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Ukraine’s presidential election yesterday—which appears headed to a second round run-off on Feb. 7 between the two leading candidates, Viktor Yanukovych and Yulia Tymoshenko—unfolds against the background of financial ruin.

It has long been obvious that the defeat of the incumbent, Viktor Yushchenko, who has painted himself into the anti-Russian nationalist corner, would produce a political rapprochement between Ukraine and Russia. Mr. Yanukovych is committed to non-alignment (meaning no application for NATO membership) while Ms. Tymoshenko promises to submit to popular referendum any decision to join a military alliance (in practice ruling out NATO membership, which, as revealed by a long series of opinion polls, is opposed by a solid majority of Ukrainians).

What seems much less widely appreciated is the prospect of this geopolitical shift being magnified by Ukraine’s imminent national bankruptcy—casting Russia in the role of “Abu Dhabi” to Ukraine’s “Dubai” in the sense of easing the financial distress of a closely related neighbor.

Read the rest of the story at WSJ.com — >

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• ‘Alarmist’ Gas Crisis Turns To Rationing As UK National Grid Cuts Off Factory Supplies
• The IMF Won’t Bail Out Ukraine, As Government Finances Deteriorate Beyond Repair
• Pro-Russian Candidate Wins First Round Of Ukrainian Election

SAN DIEGO — New York is halfway toward that Super Bowl parade promised by coach Rex Ryan after rookies Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene led the Jets to a stunning 17-14 upset of the San Diego Chargers in the divisional playoffs.

Sanchez threw a go-ahead, 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dustin Keller three plays into the fourth quarter, then Greene gave the Jets some breathing room with a 53-yard scoring run on their next possession.

The upstart Jets (11-7), who have won seven of their last eight games, advanced to the AFC championship game at top-seeded Indianapolis next Sunday.

The Chargers (13-4) not only saw their 11-game winning streak end, but suffered yet another playoff pratfall after earning the AFC’s No. 2 seed.

Photo: Jets’ Shonn Greene celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter. (Stephen Dunn / Getty Images)

Read the original article from Tribune News Services.

In an interview with The Gold Report posted at MineWeb, well-known gold bull Howard Ruff makes an argument for silver:

TGR: You recommend buying gold bullion and coins. How about silver?

HR: I like silver a lot better than gold. I think you will make two or three times more money in silver than gold.

TGR: Is that because of the price today or is it a general phenomenon?

HR: It’s general. The first time I recommended gold and silver was back in the ’70s, and we made twice or three times more money in silver than in gold. I want people to buy silver for several reasons. When people start trying to beat inflation by investing in precious metals, it’s a lot easier to buy silver because it’s a lot cheaper. The average investor can buy some of that rather than buying gold. Also, because gold is so much more expensive, it doesn’t have a lot of utility. It’s like buying $1,000 bills. So as a hedge against inflation, I think people are a lot better off in silver.

TGR: Do you follow the gold/silver ratio?

HR: I follow it as it’s an important measurement of relative money, but I am basing my decisions on history, and history tells me that silver will outperform gold. That may not be the case from day to day or over a particular short time period, but that’s where the money will be made over the long haul.

And, as many precious metal investors do, he also likes mining, particularly uranium:

TGR: Is it true that you’re also somewhat enthusiastic about uranium?

HR: I am very much. Uranium mining interests me because there’s going to be demand. There are enough nuclear plants either under construction or on the drawing boards that there’s only half enough uranium above ground to service their needs. Again, the most conservative uranium investment will be the big producers, followed by the development companies that have found some uranium and are making deals with companies to finance their operations, followed-again-by the exploration companies and then the holes in the ground surrounded by liars.

Read the whole interview at MineWeb — >

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Watch Out: There’s No Shortage Of Uranium Anytime Soon
• Wanna Hedge? Think Silver Not Gold
• Howard Ruff: Buy Gold Miners To Make Money, Buy Physical Gold To Protect Your Family

I just finished sorting through the last of 12 bins of stuff. A few days ago, I sorted through 20 bins. So, I think I may now be able to offer a few pointers to anyone else who’s sorting through a ton of stuff, either because of an impending move or because of an estate issue. (I actually have years of experience with this type of thing! The first time I got too much stuff to sort through all at once was when I bought a house crammed with stuff. It was an estate sale and the woman who had passed away kept quite a lot of things. Her family took a few things and then left the rest because they felt overwhelmed. The next time was when a family member moved to a retirement community. The next time, another house filled with stuff that the previous owners didn’t clear out before settlement. And so on.) Before you run weeping to a hotel and refuse to go back home until the stuff is gone, give my tips for sorting out way too much stuff a try:

• Break the job into sections. Twenty bins or even 12 bins was way too much to handle. So, I divided the amount of stuff by the amount of days I had to sort through it. The last set or bins I divided by two days, which meant six a day. If you have a month to get the job done, you can do a lot less a day, but I hate cluttery messes and do as much sorting and organization as possible in a day.
• Set up sorting stations in each room. I label a bag for trash, a bag for charity (Nothing like getting to the thrift store and realizing you’re holding the wrong bag and you threw away the stuff to donate…) and a bin for each category of whatever I’m sorting in that room. For example, if you are sorting a toy room, you might want to have an animal bin, a stuffed pet bin, a car bin, a doll bin, etc.
• Get help. If you are sorting kids’ stuff or sentimental family stuff, enlist someone else to help you with the iffy things. For example, you might tell a child that you are going to give away ten old toys to make room for the mounds of birthday gifts he or she just got and then have the child tell you to keep or donate until you reach the magic number. You’ll be surprised at the toys your child won’t part with or can’t stand.
• Be ruthless. If you have the slightest hesitation over whether something is worth keeping, it probably isn’t. (If you are dealing with possible collectibles or antiques, box the discards up to take them to an appraiser before donating them.)

Do you have any tips for sorting out way too much stuff all at once?

Photo: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

How to Sort Out an Overwhelming Amount of Stuff

Comme pour tant d’autres, groupes ou marchés, la seconde partie de l’année aura été bénéfique pour Renault, qui termine sur une note positive, alors que le succès de Dacia se confirme.

–> L’actualité de Renault en continu, c’est sur le Fil News du Losange.

–> Retrouvez également les bilans des grands marchés déjà parus: USA, UK, Italie, Allemagne, Espagne.

———————————————

–> C’est ainsi que le groupe finit l’année avec une part de marché mondial VP de 4,3%, en hausse de 0,2 point, et sur un marché lui-même en baisse de 4,2%. La marque est revenu cette année sur le podium européen, à la 3ème. place. Les primes diverses des gouvernements ont bien évidemment favorisé Renault et Dacia, comme d’autres constructeurs ayant une offre conséquente sur les segments A à C.

-En incluant les VU, cette part passe à 3,7% (+0,1 point). Sur les VU, Renault reste par ailleurs N°1 en Europe occidentale depuis plus de 10 ans.

-Dacia de son côté progresse de 93% en Europe, pointant à 1,3% de part de marché et fait d’ailleurs désormais partie du top 10 en France.

-La Corée du Sud devient le 3ème. marché du groupe après la France et l’Allemagne, grâce à la progression de Samsung à domicile, +31%, soit 9,3% de part de marché.

A noter qu’en Suisse, Renault se classe 2ème. avec 6,3% de part de marché (7,3 pour le groupe), et que la marque est N°1 au Portugal (11,9% PDM)

–> Du côté des modèles, on note le succès de la Twingo II, 175 000 exemplaires vendus, 64% de hausse en France. La Mégane a également trouvé sa place aux avant-postes du segment C en Europe, et le Scenic est le monospace N°1.

-Ca va beaucoup moins bien, on le sait, pour la Laguna III, mais il faudra attendre les chiffres des grands marchés par modèle,qui ne sont pas encore publiés, pour avoir une idée précise.

–> Evidemment, Le succès du groupe, c’est Dacia, qui va bien partout (sauf en Inde où la mayonnaise ne prend pas du tout pour l’instant). Et si on en juge par la quantité de requêtes Google que génére la moindre nouvelle info sur le Duster, qui sortira au printemps, on ne se fait pas trop de soucis pour Dacia en 2010…

–> Renault enregistre toutefois sa première baisse en volumes hors d’Europe en 10 ans, invoquant l’effondrement de certains marchés, notamment russe et roumain. Les ventes hors d’Europe représentent 34% des volumes du groupe.

–> Pour 2010, Renault Prévoit une baisse de 8 à 10% en Europe, et se donne pour seul objectif l’accroissement de ses parts de marché. Pour ce faire, le groupe compte notamment sur l’arrivée de la nouvelle SM5, du Duster et du nouveau Master du côté des utilitaires.

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Filed under: Health, Healthy Eating, Eat This

While I was staying with my parents over the holidays I was chopping celery to go into a salad. My mom commented that she never buys celery since it has no food value. I stopped chopping and gawked at her. “What do you mean ‘no food value’? Celery is … Read more

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Filed under: Morning Scoop

Each morning, we dish out a few links we love.

In Winnipeg, Police officers want paid time off to go to the gym, arguing that many criminals are in better shape than them. Alternatively, they could just save their donut money and the cost might … Read more

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MS Paint aficionado scorpiongold (his YouTube account name) spent four years creating this “masterpiece.” At 2.5mx2.3m, it’s more than a mere painting—it’s an entire world, filled with fanciful whimsy and magical characters. Did I mention it took four years?

As for the hairband soundtrack? Well, like all hairband music, it’s a bit older than four years. And yet, it’s oddly fitting given the circumstances. Interpret the “insane” however you want in this case.

Four years. [YouTube via Geekologie]

Namiki Precision Jewel Co.Ltd launches a micro brushless motor
with the outer diameter 2 mm. A wide variety of reduction ratio
as planetary gear head is available.

SBL02-06HPG337
+Stall torque 0.69 mNm
+No load speed 160 rpm
+ DC 3V

SBL02-06H1PG79
+Stall torque 0.2 mNm
+No load speed 650 rpm

SBL02-06H1PG18
+Stall torque 0.058 mNm
+No load speed 2,900 rpm

SBL02-06H1PG4.3
+Stall torque 0.017 mNm
+ No load speed 12,000 rpm

This motor is suitable for actuator of endoscope and catheter.

When undertaking PCR reactions it is important to protect against contamination by DNA from any source. The PCR cabinet, reagents and equipment must be thoroughly decontaminated prior to a PCR process.

UV irradiation is an efficient steriliser, breaking down DNA sequences so that replication cannot occur in a subsequent amplification process. The necessary UV exposure times vary from as little as 5 minutes to a maximum of 30 minutes.

UV is effectively utilised in both the Bigneat UV Sterilisation Cabinet and the Bigneat PCR Workstation. The PCR Workstation additionally protects against contamination by bathing the PCR apparatus in sterile air and limiting risk of contamination from the operator’s arms, or from any equipment bought into the otherwise sterile environment. A positive pressure ensures that there is no ingress of airborne contaminants from the surrounding laboratory environment.

Walter Titex X·treme DM20 and DM25, solid carbide micro high performance drill with internal cooling :

– optimised flute geometry for reliable chip removal for small diameters and large drilling depths.

– high level of process reliability without pecking.

– much greater productivity in comparison to HSS drilling and reaming tools, single lip drills, and solid carbide drills with pecking .

AirBlock Refrigerated Truck Curtains from Simplex Isolation Systems maintain desired temperatures inside refrigerated and insulated trailers, even in the hottest weather. Eliminate the loss of cold air during entry and exit and cut the run time on your refrigeration unit by as much as 50%, reducing fuel costs, equipment replacement and maintenance costs.

Experience less produce shrinkage, thawing of frozen foods and preserve the freshness of dairy products. AirBlock Refrigerated Truck Curtains install easily and come with all necessary hardware, including side-mount brackets for roll-up doors, allowing you to easily remove curtains for fast loading of trucks or trailers. Simplex’s patented mounting systems hold up under heavy use.

You can also mount a second set of curtains inside the trailer to create colder interior spaces. This will allow you to create frozen food areas in trailers, while providing for other portions of the trailer that can accommodate produce, meats and cheeses and dairy that only require varying degrees of refrigeration.

Simplex curtains are made from virgin vinyl compounds that are UV stabilized to prevent yellowing, cracking or curling.
Founded in 1979, Simplex Isolation Systems designs and manufactures truck curtains, strip doors, and other separation products, as well as custom cleanrooms that are modular and easily expandable, and a number of other products for use in process isolation and contamination control. Simplex products are distributed in the U.S and Canada through a nationwide dealer network. To learn more about the complete line of isolation systems and safety products and solutions from Simplex, call 1-800-854-7951, or visit the Simplex website at www.SimplexIsolationSystems.com.

In an effort to reduce environmental pollution, the European Union has established certain rules about emissions from heavy and light goods vehicles. One method adopted by vehicle manufacturers to allow compliance is SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction), which chemically reduces NOx-emissions by combining an aqueous urea solution (AUS) such as Adblue® with the exhaust flow.
Whilst hand held refractometers and hydrometers are commonly used to assess AUS-32 concentrations at point of use, manufacturers of the chemical are required to adhere to a much higher level of control as laid out in ISO 22241-2.
Leading instrument manufacturer Bellingham + Stanley Ltd. has launched a new refractometer specifically designed to meet the requirement of the ISO standard by paying particular attention to the on-board Peltier temperature control. Being part of the RFM900 series of refractometers, users of the RFM990-AUS32 will not only be assured of the highest measurement performance but will also benefit from other unique features such as RFID user identity/clearance, significant on-board data storage, calibration audit trails and a methods system that makes changing instrument parameters a simple two-button process.
Two new Certified Reference Materials have also been introduced allowing high accuracy verification to be performed.

Bonfiglioli is presenting its “AgilE” Series of sensorless vector inverters. This innovative series of inverters covers power requirements from 0.25 to 11 kW, single and three phase, 400 and 230 Volts, and is designed to improve efficiency and effectiveness in all plants. Agile inverters make all the benefits of modern drive technology, including open loop vector control of brushless motors, MMC memory cards and networked management available for sensorless drive applications.

Agile inverters are extremely easy to use at all stages of their life cycle. An intuitive menu structure, clearly marked terminals and easy programming of the built-in PLC function make installing and starting up an Agile drive extremely simple and do away with the need for specialist resources.

Start-up and running costs are kept down by the provision of ready-to-use pre-programmed functions, that guide even inexpert programmers towards the ideal configuration, and by a standby mode that lets you disable functions that are not needed when the unit is not driving the motor, resulting in important energy savings under active but idle conditions.

Agile inverters are equipped with various integrated system buses based on CANopen and Modbus protocols and also boast an impressive nine digital and two analog inputs and four digital (including a relay) and one analog outputs.

Even the basic model features an input for 24 V back up power and an EMI filter, as well as a “Safe torque off” function. The mechanical solutions for installation in control panels are intelligent, too: the range includes versions for feed-through mounting and DIN rail adapter, and a Cold Plate version means that these inverters can be used with all types of cooling surface.

In designing the Agile Series, Bonfiglioli has paid extra attention to product lifecycle issues: the result is a drive capable of guaranteeing a significantly longer than average working life. Parts subject to wear, like the fan and capacitors, can be replaced quickly and easily to extend the drive’s useful life in tough and demanding applications.

The Agile Series even includes a special version with dielectric capacitors that last longer than conventional capacitors.

The smallest sizes of Agile inverters do not even require a fan, guaranteeing maintenance-free operation for the entire lifetime of the unit. Advanced diagnostic, prediction and troubleshooting functions make the Agile Series a valuable aid in achieving continuity in any automated process.

Wyomissing, Pa. (December 3, 2009) – Carpenter Technology Corporation has announced the availability of Carpenter PremoMet™ alloy for consideration as a lower-cost alternative to many cobalt-containing steel alloys. With its superior strength, toughness and fatigue resistance, even in high-load applications, PremoMet alloy could be considered for many high-demand power train components in heavy-duty diesel engines and other commercial transportation and locomotive applications.

PremoMet alloy is a patent pending, ultra-high strength, high toughness, quenched and tempered alloy steel. Thanks to its advanced strength and fracture toughness properties, it may enable designers to lighten the weight of parts for high-load applications by as much as 25%. The weight reduction estimates are based on the attainable ultimate tensile strength of 2,040 MPa (296 ksi) combined with the fracture toughness which is much higher than the lower-strength alternatives. Refer to the table for technical comparisons with several alloy steels currently in use.

Lighter-weight components could result in a reduction of stress on other parts, meaning lower energy consumption throughout a product’s lifecycle.

PremoMet alloy is available exclusively from Carpenter in bar, hollow bar, wire, strip, plate and billet forms and can be plated.

For more information about Carpenter’s PremoMet alloy and other Carpenter alloys, e-mail [email protected] or telephone +1(610) 208-2000 or +1 (800) 654-6543.

Carpenter Technology Corporation, based in Wyomissing, PA, USA, is a leading manufacturer and distributor of specialty metals including stainless steel and titanium and various engineered products.