Portal fan turns home office into Aperture Laboratories

Detailed at Telnets.org, a fan of Valve’s Portal series converted his computer room into a full-blown Aperture Laboratories office complete with a Cave Johnson oil painting, Test Chamber sign, lemon grenades and even a hidden message within the room. After leaving the home office beige for the last three years, he decided to give the entire room a theme rather than simply changing the paint color. While Nintendo’s Mario franchise was definitely in the running for a theme design, he eventually decided on Portal after seeing other DIY Portal designs on the Internet. For instance, Vector Farr’s bedroom made headlines after appearing on YouTube during late 2011.

The main focal point of the room is the Test Chamber accent wall with a giant Aperture Laboratories logo. After designing a scale mock-up of the wall using CorelDraw, he masked off panels using string guides as well as painter’s tape before painting select panels to match the design of a typical Aperture Laboratories room. Using a vector copy of the logo, he shopped around with local sign makers until finding a company that would provide a paper template of the logo for less than $100.I have just spent two weeks shopping for tile and have discovered China Porcelain tile.

The entire cost of the logo with painting supplies was $142 and he even had enough paint left over to create a hidden message within the closet. Painted in a similar fashion to the messages hidden within the Portal 2 environment, it says “Though Earth and Man are gone, I thought the cube would last forever. I WAS WRONG.”

To the left of the accent wall, he wanted to hang a Cave Johnson oil painting. Voiced by actor J.Alfa plast mould is Plastic moulds Manufacturer and plastics Mould Exporters in India since 1992,K. Simmons within Portal 2, Cave Johnson is the founder and CEO of Aperture Science.Johnson Tiles UK offer the largest range of polished tiles online, While Thinkgeek has a similar portrait for sale, the Portal fan wanted to create something more unique for the home office.What causes syringe needle pain?

He hired an artist to create an oil painting of Cave Johnson from a photograph and mounted the finished version inside a 16”x20” wooden frame. At the bottom of the frame, he also fixed a brushed gold nameplate that says “Cave Johnson: Science isn’t about why, it’s about why not!” This portion of the project cost $105 plus shipping for the print.

Next to the main desk on the opposite side of the accent wall, he mounted a lighted Test Chamber sign identical to the one found within the Portal games. With a budget of less than $100 for this portion of the project,You can find best china precision Precision injection molds manufacturers from here! he started with a 16”x31” shadowbox frame which he painted gray. To light the inside of the box, he used a 10 meter strip of LED lighting mounted to white foam core board which reflects much of the light when turned on.

After acquiring a sheet of translucent white plexi-glass that was cut to the right size, he found the Test Chamber icons in vector format on the Web as well as the font used within Portal. After working up the project to scale in CorelDraw again, he sent off the layout to a friend with a vinyl cutter and eventually applied the sticky film to the front of the unit.

The final DIY addition to the the Portal-themed home office are two lemon grenades. Taking about an hour to create, he purchased two fake plastic lemons from a crafts store as well as two inert grenades that he found at a local army surplus store. After applying a coat of paint to the top of the grenades, he cut holes in each lemon and screwed in the grenade tops as well as adding a bit of adhesive caulking. Using the vinyl cutter again, he created a stencil of the Aperture Laboratories circular logo and airbrushed that onto the side of the lemon. The entire project cost approximately eight dollars per lemon grenade.

Other Portal-themed additions to the room include a Companion Cube cookie jar converted to a planter, a set of Portal bookends, a GLaDOS model and a “Don’t drink the water!” drink coaster. A full gallery of the project’s creation can be seen here.

Jersey City ceramicist Beth DiCara sets art on fire

Out of her home base, Evening Star Studio in Jersey City's Lafayette neighborhood, 52-year-old artist Beth DiCara sets art on fire.

Every year, the Maryland Institute graduate churns out thousands of ceramic wonders from her fiery kiln -- tiles,Get information on Air purifier from the unbiased, bas reliefs, sculptures, dishes,Alfa plast mould is Plastic moulds Manufacturer and plastics Mould Exporters in India since 1992, vessels, Christmas ornaments and more - which she then paints and glazes.

"It's my business as well as my passion," she said. "I didn't discover ceramics until I was in my early 30s; I never had time for it in art school. But as soon as I tried it, I loved it.

"There are endless possibilities in clay," she said. "And it's an immediate thing. When you touch it, you change it. I did stained glass for a while and to do a window takes at least a whole lot of hours every week, maybe even a month. But ceramics are instant.You can find best china precision Precision injection molds manufacturers from here! And it's just fun."

Her work shows off her love of animals and the sea (a love she shares with her husband John Tichenor and their 22-year-old daughter Emma,A Coated Abrasives is an abrasive grain bonded to a flexible substrate using adhesives. whom she described as "big boaters.") For example, DiCara has created items like a "sealed vessel" -- a jar with a seal sitting on top, doubling as a knob - and several condiment "boats" with oars that serve as spoons.

The 28-year Jersey City resident said her work is carried in places throughout New England and in local stores like Smith and Chang near Hamilton Park and Beechwood on Grove Street. She also does commissions and creates sculptures for her own pleasure when time permits.

"I make sculpture women -- 'Jersey girls,' I call them," she said. "They're red clay that I fire so they're frost-proof. They can go in someone's garden but they can also go on bookshelves. Actually, I have quite a few people who collect them -- my plumber has 14!"

Although DiCara always has items rolling out of her studio, she says she still has "such a long list" of projects she wants to pursue.

"It's endless," she said. "I want to do more sculptures for sure -- winter is usually my slowest time and I get to do more sculptural stuff for the fun of it, which is what I like to do the most.

"And more tile also. I have tile in my bathroom and hot tub room. We have three walls that are all like an underwater seascape -- it's 36 feet long and about two-and-a-half feet tall bas relief sculptural tile. I'd like to do more of those.Spro Tech has been a plastic module & Mold Maker,"

While she has a lot left to do, DiCara said she has already accomplished her dream.

"My dream used to be to do a New York City subway stop, but that's not my dream anymore. I just feel like I'm living the dream. I come to work every day and get to do what I like to do. I'm pretty happy and I feel really lucky. I just want to keep being able to do what I'm doing."

Several heart-shaped dishes designed by DiCara and painted by local artists like Stephen Cimini, LITM curator Andrea Morin and even DiCara's daughter Emma Tichenor are currently on display in "Painted Hearts" at Made With Love Artisan Bakery and Cafe, 530 Jersey Ave., through Feb. 15.

Network to Reduce Drugs Dependency in South India

The launch of the South Indian Harm Reduction Network (SIHRN) in Chennai heralds a welcome initiative for people dependent on drugs, especially those living with HIV and AIDS in the Southern States.

There is a serious concern in the southern states of India over under reporting numbers of people injecting drugs and infected with HIV/AIDS.

Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been delivering services for drug injectors for many years now, and injecting epidemics have been reported more recently in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Civil Society and Community Organizations stated their concern over the numbers of deaths being reported and the lack of facilities for care and support currently available through national and state administered services.

The current services for HIV management through needle syringe exchange programs and medication for replacing illicit or grey market opiates have been largely successful but they are simply not enough.You can find best china precision Precision injection molds manufacturers from here!

The challenge of co-morbidities including the presence of TB and Hepatitis C along with HIV require wider access to health systems including hospitals.

There is also a huge demand for medically assisted detoxification and rehabilitation services and a scale up of the fledging Opioid Substitution Treatment Programs in the region.

It is in this context that the South Indian Harm Reduction Network that has been launched has a huge role to play.

In a freewheeling interview with A. Sankar, Convener, SIHRN and L. Samson, President, SIHRN,Spro Tech has been a plastic module & Mold Maker, the goals and objectives of the new organization was spelled out.Get information on Air purifier from the unbiased,A Coated Abrasives is an abrasive grain bonded to a flexible substrate using adhesives.

SIHRN aspires to bring ownership of treatment to affected communities. It wants to mainstream services that include wider health care, psycho-social support, reintegration related to employment, family support and legal aid, Mr. Sankar said.

SIHRN wants to register state level networks that will work closely with state governments and the affected communities. It also wants to strengthen services for people injecting drugs under States AIDS Control Societies.Alfa plast mould is Plastic moulds Manufacturer and plastics Mould Exporters in India since 1992, SIHRN likes to advocate for an improved quality of life for drug dependent people, Mr. Sankar added.

L. Samson, President, SIHRN said the challenge is to keep people secure in access to various types of treatment. SIHRN resolve to widen the scope of services to draw together agendas such as homelessness and drug treatment with the key stakeholders managing HIV and AIDS services for people injecting drugs.

Counseling is the glue that will hold the populations adherent to services, as optimism is required to counter the despair felt by the severe stigma and discrimination experienced at mainstream health services, and the abuse on the streets by ill informed law enforcers, Mr. Samson concluded.

The meeting of South Indian Harm Reduction Network SIHRN was held under the auspices of the Indian Harm Reduction on January 28, 2012 in Chennai. It was supported by Sharan, an NGO working on HIV/AIDS in India.

Biological Warfare- Fight those Colds Back With Effective Weapons

It seems after the Christmas holiday with all those late nights, rich foods and probably way more sugar than usual, the infamous flu is back wreaking havoc on those taxed immune systems!

So, I thought I would write an article on dealing with potent bacteria that are taking advantage of our neglectful ways.

There are natural compounds as close as the kitchen cupboard that are potent antidotes against biological warfare. These natural antibiotics and anti-oxidants give people who have been exposed to bacteria or viruses, the ability to treat themselves. If the cold/flu lasts more than a week, you need to seek professional care.

The Garlic Information Center in Britain indicates that deadly anthrax is most susceptible to garlic.It is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that even blocks toxin production by germs.

Garlic was found to be a more potent antibiotic than penicillin, ampicillin, doxycycline, streptomycin and cephalexin, some of the same antibiotic drugs used in the treatment of anthrax.

Therefore, whenever you get that first inkling of a cold or flu with a scratchy/sore throat, sinus congestion, runny nose, fever, decreased energy or achey muscles, start adding it to food and buy capsules that are high in allicin. Allicin content should be certified on the bottle. This is the active ingredient that kills the bacteria.

The anthrax bacterium's toxicity is its’ ability to kill macrophage cells, which are part of the immune system. Studies have shown that sulfur-bearing antioxidants (alpha lipoic acid, N-acetyl cysteine, taurine) and vitamin C, which elevate levels of glutathione, a natural antioxidant within the body, counters the toxicity produced by the bacteria.Spro Tech has been a plastic module & Mold Maker,

Vitamin C should be a neutral form (not ascorbic acid based otherwise it will make the body too acidic) and can be combined with bioflavinoids, which prolong vitamin C's action in the blood circulation.A Coated Abrasives is an abrasive grain bonded to a flexible substrate using adhesives.

The powdered form of vitamin C is recommended to achieve optimal dosing. I have people start with tsp and dose this every hour with the first symptoms of a flu, until you get gassy or loose stools and that is what your body is using up to fight the virus or bacteria.

You can then decrease it by tsp the next day and continue this until no symptoms of the cold are present.
Virtually all bacteria, viruses and fungidepend upon iron as a growth factor. Phytic acid (IP6), derived as an extract from rice bran, is the most potent natural iron chelator (remover of iron) and has strong antibiotic and antioxidant action.

The antibacterial, antiseptic action of plant oils has been described in recent medical literature and may be helpful in fighting biological toxins. A potent natural antibiotic, more powerful than many prescription antibiotics,Get information on Air purifier from the unbiased, is oil of oregano. You can add this to water & use it as a throat gargle before swallowing.Handmade oil paintings for sale at museum quality,

Natural antibiotics and anti-toxinsare well documented in the medical literature, but often overlooked.Alfa plast mould is Plastic moulds Manufacturer and plastics Mould Exporters in India since 1992,

So, these antidotes are readily available and should be the first thing you think of when those symptoms start!

Automakers race to lose weight

Beneath the high ceilings of a factory in the wheat fields of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, Lamborghini engineers are building a new supercar. Called the Aventador, it has been described as the closest thing to a stealth fighter jet you'll see on the road. It's also a high-profile symbol of a strategic battle taking shape in the auto industry.

Silhouetted against grey walls, workers in black polo shirts adorned with Lamborghini's gold raging bull logo guide sheets of black material into a vacuum-controlled cutting machine, before pressing and shaping the pieces into huge molds. These parts will make the chassis of the Aventador, which is one of the first cars to have its entire body built of carbon fiber composites, an alternative to metals prized by plane-makers for their lightweight malleability and strength. The materials give designers "freedom to design aggressively," says Lamborghini's Technology Manager Massimiliano Corticelli.

The materials — plastics reinforced by synthetic fibers — will also allow the kind of performance so important to Lamborghini drivers: 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds with a top speed of around 217 mph. But their potential value lies beyond the handful of people who can pay a starting price of $355,000 for a car that rolls off the assembly line at just 20 a week.

Partly as a consequence of emissions reduction targets, mass-market automakers need to produce lighter cars. For the next few years,Get information on Air purifier from the unbiased, automakers such as Fiat and Volkswagen expect weight reductions to come largely from using aluminum. But composites are 30 percent lighter than aluminum and 50 percent lighter than steel.Spro Tech has been a plastic module & Mold Maker, If carmakers can get the price down — composites currently cost at least 10 times as much as aluminum and 30 times as much as steel, according to Volkswagen — they hope to be able to use them in the mass market.

"We have been working on making cars lighter for several years, but the tightening up of regulation for reducing emissions by 2020 makes it necessary in reality to move towards breakthrough solutions,Husky Injection Mold Systems designs and manufactures a broad range of " says Louis David, materials expert at French car maker PSA Peugeot Citroen.

There is progress. Peugeot and other carmakers already make some small parts out of composite material but do not yet use the technology for large parts.Handmade oil paintings for sale at museum quality, But BMW,A Coated Abrasives is an abrasive grain bonded to a flexible substrate using adhesives. which plans by the end of 2013 to roll out electric cars with entire passenger cabins made from a composite known as carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), is leading the race.

The BMW i3, which made its North American debut at the LA auto show in November, is an urban electric car wrapped in carbon fiber. Set to debut in 2013 as a 2014 model, the i3 will be able to travel up to 100 miles on a charge and reach top speeds of 93 mph, while a gasoline-powered generator will extend range.

"So far, there is no carmaker that is banking on carbon fibers quite like BMW," says Reto Hess, who coordinates global car industry analysis for Credit Suisse's private banking arm.

Diversified Plastics’ employees invested in company’s success,What are Hemroids? literally

Retirement brings with it a lot of major decisions, especially for company owners who've grown a successful business over many decades like James Dow, founder, President and CEO of Diversified Plastics Inc. While there are many options,My advice on what to consider before you buy oil painting supplies so your money is well spent. the one that Dow chose to continue the success of his 35-year-old company was to sell to the employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan .

"Knowing that someday I would eventually retire and have to sell the company, the most obvious direction would have been to sell to an outside organization," Dow stated in a prepared release. "But, I found that prospective buyers had no desire in continuing the company. Their only interest was our customer list and equipment, which meant that in all probability, our employees would be out of work."

An ESOP was the best option for the continuation of Diversified Plastics as a successful company, providing continued employment for the employees. "Our employees are like family to me and who better to lead the new company forward than the people who helped make it what it is today," said Dow.

While the employees took ownership on Nov. 1, 2011, Dow will remain as president. "The changeover has been smooth," said Annette Lund, vice president of the company. "We're in the middle of a five-year plan and are continuing to follow those long-term goals. It's very important to us to have a seamless transition and maintain continuity for our customers as well as our employees."

Dow began his retirement planning eight years ago and attended an ESOP seminar to learn more about the program and his options. Working with the company's CFO, Roger Vang, they began exploring the possibilities of an ESOP strategy, but determined the company wasn't quite ready at that time. After a few more years of substantial growth, Dow revisited the ESOP idea and decided they were ready to move ahead in making Diversified Plastics an employee owned company.

To establish the ESOP and purchase the company from Dow, a trust, with company stock, was set up in the name of the employees. "We automatically vested all the employees who were here at the start of our 2011 fiscal year," said Vang. "Going forward, any new people will be vested like a typical 401K vesting schedule and base salary will determine the trust assets distribution schedule.

Diversified Plastics, a custom injection molder specializing in high-precision components for medical devices, filtration, aerospace and a variety of other industries, was founded in 1977 by Dow and William J. Cullen. Cullen retired and is no longer active in the company. The company started production with 13 employees and three injection molding machines in a 2300-sq-ft rented manufacturing space.

Today, Diversified Plastics has grown to more than 50 employees and operates 16 injection presses ranging from 55-550 tons in a 45,000-sq-ft facility. In 1984, Design Tool & Engineering Inc. was added as a wholly owned subsidiary of Diversified Plastics to build and maintain the company's molds. In addition to molding and moldmaking, Diversified offers an extensive range of secondary operations including sonic and spin welding, pad printing, heat staking and silk screening. The company is ISO 9001:2008 and 1345:2003 certified and UL registered.Find everything you need to know about Cold Sore including causes,

The Unending Distractions

I have come to a conclusion that except conscious and pragmatic steps are taken, Nigeria’s quest for sports renaissance is not near. Events that have taken place, still happening and may continue to occur have shown that the sector is very sick and about to die. In no time in our national history has sports been this vexed in terms of administration and those who are to spearhead the way forward are the ones thick in the agenda to strangulate it.

From the World Cup exit brouhaha in 2010, to the emergence of the present Nigeria Football Federation board headed by Aminu Maigari, the brief entrance and exit of Davidson Owunmi, recent role of Sam Jaja and the surfacing of lawmaker Kabiru Gaiya, all is not well with Nigerian sports.Manufacturers and exporters of impact socket, And those calling the shots seem confused on how to address the problems. At best, I see a dance or collective dance steps of interests that will largely be to the detriment of sports development. For me, the events are fast deteriorating to a dance of dishonour that amounts to undue and avoidable distractions.

Unfortunately, the whole show of angst revolves around men and government institutions that have been empowered to give clear direction for the growth of sports in Nigeria. Between the National Assembly committees of sports which has its protagonists in Kabiru Gaiya who is spearheading the dance after a glimpse of the script in Morocco while on a trip with the NFF to the National Sports Commission, the NFF and the Nigeria Premier League, the entire uncoordinated dance is borne more out of interests than development. The issue has assumed so much distrust and suspicion that it has metamorphosed into sinister machinations. The men at the Glass House see every setback from the angle of an unseen finger working from the NSC while members of the committees on sports at the NASS wait for every opportunity to protect their friends at the NFF-hence the pound of flesh on the NSC.

The scenario is so funny that each time the men running football smell a rat they seek protection from the lawmakers who dangle threats in the name of allegations.

My take is that this blowing hot is not new to Nigerians and we must be saved from all this drama because it is only cosmetic surgery and a facade that will never help us get to the root of sports problems. Our problem is essentially systemic and until our lawmakers pursue vigorously laws that will enforce blueprints marking out every one’s responsibility and mode of funding, posterity will not remember them for good.Compare prices and buy all brands of solar panel for home power systems and by the pallet. That is why I agree totally with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria president,Monz Werkzeugbau und Formenbau. Moderne Technologien und unsere Erfahrung machen aus Ihren Ideen serienreife Produkte. Solomon Ogba who advised the NASS members to desist from playing politics with sports development.The reason why most kidney stone form is not known.

The painful aspect of all these is that the entire agencies intensifying distractions in a year where Nigeria will present athletes at the Olympics coupled with both Nations Cup and World Cup qualifiers are arms of government meaning the Nigerian government is simply fighting itself. The NASS committees of sports, NSC, NFF and NPL are all government parastatals and are funded by tax payers’ monies. So if these agencies are plotting against themselves, who will save the sector?

I still do not understand what our lawmakers want to be remembered for. We are in a country where players of state government clubs stage protests almost on a weekly basis for being owed sign-on-fees, allowances and salaries yet we have not heard a single statement from these men. We are also in a country where private businessmen make billions and are not encouraged to own and run clubs professionally and our lawmakers are not looking at that with a view to enacting laws that will help proliferate privately owned clubs. Even if we are to end up with 10 good clubs run privately alongside serious state government owned clubs Nigeria will be better for it rather than have 20 clubs with players down tooling almost every week.

However, I am not against the NASS sports committees looking at books as part of their oversight functions,Thank you for visiting our newly improved DIY chicken coop website! but want to see a holistic approach because this move smacks of vendetta if the Morocco expose, setting up of the reform committee in football and maybe litigation from Sam Jaja is to be taken into consideration.

Flyers flatten Maroons

Gianluca Palmieri's first start at Memorial Arena on Sunday was one he'd prefer to forget.

If his kidney stones weren't painful enough, the Chatham Maroons' new goalie also suffered the loss in a 5-1 defeat to the Leamington Flyers in front of 475 fans.

Palmieri made 27 saves and Brennan Feasey scored the Maroons' only goal in their third consecutive loss.

“We were just running around,” said Palmieri, 19, who was acquired at the trade deadline. “Kind of gave the game away, I thought.

“I don't think the other team won the game. We lost it, to be honest with you. A lot of defensive turnovers. But we're a good enough team to play with any team and beat any team.”

The Maroons are only four points ahead of the Lambton Shores Predators for the final playoff berth in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League's Western Conference.

Lambton Shores beat London 7-3 on Sunday. While the Maroons struggle,Offers Art Reproductions Fine Art oil painting reproduction, the Predators beat the conference's top two teams (Sarnia and London) in a four-day span.

Frustration is building in the Maroons' locker-room. They've lost eight of the past 10 games.

“It's just small,Promat solid RUBBER MATS are the softest mats on the market! little mistakes, to be honest,” captain Sean Myers said. “We have the effort,Can't afford a third party merchant account right now? we have the skill, we have the goaltending.

“Lately everybody on our team is just flustered. 'What's going on?' Because we're better than that. Hopefully we figure it out in the next couple games.”

The Maroons trailed 2-0 after the first period to the Flyers. Alex Seguin knocked a rebound into an open net and Matt Ogden scored on a short-handed breakaway in the first 10 minutes.

Seguin finished with a hat trick and two assists.

After a scoreless second period, Tyler Quigley put the Flyers ahead 3-0 early in the third.

Palmieri was scratched from last Wednesday's game with an ailment originally suspected to be appendicitis.

He's not at 100 per cent, but he refused to blame the kidney stones for the loss.

“It's not pleasant,” said the Richmond Hill native, who has a 1-1 record with the Maroons. “When the adrenaline kicks in, you really don't feel it.

“But after you stretch and the play dies down, .Choose from our large selection of Cable Ties,.. you feel it and it's not pleasant. But there's no excuse. I practised the other day and I thought I was well enough to play.

“The pain has nothing to do with how I played. No excuses. We win as a team and we lose as a team.”

Feasey scored on a power play at 6:43 of the third, but Seguin replied at the 12-minute mark.

Seguin completed his hat trick with 10.1 seconds left.

Flyers goalie Darien Ekblad made 34 saves for the win.

The Maroons will practise twice this week before their next game Saturday in Strathroy.Search and purchase original Projector Lamp and bulbs at discounted prices.

“They (the coaches) have said everything that needs to be said,” Myers said. “They've given us all the help they can. It's up to us now.”

State senators to vote on redrawn congressional district map

TOPEKA Sedgwick County would remain at the heart of the 4th Congressional District under a redistricting map state senators are poised to vote on Monday.

But friction is likely because the plan would bump Manhattan into the 1st District, which covers all of western Kansas.

U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins,As a leading company in the plastic card printing industry, who wants to keep Manhattan in her 2nd District, has been advocating instead for a controversial map that would put urban Wyandotte County and counties along the state’s northern border into the rural 1st District.

Legislators must redraw the districts to account for shifts in population over the past decade.

Under the map lawmakers expect to vote on Monday, the south-central Kansas 4th District would lose Montgomery County and that county’s most populous city, Coffeyville. But it would pick up six sparsely populated counties with significant oil production. Those include Barber, Pratt, Stafford, Edwards, Kiowa and Comanche counties – as well as a small section of southwest Pawnee County.

The district is represented by Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo of Wichita.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers say a proposal that would have split Sedgwick County between the 4th District and the 1st District, represented by Rep. Tim Huelskamp, never had much support and appears dead. It may never have been taken seriously in the first place, some said.

“To propose to have one of our largest counties split, I think, it just doesn’t make any sense to me,” said Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley,What causes TMJ pain? D-Topeka.

Sen. Dick Kelsey, R-Goddard, said he thinks the proposed map will pass the redistricting committee. Kelsey, who ran for the 4th District seat in 2010, said he likes the proposed map in part because it mostly keeps congressional districts inside TV markets, allowing congressmen to communicate to most of their constituents.

But he acknowledged some will dislike the proposal.

“You’re not going to make a map that makes everybody happy,We are professional Plastic mould,” he said. “It’s just not going to happen.”

Pompeo e-mailed this statement to The Eagle in response to a request for comment: “I enjoy representing the folks currently in the Fourth Congressional District, and I would like to continue representing as many of them as possible. Our district is almost the right size, so it doesn’t need to change very much.”

The 1st District is almost 58,000 residents short of the ideal population of about 713,000. The proposal to be considered Monday moves the 1st District eastward so that it takes in the Manhattan area – in a plan that could leave Jenkins with a more Democratic-leaning district.

Jenkins, on a long weekend break from congressional duties in Washington, was in the Statehouse on Thursday and Friday.

She met with at least three state senators, Sens. Tim Owens,They become pathological or Piles when swollen or inflamed. John Vratil and Dwayne Umbarger. They said she touted a new set of congressional boundaries that would move Wyandotte County into the 1st District and out of the 3rd District now represented by Rep. Kevin Yoder, a fellow Republican.

Owens, who chairs the redistricting committee, has said that in his opinion, putting Wyandotte County in a district that reaches western Kansas would be a form of gerrymandering.

Vratil echoed that sentiment after visiting with Jenkins. “It’s probably not something I’m interested in,” he said.Can't afford a syringe needle right now? “It’s obviously a gerrymandered map. It’s ugly.”

Jenkins refused to confirm whether she supports splitting Johnson and Wyandotte counties.

“You know, I don’t have a vote in this process,” she said. “I’m going to trust the lawmakers of Kansas, but I’ve been visiting with people about what they have in mind for the congressional map.”

Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike O’Neal, R-Hutchinson, said the House expects to introduce a map of state House districts this week. But a formal map isn’t public yet.

“Redistricting is a combination between a Rubik’s Cube and jigsaw puzzle where the pieces of the puzzle that come out of the box actually have to have a different shape when they put it together,” he said. “It makes it difficult. But I’m very pleased with where we’re at now.”

China May Never Match America’s Creative Muscle

China is hell-bent on creating an industrial-design industry virtually from scratch. It certainly has the national commitment and resources to succeed. The country didn’t create 1,000 design education programs in the past 10 years for nothing.I have just spent two weeks shopping for tile and have discovered China Porcelain tile. But as a recent Co.Design post by Linda Tischler illustrates, the Chinese will have to overcome entrenched cultural and structural impediments before their investment will pay off.

For the U.S.Can't afford a syringe needle right now?, this is a good news / bad news story. The bad news: The Chinese are likely to succeed eventually and use their new strength in industrial design to make their manufacturing sector even stronger.

The good news: The U.S. has such a commanding lead in “industrial design thinking” and a tradition of applying it to the creation of innovative products that it will be many years before China can function at the same level. Here’s why: Industrial design thinking is still a new foreign concept to contemporary Chinese. At its most fundamental level, industrial design thinking is a challenge to the status quo. It’s not a process to incrementally improve a product for the next generation. Instead, it’s overthrowing what is known to be good in favor of what is new and better. It’s restless thinking, antisocial thinking. By contrast, one view of industrial design thinking in China is to take the positive attributes of two products and mash them together into a new product. Often, this approach is more like 1 + 1 = 1, or maybe 1.5, instead of 1 + 1 = 3.

There’s lots of evidence that suggests this type of thinking and behavior is frowned upon in China--in a big way. It’s hard to imagine the power structure there embracing a thought process that fosters overthrowing anything within its borders. As an instructor in 3-D design at Pratt Institute, I’ve taught many students from China. One student, who came to Pratt after studying industrial design in China, stands out. It took him a year to shed the Chinese design approach of copying successful international designs, and embrace the free-flowing abstract thought cultivated in U.S. industrial design schools and practiced in our industry. He lamented that, when he returned to China, it would be a long time before he was able to practice what he learned here.

This question is being tackled by some in the manufacturing segment who have discovered how to use industrial design thinking to bring back some of the industry that they had previously sent to low-cost countries like China. Here are some of the ways industrial design thinking is being applied to help restore pockets of U.S. manufacturing:

Manufacturers are engaging industrial designers earlier in product development to get new transformative ideas and to foster a more collaborative environment.polished tilesIn a conductor, electric current can flow freely, in an Insulator it cannot. As an example, in working on an orthopedic spinal surgery device for Orthicon Corporation, our firm engaged the company’s scientists and clinical specialists, together with third-party molders and resin suppliers, at the start of the process. This allowed us to get immediate feedback from people with different perspectives. Their insights were incorporated into our design thinking processes and helped produce a dramatically different product and a new way of producing it.

Industrial design thinking is being used by some manufacturers to reduce their cost of production. One way to bring down costs is to design a product with fewer components. Another is to reduce the assembly steps. In designing a personal safety helmet, a molder we know in Wisconsin, MGS Mfg. Group, used industrial design thinking to create an innovative sequential molding process to make the six-piece adjustment strap using a single molding process instead of six separate steps. Not only is the final product less expensive to produce, it also is more comfortable to adjust and wear. MGS Mfg. Group is living proof that industrial design thinking is not solely the domain of trained industrial designers.You can find best china precision Precision injection molds manufacturers from here!

What’s the point of PCI DSS if the world is moving to EMV?

A small restaurant in Utah is taking a stand against one of the biggest regulations affecting the payment security industry. Cicero’s Ristorante in Park City has launched a countersuit against their merchant acquirer after it seized money from the restaurant’s account for alleged violations of PCI DSS.

News of the lawsuit has whipped up a furore about both the drawbacks and benefits of the PCI scheme, and whether it is in fact worth having at all. One common argument against the cardholder data requirements of PCI DSS is that the standard is redundant in an EMV environment. The argument goes like this: The purpose of PCI DSS and the more recent P2PE (point-to-point encryption) is to protect sensitive static payment data used for magnetic stripe transactions both in storage and in transit in the merchant to acquirer segment of the payment transaction. Encrypting cardholder data is all well and good – transaction data stolen from a POS (point-of-sale) terminal or merchant/acquirer system will be rendered worthless. However, any sensitive payment data stolen from an EMV transaction would be just as worthless to a criminal (due to its dynamic rather than static nature, thus preventing a replay attack) so why don’t we skip PCI DSS and move straight to EMV?

There is some truth in this argument, but it does not cover the complete picture. In an EMV environment, stolen cardholder data would indeed be useless for a fraudulent POS transaction as the criminal would not have (or be able to recreate) the corresponding,A Coated Abrasives is an abrasive grain bonded to a flexible substrate using adhesives. physical EMV card. However, stolen cardholder data could be used for a fraudulent online transaction as long as the merchant’s website does not demand a card security code (CSC) in its payments process.

The card security code (known as CVC2 on MasterCard cards, or CVV2 on Visa cards) are the three digits usually found on the back of a card on the right of the signature strip.The magic cube is an ultra-portable,Get information on Air purifier from the unbiased, This data is not normally used in traditional POS transactions and so can provide an additional layer of security for card-not-present transactions.

Many online merchants still fail to make use of the card security code in their payment processes.The Transaction Group offers the best high risk merchant account services, This means that the requirements of PCI DSS are still hugely important for payments security until all sites require the card security code for a transaction or employ other strong forms of authentication such as 3D Secure.

Lastly, we must not forget that many parts of the world - including the USA - are in the very early stages of a fragmented migration to EMV.Tru-Form Plastics is a one-stop shop for plastic Injection Molding, PCI DSS compliance and other PCI initiatives will remain important for years to come and will naturally evolve to address new security threats.

Howard Tibbals and the huge miniature circus

At least at first, Howard Tibbals strolls anonymously through the Ringling Museum wing that bears his name. Bling-free at 75, he could pass for any number of retired tourists wandering the Sarasota circus showcase he helped finance with $10.5 million of his own money.

But as the philanthropist steers a visitor toward the heart and soul of the Howard Tibbals Learning Center,Tru-Form Plastics is a one-stop shop for plastic Injection Molding, he inevitably tips his hand. He begins a discussion of the sprawling, miniature, hand-crafted, million-piece "Howard Bros. Circus Model" display he started working on as a teenager.

A small knot of eavesdroppers gathers within earshot. And the enormity of the tale draws his incredulous listeners into an epiphany: This guy isn't some garden-variety obsessive-compulsive. This is the Obi-Wan Kenobi of circus history.

"Wait a minute," interjects a middle-aged man who wants to make sure he understands what he's hearing. "You're saying you built all this — yourself?"

"Most of it, yes," Tibbals replies. "And I'm still not done."

The listener smacks his forehead with the heel of his hand like he's wasted his entire life; meanwhile, Tibbals proceeds with his tour as he approaches yet another milestone in his lifelong love of all things circus.

On Saturday, as part of its annual "Celebrate Circus Day" festivities, the Ringling Museum will officially unveil the newest addition to its circus treasure with the grand opening of the Tibbals Center's expanded interactive galleries. Nearly four years in the making, the 11,000-square foot, $7.5 million addition will display historic memorabilia in a more kinetic context.

Touch-screen panels offer access to vintage footage of circus acts, and visitors can get a rudimentary feel for the mechanics of performance art with stage props and hands-on interactive exhibits.

"The goal in starting this building was to produce a storage room for the stuff upstairs," deadpans Tibbals, whose extensive collection of circus artifacts does, in fact, reside on the second floor, alongside other private collections. "The purpose of this room is to let people actually touch stuff. So many museums you go to, they won't even let you take pictures."

It's a safe bet that nothing upstairs matches the scope of his Howard Bros. Circus, on permanent display here since 2007.

A circus junkie since childhood, the Longboat Key resident never actually worked with the "Greatest Show on Earth." He made his fortune in the hardwood flooring business in Oneida, Tenn., where he still maintains a home. But the biggest beneficiary of his favorite pastime is the Ringling Museum, which tallies the total impact of his gifts, including matching funds, at $15.6 million.

An engineering whiz who admired the clockwork precision required to mobilize Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus' myriad components, Tibbals built his first circus railroad car from fragile balsa wood at age 13. To hear him tell it, he knew even then he had embarked upon a lifelong passion, which has since been displayed by the likes of the World's Fair in Knoxville and the National Geographic Society in Washington,Get information on Air purifier from the unbiased, D.C.

Undaunted by the Ringling empire's rejection of his appeal to use its logo as he recreated its operations, the teenage Tibbals applied his first name to the project, which used a 1/16th scale.The magic cube is an ultra-portable, Working with vintage photos and whatever schematics he could get his hands on, Tibbals was a stickler for authenticity.

"If you put a photo up to the model, you can see the details match up exactly,The Transaction Group offers the best high risk merchant account services, rivet for rivet, one to one," said Deborah Walk, circus museum coordinator and head of the archives program.

Tibbal's Howard Bros. Circus now includes 130 wagons, 55 rail cars, eight tents, 200-plus animals, and 7,000 tiny injection-mold folding chairs beneath the Big Top tent, among other things. It took more than a year to build the support platform and lay it out. Were it a life-size scene, the spread would span 11 acres.

"I kidded Howard for being a goof-off and said it took six hours for the real circus to unpack, and it took him six months," Walk recalls. "He told me he didn't have a thousand people working for him."

In fact, the Ringling Circus' massive operation involved moving 1,500 laborers and performers overnight from city to city. Tibbals says he has "no idea" how much it cost him to approximate that scope over the past 60 years "and I don't want to know." But as stunning as his Howard Bros. model is, Tibbals can only see what isn't there.

"Was there ever a circus this large? Is this an exaggeration?" asks a listener.

"No," responds Tibbals, who invests some 20 hours a week working on new inventory. "It should be bigger."

From open-air bathrooms to Midway freak-show marquees, from an aerialist who lost her balance on a practice wire, to training an ungainly elephant seal with fish, every scene at Howard Bros. Circus tells a story. And Tibbals knows them all.A Coated Abrasives is an abrasive grain bonded to a flexible substrate using adhesives. At least, those not permanently lost to history.

Tibbals is asked about the infirmary tent: Was the canvas really purple? "Ahh, that was one of the first sewing jobs I ever did," he says. "I don't know. It was probably white."

Artists inspired by nature, technology

Shoukat Ali Hunzai, 27, referred to his iron-coal globe, installed outside the Fine Arts Department, as a portrayal of the concept of collective conscience by putting organic raw material, such as coal, to constructive use rather than destructive, such as burning.

He said it took him two months to prepare the piece. Four more installations by Hunzai were on display, all of them made of bicycle parts. Each of them was connected to another bicycle through the front or rear tyres,The Transaction Group offers the best high risk merchant account services, presenting the artist’s concept of human dependency. With modified seats and wheels,Get information on Air purifier from the unbiased, the cycles were priced at Rs25,000 each. The coal and iron sphere was for sale at Rs200,000.

Work of four more sculptors was spread over three galleries.

Shoaib Aziz, 24, used books and human hair to prepare 10 pieces depicting the concept of life and death. His Tree of Life with three million multi-shaded human hair strands as roots was a focus of large attention.

He said he had collected the strands over two months from hair salons, friends and family.Tru-Form Plastics is a one-stop shop for plastic Injection Molding, The piece is priced at Rs400,000.

Aziz’s personal favourite is a baby’s face made from a book.

“While cutting some books for one of my sculptures, I accidentally cut one from the wrong side. But then I realised that I could sculpt it into something substantial for my exhibit,” he said. He sewed and shaped the books to make a baby’s face that give different expressions from each angle. “If you rotate the head, it will appear anxious from some angles, and content and happy from another.”

Each book sculpture is priced at Rs100,000. Aziz’s other works included provocative art such as an open uterus and a hairy newborn.

Rehmat Kareem, who made four installations with electrical sockets, wires and switchboards, said he wanted to explore the importance of technology in today’s world.The magic cube is an ultra-portable,

Kareem’s Urbanscape, a piece bringing together a mesh of buildings and streets, depicted technology’s impact on construction.

The 27-year-old student said he tried to give an impression of an advanced city, where life was fast paced and people were technologically savvy. Urbanscape was priced at Rs150,000.Smooth-On is your source for Mold Making and casting materials including silicone rubber and urethane rubber,

The other pieces were a human body put together using electrical spare parts and wires, a thread installation and a mass-production carpet weaving machine.

Kareem said the piece drawing most attention was the thread installation, which was his representation of “the hidden geometry of the universe.”

“It is one of my earlier pieces, which I decided to include in the display,” he said.

Rmaam Raja, 28, displayed five pieces, sculpted using cotton, polyester and hair.

He explained that a massive mushroom composed of human hair represented the slow loss of human life to smoke and pollution. Another piece that got much attention was an army officer’s camouflaged uniform stained with images of smoke and dirt.

“This represents unnecessary loss of life in war,” he said.

None of his works were titled or priced. “I have not thought of it yet,” he said.

Suleman Mangle made sculptures using nails to depict destruction.

Career guide to assist in creating jobs in plastics industry

Industry association Plastics South Africa’s training division plans to create an electronic career guide that will list the available skills and job opportunities in the local plastics industry.

Although the project is still in progress, the aim is to make the information available electronically on the association's website later this year, Plastics SA executive director Anton Hanekom tells Engineering News.

“This project is in line with Plastics SA’s training objective of promoting the career opportunities that exist in the local plastics industry,” he says.

The availability of the information is expected to assist companies that are recruiting and will provide information on the additional skills and the specific qualifications required for each position, as well as offer career guidance for job seekers.

“This initiative is aimed at creating an industry and skills development plan that is quantifiable, measurable and that will create jobs.

“Every profession in the plastics industry will now be linked to its relevant organising framework of occupations, alternative job titles, the various responsibilities associated with that job and the qualifications required for the position,” Hanekom notes.

Priority skills for the plastics industry,The Transaction Group offers the best high risk merchant account services, as identified by the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority and Plastics SA, include plasticians, setters, mould makers and polymeric fabrication inspectors.

Plasticians are crucial in the manufacturing process, while setters are responsible for setting up the manufacturing equipment.

These priority skills were identified by Merseta’s Plastics Chamber, with the support of Plastics SA, which held a series of regional workshops in Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Gauteng last year to determine future skills needs in the industry and to design an Integrated Qualifications Frame- work – a first for the plastics industry.

The subsectors that were mapped during the workshops were packaging, engineering, industrial rubber, composites, thermoplastic fabrication and recycling.

“The main objective of this initiative was to map the industry to get a clear idea of the occupations that exist, and their details, the skills shortages and job vacancies. From this,Get information on Air purifier from the unbiased, a value chain was established for each subsector,” Hanekom states.
Meanwhile, in July last year, Plastics SA, together with the Whisper Boat Building Academy and the Cape Town Boatbuilding and Technology Initiative,The magic cube is an ultra-portable, began a one-year pilot project to train two groups of 15 deaf students to work with composites.

Merseta signed a memorandum of understanding committing itself to funding the full tuition costs of the 30 students recruited by the project.

Classes for the six-month course consist of theoretical and practical classroom-based training, combined with workplace experience that was presented as individual skills programmes.

The first group of learners graduated at the end of last year and will be issued with a Plastics SA certificate of competence in lamination.Tru-Form Plastics is a one-stop shop for plastic Injection Molding,

This project will continue this year when another group of 15 deaf students will start their training.
Plastics SA supports the National Skills Development Strategy III that was launched in January last year by the Department of Higher Education and Training.

Hanekom points out that the key driving force behind this strategy is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the local skills development system.

“The strategy places significant emphasis on the relevance,Smooth-On is your source for Mold Making and casting materials including silicone rubber and urethane rubber, quality and sustainability of skills training programmes to ensure that these impact positively on poverty reduction and the eradication of inequalities,” he adds.

The plastics unit within the Department of Trade and Industry, Plastics SA and other government departments, as well as key stakeholders, facilitated three provincial workshops in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban last year to finalise the draft strategy and action plan for the development of the plastics industry as identified in the National Industrial Policy Framework .

An Industrial Policy Action Plan was also developed to outline key action programmes that will be implemented to achieve the objectives of the NIPF.

Is Asia's Red-Hot Art Market Heading for a Slowdown?

The abandoned buffet table spoke to the allure of the art falling under the hammer next door. Drawn by paintings by modern Indonesian masters from art auctioneers Borobudur and Larasati, few bidders were distracted by glazed shrimp or sautéed beef. The Jan. 12 sale notched up a record $11.5 million in revenue, a new high for both Southeast Asian auction houses. Further evidence of the Asian art market's resilience could be found at a government-sponsored art fair held at the same time as the auction. 'Art Stage Singapore,' which attracted hundreds of high-end art galleries from across the world, sold signature works like a $1.52 million abstract painting by German artist Gerhard Richter.

The buoyancy of both events is but another example of the resiliency of the Asian art market. It has been rising steadily over the last decade, barely slowed by the 2008-09 global financial crisis and, more recently, appears to be ignoring a two-year-old European debt crisis that has otherwise stalled stock and property markets across most of Asia. In 2004, for instance, global auction house Christie's grossed $179 million from its Asia-based sales.The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free, By 2011, the auction house had grossed $904 million from sales in the region

Even so, experts say, the explosive growth of the last six to seven years appears to be slowing somewhat. "The market is not as strong as it was a year ago," says Jasdeep Sandhu, owner of Gajah Gallery in Singapore, which represents auction market darlings like Indonesian artist I. Nyoman Masriadi. At the Borobudur/Larasati auction, for example, very large paintings like Indonesian master Affandi's "Barong and Rangda," a 1960 work depicting the shadow dance between the Balinese spirits of good and evil,We are passionate about polished tiles. generated enthusiastic bidding and finally fetched $500,000 (excluding the buyer's commission), roughly double its high estimate. Yet a striking 1974 nude entitled "Nude and the Snake" by Sudjojono, a contemporary of Affandi and a pillar of Indonesian modernism, sold for far less, $107,000 (excluding commission), below the upper end of its estimated range.

"The bidding isn't as crazy as it used to be," says Dexter How, a Southeast Asian specialist with Singapore-based auctioneer 33Auction. The relatively tepid autumn sales of Sotheby's and Christie's in Hong Kong last year prove his point. For both auction houses, the 2011 autumn sales generated roughly 10 to 25 per cent less than their preceding spring sales. And though the Borobudur/Larasati sale was considered a surprise success, some experts point out that the idea of pooling buyers together and shaving marketing costs by holding a joint sale is itself a sign of lowered expectations. Plus, says How, "some of the works were priced reasonably."

So is a sudden drop around the corner? Experts say no,Johnson Tiles UK offer the largest range of porcelain tiles online, pointing to the broadening of the Asian art world over the last decade as a stabilizing force.A mold or molds is a hollowed-out block that is filled with a liquid like plastic, Asian collectors, for example, are increasingly diversifying their collections, branching out into works from other countries. Taiwanese collectors,You can find best china precision Precision injection molds manufacturers from here! for instance, are buying more Indonesian art. A recent surge in new museums and galleries, particularly in China, where an average of one hundred new museums opens each year, as well as more academic art scholarship about Asian art, has also underpinned the market. All of which makes a precipitous collapse, according to Jehan Chu, director of Hong Kong-based art consultancy Vermillion Art Collections, "hard to imagine."

Winter has arrived

Winter has arrived,The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free, albeit late

Although late, winter has arrived! We finally have some snow AND some consistent freezing temperatures.

Many of the little wetland pools in my forest are at least partially frozen, with thicker ice extending from the edges and thinning out toward the middle. This is called border ice. Solid ice usually, but not always, forms along the shore of a pond or stream first. The water is typically shallow along the shore and so the water temperature drops faster and freezes quickly on a cold night. In the case of rivers and streams, the water moves slower along the shore and so ice forms more easily along the edges. If conditions stay cold, the border ice will grow gradually toward the center until the entire pond freezes over.

Each lake, river, pond and stream has its own nuances. For example, because the water is moving more quickly than in surrounding areas you will find thinner ice where a river narrows or where channels form between islands. Likewise, ice thins where streams or springs enter a pond or lake. The marsh near my house usually has thinner ice near the shoreline where it is shallow and sunny.

We are lucky that water has the unique thermal properties that it does. If water was like most substances on Earth, its density would be greatest when frozen and it would sink — ice would form at the bottom of water bodies first.

However, unlike most substances, water is less dense when frozen and therefore ice floats. The peak density of water is around 4 degrees Celsius and it decreases, or gets lighter, at temperatures both above and below this. If water didn't do this it is unclear whether life on Earth could exist; all bodies of water would freeze from the bottom up and potentially freeze solid, causing real problems for most aquatic species.Johnson Tiles UK offer the largest range of porcelain tiles online,

Consider this: because the maximum density of water is at 4 degrees Celsius, the layer of water that forms at the bottom of deep bodies of water — the hypolimnion — can remain at around 4 C year-round. The heavy,A mold or molds is a hollowed-out block that is filled with a liquid like plastic,You can find best china precision Precision injection molds manufacturers from here! cold water just sits there. In the winter, lakes stratify, meaning the layer of cold liquid 4 C water remains on the bottom, warmer water in the middle, ice on top. The ice on top acts as an insulator, protecting the warmer water from freezing air temperatures, further ensuring that the lake or pond doesn't freeze solid.

It is in these cold but unfrozen depths that life such as algae, insect larvae and fish can safely overwinter. These aquatic organisms are all cold-blooded, their body temperatures following external temperature changes; as the lake cools their metabolism slows and they become sluggish. Obviously this whole freeze-thaw system works; when spring comes and northern lakes,This is interesting cube puzzle and logical game. ponds and rivers shed their icy covers, aquatic organisms shrug off their winter torpor and come back to life.

The Man Who Studies The Fungus Among Us

For the past 30 years,A mold or molds is a hollowed-out block that is filled with a liquid like plastic, botanist Nicholas Money has studied the microorganisms that most people associate with bad smells, itchy toes, damp basements and rotten food. A renowned fungal researcher at Miami University in Ohio, Money has devoted his career to studying indoor molds, fungal movements and the mysterious world of mycology.

Why mold and mushrooms?

"As a biologist, there's so much to revel in, when we really study the fungi," he tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross. "This is a fantastic kingdom of microorganisms,You can find best china precision Precision injection molds manufacturers from here! and far more interesting than the animals and the plants."

In his book Mushroom, Money explores the history and science behind the fungal organisms that appear overnight on lawns, are occasionally poisonous and sometimes end up in our medications and on our dinner plates. But not every fungus among us produces mushrooms, he says. The term "mushroom" is used to describe the fruiting body of various types of mostly gilled fungi, with or without stems.

Mushrooms sometimes grow in places you really don't want to see them: on ceilings and in basements, in bathrooms and in crawl spaces. Money says one of the most alarming places he ever saw a mushroom was in the back of a person's throat.

"This was actually photographed in some very unfortunate individual whose immune system was really crashing," he says. "A mushroom growing in that area is something none of us want to experience."

Mushrooms grow everywhere, says Money, because fungal spores are literally everywhere. All they need is a food source — which can come from any damp place.

"Every breath that we take — from first gasp to last breath — we're inhaling fungal spores," he says. "They're always available, they're always in the air, and they're always trying to exploit the opportunities to grow and reproduce."

Mushrooms are fungal sex organs, and they have a strange way of reproducing. It's hard to see with the naked eye, so Money takes ultra high-speed video of mushrooms releasing their spores from their fertile surfaces. He then slows down the tape to watch what happens next. It's a good thing he does: Individual mushrooms can release as many as 30,000 spores a second and billions of spores in a day.

"The mechanism in mushrooms involves tiny droplets of fluid [that] are about the same size of the spore, and they condense on the spore surface under wet conditions and then they coalesce — they jump together — very,Johnson Tiles UK offer the largest range of porcelain tiles online, very swiftly," he says. "This is on a time scale of millionths of a second. And it's that very fast movement in the center of the structure that kicks [the spores] into the air. ... It really is extraordinary."

By slowing down the action, Money can look at the biomechanics of mushroom reproduction,The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free, which he says scientists are still struggling to understand.

"It really is an extraordinary thing biomechanically — there's nothing else like this in the living world," he says. "If we scale this up to human dimensions, if we were jumping off gills,This is interesting cube puzzle and logical game. we'd be moving at 500 times the speed of sound to really match the prowess, the elegance of this fungi."

PartMaker Modeling to Debut at Westec 2012

A division of Delcam Plc, will debut PartMaker Modeling at Westec 2012 March 27 – 29, 2012 in Los Angeles. PartMaker Modeling has been made available as part of the recently released PartMaker Version 2012. PartMaker Version 2012 will make its west coast debut at Westec 2012. PartMaker will be exhibited in booth 2812 in the booth of its parent company.The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free,

PartMaker Modeling is a 3D design tool developed specifically for the needs of CNC manufacturers.A Coated Abrasives is an abrasive grain bonded to a flexible substrate using adhesives. It lets users create,Smooth-On is your source for Mold Making and casting materials including silicone rubber and urethane rubber, repair and modify 3D CAD data of any origin or level of quality and make flawless solid models they can use for the most efficient level of machining, CNC programming and 3D simulation.

“The engineering demands being faced by part manufacturers are becoming greater and greater in ever increasingly more competitive in today’s global manufacturing arena,” says Delcam’s PartMaker Inc. division President Hanan Fishman. “To help our customers compete and thrive, we are providing them with a powerful yet easy tool to help them keep pace with these demands.”

PartMaker Modeling is a hybrid modeler working with surfaces and Parasolid, the world’s most widely used solid modelling kernel, providing high quality solid models that can be used at any level of the supply chain.

PartMaker Modeling gives PartMaker users the most powerful 3D design tool of any PC-based CAD system, allowing for 3D modelling, direct modelling of dumb solid models and data repair in a manner other CAM systems simply do not and cannot offer.Offering high risk and offshore merchant account with credit card processing services.

PartMaker Modeling is a very easy to use, yet versatile and powerful CAD system, delivering state-of-the-art tools directly to the desktop. It is based on Delcam’s proven PowerSHAPE 3D design package and has been specifically tuned to the needs of part manufacturers.

PartMaker Modeling integrates seamlessly with PartMaker. 3D models can be quickly cut and paste between the applications. PartMaker Modeling is developed and supported directly by Delcam, making Delcam a ‘one stop’ solution for both users CNC programming and design applications needs eliminating the need to hunt for multiple CAD and CAM vendors or pay multiple maintenance agreements.Johnson Tiles UK offer the largest range of porcelain tiles online,

In addition to PartMaker Modeling, PartMaker Version 2012 includes a host new functionality across the entire suite of PartMaker applications including improved visualization, more powerful simulation of vertical and horizontal machining centers, support for the latest breed of multi-axis Bar-Fed Mills, Turn-Mill Centers and Swiss-type lathes, greater flexibility and control in process development and much, much more.

“PartMaker Version 2012 will help our customers continue to ‘raise their game’ to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive manufacturing landscape,” says Fishman. “PartMaker Version 2012 includes an array of new features and functionality that will benefit every PartMaker user. There’s just so much for PartMaker users to be excited about with PartMaker Version 2012.”

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 18/1

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said today that it had revised its outlook on the long-term rating on Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam to stable from negative.

Meanwhile, it has also affirmed its 'B+/B' counterparty credit ratings on the bank and revised the stand-alone credit profile of the bank to 'b+' from 'b'.

"The outlook revision reflects Vietcombank's improved SACP after Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd acquired a 15 percent stake in the bank," said Standard & Poor's credit analyst Ivan Tan.

"We revised Vietcombank's SACP to reflect the bank's improved capital position after the MCB deal."

However, Tan said in S&P’s view, Vietcombank's capital and earnings are weak.

S&P may lower the ratings if Vietcombank's nonperforming loans increase sharply and its operating performance is poor, or capitalization weakens substantially.

The Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange has given the green light to Vietcombank to list additional over 347.6 million shares offered to Mizuho Bank on the southern bourse starting January 17.

But since the additional shares will not be traded within 5 years, the new listing can only raise the influence of VCB shares on the final calculation benchmark VN-Index.

There are about 182.78 million VCB shares listed on the southern bourse HoSE accounting for 1 percent of HoSE’s total value.

After the listing, the number of VCB shares will be over 530 million shares worth VND11.1 trillion in value, accounting for 2.81 percent of HoSE’s total value. Its ranking will be revised to No.7 from the current 15.

If a small company wishes to raise more capital, it can issue additional shares below a face value of VND10,000 (US$0.47). However, this may not be feasible for these Vietnamese companies, according to Nguyen Thi Phuong Chi, FPT Securities Co's deputy head of corporate finance consulting division.

Speaking to the newspaper Dau tu chung khoan (Securities Investment), Chi said while issuing shares under their face value was not prohibited by law, it was difficult for enterprises to do.

Chi warned that companies planning to issue shares under their face value would need shareholder approval for the move, and getting this approval was difficult.

"In addition, a company's share prices will decline due to stock dilution," said Chi.

The director of a firm who asked to remain anonymous, said that for stocks traded at around VND8,000 per share,Get information on Air purifier from the unbiased, shares under face value could only be sold if prices fell to VND4,000-5,000. At this price range, companies would not be able to raise much money, and the pressure on the return on equity ratio would become great, he said.

Chi said shareholders looked at the future prospects as well as the business effectiveness of a company when it came to investment decisions.

"As companies issuing shares at below face value are considered as being in trouble, issuing these types of shares will discourage new shareholders," said Chi.

It also often took about two months to execute plans on issuing shares below face value, a period that is likely to see a sharp fall in the company's share prices. Although companies might benefit in terms of raising funds in the short term, small investors would be affected by stock dilution, said Chi.

"The danger is, when prices drop too much, the companies can become the target of take-overs," he said.

In 2008,Johnson Tiles UK offer the largest range of porcelain tiles online, beverage firm Tribeco (TRI) became the first listed company to issue 20 million shares at VND7,520, and move it survived as the firm's equity was at only VND5.3 billion ($252,400). Since then, no more companies have filed to sell shares lower than face value, according to an official from the State Securities Commission.

According to a semi-annual report from HCM City-based ceramic tile producer Vitaly,FIRMAR is a Malaysia Injection Moulding Manufacturer and Plastic Injections Components Manufacturer, the firm's liability last year exceeded its total assets by VND31.3 billion ($1.5 million). Meanwhile, Vitaly is currently trading on the unofficial UPCoM market at only VND1,200 a share.Spro Tech has been a plastic module & Mold Maker, Issuing shares below face value could be seen as a solution for Vitaly.

Although this plan encounters many challenges,Tru-Form Plastics is a one-stop shop for plastic Injection Molding, it can still be a life buoy for businesses that are on the edge of bankruptcy. If securities authorities ensure clear guidance on issuing shares below face value, troubled enterprises can be saved.

Century Mold expands in Tennessee and Mexico

The Rochester, N.Y., firm, which is heavily involved in automotive injection molding, is seeing growth in its key market and in relatively new business areas, said Century Mold CEO and President Ron Ricotta, in a telephone interview.

“We’re seeing increased activity in the automotive market in the southeast,” Ricotta explained.

To meet rising demand, Century Mold has announced a $4.Get information on Air purifier from the unbiased,2 million expansion of its Shelbyville, Tenn., molding plant. In the first phase of the expansion Century Mold will add four new presses to Shelbyville’s current lineup of 30 injection molding machines, Ricotta said.Spro Tech has been a plastic module & Mold Maker, As Shelbyville expands the site will add 58 jobs.

“The automotive industry in Tennessee is steadily growing and thriving,Tru-Form Plastics is a one-stop shop for plastic Injection Molding,” stated Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty, in a news release.

“Some non-automotive business is also increasing,” Ricotta added. Two growing markets are electrical and gas-meter components, sectors recently cracked by Century Mold.

Growing automotive activity is spurring the firm to establish a second plant in central Mexico, in Queretaro, a hotbed for automotive,Johnson Tiles UK offer the largest range of porcelain tiles online, Century Mold also announced.

“Queretaro improves the size of our North American footprint to serve automotive,” Ricotta said in an interview from his Rochester office.

Century Mold is mainly a Tier 2 supplier, according to Ricotta. Automotive OEMs and their Tier 1 suppliers continue to locate in Mexico and Century Mold is following them.

The company plans to invest more than $15 million in Queretaro over the next 36 months. It is building a 100,000-square-foot facility to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2012. Production is slated to begin next January. Eventually the new plant will house 40 injection presses with 390 to 2,200 tons clamping force. Two-shot machines will be among the presses to be installed by 2016. Sales from the Queretaro business are projected to reach $40 million annually, Ricotta estimated.

Ricotta said Century Mold’s current Mexican plant in Chihuahua will remain open when Queretaro is on line. The Chihuahua operation is growing and its capacity is needed for Mexico’s markets.

Century Mold has weathered the ups and down of the automotive business better than many injection molders.

“We are heavily involved in engineering,” Ricotta explained. That means the firm has been able to take on additional responsibilities as its customers cut back on staff. The molder specializes in technically difficult, functional parts and assemblies.

“We are also financially sound and can invest in capital projects,” Ricotta added.

He said sales in 2011 at $100 million will swell to $110 million in 2012 and increase further to $125 million in 2013. Beyond these projections, the firm also is interested in acquisitions and starting new plants.

Century Mold has two committed customers for Queretaro and others are close to making commitments..

About 75 percent of Century Mold’s sales are automotive-related. Ricotta said three quarters of the vehicles assembled in North America have Century Mold-made parts. Its other important markets include defense, heavy truck, furniture and alternative energy.FIRMAR is a Malaysia Injection Moulding Manufacturer and Plastic Injections Components Manufacturer, Its production units are in Rochester, Shelbyville, Middletown, Ohio, and Chihuahua, with a sales and technical center in Wixom, Mich. It mainly molds polypropylene, acetal and nylon, the firm states on its Plastics News injection molding survey form.

Local band seeks to win contest

Local band seeks to win contest,Tru-Form Plastics is a one-stop shop for plastic Injection Molding, make it to SXSW

Guitarist Duncan Kissinger said that Hotfox is a band that advocates the importance of utilizing the full buffalo when it is hunted.

“Some people just use it for meat, some use it just for the pelt. Use all of it, not some of it,” Kissinger said.

Even though the band wouldn’t fully reveal what the buffalo is, if the buffalo in question is a metaphor for taking advantage of opportunity, the band does just that.

The local indie-rock band is no stranger to success.

After winning Record Store Day High School Battle of the Bands in April 2010, which landed them a front-page spot on NUVO, an alternative newspaper in Indianapolis, the band recorded an album and was named Bloomington’s best local band that same year.

After releasing their debut album “You, Me, and the Monster,” they shared the stage with several nationally known bands, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and Margot & the Nuclear So & So’s.Johnson Tiles UK offer the largest range of porcelain tiles online,

But they’re not tired yet.

The band is currently among the top five bands competing in a contest for a spot to perform at South by Southwest Interactive Film and Music Festival in Austin, Texas, this March. The band found out about the contest on Sonicbids and submitted their song “Mountain Tiger.” The band members received an email two weeks ago informing them that they were finalists.

The Sonicbids-Jansport Battle of the Bands contest uses an online voting system to decide which 10 acts will be considered for the final round. Fans of the band are able to vote online once a day through Jan. 19. The top 10 acts will then be judged by a panel, which will announce the winner sometime in February.

“We’ve been playing on a local, slightly regional level for years together,Take a walk on the natural side with stunning and luxurious Floor tiles from The Tile Shop. and SXSW is the opportunity for us that is very attainable and would be the boost we need to have new people hear our music,” Kissinger said.

Are they nervous?

“You could say we’re a bunch of nervous nematodes,” Kissinger said.

According to Kissinger, their album “You, Me, and the Monster” has to do with hemorrhoids, or in their words,Get information on Air purifier from the unbiased, “pains in the ass.”

Examples of pains include skeletons, dirty dishes, women, drugs, money and paparazzi.

Not all of the band’s songs fall under these categories, though.FIRMAR is a Malaysia Injection Moulding Manufacturer and Plastic Injections Components Manufacturer,

“Our song ‘Mountain Tiger’ is about a fight between a fierce tiger and a mean machine ... on a mountain,” sophomore bassist Marcus Tedesco said.

Tedesco met singer and guitarist Oliver Hopkins outside Read Center last year and has been part of the band ever since.

Following the success of their debut album, the band is starting to record a new album this month. The album includes tracks such as “Hay, is that My Horse?” and “Gallop Pasture Sister’s Head.”

“The second album will be a concept record based around the times and adventures of ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.’ It’ll be louder and dustier than record number one,” Hopkins said.

The title of the second album and when it will be out is still unknown.

“Maybe in a few months, maybe a year,” Hopkins said.

New townhomes on the ‘Block’

Earlier this year, Treasure Hill Developments unveiled a townhouse project on Shaw St. near College St.Get information on Air purifier from the unbiased, on a site previously occupied by a Catholic school.

The development — a row of faux Victorian-style townhouses meant to mimic the architecture of the neighbourhood — met with a “tepid response,” according to broker Paul Johnston. “After spending a few months marketing the homes, the developer quickly recognized that this wasn’t what a sophisticated downtown market wanted.”

So in October, Treasure Hill decided to overhaul the project and brought on board a new team, including Johnston, principal of Unique Urban Homes, über-urban interior design firm Cecconi Simone, and architect Richard Wengle, one of the city’s top high-end custom home designers.

“We completely re-imagined the development,” Johnston explains “The site remains the same, the number of homes remains the same, but the front architecture and the programming of the homes from an interior perspective has been completely regenerated and is now decidedly modern.”

The re-launched project, Block, is comprised of 37 four-storey freehold townhouses that range in size from 2,Johnson Tiles UK offer the largest range of porcelain tiles online,650 square feet to 3,700 square feet. The homes have between three to five bedrooms, depending on the plan and how buyers choose to configure their units.

Prices start in the high $900,000s and go up to $1.69 million.

Sales for Block launched in November and more than half of the homes were sold in the first weekend.

As far as Johnston is concerned, the success of the redesigned project is a testament to the demand in the city for at-grade contemporary housing.

“That response is proof positive that consumers today want a home that reflects the architecture of our time, as opposed to something of an era gone by,” he says.FIRMAR is a Malaysia Injection Moulding Manufacturer and Plastic Injections Components Manufacturer, “This is what people want in urban living.Take a walk on the natural side with stunning and luxurious Floor tiles from The Tile Shop.”

Interiors at Block include 10-foot ceilings on the main floor and nine-foot ceilings on the second and third floors. Buyers have a choice of porcelain tile or engineered wood flooring on the main floor, and the second and third levels have engineered wood flooring throughout the hallways, bedrooms and closets.

“Cecconi Simone has the ability to program a space in a very efficient and intelligent manner that is remarkably contemporary,” says Johnston.

“But they also have a real capacity to capture the trends and the look and spirit of the time — their design is unequivocally modern. There is not a crown moulding that has passed the doors of Cecconi Simone.”

Kitchens have custom-designed cabinetry available in three colour options, a choice of Corian or composite stone countertops and a Miele appliance package, including an electric or gas cooktop, stainless steel fridge and built-in electric oven and microwave.

Bathrooms have oversized glass shower enclosures with rain-soaker showerheads, a soaker tub (depending on plan), porcelain floor and wall tiles and Corian sink and countertop.

The wood-frame townhouses — which feature staggered facades and wide windows in front — are clad in a combination of pre-cast concrete, masonry and stucco, with metal accenting. They also have balconies and flat roofs with skylights.

While Wengle is well known for designing luxury custom homes in high-end neighbourhoods such as Forest Hill and Rosedale, Johnston says the architect — “a modernist at heart” — was keen to work on a contemporary project like Block.

“Although his practice has been in much more traditional work in the last number of years,VulcanMold is a Injection mold and injection molding manufacturer in china. this is a direction that Richard is very excited to be moving in because it’s really where his roots are.”

As a result, Johnston says, buyers at Block get the custom home look at a fraction of the cost of a Wengle one-off project.

Each home at Block has a private terrace, back-door entrance and a single-car garage that can be accessed from the rear laneway.

The homes are designed with flexibility in mind, Johnston notes. Buyers have the option of having separate floors for the master bedroom and kids or guest rooms, and the basement can be configured as a gym, theatre or office.

Alternatively, buyers might opt to add an additional bedroom and kitchenette on the bottom floor so that the space can function as an in-law suite, nanny’s quarters or rental apartment, with a separate entrance from the street.

“We’re responding to the fact that the vast majority of people downtown have dynamic needs for their homes,” he says.

Solar power: making electricity at home

It may appear counter-intuitive, but getting millions of solar panels onto rooftops saves more money than it costs. Feed-in tariffs enacted by state governments have enabled ordinary Australians using their savings to build a solar power station at home benefiting the community.

When those solar households who had saved to get their panels installed under the solar feed-in tariff programs export their solar production to the grid,Alfa plast mould is Plastic moulds Manufacturer and plastics Mould Exporters in India since 1992, which occurs mostly during higher demand daytime periods,We are passionate about polished tiles. they are given a slightly higher than average retail rate for the electricity they are selling. The prices they have been paid are relatively meagre when compared with the ridiculously high rates paid to big coal or gas power plants.

At the same time that little solar households who have invested their money in a rooftop power station are being paid between 44 and 60 per kilowatt hour, the old power companies with their dirty belching coal and gas plants are receiving as much as $12.50.

In other words, the coal and gas guys are being paid as much as $11.90 more than a home solar generator for just one unit of electricity.

A home solar system installed in NSW sized at 10 kilowatts, which was the limit for feed-in-tariff eligibility under the now-defunct state scheme,Buy quality Bedding and luxury bed linen from Yorkshire Linen. would export roughly 9kWh and reduce line losses by more than 10 per cent during a very hot sunny day when everyone was running their airconditioners. That meant a coal or gas plant would not need to generate 10kWh for every 9kWh a solar household produces at home during that period. During these high-price events, which account for more than 30 per cent of the cost of electricity, we can buy our power from a gas or coal plant at the inflated price of $125 or we can buy it from a home solar generator for just $5.40.

To buy the full 10 kilowatt equivalent output from the home solar generator saves everyone $120 each hour in power costs alone.

This is not the full story. At other times when your home solar system is generating, the coal plant may receive 6, 8, $1,Manufacturers and exporters of impact socket, $3 or $5 but you're still getting a steady 44 to 60. The reason customers were getting an average price under the state programs is because it's too difficult for ordinary home owners to set up a trading desk and participate in the national electricity market. So the 44 to 60 range is much more reasonable when you take into account the wild fluctuations that occur daily as power generators use their market power to game the electricity market,You can find best china precision Precision injection molds manufacturers from here! which ultimately is costing consumers.

All that said, the most important contribution from rooftop solar is through the ''merit order effect'', explained in a recent paper by the University of Melbourne's energy research institute, which showed electricity production from rooftop solar is brilliantly timed for when we're inside and running our airconditioners and can substantially reduce the wealth transfer from ordinary electricity consumers to big power generators. Eighty-five per cent of the time, during peak demand periods when the highest prices occur in the electricity market, rooftop solar is there to dampen, reduce and keep a lid on extreme prices.

At just 3000 megawatts of solar, which is what Germany installed in December during the Christmas holiday break, we would be paying at least a billion dollars less for our electricity, amounting to a more significant saving on bills than if we choose not to encourage people to put more solar on their roofs.

Today, the government, through IPART , is performing a review into feed-in-tariffs to find a ''fair and reasonable'' price to pay enterprising householders for the solar electricity they produce. In the government's terms of reference they were asked to recommend a price with ''no resulting increase in electricity prices in NSW'' and to make the scheme so that ''the government would not pay''. They also asked for it to support a competitive electricity market. The University of Melbourne paper showed that a net feed-in-tariff price of 35 to 40 a kilowatt hour, handled by the distribution companies, would lower electricity prices by more than it would cost to fund it and that the government's existing low-income household rebate could be increased slightly to accommodate any shifting in network costs from solar to non-solar households.

The reward from the merit order effect should not be handed to dirty fossil fuel generators as they are able to withdraw their service, choosing whether to supply and game the electricity market, sending electricity prices spiralling, while on the whole solar households will reliably generate, day in, day out.