STACKING DEVICE - ROBOJOB N.V.
Device (1) for carrying workpieces (3) in a plurality of stacks (6), wherein the device comprises a frame (9) and a plate-like carrier (11, 12) with a plurality of pegs (10) positioned in a pattern, which pattern is related to the plurality of stacks, and extending substantially at right angles relative to the plate-like carrier, and wherein the plate-like carrier is positioned at an angle relative to the ground surface, all this such that in use the stacks lean against the pegs in order to thus position the workpieces against the pegs, wherein the device is configured to be operatively coupled to a robot arm which is adapted to place the workpieces on the stacks and/or take them from the stacks,characterized in that at least a predetermined number of the plurality of pegs is formed with at least one flat side in section, so that a workpiece can be positioned against the flat side of the pegs.
1. Device for carrying workpieces in a plurality of stacks above a ground surface, wherein the device further has a plate-like carrier with a plurality of pegs positioned in a pattern, which pattern is related to the plurality of stacks, and extending substantially at right angles relative to the plate-like carrier, and wherein the plate-like carrier is positioned at an angle relative to the ground surface, all this such that in use the stacks lean against the pegs in order to thus position the workpieces against the pegs, wherein the device is configured to be operatively coupled to a robot arm which is adapted to place the workpieces on the stacks and/or take them from the stacks, characterized in that at least a predetermined number of the plurality of pegs is formed with at least one flat side in section, so that a workpiece can be positioned against the flat side of the pegs.
2. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the flat side extends over substantially the whole length of each of the predetermined number of the plurality of pegs.
3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the predetermined number of the plurality of pegs further has at least partially the shape of a circle segment in section.
predetermined number of the plurality of pegs is configured in orientable manner relative to the plate-like carrier so that the orientation of the flat side relative to the stacks is adjustable.
5. Device according to any of the foregoing claims, wherein each flat side has a width of at least 1 centimetre, more preferably at least 2 centimetres.
6. Device according to any of the foregoing claims, wherein at least one peg of the predetermined number of the plurality of pegs is provided for each of the plurality of stacks.
7. Device according to any of the foregoing claims, wherein a distance with which the pegs extend above the plate-like carrier is adjustable by means of an actuator.
8. Device according to claim 7, wherein pegs are mounted on a mounting plate provided under the plate-like carrier, and wherein the plate-like carrier has openings for the pegs and wherein the plate-like carrier can be moved upward and downward relative to the mounting plate via the actuator.
9. Device according to any of the foregoing claims, wherein the plurality of pegs are displaceable relative to the plate-like carrier in order to adjust the pattern to the workpieces.
10. Device according to any of the foregoing claims, wherein the device comprises at least two zones which can be controlled separately so that the one zone can be controlled for placing the workpieces on the stacks and a further zone can be controlled for taking the workpieces from the stacks.
11. Set of a device according to any of the foregoing claims and a robot arm, wherein the robot arm is operatively coupled to the device and wherein the robot arm is adapted to place the workpieces on the stacks and/or take them from the stacks.
The invention relates to a device for carrying workpieces above a ground surface, wherein the device further has a plate-like carrier with a plurality of pegs positioned in a pattern, which pattern is related to the plurality of stacks, and extending substantially at right angles relative to the plate-like carrier, and wherein the plate-like carrier is positioned at an angle relative to the ground surface, all this such that in use the stacks lean against the pegs in order to thus position the workpieces against the pegs, wherein the device is configured to be operatively coupled to a robot arm which is adapted to place the workpieces on the stacks and/or take them from the stacks.
Such a device is known from EP 2 314 414 of the same applicant. The advantage of the device is twofold. One the one hand, workpieces can be located in simple manner on the basis of spatial coordinates. This is a direct result of the construction of the device and of the stacks leaning against the pegs. This allows a robot arm with gripper to easily handle the workpieces on the basis of the coordinates. This technique is suitable in for instance machining work, wherein the workpieces are transported into and/or out of a processing machine, such as a CNC machine, tool by means of a robot arm.
A second considerable advantage of this device is related to the stackability of the workpieces. Because the workpieces are on the one hand placed on the plate-like carrier and on the other hand lean against the pegs, a plurality of workpieces can be stacked on each other in simple manner, wherein the position of each of the workpieces in the stack is defined unambiguously. It is apparent here that the position is defined unambiguously because the position of the plate-like carrier, of the pegs and the angle of the plate-like carrier relative to the ground surface are known. By stacking workpieces the space around a robot can be configured efficiently for storage of the workpieces. This allows a large number of workpieces to be stored in a compact space around a machine, for instance a machining device.
A drawback of the device of EP 2 314414 relates to the stacking and positioning of workpieces with a more complex shape. The device is optimal for stacking of workpieces with a substantially circular section, wherein for each stack two pegs are provided for unambiguously positioning the workpieces in the stack thereby. When workpieces with a section differing from a circular section however have to be positioned, more than two pegs will have to be provided per stack in a pattern such that the workpieces lean against the more than two pegs in order to thus be positioned unambiguously. This requires the pegs to be precisely placeable and/or displaceable subject to the size and shape of the workpieces in order to be able to realize the above, which is expensive and technically complex. Configuring the device for the purpose of enabling unambiguous stacking of a complex workpiece also requires complex and precise operations, which is time-consuming and prone to errors. It is an object of the invention to optimize the device for stacking workpieces with a shape, preferably a sectional shape, which differs from a circle.
The device according to the invention is characterized for this purpose in that at least a predetermined number of the plurality of pegs is formed with at least one flat side in section, so that a workpiece can be positioned against the flat side of the pegs.
The invention is based on the insight that in the majority of cases workpieces with a sectional shape differing from a circular shape have a flat side on at least a portion of their periphery. A simple example is a workpiece with a rectangular section, wherein the corners are optionally rounded. By forming at least a number of the pegs in the device with at least one flat side in section, workpieces having a flat side on their periphery, referred to hereafter as 'flat peripheral side', can be placed with their flat peripheral side against the flat side of the pegs. The angular position of the workpiece is hereby predetermined because the flat peripheral side of the workpiece comes to lie parallel to the flat side of the peg. A further peg can be provided here in order to support a further peripheral part of the workpiece and thus unambiguously define the position of the workpiece on the device using only two pegs.
The device according to the invention allows workpieces with a sectional shape differing from a circular shape to be positioned unambiguously in simple manner, wherein only two pegs are needed for each stack. The skilled person will appreciate that in a prior art device three pegs have to be provided per stack of workpieces in order to enable unambiguous positioning of workpieces with for instance a rectangular section. In the device according to the invention only two pegs are necessary for unambiguous positioning of workpieces with a rectangular section, wherein at least one of the two pegs has a flat side which is oriented relative to the rectangular workpieces for predetermining the angular position of the rectangular workpieces. This simplifies the use and configuration of the device according to the invention. It further also allows the stacks of workpieces to be distributed in a more efficient manner over the surface of the device so that more workpieces can be carried by the device.
The flat side preferably extends over substantially the whole length of each of the predetermined number of the plurality of pegs. When the flat side extends over substantially the whole length of the peg, workpieces can be positioned against the peg over substantially the whole height of the peg. This allows all workpieces of a stack to be laid against the flat side of the peg.
Each of the predetermined number of the plurality of pegs further preferably has at least partially the shape of a circle segment in section. More specifically, each of the predetermined number of the plurality of pegs is circle segment-shaped in section. By making the pegs circle segment-shaped it is possible during configuration of the device and/or during forming of the pattern to choose in each case whether the peg will be directed with its flat side toward the workpiece, so that the workpiece lies against the flat side of the peg, or will be directed with its round side toward the workpiece, so that the workpiece lies against the round side of the peg. As seen in a sectional view, the workpiece will be in point contact with the peg when the peg is directed with its round side toward the workpiece. When the peg is directed with its flat side toward the workpiece and when the workpiece has a flat peripheral side, the workpiece can lie with its flat peripheral side against the flat side of the peg, so that a line contact is obtained in section. The circle segment-shaped section of the pegs makes it possible to determine the manner in which the workpieces are placed against the pegs as desired.
At least the predetermined number of the plurality of pegs is preferably connected in orientable manner to the plate-like carrier so that the orientation of the flat side relative to the stacks is adjustable. Orientable is preferably further defined here as rotatable, wherein the peg is rotated about its longitudinal axis and can be fixed in a final rotation position so that the orientation of the peg is defined. Depending on the situation, the pegs can be oriented with the flat side so as to thereby be optimally positioned relative to the workpieces.
Each flat side preferably has a width of at least 1 cm, more preferably at least 2 cm. The width of the flat side is considered the length of the chord of the circle segment when viewing the section of the peg. By making the flat side wide enough, preferably at least 1 cm, more preferably at least 2 cm, workpieces will have a greater tendency, and will tend more readily, to lie with their flat peripheral side against the flat side of the pegs. It is desirable here that the workpieces automatically take up their unambiguous position relative to the device as a result of the force of gravity. This effect can be intensified by making the flat side sufficiently wide.
At least one peg of the predetermined number of the plurality of pegs is preferably provided for each of the plurality of stacks. The predetermined number of the plurality of pegs are defined as the pegs with the at least one flat side in section. By providing at least one such peg at each stack, workpieces of each stack can lean with a flat peripheral side against the flat side of the peg in order to thus be positioned.
A distance with which the pegs extend above the plate-like carrier is preferably adjustable by means of an actuator. The effect is that the top end points of the pegs can be set at different heights relative to the plate-like carrier by means of the actuator. This allows the device to make the distance between the upper side of the pegs and the plate-like carrier substantially equal to the height of the stacks. The robot can hereby in each case take up or set down the workpieces from or on the stacks at the position of the upper side of the pegs, so that the pegs do not collide with the gripper of the robot. Workpieces are typically gripped around their periphery, wherein the robot arm is provided with a head comprising this gripping mechanism. This head is typically too thick to move between the pegs. By adjusting the distance over which the pegs extend, the gripper of the robot is always able to handle the workpieces at the position of an upper side of the pegs so that collisions are avoided. The pegs are preferably mounted on a mounting plate provided under the plate-like carrier, and wherein the plate-like carrier has openings for the pegs and wherein the plate-like carrier can be moved upward and downward relative to the mounting plate via the actuator. The plate-like carrier is hereby movable relative to the mounting plate, which is preferably fixed, or is fixed during operation of the device. Because the pegs are mounted on the mounting plate, the pegs will also be fixed, whereby the spatial coordinates of the top end points of the pegs are known. By moving the plate-like carrier workpieces can be pushed up to the upper side of the pegs by moving the plate-like carrier upward, or space can be provided for placing a further workpiece by lowering the plate-like carrier.
The plurality of pegs are preferably displaceable relative to the plate-like carrier in order to adjust the pattern to the workpieces. A matrix can for this purpose be provided with holders for receiving the pegs. By giving the pegs a displaceable form, the pegs can be positioned such that the stacks can be placed efficiently and close together on the carrier of the device. The space can thus be used efficiently for carrying a maximum number of workpieces.
The device preferably comprises at least two zones which can be controlled separately so that the one zone can be controlled for placing the workpieces on the stacks and a further zone can be controlled for taking the workpieces from the stacks. The two zones have a substantially analogous construction, wherein the pegs have an analogous pattern and wherein the plate-like carrier is configured in the one zone to move from top to bottom and is configured in the other zone to move from bottom to top. This makes it possible to use one device for supplying the not yet processed workpieces via the robot and for carrying away the processed workpieces via the robot.
The invention further relates to a set of a device as described above and a robot arm, wherein the robot arm is operatively coupled to the device and wherein the robot arm is adapted to place the workpieces on the stacks and/or take them from the stacks.
The invention will now be further described on the basis of an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing.
figure 4 shows a perspective view of a plurality of pegs which can be applied in the device according to the invention. The same or similar elements are designated in the drawing with the same reference numerals.
Peg is defined as an elongate object which can take a hollow or solid form. The peg preferably has a constant section along its length.
Figure 1 shows a device 1 placed in an operative context. This means that figure 1 shows an example of a combination of apparatuses and/or machines which allow device 1 to function optimally. Device 1 was developed to carry a plurality of stacks of workpieces 3. The invention has for its object to allow a robot 2, which is preferably formed substantially by a robot arm, to handle the workpieces in simple manner. This object is achieved with the device 1 in that workpieces 3 are carried at pre-known positions. This will be further elucidated hereinbelow.
Robot 2 typically comprises a robot arm with a gripper. The robot can grip workpieces 3 via the gripper. The robot arm of robot 2 is preferably configured to move above the whole device 1 in order to be able to reach all the stacks being carried on device 1. The robot arm is preferably further configured to be able to move toward a processing machine 4 in order to transport workpieces into and/or out of processing machine 4. Examples of processing machines which workpieces can be transported both into and out of are lathes, CNC machines, drilling machines and other traditional machining devices. Device 1 can also be used in situations in which workpieces are only removed from a processing machine, for instance a 3D printing machine. The 3D-printed workpieces can herein be removed from the 3D printer by robot 2 and be placed on stacks on device 1. Device 1 can further be applied in situations in which workpieces need only be fed to a processing machine. The workpieces are then carried by device 1 in stacks, and transported from the stacks to the processing machine by robot 2.
The movement of the robot arm is illustrated with line 5 in figure 1. In the figure the robot is shown in two positions. A first position is designated with reference numeral 2A and shows the robot while taking up a workpiece 3 from a stack of device 1. The robot is further shown in a second position, designated with reference numeral 2B, in which the robot places the workpiece in the processing machine. On the basis of this figure the skilled person will appreciate that such a configuration, including the device according to the invention, allows workpieces to be transported into and/or out of the processing machine from and to a plurality of stacks on device 1 in a wholly or partially automated manner.
Figure 1 further shows a lower series of stacks, designated with reference numeral 6, in which the workpieces to be processed are stacked. The figure further shows a second series of stacks, designated with reference numeral 7, in which the processed workpieces are stacked. The way in which these stacks can be provided on the device so as to achieve optimal operation of the device will be further discussed hereinbelow. Figure 2 shows a section of the device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 illustrates here how device 1 comprises a frame 9 with which device 1 is placed on a ground surface 8. Alternatively, frame 9 can be mounted on a wall or other support structure, so that frame 9 is carried above a ground surface 8. Figure 2 further shows the plate-like carriers 11 and 12. In device 1 of the embodiment of figure 2 a first plate-like carrier 11 is provided in a first zone 13 of device 1 and a second plate-like carrier is provided in a second zone 14 of device 1. It is alternatively also possible for only one plate-like carrier to be provided. As already described above, and as is illustrated in figure 2, one device 1, subdivided into two zones 13 and 14, can be optimized for both feeding workpieces and carrying away workpieces to and from a processing machine. In figure 2 stacks 6 are provided with workpieces for feeding to the processing machine and stack 7 is provided for carrying workpieces away from the processing machine. The skilled person will appreciate that a plurality of subdivisions and configurations are possible for forming the device.
Device 1 comprises a plurality of pegs 10 extending perpendicularly above plate-like carriers 11 and 12. Plate-like carriers 11 and 12 are placed at an angle a relative to ground surface 8. The result of this construction, as is clearly illustrated in figure 2, is that, due to the force of gravity, stacks 6, 7 not only support on plate-like carrier 11 but also lean against pegs 10. The position of the workpieces in the space can hereby be defined unambiguously. This allows robot 2 to be controlled on the basis of position, which can be realized in simple manner. Complex workpiece detection systems on the basis of sensors, for instance cameras, are hereby unnecessary.
Pegs 10 are preferably positioned fixedly relative to frame 9 so that the spatial position of the pegs is known, and whereby the position of the stacks of workpieces is also at least partially known. Plate-like carriers 11 and 12 can further be moved upward and downward via actuators 16. The height of plate-like carrier 11 and 12 is preferably known here, for instance because actuators 16 are position-controlled or because sensors are provided for determining the height. The spatial orientation of stacks 6 and 7 is known unambiguously owing to the combination of the knowledge of the height of plate-like carriers 11, 12 and of the position of pegs 10. The dimensions and quantities of the workpieces forming part of stacks 6 and 7 are preferably further known here, so that the height of stacks 6 and 7 is also known. On the basis hereof, the coordinates of the top workpiece of stacks 6 and 7 can be defined unambiguously so that the robot can be controlled on the basis of these coordinates. Pegs 10 can alternatively be movable upward and downward, while plate-like carrier 11, 12 is fixed. The skilled person will appreciate that in such a configuration the coordinates of the upper workpiece of the stack can likewise be defined unambiguously. To further explain the general operating principles of the device, EP2314414 is incorporated in this description by reference. In the configuration of figure 2 pegs 10 are mounted on a mounting plate 15 extending under plate-like carriers 11 and 12. Plate-like carriers 11 and 12 have openings so that the pegs can extend through these carriers. Plate-like carriers 11 and 12 can further move relative to mounting plate 15 so that the distance between the upper side of pegs 10 and the plate-like carrier is adjustable, for instance taking into consideration the height of stacks 6, 7. As explained above, the object is here to allow a robot to always handle, i.e. take up or set down, workpieces at the position of an upper side of pegs 10 so that the gripper of the robot does not collide with pegs 10.
On the basis of figure 2 the skilled person will appreciate that different subdivisions can be provided in the device, wherein the device may comprise one, two or more than two zones which can be configured and controlled independently of each other. This means that the pattern of the pegs can differ in different zones of the device, and that the height of the pegs relative to the platelike carriers can be individually controllable in different zones. Device 1 can hereby be used flexibly.
Figure 2 shows a top view of device 1 on its right-hand side, wherein the view is perpendicular to plate-like carriers 11 and 12. This means that the view shown on the right-hand side of figure 2 is oriented at an angle a relative to the downward direction. The figure illustrates how a plurality of stacks 6 can be provided on first plate-like carrier 11 and how a plurality of stacks 7, of which only one stack is shown, can be provided on second plate-like carrier 12. The pattern in which pegs 10 are formed relative to plate-like carrier 11 and 12 determines here the position and orientation of stacks 6 and 7 which are carried by plate-like carriers 11 and 12. The pattern is preferably formed such that a set of pegs is provided for each stack for the purpose of supporting the stack. The mutual distance between the different stacks 6 and 7 and, with this, the efficiency of use of the available space, is determined by the pattern.
In figure 2 a pattern is formed by pegs having a substantially circular section. Such pegs are optimal for positioning stacks of round workpieces. Round workpieces are defined here as workpieces with a substantially circular section, as shown in figure 2. The skilled person will appreciate that in the case of circular workpieces the angular position of the workpiece relative to the device is irrelevant to the gripping of the workpiece by a robot. The gripper of the robot is typically provided with a plurality of fingers, preferably three fingers, which can be placed around a periphery of the workpiece in order to thus clamp the workpiece between the fingers by moving the fingers. In the case of round workpieces the angular position of the workpiece is irrelevant to the correct gripping of the workpiece. This is different in the case of non-round workpieces.
Figure 3A shows a workpiece with a section with a shape differing from a circular shape, and makes clear that at least three round pegs must be provided for unambiguous positioning of such a workpiece. This means that when only round pegs are used for positioning a stack of such non-round workpieces, a set of at least three pegs must be provided at each stack. Figure 3 shows a rectangular workpiece 17 and illustrates a plurality of embodiments for unambiguously defining the position of rectangular workpiece 17. Figure 3A illustrates here an embodiment wherein only pegs with a round section are used. The figure makes clear that three of such pegs are necessary in order to unambiguously define the position and orientation. If only two pegs with a round section were to be provided, the angular position of the workpiece cannot be maintained. More specifically, relative to only two round pegs workpiece 17 is able to rotate, such that the peripheral sides of workpiece 17 take up a different spatial position. This is problematic when a robot is controlled for gripping workpiece 17 on the basis of coordinates.
Figure 3 A further illustrates that for unambiguously positioning a non-round workpiece 17 using round pegs 18, the pegs 18 have to be provided on different mounting lines. Figure 2 shows on the right-hand side that the pegs are placed on a grid, typically comprising a plurality of rows and columns, wherein each row can be deemed a mounting line 20 for mounting of pegs. Mounting pegs on a plurality of mounting lines for the purpose of supporting one stack of workpieces complicates the construction and use of device 1. In the context of this description a non-round workpiece is preferably defined as a workpiece wherein, when viewing the workpiece in section, at least a part of its peripheral side is flat. In the context of this description a section of the workpieces oriented perpendicularly of the stacking direction along which the height of the stack is measured is here viewed in each case.
Figures 3B, 3C and 3D show embodiments which demonstrate that making use of pegs with a flat side provides a solution to the above described drawbacks. In each of the figures 3B-3D at least one of the pegs is turned with its flat side 21 toward the workpiece. This allows workpiece 17 to lie with a flat peripheral side against the flat side 21 of peg 19. As described above, the angular position of workpiece 17 is thereby predetermined. As a result, a non-round workpiece 17 can be positioned unambiguously by only two pegs.
Figure 3C shows an embodiment wherein one of the two pegs, designated with peg 18, has a round section, and another of the two pegs, designated with reference numeral 19, has a flat side 21. In figures 3B, 3C and 3D the pegs with flat side 21 have a circle segment-shaped section, whereby the pegs have a round side 22 opposite flat side 21.
Figure 3B shows an embodiment wherein both pegs have a flat side, but wherein only one of the two pegs is directed with its flat side 21 toward workpiece 17, and wherein the other of the pegs with flat sides 19 is directed with its convex side 22 toward workpiece 17. Figure 3D shows a further alternative embodiment wherein both pegs have a flat side and both pegs are directed with their flat side 21 toward workpiece 17. On the basis of figures 3B-3D the skilled person will understand how the unambiguous position is achieved. Figures 3B, 3C and 3D further illustrate that the pegs with flat side can be positioned on one mounting line 21 in order to unambiguously position the workpieces, which allows an optimal configuration of the device. Figures 3B-3D further illustrate that it can be advantageous to provide the pegs rotatably and/or displaceably in device 1. Providing the pegs rotatably allows the angular position of flat side 21 of pegs 19 to be directed optimally toward workpiece 17. By further making the pattern and the position and/or the optional presence of a peg at each grid point of the grid adjustable it is possible to obtain an optimal distribution of workpieces and stacks on the device.
Figure 4 shows two exemplary embodiments of pegs with a flat side. Figure 4A shows here a peg 19 which is provided with a flat side 21, wherein the flat side 21 extends over the greater part of the height of the peg. More specifically, the flat side 21 extends over an operating height 23 of peg 19. Operating height is defined here as the portion of the peg which in normal use of device 1 is configured to lean against the workpieces of a stack which are placed on device 1. Peg 19 can be given an alternative design on a lower side so as to enable mounting and detaching as well as rotating of the peg in device 1. In figure 4A the lower side of peg 19 is designated with reference numeral 24. Peg 19 of the embodiment of figure 4 A has a round side opposite flat side 21. The peg has a circle segment-shaped section. A circle segment is defined here as a part of the circle area which is enclosed between a circular arc and the chords between the end points of that circular arc. The circle segment preferably forms at least half of the circle of which the circle segment is a segment.
Figure 4B shows an alternative embodiment wherein peg 19 has a square section and thus has four flat sides 21A, 21B, 21C and 21D. The skilled person will appreciate that peg 19 can be formed in many ways in order to achieve the effect described above and illustrated in figure 3. A hollow tube can thus form the basis for peg 19, wherein a circular arc is removed from the tube, as seen in a sectional view, similarly to the peg of figure 4A. In contrast to the peg of figure 4A, the tube will be hollow and no physical surface will extend between the end points of the circular arc. However, because the tube has at the position of the end points of the circular arc, which are situated at a distance from each other, two contact lines suitable for supporting workpiece 17, a workpiece 17 can lie against these two contact lines so that the same function is obtained in the same manner and with the same result. The hollow open side of the tube can therefore be functionally considered the flat side 21 of the tube.


text:
San Marino rejects some road projects and the free money Metro is willing to hand ...
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
The San Marino City Council on Wednesday rejected three street projects proposed to alleviate snarled northbound traffic from the 710 Freeway stub — improvements for which it would have received millions in funding from Metro.
On several occasions leading up to the decision, many residents packed meeting halls,
Generation gap between baby-boomers and millennials colors debate over North Hollywood-to-Pasadena rapid bus line
Cars or mass transit? Baby-boomers versus millennials. The debate over Metro's plan to install dedicated bus lanes on an 18-mile, mostly surface street route from North...
LA Daily News 2019-07-12
San Gabriel man, dog killed after being struck by an alleged street racer in San Marino
A San Gabriel man and his dog were struck and killed Thursday, July 4, by a vehicle witnesses say was racing another in San Marino, police said in a news release. At around...
San Gabriel Valley Tribune 2019-07-05
Metro's Orange Line was a hit — but doesn't guarantee support for another Valley bus plan
The Metro Orange Line, by far the Los Angeles transit agency's most popular system, is a 14-mile east-west busway that links North Hollywood to Chatsworth. It connects...
Will popularity of bus-only lanes in LA carry over to the North Hollywood-to-Pasadena transit line? ...
In the midst of construction, when Blue Line passengers complained that a replacement bus ferrying passengers to the next open station was too darn slow, Metro teamed with...
El Camino Real to get protected bike lanes
A long discussed idea to bring protected bike lanes to El Camino Real could finally be coming in the not-too-distant future. Last week, Mountain View City Council members endorsed plans to build El Camino bike lanes, starting with a 1.5-mile stretch between Castro Street and Sylvan Avenue. If all goes according to plan, city staff say the new bike route should be ready for...
Mountain View Voice
City reviews transportation plan
The City Council received a presentation of a draft of their transportation master plan this week, which suggested some major changes to Grant Avenue and downtown. The plan, drafted by consulting firm Kimley-Horn, was presented by Kimley-Horn Vice President Jeff Whitacre. While the plan looks at prioritizing projects across the city, most of the time and recommendations...
Odessa American
Council approves Sinclair & Route K roundabout following public hearing
The Columbia City Council unanimously approved to proceed with the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Sinclair Road, Route K and Old Plank Road following a public hearing Monday evening. The intersection currently serves as a two-way stop, with traffic going straight through on Route K. The roundabout will align Sinclair Road, the intersection's north leg, with...
Columbia Missourian
City council approves Sinclair & Route K roundabout following public hearing
The Columbia City Council unanimously approved to proceed with the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Sinclair Road, Route K and Old Plank Road following a public hearing Monday evening. The intersection currently serves as a two-way stop, with traffic going straight through on Route K. The roundabout will align Sinclair Road, the intersection's north leg, with...
Road project remains on schedule
Motorists having to maneuver through the construction work zone on Wesleyan Boulevard from May Drive to Benvenue Road will get relief by the end of the year. Crews have been working to widen about two miles of the heavily commercial stretch of Wesleyan from four lanes to six lanes and to put in a "superstreet" type of thoroughfare, all at a cost of about $28 million. "We think...
Rocky Mount Telegram
Pasadena City College professor killed in San Marino traffic collision remembered
Friends grieved Pasadena City College professor Gabriel Crispo, who was killed alongside his dog when a vehicle involved in an apparent street race careened into the greenbelt on Huntington Drive in San Marino on Thursday. The Los Angeles County coroner's office did not confirm the victim's identity Friday, but friends said it was 49-year-old San Gabriel resident Crispo. Two...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


But if you saw Jean on the pickleball court, you'd be none the wiser. She moves with grace and confidence, delivering solid serve after solid serve and returning the Wiffle ball with ease.
Jean rediscovered this physical confidence after joining in Willamalane's four-week pickleball course developed specifically for people with Parkinson's disease.
She and her husband, Doug, play together to stay active and social.
Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation, especially among adults ages 50 and older.
Roger Schaljo, instructor and coordinator of the Emerald Valley Pickleball Club, recognizes pickleball's many health benefits.
Schaljo says some of the people who play with him regularly say pickleball has helped them increase stamina and maintain a healthy weight.
While pickleball is a great low-impact activity for adults 50 and older, Schaljo welcomes people of all ages and abilities to the beginner drop-in pickleball classes. These run Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 to 2 p.m. at Willamalane Center.
Planning on joining in? Make sure to say hi to Walker and others with Parkinson's who are looking forward to being regulars at drop-ins.


We believe in creating joy. Your home is distinctly yours, and should showcase your unique taste. The art of good interior design is found in the subtleties of a homeowner's personality combined with a sense of natural flow and function. When arranged correctly, a home becomes a sanctuary. From furniture pieces to accent details, every room can create a harmonious atmosphere to nourish each person who enters. Come home to a space that reminds you of your values and gives you joy.
Anne Middleton-Estep, owner, offers extensive knowledge of interiors based on her experience of owning an interior design business in Knoxville and freelance design work, as well as over twenty years of real estate staging. Customers of Fringe Furnishings & Decor find themselves welcomed, valued, and in capable hands.


See more from the author.
Carter must now answer some impossible questions: How do you fight an enemy you cannot see? How do you stop some of the richest and most powerful men in the world when they own the shadows? And most important of all, how do you stay alive when the world around you is dying?"
From Akashic Books's Infamous imprint comes Steve Saville's Sunfail (Nov.) which stars New York City subway electrician and former Special Forces soldier Jake Quinn as he fights a conspiracy by the world's richest men to destroy the world."
"Steven Savile's fear-inducing novel of apocalyptic proportions, Sunfail, will no doubt inspire the next generation of street-corner crazies wielding The End Is Nigh signs. Prepare yourself for a wild ride. Next stop, the end of the world."
"Darkly foreboding and all too plausible, Savile's writing explodes off the page like a shark hunting through deep water; by the time you can see it clearly, it is far too late to get away."
"Sunfail is the most entertaining novel I've read in the last twelve months...by a mile. Beautifully written, well paced, but above all just a cracking story. A book you can get lost in. Sunfail delivers on every single page."
"Savile has forged a world of shadow conspiracies that are all too real. Packed with hold-your-breath writing that pushes the characters into one tense cut-the-blue-wire scene after another, Savile lands raw punches that connect explosively. This is thriller writing at its grittiest, and finest."
"Savile has a flair for finding beauty in the macabre."


text:
CEO Out at Edward Jones
Douglas Hill will 'voluntarily retire' from the brokerage.
Matthew Goldstein
The mutual fund scandal at
is costing the brokerage's top executive his job.
The shamed St. Louis securities firm said Douglas Hill, the firm's managing partner and chief executive officer, will "voluntarily retire" at the end of next year as part of a $75 million settlement with regulatory and federal prosecutors.
Edward Jones announced Hill's departure in a corporate filing late Monday. The firm disclosed Hill's resignation a week after it reached a settlement in a lengthy investigation into hidden revenue-sharing deals Edward Jones had with seven mutual fund families.
Regulators fined Edward Jones for taking tens of millions of dollars in secret fees to tout the seven "preferred" fund families to its customers. Regulators contend the undisclosed fees created a conflict of interest because Edward Jones never told customers it had a financial interest in pushing a small group of mutual funds.
Edward Jones says Hill will pay about $3 million of the fine levied against the brokerage.


text:
The Reverend George J. Geis (c. 1860 – October 28, 1936)
was an American Baptist minister and anthropologist of German descent, best known for his missionary work in northeastern Burma. He promoted Christianity amongst the Kachin people, a group which he also studied, collecting general ethnographical data about them.
He arrived in Burma with his wife in 1892, and spent most of the rest of his life there, establishing missions throughout Kachin State and Shan State.
Geis is best known for his work in Myitkyina in Kachin State, but in the 1930s he established a mission in Kutkai in Shan State, and at the time of his death in 1936 was working there at the Kachin Bible Training School.

Background
The American Baptist Eugenio Kincaid visited Burma in 1837. While distributing religious tracts and New Testaments among the villages north of Ava, Kincaid heard of a people named "Hka Khyens", who were said to believe in a supreme being. He appealed for other missionaries to come to preach to these people, but with no immediate result. However, in 1877 a Christian named Bogalay, from Bassein, began to learn the Jinghpaw language of the Kachins. In 1878, the first overseas Baptist missionary to the Kachins, Albert Lyon, arrived in Bhamo, but died of consumption within a month.

Lyon was succeeded by William Henry Roberts, a former soldier who had fought in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. Roberts obtained grudging permission from the Burmese king, Thibaw Min, to build a school and educate the Kachins. Although his wife soon died from malaria, Roberts was to carry out his mission for 34 years. Ola Hanson, an accomplished linguist of Swedish origin, arrived in Katchinland in 1890 and was to remain for 38 years. He formulated an alphabet for the Jinghpaw language using the Latin script, prepared educational materials in the language as well as a grammar and a Jinghpaw-English dictionary, translated over 200 hymns into Jinghpaw and wrote a book on Katchins: Their Customs and Traditions (1913). Hanson also began work on a Jinghpaw translation of the Bible, translating St. John's Gospel within two years of his arrival.

Early Burmese mission

When Geis arrived with his wife in 1892 he was the third Baptist missionary in the area.
Gies made the difficult journey up the Irrawaddy River in the rainy season, and decided to establish a mission at Myitkyina. This was planned to become the  headquarters of the Kachin District and the northern terminus of the Burma Railway. The first buildings of Geis' new mission were built by Christian converts from Bhamo.

By 1894 Geis was able to report: "During the past year we have had many tokens of the Lord's blessings resting upon our work. Never have more Kachins come to us, and never have they shown a greater interest in the gospel message. Hundreds from the distant north as they came down to Myitkyina on bamboo rafts have for the first time heard the story of Jesus". He reported on his extensive travels, growing friendship with the local people, the opening of the first out-station in the mountains and the substantial and convenient site that the government had granted for the new mission compound. However, his report was written in the United States, to which he had been forced to temporarily return due to his wife's severe illness.

Geis's work was not confined to Kachins. He first visited a Lisu village is 1898.
He was accompanied by Karen missionaries from the Karen Bible Seminary. He was the only Western missionary to visit the Lisu people in their mountain villages until 1910.
In October 1902 he baptized his first Lisu converts, a couple named Ngwa Tar and Gu Na Du, and this was followed by further conversions.
In 1906 the first Lisu church was built in Manhkring, a Kachin village located in the valley between Namhkam and Bhamo.
The Lisu established their own village beside the Kachins, and became part of the Manhkring Kachin Baptist Church, although they held some services in their own tongue.

Growth of local church leaders
On December 15, 1901, the first ordination council convened in the Kachin Hills. The candidates were Damau Naw, who had come as a school boy almost twenty years earlier, and after being educated in Rangoon had helped Hanson in his literary work since 1893; Ning Grawng, who had accompanied Geis since 1894 in the Myitkyina area; and Shwe So, a Karen missionary who had served since 1884.
By 1911, there were more than 300 communicants of the Kachin Baptist Church, many of whom had been educated at the mission schools.
More pastors were ordained in 1911, although foreign missionaries remained the leaders of the church for many years.

Ba Thaw (1891–1967), who had studied for his bachelor of arts in Calcutta, India, worked with Geis from 1911 and quickly became fluent in the Lisu and Kachin languages. He made great efforts to adapt to the Liu lifestyle, but realized that "a tribe having no literature cannot be improved much in education, social activities, and also in spiritual aspects."
Ba Thaw visited Lisu villages in China, where he collaborated with James O. Fraser of the China Inland Mission to develop a Lisu alphabet using Romanized letters and translate central Christian texts. During a long and fruitful life he was an evangelist, pastor, and teacher.

Later mission career

The Geises were transferred to the Philippines in 1918, where they worked for four years. In 1922 they were able to return to  their "first love" in Myitkyina, to work again among the hill tribes of Upper Burma.
In the late 1920s, George Geis was planning to start a small bible school in the hills east of Bhamo to train additional workers to those who had completed the course at the Burmese Seminary at Insein. This area had shown increasing interest in the Baptist message, not only among the lowland Shan people, but also with the Lahus and Was in mountain villages east of Kengtung. There was a severe shortage of trained teachers.

In the 1930s Geis established a mission in Kutkai, and he was working there at the Kachin Bible Training School when he died in his seventies on 28 October 1936.

References

1860s births
1936 deaths
Baptist ministers from the United States
Baptist missionaries from the United States
Baptist missionaries in Myanmar
American people of German descent
American anthropologists
People from Kachin State
Year of birth uncertain
American expatriates in Myanmar

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


As a family dental clinic, we provide dental services to all people of all ages. First and foremost, our focus is on preventive oral services in order to stop or postpone various dental diseases. Beyond that, we offer a wide range of dental and oral treatments. If there is need, we will make a referral.
Our services are designed for the very best dental health for our patients. These include from ordinary services such as dental cleanings, fillings, and dentures to sophisticated services such as dental crowns, dental implants, orthodontics, and root canals treatments. We have a very robust esthetic program as well which includes home and office tooth whitening, bonding, white fillings and porcelain veneers.
Normally, the patient's first appointment is booked for an examination in order to determine the kind of treatment that is required. However, if there is an emergency or urgency due to time constraints by the patient, we will use this time to diagnose your dental problem and provide emergency or urgent treatment. So, our aim is to get rid you of pain, address an urgent concern and teach you how to maintain your oral health.
Our dental crown and bridge services include replacing missing teeth and rebuilding or reshaping broken teeth with a new natural looking teeth.
Many of us know that dental crowns are very important because they improve the appearance of broken teeth, and because they can strengthen your teeth. When it comes to treating teeth with dental crowns, Cosmo Dental Centre includes services that can build a good foundation on your tooth as well. This is because the foundation for the crown has to be engineered properly in order to ensure success and longevity of the crown treatment.
Dental crowns will definitely strengthen your teeth that are weakened by cavities. Teeth with large fillings or root canal treatment are brittle because of damage to blood supply or nerve innervations within the tooth. This makes them more prone to fractures. Hence, the need for these teeth to be covered with crowns. For the same reason, old and worn out crowns should be replaced with new crowns. Patients like the new crowns because they look like natural teeth. This is possible because of recent improvements in porcelain and ceramic crown technology. Now it is possible to give you crowns that give you a smile that appears good as new.
So, if you have any of these dental concerns or problems, make an appointment with Cosmo Dental Centre, and see what we have to offer.


Writing essays in exams – practice before the exam!
Many university students will be starting to prepare for examinations that are looming after Easter. Last week I got my students to do a practice exam in which they had to sit and write for two hours, as they will have to do in the real exam. I nearly didn't do this exam practice because I thought it might be a waste of class time. I thought the students could just do it at home as homework and give it to me to mark…but then when I said this to my colleague, she said "But if you don't do it in class, they won't do it!" and I realised she was right. Afterwards I was pleased that I had given my students the practice exam. There are some really useful things that I can tell them to think about when they do their real exam and now they know what the real thing will be like. Your teacher may not give you a practice exam in which case you'll have to give yourself one. But I am convinced that doing one or two practice exams will be beneficial to you. I'll be saying more about writing essays in exams soon (and getting my students to read the posts!) and meanwhile I'd like to recommend this page of advice from Melbourne University here.


text:
2026 World Cup: Wales announce will to bid despite having only one stadium
12.12.2013 12:19 source: StadiumDB.com
First minister and football association chief of Wales both suggested the country will apply for the 2026 World Cup. But despite their claims they have only one stadium to offer at this point and their most preferred joint bidders, England, don't seem to need a partner.
During recent large event conference first minister Carwyn Jones and FAW chief executive Jonathan Ford both drew impressive visions regarding Welsh plans regarding football. The country will host its first ever European Supercup in 2014, at the Cardiff City Stadium that is now being expanded.
Future plans include the already announced bid for one group of the Euro 2020 and a newly-announced application to hold a Champions League final at Millennium Stadium. But most surprising and bold idea is the one to grab the 2026 World Cup.
"The most likely joint bid would be with England and we know we have three good stadia we can offer. By 2026 we can get the Liberty Stadium and Cardiff City Stadium up to 30,000-plus to supplement the Millennium Stadium." said first minister Carwyn Jones.
However it is worth mentioning that capacity of 30,000-plus still fall short of the FIFA minimum set at 40,000 for group games. Meanwhile already now the planned expansions of Liberty Stadium and Cardiff City Stadium have caused controversy and it seems adding further few thousand seats might be problematic. In Cardiff the traffic congestion and parking infrastructure caused concerns, while in Swansea the plot is restricted.
Should the expansion plans for both Premier League venues not change, Wales has only one stadium meeting the FIFA-set regulations and with that in mind the invitation for England to join the bid sounds immodest. Especially with England being the biggest loser of the previous bid for 2018 and 2022 World Cups and already then the country had more than enough cities bidding to meet FIFA's expectations.
Related stadiums
Liberty Stadium


LUCERNE VALLEY, CALIF (VVNG.com)- A Lucerne Valley family is sickened and heartbroken about the gruesome discovery of their beloved pets Diamond and Sophia.
Mariah Figuieredo told Victor Valley News, her father's dogs went missing about a week ago in the area of Rabbit Springs Road and Camp Rock Road.
Mariah says her father became very upset after hearing the devastating news. That's when her father decided to call the police and file a report.
When police arrived to take the report Mariah says the officer informed her father there would be no point in filing the report since the dogs had "accidentally" been poisoned. According to Mariah, the neighbor who allegedly poisoned the dogs also confessed to the officer what they had done.
The family was left feeling hopeless and with many questions like why and how were they poisoned?
On Tuesday, August 2nd at about 8:30 p.m. Freddie Dodd, a friend of the family, came across one of the most horrific sites she's ever encountered.
Freddie discovered the two dogs dead lying in the middle of a dirt road. "They showed as if they had been drug up and down the street multiple times and eventually killed," stated Freddie via a Facebook post.
Both dogs were badly mangled, tied with rope, muddy, wounded, and nearly unrecognizable. Diamond, the white and blue female had a rope wrapped around her ankle. Sophia had a chain tightly wrapped around the middle of her body and neck.
Freddie decided to upload the photos to Facebook in hopes people would share them and help track down the person(s) responsible for committing the animal cruelty.
"I want everyone to share this and show how horrible and cruel some humans can be," stated Freddie.
All photos have been turned into the police and animal control so anything that anybody else knows would greatly be appreciated.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Victor Valley Sheriff's station at (760)552-6800.


Is Ashlee Simpson Dating Evan Ross?
Is a new summer romance blossoming for Ashlee Simpson?
The pop singer and single mom, 28, has been spending time lately with Evan Ross, 24, the actor and musician son of Diana Ross.
The next day Simpson and Ross showed up for lunch together at West Hollywood's Cafe Med.
A rep for Ross, who is a familiar face on the L.A. club scene, had no comment when asked if the pair are dating. A rep for Simpson – who amicably split with Vincent Piazza last November and is mom to son Bronx, 4½, with ex-husband Pete Wentz – did not reply for comment.


Fantastic tapas, incredibly cheap prices. Well worth a visit.
Open all week: 12–4PM, 8PM–12AM.
Great food. We were lucky to get a table when we arrived at 9pm on Friday evening as it was very busy. A meal for four people including drinks cost just €50.
Added by Steve Neal on 04/08/2018 12:16:18.
Last updated by Steve Neal on 04/08/2018 12:16:18.


Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is one of the year's best phones, and if you are in sore need of an upgrade or changing the old machine, it is a good option for you. Some upgrades from Note 8 to Note 9 are invisible, like the long battery lift, more memory and better performance. For example, with the power of 512GB storage built in, and up to 512GB expandable storage, you will have almost a 1TB of space for what matters, like more photos, video or music storage.
So if you are one of the users who want to watch videos on Samsung Galaxy Note 9, except for some streamed videos, you will need to convert the videos (incompatible with your Samsung) first. Here Any Video Converter Free is highly recommended, as it is one of the best video converters for mobile phones, TV, game console, DVD players and more, which beats the paid video converters, downloaders and editors in the market.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Video and Audio Playback Format.
✔ Rip and extract audio from CDs and videos.
Here is the complete tutorial on how to convert videos to Samsung Galaxy Note 9 compatible videos including MP4, M4V, 3GP, WMV, MKV, AVI, and etc.
Step 1: Launch Any Video Converter Free on your PC or Mac.
Step 2: Add videos to Any Video Converter Free. Simply click "Add Videos" button to select the videos you want to convert. Or you can drag & drop videos to Any Video Converter Free main interface directly.
Step 3: Choose the output format. Click the "Output Profile" icon to choose the output format for Samsung Galaxy Note 9 from the drop-down list. Here you can choose Customized MP4, MKV, Customized AVI, or Customized WMV as the output format.
Step 4: Customize the output settings. Go to the right panel to customize the output parameters like video size, video quality, video codec, frame rate, video aspect, and etc.
And if you like, you can click to simply edit the video like clipping, cropping, special effects and more.
Step 5: Start conversion. After you finish setting the parameters, you can click "Convert Now!" button to start encoding. And after the conversion completed, Any Video Converter Free will open the output directory directly, thus you can check the well converted videos.
Step 6: Transfer the converted videos to Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Now you can transfer the converted videos to Samsung Galaxy Note 9 via USB cable, cloud service, or Syncios Manager.
If you want to convert your DVD Disc, DVD folder or DVD ISO images to Samsung Galaxy Note 9 for portable enjoying, you can use Any Video Converter Ultimate to convert them to Samsung Galaxy Note 9 compatible formats like MP4, MKV, WAV, AVI, and etc.
Step 1: Add DVD Disc, DVD folder or DVD ISO images to Any Video Converter Ultimate. If you want to convert DVD Disc, you can insert the Disc to computer, then click "Add Disc" button to select DVD drive to be ripped.
If you want to convert DVD folder or DVD ISO images for Samsung Galaxy Note 9, you can click the drop-down menu button besides "Add Disc" button, and select "Open DVD Folder…" or "Add DVD ISO Files…", then select the whole DVD folder or ISO image file from your computer.
Step 2: Choose output format. You can click "Output Profile" button to choose the appropriate output format for your Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Here you can choose MP4, AVI, M4V, WMV, MKV as the output format.
Finally, you can transfer the well converted videos from your computer to Samsung Galaxy Note 9, then you can watch the videos when you are traveling!
Simply download Any Video Converter Free and have a try.


Features: Germany Style, 5 cft.capacity for sand and 72 lit. capacity for water, 16" x 4.00 – 8 pneumatic tire with inner tube, steel rim and ball bearings, galvanized steel tray with 0.8 mm thickness, steel tubular handles with powder coating, Cart Body Size:1390L x 590W x 680H mm, N.W.: 14 kgs. Loading capacity: 200 kgs.
Packing and Loading: Foor loaded in bulk, 750 pieces per 20'Container, 1500 piece per 40'C and 1700 pieces per 40'HQ.


text:
title: "Automatically changing wallpaper relatively to daytime in Ubuntu"
description: "How to change wallpaper automatically"
layout: "post"
comments: true
date: "2008-02-15 15:24:00"
updated: "2012-12-19 02:49:40"
permalink: "automatically-changing-wallpaper"
categories: [bash, Linux, cron]
---
Fedora 8 introduced a nice feature which is automatically changing wallpaper relatively to daytime.

Here's how to have this cool feature in Ubuntu (and any other linux distribution)  Select four wallpapers, one to be displayed at sunrise, the second during the day, third at sunset and the last at night. Then, in a terminal, create a bash script as follows :

{% highlight bash %}
gedit .change.sh
{% endhighlight %}

You'll get the newly created .change.sh file opened in a text editor. Copy the following text in the file (Change the PATH-TO-**-PICTURE with the appropriate path) :

{% highlight bash %}
#!/bin/bash
HOUR=$(date +%H)
case "$HOUR" in
04|05|06|07)
gconftool -t string -s /desktop/gnome/background/picture_filename PATH-TO-SUNRISE-PICTURE
;;
08|09|10|11|12|13|14|15)
gconftool -t string -s /desktop/gnome/background/picture_filename PATH-TO-DAY-PICTURE
;;
16|17|18)
gconftool -t string -s /desktop/gnome/background/picture_filename PATH-TO-SUNSET-PICTURE
;;
*)
gconftool -t string -s /desktop/gnome/background/picture_filename PATH-TO-NIGHT-PICTURE
;;
esac
{% endhighlight %}

As you can tell, this script sets the appropriate picture depending on the system's current hour. Now we'll create a cron job, which is a way to automatically run tasks.

{% highlight bash %}
gedit .change.cron
{% endhighlight %}

This will open the text editor to edit our cron job. Copy the following in the text editor (Replace YOUR-HOME-FOLDER by your home folder's absolute path):

{% highlight bash %}
* 4,8,16,19 * * * YOUR-HOME-FOLDER/.change.sh
{% endhighlight %}

As you see, the cron task will launch our previously created script at 4am, 8am, 4pm and 7pm to set the adequate wallpaper. (Of course, you can change the hours at your convenience).

Now, let's add these tasks to our gnome session so that they are automatically launched every time we login.

Open the System>Preferences>Sessions menu:

* Click the Add Button
- Name: Changing Wallpaper Cron
- Command: crontab PATH-TO-YOUR-HOME-FOLDER/.change.cron
* Click Ok

Now the job of automatically changing wallpaper is set as an automated job every time we login.

We also have to add the script at session startup so that the correct wallpaper is initialized when we login. (This means, that if you login at e.g. 5:30pm, you'll have the right wallpaper for that time). To do so:

* Click again the Add Button
- Name: Initializing Wallpaper
- Command: PATH-TO-YOUR-HOME-FOLDER/.change.sh
* Click Ok

Here you are ! Your desktop wallpaper is living and reflecting the daytime! :P

Feel free to send your comments if you have any issue.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


As the Offensive Coordinator for the 1972 Miami Dolphins, Coach Howard Schnellenberger became famous for winning football games and the '72 Dolphins remain the only undefeated team in NFL history. The coach went on to become a legendary college head coach for the Universities of Oklahoma,Louisville and Miami, where he won a National Championship. After retiring from football as the head coach of Florida Atlantic in 2011, the coach continues to work with young students as he faces an even more ominous opponent.
Featured on Miami's WSVN, Coach Schnellenberger is bringing attention to the growing epidemic of texting and driving. Notably, 49% of drivers with cell phones under the age of 35 send or read text messages while driving, even though a texting driver is 23 times more likely to get into a crash than a non-texting driver. The age group with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers was the under-20 age group. Having witnessed too many tragedies amongst young people, the Coach is now working with the team from 3i Tech Works in Boca Raton to deliver a solution that teens will utilize.
While the awareness of the problem is gaining momentum, the lack of a viable solution has been noticeably absent, until now. "No text is worth dying 4" is the headline on the Facebook page for FreeSafeText, an innovative Android app now available for FREE download. The GPS-activated app automatically responds to incoming texts while the phone is in motion. The driver avoids the temptation to answer the text as all communication is responded to immediately, without interrupting the driver.
Managing the social marketing outreach for FreeSafeText.com, Cotton & Company is utilizing digital marketing and video content to reach a young demographic of Android users. The Cotton team is energized by the opportunity to make a difference in a social cause that affects millions of drivers and their families on a daily basis. We encourage you to visit FreeSafeText.com to join Cotton & Coach Schnellenberger in our efforts to spread the word and save lives.


Yes, Tuvia R. I am STILL a snow wimp. Sadly, you didn't know me when I was fearless and arrogant about snow. Living in Ellenville, driving before front wheel/all-wheel drive cars, snow never held me back, even when it should have.
I moved to Rockland and still, in the early years, I rolled my eyes at those who refused to attend a play rehearsal on marathon day when it snowed for the entire day.
I'm not sure when I started to sweat snow. Maybe it began on a trip back from skiing in Vermont when I was driving solo and the Thruway closed down in the middle of my ride. I was forced off onto the backroads of the Berkshires. I crawled up and down unplowed roads until desperate, I pulled into a B and B haven and as the only guest was treated like the VIP I always wanted to be. But maybe that was the start of this feeling that once the flakes start falling, I start lighting my candles.
So last night, as the weather forecast for the coming snow held firm and James would need me to drive him to the bus stop in town, I did not sleep comfortably. At 6:30 AM as snow began to cover the grassy surfaces, I had coffee brewing and toast ready for him to eat and run. Out, on the 7:15… I was back home, car in the garage and coffee #2 brewing for my day inside.
But of course, I need this last? snow event to be done and gone by 4 so I can get back into my car and head for NYC for dinner and a play tonight.
I am very demanding, don't you think?
I, too, was once arrogant about snow. Being from California, a dose of naivete was thrown into the mix. But after an off-road encounter with a bush (thank goodness not a tree), and a harrowing venture down an unplowed curving mountain pass, I embrace my snow-wimp identity. We snow wimps have much more fun planning for our cabbage soups, our hot chocolate, our crackling fires, and sometimes our silent, snowy treks through the woods BY FOOT. Cheers to you, Bonnie. And may it all melt in time for your NYC evening.
I emailed you an idea. Miss you too! You've made yourself scarce, but for great reasons!
As I got older I found I liked snow less and less. Maybe it is because the bones are more brittle and I know what would happen if I fell the wrong way. Maybe it is because I don't like shoveling and there are no kids in the neighborhood looking to make a few extra bucks. If only it would snow just on the lawns and not the streets, sidewalks, or driveways. Is that too much to ask for?
Yuck, snow! It's beautiful but I am ready for spring. Cold temps here but with sunshine. As I kid I remember sledding for hours in the snow. Now, give me a warm blanket and book.
Snow wreaking havoc will always make one more conscious of conditions of the road. I sure hope you are able to get out at 4:00. We have snow moving in tomorrow. So sad to see it kill all the early blossoms.
Snow is best for watching and playing. I hope you have a safe trip to NYC.
I have always been a snow wimp, but have gotten braver as I've gotten older. Still, I only drive on snowy days if it's absolutely necessary. Sometimes early dismissals are the worst driving. It's cleared up here, so I'm sure it has in your neck of the woods, too. Have fun in the city tonight!
It has taken 15 Winters in Canada for me to finally enjoy one. I would much rather spend the whole damn season indoors. But this year I was determined to find fun things for my children to do. We skied a lot, and snow shoed, and generally enjoyed our time outdoors. Still looking forward to Spring though!
It didn't last very long, and looked beautiful…I guess the snow gods are saving it all for next week, when we will be walloped!
I've always sweated snow. I love the Pacific NW where we close school when the first flake falls. We once had a "no snow, snow day." School was cancelled for snow that never arrived.


text:
Sydney Light Rail Transition Management Services
In 2013 Sydney's light rail system was transferred from private ownership under a Public Private Partnership to NSW Government ownership and control. Consequently, Transdev Pty Ltd as operators of the Light Rail system renegotiated a new services contract with Transport for NSW. Peter Wilkinson was retained to manage Phase 1 of Transdev's business transition to the new contractual arrangements. This transition was undertaken in parallel with a number of other key projects including decommissioning of the Sydney Monorail system, delivery and acceptance of a new Light Rail Vehicle fleet and completion of an Inner West network extension to Lilyfield. Peter provided a necessary additional management resource, maintained the organisation's focus on key activities and critical timeline and completed the activities in a manner that recognised the stressful environment in which the team was operating.


art | Cyprus International Tattoo Convention | International tattoo convention taking place in Cyprus, endorsing artists from all over the world. Three days full of Ink, art, drinks & fun.
Whatever you do, get out this March and explore #CITC2019 as well as the new addition of the event, the art section.


Round 3 is our first tied round for the season. Mitchell Blackburn, Sam Penton and Mick Garberllini (Mad Wog) all tipped 8 winners with a margin of 1pt. This means the $50 gift card jackpots to Round 4 with $100 up for grabs. Round 4 kicks off on Friday night with Adelaide hosting Collingwood at Adelaide oval. Don't forget to get your tips in and good luck everyone.


text:
Second District: Pawlenty, Pratt reject race…
Second District: Pawlenty, Pratt reject race for Congress
By David Montgomery | Pioneer Press
PUBLISHED: September 14, 2015 at 11:01 p.m. | UPDATED: October 25, 2015 at 7:33 a.m.
Local Republicans keep saying no to a run for Congress in Minnesota's Second District, even though the south-suburban district is primed to be one of the country's most competitive.
Mary Pawlenty, the former first lady of Minnesota and at one time a state judge, announced Tuesday that she would stay in her current job as a mediator instead of running for Congress.
Hours before, state Sen. Eric Pratt made a similar decision. On Monday night, 2014 U.S. Senate candidate Mike McFadden also took himself out of the picture. Those followed an announcement from state Sen. Dave Thompson last week declining a run.
The series of rejections is a surprise given how rarely an open congressional seat appears. Initially, a stream of Republicans announced they were considering the seat after incumbent Rep. John Kline announced his retirement this month, but one by one most have backed away.
"I want to continue to focus on education reform in Minnesota," McFadden said in a text message. Pawlenty said she preferred "to stay focused on helping people find workable and agreeable solutions to their differences," while Pratt said he's "happy in my career right now and … not ready to leave that."
Republicans have one candidate in activist David Gerson, and several current and former state lawmakers also are on the fence, including Rep. Steve Drazkowski of Mazeppa and Rep. Tony Albright of Prior Lake.
Congress is extremely unpopular, with less than 20 percent of Americans approving of the country's legislative branch in several recent Gallup polls. And unlike many seats, Minnesota's Second District isn't safe for whoever wins the party nomination.
"This is a quintessential swing seat," said David Wasserman, the U.S. House editor for the Cook Political Report. President Barack Obama won the district by just 226 votes in the 2012 election, though Kline had won comfortably there.
National Democrats mocked the Republican opt-outs as "the land of 10,000 'no thank you's'" in a statement, but national experts said Republicans probably aren't in trouble yet.
"McFadden could have self-funded to a large degree. … Pawlenty would have been a bigger name," said Kyle Kondik, who analyzes House races at the University of Virginia's Center For Politics. "Maybe it's helpful to the Democrats that one of those folks is not running, … but it's too early to draw any big conclusions here."
Though Kondik, Wasserman and other analysts rate the Second District as a tossup, Democrats are expected to make a major push to win the race.
"It's a valuable race for both parties," Wasserman said. "It's exactly the type of district that Democrats need to get back into their column if they're going to take back the House."
In a statement, National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Zach Hunter said Republicans "are confident that this seat will remain in GOP hands."
Democrats have two candidates in the race and possibly more coming. Health care executive Angie Craig and doctor Mary Lawrence have been campaigning for months, with Craig drawing praise for strong fundraising and Lawrence turning heads by loaning her campaign $800,000 of her own money.
Meanwhile two state lawmakers are considering a campaign. State Rep. Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul, said he'll announce whether he's running this weekend. And Rep. Joe Atkins — who stood side-by-side with Hansen at an unrelated news conference Tuesday — will decide himself whether to enter the race "in the next couple of weeks."
Rachel E. Stassen-Berger contributed to this report.
David covered politics and government for the Pioneer Press from 2014 to 2017.
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