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When the governing body of a school fails, the effects can be disastrous – as was shown earlier this year, when Ofsted inspectors visited Al-Madinah free school in Derby.
The inspection, carried out in October, found 17 areas needing improvement, major health and safety concerns, unacceptable teaching standards and an institution judged overall as "dysfunctional". Concerns were also raised in a separate report about accounting standards. A new education trust had to be brought in and the chair of governors, Shazia Parveen, resigned.
With the introduction of free schools and expansion of the academy programme, the responsibilities placed on school governing bodies have increased significantly.
Governors are also coming under greater scrutiny. In February, Sir Michael Wilshaw, chief inspector of schools, called for more focus on governance, which will now be separately considered in Ofsted's inspection arrangements. He also suggested the government should consider paying governors of struggling schools – something considered but rejected in July by a select committee on the role of school governing bodies, which nevertheless recommended that governors should receive more professional support and training.
How to ensure governing bodies are doing a good job and attracting the right kind of people in this more challenging environment was the subject of a Guardian roundtable discussion held earlier this month. The roundtable took place in association with Zurich Municipal, a leading provider of risk management and insurance to the education sector, and included governors from both primary and secondary schools, as well as policymakers and governance experts.
All agreed that the greater attention now given to school governance was a good thing, or at least "going in the right direction, slowly".
But Rob Wall, head of education and employment policy at the Confederation of British Industry, which published a report late last month calling for more effective and accountable governing bodies in schools, said the government should be clearer about how important the issue was. "We think this should be up there among its priorities so we can say to business if you are thinking about how to support young people, get your staff to be governors." He said it was particularly important to keep up pressure on the government to fulfil its promise to extend the right to time off from work for governors of free schools and academies.
Emma Knights, chief executive of the National Governors Association, felt the government could also be more proactive in helping to communicate what makes a governing body effective, especially as governing bodies could take a long time to make changes. In turn, governing bodies needed to work harder to find the right kinds of people to serve on them, and to get rid of people if they were not performing well. "One of the failings of governing bodies is they won't get rid of rubbish chairs," she argued, suggesting that this often deterred other people who could make valuable contributions.
Participants in the roundtable agreed that it was important to use as many communication tools as possible, including both old and new media, to promote the value of school governors and help fill around 30,000 school governor vacancies.
But they also felt it was important to have governors with the right skills. That did not necessarily mean business skills.
"We shouldn't kid ourselves that pulling people from business backgrounds necessarily makes for good governance," said Andy Kent, chair of governors at Didsbury Road primary school, Stockport. "It's important that we have on our governing bodies people who absolutely are driven by moral purpose. They have to have a passion for children's education and a passion for ensuring their schools inspire a love of learning."
Nor did having governors with the right skills for the job mean recruiting lawyers or accountants for what was effectively pro bono work – rather it was having people able to provide effective scrutiny of the headteacher and the rest of the school's management.
Neil Carmichael, MP for Stroud and a member of the education select committee, said that to be a successful school governor in an environment of more autonomy, independence, responsibility and improving standards requires "people to have the intellectual equipment and determination equipment to do the job". Too often, he argued, people who did not really want to become chair of a governing body agreed to take on the role because nobody else wanted it – and "that's a recipe for disaster". He argued that the desire for improvement should drive every governor. "There is no point being a governor if you are just going to sit there and nod."
But speakers at the roundtable agreed governors should not get too caught up in operational day-to-day work either. Instead, their job should be strategic.
Leora Cruddas, director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, said a school governing body should be about "deep and intelligent accountability". She continued: "Schools need their governors to be strategic and, in an increasingly autonomous system, that means setting a vision and values and communicating those values in the community the school serves."
She argued that governors should not expect much government guidance. "If you are looking up and out for the cavalry to come, there is no cavalry," she said. "You are the cavalry." Instead, governing bodies needed to be aware of what good governance looked like in other sectors and other parts of the world.
For Ruth Agnew, chair of governors at Locking Stumps community primary school, Warrington, good governance involved being prepared to say to a headteacher: "Hang on, you can't necessarily do that. You need to think again." Although she said many headteachers valued this kind of intervention, others, she felt, were too powerful in dictating their governing body's agenda.
For Chris James, professor of educational leadership and management at the University of Bath, good governance involved asking challenging questions and having the strength of character to say when things were unclear. Paul Tombs, head of education at Zurich Municipal, said it increasingly involved being prepared to take educated risks and understanding what those risks were, while Michael Jeans, a trustee at the Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools, said simply: "What you are trying to do as a governor is provide an environment where great teaching and learning can take place."
Participants agreed that establishing high educational standards was part of the role of governors, although they suggested that this had become more challenging because of the current emphasis on exam grades, which were only part of the picture.
Wall said: "As long as the system is focusing on exam results then governing bodies and teachers are drawn towards focusing on that." Good governing bodies were looking at educational quality in a broader sense, he said, but this was happening in spite of the system.
If what made a good governing body was sometimes unclear, the roundtable agreed that what a good chair of governors looked like could be even more confusing.
One reported meeting a chair of governors who claimed to spend two days per week on the role. Another had experienced a seven-hour governors meeting. In both cases, members of the roundtable agreed, things had clearly gone wrong. While it was true that chairs needed to spend time in a school so that they understood it, making the job too onerous would put people off. "People look at the chair and think: 'I can't do that. I can't give it the time,'" said Agnew.
For small schools, Knights argued that forming a federation could be the answer, although Tombs suggested the practicalities of this could be a problem. James was also sceptical, saying that, while it could be helpful for a less successful school to join up with one that was more successful, collaborations had little effect on what actually happened in the classroom.
A more important form of collaboration, most of the roundtable agreed, was that between school governing bodies and industry. Carmichael said the government was working on ways to get more professional people involved in schools because "it isn't acceptable for schools to be going about their business in complete isolation of the career opportunities pupils are going to find themselves in".
This, he said, was particularly important when employers regularly complained of a lack of employability skills among school-leavers. Kent Sandom, a governor at Greenford high school, Southall, said too many young people were still unable to communicate clearly. Carmichael related meeting one employer in the hospitality industry who said he recruited more than half his staff from abroad because those from the UK "cannot read, cannot write and they're rude".
James said businesses benefited as much as schools from having employees on school governing bodies. "It gives the employees a more sophisticated view of the world and makes them better strategic leaders ultimately, which is what industry needs," he said.
Wall agreed. For business, little was more important than having high-quality education and skills, he said. "If we are to get the schools our young people deserve, we really need to get governance right."
Join the live chat on the future of school governance on Tuesday 17 December from 5pm-7pm at guardian.com/teacher-network
Key themes
• Greater autonomy for schools means more responsibility for school governing bodies
• Some governing bodies and chairs of governors are not up to the task and all need better support and training
• Business and school governing bodies can help each other achieve their different goals
• Many school governors feel in their comfort zone getting involved in the day-to-day operation of a school but really their job is to oversee a school's current strategy and provide a vision for the future
At the table
Wendy Berliner (chair) Head of education, Guardian Professional
Paul Tombs Head of education, Zurich Municipal
Rob Wall Head of education and employment policy, Confederation of British Industry
Nick Chambers Director of the Education and Employers Taskforce
Neil Carmichael MP for Stroud and member of the education select committee
Michael Jeans Trustee, Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools
Leora Cruddas Director of policy, Association of School and College Leaders
Chris James Professor of educational leadership and management, University of Bath
Dave Lake Chair of governors, Bow school, east London
Andy Kent Chair of governors, Didsbury Road primary school, Stockport
Emma Knights Chief executive officer, National Governors Association
Kent Sandom Governor, Greenford high school, Southall
Ruth Agnew Chair of governors Locking Stumps community primary school, Warrington
Seminar report commissioned and controlled by the Guardian. Discussion hosted to a brief agreed with Zurich Municipal. Funded by Zurich Municipal. Contact Sunita Gordon on 020 3353 2447 (firstname.lastname@example.com). For information on roundtables, visit: theguardian.com/sponsored-content


text:
YOUTH RESOURCES: Getting teens to tell the truth
Youth Resources logo by Krista Decker
"She lies to me all the time about everything. I don't know what to do to make her understand that I cannot trust her since she is so dishonest all the time."
A good friend shared with me some of the frustrations she is having with raising her preteen daughter. There is no doubt that her frustration is shared by parents everywhere. Parents of teenagers should be aware that they are very likely to lie to them at least once about what they spent their money on, whether they are dating or not, what music they listen to, if there was alcohol at the party they went to last night, or many more things teens don't want parents to learn. Think back to your own teenage years. Can you say that you never lied to your parents?
But knowing that teenagers will lie on occasion does not make it OK and parents should hold them responsible for their behavior. The main reasons teens lie are to cover up something they have done wrong, to get out of something they do not want to do and to fit in with their friends. To many teenagers, lying seems to be the easy way to get out of trouble or to get to do something exciting that has been forbidden by their parents. Most of the time teenagers rationalize their lying and think that since it doesn't hurt anyone, it is no big deal.
So how should parents deal with their children lying? James Lehman, author of "Transform Your Child," offers a no-nonsense practical approach to dealing with lying from your teenagers. He wrote, "Let's face it. Information isn't just available to our kids; it's injected into them. Bad ideas are pushed down our kids throats by their peers, by some adults, by the media. It's hard for a parent to keep control of their kids when this is happening and protect them from their own harmful impulses and dangerous outside influences. Your kid's honesty becomes the connector between what's happening to him on the outside world and what happens at home."
Lehman suggests parents deal with lying the way law enforcement deals with speeding. Someone who is speeding gets the consequence of a ticket and the officer is not interested in explanations about why they were speeding in the first place. When a child lies to the parents, there should be a consequence strong enough to make the child uncomfortable. Options could include taking their phone away for the rest of the day. Future instances of lying should have stronger consequences such as the phone is taken away for 24 hours, then 2 days, then a week and so on. Lehman points out that after an officer issues the ticket, he does not follow you home and argue with you making sure you understand why you got the ticket. He just issues the ticket and drives away.
Lehman said, "Approach the consequences for lying the same way. Don't argue about it or get into a big discussion. Discuss it in a structured way. Just ask what she was trying to accomplish, then point out that lying is not the way to solve her problem. Compliance is the way to solve it. Talk about it after things have cooled down, not in the heat of the moment. Explain what will happen if she lies again and say 'If you lie to me about the dance, you're not going to the next dance and I'm taking your phone for 24 hours.' Just keep it really simple."
In dealing with the lying, parents should be careful not to miss important clues about what is happening in their teen's life because they are more concerned about the lie than the reason the lie was told. Dealing with the reasons behind the lies instead of just the lying is a more effective way to promote honesty, reduce lying and give parents valuable insight into their teenager's life.
Krista Decker is vice president of development at Youth Resources of Southwestern Indiana. Since 1987, Youth Resources has engaged 145,000 youth in leadership development and community service through its evidence-based, youth-led TEENPOWER, Teen Advisory Council, Teen Court and Make A Difference Grant Programs. For more information please call 812-421-0030 or visit www.youth-resources.org.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Awesome news and congrats to the SpaceX launch crew once again!
Another nice "IN YOUR FACE!!" to their naysayers!
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Posted 05 August 2014 - 15:16
AsiaSat 8 Successfully Lifts Off
Hong Kong, 5 August 2014 – AsiaSat 8 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle successfully lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, U.S.A. at Hong Kong Time 4:00 p.m. (4:00 a.m. EDT or Cape Canaveral local time) on the 5th of August. The spacecraft successfully separated from the launch vehicle 32 minutes after liftoff. AsiaSat has acquired the first signals from the satellite in Hong Kong 54 minutes after launch. Over the next few days, AsiaSat 8 will move into the geostationary orbit, some 36,000 km above the Equator. "We are excited that the AsiaSat 8 launch has achieved this significant milestone.
This is our first launch with SpaceX, we would like to thank them for their excellent work and effort in making today's launch a success. In the coming weeks, we will work closely with Space Systems/Loral, our long-term partner, on the post-launch maneuvers and in-orbit testing of AsiaSat 8," said William Wade, President and Chief Executive Officer of AsiaSat. "The addition of AsiaSat 8 to our existing fleet of four in-orbit satellites will expand our fleet capacity and enable us to serve a wider range of customers for advanced satellite services, from DTH, data broadcasting to broadband services." AsiaSat 8 is a Space Systems/Loral 1300 series satellite, and has a design life of 15 years. With 24 Ku-band transponders and a Ka-band payload, AsiaSat 8 will co-locate with AsiaSat 7 , where AsiaSat has established networks for service since 1990. AsiaSat 8's powerful Ku-band beams cover China, India, the Middle East and South East Asia, with inter-beam switching capability to provide flexibility to address market requirements.
About AsiaSat
Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat), the leading satellite operator in Asia, serves over two-thirds of the world's population with its five satellites, AsiaSat 3S, AsiaSat 4, AsiaSat 5, AsiaSat 7 and the newly launched AsiaSat 8. The AsiaSat satellite fleet provides services to both the broadcast and telecommunications industries. Over 450 television and radio channels are now delivered by the company's satellites offering access to over 710 million TV households across the Asia-Pacific region. AsiaSat also provides telecommunications operators and end users services such as voice.
Posted 05 August 2014 - 15:36
Posted 07 August 2014 - 20:28
Peter B. de Selding (@pbdes)
07.08.14 16:59
Orbcomm CEO: SpaceX launch of our 6 sats was 0.005 deg from 47deg inclination goal, 0.5km from apogee goal of 720km, 0.5km from 620km perigee.
Peter B. de Selding (@pbdes)
07.08.14 17:01
Orbcomm CEO on SpaceX launch precision: Doesn't get much better than this. 10kg of fuel reserved for maneuvers now can be used for service.
Posted 08 August 2014 - 09:49
Looks like Falcon 9 can thread needles,
You would think that precision like this and the fuel savings it allows would hopefully sway other companies in to choosing spaceX over their rivals.
Out of interest - do you know if that extra fuel will increase the life span of those sats?


text:
Originally written on Pro Sports Daily | Last updated 8/9/12
The Diamondbacks flexed their muscles on a 10-game trip, and the final game provided the exclamation point. Jason Kubel hit two two-run home runs and Wil Nieves hit one as the D-backs earned a split of a four-game series with a 6-3 victory over Pittsburgh on Thursday. Kubel has 25 home runs, third in the National League, and is three short of his career high set with Minnesota in 2009. Kubel's 77 RBIs are second in the league. Nieves hit a home run in his first start with the D-backs after joining the team Monday, when Henry Blanco was placed on the disabled list because of a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb. "It's huge," admitted Nieves, who hit a high breaking pitch from Pirates left-hander Wandy Rodriguez into the left field seats with two out in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the D-backs a 4-3 lead. "We're fighting for a spot in the playoffs. Helping the team any way I can is what I am trying to do. I was a little nervous. He threw me a lot of b...
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Top Definition
A term for an immature vulva, before the labia have developed. Term derives from the similar appearance of a little girl's pussy to an uncracked walnut.
"I'm a virgin! Don't split my little walnut!" "Too late. You're the main ingredient of this Waldorf salad I'm making."
Beküldő: Ignominious Bob 2009. augusztus 25.
20 more definitions
A person who likes to shop or hang out at Wal-Mart a lot.
She is such a walnut.
Beküldő: Bed time 2010. március 31.
Another name for John McCain.
Did you see Walnuts' speech last night? You know, the one about inflation. Did he look dead to you or what?
Beküldő: Iacopus 2008. augusztus 8.
Someone who is obsessed with walls.
My best friend is a walnut.
Beküldő: Nospmoht Fets 2005. január 29.
Kind of like nuts, but way more nuts.
Kind of like nuts, but way more nuts.
Dude. That Ron Artest brawl the other night was freaking walnuts.
Beküldő: cgp24 2010. december 13.
When your nuts are a little sweaty so they stick to the side of your leg. The pre-cursor to itchy nuts.
"Dude, it's so hot in here I got the worst walnuts."
Beküldő: Jawn 2005. május 29.


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Wouldn't it be cool to find out who you might have been 100 years ago?
Katie took a trip back with Dr. Brian Weiss MD – a psychiatrist and past-life expert to find out.
First she started out with breathing exercises before embarking on her journey to yesteryear.
Through deep breathing and muscle relaxation, Katie was able to remember her 8 year old self laying on the
grass. Then Dr. Weiss lead her to a very important door that would answer everything.
"Imagine there is a beautiful door and on the other side of the door is a figure or a person or a scene of a past-life," Dr. Weiss said.
So who was Katie?
"I think I'm definitely a boy," Katie said. "Maybe Huckleberry Finn. Or Tom Sawyer."
Dr. Weiss brings Katie back to analyze.
"I was skeptical," Katie admitted. Coincidentally, Katie revealed that she wrote her thesis on Mark Twain and Huckleberry Finn in college.
Maybe that had some influence on who she was?
"You could interpret that the other way around – why did you write your thesisRead More »from Who Was Katie in Her Past Life?


text:
An integrated circuit including a serial interface (12) having a nonvolatile memory (30) coupled to a and configuration of circuit boards and entire systems. A configurable circuits (10) containing switches, resistors, capacitors or digital logic devices has an unique identification code and is electrically configured by connection to a nonvolatile memory (30). An interrogation shift register (38) and a configuration data shift register (36) are serially connected to receive a serial bit stream (50) containing an interrogation code section and a configuration data section. The interrogation code, which is identical to the identification code of a selected one of the configurable circuits, is compared with the circuit
identification code to provide a match pulse (42) that enables a program signal to initiate transfer of data from the data shift register (36) to the nonvolatile memory (30).
1. An electrically programmable device comprising:
a first electrically configurable circuit,
a first ID memory having an identification code unique to said first circuit,
first nonvolatile memory means connected to said first electrically configurable circuit to control configuration of said first electrically configurable circuit according to configuration data stored in said first nonvolatile memory means, and
first means responsive to said first ID memory for entering configuration data into said first nonvolatile memory means,
a second electrically configurable circuit,
a second ID memory having an identification code unique to said second circuit,
second nonvolatile memory means connected to said second electrically configurable circuit to control configuration of said second configurable circuit according to configuration data stored in said second nonvolatile memory means, and
second means responsive to said second ID memory for entering into said second nonvolatile memory means a set of configuration data for configuring said second device,
wherein each said first and second responsive means comprises:
a shift register having a configuration data section and an interrogation code section,
comparison means for comparing the code of said respective ID memory with interrogation code in the interrogation code section of the shift register to generate a circuit match signal upon occurrence of a match, and
means responsive to said circuit match signal for transferring configuration data from said configuration data section of said respective shift register to said respective nonvolatile memory means.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein said means responsive to said first mentioned ID memory comprises a first shift register cascaded with said second shift register.
3. A programmable device comprising:
an electrically configurable circuit,
an ID code memory carrying an identification code that uniquely identifies said circuit,
means for interrogating said ID memory, wherein said means for interrogating comprises:
an interrogation code memory;
means for storing an interrogation code in said interrogation code memory, and
means for comparing the identification code stored in said ID memory and the interrogation code stored in said interrogation code memory, and
means responsive to said interrogating means for controlling configuration of said circuit, wherein said means for controlling configuration comprises;
nonvolatile memory means connected to said circuit for controlling configuration of said circuit, and
means for programming said memory means in response to said interrogation means, wherein said means for programming said nonvolatile memory means comprises a first shift register and mans for transferring information from said first shift register to said nonvolatile memory means,
wherein said interrogation code memory comprises;
a second shift register connected in series with said first shift register; and
means for serially shifting into said first and second shift registers a bit stream having a first group of data bits containing a program for said nonvolatile memory means and having a second group of data bits comprising an interrogation code for comparison with said identification code.
4. The device of claim 3 wherein said electrically configurable circuit comprises a switching circuit.
5. The device of claim 3 wherein said electrically configurable circuit comprise a pre-settable counter circuit.
6. A programmable device comprising:
an electrically configurable circuit,
an ID code memory carrying an identification code that uniquely identifies said circuit,
means for interrogating said ID memory, and
means responsive to said interrogating means for controlling configuration of said circuit, wherein said electrically configurable circuit comprises a variable capacitor circuit.
7. A method of controlling an electrically configurable circuit comprising the steps of:
providing the circuit with an identification code;
comparing an interrogation code with said identification code to generate a match signal when the two codes are a match,
storing a set of configuration data in a device memory upon occurrence of said match signal, and
configuring said circuit in accordance with the configuration data stored in said device memory,
wherein aid step of storing a set of configuration data and said step of comparing comprises shifting said configuration data and interrogation code serially into a shift register having a first section storing said configuration data and having a second section storing said interrogation code.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein said device memory is a nonvolatile memory.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of storing a set of configuration data comprises storing such data in a temporary memory.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein said temporary memory is a shift register.
11. A method of controlling an electrically configurable circuit comprising the steps of:
providing the circuit with an identification code,
comparing an interrogation code with said identification code to generate a match signal when the two codes are a match,
storing a set of configuration data in a device memory upon occurrence of said match signal, and
configuring said circuit in accordance with the configuration data stored in said device memory,
wherein said step of storing said set of configuration data in a device memory comprises enabling the device memory for programming in response to occurrence of said match signal and feeding a program command signal to said device memory after occurrence of said match signal.
12. The method of claim 7 including the step of electrically reading out the configuration of said circuit.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of reading out comprises transferring said identification code and the configuration data in said device memory to an output device.
14. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of storing a set of configuration data and said step of comparing comprise the steps of providing a shift register having first and second sections for receiving and storing said configuration data and said interrogation code.
15. The method of claim 14 including the step of reading the configuration of said circuit, said step of reading comprising transferring into said shift register said set of configuration data stored in said circuit memory and said identification code.
16. The method of claim 7 wherein in said electrically configurable circuit is a DIP switch.
17. The method of claim 7 wherein said electrically configurable circuit is a trim capacitor.
18. The method of claim 7 wherein said electrically configurable device includes a pre-settable counter.
19. A method of selectively controlling one or more of a plurality of electrically configurable circuits comprising the steps of:
providing each said circuit with an unique identification code,
providing a plurality of shift registers each unique to a different one of said configurable circuits and each having a data section and an ID section,
serially connecting said registers to enable a bit stream to be serially shifted through each of said registers in sequence,
feeding into a first one of said shift registers a serial bit stream having a plurality of sequential groups of bits where each group includes a data sub-group and an interrogation code sub-group,
storing each of said bit stream groups in an individual one of said shift registers, with said data subgroup of each group contained in the data section of the individual shift register and the interrogation code subgroup of each group being contained in the ID section of the individual shift register,
comparing the interrogation code of the ID section of at least one of the shift registers with the identification code of the corresponding configurable circuit to generate a match signal that identifies such circuit as a chosen circuit when the compared codes are a match, and
configuring said chosen circuit in accordance with the data sub-group of said at least one shift register in response to said match signal.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein said step of configuring comprises transferring the data sub-group from said at least one shift register into a nonvolatile memory, and configuring said chosen circuit in accordance with data in said nonvolatile memory.
21. A plurality of programmable devices connected in a chain and including first and last devices in the chain,
each said device comprising:
an electrically configurable circuit,
an ID memory having an identification code unique to the circuit,
nonvolatile memory means connected to electrically configure the configurable circuit,
a shift register having a data section for storing configuration data and an interrogation section for storing interrogation code data, said shift register having a serial input for receiving serial input data, and having an output for providing a serial data output,
means for transferring data between said data section and said nonvolatile memory means,
means for comparing the interrogation code in said interrogation section with the identification code in said ID memory to provide a match signal upon occurrence of a match between the compared codes, and
a program gate having first and second inputs and having an output connected to said nonvolatile memory to effect transfer of data from said data section to said memory means, said match signal being connected to provide said first input to said program gate, means for providing a program command signal to the second input of said program gate of each said device,
means for providing a serial clock signal to said shift registers of each said device,
means for providing serial input data to the serial input of the shift register of a first device in the chain,
means for providing a read signal to said shift registers of each said device to effect transfer of information from the nonvolatile memory means to the data section of the shift register and to effect transfer of information from said ID memory to said interrogation section of said shift register, and
means for connecting the output of the shift register of each device, except the shift register of the last device in the chain, to the serial input of the shift register of the next adjacent device.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to configurable circuits and more particularly concerns circuits that can be electrically configured and re-configured.
2. Description of Related Art
Many electronic circuits, including circuit boards and entire electronic systems, must be trimmed and configured either upon completion of manufacture, at installation or after some time of use. Often circuit components will drift due to aging or environmental factors, and thus need be adjusted for proper operation. Other circuits require such adjustments in order to alter operation and function of the circuit. Thus it is frequently desirable to selectively vary or adjust such circuit operations and parameters as frequency, resistance, capacitance, switch selection and data line selections. Presently trimming and configuration or reconfiguration of such circuits and system is accomplished by use of mechanical DIP switches and potentiometers, or sometimes by laser trimming of circuit components. These methods are slow or may require expensive equipment. Mechanical trimming switches, potentiometers and the like are expensive, relatively difficult to build and assemble, require physical access to the device and are inherently less reliable than electronic components. Laser trimming equipment is expensive and is generally available only upon manufacture of circuitry, and cannot be accomplished in the field.
Circuits have been programmed by use of EEPROM memories, but such prior art is able to handle configuration of several circuits only with great complexity and increased numbers of control lines. Prior arrangements, furthermore, make no provisions for digital readout of the actual configuration of the device, and, moreover, have been available only for a configurable potentiometer or an array of resistors.
Where circuit boards or systems operate in environments or packages that make access difficult, or where such circuits or devices are encapsulated, the circuit boards and systems may require trimming, adjustment or other reconfiguration which cannot be accomplished in presently available mechanical systems.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide configurable circuits that avoid or minimize above mentioned problems.
In carrying out principles of the present invention in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof, an electrically configurable circuit is provided with an identification code. Means are provided for interrogating the circuit to identify its code and means responsive to the interrogation may then control configuration or reconfiguration of the circuit. According to a feature of the invention a configurable circuit has its configuration controlled by a nonvolatile memory, and one of a plurality of such configurable circuits is selected by matching the circuit ID code with an interrogation code. Upon occurrence of a match, configuration data is entered into the nonvolatile memory for reconfiguration of the configurable circuit.
According to another feature, a serial interface permits accessing the nonvolatile memory of the circuit at a system level and enables many configurable circuits to be cascaded.
In the accompanying drawings:
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a configurable solid state DIP switch and its configuration control interface;
FIG. 2 illustrates a configurable solid state trim capacitor and its configuration control interface;
FIG. 3 shows a configurable pre-settable counter and its configuration control interface; and
FIG. 4 shows a chain of configurable circuits and their configuration control interfaces.
Illustrated in FIG. 1 is an N output configurable solid state DIP switch 10 (where N may be any number from 1 to 32 or more) and a serial interface 12 therefor which enables the configurable DIP switch circuit 10 to be electronically programmed and reprogrammed and to have its configuration state read out remotely.
The configurable circuit 10, shown merely as an example of one kind of electrically configurable switch circuit, is substantially conventional, having N switches each providing three different outputs at each of the output lines labeled OUT 1, OUT 2, and OUT N. Each switch functionally comprises a pair of switches, SW-1 and SW-1a for one switch, SW-2 and SW-2a for a second, etc. Switches SW-1 and SW-2, etc. each has two inputs, one from a +V line 16 and the other from a ground line 18, and provide outputs on lines 20-1, 20-2 and 20-N respectively, which are fed to a second part of each switch, such as SW-1a and SW-2a, etc. An enable input on a common line 22 opens or closes each of the secondary switches SW-1a, SW-2a, etc. to connect its input 20-1, 20-2, etc. to its output, OUT 1 or OUT 2, respectively. Each of the primary switches SW-1 and SW-2 etc., has a controlling input from an individual one of switch control lines C-1, C-2, and C-N, respectively, which are provided from the output of a nonvolatile memory 30 that forms part of the configuration control interface 12. Depending upon the state of its control line C-1, which will have either a high or low level, that is, a logic 1 or 0, switch SW-1 will connect either the ground line 18 or the positive voltage line 16 to its output 20-1. Depending upon the state of the enable line 22, which is provided from an external circuit (not shown), the secondary switch SW-1a will provide either a direct connection or an open circuit between OUT 1 and input line 20-1. All of the switches of the DIP switch are alike, and thus the configuration of the DIP switch circuit is controlled by the level of logic signals on all of the control lines C-1, C-2, through C-N.
In addition to the nonvolatile memory 30, which may be an EEPROM (electronically erasable programmable memory) embodying memory cells of the type illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,704 of Frank J. Bohac, Jr. for Nonvolatile Latch, the configuration control interface 12 includes an identification code (ID) memory 34, which may be a storage register or other suitable nonvolatile or permanent memory, and a dual or two section shift register comprising an N bit shift register section 36 and an 8 bit shift register section 38. Also included in the configuration control interface is an 8 bit parallel comparison circuit 40 for comparing an interrogation code in shift register 38 with the identification code in ID memory 34. Comparison circuit 40, upon occurrence of a match of all 8 bits of the ID code and the interrogation code, provides on an output line 42 a match pulse which is fed as one input to an AND or program gate 44, having as its second input a program command signal on an input line 46. The output of the gate 44 is connected to the nonvolatile memory 30 and is operable to trigger a parallel transfer of configuration data stored in the N bit shift register 36 into the nonvolatile memory 30.
In addition to the program command signal input on line 46 the configuration control interface circuit 12 includes a read input on an input line 48, a serial data input on a line 50, and a data clock input on a line 52. The read input on line 48 is fed into both sections 36, 38 of the shift register, as is the data clock on line 52. A serial bit stream comprising a series of bits having a first section containing an 8 bit interrogation code and a following section containing N bits of configuration data is serially shifted into the input of N bit register
are shifted out on a line 51 and thence into the 8 bit shift register section 38. The serially connected shift register sections are provided with a single serial data output on a line 54 from the output of the 8 bit register section 38. The N bit length of the first shift register section 36 is equal to the number of bits in the nonvolatile memory 30, which may be 16, for example. The length of the second shift register section 38 is equal to the length of the ID code in memory 34, which in the embodiment illustrated herein for purposes of exposition is 8 bits. It will be readily understood that the registers may be of different lengths, and the memories 30 and 34 may have different sizes for storing different numbers of configuration bits and different numbers of identification code bits as may be deemed necessary or desirable. The identification code permanently stored in ID memory 34 is unique to the specific and individual configurable DIP switch circuit 10, and thus enables identification and selection of this circuit when a plurality of such circuits are connected in a chain, as will be more particularly described below.
The nonvolatile memory 30 continuously provides electrical signals of appropriate logic levels on its output lines C-1, C-2, etc., and thus maintains the configurable circuit 10 in a selected configuration It may be noted at this point that the nonvolatile memory may be of many different types, but when made in the configuration illustrated in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,704 this memory 30 will latch and retain its last programmed state, even when power is removed from the memory. The correct state of the memory is automatically restored when power is reapplied.
The described arrangement not only provides for reconfiguration of the DIP switch circuit 10 but also allows readout of the actual configured state of the DIP switch. This configured state, of course, is determined by the contents of nonvolatile memory 30 so that readout of the contents of memory 30 provides a readout of the state of the configurable circuit.
To read the contents of memory 30, and also to simultaneously read the ID code from memory 34, the read input on line 48, normally low, is pulsed high. This read pulse initiates a parallel loading of data from the nonvolatile memory 30 into the N bit shift register section 36, and also initiates a parallel load of the ID code from memory 34 to the interrogation shift register 38. It may be noted that the drawing convention used herein shows a single line connecting two of the elements, such as a line 60 connecting nonvolatile memory 30 and shift register section 36. There is a short slant line across the connecting line 60 adjacent a number symbol, such as N. This denotes the fact that the single line shown in the drawing is actually N separate lines. Thus the data line 62 connecting ID memory 34, and comparison circuit 40 and data lines 64 and 66 connecting shift register section 38 with the comparison circuit 40 and with the ID memory 34 also are shown in the drawing to comprise eight separate lines to enable simultaneous parallel transfer of 8 bits between these components.
After occurrence of the read pulse, register section 38 contains the ID code of the particular device that is being read, and register section 36 contains the data from its nonvolatile memory. Then, on serial shifting out of the data from the two shift register sections in response to data clock pulses on line 52, the first eight bits will appear on serial data output line 54 and comprise the 8 bits from the shift register 38, which collectively form the identification code extracted from ID memory 34. The next N bits appearing on serial output line 54, which are serially transferred from shift register section 36 to and through shift register section 38, are clocked out on output line 54 and identify the contents of the nonvolatile memory.
In order to initially configure or later reconfigure DIP switch circuit 10 it is necessary to provide a serial data bit stream on serial data input line 50 that comprises the desired eight bit ID code (which is an interrogation code) of the circuit 10 followed by N bits of configuration data which are serially clocked in to the two shift register sections. Assuming that the nonvolatile memory 30 contains 16 bits of data and the same number of bits is contained in the data section of the shift register, and further assuming that the ID code is 8 bits, a total of 24 bits is serially clocked in via input line 50 and shift register interconnection line 51, under control of the data clock pulses on line 52. After clocking in the 24 pulses, shift register section 38 contains the 8 bit interrogation code chosen to uniquely select the DIP circuit 10, and shift register section 36 contains the configuration data that is to be entered into the nonvolatile memory. Comparison circuit 40 compares the ID code bits in memory 34 with the interrogation code bits in register 38, and if all 8 bits of the two are found to match, a match signal is provided on output line 42 to enable the gate 44. After the comparison has been completed and gate 44 enabled, a positive going program pulse 70 is applied as a second input to gate 44 to initiate a parallel transfer of the configuration data from shift register section 36 to the nonvolatile memory 30. As the individual data bit storage cells of the nonvolatile memory 30 change, the logic levels on its output lines C-1, C-2 through C-N similarly change, to thereby reconfigure the solid state DIP switch circuit
If deemed necessary or desirable, the nonvolatile memory may be so configured that the previous data, namely that already stored in the nonvolatile memory, are effectively latched at the beginning of the programming pulse (the positive going edge of the positive going program pulse 70), and changes to a new value on its output lines C-1, C-2 through C-N only on the trailing edge of the program pulse. This avoids transfer of the uncertain or varying state of the memory cells during the short interval during which the state of the cells is being changed.
Illustrated in FIG. 2 is a serially programmable solid state trim capacitor and its configuration control interface. The trim capacitor provides a variable capacitance between terminals 80 and 82 by selectively connecting a plurality of capacitors 84, 86 and 88 in parallel, with each capacitor being connected or disconnected from the circuit between terminals 80 and 82 by an individual one of a plurality of bi-directional solid state switches 90, 92 and 94, there being one switch for each capacitor. In an exemplary embodiment there may be 8 capacitors so that the total capacitance between terminals 80 and 82 may be changed in many steps. Each of the capacitor controlling switches 90, 92 and 94 itself is controlled by a signal of logic level 1 or 0 on configuration control lines 98, 100, 102, there being one such line for each of the exemplary eight switches in this trim capacitor. The control lines 98, 100, 102 provide logic signals derived from the nonvolatile memory 30 of the configuration control interface
The configuration control interface 12 employed for the configurable solid state trim capacitor shown in FIG. 2 is identical to the configuration control interface of FIG. 1 and includes the same elements, same inputs and same outputs, namely the nonvolatile memory 30, ID code memory 34, comparison circuit 40, coincidence gate 44, and shift register sections 36 and 38, together with the appropriate inputs and outputs. The only difference between the two is in the specific ID code stored in the fixed memory 34. The ID code for the trim capacitor is unique to this circuit. Of course the size of the nonvolatile memory is chosen in accordance with the number of control inputs required by the configurable trim capacitor Thus if there are eight capacitors in the solid state trim capacitor, the nonvolatile memory will store eight bits of configuration data and have eight control lines interconnecting the configurable circuit and the nonvolatile memory. Similarly, the shift register section 36 has a length equal to the number of bits in the nonvolatile memory.
Still another type of nonvolatile serially programmable circuit is illustrated in FIG. 3 in the form of a conventional configurable pre-settable counter settable counter 120, having reset, enable and clock inputs on input lines 122, 124 and 126 respectively, and an output line 128, with a feedback or load line 130 that effects a reloading of the counter upon occurrence of an output. Functionally, the pre-settable counter is often used as a divider that divides by the (pre-set) number of stages of the counter. Being a pre-settable counter, the counter may divide by any number within its capacity so that, for example, for a 16 stage counter the counter will divide by any number between 2 and 216. The particular number by which the counter divides is selected by presetting a particular number into the counter. Normally the counter, when enabled, counts clock pulses, counting down from its maximum or pre-set count until, at 0 count, an output pulse is provided on output line 128, which is employed via line 130 to re-load the pre-set value into the counter. The pre-set value of the counter is established by a plurality of pre-set input lines 132, 134, 136 and 138, it being understood that there is one such pre-set line for each stage of the counter. Thus, for a 16 stage counter there are 16 pre-set input lines, each of which is connected to provide a logic signal from the nonvolatile memory 30 of the configuration control interface 12. Again, the interface 12 of the configurable counter is essentially identical with the interfaces previously described, but differs in that its ID code memory 34 is unique to this pre-settable counter circuit and that a nonvolatile memory of 16 bits is employed because the pre-settable counter has 16 stages. The shift register section 36 that contains the configuration data is expanded to enable storage of 16 bits for transfer of such data between the shift register section 36 and the memory 30.
Configuring and reconfiguring of this pre-settable counter is the same as the configuring and reconfiguring of the DIP switch and trim capacitor circuits previously described. The pre-set state or configuration of the counter is read out by a read pulse applied to the shift register. The desired data is contained in the serial bit stream output that the read pulse causes to be shifted out from the second shift register section 38. This serial bit stream includes the 8 bits of the ID code of the counter circuit followed by the 16 bits of non-volatile memory data contained in shift register section 36. Programming of the counter 120 to pre-set it to a given number or to change the pre-set of the counter is accomplished by shifting into the shift register a bit stream having a first group of bits comprising an interrogation code that is the same as the ID code of the counter, and having a second group of data bits that define the pre-set state to which the counter is to be configured. As previously described, upon successful comparison of the ID code in memory 34 with the interrogation code introduced into shift register section 38, the match pulse enables the program gate 44 so that a program pulse will transfer configuration data from shift register section 36 to the nonvolatile memory, which in turn controls the pre-set values of the counter.
One or more of the nonvolatile serially programmable devices described herein may be fabricated on a single integrated circuit chip or circuit board and may be provided as additional circuits on a circuit board carrying a system that is to be controlled or adjusted by the configurable capacitor, counter, switching array or the like. The devices are preferably made using conventional CMOS technology. They require very low power and operate over a wide voltage and temperature range. Redundant circuit techniques may be used to improve reliability and life of the EEPROM memories, and only a single positive power supply may be needed.
FIG. 4 illustrates the connection of a number of nonvolatile serially programmable devices in a chain or series of such devices. The several devices illustrated in FIG. 4 are identified as device 200, device 202 and device 204, it being understood that the drawing illustrates an exemplary connection of several devices in a series arrangement, but any number of such devices may be so connected. All of the devices of the chain of devices share common input lines. These common inputs include read, program, and serial clock inputs on lines 206, 208 and 212, all of which are provided as inputs to each device of the chain of devices. Serial data input is provided to all devices on a line 210 that feeds only to the shift register of the first device 200. All devices employ the single serial output line 214, which is the output from the interrogation shift register of the last of the devices, device 204, in the chain. The various shift register section pairs of each of the devices are effectively cascaded, with the output of the shift register of one device being connected to the serial input of the first shift register section of the next device. The serial data input is fed to the shift register of the first device, thence from the output of this shift register to the input of the shift register of the next device, and so on, until the input data has reached the shift register of the last device. Typically the serial input of the first device and the serial output of the last device may be connected to a suitable programming unit, such as a personal computer or a microprocessor. When a group of devices are connected in this manner, any number of devices can be accessed with merely the five interface lines 206, 208, 210, 212 and 214. If for a particular application it is not necessary to be able to read the state of each of the devices, the read line 206 may be omitted. In such case the interface connection can be reduced solely to three lines, namely three input lines, as no output line or read line is needed.
The several devices connected in the chain shown in FIG. 4 may include circuits such as one or more of the programmable and configurable circuits illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, respectively. In addition, many other types of configurable circuits may be employed with the described interface, including, without limitation, a quad analog switch having a plurality of bi-directional switches that allow data to flow in one direction or the other in accordance with a control input, a multi-channel analog data selector that will allow data from a number of inputs to be connected selectively in parallel to a common output or which can provide data scanning functions, a solid state trim potentiometer comprising an array of resistors that are individually and selectively connected together in a single resistor array to vary the total array resistance, a sine/cosine generator that employs a pre-settable counter to control the division in circuitry that determines frequency. In the programmable frequency sine/cosine generator the output frequency is a programmable function of input clock frequency. In such a generator the nonvolatile memory data configures the circuit to provide for division of the input clock signal by a number that varies (for a 16 stage counter) up to 216. These are merely further examples that are illustrations of the very broad range of circuits that may be remotely configured by the described configuration control interface arrangement. Any one or more of such configurable circuits may be employed individually in individual ones of the devices 200, 202 and 204 of the device chain of FIG. 4. Each configurable circuit of course is provided with its own specific and unique identification code so that any one or more of the configurable circuits may be individually accessed for reading out its state or for programming its nonvolatile memory to reconfigure the circuit.
A typical reconfiguration procedure is to first read the state of all of the devices in the chain and then modify one or more of them. By providing a read pulse on the read input on line 206 of FIG. 4 and then clocking the shift registers by providing clock pulses on serial clock input 212 (clocking all of the shift registers), the number of devices in the ring, their part types (identification codes) and the contents of their nonvolatile memories can all be determined. All of this information is provided in order and in sequence in the serial bit stream output appearing on output line 214 in response to the read pulse. For example, after a read pulse is provided, the first eight clock pulses will shift the ID code of the last device (device 204) out of the interrogation register of the last device. From this ID code the device type and number of data bits to follow can be determined, because the number of data bits in each device has been predetermined. The number of data bits of the last device, device 204, is important information because it determines the position of the next ID code. In other words, assuming an ID code of 8 bits and 16 bits in the nonvolatile memory of the last device, the first 24 bits that appear on the serial output 214 after clocking out the shift registers are all related to the last device. The succeeding 8 bits of this serial bit stream then identify the next to the last device and the predetermined number of its data bits immediately follow. Thus each device can be read in succession by reading the ID code and then clocking out the appropriate number of data bits for the device identified by such ID code. The position of the first device can be verified by shifting in an illegal ID code to the shift register of the first device when the read process begins. Thus the illegal code will immediately follow the tail end of the shifted out bit stream. The data bits of the last device of which data is read out, namely device 200, comprise the end of the shifted out bit stream.
To program a new configuration into a selected one of the devices of the chain of devices of FIG. 4, the programming unit (such as a PC or like computer) simply shifts the correct ID code and data into the proper device and then pulses the program input. To shift the correct data into a selected device, its location in the chain must be known and, also, the number of bits in each of the register sections between the chain input and the selected device. With this knowledge the ID code and configuration data of the selected device are then appropriately positioned in the sequence of input data bits, that is, the data are clocked into and through the several shift registers until the ID code for the selected device arrives at the interrogation register of the selected device. If the configuration of only one of the circuits is to be changed, then the bit stream applied via line 210 is configured so that it includes an interrogation group of pulses for comparison with the ID code of the selected device, immediately followed by the proper number of configuration data bits of the selected device. As previously mentioned, this bit stream is serially shifted into the cascaded shift registers of the chain of devices until the ID code or interrogation of the selected device is in the second section or interrogation section of the shift register of such device. If only a single one of the devices is to be configured, it is important to inhibit programming of all other devices. To this end groups of bits that will be in the interrogation code shift registers of all of the other devices (which are not to be changed) are intentionally caused to provide wrong ID codes for such devices, which then will inhibit programming of such other devices. It will be understood that the programming, that is, the shifting of new configuration data from the data configuration shift register to the nonvolatile memory of a particular device, can take place only upon occurrence of coincidence of the specific device ID code with the interrogation code placed in the interrogation shift register section of such device. Thus, after the appropriate data bits are shifted into the shift registers of the several devices, a programming signal fed to all of the devices will effect programming of only that device in which the interrogation code matches the device ID code. Programming of all other devices is inhibited by the wrong ID code in their interrogation registers. This arrangement of employing interrogation codes and comparison with selected ID codes allows the programming process to modify one device at a time or all devices together
The serial interface of the several devices, as illustrated in FIG. 4, allows many nonvolatile programmable devices to be positioned throughout a system at a low overhead cost. A single five pin connector is all that is required to access all of many devices. For example, in an automobile, such configurable circuits and devices could be located in an instrument cluster or body or engine compartment. Various circuits of the vehicle could then be adjusted after assembly when all of the sensors have been connected. Further, as sensors and other components change with time or environmental conditions, all or any one or more of the circuits can be readjusted without having to disassemble various modules and components. Vehicle operation can be diagnosed by reading out configurations of the several circuits. Such features add flexibility in design and result in lower assembly and maintenance costs.
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35 year old woman | Indianapolis, IN, USA | Seeking men 31-36 within 25 miles
My dogs are better than yours...Really!
So this has been awhile, but I am looking for someone who wants to laugh, who LOVES dogs (because I have two). I want someone who communicates well and is open to talking about everything from sports to how they feel. I am told I am a GREAT gal, and that any guy who is lucky enough to get me will never regret it..... but yet I am still looking for my partner in life. That's what I want a partner. I'm want to be with someone that is ready for a relationship, not someone that says they are just because they don't want to be alone, but someone who knows who they are, what they want, and where a relationship falls into that mix. My family is extremely important to me so I would like someone whose family is important to them or will at least respect mine. I want some who challenges me and will let me challenge him. Where we can have different opinions but respect for those differences. I have developed a passion for Crossfit and am doing that quite a bit lately, so hopefully anyone that is interested can appreciate that if not want to take part. Submitted from mobile
Camping , Coffee and conversation , Cooking , Dining out , Movies/Videos , Museums and art , Music and concerts , Exploring new areas , Nightclubs/Dancing , Playing cards , Playing sports , Travel/Sightseeing , Watching sports
Aerobics, Baseball, Basketball, Billiards / Pool, Bowling, Dancing, Football, Inline skating, Other types of exercise, Running, Swimming, VolleyBall, Walking / Hiking, Weights / Machines, Yoga
I exercise 3-4 times per week.
I have Dogs
Some other viewpoint
My crossfit gym, and anything where my friends are family are.
Grandma's Sunday dinner, watching my dog catch the frisbee (we've been working hard on that). Casual comfy clothes, on the occasion dressing up. Color-Green. The rest you will have to ask...
My family comes first, then my dog. The fun comes with hanging out at a local bar and sometimes going to a concert or movie or just anything random. Im not real picky, I would just prefer to know in advance what's on the agenda.
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|What she is looking for
|5'0" (152cms)
|5'8" (172cms) to 6'5" (195cms)
|Body type:
|About average, Athletic and toned, A few extra pounds, Stocky
|Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Green, Hazel
|Dark brown
|Auburn / Red, Black, Light brown, Dark brown, Blonde, Salt and pepper, Dark blonde, Bald
|No Way
|No Way, Cigar aficionado
|Social Drinker
|Social Drinker, Regularly
|Executive / Management
|No preference
I am a specialty retail GM.
|I'll tell you later
|No preference
|Never Married
|Never Married, Widow / Widower, Divorced
|Have kids:
|Yes, and they sometimes live at home, No, Yes, and they live away from home
|Wants kids:
|Not sure
|Definitely, Someday, Not sure
|White / Caucasian
|Asian, Black / African descent, East Indian, Latino / Hispanic, Native American, Pacific Islander, White / Caucasian, Other
|Christian / Catholic
|Buddhist / Taoist, Christian / Catholic, Christian / LDS, Christian / Protestant, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim / Islam, Spiritual but not religious, Christian / Other
I am catholic but I am pretty much a holidays only kind of church goer. I did the church thing all while i was growing up and now I do my own thing with religion by learning about other religions.
|No preference
|Some college
|Some college, Associates degree, Bachelors degree, Graduate degree, PhD / Post Doctoral


text:
We're now officially celebrating our FOURTH craft night!!!! So exciting. It's been so much fun getting together with friends, sipping wine and talking.
This month we decided to give a go at the infamous macaron. Known to be finicky, we had heard many a horror story about failure after failure when attempting this fickle cookie.
I'm happy to say that it was mostly a success! We learned somethings along the way. Like a standing mixer is best but a hand mixer will do as well. Over mixing the egg whites and the powdered ingredients can happen in literally a matter of seconds. Turning the oven to 350 like it says in the recipes will cause your bottoms to burn. And when piping on your filling DON'T hold your cookie from the top and bottom.
Get all my tips and see our progress below!
They didn't all turn out so pretty but I'd say we definitely avoided the dreaded "craft fail".Start by tracing circles onto parchment paper. They don't have to be perfect. Just enough to tell you where not to go over the line. I've heard silpats are best. Some of them even have the circles drawn on for your already!
Start sifting your almond meal and confectioners sugar. Some of us used this nifty hand sifter bought at Home Goods.


text:
Brisbane Lions Official App
By Telstra Corporation Limited
Open iTunes to buy and download apps.
The Official Brisbane Lions Club App contains all the latest team News, Videos, Player Profiles and Scores streamed live to your phone with no need to refresh, and no need to wait until the end of each quarter.
Features include:
- LIVE scores and team/player stats direct to your device
- Video on Demand allows you to watch match highlights and press conferences while you're on the run
- Latest News & Videos from your club
- Player profiles for every current player, including bio and related articles and video
- Season stats for every current player across 8 categories
- Team Selections as they are announced
- Match details for the season including Results, Ladder and team Fixture
- Alerts to your phone for club news, team announcements and match starts
- Team song audio and lyrics
- Fans' MVP
- Follow your club via the official Twitter feed
- Visit the Lions Shop
- Book tickets to any match
What's New in Version 3.1.5
- Stats section with every player's season stats in 8 categories
- Team song audio and lyrics
- Player profiles related articles and videos
- Splash screen update
- Developed for Xcode 6 and iOS 8 compatibility
iPhone Screenshot
- Free
- Category: Sports
- Updated: 27 February 2015
- Version: 3.1.5
- Size: 53.6 MB
- Language: English
- Developer: Telstra Corporation Limited
- © Australian Football League
Compatibility: Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimised for iPhone 5.


text:
KTM LC8 Air Filter Kits by SW7
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Sporting Wood
I <3 Energizer Bunny
Joined: Oct 2011
Location: Horneytown, NC
Oddometer: 896
Originally Posted by
Sorry again. The idle air cutoff is the same with idle air jets
the slow air jets are the same with low jets?
No. The idle air jets ( idle air and idle air cut off), provide air that bleeds and atomizes into the slow fuel jet (or low jet) circuit. The only reason there are two idle air jets is for emissions (imho). The cut off jet cuts off airflow when the throttle is closed, drastically reducing fuel through the circuit when its not needed.
Its best to stick with factory air jets with this filter imho. These tend to function as course adjustments to set the taper and range of the slow jet circuit. Its pretty good where it is...though I will grant there is a good reason to bump idle air slightly when the bigger 45 slow jet is used. More fuel means greater need for air, all things being equal.
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text:
1994 Volkswagen Jetta Q&A
1994 Volkswagen Jetta Question: Timing Belt
i was going down the road and my car shut off. we discovered it was the timing belt cause some of the ribs were stripped off. being that the belt is striped the timing belt pulleys dont move together. can you still time it? How? - Visitor
3 Answers
Answer 1
Once the teeth on the belt has stripped the only way to fix is to replace the timing belt and you can get a estimate here http://repairpal.com/estimator?car_type_id=1333 and locate a shop here http://repairpal.com/directory?address=16023&car_brand_names=Volkswagen and this is an interference engine and you might have possible valve and piston damage - hemicuda
Answer 2
You can get a complete repair guide here http://bit.ly/mitchell_repair_manuals_online - Valleyautotech
Answer 3
The timing of the crankshaft and camshaft are already off, so don't worry about it. Getting them into time before replacing the belt is the tricky part. Like the previous person mentioned, get a repair manual and it will have pictures that show you how to line the pulleys up properly. - Bret Bodas
Related Items:
how long does a timing belt last
My car has over 135,000 miles and I want to know if anyone has changed their timing belt...and what should I be paying for this? Is is neccesary?
I was told I will need a new engine for a timing belt that broke - is that true? What are my options.
My timing belt is missing some teeth and needs to be replaced. I was told the the engine is an interference e...
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Regular rates checked on November 2. 2013.


text:
Posted| Updated
A small corner of central west New South Wales has an unusual link to World War I.
Topics: rural, history, world-war-1, shooting, narromine-2821
Topics: local-government, world-war-1, world-war-2, community-organisations, community-development, narromine-2821
Posted| Updated
Plans to move a war memorial in a small central west New South Wales town continue despite opposition.
Topics: community-development, local-government, community-and-society, history, world-war-1, world-war-2, narromine-2821, dubbo-2830
A western New South Wales mayor is hoping the appointment of Dubbo's Troy Grant to the post of police minister will lead to a greater focus on crime in the state's west.
Topics: police, crime, law-crime-and-justice, narromine-2821, dubbo-2830
Posted| Updated
Narromine Council remains determined to move the cenotaph but accept that won't happen before Anzac Day.
Topics: history, local-government, narromine-2821, dubbo-2830
Fire crews and aircraft on standby as Central West and Riverina districts face high temperatures and strong winds.
Topics: disasters-and-accidents, dubbo-2830, parkes-2870, forbes-2871, narromine-2821, temora-2666, wellington-2820
Dubbo police say social media led to the arrest of a man wanted for aggravated sexual offences after a member of the public saw him walking down a highway
Topics: crime, social-media, dubbo-2830, narromine-2821
Posted| Updated
Nurses at the Gilgandra Multi Purpose Service (MPS) say they believe the safety of patients is being put at risk by a reduction in 12 nursing hours per day.
Topics: health-administration, healthcare-facilities, narromine-2821
The Rural Fire Service is warning residents not to be complacent about fires when it rains, after a blaze ignited due to lightning at Narromine.
Topics: bushfire, emergency-incidents, emergency-planning, dubbo-2830, narromine-2821
A man has been refused bail over a series of robberies and fires at properties in Narromine
Topics: courts-and-trials, arson, narromine-2821, dubbo-2830
Two local councils have received more than 6-million dollars in low interest loans from the state government for major infrastructure projects
Topics: local-government, state-parliament, dubbo-2830, narromine-2821
Posted| Updated
A group of fishers has been caught fishing illegally on the Macquarie River near Narromine and fined a total of more than $5,000.
Topics: rivers, fishing-aquaculture, dubbo-2830, orange-2800, narromine-2821
Posted| Updated
Farmers in the NSW central west are taking another look at hemp as an alternative to growing cotton.
Topics: sustainable-and-alternative-farming, irrigation, narromine-2821, toowoomba-4350, dubbo-2830
A prisoner who failed to return to a psychiatric facility at Orange in central western New South Wales could be armed and dangerous, police have warned.
Topics: prisons-and-punishment, mental-health, orange-2800, dubbo-2830, narromine-2821, gilgandra-2827, sydney-2000
Posted| Updated
The state government is offering a $13 million incentive for Dubbo City Council to merge with its Narromine and Wellington counterparts, but they aren't interested in making the change.
Topics: local-government, state-parliament, dubbo-2830, wellington-2820, nsw, narromine-2821
Posted| Updated
A heavy vehicle route in Narromine is due to be opened this afternoon, but there's mixed reactions from the community.
Topics: road-transport, local-government, narromine-2821, dubbo-2830
Posted| Updated
An environmentalist says it is a huge relief the State Government has cancelled three coal seam gas exploration licences in the Central West.
Topics: industry, rural, states-and-territories, dubbo-2830, lithgow-2790, orange-2800, narromine-2821, gilgandra-2827
An energy provider is proposing to raise public lighting prices by more than a hundred per cent in many council areas throughout the Central West and Western Plains.
Topics: electricity-energy-and-utilities, local-government, orange-2800, dubbo-2830, bathurst-2795, mudgee-2850, narromine-2821, wellington-2820, cobar-2835, coonamble-2829
The Narromine Council is not only considering moving the town's cenotaph, but replacing it.
Topics: world-war-1, community-and-society, local-government, narromine-2821
Posted| Updated
Archduke Franz Ferdinand is best known as the man whose assassination is believed to have led to the outbreak of World War I.
Topics: world-war-1, bosnia-and-herzegovina, austria, sydney-2000, narromine-2821, moss-vale-2577, wentworth-falls-2782
Posted| Updated
Children in the Far West and Orana regions have been found to be among some of the most socially disadvantaged in the state.
Topics: community-and-society, children, poverty, brewarrina-2839, wellington-2820, narromine-2821, walgett-2832
Col Hamilton, Chairman of the Macquarie 2100 Landcare Group says his organisation will be looking for alternative funding sources over the next 12 to 18 months, and says large companies looking to establish green credentials are a possible alternative to government funds.
Topics: sustainable-and-alternative-farming, sustainable-living, environmentally-sustainable-business, dubbo-2830, warren-2824, narromine-2821
Posted| Updated
With a loss of government funds, Landcare groups are now looking for alternative funding streams.
Topics: sustainable-and-alternative-farming, sustainable-living, environmental-policy, agribusiness, agricultural-policy, environmental-management, dubbo-2830, warren-2824, narromine-2821
Sixty children in western New South Wales are mid way through a speech therapy program.
Topics: speech, education, health, nyngan-2825, gilgandra-2827, gulargambone-2828, narromine-2821, trangie-2823


text:
Each Monday in July, News 9 Daybreak will feature a series of tips to help you improve and maintain your home this summer.
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CNN Health & Wellness takes a look at the potential impact tanning beds and antipsychotics can have on our health, lists ways to cut the risk of heart disease and shows time matters in cardiac arrest cases.
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The Foo Fighters had to cancel a European tour last month after lead singer Dave Grohl broke his leg, but they were back in fine form on July Fourth.
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NVIDIA News Archives
NVIDIA Releases CUDA 6.5 As A Huge Update
NVIDIA put out version 6.5 of their Compute Unified Device Architecture today and it is a big step ahead, including better development tooling for CUDA Fortran.
20 August 2014 - CUDA 6.5 - 10 Comments
Recapping The OpenGL 4.5 Improvements, NVIDIA Linux Changes
NVIDIA's Mark Kilgard presented at SIGGRAPH 2014 in Vancouver to cover the changes found in the just-released OpenGL 4.5 specification. He also went over some of NVIDIA's Linux driver changes.
13 August 2014 - OpenGL 4.5 - 13 Comments
NVIDIA's 64-bit "Denver" Tegra K1 Should Be Amazing
While we're incredibly infatuated right now with NVIDIA's Tegra K1 that offers quad-core Cortex-A15 performance with Kepler-class graphics, the 64-bit Tegra K1 should be even better.
11 August 2014 - 64-bit Tegra K1 - 13 Comments
NVIDIA Already Publishes An OpenGL 4.5 Linux Driver
While the OpenGL 4.5 specification is fresh off the press and we haven't even seen the Khronos SIGGRAPH announcement yet, NVIDIA has already made public their OpenGL 4.5 beta drivers for Linux and Windows.
11 August 2014 - OpenGL 4.5 - 9 Comments
NVIDIA 343 Linux Driver Improves EGL Support, Fixes Many Bugs
NVIDIA today has announced their first beta Linux/Solaris/FreeBSD driver release in the 343.xx driver series. As expected, this release drops pre-Fermi hardware support from the Linux mainline driver code-base.
6 August 2014 - NVIDIA 343.13 Beta - 8 Comments
NVIDIA Is Working Towards VDPAU H.265/HEVC Support
NVIDIA is working on adding HEVC/H.265 video decoding support to VDPAU.
29 July 2014 - H.265 - 6 Comments
NVIDIA Releases K1-Powered Shield Tablet & Controller
NVIDIA announced this morning their new Shield Tablet and Shield Controller. The new Shield Tablet is a $299 Android tablet that's great for gaming and is mighty powerful with using the Tegra K1 SoC.
22 July 2014 - Shield Tablet - 18 Comments
NVIDIA Updates Its Linux Legacy Driver For GeForce 6/7 GPUs
For those still out there running a GeForce 6 or 7 series graphics card, NVIDIA has updated its legacy proprietary 304.xx Unix graphics driver for Linux, FreeBSD, and Solaris systems.
10 July 2014 - NVIDIA 304.123 - 26 Comments
NVIDIA 340.24 Linux Driver Has G-SYNC Support, FXAA Control
Succeeding last month's NVIDIA 340.17 Linux driver beta is now the first official release in the 340.xx driver series for Linux / Solaris / BSD. The NVIDIA 340.24 driver was released this morning with new features but is heavier on the fixing side.
8 July 2014 - NVIDIA 340.24 - 13 Comments
NVIDIA Releases 331.89 Long-Lived Linux Driver
NVIDIA has today released ther 331.89 Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD graphics drivers within their long-lived 331.xx graphics driver branch.
4 July 2014 - 331.xx - 4 Comments
VDPAU Library 0.8 Released
NVIDIA's Aaron Plattner has announced the release of libvdpau 0.8 as the library for the VIdeo Decode and Presentation API for Unix.
1 July 2014 - libvdpau - 6 Comments
NVIDIA 340.17 Linux Beta Driver Brings Initial G-SYNC Support
The first beta driver in NVIDIA's forthcoming "Release 340" driver series for blob-using Linux users is now available.
9 June 2014 - NVIDIA 340.17 - 11 Comments
NVIDIA 337.25 Linux Driver Supports New GPUs, X.Org Server 1.16
NVIDIA released their 337.25 Linux graphics driver beta this Friday afternoon to end out their work month.
30 May 2014 - NVIDIA 337.25 - 7 Comments
NVIDIA Posts Mesa Patches For GK20A Gallium3D Support
NVIDIA has made another open-source contribution today by releasing a small set of patches needed to adjust the Nouveau Gallium3D driver to support their "GK20A" graphics.
27 May 2014 - Tegra K1 - 1 Comment
NVIDIA Pushes Down The 331.79 Linux Driver With Bug-Fixes
NVIDIA has released a new proprietary Linux graphics driver within its 331 "long-lived branch" series.
20 May 2014 - NVIDIA 331.79
Upcoming Maxwell GPUs Will Support H.265, But VP9 Is Uncertain
NVIDIA launched their GeForce GTX 750 graphics cards back in February as their first products based upon their new Maxwell architecture. Sadly those GPUs didn't support any H.265 or VP9 acceleration, but at least it looks like the former will be supported by the next round of Maxwell GPUs.
9 May 2014 - Maxwell - 25 Comments
NVIDIA 337.19 Beta Linux GPU Driver Released
After NVIDIA's 337 Linux driver series has already been in beta with the major new feature being Fermi/Kepler/Maxwell overclocking support, the latest beta has now been released.
5 May 2014 - NVIDIA 337.19 - 28 Comments
NVIDIA Publishes Revised Open-Source TK1 Graphics Code
NVIDIA has published the third revision of their open-source Nouveau kernel DRM driver patches for supporting the "GK20A" Kepler graphics of their Tegra K1 SoC.
2 May 2014 - Tegra K1 - 7 Comments
Some Community Benchmarks Against The NVIDIA Tegra K1
In continuation of the Trying Out The Jetson TK1, NVIDIA's High-End Tegra K1 Board and Benchmarks Of The NVIDIA Tegra K1 and Its Hotness articles, here's some results provided by the community compared to my early NVIDIA Jetson TK1 board with Tegra K1 SoC.
2 May 2014 - Jetson TK1 - 4 Comments
Benchmarks Of The NVIDIA Tegra K1 & Its Hotness
Here's our first public benchmarks of the NVIDIA Jetson TK1 ARM development board powered by the Tegra K1 SoC with quad-core+1 Cortex-A15 and NVIDIA Kepler GPU. There's also some thermal metrics for those concerned about the active-cooling on this development board.
1 May 2014 - Jetson TK1 - 16 Comments
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text:
Chester Welsh Rarebit
31 Mar 2010
|Chester cheese
|8 Ounce (In A Block)
|Light beer
|5 Tablespoon
|1 Tablespoon
|3 Tablespoon
|Mustard powder
|1 Teaspoon
|Tabasco sauce
|1 Dash
|Freshly ground white pepper
|1 Pinch
|Worcestershire sauce
|4 Dash (Adjust Quantity As Per Taste)
|White bread slices
Preheat the oven to 375°.
Coarsely grate or dice the cheese.
Warm the beer and add the cheese to melt, stirring constantly.
Knead the flour with the butter.
Stir into the cheese sauce.
Season the sauce with the mustard powder, Tabasco sauce, pepper and Worcestershire sauce and remove from the heat.
Toast the slices of bread lightly, lay them on a baking sheet and spread with the cheese mixture.
Bake the toast in the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
Cranberry sauce is a good complement to this dish.
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Chester Welsh Rarebit Recipe


text:
STARKSBORO-The Town of Starksboro is planning a day of celebration on Sunday, Oct. 4, to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Starksboro Volunteer Fire Department. The anniversary celebration will begin at 11 a.m. with an Ecumenical service at the Starksboro Baptist Church by Reverend Larry Detweiler who is also the fire department's chaplin.
The Oct. 4 service will be followed by a Flagpole Dedication at the Starksboro Town Offices. From there, the celebrants will drive to the fire station for a 50th anniversary recognition ceremony with comments from Gov. James Douglas and Kristy Oxholm, president of the Vermont State Firefighters Association. An open house and barbeque will immediately follow the program.
The fire department was formed in 1959 by seventeen townsmen as a separate entity from the town government. At their first meeting a collection plate was passed to pay for a luncheon provided by "the ladies" and to seed the finances of the treasury. In the intervening years, the department has grown in size and scope and currently has up-to-date, state of the art equipment and they recently welcomed their first female firefighter to the department. Last year they logged 562 man-hours answering 45 calls. They also logged 511 man-hours in training.
The Starksboro Fire Department and Starksboro town officials welcome community members, and friends from surrounding communities, to join in celebrating the fire departments golden anniversary.
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The Southern Gardener: Lawn critic finally gets down to turf
After years of railing against the unnecessary overuse of lawns, this curmudgeonly horticulturist finally broke down and planted one in his own garden.
Not that I have ever been against lawns per se; in fact, I am a professionally over-trained lawn consultant who works with both home gardeners and turf professionals alike. I am consulted by golf course superintendents, football and soccer field managers, and even a polo field owner.
There are lots of good reasons for having a lawn, starting with its unifying effect on the overall landscape design -- it's a very bold element that visually ties stuff together while providing an important open space. It also keeps down dust and mud, and cools the area around it, while absorbing rainfall and producing oxygen.
It's also good entertainment and exercise -- except for those folks who "outsource" their pleasure by paying others to care for their lawns.
My beef hasn't been just about the monoculture lawn and its expenses of time, effort, equipment, fuel, water or fertilizers and herbicides (many of which end up helping maintain the Gulf of Mexico's "dead zone").
I just don't think wall-to-wall carpet is necessary, or as interesting as a well-defined "throw rug."
Whatever. Main thing is, after a 25 year hiatus, now I have my own lawn. My new yard has all the benefits as anyone else's yard, except for the exercise, because mine only takes a minute or two a week to keep clipped neatly.
It's only a piece of sod, nestled atop a bed of amended garden dirt. In a kid's red wagon. Accessorized with a miniature Tiger Woods figurine, swinging away as if he were manfully trying to hack his way out of an imposing "rough" with his golf club.
It may seem like I am mocking my neighbors, but I say "Nay, nay." Just having a little fun, while doing everything anyone else would do to have a nice little patch of turf grass that's in scale with my already-tiny garden. It's just the right touch.
Though very small, I keep it carefully clipped, lightly fertilized for healthy growth (both leaves and roots), and watered as needed.
And whenever a weed pokes up its beautiful but unwanted head, I simply pluck it out before it has a chance to get settled in to mar my little pride and joy.
Horticulturist Felder Rushing is a 10th-generation Southern gardener. Contact him at his Web site: felderrushing.net. His show, "The Gestalt Gardener," is on Mississippi Public Radio 90.3 FM at 9 a.m. Fridays, rebroadcast at 10 a.m. Saturdays. See photos of this new lawn on his Web site.
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Gear Review
Super comfortable
- Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer
- Fit: True to size
I've had these shoes for about 5 months now and they are great. They are my first shoes and I mostly use them for gym climbing. I like these because they are very comfortable. In the gym I always see people taking off their shoes between climbs, but I never have to. These are a great first shoe.
View More Details on Five Ten Coyote Lace-Up Climbing Shoe - 2013


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Other Works ConsultedByock I (1997). Dying Well. New
York: Riverhead Books.Byock I (2004). Four Things That Matter Most: A Book About Living. New York: Free Press.Federal Trade Commission (2000). Funerals: A Consumer Guide. Available online:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/products/pro19.pdf.Federal Trade Commission (2007). Paying Final Respects: Your Rights When Buying Funeral Goods and Services. Available online:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/products/pro26.pdf.Federal Trade Commission (accessed April 2010). Funerals: Consumer Rights Under the Funeral Rule. Available
online: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/funerals.Himes C, et al. (2004). Practical issues at the time
of death. In Aging in Stride: Plan Ahead, Stay Connected, Keep Moving, pp. 248–253. Seattle: Caresource.
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