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Solar Soler Bed & Breakfast
Overview and photo Solar Soler Bed & Breakfast
Property name: Solar Soler Bed & Breakfast
Type: Bed and Breakfast
Description Solar Soler Bed & Breakfast
IMPORTANT NOTE, AFTER THE BOOKING YOU WILL BE ASKED BY THE HOTEL TO SENT THE CCV NUMBER, WITHOUT THIS CODE THE RESERVATION WON'T BE CONSIDERED VALID. Solar Soler Bed & Breakfast is the ideal place to rest after a day long visiting this beautiful city. Our house is in a quiet street in Palermo Hollywood, a neighborhood where you can discover amazing restaurantes and trendy shops. Because we want you to have an enjoyable stay, we have equipped each of our six rooms with cable TV, telephone, heating and air conditioning, among other amenities. An old vine tree, planted when the house was built, provides shade in the sunny patio where you can enjoy a refreshment or read a book surrounded by peacefulness. We will be delighted to receive you and assist you in any way we can. We speak fluent English, Spanish and Portuguese and understand French.


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The present invention is a method and apparatus for building three-dimensional models by deposition modeling techniques from moisture-sensitive thermoplastics. A feedstock of thermoplastic modeling material is dried to a low moisture content and supplied to a dispensing head of a modeling apparatus. The dry thermoplastic material is heated in a liquifier and deposited in a predetermined pattern so as to build a three-dimensional model.
1. An additive method for building a three-dimensional model with a modeling machine by depositing a moisture-sensitive thermoplastic material from a dispensing head of the modeling machine, comprising the steps of:
providing the thermoplastic material in solid form in a cassette, the cassette comprising a pathway and a pair of rollers mounted on opposing sides of the pathway for advancing the thermoplastic material, wherein a first roller of the pair of rollers has a floating axis of rotation in a direction perpendicular to the pathway;
drying the thermoplastic material in the cassette to less than 700 ppm moisture;
loading the cassette containing the dry thermoplastic material to the modeling machine;
engaging a drive wheel of the modeling machine with the first roller of the cassette, thereby causing the first roller to press against a portion of the thermoplastic material disposed in the pathway; and
feeding the dry thermoplastic material from the cassette to the dispensing head by rotation of the drive wheel.
2. The method of
melting the dry thermoplastic material in the dispensing head.
3. The method of
4. The method of
5. The method of
6. The method of
7. The method of
8. A method for preparing a filament cassette having a first shell and a second shell, the method comprising:
winding filament onto a spool;
placing the spool containing the filament onto a first hub located in a recess of the first shell;
positioning a portion of the filament from the spool into a channel of the first shell and between a pair of rollers, wherein the channel extends from the recess to an exterior surface of the first shell, wherein the pair of rollers are mounted on the first shell on opposing sides of the channel, and wherein a first roller of the pair of rollers has a floating axis of rotation in a direction perpendicular to the channel, thereby allowing the first roller to move away from the channel in the absence of an external applied force;
positioning the second shell onto the first shell, thereby positioning the spool onto a second hub of the second shell such that the spool is rotatable around the first hub and the second hub; and
securing the second shell to the first shell, wherein the first roller is accessible externally from the secured first and second shells.
9. The method of
10. The method of
11. The method of
12. The method of
13. The method of
14. The method of
15. A method for preparing a filament cassette for use with a modeling machine, the method comprising:
winding filament of a thermoplastic material onto a spool;
placing the spool containing the filament into a chamber of the filament cassette, the filament cassette comprising an exit orifice, a filament path disposed between the chamber and the exit orifice, and a pair of rollers mounted on opposing sides of the filament path, wherein a first roller of the pair of rollers has a floating axis of rotation in a direction perpendicular to the filament path, thereby allowing the first roller to move away from the filament path in the absence of an external applied force;
inserting a portion of the filament from the spool through a gasket retainer disposed along the filament path;
positioning the portion of the filament into the filament path and between the pair of rollers;
sealing the filament cassette wherein the first roller is accessible externally from the sealed filament cassette; and
drying the filament while the filament is contained within the sealed filament cassette.
16. The method of
17. The method of
18. The method of
19. The method of
20. The method of
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 09/804,401, filed Feb. 27, 2001 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,602 on Aug. 17, 2004, which claims priority to provisional application Ser. No. 60/218,642, filed Jul. 13, 2000, and which is also a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/018,673 filed Dec. 13, 2001, filed internationally on Jun. 23, 2000 as PCT US00/17363 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,872 on Apr. 20, 2004, which claims priority to provisional application Ser. No. 60/140,613, filed Jun. 23, 1999. The '673 parent application is incorporated herein by reference, as if fully set forth herein.
This invention relates to the fabrication of three-dimensional objects using extrusion-based layered manufacturing techniques. More particularly, the invention relates to forming three-dimensional objects by extruding solidifiable modeling material in a flowable state in three dimensions with respect to a base, wherein the modeling material is supplied in the form of a filament.
Three-dimensional models are used for functions including aesthetic judgments, proofing the mathematical CAD model, forming hard tooling, studying interference and space allocation, and testing functionality. Extrusion-based layered manufacturing machines build up three-dimensional models by extruding solidifiable modeling material from an extrusion head in a predetermined pattern, based upon design data provided from a computer aided design (CAD) system. A feedstock of either a liquid or solid modeling material is supplied to the extrusion head. One technique is to supply modeling material in the form of a filament strand. Where the feedstock of modeling material is in solid form, a liquifier brings the feedstock to a flowable temperature for deposition.
Examples of extrusion-based apparatus and methods for making three-dimensional objects are described in Valavaara U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,347, Crump U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,329, Crump U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,433, Crump et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,785, Danforth, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,207, Batchelder, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,521, Dahlin, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,207, Stuffle et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,480 and Batchelder, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,957, all of which are assigned to Stratasys, Inc., the assignee of the present invention.
In the modeling machines employing a filament feed, modeling material is loaded into the machine as a flexible filament wound on a supply reel, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,329. A solidifiable material which adheres to the previous layer with an adequate bond upon solidification and which can be supplied as a flexible filament is used as the modeling material. The extrusion head, which includes a liquifier and a dispensing nozzle, receives the filament, melts the filament in the liquifier, and extrudes molten modeling material from the nozzle onto a base contained within a build envelope. The modeling material is extruded layer-by-layer in areas defined from the CAD model. The material being extruded fuses to previously deposited material and solidifies to form a three-dimensional object resembling the CAD model. In building a model from a modeling material that thermally solidifies upon a drop in temperature, the build envelope is preferably a chamber which is heated to a temperature higher than the solidification temperature of the modeling material during deposition, and then gradually cooled to relieve stresses from the material. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,058, this approach anneals stresses out of the model while is being built so that the finished model is stress free and has very little distortion.
In creating three-dimensional objects by depositing layers of solidifiable material, supporting layers or structures are built underneath overhanging portions or in cavities of objects under construction, which are not supported by the modeling material itself. For example, if the object is a model of the interior of a subterranean cave and the cave prototype is constructed from the floor towards the ceiling, then a stalactite will require a temporary support until the ceiling is completed. A support structure may be built utilizing the same deposition techniques and apparatus by which the modeling material is deposited. The apparatus, under appropriate software control, produces additional geometry acting as a support structure for the overhanging or free-space segments of the object being formed. Support material is deposited either from a separate dispensing head within the modeling apparatus, or by the same dispensing head that deposits modeling material. A support material is chosen that will adhere to the modeling material during construction, and that is removable from a completed object. Various combinations of modeling and support materials are known, such as are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,785.
In Stratasys FDM� three-dimensional modeling machines of the current art which embody a filament feed as disclosed in the above-referenced patents, a coil of modeling filament wrapped on a spool is loaded into the machine by mounting the spool onto a spindle. The filament is made of a thermoplastic or wax material. The user manually feeds a strand of the filament through a guide tube made of low friction material, unwinding filament from the spool until the filament strand reaches a pair of motor-driven feed rollers at the extrusion head. The filament strand is advanced by the feed rollers into a liquifier carried by the extrusion head. Inside the liquifier, the filament is heated to a flowable temperature. As the feed rollers continue to advance filament into the extrusion head, the force of the incoming filament strand extrudes the flowable material out from the dispensing nozzle where it is deposited onto a substrate removably mounted to a build platform. The flow rate of the material extruded from the nozzle is a function of the rate at which the filament is advanced to the head and the size of the dispensing nozzle orifice. A controller controls movement of the extrusion head in a horizontal x, y plane, controls movement of the build platform in a vertical z-direction, and controls the rate at which the feed rollers advance filament into the head. By controlling these processing variables in synchrony, the modeling material is deposited at a desired flow rate in "beads" or "roads" layer-by-layer in areas defined from the CAD model. The dispensed modeling material solidifies upon cooling, to create a three-dimensional solid object.
The Stratasys FDM� modeling machines use modeling filaments which are made from moisture sensitive materials, e.g., ABS thermoplastic. In order for the machines to function properly and to build accurate, robust models, the material must be kept dry. Therefore, filament spools for use in the machines are shipped, together with packets of desiccant, in moisture-impermeable packages. Each filament spool is to remain in its package until it is loaded into a modeling machine. The spindle onto which the spool is mounted is contained in a "drybox", an area of the machine maintained at low humidity conditions. The user is instructed to place the desiccant packets packaged with the filament spool into the drybox, and to remove any desiccant packets placed in the machine with prior spools. After manually feeding the filament to the feed rollers, the user latches a door of the drybox and may instruct the machine to begin building a model. To unload the filament spool from the machine, the user manually winds the filament back onto the spool. U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,207 shows and describes a spool of the current art loaded into the drybox of a three-dimensional modeling machine.
Manually feeding filament to the head, as is presently done, can be tedious. Additionally, as a practical matter, users often leave old desiccant in the drybox and fail to replace it with new desiccant, allowing humidity in the drybox to reach unacceptable levels. Further, frequent switching of spools results in moisture-contaminated material. Opening and closing the drybox door allows humid air to get trapped inside of the sealed area. A partially used spool unloaded from the machine is exposed to moisture and becomes contaminated as well. These moisture contamination problems result in wasted material when the user switches the type or color of modeling material. Moreover, some materials desirable for use as modeling materials in the Stratasys FDM� machines are highly vulnerable to moisture and can get contaminated within minutes. The time during which the drybox door is opened for loading and unloading filament introduces a level of moisture into the drybox unacceptable for some desirable materials, limiting the choice of modeling materials for use in these machines.
It would be desirable to build models from moisture-sensitive materials by additive-process deposition methods without experiencing the negative effects of moisture contamination.
The present invention is a method for building three-dimensional models by deposition modeling techniques from a moisture-sensitive thermoplastic material. A feedstock of the thermoplastic material is dried to less than 700 ppm moisture, and the dry thermoplastic material is supplied to a dispensing head. The dry thermoplastic material is melted in a liquifier and deposited into a build chamber layer-by-layer in a predetermined pattern so as to form the three-dimensional model. The model thus formed is free of the undesirable effects of moisture contamination.
A filament feed 10 used generally to feed filament to an extrusion head 20 in an extrusion-based three-dimensional modeling machine is shown in
A strand of the filament 14 is fed through a guide tube or tubes 18, made of a low-friction material, which also preferably provides a moisture barrier, such as Teflon™. The guide tube 18 routes the strand of filament 14 to the extrusion head 20. A pair of feed rollers 22, shown mounted on the extrusion head 20, receive the strand of filament 14 and feed the strand of filament 14 to a liquifier 26 carried by the extrusion head 20. As shown, the feed rollers 22 are rubber-coated so as to grab the strand of filament 14 therebetween. Also as shown, one of feed rollers 22 is a drive roller, driven by a motor 24 under the control of a controller 25. The other roller 22 is an idler roller. The liquifier 26 is heated so as to melt the filament 14. The liquifier 26 terminates in a nozzle 28 having a discharge orifice 30 for dispensing the molten modeling material. The liquifier 26 is pressurized by the "pumping" of the strand of filament 14 into the liquifier 26 by feed rollers 22. The strand of filament itself acts as a piston, creating a "liquifier pump". The pressurization impels the molten modeling material out of the orifice 30 at a volumetric flow rate. The volumetric flow rate is a function of the size of the dispensing orifice 30 and the rate of rotation of the feed rollers 22. By selective control of the motor 24, the rate of advancement of the strand of filament 14, and thus the volumetric dispensing rate of the molten modeling material, can be closely controlled.
The extrusion head 20 is driven in a horizontal x,y plane by an x-y translator 34, which receives drive signals from the controller 25 in accordance with design data derived from a CAD model. As the extrusion head 20 is translated in the x-y plane, molten modeling material is controllably dispensed from the orifice 30 layer-by-layer onto a planar base 32 (shown in part in
As will be understood by those in the art, many variations of the modeling machine and process are possible. For example, any relative movement in three-dimensions between the extrusion head 20 and the base 32 may be used to built up the object. The feed rollers and the motor may take various forms. For example, as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,329, both rollers maybe driven (such as by coupling the rollers by a timing belt), more rollers be added, or the rollers may be spring-biased towards each other, rather than rubber coated, to maintain gripping frictional contact on the filament. Any type of motor that can drive the feed rollers at a controlled rate may be employed, for instance a servo motor or a stepper motor. Likewise, different arrangements of extrusion heads may be utilized for receiving and dispensing different types or colors of filament from separate filament feeds. For example, the extrusion head may carry two sets of feed rollers, each driven by its own motor, for advancing two different filament strands from two different spools, such is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,121,329; 5,503,785; and 6,004,124.
In the present invention, the spool carrying a coil of filament is contained within a filament cassette.
As will be described in detail below, each loading bay 42 contains a cassette receiver 46 which engages the filament cassette 44 and advances a strand of the filament 14 from the cassette 44 into the guide tube 18 of filament feed 10. A user loads the filament cassette 44 into the modeling machine 40 by holding the cassette 44 in an upright position and lining up a leading edge 48 of the cassette 44 with one of the loading bays 42. The user pushes the cassette 44 into the loading bay 42 until a hard stop is reached. At such time, the cassette 44 is engaged by the cassette receiver 46.
Detail of the filament cassette 44 is shown in
Each of shells 50 and 52 have a narrow channel 70 leading from the circular recess 59 to the leading edge 48 of the cassette 44, as best shown in
The channel 70 of lower shell 52 forming the filament path crosses the channel 64 at a position located between the circular recess 59 and the roller pair 76 and 78. A retainer 84, which is integral with the gasket 68, is positioned at this location. The retainer 84 has a center hole 85 of a diameter approximately equal to the filament diameter.
Each of shells 50 and 52 have another channel 86 which runs parallel to the channel 70. Together, the channels 86 define a registration pin receiving cavity 88, which begins at the leading edge 48 of the cassette 44 and terminates before reaching the gasket 68. Cavity 88 has a flared mouth followed by a narrow neck. The mouth of cavity 88 is shown in
In one embodiment, as shown in
The EEPROM 96 acts as an electronic tag for the cassette 44. The EEPROM 96 contains information identifying the cassette 44 and the filament 14, such as the type of material from which the filament is formed. The EEPROM 96 additionally may keep a count of the lineal feet of filament 14 that is in the cassette 44. When the cassette 44 is loaded into the modeling machine 40, the EEPROM 96 is electrically connected to the controller 25, as described below. As filament 14 is advanced from the cassette 44 into the modeling machine 40, the controller 25 continually updates the lineal feet count of the filament 14 remaining in the cassette 44. This allows the controller 25 to prevent the machine 40 from attempting to model without filament. EEPROM 96 may be any electronically readable and writeable data store. The use of such a data store as a filament tag is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,939,008.
The filament cassette 44 is assembled by placing the spool 54 carrying the filament 14 on the hub 56 of the lower shell 52. The lower shell 52 is prepared by pressing the gasket 68 into the channel 64, so that the center hole 85 of the retainer is aligned in the channel 70. One of the circuit boards 92 or 102 is fastened to the lower shell 52. The fixed axle 82 carrying roller 78 is placed into the cylindrical depression 82 of the lower shell 52, while the floating axle 80 carrying roller 76 is placed into the oblong depression 81 of the lower shell 52. A strand of the filament 14 from the spool 54 is threaded through the hole in retainer 84, and placed in the channel 70 of lower shell 52 between the rollers 76 and 78. A packet of desiccant is placed in each of the compartments 60. Once each of these items are in position on the lower shell 52, the upper shell 50 and lower shell 52 are fastened together by the four screws 55 (alternatively, any known fastening device could be used). The screws 55 are set into four screw holes 108 of the lower shell 52, and extend into four threaded screw holes 109 of the upper shell 50. The cassette 44 is then ready for loading into the modeling machine 40.
Once the cassette 44 is assembled, it may be placed in a moisture-impermeable package, which package may then be vacuum sealed, for shipping or later use. Vacuum sealing is desirable where the filament 14 is made from a moisture sensitive material. Additionally, for moisture sensitive materials, the chamber of the cassette 44 containing the spooled filament should be dried just prior to the vacuum sealing. The cassette 44 then remains in the package until a user is ready to load the cassette 44 into the modeling machine 40.
After the filament 14 contained within the cassette 44 is depleted or otherwise becomes unusable, the cassette 44 can be refilled and reused by detaching the shells 50 and 52 and replacing the filament 14 on the spool 54. The EEPROM 96 carried by circuit board 92 or 102 can be reset or the circuit board replaced to provide a new EEPROM 96.
The cassette receiver 46 which engages filament cassette 44 is shown in
The solenoid 118, operating under control of the controller 25, alternately rocks the arm 120 up and down to engage and disengage the latch 122. When the solenoid 118 is energized, the arm 120 rocks upward at the latch end, placing the latch 122 in an engaged position. When the solenoid 118 is de-energized, the latch end of arm 120 rocks downward, moving the latch 122 to a disengaged position.
The reciprocating assembly 114 is fastened to the loading bay floor 110 by a bracket 126. The reciprocating assembly 114 comprises a piston 128, an ejection spring 130, a track 132 and a frame 133. The piston 128 sits parallel to and above the floor 110. The piston 128 extends through a hole in the bracket 126 and moves forward and back in the loading bay 42, guided by track 130. The forward end of the piston 128 is coupled to the frame 133, which extends generally perpendicular to the piston 128. The frame 133 moves back and forth with the motion of piston 128. The ejection spring 130 is coiled around the piston 128, connecting to the bracket 126 at the rearward end thereof and connecting to the frame 133 at the forward end thereof. A horizontal force applied against the frame 133 will compress the ejection spring 130. When said force is released, the spring 130 will decompress, causing the frame 133 and piston 128 to move forward. A pair of bearings 134 are mounted to the floor 110 underneath the frame 133. The bearings 134 provide a low friction surface which supports frame 133 in a plane parallel to the floor 110, while allowing the frame 133 to slide back and forth.
Attached to the frame 133 are an electrical connector 136, a registration pin 138 and a conduit 140. The electrical connector 136 is configured to mate with the circuit board of the filament cassette 44 on a forward face thereof and is configured to provide an electrical connection to the controller 25 at a rear face thereof. As shown, the forward face of electrical connector 136 carries two pogo pins 142 configured to mate with the electrical contacts 106 of circuit board 102 carried by the cassette 44. (Alternatively, the electrical connector could be a card-edge connector for receiving the conductive tabs 98 of circuit board 92). The registration pin 138 is mounted on the frame 133 to the right of the electrical connector 136. The registration pin 138 extends forward in the loading bay 42 and has a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the neck of cavity 88 within the filament cassette 44. The conduit 140 is located to the right of the registration pin 138. The conduit 140 has an entrance 144 which faces forward in the loading bay 42, and an exit 146 facing to the rear of the loading bay 42. The entrance 144 of the conduit 140 is configured to align with the exit orifice 72 of the cassette 44, and to receive the strand of filament 14 from the exit orifice 72. Optionally, the conduit 140 may make an airtight seal with the exit orifice 72 and the guide tube 18. A strand of the filament 14 fed into the conduit entrance 144 will exit through the conduit exit 146 where it can then be provided into the guide tube 18 and routed to the liquifier 26.
The drive assembly 116 is mounted to the loading bay floor 110 by a bracket 148. The drive assembly 116 comprises a solenoid 150, a motor 152, a gear train 154, a drive wheel 156 which rotates on a shaft 158, and a housing 160. The drive assembly 116 is shown in detail in
The motor 152, in response to control signals from the controller 25, causes rotation of the shaft 158 via gear train 154, as best shown in
As mentioned above, a user loads the cassette 44 into the modeling machine 40 by pushing the cassette 44 into one of the loading bays 42 until a hard stop is reached. The hard stop is provided by a backstop 164, which is mounted to the loading bay floor 110 (as shown in
As the cassette 44 is pushed into the loading bay 42, the registration pin 138 slides into the cavity 88 of the cassette 44. The registration pin 138 serves to properly align the cassette 44 with the cassette receiver 46, and specifically to counteract a torque imparted against the cassette 44 by engagement of the drive system 116. With the cassette 44 properly aligned with the cassette receiver 46, the pogo pins 142 mate with the electrical contacts 106 of the circuit board 102. Electrical contact is then established between the cassette 44 and the controller 25. The controller 25 knows that the cassette 44 is loaded when it senses that the EEPROM 96 is present. The controller 25 reads the count that is stored on the EEPROM 96. If the count indicates that the amount of filament 14 contained in the cassette 44 is below a set "cassette empty" threshold value, the user is alerted to load a new cassette 44.
When the controller 25 senses that the cassette 44 is loaded, it energizes the solenoid 150 of the drive assembly 116. As described above, actuation of the solenoid 150 rotates the housing 160 such that the drive wheel 156 moves to its actuated position, at which it presses against the roller 76 of the cassette 44. The drive wheel 156 imparts a force against the roller 76, pushing the roller 76 towards the roller 78, thus pinching the strand of filament 14 that is in the filament path. When the drive wheel 156 is driven in a counterclockwise rotation by the motor 152, the roller 76 is driven in a clockwise rotation so as to advance the strand of filament 14 into the conduit 140, and then into the guide tube 18.
The cassette receiver 46 continues to advance the strand of filament 14 until it reaches the feed rollers 22. The controller 25 senses presence of the filament 14 at the feed rollers 22. Preferably, motor 24 is a DC servo motor, and the sensing is achieved by monitoring the current load of the motor 24. To monitor the current load, the controller 25 activates the motor 24 at the start of the auto-load process. When filament is present between the rollers 22, the current load will increase. When the controller 25 senses the increase in motor current load, the controller 25 signals the motor 24 and the cassette receiver 46 to stop. Additionally, the controller 25 de-energizes the solenoid 150 to remove the force of drive wheel 156 against the roller 76. This serves to remove the frictional force of the rollers from the filament 14 during modeling. Filament 14 from each of the cassettes 44 is loaded in a like manner. Once both materials have been loaded, modeling may begin.
Optionally, as mentioned above, the drive assembly 116 could be designed so that the drive wheel 156 remains in a fixed position where it applies a constant force. In such an arrangement, it would be possible to eliminate the roller pair 22, and instead use the roller pair on the cassette 44 to feed the filament 14 into the liquifier 26. Then, the drive wheel 156 would be driven at a controlled rate to control the rate of advancement of the filament 14 into the liquifier 26.
To unload the filament, a controller 25 drives the motor 24 backwards for a short time sufficient to pull the strand of filament 14 out of the liquifier 26 and feed rollers 22. The controller 25 then disengages the cassette receiver 46 from the cassette 44, allowing the user to remove the cassette 44 from the loading bay 42. To eject the cassette 44 from the machine 40, the user pushes the cassette 44 to the hardstop to allow disengagement of the latch 122. The spring 130 then forces forward the reciprocating assembly 114, ejecting the cassette 44.
The top surface and trailing edge of cassette 44 each have a window 170 which allow the user to visually inspect the amount of filament 14 contained within the cassette 44 when the cassette 44 is loaded or unloaded. If a useable amount of filament 14 remains in the cassette 44 when it is removed from the loading bay 42, the cassette can be stored for later use. If there is not a usable amount of filament remaining, the cassette 44 can be refilled and reused.
A user loads the filament cassette 184 into the modeling machine 180 by holding the cassette 184 in an upright position, pushing the cassette 184 into one of the loading bays 182, grasping a latch 196 on the filament cassette receiver 190, and pulling the latch 196 forward to drop the filament cassette receiver 190 to a lowered position. In the lowered position, the filament cassette receiver 190 mates with the filament cassette 184 and latches the cassette 184 into place. A strand of filament is manually fed from each filament cassette 184 to the associated cassette receiver 190 (as will be described in detail below). The cassette receiver 190, under control of the controller 25, then automatically advances the filament strand through tubing 202 and the associated junction block 192 toward the extrusion head 20.
Each junction block 192 has two input ports 198, one air port 199, and one output port 200. The input ports 198 are coupled to the associated cassette receivers 190 by lengths of tubing 202, which provides a path for filament strands from the receivers 190 to the associated junction block 192. The output ports 200 of each junction block 192 are connected to lengths of tubing 204. Tubing 204 provides a filament path from each junction block 192 to a liquifier 26 (such as shown in
At a given time, only one strand of filament is provided to each junction block 192 and to each pair of feed rollers 22. The other filament strands remain in the associated cassette receivers 190. A cassette 184 that provides the filament strand to the junction box 192 is termed a primary material supply cassette, while a cassette 184 which provides the filament strand that remains in the cassette receiver 190 is termed a standby material supply cassette. The machine 180 can switch from the primary to the standby material supply cassette 184 without user intervention, by winding the filament strand from the primary cassette 184 back towards its receiver 190, and advancing the filament strand from the standby cassette 184 through the junction block 192 to the feed rollers 22. The standby cassette then becomes the primary cassette. In a typical modeling application, it will be preferable for one junction block 192 to receive modeling material filament and the other junction block 192 to receive support material filament. Then, the machine 180 can automatically switch to the standby supply when the primary supply is depleted, and no modeling time will be lost. The depleted cassette can be replaced at the user's convenience while the modeling machine 180 continues to run. Alternatively, if the primary and standby cassettes 184 contain different types of filament 188, switching can be done before depletion of material to allow building from a different material type or color.
The filament cassette 184 is shown in detail in
For filament 188 made of moisture sensitive material, the cassette 184 is made air tight. The canister 212 and guide block 214 are made of materials that block water vapor transmission, such as sheet metal and polypropylene, respectively. A strip of moisture-impermeable tape 223 seals the lid 218 to the body 216. Moisture can be withdrawn from the interior chamber of canister 212 through a hole 226 in the canister body 216, and the hole 226 sealed with a plug 228. Preferably, a piece of moisture-impermeable tape 230 is placed over the plug 228 to further seal the hole 226.
As shown in
For filament 188 formed of moisture sensitive material, air flow to the filament path 236 is prevented. The guide block 214 has a removable plug cap 248 that seals the exit orifice 238, and a door 250 that encloses the chamber 238. The plug cap 248 snap-fits onto a pair of grooves 254 on the guide block 214, so that a compressible seal 252 on the underside of the plug cap 248 covers the exit orifice 238. The plug cap 248 is removed by the user at the time of inserting the cassette 184 into the machine 180. Preferably, the guide block has a second set of grooves 256 on which the plug cap 248 may be parked when it is removed from the first set of grooves 254. The door 250 has a compressible seal 258 on an interior surface thereof, and pivots on a hinge 260. When the door 250 is open, the roller 240 is accessible to a user. The door 250 is opened by a user to load filament into the machine 180, and kept closed otherwise. A compressible seal 234 is placed between the guide block 214 and the canister body 216 to further seal the cassette 184.
The guide block 214 may carry an EEPROM 96 (described with respect to embodiment one above). The circuit board 102 carrying EEPROM 96 is mounted in a depression 262 of the guide block 214, with the pair of electrical contacts 106 facing out and the EEPROM 96 facing in. The circuit 102 is fastened to the guide block 214 by three screws 266. For ease of use, the guide block 214 preferably functions as a handle for the cassette 184. In the embodiment shown, the guide block 214 includes a pair of grips 264 (shown in
The filament cassette 184 is assembled by placing the spool 186 carrying the filament 188 on the hub 220 of the body 216, and feeding a filament strand into the guide block 214. The filament strand is positioned along the filament path 236 so that it contacts the roller 240. Optionally, packets of desiccant 62 (such as shown in regards to embodiment one) may be placed in compartments defined by spokes 225 of the spool 186. Then, the lid 218 is pressed onto the body 216, and the tape 223 is applied. It is then ready for use. The cassette 184 may likewise be refilled and reused after the filament 188 that it contains becomes depleted or unusable, by removing the lid 218 of the canister 212 and replacing the filament 188 on the spool 186. When refilling a cassette 184, the EEPROM 96 carried by circuit board 102 can be reset or the circuit board replaced to provide a new EEPROM 96.
For moisture sensitive materials, the cassette 184 containing the spooled filament should be dried to a level at which the moisture content will not impair model quality. For most high-temperature thermoplastics, for example polycarbonate, polyphenylsulfone, polycarbonate/ABS blend and polyetherimide (i.e., Ultem™), an acceptable moisture content is a level less than 700 parts per million (ppm) water content (as measured using the Karl Fischer method). Multiple techniques may be used to dry the filament.
The material may be dried by placing the cassette 184 containing spooled filament in an oven under vacuum conditions. The cassette 184 is placed in the oven prior to attaching the circuit board 102 and prior to plugging the hole 226. The oven is set to a temperature suitable to the specific modeling material type. For high-temperature thermoplastics, a temperature of between 175-220� F. is typical. The oven has a vacuum pump which maintains a dry environment in the oven. The hole 226 in canister 212 facilitates bringing the chamber of the canister 212 to the oven environment, so that the modeling material will be dried. When the moisture content of the material reaches a level desirable for the modeling material, the hole 226 is promptly sealed and the cassette 184 removed from the oven. For high-temperature thermoplastics, an expected drying time is between 4-8 hours to reach less than 300 ppm water content. The circuit board 102 is then attached. The fully-assembled cassette 184 may be vacuum-sealed in a moisture-impermeable package, until its installation in a machine.
Alternatively, the packets of desiccant 62 alone may be used to dry the material in the chamber of canister 212 without use of the oven. It has been demonstrated that placing packets 62 containing Tri-Sorb-molecular sieve and calcium oxide (CaO) desiccant formulations in the cassette 184 and sealing the cassette 184 in a moisture-impermeable package will dry the material to a water content level of less than 700 ppm, and will dry the material to the preferred range of 100-400 ppm. This desiccant-only drying method has advantages over the oven-drying method in it requires no special equipment, and is faster, cheaper and safer than oven drying. Suitable Tri-Sorb-molecular sieve desiccant formulations include the following: zeolite, NaA; zeolite, KA; zeolite, CaA; zeolite, NaX; and magnesium aluminosilicate.
Modeling filament in the cassette 184 can later be re-dried by oven-drying or by replacing the desiccant packets if the cassette 184 becomes moisture contaminated while a usable amount of filament 188 remains. Moisture contamination may occur, for example, if the access door 250 is left open for a prolonged time period, if the cassette 184 is removed from the machine 180 without replacing the plug cap 248, or it the cassette 184 is opened by a user.
The filament cassette receiver 190, which engages filament cassette 184, is shown in detail in
The exit conduit 276 is connected to the tubing 202. The filament strand provided from the guide block 214 passes through the entry conduit 274 to the rollers 278 and 279. The entry conduit 274 mates with the exit orifice 238 of the guide block 214 when the cassette 184 is loaded and latched into modeling machine 180. To provide an airtight path for the filament strand entering the drive block 272, a seal 284 surrounds the entry conduit 274 near the entrance thereof, and compresses against the guide block 214 of the loaded cassette 184. From the rollers 278 and 279, the filament strand is provided to the exit conduit 276, and from there to the tubing 202. The tubing 202 makes an airtight seal with the exit conduit 276. Likewise, tubing 202 and tubing 204 make an airtight seal with the ports 198 and 200 of the junction block 192, providing an airtight filament path from the cassette 184 to the feed rollers 22.
The drive roller 278 and idler roller 279 must maintain gripping, frictional contact on the filament strand to advance it along the filament path. To grip the filament strand, the rollers 278 and 279 may be have elastomeric surfaces, or idler roller 279 may be spring-biased towards the drive roller 278, such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,329. An advantage of a spring-biased configuration is that the roller surfaces can be hard and more wear resistant. Preferably, the surfaces of rollers 278 and 279 each also have a groove around the circumference thereof to align the filament strand on its course from the entry conduit 274 to the exit conduit 276. The rollers 278 and 279 are accessible to a user for maintenance through cover plate 308.
The drive block 272 also contains a filament sensor 286, which is positioned along the filament path between the roller pair 278 and 279 and the exit conduit 276. Sensor 286 is electrically connected to the controller 25, and provides a signal indicating whether or not filament is present at the position of the sensor 286. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the sensor is a floating axis microswitch sensor. The drive block 274 further carries an electrical connector 290. The electrical connector 290 has two pogo pins 142 that mate with the electrical contacts 106 of circuit board 102, connecting the EEPROM 96 carried by circuit board 102 to the controller 25. The EEPROM 96, when contacted by the pogo pins 142, signals the controller 25 that the cassette 182 is present. In this manner, the machine 180 knows whether or not each cassette 184 has been loaded.
The drive block 272 is manually raised and lowered by the use of the latch 196. The latch 196 has a handle 291 at one end thereof and a latch pin 292 at the other end thereof. The latch 196 extends through the drive block 272 such that the handle 291 is accessible to a user and the latch pin 292 projects into a vertical slot 296 of the drive block 272. The slot 296 receives a latch plate 294 which extends vertically downward from the lift 270. The latch plate 294 has a hole 298 for receiving the latch pin 292. Pulling on the handle 291 of the latch 196 retracts the latch pin 292, allowing insertion and removal of the pin 292 from the hole 298. When the latch pin 292 is inserted into the hole 298, the drive block 272 is maintained in a raised position, allowing loading and unloading of the cassette 184 from the loading bay 182. When the latch pin 292 is removed from the hole 298, the drive block 272 drops to its lowered position where it engages the cassette 184 in the loading bay 182. A user manually raises or lowers the drive block 272 by grabbing the latch handle 291, pulling forward, and either lifting or lowering the latch 196.
A pair of guide rods 302 are provided on the drive block 272, which couple the drive block 272 to the lift 270, and align the latch plate 294 in the slot 296. The guild rods 302 are mounted in two receptacles 288 on a top surface of the drive block 272. The guide rods 302 extend vertically upward from the drive block 272 and through a pair of guide bearings 304 in the lift 270. A pair of e-clips 306 clip to the guide rods 302 above the lift 270 to support the drive block 272 in its lowered position. Preferably, a pair of springs 300 surround the guide rods 302 in the receptacles 272. In the raised position, the springs 300 compress beneath the lift 270. When the latch 196 is pulled to remove the pin 292 from the hole 298, springs 302 force the drive block 272 to its lowered position.
The drying system 194 creates an active moisture barrier along the filament path, keeping the filament 188 dry while in the machine 18. In the exemplary embodiment, the drying system 194 is a dry-air purge system which provides dry air under pressure into airport 199 of the junction blocks 192. The dry air flows through the tubing 204 and exits the tubing 204 near the liquifier 26. If the feed rollers 22 are used to advance the filament strand into the liquifier 26, the filament will exit the tubing 204 as it enters the feed rollers 22. Alternatively, the feed rollers 22 can be eliminated by using the roller pair 278 and 279 in the drive block 272 to advance filament into the liquifier 26 at a controlled rate. The exit of tubing 204 serves as a vent through which any moisture that may have been trapped along the filament path is released. For instance, the air flow provided by drying system 194 will purge any humid air that enters the drive block 272 during the time that the entry conduit 274 of the drive block 272 is not scaled to a filament cassette 184. Additionally, the positive pressure maintained in the tubing 204 prevents humid air from entering the open end of the tubing 204. By maintaining a positive pressure in the tubing 202 and 204 and purging the filament path of any moisture, the drying system 194 allows use of the modeling machine 180 in a humid environment with moisture sensitive modeling material.
As mentioned above, the drying system 194 of the exemplary embodiment comprises a compressor 206, a filter 208 and a regenerative dryer 210. The compressor 206 intakes ambient air and provides the air under pressure to filter 208. Filter 208 removes water particles from the air. A Norgren™ F72G general purpose filter is suitable for this application. From the filter 208, the air under pressure flows to the dryer 210, which is preferably a regenerative dryer, such as an MDH Series dryer available from Twin Tower Engineering, Inc. of Broomfield, Colo. Dry air under pressure flows from the dryer 210 into each junction block 192. In alternative embodiments of the drying system, any source of dry air under pressure may be utilized successfully to purge moisture from the filament path, and other dry gases may be utilized as well. Importantly, the drying system should continuously feed dry air or other gas under pressure to the filament path, disallowing humid air from remaining in or entering the filament path, and should be vented at or near the end of the filament path. One alternative to drying system 194 is to provide a compressed nitrogen tank as the dry gas source. Another alternative is a regenerative drying system, such as a hot air desiccant dryer having an output of less than or equal to about −40� F. dew point.
To install one of the cassettes 184 into the modeling machine 180, the machine 180 is first turned on. The user then removes the plug cap 248 from the filament cassettes 184, and promptly inserts the cassette 184 into one of the loading bays 182. The plug cap 248 can be parked on the grooves 256 of the guide block 214, saving it for later use. The user latches the cassette 184 into place by pulling on latch 196, as has been described. Once latched, the pogo pins 142 will contact the circuit board 102, thereby connecting the EEPROM 96 to the controller 25. Once the controller 25 senses that the cassette 184 is loaded, the controller 25 will turn on the motor 280. The drive roller 278 will then begin turning.
The user next opens the door 250 of the guide block 214 to access the roller 240, and manually turns roller 240 by exerting a downward force on the roller. The rotation of roller 240 will advance the strand of filament 188 out of the guide block 214 and into the entry conduit 274 of the drive block 272. When the filament strand reaches the already rotating drive roller 278, the roller pair 278 and 279 will grab the filament strand and take over advancement of the strand from the user. The user promptly shuts the door 250 to seal the filament path. The roller pair 278 and 279 then advance the filament strand at least as far as the position of the filament sensor 286. If the filament cassette 184 is to be a standby cassette, the controller 25 will signal the motor 280 to stop turning, so that advancement of the filament strand ceases at the sensor 286. Alternatively, if the cassette 184 is to be a primary cassette, the roller pair 278 and 279 feed the filament strand through the junction block 192 to the feed rollers 22 (or alternatively to the liquifier 26). When the filament strand reaches the feed rollers 22, the feed rollers 22 take over control of the filament strand advancement. If the current on the motor 280 is set low enough and the filament is rigid enough, the motor 280 may be allowed to remain on and continue supplying a constant push, but will stall out when the feed rollers 22 are not in motion. This arrangement avoids having to turn the motor 280 on and off in synchrony with the operation of the feed rollers 22. In an alternate embodiment, the roller pair 278 and 279 may serve as the material advance mechanism in place of the feed rollers 22. In such a case, the operation of motor 280 would be closely controlled by controller 25 to control advancement filament into the extrusion head 20.
During modeling, the controller 25 can keep track of the amount of filament remaining in each cassette 184 by use of a count maintained by each EEPROM 96. When one of the primary cassettes 184 becomes depleted of filament, the modeling machine 180 will automatically switch to the standby cassette 184 without operator intervention. To unload the filament, the controller 25 drives the motor 24 backwards for a short time sufficient to pull the strand of filament 188 out of the liquifier 26 and feed rollers 22. The controller 25 then drives the motor 280 backwards to pull the filament strand out of the tubing 204, the junction block 192, the tubing 202, and past the sensor 286. The machine 180 knows that the junction block 192 is clear to receive filament from the standby cassette 184 when the sensor 286 of the primary cassette drive block 272 indicates that filament is no longer present. The machine 180 then loads filament from the standby cassette 184 to the extrusion head 20. This auto-unload/reload process is particularly beneficial for modeling of large objects and when the modeling machine 180 is operated beyond business hours. The user can replace the depleted cassette 184 while the machine 180 continues to build a model. The depleted cassette 184 can then be refilled and reused.
In the case that the user desires to remove one of the cassettes 184 from the machine 180 before the cassette 184 is depleted of filament, the user may command the machine 180 to execute the unload process. If a useable amount of filament 188 remains on cassette 184 when it is removed from the modeling machine, the cassette 184 may be stored for later use without contamination. In such a case, the user should seal the exit orifice 238 with the plug cap 248. If the cassette 184 has a useable amount of filament 188 remaining but the filament has been moisture contaminated, the cassette 184 may be re-dried as described above.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,058, in building a model from a thermally solidifiable material, it is preferable to build the model in a chamber heated to a temperature higher than the solidification temperature of the modeling material, and to cool the material gradually following deposition so as to relieve stresses from the material. A number of desireable thermoplastic modeling materials have high melting points, for example, polycarbonate, polyphenylsulfone, polycarbonate/ABS blend, polyetherimide (i.e., Ultem™), polysulfones, polyethersulfones and amorphous polyamides, and additionally are moisture sensitive. A deposition modeling apparatus which is particularly suitable for building models at a high temperature is disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 10/018,673, which has been incorporated by reference herein. The modeling machine 180 which uses a moisture-sealed material delivery apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention may be an apparatus of the type that is a subject of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/018,673, thereby providing a dry, high temperature modeling environment. Various high-temperature, moisture-sensitive thermoplastics have been successfully utilized in such a machine, namely, polycarbonate, polyphenylsulfone, polycarbonate/ABS blend and Ultem™ having a viscosity at the modeling temperature of less than 1200 Pa/sec at a shear rate of 10E−1 sec−1 and having a water content ranging between 100-400 ppm. These materials are stronger than ABS thermoplastic and have suitable thermal properties, melt viscosity, shrink characteristics and adhesion for use in three-dimensional deposition modeling.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the various features of embodiment 1 may be used and interchanged with the features of embodiment 2, and vice-versa. For example, the drying system of embodiment 2 may be used with the design of embodiment 1, and embodiment 1 may be used to provide primary and standby cassettes as disclosed with respect to embodiment 2. Additionally, it will be apparent to those in the art that the filament cassette and loading system of the present invention may be used to advantage in extrusion applications other than the building of three-dimensional models by a fused deposition process. Other changes may be made as well in keeping with the scope of the invention. As an example, the motor for driving a roller carried by a filament cassette may be carried by the cassette rather than mounted on the modeling machine. These and other changes will be apparent to one skilled in the art.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
From: Warren Ellis
To: Bad Signal mailing list
Subject: [Bad Signal] Steam
Date: June 27, 2009 – 7:17 pm EST
Back in my hotel room to write this talk, and I put
Glastonbury up on the tv while I write. Springsteen's
on. Not a huge fan of the man, though I admire
his industry. The man puts in a day's work on stage.
And he's sweating, working hard. Got his foot up
on an amp as he sings. It's just him, right now, the
stage is blacked out, and there's one spot behind
him. And he's hot, and it's cold night out there, and
he's steaming. And he's just blown the authenticity
thing and gone into supermystification, because it
looks like he's got an electromagnetic halo, curls of
glowing, pearly white light rising up from and playing
around his head and shoulders while he stands there
in near-silhouette….
He looks like he's The Last Rock Star, the Ascended
Master who glows in the dark.
5 thoughts on "Steam"
that's how i see the man on most days. I love that description of his performance.
So perfect. Not cool enough for Glastonbury according to Sean Lennon. Springsteen was never cool. But for nearly 40 years he's played like it was his last night on the planet, up there with guys he's been playing with since he was 14 years old. I aspire to be that uncool.
i love this piece, Mr. Ellis.
Honest work. Not much a fan of his stuff, but the man is an honest worker. Folks forgot what a rock-star is suppose to be. Pity on the social, but a good quick piece.
Comments are closed.


text:
February 18, 2000
Instructor Takes Steps To Enliven Online Class
Take a class that's boring in a lecture hall. Put it on the Internet in the form of lines of dull text scrolling silently across a computer screen. Then watch it lull even the most dedicated students to sleep.
That's why Libby Roeger makes an extra effort to put some appeal into her online courses. She wants to be sure that students have some fun as they learn, whether in class or online.
Ms. Roeger, an instructor at Shawnee Community College, in Ullin,
The Chronicle Review


text:
No matter what battle you're fighting on Halloween, you'll look the part when you wear this Dreads Commando boys costume. The black muscle top jumpsuit features a black, gray and white digital camouflage bottom and comes complete with a vest, knee pads and a beret with attached dreadlocks.
Plan your mission and execute it flawlessly in this official and authentic looking boy's Special Ops costume. You've got what it takes to pull off all sorts of evasive maneuvers on Halloween - wear it well.
Plan your Halloween mission and execute it flawlessly in this threatening Skull Commando adult mens costume. Maybe you are a hired gun or perhaps you are a rogue soldier or a one-man militia. Whatever battle you are fighting you will command attention in this scary costume.
Take ownership of Halloween when you decide to dress yourself in this Skull Lord Boys Costume. Black and red robe comes complete with a matching hood and stand-up collar, black gloves and a skull mask.
Infiltrate the enemy base, gain intelligence and get out without becoming a prisoner in this futuristic Recon Commando child costume. The gray camouflage print jumpsuit features a red-accented muscle torso and comes complete with gloves, a protective helmet with detachable face mask and goggles.
Get ready for Operation Rescue Halloween when you wear this Desert Commando Camo child costume. The green camouflage print jumpsuit of this commando costume features a muscle torso and comes complete with boot covers, a detachable mask, goggles and a helmet.
Equip yourself for a Halloween mission in this authentic looking Special Forces Commando child costume. The camouflage print jumpsuit features a muscle chest and comes complete with knee pads, headset and black vest to show you mean business.
…deception on Halloween when you wear this incredibly detailed Ninja Master boys costume. The long-sleeved black top comes complete with long black pants, a charcoal and black mesh armor tunic, matching mesh shoulder armor, shin guards, wrist guards, belt and a black hood with attached skull mask.
Perform your missions under the cover of darkness when you wear this Zombie Ninja boys costume. The gray, screaming skull print tabard, comes complete with a tattered light gray shirt with an attached hood, matching pants, a belt and a fabric face mask with attached vinyl blood covered Ninja star.
Report for duty and look better than all the rest when you wear this Sequin Commando adult womens plus size costume. The 100% polyester, green, tan and white zipper-front, camouflage print dress features holographic sequins, green trim and come complete with a green choker and hat.
Step into the ring of Rome ready to battle in this Gladiator boys costume. The body armor of this gladiator costume features an attached cape and comes complete with a tunic, arm bands, cuffs, leg guards and a matching headpiece.
Transform when you sport this officially licensed Transformers Bumblebee boys costume. The yellow and gray printed jumpsuit features a matching dimensional character mask.
Clown around after dark on Halloween when you wear this creepily crafty Evil Clown boys costume. The black and red top of this clown costume comes complete with matching pants, a collar, spiked cuffs and a mask with wig.
Be bold and be bad on Halloween when you wear this Convict boys costume. The short sleeve shirt of this convict costume comes complete with matching pants and a striped hat. Break out and find yourself some candy!
Whether you love or hate math and science, this Classic Nerd boys costume is scientifically proven to be very funny. Crack up the crowd when you show up in this jumpsuit styled to look like high-rise plaid pants, complete with an attached bow tie and belt.
Need a prescription for a super-scary Halloween? Look no further because this Demented Doctor boys costume fits the bill! The blood-spattered lab coat comes complete with a terrifying red mask with attached black hair.
Lock up criminals and lay down the law on Halloween in this Policeman boys costume. The classic navy blue uniform of this police costume comes complete with a police hat, shiny badge, billy club and handcuffs with key - everything you need to serve and protect!
Create some amazing and legendary deeds of your own on Halloween when you don this officially licensed Skylanders Spyro boys costume. The purple jumpsuit of this dragon costume comes complete with shoe covers, wings and a PVC character mask.
The British are coming, the British are coming! Recreate a historical midnight ride on Halloween in this authentic looking Paul Revere boys costume. The green jacket of this Paul Revere costume features an attached vest and shirt front, complete with a hat and pants with attached boot tops.
Get out of the shadows and into the fight when you wear the Ninja Warrior Boys Costume. This black shirt comes complete with matching pants, a tunic with an attached belt, epaulets, arm guards and a hood with face mask.
Destroy the competition on Halloween when you use your stealth skills wearing the Dragon Ninja Boys Costume. This muscle chest jumpsuit features attached arm and leg gauntlets, a waist belt with ninja star and a black hood.
Tell jokes and take souls when you wear the Sinister Jester Boys Costume. This red and black, harlequin-design outfit consists of a shirt, matching pants, waist sash, hood with attached collar and creepy jester mask.
Steal from the rich and give back to the poor when you decide to dress in the Robin Hood Boys Costume. This green hoodie comes complete with an attached brown vest, a belt with storage pouch, gauntlets and boot covers.
Beware of the morning sun when you stay up all night on Halloween in this Vampire boys costume. The black and dark red, 100% polyester vest of this vampire costume features an attached poet-sleeved shirt and comes complete with a jet-black, red lined cape.


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text:
Tabloid Backlash?
[Sorry, the video for this story has expired, but you can still read the transcript below. ]
TERENCE SMITH: As basketball star Kobe Bryant's appearance yesterday in a Colorado courtroom once again set off the predictable media frenzy…
FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: …Fox News alert, and there he is, Kobe Bryant…
TERENCE SMITH: …News organizations across the country are grappling with the question: How much coverage is justified, and how much is too much?
GROUP: Kobe, Kobe!
TERENCE SMITH: According to an exhaustive content analysis of two decades of American media by the Project for Excellence in Journalism…
REPORTER: OJ, anything you can tell us?
TERENCE SMITH: …Mainstream coverage of lifestyle, celebrities, and scandal expanded dramatically throughout the '80s and '90s.
REPORTER: How ya doing, Monica?
TERENCE SMITH: But with the tragedies of September 11, 2001, a new, more sober media emerged, at least temporarily.
CBS NEWS CORRESPONDENT: …Targets in Afghanistan.
TOM ROSENSTIEL: September 11 sort of scared the media straight again. And we saw for the first time in 25 years a return to a kind of 1970s news agenda, briefly.
TERENCE SMITH: Tom Rosenstiel, a longtime media critic, is the project's director.
TOM ROSENSTIEL: The news was suddenly so important, and the news from outside the United States was suddenly so important that we saw levels of international coverage and national coverage and national security coverage that we hadn't seen in a couple of decades, but it didn't last.
TERENCE SMITH: Despite continuing turmoil overseas, tabloid coverage has come back strongly, he says. The key reason: Money.
TOM ROSENSTIEL: Those kinds of stories cost less to cover. They don't require you having foreign bureaus and running around the world. They are the kinds of things you can plan.
FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Is sex on the road fair game for NBA husbands?
TOM ROSENSTIEL: They are also, interestingly, the kinds of stories that you can tease and promote on television.
LARRY KING LIVE, CNN: Race, sex, money, celebrity, all on the table…
TERENCE SMITH: But in at least one community in the shadow of the Kobe commotion, a public backlash to the wall-to-wall coverage may be emerging slowly.
MAN, ASPEN: I'm sick and damned tired of it.
WOMAN, ASPEN: As far as seeing it every day in my newspaper, not interested.
TERENCE SMITH: Here in the ski town of Aspen, Colorado, just 75 miles from the courthouse, a local newspaper has taken a different tack.
The Aspen Daily News, after publishing dozens of articles about the Kobe Bryant case, decided that the paper and its readers had had enough.
BEN GAGNON: It just occurred to me all of the sudden that we don't have to do this. There is no reason to keep running these stories. There's not a lot of value in them; there's not a lot of information; there's not a lot of news. Maybe we should fill that hole with something else that is, you know, more newsworthy.
TERENCE SMITH: Copy editor Ben Gagnon and editor Rick Carroll wrote a front-page editorial on October 9, a day when hundreds of media converged nearby for another Kobe Bryant appearance, saying there would be no more stories on the scandal in the Daily News:
"To observe a media pack of this size doesn't suggest purpose, it feels more like a herd, perhaps even a mob. When a verdict or settlement is reached in the case, we'll print that."
Their stand was a departure for the small but scrappy newspaper, which has a reputation for muckraking.
RICK CARROLL: Our motto is, "if you don't want it printed, don't let it happen." It's on the front page of the paper.
TERENCE SMITH: But the editors see it as a kind of protest against some of the larger trends in American journalism that reach well beyond Aspen.
RICK CARROLL: This was a display of independence in a media world that is becoming very corporate and homogenized and operating under the same umbrella.
It was a way to show, hey, we are an independent newspaper, and you know what? We can do what we want. And here we go.
TERENCE SMITH: The editors' decision stunned the founding owner of the paper, Dave Danforth, who argued that the 15,000-circulation Aspen Daily News should not be suppressing stories — any stories. But he let his editors make the final call.
The public's reaction, on the other hand, was overwhelmingly positive.
MAN, Aspen: I think it's wise for them not to get involved.
MAN, Aspen: I just think there's more important news in the world.
TERENCE SMITH: The paper received nationwide publicity and hundreds of letters of support.
BEN GAGNON: Quite a few of them told us to hang in there, to not give in, as if we were going to have to fight this in order to not cover this trial.
TERENCE SMITH: Other people who disagree with you, journalists, argue this is about a major American celebrity, that it involves important issues of race and celebrity and justice, and of course there is a serious crime alleged. Isn't that a story?
RICK CARROLL: I am not seeing a lot of these stories that they are talking about — the race issues, the victims' rights issues. What are we seeing on a daily basis? We are seeing every left and right turn that is being made in this case, whether it is rumor, innuendo, and sometimes fact.
TERENCE SMITH: But other editors say it is the media's responsibility to cover the story, to get beyond the frenzy.
DON WYCLIFF: No way we could avoid this story.
TERENCE SMITH: Don Wycliff is The Chicago Tribune's public editor. He says the newspaper cannot create "refuges from reality."
DON WYCLIFF: Kobe Bryant is big news. He's big news when he is on the basketball court, and when a guy who has been promoted in the way he has been is accused of a crime like this, it's big news, and we've got to cover it. We've got to cover it extensively.
TERENCE SMITH: Crime and scandal have always been part of news coverage, says Wycliff, and the Kobe Bryant story is getting no more and no less.
DON WYCLIFF: I rather doubt that the Kobe Bryant story gets proportionately any more coverage in The Chicago Tribune than it would have 20 years ago, 30, 40, 50 years ago.
Our celebrity miscreants came from different places in those days; I don't think they claimed any less space and time.
TERENCE SMITH: While The Chicago Tribune carries stories from bureaus around the world, Wycliff contends that allegations concerning an American icon have a special resonance.
DON WYCLIFF: If the question is, should we cease covering a Kobe Bryant story because there is something else in some other part of the world that we conceivably could cover, I would have to disagree with you.
Kobe Bryant has a real effect on the way my kids are growing up — what they see on TV, what they hear. They look up to him in a certain way, and I want to know the facts. I want to know what the real truth is in that case so I can talk to them about that.
TERENCE SMITH: Meanwhile, in Aspen, The Daily News continues as a Kobe-free zone.
But for most of the national media, a story that combines sports, scandal, and celebrity is too hard to resist.


text:
Travel to India and visit the highlights from Mumbai to Delhi
Travel to India and tour from Mumbai to Delhi, taking in the sights, cities and cultures that make this colourful country famous. Explore holy Buddhist caves at Ajanta, admire the mish-mash of Buddhist architectural styles in Sanchi and stroll by the river in chilled Orchha, all the while meeting friendly locals and indulging in spicy delights. From the dhobi ghat in Mumbai to manic Old Delhi bazaars, this adventure will create amazing memories to last a lifetime.
- Discover Buddhist architecture in Sanchi
- Relax in chilled Orchha
- Be swept up by the bustle of Delhi
- Spend the night in an ashram in Ujjain
- Stroll along Chowpatty Beach in Mumbai
- Marvel at the magnificent Kailasa Temple
- Soak up Hindu traditions in spiritual Omkareshwar
Day 1 Day 1 Mumbai
Day 2-3 Days 2-3 Aurangabad
Day 4 Day 4 Jalgaon
Day 5-6 Days 5-6 Omkareshwar
Day 7-8 Days 7-8 Mandu
Day 9 Day 9 Ujjain
Day 10 Day 10 Sanchi
Day 11-13 Days 11-13 Orchha
Day 14-15 Days 14-15 Delhi
TransportAuto rickshaw, Bus, Jeep, Overnight sleeper train, Train
AccommodationGuesthouse (3 nights), Hotel (10 nights), Overnight sleeper train (1 night)
There are no departures to display at this moment.
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Important notes
Please note this tour will now visit Agra and Chaderi in 2013, instead of Ujjain. Departures will begin on Selected Saturdays in 2013, instead of Selected Sundays in 2012.
The itinerary will be as follows:
Day 1 Mumbai
Days 2-3 Aurangabad
Day 4 Jalgaon
Days 5-6 Omkareshwar
Day 7 Mandu
Day 8 Sanchi
Days 9-10 Orchha
Days 11-12 Chanderi
Day 13 Agra
Days 14-15 Delhi
The detailed itinerary and prices will be released 1st November 2012
Trip notes
Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Your trip notes provide a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.View trip notes
Our Mumbai to Delhi trips score an average of 4.63 out of 5 based on 16 reviews in the last year.
Mumbai to Delhi , December 2013
kirsty nicholson
A fantastic experience with a fabulous tour leader
Review submitted 04 Mar 2014
Mumbai to Delhi , November 2013
Stephanie Cross
I really enjoyed this tour, the diversity of the landscape and culture was pronominal. It was such a privilege to be able to stand in the middle of Chowpatty beach and see the lights and taste the food and then have the experience of the complete opposite in the very spiritual Omkareshwar, the rural experience of Mandu and the beautiful community of Chanderi, only to finish in Delhi where the pulse of the city is felt through your whole body!
Review submitted 23 Dec 2013


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Wrapping (overflow)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|This article does not cite any references or sources. (December 2009)
In computing, wrapping is when a variable that exceeds its maximum value returns to its minimum value and vice versa. Many high-level programming languages avoid wrapping by giving an arithmetic overflow error if this occurs.
Camera wrapping is a technique often used in video games, which allows a player to move in a straight line and get back to where they started. This was more often used in older games to make it seem that the player is moving up or down an extremely high hill; memory can be saved by using wrapping instead of creating a larger area filled with unpassable walls:
- With wrapping:
--\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \--
- Without wrapping:
--\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \--
As the diagrams above show, using wrapping will reduce the size of the area needed.
Camera wrapping can also be used to simulate the surface of a cylinder or torus.
|This computer-programming-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.


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Tampa moms demand gun control
Janelle Irwin
WMNF Drive-Time News Monday | Listen to this entire show:
A group of Tampa moms wants lawmakers in Washington to put gun control legislation back on the table. It failed earlier this year. During a rally Friday in Tampaâs Curtis Hixon Downtown Waterfront Park, members of the group Moms Demand Action called on the public to reach out to their elected leaders to push for expanded background checks and a ban on military assault weapons.
The group Moms Demand Action lined up twenty chairs, each with a photo of one of the young victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre. Maggie Larguier is the Tampa chapter leader.
âIt is possible that nothing would have prevented Newtown, but what I can say is if Adam Lanza had a hand gun rather than a military assault weapon with a high capacity magazine, there would be more Newtown children living today because of using a handgun verses using the type of weapon he used.â
Two months ago, the U.S. Senate voted down a bill introduced by Pennsylvania Republican Senator Pat Toomey and West Virginia Democrat, Joe Manchin that would have required criminal background checks on all U.S. gun buyers. Now with lawmakers back in their home states for a summer recess, gun control groups nationwide are trying to revive the bi-partisan legislation.
âNinety-one percent of the citizens of this country support a background check. It is a common sense law that everyone should undergo a background check. Private sales constitute 40% of total gun sales and 40% of those private sales are not, they do not involve background checks. It is absolutely irrational and it needs to change. It needs to change.â
The gun control debate has gained traction nationwide because of the Newtown tragedy. Parents of slain children and the daughter of the school principal who was killed trying to protect students have spoken in favor of what proponents are calling common sense legislation. Larguier hopes the persistence will pay off.
âWe are continuing our efforts on a long-term basis to mobilize the community to take action by calling their elected officials and telling them that theyâre in support of the background check bill, theyâre in support of banning military-style assault weapons and high capacity magazines with ten rounds or over. At Newtown, Adam Lanza was able to fire off 154 bullets in less than five minutes. One young boy who was 6-years-old and I apologize for the graphic dialogue here, but he had 11 bullets in his body from a high capacity magazine.â
Despite intermittent rain during the rally, two dozen activists waved signs to passing motorists to a barrage of honks and cheers. Pam Eliopulos is the gun violence prevention group leader for the Tampa chapter of Organizing For Action.
âI think Newtown woke everyone up and we all realized that these kids could have been our kids, that this elementary school could have been any elementary school here in Tampa or anywhere in this country and if we donât take sensible steps to ensure that people who are mentally ill and help ensure that criminals donât have access to guns unfettered in this country, we are not doing the best that we can do as a nation for our children.â
In April, 54 Senators voted in favor of the bill while 46 voted against it. If gun control advocates are to win- theyâll need 60 votes, six more than they got two months ago. Floridaâs junior US Senator, Marco Rubio, voted no.comments powered by Disqus


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Record-breaking rower was not guilty of assault in access row
Posted: March 14, 2014|
A MAN who in 2001 became the first rower to complete a solo, unassisted non-stop crossing of the Pacific Ocean was acquitted of assault when he appeared before Bodmin magistrates on Thursday.
Jim Shekhdar, 67, had become embroiled in a confrontation over access to his beach home at Eddystone Café, Tregonhawke, Millbrook, Torpoint, the court was told.
It was alleged that Mr Shekhdar assaulted toolmaker Philip Barwell by beating on August 30 last year after the pair got into an altercation on a gated track at Tregonhawke Cliff above Whitsand Bay in South East Cornwall.
Mr Shekhdar, who has no previous convictions, had pleaded not guilty to the allegation.
Carrie-Ann Rawlings, for the prosecution, told the court that Mr Barwell had been punched in the face and grabbed around the neck by Mr Shekhdar, after Mr Shekhdar became angry because his access to the track leading to his beach home was blocked by a parked vehicle being used by Mr Barwell, who was then transporting flooring on foot to his chalet.
But Mr Shekhdar claimed it was he who was hit first – from behind – as he tried to lock the gate after asking repeatedly asking Mr Barwell to move the truck.
He accepted that he had then swung his arm to defend himself and in doing so may have caught Mr Barwell on the face. Mr Barwell also accepted that he had hit Mr Shekhdar, but said that he had been struck first.
During the trial the court heard from Mr Barwell's son, Tom, who had intervened to try to stop the confrontation between the two men, and also from café worker Summer Henderson, who said that she had called through the window to tell them to stop their behaviour, some of which was taking place in front of Mr Shekhdar's five-year-old daughter.
The magistrates, finding Mr Shekhdar not guilty, said that the accounts of witnesses were at such variance that they could not be sure beyond reasonable doubt that he had assaulted Mr Barwell.
They commented that it was "of note" that it was two young people – Tom Barwell and Summer Henderson – who had intervened to stop the incident from escalating and said that they were to be commended for their actions.


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2 cats stabbed in Woodlawn neighborhood
DoveLewis Emergency Hospital treated two cats for stab wounds they received on Thursday night.
DoveLewis Emergency Hospital treated two cats for stab wounds they received on Thursday night.
The fifth mass bee death in Portland in the past several days has state investigators on the hunt for a cause.
Bree Newsome was about halfway up the more than 30-foot steel flagpole just after dawn Saturday when State Capitol police told her to come d…
Multnomah County has adjusted its burn ban due to moderately improved conditions, Portland Fire Chief Erin Janssens said Saturday.
The driver of a car that turned in front of oncoming traffic died on Highway 6 near Tillamook shortly before 1 p.m. Saturday.
The pit bull-Dutch shepherd mix and her owner took the $1,500 prize Friday night, besting 25 other dogs competing in the contest that applau…
Among the victims tentatively identified late Friday were 73-year-old June Kranenburg and 63-year-old Leonard Kranenburg of Medford.
Multnomah County Deputies responded to a fatal crash involving a car and a bicyclist.
The man who prosecuted Richard Matt's murder case seven years ago says the slain inmate swore back then that if he escaped he wouldn't be ca…
The drill will happen Sunday between 7:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in the area of SE McLoughlin Blvd. and SE Lake Rd.


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YOUTH DEVELOPMENT WEBINARSCurrently, there are no scheduled webinars. However, check back shortly for an updated 2015 schedule. If there is a topic you would like to learn about, or if you have any questions, please contact Roger Noordhoek at email@example.com here for the 2014 youth development webinars.Click here for the 2013 youth development webinars.


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Aaron Paul Koch
Position: G-T
Height: 6-3 Weight: 300 lbs.
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High School: McNary
College: Oregon St. (school history)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 2 (11411th overall since 1950)
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I Ask for Health Tips And I Get Jack Sh*t
Hey there, happy campers. Jack Sh*t here to do a little guest blogulating (trick? treat? I'm not really sure…).
As the mastermind behind Jack Sh*t, Gettin' Fit(link to: http://jackfit.blogspot.com ), readers have come to expect wall-to-wall nonsense back at the ranch. That said, I don't get the chance to offer real weigh-loss tips very often. I have to come over to blogs where people don't know me very well to say what I want to say. But that's okay; I like to travel.
Appetite Assassins
Motivation is all well and good, exercise can make you look and feel better and determination can play a huge role in success on your weight-loss journey.
Dammit… sometimes you just get HUNGRY.
I mean, scarf a bag of chips hungry. I mean, "Yes, I most definitely would like fries with that" hungry. Super-size me hungry.
That's why it's good to have some appetite killers in your back pocket when hunger rears its fat ugly head. Here's some stuff that generally works for me when my appetite is trying to get the better of me…
Chew on this. Sugar-free chewing gum is one of the tools I use to take the edge off my hunger. Sometimes when I go to the movies, I'll chew an entire pack while those around me are happily putting away popcorn. I keep all kinds of gum in my car; chewing a couple of pieces on my way home keeps me from walking in the door and grabbing something out of the fridge.
Some advice to sink your teeth into.Early in my weight-loss journey, I was really trying not to eat anything after dinner. That meant that I'd often get pretty hungry right before bedtime. I found that it would help to brush and floss my teeth thoroughly. That seemed to send the message to my brain that the chow store was shut down for the evening.
Busy does it.During the day, I sometimes find my appetite waking up with a vengeance. I have a pretty regimented program for snacks and meals, so I'll just get up and get busy. Getting your mind on something else helps get it off what your stomach's rumbling about.
Drink your water like you oughta.Drinking plenty of water throughout the day will do wonders to curb your appetite. Often times hunger is mistaken as thirst so simply drinking water at the first sign of hunger can quickly keep your appetite in check. Another technique is to drink an 8-eight ounce glass of water before each meal. You'll be surprised at how much less you eat.
Plug in AAs.Apples are really great natural appetite suppressants. They're only about 100 calories each, are a good source of fiber and have very little in the way of carbs. Apples are perfect for a snack and make a great substitute for more calorie-dense foods like candy bars and potato chips. Almonds are my other go-to snack… a very filling food dense in vitamins and minerals. In addition to providing a hefty dose of protein and fiber, almonds also contain the essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 (which may or may not grant you super powers). They also contain vitamin E, zinc, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. While almonds do have fat in them, it's monosaturated fat, which is the good kind.
Be a clock-watcher.I try to eat smaller meals and plan both the portion size and time of my snacks. It seems to help with my hunger if I know that I have a scheduled snack coming up in 40 minutes.
We often eat for reasons that have nothing to do with hunger. Stress, boredom, emotional issues, habit... I've found that getting good at playing head games with your stomach can pay big dividends with losing weight.
Thanks for letting me be semi-serious with you for a bit, and feel free to drop by Jack Sh*t, Gettin' Fitone day real soon. I'll leave a light on for you.


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1969 Pontiac Catalina Convertible Just arrived at SportsCar LA. This car has been with the same owner for almost 30 years in... More
1960 Pontiac Catalina Convertible This restorer's dream has just arrived. This complete Catalina is very original and has been in covered storage... More
1968 MGB; due to sufficient changes in the late1967 model year this series of MG's were introduced as MK II's. This MGB is finished... More
1967 MGB Midget For Sale or Trade Sporty MGB Midget finished in bright blue with black vinyl seats with white piping. Mechanically sound, this car... More
1966 Triumph TR4A IRS that is a good candidate for a restoration. The car is in blue with a black interior. The car has... More
1960 Chevy Bel Air sedan, only 54K actual documented miles and looks and drives like it. Strong/tight and nonsmoker or leaker. Bullet proof 6-cylinder... More
Desirable custom cab and famous I Beam front end, wow only 49K miles and looks the part. Strong, tight non-smoking, non-leaking stock V8 factory... More
1963 Corvair Monza convertible,a solid car,with decent paint and serviceable original interior.The pancake six runs great,mated to the factory Powerglide.Drive and enjoy it,today.... More
CALL US FOR A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE CAR! WE DO A 150+ POINT CHECK ON EACH VEHICLE AND ARE HAPPY TO SHARE... More
1961 TRIUMPH TR-3A SPORTS ROADSTER. ORIGINAL POWDER BLUE/ BLACK TRIM. 4-SPEED. STANDARD WHEELS. COMPLETE, SOLID, ORIGINAL CALIFORNIA BLACK LICENSE PLATE CAR FOR STRAIGHTFORWARD RESTORATION.... More
1963 Chevrolet C10, Exterior ColorTEAL Interior ColorBEIGEE Engine6 CYL TransmissionC10 Doors2 Fuel TypeGAS Price$9,995 CLASSIC!!! This smooth Chevy is ready to roll! Pictures do not do this truck justice. This is one BAD... More
1967 VW Beetle Custom1967 VW Beetle that has been chopped and fitted with a rebuilt 1600 cc engine & transmission in great condition. Mechanically... More
1968 Fiat 850 Spider ConvertibleThis is indeed a Rare Gem and in mint conditionRed metallic exterior with Black leather interiorEquipped with a 4-Cylinder gas... More
1964 Volkswagen Beattle / Bug with a fresh body on restoration. A very sharp red paint matching the red / white interior that is... More
This 1961 Cadillac De Ville Two Door Hard Top Coupe features a 390 V-8 8cyl Gasoline engine. It is equipped with a Automatic transmission.... More


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Shooting me dagger eyes, one Amber/Brittany/Ashlee eventually got me a cup of low-fat chocolate.
As a control, some subjects drank a "large, tasteless concoction of low-fat dairy glop."
Dannon marketed its fro-yo flavors like chunky chocolate nut and Heath Bar crunch as low-fat and "pure heaven."
having reduced fat content; low in fat, esp. having three grams or less of fat per serving
Low-fat recipes contain less than 30 percent of their total calories from fat.


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Jun 24 2015
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Jun 18 2015
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May 11 2015
Blog entry
May 11 2015
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Date: 3 years ago
Runtime: 10:46
Views: 129,191
Top Comments
All Comments
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- Filed Under
DES MOINES - The Senate approved new protections for gay and lesbian students on Tuesday, sending a measure to the House that would prohibit harassment based on sexual orientation.
Majority Democrats rejected several efforts to alter the measure, including broadening the scope to bar bullying against all students.
Supporters of the bill said they should focus protections on the students who need them most.
``It's a historic night for the Senate and a great night for the students,'' said Sen. Michael Connolly, D-Dubuque, the measure's main supporter. ``This bill is about providing a safe and civil environment in our schools so all students can learn.''
The bill would require schools to report harassment incidents to the state and indicate what the school did in response. Lawmakers said such requirements would help the state determine where the problem areas are and whether administrators are effectively deterring future harassment.
Former Gov. Tom Vilsack initially proposed the measure in his Condition of the State Speech in 2004, but it has languished until this session.
The Senate approved the measure on a 36-14 vote. The House is expected to approve the bill and send it to Gov. Chet Culver, who has said he supports the measure.
Critics of the bill said there was no reason to single out classifications of students, and said they favored a broad ban against all bullying in schools.
``No kid should be bullied,'' said Sen. Dave Mulder, R-Sioux Center. ``No one should be bullied.''
Critics also said schools should decide individually how to enforce harassment policies. However, Connolly noted that only 77 of the state's 365 school districts have adopted such policies.
A main backer of the effort is the Iowa Pride Network, a group of students demanding new protections. Ryan Roemerman, who heads that group, said some studies have shown that a majority of openly gay students report being harassed and don't feel safe in school.
``The whole point of the bill is to make sure that all students are safe,'' said Roemerman. ``These are groups of students who are specifically targeted.''
Some worried about problems at private religious schools, some of which teach that homosexuality is a sin.
``There are some theological traditions that teach that homosexual behavior ruins counter to their faith tradition,'' said Sen. Jeff Angelo, R-Creston. ``It is quite possible that religious schools would be subject to a civil action.''
Connolly said there are more private, church-affiliated schools in his hometown than any city in the state, and they haven't expressed any worries.
``We do not need to send out a message that there's a double standard,'' said Connolly. ``The message we want to send is that this is about safe schools.''
On the eve of Senate debate, the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa and Action Fund - a coalition of mainstream churches - issued its endorsement.
``Legislators must understand that all students in public and private schools deserve to be in a positive and safe learning environment,'' said Connie Ryan Terrell, of the group.


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System tools
Damn Small Linux (DSL) v4.11 RC 2
DSL is a very versatile 50MB mini desktop oriented Linux distribution.
Date updated:09/27/2012 Downloads:145,849 Filesize:50.38 MB
Unlocker v1.9.2
Unlocker helps you with locked files that can't be deleted, moved or renamed.
Date updated:05/18/2013 Downloads:141,017 Filesize:1.03 MB
Parted Magic (CD version) 2013_08_1
The Parted Magic OS employs core programs of GParted and Parted to handle partitioning tasks with ease.
Date updated:08/01/2013 Downloads:140,239 Filesize:336 MB
Windows 8 USB Installer Maker v22.214.171.124
Windows 8 USB Installer Maker is a utility that will help you make a bootable USB Pendrive of Windows 8 installer using its ISO DVD image.
Date updated:11/09/2012 Downloads:116,445 Filesize:2.00 MB
Nokia Suite v3.7.22
Software for connecting your Nokia phone with your PC and transferring and sharing files from it.
Date updated:01/03/2013 Downloads:110,025 Filesize:101.40 MB
NaviFirm Plus 1.7
NaviFirm Plus is the ultimate all-purpose tool for downloading Nokia firmware images, obtaining lists of product codes, and finding the right product code for your phone. NAVIFIRM downloads all this straight from Nokia's servers.
Date updated:12/17/2012 Downloads:100,070 Filesize:348.13 kB
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment for Windows 64-bit v8 update 45
The Java SE Runtime Environment contains the Java virtual machine, runtime class libraries, and Java application launcher that are necessary to run programs written in Java.
Date updated:04/15/2015 Downloads:98,208 Filesize:41.16 MB
Core Temp (64-Bit) v1.0 RC 6
Core Temp is a compact program to monitor CPU temperature.
Date updated:10/11/2013 Downloads:95,796 Filesize:358.34 kB
Vista Transformation Pack v9.0.1
Vista Transformation Pack is a hack for Windows XP that gives your XP a same look and fell you'd get using Windows Vista -- for free.
Date updated:11/17/2008 Downloads:95,055 Filesize:26.82 MB
Windows 8 Transformation Pack v9.1
Would you like your PC to look like Windows 8 without actually downloading and installing the Consumer Preview version? The Windows 8 Transformation Pack is the solution.
Date updated:07/23/2014 Downloads:92,912 Filesize:92.23 MB
Keywords: system tools operating system management adminsitration utilities