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Charleston County
HEYWARD, Frances R., 79, of Johns Island, widow of Sam Heyward, died Sunday. Arrangements by Palmetto Mortuary of Charleston.
JONES, Kelly, 64, of Charleston died Friday. Arrangements by Palmetto Cremation Society.
MARSH, Raymond Jr., 90, of Mount Pleasant, a retired lieutenant colonel with the Army and husband of Elizabeth Marsh, died Sunday. Arrangements by Simplicity Lowcountry Cremation and Burial Services of North Charleston.
O'SHEASY, Patrick Andrew, 61, of Charleston, a mechanic with the Charleston County School District and husband of Amelia Joseph, died Monday. Arrangements by Stuhr's West Ashley Chapel.
PAYLOR, Doreen, 51, of North Charleston, a supervisor in the mental health field, died Friday. Arrangements by Simplicity Lowcountry Cremation and Burial Services.
SEIDEL, Priscilla S., 65, of Charleston died Wednesday. Arrangements by Tri-County Cremation Center of Summerville.
THOMPSON, John A., 86, of Charleston, a retired truck driver and husband of Susie G. Thompson, died Monday. Arrangements by Smith-McNeal's Downtown Chapel.
TUMBLESTON, Heyward Eugene, 82, of Awendaw, a retired tax company owner, died Saturday. Arrangements by Simplicity Lowcountry Cremation and Burial Services of North Charleston.
WASHINGTON, Betty, 60, of Charleston, a homemaker and wife of Calvin Washington, died Sunday. Arrangements by Smith-McNeal's Downtown Chapel.
WELCH, Woodrow Carroll, 40, of Charleston died Sunday. Arrangements by McAlister-Smith's West Ashley Chapel.
WOOLLEY, Janet Galloway, 83, of Seabrook Island, S.C., widow of Douglas F. Woolley Jr., died Saturday. Arrangements by Bliley's Central Chapel of Richmond, Va.
Berkeley County
ANDERSON, Nina L., 83, of Goose Creek died Saturday. Arrangements by McAlister-Smith's Goose Creek Chapel.
HAWKINS, Elmo Francis, 53, of Moncks Corner, an equipment operator, died Sunday. Arrangements by Simplicity Lowcountry Cremation and Burial Services of North Charleston.
HICKS, John Kyle, 22, of Goose Creek, a food service manager, died Sunday. Arrangements by McAlister-Smith's Goose Creek Chapel.
MOORER, Marjoria, 61, of Ladson, a waitress, died Saturday. Arrangements by Simplicity Lowcountry Cremation and Burial Services of North Charleston.
PARRIS, Kevin Theodore, 50, of Goose Creek, a carpet installer and partner of James L. Brothers, died Monday. Arrangements by Simplicity Lowcountry Cremation and Burial Services of North Charleston.
Dorchester County
COBURN, James Carol Jr., of Ridgeville died Sunday. Arrangements by Glover Funeral Home of Summerville.
SOLARI, James R., 80, of Summerville, a retired ground transport manager with Logan International Airport and husband of Pamela B. Solari, died Sunday. Arrangements by Tri-County Cremation Center.
WILLIAMS, Annie Mae Boyd, of Summerville died Sunday. Arrangements by Brown & Son Funeral Home of St. George.
BESSINGER, L. Maurice, 83, of West Columbia, an Army veteran, restaurateur and husband of Barbara Williams Bessinger, died Saturday. Arrangements by Thompson Funeral Home.
CODY, Annie Caroline Thames, 81, of Sumter, a Korn Industries retiree and widow of Joe R. Cody, died Sunday. Arrangements by Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home.
GATELY, Joan B., 82, of St. Petersburg, Fla., formerly of Mount Pleasant, S.C., wife of Edward Gately, died Feb. 18. Arrangements by Anderson-McQueen Funeral Home of St. Petersburg.
GREER, Thomas Upton, 86, of Milledgeville, Ga., formerly of Kiawah Island, S.C., a retired major general with the Army and husband of Judith Lacksen Greer, died Friday. Arrangements by Williams Funeral Home of Milledgeville.
HOLMES, Lula E., 81, of St. Helena Island died Monday. Arrangements by Allen Funeral Home of Lobeco.
KEMPE, Louise Gwin Clarke, 69, of Pisgah Forest, N.C., formerly of Charleston, S.C., widow of Ludwig G. Kempe, died Friday. Arrangements by Moody-Connolly Funeral Home of Brevard, N.C.
SHIVER, Carl T., 60, of Panama City, Fla., formerly of Charleston, S.C., an electrician with the Naval Coastal Systems Center and husband of Kathy Shiver, died Wednesday. Arrangements by Southerland Family Funeral Home of Panama City.
SINGLETON, Edna M., 94, of Virginia Beach, Va., formerly of North Charleston, S.C., died Monday. Arrangements by Hilton's Mortuary of North Charleston.
THOMPSON, Daryl O., 43, of Vance died Monday. Arrangements by Eutawville Community Funeral Home.
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Rowan's "Savannah" yarn is made of cotton tape wrapped in silk, creating a bit of fun texture to each stitch. Available in cool colors, this yarn is wonderful for summer sweaters or accessories!
Color: Desert (Brown) • Color Number: 930 • Fiber Content: 94% Cotton / 6% Silk • Ball Weight: 50g • Yardage: 87.5 yds • Yarn Weight: Medium • Gauge: 18 (Stitches per 4.0 inches/10 cm.) • Needle Sizes: 8 U.S./5.00 mm • Care: Hand Wash Cold, Dry Flat


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Feb 13th
Skyrim DLC 'Dragonborn' Now Available on PSN in Europe
50% Off In The First Week
Skyrim's DLC has been exclusively available for some time on the Xbox 360 (too the annoyance of many), however, PS3 owners in Europe can now visit Solstheim in the Dragonborn DLC.
Bethesda are releasing the DLCs in reverse order to the Xbox 360, so you can get Dragonborn today for a special first-week price of £6.49, € 7.99, AUS $11.75. Hearthfire, which allows you to build your own house in the world of Skyrim, will become available next Wednesday, the 20th February. And Dawnguard the Wednesday after on the 27th.
In North America, the DLCs will be released on the Tuesday, so a day before Europe.


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with Djuna Mascall and Jisan Anna Thorn
in the Wheelwright Center at Green Gulch Farm
Sunday, July 27, 2014
9 am - 5 pm
Yoga, meditation and nature offer a potent resource for healing. This retreat will promote greater well-being through the therapeutic application of Prajna Yoga: a unique combination of asana, somatic movement and pranayama to deeply unwind and restore the body. Zen meditation will develop ease and stability of mind to access your innermost being and embrace what arises. We will reflect on our experience of time, presence and beauty to access their healing potential.
This daylong will include alternating periods of yoga, sitting and walking meditation, and time in nature. Weather permitting, the meditation will be outdoors on the gorgeous grounds of Green Gulch. All levels are welcome.
Also with Djuna and Anna:Fees: $90; $81 current SFZC members; $72 limited income.
Deeper immersion into yoga and healing with a 6-day retreat at Tassajara, May 18-23rd.
About Registration, Scholarships, and Cancellations


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By Martha Townley
Brittanys are the pranksters and heartbreakers of the canine world. A human only has to look into those amber eyes, and his or her soul will surrender to a tender softness it has never quite known before.
More sensitive than most breeds, Brittanys have high energy levels and require intensive, daily exercise. They love to jog or go on long walks. They are known to be excellent pointers and great retrievers of quail, dove, pheasant, and grouse in the hunting field. Their ability to point is instinctive. Properly trained, Brittanys also provide stiff competition at dog shows.
Brittanys are usually orange and white or liver and white. Consistent obedience training is essential to forming a sound canine-human relationship. As with any breed, Brittanys need to know the owner is in control at all times. Since that control will be tested again and again, the owner must be persistent in establishing firm guidelines with no wavering.
These 4-paws laugh. No kidding. I call it the "snaggle tooth smile." I can usually tell when our Brittanys smile or laugh by the way they curl their upper lip on one side of their mouth to show one or two upper teeth. After their evening meal, all these guys have been known to turn into spastic clowns. They run in circles up and down the hallway until their energy gives out. Then they like to settle in for reruns of Mr Ed, the talking horse, or The Adams Family.
Cooks in the family, beware! These amber-eyed angels love to counter surf. For example, I have put a steak out to marinate on a platter, carefully choosing the kitchen counter where it could rest in peace far away from canine robbers. Well, apparently it wasn't far enough. I went out of the room for a few minutes, and when I came back, I found Dover, one of my Britts, contentedly gnawing away on a juicy, raw steak with no guilt at all.
His punishment was the forfeiture of his privilege to watch Mr. Ed and Elvis Presley reruns for three nights. He tried to persuade me to change my mind by looking more adorable than usual, but I stood firm, even though it was killing me inside.
These dogs are very affectionate (as you have probably guessed already) and love to cuddle. Sometimes, when I'm exhausted, I can't tell the difference between a Brittany and a pillow. Upon waking up, I discover a pink eraser nose breathing into my face with an ear flopped over one of my eyes. At this moment, I remain still because if this is heaven, I don't want it to go away.
Brittanys are loyal and caring, even when sick. Several years ago, Dover, my second Britt, was sick with kidney failure. In the evening when I came home, he walked down a long hallway to greet me at the back door while in a great deal of pain. I'll never forget it. This brings tears to my eyes every time I remember.
If you like to exercise, and are willing to give the time and love, then a Brittany may be the dog for you. For more information on this breed please go to www.nbran.org.
Martha Townley
National Brittany Rescue and Adoption Network


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I was like no, YES, YES!, NOO!!!!, YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
I was like no, YES, YES!, NOO!!!!, YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
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Haha. Lloyd gets a freebie.
D _ i _ s _ m _ a _ n _ t _ l _ i _ n _ g
The Patriots are scary
Jackie Bradley Junior.... that is all
It's their year. When stuff like that happens, there isn't much else you can say.
"The United States military doesn't DO pin pricks." ~ President Barack Obama.
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My god this is just yet another Patriot annihilation. This is sad. Houston is really 11-1?
I've said it once and ill say it again. The Patriot can beat any team unless the team has a great defense. We can't win defensive battles. But if its offense vs offense, there's no contest.
49ers are in trouble next week. Belichek is going to rape Kaepernick. Read option these nuts. Plus, Brady can take out the weakest part of the niners defense which is their secondary. Harbaugh better get his boys prepared - its going to be a long cold sunday night
Let's get Brady one more TD
lol and they don't get it.
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text: Ramin Karimloo is currently starring to great acclaim as "Valjean" in the Toronto production of LES MISÉRABLES, a role he also played in London's West End, where he also received the Theatregoers' Choice Award for his performance. In London, he also performed as "The Phantom" in the West End production of The Phantom of the Opera, as well as the show's 25th Anniversary production at the Royal Albert Hall. He was personally selected by Andrew Lloyd Webber to play "The Phantom" in the London world premiere of the show's sequel, Love Never Dies, for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award as Best Actor in a Musical. His association with LES MISÉRABLES and The Phantom of the Opera also includes having played "Enjolras" and "Raoul," respectively, in the West End productions of each show. He was also honored to have performed the role of "Enjolras" in the LES MISÉRABLES 25th Anniversary Concert at the 02 Arena in London. He also performed in the U.K national tours of Miss Saigon and Sunset Boulevard. He has toured extensively performing his own special genre of music, Broadgrass. His solo album Human Heart is available from Sony Records. Ramin is Iranian-born and was raised in Canada.


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Stacey's Story
"During Year 10, I left my family and went into foster care because of a number of family breakdowns. Being in foster care has made a big difference to my life – it has made me feel more independent and helped me to realise I can do things on my own. I have started to get on with my family again now and it's going really well, but I am still in foster care. The foster people are lovely, but not being with your own family sometimes makes you feel a bit down.
At school, I began the Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE), which was fun because I could pick the modules and sections that interested me. It also gave me something to do in my free lessons as I hadn't been to school for a long time; I felt I couldn't be bothered. So when I finally came back, I studied only English, Maths, Health and Social Care, and CoPE, which I have now completed!
This course has given me another GCSE equivalent at grade B. It has enabled me to reach my potential and I left school in June with eight GCSEs at grade C or above. My favourite module was Work Related Learning and Enterprise, particularly the challenge about creating a CV and writing a letter to apply for a job. This taught me how to do two of the things I needed for my apprenticeship this year. Lots of the other modules were helpful and I was able to learn other new things that were fun. I have really enjoyed doing CoPE."
Count on CoPE - Bryony's story
More and more students are finding that the ASDAN Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE) qualification can give a decisive edge to their applications for university, as Bryony's story shows.
More on Count on CoPE - Bryony's story
Darni's story
Darni suffers from both Hemiplegia (total paralysis of the arm, leg, and trunk on the same side of the body)and OCD. SHS helped Darni to gain self-belief and confidence and worked closely with his family to ensure that he settled in to his new school. Find out how here...
More on Darni's story
Fahran's story
Find out how SHS supported Fahran at school and at home, restoring his confidence and enjoyment of school and also helping his family get through an extremely challenging time.
More on Fahran's story
Fairtrade producers visit St Lawrence's Primary School, Byker
Students learning about Fairtrade at St Lawrence's Roman Catholic Primary School in Byker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, spent a morning in March finding out what life is like for farmers and their families in the developing world, thanks to two special visitors.
More on Fairtrade producers visit St Lawrence's Primary School, Byker
James' story - Greenfield School and Community Arts College
James was at risk of dropping out of school altogether until Greenfield School in County Durham introduced the ACTIVE programme, designed to help young people by personalising their learning.
More on James' story - Greenfield School and Community Arts College
James' story - Greenfields school
The Communities for Learning ACTIVE programme has helped to build James selfesteem and confidence in his own abilities and he now has full attendance in school, no exclusions and has gained 4 accreditations in Outdoor Activities
More on James' story - Greenfields school
Jim's story - Armathwaite school
This school is having very positive effects on students through their approach to engaging the community for learning.
More on Jim's story - Armathwaite school
Lee's story - St Wilfrid's Catholic High School
From changing suppliers - increasing the proportion of locally sourced and organic food in school meals - to creating a school garden and allotment plots, the Food for Life's School Nutrition Action Group at St Wilfrid's has helped bring change and improvement in a very productive way.
More on Lee's story - St Wilfrid's Catholic High School
Louise's story - Wade Deacon school
This school's New World project helps pupils such as Louise apply skills such as creative thinking, effective team work and independent enquiry to solve problems. This has succeeded in breaking down Louise's barriers to learning.
More on Louise's story - Wade Deacon school
Robert Owen Day at Sir Thomas Boughey Co-operative Business and Enterprise College
Students learned about the ideas of Robert Owen, the father of social enterprise, at an event held at Sir Thomas Boughey High School near Stoke-on-Trent.
More on Robert Owen Day at Sir Thomas Boughey Co-operative Business and Enterprise College
Stacey's Story
After going into foster care and deciding she 'couldn't be bothered' with school, Stacey found that the ASDAN Certificate of Personal Effectiveness helped her to reach her potential. Here, the Salisbury High School student tells her story.
More on Stacey's Story
Tom's Story - Ralph Allen school
Tom was an able student who found himself in trouble in school due to his inability to control his anger, which in turn started to affect his concentration and learning progress. Tom attended a Communities for Learning workshop and is now managing to control his anger and engage with his learning.
More on Tom's Story - Ralph Allen school


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by WNYwillieB Aug 2, 2009 5:01 PM
Cucurbita pepo 'Cream of the Crop'
The large tubers can be transformed into candy and ... read more
We have many of these spiders in our yard. A few months ... read more
This beautiful guy is always present in large numbers ... read more
Proteaceae is one of my favourite plant familes for ... read more
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|Catalog #
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|1 kit
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FxCycle™ Far Red stain (F10348) is used for flow cytometric analysis of DNA content in fixed cells when combined with RNAse. This dye takes advantage of the commonly available 633⁄5 nm excitation sources with emission around 660 nm. With multicolor cell cycle studies possible u ...


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18 Essential Summer Skills for Guys
- Overview
- Make Your Car Look Hot—All Summer
- Serve up Perfect Watermelon
- Look Cool at a Summer Wedding
- Make Great Iced Tea
- Mix up an Amazing Steak Marinade
- Beat the Heat
- Stage Your Own Bin Laden Takedown
- Stave off Seasickness
- Hone Your Frisbee Accuracy
- Strike out Every Batter in Slow Pitch
- Cure Your Kid's Fear of Water
- Win the Water-Balloon Race
- Supercharge Your Golf Game
- Land the Biggest Bass
- Wear Trunks She'll Want to Unpack
- Talk Her out of That Bikini
- Give Her the Universe
- Retire Early
- Crash a Hotel Pool
More Guy Wisdom Lists
Look Cool at a Summer Wedding
Degree of Difficulty: Dude
A Hawaiian shirt is not an option. Don't be the sweaty mess in the three-season suit. A crisp, pulled-together look honors the happy couple and may catch the eye of that lovely single guest, says Durand Guion, vice president and men's fashion director at Macy's. For a daytime wedding, wear a light shade of khaki or tan for your suit, and a pastel pink or yellow shirt. For a day or night affair, pair an olive or chocolate-brown jacket with white linen or cotton pants and an open-collared white linen shirt. A pocket square gives you a finished, polished look so you can forgo the tie, which just traps sweat anyway.
Sign up for our FREE Daily Dose newsletter for the best fitness, health, sex, and nutrition tips delivered to your inbox daily.


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Paying homage to the birth of Sony's 32-bit console beauty, and the legacy that it spawned, as the first games console to lift gaming from the depths of basements and into the minds of the masses
Sony's most playful child the PlayStation turns 15 today. To celebrate, we take a look back at the origins of Sony's Blu-Ray playing, 3D-gaming, motion-sensing monolith.
Regardless of where your allegiances lie, it's hard to deny the impact that Sony's PlayStation console - in all its forms - has had on the gaming world.
Here, we look back at the various PlayStation consoles, reflecting on their strengths, weaknesses - and the highlights they brought us along the way.
PlayStation (1994)
The genesis of the PlayStation can actually be traced back to Nintendo, and its efforts to integrate disc-based technology into gaming hardware. News of a Sony and Philips-developed CD-ROM/XA spurred Nintendo into commissioning Sony to develop an add-on that would allow the SNES to benefit from CD technology. After plans fell apart, Sony chose to use the technology they developed for Nintendo in their own grey beast - and in 1994, the PlayStation was born.
Until the arrival of the PlayStation, cartridges were the norm - and their reign over the video game industry was never challenged nor questioned. Sony's first PlayStation console boldly adopted the unproven CD technology instead. The naysayers were soon silenced - as the benefits became impossible to ignore. The legacy of the PlayStation consoles and the incredible impact they have had can be attributed to Sony's desire and insistence on pioneering new mediums - and CD adoption with PSOne was the starting point.
The CD provided significant increases to storage space, allowing better video and sound production. This, combined with a marketing push aimed squarely at the 'laddier' young adult male audience - keen on lager, ladettes and Loaded - meant Sony had a smash hit on its hands.
The popularity and affordability of the new CD medium was a double-edged sword, however; it played a big part in one of the first PlayStation's biggest issues - piracy. Piracy has become as much a part of the PlayStation console legacy as God Of War or Metal Gear Solid. Since modifying the PlayStation console was so easy, even those with basic computer familiarity could pirate software - and a whole shady new business was opened up to dodgy mid-'90s 'entrepreneurs'.
Mod-chips could be installed effortlessly by someone with basic soldering abilities. The affordability of CD-burning hardware for computers further increased piracy, since people could now buy CDs in bulk and either copy or download and burn dozens of games for a fraction of their retail price. When all is said and done, however, it was the games on Sony's first PlayStation console that set the brand up to take over the world.
Existing franchises such as Final Fantasy, Grand Theft Auto and Metal Gear thrived off the technical superiority of the hardware, with Square-Enix's use of fully rendered characters and pre-rendered backgrounds in Final Fantasy VII (1997) giving us one of the most important industry innovations of all time. New lasting franchises such as Resident Evil (1996), Twisted Metal(1995) and Gran Turismo (1997) also got their start on the original PlayStation console.
Read the rest of the PlayStation console 15th Anniversary feature over at CVG


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|Hampton Inn Slippery Rock properties are listed below. Search for cheap and discount Hampton Inn hotel rates in Slippery Rock, PA for your upcoming individual or group travel. We list the best Hampton Inn Slippery Rock lodging so you can review the Slippery Rock Hampton Inn hotel list below to find the perfect place.
Our search will also provide discounted Slippery Rock, PA lodging that have similar quality of Hampton Inn.
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0.177" (4.5mm) Winchester 1894 lookalike. Powerful, accurate, solid German engineering. by Walther.
We make our recommendations based on the caliber, pellet weight and the gun's power.
· Full list of accessories
· Full list of ammo
Pyramyd Air Airgun catalog
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PY-Catalog [PY-A-3175]
Starting at $0.01
4.5 (25 reviews)
From: Pyramyd Air
Whenever you order an airgun from Pyramyd Air, we'll put our airgun catalog in your shipment! Not...
Blue Book of Airguns, 11th Edition
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BB-11thEdition [PY-A-5115]
Starting at $25.45
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* Prices for current and vintage airguns * An essential reference text * Special...
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does not include shipping and tax


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with the next season of tuf about to begin and another season on the way in september, i was thinking about potential coaches for the latter. since the fall season will showcase lighterweights, it was thought faber and cruz would be a perfect fit for coaches, but that doesnt look like its gonna happen given their upcoming fight in july.
with that said, one pair who i could definitely see uncle dana getting for the gig is jon jones and rashad evans. sure, if this were to happen it would be a near two year layoff for rashad, but also remember, ufc is a business first and former teammates turned coaches would make for perfect t.v. and truth be told, it'd probably be better off for rashad (and jones too) financially to do so.


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New, Updated Resources on Community Health Centers
The Kaiser Family Foundation has issued three new resources that examine the role of community health centers as key components of the U.S. health care system, providing primary care to more than 16 million patients nationwide in 2007. The documents, produced for the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured,…Fact Sheet Read More
Health Care and the Middle Class: More Costs and Less Coverage
This analysis paper examines the availability, affordability and stability of the health insurance coverage of the American middle class, defined as those with incomes of $44,000 to $88,000 for a family of four. It also addresses the growing burden of health care costs for the middle class, the adequacy of…Report Read More
Summary of Coverage Provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
This short summary describes the health coverage provisions contained in the final version of the Affordable Care Act signed into law in March 2010, including the individual mandate requirements, expansion of public programs, health insurance exchanges, changes to private insurance and employer requirements.Issue Brief Read More
Research Brief: Insurance Coverage and Access to Care in Primary Care Shortage Areas
As both federal and state governments gear up to implement the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), concerns about the supply and distribution of physicians, particularly primary care physicians, are being raised. In many areas of the country, there is a shortage of primary care physicians, and some worry…Issue Brief Read More
Adolescent Health: Coverage and Access to Care
This issue brief provides a broad-based grounding in adolescent health and related policy by examining access to health services for adolescents, their insurance coverage, and the role of state and federal policies in shaping access to care. The brief also discusses how implementation of the the health reform law may affect health coverage, access, and incentives to use preventive care for adolescents.Issue Brief Read More
Changes in Health Insurance Coverage in the Great Recession, 2007-2010
This issue brief examines changes in health insurance coverage over the last decade, with a focus on how changes in the economy, particularly during the "Great Recession" of 2007 to 2009, have affected coverage and the number of uninsured. The paper finds that the number of uninsured grew substantially during…Issue Brief Read More
The Role of National Firms in Medicare+Choice
This report addresses national managed care firms participation in M+C and the factors influencing their decision processes about M+C products. Based on interviews with executives and senior staff of national managed care firms, this report examines how eight national firms strategically position their M+C product, including the process that firms…Report Read More
Pulling it Together: How the ACA Can Help The Homeless
Estimates are that there are approximately 630,000 people who are homeless on any given night in the U.S. — about two-thirds in shelters and one-third on the street or without real shelter. Several million people are estimated to experience homelessness over the course of a year. About two-thirds are individuals and the…Perspective Read More
Putting Men's Health Care Disparities on the Map: Health Status Highlights
This fact sheet provides a brief overview of racial disparities in health status among men of different races in the United States. It draws findings from the report, Putting Men's Health Care Disparities On the Map, which uses national data sources from multiple years to generate state-level estimates on a…Report Read More
Putting Men's Health Care Disparities On The Map: Access and Utilization Highlights
This fact sheet provides a brief overview of racial disparities in health access and utilization among men of different races in the United States. It draws findings from the report, Putting Men's Health Care Disparities On the Map, which uses national data sources from multiple years to generate state-level estimates…Fact Sheet Read More


text: WVU's Countdown to Kickoff: Day 43- Kevin "Boo" McLee WVU's Countdown to Kickoff: Day 43- Kevin "Boo" McLee Countdown to Kickoff Current Football Featured On Campus SHARE Jared Martin , July 18, 2014 / 930 0 Continuing on with our 100 day countdown to WVU's season opener against the Alabama Crimson Tide, we have reached day 43, the number once worn by WVU linebacker, Kevin McLee. Originally from nearby Uniontown, PA, McLee spent five seasons as a member of the WVU football program, from 2002 to 2006. McLee is the son of University of Georgia standout, and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers tailback, Kevin McLee Sr. After redshirting in 2002, McLee played in every game for the Mountaineer football team, from 2003 to 2006. In 52 career appearances, "Boo" McLee recorded 247 tackles, nine sacks, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions. He helped the team earn a share of the Big East conference championship three of his four seasons in the program, and was a first team, all-Big East selection in 2005. Head shot of McLee. (photo via: westvirginia.scout.com) In his first full season on the team, McLee appeared in all 13 of the Mountaineers' games, recording 46 tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble. His efforts helped the squad earn a share of the Big East title with a 6-1 conference record, the first for the school in ten seasons. The Gold and Blue finished 2003 with a record of 8-5 after losing in the 2004 Gator Bowl to Maryland 41-7. McLee's sophomore season saw the team earn yet another bid to the Gator Bowl after finishing the regular season with back to back losses to Pitt and Boston College. The team managed to finish in a four way tie with the Eagles, Panthers, and the Syracuse Orange to earn a share of the conference title for a second straight year. However, the team was beaten in the New Year's day bowl game, this time by Florida State, to finish the campaign 8-4 overall. McLee recorded 44 tackles, two sacks, and a fumble recovery, while making his first career collegiate start in the 2004 season opener against East Carolina. In 2005, the 6'1", 255 pound middle linebacker helped the Mountaineer football team have their best season to date, as they went 11-1 overall, and beat #8 Georgia in the 2006 Nokia Sugar Bowl to finish with a top five national ranking for the first time since 1988. The team also won their first outright conference championship since the 1993 campaign with a perfect 7-0 record in conference play. Along the way, McLee recorded 78 tackles, 1.5 sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble. For his efforts, McLee was named to the Big East all-conference team, earning first team distinction. He also earned all-ECAC honors for the 2005 season. McLee (#43) was a three-year starter for the Mountaineers (photo via: spokeo.com). McLee finished his collegiate career in 2006 with a career-high 79 tackles, along with 2.5 sacks, and an interception. While the team lost out on a fourth straight conference championship, they were again able t0 earn a New Year's day bowl bid, being invited to play in 2007 Gator Bowl against Georgia Tech after another ten win regular season. The team beat the Yellow Jackets 38-35 in the bowl game to finish the year with 11 wins, helping cap one of the most successful eras in program history. Kevin McLee graduated from West Virginia University in 2006 with a degree in athletic coaching education. Following his graduation, McLee would go on to pursue a career in professional football, signing with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in the spring of 2007. McLee would spend the 2007 NFL season as a member of the Rams' practice roster before being cut by the organization the following spring. Most recently, McLee spent time on the practice roster of the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL before being released later in the 2008 season. All countdown profiles of numbers 100-44 are still available here at WVUPros.com. Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Recommend on Facebook Share on Posterous share via Reddit Share with Stumblers Tumblr it Tweet about it Buzz it up Subscribe to the comments on this post Print for later Tell a friend


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http://live.pirillo.com/ - Thoughfix, a regular community member, saw Chris and Scoble chatting about the iPhone and he thought he would chime in with information on a new device that might just beat the iPhone for mobile web surfing.The Nokia N800 is a device that some people say is actually better than the iPhone:It is built on Linux, so there are a ton of applications out there already out there. It comes with Opera 8, a full-fledged web browser with Flash 7. Supports WiFi or a dial-up connection via Bluetooth. Supports a full QWERTY keyboard via Bluetooth. Comes with an integrated webcam and microphone for Internet calling via Skype (which means you can use SkypeOut as your phone service!) Full Instant Messaging and E-Mail clients. Basically, it's a Tablet PC without the bulkiness of a notebook, or the near-minuscule size of a cell phone.Do you have a Nokia N800? If so, how do you like it?Want to embed our Nokia N800 Mobile Device video in your blog? Use this code:
Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes
What's it like to live a geek's life? Chris Pirillo puts his life on display for the world to enjoy. From Pirillo's Picks (a weekly gift guide for geeks) to Tech Topics (Chris's take on a trend) to Brick Builds (a look at LEGO loot) to Star Scores (a Sci-Fi show... and tell)... it's all about enabling the geek lifestyle!


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NewsWatch: Energy
Blogging the business of energy with Tom Fowler and the Chronicle energy team
Monthly Archive for August, 2010
With oil spills, the more things change the more they stay the same
Between the spill cams, regular updates from The ThadMiral and Kent Wells, a lot of people have become spill junkies. This goes for our own Sharon Hong, who developed a case of spill addiction despite being a Californian with little prior interest in the energy business. Sharon spent the past six months as a Hearst […] [Read More]
Sticker shock: What grade will the EPA give your new ride?
EPA New car window stickers could simplify fuel efficiency info by transforming it into a letter grade. The EPA wants to make it easier for car buyers to know how a car rates for fuel efficiency. To do that, they've redesigned the window stickers buyers will see on the showroom floor. The old stickers haven't […] [Read More]
We're listening: Feds to hold offshore drilling forum in Houston
The nation's top drilling regulator is bringing his offshore drilling listening tour to Houston on Sept. 7. The event next Tuesday will be the sixth in an eight-part series of meetings nationwide on offshore drilling that could dictate the future of deep-water exploration. Chris Graythen/Getty Images Michael Bromwich, Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy […] [Read More]
Investigating the blowout preventer, or CSI: Deepwater Horizon
Rough weather may be delaying the removal of the Macondo well's blowout preventer, but investigators who will be taking the massive piece of steel apart are still getting ready for its arrival at the surface. According to a document posted on the federal joint investigation website this week (see below), the BOP is officially considered […] [Read More]
Waiting for Bly: Will BP take some of the blame?
Bloomberg reported this weekend that BP's internal investigation into the Deepwater Horizon accident — known as the Bly Report — will put at least some of the blame on its own engineers for misinterpreting the results of the two negative pressures tests on the well shortly before the deadly blowout. www.txoilfieldaccidents.com The Deepwater Horizon burns. […] [Read More]
Rule aims to keep drilling inspectors, industry at arms length
The Obama administration just imposed a first-of-its-kind recusal policy on federal drilling regulators in a bid to put greater distance between inspectors and the offshore platforms and rigs they police. The rule is aimed at strengthening oversight of the offshore drilling industry following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and reports that officials at the […] [Read More]
Chron Energy Newslinks | 08.31.10 | Semper Fi! — turn off that light. Locking the revolving door. Cities tap gas revenue.
• Feds put a lock on the revolving door between regulators and oil industry. • Another pause on the Deepwater Horizon well recovery. • Bigger risks follow deeper drilling. • BP assures governors it will restore the Gulf. • Natural gas drilling payments help North Texas cities face budget crunch. • Another reason for new […] [Read More]
Chips in, crude out for Pasadena firm
A Pasadena firm says the state of Alabama has given it a $75 million loan to build five facilities in the state to turn wood into a form of synthetic oil, according to a release from the company. Kior will build three of the five facilities over the next five years, and by 2015 "will […] [Read More]
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This course demonstrates how to light an object on a live-action still plate, using Maya, Nuke, and Adobe Photoshop. Author Mark Lefitz shows how to capture and use a high dynamic range image (HDRI) as the main light source, as well as how to analyze the plate to determine lighting direction, intensity, reflection, and shadow information. He layers in additional key, fill, and bounce lighting, plus ray-traced shadows, using the mental ray render engine. The course also demonstrates how to render various passes from mental ray to composite the final image in Nuke. The composite is finished off with some motion blur and vignetting in Photoshop.
(music playing) Hello! My name is Mark Lefitz, and welcome to Photorealistic Lighting with Maya and Nuke. In this course, I am going to be guiding you through the essential tools, techniques, and workflow to effectively light, render, and composite a CG object; in this case, a futuristic vehicle to a photographic plate. I will start by discussing image-based lighting, including HDRI image creation and manipulation.
Next, we will jump into Maya to explore shading, lighting, and rendering. In Nuke, we will look at how to use our output passes to render our final composite. Finally, we will put some finishing touches in Photoshop. So let's get lighting with Photorealistic Lighting with Maya and Nuke.
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Click on text in the transcript to jump to that spot in the video. As the video plays, the relevant spot in the transcript will be highlighted.


text: Rex Ryan: Geno Smith "Hard to Beat" as Starting Quarterback For New York Jets Rex Ryan: Geno Smith "Hard to Beat" as Starting Quarterback For New York Jets Featured In the Pros SHARE Chris Humphrey , March 21, 2014 / 1263 0 The New York Jets made a serious upgrade Friday to the team's backup quarterback position by adding former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. In a post earlier here on WVUPros.com, I spoke on the positives of Vick being added to the team when it was still in the rumor stage before NFL free agency. With the addition of the 11-year veteran signal caller to the team, the Jets also released four-year starter Mark Sanchez. The fifth overall pick from the 2009 NFL Draft led New York to the AFC Championship Game in 2009 and 2010, but didn't do much following those seasons in the Big Apple. In an interview with Jets.com on Thursday, Rex Ryan made it abundantly clear on how he feels about Geno Smith as starting quarterback prior to the Vick signing Friday. "This young man's going to be hard to beat out," Ryan said. "I don't care who comes in here. We want competition in here. We want competition at every – I think its great – but make no mistake, Geno Smith gonna be hard to beat out." Ryan also added on how he felt Smith kept improving toward the end of the 2013 season. "The last four weeks of the season, when most rookies are (on the decline), he's (on the rise). And we all saw it coming." In those final four weeks for New York (3-1), Smith completed nearly 60 percents of his passes for 790 yards and four touchdowns to go along with just two interceptions. The momentum gained in that stretch of games to end the 2013 season could continue in the beginning of the 2014 season as the Jets added former Denver wide receiver Erik Decker to a five-year deal earlier this month. Decker collected more than 1200 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns for the Broncos, which is more than double any receiving totals from returning New York receivers that will make up this season. The Jets have added solid offensive pieces with Vick and Decker, but still have the 18th pick in this year's NFL Draft to add another top wide receiver to continue to improve the roster this offseason. Ryan could finally have the mix of talent he needs to get back to a double-digit win season for the first time since going 11-5 in 2010. Smith might just be the catalyst for Ryan to push the Jets from a middle of the pack team in the NFL back to a playoff caliber team. "He grew by leaps and bounds. That's what I was so excited about. And the competition — whoever we bring in — that is going to be outstanding. But make no mistake, Geno Smith, he's gonna be hard to beat out, I'm just telling you." You can follow Chris at @_CBH_ as well as WVU Pros at @WVUPros on Twitter. Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Recommend on Facebook Share on Posterous share via Reddit Share with Stumblers Tumblr it Tweet about it Buzz it up Subscribe to the comments on this post Print for later Tell a friend


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Joe from Dorchester, MA lost his job in the construction industry in late 2009. He had purchased a home and was in the process of fixing it up when he lost his job. When he realized he was unable to afford his mortgage, he contacted his bank and was quickly told he did not qualify for a modification. "I tried to work with my bank and they were fast to say no," says Joe. Joe was introduced to the Making Home Affordable © Program after speaking to his niece and then the Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation, a Boston area NeighborWorks America housing counseling organization.
Joe entered into a HAMP SM trial modification in December 2009 and moved into a permanent modification in March 2010. "The housing counselors helped me prepare all the paperwork to make sure my application was in order," he said. "The permanent modification documentation lays out exactly what I can expect going forward. The simple fact is that I knew what I had was worth fighting for. If you walk away, you won't get your foot back in the door any time soon. I'm 45 years old so starting over would be very difficult. My home is my sanctuary to me and keeps me close to my extended family."
Joe has spent the last year keeping up with his mortgage payments, with a savings of almost $1,500 per month. "I was out of work for two weeks in January 2011, and because my payments were reduced, I was able to pay my mortgage instead of struggling to make up the difference."
"I have a clear understanding of what will happen over time. Keeping my home has been priceless," Joe says.


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Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei made a public statement on April 9 denouncing the Saudi airstrikes in Yemen as "a crime" and "a genocide."
"If Iran cheats, the world will know it," President Obama said as the United States and five other nations announced the outline of a 15-year agreement with Iran over its nuclear program.
Learning to speak Chinese may be a really good investment. In 2009, billionaire financier and establishment powerbroker George Soros called for the communist regime ruling mainland China to "own" what he referred to as the "New World Order." In 2015, it has become clear that Beijing is stepping up to the plate as its agents infiltrate the full architecture of existing "global governance" institutions, even while adding their own totalitarian-minded tentacles to it. And despite the effort to portray near-bankrupt Western governments as helpless and confused spectators in the whole process, the globalist European and American establishment's fingerprints are all over the rise of the Chinese Communist autocrats, and the accompanying decline of the West.
As the U.S. government goes deeper into debt and loses influence around the world while Beijing rises, even traditional U.S. allies are rushing to join a controversial Communist Chinese-led international bank expected to play a major role in advancing globalization and so-called "global governance." The Shanghai-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) already includes many of the world's most powerful governments, with its list of prospective founding members growing to almost 50. Some analysts are even claiming a new era of "Pax Sinica" is replacing the supposed U.S.-led world order of past generations.
After years of both secret and overt war unconstitutionally waged by the Obama administration in Yemen, the strategically important Arab nation is in the process of violently imploding once again — even as the White House applauds its strategy there as a "model."
For the second time in recent years, a self-styled Yemeni "president" backed by the U.S. government, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, has been forced to flee the country. As the civil war escalates and Shia Houthi rebels gain more territory, an Obama-backed coalition of Sunni Arab rulers led by the Saudi Arabian regime is fighting to keep "President" Hadi in power and crush the Houthi uprising. In typical fashion, intervention by the U.S. government in the country has poured fuel and weapons on the conflict. But despite Obama's efforts to prop up the Yemeni regime in exile, some analysts say Yemen may be heading toward a break up into smaller states — and that the chaos in that nation could ignite a regional war across the broader Middle East.


text: Welcome to the web site for our kennels. We are located in the rolling hills of South East Ohio. The kennel is run by the Bennett Family. We specialize in Bramlett bred beagles. We strive for the total rabbit dog that is capable of bringing to the gun as quickly as possible with as few losses as possible. We prefer black and tan beagles. We are hunters first but have started trialing in 2007.


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During times of stress or when fish are diseased, their gills may not function efficiently. As a result, fish can experience osmotic shock, by which electrolytes are lost through the gills, impairing the fish's ability to take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. Freshwater aquarium salt contains beneficial electrolytes that replenish the electrolytes lost during these times of stress or disease, resulting in improved gill functioning. For this application, add one tablespoon of salt for every 5 gallons of water.
treat parasites
protect fish from nitrite poisoning
hatch brine shrimp eggs


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Step 1: Materials and Hardware
2-3 TBSP o' Honey
3-4 TBSP o' Lemon Juice(Only if your making a fruity tea like me)
8 Cups o' Water
1/2 Cup o' Sugar
Large something to hold brewing tea(Large jar you see on the left. Glass is preferred, as it doesn't spoil the tea's taste.)
Large Pan(Must hold at least 8 cups)
1/2 cup measuring cup
Butter knife or stirring spoon
2 bags of your favorite tea flavor(Orange Spice rocks my world)
Step 2: Fill 'er up!
Fill up your pan with 8 cups of nice clean water. I just filled up my entire large jar, for it holds almost exactly 8 cups.
Pour the water into the pan, and set it to boil.
Step 3: Measure and boil!
When the water is ALMOST ready to boil, take it off the stove. Having it at too high of a temperature ruins the true tea flavor.
Step 4: Mix mix mix...and Brew!!!
Add your desired amount of lemon juice.
Add 2-3 tea packets depending on how heavy of a flavor you like.
Step 5: Patience!
Step 6: Drink!
Chill the leftover tea for a great, healthy, tasteful liquid with lunch or dinner.
It might even be worth a quick morning microwave for some before-school relaxation. ;)


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Public Pension Funds Named to Lead 'London Whale' Lawsuit
Aug. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Public pension funds from Arkansas, Ohio, Oregon and Sweden will be lead plaintiffs in a group lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase & Co. over trades made by Bruno Iksil, known as the "London Whale."
U.S. District Judge George Daniels in Manhattan ruled today that lawsuits against the New York-based bank should be consolidated into a class action. The pension funds allege they lost as much as $52 million because of fraudulent activities by JPMorgan's London chief investment office.
The lead plaintiffs named by Daniels are the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System, Ohio Public Employee Retirement System, School Employees Retirement System of Ohio, State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio, Oregon Public Employee Retirement Fund and the Swedish pension fund Sjunde AP-Fonden.
"The public pension funds, a group which includes some of the largest public pension funds in the world, have far and away the 'largest financial interest' in the relief sought by the class in these cases," Gerald Silk, a lawyer with Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP, said Aug. 9 in court papers.
JPMorgan Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon said in July the firm's chief investment office had $5.8 billion in losses on the trades so far, and the figure may climb by $1.7 billion in a worst-case scenario. Iksil amassed positions in credit derivatives so big and market-moving he became known as the London Whale.
False Information
The pension funds allege they sustained losses after being given false information that hid the nature of the bank's trades.
Joe Evangelisti, a JPMorgan spokesman, declined to comment on the judge's ruling.
Class-action status allows plaintiffs more leverage in negotiations with defendant banks. Lead plaintiffs direct the litigation on behalf of the class, determining strategy while usually reaping the largest share of any verdict or settlement.
The case is In Re: JPMorgan Chase & Co. Securities Litigation, 12-cv-3852, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
To contact the reporter on this story: Patricia Hurtado in New York at email@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew Dunn at firstname.lastname@example.com


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- 13
- people in the U.S. have this name View Frances Klotz on Whitepages
Meaning & Origins
Feminine form of Francis. In the 16th century the two spellings were used indiscriminately for both sexes, the distinction in spelling not being established until the 17th century.
|176th in the U.S.
German: nickname for a clumsy, awkward man, from Middle High German klotz 'lump', 'block', cognate with modern English clot, which is similarly used in a transferred sense to denote a stupid person.
|5,300th in the U.S.
Nicknames & variations
Francesca, Francisca, Francoise, Francine, Francis, Franchesca, Francisco, Francheska, France, Francie
Kloth, Kluttz, Klotzbach, Klutts, Klitzke, Klots, Klotsche, Klutz, Klott, Klitz


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I've written before about the importance of playing a computer like an instrument. Employing many small efficiency tips on a laptop will add up to copious amounts of time over the span of a year (let alone the span of your working life in front of a computer!) I've calculated that playing a computer as an instrument can literally create one week (about 40 hours) each year in efficiency gains. So learn these tricks and then take an extra week of vacation!
Now, to quantify a standard against which we can benchmark people's skill at playing a computer like an instrument, I'm challenging anyone to beat me in the F1 GeekSpeed Challenge.
Here's how it works:
Here's the leaderboard so far:
Other non-qualifying submissions:
Here are the instructions
(you might want to print these out so you can follow them more easily):
1. Start recording your desktop (you can use iShowu on the Mac or a similar screencast program on the PC)
2. Open any browser
3. Open the following websites in 3 separate tabs:
4. Open the following website in a new window:
5. Go back to the tab that has www.google.com. Close it.
6. Open any text editor. Create a file called "findme" (.txt or .doc etc - anything is fine). Write the following text:
"Let's see if I can win this awesome challenge."
Then edit the text to say:
"I'm sure I can win this awesome challenge. My video will be the shortest of them all."
7. Save it in your documents folder.
8. Quit all your open applications
9. Find the document you just made in the your finder (or explorer if you're using Windows). Click on it once to highlight it. (you don't need to open it.)
10. Open a mail client (or gmail, etc.). Compose an email to "[email protected]"
11. Attach the file you made. Write the text:
"Dear Daniel,
Here is the file I made. Did I win?"
Attach the file you made to the email.
12. Send the email.
13. Stop the screencast (this is still part of the competition!)
Then, post it to Vimeo or YouTube. The length of the video will be your official time. Send me the URL to the video along with your full name. I'll put you on the leaderboard based on your time.
Additional rules:
Congrats to Austin Wood for absolutely destroying the previous record! He just came in with a time of 0:31. I'm not sure that's even beatable!
Oh it's definitely beatable :) I'll explain why. I applied two tactics that anyone else could reapply to improve upon my time.
First, I studied each video that was posted. I was mainly looking for a) what tricks did they use that I don't already implement and 2) what were their biggest weaknesses that I can improve on. By compounding all these small things in each video you can get pretty far. The main weakness I found was the first step of opening the three tabs, hence why I thought of saving the three tabs as a folder of bookmarks.
Secondly, if we're going to play a computer like a musical instrument we should practice a computer like a musical instrument. I therefore practiced this sequence just like I used to practice the viola back in high school. Measure by measure, starting with the last step and adding one step before that after the segment felt second nature. I know 0:31 is beatable, but I don't think anyone can beat it without investing at least 30-60 minutes of practice.
My time is definitely beatable because if you watch my video there is one gaping flaw: Gmail took forever to load! (relatively, that is, to the rest of the tasks being performed). I think that someone could beat this time by doing everything I did plus using a native mail app.
Thanks for this fun challenge, @DROdio!
Yeah I noticed too that Gmail took a bit. But then again, it always seems to.
Very impressive, man. Tell me more about yourself -- what do you do, where do you work, etc. How can I help you be more successful in any of your goals?
I'm impressed!
I used to be a research physicist, now I'm a freelance English teacher in Moscow. You already helped me out quite a bit with the SETT invite, I really appreciate that, thanks! My latest big goal is releasing my first digital product - an online course for native Russian speakers to improve their English pronunciation. I'll let you know if there's anyway I can take advantage of your offer, but as for now, I'd just ask you to keep putting out great and inspirational content on your blog. I only recently found you but you can bet I'll be sticking around.
Awesome, man. Hope things go well for you. You'd probably love Tynan's blog as well, if you haven't already seen it. He's an intrepid traveler.
WOW. I was going to have a go at this because I thought I was fast and then saw Austin's youtube video... guess I got a long ways to go! ;-)
Nice work, all! (and Drodio... great idea!)
Brad, you should definitely give it a try!
You can only improve what you can measure, so getting a baseline time down is worthwhile, no matter what that time ends up being.
Thanks, Daniel. Twisted my arm ;-)
I went for it... and realized my 2009 MacBook simply isnt up to par, which is coming from an angle different than the keyboard point above, because despite a bit of loss in speed, I still make art on this ol' beast ;-).
Pushing 1:30, and the improvements I could rock would be 'textexpander', a bit more practice, and of couse shaving 50% off loading times (browser/applications) with a 2013 MacBook... hmm... tempting ;-)
Send me the YouTube video and I'll post it as an official time (if you'd like).
At the very least, knowing that your hardware is holding you back is a nice side benefit of running through the exercise!
whaaaat? that's like saying that your ability to think faster depends on the kind of hat you're wearing!
a lot of it depends on the keyboard the person uses
Yuriy rocks the GeekSpeed Challenge, nabbing #1 spot at 44 seconds!
Yuriy wrote, "My first attempt without any preparation was 1:56. After adding the texts to the ClipMenu I've managed to get it down to 43 seconds. I think there is room to improve though."
I'm going to attempt it again to see if I can reclaim the #1 spot -- for now, Yuriy, it's yours, congrats!
Email from someone who tried his had at the GeekSpeed Challenge:
Keep working at it!!!
Good Morning
First off- my apologies for not attaching the file.
Secondarily- You win hands down:
Daniel Odio, AppMakr - 0:45 - 3/7/11 (previously 2:06 - 11/2/10 and 0:50 - 11/6/10)
I completed the F1 Geek Challenge with a very poor performance time of 4min and 46 sec..
Kudos to Jouhan for showing me http://www.clipmenu.com/ , a very cool multiple copy & paste freeware app.
Most everyone uses a computer. But a few of us, well, we play a computer like an instrument.
If you're on a computer for 10+ hours per day, this blog is for you.
By "instrument" I mean we know the in's & out's of the device. We know how to eek out maximum performance from it. We're the people who others just look at in wonder when our keys fly across the keyboard.
If you've ever found it excruciatingly painful watching others use a computer because of how slow the person is, then you know what I'm talking about.
These are just my tips, but really, I'm writing this because I want to know about your tips. I want to know what saves you time and makes you more productive. So please post comments below.
"What gets measured, gets managed." - Peter Drucker
There is so much power in this quote. If you've never tracked yourself, you don't even know how much power there is in tracking. I couldn't even explain it adequately. You wouldn't believe me. You'd think I was exaggerating. The simple act of paying attention to something will cause you to make connections you never did before, and you'll improve the those areas - almost without any extra effort.
I'm not a believer in "free lunch" and I don't think the universe vibrates things to you just by thinking about them. But the closest thing to a free lunch getting vibrated to you by the universe is writing things down as they happen.
Before I go any further, I need to give you one piece of advice - start small and build up, so you don't overwhelm yourself. This is just being pragmatic. You want to scale up gradually, as I wrote up in "The Evolution of My Time/Habit/Life Tracking." You want to build small wins, lock them so they become automatic, and then expand.
I'd have a hard time convincing you of the power of tracking, so I'll just show you. I fill this out every single day.


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Let's all admit why we really tuned into live coverage of the Breaking Dawn panel at Comic-Con yesterday: to obsess over Robsten's every move, duh! We've gathered ten of the most awww-inducing, positively darling instants in the utopia known as the "Robsten Bubble." GIFs and photos of the moments ahead.
10. The KStew Claw
9. Thigh Grab
8. Synchronized Fidgeting
7. Secrets, Secrets
6. "I look like an inflatable frankfurter"
5. "The Twilight Saga: Breakfast Time"
4. Insidery Giggles
3. "She Only Watches the Cooking Channel"… "You benefit!"
2. Adoration
1. Blatant Bubbling During The Photo Call
Update: Rob and Kristen's Cineplex interview was just brought to our attention and we couldn't resist this crying-for-a-GIF moment!
[Photos: Getty Images, Splash News Online]


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The Bachelor
Shawntel Newton: Courtney Robertson a "Huge Reason" for Ben Flajnik's Rejection on The Bachelor 16 – Exit Interview!
Since Shawntel Newton hadn't really fallen in love with Ben Flajnik — and she only barely made it through one-quarter of an episode of The Bachelor Season 16 — it wasn't hard to get over him. She told reporters she's dating — and she may even have an extra special someone in her life right now.
In her exit interview, Shawntel talked about how she ended up on Episode 3 (although her story of calling Chris Harrison is kind of confusing when you match it with a previous interview where she said she was asked to come back) and how she doesn't have much love for Ben's mean girl beauties. Unfortunately, she thinks Ben may pick one of them in the end – namely, Courtney Robertson, also known as the contestant who called her "what's her butt" during the Rose Ceremony and may have ruined her chances at a rose.
Read on for an excerpt from Shawntel's full Q&A, via Digital Spy:
Did you have an idea Ben would be The Bachelor or were you blindsided?
Shawntel: "I had ideas that he would be asked because I knew he was top two. He wouldn't talk to me a whole lot about it but I'd say things like, 'Oh my gosh, we need to meet before you make this decision!' but it just never happened. I don't blame him for wanting to be The Bachelor. You know you'll have all these different options. I think for us it was bad timing. When I didn't hear from him a whole lot I kind of knew he'd made the decision. I backed off because I wasn't going to go back on the show and do it that way, then as the days went on, I thought he might be engaged in a couple of months so I want to at least meet him in person and explore it a little bit more. So I called Chris."
Were you surprised by how the women reacted?
Shawntel: "Oh my gosh, I was beyond surprised. I expected going into the cocktail party to have some, or, probably all of the girls upset with me or a little confused. I'd be thinking the same way, 'Oh, this sucks, here comes another girl just to add more tension'. But I didn't expect to get that reaction. It was really, really uncomfortable to sit there and have 15 really pretty girls pick on me. I felt like the kid in the playground that everyone picks in. It was like out of the movie Mean Girls and I wasn't expecting that. To my face I had girls say some really harsh things and watching on Monday hearing girls comment on my body image saying I'm uglier in person or I'm a bitch, there is nothing that could have prepared me for that and it wasn't easy to watch. The tension was so intense and I wasn't expecting that. I was hurt by all the comments that were made. There was not really one thing that was said that was nice."
How were you feeling as you went into the rose ceremony?
Shawntel: "At that moment at the rose ceremony when there was one rose left and Jaclyn [Swartz], Erika [Uhlig] and myself, I knew I was going home. I could see it in his face and I knew he was uncomfortable when Courtney went up to him. She was up there for a while and I knew she basically gave him an ultimatum — I think she called me 'what's her butt', which is not easy to hear — saying, 'If you keep Shawntel, I'm out' and I think a lot of those girls felt that way. Standing up there I knew I was going home. When he escorted me out... all I could say to him was good luck because I was so emotionally drained from all the girls. I had two minutes with him and it was all so crazy and I had no words. In the end, Ben did me a favor. One, if I'd stayed, it would have been more intense, and also I think he already had connections with some of the girls and he didn't want to ruin that."
What do you think of Courtney?
Shawntel: "As I'm watching, I think Ben makes it very, very clear that he is kind of head-over-heels for her. It really didn't surprise me when she went up there and told him, basically, that it wasn't easy, and that if I stayed she is out. I think that was the biggest influence Ben had and a huge reason why I went home. I think he has very much been falling in love with her and I feel he could end up choosing her in the end, which is very surprising considering how she acted with me, which wasn't the classiest. When I got sent home she laughed and said something like 'sayonara'. I think he was completely surprised by the way even Courtney reacted with me when I showed up."
Would you be interested in Ben if, say, it doesn't work out?
Shawntel: "I wouldn't be interested. I think he's a good person. Friendship, possibly, I'd hope to be a friend but after that whole situation… I know people can crack under pressure. I said that on camera. That to me was such a setting that either he could make it to where I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, this is the guy I want to be with the rest of my life because he's keeping me and he did feel something', or the way it went. I want a man who will set the fair aside and keep me among all these other women too. No, I wouldn't be [interested], just because in that situation him sending me home was like, 'OK, if he won't do it there, I'm not going to come back to it!' So, no, I wouldn't."
Read the full story for more from Shawntel.
Source: Digital Spy
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There is provided automatic car wash equipment for positioning a forced air dryer including a blower towards vehicles being washed. The blower produces high velocity air and contains a nozzle for directing the high velocity air towards the vehicles. The blower and a positioning motor are mounted to a support frame, under which an on-coming vehicle passes. The blower is positioned according to the output signal from an ultrasonic imaging sensor mounted to the support frame. The relative position of the blower is measured by a linear potentiometer mounted to the piston which positions the blower. Additional detection devices are provided for over-riding the ultrasonic signal should contact be eminent between the blower and various parts of an on-coming vehicle.
1. Automatic car wash equipment comprising:
(a) a forced-air dryer including a blower for producing high velocity air and a nozzle for directing said high velocity air toward vehicles being washed;
(b) support means for mounting said forced-air dryer above a path followed by said vehicles to direct said high velocity air from said nozzle to surfaces of said vehicles;
(c) drive means for moving said nozzle along a path toward and away from said vehicles;
(d) imaging means fixedly mounted to said support means
(1) for beaming a first signal toward the vehicle being dried, said vehicle producing a reflected second signal; and
(2) for receiving said reflected second signal;
(e) means for comparing said first signal to said second reflected signal and producing an output signal representative of the position of said vehicle;
(f) means for measuring the position of the blower nozzle relative to the vehicle and producing a position signal corresponding to the relative position of the blower nozzle; and
(g) means responsive to said output signal and said position signal for controlling said drive means to position said blower and blower nozzle in a predefined close proximity range of said vehicle.
2. The automatic car wash equipment of claim 1, further comprising
switching means for outputting an override signal to said control means when said switching means are activated, said override signal causing said control means to activate said drive means and move said blower away from said vehicle;
3. The automatic car wash equipment of claim 2 wherein said switching means is a wheel switch.
4. The automatic car wash equipment of claim 3 wherein said wheel switch is mounted on said blower.
5. The automatic car wash equipment of claim 2 wherein said switching means is an antenna detector.
6. The automatic car wash equipment of claim 5 wherein said antenna detector is comprised of a nylon cord and at least one spring-activated switch.
7. The automatic car wash equipment of claim 5 wherein said antenna detector is comprised of a plastic flap, said flap comprising a conductive contact surface.
8. The automatic car wash equipment of claim 1 wherein said transmitter means and said receiver means comprise an ultrasonic imaging system.
9. The automatic car wash equipment of claim 8 further comprising
means for reducing the sensitivity of the ultrasonic imaging system to avoid detecting said nozzle during the travel of said nozzle.
10. The automatic car wash equipment of claim 9 wherein said means for reducing the sensitivity comprises a covering which prevents detection of said nozzle by said ultrasonic imaging system from moisture.
11. The automatic car wash equipment of claim 8 wherein said means for reducing the sensitivity provides an imaging window of said ultrasonic imaging system to approximately 20�.
12. The automatic car wash equipment of claim 1 wherein said imaging means is mounted to said support frame at an angle of substantially 15�.
13. The automatic car wash equipment of claim 1 wherein said receiving means are positioned to avoid detection of said blower.
14. The automatic car wash equipment of claim 1 wherein said measuring means comprise a linear potentiometer.
15. The automatic car wash equipment of claim 14 wherein said linear potentiometer is mounted on a piston cylinder.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/280,125, filed Dec. 5, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,423, issued Aug. 21, 1990.
This invention relates to automatic car wash equipment and, in particular, to a system for drying rinse water from a vehicle from forced air. More particularly, the invention relates to sensing the proximity of a vehicle and for adjusting the position of a forced air nozzle.
It is known to strip rinse water from a vehicle in a car wash. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,448,834 and 4,161,801. In these two patents, the nozzle through which the forced air is delivered is in contact with the vehicle surface. While this method takes advantage of the fact that the air velocity and pressure are greatest in the immediate vicinity of the nozzle, the method is subject to high maintenance costs due to wear and tear on the nozzle.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,587,688 and 4,622,714, the nozzle is maintained close to, but not in contact with, the vehicle surface. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,688, a sonar-type of proximity detector generates signals which are sent to a control system which adjusts the position of the nozzle and maintains it in relatively close proximity to the vehicle surface. A sonar-type of proximity detector system of this type is, however, limited to angles of incidence up to about 15�, beyond which the reflected signal is not detected.
A proximity detection system which, in one preferred form, employs an ultrasonic imaging transmitter/receiver (sensor), which is fixedly mounted to the support frame of the car wash equipment. This transceiver is angled to detect the contours of an oncoming vehicle, while at the same time avoiding detection of a blower-arm assembly. The transceiver of this preferred embodiment can also be adjusted to reduce the sensitivity of its signal receiving components.
The position of the blower-arm assembly is adjusted in accordance with the imaging of the oncoming vehicle to maintain an optimum distance from the surface of the vehicle without contacting the surface of the vehicle. Adjustment and positioning of the blower-arm is accomplished by comparing the output signal from the sensor to an output signal from a linear potentiometer attached to the drive piston of the blower-arm assembly. The output signal of the linear potentiometer is directly related to the position of the nozzle end of the blower arm assembly with respect to the vehicle.
An additional, fail-safe, mechanism in the form of wheel switches may also be mounted to the blower head of the blower-arm assembly to ensure that the blower head will rise should any inadvertent contact with the vehicle surface occur. An antenna detector can also be mounted to the blower arm assembly to avoid contact with an antenna that escapes detection by the sensor.
FIG. 1 is a side view of the blower-arm assembly, mounting frame and sonar transceiver embodying the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of automatic car wash equipment embodying the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an expanded view of the sonar transceiver and mounting apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a logical block diagram of the operation of the automatic car wash apparatus embodying the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of the inputs and control box of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the wheel switch.
FIG. 7 is a partial side view of the wheel switch.
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown control system 10 for maintaining a blower nozzle of a blower arm assembly in close proximity to the surface of a vehicle. There is also provided a mechanism to override the imaging-based control of the blower's movement, should contact be made between the blower and the vehicle.
Control system 10 includes a blower arm assembly system 12 attached to a support frame 24 in a manner which allows blower head 14 and its attached blower nozzle 54 to move toward and away from an oncoming vehicle. In the present embodiment, blower head 14 and blower nozzle 54 are a one-piece weldment and blower arm assembly system 12 is mounted overhead of an oncoming vehicle. It is possible to mount a system such as blower arm assembly system 12 sideways, so that nozzle 54 would force air against the sides of an oncoming vehicle.
Blower system 12 includes blower head -4, with its attached blower nozzle 54, linkage arms 16 and 17 for positioning blower head 14 via a linkage 19 attached to a piston arm 21. Piston arm 21 extends from piston cylinder 20 and may be activated by either compressed air or hydraulic fluid or a combination thereof (i.e. air over oil). As piston 21 extends, member 19 mounted for pivotal movement about pivot 19a and connected to blower-head 14 through arm 17, moves blower-head 14 upward. Arm 17 is connected to blower-head 14 for pivotal movement about pivot 17b. Arm 17 is fixed to member 19. A second arm 16 is connected to blower-head 14 for pivotal movement about pivot 16b with the opposite end of arm 16 mounted for pivotal movement about pivot 16a.
The distance between pivots 16a and 17a is greater than the distance between pivots 16b and 17b. The length of arm 16 is equal to the linear distance between pivot 17b and pivot 19a. This relationship of the pivots results in the orientation of the blower-head 16 changing as the blower-head moves between its upper-most and lower-most positions. As an example, the arrangement shown in FIG. 2 can vary the nozzle orientation from between 15� to 20� from the vertical from the blower-head in the lower-most position and 5� to 71/2� from the vertical with the nozzle in its upper-most position. In this way the nozzle orientation is adjusted for different top portions of the vehicle being dried. When the nozzle is over the hood, it is lower than when it is over the roof. It should be noted that the above configuration may be used with dimensions that include a true parallelogram.
Attached to the outside of piston 20 is linear potentiometer 22. One side of linear potentiometer 22 includes attachment rod 23 affixed to piston arm 21. The other side of potentiometer 22 is fixed to the cylinder of cylinder 20. As piston arm 21 extends linearly outward from piston 20, a signal is output which varies in accordance with the position of piston arm 21. This signal is directly proportional to the extension of piston arm 21 from piston 20, and corresponds to the position of nozzle 54. This output signal from linear potentiometer 22 provides information to be compared with the output signal from sensor 30.
There is also shown a sensor 30 attached to support frame 24 at area 26. (Sensor 30 and the mounting of sensor 30 to support frame 24 is shown in detail in FIG. 3).
Sensor 30 outputs an ultrasonic signal which reflects off of an oncoming vehicle. This reflected signal bounces back and is received by the receiving part of sensor 30. Sensor 30 sends the received signal to sensor control 29 (FIG. 5). Sensor control 29 outputs a second signal (i.e. a voltage signal) which relates to the distance of the oncoming vehicle to sensor 30. This output signal from sensor 30 is then compared to the output signal from linear potentiometer 22, and a resultant control signal is then applied to solenoid control 78. Solenoid control 78 then signals solenoid 74 to pressurize or depressurize piston cylinder 20 to properly position nozzle 54 in close proximity to the surface of oncoming vehicle 5.
Wheel switches 44a and 44b (wheel switches 44a and b are shown in greater detail in FIGS. 6 and 7) are mounted on the front and rear portions of blower head 14 to serve as a fail-safe mechanism. Wheel switches 44 are attached to blower head 14 by mounting arms 46. Wheel switches 44 serve as fail-safe mechanisms so that if a portion of an automobile escaped detection by sensor 30, or if sensor 30 was not functioning properly, contact with the oncoming vehicle by blower nozzle 54 can be avoided.
Wheel switches 44a and 44b are positioned so that imminent contact with nozzle 54 would first result in contact with either wheel switch 44a or 44b, depending on whether the contact point is in front of or behind nozzle 54 (relative to the direction of travel of car 5). When this contact occurs, an override signal is transmitted to solenoid 74 and solenoid control 78, causing piston arm 21 to further extend from piston 20, thus raising blower head 14 to a position where contact (with car 5) is no longer made. In the present embodiment, nozzle 54 can move approximately 90 inches above the floor upon a signal from the wheel switches 44, antenna switch 60 or sensor control 29. In comparison, if nozzle 54 is fully descended, in the present embodiment, it is approximately 42 inches above the floor.
Wheel switches 44a and 44b operate to override or bypass the signal from sensor 30 through a relay control system in controller 75 of FIG. 5. Thus, the wheel switches control relays which are either ON or OFF. When OFF, the signal from sensor 30 is controlling. When ON, the signal from sensor 30 is bypassed and a signal to solenoid 74 and solenoid control 78 causes pressurization of piston cylinder 20 and the actuation of piston arm 21, which raises blower head 14 and its attached blower nozzle 54.
There is shown in FIG. 2 a diagrammatic illustration of blower assembly 12 mounted on frame 24 with a vehicle 5 approaching blower assembly 12. Nozzle 54 of blower assembly 12 is positioned to trace the contours of the upper surface of vehicle 5, such as the hood, windshield, roof, rear window and trunk.
An additional feature, which may be present, in control system 10 is an antenna detection component. This antenna detection component is shown in FIG. 2 as nylon cord 60 and spring switches 61 and 62. An alternate antenna detector 80 (see FIG. 8) having a plastic flap 55 with a conductive contact material 57 may also be used. A conductive tape could serve this purpose. Nylon cord 60 is attached in the front (portion facing the approaching vehicle) of blower nozzle 54. Nylon cord 60 is attached to nozzle 54 by spring switches 61 and 62. The antenna detectors of the present invention are positioned on the side of blower nozzle 54 which corresponds to the typical placement of antennas on automobiles. Those skilled in the art will understand that the antenna detectors can be placed at any point on nozzle 54, or across the active length of nozzle 54.
When spring switches 61 or 62 are engaged by either a compression or extension, contact is made with a switch element (not shown) which, in turn, switches a relay in Elast Controller 75 to an "ON" state (similar to the operation of relays for wheel switches 44a and 44b), causing blower nozzle 54 to be raised away from the antenna which triggered the signal. This signal activates a relay control system in Elast Controller 75 and overrides the ultrasonic imaging currently taking place.
When an override signal from either the wheel switches or the antenna detector occurs and blower head 14 and nozzle 54 are raised to a position where contact (with oncoming car 5) is no longer made, a delay timer (located in solenoid control 78, FIG. 5) is also activated for reengaging the ultrasonic imaging and repositioning blower nozzle 54. In the present embodiment, a delay timer can be set for between 0 and 5 seconds with a one-second delay currently being used. The delay mechanism allows for the blower to be repositioned through ultrasonic imaging by sensor 30 after the blower head and nozzle are raised for a sufficient time to let the surface causing the contact pass under the blower head. When the delay cycle is over, the relays (located in solenoid control 78, FIG. 5) for either the wheel switches or the antenna detector are reset.
There is shown in FIG. 3 sensor mount 26, which contains the mounting means and the ultrasonic imaging sensor 30, Migatronics Model #RPS-200-72-500 in the present embodiment). Sensor 30 is an ultrasonic imaging transducer containing components for the transmission of an ultrasonic signal and also the reception of a signal reflected off of an object within its imaging window. The sensor of the present embodiment receives signals which fall within an imaging window of 36� (shown as angle B in FIG. 3).
Scaling of the sensor (reducing the sensitivity) can adjust the imaging window to avoid detection of blower nozzle 54 working in the sensing window, while still detecting the car. For the sensor of the present embodiment, avoidance of blower nozzle 54 occurs when the imaging window is reduced from 36� to approximately 20�. This 20� imaging window effectively avoids detection of the blower assembly 12 when sensor 30 is angled at 15� (angle A, FIG. 3) because the angle of incidence from sensor 30 to nozzle 54 allows most of the signal to miss the receiver (of sensor 30). The remaining signal from nozzle 54 to sensor 30 is of insufficient amplitude to be validated by sensor 30. Unvalidated signals are suppressed and do not affect the output signal of sensor 30.
Two factors have been found to substantially affect the placement and adjustment of sensor 30 for the proper imaging of the oncoming vehicle. The first factor involves avoidance of detection of blower assembly 12. The second factor involves complete imaging of the oncoming vehicle including its angled windshield.
For the present embodiment, it has been found that a combination of angling the sensor to face the oncoming vehicle and reducing the imaging window of sensor 30 addresses both factors and provides for the proper imaging of the oncoming vehicle.
In a horizontal position, sensor 30 may be positioned parallel to the horizontal (i.e. angle A is 0�). In this position, it has been found that reducing the imaging window of sensor 30 to approximately 20� effectively avoids detection of the blower assembly 12, as shown in FIG. 1. The imaging window of sensor 30 is reduced by applying a protective film or sheet in the path of the line of sight between sensor 30 and nozzle 54. Film 31 reduces the sensitivity of sensor 30 (acting as a waveguide), substantially eliminating signals from the blower assembly. The sensitivity of sensor 30 can also be reduced or controlled by other means, such as a potentiometer. As is well known in the art, a potentiometer could control the receiving or transmitting components of sensor 30 and thus reduce its sensitivity. In the present embodiment, the protective film 31 has been found to be both easy to use and highly effective.
Still considering Angle A at 0� and reducing the imaging window of sensor 30, however, introduces the second factor--effective imaging of the slanted automobile windshield 5a, FIG. 2. The reduced angle of the imaging window directs the signal at an angle towards the windshield of an oncoming vehicle in such a manner that it is reflected away from sensor 30. By reflecting the signal away from sensor 30, sensor 30 does not detect the windshield. By failing to detect the windshield, sensor 30 cannot output a signal to control the blower assembly, preventing proper control of the blower assembly.
In order to effectively image the windshield, sensor 30 is angled so that the ultrasonic signal sent towards the windshield will bounce back towards sensor 30. In the present embodiment, sensor 30 is angled so that angle A is approximately 15�. Angling sensor 30 at approximately 15� yields effective and complete imaging of the oncoming automobile while at the same time avoiding detection of the blower arm assembly. Effective imaging (to sense both windshield and the hood) by sensor 30 can be accomplished when sensor 30 is angled at approximately one half of the inside angle (the angle made up of the interior windshield and the horizontal) of the automobile windshield. Angling sensor 30 at 15� is a practical compromise to compensate for different angles encountered on the hood, windshield, top and rear deck.
Sensor 30 is mounted to support frame 24 by mounting brackets 38 and 32. Mounting bracket 38 can be welded to support frame 24, and mounting bracket 32 is attached by various mounting means. In FIG. 3, nuts and bolts 40 are shown to attach mounting bracket 32 to support frame 24. Sensor 30 is attached to mounting bracket 32 by bolt 33, washer 34 and nut 35. The output and power lines for sensor 30 are contained within conduit 36. Conduit 36 leads the output line of sensor 30 to the control box of the present invention.
There is shown in FIG. 4 a block diagram of the operation of the present invention. A vehicle enters the car wash blower region as shown in block 64. The vehicle is imaged by the imaging mechanism of sensor 30, as shown in block 66. The sensor output from sensor 30 is compared with the output of linear potentiometer 22, as shown in block 68. After this comparison of signals is made, the blower assembly is raised or lowered to position blower nozzle 54 in close proximity to the surface of the oncoming vehicle. Blocks 72 and 74 show the override function of the present invention. Decision block 72 determines whether the wheel switch is ON, as indicated by the state of a relay in Elast controller 75 of FIG. 5. This relay is normally OFF until an override signal is sent from the wheel switches or an antenna detector. Should this override signal be sent, the relay is switched to the ON position and overrides the imaging signals of the vehicle. This causes the blower arm to rise to a position where contact (with car 5) is no longer made, as shown in block 74. The blower will remain in the non-contact position as long as the timing delay is set. The delay is set for one second in the present embodiment.
Decision block 72 determines whether the antenna detector is ON. The relay works similar to that of the wheel switch in that it is OFF until a signal from the antenna detector trips the relay to the ON position. At this point, the ultrasonic imaging signal is overridden, and the blower arm would raise, as shown in block 74.
There is shown in FIG. 5 a schematic block diagram for the control and operation of the present invention. Ultrasonic sensor 30 outputs a signal to sensor control 29 which outputs a signal to comparator 31. Comparator 31 compares the signal from sensor control 29 and the signal from potentiometer 22. Potentiometer 22 outputs a signal relative to the extension of piston 21. Comparator 31 then outputs a signal to solenoid control 78 which controls solenoid 74. Solenoid 74 in turn, controls blower head 14 and blower nozzle 54 through cylinder 26.
Solenoid 74 outputs a signal to activate cylinder 20 which in turn moves piston arm 21 (not shown) to position blower 14 and by implication blower nozzle 54. The extension of piston 21 corresponds to the position of the blower-nozzle 54 relative to the vehicle.
Solenoid control 78 can receive an over-ride signal from Elast (Extremely Low Amperage Switch Terminator, Cratar Model #106) controller 75. Elast controller 75 contains a relay activated by wheel switches 44a and 44b and antenna switch 60. Additional relay circuitry and finer circuitry is contained in solenoid control 78, as is understood by those skilled in the art. Activation of Elast controller from either wheel switch 44a and 44b or antenna switch 60 generates and over-ride signal, which is set to solenoid control 78 and over-rides the signal from Comparator 31. The effect of the over-ride signal is to raise blower nozzle 54 away from on-coming vehicle 5. The raised nozzle is on a timed basis. The timer is located in solenoid control 78 and when the timing cycle is complete, blower nozzle 54 is once again positioned according to the comparison of the output signal from ultrasonic sensor 30 and the output from potentiometer 22.
There is shown in FIG. 6 an expanded view of wheel switch 44 (shown in FIG. 1 as 44a and 44b). Wheel switch 44 is comprised of wheel 42 mounted to support mounts 46. Wheel 42 can be made of any number of substances such as rubber or plastic or compounds thereof. Wheel 42 is attached to support mounts 46 by rod 47, non-conducting bushing 45 and non-conducting shim 49. Rod 47 may be made of a conducting substance such as aluminum while bushing 45 should be made of a non-conducting material such as nylon. Wheel switch 44 is activated when a portion of an oncoming vehicle makes contact with wheel 42. Wheel 42 pushes nut 48 (or pipe 48a) into contact with spring contact 50. Spring contact 50 is mounted to support means 46 by non-conducting spring mount 52 and screw 51. A wire connected to spring contact 50 at screw 51 transfers the electrical contact signal to the control means in order to raise blower nozzle 54 away from oncoming vehicle 5. The signal is generated by the contact between nut 48 (or pipe 48a) and spring contact 50 by grounding spring contact with support frame 46.
There is shown in FIG. 7, support means 46, containing non-conducting spring support 52, spring contact 50, screws 51, keeper 90 and wire 91.
Keeper 90 is made of stainless steel in the present embodiment, but other conductive materials could be used. Keeper 90 prevents spring contact 50 from deforming, as well as providing contact to wire 91. Wire 91, in turn, is connected to Elast controller 75 (FIG. 5). Spring contact 50 is also made of stainless steel in the present embodiment.
In a further embodiment of the invention it will be understood that sensor 30 may be mechanically coupled to blower-head 14 as described in Ser. No. 07/280,125, filed Dec. 5, 1988 and assigned to the same assignee as this application. Thus, in this further embodiment the distance between pivots 16a and 17a is greater than the distance between pivots 17b and 17b.
There is shown in FIG. 8 a more detailed view of flap antenna detector 80. Antenna detector 80 is an alternate antenna detector design. Antenna detector 80 has conductive contact strip 57 attached to flap 55. Flap 55 is secured to nozzle 54 by bolt 84 and rivnut 86. Sponge strip 82 "resets" flap 55 after deflection into nozzle 54 by the antenna of oncoming vehicle 5. Contact between contact strip 57 and nozzle 54 send a signal along a wire (not shown) to Elast controller 75 (FIG. 5).
Patent Citations
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Seattle Real Estate News
Seattle and Washington residential and commercial real estate news, photos of homes for sale, updates about Windermere, John L. Scott, Zillow, Redfin, MLS, Seattle rentals and more
Yearly Archive for 2010
Home sales volume, value down in 2009, report says
The number of single-family homes and condominiums sold in the 19-county Northwest Multiple Listing Service fell 3.7 percent in 2009 and the value of the homes sold was off by 14.6 percent, according to a report from the Northwest MLS. [Read More]
Seattle home prices rose in November, report says
Home prices in the Seattle metropolitan rose a seasonally adjusted 0.3 percent in November compared with a month earlier, and nationally prices rose for the sixth straight month, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index. [Read More]
Report: Foreclosures were up 21 percent in 2009
Foreclosure filings in Washington – which include default notices, scheduled foreclosure auctions and bank repossessions – increased by more than 35 percent in 2009 over a year earlier and were up 132 percent from 2007, a report by RealtyTrac said. [Read More]
Seattle-area home sales remain strong, report says
The recent surge in the housing market remained surprisingly strong in the Seattle area but showed signs of losing steam nationally, two reports released Tuesday indicated. [Read More]
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Thought you just might appreciate a wee painless Hawkeye Pierce paraphrasin':wink2:...oh, and I won't carry a gun neither:y:.
Well, for anyone who remembers me, I just wanted to come here with an update. First, my heartfelt apologies for not getting my busy behind on here sooner! I feel bad that so many people were waiting to hear my news, and then I never even updated.
The big announcement:
Lisey LaVonne was born August 10, 2012 at 3:41 pm, by unplanned C-section. She was 9 lbs, 5 oz, and 20 inches long. (Since I'm a rather petite person, there was a bit of a problem with space, hence the C-section).
Our baby girl is now 4 months old, and has been a little high strung, requiring lots of extra care and attention. She's perfectly healthy, just likes to fuss a lot. She is starting to settle down some now, so hopefully I will be able to come back here more often now.
Sending a shout-out to all my good friends (you all know who you are), and I hope you all haven't given up on me!
Congratulations! And welcome back. :smile2:
LaVonne is my sister's middle name! Spelled the same and everything. I have never seen anyone else with the same name ... kinda cool.
Congrats, CR1973!! And welcome back :)
Wishing everyone a great week-before-Christmas!
*wanders in during the evening and settles into the corner booth wrapped up in a blanket while she has a cup of tea*
Not feeling my best, folks. I'll just be taking it easy now.
Good morning, everyone.
I'm going to be busy today! Both Ali and Ty's birthdays fall over Christmas break, so they both have their special treat days at school this week. Ali's is today. Made cupcakes last night, and this morning I'm going to decorate them with little Hello Kitty faces. I'm feeling the pressure this week, I still need to shop for hubby, and I haven't done Christmas cards yet. Making the kids' teachers all a little bookmark, and still working on the 2nd one. Haven't wrapped any presents, because the kids were all home sick last week. Cupcakes today, and cupcakes again on Thursday, plus a brunch with Ty's class....:eek2: I need about 4 more hands!!!
So, I will sit here and enjoy my coffee for about another hour, and then make my frosting and get busy. Ali doesn't know that the cupcakes are going to be Hello Kitty, so I hope she will be happily surprised when I bring them to school later this afternoon. :smile2:
Have a good day, sending hugs to all!


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Just note that if you do the R1 + L1 sync with Wii you'll have to re-sync it to your PS3 next time you want to use it with that. It can appearantly only store 1 Bluetooth address.
Edit: oh the nice update to the guide I've got coming
Description of button shortcut combos (which don't work on GC pads sadly ), how to use the different compatible controllers, how to play GC games on non GC Wii's and Wii U....it's gonna be great. Just be a little patient guys, it's worth it.


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Modern Dark Wood Kitchen
Tall, sleek cabinetry accentuates this room's high ceilings.
This well-appointed kitchen is open to the dining room to facilitate entertaining. The beautiful collection of copper pots provides a warm, soft counterpoint to the abundance of dark wood that surrounds the space. A white countertop and sleek bar stools add punch.
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