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Yieldmo Has Largest US Indy Mobile Marketplace

Yieldmo Has Largest US Indy Mobile Marketplace

Yieldmo Furthers Its Lead as the Largest Independent Mobile Marketplace in the U.S.1

— Intermarkets and tronc Join Yieldmo’s Vast, Premium Publisher Inventory

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Recently forged partnerships with publishers such as Intermarkets and tronc have furthered Yieldmo’s lead as the largest independent mobile marketplace in the U.S. Yieldmo’s premium inventory is comprised of more than 1,400 of the top mobile destinations that span e-commerce, sports, news, lifestyle and entertainment.

Recent publisher partnerships further Yieldmo’s lead as the largest independent mobile marketplace in the U.S.

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According to comScore, Yieldmo has a verified actual reach of more than 141 million unique mobile visitors – roughly 80% of the addressable market in the U.S. – making it the largest independent network in the U.S. behind Google, Facebook, Amazon and Yahoo1. With its proprietary, user-preferred ad formats and premium publisher relationships, Yieldmo serves more than seven billion mobile impressions per month on behalf of the world’s largest brands and their agencies.

“As a Publisher, Yieldmo provides a mobile solution to let us create a truly engaging ad experience,” said Victor Lim, Director of Strategy at tronc. “As we rethink the future of a consumer-first experience on our sites, Yieldmo provides advertising that doesn’t disrupt but instead complements our content.”

Every month, Yieldmo’s proprietary RaptTM data platform collects 250 billion mobile data attributes from the mobile ads it serves, including – but not limited to – viewers’ taps, scrolls and time spent. Rapt interprets dozens of such micro-interactions to generate an unprecedented level of insight into customer engagement, making campaigns more effective for advertisers and profitable for publishers. Yieldmo viewability and attention metrics are measured through its long-standing relationship with analytics provider, Moat, an Oracle Data Cloud company.

“We’re extremely proud of our marketplace,” said Michael Yavonditte, Yieldmo Founder and CEO. “It provides a rich, fraud-free environment for the ads we serve. The next-level insights Rapt is able to generate from those transactions are also a huge advantage to advertisers and publishers. We’re moving well beyond surface metrics, like impressions, views and clicks, to truly understand the behaviors that lead-to or inhibit conversions. Given the enormity of our scale and experience, Yieldmo is uniquely suited to address that need and ensure that the industry continues to improve for users, brands and publishers in equal measure.”

With U.S. mobile ad spending estimated to reach $58.4 billion in 2017 (and forecasted to nearly double to $102.3 billion by 2021)2, mobile continues to represent the fastest growing advertising channel in the U.S. However, despite strong projected growth, industry-wide challenges remain, as 44% of publishers rank the poor user experience as the largest challenge facing mobile advertising, second only to ad blocking, which directly results from these poor advertising experiences3. Yieldmo is grounded in a mission to deliver a better ad experience for users, marketers and publishers.

[1] comScore Mobile Ad Network (January 2017)
[2] eMarketer (March 2017)
[3] eMarketer (August 2016)

For more information or to see a live demo of Yieldmo’s Rapt capabilities:
Susan Lietz, +1-917-499-5053


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Call to initiate housing bond | 2018-01-01 |

Boosting Real Estate Sector

Call to initiate housing bond

Staff Correspondent     1 January, 2018 12:00 AM printer

Call to initiate housing bond

Speakers at a programme called upon the government to introduce housing bond or municipal bond to promote housing and real state sector.

Long-term financing by bond would help rejuvenate the housing sector, they said.

They came up with the proposal at Press Launch of State of Cities 2017: Housing in Dhaka at the BRAC Centre in the city on Sunday. Senior Research Associate of Institute of Governance and Development of BRAC University Syeda Selina Aziz presented the research report at the event.

Executive Director of BRAC Institute of Governance and Development Dr Sultan Hafeez Rahman and Senior Research Associate of the Institute Mohammed Sirajul Islam also spoke on the occasion.

As 57 percent urban people have no savings, they don’t think of buying a flat or a piece of land in the city, according to the research report. “Nearly 82 percent Dhaka city tenants have to spend 30 percent of their monthly income on rents and utilities. Around 44 percent people have to spend 45 percent of income on rents, utilities and transport,” said Syeda Selina Aziz.

The research was conducted on 400 households in four areas -- old Dhaka, Mirpur, Rampura and Badda – of two city corporations during July- August in 2017.

Presenting the report, Selina said housing is one of the key challenges that the Dhaka city faces, as 44 percent of the country’s total urban population live in the capital city.

“Dhaka has more than 4000 slums. Each year approximately 25,000 housing units are built when 1.2 million new ones are needed,” she added.

She said about 56 percent city dwellers have no land ownership in Dhaka. The figure will rise to 70 percent if slum and squat population are included.

She said the supply of housing meets less than 5 percent of demand which indicates a massive shortage of housing in Dhaka.

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Daily Press

The phrase "environmental issues" in Virginia brings to mind the state of the Blue Ridge and the Chesapeake Bay, and the health of historic rivers such as the James and Potomac.

Add to the list "uranium mining" - typically associated with the arid lands of Utah and New Mexico, not to mention Australia.

The incredible rise in uranium prices, from $7 a pound a few years ago to a recent high of $138 a pound, has resurrected ideas about mining what is, incredibly, the largest untapped uranium deposit in the United States - smack in the middle of Southside Virginia, in Pittsylvania County.

The deposit was first found three decades ago, but concerns led Virginia to ban uranium mining in the mid-1980s. Uranium prices have also been in the tank since the early 1980s, with the country's nuclear industry stuck in a holding pattern.

The energy debate - "Where will we get it? What noncarbon-producing options do we have?" - has put nuclear back at the forefront. New demand for uranium has sent prices through the roof.

Where does that leave Virginia's ban on mining? Walter Coles Sr., the landowner whose property includes most of the deposit, and his company, Virginia Uranium, aren't asking for a repeal. Right now, they're asking legislators to approve a study that asks, "Can this be done safely in Virginia?"

Opponents have already said no. The debate in Richmond will begin soon.

Look in the Daily Press next Sunday for our take on the issue and how it fits into the broader context of what could be a developing nuclear industry anchored in the state.

A broader environmental question already has the attention of just about everyone in the environmental community.

After similar legislation last year, several bills seek to strip from citizen boards the power to approve or disapprove major projects with an environmental footprint. Sole authority for permitting power plants, reservoirs and similar projects would be placed in the hands of the Department of Environmental Quality's director, a governor-appointed position.

Individual residents and representatives of nearly every major environmental group in the state have come out in force against the change.

They say it would intentionally bypass citizen involvement in decisions that affect the public commons - the air and water.

Proponents say the process has become so cumbersome, a "streamlining" is necessary. See: "Newport News, King William Reservoir."

For nearly two decades, Newport News officials have been tangling with the State Water Control Board to clear hurdles for the planned reservoir. It's still nowhere near getting a final thumbs-up or thumbs-down.

The city doesn't like the process. Mayor Joe Frank used the city's example in a fundraising letter aimed at supporting lobbyists working to give the DEQ director the boards' authority.

But supporters of the citizen boards - the other key panel is the Air Pollution Control Board, which oversees emissions at power plants - say the reservoir is an example of how the process should work.

Citizens can take their concerns to a panel of their peers for a public airing, instead of appealing to a single political appointee.

No environmental fight in Richmond this winter should stoke as much passion as this one.

NASA Langley Research Center is kicking off 2008 with a pledge to focus this year on the great energy debate in the U.S.

The first speaker has spent much of his career on the problems and promise of manned missions to Mars. But recently, Robert Zurin has put more of his attention on his home planet.

The subject of his recent book, "Energy Victory: Winning the War on Terror by Breaking Free of Oil," previews his Tuesday lecture at Langley. Zurin is a big advocate of biofuels.

See Wednesday's Daily Press for coverage of this respected thinker's views on the country's energy future.

Contact Patrick Lynch at 247-4534 or plynch@dailypress.com.

Copyright © 2018, Daily Press


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Dalal Street Investments

Ranbaxy Labs + Glaxosmithkline Pharma

August 4, 2008

Ranbaxy Labs: Ranbaxy’s 2Q PAT (adjusted for forex impact) of Rs1.6bn was on the back of 13% revenue growth and modest margin improvement (17.8% vs 16.4% in 1QCY07). Reported PAT at Rs229mn was largely shadowed by Rs1.93bn forex translational loss. As a result, forecasts are lowered by 12-19% and we now model 34% CAGR in core profits (CY08-10E) and impact of FTF opportunities till 2010.

Timelines on Daiichi Sankyo’s open offer remain intact (August 8th-27th). Management reiterates guidance of 20% top-line growth and 17-18% EBITDA margin. W.Europe markets continue to face pressures while growth outlook on RoW markets is robust. Complying with USFDA, to send necessary documents relating to district court motion on Poanta Sahib case by August 3rd, 2008. Ranbaxy is expected to report an EPS of Rs 16 to Rs 17 for year ending Dec-2008.

Glaxo Smithkline Pharma: GSK’s revenues (net of excise) grew 11% YoY on a comparable basis; reported growth (6.3% YoY) is lower due to sale of the fine chemicals business. This was driven by healthy growth rates in priority products and vaccines.

GSK continues with its efforts to boost revenues. It launched Tykerb in 2Q and has entered into an in licensing deal with Astellas. It has entered into a co-promotion agreement with Daiichi Sankyo India for the antihypertensive drug Olmesartan Medoxomil and its combination products.

Gross margins improved 176bps YoY on the back of improving product mix (no fine chemicals; higher share of priority products within pharma). At the same time, strong control over costs translated into a 207bps YoY improvement in EBIDTA margins. GSK is expected to report an EPS of Rs 55 for FY08 ending in Dec-08.

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Thanks so much for your prayers; keep them up! Ian had a good night last night. Here’s a note from my brother-in-law:

We are very encouraged today as Ian had a good day yesterday. They were able to turn the ventilator down some so that his lungs are doing more of the breathing and the machine is doing less. Also they had more success yesterday in getting some of the mucous/fluid out of his lungs. We were very encouraged by this and hope that he will continue to improve throughout the day. Please continue to pray for him as he still has a long way to go. Specifically he needs prayer that:

1. They are able to continue getting the stuff out of his lungs

2. His lungs heal and are able to do more of the work of breathing so they can get him off the ventilator and

3. Pray that he does not contract any other infections, which is apparently a significant risk when you are on a ventilator for this long.

Again thank you for all of the prayers and support (I know I sound like a broken record saying that over and over but I really mean it).

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Local artists will come together to celebrate the birthday of retiring Congressman Maurice Hinchey at the Kleinet-James Center for the Arts, 36 Tinker ST., Woodstock, on Saturday, October 27 from 4 to 7 pm.
Stop by, Say Hello, Come Sing Happy Birthday and CELEBRATE the extraordinary, retiring Congressman on his actual birthday!
There will be a complimentary, informal reception, with food and drink and cake!  The M.C. will be Martha Frankel and the event is co-sponsored by Artists for Hinchey and the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild.
For more information call 845-399-9034.  RSVP appreciated.


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Dario Anselmo Secures Endorsement

Edina, Minn. – Dario Anselmo today secured the endorsement of the Minnesota Republican Party’s House District 49A in his campaign to represent Edina as its next State Representative.

Said Anselmo, “I am honored to receive the support of so many engaged citizens in my campaign to represent Edina as its next State Representative. As a big-tent Republican. I’m focused on the issues that unite all of us: ensuring all who need a job have one, making our great schools even better, improving our health-care system with common-sense reforms, and making sure our seniors are secure.”

Anselmo has already garnered attention from observers for his well-organized campaign, committed base of volunteers, and impressive fundraising results. To date, Anselmo has raised more than $30,000 from his wide network of friends, family, neighbors, fellow community volunteers, and business associates. The fundraising total is comprised entirely of supporter donations and does not include any loans to the campaign from the candidate.

Anselmo is ready for a vigorous, respectful campaign. Said Anselmo, “I respect Ron Erhardt and his decades of service, but our community deserves a fresh voice in St. Paul, and I’ll be drawing clear contrasts in this campaign between my vision and his.”

Dario and wife, Jeanne, have lived in Edina's Parkwood Knolls neighborhood for the past 15 years. He was born in Duluth and raised in the western suburbs of Minneapolis.

He and Jeanne have three children. All attend Edina Public Schools: Valley View Middle School, South View Middle School, and Highlands Elementary. Dario recognizes that Edina’s thriving public schools are essential for the community’s quality of life, so he’s strengthened them by serving on the board of the Edina Education Fund and now on the board of Edina Give and Go.

In addition to his family life and civic involvement, Dario is an entrepreneur and small businessman. He started his first company at age 21. After selling it, he bought the Fine Line Music Café in downtown Minneapolis. Under Dario's leadership for nearly the next 20 years, the Fine Line became a cultural institution.

To leverage the Fine Line's success and create broader benefits for the surrounding neighborhood, Dario co-founded the Warehouse District Business Assn. and was a longtime member of the Minneapolis Downtown Council. Through those efforts, he encouraged elected officials to enact policies to encourage job growth.

For further information, please visit www.DarioAnselmo.com or contact Mark Giga at 612-916-2613.

Quick Links

A Democrat for Anselmo
Anselmo Personifies Effectiveness
Anselmo a Benefit to Mortgage Workers
Candidate Brochure
Anselmo Green Industry Advocate (Sun)
Guns and Public Safety (StarTribune)
Breaking the Ice: Purple Pride at the Capitol
Monthly Legislative Update
Session Wrap


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Cybercrime charges laid against digital activist

Maxence Melo, the founder of JamiiForums, a popular Swahili forum sometimes used by whistleblowers, was finally charged on Friday, December 16, 2016. Photo: Daniel Hayduk

Three days after being detained by police, digital activist Maxence Melo has finally been charged and his bail hearing postponed until Monday.

Police have been asking Melo to hand over user data for his website JamiiForums, a popular Swahili forum sometimes used by whistleblowers.

Melo, who already faces an obstruction charge from an ongoing court case, has been handed three more obstruction charges as well as a charge for failing to manage and use a domain name.

The obstruction charges are filed under section 22(2) of the Cybercrimes Act, of which Melo is an outspoken critic.

“The suspect has been neglecting to abide by lawful orders of law enforcement agencies. The police force and any law enforcement agency under the law are entitled to get the information,” says Johannes Kalungura, the principal legal counsel for the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority.

Various media and human rights groups have condemned Melo’s long detention; Tanzanian law requires charges be laid within 24 hours.

“…They have failed to charge him in the court of law within the required time framework,” says Onesmo Olengurumwa of The Human Rights Defenders in Tanzania.

Editor’s note: clarification in para. 1: bail hearing not denied as in earlier version, just postponed until Monday.

Report a typo: highlight the text in question and press Ctrl+Enter to report.

About the Author

Daniel Hayduk
Daniel is Dar Post's news director. When not in the newsroom, he spends his days helping NGOs across the continent find their creative side.

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Apply Online (General)

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, creed, ancestry, sexual orientation, age, military or veteran status or the presence of a handicap or genetic information.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. This form covers all the information required by Part 391, Section 391.21, of the Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. The information provided in this form may be used, and the applicant’s prior employers may be contacted for the purpose of investigating the applicant’s background.


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Great Fun Photoshoot in Japan

I had so much fun photographing these ladies a couple of weeks ago in Japan for Getty Images and iStock. Can you tell? Love Japan and hope to be back there again soon. … [Read more...]

iStock Portfolio Link

Quick little post just testing out this banner link to my images on iStock ... and it doesn't quite work - but it will take you to the main iStock page … [Read more...]

Commercial Stock Photography in Bali, Indonesia

I'm back from overseas, for just a short time before heading off again. Here's a few images to prove my trip to Bali was all about taking care of business. … [Read more...]

Small Business Commercial Photography

Looking for commercial photography for your small business? I'm currently looking for small business people to photograph for stock photography purposes. These images will be taken for free and you will be able to use them for your promotional purposes. In return I will require signed model releases … [Read more...]

Happy Birthday America

I forgot I had even taken this image but as the 4th of July draws to a close, here's a quick happy birthday call to the USA. #172203412 / … [Read more...]

Sydney Commercial Stock Photography

I've been away again but this time I didn't go too far. Just ducked to Sydney to do some stock photography with Australian Aboriginal models. I am always looking for indigenous guys and girls to model for me - particularly if you're in Northern NSW. If you're interested, drop me a message from the … [Read more...]

Working With Other Photographers For Fun and Money

This time last week I was just finishing up photographing in Hong Kong with the crew from Getty Images (especially Bill Bon) and iStock. We got to experience some extreme luxury and fantastic service at the InterContinental Grand Stanford but even better was that I was doing my shoot along side … [Read more...]

Hong Kong Stock Photography and Perhaps Some Wedding Photos

I'm fresh back from Hong Kong where I have been producing stock photography images of luxury themes with the crew from iStock and Getty Images. Here is a quick video slideshow showing some of the Hong Kong luxury I captured there. Great place for some different and interesting wedding photography. … [Read more...]

Greatest Photo Ever Taken of the Taj Mahal

I'm feeling not so humble this morning, so I thought I'd give my ego a run off the chain and show you what is quite likely to be the greatest photo ever taken of the Taj Mahal. Approximately 20000 people visit the Taj Mahal every day. Let's say they each take 15 photos of it. That's over 100 … [Read more...]

Next Photography Adventure Is Go

Sometimes professional photography is about putting in years and years of hard work so you know exactly how to set the camera, focus it and be in exactly the right place at the right time to get a brilliant image that everyone else sees as a lucky shot. And here is that image. And in other … [Read more...]


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Because Letchworth Museum

Archaeology at Letchworth Museum: telling stories about the past

A bronze escutcheon from an Iron Age wine-mixing vessel

A bronze escutcheon from an Iron Age wine-mixing vessel found in Baldock © North Hertfordshire District Council

We archaeologists are constantly reassuring the public that it’s not all about treasure: we are as interested in rubbish (if not more so) than in Tut‘ankhamun’s gaudy baubles. Yet we all go slightly dewy-eyed when something really beautiful turns up, even if we are sometimes ashamed to admit it. A gold stater of Cunobelin found on site will have everyone rushing across to see it: yet another sherd of Harrold shelly ware will not.

This isn’t hypocrisy. As I explained in my previous post, most archaeological finds really aren’t suitable for public display. All too often, they consist of fragments – slivers of animal bone, potsherds, rusty lumps of iron – that are, frankly, uninspiring (unless you know what you’re looking at, of course!). When we find something that is instantly recognisable for what it is – a well preserved brooch, a sculpted stone, a complete pot – it really is more exciting. And the good thing, from the point of view of a museum archaeologist, is that it is easier to tell stories about it to non-archaeologists.

For this reason, museums tend to display their best looking artefacts. With a collection that is varied, there is almost an embarrassment of riches: we have to pick and choose what goes on display. We also have to pick and choose which items will be priorities in our disaster management plans. Which objects do we save first? The most valuable? The most fragile? The most iconic? It is always a difficult decision and one for which there are no right answers. I have my own personal favourites that are on display, but they are not necessarily the artefacts that would need to be saved first.

Tenth-century sword chape from Ashwell

Tenth-century sword chape from Ashwell © North Hertfordshire District Council

Because Letchworth Museum tells the story of North Hertfordshire from the arrival of the first humans (actually most likely members of the species Homo heidelbergensis) over 400,000 years ago through to the turn of the twentieth century, there is an enormous range of objects on display. We have Lower Palaeolithic hand axes from Hitchin, Mesolithic tranchet axes from Weston park, a Neolithic polished axe from Pirton, a Bronze Age Ballintober type sword from Gosmore… By the time we reach the Iron Age, there are so many objects that could potentially be displayed that we are forced to choose the best: we have two cauldrons (one from Letchworth Garden City and one from Baldock), for instance. Pride of place goes to the early Welwyn-type burial from Baldock, which was packed with treasures. Moving into the Roman period, there is a beautiful marble portrait head, probably from Radwell, that is among the finest ever found in Britain.

Although the closure of the museum in September will mean that these items will not be available for public viewing again until the new museum opens in 2014, we are working on a digitisation scheme that we hope will make selected parts of the collections available through the web. We are currently looking at collections management systems and web-based solutions for making our huge collections accessible to a wider public. There are interesting (and busy!) times ahead.


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My Title page contents

Welcome to The Ben Holt Memorial Branch, Inc. of

The National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc.

Find out about our organization, mission, our methods, and the results of our decades of advocacy.

Learn More →

Ready to take the next step? Join our community of musicians and music lovers.

Find Out How →


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 Performance Management - HRMS | dcoretech

HRMS - Performance Management

Performance Management contains activities which ensure that objectives are consistently being met in a productive and efficient manner. It mainly focuses on the performance and production of an organization, a division, employee, or even the processes to build a product or service. Also termed as a process by which organizations marshal their resources, systems and employees to strategic objectives and priorities.

Module Features

  • Assessment year creation
  • KRA & KPI Configuration
  • Complete Assessment workflow through ESS – Appraise, Appraiser & Reviewer
  • Provision for Admin to do assessment through admin login
  • Provision for Goals & objectives import
  • Team assessment through MSS
  • TO Do List for PMS goals pending & Assessment pending


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Our Lady of Victory School (N-grade 8) Admissions Tour

October 4, 2017 @ 9:00 am - 10:00 am

Please attend Our Lady of Victory School’s monthly open house admissions tour on Wednesday, October 4th from 9:00am until 10:00am. Register online at www.olvschooldc.org. Our Lady of Victory is a dynamic and diverse Catholic school located in the heart of Washington, DC, with 210 students in Nursery through 8th grade. OLV is well known for its academic excellence, superior staff, small student/teacher ratio, well-rounded graduates and its recognition as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.

October 4, 2017
9:00 am - 10:00 am
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Our Lady of Victory School
4755 Whitehaven Parkway, NW
Washington, 20007
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Category: Batman Legacy

Batman Legacy: Batman (Modern Age)

Batman Legacy: Batgirl

Batman Legacy: Batman (Golden Age) with Bat-mite

Batman Legacy: Catman

Batman Legacy: Mr. Freeze

Batman Legacy: The Joker

Copyright © 2008-2018 - - All rights reserved.
Please do not use any of our images/contents without first securing our permission.

All licensed character names and related indicia are © and TM of their respective owners.

This is an unofficial web site and is intended for information purposes only. is part of The Action Figure Hub


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Thursday, 14 May 2015

Manitoba Deaf Association (MDA) will host International Week of the Deaf for September 2015!!

Manitoba Deaf Association (MDA) Board would like to inform you all that any organization would like to host their event during International Week of Deaf (IWD) for September 19th-26th, 2015. We have an elected Chairperson for this organizer events. Please contact Sheila Montney, Chairperson for IWD 2015. Her email address is The deadline for any interested host event is by Monday, August 24th.


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• Yes, they should.

    I do think that customs policies should be regulated by the UN. It can be a nightmare flying country to country sometimes, and trying to understand all of the customs policies. The United States sometimes is a nightmare to get back into. I think the UN could really smooth this process out.

  • It's each state.

    No, customs policies should not be regulated by the UN, because each state should be able to decide for themselves what kind of customs they want to have. Other nations whose interests are adverse to ours might try to make it hard for us to import or export, or to welcome people the way we want to.

  • That is not the role of the UN.

    While the United Nations is essentially a trade group for countries, it should not have such a granular focus. Its member nations are still sovereign, and they reserve the exclusive right to determine what does and does not pass through their borders. That is something that countries should never surrender to an outside authority.

  • No They Shouldn't

    I do not believe it is necessary for the UN to regulate customs policies. Customs are something that need to be handled by the individual countries without interference from a higher authority. I do not see why the UN would get involved in this area and I feel like regulating customs would bog the UN down.

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Debt Control Agency - We collect when others can't
DCA money banner

About Debt Control Agency

Debt Control Agency is a professional leading provider full service 3rd party debt collection services company. Debt Control Agency has collection centers in Ontario and Quebec with our head office located in Toronto Ontario. We are nationally licensed and provide consumer and commercial debt recovery services to our clients in various industries.

Debt Control Agency is results driven and focused on servicing our clients with the highest collection recovery rate while maintaining the best standards of customer responsiveness in the industry. Keeping this in mind, we continually invest in the company and our greatest asset, our people. DCA staff is thoroughly trained during on-boarding as well as continuously subjected to standardized testing and monitoring. Our senior management team has held key positions within the collections industry and have over 50 years combined experienced.

The company’s philosophy is to treat your business as if it was our own as a true 'business partner'. In addition to providing 3rd party debt collection services and customized receivable management solutions, we also offer a full range of collection related services such as letter writing, skip tracing, and legal collection services.

At Debt Control Agency, safeguarding the confidentiality and personal information of our clients' accounts is taken very seriously. DCA uses state-of-the-art technologies and current security standards to ensure that client information is protected from unauthorized access, disclosure, inappropriate alteration, or misuse.

DCA has many years of experience and superior results. With a distinct advantage of both French and English fluency, and combined usage of state-of-the-art collection and tracing software, DCA can collect your debts, regardless of age of receivables. DCA is a debt recovery service that does exactly what the name implies…..DEBT CONTROL!

We would welcome the opportunity to demonstrate these qualities and or discuss how our success can be partnered with your organizations success.

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Everybody’s watching the dollars as legislature opens

doverBy Kathy Canavan

Business, unions and politicians agree that Delaware needs to grow its economy as it did with the Financial Center Development Act in the ’80s. What they don’t agree on is how to grow it.

Or even how to fund the current state government.

As the 148th Delaware General Assembly enters its second week, everyone is looking at the dollars.

They know state revenues will likely fall in 2016, based on estimates from the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council, the group of volunteers and state employees that has been providing nonpartisan and objective revenue estimates to Delaware governors since 1977.

“The biggest issue—and it’s the biggest issue every year—is the financial situation,” said lobbyist Bob Byrd, a former majority whip in the House. “DEFAC is forecasting less money for 2016 than for 2015, so that means there’s going to be a lot of pressure on the revenue. They’re going to have to come up with ways to increase the revenue or cut programs.”

State revenue comes from five sources: personal income taxes, corporate franchise taxes, abandoned property recovered from companies incorporated here, gross receipts taxes, and gambling taxes. Several of those revenue streams are volatile in the current economy. Last week, Gov. Jack Markell said he would not pursue a gas tax.

“We’re all Delawareans, and we’re all in this together, and we all have to work together,” said A. Richard Heffron, president of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce. “We did it in the ’70s, and we can do it again. Everybody has to give a little bit to get a little bit. We’ve got to get through this together. The governor and the legislature understand that.”

Here’s what business and union leaders will be watching in Dover this session:

Caesar Rodney Institute: Its big push this session will be for school choice and right-to-work. President John Stapleford points to other states where right-to-work introduced into schools tipped teachers’ unions. “If you had a right-to-work law, a lot of teachers would leave the union, and you would see more reform in the public schools,” he said.

Stapleford knows right-to-work would be a tough sell in a state as blue as Delaware, so his plan is to push right-to-work county-by-county or even establish a single right-to-work zone in the city of Wilmington to bring jobs where unemployment is high.

The Committee of 100: Near the top of its list is reviving infrastructure funding, with revenue strictly dedicated to the state’s transportation trust fund. “You just risk your economic competitiveness as things gradually deteriorate. It’s a lot easier to maintain something than to rebuild it. There is a series of projects statewide that need to be done,” Executive Director Paul Morrill said.

Morrill said his group will also be following the budget process, as they are concerned about the state’s revenue structure—especially gambling, abandoned property, and franchise fees.

“There’s no silver bullet. It’s just going to be a hard slog. You find things where you can save some dollars here or there. It’s a political process, to be sure,” he said.

Delaware State Chamber of Commerce: The chamber will be following revenue sustainability, workmen’s comp, infrastructure funding and education. President A. Richard Heffron said the state needs to consider all practical proposals to fund infrastructure improvements at an affordable cost. “There are different ways to bake that cake, and we’re going to look at them. We’re going to try to put something together everybody can live with,” he said. “We’re working with the governor and the legislature to find an answer.”

GOP: Party Chairman Charlie Copeland’s top issues are schools, prevailing wage, new taxes, the regulatory process, and the high cost of state government.

“The streets of Wilmington are stacked up with unemployable people who came out of those schools. We should be focusing on making the schools better,” Copeland said. “This legislature seems to be more interested in helping union bosses than helping families and kids and the quality teachers who are stuck out there in a failing system.”

Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce: The chamber will be tracking the moves of the state’s Blue Collar Task Force, which successfully passed a $7.75 minimum wage for Delawareans in June that will automatically rise to $8.25 next June—$1 higher than the federal minimum. It will back the Kent-Sussex natural gas line proposal, support tax relief for casinos, and oppose any attempts to revive Gov. Jack Markell’s proposal for a new tax to pay for his $800 million water-improvement plan.

“They really think that, before the state can start applying taxes, the state needs to look internally to see how they can cut some of their costs,” Chamber President Judy Diogo said.

New Castle County Chamber of Commerce: The chamber will be following the budget, infrastructure funding, health-care laws, and the prevailing wage—the negotiated amount the state pays union members who work on public projects. “The prescribed prevailing wage is the highest wage possible, above market rate,” said chamber President Mark Kleinschmidt.

And the chamber will be watching the state’s and the horsemen’s cuts of gambling revenues. Last year, Delaware casinos paid more than 60 percent of their gross profits to the state, horsemen, and video-lottery vendors.

AFL-CIO: Union President Sam Lathem said his 29,000-member organization will oppose the introduction of any right-to-work legislation and will campaign to keep the prevailing wage. “Prevailing wage insures a livable wage,” he said.

Home Builders Association of Delaware: The cost of excessive regulation and infrastructure investment is on Vice President Howard Fortunato’s mind as the legislators return. “I think we need the infrastructure investment,” he said. “The issue is how are you going to fund it?”

Bob Byrd, lobbyist: Byrd, a former House majority whip, said the legislature is going to have to cut programs or come up with new ways to pay for them. “Dollars are going to be the most important thing that gets watched,” he said.

He said nonperforming schools will be another focus. He pointed out that public school offerings have slowly improved since businesses got involved a decade ago. The ball started rolling in 1996, when the school-choice program was adopted and the Charter School of Wilmington was founded by six companies—AstraZeneca, Christiana Care Health System, Delmarva Power, Hercules, Verizon, and DuPont.

National Federation of Independent Business: State Director Jessica Cooper said her group will be tracking the Affordable Care Act, minimum wage, workmen’s comp, workforce education, and “any bill that will help the state’s job creators.”

“We’ve got a serious issue with the overall state budget. The spending is a big problem,” she said. “Everyone wants more money, and, all too often, business owners are the go-to for solving budget issues. It all adds up. Money doesn’t grow on trees. It’s going to break the business community’s back.”

The 148th General Assembly opened last week.

The assembly consists of 62 part-time legislators who meet from the second Tuesday of January until June 30.

It’s a bi-cameral legislature with 21 senators and 41 members of  the House of Representatives.

Here is the calendar for January:

January 21: Legislature in session
January 22: Legislature in session; Governor Jack Markell delivers his state-of-the-state message to legislators
January 27: Legislature in session
January 28: Legislature in session
January 29: Legislature in session; Governor Markell presents his budget
Anyone can follow legislative progress online.

You can find agendas, committee assignments, contact information for legislators, and the ready list, a list of the bills that are out of committee and ready for consideration.

You’ll also find links to previous General Assembly facts, FOIA requests and the Delaware code.

Some legislative committees post their schedules online; some post their meeting minutes.

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Getting a Mortgage

Fish jumping from empty water bowl to bowl with house in waterGETTING A MORTGAGE?

Get all your info together before you apply!

We know applying for a mortgage can be confusing especially if you're a first time homebuyer.  The best thing you can do is meet with a reputable lender.  Talk to them about what type of home you want to purchase, what your budget will allow, and what type of mortgage you might seek.  Be prepared to answer any questions that a lender might have for you and be open & straightforward about your circumstances.  Despite what the media says about how difficult it is to acquire a home loan there are loads of qualified buyers out shopping for a new place.  You are probably one of them!

BUT, before you go for your pre-approval letter (which you will need as you start your search) there are a few things you'll need to have when you meet your lender:

• The name & address of your bank, your account numbers, and statements for the past six months
• Investment statements for the last two months
• Pay stubs, W-2 withholding forms or other proof of employment and income
• Balance sheets & tax returns if you're self employed
• Information on consumer debt with account numbers and amount due
• Divorce settlement papers, if applicable

With this information, your lender will be able to verify your income & bank account information plus obtain a copy of your credit report.

Contact your CENTURY 21 DePiero & Associates, Inc. professional who can refer you to qualified lenders.

There are a variety of loans available.

Fixed Rate Conventional Loan:  As the name implies, the interest rate remains the same throughout the life of the loan.  Your monthly payment generally remains the same as well.  The entire loan is repaid in equal monthly installments over the length of the loan.  These low risk loans are available in either short term (under 30 years) and long-term (30+years).

Adjustable Rate Conventional Loan (ARM):  With a variable rate mortgage, your interest rate is adjusted periodically, keeping pace with changes in interest rate fluctuations.  What this means is that your monthly payment amount is recalculated with each rate adjustment.  Depending on what's specified in the mortgage contract, an ARM can be adjusted semi-annually, quarterly, monthly or annually.  This is definitely a higher risk loan since your payments may fluctuate greatly due to market conditions.

FHA Loan:  An FHA loan allows for the refinance or purchase of a home with a low down payment.  These loans are great for the first time home buyer who may not have a lot of cash available to put down on a home.  Generally the buyer only needs to have 3.5% of the purchase price for a down payment, and can negotiate with the seller to pay the majority of their closing costs.

On conventional mortgages your down payment will depend on your credit score.  If your scores (and this is a guesstimate) are above 700 you can expect to qualify for a down payment of 5%. At 680 you may need about a 6%-11% down payment and 620 or so roughly a 20% down payment. Keep in mind these figures are rough, and are intended to simply give you an idea of what you may expect.  The rules change all the time, so check with your lender for accurate amounts.  There are also now convention loans that offer down payments as low as 3%.  Ask your loan officer if that's a possibility.

With FHA loans you may be able to qualify for a 3 1/2% down payment.

VA (Department of Veteran's Affairs) mortgages may offer you a NO down payment option.  VA mortgages are available to qualified veterans and their surviving spouses.  VA mortgage terms are also generally very attractive, and in many cases, little or no down payment is required.

Again, the best plan for you is to start with a reputable, experienced loan officer.  While 'shopping' for your loan be sure and compare 'apples to apples' in looking at fees and closing costs.  The best way to compare lenders by is looking at the APR%.  The APR is intended to show you the actual cost of the mortgage, including the interest rate and closing costs.  Your CENTURY 21 DePiero & Associates, Inc. professional can recommend reputable lenders who provide great service.


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Xiamen Dervos Valves Industry Co., Ltd

Extraordinary Suppliers of Forged Valves in China

Home > Knowledge > Content
Working principle of hydraulic control valve
- Apr 17, 2018 -

Used to control fluid pressure, flow and direction in hydraulic drives, one of the components that control pressure is called a pressure control valve. The control flow is called a flow control valve. The control of the opening, closing, and flow direction is called a directional control valve.

Working principle: According to the working principle and structure, the valve is divided into two types: direct-acting type and pilot type; according to the pressure control mode, the sequence valve has internal control and external control. A check valve is installed in the sequence valve, and a compound valve that can pass the reverse flow is called a one-way sequence valve. In general, this type of valve is used quite often.
Function and Application: The basic function of the sequence valve is to control the sequence of multiple actuators. According to their different functions, they are called sequence valve, back pressure valve, unloading valve and balancing valve. The performance of the sequence valve is basically the same as that of the relief valve, but due to the different functions, there are special requirements for the sequence valve:

(1) In order to enable the actuators to accurately perform sequential operations, the pressure regulating accuracy of the sequence valve is required to be high and the deviation is small;

(2) In order to ensure the accuracy of the sequential operation, the amount of internal leakage when the valve is closed is required;

(3) For one-way sequence valves, the reverse pressure loss and forward pressure loss should be small.

The main functions of the sequence valve are:

(1) Control the sequential operation of multiple components;

(2) For pressure-maintaining circuits;

(3) To prevent the free fall of the cylinder piston due to its own weight and to use it as a balancing valve;

(4) Use an externally controlled sequence valve as an unloading valve to unload the pump;

(5) Use internal control sequence valve as back pressure valve.

Selection of sequence valve: The sequence valve can realize different loop functions such as overflow valve, sequence valve and balance valve according to different assembly structure.

If the opening and closing characteristics of the sequence valve are too bad, the primary pressure is too high when the flow rate is large, and the loop efficiency is reduced. The opening and closing characteristics are hysteresis, and the opening pressure is lower than the closing pressure. Attention should be paid when the load flow rate changes. Open the valve with low pressure, and then leak before the pressure is lower than the set pressure, causing the actuator to malfunction. When the flow through the valve is much smaller than the rated flow, vibration or other instability occurs. At this point, take measures on the re-loop.


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Calendar 2013 “town”-Calendar by Katsumi Tamura

Katsumi Tamura Designs The Calendar 2013 “town” Calendar

Katsumi Tamura, the project leader of the highlighted design calendar 2013 “Town” - Calendar by Katsumi Tamura demonstrates, Town is a paper craft kit with parts that can be freely assembled into a calendar. Put together buildings in different forms and enjoy creating your very own little town. Life with Design: Quality designs have the power to modify space and transform the minds of its users. They offer comfort of seeing, holding and using. They are imbued with lightness and an element of surprise, enriching space. Our original products are designed using the concept of “Life with Design”..

Calendar 2013 “town”-Calendar by Katsumi Tamura Images:

End of the article, click here to go back to previous page, or alternatively go back to Design to Do homepage.

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Friday, March 15, 2013

The Bob & Chez Show After Party, 3.15.13

Join the After Party

This week: Talking to Kids Like Normal People; Louis CK Destroys a Heckler; House of Cards on Netflix; Ed Schultz Moving to Weekends on MSNBC; The New Pope and His Brutal LGBT Positions; Questioning the Catholic Church; Liam Neeson’s ‘The Grey’; Chez’s Daughter Records a New Liner for the Show; More Drone Comments from Huff Post; Ted Nugent is a Sociopathic Asshole; The North Korean Propaganda Video; Billy Joel Performs ‘New York State of Mind’ with a fan; and much more.

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“Awkward Humor & Iggy Pop Sing-Alongs” – Berlin Day 1

Posted in Diary of a Directrix, On the Fest Circuit
November 17th, 2011 by Devi Snively (The Directrix)

dirtdevil exorcistPerhaps I’ve been out of the loop, but I just discovered a wonderful Youtube gem that was screened as part of Interfilm’s opening night kick-off.  Watch it HERE.  You’ll thank me.  It’s even more fun on a giganto screen amidst an audience of thousands.  Scroll down for more awesome films and trailers below…

But first, a quick recap of Day 1 here at the Interfilm fest.  Berlin is like no city I’ve ever visited and Interfilm like no other fest.  It feels like a whole new world has opened up to me.  It’s been wonderful…and a little intimidating. 508_Chronik_Glossar__VolksbuehneMoments after I first arrived, I had little time to freshen up and find my way to the opening night kick off.  Interestingly, some street names seem to change at every block making it rather challenging to find one’s way about at first.

interfilm opening nightAfter a couple wrong turns, I found my way to the giant venue.  It was already packed with thousands of people, all speaking German, all in groups of friends.  In my jetlagged state and not knowing a soul or more than a handful of German phrases, I confess I had a minor case of ‘fish out of water’ syndrome.   I had no idea what was going on, nor where I was supposed to go.  Part of me wanted to retreat and hide in my hotel.   I quickly amputated that part and left her bloody carcass in an alley out back.  Life’s too short for such nonsense.

interfilm auditoriumI then followed some folks into a giant auditorium and took a seat.  Mercifully, a fellow next to me made a remark in English and we fast became friends.  I marveled once again how film fests so easily unite kindred spirits.  A documentarian from the U.K. who currently resides in Portugal, he’s a lovely chap and a big horror buff.  And I was so grateful to have a buddy to muse about the weird goings-on onstage.  Most of the show was in English, but it was like some bizarre variety show you might see on TV in South America or Japan only with German humor and accents.

polaroid4Our host was quirky to say the least .  He arrived on stage by bicycle (they’re everywhere here) and launched into an odd monologue at which I occasionally chuckled only to discover I was the only one to do so. I suddenly wondered if he had not intended to be funny.  I would later learn from a native that this is not uncommon in my fave quote thus far:  “German humor is awkward and we ourselves do not always know when it is funny or not.”   I like this place.

052411_hambuster_tThey showed a number of films and previews of films that will screen during the fest.  OMFG!  In all of my vast festival travels I have only seen a few shorts that compare in variety and scope as these.  Interfilm is celebrating its 30th year and our host boasted “ This year, we received 7,000 entries.  We only accepted 500.  So, relax.   We weeded out all the riff-raff for you.”  Once again, I was the only one to chuckle.  Oops.  And yowsah!  7,000 short films?!  Can you imagine?  Congrats, Team – we beat amazing odds.

To give you but a hint at the range, a few highlights included:

Luminaris  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjr_b-dh29I

Concerto Crasso http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDYQSMXnw7g

Hambuster  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARoLPibWAIk

Think  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51r4lNX2tUQ

La Gran Carrera http://vimeo.com/27602618

luminaris_01It was all so inspiring.  Short films are truly revered here.   Such perfection in artistry can be achieved in this smaller, but remarkable format.  I have fallen in love with this wonderful medium all over again and can’t wait to shoot our next.  More info on that when I return.  I’m jumping on the transmedia bandwagon and it’s so wonderfully exciting.  Endless possibilities.  But I digress.

iggy pop artThe program ended when a guitar accompanist who was present for the duration of the stage show jammed out an awesome rendition of Iggy Pop’s THE PASSENGER, a personal favorite, and our host sang just like Iggy himself.  There was an impromptu sing-along and then he rode off on the bike he’d ridden in on.  Nice!

Swiss_cheese_cubesThere were both a ‘reception’ and a ‘party’ directly after.  The reception offered free champagne, wine and beer (no water anywhere – d’oh!).  I was so parched I had no choice but to down some champagne.  Oh darn.  Upstairs was the “party”, which consisted of wall-to-wall people. The only other difference I could discern from the downstairs “reception” was that there were some cubes of Swiss cheese piled on platters.  No other food – double d’oh!   I grabbed a few cheese cubes, chatted a bit more with my new bud, then went back to the hotel just before 1am.  After 24 hours of travel and no sleep, food or water in some time, I seriously needed some recupe time.

selling_balloonsThe walk home was bitter cold with an eerie but beautiful fog in the air.  I kept expecting Peter Lorre to come by whistling and offer me a balloon.  Inspired, I wrote some ideas down for my latest writing assignment then promptly conked out into the most peaceful sleep.  It seemed like only minutes later when my alarm so rudely woke me up.  Breakfast is only served at the hotel until 10.  Oy.

I think Berlin may just challenge New York as the town that never sleeps.  It’s been rather nonstop since my arrival.  Not that I’m complaining.  There’s a wonderful energy here – so vibrant, yet not at all stressed out like so many cities.  I’ve never been anywhere like this.  The history, the people, the love of art permeate the crisp air.  And let us not forget the beer.  Sublime.

PD*25151406Apparently there is little industry in Berlin, which is made up primarily of artists and academics.  My own personal Mecca.  Everybody’s so well traveled, educated and diverse.  I love how discussion seamlessly flows through a plethora of topics and languages.

Anyway, these are my first impressions.  More to come.  Now, I have more screenings to attend…

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Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Today is the day my sixth graders have been awaiting: the release of Sisters, the release of Raina Telgemeier's smash graphic novel, Smile. That was the most widely read book in my classes this year, and they are lining up to find out what happens next in Raina's childhood.

Set during a road trip from California to Colorado, Sisters steps away from the drama of school and into the family tensions that come from being in a confined space. Most of the tension is between Raina and her nine-year-old sister, Amara. They argue about their differences, such as Amara's love of snakes, as well as their similarities (the colored pencils Raina refuses to share).

While most readers will be able to relate to the sibling rivalry, what caught my attention was how difficult parenting is. I would lose my mind if I had to spend a stormy road trip disciplining squabbling kids. There was less plot to this book than its successor, but I know that won't matter to my students. In their eyes, anything Telegemeier touches turns to gold.

The end of the book features photos of the sisters in situations from the novel. This makes me wonder if Telgemeier will continue telling the story of her life through graphic novels. I know hundreds of adolescents with their fingers crossed for that.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Serafina's Promise

Haiti holds a special place in my heart, even though I haven't been there yet. During my time in The Bahamas, I have met many Haitians and taught a unit on Haiti, our students raised funds for Haitian students, and I tutored a Haitian man in English. One of my dreams is to travel to this country and volunteer. In the meantime, I think one of my responsibilities as a teacher is to make sure my students are reading about Haiti and making connections. I wrote in the past that there needs to be more YA literature set in Haiti: Taste of Salt is good for middle school students, and In Darkness is appropriate for high school students. I've found the perfect middle grade novel in Ann E. Burg's Serafina's Promise.

Serafina is a young girl who dreams of being a doctor so that she can help others. She is determined that other families won't lose babies the way she lost her younger brother. Unfortunately, to be a doctor, you need to attend school. Serafina must work hard to attend school, in spite of the hunger and natural disasters that plague her life. I read the book with a sense of foreboding, knowing that the 2010 earthquake would happen at some point, and wondering how it would affect Serafina's dreams. Burg nicely balances the reality of the earthquake with some hope for the future. Her descriptions don't get more graphic than:

"Around me, people crawl
on hands and knees,
looking for those they love.
They scratch and paw
like hungry animals,
searching for food."

I'm happy that there is optimism in this story. Readers of this age group need that for their protagonists, and Haitians deserve a happy ending.

I loved Burg's All the Broken Pieces and hope she continues writing novels that take us inside the lives of children from around the world. Novels in verse are such an accessible way to learn about a new culture. They also tend to look hefty, so developing readers feel proud lugging them around, even if the actual type on the page is sparse. Burg provides ways to use Serafina in the classroom and how it relates to the Common Core. I'm adding this to my list of Caribbean Literature and will be recommending it to everyone.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Isla and the Happily Ever After

Magic. Perfection. Joy. And sadness that it is all over. That's what I am feeling right now.

I have a book reviewer confession: I almost never buy books.

I work at schools with amazing libraries and have access to ARCs, so it is rare that I actually buy a book. But I pre-ordered Isla and the Happily Ever After because I have been waiting years for the conclusion to Stephanie Perkins' series. And it was totally worth the wait. I didn't even change out of my pajamas today, I just read Isla and basked in it.

I could live forever in the world that Perkins has created, first in Anna and the French Kiss (my only review in Spanish) and then in Lola and the Boy Next Door. Her protagonists are such awesome girls and Perkins is the queen of creating lovable male characters. (Don't skip the message to her husband in the acknowledgments section--it had me tearing up!) Everything about the series is note perfect, and Perkins was kind enough to give readers closure with the characters from the other books.

The writing is wonderful throughout the novel, but there was one passage that stuck out to me. "After I pee, I return for my toothbrush and toothpaste. He follows me in, and we brush our teeth. we can't stop smiling at each other. I can't believe that adults get to do this every day. And I don't even mean sex, thought it's wonderful, but things like this. Brushing our teeth at the same sink. Do adults realize how lucky they are? Or do they forget that these small moments are actually small miracles? I don't want to ever forget." I love this reminder to appreciate the little beautiful aspects of our relationships. That part felt like a shout out to all of Perkins' adult readers. This book has more sex than either of the other books, so it skews to an older audience.

The plot is almost beside the point; this is an amazing romance between two beautiful characters. Do yourself a favor and read them in order. I want to start from the beginning all over again.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

The Ghost of Graylock

I need to build up my repertoire of scary books to recommend, because my students love them and I did, too, when I was in middle school. Unfortunately, I haven't expanded my collection much since then, falling back on Mary Downing Hahn books and the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series. I learned about author Dan Poblocki from Crunchings and Munchings, so set about reading his books.

Poblocki does something that I really appreciate in middle grade horror: there are actually ghosts and the story is actually scary. It jumps right into the story, with the first ghost appearing on page 30. There are many red herrings in the novel, to the point that I thought I had solved the mystery, but wasn't completely sure. (For the record, I was right, ha ha!) The occurrences in the novel are sure to keep students reading and guessing about the mystery.

I appreciated that there was the subtle inclusion of an LGBTQ couple, with the kids spending the summer with their Aunt Claire and her partner, Anna. As an added bonus, the cover sells itself--I won't even have to book talk something that is this appealing.

Something that irked me at first was that the story progressed over an extended period of time. There was a ghost and a ticking clock, but the characters ended up working shifts in their aunt's pie shop and going to ride go karts. The adult in me was stressed that they weren't focused on the mystery the entire time, but then I realized it was pretty realistic. Kids don't have complete control over their days and they have to do what adults tell them. It's probably something that young readers wouldn't even notice, but it slowed me down.

I have Poblocki's other books on hold at the library and look forward to enjoying them as well.

Sunday, August 10, 2014

The Girl from the Well

I've been reading a lot of scary books this summer and I'm a sucker for anything from Japan, so The Girl from the Well was made for me. If you enjoyed the movies "The Grudge" or "The Ring", you will love this horror story, based on the legend of Okiku, a peasant girl who was drowned in a well by her traitorous lord.

In the novel, the ghost has spent 300 years roaming the earth, making murderers pay for killing children. Tark, a boy with strange tattoos catches her eye and she is drawn to him and the evil ghost that is trapped inside him. She has to get him back to his mother's ancestral land in Japan before the spirit destroys him. Unfortunately, it's not easy to trust a terrifying ghost who looks like she drowned and spends her time hanging upside down from the ceiling.

I highly recommend this book, although you have to push through the first 30 pages. Even though they described Okiku's gruesome revenge on a killer, it wasn't gripping. Once Tark got introduced, I was all in and read the book in one afternoon. It takes awhile to get accustomed to the narration. Okiku speaks with the voice of someone who has been removed from people for a long time, so she often doesn't use names or the proper words for modern objects. There were a few grammar errors that I imagine were more due to the fact that I read an ARC from NetGalley than an author's choice.

There were scenes that genuinely scared me; anything that involves mirrors freaks me out and there were several frightening exorcisms. The callous ways that the murderers treat their victims was most disturbing (I'm thinking of a scene with wannabe yakuza high school boys). Mature eighth graders could handle the novel, but I would recommend it more for high school students and adults who like spooky YA fiction.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong

With only enough money to fund new uniforms for the cheerleading team or sending the Robotics Club to the national competition, the competition is fierce. Unfortunately for Charlie, his best friend is the head of the Robotics Club and his ex-girlfriend is the Captain of the cheerleaders. Luckily, they are able to find a way to work together to see if they can earn the money for both groups.

With its dedication to "all the girl geeks", I was a little concerned that the only female character that speaks in the first half of the book is a domineering cheerleading ex-girlfriend. Luckily, that fear was resolved with the introduction of Joanna, the most talented member of the Robotics Club. Joanna is true to her geeky heart, which makes her attractive to everyone, except some losers who think robotics isn't for girls.

This is a black and white graphic novel, which tend to be less popular than the full color books, at least with my students. Still, Faith Erin Hicks' artwork is lively and makes up for the lack of color. I think that after a few pages, my students won't even notice anymore (or maybe I'll have a competition to let them color it)! I'm talking about the book like I already have a copy of it for our classroom library, which will happen as soon as possible.

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Room One

Andrew Clements is a gift to reading teachers. His books are accessible, easy to read, and didactic without being preachy. There's also something to be said for the covers, which are welcoming to readers in their similarities, and don't look too young, which lessens the embarrassment of reading them at an older age. Many of my ESL students are reading his novels in sixth grade and they proudly proclaim them as their favorite author.

Ted Hammond loves mysteries, but never thought he would find one in his isolated Nebraska town. One day, though, he sees a face in the window of an abandoned farm house. He solves the mystery of who it is fairly quickly, but then motivates to do something about it. What started as a mystery develops into a lesson about community, keeping promises, and the value of small towns.

While I enjoyed the insight into what it would be like to teach in a one-room school, my favorite aspect of Room One is that Ted is a genuinely good person. He takes promises seriously and believes in the values of the Boy Scouts. It's nice to have a strong role model to refer back to, especially when most of my students have read Clements' books at one time or another.   I wouldn't consider this a mystery, but rather some realistic fiction that shows the good things that can happen when you do the right thing.


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If you live, work or own a business in Southborough and are looking for an insurance agency that can handle all your needs while providing the personal attention you deserve, you've come to the right place. Murphy Insurance is an independent insurance agent that serves the Southborough community from our Marlborough and other locations. We work with a variety of insurance companies and do the work for you comparing options to get you great coverage at a great price. You can work with us by email, by phone or in person...which ever is most convenient for you.

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Southborough MA Insurance

Insurance Southborough MA Auto Home Business Life
incorporated 1727
sq. miles 14.02
population 9,767
% male 49.5%
% female 50.5%
housing units 3,460
median home value                 $489,600
median gross rent $1,380
median HH income $143,581
  * source 2010 US Census

Southborough is a quiet, pastoral community whose character was shaped by the development of Sudbury Reservoir, which flooded a tenth of the town's original area. Located in Worcester County, just a mere 25 miles west of Boston, Southborough has easy access to many main roads such as the Mass Pike (I-90), Interstate 495, and Route 9. It is primarily a residential community. The town also has a stop along the MBTA commuter rail between Worcester and Boston. Light industrial land use is concentrated along main roads, primarily Massachusetts Route 9. Southborough was named Number 31 in the nation on CNN Money's "100 Best Places to Live" in 2009, and the town consistently ranks #1 as the wealthiest community in Worcester County. The public high school is Algonquin Regional High School, and private schools in town include Fay School and St Mark's School.

points of interest: Chestnut Hill Farm, Sudbury Reservoir
local area chamber: Corridor Nine Chamber of Commerce
local newspaper(s): Southborough Daily Voice
library: Southborough Public Library
fire: 508 485 3235  web page
police: 508 485 2121  web page
tax collector:  508 485 0710 x2010  web page
town website: www.southboroughtown.com


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Parmesan Bruschetta

By sexyswamprat

  • 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

  • 2 tbsp Cream Cheese, light, classic

  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder

  • 1/4 tsp dry italian seasoning

  • 4 piece medium slice Italian bread , 1/2-inch thick; cut diagonally

  1. In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Stir well.

  2. Spread cheese mixture evenly over bread slices.

  3. Place bread slices on a baking sheet and broil for 1 minute (or until toasted).

  4. Serve hot.

Nutritional Facts

Makes 4 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 84.8
Total Carbs 10.9g
Dietary Fiber 0.8g
Sugars 0.7g
Total Fat 3.1g
Saturated Fat 1.7g
Unsaturated Fat 1.4g
Potassium 0mg
Protein 4g
Sodium 180.7mg
Dietary Exchanges
1/4 Fat
1 Starch

snacks appetizer calcium vitamin d

2 replies

P2putt 2009-09-07 13:13:31 -0500 Report

Wow,another one. Are you trying to get me to gain weught? If you are,I'm going to enjoy it. I am Sacilian- American,do you have any Italian in your ancestry?


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Old 04-07-2013, 02:58 PM   #5
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SAHM, wife & artist--7 ds, 5 dd, 2 dd. I am an artist who crochets, hand stamps jewelry and makes boho chic hair pieces for girls and mamas!
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article imageOp-Ed: D.C.'s 16-week paid leave act serves as a national model

By Phyllis Smith Asinyanbi     Oct 10, 2015 in Politics
Washington - Conflicts between work and family life are common for U.S. workers. The term "work-life balance" describes the ultimate goal of the employed. D.C.'s proposed 16-week paid family leave would provide benefits to most who live in the nation's capitol.
On Tuesday, the Universal Paid Leave Act of 2015 was introduced by Council members in the District of Columbia. If legislation passes, the nation's capital would be the first city to offer paid medical and family leave to nearly all residents. Employees would be paid while healing from illness, bonding with an infant or adopted child, caring for sick family members or recuperating after military deployment. To date, only California, New Jersey and Rhode Island have paid family and medical leave. However, California and New Jersey offer six weeks of partial paid leave, while Rhode Island offers four weeks of partial pay. If passed, the D.C. legislation would far surpass this.
Paid leave will help families achieve the balance they are looking for, and although leave is often thought of as a benefit for pregnant women, it's not only about women but entire families, including fathers and extended family. Nevertheless, it is well understood that for every benefit, there is a cost. The funding for the Paid Leave Act will be a tax placed on private D.C. employers. It will be based on a sliding scale, determined by an employee's salary, any where from 0.6 and 1 percent, per Slate. Everyone will not receive the same benefit; employees who earn up to $52,000 yearly will receive 100 percent of their salary during leave. Those who earn more will receive up to $1,000 a week plus 50 percent of their salary, maxing out at $3,000 per week. This is generous, and D.C.'s legislation is an excellent example for other local and state governments that choose to implement similar programs.
Nearly all D.C. employees would be eligible, with the exception of residents who work for the federal government, but are physically located in Maryland and Virginia, because D.C. has no jurisdiction in those states. Federal employees who actually leave in D.C. aren't automatically covered. However, district employees of the federal government and it's contractors can opt into the system at a fee equal to 1 percent of their salaries. That's a small price to pay for coverage that, more than likely, will be needed at some point in life.
Council members David Grosso and Elissa Silverman introduced the legislation. The two had formerly worked to get more paid sick days for restaurant workers and a raise to D.C.'s minimum wage. Paid family leave legislation was supported by a majority of the Council. Silverman said, "The Obama administration has realized the action is on the state and local level, and they gave us the money to model how this could actually work." The legislation was made possible by a grant program that U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez said would stop a GOP-led Congress that opted out of dealing with the issue of a low federal minimum wage. Perez commented on the leave proposal:
The United States is one of the few countries on Earth without national paid leave. Fortunately, we have seen remarkable progress . . . where innovative state and local officials are designing paid-leave policies that work for their citizens.
Currently, the Family and Medical leave Act allows U.S. employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave annually. Stipulations include working for an employer at least 12 months, which includes at least 1,250 hours during the most recent year. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, all government agencies, schools, and private companies nationwide with 50 or more employees are required to offer FMLA. Unfortunately, employees usually deplete vacation days, sick time and personal days to assure that during at least part of the leave, their families will have income.
At least one commonality exists among Oman, Papua New Guinea and the United States. That is, no paid maternity leave. Joining countless other developed countries and offering paid family and medical leave is the right choice for the United States. Perhaps D.C.'s Universal Paid Leave Act will serve as a model for the nation.
This opinion article was written by an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily intended to reflect those of
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Combating reactor pressure drop

A refiner investigates the causes of pressure drop due to fouling in a fixed bed reactor and considers an appropriate mitigation strategy

Reliance Industries Ltd
Viewed : 2839
Article Summary
The dominant factor that limits the run length of fixed bed units in a refinery is the build-up of pressure in the reactor. The possible causes of pressure drop in the reactor are shown in Figure 1. Pressure drop due to
fouling requires scientific understanding and root cause analysis in order to develop an appropriate mitigation strategy. The typical pressure profile seen in one of our commercial fixed bed reactors is shown in Figure 2. A rapid increase in pressure drop across the catalyst bed was seen in both the single and multiphase fixed bed reactors operating in our refinery, leading to a premature shutdown of the reactor. On probing the different layers of catalyst bed, it was found that the layers of the bed were either plugged with fines (iron sulphide, coke and other inorganic compounds) or in some cases there was irregular change in the shape of the catalyst particles. In a scenario wherein each manufacturer’s aim is to increase the intrinsic activity of the catalyst and, at the same time, refiners aim to pack the maximum amount of catalyst into a given volume, it is imperative that the run length of the reactor should be governed by catalyst activity rather than by a rapid increase in pressure drop due to fouling or other factors.

This article describes an approach to quantifying pressure drop due to fouling in a reactor. The unit in question is a single phase packed bed reactor, which was experiencing a severe fouling problem and subsequent pressure drop problems. Two phenomena that led to this fouling problem have been probed in detail. These scenarios are: deposition of fines in the voids between the catalyst particles; and irregular swelling of catalyst particles in the voids due to chemical reactions (see Figures 3b-c). The pressure drop across the catalyst bed of a single phase packed bed reactor is estimated by the Ergun equation. In this article, the correlation is used to quantify with time the pressure drop due to fouling across the bed. Similarly, the approach discussed here may be extended to multiphase packed bed reactors by making appropriate changes in the governing pressure drop correlations.1,2
Case study: fouling of a packed bed reactor
The two cases of fouling observed in the catalyst bed are shown schematically in Figures 3a-c. Case 1 represents a situation in which fouling arises due to the accumulation of fine particles in the voids (iron sulphide, carbon particles, phosphate particles, and so on) while Case 2 represents a scenario wherein the catalyst particles’ surface expands due to chemical reactions, leading to a decrease in the void space.
Figure 3a is a simplified representation of a portion of packed bed loaded with spherical particles where we have assumed a void fraction of 0.40.
The two cases represented in Figures 3b and 3c have been analysed separately in this work. The work can be easily extended to a case representing a combination of both phenomena.

The volume of fines (Vf,t) entering the reactor and the diameter of particles of fines (dp,f) is assumed. For both cases, we assume the fraction (length) of the bed (Lf) being fouled out of the total length of the bed (Lt).

For simplicity, it is assumed that the concentration of fine particles in the feed remains constant and uniform over a period of time. As the virgin fixed bed is fed with fines-laden feed, the void fraction (εB,t) will change with time according to the relationship seen in Equation 1.
It should to be noted that the volume of catalyst and total volume of bed referred to are in the localised fouled region of the bed only. For the rest of the bed (L =Lt –Lf) the voidage remains the same.

Case 1: fouling due to accumulation of fine particles
Assuming that the fines entering the bed are spherical and are of uniform size (rp,f), we can easily quantify the number of particles depositing in the bed with respect to time.

The number of fine particles deposited in the bed in time ‘t’ is:

Various correlations are proposed in the literature to calculate the equivalent diameter of particles in a bed with multiple dimensions. In our studies, we have calculated the Sauter mean diameter to calculate the equivalent diameter of the particle size in the bed (see Equation 3).
For Case 1:                 np,c is the number of particles of main catalyst with radius rp,c.

Case 2: accumulation of fouling products on the catalyst surface
The number of particles in this case remains the same as the initial number of particles.
For calculating the equivalent diameter, we have assumed that the surface being formed due to the deposition of particles is hemi-ellipsoidal in each part (assuming that the catalyst particles are divided into four parts, see Figure 3c) and appropriate formulae have been used to calculate the surface area of the equivalent particle (Se,t).

For Case 2:

The pressure drop in the two cases has been calculated using the Ergun equation (see Equation 5):

ΔPt is the pressure drop across the bed at time ‘t’; L is the length of the bed (for pressure drop across the fouled fraction of bed: L = Lf and for the rest L = Lt - Lf); dp,e,t is the equivalent diameter of packing; ρ is the density of fluid; μ is the dynamic viscosity of the fluid; v is the superficial velocity; and εB,t is the void fraction of the bed. The above calculation is carried out for each iteration of time step Δt.

Various time dependent functions (rate of fine deposition, rate of swelling, and so on) may be introduced in the above procedure to take into account the more complex dynamic behaviour of the system.

Results and analysis
The pressure drop in the bed for the two examples of fouling phenomena is calculated as discussed earlier. Sensitivity analysis with respect to parameters including the fouled fraction of bed length and the diameter of the
catalyst particles and the fine particles is carried out to understand
its effect on the pressure drop profile.

Comparison of pressure drop due to the two fouling phenomena
The pressure drop due to fouling in the two cases (Case 1: particle deposition and Case 2: particle swelling) has been compared in Figure 4. For the same rate of fouling (in terms of volume), the same extent of fouling (length of bed) and same diameter of the particle bed, the pressure drop is higher in the case wherein fines are concentrated in the voids between the catalyst particles compared to the deposition of fines on the surface of catalyst particles. At the end of the same cycle, the pressure drop in the first case is roughly twice that in the second case.

Effect of fraction of bed fouled
We varied the fraction of the region in which fouling takes place (usually the topmost layer of the bed). It can be noted from Figure 5a that the increase in pressure drop is most sensitive to the increase in the fraction of fouled bed; this is evident from the slope of the increase in pressure drop for the L = 0.1 m to L = 0.3 m case. It can be seen from Figure 5b that at 0.27 of voidage an exponential increase in the pressure drop across the reactor begins. We define this as the critical voidage. Hence a reactor showing an exponential increase in pressure drop may have reached the critical voidage of 0.27 at a certain layer of the bed. It can also be inferred from Figure 5a that the distribution of fouling over the entire length of the bed, instead of being concentrated in a smaller region of the bed, is crucial to increasing the run length of the reactor. This indicates the importance of strategies that ensure the distribution of fines (fouling particles) over the entire length of the bed. Skimming of the top layer of the bed from time to time is applied in various units. The length of the bed to be skimmed can be estimated from these calculations.
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Friday, February 21, 2014

Please come to the Congressional District 1 candidate forum: Monday, February 24

by Larry Geller
Update: Candidate Joey Manahan has been added to the panel
Kokua Council is kicking off the 2014 election season with a forum of candidates running for Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District.

All candidates will be present except for Donna Mercado Kim, who will be out of town. Recently declared candidate Joey Manahan has been invited.

Note that attendance is free, but that an optional lunch is available for a donation.

Here is the announcement of the event:

Monday, February 24, 2014

11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Miyama Main Hall, Harris United Methodist Church

Nuuanu Ave. and South Vineyard Blvd.

Ample parking - driveway off Nuuanu Ave.

11:30 Luncheon: Pizza, Salad, Dessert $5.00 Donation

11:50 Welcome: Introductions and Remarks, Larry Geller, President

12:00 Program:  Hawaii Congressional District 1 Candidate Forum

Moderator: Jerry Burris

Candidates: Ikaika Anderson, Stanley Chang, Will Espero, Mark Takai, Katherine Xian (Donna Kim will be out of town, other candidates may be added)

12:30 Questions and Answers

1:00   Adjourn

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As if Facebook didn’t give social-network users enough to be frustrated about, a Texas newspaper has discovered another reason. The social network’s algorithm apparently thinks the Declaration of Independence is hate speech.

As shocked as I was to hear about this story, I also felt oddly relieved by a comforting thought: Maybe computers aren’t all that brilliant after all.

Or as my dad used to riddle me, “What’s the most important part of a car? The nut behind the wheel.”

In this digital age, we could say it’s the nut who’s pecking away on his or her keyboard.

The humans at the Liberty County Vindicator in the Lone Star State discovered an unexpected example when they serialized the Declaration of Independence on the newspaper’s Facebook page in the 12 days leading up to July 4.

>>Join The Columbus Dispatch Conversation and tell us what you think about what's going on in our community.

So far, so good. But after the first nine excerpts were posted, the 10th, consisting of paragraphs 27 through 31, didn’t appear. As Casey Stinnett, the paper’s managing editor, explained in a later post, the Vindicator received a notice from Facebook saying that the post “goes against our standards on hate speech.”

Hate speech? If Thomas Jefferson were alive, as an old saying goes, he’d be rolling in his grave.

Stinnett guessed it was two words in the censored excerpt that triggered Facebook’s filter: “Indian savages.”

“He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us,” the text says in its “Bill of Particulars” against King George III, “and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.”

Stinnett offers no defense of the reference to “savages” and agrees with Reason assistant editor Christian Britschgi, who called the phrasing “clearly racist” and an example of the American Revolution’s mixed legacy, winning “crucial liberties” for some while enslaving others.

By attempting to delete the reference, Britschgi declares, “Facebook succeeds only in whitewashing America’s founding just as we get ready to celebrate it.”

Was this an example of political correctness run amok? Soon the newspaper received an apologetic note from the social-media behemoth. “It looks like we made a mistake and removed something you posted on Facebook that didn’t go against our Community Standards,” it said. “We want to apologize and let you know that we’ve restored your content and removed any blocks on your account related to this incorrect action.”

That’s a relief. Both Facebook and the newspaper are privately owned companies, not government, and First Amendment protections don’t apply. But customer relations and public responsibility still count. Facebook has had to wrestle increasingly with allegations of censorship and bias from across the political spectrum, especially as Russian meddling in our 2016 elections has been uncovered.

While the social network has blocked some racial provocateurs, for example, its executives also faced questioning along with Google and Twitter before the Republican-controlled House Judiciary Committee about allegations of liberal bias. Commentaries by Diamond and Silk, two conservative black American women, had been deemed “unsafe” by Facebook, which later restored them.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg called the “unsafe” judgment an “enforcement error.” More urgently, human-rights groups have complained about its handling of hate-filled posts linked to violence in countries such as Myanmar.

As Facebook’s mammoth size, profits and influence increase, pressure to filter offense from its web pages is not going away.

Artificial intelligence can quickly flag two-word phrases that put an inflammatory word like “savages” next to a group of people like “Indians.” But it takes a human to see the larger significance and context of such a patriotic document.

At least, this episode makes me worry a little bit less about the long-forecast day when computers get smart enough to wonder among themselves why they need to put up with us “meatbags,” as we are derisively called by Bender the robot on “Futurama.”

For some time to come, I expect robots and social networks will still need us humans around, if only to help them understand humans — and perhaps help to recharge batteries.

Clarence Page writes for the Chicago Tribune.


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World Search US Select Zip to Zip
Distance Map Info

Distance Between Montclair, NJ and Newark, NJ

How many miles? 11 Miles or 17 Km

How much does it take? 23 mins

Travel With Mile Distance Km Distance Duration
Car 11 Mi 17 Km 23 mins
Plane 7 Mi 11 Km 30 mins

Distance, Gas Consumption and Emission Notes

Distance from Montclair, NJ to Newark, NJ is 11Miles or 17 Km. You can get this distance about 23 mins. If you want to planning travel with plane for 7 Miles or 11 Km, You can get this distance about 30 mins .

A car with an average MPG will needs 0.51 gallons of gas to get the route between these points.

The estimated cost of gas to get between Montclair, NJ and Newark, NJ is $1.16.

During the route, an average car will release 9.99 pounds of CO2 to the atmosphere. Your carbon footprint is 0.91 pounds of CO2 per mile.

* Average US MPG used for calculations is 21.6 MPG.
* Average US gas price used for calculation is 2.27 per gallon.

Most Searched About Montclair, NJ

Cities Distance
Montclair, NJ to Newark, NJ 11 Miles
Montclair, NJ to Mercer, PA 356 Miles
Montclair, NJ to Charlottesville, VA 343 Miles

Most Searched About Newark, NJ

Cities Distance
Newark, NJ to Corpus Christi, TX 1824 Miles
Newark, NJ to Fairfax, VA 236 Miles
Newark, NJ to Plymouth, MN 1198 Miles


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Step Into The Future With These Crazy Cool Stuffs

In today’s world, each day, we look or hear how someone invented some cool crazy stuff, which can change some of our habits to good or help us doing things easily and efficiently. So, we are curious how those stuff work and we want to try


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Plan to Make-Up School Days

Thumbnail of Patrick Manuel's letter about  making up days of school lost to storms

Click this link to read Superintendent Manuel's letter about school day make-up plans due to storms this fall and winter.

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