal modelling.
The advantages, nature and various additional features of the invention will appear more fully upon consideration of the illustrative embodiments now to be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
A traditional averaging is shown in Eq. (1) for a measurement parameter f, which, in the described embodiment, is the resonant frequency of a resonant device. This traditional averaging is based on the assumption that the standard deviation σ of the individual measurement does not vary with time so it is the same for all readings. Where the resonant frequency is measured wirelessly in a dynamic environment this is not true any more. The amplitudes of the received SAW responses are all different and hence signal-to-noise ratios are also different. As a result each individual frequency reading fj has to be characterised by its own standard deviation σj depending on the signal-to-noise ratio. The readings fj obtained from the SAW responses with higher maximum PSD values Pj are more reliable and are characterised by a smaller value of σj.
It is proposed to use a weighted average
instead of the simple average (1) to estimate the value of the wirelessly measured resonant frequency. Here is the weight assigned to the reading fj and N is the number of different readings taking part in the averaging process. Since the readings fj corresponding to higher Pj values are more reliable they should be assigned a larger weight wj. The interrogation unit measures not only fj but also Pj anyway so all the information required for selection of the weights is available in the DSP.
Selection of the optimum weights wj can be performed in a number of possible ways. One possible way is to fix the number of valid readings N for each measured resonant frequency and select the weights in such a way that they minimize the standard deviation of the measured averaged frequency fave calculated according to Eq. (3). One can show that the weights selected according to the following rule
minimize the standard deviation of fave (see Appendix I). The constant S can have any value. In order to implement the rule (4) in a particular wireless measurement system one should establish first the relationship between the standard deviation σj of the measured frequency and the amplitude of the maximum PSD value of the SAW response Pj, which can be done experimentally.
Another possible way of selecting the optimum weights wj is to fix the length of the averaging buffer Na and select the weights in such a way that they minimize the time needed to fill in this buffer, keeping the same value of the standard deviation of the measured averaged frequency. This method allows minimization of the data update period. A version of this method with integer weights wj≧1 is especially attractive because it greatly simplifies calculation of Eq. (3), since multiplication by wj can be replaced by writing the frequency value into the buffer wj times. Obviously, in this case
and the required number of valid readings N needed to fill in the buffer becomes random. Its average value
can be considerably smaller than Na leading to a reduction of the measurement time and the data update period (see Appendix II) since the average weight wave exceeds unity. The following method of calculation of the optimal weights can be used in this case.
First, a set of test measurements should be performed for a given wireless measurement system. As a result, one should split the whole range of the PSD values Pj above a threshold into K classes, the m-th class characterised by its standard deviation σm, and the probability pm of the reading belonging to it. One can show (see Appendix II) that the variance of the averaged frequency is
The optimum weights wm, for each of K classes can be found by minimization of a goal function G based on the standard deviation (σfave) of fave, in the following general form:
where F1(x) and F2(x) are any monotonously increasing functions and C is a constant.
In the case where F1(x)=x2 and F2(x)=x, the goal function becomes:
such that the C/wave term is proportional to the time needed to fill in the averaging buffer, and the constant C establishes a relative importance of minimizing the buffer filling time. By varying the value of C one can trade off between the value of σ2 f ave characterising random measurement errors and the average weight value
characterising the length of measurements.
As an example, it has been established experimentally that the readings obtained for a wireless TRMS installed on a passenger car can be split into 10 classes according to the amplitude of the SAW response. Standard deviations, probabilities and the optimum weights for those classes are given in the table below in the case if C=0.02 kHz2.
Averaging of the frequency using uniform weights according to Eq. (1) would give the standard deviation σf ave=102 Hz. Averaging according to Eq. (3) with the weights from the above table gives σf ave=101 Hz and wave=2.8 which corresponds to reduction of the measurement time by a factor of 2.8.
The method based on minimization of the goal function (8) is not the only one possible. Another method is based on a genetic optimization algorithm.
In the case of using a genetic algorithm, a computer simulation (based on real world measurements) is used to evaluate the performance of several sets of averaging weights. The simulation produces an estimate of the resulting standard deviation of the measured frequency σ.
During each iteration of the genetic algorithm, a certain number of the best performing sets of weights (children) are allowed to live on into the next iteration (as parents). Randomly mutated versions of these strongest performers are also added to the next generation. Finally, the strongest contenders are also randomly paired, and a random section of their weights crossed over, to create further children.
After this mutation/cross breeding process is complete, the performance of each set of weights (child) is, once again, evaluated using the simulator, and the whole process repeated. Within a relatively short number of iterations (generations), an optimum set of weights is arrived at.
For the data presented here, each generation consisted of 12 sets of weights, and the following goal function similar to Eq. (8) was used to evaluate their performance
where σT is the target standard deviation (i.e that achieved when not using weighted averaging), N is the number of readings when using weighted averaging, and Na the number of elements required to average when not using weighting. Ws and Wa are constants controlling the trade off between minimizing standard deviation vs. minimizing the number of readings required.
This goal function is a version of the generalised function set out in Eq. (8), in which F1(x)=F2(x)=x, and C=σT Wa/Ws.
For the measured system here, when 40 readings are averaged using equal weighting, a standard deviation of 90-100 Hz for the SAW resonant frequency is achieved. However, by using the above mentioned genetic algorithm, applying equal bias of Ws-0.5 and Wa=0.5 to the goal function (11), a set of weights are arrived at after just 13 generations, which result in a standard deviation of SAW frequency measurement of approximately 100 Hz, yet only requires 12 SAW readings, rather than 40 (see Table I). This corresponds to a reduction of the measurement time by a factor of 3.3. These results tally well with those arrived at above using statistical analysis.
By using goal function biases of and Ws=0.3 and Wa=0.7, more bias is given to reducing the number of SAW readings. When run through the genetic optimization process, a set of weights is arrived at (see Table 2) which achieves a standard deviation of around 120-130 Hz, using only 5-6 interrogations.
Although a generic set of weights will improve performance, for some installations a purpose developed set of weights may be preferable. In this situation measurements can be taken, and optimum weights arrived at using, for example, the simulation technique discussed above. However, an alternative technique would be for the TPMS installation to self-learn the optimum weights in situ using one of the techniques discussed above, on data it collects during its running operation.
The new proposed interference detection algorithm is modified in comparison with prior art in the following way. Instead of taking samples of interference in a window 7 with the length Tl=Ti as shown in
The procedure of the analysis is as follows. First the spectral lines are calculated within the frequency range of interest and the maximum PSD value P1 is found for the first window 7 a. Then a similar calculation gives the maximum PSD value P2 for the second window 7 b. After that a combined PSD value
is calculated and compared with a threshold to establish if the interrogation can start, or should be delayed until the particular interrogation channel is free. Alternatively, if interrogation of the particular resonator is not possible because of the interference, the system can try interrogating another resonator which may be unaffected by the narrowband interference.
If variation of the measured PSD value of the interference by 3 dB is acceptable, the combined PSD value can be calculated in a simpler way:
Finally, in a highly dynamic environment there is a small probability that the interference not present at the start of the coherent accumulation cycle lasting for NcTi=0.1 . . . 1.2 ms will emerge in the middle of this cycle (e.g. the source of interference will suddenly get close enough to the interrogation antenna to become significant). In this case the frequency reading obtained on the basis of the accumulated SAW response would be spoiled. In order to detect this interference and disregard the reading, one more pair of the sampling windows similar to 7 a and 7 b can be positioned at the end of the coherent accumulation cycle.
The described improvement in the interference detection may be used in combination with the improved averaging method described above, or may be used separately, in order to provide an improvement in the immunity of the interrogation system to interference with or without the improved averaging. However, the improved interference detection can become particularly significant when using a simple and cheap digital signal processor which cannot easily perform the calculation of the spectrum of a long sampled signal. By using a split sampling window to detect interference as described above, the demands on the DSP are reduced.
It should be noted that the above described interrogation methods are not restricted to use in systems where the passive sensor is a SAW sensor, and are also not limited to use with resonant type sensors. If the sensor is based on a delay line, for example, the weighted averaging can be applied to measuring the phase delay or the group delay in the same way as described in relation to the measurement of frequency for a resonant sensor, and providing corresponding advantages. The same methods may also be used in systems where other parameters are measured, and it will be understood that the described methods provide particular advantages in passive sensing systems in which the random measurement errors depend on the magnitude of the received sensor response, and the magnitude varies during the time over which difference responses are averaged, in particular in wireless sensor systems.
Assuming that the frequency readings fj are statistically independent the variance of the average frequency defined by Eq. (3) is
The weights minimizing the standard deviation can be found by solving simultaneous equations
The solutions are found after substituting (A1) into (A2):
The second term in (A3) can be regarded as an arbitrary constant S giving the Eq. (4) for the optimum weights.
Variance of the Average Frequency Taking into Account Probability of Classes of Readings
Let us suppose that, among the N readings taken to fill in the buffer, Nm readings belong to the m-th class characterised by the range of PSD values of the SAW responses from Pm-1 to Pm (see Table A1) The probability of the reading belonging to the m-th class is pm.
The average frequency calculated according to Eqs. (3) and (6) can be rewritten in a different form:
Then, bearing in mind that all the readings within each class and across all, classes can be regarded as statistically independent, the variance of the average frequency is
where < > means averaging over a number of attempts to calculate fave. Taking into account Eqs. (6) and (10) one can finally obtain Eq. (7) from Eq. (A5).
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