The Environmental Protection Agency’s long-awaited proposed rules to attain carbon emission reductions from existing power plants was released today.
We’ve noticed some environmental groups already have sent out mass e-mails urging their members to support the proposal. Not so fast. Very few government rule proposals deserve unqualified support and this proposal is no exception.
Indeed, its 645-page text includes some–although oddly worded and wholly unnecessary–support for nuclear power. The support is not only unnecessary, it would be counterproductive to building a clean, carbon-free energy system.
The EPA appears concerned that some uneconomic, aging reactors will close during the next few years–as we’ve been arguing they will and should for months. So the EPA came up with the idea of allowing states to partially subsidize these reactors. As worded, it seems that EPA would encourage ratepayer subsidies to support six percent of a state’s existing nuclear generating capacity. That’s a strange formulation and is based on the notion that about six percent of the nation’s nuclear capacity is uneconomic and thus subject to early shutdown. But the concept doesn’t necessarily work well on a state-by-state basis, so it’s not clear that this would really be helpful to the industry. And it’s probably less helpful than EPA appeared willing to support in some earlier drafts of the proposed rules.
However, since the proposal is so poorly worded, it is possible EPA means that subsidies should be allowed for all nuclear capacity in order to save the six percent it thinks might close otherwise. That certainly would be an unwarranted and very costly subsidy for ratepayers. The lawyers are looking into this and we’ll let you know what they conclude…
The nuclear industry seemed relatively pleased, although not exuberant, with the proposal, which leaves implementation of carbon reduction goals mostly up to the states. Nuclear Energy Institute CEO Marvin Fertel told Greenwire that the next push for the industry at the state level will be to add nuclear power to existing state Renewable Energy Standards, “We have a bunch of states that have renewable portfolio standards; we think you ought to be basically looking at in the state maybe a clean energy standard … and you should be including nuclear as a part of that,” Fertel said.
We’ve been saying here for several weeks that the state implementation plans for carbon reductions will be the next key nuclear battleground, and the proposed rule makes clear that will be the case.
The proposed rule also appears to greatly understate both the possible and nearly inevitable contributions renewable energy will provide. And EPA actually admits it understates those contributions. Basically, EPA set renewable energy targets for every state (except, again oddly, Vermont and Washington, DC) based on something–we’re not clear what. But these targets are lower than many states’ existing Renewable Energy Standards, and EPA’s projections of the growth of renewable energy capacity are much lower than other projections, and lower than the actual current growth rates.
That means the very small amount of nuclear capacity EPA is concerned about, which is less than 1 1/2 percent of U.S. electricity supply, could (and should be) easily be replaced with renewables and efficiency.
Comments on the EPA proposal will be due around October 1, and there will also be four public hearings on the proposal: in both Atlanta and Denver on July 29, at the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center Main Tower Bridge Conference Area, Conference Room B, 61 Forsyth Street, SW, Atlanta, GA 30303 and at EPA’s Region 8 Building, 1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, Colorado 80202. On July 31, a public hearing will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the William S. Moorhead Federal Building, Room 1310, 1000 Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222. And during the week of July 28, 2014, a public hearing will be convened in Washington, DC with details to be announced.
NIRS will be preparing comments for organizational sign-on as well as to assist individuals to submit comments–and it will be important for as many people as possible to participate and submit your comments.
NIRS’ released a media statement today on the proposal:
EPA CARBON RULE OFFERS MISGUIDED SUBSIDIES FOR UNECONOMIC, AGING AND DANGEROUS NUCLEAR REACTORS
CARBON REDUCTIONS WOULD BE GREATER AND COSTS LOWER IF SUCH REACTORS WERE REPLACED WITH RENEWABLES AND EFFICIENCY
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rules on carbon reductions from existing power plants released today would encourage states to provide ratepayer subsidies for continued operation of nuclear reactors that cannot compete economically in the current electricity marketplace.
Six nuclear reactors have either closed permanently or announced their planned early shutdown (San Onofre-1 & 2, Crystal River, Kewaunee, Vermont Yankee, Oyster Creek) and a dozen or more other reactors have been widely reported to be operating close to or at a financial loss. Some of these reactors face potentially costly post-Fukushima safety modifications as well, calling their long-term viability into doubt. Most recently, five reactors owned by Exelon, the nation’s largest nuclear utility, were shut out of last week’s PJM auction because of their high costs and lack of need for their electricity. (See Exelon loses big in PJM electricity auction).
According to the EPA, about six percent of the nation’s nuclear capacity could be expected to close early over the next few years. This amounts to about 5.7 GW of electricity, or less than 1½ percent of the nation’s electricity supply, a miniscule level easy to replace with clean energy sources.
The EPA proposal cites a Credit Suisse study that indicates “nuclear units may be experiencing up to a $6/MWh shortfall in covering their operating costs with electricity sales.” The EPA proposal leaves actual implementation of its carbon reduction goals up to the states, but states, “EPA views this cost as reasonable. We therefore propose that the emission reductions supported by retaining in operation six percent of each state’s historical nuclear capacity should be factored into the state goals for the respective states.”
Said Tim Judson, executive director of Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS), “While we celebrate the EPA setting a path for reducing carbon emissions, the proposed subsidies for nuclear power are both misplaced and ineffective. If the agency is concerned about the emissions impacts of closing uneconomical nuclear plants, it should just ensure that they are replaced with renewable energy sources and efficiency. Uneconomical reactors can be replaced more cost-effectively that way, and ratepayers shouldn’t be forced to throw good money at fifty-year old technology forever. In fact, EPA’s projections for renewable energy are so low that retiring nuclear plants could actually be an incentive for further developing renewables and driving the shift to a green energy economy. Even though nuclear reactors have low “tailpipe” emissions, nuclear power has a much larger carbon footprint than wind, solar, and efficiency. Replacing uncompetitive reactors with sustainable sources would in fact be another option to reduce emissions, a net positive for the economy and the climate.”
The EPA proposal would also include new reactors, including the five currently under construction (Vogtle-1 & 2, Summer-1 & 2, and Watts Bar-2), as counting toward meeting CO2 emissions goals.
On renewable energy, the EPA supplied a state-by-state chart of renewable energy targets, many of which even EPA admits are lower than existing state Renewable Energy Standards require. EPA also predicts a slower growth rate for renewable energy than is currently the case. The proposal thus understates the potential for renewable energy to supplant both existing coal and nuclear power plants.
Added NIRS’ President, Michael Mariotte, “The EPA should drop all support for nuclear power in its final rule. The approach the EPA is taking is simply odd, and attempting to “preserve” the most uneconomic six percent of the nation’s nuclear capacity makes even less sense. Renewable energy and energy efficiency can more than make up for the retirement of these reactors—and should. This would provide greater carbon reductions, lower electricity rates and a higher margin of safety for the American people. Moreover, while we strongly support reducing the nation’s carbon footprint—and by a higher margin than the EPA’s proposal–it’s important to remember that carbon is not the only power plant pollutant. Nuclear reactors routinely release toxic radiation into our air and water, and continue to generate lethal radioactive waste for which the U.S. has no disposal plan. The EPA’s goal should be to reduce carbon emissions using the cleanest and safest means possible. Support for dangerous, dirty and uneconomic nuclear reactors fails that test.”
June 2, 2014
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From Business Insider
Facebook is suddenly obsessed with the news business.
The news business, in return, should be both grateful and afraid. Grateful for the extra readers Facebook is creating for their content, but afraid that in the long term, Facebook has the ability to extract a price for that traffic.
Facebook is about to launch a news app called “Paper,” that will reportedly look a bit like Flipboard. Facebook vp of product Chris Cox — one of the top execs in the company — reportedly dislikes sites like Buzzfeed, which carry a lot of useless, trivial “news.” And the company has revamped its News Feed to play down pictures of cute cats and babies and to emphasize useful, relevant news.
The results have been dramatic: Facebook is now second only to Google in traffic referrals to other sites, putting Reddit in the shade in terms of share of referral traffic. Facebook has “almost tripled” the amount of traffic it sends to news sites over the last year.
But why is CEO Mark Zuckerberg bothering?


text:
Steroid isolation , depending on context, is the isolation of chemical matter required for chemical structure elucidation, derivitzation or degradation chemistry, biological testing, and other research needs (generally milligrams to grams, but often more  or the isolation of "analytical quantities" of the substance of interest (where the focus is on identifying and quantifying the substance (for example, in biological tissue or fluid). The amount isolated depends on the analytical method, but is generally less than one microgram.  [ page needed ] The methods of isolation to achieve the two scales of product are distinct, but include extraction , precipitation, adsorption , chromatography , and crystallization . In both cases, the isolated substance is purified to chemical homogeneity; combined separation and analytical methods, such as LC-MS , are chosen to be "orthogonal"—achieving their separations based on distinct modes of interaction between substance and isolating matrix—to detect a single species in the pure sample. Structure determination refers to the methods to determine the chemical structure of an isolated pure steroid, using an evolving array of chemical and physical methods which have included NMR and small-molecule crystallography .  :10–19 Methods of analysis overlap both of the above areas, emphasizing analytical methods to determining if a steroid is present in a mixture and determining its quantity.
When activated macrophages start to secrete IL-1, which synergistically with CRH increases ACTH,  T-cells also secrete glucosteroid response modifying factor (GRMF), as well as IL-1; both increase the amount of cortisol required to inhibit almost all the immune cells.  Immune cells then assume their own regulation, but at a higher cortisol setpoint. The increase in cortisol in diarrheic calves is minimal over healthy calves, however, and falls over time.  The cells do not lose all their fight-or-flight override because of interleukin-1's synergism with CRH. Cortisol even has a negative feedback effect on interleukin-1  —especially useful to treat diseases that force the hypothalamus to secrete too much CRH, such as those caused by endotoxic bacteria. The suppressor immune cells are not affected by GRMF,  so the immune cells' effective setpoint may be even higher than the setpoint for physiological processes. GRMF affects primarily the liver (rather than the kidneys) for some physiological processes.

domain: literature


text:
Green Spring Gardens, Historic Green Spring Programs
[ 4603 Green Spring Road ] [ Alexandria, VA 22312 ] [ 703-642-5173 ]
Historic Green Spring Programs
Historic Green Spring programs are by reservation only (703-941-7987, TTY 703-324-3988.) A traditional English tea follows each program, except where noted. Schedule a private tea program for your next bridal shower, birthday or other special occasion. Private tasting parties are also available. Call for details.
Sunday, August 16
A HISTORY OF SUGAR AND DESSERT
1-3:30pm $45/person for program and tea
$22/person for program only
(13-Adult) Food historian Joyce White explores the history of sugar cane in Western culture, from medieval to Victorian times. Hear about its early medicinal uses, its role in courtly dining rituals and the masterful sugar sculptures that became the focal point of the Tudor banquet. After the presentation, sample an assortment of historic sweets and confections. Reservations required.
Sunday, September 27 1-3 pm FOOD IN
(Adult) Artists have often featured food in their paintings. View a sumptuous selection of food-filled masterpieces and discover how they reveal fascinating details of their time and place in history by depicting the rituals, customs, and symbolism of food and dining. Reservations required. $32/person
Sunday, October 4 1-3 pm PRIVATE
(Adult) Personal grooming was a public affair for centuries. Explore the history of washing and dressing, from medieval bathing habits to the 18th century ritual of the lady's toilette. Hear about the intimate and public elements of these necessary aspects of everyday life and how eventually privacy prevailed! Reservations required. $32/person
Sunday, November 15 1-3:30 pm DINING IN
(Adult) The Victorian dining table was set to impress. Victorian-era specialists Linda Lau and Terry Hooper exhibit their fabulous collection of 19th century dining accoutrements and explain how their uses, from practical to whimsical to downright bizarre, reflect the Victorians over-the-top dining culture. Reservations required. $45 for the program and tea or $15 for the program only.
December 10, 11, and 13 4:30-6 pm
CANDLELIGHT TEA: A PLUM PUDDING CHRISTMAS
(13-Adult) Learn about the famous and often misunderstood Christmas pudding – also known as plum or figgy pudding – that generations of carolers have demanded. Enjoy a serving of this ancient and delicious tradition of the British Christmas table and take home a festive favor bag. Reservations required. $45/person

domain: history


12 APRIL 2023, MANILA — The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) explained the importance of globalization and the significance of lowering logistics costs within the country’s ports during the Senate Public Services Committee inquiry, headed by its chairperson Senator Grace Poe.
PPA GM Jay Santiago was able to answer queries about PPA’s digitalization plans, debunked the claim of having a duplicate system with another government agency and the need to lower logistics costs.
The senators asked about the controversial Trusted Operator Program- Container Registry and Monitoring System (TOP-CRMS) that has undergone halting pressures from several business groups. The said program is a proposed solution of PPA to combat increased incremental cost of transacting in the country’s logistics chain. One of the objectives of the said program is to prescribe the policy in the registration and monitoring of containers entering and leaving PPA ports including the scheduling, loading, unloading, release and movement of all containers.
Under the Presidential Decree No. 857, PPA is mandated to monitor and manage the entry, exit, re-entry and re-export of containers at PPA-administered ports. “The mandate of the PPA is to ensure the free flowing traffic of containers, of cargo to our ports and we need to monitor, we need to know when the containers will actually be brought back or when they will be coming in to be able to manage the terminals efficiently because the terminals only have a limited space. They may be many number of hectares but always limited,” PPA GM Santiago said.
It can be recalled that on March 2023, the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) rated PPA’s TOP- CRMS as “Good Practice RIS”, having a 36/40 rating. ARTA has acknowledged the problem on container deposits and empty container returns in its evaluation.
Shiptek Solutions Corp Legal Counsel Atty. Remigio Ancheta III also emphasized during the senate inquiry that TOP-CRMS has gone through the proper evaluation and legal processes. “As we speak there is no legal obstacle in the implementation of this project. I would also like to highlight that PPA has within its mandate to regulate the entry, conveyance, movement and exit of this containers arriving from foreign ports that is I think the essence of the project,” Atty. Ancheta III greatly justified.
In his closing remarks, GM Santiago reiterated that PPA’s focus is to better the welfare of the port users and will abide by the result of the senate inquiry. “We have to make sure that the ports are ran efficiently and this is where this particular program, this particular effort comes into play, kung halimbawa po hindi po ito matuloy wala pong problema, we just move forward, we concentrate on the other mandates po of the PPA,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sen. Poe is hopeful that the maritime and transportation sectors will arrive at a win-win situation. “As long as we are willing to listen, we will be able to find a mutually beneficial solution,” Poe mentioned.


text:
Rocky has been holding the title as the heavyweight champion until he is defeated by a brutal challenger, and now must regain his fighting spirit through a big rematch, trained by an unlikely ally: his old nemesis Apollo Creed.
Frank Dux has spent most his life being trained by Tanaka to participate in the Kumite, the ultimate martial arts tournament, where participants are seriously injured, even killed. Frank ... See full summary »
Jean-Claude Van Damme,
Martial arts legend Huo Yuanjia became the most famous fighter in all of China at the turn of the 20th Century. Huo faced personal tragedy but ultimately fought his way out of darkness and into history, defining the true spirit of martial arts. His self-discovery, and the choices he made, inspired his nation. The son of a great fighter who did not wish for his child to follow in his footsteps, the bullied Huo Yuanjia resolves to teach himself how to fight - and win. Years of training enable him to ace match after match in his home region of Tianjin. But as his fame as a martial arts master grows, so does his pride. After an ill-advised fight leads to another master's death, members of Huo's family are slain in revenge. Grieving and ashamed, Huo wanders the country in shock. Near death, he is rescued by women from an idyllic village, and is offered simple kindness and generosity that help him heal and regain his equilibrium over a period of several years. Huo realizes that the future ... Written by
This is the first martial arts film that I enjoyed very much. It has a very strong plot which is also based on a true story about an martial arts master, Huo Yuan Jia and together with great actors and actresses, a masterpiece is presented. As an Asian, I have already seen too much martial arts movie, however this one stuns me with the story and acting as I have mentioned above, but as well as their visual effects, every movement is shown clearly, one would find their heart beating hard as the fight is going on, the music in the film also fits perfectly with the film. I have to mention that this film is quite Hollywood standard and I believe it is because Jet Li had already learn a few elements to make a good Hollywood film when he was filming some Hollywood films a few years back. As Jet Li has said, this will be his last martial arts movie and wants to make it a good one, I think he has already fulfilled his dreams, because this is a truly Jet Li movie and I think a lot of people would like this film.
135 of 164 people found this review helpful.
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domain: entertainment


text:
Characteristics of Micro Spatial Patterns, Functions and Meanings of the Towani Tolotang’s Traditional House
The architecture of Towani Tolotang’s traditional house has characteristics that represents the identity, activities, social and cultural values of the community. The Towani Tolotang people strongly maintain the relationship of togetherness and unity shown by the architecture of traditional houses. This study discussed and examined the characteristics of micro spatial patterns, functions, and meanings of the Towani Tolotang’s traditional house. The study was conducted in Amparita Village, Sidrap Regency, South Sulawesi. The discussion on the architecture of the traditional house of Towani Tolotang was carried out by applying the naturalistic phenomenological method. This type of research is qualitative with the process of collecting data through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and document studies. Data analysis was performed using descriptive qualitative, describing in accordance with the natural situation. The results of the study revealed that there were two spaces in the spatial pattern of Towani Tolotang’s traditional house being the characteristics different from Bugis’s houses in general. They were tamping and special rooms. The function of the space was similar to the Bugis’s house in general, except the two spaces. Tamping was functioned as a place to receive guests with the status of ordinary people, and the special room was used as a place for ritual and taking prayer for the people of Towani Tolotang. Every space in the Towani Tolotang’s traditional house has its own meaning, included tamping which means respect for the traditional leader and special room which means the sacred space.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

domain: design


text:
(Click image to enlarge)
FLOWERS FROM MOUNT EGMONT
1. Ranunculus pinguis.
2. Fostera tenella.
3. Celmisia longifolia
4. Wahlenbergia gracilis
The mountain looked down from her realm of snow
On the stately forest that grew below
With ferns and blossoms sweet
She cried to the forest, “Oh, trees come higher
I would that your branches and leaves were nigher
A mantle across my feet.”
Then the forest trembled and whispered low
We fear the might of the wind and the snow
Would doom us to death or retreat.
With a timid step went the little flowers
But the mountain sent down her vapoury showers
And wrapped them round.
They broidered her robe as with silken sheen
They smiled up to Heaven the rocks between
And bloomed on their vantage ground.


text: A leader of Germany’s Green Party warned German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder yesterday that the Greens may desert his coalition if it does not honor a pledge to phase out nuclear power. “This is perhaps the Greens’ main reason for being in the coalition,” said party co-leader Antje Radcke. The Greens rejected proposals to spread a nuclear phase-out over 25 years. Schroeder’s Social Democrats and the Greens will hold an emergency meeting tomorrow to discuss the issue. Schroeder has resisted a fast end to nuclear power because Germany’s nuclear industry has threatened to sue for billions of dollars in damages.

domain: politics


Because they can be utilized for a variety of tasks, from hauling to excavation, dump trucks are very helpful on construction sites. In order to choose the best truck, you must first consider your needs before considering the essential factors that matter. This will enable you to make a decision that is suitable enough in the end. Whether you are a novice shopper or have some experience purchasing trucks, when you are aware of the critical checks, you can be certain to purchase the ideal dump truck.
1. Truck type – There are various types of dump trucks, each with specific applications and potential drawbacks. Standard trucks have a bulkhead-mounted vertical hydraulic lift and a chassis to which a dump bed is fastened. They offer good maneuverability but are not as good on soft ground because they have a front axle and additional ones on the back. The other types of trucks are transfer trucks and side dump trucks, both of which have limited maneuverability. Before selecting the best type for your needs, be aware of the types and how they relate to your needs.
2. Carrying capacity – The carrying capacity is determined by volume and weight because the final payload may also contain moisture. Keep in mind that while heavy-duty trucks can be great, they may encounter restrictions in some locations.
3. The body – The most typical materials used to construct dump truck bodies are steel and aluminum. You can choose a good body material based on the type of work you intend to do with the truck. Steel is popular because it is incredibly strong and works well for tasks requiring the transportation of heavy objects, oversized loads, and debris. On the other hand, aluminum boxes are strong and light, but they are also more expensive. They can also save on fuel. Make sure the bed is level and straight, still on the body. It should also be able to lift up and down smoothly.
4. The brake system – Air brakes or hydraulic brakes are both options for dump trucks. The robust stopping power of air brakes, as opposed to hydraulic braking systems, makes them a better choice for heavier trucks. For instance, a leak in air brake lines lowers air pressure, which activates the brakes at the wheels and safely stops the truck, as opposed to a leak in a hydraulic system, brake line, where fluid pressure can drop and put pressure on the brake pads, which eventually results in lost braking power and reduces the truck’s ability to stop in the same amount of space.
5. Customization possibilities – You can simplify your tasks when using a dump truck by customizing it. Before purchasing your truck, think about whether this is feasible so that any optional features, such as wider steps and storage boxes, can be added to meet your job’s requirements. When purchasing from manufacturers, it is very simple to have a dump truck tailored to your requirements and have all crucial features included for the same convenience.


SUDBURY -- Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School is still waiting for its Chapter 70 funding to be released by the state, as of last week.
The Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School has had $250,000 of its public education funding for the month of April suspended since March 8 due to a software error. The state Department of Secondary and Elementary Education (DESE) said that the school failed to file the necessary information to allow the state Department of Revenue to certify the district’s excess and deficiency balances.
Regional school committees can use all or part of the certified balance in the excess and deficiency fund as a revenue source for its proposed budget, if they submit the forms that allow the Department of Revenue to review and certify the balance before Oct. 31.
The regional school district regulations allow for this withholding, according to the department's website.
But Bella Wong, superintendent and principal, said in an April 24 School Committee meeting that the school had filed the documents on Oct. 30. She said the issue was tied to a budget software problem, which caused files to upload incorrectly.
Jacqueline Reis, the media relations coordinator for the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, said the Department of Revenue sent a notification to the district when it did not receive the required documents in October. Then, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education sent two email reminders and a letter.
Kersey said the school has since submitted its forms with the Department of Revenue for certification.
At a School Committee meeting last week, school finance director Sherry Kersey said that the district needs to have its excess and deficiencies certified by the Department of Revenue by June 30. If it is not certified, the funding will not be released. Kersey said the money "does not go away, it is just not usable."
Currently, the budget is balanced using $250,000 of certified excess and deficiency. If the funding is not released, the school would "need some plan for where that money comes from," said Kersey.
The School Committee opted to table a vote on appointing a director of business and finance until the problem has been resolved.
Two other regional school districts faced similar difficulties submitting their excess and balances to the state: Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District and South Shore Vocational Technical High School. South Shore Vocational Technical School has since had its funding released, according to Reis.
Zane Razzaq can be reached at 508-626-3919 or firstname.lastname@example.org and on Twitter at @zanerazz.


text:
An all new second edition, featuring chapters on streaming media, and crisis management.
Maximize the Potential of Your Online Brand!
Social media has transformed into a necessity for writers.
This second edition offers something for both authors new to the social space, and experienced ones looking for fresh approaches to platforms old and new.
The variety of social media options alone is dizzying: WordPress, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and more.
Social Media for Writers, second edition will equip you with the essential tools you’ll need to succeed. In this book you’ll learn how to:
â€¢Create an online brand: write content for several different networks, and tie them together to develop an authoritative, trusted voice
â€¢Utilize “best practices”: learn the ins-and-outs of the online community and how to maximize the potential of each platform
â€¢Build a community: make connections and create a fan base to endorse your work
â€¢Refine your voice, and online persona through platforms like podcasting and streaming media
With all of these strategies, techniques, and applicable information, Social Media for Writers is a comprehensive source for all your social media needs!

domain: library


text:
Tonight: Robert Donat and Greer Garson with Paul Henreid and John Mills in Goodbye, Mr. Chips—a true classic.
During the Great Depression, England imposed trade barriers on foreign films. In response, MGM established a short-lived, pre-war production company in England that made A Yank at Oxford with Robert Taylor in 1937. The success of that film was followed by The Citadel with Robert Donat a year later.
Donat was already a star, having made such unforgettable films as The Count of Monte Cristo (1934) and Hitchcock’s 39 Steps (1935).
Donat’s powerful performance in The Citadel made him a natural choice for Metro’s third annual British production, Goodbye, Mr. Chips. He wasn’t the only choice, however. Charles Laughton had originally been announced for the role. And author James Hilton had actually suggested Wallace Beery.
The author of Lost Horizon and Random Harvest, Hilton wrote Goodbye, Mr. Chips as an assignment for the Christmas issue of a British magazine.
It was published in book form in 1933, the same year as Lost Horizon. But it received little attention in America until a favorable review by Alexander Wolcott on radio turned it into a best seller. Irving Thalberg bought the property for MGM, but he died before the film was made.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips is the poignant story of a lonely, middle-aged, very British schoolmaster, whose life is changed by the love of a woman—Greer Garson, in her film debut.
Garson got the role by default when Elizabeth Allan, who had appeared in David Copperfield and A Tale of Two Cities, had a falling out with the studio over the casting of The Citadel.
Louis B. Mayer put Garson under contract after he saw her in a London play. She sat around Metro doing nothing for more than a year, until director Sam Wood saw a test she had made for the studio.
She would become one of MGM’s biggest stars in the 1940s, with starring roles in Pride and Prejudice, Mrs. Miniver, Random Harvest and Madame Curie.
Her name—Greer—was a contraction of her Irish mother’s maiden name—“McGregor,”
Supporting actor Baron Paul Von Henreid shortened his name, too—before starring in Now, Voyager and Casablanca.
Many of the scenes were shot on location at an authentic 382-year-old, elitist school in England named Repton. Two hundred students passed up a week-long holiday to appear as extras in Chips.
Greer Garson was almost 31 when she made this movie.
Donat was 34. In the film, he ages from 25 to 83—in a remarkably powerful performance.
The inspiration for the role, one of author James Hilton’s teachers, actually died at the same age—83, in Wales, in 1951.
Donat died in 1958—at the age of 53.
A sensitive, but insecure man, plagued by ill health, Donat never embraced Hollywood. He turned down major roles—including Captain Blood and The Adventures of Robin Hood—that made Errol Flynn a star.
When he died, he was virtually penniless.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips opened in New York on May 15, 1939 and went into general release on July 28.
It was a major critical and commercial success.
In 1939, the most memorable year in Hollywood’s history, Goodbye, Mr. Chips received seven Academy Award nominations—including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
Gone With the Wind swept the Oscars that year. But Clark Gable’s “Rhett Butler” lost to Donat’s heart-warming portrayal of Professor Chipping.
So now, from 1939, Goodbye, Mr. Chips.


text:
Trillium Asset Management LLC reduced its stake in Weight Watchers International, Inc. (NYSE:WTW) by 59.9% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 31,768 shares of the company’s stock after selling 47,484 shares during the period. Trillium Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Weight Watchers International were worth $640,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of WTW. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in Weight Watchers International by 136.7% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 125,038 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,002,000 after acquiring an additional 72,222 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc raised its stake in Weight Watchers International by 176.2% during the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 38,577 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,777,000 after acquiring an additional 24,611 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc raised its stake in Weight Watchers International by 16.4% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc now owns 5,326,712 shares of the company’s stock worth $383,471,000 after acquiring an additional 750,351 shares in the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC raised its stake in Weight Watchers International by 14.4% during the third quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 4,600 shares of the company’s stock worth $331,000 after acquiring an additional 580 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Retirement Systems of Alabama raised its stake in Weight Watchers International by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 50,261 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,938,000 after acquiring an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. 91.34% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
In other news, insider Corinne Pollier-Bousquet sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.17, for a total value of $191,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 36,183 shares in the company, valued at $693,628.11. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Mindy F. Grossman bought 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 1st. The stock was acquired at an average price of $21.70 per share, with a total value of $260,400.00. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 12.31% of the company’s stock.
Shares of NYSE:WTW traded down $0.70 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $20.82. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,899,881 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,480,567. Weight Watchers International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $17.55 and a fifty-two week high of $105.73.
Weight Watchers International (NYSE:WTW) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 26th. The company reported $0.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $330.39 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $347.19 million.
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY NOTICE: “Trillium Asset Management LLC Has $640,000 Stake in Weight Watchers International, Inc. (WTW)” was originally reported by Baseball Daily News and is the sole property of of Baseball Daily News. If you are accessing this piece on another domain, it was illegally stolen and reposted in violation of U.S. & international copyright and trademark legislation. The original version of this piece can be read at https://www.baseballdailydigest.com/news/2019/05/17/trillium-asset-management-llc-has-640000-stake-in-weight-watchers-international-inc-wtw.html.
Weight Watchers International Profile
Weight Watchers International, Inc provides weight management services worldwide. The company operates in four segments: North America, United Kingdom, Continental Europe, and Other. It offers a range of products and services comprising nutritional, activity, behavioral, and lifestyle tools and approaches.
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domain: finance


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[ione_embed src=https://www.youtube.com/embed/a2dKBQgHfUw service=youtube width=854 height=480 type=iframe]
Maroon 5 member and solo artist PJ Morton premiered a lyric video for his song “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” (feat. BJ the Chicago Kid and The HamilTones) on The FADER on Thursday, May 18. The song is one of the singles off of PJ‘s new album, GUMBO. He decided to use this as an opportunity to make a political statement. In the karaoke style lyric video, created by Cinemadona, two police officers are clearly in pursuit of a criminal; and the single includes lyrics discussing police brutality.
KEEPING UP WITH PJ:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud | YouTube | VEVO

domain: artistic


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Exclusive | Hong Kong protests need a political solution and that should start with withdrawing extradition bill, police watchdog chief Anthony Neoh says
- Anthony Neoh, head of the police watchdog, says formally withdrawing the unpopular extradition legislation would give it a ‘proper burial’ and soothe public anger
- He does not rule out a judge-led inquiry after that
Hong Kong must not rely on the police alone to restore calm to the city as the current impasse requires a political solution that should start with the formal withdrawal of the extradition bill that sparked the crisis, the chairman of the police watchdog has said.
Senior lawyer Anthony Neoh SC, who heads the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC), also did not rule out having a commission of inquiry at a later stage, once other restorative steps have been taken, including bringing about reconciliation.
“I don’t think the police by themselves can deal with the situation,” he said in an exclusive interview with the Post. His assessment stands in stark contrast to the brave face being put up by the city’s top police officers, who have expressed confidence in doing what the government has asked of them.
Neoh said police had been placed in the invidious position of enforcing law and order, and then having to cope with the fallout from Hongkongers who sympathise with the protesters.
He noted that if the police thought laws were being broken, they would have to deal with it. “But then, the more they deal with it, the more antipathy they create at the moment. And it becomes a vicious circle as we can all see. Let’s call a spade a spade on this one,” he said.
And without a political solution, Hong Kong would face either a war of attrition or spiralling conflict, he went on.
The decision on the solution must from both the central government and the Hong Kong administration of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, he added.
“Every time I see the chief executive, I mention to her, you need a political solution,” he said. “She agrees, and she says she’s working on it.”
On Lam and Beijing’s insistence that negotiations can only start after protesters stop the violence, Neoh said: “This will have to be a rough-and-ready line.”
Even if there are some minor radical actions, and the overall situation is peaceful, it could be time to “draw a line in the sand” and offer a political solution, he said.
Speaking over the weekend, he added that if there was peace during these past few days, it was perhaps time to start reviewing other options on the table.
Top of the protesters’ list of demands is the formal withdrawal of the now-abandoned extradition bill – a demand that Neoh described as “eminently reasonable”.
Lam has already declared the bill dead. But formally withdrawing the bill would give it a “proper burial” that would soothe public anger, he said.
“It is only dead in the mind of the government because the government has undertaken not to revive it. That is not the way to withdraw legislation,” he said.
Protesters have also demanded an independent commission of inquiry (COI) into the police’s use of force. Lam has refused. The government has instead appointed an IPCC task force to investigate the clashes between police and protesters.
Neoh, who heads the task force, said the government should not rule out convening a COI later. “Don’t shut the door, but be very careful in doing it,” he said. It should focus on how to improve the police force, he said, as culpability of individual officers should be dealt with through internal disciplinary procedures.
He revealed the IPCC panel was about to enlist overseas experts, including from Britain and Canada, who had dealt with similar crises in their home countries. He had already met former senior police officers involved in dealing with the 2011 riots in English cities, and was also talking to others in Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
He said there were similarities between Hong Kong’s disturbances and the UK’s 2011 riots and the “yellow vest” protests in France over the past year.
“How do you separate the people that need to have the law enforced on them, and the people who support them but are not involved in the beating up of the police with force, and the population who are probably – we can be reasonably certain – sympathetic with them?” he asked.
In the case of Britain, for example, after the riots of 2011, apart from the police investigating what went wrong, a special community and victims’ panel was set up to initiate reconciliation, and special research was conducted on protesters –many of whom did not want to be identified for fear of prosecution – to find out the real causes of their grievances.
On the work of the IPCC, Neoh said it had received 243 protest-related complaints against the police. It is studying some 24,000 videos and images. He said he could not prejudge the evidence, but acknowledged that the supervision of officers “on the ground may not be as good as it could be”.
“The question is whether they have sufficient training; whether they are able to identify the people who are using force, and therefore separate them from the rest of the crowd.”
On long-term reconciliation, he said he hoped Lam would find neutral non-political people who understand young people and their aspirations. “The time has come for some real talking from the heart,” he said.
“What’s the issue in the minds of our young people? Because they are doing this for their own future. What is it in their own future that they considered important? Let’s have it out and see what could be done on this. I think it’s time to put things on the table and see what could be done. Maybe something can be done,” he said.
“If you ask for independence, that can’t be done, okay? But others, that could be done. For young people, they don’t have a future; they don’t have hope. How can you build a future? How can you build hope?”
On their demand for universal suffrage, Neoh said this was provided for in the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution. “The question is how do you get the candidates to be voted for? So again, why can’t we discuss it,” he said.

domain: sociology


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It’s back to the future. Really. Mattel has announced that a replica of the hoverboard that Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) famously rode in “Back to the Future, Part II” is going on sale, and you can get it just in time for Christmas.
The product was announced at the annual American Toy Fair. The hoverboard will feature the “whooshing sounds” one might expect from such a thing. The company says that the product won’t hover, but it will “glide over most surfaces.” Mattel says that it may be able to add a hover feature by 2015, although we’re curious about the science associated with that capability. And, no surprise here, it doesn’t work on water.
This isn’t the first time that products from the film have gone on sale recently. In Sept. 2011, rapper Tinie Tempah bought a pair of Nike Air Mags, the high top shoes that Marty wore, sold for $37,500.
The company is accepting pre-orders for the hoverboards through their Matty Collector website.

domain: news


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Corynebacterium parvum was administered intraperitoneally to 21 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. Nineteen patients had surgically measurable disease and two received adjuvant therapy. Surgically confirmed responses were documented in six of 19 patients (31.6%), with two complete responses (10.5%) and four partial responses (21.1%). Three patients (15.8%) had stable disease, and 10 patients (52.6%) had disease progression. The mean survival of the patients who had a complete response was 35.5 months; the four patients who had a partial response the mean survival was 26.6 months, and of the nonresponders the mean survival was 12.6 months (p less than 0.02). The mean survival of the entire group was 18.2 months. Initial response and patient survival correlated with the amount of disease pretreatment. Thus six responding patients had less than or equal to 5 mm maximum diameter tumors, that is, minimal residual disease. Toxicity in the 86 courses of therapy included abdominal pain in 78% of cases, fever in 56%, nausea in 40%, and vomiting in 22%. Stimulation of cytotoxic lymphocytes resulted from the administration of C. parvum, which induced a significant increase of both intraperitoneal natural killer lymphocyte cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity in six of nine patients tested; these two types of cytotoxicity correlated with response to therapy and may be partially responsible for the surgically documented tumor regression. While the clinical usefulness of intraperitoneal C. parvum is limited because of its toxicity, intraperitoneal immunotherapy may prove useful in patients with minimal residual ovarian cancer when more refined agents become available.
View details for Web of Science ID A1985AQE9200008
View details for PubMedID 2992276


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Friday, October 19, 2012
Review: Tales of Christmas Magic
Tales of Christmas Magic by Matt Posner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy – Christmas Theme
Reading Level: Young Adult
Recommended for: Fans of School of the Ages or those who want to ease into the series, those looking for a fast and light-hearted read with a Christmas theme.
Disclosure: I picked up this book when I realized it contained School of the Ages stories. Since I purchased it myself I have no particular obligation, and am always happy to provide an honest review.
Synopsis: Return to the world of School of the Ages with this short volume of amusing short stories with a Christmas flair. Why are so many elementals bothering the teen magician Radish in the prep school bathroom? Will master magician Dr. Archer be able to select a new home from the many creepy places in New York? AND..... why, why, WHY is the beautiful sixteen-year-old Goldberry in a pitched battle with Santa Claus on the school roof?
My Thoughts: I’m a huge fan of the School of the Ages series by Matt Posner. The series currently has three full-length novels – The Ghost in the Crystal, Level Three’s Dream and The War Against Love – as well as a novelette – Sara Ghost – and this collection of short stories.
After reading the very dark Sara Ghost, this light-hearted group of stories was a relief and very enjoyable. Fans of the series won’t want to miss these stories, and if you haven’t yet discovered School of the Ages, then this is a good way to get introduced. Don’t miss this one!
View all my reviews


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C. F. Martin & Co / 00-17 / 1933 / Guitar For Sale
What a great guitar ... this is an original Martin from the "Pre-War" period - model 00-17. Completely made of wonderful mahogany.
The Martin Pre-War guitars are legendary among steel string guitars. At that time Martin guitars were still built in limited numbers. For each instrument selected high-quality materials were used and each instrument was tuned and optimized at that time individually (this stopped in the 40's and 50's).
This guitar sounds so wonderfully bluesy and would be a wonderful instrument for a Jazz/Blues guitarist. It has a great quality sound and produces a fabulous mature vintage tone with sweet highs clear mids and a fine bass. It is wonderfully balanced in sound and absolutely fun to play.
The condition of this guitar is a bit rough. It has been repaired many times by different people. The sides have been repaired multiple times and there is also a repair to the headstock. All repairs are stable and it has been checked by our luthier - it is ready to go and enjoy.
A neck reset was done and the action is perfect. The neck is straight and the frets are in good condition. This guitar is surely not a beauty, but a player which will amaze those who are searching a guitar with scars and character.
It comes with a newer case.
Vintage Guitar World, Germany
Vintage Guitar World was founded out of passion for guitar playing and the search for the special sound.Selling guitars is not just a job for us – we love guitars and live music.
We are specialized in classical, flamenco and acoustic guitars. As our name already suggests, our preference is on vintage and historically valuable guitars.We want to offer our customers special, unique and high quality guitars.
Guitars which are specially selected and outstanding in sound.All guitars are checked and adjusted. We work closely together with guitar builders and repair shops to adjust each guitar.


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Hi! My name is Natalie Mouradian and I'm a Los Angeles native who loves doing graphic design and illustration work. I got my bachelor's degree in Art from Cal State Northridge (shoutout to the 818) in 2014. I love typography and mixing analog and digital methods of working. In my spare time you can catch me enjoying lahmajun aka Armenian pizza.
Feel free to drop me a line, I'd love to hear from you :)


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Editor's note: Dean Obeidallah is an award-winning comedian who has appeared on TV shows such as Comedy Central's "Axis of Evil" special, ABC's "The View," CNN's "What the Week" and HLN's "The Joy Behar Show." He is executive producer of the annual New York Arab-American Comedy Festival and the Amman Stand Up Comedy Festival.
(CNN) -- A group of Muslims recently traveled to the Deep South. Were they met with ...
A. Anger? B. Threats? C. Mistrust?
The correct answer: D. Mostly with laughter.
I just returned to New York after an eye-opening, exhausting and inspiring two weeks traveling across the American South with the stand-up comedy tour "The Muslims Are Coming." We performed in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and Tennessee and plan to travel to the Midwest in the fall for more shows.
The tour, which I co-produced with comedian Negin Farsad, is being filmed for a documentary and also features comedians Maysoon Zayid, Omar Elba and some special guest Christian and Jewish comedians. This project is being funded by our friends and families, not any organizations.
To us, this tour is not about Islam, it's about America. We are exploring the question: What type of country do we want? One where minority religions are harassed, persecuted and given less freedom simply because of their faith, or a nation where all religions are treated equally?
We fear that the next generation of American-Muslims will be born into a country where they are considered less than American.
So we headed out on our "laughing and listening" tour, which was unlike any comedy event I have ever been a part of before.
First, all the shows were free, because we wanted to reach out to people outside our community.
Second, we had an express activist goal: to meet with people, American to American, in hopes of countering anti-Muslim sentiment. We held a Q&A at the end of each show, turning the show into a town-hall meeting.
During the day, we set up "Ask a Muslim" booths on the streets in communities where we performed to meet even more people. We even held a "Bowling With Muslims" event. We continually urged people to ask us the "tough" questions, such as about Sharia law, since the only way to counter misconceptions is head-on.
What did we learn from this tour of the South? I personally learned that I enjoy shooting guns in an indoor shooting range and eating at the Waffle House. (Seriously.)
But more importantly, we learned that overwhelmingly Americans are not just tolerant but supportive of equal rights for all Americans when it comes to freedom of religion.
Now, I'm not saying that everyone we met loves Muslims. In a nation of more than 300 million people, there will always be a small percentage who hate minorities, whether over religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation. But there's a difference between not liking a group of Americans and advocating discrimination against them.
It was truly inspiring to see so many people of different races, religions and ethnicities coming out to meet with us in city after city.
We saw this in Gainesville, Florida, home of the "Koran burner" Terry Jones, where 300-plus people, mostly Christians and Jews, attended our show, voicing their opposition to hate.
And in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where an ugly mosque controversy led to the fire bombing of construction equipment by mosque opponents and, sadly, death threats directed at leaders of the Muslim community. There, more than 450 Christians, Jews, Muslims and even atheists attended our show as a sign of unity.
We heard in Lilburn, Georgia, from a Christian minister who passionately explained that if Americans don't stand up for Muslim-Americans' right to worship today, in the future, some might try to deprive these same rights to minority sects within Christianity or Judaism.
But we also heard something unexpected. In state after state, people said that they did not think American-Muslims were doing enough to denounce terrorists and radicals who claim they're acting in the name of Islam.
I was shocked to hear this so often. Ten years after 9/11, with Muslims elected to the U.S. Congress and serving as judges, teachers, newscasters, etc., I thought that understanding was a given. I assumed our fellow Americans knew that we despise the terrorists who are Muslim as much as they do, if not more so, because our community has suffered a backlash due to the horrific acts of these people. (We also hate terrorists who claim to be motivated by Christianity or Judaism, but we don't hold everyone in those religions responsible for the actions of a few.)
Despite all the press events and appearances in the media by American-Muslims denouncing terrorism, it's clear that this message is not reaching its intended audience.
We then began asking people: What should we be doing to make this point?
A civil rights leader in Birmingham, Alabama, suggested that, based on his own experiences, we should be working to build more allies outside our community, like African-Americans did in the 1960s in enlisting the help of white Americans in their quest for equal rights.
Others suggested that we try to appear in the media more and raise this issue -- which we would love to do assuming the media are receptive.
If there were more than 2% of us in the U.S. population, I would suggest we assign a Muslim to each person to answer questions. Or maybe we can have an "Adopt a Muslim" program. But we don't have the numbers.
So we are now turning to you, American to American: What can we do to reach out to non-Muslims to build bridges and dispel stereotypes?
We are sincerely open to hearing your suggestions.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dean Obeidallah.


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Sterling Silver Mask Toning Treatment
Format: 148 ml - 5 oz
The intense, nourishing formula of AG Care's Sterling Silver Mask Toning Treatment eliminates brassy, yellow tones from blonde and silver hair with its dark purple base. Shea butter and Abyssinian oil provide instant shine and softness while helping to reduce and prevent breakage. Infused with AG's exclusive CARE Complex, providing UV and free radical protection to extend the life of hair color. Non-staining. Vegan and cruelty-free. Free of sulfates, gluten, DEA, Paba, parabens and DMDMH.
-Highly pigmented purple formula
-Eliminates copper and yellow tones
-An intense moisturizing treatment
-Helps reduce and prevent breakage
-Adds softness and shine
-Does not stain
Key Ingredients :
-Purple base - neutralizes yellow and copper tones. Does not stain.
-CARE Complex (color and shine enhancer) - a blend of antioxidants including sunflower seed, marigold, lavender, red clover, pine and carnation extracts that fight free radicals and protect against UV exposure, keeping your hair color bright and healthy.
-Sunflower Seed Extract - fights color-destroying free radicals and protects hair from UV damage.
-Polyphenols - natural compounds found in flowers that keep color vibrant, even in direct sunlight. Our polyphenolic blend includes aqueous extracts of marigold, lavender, red clover, pine, and carnation.
-Keratin Protein - adds moisture, strength, elasticity and shine.
-Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride - fights the harmful effects of the sun on your hair (i.e. UVB damage).
-Silk Amino Acids - add strength, elasticity and shine.
-Abyssinian Oil - a light oil that contains omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids to nourish and repair.
-Shea Butter - a super rich, creamy emollient that smoothes, moisturizes and revitalizes.
Hair Types :
All hair types: blonde, silver, grey, platinum
All domestic orders are fulfilled through shipping carrier Canada Post.
For all international orders, orders are fulfilled through UPS and DHL Express.
Get more information about Returns & Exchanges.
If you are not completely satisfied with an online purchase or gift, you may return your Canadian purchase in stores or by mail. Restrictions apply for returns made outside of Canada.

domain: chemistry


Batch-size-one construction of series-produced machines sounds like a contradiction. With a modular design, however, OEMs are able to offer each customer a machine tailored precisely to their needs at a competitive price. Unfortunately, this approach has proven problematic when safety technology gets involved. Until now, that is. Franz Kaufleitner, product manager for integrated safety technology, introduces B&R's solution.
Your B&R Team
Safe machines must also be productive and competitive. That's why B&R enables smart safety responses that increase both the flexibility and the availability of your machinery and equipment. Learn how you can benefit from this intelligent safety technology.
When it comes to implementing IIoT and Industry 4.0 technology, OPC UA is considered to be the ideal communication protocol. In fact, it's hard to imagine the future of these solutions without it. But what's really behind all the hype?
We've summarized the most important points at a glance.
Making changes to an existing machine is always a lot of work. OEMs typically have to reactivate the development process to modify the machine software. This costs time and money. B&R's mapp CodeBox allows you to program machine variants in ladder logic using modular software components.


and of course changing from the Dutch LVA's 7.9mm FN-Brownings to 7.7mm Brownings.
Did I say they were??? The design was for the LVA fitment using 7.9mm FN-Brownings. VL amended the design to mount 7.7mm Brownings for Finnish production and service - Fokker didn't make the changes. What is unclear about what I said?No Dutch guns nor guns of that caliber were fitted to Finnish Fokker DXXI.
Actually - the Finnish-built Mercury D.XXI Series I and Series II aircraft - two batches, 14 and 21 - had four Vickers 7.7mm MGs - two in the fuselage, ONE in each wing - but fitting the two-row Twin Wasp meant the fuselage fitment was not longer possible - which is why VL amended the wing fitment to TWO 7.7mm Brownings per wing instead.


64305-48-17ARegular price $220.00 Sale price $88.99 Save $131.01
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So are you looking for a great intro video maker app? If the answer is “Yes”, to the question, then you have arrived at the right place. We are going to help you to create a cool and amazing Youtube intro video for your YouTube channel for absolutely free. Keep reading to know more!
Today, we are going to take a look at some of the best YouTube intro maker free of cost. These apps are the best and tested by us and are also used by millions of users daily. We will be covering apps of both the Android and iOS market. Note : These apps are according to our preference. Preferences may vary from individual to individual. So, if you have any other better app then you can also let us know in the comments section below. So, why waste any more time! Let’s head on the list!
1) Intro Maker- Outro Maker, Video Intro Maker for YouTube
Intro Maker- Outro Maker, Video Intro Maker for YouTube is one of the best and most downloaded app for creating free youtube intro videos. This app can be downloaded by visiting the iOS store. The app has been developed and designed by James Carter. This app has got some great features and a brilliant user interface making it one of the best free youtube intro maker app. The great thing to notice of the app is the features it’s offering for free of cost, Fiery Bokeh effects, Vintage Film Reel, Cherry Blossom, TV Glitch, etc.
2) Legend – Animate Text in Video
Want to create a text based animation style intro video? Well, if you want to give that shot then you can try this app. The app is very easy to use and you can set up and start using it within some seconds of downloading it. So, all you have to do is just visit here and download the app. After that, just open it and type in your text, add your favorite animation style, and then choose appropriate background and then render your video. Now, you can share your created GIF file or video with your friends over social media. Quite cool isn’t it? The app has got some amazing 20 text animation styles. But, in the free version you come equipped with only 6 text animation style. You can also include emojis around your text. All of these amazing features makes the app have 5+ million downloads.
3) Animator – Free Animation YouTube Intro Maker
Are you looking forward to create a cartoon based intro maker video? Well, if you want to give that thing a shot, then you can try this app. In this app, you get to create your own cartoon GIF, movie or small video, absolutely free. The best thing about the app is that you don’t need to be a pro to perform all this stuff. You get to put your favorite transparent frames and you also get to set other features like skating tool, drawing tools etc. Anyways , you can not only manage but also control the app’s tools.
Conclusion – Boom! We hope you liked reading our article on BEST APPS FOR CREATING YOUTUBE INTRO FOR FREE. If you want to see more of the such articles, then please let us know in the comments box and don’t forget to share this article on your different social media handles.


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Address and Phone:
Bristol, TN 37620
Phone: (423) 989-5500
The Farm and Fun Time radio program, which was instrumental in bluegrass beginnings, now has recognition in downtown Bristol, on the Tennessee/Virginia state line. The thoroughfare previously known as Winston Alley has now been renamed as Farm and Fun Time Alley.
WCYB’s radio show Farm & Fun Time was an important radio show in the history of early bluegrass music. The station featured many of the finest bluegrass and old-time artists of the period. The show had a loyal audience base in Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky and West Virginia. It was a highly influential part of the lives of many people from the region, some going on to become major bluegrass artists themselves.
The fledgling Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys group found a niche on the program.
Broadcast live from a studio in the General Shelby Hotel, the program helped to establish the careers of other legendary bluegrass performers, including the Osborne Brothers, Jim and Jesse McReynolds, Mac Wiseman, Carl Story, The Sauceman Brothers, and Curly King & Tennessee Hilltoppers, as well as the brother duet act, the Blue Sky Boys.
Farm & Fun Time had a clear channel, a strong 10,000 watts signal, and the show received letters from listeners in five states. Begun as a 30-minute program, the show expanded to 90 minutes as more and more bands came to play.
From State St., turn left on Martin Luther King
Jr. Blvd. Heading north, turn left on Cumberland Ave. and the site is on your left just before Lee St.
(The show was broadcast live from a studio in the General Shelby Hotel, which was at this site.)
Get turn-by-turn direction using the interactive map above.
Looking for a day of fun and frolic? Here's a quick list of nearby attractions that you may enjoy.
Date: Dec 14, 2013
Sycamore Shoals hosts Fife & Drum Corps
Location: Elizabethton, TN
Date: Dec 14, 2013
Davy Crockett Birthplace hosts Pioneer 5-Mile Run
Location: Limestone, TN
Date: Dec 5, 2013 - Dec 20, 2013
Jonesborough Repertory Theatre presents 1940s Christmas Carol
Location: Jonesborough, TN
See more December events »


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How Hydraulic Fracturing Can Help Lower Gasoline PricesPosted by Michael Tadeo on August 09, 2013
In a recent article in The Atlantic, Karl Smith from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, explains how hydraulic fracturing could help end gasoline price volatility. Hydraulic fracturing allows the development of oil reserves that have previously been unreachable with other forms of energy exploration. While a traditional well may produce 50 barrels of oil per day, a fracked well can produce upwards of 7,000 barrels per day.
Take a look by clicking HERE...


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We are so happy to welcome new design team member Mary-Ann Maldonado to the ES blog for her first post today! Mary-Ann has such a fun, colorful and dimensional paper crafting style, and the project that she’s sharing with us today is no exception! Let’s see what she created:
Morning, Elle’s fans! I am super excited to be joining this talented team for 2019! I have been playing with paper for years and Elle’s product has always been a go-to manufacturer for me. When I received the January 2019 Kit, I knew right away that one of my projects had to focus of the black and white So Loved Shipping Tags with support from the colorful January Kit and some Noteworthy papers. Maybe I’d even use all of the tags!
Supplies | January 2019 Kit, January Labels, So Loved Shipping Tags, January Blank Label Stickers, Happiness Found Stickers, Sweetheart Puffy Stickers, Heart and Star Acetate Die Cuts, Wood Veneer Hearts, XO Wood Confetti, Large Months of the Year Wood Veneers, All My Heart 6 x 6 Paper Stack, Noteworthy 12 x 12 Paper Collection
I didn’t get as far as using up all the tags from the January Kit, but I sure did give it a good try! In my mind, I was going to create a clothesline of tags with my long photo strip. I started with a neutral and purple background using the Noteworthy 12 x 12 Paper Collection and began creating my layered tag clusters, laying them on the patterned paper background until it looked like my vision.
I wanted to incorporate some of the wood veneer extras too. I used the September Large Months of the Year Wood Veneer piece, the Wood Veneer Hearts and the ‘O’s’ from the XO Wood Confetti. I laced them through baker’s twine in between tags, and let them dangle. I wanted some of the wood to stay in place so I used a touch of glue.
Smaller lengths of baker’s twine threaded through the So Loved Shipping Tags made them appear to be hanging from the “clothesline.” I topped my tag clusters with die cuts from the January Kit, as well as Happiness Found and Sweetheart Puffy Stickers.
Thanks for stopping by to check out my first project as an ES girl! I can not wait to see how you all use up those fun tags! See you again real soon!
What will Mary-Ann’s beautiful clothesline-inspired project push you to create!? Share your project on Instagram using the hashtag #EllesStudio and you could be featured here on our blog and win a gift certificate to the shop, just for getting creative!


My Image Resizer18.104.22.168
My Image Resizer is a straightforward piece of software designed specifically for helping you resize images with the aid of batch processing operations.
You are welcomed by a clean feature lineup that allows you to carry out the resizing process in only three steps. Everything is kept as clear and basic as possible, so there’s support for only a few dedicated parameters that you can play with.
My Image Resizer gives you the possibility to specify the folder that contains the images you want to process. On the downside, you are allowed to add files individually to the list and delete pictures, so make sure the target directory stores the exact photos you need to resize.
The tool lets you resize files by choosing between several preset values or manually entering the desired width and height. The processed files are previewed in a small panel.
Since it doesn’t require much computer knowledge to set up the dedicated parameters, even less experienced users can master the process in no time. During our testing we have noticed that My Image Resizer carries out a task very quickly and provides good output results. It doesn’t eat up a lot of CPU and memory, so the overall performance of the computer is not affected.
All things considered, My Image Resizer proves to be a simplistic piece of software that comes bundled with basic features for helping you resize photos in a batch mode. It cannot be named a top application from its category but it does its job quickly.


Electroplating chamber with rotatable wafer holder and pre-wetting and rinsing capability
A plating cell has an inner plating bath container for performing electroplating on a work piece (e.g., a wafer) submerged in a solution contained by the inner plating bath container. A reclaim inlet funnels any solution overflowing the inner plating bath container back into a reservoir container to be circulated back into the inner plating bath container. A waste channel is also provided having an inlet at a different height than the inlet of the reclaim channel. After electroplating, the wafer is lifted to a position and spun. While spinning, the wafer is thoroughly rinse with, for example, ultra pure water. The spin rate and height of the wafer determine whether the water and solution are reclaimed through the reclaim channel or disposed through the waste channel.
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Electroplating is a process for depositing a metal layer on a work piece such as a semiconductor wafer. In conventional plating, a wafer is processed serially through three separate stages: pre-treatment, plating, and rinse.
After the wafer is prepared for electroplating in one or more pre-treatment cells in the pre-treatment stage, the wafer is transported to an electroplating cell in the plating stage.
In the electroplating cell, the wafer is immersed in a bath containing a solution of dissolved salts of the metal to be deposited. An anode and cathode terminal are provided in the bath with the wafer attached to the cathode. A direct current is applied between the anode and cathode causing the dissolved salts to chemically reduce and form the corresponding metal on portions of the wafer exposed to the current and solution.
After plating is completed, the wafer is removed from the solution bath. Sometimes, a small amount of rinsing (i.e., pre-rinsing) using ultra pure water is performed in the plating cell causing ultra pure water to enter the solution bath. However, the resulting dilution of the dissolved salt concentration in the bath limits the amount of rinsing in the plating cell. Therefore, the rinsing over the solution bath is incomplete. In this partially rinsed state, the wafer awaits transport to a separate cell in the rinsing stage for a more thorough rinse and dry.
One problem with this system is that often substantial time (e.g., minutes) elapses between the electroplating in the plating cell and the rinsing while the system awaits availability of a rinse cell, a transport system, or a human operator. Substantial time may elapse when, for example, there is throughput bottleneck in the rinse stage. During this time, solution molecules may stay attached to the wafer due to the relatively low surface energy of the solution. This allows the solution, in some cases, to chemically react with the elements of the wafer, particularly metallic elements. For example, a water-based salt solution tarnishes a copper work piece if exposed even for a short time. As circuit feature dimensions progress farther into the submicron range, such tarnishing can significantly reduce die yields.
Another problem with this system is that the plating cell cannot be used while the wafer awaits transport to the rinsing stage, leaving the plating cell underutilized.
Therefore, there is a clear need for a system that decreases the time lag between the plating and rinse stages.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A plating cell has a wafer holder that can selectively spin a wafer. An inner plating bath container is positioned along the axis of rotation of the wafer. A first channel (e.g., a reclaim channel) has a first inlet at least partially surrounding the axis. A second channel (e.g., a waste channel) has a second inlet at least partially surrounding the axis of rotation of the wafer. The second inlet (e.g., the waste inlet) is provided above the first inlet (e.g., the reclaim inlet). An actuator selectively moves the wafer holder along the axis so that the wafer holder can be positioned at a height below the first inlet.
The following occurs within this single plating cell. A wafer is first electroplated by lowering the wafer holder to a position in the inner plating bath container that is below a plating solution level. After electroplating, the wafer is raised out of the plating bath and spun so that the spun-off water and plating solution enters the reclaim or waste inlets. When the spun-off water and plating solution enters the waste inlet, a relatively large volume of rinse solution (e.g., 10 milliliters or more) can be applied (e.g., sprayed) onto the wafer to thoroughly rinse the wafer. The wafer can also be subsequently dried by spinning the wafer at a relatively fast spin rate.
The principles of the present invention reduce the time lag between the plating and rinsing stage. Therefore, unwanted chemical reactions (e.g., corrosion and galvanic reactions) are prevented and a good surface finish is achieved. In one embodiment, the wafer surface is completely and simultaneously covered with water during rinsing. Time delay between water coverage at one point on the wafer surface compared to another point may result in galvanic corrosion on the wafer surface. When this occurs, copper is dissolved where water coverage is adequate but is deposited where it is inadequate.DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a plating cell capable of performing both plating and rinsing cell according to one embodiment of the invention.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The principles of the present invention solve the problem of time lag between the plating and rinse stages by providing a plating cell that performs both plating and full rinse. Performing both plating and full rinse would be undesirable in the prior art plating cell at least because the full rinse would cause rapid dilution of the electroplating solution. The plating cell may also have the ability to perform pre-wetting.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a plating cell 100 capable of performing both plating and rinsing according to one embodiment of the invention. Cell 100 includes a pump 122 that pumps solution S from reservoir container 120, through solution supply channel 116, through an inlet 118 in a base 114 of an inner plating bath container 110, and into inner plating bath container 110. Solution S is a plating solution that may be, for example, a water-based solution with 170 grams per liter of sulfuric acid and 17 grams per liter of the dissolved plating metal (e.g., copper).
As solution S rises, walls 112 contain solution S until solution S reaches the lowest portion of a first reclaim inlet 131 at a height "a" (relative to the base 114) in the z-direction parallel to the z-axis. All heights referred to herein are with respect to the z-direction and are referenced to the base 114 of container 110. In FIG. 1, lip 113 defines the lower portion of reclaim inlet 131. Reclaim inlet 131 also has an upper edge at height "b".
After the inner plating bath container 110 completely fills with solution S, excess solution S spills over the lower portion 133 of reclaim inlet 131 and into a reclaim channel 130. This condition is referred to herein as "overflow mode." In overflow mode, walls 112 and 132 channel solution S through reclaim channel 130 and into a reclaim drain 136 provided in a base 134 of channel 130. Reclaim drain 136 channels solution S back into reservoir container 120. The condition in which solution S follows the above described circulation path is referred to herein as "circulation mode". Reclaim inlet 131 may circumscribe the inner plating bath container 110 about the z-axis.
A second inlet (e.g., a waste inlet) is also provided circumscribed around the inner plating bath container 110 about the z-axis. Waste inlet has a lower edge at height "c" and an upper edge at height "d". Waste solution that enters waste channel 140 is channeled by walls 132 and 142 and into a waste drain 146 in a base 144 of waste channel 140. The waste solution is received by a waste system 150 where the solution is discarded from cell 100.
A wafer holder 190, capable of conveying current, holds a wafer W and can move in the z-direction (e.g., vertically) by being connected by shaft 180 to an actuator 170. The actuator 170, which may be, for example, a leadscrew with an encoder, may be controlled by an instruction on instruction terminal 199 connected to actuator 170. Instruction terminal 199 carries an instruction generated by controller 198.
Electroplating may be performed in circulation mode as follows. In response to an instruction on instruction terminal 199, actuator 170 positions wafer holder 190 so that wafer W is held in solution S, for example, at position 1. A current source 192, disposed within the inner plating bath container 110, emits current through solution S and into wafer W. This causes metal to form on the surface of wafer W as the metal salts within the solution S reduce.
Following plating, wafer W is raised to position 2 where wafer holder 190 is spun about the z-axis. While wafer holder 190 is spinning, a rinse solution (e.g., ultra pure water) is sprayed on the wafer W using spray nozzle 160, thereby perform partial rinsing (i.e., pre-rinsing). Spray nozzle 160 is positioned so that rinsing solution sprayed by spray nozzle 160 strikes wafer W (e.g., underneath the wafer W). The spin rate at position 2 may range from, for example, 300 to 600 rotations per minute (RPM). At this spin rate, the spun-off solution travels substantially horizontal under the influence of gravity. If position 2 is such that wafer W is between height "a" and "b" the spun-off solution collects within reclaim channel 130 and returns to reservoir container 120. To avoid excessively rapid dilution of solution S, the amount of ultra pure water used for rinsing at position 2 is, for example, in the range of from 0 to 8 milliliters.
Following the pre-rinse at position 2, wafer holder is raised to position 3 for a complete rinse. Once in position 3, the wafer is spun at a rate of, for example, from 300 to 600 RPM while being sprayed with ultra pure water. Position 3 is located between height "c" and "d" so that the solution that is spun-off the wafer W enters waste inlet 141 of waste channel 140. Enough ultra pure water is sprayed onto the wafer so that the wafer W is thoroughly rinsed. A typical range of water volume for accomplishing this is from 10 to 50 milliliters or from 10 to 150 milliliters or even more. The amount of water volume may be very large without diluting the solution S because substantially all, if not all, of the water sprayed onto the wafer W is discarded in waste system 150.
A typical elapsed time between the removing of the wafer W from solution S and the beginning of pre-rinse at position 2 is less than one second. A typical elapsed time for performing pre-rinse is approximately one or two seconds. A typical elapsed time between the removal of wafer W from solution S and the beginning of the complete rinse at position 3 is less than three seconds.
In one embodiment, the wafer surface is completely and simultaneously covered with water during rinsing. Time delay between water coverage at one point on the wafer surface compared to another point may result in galvanic corrosion on the wafer surface. When this occurs, copper is dissolved where water coverage is adequate but is deposited where it is inadequate.
Once the wafer W has been thoroughly rinsed, the wafer W can be spun to dry at a spin rate of, for example, from 400 to 800 RPM. Therefore, within a very short period after the completion of electroplating, the wafer W is thoroughly rinsed and dried. Therefore, the wafer W is not exposed to corrosive elements as long as the wafer W might be in the prior art.
The present invention provides several major advantages. First, the pre-rinse stage returns substantially all of the rinse solution back into the plating solution reducing waste emissions to substantially zero during the pre-rinse stage. Second, when spray nozzle 160 is directed at the wafer W rotating at 30 RPM or more using a nozzle that covers the full radius of the wafer W, unwanted chemical reactions (e.g., corrosion and galvanic reactions) are prevented. Therefore, a good surface finish is achieved. Third, a volume of rinse solution for the pre-rinse spray may be selected such that the volume of the circulating solution remains constant.
Cell 100 may also be used for pre-wetting by spraying a wetting solution (e.g., ultra pure water) onto the wafer W before electroplating while the wafer is positioned over inner plating bath container 110.
Position 2 has been described as being such that wafer W is between height "a" and "b". However, position 2 may be much higher than height "b" if the spin rate for reclaim is reduced. Furthermore, the lower the spin rate, the higher the wafer holder 190 must be above height "a" in order for the spun-off solution to enter reclaim inlet 131. The higher the position above the target inlet 131 or 141, the lower the spin rate must be to allow the spun-off solution to enter the appropriate inlet 131 or 141. Therefore, position 2 may be higher than height "b" and position 3 may be higher than position "d". Gravity or other forces will affect the optimal spin rates at a given position. The above spin rates assume that the negative z-direction is the direction of the force of normal gravity.
Position 2 is described as being the position for pre-rinse in which the spun-off solution is reclaimed. However, wafer holder 190 may skip the pre-rinse stage at position 2 and go directly to the position 3 for the thorough rinse. Alternatively, the pre-rinse stage may be accomplished at position 3 instead of position 2. This may be accomplish by spinning the wafer W at a relatively low spin rate of approximately 100 RPM. In this case, the spun-off solution is not substantially horizontal, but falls angularly downward into reclaim inlet 131 or into inner plating bath container 110. After pre-rinse, the spin rate is increased so that the spun-off solution enters waste inlet 141.
Wafer holder 190 may be any holder capable of holding a wafer W such as a clamshell apparatus described in a co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/969,984 filed Nov. 13, 1997, pending entitled "CLAMSHELL APPARATUS FOR ELECTROCHEMICALLY TREATING SEMICONDUCTOR WAFERS" which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Current source 192 may be, for example, an anode cell as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/969,196 filed Nov. 13, 1997, pending entitled "MEMBRANE PARTITION SYSTEM FOR PLATING OF WAFERS", now abandoned which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Current source 192 may also be a copper sheet connected to base 114 and connected to a voltage source 194.
Although inlets 131 and 141 are described as being circumscribed entirely about the z-axis, the circumscription may be only partial to obtain some of the benefit of the present invention.
Although cell 100 has been described as operating in circulation mode in which solution S pours over lip 113 and back into reservoir container 120, solution S may be at a level below height "a" during electroplating. If cell 100 is not in circulation mode, reclaim inlet 131 may be higher than waste inlet 141.
Throughout the description and claims, a "channel" is defined as a "structure defining a passage." Throughout the description and claims, "lower" means "more in the negative z-direction" and "higher" means "more in the positive z-direction." Thus, a "lowest portion of an object" means a "portion of an object that is positioned farthest in the negative z-direction." In the claims, the recitation of a "first" and "second" item per se should not be interpreted as meaning that the items are necessarily different items. For example, a first rinse solution and a second rinse solution may have the same composition or different compositions. Furthermore, "first", "second" and "third" are not necessarily intended to indicate any time sequencing.
Although the height "c" is described as being above height "b", height "c" may be the same height as height "b". Note that the inlet size of each inlet 131 and 141 may change by, for example, providing a hinge.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, these embodiments are illustrative only and not limiting. Many other applications and embodiments of the present invention will be apparent in light of this disclosure and the following claims.
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a wafer holder configured to spin a wafer about an axis;
- a controller for controlling spinning motion of the wafer holder;
- an inner plating bath container positioned along the axis;
- a first channel having a first inlet at least partially surrounding the axis, a lower portion of the first inlet having a first height, an upper portion of the first inlet having a second height;
- a second channel having a second inlet at least partially surrounding the axis, the second channel having a lower portion having a third height higher than the second height; and
- an actuator configured to selectively move the wafer in a movement range along the axis, the lowest position of the movement range being lower than the first height.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator is configured to position a wafer attachment surface below the first height, between the first and second height, or above the third height in response to an instruction on an instruction terminal.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a direct current source positioned in the inner plating bath container.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
- a reservoir container connected to the first channel; and
- a pump connected between the reservoir container and the inner plating bath container for pumping solution in the reservoir container into the inner plating bath container.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first channel comprises a reclaim channel further comprising:
- a reclaim drain coupled between the reclaim channel and the reservoir container for draining solution in the reclaim channel into the reservoir container.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second channel comprises a waste channel for channeling solution that enters the second inlet to a waste system.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first inlet completely surrounds the axis, and wherein the second inlet completely surrounds the axis.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a nozzle positioned so as to direct a rinse liquid against a wafer held on the wafer holder.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the wafer attachment surface faces downward.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the nozzle is positioned so as to direct the rinse liquid upward against the underside of a wafer held on the wafer holder.
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|5677000||October 14, 1997||Yoshioka et al.|
|5893966||April 13, 1999||Akram et al.|
|5930549||July 27, 1999||Kim et al.|
Filed: Jun 10, 1998
Date of Patent: Aug 8, 2000
Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc. (San Jose, CA)
Inventors: Jonathan D. Reid (Sherwood, OR), Steven W. Taatjes (West Linn, OR), Robert J. Contolini (Lake Oswego, OR), Evan E. Patton (Portland, OR)
Primary Examiner: Kathryn Gorgos
Assistant Examiner: William T. Leader
Attorney: Skjerven, Morrill, MacPherson, Franklin & Friel LLP
Application Number: 9/96,015
International Classification: C25D 1706; C25D 2108;