Photo: Robbie Shone. All photos in this story are copyright of Robbie Shone and used by permission.
In just a few short months, Dr. Gina Moseley will board a small inflatable boat to cross a 10km lake. That is, after landing on a tiny airstrip on the Northeastern shores of Greenland. She and her team of scientists, cavers and reporters — along with hundreds of pounds of cameras, drilling tools, climbing equipment, and camping gear — will spend three days sampling deposits in some of the deepest, darkest, and most remote caves ever researched.
The team's work will benefit the Northeast Greenland Caves Project. The project, with the mission to "explore, survey, photograph, and sample caves of Northeast Greenland for the purpose of climate-change research," first came to Moseley's attention in 2007. Some of her friends at a caving club in Bristol, England, alerted her to the existence of these particular caves. As an athlete and cave enthusiast, Moseley has always been drawn to the physical challenge of exploring caves. This love actually grew since she began caving at the age of 12.
The combination of the two disciplines — caving and the science around it — allowed her to take part in research projects across the globe, such as studying landscape evolution in Borneo, collaborating on hurricane projects, and dating meteorites.
Moseley's current work at the Innsbruck Quaternary Research Group spurred her to undertake this new adventure with the Northeast Greenland Caves Project. Intrigued with this region's caves, Moseley then began assembling a team to explore and research the area.
She explains that it will be the first record of the past lives of these caves.
"Though we have excellent records of climate change from the Greenland ice cores, those records only go back around 128,000 years," Moseley says.
The Northeast Greenland Caves Project will actually be fully human-powered. For example, the team isn't using a helicopter to reach their destination. Instead, they will trek over miles of glacial moraines and explore areas surrounding the caves.
Like with any high-stakes project, however, Moseley still possesses doubts.
That said, Moseley expects the samples to prove useful, even if they don't teach something new about climate change. But if Moseley's optimism is any indication, this trip will be one to watch.
Read Part II here to learn more about Greenland caving and climate change, as well as Moseley's trip.
Find the good and praise it. Whether I'm backpacking, swimming in alpine lakes, or prepping the ultimate picnic to enjoy on the river, I try to live each day with a deep gratitude that I get to live in such an astounding place.


In yet another piece of News That Isn't Really News comes a recent report from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.
Pew asked more than 1,000 folks where they got "most of" their national and international news. In 2008, the Internet eclipsed print newspapers as their primary news source.
You can see more detail here in a New York Times blog.
Local news, however, is a different beast. For one thing, local publications don't have a user-friendly (or even, in some cases, any) website. More significantly, however, local news is a much more intimate, day-to-day relevant resource than national and international news.
While the future of major newspapers is cloudy, I am most optimistic about the fortunes of local publications that do a solid job of covering their own communities. From a PR perspective, it is crucial to recognize how to tailor news releases and story suggestions with that specific smaller geographic focus in mind.
For example, if you have five people, from five different communities in the same metro region who have benefited from a given company's service, then the same type of story can be pitched to at least five (and sometimes even more) distinct publications.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Chicago PR tips, local newspapers, New York Times, Pew Research Center by Matt Baron. Bookmark the permalink.
Great point, Matt. It's especially effective when you go the extra mile to include the essential background that a reporter will normally ask about a local profile subject–saving the editor or reporter some effort on that legwork and thus further encouraging him/her to do the story in this day and age of reduced newsroom staffing. You referenced this in an earlier post on press releases. What worries me is the continued number of local papers being discontinued by their corporate media owners. News this week of the Sun-Times' shuttering of so many suburban Pioneer Press papers was incredibly sobering.


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Management Members
Intelligence Analysis
Report a Suspicion
Supervisory Process
Risk Evaluation Questionnaires
Enforcement Process
Administrative Measures
CBAR
Cash Restriction
FATF Recommendations
Publications & Consultation
Implementing Procedures
Country Statements
Third Party Publications
Courses by Other Entities
Working with FIAU
Report a Suspicious Transaction
The Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit is the national central agency in Malta that is responsible for the collection, collation, processing, analysis and dissemination of information to combat money laundering and the funding of terrorism.
The Unit became operational on 1 October 2002, when it was established by virtue of Legal Notice 297 of 2002. This legal notice brought into force the comprehensive amendments to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (Act XXXI of 2001). Though set up as an agency within the ministry responsible for finance, the Unit has a separate judicial personality and operates autonomously from its own offices with its own staff.
The responsibilities related to the governance of the Unit are divided among the Board of Governors and the Director, with the Board establishing the policy and the Director being tasked with the execution of that policy. The Director is also responsible for carrying out all other functions of the Unit not attributed to the Board by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
He is assisted by permanent staff operating within six distinct sections responsible for Intelligence Analysis, Supervision and Enforcement, Legal Affairs, Corporate Services & People Performance and Culture, Policy and Quality Assurance, and Technology and Information Security.
To protect Malta's financial system and the community from serious crime by combating money laundering and funding of terrorism, through the generation and dissemination of useful intelligence, and the application of effective and proportionate preventative measures, in collaboration with our private and public sector partners.
The Legal Affairs Section is composed of two distinct teams: the Legal & International Relations Team and the Guidance & Outreach Team. The Legal and International Relations Team is primarily responsible for providing legal advice to the FIAU's other internal sections, the Director and the Board of Governors and also for handling the legal affairs of the Unit. This Team is moreover responsible for drafting and proposing amendments and revisions to Maltese AML/CFT legislation, to ensure that it is constantly up to speed with the relevant EU Directives and International Standards. The international relations of the FIAU are managed by this team whose officers participate in numerous EU and International AML/CFT Fora, handle and coordinate AML/CFT evaluations that are carried out by international bodies from time to time, participate in international research projects on AML/CFT matters, and also coordinates the negotiation and drafting of Memoranda of Understanding with foreign FIU counterparts, amongst others. The Guidance and Outreach Team has been set up in 2019 to place more focus on the provision of training and guidance to subject persons to better assist them in carrying out their AML/CFT obligations and to ensure that they are constantly updated and informed about ML/FT risks. Thus this team is responsible for the drafting of Implementing Procedures that interpret Maltese AML/CFT legislation and provide detailed guidance for its implementation by subject persons, including through sector specific Implementing Procedures and other topical or ad-hoc guidance. Apart from drafting and issuing written guidance, this team organises various AML/CFT training seminars and oversees the participation of FIAU officers in AML/CFT training seminars organised by other entities. The Joint Committee for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Funding of Terrorism, which is an FIAU committee that brings together various competent authorities and industry representative bodies, as well as the AML/CFT Consultants Forum which provides a discussion forum for various AML/CFT consultant in Malta, are public-private outreach fora that are organised and run by the Guidance and Outreach Team.
The role of the Intelligence Analysis section is the collection, processing and analysis of information that is obtained from various domestic as well as international sources. The primary source of this information is the receipt of reports that relate to suspicious transactions or activity that are filed by subject persons.
In addition to disseminating analytical reports to the Police, in cases were the Unit has a reasonable suspicion of money laundering or funding of terrorism, the Intelligence Analysis Section also contributes significantly to the sharing of intelligence with other domestic authorities and foreign counterparts, both spontaneously and on request.
To carry out its analytical function, the Intelligence Analysis Section is split into three sub-sections, as outlined below.
Processing and Prioritisation
This section is responsible for the initial handling of all incoming intelligence to identify those cases that require a more in-depth analysis and the sharing of intelligence spontaneously, as necessary, with domestic and foreign counterparts.
This section consists of three areas, which respectively handle cases relating to suspected money laundering, cases of suspected funding of terrorism and cases that, although relate to suspected money laundering, are more complex.
Strategic Analysis and International Co-operation
This section handles all incoming requests for information, which is being sought to combat ML/FT, from the FIAU's domestic and foreign counterparts.
This section also conducts periodic strategic analyses to identify areas of risk, trends and typologies within various sectors.
The role of the Supervision Section, which emanates from Article 16(1)(c) of the PMLA, revolves around monitoring AML/CFT compliance by subject persons carrying out relevant financial business or relevant activity in terms of Regulation 2 of the PMLFTR. The fulfilment of this role is based on two main pillars:
1) Identification and assessment of ML/FT risks posed by subject persons;
2) Supervision of adherence to AML/CFT obligations by subject persons; and
To fulfil these functions, the Supervision section is split into four teams, as outlined below.
This team is responsible for co-ordinating the risk assessment process of subject persons to derive an ML/FT risk profile of each subject person, which subsequently guides in implementing a risk-based approach to supervision. To achieve this objective, the Risk team is responsible for formulating and applying the FIAU's risk assessment methodology through collecting, understanding, analysing and assessing risk data of the subject population from multiple data sources.
This team is mainly involved in conducting supervisory action to assess the subject person's compliance with AML/CFT obligations stemming from the PMLA, the PMLFTR and the FIAU's Implementing Procedures. Supervisory action can be carried out through multiple methods, including on-site compliance examinations, off-site examinations and supervisory meetings.
The results of the risk assessment conducted by the Risk are the foundation on which the Supervision team's supervisory plan detailing the method, frequency and intensity of supervision is based. To ensure adequate supervisory coverage of all the sub-sectors in which subject persons operate, the Supervision team is split into three distinct sub-teams:
1) Credit and Financial Institutions Supervision;
2) Investments, VFAs and Gaming Supervision; and
3) DNFBPs Supervision.
The role of the Enforcement Section is to determine the administrative measures necessary in relation to identified AML/CFT breaches, and to subsequently ensure, by engaging with subject persons, that the failures identified are remediated. This also in fulfilment of the FIAU's function in terms of Article 16(1)(c) of the PMLA.
The responsibilities of the Enforcement Section encompass the application of enforcement action for AML/CFT breaches identified through the conduct of compliance examinations by the Supervision Section. Although any administrative measures to be applied in this regard are not decided on by the Enforcement Section, but rather by the FIAU's Compliance Monitoring Committee, the Section is responsible for ascertaining that enforcement decisions made by the Committee are imposed in practice on the subject persons concerned.
The Enforcement Section is also actively involved in carrying out follow-up actions to ensure that remediation action by subject persons following the determination of AML/CFT breaches.
Strategy, Policy and Quality Assurance
The Strategy Policy & Quality Assurance section's main purpose is to provide strategic direction and continuously seek ways to improve the FIAU's processes and procedures. This section is split into two sub-sections, as outlined below.
Strategy Policy
The Strategy Policy team provides strategic direction for the whole Unit by developing strategies and policies for the FIAU. This team is also responsible for drawing up studies and research papers on strategy and policy matters. In addition, it updates the AML/CFT institutional framework.
The Quality Assurance team maintains an oversight of the implementation of the Unit's development plan. This sub-section is also responsible for reviewing and monitoring policies, procedures and guidelines related to any internal control standards and/or risk management. Furthermore, this team continuously conducts quality assurance reviews.
Corporate Services and People, Performance and Culture
The main aims of the Corporate Services and PPC (People, Performance and Culture) section are to provide support services for the FIAU's financial planning and management, human resources management, procurement and office management.
There are three main sub-sections within the Corporate Services and PPC, as outlined below.
People, Performance and Culture
The People, Performance and Culture, HR and Payroll section oversees human resources and payroll.
The main responsibilities of this section are: to administer the recruitment process and issue employment contracts, compute payroll and manage attendance, co-ordinate induction training for new employees, and formulate and amend new policies related to HR. This section also takes care of the Health and Safety administration and training of staff on Health and Safety matters, and manages the FIAU's Life and Health insurance cover of staff.
The Finance section is responsible for the FIAU's administrative and financial requirements, including the preparation and management of accounting records, budgets and forecasts, preparation of reports as required by the Ministry for Finance and other Government departments, and co-ordination of responses to Parliamentary Questions.
The Finance Section is also in charge of the day-to-day administrative duties. These include: the administration of correspondence, payment of invoices, management of supplies, supervision of contractual obligations with suppliers, making travel arrangements, and other administrative tasks.
The Procurement section is responsible for the purchase of the supplies and services for the FIAU, overseeing the entire procurement cycle. The main tasks include: the preparation and issuing of tenders and calls for quotations, vetting of procurement documents for supplies, services or works tenders, and preparing and/or assisting in the drafting and signing of contracts and other related documents.
Technology and Information Security
The Technology and Information Security section of the FIAU is committed to implement and maintain industry standards, governance and reliable systems to ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability of data and its systems. The section provides operational support to all other sections and external entities related to its core network infrastructure, security systems and all critical business applications.
Officials in this section also actively participate in several international initiatives with other FIUs to improve dissemination of information in a confidential, integral and reliable manner.
Further to these responsibilities, the FIAU was recently appointed additional obligations from the EU Commission and Moneyval. Therefore, the Technology and Information Security section was restructured to accommodate further functions.
The Network and Security team, together with the relevant technology vendors and partners, co-ordinates, implements and maintains its core network and security systems, while ensuring the highest standards of security are adopted and maintained within the FIAU's processes and systems.
The Business Applications team, also together with the relevant technology vendors and partners, co-ordinates and assists with the critical Information Systems related to the FIAU's functions. From a technological perspective, this team supports each section within the FIAU with their respective operational processes, systems and reporting needs. Some of the core systems that are being maintained by this team are related to STRs, supervisory systems and business intelligence tools.
We believe in practising our Values on a day-to-day basis in our decisions, communications and our behaviours.
We bring to life our Values as we deliver our responsibilities and interactions.
Our work is guided by a core set of Values. These align all the team as we deliver on the Unit's purpose.
We are honest, ethical and trustworthy.
We accept full responsibility for our decisions, actions and results.
We appreciate and respect other people's thoughts, feelings and background.
We take pride in what we do. We stand for what is just and right.
We are hungry, we are passionate and we love new challenges.
We value our performance-driven culture where we all work together to reach new milestones. We know our goals and constantly strive to reach new heights.
We are hard-working individuals that reach great heights when working together.
We believe and act with equality.
We achieve greatness through teamwork.
We operate with transparency.
We are committed to building an encouraging, caring and supportive environment.
We value the talent, time and intentions of everyone we work with.
We establish goals, create plans and execute them.
We are determined to work hard and deliver results.
We are persistent in our work
Meticulous
We deliver results the right way.
We set high standards. We execute on the details.
We take pride in our work, and never settle for anything but the best.
We take pride in what we do.
We stand for what is just and right.
We are passionate and we love new challenges.
We value our performance-driven culture where we all work together to reach new milestones.
We know our goals and constantly strive to reach new heights.
We are persistent in our work.
We get it right by being rigorous.
© FIAU 2023
Contact the FIAU
Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit
65C, Tower Street
Birkirkara, BKR 4012 Malta

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Mariano San Miguel Urcelay (Oñate, 7 de diciembre de 1879-Vitoria, 7 de octubre de 1935) fue un músico español.

Biografía
Natural de la localidad guipuzcoana de Oñate, donde nació en 1879, se mudó joven a Vitoria, ciudad a la que quedaría ya ligado de por vida. Vivió, asimismo, en Madrid, donde tocó el clarinete para diferentes bandas, incluidas la del Regimiento de Zapadores Minadores y la del Real Cuerpo de Alabarderos. En la Sociedad de Conciertos fungió como primer clarinete. Dio a la música decenas de composiciones. Destacado en Vitoria por la composición de un pasacalles dedicado a Celedón, falleció en la capital alavesa en 1935. Fue condecorado a título póstumo con el Celedón de Oro de 1973.

Referencias

Nacidos en Oñate
Fallecidos en Vitoria
Músicos de España del siglo XIX
Músicos de España del siglo XX
Laureados con el Celedón de Oro
Sepultados en el cementerio de Santa Isabel (Vitoria)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


With the rise of online success, it is no secret why people want to work from home: the ability to create your own hours, the ability to be your own boss and the ability to stay at home with your family. One of the easiest ways to work from home is to learn how to work from home in data entry. Data entry is one of the easiest professions to get into online and it is the one that most people tend to look for opportunities first.
The truth is, there is a way you can make money online with data entry, you just need to know how to get started!
Data entry is the means to input data, alphabetically, numerically or symbolically into a company's systems. As a data entry worker, you will be hired to verify or edit that data before inputting into a company's system.
What Skills Do You Need to Work in Data Entry?
What Equipment Do You Need to Start Data Entry Work?
A home office-a place where you can work in peace and with virtually no distractions.
Access to high speed Internet-slow Internet can have an effect on your work ethic.
Number pad on a keyboard-it will make data entry work easier.
Ability to access data processing programs.
One of the best and most legit ways to find legitimate data entry jobs that you can work from home are on freelancing websites. Freelancing websites are portals where you can find legitimate work from home jobs where companies hire you as a sub-contractor and you are paid upon an agreed upon price before commencing work.
On freelancing websites, you can find data entry jobs that range in price from a few cents to even up to $15 an hour. Ultimately this paying price varies depending on the company you are working for and the complexity of the job. Best of all, you can be paid directly via PayPal or a direct deposit into your account.
A reliable freelancing website that has been around for years. Payment is made via PayPal or a direct deposit into your bank account. It is free to create a profile and to apply for jobs. You can apply today and start working the same day as well.
This freelancing website has been around for just as long as UpWork (formerly oDesk) has been around. Based in Australia, this particular freelancing website is home to a variety of freelancers, ranging from computer programmers to writers. Payment is made via PayPal or a direct deposit into one's bank account.
Fiverr.com is a great website to use whenever you are trying to work from home for yourself. You can create "gigs" which are essentially services that you can provide to clients who need that specific service. As a data entry specialist, you can create a data entry gig starting at whatever price you set and be hired by virtually any client that comes across it.
There are plenty of data entry specialists that are making a living using fiverr.com. As long as you promote excellent customer service skills and charge for your service fairly, becoming a data entry specialist on the platform will become a reality for you.
Flexjobs is a relatively new job site that recently popped onto the scene a few years ago. What they are most known for is for helping people find work from home jobs from legitimate companies. They are a highly reputable job site and one of the most recommended around.
Indeed, unlike Craigslist, is an online job site where you can find jobs from legitimate companies. You can also find plenty of telecommuting jobs as well. Simply upload a resume and cover letter and let companies find you and your data entry skills.
This company is one that pays independent data entry contractors on a per piece basis. Keep in mind that most of the time, jobs are not available often so it is a great company to stick with only as a part time basis only.
This is an online data entry and virtual office service provider located somewhere in South Carolina. Aside from offering online transcription work, this company also provides data entry jobs, customer support and secretarial services right from the comfort of your own home.
This is a company that hires for data verification and data entry services.
Each of the positions are available based on location. Once hired, you will be trained by the company for a minimum of a few weeks before actually completing the job. Typically, the company pays between .10 to .14 per form, depending on the form you are completing. It will also depend on how fast you can type. Payment is made weekly and can be paid directly through direct deposit.
The Smart Crowd, once called the Virtual Bee is a crowdsourcing company online that hires independent contractors for client data entry work. This company typically hires for $5 to $6 an hour and is made on a per piece basis. While the company does pay weekly, this is a company that has a minimum payout of at least $30.
Sig Track is an online crowdsourcing company that hires freelancers to process voter registrations and signatures for petitions. Freelancers are paid on a per piece basis and are typically paid strictly via PayPal.
Amazon Mechanical Turk is a popular online job opportunity that allows people to earn money doing small tasks on a daily basis. While you may be doing small data entry work, you may even have to do some writing work and evaluation of the search engines. However, on average don't expect to make anymore than $3 to $4 an hour and you will be paid per piece. Most workers are paid via a direct deposit transfer and you must have no less than $1 in your account on Amazon.
This is a company that hires data entry specialists that hire based on location only basis. Some of the positions available often train directly on site so you will need to be close to each hiring position before applying. This company typically pays between $10 to $10.50 an hour.
Hopefully by now you have found out how to work from home in data entry and have even learn who is hiring right at this moment. Now, all you need to do is take what you have learned in this post and put it into practice by applying for a few of these companies yourself and finding legitimate work from home data entry jobs to start making the money you deserve to make.
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Showing posts with label Thomas Gambino. Show all posts
CW to Detail Mafia's Connection to the Fashion Industry
Just when it seemed Seventh Avenue had shed its cloak of organized crime, it could be pulled right back in.
Lewis Kasman, a former trim producer who once fashioned himself as John Gotti's "adopted son," is expected to turn state's evidence this week in the latest Mob crackdown. A federal court in Brooklyn unsealed an 80-count indictment last month charging 62 alleged mobsters with a list of crimes, from racketeering conspiracy and extortion to theft of union benefits and money laundering.
Although the indictment focuses on the connection between the Mafia, the construction industry and its unions, testimony by Kasman, who is alleged to have for years run a fashion industry front for the Gambino crime family, might also illuminate connections between organized crime and the New York fashion industry over the past three decades — although the ties go back longer than that.
Kasman is slated to appear in federal court Thursday and is expected to testify on his background as an associate of the Gambino crime family and his relationship with its leaders, including Joseph "JoJo" Corozzo. The government also has filed a motion to disqualify Corozzo's son, Joseph, an attorney on the case.
The indictment outlined crimes dating back to the Seventies and ensnared reputed associates of the Gambino, Genovese and Bonanno organized crime families with movie-ready nicknames such as "Vinny Hot," "One Eye" and "Fat Richie."
The three-year investigation also included a cooperating witness who wore a wire, according to the indictment, although it could not be determined at press time whether that witness was Kasman.
"The evidence relating to many of the charged crimes consists of hundreds of hours of recorded conversations secured by a cooperating witness who penetrated the Gambino family over a three-year period," said a statement last month from the office of U.S. Attorney Benton Campbell, who oversees the Eastern District of New York.
Despite the breadth of the current wave of indictments, this won't be Kasman's first time in a courtroom. He was a principal with the now-defunct Albie Trimming Co., a family-owned trimmings manufacturer with a storefront operation and warehouse at 229 West 36th Street that supplied materials such as zippers, linings and buttons to garment industry companies, but was said to be a front for the Gambino family, then headed by John Gotti. At the time, the Gambino family had a stranglehold on Seventh Avenue's trucking activities.
Kasman, who often played up his relationship with Gotti by saying he was like an "adopted son" of the convicted murderer and racketeer, pleaded guilty in 1994 in Federal District Court in Brooklyn to lying to a grand jury in 1990 by saying he was not familiar with the terms "Gambino," "capo" or "consigliere." Kasman was sentenced to six months in prison, was given a $30,000 fine and was sentenced to three years of supervised release once he was out of prison, with the stipulation that he not associate with any members of organized crime.
When Gotti, also known as the "Dapper Don," died in prison in 2002, Kasman told newspapers, "He's a man amongst men, a champion."
During its investigation that led to Gotti's conviction, the government said Albie Trimming and an associated firm, Scorpio Marketing, existed "merely to provide the appearance that John Gotti and other Gambino family members have a legitimate income." Gotti was even said to have an Albie Trimming card that identified him as "salesman."
It was the same Gambino crime family that was prosecuted by Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau in 1992 for illegally controlling garment industry trucking. Then-assistant district attorney Eliot Spitzer, in his opening remarks in the trial of Thomas Gambino and Joseph Gambino, sons of crime family founder Carlo Gambino, said the Gambinos and their associates resorted to an occasional show of force "where the velvet glove comes off."
Spitzer won acclaim for his successful prosecution and used it as a stepping stone to his now-disgraced governorship of New York.
The level of the Mafia's involvement in Seventh Avenue today is a matter of debate, with some contending that the corporatization of the industry and the federal government's repeated crackdowns have stifled the Mob, but others saying it's still around. Whether Kasman's testimony will shed the kind of light on the garment industry and organized crime that past state's witnesses have remains to be seen. Sources told WWD after the Gambino trucking trial in state court in 1992 that one reason Thomas and Joseph Gambino pleaded guilty of restraint of trade was that prosecutors were prepared to call Mob-turncoat Sammy "The Bull" Gravano to testify how the family and its associates used strong-arm tactics and unscrupulous bookkeeping to form a garment industry cartel. In a separate federal trial that same year, Gravano was the star witness against Gambino crime family head Gotti and his damaging testimony led to Gotti's conviction and life sentence for racketeering and murder.
Thanks to Evan Clark and Arthur Friedman
Related Stories Carlo Gambino, Gambinos, John Gotti, Joseph Corozzo, Joseph Gambino, Lewis Kasman, Salvatore Gravano, Thomas Gambino No comments:
U.S. Says Mob Is Drying Up In New York
New York's five Mafia families, who survived years of Federal attack, have deteriorated in recent months to the point that three are virtually out of business and two are crumbling, many law-enforcement authorities and experts say.
After 60 years of illicit expansion, the combined racketeering power and wealth of New York's five traditional families is going the way of their counterparts in most other cities around the country , who have succumbed to a decade of aggressive Federal prosecution, the authorities say.
For the first time since the Mafia groups were formed in the 1930's, the experts say that all five families -- Gambino, Genovese, Lucchese, Colombo and Bonanno -- are in disarray, hurt by convictions and indictments of top leaders, murderous internal disputes, generational changes and defections by high-ranking members who have become Government witnesses.
The Lucchese family, for example, has had three changes of leadership in less than a year: one boss was jailed, and a second became a Government witness after he botched the killing of a mob captain -- who himself went on to become a key witness in a major racketeering trial aimed at ending the Mafia's influence in the window-installation industry.
All eight defendants were cleared of the racketeering charge on Friday, and six were cleared entirely, while two mid-level bosses were convicted of extortion. But prosecutors said afterward that the case had succeeded in driving the mob out of what had been a lucrative industry.
Moreover, many of the mob's customary money-producing rackets in the New York region, including extortions and kickbacks in the garment district, the Fulton Fish Market and the construction and trucking industries, have been eliminated or reduced by recent convictions and civil court remedies, the experts assert.
Federal and state law-enforcement officials say that the Colombo and Bonanno families have also been so shaken that they are no longer considered powerful threats. But officials cautioned that the the Genovese and Gambino groups -- the two largest in the country -- remain potent forces in illegal sports betting, loan-sharking, labor racketeering and the waste removal industries in the region.
Andrew J. Maloney, the United States Attorney in Brooklyn, and Ronald Goldstock, the director of the state's Organized Crime Task Force, forecast that the families could be reduced to the level of street gangs within a decade. They said that if prosecution pressure and defections continue, the mobs will lose what remains of their once-flourishing extortion rackets in legitimate businesses.
"No organization, legal or illegal, can withstand repeated decapitations at the top," Mr. Maloney said about the New York area. "They are certainly no longer a growth industry."
Not all experts are that optimistic. Robert J. Kelly, the president of the International Association for the Study of Organized Crime, agreed that the families seemed to have been weakened, but said that if the family units disappear they may undergo another incarnation. Mafiosi 'Will Persist'
"There may not be a Mafia, but there will be mafiosi who will persist as long as there are lucrative criminal opportunities," said Mr. Kelly, who is a professor of social science and criminal justice at Brooklyn College.
From intelligence obtained mainly from electronic eavesdroping and informers, experts cited these signs of decay in the families:
Leadership vacuums or internal wars have weakened the Gambino, Lucchese, Colombo and Bonanno groups, with the bosses and top leaders in each of the families serving prison sentences or in jail awaiting trials.
The number of active mob members has dropped by half in most cases since a peak in the late 1970's, law-enforcement officials say. The Colombos are down to about 100 members and the Bonnano family to 75.
The only reputed boss of a family not behind bars is Vincent Gigante, the suspected Genovese leader, who has been declared mentally unfit to stand trial on racketeering charges. Four capos or captains are trying to run the family but still consulting Mr. Gigante on major decisions.
The acting boss of the Lucchese family, Alphonse D'Arco, 59 years old, and a capo, Peter Chiodo, 40, both apparently fearing for their lives because of family strife, have become government witnesses. Their defections, said Mr. Maloney, may produce a wave of new indictments against Lucchese members. "It could be the death knell for the family," he asserted.
Control of the Colombo family is being disputed by two factions and the authorities say that the rivals have issued contracts to murder each other.
The new turmoil in the Lucchese family stemmed from distrust and a failed attempt to kill Mr. Chiodo in May. After surviving 12 bullet wounds, Mr. Chiodo became a Government witness. When Mr. D'Arco learned last month that there was a contract on his life for botching the hit on Mr. Chiodo, he, too, became a turncoat.
Since the 1930's, the New York region has been the Mafia's strongest bastion in America. Except for New York and Chicago, the F.B.I. and Federal prosecutors maintain that in the last decade they have largely eliminated Mafia strongholds in most big cities. But they say the job has been harder in New York, the only area with five separate, large families, while other cities had one family to eradicate.
Experts say that New York's families have survived because each family created a rigid organization, with rules that defined what kinds of crime could be committed and how profits would be divided.
The Mafia groups also engaged in more sophisticated white-collar crimes than other criminal gangs, and they infiltrated major labor unions. 'Mob's Invisible Tax'
The Manhattan District Attorney, Robert M. Morgenthau, said that by skimming "multimillions" annually from the construction and garment industries, the families had imposed an "invisible tax" on the region.
"What they do translates directly into higher costs for such basic things as clothes, the costs of an apartment and an office and discourages legitimate businesses from coming here or staying here," Mr. Morgenthau added.
Laura Brevetti, a former Federal prosecutor, noted that testimony and records disclosed that the Colombo family alone netted at least $80 million a year in the mid-1980's from gasoline tax frauds in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. And Mr. Morgenthau noted that a raid last year on the office of Thomas Gambino, 62, whom prosecutors have called a major organized-crime figure in the garment district, found records showing that he had $75 million in stocks, bonds and bank accounts.
The names of the five families are actually designations by law-enforcement authorities, based on the groups' founders or later bosses. Most members are not related by blood.
As in other regions, the New York Mafia has now has been severely injured by long-term legal strategies that concentrate on eliminating entire family hierarchies.
Federal prosecutors have used the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, and state authorities have applied the state's new Organized Crime Control Act, known as Little RICO, to obtain convictions and indictments against previously insulated bosses and leaders. 'Process of Grinding Down'
Mr. Goldstock, who was not involved in the case, called the window trial "neither a victory nor a defeat, but rather part of an investigative process of grinding down organized crime."
He emphasized that until several years ago it had been "almost unheard of" to convict such high ranking mobsters as Venero Mangano and Benedetto Aloi, who were convicted on Friday on charges of extortion in the window-installation industry.
Two bosses who remain in control of their organizations, investigators say, are John Gotti and Vincent Gigante, 63; authorities say they head the Gambino and Genovese crime families.
Mr. Gotti, 51, is in jail awaiting trial on racketeering charges that include the slaying of his predecessor, Paul Castellano. But Federal and state investigators said that Mr. Gotti still runs the Gambino family from prison, using his son John Jr. The officials, however, believe that his absolute control has slipped in his absence.
Mr. Gigante, 63, was declared mentally unfit last March to stand trial. But investigators believe that he, too, is still in charge.
Thanks to Selwyn Raab
Related Stories Alphonse D'Arco, Benedetto Aloi, John Gotti, Junior Gotti, Paul Castellano, Peter Chiodo, Thomas Gambino, Venero Mangano, Vincent Gigante No comments:
Bleeding Out: The Devastating Consequences of Urban Violence--and a Bold New Plan for Peace in the Streets by @Abt_Thomas


Dear guest! We are very pleased about your interest in our house. The "Gruberwirt" lies on the place edge of Götzens. 10 going minutes from the center remote. Our inn is equipped comfort with everyone. Restaurant with Tyrolean cooking and international courts, bar, farmhouse parlor with stove. All the guest-rooms and fitted out comfortably suites are equipped with bath/toilet, balcony, telephone, Farb TV, a bedroom, living part and kitchenette. The cosy atmosphere, the good kitchen and the loving support are single. Our regulars say this. You try but from whether they are right.... We look forward to you. Family Stefan Gruber and all employees.


After getting a fresh start in Tampa Bay, defenseman Brian Lee has decided to stick around.
The 25-year-0ld RFA has agreed to a two-year, $2.3 million extension with the Lightning after receiving his qualifying offer on Monday.
Tampa Bay acquired the former top-10 pick (taken ninth overall in 2005) at February's trade deadline in exchange for Matt Gilroy. Lee never seemed to be a fit in Ottawa — he once said he was "shocked and surprised" at a demotion to AHL Binghamton — but played well in Tampa, registering eight assists in 20 games while averaging over 17 minutes a night.
Lee, who goes 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, finished third on the team with 127 hits last year.


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Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, First Department, 1998 / Associate Justice, 1999-2004
Justice Lerner also sat on the bench of the 2nd Department; more information can be found HERE.
Justice Alfred D. Lerner earned his reputation as an efficient administrator while acting as Administrative Judge of Queens County. He was successful in eliminating the backlog of cases and kept the dockets current. During Lerner's tenure, Queens had become the only borough with no old cases left on its calendar. As a result, the Office of Court Administration, in 1994, brought him to New York City with a mandate to reduce the backlog of lawsuits pending against the City.
Alfred D. Lerner was born on September 19, 1928, in Jamaica, Queens. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 17. He graduated from Hunter College of the City University of New York and received his law degree in 1951 from New York Law School. After admission to the Bar, he went into private practice.
He was elected to the State Assembly as a Republican in 1957, where he spent the next 14 years representing three different Queens districts. While in Albany, Lerner served both as the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee and chairman of the Insurance Committee. In 1973, he was elected Supreme Court Justice, Queens County, and was named Administrative Judge of both the Civil and Criminal terms in Queens County in 1987. He spent the next 11 years whittling down calendar backlogs while earning a reputation for moving cases through the system.
In 1997, Justice Lerner was appointed by Governor George Pataki to the Appellate Division, Second Department. The following year, Pataki appointed him Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, First Department, where he became the sole Republican on the 12-judge appellate bench. He remained P.J. until 1999, when he turned 70. Thereafter, he was recertified to the bench as Associate Justice and remained at the First Department until reaching mandatory retirement age in 2004. After leaving the bench, Justice Lerner joined the firm of Phillips Nizer LLP as Counsel. He still retained his seat on the Departmental Disciplinary Committee for the First Department. And, in June of 2005, Governor Pataki appointed him, once again, to another position, that of Chair of the New York State Commission of Investigation.
Early in his career, Justice Lerner had been an Adjunct Professor at St. John's University Law School, lecturing on Uniform Commercial Code. He later earned an honorary Doctorate from Des Moines University in 1998.
Having earned his pilot's license while serving in the Army, Justice Lerner retained that license over the years, serving in the Civil Air Patrol, having attained the rank of Colonel. The "Hon. Alfred D. Lerner Scholarship" was set up at New York Law School for law students who are U.S. veterans.
Justice Lerner was married to Charlotte Lerner. They had three children. He died on August 3, 2009, at the age of 80.
Obituary, New York Law Journal, August 4, 2009, p. 2.
Biography, Alfred D. Lerner, CourtAlert, available at:
http://www.courtalert.com/JudgeLerner.asp
Queens Judge Assigned to Appellate Court Post, Albany Times Union, October 31, 1997.
A Judge Says 'Now': Clearing Cases Against the City of New York, New York Times, April 24, 1994, p. 36.


The LEGO® Boost system is a great way to learn how to code is a simple but fun manner. But beyond the Creative Toolbox and being able to include elements from it in other sets, no one has really gone beyond these. For the latest LEGO themed book from No Starch Press, Yoshihito Isogawa offers over 95 models you can create which incorporate the motors, sensors and elements from the LEGO Boost set. The book also includes snippets of coding to make your creations come alive. It's a great little book, which is includes some fun little creations. They are quite simple builds, but when combined with the coding aspect, they become even more creative. The LEGO Boost Idea Book is available now from Amazon, selected book retailer and No Starch Press.
San Francisco, CA (February 12, 2019)—The LEGO BOOST Idea Book ($24.95, 264 pp., ages 7+) is a collection of 95 inventive robotics models for kids by bestselling LEGO author Yoshihito Isogawa. This nearly wordless guide, a hallmark of Isogawa's style, offers up a collection of imaginative mechanisms for readers to try. From chomping bots, flapping wings, and gripping fingers, these simple machines challenge readers to push their creative boundaries to the limits.
Readers learn how to build a variety of mechanisms like suspended vehicles and rocket-launchers by following minimalist, full-color photo instructions complete with lists of parts and handy screenshots of programs. Once they've worked their way through Isogawa's library of ideas and mastered his creations, they can integrate his designs into their own intelligent robots.


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Q: How to get my vb.net program to use one network over another vb.net programmer and I am curious to know if there is a method to use so any program i am developing can select a specific network. I am asking this because i recently noticed that while on the wifi, i was still able to access a mapped drive from the lan connection. if there are any resources out there to enlighten me, im all ears because its annoying to constantly switch to my lan connection every time i have to test or deal with a db issue. Additional information: my programs connect to microsoft sql servers on the lan network.

A: Well I think I found an answer to my question, though it does not have anything to do with vb code. Since I am only dealing with two connections: my departments wifi  and may workplace's main network(lan) , I decided to change the metric value of the lan connection to 9999 and left the wifi as automatic. somehow Im able to keep both connections open and my program connects normally to the mssql sever on the lan while im able to use my department's wifi for testing and browsing. interesting stuff there. thanks for the interesting links though.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A thief who pleaded guilty to stealing jars of human brain tissue after breaking into an asylum-turned-museum and then selling it on eBay was handed over a four-year sentence by a Marion County judge. The 23-year-old man, identified as David Charles, had broken into the Indiana Medical History Museum in Indianapolis, Vermont, on multiple occasions in 2013 to steal jars of human brain tissue and other preserved material.
In 2013 a San Diego man bought six jars of human brain tissue off eBay for £400 ($600). After reading stories about similar items determined to be stolen from the museum, the buyer contacted authorities and reported that the stolen preserved organs were in his possession.
During investigations, police found that Charles had stolen the organs and sold them to the man, who again sold them on eBay. The police then set up a sting operation and asked the man to arrange a meeting with Charles. While trying to make a deal for 60 additional jars Charles stole the previous day, the police nabbed him on 16 December 2013.
The brain thief, along with an accomplice, were charged with theft, possession of marijuana and paraphernalia. The accomplice was not named and let go on a lighter sentence.
The police continued to look for more evidence to indict Charles, when they found a white piece of paper that contained a fingerprint in blood at the museum, which used to be a hospital for patients with psychiatric and mental disorders until 1994.
Eventually, tests revealed that the print matched with the left pinkie finger of Charles. On 25 November, Marion County Prosecutor, Terry Curry announced that Charles had pleaded guilty to six charges including burglary and receiving stolen property in court.
Charles was sentenced to four years, but will now spend one year in home detention, two years on probation and will have to obtain a high school diploma or GED.


A recent video from Fine Living shows you the proper care, cleaning and storage for your diamond jewelry. Not surprisingly enough the same applies to your Ziamond cubic zirconia jewelry. All jewelry purchased from Ziamond is best cleaned in the same manner and frequency as you do your diamond jewelry. Watch the video.
This entry was posted in cubic zirconia, cz and tagged ammonia, cleaning, cubic zirconia, cz, Diamonds on March 10, 2011 by Administrator.


Fall in love…again. Treat yourself to one of Broadway's hottest new shows and enjoy pure indulgence at The Plaza, a timeless landmark New York hotel. For over 100 years, The Plaza Hotel has been an icon, hosting world leaders, dignitaries, captains of industry, Broadway legends and Hollywood royalty. As an established staple for lavish society affairs, and blockbuster films, The Plaza has welcomed guests to enjoy its magic at the castle on Central Park South. Ideally situated on Fifth Avenue, The Plaza's prestigious address continues to define elegance with unmatched service.
Enjoy two orchestra or front mezzanine tickets to Pretty Woman: The Musical at the Nederlander Theater. Vivian and Edward are unlikely soulmates who overcome all odds to find each other… and themselves. Experience the moments you love from the movie (starring the enchanting Julia Roberts and heartthrob Richard Gere)—and get to know these iconic characters in a whole new way—in this dazzlingly theatrical take on a love story for the ages. Brought to life by a powerhouse creative team representing the best of music, Hollywood and Broadway, Pretty Woman: The Musical is guaranteed to lift your spirits and light up your heart. Should you wish to see a different show instead, alternate shows available upon booking (Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen and Harry Potter are not included in this package but are available for an additional fee). A small additional charge may apply during holidays and special performances.
Enjoy a 2-night stay in a standard room (one king or one queen bed) including breakfast for two at the most famous hotel in New York, The Plaza. Striking a balance between its storied past and limitless future, The Plaza Hotel is the ultimate luxury lifestyle destination. While traditions remain, such as the opulent grandeur of the Beaux Arts decor and the superb ambience of the legendary Oak Room and Oak Bar, exciting new and modern offerings at The Plaza Hotel New York include the elegant Champagne Bar and stylish Rose Club, as well as an interior Tranquility Garden with reflecting pools, elaborate lighting and exotic foliage.
Enjoy two orchestra or front mezzanine tickets to Pretty Woman: The Musical at the Nederlander Theater. Vivian and Edward are unlikely soulmates who overcome all odds to find each other… and themselves. Experience the moments you love from the movie (starring the enchanting Julia Roberts and heartthrob Richard Gere)—and get to know these iconic characters in a whole new way—in this dazzlingly theatrical take on a love story for the ages. Brought to life by a powerhouse creative team representing the best of music, Hollywood and Broadway, Pretty Woman: The Musical is guaranteed to lift your spirits and light up your heart. Should you wish to see a different show instead, alternate shows available upon booking (Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen and Harry Potter are not included in this package but may be available for an additional fee). A small additional charge may apply during holidays and special performances.


Every year, the Media Dialogue Hamburg brings together some 300 representatives from media and communication firms, associations, media regulators and science. Discussions at the event regularly focus on how to address the challenges of media change.
The Media Dialogue organised by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg offers a forum for exchange across industries that is unique in Germany. The event starts with a reception hosted by Hamburg's Senate for some 300 guests. The First Mayor and Minister President, Dr Peter Tschentscher, gives a keynote speech on media policy. An internationally renowned speaker then provides further impetus to the debates on media development beyond Germany's borders. Former speakers at the Media Dialogue include John Podesta, Counsellor to President Obama and Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign Chairman; Jōichi Itō, Director of the Media Lab at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Salim Ismail, Director and co-founder of Singularity University in Silicon Valley.
On the following day the discussion continues in an exclusive setting. A small circle of executives from relevant firms and associations exchange views with the First Mayor in a confidential atmosphere. Included are journalistic and artistic content providers – print media, private and public radio broadcasting, telemedia, music and film industry – as well as the advertising industry, platforms and technical infrastructure providers. There are no panels at this several-hour-long conference; the approximately 40, personally invited participants will all discuss the issues together and benefit from the mutual exchange of ideas.
The senate reception and the conference serve to reach agreement on common goals and possible strategies to reconcile conflicting interests in the digital world. As such, the Media Dialogue was instrumental in the establishment of the Bund-Laender Commission on Media Convergence. The commission has drafted recommendations for media regulations that are in keeping with modern thinking and practices.
The young executives meeting - the New Leaders' Forum - has become the third pillar of the Media Dialogue. Selected media and communication agencies each send two up-and-coming young executives, who will also attend the senate reception, to this networking and exchange event. Topics discussed in the past years were, for example, data as the basis for new business models and the question whether established media sectors will be able to meet the demands of the next generation.
The Media Dialogue Hamburg is held by the Senate of Hamburg in co-operation with partners from the business community, associations and institutions.


Giving L&D and business leaders the power to improve employee performance through adaptive learning and predictive analytics.
Adaptive learning creates a scalable, personalized learning experience to help ensure each employee has the knowledge they need to be effective.
The semantic engine automatically links concepts to course content. It determines where knowledge gaps exist, and presents the content needed to help close them.
The adaptive learning tool uses the objectives, content, and questions that have already been created for a course to create unique, personalized learning paths for each employee.
Use predictive analytics to understand each employee's performance trajectory in a course and identify those that need additional support or training.
Intuitive dashboards transform learner data into easily-identified patterns of performance and engagement.
Integrated workflows make it easy for managers to reach out to high-potential employees or provide help to low performers.
With a better understanding of which employees need extra support, leaders can ensure everyone finishes the course with a higher level of competency.


PowerInbox has raised $6.5 million in a Series A round led by Battery Ventures, Genesis Partners and new investor Maverick Ventures. Previous investors also took part. New York-based PowerInBox provides personalized email technology for marketers, agencies and publishers.


DAYTON, Ohio (AP) _ Rodney L. Everhart has been appointed president of Mead Data Central Inc., the electronic data publishing company said Monday.
He had served as interim president since November, said the parent Mead Corp. Everhart also was controller of Mead Corp. and will be replaced in that position.
Everhart succeeds Jack W. Simpson, who resigned Nov. 3 under pressure to increase earnings. Simpson had increased Mead Data Central's revenues from $47 million in 1981 to $470 million in 1991. But the parent company expected better performance, said Steven Mason, Mead Corp.'s chairman and chief executive officer.
Mead Corp. also is in the forest products business. Both companies are based in Dayton.
Mason said he expects improvement in product development, marketing and customer service. Everhart has already prepared a 1993 plan focusing on improving customer service, Mason said.
Everhart joined Mead in January 1989 as vice president of financial resources and administration. He became corporate controller in September 1992.
He had previously held financial and operations management jobs for General Electric Co. He left GE in 1986 to become chief financial officer and treasurer of Systems and Computer Technology Corp. in Malvern, Pa.


This client purchased a plot of land three doors down from their existing home, engaged our team at the onset along with a builder and had the beautiful opportunity of designing and building a family home customized to them and their lifestyle.
The scope of work was comprehensive, ground up and included all finishes & materials, full furniture package and styling. This practical, active family of 5 (6 if you count their adorable pup, "Brooklyn"), wanted a home that allowed them room to grow and an aesthetic that fit their "west coast meets mountain chalet" vibe in a clean lined and comfortable space.
The client was looking for an aesthetic that fit their "west coast meets mountain chalet" vibe in a clean lined and comfortable space.


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Refer to App Widget Documentation for margin information
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Forest fires force more patients north
Northern Health has been working find additional space and support for the growing number of hospital patients and seniors in care now in the city due to the wildfires to the south.
Mark Nielsen Jul 13, 2017 3:51 PM
After taking in about 100 acute care patients and seniors at the start of the week, the number has grown to about 175 as Williams Lake in particular continues to be threatened by a pair of massive forest fires.
"We've brought in beds, we've brought in additional staff and support and we're putting patients in almost all of our facilities," Northern Health spokesman Steve Raper said Wednesday.
They've included the Gateway, which has taken in 90 people, as well Simon Fraser, Rainbow and Jubilee facilities. Even then student residence at University of Northern British Columbia has been deployed - it's now an assisted living home for about 50 seniors.
A clinic has also been set up at the College of New Caledonia. Services there include mental health and addictions support in addition to basic care to ease the pressure on the emergency room at University Hospital of Northern B.C.
Blood work, x-ray and ultrasound services can also be arranged at the site which is open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. and with a registered nurse available around the clock.
In terms of staffing, Raper said many at Northern Health have gone "above and beyond."
"People have canceled their holidays to support and help out and cover shifts and people are working overtime and extra time so it really has been all hands on deck," Raper said.
Many are also volunteering for tasks outside their usual scope of work.
"If we need somebody to drive one of our fleet vehicles to move people around from spot to spot, for example, we're getting that type of thing happening," Raper said.
In light of the increase in patient numbers, Prince George residents are being asked to turn to their family physicians, nurse practitioners or local walk in clinics to meet their non-emergency health care needs.
Those who aren't sure whether their condition would warrant an emergency room visit, or who need health advice, can call HealthLink BC (8-1-1), or visit www.HealthLinkBC.ca for non-emergency health information 24 hours a day, seven days per week.


A fan for circulating laser gas in a gas laser, the fan having a shaft which is supported by at least one radial bearing and at least one axial gas bearing. The axial gas bearing has at least two rotating bearing faces, one or both being structured with a groove pattern, and at least two stationary bearing faces that are arranged at both sides of a plate.
This application is a continuation of and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 to PCT Application No. PCT/EP2011/050787 filed on Jan. 20, 2011, which claims priority to German Application No. DE 10 2010 001 538.5, filed on Feb. 3, 2010. The contents of both of these priority applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
This invention relates to a gas laser having a fan for circulating laser gas, the fan having a shaft which is supported by means of at least one radial bearing and at least one axial gas bearing.
Gas lasers and methods for operating them are generally known, for example, from DE 36 00 125 A1. Gas lasers typically include a fan for circulating the laser gas, the fan having a shaft, which is supported by means of at least one radial bearing and at least one axial bearing. In this instance, the bearings may be constructed as electromagnetic bearings. They have great bearing play and a sensor system, actuation system, and an electronic control system are generally provided to establish and control the position of the shaft in an axial or radial direction, since the bearings themselves do not set out any stable position of the shaft in an axial and radial direction. Known methods generally include corresponding logic loops for active control of the position of the shaft.
The shafts may also be constructed with gas bearings. Such a bearing is known from DE 36 00 125 A1. DE 36 00 125 A1 describes a fan for circulating large quantities of gas, in particular for high-power lasers. The fan has a shaft that is supported by two radial gas bearings and an axial gas bearing. The radial gas bearings are constructed as fish-bone air bearings that are supplied with air by a pump, which is formed by helical grooves at the lower side of a radial conveyor. These helical grooves at the upper end of the shaft also act as an axial gas bearing for the shaft. Gas is conveyed by the radial conveyor. In this instance, a problem arises that upwardly directed suction forces and the force of the axial gas bearing act on the radial conveyor. Downwardly directed gravitational force acts counter to these forces, and the two upwardly directed forces become increasingly dominant as the speeds increase. This problem is solved by the use of an additional axial magnetic bearing at the lower end of the shaft. In contrast, at low speeds, the gravitational force is dominant, which is a particular problem when turning the fan on or off. This problem is solved by the use of a compressed air pump, which is arranged to adjust an excess pressure at low speeds or an electromagnet.
The present disclosure relates to a gas laser with at least one axial bearing that can be configured purely as a gas bearing. The axial gas bearing has two rotating bearing faces and two stationary bearing faces, which are arranged at both sides of a plate, and one or both rotating bearing faces are structured with a groove pattern.
Thus, axial migration of the shaft is advantageously inhibited by means of the gas bearing, which has a simple and compact construction. If the shaft moves in an axial direction, a correspondingly high counter-pressure is produced at the side of the plate of the axial gas bearing facing in the same direction so that the shaft moves back into its original position. If the shaft begins to rotate, gas is conveyed through the grooves, whereby a gas cushion is generated that cushions the shaft in an axial direction. If the speed increases, the pressure of the gas cushion increases so that the shaft is supported in an optimum manner regardless of the speed. The bearing consequently stabilizes itself, thus avoiding the need for a bearing electronic system, sensor system, and actuation system and related components, such as a sensor or actuation cable.
Another advantage of the new bearing systems described herein results from the fact that the bearing play can be kept very small, which is one of the reasons for which gas with a compressibility value in the range from 200 to 600 can be used as a bearing medium. The very small bearing play avoids the need for emergency roller bearings and provides a high level of efficiency. Furthermore, such a bearing system is distinguished by freedom from maintenance, freedom from wear, and temperature insensitivity.
The groove pattern can be constructed as a helical groove pattern. When the shaft begins to rotate, gas is conveyed by the helical grooves, which may form, for example, in an unstructured region that is adjacent in a radial direction to the region provided with the helical grooves, to generate a gas cushion that carries the shaft and/or inhibits its migration.
In another embodiment, the groove pattern of the rotating plate is constructed as a fish-bone groove pattern. In this instance, gas is conveyed both from the outer and from the inner side of the plate at the same time through the grooves, for example, to an unstructured region located between the groove regions that are arranged in a radially offset manner. The terms "outer side" or "inner side" refer in this instance to the radial direction of the plate. This region may be omitted in another embodiment, in which case the grooves convey gas to a circle formed by the intersections of the grooves that extend in an acutely tapered manner towards each other. In these two embodiments, the gas cushion is formed above or below the unstructured region or the circle formed by the intersections of the grooves, which extend in an acutely tapered manner towards each other. In this region, the pressure is at a maximum. Owing to such a configuration of the groove pattern, the bearing properties of the bearing are improved, in particular also with respect to operation at compressibility values of the gas in the range from 200 to 600.
The groove depth can decrease in the direction towards a transition region, which is located between the grooves that are arranged in a radially offset manner relative to each other. In this manner, even at low speeds, pressure can be built up in regions of small groove depth, whereby the shaft lifts off earlier and the start and stop properties of the fan are optimized. At a constant speed, a relatively high pressure is built up, with the conditions otherwise being the same.
In some embodiments, the radial bearing is also constructed as a radial gas bearing, wherein the covering face of the shaft has an axially offset fish-bone groove pattern that may have between the axially offset groove regions, for example, an unstructured face. Gas is conveyed through the two groove regions at the same time to this region so that a region of maximum pressure is formed at this location. These grooves can have a gradient with respect to the groove depth, wherein the groove depth decreases towards the region of maximum pressure. Since a higher pressure can be formed in the regions with relatively shallow grooves, the bearing properties and in particular the start and stop properties of the radial gas bearing are improved in a sustained manner.
The groove depth may decrease in a stepless manner or in steps. The grooves can be machined in a very precise and shallow manner, the depth thereof being, for example, between approximately 5 and 50 microns or 10 and 25 microns, whereby the bearing properties are improved. They can be formed, e.g., in hard metals or ceramic materials, e.g., by means of surface evaporation using an ultra-short pulsed laser. The new methods have the advantage that the material in the grooves is removed in such a manner that no particles can become detached from the material during operation.
In some embodiments, the stationary or the rotating bearing face of the axial gas bearing can be constructed in a convex manner, the convexity being, for example, approximately 1 micron. Consequently, in the regions in which the stationary or the rotating bearing face is flat, a relatively high pressure can build up, whereby the shaft lifts off even at low speeds and the start and stop properties are improved.
In certain embodiments, at least one of the stationary bearing faces of the radial and/or axial bearing can be surrounded in the peripheral direction by one or more annular elements, which leads to an improved orientation or stability of the rotor. In some embodiments, this annular element comprises a resilient material or is an O-ring.
Also described herein are methods for operating a gas laser constructed as described herein, with one or more of the gas bearings being operated both as passive gas bearings and as active gas bearings.
Consequently, according to requirements, the advantages of a passive and an active bearing can be used. During operation as a passive gas bearing, the bearing stabilizes as a function of the speed itself. During operation as an active gas bearing, the bearing properties can be influenced in a selective manner.
In some embodiments, at least one of the bearings can be acted on with external pressure to achieve a pressure (e.g., a precisely defined pressure) that differs from the pressure level of other (e.g., all other) gas bearings in the gas laser. A gas bearing acted on with external pressure as described herein is referred to as an "active gas bearing." With the selective application of pressure to individual bearings, bearing properties, such as, for example, rigidity or damping, can be selectively influenced in each operating state.
In certain embodiments, the pressure which is applied to the bearing(s) which is/are operated as active gas bearing(s) is taken from the pressure side of the fan. This has the advantage that no external pressure gas source is required.
The bearing(s) can be acted on with external pressure by holes whose diameter is, for example, up to 50 microns or up to 100 microns. It is thereby possible to precisely define and control the pressure and the volume flow applied to the bearing(s) so that it is possible, in principle, to avoid the need for an electronic bearing system, sensor system, and an actuator system. It is thus possible to influence the dynamic properties of the bearings at all operating points. The shaft can thus be caused to float, for example, in the idle state or at low speeds.
In some cases, the radial gas bearings are used as a seal against environmental pressure. Owing to the configuration of the rotating bearing face with a fish-bone groove pattern, there is no net mass flow through the bearing and contact-free dynamic sealing is thus obtained that seals against pressure differences in the level of the pressure built up by the grooves. Other sealing means, such as, for example, an O-ring, can be dispensed with. The seal thus described herein can also be used in principle regardless of the use of any other bearing.
Other advantages will be appreciated from the description and the drawings.
The features mentioned above and those set out below can also be used individually or together in any combinations. The embodiments shown and described are not intended to be understood to be a definitive listing but are instead of an exemplary nature.
FIG. 1 is a CO2 gas laser with a folded laser resonator.
FIG. 2 is a radial fan of a CO2 gas laser.
FIGS. 3 a and 3 b are detailed views of a radial gas bearing shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a plan view of a rotating plate of an axial gas bearing shown in FIG. 2.
FIGS. 5 a and 5 b show two different configurations of grooves in the plate of the axial gas bearing shown in FIG. 4 in a detailed view according to V in FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 shows axial stators of an axial gas bearing shown in FIG. 2.
The CO2 gas laser 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a laser resonator 2, which is folded square and which has four mutually adjacent laser discharge pipes 3 that are connected to each other by means of corner housings 4, 5. A laser beam 6 extends in the direction of the axes of the laser discharge pipes 3 is illustrated with dot-dash lines. Redirection mirrors 7 in the corner housings 4 serve to redirect the laser beam 6 through 90° in each case. A rear mirror 8 and a decoupling mirror 9, which is partially transmissive for the laser wavelength, are arranged in the corner housing 5. The rear mirror 8 is constructed in a highly reflective manner for the laser wavelength and reflects the laser beam 6 through 180° so that it can pass through the laser discharge pipes 3 again in the opposite direction. A portion of the laser beam 6 is decoupled from the laser resonator 2 at the partially transmissive decoupling mirror 9, the other reflected portion remains in the laser resonator 2 and passes once more through the laser discharge pipes 3. The laser beam 10 is decoupled from the laser resonator 2 by means of the decoupling mirror 9. In the center of the folded laser resonator 2 there is arranged as a pressure source for laser gas a radial fan 11, which is connected to the corner housings 4, 5 by means of supply lines 12 for laser gas. Suction lines 13 extend between suction housings 14 and the radial fan 11. The flow direction of the laser gas inside the laser discharging pipes 3 and in the supply and suction lines 12, 13 is indicated with arrows. The laser gas is excited by means of electrodes 15, which are arranged adjacent to the laser discharge pipes 3.
In the radial fan 11 illustrated in FIG. 2, the laser gas is directed so as to be radially accelerated by the impeller wheel 16 into the supply lines 12 to the corner housings 4, 5. The impeller wheel 16 rests on a shaft 17 that is driven in the central region thereof by a motor, formed by the rotor 18 and stator 19. The region arranged at the outer side of the impeller wheel 16 when viewed from the shaft 17 forms the pressure side of the fan 11. A radial bearing 21 and 22 is arranged in the upper and in the lower region of the shaft 17, the terms upper and lower referring in this instance to the corresponding position of the individual components in the drawing, respectively.
The stationary bearing face is referred to below as a radial stator 23 and 24. The shaft 17 is provided at the lower end thereof with a plate 25, which has a larger diameter than the shaft 17 itself and whose bearing faces 48, 49 form the rotating portion of an axial gas bearing 45 of the shaft 17. The plate 25 is surrounded at the upper and lower side thereof by stationary bearing faces which are referred to below as axial stators 26 and 27 and which are connected to each other in such a manner that the space in which the plate 25 is located is closed in the direction towards the bearing housing 28. The radial or axial stators 23, 24, 26, 27 each have one or more very small holes 29, 30, 31, 32 by means of which they can be connected via one of the channels 33, 34, 35, 36 to a pressure gas source which is not illustrated in greater detail. The diameter of the holes 29, 30, 31, 32 is preferably smaller than 50 microns.
In FIG. 3 a, one of the two radial gas bearings 21 shown in FIG. 2 is illustrated in detail. The shaft 17 is provided with two axially offset regions 37, 38 of inclined grooves, the individual grooves 44 of the two groove regions 37, 38 being located with respect to each other in such a manner that a fish-bone pattern is produced when the two groove regions 37, 38 are considered together. Between the two groove regions 37, 38 of inclined grooves, there is preferably arranged a flat intermediate region 39 which is not provided with grooves. In an embodiment which is not shown, this intermediate region is omitted and the grooves of the two groove regions 37, 38 meet each other at the same axial height at an acute angle. The radial stator 23 or 24 is separated by a narrow gap from the rotating face 46, 47 formed by the shaft. If the shaft 17 now begins to rotate, gas is conveyed through the groove regions 37 and 38 to the flat intermediate region 39. A region (gas cushion) of maximum pressure is formed in this instance between the two groove regions 37 and 38, that is to say, on the flat intermediate region 39, whereby the shaft 17 is radially supported. The pressure relationships of the radial gas bearing along the shaft are consequently divided into a pressure build-up zone in the region of the grooves 37 and 38 and a region of constant maximum pressure in the intermediate region 39. In the radial stators 23 or 24, there are formed in the region of the maximum pressure one or more very small holes 29, 30 through which external pressure can be applied to the bearing via the channels 33, 34.
In another embodiment shown in FIG. 3 b, the radial stator 23 or 24 is surrounded at the housing side 28 by two annular elements 50, 51 such as, for example, two O-rings, which are each located slightly above or slightly below the outlet channels 33, 34 and seal the radial stator 23 or 24 with respect to the housing side 28. The term above or below refers to the position in the corresponding drawing. In a similar manner, in an embodiment not illustrated, the axial stators 26, 27 are surrounded by one or more annular elements.
FIG. 4 shows the rotating plate 25 of the axial gas bearing 45, which is structured in the same manner at both sides, that is to say, at both rotating bearing faces 48, 49 thereof. Each side has helical grooves 40 that are arranged in two radially offset regions 41, 42. If these two regions are considered together, a fish-bone pattern of opposing helical grooves is produced. Between these two groove regions 41, 42 there is a flat intermediate region 43 that is not provided with grooves. In an embodiment which is not illustrated, this region is omitted and the grooves meet each other in a circle at an acute angle. If the plate 25 begins to rotate, owing to the rotational movement gas is conveyed through the grooves simultaneously both from the outer side and from the inner side to the central flat intermediate region 43, the terms "inner" and "outer" being intended to refer to the central point of the plate or the outer side of the plate 25 in a radial direction. The intermediate region 43 thus forms a region of maximum pressure, whereby the plate 25 and consequently the shaft 17 are axially supported. At a constant speed, this pressure remains the same. The pressure relationships of the axial gas bearing in a radial direction are divided in each case into a pressure build-up zone in the groove regions 41, 42 and an intermediate region 43 of maximum pressure. In the axial stators 26, 27, there are formed in the intermediate region 43 one or more holes 31, 32 through which external pressure can additionally be applied to the bearing.
In an embodiment not illustrated in greater detail, the plate 25 is provided at both sides with a helical pattern of inwardly directed grooves that are adjoined at the center point of the plate by an annular unstructured region.
FIGS. 5 a and 5 b illustrate two different configurations of the grooves 40, which are provided in the longitudinal direction with a gradient with respect to their depth. In this instance, the groove depth may have one or more steps (FIG. 5 a) or extend in a transition-free manner from the level of the shaft or the plate as far as the nominal depth thereof (FIG. 5 b). The bearing properties of the axial gas bearing are thereby generally improved, because the regions with shallower groove depth in comparison with regions with deeper grooves have a comparatively high pressure even at comparatively low speeds. Furthermore, the start/stop properties of the axial gas bearing are thus improved since, in the regions of shallower groove depth, pressure is built up even at low speeds.
As shown in FIG. 6, at least one of the two axial stators 26, 27 can be constructed in a slightly convex manner. The contact face of the axial stators 26, 27 with the rotating plate 25 and consequently the start-up resistance are thereby reduced. Owing to the narrow gap, gas is conveyed through the grooves even at low speeds so that there is an earlier build-up of pressure and the speed at which the shaft lifts off is reduced. The same effect can be achieved by the plate 25 being machined at one or both sides in a slightly convex manner.
The radial and axial stators 23, 24, 26, 27 are provided in the region of maximum pressure with one or more very small holes 29, 30, 31, 32 by means of which a precisely defined volume flow can be introduced at a precisely defined pressure so that the shaft 17 is caused to float even in the idle state or at very low speeds.
The radial fan 11 is consequently supported by gas in a bi-directional manner in 5 axes, the pressure level of the bearings adjusting itself as a function of the speed in the some embodiments, that is to say, it can be operated as a purely passive gas bearing. In this operating state, the shaft also lifts off only in accordance with its speed. This is consequently a self-stabilizing bearing, which involves no active control. Owing to the interaction of the advantageous features of the gas laser, such a bearing can be used both in the passive and in the active mode preferably at low pressures (>50 hPa) and very low-density gases (standard density 0.55 kg/m3). The compressibility value of the gas under these conditions is in the range from 200 to 600.
wherein the shaft is supported by the radial bearing and the axial gas bearing.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the groove pattern is a helical groove pattern.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the groove pattern is a radially offset fish-bone groove pattern.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the groove pattern comprises a first groove region and a second groove region separated by a radially central intermediate region devoid of grooves.
5. The device of claim 4, wherein, with reference to the radially central intermediate region devoid of grooves, the distal groove depth exceeds the proximal groove depth in the first groove region or the second groove region or both regions.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein, with reference to the shaft, a distal groove depth of a groove in the groove pattern exceeds a proximal groove depth of the groove in the groove pattern.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein the depth of the groove in the first groove region and/or the depth of the groove in the second groove region decreases in a stepless manner toward the radially central intermediate region devoid of grooves.
8. The device of claim 1, wherein the depth of the groove in the first groove region and/or the depth of the groove in the second groove region decreases in a step-wise manner toward the radially central intermediate region devoid of grooves.
9. The device of claim 1, further comprising an annular element arranged about the stationary radial gas bearing face.
10. The device of claim 9, wherein the annular element comprises a resilient material.
11. The device of claim 1, wherein the depth of a groove in the groove pattern is between 5 microns and 50 microns.
12. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two or more stationary axial gas bearing faces and the two or more rotating axial gas bearing faces comprises a convex surface.
13. The device of claim 1, further comprising an annular element arranged about at least one of the two stationary axial gas bearing faces.
14. The device of claim 13, wherein the annular element comprises a resilient material.
providing contact-free dynamic sealing via the rotating radial gas bearing face with respect to pressure differences in the level of the pressure which is built up by grooves in the axially offset fish-bone groove pattern.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, when the axial gas bearing is operated as an active gas bearing, adjusting the pressure level of the axial gas bearing independently of the pressure level of other gas bearings in the fan.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising using gas from the pressure side of the fan as a pressure gas.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein the axial gas bearing comprises two or more stationary axial gas bearing faces, and further comprising, when the axial gas bearing is operated as an active gas bearing, increasing the pressure level of the axial gas bearing via openings in the two or more stationary axial gas bearing faces, each opening having a diameter up to 100 microns.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising, when the radial gas bearing is operated as an active gas bearing, adjusting the pressure level of the radial gas bearing independently of the pressure level of other gas bearings in the fan.
21. The method of claim 19, further comprising using gas from the pressure side of the fan as a pressure gas.
22. The method of claim 19, wherein, when the radial gas bearing is operated as an active gas bearing, increasing the pressure level of the radial gas bearing via openings in the stationary radial gas bearing face, each opening having a diameter up to 100 microns.
a plate, wherein at least two of the two or more stationary axial gas bearing faces are arranged at opposite sides of the plate.
24. The device of claim 23, wherein, with reference to the radially central intermediate region devoid of grooves, the distal groove depth exceeds the proximal groove depth in the first groove region or the second groove region or both regions.
wherein, with reference to the shaft, a distal groove depth of a groove in the groove pattern exceeds a proximal groove depth of the groove in the groove pattern.
International Search Report from corresponding PCT Application No. PCT/EP2011/050787, mailed Dec. 23, 2011, 5 pages.
Notification of Transmittal of the translation of the International Preliminary Report on Patentability for corresponding PCT Application No. PCT/EP2011/050787, mailed Aug. 16, 2012, 17 pages.


text:
Russian Jewish Romance
My internet friend Alina (and frequent commenter here) wrote a short story for a romance anthology (which you can buy now, here). (Disclaimer: I got a copy to read for free). Here's the press release:
They say "write what you know." And that's just what author Alina Adams (born Alina Sivorinovsky in Odessa, USSR) did when asked to contribute a short story for the anthology "The Mammoth Book of ER Romance" (Running Press September 2013).
Instead of sticking to traditional, all-American characters like she had for her previous "New York Times" best-selling books, including "Oakdale Confidential" and "Jonathan's Story," Adams created possibly the first-ever romance featuring a Russian Jewish heroine, whose decisions – in life and in love – stem directly from her non-traditional background and upbringing.
Adams explains, "I wanted to do something different with my story, "To Look For You," and feature a character unique to romantic fiction. Like me, Alyssa Gordon was born in the USSR, grew up in America, and never felt like she belonged completely to either place. Throw in being Jewish on top of that, and I'd never encountered a similar type of character while reading romance. I figured I might as well be the first to create one and explore how being a Russian Jew in the States affects who you fall in love with."
I personally will never admit that I read romance novels, but this story is at the intersection of Russian Jews, hypochondria, perfectionism, war, and men who are really, really clean, which is probably why Alina thought of me. There were a couple of things I was always really curious about with regards to romance writing, so I asked her:
Vicki: How did you get into writing romance?
Alina: Alas, I must confess that I was one of those girls who, while other middle-schoolers were reading "Sweet Valley High" and Judy Blume in the children's room at the library, went straight for the Sidney Sheldon, Judith Krantz, Belva Plain et. al… in the adult section (I also did my homework on the floor while watching soap operas; shhh, don't tell my parents).
I knew that when I grew up, I wanted to write big, sprawling novels about rich people behaving badly while dressing very well and jetting off to exotic locations. This is because I grew up in the 80s. Unfortunately, because I actually started trying to get published in the 90s, I was informed that those stories were "out" by an editor (a mystery I still can't answer is: Where did all those readers of 80s trash go? Was there a tragic accident I'm not aware of?).
So my big, sprawling, 80s style novels kept getting rejected. Until I received a call from an editor who told me she'd read a book I sent in (those were the days when it was still possible to be picked out of the slush – unagented – file), and she didn't like it. (Wasn't it nice of her to call and tell me that?) But, she liked my writing style and was wondering if I wanted to try my hand at writing a Regency romance.
"Of course!" I said. Then hung up the phone and asked the air, "What in the world is a Regency romance?"
I went to my favorite place – the adult section of the pubic library – checked out a stack of Regency novels, reading enough to learn that Regency romances are romances that take place in England during the Regency period.
I wrote three chapters and an outline of a Regency and sent it off. The editor called again, this time to say she loved it and wanted to see the entire manuscript on her desk by the end of the week. I said, "It's… not… polished, yet." Because it beat the truth, which was that it wasn't written yet. Nevertheless, I wrote it, sent it in, and it was accepted and published as "The Fictitious Marquis." I even managed to sneak some Jews into it. Yes, into Regency England!
Vicki: Why ER romance? Is this a really big genre? How do you see it being impacted by Obamacare/AMA?
Alina: I personally love ER romance because I love when the stakes are high, not just in the personal relationship, but in what's going on outside of the couple. I hate self-centered characters, and it is much easier to create people who do more than navel-gaze if they also have to remove brain tumors and deal with children who have fallen out of windows.
My 2000 Dell romance novel, "When a Man Loves a Woman," asks the question: Can men and women ever be just friends? What if one of them is married? What if she suddenly isn't anymore?
The main conflict of the story is between the hero and heroine. But the obstacles in their way include hospital politics, departmental competition for funding, emergency procedures that pop up at the most inconvenient times, and trying to have a romantic conversation while covered in blood.
With Obamacare/AMA, I suspect it will take all couples in ER romance even longer to get together, as they will have to stop more frequently to fill out paperwork.
Vicki: Do you think a lot of Russians go into medicine?
Alina: Well, my father, who grew up in the USSR, wasn't allowed to go to medical school because of anti-Jewish quotas, so, when it comes to Russian Jews, I'm going to have to go with: Not as many as would like to.
Vicki: If you could write a romance story about the Russian ambulance scam, how would it start?
Alina: I would probably kick it off with an orphan kid who has to drive one of these ambulances in order to put food on the table for his younger siblings (while giving kickbacks to the scary ex-con who sub-contracted the gig) picking up the spoiled, rich daughter of an oligarch. Wackiness promptly ensues. Though in Russian.
Vicki: How do you see Alyssa's immigrant background as influencing her in the story?
Alina: I think Alyssa's immigrant background influences her in two ways. One) Having experienced what it's like to literally lose everything, to be lifted (in a child's case, involuntarily) from every single thing you know and plopped into a completely different world where you don't speak the language or comprehend the customs or have any way of taking care of yourself and are thus at the mercy of others, Alyssa understands on a visceral – rather than merely theoretical; as for most people – level that this can happen again. The main part of her life is geared towards doing anything she has to in order to make sure she doesn't experience that kind of helplessness again, that she always remains in control. And Two) Growing up in an immigrant community, where she has seen some people succeed through hard work and sacrifice while others merely decide to kick back and spend the rest of their days scamming the American government, she knows who she wants to be – or, rather, who she doesn't want to be. All of the choices she makes over the course of the story are utterly ruled by those two realities.
Vicki: How do you think Alyssa's parents feel about the fact that she is unmarried and does not have children at 33?
Alina: I am sure they have given up on their daughter ever being "normal," and so, since she obviously won't be giving them grandchildren, try to guilt her into helping them commit Medicare fraud.
Vicki: Do you think Alyssa would theoretically treat my hypochondria?
Alina: Only if you came into her Emergency Room with an acute case. (Let me know if you're planning on it, I've got connections…)
Check out the story and the rest of the book (one story is called "What the Doctor Didn't Tell Her, which I'm avoiding reading because it's probably about malignant uncurable diseases).


Gerald Ballard was President of the South Carolina Breakfast Club since 1979. He passed on December 4 after a battle with heart disease.
Not surprisingly, he already had his grave marker in place and had on it this inscription: "At the end of each day, let me conscientiously say I have dealt fairly, matched wits, yet faced all squarely. I have no one to answer to. No fine to pay." To my mind, that pretty much sums up Gerald Ballard.
The family is having a Memorial fly-in at Twin Lakes on June 23.


Increasing connections for distributed generation (DG), and in particular wind generation, are being sought in power systems across the world. These increased applications present a significant challenge to the existing connection policies of distribution network operators. In particular, non firm access to the network has been proposed as a method to increase the penetration of DG. The impact of the connection policies arising from non firm access are investigated in detail here. The Irish system is used as a case study, and with reference to the available energy resource and network parameters, the costs and benefits of DG are determined under a number of planning policies. The costs and benefits assessed include connection and cycling costs along with emissions, capacity value and fuel bill saving. It is shown that a significant increase in the net benefits of DG is gained if the appropriate connection policy is utilised from the outset and conversely that significant costs are incurred if ad hoc policies are employed. Furthermore, it is shown that non firm access has the scope to facilitate a significant extra amount of DG capacity.


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"Great quality DVD's. A good brand at a very reasonable price. No need to buy inferior media to have it be affordable. Free delivery was also very welcome. Great deal all round!"
Verbatim is so far the best CD/DVD maker brand I have used, consistently great quality, and very fast delivery thanks to PB Tech!Verbatim is so far the best CD/DVD maker brand I have used, consistently great quality, and very fast delivery thanks to PB Tech!
Great quality DVD's. A good brand at a very reasonable price. No need to buy inferior media to have it be affordable. Free delivery was also very welcome. Great deal all round!Great quality DVD's. A good brand at a very reasonable price. No need to buy inferior media to have it be affordable. Free delivery was also very welcome. Great deal all round!
PB Tech price: PB Tech price: $23.98 ex. $27.58 inc.