text:
State government tax collections totaled $715.2 billion in fiscal year 2009, a $66.9 billion (8.6 percent) decrease from 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today.
According to data from the 2009 Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections, taxes on individual income were $245.9 billion, down 11.8 percent, while general sales taxes were $228.1 billion, down 5.4 percent. Corporate net income taxes were $40.3 billion, down 20.7 percent. These taxes made up 71.9 percent of all state government tax collections nationally.
“The 2009 state tax collection data is the first component of government finance data released each fiscal year and provides an important indicator of the fiscal condition of state governments,” said Lisa Blumerman, chief of the Census Bureau’s Governments Division.
Severance taxes – imposed for removal of natural resources (e.g., oil, gas, coal, timber, fish, etc.) – were down $4.8 billion in 2009, a 26.5 percent decrease. This followed a 65.2 percent increase in fiscal year 2008. The largest decreases in severance taxes were seen in the South and the West.
The decline of revenue from mortgages, deeds or securities (documentary and stock transfer taxes) resulted in a $2.8 billion loss, a 36.0 percent decrease, with the largest decrease in the South.
States with the largest percent decrease in revenue from individual income taxes were Arizona (42.5 percent), South Carolina (29.6 percent), Tennessee (23.8 percent) and New Mexico (23.2 percent).
States with the largest percent decrease in revenue from corporate net income tax were Michigan (63.5 percent), Oregon (45.8 percent), New Mexico (42.6 percent) and Utah (37.7 percent).
In Mississippi, the Census Brueau reports Mississippi collected approximately $6.514 billion in 2009. It collected approximately $3.03 billion in total general sales tax, approximately $1.49 billion in individual income tax, $324,301 in corporation net income tax and approximately $1.68 billion in all other taxes.

domain: economics


text:
When your student must stay home from school, follow GCSC procedures to notify the school and provide a valid explanation so your student is not considered truant.
Valid Reasons for Student Absence
GCSC recognizes six reasons for an absence to be considered excused:
- student illness
- This includes mental or behavioral health (As of January 1, 2022, absences can be attributed to mental or behavioral health for up to five days based on Public Act 102-0321.
- observance of a religious holiday (absence note required)
- death in the immediate family
- family emergency
- circumstances which cause reasonable concern to the parent for their child’s safety or health (must be approved by the principal)
- other situations beyond the control of the student (as determined by principal)
Communicating Your Child’s Absence to School
If your child must stay home, call your school to inform them your child will be absent.
Historically, GCSC has only been allowed to receive hard-form paper notes but we now can receive calls that can be honored to determine Excused and Unexcused absence status.
Home to school communication that qualifies for excused absence status must:
- Meet one of the valid causes for absence indicated above. AND
- Be memorialized through a paper, signed and dated note the first day your child returns to school from an absence. OR
- Be logged by the school in response to a direct phone call/voicemail to the school
Your written note and call should include the following information:
- Student’s name
- Date(s) of absence
- Reason for absence (must be one of the six valid reasons), with details explaining if there is a family emergency, concern for child’s safety, or situation beyond the student’s control.
- Parent/guardian signature, date, and phone number
Medical Information and Conditions
- Inform your school if a physician diagnoses your child with any contagious/infectious disease, such as chicken pox, measles, etc.
- Get a written release from a doctor for your child to return to school if he or she is diagnosed with or suspected of having a communicable/nuisance disease
- Submit required medical reports to the appropriate school personnel
- Keep up-to-date on all your child’s health examinations and immunizations so your student does not miss school

domain: law


Wei-Min Shen of the University of Southern California's Information Sciences Institute recently reported to NASA significant progress in developing "SuperBot," identical modular units that plug into each other to create robots that can stand, crawl, wiggle and even roll. He illustrated his comments with striking video of the system in action, video now posted on line.
Shen's presentation took place at the Space Technology and Applications International Forum 2007 (STAIF) held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For the report, he first offered a description of the SuperBot work:
"Superbot consists of Lego-like but autonomous robotic modules that can reconfigure into different systems for different tasks. Examples of configurable systems include rolling tracks or wheels (for efficient travel), spiders or centipedes (for climbing), snakes (for burrowing in ground), long arms (for inspection and repair in space), and devices that can fly in micro-gravity environment.
"Each module is a complete robotic system and has a power supply, micro- controllers, sensors, communication, three degrees of freedom, and six connecting faces (front, back, left, right, up and down) to dynamically connect to other modules.
"This design allows flexible bending, docking, and continuous rotation. A single module can move forward, back, left, right, flip-over, and rotate as a wheel. Modules can communication with each other for totally distributed control and can support arbitrary module reshuffling during their operation.
"They have both internal and external sensors for monitoring self status and environmental parameters. They can form arbitrary configurations (graphs) and can control these configurations for different functionality such as locomotion, manipulation, and self-repair."
Shen illustrated his words with SuperBot action video showing these processes.
He and his colleagues and students made the fillms in just one week, immediately after completing the mechanics and electronics hardware for the latest batch of SuperBot modules at the beginning of February.
"The fact that SuperBot can achieve so much in so short a time demonstrates the unique value of modular, multifunctional and self-reconfigurable robots," Shen said.
Follow the links below to view .wmv files of some of the videos:
Rope climbing between buildings:
Caterpillar on beach and in room:
Climbing on sand dune, river bank, and in room:
Carrying a camera:
Searching and connecting:
Note: Please credit USC Information Sciences Institute in any publication or use of the linked .wmv files


text:
Bringing perfection to the table time and time again, Oud Sluis has been harvesting the cornucopian Zeeland coastline of its seafood for three generations.
Since inheriting the restaurant from his father, Sergio Herman has driven Oud Sluis with a passion for creativity and excellence. Herman constantly searches the globe for new ingredients and strives for new levels of culinary distinction. Innovative dishes of extraordinary style and substance await diners, created by one of the most inspiring chefs in the industry.
Head Chef: Sergio Herman
+31 11 746 1269
Beestenmarkt 2, 4524 EA, Sluis, Holland

domain: food


Press release: 1994-12-07: CPTV ANNOUNCES NEW COMMERCIAL CONTRACTS FOR CELLULOID; STRONG INITIAL SALES FOR "CAGEY CAPERS" VIDEO GAME
From Sega Retro
|This is an unaltered copy of a press release, for use as a primary source on Sega Retro. Please do not edit the contents below.|
Language: English third-party
Original source: The Free Library
DENVER, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative Programming and Technology Ventures, Inc. (Nasdaq: CPTV), reported that its Celluloid Studios subsidiary, a rapidly growing producer of live action and animated television commercials, has entered into two new commercial contracts with advertising agencies. The company also reported strong initial sales for the "Cagey Capers" video game developed by its Alexandria, Inc. subsidiary. Celluloid's first contract is with GSDM Advertising of Austin, Texas, to produce a live action/special effects commercial. The other contract is with Foote, Cone & Belding of Chicago to produce a thirty second animated commercial. The combined value of these contracts is approximately $288,000, bringing the cumulative gross revenues for the first quarter of fiscal 1995 ending November 30, 1994 to approximately $1,989,000. These preliminary Celluloid results are up approximately 190 percent compared with revenues of $678,000 for the same quarter a year ago. CPTV President Gary R. Vickers, said, "Celluloid's aggressive sales and marketing efforts, started in late fiscal 1994, are paying off nicely. With improved margins, we anticipate our animation and TV programming division to report a profitable first quarter." 60,000 "Cagey Capers" Units Sold in September CPTV reported that the "Cagey Capers" video game sold more than 60,000 units in September, its first month on the market, according to sales reports from Time-Warner and TecMagik, a co-publisher. Compared to other products in their first month of sales, "Cagey Capers" is now the second best-selling product in Time-Warner's history. The game is currently the seventh best-selling video game in Europe. "Cagey Capers" is based on the popular Warner Bros. cartoon characters Sylvester and Tweety. The game was produced for Time-Warner Interactive for play on the Sega Genesis video game system. It has received outstanding reviews from video game magazines, including GAME PLAYER (June 1994), GAMEPRO (June 1994), Electronic Games (May 1994) and was also rated a "Best Buy" in GAMEPRO's 1994 Buyer's Guide. Vickers said, "We are very encouraged by the strong results for 'Cagey Capers,' especially in an extremely competitive video game market. Our goal is to deliver exciting, superior quality video games to consumers, and these results, coupled with the highly favorable game reviews, demonstrates that we are on target." Alexandria has also updated projections for when its publishing clients plan shipment of three games developed by Alexandria. "Izzy" (U.S. Gold), which is based on the 1996 Olympics mascot; "Demolition Man" (Virgin Interactive Entertainment) and "Dinoblaze" (Virgin Interactive) are expected to ship to retailers in the first quarter of 1995. Vickers said, "These projected releases were strategically delayed by the publishers to avoid getting lost in the expected glut of video games at Christmas time. By releasing these games in early 1995, they believe these games will get stronger acceptance in the marketplace." Creative Programming & Technology Ventures Inc. (CPTV) went public on November 12, 1993, with the purpose of producing and distributing innovative advertising, interactive games, cable programming and digital entertainment. Its Alexandria subsidiary, based in Los Onos, Calif., designs and develops interactive games for popular home video game systems such as Sega Genesis, Sega-CD, Super Nintendo Entertainment System and 3DO. In October 1994, it shipped its first video game, Cagey Capers, (based on the popular Warner Bros. cartoon characters Sylvester and Tweety) to top retailers across the country. Alexandria also plans to develop games for cable television channels, and future home game systems, including Sega's Saturn, Sony's PS-X and Nintendo's Project Reality. Celluloid Studios, 80 percent owned by CPTV, has produced more than 100 television commercials using live action and animation. Celluloid is based in Denver. CPTV's primary shareholders and founders include Gary R. Vickers, Gary Magness and Kim Magness, all from Denver. CPTV is headquartered in Denver and its stock trades on NASDAQ Small-Cap market under the symbol CPTV. -0- 12/7/94 /CONTACT: Gary Vickers - President and Chairman, of CPTV, 303-595-3152; Michael Sotak, 312-266-7800, or Michelle Marin, 212-661-8030, both of The Financial Relations Board/ (CPTV) CO: Creative Programming and Technology Ventures, Inc. ST: Colorado IN: CPR ENT SU: CON BM -- CL013 -- 3278 12/07/94 12:54 EST COPYRIGHT 1994 PR Newswire Association LLC No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder. Copyright 1994 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.


text:
2002 lancer engine bay diagram wiring schematic
Delegation strategies for the NCLEX, Prioritization for the NCLEX, Infection Control for the NCLEX, FREE resources for the NCLEX, FREE NCLEX Quizzes for the NCLEX, FREE NCLEX exams for the NCLEX,
Failed the NCLEX - Help is here Nissan Patrol ZD30 Y61 Reference Document - Colour - Download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online. Manuals Warehouse is your source for copies of owners manuals, service manuals and other documentation on audio, music, stage and studio equipment. Contents. Fukuoka Japan [v7.5] Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC Portable full . - 8. - MS ; Descargar torrent Series y peliculas - torrentlocura.com Search the history of over 351 billion web pages on the Internet.

domain: library


US 20100060218 A1
A blower motor assembly having a variable speed motor that is suitable for direct, drop-in replacement in a residential HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system that employs a PSC motor. The blower motor assembly includes at least a neutral input and two hot AC line connections, one for connection to the heating power source and the other to the cooling power source. A sensing circuit senses which of the inputs is energized by sensing either voltage or current on the inputs. The sensing circuit delivers a corresponding signal to a motor controller to control the speed of the variable speed motor. The blower motor assembly may also be equipped with additional hot AC inputs, more than one neutral line, and several sensing circuits for sensing current or voltage in the hot inputs and/or the neutral lines for controlling various aspects of the variable speed motor.
1. A method of adjusting torque values of a motor having multiple torque settings and a maximum rated torque value, the method comprising:
selecting an adjustment factor to obtain an adjusted maximum torque value that is less than the maximum rated torque value;
adjusting all the torque settings of the motor with the adjustment factor to obtain proportionally reduced torque settings; and
operating the motor at the proportionally reduced torque settings.
2. The method as set forth in
3. The method as set forth in
4. The method as set forth in
5. The method as set forth in
6. The method as set forth in
7. The method as set forth in
8. A method of adjusting torque values of an HVAC motor having multiple torque settings and a maximum rated torque value, the method comprising:
selecting an adjustment factor to obtain an adjusted maximum torque value that is less than the maximum rated torque value;
selecting a torque table associated with the adjustment factor, the torque table including alternate torque settings; and
operating the motor at the alternate torque settings.
9. The method as set forth in
10. The method as set forth in
11. The method as set forth in
12. The method as set forth in
13. The method as set forth in
14. The method as set forth in
The present application is related to co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. ______, filed Sep. 8, 2008, entitled “BLOWER MOTOR FOR HVAC SYSTEMS”; U.S. application Ser. No. ______, filed Sep. 8, 2008, entitled “BLOWER MOTOR FOR HVAC SYSTEMS”; U.S. application Ser. No. ______, filed Sep. 8, 2008, entitled “BLOWER MOTOR FOR HVAC SYSTEMS”; U.S. application Ser. No. ______, filed Sep. 8, 2008, entitled “BLOWER MOTOR FOR HVAC SYSTEMS”; and U.S. application Ser. No. ______, filed Sep. 8, 2008, entitled “BLOWER MOTOR FOR HVAC SYSTEMS”, all of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
The present invention relates to blower motors and controls used in residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to a replacement blower motor assembly that can be connected to the standard power terminals used for a permanent split capacitor (PSC) motor and such a blower motor assembly that can be used in Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) applications and other applications.
HVAC system efficiency increases have provided considerable reductions in energy use. For example, many high efficiency furnaces, air conditioners, and air handlers now have efficiencies (AFUE ratings) greater than 90%. However, the blower motors used to move the air in these systems have not seen significant efficiency improvements and have much lower efficiencies. As furnaces and air conditioners have become more efficient, the fraction of total energy consumption for HVAC systems attributed to the blower motors has increased, thus making blower motors a greater contributor to the overall system energy use.
Blower motor inefficiencies are magnified when a blower motor is operated for extended hours beyond that needed solely for heating and cooling. For example, some users frequently choose to let their HVAC system's blower motor operate continuously by setting a fan control switch to the “on” position. This circulation mode of operation reduces temperature stratification, minimizes start drafts from duct work, improves humidity control, and increases the effectiveness of associated air cleaners employed in conjunction with the HVAC system. By selecting the “on” position, the blower motor operates continuously, and the associated thermal feature, (i.e., either heating or cooling) operates on the “demand” setting of the thermostat. When in the “on” position, the blower motor typically operates at the speed used for cooling, even when the thermostat is set to heat mode. This speed is usually well in excess of what is necessary to achieve the air circulation benefits outlined above. This causes excess energy usage and noise. In addition, with the blower switch in the “on” position, the unit no longer is able to select the system speed for cooling or heating and instead continuously runs at the continuous fan speed. Even when systems are designed to select the proper speed in a multiple speed motor, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,524, the speed available for blower “on” use is higher than necessary for such operations, and can be responsible for cold spot corrosion, requiring a shut down period disclosed in the '524 patent. The increased operation time therefore leads to greater energy use.
Many of the above-described inefficiencies result from the type of blower motor used in HVAC systems. HVAC systems traditionally use fixed speed or multiple speed permanent split capacitor (PSC) motors. These motors generally have two independent power connections to accommodate heating or cooling modes of operation. The heating or cooling power inputs are normally connected to different winding taps in the PSC motor to provide somewhat different operating speeds for the blower in the respective modes of operation. More than two taps can be designed into the PSC motor, allowing the OEM or installer to select the operating speed by appropriate connection of the taps to the respective heating and cooling power connections. The energizing of these AC power connections to the motor is controlled by activation of a temperature switch and a relay driven from the thermostat.
An example of a fixed speed PSC motor M1 used in residential HVAC systems is shown in
In the position shown in
Similarly, when the thermostat demands blower operation because of cooling demand, blower relay R1 closes and energizes the L1C motor connection, thus operating the motor at its cooling mode speed. Blower operation ceases when signals from the thermostat de-energize blower relay R1.
Referring now to
PSC motors are reasonably efficient when operated at high speed, but their efficiencies may drop down into the 20% range when operated at low speeds. Because air conditioner evaporator coils need higher airflow than furnace heat exchangers, the blower motor operates at a lower speed during furnace operation, where it is less efficient, and at an even lower speed still during continuous fan “on” operation, where it is least efficient.
Because of the above-described inefficiencies of PSC motors, many newer HVAC systems use variable speed motors such as brushless permanent magnet (BPM) motors and corresponding electronic variable speed motor controllers. The speed of a BPM can be electronically controlled and set specifically to match the airflow requirements for each application, thus permitting more efficient operation. Also, BPM motors use power approximately proportional to the cube of motor speed, whereas PSC motors use power approximately proportional to motor speed therefore, as motor speed drops, BPM motors use less power than PSC motors over a wide range of motor speeds. This is particularly important when operating the blower continuously for circulation as described above.
While variable speed motors are often superior to PSC motors, replacing an existing PSC motor with a variable speed motor in a system similar to that illustrated in
Another limitation of existing PSC and BPM motors is that HVAC OEMs often require motors with unique operating parameters (torque load, fan speed, rotation direction, etc.) to optimize the performance of their HVAC components. While multiple speed PSC motors and BPM motors offer some operational options, many of their operating parameters are fixed after manufacture and cannot be easily changed. Motor manufacturers, installers, and service contractors therefore must stock a diverse inventory of blower motors to accommodate the various different models of HVAC equipment.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an improved “drop-in” replacement for a PSC motor in an HVAC system to realize the advantages of a variable speed blower motor without requiring significant changes to the HVAC system. It would be further advantageous to reduce the complexity of such replacement systems by utilizing simple control circuits and eliminating the need for additional wiring, such as that used in conjunction with traditional variable speed motors and existing replacement variable speed motor systems. It would also be advantageous to provide an HVAC blower motor that could be customized to accommodate more HVAC systems.
The present invention solves many of the above-described problems and other problems and provides a distinct advance in the art of HVAC blower motors and other electric motors.
One embodiment of the invention is a blower motor assembly broadly comprising a rectifier, a novel sensing circuit, a variable speed motor, and the motor's associated motor controller and power converter. Power to the blower motor assembly is provided via the same set of power input connections provided to the PSC motor M1 of
One embodiment of the sensing circuit includes a current transformer CT, a resistor R1, a resistor R2, a diode D1, a transistor Q1, a resistor R3, a capacitor C1, and a resistor R4. Two primary benefits of the sensing circuit are its simplicity and sensitivity. Because the circuit comprises only a small current transformer, 4 resistors, a capacitor, a single transistor, and a diode, it is relatively simple to construct and fits in a small area such as on a small power input connector. Moreover, the use of a single transistor provides a relatively passive design that effectively senses current in L1C or L1H with a small current transformer. This is important, because a more sensitive sensing circuit can be used to sense a continuous fan speed input connection or other input carrying less current as described in more detail below.
Another embodiment of the invention is a blower motor assembly configured to replace a PSC motor with more than two hot power connections such as a PSC motor with a high speed, a medium speed, a low speed, and a continuous fan speed. The blower motor assembly of this embodiment may include five or more power inputs, three sensor circuits for detecting current in the five inputs, and combinational logic for controlling operation of the blower motor as a function of the current sensed by the three sensor circuits.
Another embodiment of the invention is a blower motor assembly equipped with a pair of neutral line inputs, for example a CW neutral input and a CCW neutral input. Power may be connected to either of the two neutral inputs to select a blower fan rotation or any other parameter of the motor. A sensing circuit is configured for sensing current in one of the neutral inputs and for providing a corresponding signal to the motor controller for controlling an operational parameter of the motor such as the motor's rotation direction.
Another embodiment of the invention aims to reduce the amount of high current wires brought into the enclosure of the blower motor assembly. Known HVAC blower motors are enclosed within a two-piece can, with the motor itself positioned in one of the portions and the motor controller and other electronics positioned in the other. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that known variable speed motor enclosures can include a myriad of wiring and electronics that are often difficult to identify when maintenance is required. Moreover, an abundance of wiring in a motor enclosure can cause magnetic interference between the wires and the motor itself. The present invention provides a novel power input connector that supports the input power connections and the sensing circuits described above near the exterior of the motor can to reduce the number of high current wires extending into the can.
Another embodiment of the invention is a method for automatically sensing proper rotation direction of an HVAC blower motor. The design and orientation of the ducts, heat exchanger, evaporator coils, and other components of an HVAC system often necessitate either a CW or a CCW blower fan. HVAC installers therefore must stock both CW and CCW PSC motors for replacement purposes. Reversible motors can replace either a CW or a CCW PSC motor, but the installer still must be careful to select the proper rotation direction or else the HVAC system will not operate properly. The rotation sensing method of the present invention solves these problems by sensing the motor direction and automatically correcting it if it is wrong.
Another embodiment of the invention provides methods to adjust the torque settings of an HVAC blower motor. HVAC OEMs often desire blower motors specifically designed to work with their HVAC equipment. With PSC motors, motor manufacturers can accommodate such requests by changing the motor winding taps on their motors to achieve the desired torque ratings. Unfortunately, changing the motor winding taps to accommodate every OEM's exact specifications is time-consuming and costly and requires that many slightly modified motors be manufactured and stocked. The present invention makes it easier to customize HVAC motors for particular OEMs' needs, by providing a simple method of adjusting the torque values of a blower motor without changing the motor's winding taps or otherwise altering the motor's physical design. In particular, the torque values of the motor may be modified during manufacturing without the use of a computer or other device capable of individually changing all of the torque memory values stored in the motor memory. Instead, the torque values are automatically modified in the motor based upon a single maximum torque desired in the motor, as described herein.
By constructing a blower motor assembly as described herein, numerous advantages are realized. For example, the blower motor assembly of the present invention can be used as a relatively low-cost replacement for an inefficient fixed speed motor in an existing HVAC system. The replacement blower motor assembly uses less energy, allows for economical continuous fan operation, and is quieter than conventional fixed speed motors. Moreover, the blower motor assembly can be quickly and easily installed without requiring changes to the mechanical configurations, wiring, or control of the HVAC system. Embodiments of the blower motor assembly and related methods also permit a standard sized motor to be customized for many different applications, thus reducing the number of differently configured motors that must be manufactured and stocked. Still further, the sensing circuit of the blower motor assembly is simpler, more sensitive, and more compact than the sensing circuitry in prior art replacement blower motor assemblies. The blower motor assembly of the present invention may also be used in OEM and other non-replacement applications. Moreover, many aspects of the present invention may be separately useful without the motor, both for OEM and/or replacement use.
These and other important aspects of the present invention are described more fully in the detailed description below.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention.
The following detailed description of the invention references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
Referring now to
With current sensing shown in
The sensing circuit 14 monitors L1C or L1H inputs and generates a corresponding logic level signal CR1 whenever AC power is detected in one of the inputs. Voltage sensing or current sensing may be used as mentioned above. Since the sensing scheme is used only to detect the presence or absence of voltage or current on the sensed input, significant accuracy is not required, so the complexity of either type of sense circuitry can be reduced.
Because a blower system characteristically has an output power proportional to the cube of the speed of the motor driving the fan, and since the current sensing technique is sensitive to the power fed to the motor, the current detection level and hysteresis must be selected to ensure that the correct sensing of the AC source is achieved over the operating speed and torque range of the motor. It will also be understood that current sensing can be done by a number of well-known sensing techniques, including but not limited to, for example, shunt sensors or current transformers.
The current transformer CT is inductively coupled with the L1C input of the AC power input connections and senses when current is flowing in the cooling power input connection L1C. The current transformer CT could instead be coupled with the heating power input connection L1H. CT couples the sensed current to the base of transistor Q1. R1 serves as a load resistor for defining a minimum load on the current transformer CT and R2 limits the peak current delivered to Q1. D1 protects the base emitter junction of Q1.
Q1 amplifies the pulses sensed by CT and delivers the amplified pulses through its collector to C1. R3 limits the current to C1 to approximately 300 milliamps. R4 serves as a pull-up resistor and charges C1 up to the illustrated 5 volt supply. The pulses from the transistor Q1 cause C1 to repetitively discharge, causing the input to the motor controller 18 to change, thus indicating current through L1C. The motor controller 18 may include a microprocessor and/or other electronics for sensing the signals from the sensing circuit 14. When current transformer CT has saturated or the current through L1C ends, R4 charges C1 back up to the 5 volt supply value. The goal is for the voltage of C1 to be below the logic threshold of the processor in the motor controller 18 for 3 to 5 milliseconds for accurate sensing.
When the sensing circuit 14 senses current in L1C as described above, the motor controller 18 operates the motor 16 to drive the blower fan at a speed selected for the cooling mode of the corresponding HVAC system. If the sensing circuit senses no current in L1C and when the switch S1 and relay R1 of
Two primary benefits of the sensing circuit 14 of the present invention are its simplicity and sensitivity. Because the sensing circuit 14 comprises only a small current transformer, four resistors, a capacitor, a single transistor, and a diode, it is relatively simple to construct and fits in a small volume, such as on a small power input connector, an example of which is described in more detail below. Moreover, the use of a single transistor provides a relatively passive design that effectively senses current in power inputs L1C or L1H with a small current transformer. Known prior art sensing circuits for replacement HVAC blower motors use Schmitt trigger logic buffers to define a voltage level to switch between heating and cooling modes of operation. The required voltage level for these prior art sensing circuits is higher than that needed for a single transistor, thus necessitating a larger current transformer to achieve the same sensing sensitivity. This is important, because a more sensitive sensing circuit, such as the sensing circuit 14 disclosed herein, that can sense an instantaneous peak current as low as about two amps in a power input, can be used to sense a continuous fan speed input connection or other input carrying less current, as described in more detail below. In another exemplary embodiment, the sensing circuit 14 can sense an instantaneous peak current as low as about one amp in a power input.
The discussion up to this point has been for a blower motor assembly configured to replace a PSC motor M1 with two hot power connections, L1C and L1H. However, some PSC motors have additional winding taps to provide additional operating speeds, such as a high speed, a medium speed, a low speed, and a continuous fan speed. Blower motor assemblies configured for replacing these types of PSC motors must have additional power input connections and sensing circuits for sensing current in the power inputs.
As illustrated, the exemplary blower motor assembly 100 includes six power connections IN1-IN6 and three sensing circuits, generally indicated 140 a, 140 b, and 140 c, for sensing current in the inputs IN1-IN6 and for providing associated signaling to the motor controller 18 for selecting a corresponding fan speed or other motor parameter.
The power inputs IN1-IN6 may correspond to any set of operating parameters for the motor. In one exemplary embodiment, IN1 may correspond to a highest blower speed (e.g. 100%), IN2 may correspond to a medium/high blower speed (e.g. 90%), IN3 may correspond to a medium blower speed (e.g. 80%), IN4 may correspond to a medium/low blower speed (e.g. 70%), IN5 may correspond to a low blower speed (e.g. 60%), and IN6 may correspond to a minimum continuous fan blower speed (e.g. 50%).
The three sensing circuits 140 a-c are substantially identical and are each configured for sensing the presence of current in one or more of the power inputs IN1-IN6. Specifically, sensing circuit 140 a senses current in power inputs IN1 and IN2, sensing circuit 140 b senses current in IN3 and IN4, and sensing circuit 140 c senses current in IN5. IN6 is not sensed by any of the sensing circuits as explained below.
Each of the sensing circuits 140 a-c operates in the same manner as the sensing circuit 14 of
In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, the motor controller 18 receives signals from each of the sensing circuits 140 a-c and selects a motor speed or other motor parameter based on a combination of the signals.
The second line of the truth table shows that sensing circuits 140 a and 140 b both sensed current but sensing circuit 140 c did not. This indicates that power input IN2 was energized because it is the only power input sensed by both sensing circuits 140 a and 140 b. The motor controller 18 therefore selects a motor speed or other parameter associated with IN2. The third line of the truth table shows that only sensing circuit 140 b sensed current, thus indicating that power input IN3 was energized because only IN3 is monitored by sensing circuit 140 b alone. The motor controller 18 therefore selects a motor speed or other motor parameter associated with IN3. The fourth line of the truth table shows that sensing circuits 140 b and 140 c sensed current, thus indicating that power input IN4 was energized because only it is sensed by both these sensing circuits. The motor controller 18 therefore selects a motor speed or other motor parameter associated with IN4. The fifth line of the truth table shows that only sensing circuit 140 c sensed current, thus indicating that power input IN5 was energized, because IN5 is the only power input sensed by this sensing circuit. The motor controller 18 therefore selects a motor speed or other motor parameter associated with IN5.
The sixth line of the truth table indicates an additional operating mode enabled by the blower motor assembly 100 of
The above-described blower motor assembly 100 permits selection between five or six motor speeds (or selection of five or six other motor parameters) with only three sensing circuits 140 a-c. Moreover, each of the sensing circuits is simple to construct, relatively passive, and more sensitive than prior art sensing assemblies as discussed above.
In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, the blower motor assembly 10 or 100 may be equipped with a pair of neutral line inputs, for example a CW neutral input and a CCW neutral input. Power may be connected to either of the two neutral inputs to select a blower fan rotation direction or any other parameter of the motor.
As mentioned above, an installer can connect a neutral power cable to either the CW neutral input or the CCW neutral input to select between different motor parameters. In one embodiment, the CW and CCW inputs are used to select the fan direction for a reversible blower motor 16. Specifically, if the sensing circuit 1400 senses current in the CW input, the motor controller 18 operates the motor in a CW fan rotation, as directed by the installer. Conversely, if the sensing circuit 1400 senses no current in the CW input, the motor controller 18 operates the motor in a CCW fan rotation, as directed by the installer.
In other embodiments, an installer can connect a neutral power cable to the CW or CCW neutral inputs to select between other motor parameters, such as speed tables, torque tables, mode selection, blower coefficients, and rotation direction of the motor. In one example, the CW input may be associated with a first speed table and the CCW input may be associated with a second speed table. In this case, the CW and CCW inputs may instead be labeled as “Speed Table 1” and “Speed Table 2” inputs). Here are two exemplary first and second speed tables that may be stored in memory of the motor controller:
When the sensing circuit 1400 of
For example, the two CW and CCW neutral inputs and corresponding neutral sensing circuit 1400 may also be used to select between fast and slow motor speed ramps. A fast ramp-up could take 2-5 seconds similar to the way a PSC motor starts up. A slow ramp-up could take 30 seconds to slowly and quietly ramp up to the selected speed, so as to produce less noise and vibration and be generally less noticeable in a home environment. The CW neutral input could be assigned to fast ramp-up and the CCW neutral input could be assigned to the slow ramp-up. When the neutral sensing circuit 1400 senses current in the CW neutral input, it signals the motor controller 18 to use the faster ramp-up. In most HVAC operating modes, the circulation airflow does not have to turn on instantly because there is a time lag between when the thermostat calls for heat and the heat exchanger is warmed up sufficiently to heat the air blown over the heat exchanger. There would also be a delay in cooling mode for the evaporator coil to become cooled down sufficiently to cool the air moving through the coil. Thus, the fast and slow ramp-ups may include an initial delay, such as between about 30 seconds and about 60 seconds.
Another aspect of the invention aims to reduce the amount of high current wires brought into an enclosure 26 (
The power input connector 24 is assembled by stacking the circuit boards 28, 30 and then sandwiching the circuit boards between the covers 32, 34 and shielding one edge of each of the circuit boards with the face 36. The assembled power input connector 24 is then inserted in the illustrated opening 27 of the motor can 26. Note that the illustrated power input connector is of one exemplary construction and may be readily modified without departing from the scope of embodiments of the invention, such as when modified for mass manufacture. For example,
The second circuit board 30 supports a pair of neutral inputs 48, 50 (e.g. CW neutral and CCW neutral), a ground input 52, and components of the neutral line sensing circuit 1400 of
The second circuit board 30 may also support a novel in-rush protection circuit, generally indicated 54, comprising an in-rush limiting resistor 56 and a relay 58. Prior art HVAC motors typically include an NTC thermistor or other type of in-rush limiting device. However, repeatedly applying power to the motor controller eventually damages the NTC in-rush limiter, bridge rectifier, and bus caps. The charging resistor 56 limits the initial current flow to the DC bus and the relay 58 bypasses the resistor 56 once the bus is charged. This reduces the in-rush currents and prolongs the life of the bridge rectifier, bus caps, and external relays and switches used to apply power to the motor.
Another embodiment of the invention is a method for automatically detecting proper rotation direction of an HVAC blower motor. The design and orientation of the ducts, heat exchanger, evaporator coils, and other components of an HVAC system often necessitate either a CW or a CCW blower fan. HVAC installers therefore must stock both CW and CCW PSC motors for replacement purposes. The blower motor assemblies 10, 100 of the present invention may include reversible motors 16 for replacing either a CW or a CCW PSC motor. But the installer must be careful to select the proper rotation direction, or the HVAC system will not operate properly. The rotation detecting method of the present invention solves these problems by detecting the response of the motor automatically correcting an improper direction of rotation.
The rotation detecting method considers the fact that most HVAC motors attached to a unidirectional fan exhibit noticeably different characteristics when rotating the fan in the wrong direction, as compared with rotating the fan in the intended direction. Considering torque as an exemplary characteristic, most HVAC motors have a noticeably lower torque when rotating the fan in the wrong direction, as compared with rotating the fan in the intended direction. This exemplary method of the present invention detects whether the torque load on the blower motor 16 appears to be appropriate for the speed of the blower. For example, if a high blower speed and low torque is seen, the method deduces that the blower is turning in the wrong direction. The motor controller 18 therefore stops the motor 16 and electronically reverses its direction. The motor controller 18 then starts the motor 16 in the other direction and confirms the torque is appropriate for a given speed. When the higher torque is confirmed, the motor controller 18 re-programs its memory to note the correct rotation for the next start-up. Similarly, other parameters such as motor speed could be used to determine the correct rotation direction by comparing the speed of rotation in either direction for a given torque. When the direction exhibiting the lower speed at the same torque is confirmed, the motor controller 18 re-programs its memory to note this direction as the correct rotation for the next start-up.
Another embodiment of the invention provides methods to adjust the torque settings of an HVAC blower motor. HVAC OEMs often desire blower motors specifically designed to work with their HVAC equipment. For example, a blower motor manufacturer's typical 0.5 hp blower motor may have a maximum rated torque capability of 30 inch-lbs., but one OEM may desire that the motor have a maximum rated torque capability of 27 inch-lbs. (or 90%) and another OEM may desire a maximum rated torque capability of 24 inch-lbs. (or 80%). With PSC motors, motor manufacturers can accommodate such requests by changing the motor winding taps on their motors to achieve the desired torque ratings. Unfortunately, changing the motor taps to accommodate every OEM's exact specifications is time-consuming and costly and requires that many slightly modified motors be manufactured and stocked.
The present invention makes it easier to customize HVAC motors for particular OEMs' needs by providing a method of adjusting the torque values of a blower motor without changing the motor's taps or otherwise altering the motor's physical design. The methods are used with variable speed motors such as those described above in connection with the other embodiments of the present invention, but may be used with any conventional motors.
An obstacle to adjusting the torque settings of an HVAC blower motor is that most such motors have no accessible computer inputs or other control inputs after they are manufactured. Instead, as disclosed above, known HVAC blower motors only have 2-5 exposed hot power inputs (e.g., IN1-IN5), 1 or more neutral inputs (e.g. CW neutral and CCW neutral), and a ground input. Thus, the present invention's methods to adjust a motor's torque settings must be accomplished with these exposed inputs.
The torque adjustment mechanism 60 may include a user interface, such as a selector switch 62, to select a torque adjustment for a particular HVAC system. Assume, for example, an OEM has XYZ and ABC models of HVAC equipment. The XYZ model may be optimized with a blower motor having a maximum torque capability of 26.1 inch-lbs., and the ABC model may be optimized with a blower model having a maximum torque capability of 28.5 inch-lbs. The selector switch 62 of torque adjustment mechanism 60 may therefore include an XYZ setting and an ABC setting. As would be readily understood by one skilled in the art, the user interface may provide for selection between more than two settings or for the introduction of user-defined settings, as described below.
To adjust a motor's multiple torque settings, the torque adjustment mechanism 60 is first attached to a motor's power input connections. As used herein, the term multiple torque settings means two or more torque settings, such as the five torque settings described below. For example, the torque adjustment mechanism may be attached to a 0.5 hp blower motor having a maximum torque capability of 30 inch-lbs. The motor may have 5 power inputs with the following torque settings:
IN1—100% 30 inch-lbs.
IN2—90% 27 inch-lbs.
IN3—80% 24 inch-lbs.
IN4—70% 21 inch-lbs.
IN5—30% 9 inch-lbs.
When this motor is attached to the torque adjustment mechanism and the selector is moved to the XYZ setting described above, the torque adjustment mechanism adjusts the torque settings of the motor as follows:
IN1—100% 26.1 inch-lbs.
IN2—90% 23.5 inch-lbs.
IN3—80% 20.9 inch-lbs.
IN4—70% 18.3 inch-lbs.
IN5—30% 7.8 inch-lbs.
Similarly, if the ABC setting is selected, the torque adjustment mechanism adjusts the torque settings of the motor as follows:
IN1—100% 28.5 inch-lbs.
IN2—90% 25.7 inch-lbs.
IN3—80% 22.8 inch-lbs.
IN4—70% 20.0 inch-lbs.
IN5—30% 8.6 inch-lbs.
The motor controller 18 is programmed to recognize this otherwise unusual circumstance of having current applied to it even though the applied voltage is too low for the motor controller 18 to run the motor and draw any significant current. When the motor controller recognizes this, it changes its torque settings in accordance with the input voltage.
A feedback mechanism may also be provided to indicate that the torque settings of the motor have been changed. For example, the motor could run at no load to a specific RPM to indicate the new torque adjustment factor. An RPM of 600 could correspond to a 60% adjustment factor and an RPM of 1,000 could correspond to a 100% adjustment factor.
Instead of adjusting the torque as described above, the motor controller 18 could store a plurality of different torque or speed tables and select one of the torque/speed tables based on an input provided by the torque adjustment mechanism. For example, when the torque adjustment mechanism is attached to the blower motor assembly and set to output 60 volts, the motor controller may select torque/speed table #1 from its memory, when the torque adjustment mechanism is set to output 61 volts, the motor controller may select table #2, etc.
Although the invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims. For example, while the invention has been described in connection with 115 VAC distribution systems, it is not limited to 115 VAC distribution systems. One skilled in the art will recognize that, with obvious modifications of implementation details, the invention may be adapted to other power distribution systems and voltages in use in the United States and elsewhere, including, but not limited to, 230 VAC distribution systems. Further, although many aspects of the present invention are particularly applicable to HVAC blower motors, they may also be used with electric motors designed for other applications. Moreover, all of the above-described embodiments of the invention are independent of motor technology, and induction, brushless permanent magnet, switched reluctance, brushed DC, and other types of motors may be used. The invention is also compatible with a variety of converter topologies, both for AC to DC and AC to AC conversion, including phase control using a thyristor full converter or semiconverter. Related technologies are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,818,194, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.


text:
When Congress feels the need to compromise Americans' privacy in the name of security---as in the case of the Patriot Act in 2001 or the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act last month---it moves remarkably fast. When it comes to protecting Americans' privacy from the inexorable advancement of data collection and law enforcement technologies, on the other hand, it seems to act with no such urgency.
Now a collection of state legislators are tired of waiting. On Wednesday 16 states' lawmakers, with the advice and coordination of the American Civil Liberties Union, introduced bills designed to shore up Americans' privacy on a long list of issues that federal lawmakers have either ignored or allowed to become paralyzed in Congress's endless gridlock. That collective legislative push, which the ACLU is calling Take CTRL, addresses everything from student and employee privacy to new police surveillance techniques.
The bills, together, would cover more than a 100 million Americans, by the count of the ACLU's advocacy and policy counsel Chad Marlow. But he also hopes they might spur---or shame---Congress into action at the federal level. "What we were hearing more and more from people is that their privacy is being violated and taken for granted, and the federal government isn’t doing anything about it," says Marlow. "The impact of these bills [on their own] would be dramatic. But if the states' acting finally lights a fire under Congress and gets them to move, that would also be extraordinarily valuable."
On practically every issue they cover, the new state bills would represent new measures limiting the collection, sharing or storage of data types that Congress has yet to address. In some cases, they also highlight how certain states, namely California, are already ahead of the feds on protecting Americans' personal data. Here are the central ways the 16 states are trying to advance those new privacy protections:
In 2010, a school in the Philadelphia suburbs made national headlines for using a school-issued laptop's webcam to spy on Blake Robbins, a student, in his home. The school went so far as to try to discipline Robbins for unexplained "inappropriate behavior" it caught via that snooping. Robbins' family sued and eventually received a $610,000 settlement. A bill in Minnesota and the District of Columbia would extend the lesson of that ruling to all sorts of data collection, preventing schools from gathering information like web browsing histories or emails sent from school-issued loaner devices. Another bill in Minnesota, Alabama and Nebraska would limit how all data that a school collects about a student can be stored or shared. This kind of information is myriad. For instance, schools collect data points ranging from how many gold stars or demerits a student receives to whether they required special counseling or free lunches. Under the proposed law, none of that could be handed over to a third party without the student's or parent's consent.
Since around the beginning of the decade, job applicants have been alarmed to find that some potential employers demand that they share access to their private social media accounts---whether by giving up a password or simply accepting a Facebook friend request. Dozens of states have already considered and in some cases passed legislation to protect job applicants and employees from that kind of intrusive demand. Bills introduced this week in Alaska, Hawaii, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, and West Virginia would add those states to the list. Most of those bills, and another in Washington, DC, apply the same protection to students whose teachers demand access to their social media secrets, too.
The surveillance gadgets known as cell-site simulators or "stingrays" have a controversial reputation: The law enforcement devices, which impersonate a cell tower to intercept phone communications, also slurp up thedata of any unwitting bystander near the target, and have been used to track suspects' calls and location in many investigations without a warrant. California has already passed a law that would require cops to get a warrant for any stingray use, and the Department of Justice also announced last year that it won't let federal agencies use the devices without a warrant. Now Illinois and Michigan have both introduced their own state-level bills that would restrict stingrays, requiring a warrant for their use, demanding that all data not related to the target be deleted the same day it's collected, and prohibiting the devices from being used to install spying software on the target device. A third bill in Nebraska goes further: It would outlaw the use of stingrays altogether.
Police have argued that automatic license plate reader cameras merely collect public information: the digits on a license plate and the car's location. But with enough cameras installed in enough locations, the systems make it possible to track the car-based movements of entire populations of people in detail. Wednesday's new bills include legislation in Nebraska and Michigan that would limit the use of the readers, the latest of dozens of states that have introduced laws to either restrict how the cameras are used or put a time limit on how long the data from them can be stored. (New Hampshire has banned the technology outright.) "When you create a record of where every person is driving, that can include an AA meeting, a church, a synagogue, or a mosque. When you know where someone drives, you know a lot about them," says the ACLU's Marlow. "You can’t collect data on everyone just because anyone could be a criminal."
The Electronic Communications Privacy Act is overdue for an overhaul. The 30-year-old law was created to extend protections against unconstitutional wiretaps to digital communications. But ECPA's still stuck in the '80s, long before lawmakers imagined today's cloud-based services full of personal data. Under the law, for instance, any email stored in a third party server---think Gmail or Hotmail---for more than 180 days is considered "abandoned" and subject to collection by law enforcement without a warrant. Last year, California passed its own update to ECPA, requiring that law enforcement get a warrant before it seeks any digital communications or location data from a third-party service. Congress is considering ECPA reform, too, with a pair of bills introduced last year---the second year in a row that the bills have been introduced without reaching a vote. Now Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Virginia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and North Carolina are all proposing their own variations on an ECPA reform bill to protect stored data. If Congress doesn't fix ECPA, these states may do it themselves. "These are big states. If they move along with California, you'd have significant portions of the country covered by high standards for law enforcement access," says Chris Calabrese, a policy analyst at the Center for Democracy and Technology. "That begins to change the discussion."


text:
NEW GUIDE: John Park’s The Scream: Interactive Screaming Painting @adafruit @johnedgarpark #adafruit #thescream
Scream at The Scream and The Scream screams back! You can build your own interactive, sound reactive Edvard Munch painting using the Crickit robotics platform and Circuit Playground Express programmed with CircuitPython by following this new guide in the Learn System.
You’ll use a couple of color printouts (please do not use an original Munch for this project), a micro servo, speaker, Crickit, Circuit Playground Express, and battery pack for this project. The CircuitPython code uses the built-in microphone on the Circuit Playground Express to check for screaming, then plays back its own screaming wave file!
Make a robot friend with Adafruit’s CRICKIT – A Creative Robotics & Interactive Construction Kit. It’s an add-on to our popular Circuit Playground Express, FEATHER and other platforms to make and program robots with CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. Start controlling motors, servos, solenoids. You also get signal pins, capacitive touch sensors, a NeoPixel driver and amplified speaker output. It complements & extends your boards so you can still use all the goodies on the microcontroller, now you have a robotics playground as well.

domain: artistic


text:
Sesame Seeds, Black - Whole, Organic
Regular price $ 2.50
|Organic Sesame Seeds, Black|
|Description: Slightly nuttier than its counterpart, Organic Black Sesame seeds add a sweet, vibrant flavor and delicate crunch to your dishes. Organic Black Sesame Seeds are widely used across a range of cuisines to add color, texture and flavor to stir-frys, rice, noodles and desserts.|
|Net Weight: 0.7 Ounces / 20 Grams|
Each packet measures 6 in. (L) x 2 in. (W) and contains approximately 2 tablespoons or 6 teaspoons of ingredient.


neXtProt is a comprehensive human-proteins discovery platform offering seamless integration of human protein data.
This new resource is developed by SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
in collaboration with GeneBio building on the rigorous annotation work of UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot over the past 25 years. The current beta-version offers a wealth of high-quality integrated data on all human proteins.
Some key features are:
- Contextualized data allows multiple perspectives (for example; sequence, structure, function, biological role, expression, medical implication)
- Highly intuitive and powerful search capacity
- A personalized user experience, allowing tagging, commenting and marking of favourites.
neXtProt is developed to meet the needs of both academic and industry researchers so that they have tools to formulate new hypotheses. The content will be continuously extended to include many more carefully selected data sets and analysis tools.
As neXtProt is being developed as a web-based participative platform, feedback is welcomed. For more details access neXtProt at beta.nextprot.org


A good article by that title in New York magazine by Kurt Andersen. Says Andersen, “What I hadn’t realized until I recently started watching his show night after night was how completely and seamlessly he mingles actual news with opinion and straight-out tirade,” calling Dobbs’ show, a “Daily Show without jokes or irony.” We agree.
As Andersen notes in conclusion, “Populist anti-Establishment anger is now a major part of the CNN brand.” How sad. We wish CNN had a brighter line between news and opinion, and wish further that they’d make sure their opinions were informed and not just rabble-rousers like Lou.
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- Manufacturers Win Several Website Design Awards - June 15, 2011
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A Portarlington man has pleaded not guilty to obstructing a peace officer.
Audi Murphy, 4 Derrymore, Port, is charged with the offence at the Social Welfare Office, Main Street, Port, on November 5, 2013.
Inspector Aidan Farrelly said there are three garda witnesses. Defence has three or four witnesses. The case is adjourned to March 27, 2015.


text: This faux naive collage artist from France really captures my attention. Thump-thump. Thump.-thump. At first glance you see the lively colours and whimsical strokes, but upon further visual investigation you begin to notice the layers beneath the surface. Newspaper, labels and more. You must visit her site. You can buy her work here and here. Simply delightful.


Air conditioning is great in these old trucks, but the HVAC equipment does take up most of the space under the dash, leaving you with a glove box door and no storage space for small items that you need to keep handy. Take back your dash storage space with QuietRide’s HVAC “Shorty” Glove Box.
Molded from tough ABS material, the “HVAC Glove Box” fits the dash frame like the original factory style cardboard box , but it is only 4-1/2 inches deep to get back some of that precious storage space. It is ready-to-install with mounting screws. Simply insert the box through the front dashboard opening and push it in place to fit against the back side of the dash. Line up the screw holes, and you are done! No need to remove hinges, the glove box door or the lock. (You will need a “shorty” Phillips screwdriver from your tool box!)Order Online


All Festival Pass
Time & Location
About the Event
Swansea International Jazz Festival 2019
October 2nd to 6th 2019 at the weekly Swansea Jazzland venue @The Garage.
Artists include: Alan Barnes Octet | Nicolas Meier Group | Hamish Stuart Band | Tristan | Chris Ingham Quartet | Daniel Martin | Laurence Cottle Soul Vaccination Tower Of Power Band.


text:
Buy Women Canada Goose Victoria Parka Black Singapore
"With historic shift away from paper based communications, the corporation's current business model does not allow it to achieve sufficient profitability and cash flow to support its operations," a statement from Canada Post on Thursday said.
The company, a Crown corporation, said based on current financial projections, it is exploring options with its "shareholder" the federal government to address "liquidity challenges."
Options under consideration include the requesting additional pension regulatory relief and new financing for 2014.
The loss comes at a time when letter mail, which generates approximately 50 per cent of Canada Post's revenue, continues to fall. For the third quarter, "transaction mail" or letters, bills and statements fell by 73 million pieces compared to the same period last year.
Canada Post said it was able to reduce its labour costs by $65 million, or 2.7 per cent in the first three quarters compared to the same periods in 2012.
The federal Crown corporation and its subsidiaries, known collectively as the Canada Post Group, said despite a parcel delivery revenue increase of $32 million, the company is on track to post a "substantial loss in 2013."
Other postal services around the world that are facing the same crisis are adjusting their business model.
The corporation's subsidiaries Purolator, SCI Group and Innovapost all posted quarterly profits.
129M loss in Q3 letter mail volume continues to fall
It said it would need an "estimated $1 billion" by the middle of 2014 just to meet its pension obligations.
A government spokesperson told CTV News there are no plans to lend the corporation money.
The Crown corporation employs about 68,000 workers Buy Women Canada Goose Victoria Parka Black Singapore and delivers 10 billion pieces of mail and parcels annually.
Canada Post also cited a mostly fixed operating cost model "required to meet its service mandate to a growing number of addresses despite volume declines."
"We need to adjust and we need to do it quickly," Canada Post spokesperson Jon Hamilton told CTV News Thursday.
Canada Post reported a $129 million loss on Thursday in its latest quarter, as growth from online shopping package deliveries did not make up for the steep losses from declining letter mail volume.
"When a big business like Canada Post is thinking of shrinking to really reduce services, it's like deciding to die," said Denis Lemelin, president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
Canada Post has long been eyeing delivery cuts and closing retail outlets. The union says the moves suggest they're giving up on rural Canada.

domain: finance


6-Pack of Women’s Seamless Stretchy Microfiber Boyshorts
- Six pairs of boyshorts (six unique colors at random, no duplicates)
- Comfortable, lightweight fabric
- Four-way elastic stretch
- Form-fitting design
- Great under leggings, pants, shorts, skirts and dresses
- Material: 90% nylon, 10% spandex
- Machine wash cold recommended; line dry; no bleach
- One size fits most; waist measurements: 23”–42”
For questions pertaining to this deal, click the Ask a Question button below. For post-purchase inquiries, please contact Groupon customer support.
Goods sold by Groupon Goods. View the Groupon Goods FAQ to learn more.


text:
He was chosen for this prestigious honor through a competitive process held this year across the state at District, Region, and Area levels. Trinidad plays tenor saxophone at Floresville High School under the direction of Jim Cathey who is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, a 19,000+ member organization headquartered in Austin. This is Trinidad’s first time to perform as a member of a TMEA All-State organization. Trinidad is the son of Bennie and Amanda Herrera of Floresville.
High school students selected to perform in the All-State concerts have competed through auditions to qualify at the state level. All-State is the highest honor a Texas music student can receive. 1,780 students are selected through a process that began with over 72,900 students from around the state vying for this honor to perform in one of 15 ensembles (bands, orchestras, and choirs). Texas Music Educators Association sponsors the Texas All-State competition. This competitive process begins throughout the state in auditions hosted by 33 TMEA Regions. Individual musicians perform selected music for a panel of judges who rank each instrument or voice part. From this ranking, a select group of musicians advances from their Region to compete against musicians from other areas in eight TMEA Area competitions. The highest-ranking musicians judged at the TMEA Area competitions qualify to perform in a TMEA All-State music group. Only the top 2.4% of musicians who initially audition become All-State musicians.


text:
Stranger Things Stor Mug Ceramic Globe
Mugs & Cups Stranger Things
- High quality cup
- Officially licensed
- Capacity: 0.38 liters
- Material: Ceramic
Stranger Things is a U.S. science fiction mystery series released on July 15, 2016 on the U.S. video-on-demand provider Netflix. The idea for Stranger Things came from twin brothers Matt and Ross Duffer.
Netflix released the nine-episode second season worldwide on October 27, 2017. In December 2017, Netflix announced the production of a third season, which was released on July 4, 2019. On September 30, 2019, the production of the fourth season was announced, the shooting of which started in January 2020. According to the Duffer brothers, the series is not scheduled to end after the fourth season.
The series is set in the 1980s in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. It centers on three boys who are friends and the mysterious girl Elfi, who suddenly appears and has psychokinetic abilities. Starting with the search for a missing boy, the children uncover supernatural events and secret government experiments.
Stranger Things features numerous visual references to well-known films from the 1970s and 80s such as The Goonies, E.T., Alien, Stand by Me, Poltergeist, Shining, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Back to the Future and others.

domain: entertainment


text:
The factor Barcelona are yet to reveal the finalizing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Toolbox has actually been exposed.
Aubameyang’s acquisition is yet to be formally revealed by Barcelona regardless of finishing a due date day deal for him.
Aubameyang and Toolbox supervisor Mikel Arteta had concerns last December, which saw the striker drop and after that be removed of his captaincy.
The relationship in between the set turned sour, and Aubameyang didn’t bet Toolbox later.
Aubameyang signed up with Barcelona on a totally free transfer as Toolbox were desperate to get the Gabon captain off their books.
According to Football Espanya, Barcelona will wait on Toolbox to finish the documentation around launching Aubameyang prior to revealing him.
The Catalan club will anticipate the striker to be readily available versus Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Aubameyang has actually currently begun training with Barcelona’s first string, with images emerging on social networks.
Source link from dailypost.ng

domain: news


- 1 Are Michelin Defender LTX tires good?
- 2 What is the difference between Michelin Defender LTX M S and LTX M S2?
- 3 How long do Michelin LTX tires last?
- 4 Are Michelin Defender LTX tires noisy?
- 5 Is Goodyear owned by Michelin?
- 6 What tire is comparable to Michelin Defender?
- 7 Are Costco Michelin tires the same?
- 8 What tires are the quietest?
- 9 What is the best Michelin tire?
- 10 What does LTX mean on Michelin tires?
- 11 What is the number 1 tire brand?
- 12 How much should I pay for tires?
- 13 Which Michelin tire is the quietest?
- 14 Are Michelin Defender tires worth the money?
- 15 What is the difference between Michelin Defender LTX and Premier LTX?
Are Michelin Defender LTX tires good?
Overall, the Defender LTX M/S simply does not disappoint in its performance. We rank it as one of the top tires in the truck/SUV all-season category and highly recommend it.
What is the difference between Michelin Defender LTX M S and LTX M S2?
Compared to the popular Michelin LTX M / S2 it replaces, the new Defender LTX M / S tires share the same highly functional tread pattern, and offer improvements in wear life/longevity to better meet the high-torque demands of modern trucks. Defender LTX M / S is designed to be stronger, longer.
How long do Michelin LTX tires last?
Ten years is a maximum.
Are Michelin Defender LTX tires noisy?
Noise & Comfort We were unsurprised to learn that similar to the Defender (cars/vans), the Defender LTX M/S produces a larger amount of noise than other tires.
Is Goodyear owned by Michelin?
As of 2017, Goodyear is one of the top four tire manufacturers along with Bridgestone (Japan), Michelin (France) and Continental (Germany). Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.
|Goodyear’s headquarters in Akron, Ohio|
|Operating income||US$−538 Million (2020)|
|Net income||US$−1.254 billion (2020)|
|Total assets||US$16.506 billion (2020)|
What tire is comparable to Michelin Defender?
Treadlife on both tires is long lasting, but we give the edge to Michelin over Goodyear. The Defender carries an 820 UTQG rating and an 80,000 mile warranty, while the TripleTred has a 740 UTQ Grating and an 80,000 mile tread guarantee.
Are Costco Michelin tires the same?
Costco is a popular place to buy tires, but don’t exclude seeing what local independents have to offer. Assuming we’re talking about the exact same Michelin tire, no, it’s not true. The only difference is the price. Only a few Michelin lines, like X Radial, are unique to wholesale clubs.
What tires are the quietest?
Unlike its competitors, though, the Potenza has a noise-optimized tread pattern that makes it the quietest tire in its category.
- Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring.
- Continental CrossContact LX20 with EcoPlus Technology.
- Cooper Discoverer HTP.
- Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS.
- Yokohama Parada Spec-X.
What is the best Michelin tire?
- All-season: Michelin Defender. See Prices.
- Highway: Michelin Premier LTX. See Prices.
- Run Flat: Michelin Primacy MXM4.
- Commercial: Michelin Agilis.
- All-season: Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max.
- Highway: Goodyear Wrangler SR-A.
- All-terrain: Goodyear Wrangler Trailrunner AT.
- Run Flat: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric A/S ROF.
What does LTX mean on Michelin tires?
1 LT tire. The Defender LTX is a light truck product that comes from melding the long-lasting traits of Michelin’s successful three-year-old Defender passenger line with its most popular light truck tire, the LTX M/S2.
What is the number 1 tire brand?
The Top 10 Best Tire Brands
|Best Tire Brand||Overall Score||Industry Reputation|
How much should I pay for tires?
According to CostHelper, a standard, all-season tire costs between $50 and $200 each with an average price of $80 to $150. For a pickup truck or SUV, drivers may pay $50 to $350, with an average cost of about $100 to $250. Several variables determine the cost of new tires, including the tire’s brand and size.
Which Michelin tire is the quietest?
Top 10 Best Quietest Tires on the Market Reviews
- #1 Michelin Primacy MXV4 Radial Tire.
- #2 Goodyear Wrangler.
- #3 Hankook Optimo H727 All-Season Tire.
- #4 Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac Radial.
- #5 Yokohama ENVigor All-Season Tire.
- #6 Michelin Defender All-Season Radial Tire.
- #7 Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus Radial Tire.
Are Michelin Defender tires worth the money?
Michelin stands behind the Defender with a 90,000 mile tread warranty. The Defender has a number of good points including a very quiet ride quality to go along with impressive dry and wet traction. Overall, Michelin has a very good all-season tire in the Defender, although there is room for improvement.
What is the difference between Michelin Defender LTX and Premier LTX?
The Defender LTX uses its sipes and four circumferential grooves to give you solid braking performance, while reducing the risk of hydroplaning. EverGrip technology on the Premier LTX expands the rain grooves around the tire, while adding emerging grooves on the shoulders as the tire begins wearing down.


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Inland Empire Events | Labor Day 2015
Hello Friends and Neighbors!
The end of summer has finally come. Relish the time off with friends and loved ones by taking one last dip in the pool, roasting hot dogs and checking out one of the fun Inland Empire Labor Day events we’ve found for you!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Shout out to September's Weekend Fun Guide sponsor GLO Mini Golf in Riverside. GLO Mini Golf is elevating fun to another level. GLO is a brand new 27-hole glow-in-the-dark miniature golf course in the Galleria at Tyler in Riverside. The course is designed as a maze taking you to a different wonder of the world with each turn. Enjoy the classic arcade and the XBOX One gaming suite or host your own party in their party room. GLO and have fun!
INLAND EMPIRE LABOR DAY WEEKEND EVENTS
RIVERSIDE LABOR DAY WEEKEND EVENTS
9/7, Car Show – Riverside Elk Lodge Car Show at Lodge #643 from 11a.m. to 4p.m. Registration fees $20 for cycles, $25 for cars. Free for spectators.
SAN BERNARDINO LABOR DAY WEEKEND EVENTS
9/4-6, Dancing – The 20th anniversary of Nocturnal Wonderland at the San Manuel Amphitheater beginning at 4p.m. Tickets are $99 single day, three-day festival tickets are $239.
CORONA LABOR DAY WEEKEND EVENTS
9/4, Concert – The Springsteen Experience at M15 Concert Bar and Grill. Doors open at 7p.m., tickets are $15 for the all-ages show.
9/5, Concert – Alien Ant Farm at M15 Concert Bar and Grill. Doors open at 7p.m., tickets are $20 presale for the 18 and over show.
POMONA LABOR DAY WEEKEND EVENTS
9/4-27, Fair – The LA County Fair at the Fairplex Labor Day weekend Friday from 12p.m.-12a.m., Saturday and Sunday 10a.m.-12a.m. and Monday 10a.m.-10p.m. Weekend admission is $20 adults, $12 kids ages 6-12, 5 and under free. Season pass is $29.99.
9/4, Concert – Patti LaBelle and Chaka Khan at the LA County Fair at 7:30p.m. Concert free with fair admission.
9/5, Concert – Charlie Wilson at the LA County Fair at 7:30p.m. Concert included with fair admission.
9/6, Concert – Alejandra Guzman at the LA County Fair at 7:30p.m. Concert included with fair admission.
9/7, Concert – Skillet & For King and Country at the LA County Fair at 7:30p.m. Concert included with fair admission.
CLAREMONT LABOR DAY WEEKEND EVENTS
9/5, Art Walk & Festival - Join us as we kick off the new Art Walk season with a festival. Now moved to the first Saturday of every month. Just head to Packinghouse or Claremont Village to get started
UPLAND LABOR DAY WEEKEND EVENTS
9/7, Run – 50th annual Mt. Baldy Run To the Top beginning at the ski lifts parking lot at 8a.m. Early registration for the seven-mile run through 9/5 is $70, after is $90. 5K run starts at 9a.m. Early registration is $45, after is $65.
NORCO LABOR DAY WEEKEND EVENTS
9/3-7, Fair – The Norco Fair at George Ingalls Equestrian Events Center Thursday from 4-10p.m., Friday through Sunday 4p.m.-12a.m., Monday 12p.m.-5p.m. Vendors, entertainment, competitions and more. Sheet of coupons for rides at fair is $20. Pre-sale entry buttons are $15, on-site is $20, parking is $5.
ONTARIO LABOR DAY WEEKEND EVENTS
9/3-6, Comedy – Pablo Fransisco at the Ontario Improv Comedy Club Thursday at 8p.m., Friday at 7:30p.m. and 9:45p.m., Saturday at 7p.m., 9p.m. and 11p.m. and Sunday at 7p.m. Tickets are $25.
9/5-6, Gaming – Paragon Los Angeles gaming competition at the Ontario Convention Center from 8a.m.-10p.m. Spectators are $20, registration for the ‘death pool’ $60 plus $10 per game.
SAN BERNARDINO LABOR DAY WEEKEND EVENTS
9/4-9/6, Nocturnal Wonderland - Head to San Manuel Ampitheater for one of the largest electronic music festivals. Head to the Toyota tent and check out the Whispering Willow tree.
The life size tree is designed to share the impact music has on peoples’ lives. Festivalgoers are asked to write what music means to them on a leaf, and by adding the leaf to the tree and sharing the photo using the hashtag #ToyotaGiving, people can help raise money for music education. For each social post, Toyota donates $1 to the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, and by the end of the campaign, the donation will restore a music program for an entire school.
BIG BEAR LABOR DAY WEEKEND EVENTS
9/3-13, Rendevous – Big Horn Mountain Men Rendezvous at Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch. $5 admission fee for visitors, $30 for participating visitors. Period dress not required for visitors, see website for more information.
9/5, Car Show – Rodriders Car Show at Snowplay parking lot from 9a.m.-5p.m. $20 preregistration for car show, $35 day of. Free admission for spectators.
9/5, Art Show – Art on the Corner at the corner of Pine Knot and Village Drive from 10a.m.-5p.m. Live entertainment and vendors, free admission.
9/5-6, Quilt Show – Busy Bears Quilt Guild 2015 Quilt Show at Big Bear Middle School Saturday from 10a.m.-5p.m. and Sunday from 10a.m.-4p.m. Admission is $5, kids under 12 are admitted free.
9/5-6, Art Show – Fall Fest Art & Crafts Show at the Big Bear Convention Center from 10a.m.-5p.m. Craft and art vendors, jams and more. Wyatts serving, vendors and more.
Take a hike this three-day weekend
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The Association of Congenital Urethral Duplication and Double Megalourethra.
Here, we report a case of type IIA1 complete UD with megalourethra in both urethras. This is the first reported case with the presentation of duplicated megalourethras.
A newborn presented with penile swelling (Figure 1). His mother noticed the swelling while he was voiding. Physical examination revealed a retractable foreskin and two external meatus of a double urethra (Figure 2). The dorsal meatus was normally located on the apex of the glans, however the ventral meatus was hypospadiac. There was no history of urinary tract infections. Renal ultrasonography did not reveal any abnormalities in the kidneys. Retrograde urethrography indicated two complete megalourethras (Figure 3).
Urethroscopy was performed via both urethras and determined that while the dorsal urethra opened to the bladder neck with a narrow proximal lumen, the ventral urethra opened to the bladder neck with a normal calibre.
Urethro-urethrostomy and urethroplasty were performed when the patient was 10 months old. During surgery, both urethras were catheterized with 8-Fr catheters and filled with saline to demonstrate the megalourethras (Figure 4a, 4b). Circular incision on the preputial mucosa and degloving were performed. After the ventral and dorsal megalourethras were opened, a 1-cm excision was made in the urethra for tapering of the dorsally placed megalourethra. After excision of the remaining tissues, the common wall of the proximally located normal urethras was repaired. The remaining distally placed urethra was tabularized with two-layer urethroplasty. Glansplasty and penile skin reconstruction were performed at the end of the procedure.
The patient was followed up for one year without any urinary problems and has good cosmetics and urinary continence (Figure 5).
Informed consent was obtained from the parents of the child. Patient-informed consent for publication was obtained after the manuscript was shown to the parents.
Both the UD and the megalourethra are rare urethral anomalies and the concomitance of these two anomalies has not been reported previously. The embryological development of UD is uncertain. There are likely different causes for the various types of anomalies. A misalignment between the termination of the cloacal membrane and its relationship with the developing genital tubercle and urogenital sinus has been reported (1). In 1976, Effmann et al. (2) developed the most widely used classification system for male UD. There are three types in this classification system: type I includes a blind complete UD or accessory urethra, type II includes complete patent UD with four subtypes, and type III includes UD as a component of partial or complete caudal duplication. The duplication in type II may either arise independently from the bladder (type IIA1) or be incomplete, originating from a common proximal urethra (type IIA2), a subtype that includes the ventral urethra terminating in the perineum (Y-duplication) or a rare type in which two urethras arise from the bladder or posterior urethra and terminate in a common channel distally (type IIB) (2).
Megalourethra is a rare congenital urethral anomaly that results from defective development of the corpus spongiosum alone or with hypoplastic corpora cavernosa that occurs in scaphoid or fusiform form, respectively. Megalourethra is more commonly seen in patients with prune belly syndrome and has been reported in association with vertebral defects, anorectal atresia, tracheoesophageal fistula, and renal dysplasia syndrome. The least severe and most common form is the scaphoid variety. The more severe fusiform variety is caused by failure of the penile mesoderm to form spongiosal tissue and corpora cavernosa within the penis.
In most cases, a micturating cystourethrography may be sufficient to demonstrate the anatomical and functional features of the urethras in both anomalies (3). However, in the case of accessory or hyposplastic urethras or non-communication a retrograde urethrography may be required. When planning the surgical procedure, a urethrocystoscopy may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis. In addition, ultrasound scan and/or intravenous pyelography should be used for evaluation of the upper urinary system (4).
Several surgical techniques have been described to treat UD and megalourethra. Treatment of the UD with megalourethra should be individualized according to the anatomy.
In the case of type IIA1 defects, Salle et al. (5) performed either a urethral plate excision or excision of the accessory urethra with or without urethroplasty. The authors also emphasized the importance of identifying the functional urethra and preserving its sphincter mechanism. Performing a complete excision can have a risk of damage to the external sphincter and neurovascular bundle. In our case, we performed a urethroplasty without excising one of the megalourethras. We were able to create a common distal single urethra with a single meatus, resulting in a good functional urethra and nice cosmetic appearance. The proximal urethras were not dissected and thus we were able to avoid damage to the external sphincter.
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a double megalourethra with complete UD. We believe that our successful treatment plan will be a useful addition to the literature and provides a guideline for future cases.
Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.
(1.) Berrocal T, Lopez-Pereira P, Arjonilla A, Gutierrez J. Anomalies of the distal ureter, bladder, and urethra in children: embryologic, radiologic, and pathologic features. Radiographics 2002;22:1139-64.
(2.) Effmann EL, Lebowitz RL, Colodny AH. Duplication of the urethra. Radiology 1976;119:179-85.
(3.) Fernbach SK. Urethral abnormalities in male neonates with VATER association. AJR Am J Roentgenol 1991;156:137-40.
(4.) Mane SB, Obaidah A, Dhende NP, Arlikar J, Acharya H, Thakur A, et al. Urethral duplication in children: our experience of eight cases. J Pediatr Urol 2009;5:363-7.
(5.) Salle JL, Sibai H, Rosenstein D, Brzezinski AE, Corcos J. Urethral duplication in the male: review of 16 cases. J Urol 2000;163:1936-40.
Murat Ucar, Arisen Karagozlu Akgul, Nizamettin Kilic, Emin Balkan
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Division of Pediatric Urology, Uludag University School of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey
Address for Correspondence: Dr. Murat Ucar, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Division of Pediatric Urology, Uludag University School of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey
Phone: +90 224 295 19 60
Available at www.balkanmedicaljournal.org
Cite this article as:
Ucar M, Karagozlu Akgul A, Kilic N, Balkan E. The Association of Congenital Urethral Duplication and Double Megalourethra. Balkan Med J 2017;572-5
Received: 5 April 2017
Accepted: 9 June 2017 * DOI: 10.4274/balkanmedj.2017.0471
|Printer friendly Cite/link Email Feedback|
|Title Annotation:||Case Report|
|Author:||Ucar, Murat; Akgul, Arisen Karagozlu; Kilic, Nizamettin; Balkan, Emin|
|Publication:||Balkan Medical Journal|
|Date:||Nov 1, 2017|
|Previous Article:||Prevalence of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutations in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Turkish Population.|
|Next Article:||A Report of Brugada Syndrome Presenting with Cardiac Arrest Triggered by Verapamil Intoxication.|

domain: medical


text:
Kenya is at the center of the mobile phone payment revolution with its M-PESA service, and is the reason Zidisha was first piloted in Kenya. Thanks to M-PESA, Kenya is still our largest country today.
Most Zidisha loan payments are transferred via mobile phone. For example, we use M-PESA in Kenya to transfer funds from our US bank account electronically to a bank account in Kenya, and from there to the mobile phone M-PESA account of the recipient. The recipient can exchange the M-PESA credits for cash at a local M-PESA kiosk. We receive repayments the same way.
In countries where mobile payment services are less developed, such as Burkina Faso, we transfer payments by sending a disbursement order to the local bank account where our funds are held. This is a much less scalable solution than mobile phone payments, and is one reason our growth is more rapid in the countries - Kenya, Ghana, and Indonesia - where mobile phone-based payments are enabled.

domain: geography


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Wichita church target of Borat-like hoax
Dr. Warren ThrockmortonDr. Warren Throckmorton's Weblog
- 2008 Mar 19
On Monday night, I received a phone call from a friend who described a surreal event in a Wichita, KS church. My friend heard from another friend on the scene that a group of people posing as a film production company had attempted to disrupt an Easter play at the Central Community Church in Wichita.
A local television station - KAKE - investigated and filed a written and video report documenting the activities of the Longman Parke Production company out of Los Angeles. Here are some excerpts:
Several locations in Kansas are targeted by a film crew claiming to be making a film about culture in America. But their actions have people across the state wondering whether they’ve been part of a “Borat”-like prank.
Pastor Greg Smith of Central Community Church says they were contacted by the film crew and were told they were working on a film to be shown in Europe. Smith agreed to let them film the Easter play being performed at the church.
However, at some point, Smith knew something was not right. In security camera footage from the church, you can see crew members making preparations to cover the security cameras before attempting to pull off their prank.
The production crew also targeted the airport and another church.
The film crew also visited Mid-Continent Airport. Officials there are reviewing its media policies after the so-called German documentary film crew made a scene inside the main terminal on Friday.
“We were lied to,” says Assistant Airport Director Brad Christopher. “We were duped.”
Authorities say the film crew was not who they said they were. Last month, the group contacted Wichita airport officials about shooting part of their documentary on American culture at Mid-Continent. They arrived Friday and were shown around. Airport employees say they seemed professional.
That is, until the cameras came on and the clothes came off.
Witnesses say it almost looked like pornography. In the middle of the terminal, the film crew began stripping down. They were escorted out of the airport by police, and told to leave…
The crew also made its way to Topeka and contacted another church as well as our sister station, WIBW. One of the reporters there became suspicious after a member of the crew asked if she had seen the movie “Borat.”
I called the phone number the production company gave to the church. A woman answered who hung up on my as soon as I asked about the Central Community Church. My contact said the men stripped down to thongs at the Wichita airport before they were taken away. The KAKE website has video of the airport story as well.
Churches beware of such tactics with Good Friday and Easter services coming up.


AS the cover girl for the first edition of CR Fashion Book, Kate Upton appears wearing a dress with a low enough cleavage.
At the launch of a new magazine owned by the former editor of French Vogue, Carine Roitfeld, the swimsuit model of Sports Illustrated magazine is highlighting in her tight dress.
The first magazine cover model looks sensuous and glamorous when it comes in the museum The Frick Collection in New York, with disheveled hair, Smokey eye make-up, as well as silver and amber necklace striking.
Besides Kate Upton, another model that emerges is Bar Rafaeli. Israel-born model is against the dress code event (long black dress) wearing a short dress with a white lace.
Kate Upton, 20-year-old model from the United States ranked second in the Top 50 Models Women List by models.com. She also includes 30 of the top models of the decade by Vogue Paris.
Other fashion luminaries in attendance, including an American fashion designer, Alexander Wang are from head to toe in black and wearing underwear model Victoria’s Secret, Doutzen Kroes.
Model 27-year-old Dutchman looked stunning in a backless black dress and blond hair tied into a tight ponytail, as reported by Dailymail.


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When people think of France they tend to always have a picture of the Eiffel Tower in their minds. Paris the city of romance – the city of lights and springtime. However France is a little bit more than that city – in fact it’s a lot more.
Imagine if you will arriving at the Paris airport. Charles de Gaulle. You get into a cab and ask the driver ‘take me to the most interesting place within 49 miles of Paris.’
What do you think the reaction would be? It’s impossible – there cannot be an answer. France is the most incredible country. You want food – fine. Don’t leave Paris. Restaurants with some of the best food in the world are within an easy walk of your hotel. But wait. You must be crazy. Wake up in the morning and head to Marché d’Aligre. Best fresh veggies and fruit in the city. But why stop there?
Get in your hire car and head out of Paris. You want to get a bit arty? What about Monet? One single hour and you will be in the garden that gave Monet the inspiration for some of his greatest works. Visit Giverny and enjoy the inspiration of the artists home.
And if you ignore Versailles you need to lose your head just like Marie-Antoinette. She may have said ‘let them eat cake’ but she did also have some really good gardeners. Any visitor to France who misses the absolute beauty of these gardens is doing themselves a grave disservice.
However let’s be honest. France the home of some of the best wines in the world and the place that gave us the best bubbly in the world – champagne. If you do not visit these vineyards your trip to France would have been in vane. Without those vines it’s missing out on a whole lot.
Do the labels Veuve Clicquot or Möet and Chandon ring a bell? Well, those are part and parcel of a number of tours that are offered to those who visit France. If you don’t like Champagne then you will still love the beautiful countryside where the grapes that fuel this bubbly are grown. And there are some of Frances most wonderful eating opportunities and and among these vineyards.
But perhaps you want to stretch your legs a bit more really explore the gastronomic experience that is France?
Well possibly explore the areas outside Lyon. Great access via train and places like Bourg-en-Bresse. Wonderful old world feel and some fantastic eateries. Combine this with a relaxed atmosphere and friendly locals and you have the recipe for a fantastic day out. Add in some exquisite shops and an easy walk around town and you have the French experience in a nutshell.
You must leave Paris. Get on the train and set out to explore. France is more than its capital city. The further you go from the Eiffel Tower the more wondrous the country becomes.