text:
Market Timing
Pickering, C. J., Independent Banker
Active portfolio management can balance out rate fluctuations
For the past few years, ICBA Securities' consulting CPAs and CFAs have tracked the performance of bank portfolio investments purchased during low interest-rate environments versus those purchased during high interest-rate environments. Let us review these findings and offer suggestions for maintaining a portfolio of securities purchased during high rates.
Chart I represents a typical community bank portfolio profile. This bank's portfolio profile is typical in that it is as good as, or better than, the vast majority of the portfolios ICBA Securities has studied.
The chart shows that during the past six years, 35.7 percent of this bank's securities were purchased during the six quarters of lowest rates. It also shows that 39.8 percent of the bank's securities were purchased during the next six quarters of low rates. Less than 25 percent of the bank's securities were purchased during the 12 quarters of relatively high rates.
Market Mechanisms
Why does this typical bank own more securities purchased during low rates than during high rates? Several factors are at work, one of which Rutgers University finance Professor Paul Nadler illustrated at the Michigan Association of Community Bankers' last convention.
Nadler said that when loan demands shrink and rates fall, banks have more money to invest. Later, when loan demand and rates rise, investment managers have no money to invest-and they get yelled at because the bonds they bought during low rates are now underwater-just when their banks need funds for the increased loan demand.
Prepaying or callable securities can also fuel security purchases during low rates. When rates fall, callables are called and prepayments increase, and banks' money must then be re-invested at the lower rates. When rates rise, callables extend and prepayments slow down, and there is less money for banks to invest at the higher rates.
Why would bankers buy callables instead of single maturities? Because callables yield-substantially more than single maturities, and rates have to fall significantly before loweryielding single maturity purchases would be the better of the two options.
Investment solutions
So what can bank investors do to own at least a reasonable volume of securities purchased during high rates rather than having a majority of their securities at the lowest rates? Because banks will have less money to invest when rates are high and more money to invest when rates are low, their portfolios must be actively managed to keep a balanced portfolio. This means that each portfolio needs a reasonable volume of securities purchased during high rates to offset the volume of securities inevitably purchased during low rates. …


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Upcoming Event: The Documentary Filmmaker as Journalist
What are the challenges of working in both the documentary and journalism spaces? Find out at the International Documentary Association's upcoming Doc U panel discussion.
6 Essential Tips for Using Archival Footage
Panelists at a recent Doc U event organized by the International Documentary Association weigh in on 6 things to keep in mind when working with archives.
Doc U: The Future of Docs on PBS
Simon Kilmurry, Executive Producer of American Documentary | POV, will be participating in the "Doc U: The Future of Docs on PBS" panel hosted by the International Documentary Association (IDA) on May 10th.
IDA's Doc U Comes to POV with the Panel "Can Your Documentary Make a Difference?"
POV is proud to welcome the International Documentary Association (IDA)'s Doc U on the Road to Brooklyn on Monday, December 12, 2012.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
"Delights of Yorkshire Dales" Bolton Bridge by sandysmith
Bolton Bridge Travel Guide: 16 reviews and 55 photos
The Bolton Abbey estate streches over 10km along the River Wharfe, and is the southermost section of the Yorkshire Dales National Park - not far from Skipton but this seemed the closest page destination on VT for Bolton Abbey - it is just down the road from Bolton Bridge.
Reviews (16)
One of the best views of the Abbey and Estate is from across the stepping stones and up a short path. Another good view... more travel advice
The actual village of Bolton Abbey is small but delightful none-the-less for its idyllic views and quaint tea shops.... more travel advice
There are several places in the estate where food and drinks can be purchased as well as local information regarding the... more travel advice
A couple of things to note inside the church: The East Wall of Bolton Priory Church was built in 1877 to replace the old... more travel advice
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Written May 9, 2016
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Priory and Abbey Ruins
Written May 9, 2016
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A Family Outing with Hannah
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Going this weekend! Which would you say is the most convenient carpark (we'll be in the motorhome?) There's a similar money tree on the walk up Aira Force in the Lakes.
Another great page. Wonderful photos and tips. Place looks quite fascinating.
Bolton Abbey Estate is a lovely place to walk. I could feel the energy even from your naratives. Lovely presentation. Regards.
So, the sun DOES shine in the UK! D would love to try those hoe made pickles too. ;)
Wonderful page Sandy! I really like the multiple-pics per tips :-) The Abbey Ruin looks beautiful and the purple glow of the heather on the hills is breathtaking!! Wish I could see that with my own eyes :-))
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text: Poems November 18, 2013 Issue Future Perfect By Lia Purpura Share Tweet Table of Contents Where you werebefore you were born,and where you arewhen you're not anymoremight be very close.Might be the same place,though neither isas slipperyas being here butimagining whereyou will have been—that pointwhere things land,are finished, over, andgone but not yet. Sign up for the daily newsletter.Sign up for the daily newsletter: the best of The New Yorker every day. E-mail address GO SIGN UP The Daily Share Tweet Lia Purpura is the author of "It Shouldn't Have Been Beautiful," which will be published in October. She is Writer in Residence at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. MORE » &


text:
This database contains information about Ginnie Mae's multifamily mortgage-backed securities at the security and loan level.
To use the database, you must have certain information about multifamily pools: pool number, CUSIP number, FHA case number, pool type, or Issuer number.
Browse the Ginnie Mae MBS Multifamily Database
Download Ginnie Mae MBS Multifamily Database Data
The monthly MBS Multifamily Loan Level Disclosure data file can be downloaded from the "Disclosure Data Download Files" page; see the Multifamily section at the bottom of the page for the links to download the disclosure file as well as the file format. If you have questions or problems, please call our Hotline at 1-888-446-6434.


text:
"We have a lot of good words on paper, but what really is going to matter is how it's implemented," said ACLU spokesman Doug Honig, one of those reacting Friday to the hard-fought agreement reached by the city of Seattle and the Department of Justice to address the issues of biased policing and use of...
Nineteen months ago, 34 community organizations ranging from El Centro de la Raza to the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington asked the Department of Justice to investigate the Seattle Police Department for biased policing and excessive use of force.
Late Friday, these community groups got their first look at the hard-fought agreement between the city and the Justice Department (DOJ), under which a federal-court judge will oversee years of reform. The groups greeted the agreement with cautious optimism.
"What we have is a starting line," said Doug Honig, a spokesman for the ACLU. "But now the marathon begins. … We have a lot of good words on paper, but what really is going to matter is how it's implemented."
The agreement, negotiated behind closed doors, was a closely guarded secret. It was unveiled to the media about 3:30 p.m. Friday. The DOJ invited the community groups to a briefing at 4:30 for their first opportunity to look at about 100 pages of documents. Mayor Mike McGinn invited the groups to another briefing on Saturday.
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The agreement puts in place a federal monitor, who will issue reports every six months for up to five years.
It calls for the creation of a Community Police Commission that will include representatives from minority groups, faith organizations and youth groups, among others. The commission will review reports and make recommendations through the course of the reform effort.
But, noted Chris Stearns, chairman of the Seattle Human Rights Commission, "There's no requirement that the city or the Justice Department take any of the recommendations."
While he called the settlement a "step in the right direction," he said it fell short of the sweeping changes the community was after in the first place. For instance, Stearns said, it does not require wholesale changes to the way officers are disciplined.
And instead of delving into the question of whether the SPD engaged in biased policing, it requires the department to revise its policies and training on the subject.
"Those are important," Stearns said. "But those weren't the major changes the community was after."
Moreover, Stearns said, the SPD emphatically states in the agreement that it admits no wrongdoing. "I think at the end of the day, you still have two different world views," he said.
City Councilmember Bruce Harrell, chair of the council's public-safety committee, said Friday that he had some questions, as well.
"I remain concerned over whether the Police Department and the community will embrace the consent decree, given how it was negotiated," Harrell said, noting that neither police nor council members were included in negotiations.
The police officers' union, on the other hand, said it was pleased with the agreement. Although the union "had hoped that the city of Seattle would force the DOJ to go to court to prove their allegations, we understand the need to get this issue resolved," Sgt. Rich O'Neill, president of the Seattle Police Officers' Guild, said in a statement.
Councilmember Tim Burgess, a former Seattle police officer, said the agreement marks a turning point for both the community and the department.
What's different from past reform efforts is the appointment of a federal monitor, overseen by a federal judge. "It brings muscle to make sure we do it right," he said.
"Public safety is the No. 1 priority of government," Burgess said. He echoed what city and Justice Department leaders said in the Friday news conference, that now "the real work toward fair and effective policing begins."
Maureen O'Hagan: 206-464-2562 or email@example.com
Seattle Times reporters Steve Miletich, Lynn Thompson and Mike Carter contributed to this report.


text:
Archive - Jun 2013
June 26th
Trevon Bluiett has Michigan, Butler, Indiana in hot pursuit
On Wed, 06/26/2013 - 7:51am.
CBS Sports/Jeff Borzello
Related Players:
Kentucky, Duke and more after top-five 2015 big Stephen Zimmerman
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Calipari says challenges have been good for Alex Poythress, Willie Cauley-Stein
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Withey's NBA dream ready to come true
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On Wed, 06/26/2013 - 7:29am.
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text:
Things to see and do - Oukaïmeden
Leaving for Morocco
Oukaïmeden :
Unmissable tourist site
Where to sleep?
Oukaïmeden Travel guide
Oukaïmeden : Michelin's recommendations
Oukaïmeden is a winter sports resort that is very popular with Moroccans. Its snowy trails are spread over the mountain of the same name reaching an altitude of 3,273 m. Very crowded from mid-December to mid-April, it also attracts summer visitors who come to enjoy a change of scenery in a climate that is always temperate. The site is also prized for its rock paintings, now protected by a national park, which attest to the presence of people in Oukaïmeden from prehistoric times.
Tourist attractions Oukaïmeden : Things to see and do
Tizerag Overlook
MA - Oukaïmeden
To reach the Tizerag cliffs dominating the Oukaïmeden resort to the north, take the signposted road; from the pass, where a television relay station was built, a small trail leads up to the summit (2,740 m) of Tizerag. From there the panorama stretch..


text: Hi, I have a Motorola xoom and it is really a good tablet I have ever seen, most probably I use to use internet on that, actually to minimize the clutter on my desk, I eliminated my wired keyboard from my desktop and just replace it with the Motorolas Bluetooth keyboard, Now I can use it for both the devices, but I want to disable it in order to switch over the xoom and vice versa. How can we achieve that on a single stroke, or by some other technique? Any suggestion?


text:
Valdosta, GA - After starting the season with a perfect 10-0 record, 4-0 in Gulf South Conference play, the Valdosta State men's tennis team moves up to first in the nation and south region.
Last season the team went to the National Championship match, but fell to Barry. In the first rankings this season, Valdosta State was second to Barry nationally and regionally, but in the newest rankings by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, VSU passed up the Bucs of Barry for the top spot.
The impetus for such a move for VSU had to be a convincing 7-2 victory over Barry on February 25 in which Valdosta State won all but one singles point and one doubles point.
The Blazers are set to face No. 20 Cameron and No. 16 Ouachita Baptist this weekend before traveling to Savannah, Ga. to face No. 3 Armstrong Atlantic State Friday, March 25.


text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Feb 3, 2009
|Filing date
|May 16, 2006
|Priority date
|May 25, 2005
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Robert Diederichs, Thomas Michael Madden, Jerry Yee
|Original Assignee
|Cameron International Corporation
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (16), Non-Patent Citations (1), Referenced by (14), Classifications (10), Legal Events (2)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/684,604, filed May 25, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by referenced herein in its entirety.
The invention relates to distributed network systems of semi-intelligent sensors, particularly, to networked sensors that interface through an intrinsically safe (IS) barrier.
Sensors and controls are routinely deployed in plants and facilities to detect and control process conditions, equipment conditions, and environmental conditions. Many of these sensors/controls will be electrically tied to a master control panel or control area for monitoring/control of the sensors at a common location remote from the sensor. At the master control panel, actions can be undertaken to change a sensor/control state or configuration, log sensor/control data, or simply monitor the sensor/control for use in controlling the facilities' performance. Generally, the master control panel is located behind an IS barrier (in the safe area), as sensors/controls can be located in hazardous environments. Prior art measurement and control systems for use in hazardous locations consist of single, high-function devices which are responsible for gathering all of the data through a fixed number of dedicated inputs and implementing all of the control functions through a fixed number of dedicated outputs. All of the collection, computation and control must fall within the predefined capabilities of these devices. Consequently, these prior systems either contain more capabilities than required, are designed to meet only the required capabilities, or do not contain sufficient capabilities to meet the data measurement and archiving requirements. These single devices offer limited expansion capability and must be replaced with another device having greater capabilities if the system's application requirements are increased. Intrinsic safety concerns with a single high-function device increase with every input or output connected to the device. In order to maintain safe operating conditions in a hazardous area, the overall system needs to be carefully designed for intrinsic safety and the installer/system designer must exercise great care to ensure that intrinsic safety is not violated. These restrictive safety requirements limit the capacity of batteries placed in the hazardous location. The power requirements of these higher-function devices and the need for safety components also prevent miniaturization of these systems.
Some facilities have provided for communication between sensors to allow data from sensors/controls to be shared, such as in a master/slave relationship. However, use of networked devices behind an IS barrier provides severe power restrictions on downstream devices due to the nature of an IS barrier, and hence limits the ability to install devices on a network with a common power bus. Even with networked sensors, control of downstream networked devices generally resides in a remote sensor monitoring site, where data is stored and archived. As real time communication is ongoing between the sensor/control devices and the remote monitoring site, it is difficult to control power consumption. Further, when additional sensor/control devices are added to an existing configuration where data is to be shared between devices, existing devices must be manually modified to share and use the new device's data. This requires user intervention and is a cumbersome and time consuming process.
It is desirable to have a distributed sensor/control device network where local data is stored and transmitted upstream upon request of an upstream device. It is desirable to have low power consumption devices, with battery backup shared between devices to allow for continued operation when the supplied power feed is interrupted; it is desirable to have sensor/control devices with the ability to communicate characteristics between devices, including communication parameters, to allow devices to detect new devices placed on the network, determine device characteristics, and allow for integration of the new device into the network by allowing upstream devices to set configuration parameters to downstream devices.
The invention is a distributed architecture of networked devices intended for hazardous area measurement and control applications, typically used in the oil and gas industry. The architecture of this network ensures that the functions required in measurement and control, including data archiving, are distributed among multiple devices. As a result, the function of the networked system is not limited to the capabilities of any one device. It is preferred that each device is focused on a single measurement or control function so that it can be optimized to perform that function with the lowest power requirements and in a timely manner. It is also preferred to construct the distributed devices such that the analysis for intrinsic safety is greatly reduced and the number of devices that can be placed in the hazardous area on the network is greatly increased because of low voltage and low current usage. Collectively, these single-function devices form a distributed data collection, archive and control system that is both expandable and adaptable. Additionally, the devices can contain multivariable sensors, such as a device with sensing elements for measuring static pressure, differential pressure and temperature. The devices have varying levels of functionality and are categorized into functional tiers. Tier 1 (T1) has the lowest level of functionality. Tier 2 has the functionality of T1 and some additional features. Tier 3 (T3) is the tier with the highest level of functionality. Some of the tiered devices primarily perform measurement and logging of their intended parameter; others perform these functions in addition to advanced algorithms, such as calculating flow rates in accordance with applicable standards. The devices communicate via an industry standard protocol, such as Modbus, over an industry standard RS-485 network. Devices can function individually as part of a heterogeneous system with third-party hosts, acting as a regular Modbus transmitter. However, when a device is used with other devices specifically created as T1, T2, or T3 devices, it becomes part of an integrated, distributed network of collaborating devices. Multiple sections of the architecture may be implemented in a single electronic device, in multiple devices, or on a PC. Networks can be tailored to fit any custom application without waste of unused capability. Such networks remain adaptable as system needs grow, and can be readily expanded with only incremental costs and without discarding existing components. Consequently, the network enables an advantageous business model in which the quoting and system design stages of a particular implementation of the network can be easily custom tailored to the exact requirements. Thus, a system minimizes unused portions of equipment, which is often offered at a discount, resulting in the minimizing of system testing during manufacturing which reduces manufacturing cost. The distributed architecture also creates significant advantages during the product development phase of the network devices. Networked devices all share a reusable hardware/software structure which reduces required development and product testing to a small portion of its overall functionality (i.e. the portion of the device dedicated to measurement or control).
The devices in the invention are generally designed to be powered from the power output of the intrinsically safe (IS) barrier, through an intrinsically safe bus. The IS barrier limits the amount of electrical energy introduced into a hazardous area to prevent the ignition of explosive atmospheres. The IS bus includes a power network component and a communications network component; power and communications for devices are provided on four conductors for use in hazardous areas. The preferred communications network configuration is in accordance with EIA RS-485. The IS bus power is a combination of low-voltage, low-current parameters matched with extremely low-power budget devices that have minimal energy-storing capabilities to facilitate hazardous area approval. Devices may or may not contain an intrinsically safe battery. The total bus power consists of power supplies extending from the safe area through the IS barrier, combined with the power from batteries installed within the individual devices in the hazardous area. The system has a unique device entity parameter scheme accepted by CSA that allows for simple calculation of system entity parameters without having to perform detailed IS analysis of all components on the bus. This greatly simplifies installation and site certification and ensures that safe operating conditions can be achieved by personnel with minimal knowledge of electrical safety. The bus entity parameters allow for unique, ultra-miniature device construction without the need for protective measures (increased component and trace spacing, protective diodes and resistive devices) in the circuits in the hazardous area. As a result, full microprocessor-based systems can be located within the sensor's housing, rather than within a separate enclosure.
The devices' ability to operate directly from small battery packs of 1 to 4 battery cells eliminates the need for complicated power-conversion circuitry. It is preferred that the IS battery packs be comprised of lithium, 3.6 VDC, primary cells. The devices can operate on power from the IS barrier during normal usage; in the event of barrier power failure, the bus will operate on the batteries in the devices. Each device dynamically selects its power source, preferring the higher voltage source of the power from the IS barrier in the safe area over the voltage provided by batteries on the network. Because the batteries installed in devices contribute to the IS bus power, they can also power other devices on the bus that do not have batteries in the absence of power from the safe area. Each network of devices can contain up to five 33-amp-hour batteries. It is preferred that all of the devices on the bus operate with a low-power budget such that they consume no more than 8 amp-hours per year.
The IS bus interfaces the non-hazardous or safe areas through an IS barrier. The IS barrier is an electronic device that limits the energy allowed into the hazardous area for communication and power on a 4-wire bus. It provides connections for the wiring entering into the hazardous area and non-hazardous areas. The IS barrier is typically rated as a Class I, Division 2 device, allowing installation in certain types of hazardous areas while providing safety for Division 1 areas. The IS barrier can also be used as a patch between legacy RS-485 networks and the transmitters described in this document in the hazardous area. The barrier provides maximum protection on the non-hazardous side (up to 250 VAC@1000 A), allowing the network to be interfaced in the harshest of electrical conditions. The barrier allows up to 450 uF of capacitance on the bus and up to five 33-amp-hour batteries in the hazardous area that can provide power to the bus in addition to the instrument in which it resides. The barrier converts the hazardous communication bus to multiple connection types on the non-hazardous side including: RS-232, RS-485, and USB. It is preferred that each device on the bus have minimal capacitance and generally operate with 20 to 30 uF, allowing for 15 to 22 devices on the power bus.
On the hazardous side of the IS barrier, a series of networked devices is connected to the IS bus. For ease of organization, the networked devices are categorized into three tiers: T1, T2 and T3. Each device is microprocessor-controlled, with a typical hardware implementation as depicted in
Typically, T1 devices are connected directly to sensors or may incorporate a sensor (for measuring pressure, temperature, flow rate, etc.) with the circuitry required for converting analog sensor data to digital data (if the sensor does not perform this function). T1 devices typically have the capability to archive sensed data and generally communicate with other higher-tiered devices (T2 or T3) only upon a query from a T2 or T3 device. T2 devices, which may include sensors, have the ability to query other T2 and T1 devices and combine data from its sensors and/or queried devices in stored algorithms. T3 devices generally have no sensors and operate more in a control and computational mode. T1, T2 and T3 devices include storage areas for archiving sensed data and computed data.
To maximize flexibility and liberty in the circuit design of the T1, T2 and T3 devices in the hazardous area, two assumptions are made regarding abnormal operating conditions. The first assumption is that the four electrical conductors that make up the IS bus are configured in a manner that poses the greatest possible safety threat—that is, shorted together within the hazardous area. Secondly, it is assumed that all energy-storing components (capacitors and inductors) on devices in the hazardous location are connected in the worst possible configuration regardless of their placement within the device's circuit. For instance, the sum of all inductance present on the circuit is treated as though it is configured in series with the bus and the sum of all capacitance on the device is treated as though it is in parallel with the bus. These assumptions eliminate the need to design regular safety measures into the circuitry of each device. Consequently, the devices can be significantly miniaturized, and the responsibility of safe operation is shifted to the selection of the maximum bus entity parameters for the entire network. A preferred combination of IS parameters is 300 mA, 450 uF and 5.88V on the power conductors of the bus, of which 100 mA may be supplied from a single IS barrier and the remaining contributing current may be supplied by up to five IS battery packs of various construction. The preferred barrier construction consists of discrete fuses, diodes and wire-wound resistive elements that limit the energy supplied to the bus to meet this preferred parameter combination. The communication conductors are protected such that higher voltages of both positive and negative polarities may not pass into the hazardous area.
The IS network bus to which the devices are connected generally consists of four conductors: one pair for power (power bus) and one pair for communications (communications bus). These devices can be networked together on a single level. However, a more typical network configuration is for the devices to be organized in multiple levels, forming a rooted tree structure. In such a typical tree structure, it is desired that every branch be tied to a common power bus, but it is desirable for each branch to have separate communication busses in order to avoid bandwidth limitations resulting from using a common communications bus. An example of a typical network configuration consisting of a two-level network with two branches or sub-networks is shown in
In general, the root of a branch forms the host or master device for the devices on that branch or sub-network. The host or master has the ability to poll or query data and pass commands to those devices on its sub-networks. To accomplish division of measurement and/or control, if a level has sub-branch(es), such as depicted in
Functional details of a general T1, T2 and T3 device are depicted in
The archive for each device (T1, T2 and T3) may generally consist of three blocks: 1) a daily archive of average measurement points or combiner results for the day that are logged on the contract hour, 2) an interval archive in which time intervals can be programmed and generally coincide with the contract hour, and 3) an event archive that consists of records of user changes and alarm conditions. User changes are time-stamped records of configuration changes that affect the measurement point or calculated value, and alarm conditions are time-stamped changes in device conditions that affect the measurement point. The number of records in each log can be expanded with additional memory. The number of parameters in each record can be changed. All data within the device archive carries a timestamp that can be used to synchronize data from other devices and the host in the production of a consolidated archive report. Every device in the distributed network with a measurement point or combiner result contains sufficient amount of non-volatile memory to store its data for a minimum time period as determined by requirements of a higher-level device per each application. This creates a distributed archive structure, where the host device no longer constrains the entire system due to memory limitations. Archive data is stored on either removable or non-removable media. Archival retrieval is accomplished by, but not limited to, standard Modbus polling, Enron Modbus extensions, and/or direct device memory interfacing. Each master device associated with a measurement point or combiner has the intelligence to determine which configuration values and device conditions affect its measurement or calculation, and typically logs any changes in the values and conditions, including timestamps, the value before the change and the value after the change.
Shown in
Two additional areas in the data manager handle incoming and outgoing requests for data. The subscriber area contains the instructions for acquiring data from a queryable device and places the data in the data manager to be used by the combiner or archive manager. For instance, data may be needed from a slave temperature probe and a slave pressure probe. The subscriber area contains the addresses of the desired probes and the type of data or data structure to be acquired. Upon a request from the combiner manager, the data manager forms the request to be placed on the communication bus through the communications manager.
The publisher area contains the instructions for pushing data from the resident data manager to a resident output block or the data manager of a queryable device. The publisher area is the typical means by which a T2 device transports control information to one of its slave devices.
Each device has been optimized to minimize power consumption with both hardware and firmware design techniques, which include component selection and use. It is preferred that each device has the ability to automatically monitor power consumption and adjust its current consumption, enabling operation in a variety of power modes as required, from very low-power to high-power mode. This is achieved by self-controlling the CPU clock source, and intelligently controlling sensor excitation circuitry. Power levels may be set by the needs of the function being performed. For example, during advanced CPU-intensive calculations or during high-speed communications, the device can increase its CPU clock.
Each of the devices may be comprised of the following (depicted in
The functional blocks have been described for ease of understanding. In an implementation, functionality is generally encoded in the microprocessor and the functional areas may share code. To demonstrate the functionality of the system, examples of T1, T2 and T3 devices follows.
Tier 1 Device Sample Implementation—Temperature Sensor/Transmitter
The temperature transmitter converts and records the temperature information generally from a 100-ohm platinum resistive thermal device (RTD). The preferred construction of the measurement block on this device typically contains a 24-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured within a half-bridge excitation circuit which ratio-metrically measures a voltage across the RTD. Data from the RTD measurement block is placed into the data manager in the form of a temperature reading that is useful to host devices. The measurement block within this device also contains the algorithm for converting the voltage measured at the RTD into an electrical resistance that is proportional to the temperature of the RTD. A second algorithm then relates the resistance to a measurement of temperature. Host devices receive only the temperature reading and are not required to understand any of the algorithms required to produce that information. The temperature transmitter creates and maintains an interval, collects daily archive data containing the average temperature over the log period, and stores this data in local non-volatile memory. It also creates event records as the operator performs field calibrations. The temperature transmitter contains a real-time clock that can be synchronized with a local/remote host. The clock is calibrated from −40 to +60 deg C. and has an accuracy of +/−1 second/day. Through the data manager and archive manager within the transmitter, the temperature and archive data is available to a host for use in a larger system. This provides archiving and measurement calculations without burdening the larger system with measurement or archiving duties. The temperature transmitter generally has one serial port that is implemented as a Modbus slave. The physical body of the temperature transmitter is such that it can be attached to a wiring hub containing a terminal block and a battery. This battery allows the device to operate for a long period of time without external power and gives the device the ability to contribute power to the bus. The temperature transmitter can operate with third-party Modbus equipment and respond to real-time requests for temperature data. Its internal archives can also be retrieved by third-party hosts via Enron Modbus extensions. The temperature transmitter can adjust its current consumption by increasing or decreasing its CPU clock speed, or by controlling the sensor excitation. The temperature transmitter does not contain any output blocks or output circuitry.
Tier 2 Device Sample Implementation—MC-III
The MC-III is a T2 device that measures liquid or gas flow, generally through turbine flowmeters. This device is available from NuFlo Technologies, Inc. The MC-III contains both measurement and output blocks. It creates and maintains the data structures within its data and archive managers for the measurement and output blocks so that it can provide full T1 functionality to a host. A preferred construction includes two serial ports: one to act as a slave, the other to act as a master for sub-networked devices. The MC-III measurement block contains two turbine measurement blocks, each monitors a turbine pulse input. The on-board data manager is automatically subscribed to the data generated from each turbine. The MC-III has an output block that contains three optically isolated digital outputs and a liquid crystal display (LCD). The on-board data manager automatically publishes to these output sections. The MC-III also contains a local keypad that is used with the LCD for configuring the unit manually and for displaying archive and real-time data. The MC-III creates and maintains an interval and daily archive data that typically contains the flowing volume and flowing time over the log period, and stores this data in local non-volatile memory. The on-board data manager contains publishers and subscribers for hosting slave T1 devices. Typical slave devices include a pressure transmitter and a temperature transmitter for temperature- and pressure-compensated gas measurement. The MC-III has non-volatile memory dedicated to the storage of combiners, and its data manager can access and execute these combiners. A typical combiner uses the data from one of the integrated turbine blocks, the temperature from a slave temperature transmitter and the pressure from a slave pressure transmitter to calculate gas volume corrections based on industry standard algorithms.
Tier 3 Device Sample Implementation—Well Site Server
The Well Site Server is a low-power implementation of a T3 device. The Well Site Server has a large non-volatile memory dedicated to the storage of combiners. Its on-board data manager gathers data from slave devices by means of subscriptions, creates additional value-added information with combiners, and can place this new data into output blocks of slave devices by means of publishers. A typical implementation of the Well Site Server has four serial ports, each of which can operate as a master or slave port. This construction allows the Well Site Server to present multiple T1 and T2 slave devices to a host with just a single interface, adding a new degree of scalability to the larger system. The Well Site Server primarily functions as a data collector and archive transporter. Its on-board archive manager can randomly access the archive managers of slaved devices, creating a seamless, yet distributed archive. The Well Site Server also contains high-level communication protocols for interfacing with third-party data gatherers. The Well Site Server contains no measurement or output blocks.
Examples of the types of devices suitable for incorporation in the network and grouped by tier include
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Some of these devices are available from NuFlo Technologies, Inc, for instance, from their Houston office. With a variety of devices positioned on the system network or sub-network(s), each master device must be aware of every device slaved to it on its level or its sub-network(s). Also, the master device must be aware of the capabilities of each slave device, as the master device may require data from a slave device or be responsible for publishing control data to a slave device. The configuration of protocols and communications between devices may vary from network to network; hence, it is desired to have a system that will automatically recognize devices on the network and the configuration of the devices on the network, that is, to have a means to detect other devices on the network and the other device's available characteristics, and that will be able to set the configuration of each detected device as required. For this purpose, the system employs an "auto-detection" sequence and an "auto-configuration" sequence.
One means to detect devices is an auto-detection sequence that employs a method to identify the devices attached to the network. Every device on the network has a series of communication ports; some are slave ports and some are master ports. Typically, T1 devices have only slave communication ports. T2 and T3 devices can have an active master port, which implies that the "master" T2 or T3 device is positioned at the root of a branched tree and/or communicates with other devices on the same network level as the master device. Hence, each master device must determine what other devices are tied to it as slave devices. To accomplish this, each master broadcasts a "please identify" signal over its associated slave sub-network(s). Slave devices listening over slave ports recognize the request for identification and respond accordingly. An example of this auto-detect scheme is shown in
The first responding slave device enters into a dialogue or "negotiation" sequence with the master device to exchange slave communication parameters. One negotiation sequence is depicted in
At the conclusion of the communication with the initially discovered slave device, the master device will send another "detect and negotiate" signal, and the process is repeated until all slave devices that communicate with the master have been identified by the master and no further device responds to the "detect and negotiate" signal. Note that a master device may be a slave device to another equal or higher-tiered device, and hence, will respond to its master devices' "detect and negotiate" signal. The auto-detect feature can negotiate optimal communication parameters with discovered devices. Communication parameters that are optimized include communication speed, the Modbus slave address and basic and extended protocol capabilities such as timing parameters. Optimization of communication parameters is achieved by allowing the host to communicate with every device on the bus with unique communication parameters that are the fastest and most reliable connections for each device. This adaptability ensures optimal communications for with varying cable lengths, and allows for connections with multiple devices operating with different communication parameters on the same port/bus. For example, a master device communicating to a slave at 9600 does not prevent the master from communicating to a second slave device through the same port at a higher baud.
The "detect and negotiate" sequence is generally initiated by a T3 device upon startup of the network. A typical initiating device is a user-operated PC tied to the network through the IS barrier. Generally, a "detect sequence start" signal is sent to all devices at the level of the initiating T3 device. Each master device on this initial level then works independently to detect and negotiate with those slave devices queryable to it. Other means of initiating detect sequence are possible; for instance, each master can have a pre-assigned address value, and a sequence start signal can be sent to each master via its address. As described, the auto-detect feature allows initial communication to the device regardless of existing communication parameter settings such as slave address and baud rate, and allows for rapid device identification without having to search the network for devices or manually configure the device in advance. Undiscovered devices connected to the bus can be detected individually, even in the case of conflicting communication parameters. As described, the auto-detect features are a means of automatically detecting the communication parameters of the slave devices.
The auto-detection functionality involves the monitoring of all communication for destructive interference to the packet caused by a network collision as well as network activity while a transmission is pending. Once the communication parameters are established between slave and master devices, the master will identify each slave device by type and determine its capabilities, as the master may require data from the slave and will have to ensure that the slave is configured to transmit the desired data in a timely manner. The master device may have a database where possible remote device characteristics are stored and upon receiving the remote device identification, the master will "know" the remote device's characteristics. Alternatively, the remote may communicate its characteristics to an upstream master device (T2 or T3). Both means to determine device characteristics are considered means to configure or "auto-configuration."
One example of such an auto-configuration scheme, where the remote communicates its characteristics to the master, is shown in
As described, the auto-detect and auto-configuration functions are performed as a one-time process at the setup of a system in which all data managers and archive managers are configured to coexist with the other devices on the bus. Each device allows itself to be configured by its master or host so that it can coexist with unknown peer devices. The host follows expandable configuration rules in configuring all detected slave devices on the bus to coexist and provide needed data. Given the identification parameters of a device and knowledge of other devices on the bus, an algorithm is implemented to determine the communication parameters that will be assigned to that device. The identification parameters include product ID, firmware version and other parameters that uniquely identify the device being configured. Finally, the auto-configuration scheme provides an intrinsic method of synchronizing a device's internal real-time clock to the clocks of other devices on the bus, minimizing synchronization errors due to network lags or message delivery latency time.
The auto-configuration features function within the data manager to organize and deliver values retrieved through subscriptions to slave device data. Organization of data points follows expandable configuration rules. Data presented by a slave device can be determined and logically positioned within a data structure in the data manager. When queried, a host can thus produce a consolidated report in which data contained within each member of the bus appears as though all distributed sensors/devices are part of a single integrated device. Auto-configuration thus enables the organization of data collected from slave devices within the master's data manager so that it can be used in combiners to produce value-added information. Once organized, the data can be used in the calculation of more complex information. Additionally, it allows a host's or master's internal archive manager and data manager to be presented as though it is part of a larger system.
An example of the auto-configuration process is shown in
As described, the system provides a flexible and expandable solution for operating in a hazardous area. The wired communications network can be replaced partially or totally with a wireless communications network. The power network component may also be eliminated partially or totally. Partial removal of the power component requires the connected devices to be powered by local battery power. The slave devices generally respond only to queries, and are generally autonomous devices once the slave device's available functional characteristics have been recognized and selected by its controlling master device during the auto-configuration process. However, the slaves can be implemented with the ability to alert or alarm their master controlling device if sensed data is outside or approaching a critical range, for example, if static pressure is too high, etc. In this fashion, the slaves could post an interrupt sequence on the communications port that is recognized by the master and initiate communications concerning the alarm.
As described, the networked system is a distributed network of intelligent tiered devices, organized and communicating in a hierarchical structure. Within this structure, the master/slave devices have the ability to automatically detect downstream devices and device characteristics, and to automatically configure downstream devices as needed by upstream devices. It is preferred that the devices downstream from an IS barrier share a common power bus, allowing any battery on the bus to be used as a power source by any device on the bus in the event of a power interruption, providing for a very robust design.
The networked system combined with low-voltage and low-power requirements make possible a simplified approach to designing and implementing an intrinsically safe network and enable cost reduction by eliminating the need for large, expensive enclosures and power systems. The design allows for a system designed for specific measurement and control applications by combining a set of functional components in a manner that addresses exact system requirements, and allows for system expansion to meet new requirements through the addition of new components without removing existing components. Finally, the system creates an advantageous business model in which the quoting and system design stages are able to exactly meet the system requirements; where the system contains no unused capabilities, and which reduces manufacturing cost by not having to test instrument capabilities that are not used in the application. The networked devices can be implemented on a reusable hardware and software structure that is reduced to the scope of its intended function so that changes and development test time are constrained to a small portion of the overall functionality.
The described system demonstrates the auto-detect and auto-configuration features performed through an IS barrier between a safe area and a hazardous area. The auto-detect and auto-configuration can be performed in absence of an IS barrier if either explosion-proof safety techniques are employed within the hazardous location or all devices are located within a non-hazardous location. In addition, the processes of simple IS calculation, auto-detection, and auto-configuration are not mutually dependent. They may be implemented on their own or in different combinations in a network of suitably enabled devices.
|Cited Patent
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|Intrinsically safe multi-drop communications link
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|Bently Nevada
|Multiple remote sensor system for real time analog sensing and differential cummunication
|Oct 18, 1994
|Dec 10, 1996
|M-I Drilling Fluids L.L.C.
|Intrinsically safe data acquisition system and apparatus
|Mar 22, 1996
|Jan 27, 1998
|Halliburton Company
|Intrinsically safe data network
|Nov 26, 1997
|Dec 14, 1999
|The Johns Hopkins University
|Networked sensor system
|Mar 10, 1998
|Jan 11, 2000
|Endevco Corporation
|Intelligent sensor system with network bus
|Jun 3, 1998
|Nov 28, 2000
|Rockwell Technologies, Llc
|Low voltage industrial control system providing intrinsically safe operation
|Jun 29, 1998
|Sep 4, 2001
|Hubbell Incorporated
|System for physically mounting a multifunction user interface to a basic multifunction sensor to access and control various parameters of a control network environment
|Jun 30, 2000
|Sep 17, 2002
|Lockheed Martin Corp.
|Fluid control system with autonomously controlled valves
|Jan 15, 2000
|May 4, 2004
|Andrzej Partyka
|Meshed telemetry system
|Oct 4, 2000
|Dec 14, 2004
|Sensoria Corporation
|Method and apparatus for distributed signal processing among internetworked wireless integrated network sensors (WINS)
|Sep 24, 1999
|Aug 16, 2001
|Kavlico Corporation
|Versatile smart networkable sensor
|Jan 16, 2001
|Oct 25, 2001
|Allen Marc L.
|Remote management of retail petroleum equipment
|May 21, 2003
|Nov 27, 2003
|Egidio Paul B.
|System and method for temperature sensing and monitoring
|Jul 3, 2003
|Mar 25, 2004
|Peter Renner
|System for automating, monitoring and controlling technical processes and acquiring measurements thereof
|Sep 30, 2003
|Mar 31, 2005
|Burr Kent A.
|Communication bus suitable for use in a hazardous area of a process plant
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Nov 14, 2006
|May 11, 2010
|Harris Corporation
|Low power distribution system for an unattended ground sensor system
|Aug 2, 2011
|Siemens Industry, Inc.
|Data transport architecture
|Oct 14, 2010
|Jun 11, 2013
|Invensys Systems, Inc.
|Methods and apparatus for control configuration with enhanced change-tracking
|Nov 2, 2010
|Apr 8, 2014
|Snap-On Tools Of Canada, Ltd.
|System for monitoring and/or controlling equipment in a hazardous area
|Sep 28, 2012
|Sep 29, 2015
|General Electric Company
|Systems and methods for monitoring sensors
|Mar 17, 2014
|Mar 29, 2016
|Ford Global Technologies, Llc
|Camshaft position determination
|Nov 14, 2006
|May 15, 2008
|Harris Corporation
|Low power distribution system for an unattended ground sensor system
|May 2, 2007
|Nov 6, 2008
|Schmidt Glen E
|Data transport architecture
|Oct 14, 2010
|Apr 21, 2011
|Invensys Systems, Inc.
|Methods and apparatus for control configuration with enhanced change-tracking
|May 5, 2011
|Dantas Roy J
|System for monitoring and/or controlling equipment in a hazardous area
|Sep 28, 2012
|Apr 3, 2014
|General Electric Company
|Systems and methods for monitoring sensors
|Feb 21, 2014
|Aug 21, 2014
|Snap-On Tools Of Canada, Ltd.
|System for monitoring and/or controlling equipment in a hazardous area
|Oct 26, 2010
|Jul 20, 2011
|Method and system for increasing RS485 polling efficiency
|Nov 2, 2010
|May 5, 2011
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|System for monitoring and / or controlling equipment in a hazardous area
|U.S. Classification
|361/119, 340/870.07, 700/150, 700/266
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Jul 2, 2008
Owner name: CAMERON INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, TEXAS
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Owner name: CAMERON INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, TEXAS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:DIEDERICHS, ROBERT;YEE, JERRY;MADDEN, THOMAS MICHAEL;REEL/FRAME:021250/0573;SIGNING DATES FROM 20060510 TO 20060511
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Strategies for Measuring
Behavior Change
In order to evaluate whether a student is making progress when a positive behavior support (PBS) plan is implemented, there must be some measurement of the behaviors targeted for change. The target behaviors should include one or more problem behaviors to be decreased, and one or more desirable alternative behaviors or skills to be increased to replace the problem behaviors. Measurement of the target behaviors (also called behavioral assessment) should occur before a support plan is implemented, to establish the baseline level of the behavior, and during implementation, to determine whether the support plan is producing the desired changes in the target behaviors (Miltenberger, 2004). Assessment of the target behaviors also should continue for a period of time after the support plan is in place, to establish whether behavior changes endure over time.
Measurement of the target behaviors before the support plan is implemented is important for a number of reasons. First, it will help determine the seriousness of the problem. Preintervention behavioral assessment can establish the need for intervention by documenting that the problem behaviors occur frequently, occur for long durations of time, or occur with sufficient intensity to be problematic, and that the desirable behaviors occur too infrequently or not at all. It is also possible, however, that objective mea-


text:
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How to Make an Email on Your iPod Touch
Sometimes your computer isn't always available. But wait you need to make an email right now!! But you don't know how, follow these steps.
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That means it's off to a good start, but still has room to grow into a more helpful resource. Until the article reaches its full potential, it will be hidden from search results. Can you help it flourish? If you think the article offers complete and accurate instructions, feel free to remove this tag.
1Go to the home page of the iPod and click on the mail icon. All of them should have it, if not go to market and download it.
2If you already have an account, click on settings. Then type in all of the information you need to make it work.
3If you don't have gmail then go on settings again. Click other when it says what provider you have.
4Go online and type in gmail.com, or whatever your email is. Click set up account and make up a name and password that no one can steal.
5Start sending email on the iPod!
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BB&T slashes 241 jobs in Pennsylvania
May 18, 2016
(Winston-Salem Journal)
BB&T will cut about 15% of the workforce of National Penn Bancshares, the Pennsylvania-based bank it acquired last month in a $1.8 billion deal. BB&T confirmed earlier this week it was closing 28 branches in Pennsylvania, leaving it with 329 in the state. The Winston-Salem-based bank has $15.2 billion in deposits in Pennsylvania, trailing only PNC Financial, Wells Fargo and Citizens Bank.
Spellings, Ross share stage at Greensboro fundraiser
May 17, 2016
(News & Record, Greensboro)
UNC System President Margaret Spellings and her predecessor, Tom Ross, talked about HB2, rising tuition costs and faculty salaries at a fundraiser for Preservation Greensboro on Monday. Spellings said HB2 has distracted attention from the important work being done at the 17-campus system and possibly damaged its reputation. Spellings also spoke about the importance of raising faculty and staff pay to avoid "poaching" by other states.
Related: Tom Ross takes new job leading Paul Volcker's nonprofit in New York
Canton paper mill a mainstay in Western NC
May 17, 2016
(Smoky Mountain News)
Demand for coated paper coffee cups — and a shift away from Styrofoam by retailers including McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts — has been a boon for Evergreen Packaging in Haywood County, which employs about 900 people. The paper mill's future seemed uncertain a year ago when rumors circulated that the mill was for sale; then the company's New Zealand-based parent, Rank Group Limited, decided to keep it.
Delta plant closing won't impact Fayetteville operations
May 17, 2016
(The Fayetteville Observer)
The CEO of Greenville, S.C.-based Delta Apparel says the closing of Maiden textile plant will have little impact on the company's Fayetteville operations. Delta employs about 500 people in Fayetteville, including sewing and screen-printing operations for M.J. Soffe and a distribution center for beach lifestyle brand Salt Life. Both brands are owned by Delta.
Charlotte's Goodmortgage.com bought by Va. company
May 16, 2016
(The Charlotte Observer)
First Guaranty Mortgage Corp. of Virginia will acquire Charlotte's Goodmortgage.com, an Internet-based lender founded in 1999. No layoffs are planned at the Charlotte office, which will operate as a separate division of First Guaranty.
BB&T closing 28 branches in Pennsylvania
May 17, 2016
(Winston-Salem Journal)
After completing two major purchases giving it more than 350 branches in the Keystone State, BB&T said Monday it will close 28 branches, 7.8% of it presence, in Pennsylvania. A spokesman for the Winston-Salem-based bank said no job losses are expected.
Morrisville's MaxPoint posts 15% increase in Q1 revenue
May 17, 2016
(The News & Observer, Raleigh)
MaxPoint Interactive increased its guidance for the year and reported first-quarter adjusted revenue of $19.4 million, up 15% from a year ago. Adjusted net loss was $1.48 per share; analysts had projected a loss of $1.51 per share. In late April, the digital marketing company completed a reverse stock split and this month moved its listing to the Nasdaq from the NYSE.
Tom Ross takes new job leading Paul Volcker's nonprofit in New York
May 17, 2016
Former UNC System President Tom Ross has a new job running the Volcker Alliance, a nonprofit that wants to improve the government's performance and restore confidence in public institutions.
Vertex Railcar lays off 61 workers in Wilmington
May 16, 2016
(Greater Wilmington Business Journal)
Amid reduced demand for the sand hopper cars produced at its Wilmington plant, Vertex Railcar laid off 61 workers on Friday. A company spokesman says Vertex is shifting its focus to producing other types of railcars such as aggregate and foodservice hoppers and food-grade tank cars. The company announced in 2014 it would eventually hire more than 1,300 people at the 559,000-square-foot plant near Port of Wilmington. After the layoffs, Vertex has 221 employees.
Moogfest merges art and technology in 4-day festival
May 16, 2016
(WRAL TechWire)
Moogfest, the music and technology conference inspired by synthesizer inventor Robert Moog, kicks off in Durham on Thursday after being held for more than a decade in Asheville. Speakers include Martine Rothblatt, creator of Sirius satellite radio and CEO of United Therapeutics. Click here for the the full lineup of musicians and speakers.


text:
Are you ready to enter the modern era of electronic document management? Learn five reasons why it's essential to change with the times.
Too many companies are plagued by inconsistent document capture processes, which can lead to serious document management problems down the line. Learn how you can prevent these problems by standardizing document capture.
Are you considering an AP document management system? Read this article to learn about the five phases you will go through to successfully implement electronic document management.
If you're still depending on paper-based processes, then you likely have an unmanaged document environment. Learn how you can transition your documents from unmanaged to managed in five key areas.
Although "going paperless" is an urban myth, paperless processes within your company are a reality. Here's why reducing paper matters and three steps you can take to a less paper-intensive process.


text:
RESTON, Va. (WUSA) -- Check out the video captured by Sky 9 on Hunter Mill Road on Tuesday morning. You can see a massive tree ripped up from the roots and toppled over, with its branches blocking the road. Multiple crew trucks are gathered in preparation for cleanup.
It's just one scene showing the remnants of Friday's epic storm that is still causing headaches throughout the DC - metro region.


text:
So, you've run through the application analysis and vendor engagement phases. Ideally, these two phases will have provided you with (a) pertinent information about your environment, and (b) the solution or solutions that may work best to deliver the applications in your environment. The next logical stage of the project is to move toward a PoC (proof of concept) and pilot phase.
Continue reading Anatomy of a Desktop Virtualization Project #3: PoCs and Pilots


text:
Fred Couples recalled his Seattle roots when he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — About the only thing Fred Couples and Colin Montgomerie had in common was a golf swing good enough to trust for a lifetime.
Seattle native Couples became the first American to reach No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking and won the 1992 Masters by a blade of grass that kept his ball from trickling into Rae's Creek at Augusta National.
Scotland's Montgomerie found fame on the European Tour, where he won the Order of Merit a record seven times in a row, though he never won a major tournament, a glaring hole in his credentials.
Couples sauntered down fairways, the essence of cool. Montgomerie walked with his head down, so intense he seldom looked like he was having fun.
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They shared the stage Monday night when both were inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, along with three others: former U.S. Open champion and broadcaster Ken Venturi; former European Tour executive director Ken Schofield; and two-time British Open champion and architect Willie Park Jr.
Couples talked about his childhood in Seattle, when his mother gave him $5 a day in the summer to play at Jefferson Park. He couldn't afford to buy a glove, and Couples still plays without one. He got choked up when he mentioned he was a 14-year-old watching a PGA Tour player at a clinic in town.
"I wasn't really the person who said, 'That's what I want to do, I'm going to be a PGA Tour player.' But I knew I wanted to really, really get involved in golf," Couples said. "And the gentleman's name was Lee Trevino, who has been a mentor and someone I love."
Couples rambled at times, as he often does, talking about his journey from Seattle to the University of Houston, where he first met CBS announcer-to-be Jim Nantz, turned pro and won 15 times, including that Masters and the green-jacket ceremony in Butler Cabin with Nantz. They had rehearsed that moment in college.
Couples, 53, was overcome with emotion when he read two sentences from a piece of paper.
"Thanks for taking a kid from Seattle and putting him in the Hall of Fame," he said as his chin buckled. "This is the coolest night of my life."
Couples walked off the stage in tears, thrusting both arms in the air.
The election of this year's class caused some debate.
Couples was elected on the PGA Tour ballot ahead of Mark O'Meara and Davis Love III, who either won more tournaments or more majors.
Couples received 51 percent of the vote, a record low for the PGA Tour ballot. It usually takes 65 percent to get elected, though there is a loophole that if no one gets 65 percent, one player is elected provided he receives at least 50 percent.
"I barely got in here, but I'm in," Couples said. "And it's quite an honor."
Montgomerie, 49, is the fourth player in the last four years to be inducted into the Hall of Fame without having won a major tournament.
The Hall of Fame has 146 members.


text:
Happy Birthday! Will Arnett Turns 46 Today
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Arts and Crafts Party Ideas
Arts and Crafts birthday parties are an enriching way to keep your party guests busy while they have fun! We have directions for unique craft projects, as well as ideas for crafty invitations, supplies, food and favors for your child's arts and crafts birthday party.
Shop all our Birthday Party Supplies
Browse this guide:
Planning & Invitations
What Do I Need For the Party?
In addition to basic party supplies, like plates, cups, napkins and decorations, you may want to consider purchasing, borrowing or renting the following items for your Arts and Crafts party:
- Child-sized smocks, aprons or old shirts
- Crafts and activities kits
- Tables and chairs
- Quick dry glue and craft glue
- Washable markers, crayons and colored pencils
- Newspapers (to use as table covers during art projects)
Arts and Crafts Party Invitation Ideas
For a convenient and unique birthday invitation, check out our personalized art invites that will include all of the party details for you.
Don't want a printed invitation? What better way to ask guests to attend an Arts and Crafts party than with homemade invitations! Here are some ways you can excite your guests for the art event of the year:
- Punch a hole in a card-style invitation and attach it to a personalized bag tag or personalized bookmark with curling ribbon.
- Seal your arts & crafts party invitations envelopes with an art party personalized sticker printed with party details or a fun message!
- Use colored cardstock, ink and rubber stamps to design your invitations.
- Let your child finger paint or place their handprint on the cover of each invitation.
- Create your art party invitations out of marbleized paper. Then, write a poem on the inside such as:
Glitter and pom-poms and projects to weave,
Paper and markers and crayons and beads,
Put on your apron and grab a paint brush,
It's Meg's arts & crafts birthday, so won't you join us?
Decorating & Food Ideas
Arts and Crafts Party Decoration Ideas
- Use solid paperware in a variety of colors to create a rainbow place setting.
- Make a table cover out of white craft paper. Place buckets of crayons on the table. At the party, encourage the guests to draw pictures on the paper.
- Ask your child to draw pictures on the walkway leading to your doorstep using sidewalk chalk.
- Face paint your party guests as they arrive. Only spend a couple minutes on each guest so that you have time for other activities.
- Decorate the walls in the party area with drawings your child has created over the years.
- Place tissue paper flowers in vases on the party table. These are easy to make and can be given out to guests as favors.
Arts and Crafts Party Food Ideas
Cooking is a form of art as well! Party guests can help make their own food which will also serve as an activity. Here are some crafty but tasty party food suggestions.
- Create mini pizzas using sliced bagels or English muffins as crust. Set pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and pizza toppings in small bowls. Allow the children to assemble their own pizzas and then bake in an oven at 350° until the cheese is melted and the crusts are crispy.
- Serve peanut butter and jelly, grilled cheese or deli sandwiches and have your guests use cookie cutters to create fun-shaped sandwiches.
- Bake sugar cookies and have the children decorate them using icing, candy and food coloring.
- Set up an ice cream bar and let the children choose their own flavor and toppings to create sundaes.
Arts and Crafts Cake Idea
Bake a rainbow cake using our yummy recipe and then decorate the cake to look like an art palette. We have provided a template below for you to copy.
- Bake a round cake and let it cool.
- Using an empty orange juice can as a cutter, cut a hole towards the side of the cake. (This is a great way to sample some cake ahead of time!)
- Now you can frost the cake using white icing.
- Group same-colored jelly beans together in small circles to create a rainbow palette of colors around the top of the cake.
- Finish the cake off by placing a plastic paint brush across the center of the cake.
Party Favor Ideas
Arts and Crafts Party Favor Ideas
The great part about having an Arts and Crafts birthday party is that the projects your guests make can serve as party favors! In case you want to send your guests home with something extra, here are some more favor ideas.
- Coloring Activities
- Crayons, markers and colored pencils
- Stickers
- Swirl Lollipops
- Personalized stickers, zipper pulls and placemats
- Check out our arts and crafts activities for more party favor ideas.
Party Planning Toolbox
Use the links below to quickly find related theme party supplies, planning tips, printable checklists, and advice from our party planning experts.
- Themed Birthday Party Supplies: Includes paperware, invitations, personalized items, favors, and decorations for your party theme.
- Arts and Crafts Personalized Items: Check out our exclusive personalized items including invitations, bookmarks, stickers, and more!
- Birthday Party Decorating Ideas: This guide will tell you how to decorate for your party theme, what to do with balloons and streamers, how to decorate with food, how to set the table, and how to make your own party decorations.
- Parties Under $100: Use this guide to celebrate in style without breaking the bank!
- Party Budget Estimator: Download this guide to help budget your expenses.
- More Birthday Theme Ideas: Browse our list of over 130 themed party guides to find tips for your child's next birthday! Each guide includes ideas for invitations, decorations, food, favors, games and more.
Games and Activities
Rainbow Pasta Necklaces
Dye your own rainbow pasta for beaded craft activities!
Friendship Pins
This craft activity is fun, fast and just for friends!
Balloon Beanbag Balls
Children will love making their own squishy bean balls!
Fingerprint Art
Children can use their fingerprints to create all sorts of cute critters.
Marbled Paper
Create your own stationary with this easy activity.
My Family Shirt
Kids illustrate their family on a t-shirt they can keep.
Rainbow Cake Batter
Create vibrant rainbow cake batter your child will never forget!
Tin Treasure Box
Kids can hide coins or other items in their very own treasure box!


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Community Talk
Top Builds
Diablowiki Updates
Blue Posts
Diablo Fan Art Watch #154: W.T.F. Edition (Wow that's Fan-art) Part IVPosted 27 Jun 2012 by
Welcome friends to the latest installment of the Diablo Fan Art Watch. This week we bring you part 4 of this special fan art watch featuring more cool and unique arts and crafts featuring places and people from sanctuary.
Without much delay please enjoy these works from the artists listed below. Special Thanks to fmulder and many others for finding some of these awesome crafts.
Art by Vanlogan, xfriendlypsycho, Jerry Mayuki, Delay, and Simmokiwi.
Click the thumbnails to see larger versions of all these images.
I hope you all have enjoyed these last 4 watches. Please let me know what you think, and if you would like to see more unique and cool Arts & Crafts from the community.
If you enjoy Fan art and want to contribute to this growing community, please stop by the Fan Creations Forum. Many artists visit frequently, posting works in progress looking for feedback and conversation. You don't have to be "arty" to join in. If you have any questions, comments or have some fan art related news on the web please send me a PM and I'll get back to you.
The Diablo Fan Art Watch will now also be bi-weekly due to the high volume of incoming fan art. Twice as much art per week.
Human Verification: In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.


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E-CUT standard saw blade Saws wood up to 50 mm, plasterboard and soft plastics. Enables simple dipping into the material at any point.
Good delivery service, only reason for not giving top mark was that the package was short due to being out of stock. No problem but would have been nice to be told in advance rather phoning.
Specialist advice that you can trust.
Tailored help from our customer services team


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Looking for answers following a mysterious string of slayings and suicides at the base.
For over five years, the small team behind Longform has brought you daily reading recommendations, a weekly podcast, and a chart-topping app. Sustaining a service that millions of people enjoy every month is costly and time-intensive.
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The Forum has been upgraded to a modern and advanced system. Please read the announcement about this update.
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ORA-00942 table or view does not exist Error in Oracle Forms
Discussion in 'Oracle Forms and Reports' started by sakchennai, May 6, 2009.


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Monday, April 18, 2011
From the Heart
And in case you missed the release party on Friday, all of the new stamps and dies we peeked last week are now available in the Verve store. Nine different set are available individually, or save 15% when you purchase the whole April collection. Don't forget the two new A Cut Above dies, Elegant Leaves and Floral Circles, which are sold separately from the bundle.
My card uses the new Happy Phrases set along with the Charming Oval dies. I started with a background panel of a pretty Prima Botanicals 6x6 pattern, then created a shabby grouping out of painted and distressed cardboard, a glittery chipboard heart, lace trim, a Prima flower and a sweet bird. I stamped the sentiment onto the smaller Charming Oval die, matted it with the larger Charming Oval die, and then accented with clear rhinestones. I'm a bit smitten with the whole shabby, romantic, collage look right now. Bear with me if it all begins to look the same!
My kids are out of school all week for Spring Break, so there might not be a lot of crafty time for me. I'll pop in when I can!
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a great week!
Stamps: Happy Phrases (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey Kraft and Rustic White card stock, Prima Botanicals 6x6 dp
Ink: Old Paper, Frayed Burlap and Walnut Stain Distress Inks
Accessories: Charming Oval Die Set (A Cut Above by Verve), Pizazz Aplenty 2mm, 3mm and 4mm clear rhinestones, Prima bird and flower, Melissa Frances glittered heart, corrugated cardboard, ivory acrylic paint, Paertrey buttons and satin ribbon, May Arts crochet trim and burlap string, sanding block, distressing tool, foam adhesive
21 comments:
Love all your Shabby Layers. This is an adorable card. Have fun with your family. Wishing you nice weather. We had more snow this AM.ReplyDelete
Amy, you never cease to amaze me with your talent! This card is CRAZY beautiful! I adore all of the shabby elements all grouped together like that! Absolutely stunning!ReplyDelete
WOW Amy, this is a great card. I love your details. Wonderful.ReplyDelete
Beautiful card, I love the creamy color!!!!!!!!!!!!!ReplyDelete
Dutch Tulip
Love the neutral pallet you used and can't believe all the goodies you got on this card! Wonderfully done!ReplyDelete
Maravillosas estas tarjetas que no habia visto, como siempre con tu gusto tan especial y perfecto.ReplyDelete
Enhorabuena, besitos.
WOW! gorgeous! hugz n blessingsReplyDelete
I'm smitten as well - by its beauty!! So delicate and romantic, like a vintage bride :-)ReplyDelete
This is gorgeous!ReplyDelete
This is frame-worthy! It's so beautiful! I love each and every element in the grouping and the buttons through the lace are so brilliant!ReplyDelete
You just constantly amaze me with your cards. How do you come up with the idea to put all of that detail on there and make it look so fantastically beautiful?!ReplyDelete
Such a beautiful card. You always pull off using so many elements. This works perfectly for a sketch that I have to do, and now I got help. Thanks.ReplyDelete
Fantastic card, Amy! Brings me to the old days with all that beautiful detail!!ReplyDelete
This is beautiful, Amy! I hope you're doing well.ReplyDelete
WOW! What a gorgeous piece of art!ReplyDelete
So many wonderful details! Gorgeous!ReplyDelete
Just wanted to pop in and tell you how gorgeous all of your Verve projects are with this release (then again, everything you do is gorgeous!)...in Verve heaven!ReplyDelete
Shabbily gorgeous!! love it, my friend!ReplyDelete
Wow, Amy, what a stunning creation you made here!ReplyDelete
*GASP* Holy Macaroni - check out all the incredible detailing on this beauty!!! Stunning Amy!!!!ReplyDelete
Love it, great texture in your collage, love that bird and flower, such lovely paper, enjoy your time with the kids!ReplyDelete


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Brokenwood Cricket Pitch Red
Additional Cases: $0
- The Cricket Pitch has become one of Brokenwood's most iconic labels showing not just multi-varieties but multi-regions in the mix. This is a BYO wine that works well with a variety of cuisines; anything from robust seafood, to pasta and gourmet sausages. It's crammed with cherry and berry fruit, some vanillin oak and a soft accessible palate that's balanced and full of flavour. 70
Appearance: A medium to full bodied colour and density.
Nose: Aromas of red cherry, spice and earthy edges.
Palate: Mid weight palate with some Cabernet Sauvignon cedar up front that leads to soft Shiraz richness. The oak regime is mainly older American and French so limited impact although some vanillin on both nose and palate with a long sweet finish.
Food: Rich seafood, pasta and light meat dishes.
Cellaring: A drink now style that will further soften with medium term bottle maturation. Excellent fruit flavours and balance being the features that will be maintained under the screw cap packaging.
Grape Variety: Cabernet, Merlot & Shiraz.
James Halliday (2008 Vintage) says:"Australian Wine Companion 2011 2010
Campbell Mattinson & Gary Walsh (2007 Vintage) says:"
It's a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and shiraz, and the charms of this 2007 release are immediately obvious. It's a mood thing, but most of the time we don't like wines that shout at us - we'd rather have a friendly conversation with them. This wine never raises its voice. It has medium-weight, curranty flavours with enough chocolatey oak to make it slip down smoothly. Right in the groove.The Big Red Wine Book 2009/10 2009
James Halliday (2002 Vintage) says:"
Light to medium-bodied; tangy, savoury/spicy with a touch of oak sweetness; easy style.Australian Wine Companion 2006 2005
James Halliday (2000 Vintage) says:"
Light to medium red-purple; the light bouquet has aromas of leaf, earth and red berry, but the palate is rather sweeter and richer than the bouquet suggests, with blackcurrant and a touch of chocolate.Australian Wine Companion 2004 2003
James Halliday (1997 Vintage) says:"
Medium red-purple; the bouquet offers aromas of leaf, mint and earth which are slightly astringent, but the palate is much better, with a mix of almost essencey cherry, chocolate and vanilla oak flavours.Australian Wine Companion 2000 1999
James Halliday (1996 Vintage) says:"
Medium red-purple; the clean and smooth bouquet shows ripe sweet fruit of medium intensity with well-balanced and integrated oak. The palate is clean and well balanced, with lively red berry and mint fruit, subtle oak and fine tannins.Australian Wine Companion 1999 1998


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Animal stories
Lombard, Illinois
November 9, 1937
A Horse Called Dragon
Lynn Hall's love of animals permeates her many young adult books. "From earliest memory I had been yearning toward the country toward animals, specifically toward horses and dogs," she said in Something About the Author Autobiography Series. "All of my clearest childhood memories center around animals."
"My family couldn't afford a horse, didn't really want a dog, and assumed that I was going through a stage. Wrong," she said in the Fifth Book of Junior Authors. "My hunger for these animals went unfed except for the nourishment of The Black Stallion and Misty of Chincoteaqueand Lad: A Dog. I was a voracious reader, but only in these areas, and had to be forced to read other kinds of books."
The daughter of a Standard Oil executive and a high school teacher, Hall attended schools in Iowa. She married Dean W. Green in 1960 and divorced a year later. Hall has worked as a secretary and a veterinarian's assistant. She has been a full-time writer since 1968.
Reading what she considered to be a poorly written horse book one day, Hall decided she could do better. She researched how wellwritten books are crafted, and produced her first story about a dog show. However, her second manuscript, The Shy Ones was the first to be accepted by a publisher, and was released in 1967.
"The loves of my life, horses and dogs, provide the impetus for my writing," Hall said in Contemporary Authors. "The truth is that I write not so much to provide books for children as to relish the sheer fun of a good horse story or a good dog story. When I've read all the


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A group of 28 teens gathered in Second Life for last night's presidential debate, reports The Click Heard Round the World:
The teens were fairly bored during the economy and health care portion of the debate. But they perked right up once the candidates starting talking foreign policy. Several of them were interested in Darfur and human rights. A couple were concerned about college tuition costs.
All in all, I thought this was an effective way of getting teenagers to be more engaged with the political process. I think they felt more comfortable being in a setting with a bunch of their peers rather than in a roomful of adults. Several of them seemed genuinely concerned about certain issues and got to express that to each other over the text chat. And they got to have fun, often at the expense of one of the candidates, but that's to be expected.
Holymeatballs has expanded coverage, including some of the students' reactions to the debate as expressed via SL's chat feature.
Surprisingly, only one of the teens seemed to take notice of McCain's bizarre reference to Obama as "That one."
UPDATE: A World of Warcraft player mentions that the debate was also a hot topic in the general chat on the Silvermoon server.


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Car check engine on car stalls. When it starts and I push gas pedal down it makes no difference stays at idle rpms. Any Ideas? I did take to Auto Zone and got a list of codes that go for a mile. PO 300 PO 304 PO 316 P 2104 P 2107 P 2110 P 2112 P 2127 PO 301 PO 305. WOW where do I start???
by indoors123 in Brookfield, WI on October 25, 2009