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Mechanical seal assembly with improved fluid circulation
Mechanical seal assembly with improved fluid circulation
A seal assembly for a mechanical seal includes a rotatable shaft with at least one mechanical seal disposed about the shaft, the seal having a rotatable face coupled to the shaft and a stationary face, wherein the respective faces of the seal are in contact with one another, and a chamber for holding a cooling fluid, disposed about the shaft and in communication with the faces of the seal, and a closed loop fluid path disposed about the outer diameter of the shaft, preferably or in a non linear manner, in fluid communication with the chamber, for circulating fluid about the seal faces.
A variety of mechanical seals have been developed for use along a shaft, often in the context of pumps. One typical configuration is a mechanical seal with one stationary face and one rotating face. The rotating face of the seal rotates with the shaft of the pump, while the stationary face of the seal is generally coupled to the housing of the pump. In order to provide a tight seal, the two faces are typically in contact with each other. The frictional contact between the faces generates heat.
In order to dissipate heat, a fluid may be added to help transfer the heat away from the seal faces. Typically, a small fluid chamber is disposed about the shaft, so that the fluid is in communication with the seal face. As these mechanical seals are frequently used in a double or tandem configuration, the chamber may be disposed along the shaft, between and including the two mechanical seals. Often, a cooling fluid reservoir is added, with an auxiliary pump to circulate the fluid between the reservoir and the chamber. However, the addition of an auxiliary pump adds cost, requires additional space, and adds another component that is subject to failure, thereby reducing reliability.
There are many applications where a mechanical seal is subjected to fluid at the ID of the face. One of the most common is that of an unpressurized tandem seal where the barrier fluid is in contact with the ID of the primary seal and at the OD of the secondary seal. There is circulation of the barrier fluid into and out of the seal chamber by means of some type of pumping device that is usually part of the secondary seal rotating element. This circulation is adequate for cooling the secondary seal but is less than satisfactory for cooling the primary seal. This lack of cooling performance for the primary seal is due to the inability of the fluid to circulate to the ID of the seal.
Another application where cooling is needed at the seal face is in a vertical pump gear box seal oriented with the gear box oil at the ID of the seal. Gravity ensures that oil is at the ID of the face. However, during dynamic operation this fluid can not circulate with the bulk fluid in the gear box. This leads to increased seal temperature and possibly coking of the oil at one or both of the seal faces. Coking leads to increased leakage and damage to seal faces.
Rather than use an auxiliary pump, other configurations have built a "pumping rotor" into the system. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,619 to Adams U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,173 to Adams et al. A slotted sleeve is fitted concentrically about the shaft, whereby the rotational movement of the shaft aids in circulating fluid along a fairly linear path, drawing the fluid from the reservoir into the chamber through an inlet, moving it radially around the shaft, and pushing it out of the chamber through an outlet and back into the reservoir. Another type of seal uses screw-type threads on the shaft to move the fluid between an inlet and an outlet. However, the fluid may only be moved in one direction in the chamber, between the inlet and the outlet, and away from the mechanical seal.
Because of the seal mechanisms themselves, it is generally not possible to position an inlet or outlet directly adjacent a seal face. Thus there is a space in the chamber between the inlet and outlet, which define the path of circulation, and the seal face, where the heat is generated and where the fluid will be heated the most. This causes a "dead end" space in the chamber between the seal faces and the respective inlet and outlet, where the cooling fluid is substantially stagnant, and does not circulate with the rest of the fluid. In the "pumping rotor" configuration discussed above, the radial circulating action occurs in a "band" that is aligned with the inlet and outlet; fluid outside this band remains substantially uncirculated. In the screw type circulator discussed above, these dead spots occur on either side of the inlet and outlet, as the fluid is substantially circulated only between the inlet and outlet. In the double or tandem configuration, there is generally a band or path of circulation between the seals, but there is inadequate circulation directly at the seal faces, where circulation is most necessary.
Thus there exists the need for a circulation device for mechanical seals which provides circulation to the seal faces, preferably without the use of auxiliary pumps, which can circulate fluid about the seal faces beyond the respective inlet and outlet locations, and which operates under rotation of the shaft in either direction.
An important feature of the present invention is the ability to circulate the fluid within the "dead end" space at the opposed faces of the seal. Although fluid cannot be pumped beyond this point, the present invention provides both radial and axial circulation, lifting the heated fluid away from the opposed seal faces and replacing it with cooler fluid.
Another important feature of the present invention is that it operates effectively upon rotation of the shaft in either direction. Thus the mechanical seal remains cooled regardless of the direction of shaft rotation.
Fully split cartridge mechanical seal assembly
Fully split cartridge mechanical seal assembly
The fully split cartridge mechanical seal assembly is comprised of two unitized self contained assemblies which fit together to form a unitized cartridge design. The assembly uses set screws to position the seal assembly to the rotating shaft or sleeve and slots in the gland to receive attaching means to a fixed stationary or chamber.
The stationary components of the assembly include the following: a split stationary seal ring, a split stationary seal ring packing, springs set into apertures in the split gland, the split gland, the split gland gasket, gland bolts, a gland split gasket, and setting clips and screws. The rotating components include the following: a split rotary seal ring, split rotary seal ring packing, a split sleeve, the split sleeve packing, the sleeve bolts, cup point set screws, and sleeve split gasket. The fully split cartridge mechanical seal design eliminates the handling of a lot of loose, delicate, precise manufactured components and allows for very simple, easy and time saving installation with no measurements or guess work.
This invention pertains to mechanical sealing assemblies, and in particular to such sealing assemblies that use a fully split cartridge mechanical seal assembly, for use in overcoming inherent handling and assembly problems, due to the complexity of the multitude of delicate components and loose parts and the difficulty of fitting them together precisely and accurately to insure a proper seal.
Mechanical seals are well known in the field and the difficulties found in these systems are well known. Since mechanical seals are Subjected to wear, corrosion, abrasion vibration, thermal, pressure and other effects, they must be replaced periodically. This normally may require the removal of the coupling, bearings and motor which can be a very involved and costly procedure with a lot of resulting down time for the equipment. By splitting the mechanical seal allows for the assembly and disassembly of the seal without dismantling the equipment.
There have been a number of attempts to deal with these difficulties. Examples of these type devices include the United States Patent issued to Azibert, U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,384 on 18 Mar. 1986 and the United States Patent issued to Ballard U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,383 also issued on 18 Mar. 1986. A U.S. Pat. No. 3,025,070 issued to J. C. Copes for a Split Mechanical Seals on 13 Mar. 1962 is another example of standard mechanical seals.
The general function of these references and a number of others in the art is to have a rotating seal assembly attached to a shaft or sleeve and a non-rotating seal assembly attached to a stationary housing or chamber surrounding the shaft or sleeve. However, all of these designs and many others still have inherent problems. The primary difficulty is that these devices have a great number of loose parts that must be handled with extreme care, especially the two precision manufactured primary faces to insure good seal performance and life.
They also require measurements, or the use of various shims or special tools to set and align the seal assembly accurately. They typically use internal clamping designs with their limitations of torsional and axial holding power to locate on the rotating shaft or sleeve and cannot be moved after setting without complete disassembly of the seal if readjustment is required. Some also require a receiving unit on the outer faces of the outer flange of the stationary hounding or chamber which assists the concentricity of the seal assembly to the rotating shaft.
It is the object of this invention, then to set forth a split mechanical seal assembly which avoids the disadvantages limitations, above-recited, which obtain in prior mechanical sealing apparatus. It is also the object of this invention to teach a fully split cartridge mechanical seal assembly that can be positioned on a rotating shaft or sleeve easily and quickly and which will eliminate many of the problems found in standard mechanical sealing systems.
Particularly, it is the object of this invention to set forth a fully split cartridge mechanical seal assembly, for use in situations that use rotating equipment, such as pumps, agitators and mixers that are difficult and time consuming to disassemble, comprising two unitized self contained assemblies; said unitized self contained assemblies having means for attaching said unitized self contained assemblies over a rotating shaft or sleeve; said complete solid cylindrical assembly having setting means for aligning and retaining said complete solid cylindrical assembly in position and for removing said complete solid cylindrical assembly after permanently attached; said complete solid cylindrical assembly having fastening means for connecting said complete solid cylindrical assembly to a fixed stationary housing or chamber; and attaching means for connecting said complete solid cylindrical assembly rotating portion to said rotating shaft or sleeve.
Ningbo Yinzhou Guowei, mechanical seal Component Factory is a professional engaged in the design, development, manufacture, sale of various cartridge seal and flygt seals business. Production and testing are well-equipped with a high-quality staff.
Article from articlesbase.com


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The Forest Experience course has been developed to give the opportunity to people to spend time in the woods, learning survival techniques and develop a wide range of practical and personal skills.
The course is currently being offered in partnership between The Adrenalin Jungle and the Forest Commission at Sherwood Pines Forest Park in Nottinghamshire.
The half day experience gives you a chance to have a hands on opportunity to try out some of the following survival and forestry skills, including:
Building Shelters - working in a teams you are challenged to build a shelter that is then tested for its stability, waterproofing, site location and comfort.
Fire Lighting - You will have to find and collect dry materials and then light a fire using fire steels and your natural supplies and the first one to make a cup of tea wins the challenge!
Knife Crafts - you will be shown how to make whistles, weave with willow, make string or build some camp furniture.
Water Filtration - you will be shown how to filter dirty water through a unit which you have made yourself using sand and charcoal and watch how it cleans it till it becomes clear.
To book our Forest Experience in Nottingham just give one of our events co-ordinators a call on The Adrenalin Jungle number 0800 952 4232.
Full payment of the event is required when booking to secure the activity. (N.B this is non refundable)
Unfortunately we can't control the weather over Nottingham - but only in the event of high winds would the event be cancelled as we are based in woodland.
When you book this event why don't you add Quad Biking, Paintball or 4x4?
Click here for more Adrenalin Jungle Activities

subset: commoncrawl


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Which Macbook should i get?
I'm looking at a couple different macbooks, one is the 13 in aluminium unibbody 2.4 4gb of ram and a 250 hdd. The other is the newer white unibody macbook with 2.4 4gb of ram and a 320gb hdd. I make dvds, play games, and do very light video editing but with hd files. I just wanted to hear opinions and personal preference. They are both used and in great condition. Thanks for the input
Thats sort of a difficult decision, I think that both of them would be able to do any of those. Really they are the same, 2.4GHz, 4GB of RAM, the only difference is the HDD. However, personally I think the aluminum body, which is the one I have now, looks the best. And if you want to try you can even try and replace the HDD in the aluminum macbook to something a bit higher.
Thanks I also saw that supposedly the new macbooks will support 8gb of ram is that true i know 4gb is what apple states but can it hold the 8gb and function? i also heard something about the 1tb internal drive works in the macbook also is this true?
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2 bed, 2 full bath, 1 half bath. High demand quiet gated community with pool, security cameras and tree lined park! Open floor planMore info
2 bed, 2 full bath. Rare 2 bedroom, 2 full bath in The Grove! Large corner unit with hardwoods thruout. Kitchen featureMore info
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2 bed, 2 full bath. Easy large open floorplan with fireplace, covered terrace type porch overlooks the lake. Great viewMore info
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2 bed, 2 full bath. Check out this highly desirable corner unit located in the popular Trademark building. Unit is locaMore info
2 bed, 2 full bath. A building that is uber-walkable to Starbucks, Harris Teeter & all of the restaurants/shopping thatMore info
2 bed, 1 full bath. Remarkable 2 bed 1 bath condo located in Myers Park subdivision in Queens Station complex! Great loMore info
2 bed, 1 full bath, 1 half bath. @South End! #End unit! Refrigerator, washer and dryer stays! Front porch greets you. Private patioMore info


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Sheriff urges respect for legacy of the fallen
Durham County Sheriff Mike Andrews kept his voice at a steady pitch during a memorial service for fallen officers – until he got to the part about family members left behind.
That's when he hesitated, fighting back tears.
"I fear the words I say might be inadequate," Andrews said. "I have not lost a son, a daughter or a spouse. I have never sat alone and asked God: 'Why?' "
Andrews and other speakers paid tribute Friday to law enforcement officers from Durham and other parts of North Carolina who died in the line of duty during the past 100 years. The service, held at Grey Stone Baptist Church on Hillsborough Road, included the mournful strains of a bagpipe and a 21-gun salute.
Citing the Gospel of John, Andrews said: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for his friends."
Andrews said officers who died in the line of duty made the ultimate sacrifice so that those who remain can enjoy life and liberty.
"To the families here, we will never forget," Andrews said. "We will make sure that the names and ideals of your husbands, wives, fathers, son, daughters, brothers and sisters will live in our hearts and minds."
Looking to the pews filled with those in uniform, Andrews said he appreciated officers' dedication.
"I thank you for upholding justice and the rule of law," he said. "I thank you for the strong commitment to safeguard all that is good and just in society."
Andrews said "we must continue to fight against all forms of crime. We must continue to strengthen sentencing guidelines to keep dangerous offenders off the street."
He said the goal of law enforcement is to serve the American Dream, "to protect us from terrorism and violent crime by ridding us of illegal drugs, cybercrimes such as child pornography, and by guarding our civil rights."
"Just a few weeks ago, we heard the words: 'Officer down'," Andrews said, referring to the February shooting of N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper Michael Potts during a traffic stop in Durham. "Many of you in this room responded to that scene, and worked throughout the night to apprehend a suspect who had injured one of our own. And by the grace of the Supreme Being, the officer survived."
Andrews also alluded to the recent Boston Marathon bombings and asked: "What makes us run toward danger or an emergency?"
"I believe that those who wear the badge did not choose law enforcement – it chose them," he said. "The officers we pay tribute today had that same calling."
"We will never forget our fallen friends, though we must carry on, and pass the torch to those who come behind us," Andrews said. "We must remember those who have fallen, and let their legacy make us better each day, so that their sacrifice won't be in vain."


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Anybody can buy gift boxes from us, branded or plain...
The Gift Box Factory is a manufacturer of fancy or corporate branded gift boxes located in South Africa.
With our factory conveniently located in Pretoria East, we manufacture gift boxes on site and ship to local companies as far as Cape Town, and and as near as Pretoria and Johannesburg. But we also supply companies situated in other African Countries such as Namibie, Botswana, Kenia etc.
We offer wholesale prices, but we do have minimum order quantities for manufacturing custom made gift boxes.
At the Gift Box Factory showroom we keep a small variety of "on the shelf gift boxes", but they are not in any way a specific size, colour or quantity that is always readily available. These boxes are over runs from previous orders and our most popular sizes and colours in small quantities. Anybody can buy these gift boxes from us, we accept cash and EFT payments on site.
But should you need something different we have our standard gift box size list option.
When ordering gift boxes from us we have the following options avaiable:
Standard Gift Boxes Sizes
Our standard gift boxes size list offer you a range of pre-determined popular sizes that can be covered in 3 different types of our standard stock paper range, and in a variety of colours available in these papers. The standard gift box sizes list offer you small quantities such as 30 boxes per size - you may mix the colours.
Branding or customisation (such as satin lining, windows etc.) cannot be done unless the order is for more than 100 gift boxes.
Our standard gift box sizes is not a guide for universal sizes, but are pertinent to our range, and may differ from other companies' sizes. Our range include wine boxes, gift hamper boxes, wedding invite and wedding favour boxes, photo book boxes, A4 and A5 diary or presentation boxes as well as other popular sizes.
The boxes on our standard range list are offered at a discounted price because we normally already have stock of the materials (bought in bulk). The pricing on our standard gift box list applies from 30 - 100 boxes.
Read more about our standard gift box size options here
Custom Made gift boxes
Should you require more than 100 gift boxes we will happily manufacture them in your custom size (as large as our raw materials will allow). OUr custom made boxes can be modified to have windows in the lids, we can do satin lining on the inside of the box base, or add foam with custom cut-outs for your products. We are able to add ribbon bows to the lids or do cardboard inserts to hold your products.
We offer these custom size boxes in a wide range of papers and colours.
Our paper selection includes the Wibalin range of papers (Linnen feel), Stardream and Curious Metalics paper (shimmer paper popular for using as wedding invites), and a range of Matt paper colours bright bold and beautiful. Please see the branded section if you want to add printing, foiling or other branding to your custom made gift boxes.
Read more about our custom made gift boxes here
Branded Gift Boxes
When ordering a custom made gift box job, we can brand gift boxes with hot foil stamping (single colour, and for specific sizes and quantities we are able to do full colour printing on boxes. Add foam inners, board platforms, windows and even flip top lids to your gift boxes.
Specialized gift boxes
OUr specialized gift boxes include Wine Tubes with rope handles, and chocolate tier boxes. Please remember these are GIFTING boxes and not made for food storage (or to put in freezers) the board is absorbent and will crumble!. Orders of 80 boxes or more will secure your great looking presentation gift boxes for your candies and wine.
Fold up Gift Boxes
Our fold up gift boxes consist of a wedding favour variety that will hold truffles and small candies, then we have a handcream tub sized box as well as other interesting sizes. We are able to manufacture a DIE for your special box if you require something unique.


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File Storage & Sharing
A variety of services are available for storing and sharing files. These are described in the sections below.
The Physics Department provides AFS service for secure file storage and sharing. Windows, Mac, and Linux are supported. For more information, see here.
Box.com provides 50G of storage to all UW faculty, staff, and students. Files can be shared with others and can be synchronized between multiple computers. To get started, see here.
Using Box as a Backup
One way to backup your Macintosh or Windows computer (especially laptops) is with Box. We especially recommend this approach for laptops, because the Physics Department's backup programs are not well suited for computers which are often disconnected from the network.
Box can keep the contents of a designated folder named "Box Sync" synchronized between multiple computers: Box uploads the contents of the Box Sync folder to their servers. Then, if you install Box on another computer, the contents of the Box Sync folder gets copied to the other computer too. If you don't want the full contents copied, you can have it omit some folders. If you need more than the standard 50G of space in Box, you can request more.
Box also has the ability to restore deleted files or previous versions of a file. If you accidentally delete a file or make edits you do not like, you can revert to previously existing files, up to 10 versions old. (One does not need to synchronize to other computers to make use of this feature.)
- Sign up for Box: https://kb.wisc.edu/box/page.php?id=33229
- Install clients on your computer(s) to synchronize files to a folder on your computer: https://kb.wisc.edu/box/page.php?id=33789#sync Place the folders you want backed up into the "Box Sync" folder.
- Undeleting files: https://support.box.com/hc/en-us/articles/200519768
- Accessing and using previous versions of a file: https://support.box.com/entries/20359368
Google Drive
Google Drive provides 30G of storage to all UW faculty, staff, and students. A useful feature is Google Docs, which provide word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation editors in your web browser. Multiple people can edit the same document at the same time if you give them access. This can be useful when working with remote collaborators on proposals, reports, papers, etc. To get started, go here.
Department Backup System
UW Physics provides a tape backup service for desktops and servers. If you would like your computer to be backed up to tape, read more here. For mobile devices such as laptops, a solution such as Box (see above) may be better.
Backing up Personal Files
UW employees and students who wish to backup personal files may be interested in a special UW rate for Crash Plan, an Internet-based backup service.


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Commissioners OK school funding formula
The Union County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved an annual funding formula for the Union County Public Schools.
The formula projects an additional $1.7 million for school operations, formalizes how school capital projects are budgeted and establishes an emergency funding request process.
Public schools in North Carolina receive most of their operational funding from the state, but county governments are responsible for providing school facilities. In recent years, state and federal education spending cuts caused school districts to turn to county governments for supplemental operations funding.
Such intergovernmental budgeting processes between UCPS officials and the county commission has not always been harmonious. The Union County Board of Education has twice taken budget disputes with the county to legal mediation.
Union County Finance director Jeff Yates introduced a funding formula that dedicates 35.36 cents of the county's property tax revenue to school operations funding. Yates explained the formula during a public meeting Monday afternoon.
The formula assumes a 98 percent collection rate. The annual funding total will be "trued up" at the end of the collections period, Yates said. If less money is given to UCPS than the dollar amount estimated due to low collections, the county agrees to true up the balance. Likewise, if the schools receive more than the annual estimate, the formula requires UCPS to return the overage to the county.
Instead of the county giving the schools money that schools then pay the county for school resource officers, the county takes over direct SRO funding under the new formula. That includes eight additional SROs at the estimated cost of $533,000.
The formula also sets up a series of deadlines for UCPS to submit operations funding requests to the county, annual policy changes by the county, capital project requests and projected yearly allocations.
County and schools would review the funding formula no less than two years and no more than five years from the last review. The exception is on years where the county performs a revaluation on property values.
And it also requires UCPS and commissioners to try to resolve funding disputes through joint meetings before taking legal action.
Only one person spoke about the funding formula during public comments. Indian Trail resident Beth Green expressed some of her funding concerns.
"I am concerned that we may not be meeting the needs of the teachers and students of UCPS when we talk about the money allocated," she said. "Does it fit to this system and does it address the lack of steps for COLAs for our teachers considering they have not had those in the last few years."
She also questioned if the formula accounted for continued population growth.
"But I'm worried that if we set it in stone for such a time, especially for an uncertain revaluation year coming, are we doing a disservice to the people of Union County," Green said.
Yates addressed the question of population growth, saying that the fixed-penny value does not equal a fixed-dollar value.
"The idea behind using the penny value instead of the percentage value is that as there presumably is new growth, that penny value goes up accordingly. So the schools, as well as the county in this case, would be able to reap the benefit of that growth," Yates said. "It wouldn't be forever fixed at the dollar value of today's 35 cents, but only the penny value of 35 cents."
As the penny value grows over time, so the amount of money alloted to the schools will also grow, he said. The penny value will also protect the school's allotment when the commission lowers the tax rates, such as it did this year. If schools were on a percentage funding formula, they would receive a percent of the lower tax rate, not the fixed penny value that would not change, Yates said.
Commissioners commented that the formula would prevent heated budget battles like the one waged over teacher assistant funding last year.
"It's not desirable on behalf of the board of education. It's not desirable by us. And it certainly doesn't set the example for our children and how do we work together," Commissioner Jonathan Thomas said. "So I think this is certainly a foundation to be able to build that collaborative effort."


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US Customs/Border Protection is hiring 2,000 agents
PHOENIX -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the agency responsible for securing U.S. borders from all threats, is hiring 2,000 agents to secure air, land and sea ports across the country.
The plan to hire the additional agents is a result of funding provided in the fiscal year 2014 budget and not as a result of the current crisis unfolding at the nation's southwestern border.
"This was in the pipeline," said CBP spokeswoman Theresa Small. "It has nothing to do with the influx of Central American children."
The positions should be filled by the end of fiscal year 2015 to "enhance security, help reduce wait times and facilitate growing volumes of legitimate goods and travelers that are critical to the health of our nation's economy," according to a press release.
For more information on the CBP officer positions, visit www.cbp.gov/careers. The site also has a video on how CBP officers protect America 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
To apply for the CBP officer position, applicants must have an active USA Jobs account and complete an online application here.


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routes du bonheur Suggestions for itineraries to discover the world
Getaway > Search a hotel / restaurant Zimbabwe
Search our luxury hotels for your coming stays (weekend, getaway, holidays...).
Relais & Châteaux counts more than 400 gourmet restaurants or luxury hotels in 50 countries all over the world.
Getaway - Addo Elephant National ParkIn the Bushveld Valley with the Sunday River running through it to the eastern cape of South Africa, the Addo has earned its reputation and name from its most prestigious resident: the elephant. With up to 350 members of this endangered species, the park can be qualified as a veritable sanctuary.
Getaway - Blyde River CanyonIn the Mpumalanga, this canyon of gigantic proportions (third largest in the world) is covered in luxuriant vegetation with a powerful river, the Blyde River, flowing through it, carving out spectacular gorges along the full length of its course.
From the dam at the confluence of the Blyde and Oh
Getaway - Cape of Good HopeThe south-western point of South Africa seems to divide the waters between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. A mythical place for explorers, it was conquered for the first time in the 15th century by the legendary Vasco de Gama. Nowadays, the Cape of Good Hope is part of Cape Point peninsula, a larg
Getaway - Cape TownCaught between Table Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean, a few cable lengths from the Cape of Good Hope and facing the bay where Robben Island is situated, Cape Town has a multi-faceted appearance with a population to match.
Full of life, with an abundance of bars, clubs, cafés, restaurants, casino
Getaway - Cape Whale RouteIn the southwest of South Africa, at the confluence of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, whales migrate along the coast, feeding their young. The spectacle of the whales passing by can be observed along the coast nicknamed the "Cape Whale Route", the principal sites being Lamberts, Elandsbaai, Saldan
Getaway - Cederberg mountains
Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat, located between the Cederberg mountains and the wild plains of Great Karoo and its nature reserve, a "site belonging to South Africa's natural heritage", has an outstanding variety of flora and fauna and a rugged natural beauty.
Once a renow
Getaway - DurbanThe site where Durban is located was discovered by Vasco da Gama. Then, in the nineteenth century, the British, with the authorisation of Zulu King Shaka, built a colony there. Durban's superb location meant that it quickly became a major port and magnet for thousands of migrants mainly from India a
Getaway - Eastern CapeIn the east Cape region, near Grahamstown, the Kwandwe reserve is an expanse of 20,000 hectares of fertile land with the Great Fish River running through it.
It is situated on the famous Garden Route, has a variety of wild flora and millions of animals including white rhinoceros, lions, buffaloes
Getaway - FranschhoekThis Western Cape community of South Africa was founded three centuries ago by French Huguenots fleeing from religious repression.
In the heart of the River Berg valley, the settlers devoted themselves to exploiting the country's winegrowing potential until they produced wines that could rival wi
Getaway - JohannesburgIt is the economic capital of South Africa and its skyscrapers and townships reflect the marked social divide in a town that was the cradle of the anti-apartheid struggle.
Johannesburg is the largest city in the country, with a population of almost 10 million inhabitants, and is the undisputed f
Getaway - Kalahari DesertThe Kalahari desert (meaning "Big Thirst" in Tswana) extends through Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. It is called a desert since there are vast expanses of brown sand, no rivers or permanent lakes.
However, it often rains and develops a brush-like vegetation still inhabited by a small popula
Getaway - Kapama Reserve{{The 12,00 hectares of the Kapama private reserve, in the Limpopo region, to the far north of South Africa, is home to one of the largest concentrations of wild animals in Africa including the famous Big Five…}}
When it comes to safari parks and game reserves, Africa is well endowed. Wit
Getaway - Kruger National ParkThe Kruger National Park is the jewel of South Africa. It is also one of the world's largest nature parks, stretching from Zimbabwe to the Indian Ocean along the frontier with Mozambique, the diversity of the animals living there is unique worldwide.
Lions, antelopes, rhinos, hippopotamuses, zeb
Getaway - Londolozi Private Game ReserveIn the heart of the famous Sabi Sand Game Reserve in east Mpumalanga, the Londolozi stretches over a wide, flora-rich strip of land, 14,000 hectares in area, with rivers running through it.
In Zulu, Londolozi means "protector of all living things", so it is not surprising that the reserve promote
Getaway - Namib DesertThe Namib desert, the oldest in the world, is formed of an immense expanse of sand, the aspect of which changes as it is swept by the wind, the landscape broken up by rocks and rare plants. In this wild, arid desert, stretching along the South Atlantic Ocean, temperatures soar in the southern hemis
Getaway - Paarl Wine ValleyThe balmy summers call for outside entertaining: a light but long lunch in the shade, glasses filled with chilled wine. During the rainy Cape winters everyone moves indoors and huddles around the fireplace with a glass of world-class red wine, produced right here in the Paarl Valley.
The arbore
Getaway - Plettenberg BayOn the shores of the Indian Ocean, Plettenberg Bay opens onto a fertile land surrounded by the Outeniqua and Tsitsikama mountains. As a resort it provides visitors with facilities for diving, sailing, boating and sunbathing on immense sandy beaches: the bay and lagoons offer a multitude of possibil
Getaway - Robben IslandThis island, situated 12 kilometres from Cape Town, is an exceptional site, the name of which symbolises the fight against oppression and the victory of freedom. For four hundred years it served as a prison for convicts, political prisoners in particular, the most famous of which was Nelson Mandela
Getaway - Serengeti National ParkTo the north-east of Tanzania, between Lake Victoria and the border with Kenya, there is a huge territory of thousands of hectares of savannah, plains, forests and rivers which makes up Serengeti National Park.
"The place where the earth stretches away to infinity", as the Maasai kno
Getaway - Singita Private Game ReserveIn the South African State of Mpumalanga, adjoining the Kruger National Park, the Singita area has been converted from a hunting ground into an animal reserve.
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Legislature Home
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Inside the Legislature
Find Your Legislator
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OFM Fiscal Note Website
Title 480
Chapter 480-93
Section 480-93-18601
Print Version
Graphic Version
[In English]
<< 480-93-18601 >>
Agency filings affecting this section
Leak classification and action criteria—Grade—Definition—Priority of leak repair.
(1) A "Grade 1 leak" is a leak that represents an existing or probable hazard to persons or property and requiring prompt action, immediate repair, or continuous action until the conditions are no longer hazardous.
(a) Prompt action in response to a Grade 1 leak may require one or more of the following:
(i) Implementation of the gas pipeline company's emergency plan pursuant 49 C.F.R. § 192.615;
(ii) Evacuating the premises;
(iii) Blocking off an area;
(iv) Rerouting traffic;
(v) Eliminating sources of ignition;
(vi) Venting the area;
(vii) Stopping the flow of gas by closing valves or other means; or
(viii) Notifying police and fire departments.
(b) Examples. Grade 1 leaks requiring prompt action include, but are not limited to:
(i) Any leak, which in the judgment of gas pipeline company personnel at the scene, is regarded as an immediate hazard;
(ii) Escaping gas that has ignited unintentionally;
(iii) Any indication of gas that has migrated into or under a building or tunnel;
(iv) Any reading at the outside wall of a building or where the gas could potentially migrate to the outside wall of a building;
(v) Any reading of eighty percent LEL or greater in an enclosed space;
(vi) Any reading of eighty percent LEL, or greater in small substructures not associated with gas facilities where the gas could potentially migrate to the outside wall of a building; or
(vii) Any leak that can be seen, heard, or felt and which is in a location that may endanger the general public or property.
(2) A "Grade 2 leak" is a leak that is recognized as being not hazardous at the time of detection but justifies scheduled repair based on the potential for creating a future hazard.
(a) Each gas pipeline company must repair or clear Grade 2 leaks within fifteen months from the date the leak is reported. If a Grade 2 leak occurs in a segment of pipeline that is under consideration for replacement, an additional six months may be added to the fifteen months maximum time for repair provided above. In determining the repair priority, each gas pipeline company should consider the following criteria:
(i) Amount and migration of gas;
(ii) Proximity of gas to buildings and subsurface structures;
(iii) Extent of pavement; and
(iv) Soil type and conditions, such as frost cap, moisture and natural venting.
(b) Each gas pipeline company must reevaluate Grade 2 leaks at least once every six months until cleared. The frequency of reevaluation should be determined by the location and magnitude of the leakage condition.
(c) Grade 2 leaks vary greatly in degree of potential hazard. Some Grade 2 leaks, when evaluated by the criteria, will require prompt scheduled repair within the next five working days. Other Grade 2 leaks may require repair within thirty days. The gas pipeline company must bring these situations to the attention of the individual responsible for scheduling leakage repair at the end of the working day. Many Grade 2 leaks, because of their location and magnitude, can be scheduled for repair on a normal routine basis with periodic reevaluation as necessary.
(d) When evaluating Grade 2 leaks, each gas pipeline company should consider leaks requiring action ahead of ground freezing or other adverse changes in venting conditions, and any leak that could potentially migrate to the outside wall of a building, under frozen or other adverse soil conditions.
(e) Examples. Grade 2 leaks requiring action within six months include, but are not limited to:
(i) Any reading of forty percent LEL or greater under a sidewalk in a wall-to-wall paved area that does not qualify as a Grade 1 leak and where gas could potentially migrate to the outside wall of a building;
(ii) Any reading of one hundred percent LEL or greater under a street in a wall-to-wall paved area that does not qualify as a Grade 1 leak and where gas could potentially migrate to the outside wall of a building;
(iii) Any reading less than eighty percent LEL in small substructures not associated with gas facilities and where gas could potentially migrate creating a probable future hazard;
(iv) Any reading between twenty percent LEL and eighty percent LEL in an enclosed space;
(v) Any reading on a pipeline operating at thirty percent of the specified minimum yield strength or greater in Class 3 or 4 locations that does not qualify as a Grade 1 leak; or
(vi) Any leak that in the judgment of gas pipeline company personnel at the scene is of sufficient magnitude to justify scheduled repair.
(3) A "Grade 3 leak" is a leak that is not hazardous at the time of detection and can reasonably be expected to remain not hazardous.
(a) Each gas pipeline company should reevaluate Grade 3 leaks during the next scheduled survey, or within fifteen months of the reporting date, whichever occurs first, until the leak is regraded or no longer results in a reading.
(b) Examples. Grade 3 leaks requiring reevaluation at periodic intervals include, but are not limited to:
(i) Any reading of less than eighty percent LEL in small gas associated substructures, such as small meter boxes or gas valve boxes; or
(ii) Any reading under a street in areas without wall-to-wall paving where it is unlikely the gas could migrate to the outside wall of a building.
[Statutory Authority: RCW
, 80.04.060 and 81.88.040. WSR 08-12-046 (Docket PG-070975, General Order R-549), § 480-93-18601, filed 5/30/08, effective 6/30/08. Statutory Authority: RCW
, 80.28.210, and 80.01.040. WSR 05-10-055 (Docket No. UG-011073, General Order No. R-520), § 480-93-18601, filed 5/2/05, effective 6/2/05. Statutory Authority: RCW
. WSR 92-16-100 (Order R-375, Docket No. UG-911261), § 480-93-18601, filed 8/5/92, effective 9/5/92; Order R-103, Table 1 (codified as WAC 480-93-18601), filed 5/18/77.]


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Print/E-paper exclusives for Thursday, March 7
Besides the stories you can read at herald-dispatch.com, there are many more stories and features in today's Herald-Dispatch newspaper and e-paper.
BOND SET AT $500K IN HOMICIDE CASE: Bond was set at $500,000 Wednesday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court for an Ironton area man charged with the murder of his brother-in-law. Rodney E. DeLawder, 33, of Ohio 243, pleaded innocent to charges of murder with a gun specification, improperly discharging a firearm into a habitation and felonious assault. Judge Charles "Chuck" Cooper set a pretrial in the case for March 20. Read more in today's Herald-Dispatch.
SUPPORTERS SOUGHT FOR LOCAL FOOD MOVEMENT: Growing the local economy from the inside out while highlighting healthy food choices — those are some of the goals behind a new project designed to promote and create a stronger network for local food. Some organizers behind The Wild Ramp Local Food Market at Heritage Station are behind a new effort to launch the "30 Mile Meal" network in Huntington. Read more on our Region page.
A WELCOME CHANGE OF PACE: Playtime with his soon-to-be stepdaughters illustrates Kyle O'Dell's love for family. It's a passion that drives not only the police officer's life — but also his career. The Milton police corporal is striving to make a difference in his hometown. Read more on our weekly Faces of the Tri-State feature on our Community page.
WEEKEND CONTENT: Read movie reviews, books reviews and see a comprehensive listing of local entertainment events inside today's Weekend section.
BRENDA LUCAS: Get the latest community news, birthday listings and more in Brenda Lucas' column.
Get instant access to this complete story, and many more, by subscribing to The Herald-Dispatch and our online e-paper. Receive electronic or print delivery for as little as $5.95 per month. Check here for our latest subscription deals for the print and e-paper editions. For more information, call 800-888-2834.


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All the Channels that i have made for Neogamma are Tested and not a one has bricked a wii....
Get them HERE: The Latest Neogamma Channels
I havent seen anything about this bricking a wii Im on 4.2U and have HBC with a ton of other addons I dont know much about this app and was wondering the brick status of this .. like I said I havent seen any posts on it I just do not want toleave my wife hanging with no wii at all
All the Channels that i have made for Neogamma are Tested and not a one has bricked a wii....
Get them HERE: The Latest Neogamma Channels
Your post really tells us nothing other than 4.2U and Neo Gamma. Are you having a problem? Is it bricked? What guide did you follow --- a WIN wiihacks one, or a FAIL youtube type? What does your Wii do and/or don't do? More information please --- and you really ought to stop by and say hello in our Introduce Yourself section of the site; there you will get a personal greeting from our VWA along with links to our most popular guides.
no everything is all good i just like to ask questions before i install stuff i couldnt find n e thing on this so i asked a question here nothing wrong with my wii figured id ask sorry if it was to much to ask nightstah
i know Ima newb so i should use google n wiki all that...... does this support USB loading or is there another app for this????
thanks a tonBoth Admins very very helpful!!!!
I got home brew and all the hacks working perfectly on my wii. Now for games, do i have to choose NTSC-U? I'm going to burn iso to a disk and use Neogamma. I live in US.
where do i place the channelforwarder.wad?


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Scoring rebounded this past spring in Men's Division I to 19.8 goals/game, up from 19.1 a year ago, but it declined slightly for the second year in row in Divisions II and III. The overall men's average was 19.2 goals per game, which is down from 19.9 two years ago.
The scoring average increased almost a goal per game (from 23.3 to 24.1) for the women's divisions. In fact, the figure for each division matches or exceeds the highest figure during the period examined. The pattern changed little, and scoring in Division II was again the most prolific at 25.4 goals/game. Women's contests now result in almost 5 goals per game more compared to men's matches.
For this analysis, we examined both scoring (average total goals per game) and high score differentials (15+ and 20+). Only games played within each division were included. The first two graphs below show the trends over the last 13 years. You can click graphs to view a larger (904 x 616) version.
High-Differential Games
What has happened with score differentials over this 12-year period? The four graphs below show the percentage of games in each division with differentials of 20+ and 15+ goals.
High goal differentials remain extremely uncommon in Men's Division I. In Division II, 6.8% of games had a 15+ margin and 2.2% a 20+ margin; both represent small declines compared to 2011. The corresponding figures for Division III were 12.0% and 4.0%, respectively, which also decreased slightly vs. last year.
On the women's side, the percentage of games with high goal margins is substantially greater, although it dropped in all three divisions once again this spring. In Division II, the percentage of both 15+ goal games (17.8%) and 20+ goal games (3.0%) remained appreciably higher compared to Division I (5.7%/0.6%) and Division III (13.0%/1.8%), although the figures for D2 are substantially lower than they were 3-4 years ago.
Average Goal Differential
Over the last four years in men's Division I, the average differential (not pictured) has stayed 4.5-4.7 goals per game. Division II has been more variable (5.9-7.1), averaging 6.5 (the figure for 2012) in that period. The average differential in Division III has remained in the 7.1-7.3 goals per game range during this time.
From 2009-2012 for women's lacrosse, there has been considerable stability in average differential in both Division I (6.2-6.7 goals/game) and Division III (8.1-8.5). On the other hand, the average goal differential has dropped each year in Division II (from 10.1 to 8.7 in 2012), which parallels the decline in high-differential games noted above.
Home Field Advantage
On a side note, for those interested in home field advantage (HFA), the average goals per game in favor of the home team for the 2009 through 2012 seasons are shown below. While the HFA figures have bounced around to some degree for Divisions I and II, they have declined for three straight years in both Men's and Women's Division III.
Div. 2012 2011 2010 2009 MD1 1.32 1.49 1.16 1.63 MD2 1.32 0.46 1.28 2.03 MD3 1.20 1.60 1.79 1.95 WD1 1.42 1.25 1.87 1.41 WD2 1.51 0.75 1.95 1.73 WD3 1.07 1.49 1.59 1.77


text:
Third and Fourth Generation Fluoroquinolone Antibacterials: A Systematic Review of Safety and Toxicity Profiles
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ISSN: 2212-3911 (Online)
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Volume 10, 3 Issues, 2015
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Third and Fourth Generation Fluoroquinolone Antibacterials: A Systematic Review of Safety and Toxicity Profiles
Current Drug Safety,
9(2): 89-105.
Joana Sousa, Gilberto Alves, Ana Fortuna and Amilcar Falcao
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, CICS-UBI – Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilha, Portugal.
In the last decade, several third and fourth generation fluoroquinolones (FQs) have been approved for clinical use. These new agents exhibit a more potent and broader-spectrum antibacterial activity and improved pharmacokinetic properties in comparison to the earlier FQs. Although new FQs are generally safe and well tolerated, moderate-to-severe toxicity events have been reported for some of them, leading to their restriction, suspension or even withdrawal from the market. The most common FQ-related adverse effects (AEs) are usually mild and involve the gastrointestinal tract (e.g. nausea and diarrhea) and the central nervous system (e.g. headache and dizziness). Uncommon, but severe AEs (e.g. arthropathy, QTc interval prolongation, dysglycaemia and phototoxicity) and idiosyncratic reactions (e.g. hepatitis and hemolytic anemia) have also been reported and will be discussed throughout this paper. The evidence currently available suggests that AEs can be inherent to the FQ class or can be associated with a particular chemical moiety of the molecular structure of each FQ, thus varying in frequency, severity and nature. The main goal of this review is to provide a systematic evaluation of safety and tolerability data of the newer FQs with emphasis on those currently marketed.
Adverse effects, fluoroquinolones, structure-activity relationship, toxicity.
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Posted at: 01/21/2013 6:42 AM
Rochester Police are investigating a head-on crash on Parsells Avenue. It happened just before 1 a.m. Monday near Stout Street.
Police say there was one person in each vehicle and they were not seriously hurt.
There is no word on what led up to the crash or if anyone will be ticketed.


text:
Apologies for the lack of content the last couple of days. I've been away from the blog doing a few other things, but we'll have coverage for you this weekend on the UK softball appearance in the Super Regionals. Here are a few notes and links we didn't get to in the links from this morning:
- Rock Oliver has been profiled before, but ESPN.com takes a unique look at what type of strengthening Oliver is trying to do in the weight room. His biggest area of concern, according to the ESPN story, is the size of an athlete's neck.
"The No. 1 mechanism that's absorbing a lot of the shock is the neck, so we need to get that bigger," Oliver says in the ESPN story. "We're really proud of that. Ten years ago, I wouldn't have ever been talking about that. Ten years ago, I would have been talking about our bench [press] and our vertical jumps."
The story details some of the improvements UK has undergone since his arrival. Check out the full story here.
- Still about a month away from the 2011 NBA Draft, but below are the latest projections. The consensus among the four linked below is that Brandon Knight is headed to the Utah Jazz with the third overall pick. DeAndre Liggins is also listed in the second round in every one of the mock drafts with the exception of Chad Ford of ESPN's, which does not have a second round listed.
> Draft Express
> ESPN (must be an Insider)
> MyNBADraft.com
> NBADraft.net
- Football head coach Joker Phillips will be featured on "Spotlight: 2011 SEC Spring Football," on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. on SportsSouth. The show will air between games three and four of the second day of the 2011 Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament. Phillips will discuss the current status of his team, his coaching philosophy heading into the new season and what his team needs to be successful in 2011.
- Interesting quote by former UK football star Randall Cobb in a story on RotoExperts.com. Cobb, a second-round selection with the Green Bay Packers told writer Scott Engel that he would have waited in the green room until the seventh round if he knew the Packers were going to select him. You can read the full feature on Cobb here.
- Made it out to the UK Softball Complex this afternoon to watch some of the preparations going on for this weekend's Super Regionals. I can tell you firsthand that a big chunk of UK's staff is putting in a lot of hours behind the scenes to make sure Kentucky's first Super Regional is done right. To give you an idea, Kentucky is accommodating 50 people from ESPN's broadcasting crew alone. I'll have details like that in a feature sometime Thursday, so keep an eye out for that.


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We are a group of filmmakers who uses storytelling to capture your wedding through the lens of our camera. Everyone has a story and it's that unique story that will make your wedding film shine!
That story can be fun, romantic, emotional or even breathtaking!
It's that uniqueness that will make your wedding film yours.
Each and every film is handcrafted to bring the uniqueness of you to a breathtaking wedding film.
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|Switcher Hangout The place for switchers to discuss their new machines, and how to work with OS X. General support can be had here for newbie stuff, like "How do I restart my new iMac?" :)
|Post Reply
|New Thread
|Thread Tools
Member Since: Dec 11, 2008
Posts: 68
Mostly because back in the day I used to program on PC and never did to much with music, graphics or video until the last few years.
Its not that I havent wanted to buy a Mac, but I usually just build my PC's so it was simple and cheap to upgrade.
Now here is why I am asking about the Mac Mini (I am assuming the new Mac Mini with the upgraded processor and mini display port thats rumored). I am not doing anything right now that really needs a lot of processing power. I play around with music, photoshop and some video, but I am not doing anything high tech its just me messing around.
The specs of the new Mac Mini will be slightly more powerful (top model) then my current XP desktop which is about a year old. The Harddrive will probably be smaller but with the timeport I am not worried about that.
Now here is the reason I am thinking mini, I really want to get a Mac Book Pro, but first I want to learn the OSX. For the price of a Mac Mini I can get that new 24" Cinema Display and be still be cheaper then a full boat MBP.
I figure I use it for a little bit then somewhere in the summer pick up the MBP move the mini into my home theater setup or somewhere else, but still have a nice setup for the MBP when I am sitting at my main desk and using the full keyboard and mouse.
So does this sound like a good idea or just a waste of money. I am going to buy the display anyway since I do spend a lot of time at my desk and like a bigger screen and full keyboard.
So basically is spending $699 (actually cheaper since I get a corp discount) on a Mac Mini to get me into the mac world worth it.
|QUOTE Thanks
Member Since: Dec 20, 2006
Location: Lake Mary, Florida
Posts: 26,754
Mac Specs: 15" MBP, Core i7/2GHz, 8GB RAM, 480GB Crucial M500 SSD
The Mini is a decent enough machine, but since you're looking at a notebook, my guess is you really need something portable. So, just go with the MacBook Pro and be done with it.
Liquid and computers don't mix. It might seem simple, but we see an incredible amount of people post here about spills. Keep drinks and other liquids away from your expensive electronics!
|QUOTE Thanks
Member Since: Dec 11, 2008
Posts: 68
I definitely want the portability but even then I sit in my office a lot in my nice big chair and desk lol so I also need a desktop.
I guess I will have to see what the real specs are on the new Mini before I make any decisions, just that little cube looks so cool lol.
|QUOTE Thanks
Member Since: Dec 22, 2006
Location: Texas, where else?
Posts: 26,154
Mac Specs: 15" MBP '06 2.33 C2D 4GB 10.7; 13" MBA '11 1.8 i7 4GB 10.10; 21" iMac '13 2.9 i5 8GB 10.10; 5s & 5c
As long as you start out realizing this is a new OS where you'll need to learn how to use it and not trying to bring all of your Windows habits over, you'll be convinced as many of us other old timers that OS X is a pretty slick OS.
If you're definitely going to move it into an HTPC setup, in that case it may be worth while. Have had plans to do this for awhile myself, but don't see the existing Mini having enough power for my money. If the new Mini has at least a 2.3 Ghz in it, probably will be adding it to my set up just to avoid having to connect my MBP to it.
One thing of note: When I bought my MBP, my Win rig was set up with a 32" and a 21" screen in my office. Had 5.1 sound on it, a tuner card with my satellite with HD run to it, a 360 connected to it and with a nice big comfy chair, wireless keyboard in my lap, mouse on the arm, and feet propped up on the desk. (Needless to say, the wife and I were 'always' at opposite sides of the house.)
No more. My recliner in front of the 65" is much more comfortable and that's where I use my computer. The 32" in the office has been sold and I have not sat back there to use a computer in 2008. Almost can't see myself going back to a desk set up. (And my wife and I get to see each other now.)
This may change when I see the new i7 chips make it to the iMacs. There are a couple things where it'd be nice to have a little more processing power and a bigger screen.
I cannot be held responsible for the things that come out of my mouth.
In the Windows world, most everything folks don't understand is called a virus.
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The one thing is I work from home most of the time and I keep myself in my office when I do because I have the attention span of a fly so if I were to go to the Home Theater room I would get nothing done lol.
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text: 0 comments June 2, 2014 Mario Kart 8 Drives Wii U Hardware UK Sales up 666%, Watch Dogs Breaks Records. The poor Wii U has had a tough time of it lately, with many ready to proclaim it's demise when it's not even 2 years old. "But wait!" Was th ... News Mario Kart 8 Watch Dogs


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It's a little worrisome, writing this post. The opinion I'm about to put forth is one that can get you laughed out of game journalism, and one few people in the industry will even entertain. It's the idea that Nintendo has lost their way when it comes to the home console game, and they should pivot to their obvious strength that has carried them through lackluster systems for more than a decade now, their incredible games. In short, the Wii U should be Nintendo's last console, and they should start focusing on bringing their beloved stable of characters to as many households as humanly possible, across every competitor system from Microsoft to Sony to PC. I don't relish writing columns I know for a fact will get me mocked or insulted, yet here I am, and I'll attempt to explain this as rationally as I can.
I'm hardly the first person to propose this, and I've read similar suggestions that have been blasted apart by journalists and fans alike for years now. With the Wii U continuing to struggle there's a resurgence of the issue, with Chris Kohler's Wired piece "What the Hell is Wrong with Nintendo?" and my own colleague Erik Kain's follow-up to that article, "How Do You Solve a Problem Like the Wii U?"
After reading both, I have my doubts about either of their remedies for what ails Nintendo. Kohler's primary argument is that Nintendo is being held back by the expensive gamepad, which is adding at least another $100 to the price of the system while offering little value to players at it's an increasingly optional part of gameplay. His suggestion is to divorce the Wii U from the gamepad and sell it for much, much cheaper than its Xbox One and PS4 competition from Microsoft and Sony.
I disagree with this notion. Take away the Wii U's gamepad, and the price doesn't matter. Why? Because even if you're selling the system at $200, that's about how much used/discounted Xbox 360s and PS3s are currently going for now that this new generation has arrived. The Wii U has graphical capabilities on par with those systems, and well below its next-gen competition. Price it that low with no gamepad and you're simply selling a decidedly last-gen system that happens to sell new Nintendo games. Few people want to buy a brand new piece of technology that already feels five years old.
The Fight For The Future Of Video Games is a warts-and-all look at the clashes between the video game business and its passionate fans.
It's important to keep in mind it's not only about "games looking better" when we reference the power of a system, which will be mentioned frequently throughout this piece. The other factor at play is that if your system isn't living up to the current next-gen standards, third party companies will simply abandon you altogether as it's too much work to be downscaling fully next-gen games to run on what is now in effect "older architecture," even if it's your brand new pride and joy. Not to mention they'll do the same if they feel pigeonholed into jamming in motion controls or gamepad features into games that don't really need them. Whatever third party games do manage to make it to your system are almost certainly better on your competitor's machines. It happened with the Wii and history is repeating itself with the Wii U. Can you imagine a Sony or Microsoft system that had to survive almost entirely on its exclusives alone? I'd be writing articles likes this about them as well.
Erik Kain has another idea for Nintendo, one that runs completely in the opposite direction. He wants them to more or less acknowledge the failure of the Wii U and start immediately thinking about their next console, the "Super Wii." He says that after a few years in development, it could debut in the middle of this new console generation as a system more advanced than either Microsoft's Xbox One or Sony's PS4, offering free online service and guaranteed 1080p 60 fps titles with boatloads of third party support.
I love this idea, in theory, as obviously it sounds like the dream console the Wii U should have been. Unfortunately, I think in practice it's something of an impossibility. Even given a few more years, I don't believe that Nintendo is capable of developing a console that outperforms the Xbox One or PS4. It took the better part of six years of the Wii's lifecycle for them to develop the Wii U, which barely outperforms the Xbox 360 and PS3 at best. Nintendo has never demonstrated that they're able to be ahead of the technology curve compared to its competition, and I don't see any way that's going to change. Rather, their systems have succeeded for one reason and one reason only, their games.
It's time to admit a simple truth. Nintendo has not made a good video game console in three generations now.
Now, before you start yelling, this statement is going to need some clarification. I'm speaking about the Wii U, Wii and Gamecube, as before that, Nintendo was more or less on their A-game and hardware wasn't as much of an issue. And "good" is referring to the technical capabilities of the console and supposed gameplay "innovations," not the games released for the systems.
I am not suggesting Nintendo completely remove themselves from the hardware game. They have done very well with handhelds, and it would be silly to abandon that portion of the market at this point, even with the rise of smartphones and tablets. At this point saying Nintendo should jettison their popular portables and sell Pokemon as a $2.99 app is a bridge too far and an idea that often sinks this entire argument, so I'm speaking only of their home consoles here.
Taking the games out of the equation, each of Nintendo's past three consoles were inferior to their competition. The Wii U is a last-gen system from a power perspective as we've discussed already. The original Wii was similarly far behind the 360 and PS3. The Gamecube was more powerful relative to its generational competition, but still didn't fare well against the blockbuster PS2. The N64 vs. original PlayStation divide isn't quite as stark, so I'm hesitant to say the situation was equivalent and I'm leaving them out. But that was over 15 years ago now, and I want to focus more on Nintendo's more recent generations where this problem has slowly mutated into something ugly.
In the end, the Gamecube was regarded as a relative a miss for Nintendo despite all our fond memories of Mario Sunshine and Smash Bros. Melee, and the Wii U seems to be following that same path. The main reason Nintendo has any credibility in the console game right now was how badly the original Wii trounced the competition in the last generation in terms of worldwide sales when everyone underestimated how that system would perform.
But I think it's become clear to most the Wii was a fluke, a fad, and I'm willing to call it a creative failure despite its sales numbers. It only created the illusion Nintendo had executed some grand master plan to win the decade, when really they just sort of stumbled into it. Admittedly, Nintendo did an expert job convincing non-gamers from toddlers to grandparents that they must own a Wii to play virtual golf or tennis by swinging a Wiimote. People of all age groups and backgrounds had a blast playing games like those on their newly bought, relatively inexpensive Wiis.
For a month, maybe two.
After that? There was no big conversion. Non-gamers didn't magically start buying traditional video game titles and playing their Wiis regularly like gamers were playing their 360s and PS3s. Most hastily purchased Wiis started collecting dust, never to be turned on again.
Nor did Nintendo change the video game landscape with its "innovative" motion controls. Outside of its sports titles, motion controls did not catch on, and most gamers would agree nearly every game is better without them, even those games designed expressly for that purpose. Microsoft tried to expand on the motion idea with Kinect, but again, outside of a few niche genre titles, motion control has not changed the industry significantly at this point.
The problem with the Wii is that you can't repeat a fluke. You can't predict a fad. Nintendo thought their Wii U gamepad would be the same sort of game changer for their new system. But this time, the concept didn't prove its worth to the types of non-gamers who shelled out for the Wii, the type that never touched the system again after the initial fun of digital bowling faded. Nintendo may have attracted millions of new customers with the Wii, but because the system was indeed lackluster at its core when the concept of motion control was revealed to be two-dimensional, they didn't retain any of their newfound non-gaming fans, and lost the trust of much of their hardcore audience in the process.
All of this leads me to the conclusion that Nintendo simply cannot keep up in the hardware game. If the justification for their underpowered, gimmick-reliant systems generation after generation is that "well, they have good games," then why the hell doesn't Nintendo just focus on what they do best? Making games?
Going back to Kohler's piece, he says this is a "poison pill" for Nintendo, and would surely seal their fate.
"Nintendo's games sell millions of copies because it makes hardware, not in spite of that. The idea that Mario on Xbox would sell Call of Duty numbers is a pipe dream."
I couldn't disagree with this more, and I don't understand where this notion comes from. Nintendo's hardware is consistently worse than that of its competition. Outside of the obvious performance and graphical issues, their recent gameplay gimmicks like motion control and the gamepad often make their games worse than they would be otherwise, while driving the price of the system up. It's why Kohler himself says Nintendo should rid itself of the Wii U's gamepad to move more units.
But still, despite obviously inferior hardware, people still buy Nintendo systems and love them. Why? Because they love the games, not necessarily the system. If this isn't the definition of selling games in spite of hardware rather than because of it, I don't know what is. It's why people are constantly saying that Nintendo needs "system sellers" to get the Wii U back on track. They need to make games so good, people overlook that the system itself is physically inferior to its competition in nearly every way. I keep repeating this and it may sound harsh, but it's an inescapable, technological fact.
I also cannot believe the statement that Nintendo wouldn't sell millions of copies of games in its many beloved series were they available across Sony's PS4, Microsoft Xbox One or the PC. You can point to numbers like Super Mario World barely moving over a 100,000 copies at launch, but the primary reason for that is because the Wii U is selling so terribly.
You can't tell me that if Nintendo was suddenly a software-only company they wouldn't be one of the biggest games in town right alongside EA and Activision. Imagine if the Xbox One or PS4 launched with a new Zelda or Metroid title. They would have been some of the best selling launch games by a mile. We wouldn't be talking about how poorly the Wii U is selling, we'd be reporting on how excellent Nintendo's latest games are and how well they're selling across all platforms.
Every time this is mentioned, the conversation always turns to SEGA. After struggling to be competitive in the console market in the Dreamcast era, SEGA went software only. Though they're still around, after being a former titan of the industry, they're barely relevant anymore, content to pair Sonic with his former rival Mario in Olympic-themed Wii games.
But we need to be clear about something. Nintendo is not SEGA. Mario is not Sonic. Not only is Mario a much more storied franchise that has kept making consistently fantastic games for decades while Sonic slowly got worse over time, it's that Nintendo's stable is so much more than just Mario. SEGA had Sonic, and maybe Shinobi, Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio and Panzer Dragoon if you're feeling nostalgic. Nintendo has Mario and Zelda, Kirby, Metroid, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Yoshi, Earthbound, Pikmin, Pokemon, Mario Kart, Smash Bros, all beloved series and household names that have stood the test of time, and a huge catalog to draw from if Nintendo was allowed to spend its resources only designing games instead of tearing their hair out about Wii U sales and trying to guess which new controller-based gimmick might save them.
Nintendo does not make competitive consoles anymore, and their abysmal marketing only makes things worse. They're only saved by the extremely high quality first-party games made for their systems, and the obvious outlier of the meteoric Wii fad.
It's sad to see a game as good as Super Mario 3D World sell only 100,000 copies at launch. It's unfortunate that I can't play the new Super Smash Bros. or Zelda unless I shell out $300 for a system with no third party support, last-generation graphics and a gamepad I don't even want to use.
But if Nintendo simply let go of their home console dreams (as I said, they can stay in the handheld market, which they still seem to understand), they could become a hugely powerful 3rd party force with more clout than EA or Activision, if they're able to consistently produce amazing games like they have since their inception. Their hardware is holding them back, preventing them from making boatloads of money through cross platform software, and depriving gamers of playing amazing titles because they don't want to own a technologically lackluster console when there are much better options on the market.
I don't know why saying this makes me a pariah in the gaming industry. It's not a forecast of doom and gloom, it's a path for Nintendo to live on indefinitely, retaining their status as a creator of the best video games on the market while free from the expectations of consoles that simply can't keep pace with their rivals. I'm not saying it's the only way forward for Nintendo, but I also don't think the switch to software would be the deathblow for the company everyone thinks it would be. When you're only meeting 5% of your console sales projections in a given year, I think the Wii U itself is more likely to be the executioner's axe than anything I'm proposing here.
I love Nintendo. I want nothing more than to see them thrive for as long as video games exist. But I don't think it's necessarily the worst thing in the world if they live on doing the thing they do best, making games, rather than home consoles. Nearly all the beloved memories you have of Nintendo are from the amazing original games they've produced, not the systems that played them. It's hard to extract one from the other, but if you think about it, you know it's true. I'm a lifelong Nintendo fan who had to abandon the brand because the games were no longer worth putting up with the increasingly irritating hardware. But I would buy a copy of every single Nintendo game the moment they were released for my Xbox or PlayStation, and I suspect I'm not alone.
Follow me on Twitter, subscribe to my Forbes feed, and pick up a copy of my sci-fi novel, The Last Exodus, and its sequel, The Exiled Earthborn.
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Tickets are now on sale for the 2014 BancorpSouth Rebel Road Trip, Ole Miss' third annual tour of the state and surrounding areas. Visit www.rebelroadtrip.com for tickets and full details of each event.
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Living in Broken Arrow at our Woodland Park apartments means that you are within a short driving distance of Tulsa, where there's a ton of events being held throughout the year. You'll want to take the short trip to Tulsa on March 16th in order to check out some of the following St. Patrick's Day events.
Kick of the racing season by joining in on the St. Patrick's Day 5K. This will be the 31st annual run, one that is expected to be just as successful as previous years. In fact, last year the event attracted over 3,300 runners from around the city. All proceeds made from the race will go towards the Special Olympics Oklahoma and Tulsa Running Club.
Once you've finished the 5K, head over to Arnie's Bar. Beginning at 10AM and lasting until 2AM, they will be throwing their popular Arnie's Bar Annual St. Patrick's Festival. This year's festival is expected to draw over 7,000 people. McNellie's is another Irish pub that will be throwing a St. Patrick's Day Celebration that is expected to draw at least 5,000 people.
Check out one of these great events in Tulsa on this upcoming St. Patrick's Day.
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In this episode, this happens:
In less exciting news, Dustin is nowhere to be found for most of our show. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing…
If you'll remember, last episode was to be continued and so it is. We pick up with everyone in shock over Dustin's dildo outburst.
Dustin sits on a bed backstage ranting, promising that he'll stay around to rile people up because look what his words did. It's undoubtedly doing wonders for his approval rating, that's for sure. On Kimberley, he shrugs and says, "If ya need d***, ya need d***." Who is he to diagnose that, though? Call him Dr. Ruth Westheinie.
Ross confronts Dustin on the bed.
Might not want to get too close, Ross. The dude has dildos.
Ross tells Dustin that he's appalled. He explains that he's on Dustin's team and he likes him as a person, but it's hard to be on Dustin's side sometimes.
"It's not everybody against you, Dustin. Sometimes, it's you against the world." Ross also implies that Dustin is lacking in humility. He says all of this in his nice, Ross way, but it's cool that at least someone is attempting to talk sense into Dustin and isn't intimidated by his mental terrorism. Could it be that, at heart, Ross is the butchest Fit Clubber? Incredible.
Eventually, to no one's chagrin, Dustin leaves.
And now we can really continue where we left off, at Kimberley's weigh-in. Ant explains that Tiffany had to leave to collect herself, though she wanted to be there to support Kimberley. She's with Kimberley in spirit, kind of like sugar is with Splenda in spirit. Kimberley steps on the scale and…
She lost 3 lbs. Also, this week, she shot a video:
Despite the pouting, it is in no way connected to Zoolander. Back at panel, Stacy tells Kimberley that her poise in dealing with Dustin makes her a great role model. Kimberley then breaks down.
She says that she let Dustin steal her joy a little bit. And here, he thought he was giving it back with the dildo suggestion. Damn those communication lines! Kim has an internal conflict — she wonders if by attempting to remain collected in the face of Dustin's heckling, she's doing her young fans a disservice. Should she be more aggressive? The answer is: whatever burns the most calories. Restraint exercises are, in fact, effective for many.
Kimberley's target for next time is 2 lbs.
And then, we flash forward a week.
Stacy leads a meeting with the group to discuss what went down with Dustin. The troublemaker himself does not attend. Imagine! It's better this way, anyway, because he would either end up being a punching bag or people would end up censoring themselves and not get out their true feelings, which is what the meeting is all about.
Everyone weighs in on Dustin: Tiffany is shocked at new level he'll take things. Also she feels like she can't be nice to him or she's betraying others that he's hurt. Brat was pissed at his Kimberley-dildo comment. Cledus found Dustin's comment inexplicable. Maureen wasn't cool with Dustin's "retarded joke" because she has a brother who's retarded. Kim explains how he made it clear that he's on the show to save his career. Ross tries to be a peacemaker, but this is hard because he isn't Jesus. Mo adds that she wants him to come back. "I just want to see everyone win." This sounds nice written out, but really, she just wants to mop the floor with him.
What is a public hanging without rope? At least, that's what the next transition suggests for the teams suit up…
…for a climbing and rope-swinging exercise that Harvey first demonstrates.
Anyone can do this, but it does help if you've been bitten by the same bug that bit Spider-Man.
Here's what the Fit Clubbers must do:
Climb a pole.
Balance on a beam.
Swing off it.
Simple right? Tell that to Warren.
At first, it's hard to say if he's scared of heights or if he's just really attracted to that pole.
It turns out that it's the latter, and he eventually climbs down without completing the task:
Also notable is Cledus' triumph over his fear of heights:
It's really beautiful. Like something out of Titanic.
Da Brat follows Warren's example and chickens out once she's made her way up the pole. Warren, on the other hand, turns his back on his example and makes his way up again…
…only to hit a snag and be left hanging as he tries to do his final rope swing…
Is that some bizarre form of pole karma?
No matter. Since this was really just a personal challenge and not a team vs. team effort, no one loses. Alternately, no one wins. Like last week's challenge in which both teams ultimately were rewarded, this is slightly disappointing.
And then, it's time for a whole new round of weigh-ins.
Someone's missing and everyone couldn't be happier!
In addition to Dustin, Dr. Ian also couldn't make it. He at least has a reasonable excuse:
A new baby! Wonder if Similac is part of the Smash Diet? Hmmm.
Warren is the first celeb to be weighed in:
The two-pound loss is about the extent of the excitement Warren provides. He just couldn't live up to being left hanging on a pole. Go figure again. His target for next week is 3 lbs.
Next up is Tiffany.
Tiff is miffed that she didn't reach her goal of 4 lbs. Per Harvey and Stacy, though, she looks great. And isn't that what really matters? Looks? The scales don't lie, but the eyeballs are your bread and butter. Or, really, multi-grain bread and no-calorie butter-esque spray. Or something. Tiff also explains her early departure last week, saying that she can't really deal with screaming and crying. Hmmm. Might want to rethink the reality-TV thing, then, Tiffo. Tiffany's target for next time is 4 lbs.
And then there is Mo. She weighs in and check the gif above for her reaction. Or just look at this still:
She looks horrified, like if the Tall Man from Phantasm saw himself in the mirror and got scared. Also, she lost a pound. Would her head have popped off if she lost more? Would blood shoot out of her nose like a fountain?
Mo has now lost 19.3 percent of her body weight. This is really amazing. Also, she reveals that her excitement over the weight loss stemmed from the rocky week that preceded it. The day after the Dustin bust-up, Mo stayed in bed. She was depressed over Dustin's joking about retarded people because she has a brother who's mentally retarded and she has heard jokes about him all her life. See, this is exactly the reason why you don't joke about retarded people. You never know who's going to be rightfully sensitive about such things. You never know what's going to make you look like a jerk. Well…maybe. Dustin seems to know exactly what's going to make him look like a jerk.
Then, we see some bizarre footage of Maureen taking a pillow-fighting class.
The pillow-fight instructor explains that pillow fighting takes an old male fantasy idea and turns it into a real sport. Football does that, too – it's just that the males having that particular fantasy are most likely gay.
At one point, Mo says that she enjoys the submissive aspect of this exercise. Waaaaaaay TMI. She also challenges Harvey to a fight. Harvey declines. The go-figuring continues. Mo's target for next time (set by herself) is 3 lbs.
And then there is Da Brat.
Oh snap! She gained! She explains that she didn't work out as much. Well, there's your problem, Brat. More ass-crunching, less gum-flapping. Harvey calls Brat out for chickening out of the climbing/roping Fit Camp challenge. He offers her to try it again. Brat declines. Big mistake for she has 5 lbs. to lose for next time.
Next up is Ross.
Still kicking ass, Ross is down 15.4 percent of his body weight. When asked about Dustin the peace-making Ross stammers out things like, "I don't hate Dustin" and "It is lighter without him." Harvey's response? "You don't have to hate him to admit he's a waste of sperm." Ross says he wouldn't use those words. Harvey says he'll put them in Ross' mouth for him. So now Harvey is putting "sperm" in Ross' mouth? It's really been beautiful this season, watching their relationship blossom.
Ross' goal for next time is 3 lbs.
And then, Cledus.
Cledus says his downfall is that he listened to what the judges said and ate three meals a day. He contends that had he stuck to his regimen of chicken and broccoli, that wouldn't have happened. The judges balk at this. Cledus says he did everything this week to lose weight including getting a colonic. Wow. First it was the submission. Then the sperm in the mouth. And now colonics. We've reached a new height of icky. What's next? Is someone going to make a dildo out of their penis and then offer it to Kimberley Locke? Oh wait. That already happened.
Cledus' target is 2 lbs.
Finally, there is Kimberley.
She's lost 2 lbs. And there's more persevering where that came from: she was ready to leave the show, but her cast mates convinced her to stay. And really, letting Dustin getting to her that much would have been criminal.
Kimberley also went to hand out toys to kids as part of the charitable donation from Fit Clubbers' challenge last week.
It's nothing nearly as scary as this screen shot suggests.
Kim's target for next week is 4 lbs.
And then, time for the scales:
And so, the Dustin-free Athletes are kicking butt. But that doesn't mean we've seen the last of Dustin. As a coda, we're treated to a rambling interview conducted in a car:
He says things like, "Life without conflict is nirvana and that's what man has been searching for since the dawn of time," and,
"He who speaks does not know. He who knows does not speak." How all of this applies to him is unclear. Yoda he is not.