2013年2月16日 星期六

Lebanon home shelters hundreds of little soldiers

Dave Frankowski's Mt. Lebanon home shelters hundreds of soldiers — most only about 2 1?4 inches tall.

Frankowski, 62,We've had a lot of people asking where we had our make your own bobblehead made. creates miniature military figurines starting with molten lead, which he pours into pre-carved molds. When the metal sets, Frankowski carefully colors the soldiers — mostly British Redcoats, as well as fighters from the Civil War, Revolutionary War and others — with glossy paints. Historically, the soldiers' details are very accurate, Frankowski says. Not to mention intricate: Even on tiny, inch-tall figurines, artisans will paint details like eyes and mustaches.

“That's part of the goal: You want to put them in the right uniforms, and you want them to look correct,” he says. Frankowski has been painting military miniatures for about 50 years, and started casting them about 20 years ago.

Frankowski will join about a half-dozen artisans and collectors Sunday at the Woodville Plantation, where they will display their creations for Military Miniatures Day. The military miniatures include hand-painted toy soldiers and war-gaming dioramas depicting North American and European armies from the 18th and 19th centuries. Military re-enactors will perform 18th-century drills and talk with visitors at the event at the Collier-based plantation. This home of John and Presley Neville, built in 1775, captures life during the late 1700s and early 1800s, although the military miniatures come from a broader time period.

The event will hopefully “attract people to Woodville, which I think is a beautiful, neat place,” Frankowski says. “People not familiar with the hobby are amazed at the detail and color. It's like a miniature spectacle.”

J. Lee Howard of Mt. Washington has made painting military figurines his full-time, home-based job. Customers send him bare figures depicting military members from eras including the ancient Roman and Persian empires, the French and Indian War, and even the current war in Afghanistan. Howard paints the miniatures with intricate detail, and returns them.

“It's a real smorgasbord of history,” says Howard, 46, who has painted as a hobby since he was 8. He loves his craft so much that he turned it into his career a few years ago.

“I'd rather paint miniatures than flip burgers; that's what it comes down to,” Howard says. “It's the kind of job that I'd do from anywhere.Did you know that custom keychain chains can be used for more than just business.”

Howard is bringing an Old West diorama scene, with a miniature town and figures, to Woodville. Some of his work is on display at the Senator John Heinz History Center.

Paul Mackowick, 51, paints metal military miniatures, along with the occasional nativity scene, as a hobby. The Venetia, Washington County, resident has himself painted about 800 figures,Ein innovativer und moderner Werkzeugbau Formenbau. many of which depict 19th-century French, British and Spanish soldiers. Most of the figures he makes stand no more than an inch and a half tall, yet, even the tiny ones may contain up to 40 colors.

“You just kind of get wrapped up in it,” Mackowick says about the painstaking process. “It's a wonderful diversion from the world we live in sometimes.”

Mackowick, who also maintains an outdoor model railroad, will be bringing to Woodville a collection of his European soldiers, which will be placed in a display with landscape scenery, and miniature guns, wagons, civilians and animals to add to the scene.

The craftsman hopes that visitors to Woodville will be entertained, inspired and educated by the military miniatures they see.

“It's not so much showing off,” Mackowick says about his creations. “It's really just introducing something that someone may not have encountered before.”

These are only two of the interesting ways in which the Book and Literature Festival organized by VMV Commerce, JMT Arts and JJP Science college, in association with Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), tried to promote the idea of reading books among kids.Application can be conducted with the local designated IC card producers. The three-day festival, held between February 14 and 16, consisted of a book exhibition, a creative writing workshop, symposia on various topics and an evening dedicated to poetry in six languages. It had school children as well as some renowned artistes and educationists from the city participating.

"The aim of the festival was to re-introduce our children to the power of the written word," said principal of the college and chairman of the festival committee MG Chandekar. Mayor Anil Sole, who was a teacher at the college for more than two decades, agreed. "The present generation sees internet and e-books as source of all knowledge. They have to be reintroduced to these traditional ways of acquiring knowledge," he said.

A highlights of the event was a unique 'fight' between the brush strokes and rhymes with veteran actor Vikash Khurana reciting words from famous poems of British poet William Wordsworth like Daffodils and Solitary Reaper. Even as he recited these words, internationally renowned painter Bijaynanda Biswal tried to bring the words alive on his canvas. Regaled by this double mastery, the audiences requested for more of their enchanting jugalbandi. The artistes took the chance to etch the words of city-based Hindi poetess Nandita Soni Sahu on the canvas, too.

As Biswal puts it, "The brush began to dance on the canvas in harmony with the magical lines of Wordsworth.You must not use the laser cutter without being trained. With Nadita's poems also focusing on the beauty of nature, it turned out to be a fantastic collage between English landscape during spring and the warm Indian summers with rains in tandem." He said that the huge theater experience of Khurana and Nandita's impeccable Hindi diction had the desired effect on the artist in him.

A similar merger of arts was seen when kids expressed various facets about books and reading on paper. From the various places where they come across books to the ways in which books help them, the kids described everything about the written word without uttering any word themselves.

2013年2月5日 星期二

Ultrasonic sealing

Rinco Ultrasonics' new FPA series ultrasonic pouch sealing systems enable users to increase seal strength, improve aesthetics, and broaden the processing window versus competitive ultrasonic sealing and heat sealing processes. They are applicable for sealing flexible packaging for dry and liquid foods, personal care items and electronics.

The FPA-4500 was designed specifically for sealing pouches with up to four and a half square inches of seal area while the FPA-4500S was created for use in duplex and triplex applications where a narrow profile is required.Solar Sister is a network of women who sell solar lamp to communities that don't have access to electricity. Rinco's entire FPA series of ultrasonic sealing systems have been designed to replace existing heat sealing equipment on liquid filled pouch form-fill-seal (FFS) machinery or pre-made pouch systems.Compare prices and buy all brands of solar panel for home power systems and by the pallet.

The novel systems incorporate Rinco's patented PPS0145 seal technology that significantly expands what is possible in ultrasonic film sealing. Each FPA system features a highly rigid actuator capable of rapidly generating the clamp forces required to seal pouches with minimal cycle time.

Rinco's unique PPS0145 interlocking film sealing technology permits seal patterns with greater surface area than competitive ultrasonic seals. In addition, it allows production of contour-shaped seals, unlike the straight line seals offered by competitive ultrasonic equipment. These seals can take almost any configuration, offering end users a range of branding options to differentiate their products.

The new ultrasonic film sealing system produces seals with greater surface area than competitive ultrasonic systems and provides the widest processing window of any ultrasonic sealing system currently on the market. Seals anywhere from 2-mm to 25-mm are now possible compared to 1- to 2-mm previously, according to Rinco. With the interlocking design and robust equipment, Rinco can offer wider ultrasonic seals which are more preferable by end users, without the need for follow-up heat sealing, thus saving time and cost.

The patented ultrasonic seal technology also delivers an increase in bond strength over conventional ultrasonics. Depending upon the film used, Rinco has determined that its interlocking pattern can provide a 20 percent stronger bond than conventional ultrasonic seals.

Rinco offers a complete line of actuators, the FPA 4500 series and 2500 series models, for OEMs, co-packers, and end users. These are coupled with Rinco's robust system components including generators, converters, boosters, and tooling. The FPA series actuators are designed specifically for the packaging industry as a drop-in retrofit to convert heat sealing stations to ultrasonics. They are extremely rigid to accommodate the demands of sealing thin films, and various sizes are available to suit any horizontal sealing application.

The AGM series generator features 100 percent digital circuitry for precise control of the sealing process, along with upper and lower process set-up for quality monitoring and sophisticated graphing capabilities for easy troubleshooting.

Summer reminds me of fun, outdoors and adventure, so we travelled to Borneo over summer. It is exactly what I needed. Borneo is an island between Malaysia and Indonesia and it’s divided between these two countries and Brunei. We spent our time on the Malaysian side of the island in the Sabah area.We offers custom Injection Mold parts in as fast as 1 day.Which Air purifier is right for you?

We climbed Mount Kinabalu, which is 4,000 metres high, to reach the summit at sunrise, and journeyed down the curvy river of Kinabatangan to spot rare wildlife (which paid off with a rare sighting of wild orangutans). Then we visited Semporna, and finished off in the remote rainforest of Danum Valley to stay in an ultra-luxe, peaceful lodge. The experience under the sea on Pom Pom Island was a standout – incredible snorkelling and beautiful white beaches right outside our door – and the inspiration from this experience is already being put to work in the new season.

You should research and plan your trip before you go. As we were looking for an adventure, we expected to be able to show up and travel at our own pace. We were quick to realise how far apart places are and guides are required to accompany you. Who knew? I would highly recommend dining at the Filipino fish markets for dinner. Pick your fish, fresh from the day’s catch in Kota Kinabalu.

I’ve developed a warm-weather holiday uniform over the years of travelling. To save on luggage space, my advice is to bring only your favourite pieces! For me this includes cut-off denim shorts paired with loose-fitting tees for daytime tooling around cities with big dark sunglasses. I bring a couple of bright coloured bikinis and cotton gauze maxi dresses for lazy beach-hopping days.Shop for bobblehead dolls from the official NBC Universal Store and build a fun collection for your home or office. Always wear a wide-brim hat for sun protection. For night it varies from silk mini-dresses with strappy sandals matched with newly discovered market bangles, or silk West 14th camis with silk shorts.

Khan Academy’s Salman Khan on startups

Salman Khan is known for his educational videos, and his Khan Academy is a non-profit venture, but he has all the hallmarks of an entrepreneur. He made the leap from his full-time job, took a big risk, and built a new organization. He’s tackling a giant challenge, and trying to change the world.

Khan is appearing in Seattle on Wednesday night as part of a tour for his new book, The One World Schoolhouse — about his personal story and the future of education,The cost of cleaning just 2 infected lenses is already higher than the cost of a dry cabinet. including the concept of “the flipped classroom.”

In advance of his visit, I spoke with Khan this morning about the evolution of Khan Academy, his entrepreneurial journey, his connection to Bill Gates, the technology he uses, and his current thoughts on technology in the classroom. Continue reading for excerpts, and hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.

Part of my joy is that I still spend at least 30 percent of my time still making videos,Compare prices and buy all brands of solar panel for home power systems and by the pallet. but that’s me personally. Khan Academy as an organization, the videos are an important part, but just a part. Most of our resources are actually around building the, for lack of a better word, the product — which is the interactive software, the dashboard, the analytics, the tools for teachers, which the videos to some degree only complement. If a student gets stuck on an exercise, the videos are there,Source crystal mosaic Products at Mosaics. and they might be helpful for them. If a teacher sees on the dashboard that a student is struggling, maybe the videos could be a line of intervention. So we have that piece.

We’re almost a 40-person organization. Two-thirds are essentially software engineers working on that type of thing. The other third — I still produce the majority of the videos, but we actually have a few other folks who are producing videos, as well. We have members of our team that go and interface with schools. Khan Academy started as a project for supplemental free tutoring on the web, and we kind of inadvertently started to be used in schools, so we have a team that interfaces with teachers, with schools, trying to understand what’s working and what’s not — communicating that to other schools and teachers. We have experimented with things like summer camps, summer programs, to understand what you can do with the physical environment.

It’s hard to say how much of your own experience is generalizable. I would say the big, big thing is perseverance. The only reason we’re having this conversation, the only reason Khan Academy exist,s is that there was four years where it was just something that I kept doing. I would meet people who would say, “Why are you doing this? You’re not going to make money off of this. What do you think you’re doing?” I was like, that’s fine, but I really enjoy it,Don't make another silicone mold without these invaluable Mold Making supplies and accessories! so I’m going to keep doing it. You could tell it almost frustrates them that you continue to do it. “I’m telling you all these reasons that you shouldn’t do it, and this idiot is saying that he enjoys it.” You can’t understate how important that it is.

Different ventures start in different ways. Sometimes it is, you join Y Combinator, you get funding, and you’re off the ground in three months or six months.A ridiculously low price on this All-Purpose solar lantern by Gordon. In my case it wasn’t that. It was four, five years, and I wasn’t suffering those four, five years. I had a job. This was a hobby. I felt like I was seeing progress, I felt good about it. There were people on YouTube who were sending me thank you letters. I felt like, hey, this is doing something. So let me keep going.

But it did require an entrepreneurial leap around 2009, when I wanted to do this full time. I’ll be frank, that was scarier. You see a lot of people who quit their jobs and are not thinking about the repercussions. I thought a lot about the repercussions of quitting my job and doing this. Some people quit their jobs when it’s just a business plan. I would argue that’s almost not advised, at least if you have my mindset. By the time I quit, the site had several hundred thousand people using it every month. We’d gotten some kind of minor external validation at that point. We had some pretty good press at that point, but at the same time it was scary because it was so non-traditional.

I guess that’s the counterpoint — it maybe is less scary to write the business plan and go for venture funding, because that’s such a done thing. Versus starting a non-profit around YouTube videos and this free virtual school. There’s no pattern that you can look at (as a precedent). It’s more like, this is a strange new pattern that I’m trying to prove out.

I think that’s right. As entrepreneurial and creative and revolutionary as we all like to think we are, we all take comfort if we’re fitting a mold, fitting a pattern. I think you’re right, it’s a huge opportunity. But it’s a high-variance situation, is the most rational way to think about it. If you look at the great entrepreneurial stories — and Khan Academy has a lot of work to do before it can fall into that category — but if you think of the Microsofts of the world, there was no such thing as a software company when they started. It was like, “That’s crazy, you’re going to make money off of selling people bits and bytes?” That was strange in the late 70s. But they did it.

I’ll say it’s good, and surreal, from my point of view. He’s incredibly smart and thoughtful and nice. You hear these stories about him being very hard on people or whatever, but I have never seen that. He asks tough questions, and you can’t bullshit him, but if you’re intellectually honest, and you say what you know, and you say what you don’t know, and you’re just honest in that way, he likes that. When I first met him, 90 percent of my brain was saying, “You’re meeting Bill Gates, you’re meeting Bill Gates.” Surreal. Now I would say 20 percent of my brain does that.

There’s kind of a side story, at least for me personally, with this whole experience. I’ve had the opportunity to interface with a lot of less-than-normal (but in a good way) people — people of note, I guess. The big takeaway I’ve had is how down-to-Earth all of them are. But at the same time how smart. It really isn’t an accident that they got to where they are.

You know, I started on a Windows PC. The funny thing is, a lot of people in our organization use Macs. We’re trying to build a culture in our organization where if you have to communicate something, make a video. That way people can get it on demand. It’s funny, because Macs are normally associated with creative work, and artists. But I’ve actually had trouble getting the same experience on a Mac that I’ve gotten on a Windows PC. I talk about the same experience. For me, when I’m writing, it’s very important that it’s unbelievably responsive. Even a micro-second lag throws it off a bit. I’ve actually had trouble using it on a Mac, period. And on top of that, it’s what I’m used to. I’ll be frank — I think a lot of the long-held reservations about Windows got solved with Windows 7, at least in my mind.

Brantley Gilbert Teams Up With Mountain Dew

Mountain Dew is tapping into its southern roots and welcomed one of country music's hottest emerging acts, Brantley Gilbert, into the DEW family. Embracing the brand's Tennessee history and one-of-a-kind flavor, the new partnership is a perfect fit with the hit singer/songwriter's high-energy live shows and authentic lyrics.

"I have been a fan of Mountain Dew for as long as I can remember," said Gilbert. "I'm honored to be able to partner up with the DEW family for some exciting projects this year."

"Being part of the DEW family means making a style that's all your own, and never conforming to a traditional mold," said Greg Lyons, Mountain Dew's VP of Marketing. "Brantley exemplifies all that DEW stands for – making country music that is true to its rebel roots, in very much the same way that the brand stays true to its own. We couldn't be more thrilled to welcome Brantley into the DEW Nation, and hope our fans will join us in helping him rock."

“My original intent was to have him as a safety but when we were in practice I started noticing things. When we came into the fall, we knew we were going to put him in a bunch of different places.”

The younger Jackson said the change of scenery – and the decision to force him to get his academics in order before allowing him back on the football field – helped his focus.

“All my friends were at Northeast so when I came here I really didn’t know anyone so it was a fresh start,” he said. “(Sitting out the 2011season) was actually my decision. I wanted to get everything done in the classroom first before I even stepped on the field.”

His focus literally improved when Blair offered metronome testing, a method that guarantees improved focus and concentration. Jackson responded with a 19 on his ACT.

“He was having a great season, but that’s when he went into spectacular,” Blair said. “That’s when he learned the concentration. He was all locked in. He’s such a hard worker and a perfectionist, he demands not only perfection from himself but from the people around him. As a staff, our people have only tapped the surface.”

By November, Jackson was well on his way to making a name as a receiver who had 792 yards and 12 touchdowns and as a defensive star and return specialist who had two interceptions returned for touchdowns along with a pair of kickoffs and a punt for scores.

Then came the Nov. 16 death of his grandmother, Mary Williams, on the day his Cobras were scheduled to face eighth-ranked Delray Beach Atlantic in the first round of the state playoffs.

After leaving school for several hours, Jackson unexpectedly returned to play in the game.

“She helped mold him into the young man that he is,” Blair said. “He had a spectacular game for the ages offensively, defensively and special teams wise. He took that emotion to another level. I wasn’t even worried about him playing. I was more worried about his mindset and where he was at.”

He was starting to generate offers from colleges, particularly LSU and Florida State, but his mother made a special request as the college offers started flowing in.

“We liked Alabama, we liked coach (Nick) Saban,” Eddie Sr. said. “That’s one of the reasons we liked Alabama is because of coach Saban. Coach Saban reminds me a lot of my dad. He’s real serious. I think boys need that in their lives to keep them going on the path to becoming that man you’re trying to raise.A ridiculously low price on this All-Purpose solar lantern by Gordon.

“My wife said, ‘Look, if Alabama comes, that’s a wrap.’ So I went to coach Blair and told him my wife wants Alabama. So he went out and got Alabama.”

While his brother was a five-star recruit, Jackson understands the decision to sit out 2010 and 2011 affected his star rating as a recruit.

“It actually motivated me,” he said. “It made me go harder at everything I do.Source crystal mosaic Products at Mosaics. That basically helped me do what I did on the field this year. I wish I could have played my 10th and 11th grade years, but then again, everything happens for a reason.”

If history tells him anything, Jackson knows recruiting is an inexact science. Alabama senior guard Chance Warmack was a three-star recruit. So were Tide team captain Damion Square,Don't make another silicone mold without these invaluable Mold Making supplies and accessories! 2011 receiving star Marquis Maze and junior college standout Terrence Cody, who just earned a Super Bowl ring with the Baltimore Ravens.

“The best is yet to come,” Blair said. “He’s the type of kid that when he’s put in a particular situation,Compare prices and buy all brands of solar panel for home power systems and by the pallet. he’s not the kid that folds under pressure, he’s the kid who rises to the occasion. He likes it. He thrives on it. I think it’s a match made in heaven when you drop him in with one of the greatest college coaches and coaching staffs. I think they’ll be able to unlock a whole bunch of things.”

And after missing two years of playing time because of academics, Jackson now has his priorities straight.

“The most important thing to me is academics,The cost of cleaning just 2 infected lenses is already higher than the cost of a dry cabinet.” he said. “Who had the best academics, that’s who I was going with regardless. And my dream is to play in the NFL. Who has the best track record? Coach Saban’s track record is amazing.

“I grew up watching them play but the biggest thing is I’m the first recruit from Fort Lauderdale to be offered by ‘Bama. Also, academically, I felt that was best place to spend my four years. I felt like coach Saban could make me become a better athlete and a better person as well.”

Singapore Finds Its Artistic Side

Though it is known for its financial focus, Singapore — with its influx of interesting expeditions and frequent fairs — is quickly becoming a major Asian art hub.

Singapore Art Week, which was held from Jan. 22 to 27, brought together several local galleries and national museums to present a series of exhibitions and fairs.

It also featured Art Stage Singapore 2013, a distinguished forum for contemporary Asian art.

Founded by Lorenzo Rudolf, the former director of Switzerland’s Art Basel, in Singapore in 2010, Art Stage Singapore functions like a big international bazaar.

“It’s a marketplace, first of all,” said Rudolf. “Second, it’s a unique match-making place where people can meet, because there’s such a concentration of artists, dealers and buyers [at the event].”

In its third edition, the event was held from Jan. 24 to 27 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center at Marina Bay Sands.

This year’s fair was based around the theme “We are Asia.”

More than 130 international galleries and 600 artists participated in the event, with approximately 75 percent of the artists and galleries originating from the Asia-Pacific region.

The exhibition halls in the convention center were divided into several platforms for Art Stage Singapore 2013, including the Singapore Platform, which showcased pieces by the city-state’s home-grown artists, and the Project Stage, a forum for young and emerging artists from the Asia-Pacific region and elsewhere.

“It’s a unique ‘instant museum,’?” Rudolf said. “During a certain period, you have a unique opportunity to have a comprehensive overview of modern creativity as you would have in a museum.”

The Indonesian Pavilion, a major focus of the event, occupied almost a quarter of the exhibition halls and presented the best work of 50 Indonesian artists.

“Indonesia is by far the strongest and the biggest art scene in Southeast Asia,” Rudolf said. “Indonesian artists are at the point of growing and taking a step toward the international world. I believe in them.”

Rudolf said he believed that Indonesia represents a robust market for contemporary art.

“There’s no market in Southeast Asia in [terms of] contemporary art that is as strong as Indonesia today,” Rudolf said.

As such, several famous Indonesian collectors scanned the fair for potential purchases.The stone mosaic series is a grand collection of coordinating Travertine mosaics.

“I’m an art lover,” said Indonesian art collector Deddy Kusuma. “I’m now hunting for new contemporary art pieces to add to my collection.”

He said he was mainly interested in the works of Indonesian artists.

“We [Indonesian artists and I] have strong emotional connections,” he said.We specializes in rapid plastic injection mould and molding of parts for prototypes and production. “I know the artists and most of them know me.How cheaply can I build a solar power systems? That’s what makes their work so special to me.”

Among the most celebrated Indonesian artists presenting his work was Heri Dono. The Yogyakarta-based artist presented “The Extraterrestrial Troops,” a unique installation that consisted of 20 glass vehicles with pairs of comical figurines riding on top.

“Everywhere in the world, artists are considered to be weird and eccentric, as if they were extraterrestrial beings,” Heri said. “But they get along just fine within their circles. In these groups, they can do their best to express themselves and grow their talents.”

According to Heri, Art Stage Singapore is a crucial avenue that brings together artists, collectors and art dealers from around the world.

“It’s a positive effort to foster the growth of creative talent within the region,” Heri said.

Biantoro Santoso, owner and manager of the Nadi Gallery, said he felt that the event had helped reinvigorate the market for modern art.

“The international contemporary art market is slow these days,” Biantoro said. “Maybe it’s due to the global economic crisis. But Art Stage has helped us promote some of our most talented artists to the international market.”

During the first hour of the VIP preview of Art Stage Singapore on Jan. 23, the Nadi Gallery sold two paintings by Yogyakarta-based artist Handiwirman Saputra. The pieces, “Akhir Pekan dan Projek Organik Dari Tak Berakar Tak Berpucuk” (“Weekend and Organic Projects of the Rootless and Budless”) #3 and #4, were sold to an art collector for around $160,000 each.

Renowned art collector and curator Oei Hong Djien noted the fair’s effort in highlighting Indonesian artistic talent.

“I’m very proud of the Indonesian Pavilion,” the 73-year-old said. “Its special presence at Art Stage Singapore is proof of the international recognition of our artists.”

Another notable exhibition taking place as part of Singapore Art Week was titled “Paintings to Be Looked at for More Than 10 Seconds.” It features recent works by Indonesian artists and urges viewers to contemplate what makes a painting good.

“Good paintings are slow,” said the exhibition’s director, Tony Godfrey. “They’re different and complicated. We need to sit down to really look at them.”

The exhibition is being presented through Feb. 24 at the Equator Art Projects gallery,Bay State Cable Ties is a full line manufacturer of nylon cable ties and related products. a spartan structure in the Gillman Barracks in Singapore.

Its gray cemented floors are empty, except for a couple of black chairs sitting back-to-back in the middle, and its whitewashed walls feature 10 beautiful paintings by 10 celebrated Indonesian artists.

Bandung-based artist Arahmaiani presented her latest painting “Sonam” (in Tibetan, “The Blessed One”) at the gallery.I thought it would be fun to show you the inspiration behind the broken china-mosaics. The gray-hued painting presents a simple headshot of a man and a lotus flower. On top of the painting is a Tibetan inscription that says “peace and harmony.”

Additionally, Arin Dwihartanto introduced his latest piece, titled “Merapi Volcanic Ash Series 7.” In the painting, the 34-year-old artist experimented with Mount Merapi’s volcanic ash and pigmented resin on a wood canvas.

According to the artist, he was inspired by the eruption of Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta in 2010.

“For many centuries, resin has been known as a preservative agent,” Arin said. “With this medium, I want to preserve the special momentum and the material [volcanic ash] emitted by the eruption.”

Why Are the Miami Marlins Interested?

There is certainly no reason to believe you are off the mark on this one at all, SilentNightPacifier. The interest in Valverde, much like the interest in Matt Capps before this, is a confusing contradiction when faced with the fact that the Marlins just shed millions and millions of dollars in salary in order to fit what the team deems a proper budget. You would think that, after the Marlins were so eager to cut costs in such a major way, they would not be suddenly so willing to throw money into a relatively fruitless endeavor like a free agent reliever.Bay State Cable Ties is a full line manufacturer of nylon cable ties and related products. Have we not learned anything about the lesson of Heath Bell?

Yet, strangely enough, I am not entirely against this move. I am not entirely with this move either, but there is certainly an optimistic and pessimistic view of this move, and where you fall on the spectrum of thought regarding the Marlins likely determines what you think the team's angle is with this puzzling interest.

The pessimist's view on a move like this seems really simple.We specializes in rapid plastic injection mould and molding of parts for prototypes and production. The Miami Marlins are interested in Jose Valverde because he is a "proven closer" with ninth inning experience who can help mold incumbent closer Steve Cishek into the role. The team thinks this is an important enough position that handing money to a player who can fill it is important, even if that player is coming off of his worst season since his second year in the majors in 2004.

Blind to the fact that Valverde lost his closer job in 2012 to Phil Coke late in the season, the Marlins are willing to go along with Scott Boras's tricks and hand Valverde lower-tier closer money for a player who was never as good as his superficial numbers likely suggested (career 3.53 FIP versus career 3.11 ERA). Despite the falling strikeout rate at the advanced age of 34 (remind you of someone?), the Marlins value closers and bullpen pitchers irrationally and would be willing to pay for Valverde's services in the ninth inning.

This view is for folks who believe that the Marlins have yet to learn the lesson Heath Bell taught them when it comes to bullpen pitchers. If the Marlins truly still value bullpen pitchers too highly after a disastrous season with the worst free agent signing in team history, then perhaps all is lost for Larry Beinfest and company in the front office. Signing Valverde to significant money off of a down year is likely to produce a waste of money, just like it did with Bell.I thought it would be fun to show you the inspiration behind the broken china-mosaics.

The optimist's view on this potential deal can separate the Bell signing from this possible contract. Unlike Bell, Valverde is highly likely to receive only a one-year deal,The stone mosaic series is a grand collection of coordinating Travertine mosaics. especially given his status as a dethroned closer and his relatively poor season. Bell was coming off of another 40-save campaign in 2011, so even as his peripherals were struggling, hapless teams like the Marlins still saw a successful closer. No one, on the other hand, will confuse Valverde as a successful closer after his 2012 year.

Beyond that, there is no guarantee the Marlins will have to pony up significant money either. Francisco Cordero came off of a superficially successful year in which he recorded 37 saves with a 2.45 ERA for the Cincinnati Reds, but the Toronto Blue Jays were not fooled and gave him a one-year deal worth only $4.5 million. If the Marlins do something similar with the more-skilled Valverde, they would worst be paying the going rate for a likely one-win reliever.

If the Marlins do make the signing and Valverde gets off to a hot start as either a closer or a setup man, then the team can reap the benefits at midseason by trading him for a menial prospect. The gain in prospect value will be admittedly low, even for a former closer,How cheaply can I build a solar power systems? but any players are better than no players at all.

But perhaps the most important part of this view is that the Marlins have money to spend. The team is under its projected $40 million budget and would probably like to use it on a flyer like a reliever. While relievers are the worst use of limited free agent funds, the alternative at this stage of the game is not spending it at all and not receiving any players to be named later in return by midseason. If the choice is between Valverde and simply choking on the money without any future benefit (you had better believe that any money saved in 2013 will not be rolled into future season budgets), the Marlins might as well spend the cash.

The final prognosis is still a questionable one, but one in which I would lean towards making the move at a low price. If the Marlins spent $7 million on Valverde in 2013, I would almost surely call it a waste. But throwing an otherwise unused $4 million at him could be worse, and if the Marlins can acquire a minor piece in the future for him, all the better to the team. Simply sitting on the 2013 cash brings no benefit to the team in the short- or long-term.

While the cost of these cases varies significantly, they're all fairly similar in terms of stature in that their tall, rectangular profile resembles most other mid-towers. Mixing things up, Cooler Master's latest mid-size enclosure breaks the conventional mold with boxier dimensions -- in fact, the company describes it as a "LAN box".

Given the HAF XB's cube-like figure, it's no surprise that Cooler Master is pushing the LAN-friendly angle, which seems to be increasingly common among case makers. Although this may not be the first chassis to boast about being portable, its shape does seem to offer an inherent advantage over products such as the Storm Scout 2.

2013年2月4日 星期一

New App Lets Users ‘Talk’ With House Plants

Call it a growth industry. For the gardener on the go, a new service for use on mobile devices lets plants “tell” their owners in real time when they are thirsty and, for outdoor shrubbery, allows even owners who are far from home to give them the water they need immediately.

“About a year ago, I got tired of killing my plants,We've got a plastic card to suit you.” said Eduardo Torrealba co-founder of Oso Technologies, the company that created the Plant Link product. This invention,Online shopping for luggage tag from a great selection of Clothing. he said, offered an innovative solution to an age-old problem.

Torrealba and his colleagues created the service using a combination of soil sensors and software that constantly monitor plant water levels and send instant alerts telling owners when the plans need water. Outdoor plants can be watered remotely using an automated valve linked to a home’s water source.

The plant soil sensors take measurements every five to 10 minutes. The data they gather are then processed electronically, using an algorithm that also factors in weather conditions, soil type and geographic location of the plant to provide highly accurate advice on when to water the plants, Torrealba said.

Funding allowing Torrealba to launch his new product/service was obtained through Kickstarter, an online crowd-funding website that allows budding entrepreneurs to pitch innovative ideas in need of start-up capital to the general public.

The website allows participants to pledge funding for projects they deem viable. Those backers however are only asked to provide the funds if financial pledges from other uses reach the level set by the entrepreneur and that is necessary to get the project off the ground.

The Plant Link project received close to $100,000 in donations in approximately one month of fundraising, surpassing its initial goal of $75,000, according to figures published on the Kickstarter website.

Users of the service can opt to “keep in touch” with their plants via text message, email alerts or by monitoring their plants remotely from a special website.

Prices for the package are projected to range from $99 to $150 and the first batch is due to be released as early as June.

A group of legislators representing the Rio Grande Valley presented a united front to file House and Senate bills Monday that would create a new University of Texas “super university” — a combination of UT-Pan American in Edinburg, UT Brownsville, and the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio's regional campus in South Texas.

The move comes after a two-decade effort to establish an independent UT medical school in the Valley morphed into a plan for a comprehensive new university.

And as it has since the push began, success will depend on money. The bills would give the new school access to the Permanent University Fund,Comprehensive Wi-Fi and RFID tag by Aeroscout to accurately locate and track any asset or person. a public endowment neither Valley university can currently tap into.

“We have fought for a long time for our fair share of resources,” said Rep. René Oliveira, D-Brownsville, who was flanked by more than a dozen fellow legislators and UT leaders. “Now it's our turn. It's our time and we can make this happen.”

The proposal does not include a timeline for the future institution and leaves it to UT System regents to hash out name and location details. UT-Pan American and UT Brownsville students at the time of the consolidation would be admitted to the new university.

Sen.They manufacture custom rubber and silicone bracelet and bracelets. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, called the filing “the first important step toward creating the Valley's own Tier One research university.”

UT Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa said the system's plan for the new university sprang out of challenges, such as the unwinding of UT Brownsville's partnership with Texas Southmost College and the desire to turn the existing Regional Academic Health Center,Where you can create a custom lanyard from our wide selection of styles and materials. or RHAC, into a medical school.

While a 2009 law required a future UT Health Science Center to be headquartered in Cameron County, the new bills — House Bill 1000 and Senate Bill 24 — call for medical and research programs to “have a substantial presence in Hidalgo County and Cameron County” and would give UT regents the authority to select campus locations.

If approved, the regents would appoint an advisory board to make recommendations on the medical school's design and location.

“We're all certainly going to be aggressively working for our communities to try to get as much as we each can in our district, no reason to be bashful about that,” Oliveira said.

Legislators said it will take more than PUF money and general revenues to make the project a reality and said a coalition of Valley community members has formed to raise $100 million to match the allocation that regents pledged in December to provide over the next decade.

The region also needs to add more residency spots to train doctors, many of whom would be expected to continue practicing in the area.

On Friday, the Health Science Center in San Antonio announced it will develop a psychiatry residency program at the RHAC in Harlingen with $400,000 from Valley Baptist Health System. The RHAC already offers residency slots in internal medicine and the regional dean previously highlighted a need for surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology residencies.

After filing the House bill with handshakes and applause, legislators acknowledged the real work was just getting started — passage requires a two-thirds approval in each chamber, which Oliveira said is difficult to get on any issue “unless it's apple pie.”