Arwana Citramulia, a ceramic tile producer, is looking to add 8 million square meters to its existing 41 million square-meter annual production capacity, once its fourth plant — located in Palembang, South Sumatra — becomes operational this year, the company’s founder and chief executive said.
Tandean Rustandi was upbeat on the industry’s outlook, giving that as the main reason for the business expansion.“Our population is 240 million [people] and yet ceramic consumption is only 1 square meter per capita. It is very low, even when compared with Vietnam which has 4 square meters of ceramic consumption per capita,” said Tandean, who founded Arwana in 1993 and made it one of the top 20 tile manufacturers in the world.
Currently, the firm operates three plants in Tangerang, Serang and Gresik. Its Palembang plant is scheduled to begin commercial operation in October.Since its inception, Arwana has consistently targeted the lower- and middle-class segments. In 2011, it introduced a new product for the well-heeled segment of society but remains confident that the lower and Ceramic tile, traditionally its bread-and-butter, remains its major market.
The biggest hurdle for the business, however, as Tandean explained, was the lack of a reliable gas supply. The ceramics business is energy-intensive, making securing energy sources a top priority.Energy is the largest cost component in the ceramic industry, accounting for 35 percent of total costs.“Even with a low level of consumption we find trouble securing natural gas supplies,” said Tandean, who believes there is a need to make the domestic gas market more competitive.
Tandean, who entered the business with little knowledge, now has partnerships with 14,000 distributors selling only Arwana ceramics. He says the company commands a 20 percent domestic market share.The company reported net income of Rp 133.9 billion in the first half of the year, more than double from the same period a year earlier, even as sales increased by just 30 percent.
Tandean is no longer the majority shareholder in Arwana. Major financial institutions like Credit Suisse, UBS and HSBC own substantial interests in the company which, according to Tandean, is a show of confidence in the company’s growth plans.
“They include Arwana in their investment portfolio because we are not being forced to expand, but are consistently expanding,” noted Tandean. For his business success, his alma mater gave him the University of Chicago Entrepreneurial Alumni Award for 2011.
Several years ago I was introduced to European Tilt and Turn windows while traveling in Germany. My fascination with these windows ultimately lead to me attending a European Door & Window workshop in Ouray, CO recently.
Organized by Greg Godbout of Rangate, under the direction of master craftsman Joe Calhoun of Cascade Woodwork, we spent four intense days building window and door units. Besides myself, in attendance were Jeff Casagrande of Casagrande Woodworks, and Yaraslov Soukup, an engineer and owner of Soukup Machinery from the Czech Republic. Five of us, brought together by our love for the craft, spent our time together sharing year’s of experience.
In 2011, the US imported $94 million in windows, with a significant share of that coming from Europe. Why? Those windows could/should be produced here in the U.S. There is no better time to take advantage of the benefits these windows offer and at the same time increase our domestic manufacturing capabilities.
With windows responsible for 25% to 30% of the heat loss in a typical building, well-designed and installed windows are critical to reducing energy consumption while increasing thermal comfort and air quality in a controlled environment.
Wood is a sustainable and a renewable resource, and an operable Tilt and Turn window provides excellent air-tightness when closed and controlled ventilation when opened. Together, wooden Tilt and Turn windows and doors are an essential component to enable the overall higher building energy standards.
Danny Johnson, lead designer on the iOS version of Runner2 and a level designer on the console version of the game, told us that he was going through each level, making things work better for the touchscreen controls. “Touchscreens aren’t as responsive as buttons,” he said, “so we needed to go back and rethink the whole game, level by level, to make it work for iOS.”
Things like stairs are tricky using touchscreen controls, he continued, so the team decided to make some stair areas auto-running, so that players won’t get frustrated by the intensity of tapping that must happen for these vertical features.
In addition to the same five worlds, Runner2 for iOS will have all the familiar characters that you can unlock or purchase to play through the levels with. You’ll also have the same chance to unlock challenge and retro levels in the iOS Runner2 game, using gold collected throughout each level, including levels that use the same tile-set as the first Bit.Trip Runner, which originally released in 2010. The new Runner2 game marks the first time the team is using HD graphics, so the retro style is much more marked than previously.
Read the full products at http://www.tilees.com/!
2013年9月2日星期一
2013年8月26日星期一
Little left to chance
Last year, the scratch-off tickets resulted in more than $2.3 billion in sales, comprising 62 percent of the lottery’s record sales that fell just shy of $3.7 billion. All told, the lottery games produced over $1 billion in profits to fund programs for senior citizens.Managing the lottery’s portfolio of instant games, coming up with new game concepts, enticing players to buy more tickets in a manner that it considers socially responsible, and making sure the ticket supply doesn’t run out at lottery retailers is a full-time job for nearly 400 people.
The Pennsylvania Lottery employs 236 people. Some 152 others work for state’s lottery servicing contractor, New York-based Scientific Games International, Inc., here in the commonwealth.Although there has been talk for well over the past year of outsourcing the lottery’s management, that issue remains unresolved.But a recent visit to lottery’s highly secured headquarters in Lower Swatara Twp. offered no clue that such upheaval was on the horizon.
Rather, employees there were plotting and planning more ways to entice players to spend their money in hopes of making more money for at least the next 18 months.Lottery games’ sales trends here and China Porcelain tile. Decades of product development experience. Focus groups. Industry gut.All are factors that go into the development of new lottery games.
Developing new draw-based games, such as The Daily Number and Treasure Hunt, are derived through the same process as instant games but take longer to develop. They require creating software and seemingly endless testing to make sure a game works before it can be introduced to the lottery’s line-up, according to lottery officials.With instant tickets, the focus is on keeping the games fresh and appealing to players. Every month, four to six new instant games are introduced and the same number are closed out. According to Scientific Games, the nation's leading supplier of instant lottery tickets, that is a higher frequency than most state lotteries.
“You always have to have something on deck to not only replace that certain type of game, whether it be a theme or whether it be a price point,” said Todd Rucci, lottery director. “The science behind that is truly amazing.”The lottery maintains an 18-month calendar that projects when each game is going to end and what comes next, said Cal Heath, the lottery’s director of research and regulations.
“We’re really looking at having the research done maybe six to 12 months in advance of when we launch those new games,” he said.That means, for example, ideas for winter games are being bandied about in the heat of summer, said Kara Sparks, deputy marketing director for product management.
Many game concepts bubble up from previous instant games. Sometimes, players suggest ideas and those ideas are welcome although lottery officials emphasize there is no remuneration offered in return.Once mock versions of game concepts are developed, they are taken to focus groups to gauge reactions and player input.
Primarily, Heath said these sessions are in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia but on occasion have been held in other locations around the state, including Harrisburg.“We usually try to get enough players from an urban and suburban setting because quite often they’ll think a little different,” he said.
Participants in focus groups are carefully screened. For example, Heath said you don’t want players who dislike the “extended play” games like Bingo Star or Crossword 5X evaluating that type of game concept. Or players who only play the $5, $10 and $20 instant games are not chosen to test out lower-priced game ideas.A moderator leads groups of 10 to 12 participants through a 90-minute discussion that is observed behind a one-way mirror by lottery employees.
Some focus on the manner in which the session is conducted to be sure concepts are presented in an objective fashion. Others zero in on what participants are saying about the games themselves.The purpose of the focus group is to gather ideas on how to adjust a particular game or provide food for thought for future games.
“It really does help us hone the games that we introduce,” Heath said.The lottery shared snippets of a video of a focus group discussion that helped shape the instant ticket game named “polished tiles.”Immediately upon seeing the picture of a bulging wallet on a mock ticket, one woman remarked, “I like it all already.”
Another commented on how she liked the large print and seeing that the $5 game offered 12 chances to win.Then they turned to a picture of the mock ticket with the scratch-off material removed. Several quickly discerned a match with a winning number that would have carried a $50 prize if the ticket was real.Mock tickets shown to focus groups are always winners. Svitko said, “It’s not to improve their opinion but it’s to make sure they understand how to play because sometimes some games are more confusing.”
The energetic response “Fat Wallet” evoked from this and other focus groups helped convince Sparks and other lottery officials this game would be a winner with players hoping the game would live up to its name.Once a concept is nailed down, the artwork gets finetuned and color choices are made. Lottery officials are careful that games on sale at the same time have different themes and color schemes.
Based on focus group reaction, decisions might be made to add a second-chance of winning to a game. And the ticket price gets evaluated as well. Lottery likes to have a good mix of different priced tickets on sale at the same time to attract all types of players.The odds of winning are yet another matter. Instant tickets offer anywhere between a 25 and 33 percent chance of winning on each ticket. The number of winning tickets can differ depending on the prize structure. If a game offers multiple top prizes, the number of small prizes might be lower than a game with fewer top prizes.
Lottery officials also point out that once a game's top prizes are claimed, the game is closed and no more of its tickets are sold.All of this is done to ensure a good playing experience, which lottery officials realize is critical to keeping players coming back to buy more tickets.Throughout the process, lottery officials consult with Scientific Games to draw on their experience with lottery games.
“It’s one thing for something to sound great but we can’t afford so-so games,” Svitko said. “We don’t take risks when it comes to generating money for older Pennsylvanians.”Players take risk. So does Scientific Games, which gets paid based on a percentage of ticket sold. Last year, the company was paid nearly $62.3 million for its work with the Pennsylvania Lottery.
Its contract for instant games requires Scientific Games to cover the cost of printing tickets, which is done at its facility in Alpharetta, Ga.; warehousing them; and distributing them.If the lottery would decide a game isn't selling well and decides to close it down, Scientific Games is obligated to pull it off the street even if it hasn't recouped all its costs. That's how its contract is structured giving the company incentive to partner with the lottery to ensure every game is a moneymaker, officials said.
Read the full products at http://www.tilees.com/!
The Pennsylvania Lottery employs 236 people. Some 152 others work for state’s lottery servicing contractor, New York-based Scientific Games International, Inc., here in the commonwealth.Although there has been talk for well over the past year of outsourcing the lottery’s management, that issue remains unresolved.But a recent visit to lottery’s highly secured headquarters in Lower Swatara Twp. offered no clue that such upheaval was on the horizon.
Rather, employees there were plotting and planning more ways to entice players to spend their money in hopes of making more money for at least the next 18 months.Lottery games’ sales trends here and China Porcelain tile. Decades of product development experience. Focus groups. Industry gut.All are factors that go into the development of new lottery games.
Developing new draw-based games, such as The Daily Number and Treasure Hunt, are derived through the same process as instant games but take longer to develop. They require creating software and seemingly endless testing to make sure a game works before it can be introduced to the lottery’s line-up, according to lottery officials.With instant tickets, the focus is on keeping the games fresh and appealing to players. Every month, four to six new instant games are introduced and the same number are closed out. According to Scientific Games, the nation's leading supplier of instant lottery tickets, that is a higher frequency than most state lotteries.
“You always have to have something on deck to not only replace that certain type of game, whether it be a theme or whether it be a price point,” said Todd Rucci, lottery director. “The science behind that is truly amazing.”The lottery maintains an 18-month calendar that projects when each game is going to end and what comes next, said Cal Heath, the lottery’s director of research and regulations.
“We’re really looking at having the research done maybe six to 12 months in advance of when we launch those new games,” he said.That means, for example, ideas for winter games are being bandied about in the heat of summer, said Kara Sparks, deputy marketing director for product management.
Many game concepts bubble up from previous instant games. Sometimes, players suggest ideas and those ideas are welcome although lottery officials emphasize there is no remuneration offered in return.Once mock versions of game concepts are developed, they are taken to focus groups to gauge reactions and player input.
Primarily, Heath said these sessions are in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia but on occasion have been held in other locations around the state, including Harrisburg.“We usually try to get enough players from an urban and suburban setting because quite often they’ll think a little different,” he said.
Participants in focus groups are carefully screened. For example, Heath said you don’t want players who dislike the “extended play” games like Bingo Star or Crossword 5X evaluating that type of game concept. Or players who only play the $5, $10 and $20 instant games are not chosen to test out lower-priced game ideas.A moderator leads groups of 10 to 12 participants through a 90-minute discussion that is observed behind a one-way mirror by lottery employees.
Some focus on the manner in which the session is conducted to be sure concepts are presented in an objective fashion. Others zero in on what participants are saying about the games themselves.The purpose of the focus group is to gather ideas on how to adjust a particular game or provide food for thought for future games.
“It really does help us hone the games that we introduce,” Heath said.The lottery shared snippets of a video of a focus group discussion that helped shape the instant ticket game named “polished tiles.”Immediately upon seeing the picture of a bulging wallet on a mock ticket, one woman remarked, “I like it all already.”
Another commented on how she liked the large print and seeing that the $5 game offered 12 chances to win.Then they turned to a picture of the mock ticket with the scratch-off material removed. Several quickly discerned a match with a winning number that would have carried a $50 prize if the ticket was real.Mock tickets shown to focus groups are always winners. Svitko said, “It’s not to improve their opinion but it’s to make sure they understand how to play because sometimes some games are more confusing.”
The energetic response “Fat Wallet” evoked from this and other focus groups helped convince Sparks and other lottery officials this game would be a winner with players hoping the game would live up to its name.Once a concept is nailed down, the artwork gets finetuned and color choices are made. Lottery officials are careful that games on sale at the same time have different themes and color schemes.
Based on focus group reaction, decisions might be made to add a second-chance of winning to a game. And the ticket price gets evaluated as well. Lottery likes to have a good mix of different priced tickets on sale at the same time to attract all types of players.The odds of winning are yet another matter. Instant tickets offer anywhere between a 25 and 33 percent chance of winning on each ticket. The number of winning tickets can differ depending on the prize structure. If a game offers multiple top prizes, the number of small prizes might be lower than a game with fewer top prizes.
Lottery officials also point out that once a game's top prizes are claimed, the game is closed and no more of its tickets are sold.All of this is done to ensure a good playing experience, which lottery officials realize is critical to keeping players coming back to buy more tickets.Throughout the process, lottery officials consult with Scientific Games to draw on their experience with lottery games.
“It’s one thing for something to sound great but we can’t afford so-so games,” Svitko said. “We don’t take risks when it comes to generating money for older Pennsylvanians.”Players take risk. So does Scientific Games, which gets paid based on a percentage of ticket sold. Last year, the company was paid nearly $62.3 million for its work with the Pennsylvania Lottery.
Its contract for instant games requires Scientific Games to cover the cost of printing tickets, which is done at its facility in Alpharetta, Ga.; warehousing them; and distributing them.If the lottery would decide a game isn't selling well and decides to close it down, Scientific Games is obligated to pull it off the street even if it hasn't recouped all its costs. That's how its contract is structured giving the company incentive to partner with the lottery to ensure every game is a moneymaker, officials said.
Read the full products at http://www.tilees.com/!
2013年8月19日星期一
After move, Dolce Vita improves
As any long-time Phantom fan knows, searching out authentic Italian meals in Central PA is both a challenge and a passion for your favorite restaurant reviewer.Such a challenge/passion often results in disappointment and lowered expectations.A good example was several years ago when I took Italian friends to a place I’d heard of in Enola called Dolce Vita (literally “sweet life”).
The experience was less than sweet, so far less that I didn’t even write about it. I figured I’d wait, give it a second chance, but I just never went back.So it was with suspicion and low expectations that I ventured out to the relocated Dolce Vita, which moved this year from Enola to Camp Hill.
Well, vivere e imparare — live and learn!For although Dolce Vita in Camp Hill is owned and operated by the same Nino Basic who owned and operated Dolce Vita in Enola, dining in the new location is very different.Maybe some of that is atmospheric. As I recall, Dolce Vita in Enola was just a cut above a working-class neighborhood saloon and about as Italianate as a blue-collar bar in Essen. Not that there’s anything wrong with establishments of Ceramic tile. It’s just they’re rarely home to well-made angel hair pasta. And the overall feel at Dolce Vita in Camp Hill is different.
Located in a renovated two-story house along the main drag of Market Street, it has a nice, quiet Italian feel thanks to its warm colors and lighting, an interior stone archway, tile floors, linen tablecloths, Italian art, a first-floor serving bar — although the place is BYOB — and Italian opera music playing in the background.
Appetizers included mushrooms stuffed with lump crab and baked clams casino with baby clams. Both were exceptional.The regular menu, which seems to me entirely sufficient, is accompanied with a list of “specials” (chicken meatballs and crabmeat-stuffed salmon, for example) that seem to outnumber the regulars.
This generally raises questions for me along the lines of: How can any kitchen, let alone a small one, offer such variety without liberal use of frozen foods? And, if one is eating frozen foods, why not dine at home?But, having said that, entrées sampled at my table were very good, and one was better than that.
I had steak di Napoli ($21), a New York strip steak with mushrooms, onions and green and red peppers in marinara sauce. Though the steak (ordered rare) was a tad tough and not quite rare, it was tasty. The peppers were great. And the side of pasta that comes with all nonpasta entrées was perfect.A dining partner had a “special,” capellini d’Angelo ($24), extra-thin spaghetti served with shrimp, large chunks of crab and asparagus. The dish drew rave reviews and was large enough to also provide lunch the following day.
The restaurant offers standards: red or white linguine with clams; veal or chicken Piccata or Marsala; spaghetti with meatballs or sausage; manicotti, baked ziti and just about any other classic Italian dish you can think of.But it also has offerings such as red snapper with shrimp dipped in eggs, and a house dish of sautéed veal with eggplant, porcelain tiles, ham, onions, tomato and mozzarella in a white wine sauce — in other words, variety.
This is the kind of place, largely due to its location, that can become a regular stop for a lot of people, including neighborhood walk-ins.If you bring wine, there is no corking fee. Ice buckets for white wine are available upon request. There’s better Italian in Central PA. But Dolce Vita of Camp Hill shows promise. Its challenge will be to maintain consistency given the wide variety it offers. The irony? Owner operator Nino Basic is from Yugoslavia. But, hey, everybody loves Italian.
Today’s kitchens easily supplant the bathroom as the home’s most dangerous room. While scalds and falls on tile can inflict serious harm in the bathroom, modern kitchen appliances and gadgets offer many more opportunities for injury. Even a seemingly simple kitchen task can result in a devastating injury.
Just ask April Stewart Klausner, a New York illustrator and accomplished cook. Recently Ms. Klausner, 56, severed four tendons, multiple nerves and a blood vessel in her hand while pitting an avocado, something she’d done countless times.
Gushing blood and unable to feel or move two fingers, she was taken by ambulance to an emergency room. The injury required more than three hours of surgical repair and many months of painful rehab. It will take at least a year for the injured nerves to heal, and Ms. Klausner can only hope her hand will function normally, enabling her to resume her career full-speed.
The therapists at Lang Hand Therapy in Manhattan told her she was the fourth “avocado victim” they’d seen that month. “So add that to immersion blenders and mandolines . . . and maybe the bathroom is not the most dangerous room in the house!” Ms. Klausner said in an e-mail.
Knowledge and mindfulness are the secrets to kitchen safety. My husband used to say, “From rushing no good can come.” Don’t try to do several things at once, and leave enough time to accomplish your tasks.
Use timers, especially for foods that cook a long time. I use them for everything I cook. My favorite is the battery-operated West Bend Kitchen Timer, easily set by punching in the numbers for hours, minutes and seconds — a worthwhile investment.
Read the full products at http://www.tilees.com/!
The experience was less than sweet, so far less that I didn’t even write about it. I figured I’d wait, give it a second chance, but I just never went back.So it was with suspicion and low expectations that I ventured out to the relocated Dolce Vita, which moved this year from Enola to Camp Hill.
Well, vivere e imparare — live and learn!For although Dolce Vita in Camp Hill is owned and operated by the same Nino Basic who owned and operated Dolce Vita in Enola, dining in the new location is very different.Maybe some of that is atmospheric. As I recall, Dolce Vita in Enola was just a cut above a working-class neighborhood saloon and about as Italianate as a blue-collar bar in Essen. Not that there’s anything wrong with establishments of Ceramic tile. It’s just they’re rarely home to well-made angel hair pasta. And the overall feel at Dolce Vita in Camp Hill is different.
Located in a renovated two-story house along the main drag of Market Street, it has a nice, quiet Italian feel thanks to its warm colors and lighting, an interior stone archway, tile floors, linen tablecloths, Italian art, a first-floor serving bar — although the place is BYOB — and Italian opera music playing in the background.
Appetizers included mushrooms stuffed with lump crab and baked clams casino with baby clams. Both were exceptional.The regular menu, which seems to me entirely sufficient, is accompanied with a list of “specials” (chicken meatballs and crabmeat-stuffed salmon, for example) that seem to outnumber the regulars.
This generally raises questions for me along the lines of: How can any kitchen, let alone a small one, offer such variety without liberal use of frozen foods? And, if one is eating frozen foods, why not dine at home?But, having said that, entrées sampled at my table were very good, and one was better than that.
I had steak di Napoli ($21), a New York strip steak with mushrooms, onions and green and red peppers in marinara sauce. Though the steak (ordered rare) was a tad tough and not quite rare, it was tasty. The peppers were great. And the side of pasta that comes with all nonpasta entrées was perfect.A dining partner had a “special,” capellini d’Angelo ($24), extra-thin spaghetti served with shrimp, large chunks of crab and asparagus. The dish drew rave reviews and was large enough to also provide lunch the following day.
The restaurant offers standards: red or white linguine with clams; veal or chicken Piccata or Marsala; spaghetti with meatballs or sausage; manicotti, baked ziti and just about any other classic Italian dish you can think of.But it also has offerings such as red snapper with shrimp dipped in eggs, and a house dish of sautéed veal with eggplant, porcelain tiles, ham, onions, tomato and mozzarella in a white wine sauce — in other words, variety.
This is the kind of place, largely due to its location, that can become a regular stop for a lot of people, including neighborhood walk-ins.If you bring wine, there is no corking fee. Ice buckets for white wine are available upon request. There’s better Italian in Central PA. But Dolce Vita of Camp Hill shows promise. Its challenge will be to maintain consistency given the wide variety it offers. The irony? Owner operator Nino Basic is from Yugoslavia. But, hey, everybody loves Italian.
Today’s kitchens easily supplant the bathroom as the home’s most dangerous room. While scalds and falls on tile can inflict serious harm in the bathroom, modern kitchen appliances and gadgets offer many more opportunities for injury. Even a seemingly simple kitchen task can result in a devastating injury.
Just ask April Stewart Klausner, a New York illustrator and accomplished cook. Recently Ms. Klausner, 56, severed four tendons, multiple nerves and a blood vessel in her hand while pitting an avocado, something she’d done countless times.
Gushing blood and unable to feel or move two fingers, she was taken by ambulance to an emergency room. The injury required more than three hours of surgical repair and many months of painful rehab. It will take at least a year for the injured nerves to heal, and Ms. Klausner can only hope her hand will function normally, enabling her to resume her career full-speed.
The therapists at Lang Hand Therapy in Manhattan told her she was the fourth “avocado victim” they’d seen that month. “So add that to immersion blenders and mandolines . . . and maybe the bathroom is not the most dangerous room in the house!” Ms. Klausner said in an e-mail.
Knowledge and mindfulness are the secrets to kitchen safety. My husband used to say, “From rushing no good can come.” Don’t try to do several things at once, and leave enough time to accomplish your tasks.
Use timers, especially for foods that cook a long time. I use them for everything I cook. My favorite is the battery-operated West Bend Kitchen Timer, easily set by punching in the numbers for hours, minutes and seconds — a worthwhile investment.
Read the full products at http://www.tilees.com/!
Fear and triumph
Dozens of Seddon residents have been told that if the Haldon dam breaches they will get 90 minutes' warning before their properties could be flooded.Marlborough District Council assets and services manager Mark Wheeler said that in a worst-case scenario 44 properties in Seddon could be affected if floodwater flowed into Starborough Creek.
The dam, in Starborough Creek, is about 15 kilometres out of Seddon and is owned by Seddon farmer Dick Bell. He was advised to lower the level after the magnitude 6.5 quake on July 21, but after Friday's magnitude 6.6 quake and subsequent heavy rain, the council sent an engineer to supervise an emergency plan to lower the water level.
A dam engineer overseeing the site also identified more issues with the dam's stability during the process, which was slowed by heavy rain at the weekend.Nearby residents were warned and emergency services were on standby in Seddon because of the increased risk, Mr Wheeler said.
A warning note was delivered to each household yesterday afternoon informing the occupants of the Ceramic tile and the possibility they might be asked to leave their homes at short notice.Emergency services would go door to door evacuating properties if necessary, Mr Wheeler said.
Properties at risk included eight rural properties, 12 houses and up to 24 sections in Seddon township on the southeastern side of Starborough Creek. The engineer said extreme flooding was unlikely but the council decided it was in the public interest to be prepared, Mr Wheeler said. Crew member Pani Rarere, of Kaikoura, said lines were bent and rock-ballast was slumped along the track between Ward and Seddon.
A 3km section at Hauwai near Grassmere was especially hard hit, he said.A work train had delivered six wagons of rock-fill from Hapuku, near Kaikoura, to fill collapsed areas beneath the rails, he said. Another 12 wagons were expected.A tamping machine from Greymouth packed down the rock.
A broken bridge was temporarily fixed ahead of a specialist bridging gang from Blenheim building a replacement.Bruce Pattie, who farms at Hauwai, said immediately after the quake, the lines resembled roller-coaster tracks. One section had fallen off the embankment and a bridge was out.
He rang KiwiRail to make sure no trains were coming. A 22-year-old Seddon woman had a weekend of horror, experiencing a 6.6 magnitude earthquake on Friday and then a bus crash on Sunday.
Micha Heard was travelling back to Palmerston North after spending a week with her family in the Awatere when the bus she was in crashed near Shannon.The former Marlborough Girls' College student had been staying with her parents in their Redwood Pass Rd home while on a study-break from her nursing studies at UCOL in Palmerston North.
She and her father were driving to Blenheim when the quake hit on Friday."People had stopped their Floor tiles and were checking their tyres," Miss Heard said.They carried on to Blenheim to check on her grandmother then drove home to help clean up the minor damage.
"It was just scary," she said."We ran outside every time there was an aftershock."After two days of being on unsteady ground, she caught the ferry back to Wellington on Sunday and got on a bus to Palmerston North along with 38 other passengers.
The bus was crossing a narrow bridge when the driver appeared to lose control, Miss Heard said."He seemed to click the bridge and then crashed into the grass gully," she said."Everyone was screaming, saying ‘we're going to crash'."Three people slammed on top of her as the bus veered off the road and tipped over at the northern entrance to Shannon.Miss Heard landed on the bottom and smashed her head on the glass window.
After struggling out from underneath the people piled on top of her, she climbed over the seat and helped some other passengers push the emergency window out.Apart from a big bump on her head and some bruising on her body, she was not seriously hurt, she said.
"I was shocked at what happened but I stayed calm," she said."Because I'd just been through the earthquakes, I think I was less worried."Those on board were taken by ambulance and police cars to the Club Hotel in Shannon, where a triage centre was set up by St John medics.Six people were taken to Palmerston North Hospital with minor to moderate injuries and were all discharged by yesterday.
QuadTech offers fully integrated solutions including register and ribbon control, color control, ink control, 100% web inspection and data management software for virtually all printing and converting situations. For example, QuadTech’s Inspection System has a modular architecture that enables the system to inspect at any resolution on a variety of substrate surfaces on any web width—regardless of whether a press is Gravure, Offset, Flexo or Digital. The system ensures 100% inspection on all print or non-print product, web or sheet, throughout the entire print run.
The QuadTech Color Quality Solution enables automatic sharing and processing of color data between in-line color control and off-line color measurement industry leaders.
QuadTech’s recently introduced Color Quality Solution is the world’s first in-line color and ink control for packaging presses. The solution enables automatic sharing and processing of color data between QuadTech’s in-line color measurement and off-line color measurement industry leader X-Rite. This enables a standard spectral color measurement from ink dispensing and printing stages. Comparisons of printed work with the original color information begin immediately and the Color Measurement System with SpectralCamTM shows real-time ?E, solid density and dot gain values via an operator touch screen.
QuadTech’s Color Measurement System with SpectralCam HD enables continuous, in-line monitoring of all packaging substrates, including challenging transparent, translucent and reflective films. It accurately measures the spectral response and calculates, and dot gain all at full press speeds, ensuring consistent results and minimal make-ready waste. The system also utilizes a web stabilizer unit that enables color measurement over a certified BCRA ceramic tile without risk of substrate corrugation.
Also available for the package printer is the Autotron 2600 with ClearLogic Register Guidance System, which is suitable for foil, film and paper, as well as for non-print processes such as die-cutting. Its unique scanning heads can detect a wide range of pale and low-contrast marks and are flexible to transition to any new production substrate.
Read the full products at http://www.tilees.com/!
The dam, in Starborough Creek, is about 15 kilometres out of Seddon and is owned by Seddon farmer Dick Bell. He was advised to lower the level after the magnitude 6.5 quake on July 21, but after Friday's magnitude 6.6 quake and subsequent heavy rain, the council sent an engineer to supervise an emergency plan to lower the water level.
A dam engineer overseeing the site also identified more issues with the dam's stability during the process, which was slowed by heavy rain at the weekend.Nearby residents were warned and emergency services were on standby in Seddon because of the increased risk, Mr Wheeler said.
A warning note was delivered to each household yesterday afternoon informing the occupants of the Ceramic tile and the possibility they might be asked to leave their homes at short notice.Emergency services would go door to door evacuating properties if necessary, Mr Wheeler said.
Properties at risk included eight rural properties, 12 houses and up to 24 sections in Seddon township on the southeastern side of Starborough Creek. The engineer said extreme flooding was unlikely but the council decided it was in the public interest to be prepared, Mr Wheeler said. Crew member Pani Rarere, of Kaikoura, said lines were bent and rock-ballast was slumped along the track between Ward and Seddon.
A 3km section at Hauwai near Grassmere was especially hard hit, he said.A work train had delivered six wagons of rock-fill from Hapuku, near Kaikoura, to fill collapsed areas beneath the rails, he said. Another 12 wagons were expected.A tamping machine from Greymouth packed down the rock.
A broken bridge was temporarily fixed ahead of a specialist bridging gang from Blenheim building a replacement.Bruce Pattie, who farms at Hauwai, said immediately after the quake, the lines resembled roller-coaster tracks. One section had fallen off the embankment and a bridge was out.
He rang KiwiRail to make sure no trains were coming. A 22-year-old Seddon woman had a weekend of horror, experiencing a 6.6 magnitude earthquake on Friday and then a bus crash on Sunday.
Micha Heard was travelling back to Palmerston North after spending a week with her family in the Awatere when the bus she was in crashed near Shannon.The former Marlborough Girls' College student had been staying with her parents in their Redwood Pass Rd home while on a study-break from her nursing studies at UCOL in Palmerston North.
She and her father were driving to Blenheim when the quake hit on Friday."People had stopped their Floor tiles and were checking their tyres," Miss Heard said.They carried on to Blenheim to check on her grandmother then drove home to help clean up the minor damage.
"It was just scary," she said."We ran outside every time there was an aftershock."After two days of being on unsteady ground, she caught the ferry back to Wellington on Sunday and got on a bus to Palmerston North along with 38 other passengers.
The bus was crossing a narrow bridge when the driver appeared to lose control, Miss Heard said."He seemed to click the bridge and then crashed into the grass gully," she said."Everyone was screaming, saying ‘we're going to crash'."Three people slammed on top of her as the bus veered off the road and tipped over at the northern entrance to Shannon.Miss Heard landed on the bottom and smashed her head on the glass window.
After struggling out from underneath the people piled on top of her, she climbed over the seat and helped some other passengers push the emergency window out.Apart from a big bump on her head and some bruising on her body, she was not seriously hurt, she said.
"I was shocked at what happened but I stayed calm," she said."Because I'd just been through the earthquakes, I think I was less worried."Those on board were taken by ambulance and police cars to the Club Hotel in Shannon, where a triage centre was set up by St John medics.Six people were taken to Palmerston North Hospital with minor to moderate injuries and were all discharged by yesterday.
QuadTech offers fully integrated solutions including register and ribbon control, color control, ink control, 100% web inspection and data management software for virtually all printing and converting situations. For example, QuadTech’s Inspection System has a modular architecture that enables the system to inspect at any resolution on a variety of substrate surfaces on any web width—regardless of whether a press is Gravure, Offset, Flexo or Digital. The system ensures 100% inspection on all print or non-print product, web or sheet, throughout the entire print run.
The QuadTech Color Quality Solution enables automatic sharing and processing of color data between in-line color control and off-line color measurement industry leaders.
QuadTech’s recently introduced Color Quality Solution is the world’s first in-line color and ink control for packaging presses. The solution enables automatic sharing and processing of color data between QuadTech’s in-line color measurement and off-line color measurement industry leader X-Rite. This enables a standard spectral color measurement from ink dispensing and printing stages. Comparisons of printed work with the original color information begin immediately and the Color Measurement System with SpectralCamTM shows real-time ?E, solid density and dot gain values via an operator touch screen.
QuadTech’s Color Measurement System with SpectralCam HD enables continuous, in-line monitoring of all packaging substrates, including challenging transparent, translucent and reflective films. It accurately measures the spectral response and calculates, and dot gain all at full press speeds, ensuring consistent results and minimal make-ready waste. The system also utilizes a web stabilizer unit that enables color measurement over a certified BCRA ceramic tile without risk of substrate corrugation.
Also available for the package printer is the Autotron 2600 with ClearLogic Register Guidance System, which is suitable for foil, film and paper, as well as for non-print processes such as die-cutting. Its unique scanning heads can detect a wide range of pale and low-contrast marks and are flexible to transition to any new production substrate.
Read the full products at http://www.tilees.com/!
2013年8月12日星期一
Asheville artist creates display
That’s certainly the case of ceramic artist Alex Irvine’s new installation in Mission Hospital’s Memorial Campus lobby.The 16-foot-high piece — made of tiles inspired by Mission’s dogwood and cross logo — is designed to attract visitors.“Alex’s work brings you over here,” said Manner-McLarty, creative consultant from Asheville project management company, Heurista. “It’s large and impressive, and would entice you to explore the interactive components.”
Irvine’s work frames a tribute to the Mission Foundation, which raised $11 million for patient services last year, and the 130-year-old hospital’s major donors. In addition to recognition of Ceramic tile, a television with an updatable list of donors, as well as a historical timeline, anchors the work.
Irvine installed the piece in about a week; it was unveiled quietly last week. Foundation officials will plan an official dedication later.John Locke at the Mission Foundation said a tribute of this nature has been talked about for two decades.“Mission has been supported by donations and grants since it was founded,” he said. “A lot of times, with new buildings and department changes, recognitions get lost or maybe not rehung after a redesign. We wanted something really classy in the lobby, and we are guaranteed that this won’t change for a while.”
Irvine wanted his work to respond to the lobby’s earthy tones and natural elements — like rock face and wood design.The logo elements also worked together aesthetically, Irvine said.The cross “was a great way to fill the negative space between leaves and flowers, and balance the organic elements,” he said. “If you just cut the organic image with the grid of the tile, it can seem contrived.
“But now there is the cross and the square created by the negative space of the cross. These geometric lines gives a context for the squareness of the tiles.”
The overarching theme in this test build of the RTM (release-to-manufacturing) build is usability. Specifically, first-time usability. You might be surprised to hear this, but it turns out that Windows 8, without a Start button and with most features hidden behind hard-to-discover menus, is hard for first-time users to grok. We’re not entirely sure why Microsoft did this — it breaks one of the most important rules of interface design. Furthermore, thousands of beta testers, and tech writers like myself, warned Microsoft that it simply wouldn’t fly. Unperturbed, convinced that it knew something that we didn’t, Microsoft pushed ahead with one of the worst interface blunders of all time.
First up, Windows 8.1′s built-in Metro apps now have a “three dots” button that reveals the app’s context menu — just like Windows Phone 8. Previously, the only way to find the context menu was to stumble upon it by accident (right clicking the mouse, or swiping up). Presumably other third-party apps will have the option of including this visual prompt, too.
In the same vein, and perhaps more importantly, Microsoft’s built-in apps will now remind users to swipe in from the right to reveal the Charms bar and the Start button. Again, the Charms bar was previously only discoverable by random luck, leaving many users to wonder how to get back to the Start screen. Many Metro apps link into Share and Search on the Charms bar, too — but a fat lot of good that did, if users couldn’t find those buttons.
The test build also includes a “Help + Tips” app, which includes some video tutorials that will help you find your way around all of Windows 8.1′s new features. This is a significant step up from the previous “tutorial,” which essentially consisted of an animated, noninteractive GIF during the installation process telling you to “move your mouse into any corner.” As for why Microsoft didn’t includes these video tutorials in the original release of Windows 8, I guess the only answer is hubris.
Rounding out the other changes found in the leaked build, Skype is now pre-installed as a stock app, and Facebook and Flickr photo integration have been dropped in favor of SkyDrive. This is an obvious and fairly obnoxious play for more market/usage share from Microsoft, and really a bit of a slap in the face for any Windows 8 users who upgrade and find that they’ve lost access to their Flickr and Facebook photos. It’s possible that some functionality will be preserved by the introduction of Facebook and Flickr apps, but it still seems like an overzealous move from Microsoft. There are also some new “parallax” Start screen wallpapers that move as you scroll through your tiles, including a robot and a dragon.
Read the full products at http://www.tilees.com/.
Irvine’s work frames a tribute to the Mission Foundation, which raised $11 million for patient services last year, and the 130-year-old hospital’s major donors. In addition to recognition of Ceramic tile, a television with an updatable list of donors, as well as a historical timeline, anchors the work.
Irvine installed the piece in about a week; it was unveiled quietly last week. Foundation officials will plan an official dedication later.John Locke at the Mission Foundation said a tribute of this nature has been talked about for two decades.“Mission has been supported by donations and grants since it was founded,” he said. “A lot of times, with new buildings and department changes, recognitions get lost or maybe not rehung after a redesign. We wanted something really classy in the lobby, and we are guaranteed that this won’t change for a while.”
Irvine wanted his work to respond to the lobby’s earthy tones and natural elements — like rock face and wood design.The logo elements also worked together aesthetically, Irvine said.The cross “was a great way to fill the negative space between leaves and flowers, and balance the organic elements,” he said. “If you just cut the organic image with the grid of the tile, it can seem contrived.
“But now there is the cross and the square created by the negative space of the cross. These geometric lines gives a context for the squareness of the tiles.”
The overarching theme in this test build of the RTM (release-to-manufacturing) build is usability. Specifically, first-time usability. You might be surprised to hear this, but it turns out that Windows 8, without a Start button and with most features hidden behind hard-to-discover menus, is hard for first-time users to grok. We’re not entirely sure why Microsoft did this — it breaks one of the most important rules of interface design. Furthermore, thousands of beta testers, and tech writers like myself, warned Microsoft that it simply wouldn’t fly. Unperturbed, convinced that it knew something that we didn’t, Microsoft pushed ahead with one of the worst interface blunders of all time.
First up, Windows 8.1′s built-in Metro apps now have a “three dots” button that reveals the app’s context menu — just like Windows Phone 8. Previously, the only way to find the context menu was to stumble upon it by accident (right clicking the mouse, or swiping up). Presumably other third-party apps will have the option of including this visual prompt, too.
In the same vein, and perhaps more importantly, Microsoft’s built-in apps will now remind users to swipe in from the right to reveal the Charms bar and the Start button. Again, the Charms bar was previously only discoverable by random luck, leaving many users to wonder how to get back to the Start screen. Many Metro apps link into Share and Search on the Charms bar, too — but a fat lot of good that did, if users couldn’t find those buttons.
The test build also includes a “Help + Tips” app, which includes some video tutorials that will help you find your way around all of Windows 8.1′s new features. This is a significant step up from the previous “tutorial,” which essentially consisted of an animated, noninteractive GIF during the installation process telling you to “move your mouse into any corner.” As for why Microsoft didn’t includes these video tutorials in the original release of Windows 8, I guess the only answer is hubris.
Rounding out the other changes found in the leaked build, Skype is now pre-installed as a stock app, and Facebook and Flickr photo integration have been dropped in favor of SkyDrive. This is an obvious and fairly obnoxious play for more market/usage share from Microsoft, and really a bit of a slap in the face for any Windows 8 users who upgrade and find that they’ve lost access to their Flickr and Facebook photos. It’s possible that some functionality will be preserved by the introduction of Facebook and Flickr apps, but it still seems like an overzealous move from Microsoft. There are also some new “parallax” Start screen wallpapers that move as you scroll through your tiles, including a robot and a dragon.
Read the full products at http://www.tilees.com/.
2013年8月7日星期三
Fall Out Boy’s Joe Trohman Lists Townhouse for Sale
Trohman bought the interior unit in the Embassy Club development in 2006 for $685,000, according to the Cook County Recorder of Deeds. Tim Salm, the Jameson Sotheby’s agent representing the condo, declined to discuss the sellers but said they had “re-done the entire space, top to bottom” before moving in. The eventual buyer, Salm said, will “basically get a brand-new unit within the original Embassy Club,” which when built in the late 1980s was thought of as bringing a London-style mews to the rapidly gentrifying West DePaul area.
In 2007, Trohman led MTV’s Cribs on a tour of the home, where he showed off such design flourishes as a living room rug made of treated Barbie hair, the spring-loaded drawers in the kitchen, Space Invaders decals on the wall behind his bed, and tree-themed wallpaper in the polished tiles. “Get lost in the forest, you know,” he said about that last one. Trohman also pointed out how some “terrible, terrible” white built-ins got converted into additional closet space.
On a tour of the home Wednesday afternoon, I saw most of what Trohman had pointed out on Cribs, except for his guitars, his toy collection and a wall of moss surrounding a crucifix. “That was taken down” for showings to potential buyers, Salm said.
In the renovations and decorating, led by Lisa Ewing, a wall that concealed the staircase was opened up and given a more open and industrial look, the master bedroom fireplace got a glass mantel, and the kitchen became a sleek showpiece. Appliances and cabinetry behind crisp espresso-finish doors, white tops, and a stylized tile backsplash make it “five times the kitchen that the original developers put in here,” Salm says. “You have cabinets for days.”
The main living floor is one flight above ground and contains living, dining, and kitchen. There are two bedrooms and two baths upstairs, all finished in the same glamorous style as the main floor, and on the ground floor is the garage, another full bath, and the family room. Out back is a fenced garden of lawn, stone, and succulents.
Louis Parrinello, the school's principal at the time who now heads Briarcliff Elementary, said the time capsule was a way to retain memories from Miller Avenue School's 50th anniversary celebrations from over the past year as well as to recollect how life has changed since the school opened in 1963.
Supervisor Ed Romaine said in a release, "So much history has passed since Miller Avenue School opened in 1963. We've been to the moon and back, have had 10 presidents and technology has put the world in the palm of our hands with smart phones. For the students who attend this school today, the future is full of possibilities and the opportunity to make the world a better place to live."
In describing the capsule's contents, Parrinello said, "There were recent events, articles, students writing about what's happening right now in the world and what they predict will happen 50 years from now. There was also information about the iPhone and Facebook and those things that are so prolific in our society right now."
The time capsule, although sealed and protected against moisture, could not be buried in the ground because of the soft soil, but was instead placed in the main office above a ceiling tile. A plaque was put in place to mark the capsule's location, with instructions to open it on Flag Day in 2063. "We wanted it to be as simple as lifting up a ceiling tile," said Parrinello.A 50-year anniversary committee was set up to plan events throughout the year like a 1950s dance — in keeping with the "50" theme — and a photo taken by the Shoreham branch of the Rocky Point Fire Department showed all of the students arranged in the shape of the number 50.
While current students at Miller Avenue participated in activities and contributed to the capsule, former students reflected on the anniversary.Edward Gaias was in the first Ceramic tile, moving up from Miller Avenue's sixth grade in 1964. He said the 50-year anniversary was "amazing" because of the rich history and memories surrounding the school.
"It makes me feel pretty old," said the 61-year-old Gaias. "We did a lot of things in Miller Avenue. They had Boy Scouts there and I had my Eagle Scout ceremony there."Jo Napolitano, president of the Miller Avenue Parent Teacher Organization, was involved with organizing the 50-year anniversary celebrations at the school, though she said a lot of credit goes to Parrinello.
"He's the dynamic person who put it all together," said Napolitano.Napolitano has been president for the past two years and has four children who have gone through Miller Avenue, two of whom are still enrolled.
She said the school has always stood for "community-building and the children," both of which she said were reflected in the celebrations and the time capsule. "I think Miller Avenue has stayed very much a community. It's not just my children or my neighbor's children. It's all of Miller Avenue's children."
Read the full products at http://www.tilees.com/.
In 2007, Trohman led MTV’s Cribs on a tour of the home, where he showed off such design flourishes as a living room rug made of treated Barbie hair, the spring-loaded drawers in the kitchen, Space Invaders decals on the wall behind his bed, and tree-themed wallpaper in the polished tiles. “Get lost in the forest, you know,” he said about that last one. Trohman also pointed out how some “terrible, terrible” white built-ins got converted into additional closet space.
On a tour of the home Wednesday afternoon, I saw most of what Trohman had pointed out on Cribs, except for his guitars, his toy collection and a wall of moss surrounding a crucifix. “That was taken down” for showings to potential buyers, Salm said.
In the renovations and decorating, led by Lisa Ewing, a wall that concealed the staircase was opened up and given a more open and industrial look, the master bedroom fireplace got a glass mantel, and the kitchen became a sleek showpiece. Appliances and cabinetry behind crisp espresso-finish doors, white tops, and a stylized tile backsplash make it “five times the kitchen that the original developers put in here,” Salm says. “You have cabinets for days.”
The main living floor is one flight above ground and contains living, dining, and kitchen. There are two bedrooms and two baths upstairs, all finished in the same glamorous style as the main floor, and on the ground floor is the garage, another full bath, and the family room. Out back is a fenced garden of lawn, stone, and succulents.
Louis Parrinello, the school's principal at the time who now heads Briarcliff Elementary, said the time capsule was a way to retain memories from Miller Avenue School's 50th anniversary celebrations from over the past year as well as to recollect how life has changed since the school opened in 1963.
Supervisor Ed Romaine said in a release, "So much history has passed since Miller Avenue School opened in 1963. We've been to the moon and back, have had 10 presidents and technology has put the world in the palm of our hands with smart phones. For the students who attend this school today, the future is full of possibilities and the opportunity to make the world a better place to live."
In describing the capsule's contents, Parrinello said, "There were recent events, articles, students writing about what's happening right now in the world and what they predict will happen 50 years from now. There was also information about the iPhone and Facebook and those things that are so prolific in our society right now."
The time capsule, although sealed and protected against moisture, could not be buried in the ground because of the soft soil, but was instead placed in the main office above a ceiling tile. A plaque was put in place to mark the capsule's location, with instructions to open it on Flag Day in 2063. "We wanted it to be as simple as lifting up a ceiling tile," said Parrinello.A 50-year anniversary committee was set up to plan events throughout the year like a 1950s dance — in keeping with the "50" theme — and a photo taken by the Shoreham branch of the Rocky Point Fire Department showed all of the students arranged in the shape of the number 50.
While current students at Miller Avenue participated in activities and contributed to the capsule, former students reflected on the anniversary.Edward Gaias was in the first Ceramic tile, moving up from Miller Avenue's sixth grade in 1964. He said the 50-year anniversary was "amazing" because of the rich history and memories surrounding the school.
"It makes me feel pretty old," said the 61-year-old Gaias. "We did a lot of things in Miller Avenue. They had Boy Scouts there and I had my Eagle Scout ceremony there."Jo Napolitano, president of the Miller Avenue Parent Teacher Organization, was involved with organizing the 50-year anniversary celebrations at the school, though she said a lot of credit goes to Parrinello.
"He's the dynamic person who put it all together," said Napolitano.Napolitano has been president for the past two years and has four children who have gone through Miller Avenue, two of whom are still enrolled.
She said the school has always stood for "community-building and the children," both of which she said were reflected in the celebrations and the time capsule. "I think Miller Avenue has stayed very much a community. It's not just my children or my neighbor's children. It's all of Miller Avenue's children."
Read the full products at http://www.tilees.com/.
2013年7月31日星期三
Never Lose Your Stuff
Here comes Tile! You might have heard about this revolutionary new lost and found device that’s been slinking its way around various online channels and pathways. The concept is simple: purchase the small block-shaped white chip, attach it to an item that you commonly misplace, and using the prescribed Tile app on your smartphone, track the object, utilizing nifty green bars that signal when you’re getting warmer or cooler. Oh, and you can also set your Tile to ring. Additionally, let’s say your bike is stolen. If you’ve been smart enough to attach a Tile to it, you can use the Tile app to alert all other Tile users in the area to your unfortunate plight so they can be on the lookout. Because, y’know, looking for our own lost stuff isn’t confusing enough.
Tile was created by Nick Evans and Mike Farley, two men who worked together for years in the hardware industry. The career jump seems logical; who doesn’t get pissed off when they lose their screwdriver? In a video promotion, Evans and Farley appeal to you, porcelain tiles, to buy a Tile and help them build the Tile community. They smile a lot, which helps. No one wants mean innovators.
So, for $18.95, I bit the bait and pre-ordered a Tile. Apparently, I was the eleventy-billionth person to do so, blowing away Evans and Farley’s initial fundraising start-up goal of twenty thousand dollars. With all the support for Tile, this thing must be amazing, right? To be honest, I’m a little bit skeptical.
First, the app can only pick up a Tiled object that’s within 150 feet. That doesn’t do me much good if, say, I attach it to my dog’s collar and she takes off. Secondly, since one of Evans and Farley’s claims is that it helps track down stolen objects, I can’t help but wonder why a thief wouldn’t just rip the Tile off and throw it away (think original Total Recall where Arnold yanks the tracking brain chip out of his nose and feeds it to a rat). And third, Tiles are only good for a year, at which point, you have to send them back to be recycled and purchase all new ones at the original price. Come on now!
Maybe I’m wrong and Tile will be the greatest thing since Al Gore invented the Internet! Quite frankly, I hope I’m wrong. My wife loses her keys like the Phillies lose games right now. I’ll be sure to give you a full report once my Tile arrives and I’ve had a chance to see what it can (and can’t) do. Until then, sit tight with this video…
A yearlong investigation by CNN and The Center for Investigative Reporting found widespread cheating and deception in California's taxpayer-funded drug rehab program for the poor. The problem is exacerbated by weak oversight of Drug Medi-Cal, part of the nation's largest Medicaid program.
State officials allowed a man convicted of organized crime to run a clinic despite a state law barring felons from doing so. The state approved another clinic operator even though he officially was blacklisted from billing Medicaid. And time and again, clinics accused of fraud and cited for serious violations have nonetheless managed to draw increasing amounts of government money.
"We are going to be fanning out statewide," Karen Johnson, the department's chief deputy director, said in an interview. "We are not going to stop just with those 16 clinics. We are going to review all of the Drug Medi-Cal providers in the state of California." Officials would not identify the targeted clinics, saying the information would compromise the China ceramic tile.
A California lawmaker said the department's recent actions were a good start, but he advocated for the state auditor to conduct an independent review of the rehab program.
"I want to know how this happened for so long, how pervasive is the fraud, and more importantly what can we do to change laws or regulations so the fraud doesn't occur in the future," state Sen. Ted Lieu, who represents parts of Los Angeles County, told CNN.Lieu said he was motivated by his belief in rehabilitation programs as a crucial tool for reducing crime and the prison population."I became very concerned," he said, "that if we don't fix this fraud immediately, it would undercut the public support for this entire program."
Ilouno said little more than "no, no, no," got in his Mercedes and sped off. His attorney later faxed a letter on Ilouno's behalf saying that counselors acted without the clinic's consent and that GB Medical will work on paying restitution, "if any." The attorney also said Ilouno was a certified counselor "and was thus authorized to bill for medical services rendered."
Los Angeles County authorities said that they were not aware of the arrest and that the clinic notified them that it would close effective July 1. A sign on the clinic door says it is no longer providing Drug Medi-Cal services.
Former employees of Tim Ejindu's clinics in Riverside and Los Angeles counties said they were pressured to falsify documents. A Los Angeles County audit of his clinic, the Pomona Alcohol and Drug Recovery Center, found evidence of what the county considers fraudulent practices.
At his red-tile-roofed counseling center in Pomona, Ejindu declined to answer questions and closed the clinic door on a reporter.
A third operator, Alexander Ferdman, was permitted to open a rehab clinic even after his felony conviction in 2000 for engaging in organized crime in Texas. State law calls for felons to be suspended from running Medi-Cal clinics.
Tile was created by Nick Evans and Mike Farley, two men who worked together for years in the hardware industry. The career jump seems logical; who doesn’t get pissed off when they lose their screwdriver? In a video promotion, Evans and Farley appeal to you, porcelain tiles, to buy a Tile and help them build the Tile community. They smile a lot, which helps. No one wants mean innovators.
So, for $18.95, I bit the bait and pre-ordered a Tile. Apparently, I was the eleventy-billionth person to do so, blowing away Evans and Farley’s initial fundraising start-up goal of twenty thousand dollars. With all the support for Tile, this thing must be amazing, right? To be honest, I’m a little bit skeptical.
First, the app can only pick up a Tiled object that’s within 150 feet. That doesn’t do me much good if, say, I attach it to my dog’s collar and she takes off. Secondly, since one of Evans and Farley’s claims is that it helps track down stolen objects, I can’t help but wonder why a thief wouldn’t just rip the Tile off and throw it away (think original Total Recall where Arnold yanks the tracking brain chip out of his nose and feeds it to a rat). And third, Tiles are only good for a year, at which point, you have to send them back to be recycled and purchase all new ones at the original price. Come on now!
Maybe I’m wrong and Tile will be the greatest thing since Al Gore invented the Internet! Quite frankly, I hope I’m wrong. My wife loses her keys like the Phillies lose games right now. I’ll be sure to give you a full report once my Tile arrives and I’ve had a chance to see what it can (and can’t) do. Until then, sit tight with this video…
A yearlong investigation by CNN and The Center for Investigative Reporting found widespread cheating and deception in California's taxpayer-funded drug rehab program for the poor. The problem is exacerbated by weak oversight of Drug Medi-Cal, part of the nation's largest Medicaid program.
State officials allowed a man convicted of organized crime to run a clinic despite a state law barring felons from doing so. The state approved another clinic operator even though he officially was blacklisted from billing Medicaid. And time and again, clinics accused of fraud and cited for serious violations have nonetheless managed to draw increasing amounts of government money.
"We are going to be fanning out statewide," Karen Johnson, the department's chief deputy director, said in an interview. "We are not going to stop just with those 16 clinics. We are going to review all of the Drug Medi-Cal providers in the state of California." Officials would not identify the targeted clinics, saying the information would compromise the China ceramic tile.
A California lawmaker said the department's recent actions were a good start, but he advocated for the state auditor to conduct an independent review of the rehab program.
"I want to know how this happened for so long, how pervasive is the fraud, and more importantly what can we do to change laws or regulations so the fraud doesn't occur in the future," state Sen. Ted Lieu, who represents parts of Los Angeles County, told CNN.Lieu said he was motivated by his belief in rehabilitation programs as a crucial tool for reducing crime and the prison population."I became very concerned," he said, "that if we don't fix this fraud immediately, it would undercut the public support for this entire program."
Ilouno said little more than "no, no, no," got in his Mercedes and sped off. His attorney later faxed a letter on Ilouno's behalf saying that counselors acted without the clinic's consent and that GB Medical will work on paying restitution, "if any." The attorney also said Ilouno was a certified counselor "and was thus authorized to bill for medical services rendered."
Los Angeles County authorities said that they were not aware of the arrest and that the clinic notified them that it would close effective July 1. A sign on the clinic door says it is no longer providing Drug Medi-Cal services.
Former employees of Tim Ejindu's clinics in Riverside and Los Angeles counties said they were pressured to falsify documents. A Los Angeles County audit of his clinic, the Pomona Alcohol and Drug Recovery Center, found evidence of what the county considers fraudulent practices.
At his red-tile-roofed counseling center in Pomona, Ejindu declined to answer questions and closed the clinic door on a reporter.
A third operator, Alexander Ferdman, was permitted to open a rehab clinic even after his felony conviction in 2000 for engaging in organized crime in Texas. State law calls for felons to be suspended from running Medi-Cal clinics.
2013年7月29日星期一
Finland’s Grand Cru raises
He investors include Idinvest Partners, Qualcomm Ventures, and Nokia Growth Partners. To date, the company has raised more than $16 million.“We are impressed with Grand Cru’s team of mobile gaming veterans. They have created a great title and combined it with unique in-house developed technology,” said Walter Masalin of Nokia Growth Partners in a statement. “Growth in mobile gaming is accelerating and we are excited to be part of it.”
The company is starting to show off Supernauts, a 3D creative social game in which players build and share their own, unique worlds. The characters travel to a flooded Earth to rescue humans. The game was inspired by Minecraft and other casual sandbox games. In the game, each player gets a customizable, semi-private space where they can create and craft blocks and materials such as clay, bricks, concrete, wood, and tile. They can then use those materials to build structures. It has more than 50 levels in a variety of cities on Earth. Each level has 3D physics puzzles where the player has to rescue Earthlings by getting them to safety by building bridges, clearing paths, and Ceramic tile.
“At Grand Cru, our name derives from our ultimate goal of delivering outstanding products that raise the bar on quality, and our commitment has been recognized and bolstered by these strategic investments from partners such as Idinvest, Qualcomm Ventures and Nokia Growth Partners.,” said Markus Pasula, the cofounder and CEO of Grand Cru. “Our soon-to-be-released first title, Supernauts, is a mass-market world-building game for iOS that is truly social, allowing players to solve puzzles and create shareable worlds, brick-by-brick.”
Pasula and five other Finnish game veterans formed the company to make games with the potential for broad appeal. Grand Cru has more than 20 employees. The company is headquartered in the bohemian district of Helsinki called Kallio, which has the most bars per capita in Finland.
You will wait for a table, as you always have, even though the new Franny's has double the capacity of the old one. On a recent Sunday afternoon, when nine empty two-top tables were set and ready for customers, a smiling hostess said we would be seated in 10 to 15 minutes. Only farm-to-table is ingrained in this restaurant's culture, not people to table.
It's been almost 10 years since Franny's opened in Brooklyn, a five-minute walk down Flatbush Ave. from its present location. Crowds gathered. Nothing much has changed, although now you can reserve for parties of eight to 12. Come to think of it, that's a lot that has changed.
Franny's is a spiritual cousin to Alice Waters's Chez Panisse, the Berkeley restaurant that more than 40 years ago changed how people thought about sustainable and seasonal food. Franny's is so principled and so cherished that NYC health inspectors genuflect upon entering.
When the original opened, people on this coast were just beginning to think about these concepts. These days everybody knows about that stuff, the organics and biodynamics, the buying locally and eating healthfully. While such passions have been matched by similarly themed establishments, Franny's remains the flagship. If its ideals aren't quite so revelatory any more, they remain as alluring as ever to those who mob the place.
The new Franny's has a bar, several dining areas, and a lot of inexpensive-looking wood-and-metal shelving stacked with cordwood for the pizza ovens, which are illogically but intriguingly bedecked with Mexican-style tiles. The walls are mostly white subway tile. My guest insisted that the blond-wood chairs where we finally were seated resembled the ones she was assigned in elementary school. She said the hard banquette where I sat reminded her of the bench in her childhood bedroom, which had a seat that flipped up so toys could be stored underneath.
Franny's has never been lovely. That hasn't changed. The black matte finish out front—what rappers call "murdered out" when they see it on automobiles—seems poorly chosen, but perhaps Franny's is out to attract a new generation of diners with fast cars.
On that first visit, during the 10-15 minute wait at the bar, my friend attracted substantial attention from a guy sitting on the other side of her. He even offered her a taste of his drink. That seemed a little racy for a wholesome spot like Franny's. Maybe the new generation has already arrived.
Should you not wish to drink while awaiting a table, I can suggest ways to pass the time. Walk downstairs to one of the rest rooms and count the rolls of toilet paper stacked there. Mine had 88. Or try deciphering the exceedingly ambitious, highly curated, all-Italian wine list.
It might be the geekiest list in America, incomprehensible to normal human life forms. I know something about wine, but I was lost amidst unknown names and unhelpful organization.
On visit three I brought a wine director for a restaurant group with me. She looked at the list and said, "I need an hour to figure this out." Franny's has no sommelier on the floor. The waiters try to assist, but they're overmatched. I asked one of them how diners navigate this, and she replied, "Fake it, ask for help, or order the cheapest bottle on the list."
Fear not. You can triumph. Transport your mind to a world beyond Pinot Grigio. Ignore vintage dates unless you're looking for a red over $100, and there are few of those. Look for a grape you might recognize—vermentino, kerner, dolcetto, nebbiolo. There's even Chardonnay. The 2009 Scaglione Barbera is a simple red of perfect clarity.
Click on their website http://www.tilees.com/.
The company is starting to show off Supernauts, a 3D creative social game in which players build and share their own, unique worlds. The characters travel to a flooded Earth to rescue humans. The game was inspired by Minecraft and other casual sandbox games. In the game, each player gets a customizable, semi-private space where they can create and craft blocks and materials such as clay, bricks, concrete, wood, and tile. They can then use those materials to build structures. It has more than 50 levels in a variety of cities on Earth. Each level has 3D physics puzzles where the player has to rescue Earthlings by getting them to safety by building bridges, clearing paths, and Ceramic tile.
“At Grand Cru, our name derives from our ultimate goal of delivering outstanding products that raise the bar on quality, and our commitment has been recognized and bolstered by these strategic investments from partners such as Idinvest, Qualcomm Ventures and Nokia Growth Partners.,” said Markus Pasula, the cofounder and CEO of Grand Cru. “Our soon-to-be-released first title, Supernauts, is a mass-market world-building game for iOS that is truly social, allowing players to solve puzzles and create shareable worlds, brick-by-brick.”
Pasula and five other Finnish game veterans formed the company to make games with the potential for broad appeal. Grand Cru has more than 20 employees. The company is headquartered in the bohemian district of Helsinki called Kallio, which has the most bars per capita in Finland.
You will wait for a table, as you always have, even though the new Franny's has double the capacity of the old one. On a recent Sunday afternoon, when nine empty two-top tables were set and ready for customers, a smiling hostess said we would be seated in 10 to 15 minutes. Only farm-to-table is ingrained in this restaurant's culture, not people to table.
It's been almost 10 years since Franny's opened in Brooklyn, a five-minute walk down Flatbush Ave. from its present location. Crowds gathered. Nothing much has changed, although now you can reserve for parties of eight to 12. Come to think of it, that's a lot that has changed.
Franny's is a spiritual cousin to Alice Waters's Chez Panisse, the Berkeley restaurant that more than 40 years ago changed how people thought about sustainable and seasonal food. Franny's is so principled and so cherished that NYC health inspectors genuflect upon entering.
When the original opened, people on this coast were just beginning to think about these concepts. These days everybody knows about that stuff, the organics and biodynamics, the buying locally and eating healthfully. While such passions have been matched by similarly themed establishments, Franny's remains the flagship. If its ideals aren't quite so revelatory any more, they remain as alluring as ever to those who mob the place.
The new Franny's has a bar, several dining areas, and a lot of inexpensive-looking wood-and-metal shelving stacked with cordwood for the pizza ovens, which are illogically but intriguingly bedecked with Mexican-style tiles. The walls are mostly white subway tile. My guest insisted that the blond-wood chairs where we finally were seated resembled the ones she was assigned in elementary school. She said the hard banquette where I sat reminded her of the bench in her childhood bedroom, which had a seat that flipped up so toys could be stored underneath.
Franny's has never been lovely. That hasn't changed. The black matte finish out front—what rappers call "murdered out" when they see it on automobiles—seems poorly chosen, but perhaps Franny's is out to attract a new generation of diners with fast cars.
On that first visit, during the 10-15 minute wait at the bar, my friend attracted substantial attention from a guy sitting on the other side of her. He even offered her a taste of his drink. That seemed a little racy for a wholesome spot like Franny's. Maybe the new generation has already arrived.
Should you not wish to drink while awaiting a table, I can suggest ways to pass the time. Walk downstairs to one of the rest rooms and count the rolls of toilet paper stacked there. Mine had 88. Or try deciphering the exceedingly ambitious, highly curated, all-Italian wine list.
It might be the geekiest list in America, incomprehensible to normal human life forms. I know something about wine, but I was lost amidst unknown names and unhelpful organization.
On visit three I brought a wine director for a restaurant group with me. She looked at the list and said, "I need an hour to figure this out." Franny's has no sommelier on the floor. The waiters try to assist, but they're overmatched. I asked one of them how diners navigate this, and she replied, "Fake it, ask for help, or order the cheapest bottle on the list."
Fear not. You can triumph. Transport your mind to a world beyond Pinot Grigio. Ignore vintage dates unless you're looking for a red over $100, and there are few of those. Look for a grape you might recognize—vermentino, kerner, dolcetto, nebbiolo. There's even Chardonnay. The 2009 Scaglione Barbera is a simple red of perfect clarity.
Click on their website http://www.tilees.com/.
2013年7月24日星期三
Your Expert Guide to Buying Safer Flooring
The good news is that industry is introducing a new standard for high-traction backing on consumer floor mats. So, if you buy them, look for "NFSI-Certified" on the label. This means the mat has been independently tested and found not to slide when you step on it. The most slip-resistant material remains rubber, by the way. But black rubber on vinyl can cause permanent stains, so the consumer needs to select products that are labeled by the manufacturer to be non-staining.
The main thing is to look for the labels, which are starting to appear in the United States and Canada. It doesn't cost you anything to be informed, and you can use your buying power to bring safer products to the market. Manufacturers will come around.
If you're installing new tile, or any type of flooring for that matter, it is important to select the right type of product for a given location. Just because a certain flooring material will work indoors does not mean it will be suitable for outdoor applications. Ceramic tile is a good example of this. Most ceramic tile is designed to perform within a narrow temperature range and if exposed to freezing temperatures will crack, break or become loose, thus leading to a potential slip or trip hazard. So, make sure to check that the tile you buy is intended for your use.
After that, one option is to shrink the size of the tiles and add more grout lines. That reduces the potentially slippery surface and increases the rough, higher-traction surface. Of course, it also raises another issue -- smaller tiles and more grout lines mean more maintenance. So, whatever size of tile you choose, look for greater slip resistance and a higher static coefficient of friction.
Most outdoor falls take place on un-level surfaces such as cobblestones or patio stones, because of holes or raised nails in wooden patio decks, and so on. The most common -- believe it or not -- are trips over parking stops like those used in retail shopping centers. Ice and snow are also a problem but most elderly people tend to either avoid going out under such conditions or take great effort in reducing their stride and walk more slowly as to reduce the risk of falling.
The commercial world of stores and businesses has more square footage and higher traffic, so it uses a lot of tile-type floors. Still, just like you do in your own home, business owners have to maintain the flooring, provide adequate lighting, and remove clutter and cords.
The thing that's different at home is that a dog might be around the corner. It is common for people to trip over their pets. Professionals in the assisted living industry recommend putting a bright colored pet sweater, vest or collar on pets to make them more recognizable, especially when they are sleeping on the floor. A collar bell or jingly pet tags can help to provide audible cues as to the location of a pet as well.
"Grid ceiling systems are commonly used in commercial buildings, schools, and other interior structures. Such ceiling systems are created by suspending a T-bar grid from the building's structural ceiling and filling the T-bar grid with ceiling tiles. The T-bar grid is made up of interconnected T-bars that form grid openings for the ceiling tiles, which, when dropped into the grid openings, are supported on the T-bars' bottom horizontal T-walls. The most common dimensions for the grid openings are the two foot by two foot and four foot by four foot for supporting similarly sized ceiling tiles, however, other grid opening dimensions are possible for accommodating different ceiling tile sizes, for example five foot by five China Porcelain tile. Ceiling tiles used in grid ceilings are typically acoustic tiles for enhancing the acoustical environment of the interior space below the grid ceiling.
"Customarily, luminaires are provided in the grid ceiling system for general illumination. Luminaires adapted for this use are called troffers, and are typically fluorescent luminaires having fluorescent light sources, however, other light sources, such as incandescent and HID lamps are sometimes used. Troffers are sized in correspondence with the grid openings of the T-bar grid and are mounted in selected grid openings instead of a ceiling tile. (The number and distribution of the troffers on the grid ceiling depend on the type of troffer used and the general lighting requirements of the space.) Parabolic troffers and lens troffers are currently the most common luminaires designed for T-bar grid mounting; however, other types of troffers are commercially available, for example, troffers with a secondary perforated reflector under the lamps.
"The physical dimensions of the lamps, lamp sockets, and optical components used in conventional troffers require that the troffer have a minimum height. While the height of commercially available troffers varies, most have a height of at least three inches. Thinner troffers have been designed for T-5 fluorescent lamps, which have a relatively small diameter, but the component dimensions of such troffers would still impose a lower limit on the height on the troffer. Generally, troffer heights less than about 11/2 inch would be difficult to achieve.
"The height of a troffer can have important implications in the shipment, installation, use, and ultimately the disposal of the troffers. For example, the height of the troffer determines its volume and the greater the volume the greater space and packaging material that will be needed to ship the troffers. The presence of the troffers in the grid ceiling must also be taken into account when determining the space required between the grid ceiling system and the building's overhead structural ceiling. The space between the top of the troffers and the structural ceiling has to be adequate to accommodate HVAC and fire alarm systems, sprinkler piping, and other utilities in the building. Use of conventional troffers, which have a depth that causes the troffers to protrude significantly above the grid ceiling, adds to this space requirement.
This added space requirement can be meaningful in terms of building construction costs. For example, a reduction of three inches in the requirement for the space above the grid ceiling will translate to three inches less in the requirement for the separation between the building's structural floors and structural ceilings. This can, in turn, result in less material required to construct the building due to a reduction in overall building height. Or it can possibly allow for an additional floor being added to a high rise building. For example, a three inch saving in the space above the grid ceiling will allow a floor to be added to a 40-story high rise building normally having a structural floor to structural floor dimension of 10 feet."
The main thing is to look for the labels, which are starting to appear in the United States and Canada. It doesn't cost you anything to be informed, and you can use your buying power to bring safer products to the market. Manufacturers will come around.
If you're installing new tile, or any type of flooring for that matter, it is important to select the right type of product for a given location. Just because a certain flooring material will work indoors does not mean it will be suitable for outdoor applications. Ceramic tile is a good example of this. Most ceramic tile is designed to perform within a narrow temperature range and if exposed to freezing temperatures will crack, break or become loose, thus leading to a potential slip or trip hazard. So, make sure to check that the tile you buy is intended for your use.
After that, one option is to shrink the size of the tiles and add more grout lines. That reduces the potentially slippery surface and increases the rough, higher-traction surface. Of course, it also raises another issue -- smaller tiles and more grout lines mean more maintenance. So, whatever size of tile you choose, look for greater slip resistance and a higher static coefficient of friction.
Most outdoor falls take place on un-level surfaces such as cobblestones or patio stones, because of holes or raised nails in wooden patio decks, and so on. The most common -- believe it or not -- are trips over parking stops like those used in retail shopping centers. Ice and snow are also a problem but most elderly people tend to either avoid going out under such conditions or take great effort in reducing their stride and walk more slowly as to reduce the risk of falling.
The commercial world of stores and businesses has more square footage and higher traffic, so it uses a lot of tile-type floors. Still, just like you do in your own home, business owners have to maintain the flooring, provide adequate lighting, and remove clutter and cords.
The thing that's different at home is that a dog might be around the corner. It is common for people to trip over their pets. Professionals in the assisted living industry recommend putting a bright colored pet sweater, vest or collar on pets to make them more recognizable, especially when they are sleeping on the floor. A collar bell or jingly pet tags can help to provide audible cues as to the location of a pet as well.
"Grid ceiling systems are commonly used in commercial buildings, schools, and other interior structures. Such ceiling systems are created by suspending a T-bar grid from the building's structural ceiling and filling the T-bar grid with ceiling tiles. The T-bar grid is made up of interconnected T-bars that form grid openings for the ceiling tiles, which, when dropped into the grid openings, are supported on the T-bars' bottom horizontal T-walls. The most common dimensions for the grid openings are the two foot by two foot and four foot by four foot for supporting similarly sized ceiling tiles, however, other grid opening dimensions are possible for accommodating different ceiling tile sizes, for example five foot by five China Porcelain tile. Ceiling tiles used in grid ceilings are typically acoustic tiles for enhancing the acoustical environment of the interior space below the grid ceiling.
"Customarily, luminaires are provided in the grid ceiling system for general illumination. Luminaires adapted for this use are called troffers, and are typically fluorescent luminaires having fluorescent light sources, however, other light sources, such as incandescent and HID lamps are sometimes used. Troffers are sized in correspondence with the grid openings of the T-bar grid and are mounted in selected grid openings instead of a ceiling tile. (The number and distribution of the troffers on the grid ceiling depend on the type of troffer used and the general lighting requirements of the space.) Parabolic troffers and lens troffers are currently the most common luminaires designed for T-bar grid mounting; however, other types of troffers are commercially available, for example, troffers with a secondary perforated reflector under the lamps.
"The physical dimensions of the lamps, lamp sockets, and optical components used in conventional troffers require that the troffer have a minimum height. While the height of commercially available troffers varies, most have a height of at least three inches. Thinner troffers have been designed for T-5 fluorescent lamps, which have a relatively small diameter, but the component dimensions of such troffers would still impose a lower limit on the height on the troffer. Generally, troffer heights less than about 11/2 inch would be difficult to achieve.
"The height of a troffer can have important implications in the shipment, installation, use, and ultimately the disposal of the troffers. For example, the height of the troffer determines its volume and the greater the volume the greater space and packaging material that will be needed to ship the troffers. The presence of the troffers in the grid ceiling must also be taken into account when determining the space required between the grid ceiling system and the building's overhead structural ceiling. The space between the top of the troffers and the structural ceiling has to be adequate to accommodate HVAC and fire alarm systems, sprinkler piping, and other utilities in the building. Use of conventional troffers, which have a depth that causes the troffers to protrude significantly above the grid ceiling, adds to this space requirement.
This added space requirement can be meaningful in terms of building construction costs. For example, a reduction of three inches in the requirement for the space above the grid ceiling will translate to three inches less in the requirement for the separation between the building's structural floors and structural ceilings. This can, in turn, result in less material required to construct the building due to a reduction in overall building height. Or it can possibly allow for an additional floor being added to a high rise building. For example, a three inch saving in the space above the grid ceiling will allow a floor to be added to a 40-story high rise building normally having a structural floor to structural floor dimension of 10 feet."
2013年7月22日星期一
Passaic County man is charged
A 42-year-old warehouse worker was arrested Monday and charged with attempting to arrange sexual encounters with children over the Internet, Passaic County Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik said.The suspect, Dewayne Stewart, was arrested at a tile store on Route 46 in Totowa, where he is an employee, Berdnik said.
The sheriff said the arrest followed an undercover investigation that began late last year after the sheriff’s department received two separate complaints of an adult trying to meet children on the Internet. Stewart was caught in a sting operation in which an undercover detective posed as a 14-year-old girl, Berdnik said.Stewart, using the screen name BobbyBrown58, engaged in sexually explicit chats and attempted to arrange meetings to have sex, Berdnik said.
He was originally tracked to an address in Clifton, but was believed to have moved or to have stayed at as many as three different addresses in Passaic County during the course of the investigation, the sheriff said. Stewart’s last known permanent address is in Wayne, Berdnik said.Stewart was charged with attempted sexual assault of a minor, attempted endangering the porcelain tiles of a minor, attempted sexual contact of a minor and attempted luring and enticing a minor. He was being held on $100,000 bail at the Passaic County Jail in Paterson pending an initial court appearance.
I keep waiting for the news that the Peace House mural is being torn down. It could happen any day now, since Peace House has officially moved into its new home. The organization is going to be in a much better building that fits its needs, and in the space where the rather dilapidated building stands now, there will be nice new affordable housing units, so all in all, everybody’s happy—except maybe the people, including me, who love that mural.
I pass Angela Carlson Talle’s glittering mosaic several times a week. When the sun is setting, it sparkles with color and light. It makes me happy. I’m going to be really sad when it’s gone.After returning to the Twin Cities from Philadelphia, Talle decided that the raggedy looking building “needed some love,” and after getting permission and input from Peace House, raised the money herself, getting tile donations from local glass and tile shops. She knew there was a possibility of a new development there, but she went and made the mosaic anyway. And of course it was worth it, even if the mural can’t be preserved, because it gave us—anyone who took joy in it—a piece of beauty for the short time that it has existed.
As someone with a background in theater, I should know this. Theater exists in the ephemeral. Theater companies spend weeks, months, even years (well, in Europe anyway) creating a performance, which is over in an instant. Even a show has a long run is unique each night. No two performances are ever exactly the same. Does that mean that it’s not worth doing? Of course not. It’s worth it to create something beautiful, to create something that inspires, that moves, that haunts people, even if just for a moment.
Muralists and graffiti artists understand this. Last month, street artist CAW made a mural for the Greenway Glow, a fundraiser for the Midtown Greenway Coalition, and a Hennepin County crew painted over the mural because the artists hadn’t secured a permit. (The artists had permission from the owner of the adjoining building, but the wall itself is in the county's jurisdiction, and the cleaning crew was unaware of the mural's origin and purpose.) The obscuring was only partly accomplished, with some of the mural left intact, so CAW transformed the mural into a long-necked dragon creature complete with website address.
I think at heart, artists share a drive to always create, and if the product doesn’t last forever? Well, we wish that we could preserve as much of the good stuff as we can. But sometimes, you have to just appreciate a beautiful thing for what it is for as long as you have it.As for me, I’ve been taking deep breaths each time I pass the Peace House mural, soaking it in, holding onto the memory for when it’s gone. I’ve resisted the urge to jump the fence and grab some of the tiles, as others have. I think the tiles belong with the people who spent time at the Peace House.
“ProColor Plus is the first of several new grout lines planned for the ProSpec ProColor brand and is part of a focused effort to broaden our line of tile and stone setting products,” said Paul Henning, Chief Operating Officer for ProSpec. “ProColor Plus offers many of the features we have heard contractors need in a high-performance grout such as color consistency, efflorescence-free and a quick return to service.”
The new grout is offered in 20 of the most popular colors found in the ProSpec ProColor Grout line. It incorporates proprietary ProSpec technologies, Rapid Cure Technology for high strength and Glossy floor tile, and Expansion Stabilization Technology for improved crack and shrink resistance.
Its rapid-setting formula can be opened to foot traffic within three to four hours, shower use within 24 hours and water immersion within seven days. Its low absorptivity will provide increased stain resistance compared to a portland cement grout. It can be used both indoors and outdoors and in residential, light commercial and heavy-duty commercial installations due to its durability.
Now, I forget which it is: are we, as a culture, at the point where we’re past the whole “zed” thing thanks to a glut of undead-themed artistry, or was it that we’re past the whole “being past the whole ‘zed’ thing” thing thanks to a glut of critics railing against an assumed glut of undead-themed artistry? Brain… hurt…
Point being, the base Zombies digital game is identical to the cardboard one, mechanically speaking. Players are survivors rushing towards a helicopter escape via the rotted streets of some Smalltown, Anywhere. The twist is that those streets aren’t laid out from the start: each turn a player draws a tile and chooses where to place it, and the very last tile is the helipad. The map is built as the game progresses and, barring some probabilistic fluke or unimaginative friends, is never the same.
This is big. While Zombies has other mechanics that pull the appropriate genre-conscious strings–players can scavenge health and bullets which help in fights with deadies, and every turn affords the opportunity to play some gruesome trick out of a hand of event cards–it’s the evolving, unpredictable map that really evokes the surreal panic of a zombie apocalypse. You can run, but where to? Will your pal put the hospital down next to you, with all it’s life saving medicine? Or will he block off your road with, ugh, the friggin’ gardening shop.
There’s opportunities for dickery with the events cards, too, specials you can play once per turn. Some are just location specific bonuses to combat, or allow for extra moves in a turn. Others let you swarm a player’s location with zeds or prevent said player from moving, the latter being deadly effective in a game where movement and scavenging are key to survival. The coveted “Alternative Food Source” stops all combat until your next turn, great for making a run at the helipad, or for delaying another player’s attempt at a combat victory.
The sheriff said the arrest followed an undercover investigation that began late last year after the sheriff’s department received two separate complaints of an adult trying to meet children on the Internet. Stewart was caught in a sting operation in which an undercover detective posed as a 14-year-old girl, Berdnik said.Stewart, using the screen name BobbyBrown58, engaged in sexually explicit chats and attempted to arrange meetings to have sex, Berdnik said.
He was originally tracked to an address in Clifton, but was believed to have moved or to have stayed at as many as three different addresses in Passaic County during the course of the investigation, the sheriff said. Stewart’s last known permanent address is in Wayne, Berdnik said.Stewart was charged with attempted sexual assault of a minor, attempted endangering the porcelain tiles of a minor, attempted sexual contact of a minor and attempted luring and enticing a minor. He was being held on $100,000 bail at the Passaic County Jail in Paterson pending an initial court appearance.
I keep waiting for the news that the Peace House mural is being torn down. It could happen any day now, since Peace House has officially moved into its new home. The organization is going to be in a much better building that fits its needs, and in the space where the rather dilapidated building stands now, there will be nice new affordable housing units, so all in all, everybody’s happy—except maybe the people, including me, who love that mural.
I pass Angela Carlson Talle’s glittering mosaic several times a week. When the sun is setting, it sparkles with color and light. It makes me happy. I’m going to be really sad when it’s gone.After returning to the Twin Cities from Philadelphia, Talle decided that the raggedy looking building “needed some love,” and after getting permission and input from Peace House, raised the money herself, getting tile donations from local glass and tile shops. She knew there was a possibility of a new development there, but she went and made the mosaic anyway. And of course it was worth it, even if the mural can’t be preserved, because it gave us—anyone who took joy in it—a piece of beauty for the short time that it has existed.
As someone with a background in theater, I should know this. Theater exists in the ephemeral. Theater companies spend weeks, months, even years (well, in Europe anyway) creating a performance, which is over in an instant. Even a show has a long run is unique each night. No two performances are ever exactly the same. Does that mean that it’s not worth doing? Of course not. It’s worth it to create something beautiful, to create something that inspires, that moves, that haunts people, even if just for a moment.
Muralists and graffiti artists understand this. Last month, street artist CAW made a mural for the Greenway Glow, a fundraiser for the Midtown Greenway Coalition, and a Hennepin County crew painted over the mural because the artists hadn’t secured a permit. (The artists had permission from the owner of the adjoining building, but the wall itself is in the county's jurisdiction, and the cleaning crew was unaware of the mural's origin and purpose.) The obscuring was only partly accomplished, with some of the mural left intact, so CAW transformed the mural into a long-necked dragon creature complete with website address.
I think at heart, artists share a drive to always create, and if the product doesn’t last forever? Well, we wish that we could preserve as much of the good stuff as we can. But sometimes, you have to just appreciate a beautiful thing for what it is for as long as you have it.As for me, I’ve been taking deep breaths each time I pass the Peace House mural, soaking it in, holding onto the memory for when it’s gone. I’ve resisted the urge to jump the fence and grab some of the tiles, as others have. I think the tiles belong with the people who spent time at the Peace House.
“ProColor Plus is the first of several new grout lines planned for the ProSpec ProColor brand and is part of a focused effort to broaden our line of tile and stone setting products,” said Paul Henning, Chief Operating Officer for ProSpec. “ProColor Plus offers many of the features we have heard contractors need in a high-performance grout such as color consistency, efflorescence-free and a quick return to service.”
The new grout is offered in 20 of the most popular colors found in the ProSpec ProColor Grout line. It incorporates proprietary ProSpec technologies, Rapid Cure Technology for high strength and Glossy floor tile, and Expansion Stabilization Technology for improved crack and shrink resistance.
Its rapid-setting formula can be opened to foot traffic within three to four hours, shower use within 24 hours and water immersion within seven days. Its low absorptivity will provide increased stain resistance compared to a portland cement grout. It can be used both indoors and outdoors and in residential, light commercial and heavy-duty commercial installations due to its durability.
Now, I forget which it is: are we, as a culture, at the point where we’re past the whole “zed” thing thanks to a glut of undead-themed artistry, or was it that we’re past the whole “being past the whole ‘zed’ thing” thing thanks to a glut of critics railing against an assumed glut of undead-themed artistry? Brain… hurt…
Point being, the base Zombies digital game is identical to the cardboard one, mechanically speaking. Players are survivors rushing towards a helicopter escape via the rotted streets of some Smalltown, Anywhere. The twist is that those streets aren’t laid out from the start: each turn a player draws a tile and chooses where to place it, and the very last tile is the helipad. The map is built as the game progresses and, barring some probabilistic fluke or unimaginative friends, is never the same.
This is big. While Zombies has other mechanics that pull the appropriate genre-conscious strings–players can scavenge health and bullets which help in fights with deadies, and every turn affords the opportunity to play some gruesome trick out of a hand of event cards–it’s the evolving, unpredictable map that really evokes the surreal panic of a zombie apocalypse. You can run, but where to? Will your pal put the hospital down next to you, with all it’s life saving medicine? Or will he block off your road with, ugh, the friggin’ gardening shop.
There’s opportunities for dickery with the events cards, too, specials you can play once per turn. Some are just location specific bonuses to combat, or allow for extra moves in a turn. Others let you swarm a player’s location with zeds or prevent said player from moving, the latter being deadly effective in a game where movement and scavenging are key to survival. The coveted “Alternative Food Source” stops all combat until your next turn, great for making a run at the helipad, or for delaying another player’s attempt at a combat victory.
2013年7月18日星期四
Sweltering weather keeps pressure
The nearly 90-degree temperature made for a tough fight against a fire that gutted an abandoned home in Deer Isle on Thursday morning.Four companies — from Deer Isle, Brooklin, Sedgwick and Stonington — were necessary to provide adequate manpower, said Jim Foley, assistant fire chief in Deer Isle.
The large numbers of firefighters were needed so that each crew could work in 15-minute rotations, Foley said. While one crew fought the fire, which burned the second floor and roof of an abandoned house on Sunset Crossroad, the others received food and water from paramedics, who monitored each firefighter’s vitals before they went back to work.With turnout gear and air packs, fire crews risked health problems if they stayed in the hot building much longer than 15 minutes, Foley said.
“As soon as you get hot, you can stop functioning so well,” Foley said. “We didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”The fire was reported by Michael Kovac, who lives in a mobile home just a stone’s throw away from the home that burned. Kovac said he saw the fire and smoke around 10 a.m.“I went out to check the mail and smoke a cigarette,” he said. “I just saw tons of smoke and fire coming out of the roof, so I called 911.”
Firefighters knocked down the bulk of the blaze within about 15 minutes, Foley said, but additional flare-ups kept sparking in “void” spaces, between walls and above ceiling tiles. Because the fire had burned through the floor of the second story, crews had to punch holes the roof and attack from above.Kovac and his girlfriend, Meranda Smith, said they suspected a bolt of lightning from Wednesday night’s storm caused the fire. Smith said that around 3 a.m., the couple was awakened by the storm, and said she thought she smelled something burning at that China Porcelain tile.
Foley said firefighters could see no obvious natural cause of the blaze, and wouldn’t speculate. An investigator from the Office of the Maine State Fire Marshal was scheduled to arrive Thursday afternoon to begin probing for the fire’s origin.
Stunning 1 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment in elevator building with 18' high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling south facing windows for plenty of natural light, and private balcony. This condo rental features all the modern amenities you need for maximum comfort: central AC and heat, energy efficient vented washer/dryer, Bosch dishwasher, microwave, Caesarstone countertops, stainless steel Fisher Paykel appliances, deep soaking tub, rainfall shower with separate body shower, tankless dual flush toilets, and radiant heating on the bathroom floors so you never have to step onto cold tiles again. 25-year tax abatement through 2033.
Located on a quiet street in Prospect Heights/Crown Heights north on the edge of Park Slope, Clinton Hill, and Ft Greene, this exclusive community of 6 buildings will have everything you need at your front door. Shared amenities include a business and entertainment suite with wi-fi, screening room, billiards and game room, children's playroom, and also available soon are an indoor pool, gym, and sauna. Hundreds of highly rated restaurants and charming cafes abound, many featuring top chefs and if nobody's cooking beats yours then you have several grocery options nearby or you can visit the weekly Farmer's Market at Grand Army Plaza by Prospect Park. With the iconic Brooklyn Museum, Botanic Gardens, and Brooklyn Zoo nearby there is something for everyone. Located just 1.5 blocks from the C train at Clinton/Washington, and a short distance to the 2/3, 4/5, B/Q, and G trains, 3 avenues to the Atlantic Terminal for the LIRR, you're just 10 minutes to Manhattan.
Police officers were dispatched to the 900 block of West Exchange Street July 6 on reports of a man pointing a gun at someone. Officers stopped the vehicle of a 26-year-old man who lived nearby, and drugs and loaded guns were found, according to officers. The man was charged with possession of marijuana, trafficking in marijuana, possession of criminal tools and carrying a concealed weapon (three counts).
A 53-year-old Biruta Avenue man was charged with disseminating matter harmful to juveniles July 8. According to officers, the man was drinking, using drugs and watching pornography. Though he paused the movie when a 12-year-old girl entered the room, she could still see the images on the television, according to the police report. The man also was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
A 19-year-old Stow man was charged with possession of heroin and possession of drug abuse instruments July 8. Stopped at Copley Road and Storer Avenue for a traffic violation, officers found heroin and a syringe on his person.
A 19-year-old Oakdale Avenue man reported he answered the door July 9 to two unknown black males between 17 and 25 in gray hoodies and masks. They ordered him to the floor and hit him in the back of the head, causing minor injuries, before leaving with a TV, video game system and games and smartphone, according to the police report.
A 29-year-old Dominion Drive man was charged with having weapons under disability, carrying a concealed weapon, improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property July 9 after being stopped at North Hawkins Avenue and Cliffside Drive. The man, who has a previous felony conviction, was in possession of a loaded .45-caliber handgun, according to officers.
A 40-year-old Mull Avenue man was apprehended and charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and possession of marijuana and booked into the Summit County Jail July 12. Around 10:30 p.m. that evening, the man allegedly confronted a 25-year-old woman stopped at a traffic light at North Main and Olive streets by walking up to her car, stating he had a gun and ordering the female out of her car. When she refused, he slammed her head against the headrest several times, according to the police report. She took her keys out of the ignition and fled out the passenger side door, according to the report. The same evening, a 29-year old-male reported he also was approached at the same intersection by a man who said he had a gun and wanted the victim’s car, but he was able to put his car in reverse and drive off.
Click on their website http://www.tilees.com/.
The large numbers of firefighters were needed so that each crew could work in 15-minute rotations, Foley said. While one crew fought the fire, which burned the second floor and roof of an abandoned house on Sunset Crossroad, the others received food and water from paramedics, who monitored each firefighter’s vitals before they went back to work.With turnout gear and air packs, fire crews risked health problems if they stayed in the hot building much longer than 15 minutes, Foley said.
“As soon as you get hot, you can stop functioning so well,” Foley said. “We didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”The fire was reported by Michael Kovac, who lives in a mobile home just a stone’s throw away from the home that burned. Kovac said he saw the fire and smoke around 10 a.m.“I went out to check the mail and smoke a cigarette,” he said. “I just saw tons of smoke and fire coming out of the roof, so I called 911.”
Firefighters knocked down the bulk of the blaze within about 15 minutes, Foley said, but additional flare-ups kept sparking in “void” spaces, between walls and above ceiling tiles. Because the fire had burned through the floor of the second story, crews had to punch holes the roof and attack from above.Kovac and his girlfriend, Meranda Smith, said they suspected a bolt of lightning from Wednesday night’s storm caused the fire. Smith said that around 3 a.m., the couple was awakened by the storm, and said she thought she smelled something burning at that China Porcelain tile.
Foley said firefighters could see no obvious natural cause of the blaze, and wouldn’t speculate. An investigator from the Office of the Maine State Fire Marshal was scheduled to arrive Thursday afternoon to begin probing for the fire’s origin.
Stunning 1 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment in elevator building with 18' high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling south facing windows for plenty of natural light, and private balcony. This condo rental features all the modern amenities you need for maximum comfort: central AC and heat, energy efficient vented washer/dryer, Bosch dishwasher, microwave, Caesarstone countertops, stainless steel Fisher Paykel appliances, deep soaking tub, rainfall shower with separate body shower, tankless dual flush toilets, and radiant heating on the bathroom floors so you never have to step onto cold tiles again. 25-year tax abatement through 2033.
Located on a quiet street in Prospect Heights/Crown Heights north on the edge of Park Slope, Clinton Hill, and Ft Greene, this exclusive community of 6 buildings will have everything you need at your front door. Shared amenities include a business and entertainment suite with wi-fi, screening room, billiards and game room, children's playroom, and also available soon are an indoor pool, gym, and sauna. Hundreds of highly rated restaurants and charming cafes abound, many featuring top chefs and if nobody's cooking beats yours then you have several grocery options nearby or you can visit the weekly Farmer's Market at Grand Army Plaza by Prospect Park. With the iconic Brooklyn Museum, Botanic Gardens, and Brooklyn Zoo nearby there is something for everyone. Located just 1.5 blocks from the C train at Clinton/Washington, and a short distance to the 2/3, 4/5, B/Q, and G trains, 3 avenues to the Atlantic Terminal for the LIRR, you're just 10 minutes to Manhattan.
Police officers were dispatched to the 900 block of West Exchange Street July 6 on reports of a man pointing a gun at someone. Officers stopped the vehicle of a 26-year-old man who lived nearby, and drugs and loaded guns were found, according to officers. The man was charged with possession of marijuana, trafficking in marijuana, possession of criminal tools and carrying a concealed weapon (three counts).
A 53-year-old Biruta Avenue man was charged with disseminating matter harmful to juveniles July 8. According to officers, the man was drinking, using drugs and watching pornography. Though he paused the movie when a 12-year-old girl entered the room, she could still see the images on the television, according to the police report. The man also was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
A 19-year-old Stow man was charged with possession of heroin and possession of drug abuse instruments July 8. Stopped at Copley Road and Storer Avenue for a traffic violation, officers found heroin and a syringe on his person.
A 19-year-old Oakdale Avenue man reported he answered the door July 9 to two unknown black males between 17 and 25 in gray hoodies and masks. They ordered him to the floor and hit him in the back of the head, causing minor injuries, before leaving with a TV, video game system and games and smartphone, according to the police report.
A 29-year-old Dominion Drive man was charged with having weapons under disability, carrying a concealed weapon, improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property July 9 after being stopped at North Hawkins Avenue and Cliffside Drive. The man, who has a previous felony conviction, was in possession of a loaded .45-caliber handgun, according to officers.
A 40-year-old Mull Avenue man was apprehended and charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and possession of marijuana and booked into the Summit County Jail July 12. Around 10:30 p.m. that evening, the man allegedly confronted a 25-year-old woman stopped at a traffic light at North Main and Olive streets by walking up to her car, stating he had a gun and ordering the female out of her car. When she refused, he slammed her head against the headrest several times, according to the police report. She took her keys out of the ignition and fled out the passenger side door, according to the report. The same evening, a 29-year old-male reported he also was approached at the same intersection by a man who said he had a gun and wanted the victim’s car, but he was able to put his car in reverse and drive off.
Click on their website http://www.tilees.com/.
2013年7月16日星期二
Artists, teachers find inspiration
Former Traverse City resident Kristin Anton and Liz Lancashire, sister of the SCRAP Portland executive director, both moved from Portland to Traverse City and decided to put their efforts towards opening a SCRAP locally along with Meaghan Wells Thomas, says Dayna Valpey, SCRAP TC director."They all felt that TC was a great fit because of the close-knit community, services that SCRAP TC could provide to educators, and the strong focus on protecting and educating the community about our environment," Valpey says.
By selling items that are donated rather than allowing them to be thrown out, SCRAP TC keeps these potential art supplies out of landfills, which has added up to about 4,500 pounds of items this year alone."Instead of adding additional products to our growing waste stream you are keeping products from the waste stream by creatively reusing them...In addition, our items are priced extremely reasonably and whether you are an educator or glazed porcelain tile , everyone likes to save money, especially in the difficult economy of the last few years," Valpey says.
SCRAP takes a variety of donations (which can be turned away if it is something they don't need, can't take or isn't clean) including zippers, crochet hooks, silk flowers, candle wax, buttons, frames, large carpet samples, various office supplies, bottle caps, slide projectors, and the list goes on and on.They have seen a variety of unique items come through their doors, including a recent donation of 30 plastic foot-shaped displays from a shoe store, which have now found new life as planters.
Local businesses have also gotten on board with the SCRAP TC mission. McLain Cycle and Fitness is one such business; it donates used inner tubes that have been repurposed as mini flower gardens and even as pieces for a fashion show."We truly appreciate the local businesses that work with us and are always actively seeking more to partner with," Valpey says.
Anyone can shop at SCRAP, from teachers, to artists, to hobbyists looking for a great deal on supplies. Because SCRAP TC is run by volunteers, they are only open two days a week for shopping and for the public to drop off donations. Valpey hopes to increase the hours of operation and offer more special events, in addition to their current craft night, such as workshops and birthday parties, as more volunteers are added to the organization.
SCRAP is especially useful for teachers, because of budget cuts in the classroom. Recently retired art teacher and glass fusing artist Debra Coburn-Anton has been shopping at SCRAP for a little over a year. Due to limited classroom budgets for supplies she has been able to get more bang for her buck by shopping here.
"My list is quite extensive, as I shop there often. Fabric, yarn, wine corks for sculpture-making, buttons, beads, illustration board, ceramic tile, and my favorite is the containers that come in for storing my supplies," Coburn-Anton says.Prior to retiring, Coburn was able to introduce reusable materials into the classroom for her students to use from SCRAP."Our favorite projects were recycled art, where the students made sculptures out of wine corks. They worked in teams of two to three students and created really amazing scenes, such as a giraffe eating leaves from a tree,'" she says.
Coburn-Anton also takes the time to volunteer about every six weeks at SCRAP and sometimes attends craft nights, where she purchases her supplies. She encourages others to shop at SCRAP in order to save money and come up with new and fun ideas."SCRAP TC offers us as educators a way to connect students to the importance of reuse and repurposing craft supplies that may otherwise find their way into a landfill," Coburn-Anton says. "It helps us get the message out that we all must do our part to salvage and donate extra items we may not use again but others will find them true treasures to be used in their own artistic adventures."
Mixed-media artist Pam Yee began shopping at SCRAP soon after it opened in order to get supplies for her artwork which includes altered books, journals and cards. She began this art form about 13 years ago."Altered books are made of old discarded books and turned into works of art," Yee says. "Repurposing books keeps them out of the landfills and makes a nice addition to a coffee table or shelf. Using what we have instead of buying more is a small way to save the planet."
She creates these pieces of art by taking an existing book and making changes to it with items she already has, like ink and glue, but adds materials found at SCRAP to the mix like wallpaper and notebooks, or whatever she can get her hands on.Using odds and ends to create art can be a challenge, says Yee, but it truly makes her art unique while helping the china glass mosaic .
"SCRAP is the place to go to pick up materials for art projects without spending too much and to keep more room in the landfills," she says.SCRAP TC is open on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit their website and Facebook page to learn more.
Brown County commissioners will take public testimony and consider a petition for partial abandonment of County Ditch 28 at 10:30 a.m. today in the courthouse.The hearing deals with a petition by Gary Tauer and Daniel Tauer for partial abandonment of a public drainage system in Section 27, Mulligan Township. The Tauers farm their properties together, according to the RBA.
The petition reads that the location and configuration of the open ditch on Daniel Tauer's property interferes with and makes impractical petitioner's use of the irrigation system on both of their properties.The petition proposes a portion of the open ditch of CD 28 crossing Daniel Tauer's property be abandoned and filled in, and that the Tauers build a private tile line to replace the portion of the open ditch that will be abandoned.
The private tile line will be of sufficient capacity and design to drain and serve as an outlet for that portion of the open ditch of CD 28, located in the southwest corner of the southeast quarter of Section 27. The private tile line will drain the Tauers' property and outlet into the open portion of CD 28, according to the petition.All lands to be drained by the proposed private tile line currently are assessed benefits for CD 28 and are part of the CD 28 ditch system. After the private tile line is built, the open ditch portion of CD 28 crossing Daniel Tauer's property will no longer serve any substantial purpose and should be abandoned, according to the petition.
The open ditch of CD 28 has sufficient capacity and is an adequate outlet for the proposed private tile line, according to the petition which state laws as legal references.
By selling items that are donated rather than allowing them to be thrown out, SCRAP TC keeps these potential art supplies out of landfills, which has added up to about 4,500 pounds of items this year alone."Instead of adding additional products to our growing waste stream you are keeping products from the waste stream by creatively reusing them...In addition, our items are priced extremely reasonably and whether you are an educator or glazed porcelain tile , everyone likes to save money, especially in the difficult economy of the last few years," Valpey says.
SCRAP takes a variety of donations (which can be turned away if it is something they don't need, can't take or isn't clean) including zippers, crochet hooks, silk flowers, candle wax, buttons, frames, large carpet samples, various office supplies, bottle caps, slide projectors, and the list goes on and on.They have seen a variety of unique items come through their doors, including a recent donation of 30 plastic foot-shaped displays from a shoe store, which have now found new life as planters.
Local businesses have also gotten on board with the SCRAP TC mission. McLain Cycle and Fitness is one such business; it donates used inner tubes that have been repurposed as mini flower gardens and even as pieces for a fashion show."We truly appreciate the local businesses that work with us and are always actively seeking more to partner with," Valpey says.
Anyone can shop at SCRAP, from teachers, to artists, to hobbyists looking for a great deal on supplies. Because SCRAP TC is run by volunteers, they are only open two days a week for shopping and for the public to drop off donations. Valpey hopes to increase the hours of operation and offer more special events, in addition to their current craft night, such as workshops and birthday parties, as more volunteers are added to the organization.
SCRAP is especially useful for teachers, because of budget cuts in the classroom. Recently retired art teacher and glass fusing artist Debra Coburn-Anton has been shopping at SCRAP for a little over a year. Due to limited classroom budgets for supplies she has been able to get more bang for her buck by shopping here.
"My list is quite extensive, as I shop there often. Fabric, yarn, wine corks for sculpture-making, buttons, beads, illustration board, ceramic tile, and my favorite is the containers that come in for storing my supplies," Coburn-Anton says.Prior to retiring, Coburn was able to introduce reusable materials into the classroom for her students to use from SCRAP."Our favorite projects were recycled art, where the students made sculptures out of wine corks. They worked in teams of two to three students and created really amazing scenes, such as a giraffe eating leaves from a tree,'" she says.
Coburn-Anton also takes the time to volunteer about every six weeks at SCRAP and sometimes attends craft nights, where she purchases her supplies. She encourages others to shop at SCRAP in order to save money and come up with new and fun ideas."SCRAP TC offers us as educators a way to connect students to the importance of reuse and repurposing craft supplies that may otherwise find their way into a landfill," Coburn-Anton says. "It helps us get the message out that we all must do our part to salvage and donate extra items we may not use again but others will find them true treasures to be used in their own artistic adventures."
Mixed-media artist Pam Yee began shopping at SCRAP soon after it opened in order to get supplies for her artwork which includes altered books, journals and cards. She began this art form about 13 years ago."Altered books are made of old discarded books and turned into works of art," Yee says. "Repurposing books keeps them out of the landfills and makes a nice addition to a coffee table or shelf. Using what we have instead of buying more is a small way to save the planet."
She creates these pieces of art by taking an existing book and making changes to it with items she already has, like ink and glue, but adds materials found at SCRAP to the mix like wallpaper and notebooks, or whatever she can get her hands on.Using odds and ends to create art can be a challenge, says Yee, but it truly makes her art unique while helping the china glass mosaic .
"SCRAP is the place to go to pick up materials for art projects without spending too much and to keep more room in the landfills," she says.SCRAP TC is open on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit their website and Facebook page to learn more.
Brown County commissioners will take public testimony and consider a petition for partial abandonment of County Ditch 28 at 10:30 a.m. today in the courthouse.The hearing deals with a petition by Gary Tauer and Daniel Tauer for partial abandonment of a public drainage system in Section 27, Mulligan Township. The Tauers farm their properties together, according to the RBA.
The petition reads that the location and configuration of the open ditch on Daniel Tauer's property interferes with and makes impractical petitioner's use of the irrigation system on both of their properties.The petition proposes a portion of the open ditch of CD 28 crossing Daniel Tauer's property be abandoned and filled in, and that the Tauers build a private tile line to replace the portion of the open ditch that will be abandoned.
The private tile line will be of sufficient capacity and design to drain and serve as an outlet for that portion of the open ditch of CD 28, located in the southwest corner of the southeast quarter of Section 27. The private tile line will drain the Tauers' property and outlet into the open portion of CD 28, according to the petition.All lands to be drained by the proposed private tile line currently are assessed benefits for CD 28 and are part of the CD 28 ditch system. After the private tile line is built, the open ditch portion of CD 28 crossing Daniel Tauer's property will no longer serve any substantial purpose and should be abandoned, according to the petition.
The open ditch of CD 28 has sufficient capacity and is an adequate outlet for the proposed private tile line, according to the petition which state laws as legal references.
2013年7月9日星期二
Dearborn Planning Commission Tables Vote on Garage Ordinance
The Dearborn Planning Commission says it needs more time to review proposed changes to a city zoning ordinance amendment governing the use of residential garages.The commission voted 7-0 with Chairman Gary Errigo and Vice Chairwoman Nancy Siwik absent to table the amendment defining acceptable uses for garages at its meeting on Monday.
As it is currently written, the city's ordinance states that garages only can be used for storing vehicles, however the Planning Commission has been working with the city's attorneys to draft language that would accomodate other uses, such as for hobbies or backyard parties.
The issue stems from Orchard Street residents who have come under scrutiny in recent months for converting their garages into social gathering spaces and installing glass doors instead of using standard retractable garage doors. DiBiasi said in the eyes of the Floor tiles, that’s a sign of the garage possibly being turned into a living space, which is not permitted. In addition, it does not leave room to park a car, and driving a car over the door's sliding track repeatedly could cause it to break and cause a safety hazard.
All houses in the city are required to have off-street parking for at least two vehicles, and all houses built after 1993 must have a garage that can store at least two cars side by side. The requirements make it easier for emergency vehicles to navigate city streets, and also accomodate street sweepers during Public Service Days.
"While the city does require homes to have off-street parking for two vehicles, it does not mandate that people park their cars in their garage," Commissioner Theresa Skora explained. "The tricky part is determining what is fair and equitable for everyone knowing that driveways and property lots are different sizes."
At Monday's meeting, DiBiasi outlined some of the acceptable uses of garages that the Planning Commission may approve. Some revisions include permission to install carriage doors in designated historic districts provided they keep with the home's historic designs; allowing for storage of household items for those living in the house; and allowing sliding glass doors to be installed on the back or side of the garage.
Residents can have basic electrical service and a small sink in their garage, however sleeping, cooking and open-flame heaters would not be allowed. In addition, homeowners cannot store commercial machines or machinery products in garages, DiBiasi said.
"People shouldn't be sleeping in their garages," Commissioner Caryn Charter said. "Defining when a garage becomes a habitual living space has been a sticking point with us."Prior to the vote, Commissioner Kevin Watts asked that the amendment language be changed to clarify what is considered "living" in a garage."To me 'living' has a nebulous meaning," he said. "You can live in your garage for two hours a day doing car repair."
Watts said ideally the ordinance should permit certain uses for garages as long as those uses do not impede city parking requirements."If someone wants to build a man cave or a hobby space, they still have to be able to get a car in the garage," he said.Dearborn resident Muheeb Nabulsy expressed outrage with the city's regulation of garages."I feel this is a jealousy issue," he said. "People who cannot afford to renovate their home always complain when they see other people's homes."
Nabulsy has been in talks with the city for more than a year, ever since he laid down ceramic tile on his garage floor and installed sliding glass doors. His goal was when the electric overhead door is open, the sliding doors will make the space feel more like an enclosed patio, where he can sit in fresh air and visit with neighbors.
"We are not causing any issue," he said. "I can park six cars in my driveway and the street is empty. I agree with no kitchen, no cooking or anything that could hurt myself, my family or my neighbors. If I have an argument with my wife, I sleep in the garage. What's wrong with that?"
"If I am doing something illegal, you are more than welcome to come to my home and break it in front of my eyes," Nabulsy told the Commission.A resident who identified herself only as Mrs. Carson, agreed, stating: "Who's business is it what people do with their houses? We should celebrate families being families."Some residents however, say the modifications are distracting and dangerous.
"I don't hold anything against someone who wants to work on their garage, but I've seen chandeliers and flat screen TVs in some of these garages that have been dry walled and completely finished," Marium Wilke, president of the Eastborn Neighborhood Association said. Wilke said when garages are converted into living areas, owners often leave their lawn equipment, trash cans and other storage items in the backyard causing issues with blight for neighbors.
Read the full story at http://www.tilees.com/!
As it is currently written, the city's ordinance states that garages only can be used for storing vehicles, however the Planning Commission has been working with the city's attorneys to draft language that would accomodate other uses, such as for hobbies or backyard parties.
The issue stems from Orchard Street residents who have come under scrutiny in recent months for converting their garages into social gathering spaces and installing glass doors instead of using standard retractable garage doors. DiBiasi said in the eyes of the Floor tiles, that’s a sign of the garage possibly being turned into a living space, which is not permitted. In addition, it does not leave room to park a car, and driving a car over the door's sliding track repeatedly could cause it to break and cause a safety hazard.
All houses in the city are required to have off-street parking for at least two vehicles, and all houses built after 1993 must have a garage that can store at least two cars side by side. The requirements make it easier for emergency vehicles to navigate city streets, and also accomodate street sweepers during Public Service Days.
"While the city does require homes to have off-street parking for two vehicles, it does not mandate that people park their cars in their garage," Commissioner Theresa Skora explained. "The tricky part is determining what is fair and equitable for everyone knowing that driveways and property lots are different sizes."
At Monday's meeting, DiBiasi outlined some of the acceptable uses of garages that the Planning Commission may approve. Some revisions include permission to install carriage doors in designated historic districts provided they keep with the home's historic designs; allowing for storage of household items for those living in the house; and allowing sliding glass doors to be installed on the back or side of the garage.
Residents can have basic electrical service and a small sink in their garage, however sleeping, cooking and open-flame heaters would not be allowed. In addition, homeowners cannot store commercial machines or machinery products in garages, DiBiasi said.
"People shouldn't be sleeping in their garages," Commissioner Caryn Charter said. "Defining when a garage becomes a habitual living space has been a sticking point with us."Prior to the vote, Commissioner Kevin Watts asked that the amendment language be changed to clarify what is considered "living" in a garage."To me 'living' has a nebulous meaning," he said. "You can live in your garage for two hours a day doing car repair."
Watts said ideally the ordinance should permit certain uses for garages as long as those uses do not impede city parking requirements."If someone wants to build a man cave or a hobby space, they still have to be able to get a car in the garage," he said.Dearborn resident Muheeb Nabulsy expressed outrage with the city's regulation of garages."I feel this is a jealousy issue," he said. "People who cannot afford to renovate their home always complain when they see other people's homes."
Nabulsy has been in talks with the city for more than a year, ever since he laid down ceramic tile on his garage floor and installed sliding glass doors. His goal was when the electric overhead door is open, the sliding doors will make the space feel more like an enclosed patio, where he can sit in fresh air and visit with neighbors.
"We are not causing any issue," he said. "I can park six cars in my driveway and the street is empty. I agree with no kitchen, no cooking or anything that could hurt myself, my family or my neighbors. If I have an argument with my wife, I sleep in the garage. What's wrong with that?"
"If I am doing something illegal, you are more than welcome to come to my home and break it in front of my eyes," Nabulsy told the Commission.A resident who identified herself only as Mrs. Carson, agreed, stating: "Who's business is it what people do with their houses? We should celebrate families being families."Some residents however, say the modifications are distracting and dangerous.
"I don't hold anything against someone who wants to work on their garage, but I've seen chandeliers and flat screen TVs in some of these garages that have been dry walled and completely finished," Marium Wilke, president of the Eastborn Neighborhood Association said. Wilke said when garages are converted into living areas, owners often leave their lawn equipment, trash cans and other storage items in the backyard causing issues with blight for neighbors.
Read the full story at http://www.tilees.com/!
2013年7月7日星期日
Stunning home offers ocean views from every room
Watch the waves crash against the rocky shore, view the seals basking in the sun or simply admire the sunrise over the vast horizon. With spectacular ocean views from every room the stunning architecturally designed home on Ocean Boulevard in income-tax-free Rye, NH is an amazing find. Just a short stroll from Wallis Sands beach, the pristine home has been expertly designed for the location and a contemporary luxurious oceanfront lifestyle.
Sitting high above the rocks on a large lush lot bordered by fragrant beach roses and stonewalls; the shingle-style home is a gem in the prized beachfront neighborhood. The private yard is pure perfection with verdant landscaping including a lush lawn, mature trees, blue stone walkways, a patio and an array of flowering plants that invite butterflies and birds.
The professional landscaping, weather-resistant exterior and fabulous architectural details of the home create a visual delight enhanced by the natural beauty of the seacoast.
The luxurious three-bedroom home has a sense of relaxed elegance. There are marvelous architectural details at every turn from the expansive full-length mahogany oceanfront-covered porch to a Carrara marble fireplace and red oak floors with Brazilian rosewood inlay, this gorgeous home is truly special.
Entering the large front foyers, a visitor is greeted by a striking bridal staircase with carved and tapered balusters. Straight ahead is a heart stopping view through to the ocean. The red oak floors gleam, the wide openings between rooms are accented by subtle custom moldings and there is an abundance of natural light. Formal columns provide visual definition, but allow for an open floor plan and incredible ocean views at every turn.
The expansive oceanfront living room and gracious dining room are superb for entertaining or everyday living. Multiple sets of French glass doors lead out to the full-length oceanfront covered mahogany porch, allowing for seamless indoor/outdoor living. Subtle architectural details accent the large space including a Carrara marble gas-log fireplace that is highlighted by a custom designed mantle and Brazilian rosewood inlay that adds a special touch to a beautiful hardwood floor.
The eat-in cook’s kitchen is a dream with cherry cabinets, gorgeous granite countertops, a center island, like-new stainless steel appliances including double wall ovens, built-in wine rack, large pantry, tumbled marble tile backsplash, ceramic tile floor and of course ocean views. There are double windows framing astonishing ocean views in the breakfast area. Add in a door directly out to the patio and barbeque area for easy casual dining and entertaining.
The first floor also features a handsome study that could also be converted to a first floor bedroom. A lovely full bath with attractive ceramic tile is conveniently next door.Heading up the remarkable staircase is a treat as the landing features another inlay accent and the numerous windows bathe the staircase in natural light. There is an open and bright landing area with a door that leads out to a balcony overlooking the lovely flower garden.
Upstairs are three bedrooms, each with a private balcony and offering ocean views. The first charming guest bedroom offers a cozy balcony and a large cedar closet. The second sunny guest room has a larger balcony and walk in closet. The two bedrooms share a luxurious large bath with a whirlpool tub, a separate water closet and linen closet.
The master bedroom suite is impressive with two sets of glass doors out to a mahogany balcony offering one of the most spectacular ocean views on the Seacoast. There are even “his & hers” walk-in closets. The master bath is an oasis of beauty and comfort with a double cherry wood vanity, whirlpool tub, separate shower, separate water closet and bidet. The room is immaculate and the palette of tile colors, woods and accents echo the natural tones of the beach and oceanfront.
The upstairs features extensive closet storage and a nice laundry room complete with a sink and folding area.There is also a fabulous freestanding carriage house with the neatest two-car garage imaginable, including a vinyl matt floor covering and built-in storage. Upstairs the carriage house offers a surprising professional office that would be perfect for the busy executive that requires private home office space. The professionally finished, flexible year-round space is heated and air-conditioned.
Recently built, the home offers an extensive list of high-end amenities including central air conditioning, high-efficient hydro-air heating, central vacuum, a security system, an irrigation system and a generator.
The city is set to witness the transformation of traditional games like goti and hopscotch into professional pursuits
Remember how as a young boy you thought that your trouser pocket was meant only to carry marbles. You stuffed it with them. You kept adding to your proud collection; those little glass spheres, some clear, others with different colours in them. How many times have you held the blue or red marble to the light to see the world look so different? Marbles were favourites.
The game was simple and could be played anywhere. Dig a small hole or draw a circle on the ground, choose the Floor tiles, and you were ready. There was a time when it was usual to see boys shooting marbles all over the neighbourhood.
Like so many aspects of childhood, playing marbles and other forms of amusement are rapidly becoming extinct. Fondness for old-fashioned, traditional games is not just about being nostalgic or foolishly sentimental. There are groups who have begun to show concern and have chalked out elaborate plans to revive the game. A professional goti tour is slated to begin with the Cochin Open Professional Tournament in Kochi sometime in August this year.
“The date has not been finalised. But it will be in August. We know that there are some serious players in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha and Thrissur. In Kochi some of us are players. We hope to follow it up with a Travancore Royal Goti Challenge and the Malabar Classic Goti Tour this year itself. All these events will be professionally organised and managed,” says Sijin B.T., founder of Synergians, an NGO formed by a group of professionals engaged in various social responsibility activities.
Marbles is one of the world’s most popular street games. It is also known by other names such as goli and goti. “This is just a part of our initiative to revive and promote traditional sports. We have begun an effort to package a few such games such as goti, hopscotch and seven tiles. Now our prime focus is on redesigning goti as a professional game, seeing as it is considered a children’s game and even stigmatised in some societies.
More than preservation or revival of a traditional game, the Synergians embarked on this venture more as part of social commitment. “We believe that sport has the power to transform individuals. Sport is also a business and an employment opportunity but unfortunately in our country it remains, cricket being an exception, still an unexploited industry. We thought we should move away from established sports and provide a new platform. Instead of depending on government assistance, games that require very little investment, like goti for example, can be effectively promoted,” explains Jibu Gibson, joint-founder, Synergians.
Their first attempt was to revitalise hopscotch, a traditional game also known as vatu kali or akku kali. “Hopscotch is very popular worldwide. We know that celebrities such as Michelle Obama, Helen Mirren, Jennie Finch and others are hooked on to this game. Our version is called Hopzz, a blend of hope and hop. We have not attempted to promote it as a competitive sport but rather as an exercise regimen. It is supposed to be an effective cardiovascular exercise with properties of resistance exercise and is good to build leg muscles, offers flexibility and balance and helps develop coordination,” says Sijin.
Click on their website http://www.tilees.com/.
Sitting high above the rocks on a large lush lot bordered by fragrant beach roses and stonewalls; the shingle-style home is a gem in the prized beachfront neighborhood. The private yard is pure perfection with verdant landscaping including a lush lawn, mature trees, blue stone walkways, a patio and an array of flowering plants that invite butterflies and birds.
The professional landscaping, weather-resistant exterior and fabulous architectural details of the home create a visual delight enhanced by the natural beauty of the seacoast.
The luxurious three-bedroom home has a sense of relaxed elegance. There are marvelous architectural details at every turn from the expansive full-length mahogany oceanfront-covered porch to a Carrara marble fireplace and red oak floors with Brazilian rosewood inlay, this gorgeous home is truly special.
Entering the large front foyers, a visitor is greeted by a striking bridal staircase with carved and tapered balusters. Straight ahead is a heart stopping view through to the ocean. The red oak floors gleam, the wide openings between rooms are accented by subtle custom moldings and there is an abundance of natural light. Formal columns provide visual definition, but allow for an open floor plan and incredible ocean views at every turn.
The expansive oceanfront living room and gracious dining room are superb for entertaining or everyday living. Multiple sets of French glass doors lead out to the full-length oceanfront covered mahogany porch, allowing for seamless indoor/outdoor living. Subtle architectural details accent the large space including a Carrara marble gas-log fireplace that is highlighted by a custom designed mantle and Brazilian rosewood inlay that adds a special touch to a beautiful hardwood floor.
The eat-in cook’s kitchen is a dream with cherry cabinets, gorgeous granite countertops, a center island, like-new stainless steel appliances including double wall ovens, built-in wine rack, large pantry, tumbled marble tile backsplash, ceramic tile floor and of course ocean views. There are double windows framing astonishing ocean views in the breakfast area. Add in a door directly out to the patio and barbeque area for easy casual dining and entertaining.
The first floor also features a handsome study that could also be converted to a first floor bedroom. A lovely full bath with attractive ceramic tile is conveniently next door.Heading up the remarkable staircase is a treat as the landing features another inlay accent and the numerous windows bathe the staircase in natural light. There is an open and bright landing area with a door that leads out to a balcony overlooking the lovely flower garden.
Upstairs are three bedrooms, each with a private balcony and offering ocean views. The first charming guest bedroom offers a cozy balcony and a large cedar closet. The second sunny guest room has a larger balcony and walk in closet. The two bedrooms share a luxurious large bath with a whirlpool tub, a separate water closet and linen closet.
The master bedroom suite is impressive with two sets of glass doors out to a mahogany balcony offering one of the most spectacular ocean views on the Seacoast. There are even “his & hers” walk-in closets. The master bath is an oasis of beauty and comfort with a double cherry wood vanity, whirlpool tub, separate shower, separate water closet and bidet. The room is immaculate and the palette of tile colors, woods and accents echo the natural tones of the beach and oceanfront.
The upstairs features extensive closet storage and a nice laundry room complete with a sink and folding area.There is also a fabulous freestanding carriage house with the neatest two-car garage imaginable, including a vinyl matt floor covering and built-in storage. Upstairs the carriage house offers a surprising professional office that would be perfect for the busy executive that requires private home office space. The professionally finished, flexible year-round space is heated and air-conditioned.
Recently built, the home offers an extensive list of high-end amenities including central air conditioning, high-efficient hydro-air heating, central vacuum, a security system, an irrigation system and a generator.
The city is set to witness the transformation of traditional games like goti and hopscotch into professional pursuits
Remember how as a young boy you thought that your trouser pocket was meant only to carry marbles. You stuffed it with them. You kept adding to your proud collection; those little glass spheres, some clear, others with different colours in them. How many times have you held the blue or red marble to the light to see the world look so different? Marbles were favourites.
The game was simple and could be played anywhere. Dig a small hole or draw a circle on the ground, choose the Floor tiles, and you were ready. There was a time when it was usual to see boys shooting marbles all over the neighbourhood.
Like so many aspects of childhood, playing marbles and other forms of amusement are rapidly becoming extinct. Fondness for old-fashioned, traditional games is not just about being nostalgic or foolishly sentimental. There are groups who have begun to show concern and have chalked out elaborate plans to revive the game. A professional goti tour is slated to begin with the Cochin Open Professional Tournament in Kochi sometime in August this year.
“The date has not been finalised. But it will be in August. We know that there are some serious players in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha and Thrissur. In Kochi some of us are players. We hope to follow it up with a Travancore Royal Goti Challenge and the Malabar Classic Goti Tour this year itself. All these events will be professionally organised and managed,” says Sijin B.T., founder of Synergians, an NGO formed by a group of professionals engaged in various social responsibility activities.
Marbles is one of the world’s most popular street games. It is also known by other names such as goli and goti. “This is just a part of our initiative to revive and promote traditional sports. We have begun an effort to package a few such games such as goti, hopscotch and seven tiles. Now our prime focus is on redesigning goti as a professional game, seeing as it is considered a children’s game and even stigmatised in some societies.
More than preservation or revival of a traditional game, the Synergians embarked on this venture more as part of social commitment. “We believe that sport has the power to transform individuals. Sport is also a business and an employment opportunity but unfortunately in our country it remains, cricket being an exception, still an unexploited industry. We thought we should move away from established sports and provide a new platform. Instead of depending on government assistance, games that require very little investment, like goti for example, can be effectively promoted,” explains Jibu Gibson, joint-founder, Synergians.
Their first attempt was to revitalise hopscotch, a traditional game also known as vatu kali or akku kali. “Hopscotch is very popular worldwide. We know that celebrities such as Michelle Obama, Helen Mirren, Jennie Finch and others are hooked on to this game. Our version is called Hopzz, a blend of hope and hop. We have not attempted to promote it as a competitive sport but rather as an exercise regimen. It is supposed to be an effective cardiovascular exercise with properties of resistance exercise and is good to build leg muscles, offers flexibility and balance and helps develop coordination,” says Sijin.
Click on their website http://www.tilees.com/.
2013年6月5日星期三
Can This Be a Laptop?
Tablets are great, but how productive can people really be with them? When it comes to getting things done, nothing beats a mouse and keyboard. The struggle to have it all in one device has led to hybrids like the Lenovo Yoga and productivity-focused tablets like the Surface Pro.
Those products have their individual merits, but they always force the user to make the PC equivalent of Sophie's Choice: Do you sacrifice the keyboard for greater portability, or do you keep it and just accept your laptop will always be bulkier than a tablet?
Sony may have just spared us that terrible decision with the Vaio Pro 11. The Windows 8 PC weighs just 1.92 pounds, or about an ounce lighter than the Surface Pro tablet, and it measures just 0.68 of an inch at its thickest point. And yes, it's a laptop. With touch.
How can this be? Sony built the Vaio Pro 11 partly out of carbon fiber to keep the weight down, but other than that it attributes the laptop's featherlight status to "a passion for design." That passion seems to acknowledge that battery life is an issue, since Sony's product sheet says it'll last "all day" only with an optional sheet battery.
Sony lent me one of its super-slim Vaios to check out. It has a few odd design choices — and that battery life is an issue — but I still came away blown over that such a little device can pack a huge PC punch. That's partly because Sony sent over a machine configured with an Intel Core i7 chip rather than a less powerful i5.
It's hard to use the Vaio Pro 11 and not constantly marvel at the overall design. Still, while Sony appears to have perfected compactness in the laptop form factor, it needs to work on some of its specific design choices.
The keyboard, for example, feels a little less polished than others. Although the chiclet-style keys look good and provide nice breathing room for the fingers, a couple of them were slightly misaligned on my unit (then again, it was a pre-production unit). Also, the keys have slightly too much "give" for an ideal typing experience — this isn't exactly a MacBook Air.
On the plus side, the keyboard's backlit, and the light is intelligent enough to turn itself off if you don't touch the keyboard for Ceramic tile. When you open the laptop, the hinge is built so the back of the keyboard is elevated slightly — a very smart decision.
The trackpad is nice and big, although otherwise it's nothing to write home about. Here it feels like the pad actually has not enough give, and my presses sometimes threatened to topple the thing over if the laptop was resting in an irregular position. Still, it works fine.
The other touch interface — the screen — is beautiful: a full HD (1,920 x 1,080) display that's enhanced with Sony's Triluminous tech for better color, contrast and everything else that TVs have prioritized for years. It looks great, although for a touchscreen, I found it a tad "sticky" and sometimes hard to swipe on even if I was just a tad sweaty.
If there's a dumb decision in the Pro 11 design, it's the corners. For some reason Sony designed the corners to be incredibly pointy. They're not arrowheads, but they're sharp enough that they do poke out noticeably, and bring new meaning to the term "hot corners." God help the poor guy who drops this Vaio corner-first onto his foot.
I was able to forgive Sony its design sins, however, after using the Vaio Pro 11 for just a little while. Windows 8 boots up fast, but on this machine it's like lightning. Apps launch quickly as well, and it responds fluidly to gestures and taps on the screen. Just as I'd expect from a high-end Ultrabook.
It doesn't take much to coax the fans into turning on — fire up just a few apps, a high-res YouTube video, or start thinking about launching an app from Adobe, and sure enough that whirring will start. It's not as loud as, say, a MacBook Pro, but it's a near-constant presence.
What you're looking at, though — especially if it's video — will make you forget about the noise. Watching some movie trailers in 1080p on the Vaio Pro 11, I found the picture quality to have better contrast with lifelike motion and eye-popping color.
Sony attributes the Vaio's superior picture quality to both its Triluminous display tech as well as its X-Reality engine, which is said to reduce visual noise. Comparing the recent trailer for Man of Steel on the Vaio vs. my MacBook Pro, the Sony was the clear winner, even at the smaller screen size.
Sony also included its ClearAudio+ sound processing to improve the sound. I did find that music and videos sounded great on the Vaio, but it couldn't play very loud for it to be practical. To really use the Pro 11 as a primary video machine, you'll want to invest in an external speaker or headphones.
Those products have their individual merits, but they always force the user to make the PC equivalent of Sophie's Choice: Do you sacrifice the keyboard for greater portability, or do you keep it and just accept your laptop will always be bulkier than a tablet?
Sony may have just spared us that terrible decision with the Vaio Pro 11. The Windows 8 PC weighs just 1.92 pounds, or about an ounce lighter than the Surface Pro tablet, and it measures just 0.68 of an inch at its thickest point. And yes, it's a laptop. With touch.
How can this be? Sony built the Vaio Pro 11 partly out of carbon fiber to keep the weight down, but other than that it attributes the laptop's featherlight status to "a passion for design." That passion seems to acknowledge that battery life is an issue, since Sony's product sheet says it'll last "all day" only with an optional sheet battery.
Sony lent me one of its super-slim Vaios to check out. It has a few odd design choices — and that battery life is an issue — but I still came away blown over that such a little device can pack a huge PC punch. That's partly because Sony sent over a machine configured with an Intel Core i7 chip rather than a less powerful i5.
It's hard to use the Vaio Pro 11 and not constantly marvel at the overall design. Still, while Sony appears to have perfected compactness in the laptop form factor, it needs to work on some of its specific design choices.
The keyboard, for example, feels a little less polished than others. Although the chiclet-style keys look good and provide nice breathing room for the fingers, a couple of them were slightly misaligned on my unit (then again, it was a pre-production unit). Also, the keys have slightly too much "give" for an ideal typing experience — this isn't exactly a MacBook Air.
On the plus side, the keyboard's backlit, and the light is intelligent enough to turn itself off if you don't touch the keyboard for Ceramic tile. When you open the laptop, the hinge is built so the back of the keyboard is elevated slightly — a very smart decision.
The trackpad is nice and big, although otherwise it's nothing to write home about. Here it feels like the pad actually has not enough give, and my presses sometimes threatened to topple the thing over if the laptop was resting in an irregular position. Still, it works fine.
The other touch interface — the screen — is beautiful: a full HD (1,920 x 1,080) display that's enhanced with Sony's Triluminous tech for better color, contrast and everything else that TVs have prioritized for years. It looks great, although for a touchscreen, I found it a tad "sticky" and sometimes hard to swipe on even if I was just a tad sweaty.
If there's a dumb decision in the Pro 11 design, it's the corners. For some reason Sony designed the corners to be incredibly pointy. They're not arrowheads, but they're sharp enough that they do poke out noticeably, and bring new meaning to the term "hot corners." God help the poor guy who drops this Vaio corner-first onto his foot.
I was able to forgive Sony its design sins, however, after using the Vaio Pro 11 for just a little while. Windows 8 boots up fast, but on this machine it's like lightning. Apps launch quickly as well, and it responds fluidly to gestures and taps on the screen. Just as I'd expect from a high-end Ultrabook.
It doesn't take much to coax the fans into turning on — fire up just a few apps, a high-res YouTube video, or start thinking about launching an app from Adobe, and sure enough that whirring will start. It's not as loud as, say, a MacBook Pro, but it's a near-constant presence.
What you're looking at, though — especially if it's video — will make you forget about the noise. Watching some movie trailers in 1080p on the Vaio Pro 11, I found the picture quality to have better contrast with lifelike motion and eye-popping color.
Sony attributes the Vaio's superior picture quality to both its Triluminous display tech as well as its X-Reality engine, which is said to reduce visual noise. Comparing the recent trailer for Man of Steel on the Vaio vs. my MacBook Pro, the Sony was the clear winner, even at the smaller screen size.
Sony also included its ClearAudio+ sound processing to improve the sound. I did find that music and videos sounded great on the Vaio, but it couldn't play very loud for it to be practical. To really use the Pro 11 as a primary video machine, you'll want to invest in an external speaker or headphones.
2013年5月9日星期四
Will there be an inevitable union between out-of-home and mobile?
Taking the world's oldest type of media and utilising the deep technological and behavioural changes brought about by smart, mobile devices, a new era in consumer engagement is - we're assured - underway.
"Mobiles have become an extension of our bodies in many ways," says Mungo Knott, Primesight Outdoor's marketing and insight director, as he addressed an audience of senior media executives at London's Haymarket Hotel. "Some research," he says, "even suggests that we even think of smartphones as 4% of our natural selves."
It feels like we could be discussing an episode of Black Mirror, but it's a fair point; our smartphones have completely changed our behaviours; they also allow us to do more and connect with each other and the world around us in new and unique ways. There are even those among us who speak of feeling utterly lost without them - and it now has a name: China ceramic tile.
And, as time moves on, we are doing more and more with our mobiles. Unsurprisingly, social media makes up the largest proportion of time spent on smartphone apps according to Nielsen (58%), but two more interesting pursuits are creeping up the same list: banking and shopping, at 28% and 26%, respectively.
It has taken its time to grow and consumers have had to develop a level of trust, largely linked to security and effectiveness, but, with those barriers fading away, the opportunities for brands and advertisers feels almost limitless.
We are not browsing on just our desktops any longer; we are in the high street, at gigs and live events. We are sharing personal, trackable information; we are, unquestionably, connected consumers.
For the humble outdoor poster, this can mean pretty big things. We already know that outdoor advertising is highly effective and hugely well established. Yet mobile technology can allow the medium to evolve and offer new customer experiences.
Some of the emerging technologies that can link out-of-home with our connected devices are startling. Near field communications will mean social spaces will be transformed into new, interactive zones, geo-fencing - virtual perimeters for real-world locations - will create a new layer to the world around us and lead to new types of augmented reality and consumer engagement. It seems QR codes were a very simplistic tip of a much more complex iceberg.
After hundreds of years of fairly straightforward outdoor media we're now installing interactive posters, near field communications, QR codes and geofencing - new technologies connecting us outside of the home to the digital world around us. This is a fabulous evolution says Forrester: "a poster will open the door to consumer engagement - but we can now use research tools to help us to understand what a consumer does with their mobile after viewing it."
"Advertisers that think they must add a mobile element to an existing outdoor creative campaign are destined for disappointment," says Grimmer. "Advertisers and their agencies that are creating work that harnesses the strength of both media are the ones that will be rewarded."
No room for laziness, it seems, but campaigns must remain simple and easy to engage with too. "Complexity in outdoor creativity is a sure-fire way to ensure confusion with consumers... but compelling messages for screens, whatever their size and functionality, still remains the end game for brands."
“The physical demeanor of this man, the way he describes life in the great outdoors, led me to understand that here was someone who had never boxed, been mountain climbing, played rugby, been involved in any of these classically masculine activities,” Assange said. “Now, for the first time, he feels like a man. He has gone to battle. It was one of many examples of the failure by the embedded reporters to report the truth. They were part of the team.”
Assange is correct. The press of a nation at war, in every conflict I covered, is an enthusiastic part of the machine, cheerleaders for slaughter and tireless mythmakers for war and the military. The few renegades within the press who refuse to wave the flag and slavishly lionize the troops, who will not endow them with a host of virtues including heroism, patriotism and courage, find themselves pariahs in newsrooms and viciously attacked—like Assange and Manning—by the state.
As a reporter at The New York Times, I was among those expected to prod sources inside the organs of power to provide information, including top-secret information. The Pentagon Papers, released to the Times in 1971, and the Times’s Pulitzer-winning 2005 exposure of the warrantless wiretapping of US citizens by the National Security Council used “top secret” documents—a classification more restricted than the lower-level “secret” designation of the documents released by WikiLeaks. But as the traditional press atrophies with dizzying speed—effectively emasculated by Barack Obama’s use of the Espionage Act half a dozen times since 2009 to target whistleblowers like Thomas Drake—it is left to the renegades, people like Assange and Manning, to break down walls and inform the public.
"Mobiles have become an extension of our bodies in many ways," says Mungo Knott, Primesight Outdoor's marketing and insight director, as he addressed an audience of senior media executives at London's Haymarket Hotel. "Some research," he says, "even suggests that we even think of smartphones as 4% of our natural selves."
It feels like we could be discussing an episode of Black Mirror, but it's a fair point; our smartphones have completely changed our behaviours; they also allow us to do more and connect with each other and the world around us in new and unique ways. There are even those among us who speak of feeling utterly lost without them - and it now has a name: China ceramic tile.
And, as time moves on, we are doing more and more with our mobiles. Unsurprisingly, social media makes up the largest proportion of time spent on smartphone apps according to Nielsen (58%), but two more interesting pursuits are creeping up the same list: banking and shopping, at 28% and 26%, respectively.
It has taken its time to grow and consumers have had to develop a level of trust, largely linked to security and effectiveness, but, with those barriers fading away, the opportunities for brands and advertisers feels almost limitless.
We are not browsing on just our desktops any longer; we are in the high street, at gigs and live events. We are sharing personal, trackable information; we are, unquestionably, connected consumers.
For the humble outdoor poster, this can mean pretty big things. We already know that outdoor advertising is highly effective and hugely well established. Yet mobile technology can allow the medium to evolve and offer new customer experiences.
Some of the emerging technologies that can link out-of-home with our connected devices are startling. Near field communications will mean social spaces will be transformed into new, interactive zones, geo-fencing - virtual perimeters for real-world locations - will create a new layer to the world around us and lead to new types of augmented reality and consumer engagement. It seems QR codes were a very simplistic tip of a much more complex iceberg.
After hundreds of years of fairly straightforward outdoor media we're now installing interactive posters, near field communications, QR codes and geofencing - new technologies connecting us outside of the home to the digital world around us. This is a fabulous evolution says Forrester: "a poster will open the door to consumer engagement - but we can now use research tools to help us to understand what a consumer does with their mobile after viewing it."
"Advertisers that think they must add a mobile element to an existing outdoor creative campaign are destined for disappointment," says Grimmer. "Advertisers and their agencies that are creating work that harnesses the strength of both media are the ones that will be rewarded."
No room for laziness, it seems, but campaigns must remain simple and easy to engage with too. "Complexity in outdoor creativity is a sure-fire way to ensure confusion with consumers... but compelling messages for screens, whatever their size and functionality, still remains the end game for brands."
“The physical demeanor of this man, the way he describes life in the great outdoors, led me to understand that here was someone who had never boxed, been mountain climbing, played rugby, been involved in any of these classically masculine activities,” Assange said. “Now, for the first time, he feels like a man. He has gone to battle. It was one of many examples of the failure by the embedded reporters to report the truth. They were part of the team.”
Assange is correct. The press of a nation at war, in every conflict I covered, is an enthusiastic part of the machine, cheerleaders for slaughter and tireless mythmakers for war and the military. The few renegades within the press who refuse to wave the flag and slavishly lionize the troops, who will not endow them with a host of virtues including heroism, patriotism and courage, find themselves pariahs in newsrooms and viciously attacked—like Assange and Manning—by the state.
As a reporter at The New York Times, I was among those expected to prod sources inside the organs of power to provide information, including top-secret information. The Pentagon Papers, released to the Times in 1971, and the Times’s Pulitzer-winning 2005 exposure of the warrantless wiretapping of US citizens by the National Security Council used “top secret” documents—a classification more restricted than the lower-level “secret” designation of the documents released by WikiLeaks. But as the traditional press atrophies with dizzying speed—effectively emasculated by Barack Obama’s use of the Espionage Act half a dozen times since 2009 to target whistleblowers like Thomas Drake—it is left to the renegades, people like Assange and Manning, to break down walls and inform the public.
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