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We Have Friends In High Places!
Rick Reilly has spent the past several months of his life transforming into Lord Capulet. He has grown a beard, learned his lines, and even mastered dance steps of a variety of kinds.
And so it was that Desi, Julie, Z, and I had the chance to spend an evening taking in the Beijing Playhouse's production of Romeo and Juliet. Yes, Shakespeare, in the capital of China, in English, with Mandarin subtitles. What a night, all thanks to Judy, Elizabeth, Anna, and, especially, the Lord himself!
Rockin' At The Czech Embassy
Qian Jun is a professor in the English department at Peking University. He studies the Prague School. (No, I have no idea what that is, either!) Because of this research interest, Jun is acquainted with the Czech ambassador to China, and sometimes gets invited to events at the embassy.
The other night, the embassy hosted a kind of garden party, in celebration (I think!) of the Czech Republic holding the presidency of the European Union this year. Able to bring a few guests along, Jun invited me and one of the kids. That way, both he and his son, Andi, would have company at the event.
So Z and I headed across town, not really knowing what to expect. Turns out, it was a concert out on the back lawn, with a complete selection of food and drinks, from a whole roast lamb to tasty little desserts.
As for the music, it was not at all what we were expecting. Imagine the E Street band with central European characteristics. The singer and guitar player was dressed in a black t-shirt, black jeans, and black shoes. At one point, he even had his guitar slung over his back, just like you-know-who.
And what about those Czech characteristics? The other singer played not a guitar (sorry, Miami Steve!) but a violin. And there was a cello-like instrument in the mix, which added a kind of gypsy, folk aspect to the overarching rock sound. As a Hungarian, it was kind of like the Csardas meets Born to Run.
Two Americans, listening to Czech music, in Beijing...Not an ordinary kind of evening, to say the least!
Rice Terraces In The Sun
Yes, the sun finally did come out on our last day in Ping'An!
posted by The Balla Family @ 11:43 PM 0 comments
Not Knowing What Surrounded Us
While standing on an old stone bridge on the way from Zhongliu to Ping'An, in the rice paddies, I took these two pictures on two different days. We really were living in the clouds, and sometimes you could hardly see the next ten feet in front of you. This is a perfect example of how we hardly knew what surrounded us until our last day in Ping'An.
Building Dams
On one of our hikes at Ping'An, I noticed small waterfalls in many places. Most of these were surrounded with rocks and mud...The perfect ingredients for building dams!
On the first hike, I made around five or six dams, none of which stopped the water completely. On one of them, a big one that crossed the path, the water was nearly stopped. This one was bigger than the others, and had a snaking path down. I made three dams there. The first was small to slow the water, the second was the main one, and the third was small and a back up for the bigger one.
On our second hike, I made three dams and was a little more successful. My second dam completely stopped the water. The only problem? It flooded the path! I undid the dam and made a channel for it. Well...At least I was successful!
~Z
PS: I wonder if the workers are happy or mad at me...
Lunch With The Ladies
In an effort to maintain peace in the land (or at least to keep the waiguoren from dining elsewhere), compromise prevailed as the Yao women decided, in the end, that we would dine at the first woman's home, but that the other would do the cooking. (Nice job helping them get it together, Steve!)
And so we entered the village of Zhongliu...a beautiful community of rice paddies, mountain streams, and simple but attractive homes. While I had envisioned that a remote village of this type might be more like one shown in National Geographic with huts or homes made of mud bricks, this was certainly not the case. The houses were made of wood and had square footage comparable to western homes, albeit not as ornate or modernized.
The home we entered had three levels. The bottom floor was not enclosed and was more of a makeshift barn, with a pig sty and the "restroom facilities"...basically a concrete slab with a squat toilet. Up the steps was the living space...a wide open room with a table and chairs, a television (yes, even in these remote locations CCTV has a market), and perhaps the set-up that keeps you grounded in the fact that you are in a remote location...a fire burning right in the middle of the floor. Long branches were kept alight under a rack that could hold cauldrons or woks for cooking. The roof above this area was constructed differently to vent the smoke from the room.
The third level, which we did not see, was reported to have the bedrooms (which we were told we can rent next time for 20 kuai per person per night). The woman who owned the home explained that it wasn't as fancy as other homes in the village but that it was what she and her husband could afford. In my mind, while it lacks some modern conveniences, it fits beautifully within the setting.
After the quick tour, it was time for some cooking, Yao style. Using the previously mentioned fire, these women worked together to create a truly delicious brunch. Starting with string beans, some type of potatoes, and an egg dish that was loaded with green vegetables, the women prepared (and gabbed) for around a half hour. Completing the meal was sauteed eggplant, rice, and, perhaps the highlight, a dish made from flowers that the women had been gathering as we walked through the paddies. Needless to say we were stuffed for hours afterward.
When we were finished eating, the women each took their turn at trying to peddle merchandise. One of the women even went as far as to try and sell Steve some pink sunglasses (which we had seen on her daughter in a picture she had shown us earlier in the meal!). Silver bracelets, pashminas, and wall hangings all made an appearance as well. Seeing that we were not interested, they encouraged us to stay with them next time, took the 120 kuai we paid for brunch and sent us on our way.
Deciding to walk out with us, the Yao woman famous for her nose-blowing joke, made sure to secretly tell me that if we come back to Zhongliu, we should stay with her...not the other woman. Sorry, Steve, I guess business is business.
Standing In A River, Surrounded By Arguing Yao Women
That is precisely the situation we found ourselves in, after we had decided the next morning to hike all the way to Zhongliu, for a look around and a meal in a Yao family's house.
Not long after we set out from Ping'An, we ran into a group of Yao women heading to the village for a day of selling. One of the women, who we had encountered several times before, turned right around, so she could walk with us and cook for us once we had reached her home. So far, so good...
About an hour later, as we were closing in on Zhongliu, we came upon another group of women just getting started on their trek across the mountains. Desi, sensing danger much faster than me, slowed down her pace, so that I was the one who ran head on into the women, all by myself.
You see, this was the group that was led by the "snot blowing" Yao, the woman who had made an emphatic point about us not losing her cell phone number. Seeing us being escorted by another one of her townsfolk, she immediately questioned me as to why I hadn't called her.
She then turned to the woman who had been walking with us, and argued it was her who had the better claim to us, since we were carrying her cell phone number in our backpack.
Our escort, for her part, yelled right back. Now, they were speaking in dialect, so I could only guess as to what her retort might have been..."I've been walking with these waiguoren for an hour. They are coming to my house!"
When we reached the foot of the village, thew argument between the two groups was still raging. Seeking a momentary respite from the conflict, we retreated to the cool waters in the middle of a nearby stream, knowing the Yao would not follow us in (ah, the advantages of wearing Crocs!). As we helplessly stood there, a young couple hiked by, and made sure to take a picture of our moment of humiliation. (I can only imagine what they were thinking!)
Eventually, we could run from our troubles no longer, so I decided on a different tact. Wading out of the stream, I addressed the Yao women. It was one of my weirdest moments in China yet, as here I was, a guy who just started learning Chinese a few years ago, lecturing a group of minority women living up in these remote mountains about their need to get along better. It went something like this...
You are all Yao, all members of the same nationality. You all need to work together. We are not going to decide whose house to go to. You all have to decide that. If you can't figure this out, then we will go back to Ping'An or find someone else to cook for us.
I have no idea if these words helped, or if they were viewed as condescending. No matter. A decision was finally made, and off we went, for that long awaited meal in the home of a Yao family...
Never Make An Idle Promise To A Yao Woman
Several kilometers across the mountains from Ping'An lies the village of Zhongliu. We had heard that the hike is spectacular, with great rice terrace vistas, and that the place itself is quaint and beautiful. We didn't know if we would have enough time to make it there and back by sundown, but we thought we would have a go at it.
As we set out, we had hardly left Ping'An when we encountered a Yao woman on the path. The Yao, who call Zhongliu their home, are a different minority than the Zhuang who live in Ping'An. Yao women are distinctive both in their colorful clothes, as well as their hair, which they keep as long as Julie's, if not longer.
This Yao woman asked us if we were going to Zhongliu. "If you are going there, I will go with you, and you can come to my house, where I will cook you dinner." We (actually, I) told her that if we made the trek again the next day, we could perhaps do this. It was not the last time I made this kind of deal.
Much later in the hike, we came upon a Yao woman working in the rice fields. Seeing us coming along, she hurried down to the path, and asked us if we were going to Zhongliu. When we told her we didn't think we had enough time, she tried to convince us otherwise. Lucky for us, a couple of waiguoren and their Chinese guide walked up, and our Yao companion abanadoned us to follow the three of them into her village.
Turning around to get back to Ping'An before dark, we encountered several groups of Yao women. All of them were heading home after a day of hawking merchandise over in Ping'An, where there is a larger concentration of visitors. Several of these women gave us their cell phone numbers, and we (uh, I) promised to call them if we decided to go to Zhongliu the next day. As the numbers were all written down on tissues (the only paper we had in our packs), one Yao woman reminded us, over and over, not to blow our noses into this one particular tissue, lest we lose her number.
As funny a moment as that was in real time (everyone can understand the universal language of blowing snot!), it was an encounter that would come back to haunt us the next morning, when the time came for us to make good on all of our (my!) promises...
The View From "Seven Stars Around The Moon..."
...Is pretty spectacular...Even in the clouds!
Our First Translation Project
One morning, I was sitting in the downstairs area of the guest house where we were staying in Ping'An, waiting for the rest of the gang to come out so we could begin our day of hiking in the rice terraces.
Right across the way, there is a man who makes all kinds of products out of silver by hand...Bracelets, necklaces, rings...You name it. He had come by for a little while while we were eating dinner the night before with the Liao family. He had added a lively presence to the evening, with his booming voice and laughter, cigarette smoking, and rice alcohol drinking.
This morning, he had something more mentally challenging in mind. Knowing that we can get some things done in Chinese, he scribbled some characters down on a napkin. These characters describe the kind of work he does in his little shop.
His question? "Can you translate this into English for me, so that I can make a sign and hang it in my shop?"
I told him no problem, and this quickly became a joint family venture.
Before long, we knew what all of the keys elements were. There was 银, which is the character for "silver." Also present were 手 (hand) and other characters that emphasize the idea of "craftsmanship." And the character 真, which literally means "real," but we thought of as here referring to the genuine nature of the work and products.
With all of this in place, we quickly honed in on a rough set of possibilities...
Genuine Hand-Crafted Silver
Genuine Silver Hand Crafts
Genuine Silver Handicrafts
Do we let the word "genuine" modify the silver itself or the process by which the silver is turned into little treasures?
In the end, after a little arguing back and forth, we settled on Genuine Silver Handicrafts. Returning with this answer, we informed our merchant friend that this phrase would sound interesting and authentic to English-speaking passersby. (No Chinglish from the Balla family!)
Our feeling of satisfaction, of playing a small role in helping a local entrepreneur connect with travelers from around the world, was short-lived. The woman at the adjacent stall, apparently impressed with our effort, quickly came and brought us her business card. Our current task? Translate the whole thing, so she can print up an English version.
Wish us luck! We need it with this one!
Free Range Chickens
Everywhere you go in Ping'An, you come across the village's famous free range chickens. On several occasions, we asked the Liao family to cook us up some tu ji, the local specialty dish. This request invariably led to a trip outside, and coming back in with a live chicken tucked snugly under the arm.
For some reason, the chicken always let out a single cluck as it was carried into the kitchen...
This One's For Glenn Mott
Hey brother, what kind of mushroom or fungus are we talking about here?
Rice Terraces Up Close
I'm not really good on "how things work," but these shots of the rice paddy walls and drainage system pretty much speak for themselves.
Rice Terraces In The Rain
Just like on the Li River, a setting of rain and fog can make for some pretty distinctive vistas out in the rice paddies. We were wet...And loving life!
"Hey Des...Maybe We Can Stay With A Minority Family In The Rice Terraces..."
"Yeah, right!" I though to myself, as Steve mentioned this in passing. I also thought, "Where are we going to find a minority family who wants to host us for a few nights?"
Aside from the Hans, China is home to over fifty different groups of minzu (nationalities). These peoples, while spread throughout China, do have members who congregate in certain regions, and live amongst themselves in distinct villages. In the surrounding area of Longsheng, there are a few minorities who call the Longji rice paddies their neighborhood. In Ping'An, and its neighboring village of Zhongliu, the Zhuang and Yao are the predominant groups. Each is easily distinguished, since the people, in particular the women, dress in their traditional clothing.
So as we pulled into Ping'An and entered the village, having no reservations or accommodations, we rolled and carried all of our luggage up the hillside on the stone path to what seemed to be the first lodging establishment. Faced with more steps, or a decision to check it out, the latter won out and we stepped in for a look.
This was our second best decision of the day (second only to deciding to head to Ping'An in the first place).
This guest house, which provided clean rooms at reasonable rates, was also home to a family of Zhuang. In essence, we did stay with a minority family!
And it was wonderful! This beautiful family included a young husband and wife and their adorable baby boy who are the operators of this lodge, the wife's mother and father who work in the fields and also dabble in the newfound tourism, her grandmother who makes and sells straw shoes outside the lodge, and her grandfather (at least we think it's her grandfather!) who also works in the paddies and transports merchandise up the mountain with the help of his donkey as there are no motorized vehicles in Ping'An...In fact, there are no roads at all in this village. A stone pathway is the road.
This family took care of all our needs, from making sure the room was acceptable to cooking our meals. While there were several rooms available, we had the place to ourselves. And so we had our own cook as well! When we were ready to eat, the wife and husband sprung into action. Based on our order, they would gather the ingredients, veggies from the garden out back, a free-range chicken (that's another story!), and while nai nai took care of the baby, they would cook up some of the best food yet we have had in China.
One night, we happened to be eating a little later than usual, so after the other family members returned from the fields and showered off, they all gathered in the dining area to eat dinner together. In an act of true hospitality, they asked us to join them at their table to share in their meal. Suddenly, it struck me that these nameless, faceless people who we had seen in pictures in our National Geographic guide to China (faceless because they were always at a distance and usually shaded by their hats), or who we had observed working in the paddies as we toured Ping'An, looked no different than any other person after a work day. Ready to sit and relax and eat with their family. These people has now jumped out of the book and we were there with them, hearing stories, discussing politics, and eating some of the rare treats you can't find on any Chinese restaurant's menu.
Upon our departure, we expressed our hope to see them again. Their smiles, willingness to help us with our plans, and overwhelming hospitality made this part of our journey a very personal one. As we not only experienced a place, we had the honor to experience meeting the people who have called this beautiful home for many generations.
Gotta Love Bus Travel In China!
So how do you get from the limestone peaks of Yangshuo to the rice terraces of Ping'An, the other renowned area of natural beauty in the Guilin area? In our case, it went something like this...
Finding out that there is no direct bus linking the two spots, we booked tickets on the 6:45 am bus out of Yangshuo back to Guilin. This hour and a half journey was uneventful, except for the hawker who tried, ultimately unsuccessfully, to get us to take his bus instead, going so far as to load our luggage, ever so briefly, into his compartment.
Upon arriving in Guilin, we had to fight our way through the waiting throng of hawkers, who kept belting out one word to us..."Yangshuo!?" Feeling a bit mischievous, I kept replying, in Chinese, "You're going to Yangshuo!? You'll really love it there!" Now, I would not recommend this disrespectful (and effective) tact to anyone. It was just what I came up with at the moment, as I found myself crowded in.
At the ticket window, we discovered that the next bus to Longsheng, the town closest to the rice terraces, was leaving in precisely two minutes. Shijian gou bu guo? "Do we have enough time?" "If you hurry," came the no nonsense reply. We did hold the bus up for a minute or two, as we dashed off to the bathroom. Moments later, though, we were on our way.
This second bus ride took us away from the limestone peaks, up into mountains several thousand feet high. The funniest thing about traveling through this area is that if the ayi knows you are heading to Ping'An, the first village located in the rice terraces, she will flag down a bus right on the highway. There, cars whizzing by, you will dart across the street, luggage in tow, to a bus seemingly headed back in the opposite direction. As we eventually figured out, there is a strip where the two routes cross over each other, and you can save time not going all the way into Longsheng, only to have to retrace your steps for a bit. Now there's efficiency and service for you!
This last bus ride was the most amazing of them all. Up, up, up, we climbed, switchback after switchback, until we finally arrived at the foot of Ping'An village. There we found, predictably, yet more hawkers to fend off...
The Five Senses Of China
Part IV: Sight
While I've been planning this installment for a long time, having been to the "Grand Canyon of China" that is Guilin before, and knowing we would be making a return visit this year, I was not prepared for the "side trip" we would be making during the same journey. And so I am now divided on this sense. As a result, I am inclined to highlight two sights, and categorize them as "God-made" and "man-made."
The beauty of China is difficult to package into one poem, paragraph, or book. The diversity of this land mass, and the unique features of each place make it impossible to choose a favorite. Yet as the karst peaks emerged from the earth, so too does a clear front runner, which can possibly be equaled, but not easily surpassed. The limestone peaks of Guangxi Province, especially those found in the area of the Li River, are truly God's masterpiece.
Formed two hundred million years ago, when the oceans receded from this area, they have been the stuff of art and poetry for thousands of years. Each peak juts from the earth in its own distinct shape. The wear and tear on the sides of each reveal patterns that can resemble whatever the imagination can see. While some are revealed, others are on their way to being reclaimed by the earth...A wonderful example of primary succession. Collectively, though, they are the essence of the mystery and intrigue that is China.
Now, about that glitch in my plan...
Within the same province of Guangxi (but not nearly as publicized), and around a three-hour bus ride from Guilin, is the "road of heaven" known as the Longji terrace. Our destination, the village of Ping'An, is the home of the spectacular Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces. The mystery of this place is not how it was formed, but rather how could it be?
In effect, the work of men and women has transformed a series of mountains into a collection of terraced rice paddies, whose expanse is truly immense. This farmland is not merely a holdover from China's past, but a living example of history in progress, as men and women continue to work these fields with their own strength, along side their livestock. Many of the levels that we observed were in the preparation stages. Hand plows, pulled by horses and oxen, farmers beating the sides of each level to remove unwanted plant life, water (most likely from mountain streams and springs) being diverted through bamboo tubes from one level to another to irrigate the paddies that were ready to be flooded...The scope and sequence and human power necessary to maintain an operation of this magnitude are unfathomable to me. So too is the memory of so few workers present. Pairs and singles, working here and there...Their work backbreaking, yet observed as if a photo in a picture book...The epitome of peace.
While I left this place with more questions than I ever knew I had about this type of farming, one thing is unquestionable. As each person does his or her part, wonderful, beautiful things are accomplished. The transformation of this land mass is not only a feast for the eyes, but also a lesson for all.
I'll never look at a bowl of rice the same way again...
What Was...And Is...West Street
Near the Li River in the town of Yangshuo is a bustling series of (mostly) pedestrian streets, lined with shops, restaurants, and hostels for weary backpackers.
While in '04, I would have referred to this spot as "quaint," that description no longer holds, as what was once West Street has now expanded into a grid of streets loaded with tourists, natives, and even a few Chinese students looking for English speakers to practice with.
Even Maidanglao has found its way to West Street. Perhaps the McDonald's with the most beautiful "McBackdrop" in the world, there is no doubt that this town has capitalized on the "lore of tour."
Despite this new chaos, West Street is a really fun place to hang out. For us, some window shopping, people watching, and outdoor dining on an eclectic combination of pizza, cheese-stuffed chicken, Indonesian noodles, and spaghetti was a great way to relax after a "tough" day biking through the limestone peaks.
The Real Local Specialty
Thanks to ChinesePod's new video series, The Menu Stealer, we were able to have a go at the true local specialty of the Guilin region. What awaited us was much cheaper and way more delicious than the aforementioned pijiu yu.
Guilin mifen is essentially a bowl of rice noodles. These noodles, which can be found at literally hundreds if not thousands of xiao fandian in the region (just look for the characters 桂林米粉), cost no more than a couple of kuai per serving.
Once you receive your noodles, it's up to you what happens next. These little noodle joints will invariably have a huge pot of steaming soup, which you are free to ladle into your bowl. You will also encounter an array of cold condiments that can be added to the mix, everything from small peanuts and cucumbers to pickled vegetables and chili peppers.
Z, of course, went for the plain noodles, much to the chagrin of the laoban of the various storefronts we walked into. Bu hao chi! "It doesn't taste good that way!" Yes, we replied, he is rather tiaoshi (picky).
As we have discovered throughout the course of this year, roadside noodle stands are the real meeting places of laobaixing in today's China, the kinds of hangouts where people linger and talk about the matters of the day in their small communities. From Beijing to Xi'an to Taiyuan, we have noticed far more life going on where people bend their heads over steaming bowls of noodles than in the tea houses we (wrongly) expected to be so ubiquitous around the country. This has been a discovery, I can assure you, that all of us (even Z!) have found to be one of the true delights of everyday life in China.
Breaking Away
With beauty comes cost. And the "cost" associated with the limestone peaks of Yangshuo is the throngs of tourists who flock to see them and the tourism industry that has grown out of this wealth of humankind.
So what is one to do when he or she wants to experience the peace along with the beauty? Rent a bike and hit the road!
Venturing out of Yangshuo proper, we discovered the tranquil world of "outer" Yangshuo. The farming villages located here are living, working communities with natives who shape the land beneath the peaks into their food and wage.
When one particular village caught our eye, we decided to "off road" and hit the dirt path, to explore the fields that lie beneath the peaks. What we found was a quiet patchwork of lush green rice paddies, wading ducks, children playing (and trying to figure out what the waiguoren were up to), both basic but modernized homes, dirt brick barns, and a well atop a concrete slab, which we decided to make our resting place.
Catching a quick snack from our packed rations, we sat and quietly studied the fields and peaks. Away from the noise, the setting was much more appropriate for the accompanying scenery. Beauty beyond what pictures can show. For a while, we examined each individual peak (Julie even named one "Stretching Puppy" because of its shape). As the sunlight emerged from behind the heavy clouds, I was struck by the brilliance of all the green. More shades than I knew existed. I vowed to take over Crayola, and offer new crayon names, like "Rice Paddy Green" or "Limestone Peak White."
Hopping back on the bikes, and heading back to the main road, I think we all once again realized that taking the road less traveled definitely does make all the difference.
Waxing Or Waning?
Moon Hill sure is beautiful, no matter how you view it...
~Desi and Steve


Apart, the props of the back row alternating with those in front.
An unusual density of urban settlement, furnishing excellent home markets and transportation facilities, are the main props of this new interest.
As the curtain lifted, the props had been changed so the room looked like a kitchen, with cardboard cut-out's of stove, sink and refrigerator.
The roof of the excavation is supported as the coal is removed, by packing up the waste material, and by a double row of props, 2 ft.
The props used are preferably of small oak or English larch, but large quantities of fir props, cut to the right length, are also imported from the north of Europe.
As the work proceeds onwards, the props are withdrawn and replaced in advance, except those that may be crushed by the pressure or buried by sudden falls of the roof.
In Yorkshire hollow square pillars, formed by piling up short blocks of wood or chocks, are often used instead of props formed of a single stem.
In the 18th century it ranked next to Leith as a port, but the growth of Grangemouth, higher up the firth, seriously affected its shipping trade, which is, however, yet considerable, coal and pig-iron forming the principal exports, and pit props from the Baltic the leading import.
The new town on the right bank is therefore a centre of the timber export trade, this place being the principal port in Norway for the export of pit-props, planed boards, and other varieties of timber.
In Laminariaceae secondary cylindrical props arise obliquely from the base of the thallus.
Exports include timber, mine-props, turpentine, resinous material from the Pyrenees and Landes and zinc ore; leading imports are the coal and Spanish minerals which supply the large metallurgical works of Le Boucau at the mouth of the river, the raw material necessary for the chemical works of the same town, wine, and the cereals destined for the flour mills of Pau, Peyrehorade and Orthez.
In diameter at the ground, the chestnut is found to make durable hoops for casks and props for vines; and of a larger size it makes good hop-poles.
The roof is temporarily supported by wooden props or pack walling of stone, for a sufficient breadth along the face to protect the workmen, and allow them to work together behind.
High is cut along the face, inclined timber props being placed at intervals to support the overhanging portion until the required length is cut.
His first speech on his return to England was a warning (March 17, 1773) that the props of good government were beginning to fail under the systematic attacks of unbelievers, and that principles were being propagated that would not leave to civil society any stability.
Or perhaps the theater props were kept somewhere just before the auction— after they were hauled out of the storage quarters.
Artificial props of several kindswires, cane work, trellis work, &c.are also in use in many districts (in the neighborhood of Rome canes are almost exclusively employed), and in some the plant is permitted to trail along the ground.
Somewhat, but I had to take the chance that they would be accepted as props and leave it at that.


text:
100 Barr Harbor Drive
West Conshohocken, PA 19428 USA
ASTM A123/A123M
Standard Specification for Zinc (Hot-Dip Galvanized) Coatings on Iron and Steel Products
active, Most Current
Organization: ASTM
ICS Code (Metallic coatings): 25.220.40
This specification covers the requirements for zinc coating (galvanizing) by the hot-dip process on iron and steel products made from rolled pressed and forged shapes, castings, plates, bars, and strips.
This specification covers both unfabricated products and fabricated products, for example, assembled steel products, structural steel fabrications, large tubes already bent or welded before galvanizing, and wire work fabricated from uncoated steel wire. This specification also covers steel forgings and iron castings incorporated into pieces fabricated before galvanizing or which are too large to be centrifuged (or otherwise handled to remove excess galvanizing bath metal). NOTE 1-This specification covers those products previously addressed in Specifications A123-78 and A386-78.
This specification does not apply to wire, pipe, tube, or steel sheet which is galvanized on specialized or continuous lines, or to steel less than 22 gage (0.0299 in.) [0.76 mm] thick.
The galvanizing of hardware items that are to be centrifuged or otherwise handled to remove excess zinc (such as bolts and similar threaded fasteners, castings and rolled, pressed and forged items) shall be in accordance with Specification A153/A153M.
Fabricated reinforcing steel bar assemblies are covered by the present specification. The batch galvanizing of separate reinforcing steel bars shall be in accordance with Specification A767/A767M and the continuous galvanizing of reinforcing bars shall be in accordance with Specification A1094/A1094M.
This specification is applicable to orders in either inch-pound units (as A123) or SI units (as A123M). Inchpound units and SI units are not necessarily exact equivalents. Within the text of this specification and where appropriate, SI units are shown in parentheses. Each system shall be used independently of the other without combining values in any way. In the case of orders in SI units, all testing and inspection shall be done using the metric equivalent of the test or inspection method as appropriate. In the case of orders in SI units, such shall be stated to the galvanizer when the order is placed.
This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee
*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard
This specification covers the requirements for zinc coating (galvanizing) by the hot-dip process on iron and steel products made from rolled pressed and forged shapes, castings, plates, bars, and...
Scope This specification covers the requirements for zinc coating (galvanizing) by the hot-dip process on iron and steel products made from rolled pressed and forged shapes, castings, plates, bars,...
1. Scope 1.1 This specification covers the requirements for zinc coating (galvanizing) by the hot-dip process on iron and steel products made from rolled pressed and forged shapes, castings, plates,...
ASTM A123
A description is not available for this item.
STANDARD SPECIFICATION FOR ZINC (HOT-DIP GALVANIZED) COATINGS ON IRON AND STEEL PRODUCTS (E1-1988)
(a) These specifications cover the protective zinc coatings, applied on products fabricated from rolled, pressed, and forged steel shapes, plates, bars, and strip, 1/8 in. thick and heavier...
This document references:
ASTM A385/A385M - Standard Practice for Providing High-Quality Zinc Coatings (Hot-Dip)
Published by ASTM on September 1, 2017
This practice covers the precautions that should be taken to obtain high-quality hot-dip galvanized coatings Where experience on a specific product indicates a relaxing of any provision, the mutually...
ASTM A1094/A1094M - Standard Specification for Continuous Hot-Dip Galvanized Steel Bars for Concrete Reinforcement
Published by ASTM on November 1, 2018
This specification covers steel reinforcing bars, with protective zinc or zinc-alloy coatings applied by the continuous hot-dip process. NOTE 1—The galvanizer is identified throughout this...
ASTM A143/A143M - Standard Practice for Safeguarding Against Embrittlement of Hot-Dip Galvanized Structural Steel Products and Procedure for Detecting Embrittlement
Published by ASTM on May 1, 2007
This practice covers procedures that can be followed to safeguard against the possible embrittlement of steel hot-dip galvanized after fabrication, and outlines test procedures for detecting...
ASTM A153/A153M - Standard Specification for Zinc Coating (Hot-Dip) on Iron and Steel Hardware
This specification covers zinc coatings applied by the hot-dip process on iron and steel hardware. The hot-dip galvanizing process consists of parts being immersed in molten zinc for a sufficient...
ASTM A384/A384M - Standard Practice for Safeguarding Against Warpage and Distortion During Hot-Dip Galvanizing of Steel Assemblies
Steel assemblies and subassemblies fabricated by welding, such as composite structural members, sash, weldments, etc., that are to be hot-dip galvanized after fabrication, are subject to warpage and...
This document is referenced by:
UFGS-43 31 13.14 - DOWNFLOW LIQUID ACTIVATED CARBON ADSORPTION UNITS
Published by ARMY on October 1, 2007
NOTE: This guide specification covers the requirements for systems to transfer organic contaminants from water to activated carbon adsorption media.
ACI 439.4R - Report on Steel Reinforcement-Material Properties and U.S. Availability
Published by ACI on October 1, 2009
Requirements for reinforcement are stated in Section 3.5.1 of ACI 318-08 as: "Reinforcement shall be deformed reinforcement, except that plain reinforcement shall be permitted for spirals or...
LTS - Standard Specifications for Structural Supports for Highway Signs, Luminaires, and Traffic Signals
Published by AASHTO on January 1, 2013
Foreword The sixth edition of Standard Specifications for Structural Supports for Highway Signs, Luminaires, and Traffic Signals supersedes the fifth edition and its 2010 and 2011 interims. It...
PIP VEFV1100 - Vessel/S&T Heat Exchanger Standard Details (U.S. Customary Units)
Published by PIP on October 1, 2017
This Practice provides fabrication and installation details and dimensional tolerances for the design of supports and other attachments for vessels, heat exchangers and solids products containers....
PIP VEFV1100M - Vessel/S&T Heat Exchanger Standard Details (Metric Units)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Графи Шептицькі  — графський герб, різновид герба Шептицькі, що в свою чергу походить від герба Доленга.

Опис герба
Опис з використанням класичних правил блазонування:

У червоному полі на плечі срібної підкови золотий лицарський хрест, зліва від неї золота стріла вліво нахилена із срібними вістрям і оперенням. Над щитом графська геральдична корона, над якою шолом з клейнодом: три пера страуса. Намет червоний, праворуч підбитий сріблом, ліворуч - золотом. Щитотримачі: праворуч-золотий лев з червоним язиком, ліворуч - срібний гриф при золотому озброєнні та червоному язику. Девіз A CRUCE SALUS.

Найбільш ранні згадки
Присвоєно титул графа Австрії (graf von) Іоанну Кантію Шептицькому 6 травня 1871 року (диплом з 16 вересня 1871). Основою титулу було походження зі знатної родини, що обіймала урядові посади в Речі Посполитій, гідність камергера.

Гербовий рід
Одна сім'я гербового роду: граф фон унд зю Шептице-Шептицькі (graf von und zu Szeptyce-Szeptycki).

Відомі власники
 Іван Кантій Шептицький — аристократ з українського шляхетського роду Шептицьких, громадського-політичний діяч, посол Галицького сейму з І-ї курії великої земельної власности, отримав титул австрійського графа (1871) — скарбник - австрійський.
 Климентій Казимир Шептицький, священик греко-католицький, студит, депутат парламенту Австро-Угорщини. Блаженний римсько-католицької Церкви (пом. 1951).
 Роман Марія Олександр Шептицький, в законі Андрей, греко-католицький архієпископ — митрополит львівський та галицький (пом. 1944).
 Станіслав Шептицький, генерал-майор австрійської імператорської армії, генерал-лейтенант Польської армії (пом. 1950).

Джерела
 Sławomir Górzyński: Arystokracja polska w Galicji: studium heraldyczno-genealogiczne. Warszawa: DiG, 2009, s. 363–365. ISBN 978-83-7181-597-3.

Примітки

Шляхетські герби
Родові герби
Польські родові герби
Українські родові герби

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
HomeNewsGas Producer EQT Expected to Buy THQ Appalachia for $5.2 Billion
Gas Producer EQT Expected to Buy THQ Appalachia for $5.2 Billion
(Reuters) — Top U.S. natural gas producer EQT Corp. said on Tuesday it would buy Quantum Energy-backed THQ Appalachia I LLC for $5.2 billion, expanding its operations to reap the benefits of strong commodity prices.
A surge in global natural gas prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine has benefited U.S. natural gas producers and encouraged deals in the industry as companies try to scale up.
THQ, which is backed by private equity firm Quantum Energy, will receive $2.6 billion in cash and about $2.6 billion in EQT stock.
EQT also doubled its share repurchase authorization to $2 billion and raised its 2023 debt reduction target to $4 billion.
Reuters on Monday reported that EQT was in advanced discussions to buy THQ Appalachia I.
The deal, expected to close in the fourth quarter, will add an estimated 800 MMcf/d of gas equivalent production for EQT, and includes pipeline infrastructure supporting that production, the company said.
Trinidad Offers to Pay for Venezuelan Gas with Humanitarian Supplies
Pipeline Operator Kinder Morgan Sees Tax Credits Speeding Up Clean Energy Investments
Russia, Uzbekistan in Talks to Reverse Gas Pipeline


text:
ROCPAC Stock Take Closure - Starting Wednesday 24th June to Friday 28th June, 2019
Please be informed that both ROCPAC Auckland and Christchurch stores will be conducting a stock take from Wednesday 26th June to Friday 28th June 2019. If you have any projects coming up, please get your orders in prior to the closure date to save any delays with delivery. Last order cut-off is on Tuesday 24th at 12pm. Goods will be released for despatch and delivered next day. Anything received after Tuesday 24th June 12pm will be placed on hold and processed when business resumes on Monday 1st July. We appreciate your kind understanding in this respect and would like to thank you for your continued support. Regards ROCPAC Team
Downer, Visionstream win 50M of Chorus maintenance contracts
ROCPAC-Admin Melody
Chorus has hired Downer EDI and Cimic Group's Visionstream to maintain its copper and fibre telecommunications network for the next three years at a cost of about $450 million. The new contracts cut out Broadspectrum, which along with Downer and Visionstream was one of Chorus's existing maintenance contractors. Under the new framework, Visionstream will cover Auckland and all areas north of Auckland, while Downer gets the rest of New Zealand. The maintenance deals are separate to the ultrafast broadband installation. Broadspectrum is still a contractor on the first tranche of the UFB build, which finishes this year, and the principal contractor on the UFB2 build, which runs to the end of 2022. The new arrangements come as Chorus overhauls its supply chain in response to a critical review of the way it managed the contracting out of most of its network UFB construction and maintenance. A MartinJenkins report in April found the model was appropriate to manage unexpected surges in demand and let the service firms scale up or down to meet the required work. However, the risk of migrant exploitation wasn't well-understood by any of the parties, and a Labour Inspectorate investigation discovered widespread issues. "These contracts are the first step in moving Chorus beyond the major UFB network build and connect programmes and into an operating model that provides the ongoing experience our customers expect," Chorus general manager of network and field management Andrew Carroll said in a statement. "We have chosen partners who we are confident will deliver the right overall results, not just the cheapest option." In 2009, Visionstream introduced the sub-contracting model to Chorus before it was carved out of Telecom Corp. The work had previously sat with Downer and Broadspectrum and largely relied on direct employees. Chorus said it expects there will be an opportunity for Broadspectrum staff on the maintenance contracts to move to Downer, which will need to hire new workers. The shares last traded at $6.28. They have climbed 29 percent so far this year, making them the third-best performance on the S&P/NZX 50 Index.


text:
Zaránd vármegye egyike az 1876-os megyerendezés során megszűnt történelmi vármegyéknek.

Nevének eredete
Neve a régi magyar Zaránd személynévből való, mely a szláv Svaran személynévből származik.

Nagy Géza szerint a Zaránd név jelentése arany.

Fekvése
A vármegye nagyrészt a mai Romániában, nagyjából a mai Arad megye északi felén feküdt.

Története
Zaránd vármegyét Szent István király hozta létre az államalapítás és a királyi vármegyerendszer megszervezése idején Zarándvár (Zaránd) központtal.

Későbbiekben a székhelyét Pankotára helyezték át. Az idők folyamán Zaránd visszakapta vármegyeszékhelyi rangját, de hamarosan a település jelentőségét vesztette, így Körösbányát jelölték ki az új (és utolsó) székhelyéül. Az 1876. XXXIII. törvénycikk a vármegyét megszüntette, legnagyobb részét Hunyad, kisebbik részét Arad vármegye területéhez csatolta.

1870-ben 63.382 lakosa volt, melyből 60.639 (95,7%) ortodox, 1.356 (2,1%) római katolikus, 759 (1,2%) görög katolikus és 628 egyéb (főleg református) vallású volt. 97% román és 3% magyar nemzetiségű.

Jegyzetek

Források
 Baternay Imre 1876: A Zaránd vármegyei oláh lázadás 1848. március 15–1849. június végéig. 1–5. Történeti Lapok 1876/3, 33–37.

További információk
 Kozma Pál: Zaránd-vármegye földirati, statistikai és történeti leírása (MEK)

A Magyar Királyság letűnt vármegyéi
Szent István vármegyéi


The lot was purchased in 1990 and was soon due for a land clearing for the fire station that would house 4 pieces of apparatus and accommodate 2 firefighters during the day time with shift work. Finally, in 1992 the station was complete and ready for firefighters to move in. Over 100 community members attended the opening ceremony. The station was 8,000 square feet which included bathrooms, storage rooms, a meeting room, and a 4 door apparatus bay. Shortly after, administration made the decision to renovate the station and added more amenities for 24 hour shift work. In 2000, the remodel was complete and added 3 murphy beds, a kitchen with appliances, a meeting room, office space, and additional restrooms. Today the fire station is staffed with 4 firefighters 24 hours per day 7 days a week. Even though conversations did take place to build a new addition to the station, the station has not seen a renovation since 2000. On March 20, 2009, the station was dedicated to LeRoy Fryberg Sr. who has served the community selflessly for over three decades as a Volunteer Firefighter and a Fire Commissioner.
Our first out fire suppression apparatus is a 2017 Spartan ERV 180 Series Pumper. It weights approximately 42,000lbs. This rig has Cummins ISL9 450 horse power engine. Engine 60 is equipped with a Waterous 1500 gallon per minute pump and a 1000 gallon polypropylene tank. This fire engine is a standard fire engine with seating capacity for five firefighters. It also comes with Whelen LED lighting package, rearview camera system and Allison 3000 EVS Transmission. Engine 60 is staffed with a Driver/Operator and a Captain 24 hours a day and both are certified EMTs.
Emergency Medical Equipment: AED, oxygen, trauma supplies, splinting equipment, pediatric medical equipment, burn injury supplies, medical protection equipment, patient packaging equipment, and much more.
Fire/Rescue Suppression Equipment: Over 2,000 feet of varying sizes of hose, ladders, hand tools, power tools, generator, water, firefighter fire protection equipment, water appliances, water pump, self contained breathing apparatus, fans, thermal imaging camera, multi gas monitor, more than 500 feet of rope and much more.
Our back-up fire suppression apparatus is a 2004 Spartan with Metro Star FF cab design. It was built by H&W Emergency Vehicles in Oregon. It weights approximately 35,000lbs. This rig has Cummins 10.8L Diesel turbo charged 400 horse power engine. Engine 60 is equipped with a 1500 gallon per minute pump and a 750 gallon tank. This fire engine is smaller than standard fire engines and because of its wheel base this apparatus will turn around in a 31 foot wall-to-wall area. Engine 60 is staffed with a Driver/Operator and a Captain 24 hours a day and both are certified EMTs.
Fire/Rescue Suppression Equipment: Over 2,000 feet of varying sizes of hose, ladders, hand tools, power tools, water, firefighter fire protection equipment, water appliances, water pump, self contained breathing apparatus, fans, thermal imaging camera, multi gas monitor, more than 500 feet of rope and much more.
Our first out aid car is a 2017 Ford E-450. This vehicle is 22'.2" long, 7'.10" wide, 8'.11" tall and weights approximately 15,000 lbs. In 2016 our firefighters transported 445 patients and 486 patients in 2017. That is 12% more than the previous year which is why our aid unit is staffed with 2 firefighter/EMTs 24 hours a day. Aid 60 responded to 853 incidents in 2017 which makes it the busiest unit of our fleet.
When our ambulance was purchased in 2008, its intent was to transport water rescue gear and personnel to the incident; however, as it was beneficial to the community the decision was made to make this piece of apparatus a transport unit. This is a Chevrolet 4500 Road Rescue purchased from a local vehicle dealership in 2008. It is 24.5 feet long, 9.3 feet tall, 8.5 feet wide and it weighs about 17,000lbs. Even though this apparatus has some fire equipment such as self contained breathing apparatus, hand tools, rope, vehicle stabilization equipment, its main function is to provide emergency medical services and transport patients to local hospitals when our primary aid car is out of service.
The Water tanker, as some fire departments call it, joined our fleet in 2007. This apparatus is equipped with a 1,000 gallon per minute pump and a 3,000 gallon tank. In addition to the built in tank, this specific apparatus also carries a 3,000 gallon portable tank that can be deployed in rural areas. Even though you don't see this apparatus on the street as often, this 64,000lbs machine plays a crucial role in areas where water is unavailable. Our tender is mostly used during high heat seasons of the year. This apparatus will respond based on the Captain's discretion.
In the United States, modern fire chiefs' cars tend to be very similar to police patrol vehicles and are equipped with lightbars or hidden lights, sirens and long-range and short-range radios. Many fire departments in the United States use modified SUVs as their chief response vehicle. At Tulalip Bay Fire Department our Chief's response vehicle is 2017 GMC Yukon which is also his day-to-day operations rig. Chief 60 responds to all major calls.
This command vehicle is a new addition to our fleet. It is a 2014 Ford F-150 pick-up truck. This truck was previously utilized by another fire district for Wild-Land operations over at eastern Washington. This vehicle was purchased used; however, in satisfactory condition with only 50,000 miles. Battalion program was implemented in January of 2018 and it is projected battalion 60 will respond to over 50 incidents each year. Also, this apparatus will be utilized for day-to-day business and training events.


green |grēn|adjective1 of the color between blue and yellow in the spectrum; colored like grass or emeralds.
Photographs I did with Sophie for the Natural Light Brief. Love the gorgeous green backdrop. Taken in Cornwall Park. Hope your week is going great, I'm off to do a photoshoot this afternoon and have lots of work to do filling up my visual diary. Does anyone else keep a visual diary? I have to for uni, but I think it's a very good way to get all your inspiration and ideas down on paper and all together. What do you think?
Had a bit of a religious/purity theme running through some of this work, hence the cross. Adds a bit of interest yes?


The dreams of 2.4 billion people on this planet for a better life are connected more closely following a milestone meeting between China and African countries last week.
The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit in Johannesburg has pointed a new direction for China-Africa cooperation.
The theme of the two-day event, "Africa-China Progressing Together: Win-Win Cooperation for Common Development," indicates that this is not a story of unrequited love.
Ballooning trade figures explain their mutual affection. When the forum was first established in 2000, the trade volume between China and Africa stood at 10 billion U.S. dollars.
Now China has become the continent's largest trading partner, with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce expecting trade to reach 300 billion dollars in the whole of 2015.
Both development and the improvement of people's livelihoods are the shared missions of China and the African nations.
Africa, which is rich in natural resources and blessed with a large labor force, is in the emerging stage of industrialization, while China has accumulated advantages in technology, equipment, skilled personnel and capital over the past three decades of reform and opening up.
Cooperation with China will help Africa break the three development bottlenecks of backward infrastructure, talent shortage and inadequate funds, accelerating its industrialization and agricultural modernization.
There is no time for empty talk of strengthening cooperation. China has promised to carry out 10 major projects in the next three years to boost its cooperation with Africa.
The package covers industrialization, agricultural modernization, infrastructure, financial services, green development, trade and investment facilitation, poverty reduction and public welfare, public health, people-to-people exchanges, and peace and security.
China will offer 60 billion U.S. dollars in support for the initiatives, including 5 billion dollars of grant and interest-free loans.
In addition to specific development measures with clear deadlines, China also proposed five other pillars, including political equality and mutual benefits in economic cooperation.
These moves will help translate their friendship into a driving force for common development, bringing tangible results to people on both sides.
China and Africa have stuck together through thick and thin in recent decades while upholding political equality, sincerity and win-win cooperation.
These principles will continue to define their partnership.
The summit and the consensus on deepening cooperation between the world's largest developing country and the continent with the biggest number of developing and underdeveloped countries have strengthened the solidarity of the developing nations.
Putting China-Africa ties in perspective, their common development will not only inject vitality into South-South cooperation, improve the profile of developing countries as a whole, but also make global governance fairer.


text:
Q: GotFocus event not firing I have an image inside a datatemplate on which I want to call a method when it gets focus, but the gotfocus event is not firing. Here is the code:
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       <Canvas x:Name="cv">
              <Image x:Name="img1" Source = "{Binding ModelImage}" Stretch="Fill" Width="432" Height="357" MaxWidth="432" MaxHeight="357"/>
              <Image Source = "{Binding HairStyleImage}" Stretch="Fill" ManipulationMode="All" ManipulationDelta="ResourceImage_ManipulationDelta"  GotFocus="focussed" LostFocus="lostFocus">
                      <Image.RenderTransform>
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A: From MSDN document

Image is not a true control in that it is not a descendant class of
Control. You can't call focus to an Image or put it in a tab sequence.

So you can't call GotFocus and LostFocus event for Image control.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Availability of fused magnesia is tight, which is a factor driving prices higher. The dependence on graphite electrodes in the FM production process is contributing to this upward price trend.
European fused magnesia spot prices are rising while buyers seek to secure whatever volumes may be still available for sale amid a widespread shortage of material.


BodyPerfect is one of Singapore's leading weight management and wellness care providers with over 70 staff and 7 outlets. Started in 2002 as part of the Royal BodyPerfect group in Hong Kong and China, BodyPerfect Singapore has helped thousands of women in Singapore, including many well-known personalities such as Xiang Yun, Olinda Cho, Cassandra See and Ng Hui, Florence Tan, Hong Hui Fang and Joey Swee, achieve their ideal figures in record time.
Their outlets are located throughout Singapore with their flagship in Liat Towers (Orchard Road), Equity Plaza (Raffles MRT), Tampines Central (Telepark), Ang Mo Kio Hub, Toa Payoh Hub, Parkway Parade (Marine Parade) and Jurong East. They are headquartered in Macpherson. With a stable marketshare, they are expanding their range of services and locations for 2011 and are actively seeking locations in suburban malls and HDB hubs.
Their Mission at BodyPerfect is to help every women rediscover their inner perfection and natural beauty through their specially formulated total body care solutions. They use the latest non-invasive slimming technologies, with no pills and no injections as part of their promise to lasting results with no side effects or no down time.
Evidence-based results speak for themselves as more women today are turning to BodyPerfect to achieve the contours they've always desired. If you are looking for a weight management partner, look no further than BodyPerfect to give your clients that royal treatment that only BodyPerfect can!


Killingworth & Parrott was formed in April 2011 by established local East Midlands solicitors David Killingworth and Stephen Parrott, with the aim of providing a comprehensive yet highly personal, local legal service to Belper and its surrounding communities.
Since its launch, Killingworth & Parrott has grown steadily – Clients have praised the personal, accommodating service provided by the firm and have recommend the practice's services to family & friends.
David Killingworth and Stephen Parrott are both Solicitors and STEP qualified practitioners (The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners). They specialise in providing clear advice and practical solutions across their areas of expertise.
Both David and Stephen are able to provide practical help and advice on all aspects of private client work. This includes making wills and estate planning, moving home, Powers of attorney, probate, charities and trusts and issues relating to the loss of mental capacity and applications to the Court of Protection.
Our aim is to always give practical advice and solutions at competitive rates. As part of our price promise we offer a free first interview to provide initial advice; a solution to the problem and a full explanation of the costs involved.


*Are you looking for installation services? EZ Able® offers installation services in some USA locations. Contact us to see if installation services are available in your area. This Agreement applies ONLY to PURCHASERS of EZ Able Installed Products. Please refer to EZ Able's Installed Products and Services Agreement for our policies regarding our product installation services.
Included Items – Our price includes products listed on your Sales Order, applicable taxes, and freight/shipping. Please review your Sales Order carefully. You will receive the items listed on your Sales Order. EZ Able® always strives to provide our customers with outstanding customer service along with fair, and honest business practices and value-pricing on products.
Building Codes and Permit Fees – The purchaser is responsible for meeting all local Building Codes and for obtaining all necessary Permits.
Acts of God – All agreements are contingent upon strikes, accidents or delays beyond our control.
Change Orders – Any alteration or deviation from the paid Sales Order will be executed only upon written orders and may become an extra charge over and above the amount originally charged.
Delivery – Sometimes freight gets damaged during delivery. It is the purchaser's responsibility to inspect freight upon delivery and to make note of any damage that has occurred in transit. IT IS IMPORTANT TO DO A COMPLETE INSPECTION OF MATERIAL UPON ARRIVAL. SOMETIMES THE FREIGHT CARRIER MAY HAVE YOU SIGN A DOCUMENT STATING THAT YOUR PRODUCT ARRIVED AT YOUR SITE IN GOOD CONDITION. (Generally applies to "large-sized" products valued over $1000.00) FAILURE TO MAKE NOTE OF ANY DEFECTS WILL RELEASE THE FREIGHT CARRIER OF ALL RESPONSIBILITY. EZ ABLE® WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ITEMS DAMAGED IN TRANSIT.
Delivery Date - PLEASE REFER TO THE PRODUCT LEAD TIME NOTED ON THE PRODUCT INFORMATION WEBPAGE. Be sure to consider the noted lead time when making product delivery date requests. Fill in, ASAP when requesting the shortest lead time possible. Otherwise, please note your desired delivery date. We will do our best to accommodate your requested delivery date.
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Site Preparedness – Some Products may require the purchaser to do prior site preparation to allow for Local Building Code readiness; along with safe, speedy and applicable installation of EZ Able® products. EZ Able® makes no warranty to the readiness or feasibility of your job site. Please review the Products Installation Guide for Product Specific Requirements BEFORE placing your order. Are you unsure of your site and local building code requirements? Please contact EZ Able® to see if installation services are available in your area.


My first encounter with the Brewster Projects was in June of 2012. In the middle of a sunny afternoon, the heat was relentless. The sun bleached, weed filled center circle drive stood out in harsh contrast to the dark empty windowed towers looming around in a group. On my first trip to Detroit at the time, I was too intimidated to venture any further than the ground level perimeter of the site. I had been told it was a sketchy neighborhood and that there was security. I never saw any and there were no fences, so I took pics of Flying Fortress and Nychos hitting up the bottoms of the towers.
In the summer of 2012 the European graffiti crew JBCB (Juke Box Cow Boys) were in town along with other international artists involved with the Detroit Beautification Project.
By the time I got to Detroit there were only 4 remaining of the big, 15-story towers. There used to be 6, but 2 were torn down in 2003. The towers were called the Frederick Douglas Apartments and were built in the 40s and 50s. This was the housing project where singer Diana Ross grew up and where, in the rec center, boxer Joe Lewis trained. The projects are right across the freeway from Ford Field and downtown Detroit. There were other low rise apartment houses there too, but they have been removed in pieces over the years.
I moved to the Detroit area in the fall of 2013 and made it back to the Brewster towers in October of 2013 determined to check out the inside. On that trip I made it to the top of one tower. In the 15 months since I'd last been there, tons of graffiti had been added to the towers. The bottoms were now grilled with tags, throws and pieces. More noticeably, 3 epic 15-story top to bottom rollers had been executed. In addition, Gats, Feral Child, and Ghost Owl had done rollers at the top of another tower, prominently placed and visible to highway traffic heading south into downtown Detroit. As I climbed I noticed preparations for demolition, but didn't pay a lot of attention to it. There had been ongoing delays and interruptions in the effort to complete the removal of the projects.
Eugene and adjacent Springfield, Oregon straddle the main rail line and Interstate 5. Two hours south of Portland, it's the last big stop before San Francisco. It's a good resting place for travelers heading north or south. The graffiti artist Read More Books has been a frequent visitor, as evidenced by the number of his pieces in the area. I've been documenting graffiti and street art here for the last 5 years. Every year a few new pieces appear as Reader passes through. None are ever legal, yet they seem like they were always supposed to exist in that spot.
For me, Read More's style has a timeless quality. His work feels like it could have existed for decades, and his skulls and books give his admonishments to 'Read up!' and 'Read More' an apocalyptic flavor.
Below is the classic Reader throwy of the open book. Here inverted black on white and white on black. These are from 2011.There used to be trees between the books, hence the spacing. Here is an earlier photo.
The black and white book below is from the end of this summer, and the double books on the semi are also 2013. There's a shot from its original location, and then one from its new home behind a fence with other trailers. Whomever moved it to the new location did Reader a solid and made the rear book visible from a major street. The colored triangle shapes are actually by one of Reader's friends.
Higher than the rest, this Boans roller is all that's left of a combo roller piece that Reader featured in his Label 228 zine. I never managed to see the wall before it had been dissed. The current graffiti underneath is better than the original diss, but not of the quality of that original epic piece. Here is a scan of that zine page.
Just down the tracks from that roller is "The Rapture", a massively long spelling of the words with a still unfinished OYE drawn out in yellow lines at the far end. It's visible from a local park and appeared around the time of those 'end of the world/rapture' predictions. Here is an earlier photo.


text:
This is the next step for the cloud
Created by IBM with Insider Studios
Inside an IBM Cloud Data Center
Connie Zhou for IBM
By Hillery Hunter, IBM Fellow, VP, and CTO, Cloud Infrastructure, IBM
Cloud infrastructure has become a ubiquitous part of our daily lives. While most people primarily associate the cloud with backing up their phone or storing photos online, you're actually using the cloud in more ways than you may realize.
The cloud plays a critical role when we check in at the airport, interact with customer support from our favorite store, use a mobile banking app, or check the weather forecast. But even these experiences are just starting to scratch the surface of the impact that the cloud can have on our lives.
So, what actually is "the cloud" and why is it important? Let's start by taking a step back.
What is the cloud: beyond infrastructure as a service
The concept of cloud computing was introduced in the mid-2000s. It started as a way for businesses to rent IT infrastructure and computing power ("infrastructure as a service") and access software at a massive global scale. This first chapter of cloud was all about driving productivity and cost benefits, and, for many, this model of cloud has become the new dial tone of IT. But as time passes, the definition of cloud must evolve and grow.
The real value of cloud today is not defined solely by the productivity and cost benefits of renting computing power on-demand. Instead, the value of cloud is being redefined by how it can help businesses innovate with confidence and security, and profoundly change the way companies work.
Entering chapter two
Cloud adoption has grown rapidly, and today we find that almost all companies are using some form of cloud. However, research estimates that only approximately 20% of an enterprise's applications are in the cloud today.
We are now entering chapter two, where we will focus on getting the next 80% of workloads — the mission-critical ones — to the cloud to optimize everything from supply chains to sales transactions.
As we enter this next chapter, the definition of cloud is expanding and companies are now viewing it as an opportunity to incorporate existing IT and private cloud environments with new public cloud capabilities like AI and analytics completely underpinned by security. Moreover, they need to be able to easily choose where to deploy their workloads across all of these environments, which requires a commitment to open source technology and increased automation and management. This is a hybrid cloud approach, and this strategy is helping companies find new ways to solve age-old challenges, launch brand new business services, completely transform user and employee experiences, and much more.
This higher value hybrid cloud opportunity is already starting to enable truly transformative work.
For example, STOP THE TRAFFIK is using AI on the IBM Cloud to combat human trafficking, which victimizes an estimated 40.3 million people worldwide, according to a 2017 study. IBM is working with STOP THE TRAFFIK and its partners Barclays, Europol, Liberty Shared, Lloyd's Banking Group, University College London, Western Union, and others to develop Traffik Analysis Hub (TAHub), a platform that enables institutions to share data and provide its analysts with enhanced information to help combat human trafficking. Using AI and machine learning on the cloud, the tool is trained to recognize and detect specific human trafficking terms and incidents. AI also enables the hub to ingest open source data at scale — including thousands of daily news feeds — to help analysts identify the characteristics of human trafficking incidents more easily.
Realizing this kind of impact requires a much more strategic approach to cloud computing than just adopting infrastructure as a service for productivity improvements. It requires a focus on data sets, industry and business process expertise, and iron-clad agreements on data use and ownership. It requires transparency, confidence, and security. It requires pioneering technology capabilities in areas such as AI, blockchain, and cybersecurity. Most importantly, it requires an open, hybrid approach that spans public cloud, private cloud, and existing IT.
The future of cloud
It is usually impossible to predict the transformative effect of emerging technology. Whether it's broadband or the programmable computer of the 1960s or the internet of the 1990s, the initial business models are usually little more than "fireflies before the storm," as Lou Gerstner famously said of the first internet content publishing boom.
Similarly today, we cannot yet see the full force of transformation that cloud computing will yield. But as we enter chapter two and the cloud evolves well beyond infrastructure as a service, we can be sure that its value will be much greater than just a dial tone. We've only started to scratch the surface of its potential.
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The thing is, I have rules. Not that many either, but the ones I have exist for a reason.
So, then I broke one of my rules.
Now usually, I'd maybe throw a party for this. Rule breaking in Angela-Land means coming out of a shell, or, you know, whatever metaphor you would like to use that means some kind of personal growth.
Not this time. I feel sort of like I am moving backwards. So now I have to talk about it, so you know why it might seem I am changing directions.
A while ago I realized something that other writers know deep down in their tortured little souls but often refuse to admit. Writers aren't really my target market. For me, they represent a familiar layer of book sales. By familiar I mean family. We're friends, we support each other, we buy each others books. It's what we do.
The truth of the matter is, there are far more non writer book readers than writer book readers; and I am so tired of talking about writing. The thing is, blogging about writing, how to sell books, and everything else that goes with it represents something I am not that proud of. It represents instant gratification. I get more views and usually more comments. While I still enjoy helping other writers (It's what I do.) I really can't blog about it anymore.
Now don't get your big girl commemorative knickers in a bunch! I know you are thinking if I am not writing about WRITING then what on Earth is there to write about? When I say, no more writing about writing--I mean no more how to's. No more marketing advice, or warnings for the new kids in the twittersphere. ON MY BLOG. Feel free to ask me anything whenever you want. Especially if you need to know how to get to third base.
I also don't plan on blogging about what I'm writing constantly. That's boring too.
Oh yeah, and I am told this book is coming out next month.
We will be doing something fun for it's release.
Can't wait to see what you blog about. Sounds like fun!
Ha. You and I are at the exact same place. It's no longer about the blog followers but the BOOK followers. Good luck Angela!
A while ago I put out an ebook of my writing, called The New Death and others. It's a collection of short pieces, mostly dark fantasy.


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Influence of hydrogen partial pressure on growth and properties of nanocrystalline SiC by magnetron sputtering
M. Madani, H. Colder, X. Portier, K. Zellama, R. Rizk, H. Bouchriha
Journal: The European Physical Journal - Applied Physics / Volume 36 / Issue 1 / October 2006
Hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon carbide (nc-SiC:H) thin films were prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering. Deposition was achieved in a plasma of argon (Ar) and an hydrogen (H2) gas mixture with various H2 dilution percentages (10–80% H2) at a fixed substrate temperature of 500 °C. In order to describe the local bonding and the relative proportion of the different complexes formed during growth, the films were investigated by means of Fourier Transform Infrared absorption and Raman spectroscopy. Other structural features were analyzed by AFM measurements, electron diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy observations. Optical and electrical properties of the films were also characterized. This study shows that hydrogen dilution plays an important role on the microstructure of the films as well as on their properties. The highest refractive index was obtained for a 60% ratio of hydrogen in the plasma and the highest dark conductivity found was 2.03 × 10−4 Ω−1 cm−1. A close relationship between the Si-H bond content and the conductivity is confirmed.
Low-temperature deposition of weakly-stressed nanocrystalline silicon films by reactive magnetron sputtering
A. Ben Othman, Y. Leconte, P. Marie, K. Zellama, C. Goncalves, X. Portier, M. Daouahi, H. Bouchriha, R. Rizk
Journal: The European Physical Journal - Applied Physics / Volume 29 / Issue 1 / January 2005
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 December 2004, pp. 33-38
We discuss the fabrication and characterization of undoped hydrogenated and crystallized silicon thin films grown by reactive magnetron sputtering at growth rate of about 2 Å/s and at a temperature as low as 100 °C for various ratios of hydrogen dilution in the gas phase mixture (argon + x% hydrogen). Combined infrared absorption and Raman scattering spectroscopy techniques as well as conventional and high resolution transmission electron microscopy and stress measurements are used to fully characterize the films. In this temperature range, a minimum hydrogen dilution of 30% with respect to the plasma mixture (argon + hydrogen) is necessary to produce nanocrystalline films with crystalline volume fraction of about 65%. Moreover, these films are found to promote much lower stress intensity than those reported in previous works. The nature and strength of the stresses are dependent on the film microstructure.
Effect of the hydrogen dilution on the short-range and intermediate-range-order in radiofrequency magnetron sputtered hydrogenated amorphous silicon films
A. Ben Othman, M. Daouahi, J. Henocque, K. Zellama, H. Bouchriha
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 June 2004, pp. 19-26
Raman spectroscopy experiments correlated with infrared absorption, optical transmission and photothermal deflection spectroscopy ones are used to investigate in detail the short-range-order (SRO) and intermediate-range-order (IRO) in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films elaborated at high rates (~15 Å/s) by radiofrequency magnetron sputtering with various hydrogen dilution percentage (5 to 20%), leading to different hydrogen-related microstructure and content. The analysis of the transverse optic (TO)- and transverse acoustic (TA)-like modes of the Raman spectra indicates that both, the SRO and IRO are more strongly dependent on the nature of hydrogen bonding configurations, namely the relative proportion of polyhydride Si-H2 and (Si-H2) n complexes and/or clustered monohydride (Si-H) n groups incorporated in the films, rather than on the total bonded hydrogen content. The increase observed in the line width of the TO- and TA-like modes are well correlated with that of the disorder parameter E 0, also called Urbach edge parameter, which is related to the exponential absorption from the valence band tails states distribution. Moreover, the analysis of the optical transmission data clearly evidences that the dispersion energy E d and the static refractive index n 0 are also maximum for films having the lowest value of E 0, suggesting that they exhibit the highest mean coordination number and compactness respectively, consistent with better SRO and IRO.
Effect of the hydrogen dilution on the local microstructure in hydrogenated amorphous silicon films deposited by radiofrequency magnetron sputtering
M. Daouahi, K. Zellama, H. Bouchriha, P. Elkaïm
Journal: The European Physical Journal - Applied Physics / Volume 10 / Issue 3 / June 2000
The nature of the hydrogen bonding and content and their influence on the film microstructure have been investigated in detail, as a function of the H2 dilution and the residual pressure, in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films prepared by radiofrequency (rf) magnetron sputtering at a common substrate temperature (~ 250 °C) and pressure (5 × 10−4 torr) and high rates (11−15 Å/s). H2 percentages in the gas phase mixture (Ar + % H2) of 5, 10, 15 and 20% have been introduced during growth. For the 20% of H2, two different pressures of 5 × 10−4 and 50 × 10−4 torr were used. A combination of infrared absorption, optical transmission and elastic recoil detection analysis experiments have been carried out to fully characterize the samples in their as-deposited state. The results clearly indicate that for H2 percentage equal to or lower than 15% , the total bonded H content in the films increases as the H2 percentage increases, and then reaches a saturation value or even decreases for higher H2 percentage. Moreover, the microstructure is also found to be deeply affected by the H2 dilution and pressure. In particular, for high H2 percentage (20%) and high pressure (50 × 10−4 torr), unbounded H as well as polyhydride (Si-H2) n chains, possibly located in structural inhomogeneities such as voids, are also present in the films in addition to the isolated monohydride Si-H and polyhydride Si-H2 complexes. As a result, a reduction of the compactness of the film structure associated with a decrease of the refractive index n is observed. The optical gap is found to be rather controlled by the total bonded hydrogen content. The lowest proportion of isolated polyhydride Si-H2 complexes and the highest density are observed for films deposited with 10% of H2 in the gas phase and a pressure of 5 × 10−4 torr.
Influence of the deposition conditions on the optoelectronic properties of R.F. magnetron sputtered a-Si:H films*
M. Daouahi, K. Zellama, P. Elkaïm, J. Dixmier, H. Bouchriha
Journal: The European Physical Journal - Applied Physics / Volume 1 / Issue 3 / March 1998
We have studied the effect of the deposition conditions on the hydrogen incorporation modes and content and their effects on the optoelectronic properties of three different series of a-Si:H films prepared by R.F. magnetron sputtering at high substrate temperature (250 °C) and high deposition rates (~ 10 Å/s). We have correlated infrared absorption measurements with optical transmission and Photothermal Deflection Spectroscopy (PDS) experiments. The samples were characterized successively in their as-deposited state and after annealing at a temperature around 180 °C. The results indicate that the modes of H incorporation as well as the hydrogen content in the three series are completely different from those observed for the samples prepared by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Decomposition of pure silane (P.E.C.V.D.) at the same substrate temperature. The microstructure of the films is also different. The density of deep defects measured in the as-deposited is slightly higher in the former case. This density decreases significantly after annealing at 180 °C and becomes comparable to that obtained for a-Si:H samples prepared by P.E.C.V.D. at 250 °C at low deposition rates (~ 1 Å/s), with however a higher disorder in the R.F. sputtered films.
Capacitance Studies of Metastable Defect Creation in Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon
J. D. Cohen, K. Mahavadi, K. Zellama, J. P. Harbison, A. E. Delahoy
Journal: MRS Online Proceedings Library Archive / Volume 70 / 1986
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 February 2011, 213
We have studied the light induced instability problem in hydrogenated amorphous silicon using junction capacitance techniques. These techniques are used to examine specific changes in the density of gap states, and occupation of gap states, for undoped a-Si:H samples after light saturation and for a series of partial anneal "states" which culminate in the original dark annealed state (state A). We find that the observed changes in the metastable occupied and unoccupied defects contradict the Si-Si bond breaking model and indicate at least two defect creation processes. In several samples we also find clear evidence that the metastable defect distribution near midgap has a slightly different energy distribution than the stable deep state (dangling bond) distribution. At the same time, these results seem to be qualitatively consistent with many aspects of recent ESR and optical absorption studies of metastable defect creation. We discuss these findings in terms of alternative possible microscopic models for metastable effects in a-Si:H.
Capacitance Studies of Light-Induced Effects in Undoped Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon
K. Zellama, J.D. Cohen, J.P. Harbison
The effects of light saturation on the properties of undoped a-Si:H films were studied by a new capacitance profiling technique which can be used to directly determine changes in the dangling bond density of states near midgap. Coplanar conductivity and capacitance vs. temperature measurements save the changes in activation energies for electrical conductivity. These studies indicate that, while substantial increases in the dangling bond densities are observed for most samples, the detailed behavior of the light induced changes in these films are inconsistent with the creation of such defects by breaking weak valence band tail states.
Charged Dangling Bonds and Crystallization in Group IV Semiconductors
P.J. Germain, M.A. Paesler, D.E. Sayers, K. Zellama
Crystallization of amorphous Ge (or Si) has been studied as a function of temperature and the flux of ionizing radiation (or doping). The crystallization growth rate Vg takes on the form Vg = vo exp(−E/kT) where vo is an increasing function of flux (or doping). We propose the following to explain these data: A concentration of mobile dangling bonds (DBs) exists in the bulk and near the amorphous-crystalline (a-c) interface. Ionization and doping induce transitions from the uncharged state Do to the charged states D+ and D−. The process controlling crystallization resulting in the above activation energy is discussed. Only certain sites on the a-side of the a-c interface are available for crystallization, and these sites are those which have captured DBs. The charged D+; and D− states have a larger capture cross section than the uncharged Do state. Increased concentrations of charged DBs results in an enhancement of the prefactor in the above equation.


Frontline leaders need to be put in a position where they can do the most good, where their natural abilities will be helpful rather than a hindrance to the team. The term weed is often used in gardening circles. What is considered a weed in one garden is a useful plant in another. It all depends on what the plant is required to do. In other words, what role it needs to perform. Match the qualities of the plant and the part it plays in the garden and you have a great match. Get it wrong and you have a weed. So how do you avoid the same thing happening with your frontline leaders?
Starting from scratch The thrill of the "greenfield" site, as it's called in the business world, excites some leaders who love the challenge of starting with nothing and creating something. They can often get bored once the team is up and running, preferring to move onto another new adventure. On the positive side many new leaders like the idea that they don't have to live up to the reputation of a past leader. They can design things their way and leave their mark on the organisation. The down side is that they might be taking on too much so the chances of failure are higher.
Repair and renewal The neglected, run down team that has seen better days presents a world of possibilities for some leaders. They enjoy seeing a team come back to life, rescuing it from destruction, ridding it of disease and over grown weeds. They are at their best when challenged. Perhaps they were a member of the team and put their hand up to take on the role of leader. This can give them a headstart as they understand the issues and the people involved. In other cases bringing in someone who has not been involved in any of the past decisions might be what the team needs to recover.
Maintaining the status quo Some leaders know they do their best work when they are in charge of a great team that simply needs to be kept performing at its peak. The high functioning team can seem easy to take on but in some cases it involves living up to the reputation of a past leader, which has its challenges. Some leaders avoid this situation as it doesn't present any challenge for them. Watch out for the team that pushes for one of their own to be the leader as they may be doing their best to ensure the status quo is maintained. This may not be in the best interests of the organisation. With change now a constant the status quo does not stay that way for long.
Matching leaders to teams has not always followed protocols like these. Often it is more about physical location and availability than anything scientific. To improve the chances of the leader being successful you must put them in a place where they can do the most good.


Noosa properties subject to restrictions.
Noosa Shire will be declared a party house free zone and short-term letting will be restricted to zoned areas or planning approval under the new Noosa Plan to be discussed at a Special Council meeting being held today at 2.30pm at Council Chambers.
Although the new Noosa Plan has been kept under wraps Council's proposed treatment of short-term online rentals has been revealed in Council's Short-Term Accommodation – Online Platform Issues Paper on Council's website.
The Issues Paper was prepared by Council "to comprehensively explore the challenges arising from the sharp growth of the short-term online rental market in the Noosa shire" and facilitate "a suite of reasonable and actionable responses".
While the paper recognises accommodation platforms such as Airbnb and Stayz contribute to Noosa's tourist economy it recommended Council develop responses to maintain the amenity of the shire.
"Council's response should consider the legal, economic, social, administrative and monitoring issues, with a clear undertaking not to impact negatively on the region's tourism through overregulation and onerous legislation. It is important to make sure that the response to "home sharing" is in the best interests of both the community and the economy," it states.
The new planning laws follow Council's earlier action to manage short-term accommodation.
They have had representation on the Queensland Government's Peer-to-Peer Economy and Short Term Letting Industry Reference Group (the Industry Reference Group) since it was established in 2017 to develop a policy for managing short-term rental platforms.
And last July Council engaged property monitoring service BNBGuard to implement a pilot program to determine its effectiveness in collecting data on short-term letting property. The service sends a notification when a listing appears on rental websites such as Airbnb, Stayz and Flatmates.com.au and since last December has identified 246 properties in Sunshine Beach listed online for short-term letting.
Council's Issues Paper outlines how the new Noosa Plan will address what it describes as "the adverse consequential impacts on liveability in residential areas, due to the significant surge in visitation numbers following the emergence of online share economy accommodation booking agencies".
•	A short stay area map that indicates the residential zones where certain forms of visitor accommodation are acceptable (in areas situated near the Noosa River and near beaches).
•	Party houses being defined as a specific form of holiday letting of a whole house. The Noosa shire will be declared a party house restriction area, based on s276 of the Planning Act 2016.
Once the New Noosa Plan is in place, Council will be able to take action against party houses based on complaints and "other sources to identify offending properties".
Also under the new plan properties will be defined as "dwelling house" and "short-term accommodation" and property owners seeking to short term rent properties in unzoned areas will need to obtain planning approval through a material change of use development application.


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Benjamin: Baby Name of the Day
March 25, 2015 By appellationmountain 9 Comments
It's been worn by an Old Testament patriarch, a founding father, a friendly bear, and a famous rabbit.
Top Fifteen week continues with Benjamin as our Baby Name of the Day.
Benjamin: From the Bible
Let's start with the Old Testament.
Benjamin is the youngest son of Jacob's dozen boys, and hence, the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. His name means either "son of the right hand," "son of my days," or possibly "son of the south."
There's more to his story, but as a name, the tale is a familiar one. Benjamin was overlooked by Christian families until after the Reformation, when we see a rise in the name's use.
Benjamin: Colonial Cool
Ben Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers. Franklin started out a printer and newspaper editor, and became a widely respected writer and civic leader. Franklin eventually served as Ambassador to France, but it is perhaps his unofficial roles that had a greater impact – Franklin was a noted scientist and inventor, and established many civic organizations, including the city of Philadelphia's first fire department. He also helped establish the University of Pennsylvania.
It's hard to say just how common the name was in Colonial America. Franklin was the fifteenth of seventeen children, so it's safe to say that family names had been exhausted by the time of his birth.
Benjamin: Nineteenth Century Name
British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli served in the 1860s and 1870s, during the reign of Queen Victoria.
In the US, Benjamin Harrison became the 23rd President of the United States in 1889, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, 9th President William Henry Harrison. Benjamin was a family name. The first Harrison to arrive in the New World was Benjamin Harrison, who came to Jamestown, Virginia in 1630.
Wealthy businessman Benjamin Guggenheim was born in 1865, and lost his life on the Titanic in 1912.
No surprise, then, that Ben was big in nineteenth century America. The name ranked in the US Top 100 from 1880 all the way through 1926.
Benjamin: Modern Favorite
Benjamin doesn't have the uninterrupted history of use shared by classics like John and Henry, but the name has never fallen out of the US Top 200.
By 1968, Benjamin was back in the Top 100 again and reached a new high of #14 in 2013.
Notable bearers of the name include:
Actors Kingsley, Stiller, and Affleck
NFL quarterback Roethlisberger
Musician Madden – usually known as Benji
The paint company, founded by brothers Robert and Benjamin Moore in Brooklyn in the 1880s
Fiction gives us plenty of Bens, too:
It's the little brother on 80s sitcom favorite Growing Pains, the real first name of Hawkeye Pierce on M.A.S.H., and a bad(ish) guy on Lost, and many others.
Benjamin Bunny was a cousin to Peter Rabbit in Beatrix Potter's stories.
Gentle Ben, a children's story and television series about a boy and a friendly brown bear.
A 1972 horror movie gave Michael Jackson his first solo #1 hit: "Ben," nominated for an Oscar and winner of a Golden Globe.
From 1974 through the early 2000s, Benji was a lovable stray dog who saved the day.
In 2008, Brad Pitt starred in an adaptation of an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Benjamin has become a go-to, every-guy name. It feels solid, reliable, nice.
The current US Top 1000 includes other Ben- names, too: Bentley, Bennett, Benson, and Benton.
If you're looking for a reliable name for a son, it's hard to go wrong with Benjamin.
What's your favorite Ben- name?
Baby Name of the Day: Deborah
Baby Name of the Day: Benton
Harper and Benjamin Enter the US Top Ten!
John: Baby Name of the Day
Thomas: Baby Name of the Day
Benaiah- usually pronounced ben-eye-ah means "son of yah". I think it's a great under-used Hebrew name.
Josie says
I have always liked Benjamin as a name. Turns out I'd marry one! It suits him. And Ben has a nice sound, manly but not macho. And, oddly, he's yet another gentle giant.
My brother is a bit (jokingly) grumpy about me marrying one as he'd had it earmarked as a good boy's name since he was a toddler with a doll.
My other favourite Ben- name, now unusable for me, is an old family oddity I've always liked. Benzion. Less a brother for Jonathan and more a brother for Elchanan.
Amy3 says
I once named a cat Ben after seeing the name Bendigo in a Louis L'Amour novel.
My younger brother is Benjamin, 6'4″ of gentle giant. I've always liked the name.
KatieB says
My Ben is also a gentle giant! We used it in the middle name spot for our son. 🙂
F. M. says
Ha! My fiancé Ben is 6'3″, very gentle, and has an older sister named Kat.
Carrie-Anne says
Though Benjamin was the name of my only great-grandpap I have memories of, my favorite Ben- name is Benvolio. I know a lot of folks might find it pretentious or ridiculous outside of Shakespeare, but I've always loved how it looks and sounds.
I'm a fan of Benedikt (not least because it was the name of my most awesome and excellent PhD supervisor. If my daughter had been a boy, I would've faced the quandary of whether it would be weird to name your firstborn son after your advisor. Thankfully Gwen prevented us from having to deal with that!)
Elizabeth Johnson says
My favorite Ben name is Benjiro.