text:
A fiber matrix burner and method of manufacture in which a shaped burner element is formed by accreting a slurry onto a foraminous support. The slurry is comprised of ceramic fibers, a binding agent, a vaporizable filler, and a powdered, normally non-flammable aluminum alloy having a melting point between 660° C. and 1,000° C. After the drying and firing, a porous matrix of the fibers is formed which flamelessly combusts a fuel-air mixture. During combustion, the aluminum alloy inhibits growth of alumina crystals on the fiber surface to prolong burner life and, in addition, protects the burner both from extreme temperature and flashback.
1. A fiber matrix burner made by the process of preparing an aqueous slurry comprising inorganic fibers, an inorganic binding agent gel, a non-reactive vaporizable filler and a powdered, normally non-flammable aluminum alloy with a melting point between 660° C. and 1000° C., said alloy being incorporated into the slurry in the proportion of 1/4 to 4 grams per gram of said fibers, withdrawing moisture from the slurry while accreting the fibers on the surface of a foraminous support to form a burner structure, heating the structure to remove residual moisture, and heating the structure at a temperature sufficient to vaporize the filler to produce a matrix of interconnected pores throughout the structure with the fibers having a coating which includes the aluminum alloy.
2. A burner made by the process of claim 1 in which the aluminum alloy contains more than 1% of a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, zirconium, iron, chromium, silicon, magnesium, zinc and titanium.
3. A burner made by the process of claim 1 in which the powdered aluminum alloy is present in the slurry in the amount of 5 to 80 grams of alloy per gallon of the binding agent gel.
4. In a method of manufacturing a fiber matrix burner adapted for use in a combustion apparatus by accreting a shaped fibrous element on a foraminous support from a slurry composition comprising a plurality of ceramic fibers, an inorganic binding agent and a vaporizable filler in which heat is applied to vaporize the filler and to form pores in the element, the improvement comprising incorporating a powdered normally non-flammable aluminum alloy with a melting point between 660° C. and 1000° C. into the slurry composition prior to the step of accreting the element on the support, said alloy being incorporated into the slurry in the proportion of from 1/4 to 4 grams per gram of said fibers.
5. A method as in claim 4 in which the aluminum alloy contains more than 1% of a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, zirconium, iron, chromium, silicon, magnesium, zinc and titanium.
6. A method of molding a combustion element comprising the steps of forming a slurry composition containing a powdered normally non-flammable aluminum alloy, ceramic fibers, an inorganic binding agent gel, and a non-reactive vaporizable filler interspersed throughout the slurry, said alloy being incorporated into the slurry in the proportion of from 1/4 to 4 grams per gram of said fibers, and vaporizing the filler leaving a matrix of interconnected pores extending through the element.
7. A method as in claim 6 in which the powdered aluminum alloy is present in the slurry in the amount of 5 to 80 grams of alloy per gallon of the binding agent gel.
8. A method as in claim 6 in which the aluminum alloy contains more than 1% of a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, zirconium, iron, chromium, silicon, magnesium, zinc and titanium.
This invention relates in general to radiant burners of fiber matrix composition. The invention relates more particularly to radiant fiber matrix burners for use in applications such as fire tube boilers, process heaters, warm air furnaces, and commerical and residential water heaters.
The operating characteristics of conventional fiber matrix burners provide a number of important advantages in gas-fired heating applications. These burners produce radiant heat by flameless combustion at temperatures on the order of 1,000° C. The burners operate with relatively low NOx emissions, high thermal efficiency, no risk of flashback, they turn on and off instantaneously and operate with little aerodynamic combustion noise.
Fiber matrix burners of the type described are capable of being molded into various configurations depending upon the particular end-use application; for example, the burners can be molded into different cylindrical shapes or into flat plate configurations. The burners have been employed in a wide range of applications including fired heaters such as process heaters in the chemical industry, and for use in the combustion chambers of fire tube boilers, warm air furnaces, and commercial and residential water heaters. The fiber matrix burners have also been adapted for retrofit installation in existing heaters to replace the conventional supported-flame type burners.
The operation of conventional fiber matrix burners over a long period of time can result in "aging" of the fiber matrix structure, which reduces burner life. This "aging" is attributed to the deposit of undesirable crystals of alumina on the surfaces of the fibers such that a gradual build up of the alumina decreases burner activity over time.
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a new and improved radiant fiber matrix burner which obviates the "aging" problem of conventional burners.
Another object is to provide a fiber matrix composition and method of manufacture which produces a burner that minimizes buildup of undesirable alumina on the fiber surfaces to maintain burner activity over a longer period of time.
The invention in summary comprises a fiber matrix burner and method of manufacture in which the burner element is accreted on a foraminous support from an aqueous slurry comprising ceramic fibers, a binding agent, a vaporizable filler, and a powdered normally non-flammable aluminum alloy. The burner structure is vacuum formed on a foraminous support of the desired shape. The composition is then heated to vaporize the filler leaving a porous burner structure.
The foregoing and additional objects and features of the invention will appear from the following specification in which the several embodiments have been set forth in connection with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a fiber matrix burner element of the invention within a typical combustion chamber.
FIG. 2 is a microphotograph of a prior art fiber matrix structure from a conventional burner showing the undesirable growth of alumina crystals following burner operation over a period of time.
FIG. 3 is a microphotograph of the fiber structure of a burner incorporating the invention after burner operation over a period of time comparable to that described for FIG. 2.
In the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates generally at 10 one embodiment of the invention providing a radiant fiber matrix burner of cylindrical shape for transferring heat primarily by radiation to a heat sink, shown as the typical firetube boiler combustion chamber 12. The invention is adapted for a wide range of end-use of applications, such as within the combustion chambers of fire tube boilers, process heaters, warm air furnaces, and commercial and residential water heaters. While the burner 10 shown for the embodiment of FIG. 1 is cylindrical, the invention can also be adapted for use in other shapes such as flat plate burners.
Burner 10 is comprised of a wall structure 14 formed of a matrix of ceramic fibers, and the wall is carried on a suitable foraminous support, such as the tubular metal screen 16. Interstitial spaces or pores are interconnected throughout the fiber matrix for the passage of gas. Pre-mixed air and fuel, for example natural gas, is pumped under pressure through inlet 16 and disperses outwardly through the pores of the matrix. The mixture is ignited on the outer surface of the burner wall and flamelessly combusts at a temperature on the order of 1,000° C. along a shallow combustion zone.
The conventional method of manufacturing the above-described prior art burner wall structure includes the preparation of an aqueous slurry of inorganic fibers, binding agent, finely divided filler and powdered aluminum.
The inorganic fibers are of ceramic or refractory composition and can be comprised of substantial portions of both alumina and silica with fiber lengths on the order of one inch. Other fibers that can be employed include quartz fibers, alumina fibers, zirconia fibers, vitreous silica fibers and other generally available ceramic fibers such as the commercially available Kaowool fiber as well as the Fiberfrax ceramic fiber manufactured by the Carborundum Company.
The binding agent used in the conventional process typically comprises a mixture of aluminum nitrate and colloidal alumina in the aqueous slurry. The binding agent serves to hold the fibers together up to the use temperatures on the order of 1,100° C. Gels formed from aluminum nitrate and a colloidal aluminum, such as that sold under the name Baymal, are satisfactory for this purpose. The finely divided filler within the slurry can be of a suitable vaporizable material such as methyl methacrylate, camphor, or menthol. These fillers are non-reactive under the conditions of manufacture and are capable of vaporizing completely without leaving any residue at a temperature between 93° C. and about 593° C. The powdered aluminum is contained in the slurry in the proportion of about 1/4 to 4 grams of powdered aluminum per gram of fiber.
The next step in the conventional method of manufacture includes accreting the slurry upon a foraminous surface, such as a metal screen, through the application of differential pressure, such as in a vacuum forming process. The suction force of the vaccuum draws liquid from the slurry through the screen, with the fibers and other solids being retained on the surface of the screen. The screen with its coating of solids is then withdrawn from the slurry and dried at a temperature in the range of 27° C. to 66° C. for sufficient time, on the order of one hour or more, to drive off the remaining moisture. The structure is then heated slowly from room temperature to a firing temperature between 150° C. and 600° C., and preferably approximately 280° C., for a time on the order of three hours. At this firing temperature the filler material vaporizes, leaving a matrix of uniform, interconnected pores throughout the matrix of fibers. The burner structure can then be mounted in the combustion chamber or other end-use application for operation. After initial burner operation the surfaces of the refractory fibers have a thin coating of aluminum oxide and powdered aluminum on the refractory fibers. The aluminum oxide of the coating is formed from the chemical decomposition of the aluminum nitrate, as well as from the colloidal alumina.
It is known that in the conventional burners made by the process described the powdered aluminum functions to decrease surface temperature and thereby increase the resistance to thermal flashback, permitting a reasonable range of variation in fuel-air ratio and flow velocity. During operation of these conventional burners it has been found that a part of the aluminum from the powder vaporizes and forms a layer of gaseous aluminum over the surface of the fibers. This gaseous aluminum tends to deposit on the fiber surfaces and nucleates as alumina crystals. FIG. 2 is a microphotograph enlarged 1,000X showing the growth of alumina crystals on the ceramic fiber of a prior art burner following 1000 hours of operation. The growth of alumina crystals eventually covers the surface of the fibers and influences the mechanical properties at the surface. The alumina becomes very brittle such that the surface becomes harder and the matrix less porous. The crystal growth also tends to cover up the surface so that the fuel-air pressure drop rises. All of these factors constitute aging of the burner, which is reflected in decreased burner activity.
The present invention forms the fiber matrix burner from a slurry composition which includes the inorganic fibers, binding agent and finely divided filler as in the above-described conventional composition but in which powdered aluminum alloy is employed in place of the powdered aluminum. The aluminum alloy used in the composition of the invention is a metal having a melting point between 660° C. and 1,000° C. Alloys with melting points below that range are undesirable because too much aluminum vapor is formed, and alloys with melting points above that range would not melt, which is desirable for proper operation.
Metals suitable for alloying with aluminum for use in the invention include metals selected from the group consisting of copper, zirconium, iron, chromium, silicon, magnesium, zinc and titanium. Preferably the amount of alloying metal is more than 1% by weight of the resulting aluminum alloy.
The aluminum alloy is powdered to an average particle size in the range of 40 to 700 microns, and preferably 125 microns. The amount of powdered alloy employed in a batch process of making the slurry preferably is in the range of 5 to 80 gm alloy per gallon of binding agent gel, with the range of 30 to 60 gm alloy per gallon of gel producing satisfactory results.
The following are examples of powdered alloys suitable for use in the invention:
Example I: Al alloyed with Si (36% by weight)
Example II: Al alloyed with Fe (25% by weight)
Example III: Al alloyed with Cr (10% by weight)
The invention also encompasses powdered aluminum alloyed with two or more metals selected from the group described above, as follows:
This alloy is sold commercially as Aluminum Metallic Powder -40/+200 by Valimet, Inc.
Depending on the requirements of a particular end-use application, a suitable catalyst agent, such as metallic Cr, can be interspersed through the matrix as by thin strands of Cr.
An example of manufacturing a fiber matrix burner in accordance with the invention is as follows. The binding agent is mixed in the proportion of 124.9 grams of colloidal alumina and 186.7 grams of a 60% aqueous solution of aluminum nitrate-9 hydrate per gallon of water to form a gel through agitation. The ceramic fiber comprising Kaowool pre-chopped fiber is added in the amount of 18 grams fiber per gallon of gel, with the mixture then agitated. The filler comprising 20-80 mesh methyl methacrylate is added in the amount of 144.8 grams per gallon of gel, which is then further agitated for sufficient time, such as three hours or more, to eliminate entrapped air. Aluminum alloy comprising the Aluminum Metallic Powder -40/+200 is powdered to an average particle diameter of around 100 microns and is added to the gel in the proportion of 40 grams alloy per gallon of gel. The slurry is then thoroughly agitated.
A foraminous support of the desired shape, such as a cylindrical tube of metal screen, is then immersed in the slurry and connected to a source of vacuum. The vacuum draws the liquids through the openings of the screen to cause accretion of the fibers and other solids onto the outer surface of the screen. This vacuum-forming step continues until the desired burner thickness is achieved, such as within the range of 0.318 cm to 0.953 cm. The resulting burner element is then withdrawn from the slurry and dried by heating at a temperature on the order of 71° C. for three hours. The element is then slowly heated to a firing temperature of between 93° C. and 593° C. for a sufficient time, on the order of three hours, to vaporize all of the filler. The burner element can then be mounted in a combustion chamber for connection with a source of pre-mixed fuel and air.
During operation of the fiber matrix burner of the invention, the powdered aluminum alloy not only functions to increase resistance to flashback, but markedly extends the burner life in comparison to conventional fiber matrix burners. The aluminum alloy wets the fibers and the wetting increases the aluminum surface area. Surface temperature is decreased and this protects the fibers from extreme temperature, which would degrade fiber life. The high melting point of the aluminum alloy decreases the amount of aluminum vapor generated at the operating temperatures, and thereby decreases the amount of alumina buildup on the surface. An equilibrium is achieved between the aluminum vapor in the atmosphere and the aluminum on the fiber surfaces. By decreasing the amount of aluminum vapor concentration in the atmosphere, the present invention decreases the buildup of alumina over time. The microphotograph of FIG. 3 illustrates at 884X magnification the surfaces of ceramic fibers of a burner incorporating the invention after 1,000 hours of burner operation.
While the foregoing embodiments are at present considered to be preferred, it is understood that numerous variations and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such variations and modifications as follows in the true spirit and scope of the invention.
Patent Citations
Referenced by
Legal Events
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Selected among several local outstanding youths, Connor Poland, 18, will compete against other Boys and Girls Club members for the Minnesota Youth of the Year title and a $1,000 college scholarship from Disney, Toyota, University of Phoenix and Taco Bell Foundation for Teens. As the new Youth of the...Read More
Boys and Girls Club
By Terry Lehrke, News Editor The proceeds from a pilgrimage tour — $7,100 — were donated to the Boys and Girls Club, after 50 people took the chance to travel to Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Ill. The pilgrimage was put together by LaVerne Bzdok of LaVerne's Travel, hosted by Fr. Joe H...Read More
By Tina Snell, Staff Writer The New 2 You Thrift Store will soon be opened to the public. While the article in the Nov. 2 issue of the Morrison County Record said the store would open in early November, that has been pushed back several weeks due to construction delays. Since the acquisition of t...Read More
Franciscan Sisters' Clothes Review in Little Falls to close, inventory and ownership transferred to 'New 2 You Thrift Store'
The Clothes Review, Little Falls, a gently used resale outlet located on the St. Francis Convent campus, is closing Friday, Dec. 12, and moving its inventory to a new location and under new ownership of the "New 2 You Thrift Store" at 508 W. Broadway. (No additional clothes will be accepted at t...Read More
Wednesday, Froggy Nornberg of Froggy's Signs and Graphics was able to Raise the bar on the thermometer measuring the progress toward the goal of raising $1 million to remodel the former IGA building in west Little Falls for the Boys and Girls Club. It's taken a year to raise $820,000 and Bernie ...Read More
By Terry Lehrke, News Editor Half of the top 10 stories for 2013 have their roots in stories that made the top 10 for 2012, including charges of murder, the passage of same-sex marriage legislation, a Little Falls resident's fight with City Hall and the fate of the Central Minnesota Ethanol Co-op...Read More
The Boys and Girls Club (BGC) Advisory Board in Little Falls got their hands dirty as they worked to clear out the former IGA building in west Little Falls, which will become the new home to the Club and to a thrift shop shared with Habitat for Humanity. Once the walls inside were demolished, volunt...Read More
Council has to decide whether to accept the gift The Boys and Girls Club (BGC) has purchased the former Red Owl store building in west Little Falls and is currently renovating the building. The goal is for the doors to open in June 2014. Monday, Bernie Jeub, president of the Little Falls Advisory Bo...Read More
Strong need for services, membership continues to grow by Jennie Zeitler, Staff Writer The Boys and Girls Club (BGC) of Morrison County welcomed 13 youths on the day the doors opened in June 2009, in Little Falls. Today, the club has more than 500 members, serving upward of 100 members dai...Read More
Plans are well under way for the fourth annual "Strut Your Stuff" benefit for the Boys and Girls Clubs, Little Falls branch. The planning committee has been working hard to make this year's event the best yet. The event will be held at the Falls Ballroom Friday, March 15, starting at 6:30 p.m....Read More
Morrison County non-profits keep money raised here By Jennie Zeitler, Staff Writer It's time for United Way's annual fundraising campaign, and area groups are finding ways to make it fun for donors. "Some businesses have incentives such as a 'highest giver' reserved parking ...Read More
By Tina Snell, Staff Writer [email protected] The Boys and Girls Club of Morrison County, with more than 60 members, is now offering its members a meal and a snack Monday through Thursday, and a snack on Fridays. Dina Wuellner with Head Start in Little Falls, said her organization has been in...Read More

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|Search | About | Preferences | Interact | Help
|Find any book at the best price.
by Burn, Shawn Meghan
Publisher:McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
This text examines the role that culture plays in womens past oppression and future equality, but argues that the most important issue facing womentheir lower status and poweris universal. After a thorough explanation of why women lack equal power, Burn suggests what we might do to change this condition. This activist perspective offers the reader a clear understanding of the steps that can be taken to improve the circumstances of womens lives.
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Catching Fire is the 2nd book in Suzanne Collins' fascinating Hunger Games trilogy. This book picks up where The Hunger Games left off. After winning the Hunger Games with Peeta Malarck, Katniss Everdeen is back in District Twelve with fame and fortune, but Katniss soon finds she has created an uprising in Panem, something she hadn't counted on. She may be famous for winning the annual Hunger Games, but she has become the symbol for a revolution that threatens to overthrow the government.
As was the case reading The Hunger Games, I couldn't pull myself away from Catching Fire. Although it's nearly 400 pages long, the book reads fast, I read it in one weekend and was left wanting more. But it looks like I will have to wait. The last book in the trilogy, Mockingjay, isn't going to be released until this August.
Although the series is considered YA, it is just as engrossing—if not more so—than other works of adult fiction. As I was reading the book I kept thinking what an interesting movie it would make, with a young actress such as Kristin Stewart possibly playing Katniss, the Hunger Games champion who inadvertently finds herself leading a revolution.
The last book in the series will be released fall of 2010. It's titled Mockingjay. I have already put the release date on my calendar. You have to check out this trilogy. It'll keep you reading—and counting down the days till the next book is released!
What did you think of this review?
Use Trust Points to see how much you can rely on this review.


text:
Former NFL Player Thrash Talks Super Bowl
Nick Logerfo and Nolan Silbernagel sat down with former Eagles wide receiver James Thrash to look player safety and the changing NFL rules and regulations.
Thrash offered a player's perspective into what these guys might be going through leading to the Super Bowl. He also talks about his role with the National Football League's Player Engagement programs and his playing days with the Eagles and Redskins.
Hear the interview with Thrash below.


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I've always wondered where that avatar comes from.
mr orkle man this person is gotta be a gimmick
What avatar size limit do moderators have?
You're great sir
are you autistic?
good guy Orkel :)
Judging by about two hours ago, seems like the Rust forums are leaking over to the GMF :P
Man Orkel, you having a fun day today?
thank you based orkel
democracy has failed, create a new thread


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FCA boss Sergio Marchionne says that the Jeep Renegade has a software issue that affects its powertrain, and the compact crossovers are being held from dealers until the problem is fixed.
55Jeep Renegade sales being held due to powertrain issue [UPDATE]
55Gearheads learn more about copyright dispute in hearings today
- Pete Bigelow
- May 19, 2015
- 55
86Gearheads push to preserve rights to work on their own cars
- Pete Bigelow
- May 8, 2015
- 86
36BMW offering glitch fix for i3 with range extender
40Fisker, Quantum pairing up to relaunch Karma PHEV
10Tesla Model S EVs now come with lane departure, speed assist AI
118100,000 Jeep Cherokee models subject to further 9-speed recalibration
45Tesla hires Hacker Princess Kristin Paget away from Apple
- Danny King
- Feb 11, 2014
- 45
AddTesla updates Model S software as a precaution against unsafe charging
69Cadillac rushing update for laggy CUE infotainment system
34Toyota class-action anti-lock brake lawsuit tossed out
25Tesla's Model S software updates connect well with Wired
11GM provides 2013 Chevy Volt with software updates after reports of shutdowns
74Did Apple forget to tell automakers about the new Siri button? [UPDATE]
- Scott Burgess
- Jun 14, 2012
- 74
25Fisker Karma gets recalled again to fix software malfunction
16Volvo expands Polestar software upgrade to more models
- Zach Bowman
- Nov 28, 2011
- 16
23Software company predicts 25% battery boost will trickle down to vehicles
- Eric Loveday
- Jul 10, 2011
- 23
10Ford tweaks Super Duty software to boost fuel economy by another 2%
- Sam Abuelsamid
- Aug 3, 2010
- 10


text:
The Big Grill 2015- BBQ / Craft Beer Festival & Competition
- Food & Drink
- Herbert Park Road, Dublin 4
My Favourite UX Tool
UXPA Ireland
Thursday, 16 May 2013 from 19:00 to 22:00 (IST)
This is an event from UX practitioners for UX practitioners:
It's... show & tell:
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Strictly 5 minutes per speaker with gameshow buzzer calling time's up
It's... refreshing:
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There are still some free slots for speakers. If you would like to present, contact us at email@example.com.
Doors open at 6:30
Our Sponsor
The User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA), formerly UPA, supports individuals who research, design, and evaluate the user experience of products and services.
UXPA is a global organisation with supporting local chapters around the world.
Join millions of people on Eventbrite.
In order to purchase these tickets in installments, you'll need an Eventbrite account. Log in or sign up for a free account to continue.


text:
Enquire Now
My Favourites()
Built on a ridge overlooking Britannia Bay and the Caribbean Sea, this Balinese inspired villa surrounds its guests with luxurious furnishings and lush tropical flora. Guests are rewarded with prevailing trade winds and spectacular sunsets.
Bali Hai is an authentic Balinese retreat tucked away in a secluded tropical setting, with far reaching views to the West, across the Caribbean Sea to the neighbouring Grenadine Islands of Bequia, and St Vincent. This four bedroom villa enjoys a central location just a short walk from one of the most attractive beaches in the Caribbean, "Macaroni" and is within easy reach of the Cotton House Hotel, Tennis Courts, Equestrian Centre, Dive School and other Island amenities.
Located on one of the highest vantage points, this stunning five acre family villa, designed by renowned architect Manolo Mestre, is truly its own piece of paradise. Impressive water features, dramatic Mexican influenced architecture, sophisticated modern interiors, entertaining areas on a grand scale and ample privacy for all to enjoy.
Set around fabulous tropical gardens and koi ponds this exotic Balinese style villa offers generous family accommodation, with separate cottage and studio. Spacious living with wonderful reception rooms, a fabulous games room and a unique bar and lounge area. Around the ponds a loggia leads off a central pavilion to the main bedrooms and reception rooms. The games room offers a wet bar, games consoles and stage for budding musicians and artists.


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And we have a few ideas as to where they should settle down next.
Beauty Pros at Home
Film director Michael Bay with Bonecrusher, one of his two English mastiffs, at his home in Miami Beach; the architecture is by Chad Oppenheim, and the interior design is by Lynda Murray.
The reflecting pool; the outdoor furniture from Janus et Cie has cushions covered in a Sunbrella fabric.
Around the World with


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Cubsis: Under FireApr 1, 2015 Rogue Republic News 9 comments
According to financial experts by 2016 the amount of mobile games will take 80% of the whole game market and approximately 60% of PC games released next...
this is a group, (like the tank and aircraft lovers) is dedicated to the IFV (infantry fighting vehicle) like the BMP-2 the M2A2 bradly and so on and so forth, from made up to real life, and anything in between. from treads to wheels to hover, this is for all you people who enjoy those rumbling rolling armored vehicles, that when on the target drop their ramps to emit a large group of infantry. (header image done by vlado32).
According to financial experts by 2016 the amount of mobile games will take 80% of the whole game market and approximately 60% of PC games released next...
Latest version of CSLA Mod for Arma 2: Combined Operations has been officially released.
Eastern Europe Crisis is a total conversion for C&C3. The storyline of the mod tells the about the conflict of Poland and Ukraine in near future Europe...
Another update on the upgraded M113 family. We are currently finishing with M113 MRV with Scorpion turret.
Hello folks, we just started with recording of the series of webcasts where we want to present all available addons for all factions (CSLA, AFMC and FIA...
i need a header image, anyone? help?
hey chek your f...k messages :D
ill try something today, it may be done at evening :D
love the header, im at the library at the moment :/ so i cant download it but i will fix that by tonight, and have it up
nice buddy but change the name, name is good but use shift :D
LETS GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!!!! welcome to IFV's
Promote Armored Vehicle Lovers Group on your homepage or blog by selecting a button and using the embed code provided (more).


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MAX-AIR: AC & Heating Repair in Ocala, FL
The Air Conditioning Serving ALL of Marion County, Florida Since 1993
Our Principle is Simple!
At MAX-AIR Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc., we believe "YOU" our customer, are the most important person. We promise to deliver exceptional customer service and a professional job done at a price you can afford. We repair air conditioners, heating systems and more.
We Service All Makes and Models of Residential Heating and Air Conditioning Equipment.
We Service All Makes and Models of Residential Heating and Air Conditioning Equipment.
(Image shown is only a representation of the products we service and sell)
See Our Services Page For Specials and Deals
No matter what your heating and cooling needs are, we have you covered!
In Ocala, FL, you need AC and heating units that function efficiently when you need them. Otherwise, the temperatures can be too much to handle. With AC and heating repair from Max-Air, you'll get the service you need. And with no yearly contracts, you only ever pay for what you get. From fixing your furnace to working on your mini splits AC system, we do it all.
Today's economy leaves all of us with little options. Where high prices and a lack of customer service is common, we strive to bring back the days of neighbors helping neighbors, courtesy to all and reasonable charges for work performed.


text:
Cyan Design Everton Etagere
Special Offer:
12 Issues of Sunset Magazine
Included with purchase ($20 value).
Cyan Design Everton Etagere
Weights & Dimensions
|Product Type: Étagère
|Style: Modern
|Finish: Iron
|Frame Material: Metal
|Number of Shelves: 6
|Shelf Material: Glass
|Free Standing: Yes
|Country of Manufacture: China
About the ManufacturerBeautiful Objects for Beautiful Lives. Cyan Design is the source for unique decorative objects. Decorative accessories for the most vibrant interior design. Cyan Design continuously updates their product line of ornamental objects, stunning glass vases, garden and patio objects, embellished frames, mirrors, wall decor and a vast collection of the finest lighting fixtures. Home remodelers, interior designers, decorators, and independent retail customers all rely on Cyan Design's vast inventory and award-winning customer service.
Cyan Design Everton Etagere
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"Hi, what are the dimensions of this étagère?" asked by Sonny
Customer Reviews
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Tell us what you think about this product. It will help us provide you with better products in the future and help your fellow shoppers make better purchases.Write the first review
OUR SKU # VYQ2430Everton Etagere is also sometimes listed under the following manufacturer numbers: 04454


text:
Introduces the six most popular PHP frameworks—Zend, Symfony, CodeIgniter, CakePHP, Yii, and Laravel—and helps you make the right choice for your app development project.
Shows how to install the latest version of PHP, the popular web application server, and reviews the performance enhancements and language improvements in the 5.4 release.
"I was pulling my hair out worrying about how I was going to afford classes. Then I found lynda.com. Thank you, thank you, thank you." —Lynn H.
more from our members »


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Yogurtini® Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt Franchise Announces Grand Opening of Independence, Missouri Location
-- FREE Frozen Yogurt Saturday, Oct. 1 from 4-8pm --
PR Newswire
TEMPE, Ariz., Sept. 29, 2011
TEMPE, Ariz., Sept. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Yogurtini®, a quickly growing and popular self-serve frozen yogurt franchise, today announces the grand opening of its 15th frozen yogurt franchise opening in Independence Square, MO, at the historic Independence Square shopping center at 207 West Maple and will be open daily.
To celebrate the grand opening of the new location of Missouri's favorite self-serve frozen yogurt, Yogurtini's Independence Square location will be giving out FREE frozen yogurt on Saturday, Oct. 1 from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. Part of the celebration will include an appearance from Yogurtiniman and face paintings for the kids. Yogurtini will be accepting donations in partnership with The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kansas City.
"Independence Square has such a wonderful history, being the birthplace of Harry S. Truman," said Cindy Mclain, co-owner of the new Independence Square Yogurtini location. "The square has a great mix of restaurants, shopping and other entertainment like a bowling and a movie theater. We knew Yogurtini would be the perfect addition," she continued.
The Independence location is the fourth Yogurtini in Missouri. Quickly building a devoted following of its non-fat, real yogurt, pay by the ounce model and by providing its customers with a unique experience upon each visit. The serve-yo-self® concept allows customers to make their own frozen yogurt creation, creating blends and concoctions, just like a signature martini.
Yogurtini® regularly has classic flavors such as Ultimate Chocolate, Classic Vanilla, Chelsey's Cheesecake, and Peanut Butter, but there is always a surprise for the more adventurous like Northshore Pineapple Tart, Blueberry Muffin and Ruby Red Grapefruit Tartini. The incomparable Yogurtini® "House" Tart, along with a non-dairy and no sugar added flavor option is always a main stay. At Yogurtini, Flavortini© recipes are created by mixing an array of frozen yogurts and toppings like the famous "Extra Dirty;" a favorite among their loyal following.
About Yogurtini, and YHI, Inc ®:
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Yogurtini® keeps in touch with its customers through its social networking program. http://www.facebook.com/yogurtini, http://www.myspace.com/yogurtini or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/yogurtini. For more information on Yogurtini® visit www.yogurtini.com. YHI, Inc is the franchise development company for Yogurtini. To learn more about being awarded a Yogurtini franchise visit www.yogurtini.com/franchise . Yogurtini is now offering frozen yogurt franchise area development agreements. Additional Yogurtini franchises are currently under construction and development in Florida, Colorado, Nebraska, Arizona, Kansas, Virginia and Missouri.
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By Jess Patterson, Free Education Manchester
- Half-baked proposals to paper over cracks in a system of debt and marketization
- £10,000 Masters loans not enough
- Over-30s pushed out by financial calculation
- "Crowd-funding" proposals for postgrad research are a vacuous gimmick
- Government seeks to trade number of research studentships against stipend levels
- Private funding will increase business control of education and research
- We need free education and living stipends for all – tax the rich!
This March the government launched a two-month consultation on a set of proposals designed to tackle declining post-graduate study. You can find the documents here.
In summary, these documents detail the government's proposal for a taught-Masters loan (originally announced in December), as well as some suggestions on how to bolster existing platforms for funding postgraduate research (as mentioned in the Budget).
Under the current system there is a real need for this kind of funding, and not all of the proposals are terrible, but there is a dangerous lack of transparency about why this intervention is needed at all. As the HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) data shows, the number of students undertaking Masters reached its peak in 2007/08 (prior to fee-hikes) and has, tellingly, since then only declined. These proposals are essentially, therefore, a panicked response to the emerging consequences of the damage inflicted on higher education by both the Blairite and Coalition governments: a situation that has gone from bad to worse following the regime of fee rises, funding cuts and marketisation that this government has systematically pursued.
That the government is turning its attention to this crisis is in part a response to pressure from postgrads organising through groups like NCAFC, and in part a response to the demand from universities who experiencing financially disquieting drops in applications for postgraduate taught (PGT) degrees. NCAFC will work to insure that the conversation is answerable to us and not just this neoliberal model of university finance. What follows is a detailed summary of the proposals and my response to them. The problem determined is that these proposals are an attempt to disguise the damaging consequences of marketisation under the heading of widening access, but with no real concern for it.
This crisis is a consequence of the neo-liberal university
The consultation document itself begins with the damning evidence that the number of PGT entrants grew by only 7% between 2008/9 and 2010/11 and then fell by a staggering 17% over the next three years. Later, it also adds that HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England) analysis in 2013-15 identified that disadvantaged students are far less likely to progress to postgraduate taught Master's and/or postgraduate research study. That is, in comparing students with exactly the same degree classifications, those from lower-income households are disproportionally disadvantaged because of the lack of financial opportunities. Likewise women and people from minority ethnic groups also demonstrate significantly lower progression rates. This is, of course, merely confirmation of countless academic studies of the barriers to social mobility in the higher education sector. In the consultation document this evidence is cited correctly as evidence of the need to provide post-graduate funding. Yet, the proposals actually outlined don't match this evidence. There is a complete absence from the discussion that this is very likely a direct effect of the barriers placed on such students from the outset by the already financially crippling system of student debt. Instead, it simply suggests that yet more debt is the answer: a 'solution' which simply ignores that fact that all the statistics used in this consultation document could be turned on their head to be presented as poignant evidence of the failure of the neo-liberal university.
More debt is not the answer
The central proposal is the introduction of a £10,000 loan for taught Master programmes. The reason that a Masters degree is so key is that it is increasingly an entry requirement for doctoral degrees. Consequently it has been identified as the point at which many people with aspirations to partake in further study are permanently turned away, placing an alarming constraint on the future diversity of researchers. While this is fundamental for those concerned with all aspects of free education there are more alarming consequences from the government's perspective, such as the lack of domestic students crossing this bridge and a resulting drop in skills. That the government is prioritising the latter concern becomes very quickly evident in the limitations they place on the proposed solutions. For example, the rationale that this should be a partial loan, rather than a higher figure covering all expenses, is argued according to the principle that cost should remain a deterrent to studying: "this balances the incentives to ensure students will continue to make considered and informed decisions about pursuing education at this level".
This is further justified on the basis that a full-loan would result in fee-inflation, something against which they ambiguously propose that they will "establish safeguards" – while completely ruling out the only mechanism by which this could truly be affected: the regulation of fees. In addition, loan-repayment would be income contingent, operating on a similar system to undergraduate loans. Interest would be at RPI + 3%, i.e. equal to the maximum interest rate on the post-2012 undergrad loan system, with repayments set at 9% on earnings over £21k. This is, of course, all on top of the 9% that most of these students will already be paying on their undergraduate loans. All of this fundamentally misses the source of the problem that they have created: increasing barriers to the access of higher education from undergraduate to postgraduate level as a result of an untenable system of student debt.
Age limits: targeting the most in need or the logic of debt as an asset?
Another interesting aspect of the proposal is a suggestion that eligibility for the loan be restricted to persons under the age of thirty. The justification for this is that younger students are statistically more in need of financial aid. To support this they produce an interesting document, the first method of which is to compare the financial needs of post-grad taught students who are under 30 with those who over 30, based on a survey of 4,000 UK domiciled PGT Masters. What this completely fails to account for is that all of the data has therefore been collected from people who have already made the decision to take on the financial burden of post-grad education. There are many people over thirty for whom this has simply not been an option. As the proposal itself sates "A 2014 survey of Universities UK members investigated the extent to which students applied for a Master's course, tried and failed to secure funding and then went onto decline their place as a result. The study suggests that the costs of postgraduate study as being the main reason for why some students do not take up their place on a Master's course."
What is more likely, and what fits more snugly with the principle that "the proposed loan has been designed to ensure the majority of borrowers repay in full, while recognising the personal benefits that most will accrue", is that this group of potential borrowers are more likely to pay back their loans in full. That is, according to predictions by the Department for Business Innovation & Skills, total repayments will be lower for those starting study later, because mature students are more likely to retire before their debt is repaid. In addition, although this is not part of the official conversation, it seems likely that a further aspect of this consideration is that women in the post-thirty category are more likely to do part-time or more low-paid work and will therefore pay off the loan at a much slower rate.
It is this kind of mercantile reasoning that lay behind David Willetts' discredited suggestion that universities invest in the debt of their graduates, following his over-estimation of loan-repayment rates. Instead of recognising the failures of the system, Willetts proposed a solution that was inherently detrimental to students and the independence of universities as centres for education and research. Though his proposals were rejected, the implications behind these proposals are distressingly similar. The fear that Willetts' model would lead to university admissions being determined by economic incentives to the exclusion of poorer students and women (who statistically have lower life time earnings) does not go away with post-grad loans. The idea that those worthy of investment are those who are likely to provide a better rate of return will affect the composition of the postgraduate student body to a similar extent, with the only difference being that this will be more indirect consequence of partial loans rather than the investment decisions of universities.
This is why we can totally disregard the given rationale that "The Government is intervening to stimulate the market and remove barriers to progression… It is targeted at providing support to those who face the greatest barriers to accessing finance." The reasoning behind this is not to target provision at those most in need, but rather those who are most likely to provide a hasty return on their debt. While this goes someway to improving access to postgraduate education for some and therefore 'stimulate the market', it does very little to address the problem of inaccessibility for those really in need of financial support. All this does is perpetuate the problem of social exclusivity in all the professions which require post-graduate qualifications. This also means that academic staff will remain as white, male and middle class as usual.
Post-grad Research – "innovative" funding proposals or a bad joke?
The proposals for dealing with Postgrad research degrees are even more bizarre in their reasoning. These suggestions are far less concrete and come ahead of a review on how the government 'can both broaden and strengthen support for postgraduate research students and excellent postgraduate research'.
One of the suggestions is that they seek out ways to support 'innovative finance platforms' such as crowd-funding. This seems like a bad joke. We're talking about years of commitment to research, not a gap year tour. We're talking about living costs, not 'start-ups'. In the cases of some this will simply be a different way for those from a finically privileged background to siphon off the money they were going to get anyway so that their extended family can avoid inheritance tax. In other, cases such ideas represent a horrible move towards the interests and agendas of private business and away from public funding. This passing suggestion is ambiguous but it leaves a distinctly bitter taste in the mouth with hints of all the nonsense surrounding Cameron's 'Big society'.
Such gimmicky suggestions are a completely inadequate response to problems that have been created by the pursuit of marketisation. In a letter to HE institutions last year, Madeleine Atkins HEFCE chief executive, revealed that most teaching budgets would drop by 5.85 per cent in 2014-15 as a result of the unforeseen costs of student loans. So ironically, while students are paying more, teachers are getting paid less. Even more ironically as far as these proposals here are concerned, such cuts have attacked one of the most important options for post-grad financial support, postgraduate teaching contracts. Post-grad teachers in my own institution have calculated that in some cases, particularly where marking is unaccounted for, they are working for below minimum wage.
Another is the idea introducing income contingent loans of up to £25,000, with the caveat that there be a trade-off with public subsidy levels. This is an alarming notion that threatens the idea that students should be funded with non-repayable stipends rather than yet more debt. How anyone could go through a system of 9k fees, £10,000 PGT loans and then an additional debt of £25,000 and pay it back is unfathomable (unless they went on to become a Russell Group University VC, that is). In terms of immediate demands, if there are going to be post-graduate loans they should accessible to all, regardless of age, and without a pay-off in public funding. But really, if we address the problem at its root we need to interrupt this system of debt and demand free-education from the outset. We want living grants for postgraduates who need them, not more debt.
As in the case with the rationale for PGT loans, the proposals given in this document form part of a wider concern with market stimulation, rather than increasing access or reducing student poverty. One needs to only look back to the 2015 Budget (point 1.179), which proposes "to examine the balance between number and level of research stipends to ensure that the UK's offer remains internationally competitive", for evidence of this preoccupation. While this is not discussed in the consultation document, it forms part of one of the questions: "What is the impact of the availability and level of individual stipends?" (p.29). Specifically, the question of 'availability' versus 'level' seems to imply that in order to remain competitive there will necessarily be a trade-off between the number of studentships available and how much money they offer. Here the market trumps the nominal 'concerns' of the rationale for providing funding. If you want to improve access and welfare you provide more studentships at a level that provides for reasonable living costs, not support the appearance of numerous stipends that will in reality put your postgrads into poverty. Particularly when other policy decisions mean that they are also being used as a cheap labour force to teach those entering into the first stages of this seemingly never-ending cycle of debt.
Stop ignoring the problem. We need free education.
Obviously there are more dimensions to this to be considered, such as how this kind of thinking will have a knock-on effect for research funding and department specific grants. What is clear, though, is that the current terms of the discussion represent a patent attempt to tackle the emergent effects of the various assaults on higher education wrought by neo-liberal 'reforms', without acknowledging this as the cause and in a way that only appeases concerns with social mobility in a very restricted and liberal sense. It is our task, as free education activists, to see through this tactic and point to the real issue- that fees and debt result in a stagnating system that is beholden to private interests and in no way responsive to notions of public good. Rather than removing the barriers to education brought on by financial need, extending the scaffolding of student debt simply reinforces them.


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The Journey's End
By nick_verissimo 1 Comments
What can I say that hasn't already been said about this game? Persona 3: The Journey concludes in a way that I expected and yet, I'm completely stunned by this game. The narrative develops in a way that I haven't truly experienced on this level in a long time, if ever. The S-Link system seemed like charming little game mechanic that was meant purely for the fusion side of the game, but as the game really started to move along and the ending drew nearer, they felt more important than any other aspect in the game. Persona 3 on a grand scheme deals with your own mortality and what it actually means to be alive. It seemed like a huge gimmick to have your persona's evoked by a gun, but now that I've reached the conclusion of the Journey, that little aspect is as important as any other part in the game. The evoker's are indicative of of the fact that every time you attack, heal or use a buff you are doing it to protect the one's you love.
The game is about death in so much as it is about love for the one's around you. We build all of these relationships in our lives from a very real and honest place so that we can truly live and make something of our lives. I found some of the situations or progressions in the game to be awfully ridiculous, but others felt really genuine. I'm almost compelled to go back and play through the Journey for the soul purpose of discovering Fuuka, Mitsuru and Aigis' S-links. Aigis' connection to the protagonist is potentially on of my favourite relations in any game I've ever played. After playing through the entirety of the Journey and the first 3 hours of the Answer, it is extremely clear to me that is a something that has never been done on this level of any game I've ever played. The longing and suffering is such a beautiful and compelling thing that I don't think I'll ever get to experience such a thing from a video game again. Persona 3 has quite possibly the most intriguing and nuanced stories that it is perfect for someone like me that spends a lot of time, wondering and waiting to discover what all of this is really about. Some days I think I have it figured out, but others are not clear. I just can't even believe how beautiful of a story this game turned out to have and I'm sort of sad that that experience is more or less over.
The end of the Journey reaches a satisfying conclusion that will stay with me for an extremely long time and as much as I want to jump into the Answer immediately, I think I need to hold back and really let this sink. I find it somewhat hard to believe that I never really intended on playing P3, as the endurance only really made me interested in getting P4. Maybe it's for the best that I knew absolutely nothing about this game, because it's probably the most worthwhile time I've ever spent with a video game. Having clocked in over 85 hours in a single game is ridiculous for. Not so much that I wouldn't spend that much time on one game, but that fact that I loved almost every minute of those 85 and counting hours is something to be said.
So, what am I going to do now? Well, I played the first 40 minutes of P4 and although I do remember some plot points, the game feels very different from P3 that it won't get in the way of what I experienced previously from this series already. I might also go back and try to finish beyond good and evil or spend some time on ME2 again. Or maybe it's time to finally get into Lost Odyssey? I don't know, but for now I just want to thank everyone listening on the ethereal plane at Atlus that made Persona 3. That game connected with me on a completely unique and different way that I was just not ready for. I need a Persona 3 tattoo somehow?
Persona 3: FES: The Journey 10/10
This Blog: 0/10


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Dirt Late ModelNational Headlines
Hughes collects first career MARS Late Model victory at Monett Speedway | PhotosMoore opens SUPR Holiday tripleheader with victory at Ark-La-Tex Speedway
LASALLE, ILL. (July 2) - Chris Simpson of Oxford, IA captured the $5,000 DIRTcar Summer Nationals win on Thursday night at the LaSalle Speedway in LaSalle, IL. Early race leader Jason Feger of Bloomington, IL settled for second followed by Shannon Babb and Michael Kloos... Results | Photos
Berck collects annual MLRA CBC Alphabet Soup victory at I-80 Speedway | PhotosWeiss wheels to third straight NLRA Late Model victory at I-94 Speedway
THURSDAY, JULY 2Simpson scores $5K DIRTcar Summer Nationals win at LaSalle SpeedwayHughes collects first career MARS Late Model victory at Monett SpeedwayMoore opens SUPR Holiday tripleheader with win at Ark-La-Tex SpeedwayNezworski claims Deery win, regains points lead at Kossuth Co. SpeedwayZiegler rallies from deep to win UFo Revolution 2015 at Hesston SpeedwyHickman sweeps NeSmith Late Model Series go at Talladega Short Track Weather related Track and Series cancellations for weekend of July 2-5
Kissinger collects DIRTcar Summer Nationals win at Clarksville SpeedwayStovall scores MARS/CBC Late Model victory at Park Jefferson Speedway
EASTABOGA, AL (July 2) - Riley Hickman of Cleveland, TN swept NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Salute To America Nationals opening race Thursday night at Talladega Short Track driving the Hickman Manufacturing CVR "House Car." Hickman set fast time among 40 entrants... Full Story
WEDNESDAY, JULY 1Feger captures second Summer Nationals victory at Daugherty SpeedwayMoyer back on Summer Nationals Tour after sixth in Ray Houck Liberty 50Mars eyes World of Outlaws 'Wild West Tour' following Red Cedar victoryCook climbs to a podium finish in Independence Day celebration at RomeErb Jr nabs pair of top fives during rain soaked week; big weekend up nextConley back in PRP victory lane; team gears up for huge Holiday weekendRiggs Motorsports returns to UMP Summer Nationals this week in IndianaTUESDAY, JUNE 30Rain wins fourth straight; knocks out Summer Nationals at I-96 SpeedwayClanton scores two more wins; Father's Billy Clanton Memorial race aheadWeiss enjoys hat trick weekend; ready to enter races at Red River and I-94McDowell romps to Rome $3,000 payday; Summer Nationals action is nextJunghans takes first World of Outlaws victory; resumes with Wild West tourWhitener tops Ocala action; prepares for busy holiday weekend in GeorgiaNewman back in victory lane at Camden; CCSDS action next at GreenvilleNeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series roundup for the week of June 27Dirt Late Model News Index


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Catherine Priestley, Chief Reporter (Sedgefield) / / News
Mayor of Chilton, Coun Elizabeth Bruce, and her consort, Coun Alan Bruce, will host the event at Chilton & Windlestone Workingmen's Club on Friday, February 15.
The dinner will be held in the club's concert hall from 7pm, with guests receiving a reception drink on arrival followed by a five course meal and live entertainment by the Stone Cutters.
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There will also be a raffle and tombola.
Proceeds will be donated to the mayor's nominated charities- the Great North Air Ambulance and organisations within Chilton.
Tickets cost £21 from Chilton Town Council offices or call 01388-721788.
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Oliver's Lodge Hotel3
50 Needingworth Road, St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, PE27 5JP
Price FromView Rooms
- Very Good
- 34 guest reviews
"We were very impressed with Oliver's Lodge, the room was excellent, everything we needed was there. the bedroom and bathroom were spotlessly..."
"Hotel was clean and tidy friendly staff.only let down by breakfast not available until 8am on a saturday and shower not very powerful...."
"We had a two night weekend break here in February. The staff were very friendly. The room was quiet, a good size and comfortable as was the..."
"We found the staff at the hotel to be exceedingly polite. The room was immaculately kept with all the facilities we needed. Service was fast..."
"The staff at Oliver's Lodge are all professional, polite and extremely helpful. On arrival I explained that we would miss breakfast on the S..."
About the hotel
Oliver's Lodge Hotel in St Ives, Cambridgeshire has been attractively developed around a Victorian building and attractive patio garden, just a five minute walk from the town centre and the River Great Ouse with its historic quay. Independently owned and family operated the hotel features individually designed bedrooms, including the recently refurbished Superior Double Rooms, a selection is available to suit your needs and budget. Guests enjoy the relaxing bar and restaurant in the evening and a freshly cooked breakfast in the conservatory and of course we have a selection of complimentary daily national newspapers for you to read.
All our bedrooms have excellent quality mattresses, en-suite bath and/or shower, tea and coffee making facilities, freeview flat screen TV, direct dial telephone, hairdryer, ironing facilities, free WiFi and complimentary use of local leisure facilities. Oliver's Lodge Hotel has Conference, Wedding and Events facilities for up to 100 people. We have ground floor, accessible and pet friendly rooms (surcharge and subject to availability at time of booking). Our rates are quoted inclusive on VAT and a full English Breakfast (unless otherwise stated. Hotel Accommodation/Bed and Breakfast Facilities Free Wifi Lounge Bar Restaurant serving a selection of traditional British, Authentic Indian Curry and Mexican dishes Business Facilities (use of photocopier and fax machine) Free Car Parking Children's menu Conference Facilities (up to 100 delegates) Pets Allowed (in designated rooms only) Shops within easy walking distance Guests return to Oliver's Lodge Hotel because of our warm & friendly welcome, whether staying for business or pleasure they appreciate the value, service and our individual attention to our guest's requirements, many also come to appreciate why we have an enviable reputation for our menu selection and high quality dishes served in our restaurant. We look forward to welcoming you to Oliver's Lodge Hotel.
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We were very impressed with Oliver's Lodge, the room was excellent, everything we needed was there.
the bedroom and bathroom were spotlessly clean and very nicely decorated. breakfast was excellent. the staff were very friendly. Being so close to St Ives town centre was great just a short walk to the shops and the bus station. We took the guided bus into Cambridge, a great way to travel to the city. we never needed to use our car during our stay.
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Hotel was clean and tidy friendly staff.only let down by breakfast not available until 8am on a saturday and shower not very powerful.


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Gavin McOwan
Gavin McOwan is the production editor for Guardian Travel
Azure seas, sub-tropical gardens and white sand beaches and just 15 minutes from Cornwall … Gavin McOwan on the Isles of Scilly's top places to eat, sleep and enjoy
Butlin's has updated its classic Minehead resort with 117 new chalets, designed with input from Mumsnet, creating smart accommodation that families can hang out in, not just use as a crash pad after a full day's entertainment
This relaxed B&B with views over the Caribbean is a world away from the all-inclusive mega-resorts for which Montego Bay is famous
Orange Street, also known as 'beat street', was the birthplace of many reggae and ska artists, as well as the area where these genres were championed – especially in the 1960s and 70s. Mitchie Williams, of Rockers International, one of the street's last remaining record shops, has put together this playlist invoking the area's glory days
The concierge of the Bourbon Orleans Hotel came to New Orleans to help rebuild the city after Katrina, fell in love with the place and never left. He shares his tips on New Orleanian food and music, and explains why everyone should expect a Spanish Inquisition at the next Mardi Gras
'On the eighth day,' say the locals, 'God created Rio' – and it's hard to disagree. It's a city where tropical rainforests, beaches and mountains collide to form one of the most distinctive landscapes in the world
American businessman who bought Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Manchester United
Friendly people, the finest food in the US, some of the world's best music … and a post-Katrina comeback in full swing. How could Gavin McOwan not fall in love with New Orleans?
At full moon on a Saturday night, Gavin McOwan heads to Pedro Plains, the "breadbasket of Jamaica", to feast al fresco on top-notch organic fare produced by local farmers
Gavin McOwan and Stephen Moss: Fed up with spiralling prices, they have set up a Facebook page with tips on how to cut costs. And there's even a mock banknote – the $urreal, which features Salvador Dalí
Graceful footballer with a fearsome right foot and an astonishing goal-scoring record
Start planning your 2014 travels with the help of our top 40 destination round-up
Ahead of the World Cup 2014 draw, locals and experts from Brazil's 12 host cities give the lowdown on the stadiums, the bars, what to take and where to go in between matches
Rio | Salvador | Recife | Fortaleza | São Paulo | Cuiabá | Belo Horizonte | Brasília | Curitiba | Porto Alegre | Manaus | Natal
As all eyes turn to Brazil ahead of next week's World Cup draw, Gavin McOwan walks the streets, beaches, mountains and favelas of Rio de Janeiro – and bumps into a football legend along the way
Rio de Janeiro's mountainside favelas are as iconic as some of the city's famous landmarks – but offer a completely different perspective to the main tourist sites. Formerly dangerous no-go areas, many are now safe and open, welcoming visitors on favela tours and music nights at bars held within the communities
After the party's over Somerset still has lots to offer, as Gavin McOwan finds out on a tour of the county with Glastonbury festival founder Michael Eavis
The adults want scenery and culture, but the kids want pools and beaches. Gavin McOwan creates two holidays in one, by driving leisurely across rural France to a classic family camping parc
Influential manager of Chelsea and QPR who advocated stylish passing and attacking
Former Welsh international and long-time champion of football in Bath
Many of the UK's best cottages are already booked for Christmas but there are still some crackers available. From a former gatehouse for two to seaside holiday home for 12, we've found 10 of the best across the UK
Whether you're suffering from volunteering withdrawal post the Olympic and Paralympic Games or planning your gap year, here are 10 working-holiday ideas, from conservation in the Caribbean to a women's rights project in Morocco
Everything you need to plan your holiday in Dorset, with expert reviews on where to stay, the best places to eat seafood, coastal and country walks, family days out and Cool Camping's favourite sites
A holiday guide to Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire holiday guide: hotels, walks, days out, cheap eats and more
Pembrokeshire holiday guide: hotels, pubs, walks, days out, cheap eats and the best wildlife viewing spots
Steely centre-half for Queens Park Rangers and Northern Ireland


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WHITE 4 TIER WIRE SHOE AND ACCESSORY SHELF (Item #W80533)
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Lion Shoulder Pads 4
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Decorated with the faces of snarling lions, these shoulder pads from SciBor miniatures are a great way to personalise your miniatures - whether they are destined for the tabletop battlefield or the display cabinet. These pads are easy to apply, and suitable for use with most 28-30mm miniatures
This Blister contains 8 resin shoulder pads, suitable for use with most 28mm/32mm miniatures. These conversion pieces are supplied unpainted, and some preparatory work may also be required.
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Release Date:
October 8, 2002
{+Oh! Calcutta! was a theatrical revue consisting of risqué and even ****** sketches performed by a cast in various states of undress, including complete nudity. The sketches were written (but not individually credited) by everyone from cartoonist Jules Feiffer to John Lennon. The show opened off-Broadway at {~the Eden Theatre on June 17, 1969, and ran there 704 performances before transferring to Broadway's {~Belasco on February 25, 1972, where it ran an additional 606 performances, closing on August 12, 1972. A Broadway revival was mounted only four years later, opening on September 24, 1976, and running nearly 13 years before closing 5,959 performances later on August 6, 1989, which at the time was the second-longest run in Broadway history. Yet {+Oh! Calcutta! has always had a seamy reputation, viewed as a relic of the sexual revolution of the 1960s that lived on to become a smut show for out-of-town tourists. Somewhat lost in the tussle was the score, composed and largely performed by Robert Dennis, Peter Shickele, and Stanley Walden under the name the Open Window, preserved on a little-heard 1969 cast recording that was finally reissued in a digitally remastered stereo version on CD in 2002. It proves to consist of some amusing, if minor pop songs, clearly written and played with tongue in cheek. The music served as accompaniment to the sketches and to provide interludes, not as a full-scale musical score in the conventional sense. It doesn't sound like typical theater music, but rather like exploratory pop/rock of the late '60s. Such songs as "Sincere Replies" and "Exchanges of Information" are engaging, and "Clarence & Mildred" is in the vulgar tone of the show. But nobody went to {+Oh! Calcutta! for the music, and the cast album demonstrates that they were right. ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi
- Composer: Jacques Levy , The Open Window
1.StopOh! Calcutta!, musical revue:Oh! Calcutta! 5.5
2.StopOh! Calcutta!, musical revue:Dick & Jane 1.03
3.StopOh! Calcutta!, musical revue:Sincere Replies 2.43
4.StopOh! Calcutta!, musical revue:Coming Together, Going Together 6.37
5.StopOh! Calcutta!, musical revue:Clarence & Mildred: One on One 9.18
6.StopOh! Calcutta!, musical revue:Oh! Calcutta 1.24
7.StopMuch Too Soon (for Oh! Calcutta!) 5.04
8.StopOh! Calcutta!, musical revue:Green Pants 2.26
9.StopOh! Calcutta!, musical revue:Jack & Jill 2.16
10.StopOh! Calcutta!, musical revue:Suite For Five Letters 5.33
11.StopOh! Calcutta!, musical revue:Exchanges of Information 4.23
12.StopOh! Calcutta!, musical revue:I Like The Look 1.59
other Info.
- Online Item #: 11551488
- Store Item Number (DPCI): 244-06-1484
- Made in the USA or Imported


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September 2013, TruckingInfo.com - WebXclusive
By Jim Park
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Part 1 (25 points total) Instructions: Question 1. Draw an X-Y graph plotting the following sales figures for years 2004-2007. (Be sure to title your g Place the graph in the large blue region provided Question 2. Using the TREND function, forecast the company's sales for years 2008-2011 in the blue cells Question 3. Insert a trendline on the graph, and forecast it forward 4 years Question 4. Insert the trendline's equation on the graph Question 5. What is the underlying relationship between the TREND function's output, and the trendline equation Answer: Year Sales 2004 $1,000 2005 $1,050 2006 $1,780 2007 $2,300 2008 2009 2010 2011 ng the following sales figures for years 2004-2007. (Be sure to title your graph and label the axes) (5 points) lue region provided forecast the company's sales for years 2008-2011 in the blue cells (5 points) h, and forecast it forward 4 years (5 points) n on the graph (5 points) onship between the TREND function's output, and the trendline equation on the graph? (5 points) Graph: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Total 0 Part 2 (25 points total) Part A (5 points) Part C (5 points) Complete the following Income Statement Increase Sales by 10% and calculate the percentage cha Income Statement 2007 Degree of Leverage Sales Variable Costs Fixed Costs 360,000 EBIT Interest Expense 50,000 Earnings Before Taxes Taxes Net Income Assumptions: Unit Sales 150,000 Price per Unit $20.00 Variable Costs as % of Sales 50% Tax Rate 40% Part B (6 points) How many units is the company required to sell in order to break even? ** What dollar Sales must the company reach in order to break even? What unit Sales must the company reach in order to reach an EBIT of $100,000? Do NOT use Goal Seek **Assume "breakeven" means zero EBIT Part D (5 points) Define "Operating Leverage" and explain why it is an important metric for companies to know (hint: what does it say about the riskiness of a company's operations?): Part E (4 points) Based on your observation in Part C, use a SINGLE FORMULA to determine the company's Degree of Operating Le d calculate the percentage change in EBIT: pany's Degree of Operating Leverage Part 3 (25 points total) You intend to set up a business in your home while you attend college. Your parents are willing to loan you 100% of your startup costs (which consists of an equipment purchase) according to the fo Amount: 8,500 Interest Rate 11% You forecast the company's future cash flows to follow the 5-year schedule below. You will be paying $2,500 for an equipment upgrade in Year 3 Part A (5 points) Enter your Year 0 cash flows: Year Cash Flow 0 1 1000 2 5000 3 (1,500) 4 7000 5 8000 Part B (5 points) You decide you will put aside your own money to make the Year 3 equipment upgrade. How much will you have to set aside today in a 5% savings account in order to pay for the Year 3 equipment upgrade? Part C (5 Points) Assume you decide not to invest your own savings in the upgrade. Instead, you will let the business fund itself. What is the present value of your anticipated future cash flows? How much will you net on this project in today's dollars? What will be the resulting average annual return on this investment? Part D (5 points) Assume that you are evaulating an alternate project with the following terms: 1. Same startup costs 2. Same borrowing rate 3. No equipment upgrade 4. Annual cash flows: $3,000 5. Project term (in years): 6 6. Machine salvage value: $1,250 What is the net present value of this alternate project? Hint: calculate the PV of cash flows and subtract the initial investment Part E (5 points) Generally speaking, which of the two projects would you prefer? Why? Explain a situation in which you would prefer the other project despite your answer above: ent purchase) according to the following terms: ear 3 equipment upgrade? usiness fund itself. Part 4 (25 points total) Part A (8 points) Calculate the intrinsic share value of the following two stocks. Assume a constant dividend growth rate as specified: Stock A Stock B Last Dividend $0.95 Expected Dividend, Period 1 $1.09 Required Return 15% 11% Dividend Growth Rate 3% 4% Value per share Part B (10 points) Calculate the value of this company by completing the following chart: Assumptions: Required Return on Equity: 10% All cash flows are paid out in the form of dividends The company bases its value on 5 years' dividends plus a terminal value of $3 million Dividend growth is the same every year Period 0 1 2 3 4 Net Income $375,000 Dividends to shareholders $350,000 Terminal Value Present value of period cash flows Present Value of Company: Part C (3 points) Complete the chart below using the following assumptions: Assumptions: Company A's riskiness is estimated to be twice that of the S&P 500, which typically returns 7% to equity investors. Company B's riskiness is estimated to be one-half that of the S&P 500 The current yield on the 10-year Treasury Bill is 4% Entity S&P 500 Company A Company B T-Bill Beta Expected Return Part D (4 points) Using the data in your above schedule, draw the Security Market Line for the four securities described in this problem. Hint: use an X-Y Scatter Graph Re-size the graph and place it in the blue space below Make sure you title your chart and properly label your axes 5 % to equity investors. escribed in this problem.
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It was becoming a bit of an in-office joke that we talk a lot about responsive web design but our dear old website wasn't responsive.
So we fixed that. Gearing up for a big launch, we put in the extra time and effort to overhaul our website.
My favorite part is the cowboys riding guns. No wait, the Texas Triforce Flag. No wait, the dial pad of projects, no wait, the hand drawn devices, no wait, the....
More Dave Rupert
keyboard shortcuts: ← previous shot → next shot L or F like Z toggle zoom


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pCell is only as good as the Linux it runs on
I'm still working-away on my IBM book and it is still a week from being finished (the well-known second 90 percent syndrome). The book, if I am allowed to sell it on Amazon, will cost a whopping $3.99 and will be worth the money. But I'm still a columnist of sorts so here are my thoughts on pCell, an impressive new technology for increasing performance of LTE mobile data networks. It was invented by WebTV founder Steve Perlman, introduced two weeks ago in New York (very impressive video here, but fast-forward to 5:30) and was the talk of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona the following week. pCell is amazing. It is also probably a security nightmare waiting to happen.
This is not me being a bad-ass or somehow wanting pCell to fail. I think it is great and I want it to wildly succeed, but there are a couple things about pCell that have been going over the heads of most reporters, security being one of them. I've read all the stories about pCell and the word security doesn't appear in any of them, none.
WhatsApp is the first of several big acquisitions for Facebook
If the announcement of Facebook paying $19 billion in cash and stock for WhatsApp surprised you then maybe you'd forgotten this prediction I published on January 8th:
#6 -- Facebook transforms itself (or tries to) with a huge acquisition. I wrote long ago that we'd never see Facebook in the Dow 30 Industrials. The company is awash in users and profits but it's lost the pulse of the market if it ever had it. Trying to buy its way into the Millennial melting data market Facebook offered $3 billion for Snapchat, which turned it down then rejected a $4 billion offer from Google. Google actually calculates these things, Facebook does not, so where Google will now reverse-engineer Snapchat, Facebook will panic and go back with the BIG checkbook -- $10+ billion. If not Snapchat then some other overnight success. Facebook needs to borrow a cup of sugar somewhere.
As Seen on TV: ThreeDrive, from CringeCo
My e-mail inbox this morning contains 118,306 messages totaling about seven gigabytes. I really should so something about that but who has the time? So I keep a lot of crap around longer than I should. I have, for example, every message I have sent or received since 1992 when I registered cringely.com. Those obviously occupy a lot more than seven gigabytes, though interestingly enough the total is less than 20 GB. My storage strategy has been a mixed bag of disks and cloud services and probably stuff I've forgotten along the way. So I've decided to clean it up by standardizing on Microsoft's OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) cloud storage service, just relaunched with its new name. I need about 30 GB of storage right now but I don't want to pay for anything.
No problemo.
Apple needs Time-Warner Cable more than does Comcast
Tech news changed last week faster than the weather. At the beginning of the week Charter Communications was trying to buy Time-Warner Cable, then on Tuesday Apple was rumored to be close to a deal for Apple TV to replace or augment Time-Warner's cable boxes, then on Thursday both stories crashed and burned when Comcast bought TWC out from under Charter, killing the Apple deal in the process. But does it really have to end that way? Not if Apple is smart.
I don't care about cable consolidation, frankly, though a lot of other people do, seeing too much power being concentrated in Comcast. I would just like to see things shaken up in the TV industry bumping services quickly forward to where I'll only have to pay for the stuff I actually want to watch. I suspect that's where the Apple-TWC deal was heading. Apple would pay TWC for the privilege of taking over a substantial part of the cable company's workload, cutting costs and raising TWC profits in the process. It was a desperate attempt on TWC's part to avoid the clutches of John Malone's Charter Communications.
Nadella's success at Microsoft probably depends on Gates
Microsoft has a new CEO in former cloud and server chief Satya Nadella and readers have been asking me what this means? Certainly Nadella was the least bad of the internal candidates but an external selection would have been better. Whether it works out well or not probably comes down to Bill Gates, who leaves his job as chairman to become Nadella's top technical advisor.
You might ask why Nadella, whose technical chops are easily the equal of BillG's (and a lot more recent, too) would even need Gates in that advisory role? I believe the answer lies in my recent column where I argued that the best new Microsoft CEO would be Gates, himself, because only he could stand up to departing CEO Steve Ballmer.
IBM sells Intel server business, company is doomed
IBM today sold its Intel server business to Lenovo, yet another example of Big Blue eating its seed corn, effectively dooming the company for the sake of short-term earnings. It's a good move for Lenovo and an act of desperation for IBM.
Wall Street analysts may see this as a good move but then Wall Street analysts typically aren't that smart. They'll characterize it as selling-off a low-margin server business (Intel-based servers) to concentrate on a higher-margin server business (Z-series and P-series big iron) but the truth is IBM has sold the future to invest in the past. Little servers are the future of big computing. IBM needs to be a major supplier and a major player in this emerging market.
Net neutrality is dead, but it probably doesn't matter
Last week the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia shot holes in the US Federal Communications Commission's version of net neutrality saying the Commission was wrong not in trying to regulate Internet Service Providers but in trying to regulate them as Common Carriers, that is as telephone utilities.
The FCC can't have it both ways, said the Court, and so the Feds get to try all over again. Or will they? I think events are moving so quickly that by the time this particular argument is worked out all the players will have changed and the whole argument may be moot.
The Internet of Crap
Cisco CEO John Chambers gave a keynote speech last week at the Consumer Electronics Show laying out Cisco's vision for what he called the Internet of Everything and other people are calling just the Internet of Things. The idea is very simple: put intelligence in every device and connect them all together on the Internet. And the idea behind the idea is even simpler: the everything is what we'll first have to throw away. Because that's the only way the Internet of Everything can work.
Throw away your routers, wireless and wired. Throw away your network adapters, wireless and wired. Throw away your modems. Throw away your network extenders. Throw away anything with a radio or an RJ-45 port except maybe your PC, though plenty of those will have to be thrown away, too.
Final 2014 prediction: the end of the PC as we knew it
We're generally a Macintosh shop here in Santa Rosa. I have Windows and Linux PCs, too, but most of the heavy lifting is done on Macs. Next Wednesday I'm expecting a delivery from B&H Photo (no tax and free shipping!) of four new iMacs plus some software totaling $5,407. I fully expect these to be the last personal computers I will ever buy.
How's that for a 2014 prediction?
Bill Gates and the non-prediction prediction
Following my #1 prediction yesterday of dire consequences in 2014 for Microsoft some readers challenged me to say what should happen this year in Redmond to right the ship. Is it even possible?
So here's my answer which isn't in the form of a prediction because I doubt that it will actually happen. But if it actually does come to pass, well then I told you so.
Ten technology predictions for 2014
Here is my first of two prediction columns for 2014. There's just too much for it all to fit in one column. My neighbor and good friend Avram Miller wrote a predictions column this year that's quite good and you might want to read it before this one. We discuss some of the same things though of course Avram and I occasionally agree to disagree.
This column is mainly about business predictions for 2014 while the follow-up column will be more about products and technologies.
Where's that Black Swan when we need one?
This was supposed to be my 2014 predictions column but the volume of correspondence following a call for predictions on my blog last week was such that I suspect it will be the first of three prediction columns with my actual predictions occupying columns two and three. This column is about the broader subject of how to predict.
I've written at least once before on How to Predict the Future. Do a search on that string and an old PBS column will float to the surface. All of that still applies but in this column I want to look somewhat deeper at the motivations and methods of predictors whether they actually know what they are doing or not.
RSA takes one for the team, but which team?
Edward Snowden says (according to Reuters) that RSA Security accepted $10 million from the National Security Agency in exchange for installing (or allowing to have installed) a secret backdoor so the NSA could decrypt messages as it pleased. Hell no says RSA (a division of storage vendor EMC), stating in very strong terms that this was not at all the case. But then in a second day look at the RSA/EMC statement bloggers began to see the company as dissembling, their firm defense as really more of a non-denial denial. So what's the truth here and what's the lesson?
For the truth I reached deep into the bowels of elliptic cryptography to an old friend who was one of the technology's inventors.
Some thoughts on how a Grinch stole Target's Christmas
There was a time when "activist investor" Carl Icahn actually owned and ran businesses, one of which was TransWorld Airlines (TWA), eventually sold to American Airlines. In an attempt to cut costs, TWA under Icahn outsourced reservation service to a call center built in a prison with prisoners on the phone. When you called to book travel you were giving your credit card number to a felon and telling him when you'd be away from home. Smart move, Carl, and very akin to what may have caused the post-Thanksgiving theft of 40 million credit card numbers from Target, the U.S. discount retailer.
Target used to do its IT all in the USA, then to save costs they moved IT to a subsidiary in India. Care to guess where the Target data breach came from? I'm guessing India. I'm also guessing that there will never be any arrests in the case.
Gallows humor for the NSA privacy debate
It's hard to believe sometimes, but I began writing my columns -- in print back then -- during the Reagan Administration. It was 1987 and the crisis du jour was called Iran-Contra, remember it? Colonel Oliver North got a radio career out of breaking federal law. The FBI director back then was William Sessions, generally called Judge Sessions because he had been a federal judge. I interviewed Sessions in 1990 about the possibility that American citizens might have their privacy rights violated by an upcoming electronic surveillance law. "What would keep an FBI agent from tapping his girlfriend's telephone?" I asked, since it would shortly be possible to do so from the agent's desk.
"It would never happen", Sessions said.


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Congratulations to the Class of 2015!
Dear Fontana Community,
It's hard to believe that another school year is drawing to a close. But, before we launch into summer break, it is fitting to take a few moments to recognize each of you for the dedication, talent, and passion you bring to your work each day. Together, we are making a real difference for our students, families and community.
The end of the year is also a time when we proudly celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates as commencement ceremonies are held for our five high schools, two continuation high schools, and adult school. These 3,192 students (A.B. Miller – 555, Fohi – 537, Jurupa Hills - 509, Kaiser – 540, Summit – 582, Birch – 185, Citrus – 159, and Fontana Adult School – 125) have worked hard and will soon be attending college, trade school, enlisting in the military, or going straight into the work force. It has been our privilege helping them prepare for life beyond high school.
The Governing Board desires to provide a safe school environment that allows all students equal access and opportunities in the district's academic and other educational support programs, services, and activities. The Board prohibits, at any district school or school activity, unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying of any student based on the student's actual race, color, ancestry, national origin, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression; the perception of one or more of such characteristics; or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.
To report any violations of the above policy, please contact:
Title IX: For student and employee violations contact the Director of Certificated Personnel, (909) 357-7600,
ext. 29045
Civil Right: For student violations contact the Associate Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, (909) 357-7600,
ext. 29194
Civil Right: For employee violations contact the Associate Superintendent of Human Resources, (909) 357-7600,
ext. 29046