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A New Atlantic Community
Generating Growth, Human Development and Security in the Atlantic Hemisphere
As Eminent Persons of our Hemisphere, we are united in our drive to build a dynamic and harmonious Atlantic Community by champining free and open trade and investment, promoting access for all to affordable energy, accelerating human development, encouraging economic, educational and technical cooperation, respecting human dignity and enhancing human security, facilitating a favorable business environment, generating sustainable and inclusive growth and development, and cultivating a culture of lawfulness across our four continents. Through our activities we seek to turn policy goals into concrete results and agreements in tangible benefits. We seek to advance our cooperation by engaging those with shared values as well as interests, and in being primarily non-governmental, less constrained by official positions.


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I have read and had countless discussions on digital painting tablets, and I finally decided to write a thought out blog post about it. I have had the fortune to try a wide variety of different Wacom tablets and the following are my personal experiences and opinion on them.
I'll be discussing Wacom only, since it is a bit of a monopoly. I have not yet tried any other brands because of this very reason, so I won't speak on them either.
What you should look out for
First off, the pen is more important than the tablet surface. This is simply because the surface will not have a lot of different variables. Surface size and levels of pressure sensitivity are the only ones (and wether or not it's a monitor or not). The buttons on the side of the tablets are gimmicky. I can honestly say it is a very rare sight to see a professional use them - most of us have our offhand resting on the keyboard, which has more keys however you put it. (the exception would be sometimes when you work with a Cintiq, the buttons can be usefull then) For this reason I basically disregard the buttons entirely, as I heavily recommend using a keyboard instead. (small wireless one on your lap works wonders)
For a pen, you're looking at more important variables such as weight and balance, and rate of tip decay. The weight and balance will directly influence your wrist and can cause serious issues if you're a freelancer like me, and you paint a bunch of hours every day. The size of the tablet surface can affect your wrist too, but not so much.
Size matters
It matters, except, well, bigger isn't better. I've tried huge tablets and tiny ones. Both have obvious issues. Big ones have you swinging your elbow all over the place, small ones tire your wrist. Both are unreasonable for long, repeated work days. I'm assuming you want to freelance full time (or even half time) and will have a stationary setup.
For this, a medium (around A4 surface) works best. The intuos A4, or intuos 4/5 medium. Perfect balance.
Lets have a look at the different types and systematically list the pro's and cons:
Intuos 3
+Pen is weighted and sized superiorly vs the intuos 4 and 5
+Pen tips last a LONG time (for some reason)
+Older generation, therefore cheaper.
-Older generation, therefore harder to find.
- A4 is just a tad too large to put in your average backpack, which makes it movement unfriendly
- USB wire is attached to the tablet permanently. It will eventually break open at the attachment of your tablet if you aren't careful, which might need replacing by someone tech savy.
Intuos 4
+ The wire can be unplugged on the tablet end.
+ Looks kinda nice. Black. But who cares, honestly?
+ Medium size is slightly smaller than the intuos3 A4, so it's more portable-friendly.
- Pen is weighted and sized horribly. They are short and light, feels awful in my opinion. For this reason I do not recommend a intuos4 at all.
- Pen tips decay insanely fast for some reason. I have to assume foul play from Wacom here, they must have thought made the previous tips too good or something.
- Might have been a driver issue, but when I tried it the sensitivity of the surface was unbearable. The lightest tap gave me a pretty thick stroke, even at firmer settings - it was harder to get a light stroke than a intuos3.
Intuos 5+ Wireless! Very useful when you like to sit back in the couch with a large screen or similar.
+ Medium size is slightly smaller than the intuos3 A4, so it's more portable-friendly.
+ Pens are a step towards intuos3. They even look like intuos3 + intuos4, which proves my point about the intuos4 pens. They took a step to the past and the right direction; although I still argue intuos3 is a better pen.
+You can use it as a touchpad, so you can zoom, rotate with gestures with your fingers on your pen-hand. Not life saving, but pretty cool little feature if you decide to start working that way.
-Recent generation, so more expensive.
-Can't replace the surfaces, which unfortunately makes it pretty bad for long term use.
+ Cintiqs are good for a specific type of work. It is definitely FAR superior to do linework. Long, detailing and rendering is also great on a cintiq.
-Bad for your eyes. Don't underestimate this. When you are spending hours and hours in front of a screen, these are things you have to consider. When I switched to a cintiq for a couple of days, putting in the same amount of hours as usual, I had to stop because my eyes were hurting.
- Similarly, your back can take a punishment when working with a cintiq for a long time, as you are hunched over the tilted screen most likely. Not good form.
- A lot more expensive for a relatively unimportant feature.
- There is a lag between input and response on tablets, and on screen-tablets like the cintiq this becomes noticable.
- Your hand is in the way, which, believe it or not, is a huge problem when you are used to a regular tablet. That said, offsetting the cursor of the pen by 10x10 pixels or so, so you are painting higher and more to the left than your pen tip position, tends to fix this issue and the mental change is quickly done.
Bamboo tablets
They are inferior but a LOT cheaper. Not much to say about it other than that.
Final Verdict!
My personal setup is the intuos3 A4. I love this tablet (and primarily its pen) so much I have purchased a backup tablet (the exact same one) before they become too hard to find. They are a little bulkier as mentioned before, but this is perfect for my permanent desktop setup anyway. They are robust enough you can put a hot plate on it and eat, if you sometimes eat at your desk, for example. It can take quite a punch. The tablet surfaces are replaceable too, if you manage to find a seller.
I would recommend staying away from Intuos4.
If you are willing to invest a little bit more, get the intuos5 medium. It seems like the benefits of the intuos4 and 3 put together. If my intuos3's break, I will upgrade straight to 5 (or other generations if they are out by then). Together with a wireless keyboard it seems like a powerful setup.
If you find yourself doing a lot of line-art, then you should definitely get a smaller cintiq. The larger ones have obvious issues - they nuke your eyes; and they are simply bulky and expensive. If you get a large cintiq, get a mechanical arm to go with it. It costs a whole chunk extra, but at that price, you are investing anyway. I still recommend a smaller cintiq for lineart and a regular tablet for any other work.
If you are new to painting, and want to try it out, get a bamboo. There is no reason you need anything else. Once you decide to take it more seriously and paint a lot, you'll come to a point where you know you need an upgrade, and then you upgrade - simple as that! Do not waste money on hardware before you need it; as it will not change your skills. ( same with brushes ;) )
The ultimate setup in my eyes is a smaller cintiq to your side for certain types of client work, and either the Intuos3 A4 or the Intuos5 Medium for your day-to-day work. 3 if it's a permanent setup; 5 if you like to travel or sit back in the couch with a projector or such.
In the end, always try it before you buy it. My review is subjective, and your experiences may vary. Test as many tablets as you can possibly get your hands on.

subset: commoncrawl


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engineers have always been important in our society. from constructing the buildings we live in to building bridges and cars we use on a daily basis to computers, they are everywhere. in recent times, these engineers have started to assume more responsibility in the workplace, rising to the position of managers and executive positions. as part of their duties, these professionals are dealing with financial matters and managing people as frequently as they are troubleshooting engineering problems in the workplace. in order to help these professionals execute their responsibilities effectively, several programs have been started which train them in dealing with non-engineering duties. this collective field is called engineering management.
degrees are available at an undergraduate and graduate level for professionals and students who wish to pursue them. however, for an engineer currently working full-time, the idea of taking time off from work to pursue his or her studies is not feasible. an online master's in engineering management program is a highly recommended alternative for these individuals. the program allows them to complete the coursework at their own convenience and in a more flexible manner than a campus-based program would allow.
program classes
an engineering management degree will start by taking students through courses in marketing and managing. students will learn how to troubleshoot different problems in the workplace and develop their management skills via lectures, case studies, and class projects. as managers, these professionals are also required to know enough about intellectual property laws to ensure that their company is not in violation of any, so courses in this subject will be taught. following the core courses, students are given the freedom to choose from a variety of electives. they may specialize in technology management, or focus on entrepreneurship and operations management. these courses will help students analyze their workflow, and streamline it for greater efficiency and productivity. the hallmark of an effective engineering manager is his ability to gear a company towards greater success.
what skills will be enhanced?
engineering managers who take an online master's in engineering management program may expect to become better problem solvers, and also develop a keener understanding of finances and cash flows in a business. furthermore, they will learn how to become more organized, and effectively handle a team of employees in achieving the company's objectives. a large part of the manager's job requires him to communicate and negotiate with different people, and courses dedicated to grooming this skill will help ensure that a graduate is able to communicate effectively with team members and customers.
online education
there are several reasons why students should choose an online degree. the first among these is the cost benefit of online degree programs. online education is often cheaper than their campus-based counterparts. you could also end up saving on commute and living expenses. an online degree allows you to receive the same benefits as a campus-based student, without having to leave your office or home ever.
Copyright © 2015. All rights Reserved.


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5980 Credit River Road SEPrior Lake MN 55372
Yard Waste Compost
Recycling Center
Roll Off
Contact Us
About Us
Bulk item pickup is available for a wide assortment of individual items. We take household appliances, furniture, lawn mowers, exercise equipment, gas grills, doors, mattresses, old toilets and sinks, tires, TVs, vacuum cleaners, wheel barrows, windows and a whole lot more! Most items can either be dropped off at a cost per item or you can schedule a curbside pickup for an additional charge.
For larger household clean outs or remodel projects, we have a variety of dumpster sizes that can be conveniently delivered to your door. You can take up to a week to fill it with your material, then we will take it away! EASY!
Call our office staff to find out which option best suits your needs.


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Pérez Art Museum Miami
Revamped Miami Art Museum that spearheaded rejuvenation of the city's prime exhibition spot
The makeover of Museum Park on Biscayne Bay is finally starting to show results. Just in time for the 2013 edition of Art Basel Miami Beach, the Miami Art Museum was relocated and reborn as Pérez Art Museum Miami. Named after a wealthy benefactor, it is an indoor-outdoor edifice created by Pritzker Prize-winning architects Herzog & de Meuron that takes advantage of the vast amount of home-grown talent by commissioning and exhibiting works from local artists and designers.


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Learn How to Make easy money with a simple App idea... from initial concept to marketing your app for maximum profit.
Microsoft Word - App-Cash.doc
iPhone & iPad App Cash Page 1
Brought to You by The Cheapest Netbook
iPhone & iPad App Cash Page 2
Table of Contents
Introduction ..................................................................... 3
Generating App Ideas ........................................................ 4
Copy Existing Apps ........................................................ 4
What do YOU Need? ....................................................... 5
Outsourcing Development .................................................. 6
Software and Services for Development ............................... 8
Marketing an App ............................................................. 9
Forum Marketing ........................................................... 9
Press Releases ............................................................ 10
Blogging ..................................................................... 10
Resources ...................................................................... 11
iPhone & iPad App Cash Page 3
There are many people who are making millions of dollars with
applications for the iPhone and iPad. Fortunately, many iPhone
apps will also work for the iPad, so you can kill two birds with
one stone.
There is never going to be a better time than now to be an app
developer. While the field is constantly becoming more and
more competitive, the market is still relatively young. If you
get in now, you have a very good chance to make a lot of
money. Remember, the pioneers in an industry usually
establish dominance right away, so its important to jump in
right now!
In this report, Im going to teach you some of the basics of
creating an iPhone or iPad app. Ill also give you some
resources with more advanced information.
The time to do this is NOW! The longer you wait, the more
money you are leaving on the table!
iPhone & iPad App Cash Page 4
Generating App Ideas
Generating an idea for an app will probably be your biggest
hurdle, and that can easily be overcome with some creative
brainstorming techniques.
Remember, an app doesnt even have to be useful or involved
in order to be successful. Have you heard of Joel Comms app?
Its called iFart. Basically, it lets users choose from several
different types of farting sounds and play them through their
phone. Its useless, but it has been downloaded many, many
times. At about 99 cents per download, it has made back his
development costs many times over!
Copy Existing Apps
One of the easiest ways to get an idea is simply by looking
through popular apps and copying them. Obviously, you
wouldnt want to copy their concept exactly. Instead, download
the app yourself and try to figure out its major weaknesses.
If possible, look for comments about that app. Find out what
people dont like. Then you can create an app that addresses
iPhone & iPad App Cash Page 5
those weaknesses in order to make customers happier with
your app than the original!
Some of the worlds best products are simply copies of existing
products. Todays computers are just copies of the original PC
with significant improvements, of course. Theres nothing
wrong with taking ideas as long as you make major changes
and make the product unique in several ways.
What do YOU Need?
Maybe theres something you wish your own iPhone could do
that you havent seen addressed in an app. This is great,
because if you want this, other people probably do, too!
Make a list of some of the things you would love to be able to
do with your phone, and then search the App Store to see if an
existing app will do it. If not, you might be able to create the
first one! If so, you can always copy and improve it!
iPhone & iPad App Cash Page 6
Outsourcing Development
You dont have to worry about a lack of programming
experience. Even if you have never written a line of code in
your life, you can still release successful apps.
The main way to create apps without programming is to
outsource the development. If you have a very specific ideas
for your app, this may be your only option.
Make sure you hire someone who has significant experience
creating iPhone and iPad apps. Many programmers think they
know how to create an app, but soon discover its more
complex than they thought. You should be certain to hire
someone who has already created apps that work on the
iPhone and iPad, and who can show you examples.
Never pay 100% of the development cost up front! Try to pay
a 10% to 25% deposit. If the programmer has excellent,
verifiable references, you might go as high as 50% up front.
You never want to risk paying 100% up front, no matter how
impeccable their references are. What if (God forbid) they
passed away during development? Anything can happen.
iPhone & iPad App Cash Page 7
In order to ensure you get the app you really want, be sure
you have as many details as possible about the app before you
start looking for a programmer. You will want to map out
functionality, screen layouts, etc. so the programmer knows
exactly what you want before work starts. This will save you
both a lot of time, money, and frustration.
Also, be certain to get your programmer to sign an NDA and a
NCA. An NDA is a non-disclosure agreement that ensures they
wont talk to anyone about your app, potentially opening you
up to competition before your app is even available. An NCA is
an agreement that the developer wont release an app that
competes with yours, and can also prevent them from
developing a similar app for someone else for a period of time.
An attorney can help you draw up these agreements. You may
even want to get an NDA while in the hiring process so you can
talk about your app in detail to ensure the programmer is
confident they can do what you want before you hire him or
iPhone & iPad App Cash Page 8
Software and Services for Development
If you have an app idea that is very simple, you may be able to
use one of the ready-made solutions that are now available to
build your app. These programs and services can create very
simple apps for as little as $30!
Dont expect to get a custom app that will perform specific
functions for this price. But you could, for example, get an app
that would deliver news and updates from popular golf blogs
and news sites by RSS. Golf fans might be willing to pay 99
cents for an app that would give them the latest news in the
world of golfing at their fingertips.
Services include:
iPhone & iPad App Cash Page 9
Marketing an App
Many app developers erroneously believe that all they have to
do is upload their app to the App Store and sales will magically
begin to flood in. This might happen, but it is extremely
unlikely. The App Store is becoming more and more
competitive all the time, and you must promote your app if you
want to ensure significant sales.
There are practically endless ways to promote an app, but Im
going to go over some of the best ways to get an app off the
ground quickly.
Forum Marketing
One of the best places to market your app is via forums in your
apps niche. If you have a golf app, why not market it through
golfing forums?
You definitely do not want to spam your app. Instead, sign up
to the forum and place something like this in your signature
file (usually found in your preferences or control panel.)
iPhone & iPad App Cash Page 10
Jim Smith Creator of the Golf News Blast app for iPhone and
If the forum allows links in signatures, you can also place a link
to your app in your signature.
Then all you have to do is post on the forum. Post helpful tips
and advice, answer questions, and be friendly. As you become
more well-known, more people will notice your signature and
word will spread about your app.
Press Releases
A press release is a great way to go, especially if you have an
app that is very unique. If you can get picked up by major
news outlets, you could get a lot of publicity very quickly!
If you have a blog in your apps niche, make sure you post
about it regularly. If not, consider commenting on popular
posts on other blogs in your niche!
iPhone & iPad App Cash Page 11
If you want more in-depth information about making money
with iPhone and iPad apps, I highly recommend the following
Earn with Apps
This is the quintessential guide to making money with your
own iPhone and iPad apps! From A-Z this system will teach you
exactly how to get started!


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Whether you're a content creator by trade or trying to promote your business services in Korea online, a blog should be part of your marketing strategy. And every good blog needs a great blog biz plan!
So many blogs get created every day and, let's be honest, most end up in the depths of oblivion. So, how do you make yours stand out?
The truth is that there's no secret to success. But, there are some essential questions that every content creator should ask themselves before starting.
Luckily, we're here to help you get started with this blog biz plan from Foresting that covers all the bases you need to lay for a strong foundation.
Why Use a Business Plan for your Blog?
So, you might be thinking, hey my blog's not a serious business… I don't need any investment from the bank… Why would I create a business plan?
But, the thing is, no matter how big or small you want your blog to be, a structured business plan is still great to have.
It'll give you the clarity and focus that you need to make your blog stand out from the crowd. And, no matter what your main aims are as a blogger, we're sure you want to be outstanding!
What's in the Blog Biz Plan?
The blog biz plan covers everything content creators need to know, from how to develop their blog's personality, to how to create a killer content plan.
And, what's more, this is the first part of the #plantaseed series, made by Foresting to help budding content creators lift their projects off the ground.
The guys over at Foresting were kind enough to give us a free copy to share with you all. Meaning you can start sharing amazing content with the world straight away!
Download your Foresting Blog Biz Plan here!
Want to follow along with the #plantaseed series? Make sure you follow Foresting's Twitter so you never miss an update!


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Online help is up and running!
Click on the "Help" link on the upper right corner when you need more information about a feature. Even though most of the features are self-explanatory, we occasionally get questions from users on "how do I configure..." or "what does this setting mean..."? Now you can click on the context-sensitive Help link to get more information about the page you are using.
We hope Help helps.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Online help is here!
Posted by Lattiss Online Scheduling at 4:21 PM
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Farmland values rose by 5.4% in the first quarter of 2010
English farmland continues upbeat performance in 2010 as investors and overseas buyers return to market.
Key highlights:
English farmland values rose by 5.4% in the first quarter of 2010. This takes growth over the past 12 months to 15.5%, according to the latest results of the Knight Frank Farmland Index.
The average price of farmland is at the highest level recorded by the index.
Prices are being driven up by a continuing shortage of supply and increased interest from overseas buyers and investors.
The amount of farmland publicly advertised for sale so far this year has fallen by almost 20%.
Values are predicted to rise further during 2010.
Andrew Shirley, head of rural land research at Knight Frank, commented:
"The strong performance of the English farmland market that we saw at the end of the last decade has continued this year. Average prices have risen by 5.4% so far this year and we predict they could rise by a further 10% during the rest of 2010.
"A shortage of farmland for sale, combined with demand from investors and overseas buyers, has helped to ensure values continue to rise. According to the Knight Frank Farmland index, demand over the past 12 months has increased by 10%, while supply has fallen by 13%. The volume of farmland advertised in Farmers Weekly magazine has already dropped by 18% so far this year, compared with the same period in 2009.
"Investors, including those from overseas, are becoming more active in the market and, along with lifestyle buyers, accounted for virtually all of Knight Frank's farmland sales so far this year. Despite its recent price growth, the ongoing weakness of Sterling means property assets in the UK look very good value to those buying in other currencies.
"Interestingly, there appears to be no pattern in the location of overseas buyers, unlike the last decade when we saw large numbers of investors and farmers from Ireland and Scandinavia in the market. Buyers this year have, so far, come from countries covering three different continents.
"A forthcoming General Election can add an element of uncertainty to the farmland market as buyers wait to see if there is likely to be any change to the tax reliefs associated with farmland ownership. Alastair Darling, however, left Agricultural Property Relief unchanged in last week's budget and it would seem unlikely that the Conservative Party would treat APR differently if it was elected.
"It is generally acknowledged that economic confidence in the UK will take a hit if we end up with a hung parliament. If this, however, leads to a further weakening of Sterling it could make investing in English farmland even more attractive to buyers from overseas."
Knight Frank, 31 Mar 2010


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Welcome to the Yellow Crystal Seed Year
Today we start a new Galactic Year. Kin 64. Yellow Crystal Seed Year. Every 13 Moon Calendar year name is the same as the galactic signature of its first day
Kin 64: YELLOW CRYSTAL SEED
I dedicate in order to target
Universalizing awareness
I seal the input of flowering
With the crystal tone of cooperation
I am guided by the power of intelligence
I am a galactic activation portal enter me
Yellow Crystal Seed Power of : Flowering
Tone 12 – Crystal – Represented by two bars and two dots
Universalize * Cooperation * Dedicate
The Crystal tone revolves around the contemplation and consideration of what comes next. It is another radical shift in focus, perception and direction. Here the complexity of things have become total stabilized, pure and reconnected. There is a time of integration and understanding for what else is possible in the future and a spirit of cooperation as new intentions and formations come to be dedicated to a brand new cycle of events. This is a space of peaceful creative resting that welcomes the highest good to enter in and show itself for what is possible and practically wished to come forward.
Solar Seal Tribe 4 – Yellow Seed
Target * Awareness * Flowering
The Yellow Seed's main energies are ones of opening, flowering and precise targeting. With the energy of ripening Yellow Seed's bring a fruition to feelings of fertility and responsive surrender. Just as seed's in nature crack open to reveal and shine into new life so to do Yellow Seeds have the ability to grow and snap open to new realities of possibility. Progression and progress are a strong theme for the Yellow Seed's vision and process. In communities and teamwork Yellow Seed's bring a medicine of mature responsively to new avenues of growth and opportunity.
64 from a mathematical definition is defined as the following : crystal frequency doubled, mathematical code of DNA – 64 codons code of life.
Kin 64 – Precept 12 – Dissolution of old structures, as well as cultivation of universal compassion for all beings, is the goal of the evolution of the planetary human.


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While historians and manufacturing execution systems (MES) have been around for a long time, there are still a lot of questions on how to best integrate both in order to maximize the benefit of each.
In the past historians have been used to store process data and allow comparing current to past process conditions. In the last decade this has changed and historian have now grown into powerful real time calculation engines that allow context specific analysis of a large number of assets (> 1 Million). This allows real time analysis of large and complex systems, such as windfarms, data center or turbines.
In MES systems the historian is mostly used as data source similar to SQL, OPC, LIMS, SCADA or others. This shallow integration only uses the data storage capabilities of the historian without benefitting from the real time calculations, data conditioning and abstraction. The following flow chart show both MES and historians in the ISA-95 functional hierarchy.
In general, there are two types of information flows in a manufacturing enterprise:
- Transactional\Relational data
- Real time data
Transactional data are found in order processing, resource management, Quality, labor, maintenance etc., while real time data mostly originate from the plant floor. Real time data bubble up from production level (Level 0, 1 and 2) to the site and enterprise level while changing their characteristics:
Level 0, 1, 2: High frequency data milliseconds to seconds, source specific, noisy
· Level 3: Medium frequency seconds to minutes, abstract, aggregates
· Level 4: Low frequency minutes to hours, days or weeks, abstract, aggregates
It is important to note that the main data transformation occurs at the historian level, where data are compressed, aggregated (min, max, total, sum, …) and most importantly abstracted. The abstraction is performed by mapping for example a controller tag TIC01234.PV to the temperature property of a reactor (e.g. Reactor\Temperature). A data scientist will now be able build a reactor model or predictive maintenance calculation based on the abstraction layer, instead of searching through a vast amount of uncategorized data.
For similar reasons the MES system should not consume raw production data. Its primary function is order management, production performance calculations, forecast, quality & resource planning etc.
But performing real time transformations of process data on the MES system itself, will often lead to a loss in both performance and accuracy.
Therefore, interfacing the historian with the MES should be performed on the abstraction layer as the following diagram shows:
To successfully connect the historian to the MES system requires both to adhere to common standards such as S95 for the equipment model and/or S88 for the batch model. The interface will replicate the data structure between systems and validate the structural integrity.
The benefit of the above architecture is a deep integration of historian and MES that maximizes the utility of both systems. It separates the manufacturing data flows and creates common interfaces to exchange data and structures.
Historians play a central role in the manufacturing data flow of real time information. The main historian operations such as data compression, de noising, aggregation and abstraction can benefit the enterprise data analytic as well as the MES operations. This requires a deep integration of the historian by abstracting the data layer using common standards such as S95 and S88 and interfacing with the analog MES data structures. The result is an architecture that utilize both systems to the full extent of their capabilities while acknowledging the differences in the data properties and requirements.
While historians and manufacturing execution systems (MES) have been around for a long time, there are still a lot of questions on how to best integrate both in order to maximize the benefit of each.


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The Getting Started with Dante series of videos provides a high-level practical view of Dante audio networking for professionals and novices alike.
Anyone who uses Dante needs Dante Controller, the free audio-network management software from Audinate. In this video, learn from Audinate's Brad Price about routing, audio splits, clocking and obtaining useful system information from this easy-to-use application.


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The report "Power Metering Market by Application (Residential, Commercial & Industrial), by Phase, by type (Smart, Digital, Analog, & Others), & by Region (North America, South America, the Middle East Africa, APAC, & Europe) – Global Trend & Forecast to 2020"defines, segments, analyzes, and forecasts the global power metering market. It also identifies the driving and restraining factors of the power metering market, with an analysis of trends, opportunities, burning issues, and winning imperatives.
Browse 96 market data tables and 52 figures spread through 208 pages and in-depth TOC on "Power Metering Market"
Download Free PDF Brochure: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=135099363
The market on the basis of region has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and South America. The power metering market is projected to reach USD 17.8 Billion by 2020, at a CAGR of 8.9% from 2015 to 2020.
The market has been further segmented on the basis of major applications into residential application, commercial, and industrial.
The Asia-Pacific power metering market is expected to grow at a high rate in the next five years.
Asia-Pacific is the largest market for power meters. The region, which has done fairly well in the past 10 years, accounted for around 45% of the total market share in 2014. The growth rate has scaled up due to an increase in construction spending, rise in industrial activities, and enhancement of the grid infrastructure of the region.
Residential Application – Major application for the power metering market
Power meters are categorized into three primarily segments, namely, residential, commercial, and industrial applications. The major market is captured by the residential application, which includes the utilization of meters in all households including urban and rural. The commercial application is the second major application which is utilized in various commercial places such as hospitals, schools, and shopping complexes among others. Increasing construction and industrial activities, along with the replacement market of old and technologically outdated meters is the key driver of the market.
The report caters to power meter manufacturers, dealers, and suppliers, raw material providers, consulting companies in the energy and power sector, government and research organizations, government utility providers, private utility providers, private customers, network operators, metering companies, smart grid players, venture capital firms, and investment banks. Digital and analog meters have application and growth in developing economies such as Asia-Pacific and Africa, which are improving and enhancing their grid infrastructure to increase their electrification rate. These drivers are expected to push the power metering market size from USD 10,795.4 Million in 2014 to USD 17,850.6 Million by 2020. The report provides insights about the major players of the market and the growth strategies adopted by them.
The leading players of the market such as General Electric (U.S.), Itron (U.S.), Toshiba Corp. (Japan), Melrose Plc. (U.K.), and Wasion Group Holdings Ltd. (China) among others have been profiled in this report.
The market was dominated by Asia-Pacific with a share of about 45% in 2014. It is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 9.6% from 2015 to 2020. Europe is expected to be the fastest growing market, at a CAGR of 12.5% during the forecast period. Stringent government regulations to replace digital meters by smart meters would drive the market in the European region.
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Legislation aimed at offering a "living wage" to Utahns died in the House Business and Labor Committee Thursday.
HB 195 – Living Wage Amendments, sponsored by Representative Lynn Hemingway (Democrat – Millcreek), raises the minimum wage for a private and public employees to $12.00 per hour. Employees who earn tips would also see an increase to $5.00 per hour. The current minimums are $7.25 and $2.80 per hour, respectively.
In addition, the bill called for wages to be subject to increases on the first day of every even-numbered year, beginning on January 1, 2018. The amount would be a percentage equal to the percentage difference between the average of the Consumer Price Index for the two preceding calendar years and the Consumer Price Index for calendar year 2015.
Hemingway told the committee that raising the minimum wage could give a boost to the fight against intergenerational poverty. "We've got a chance here to try to do something about that that is positive," said Hemingway. "The time has come to look at this and really take it seriously. We have a lot of people out there who can't afford to live. We're very concerned about the homeless, but a lot of these [workers] are one paycheck away from homeless."
Candace Daly, Utah state director for the National Federation of Independent Business, said that Seattle experienced a rise in unemployment after the minimum wage was increased, and she fears a similar outcome for Utah. "I'm concerned. I like where the economy of Utah is going. I would like to see some help for citizens who are trying to get their life back together after they've been in prison, incarcerated, or wherever. I just don't think that this is a model that Utah wants to follow."
Barbara Munoz, a policy analyst at the Community Action Partnership of Utah (CAP), said that many single mothers are struggling to make it as minimum-wage employees. For single mothers with children under age 5, the poverty rate is 50 percent, according to Munoz. Jean Hill, government liaison for the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, said the current minimum wage is insufficient and makes it next to impossible for workers to form a household or support a family.
"We prefer not to rely on federal minimums in every other area of our government, why not this one? No Utahn should work a full-time job and not be able to make rent, buy groceries, or cover other needs. Our costs have changed, and we need to adapt," said Hemingway. "A living wage tied to the Consumer Price Index allows Utah to be economically competitive. Utahns take pride in our economic success. This is an area where we need to catch up."
"I wonder how people exist on $7.25 an hour," said Representative Dixon Pitcher (Republican – Ogden). He was the only GOP committee member to vote for the bill
After Representative Susan Duckworth (Democrat – Magna) made a motion to pass HB 195 out with a favorable recommendation, Representative Marc Roberts (Republican – Santaquin) made a substitute motion to move to the next item on the agenda. The substitute motion passed on an 8-3 vote. This defeat marks the third time such legislation has been voted down in recent years.


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Hanwha's model SM485P Smart Hybrid Mounter is designed for a wide range of applications including the processing of radial and axial through-hole components requiring controlled force insertion prior to reflow, wave or selective soldering. Innovative feeder technology features lead forming and cutting for efficient delivery of prepared components to the Mounter for quick and reliable processing.
SM485P is also a multifunction mounter ideally suited for odd-form SMD components supplied in sticks, tubes and bulk or loose formats. Hanwha offers stacked-stick, multi-stick, and multi-stage bowl feeders that will automatically sort and supply up to three unique components simultaneously.
Hanwha will demonstrate the SM485P during the IPC APEX EXPO 2018 at the San Diego Convention Center on February 27 through March 1, 2018. Following the exposition, all of Hanwha's Multifunction Mounters (SM485P, SM485, DECAN L2) will be available for demonstrations at Hanwha's world class Center of Excellence in Cypress, California.
About Hanwha
Hanwha continues to grow by building on trust and loyalty—the basis of our relationship with customers. At the same time, staying committed to a vision to improve the quality of life for everyone whose lives are touch by Hanwha. Hanwha is providing customers with the highest possible value while building sustainable returns for its partners.
Hanwha businesses in advanced chemicals, sustainable energy, aerospace, and financial services provide practical solutions to real-world challenges. In 2016, Hanwha solutions along with the results of investments in future businesses and advanced infrastructure have led to record revenues of more than USD 53.89 billion and resulted in more than USD 150.25 billion in assets while rising 50 places higher on the Fortune Global 500 Company list and staying highly competitive in every industry. Hanwha's success can be attributed to a strategic response to rapid changes in customer needs, markets and industries. When Hanwha sees change, Hanwha changes, innovates and pivots to develop differentiated solutions that are one step ahead. Hence, the results last year have been unprecedented.
For more information on Hanwha Precision Machinery for SMART printed circuit board assembly, please click here.


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Blood samples are best-kept chilled, if they're not going to be examined immediately, as warmer temperatures distort the biomarkers doctors depend on for analysis. But scientists have recently unearthed by that they can preserve blood at higher temperatures by storing it on silk proteins, a development that could mean big things for health care in places where cooling facilities are scarce.
Researchers at Tuft University have developed the new blood storage method by extracting a silk protein from silkworm cocoons called fibroin. This protein is famous because of its defensive characteristics when applied on to other materials, as shown from the fruit-preserving silk coating we covered a week ago.
The protein was filtered and put into the bloodstream, using the combination subsequently air dried and stored at temperatures ranging from 22 to 45° D (72 to 113° F).
Subsequently at various intervals, the group was able to get the blood by dissolving the silk component in water, discovering that the resulting samples were real enough to become properly examined. The group also claims its technique provided superior protection to dried blood spotting, another way of keeping samples at space conditions where several drops dry and are blotted onto filter-paper.
We found that biomarkers could be successfully analyzed even after storage for 84 days at temperatures up to 113 degrees F. Encapsulation of samples in silk provided better protection than the traditional approach of drying on paper, especially at these elevated temperatures which a shipment might encounter during overseas or summer transport," says the lead author on the research paper, Jonathan A. Kluge.
The breakthrough develops on previous work carried out by David Kaplan, a biomedical engineer at Tuft University. Kaplan has shown the stabilizing qualities of silk in vaccines, antibiotics and enzymes.
This approach should facilitate outpatient blood collection for disease screening and monitoring, particularly for underserved populations, and also serve needs of researchers and clinicians without access to centralized testing facilities. For example, this could support large-scale epidemiologic studies or remote pharmacological trials," he says.


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Things to think about before buying a sports car
Sports cars look amazing, have outstanding performance and go like small rocket ships, sound fantastic and have a prestige about them. The sports car is a true status symbol and as such, many people dream about owning such a machine.
So, you may have reached that point in your life when you want something a bit different, and sports cars are looking more and more desirable. Buying any type of sports car is totally different to buying a standard family wagon as there are many things you have to sit down and think about before parting with your hard earned cash.
When buying a standard car there are things you simply gloss over and don't even have to think about, however this is not the case when buying a sports car. So, what things do you need to think about?
Purchase cost of a sports car
"Can I afford to buy a sports car?" This is one of the first questions you need to ask yourself. If you are lucky enough to have the cash burning a hole in your pocket then great, but not many people are that fortunate. There are alternative methods of funding a car, such as a bank loan, taking a loan from a friend or family member or getting finance under a hire purchase agreement to buy a car.
Credit is a great thing since it allows many people the opportunity to buy their dream sports car, however you do need to be careful with credit. You need to ensure you can comfortably make the monthly repayments and that you don't have to make too many sacrifices in doing so. There is no point in using all your disposable income on buying a sports car on credit, if you have no money left to do anything else, including driving your new vehicle.
If you cannot comfortably make the monthly repayments, or you have to financially stretch yourself to make the monthly repayments then you would be advised not to get credit to buy a car. What if something at home went wrong? What if you lost your job? What if a child comes along? If you do not have the resources to cover these costs after making your monthly repayment for your new sports car, then you simply can't afford it. Never stretch yourself too much for the sake of a car, even a sports car, as it simply isn't worth it.
Fuel and running costs of a sports car
"How much gas is a sports car going to use and can I afford to put gas in a sports car?" More questions you are going to have to ask yourself before you go and buy a sports car.
Sports cars are not economical, period. Sports cars have a high performance engine that is often large and contains a lot of cylinders and horsepower, and will drink a lot of gas. Even if you are careful with the throttle and drive a sports car sensibly, which is going to be very hard to do, the miles per gallon figure is not going to be good.
The poor fuel economy of a sports car combined with the ever increasing gas costs, which seems to be going up each and every day, it is becoming more and more expensive to own any type of car, let alone a sports car. So, before you go and buy a sports car you need to do a bit of math and make sure you can put the gas in your car, otherwise it is going to spend more time in the garage doing nothing than being on the road.
Before buying a car like this gorgeous Lotus Elan you need to think about many things to make sure you are happy that a sports car is the car for you.Credit: yackers1
Repair and maintenance costs of a sports car
"Where can I get a sports car repaired? Where can I get parts for my sports car? Can I afford to keep my sports car serviced, tuned and maintained?" These are yet more questions you need to ask yourself before buying a sports car.
If you own a sports car you are not going to be able to run it down to your local garage for any work that needs doing. You are going to need to take your car to a specialist, and this is going to cost you. In addition, the cost of parts and accessories for a sports car are much more expensive than that of your standard family wagon.
When you own a sports car you will find that even consumable car parts, such as tires, batteries, wiper blades and mufflers are more expensive than they are for a standard car.
Insuring a sports car
"Can I actually get insurance for the type of sports car I am going to buy? Can I afford to insure my sports car?" Yet more questions you need to ask yourself before you go and buy a sports car.
Auto insurance is a funny thing in that you may be un-insurable on the sports car you want to buy. The insurance companies may consider you and your driving history to be so risky that they won't insure you and your new vehicle. Before you go and buy a sports car you need to make sure you can get auto insurance. Fortunately, there are many insurance comparison websites available and by going on these and entering your details you will be able to see not only if there is an insurance company that is prepared to insure you and your new car, but also some indication of how much it is going to cost.
Auto insurance is expensive and the cost of insurance policies is increasing all the time, so you need to make sure you can afford to insure a sports car. Insurance is a legal requirement in many countries of the world so it is mandatory. Even if insurance is not mandatory in your country you should never drive any car, let alone a sports car, without a valid insurance policy. If something does go wrong you need to make sure you and your sports car are adequately covered.
"Do I have the space for a sports car? Will my sports car be safe in my parking spot?"
Parking, especially in towns, cities and built up areas, is becoming more and more of a problem. Many people don't have their own parking space and will have to make do with parking on the side of a road.
Before buying a sports car you need to know exactly where you can park it and make sure you are happy with parking it in that space. Are you happy leaving a sports car on the side of the road or do you have a safe and secure place where you can park it? Only you can answer this question, so think about it before you go and buy a sports car. It is also worth noting that the parking situation has an effect on your auto insurance policy or indeed whether you can actually get insured or not.
Sports cars are highly desirable objects and are likely to get unwanted attention. The human race can be very nasty and there are always people out there who won't think twice about vandalising your sports car, trying to pinch your sports car or even trying to pinch something off your new car.
Security is a key factor and it is something you need to consider before you buy a sports car. It is worth noting that many auto insurance companies will demand a sports car is fitted with an engine immobiliser, an alarm, deadlocks and a tracker in order to insure it.
Disposal costs
You may have not even bought your sports car, but you do need to think about how you are going to offload your new car when you are finished with it, and how much it is going to cost you to get rid of the sports car.
A sports car is a specialist vehicle and as such there is a smaller market when you come to sell the vehicle on, so you need to consider this. Before buying a sports car you need to do some research and find places where you can sell the vehicle when you are finished with it. Because a sports car is a specialist vehicle the disposal costs of selling it, i.e. giving the car a valet, advertising etc, are going to be higher than if you were selling a more standard car.
In summary..........
A sports car is at the top of many peoples' wish lists and owning such a car is something that many people dream about. Even if you have the funds available to buy a sports car there are many other things you need to think about and consider before you go and part with your hard earned cash, to ensure a sports car is the right vehicle for you.


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Some interesting thoughts borrowed from my notes of the "How to Become an Agile Architect" talk presented yesterday by Uwe Friedrichsen from Codecentric at the Jazoon 2011 conference in Zurich.
* Architecture is a set of skills and not a role: if you don't have these skills available for your project, you might get quickly in trouble.
* Becoming an architect is a journey: you should leave your comfort zone and programming expertise area to explore and learn about the other software development domains like requirements, operations or testing.
* An architect focuses on people and not on systems: if you are unable to communicate your architecture, how perfect it might be, you are going to fail. People skills are the most important for an architect.
* Less is more: minimize complexity and use the JDUF (Just enough Up Front Design) design principle.
He also pointed the audience to a very interesting Architect Competency Framework produced by Ruth Malan and Dana Bredemeyer. The web site of Bredemeyer Consulting contains a lot of valuable material about software architecture.


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The Treasure Valley housing market is coming off its hottest summer in years. In July, Ada County home sales were up nearly 40 percent over July of 2012. The average price was up by about 20 percent.
The stats all points to a market that's recovering from the housing bust of just a few years ago. But there's one aspect of the industry that hasn't been quick to recover: new home construction.
When the housing market was at its worst, a glut of new homes made it a buyer's dream.
"At its height we had over 5,000 homes actively listed for sale here in the valley," says Marc Lebowitz, the head of the Ada County Association of Realtors. "By January of this year, we had about 1,600."
Lebowitz says what was once an excess of homes for sale has now flipped and turned into what people in his line of work consider a shortage.
"We typically define a balanced market sort of evenly, treating buyers and sellers as having a six month inventory," he says. "Right now it's below three."
When the number of new homes dips that low, Lebowitz says it breeds desperation in buyers. And that led to a sort of recklessness that Lebowitz says he heard about often over the summer. Lebowitz says this happened because existing homes were many buyers' only options.
There aren't many new homes coming onto the market in spite of the low inventory. Just before the housing bubble burst in July 2006, buyers could choose from nearly 2,400 new homes in the Treasure Valley. This summer, buyers had less than 1,000.
But one place where new homes are getting built is the Avimor development along Highway 55 north of Eagle.
Dan Richter is in charge of the project. He says Avimor basically went dark during the housing crunch, but as the market's recovered sales too have picked up.
"The last two years we've doubled sales each year," he says. "Next year I anticipate probably coming close to doubling this year's sales."
Richter says the lack of new home choices in the Boise area continues to send buyers into his relatively remote development. The surge in sales has Richter again thinking the ultimate vision for Avimor – a 35 square mile project complete with schools, shopping and healthcare – is attainable. But Richter's optimism is tempered by one thing: the labor market.
"If I sold 200 homes I couldn't get 'em built because we don't have the labor force in the valley any longer," he says. "For awhile I was building a house in 60 days and now I'm up to 90 days to build it. The trades have more work than they can handle right now."
Construction jobs disappeared when the bottom fell out of the housing market. According to the labor tracking company Economic Modeling Specialists International, there were nearly 3,000 residential building jobs in southwestern Idaho in 2006. Today, there are about 1,200.
John Seidl is a homebuilder and the president of a regional trade group. He says two electricians he used to work with are good examples of the decline. One went to work for Boise State University, the other for Micron. Sedil says such defections have led to big changes for homebuilders like him.
"In '07 I think we built 37 homes," he says. "And now we're comfortable doing about 10-to-12 a year."
Seidl says even if there were enough workers to build a lot of homes, there's another shortage taking place that would limit companies like his. The industry that supplies materials to builders has also shrunk.
"No one keeps doors in stock anymore," says Seidl. "They have to be ordered from the factory. Now, we're having to wait a long time to get product just because it's not available."
Seidl thinks the shortages will start to subside as more people see building homes as a way to make a living again, and more companies see there's increasing demand for their materials.
But no one is predicting new home construction will reach pre-crash levels anytime soon. In Ada County, new home permits issued last month were only about a quarter of those issued in September 2006. That means most homebuyers will continue to buy existing homes. And those interested in a new home will have fewer choices and have to wait longer for it to get built.
Copyright 2013 Boise State Public Radio


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Monday, February 9, 2015
Inspirational Mondays
Happy Monday!
Deuteronomy 30:16 CEV
" I am commanding you to be loyal to the Lord, to live the way he has told you and to obey his laws and teachings. You are about to cross the Jordan River and take the land that he is giving you. If you obey him, you will live and become successful and powerful. On the other hand, you might choose to disobey the Lord and reject him. So I'm warning you that if you bow down and worship other gods, you won't have long to live. "
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Plan Your Staycation in the Berkshires
Sitting on our friends' deck overlooking Lake Ashmere last week, my husband and I (and two of our three children) observed the most spectacular sunset. "Why would anyone want to leave the Berkshires in the summer?" Mark asked as we sat fascinated by the view before us. The silence that followed reinforced the fact that none of us had a plausible answer to his question. Beats me, the silence seemed to be saying. Mark repeated that sentiment again as we sat outside sipping cocktails with another family of friends at my parent's lake house later that week while the kids splashed in the lake, while sitting on our porch enjoying a morning cup of joe this weekend, and then once again this past Sunday when we took a drive to nearby Middlefield to experience Glendale Falls for the first time. And it's probably not the last time we will hear these words this summer (or this fall for that matter). The Berkshires is a treasure trove of possibilities for the whole family, which is why Mark and I decided to plan a "staycation" in the area for the upcoming weeks. The best part about it … because we live right here within the beautiful Berkshires we don't have to plan our staycation for any particular week, we can spread it out over time, ensuring that we get our money and our time's worth.
I know Middlefield, and thus Glendale Falls, is not in the Berkshires but for those in the central Berkshire it is only a mere 15 to 20 minute excursion to the Trustees of Reservation property that will provide you with a free (minus the tank of gas) afternoon of views, swimming and family togetherness not to missed. This was the first stop on our relatively unplanned staycation. The falls were relatively easy to find and it was a mere 10-minute drive from our home in Hinsdale. For those coming from the Pittsfield area, take Route 8 towards Dalton and follow it into Hinsdale until you hit Route 143. Follow Route 143 through Hinsdale and Peru and into Worthington to River Road (approximately a mile after the Peru/Worthington town line on the right). Take a right onto River Road and follow the winding route along the Westfield River for approximately 5.6 miles taking a right onto Cartwright Rd. (after the "1990" bridge). Follow the road uphill for a little less than a mile until you see signs for the falls and the parking lot on the right. We found the falls without any problems and spent an hour climbing the different levels, frolicking in the little pools along the way and Max was even brave enough to stick his head under one of the mini-falls to mug for a photo. The views were absolutely incredible and the entire family agreed that return trips in the fall to take in the foliage and a picnic, and the spring to see the falls in all its glory after the snow melts were a must.
Glendale Falls is not the only waterfall worth seeing in the area. One of my favorites, especially in the winter when its all iced over, is Wahconah Falls in Dalton, which my youngest son just informed me he doesn't remember ever going to. We will have to remedy that this week, maybe with a picnic dinner and LOTS of bug spray — it is in a very remote woodsy area like most of these falls. To find it: Take Route 9 east from Pittsfield through Dalton. Take a right onto Wahconah Falls Road (if you enter Windsor you have gone too far). When the road forks, keep right to get to the parking area. Follow the wide, well-worn path to the falls.
A few other waterfalls on our list this summer — hopefully we will make it to most of them — are the Cascades near Mount Greylock, Bash Bish Falls in Mount Washington, and Umpachene Falls in Mill River.
How to get there …
The Cascades: From Pittsfield. Follow Route 8 to Route 2 West in North Adams. About one mile past Hillside Cemetery, turn left onto Marion Avenue. Park your car and follow the Cascades Trail, a short, beautiful river walk following the Notch Brook to the falls. The entire hike takes about an hour and a half and is a mild hike, easy enough for even the most inexperienced of hikers.
Bash Bish Falls: From Great Barrington take Route 23 west to Egremont, then take Route 41 south to Mt. Washington Road. Follow signs to the parking area for Bash Bish Falls. Visitors can enjoy the falls from above (follow trail to left of parking lot), but to enjoy the picturesque view from below take the steep trail to the right of the parking area, an approximate half-mile walk to the base of the falls.
Umpachene Falls: From Route 7 in the center of Sheffield, follow Maple Avenue east. After a short distance, Maple Avenue turns into County Road. Follow for approximately 5.4 miles, then take a right onto Mill River Great Barrington Road. Follow this road for 1.7 miles to the end and take a right onto Mill River Southfield Road. At the end of Mill River Southfield Road take a left onto Clayton Mill River Road for a little over a mile then take a left onto Umpachene Falls Road. Cross the small bridge over the Mill River and look to the right for the entrance to the park.
Note: Do you know of any hidden waterfalls in Berkshire County or along its boarders? Leave a Comment below and let us know. And don't forget to bring your camera when visiting any of the above locations.
Most kids love anything of a creepy, crawly and often slithering nature and this summer the Berkshire Museum is luring young visitors to its galleries with its current exhibit "Geckos: Tails to Toepads," a definite possibility for the staycation agenda. All I have to do is grab one of those free family passes from our local library and we have another low-cost family afternoon full of reptilian fun! The interactive exhibit runs through Sept. 18 and includes 14 species of geckos from the New Caledonian giant gecko to the smaller neon varieties found is Madagascar. While there we will probably head down to the basement-level aquarium where the kids still love to explore in the touch tank and meander threw the tanks of various creatures that find their homes in the waters of the world. My kids also love to spend a little time in the Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation where visitors are invited to invent their own way to make chores easier and build a model, solve puzzles and brain teasers, hunt for innovations of yesterday and today in "Williams Stanley's study" and more.
To learn more about all that the Berkshire Museum has to offer visit www.berkshiremuseum.org.
OK, this might not sound like a lot of fun for the non-dance enthusiast, but there's got to be something to the experience if even my husband and two sons don't balk at returning to Jacob's Pillow Festival's Inside/Out outdoor theater space, the Marcia and Seymour Simon Performance Space, in Becket. Inside/Out offers free performances by emerging and established dance companies, sneak previews, and presentations by dancers of The School at Jacob's Pillow every Wednesday through Saturday at 6:15 p.m. during the festival season. Families can enjoy anything from hip-hop and jazz, to ballet and contemporary dance performances at the space with each performance lasting only an hour — the perfect dose of dance for children of all ages. Better yet, children are welcome to move about freely throughout the area as long as those don't disturb those who have chosen to come to the festival childfree. The spot is also ideal for picnicking, so be sure to bring a picnic basket filled with goodies for dinner. Note to parents: A bottle of wine shared with friends tops off the experience nicely.
Upcoming Inside/Out performances include:
- July 27: Alexandra Beller/Dances
- July 28: Korean Traditional Music and Dance Institute
- July 29: Decadancetheatre
- Aug. 3: Kawamura the 3rd
- Aug. 4: Rainwater Dances
For a complete schedule of Inside/Out performances visit www.jacobspillow.org.
The Berkshires is replete with theaters celebrating playwrights young and old, well-known and the newly emerging. From Shakespeare & Company in Lenox to the Williamstown Theatre Festival parents can enjoy anything from Shakespeare's classic "Romeo and Juliet" to Henrick Ibsen's "A Doll House." Now Barrington Stage Company and Bisque, Beads and Beyond is making it easier to enjoy all that their Pittsfield-based theater has to offer through their collaborative ClayTime Youth Care Program. ClayTime is a new program for the 2011 season that provides patrons the opportunity to enjoy a performance while their children enjoy a few hours of creative play at Bisque, Beads and Beyond, located at 141 North Street, Pittsfield.
Youth will enjoy quality creative time with the staff of Bisque, Beads and Beyond in the businesses open and bright studio making a fused glass or pottery project, playing games, listening to music, or other artistic activities provided by the studio. ClayTime is available for youth ages 6 to 12 and all projects and activities will be age appropriate. There is a small fee for each child that includes the project, snack and childcare. Reservations can be made at the time of ticket purchase by calling the Barrington Stage Box Office at 413-236-8888. More information and frequently asked questions on the new ClayTime program can be found on BSC's website, www.barringtonstageco.org or by calling the Box Office.
ClayTime is available for the following Mainstage performances this summer:
- "The Best of Enemies": Tuesday, July 26, 7 p.m.; Friday, July 29, 2 p.m.; Tuesday, Aug. 2, 7 p.m.; and Friday, Aug. 5, 2 p.m.
- "The Game": Tuesday, Aug. 16, 7 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 19, 2 p.m.; Tuesday, Aug. 23, 7 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 26, 2 p.m.
Not a summer goes by that my children and I don't head over to BSC's Youth Theatre located at St. Joseph's High School on Maplewood Avenue in Pittsfield and catch the year's Youth Theatre performance. This year the company, comprised of teenage actors who engross themselves in the professional theater experience at BSC, will perform the Elvis-fueled musical "All Shook Up" with classic hits like "Heartbreak Hotel," "Burning Love," "Jailhouse Rock," "Blue Suede Shoes," "It's Now or Never," "Don't Be Cruel" and "Fools Rush In." Even my father might enjoy this one. The musical opened on July 20 and will run through Aug. 10 in Pittsfield before moving on to Berkshire South Community Recreational Center in Great Barrington for performances that run from Aug. 12-14.
Performances in Pittsfield are Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday evening at 7 p.m., with performances the week of Aug. 8 on Tuesday, Aug. 9, at 7 p.m. and Wednesday, Aug. 10, at 2 p.m. Performances in Great Barrington are Friday, Aug. 12, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 13, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 14, at 2 p.m. To purchase tickets, call 413-236-8888 or go to www.barringtonstageco.org.
This week is the last week to catch BTF Plays! production of "Snow White" at The Mount in Lenox (its run ends July 30), there is still plenty of other child- and family-friendly performances gracing the stages in the Berkshires and beyond.
The Mac-Haydn Theatre in nearby Chatham, N.Y., recently presented "Rodney, The Reluctant Dragon" to young audiences and is now filling its stage with the likes of Gepetto and Jiminy Cricket in the classic fairy tale "Pinnochio." Performances run July 29 and 30 and Aug. 5 and 6 at 10:30 a.m. Call 518-392-9292 or go to www.machaydntheatre.org for more details.
Starting today, Thursday, July 28, and running through Sunday, July 31, Mill City Productions in North Adams is presenting "Choices: Two Roads," an original cabaret, featuring fun and creative takes on classic hits and new favorites in Broadway, pop, rock, country, and folk music. Performances are at 8 p.m. with additional 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday. For more information visit www.millcityproductions.org.
At the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, families can catch the Berkshire Children's Theatre's production of "Rapunzel" at 11 a.m. The show runs for the next two weeks, Thursday-Saturday at 11 a.m., with an additional 2 p.m. matinee on Saturdays. Visit the museum online at www.berkshiremuseum.org.
Let's not forget the opportunity to attend one of the area's outdoor movie events. I missed one last week in Dalton at the Community Recreation Association on Main Street, but they have two more scheduled for the summer on Aug. 10 and 28 so I'll be sure to keep you informed on those, but make sure you mark your calendars. I'm also hunting for information on the annual outdoor movie in Hinsdale. My sources say there have been rumblings of whether to host it or not, but I will keep my ears open.
Other movie offerings this week:
- Thursday, July 28: Norman Rockwell Museum, "Robots," 5:30 p.m. Route 183, Stockbridge.
- Friday, July 29: Adams Town Hall, "The Karate Kid," dusk. 8 Park St., Adams;
- Friday, July 29: Clapp Park, "Field of Dreams," 8:30 p.m. West Housatonic Street, Pittsfield.
- Friday, July 29: New Lebanon Library, "Rango," 6:30 p.m. Route 20, New Lebanon, N.Y.
- Sunday, July 31: Images Cinema, "Back to the Future," dusk. Spring Street, Williamstown.
Thursday, July 28:
- 3:30pm – Milne Public Library, featuring storyteller Rona Leventhal. Main Street, Williamstown, MA.
- 9am-12Noon – Bartholomew Cobble, trail monitoring, where families can spend time outdoors with conservation ranger Rene Wendell helping to monitor and care for trails and plant communities. 105 Weatogue Road, Sheffield, MA.
- 6:30pm – Marketplace Café, Live Music Series, featuring local musicians and performers. 53 North St., Pittsfield, MA.
Saturday, July 30:
- 10am-10pm – Springside Park, Hoopla, an arts festival inspired by the hula hoop, featuring free group workshops with guest teachers from the Boston Hoop Troop and Hooping Harmony, hoop-making workshop and more. 874 North St., Pittsfield, MA.
- 10am-12noon – Bartholomew's Cobble, "Up Close: Live Birds of Prey" with Tom Ricardi, who will share the stories of the injured birds and their beauty. Weatogue Road, Sheffield, MA.
- 10am – Pittsfield Visitors Center, Guided Walking Tour of Pittsfield to explore historic downtown with trained RSVP volunteer guides. 111 South St., Pittsfield, MA.
- 11am-3pm – Hancock Shaker Village, pony rides provided by Party Time Ponies. 1843 West Housatonic St, Hancock, MA.
Sunday, July 31
- 8:30-11:30am – Bartholomew's Cobble, guided canoe trips. Weatogue Road, Sheffield, MA.
- 11am – Marketplace Café, Robbins-Zust Marionettes present "Rumpelstiltskin." 51 North St., Pittsfield, MA.
Kelly Bevan McIlquham ♦ Berkshire Family Fun
Kelly Bevan McIlquham writes our bi-monthly column, Berkshire Family Fun, sharing update, events and activities for families in the Berkshires. Kelly is a psychotherapist-turned-writer who resides in Hinsdale, MA with her husband, three children, a chocolate lab, a very fat cat, a turtle, and a few goldfish. She is the Features Editor for The Advocate and the Editor of The Family Beat in the Berkshires. Kelly also dabbles in writing for children and has had her non-fiction published by Wee Ones online family magazine. When not writing or editing, her favorite pastime is cheering on her children at various football, soccer, basketball and baseball games. firstname.lastname@example.com — Check out Berkshire Family Fun the first and third Thursday of each month.


text:
If you want to do business in the Internet, the first rule is to follow the attention of your customers. If you don't do this, they will get it from someone else. During course "Social media marketing" I'm going to give you tips on how to stay on top in social media.
Regardless of whether you are already in social media or just thinking of getting to know the channel of communication with the customer. To run faster, easier, cheaper or even free. AND EFFECTIVELY. You need proven knowledge.
How social media works?
I created course "Social media marketing" because I want to show you how to market in social media, what background social media communities came out from and how they work.
I'll give you the bare facts on how Internet-based communities work and how you can make use of social media mechanisms. You will be well-equipped to do marketing at any social media website. You can be on top in: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest or a platform that has not yet been put on the web.
- You will learn from this course:
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- The silliest thing you can do on Facebook.
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- Do you need Linkedin?
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- The most important thing in social media
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You'll discover what is the best way to success on social media.


text:
Over the past few days, my social media streams have been flooded by photos of people wearing Rice Ray costumes. If you are unfamiliar with Ray Rice, he was an NFL running back who was caught on tape beating his fiancee in an elevator. In other words, he is an abuser.
As I scrolled through the photos, I saw the following captions and hashtags:
"I'm going home to beat my wife."
#domesticviolenceaintfunny #butmycostumeis
I even saw one photo of a child who was no more than five years old dressed as Ray Rice and dragging a doll behind him. Many people commented on the photo saying, it was so cute.
As a person who has experienced domestic violence, I'm deeply troubled by how cavalier some people are towards abuse. It is obvious that these people have never experienced the horror of domestic violence. They don't know the physical pain and emotion turmoil that it causes.
Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone such as:
- Physical Abuse
- Sexual Abuse
- Emotional Abuse
- Economic Abuse
- Psychological Abuse
Domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender and it affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels. Domestic violence not only affects those who are abused, but also has a substantial effect on family members, friends, co-workers, other witnesses, and the community at large. Children, who grow up witnessing domestic violence, are among those seriously affected by this crime. Frequent exposure to violence in the home not only predisposes children to numerous social and physical problems, but also teaches them that violence is a normal way of life – therefore, increasing their risk of becoming society's next generation of victims and abusers.
Domestic violence can leave deep emotional wounds that take years to heal. Making light of the situation by dressing up as an abuser is inconsiderate, insensitive, and offensive.
I find no humor in the Ray Rice costumes. All I see is a lack of compassion.
Stay Strong,