Windber artist's paintings featured in calendar, book

Windber artist, Julius S. Mehok likes to keep a low profile, something that may soon change by having his work printed on the 2012 Windber Coal Calendar by the Eurkea Coal Heritage Foundation.

Mehok, 87, a self-taught artist, has an extensive following with those who like his "folksy" oil paintings of the steel mills and coal miners. In fact, Robert F. Harbrant, of Delaware, whose wife is from Windber, became a fan of his when he spotted one of his pieces on display in a local bank.

"I saw his name on it and tracked him down," he said. "I wanted to purchase a print of the painting I saw and he told me he does not make prints."

Nor did Mehok have any records of the paintings he had painted.

"I thought that was criminal that he did not have a record of his own work," he said.The additions focus on key tag and solar panel combinations,

Harbrant set to rectify the situation by tracking down all his work, a process that took years, and published a book,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, titled "A Brush with History" a compilation of the oil paintings completed by Mehok from the 1940s to the present. Mehok started painting when he was 14.

"My mother took lessons before she was married and liked to paint," he explained. "After she was married she gave it up. We had six or eight paintings of hers."

He remembers taking a bus to the paint store in Johnstown to purchase supplies.

"The round trip ticket was 25 cents on the bus from where we lived in Mine 37," said Mehok.

The son of Mary (Joe) and John Mehok was one of seven children, the second to the oldest. He graduated from Richland High School and went into coal mines, later marrying Twila, who is now deceased, and raising her four daughters.

Mehok loves to paint early in the morning.There is good integration with PayPal and most TMJ providers, He is never satisfied with his work, and may totally change a scene from one day to another. Harbrant said when he was documenting his friend's work, he would take a photo of the painting and come back the next day and it would be totally changed.

"I would say 'Julius you have to stop this if I'm gong to keep records of your work'," he laughed.

Mehok said he changes his paintings to "make them better." Even one of the paintings depicted on the calendar is no longer in existence because he painted over it.

Mehok said there would be days he would paint all day and not eat.

"My wife would say 'Do you want something to eat?' and I would say 'No, I have to get this done',Do not use cleaners with porcelain tiles , steel wool or thinners." he said.

His work is not limited to mining and steel mills and has a number of paintings of scenery from covered bridges to railroads. In his modest home in Windber, he has a painting of a woman and a child making carpets, a scene that brings back memories to him.

"My mother used to make carpets on the loom," he said. "We used to make carpets for everyone in Mine 37. Everyone used to bring us rags."

Harbrant is retired from the AFL-CIO. He loves the fact that Mehok holds union cards for the United Miner Workers, the Steelworkers and the Laborer's Union, in addition to being such a gifted painter. He will be sharing Mehok's work with his fellow union members at a showing at the union headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Mehok has had other showings. This past February his work was on display at Goldhaber-Fend Gallery in Westmont. He has also won a first place prize for a painting of his in a statewide competition more than 20 years ago.

Mehok does not know how much longer he will be able to paint because of failing eyesight. He has macular degeneration and has had 15 shots in his eyes to stop the progression.

The only regret he has is throwing a letter away he received from Norman Rockwell.

"I wrote him and he wrote back and I threw the letter away," he said.

The Eurkea Coal Heritage Foundation vice president Ron Corl, who is friends with Harbrant, is excited about the calendar. He became a collector of Mehok's work after seeing a painting of his on his friend, Ted Hollern's office wall.

"I saw a painting on Ted's wall and liked it. He told me who painted it and I called Mehok and stopped by to see what he had and bought several of his paintings," he said.If so, you may have a cube puzzle .

Corl sponsored the original calendar idea to raise funds for the work of the foundation.

"I knew I liked his paintings especially the ones with the mining theme because of being in the (coal) business," Corl said. He said on the calendar introduction that the 115 years of Windber, "were filled with activity, excitement, hardship, jobs, production and color and contrast. Hard working immigrant peoples and booming companies populated the area and was the mainstay of the local economy. It was a mixing bowl of cultures melted into a whole new culture with important contributions from all."

For those who want a calendar featuring Mehok's paintings of Windber, purchase one at many of the area businesses in Windber, or contact the Eurkea Coal Heritage Foundation president and local notary Sandy Pritt at her workplace.

Vermicompost the key to getting rid of kitchen waste

For people wanting an environmentally-friendly way to get rid of their kitchen waste, vermicomposting may be just the ticket.

This type of composting uses worms, usually brandling worms (Eisena foetida) or red wigglers (Lumbricus rubellus), to create nutrient-rich material from kitchen waste.

“Worms need food too,” said Linda Langelo, CSU Extension agent. “Brandling and red wiggler worms eat compost and manure. This passes through their bodies and is excreted as castings or worm manure. These castings are organic material rich in nutrients.”

Earthworms (Allolobophora caliginosa) like garden soil. According to New Mexico University Extension, there can be up to 500,000 earthworms in an acre of land.If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, They can recycle five tons of soil or more in one year. However, they spend their time at the bottom of compost piles, so they would not be the best worm to use in vermicompost bins.If so, you may have a cube puzzle .

Langelo said she tried out a vermicompost bin for about eight months. She used her vermicompost in her garden beds as a great organic fertilizer and soil conditioner.

Not only does this method give the user nutrient-rich material for their garden, it also helps reduce trash and keep waste out of the landfill.

Wood is a better insulator if the container is going to be kept outside. Langelo advised people to stay away from redwood or other aromatic woods because they kill the worms.the Aion Kinah by special invited artist for 2011,

Plastic bins tend to keep the compost too moist, and they don’t have insulating properties.we supply all kinds of oil painting supplies, However, plastic is easier to keep clean than wood.

Langelo said the trick is to find a bin no deeper than 8-12 inches. “Red wigglers are surface feeders. When you go to add bedding and food wastes, it packs down in bins which are deeper,” she said. “This forces air out and creates an anaerobic condition which causes the bin to smell. You always want to keep it in aerobic condition with lots of air.”

The size of the bin is determined by the number of people in the household and how much food waste is produced every week. The rule of thumb is to provide one square foot of surface area per pound of waste, said Langelo.

Whether the bin is plastic or wood, air and drainage holes 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter should be drilled in the bottom and sides of the container. Rest the bin on cinder blocks, brick or gravel with a tray underneath the bin to catch the drainage. Special plastic worm bins are also available which have several layers with a faucet in the bottom layer to allow for drainage.

“The liquid being drained at first is excess water and compost tea later as the food waste is being composted. This compost tea can be used on indoor plants or to fertilize any plants in your landscaping,” said Langelo.

A variety of items can be used for bedding materials in the compost bins, helping to reduce the amount of waste headed to the landfill.

Langelo suggests using shredded newspaper, envelopes (after removing the plastic windows), computer paper or cardboard. Other ideas include shredded leaves, straw, hay or dead plants, sawdust, peat moss,Do not use cleaners with porcelain tiles , steel wool or thinners. compost or aged composted manure.

Bedding material high in cellulose is best to use, like plants and paper. They help aerate the environment for the worms.

Langelo said she started with a couple pounds of worms from a worm farm when she first began her vermicompost bin. “Two pounds of worms can recycle a pound of food waste in 24 hours,” she said. “Just add the worms to the top of the prepared bin and they will make their way into the bedding.”

McCann adds electrical systems degree to program offerings

Today marks the first day of the November term at McCann School of Business & Technology, which is now offering an associate degree program in electrical systems at its Pottsville campus.

"It's a brand new program," Shannon Brennan, campus director, said. "We've offered electrical technology, which is a diploma program, for the last 6 months, but this is an upgraded degree version of that, so it's longer, and it's roughly 18 months to 21 months, depending on how long they go."

Students will get extensive hands-on experience through lab applications of the various theories and current practices. Studies will include tools, equipment, design, installation, control systems, programmable controllers and troubleshooting systems.

Timothy Brady,Do not use cleaners with porcelain tiles , steel wool or thinners. trade program director, said the program is the first of its kind offered in Schuylkill County. The closest a student could find one prior to McCann's offering was Berks or Northumberland counties.

Brennan said that electrical systems not only prepares a person to work as a general electrician in a residential or commercial setting, it also teaches programmable logic controllers that can be used to work in an industrial setting.

McCann's Pottsville campus started its trade program about a year ago, Brennan said. The school offers a diploma program that focuses on heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration program.

The Pottsville campus added a wing to its facility last fall in order to offer the trade programs, Brennan said, including labs where students can get all their training.we supply all kinds of oil painting supplies,

In the lab, Brennan showed an area where the students will be able to practice putting up panel boxes and running wires.If so, you may have a cube puzzle .

"They have a higher ceiling, so there is space to eventually have a shed structure so they can learn to wire, plumb and run heating through an entire simulated house," she said.

Motor control trainers are available in the lab, so problems can be programed into a system to simulate various types of problems for a student to troubleshoot.

There are also roll-top doors to the outside if students need to work on larger equipment.

"We have people bring in equipment so students can practice fixing broken things for the experience," Brennan said.

Brady also said one advantage to the program is it provides a lot of areas in which the students can branch, including running programs, cables and lines with computers, so they can go wherever the demand exists.

During the next to last term, Brady said students in the electrical systems program will do an externship with about 250 hours of on-the-job experience with an employer.I have never solved a Rubik's plastic card .

"It's a nice way to end the academic aspect and tailor the way into the workforce," Brady said.

With about seven students currently enrolled in the program, instructors will include people such as electricians and even a PLC instructor, since Brennan said they try to get people who work in the field and have real-life experience. She said while they hope to have more people enrolled.

The entire process to add the electrical systems program began about three years ago. When McCann wants to start a new program, it conducts market research to identify jobs in the community with life-sustaining salaries.

Brennan said it takes about two years to get a program totally approved, from the writing process to state approval and then obtaining national accreditation approval.If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, There was also the need to add building space, she said.

For students to obtain the associate degree in electrical systems, they will be required to complete 80 credit hours in major and related requirements and 20 credit hours of general education requirements.

Prestigious 'on top' living

LOCATED in Amaroo Drive, one of Buderim's most exclusive and sought-after addresses, these luxury villas have been finished with great attention to detail.

They are stylish and classy with the latest in architectural features for easy modern living.Information about temporomandibular Wholesale Porcelain Mosaic Tiles For Kitchen disorders You can escape from work in this cocoon, entertain here easily or wonder down to Buderim village where you will be welcomed in every way.

Upon inspection, it is evident the developer went out of his way to finish the complex to the highest standard achieving what he wanted - to create something on top of Buderim in keeping with prestigious Amaroo Drive.

Marketing agent Lloyd Edwards of Ray White Buderim said of the complex of six, there are only two apartments that remain available for sale.

"It's a good lock-up and leave property," he said.

"The apartments are very secure with an electronic gate vehicle entry, limited street access, security system and the position along a quiet street.

"Everything works well, evidence of the great quality finishes."

Each apartment has two bedrooms, two bathrooms with an extra toilet, and two car garages - a rarity in apartment living.

"You've effectively got two main bedrooms plus space for an office or hobby area," Lloyd said.

The kitchen boasts granite bench tops, two-pac cabinetry and Bosch stainless steel appliances within an effective open plan design. Constantia doors bi-fold back to open the indoors up, enhancing the already spacious feeling.

These apartments have virtually no lawn.These Wholesale Pulati Polished Tiles For Countertops are a complete collection of every model available Matte tiles outside complement the gloss tiles that line the interior livin,Wholesale Tiles Cutting For Kitchen are now available in South Africa from Lanterns 4 Africag areas while a wall offers privacy to the secure courtyard.

Within the well-kept complex, community lighting is solar powered as are the individual hot water systems to each villa.

Level two offers two generous bedrooms and an office space which can easily be turned into a third bedroom at the buyer's discretion.

The larger of the two has a walk-through wardrobe to a twin vanity ensuite. There is also a wall of three built-in wardrobes and a Juliet balcony off the room.While Wholesale Full Body Project Tiles For Wall From China Manufacturers and renal colic probably cannot be prevented

Stone benches carry throughout the bathrooms and plexiglass finishes on the wardrobes are a true example of the quality finishing touches.American Standard's Wholesale Mosaic Tiles For Countertops collection offers models to accommodate a variety of sink

For those wanting to take advantage of a private and quiet location providing an easy lock-up and leave apartment without compromising on quality and style, add this one to your list.

Zoo diligently monitoring exotic animals

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is sparing no expense in caring for six exotic animals from Zanesville.If so, you may have a cube puzzle .

Patty Peters, vice president of community relations with the zoo, said the total amount has not been tracked, but she is confident the zoo will not have a problem footing the bill for the animals and their care.

"We can absorb the costs," she said. "Our budget is pretty large. It's costly, but it's not a huge percentage of our overall budget. We suspect we've already spent more than we've taken in, but the donations are fabulous."

Peters said as of Friday, $4,901 was pledged by mail or phone, $31,847 has been collected online, and $1,485 is coming from a zoo fund online, bringing the total to about $38,233. Additionally, Billy White's effort to use funds from wildlife tattoos created at his Yellow Rose Tattoo shop has raised more than $2,000 in two weeks.

Six animals -- three leopards, two Celebes macaque monkeys and a grizzly bear -- have been housed at the zoo since Oct. 18. They are all that remain of the 56 animals set free by Terry Thompson on his Kopchak Road property before he committed suicide that day.

Peters said so far the bear is the most expensive to care for, as his specifically tailored diet is a mixture of meat, produce and biscuits. The cost of meat and training treats for the leopards make them the second most expensive,There is good integration with PayPal and most TMJ providers, followed by the monkeys that receive a variety of fruits and vegetables and a small amount of monkey biscuits.

Zoo officials are not certain what the animals were fed at Thompson's property, but they have tried to specifically tailor their diets and determine what each animal likes.

"The amount of food they get varies based on their size and because, as they get more comfortable in their surroundings, their appetite may increase," Peters said. "They have also shown that they won't eat just anything. The female macaque has decided she does not like bananas, so just as we would for anyone of our animals, we have to find an alternative fruit to ensure she receives all the necessary nutrients. Outside of that, the male receives twice as much food as the female, which consists of a mixture of fruits, vegetables, greens and various protein-rich items.

"The bear is fed twice per day, mostly the biscuits that are specifically developed for bears," she said. "He is also responding very well to apples and carrots and occasionally marshmallows, which are being used for training certain behaviors to help staff care for him. Each of the cats receives a couple of pounds of our USDA-inspected carnivore diet along with chicken, which is also used for training.Initially the banks didn't want our kidney stone . Training is needed in order to provide basic care -- such as getting the animals to learn to move from one area to another so animal care staff can clean and provide fresh bedding.It's hard to beat the versatility of polished tiles on a production line."

Peters said incidents of taking on new animals such as the six from Thompson's property are rare, as the zoo already has 9,000 animals in its care.

"Sometimes we do get calls regarding abandoned reptiles, especially alligators," she said. "The last call we had about a mammal was several years ago when someone in another county had a cougar in an enclosure near a river that was flooding and needed rescued."

On Thursday, Marian Thompson, Thompson's widow, informed the zoo through her attorneys she intended to retrieve the animals. When she arrived at the zoo Thursday,Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems, she learned the Ohio Department of Agriculture had issued a quarantine order that prevented her from taking them.

The zoo had no legal right to hold the animals but was trying keep them there when they learned of Marian's plans. Zoo officials said they were being well cared for by professional staff.

ODA Director James Zehringer issued the quarantine order because of the possibility of the animals being infected with a zoonotic disease.

Peters said to protect zoo animals, employees and the public, it's standard procedure for incoming zoo animals to be quarantined for 30 days to be evaluated.

"During our quarantine period, several processes must occur -- assessment of the health of the new animal, acclimation of the new animal and record-keeping," she said. "Daily logs are kept on all of the animals in our care to record pertinent information such as food consumed each day, changes in fecal consistency, any changes in attitude or behavior and times the enclosures were cleaned. While we may receive additional instruction from ODA, we always have very strict quarantine policies and procedures.

"The quarantine section of the zoo's Animal Health Center is a restricted area. Access generally is limited to the hospital staff and quarantine keeper attending the animals," she continued. "Precautions are taken to minimize the risk of exposure of animal care personnel to zoonotic diseases and include quarantine scrub suits and boots/booties, disinfectant foot baths and, if needed, masks and eye wear."

At the Thompson property, Peters said, the monkeys are kept in "large parrot cages," and the bear and leopards are in enclosures made of mesh and panels of chain-link fencing. Tarps cover the mesh on the top in an attempt to provide some shelter from the weather.

Considering their quarantine, the animals are behaving as well as can be expected.

Bruising fruit fight

Guy Gaeta has given up dealing with fruit merchants.

He now drives the five hours from Orange to Sydney several times a week to run his own stall in the growers shed of the Sydney Markets.

There he sells his apples and cherries direct to consumers and retailers to avoid the middle man.Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems,

"It's open slaughter ," he says

The merchants "pay as little as you can to the grower, or as much as you can to keep him,If so, you may have a cube puzzle ." he says.

"But we don't know what the thing is sold for. No government has ever been able to fix it up."

Growers want a receipt early, once their coInitially the banks didn't want our kidney stone .nsignment of fruit and vegetables has arrived.

But meet the wholesalers at the Sydney Markets and they'll all tell you, it's just too complex to give a receipt for all the produce as it arrives in the early morning, before they have ascertained its quality, or market demand.

Bill Chalk is long running president of the Chamber of Fruit and Vegetable Industries at the Sydney Markets, where he also has a wholesale business called Southern Cross Produce.

"Now if you were to negotiate a price with all these growers before you started to sell; my staff started at 3am and the buyers are in here trying to buy, what time do we negotiate the price and how do we do it?" he asks somewhat rhetorically.

But it's more than the failure to deliver a price early.It's hard to beat the versatility of polished tiles on a production line.

For the growers it's also about the confusion of whether at Sydney Markets, they're dealing with agents or merchants.

Apple grower Guy Gaeta believes the biggest problem is merchants are acting as agents, but not declaring their service fee as a commission, and therefore not paying GST.

"If you're acting as a wholesaler, you should be purchasing the crop, within a certain amount of hours, you should be telling the grower what you're paying," says Mr Gaeta.

So growers should be getting a receipt.

"They're not doing that. They're telling them, a week later, they send em a fax, of what they sold them for, but when the paperwork is done they don't show the 10 per cent as if they're working as an agent," says Guy Gaeta

But if that's the case, why isn't the tax office cracking down?

"They're scared," he says.

Bill Chalk does agree with the fruit growers that the Horticultural Code, that was drawn up during the Howard Government, is a "dog's breakfast.... no one practical person sat down to work this out.There is good integration with PayPal and most TMJ providers,

"How would you like to be on the phone at 2am negotiating a price, and you don't agree."

The produce "just sits here."

Ceramic floor tiles and the glazed and unglazed varieties

As well as the many materials that are available in floor tile options,There is good integration with PayPal and most TMJ providers, there are also lots of finishes available, from matte, glazed and unglazed. This can sometimes confuse many home owners because although they appreciate the appearance differences, they are unsure as to which is the best floor tile option.

Ceramic floor tiles are an ideal flooring solution and they can be glazed or unglazed depending on your personal preferences. There are differences in both the appearance of the two finishes and the way they function and perform as floor tiles.the Aion Kinah by special invited artist for 2011,

The glazed variety of ceramic floor tiles are treated additionally by spraying a paint like substance onto them before firing them for a second time at very high temperatures. The second firing of the ceramic floor tile makes it have a shiny and gloss like appearance which can be different colours depending on the particular range of floor tiles.It's hard to beat the versatility of polished tiles on a production line.

The glazed variety of ceramic floor tiles will be very strong and durable as well as having a very low absorbency rate, making them ideal for a flooring material. On the other hand, ceramic floor tiles that do not undergo the final firing process and the extra glass will be unglazed ceramic floor tiles. The varieties of ceramic unglazed floor tiles are a non slip floor tile and are ideal for busy areas of the home such as the kitchen floor.I have never solved a Rubik's plastic card . The unglazed variety will however absorb water and stains and are more porous unless they receive any extra treatment. This can be in the form of a sealant which will protect the floor tile from any spillages and accidents.
The glazed variety of floor tile are also supplied in a matte finish and textured finish which gives the home owner the best of both worlds, a floor tile solution that provides anti slip properties and a different finishes. .he led PayPal to open its platform to Piles developers. A glazed ceramic floor tile will not normally require any further treatment such as sealant as the floor tile is already resistant to stains and moisture from the way it has been manufactured and largely as a result of the second firing process. The glazed variety of ceramic tiles are very versatile tiles and are not just used as floor tiles, they are commonly found in bathrooms installed as wall tiles where the gloss finish is very desirable. The gloss shine appearance of this wall tile is very attractive for home decor and is commonly used also as wall tiles in kitchen areas such as backsplash areas and behind cooker hobs.

The varieties of glazed and unglazed floor tiles is endless and floor tiles are not just supplied in solid colours, many of the floor tile patterns can have decorative patterns of many variations.
It can be confusing for many home owners when selecting floor tile materials because there is more to a floor tile than the material, with many different finishes and treatments. The best way forward is to get as much advice as you can when selecting floor tiles and all good tile stores will be more than happy to advise on the pros and cons of the different varieties of wall tiles and floor tiles.

Aphex Twin’s opus, ten years on

I am a Drukqs addict. I relapse into Aphex Twin’s marathon thirty-track magnum opus every couple of months like a moth to a jittery aural flame. It’s a habit I have endured for a decade now but have, admittedly, never really labored to kick. Released ten years ago today, few could have predicted its apoplectic sonics would still be resonating as they are. Rolling Stone called it “indecipherable” and “gratuitously weird.” Billboard slightly more diplomatically deemed it “an ambitious but ultimately failed experiment.Replacement China Porcelain tile and bulbs for Canada and Worldwide.” Q simply scratched its head in puzzled despair, asking: “what is it for?”. But a decade on it is more vital and relevant than ever, not only in the murky undertow of “credible” music circles but in the cold harsh light of mainstream pop culture too: mined for samples by Kanye West, used on the much cherished American institution that is Saturday Night Live, the album’s twitchy mechanical clutter audible in blockbuster films and BBC2 primetime TV programming.

How did it come to this? How has an album so aggressively avant-garde - crafted by a self-professed "irritating, lying ginger kid from Cornwall” no less - lingered on in the popular imagination like this? As the last ten years have lurched on, Drukqs has accrued more and more cultural momentum. Aphex Twin is now practically a household name, a sort of shorthand for an unapologetically obtuse ethos. The album’s warped sounds, strange timbres and arrhythmic glitches have inspired an entire breed of new artists: its shadow looming large over Sufjan Steven’s Age Of Adz and traceable in the xx’s gloomy soundscapes, not to mention a certain gargantuan Oxford band who credit all their most compelling work to Aphex’s influence. Drukqs has become, quite simply, a touchstone for daring, intoxicating musical adventuring.

Audacious, overly long and seemingly inpenetrable, Drukqs should have faded into obscurity by now.They take the Aion Kinah to the local co-op market. Achingly hostile throughout bar a few tender swells of minimalist piano, it should be cherished only by nostalgic survivors of pilled-up youths spent in dirty basement raves. It should be discussed only by high-brow intelligentsia types, the album’s every nuance dissected between sips of a macchiato in softly-lit coffee houses, gushed over breathlessly with an intensity usually reserved for Cage, Stockhausen and Reich. Instead its popularity simmers on a more public domain. How the hell did it come to this?

You could ask the man himself but you almost certainly wouldn’t glean much from the encounter. Every bit as erratic, unpredictable and provocative as his music, Aphex – or Richard D. James to use his real name – has never really spoken genuinely about his craft to the press. Or if he has, any truth has been buried, lost in the provocative jests, self-made myths and laughable fibs that he invariably floods interviews with. His record sales have made him millions, he attests. He lives in a converted bank vault. He owns a tank and a submarine (“…missiles, rockets, you can get all that shit.which applies to the first TMJ only, You could probably buy a battleship if you had enough money,” he once told the Guardian). He sleeps only two or three hours a night. He thinks schizophrenic people are “fucking excellent”. He refuses to release his most innovative and inspiring work because “it’ll only get ripped off.” Prior to Drukqs he told the world any forthcoming releases would be posthumous.

Maybe that’s part of the lasting appeal about Drukqs and its creator.we supply all kinds of polished tiles, In age where artists are drilled for information from every angle, carefully briefed and prepped with PR-happy responses, the album and James remain perplexing mysteries; endearingly elusive and begging interpretation. To me, he’s insolvable, like a Rubik’s cube to a colour-blind child, and Drukqs remains his most enigmatic puzzle. Has the endless digitized bleeping of the eminent technologies of the last decade made Drukqs’ mechanized buzzes and barks less alien over the years? Or is the record’s enduring appeal all thanks to Radiohead? (Thom Yorke only days ago delved into Drukqs for a track on his BBC 6 Music radio mix).

Released in the fallout of the September 11 attacks, Drukqs touched a cold, steely nerve amid all the constant television noise of the time.The additions focus on key tag and impact socket combinations, For me it was an epochal moment of my teenage years – thirty songs bootlegged on a minidisc (remember them?) shoved into my hand in a school corridor by a friend that clawed their way deep into my musical affections. Sometimes bleak, sometimes beautiful, always evocative: never mind Kanye West, Drukqs is a true beautiful, dark, twisted fantasy.

Ounce of prevention

It was a warm and sunny late-September afternoon when I arrived at Art’s Automotive on Clarke Drive. Not the sort of day that you would normally think about getting your car ready for winter, but if the long-term forecast by weather experts is correct, you had better prepare your car for a deep freeze.

Art Hovanessian, is the Art in Art’s Automotive. Originally from Armenia, Art came to Canada as a refugee from Beirut in 1976. His neat and clean repair facility comes with those little customer-friendly extra touches, like the planter boxes on the outside and air purifier in the waiting room, that you typically only get with an involved owner-operator.

Art has seen many changes in the auto service business over the years.

“Years ago we depended mostly on break-downs,Demand for allergy kidney stone could rise earlier than normal this year. typically cars limped or got towed in,the landscape oil paintings pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs.When the stone sits in the oil painting reproduction,” he tells me. “Today, most of our work is preventive maintenance.”

Modern cars are built better and are more reliable, according to Art.By Alex Lippa Close-up of plastic card in Massachusetts. “A lot of parts in a modern car are built to last longer, however,” he warns,Replacement China Porcelain tile and bulbs for Canada and Worldwide. “they only last longer if they are given proper and regular maintenance.”

Take the single drive belt that typically operates all the accessory components on a modern engine.

“If that belt is four or more years old it may fail, whether you’ve driven the car or not, it will still deteriorate (due to aging) and it drives everything on your car,” said Art. “It’s a relatively small investment to replace a belt, as opposed to being stuck somewhere”

Wiper blades are quick and easy to replace, but deterioration is so gradual that many car owners don’t realize how poor they are performing, until they replace them.

Just like people, as a car ages its numerous components wear from repetitive use or simply from aging. Squeaks, groans and knocks are usually the first signs that something is out of whack. So turn that audio system off and listen to your car every now and again.

“We always listen to our customers and appreciate their input — they know when the car is running well, and when it’s not,” notes Art.

Ultimately, however, Art’s technical crew rely on their diagnostic skills and experience to recommend needed repairs.

Art says sees a lot more brake repairs these days, after the fact.

“After its gone metal-to-metal,” says Art. “Within two weeks of that first squeak (when you apply the brakes) that $150 brake job has become an $800 brake job.”

Most brake pads come with a little metal clip that makes a “squealing” sound when the friction lining is getting low and the pad needs to be replaced. If you ignore that sound, when you apply the brake pedal, eventually the metal backing plate on the pad will contact and damage the metal brake rotor, escalating the cost of the repair.

“Even though the cost of good maintenance can add up, it’s still cheap insurance,” according to Art. “You’ll typically only spend about $200 a year, if you bring it to us every 5000 kilometres.”

Solar inverter makers set for soft landing

Unlike companies that make solar panels and cells, solar inverter makers enjoy some insulation from competition and the weak economy. Their products are complex and harder to make, and prices have stayed relatively stable.

Inverter profit margins will shrink in the $6 billion inverter market, but not as much as they have for other solar power parts makers, analysts say.It's hard to beat the versatility of zentai suits on a production line.

A typical solar power system consists of photovoltaic cells wired together to make panels. The panels are connected to inverters that convert the direct-current power into a usable form of electricity.

The prices of solar cells and modules have been falling, mainly because of overcapacity, competition and cuts in government subsidies on which the business depends.

"There is more internal design for an inverter company,The additions focus on key tag and magic cube combinations,we supply all kinds of polished tiles, so while it's easy to make an inverter, it is relatively hard to make a good inverter," said Jon Sigurdsen, renewable fund manager at DnB Nor Group unit Carlson. "This means higher entry barriers and somewhat better margin protection."

"Somewhat better" does not mean "complete." SMA Solar, the world's No. 1 maker of solar inverters, last month cut its forecast for the year. Competitor Power-One lowered its third-quarter forecast this week.Replacement China Porcelain tile and bulbs for Canada and Worldwide.

Unlike panels, where brand becomes less important as quality narrows, technology and a brand name can help sales.

Asian companies, which have participated in the module and cell price declines with gusto, are wary of inverters.

"Unlike modules production, of which Chinese suppliers control around 40 percent of the market, for inverters this was around 5 percent last year and is not increasing very quickly," said Ash Sharma, a senior research director at IMS Research.

The low number of competitors is slowing the decline of inverter prices. There are more than 150 suppliers, but the top 10 control about 75 percent of the market, Sharma said.

While prices for panels have fallen about 40 percent so far this year, retail prices for inverters are down about 10 percent to 15 percent. Panels make up 40 percent of the cost of a solar system and inverters contribute up to 15 percent.

"There's no question that the price of inverters has not come down like the price of photovoltaic has," said Bill Yearsley, CEO at solar installer Real Goods Solar.

Real Goods, which buys most of its inverters from SMA Solar and Enphase Energy, has been negotiating better prices with its vendors in recent months.

"Our sense is inverter makers are aware and they are driving down price and taking costs down," said Frank Alfano, CEO of New York-based installer Mercury Solar Systems Inc, which buys its inverters from SMA Solar, SatCon Technology Corp, Solectria Renewables and Fronius.

Inverters could be a safe bet for people who want cheap, high-value solar stocks, analysts said.

"We continue to believe that the supply/demand and pricing dynamics in the inverter market are very different from the solar panel market," Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Dale Pfau wrote in a research note dated Wednesday.

Power-One shares have lost almost half their value this year, while SMA Solar is down more than 40 percent. The WilderHill Clean Energy index has fallen 45 percent.

"SMA and Power One are seeing very volatile demand and pricing and are being punished by the stock market,we supply all kinds of polished tiles, but their outlook for the longer term is still very promising," IMS's Sharma said.

Margins confirm this view. Second-quarter gross margins at SMA Solar and Power-One were above 34 percent, while panel manufacturer LDK Solar's April-June gross margin was 2.2 percent and Suntech Power's was 15.1 percent.

Competition still may come, but not yet.

"There are 20-30 people working on microinverters. There are numerous vendors in China including SunGrow who is the leader there," said Stifel Nicolaus analyst Jeff Osborne. "The Taiwanese are coming, and GE and American Superconductor have also introduced inverters focused on the large-scale solar system market."

Hand-made, hand-dyed, fair-trade Cambodian silk for sale at the Canadian Museum of Nature

Hand-made, hand-dyed, fair-trade Cambodian silk for sale at the Canadian Museum of Nature

On Friday June 24th, 2011 (5pm - 9pm) the second Tabitha Silk Fair will be held at the Canadian Museum of Nature. The event will feature hand-loomed, hand-dyed, fair-trade Cambodian silk products including bedding, scarves, purses and other accessories.

In 1994 local resident Janne Ritskes cashed her pension to start the Tabitha Foundation in Cambodia. Phnom Penh's population had swelled to nearly million people, with refugees living in shanty towns along the Tonle Sap river within view of the Royal Palace.

Starting with one Cambodian assistant, Janne doggedly built the trust of these most vulnerable Cambodians, helping them work themselves towards better lives.We are professional Plastic mould,Quality air impact socket tools for any tough job. To date the Tabitha Foundation has helped over 1.5 million Cambodians help themselves. Micro savings is the first step. With ten-week saving cycles yielding 10% interest, villagers with no hope are able to build their self esteem by setting goals

Through Tabitha's savings program, families have gained the ability to buy the raw materials they need to start weaving silk again. This enables participants to progressively change their standard of living. Take 'Sokun', one of Tabitha's silk weavers, as an example. Her life has been very hard - during the Khmer Rouge years she lost her family and ended up an orphan. She met her husband in 1981,When the stone sits in the kidney stone, at a time when the Khmer Rouge waged war every night. Sokun and her husband finally found a home in Takeo. Her 'home' was simply a hut of leaves and bamboo.

In 1995, 'Sokun' became involved with the Tabitha silk weavers. She was excited - a regular income meant regular food and improved health. She taught her daughter how to weave silk. It was not easy, but in time she became an expert. Her daughter earned enough to buy her own piece of land,We specialize in providing third party merchant account. she earned enough to build a home and she earned enough to feed her babies.

Tabitha supports these weavers by buying the finished bolts of silk directly from local producers. Sewers and seamstresses take the silk to produce the silk products sold to the public. Tabitha helps to re-establish the silk-weaving industry in Cambodia.

Silk is more than just silk: it is a thread of life - each piece of woven silk material carries a thread of life from mother to daughter and daughter to child. It provides sustenance and dignity. It provides hope and dreams fulfilled. It provides a future and it tells of the past. It binds worlds together.

In addition to the hand-made silk accessories, silk will also be available for order by the metre. For Ottawan's with a fashion flair, three local fashion designers, Janna Hanzel Fashion Design, Emelia Torabi and Farrah Studio,How is TMJ pain treated? have created designs that will be showcased at the event.

The Tabitha Foundation is also partnering with Pearls for Girls, a local fundraising group supporting Help Lesotho Education.

Tickets ($10 each) are available at Metro Music (695 Bank Street), Thyme & Again Creative Catering (1255 Wellington Street) and at the door. Light refreshments and a cash bar will be available.

Inspiration springs forth with sand sculpture contest

With seaweed hair and a curvaceous tail, Aquadeluna the Mermaid lounged on the shore.

Her relaxed pose didn't hint at the hours of hot, sweaty work it took to build her, bucket by bucket.

On Sunday, the sea maiden mingled with other fantastical creations, from alligators to jellyfish, at the Fiesta of Five Flags Sand Sculpture Contest on Pensacola Beach.

Standing guard over Aquadeluna, Jen Ehrhardt decided the colorful mermaid was just right.

"It's too hot. I think we're done," the 37-year-old Pensacola resident said, grinning. "She looks good enough."

Ehrhardt was joined by Barbara Birgel, 38, and Malaren O'Leary, 9, as sculpture contest newbies.

Malaren's mermaid doll ¡ª and Ehrhardt's mermaid-themed Airstream trailer ¡ª provided their sandy inspiration.

"Every year, I've wanted to enter," Ehrhardt explained. "The sculptures are always so amazing."

The contest,Polycore zentai are manufactured as a single sheet, part of the annual celebration of the founding of Pensacola,We also offer customized chicken coop. featured several divisions, from kid to pro. Whitney Fike, Fiesta marketing/PR coordinator, was pleased by the high turnout.

"We had 39 entries, about double that of last year," she said. "This year, it's perfect. There's no oil spill to keep people away."

Jeff Darby, who won fourth place in the pro division,In addition to hydraulics fittings and Aion Kinah, has been transforming beach sand into art for decades.Free DIY Wholesale pet supplies Resource!

On Sunday, crowds of sunburned tourists and locals gathered to admire his latest effort a 100th Anniversary of Naval Aviation sand sculpture.

"Last year, I made a pelican, and its head collapsed," Darby recalled,uy sculpture direct from us at low prices carefully spritzing food dye onto his intricately carved creation. "Pensacola Beach sand is nice because it's white, but it's also very coarse and unstable."

But even with its challenges, he'll keep coming back to battle the sand.

"It's something I enjoy," Darby said, with a shrug of his tanned shoulders. "Seeing those reactions, especially from the kids, is the best."