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In 1981, a close-knit group of businessmen with extensive experience in the hydraulics sector decided to join forces to establish a new industrial enterprise.
This is how Oleostar began, from the determination of a few people and their desire to come up with new ideas and give them shape.
The idea was quite ambitious: to identify the emerging market needs and respond to those needs with solutions that were both innovative and effective.
The young company soon began to make a name for itself and gain credibility on the market.
It was in those early years, with the aim of creating new synergies, that the idea formed to make an agreement with two other companies, each a leader in its sector: Walvoil, which manufactures hydraulic control valves, and Casappa, which produces gear and pistons pumps and motors.
The high quality of this integrated product package led to immediate and continuing success, demonstrated by the constant positive growth trend and the excellent results achieved.
In 1998 the story of Oleostar has taken another important step with the expansion of our headquarters, now doubled in size.
Oleostar products are used for applications in both stationary and mobile systems.
Based on costant research and innovation, we offer a highly diversified range, and the quality of our products is a result of the quality of the technology joined to the quality of the process.
This winning mix ensures that Oleostar can offer the most highly differentiated and reliable solutions on the market: pressure control valves, self-levelling valves for loaders, valves for lift equipment and for compactors.
And just in the last few yerars, our R&d department has developed a product that is sure to win new market shares: SAE cavity cartridge valves. The way sales are distributed reflects the international mentality: 42% on the italian market and the remaining 58% on the foreign market, with a strong presence in the whole of Europe and North America.
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text:
- BlackBerry® Devices
- BlackBerry® Messenger
To block a contact in BlackBerry Messenger, complete the following steps:
- Open BlackBerry Messenger.
- Highlight the contact.
- Display the menu.
- Select Delete Contact.
- Select the ignore future invites from this user check box.
- Select Delete.
Important: These steps are only available after a personal identification number (PIN) has been marked to ignore future invites.To unblock a contact in BlackBerry Messenger, complete the following steps:
- Open BlackBerry Messenger.
- Display the menu, and select Options.
- Scroll to Ignored Contacts.
- Select Edit.
- Select the PIN of the user. This will put a check mark beside it.
- Select OK.
By downloading, accessing or otherwise using the Knowledge Base documents you agree:
(a) that the terms of use for the documents found at www.blackberry.com/legal/knowledgebase apply to your use or reference to these documents; and
(b) not to copy, distribute, disclose or reproduce, in full or in part any of the documents without the express written consent of RIM.
Visit the BlackBerry Technical Solution Center at www.blackberry.com/btsc.

subset: commoncrawl


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12450 Fair Lakes Circle
Fairfax, Virginia 22033, USA
Press Contact: (703) 271 7316
General Dynamics Intelligence and Exploitation Systems Achieves "CMMI Level 3"
Carnegie Mellon "Capability Maturity Model Integration" Certification Marks Business Milestone
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Intelligence and Exploitation Systems business of General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems has achieved a Capability Maturity Model® Integration (CMMI®) Level 3 rating in all areas of the CMMI disciplines, including systems engineering, software engineering, integrated product and process development, and supplier sourcing. General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).
The Intelligence and Exploitation Systems business, based in Mountain View, Calif., provides intelligence and warfighter systems solutions for the Department of Defense, intelligence community and mission partners. Five programs at three locations were appraised, including the Cryptologic Mission Management Focused Demonstrated Operational Capability II (FDOC II) and Manatee programs, both located in Annapolis Junction, Md.; Information Warfare Planning Capability (IWPC) and the Jaguar programs, both located in Mountain View, Calif.; and Imagery Exploitation Support System (IESS) based in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
"Obtaining this certification ahead of schedule is a great example of how we exceed our customers' expectations," said John Stewart, president of General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, "We've demonstrated our ability to have reliable and repeatable processes that reduce costs, lower risk and improve product quality."
The Software Engineering Institute (SEISM), a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense and operated by Carnegie Mellon University, manages the CMMI appraisal process. General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems' programs were evaluated by a team from ProcessWorks, Inc.
CMMI integrates multiple capability maturity models into a single improvement framework of standards that measure an organization's ability to reduce the cost of performing assessments and implementing improvements. CMMI best practices enable organizations to link management and engineering activities to business objectives, expand product life cycle and engineering activities to ensure that products and services meet customer expectations, and incorporate lessons learned from additional areas of best practice (e.g., measurement, risk management, and supplier management). SEI reports quantitative evidence that CMMI-based process improvement can result in benefits in cost, schedule, quality, customer satisfaction and return on investment.
General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, headquartered in Arlington, Va., is a leading provider of transformational mission solutions in command, control, communications, and computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR). Customers include those in the defense, intelligence, homeland security and homeland defense communities. More information is available on the Internet at www.gd-ais.com.
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, employs approximately 69,400 people worldwide and anticipates 2004 revenue of $19 billion. The company is a market leader in mission-critical information systems and technologies; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and business aviation.
Capability Maturity Model, Carnegie Mellon, CMM, and CMMI are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by Carnegie Mellon University. CMM Integration and SEI are service marks of Carnegie Mellon University.
# # #
Any "forward-looking statements" contained in this press release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For more information, see Forward Looking Statement.


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In a Tottenham church, Sunday morning, a preacher said, "Anyone with 'special needs' who wants to be prayed over, please come forward to the front of the altar."
With that, Leroy got in line and when it was his turn, the asked,
"Leroy, what do you want me to pray about for you?" Leroy replied, ", I need you to pray for help with my hearing."
The preacher put one finger of one hand in Leroy's ear, placed his other hand on top of Leroy's head and then prayed and prayed and the whole congregation joined in with much enthusiasm.
After a few minutes, the preacher removed his hands, stood back and asked, "Leroy how is your hearing now?"
Leroy answered, "I don't know. It ain't 'til Thursday."


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Updated: 08/29/2014 11:41 AM
Created: 08/28/2014 10:00 PM KSTP.com
By: Beth McDonough
As Minnesotans head off to college this week, many are increasingly choosing community college over a four-year university.
That's the word from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. In a newly-released report, it shows enrollment has doubled at two-year institutions from 60,000 in 1980 to 120,000 in 2012.
Jenny Molina is one of the thousands choosing community college. She has her heart set on being an accountant.
"Since I was a little girl I always enjoyed doing math, always dreamed of working in a bank," she said.
But she wasn't ready to go from high school immediately to college. She took two years off. Now 20 years old, Molina is starting her first semester at North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park.
"For me community college has a lot of benefits," she explained.
Cost is one of those benefits. Tuition runs about $5,500 per year for full-time students. It's nearly twice that at the University of Minnesota and much more, $35,000 plus, at a private university like Hamline.
At North Hennepin, officials say there's been a 15 to 20 percent burst in enrollment over the last decade.
"The price tag is the big driver, but location is also important because a lot of students come from the area," according to Landon Pirius of North Hennepin Community College.
Molina commutes from Columbia Heights. Plus, there's the convenience of evening and online classes.
A report from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education also reveals two-thirds of the students plan to transfer to a four-year university, but many have concerns about their credits transferring to another school. That's why North Hennepin signed agreements with other universities in the state guaranteeing that credits will transfer.
Another study by Georgetown University points out 74 percent of the jobs available in Minnesota through 2020, require employees to have education beyond high school, like community college. That's a welcome statistic to Molina, a mathematician, who'll be out of the campus door and hopefully into a job in just two years.
The Minnesota report also says the state ranks fourth in the country in terms of adults with a two-year associate of arts degree.
In 2012, 69 percent of high school graduates in the state enrolled in post-secondary public, two-year or technical college. Twenty percent enrolled in a state university and 19 percent in a private university.
The report also recommends when selecting colleges, visit their websites or the call the school to make sure it's accredited, and the credits you earn can be transferred to another university. There are 32 community colleges in the state.
|Wisconsin Teen Arrested after High-Speed Chase Ends in Forest Lake
|Man in Custody Exits Hennepin Courthouse Undetected, Prompts Security Investigation
|Kidnapped Idaho Toddler Found at Stearns County Campground
|St. Paul Police Identify Suspect in Monday's East Side Homicide
|3 Arrested after St. Paul Armed Robbery Victim Shoots, Kills 4th Suspect


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Describe a flavor.
Like people, the flavors we meet are easier to judge than engage. But give them a chance, and you may find they have a lot to say.
Get to know the sweet and smoky sides of bacon; draw out the earthy traits of mushrooms; give voice to the grainy sweetness of a fresh strawberry.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
HOW TO BE IN THE MOMENT – 101 Little Tips
Posted by Jeffrey Willius at 2:47 PM
Labels: description, flavor, taste
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WellStar School of Nursing
WellStar School of Nursing
Welcome to the WellStar School of Nursing, the largest nursing program in north Georgia. We offer the baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees and have an accelerated track for RNs and for students with degrees in other fields. Our graduates consistently perform above the national average on the state licensing exam and our nurse practitioner graduates have a high pass rate on the certification exam.
WSON position statement on the Ebola Virus


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Art & Story 193 – The Big Dolla
July 20, 2011 by Kevin Cross
Filed under Art & Story, Podcast
[private]In this episode we hear from Chris Wilson of Creative Independence, discuss some of his ideas for a KickStarter campaign, and finish with more ideas on making those dolla bills as an independent creative.
Links mentioned in this episode:
The Art & Story Theme is written and performed by Mike Gilmore & Mike Johnston of The Northwoods Improvisors.
Audio hosting for Art & Story is provided by Ka-Blam Digital Printing
Follow Mark, Jerzy, & Kevin on Twitter!
Subscribe through iTunes
RSS Feed
Hotline: (262) 299-3729[/private]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (0.0KB)


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Restaurant Week offers geographically diverse optionsWritten by Sarah Ottney | Editor in Chief | firstname.lastname@example.com
Restaurant Week Toledo is not limited to Toledo.
From Sylvania to Swanton, Perrysburg to Maumee, Waterville to Holland, the 10-day event will also offer dining options throughout the surrounding area.
"Restaurant Week Toledo encompasses the whole Greater Toledo area," said co-chair Becca Gorman. "We want everyone to feel a part of the event and to participate. From the various price points to the healthy options offered at each location to the variety of areas represented, there's something for everyone."
The third annual Restaurant Week Toledo, presented by Medical Mutual, is set for Feb. 21 to March 2. This year's event will feature 27 venues and will be three days longer than last year's, Gorman said.
Participating restaurants are Bobby V's American Grill in Holland; Barr's Public House and Maumee Wines and Bistro in Maumee; Poco Piatti and Tea Tree Asian Bistro in Perrysburg; Loma Linda in Swanton; TREO in Sylvania; Zinful in Waterville; Bar 145, Gradkowski's, La Scola Italian Grill, Mancy's Bluewater Grille, Mancy's Steaks and Shorty's True American Roadhouse in Toledo; The Blarney Irish Pub, The Oliver House (Mutz, Maumee Bay Brew Pub, Rockwell's and The Café), ICE Restaurant and Bar, Manhattan's and Registry Bistro in Downtown Toledo; Burger Bar 419, Caper's Restaurant and Plate 21 in South Toledo; and Rosie's Italian Grille and Ventura's in West Toledo.
Each venue will feature a special Restaurant Week menu priced at $10, $20 or $30. (Drinks, taxes and gratuities are not included unless specified.) A portion of proceeds from each meal will benefit local nonprofit Leadership Toledo's youth programs.
Zinful will participate in Restaurant Week for the first time. The Waterville eatery, which opened in 2011 at 7541 Dutch Road, features an extensive wine selection and a walk-in humidor for cigars.
"The best part is restaurants are featuring things they don't normally have on their menus," said owner Joyce Franzblau. "Everyone's trying to stand out and draw new business, so the food's going to be outstanding and exquisite."
Zinful will offer a $10 lunch menu with choices of tomato bisque soup with grilled gouda cheese, vegetarian lettuce wraps, flatbread with a side salad or bison burger and fries. Dinner options, which range from $10-$30, include vegetarian lettuce wraps, stuffed portabella mushroom, oxtail soup, pork belly and scotch, Jägerschnitzel or short rib marengo.
Franzblau said she's glad so many local communities are represented through Restaurant Week Toledo.
"All of us who live in the surrounding suburbs consider ourselves Toledoans, so it's important to participate," Franzblau said. "It exposes people to all the locally owned businesses that are just minutes away from the city limit of Toledo. City lines shouldn't define the city of Toledo wanting to come together for a good cause."
Everyone at family-owned Caper's Restaurant in South Toledo is excited to participate in Restaurant Week for the second year, said co-owner Sue Meadows.
"It was wonderful," Meadows said. "People just love it. We had a really good response. We even had people walking around with a list of all the restaurants, checking off the restaurants they had been to."
Choices for the $10 lunch menu at 2038 S. Byrne Road include an Italian house special sandwich, small cobb salad or small three-item pizza. The $10 dinner menu features spaghetti with homemade meatballs, small chicken broccoli pizza, small Italian pizza or Mediterranean salad.
"People are getting a great meal at a good price, which gives us the opportunity to introduce a lot of new people to our restaurant and hopefully bring them back," Meadows said. "A lot of people don't realize we have such good quality local restaurants."
Tea Tree Asian Bistro
This will be Tea Tree Asian Bistro's third year participating in Restaurant Week Toledo. The family-owned Levis Commons eatery at 4100 Chappel Drive in Perrysburg features Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Korean dishes.
General Manager Lynn Wang said she didn't have as many Restaurant Week diners as she was hoping for last year, so this year she made some changes, including adding lunch options and choosing lower price points.
The $10 lunch menu features bento boxes of sushi and sashimi, beef bulgogi or chicken teriyaki, served with miso soup and a side dish. Choices for the $20 dinner, which includes a house salad and a glass of sake or wine, include roasted half duck, pineapple red curry beef, grilled lamb with bok choy, super spider house special maki or Monk's Garden Feast, a vegetarian option.
Wang said she hopes diners step outside their comfort zones and try something new.
"It's a good opportunity to try a restaurant they've never tried before," Wang said. "I'm hoping people can be a little more adventurous. Trying new things is key when you come to an Asian restaurant."
Loma Linda
Loma Linda manager Jeanie Kunzer is excited to participate in Restaurant Week Toledo for the first time.
"I heard about it on the radio last year and said, 'Why am I not involved? Why did no one ask us?'" said Kunzer, laughing. "It sounded great. It was Ventura's second year so I asked them how it went. They said, 'We did really well. You have to get in on it.'"
The family-owned eatery, at 10400 Airport Highway in Swanton, will offer a lunch and dinner menu for $10. Choices include a Cajun chicken or Cajun shrimp enchilada with queso and fried ice cream, an all-beef burrito served enchilada style with a guacamole salad, or a black bean and pollo burrito with a guacamole salad and broiled grapefruit.
"I put some of my favorite foods on there and some of the things Loma Linda is known for," said Kunzer, noting that the eatery has been in business since 1955 and was the first Mexican restaurant in Toledo.
"We're excited," Kunzer said. "People are out and about that week, so hopefully this will bring people out that have never been here before."
TREO at 5703 Main St. in Sylvania, is another first-time Restaurant Week Toledo participant.
"We have an amazing new chef and he was really excited to do it and wanted to jump in feet first," said Kaetlyn Obey, general manager and events director.
TREO, which offers diverse Italian, French and American dishes, will feature a $20 dinner menu with entrée choices of blackened red snapper, chicken wellington, a 10-ounce New York strip steak or stuffed portabella mushroom caps.
"We love that people will know they can come to TREO and get a quality meal for $20 and that we'll be able to bring people in who might not normally be able to try our amazing food," Obey said.
Barr's Public House
The Restaurant Week menu at Barr's Public House, 3355 Briarfield Blvd., in Maumee, will feature mostly new dishes not found on its regular menu, said general manager Stephanie Soldner.
"That makes it more of a draw for people who have been coming here and, for the new clientele, it's just a little something extra for them," Soldner said.
Entrée choices on the $20 dinner menu, which includes a beer or wine pairing, include pasta carbonara, The Kobe O.G. burger, steak frites or a salmon cranberry salad.
Craft beer is the main focus at Barr's, which opened in 2012, Soldner said.
"We really try to focus on being more of a pub with really good food options," Soldner said. "Our food is definitely top-notch."
Soldner said she is looking forward to Restaurant Week Toledo.
"It's really cool to have so many different restaurants to choose from,"
Soldner said. "I hope they all get a lot of support and have a really good turnout. I'm excited to see what happens."
Toledo Free Press is a media sponsor of Restaurant Week Toledo.
For more information, visit www.restaurantweektoledo.com.
Tags: (Mutz, Bobby V's American Grill in Holland; Barr's Public House and Maumee Wines and Bistro in Maumee; Poco Piatti and Tea Tree Asian Bistro in Perrysburg; Loma Linda in Swanton; TREO in Sylvania; Zinful in , Burger Bar 419, Caper's Restaurant, Gradkowski's, Holland, ICE Restaurant and Bar, La Scola Italian Grill, Leadership Toledo, Mancy's Bluewater Grille, Mancy's Steaks and Shorty's True American Roadhouse in Toledo; The Blarney Irish Pub, Manhattan's and Registry Bistro, Maumee, Maumee Bay Brew Pub, Medical Mutual, Perrysburg, Plate 21, Restaurant Week Toledo, Rockwell's, Rosie's Italian Grille, Swanton, Sylvania, The Cafe, The Oliver House, Ventura's, Waterville


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Find the perfect hotel in Pevensey using our hotel guide provided below. Find cheap and/or discounted hotel rates in or near Pevensey, United Kingdom for your corporate or personal leisure travel. We list the best Pevensey hotel rooms. Review the Pevensey hotel list below to find the perfect lodging. We also have a map of the Pevensey hotels.
Pevensey Hotels, Motels & Accommodations
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text:
Clinical Area Labs & Affiliations
About | Clinical Faculty | Adjunct and Other Faculty | Program Overview | Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data | Labs & Facilities | Area Talks | Recent Events
Core Faculty Labs
- Christopher Beevers, Ph.D., Mood Disorders Laboratory
- Caryn Carlson, Ph.D., Carlson Web Page
- Kim Fromme, Ph.D., SAHARA Lab
- Andreana Haley, Ph.D., Clinical Neuroscience Lab
- Kathyrn Paige Harden, Ph.D., Developmental Behavior Genetics Lab
- Charles Holahan, Ph.D., Occupational Health Psychology
- Marc Lewis, Ph.D., Lewis Web Page
- Martita Lopez, Ph.D., (Director of Clinical Training), Lopez Web Page
- Cindy Meston, Ph.D., The Sexual Psychophysiology Laboratory
- Rebecca Neal, Ph.D., The Child Development in Context Laboratory
- Manuel Ramirez, Ph.D., Laboratory of Multicultural Process and Mental Health
- Jasper Smits, Ph. D., Behavioral & Integrative Treatment Development Program
- Michael Telch, Ph.D., Laboratory for the Study of Anxiety Disorders
Affiliated Faculty
- Robert Josephs, Ph.D. (Psychology, Social and Personality Area)
- James Pennebaker, Ph.D. (Psychology, Social and Personality Area)
- William Swann, Ph.D. (Psychology, Social and Personality Area)
- Elliot Tucker-Drob, Ph.D. (Psychology, Individual Differences and Evolutionary Psychology)
Emeritus Faculty
- Ira Iscoe, Ph.D.
- Wayne Holtzman, Ph.D.
The clinical program has received strong support from the department and the university, and we feel fortunate to have ample resources to meet our student and faculty needs. Foremost on our list of resources is the new 52 million dollar Seay Psychology building, which we moved into in May 2002. The department occupies 80,711 square feet of space in the building, which features world-class research facilities, state-of-the-art computer labs and classrooms, two libraries, a number of well-situated conference and seminar rooms, and ample office space for graduate student research and teaching assistants. Our move to this impressive facility is an enormously positive and important event for our department, and will allow us to continue to build on our stature as a first-class research institution. In the words of our former department chair, Dr. Don Foss:
The Sarah M. and Charles E. Seay Building is a model for a powerfully integrated approach to the study of human behavior. The building is a beautiful home for exciting advances in our understanding of human behavior. It provides a natural and stimulating setting for interaction among faculty, among students, and between students and faculty. We want it to be the best home for psychology in America - a place of discovery, service, and beauty.
The 3rd floor Clinical Training Clinic occupies half of the western wing, with eight treatment and assessment rooms outfitted with audio equipment and observation windows, a group room for clinic meetings and group therapy sessions, and a spacious waiting room for clients.
Of benefit to both faculty and graduate students is the department's technical support. The Psychology department maintains a network of over 700 computers and a staff of technicians. We also employ an instrument maker, a grant manager, and a coordinator of the undergraduate subject pool.


text:
A packaged towelette comprising a sheet of nonwoven fibers impregnated with a polyvinyl alcohol containing binder and in contact with an aqueous solution containing borate ions and bicarbonate ions.
1. A packaged pre-moistened towelette comprising a web of nonwoven fibers bonded with a polyvinyl alcohol containing binder which is selected from the group consisting of a polyvinyl alcohol, an aqueous polyvinyl alcohol stabilized polymer emulsion, a blend of a polyvinyl alcohol stabilized polymer emulsion and a combination thereof, and in contact with an aqueous solution which consists essentially of 0.2 to 2 wt% borate ions and 0.2 to 3 wt% bicarbonate ions.
2. The towelette of claim 1 in which the weight ratio of borate ions to bicarbonate ions ranges from 4:1 to 1:4.
3. The towelette of claim 1 in which the weight ratio of borate ions to bicarbonate ions ranges from 2:1 to 1:2.
4. The towelette of claim 1 in which the amount of the aqueous solution ranges from 150 to 400 wt% of the web.
5. The towelette of claim 1 in which the borate ions are provided by boric acid or borax and the bicarbonate ions are provided by a metal or ammonium bicarbonate or carbonate.
6. The towelette of claim 1 in which the borate ions are provided by boric acid or borax and the bicarbonate ions are provided by sodium bicarbonate.
7. A packaged pre-moistened towelette comprising a web of nonwoven fibers bonded with a polyvinyl alcohol containing binder which is selected from the group consisting of a polyvinyl alcohol, an aqueous polyvinyl alcohol stabilized polymer emulsion, a blend of a polyvinyl alcohol and an aqueous polymer emulsion and a combination thereof, and in contact with an aqueous solution which consists essentially of 0.2 to 2 wt% boric acid and 0.2 to 3 wt% sodium bicarbonate in a weight ratio of boric acid to sodium bicarbonate ranging from 4:1 to 1:4, the amount of the aqueous solution ranging from 150 to 400 wt% of the web.
8. The towelette of claim 7 in which the weight ratio of boric acid to sodium bicarbonate ranges from 2:1 to 1:2.
9. The towelette of claim 8 in which the polyvinyl alcohol containing binder is a blend consisting essentially of a polyvinyl alcohol and a polyvinyl alcohol stabilized vinyl acetate or vinyl acetate/ethylene polymer emulsion.
10. The towelette of claim 9 in which the polyvinyl alcohol is 86-89 mole% hydrolyzed and has a degree of polymerization greater than 600 up to 2500.
11. The towelette of claim 10 in which the polyvinyl alcohol has a degree of polymerization of about 1200.
12. The towelette of claim 10 in which the aqueous solution consists essentially of 0.3 to 1 wt% borate ions and 0.4 to 2 wt% bicarbonate ions.
This invention relates to a pre-moistened nonwoven towelette that is readily disposable and water dispersible.
The issue of disposability of products is of great concern to the nonwovens industry. Landfills, incineration, multiple sewage treatment and residential septic systems are among the common choices for nonwoven product disposal today. Products targeted for the latter disposal routes, via residential and commercial toilets, are termed flushable. Current flushable products have limitations. Dry products, such as bathroom tissue, have been designed with minimal wet strength so that the tissue can disintegrate under the agitation in the plumbing systems. They are not designed for applications where water will be encountered in use. Flushable wet wipes have high wet strengths and do not lose their strength upon disposal. These products remain intact and identifiable in the disposal system.
Wet-packaged skin cleansing and refreshing tissues are well known commercially, generally referred to as towelettes, wet wipes, fem wipes and the like. These may comprise an absorbent sheet made of paper, prepared or treated to impart wet strength thereto, having the dimensions of the usual wash cloth and packaged wet in folded condition, individually in impervious envelopes or in multiples in closed containers. The liquid employed in the pre-moistening of the sheet is generally an aqueous alcoholic solution which may further contain a surface active detergent and a humectant and, in some instances, also a scenting agent. Instead of individual packaging of such moist sheets, they are often marketed in reclosable containers having any desired convenient number of such folded sheets.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,314 discloses a method for making a flushable wrapper by treating a nonwoven web with an aqueous solution containing polyvinyl alcohol, boric acid and sodium bicarbonate, heating the web to a temperature sufficient to cause the boric acid and sodium bicarbonate to react and form borax, and to continue to heat the web to dry it so that substantially all of the borax crosslinks with the polyvinyl alcohol. The boric acid and sodium bicarbonate are used in such amounts as to generate at least 2 wt% borax based on the polyvinyl alcohol.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,258,849 and 4,245,744 disclose pre-moistened towelettes which are flushable. These towelettes incorporate a polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) or PVOH stabilized polymer emulsion as a binder, respectively, and an aqueous pre-moistening lotion which contains salts (especially boric acid) that insolubilize the PVOH to impart good strength and integrity. Relatively high salt concentrations are required to impart good strength. For example, useful performance is not achieved until at least 3% boric acid is used. While other useful insolubilizing salts for PVOH need to be used at much higher concentrations to achieve the same effect, wipes prepared with these types of binders rapidly disintegrate in water by reduction in salt concentration and solubilization of the PVOH based binder.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,469 discloses a three component adhesive for nonwoven webs in combination with a water based lotion containing borate ions. The components of the adhesive composition applied to the web are PVOH, a non-self-crosslinking, thermosetting, polymer emulsion and a self-crosslinking, thermosetting polymer emulsion. An organic acid capable of complexing with borate, such as α-hydroxy acids or o-aromatic hydroxy acids, is claimed to produce a synergistic effect upon the PVOH adhesive in the web.
Due to some ingestion toxicity concerns, pre-moistened towelette manufacturers would require the reduction of the aqueous boric acid or borax (sodium tetraborate) solution from the 3-5% concentration level to 1% or less while still achieving a useful tensile strength of at least about 1.3 pli (˜230 glc) in order to have a commercially viable product.
The present invention provides pre-moistened towelettes, or cloths, made of nonwoven fibers coated or impregnated with a PVOH containing binder to impart wet strength. The PVOH containing binder composition may be a PVOH, an aqueous PVOH stabilized polymer emulsion, a blend of a PVOH and an aqueous polymer emulsion, or any combination thereof. The towelettes are packaged in contact with an aqueous solution containing borate ions and bicarbonate ions, i.e., wet packaged.
The combination of borate ions and bicarbonate ions provides a much improved coagulant, or insolubilizer, for the PVOH containing flushable binder than either one alone. For example, wet tensile strengths comparable to an aqueous 3.3% boric acid solution can be achieved with less than 0.4% boric acid if the solution also contains about 0.5% bicarbonate.
The pre-moistened towelette of useful dimensions comprising nonwoven fibers, binder and the aqueous pre-moistening solution exhibits good wet tensile strength while stored in a sealed package and during use, and yet the towelette rapidly disintegrates in water.
The initial treatment to coat or impregnate the nonwoven fabric, such as absorbent paper, with the PVOH containing binder may be carried out (1) by immersing the webs or running lengths of the fabric in an aqueous solution of the PVOH or in an aqueous polymer emulsion either stabilized with PVOH as the protective colloid or containing post-added PVOH or (2) by applying such solution or emulsion to the surfaces of the nonwoven web of fibers by spraying, by patting, by roller or other types of applicator. Following drying, the treated nonwoven web may be then cut to desired size sheets for the intended use. Of course, individual sheets pre-cut to desired size may be treated with the aqueous PVOH solution or polymer emulsion and then dried.
The fibers may be any of the natural and synthetic fibers. Wood pulp (alone or blended with natural or synthetic fibers) processed by dry (air laid, carded, rando) or wet laid processes can be used. Nonwoven webs produced by air laid processes are preferred due to minimal hydrogen bonding of fibers in the finished product compared to wet laid nonwovens. Air laid processes impart little or no inherent integrity to the web which much be overcome with agitation to achieve complete disintegration of the web.
The nonwoven binders suitable for use in the invention include 75-90 mole% hydrolyzed, preferably 86-89 mole% hydrolyzed, PVOHs alone or blended with polymer emulsions. It is preferred to use PVOHs having a high molecular weight (DPn greater than 600 and ranging up to 2500 and more). Any polymer emulsion known in the art as a binder for nonwovens can be used when blended with a PVOH. It is also preferred that the emulsion polymer be non-crosslinking, e.g. does not contain polymerized N-methylolacrylamide, and most desirably contains PVOH as the protective colloid, or stabilizing system, in its preparation by aqueous emulsion polymerization. PVOH stabilized vinyl acetate (VAc) or vinyl acetate/ethylene (VAE) polymer emulsions are preferred due to their ease of water dispersibility. The ratio of PVOH to emulsion solids will depend upon the type of product being made and the choice of the polymer emulsion. The preferred range is a minimum 20 parts PVOH (dry) to 100 parts emulsion (dry) up to and including 100% PVOH, i.e., no emulsion polymer binder. The VAEs tend to be more hydrophobic and better film formers than the VAc polymers and require, accordingly, higher amounts of PVOH, i.e., up to 200 parts of PVOH per 100 parts emulsion (dry) compared to VAc polymers which may require up to 100 parts PVOH per 100 parts emulsions (dry).
The amount of polymer binder, calculated on the dry basis, applied to the fibrous starting web, is that amount which is at least sufficient to bind the fibers together to form a self-sustaining web and suitably ranges from about 3 to about 100% or more by weight of the starting web. Where PVOH is the polymer binder, about 3 to 20 wt% preferably is applied to the web. Where an aqueous polymer emulsion containing PVOH is the binder, about 5 to 50 wt% preferably is applied, the emulsion containing 20 to 200 parts PVOH per 100 parts emulsion on a dry basis.
The impregnated web is then dried by passing it through an air oven or the like for sufficient times and temperatures, such as drying at 1500�-200� F. (66�-93� C.) for 4 to 6 minutes (in lab tests designed to simulate production conditions).
The pre-moistened towelettes are packaged in contact with an aqueous solution containing borate ions and bicarbonate ions to temporarily insolubilize the PVOH containing binder. The borate ions may be provided by the use of boric acid (or a salt thereof) or borax (sodium tetraborate) since in water borax hydrolyzes to boric acid. The bicarbonate ions may be provided by a metal or ammonium bicarbonate or carbonate. Metal cations would include the alkali (Li, Na, K etc.) and alkaline (Be, Mg, Ca, etc.) cations. The preferred components of the aqueous pre-moistening solution are boric acid and sodium bicarbonate.
The aqueous solution should comprise about 0.2 to 2 wt% borate ions, preferably 0.3 to 1 wt%, and 0.2 to 3 wt% bicarbonate ions, preferably 0.4 to 2 wt%. The weight ratio of borate to bicarbonate ions can range from 4:1 to 1:4, preferably 2:1 to 1:2.
The aqueous solution may also contain other components typically included in manufacturing pre-moistened towelettes such as alcohol, preservatives, cleansing agents, fragrances, moisturizers and softeners.
The amount of the pre-moistening aqueous solution applied to the nonwoven may range from 150 to 400 wt% of the web.
Preferred pre-moistened towelettes are those that exhibit≧1.3 pli (≧230 glc) and contain less than about 1 wt% boric acid (borate ions).
The finished towelette or wipes of desired dimensions may be individually packaged, preferably in folded condition, in moisture-proof envelopes or in containers holding any desired number of such folded sheets. For individual packaging, it will be convenient to wet the PVOH binder containing sheet with the aqueous solution containing borate and bicarbonate ions prior to inserting the sheet into the envelope or the composition may be injected into the open envelope which is subsequently sealed. If a number of the wet sheets are to be packaged in a single container which can be closed and reopened for removal of individual towelettes or wipes as needed, the folded sheets may either be pre-moistened with the aqueous solution or such solution may be poured over the stacked sheets in the container under conditions assuring appropriate wetting of each of the individual sheets.
Various forms of impermeable envelopes for containing wet package materials such as towelettes, wiping and polishing cloths and the like are well known in the art. Any of these may be employed to packaging the wetted towelettes of the present invention. The envelopes for the individual packaging may be formed of any material impervious to the liquid contents. Thus, the envelopes may be made of plastic materials or cellulosic materials lined or coated with plastic or other waterproof compositions. Preferably, the envelopes should be of a type that can be conveniently opened by tearing to remove the packaged wet towelette.
An air laid web of cellulose fibers (110 g/m2 density) was sprayed with a 5% solids flushable binder to an add-on of 20 wt%. The binder composition comprised 80% Vinac� XX-210 polymer emulsion (PVOH stabilized polyvinyl acetate emulsion) and 20% Airvol� 523 PVOH (87-89 mole% hydrolyzed; DPn of ˜1200). The dry tensile strength of the dried web was 16.9 pli (as measured in an Instron tester). The wet tensile strength (3 minute soak in 1% aqueous solution of dioctylsulfosuccinate sodium soda) was 0.0 pli. The dried web was tested for wet tensiles in a variety of aqueous solutions as shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1______________________________________ TensileAqueous Solution pli (glc)______________________________________4.4% Boric Acid 2.9 5183.3% Boric Acid 1.1 1972.2% Boric Acid 0.1 181.1% Boric Acid 0.05 94.4% Sodium Sulfate 0.36 644.4% Sodium Bicarbonate 0.28 504.4% Aluminum Sulfate 0.0 04.4% Borax 3.1 5541.5% Boric Acid/1.5% Sodium Bicarbonate 3.4 6083.0% Glycerin 0.0 01.5% Boric Acid/3.0% Glycerin 0.66 1181.0% Boric Acid/1.0% Sodium Bicarbonate 2.88 5150.75% Boric Acid/0.75% Sodium Bicarbonate 1.93 3450.50% Boric Acid/0.5% Sodium Bicarbonate 1.5 2680.25% Boric Acid/0.25% Sodium Bicarbonate 0.41 733.0% Boric Acid/1.5% Sodium Bicarbonate 2.58 4613.0% Boric Acid/4.5% Sodium Bicarbonate 4.16 7441.5% Boric Acid/3.0% Sodium Bicarbonate 3.83 6854.5% Boric Acid/3.0% Sodium Bicarbonate 3.68 6561.5% Boric Acid/1.5% Sodium Bisulfate 0.16 294.4% Potassium Citrate 0.33 597.5% Potassium Citrate 0.40 7210.0% Potassium Citrate 0.46 821.8% Boric Acid/1.2% Sodium Bicarbonate 3.1 5542% Boric Acid/1.0% Sodium Bicarbonate 2.1 3751% Boric Acid/2.0% Sodium Bicarbonate 3.2 5720.6% Boric Acid/0.9% Sodium Bicarbonate 2.1 3750.4% Boric Acid/0.6% Sodium Bicarbonate 1.6 2860.3% Boric Acid/0.45% Sodium Bicarbonate 0.81 145______________________________________
It can be readily seen from the data in Table 1 that the combination of boric acid and sodium bicarbonate provided for a synergistic effect on the wet tensile strength of the flushable web. For example, whereas the 3.3% boric acid solution and the 4.4% sodium bicarbonate solution gave wet tensiles of 1.1 and 0.28 pli (197 and 50 glc), respectively, a solution of 3.0% boric acid/4.50% sodium bicarbonate gave an impressive wet tensile of 4.16 pli (744 glc). Even at the low end concentration the solution of 0.25% boric acid/0.25% sodium bicarbonate gave a remarkable wet tensile of 0.41 pli (73 glc) compared to 0.05 pli (9 glc) for 1.1% boric acid and 0.28 pli (50 glc) for 4.4% sodium bicarbonate.
The present invention provides a pre-moistened towelette which comprises a PVOH containing binder in contact with an aqueous solution containing borate and bicarbonate ions. The towelette exhibits acceptable wet tensile strength but rapid disintegration in water.
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Dr. Ian Redmount, a Ridgway native and graduate of Ridgway Area High School, recently authored a physics textbook titled "12 Problems in Physics." Redmount is currently a professor of physics at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Mo.
The textbook, which spans 12 chapters, is centered around applications and concepts necessary to solving classical physics problems.
FOX TWP. ŌĆō Two Holstein steer cows perished Saturday night in a Fox Township fire that destroyed a barn.
Elk Company 3 (Fox Township Fire Department) and Elk Company 5 (Jay Township Fire Department) responded at 8:32 p.m. to 615 Byrnedale Rd. in Fox Township along with Fox Township Ambulance. The property is owned by 66-year-old Edward J. Benevich of Weedville.
ŌĆ£Now they were bringing even infants to Him that He might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, ŌĆśLet the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.ŌĆÖŌĆØ - Luke 18:15-17
WILCOX ŌĆō For one young couple living in Wilcox, months old wounds from every parentsŌĆÖ worst nightmare may be beginning to heal.
HARRISBURG ŌĆō PennsylvaniaŌĆÖs annual Elk License Drawing will be held at the Elk County VisitorŌĆÖs Center this summer, according to Senator Joe Scarnati (R-25).
The 2014 drawing will take place at the Elk County VisitorŌĆÖs Center on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2014, in conjunction with the Keystone Elk Country Alliance Elk Festival.
ŌĆ£I am very pleased that the Game Commission has followed my recommendation and decided that the Elk License Drawing will take place in Elk County this year,ŌĆØ Scarnati said.
ST. MARYS ŌĆō As work on the state Route 255 project continues in the area between Vine Street and State Street, questions and rumors can be heard around town related to a number of issues, including the traffic signals at the Vine Street and Arch Street intersections.
With Vine Street currently closed due to the installation of water and sewer lines, one frequently discussed topic relates to why the traffic signal at that intersection continues to function instead of simply flashing yellow until the intersection with Vine Street reopens.
Earlier this month, the state Department of Labor and Industry, in partnership with the Department of Community and Economic Development [DCED] announced a new grant opportunity-- the Pa. Jobs1st Regional Partnership.
Governor Tom Corbett created the initiative as a way to better connect local workforce investment boards together with Partnerships for Regional Economic Performance [PREP] partners.
House Bill 1701 may be the answer to a lot of problems throughout the area.
The legislation aims to create a rural community college pilot program serving an 11-county region of northwest and north central Pennsylvania.
Its sister legislation, Senate Bill 1000, passed with flying colors, 42-4.
Online classes are currently being offered to all Pennsylvania residents through the Online Broadband and Technology Training [OBTT] program, sponsored through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development [DCED].
Enrollment in courses opened up in February of this year and all courses will tentatively be available until the end of 2014.
A new federal report claims Pennsylvania lost nearly 4,000 farms over a five-year period along with a 100,000 total farm acreage decline.
The initial figures in the Census of Agriculture released in late February show just over 59,000 farms in 2012, land that comprised 7.7 million acres.
The total annual market value of the state's agriculture products totaled roughly $7.4 billion with the average farm producing nearly $124,000 in products every year.
While most Pennsylvania farms range between 10 and 500 acres in size, approximately 650 are at least 1,000 acres.
A large brush fire reportedly broke out Wednesday shortly after 4 p.m.
Initial reports indicated there were three separate fires affecting four to five acres near 2071 Bendigo Road in Ridgway Township.


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Well, I have just dished out on 22 samples I have really wanted to try but kept delaying. Actually, that's a lie, some I have just discovered and have been recommended. Some are brand new to me whereas others I have known about but pushed aside in previous sample orders; others I have felt I'd never buy a bottle of so haven't ordered a sample – ridiculous as in this mindset I am both limiting myself and missing out on experiencing true gems of my hobby.
All being sent from the USA, these things are going to take ages to get here, so here comes the long patient wait.
I have really began to notice how much my tastes are changing, well, not changing but more expanding. I used to always avoid green scents and have always said I don't like vetiver, without actually ever knowing what vetiver smells like.
Having selected my samples, I have chosen at least 3 vetiver dominated fragrances, earthy scents, beachy aquatics (all nostalgic type scents, none of your light sports cologne crap obviously)… I love broadening horizons and discovering new things. I'm excited to be inspired again, it's been a while since I have been.
Thanks to the scent obsessed folks over at Basenotes – I say that as though I'm not one of them – I have completely matured in my olfactory exposure, understanding and knowledge of the fragrance world. Even if no one in my immediate circle of friends and family can truly understand the appeal (which I under-hype and keep semi-reserved), besides my hugely supportive partner, I'm having great fun. I love having my creativity back, along with a boatload of passion for something again. I feel secretly joyous with my expanding ability in noted expression and olfactory exploration, examination even; and I've only just started :)


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©2012 Nevil Shute (P)2012 Audible Ltd
"Shute is an honest, exciting adventure writer who blends narrative gift with a fine power of description." (John Betjeman)
"That shattering, unaffected, literary style of his is wholly deceptive...is, in fact, masterly." (H.E. Bates)
"Loved it!"
Thought provoking view of what might occur in the future in a struggle between the British parliment and the monarchy--from the perspective of a reluctant witness.
"I could not finish this because of the N-word!!!"
I realize that this book was written in the 1950's, but that is no excuse in my opinion. The protagonist nickname is the N-word, and worth part about it is that he has no problem being called the N-word. Just wish Mr. Shute or his editor had had to intelligence to realize that this subtle racism is not ok.
I am currently listening to "The Doom" by Stephen King.
He did a good job with this subpar material.
The protagonist whose nickname is the N-word.
"A Nice Change"
I really enjoy a Nevil Shute book - no gratuitous bad language or sex - just a good story.
In this one a priest delirious from an attack of malaria sits with a dying man in 1950's Australia. The priest 'dreams' and the old man babbles his life story. Somehow the story becomes a futuristic England around 1980/90 - not as we know it, but as the author imagines it might be.
An interesting and easy listen narrated perfectly by Gary Waldhorn.
"Nevil Shute has worn well"
I last read this book about 40 years ago and then the story was set in the future.
Also I have now visited Australia during "The Wet" and have a picture in my mind that was not there before.
Now the future has happened and it is interesting to compare his predictions against current history.
He still remains a master story teller and the narrator of this book is superb.
"In the wet"
An excellent book I could not stop listening. Though it was written over fifty years ago some of it is life like today. A truly good read and I would recommend it to anyone
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Hewlett-Packard is planning to launch a line of Android-based tablets, according to the tech site ReadWrite, and also is mulling an entrance into the Android smartphone market. The story is sourced to "two sources familiar with the matter." HP isn't commenting, though CEO Meg Whitman in the past has made it clear that she thinks the company needs to be in the mobile device business.
The story says HP's first Android device will be a high-end tablet using an Nvidia Tegra 4 processor.
The post notes that HP is holding private meetings during the Mobile World Congress in Barcleona later this month and might show off the new Android tablet there, but adds that an official launch at MWC is not planned.
HP's move into the Android-based devices comes at a time when Microsoft has agreed to provide $2 billion in financing to help Dell founder Michael Dell take his company private.


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The Village of Owego Board Comes to a Decision on Two Vacant Police Positions
8/4/2014 (Updated 11:04:42 PM)Numerous residents spoke out in favor of adding two new officers to the Owego Police Department but the final decision rests in the hands of the Owego Board of Trustees
It was a close call but in the end the board has decided against hiring officers to fill the two vacant positions. Residents are concerned this means that the village will rely heavily on the Tioga County Sheriff's Office to help patrol the area when the police department is not staffed.
The Tioga County Sheriff says, "I told them that I'm the sheriff and Owego is in Tioga County and if it needs to be policed because they don't have police officers then I'll police it. I mean that's pretty much the bottom line."
The decision was not well received by Owego residents or the Police Benevolence Association. They feel that this decision might be the first step toward bigger things.
BPA Representative says, "They want to do away with the police department and my fear is this is the first step towards... Lets start reducing our police officers next year we'll cut another one. Someone will leave and we won't fill that position and it'll slowly be at the point where the next step will be to get rid of the police department."
Even Owego's mayor, Kevin Millarr voted for keeping the additional officers on the streets. He reiterated that he believes police should be patrolling the Village of Owego 24/7.
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A semiconductor storage cell includes first and second source/drain regions underlying first and second trenches defined in a semiconductor substrate. Sidewalls of the trenches are lined with a charge storage stack that includes a layer of discontinuous storage elements (DSEs), which are preferably silicon nanocrystals. Spacer control gates are located in the trenches adjacent to the charge storage stacks on the trench sidewalls. The trench depth exceeds the spacer height so that a gap exists between a top of the spacers and the top of the substrate. A continuous select gate layer overlies the first trench. The gap facilitates ballistic programming of the DSEs adjacent to the gap by accelerating electrons traveling substantially perpendicular to the trench sidewalls. The storage cell may employ hot carrier injection programming to program a portion of the DSEs proximal to the source/drain regions.
1. An array of storage cells wherein at least one of the storage cells comprises;
a first source/drain region underlying a first trench defined in a semiconductor substrate;
a second source/drain region underlying a second trench in the substrate;
a charge storage stack on sidewalls of the trenches wherein the charge storage stack includes a layer of discontinuous storage elements (DSEs); and
electrically conductive spacers formed in the first and second trenches adjacent to the charge storage stacks wherein the depth of the trenches exceeds a height of the spacers wherein a gap exists between a top of the spacers and an upper surface of the substrate.
2. The storage array of
3. The storage array of
4. The storage array of
5. The storage array of
6. The storage array of
7. The storage array of
8. The storage array of
9. The storage array of
10. The storage array of
11. A method of programming a first bit of storage cell in an array of storage cells by injecting charge into a first injection region of the storage cell, comprising:
biasing a first source/drain region underlying a first trench in a semiconductor substrate to a first programming voltage (VP1);
biasing a second source/drain region to a fourth programming voltage (VP4);
biasing a first conductive spacer adjacent to a first layer of discontinuous storage elements (DSEs) on a sidewall of the first trench to a second programming voltage (VP2) wherein a depth of the trench exceeds a height of the spacer wherein a gap is defined from a top of the spacer to a top of the substrate; and
biasing a first select gate overlying the first trench to a third programming voltage (VP3).
12. The method of
13. The method of
14. The method of
15. The method of
16. The method of
17. The method of
18. The method of
19. A programmable storage cell, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate defining first and second trenches running parallel to each other;
first and second source/drain regions underlying the first and second trenches, respectively;
charge storage stacks lining sidewalls of the trenches;
control gates formed in the first and second trenches adjacent to the charge storage stacks wherein the depth of the trenches exceeds a height of the control gates wherein a gap exists between a top of the control gates and an upper surface of the substrate;
a first select gate overlying the first trench;
a first diffusion region occupying an upper portion of the substrate between the first and second trenches.
20. The storage device of
The subject matter of the following applications, including this application, is related: Swift and Chindalore, Programmable Structure Including Discontinuous Storage Elements and Spacer Control Gates in a Trench, filed Jul. 25, 2005 and Swift and Chindalore, Method of Fabricating Programmable Structure Including Discontinuous Storage Elements and Spacer Control Gates in a Trench, filed Jul. 25, 2005.
The invention is in the field of semiconductor devices and, more particularly, nonvolatile storage devices.
Nonvolatile storage is an important element in the design of substantially all electronic devices. In the field of wireless and portable electronic devices, nonvolatile storage must be compact and consume little power. Various nonvolatile storage cells have been proposed and implemented. Included among these conventional cells are planar storage cells and storage cells employing floating gates as a charge storage element. A planar storage cell is characterized by a planar transistor channel region typically located in proximity to an upper surface of the wafer substrate. While planar technology is mature and well understood, planar devices consume an undesirably large amount of wafer area.
With respect to the charge storage element, conventional floating gates have been made of a contiguous strip of a conductive material such as polysilicon. Conductive floating gates present a problem in devices with very thin dielectrics. Thin dielectrics are particularly susceptible to pin hole defects. With a conductive floating gate, all of the stored charge on the floating gate can leak off through a single pin hole defect in the dielectric. Moreover, conventional floating gates are not suitable for localized programming in which injected electrons are confined to a specific location of the charge storage element. Localized programming offers the prospect of multiple bit storage cell, where each bit is associated with a specific region of the charge storage element. Accordingly, it would be desirable to implement a multiple bit storage device suitable for use in an advanced processes employing very thin dielectrics where the design of the implemented device consumes less area than planar devices and devices employing conventional charge storage elements.
The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limited by the accompanying figures, in which like references indicate similar elements, and in which:
Skilled artisans appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve the understanding of the embodiments of the present invention.
In one aspect, a semiconductor-based storage cell and a corresponding fabrication process employ a trench etched into a semiconductor substrate, a charge storage layer formed along the sidewalls of the trench, and a control gate spacer on the trench sidewall adjacent to the charge storage layer. The depth of the trench exceeds the spacer height so that a gap exists between the top of the spacer and the top of the trench. The gap facilitates ballistic programming of the charge storage layer adjacent to the gap. The charge storage layer preferably includes a set of discontinuous storage elements (DSEs). In this embodiment, the DSEs may be silicon nanocrystals or nanoclusters, which are small, discreet silicon structures embedded in a dielectric layer and capable of holding a positive or negative charge. Because DSEs are not physically or electrically connected to each other, DSEs are less susceptible to charge loss through pin holes in the dielectric layer than conventional storage elements such as conventional polysilicon floating gate structures. The preferred implementation of the storage device is capable of storing multiple bits of information using hot carrier injection (HCI) programming, ballistic source side injection (SSI) programming, or both.
Referring to the drawings,
In one embodiment, dielectric liner 104 is silicon oxide, which may be thermally formed (grown) or deposited using CVD (chemical vapor deposition). Hard mask 106 is preferably a dielectric that can be selectively etched with respect to substrate 102. Hard mask 106 is preferably CVD silicon nitride, which is desirable for its ability to inhibit oxidation of an underlying semiconductor thereby providing a mask for a thermal oxidation process.
Referring now to
In the preferred implementation, DSEs 120 are silicon DSEs (silicon nanocrystals). In this implementation, DSEs 120 may be formed in any one of a variety of ways, preferably without requiring any photolithography steps. One well-known DSE formation technique is to deposit an amorphous silicon layer and heat it to form the nanocrystals. Another technique is to deposit the nanocrystals using chemical vapor deposition (CVD). DSEs may have various shapes, including hemispherical and spherical, depending upon the deposition technique employed. In one implementation, DSEs 120 are approximately 10 nm in diameter and are spaced at a predominantly uniform spacing of approximately 10 nm. Regardless of the formation technique used, each DSE 120 is a particle of silicon that is electrically and physically isolated from its neighbors.
Referring to
Turning now to
Turning now to
In the depicted embodiment, a depth of trenches 108 exceeds a height of control gate spacers 140 by controlling the duration of the spacer etch so that spacers 140 extend only partially up the sidewalls of trenches 108. In this embodiment, a gap 141 exists between the top of spacers 140 and the upper surface of substrate 102. Gap 141 is adjacent to a portion of the DSEs 120 in charge storage stack 131. When the storage device is biased appropriately, an high magnitude electric field exists within substrate 102 in the vicinity of gap 141. The acceleration of electrons caused by this field may result in ballistic programming of the DSEs 120 adjacent to gap 141. This ballistic programming is facilitated by the geometrical arrangement of the storage device wherein electrons flow in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the sidewalls of trench 108 as will be described in greater detail below.
Referring now to
Following the formation of isolation dielectric 145, a select gate 148 is formed overlying the dielectric. Select gate 148 as shown in
As depicted in
A top view of storage device 100 depicted in
Storage device 100 includes a pair of injection regions 114-1 and 114-2 programmable using ballistic source side injection (SSI) programming and a pair of regions 114-3 and 114-4 programmable using hot carrier injection (HCI). Programming table 160 of
Programming a first bit that is associated with ballistic SSI injection 114-1 includes biasing source/drain region 112-1 to a first programming voltage (VP1), biasing control gate 140 to a second programming voltage (VP2), biasing continuous select gate 148 to a third programming voltage (VP3), biasing source/drain region 112-2 and substrate 102 to a fourth programming voltage (VP4). For one NMOS embodiment of storage cell 100, VP1 (source/drain programming voltage), VP2, control gate programming voltage, and VP3 (select gate programming) are all in the range of approximately 5 V to 9 V while VP4 is 0 V (ground).
Exemplary programming values are depicted in
Erasing the programmed injecting region includes biasing the first and second control gates to a first erase voltage (VE1) and biasing the semiconductor substrate to a second erase voltage (VE2). The select gates 148 may be biased to VE1 during erase to insure complete erase. In addition, erase can be accomplished in either polarity. Thus, for example, VE1 can be +/−6V, while VE2 is −/+6V. The erase conditions apply to each of the programming tables.
A second embodiment of a storage cell 200 is depicted in the cross section of
A virtual ground array variation of the embodiment depicted in
Programming table 162 of
Programming table 163 of
A third embodiment of storage cell 200 is depicted in the cross section of
This embodiment of storage cell 200 includes four storage devices 100-1 through 100-4. Storage device 100-1 includes select gate 148, control gate 140-1, source/drain region 112-1, and diffusion region 152-1 under contact 150-1. Storage device 100-2 includes select gate 148, control gate 140-1, source/drain region 112-1, and diffusion region 152-2 under contact 150-2. Storage device 100-3 includes select gate 148, control gate 140-2, source/drain region 112-2, and diffusion region 152-1 under contact 150-1. Storage device 100-4 includes select gate 148, control gate 140-2, source/drain region 112-2, and diffusion region 152-2 under contact 150-2.
In the depicted embodiment of storage cell 200, contacts 150-1 and 150-2 are arranged in a diagonal configuration with contact 150-1 being closer to source/drain region 112-1 and contact 150-2 being closer to source/drain region 112-2. This embodiment simplifies the design of back end metalization (not depicted) that will connect to the contact structures. In another embodiment (not shown) desirable for its symmetrical design, contacts 150-1 and 150-2 are arranged in a straight line fashion with both contacts being equidistant from source/drain regions 112-1 and 112-2.
Each storage device 100-1 through 100-4 has two programmable injection regions, a ballistic SSI injection region and an HCI injection region. By including contacts on opposing sides of select gate 148, this third embodiment is able to program two ballistic SSI injection regions and two HCI injection regions within a single charge storage stack 131 where one of the injection regions is closer to first contact 150-1 and the other is closer to second contact 150-2.
Programming table 164 of
Programming table 165 of
In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. For example, although the depicted embodiment is an NMOS transistor embodiment, PMOS embodiments are equally encompassed. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present invention.
Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element of any or all the claims. As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
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Jul 06 2010
Our Fourth of July get-together was lots of fun, and I ate more than my body weight in covered dishes. Whoever brought that pasta salad with the bacon, mayonnaise, and peas needs to be banned from this earth. That stuff was lethally delicious.
This time, after many years of failing to find the time to snap photos of the party (something about being the hostess that makes it difficult to keep my nose in the camera) I decided to hire a photographer to come to the party and take photos. I was so glad I did. By the end of the evening, I'd actually been able to hold conversations with people and tend to the food and drink in the kitchen, and some 1,500 photos had been taken of the food, the guests, the cows in the yard, and the fireworks. (This is compared to the twenty photos I would have managed to take myself.)
I'm categorizing this post, because my brain works better that way and I need all the help I can get this morning. I dreamed last night that I went in for surgery and this morning I'm actually feeling the aftereffects of the anesthesia.
Uncle Peter! My smelling salts!
(Name that movie.)
Flies on a cattle ranch are a fact of life, and from June through September we're resigned to opening and closing the doors of our house as fast as we can, never leaving any food outside for very long, and keeping all the porches sprayed off and clean in order not to give the flies any added reason to congregate around our doors. But this year, something is different. The little demons are absolutely everywhere.
All last week, in the days leading up to the Fourth, I became concerned about the swarms of flies that had moved into our neck of the woods. We've been fighting them like crazy, and each member of our family now has his own monogrammed flyswatter.
Not really on the monogrammed flyswatter, but it's actually not a bad idea.
Normally, we use a spray rig to douse our immediate property in fly spray the day of our party, usually in the late afternoon. But this year, we sprayed two days before the party in order to get a head start. The result? It hardly made a dent. I, in turn, began to panic. What if the flies on our ranch are some kind of superbug? What if they've developed some kind of resistance to the fly spray we use every year? What if they multiply and take over our entire ranch? I grabbed Marlboro Man by the collar of his shirt, buried my head in his neck, and cried "What's to become of us?"
So we sprayed again the next day. It chased them away…for an hour.
I felt doomed.
So the afternoon of our party, we sprayed again. That's our out-of-town friend McD (Julie's husband) operating the sprayer; my brother-in-law Tim is driving. This is how we treat visitors. We hand them a nozzle and ask them to spray a toxic liquid all over our windows, doors, grass, and eaves.
Martha Stewart should give me some kind of hostess award.
The result? The final spray did the trick! I didn't ask, because I didn't really want to know the truth, but I believe they dumped a little more of the concentrated repellent into the truck on this last go-round. Fortunately, I'd sent the kids away for this final application…but I don't think I'd better think about reproducing for awhile. I might give birth to Jeff Goldblum.
Speaking of hostess awards, this is how I decorated the house:
Can you believe my forward thinking? Sunflowers AND American flags?
I'm a revolutionary!
An hour before the party started, rain began to pour from the heavens.
So Marlboro Man stuck the grill under the garage and went on about his plan.
You'll never catch a rancher complaining about a heavy rain in July.
You'll never catch a rancher complaining about rain, period.
It's quite liberating actually, to plan a party, see a forecast of heavy storms that morning, and jump for joy.
While all the guests arrived and we set up food in the kitchen, the kids lit fireworks. This is part of the tradition of our Fourth of July event—we hand kids lit cigars and punks, say "be careful," and sit back and watch.
This is why I wake up every Fourth of July and go straight to my knees in prayer.
Amy from I Heart Faces grew up 'round these parts, and she stopped by for some of the fun. It rained off and on, which added to the sense of adventure.
And sogginess.
And runny mascara.
But after dinner was when the real fun began. Magically, instantly, the clouds parted just in time for Marlboro Man and Tim to whip out the pyrotechnics and prove to the world that man can make fire.
I'm never sure if my beloved is going to come out in one piece. But I guess that's part of the fun.
I think.
Actually, that part isn't really fun at all. I just tell myself it is to keep from crumbling in fear.
The fireworks were crazy. Huge. Loud. Frightening.
Midway through the heavy duty fireworks, Amy came and found me, gave me hug, and said "I think we're going to head out."
"Oh, are you sure?" I said.
"Yes," she smiled. "My son is scared."
It made me smile. We always go out of our way to make sure our guests are really comfortable.
When the last of the guests finally pulled away, we all realized how beat we were.
Charlie had worked harder than any of us. All those meat scraps were really difficult to chew.
Cowboy Josh is Ornery,
Pioneer Woman
334 Comments
Janet On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:01 am
Sounds like a good time was had by all!
Katharine On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:03 am
Gone With the Wind. Aunt Pittypat always needs her smelling salts. Great pictures….glad you hired someone and could enjoy yourself!
catred On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:04 am
Great fun, food and friends! 4th of July celebrations are the best!
Window On The Prairie On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:06 am
Looks like you had a great time!
maggiewann On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:06 am
Wow, what fun, that's what it's all about.
Linda On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:08 am
What a cute pic of Charlie! Too funny about being offered the beer…looks like he already had his anyway! Thanks for sharing the pics!
Rene Foust On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:08 am
I like Cowboy Josh's way of thinking! It looks like you had a great party but you probably need a week or two for recovery. I like the idea of hiring a photographer, can't wait to see the pics. Thanks so much for sharing, I just love the Cowboy Way!!!!
Michele On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:08 am
Perfect day after all!
Lyndsey Brown On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:08 am
At least flies don't bite right? Or does this superbreed also come with fangs? Looks like a great party.
Gone with the Wind. 20 points for me! Aunt PittyPat is really something else.
Daddy Scratches On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:09 am
Wow, you had a way better Fourth of July than I did; I was home alone accidentally melting stuff in my oven. Next year, I'm coming to your place, Ree!
Missy On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:09 am
If Josh ever wants to use a match-making service, he needs to use this photo of himself. A gal just gets weak in the knees when there's a cowboy with his dog. At least this (single) gal does.
Debbie On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:09 am
Looks like a good time and glad everyone's limbs are all intact.
Kris On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:10 am
Looks like a great party. We had your blackberry cobbler again, with homemade vanilla ice cream on top. TO DIE FOR!!!
Christine On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:10 am
what a wonderful day!!
and I made your cobbler with sour plums and blueberries–it was a monster hit!!! (I may have to blog about it)
tell that man in the last pic, that Ultra is the way to go!!
Terry in Texas On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:10 am
Maybe that's why Charlie keeps going to Cowboy Josh's place!!
Jessica @ How Sweet On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:10 am
I would love to come to a 4th at the ranch. It looks like such a blast!
Neener On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:11 am
You may want to try pennies in a bag of water to control the flies.
Rebecca Montano On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:11 am
LOVE the picture of Charlie! That one is certainly frameable. Thanks for sharing your holiday with us all. I had to work, so we didn't do much here, although we did make it to the city fireworks. Your party looks great!
leigh On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:11 am
" Uncle Peter! My smelling salts!"
why, Gone w/ the Wind, of course!
[i just LOVE your blog…]
Darcie On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:11 am
A spray rig. Now that's an idea-we have the same demons at our place. And we used 400 cans of fly spray. Didn't even phase them.
We have to power wash house and windows to remove their nasty spots.
virginia tadrzynski On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:11 am
you can shoo some of the rain in our direction. I love summer rains….and so does my wilted garden. 100 degrees in the shade today. Glad you had a wonderful 4th.
Karen O On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:11 am
What great photos! I love the little boy's expression while watching the fireworks! Glad it worked out well and the weather cleared way for a great show.
Donna Hansen On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:12 am
Looks like fun! Your fireworks are way cooler than our little fountains. And a good summer rain is always beautiful.
Rachel On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:14 am
Looks like you had a great time!! I was wondering if Charlie survived the fireworks…looks like he made it through but just barely. Our basset hound was pacing the hallways for hours, boy was he worn out. Our 200 pound English Mastiff grabbed a stuffed toy and was good…as long as I didn't leave his sight, :0) Thanks for sharing your fun with us!
Pammy On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:15 am
I loved the face of the little boy – it says it all. if you want to see how we (who are ever-so-slightly demented) in Idaho celebrate Independence Day, go here: http://upintheatticwithpammyj.blogspot.com/
(I think MM would be inspired….I'm just sayin')
laurenbtrain On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:15 am
great pics. in the fireworks one, do you know what settings were used?
Demetria Friberg On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:16 am
Oh, that looks like a load of fun. I know what you mean about going to you knees….it always worries me when you mix explosives with kids and men! Loving the picture of Josh and Chalie…so typical in so many ways!
Amanda M. On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:16 am
The pictures are beautiful! Our 2 year old was terrified of the fireworks this year. We knew we were in for an early evening when the little "snakes" my husband was lighting off were making him shake and scream "No more Daddy. Lets be all done!" Maybe we will get to blow some stuff up next year!!!
ms ellie On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:16 am
Josh needs a woman. Just sayin
Missy Jill On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:16 am
You are sooooooo lucky!
Jannell On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:16 am
AAWW… when I was younger we had bonfires and fireworks for the queens birthday- affectionately known as "cracker night". Sadly it's illegal now….can we come to yours next year "Reezy"?(think serious suck upping here) I will shuck corn and cut corn and drink sangira..*Burp* I will I promise.
kathy55 On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:16 am
Ree, looks like so much fun….we had a ball, too, but I want to see your pics….and for sure of the food! Well, lots of pictures of everything, really! Something about kids and fireworks! On another note, I'm always glad when it's over around here….
Debbie On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:17 am
Love the pic of the little guy watching the fireworks, what a cutie!! Sounds like you had the perfect fourth of july party!
sylvie of silver lining On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:17 am
the ridiculous flies story had me in stitches! and i think i looked just like charlie after our fourth extravaganza…but it was worth every penny.
thanks for the laughter and fantastic photos
sylvie of silver lining
Tansasser On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:17 am
I love that you hired a photographer for your own party. More people should do that!
pamatlifebythecreek On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:17 am
What fun! I adore Amy… so glad she was able to make it to your grand affair. And those fireworks put the ones in most of our cities around here to shame. Wow… that's the way to entertain your guests!
Glyndalyn On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:17 am
What a great party!
Denise Lamb On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:17 am
What a great day you all had for July 4th.
Your fireworks looked really beautiful.
tracy On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:17 am
How fun!!!!
Jannell On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:18 am
oops! spelling mistake!!!Sangria Sangria Sangria… spell that 3 times fast.
Caroline On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:19 am
Gone With the Wind. Aunt PIttypat…she's such a pick-a-little, talk-a-little.
Melissa On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:19 am
Looks like you had a big time.
Robin Alm On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:19 am
We run a small condo hotel and all of our guest go to the beach, 100 yrds. west to picnic and do thier fire works On the 5th the GOOD citizens all go help pick up the mess. Ocean Shores WA.
Lu @Mudpuddle On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:19 am
Looks like a great time. Like Charlie, my little Corgi, Weegie, is still recovering from all of the fireworks in our area.
Natane On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:19 am
Everyone loves a good holiday party!!! Food, fireworks, and fun, best day ever!
Jodi On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:20 am
I love Gone With the Wind, I love your blog and I love that you love GWTW. Your pictures have inspired me to purchase a camera and explore the photography realm. Thank you!
Mary LeAnn On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:20 am
LOL!! That last picture says it all!
CArolyn On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:21 am
Gone with the Wind.
Looks like a good time was had by all.
Krista On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:21 am
Wow, what a great day! Cowboy Josh is a doll :o) If I wasn't happily married to the best darn engineer around….
Screwed Up Texan On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:21 am
Ha Amy! Your kids crack me up–especially that little boy of yours. Lampshades and all…or in this case fireworks and all. (If it makes you feel any better, my son was scared too at our fireworks show.)
Mamadallama On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:22 am
Your photographer did an awesome job! Looks like a great party and one that would be fun to attend, BUT I would've been scared, too, for all the punks holding punks and for MM and all the manly men lighting the fireworks. Glad everyone had a good time and there were no injuries.
Rachel On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:22 am
What did Daisy think of the fireworks?
Jen at Cabin Fever On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:24 am
Josh is hilarious. You need more posts that include him It will settle the masses!
And what a great idea to hire a photographer! I seem to get so few photos myself on my 4th of July because I am always so busy setting up our fireworks display. Very cool you got to be in front of the lens for once. Wait… where are the photos of you?! hmmmm…. haha
And you should consider hiring someone to do the fireworks next year! You've got tons of room and heck, if you hire a photographer you might as well hire a real pyrotechnic!
Kathryn On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:24 am
I loved the last picture, and enjoyed reading about the celebration of food and fun on the 4th. Sorry about the flies, I hope they stay gone for good now!
Maysen On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:25 am
You gave the punks…punks…Haha
The Urban Cowboy On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:25 am
Looks like an awesome time…rain and flies, and all!
Beverly On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:27 am
Here's how we keep (most of) the flies out of the house. http://thecowqueen.blogspot.com/2010/05/works-for-me-wednesday-fly-repellant.html
Tell Cowboy Josh that drunk Bassett Hounds are not fun. (expecially when the hours begin to wane and the dog has a hangover.) Just something I learned in college.
Rosanne On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:27 am
Looks like your party was a great success! Now we all know how cowboy Josh is luring Charlie to his place. Oh, and the flies? They are the worst ever this year out here in AZ.
K in KY On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:28 am
Love seeing your pictures of the 4th. I look forward to it every year…maybe someday you'll have a contest (that I win) which will allow me to attend the 4th of July celebration…pioneer style! Keep the pictures coming!!!
Lindie On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:28 am
Looks like you all had a great time, regardless of the flies and rain.
Charmings Mama On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:29 am
Pretty sure you have more flies because you are letting a bovine live in your yard. Cows in yard = flies.
the inadvertent farmer On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:31 am
ROFL…nothing like scaring small children just for kicks!
You all really know how to party, great post…Kim
WebSavvyMom On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:33 am
–>Oh the pressure to take pictures FOR you for YOUR website. I'm glad I wasn't asked. You may have just seen pictures of my empty plate and beer bottle! Oh, and fireworks!
eileen On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:33 am
looks like a good time. Glad the clouds parted for the fireworks. As for flies we used this and it worked. Now, we just have horses, but I would think it would work for cattle too. It doesn't get rid of ALL flies, but it definitely made a dent!
C.C. On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:34 am
Sounds like an amazing weekend! And I love the way you categorized this post.
My Card Making site!
Hayley W On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:34 am
All the pictures look amazing! I'm so glad I could be there and help out. Hope to see you again soon!
Julie On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:35 am
Why, it's GWTW, my dear! My favorite book and movie of all time Loved the pictures; looks like so much fun! The last picture made me laugh; I've finally figured out why Charlie likes Josh so much If yall ever decide to go through with "The Ranchelor" to find Josh a lady, sign me up!
WHATUPDUCK On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:35 am
Looks like a good time! We had that wonderful rain too!
Jenni in KS On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:35 am
1) Fly swatters really freak me out.
2) Pesticides mildly freak me out.
3) But I hate flies and my vacuum cleaner will only reach so far to get them.
4) Jeff Goldblum really really REALLY freaks me out, human fly or no. I would resort to fly swatters and pesticides if Jeff Goldblum was around.
5) He may be a very nice man. I'm sorry Jeff Goldblum. (But still. You fuhreak me out, man.)
6) Are those MM's special grillin' gloves? Or are those the same ones he uses on the live beef? Either way, I'm sure the grill kills the germs, and no one cooks a steak like MM. Best. Steaks. Ever. Drooling here.
7) Love the expression on your oldest girl's face as she's lighting that firecracker!
8) I do some of my best praying when Danny is playing with fire. Did I ever tell you about the time he lit his arm on fire and turned it into Arby's roast beef while burning brush. Gah. (Suddenly I'm not so hungry for that steak.)
9) Danny always likes to share a little of his bear with the critters.
10) I think I just wrote a guest post on the Pioneer Woman's blog. Am I famous now?;o)
Barb On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:36 am
Aww, shucks! It ain't easy bein' a dawg!
Jenni in KS On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:36 am
Huh. That smiley should be a #8.
coloradolady On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:36 am
Fun!!! Now that pic of Charlie got me good…what a sweet heart that full pooch is napping on the sofa!!!!!
Cayce On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:37 am
so much fun! After we did our grand finale for our little group of friends, we looked up to find the trees on fire in the park next door. Talk about drama!! Thank goodness the fire dept has a station in that park!
PS our little fireworks didn't cause the fire!
Stacy Kearney On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:39 am
I believe I'd like to snuggle with Charlie. Smell his feet, rub his ears, clean the basset hound drool from his jowls. But I promise that I would relinquish him to his mama. Sound good to you?
gkey On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:40 am
dear Gone,
What a great 4th of July! Thanks for sharing the pix and the organized topics of your celebration.
With. The. Wind.
Munchiedog On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:41 am
The expression on the little boy's face watching fireworks makes it worth it all! What a great event you put on every year.
Martha On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:41 am
Spalding Fly Predators!!! I would have never believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself. We have cows too and I haven't had a single fly in my house since the beginning of June. *not affiliated* http://www.spalding-labs.com/
Great pictures, I know it was wonderful to have someone else worry about it for once.
Janey On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:43 am
the pic of your eldest lighting the firework is brilliant and beautiful.
Janey in the UK
Anna Lewis On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:44 am
I can't believe you'd led Josh offer beer to Charlie. Isn't that animal abuse. Ha! Just kidding. Looks like tons of fun. And as bad as the flies are here in Dallas suburbia this summer, you have my sincerest sympathy for flies at the ranch!
(Which reminds me of girl scout camp when I worked in the barn, we had fly spray on a timer. More than once we'd catch girls basking in the spray – they thought it was water! Oops.)
Sadie at heyMamas On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:45 am
Looks like a great time!!
Sadie at heyMamas
angee On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:46 am
Wow, I wish I had a place to go to like yours for the 4th. It looks like everyone had a blast, especially ol'Charlie;-) So glad you had a photographer there so you could actually enjoy the fruits of your labor and the vast company! Way to go. Wasn't God so merciful giving us all a perfect sky just in time for the light shows?:-)
rayleighsmom On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:46 am
Looks like you all had a blast! My Josh does the same thing when the dogs decide to head to bed before he wants them to… he tries to bribe them with beer, but they rarely wake up and when they do it's usually just to growl at him, roll over and go back to sleep. Haha.
AliciaC On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:46 am
Looks like a great time. Those big firewerks are banned here in Albuquerque. Not that that stops a lot of people around here.
Ikke78 On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:47 am
And now we know why Charlie loves Josh
P.S: Gone with the wind
My Kitchen in the Rockies On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:49 am
Glad to see that Charlie found a great napping spot. These 4 th of July days are very exhausting for sweet little doggies.
Dairy Maid On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:49 am
Parasitic Wasps!! Saved our 4th on the Dairy farm.
Been using them for 3 years now, and every year we have less and less flies to contend with…
Now we need a magic bullet for the mosquitos.
farmwifetwo On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:49 am
We're not organic farmers but my garden is b/c of small children. My bug deterrent is last years tobacco scraps. Part of country living is the insulation of flies and ladybugs in an antique country farmhouse…. I simply use ant traps for the ants b/c I don't want to spray the insides of my house. The outside one's I have the stuff that goes directly into their holes….
Our family rebellion is in the old pasture field btwn us and Grandma where the play equipment is next Sunday… flies and all… That's part of having cows in the barn…. and barns were once built near houses…
Nobody seems to mind, they've been attending it here for nearly 50yrs now, less about 15 of them that were in other locals.
Jann On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:52 am
Glad yall had a good 4th! Ree, is that big concrete slab yall shot the fireworks off from the torn down "chicken house"?
Jennifer On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:52 am
The photos were great! Smart move…glad you were able to enjoy the event!
Mama M. On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:53 am
Wow…your oldest daughter looks more like a high school graduate than a pre-teen girl! She's beautiful!
You've got flies, we've got killer mosquitos. That don't budge. We need one of those sprayer rigs. Mind if we borrow it?
Mandy On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:54 am
So you are the reason I was unable to locate one single sunflower! J/K. Looks like the perfect get together. We took the kids to see Toy Story 3 this weekend and I just can't get over how much you oldest daughter looks just like Cowgirl Jessie. I love it!! Disney needs to offer her a paycheck.
Susan Moe On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:55 am
We put a few pennies in a ziplock bag about half filled with water and it keeps the flies away. Something about them having so many eyes and the glittering light off the copper/water mixture makes them think there are lots of bugs and it's too dangerous to go near. It's amazing how it works!
PS It rained during the 4th in Seattle as well
Kelly On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:55 am
So glad you had a good time – the rain didn't let up enough northeast of Stillwater (in Glencoe) long enough for our kids to do their night-time stuff.
Rebekah Greiman On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:56 am
I love the photos of the fireworks. It was so muggy down by the Arkansas in Tulsa that my lens perpetually fogged over–no pictures of the entire night! All that I have are the memories….name that movie.
amanda On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:57 am
Eep! I love Shane! He took some pictures of me for a show I was in and I loved the pictures (not a mean feat) He's such a talented guy!
magnolia On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:58 am
Great fourth of July post! The photos are wonderful!
Evelyn On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:58 am
Wow, you guys really live on the edge! Between the toxic chemicals and the explosives…..whew. Glad your party was such a success. Funny post.
Sarah On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:58 am
My in-laws use some type of creature/bug/larvae that they sprinkle throughout their pastures and yards to keep the flies down. THey get them from Auburn University and they work! They hatch something that eat the larvae of the flies…ya know…in the yuck stuff in the pastures;)
Judy On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:59 am
Sounds like good fun and good food, and especially good friends. Best times ever!
M @ Betty Crapper On Tuesday, July 6 at 9:59 am
I detest flies inside the house. I usually wait until they inevitably land on my kitchen window and then I spray them with surface cleaner.


text:
Thus far for the fiscal year, retention for first term Navy enlistees is up 2.1 percent from last year and for career force sailors, the reenlistment rate is up 7.3 percent. Based on these positive retention trends, the Navy is reducing fiscal 2000 and fiscal 2001 enlisted accession goals. The original fiscal 2000 recruiting goal of 57,370 was adjusted several times this past year, most recently by 1,600, to the present target of 55,000 (or 4.2 percent less than the original goal). Similarly, the fiscal 2001 goal has been lowered from prior projections of 60,000 to 56,350 (or 6.1 percent of the projected goal).
The Navy's retention investments have included DoD-wide pay raises and pay table reform coupled with retirement pay reform; reductions in the inter-deployment training cycle; significantly improved advancement opportunity for Sailors; fiscal 2000 enhancements to the Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB) program, targeting undermanned and high tech ratings; and Navy leadership's efforts to reduce first term attrition.
The Navy expects continuing improvements to further increase retention in fiscal 2001. Specific policy initiatives being considered include enhancing the SRB program, returning high-year tenure policy to pre-drawdown levels, and increasing the mix of the Navy's top six enlisted paygrades to match readiness requirements for today's technical Navy.
"Focusing our investment on keeping proven performers in the Navy reduces the requirement for recruiting the next-generation of leaders," said Ryan.
In order to sustain these retention efforts, Ryan recently established the Center for Career Development in Millington, Tenn. The center was created to augment retention efforts throughout the Navy and will be a customer-focused organization that provides training, career information, products and services. The center will also work to receive feedback from Sailors and their families to direct future retention strategies.
For more information contact Cmdr. Betsy Bird at (703) 614-2000.


text:
AMARILLO -- Thursday marked the end of the United Way's 2013 Campaign, and they celebrated at the Civic Center.
The United Way of Amarillo and Canyon helps many local agencies that work to improve lives. Some of those helped by the funds donated include the Amarillo Area CASA, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, the Bridge, and the Salvation Army.
The Victory Luncheon included more than 100 businesses with nearly 800 attendees. Awards were given out for best performance by volunteers and companies.
This year's goal was $5.9 million and the total so far is about $5.5 million.
One of the things that affected the outcome was this year's government shutdown, but the campaign co-chairs said the effort was not hindered.
"You know these things just happen, but believe me, it didn't stall us at all, we just kept after it, you know, and try as hard as we can to raise the money for the folks that need the money," said Smith Ellis, one of the co-chairs of this year's campaign.
A council determines how much money to give out by reviewing proposals from the beneficiary agencies.
It's given out based on the need of those agencies.
It is not clear right now if any of the agencies will have to change its programs for the next year.
Copyright 2013 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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