Researchers who analysed samples of volcanic ash from last year's eruption in Iceland have claimed that the particles were capable of causing an air disaster.
In a report, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the experts conclude that the decision of aviation authorities to ground commercial jets for seven days after the eruption at Eyjafjallajokull was justified.
The scientific study claims that the "sharp and abrasive" fine-grained ash particles had the potential to sandblast aircraft windows, restricting visibility, and could have also stalled engines.
Safety concerns after the eruption on April 14 last year led to the decision to ground flights, disrupting travel for 10 million passengers and costing between £1.3 billion and £2.2 billion - highlighting the need for adequate travel insurance to avoid inconvenience.
The explosive nature of the eruption was caused by glacial meltwater coming into contact with hot volcanic magma.
Tiny pieces of extremely hard, abrasive material were ejected to heights of more than nine kilometres and carried as far as Russia.
Fears over volcanic ash arose from a previous incident in 1982 when a British Airways 747 flew through debris from the eruption of Mount Galunggung in Indonesia.
The pilot reported sparks from the windows and wings, and all four engines failed when melted ash coated their interior.
2011年4月28日星期四
Mobile Abrasive Waterjet System Travels for Work
Kent, Washington, April 19, 2011 - With the development of its mobile OMAX JetMachining® Center, the OMAX Corporation meets the specific requirements of the oil field maintenance, high-rise steel construction, shipbuilding, commercial industries supporting government programs, and any other commercial businesses needing to easily transport waterjet equipment on a regular basis. Essentially, the extremely durable and reliable system is a transportable abrasive waterjet shop mounted to a steel base with forklift access points, so the entire system can be quickly and easily moved. Three types of OMAX JetMachining Centers are available for the mobile unit configuration: the Model 2626, the Model 2652, and the Model 5555.
System components rest on a durable, epoxy-coated platform that features metal tie-down rings for safe and secure shipping. Manufacturing facilities can also move the system with an overhead crane using the platform's provided corner eyebolts.
Delivered completely assembled and factory tested, the mobile OMAX JetMachining Center includes a direct drive pump, a pump chiller, water softener system, and 100 lb bulk hopper for abrasive storage. These standard commercially available components make for ease of use in the field. Additionally, quick-disconnects for air, power, and water allow operators to have the system up and running in a matter of minutes.
OMAX is committed to developing cutting-edge technology and innovative software to ensure that each customer enjoys the benefits of the industry's most technologically advanced abrasive waterjet machines and accessories.
System components rest on a durable, epoxy-coated platform that features metal tie-down rings for safe and secure shipping. Manufacturing facilities can also move the system with an overhead crane using the platform's provided corner eyebolts.
Delivered completely assembled and factory tested, the mobile OMAX JetMachining Center includes a direct drive pump, a pump chiller, water softener system, and 100 lb bulk hopper for abrasive storage. These standard commercially available components make for ease of use in the field. Additionally, quick-disconnects for air, power, and water allow operators to have the system up and running in a matter of minutes.
OMAX is committed to developing cutting-edge technology and innovative software to ensure that each customer enjoys the benefits of the industry's most technologically advanced abrasive waterjet machines and accessories.
2011年4月26日星期二
Grounding aircraft during Icelandic volcanic ash scare was the RIGHT thing to do, scientists claim
Fears over volcanic ash arose from a previous incident in 1982 when a British Airways 747 flew through debris from the eruption of Mount Galunggung in Indonesia.
The pilot reported sparks from the windows and wings, and all four engines failed when melted ash coated their interior.
Luckily it proved possible to restart three engines as they cooled during the descent.
The pilot landed while peeking through a two-inch strip on a side window that had avoided sandblasting.
Laboratory tests carried out on the Icelandic ash suggested that a similar event could have happened again.
The researchers, led by Dr Sigurdur Gislason from the University of Iceland, wrote: 'The very sharp, hard particles put aircraft at risk from abrasion on windows and body and from melting in jet engines.
'In the lab, ash particles did not become less sharp during two weeks of stirring in water, so airborne particles would remain sharp even after days of interaction with each other and water in clouds. Thus, concerns for air transport were well grounded.'
The explosive nature of the eruption on April 14 last year was caused by glacial meltwater coming into contact with hot volcanic magma.
The explosive nature of the eruption on April 14 last year was caused by glacial meltwater coming into contact with hot volcanic magma
Results of the study could form the basis of a safety protocol for rapidly assessing the risk from future volcanic eruptions, said the scientists.
Size, shape, and hardness of ash particles were the 'key parameters' for estimating abrasiveness and the risk to aircraft.
Analysis of the fragments' mineral composition provided information about hardness and melting temperature.
'Together with estimates of the mass of ash produced, plume height, grain size distribution, and the dispersion rate, these data would provide input for modelling to predict the hazard level for aircraft,' the researchers wrote.
The pilot reported sparks from the windows and wings, and all four engines failed when melted ash coated their interior.
Luckily it proved possible to restart three engines as they cooled during the descent.
The pilot landed while peeking through a two-inch strip on a side window that had avoided sandblasting.
Laboratory tests carried out on the Icelandic ash suggested that a similar event could have happened again.
The researchers, led by Dr Sigurdur Gislason from the University of Iceland, wrote: 'The very sharp, hard particles put aircraft at risk from abrasion on windows and body and from melting in jet engines.
'In the lab, ash particles did not become less sharp during two weeks of stirring in water, so airborne particles would remain sharp even after days of interaction with each other and water in clouds. Thus, concerns for air transport were well grounded.'
The explosive nature of the eruption on April 14 last year was caused by glacial meltwater coming into contact with hot volcanic magma.
The explosive nature of the eruption on April 14 last year was caused by glacial meltwater coming into contact with hot volcanic magma
Results of the study could form the basis of a safety protocol for rapidly assessing the risk from future volcanic eruptions, said the scientists.
Size, shape, and hardness of ash particles were the 'key parameters' for estimating abrasiveness and the risk to aircraft.
Analysis of the fragments' mineral composition provided information about hardness and melting temperature.
'Together with estimates of the mass of ash produced, plume height, grain size distribution, and the dispersion rate, these data would provide input for modelling to predict the hazard level for aircraft,' the researchers wrote.
Mike the Kiternaut
AT THE anchor end of what is possibly the longest kite string in the world is a gentle Cleveland man who has mastered the art of flying 50 kites at a time, all from the same master string.
What compulsions inspire the mass kite flying program evade even the flyer, Michael Weletyk of 12306 Watterson Avenue S. E. But he does know that cares soar aloft with his kites as he conducts his vicarious ventures in the upper reaches. Weletyk has never been off the ground in anything.
When the pull of many kites creates tension of the master nylon string, there is often a strange and intermittent humming sound, like errant radio signals from a distant planet.
"Ah," sighs Weletyk, "the angels are singing again."
But flying kites today, especially when they are in groups and go up to 10,000 feet, involves problems that would have frustrated Benjamin Franklin. When a major kite flying session is about to start he must call the Federal Aviation Agency, the branch of government charged with safe flying practices and parceling out of air space. They in turn must notify airports of the kite hazard and identify the area of danger to pilots. Regular string wouldn't be a problem, but Weletyk's braided, 510-pound test nylon would be, especially to small craft.
When many kites are angled off the main string, the pull is too great to handle. So he has the main string wound on a big wheel with handles so he can let it out or reel it in.
"They'd take me up with them if I didn't have something heavy to control the pull."
The first kites are sent up on light but strong monofilament fishing line with successive kites being anchored to progressively heavier string or cord until at last the strong main string takes over.
The Weletyks, Mike and Magdalena, came to America from Germany in 1950. He was born in the Ukraine but was conscripted for forced labor in the German coal mines during the war.
"At first we had Sundays off," he recalls. "Then they told us we would have to work on Sundays, too."
After the war he was a policeman in a displaced persons camp. Here he met Magdalena, who worked as a cook for his superior.
AFTER a few unpleasant months in New York they came to Cleveland when a friend found them an apartment and promised to help Weletyk find a job. They now have three children: John Michael, 4, Elizabeth, 12, and Elenore, 16.
The kite flying started only three years ago when he sent one up for the amusement of John Michael, then only a baby. Something about it intrigued him and he was off on a bigger-and-better kite flying system.
Major flights were originally from the roof of the four-family apartment house where they live. Colorful formations of kites went so high they were often lost in the clouds. Here his first heavy control wheel is still mounted although it has been superseded by a newer and fancier one which he can transport on a trailer to rural "flight fields."
Weletyk's prowess with kites has inspired considerable interest at the Dracco Division of the Fuller Co., where he works. Fellow employees in the shop worked on their lunch hours to help build the portable control wheel and the company donated pieces of outmoded equipment.
"Without them I'd still be grounded."
One Monday morning, after scores of his colorful kites had been prominent in the sky all weekend, he came to work to find a large sign hanging from the plant crane. It said, "Welcome back, Mike the kiternaut."
In the Orient kite flying is considered a major hobby. In Japan, for instance, kite flyers will duel, the kite strings being coated with abrasive materials and the kite edges laced with razor blades. The object is to cut down the opponent's kite.
"That type of kite flying doesn't appeal to me," Weletyk observed. "All I want is to feel the pull of the high winds which we still don't know much about. There's really no limit. Someday, when conditions are just right, I'm going to get them up into the jet stream. Then the angels will really be singing."
What compulsions inspire the mass kite flying program evade even the flyer, Michael Weletyk of 12306 Watterson Avenue S. E. But he does know that cares soar aloft with his kites as he conducts his vicarious ventures in the upper reaches. Weletyk has never been off the ground in anything.
When the pull of many kites creates tension of the master nylon string, there is often a strange and intermittent humming sound, like errant radio signals from a distant planet.
"Ah," sighs Weletyk, "the angels are singing again."
But flying kites today, especially when they are in groups and go up to 10,000 feet, involves problems that would have frustrated Benjamin Franklin. When a major kite flying session is about to start he must call the Federal Aviation Agency, the branch of government charged with safe flying practices and parceling out of air space. They in turn must notify airports of the kite hazard and identify the area of danger to pilots. Regular string wouldn't be a problem, but Weletyk's braided, 510-pound test nylon would be, especially to small craft.
When many kites are angled off the main string, the pull is too great to handle. So he has the main string wound on a big wheel with handles so he can let it out or reel it in.
"They'd take me up with them if I didn't have something heavy to control the pull."
The first kites are sent up on light but strong monofilament fishing line with successive kites being anchored to progressively heavier string or cord until at last the strong main string takes over.
The Weletyks, Mike and Magdalena, came to America from Germany in 1950. He was born in the Ukraine but was conscripted for forced labor in the German coal mines during the war.
"At first we had Sundays off," he recalls. "Then they told us we would have to work on Sundays, too."
After the war he was a policeman in a displaced persons camp. Here he met Magdalena, who worked as a cook for his superior.
AFTER a few unpleasant months in New York they came to Cleveland when a friend found them an apartment and promised to help Weletyk find a job. They now have three children: John Michael, 4, Elizabeth, 12, and Elenore, 16.
The kite flying started only three years ago when he sent one up for the amusement of John Michael, then only a baby. Something about it intrigued him and he was off on a bigger-and-better kite flying system.
Major flights were originally from the roof of the four-family apartment house where they live. Colorful formations of kites went so high they were often lost in the clouds. Here his first heavy control wheel is still mounted although it has been superseded by a newer and fancier one which he can transport on a trailer to rural "flight fields."
Weletyk's prowess with kites has inspired considerable interest at the Dracco Division of the Fuller Co., where he works. Fellow employees in the shop worked on their lunch hours to help build the portable control wheel and the company donated pieces of outmoded equipment.
"Without them I'd still be grounded."
One Monday morning, after scores of his colorful kites had been prominent in the sky all weekend, he came to work to find a large sign hanging from the plant crane. It said, "Welcome back, Mike the kiternaut."
In the Orient kite flying is considered a major hobby. In Japan, for instance, kite flyers will duel, the kite strings being coated with abrasive materials and the kite edges laced with razor blades. The object is to cut down the opponent's kite.
"That type of kite flying doesn't appeal to me," Weletyk observed. "All I want is to feel the pull of the high winds which we still don't know much about. There's really no limit. Someday, when conditions are just right, I'm going to get them up into the jet stream. Then the angels will really be singing."
Earnings Outlook, MMM, CBG, KO
3M Company NYSE:MMM, CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. NYSE:CBG, The Coca-Cola Company NYSE:KO
3M Company NYSE:MMM
3M Company (3M), incorporated in 1929, is a diversified technology company with a presence in industrial and transportation; health care; display and graphics; consumer and office; safety, security and protection services, and electro and communications. 3M manages its operations in six operating business segments: industrial and transportation; health care; display and graphics; consumer and office; safety, security and protection services, and electro and communications. 3M products are sold through numerous distribution channels, including directly to users and through numerous wholesalers, retailers, jobbers, distributors and dealers in a variety of trades in many countries. In February 2011, 3M (industrial and transportation business) announced that it completed its acquisition of the tape-related assets of Alpha Beta Enterprise Co. Ltd. In February 2011, the Company acquired Hybrivet Systems Inc. In April 2011, the Company acquired Original Wraps Inc.
In December 2010, it (safety, security and protection services business) acquired the remaining non-controlling interest in Cogent Inc. In October 2010, 3M acquired a controlling interest in Cogent Inc. In October 2010, 3M (consumer and office business) purchased certain assets of Ross Outdoor Sports Specialties, LLC. In October 2010, 3M (health care business) purchased all of the outstanding shares of Hangzhou ORJ Medical Instrument and Material Co., Ltd., and Arizant Inc. In October 2010, 3M (safety, security and protection services business) purchased all of the outstanding shares of Attenti Holdings S.A. In July 2010, 3M (safety, security and protection services business) purchased all of the outstanding shares of Dailys Limited. In June 2010, 3M (industrial and transportation business) purchased all of the outstanding shares of MTI PolyFab Inc. In May 2010, 3M (health care business) purchased certain assets of J.R. Phoenix Ltd. In April 2010, 3M (consumer and office business) purchased a majority stake in the A-One branded label business and related operations. In January 2010, 3M (consumer and office business) purchased all of the outstanding shares of Incavas Industria de Cabos e Vassouras Ltda.
Industrial and Transportation Business
The industrial and transportation segment serves a range of markets, such as appliance, paper and packaging, food and beverage, electronics, automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and automotive aftermarket (auto body shops and retail). Industrial and transportation products include tapes, a variety of coated and non-woven abrasives, adhesives, specialty materials, filtration products, energy control products, closure systems for personal hygiene products, acoustic systems products, and components and products that are used in the manufacture, repair and maintenance of automotive, marine, aircraft and specialty vehicles. Major industrial products include vinyl, polyester, foil, and specialty industrial tapes and adhesives; Scotch Masking Tape, Scotch Filament Tape and Scotch Packaging Tape; packaging equipment; 3M VHB Bonding Tapes; conductive, low surface energy, hot melt, spray and structural adhesives; reclosable fasteners; label materials for durable goods, and coated, nonwoven and microstructured surface finishing and grinding abrasives for the industrial market.
3M Purification Inc. provides a line of filtration products for the separation, clarification and purification of fluids and gases. Other industrial products include fluoroelastomers for seals, tubes and gaskets in engines, and engineering fluids. In addition, it provides 3M Scotchtint Window Film for buildings, 3M Ultra Safety and Security Window Film for property and personal protection during destructive weather conditions, closure systems for personal hygiene products, and acoustic systems products. Major transportation products include insulation components, including components for catalytic converters; functional and decorative graphics; abrasion-resistant films; masking tapes; fasteners and tapes for attaching nameplates, trim, moldings, interior panels and carpeting; coated, nonwoven and microstructured finishing and grinding abrasives; structural adhesives, and other specialty materials. In addition, 3M provides paint finishing and detailing products, including a complete system of cleaners, dressings, polishes, waxes and other products.
Health Care Business
The health care segment serves markets that include medical clinics and hospitals, pharmaceuticals, dental and orthodontic practitioners, and health information systems. Products and services provided to these and other markets include medical and surgical supplies, skin health and infection prevention products, inhalation and transdermal drug delivery systems, dental and orthodontic products (oral care), health information systems, and food safety products. In the medical and surgical areas, 3M is a supplier of medical tapes, dressings, wound closure products, orthopedic casting materials, electrodes and stethoscopes.
In infection prevention, 3M markets a variety of surgical drapes, masks and preps, as well as sterilization assurance equipment. Other products include drug delivery systems, such as metered-dose inhalers, transdermal skin patches and related components. Dental and orthodontic products include restoratives, adhesives, finishing and polishing products, crowns, impression materials, preventive sealants, professional tooth whiteners, prophylaxis, and orthodontic appliances. In health information systems, 3M develops and markets computer software for hospital coding and data classification, and provides related consulting services. 3M provides food safety products for food processors to test the microbiological quality of food.
3M Company NYSE:MMM
3M Company (3M), incorporated in 1929, is a diversified technology company with a presence in industrial and transportation; health care; display and graphics; consumer and office; safety, security and protection services, and electro and communications. 3M manages its operations in six operating business segments: industrial and transportation; health care; display and graphics; consumer and office; safety, security and protection services, and electro and communications. 3M products are sold through numerous distribution channels, including directly to users and through numerous wholesalers, retailers, jobbers, distributors and dealers in a variety of trades in many countries. In February 2011, 3M (industrial and transportation business) announced that it completed its acquisition of the tape-related assets of Alpha Beta Enterprise Co. Ltd. In February 2011, the Company acquired Hybrivet Systems Inc. In April 2011, the Company acquired Original Wraps Inc.
In December 2010, it (safety, security and protection services business) acquired the remaining non-controlling interest in Cogent Inc. In October 2010, 3M acquired a controlling interest in Cogent Inc. In October 2010, 3M (consumer and office business) purchased certain assets of Ross Outdoor Sports Specialties, LLC. In October 2010, 3M (health care business) purchased all of the outstanding shares of Hangzhou ORJ Medical Instrument and Material Co., Ltd., and Arizant Inc. In October 2010, 3M (safety, security and protection services business) purchased all of the outstanding shares of Attenti Holdings S.A. In July 2010, 3M (safety, security and protection services business) purchased all of the outstanding shares of Dailys Limited. In June 2010, 3M (industrial and transportation business) purchased all of the outstanding shares of MTI PolyFab Inc. In May 2010, 3M (health care business) purchased certain assets of J.R. Phoenix Ltd. In April 2010, 3M (consumer and office business) purchased a majority stake in the A-One branded label business and related operations. In January 2010, 3M (consumer and office business) purchased all of the outstanding shares of Incavas Industria de Cabos e Vassouras Ltda.
Industrial and Transportation Business
The industrial and transportation segment serves a range of markets, such as appliance, paper and packaging, food and beverage, electronics, automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and automotive aftermarket (auto body shops and retail). Industrial and transportation products include tapes, a variety of coated and non-woven abrasives, adhesives, specialty materials, filtration products, energy control products, closure systems for personal hygiene products, acoustic systems products, and components and products that are used in the manufacture, repair and maintenance of automotive, marine, aircraft and specialty vehicles. Major industrial products include vinyl, polyester, foil, and specialty industrial tapes and adhesives; Scotch Masking Tape, Scotch Filament Tape and Scotch Packaging Tape; packaging equipment; 3M VHB Bonding Tapes; conductive, low surface energy, hot melt, spray and structural adhesives; reclosable fasteners; label materials for durable goods, and coated, nonwoven and microstructured surface finishing and grinding abrasives for the industrial market.
3M Purification Inc. provides a line of filtration products for the separation, clarification and purification of fluids and gases. Other industrial products include fluoroelastomers for seals, tubes and gaskets in engines, and engineering fluids. In addition, it provides 3M Scotchtint Window Film for buildings, 3M Ultra Safety and Security Window Film for property and personal protection during destructive weather conditions, closure systems for personal hygiene products, and acoustic systems products. Major transportation products include insulation components, including components for catalytic converters; functional and decorative graphics; abrasion-resistant films; masking tapes; fasteners and tapes for attaching nameplates, trim, moldings, interior panels and carpeting; coated, nonwoven and microstructured finishing and grinding abrasives; structural adhesives, and other specialty materials. In addition, 3M provides paint finishing and detailing products, including a complete system of cleaners, dressings, polishes, waxes and other products.
Health Care Business
The health care segment serves markets that include medical clinics and hospitals, pharmaceuticals, dental and orthodontic practitioners, and health information systems. Products and services provided to these and other markets include medical and surgical supplies, skin health and infection prevention products, inhalation and transdermal drug delivery systems, dental and orthodontic products (oral care), health information systems, and food safety products. In the medical and surgical areas, 3M is a supplier of medical tapes, dressings, wound closure products, orthopedic casting materials, electrodes and stethoscopes.
In infection prevention, 3M markets a variety of surgical drapes, masks and preps, as well as sterilization assurance equipment. Other products include drug delivery systems, such as metered-dose inhalers, transdermal skin patches and related components. Dental and orthodontic products include restoratives, adhesives, finishing and polishing products, crowns, impression materials, preventive sealants, professional tooth whiteners, prophylaxis, and orthodontic appliances. In health information systems, 3M develops and markets computer software for hospital coding and data classification, and provides related consulting services. 3M provides food safety products for food processors to test the microbiological quality of food.
2011年4月24日星期日
Concrete Driveways
When the drinking water inside the concrete freezes, it expands and the prime layer of concrete can break from this growth.
De-icing Salts and Deteriorating Concrete
As salts melt snow and ice, water enters the concrete. If the temperature drops below the functioning temperature of the de-icing compound, the h2o will freeze. This will increase the quantity of enlargement cycles brought about by freeze-thaw cycles. When the de-icing salt itself does not damage the concrete, the growth of freezing drinking water does. The de-icing salts do induce corrosion of the steel reinforcement that is utilized in concrete driveways. This can lead to a further weakening of the concrete applied in the driveway.
Penetrating Siloxane Sealers to Secure Concrete Driveways
You can not notify just by looking at the driveway if it is solid ample to withstand freezing h2o growth. To be protected, you really should use a penetrating siloxane/silane sealer. These penetrate beneath the surface of the concrete and chemically bond to it. The pores get stuffed and halt water from entering the concrete. And they enable the concrete to breathe and release any h2o vapor that is within of them. H2o can also arrive up from under the concrete and it must be capable to escape. If it can not and is trapped beneath the floor, the h2o will freeze and lead to spalling and scaling. You must stay clear of silicones, epoxies and acrylics since they do not let the h2o vapor to escape. The sealers leave an invisible barrier to h2o. They will not color, darken or change the texture of the concrete.
A lot of houses now have concrete driveways. Concrete is utilised simply because it is lengthy lived, quick to sustain and aesthetically satisfying. Most driveways have a broom end to them and when additional costly, uncovered aggregate is popular, also.
A good installation begins with a excellent concrete mix. Air entrained concrete will need to be used. This signifies that the concrete has microscopic air bubbles trapped within the concrete and remain there once the it cures.
De-icing Salts and Deteriorating Concrete
As salts melt snow and ice, water enters the concrete. If the temperature drops below the functioning temperature of the de-icing compound, the h2o will freeze. This will increase the quantity of enlargement cycles brought about by freeze-thaw cycles. When the de-icing salt itself does not damage the concrete, the growth of freezing drinking water does. The de-icing salts do induce corrosion of the steel reinforcement that is utilized in concrete driveways. This can lead to a further weakening of the concrete applied in the driveway.
Penetrating Siloxane Sealers to Secure Concrete Driveways
You can not notify just by looking at the driveway if it is solid ample to withstand freezing h2o growth. To be protected, you really should use a penetrating siloxane/silane sealer. These penetrate beneath the surface of the concrete and chemically bond to it. The pores get stuffed and halt water from entering the concrete. And they enable the concrete to breathe and release any h2o vapor that is within of them. H2o can also arrive up from under the concrete and it must be capable to escape. If it can not and is trapped beneath the floor, the h2o will freeze and lead to spalling and scaling. You must stay clear of silicones, epoxies and acrylics since they do not let the h2o vapor to escape. The sealers leave an invisible barrier to h2o. They will not color, darken or change the texture of the concrete.
A lot of houses now have concrete driveways. Concrete is utilised simply because it is lengthy lived, quick to sustain and aesthetically satisfying. Most driveways have a broom end to them and when additional costly, uncovered aggregate is popular, also.
A good installation begins with a excellent concrete mix. Air entrained concrete will need to be used. This signifies that the concrete has microscopic air bubbles trapped within the concrete and remain there once the it cures.
Art becomes therapy for senior
The first thing Joe Masek drew obsessively was the Mötley Crüe logo. He was 12 at the time, living in Cleveland, and had just been dropped off at the runaway shelter by his parents.
Now 34 and a senior majoring in pre-art therapy through the Individualized Major Program, Masek has produced a body of work that has progressed quite a ways from simple drawings of rock ’n’ roll symbols. His favorite symbol now is the chaos star. But the thing that hasn’t changed is his belief that art can be much more than just art, and that’s where art therapy comes in.
“It’s self-reflection,” Masek said. “You create something, you’re making it, then you finish, and you’re just blown away by the emotion behind it.”
Masek is majoring in pre-art therapy because a master’s degree in art therapy is required to be able to practice professionally.
Masek said art therapy takes a different route from more traditional therapy because dialogue isn’t the main form of expression and means to understanding.
Masek said his path to understanding took awhile.
“My biological family couldn’t take care of me,” Masek said. “I was an orphan kid, a street kid. I bounced around group homes and stuff for a long time.”
Alcohol and drugs were huge obstacles for Maske, but he said he’s clean now. And after struggling through a few messy relationships, resolving conflicts with his family and figuring out how he feels about religion, Masek decided six years ago that he wanted to be able to help foster kids like himself. So he went to college.
He credits Sallie Culbreth, the founder of an organization based in Hot Springs, Ark., called Committed to Freedom Ministries, with helping him straighten out his life and setting him on a mission.
“It wasn’t a straight shot, and I messed up a lot,” Masek said about his college years. “It was scary as hell. I never really went to any one school ever in my life, and academically, it was very intimidating.”
For his degree in art therapy, he’s taken courses in art, psychology and religion, which is a theme in his artwork. Formal art training at IU was an adjustment for Masek.
“I fought it,” Masek said. “I even threw a radio at Todd Frahm (a lecturer in the sculpture department), but we’re cool now.”
Frahm admitted that it took him a couple of years to get a handle on Masek’s personality and his way of working.
“He was very resistant to any sense of academia,” Frahm said. “He worked so intuitively, which is good, but he struggled to take a step back and look at things conceptually. He’s gone from being this chaotic, abrasive, crappy welder to someone who’s got a very sensitive eye on his work. A lot of people are artistic and lazy, and he’s not. He’s very driven.”
Much of Masek’s art is sculpture. He works with bronze cast, steel, limestone, oil paints and wood. He said his favorite is steel.
“I’m a cheese ball,” Masek said. “I really love metal and heavy metal together.”
This heavy metal affection filters into Masek’s steel guitar sculptures. The movement in the steel lines of the guitars is as close to musical rhythm as art can get.
Heavy metal music is a passion, but so is Prada. “Prada Needle Jesus” is a sort of altar that spells out Prada in graphic letters and has many injection needles spiking out of the top.
“It means that God loves everybody on both sides of Sample Gates,” Masek said. “God loves everyone, whether you’re a rich white kid or a dirty street kid or if you’re a schizophrenic.”
Religious icons pop up in Masek’s work everywhere. His sculpture “Magdalene’s Addiction,” a limestone relief, depicts Magdalene framed with a crown of injection needles around her head. Masek said Magdalene did sin, but she loved much too, and her sins were forgiven because of that.
In the steel sculpture “Lucifer’s Redemption,” he said he wanted to convey the idea of redemption through suffering.
Sophomore Caitlin Taylor met Masek about a year ago and has become one of his close friends.
“I think his artwork is really wonderful,” Taylor said. “Most of his artwork has a very obvious story behind it. There’s a very obvious emotion there. I love that he uses such bright colors, and he always uses up all of the negative space.”
Friday and Saturday at The Lodge, Masek put on his senior show “Candy Coated Chaos.” About a month ago, he decided to turn his show into a three-way exhibit, silent auction and benefit concert for two different organizations that provide support for abuse survivors.
Since Masek moved here 13 years ago when he was 21, he’s become a part of Bloomington’s local artist community. The two-day show featured pieces from local artists as well as IU students and faculty.
“He’s a very thoughtful, sensitive person,” Frahm said. “He’s had a really difficult life. It’s great to see him give back to the community that saw him through a lot of hard times.”
Taylor said she was surprised that he could organize such a huge event so well without any past experience.
“Just watching all the things that he’s capable of,” Taylor said. “He organized everything. He got all the artwork, he got all the sponsors, he got the space,” Taylor said. “He really busted his ass.”
The inspiration for the show’s theme comes from Masek’s love for the chaos star. It’s tattooed on his right arm, and he wears a necklace he made with the chaos symbol as the pendant.
“I’ve always been drawn to that icon,” Masek said. “Life seems chaotic, but it always falls into place.”
When he finishes graduate school, Masek plans to work with foster kids. He wants to open an art therapy facility designed especially to help kids who have gone through the same things he did.
“It’s not a dream,” Masek said. “I’m going to do it.”
Now 34 and a senior majoring in pre-art therapy through the Individualized Major Program, Masek has produced a body of work that has progressed quite a ways from simple drawings of rock ’n’ roll symbols. His favorite symbol now is the chaos star. But the thing that hasn’t changed is his belief that art can be much more than just art, and that’s where art therapy comes in.
“It’s self-reflection,” Masek said. “You create something, you’re making it, then you finish, and you’re just blown away by the emotion behind it.”
Masek is majoring in pre-art therapy because a master’s degree in art therapy is required to be able to practice professionally.
Masek said art therapy takes a different route from more traditional therapy because dialogue isn’t the main form of expression and means to understanding.
Masek said his path to understanding took awhile.
“My biological family couldn’t take care of me,” Masek said. “I was an orphan kid, a street kid. I bounced around group homes and stuff for a long time.”
Alcohol and drugs were huge obstacles for Maske, but he said he’s clean now. And after struggling through a few messy relationships, resolving conflicts with his family and figuring out how he feels about religion, Masek decided six years ago that he wanted to be able to help foster kids like himself. So he went to college.
He credits Sallie Culbreth, the founder of an organization based in Hot Springs, Ark., called Committed to Freedom Ministries, with helping him straighten out his life and setting him on a mission.
“It wasn’t a straight shot, and I messed up a lot,” Masek said about his college years. “It was scary as hell. I never really went to any one school ever in my life, and academically, it was very intimidating.”
For his degree in art therapy, he’s taken courses in art, psychology and religion, which is a theme in his artwork. Formal art training at IU was an adjustment for Masek.
“I fought it,” Masek said. “I even threw a radio at Todd Frahm (a lecturer in the sculpture department), but we’re cool now.”
Frahm admitted that it took him a couple of years to get a handle on Masek’s personality and his way of working.
“He was very resistant to any sense of academia,” Frahm said. “He worked so intuitively, which is good, but he struggled to take a step back and look at things conceptually. He’s gone from being this chaotic, abrasive, crappy welder to someone who’s got a very sensitive eye on his work. A lot of people are artistic and lazy, and he’s not. He’s very driven.”
Much of Masek’s art is sculpture. He works with bronze cast, steel, limestone, oil paints and wood. He said his favorite is steel.
“I’m a cheese ball,” Masek said. “I really love metal and heavy metal together.”
This heavy metal affection filters into Masek’s steel guitar sculptures. The movement in the steel lines of the guitars is as close to musical rhythm as art can get.
Heavy metal music is a passion, but so is Prada. “Prada Needle Jesus” is a sort of altar that spells out Prada in graphic letters and has many injection needles spiking out of the top.
“It means that God loves everybody on both sides of Sample Gates,” Masek said. “God loves everyone, whether you’re a rich white kid or a dirty street kid or if you’re a schizophrenic.”
Religious icons pop up in Masek’s work everywhere. His sculpture “Magdalene’s Addiction,” a limestone relief, depicts Magdalene framed with a crown of injection needles around her head. Masek said Magdalene did sin, but she loved much too, and her sins were forgiven because of that.
In the steel sculpture “Lucifer’s Redemption,” he said he wanted to convey the idea of redemption through suffering.
Sophomore Caitlin Taylor met Masek about a year ago and has become one of his close friends.
“I think his artwork is really wonderful,” Taylor said. “Most of his artwork has a very obvious story behind it. There’s a very obvious emotion there. I love that he uses such bright colors, and he always uses up all of the negative space.”
Friday and Saturday at The Lodge, Masek put on his senior show “Candy Coated Chaos.” About a month ago, he decided to turn his show into a three-way exhibit, silent auction and benefit concert for two different organizations that provide support for abuse survivors.
Since Masek moved here 13 years ago when he was 21, he’s become a part of Bloomington’s local artist community. The two-day show featured pieces from local artists as well as IU students and faculty.
“He’s a very thoughtful, sensitive person,” Frahm said. “He’s had a really difficult life. It’s great to see him give back to the community that saw him through a lot of hard times.”
Taylor said she was surprised that he could organize such a huge event so well without any past experience.
“Just watching all the things that he’s capable of,” Taylor said. “He organized everything. He got all the artwork, he got all the sponsors, he got the space,” Taylor said. “He really busted his ass.”
The inspiration for the show’s theme comes from Masek’s love for the chaos star. It’s tattooed on his right arm, and he wears a necklace he made with the chaos symbol as the pendant.
“I’ve always been drawn to that icon,” Masek said. “Life seems chaotic, but it always falls into place.”
When he finishes graduate school, Masek plans to work with foster kids. He wants to open an art therapy facility designed especially to help kids who have gone through the same things he did.
“It’s not a dream,” Masek said. “I’m going to do it.”
2011年4月21日星期四
Additions To Weiler's Bonded Abrasives Line
To expand their Vortec Pro bonded abrasives product line, Weiler Corporation has added 12" & 14" cutting wheels in aluminum oxide and silicon carbide grains for general purpose cutting on metal and concrete applications. Weiler has also added 1" and 20mm arbors in the line.
Vortec Pro bonded abrasive products are specifically designed for general purpose grinding and cutting applications on steel, iron, and other ferrous metals. All products are resin-bond formulated for aggressive stock removal and fast cutting, and are reinforced with fiberglass webbing for stability.
Vortec Pro Type 27 grinding products range from 4" to 7" diameter and are available both in 1/4" thickness for grinding and 1/8" thickness for light grinding or cutting. These wheels are offered in aluminum oxide grain with an option of a 5/8"-11 hub and are used on right angle grinders.
Type 27 cutting wheels are offered in .045", .060" and 3/32" thicknesses in diameters from 4" to 7". These wheels are also available in aluminum oxide grain with an option of a 5/8"-11 hub and are used on right angle grinders.
Type 1 cutting wheels are available from 2" to 14" diameter in various grit sizes and thicknesses in aluminum oxide and silicon carbide abrasive grains. All of the these wheels have a metal ring around the hub for additional strength and stability. Type 1 wheels are used on right angle grinders, electric or air die grinders, tool room grinders &circular saws.
Weiler Corporation, an ISO 9001 manufacturer of power and abrasive nylon brushes, abrasives and maintenance products, provides world-class service and surface conditioning solutions.
Vortec Pro bonded abrasive products are specifically designed for general purpose grinding and cutting applications on steel, iron, and other ferrous metals. All products are resin-bond formulated for aggressive stock removal and fast cutting, and are reinforced with fiberglass webbing for stability.
Vortec Pro Type 27 grinding products range from 4" to 7" diameter and are available both in 1/4" thickness for grinding and 1/8" thickness for light grinding or cutting. These wheels are offered in aluminum oxide grain with an option of a 5/8"-11 hub and are used on right angle grinders.
Type 27 cutting wheels are offered in .045", .060" and 3/32" thicknesses in diameters from 4" to 7". These wheels are also available in aluminum oxide grain with an option of a 5/8"-11 hub and are used on right angle grinders.
Type 1 cutting wheels are available from 2" to 14" diameter in various grit sizes and thicknesses in aluminum oxide and silicon carbide abrasive grains. All of the these wheels have a metal ring around the hub for additional strength and stability. Type 1 wheels are used on right angle grinders, electric or air die grinders, tool room grinders &circular saws.
Weiler Corporation, an ISO 9001 manufacturer of power and abrasive nylon brushes, abrasives and maintenance products, provides world-class service and surface conditioning solutions.
2011年4月20日星期三
Coated Abrasives
AS Diggers get set for Anzac Day, experts are advising the best way to prepare their medals is to avoid using polish and steel wool.
Australian War Memorial head of conservation Barbara Reeve said yesterday that sometimes the extra care and attention Diggers gave to their decorations could cause corrosion and that metal polishes such as Brasso left a residue that could damage medals.
The owner of Hobart's Foxhole Medals James Grice agreed and said the best way to freshen up a worn medal was to have it re-ribboned.
"If there's nothing on them that will affect the medal then there's no real need to clean them," Mr Grice said. "We only recommend they clean medals if they are coated with something that will damage them further."
Mr Grice said medals were often damaged when they were worn.
"These days we suggest a mounting where the medals are stitched down," he said.
"It is a method the Defence Force recommends and prevents the medals banging against each other.
"Other than that, they should be handled with a lint-free cloth to prevent oil from the skin coming into contact with them.
"And they should be kept in a moisture-free environment."
State RSL chief executive Noeleen Lincoln said medals should be kept in cases.
Ms Reeve said when Anzac Day celebrations were over, medals should be wiped carefully with methylated spirits or acetone. She said they should then be stored between layers of cotton cloth.
Ms Reeve said medals should age gracefully.
"Would you put steel wool on your own face?
"No, because the detail is lost if an abrasive is used."
Ms Reeve said Diggers should pin their medals on the left side of their jackets while relatives should wear them on the right.
Australian War Memorial head of conservation Barbara Reeve said yesterday that sometimes the extra care and attention Diggers gave to their decorations could cause corrosion and that metal polishes such as Brasso left a residue that could damage medals.
The owner of Hobart's Foxhole Medals James Grice agreed and said the best way to freshen up a worn medal was to have it re-ribboned.
"If there's nothing on them that will affect the medal then there's no real need to clean them," Mr Grice said. "We only recommend they clean medals if they are coated with something that will damage them further."
Mr Grice said medals were often damaged when they were worn.
"These days we suggest a mounting where the medals are stitched down," he said.
"It is a method the Defence Force recommends and prevents the medals banging against each other.
"Other than that, they should be handled with a lint-free cloth to prevent oil from the skin coming into contact with them.
"And they should be kept in a moisture-free environment."
State RSL chief executive Noeleen Lincoln said medals should be kept in cases.
Ms Reeve said when Anzac Day celebrations were over, medals should be wiped carefully with methylated spirits or acetone. She said they should then be stored between layers of cotton cloth.
Ms Reeve said medals should age gracefully.
"Would you put steel wool on your own face?
"No, because the detail is lost if an abrasive is used."
Ms Reeve said Diggers should pin their medals on the left side of their jackets while relatives should wear them on the right.
2011年4月19日星期二
Sterlite set to optimise production capacity
Anil Agarwal-promoted Sterlite Industries India Ltd (SIIL) has found a new business avenue at its copper smelting plant at Tuticorin, in Tamil Nadu. The company is planning to promote a waste product — the copper slag — as an alternate material for concrete applications. Sterlite has already started supplying it to cement manufacturers and is now targeting it at road, abrasives and other industries.
The Tuticorin plant of Sterlite is the ninth largest smelter in the world and the largest integrated copper rod producer in Asia. Presently, the plant has a capacity for 400,000 tonne per annum and the company plans to double it for an investment of Rs 2,500 crore.
The company said, the key raw material for copper smelter is copper concentrate which mainly consists of copper, iron and sulphur. During the smelting operations, iron is removed as iron silicate which is known commonly as copper slag (ferro sand). According to scientific estimates, for every tonne of copper metal produced, around 1.8-2.2 MT of slag is generated, said Ramesh Nair, chief operating officer, Sterlite Industries India Ltd.
“With the increasing scarcity of river sand and natural aggregates across the country, the construction sector has been under tremendous pressure to explore alternatives to these basic construction material to meet the growing demand of infrastructure works.”
States like Kerala, Maharastra and Gujarat have already banned river sand mining owing to its disastrous impact on nature and ecology.
“Therefore, slag has a very good potential to become a suitable alternative material to these resources. It’s a new business avenue for us and we are going to make money out of waste, said Nair.”
Presently, across the world around 33 MT of slag is generated and in India we have around 6-6.5 MT of slag at different sites of the three copper producers viz. Sterlite, Birla Copper and Hindustan Copper. The slag is highly stable and non-leachable in nature, said Nair.
He added, the utility of copper slag as an alternative material for other industrial ô sectoral applications has been vastly explored in the last one decade.
Some applications, wherein slag is already being used worldwide are in cement and concrete manufacturing, as a filling material, river embankment, ballast material, abrasives, pavement blocks, road and roofing construction, granules, glass, tiles making and others. Nair noted, the inclusion of copper slag has been approved as a filling material for the Chennai Metro Rail Project.
He noted, the Ministry of Environment and Forests, through its Hazadous Wastes Rules, 2008, excluded the pyrometallurgical operations. The company also said, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has issued a policy letter for the usage of slag in road construction.
The company has now started supplying it to cement manufacturers in the South, including India Cements. So far, the company has despatched 700,000 tonne and has a stock of 3 million tonne.
Last year Sterlite’s Tuticorin unit generated revenue of around Rs 13,700 crore and this year it is likely to close the year with a turnover of around Rs 15,000 crore. Export contributes around 40 per cent of the total business.
The plant contributes around 3.5 per cent of the total gross state domestic product of Tamil Nadu (GSDP of Tamil Nadu which is Rs 4.36 lakh crore. The yearly contribution by the plant is around Rs 1,600 crore and Rs 750 crore towards customs duty. The unit has a 44 per cent market share in the primary copper market, said Nair.
The Tuticorin plant of Sterlite is the ninth largest smelter in the world and the largest integrated copper rod producer in Asia. Presently, the plant has a capacity for 400,000 tonne per annum and the company plans to double it for an investment of Rs 2,500 crore.
The company said, the key raw material for copper smelter is copper concentrate which mainly consists of copper, iron and sulphur. During the smelting operations, iron is removed as iron silicate which is known commonly as copper slag (ferro sand). According to scientific estimates, for every tonne of copper metal produced, around 1.8-2.2 MT of slag is generated, said Ramesh Nair, chief operating officer, Sterlite Industries India Ltd.
“With the increasing scarcity of river sand and natural aggregates across the country, the construction sector has been under tremendous pressure to explore alternatives to these basic construction material to meet the growing demand of infrastructure works.”
States like Kerala, Maharastra and Gujarat have already banned river sand mining owing to its disastrous impact on nature and ecology.
“Therefore, slag has a very good potential to become a suitable alternative material to these resources. It’s a new business avenue for us and we are going to make money out of waste, said Nair.”
Presently, across the world around 33 MT of slag is generated and in India we have around 6-6.5 MT of slag at different sites of the three copper producers viz. Sterlite, Birla Copper and Hindustan Copper. The slag is highly stable and non-leachable in nature, said Nair.
He added, the utility of copper slag as an alternative material for other industrial ô sectoral applications has been vastly explored in the last one decade.
Some applications, wherein slag is already being used worldwide are in cement and concrete manufacturing, as a filling material, river embankment, ballast material, abrasives, pavement blocks, road and roofing construction, granules, glass, tiles making and others. Nair noted, the inclusion of copper slag has been approved as a filling material for the Chennai Metro Rail Project.
He noted, the Ministry of Environment and Forests, through its Hazadous Wastes Rules, 2008, excluded the pyrometallurgical operations. The company also said, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has issued a policy letter for the usage of slag in road construction.
The company has now started supplying it to cement manufacturers in the South, including India Cements. So far, the company has despatched 700,000 tonne and has a stock of 3 million tonne.
Last year Sterlite’s Tuticorin unit generated revenue of around Rs 13,700 crore and this year it is likely to close the year with a turnover of around Rs 15,000 crore. Export contributes around 40 per cent of the total business.
The plant contributes around 3.5 per cent of the total gross state domestic product of Tamil Nadu (GSDP of Tamil Nadu which is Rs 4.36 lakh crore. The yearly contribution by the plant is around Rs 1,600 crore and Rs 750 crore towards customs duty. The unit has a 44 per cent market share in the primary copper market, said Nair.
2011年4月18日星期一
Rabbits May Be Wonderful, But Not As Easter Presents
Whenever I start to justify what I did in college, a particular picture comes to mind.
It's a picture of a couple rabbits relaxing under my bed in Kent. They look cute and slightly afraid for their lives, too, as rabbits tend to do. And they've ripped the fabric beneath the bed, exposing the bed springs, and left the short green carpet coated with a thick layer of fur.
This carpet was a roll I put down to protect the original carpet from rabbit chewing, digging and litterbox mishaps. I ended up needing to replace the original carpet anyhow.
My fiance also likes to tell the story about the time a cable guy suggested I had squirrels. My rabbits had chewed through the HBO cord in the closet, of course.
“Wasn't there a room in that apartment especially dedicated to rabbits?” a friend asked just today.
“Yeah, we slept on the living room floor because the rabbits kicked us out of the bedroom,” Jamie replied.
He and I laugh about it now, two rabbits controlling a decade of my life. So do my parents, thankfully, since they inherited the bulk of the expense. But now I'm also willing to admit that adopting rabbits immediately after high school, simply because I thought they were cute and perused a how-to book, was the most expensive mistake of my life.
And like a superhero, I emerge each Easter to deter others from making my mistake – adopting without a proper understanding of the responsibility.
Consider this:
The fluffy handfuls at the pet stores that you're seeing right now behind “Great for Easter!” signs won't stay small. They'll also shed all that fluff on the abrasive surfaces they'll create by chewing. Rabbits especially love wood furniture, and splintery wood in particular collects fur well.
If you're looking for companionship, don't look at the rabbit. Their affections are subtle, attitudes offputting, and they're more independent than cats. That, and they simply don't do much; some of my favorite memories of my rabbit Sky involve her lifting and dropping a jingle ball several times in a row before she lost interest.
So rabbits don't do much – that means they're low maintenance and easy for kids to take care of, right? Wrong. Not only is properly cleaning a rabbit's nestbox, litterbox or room an adult chore, but a child may not be able to lift a rabbit once it's done growing. Then there's nutrition, which is no child's play. A tricky balance of fresh greens and timothy hay are unlikely to be covered by allowance cash.
Keeping a rabbit in a cage the size of the ones in the pet store won't provide it the exercise and stimulation it deserves. A healthy bun needs a spacious cage or suitable outdoor hutch and a rabbit-proofed room or enclosure to run safe of predators. Also, if your family can't give a bun enough daily attention or activity, it's only fair to adopt a companion rabbit, doubling the already expensive vet bills of “exotics.” The first bill: a spay or neuter to control population and prevent spraying in males and cancer in females.
Understanding all this, you may be a perfect rabbit owner. My rabbits were amazing and beautiful creatures, and I miss my time with them very much.
But if you're adopting, please adopt a shelter rabbit from Lake Humane Society or Adopt-a-Pet.com – and wait till Easter has passed to ensure it's the right decision for you, your family and future pets.
Cadbury bunnies are the only acceptable rabbit-eared gifts. Anything else, at best, will unfortunately be a labor of love.
It's a picture of a couple rabbits relaxing under my bed in Kent. They look cute and slightly afraid for their lives, too, as rabbits tend to do. And they've ripped the fabric beneath the bed, exposing the bed springs, and left the short green carpet coated with a thick layer of fur.
This carpet was a roll I put down to protect the original carpet from rabbit chewing, digging and litterbox mishaps. I ended up needing to replace the original carpet anyhow.
My fiance also likes to tell the story about the time a cable guy suggested I had squirrels. My rabbits had chewed through the HBO cord in the closet, of course.
“Wasn't there a room in that apartment especially dedicated to rabbits?” a friend asked just today.
“Yeah, we slept on the living room floor because the rabbits kicked us out of the bedroom,” Jamie replied.
He and I laugh about it now, two rabbits controlling a decade of my life. So do my parents, thankfully, since they inherited the bulk of the expense. But now I'm also willing to admit that adopting rabbits immediately after high school, simply because I thought they were cute and perused a how-to book, was the most expensive mistake of my life.
And like a superhero, I emerge each Easter to deter others from making my mistake – adopting without a proper understanding of the responsibility.
Consider this:
The fluffy handfuls at the pet stores that you're seeing right now behind “Great for Easter!” signs won't stay small. They'll also shed all that fluff on the abrasive surfaces they'll create by chewing. Rabbits especially love wood furniture, and splintery wood in particular collects fur well.
If you're looking for companionship, don't look at the rabbit. Their affections are subtle, attitudes offputting, and they're more independent than cats. That, and they simply don't do much; some of my favorite memories of my rabbit Sky involve her lifting and dropping a jingle ball several times in a row before she lost interest.
So rabbits don't do much – that means they're low maintenance and easy for kids to take care of, right? Wrong. Not only is properly cleaning a rabbit's nestbox, litterbox or room an adult chore, but a child may not be able to lift a rabbit once it's done growing. Then there's nutrition, which is no child's play. A tricky balance of fresh greens and timothy hay are unlikely to be covered by allowance cash.
Keeping a rabbit in a cage the size of the ones in the pet store won't provide it the exercise and stimulation it deserves. A healthy bun needs a spacious cage or suitable outdoor hutch and a rabbit-proofed room or enclosure to run safe of predators. Also, if your family can't give a bun enough daily attention or activity, it's only fair to adopt a companion rabbit, doubling the already expensive vet bills of “exotics.” The first bill: a spay or neuter to control population and prevent spraying in males and cancer in females.
Understanding all this, you may be a perfect rabbit owner. My rabbits were amazing and beautiful creatures, and I miss my time with them very much.
But if you're adopting, please adopt a shelter rabbit from Lake Humane Society or Adopt-a-Pet.com – and wait till Easter has passed to ensure it's the right decision for you, your family and future pets.
Cadbury bunnies are the only acceptable rabbit-eared gifts. Anything else, at best, will unfortunately be a labor of love.
2011年4月17日星期日
Fastenal discovers an old way of business
Will Oberton, who runs a Winona-based outfit that peddles industrial supplies, has seen the future.
Vending machines. Don't laugh.
"Our guys pushed me several years ago to [buy] what looked like a candy machine," recounted Oberton.
On Tuesday, at Fastenal's annual meeting before a few hundred shareholders seated on folding chairs in one of the company's truck bays here, Oberton will report on the surprising acceleration of the "vending" strategy.
Fastenal, which has been testing the strategy in hundreds of locations, plans to install thousands of "Fast 5000" vending machines in customer warehouses and factories to dispense gloves, safety glasses, dust masks, drill bits and other supplies with a swipe of an electronic card.
Companies like the idea. It replaces traditional supply bins and storerooms, and holds employees accountable for supplies they use.
"Now, we're going full-out," Oberton said.
This back-to-the-future innovation should aid Fastenal's growth.
Fastenal, since a down year in 2009, has recovered to hit new highs in quarterly sales, earnings and stock price in the first quarter of this year. Fastenal saw net earnings rise 42 percent to $79.5 million in the first quarter on sales that rose 23 percent to $640.6 million.
Analysts expect a banner financial year in 2011 of about $2.25 per share earnings on a 17 percent jump in revenue to about $2.65 billion. The company's stock price has more than doubled to about $65 per share since the recessionary lows of March 2009.
Fastenal added 1,300 jobs in North America last year, up about 10 percent. With 127 new stores, it now has a 2,522 retail-outlet network that sells everything from nuts and bolts to cutting tools and safety supplies. It will add up to 200 stores this year.
Fastenal has given stockholders a total return, including dividends, of 295 percent since Oberton was named CEO in December 2002 to succeed Fastenal founder Bob Kierlin. By comparison, the S&P 500 industrial stock index has returned about 95 percent and the S&P 500 index about 72 percent over the period.
"We have a heck of a business model," Oberton said the other day, gazing out the window of his modest office along the Mississippi River. "We always believe we can be better. We're only 2 percent of the U.S. market for industrial supplies [of about $150 billion annually]. And we have a growing network of 2,500 little businesses out there. And we support the heck out of them."
A throwback strategy
The vending strategy, known officially as "Fastenal Automated Supply Technology" or FAST, is a bit of a throwback to the idea that Kierlin had when he was working at his dad's Winona auto parts store in the 1950s. Occasionally, Kierlin would have to run a few blocks to the hardware store to pick up a few nuts and bolts, or other fasteners. He envisioned a vending machine for such items.
Kierlin, 71, who has been non-employee chairman of Fastenal since 2003, is an engineer out of the University of Minnesota who started Fastenal in 1967 after a stint in the Peace Corps. Kierlin began as a retailer and distributor of fasteners, and gradually expanded product offerings to more than 1 million bolts, studs, washers, tools, parts, abrasives, adhesives, pipes, valves, gaskets, fittings, safety glasses and other stock items.
The vending program is designed to cut the amount of consumable items in a plant or warehouse that Fastenal supplies. Oberton says it's good in the long run for Fastenal because it strengthens the long-term relationship with customers and attracts new ones.
The automated-supply technology relies on an electronic card issued to authorized personnel who swipe it across a code reader, and then choose the supplies they need.
Fastenal has installed the vending machines in its facilities, as well as in the far-flung plants and warehouses of dozens of customers, including Donaldson Co., Xcel Energy and Sulzer Pumps. Consumption of supplies has declined up to 50 percent in the first year because employees are accountable for the amount they use.
Oberton says he's proof. Every month his wife used to gather the pens, safety glasses and other stuff he'd inadvertently carried home from the office in his pockets so he could bring it back to work.
A shareholder's delight
Fastenal has been a shareholder's delight since Kierlin took the company public in 1987. On that day in August, 1,000 shares of Fastenal were worth $9,000. By the end of 2010, those 1,000 shares, after splits, were 48,000 shares worth about $2.9 million.
Kierlin was famous during his generation as CEO for claiming $100,000 in annual salary and no stock options. His founder's stock was worth hundreds of millions. He also is a philanthropist to education, environmental and other Winona-area causes.
Oberton, 52, is a 30-year employee who joined Fastenal after graduating from St. Cloud Technical College.
Vending machines. Don't laugh.
"Our guys pushed me several years ago to [buy] what looked like a candy machine," recounted Oberton.
On Tuesday, at Fastenal's annual meeting before a few hundred shareholders seated on folding chairs in one of the company's truck bays here, Oberton will report on the surprising acceleration of the "vending" strategy.
Fastenal, which has been testing the strategy in hundreds of locations, plans to install thousands of "Fast 5000" vending machines in customer warehouses and factories to dispense gloves, safety glasses, dust masks, drill bits and other supplies with a swipe of an electronic card.
Companies like the idea. It replaces traditional supply bins and storerooms, and holds employees accountable for supplies they use.
"Now, we're going full-out," Oberton said.
This back-to-the-future innovation should aid Fastenal's growth.
Fastenal, since a down year in 2009, has recovered to hit new highs in quarterly sales, earnings and stock price in the first quarter of this year. Fastenal saw net earnings rise 42 percent to $79.5 million in the first quarter on sales that rose 23 percent to $640.6 million.
Analysts expect a banner financial year in 2011 of about $2.25 per share earnings on a 17 percent jump in revenue to about $2.65 billion. The company's stock price has more than doubled to about $65 per share since the recessionary lows of March 2009.
Fastenal added 1,300 jobs in North America last year, up about 10 percent. With 127 new stores, it now has a 2,522 retail-outlet network that sells everything from nuts and bolts to cutting tools and safety supplies. It will add up to 200 stores this year.
Fastenal has given stockholders a total return, including dividends, of 295 percent since Oberton was named CEO in December 2002 to succeed Fastenal founder Bob Kierlin. By comparison, the S&P 500 industrial stock index has returned about 95 percent and the S&P 500 index about 72 percent over the period.
"We have a heck of a business model," Oberton said the other day, gazing out the window of his modest office along the Mississippi River. "We always believe we can be better. We're only 2 percent of the U.S. market for industrial supplies [of about $150 billion annually]. And we have a growing network of 2,500 little businesses out there. And we support the heck out of them."
A throwback strategy
The vending strategy, known officially as "Fastenal Automated Supply Technology" or FAST, is a bit of a throwback to the idea that Kierlin had when he was working at his dad's Winona auto parts store in the 1950s. Occasionally, Kierlin would have to run a few blocks to the hardware store to pick up a few nuts and bolts, or other fasteners. He envisioned a vending machine for such items.
Kierlin, 71, who has been non-employee chairman of Fastenal since 2003, is an engineer out of the University of Minnesota who started Fastenal in 1967 after a stint in the Peace Corps. Kierlin began as a retailer and distributor of fasteners, and gradually expanded product offerings to more than 1 million bolts, studs, washers, tools, parts, abrasives, adhesives, pipes, valves, gaskets, fittings, safety glasses and other stock items.
The vending program is designed to cut the amount of consumable items in a plant or warehouse that Fastenal supplies. Oberton says it's good in the long run for Fastenal because it strengthens the long-term relationship with customers and attracts new ones.
The automated-supply technology relies on an electronic card issued to authorized personnel who swipe it across a code reader, and then choose the supplies they need.
Fastenal has installed the vending machines in its facilities, as well as in the far-flung plants and warehouses of dozens of customers, including Donaldson Co., Xcel Energy and Sulzer Pumps. Consumption of supplies has declined up to 50 percent in the first year because employees are accountable for the amount they use.
Oberton says he's proof. Every month his wife used to gather the pens, safety glasses and other stuff he'd inadvertently carried home from the office in his pockets so he could bring it back to work.
A shareholder's delight
Fastenal has been a shareholder's delight since Kierlin took the company public in 1987. On that day in August, 1,000 shares of Fastenal were worth $9,000. By the end of 2010, those 1,000 shares, after splits, were 48,000 shares worth about $2.9 million.
Kierlin was famous during his generation as CEO for claiming $100,000 in annual salary and no stock options. His founder's stock was worth hundreds of millions. He also is a philanthropist to education, environmental and other Winona-area causes.
Oberton, 52, is a 30-year employee who joined Fastenal after graduating from St. Cloud Technical College.
2011年4月14日星期四
Acquired Cardiovascular Disease
Objective: Heparin coating of cardiopulmonary bypass circuits reduces the inflammatory response and increases the thromboresistance during extracorporeal circulation. These properties enables a lower systemic heparin dose, which has been shown to reduce the need for blood transfusions. Experience with this technique accumulated over 11 years has been analyzed.
Methods: All patients underwent on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting with heparin-coated circuits. Apart from some patients receiving a high intraoperative dose of aprotinin, the systemic heparin dose was reduced, with a lower level of an activated clotting time of 250 seconds during extracorporeal circulation. The overall strategy aimed at a fast-track regimen, with early extubation, minimal use of blood transfusions, and rapid postoperative recovery.
Results: Altogether, 5954 patients were included; 1131 (19.0%) were female (median age, 70 years), and 4823 were male (median age, 65 years). The median additive EuroSCORE was 3 (range, 0–14; mean 3.5 ± 2.5). No significant signs of clotting were seen in any part of the extracorporeal circuit. Bank blood products were given to 427 (7.2%) patients. Median extubation time was 1.7 hours. The stroke rate was 1.0%, transient neurologic deficits occurred in 0.7%, and perioperative myocardial infarction occurred in 1.2%. On the fifth day, 88.1% of the patients were physically rehabilitated and ready for discharge. Thirty-day mortality was 0.9% (54 patients).
Conclusions: The experience with this patient cohort including mostly low- to medium-risk patients with a relatively short cardiopulmonary bypass time indicates that coronary artery bypass grafting performed with heparin-coated circuits and reduced level of systemic heparinization is safe and results in a very satisfactory clinical course. No signs of clotting or other technical incidents were recorded.
Methods: All patients underwent on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting with heparin-coated circuits. Apart from some patients receiving a high intraoperative dose of aprotinin, the systemic heparin dose was reduced, with a lower level of an activated clotting time of 250 seconds during extracorporeal circulation. The overall strategy aimed at a fast-track regimen, with early extubation, minimal use of blood transfusions, and rapid postoperative recovery.
Results: Altogether, 5954 patients were included; 1131 (19.0%) were female (median age, 70 years), and 4823 were male (median age, 65 years). The median additive EuroSCORE was 3 (range, 0–14; mean 3.5 ± 2.5). No significant signs of clotting were seen in any part of the extracorporeal circuit. Bank blood products were given to 427 (7.2%) patients. Median extubation time was 1.7 hours. The stroke rate was 1.0%, transient neurologic deficits occurred in 0.7%, and perioperative myocardial infarction occurred in 1.2%. On the fifth day, 88.1% of the patients were physically rehabilitated and ready for discharge. Thirty-day mortality was 0.9% (54 patients).
Conclusions: The experience with this patient cohort including mostly low- to medium-risk patients with a relatively short cardiopulmonary bypass time indicates that coronary artery bypass grafting performed with heparin-coated circuits and reduced level of systemic heparinization is safe and results in a very satisfactory clinical course. No signs of clotting or other technical incidents were recorded.
2011年4月13日星期三
By introducing new forms of delivery
SCHOTT will be presenting new forms of delivery for sapphire material at LASER 2011. Customers qualified large format polished and coated panes of up to 300 mm in diameter only recently. In the future, these products will also be put to use in security applications under extreme environmental conditions.
Sapphire glass is the second hardest transparent material next to diamonds. It is made of high purity aluminum oxide that is produced synthetically. This extremely scratch-proof and heat-resistant material offers high transmission in the wavelength range of 0.5 up to approx. 6.25 ìm.
By introducing new forms of delivery, SCHOTT is now also expanding the range of applications. The company manufactures sapphire glass panes that are up to 300 mm in diameter. These are then individually polished and coated to meet specific customer requirements.
The formats can be designed rather freely, from round to square, and feature either a curved or a flat surface. The processing quality ranges from standard to optical quality. Sapphire glass is used in high-quality watches, but also in optical, chemical, analytical, medical and security technologies.
Sapphire glass is the second hardest transparent material next to diamonds. It is made of high purity aluminum oxide that is produced synthetically. This extremely scratch-proof and heat-resistant material offers high transmission in the wavelength range of 0.5 up to approx. 6.25 ìm.
By introducing new forms of delivery, SCHOTT is now also expanding the range of applications. The company manufactures sapphire glass panes that are up to 300 mm in diameter. These are then individually polished and coated to meet specific customer requirements.
The formats can be designed rather freely, from round to square, and feature either a curved or a flat surface. The processing quality ranges from standard to optical quality. Sapphire glass is used in high-quality watches, but also in optical, chemical, analytical, medical and security technologies.
2011年4月11日星期一
the age of convoluted statistics and cheesy clipart is over
The Mobile Interactive Solutions Division (MISD) of diversified technology company 3M has launched a new initiative with SlideShare, the world's largest community for sharing presentations. To celebrate the UK availability of the 3M Pocket Projector MP180, the campaign was designed to expose the crème de la crème of SlideShare’s community in a bid to prove to the nation that presentations are not what they once were – that the age of convoluted statistics and cheesy clipart is over and we can now get excited by the inspirational to the beautiful, the creative to the powerful.
“People’s expectations are becoming more sophisticated and, for many, long, uninspiring and badly formatted presentations are no longer acceptable,” said Nick Hughes, Marketing Manager, 3M MISD. “A good presentation delivered ineffectively can potentially tarnish brand image, but we see new standards being set as people inject energy and creativity into the making of presentations. Through this campaign we can raise awareness of this new era, reward people with recognition for their work and encourage the concept of effective delivery. This is where pocket projection comes into force.”
The 3M United Kingdom plc blog on SlideShare recently encouraged users to participate in “Good Business Communication Delivered Effectively: The Contest” where they could tag their presentations in one of four categories and be accredited with a 3M Pocket Projector MP180 seal of excellence.
“People’s expectations are becoming more sophisticated and, for many, long, uninspiring and badly formatted presentations are no longer acceptable,” said Nick Hughes, Marketing Manager, 3M MISD. “A good presentation delivered ineffectively can potentially tarnish brand image, but we see new standards being set as people inject energy and creativity into the making of presentations. Through this campaign we can raise awareness of this new era, reward people with recognition for their work and encourage the concept of effective delivery. This is where pocket projection comes into force.”
The 3M United Kingdom plc blog on SlideShare recently encouraged users to participate in “Good Business Communication Delivered Effectively: The Contest” where they could tag their presentations in one of four categories and be accredited with a 3M Pocket Projector MP180 seal of excellence.
Opening Day Reflections
It’s been a long winter. A long, cold, snowy winter. A long, cold, snowy, depressing winter. Ice, snow, more ice, more snow, cars coated with salt and dirt, fuel bills, seasonal affective disorder, slush, plowing fees; all the stuff that makes life barely worth living.
So even though spring has been a bit chilly so far, it’s still spring, and after all, this is Connecticut. I mean, despite all the whining that goes on around here, (especially among certain outdoor writers) we’re not a bunch of namby-pamby Floridians. We native New Englanders come from tough stock; we can take it, even if we don’t like it much.
Still, one sure sign that spring is truly on the march is the opening day of trout season, which is coming up Saturday the 16th. The season is already open in more enlightened states such as Rhode Island, but we Connecticut types are expected to wait until the third Saturday in April, and to our credit, most of us do.
When I was growing up in Ashaway, R.I., opening day was one of the three most important days of the year, along with Christmas and the last day of school
But since most of my associates and I were habitual truants anyway, the end of the school year was little more than a rubber-stamp event, and there were always report cards to worry about. It was usually a good day, but not great.
Christmas could also be exciting, but when one takes into account our behavior the rest of the year, there was always considerable Yuletide tension among my crew as to whether or not the dreaded coal and onions would fill our stockings. And let’s not forget the nasty old great-aunts who used the holiday to hand out socks, underwear, and other stuff we really “needed.” Christmas usually turned out OK, but all things considered, I’d assign it second place.
No doubt about it. Opening day was king.
Sometime in the late 1950s, the powers that be at the Rhode Island Division of Fish and Game decided to move the opening bell from sunrise to midnight. It’s hard to tell how or why this decision was reached, other that the fact that the people who made it were government bureaucrats and were probably under pressure to prove that they actually came to work once in a while.
But, as kids, we liked it. The midnight kickoff gave us a rare opportunity to stay up most of the night without having to sneak out of the house.
Our parents demanded that we get a few hours of sleep before heading out, but as might be expected, slumber was impossible while our consciousness was jammed with visions of sparkling brook trout and purple rainbows.
The plan was always the same: Hit the river at midnight, score a few trout, then trudge home and sleep for a few hours before heading back to the river for a day of fishing.
The plan was sound but it never worked, at least for yours truly.
Other than the nuisance chore of unhooking eels, bullheads, and other unappreciated night-prowlers, the midnight session always went well, but thanks to fatigue, the couple hours of sleep was invariably extended to lots of hours of sleep, and the full day of fishing was susequently reduced to few hours in the late afternoon.
There must have been a lot of similar observations from well-connected persons (don’t forget, this is Rhode Island I’m talking about here) because after a few years, the starting time was pushed ahead to 6 a.m.
That seemed to work a whole lot better; it was still difficult to sleep, but not impossible. And a full day of opening day fishing was finally within our grasp.
To tell you the truth, I don’t know what time the season opens nowadays. Nothing short of the false albacore run and a good morning tide is going to get me out of bed at that ungodly hour, and to tell you the truth, I’m less inclined to fish in a crowd than I once was.
I still look forward to opening day as a rite of spring, but I’m happy to let the kids have the fun. They’ll be growing up all too soon.
So even though spring has been a bit chilly so far, it’s still spring, and after all, this is Connecticut. I mean, despite all the whining that goes on around here, (especially among certain outdoor writers) we’re not a bunch of namby-pamby Floridians. We native New Englanders come from tough stock; we can take it, even if we don’t like it much.
Still, one sure sign that spring is truly on the march is the opening day of trout season, which is coming up Saturday the 16th. The season is already open in more enlightened states such as Rhode Island, but we Connecticut types are expected to wait until the third Saturday in April, and to our credit, most of us do.
When I was growing up in Ashaway, R.I., opening day was one of the three most important days of the year, along with Christmas and the last day of school
But since most of my associates and I were habitual truants anyway, the end of the school year was little more than a rubber-stamp event, and there were always report cards to worry about. It was usually a good day, but not great.
Christmas could also be exciting, but when one takes into account our behavior the rest of the year, there was always considerable Yuletide tension among my crew as to whether or not the dreaded coal and onions would fill our stockings. And let’s not forget the nasty old great-aunts who used the holiday to hand out socks, underwear, and other stuff we really “needed.” Christmas usually turned out OK, but all things considered, I’d assign it second place.
No doubt about it. Opening day was king.
Sometime in the late 1950s, the powers that be at the Rhode Island Division of Fish and Game decided to move the opening bell from sunrise to midnight. It’s hard to tell how or why this decision was reached, other that the fact that the people who made it were government bureaucrats and were probably under pressure to prove that they actually came to work once in a while.
But, as kids, we liked it. The midnight kickoff gave us a rare opportunity to stay up most of the night without having to sneak out of the house.
Our parents demanded that we get a few hours of sleep before heading out, but as might be expected, slumber was impossible while our consciousness was jammed with visions of sparkling brook trout and purple rainbows.
The plan was always the same: Hit the river at midnight, score a few trout, then trudge home and sleep for a few hours before heading back to the river for a day of fishing.
The plan was sound but it never worked, at least for yours truly.
Other than the nuisance chore of unhooking eels, bullheads, and other unappreciated night-prowlers, the midnight session always went well, but thanks to fatigue, the couple hours of sleep was invariably extended to lots of hours of sleep, and the full day of fishing was susequently reduced to few hours in the late afternoon.
There must have been a lot of similar observations from well-connected persons (don’t forget, this is Rhode Island I’m talking about here) because after a few years, the starting time was pushed ahead to 6 a.m.
That seemed to work a whole lot better; it was still difficult to sleep, but not impossible. And a full day of opening day fishing was finally within our grasp.
To tell you the truth, I don’t know what time the season opens nowadays. Nothing short of the false albacore run and a good morning tide is going to get me out of bed at that ungodly hour, and to tell you the truth, I’m less inclined to fish in a crowd than I once was.
I still look forward to opening day as a rite of spring, but I’m happy to let the kids have the fun. They’ll be growing up all too soon.
2011年4月7日星期四
Court sanctions Angiotech's restated CCAA restructuring plan
Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc. says the Supreme Court of British Columbia has
approved the Vancouver medical devices company's second amended restructuring plan
under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada).
Angiotech said Thursday it plans to implement the debt restructuring plan by the end
of the month, a move that would eliminate $250 million of long-term debt.
Angiotech makes medical devices including the Taxus drug-coated stent used in heart
surgery to prop open coronary arteries and the Quill wound-closure device.
Taxus was a huge success for Angiotech and partner Boston Scientific until concerns
emerged that drug-coated stents carry a higher risk of rare instances of potentially
fatal blood clots.
The company has had difficulty recovering after a voluntary recall issued in 2004,
when Health Canada said the stent could cause the need for coronary artery bypass
graft, surgery and could lead to death.
Angiotech has also faced lawsuits and a business dispute with a partner and saw its
stock delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange last month.
approved the Vancouver medical devices company's second amended restructuring plan
under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada).
Angiotech said Thursday it plans to implement the debt restructuring plan by the end
of the month, a move that would eliminate $250 million of long-term debt.
Angiotech makes medical devices including the Taxus drug-coated stent used in heart
surgery to prop open coronary arteries and the Quill wound-closure device.
Taxus was a huge success for Angiotech and partner Boston Scientific until concerns
emerged that drug-coated stents carry a higher risk of rare instances of potentially
fatal blood clots.
The company has had difficulty recovering after a voluntary recall issued in 2004,
when Health Canada said the stent could cause the need for coronary artery bypass
graft, surgery and could lead to death.
Angiotech has also faced lawsuits and a business dispute with a partner and saw its
stock delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange last month.
2011年4月6日星期三
101 Ideas: Spring chores
With spring well under way, you are no doubt ready to shake off the winter blues and get your home and garden prepared for summer. Some ideas:
Do the laundry:
Wash sheets and pillowcases in warm water every week, but use cold water for quilts or blankets made of 100 percent cotton to avoid shrinkage. Freshen up duvets by airing outside for an hour or two.
Touch Up Mulch
Winter weather can pack down or even wash away the mulch in your beds. So when the sun comes out, use a metal rake to fluff and level your mulch, then add more where needed. Ideally, you want at least a 2-inch layer, and 3 to 4 inches is even better for Southern gardeners.
Clean the Lights
Dirty bulbs reduce the amount of light given off by up to 20 percent, so dusting them periodically really makes a difference. To add even more brightness, clean lampshades using a lamb's-wool duster, or vacuum with the brush attachment.
Clean the Oven
Run the self-cleaning cycle today and wipe off the door as needed. Remove the plastic knobs to be sure they won't warp in the process. If you have a regular non-self-cleaning oven, use an oven cleaner, a stiff brush and thick gloves. Never use abrasives, and above all, be sure to open a window.
Detail That Car
Winter's muddy feet and road salts wreak havoc on the family car, which is probably also home to stray mittens and who knows what else by now. Besides washing it this week, make time for a thorough clean-out and detailing, including shampooing the floor mats.
Treat Lawn for Weeds
Apply organic herbicide before the weeds have a chance to sprout this spring and do it again six weeks before you plan to reseed any parts of your lawn.
Do the laundry:
Wash sheets and pillowcases in warm water every week, but use cold water for quilts or blankets made of 100 percent cotton to avoid shrinkage. Freshen up duvets by airing outside for an hour or two.
Touch Up Mulch
Winter weather can pack down or even wash away the mulch in your beds. So when the sun comes out, use a metal rake to fluff and level your mulch, then add more where needed. Ideally, you want at least a 2-inch layer, and 3 to 4 inches is even better for Southern gardeners.
Clean the Lights
Dirty bulbs reduce the amount of light given off by up to 20 percent, so dusting them periodically really makes a difference. To add even more brightness, clean lampshades using a lamb's-wool duster, or vacuum with the brush attachment.
Clean the Oven
Run the self-cleaning cycle today and wipe off the door as needed. Remove the plastic knobs to be sure they won't warp in the process. If you have a regular non-self-cleaning oven, use an oven cleaner, a stiff brush and thick gloves. Never use abrasives, and above all, be sure to open a window.
Detail That Car
Winter's muddy feet and road salts wreak havoc on the family car, which is probably also home to stray mittens and who knows what else by now. Besides washing it this week, make time for a thorough clean-out and detailing, including shampooing the floor mats.
Treat Lawn for Weeds
Apply organic herbicide before the weeds have a chance to sprout this spring and do it again six weeks before you plan to reseed any parts of your lawn.
Experience an extreme makeover
"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20, 21 NKJV)
"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, have an abundance for every good work." (2 Corinthians 8:14)
You probably have watched, or at least noticed, the television shows based on "an extreme makeover" of an old dilapidated house, turning it into a veritable mansion. Or maybe it was that show that brings in a lady with unbecoming facial features and dressed in a drab outfit. They call in the surgeon, the cosmetologists, the fashion experts, and the hair stylist. After they are through, they present to the audience a lady that looks like a Hollywood star or fashion model.
Our God is a specialist in extreme makeovers too. He can take a criminal and make a law-abiding citizen out of him. He can take a prostitute and convert her into a pure moral person. He can take a crooked businessman and turn him into a generous philanthropist. He also can take a person living in poverty and raise him to wealth.
In Bible times, God took a terrorist named Saul and transformed him into the Apostle Paul, a tentmaker by trade and world evangelist. God took Levi, a crooked tax collector, and transformed him into the Apostle Matthew, who wrote the first book in the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew. God took a prostitute named Mary from Magdala, and she became Mary Magdalene, a faithful servant of Jesus Christ.
Not everything that is extreme is bad. One hears the epithets "extreme right" and "extreme left" used to attack people in opposing political parties. Some time ago, an Arizona politician was being accused of being an extremist on the right, and he retorted saying, "What's wrong with being extremely right?"
The Apostle Paul wrote, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2).
Our God is in the business of transforming people who have let the "world" crush them into its secular mold. You hear some people say, "To get along, you have to go along." That implies compromising one's convictions just to avoid an unpleasant situation or relationship. The Apostle Peter did this during the trial of Jesus and denied three times his being associated with Jesus. Having betrayed Jesus, Peter's conscience was so smitten emotionally that Peter "went out and wept bitterly."
After His resurrection, Jesus confronted Peter tenderly and forgave him. Fisherman Peter became a fisher of men, an evangelist, and constantly risked his life promoting Christ's teachings and helping others to follow Him. He was executed by crucifixion on orders from Roman Emperor Nero. Not feeling worthy of being killed the same way as Jesus, Peter asked to be crucified upside down, and he was.
In Eloy there is a factory called Townley Mfg. Co. It was founded by Jake Townley, a man who was an extreme failure early in his life, losing his job, his wife, his reputation, and all. He asked God for forgiveness, and turned his life over to the Lord. He began to experiment with bonding urethane plastic to metal, and obtained patents. Today his family owns five factories in the U.S. and does a growing international business recycling expensive heavy equipment from smelters and coal-fired power plants that was worn out by abrasive material passing through it. The old parts are cleaned, repaired, and the interiors coated by urethane plastic, which lasts longer than the original metal.
If Jake were still alive today, he would delight in telling you of his extreme makeover spiritually that led to his success in life after once being an extreme failure.
It's not an extreme makeover of the exterior of our bodies that needs the most repairing. Like the old, worn-out parts that are processed by the Townley Co., it's the spirit within us that needs the makeover. The Lord knows how to do it. Just ask Him.
"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, have an abundance for every good work." (2 Corinthians 8:14)
You probably have watched, or at least noticed, the television shows based on "an extreme makeover" of an old dilapidated house, turning it into a veritable mansion. Or maybe it was that show that brings in a lady with unbecoming facial features and dressed in a drab outfit. They call in the surgeon, the cosmetologists, the fashion experts, and the hair stylist. After they are through, they present to the audience a lady that looks like a Hollywood star or fashion model.
Our God is a specialist in extreme makeovers too. He can take a criminal and make a law-abiding citizen out of him. He can take a prostitute and convert her into a pure moral person. He can take a crooked businessman and turn him into a generous philanthropist. He also can take a person living in poverty and raise him to wealth.
In Bible times, God took a terrorist named Saul and transformed him into the Apostle Paul, a tentmaker by trade and world evangelist. God took Levi, a crooked tax collector, and transformed him into the Apostle Matthew, who wrote the first book in the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew. God took a prostitute named Mary from Magdala, and she became Mary Magdalene, a faithful servant of Jesus Christ.
Not everything that is extreme is bad. One hears the epithets "extreme right" and "extreme left" used to attack people in opposing political parties. Some time ago, an Arizona politician was being accused of being an extremist on the right, and he retorted saying, "What's wrong with being extremely right?"
The Apostle Paul wrote, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2).
Our God is in the business of transforming people who have let the "world" crush them into its secular mold. You hear some people say, "To get along, you have to go along." That implies compromising one's convictions just to avoid an unpleasant situation or relationship. The Apostle Peter did this during the trial of Jesus and denied three times his being associated with Jesus. Having betrayed Jesus, Peter's conscience was so smitten emotionally that Peter "went out and wept bitterly."
After His resurrection, Jesus confronted Peter tenderly and forgave him. Fisherman Peter became a fisher of men, an evangelist, and constantly risked his life promoting Christ's teachings and helping others to follow Him. He was executed by crucifixion on orders from Roman Emperor Nero. Not feeling worthy of being killed the same way as Jesus, Peter asked to be crucified upside down, and he was.
In Eloy there is a factory called Townley Mfg. Co. It was founded by Jake Townley, a man who was an extreme failure early in his life, losing his job, his wife, his reputation, and all. He asked God for forgiveness, and turned his life over to the Lord. He began to experiment with bonding urethane plastic to metal, and obtained patents. Today his family owns five factories in the U.S. and does a growing international business recycling expensive heavy equipment from smelters and coal-fired power plants that was worn out by abrasive material passing through it. The old parts are cleaned, repaired, and the interiors coated by urethane plastic, which lasts longer than the original metal.
If Jake were still alive today, he would delight in telling you of his extreme makeover spiritually that led to his success in life after once being an extreme failure.
It's not an extreme makeover of the exterior of our bodies that needs the most repairing. Like the old, worn-out parts that are processed by the Townley Co., it's the spirit within us that needs the makeover. The Lord knows how to do it. Just ask Him.
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