Instrumental Pointer

Thomas R. Cutler (www.trcutlerinc.com) authored a feature article about Kanban in the October issue of Automation.com (www.automation.com). Kanban is a visual signal that something needs to be replenished. Lean Manufacturers today use Kanban to drive a process to make, move, or buy the appropriate parts. Thus, Kanban becomes one of the fundamental building blocks of a pull (or consumption based) replenishment system. No card? No Replenishment.

Paper kanban intent has efficacy; the reality of cluttered transport routes, overflowing finished goods stores, immense quantities of WIP (work-in-progress) and unscheduled machine downtimes, often make the merits of this lean manufacturing functionality questionable. When there are also frequent complaints about delivery problems, the reality is quite distant from the theory. Poor implementation of kanban is quickly overcome in an e-kanban environment.

Sue Via, Senior Project Engineer with TechSolve (www.techsolve.org) suggests that Kanban is only part of the lean process, “Kanban is a higher order concept and many things must be in place before implementation of the concept is feasible. For instance, the foundation of Standard Work, 5S/Visual Management, and Quality at the Source must be in place and functional. All affected processes should go through an initial lean transformation to eliminate waste, establish Flow and initiate a Pull mindset. All processes including equipment must be reliable in order to minimize the inventory requirements.”

Two of the primary limitations of a manual (or paper based) Kanban system are data availability and scalability. According to Justin Diana, VP of Datacraft Solutions (www.datacraftsolutions.com), “In a typical manual Kanban implementation, most transactions and orders are placed with faxes and emails and recorded in an Excel spreadsheet. At the end of the day, this information is limited to the individual managing and recording this data. The individuals responsible for growing and improving the process, have limited or no visibility to the data. As the number of parts, suppliers, and cells grow, managing this process only becomes more convoluted.”

Datacraft Solutions www.datacraftsolutions.com Matthew Marotta 800-819-5326

# # #

Weather vanes have been capturing the interest and imagination, of both young and old alike, for centuries. Watchful roosters overlooking barns, trotting horses topping elegant homes, these unique little weather devices have a rich history, predating the birth of Christ. But how did they come to be? Who made the first one? Why are they called weather vanes? Join us, as we explore a few fun facts about weather vanes.

The earliest known weather vane dates back to the year 48 B.C., where it adorned the Tower of Winds in Athens. Believed to be more than 4′ long, this first weather vane was fashioned in the likeness of the Greek God, Triton, with the head and torso of a man and the body of a fish. Due to the fact that the ancient Greeks and pre-Christian Romans believed that the wind carried divine powers, it was not uncommon to see weather vanes created in the likenesses of Greek gods, such as Hermes, Mercury and Boreas.

Norsemen picked up the idea of the weather vane and began making their own around the 9th century. Unique, to this day, the Vikings created banner-styled weather vanes and commonly placed them on their ships, for navigational purposes, as well as their homes. Usually topped by a favored animal figurine, this weather vane style can still commonly be found in Norway and Sweden. It is also believed that, around this time, the Pope decreed that all churches in Europe display a cock atop their church, as a reminder of Jesus’ prophesy that the cock would not crow, the morning after The Last Supper. Ever since, it has been traditional for many churches, both in Europe and America, to display a cock weather vane.

First President, George Washington, commemorated the end of the Revolutionary War by having a special weather vane commissioned for the top of his Mount Vernon estate. Created in the likeness of a dove, carrying an olive branch, or a Dove of Peace, this weather vane was finished in 1787, by Joseph Rakestraw. Even Thomas Jefferson found an interest in weather vanes, supposedly attaching the weather vane, on Monticello, to a pointer inside his house. This way, he was able to determine the direction of the wind, without having to leave the comfort of his home.

During the 1800’s, common weather vanes depicted popular racing horses, such as George M. Patchen and Smuggler, their likenesses recreated from the stylish Currier and Ives prints. The artwork of weather vanes has only advanced from there, allowing one’s imagination to go wild; elegant silhouettes, fanciful scrolls and arrows, even three-dimensional animal creations. Now expanding with a plethora of different materials, it’s a sure bet that whatever one desires in a weather vane; if it hasn’t been made yet, there is someone out there ready to give it a whirl.

He is the author of a best-seller, “The Bible, The Qur’n and Science” (1976). His classical studies of the scriptural languages, including Arabic, in association with his knowledge of hieroglyphics, have allowed him to hold a multidisciplinary inquiry, in which his personal contribution as a medical doctor has produced conclusive arguments. His work, “Mummies of the Pharaohs – Modern Medical Investigations” (St. Martins Press, 1990), won a History Prize from the Académie Franaise and another prize from the French National Academy of Medicine.

His other works include: “What is the Origin of Man” (Seghers, 1988), “Moses and Pharaoh, the Hebrews in Egypt”, (NTT Mediascope Inc, 1994); and “Réflexions sur le Coran” (Mohamed Talbi & Maurice Bucaille, Seghers, 1989).

After a study which lasted ten years, Dr. Maurice Bucaille addressed the French Academy of Medicine in 1976 concerning the existence in the Qur’n of certain statements concerning physiology and reproduction. His reason for doing that was that :

“…our knowledge of these disciplines is such, that it is impossible to explain how a text produced at the time of the Qur’n could have contained ideas that have only been discovered in modern times.”

“The above observation makes the hypothesis advanced by those who see Muhammad as the author of the Qur’n untenable. How could a man, from being illiterate, become the most important author, in terms of literary merits, in the whole of Arabic literature?

How could he then pronounce truths of a scientific nature that no other human-being could possibly have developed at that time, and all this without once making the slightest error in his pronouncement on the subject?”.

Looking for bandwidth? That can be a daunting and frustrating task even in the best of situations. There’s lots to consider in order to make the right decision for your needs. Below you’ll find some help when evaluating Frame Relay vs VPN. Factors covered include Technology, Speed, Description, Application, Pros, Cons, and Costs.

~~~~~~~~~

Technology: Frame Relay

Speed: 56 Kbps – 1.544 Mbps

Description: A high-speed, packet based, data transmission service used in wide area networks (WANs) to connect multiple locations.

Application: Used to connect multiple locations to a main location or to each other.

Pros: Cheaper alternative to private line connections. Ability to burst when needed. Widely available.

Cons: Up-front equipment cost can be prohibitive.

Costs: Frame relay monthly cost starts at around a few $100 per location for a stable, reliable system. Price climbs as speed increases. However….the pricing for these connections varies widely depending on the carrier, location of service and the application for which the connection is being used.

~~~~~~~~~~

Technology: VPN

Speed: 56 Kbps – 1.544 Mbps

Description: VPN is a software-defined network that runs over a shared public network and offers the appearance, functionality and usefulness of a dedicated private network, at a price savings.

Application: A highly flexible method of communicating between locations via a secure tunnel on a large public network. Is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to Frame Relay and Private Line.

Pros: A user can access the network from any Internet connection. VPNs often cost less and are more flexible and scaleable than competing technologies.

Cons: The availability and performance of a company’s WAN is largely dependant on factors outside of their control.

Costs: VPN prices mirror that of dial-up or dedicated Internet Access. Cost of the VPN tunneling and encrypting is nominal. Expect to spend a few $100 at least for a stable, reliable system.

Michael is the owner of FreedomFire
Communications….including DS3-Bandwidth.com and Business-VoIP-Solution.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you’re always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.

The CIA’s motto is “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” That is hard to swallow to say the least.

The Fatimids and the Assassins seem to have made deals at the upper echelon of their society with many of their supposed enemies. The same was true of the Farsi and Pharisee lot who were highly regarded throughout the Roman and Parthian Empires before the Crusades. In the crusades they made their deals with the Knights and earlier times saw them dealing with Pythagoreans or a more direct relationship with the BEES or Berbers of the Stuart continuum from Mil or Mile, whenever and if ever he actually existed. That would go all the way back to 20,000 years ago according to Niven Sinclair who is one of their historians. Even at the start of the First World War the gentry of opposing sides still conducted soirees and other parties with each other. It has been such fun for them – I guess. You hear how the plebs are cannon and sword fodder throughout history and it seems we are when war is not happening as well.

The Kelts had free medicine for the poor and an educational system that lasted for 25 years. They were dangerous and had to be eliminated! They fought for Ariadne on Crete and others before her. They are the Hyksos (‘foreigners’) of Phoenician Sea People. They are the people who were eradicated on Easter Island and New Zealand under the watchful eye of a Romano-British plot that needs to be exposed! Even the bounty on the Beothuk is connected to this horror show that history has covered up for far too many years. If I sound upset, you can assume I have red hair like my nieces and nephews. I’m tired of war! How about you? Ogham was their language and the Britannica echoes the words of academics who deny it exists all over America by calling it scrapes from farm implements or the like. Right! Let us begin to hear the truth before we actually believe anyone. If they can’t tell us what they’ve done or why these things happen how can we TRUST? I don’t believe in death but that doesn’t mean I want humanity to end. If life is only counting score on the societal success ladder that allows such inhumane acts by insecure deviates then I don’t believe in that kind of life, either. In my recent book The Worldwide Prehistoric Import of the GREAT LAKES!, I have included numerous other illustrations and cited the words of experts.

One such expert was Edward Lanning who wrote Peru Before the Incas. This Columbia University researcher who spent 20 years in the field brought me artifactual proof in Lima, which confirms the ancient drug trade and the token/coded handshake as well as a description of Kelts just like that of Caesar in the Gallic Wars. If any academic read Caesar’s words of description regarding the Keltic fleet he met in Brittany, they would know the Kelts were in America a long time before Aristotle (or his student) said so in Strange Things Heard. These secrets and secret spying agencies have been our demise and they do not advantage us any as a whole society.

Certainly mankind has been the victim of far too many hoaxes and plots against the common good. That too must end! JFK was right to try to disband the CIA and Napoleon was not only an Emperor of France. Read why he wore the BEE symbol of the House of Mallia and the Merovingians. Then you’ll understand what has been going on. I assure you the words of Julius Caesar (Written by Hirtius his propagandist.) were very prolific and well perused as well as being rather one-sided. What has happened to man throughout history is less a matter of chance than it has been a plan. That plan has not been what Teilhard de Chardin called for when he said we need – “A CONSPIRACY OF LOVE!” Things are not single disciplinary or purely historical or archaeologic; we need to integrate all knowledge and develop wisdom or common sense. If we don’t become this informed as consumers, we are doomed. The Métis are likely remnants of Europeans who came to America through the millennium or two after Caesar and his kind subjugated freedom in Europe. They say:

“Principles of freedom included:
The Coureurs de Bois above all cherished the principle of
‘FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT’.
The Indians had exposed these first Frenchmen to the Principle
‘FREE TRADE’.
The Indians also challenged the French Principle of
‘One King, One Church’
with a new
DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
What did the fathers of the Métis see in the New World:”

This quote from www.agt.net/public/dgarneau/metis-a.htm is well worth considering as we go forward to meet the challenges of space and a universe where people are not limited any more than the God that exists within all lifeforms. And when we are certain about what lies off the coast of Cuba at the 2200′ depth under the Gulf of Mexico will anyone take notice that each of us needs to re-evaluate all the laws and morals we accept from those ‘experts’ who are often quite wrong. Just ask quantum physicists about how much flak truth can generate!

About the Author

Author of Diverse Druids, Columnist for The ES Press Magazine, Guest writer at World-Mysteries.com, http://www.lulu.com/gaianinstituteofarcaneknowledge

For those seeking to buy their first flat panel TV
display device, it is easy to be confused with conflicting and counter claims by
different interest parties. So what is the truth in the competition between LCD
and Plasma TV? Here’s are some pointers before you rush out and buy your flat
panel TV on impulse . Just consider and keep them in mind when choosing.

Actually, both types of technologies have their pros and cons.
Let’s start with various factors.

Picture Quality

Plasma TVs have better contrast ratios and show better blacks
than an LCD TV. That means in a dark scene, you are able to see images more
clearly defined. This is because in LCD technology, liquid crystals are unable
to shut off all the light completely due to the presence of the backlight
resulting in light leakage and therefore it is impossible to get absolute black.

I understand plasma TVs are able to produce better color
saturation than LCD TVs. Generally, the native resolution of LCD TVs are higher
than that of plasma TVs so you may get greater details when watching your
programs especially in high definition video sources.

Screen Size

If you looking for a really big screen, then you have to go
for plasma TV
as they are available in sizes up to 60 inches. LCD TV on the hand come in
maximum sizes of up to 40 inches. If you compare prices on both technologies for
the same screen size, you will also realise LCD TVs are more expensive.

Life span

You may also want to factor how long your new display device
can last. LCD TVs have a greater life span than plasma TV. They have a life span
of 60,000 hours compared to about 30,000 hours for plasma TVs.

Power consumption

Again LCD
TV have this advantage over plasma TV. Power consumption for LCD TV is 30%
less than plasma TV. With rising oil prices, maybe it is better to get an LCD
TV. Further more, plasma TV generate more heat and if you live in an
airconditioned home, the air con usage will definitely rise too.

Viewing Angle

If you are going to invite many guest to your homes, a plasma
screen will do better. It has a wider viewing angle than LCD TV. Guests can
easily view on either left or right side of the Plasma screen without fear
of the loss of image which is inherent of LCD TVs.

Response Time

If you enjoy action movies or sport programmes, plasma TV
offer a better deal as it can handle fast moving images better than LCD TVs.
Traditionally, Viewers see a blurry moving images for LCD TV . However, this may
no longer be the case as the response time for LCD TV has come down to as low as
12 milliseconds.

Burn in effect

Plasma TV suffers from this particular effect called burn in.
You get a permanent ghost like image stuck on your screen. This is the result
when you have static display over a long period of time.

About the Author

The writer is the webmaster of Buy Home Theater which covers the various aspects about buying a home theater.

I have had a few toolbox built web sites, and I used to know some HTML. Its been too many years since I did it, that much of the html code I had remembered is gone.

Many sites that you can build, even paid sites, have page builders that will add html coding when you type your plain text. Adding certain HTML coding, and links will get your new site noticed and page ranked with SEO sites, and search engines.

I remember the old webcrawler search engine, a SEO program is basically this, is crawls along web sites, and web pages, grabbing up links, and text to return you to a search page with pages to visit about the search information you wanted! How intelligent is that!

Making your site a page ranking winner involves either knowing some html coding, how to do links, or just click and type to find sites that do Search Engine Optimization.

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO as many call it, works by telling the search engines what to grab from your site, and return the results to search engines.

Search Engines are one of the backbones of the Internet, it is where pages rise and fall in ranking, and popular sites grab the glory, and unpopular ones fall lower and lower.

Getting page ranking is easy, if you use a SEO site, or know how to do code, or links for your web site, or web page.

The Uygur people of Xinjiang China are in really a very unenviable position.

They do not wear saffron robes and are not Buddhists (or at least not any more) so they do not attract the attention of the Richard Gere’s of this world as the Tibetans do. Somehow after “9/11″ being Muslim does not elicit a lot of world sympathy.

They live under a regime whose censorship laws are so harsh that you could be imprisoned ( and possibly worse) for handing out leaflets that are anyway negative of the state. So, they can not effectively get the message of their plight to the outside world.

They live in a country that is on the verge of an economic boom which has all the capitalists “free” nations around the world almost salivating to get a part of the bone and who are willing to bury any scruples or ignore any “minor issues” of human right abuses to do so.

But the Uygur are a Turkic people and until fairly recently that meant something important to them. They had a worldwide brotherhood of “kinsmen” stretching from the Central Asian plateaus through to the Caucuses and to Turkey. Among these “brothers” they sought solace, moral support and inspiration. In many instances their lives where saved by being able to step over the borders of Xinjiang into the neighbouring Turkic nations. Generations of Uygur intelligentsia have looked to Turkey for inspiration as leaders and supporters.

However, as recent new articles attest, this is no longer the case. Where, once they sought and received a shoulder, now the Uygur may face a fist. Where once they may have sought sanctuary more than likely now they will be marched back to the borders and forcibly repatriated no matter what their possible fate. Where once in Turkey they had parks named after their nationalist leaders now the Uygur organisations in diaspora are refused the right to hold peaceful international meetings.

This then is the reality of Central Asian and Turkish politics today where “brothers” can be ignored.

Is it because the Uygurs are international terrorists? Do they pose a threat to regional peace and safety? No, it is no more than a desire by these nations to curry favour with the Chinese.

The Central Asian states, predominantly run by near despots who came up from the ranks of the old Soviet regimes, see the wealth of opportunity of being viewed as supportive of Beijing. Trade deals, millions of dollars in potential investment and one plus billion potential consumers can do a lot to turn a fellows head. Being less than vocal in supporting the Uygur is a small investment indeed for the expected returns.

The “Great Game” of the 19th and early 20th centuries that was played out between Russia and Britain over Central Asia and north western China is back on and being joined by the likes of the United States, China, India and some European countries including Turkey. Each is trying for an economic and/or military presence. The Central Asians are falling over themselves in accommodation, hedging bets each way and that all for the sake of almighty dollar, yuan or ruble.

One of the articles I mention ( “Uyghurs offended at newspaper slur” Institute of War and Peace Reporting 23/1/04) cite, among other things, reports how a Kazakhstan newspaper essentially branded the 50,000 – 200,000 plus Uygurs (depending on whose figures you believe) living in Kazakhstan as terrorists and trouble makers. This is not a new story though it has not been as publicly stated before. In Uzbekistan for example there have been rumblings against the Uygur residents there for some time. The publication of this article, however, does mark a watershed for the Uygur.

Whilst the Kazakhstan Interior Minister distances his government from the opinions expressed in the news article one can not help thinking back to the early rumblings against another ethnic group. Not that one expects a “final solution” to the Uygur question but the outcome could be less than pleasant for the Uygur in Xinjiang and of Cental Asia generally if they continue to remain friendless in the world.

The Uygur truly are in an unenviable position. Alone in the world, championed by no one and now sold out by their brothers for 12 pieces of silver. It is hoped that they are happy with the money and do not want to take a part in the execution.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amateur “uygurologist” author and webmaster og the “uygurWORLD” group of websites

They once asked Bruce Lee, the famous martial arts movie star, his opinion on negative thoughts. He said, “Negative thoughts are like weeds in your garden. You must pull them out by the roots and destroy them.”

You can’t think negative thoughts and expect a positive outcome. In my book, “Masters of Motivation,” I share information from James Allen who wrote the masterpiece, “As a Man Thinketh.” (By man, Allen meant both man and woman.) Allen stated that thinking negative thoughts and expecting a positive outcome was similar to planting apple seeds and expecting tomatoes.

It sounds silly that someone would plant apple seeds and expect a tomato, but that is what people do with their thoughts all the time. They plant seeds of negativity and doubt and then expect success and happiness.

It won’t work. Why? Because it’s a Universal Law. By that I mean that everything in the Universe abides by specific laws. This particular Universal law is called Cause and effect. (For more detailed information on the Law of Cause and Effect and its importance to your life, go to http://www.bobgarner.com/thoughtpower.html.)

Planting apple seeds is the cause; the effect will be an apple tree. Planting seeds of negativity in your mind is the cause; the effect is a negative experience.

If you think you won’t get the raise, you won’t. If you think that you won’t make the sale, you won’t. If you think that you will never be able to drive the car of your dreams or live in the house you desire, you won’t.

However, if you think that you will get the raise, make the sale, or get that dream car, you eventually will. If you think the right thoughts.

Here is an exercise that I share in my workshops and in my new audio CD, “10 Steps To Help You Bring Your Desires To Reality.” It’s called, “Think About What You Think About.” The focus of this exercise is on helping you become the master of your thought activity.

1. Look for the patterns of thought or self-talk that has become habitual, as you think about your goal or interact with others. For example, when you are criticized by others or when others give you their negative opinion about your desires or goals – what thoughts automatically come into your mind?

Do you rationalize by saying, “They really didn’t mean it” or “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that comment.”

Do you counter-attack by stating, “I must be right, because I know they’re wrong!”

Do you feel sorry for yourself and cry, “Why did they say that?” or “No one ever likes what I do.”

2. Now ask yourself:

“Are my reactions of my own choosing or am I responding as I was taught?”

“Am I defending who I am by justifying what I did?”

“Is my response to always protect myself?”

List some of the negative opinions or criticisms of others that you can remember. List some of the negative thoughts that you give yourself, when you think about your goals or desires.

Write these thoughts down. Now write what you would normally say in response either to others or yourself.

Examine your responses. Undoubtedly, many will be automatic responses based on your past. It’s time to put away the past and deal with the present and move on to a glorious future. To do that, determine if you need to modify your responses so that you can react in a more positive way.

By listening to the working of our minds, we begin to live at a level above the automatic reaction of previous programming. We now live at a place of conscious choosing. Making our own choices requires a dedication to the uniqueness of self. It is assuming mastery over one’s own life. It is living in the NOW.

About the Author

Bob Garner is the author of “Masters of Motivation” and a new book called, “ESP – Untap Your Psychic Potential.” The creator of a number of CDs that have empowered thousands, Bob writes for numerous business magazines and speaks extensively worldwide on motivation and success. Sign up now for his free monthly newsletter called “Personal Success” at http://www.bobgarneronline.com.

Bind together two of people’s ultimate quests and you’ll track down a vogue normally named a sportsbook gambling web property. Truly, what could imaginably be more inventive… If you think of a bunch of sports devotees rooting for any preferred club, and all the time antes will be calculated parallel to the clamor. So as to get a bit of the anticipation, spectators will often strive to figure who is the likeliest to prevail in the forthcoming race. Put together, all of this evolves into a sociable little race known as sportsbook gambling web property.

So it is bound to appear neurotic, though actually sports betting is really purely diverting and of teaming up with one’s fellow sports fans. You can bet a a minor budget of wampum and all the same enjoy an excellent time. Below, you’ll find various basic hints to get started sports betting. If you want to bet, you will probably want to look up a sportsbook gambling web property, i.e. a setup that receives sportsbook gambling web property. In the United States, there’s a total of four states where you can go for sports betting in a legit manner, but if legality is no concern, you may do it everywhere assuming that you can find a bookie AND you’re legally of age. Many of the sporting contests you’ll be able to bet on are pro and, additionally, college league football + basketball, professional hockey, professional hockey, and, additionally, bets on both dog and horse racing. You’ll have a choice of risking some money on the global tally of a competition or game, at which point one of the contesting parties will go under, and even if a given tossed coin in a competition or game will come out heads or tails.

Lorenzo-Vera leads China Open by 1 shot

The betting establishment reckon with the maths to assist you guess which club you feel is most likely is the likeliest to prevail. First, we have the spread, i.e. point lead tallied to the weaker club that is presumed to lose by a defined number points. This is the sportsbook provider’s modus operandi of enabling disinterested bets for a sports book. For instance, a client may bet money on a contestant that is presumed to lose and and all the same make money on that bet assuming that the club is actually beaten by a defined number of points. We can select numerous systems of stakes- straight bets, parlay bets, and others, the straight being the best known in sports betting.

So, why don’t you simply give it a shot, and enjoy the excitement as well… Only safeguard you won’t get seized and blow your complete income frivolously… If you don’t you’ll be sure to end up unhappy about it for life…