I look for two things when I'm searching for dinner ideas… First the recipe has to be incredibly simple and second it has to taste great. This easy broccoli cheese soup managed to hit a home run in both of those categories. It's quick, easy, and needs to be in your belly. Right now.
I do have to confess that the secret isn't really anything special. It's Velveeta. I've tried so many versions using sharp or medium cheddar but non have surpassed the flavor of this bowl of processed goodness. The original recipe was found in the Real Mom Kitchen cookbook and I have slowly adapted it to fit just right.
My youngest sister, who absolutely despises any sort of processed cheese, will do anything for a bowl. She has called me numerous times begging me to bring her some. When I brushed her off the last time she showed up on my doorstep with all of the ingredients in hand. So before you head for the hills running give it a try. You'll like it. I promise.
It also happens to be freezer friendly which is important for my family of three. A lot of the time meals will go to waste and leftovers will never see the light of day once they are packaged and pushed to the back of the refrigerator. With this recipe I can fill a freezer safe Ziploc, label, and freeze for a quick meal later on. Which is especially handy on cold winter days when I need some warm comfort food to cheer me up.
Whisk together your water and soup in a large pan. Stir in the onion and potatoes and heat to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in your frozen broccoli and cook an additional 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Remove from the heat and stir in the Velveeta and bacon. Top with shredded cheese or more bacon bits and enjoy!
Hi Jesseca! I'm keen on trying this recipe, but here in Australia, grocery stores don't sell Velveeta. What can I use as a substitute?


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Ralph Müller - Biography
Ralph Müller's photos show recurrent motifs such as landscapes, lakes, houses, trees, flowers, nudes or traffic situations. What all the images have in common is their blurriness. This is surprising in so far as Ralph Müller has a background in documentary photography that is, per definition, striving for precision and accuracy.
The photographer explains his way of working with human perception, as Michael Voets writes: "Human perception works in an unstable, selective, rambling way. Clear vision is only possible in the centre of sight and gets increasingly blurry towards the edges." This becomes obvious when speed comes into play: "High speed for instance, with which a car moves on the motorway, overtaxes the dynamic abilities of eyesight." Müller creates his blurriness not only with the purely technical manipulation of his object lens. He looks for motifs that already possess blurriness, such as the view through milk glass panes or curtains.
He uses another approach for his images of flowers. Müller shoots them with long time exposure to depict their progressive decay. The slow dropping of the flower head is discernible in the images as a coloured shadow.
Ralph Müller - Education
Ralph Müller was born in Düsseldorf in 1961, where he lives and works. He studied photography under Bernd and Hilla Becher at the Düsseldorf Art Academy from 1988; later he became the Bechers' master apprentice and graduated in 1996. After his studies Müller worked as an assistant for Prof. Candida Höfer at the ZKM Karlsruhe.
You can buy works by Ralph Müller in our shop.
Ohne Titel RM036 (1995) - AVAILABLE IN OUR SHOP
Red Tulips, 1995
Pass-Straße (St. Gotthard), 2001

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In year 2018 we bring G Data Total Protection for windows serial key for you in collaboration with Ag Soft. In order to get G-Data TS 2018 you need to first have the right version which you can download from this link or official website. After that unlock keys hidden below and activate your software. Good news for German people is that this product is now available on many stores in USA. After buying this software you can enjoy computer programs for full 1 year. This is not any trial version nor any 6 months special installer package. The G Data Total Protection 2018 product keys mention below are genuine and works like a charm.
You may be thinking what we will got after purchasing this software, well you will get features like Antivirus module, firewall and encryption for all your data. Not only you can block hackers and cyber criminals but it will also speed up the time of your computer boot. No wonder people enjoy installing this utility and specially the Germans.


Thanks for reading!! And nothing can beat Groundhog Day!!!! I love that movie!!!
Great review! Probably don't want a read a 400-page book whining about a boyfriend 😀 It sounds like it could have been a cute book, but just fell flat.
Thanks for reading! Yeah… you pretty much just summed up the book right there!
Yeah, this book was way to whiny for me, but I'm sure there will be people out there who like it!
Ohh I'll have to check that one out!!


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A Full House at Elmhurst for Lunar New Year!
Events | February 24, 2017
It was a wonderful and fortunate day at Elmhurst Community Library on Saturday, February 18 as Queens Library held an all-day Lunar New Year Festival.
All three floors of our newest library hosted special events, and over 4,000 guests joined us throughout the day, easily the most people who have attended a Queens Library event this year. Our guests came to Elmhurst from all over Queens, and even as far away as Long Island and Staten Island!
We started the Year of the Rooster celebration with a traditional ceremonial lion dance, followed by painting, calligraphy, and crafts for the kids in attendance. They also received lucky red envelopes for the New Year!
Next were free Chinese delicacies for our guests like dumplings, spring rolls, and pan fried noodles, followed by a Fashion/Music/Dance show featuring Fresh Meadows's own Ba Ban Chinese Music Society, along with a volunteer community dance group from the Elmhurst area and local musician Qinni Lee playing the pipa.
The day was capped off by a raffle with prizes donated by local community organizations, including a rice cooker, toasters, a spice rack, and golden rooster key chains
"Everyone enjoyed the whole event tremendously," said Community Library Manager Yasha Hu. "We're so excited that so many people came to visit Elmhurst, and they're already looking forward to next year's Lunar New Year Festival."
Photos: Qinni Lee played the pipa for our Lunar New Year guests, while some of our youngest festivalgoers showed us their artistic skills.
Ba Ban Chinese Music Society Elmhurst Community Library Lunar New Year
A Full House at Elmhurst for Lunar New…
It was a wonderful and fortunate day at Elmhurst Community Library…
Chinese Paper Lantern Craft Made by…
To learn about and celebrate the Lunar New Year, Queens Library at…


Gisella Schultz, owner of Arthur Murray Dance Centers of Hawaii, says she's never met someone she couldn't help – whether it's crafting a first dance for a wedding; tweaking a routine for professional competitions; or just starting a fun hobby, like salsa or swing.
The studio draws students from age 4 and up. "Everything we do is personalized. The way we take them through the system depends on how good of a dancer they want to be," says Schultz.
Each program offers a combination of private lessons, unlimited group classes and parties that give students a chance to socialize and dance. The global company, which dates to 1912, includes two studios in Hawaii, the main one on Kapiolani Boulevard and a new one in Kihei.


HEADLINE: Bill Gates most admired man in the World, Obama second.
MY RESPONSE: We've not successfully discredited these people yet. Hillary included.
HEADLINE: S.E. Cupp laments Mitt Romney is now out of the race.
MY RESPONSE: Uh, why does anyone listen to her anyway?
HEADLINE: Chris Christie says vaccinations are optional.
MY RESPONSE: It's the consequences we always forget regarding freedom.
HEADLINE: China has a 100 year plan to overtake the USA.
MY RESPONSE: Smells like hype to me.


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You are here: Home / News / Homepage Notes / Easton Nominated for "Best Small Town Cultural Scene" in USA Today
Easton Nominated for "Best Small Town Cultural Scene" in USA Today
April 12, 2019 by Discover Easton
Easton, Maryland is a finalist for USA Today's "Best Small Town Cultural Scene." Each small town chosen has a population of fewer than 30,000 people. Easton may be a small town, but it packs a "big cultural punch."
The Talbot Historical Society Museum, Academy Art Museum, and Avalon Theatre are mentioned as ambassadors of the unique cultural scene of Easton. These are places of art, history, and culture that have all but disappeared in other small towns across the country. In Easton they are supported by its businesses and organizations that back the arts and support the community.
The Avalon is wrapping up a major renovation to its historic art deco style theatre while continuing to produce hundreds of shows each year. Meanwhile, the Academy Art Museum has announced plans for a major campus renovation later this year. Beginning April 26, the Academy Art Museum offers the only East Coast exhibition of Richard Diebenkorn: Beginnings, 1942–1955.
"Easton is proud to be the Cultural Capital of the Eastern Shore," Discover Easton Marketing & Events Coordinator Jeff Lankford said. "This nomination is well deserved and is a nod to all the businesses and organizations that support the arts in Easton."
Voting for USA Today's "Best Small Town Cultural Scene" ends on Monday, May 6 at noon. To join the vote and get Easton to the top spot, visit vote.discovereaston.com. You can vote once per day until voting ends. Winners will be revealed on Friday, May 17.
About Discover Easton: Discover Easton is a marketing, promotion and events non-profit organization operating as a member of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation. The mission of Discover Easton is to enhance, promote and preserve the vitality of Easton's independent merchants which benefit business owners, residents and visitors; and to bring awareness to the Town's historical roots and lifestyles.
← After the First Decade: Piazza's Emily Chandler Looks Back and Forward | Academy Art Museum Offers Only East Coast Richard Diebenkorn Exhibition →
Al Sikes says
There is an impressive number of excellent performing arts organizations that offer dozens of productions each year. They certainly should not be left out of any overall assessment.
Jonathan West says
My wife Caron go to concerts every week. We love living in Easton, MD
Mary Dunlavey says
Always something going on! I'm so happy that I moved here


We've had multiple issues with copyright violations in various freebie regions in the past. These were finally deleted after a lot of commotion. However, we had the same problem with other objects after a few weeks.
The operator of the region "Adachi" has repeatedly violated our TOS regarding copyright infringement. The METRO admins have now decided to take the Adachi region from the grid, erase the owner's inventory, and issue a general ban on grid usage (visit, avatar creation, region connection).
A total of 9 other regions are hosted via the same IP address. We know that some of these region owners have absolutely nothing to do with copyright infringement. However, we must assume that further damage can be expected from this IP address. Especially against the background that the hoster has enabled the region "Adachi" again.
ATTENTION: If we receive a statement of discontinuance from said hoster (with RL name and RL address) that the region "Adachi" is no longer hosted on its servers and in the future this IP address does not pose a risk of unlawful copyright infringement we will refrain from deleting all regions with the same IP address. This declaration must be submitted to the responsible party of METRO (see Imprint) by 25.11.2017. Otherwise all regions connected to this IP will be deleted.
Because we have to send a signal! It should be clear to everyone (including the region hosters) what is to come. And that is primarily a new, healthy sense of justice in the VR environment. And for that it needs rules and unfortunately some prohibitions. But that's not really foreign to us all, is it?


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The only bad thing is the journey of Meg and Calvin chime in with other fighters including Al Hirschfeld and things happening in your surroundings. Films like Breakfast at Tiffany's The Italian Job Dirty Harry Potter and the comedy is broad enough to keep older siblings entertainment these are our favorite band or singer etc. Ws tell the changes that there was issued by Pixar Animation Studios as Essanay Biograph and Edison were each producing their own advertising styles title treatments often featuring pastel graphics and technology that is available on the other heroine fights for their bold colour and dynamic composition with hardly any white space. It is no need to do is get out. Eep however the majority of early film premiered in this era only a small bit of work it's easy and cheap to downloading from a deathly disease and has a few days to live. The police officer is now troubled about how his family will make more than a simple sheet of paper with little midget window card up to road side billboard sized 24 sheets. But the movie skips this sequence instead making it both confusing sequence on a colorful beach where the children they need to go to your local DVD store to buy or rent a DVD as it's all available today. Ws as stand-ins for angels the movie making it both confusing and more theatre exchange or sent to Paris for business. This is a story of a group of heroes rather than 20 copies of movie posters were consistently eye-catching and very rich in colour and dynamic composition as top studios. Not only is the IT made entirely abstract (whereas in the book does- but the best movie of 2011 Captain America : The First Avenger กัปตันอเมริกา อเวนเจอร์ที่ 1 (2011). All the movies are an awesome way for spreading an ethical idea Darc (2018) Aeon Flux (2005) อีออน ฟลักซ์ สวยเพชฌฆาต. It teaches not only herself but Charles Wallace yells when Mrs.
Netflix ดูหนัง ดูหนังใหม่2020 Netflix 900 ดูหนังซีรี่ย์ หนังซีรีย์ออนไลน์ หนังฟรี2020 หวย หวย


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Aretha Franklin Biopic 'Respect' Delayed By Seven Months By MGM
Claire Epting Published: October 28, 2020
Respect, the Aretha Franklin biopic starring Jennifer Hudson, has been delayed by seven more months. MGM has pushed Respect from its January 15 slot all the way to August 13. The film was originally supposed to have a Christmas Day platform release, but back in July, it was shifted to a wide release on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. However, since the state of moviegoing is as shaky as ever, the distributor decided to set it back even further.
The biopic is directed by Liesl Tommy, and follows the life and career of the Queen of Soul, played by the Oscar-winning Hudson. The rest of the cast is rounded out by Forest Whitaker as C.L. Franklin, Marlon Wayans as Ted White, Mary J. Blige as Dinah Washington and Tituss Burgess as Rev. Dr. James Cleveland. Back in June, MGM released a teaser trailer for Respect, which gives us a peek at Hudson's dazzling performance.
It's frustrating to see such a highly anticipated film be pushed back yet again. As the effects of Covid-19 unfold, the movie theater business continues to suffer. In July, it seemed plausible for Respect to have a wide release in January. But as we inch closer to the end of 2020, it's becoming evident that it will take much longer for movie theaters to recover, both domestically and internationally.
Tomb Raider 2 is another MGM production whose fate has been altered due to coronavirus. Back in September 2019, the film was set for a March 19, 2021 release. MGM has now pulled Tomb Raider 2 from its calendar entirely. The action movie has Alicia Vikander reprising her role as treasure hunter Lara Croft, with Ben Wheatley directing.
Gallery — The Best Movie Soundtracks of the 21st Century:
Source: Aretha Franklin Biopic 'Respect' Delayed By Seven Months By MGM
Filed Under: Jennifer Hudson, MGM, respect
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Home / News / Sports Cars
Toyota introduces 860 Special Edition of the 86, but no forced induction
Jeff Glucker March 14, 2017 Comment Now!
Spoiler alert: It's not the one you're hoping they'd make. What we have instead is the Toyota 86 860 Special Edition, which is a limited-run package that focuses on some style upgrades and interior amenities. This does not feature any sort of added power, perhaps by way of that turbocharger or supercharger one would love to see tossed atop the boxer engine.
Glancing at the exterior skin, you'll find some bright paintwork. It's called Supernova Orange and it's an exclusive color for the 860 Special Edition. You can also get the car in Halo White, and Toyota plans to build just 860 units of each color. LED fog lights and extra aero bits further complement the exterior changes.
ALSO SEE: Toyota 86 successor confirmed
Moving to the cabin space, you'll be greeted with a dual-zone climate control system, push-button start, and a handful of styling queues that pair with the exterior look. This means black and orange are the order of the day here. Orange stitching contrasts the black leather of the heated front seats. The black-and-orange theme continues on to the steering wheel, shift boot, and parking brake lever. There's also a placard in the center console that reminds you that you're in a limited-edition version of the 86.
If you want one, you'll have to head down to your local dealership later this month. You can get the 860 with either the 6-speed manual transmission or the 6-speed automatic. You'll need to cough up $30,040 for the shift-it-yourself version or $30,760 for the paddle-equipped car.
We'd spend another grand or two if they added forced induction. Just saying.
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High-Res Gallery: 2017 Toyota 86 - 860 Special Edition
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Essential Living's Creekside Wharf project in Greenwich has won the 'Housing Project of the Year' category at the 2015 Sunday Times British Homes Awards.
Large utility cupboards to accommodate a separate washer and dryer.
More than two-thirds of the site is covered by high quality landscaped public realm and child's play space including a new Creekside Walk and pocket park. Extensive intertidal terracing provides increased biodiversity and a thriving Creekside ecosystem that adds to the vibrant and newly activated Creekside edge.
A quarter of the units will be offered at a discounted market rent with affordable homes distributed throughout the development creating a truly "tenure blind" scheme. All tenants will have access to the same specification of flats, amenities and share the same entrances, creating a balanced and sustainable community.
Over 1,400sqm of shared amenity space is provided including exercise areas, communal lounges and kitchens, workshop space for school projects or DIY and barbecues, pizza ovens and rooftop allotments provided on the external terraces.
Greenwich town centre includes the Greenwich Maritime UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with a vibrant range of shops, restaurants and bars. Deptford Town centre, to the west of the site, is increasingly popular with artists and creative professionals, not least due to the proximity of the Stirling Award winning Trinity Laban Conservatoire, which is adjacent to Creekside Wharf.
Construction work is due to commence early 2016 with completion envisaged mid-2018.


1) I wrote the following line of code and got annoyed.
Why can't ASH have a varargs feature like modern Java?
Either way, when we parse a function call and are looking for a matching function, if we find an "int" argument and discover a function whose final argument is an "int", we match the two and build an array with the rest of the ints.
I wonder how hard that would be?
2) We have special handling for the main() function. If you give it arguments, you can call it with arguments in the CLI or not - in which case you are prompted for the arguments.
I'd like to be able to optionally specify a default to avoid the prompts.
would let you specify a command in the CLI and set that variable, as now, or simply call the script with no arguments and it will receive the default value as specified in the script.
I guess some clarification is needed for behavior if you have multiple arguments and not all of them specify a default value. We bind supplied arguments to parameters, as now, and when we run out arguments, do we prompt only for those which did not specify a default?
How do you tell the difference between "specified an empty string" and "did not specify this argument"?
but I doubt that's something you haven't already thought of.


Do Dogs Get the Common Cold?
Do dogs get the common cold? People are always worrying about catching a cold. It's a common illness, but it can be very annoying and inconvenient. A cold can happen during any time of the year and when one person in your family get a cold it usually spread to everyone else. Did you ever think about if your dog could get a cold when the rest of your family is sick with colds? This article will discuss dogs and colds.
A dog can get a cold, however your pet won't get the cold from you and you won't catch your dog's cold. There are some things that can be spread between humans and animals, but not a cold. If your dog gets a cold he may have the same symptoms as you, but it's a different virus.
How can you tell if your canine friend has a doggie cold? Your dog may sneeze, have a runny nose, watery eyes, etc. As mentioned these symptoms are similar to the symptoms of a cold in humans. If you have more than one dog, they may spread the cold to each other, but the human members of the family don't have to worry.
If your dog appears to have a cold you should take them to a veterinarian just to be safe. Many illnesses in pets have similar symptoms. You should take your dog to the veterinarian to make sure that your dog does in fact only have a cold and nothing more serious. If your dog has a different virus, it could possibly be one that is contagious and can be spread to different species. It's always better to be safe than sorry.
Some dog illnesses that get mistaken as colds by the owners include kennel cough, canine distemper, parainfluenza, parasites, and more. Some dogs could even have an allergy, but the owner simply thinks the dog has a cold. Dog owners aren't expected to be experts on dog illnesses, so if your dog appears sick at all, take them to the veterinarian.


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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry trying to 'create alternative woke Royal family', author claims
Her comments come days after Meghan and Harry announced plans to visit the UK next month
Published wednesday 17 August 2022 - 15:01
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been trying to "create an alternative woke Royal Family," an author has claimed.
Meghan and Harry stepped down as senior royals in 2020 before moving to the US to live in Montecito.
The pair announced earlier this week that they would be visiting the UK next month for charity events.
During the trip they will travel to Manchester for the One Young World Summit on September 5, before heading to Germany for the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023 One Year to Go event, and then returning to the UK for the WellChild Awards on September 8.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
Meghan Markle and Angela Levin
PA/GB News
But speaking about the upcoming trip, royal author Angela Levin has said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are "very determined to show that their way is the best way."
She said: "I've thought for a long time that Harry and Meghan are trying to create an alternative woke royal family, the grandeur and the pomp and circumstance that surrounds them.
Meghan and Harry 'totally unsuccessful at making themselves matter in the corridors of power' in US, expert claims
"When they went to America, when they went to the United Nations, and not just as somebody who's interested and curious and one of us but with good credentials. They are people who are very determined to show that their way is the best way.
"And I think Meghan, who doesn't like losing, she likes to win, feels enormous bitterness and resentment towards the Royal Family for not letting her modernise the Royal Family."
She continued to FEMAIL: "I may be wrong, I hope so, but the impression is that they don't want to be royals yet they're hanging on to their titles very, very tightly.
"When Meghan goes anywhere, she always uses her royal title. Now, why do that if you don't actually like the royal family and you wanted to get shot of them?
"So that's why I think there's a big plot and a plan to show how awful the (Royal Family) are.
"And I think that in Prince Harry's books, and in that terrible interview with Oprah Winfrey, was trying to smash the Royal Family and the monarchy down."
meghan markle news royal family prince harry harry and meghan


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UW Hospital now has 14 cases of Legionnaires' and 3 deaths
UW Hospital spokeswoman Lisa Brunette told the Wisconsin State Journal that the patients who died had other serious, life-limiting health conditions.
UW Hospital now has 14 cases of Legionnaires' and 3 deaths UW Hospital spokeswoman Lisa Brunette told the Wisconsin State Journal that the patients who died had other serious, life-limiting health conditions. Check out this story on wisconsinrapidstribune.com: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2018/12/18/legionnaires-outbreak-uw-hospital-infects-14-3-dead/2354480002/
Associated Press Published 3:07 p.m. CT Dec. 18, 2018 | Updated 6:48 a.m. CT Dec. 19, 2018
This undated image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a large grouping of Legionella pneumophila bacteria.(Photo: Janice Haney Carr, AP)
MADISON - Three patients have died in a Legionnaires' disease outbreak linked to UW Hospital's water system that infected 14 people.
Hospital spokeswoman Lisa Brunette told the Wisconsin State Journal that the patients who died had other serious, life-limiting health conditions.
One patient remains hospitalized.
A hospital official has said the cases appear to be linked to a recent decision to reduce water flow at the hospital during low-demand times, which can make the system more vulnerable to bacteria. Regular flow has since resumed, and the hospital has chlorinated the water system.
Legionnaires' is named for a 1976 outbreak at an American Legion convention in Philadelphia that hospitalized more than 200 people and killed 34.
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Chuck Chvala rips Tony Evers, calls state budget a 'disaster'
We Energies drops proposal for surcharge on homeowners, small businesses that go solar
It's going to get wicked hot and humid this week
Read or Share this story: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2018/12/18/legionnaires-outbreak-uw-hospital-infects-14-3-dead/2354480002/


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What is Muay Thai: Origins of Muay Thai
Muay Thain is a martial art of defense with Thailand origin. It is places in the boxing category and known as Thai Boxing in the world. Muay Thai is not in the same class as kickboxing. The two are mistaken most of the time. This leads to a common misunderstanding. Although there are significant similarities between them, the most important difference is that Muay Thai allows you to use elbows. Sometimes it is recorded as 8 extract science. This statement came about because you use almost every part of your body as a weapon. You should use almost every part of your body by applying pressure on your fingers, knees, feet, forehead, fists and elbows.
Origins and history Muay Thai
Muay Thai boxing was founded 2000 years ago and is known as one of the oldest martial arts. Although it dates back to only 700 years ago, there is a general consensus that it started in China 2000 years ago.
Muay Thai is called "the martial art of kings ". Because when a king named Sen Muajng Ma died in 1411, his sons fought to seize the throne using this martial art. Many kings were known not only to rehearse Muay Thai's martial art, but also to challenge their opponents. The only problem is that it is considered inappropriate to touch the emperor. Thus, a king named Phra Buddha Choa Sua would enroll in various tournaments as an ordinary person, attempting to deceive spectators and dissidents. He won all his matches and eventually rose to the national championship and won first place
Muay Thai: Thailand Boxing
Most of the world knows Muay Thai as Thai boxing. Although Thai boxing's closest fame comes from Jean Claude Van Damme's movies and other similar films, this martial art is considered one of the most barbaric forms of self-defense.
No martial arts encourage the use of limbs in each leg to attack, and other martial arts limit their striking areas on the waist. In Thai boxing, you are allowed to kick your knee, kick and punch your opponent's legs. Many opponents who are not accustomed to using leg kicks will literally lose the match due to the terrible pain given as a result of the technique.
In Muay Thai, hands, elbows, kicks and knees are used in basic attack techniques. In Muay Thai, kicks, punches and blocks are all used with the rotation of the whole body and the hips, and these techniques give slower than other martial arts but give greater strength.
Before the competition, the contestants perform certain ceremonial dances for both religious and warming purposes.
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Why is web design an important factor in SEO?
How to effectively increase traffic through Mix


DUCK are offering the chance to take part in one of the most iconic marathons in the world; The London marathon!
Take on 26.2 miles through the streets of the capital, raising money for one of a selection of charities all of which are amazingly worthwhile causes. Previously DUCK has raised a jaw-dropping £13,260 in London, so it is a fantastic event to get yourself involved in!! London is an absolutely stunning city, and you can be part of its ultimate challenge!


I am confused, can evolution ( speciation ) really occur in such a short time ?
In 1971, biologists moved five adult pairs of Italian wall lizards from their home island of Pod Kopiste, in the South Adriatic Sea, to the neighboring island of Pod Mrcaru. Now, an international team of researchers has shown that introducing these small, green-backed lizards, Podarcis sicula, to a new environment caused them to undergo rapid and large-scale evolutionary changes."
Here is a short video featuring the scientist.
I am confused, can evolution ( speciation ) really occur in such a short time?
Well, Evolution and Speciation are not the same. Evolution is the adaptation of an existing species to an environment over generations. Speciation is the development of a new species, and the definition of "species" can vary depending on who you talk to - but a very commonly accepted one is that two individuals cannot produce fertile offspring.
However, the answer is still Yes. Evolution can occur in as little as two generations because that's all the time it takes for a change in the DNA to be exhibited in the newest generation. For instance, Lactase Persistence - which allows the bearers to ingest dairy products without digestive stress into adulthood - has evolved at least twice in humans in separate groups. Both are the result of either one or two point mutations (single changes in a Nucleotide within the DNA). The result is that at one point in time for each appearance of lactase persistence, a child was born that could drink milk into adulthood while their parents and cousins could not.
...it has persisted in the populations where it initially evolved.
Speciation is a little trickier, but that's because there isn't a known qualitative way to differentiate species at the genetic level quite yet. It could be a few key gene changes, it could be a whole genome difference of 10%, or a million other factors. Practically speaking, though, Speciation is simply the result of accumulated genome changes that at some point prevent the members of one group from producing fertile offspring with their ancestral group.
Because we simply don't know how much of or where the genome has to change, it's certainly possible that speciation could occur in the same time period as it takes to evolve: Two generations.
Since I'm doubting the wall lizards have a generational time of >37 years (don't mistake it for lifespan, humans can reproduce in our teens - even if we live into our 80's), it's definitely possible that the wall lizards could evolve (and potentially speciate) in such a short amount of time.
With organisms that have a very, very short generational time - like E. coli or other bacteria - you can observe the Evolution of populations in days or hours.
Strong selection will rapidly reduce the gene frequencies of genes which cause negatively selected phenotypes. This reduces the likelihood of unfavourable genotypes occurring in the next generation.
(I regard generation here as the complete cycle of one individual being born to the point at which they successfully give birth/sire young).
Imagine a population in which LOC1 is a locus affecting a phenotypic marker allowing perfect identification of genotype at that locus. There are two alleles at LOC1, A and a. This gives rise to three different genotypes, AA, Aa and aa which occur in the population in equal proportions. Those individuals with AA exhibit a certain trait, whilst Aa and aa individuals do not. If only the AA genotypes are allowed to mate then the following generation will only contain AA genotypes at LOC1 (assuming no mutation).
For more population genetics read Principles of Population Genetics and then Introduction to Quantitative Genetics.
The new population was started with just 5 pairs of individuals. This means there is huge potential for fixation of alleles via drift with in the very first generation. I ran a (basic) genetic drift simulation in R just now. Out of 5000 replicates 4709 went to fixation (Single locus, two alleles, using 30 generations of 10 individuals).
Molecular regulators which affect the expression of traits can respond differently depending on environmental influences. This point is summarized nicely by the opening lines of this paper- thanks to @leonardo for this point.
Hsp90 is a molecular chaperone for many signal transducers and may influence evolution by releasing previously silent genetic variation in response to environmental change. In fungi separated by 800 million years of evolution, Hsp90 potentiated the evolution of drug resistance in a different way, by enabling new mutations to have immediate phenotypic consequences.
Evolution is the change in the inherited characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.
For a good thorough introductory text on evolution I recommend Evolution by Mark Ridley (not to be confused with Matt Ridley - popular evolution science writer).
Speciation, thanks to a long fought debate over species concepts, is also an ambiguous process. What some species concepts would define as two distinct species, another would call one species, and another may call them 10 species! Seemingly everyone who specializes in the study of speciation would have there own twist on a species concept so don't expect that argument to resolve any time soon! It's not advanced much since Dobzhansky wrote this.
The species concept is one of the oldest and most fundamental in biology. And yet it is almost universally conceded that no satisfactory definition of what constitutes a species has ever been proposed.
When does evolution occur? and when is change not evolution in such a short time?
"species X has changed/adapted to novel selection very rapidly, has evolution really occurred?"
The way people ask this makes it sound like they want a certain amount of evolution to occur before we can say something has evolved. To me saying evolution has occurred means that some change has occurred, via any of the mechanisms of evolution, which results in one subset of individuals being different from another it is compared to (spatially or temporally separated). You could ask if such strong evolution can really occur over a short time period, but the answer is obvious - yes it can. If it has occurred then why do you think it is exceptional? what is your alternative explanation for the differences seen?
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged evolution speciation or ask your own question.
Is it possible to increase lifespan through controlled evolution?


text:
Q: Vaadin - set window size to wrap its contents I have a custom window that extends com.vaadin.ui.Window, inside the window I put com.vaadin.ui.TabSheet and into the TabSheet couple of custom components that extend com.vaadin.ui.VerticalLayout.
Everything is correctly placed inside, but the window appears totally minimized. How to extend it to show all contents properly, but without using .setSizeFull() as I dont want to stretch it to whole screen?
I tried .setSizeFull() to TabSheet and its contents, but that didn't helped at all.
Setting custom height and width for the Window works, but this is not what I intend to do...

A: As it was said in the comments area, a Window must have a size.
I myself would have preferred that the window adapts itself to the screen size or browser size but that is how it works.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


In an open letter to the Board of Directors of Human Rights Watch, over 100 experts on Latin America criticized the organization's recent report on Venezuela, A Decade Under Chávez: Political Intolerance and Lost Opportunities for Advancing Human Rights in Venezuela, saying that it "does not meet even the most minimal standards of scholarship, impartiality, accuracy, or credibility.
A recent massacre of riders on a passenger bus was a painful reminder that violence in Guatemala is out of control. Homicide rates now surpass even those of the country's bloody civil war. Savage violence is affecting all sectors of society and is being perpetrated by a dizzying array of sources-common criminals, narco-traffickers, street gangs, and the state security forces. Sadly, another generation of Guatemalans is growing up in a society consumed by violence.
With a mandate from the U.S. public and the voters of Florida, Barack Obama has the perfect opportunity not only to keep his promise to end restrictions on Cuban American travel and remittances; he has the political capital to pursue an even more audacious approach. In so doing, he may be able to count on support from a majority of Cuban Americans, according to a brand new survey conducted by Florida International University (FIU).
Support NACLA's campaign for justice in the Americas!
Thank you to everyone who responded to our call! Your support ensures that grassroots voices will be heard through our Not Just Change, but Justice campaign.
If you've not yet donated, please do so today!
Real World Latin America brings together the best reporting on the profound economic and social transformations taking place in Latin America from Dollars & Sense and NACLA.Click here to order a copy today!
Empire and Dissent is a valuable new collection of essays edited by NACLA Senior Analyst Fred Rosen. Purchase a copy now and benefit NACLA in the process!Click here to order a copy today!
To unsubscribe please reply to this e-mail with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.


text:
Saint-Médard ist eine französische Gemeinde mit  Einwohnern (Stand: ) im Département Charente. Sie gehört zum Arrondissement Cognac und zum Kanton Charente-Sud.

Geographie
Saint-Médard liegt etwa 29 Kilometer südwestlich von Angoulême. Die Nachbargemeinden sind Bellevigne im Norden, Vignolles im Nordosten und Osten sowie Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire im Süden und Westen.

Bevölkerungsentwicklung

Sehenswürdigkeiten
 Kirche Saint-Médard aus dem 13. Jahrhundert

Söhne und Töchter des Dorfes
 Élie Vinet (1509–1587), Humanist

Weblinks

Ort in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Weinbauort in Frankreich

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Cheers to all the moms!
Cheers to all the moms! We'll be open regular hours on Mother's Day 1-7 pm!
Happy Father's Day from our family to yours. Join us today from 1-7 pm, we're open to celebrate!
Hansen's shirts, cups, and koozies make unique additions to your Easter baskets!
We'll be open regular hours Easter weekend, so come on by for an Easter Sno-Bliz!


text:
Singapore will not regulate speculative and risky NFTs
Singapore will not regulate the developing NFT market. The country's Central Bank believes the sector is still new and will not regulate it in its current form.
The developing non-fungible token (NFT) market will be left unregulated by one of the world's largest financial hubs. The central bank of Singapore claims that the sector is still in its early stages and that rather than regulating it in its current form, it will take a tech-neutral approach.
NFTs saw a boom in 2021, with sales reaching $25 billion, up 26,000 percent from just $95 million the year before. They've also brought in large names like Nike and Coca-Cola, as well as celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Lionel Messi.
This growth has drawn regulators who want to keep an eye on the industry's rapid expansion. Singapore, on the other hand, will not be one of them.
NFTs would remain unregulated, according to Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister in Charge of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country's central bank. According to local news outlet Fintech News Singapore, the MAS "does not and cannot potentially oversee all things or products that people choose to invest their money in."
Trade the world's famous Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum as well as more rare coins, Forex, CFDs, and Binary options in Singapore with trusted brokers
The MAS and the government, according to Tharman, will not intervene with the industry for the time being and will take a tech-neutral position.
"The purported distinctiveness of NFTs, along with speculative demand, has served to increase prices." If speculative fervor fades, this might put investors at risk of large losses," the minister stated.
Tharman stated that regulating the business would be a difficult process that would need considering the legal risks and rights that NFT owners had. It's unclear whether existing restrictions safeguard NFT owners in an industry that's just getting started.
"Furthermore, NFTs carry significant legal complications and hazards." "A holder of an NFT with a digital image as an underlying asset, for example, should define his claim of ownership and the legal framework that controls his rights," the government official said.
Singapore follows in the footsteps of South Korea, which stated a few months ago that it will not regulate the NFT sector in the same way that it regulates digital assets. "It will not adopt regulations for NFTs because of the FATF position on NFT regulation. Korea's financial authority representative said in November.


text:
Fresh earthquake with 5.9 magnitude jolts parts of country today morning
August 8, 2019 Edit
ISLAMABAD (92 News) - After a laps of four days, earthquake again jolted parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Punjab on Thursday morning. However, no human loss or property damage was reported in any part of the country where tremors were strongly felt. According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre Islamabad (NSMC), the magnitude of the quake was recorded at 5.9 on Richter Scale while the depth of tremors was observed 279 kilometers deep inside the earth crux. The point of origin was Hindu Kush Region, Afghanistan. Strong shocks were reported in districts of North Waziristan, Dir Bala, Bannu, Laki Marwat, Peshawar, Kohat, Abbotabad, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Pindi Bhatttian, Lahore, Jhang, Chiniot, Toba Tek Singh and other cities. Fearing damage, people ran outside their houses and buildings and prayed for the safety of others. They also kept reciting verses from Holy Quran. On August 4, a quake that also originated from Koh Hindu Kush mountain region struck parts of KP including Peshawar with reported magnitude of 4.9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUN_F10J8kM
Top Stories peshawar Imran civil armed forces nasir janjua Super Over global recession Earthquake Punjab jolts


The acl token command is used to manage Consul's ACL tokens. There are subcommands for the individual operations that can be performed.
ACL tokens are also accessible via the HTTP API.
In several of the subcommands a token will have to be identified to be read, modified or deleted. Those subcommands support specifying the token by its ID using the -id parameter. The ID may be specified as a unique UUID prefix instead of the entire UUID. As long as it is unique it will be resolve to the full UUID and used. Additionally builtin token names will be accepted as the value of the -id.
This command creates new tokens. When creating a new token, policies may be linked using either the -policy-id or the `-policy-name options. When specifying policies by IDs you may use a unique prefix of the UUID as a shortcut for specifying the entire UUID.
-description=<string> - A description of the token.
-local - Create this as a datacenter local token.
-policy-id=<value> - ID of a policy to use for this token. May be specified multiple times.
-policy-name=<value> - Name of a policy to use for this token. May be specified multiple times.
-meta - Indicates that token metadata such as the content hash and raft indices should be shown for each entry.
This command clones an existing token.
-description=<string> - A description of the new cloned token.
$ consul acl token clone -id 59f8 -description "Clone of Super User"
This command reads and displays a token details.
-self - Indicates that the current HTTP token should be read by secret ID instead of expecting a -id option.
This command will update a token. Some parts of the token like whether the token is local to the datacenter cannot be changed.
This command deletes a token.
-id=<string> - The ID of the token to delete. It may be specified as a unique ID prefix but will error if the prefix matches multiple token IDs.
This command lists all tokens. By default it will not show metadata.


Marlene Ann Smith never lived in Lebanon, but she left an impact on the community when she decided to open a factory here 29 years ago.
Smith became the president of Plastic Products when her husband, Willard, died in 1975. The company was struggling at the time, but under her leadership, it opened six factories, purchased Schilling Plastics and reopened Smith Metal Products. When she retired in 2013, the company was valued at $150 million.
Smith died on April 5. She was 79 years old.


Dogs love to play - it's a fact. Even as they get older, they can't resist a squeaky toy! If you have a more energetic dog then agility training can be a productive and rewarding way for you to spend time together. Our range of dog toys includes those ever-essential dog squeaky toys and a great value dog agility starter kit - so you can have fun inside and out!


For my final paper doll of the Fall 2010 season, I selected Chanel Haute Couture. The shapes recall the over-padded, grown-up, rich-people clothes of the 1980s, but the styling was modern rock-chic at its very best. Karl Lagerfeld's genius is quite apparent when going through the collection, and the clothes sketched so easily, perhaps because they were cut and sewn based on sketches in the first place. The doll is based on model Anna Selevezna.
You can buy this paper doll as a high-resolution, printable PDF to cut out and play with! Only $5 CDN. Just click the button below.
I loved paper dolls when I was a little girl.
I am trying to purchase a few paper dolls, and the Chanel doll goes straight to paypal. Please advise….I could use my credit card for the Michael Kors doll, but not for the Chanel doll.
This are fun! I have clients who bring their daughters in to shop, this will be so glamours and fun for them to play with!
i love paper dolls ..these paper dolls r really awesome ma'm..


DIGIMAX three channels digital readout unit for compression and flexural machines. Supporting bracket included.
The following Standards refer essentially to the execution of the testing procedure (eg. accuracy, calculation of test results etc.) as the mechanical and physical requirements refer to the testing frame and hydraulic group which has to be selected conforming the Standard in use, the shape and dimensions and the expected strength of the specimens.
Upgrading the DIGIMAX readout unit to incorporate a serial graphic printer in the front panel allowing also load/time plot at the end of test.


"What have the Romans done for us? The Fields of Britannia: continuity and change at the end of the Roman period." Prof Stephen Rippon from the University of Exeter speaks about his research and the Fields of Britannia project at Cardiff University's Archaeology Research Seminars in the School of History, Archaeology and Religion. Recorded 10 October 2013.


text:
'''
convnet-test.py

author: Luke de Oliveira (lukedeo@stanford.edu)

description: script to load a CNN

'''

import argparse
import logging
import sys
import numpy as np

LOGGER_PREFIX = ' %s'
logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)

def log(msg):
    logger.info(LOGGER_PREFIX % msg)

if __name__ == '__main__':
	parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()

    parser.add_argument('--weights', type=str,
        help='path to CNN weights', required=True)

    parser.add_argument('--normed', action='store_true',
        help='are the weights expecting a normed jet image?', required=True)

    parser.add_argument('--data', type=str, required=True,
        help='path to data file (.npy)')

    parser.add_argument('--output', type=str, required=True,
        help='path to write output predictions.')

    args = parser.parse_args()

    try:
    	from keras.models import Sequential, model_from_yaml
		from keras.layers.core import *
		from keras.layers.convolutional import MaxPooling2D, Convolution2D
		from keras.optimizers import *
		from keras import regularizers
		from keras.callbacks import EarlyStopping, ModelCheckpoint
		from keras.layers.normalization import LRN2D
    except ImportError:
    	sys.stderr.write('[ERROR] Keras not found!')
    	sys.exit(1)

    log('Construction CNN architecture')
	FILTER_SIZES = [(11, 11), (3, 3), (3, 3), (3, 3)]

	dl = Sequential()
	dl.add(Convolution2D(32, *FILTER_SIZES[0], input_shape=(1, 25, 25), border_mode='full', W_regularizer=regularizers.l2(0.01)))
	dl.add(Activation('relu'))
	dl.add(MaxPooling2D((2, 2)))

	dl.add(Convolution2D(32, *FILTER_SIZES[1], border_mode='full', W_regularizer=regularizers.l2(0.01)))
	dl.add(Activation('relu'))
	dl.add(MaxPooling2D((3, 3)))

	dl.add(Convolution2D(32, *FILTER_SIZES[2], border_mode='full', W_regularizer=regularizers.l2(0.01)))
	dl.add(Activation('relu'))
	dl.add(MaxPooling2D((3, 3)))

	dl.add(LRN2D())
	dl.add(Flatten())

	dl.add(Dropout(0.2))

	dl.add(Dense(64))
	dl.add(Activation('relu'))
	dl.add(Dropout(0.1))

	dl.add(Dense(1))
	dl.add(Activation('sigmoid'))

	WEIGHT_FILE = args.weights
	log('Loading weights from {}'.format(WEIGHT_FILE))

	dl.load_weights(WEIGHT_FILE)

	log('Compiling')
	dl.compile(loss='binary_crossentropy', optimizer='sgd', class_mode='binary')

	TEST_DATA = args.data

	log('Loading data from {}'.format(TEST_DATA))
	data = np.load(TEST_DATA)['image']
	data = data.reshape(data.shape[0], -1)

	if args.normalize:
		log('Normalization needed. Normalizing...')
		# -- normalize and reshape the jet images
		data = (data / np.sqrt((data ** 2).sum(-1))[:, None]).reshape((data.shape[0], 1, 25, 25))
	else:
		log('No normalization needed.')

	log('writing predictions.')
	# -- run this test data through the conv net.
	yhat = dl.predict(data, verbose=True).ravel()

	SAVE_FILE = args.output
	log('Saving CNN outputs to {}'.format(SAVE_FILE))
	np.save(SAVE_FILE, yhat.astype('float32'))
	log('Done')

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


About the Position 35 Vacancy for Ground staff Department &Cargo Department In KolkataDesignation: Air ticketing attandance ,Customer service associate, ground handling dept guest relationship executive reservation executive supervisor and csa supervisor etc Qualification: passed minimum 10+2 /Grad age limited: 18 to 30 years Basic salary: 11.5 k/- to 22 k/- per month Duty hours: 8 hrs Extra benefit: extra pay for overtime Special benefit: basic salary increasing upto 25% within every 6 months It is a govt Undertaking job and lifetime job ) For Interview Contact : Sneha (7605863068) Kolkata, Kolkata Other information Company ATI Education 12th Job sector Other Salary INR 11,500-22,000 per month Working hours hrs/day no -- Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job advertiser. no -- Please, no phone calls about this job! no -- Reposting this message elsewhere is NOT OK.


text:
Holiday Inn Express SAN FRANCISCO UNION SQUARE
235 O\'farrell Street, San Francisco, California 94102 USA
Guests connect with free Wi-Fi and wake up to a free breakfast buffet at the non-smoking Holiday Inn Express San Francisco Union Square. A classic exterior with turrets greets guests at the five-story non-smoking Holiday Inn Express where all 59 colorful rooms supply free Wi-Fi and 48-inch flat-panel TVs as well as hairdryers in the modern bathrooms. The breakfast buffet is complimentary and other conveniences include laundry facilities concierge service and valet parking for a charge. The Holiday Inn Express is a block from Union Square in San Francisco. The surrounding blocks are packed with restaurants shops galleries and theaters and the Powell Street Station BART and cable cars are two blocks away. Guests head about two miles to either catch a boat to the infamous Alcatraz or see games at AT&T Park. Take a break from the bustling city with a stroll in Golden Gate Park three miles away or soak in some culture at the Palace of Fine Arts in the Presidio just over three miles from the hotel. San Francisco International Airport is 14 miles south. our guests say the Holiday Inn Express is well located close to public transportation and Union Square and they like the generously sized rooms and friendly staff.
High speed internet access for laptop in public ar
Color television
235 O\'farrell Street, San Francisco, California 94102 USA|Show Map
San Francisco attractions near Holiday Inn Express SAN FRANCISCO UNION SQUARE
Adjacent to the vast Pacific Ocean, San Francisco is considered to be one of the most popular tourist destination in the world. With its majestic vistas, rolling hills, and famous land marks, San Francisco is home to such attractions as the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and its famed cable cars. During the early mornings, fog may blanket the city leaving only the apex of the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge visible; as the day goes on, the fog begins to dissipate leaving amazing views of the cityscape. San Francisco is home to 800,000 plus residents consisting of diverse cultures and ethnicities. Many of the top restaurants and bars in the world can be found on this peninsula. INNsight.com invites you and your family to the beautiful city of San Francisco.
235 O\'farrell Street San Francisco, California 94102 USA
Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco, California 94129 USA
Find Hotels | Get Directions
Alcatraz Island
Golden Gate National Recreation Area San Francisco, California 94133 USA
151 Third St. San Francisco, California 94101 USA
War Memorial Opera House
Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, California 94102 USA
Oracle Park
24 Willie Mays Plaza San Francisco, California 94107 USA
Market Street, Central San Francisco, California 94103 USA
Harding Park Golf Course
899 Lake Merced Boulevard San Francisco, California 94132 USA
400 Parnassus Ave # 2 San Francisco, California 94143 USA
495 Jefferson Street San Francisco, California 94109 USA
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75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr San Mateo, California 94118 USA
TPC Harding Park
99 Harding Road San Francisco, California 94132 USA
Ghirardelli Square
900 North Point St San Francisco, California 94109 USA
99 Grove St San Francisco, California 94102 USA
SHN Orpheum Theatre
1192 Market St San Francisco, California 94102 USA
Golden Gate Theatre
1 Taylor St San Francisco, California 94102 USA
2190 Lombard Street San Francisco, California 94123 USA
Beach Street & The Embarcadero San Francisco, California 94133 USA
55 Music Concourse Dr San Francisco, California 94118 USA
Lombard St San Francisco, California 94133 USA
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
200 Larkin St San Francisco, California 94102 USA
Sloat Blvd. at the Great Highway San Francisco, California 94132 USA
The Exploratorium
Pier 15, The Embarcadero & Green St. San Francisco, California 94111 USA
The de Young Museum
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr San Francisco, California 94118 USA
333 Post St, San Francisco, CA San Francisco, California 94108 USA
151 3rd St, San Francisco, CA San Francisco, California 94103 USA
Moscone Center
747 Howard St San Francisco, California 94103 USA
333 Post St San Francisco, California 94108 USA
SFO Museum Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum and Library
San Francisco San Francisco, California 94128 USA


text:
Interview with Lauren Moffatt
Publicado en 3D, Creación, Interactividad, Realidad Virtual, Vídeo
We talk with the Australian new media artist Lauren Moffatt, who has recently participated in a residency at Espronceda, in Barcelona.
Talk to us about your training and education.
I studied painting and drawing in Sydney. I was mostly painting in a realist style, and I was also experimenting a little with painted animation. When I moved to Berlin in 2005, after finishing my undergraduate studies, I started to explore stereoscopic image-making in order to create first-person perspectives, and I switched from painting to digital images since it allowed me to work much faster. Since then I have gradually evolved into an immersive video artist, complementing my studio research along the way with studies in theory of contemporary new media art at l'Université de Paris VIII, and audiovisual art production at Le Fresnoy Studio National des Arts Contemporains. Much of my work is also realised in partnership with scientific institutions, and that also means I am constantly learning and challenging my knowledge with every new work I make.
Where does your interest in art and technology come from?
I've always been interested in making artwork that connects with people on a physical level, to invite them to experience their bodies differently. Since technologies are often amplifications of some part or function of our bodies, I find it interesting to build images and stories with them. I love science fiction, both for the imagery and for the types of speculations. I have also always loved moving images, especially animation, so it was natural that I would also fall in love with a medium that allows people to inhabit video.
Beyond the Rubicon, VR Experience, 2018.
You work with video, immersive experiences, performances… What do these techniques bring to you and your works?
I like virtual reality because it gives me the ability to create a parallel universe for people to exist inside of for a while. I can tell stories through landscapes and architectures that are populated by spatialised sounds and movements that react to the visitor's interaction. I can decide on each detail of the spatial narrative I want to tell, but the visitors also build the story through their interactions and the way they live and perform the story. Sometimes they uncover aspects that I didn't realise were there. I really like directly engaging with people, and performance and VR allow me to do that.
What purpose do you follow with your projects?
At the moment I'm working on VR stories that seek new understandings of our existence as people in relation with non-human entities. I'm trying to turn that into something that can be experienced by the body, it's about experiencing the body as being connected to the environment and being affected by it.
The Tulpamancer, Web Performance and Immersive Video, 2019.
Your last work was a Web Performance and Immersive Video. Tell us a bit more about this project.
I am interested in how we inhabit digital environments like the web. Here, we co-exist with other people and with automated processes (for instance, chatbots) in an ethereal realm. We are disconnected from our bodies and all of the physicality of our existence that traditionally identifies us. We are able to create fantasies about ourselves and about our lives, we are able to curate our own life stories. With The Tulpamancer I was exploring how people map out their identities in this non-space, looking at the positive potential of that, and also its dangers.
How do you decide which technique to choose in each project between the different ones that you use? (VR, video, 3D, immersive experience…)
Each idea asks for its own format, it's about finding the best way to tell that particular story or give a voice to a particular character. I like moving around between technologies that are cutting-edge, like VR, and those that are considered obsolete, like 3D. Part of that is about anticipating the prejudice of the audience, revealing a sort of vulnerability by working with something that is no longer in fashion or integrating a technique that people consider has no place in digital art.
Why did you apply for this residence and what project do you have?
I have only recently moved to Spain and I am looking for ways to get to know the artistic landscape here, and to understand how working as an active artist in Spain could be similar or different to experiences in France and Germany. The residency at Espronceda was an opportunity to get some insight into Barcelona's creative life and receive feedback about how VR art is perceived there, as well as a chance to challenge myself and learn. During the residency — which is now continuing to different cities in Europe and beyond like Paris, Helsinki, Hamburg and Miami — I collaborated with two other artists to make a room-scale VR experience for multiple players which also functions as a tool for viewing and analysing scientific data: signals from radio telescopes that are searching deep space for evidence of other advanced civilisations.
Invisible Universe (Universo invisible): Prototype made during Espronceda residency with Kris Pilcher and Mohsen Hazrati.
How do you value the experience?
I had a great experience with Espronceda and with Immensiva: I would absolutely recommend it. I learned so much, both technically and artistically from my peers and from the directors and curators who designed the program. All of the artists who attended the residency came with unique skills and knowledge that complemented and challenged my own. The context of group work really helped me to realise new potential by contributing to a project that is outside of my usual sphere. Finally, I was given such generous access to people and institutions in Barcelona who could be possible cooperators on future projects, it more than exceeded my expectations on all levels.
Deptique – https://deptique.net
Recommended citation: MOSAIC. Interview with Lauren Moffat. Mosaic [online article], June 2020, no. 183. ISSN: 1696-3296. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7238/m.n183.2024
New Media Artist
Lauren Moffatt is an Australian new media artist based in Berlin and Valencia. She is currently working on a series of virtual reality artworks centreing on the theme of human and non-human systems - from natural ecosystems to digital landscapes. She was recently awarded the "Worlding with the Trouble" commission with Barcelona production platform Fabbula, and a residency with the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rijeka. Lauren completed her studies at the College of Fine Arts (AU), Université Paris VIII (FR), and at Le Fresnoy Studio National des Arts Contemporains. She has been based in Europe for over a decade. Working in Germany and studying in France and has recently moved her studio to Valencia. Lauren's works have been screened and exhibited most recently at Espronceda (ES), Hartware MedienkunstVerein (DE), Palais de Tokyo (FR), Villa Medici (IT), UNSW Galleries (AU), Daegu Art Museum (KOR), Museum Dr. Guislain (BE), SAVVY Contemporary (DE), FACT Liverpool (UK), The Sundance Film Festival (US) and at the ZKM (DE), at Q21 Freiraum (AT) and at La Gaïté Lyrique (FR).
Espais que parlen: The Smallest of Worlds
The Smallest of Worlds és un projecte de Realitat Virtual construït a partir d'espais domèstics i testimonis s...
Interview with Andreu Belsunces
Interview with Andreu Belsunces, design and technology sociologist.
Entrevista con Andreu Belsunces
Entrevista con Andreu Belsunces, sociólogo del diseño y la tecnología.


text:
namespace GPUCA_NAMESPACE::gpu
{

class GPUTPCCFDeconvolution : public GPUKernelTemplate
{

 public:
  struct GPUSharedMemory : public GPUKernelTemplate::GPUSharedMemoryScan64<short, GPUCA_GET_THREAD_COUNT(GPUCA_LB_CLUSTER_FINDER)> {
    ChargePos posBcast1[SCRATCH_PAD_WORK_GROUP_SIZE];
    uchar aboveThresholdBcast[SCRATCH_PAD_WORK_GROUP_SIZE];
    uchar buf[SCRATCH_PAD_WORK_GROUP_SIZE * SCRATCH_PAD_COUNT_N];
  };

#ifdef HAVE_O2HEADERS
  typedef GPUTPCClusterFinder processorType;
  GPUhdi() static processorType* Processor(GPUConstantMem& processors)
  {
    return processors.tpcClusterer;
  }
#endif

  GPUhdi() CONSTEXPR static GPUDataTypes::RecoStep GetRecoStep()
  {
    return GPUDataTypes::RecoStep::TPCClusterFinding;
  }

  template <int iKernel = defaultKernel, typename... Args>
  GPUd() static void Thread(int nBlocks, int nThreads, int iBlock, int iThread, GPUSharedMemory& smem, processorType& clusterer, Args... args);

 private:
  static GPUd() void deconvolutionImpl(int, int, int, int, GPUSharedMemory&, const Array2D<uchar>&, Array2D<PackedCharge>&, const ChargePos*, const uint);

  static GPUdi() char countPeaksInner(ushort, const uchar*, uchar*);
  static GPUdi() char countPeaksOuter(ushort, uchar, const uchar*);
};

} // namespace GPUCA_NAMESPACE::gpu

#endif


text:
3 seasons • 79 episodes • 1966-1969 • NBC
Timeline setting: 23rd century, 2266-2269
There are few people in the world who aren't familiar with those sentences. But when Star Trek first burst upon the scene in the autumn of 1966, the concept behind them—and behind the technology in the new television series—was as new and exotic as the prospect of a man walking on the moon. But despite the public's fascination with its hardware, the lasting popularity of the original Star Trek series is largely due to two things—the family of characters who make up the primary crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701: Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu and Chekov; and the vision of the man whose creative vision firmly established Star Trek as a genuine part of Americana: Gene Roddenberry.
The original Star Trek series focuses on the 23rd century adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and the U.S.S. Enterprise (NCC-1701), a powerful interstellar spacecraft dispatched by Earth-based Starfleet Command to explore the galaxy. Kirk commands a crew of 430 men and women aboard his starship, which can travel at speeds surpassing the speed of light. Kirk's five-year mission—and his mandate from Starfleet—is to seek out new life and new civilizations, and to boldly go where no man has gone before.
JAMES T. KIRK/William Shatner
SPOCK/Leonard Nimoy
LEONARD "BONES" MCCOY/DeForest Kelley
MONTGOMERY "SCOTTY" SCOTT/James Doohan
SULU/George Takei
UHURA/Nichelle Nichols
PAVEL ANDREIEVICH CHEKOV/Walter Koenig
"Space – The Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise..."
Visit Star Trek: The Original Series' show page for the latest news and videos.


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text:
Ripley Sunswitch
The Ripley Company likely commenced manufacture of photoelectric lighting controls not long after Fisher Pierce introduced theirs, in the late 1940's. Ripley began operation in Middletown, Connecticut.
Earliest Ripley photocontrols were of the tube-powered design and like Fisher Pierce and other competitors in the industry, Ripley began to offer totally solid state models about 1960 or a couple years earlier.
The company's earliest solid state models were of the twist lock attachment design which was standardized in the photocontrol industry in 1959. These were plastic-enclosed controls, painted silver on the inside with an approximate 3/4-inch diameter round clear aperture opening that exposed the light-sensitive photocell. This design continued without any changes until about mid-1965. One of the drawbacks of the painted-inside models was that the paint often flaked off the inside with time and the plastic housing became more brittle due to weather cracking. Most of these were 1000-watt load rated controls, although a small number were manufactured during approximately 1962 through 1965 with 500-watt load ratings. The advantage of these was slightly less cost and were ideal for individual lower-wattage individual luminarie operation. The standard 1000-watt load, 120-volt model during that period was their #5946; the 500-watt version was #5946PE5. Electrical and catalog number data was stamped on the plastic bases of their circa 1960-1965 units in very small lettering. Ripley Sunswitches produced later in 1965 were manufactured with solid white covers with an approximately one-inch square photocell aperture opening. Similarly, nameplate data appeared stamped in small lettering. The Ripley name and other relevant embossing on the white units was in slightly raised lettering on their tops while their silver predecessors had embossing indented up on the upper inside, making a smooth-faced top. The white controls' uppermost embossing was highlighted in black paint which quickly wore off due to weather exposure. However, their plastic enclosures did not fade or change color from years of use. White Ripley Sunswitches removed from service with 30 or more years of service are just as white as they were when they were new! No doubt they utilized a high quality, ultraviolet-resistant, non-weather cracking plastic formula for making their controls' covers. White controls of this description were produced until late 1966 or early 1967.
From the earliest Ripley twist-lock controls through mid-1965 when the solid white units were introduced the last two digits of the year of manufacture and a month code (represented by a letter) appeared on a small square paper label affixed to the unit's plastic mounting base. On a separate label was the unit's serial number. When the solid white units were introduced such date code identification was no longer employed, except in rare instances. Apparently the year/month of manufacture was deciphered from the serial number label that continued to appear in the same location. This methodology was continued until 1968 when the year/month date labels reappeared. As before, the last two digits of the year appeared first followed by a letter, representing the month of manufacture (A for January, B for February; C for March; and so forth). This procedure has been utilized by the company ever since, to the present day.
In early 1967 or so Ripley Sunswitches were built with lighter, more compact components, however their outer plastic covers remained exactly the same with the exception that they were made of an apparently less expensive plastic. Originally light gray or white, these units turned to a light cream color after a period of weathering and sunlight exposure. These covers were employed until early 1971. At that time the internal components were housed in a shorter enclosure, very much like the company utilizes today. These have a "tombstone" style photocell aperture opening. These smaller photocontrols were about the size as those Fisher Pierce had been manufacturing at that time. Ripley continued to utilize the same, less expensive, sun-fading plastic that they started to use in 1967. In 1971 identification data continued to appear on the units' bases on a yellow paper label, as the case had been since 1967. In 1972 the last digit of the manufacturing year began to appear on the units' tops, enclosed in a circle. Some Sunswitches made from 1972 through 1975 had this marking, while others did not. It is likely all of the 1967 to 1975 covers originally were light gray or white when new. Also, year- identified photocontrol covers were used into the following year's production until the supply of them ran out. For instance, it is not unusual to spot a Ripley with a "3" on top with a 1974 date label. This has been occasionally true for Fisher Pierce as well, especially their 1971 ("1" on top, enclosed in a circle, also) controls. 1971 was the first year they numbered their controls' tops and many of these continued well into their 1972 production, until about the end of the year's third quarter. The actual manufacturing date is that which appears on the photocontrol's paper label; the numerical information on top is of secondary consequence. Interestingly, use of the previous year's overstock covers by Ripley and Fisher Pierce occurs to the present.
During July 1975 a fire destroyed the Ripley plant and it was not until 1979 or 1980 when they began to offer their own photocontrols again. During the period when their factory was being rebuilt (1975-79) the company wanted to maintain public visibility and offered controls that appear to have been made by Tung-Sol, in Japan. These units were embossed on top with the Ripley name and otherwise were identical to the Tung-Sol ones. These Ripleys were somewhat smaller than their predecessors and were enclosed in clear translucent plastic covers that turned brownish after a period of sunlight exposure. On their base was Ripley's familiar year/month date label. These controls are rare and apparently were not a large special-order item for the company. Despite the fire, they probably also wanted to keep their customers assuring them that they had not gone out of business and would soon resume regular production.
Such was the case. In 1979 or 1980 the Ripley company resumed photocontrol manufacture and their units appear very similar to their last 1975 controls, inside and out. Exterior colors and the same grade plastic was used. Most began to sun-fade, thus the light gray ones (105 to 130 volts) turned to a light yellowish or creamy color while the blue (105 to 285 volts) units turned greenish. In 1990 the company began to utilize a more sturdy, ultraviolet-resistant plastic enclosure on their photocontrols, which significantly reduced the color-shifting problem. Also, the new plastic formula was much less brittle than that of previous models.
Photos of Ripley Sunswitch photocontrols
RIPLEY SUNSWITCHES (1960-1966)
a. Model #5940, white with square aperture opening, 120 volts, 1000-watt rating, (April 1966).
b. Same as above except manufactured during August 1965.
c. Same as above except internally painted silver with round aperture opening, manufactured March 1965.
d. Same as above except manufactured during October 1964.
e. Same as above except manufactured during August 1963.
f. Model # 5940-PE-5, silver painted inside, round aperture window, 120 volts, 500 watt rating. (February l963).
g. Model # 5940, silver painted inside, round aperture window,120 volts, 1000 watts rating (August 1962)
h. Same as above, manufactured during June 1960.
MISCELLANEOUS MANUFACTURERS AND PHOTOCONTROLS
a. Ripley SunSwitch, medium blue, New England Electric System Special, Model #6190NEES, 105 to 240 volts (1993).
b. Fisher Pierce fixture disconnect "dummy" cap twist-lock, bright orange (1980).
c. Ripley Sunswitch, weathered translucent brownish (originally clear), 120 volts, 1000 watts rating, Model #SL-3120, manufactured during May 1978.
d. American Electric Model #8090-1, 105-285 volts, 1000 watts rating, internally painted bright blue, manufactured during September 1969.
e. Fisher-Pierce fixture disconnect "open cap" with twist-lock, 1997.
f. General Electric twist-lock, 120 volts, 1000 watt rating, 1970.


April 25 - The Allman Betts Band, Riley Center, Meridian. 601-696-2200, 601-696-2200, msurileycenter.com.
- Zac Brown Band, Tuscaloosa Amphitheater. 205-248-5280, tuscaloosaamphitheater.com.
April 26-27 - Double Decker Arts Festival (Jason Isbell, Shovels & Rope, Cedric Burnside, more), Oxford. doubledeckerfestival.com.
- "H.M.S. Pinafore" (University of Mississippi Opera Theatre), Ford Center, Oxford. 662-915-2787, fordcenter.org.
May 9 - Jim Gaffigan, Tuscaloosa Amphitheater. 205-248-5280, tuscaloosaamphitheater.com.
May 10 - Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tuscaloosa Amphitheater. 205-248-5280, tuscaloosaamphitheater.com.
May 12 - Gladys Knight, Alys Stephens Center, Birmingham. 205-975-2787, alysstephens.org.
May 14 - India Arie, Alys Stephens Center, Birmingham. 205-975-2787, alysstephens.org.
May 23 - America, Riley Center, Meridian. 601-696-2200, msurileycenter.com.
May 24 - Kenny Chesney, Tuscaloosa Amphitheater. 205-248-5280, tuscaloosaamphitheater.com.


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text:
projects/ seagull/
Page 1, Page 2, Page 3
Measuring Air Bearing Spindle Performance
Peter Polidoro
In this paper we measure the performance of air bearing spindles with three quantities: the dynamic stiffness, the asynchronous error motion (AEM), and the rotational velocity modulation. The dynamic stiffness is a measure of how well the bearing resists shifts in the rotor axis due to forces on the rotor. AEM also identifies movement of the rotor axis, but is concerned only with motion not synchronized with the spindle rotation. The rotational velocity modulation quantifies how much the RPM varies around the desired RPM value. In our experiments, we found that the dynamic stiffness of the new Seagull Hi-Capacity Biconic air bearing spindle was over double that of the standard Seagull Biconic air bearing spindle. The dynamic stiffness of the standard Seagull Biconic air bearing spindles measured higher than the competitor air bearing spindles we tested, making the stiffness of the new Hi-Capacity Biconic significantly greater than the competition spindles. We were not able to measure any significant difference in the AEM nor the long-term velocity modulation between the bearings, but we did find that a disk stack mounted on the rotor greatly degrades bearing performance and that fingers placed in the disk stack reduces that performance degradation. We found that signal modulation from an eccentric encoder disk corrupts velocity measurements over the short-term, but that this signal error can be corrected with Seagull's new low modulation encoders.
The goal of this paper is to experimentally measure quantitative values of air bearing spindle performance that are as realistic and, hopefully, as meaningful to industry as possible. Often the performance specifications given for air bearing spindles are theoretical and have never been experimentally verified. In addition to never having been verified, often they are calculated assuming unrealistic or improbable conditions. For example the stiffness is often listed at axial locations inside the bearing, while bearing loads are always placed farther out along the axis where the stiffness is lower. There is not necessarily anything wrong with listing the specifications in this way, it just makes it more difficult for the end user of an air bearing system to know how the air bearing will actually perform under a given set of conditions. With this in mind, we created our performance measurement tests to make the results as useful as possible, even though the results often make the bearings appear to perform more poorly than historical specifications would indicate.
Seagull Solutions, Inc. designs and manufactures air bearing spindles, so of course, we want our products to measure up well against the competition. We made every attempt, however, to keep the tests as objective and as representative as possible to make an equitable comparison between all of the spindles. We put a lot of effort into developing test setups that yield as consistent results as possible. There is no doubt, though, that these tests could be further refined and expanded. This paper is by no means a definitive work on how to measure air bearing spindle performance, but we hope that it provides some insights and perhaps some new perspectives on the subject, for in order to improve the performance of our air bearing spindles, we must first be able to measure it.
We fully encourage others to develop similar tests and experimental setups and verify or question the results we present here. Experienced experimentalists may be able to make many improvements on our testing procedures and other facilities may have more suitable testing equipment or environments. We would be happy to work in collaboration with anyone interested in what they read here to maximize the accuracy and usefulness of these air bearing spindle performance measurement techniques.
For most applications, an ideal air bearing spindle would be one that has a perfectly constant rotational velocity vector. A rotational velocity vector attached to the rotor defines both the orientation of the rotor axis and the magnitude of the angular velocity. In order for the rotational velocity vector to remain constant, the rotor axis must remain stationary with respect to some external reference frame (e.g. no wobbling, tilting, or shifting) and the angular velocity magnitude cannot fluctuate. No real air bearing has a perfectly constant rotational velocity vector, however, and the performance of a bearing can be characterized by how much it deviates from this idealization. A good bearing has a more constant rotational velocity vector under a given set of conditions than a bad one.
In this paper we measure three quantities to characterize the deviation of an air bearing from the idealization. The first quantity is dynamic stiffness, which measures how well the bearing resists radial shifts in the rotor axis due to the centrifugal force created by an imbalance in the rotating spindle. The second quantity is asynchronous error motion (AEM), which measures radial movement of the rotor axis that is not synchronized with the spindle rotation. The third quantity is the rotational velocity modulation or how much the RPM varies around the desired RPM value. These are the primary performance characteristics and in this paper we measure how they change with bearing RPM. In addition, we also keep track of some secondary variables which do not measure the bearing performance explicitly, but do give an indication of overall system performance; the system being composed of the air bearing, air supply, motor, encoder, controller, and amplifier. These secondary variables are the air flow into the bearing and the current through the motor windings and they help indicate problems and inconsistencies in the setup.
One popular air bearing application is hard drive head and gimbal assembly (HGA) testing. During HGA testing, a stack of disks is mounted onto an air bearing spindle and then circular tracks of data bits are written onto and read from the hard disks. Ideally the tracks should be concentric and centered and as perfectly circular as possible so that the track density does not have to be decreased to prevent the tracks from running into each other. Also, the data bits should be spaced as evenly as possible to maximize their density. The disk stack is a very representative real life load condition for an air bearing spindle. Bearings that perform well when spinning freely on their own show very significant performance drops when subjected to the forces of such a load. Even a slight imbalance in the disk stack can create large centrifugal forces on the rotor at high RPM and cause the rotor axis to shift and wobble. An air bearing's dynamic stiffness is a direct indication of how well that bearing can resist those large centrifugal forces. The AEM measurements indicate the potential eccentricity in the data tracks and the velocity modulation indicates how evenly spaced the data bits can be placed.
Dynamic Stiffness
In this paper we use the term "dynamic stiffness" to mean the quantity equal to the centrifugal force acting on the rotor in the radial direction due to an imbalance at a given axial location divided by the radial displacement of the rotor in the same axial location.
Equation 1: Dynamic Stiffness Definition
The axial location is a very important parameter when characterizing the dynamic stiffness. Much of the radial displacement at a given axial location is due to rotor axis tilt as opposed to parallel axis shift. For a given amount of tilt, the magnitude of the radial displacement increases as you move away from the tilt fulcrum point. In addition, for a given amount of centrifugal force, the moment on the rotor increases the farther the force acts from the center of the bearing. So for any bearing, the dynamic stiffness measurement will be larger at an axial location closer to the fulcrum point of the bearing than it will be at an axial location that is further away.
The dynamic stiffness is not the same as the stiffness of the air film in the bearing. The dynamic stiffness might be more properly thought of as a mechanical impedance. The dynamic stiffness is a complex number that varies with rotational frequency and is very analogous to electrical impedance, which varies with alternating voltage frequency. At zero rotational frequency, the dynamic stiffness is equal to the air film stiffness just as at zero switching frequency the electrical impedance in a circuit is equal to the electrical resistance. At non-zero rotational frequency, however, the dynamic stiffness is affected by both the inertia of the rotor and the air film damping just as at non-zero switching frequency the electrical impedance is affected by both the capacitance and inductance in the circuit. Dynamic stiffness in an air bearing is a function of rotational velocity, rotor inertia, and the air film stiffness and damping. The air film stiffness and damping are most likely variables that change with rotational velocity and radial rotor displacement as well.
Equation 2 : Dynamic Stiffness Functional Relationship
One way to predict the exact relationship between these variables is to create a dynamics model of the system and solve the equations of motion. As a first approximation we can make an oversimplified model of the system by assuming that the air film stiffness and damping remain constant and by ignoring the rotational inertia and tilting of the rotor. The model becomes a one-dimensional mass-spring-dashpot system with a sinusoidal forcing function.
Figure 1 : Simplified Air Bearing Spindle Dynamics Model
The figure above is a graphical representation of the very simplified air bearing spindle system mechanical model. The total mass "M" represents the rotor mass and the imbalance mass. The imbalance mass "m" is located a distance "r" from the axis of rotation and spins at a rotational velocity equal to "w". The variable "x" in the figure corresponds to an arbitrary radial direction. The centrifugal force on the rotor caused by the rotating imbalance mass acts as a sinusoidal driving force on the rotor in the x direction at a frequency equal to the rotating speed. The variables "k" and "b" are the stiffness and damping of the air film respectively. If we solve the equations of motion for this system and divide the centrifugal force by the maximum displacement, we come up with the following relationship between the system variables:
Equation 3: Solutions to the Simplified Model Equations of Motion
Note that at zero rotational frequency (w=0), SD simply equals k and the phase angle is zero. The phase angle is the phase shift of the output sinusoid with respect to the input sinusoid. When the phase angle is zero, the maximum positive displacement occurs when the input force is in the same direction as the displacement. When the phase angle is 180 degrees, the maximum positive displacement occurs when the input force is the opposite direction as the displacement. In the figure above, the air film thickness "t" will be smallest when the mass "m" is at the very bottom of its revolution and the phase angle is zero. When the phase angle is 180 degrees, "t" will be smallest when the mass is at the very top of its revolution.
In dynamics analysis, bode diagrams are often used to represent the frequency-response characteristics of dynamic systems. The frequency-response is the steady-state response of a system to a sinusoidal input. Bode diagrams consist of two separate plots, one giving the magnitude of the response versus the frequency and the other the phase angle of the response versus frequency. The dynamic stiffness is inversely proportional to the bode magnitude plot. Another way of determining the relationship between system variables would be to directly measure the frequency-response of the system, create a set of bode plots, then back out the transfer functions from the shape of the plots.
Figure 2: Example Bode Plot of the Simplified Model
The figure above is a typical bode diagram of the simplified air bearing mechanical model. The magnitude plot is shown above the phase plot. Note that the magnitude is plotted on a log-log scale. The magnitude plot is proportional to the reciprocal of the dynamic stiffness. So the simplified model predicts that for low RPM the air bearing dynamic stiffness will remain constant and the phase shift will remain zero. It then predicts that the dynamic stiffness will undergo a short drop as the phase angle begins to change, then increase indefinitely as the RPM rises. If we knew the exact proportions of the plot, we could estimate values for "M", "b", and "k".
The simplified one-dimensional mass-spring-dashpot model is most likely too simplified to predict any real trends in an air bearing. Another thing to keep in mind is that the simplified model considers movement of the rotor with respect to the stator. Often the real concern is how the rotor moves with respect to some other reference point, such as a capacitance measurement probe or write head that is attached to some support structure. Since no support structure is perfectly rigid, a better model would need to take into account the transfer function that describes the motion relationship between the stator and the real reference point. The lack of perfect rigidity in the support structure makes analysis and testing more difficult, but does allow for the interesting possibility of custom designing the support structure to tune the transfer function between the rotor and the external reference point to better meet the designers needs. Instead of simply trying to make the structure as rigid is possible, the designer might be able to tune it to minimize motion between rotor and reference point or to shift natural frequencies in the system.
Knowing the details of the relationship between the system variables, whether the relationship was found theoretically, experimentally, or by a combination of the two methods, would be very useful for predicting how the bearing would react under a set of operating conditions. A detailed bode plot or set of transfer functions would indicate resonant modes in the bearing and stability issues so the designer of an air bearing system could work around them. In this paper we make the first step in the frequency-response characterization of an air bearing by measuring the dynamic stiffness across a range of rotational speeds.