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DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida understands the importance of protecting the privacy of its website users. The information collected is used to market and improve the services we offer, to improve the website content, and to contact you with updates to the website or for other marketing purposes.
Users are free to explore the website without providing any Personal Information about themselves, although DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida requests that you provide certain Personal Information and we may collect Navigational Information when you visit our website.
What information does DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida capture about visitors to its website?
Our web server uses an extended log file format which automatically captures information about your computer hardware and software, including the following data that we refer to as "Navigational Information": date and time of visit, referring address (location from which a visitor comes to this website), geographic location, type of Internet browser, internet service provider, operating system, length of visit and pages viewed, clickstream data, and visitor's IP address. (Each computer that connects to the Internet is assigned a unique number, an IP address, for identification purposes). The log file does not capture a visitor's email address. We use the Navigational Information to operate and improve the website and we may use it alone or along with any provided Personal Information to provide you with personalized information about DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida. This information is also used to provide general statistics regarding the use of the DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida websites.
Does DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida ask for Personal Information?
Several areas of this website may ask for you to voluntarily submit to us certain Personal Information. This includes contact information, such as your name, address, email address, phone number, zip code, DreamMaker's services in which you are interested, and any other information you choose to provide in a comments box. Personal Information can also include information about any transactions, both free and paid, that you enter into on the websites, and information about you that is available on the internet, such as from Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google, or publicly available information that we acquire from service providers. Personal Information also includes Navigational Information where such information can directly or indirectly identify an individual. This information is collected to help us further develop our services, to provide you access to valuable DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida Internet-based information and services.
Does DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida collect information about children?
The website is not directed at children under the age of 13 and we do not knowingly or intentionally collect Personal Information from children under 13. If you are under the age of 13, do not use the website or provide any Personal Information to us. If we learn we have collected or received Personal Information from a child under 13 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information in accordance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. If you believe we may have any information about a child under 13, please contact us at marketing@dreammakerbk.com, so that we may delete the information.
Does DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida share my information?
We may disclose personally identifying information ("PII"), including Navigational Information and Personal Information, about you:
With our service providers: We contract with companies who help with parts of our business operations, and/or provide services to visitors of the website and customers. We may need to share your information with them to provide information or services to you. Examples of this include analyzing data or performing statistical analysis, supplementing the information you provide in order to provide you with better service, and providing customer service and support. We require that our service providers only use your PII in connection with the services they perform for us and adhere to our privacy and customer data handling policies.
With service providers to our Advertisers: Our Advertisers may contract with companies who handle data (such as Advertisers' customer lists) for them. These Advertisers may use the PII to provide you with marketing content that may be relevant to you.
With our subsidiaries and related companies: We may share information collected through this website with other companies in the DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida corporate structure and those affiliated companies may use your information for their own marketing purposes in a manner consistent with this Privacy Policy.
With our franchisees: We may share PII collected through the website with our franchisees, which may be permitted to use your information for their own marketing purposes in a manner consistent with this Privacy Policy.
In connection with legal proceedings: When we are under a legal obligation to do so, for example to comply with a binding order of a court, or where disclosure is necessary to exercise, establish or defend the legal rights of DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida, our Advertisers or any other third party; or if we reasonably believe that use or disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, investigate fraud, or comply with a law, court order, or legal process.
In connection with a sale of our business: If a third party acquires some or all of our business or assets, whether by merger, acquisition, bankruptcy, disposition, or otherwise, we may disclose your PII in connection with the sale.
We also share technical data that we collect about your browsing habits and your device (such as data relating to our cookies, tracking pixels and similar technologies) with other advertising companies in the digital advertising ecosystem. This enables them and us to better target ads to you. We also may disclose PII for any purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information or otherwise with your consent, to the parties that you authorize.
Finally, we may disclose aggregated, anonymized information to our Advertisers and other third parties.
How does DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida use the information?
The information collected through this website helps us identify the type of website content our customers value most. In addition to the uses identified elsewhere in this Privacy Policy, we may use this information to market and improve the website and our services. We also use this information to send you email notifications about updates to the website, and to contact you by other means for marketing and other purposes. We also may use information provided by users to respond to customer support requests. Our policy is to not give, sell or otherwise distribute the information collected through this website to third parties outside of DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida (unless required by law); provided, however, in some cases we may use suppliers to assist us in collecting, using or otherwise processing for our benefit the information obtained through this website. Our practice is to require our suppliers to conduct such activities consistent with this Privacy Policy and our requirements.
Can I update my information?
You may send us an email to marketing@dreammakerbk.com to request access to, correct, or delete any Personal Information that you have provided to us. We cannot delete your Personal Information if we believe the change would violate any law or legal requirement or cause the information to be incorrect.
How does DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida keep my information secure?
We are dedicated to protecting user information and have implemented measures designed to secure your Personal Information from accidental loss or unauthorized access, use, alteration, or disclosure. We follow generally accepted industry standards to protect the Personal Information submitted to us, both during the transmission of the information and after we receive it. We will retain your information for as long as we deem necessary to provide you service or for other essential purposes such as complying with our legal obligations, maintaining security, and maintaining business records. We ask that you limit access to your computer and log out after using the website.
Unfortunately, security measures and the transmission of information over the Internet is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee the security of information transmitted through the website. Any transmission of Personal Information is at your own risk and we are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy setting or security measure we provide.
What about social media and other links on the website?
Our website includes social media features, such as the Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Houzz links or YouTube videos that run on our websites. These features may collect your IP address, which page you are visiting on our websites, and may set a cookie to enable the feature to function properly. Social media features are either hosted by a third party or hosted directly on our website. This Privacy Policy does not apply to these features. Your interactions with these features are governed by the Privacy Policy and other policies of the companies providing them.
Our website may also provide links to other websites. We do not control, and are not responsible for, the content or practices of these other websites. Our provision of such links does not constitute our endorsement of these other websites, their content, their owners, or their practices. This Privacy Policy does not apply to these other websites, which are subject to any privacy and other policies they may have.
A cookie is a series of data characters that, when programmed into a website, is placed by the web server into the browser's application folder on your computer. Once placed onto your machine, the cookie will allow the website to "recognize" you as a unique individual and identify repeat visitors to the website. Cookies can also allow DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida to track and target the interests of users to enhance their experience on the website. Some features of the website may use locally stored objects or Flash cookies to collect and store information about your preferences and navigation to, from, and on the website. For example, to recognize your device when you return to the website. Flash cookies are not managed by the same browser settings as browser cookies.
Does DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida use cookies?
Cookies are used to achieve two goals. The first is to provide DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida with the capability to personalize information for certain segments of its customer base. Secondly, in some instances, cookies are used to allow DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida the opportunity to associate individual customers with their information profiles. For example, through the use of cookies, the website can "remember" your user ID when you login to DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida at this website on your computer.
Can cookies be removed from my hard drive?
Yes, cookies can be removed from your hard drive. Also, depending on what type of web browser and what browser version you are using, you may be able to change the properties on your cookie file so that cookies are not used or saved. Please check with your browser provider for more information on removing cookies.
Can I opt out from receiving further communication?
We recognize how important your online privacy is to you, so we offer the following options for controlling the targeted ads you receive and how we use your data:
You can opt-out of receiving targeted ads served by us: You can opt out of receiving targeted ads served by us or on our behalf by clicking on the blue icon in the corner of the ads we serve. Please note that, if you delete your cookies or upgrade your browser after having opted out, you will need to opt out again. Further, if you use multiple browsers or devices you will need to execute this opt out on each browser or device.
You can opt-out of receiving targeted ads from us or other companies: You may use the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) opt out tool at https://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/, which will allow you to opt out of seeing targeted ads from us and from NAI approved member companies.
You may opt out of receiving targeted ads from other companies that perform ad targeting services by visiting the DAA website at https://www.aboutads.info/choices/ and Your Online Choices website at https://www.youronlinechoices.com/.
Changes to the Privacy Policy:
The date the Privacy Policy was last updated is identified at the bottom of this page. We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time in our discretion. All changes to the Privacy Policy will be effective immediately and apply to use of the website and access to the content thereafter. When we make material changes to how we use Personal Information, we will post the new Privacy Policy with a notice that it has been updated and will provide you with notice as appropriate under the circumstances, for example, by email or text message to the primary email address and phone number specified in your account, or by displaying a prominent notice within the website the first time you use the website after we make the change. Your continued use of the website after the changes have been made will constitute your acceptance of the changes. Therefore, please make sure you read any such notice carefully.
You are responsible for ensuring we have an up-to-date active and deliverable email address and/or phone number for you and for periodically visiting the Privacy Policy to check for any changes. If you do not wish to continue using the website under the new version of the Privacy Policy, you may terminate the Privacy Policy by contacting us using the contact information provided at the bottom of this Privacy Policy.
California Users:
CALIFORNIA ONLINE PRIVACY PROTECTION ACT COMPLIANCE/YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS
California residents who use the website may request that we provide certain information regarding our disclosure of your Personal Information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. You can make such a request by e-mail to marketing@dreammakerbk.com.
International Users:
This website is intended for an audience within the United States. The servers that support this website and on which we store the information you provide to us through this website may be located in a country other than where you reside. The data protection laws of the United States may not provide as much protection as the data protection laws in force in the country in which you reside. However, we will process your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy no matter where our data is stored. If you are located in a country other than the United States, by using this website you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida or this Privacy Policy, please contact us using the contact information provided below:
510 N Valley Mills Drive, Suite 304
marketing@dreammakerbk.com
Meet With the DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida Team
DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of SE Florida recently opened up a second location in Jupiter, making it even more convenient for Southeast Florida residents to utilize our team of trained professionals. Contact us online or call us at either one of our offices today! In Stuart, call (772) 288-6255 or in Jupiter, call (561) 459-1004.
We recently had the expertise of DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen in the remodeling of our kitchen. They promptly arrived to measure for cabinets, trim, lighting and molding. Many suggestions were made as to how to accomplish what we had in mind. We appreciated working with the professionals they are. Everything was ordered and actually arrived a couple of days early with no errors or damage to items. From start to finish they answered all of our questions and were always available. We recommend DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen to anyone wanting excellent workmanship and quality products. And the cabinets are made in America!... [more]
Mr. & Mrs. Bob Greer
Having come from a background involving numerous construction projects both commercial and residential, I realized the complexity of this project would require a General Contractor of impeccable integrity, engineering expertise and the highest quality standards. Ed Gribben more than satisfied these requirements. If we were beginning our home again today, Ed Gribben would be our choice without question.... [more]
Mr. Farrell B. Jones
We were living in the North when we decided to build our new home. We needed a builder we could trust to see the project through in our absence. The decision to choose Ed Gribben was the best choice we could have made. He kept us fully informed every step of the way. There were no surprises. We never believed building a home 'long distance' could be so enjoyable.... [more]
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Barget
Our house plans required extensive use of intricate wood moldings and expert cabinetry work. From the installation of the carved mantel to the paneled walls, the workmanship of Ed Gribben's skilled craftsmen was nothing less than superb.... [more]
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Ramey
Some of the best remodel design work I've seen in a while. Amazing attention to detail and an even better execution. Keep up the top notch work.... [more]
Traci Nutter


Mother's Day is only a few days away but there is still plenty of time to plan a celebration of the mother in your life. Over the years, she has given you everything. So it can be more than a challenge finding the right gift to show mom just how much you appreciate her. Today, we're helping you out with a few gift ideas that are as unique and thoughtful as mom herself. If your mom is often found wearing an apron and whisking up something delicious, perhaps one of these gifts should be on your shopping list. Here's 10 Mother's Day gifts for the mom who loves to bake!
No 1 : Savannah Bee Company® Honey. Luxurious honey renowned for its high quality, crafted by artisanal beekeepers. Pair with a charming Honey Dispenser from Crate & Barrel that is both functional and fun.
No 2 : Tasting Box from Hatchery. Sign mom up to receive a curated selection of sample-size artisan ingredients and condiments, delivered to her door each month. She'll discover new flavors direct from green markets and family farms across the country.
No 3 : Bird Cupcake Stand by Rae Dunn. These petite cake plates are a charming addition to any cake plate collection. Available in vintage blue, butter yellow and off-white and petal pink (not shown).
No 4 : Ombre Measuring Cups from GreyDecember. Almost too pretty to use, these measuring cups are made from ceramic clay and come in shades of the most gorgeous colors.
No 5 : Cuisine Couture Apron and matching Child Apron from Anthropologie. A mommy-and-me apron set perfect for mom and her little baking helper. Be sure to have the camera ready for this one.
No 6 : Gourmet Extracts from Nielsen-Massey. Treat mom to a selection of fabulous extracts like Mexican Vanilla , Tahitian Vanilla and the popular Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla .
No 7 : Egg Crate from Anthropologie. Perfect for setting out eggs while they come to room temperature or simply organizing small paper clips and tidbits on mom's desk.
No 8 : iPad® Stand from The Orange Chef Co. Designed to be a second pair of hands, this wooden stand holds mom's iPad upright, enabling her to watch up close or from across the kitchen.
No 9 : Personalized Recipe Gift Set with Embosser from Williams-Sonoma. A maple recipe card box customized with mom's name, along with a fabulous embosser so she can leave her mark on each and every recipe card.
No 10 : Butter Baked Goods. Soon to be one of mom's favorite new baking books. Each page is more beautiful than the next, filled with real, achievable and down to earth baking recipes. You can check out a recipe and our book review here.
Last but not least, you could always treat mom to a something sweet, created with your own two hands and a whole lot of love. Find the perfect cake or cupcake to bake for your Mother's Day celebration in our recipe section.
Just bought myself the honey dispenser from Crate & Barrel. Thanks for the tip… I have been looking for a honey dispenser since I broke my old one from Target 🙁 I'm happy again 🙂 Yeay!!


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Features, Technology
Enerpac's jack-up system used for Elvira railroad bridge span replacement
Posted on July 1, 2019 June 25, 2019 by csuo
The Elvira railroad bridge, built in 1906, spanned the Cahaba River in Helena, AL. The old double-track open deck superstructure had reached the end of its useful life and was scheduled for replacement with a new single-track ballasted deck superstructure. Burkhalter, lifting, rigging and transport professionals, was selected to execute the replacement of Span 2 over the river.
An initial challenge of the project was the location of the bridge. The river below the bridge had a strong current in an area utilized by recreational kayakers and rafters. With focus on safety, the team created a plan to build the new bridge in a specific area that would allow for an efficient transport onto the old span.
The team approach to the heavy move was to utilize their BPU-750 Jack-up system supplied by Enerpac. The old span weighed 1.1 million pounds and was 180' L x 35' W x 43' H. The new span weighed 1 million pounds and was 180' L x 19' W x 13.5' H. The jack-up, a multi-point hydraulic lifting system, uses an incremental stage-lifting principle. The lifting frame of each jack-up unit contains four hydraulic cylinders, one in each corner, which synchronously lift and stack steel barrels, forming lifting towers. For this application, two of the four bases of the jack-up system were set on opposite sides of the river.
Creatively, the team transported the new railroad span onto the old bridge using 24 lines of Goldhofer E-Steer SPMT with 90-degree traverse movement capability to align the span with the railroad track. A mat road was built across the old railroad bridge so that the weight of the transporters and the new span were evenly distributed during transportation. The team designed, fabricated and provided specialized beams and transferred the weight of the new span down to slide shoes mounted on girders affixed to the jacking system to receive the weight of the new span since the old span could not support the weight of the new span and the transporters carrying it.
Using the SPMT hydraulics, the new bridge weight was transferred onto the old bridge. The jack-up system formed the four towers system supporting this double bridge setup from below. The team utilized its synchronized slide system powered by Enerpac strand jacks to side-shift both bridge spans in order to line up the new single-track railroad line that replaced the old two-track line. Upon alignment, the new span was then lowered into place with Enerpac's BPU-750 jacking system while simultaneously lowering the old bridge. Lastly, the old span was additionally lowered and removed.
"The project required a unique creation of engineering and craftsmanship to develop and provide a method to transport and set the new bridge in place while lowering the old bridge, all in one operation," said Christine Burkhalter. "We have worked with Enerpac on past projects that needed a specific solution. We continue to be impressed by their willingness to develop systems to meet our specifications."
This entry was posted in Features, Technology. Bookmark the permalink.
Hey Prairie Dawg, "Let's talk tech!"
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's … OSHA?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Active Record specify a value select out from where() in update_all I'd like to update multiple rows with update_all, but I need to use the existed value in one column selected from where(), how can I specify the value in update_all, it looks like this:
# == Schema Information
#
# Table name: records
#
#  id                 :integer          not null, primary key
#  name               :string
#  game_id            :integer
#  score              :integer
#  date               :date

Record.where(:name => "mike", :game_id => 1).update_all(score: "here I want to take out the score out and do some modifications and then store back")
Thanks a lot.

A: You must use SQL code to update in the manner which you want. Note that there is no way to use Ruby code to directly manipulate the score. You could create a database function if needed.
# Increment each score by a given amount
increment_amount = 10
Record.where(:name => "mike", :game_id => 1).update_all("score=score + #{increment_amount}")

A: That's not really what update_all is used for. update_all generally sets the value of every instance of a certain model to one value. You could not use update_all and instead do something like
Record.where(:name => 'mike', :game_id => 1).each do |record|
  # record.score = record.score * 3 + 1
  record.save!
end

Where the comment is just an example.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Join Raha Javanfar and Fraser Melvin, as they appear in Rebecca's kitchen to make a batch of their original pineapple mango hot sauce. The real thing in bottles will be released on April 14 at the Dakota Tavern! Tune in to Rebecca's FB page to catch the live stream.


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Won't Back Down is a 2012 American drama film directed by Daniel Barnz and starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis and Holly Hunter.

Premise
Two determined mothers, a car dealer/bartender (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and a teacher (Viola Davis), look to transform their children's failing inner city school in Pittsburgh. Facing a powerful and entrenched bureaucracy and corruption from the teachers' union president (Holly Hunter) and the school's principal (Bill Nunn), they risk everything to make a difference in the education and future of their children.

Cast

Production

Background

The film is loosely based on the events surrounding the use of the parent trigger law in Sunland-Tujunga, Los Angeles, California in 2010, where several groups of parents attempted to take over several failing public schools. The Parent Trigger law, which was passed in California and other states in 2010, allowed parents to enforce administrative overhaul and overrule administrators in under-performing public schools if petitioned.  If successful, petitions allow parents to direct changes such as dismissal of staff and potential conversion of a school to a charter school.

Release
Walden Media, a film studio which released a 2010 documentary film Waiting for "Superman" with Paramount Pictures and Participant Media about the  American educational system, produced the film, with 20th Century Fox releasing it on September 28, 2012. American actresses Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis were among the first to be cast, with Academy award-winning actress Holly Hunter being cast later on. The film marked Hunter's first film appearance in seven years since The Incredibles and The Big White. The film's trailer was released on May 17, 2012.
The film's budget was $25 million, not counting the undisclosed amount for marketing the film.

Promotional campaign
Private foundations and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce contributed more than $2 million for a publicity campaign for the film. Television ads, bookmarks, websites and private screenings a six-month cross-country tour promoted the film. Promoters scheduled private screenings in states from New York to Georgia and Utah, to promote the movie and its parent trigger message. Michelle Rhee presented the film at separate events near both the Republican and Democratic Party 2012 national conventions several weeks before its theatrical release.

Reception

Box office
The film grossed just $5.3 million at the box office domestically, and, according to Box Office Mojo, had the worst opening-weekend performance of any film to open in more than 2,500 theatres - collecting just $1,035 per screen, until the record was broken by Victor Frankenstein in 2015.

Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 35% based on 106 reviews with an average rating of 5.10/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Despite the best efforts of its talented leads, Won't Back Down fails to lend sufficient dramatic heft or sophistication to the hot-button issue of education reform." On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 42% based on reviews from 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A−" on scale of A to F.

Variety called the film a "heavy-handed inspirational drama" that "grossly oversimplifies the issue at hand." The site continued, "Barnz's disingenuous pot-stirrer plays to audiences' emotions rather than their intelligence, offering meaty roles for Maggie Gyllenhaal as a determined single mom, and Viola Davis as the good egg among a rotten batch of teachers, while reducing everyone else to cardboard characterizations. Absent high-profile champions, femme-centric pic could suffer from low attendance."
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote: "Both the lottery scene and the anti-union material seem to be fictionalized versions of material in the powerful documentary Waiting for Superman which covered similar material with infinitely greater depth."
Michael Medved liked the film, giving it three and a half stars (out of four) and calling it "... one of the better films of 2012."

Controversy
Some critics have contended that the film is an ideological vehicle of conservative activist Philip Anschutz and that the film is slanted to promote the parent trigger movement. Some critics have contended that the movie shows a watered-down version of what parents are really up against when trying to implement the Parent Trigger law.

Accolades
Viola Davis won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her role as Nona Alberts; and she was nominated for a Black Reel Award for Best Actress for her role.

See also
 Education in the United States
  Waiting for "Superman"
  The Lottery

Home media
Won't Back Down was released on DVD and Blu-ray on January 15, 2013.

References

External links

2012 films
20th Century Fox films
American drama films
2010s female buddy films
Films scored by Marcelo Zarvos
Films about educators
Films about school violence
Drama films based on actual events
Films directed by Daniel Barnz
Films set in Pittsburgh
Films shot in Pittsburgh
Walden Media films
2010s high school films
American high school films
2012 drama films
2010s English-language films
2010s American films

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Each year in the weeks preceding the Western States 100, excitement builds as people from around the world focus in on North Americas's most competitive and historic ultramarathons. Much of the attention is often, appropriately so, placed on those runners at the front of the pack and this year's race promises to be a barn burner up front. However, every year, I also find it interesting to look elsewhere in the race field for intriguing stories. This year, the following four storylines have piqued my interest and deserve the attention of the ultra world as we zero in on race day.
This year, three septuagenarians will be on the starting line in Squaw Valley. Gunhild Swanson, the 72-year-old woman who inspired thousands with her dramatic, six-seconds-to-spare finish in 2015. Wally Hesseltine, also 72, who entered the Placer High School Track in 2016 just as the final horn sounded, missing an official finish by less than two minutes, and Gordy Ainsleigh, race founder and 22-time finisher. For each of these inspirational runners, the journey from Squaw to Auburn is likely to be filled with challenge, adversity, and pain. However, at an age when many are sitting in their RVs wiling away long summer days, these three set a remarkable example for us all, regardless of how or if they finish.
In June of 1988, 50-year-old Western States legend Doug Latimer ran the race in 18:43:58. To this day, 29 years later, his time remains the course record for runners 50 years old and over, by far the longest-standing age-group record. An impressive list of runners have attempted to best Latimer's time over the years and only one, Meghan Canfield Laws (previously Arbogast) in 2011, has even come within 10 minutes of Latimer's mark. Canfield Laws's time of 18:50:19 is the women's standard for that age group but that, of course, is not enough for The Queen as she is once again returning to the race, this time for her 11th finish, with her eyes on Latimer's magical number. In addition, two local 51-year-old runners, 10-time finisher Mark Lantz and nine-time finisher Dan Barger, are also taking aim at Latimer's ghost.
Back in November, the Western States Board announced the creation of a new award called the Silver Legend Entry. This award, established by a friend of the race in honor of late Race Director Greg Soderlund, is intended to honor an individual over the age of 60 whose contributions to the sport of ultrarunning in general and to the Western States 100 in particular have been exemplary. At the lottery in December, 17-time finisher Scott Mills was announced as the first Silver Legend Entry winner and gained entry into the race. Mills ran his first Western States in 1982 in a time of 21:29. Since then, he finished the race 16 more times. Every year he has not gained entry, he has volunteered at the race. Last year, for example, he was in charge of runner tracking at the Michigan Bluff Aid Station and for years has worked the remote Lyon Ridge Aid Station in the high country. Scotty's fastest Western States was his 20:00:03 in 1991 and his last finish was his 22:10 in 2012. In all 17 of his finishes, Scott has arrived at the finish in under 24 hours. I know for me, of all the finishers I will be cheering for on that track later this month, my cheers for Scotty will be some of the loudest.
Ever since becoming the Western States Race Director in 2013 (he served the race as Assistant Race Director in 2012), Craig Thornley has aspired to run the race again. An eight-time finisher, all under 24 hours, Thornley last ran the race in 2010. Over the past four years, as the race has evolved and Thornley and his team have created an extraordinarily well-oiled machine, Thornley's stamp has become evident in all aspects of the race. This past winter, it became clear to the Board that 2017 would be the year Craig could return to run the race, the second-ever Race Director to do so while also RDing the race. Craig ran his last 100 miler in Virginia at the Grindstone 100 Mile in 2011. Since then, much of his time and attention has been devoted to his race-director responsibilities. This year, of course, has been no different. However, in the midst of juggling the thousands of details that are part of pulling together a race of this magnitude, Thornley has also returned to what he loves, training for this race. He has put in the long runs, the tempo workouts, the hill runs, and his beloved track workouts. By all accounts, he is ready. Having known Craig for 15 years, I would expect nothing less!
Every year Western States impresses and inspires me, and this year will be no different. As I enjoy the race as a volunteer and a spectator, I look forward to following the stories of Gunhild, Wally, Gordy, Meghan, Dan, Mark, Scotty, and Craig as well as the other 361 narratives unfolding on the wonder-filled fourth Saturday in June.
Last weekend my family made the trip up to Vermont for my son's bike race. While there, my wife popped into a bottle shop and picked up a couple bottles from Foley Brothers Brewing in Brandon, Vermont. Last night, I dove into a bottle of their Skeleton Crew IPA and it was delicious. Brewed in that classic, juicy Vermont style, Skeleton Crew is not at all resiny or cloying and yet has a strong bitter aftertaste that belies its tanginess. Worth a try for sure if you find yourself up in the north country.
What storylines will you be following at this year's Western States outside of the competitive men's and women's races?
Is there a runner in the field who has a story you think we all should know about? Leave a comment to share.
Starting the KT82 solo tomorrow and hope to have an answer to the question.
That's a great blog post Eric! My advice, go for it! You'll be rested at the starting line and then adrenaline and muscle memory will take over.
It's gonna be all about BANG. BANG.
gjls, I'm missing what is hopefully a joke here.
yup the coconino is gonna tear it up sub 14 style, who cares about all this other nonsense.
Thanks for the article Andy!
I care about the other nonsense ;-) I'm a huge Walmsley fan, but Western States is about more than just him, I cannot wait to see him crush it. The background and history of the race is something that us here in the UK (and everywhere else) need to read about, enriches the story!
These would be my thoughts as well. Thanks for the article (the whole series of articles for that matter) AJW!
Great article, thanks AJW! For the record, Mo Livermore was co-RD (along with her then-husband Curt Sproul) and ran the race in 1981 and 1983. As a race director, I'm almost always exhausted by the start of the race, but if anyone can pull this off, it's Craig.
The third man to look for in the 50+ age group is Gary Geist from Oregon. These three, Mark Lantz, Dan Berger, and Gary Geist will be within minutes of each all day long. Good luck to all.


Live Nation Appoints Kelly Flanigan As President of Washington D.C.
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Spain joins Libya operation; NATO still sidelined
Spain became the latest country Tuesday to join the U.S.-led coalition striking military targets in Libya, but how the operation will be coordinated when the U.S. pulls back remained mired in uncertainty as NATO members haggled among themselves.
The Spanish parliament approved Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's request 336-3, with one deputy abstaining. The country is contributing four F-18 fighter jets, a Boeing 707 refueling plane, a submarine, a frigate and a maritime surveillance plane. As many as 500 Spanish soldiers will take part in the operation.
But divisions over whether to have NATO, the north Atlantic military alliance, coordinate the military operation appeared to widen Tuesday. Officials in some countries said they would not participate without NATO, though others have said the alliance's standing is poor in the Muslim world because of its involvement in the war in Afghanistan.
Sweden, though not a NATO member, is awaiting a solution to the coordination issue before deciding whether to participate in the mission.
"I find it hard to see that any realistic alternative exists to using NATO's different systems," Sweden's Foreign Minister Carl Bildt wrote on his blog. He said a level of political leadership that included the participating nations could be placed over NATO's command structure.
NATO members, meeting Tuesday in Brussels, agreed to have the alliance use sea power to enforce a U.N arms embargo on Libya.
But organizations members continued to debate the much more difficult issue of whether the alliance would coordinate enforcement of a U.N. imposed no-fly zone over Libya.
Besides Spain, countries participating in the operation include the U.S., Britain, France, Canada, Italy, Belgium and Qatar.


This page will let you know the latest news about tea. When will the tea expositions be held? How popular is Yunnan tea outside of China? What's the best-seller among all tea categories in Yunnan? What's the big event about tea taken place in Yunnan? News are undated frequently.


There's a bright confidence about Ballet Black. The dancers are sleek and focused, the choreography new, while the whole enterprise has a sparky assurance.
Founded by Cassa Pancho in 2001, Ballet Black is there to provide role models. In Britain, there aren't many classical dancers of black and Asian descent – though Carlos Acosta is Ballet Black's patron. Pancho's aims are to make ballet more culturally diverse, to reach out to a broader audience, and eventually to get black and Asian dancers into the mainstream.
The emphasis is on classical ballet, but also on new work. The latest, all-new programme has commissioned dances from a range of choreographers: from Christopher Hampson's solid ballet background to hip-hop choreographer Robert Hylton.
With Da Gamba, contemporary choreographer Henri Oguike has made his first work on pointe. He brings the dancers on in lines and angles, his choreography a tidy response to his music, a Bach cello suite. The pointework has a percussive element, some stabbing footwork. It's fluently danced, but the work lacks individuality.
And Thereafter… , by company ballet master Raymond Chai, is a rambling work that still manages to show off these dancers. The music is a mix of Arvo Pärt and Bach. The choreography is conventional, but Chai does gives his dancers material to get their teeth into. Sarah Kundi and Chantelle Gotobed rush into held positions on pointe, then sway within the position, making risky changes of balance.
Hylton's Human Revolution puts Cira Robinson in soft slippers for a duet with Jazmon Voss. The dancers' lines are sleek and sharp, with hints at Hylton's hip-hop background in sudden bursts of jigging speed. It's a quiet, focused duet, boldly danced.
Hampson's Sextet is a full-company showcase to Paul Hindemith's Kammermusik No. 1. The dancers charge through a series of short movements, athletic and sharp. Hampson puts blackouts between movements, even breaking into a duet for Robinson and Jade Hale-Christofi. It implies an ongoing relationship, time passing as they fold gently around each other. Hale-Christofi bounds through his solo in the finale, but the whole company give poised, lively performances.


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EDI Watch (AHIP) – Fraud detection system for health care
Michael F. Arrigo
health care reform / health insurance fraud
While at the America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) conference in San Diego, we interviewed Carl Scarabelli from EDI Watch. The company's solution promises to reduce a huge problem for health insurance companies, estimated according to EDI Watch at 10% of the total cost of health care in the U.S. The company's solution is easy to get up and running, with a quick ROI for health plans, according to Scarabelli.
Click play below to watch the interview.
health care process improvement, electronic health record, electronic medical record, management consulting, human and investment capital, outsourcing. Specializing in health care, financial services, education, renewable energy, retail. www.noworldborders.com
Michael is Managing Partner & CEO of No World Borders, a leading healthcare management and IT consulting firm. He serves as an expert witness in Federal and State Court and was recently ruled as an expert by a 9th Circuit Federal Judge. He serves as a patent expert witness on intellectual property disputes, both as a Technical Expert and a Damages expert. He leads a team that provides Cybersecurity best practices for healthcare clients, ICD-10 Consulting, Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records. He advises legal teams as an expert witness in HIPAA Privacy and Security, medical coding and billing and usual and customary cost of care, the Affordable Care Act and benefits enrollment, white collar crime, False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback, Stark Law, Insurance Fraud, payor-provider disputes, and consults to venture capital and private equity firms on mHealth, Cloud Computing in Healthcare, and Software as a Service. He advises self-insured employers on cost of care and regulations. Arrigo was recently retained by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding a significant false claims act investigation. He has provided opinions on over $1 billion in health care claims and due diligence on over $8 billion in healthcare mergers and acquisitions. Education: UC Irvine - Economics and Computer Science, University of Southern California - Business, studies at Stanford Medical School - Biomedical Informatics, studies at Harvard Medical School - Bioethics. Trained in over 10 medical specialties in medical billing and coding. Trained by U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and PTAB Judges on patent statutes, rules and case law (as a non-attorney to better advise clients on Technical and Damages aspects of patent construction and claims). Mr. Arrigo has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and National Public Radio.
AHIP Day One – Passion in the Streets
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) Will Not Save Costs
5 Experts at San Diego Healthcare Innovation Summit April 17th at Scripps La Jolla
Do you have questions about health care regulations, data, or health economics?
Experts in healthcare data regulations and economics
Headquarters Office : 620 Newport Center Drive Suite 1100 Newport Beach, CA 92660
Copyright 2020 - No World Borders


See this deer above? This is the face of a deer held captive inside of a house for at least a year, according to West Virginia Natural Resources Police. On Friday, police said they responded to a report that deer were being kept inside of a house in Cabell County. Officers saw a deer standing in the middle of the house when they arrived and spoke with a man at the house.
Yep,that's really not a good idea,especially if you refuse to keep the quarters clean.
Was he going to make a skin suit out of them?


In May 2006, filmmakers John Bolton and Errin Clutton were given eight days and eight hundred dollars to produce the made-for-television disaster film "Breakdown". Unfortunately, they spent the first seven days in casting. On the eighth day, they cut together "Breakdown" with the only footage they had - the video from the casting session. This is that film. Starring Christopher Shyer, Amanda Tapping, Carly McKillip, Winston Rekert, Sonya Salomaa, Gary Chalk, William S. Taylor and Michael Coleman as themselves (as such). Written and directed by John Bolton. Produced by Errin Clutton. Executive produced by Andrew Williamson. Co-executive produced by Lesa Kirk. Winner of the 2007 Canadian Comedy Award for Best Actress (Amanda Tapping). © 2006 Crazy8s Films Ltd. / Maple Syrup / JB Productions / Opus 59 Films.


Monsieur Jacob Stolle, étudiant assistant à l'Université d'Ottawa, présentera une conférence le jeudi 28 février 2019 à 10 h 30, à la salle 2422 du Centre Eau Terre Environnement de l'INRS.
La conférence de monsieur Stolle s'intitule Hazards and Impacts of Extreme Coastal Flood Events / Future focus on Quebec's case.
Human interaction with extreme flood events has shaped engineering, environmental and social progress throughout history. This has been further exacerbated by climate change as rising sea levels and increased occurrence of extreme weather events had a major influence on vulnerable coastal communities. In this presentation, these interactions will be examined through the lens of a recent major flooding event, the 2018 Indonesian Palu Tsunami. The presentation will illustrate why this event was so unique while also providing insight into the hazards that extreme flooding events pose to coastal communities in Canada. The presentation will further show how the lessons from the field survey of this event, along with similar surveys from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and 2011 Tohoku Tsunami, have informed ongoing collaboration between research groups in Canada, Germany and Japan into the design of flood-resilient structures.
Quebec and Canada experience a unique and challenging coastal environment due to the interaction between ice, wave, tidal, and current forces. Additionally, with changes to the mean weather patterns, the northern systems have been forced to react, causing the accelerated retreat of shorelines. Drawing upon experience in extreme flooding events, research programs and objectives will be outlined addressing these forces. The design of economical, sustainable coastal protection structures in this complex, fragile ecosystem will be critical in ensuring the viability of Quebec and Canadian communities into the future.


J. B. WYNGAARDEN, M.D.; H. L. TIECHE, M.D.; M. H. SEVERS, M.D.
†Present address: Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
‡From the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann. Arbor, Mich.
§From the Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
J. B. WYNGAARDEN, H. L. TIECHE, M. H. SEVERS; ON THE PHARMACOLOGY OF MYANESIN, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO ITS INTRAMUSCULAR ADMINISTRATION. Anesthesiology 1949;10(5):529-543.


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The Official Site Of Western New England University Athletics
Downes Athletic Hall of Fame
General Athletics News
Student-Athlete Info
Student-Athlete Leadership Groups
Incoming Student Athletes
Prospective Student Athletes
Become a Golden Bear
Facility Hours / Workout Spaces
Text Alert Sign Up
RSS Feed Sign-Up
Team Archives
Related Bios Devin O'Neill Tim Larocca '07 John Voight Jonathan Murray Jake Vattimo Jack Clark
Mark Haynes
Title: Assistant Coach
Mark Haynes is entering his fifth season as an assistant coach with the Western New England University men's soccer program in 2019.
Haynes brings over ten years of experience to head coach Devin O'Neill's staff. Since 2007, he has served as a coach with the Western United Pioneers, a youth soccer organization based in Ludlow, Mass. Haynes also gained experience coaching the Massachusetts Twisters of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) in 2009-10 and as an assistant with Southwick-Tolland Regional High School in 2014.
A 1991 graduate of nearby Springfield College, Haynes earned his bachelor of science degree in environmental health and technology. He was a four-year starter for the Pride, collecting All-Northeast-10 Conference honors twice while helping lead Springfield to consecutive NE-10 championships in 1988-89.
Haynes went on to play soccer at the semi-professional level following his graduation, competing for Gremio Lusitano from 1991-92 and the Massachusetts Twisters in 1994-95 and 1998.
A native of Vermont, Haynes was a four-year letterwinner for Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, earning three All-Conference selections and a pair of All-State nods for the 1983 Division I state champion Patriots.
Western New England University Athletics * 1215 Wilbraham Road, Springfield, MA 01119 * 413-782-1202


Multan, Baha Uddin Zakariya University Multan started the admission forms receipt from the regular and private students, who want to appear in BZU Multan BA/BSc class annual exams 2018. The admission office of Baha Uddin Zakariya University Multan has amended the dates for the acceptance of the admission forms and fee for the bachelor class annual exams 2018. The candidates can send their application forms with the payment of single fee till the final date 26-1-2018. The candidates have another option to send their application forms with double fee by 22-2-2018. The students will also use the last option for the submission of the admission forms for the undergraduate class annual exams 2018 with the payment of triple fee till 22-3-2018.
The regular and private candidates can download the admission forms from the website of BZU Multan and they can complete their admission forms online and also get it printed. Then the candidates submit their admission forms through the designated bank branches of United Bank Limited and Habib bank Limited.


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Artem Fishman
Chief Technology Officer, SoundCloud
Having led global teams of software engineers and with big tech names on his resumé, including Yahoo! and Thomson Reuters, Artem Fishman took on his latest role with a move from New York City to Berlin when he joined SoundCloud as CTO in 2017.
What prompted you to consider leaving the US for Germany?
I had lived in New York since my family emigrated to the US when I was 13. New York is my home and I love the city. An opportunity in the music space came up and I was drawn to the mission and founders of SoundCloud. I also wanted the experience of working with a technology company in Europe.
How did you make your final decision to take the leap?
I didn't exactly "leap" as I wanted to consider what was best for the whole family. We made a few trips to Berlin to check it out. After the first, we were a bit hesitant. We had settled in New Jersey and Berlin is a thriving, busy, chaotic, beautifully different city. We asked ourselves if we wanted to make such a big change but then after another visit, it just clicked. We decided that's what makes Berlin so special and what a great life experience to be part of it.
Were there any surprises in the lead up to relocating and during the actual move?
Thankfully, no. The transition was smooth because we were all on board as a family, SoundCloud led our relocation and we had the support of a great relocation company.
Can you give us a little more insight into what made the move so smooth?
Good organisation from the outset made all the difference. Plus, the relocation expert that SoundCloud engaged for us was fantastic. She was an ex-pat herself, so had good local knowledge plus an understanding of being new to the city. After finding out what we were looking for in terms of our budget, accommodation, schools and local community requirements, she identified several likely homes. We then visited these with her over a period of eight or nine days and made our choice well before the relocation. This meant that we moved straight into our new home.
Have there been any notable cultural differences or changes in how you approach your role?
I appreciate the frank discussions and honest, open feedback at all levels of the business culture. As a hiring manager, I've also had to familiarize myself with the different recruiting process such as the longer lead times in on-boarding new team members.
Can you tell us a little more about the engineering talent in Berlin?
I've recently started a Berlin chapter of a CTO club I'm part of in NYC. It's a forum for knowledge sharing and developing new relationships. Berlin has both an established engineering community and a whole new range of engineers coming up in the tech space, so it's an exciting community to be part of.
What about differences in terms of product and engineering talent?
There are fantastic engineers in both countries. The key differences are not in quality, but in quantity, availability and experience. There's a far larger pool of talent in 'the Bay' area in the US than in Europe. Recruiting benefits from the network effect, whereby you might hire a single engineer and before you know it 10 people have moved over to join them. There's also greater experience of developing product for delivery at scale in the US. People underestimate what's needed to mass scale a product. It triggers a different way of thinking and approaches to things like automation to manage that scale.
How does the attitude to work-life balance differ?
Europe is known for a commitment to maintaining a healthy work life balance. I enthusiastically support it. Of course attitudes vary, country by country, culture by culture and I am glad that it's embraced here in Germany.
What's your overriding feeling about Berlin?
The level of drive here in the tech space is impressive. There are interesting, emerging companies developing in transformative areas, such as e-mobility, fintech, aerospace and satellite technology. Anything feels possible here and it's inspiring to be in a city where you feel 'something special' is happening.
Sam Wilkins is Senior Partner at Erevena, an Executive Search firm focused on high growth and transformation. Erevena's clients are amongst the fastest growing companies in the world: they are VC & growth equity backed; they are publicly traded & privately held companies transforming to grow. Sam's functional specialisms are the office of the CTO across all consumer and B2B industries and Commercial Leadership in scaling B2B SaaS, where he has a long track record and deep international network across Europe and the US.
For more information, visit www.erevena.com
Interview with Andrea Berchowitz, Co-founder and CEO at Vira Health
Interview with Barney Wragg, CEO and Co-founder of Karakuri
Interview with Christina Kemper, Vice President of EMEA at Recorded Future
Interview with Mathew Lodge, CEO at Diffblue


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/Application
/Automation Improves Alternator Test System
Automation Improves Alternator Test System
Opening the hood of your car will reveal a mass of cables and hoses running around the engine block. Somewhere in there is an alternator, which helps keep your car supplied with electric power when it's running.
When an alternator goes bad, most mechanics will replace it with a used unit that has been remanufactured, and it might have come from our company, Motorcar Parts of America in Torrance, California. Given the number of units that have come through our shop and the expertise we've gained, many of our remanufactured alternators are better than the original as we have found ways to eliminate many design weaknesses over the years.
The practice of rebuilding engines and subassemblies has been going on for decades, and MPA is a major supplier of replacement starters, alternators, wheel hub assemblies, and bearings. Over the years, as engines have become more sophisticated, so has the remanufacturing and testing process.
Rebuilding an alternator from a current or recent model car is a complex process, one that demands thorough testing to ensure that performance requirements are met. Given the cost pressures always present in anything related to the automotive industry, companies that want to compete as rebuilders must be able to carry out the remanufacturing and test processes quickly and predictably. Mechanics and auto part store chains will quickly drop a supplier that causes customer dissatisfaction by supplying substandard components, so world class quality is a must.
There are thousands of alternator types in use given the variety and age of cars on the road. Even so, as part of our customer service, MPA promises 100% end-of-line testing of all remanufactured alternators. Handling a huge range of sizes, capacities, and case design form factors requires an automated testing procedure that can step through and record a series of tests faster and more positively than with manual operations, which is why we employ automated test systems.
Custom Built Test System
Since an automated alternator test system isn't an off-the-shelf item, MPA has had to design and build much of its own test equipment. At present, MPA has rebuilding and testing recipes for more than 3,000 alternator models. This includes parts catalogs, performance parameters, test protocols and other information. To implement these test recipes in an automated fashion, MPA recently installed a new alternator test bench, built in-house with the help of automation distributor and system integrator Quantum Automation in Anaheim, California.
Any company with a complex project like this one needs to choose the right vendors to supply the required hardware and software components. To assist in the selection process, we chose Quantum Automation as our partner because they employ a sophisticated sales support staff that we knew would point us in the right direction. Quantum's sales engineer Mike Kavanagh was particularly helpful throughout the project, starting with the design phase and assisting through startup and commissioning.
We live in a world driven by ever evolving technology and constant changes with new applications and solutions. It's therefore a must to consult with highly trained and trusted partners before beginning any automation project. Foresaking this step could result in sourcing the wrong hardware or software.
Testing a given alternator requires mounting it in the test stand, generally using the same mounts that are used with the engine. This requires drop-in retainer inserts that mate with each specific alternator case design. Electrical connections have to be made to simulate a load (Figure 1), along with data connections that communicate with the ECU (engine control unit).
The testing protocol includes spinning the alternator at specified RPM values and checking its output in volts and amps, both AC and DC. Running an alternator at full load requires the safe dissipation of high currents. A unit for a luxury SUV has to be able to power a huge number of accessories, so total output can easily be 200 A or more. The testing machine also has to talk to the unit, giving it digital instructions and receiving information using CAN bus, just as the ECU would in normal use in a vehicle.
Driven by a Stock Controller
A sophisticated controller is the heart of the test system, in this case an AutomationDirect Productivity3000 Programmable Controller (Figure 2). Operators control and monitor the test system via a touchscreen PC running Web Studio Human Machine Interface (HMI) software from InduSoft; the PC is connected to the controller via Ethernet (Figure 3).
All of the testing parameters have to be programmed into the controller, with some of the more commonly used programming routines standardized as function blocks for reuse from one program to another. An in-house designed printed circuit board communicates CAN-based data to the alternator that simulates what the engine would send in normal use.
The test system also has a main drive motor that spins the rotor. Given the variety of units that must be tested, the motor has to operate over a wide speed range to match what the alternator would see in normal use. An AutomationDirect GS drive is able to control the speed as needed, although making the right connection to the Ethernet port on the controller required conversion to the RS-485 serial communication required by the GS drive.
Designed for Easy Operation
In day-to-day use, an operator has a production lot of specific alternators to test. After inserting the correct mount to affix the alternator to the test stand, the operator calls up the parameters for the specific alternator from the 3000+ alternators in the database using the touchscreen HMI. The HMI provides the appropriate test screens for the specific alternator, and the operator interacts with the HMI as required during the test procedure (Figure 4).
The test system first performs its own self diagnostics before beginning the actual testing process. If a specific alternator fails, the test system is sophisticated enough to diagnose which component failed or if there is another defect. It can identify this by determining which step the process was at when the failure was spotted. The quality technicians can then trace down the root cause and see if it was a component failure or some other issue. Appropriate corrective actions can then be performed according to MPA's test procedures.
The testing program has to be fast and reliable. Once set up, testing technicians can completely test a unit in less than 90 seconds, performing about 1000 tests per day. These 1000 tests generate upwards of 250,000 total data points, and all of that information is uploaded to a larger database in the corporate server database.
Handling Large Amounts of Data
Given that the test system has about 100 I/O points and given the amount of data that has to be gathered in a short time, the controller and the HMI have to process the data quickly and efficiently. This is complicated further since the kind of data collected when testing an alternator is different than what is typical with most industrial automation systems.
So, we had to add numerous signal conditioners, solid-state relays, and other interfaces to convert the alternator test data into formats that the controller can handle. Communications between the controller and the HMI also have to be fast, which isn't a problem when using 100Mb Ethernet communications.
Designing, building, and programming a unit of this complexity was not an easy undertaking, but doing it using standard industrial hardware and software made for a relatively inexpensive project. In years past, the only practical approach was using proprietary hardware and software that was more costly, more difficult to program and harder to maintain. Earlier versions of a test system with this level of complexity would typically have cost two or three times what this one did, and would not have had the same capabilities. That's the value of using off-the-shelf components to build a custom system.
Based on our experience using the Productivity3000 controller and the Web Studio software, we are looking at other parts of our manufacturing and test processes where we can increase production or improve quality through a higher level of automation. The ability to design, build, and program production and test systems like this in-house, using primarily off-the-shelf industrial automation products, has given us a lower cost threshold and allowed us to consider applications that we would have considered too costly before.
Originally Posted: Feb. 2, 2015
Ethernet/IP Protocol FAQs →← Brainteasers — Issue 31, 2015
C-more Remote FAQs
EtherNet/IP for Productivity3000
Denim Manufacturer Upgrades Controls to Add Flexibility to Process Lines
Automated Volleyball Server


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Disruptive Leadership
Tackling big questions with the world's greatest thinkers.
Exploring the biggest questions of our time with the help of the world's greatest thinkers. Host Manoush Zomorodi inspires us to learn more about the world, our communities, and most importantly, ourselves. Get more brainy miscellany with TED Radio Hour+. Your subscription supports the show and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/ted
Publié le vendredi 02 juin 2017 à 06:01 par NPR
In this hour, TED speakers talk about what it takes to become a leader and shake up the status quo. TED speakers include Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg, General Stanley McChrystal, educator Bunker Roy, entrepreneur and writer Seth Godin, and leadership advocate Drew Dudley. (Original broadcast date: January 17, 2014)
Copyright 2012-2021 NPR and Ted Conferences, LLC - For Personal Use Only
Future Thinkers is a media platform, community, and education portal dedicated to the evolution of society, technology, and consciousness. Helping you become better adapted to our uncertain future. As seen in BBC, Forbes, World Economic Forum, and iTunes Top 40. Created by Mike Gilliland and Euvie Ivanova.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Host Madeleine Brand looks at news, culture and emerging trends through the lens of Los Angeles.
PLUM'FM à l'heure de l'égalité femmes hommes
A retrouver dans ce podcast toutes les émissions, tables-rondes, interviews, reportages ou encore débats sur le thème de l'égalité femme-homme.
More Perfect
More Perfect is a series about the Supreme Court. More Perfect explores how cases inside the rarefied world of the Supreme Court affect our lives far away from the bench. WNYC Studios is a listener-supported producer of other great podcasts including Ra
More Perfect is a series about the Supreme Court. More Perfect explores how cases inside the rarefied world of the Supreme Court affect our lives far away from the bench. WNYC Studios is a listener-supported producer of other great podcasts including Radiolab, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media, and Nancy. © WNYC Studios
Temporary email for facebook, instagram and other social networks
It is becoming more and more common for people to use temporary email addresses for online services like Facebook, Instagram, and other social networks. While there are a number of reasons someone might want to do this, the most common reason is privacy. By using a disposable email address, you can keep your primary email address private and use a temporary address for all your online activities. This way you don't have to worry about spam or spam being sent to your primary email address. Another reason to use disposable email is if you are testing a new service or website. If you decide that


text:
import React, { PropTypes } from 'react'

export const Table = props => {
  const tableHeaders = props.headers.map((header, index) => (<th key={`header_${index}`}>{header}	))
  const tableData = props.data.map((d, index) => <tr key={`data_${index}`}>{d.map((i, index) => <td key={`td_${index}`}>{i}	)}
)
  return (

          {tableHeaders}

        {tableData}

  )
}

Table.propTypes = {
  headers: PropTypes.array.isRequired,
  data: PropTypes.array.isRequired
}

export default Table

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


We're teaming up with Komen Idaho Montana for a Mammogram and 'Race for the Cure' registration event.
If you or someone you know is under insured or uninsured we invite you to join us from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, February 12th to receive a FREE* mammogram on the St. Alphonsus mobile mammography unit. If you have insurance, this event is also for YOU! Just call (208) 367-8787 to schedule an appointment or swing by for a walk-in.
While you wait for your appointment, stop by our station tent to register for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure (Saturday, May 12th) for only $20! Did you know that $15 of each registration stay in the state of Idaho providing screening, mammograms and more to under/uninsured in Idaho? That's a pretty cool thing to say you were a part of!
Want to hang out for longer? Stay for lunch or an early dinner! Mad Mac and CupBop food trucks will be on-site selling all of their favorites!
* If your insurance plan doesn't cover a mammogram or if you're uninsured, financial assistance programs are available for those who qualify.


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20 per cent of childhood scalding burns caused by instant soup products
22:54 / November 2, 2018 Weight Watching
Microwavable instant soup products are responsible for scalding nearly 10,000 children each year, according to new U.S. research.
The study was conducted by Dr. Courtney Allen, a pediatric emergency medicine fellow at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., and her colleagues. The team inspected data from 2006 to 2016 from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), which collects information on consumer product-related injuries in the U.S., to identify children who were burned from microwavable instant soup, instant noodles, cup of soup, or water for making those products.
The researchers found that injuries from instant soup products accounted for more than 20 per cent of pediatric scald burns in emergency rooms. According to the national dataset, 9,500 children between the ages of four and 12 were affected by scald burns on an annual basis.
"Scald burns are a major cause of preventable injury among children, and our research found that instant soup spills are responsible for a large number of these painful burns," Allen said in a news release on Friday.
The data also showed that seven-year-old children suffered the highest number of instant soup-related burns. Girls received more scald burns than boys with 57 per cent of victims identified as female, according to the research.
As for children were suffering the most burns, the study said the torso was the most common area on the body, accounting for 40 per cent of all injuries.
The study's authors said the results should serve as a warning to caregivers who should provide additional supervision when children are preparing or eating instant soup products.
"Instant soups and noodles in prepackaged cups and bowls may seem simple to prepare just by adding water and microwaving them," Allen said. "But once they're heated up they become a dangerous burn risk. Caregivers need to closely supervise younger children who might otherwise get hurt if cooking for themselves."
The researchers also said the statistics can provide insight for those working in the food industry who may want to consider changes to their packaging to prevent injuries. For example, designing soup containers to be more stable so they don't tip over and spill, Allen said.
Allen will present the findings of the study at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2018 National Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, Fla. on Monday.
Source: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/20-per-cent-of-childhood-scalding-burns-caused-by-instant-soup
Photo: AP/Andy Wong
Obesity alone does not increase risk of death 19 July 2018


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How do you complete homework on time?
Published by Shamima Waters on November 5, 2021
Why was March break invented?
How many hours a day should you do homework?
What week is spring break 2021?
Why is March break important?
Why does Spring Break exist?
How many days are in spring break?
How long is US summer break?
How can I finish my homework fast?
Which country has the longest holiday?
Why is spring break important?
What does spring break mean?
Where do people go for spring break?
Is Spring Break 1 or 2 weeks?
How long is Korean school day?
Is homework bad for students?
What month is Spring Break in Florida?
Which country has the longest summer break?
Does Homework kill brain cells?
Should homework be banned debate?
Can school cause stress?
Should homework in school be done away with?
What is the meaning of Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia?
What is the shortest word?
What is the longest protein name?
What are the 5 longest words?
What word takes 3 hours to say?
Which is the oldest language on earth?
What is Kakorrhaphiophobia?
Is there a word with all 26 letters?
Which language has the largest vocabulary?
What is titin full name?
Create a Homework Plan
Understand the assignment. Write it down in your notebook or planner, and don't be afraid to ask questions about what's expected.
Start right away.
Budget your time.
Find a quiet place to focus.
Avoid studying on your bed.
Tackle the hardest assignments first.
Keep moving ahead.
Take breaks.
According to Time magazine, the origin of spring break can be traced back to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in the 1930s. In 1936, one college coach decided to train his swim team in the city's new Olympic-size swimming pool—the first one in Florida—which quickly lead to a nationwide tradition for college swimmers.
Universities might recommend that students spend anywhere from two or three hours of study or as much as six to nine hours of study or more for each course credit hour. A 2014 study found that, nationwide, college students self reported spending about 17 hours each week on homework, reading and assignments.
When is Spring Break 2021 In the United States, most Colleges and Universities Spring Break 2021 will occur this year between March 9th to April 21st. The two peak weeks will be the week of March 7th and March 14th.
For some, March break is a time to get away to a much appreciated warmer climate. Others take shorter trips closer to home. For many, March Break allows your children – or your entire family – to take an extended break.
The concept of spring break began in 1938 with a swim forum event in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Liquordale" and became the primary destination for students interested in partying during spring break for years to come. As the crowds became larger year over year, they also became more difficult to control.
How Long Does Spring Break Last? On average, Spring Break lasts for about a week. Because of the weekend on either side of the break, this gives students up to 10 days of time away from school. This means that Spring Break is a popular time to travel and take small vacations.
8 Easy Ways to Finish Your Homework Faster
Make a list. This should be a list of everything that has to be done that evening.
Estimate the time needed for each item on your list. You can be a little ruthless here.
Gather all your gear.
Time yourself.
Stay on task.
Take plenty of breaks.
Reward yourself!
Philippines The Philippines
It provides a nice break from stressful college courses when students can decompress during the midst of a long semester. While you may have a professor or two who may assign homework during this time, ideally spring break is a stress-free time. "Feelings of calm arise from time away from work and relieve stress."
US. : a vacation from classes at a school usually for a week in the spring especially : such a vacation at a college or university Many students go to Florida for spring break.
Best Spring Break Destinations
Cancun.
Miami Beach.
South Padre Island.
Cabo San Lucas.
Bahamas.
Punta Cana.
Playa del Carmen.
United States. In the United States, spring break at universities, colleges, and many k-12 school systems can occur from March to April, depending on term dates and when Easter holiday falls. Usually, spring break is about one week long.
In 2013, research conducted at Stanford University found that students in high-achieving communities who spend too much time on homework experience more stress, physical health problems, a lack of balance in their lives, and alienation from society. They also interviewed students about their views on homework.
The staggered schedule means Florida's Spring Break begins in late February and runs through mid-April, peaking in mid-March. The dates don't necessarily align with the Easter holiday, although that's when you are most likely to encounter families with children. Easter falls on April 4 in 2021.
In the northern hemisphere, the longest break in the educational calendar is in the middle of the year, during the northern summer, and lasts up to 14 weeks. In Ireland, Italy, Lithuania and Russia, summer holidays are normally three months, compared to six to eight weeks in Britain, the Netherlands and Germany.
The Stressed Brain Even when homework is well-designed and does foster learning, too much of it can be damaging. This is especially damaging for children, whose brains are rapidly laying down neural connections.
Firstly, I believe homework should be banned because doing it just adds stress to students. Sometimes when students do homework it adds unnecessary stress to students, and then this can distract students from access to leisure time and community activities that also teach important life skills.
High school can bring a whole new level of stress for kids who learn and think differently. More work and thoughts of life after high school can loom large for teens. Here are common reasons for high school stress — and how to help.
Yes, homework should be given: We spent just about 8 or 9 hours at school and that includes the recess time. There is a very strong reason that for so long homework has been assigned and it is for our benefit only. The time we get to interact with our teachers at school is not enough to understand the topic fully.
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is one of the longest words in the dictionary — and, in an ironic twist, is the name for a fear of long words. Sesquipedalophobia is another term for the phobia.
10 Longest Words in the English Language.
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (45 letters)
Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism (30 letters)
Floccinaucinihilipilification (29 letters)
Honorificabilitudinitatibus (27 letters)
Thyroparathyroidectomized (25 letters)
Antiestablishmentarian (22 letters)
METHIONYLTHREONYLTHREONYGLUTAMINYLARGINYL … Note the ellipses. All told, the full chemical name for the human protein titin is 189,819 letters, and takes about three-and-a-half hours to pronounce.
: abnormal fear of failure.
An English pangram is a sentence that contains all 26 letters of the English alphabet. The most well known English pangram is probably "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog".
Counting the Words in the Dictionary
Words in the Dictionary
English 171,476
Russian 150,000
Spanish 93,000
Chinese 85,568
isoleucine for the protein also known as titin, which is involved in striated muscle formation.


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Gordon Swede Oleson Mar 30, 1916 - Mar 15, 2007
Gordon 'Swede' Oleson, age 90, of White Lake, WI died Thursday, March 15, 2007 at Bohlman Assiste...
Magdaline L. Gabriel Aug 8, 1926 - Mar 14, 2007
Magdaline L. Gabriel age 80 of Antigo died Wednesday, March 14, 2007, at home in the care of her ...
Eunice Connie Novak Jul 20, 1921 - Mar 13, 2007
Eunice "Connie" Novak , age 85 , of Antigo died Tuesday, March 13, 2007, at her home. She was bo...
Clinton J. Heinzen Sep 24, 1923 - Mar 12, 2007
Clinton J. Heinzen died Monday March 12, 2007 at home under the care of his family and LeRoyer Ho...
Letha Landry Jun 12, 1932 - Mar 8, 2007
Letha Jane Landry age74 of White Lake died Thursday, March 08, 2007 at Asprius Wausau Hospital. S...
Manubbai Patel Jun 1, 1941 - Mar 10, 2007
Patrick "P.J." Ryan Feb 1, 1947 - Mar 10, 2007
Patrick "P.J." Ryan age 60 of Chilton died Saturday, March 10, 2007 at his home in the care of hi...
Joseph Lane Jul 21, 1922 - Mar 10, 2007
Joseph Lane longtime Neva resident died Saturday March 10, 2007 at Evergreen Terrace, at the age ...
Walter Dobson Mar 29, 1920 - Mar 7, 2007
Walter Dobson of Summit Lake died Wednesday March 7, 2007 at Langlade Memorial Hospital at the ag...
Raymond Terry Heckert Aug 19, 1946 - Mar 6, 2007
Raymond Terry Heckert longtime town of Ackley resident died Tuesday March 6, 2007 at home under t...


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NOV. 19: ST. MATILDA (MECHTILDE)
Posted on November 19, 2020 November 11, 2020 Author Editor	Comments Off on NOV. 19: ST. MATILDA (MECHTILDE)
Matilda Von Hackeborn-Wippra belonged to one of the noblest and most powerful Thuringian families. Her sister was the saintly and illustrious Abbess Gertrude von Hackeborn.
Matilda was so fragile at birth, that the attendants, fearing she might die unbaptized, hurried her off to the priest who was just then preparing to say Mass. After baptizing the child, he uttered the prophetic words: "What do you fear? This child most certainly will not die, but she will become a saintly religious in whom God will work many wonders, and she will end her days in a good old age."
When she was 7, having been taken by her mother on a visit to her elder sister Gertrude, then a nun in the monastery of Rodardsdorf, she became so enamored of the cloister that her pious parents yielded to her entreaties and, acknowledging the workings of grace, allowed her to enter the aluminate. Here, being highly gifted in mind as well as in body, she made remarkable progress in virtue and learning.
Ten years later (1258), she followed her sister, who, now abbess, had transferred the monastery to an estate at Helfta given her by her brothers Louis and Albert. As a nun, Mechtilde was soon distinguished for her humility, her fervor, and extreme amiability.
Though still very young, she became a valuable helpmate to Abbess Gertrude, who entrusted to her direction the aluminate and the choir. In 1261, a child of five was committed to her care. that child would one day be known as that Gertrude who in later generations became known as St. Gertrude the Great.
Gifted with a beautiful voice, Mechtilde also possessed a special talent for rendering the solemn and sacred music over which she presided as domna cantrix. All her life she held this office and trained the choir with indefatigable zeal. Richly endowed, naturally and supernaturally, ever gracious, beloved of all who came within the radius of her saintly and charming personality, there is little wonder that this cloistered virgin should strive to keep hidden her wondrous life.
Souls thirsting for consolation or groping for light sought her advice; learned Dominicans consulted her on spiritual matters. At the beginning of her own mystic life it was from St. Mechtilde that St. Gertrude the Great learnt that the marvelous gifts lavished upon her were from God.
In her 50th year, St. Mechtilde learned that two nuns in whom she had especially confided had written down the favors granted her, and, moreover, that St. Gertrude had nearly finished a book on the subject. Such public display troubled her until she had a vision of Christ holding in His hand the book of her revelations, and saying, "All this has been committed to writing by my will and inspiration; and, therefore you have no cause to be troubled about it." He also told her that, as He had been so generous toward her, she must make Him a like return, and that the diffusion of the revelations would cause many to increase in His love; moreover, He wished this book to be called "The Book of Special Grace."
When the saint understood that the book would tend to God's glory, she ceased to be troubled, and even corrected the manuscript herself. Immediately after her death it was made public, and copies were rapidly multiplied, owing chiefly to the widespread influence of the Friars Preachers.
Boccaccio tells how, a few years after the death of Mechtilde, the book of her revelations was brought to Florence and popularized under the title of "La Laude di donna Matelda." It is related that the Florentines were accustomed to repeat daily before their sacred images the praises learned from St. Mechtilde's book. Scholars say that Dante was inspired by Mechtilde's writing as well.
St. Gertrude, to whose devotedness we owe the "Liber Specialis Gratiae" exclaims: "Never has there arisen one like to her in our monastery; nor, alas! I fear, will there ever arise another such!" — little dreaming that her own name would be inseparably linked with that of Mechtilde. With that of St. Gertrude, the body of St. Mechtilde most probably still reposes at Old Helfta thought the exact spot is unknown.
Adapted by A.J. Valentini
NOV. 18: ST. ODO OF CLUNY
NOV. 20: ST. ROSE PHILIPPINE DUCHESNE


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Specialty Care Brings Seizure Freedom
In her Kansas City apartment, where she enjoys making bracelets and playing Bingo, Peggy Ann Bell has celebrated several milestone events – turning 70 in 2017 – and eliminating a lifetime of epileptic seizures.
After 6 decades of managing the challenges of epilepsy, seizures and their after-effects, Peggy is progressing toward seizure freedom.
Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Peggy crossed the country at 8 years old to live with her aunt in Sacramento, California. While there, Peggy experienced a traumatic brain injury that would trigger the first seizure of many that would plague her for decades. Once she was well enough to travel, she returned to her mother in Arkansas, and they began to look for a doctor to treat Peggy's epilepsy.
"Those seizures were difficult to get under control," Peggy says. "I finally saw a doctor who prescribed Dilantin. I would take that medication for the next 56 years."
While Peggy believed that stressful situations could incite her seizures and did her best to avoid such triggers, the seizures only worsened. She experienced 1 or 2 seizures every month, and the after-effects of each would last for 2 to 3 days.
"They were never under control," she says. "They just got worse and worse."
New hope through expert care
Later in life, Peggy moved to Kansas City. There, she learned for the first time about a type of doctor who specializes in epilepsy, an epileptologist.
"That is what I needed," Peggy says. "I wanted to see a seizure doctor, someone who knew everything there was to know about seizures and controlling them."
Peggy's search led her to epileptologist Carol Ulloa, MD, director of epilepsy care services at The University of Kansas Health System, which offers the only Level 4 Epilepsy Center in the state of Kansas. After evaluating Peggy's history, Dr. Ulloa selected a medication that had a different mechanism of action from those Peggy had tried in the past. The medication change enabled a clear improvement.
"This has really helped me," Peggy says. "I noticed a big difference right away. I have had exactly 1 seizure since seeing Dr. Ulloa more than 6 months ago. One seizure. That's a very big change for me."
"A specialist brings this extra level of understanding of the different seizure medications and how they work," Dr. Ulloa says. "We can identify the type of medication that may be more likely to help each individual patient."
Peggy appreciates that Dr. Ulloa offers a range of medication therapies that give her choices other than surgery. While she would be a good candidate for surgical options, it is not a route that interests Peggy at this time.
"You do have to be responsible when you have epilepsy, and you have to do your part," Peggy says. "I don't drive. I take my medicine. I listen to my doctor. Dr. Ulloa is a wonderful doctor, and I am just so thankful for her."
Peggy visits Dr. Ulloa about every 4 months.
"Peggy's future looks bright," Dr. Ulloa says. "The longer we can keep her from having a seizure, the more confident we can be that another won't occur."
We offer a variety of appointment types. Learn more or call 913-588-1227 to schedule now.
Advanced Options for Rare Neurological Disorder


I never gave much thought to being an older mom. Parenting wasn't in the cards for me when I was in my twenties. I couldn't care for mini humans, while downing cheap beer and noshing on 7-Eleven frozen burritos at 2:00 am.
In my early thirties my outlook drastically changed. My biological clock began striking like Big Ben, but finding a striking partner wasn't working as well. My friends called me the "Queen of First Dates." But why buy the cow, when he's boring and full of himself?
By my mid-thirties, I married a wonderful man, who wanted to start a family right away. I concurred. You would think by thirty-five, I'd be well equipped for what was coming; but the Great Baby Hurricane of 2005 rocked us off our foundation.
Like most new parents, I quickly learned my wild years were behind me. Sure my babies were cute while they screamed like feral animals, but since my girls were only 14 months apart, my past needed to be hung up to dry out. Add some running shoes and a large vat of Ben Gay, and this old gal was prepped to train for the parenthood marathon.
Would I have had more stamina or patience as a younger mom? If I had started a family right out of college, would I have been able to provide for my kids financially as well, or give them the emotional support that only time can afford? There's an enormous difference between 35 and 21. Just ask my stretch marks.
While making my weekly Target trip for the family, I moseyed over to the glasses kiosk. Glancing over my shoulder to ensure no one I knew was watching me, I moved toward the type of glasses which many ladies have attached to a chain dangling around their neck, while maneuvering tiles during their weekly Mahjong game.
Yes, the time had come for me to start wearing readers. I managed to convince myself it was because my arms had grown too short. Blissful ignorance and avoiding reality is what keeps me young.
If you've ever tried on "cheaters," there's an entire production before you purchase the correct pair. I thought I'd find the pretty ones, check if I could see out of them and be done. Wrong.
First, if you are lucky enough to see the prescription numbers on the label, you are ahead of the game. Since I had small children, and rarely had time to myself to try on 32 pairs in one trip, I waited longer than I should have.
As the directions state, first you must stand 14 inches away from the mirror.
Did they mean from the tip of my nose or were my toes to be that far from the shelving?
Since the instructions weren't clear enough for me, I automatically assumed the manufacturers didn't know what they were talking about.
I perched the pretty pair on my nose and began searching for small print. What I needed was a can of tomato paste. The lettering on those tiny cans is so small, I've had to change dinner plans mid meal preparation. But there in my cart was the font I needed, on the back of the Huggies' Pull-Ups.
Readers and diapers – the irony is priceless and ridiculous. There are few moments in my life where I heartily laugh at myself. The kind of laugh where you can't breathe, your face reddens and tears stream down your cheeks.
Good thing I didn't have my daughters with me because I'm sure someone would have ruined my laughing cleanse by telling me how cute my granddaughters were.
That hypothetical person is very lucky I didn't hurl a jumbo pack of Huggies at her.
And with my new trendy specs, I would have nailed her.
I try to be a "cup is half full" type of person, despite routinely being buried in the bottom third of my coffee grounds. Whoever said being positive about everything in life has done a whack job on my emotions. It's a polar pull of happy and mad magnets playing a tug of war game on my brow, and I have to admit it's exhausting!
It was an accident. Get over it!
It had to have been a temporary lapse of good judgment. Don't yell!
I'm sure those workmen are used to it. Just smile and nod!
Google Fiber sure tests my happy magnet. It's taking over the scenery of our town. Do they assume I prefer listening to their constant machinery cacophony? It's the perfect audible blend of discord that makes my stomach border on nausea and my head bang to the beat.
Have you seen these workmen, with floating heads lining the curbs of our streets? Their bobbing, white safety helmets remind me of a natural history museum panorama, where the prairie dog's head raises up and down from his hidey-hole.
Yet, if you're yearning for faster computer loading time, then your heart might skip a joyous beat gazing at the destruction of yards. I realize it's the city's turf from the sidewalk to curb, but if the city is claiming that part of my yard, I think they should mow it.
If you care less about speed, use a dial-up modem, or are wary of modern advancements due to the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" theory, then I can appreciate your irritation. However, my unsolicited advice is it might be time to head down to your winter home in Scottsdale, Ariz., or add yoga or meditation to your daily routine.
My family is cautiously hopeful about Google Fiber. I guess that makes us middle aged? No need for yoga or Arizona real estate yet, but we won't be first in line for the switchover.
So that same morning, after dropping off my daughters at school, I turned onto my street to see my new head-nod buddies. Every time I passed them that first day, I'd give the Midwest head nod or the dirt road farmer's finger wave. You know the one — where you lift your index finger straight up off the steering wheel, keeping eyes forward, and no trace of a smile.
Those Google Fiber men were still hard at work, now buried to their knees in my cul-de-sac. Once again, my inner tug-of-war battle begins.
I know the final product will be convenient and someday I'll wonder how I ever lived without it; but how is my yard going to look after they put it all back together?
Will they plow through our sprinkler system and mess with our perfected angles of yard saturation?
And what if we decide to put our house on the market that day? The photos would be atrocious!
As it turned out, I needed to be patient and dial down the worry monitor. At the end of the day, the workers put the yard back together beautifully, and life went on as it always does.
But earlier that afternoon, when the men had dug themselves neck high, it hit me. This day was just a petty complaint. I could turn my frown upside down by pranking my kids on the ride home with tales of floating heads by our driveway.
It turns out my dose of fiber was served with a cup full of laughs that day, and thankfully my ears have finally stopped ringing.