You could argue that despite being obsolete the Siemens SIMATIC S5 range of programmable logic controllers remain one of the most popular automation systems on this planet, with a large number of manufacturers around the globe still reliant on this technology.

Manufactured and sold by Siemens AG, the Siemens SIMATIC S5 range was first previewed at the Hannover Fair in 1979 and quickly established itself a firm favourite with machinery manufacturers, system integrators, panel builders and automation distributors. During the early 1980’s automation customers were demanding increased system functionality and the SIMATIC S5 range was the answer.

Available in a range of different chassis styles (90U, 95U,101U,100U,115U, 135U, and 155U) the Siemens S5 gave users a choice of several CPUs, memory types, i/o, power supplies, communication cards, interface modules and function modules. These S5 options could be configured to suit the users production requirements and budget. A general rule of thumb is the higher the S5 chassis number, the more sophisticated and more expensive the system. Siemens SIMATIC S5 are versatile and can be used in any number of industries and functionalities.

In the mid 80’s programming on the Siemens S5 became far simpler due to the introduction of operator panels and graphical programming tools such as Step 5. Step 5 is PC based software programming tool which is the main tool for programming, testing, and commissioning, programs for SIEMENS S5 SIMATIC PLCs. The original Step 5 versions ran on the CPM operating system. Later versions ran on MS-DOS, and then versions of Windows through Windows XP. The final version of Step 5 is version 7.2. No further development of this product line has occurred since that time, due to its announced obsolescence.

Despite being obsolete Siemens S5 remains a popular platform and can be found installed in thousands of manufacturing facilities across the globe. Increasingly users are migrating to Siemens Simatic S7, the latest generation programmable logic controllers from Siemens AG.

In a fast-pace society that promotes information through technological channels, culture has become a powerful and creative tool that can be reached through home computers. Instead of exposing children to hours of television watching or computer games, you can use technology to achieve higher educational benefits. Bring your children closer to knowledge by introducing them to e-culture, which is virtually free and can be monitored by parents and teachers. Integrate the following steps to encourage your children to be more engaged:

1. Visit virtual museum collections by introducing your children to websites of key world museums. These are very rich in information and work strongly on visual aids; some have WebPages dedicated to children and e-learning.

2. Enter forums of cultural foundations/organisations within your region so that children can acquire knowledge of cultural activities in their immediate environment. This can open doors for them to participate in activities and workshops and keeps them up-to-date with local projects.

3. Encourage your children to subscribe to reputable agencies that specialise in cultural exchange. Such can include pen-pal sites (under parental permission) which link up children from different countries. This can be axed on language exchange skills for example.

4. Free internet sites that publish world music are excellent media for accustoming children to different musical heritage. Coupled with lyrics this is an effective tool for language acquisition and ear development training opportunities.

5. Try exploring culture with your children through different culinary sites that compile recipes from around the world. Especially interesting sites include information on the origins of cooking techniques, ingredients and ethnic backgrounds to promote international cuisine, while teaching children the value of trying different tastes.

The internet is a powerful educational tool for families and rather economical. It can provide, under supervision, knowledge, entertainment and education for children that do not benefit from the possibility to travel extensively. This can become a catalyst for a child’s future wants, dreams and aspirations to be a true citizen of this earth with a cultivated ‘global heart’.

THESE days I’m no longer afraid of tears. I’m not afraid to cry, and, in fact, I find weeping is the touch of God in my life. I’m not worried about how I will look or how vulnerable I’ll appear. If anything, my tears bring glory to God.

Tears. I learned something about them a long time ago now. The first time I faced a life-jarring grief – over a decade ago. I learned that tears brought me into the very Presence of God in my grief, for tears represented surrender.

Tears are a beacon of a heart’s longing for the impossible. And because the impossible cannot be realised, there is surrender; tears.

Learning the consummate spiritual value in surrender is the biggest life lesson ever.

Everything else is secondary; surrender leads us directly or ultimately to acceptance.

Acceptance is very simply the meaning of life; principally, the acceptance of truth.

***

Those given to tears must realise how close they come to touching heaven whenever they are touched.

I can look at an image of my deceased son, Nathanael, and immediately be welling up with sea billows that roll. The image at his funeral with his Mum, looking over his open casket, forlorn and broken – such an image floods my mind not only with emotions of empathy for the eternal sadness of a life away from God in the body; it floods my heart with matters of emotion I cannot comprehend.

It’s a longing for eternity, itself.

Yet, my time here is not done, and I have much to live for.

But there is now a reframing of life that’s occurred that is irrevocable. No longer do the things of this world hanker for my attention as they used to. There is a certain resignation that this is not all there is.

Touching heaven is changing earth. My earth is changed. It is changed for the better. It is changed supremely.

As a matter of practice I am drawn to remembering my son. Each time I do this – to spend a special moment with him, by the side of a memory – God comes into the space and communes quietly with us. Most times God communicates he is there simply via the experience of something new.

Eternity in the living moment, here and now, is a sacred and avidly quiet space. I wonder if there is a better experience over the whole earth to be had. I think not.

***

I wonder what God had in mind when he brought the dual blows to bear over our son’s life. Surely it was not for our suffering alone. We count the blessings over and above our suffering Nathanael’s loss. And there are so many of them as to make counting irrelevant.

Having suffered the loss of Nathanael we have learned so many lessons that could not have been learned otherwise.

Certain things in a life shrouded by eternity are unknowable. Acceptance for what cannot be understood is a portent of peace in an otherwise wearying life.

In a life shrouded by eternity, we have much more perspective of what life is and what it contains and what it can bring. We are so vulnerable. We fool only ourselves if we will not be partakers in the heavenly gift.

***

And what of this heavenly gift? It is more unknowable than anything. We have only human faculties for thought and ingenuity and creation. We proffer what life is; its purpose and meaning. We can only ever postulate. We cannot know it other than by what we believe.

What is God teaching us in this grief? What is God intending we learn from a life encounter that is only reconciled in heaven?

God is teaching us to hope. Faith is the only way through. We are being taught to hope for a touch of the untouchable. We have learned that there is nothing like faith.

Faith will bear us up upon the wings of patience.

***

It is so hard to look at someone who God gave us who has now passed away.

God would have us know that we have our loved ones for the time he determines. The reasons they are taken from us are unfathomable. There is much more reason to be at peace with what we cannot understand than rail against it.

We think only in terms of our pain. God’s perspective hardly registers. God’s perspective superintends our pain. It contains our pain. But God’s perspective is utterly voluminous.

The Christian worldview informs us in a healthy way regarding our suffering. We are truthful about how the pain we endure makes us feel. We also believe in a hope just beyond us in eternity.

***

Nathanael, sweet boy,

Sweet little man we held,

God holds you in glory,

Emotions of eternity come to meld.

Nathanael, sweet boy,

Little man, little son, little brother,

Heaven’s joy,

Save your blessings for your mother.

Nathanael, sweet boy,

Special in every eternal way,

Heaven’s alloy,

Until we make it to you on that Day.

© 2015 S. J. Wickham.

It’s not often that I’m impressed when I look at a scooter or moped. I generally don’t like them. But this one is different. The XM-5000Li electric moped by X-Treme Scooters has a lot of great features for such a low-priced machine, including a boatload of power. Most mopeds are underpowered weaklings without much excuse for their existence. Not this one.

The XM-5000Li is 100% electric and has a 5,000 watt rear hub motor, but still manages to be very lightweight because of it’s lithium-ion batteries (thus the “Li” in the name), coming in at only 216 pounds total weight. Two can ride comfortably, since it can carry up to 400 pounds in payload.

The motor is mounted on the rear hub, so there’s no chain or belt, which is normally the highest-maintenance part on electric mopeds. the XM-5000Li has also got ABS braking on both wheels and a maximum range of about 85 miles with a top speed of 60mph. Impressive for such a small machine.

For practicality, the XM-5000Li is pretty good on features too. It’s got a cargo space under the seat that’s about the size of a large bag of groceries and a stable kick stand as well. The seat is about 34 inches high and it uses a twist throttle like a motorcycle and has an easy-to-read LED dash. The tires are standard moped/motorcycle-sized and so are easily found after-market for replacement, if needed. The batteries have a 2-year warranty and will likely last 5-7 years under normal use.

This is a great get-around electric moped with a lot of potential for use in the urban and suburban market. I’m not easily impressed, especially by mopeds and scooters, but this one gets an “A.” Along with it’s little brothers, the XM-3500Li electric moped and the XM-3000 electric moped, the XM-5000Li electric moped is available right now for about $6,000, nationally, through independent distributors as a 2009 model.

There’s an undeniable connection present when a man and women are in love. They are kindred spirits and the woman, in particular, can usually tell when her man is holding back. If you feel there’s some hesitation on his part you obviously want to know how to draw him closer. Being as connected as you possibly can is the ultimate goal and that’s difficult to do if he’s pulling back or creating a bit of distance. If you want to get your man to be more open to you, it’s definitely possible. You just have to know how to touch the triggers within him that will allow the emotional flood gates to open so he feels as close to you as he possibly can.

Understanding how to draw him closer is about learning the right way to appeal to his heart. One thing that many women overlook when they are trying to forge an unbreakable emotional bond with a man is that he wants to feel better about himself when he’s with you. If a woman can pump up a man’s ego so he feels like a hero in her eyes, she’ll own his heart. You do need to be somewhat subtle about this though. Ask him to help you with things or look for his opinion on important issues in your life. Tell him how grateful you are for his wisdom and assistance. He’ll feel better about who he is as a man and that will create a strong bond between the two of you.

Trying to change a man will usually put you on the fast track to relationship disaster. Most men are put off by a woman who tells them that they aren’t dressed properly or they aren’t saying or doing the right things. If you can learn to accept him exactly the way he is, you’ll own his heart. Men don’t want to be with anyone who is judgmental or critical so learn to look past his faults and he’ll love you more for it.

Finally, not enough can be said for the value in pure honesty. Don’t try and play games with a man if you want him to love you deeply. If something is bothering you, tell him instead of letting it fester. He can’t read your mind and he’ll appreciate it if you recognize that. Also, don’t hide things from your guy. Those things, when discovered, will come between you and whatever you’ve built together will come crashing down. Be yourself, show him how much you love him and you’ll never have to question his devotion to you.

Going to the movies can take on many roles, some of which are a bit more important to others. While most people might think that a movie being a cultural phenomenon or a movie of a generation might be pretty important, nearly everyone will discount how important family movies can be in general. Depending on who you ask, this may be more of a commentary on how society is changing, but it might just be that family movies are made for only some members of the family.

Think about the last time you sat and watched a movie with your spouse and children. Was it animated? Were the parental figures just a bit too out of touch to seem real? Did the CGI overload make it hard to even look at the screen? As time has gone on, what makes for a family movie has really been more about making a movie that keeps a kids attention long enough to give Mom and Dad a breather. Whatever happened to the type of movie that made the family feel closer to each other? You know, the kind of movie that taught an important lesson, even if it was a little too close to reality. As much as it makes you seem like the old guy shaking his fist at everyone who steps on his lawn, they don’t make family movies like they used to.

Then again, maybe they do, but you might have to look a little closer or even go back a few years at the movies that made you and your family feel a bit tighter than before. There might be something to this because if you think about the movie marathons that come on during the holiday season, most of those movies are a few decades old. A classic is a classic, and even if they years have passed, something about those movies has stood the test of time.

If you’re looking for some family movie magic, here are five movies that will bring your family a little closer together:

Charlotte’s Web – Though animated and incredibly uplifting, the audience is fully aware of the harshness of life. It’s a classic.

A Christmas Story – An air rifle, a kid’s imagination, and terrifying pink, full-body bunny suit come together as one of the greatest Christmas movies of all-time.

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids – When Dad seems like he bungles everything up, it’s shocking to see one of his craziest inventions actually work! This movie is underestimated, but it has heart, a tremendously talented cast, and a great story to boot.

Little Women – A classic movie based on a classic novel. You really can’t go wrong, and even if the boys in your family scoff at it, if they sit long enough, they’ll be swept away.

Home Alone – Though billed as a holiday comedy, there is more to this movie than just hilarity & hijinks. Once again, a stellar cast make this one of the best movies of the last thirty years & one of the great holiday movies of all-time.

Family movies can actually bring families closer together, but it’s important to realize that the movie isn’t really that important. Whether you’re at home or at your local movie theater, spending time with those you love is what it’s all about, and if you can have a good time while watching a movie at the same time with each other, so be it.

You’ve got to be a bit sneaky. When a man’s interested in you, there are things that you can do to up his interest and increase his attraction.

But you’ve got to trust in the law of cause and effect and know how men work. This business of learning how to use attraction to your advantage is harmless. It has nothing to do with using a man or mistreating a man. Those kinds of things are for immature girls.

What you are doing is paying attention to how a man is responding to you in a way that you probably haven’t thought about before. If you are dating a man and notice that he gave you a lot of attention but becomes unresponsive, create a diversion by giving him a lot of space. This is the final and best frontier so to speak to get inside his mind.

You can use this in any of your relationships that you want a shift in energy flow in. If you notice that his attention is decreasing, don’t talk to him about it.

Create a diversion by telling the man who has interest in you that you’ll be busy for a number of weeks and will get back in touch with him when you’re free. Be fun about it and communicate in such a way that you show you still have interest in him. He’ll be thinking, “Busy doing what?”

But you’ll never tell.

This is what men understand. They understand busy and they get more interested in a woman who has more of an interest in her OWN life.

I don’t care what you have to do, just get a project going or do something other than hanging off the man. He’ll wonder…and wonder is very good for a man.

Skirting boards are the backbone of the interior of any building or office. Most people never pay any attention to the boards as they just seem to be there. The idea that the boards do not add to an interior could be understandable in one way. Plants, trees, goldfish tanks, wallpaper and even titles can seem more striking to the human eye. When you first enter a building, what do your eyes get drawn too? The glass windows? The nice lady or man on the reception desk? Or, do you look up and inspect the roofing of the building? Whatever the case may be, skirting boards should not be overlooked so, let’s dig in and see what they can really add to your interiors.

When you first enter a room, many aspects can stand out. A huge example are the walls. Yes, paint or wallpaper can spruce it up but what about the bottom of the wall and around the door? Would you like to see the door frames and the bottom of the wall uncovered? If you answered no well, skirting boards and architraves are ideal for making this problem go away.

However, you now want the skirting board to look fresh and maybe even modern right? Enter the 324 MDF Skirting Board, nicely provided by the great men from Skirting World. You’re probably thinking, what makes this MDF piece so special? Allow me to explain. We live in a world full of architecture with many people wanting to change how a building looks.

This MDF piece features a curved profile at the top. This is an updated take on the old Torus design, a design which was used in many old houses for centuries to centuries. It was phased out by the 1900s but with many people still living in older houses, due to its unique design it will fit in happily with much older structures and current structures.

To aid you on your quest to make the building keep its theme, you can also treat yourself to architraves, specifically one such as the 324 MDF Architrave. Now that you have all the essentials to transform your home or office, you’re now asking me what about the fit and finish? Or how do I get these items?

Fear not, Skirting World gave us the opportunity to show us a sample of these skirting boards. The 324 MDF Skirting Board is very simple board which has a good fit and finish to help make wherever its fitted stand out. You can also get the board in a verity of sizes from 70mm to even 400mm, more than enough to satisfy most people’s needs. You can even get different designs for the piece if you want. It’s clear in these times consumers can get any style of skirting board they need for any building.

Now, many of you are wondering isn’t it difficult to get what I need from a shop? Well, shops have limited inventory and even if you were able to locate the boards or materials, most sizes either wouldn’t fit in the vehicle or it would leave it completely messy. So, you ask what can I do if I’m faced with this problem? Thankfully, online is here to save the day. Skirting World also goes one further. Not only can you order online but, you can get SFD (Super-fast delivery) or free delivery depending on your needs. The website is full of different designs which most competitors don’t offer which is saying a lot.

In summary, we all forget one thing; what makes a house a home? What makes an office shine? What do people look out for when they visit places? There’s many answers to the question but, simplicity is the key. Skirting boards, when chosen well for a building really can make that vital difference between a good looking home and a complete house. The next time you look at sprucing up your home think this, will this skirting board make the home really speak to me?

Many people have always desired to have a long lasting solution to their snoring problem. With the advancement of technology and new studies, a device such as SnoreRx promises to be a solution that most snorers have been waiting for. The media is also praising this device as a ‘great snoring solution’ to help everyone who snores to not only stop the problem, but also sleep better at nights. It uses the boil-and-bite technique to ensure a perfect fit and it is also made from a durable copolymer material. Moreover, SnoreRX stops cases of snoring by keeping the jaw of a person forward. Persons interested in this device can be comforted in the fact that Jim Fallon, the genius behind the device, consulted with an FDA personnel to ensure that the device is top of the line and meet FDA standards.

The question now is, are all these claims true? And will this device really help you to stop or reduce snoring? In this SnoreRx review, we take a closer look at how at this very popular mouthpiece.

How Does This Device Work?

SnoreRX is built in such a way that when a person fits it inside his/her mouth, it will automatically pull the lower jaw forward. As a result of doing this, the airways are also kept open when the one sleeps and the throat becomes relaxed. The problem of snoring is thus solved since it normally occurs when the lower jaw falls back and blocks the airways in the back of the throat.

What Makes This Device Stands Out:

1. It Is Equipped With A Built-In Calibrator

With the help of the built in calibrator, users can place the device in their mouth and the calibrator provides a reading for the desired position for it to fit comfortably.

2. It Has A Posi-Lock Feature

Unlike most other mouthpiece for snoring that normally use screws, rubbers and the likes to keep them in place, the SnoreRx uses this lock position which a user can set once and not having to worry about adjusting the device settings again. The lock is essential in the elimination of the risks of the setting changing when one is asleep.

3. Has A Tooth Cushion And Is Thermal Fit

Made from a patented copolymer, this device is unique in proving a layer of protection for its users teeth by proving a cushion between the upper and lower layer of teeth. This is also an added benefit to persons who normally grinds their teeth while sleeping.

4. Advanced Design

SnoreRx has an advanced design hence does not use any springs, rubber bands, screws and does not create torsion like other products.

5. Post-flow

The anti-snoring device has an advanced airflow system which allows a person to breathe fully with their mouth hence ensure that the lungs get adequate oxygen.

6. Complies With The Dental Lab Quality And FDA Requirements

The materials used in the development of this unique anti-snoring device are of medical grade which means it is safe for its users, doesn’t contain any acrylics and it is comfortable to wear. SnoreRx has also been given the stamp of approval from the FDA and has since been certified by AMAS (American Academy of Sleep Medicine).

Pros of SnoreRx

• It Has no discomfort associated with it, and very easy to use
• It is priced moderately despite its advanced features
• It comfortably meets the Medicare standards
• It has a longer lifespan of about 12-15 months
• With its unique micro-fit and calibration features, it can be adjusted to small increments for the perfect fit.

Cons of SnoreRx

• It may cause drooling when the mouth is getting used to its presence
• It is adjustable but subjects one to some level of soreness when the mouth is getting used to it being worn
• Denture wearers can not wear it

Conclusion

As you can see from this SnoreRx review, it is quality product for anyone looking to stop snoring as there are far more pros that outweighs the cons. Outside of persons who wear dentures, this device maybe suitable for anyone who is looking for a long term solution. Moreover, its desire to accommodate everyone through its quality features makes it stand out among other anti-snoring devices.

A Short History

Phosphate is a natural, non-renewable resource that is obtained by mining phosphate-containing minerals. Florida’s phosphate rock deposits are believed to have originated when conditions in the seawater caused dissolved phosphorus to solidify and form the sediment that is mined today (1). Sea life also played a big part in forming the sediment deposits.

An Army Corps of Engineers’ (5) captain first discovered River Pebble Phosphate along the Peace River, Florida in the late nineteenth century. Mining the phosphate began soon after. The Florida miners had no mechanized excavation equipment. That means early mining was by hand using wheelbarrows, wagons, picks and shovels. The chore of mining was slow and labor intensive, but the phosphate pebble did show promise. Interest in this pebble increases and the phosphate industry was born. The early twentieth century brought mechanized excavation equipment like steam shovels to the Florida phosphate mines, but steam shovels didn’t last long.

Draglines were first introduced in the 1920s and increased in usage since. Dragline technology continued to advance, leading miners to move from the river-pebble to the land-pebble and hard-rock phosphates, and then to mining the finer-grained “phosphate matrix”.

Phosphate matrix deposits (4) occur over a wide area of west-central Florida known as the “Bone Valley”. In 1900 it took 3 to 4 years to mine 15 acres with picks and shovels. In the early days of the small draglines, about 5 acres were mined in a year. As draglines grew in size, they were able to mine 500 to 600 acres a year. Conservatively, today’s draglines are able to completely destroy 50 acres a month.

Phosphate Mining Process Florida’s phosphate ore (matrix) is found some 40 feet below the earth’s surface. The matrix lies intertwined with one of Florida’s real treasures, aquifer systems. Phosphate rock is mined and then manufactured through the fertilizer manufacturing process. A typical Florida phosphate mine gets about 9,000 tons of phosphate rock per acre of land. Huge draglines are brought in and can remove the Florida earth from the surface down 100 feet in order to remove the entire matrix “field”.

The phosphate industry refers the removed earth as “overburden”. The rest of us call it orange groves, cattle pastures, the old swimming hole, watersheds, aquifer systems, rivers, natural springs, etc.

Once the overburden is removed, the draglines can then “strip” out the matrix, which consists of equal parts of phosphate rock, clay and sand. The matrix (2) is then dumped in huge slurry pits where literally untold volumes of fresh clean aquifer water are used.

The water comes from the newly crushed aquifers under the mighty dragline. Billions of gallons of Florida’s fresh water are released and used in high-pressure water cannons to create a slurry that can then be pumped to the beneficiation plant, which can be up to 10 miles away.

At the beneficiation plant the phosphate is separated from the sand and clay. Then the toxic sludge is stored in huge clay settling ponds until untold amounts of aquifer water evaporate.

One by-product, called phosphogypsum, is slightly radioactive so it cannot be easily disposed. The only thing the miners can do with it is stack it in mountainous piles next to the processing plants. Florida is such a flat state that the 150-foot-tall “gyp stacks” are usually the highest point in the landscape for miles around. They contain large pools that can be as large as one square mile of highly acidic wastewater.

Not surprising, mining and mineral processing facilities generate more toxic and hazardous waste than any other industrial sector. (4) Reducing environmental impacts from large fertilizer manufacturers operations is a national priority for EPA.

The United States produces the most phosphate (2) in the world, while Morocco and China rank second and third, respectively. Phosphate reserves are found in Central Florida, North Carolina, Utah, and Idaho. Florida is presently providing approximately 75 percent of the nation’s supply of phosphate fertilizer and about 25 percent of the world supply. Follow the Money Florida’s phosphate deposits today are the basis of an $85 billion industry supplying the lion’s share of the phosphate consumed in the United States. Out of the $85 billion value of the industry, only a few million dollars is spent on the local communities where the mines are located. Some have called this a boon for the local communities. However, the phosphate industry seems to be a bad neighbor. This is because they are “allowed” to leave their environmental catastrophes behind for those local citizens to pay for. Interestingly, the Central Florida phosphate mines are now referred to as “Bone Valley”.

This $85 billion phosphate production area is located in the middle of one of Florida’s greatest natural treasures called aquifer systems or “water tables”. These aquifer systems can be compared to bee hives, where the aquifer system is the hive and the water replaces the honey.

Aquifer systems are considered a basis for Florida’s entire clean fresh water source. Today, this Central Florida Phosphate Region (3) consists of Hillsborough, Polk, Hardee, DeSoto, and Manatee Counties. These same counties also contain huge watersheds including the Alafia River Watershed, the Peace River Watershed, the Manatee River Watershed, the Little Manatee River Watershed and the Myakka River Watershed.

As of this article, the phosphate industry continues to purchase more land earmarked to strip mine the valuable phosphate in the watersheds mentioned above. The Florida phosphate dilemma continues to escalate, causing more extensive irreparable environmental damage daily.

Resource Information

1. Florida Institute of Phosphate Research (FIPR)

2. Florida DEP Mining and Minerals Regulation

3. Watershed Data

4. Peace River Cumulative Impact Study

5. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Jacksonville District