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A multi-axis electric spraying robot adapted for use in a hazardous environment includes a base having a first pressurized compartment and an arm assembly having a second pressurized compartment in which compartments electric motors are respectively located. The arm assembly is supported for movement on the base at one end thereof. The arm assembly includes a wrist adapted for connecting the opposite end of the arm assembly with a spraying tool. One electric motor is provided to drive each axis. The compartments are pressurized to prevent flammable gases or vapors from entering the first and second compartments during operation of the robot.
1. In an electric drive type robot of the type intended for operation in an explosive atmosphere and including a plurality of electric drive motors and electric wiring for supplying electrical power to said motors, the improvement of antiexplosion means for preventing explosion of the explosive atmosphere by said electric drive motors and said electric wiring, said antiexplosion means comprising:
a plurality of non-explosion-proof electric motors for said electric drive motors and non-explosion-proof electric wiring for said electric wiring flexibly connecting each of said electric drive motors to an electrical power source outside said explosive atmosphere;
sealing means for enclosing said electric drive motors and said electric wiring from the explosive atmosphere; and
pressurizing means for supplying sufficient inert gas into said sealing means for surrounding said motors and said wiring from a gas source outside said explosive atmosphere at a pressure above said explosive atmosphere sequentially to reduce by purging to an acceptable safe level the concentration of explosive gas which may have entered said sealing means, to maintain said sealing means at a pressure above said explosive atmosphere to prevent entry of said explosive gas and to compensate for any leakage from said sealing means.
2. An industrial robot for use in an atmosphere containing an inflammable or explosive gas, comprising:
a robot assembly including a stationary robot component and a plurality of movable robot components, at least a part of said stationary robot component and said movable robot components having therein airtight chambers which communicate with each other;
communicating means for communicating the chambers with each other;
electric motors for driving and moving said movable robot components, said motors disposed within at least two of said airtight chambers;
a programmable controller for supplying electric power to said motors and for controlling said motors in accordance with a predetermined program, said controller disposed outside of said atmosphere of inflammable or explosive gas and electrically connected to said motors through electric cables arranged in said airtight chambers and a conduit connected to said stationary robot component; and
as supply means connected to at least one of said airtight chambers for supplying inert gas to said chambers from a gas source outside said atmosphere of inflammable or explosive gas at a pressure above the pressure of said atmosphere to compensate for any leakage from said chambers and prevent the entrance of gases from said atmosphere to said chambers while the inert gas being supplied surrounds the motors and the cables in said chambers and said conduit, whereby to obviate the need that said motor and said wiring be heavy and explosion-proof so that the movable robot components may be compact and lightweight.
3. The method of electrically driving a plurality of relatively movable, compartmented robot parts in a hazardous environment by a lightweight, non-explosion-proof electric motor in the compartment of at least one of the robot parts being driven, characterized by the steps of:
providing that said compartment be substantially airtight when such compartmented robot parts are movable relative to each other;
supplying sufficient inert gas to said compartment from a gas source outside said hazardous environment at a pressure above the pressure of said hazardous environment sequentially to reduce by purging to an acceptable level the concentration of hazardous gas which may have entered said compartment, to maintain said compartment at a pressure above said hazardous environment to prevent entry of said hazardous environment and to compensate for any leakage from said compartment while the inert gas being supplied surrounds the motor in said compartment, whereby to obviate the need that said motor be heavy and explosion-proof so that the robot parts may be compact and lightweight, wiring be heavy and explosion-proof so that the robot parts may be further compact and lightweight.
4. A compact, lightweight electrically driven robot adapted for use in a hazardous environment and to be controlled from outside said hazardous environment, comprising:
a base defining an airtight first compartment and having an outer stationary surface;
a first drive mechanism including at least one non-explosion-proof electric motor received within the airtight first compartment;
an arm assembly mounted for movement relative to the base, and driven by the first drive mechanism, the arm assembly having an airtight second compartment;
a second drive mechanism including at least one non-explosion-proof electric motor within the second compartment defined by the arm assembly;
a wrist mechanism mounted on the arm assembly and driven by the second drive mechanism;
a cable conduit extending from outside said hazardous environment to the airtight first compartment;
a plurality of non-explosion-proof cables housed within said cable conduit extending into said airtight first compartment, at least one of said cables being flexible and connected to the first drive mechanism to operate the electric motor thereof, and at least another of said cables being flexible and extending from the airtight first compartment of the base to the airtight second compartment of the arm assembly and being connected to the second drive mechanism to operate the electric motor thereof;
said non-explosion-proof cables being sufficiently flexible to accommodate the movement of said arm assembly relative to the base;
a pressurized gas supply for feeding pressurized gas into the airtight compartments and into said cable conduit to provide pressurized gas that surrounds the electric motors in their respective compartments and the cables housed in the cable conduit, said gas supply being attached to the outer surface of the base;
sealing means cooperating between the base, the arm assembly and the cable conduit to maintain the compartments airtight and the pressurized gas surrounding the non-explosion-proof electric motors and cables whereby the robot is capable of operating in the hazardous environment; and
communicating means fluidly communicating the first and second compartments, said pressurized gas supply feeding sufficient pressurized gas through said communicating means to prevent gases from said hazardous environment from entering said compartments and said cable conduit, whereby to obviate the need that said electric motors and said cables be explosion-proof so that the robot may be compact and light-weight, said gas supply being outside said cable conduit.
5. A robot assembly comprising:
a stationary base defining a substantially airtight first compartment having an outer surface;
an enclosure defining a substantially airtight second compartment and mounted for rotational movement on the base;
an arm assembly mounted for rotational movement on the enclosure and defining at least one substantially airtight compartment wherein the airtight compartments are successively mounted for rotational movement relative to each other and fluid communication therebetween;
a set of drive mechanisms, each set including at least one electric motor received in one or more of said compartments for effecting rotational movement of one compartment relative to another;
a conduit extending to the base and communicated to the first compartment, said conduit being attached to the outer surface of the base;
a cable bundle extending from a robot controller, through the conduit and into the airtight first compartment of the base, the cable bundle having at least one cable connected to each set of drive mechanisms to operate the electric motor therein, and said cable bundle including at least one other cable that extends from the airtight first compartment of the base into the airtight second compartment and to each compartment in the arm assembly for connection to the drive mechanism to operate the electric motor thereof;
communicating means for fluidly communicating the first and second compartments, and the second and the at least one compartment of the arm assembly successively; and
a pressurized gas supply means connected to said base that feeds pressurized gas into the airtight first compartment of the base and thence into the conduit and the airtight second compartment of the enclosure and to the at least one compartment of the arm assembly.
6. The robot of claim 5 wherein the gas supply is outside said conduit.
7. The method of electrically driving a plurality of relatively movable robot parts to manipulate said robot parts in a hazardous environment comprising the steps of:
providing a substantially airtight compartment in more than one of said robot parts so that such airtight compartments are movable relatively to each other;
locating a lightweight non-explosion-proof motor for driving one of said robot parts in the airtight compartment next closest to the robot part being driven;
supplying electrical power to said motor from a power source outside said hazardous environment by means of flexible, lightweight, non-explosion-proof wiring so that said wiring can flex when said robot parts are moving relatively;
housing said wiring in a substantially airtight conduit from said power source outside said hazardous environment which is in fluid flow communication with the airtight compartment in which said motor is located; and
supplying sufficient non-ignitable gas to said compartment and said conduit from a gas source outside said hazardous environment at a pressure above the pressure of said hazardous environment to compensate for any leakage from said compartment and prevent the entrance of gases from said hazardous environment to said compartment and said conduit while the non-ignitable gas being supplied surrounds the motor in said compartment and the wiring at said conduit, whereby to obviate the need that said motor and said wiring be heavy and explosion-proof so that the robot parts may be compact, lightweight and easily balanced; said step of supplying such non-ignitable gas being individually to said compartments whereby to individually pressurize each compartment containing electrical equipment therein.
8. An electric robot for use in a hazardous environment, including a base and an arm assembly supported for movement on said base, the base and the arm assembly forming a plurality of compartments including at least two relatively movable compartments including electric motors and cables extending from outside said hazardous environment to the electric motors, characterized in that the compartments are connected to each other by openings, means for pressurizing the compartments at a pressure above said hazardous environment, purging means for purging the compartments with clean air or an inert gas and a pressure regulator for regulating the pressure between predetermined limits, and sealing means arranged between the compartments for withstanding the excess pressure.
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/370,123, filed on Jun. 20, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,745, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 07/183,452, filed Apr. 14, 1989; now abandoned; which is a continuation of Ser. No. 06/928,641, filed Nov. 6, 1986, abandoned; which is a continuation of Ser. No. 06/692,996, filed Jan. 22, 1985, abandoned.
This invention relates to electrically driven robots adapted for use in hazardous ambients and, in particular, electrically driven robots which can operate in an environment containing flammable gases or vapors.
Many spray painting machines have been introduced to paint mass-produced items such as automotive bodies. Such paint spraying machines have typically been limited in their use in that they must be backed up by human operators, who must touch up areas missed by the machines. Such machines also tend to be wasteful of paint and are only designed to paint with horizontal and/or vertical paths on a reciprocator system. Coating an object fully, especially if it has complex contours, requires movements in depth as well as lateral movements. The use of a wrist is significant in that it is often necessary for an operator to angle a paint spray gun in a particular manner to deposit paint on a heavily contoured surface.
Many of the prior art spray painting machines include a battery of spray guns fed from large capacity, centralized paint reservoirs which manage to paint a large percentage of the exterior surface to be covered. Less accessible areas, such as wheel arches, the interiors of the trunk or engine compartment and door edges had to be painted by operators who looked for unpainted areas as the car body left the automatic painter.
Numerous prior art patents disclose painting machines including electrical painting apparatus such as the U.S. Pat. No. to Chapman 2,858,947; the U.S. Pat. No. to Shelley et al 3,007,097; the U.S. Pat. No. to Pierson et al 3,481,499; the U.S. Pat. No. to Richter 4,030,617; the U.S. Pat. No. to Yoshio 4,113,115; the U.S. Pat. No. to Burns et al 4,196,049; the U.S. Pat. Nos. to Shum 4,398,863 and 4,407,625; the U.S. Pat. No. to Jacot-Descombes et al 4,424,472 and the U.S. Pat. No. to Gorman 4,424,473. The U.S. Pat. Nos. to Pollard 2,213,108 and 2,286,571 both disclose electrical robots for paint spraying. The U.S. Pat. No. to Stricker 4,170,751 likewise discloses an electric apparatus associated with paint spraying robots.
There are many reasons for using spraying robots to provide high-quality painted finishes on a mass-produced item. Robots are desirable in that they are able to cope with the hostile painting environment; they allow the painting process to proceed with less total energy being expended; and they improve paint quality which, in turn, will eventually result in reduced material and labor costs. The above advantages are particularly important in painting car bodies where production rates are expected to be high, and there is a relatively small amount of time available for the paint to be applied and completed in not one, but several coats.
A spraying robot can also be used in the enameling and/or powdering of surfaces. For example, application of vitreous enamel to plastic bathtubs utilizes many of the same spray techniques as used in the application of paint to an automotive body.
Robots which have been used for spray painting comprise continuous path machines which emulate the action of a human operator. Such robots are typically taught by having an expert painter lead each robot in its learning mode through an actual paint job.
The average spray booth in the automotive industry has been standardized to have a relatively small width. This small width restricts the size and movements of any robot which is to be used in such a spray booth. Redesigning the existing spray booth is cost prohibitive.
Because of the limited size available for a robot in a conventional paint spray booth, the use of a robot having electrical drives is, at first blush, desirable due to the cost advantage that small electrical robots enjoy over small hydraulically-driven robots. Such costs not only include the cost of the robot, but also installation, maintenance and other operational expenses. However, in paint spraying and other similar applications the environment favors the use of hydraulically or pneumatically driven equipment. Such environment presents an explosion hazard to electrical motors and the electrical robot must either be explosion proof or intrinsically safe so as not to ignite the combustible environment. A hydraulically-driven robot does not utilize the amount of electrical energy typically sufficient to ignite the explosive fuel-air mixture.
Electrical equipment which is to be located in areas classified as "hazardous" (i.e. a Class 1, Division 1 location) by Article 500 of NFPA 70, Natural Electrical Code, either must be placed in pressurized containers or must be made explosion proof. If this is done the area immediately around the electrical equipment is no longer classified as a Class 1, Division 1 location, but rather a Class 1, Division 2 location wherein only the location adjacent the enclosure or explosion proof container contains the ignitable concentration of flammable gases or vapors under normal operating conditions. The pressurization of the enclosure entails supplying the enclosure with clean air or an inert gas with or without continuous flow at sufficient pressure to prevent the entrance of combustible gases or vapors which might occasionally be communicated into the enclosure. If the enclosure is maintained under a positive pressure of at least 25 pascals (0.1 inches of water) when the electric equipment is energized, the risk of an explosion in the "hazardous" environment is substantially eliminated.
One way of complying with the above standard is to make the containers for the equipment, such as motors, explosion-proof. However, the use of explosion-proof motors not only increases the cost of the motors, but also increases the weight and size of the robot. Also, the use of explosion-proof motors necessitates the use of explosion-proof cables. Such cables not only are more costly and heavier, but also are more inflexible and unwieldly. Such explosion-proof motors and cables also take up valuable space in or on the robot and, consequently, in the paint spray booth.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved electrically driven robot adapted for use in a hazardous environment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a relatively compact robot adapted for use in a hazardous environment and which includes a pair of pressurized compartments for housing electric motors therein.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a relatively compact and inexpensive electrically driven robot adapted for use in hazardous environments, including a base, an arm assembly and first and second drive systems including first and second electric motors, respectively, and wherein at least one electric motor is located in a first pressurized compartment located in the base and at least one electric motor is located in a second pressurized compartment located in the arm assembly.
In carrying out the above objects and other objects of the present invention an electrically driven robot constructed in accordance with the present invention includes a base having a first pressurized compartment contained therein, and an arm assembly having a second pressurized compartment contained therein. The arm assembly is supported for movement on the base at one end thereof. The arm assembly includes a wrist adapted for connecting its opposite end with a fluid delivery tool. The robot also includes first and second drive systems. The first drive system includes at least one electric motor located in the first pressurized compartment to drive the arm assembly. The second drive system includes at least one electric motor located in the second pressurized compartment to drive the wrist.
Preferably, the electric motors comprise brushless servo motors commonly known as brushless D.C. motors or AC servo motors.
Also, preferably, the robot includes cables which are housed in a pressurized conduit attached to the outer surface of the base. The cables are electrically coupled to the electric motors and adapted to be coupled to a robot controller. The conduit is in fluid communication with first and second pressurized compartments. Consequently, the cables may comprise regular duty cables rather than heavy duty, explosion-proof cables.
Pressurizing means includes a pressure regulator that provides a positive pressure in the first and second compartments and also, preferably, in the conduit.
An electric spraying robot constructed in this fashion is not only relatively small and lightweight, but also less costly than comparable hydraulically-driven robots. The electric spraying robot also includes regular duty cables and does not necessitate the use of heavy duty, explosion-proof cables and their attendant disadvantages. The use of a pair of pressurized compartments, one of which is located in the arm assembly, minimizes the amount of gearing or other mechanisms required therein to transfer the rotary motion of the drive motors to a wrist mechanism mounted on the free end of the arm assembly.
Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electric spraying robot constructed in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a lower base section of the robot of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a broken-away, side elevational view of the lower section of FIG. 2 illustrating various components contained therein;
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the various cables of the robot wherein the outer housing structure of the robot is indicated by phantom lines;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 4 illustrating the sealing mechanism between the upper and lower sections of the base;
FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the cables of FIG. 4 wherein the various other components of the robot are illustrated in phantom; and
FIG. 7 is a broken-away, top plan view of an inner arm of the robot.
Referring now to FIG. 1 there is illustrated a paint spray robot constructed in accordance with the present invention and collectively indicated by reference numeral 10. The spray robot 10 includes a base, generally indicated at 12 having an upper base section 14 and a lower base section 16. The upper base section 14 is rotatable with respect to the stationary lower base section 16. The robot 10 also includes an arm assembly, generally indicated at 18, including an inner arm 20 pivotally connected to the upper base section 14 at one end thereof and to an outer arm 22 at its opposite end thereof. A wrist or wrist mechanism 24 is connected at the free end of the outer arm 22 and preferably comprises a three-axis wrist mechanism. The wrist mechanism 24 is adapted to hold a spraying tool, such as a paint spray gun at its free end thereof.
As described in greater detail hereinafter, the robot 10 includes an air system for pressurizing the base 12 and the arm assembly 18 so that non-sparking electric motors can be located within pressurized compartments located therein without requiring the use of explosion-proof electric motors. Also, because the electric motors for driving the wrist mechanism 24 are located in the arm assembly 18, and not the base 12, the amount of gearing required to interconnect the electric motors with the wrist mechanism 24 is substantially reduced. It is obvious that the second pressurized compartment can be located within the inner arm 20 as described herein, or within the outer arm 22 if desired.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the robot 10 is adapted for use in a hazardous ambient or environment such as within a paint spray booth, a wall of which is illustrated at 26. The lower base section 16 is adjustably mounted on the floor 29 of the paint spray booth by leveling jack assemblies 31 located at each lower corner of the lower base section 16, as best shown in FIG. 2.
The area within the paint spray booth is an area where flammable gases or vapors may be present in the air in concentrations sufficient for the location to be classified as hazardous as defined by Article 500 of the NFPA 70, National Electrical Code. Such an environment may present an explosion or fire hazard arising from the highly flammable nature of the explosive solvent-air mixture contained therewithin.
Power and control signals for the robot 10 are carried by cables (not shown) which extend from a robot controller 28 located outside the paint spray booth. A pressurized conduit 30 houses the cables and is attached to the lower base section 16. The lower base section 16 is adapted to be connected to the pressurized conduit 30 by an adaptor plate 34 which, in turn, is mounted by bolts 32 on the front housing plate 36 of the lower base section 16. The cables contained in the conduit 30 extend through a passage 38 extending through the front wall 36 and are electrically connected or coupled to a terminal strip 40, as indicated in FIG. 4.
The adaptor plate 34 also includes an air inlet passage 42 which is in fluid communication with an air inlet tube 44, which also extends through the wall 26 of the paint spray booth to permit relatively clean air or inert gas to flow into the lower base section 16 from the ambient about the paint spray booth.
After flowing through the air inlet passage 42 the air flows through a tube 46 which is in fluid communication with an air pressure regulator 48. The regulator 48 is mounted to an inner wall 50 of the lower base section 16. The inner wall 50 defines an inner compartment 59 in the lower base section 16.
The pressure regulator 48 maintains the air pressure within a first compartment 52 within the lower base section 16 between predetermined limits. Also included within the first compartment 52 is a low pressure switch 54 which indicates a pressure within the first compartment 52 which is below the pressure that the pressure regulator 48 is designed to maintain. The pressure switch 54 is connected by means of a tube 56 to the non-pressurized compartment 59 at a connector 58 as an access to a reference atmosperic pressure level. The pressure switch 54 is also connected by a cable (not shown) to provide an alarm signal to the robot controller 28 to indicate that the robot 10 should be shut down due to the low pressure in the first compartment 52.
A pair of umbrella vents 60 are also provided between the first compartment 52 and the inner compartment 59 at the inner wall 50 to relieve any excess pressure generated by the pressure regulator 48 above a maximum predetermined limit. The umbrella vent 60 communicates the excess pressure from the first compartment 52 to the inner compartment 59.
The first compartment 52 is in fluid communication with a second compartment 62 formed in the upper base section 14 through an opening 64 formed in the top wall of the lower base section 16. The opening 64 is aligned with an opening 66 formed in a drive plate 68 disposed between the upper and lower base sections 14 and 16, respectively. In turn, the opening 66 is aligned with an opening 76, formed in a collar member 72 which is bolted to the drive plate 68 by mounting bolts 74 as shown in FIG. 5. A circular seal 78 is provided between the collar member 72 and the lower wall of the upper base section 14 to seal the compartment 62 during relative rotation between the collar member 72 and its attached plate 68 and the upper base section 14.
A directing means or mechanism, generally indicated at 80, is fixedly mounted to the collar member 72 and supports a plurality of regular duty cables 82 which are electrically connected in the lower compartment 52 to the terminal strip 40. As shown in FIGS. 4 through 6, the cables 82 are relatively flexible to permit the cables 82 to be formed into a ribbon which, in turn, is bent along a relatively small radius of curvature. The cables are also flexible enough to permit flexing of the ribbon during relative rotation between the collar member 72 and its associated directing mechanism 80 and the upper base section 14.
Each cable 82 includes three smaller cables 84 contained therein. Two of the smaller cables 84 are provided for each electric drive motor 86 of an electric drive system mounted within the upper compartment 62. One of the smaller cables 84 provides the power signals and the other small cable provides the control signals. Three drive motors 86 are located in the upper compartment 62, one for each axis of rotation of the arm assembly 18. Each drive motor preferably comprises a non-sparking brushless servo motor, commonly known as A.C. servo motor or brushless D.C. motor.
Two of the cables 82 are routed and clamped to extend into a third pressurized compartment 88 contained in the inner arm 20, as best shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The cables extend from the second pressurized compartment 62 into the third pressurized compartment 88 through an opening 90 formed in the outer wall 92 of the inner arm 20 and in the outer wall of the upper base section 14. The cables 82 are electrically connected to their respective electric motors 94 which are mounted within the third compartment 88. As shown in each of FIGS. 4 and 6, each motor 94 is smaller than each motor 86. Additional details of the specific construction and operation of the ribbon of cables 82 are given in co-pending U.S. patent application entitled "Robot With Improved Cable Routing and Clamping", Attorney's Docket No. P-306 filed on even date with the present application, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,279 and having the same Assignee and which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Drive shafts 96 of the motors 94 extend through inner walls 98 which define the pressurized compartment 88 and are in driving engagement with their respective timing belts 100. Each timing belt 100 in turn, is operatively connected to its respective gear mechanism for driving a separate axis of the three-axis wrist mechanism 24 through hollow concentric drive tubes.
A number of purging vents (not shown) are also provided in the inner walls defining the compartments 52, 62 and 88 so that each of the compartments can be provided with clean air or an inert gas at sufficient flow and pressure to reduce to an acceptably safe level the concentration of any flammable gas or vapor which may have contaminated any or all of the compartments. The pressure regulator 48 includes a manual bypass to allow this purging process when desired.
Also, appropriate seals may be provided between the various moving and non-moving parts of the robot so that the positive pressure within the compartments 52, 62 and 88 can be maintained, without an excess of air flow.
The above construction allows the use of a relatively small and inexpensive electric robot in a hazardous environment such as can be found in a conventional paint spray booth. The pressurized compartments 52, 62 and 88 which either are in fluid communication with each other, or are individually pressurized, prevent flammable gases or vapors from entering into the compartments which house electrical equipment including the electric drive motors.
By providing the pressurized compartment 88 in the arm assembly 18, the amount of interconnecting gearing to drive the various axes of the wrist mechanism 24 is substantially reduced. Also, the use of non-sparking electric motors in the various pressurized compartments eliminates the need for relatively heavy and costly explosion-proof motors either within the robot 10 or attached on the exterior surface thereof. A further benefit of using the non-sparking electric motors within the pressurized compartments is that the cables providing the power and control signals to the electric motors may comprise regular duty cables and not heavy-duty explosion-proof cables which are not only more costly, but also are relatively inflexible compared to regular duty cables.
The invention has been described in an illustrative manner and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
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Town of Greenwich Tree Lighting Ceremony
Friday, Nov 30, 2012 at 3:45pm-4:30pm
101 Field Point Road, Greenwich, CT
This year's ceremony will feature a holiday message from the First Selectman, a visit from Santa, Mrs. Claus, Frosty and Rudolph, Mechanical Polar Bear and Reindeer Rides.
The Greenwich High School Chamber Singers will be singing holiday songs. We will also have cider, hot chocolate, cookies and candy canes, as well as a lot of holiday cheer.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Snowden Effect: Judge Rules NSA Phone Records Likely Unconstitutional
A federal judge makes a decision on the National Security Agency's controversial phone surveillance program. This is just the latest development since former Maryland resident and NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked classified material.
Opinion: New Beginnings
This New Year ushers in a new Congress and a large Freshman class. Here's hoping that new faces create needed change on the Hill.
Md. Issues Legal Opinion On Gay Marriage Licenses
Maryland court clerks can begin accepting applications for same-sex marriage licenses immediately and issue them as soon as Dec. 6 as long as they specify that the licenses don't take effect until Jan. 1, Attorney General Doug Gansler wrote in a legal opinion Thursday.


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The Kellogg Board Fellows Program Mission:
Prepare Kellogg students to be socially responsible leaders through academic training in board governance and experiential learning through service on nonprofit boards.
Support nonprofits by applying fellows' professional experiences and academic backgrounds to solve strategic, organizational and operational issues that enhance the work of the board.
Build Kellogg's reputation for producing strong, socially responsible, community-oriented leaders while making a positive impact on the Chicago community.
The Kellogg Board Fellows Program
The Kellogg Board Fellows Program is a student initiated and student-led experiential learning program. Launched in 2003, it has become a well-known feature of the Kellogg School of Management. Through a competitive application process, approximately 50 fellows are selected each year. Fellows come to the program with work experience and an abiding interest in nonprofit board governance work.
Each fellow is matched with a Chicago-area nonprofit board of directors for 14 months, beginning at the end of the fellow's first year at Kellogg and continuing through May of their second year. The fellow serves as a non-voting member of the nonprofit board, actively contributing to the board's work in a mutually agreed upon way that advances the work of the board. Each fellow is assigned a mentor from the organization's board of directors; the mentor helps with the onboarding process and provides ongoing guidance and insight into the workings of the board.
In addition to gaining real-world experience on a board of directors, the fellow also studies nonprofit board governance through two courses taught by Kellogg faculty: Nonprofit Board Governance and Advanced Board Governance. These courses offer the fellow an opportunity to study best practices, examine trends in nonprofit governance, exchange insights with other fellows and learn how to become an effective board member.
The program's unique combination of academic study and real world experience helps fellows gain a deep understanding of the challenges and rewards of board service. Nonprofit boards benefit from the service of an enthusiastic and dedicated fellow, the network of the Kellogg community and the knowledge that they are helping develop business leaders who will understand the importance of civic leadership.


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|Final deliverable due December 11
|CS 7450 - Information Visualization
|Fall 2013
This document describes the semester project for the course. Students should work on a project in teams of 2-4 people. (Arguments will be entertained for a single person project, but in general, this is discouraged.) Expectations will be adjusted according to group size.
The idea of the project is to take the knowledge and background that you are learning this semester about Information Visualization and put it to good use in a new, creative effort. A real key to the project, however, is to select a data set that people will find interesting and intriguing. Even better would be to select a data set with a clearly identified set of "users" or "analysts" who care deeply about that data. Select a topic that people want to know more about! I cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of your topic and data set. Think about the suite of data visualizations that the NY Times has created over the past few years, a few examples of which are listed below:
No matter what topic you choose, I am expecting a high-quality project. In particular, I'm seeking creative projects showcasing interesting ideas. A good project should consist of visualization designs and a software artifact that implements the designs. Interaction is key in information visualization, and it is difficult to understand the interaction issues in your project without a running system. I am explicitly not expecting user testing and evaluation. Ideally, I would like your efforts to be innovative and to result in some form of potential publication.
You are free to choose any software development environment and graphics/visualization support library that you want in order to help build your system. Consider developing a system that is web-deployable so that your system can be shown to everyone in the world!
You will have five main milestones or deliverables. First, you must form your team and settle on a topic. Second, we will hold a poster session in class in which you can display your different design ideas to get feedback. Third, and shortly after the poster session, you will submit a detailed design document. Fourth, you will give a demonstration of your project to the instructor and TA during the last week of classes. Finally, you will produce a short video (6 minutes or less) that explains your system and shows it in action, and you will accompany the video by a short tutorial descriptive document.
The following questions will be important during that evaluation process.
Most of the really successful projects of the past from class have been in one of two styles. In the first style, the group created a visualization system that has only one view/representation but this representation is new and creative. Here, you should focus on designing an innovative new visual representation. The actual user interface may have different components or pieces, but it should be tightly integrated. The real focus here is on creativity and innovation. The second type of successful project employs multiple coordinated views where each view may use some well-known visualization techniques, perhaps customized a little for this problem. The emphasis in this type of project is to create a sound, functional system implementation that clearly can be of help for data analysis and understanding. It is important in this type of project to have coordinated views that work well together and provide different perspectives on the data. This type of project does not have the same level of visualization innovation as the first, but it comes together in a strong system implementation.
One way to create a poor project is to have each group member go off on their own and implement a different view, where the views have relatively little to do with each other. Systems like this usually have an interface where the user picks one of the views, and then that view takes over the window or screen. I don't consider this to be a very good example of an effective information visualization.


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Change lives. Change organizations. Change the world.
Several social enterprises are attempting to provide eyeglasses to the 500 million to 1 billion poor people in the world who need them. Some enterprises see the provision of trained optometrists as the key to solving the problem; others are focused on cost reduction; others still are focused on technological innovations. Why haven't any of these approaches succeeded on a large scale?
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DRIVING SOCIAL CHANGE: How to Solve the World's Toughest Problems by Paul C. Light
Social network and professional network combined: a low-income neighborhood works together to meet the needs of the community in an environmentally responsible way.
A conference at the Stanford Graduate School of Business made the business case for environmentally sustainable and socially responsible supply chain networks. The conference gathered executives, academics, NGOs, and government leaders to share best practices and insights. It is one of several new initiatives related to environmental sustainability at the Business School.
A student trip to Kenya introduced a Stanford Business School professor to a successful Nairobi bank and led to a case study that links MBA students to the African continent.
Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty, two of India's best known executives, share their experiences in leadership and management with current MBA students during a visit to campus as the first Denning Distinguished Fellows in Global Business and the Economy.
Venture capitalist John Doerr doesn't believe the world's population will change its wasteful ways in time to stop global warming, he told an overflow audience at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. But, ever the optimist, he urged MBA students to make it a priority.
Patagonia Inc. founder and owner Yvon Chouinard offered his Stanford audience a slew of counterintuitive business practices that have helped make his apparel company a success.
Microlending in leprosy colonies frees residents from poverty, shame, and isolation.
Play this online game and learn social innovation strategies to solve global crises.
Over the past decade or so, the term social entrepreneur has become a fashionable way of describing individuals and organizations that, in their attempts at large-scale change, blur the traditional boundaries between the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. But let's not overlook what traditional entrepreneurs contribute to society.
Designing social enterprises that can succeed on a national scale
Development experts have long known that educating girls is one of the surest ways to improve life for everyone in poor countries. Yet the path to school has not been smooth for many girls—especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Over the past 17 years, however, the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) has delivered high-quality education to millions of girls across 35 African countries. The secret to FAWE's scale and impact, say its leaders, is its flexibility.
The long-term strength of our nation relies on the level of commitment we have toward innovation. Influx of talent, new mindset and new network technologies are the new convergence of innovation. President Obama must broaden the focus across and among the private, public, and nonprofit sectors—to seek and spark the most promising innovations whether they come from commercial or social entrepreneurs, executives or line workers, community leaders, public servants, researchers, or citizens who don't fit into any of these categories.
The White House is about to announce the creation of the Office of Social Innovation.
This blog is the last of Marcia Stepanek's coverage of the Skoll World Forum 2009 at Oxford University.
Reporting from the 6th annual Skoll World Forum for social innovation
"There's no question: with public trust in CEOs and corporations at rock-bottom and the change mantra out of Washington [and Davos] and this week's TED2009 still freshly potent, cause-wired social entrepreneurs have never had a better opportunity to boost traction globally for their Web-powered ideas." - the author
"People can learn from mobile phones," says Sara Chamberlain, Head of Interactive for BBC World Trust and developer. She launched BBC Janala to "raise the language skills of 25 million people in Bangladesh by 2017". She speaks with host Sheela Sethuraman about how 3 million people already started learning English with in some cases the most basic handsets. According to Chamberlain, making English accessible affordably could be "a ticket out of poverty" for the people of Bangladesh.
A breakthrough for global health: double fortified salt has been recognized as a social innovation that delivers small but crucial daily amounts of iodine and iron to individuals at a very low cost. In this audio interview, Stanford Center for Social Innovation correspondent Sheela Sethuraman talks with Venkatesh Mannar, 2010 Tech Award winner in Health, as he shares his process of bringing this innovation from lab to market, with the potential to reach billions of people worldwide.
Got a great business idea? Consider taking it to Chile, where the government is now offering $40,000 grants and one-year visas to help early-stage entrepreneurs develop their companies, through a program called Start-Up Chile. In this audio interview, Stanford Social Innovation correspondent Ashkon Jafari talks with Nicolas Shea, innovation advisor to the Chilean minister of economy, about the program's genesis, goals, and progress so far.
Giving things away for the prize people are willing to pay sounds like corporate suicide. In this audio lecture sponsored by the Center for Social Innovation at Stanford, Leif Nelson shows it's a pathway to corporate citizenship, increased revenue, and an enhanced company image. He walks us through field experiments he conducted at major theme parks manipulating various aspects of the purchasing experience for souvenir action photos.
In the arena of social enterprise, a California collaboration is creating a high yield. In this university podcast, executives Diane Del Signore and Maisie Greenwalt share how Community Alliance with Family Farmers and Bon Appétit Management Company have partnered to create a local distribution system to get locally grown products into institutional settings. They also talk about efforts to help farmers become more organic.
Stanford GSB alum ('08) founded Nuru International to maximize local leadership to drive sustainable change.
A panel on the the importance of mainstreaming and investing in green chemistry for the future of energy and the environment.
Jane Chen (MBA '08) shares her journey to success in tackling one of the world's pressing issues -- low birth rates of premature babies around the world.
Hau Lee explains how value chain innovations can help entrepreneurs in developing economies grow their businesses, and what multinational corporations can learn from them.
In turbulent times like ours, we need "hard-edged hope," says Jacqueline Novogratz, the much-celebrated founder of the Acumen Fund. Affirming that the world is indeed a better place now than it was 40 years ago, she traces her own journey from a childhood witnessing racial inequities all around her in Detroit to a career leading the field of social impact investing. Novogratz rallies the community of Stanford business graduates to be part of the new generation of innovative problem solvers.
World demand for water is likely to continue to outpace population. In this panel discussion, experts talk about how this troubling environmental sustainability issue offers a rare opportunity for cleantech entrepreneurs. Our search for sustainable water offers lessons that may help others facing similar large-scale challenges such as world demand for energy. The event was part of the MIT-Stanford Venture Lab Series.
Jane Chen, MBA '08, has a vision of a place "babies no longer die from being cold, where people no longer die from preventable causes. And where every person has the ability to choose [his or her] own fate."
Businesses, nonprofits and government agencies increasingly are embracing design thinking to solve social problems. The reason? Design thinking is inherently human centered. In this audio lecture, Jocelyn Wyatt, who directs social innovation projects at the design and consulting firm IDEO, describes how design thinking can be employed in the developing world to address the needs of people who consume a product or service and the infrastructure that enables it.
While at Stanford, the Embrace team developed an idea for an infant warmer to help low-birth-weight-infants. As designed, the warmer was small and light, transportable, and easy to use, and had the potential to be produced at a fraction of the cost of available incubators. The team decided to pursue their idea by creating a nonprofit called Embrace Global to further develop and commercialize the technology. Through discussion with its board of directors and other advisors, the team thought transitioning from a prototype to a market-ready product would require funding and considered equity investments. However, the team realized in using private investors, it could be more difficult to justify targeting market segments who are considered small commercially. This mini-case study explores how Embrace decided to pursue a hybrid structure and steps to balance competing priorities in a new model.
Incubators can prevent infant deaths from hypothermia, shorten hospital stays, and reduce the rate of neonatal complications that can lead to lifelong illness and disability. Unfortunately, they are far too expensive for many resource-constrained settings, particularly developing countries. Design that Matters (DtM) partnered with CIMIT to develop a concept incubator that was uniquely suited to the context of a developing country, made with parts already abundant in the environment. The results was NeoNurture. Although NeoNurture was never brought to the market, the process of developing this product introduced important insights about designing contextually appropriate projects.
The Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) was founded by immunologist Steve Reed in 1993 as a nonprofit global health research center. The institute was distinguished by its emphasis on the practical end goal of getting its products to market. To accomplish this, IDRI drew on distinct competencies of diverse collaboration. IDRI needed a substantial, ongoing stream of funding in order to continue realizing results. However, as a nonprofit, they could not tap into venture capital funding like private firms. These funding constraints made sustaining the company challenging and limited its strategic growth. This case study describes how Reed devised a model to create a for-profit development arms to commercialize select IDRI vaccine.
Fisher and Moon founded KickStart to design tools that would enable Africa's poor to launch and sustain their own profitable businesses. The organization's first product was a line of manually operated irrigation pumps — branded "MoneyMaker Pumps" — that would help subsistence farmers transform their farms into profitable family businesses. The KickStart team believed that to be sustainable, its products had to be affordable and enable farmers to realize return on their investment within a relatively short period. This mini-case study explores this approach and how KickStart structures its business to provide enduring solutions.
KickStart was founded to design tools that would enable Africa's poor to launch and sustain profitable businesses. Its first product was a line of manually operated irrigation pumps — branded "MoneyMaker Pumps" — that would help subsistence farmers transform their farms into profitable family businesses. When the first MoneyMaker pumps were brought to market, they were accepted by rural African farmers as affordable, versatile, durable, easy to maintain, and culturally appropriate. However, KickStart subsequently faced significant challenges manufacturing MoneyMaker pumps in sufficient volumes and at a reasonable cost. This mini-case study examines how KickStart addressed these challenges to established high quality, affordable manufacturing for the long term.
This seminal paper defines the term social entrepreneurship and helps shape, what was in 1998, the nascent field of social entrepreneurship.
The goal of this seminar is to investigate how social technology (e.g., blogs, websites, podcasts, widgets, community groups, social network feeds) can change attitudes and behaviors in ways that cultivate social change. We study the strategies and tactics used by companies and causes that have successfully catalyzed social persuasion.
This course focuses on the efforts of private citizens to create effective responses to social needs and innovative solutions to social problems. It equips students with frameworks and tools that will help them be more effective as a social entrepreneur.
This course explores the challenges and opportunities related to social entrepreneurship. Students study nonprofit, for-profit, and hybrid organizational forms, and examine issues from a variety of perspectives, including that of entrepreneur, CEO, funder, and board member.
Students apply engineering and business skills to design product prototypes, distribution systems, and business plans for entrepreneurial ventures in developing countries. The aim is to address challenges faced by the world's poor.
This course is designed to help students understand and manage human systems, exercise leadership, and work effectively with other people, specifically within the context of culturally diverse groups and organizations. The underlying premise is that diversity can present unique challenges and opportunities.
A grassroots student effort led by Caroline Mullen, MBA '12, Catha Mullen, MBA '13, and Monica Lewis, MBA '12, now has even more impact through a merger with Pachamama Coffee Cooperative.
It was the suicide of a young man that turned Vivek Garg toward using business as a means of fostering peace and reconciliation.
The March/April edition of Stanford magazine features a profile of alumnus Jeff Skoll, one of only 20 people who've ever given away $1 billion. He hopes to engage everyone in the planet's survival by leveraging the power of Hollywood.
Yohei Iwasaki and mOasis are enabling farmers to grow more crops from less water and to cultivate previously underutilized land, producing a sustainable environment that significantly reduces food and water shortages.
Jane Chen's passion for helping others has taken her on an incredible journey from doing social work in China to founding Embrace, a company that sells premature infant incubators.
Arrillaga created Silicon Valley Social Venture ("SV2") in partnership with Community Foundation Silicon Valley ("CFSV"), a nationally recognized public foundation that had experience working with individual donors and had established credibility within the philanthropic field. Arrillaga formed SV2 as a donor-advised fund to ensure that CFSV staff would help guide SV2 partners leverage their expertise and funding to select high-performing community organizations, thus generating the greatest social impact.
A Stanford scholar discusses a collaborative, human-centered approach to solving some of the world's most pressing problems.
A group of economists turns to an unusual source for funding: strangers.
An Indian army vet builds business relationships across battle lines in conflict-torn Kashmir and Northeast Indian villages.
How Fundación RAP builds bridges across party lines.


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This super-slim case snaps on and stays put, surrounding your iPod touch on all edges and back. The frosted matte finish looks and feels great, and it's made of durable polycarbonate to protect against dings and dents. With all this protection, you still have total access to your Multi-Touch display, camera, connectors, and controls. Griffin EasyDock design lets the bottom of the case slide on and off for quick, easy charging and syncing without removing your iPod from its case.
- Hard-shell polycarbonate case with frosted matte finish
- Slides on for a slim, secure fit; EasyDock design allows docking and syncing without removing your iPod from the case
- Easy access to Multi-Touch display, all ports and controls
- iPod touch 4th gen.


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Diocese of Fort Worth Website
Papal parenting guide: Francis delivers his own how-to for families
Why this former rock journalist authored a book about chastity
Statue of Archbishop Sheen meant to inspire new generation of devotees
Media-savvy bishop-designate is appointed in Los Angeles
For those considering religious life, Vocation Awareness Program provides answers, community
Teaching leadership through service: Camp Fort Worth visits Cooke County
Padua Pilot aims high to lift poor out of poverty
Texas Knights of Columbus lead as organization sets new charity record
Going beyond the numbers to show the people, ministries impacted by Annual Diocesan Appeal
By seminarians, for everyone: new Catholic Bytes podcast offers different way to learn about faith
Hispanics' growth, cultural diversity present challenge, speaker says
Presence of Hispanics 'a blessing' for Church, says professor
What a proposed bill on religious liberty would and would not protect
Video of Planned Parenthood doctor prompts calls for investigation
Planned Parenthood under fire for alleged trafficking of baby organs
Seminarians transition to summer activity and change of ministries
Is Jesus Christ at odds with the teachings of the Catholic Church?
Young adult ministry: no simple answers
Pope Francis Encyclical Laudato Si reminds us of our responsibility to care for Gods Creation
'Focusing on the reality' of Life after life
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Hang tight!
Recipe by Campbell's Kitchen
"Golden pork chops star in a quick braise with potatoes, onion and roasted red pepper."
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boneless pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon
olive oil
4 medium
red potatoes, cut up
1 medium
onion, sliced
1 teaspoon
dried oregano leaves, crushed
1 cup
Swanson® Chicken Broth (regular, Natural Goodness™ or Certified Organic)
1/2 cup
diced roasted red pepper
Really simple and easy to make. Will definitely make this again. Next time might add a pinch of salt and a dash of red pepper flakes; but, it is good the way it is. We served it with garlic couscous. Yum!
I had high hopes for this, but the potatoes took forever to soften, and then the meat became tough. My family was not very happy.
21 Ratings
Overall, well done. I did make a few alterations, though. Before adding the potatoes, melt a tablespoon of butter in the pan. Swapped out the peppers for mushrooms. Added a few tblspns of white wine with the stock.
Simple to make and delicious! I have made this dish a few times now, and have also tried it with chicken instead of pork.
This was really good! I added more potatoes and more chicken broth since I had too many chops - it was easy to adjust to make more for more people. This was very tasty!
This dish was great! I have a daughter w/milk allergies, and this was a great dish to make to accomodate that. I didn't have the roasted peppers on hand, so I omitted those. Still, it turned out great, and what a lovely aroma while cooking!
I made this for my family tonight, and they loved it while I found it a bit boring (that just might be my teenage taste buds). This is what I changed; I did 5 pork chops, canola oil, Idaho potatoes, and a chicken bouillon cube. I would've added more onions and peppers, and I would've roasted the potatoes in the oven before adding to the mix. It took me a little bit longer to cook – I'm very new to cooking. My parents thought it was delicious, though I felt it was a bit… boring. I'm not sure why though. It tasted good, but was nothing exciting. I would probably make this again. :)
With our 2,700+ chicken breast recipes, you'll never serve the same old chicken again.
The firm, juicy texture of zucchini make them a perfect side to toss on the grill.
Delicious recipes, party ideas, and cooking tips! Get a year of Allrecipes magazine for $7.99!
See how to make sage-rubbed roasted pork with a tangy glaze.
Roasted potatoes with less oil and lots of fresh herbs.
Make a simple brine and delicious maple glaze for roasted pork.


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Pirates Party Gather For National Convention
Sign next to a table at the Pirate Party National Convention at... News PhotoBochum,Germany,Hat,Horizontal,Insignia,Logo,Party Conference,Political Rally,Politics,Symbol,TablePhotographer Ulrich BaumgartenCollection: Ulrich Baumgarten 2012 Ulrich BaumgartenBOCHUM, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 24: Sign next to a table at the Pirate Party National Convention at RuhrCongress on November 24, 2012 in Bochum, Germany. German Pirates have a lot to achieve as the party is flagging in the polls and facing national elections in less than a year. (Photo by Ulrich Baumgarten via Getty Images)


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Undergraduate Academic Catalog 2012-2013
POLS 3209 U. S. Constitutional Law
This course provides students with an in-depth discussion and case history of the origins, development, and evolution of the U.S. Constitution, focusing in particular upon such themes as the structure and powers of the United States government, as well as civil rights and liberties provisions. The course will include analysis of defining features of the American constitutional system such as the separation of powers, federalism, The Bill of Rights, and judicial review. The influence of U.S. Supreme Court membership and the role of other organized interests in interpreting constitutional rights will be considered.
Catalog Links


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Kohl's slated for Melody Mountain in Ashland
ASHLAND -- The last big piece of a planned $10 million expansion on Melody Mountain fell in place this week as Kohl's announced it was coming to Ashland in 2014.
The developer, RG Properties of Dayton, Ohio, announced in a press release that Kohl's would be locating in a 55,000-square-foot building on the site, which overlooks the Ashland Town Center Mall.
Dick's Sporting Goods and PetSmart announced plans earlier to locate on the site, which already has a Wal-Mart and O'Charley's and Outback Steakhouse restaurants.
Combined, the new retailers are expected to bring 300 jobs to the city. There also will be about 75 construction jobs, according to the news release.
Dick's and PetSmart are planning to open new stores this fall. Dick's will have a 50,000-square-foot building while PetSmart will have a 12,000-square-foot building. There also will be another 3,200 square feet of retail shops, according to Bo Gunlock, vice president of asset management for the developer.
"It's official," said Ashland Mayor Chuck Charles. "I'm excited to have that level of retailer coming to Ashland. They're already moving ground now."
The site development is under way on the project. The Dick's and PetSmart are expected to open before the Christmas shopping season, Charles said.
"While we had other potential users for the site, we decided it was in everyone's best interest to wait for what we feel will be the best for the center," Gunlock said in a prepared release. "After researching the market, we felt Kohl's was the right choice for Melody Mountain."
"The Ashland city officials really went above and beyond to help make this happen," Gunlock said in the release. "Enough cannot be said for how much that extra effort means to new retailers entering the market."
The developer also plans to extend a sidewalk to the site and improve the entrance off U.S. 23 and make improvements on the road between the two restaurants, Charles said. As part of the project, RG Properties will install LED lights at the site, according to the release.
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Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center, 8 p.m.
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Radio: ESPN AM-1000
Update: The Bucks (6-4) got off to a surprisingly good start but just lost two close ones in a row at Charlotte and Miami. Guard Monta Ellis leads Milwaukee with 20.2 points, followed by PG Brandon Jennings at 16.9 points and 7.5 assists. Rookie forward John Henson had 17 points and 18 rebounds against the Heat on Wednesday. The Bulls have won eight straight against the Bucks.
Next: Milwaukee Bucks at the United Center, 7 p.m. Monday
-- Mike McGraw


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It has been recently revealed in a report that there has been a huge sum of money granted to the team of researchers by the federal authorities for the effective finding of the cure for Hendra virus. It was revealed by Tanya Plibersek, the Health Minister that there would be a huge sum of $3 million which shall be forwards for the purpose of funding different projects which shall be able to find an appropriate cure for the disease.
There s need for efforts to be made for the proper research and development of a cure and prevention mode of this disease. This is because it's about time something was done about it.
This is because there are a number of new cases of the disease coming up. It remains to be seen what can be done about the matter in the time to come and how the efforts of the authorities are able to find a cure for this impending dangerous disease.
"Their horses don't have to get Hendra virus. It's about the separation of flying foxes from horses and also for humans it is about veterinarians and people taking precautions with horses when they are sick", said Queensland Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Rick Symons.
Product Launch
- Samsung signs deal with Amazon.in to sell Galaxy K Zoom handset in India
- GE unveils smart LED light bulb – 'Link'
- Report: iPhone 6 likely to be launched one month earlier than expected
- Huawei officially unveils its new high-end Ascend P7 smartphone
- Samsung launches its 'Galaxy K zoom' camera specialized-smartphone


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Rion Paige – THE X FACTOR USA 2013 , 13-year-old Rion Paige may not look like exactly like everyone else, but she's certainly got THE X FACTOR . The pint-sized powerhouse has vocals that can kill and apparently a mischievous side that can get her into even more trouble.
The award-winning international phenomenon THE X FACTOR is back. In Season Three of the hit competition series hosted by Mario Lopez, THE X FACTOR judges will travel the nation searching for talent 12 years old or over — both solo artists and vocal groups — who are willing to brave the panel for a chance to make their dreams of becoming a superstar come true. Auditions for THE X FACTOR were held this spring in Los Angeles, CA; Charleston, SC; New Orleans, LA; Long Island, NY; and Denver, CO.
Contestants will audition in front of THE X FACTOR judges, including Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato, Kelly Rowland, Paulina Rubio, and an audience of thousands. This will be the ultimate test to prove they have the vocal ability, charisma and stage presence it takes to become a global superstar or breakout music act and win a recording contract with Syco/Sony Music.
Those contestants who survive the first auditions will be divided into four categories: Boys, Girls, Over 25s and Groups. Each category will be mentored by one of the show's judges. Not only is it a competition between the hopefuls to stake their claim for the coveted win, but it's also a showdown among the judges as to whose acts will dominate the competition and make it to the finals. The judges may have their say in how the competition progresses, but it will be up to America to decide who ultimately has THE X FACTOR.
Yes, I Made It! Rion Paige | THE X FACTOR USA 2013


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Storytellers and musicians Kim and Reggie Harris will fill one of the final storytelling residency slots for Jonesborough's 2013 Storytelling Live! season.Comments
Fifteen participants came out to compete in the Youth 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament held at the V.O. Dobbins Sr. Complex on Monday, the first day of the Fall Break Activities scheduled at the complex for city students who are out of school this week.Comments
On Monday Adriana Trigiani displayed more than a little performing flair of her own at MECC, managing very well to whip up local enthusiasm for a project that boasts the cinematic talents of an Ashley Judd, a Patrick Wilson and a Whoopi Goldberg.Comments
Visitors to Rocky Mount on Oct. 19 can take a step back in time and experience the kinds of harvest-time activities the Cobb family and other Tennessee pioneers were busy tending to this time of year.Comments
Mountain Empire Community College will once again welcome thousands of visitors to campus this fall for its annual Home Craft Days.Comments
To celebrate the opening of its 11th biennial exhibition "From These Hills: Contemporary Art in the Southern Appalachian Highlands," William King Museum in Abingdon, Va., is throwing a fundraising party with all things "from these hills."Comments
Tennessee Magazine recently named Rogersville's Heritage Days the best event in East Tennessee and the best festival in East Tennessee. Perfect weather all three days of this year's event was just an added bonus.Comments
The Johnson City Sessions, conducted by Columbia Records producer Frank B. Walker in October 1928 and October 1929, are generally viewed as the second-most important field recording sessions ever conducted in Appalachia.Comments
The author, a native of Big Stone Gap now living in New York City, has returned to her hometown to direct the film. Monday morning, Trigiani is to discuss the project on the campus of Mountain Empire Community College.Comments
A list of what movies are playing around the region.Comments


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110 W. New York Ave.
DeLand, FL 32720
Spiritual Side: 'Soul Food Fest' Saturday, March 8, in DeLand
By Margie Dykes
posted Feb 22, 2014 - 7:51:54am
Great food
Bethel AME Church in DeLand is hosting its eighth annual "Thrown Down With Bethel" Soul Food Fest 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, March 8.
There will be ribs, chicken, fish, hog maws and pigs' feet, and sides such as pigeon peas and rice, potato salad, mac and cheese, candied yams, collard greens, green beans and black-eyed peas, and desserts. The ever-popular sweet-potato pies will be available for purchase.
Advance-sale tickets cost $12 per person, or pay $15 at the door. To order tickets, call 386-383-3003 or email to email@example.com.
New worship experience
First Presbyterian Church of DeBary is offering a new contemporary worship service every Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
"The Bridge" is a come-as-you-are multi-generational worship experience led by Pastor Kevin Evers in a relaxed and casual environment. The coffee cups will be out, and a praise band will lead worship through music, video and drama.
For more information, call the church at 386-668-4495 or visit www.firstpresdebary.com.
Hometown man speaks
Former DeLand resident Rusty Hassell will speak at Plymouth Avenue Christian Church in DeLand at the 10 a.m. worship service Sunday, March 2. Hassell is the assistant admissions director at Point University in Georgia, whose mission is to educate students for Christ-centered service and leadership throughout the world.
A 2002 graduate of DeLand High School, Hassell will talk on "Unfinished Business ... Your Story Is Still Being Written," which is the theme at Point University this year. His talk is in conjunction with the current sermon series given by his father, Pastor Chuck Hassell, about God making good out of the messes we make.
'Come meet us'
First Unitarian Universalist Church of West Volusia in DeLand invites the community to a very special Discovery Sunday service at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 23. This is a service where visitors are invited to come and find out about the UUs.
Contentment series continues
Pastor Art Bakewell will continue his sermon series "Contentment" at the 8:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, services at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of DeLand. The Lord's Supper will be served at both services.
A Week of Compassion offering will be taken to provide relief during various kinds of disasters, as well as refugee assistance throughout the world.
There will be a lunch with bingo sponsored by the Membership Ministry at noon Tuesday, Feb. 25.
Rainbow Child Care Center will have a benefit Spaghetti Dinner 5-7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28. It will be served in the fellowship hall or may be taken out. The cost is $5 for adults, $2.50 for elementary-school-age children, and free for preschool children. Reservations may be made by calling 386-736-3768. The proceeds will benefit special curriculum needs and scholarships.
The most current news of the church can be found on Facebook First Christian Church - DeLand Disciples.
The Covenant Players will perform at the 10:45 a.m. Sunday, March 2, worship service. Since 1963, the Players, the married team of Robin and Suzanne Goetti and their daughter Erin, have pioneered the use of drama as a communications resource in church programs and worship services.
Asking for funds
Members of Interfaith Caregivers of West Volusia Inc. will be asking for donations in front of the Walmart Supercenter in DeLand 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, and Saturday, March 1. The funds will help support the Interfaith Kitchen activities and the Cold Weather Shelter.
The kitchen serves meals 5:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at First United Methodist Church of DeLand.
The Cold Weather Shelter, also at the church, opens when the temperature is predicted to drop to 40 degrees or lower. It has been open more than 16 nights this season.
The Interfaith Caregivers effort is operated totally by volunteers, with Peter Woods as president, Pastor Art Wuertz as vice president, Barbara Parslow as treasurer, and Tanna Gartside as secretary.
Learning to forgive
How to heal and forgive after being wronged will be discussed at Lifetree Café at 7:15 p.m. Thursday, March 6. The cafe is at Episcopal Church of the Holy Presence in DeLand, and is a place where people gather for conversation on life and faith in a casual coffeehouse-type setting.
The program titled "The Struggle to Forgive: Finding a Way Forward" features the filmed story of Alicia Brady, who was the victim of a gang-related drive-by shooting.
A dancer, Brady sustained injuries that caused her to lose the ability to perform competitively.
"Dancing was my life," says Brady. "Everything I had worked for was taken from me. I had lost that life, and I wasn't going to get it back."
Brady tells about the shooting and her struggle to recover physically and emotionally. The program will offer guidance for those who find it difficult to heal and forgive after being wronged by others.
Admission to the 60-minute event is free. Snacks and beverages will be available.
Special viewing
As a fundraiser for St. Peter Catholic Church's Mission Circle, the church has brought the documentary movie The Triumph to Epic Theatres of West Volusia, 939 Hollywood Blvd. in Deltona, for a one-time showing at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23. The film follows the pilgrimage of a young man who is full of doubt and who, while facing his substance-abuse problem, has a significant religious experience and conversion. The film is not yet rated.
Tickets cost $10 for adults, and $8 for children and senior citizens, and are available for advance purchase through St. Peter Catholic Church, or at the door at Epic Theatre.
For more information, call Ruth Grinstead at St. Peter Catholic Church at 386-822-6000.
Annual rummage sale
The junior and senior youth groups of First United Methodist Church of DeLand will have their annual Rummage Sale 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, in the Life Enrichment Center. Items for sale will include kitchen and household items, furniture, lawn equipment, tools, books and children's items. The proceeds will fund mission trips and other youth ministries.
All are invited to the Friday, Feb. 28, annual Fish Fry, also in the Life Enrichment Center, and sponsored by the United Methodist Men. A complete fish dinner with beans, coleslaw, grits, beverages and dessert will be served 5-7 p.m. A pasta dinner is available also. The cost is $7 per person, with a family paying no more than $22. Children age 5 and younger eat for free. The proceeds will go toward missions and scholarships.
Sunday, Feb. 23, is Brown Bag Sunday. Those attending services that morning are encouraged to bring staple food items, canned goods and paper items to the church. These will be distributed to various food pantries in the area and to those in need.
The Wednesday Music Club of Central Florida will present Dr. Michael Rickman in a special Piano Concert at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 2, in the Life Enrichment Center parlor. A $10 donation will be taken at the door to fund the club's Music Scholarship Awards.
All are welcome to attend the services and activities of the church. Call the church office for tickets and additional information at 386-734-5113.
— We value your religious group's news items. Please submit information one week before the publication date by fax at 386-734-4641 or by email at email@example.com.
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Rocky Mountain Research Station Publications
RMRS Online Publication - Journal
Articles, External Publications, and Special Reports
Mapping tradeoffs in values at risk at the interface between wilderness and non-wilderness lands
Watson, Alan; Matt, Roian; Waters, Tim; Gunderson, Kari; Carver, Steve; Davis, Brett. 2009. Mapping tradeoffs in values at risk at the interface between wilderness and non-wilderness lands. In: Gonzalez-Caban, Armando, tech. coord. Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Fire Economics, Planning, and Policy: Common Problems and Approaches. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-227 (English). Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. p. 375-387.
On the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana, U.S., the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness is bordered by a buffer zone. To successfully improve forest health within that buffer zone and restore fire in the wilderness, the managing agency and the public need to work together to find solutions to increasingly threatening fuel buildups. A combination of qualitative, culturally sensitive research and a web-based mapping exercise have been used to develop understanding of the tradeoffs Reservation residents describe in relation to potential buffer zone actions. The primary meanings Tribal members associate with the Buffer Zone are protection of the wilderness, wildlife and water quality, access and functional attachments, recreation and scenic values, and personal and cultural meanings. To build trust among both tribal and non-tribal residents, fire planners must understand how proposed actions interact with values at risk assigned by the local community and describe a prioritization process that addresses publicly perceived threats.
Keywords: buffer zone, cultural landscapes, fuel treatment, geographic information systems
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Electronic Publish Date: April 4, 2012
Last Update: April 4, 2012
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Newbies, Post in Welcome Central to open up the boards
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Does this mean... our "number" is up?
It's all fun and games until somebody says you've taken the mark of the beast and that the smoke of your torment will ascend forever and ever in the presence of the Lamb and of His messengers! Anyway, teasing aside, WhiteWings, did you copy this from a book or another website, or are you as obsessed with numbers as I am?
About 666Many calculations have be done in history to find the anti-christ. Or even looking at paintings. Poetin seems to look exactly like someone on a painting with Jesus on it. Can only very vaguely remember the story.I posted this link before but no replies: http://www.666beast.net/It calculates this/next pope as the anti-christ. But this calculation is not just adding a few numbers of the name of the pope. It uses Biblical 'concepts' that seem sound to me. But I don't know enough of the Bible to judge.But you do Martin; and you, being obsessed with numbers, may find it a nice read.If you do; I would like some feedback.
Found a nice one. All based on the original Hebrew words.Number of God: 26Number of Adam: 45Number of Eve: 1945-26=19Genesis 2:22 And the bone which the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman, and took her to the man.
No But I did notice 45-19=26But that's less funny so I won't post it
Cardinal,Another one you will like.Write down Son in Hebrew=> SonAdd the letter Yod at the end of the word (son)Now you have the Hebrew word for My=> My=Son+YodNow at the letter Tav.=> Convenant=My+TavThe meaning of the letter Tav is cross (even looks like a cross being carried)No add a little fantasy:Convenant = Cross of My SonWow!
Passover.Blood placed on the doorpost.In Hebrew a word with the meaning "the sign" or "the seal" is used for that 'action'The Hebrew word has 3 letters.Alef = LeaderVav = NailTav = CrossLeader nailed to the cross.
rofl.......laughter doeth good like a medicine.....
Well said, number 19


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ill and Sara Carlisle are proud to announce their affiliation with Larry and Kim Geisen, owners of Geisen Funeral Homes in Northwest Indiana.
Like the Carlisles, the Geisen family is no stranger to the funeral business. Larry and Kim Geisen are fifth-generation owners; Geisen Funeral Home opened its doors 145 years ago in Crown Point. The Geisens also own and operate funeral homes in Merrillville and Hebron as well.
Bill and Sara plan to remain active with the funeral home during the transition. The funeral home will now be named "Geisen-Carlisle Funeral and Cremation Services".
The Geisens are proud to continue serving the families in Michigan City the same way the Carlisles have for generations - with compassion and care.
Geisen-Carlisle Funeral & Cremation Services 613 Washington Street Michigan City, Indiana 46360 (219) 874-4214 - Telephone (219) 874-4216 - Fax
Larry Geisen
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Know the route you and your kids will be taking on Halloween. Encourage kids to trick or treat in groups with at least one adult or a teen aged sibling. Know what activities your children will be attending that night, such as any school functions or parties. Set a time that children should be home. Review the differences between "tricks" and actual vandalism, stressing the vandalism can actually ruin Halloween for others.
Copyright 2013 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved.


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Dallas Cowboys and the NFL
Latest news on the Cowboys
Yearly Archive for 2009
Ware could play if he passes tests Wednesday
IRVING – Injured Cowboys OLB DeMarcus Ware said his status for Saturday's game at New Orleans could hinge on whether he passes a battery of tests Wednesday. Ware suffered a strained neck in Sunday's 20-17 loss to San Diego. "Tomorrow I think I will do some more X-rays and I think another MRI to make […] [Read More]
Both kickers stink in practice
IRVING – David Buehler apparently isn't the answer to the Cowboys' kicking woes. During the portion of practice open to the media Tuesday, Buehler missed all three of his attempts. None were close, with all sailing wide immediately after he struck the ball. Folk wasn't much better. He made just 2 of 4 attempts. (UPDATE: […] [Read More]
Buehler: 'I am going to push Nick and compete'
IRVING – The Cowboys could have a new kicker by the time they leave for New Orleans on Friday. Rookie kickoff specialist David Buehler said Tuesday he's been told by "upper management" to concentrate more on kicking field goals in practice. "Nick (Folk) is the kicker right now," Buehler said. "It's his job to lose. […] [Read More]
Empty locker room
IRVING – The locker room was open for 45 minutes today, but there were hardly any players around to answer questions from the media. Roy Williams, the two kickers (more on them later), Victor Butler, Orlando Scandrick – that was about it. When the going gets tough, this team gets going – as in they […] [Read More]
Where are the takeaways?
IRVING – Saturday night's Cowboys-Saints game will contrast a big-play defense (New Orlean's) and a defense that never seems to make the big plays when they're needed most (Dallas'). The Saints have an eye-popping plus-16 turnover ratio. The Cowboys are at minus-1. Dallas coach/defensive coordinator Wade Phillips stressed during training camp the need for more […] [Read More]
Phillips should consider shaking things up
IRVING – Despite being mired in a two-game losing streak that's put their season in peril, the Cowboys apparently are planning no major lineup changes other than possibly letting rookie David Buehler kick field goals. "I think you've got to stick with what you're doing," coach Wade Phillips said Monday. "You've got to stick with […] [Read More]
Offensive line to blame for Chargers stuffing Barber
IRVING – Without naming names, Cowboys coach Wade Phillips essentially put the blame on the offensive line for Marion Barber failing to get into the end zone Sunday despite getting three cracks from the 1-yard line. "We didn't block it as well as we wanted to, certainly. I think that was more it than anything," […] [Read More]
Garrett defends goal-line play calling
IRVING – Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett offered no apologies after Sunday's game when asked about why he ran Marion Barber four-straight times after the Cowboys gained a first-and-goal at the 4-yard line. Three of those Barber runs came from the 1. "Those were three different plays," Garrett said. "We had knocked them off the […] [Read More]
Switch to Buehler at kicker not ruled out
IRVING – Cowboys coach Wade Phillips didn't rule out the possibility of replacing slumping kicker Nick Folk with rookie kickoff specialist David Buehler. Phillips said last week that Buehler has been too inconsistent in practice to kick in the games, but when asked Monday about Buehler, Phillips said, "We have different options we're discussing. We're […] [Read More]
Kicker's job security remains shaky
IRVING – Cowboys coach Wade Phillips on Monday didn't rule out the possibility of bringing in another kicker to compete with slumping Nick Folk. "There are other options we have that we're discussing," Phillips said. Folk's job security is at risk after he missed a 42-yard field goal in Sunday's 20-17 loss to San Diego. […] [Read More]
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The second phase of Erwin's downtown revitalization project is slated for completion in late September. This phase of the project will cover the areas of Main Avenue from Gay Street to Union Street and includes stormwater work. (Brad Hicks/Johnson City Pr
ERWIN — As crowds filed into downtown Johnson City on Friday afternoon to take part in the 15th annual Blue Plum Festival, the scene was quite different in downtown Erwin.
Rather than swarms of festivalgoers, construction crews and equipment filled the streets of Erwin as the second phase of the town's downtown revitalization continues.
Construction on the second phase began in April, and work started with stormwater work on the block from Union Street to Nolichucky Avenue. A component of the project is the installation of a box culvert that will take excess water to Nolichucky Avenue, where it will be routed into a drainage system that goes through the nearby railroad property and will take the water to the nearby creek.
In February, the Erwin Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved a bid from Summers Taylor Inc., to complete the second and third phases of the project. The construction company submitted a base bid of approximately $2,995,000. Prior to this, the board had approved a resolution authorizing the town to borrow funds in an amount not to exceed $3.5 million to complete the remaining revitalization work.
Recently, work moved from this block to Main Avenue between the Gay Street and Union Street intersections. And while downtown Erwin continues to see its share of visitors, it is the downtown merchants that witness the progress of the work on a daily basis. The consensus among the merchants in the impacted area is that while business may be down now, it will be worth it in the long run.
"Anytime there's progress, you have to make sacrifices," Choo Choo Cafe owner Brenda Hawley said. "And the men are working so hard. This is dangerous work. That's one thing I think we have failed to realize. Not only are we improving our town, but these men are working extremely hard to make sure it's done correctly. The inconvenience that it causes us is minor in comparison to what we will reap in the future when it's finished, not only as merchants, but as residents of Erwin."
In summer 2011, the board approved an agreement with planning firm Kimley-Horn and Associates to develop a master plan for the downtown revitalization project. This plan was approved by town officials in February 2012.
The revitalization project was undertaken to bring aesthetic and infrastructure improvements to the downtown area, as well as bring the district into Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. The first phase of the project, which covered the area of Main Avenue from Tucker Street to Gay Street, was completed in September and included the widening of sidewalks, installation of new lighting and installation of underground utilities. The second phase of the project is intended to bring these same improvements to the section of Main Avenue from Gay Street to Union Street.
Hawley said her evening business is down significantly, adding that merchants in the area impacted by the construction experience maybe one-third of the business they had prior to the start of construction.
"It's a financial sacrifice, but we have no choice," Hawley said. "So you can either cry about it or rejoice."
Rebecca Moreland opened the Buttercup Bakery on Union Street around seven months ago. She said she had heard from other merchants in downtown Erwin about the impact the construction has had on business, but Moreland admits she was not ready for it herself.
"I have to say, I was not prepared for it," Moreland said.
Moreland said her first six months in business in the downtown area were "phenomenal," but she said patronage of her sweets shop has been down in the past month as construction has ramped up.
"It's impacted our street traffic about 90 percent, but we do lunch now, which we did not do before, and that is keeping us in business," Moreland said. "We've had a really good response to that. We're delivering and we've got a lot of catering, too, like from (Nuclear Fuel Services). The local businesses are really trying to support us."
Business is still strong for Lou Snider, owner of the Hawg-n-Dawg restaurant, located adjacent to Buttercup Bakery. Snider said the construction has had little to no impact on his customer traffic, even when it moved to the street right outside his door.
"We have had no real effect on our business whatsoever," Snider said. "My customers are probably some of the best customers in the entire world. They'll come through the mud puddles, they'll go over the gravel piles, they'll walk on cardboard, they'll walk on stones, they'll duck underneath track hoes to get here."
Joey Lewis, co-owner of the Valley Beautiful Antique Mall on Main Avenue, also said he has not experienced a "huge loss" in business since construction moved onto the main streets. He said business was good in May and has been so far steady in June.
"We've had some of our regular customers," Lewis said. "When they want it bad enough, they'll park and fine a way to get in."
The second phase of the downtown revitalization project is slated to be completed in late September, ahead of the Unicoi County Apple Festival, which will be held the first Friday and Saturday in October in downtown Erwin. Merchants currently affected by the revitalization construction agree they are impressed by the first phase and are optimistic about the impact the completed work will have on their businesses.
"I think the first two sections they did look very nice," Lewis said. "If you look up through there, you see the power lines gone and the new sidewalks in. I think it looks great, and I hope it does improve not only the aesthetic quality of downtown, but also the business part of it, where more people will come in."
Hawley said she gets "goosebumps" when she thinks of how the town will look once the revitalization project is complete.
"The streets are more narrow, and I had my doubts on whether or not that would work, but it works," she said. "It works fine. It looks great, it's amazing. I'm just glad I'm part of it."comments powered by Disqus