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Law Enforcement Finest Department
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Law Enforcement Finest Department Official Clan Website
Public Access : Homepage, F.A.Q, Biography, LEFD Media Gallery and Apply. Those sections given can be access by anyone viewing the LEFD website, other sections are for official LEFD members
We are not accepting any application due to a freeze session, clan at this time is not active.
There are some contents on website that are currently under construction, we do apologize for any inconvenience.
Hello and welcome to the Law Enforcement Finest Department (LEFD) official clan website. LEFD is a police roleplay clan that provides education and entertainment for all members. LEFD is only for the following consoles: Xbox 360 & Xbox One on Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V), here on our website you can learn on how we operate based on the following information: Our Events are perform in a free-mode lobby on Grand Theft Auto V, which consist of 6 - 16 members. All Members perform realism scenario for educational and entertainment purposes. Free-mode lobby pertaining to roleplay have a set of police and crooks who operate and function under the discretion of the supervisor, roleplay invitation goes based on activity within party-chat session. Furthermore LEFD falls under an Equal Opportunity environment, that allows all members and applicants (current/future) to be treated the same. LEFD is a realistic clan, providing maturity, discipline, respect, and professionalism.
Law Enforcement Finest Department is very diverse, all men and women on xbox live join our finest clan from different parts of the world. LEFD has a para-military function with chain-of-command and all relating to policing. In addition to diverse, members in the clan come from all sort of public safety background, such as: police, fire fighter, paramedics, explorers/reserves and military. If you are interested in joining feel free to apply, but first, we ask you to follow our step at the bottom of this page. Keep in mind that only qualified members that follow the process correctly will receive faster and accurate response from administrative staff.
LEFD History
LEFD was established in the year of 2008 by 3 members: EASTNYG0BLIN718, HEL DESTRUCTION, & Devil Dogs101. These individuals had a strong passion for roleplay, mainly education. After a while LEFD grew to be one of the few recognized police roleplay clan within the virtual world of Grand Theft Auto and to have an Equal Opportunity. Although LEFD had it's up and downs, members in the clan kept there heads up high and provided support non-stop. Our past clan started off with: 95PCT, NYLE, and now LEFD, both 95pct and NYLE were police roleplay clans based on a precinct level. Which at the time consist of 15 members, though as time went by we encounter new friends, friends with the same passion, such as: Blitzkrieg , Soldier OT, Socal Explorer and SPECLFRYRICE. Together all of the members above created L.E.F.D, which wasn't an ordinary clan that held 15 members, but a generalize Police clan that exceeded the amount of 40 active members. However time had caught up with members and admin staff of the clan, which forced the clan to resigned from it current state of the past, such as: personal issues, work conditions and military leave. LEFD had ended in the year of 2013 after the holidays, and conducted one last roleplay event which was never forgotten. Crooks and police brought out the best scenarios as possible, one including Santa Clause, when the event was over all M.O.S (member of Service) segregated until the time was right. That time is now , LEFD resurrection has been released, with new admin staff: oEASTNYGoBlino, oSouthNYGoBlino, oDieHaRdGoblino, & oTacticalGoblino. These four admin staff have step forward into rebuilding LEFD to its finest again.
Steps on the selection / hiring process
Requirements / Qualifications
1. We recommend for all future applicants to view our website to better understand LEFD
2. Sign up/in with our respective website, by creating a webs account (no charge)
3. See that your username on this website is the same as your xbox 360 gamertag
4. Upon completion on # 3, click the "Apply" section on this website, that will redirect you to application page
5. Follow all instruction on application page (third party), application page consist of multiple choice and fill-in blanks
6. After completing the application, wait between 5-7 business days for a response on xbox 360
7. If application was accepted, you will move onto an interview with an administrative member. If decline you will have to reset your process from the beginning
8. Once your interview comes to a complete, you may have to wait between 24-48 hours to receive an answer
9. If you have successfully pass the above : Application and interview, you will be offer to join our next upcoming police academy on GTA V.
10. Complete the Police Academy and move forward to graduation to be sworn in as a LEFD Police Officer
1. Must be at the age of 14 and up to apply
2. Must have a workable xbox 360 mic to interact
3. Must have an active Xbox 360/One gold membership
4. Must know your driving regulation
5. Must have access to a computer / WiFi Device with Internet
6. When applying to be a member, you must not be a member in any other clan that relates to policing.
7. Must have Grand theft Auto 5
8. Should not have any mods
9. Must have "Zello" (walkie-talkie) app, for clan usage
10. No Modders are allowed
There are no formal education or roleplay experience require to join LEFD.
Want a taste of LEFD before joining ?
Join us on Zello, our Channel is: LEFD Citywide Communication Center. There you can listen to our live feeds in each event that takes place, whether it is Official / Mock Patrol. Zello is an walkie-talkie app that supports both wifi devices and computers, only current trained members can interact.
Recruits are you ready to get trained ?
If you have successfully pass the application and interview process, the next final stage will be the Police Academy.
Xbox 360
Xbox One


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Only hotels in 79853 zip code are listed below. Search for cheap and discount hotel rates in Tornillo, TX for your upcoming leisure or conference / group travel. We list the best 79853 hotels and motels so you can review the Tornillo hotel list below to find the perfect lodging. Hotels in El Paso county and area code 915 are also listed.
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By Cheryl PellerinAmerican Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2011 For the 56th year running, the North American Aerospace Defense Command will add the job of tracking the global flight of Santa on Christmas Eve to its mission of North American aerospace warning and control.
"NORAD stands the watch protecting the skies of North America 365 days a year, but on Christmas Eve the children of the world look to NORAD and our trusted partners to make sure that Santa is able to complete his mission safely," said Army Gen. Charles H. Jacoby Jr. Jacoby commands NORAD, as well as U.S. Northern Command, both based at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.
The NORAD Tracks Santa mission "is a duty to the children of the world," he added, "and a privilege we've enjoyed for 56 consecutive years."
From a NORAD video of the 2010 Santa flight, a military specialist looks up from a bank of computer screens:
"Sir," he says, turning to look at the camera, "we've picked up 'Big Red' on the radar. He's entering from the northeast.
"Recommend fighter escort as he transitions over North America," the specialist adds, as the video shows an F-16 moving down the runway.
This year, the NORAD Tracks Santa website went live Dec. 1 and features a Countdown Calendar, a Kid's Countdown Village with holiday games and activities that change daily, and video messages from students and troops from around the world.
The website is available in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese and Chinese.
For the first time, using free apps in the Apple iTunes Store and in the Android market, parents and children can use their smart phones to count down the days until Santa and his reindeer take off from the North Pole to deliver presents to kids everywhere.
Facebook, Google+, YouTube and Twitter also offer tracking opportunities. Santa followers can type "@noradsanta" into each search engine to get started.
And that's not the only technology that goes into the Santa tracking mission. To track the big man in red, NORAD uses radar, satellites, Santa cams and fighter jets.
A NORAD radar system called the North Warning System consists of 47 installations strung across the northern border of North America. On Dec. 24, NORAD monitors the radar systems continuously for indications that Santa Claus has left the North Pole.
The moment radar indicates a lift-off, satellites positioned in geo-synchronous orbit at 22,300 miles from the Earth's surface are equipped with infrared sensors, which enable them to detect heat. Rudolph's bright red nose gives off an infrared signature that allows the satellites to detect Santa's sleigh.
NORAD starting using the Santa cam network in 1998. Santa cams, according to NORAD, are ultra-cool, high-tech, high-speed digital cameras prepositioned at many locations around the world. They use the cameras once a year to capture images and videos of Santa and his reindeer.
In the air, Canadian NORAD pilots flying the CF-18 fighter will intercept and welcome Santa to North America.
In the United States, American NORAD fighter pilots in F-15s, F-16s or F-22 Raptors will fly alongside Santa's airborne sleigh pulled by his famous reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph.
Once data is collected on Dec. 24, it is pushed into Google Maps and Google Earth so families all over the world can follow Santa.
Thanks to these systems and technologies, starting at midnight Mountain Standard Time on Dec. 24, visitors to the NORAD Santa website can watch Santa's progress around the globe.
It all started in 1955 when a Sears media advertisement directed kids to call Santa Claus but printed a telephone number that rang through to the crew commander on duty at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center.
The colonel on duty told his staff to give all children who called in a "current location" for Santa Claus. The tradition continued when NORAD replaced CONAD in 1958.
"The [NORAD Tracks Santa] effort," Jacoby said, "could not be carried out without the superb assistance of numerous government and nongovernment contributors."
Sponsors of this year's program include Acuity Scheduling, Big Fish Worldwide, Carousel Industries, the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Council, General Electric, the National Tree Lighting Ceremony, RadiantBlue Technologies Inc., thunderbaby studios, the U.S. Coast Guard Band, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Band, Visionbox, and the West Point Band.
Returning sponsors include the Air Force Academy Band, Analytical Graphics Inc., Air Canada, Avaya, Booz Allen Hamilton, Colorado Springs School District 11, the Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System, the Federal Aviation Administration, First Choice Awards & Gifts, Globelink Foreign Language Center, Google, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, Meshbox, the Naden Band of the Maritime Forces Pacific, Naturally Santa's Inc., the Newseum, OnStar, PCI Broadband, the Space Foundation, tw telecom, Verizon and UGroup Media.
"It is the generosity of these contributors, the hard work of the more than 1,200 volunteers who man the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center, and vigilance of the Canadian and U.S. forces who work at NORAD that guarantees the program's success each and every year," Jacoby said.
Related Sites:NORAD Santa
Article is closed to new comments.
The opinions expressed in the following comments do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Defense.
Science magazine received a Christmas present from Santa Claus, Jr. in the form of a letter describing facts about gravitation and magnetism (one and the same, they're due to electric attraction and repulsion). Merry Christmas and have a safe watch.
- James Patrick McGrath, Manhattan Island
As a current public affairs officer I appreciate that NORAD continues this public outreach service. As a military member and parent of two toddlers, who are scarily tech savvy for their age, the computer based tracking system will introduce them to another aspect of the military, other than seeing their dad in uniform. This Tracks Santa program is a true representation of the relationship between our military, our allies and the communities. The program also reminds our citizens and other nations of how technologically advanced the military is in regards to tracking aerial objects. Now that the program has embraced social media, along with smart phone apps, NORAD has the potential to reach a larger audience than when it was merely a web-based, and not so long ago, a radio news wire report. This article provides all the necessary Santa tracking information for anyone with access to the Internet or a mobile device. However, I still look forward to the radio reports.
- Maj. Stephen Harlan, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ


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Nora Frost
Nora Frost, a diplomat and influencer by nature, is enterprising her passion into Dos Culturas.com (Spanish for "two cultures"), a business specializing in public relations and marketing para todo ("for everybody"). Follow her at twitter.com/NoraFrost"and Twitter.com/DosCulturas.
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Event brain and movie credits
Hey friends! Sorry I've been a bit sporadic on updates. About this time of the year I get "event brain," when my mind gets precision-focused on the San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists gala. It's always so exciting to hear about how the 12th annual event has grown from the SAAHJ membership celebrating the lone […] [Read More]


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Large florals pattern the brown zippered casing of this outdoor throw pillow.
Bring comfort to your porch or patio with the addition of this floral throw pillow. It comes with a beautiful brown and green floral pattern, perfect to accent the natural colors of the outdoors. Designed and crafted in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
Our associates are standing by to assist you.


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Latino Life
Elaine Ayala comments on Latino news, cultura y más.
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San Anto to bless newest mural, 'La Musica de San Anto'
San Anto Cultural Arts readies to bless its 37th mural on the city's West Side, titled 'La Musica de San Anto.' [Read More]
Latino Life bookshelf: saints, sinners, Texas Rangers and chicle
The Latino Life Bookshelf: books for, by, about and of interest to readers of mysanantonio.com's Latino Life blog. [Read More]
Trinity's Arturo Madrid honored for his 'intellectual excellence'
Trinity University professor Arturo Madrid joins another exclusive group of honorees in winning the John Hope Franklin Award. [Read More]
Anzaldúa scholars from seven countries meeting in S.A.
Scholars of Gloria Anzaldúa are gathering in San Antonio to pay tribute to the famed poet and writer. [Read More]
Trinity professor's new book tackles the sticky subject of chicle
Trinity prof's new book takes on the sticky subject of chicle. [Read More]


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In Flash Professional CS5 Essential Training, author Todd Perkins explains the fundamentals of Flash Professional CS5, the industry standard for creating animations and interactive applications for the web, desktop, and mobile devices. This course starts with the basics, such as using the drawing tools to create simple animations, and progresses to automating animation with tweens and adding interactivity with ActionScript. This course also covers how to add sound and video to projects, enhance realism with effects like easing, and publish a project to a variety of platforms. Exercise files are included.
Now we will animate our bone system. You can animate a bone system fairly easily in Flash. Once you have created the bone system, the next step is to extend the Timeline. So in my movie, I'm going to extend the Timeline to Frame 60. To do that, I will click-and-drag from Frame 60 in the top layer to Frame 60 in the bottom layer. Once I have done that, I'll press the F5 key to extend the Timeline to that point. Notice the olive color background for the armature. that represents an armature layer in the Timeline and in an armature animation.
So think of it kind of like a motion tween. What I am going to do is to make the animation loop or copy the first keyframe to the last frame. So to do that I am going to right- click at the last frame and then I am going to choose Insert Pose. That's the equivalent of Insert Keyframe on a motion tween. So I'll choose Insert Pose and then I will go to Frame 10. On Frame 10, I am going to make the arm move upward. So you can really do this however you'd like. I just have mine moving up like that and if I scrub the playhead, you can see that animation.
On Frame 30, I will move the arm back down and then I am going to rotate some of the bones. So I will click-and-drag this one and then face the hand downward, then click-and-drag the playhead to see how that works. So I want the arm to come up pretty quick and to move down a little bit more slowly and then to push the olives and to give the appearance of it pushing the olives really hard, I have that last part of the animation slowest.
So let's preview this animation in the Flash Player. The arm moves up then pushes the olives down. So to create an IK animation, all you have to do is extend the Timeline and then set the poses however you'd like.
There are currently no FAQs about Flash Professional CS5 Essential Training.
Access exercise files from a button right under the course name.
Search within course videos and transcripts, and jump right to the results.
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Make the video wide, narrow, full-screen, or pop the player out of the page into its own window.
Click on text in the transcript to jump to that spot in the video. As the video plays, the relevant spot in the transcript will be highlighted.


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Below is the poem entitled As I Recall - Introduction which was written by poet
Dillard. Please feel free to comment on this poem. However, please remember, PoetrySoup is a place of encouragement and growth.
Read Poems by
Ray Dillard
As I Recall, is a collection of humorous and heartfelt short stories and poetry sharing moments from a life full of laughter and love. I have long wanted to record memories of my childhood for family and friends. But, I was so busy with life, I didn't take the time. I'm older now, and have even more to share. And, I'm a grandfather who feels a desperate need to preserve memories of his life for another generation. Early in the process, I discovered more than a need to leave something for the family. I found a new voice that was filled with colorful and descriptive passages to deliver my messages. The voice has an understanding of the human spirit base upon experiences as a son, brother, friend, husband, father and teacher.
I hope you find this book entertaining, compassionate and as much fun to read as it was to write. Maybe it will inspire you to write a book of your own.
Ray Dillard
May 19, 2013
This is the introduction from my book. It is available online from numerous bookstores in soft cover, hardback and ebook formats. Look it up and read sample stories to find out if the introduction is adequate. RAY


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WOW! The Browns have been loosing sooooo long, that the so-called "fans" are READY to loose too. I hope they keep loosing, so half of you negative wanna' be's will go away. Every year it's the same crap, shovel out a ton of negative comments and at the end of the post it's "GO BROWNS"! Pathetic. I sure would hate to see what you nayers would have to say if they had NOT drafted TR and Weeden, and kept Colt as the starter.........Hello...can you hear me NOW!
I can't figure this out....maybe some of you REAL Browns fans can help me out. Mostly EVERYBODY, not ALL... wanted Colt McCoy out...ok.enter Brandon Weeden. Most were TIRED of the Peyton Hillis " I can't get my self together" non-sense...enter Trent Richardson...Who's going to catch the ball?...enter Greg Little, Benjamin, Gordon.. SO....what's the freakin' problem? Scared they might win a few more games? There's ALWAYS a "what the hell are we going to do now" feeling here. WHY?
Sometimes willy, you can't judge "talent" by college stats.No one knows a persons fortitude, will power, his inside focus. Those are things that don't show up on paper. Some of these players we have ARE going to be really good. Our team is young and I 've said it before, like it or not we have to give these guys time tro develope. 1-3 wins? I don't think so. Moere like 7-8 wins. Let's not forget, they were'nt getting BLASTED out there they were loosing in the last quarter by field goals. 3-4 of those games could have gone our way. So I think they will be a little more competative than last year with the additions. Brighten up man! It's going to be an exciting season regardless, have fun with it and I enjoy your post too.
Pluto makes it sound as if the Browns are going to play "just the rookies" this year. Never mentioning the supporting cast. The media keeps this team negative also. Not just the fans. I hope Someone emerges out of somewhere tp become a POSITIVE Browns writer. These old cats are "stuck on stupid",I'd rather listen to Sam Ritigliano if that's the case.
Sorry Kerek, but it seems to me that society has it's moralities in the wrong places. We want to hold certain people to the highest standards, and others don't NEED to be accountable. It's only football. This is nothing more than youthful exubrance. Mistakes that imature people make. You don't keep beating them in the head until they sucumb. People that WANT to change CAN, that's what makes America the greatest place to live.Character is BUILT, you do get the opportunity to learn from mistakes, build character and become the person you want to be. Now politicians, Presidential hopefuls, and the like...that's who we should be DEMANDING good character and truthfulness from not from young NFL prospects. He's had enough chances now, and if he hasn't learned the lesson then he will wash out.
There are so many people who want to be politicaly correct in there comments no matter what forum your on. "Street49" hit it dead on, who cares?!!!! Obama, and Romney are lying every day but we want that lier to run this Country? This is football, who gives a fat harry rats A** about lying? You have to preform on the field, period.We aren't going to listen to him give speeches. Just catch the damn ball...that's it.
Ha, Ha, good post mellowdog, when your playing in the NFL there IS nothing else BUT the superbowl. Oh.., and money!
Sorry Willy, I have to disagree. They went after what was available. The Browns picked high in the draft and got high quality players. " A passing league?" That's a played out clique'. Trent WILL be in the top 5 RB'S when the season finishes. I don't care WHAT anybody says about a passing league. Teams do what they need to to win, run, pass. pass run. I know it stacks the d, and opens up the field right? Who wants "just any back?" Naaah..we got the BEST back.
I wa just about to comment on that. Your right ,age has nothing to do with it. Besides,"Craig" is dead on. It seems that it's the OLDER browns fans that can't seem to grow up. Some are just as bad as the media. No matter how the Browns try to improve, they want to forecast a "doom and gloom" for every season. Come on people, who knows...maybe the power of suggestion will work. lol
Things will work themselves out. They always do. For the good....I'm optimistic. The Browns WILL be a better team than last year. I think that it's going to be exciting no matter what.
Why don't you give it a REST! You don't know what anybody is capable of doing in the NFL. If he's gone, he's GONE! If he stay's he STAYS! We can use all the FREAKIN' help we can get. The only cancer seems to be you, feeling threatened everytime some poster say's "Colt".Alright already man! Weeden is your STARTER we got that! You need to eeeez up with all that name callin', we're in this S*** together remember?
That's What I"M talkin' about! good post.
That's funny! You call "reaching out" to the Browns by calling the best overall back in the draft "ordinary"? Jim is OLD now. His error is over with the Browns, and "10lrocker" is right....about everything except for keeping him in the organization....sometimes you gotta' realize when it's time to let it go man! and get on with the REAL issues. WINNING!
It's been "real" with Jim. Now it's time to "keep it real". His time with the Browns is over. He was a Great running back. But he should be giving support to the up-and coming RB, calling TR "ordinary" is typical of a " can't do it better than me has-been". I think TR has the potential to be BETTER than Jim. Maybe that's what he's afraid of. Jim didn't have a lot of "juke" moves, he just stiff-armed, and ran people over. He could have been labeled "ordinary" also, if not for what he did with the opportunity. TR's professional comment let's you know where Jim is at.
Excuse me , but you just stated the obvious fact. If he was so HAPPY in his back up role, and he knows exaxtly what he is, then why not mentor the 3rd string qb? If your content with being the back up, wouldn't that be how Colt beat him out in the first place? Because he AGREED to be the back up qb. Then he talks s*** after the fact. He's going to mentor Weeden from the 3rd qb position? ha ha
Correct- Professionalism is what he doesn't have. You can't say where you will play or whatever.. who you will mentor and who you won't. Not professional. Just play dude...and that will say where you will play. See how that rhymed? ha ha
Not arguing with you. I like most of your comments and agree that they needed to do that. It's just that, I REALLY do hope they stick with the plan. I'm getting old man! lol... I hope this is the last time we have to plan for the long run. Just kinda' scary how they went about.
They had a plan last year, and the year before that. The plan they originaly had fell through....so now that they've drafted Weeden, that was the plan? When Weeden get's FUBARED!(and he will) your going to love WHOEVER is back there! It's going to be funny when the s*** hit's the fan and all you cat's start talkin' about gettin' rid of H&H. Because your not going to admit to "weetie syndrome". They are going to rip his a** apart! I know it and YOU know it. But you want to win SOOO bad you'll take anybody that LOOKS like they can win. Hope you guy's arguement over the back-up was a good one, because that's who will be playing come mid-season. Corny a***'*, you think he's Cam Newton?
My thinking exactly Good post.
You put the blame where it belongs, and it's the TEAM as a whole. It's obvious you just started watching football last week. When will people like yourself stop BLAMING the qb? But like you said...we will see won't we? I don't know how you think Weeden will make the O-line better.


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An Assassin In The Family
by Annette Dashofy
Aunt Julie wasn't much older than I. She got me my job as a personal trainer at the Center about a year ago. That was probably the biggest, if not the only, mistake she ever made. While no one else paid particular attention to her frequent days off, I did. I asked her once over lunch why she disappeared every couple of weeks or so. She laughed that jubilant ringing cackle of hers.
Oh, Sweetie, I have this beau in the Bahamas , she said, her eyes twinkling. He flies me down to his private beach every chance he gets. Who am I to refuse?
I believed her. How could I not? With that mop of golden curls framing a porcelain face, she looked like someone a millionaire would like to whisk away to a deserted island. Funny thing, though. She never came back with a tan. And Aunt Julie never gave me the impression that she was concerned about skin cancer. The speeds at which she drove her BMW suggested that living a long life didn't matter much.
And how did she manage to pay for a BMW on what the Community Center paid? They paid me, too. I drove a second-hand Chevy Cavalier with a dented front fender.
As months slipped past, I almost forgot that her behavior struck me as odd. Falling in love will do that to you. Matt joined the staff at the Center as the new Kick Boxing instructor on Monday. He bought me a bottled water from the machine on Tuesday, took me to lunch on Thursday. Friday, we went out to dinner and a movie. I'm not sure at what point I decided I wanted to have his children, but Aunt Julie and her frequent vacations no longer garnered my attention.
Matt, however, seemed mildly curious about her. Not so much that I would be jealous, but he asked questions about her. He asked questions about me, too, of course. Typical inquiries one would make of the new amour in his life. Every so often, though, he would pop up with one of the questions I used to ask. Where did she get that cool car? She misses a lot of work, doesn't she? Where does she go?
The Bahamas , I told him.
Get out, he said. Ever meet this beau' of hers?
I sighed. No, I hadn't. Strange. Maybe he's some wealthy recluse who never leaves his beach, I suggested. Maybe they never leave his house. That would explain the lack of a suntan.
Matt shrugged and changed the subject.
While Aunt Julie had no intention of sharing her mystery man with me, she expressed a great deal of interest in my new fellow. During a break between her water aerobics classes and my students, she grilled me. Where did he work before? Who is his family? Where's he from? I gave her answers, but her usually merry eyes had turned somber and stayed that way.
What's wrong? I asked her. Don't tell me you don't think he's good enough for me? I've seen some of the guys you've been out with. Sorry, Auntie J, but you don't have any room to talk on the subject.
She leaned back. Her well-manicured finger traced her lips. You just can't be too careful, she said and dropped the subject.
Or so I thought.
A week later, Matt charged into the weight room as I guided Mrs. Powell through a set of bicep curls.
She's gone again, he said.
Who? I asked, trying to keep count for my client.
Your aunt. She didn't show up for class this morning.
fourteen fifteen. Good. You're done, I told Mrs. Powell. Then, I turned my attention to Matt. Aunt Julie? Yeah? So what else is new?
Any idea where she went?
The Bahamas ? I suggested. He seemed awfully upset about her regularly unscheduled absence. Why do you care? Were you planning on taking her class? I joked, jabbing him in the ribs.
He shifted away from me and muttered something under his breath.
What? I asked.
Nothing, he said and stomped out leaving a wide-eyed Mrs. Powell and me to stare after him.
That afternoon, I spotted Matt and a guy in a black suit engaged in what looked like a heated discussion in the parking lot. The suit man wagged a finger in Matt's face before getting into a navy blue sedan and screeching out of the lot. Matt stomped to his Jeep. I called out to him, but he must not have heard me. He got in the Jeep and left.
The next day, Matt caught up to me at the vending machine and beat me to the money slot, sticking his dollar bill in ahead of mine.
My treat, he said, as an apology for my mood yesterday.
The old Cavalier needed an oil change and every dollar counted, so I accepted both the bottled water and the apology. I thought about asking him who the guy in the suit was, but decided maybe I didn't want to know.
Aunt Julie returned to work two days later still without a tan. In fact, if anything, she looked paler than usual. She invited me to lunch. On her. I was still saving for that oil change, so I agreed.
You still seeing Matt? she asked between bites of salad.
I told her I was.
Her face drew into a scowl. What do you two talk about?
I don't know. Stuff. I didn't want to let on how often her name crept into our conversations.
She poured more fat-free dressing onto her baby greens. Does he ever say anything about me?
I could tell she was playing me. I decided to make up my own rules. I rolled my eyes in mock disgust and slammed my fork down on the table. Oh, don't tell me. You've got the hots for my boyfriend. Auntie J, you slut.
She tipped her head to one side and glared at me. Get serious.
Well, listen to you. Like you think the whole world revolves around you. People can have a conversation without your name coming up, you know.
You haven't answered my question.
I think I have, I said and changed the subject to some of the other off-beat characters that frequented the Center.
In the days that followed, things got weird. As if they weren't already. While Matt continued his romantic gestures toward me and I continued to imagine what our offspring would look like, his interest in Aunt Julie's comings and goings took on a darker tone. He seemed towellstalk her. Yet he avoided her at the same time.
She, on the other hand, made a point of keeping an eye on him and letting him know it. Hands planted on her hips, she glowered at him from the end of the hall or the far side of the room.
He would duck around a corner or anywhere out of her line of vision. Maybe he thought looks really could kill.
A couple days later, Aunt Julie cornered me in the locker room.
You'd better stay clear of that so-called boyfriend of yours, she said.
What? Why? I asked.
He's not who you think he is. You keep hanging around him, you could get hurt.
She refused to elaborate, no matter how hard I tried to wring details out of her. Instead, she waved me off and left me standing there with my hair getting frizzy from the humidity of the nearby showers.
Of course, having been warned to stay away from Matt, the first thing I did was try to track him down. Except I couldn't find him. He wasn't in the aerobics room or the weight room. He wasn't on the basketball court or playing racquetball. I asked a guy coming out of the men's locker room who reported Matt wasn't in there either.
Maybe Matt had taken off with Aunt Julie's rich beau to the Bahamas .
Then he showed up that evening in the parking lot as I fumbled with my keys for the Cavalier.
I gasped when he stepped out from between cars. Limped out, if truth be told. His clothes were torn and he appeared to be wearing a serious case of road rash beneath the tatters. What happened to you?
Get in the car, he said. Get me out of here.
I asked him again once we hit the highway.
Your aunt, he said. She's what happened to me.
And then he proceeded to tell me that he was working undercover for some government agency. Aunt Julie, he informed me, was an international assassin, responsible for a number of hits all over the world. Apparently, she wasn't particularly picky about who paid her or who she whacked. If she had stuck to snuffing the guys the government wanted out of the way anyhow, they'd have left her alone. But lately she had done away with a couple diplomats that our President considered friends. That made her a little harder to ignore. So Matt had been assigned to keep an eye on her and report her comings and goings and if need be, prevent any further unfavorable deaths.
I guessed favorable deaths would still be allowed.
Somehow, though, she had caught onto him and now he was on her list. He suspected the pickup truck that jumped the curb and spun him into the dirt hadn't been an accidental hit and run.
So you were just using me, I said, visions of our future children fading into the mist.
It started out that way, but I've fallen in love with you. Honestly, Matt said.
Yeah, right. What else was he going to say? I had an aunt who killed people and he was riding with me in a car that resembled a death trap. This wasn't a good time to confess that he had played me for a fool. Still, it's funny how a pair of chocolaty brown eyes affects me. Not to mention the kiss he laid on me when I dropped him at his front door. Okay, maybe the future kids were still in the picture.
The force of the explosion blew out the passenger side windows in my car, showering me in tiny greenish-blue glass pellets. I think it moved the Cavalier a couple feet into the middle of the road, too. Stunned, I looked up to find Matt's house in flames, bits and pieces of paper, shingles and probably Matt floated in the hot air currents overhead. I don't remember if I screamed, but I must have. All I remember is people running out of the neighboring houses and the shriek of sirens.
The ten-pound weight hung from my fingers. I stared at the shape hovering near the bottom of the otherwise empty pool. The shape wore an expensive-looking bathing suit.
Aunt Julie had been good at what she did. Rarely did she underestimate her prey. Too bad for her, she hadn't seen me coming or she might have noticed the look in my eyes. I made no effort to hide the dumbbell. She never heard the dull thud it made when it connected with the back of her blonde head.
I knelt and used the weight like a paintbrush to swirl a bright red smudge of Aunt Julie's blood on the edge of the pool. Then I washed the dumbbell clean in the chlorinated water.
I smiled as I replaced the ten-pounder on the rack. No one would ever believe that Aunt Julie had been a hired assassin. No one would ever suspect that I, her loving niece, would have reason to do away with her. How sad, the old ladies from water aerobics would tsk, that sweet Julie slipped on the wet tile and hit her head.
All the while, her own words echoed in my ears. You just can't be too careful.


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Manifest Mark Tattoos - Greetings And Shop Info
Thank you for taking time out of your day to take a look at my website. Whether you are here looking to set an appointment, or simply just killing time by internet surfing, I appreciate your time and interest. Now let me introduce myself....
My name is Mark Matthews & I am a very fortunate man in the sense that I get the luxury of doing things that I love for a living. One of those things is tattooing and it has been an active passion of mine ever since I was introduced to it at the age of seventeen. I came into tattooing the hard way, self taught, but have luckily been blessed with the opportunity to work with some really good artists along the way of my tattoo career who have motivated, inspired & helped me become a better artist as I still, to this day, heed the lessons I've learned working alongside them.
I have been tattooing professionally for the past 14 years & have had a passion for art ever since I can remember. It is the only area of my world that has seen consistent effort from me since early childhood. Alongside tattooing, I am also proficient in the mediums of ink/watercolor, acrylic paint, pencil, prismacolor pencil, pen and ink, marker rendering & have recently started dabbling in oil paints. I am capable of many styles of tattooing & I'm always looking to have my creative limits pushed. I do my best to communicate well with my clients to insure that they are going to express through their tattoo EXACTLY what they want when they sit in my chair. So, if you are even entertaining a thought about getting a tattoo, come by and talk to me or give me a call. From small tattoos to sleeves or full back/body pieces, I'll be glad to help you make your idea a reality!
I tattoo primarily out of Ink Couture NYC (718) 966-1600, 6264 Amboy Rd, Staten Island, NY as I have moved to East Coast to be a part of the Ink Couture Family. I am currently balancing my tattoo work around my MMA training schedule for upcoming fights as I am Fighting for a championship soon. So, the sooner in advance that you can set your appointment, the better as it will give me ample time to work your tattoo pattern. A deposit will be required, as will a consultation visit to insure that we are on the same page heading into your tattoo.
Keep posted on my Events page as well for info on tattoo conventions I will be attending through the year, as well as upcoming fights.
Now that we've got the introduction, blanket statements & small talk out of the way, gimme a call or stop by the shop so we can get your tattoo project started!
I am also open to commissioned artwork in any of the above mentioned mediums. If you are interested, feel free to email me, call or leave a message for me at (916) 505-5711 so we can discuss the execution of your next art project!
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Posted 2 years ago
By Post Staff
Four Chadron State College softball players have earned Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference All-Academic honors.
Senior outfielder Nikki Ritzen was recognized for the third straight year, this time being named a 2nd-team selection, while Amanda Einspahr of McCook, Ashlynn Marino of Fresno, Calif., and Rebecca Wetsch of Erie, Colo, were all honorable mention.
Ritzen, a 4-year starter for the Eagles, has a 3.69 grade point average while majoring in business administration. She's a Chadron native and the daughter of CSC professors Donna and Scott Ritzen, Scott the long-time CSC wrestling coach who retired last year.
She set the school record with a 20-game hitting streak last year, when she batted a career-best .337 but got off to a slow start this season and is hitting just .245…although she has scored a team-high 20 runs with 10 RBIs and 9 stolen bases.
To qualify for all-academic teams, student-athletes must have a GPA of 3.30 or better, be a starter or reserve, and have completed two consecutive semesters or three quarters at their current institution. The RMAC All-Academic Player of the Year is Chelsea Rodriguez of Fort Lewis.


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Eating Out
Moved to Arkansas
We've just moved from New Mexico to Arkansas (bye, green chile...*sniff*). We're up in the northwest area, about 20 minutes north of Fayetteville. While there is no lack of WalMarts up here, I'm curious about what is good to eat. :) No particular genre, just good stuff! We're excited to be here, and are looking forward to finding our little "hole in the wall" kind of place. Any suggestions?
Talk is closed, but that doesn't mean the conversations have to stop!
Check out this post for a more thorough explanation, and jump onto our Facebook page or our Twitter feed to keep the conversations going!


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2010's world gone wild: Quakes, floods, blizzards - Bloomberg: "This was the year the Earth struck back.
Earthquakes, heat waves, floods, volcanoes, super typhoons, blizzards, landslides and droughts killed at least a quarter million people in 2010 — the deadliest year in more than a generation. More people were killed worldwide by natural disasters this year than have been killed in terrorism attacks in the past 40 years combined.
'It just seemed like it was back-to-back and it came in waves,' said Craig Fugate, who heads the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency. It handled a record number of disasters in 2010.
'The term '100-year event' really lost its meaning this year.'
And we have ourselves to blame most of the time, scientists and disaster experts say..."
23 December, 2010
2010's World Gone Wild: Quakes, Floods, Blizzards
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Wind: 0 mph
Over student and faculty protests, the Harwood Union School Board voted 6-1 to run video surveillance cameras inside the school 24/7.
Seated in the school library, surrounded by students and a handful of staff members as well as a large banner on which students had written their objections to surveillance and posted placards explaining their objections, the board heard student after student voice their objections.
Students were not alone in objecting. At least three teachers were present to challenge the proposed policy. Students and teachers alike asked why there had been so little communication to each group about the proposed policy. They objected to having to read about it in the local newspapers and said that the fact that they weren't made a part of the process made it illegitimate.
The board acknowledged that there was an issue with the breakdown in communication and board member Chris Koliba challenged the students and the staff and the board to come up with a solution that didn't involve the cameras being on 24/7.
"Why did it take five months to hear from the student community? Vandals cost all of us over $100,000 this spring and no one stepped up as far as I know. Where is the accountability? Someone knew something? Why was everyone so quiet about that? Why have there been two lockdowns at Harwood and why was there a sexting issue last year? Why does it take cameras and activism on the part of a board member to get a student reaction? If we can get the student body to partner with the staff and administration on this, I'll be the first one to re-open this policy," Koliba said prior to the vote.
Board chair Deb Hunter said she supported the policy but did so with a heavy heart. Board member Daley told students that there is nowhere they'd go when they leave Harwood where they would not be under surveillance. Board member Dale Smeltzer likened the cameras to an invasion of privacy no worse than those caused by computers and cellphones. Board member David Goodman remained steadfast in his opposition to surveilling students during school hours.
Students and teachers felt otherwise. Teacher Steve Rand said he felt having the cameras on during the day would affect the climate in the school with regard to respect and trust.
"We're embracing something in our culture currently that normalizes surveillance when it should, in my view, be the extreme exception," Rand said.
Gretchen Stahl, who has been teaching at Harwood for 27 years, said, "These are our children and we are their community and they will make mistakes. We want them to and we want to be there for them when they do. These are our children that we're sending out into the world. We want them to take risks. They must in order to grow, to feel the edges of things and to step off knowing that their safety net is trust and that we trust them," Stahl said.
"Loss of freedom in the quest for security would be the biggest loss of all freedom. For these children to walk down the halls to get a sip of water, to use the restrooms, to go to their lockers, to curse or say hello to each other, the freedom to walk in these halls in this place we call a safety zone, this place we call our school – what are we teaching them when we turn cameras on them? Are we teaching them about trust and the freedom to make mistakes and know that the community is there for them and for us? These children are going out into the world into a place we haven't been. They are our scouts, our pioneers, our futures," she added.
Co-principals Amy Rex and Lisa Atwood explained that they had communicated the proposed policy to teachers and department heads and asked that it be passed on to students. They also reiterated that the video would essentially be a 30-day loop that would never be seen – unless there were an incident.
Students asked if other options had been considered and were told that alarm systems and hiring a security guard were considered but both were cost prohibitive.
"Hiring a watchman at night doesn't pertain to what this hearing is about. This is about 24/7 surveillance. During school hours there are people in the hallway making sure students are doing what they're supposed to be doing. The vandalism isn't going to happen during the day. If someone wants to commit serious vandalism, they will, even with the cameras. People are already talking about how to spray the camera with black paint or they will smash them," said a sophomore.
Another student, who identified himself as Nick, said, "I'm expected to come here every day and every second of my school day there will be a camera on me. Is this supposed to help me want to go to school? Or help me take my tests? I'm a senior and I was not even asked how I felt about this. Why were we not asked? When you turn on the cameras this will no longer be like a school but rather a prison. I saw tape over two cameras today. I wonder what will happen when they are actually turned on."
Another student questioned why the issued hadn't been brought to students during their bimonthly assemblies and added, "This is something that affects us so much. There should have been an assembly. We come here 180 days a year and these cameras are going to be watching us every one of those days. None of you board members are at school every day like we are."
Sophmore Anna Van Dyne read to the board some of the messages on placards along the back wall of the library. "Dear School Board, everyone needs privacy. Privacy used to be respected. Invasion of privacy leads to loss of trust. 24/7 surveillance means we'll have to go to the bathroom to be alone."
Superintendent Brigid Scheffert said she understood the students' concerns and reiterated that the videotape could only be viewed with her permission.
"I'm in favor of this policy for safety. It has nothing to do with watching you. It has to do with who else may be in your building," Scheffert said.
Teacher Jill Schwenderman asked the board what its plans were to address the root causes of vandalism at the school. Scheffert said she'd been at a board meeting a year ago where students asked that the school have more accountability.
"But the idea of having surveillance was not discussed with us. You're viewing us all as suspects. It's wrong that we were not notified," a student said.
"It's never too late to speak up. I'm hearing this tennis match of students saying they didn't know and teachers saying they didn't know and the administration saying they were notified. Your voice does matter. If you were not consulted, that matters a lot. Last month when I objected to this, it was argued that no students had shown up or objected. I think you've shown us that you do care. It's not too late. We can choose to have the cameras off during the day," Goodman said.
Mimi, a senior, asked if there were other solutions and suggested the board needs to "look at the reasons this is happening. I think it's a general lack of respect between students and faculty. I think the cameras are going to make it worse. It's a slap in the face to students."
Emma, a sophomore, said the idea of cameras on her all day made her uncomfortable and said there was a lack of respect and communication between students and faculty.
"And kids from grades five and six are going to come here, they are going to come into a school with cameras on 24/7 and that will be their normal. They don't deserve that," she added.
Schwenderman asked for clarification as to whether the policy was to protect school property from vandalism and theft, as it stated, or whether it was to somehow make the school more protected from an incident of school violence.
Scheffert said the cameras were a tool and that that tool could be used in a variety of ways.
A state police officer, who was in uniform but did not identify himself, spoke in favor of the policy, telling the group that it is a valuable tool to have cameras running "should any unfortunate incident occur."


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Posts Tagged «WiDi»
Google can make Android's streaming experience better than Apple's AirPlay November 21, 2012 at 7:59 am
Thanks to AirPlay with iOS and OS X, your AppleTV becomes a game console, jukebox, and web browser with a simple tap. Android has made huge strides in usability and out-of-the-box features in the past year or so, but this is still something that it's lacking.
Wi-Fi Alliance debuts Miracast to standardize wireless multimedia streaming September 19, 2012 at 1:00 pm
Wireless multimedia streaming may finally have settled on a standard that will bring the technology to billions of devices over the next four years.
Intel unleashes dual-core Ivy Bridge chips, updated ultrabooks incoming May 31, 2012 at 12:01 am
Intel's new dual-core Ivy Bridge chips are available, and the company is putting a full court press on pushing the chips into OEM systems. How will the new CPUs stack up, and what kind of performance can customers expect?
LG to launch first wireless HDMI (WiDi) TVs December 15, 2011 at 3:46 pm
LG and Intel have forged an alliance to promote native WiDi on a line of displays being introduced at CES.


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Nations don't have to sing "Kumbaya" together. But even a chilly peace can make the world a better place.
In the 70 years since the end of the war in Europe, the world has faced grave challenges. But it has also built a remarkable peace.
Cybersecurity is a growth industry for one big reason: The Internet is the biggest growth industry of our time.
From Galileo's rudimentary telescope to the mighty Hubble, our ability to peer deeper into the cosmos affects how we see ourselves.
In the perennially parched Middle East, Israel's expertise at water management has potential far beyond Israel's borders.
Staying single seems to be the preferred choice of many Millennials. But that doesn't mean marriage is a thing of the past.
Eastern Europe has been free to choose its own destiny for only a quarter century. Little wonder that it is wary of the big powers on either side.
The Internet allows everyone to be a publisher. But just beyond your first "Hello, world" you'll encounter a world of reaction -- sometimes fun, often cruel.
Children react as personnel from the Greater Amman Municipality spray them with a water sprinkler to cool them down, a measure to ease the effect of a heatwave, in Amman, Jordan, Monday.
From Galileo's rudimentary telescope to the mighty Hubble, our ability to peer deeper into the cosmos affects how we see ourselves.
Ricky Jackson's four decades in prison for a crime he didn't commit is the story of injustice, perseverance, and, most of all, grace.
Child care in today's economy is a problem with millions of patchwork solutions, many far from ideal. Can we do better for kids and parents?
Every generation deals with the desperation of terrorism. Every generation of terrorists learns how futile their cruelty is.
Political dynasties and political newcomers both have pluses and minuses. In the end, voters must focus on the individual.
To defend and expand the 'vital center' of society, it is important to understand what the extremes are saying and doing.
All Americans must walk across the bridge together.
The recovering American economy isn't just good for individuals, families, businesses, and communities. It is important in the global war of ideas.
Extremism is a shallow concept, an easy answer in a complicated world. One part of fighting extremism is encouraging deeper thinking.
Society is developing smarter, more compassionate, more effective ways of reforming juvenile offenders.
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Eze top up
Digicel, the fastest growing mobile operator in Trinidad & Tobago, today announced its partnership with top-up retailer ezetop.
With over 19,000 retailers in the US and thousands of retailers in the Bahamas , customers will now find it easier than ever to use CaribFlex to top up their friends and family back home in Trinidad & Tobago with ezetop. People from Canada , the United Kingdom , US, Europe and the Caribbean can also send top-up from www.ezetop.com
With CaribFlex, friends and family can purchase top up from any of Ezetop's 19,000 retailers in the US and the Bahamas and the credit is automatically applied to the prepaid account of Digicel subscribers back home in Trinidad & Tobago. Subscribers can also top up their own phones while roaming in these countries.
This service is simple and easy to use. For anyone wishing to top up a friend or relative at home in T&T, you just need to go to your nearest ezetop agent. You can find your nearest agent in the US by calling 1-800-483-2891. At the agent you just pay the amount you wish to top up in the local currency, provide the agent with the mobile number you wish to top up and the required amount of top-up. ezetop then sends the equivalent TT dollar credit directly to the Digicel subscriber. The recipient of the top up in T&T receives a confirmation text confirming the top up amount and the person purchasing the top up receives a receipt confirming that the top up was credited to their account.
Head of Marketing, Sacha Thompson , says of its new partner, Digicel is delighted to be partnering with ezetop to make it even easier for customers to use CaribFlex while in the US and Bahamas to top up their friends and family back home in Trinidad & Tobago. CaribFlex takes top up beyond T&T allowing friends and family to purchase top up abroad in any of ezetop's 19,000 retail outlets and send it back to Digicel customers in T&T.
Since Digicel launched in Trinidad & Tobago last year, the company has revolutionized the mobile market with a state-of-the art network, award winning 24/7 customer care and the introduction of a wide range of innovative products and services. CaribFlex is another example of how Digicel is constantly innovating to ensure that its customers are benefiting from the best value mobile service available.


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MICOA calls meeting to discuss strategy document on climate change
MAPUTO, Mozambique, 8 May 2012 - Yesterday and today, the Mozambican Ministry of the Environment (MICOA) convened staff from several Government ministries and agencies, UN agencies and Civil Society Organizations to review and discuss a new strategy document on climate change.
The second, but equally important objective of the meeting was to conduct a critical analysis of the Rio+ 20 report on the green economy. Rio+ 20, which will take place in June this year, is a term used to describe the follow up event to the Earth Summit which took place in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
Participants in the meeting were divided into small working groups where the various parts of the strategy document were analyzed and discussed. The groups then proposed amendments and improvements to the document in a participatory manner.
The strategy document touches upon all development sectors and areas and will serve as a guide for environmental initiatives in Mozambique in the years ahead. The process is supported by UNICEF and other agencies.
For more information, please contact
Arild Drivdal, UNICEF Mozambique, tel. (+258) 21 481 100; email: email@example.com
Gabriel Pereira, UNICEF Mozambique, tel. (+258) 21 481 100; email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Social media


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Top tips to leave a lasting impression on employers
Posted: January 06, 2014|
IF YOU'RE counting down the days until your next job interview, these hints will help you get in the right mood so you can leave a lasting impression.
1. Do your research
Fail to plan, and you plan to fail. You are certain to be asked specific questions about the company, so make sure you've done your homework on things like their last year's profits and latest product launches. Also, take a look at the latest developments in the industry so you can converse with confidence.
2. Practice your answers
Related content
You should prepare answers to some of the most common interview questions about your personal strengths and weaknesses, as well as being able to explain why you would be the best person for the job.
3. Look the part
Appearances shouldn't matter, but the plain fact is that you are often judged before you've even uttered a word. Make sure your shoes are polished, your clothes fit correctly and that your accessories are subtle. Dressing one level above the job you're applying for shows a desire to succeed.
4. Stay calm
Plan your route, allowing extra time for unexpected delays, and get everything you need ready the night before. Remember to speak clearly, smile and remember that your interviewers are just normal people, and they may be nervous too.
5. Ask questions
You should always have questions for your interviewer to demonstrate your interest in the position. Prepare a minimum of five, some which will give you more information about the job, and some which delve deeper into the culture and goals of the company.


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Review: 'Gravity' is a cinematic masterpieceWritten by James A. Molnar | The Gold Knight | firstname.lastname@example.com
"Life in space is impossible."This reminder greets audiences at the beginning of Alfonso Cuarón's sci-fi thriller "Gravity," out now nationwide.
The space odyssey is 90 minutes of perfection, set 600 kilometers above the Earth, with an almost documentary realism.
Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and visual effects supervisor Tim Webber create a beautiful masterpiece that soars off the big screen. This is especially true in IMAX 3-D, where this reviewer screened the movie. With such an immersive experience, the audience is part of the action, which is terrifying at times.
Sandra Bullock stars as Ryan Stone, a NASA medical engineer on her first shuttle mission to help upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. She is accompanied by veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski, played by a smooth-talking George Clooney, who is 75 minutes short of an all-time spacewalk record. This is his last scheduled trip into space.
They make quite a pair, even with opposite personalities. Stone likes the silence in space, which she says she could get used to. Kowalski enjoys playing country music while jabbering away and telling tales of missions past.As Stone works on the Hubble, the pair learns from Mission Control that debris is heading their way from a satellite and they are to abort their mission. The story, by Cuarón and his son Jónas, takes off from there as the two astronauts are set adrift in space with a destroyed shuttle.
Let the terror begin. Anyone who has seen one of the trailers has gotten a glimpse of what heart-pounding, eye-opening action awaits audiences.
The detail of these action sequences is spectacular and visual touches throughout add to the film's poetic nature, including a shot of Bullock's character floating in the International Space Station or when orbs of tears float from her eyes.
Despite such big action, "Gravity" is also an intensely quiet film.
The sound throughout is stunning. Effects in space are muffled and muted. The characters' voices, reactions and physical exhaustion are the driving force of this movie, especially with engineer Stone.
What Bullock does with her character is nothing short of phenomenal and Oscar-worthy.
One of the country songs played during the movie is "Angels are Hard to Find" by Hank Williams Jr. This seems appropriate given how difficult and unrelenting space can be. Where is an angel when the characters need one?
/ 5
Official trailer:
Rated PG-13 for intense perilous sequences, some disturbing images and brief strong language.
Read more: STAR @ the movies
Toledo Free Press Design Editor and Film Editor James A. Molnar blogs about all things Oscar at TheGoldKnight.com. Watch him discuss movies on "WNWO Today" around 5:50 a.m. on Fridays. Also, listen to James discuss movies on "Eye on Your Weekend" on 1370 WSPD every Friday at 6 p.m.
Tags: alfonso cuarón, Film, George Clooney, gravity, James A. Molnar, Movies, review, Sandra Bullock, sci-fi, space, The Gold Knight


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This week we talk about ghost hunting at Mount Osore in Japan.
Beer Fueled, Whiskey filtered paranormal and horror talk radio. Each weel we talk about paranormal topics and the latest horror movie news and reviews.
Discover the best in original web series.
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Blip is part of Maker Studios


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November 02, 2012
Top Stories
SGA Update--Scarecrows for a Cause has been postponed due rainy conditions. The scarecrows will be put on display from Nov. 5 to Nov. 10 on Degenstein Campus Center Patio. Voting will happen in the Lower Level of Degenstein Campus Center. For more information, contact Jessica Ranck.
--Halloween on the Avenue has been rescheduled to Saturday, Nov. 3 starting at 6 p.m. and will be on the 300/400 blocks of University Ave. Students are invited to come out and participate in the event.
UNIVERSITY UPDATE HEADLINESThe Crusader SIFE Circle K SU Improv SU College Democrats SAVE Variance SGA Update SAC Update Greek Life Update
WEEKLY FEATURESNewsLiving & ArtsUniversity UpdateForumSports
Top Stories | News | Living & Arts | University Update | Forum | Sports


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As undercover videos have revealed key Planned Parenthood officials describing and negotiating the sale of aborted babies' body parts, anger and scrutiny are increasing against the nation's largest abortion organization.Posted on July 31, 2015
Reflecting on the most recent Supreme Court term, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) this week said that the Court had a "very liberal bent this last term" and "more worrisome...Posted on July 31, 2015
In a hearing featuring FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai, low power television (LPTV) received significant attention, particularly from Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR)...Posted on July 31, 2015
A recent New York Times/CBS News poll showed that Americans generally have a negative impression of the state of race relations, noteworthy after tragedies around the nation, including at a church in Charleston, South Carolina.Posted on July 31, 2015
NRB is currently accepting nominations for the 2016 Annual Media Awards and will be doing so until August 14, 2015. A long-standing hallmark of NRB, the awards program remains one of the association's most valued traditions.Posted on July 30, 2015
Life Without Limbs, the international non-profit ministry of speaker, author, and evangelist Nick Vujicic, recently marked its 10th anniversary and launched a new campaign in celebration.Posted on July 30, 2015
From among its membership, NRB has been building up a select group of strategic partners who wish to bolster the work of the association through additional commitments of time, support, and financial resources.Posted on July 30, 2015
We are soliciting descriptions about NRB members to feature in our weekly e-newsletter, NRB Today, and on the NRB.org website.Posted on July 30, 2015
Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee this week advanced legislation with provisions to restrict several agencies, particularly the FCC and the IRS.Posted on July 24, 2015
In a lengthy interview with Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito provided insight into the high court's procedures, commentary on recent cases, and some thoughts on baseball.Posted on July 24, 2015
Earlier this year the fight against human trafficking, rightly an effort that crosses partisan lines, was drawn into a battle over the federal funding of abortion in Congress.Posted on July 24, 2015
NRB is currently accepting nominations for the 2016 Annual Media Awards and will be doing so until August 14, 2015. A long-standing hallmark of NRB, the awards program remains one of our most valued traditions.Posted on July 23, 2015
Various NRB members joined in the massive outcry against Planned Parenthood after an undercover video was released last week showing a senior director from Planned Parenthood outlining the sale of fetal body parts.Posted on July 23, 2015
Life Issues Institute President Bradley Mattes hosted a memorial reception to honor the life of pro-life pioneer Dr. John C. (Jack) Willke on Tuesday, July 21, in Washington, DC.Posted on July 23, 2015
At the age of six, Steve Green says he had a transistor radio glued to his ear. While the music was "amazing," Green recalls how it was the announcers that fascinated him. For hours, he would just to find out what they were going to do next!Posted on July 23, 2015
When TWR360 was launched in May 2013, the web portal to Christian media content was available in only five languages.Posted on July 23, 2015
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text:
The present invention relates to detection and measurement of wear in machines having relatively rotating housings and parts such as radially extending blades subject to wear which may exceed a critical degree, and in particular to the measurement and predetermination of wear and of conveyance capacity of a scroll type conveyor. The invention includes the use of a measuring device for measuring the distance between the radially outer edge of a portion of the conveyor blade and a reference point in the housing radially and longitudinally fixed with respect to the axis of the conveyor. This measurement is preferably taken at a predetermined first portion of the blade such that the measurement at said first portion is indicative of the wear and/or conveyance capacity of one or more other portions of the blade.
1. In a scroll type conveyor for conveying solids, said conveyor having a helical blade, a housing at least partially encasing said blade and with respect to which said blade has relative rotation, and means defining a feed inlet to said housing and a solids outlet in said housing, said blade having wear characteristics which vary along its length and including a first wear portion and a second wear portion, said first portion having high wear characteristics relative to said second portion, said first portion being closer to said feed inlet than said second portion, and said second portion being closer to said solids outlet than said first portion, the combination of wear gauge means for measuring wear of said blade, said wear gauge means comprising a measuring device in the wall of said housing at a location along the length of said wall which is generally aligned with said first portion of said blade, said measuring device being operable cooperatively with said blade and said housing to measure the distance between a reference point radially and longitudinally fixed with respect to the axis of said blade and the radially outer edge of said first portion of said blade, and wherein the amount of wear of said first portion of said blade is so related to the amount of wear of said second portion of said blade that the amount of wear of said first portion is indicative of the amount of wear of said second portion.
2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said housing has an aperture in said wall at said location and said measuring device is insertable into and removable from said aperture and replaceable by a plug; wherein said measuring device comprises a tubular member insertable into said aperture, and a scaled probe slidably carried by said tubular member and having a lower surface engagable with said outer edge of said blade; and wherein said housing has a stop means in said aperture limiting movement of said tubular member into said housing and positioning it relative to said housing.
3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said tubular member has an index cooperable with the scale of said probe for indicating the position of said probe relative to said tubular member and retaining means for preventing said probe from falling into said housing.
4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said conveyor has a plurality of such blades, said blades being parallel, and said wear gauge means including a plurality of said measuring devices equal to the number of said blades and equally spaced circumferentially of said wall at said location along the length of said wall so that when one of said blades is aligned with one or said measuring devices, each of the remaining blades is aligned with one of the remaining measuring devices.
5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said housing has a plurality of apertures equal to the number of said blades and equally spaced circumferentially of said wall at said location; and wherein said measuring devices are insertable into and removable from said apertures and replaceable by a plurality of plugs equal to the number of said blades.
6. The combination of claim 1 wherein the outer peripheral configurations of said blade and said housing are generally conical and wherein said second portion of said blade is near a small end of said blade.
7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said feed inlet is adjacent, the longitudinal mid-portion of said blade.
This is a division, of application Ser. No. 223,210, filed Feb. 4, 1972, and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,893.
The present invention relates to conveyors, detection and measurement of wear in machines having relatively rotating housings and parts such as radially extending blades subject to wear which may exceed a critical degree, and in particlar to scroll type conveyors in which one or more helical blades are carried by a shaft or the like and at least partially encased in a housing.
In order to convey a substance toward one end of the housing, the blade or blades may be rotated within the housing, or the housing may rotate about the blades, or the housing and blades may both rotate at different speeds so that there is relative rotative movement between the blade or blades and the housing.
The outermost edges of the blades of such conveyors wear with use, and while it is desirable to periodically check the degree of wear, this has hitherto necessitated the troublesome, time consuming, and sometimes inaccurate procedure of at least partially disassembling the machine and visually inspecting the blade. The present invention provides a measuring device which may be inserted into an aperture in the conveyor housing to measure the distance between the outer edge of the blade and a fixed reference point. A plug is used to stop the aperture when the conveyor is in operation.
Blade wear can thus be measured by stopping the machine, removing the plug, clearing a path through the adjacent bed of sediment, aligning the blade edge with the aperture, and inserting and operating the measuring device.
In some types of conveyors it might be possible to have a measuring device permanently mounted in the housing wall.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a means and method of measuring wear of a conveyor blade while retaining the conveyor in assembled condition.
Such conveyors often have blade wear characteristics which vary along their lengths. A blade may exhibit considerable blade wear along a portion of high wear characteristics while the wear at a second portion of the same blade having low wear characteristics may be so slight as to be very difficult to measure. Yet this second portion of the blade may be of critical conveyance capacity, i.e. slight wear along this second portion may considerably reduce the connveyance capacity of the conveyor as a whole. The present inventor has found that, while wear and conveyance capacity vary along a blade's length, the wear at a first portion of the blade is usually related, so as to be indicative of, the wear and conveyance capacity of other portions. For instance, the wear at various portions may be mathematical functions of the wear at the first portion. If the measuring device of the invention is located adjacent a first portion of the blade, the measurement obtained there can be used to determine the wear at other portions. Preferably the measurement is taken at a first portion of high (and therefore easily measured) wear characteristics, and used to determine or predetermine the wear and/or conveyance capacity at a second, less easily measured portion.
It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a means and method for measuring wear at a first portion of a conveyor blade to determine wear and conveyance capacity at a second portion of the blade which may be less readily measurable.
A preferred embodiment of the invention includes a plurality of apertures in the conveyor housing for receiving a plurality of measuring devices. These apertures are equally spaced circumferentially of the housing at a predetermined location along its lengths. This arrangement maintains the balance which is needed, e.g. in centrifuges or other devices in which the housing rotates, and which might be disturbed by the use of a single aperture. In the case of a single blade conveyor, the provision of two or more apertures in the housing reduces the amount of rotation needed to align the blade edge with an aperture. In the case of a multiple lead blade, i.e. a plurality of parallel helical blades arranged about the same shaft, the number of apertures and measuring devices provided is preferably equal to the number of blades. Then when one blade edge is aligned with one aperture, the edges of the remaining blades will be aligned with the other apertures so that all the blades can be checked with the machine in a single position.
It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a plurality of measuring devices equispaced about a conveyor housing at a given location along the length of said housing.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be made evident by the following detailed description and drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation of a centrifuge-conveyor representing a typical application for the invention.
FIG. 2 is a view, with parts broken away and parts in cross section, of the conveyor of the centrifuge of FIG. 1 and showing one embodiment of the measuring device in position for use.
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the portion of the housing adapted for reception of the measuring device or the plug.
FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the plug of FIG. 1 on a larger scale with the O-ring shown in cross section.
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the measuring device of FIG. 2 on a larger scale.
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the tip of a conveyor blade.
FIG. 7 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of a second embodiment of the invention.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a centrifuge (represented generally by the letter C) is shown which affords a typical application for the invention. The centrifuge comprises a conveyor 2 having a conical housing or bowl 4. A shaft 6 having a large diameter section 6a and a small diameter section 6b runs through the housing 4, and a pair of parallel helical blades 8 and 10 are carried by the shaft 6. The term "helical" will be used herein to refer to any spiral blade whether its outer diameter is uniform or varying and whether or not the pitch is constant, and the term "parallel" will be used to refer to the blades of multiple lead conveyors regardless of variation in pitch.
The conveyor shaft 6 is suitably connected to an inner drive shaft 12, which is in turn connected to the output of the speed change gear assembly 14, which has its input from the rear outer sleeve shaft 22, to which power is transmitted by the housing 4 from the front outer sleeve shaft 26, which is driven by a motor belted to pulley 28. The housing 4 has integral flanges 16 and 18 at its ends. Flange 16 is connected by bolts 20 to the integral flange of the rear outer sleeve shaft 22. Flange 18 is connected by bolts 24 to the integral flange of the front outer sleeve shaft 26, which is driven by pulley 28. A sleeve shaft 13 is secured to the large end of the conveyor 2 and is rotatably supported in the sleeve 26 to support the large end of the conveyor. Inner drive shaft 12 is supported within rear outer sleeve shaft 22 by sleeve bearings inside shaft 22, and shafts 22 and 26 are supported by suitable bearings 30 and 32.
In operation, a feed, such as a slurry or suspension having a liquid component and solid components, is introduced into the conveyor through feed ports 34 in the shaft 6. The housing 4 is rotated by pulley 28 and sleeve shaft 26 at a sufficient speed so that the feed will be thrown against the inner walls of the housing 4 by centrifugal force. At the same time the blades 8 and 10 are rotated by the gears 14 and drive shaft 12 at a different speed than that of the housing, e.g. the blades and shaft may make 79 revolutions per 80 revolutions of the housing. Thus there is relative rotative motion between the blades 8 and 10 and the housing 4 which causes the blades 8 and 10 of the conveyor 2 to plow or to scrape solid particles toward the smaller end of housing 4 and the conveyor 2.
The feed 38 enters the conveyor shaft 6 through a pipe 36 and flows radially outwardly through feed ports 34 near the center of the conveyor. As the centrifuge rotates, at least the coarser solids are settled to the side walls of the housing 4, and a bed 40 of these solids builds up between these walls and the outer edges of the blades 8 and 10. The fluid component 42 tends to flow into the larger end of the conveyor, and out through fluid ports 44 in the front outer sleeve shaft 26. A relatively dry beach 46 thus forms at the smaller end of the conveyor 2. As more solid particles build up on top of the bed 40, the blades 8 and 10 push them toward the smaller end of the conveyor and out through solid ports 48 in the housing 4.
Because the solids contained in the feed are often of an abrasive character, the edges of the blades become worn. Such wear reduces the conveyance capacity of the blades because the conveyance areas of the blades are reduced and a greater clearance is left between the housing 4 and the edges of the blades 8 and 10. Thus more of the solids are left in the bed and less volume of solids can be conveyed toward the solid ports because the areas of the blades are reduced.
If blade wear progresses to an extreme degree, it is possible for the bed 40 to become so thick at the region of maximum wear that it may form a dam and may interfere with the flow of the liquid toward the fluid discharge ports 44. When this happens, the dammed fluid may be forced out of the solids ports 48, which is an extremely undesirable consequence.
Blade wear is of further concern in connection with maintenance of the machine. As shown in FIG. 6, the tip 50 of a blade may be provided with hard surfacing 52. When the hardsurfacing is worn away from the outer edge 53, the softer material in the tip 50 begins to wear. When this occurs, the blade is much harder to repair.
It is therefore highly desirable to make frequent checks of blade wear in order to determine or pre-determine when the blade needs to be changed or repaired either to increase conveyance capacity or to save the blade. This is much more easily done by means of the present invention which eliminates the need for disassembling the machine and makes possible measurements which are quire accurate.
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the housing 4 is adapted to receive either a measuring device or a plug. Housing 4 has a broad annular rim 54 projecting circumferentially thereof from its outer surface with radial bores 55 extending through the housing 4 and rim 54. A cylindrical holder 56 is mounted in the housing 4 within each of the bores 55 by suitable means such as welds 57. While it is possible to practice the invention by providing a single holder, it is preferable in a centrifuge or other machine requiring balance to provide a plurality of holders equally spaced circumferentially of the housing at a given location along its length, i.e. a given distance from one end of the housing. It is also preferable, where the conveyor has a plurality of blades, to make the number of holders equal to the number of blades. In the example shown, there are two blades 8 and 10. Blade 8 has an end 58 (dotted line) located 180� about shaft 6 from end 60 of blade 10. This relationship is maintained throughout the lengths of the blades since they are parallel. Therefore, when one of these blades has its outer edge aligned with one of the two holders 56, the other blade will have its edge aligned with the other holder 56 since holders 56 are located at 180� about the housing from each other.
Each holder 56 has a central aperture 62 having a threaded portion 64 located radially outermost with respect to the conveyor and a smooth inner portion 66 of smaller internal diameter than portion 64 and located radially innermost with respect to the conveyor. A shoulder 68 is located between portions 64 and 66. Shoulder 68 can be parallel to the conveyor axis as shown, or it can be parallel to the housing 4 or disposed at any other angle to the conveyor axis so that a measurement taken normal to shoulder 68 will be proportional to the distance from the blade edge to the housing normal to the housing. When the centrifuge is in use, plugs 74 stop the apertures 62. Each plug 74 has a large externally threaded end 70 for engagement in portion 64 of aperture 62, a small smooth end 72 for engagement in portion 66, and a shoulder 73 for engagement with shoulder 68. An Allen wrench socket 71 is provided in large end 70 to accommodate an Allen wrench for screwing plug 74 into or out of holder 56. A resilient annular O-ring 69 is placed in an annular groove 67 in small end 72 for forming a seal. When suitable housing materials and other housing strength requirements can be met, the geometry of the internal shape of holders 56 can be machined into the parent metal of the housing 4 and broad rim 54 so that separate holders are not needed.
When a blade wear measurement is desired, the feed through pipe 36 is shut off. The conveyor continues to run for a time in order to clear out most of the liquid and solids therein and is sometimes flushed with a clean fluid. The machine is then stopped and the plugs 74 are removed. The bed 40 (FIG. 2) of solids usually remains between the edges of the blades 8 and 10 and the housing 4. Paths are cleared through the bed 40 directly beneath the apertures 62. The shaft 6 is then rotated until the outer edges of the blades are aligned with the apertures 62. A measuring device 82 is inserted in each of the apertures 62.
Each measuring device 82 comprises a carrier 84 with a central bore 86. The carrier 84 has an upper portion 88 which is externally threaded, a short mid portion 90 whose external diameter is slightly less than that of upper portion 88, and a lower portion 92 of even smaller external diameter than that of mid portion 90. An elongated cylindrical probe 94 is slidably carried in the central bore 86. Probe 94 is of uniform diameter throughout its length except for a wide section 96. A scale is provided near the upper end of probe 94, and the lower end may be provided with hardsurfacing 85. The central bore 86 of carrier 84 is of uniform internal diameter, greater than the diameter of wide section 96 of probe 94, throughout portions 88 and 90 and part of portion 92. At the lower end 87 of carrier 84 in portion 92 the internal diameter of bore 86 is reduced so that it is less than the diameter of wide section 96 but larger than that of the other parts of probe 94. An internal shoulder 89 is thus formed in bore 86 which cooperates with wide section 96 to limit radially inward movement of probe 94. The measuring device 82 also includes an annular cap 91 having an upper portion 93 whose internal diameter is less than the width of wide portion 96 but greater than that of the other parts of probe 94. The lower portion 95 of cap 91 is of much larger internal diameter than portion 93 and is internally threaded so that it can be screwed onto portion 88 of carrier 84 after probe 94 has been inserted therein. A shoulder 97 formed between portions 93 and 95 of cap 91 cooperates with wide section 96 of probe 94 to limit outward movement of probe 94. The straight upper surface 98 of cap 91 provides a reference line against which scale 83 can be read.
When the measuring device 82 inserted in aperture 62, the lower edge 99 of carrier 84 rests on shoulder 68. The probe 94 is usually sufficient to clear its own path through bed 40 particularly if its lower end is hard surfaced as at 85 so that it will not become worn and produce inaccurate measurements. When the probe 94 is pushed into the conveyor, it contacts the edge of blade 8 or 10. The scale 83 can then be read with respect to upper surface 98 of cap 91. The reading obtained will be indicative of the distance between the blade edge and a reference point in the housing 4, such as the shoulder 68, which is radially and longitudinally fixed with respect to the conveyor axis. The reading obtained can be compared with a similar reading taken when the blade was new (or some other suitable norm) to determine blade wear. If desired, the scale 83 can be designed to indicate the actual amount of blade wear between successive measurements. To again illustrate a preferred embodiment, FIG. 5 shows that when wide section 96 of probe 94 is resting on shoulder 89 of carrier 84, the top line 101 of scale 83 is aligned with edge 98 of cap 91. Thus line 101 represents the greatest possible extension of probe 94 into the conveyor, and the device 82 can be designed so that line 101 represents the greatest amount of wear tolerable before the blades must be repaired.
It is highly desirable, in producing a number of machines, to arrange the shoulder or shoulders 68 in each machine at given distances from the end of the conveyor and from the conveyor axis and at a given angle with respect to that axis so that measurements taken in the various machines will be standarized regardless of variations in the individual housings.
In conveyors of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conveyance capacity of the entire conveyor is usually dependent on the capacity of, and therefore the amount of wear at, portions 100, 102 of the blades nearest the smaller end of the conveyor. Often a slight amount of wear at these portions 100, 102 can greatly reduce the conveyance capacity of the conveyor as a whole, and such a slight amount of wear is often not easily or accurately measurable with simple gauge means such as the measuring device 82 and the cooperating features of the housing 4. However, the present inventor has found that, in many types of conveyors in which conveyance capacity criticality varies over the blade length, blade wear and wear rate also vary over blade length. If the blade wear at a first blade portion can be related as by mathematical functions to wear, rate of wear, and conveyance capacity at other portions of the blade, a blade wear measurement can be taken at the first portion and used to determine amount of wear, rate of wear, or conveyance capacity at one or more other portions, and in particular, a blade wear measurement can be taken at a first portion of high (and therefore easily measured) wear characteristics and be used to determine blade wear at any other portion as well as conveyance capacity at that portion at which conveyance capacity is critical but at which wear characteristics are low and therefore difficult to measure.
For example, in the type of conveyor shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in which the outer diameter of the blade varies so as to fit a conical housing, and in which feed enters near the center of the conveyor with liquid traveling toward the larger end and solids toward the smaller end, it has been found that while portions 100, 102 of blades 8, 10 have high conveyance capacity criticality and low wear characteristics portions 104, 106 have high wear and low conveyance capacity criticality characteristics. Portions 104, 106 wear rapidly compared to other blade portions, and while this wear is not usually critical to conveyance capacity of the machine, it is critical to the life of the blades.
One wishing to produce a particular conveyor of this type can determine empirically the rates of wear, relative degrees of wear, amounts of wear critical to conveyance capacity, etc. for the various portions of the blades. These values can be related by formulae, curves, charts, graphs, or the like. Then when measurements are taken at portions 104, 106 where wear is easily measured, they can be used to determine wear, conveyance capacity, etc. at portions 100, 102 or any other desired portions. Thus by a single measurement or set of measurements, depending on the number of gauge means employed, one could: (a) determine whether the wear at portions 100, 102 had become sufficient to seriously impair conveyance capacity; (b) determine whether wear at portions 104, 106 had become sufficient to seriously threaten the life of the blade; (c) determine the amount of wear which had occurred at any given portion of the blade. It would also be possible, by means of periodic measurements, to pre-determine the time at which the blades 8, 10 would need repair either to save the blade or to increase conveyance capacity of the machine or to prevent the formation of a dam of solids in the bed. All of these things could be done without disassembling the conveyor. Thus the wear gauge means would be of value to a user who wished to maintain high conveyance capacity as well as to one responsible for maintenance of the machine and desirous of preventing excessive blade wear.
The measuring device of FIGS. 2 and 5 is considered particularly suitable for centrifuge conveyors. However, many other types are possible, and in other types of machines other types of measuring devices might be preferable. It is only necessary that the measuring device permit one to determine the distance from the blade edge at a given portion of the blade length to a fixed reference point without disassembling the machine. For instance, an electronic device could be used which could utilize magnetic flux and electrical current to measure the width of the gap between the housing and blade, the gap being either more or less conductive than the housing and blade.
In some types of conveyors, certainly in those having non-rotating housings, it could be sufficient to provide only one holder and measuring device, particularly if the conveyor had but a single blade. However, even in single blade conveyors with nonrotating housings there is an advantage to the use of several gauges: after the machine is stopped, it might have to be rotated manually in order to align the blade edge with the aperture; if several apertures are provided, less turning of the blade is necessary to align the blade edge with at least one of them.
A further modification might involve a measuring device permanently mounted in the housing of a suitable type of machinery. For instance, as shown in FIG. 7, a housing 108 is provided with an aperture 110 and an outwardly projecting member 112 at the edge of aperture 110. A measuring device 114 is slidably mounted in aperture 110. Measuring device 114 comprises a vertically elongated slide 116. At the inner end of slide 116 is a horizontally elongated shoe 118 of sufficient length so that some part thereof is always aligned with the outer edge of a blade 120. At the outer end of slide 116 is a shoulder 122. A tension spring 124 engages housing 108 and shoulder 122 to bias measuring device 114 outwardly. To take a blade wear measurement, measuring device 114 is pushed inwardly until shoe 118 contacts blade 120; a scale 126 on the slide 116 can then be read with reference to outer edge 128 of member 112.
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How To Make Esquites (Warm Mexican Street Corn Salad)
Elotes—the on-the-cob version of Mexican street corn—is a staple on my balcony grill over the summer. It's about as easy and inexpensive a dish as you can think of, and there is nothing—really, nothing—that'll get snatched up and eaten as fast as a hot plate of'em. But there are times when a more...demure approach must be taken. When there are prim and proper aunts or brand new ties involved, for instance. For those occasions, I go for esquites, the spoon-ready version of elotes. More