Author: Serkadis

Well, well, well, what we’ve got here! Just look at this beauty! This is all new Sony Bravia NX. Quiet a stunning design, won’t you agree? Let’s see what we got here.

The NX sets come in 2 flavors: NX800 and NX700 models. The heart of the new line is the NX800 model, featuring Edge LED Backlit technology and integrated Wi-Fi capability. Available screen sizes include: 60, 52 and 46 inch models.

BRAVIA® KDL-60NX800
This model will be available in spring for about $4,600, this is what you can look for:
•       60-inch Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) Edge LED backlight LCD
•       Monolithic Design
•       Motionflow™ 240Hz Technology for Smooth Motion
•       Integrated Wi-Fi wireless network capabilities (802.11)
•       BRAVIA® Internet Video and Widgets
•       BRAVIA Engine™ 3
•       USB and DLNA® photo/music/video playback
•       Screen sizes include 52 (KDL-52NX800: $3,400) and 46-inch (KDL-46NX800: $2,800)

NX700 model packs the following  goodies for  you:

BRAVIA® KDL-46NX700
Available in spring for about $2,600
•       46-inch Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) Edge LED backlight LCD
•       Monolithic Design
•       Motionflow™ 120Hz Technology for Smooth Motion
•       Integrated Wi-Fi wireless network capabilities (802.11N)
•       BRAVIA® Internet Video and Widgets
•       BRAVIA Engine™ 3
•       USB and DLNA® photo/music/video playback
•       Also includes a 40-inch  screen size (KDL-40NX700: $2,100)

If you’re are going to sacrifice your billion dollar empire for a woman, shouldn’t said woman at least have an ass? If husband-humpin’ stick figures who lack morals send your hormones racing, you’re in for a treat…..

Jaimee Grubbs, one of at least 12 alleged mistresses romantically-linked to shamed golf pro Tiger Woods — strips down for lacy lingerie shots in the February issue of Maxim! On the sex-charged pages of this month’s issue — on stands Jan. 19 — the popular men’s mag quizzes the former VH1 reality personality on her three year affair with the married athlete, her future plans to become a teacher, and how she feels about Tiger today.

“I met him on a girls’ trip to Vegas. A VIP host sat us down at a table with three guys. Someone tapped him on the shoulder and said, “You don’t look like you’re having fun.” And I realized we were at Tiger Woods’ table,”says the 24-year-old cocktail waitress and aspiring model. “If I were to say anything to Tiger now it would probably just be he hurt me and makes me question the character he is with everything that has happened and all these women that are coming out.”

Bill hurts small construction businesses

Editor, The Times:

In their zeal to deliver a health-care bill by Christmas, Senate Democrats have inserted an 11th-hour jobs-killing provision that unfairly singles out the construction industry and threatens the viability of area small-home building firms and other businesses across the nation [“Final health-care bill may skip usual path, News, Jan. 5].

The provision stipulates that small construction-industry companies with five or more workers must offer health-care coverage to their workers — the same mandate required for big businesses with multimillion-dollar payrolls — or face stiff fines. Meanwhile, the mandatory health-care threshold for companies in all other industries is 50 or more workers.

To say that this provision is patently unfair is greatly understating the matter — it is also economically dangerous. With the construction industry currently charting an unemployment rate exceeding 18 percent and more than $200 billion in economic activity already lost in the past year, the additional impact of such a requirement would be extremely detrimental to communities like ours. Keep in mind that a majority of home-building firms in our local area and across America are small “mom-and-pop” operations that employ fewer than a dozen workers and are struggling to stay solvent amid the worst housing downturn in decades.

“Do no harm” is the guiding principle that all doctors abide by. In crafting health-care legislation, Congress must understand this concept also applies to America’s small businesses, which are the backbone of our economy.

If this provision targeting the construction industry is enacted into law, many small construction firms in our community and across the nation could be forced to shutter their doors, placing the housing industry on life-support. The consequences for housing and the economy are incalculable.

— Samuel L. Anderson, Bellevue

Why is America’s health so poor?

In the wake of recent national health-care debates, and as a current medical-student at UW, I find myself asking: “What factors contribute most to a healthy society?”

Though the U.S. spends more money on health care than any other nation, we consistently rank near-last among rich countries for most health indicators. We have higher rates of infant mortality, obesity and mental-health problems. Why is America’s health so poor compared with other industrialized countries?

The largest threat to our nation’s health may be income inequality. In the new book “The Spirit Level,” Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett document the correlation between income inequality and social problems like violence, teenage births, higher imprisonment rates and longer working hours. Sound familiar?

Those who enjoy social privilege also suffer from the diseases of inequality. For example, 25 percent of Americans from all class backgrounds suffer from mental illnesses. Wilkinson and Pickett suggest that almost every social problem in developed societies has inequality as its root cause. Let’s start talking about the consequences of living in an unhealthy, unequal society and push for reforms that move us toward greater equality.

— Libby Loft, Seattle

Competition across state lines would lower costs

To reform health care, one must make the system better, not just bigger. If you want to call it health-care reform, give us the right to buy insurance across state lines.

Since the days of “Hillarycare,” every Democrat and Republican alike told us that the ability to buy insurance across state lines would add competition and cut the cost of insurance. And they said they were going to get it for us! It was the one thing they all agreed on; a bipartisan solution to a real problem. Think of it! Real reform that wouldn’t cost the taxpayer one red cent and it would lower the cost of health insurance for every American. It’s a no-brainier! So, where is it?

Isn’t it a bit odd, that not one Republican nor Democrat, not one newspaper nor cable-news outlet is demanding the one real reform we all know will lower the cost of health insurance?

This so-called health-care bill is nothing more than an insurance company stimulus bill. Seriously, what else would you call a bill that will make another 30 million Americans buy health-care insurance, but only in the state they live in?

— Thomas Gassett, Everett

Handling of health care akin to that of the Christmas bomber

Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano says the “system worked,” referring to the TSA’s failure to prevent the suicide bomber from boarding the flight to Detroit. She is right. Everyone in the federal system performed exactly according to the rigidly detailed rules specified for their job — no more, no less.

They followed the rules, which is exactly how government systems work, with no room for judgment or imagination. This is exactly how the federal system of health-care commissions, agencies and bureaus will specify and rigidly apply defined rules in the federally regulated health-care system that Congress and the president are about to impose on America.

Will these bureaucrats make us as confident of the quality of our federally managed medical care as we now are of our TSA-managed safety on an airplane?

— Phil Scott, Maple Valley

Judges need ability to consider circumstances in police-slaying cases

As police officer Kent Mundell Jr. was honored at a memorial service held for him after being murdered in the line of duty, [“We all feel it,” page one, Jan. 6] Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire stated she will establish a commission because of the recent deaths of six police officers and seek opinions regarding either enhancements to existing laws or creation of new laws.

Laws designed to punish those who murder police officers while on duty must not have unconstitutional automatic clauses written into them that can be overruled after being improperly crafted. Sentencing guidelines need to have alternatives for judges to consider the circumstances.

The death penalty may be appropriate in some cases but an equally harsh sentence of life without parole, or a sentence of 50 years without any possible reduction, needs to be considered as an alternative if the life of an officer is taken in the line of duty by a perpetrator.

New laws must be crafted to prohibit this from happening to insure that those persons who murder officers in the line of duty receive equal treatment under the law — a constitutional requirement.

— Norm Colbert, Seattle

Police procession a waste

My heart goes out to any person who loses a loved one. However, I do not understand the expense associated with the procession of police cars that slow down traffic and fill the air with exhaust. Maybe police officers should all walk to the cemetery.

The officer was killed in the line of duty and police officers know that they are in harm’s way when they take on the job. When we honor men or women who die in the line of duty they are not around to appreciate the event. So, who really does benefit from the extreme cost the taxpayers fork out? Maybe hold a small, quiet family gathering and the money saved could go to benefit those in need.

I was born in Ukraine during World War II. I saw more humans die than I ever would want to. I am not without honoring our fallen, but I feel this is too extreme.

— Jennie Choban, B.C.

BinMaster® Level Controls of Lincoln, Nebraska, USA announces the SmartBob-SH and SmartBob-SHT sensors, which are specially designed for measuring the level of solid materials in storage and processing bins experiencing very high temperatures. The High Temp or SmartBob-HT model is for applications where the process temperature is over 240°F and under 500°F. The Super High Temp or SmartBob-SHT model can handle temperatures up to 900°F and has been used in coke-oven batteries that experience brief temperature bursts of up to 1685°F.

The SmartBob-HT and SHT sensors are configured with additional components that when installed properly, will safely operate in extreme temperatures. A 36-inch stainless steel standpipe is used to extend the remote away from the heat source and a stainless steel pipe extension fitted with a Teflon cable guide keeps the sensor probe out of the standpipe and level with the top of the bin. A standard air purge nipple allows a small amount of air to circulate through the mechanical cavity of the remote, helping it maintain an acceptable operating temperature. SmartBob-HT and SHT sensors are extremely rugged, featuring a durable, bare stainless steel cable and long-lasting motor design which is completely sealed in a strong, lightweight molded polycarbonate enclosure that is explosion proof and rated for Class II, Groups E, F & G certifications.

“SmartBob-HT and SHT are just two of various sensor options that can be used in conjunction with the SmartBob weight and cable inventory measurement system,” said Todd Peterson, BinMaster’s vice president of sales. “Like the standard SmartBob2 sensor, the HT and SHT high temperature models can be combined with the Windows-based eBob software program and remote push-button control consoles to provide a complete inventory management system for a variety of high temperature applications including the manufacture of steel or foundries processing ferrous and non-ferrous alloys.”

Arioso™ microporous membranes are composed of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and manufactured by a patented process. UHMWPE gives Arioso™ outstanding mechanical strength and chemical inertness. Possessing a unique filtration structure consisting of a micro and nano fibrillar multilayer network, Arioso provides exceptionally high filtration efficiency at an extremely low resistance to air flow. Providing 100% mechanical efficiency, this media does not rely on an electrostatic charge to collect particles from an air stream. Yet, because of its unique structure, it will greatly reduce the force required to move air through a filter when compared to other traditional mechanical filter media. In addition to reducing energy costs, Arioso’s versatility enables it to be designed in to wide range of filter configurations and applications.

Attributes:

•Porosity: Arioso™ membranes are highly porous, over 90% in certain grades. This results in high permeability and low resistance to flow.
•Unique structure: The micro and internal nano fibril multilayer network provides exceptional particulate collection efficiency. The structure is unique in its combination of depth and surface filtration and creates a surface loading structure for larger particles resulting in high dust rejection for dynamic applications. The fibrous structure is 3-dimensional and allows for high capture and holding capacity of smaller particles not filtered on the membrane surface.
•Non fiber releasing: Arioso™ is a continuous network of polyethylene fibrils. It is non-fiber releasing and offers very high strength and durability in comparison with other membranes.
•Durable: Arioso’s exceptional mechanical strength makes it ideal for filters that require dust release during back pulsing.
•Inert: UHMWPE gives Arioso™ its outstanding resistance to most chemicals (including solvents).
•High purity: The polyethylene membrane material has a very low extractable content.
•Environmentally Friendly: UHMWPE membrane contains no fluoropolymers and is more easily disposed and incinerated when compared to other conventional membranes.
•Water repellent: The polyethylene based membrane is hydrophobic by nature.
•Hydrophilic and oleophobic: These treatments are available when required. Additional treatment technologies are under development.
•Backer/Support: A wide range of backers are available for your specific pleating and application requirements.

So.tec’s fumes and oil mist filtration technology with coalescence plants has been recently applied and tested with success for suction of fumes from ovens of post-vulcanization of rubber.
The pilot plant, with a capacity of 2.000 m3/h, is very compact and changeable and sucts fumes from three ovens. The plasticizers’ content (phthalates) at the emission is lower than 0,04 mg/m3.
The plant has been working for five months with no maintenance required and without any change in parameters.

The V series CNC tube benders combine Draw, Roll and 1D Bending technology. This combination allows 2 different fixed radiuses and multiple large roll bending radiuses in a single part, as well as a programmable carriage boost for CLR = 1D Bending. Coupled with Individual Pressure Die Systems assist in each draw bending stack, it brings superior performance and flexibility.

Draw + Roll +1D Bending
The technology can create a part which has multiple draw bending radiuses (R1 & R2 ), while creating a larger radiuses through the roll bending process. Coupled with a settable carriage booster, it allows bending radiuses as small as 1 X OD.

Advanced DGT
SOCO’s unique DGT technology (Direct Gear Transmission) is the worldwide patented bending system that brings you the most efficient and stable bending process, offering the highest accuracy and repeatability in draw and roll bending.

The ultrasonic welders USP-M series have been designed and manufactured using the most updated CAD and CNC technologies. The mechanical and
electrical solutions available, allow optimum working conditions with a variety of regulation possibilities, making this welder suitable for different applications
welding. The certified reliability of the ultrasonic generators ensure a smooth welding process. The USP-M welders are available in three versions:

– with base
– bench type
– column type (possibility of integration into automatic lines)

The motion of the transducer holder head is achieved with a pneumatic system on high precision prismatic guides. The welder is equipped of a mechanical limit
switch to check the actual welding position. A wide range of generators extend the possibility selection: systems with an operating frequency of 20 and 30 kHz
and power from 500 to 3000 Watts are available.
The generators are technically advanced and totally digital. They are equipped by a backlight display and come enclosed into an elegant metal frame. One of
the most important features of this is welder is certainly the cycle control system, completely run by a MICROPROCESSOR.

Years before the famous Kermit the frog crooned, “It’s not easy being green,” Filtration Group challenged the notion by producing air filters for maximum performance and energy efficiency.

Today, with more than 65 years of experience, FGI remains on the forefront of thinking green, producing more than 40 million filters annually. One the many reasons for FGI’s success is its desire to provide its customers with the very latest filtration technology at competitive prices.

Enter FGI’s latest state-of-the-art offering: the Aerostar Series 400 Pleated Air Filter. Rated an unprecedented MERV 10, the new Series 400 high capacity pleat is unique because it utilizes 100% synthetic media without artificial surface enhancement to achieve exceptionally high levels of efficiency with the lowest resistance to air flow available on the market.

Designed for use in commercial buildings, hotels, industrial facilities, airports, schools, universities or any application desiring higher levels of air filtration, the filter is effective in removing many airborne irritants such as pollens, molds, dander and dust. In addition, the filter can protect cooling coils, ductwork, and other components of the HVAC system from dust and dirt.

The combined annual energy costs for U.S. commercial buildings and industrial facilities is $202.3 billion, according to Energystar.gov. The “portion of energy in buildings used inefficiently or unnecessarily” is reported at 30 percent. The improved Series 400 pleat is designed to reduce a building’s energy footprint, lower cost and improve IAQ.

“The Series 400 high capacity jumped from a MERV 8 rating to a remarkable MERV 10 rating,” said Eugene Beck, Business Unit Manager, Commercial & Industrial, FGI. “The HC initial resistance has been lowered from 0.27” to an industry leading 0.17”. The 37% lower resistance provides considerable energy savings for our customers.”

What’s next in filter development from FGI? In support of the company’s commitment to excellence, new innovations are in the works. In the meantime, FGI will continue its legacy of thinking green by seeking new opportunities that protect the environment and ensure its products provide maximum performance and energy efficiency.

Compact. Three-Phase.
These 3.03 inch diameter motors (3.11 inch diameter over weld seam) are the smallest ElectroCraft offers and are designed for continuous duty in a 40°C ambient temperature. At nominal 1650 or 3450 rpm, ratings range from 1/150 to 1/10 HP (Contact your area sales representative for intermittent ratings, higher ambient, or TENV construction).

Paul Dorpat has nothing to be ashamed of

I was saddened to see an apology by Paul Dorpat in this Sunday’s Times [“An apology to readers,” Pacific Northwest, Jan 3].

First of all, any true Northwest native loved an Ivar put-on story and understood that it was the zany, fun kind of Northwest humor that all of us looked forward to reading and repeating to others.

Secondly, and most important, the state — particularly the Western part of the state — owes a huge debt of thanks for the tremendous, accurate history that Dorpat has supplied to archives, writers, citizens and students for many, many years.

If there are those who would say otherwise, perhaps they should say it very quietly to those of us who have benefited by Dorpat’s contributions in knowledge to those, like me, who drive 10 miles every Sunday to buy The Times, just because his column is in it and The Times is no longer delivered in our area.

Paul has nothing to be ashamed of. For those who have made it an issue — shame on them.

— Gene Woodwick, Ocean Shores

Dorpat added to legend

Get a grip, Fairview Fannie.

Paul Dorpat does not need to apologize to his readers for his part in the “Ivar-Subgate” prank last spring.

Instead of a nod and a wink at the “gotcha” and a good laugh in the spirit of Ivar Haglund, we get a reaction more akin to a dowager’s harrumph.

That Dorpat and his fellow travelers built a story on and added to Ivar’s legend in Seattle, only shows the collective wit and humor that is needed.

— Jim Perry, Issaquah

PEOPLE’s “Sexiest Man Alive” undergoes quite a transfomation for his next big screen role as The Mad Hatter. On Wednesday, Disney released a new promotional image which shows Hollywood hunk Johnny Depp with shocking orange hair and a pale face in Tim Burton’s upcoming 3D fantasy feature, Alice In Wonderland.

The film hits theaters March 5.

Panasonic is betting hard on 3D, pushing out not only a new 3D camcorder, but also a full line of 3D Viera HDTVs.

Love is in the air this first week of 2010: 30 Rock’s own Jane Krakowski is engaged to marry boyfriend Robert Godley, co-founder of the upscale Psycho Bunny menswear.

“Jane Krakowski and Robert Godley are thrilled to announce that they are engaged to be married,” a rep for the actress told The Insider Wednesday. “Mr.Godley proposed to Ms. Krakowski over the holidays.”

The couple, who has been dating for more than a year, has not picked a date for the ceremony yet.

Kwikset’s new SmartCode Lever allows you to rest assured your home is always locked when it needs to be. SmartCode, which is an addition to Kwikset’s Home Connect product line, allows users to remotely connect to their home door locks and check its lock status. It enables you to automatically arm or disarm your security system from any internet browser or web-enabled cell phone. This is the only web enabled door lock on the market. As added security, SmartCode can also send you text message alerts anytime somebody enters your home. The lock itself is a keyless touchpad electronic lock with a one-touch locking mechanism. It is designed to be used on basically any door in your house; your front door, the door from your garage to your home, even a home office.  Kwikset also announced a new motorized deadbolt today at CES, which works in conjunction with SmartCode. Pricing and availability is to be determined.

It’s time to grab your dark shades and break out the Brain Bleach — A sex tape featuring Jersey Shore’s pint-sized loudmouth Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi could soon hit the shelves of your favorite adult toy store.

In a candid chat with the Jan. 11 issue of Life & Style, the 22-year-old self professed “Princess of Poughkeepsie” admits she’s allowed her bedroom stylings and pickle-suckin’ practices to be immortalized on tape during a few past hookups with her beloved “juicers.”

Of course, all that was long before she became the breakout star of the season’s trashiest reality hit. Snooki says she’d never try to cash in on any archived footage. “I don’t want people to watch me doing that,” she says. “It’s a private thing.”

Whille Snooki might think her homemade skin flicks are for her eyes only, someone could earn a mayjah payday if any of that footage ever made it into the right hands. Steven Hirsch, founder of celebrity-stalking porn giant Vivid Entertainment, tells Life & Style that a sex tape starring the heavily-tanned Italian could sell for between “$1 million and $3 million.”