topinflatable

May 22, 2008

Ferrari’s inflatable ball kicks off rugby tour to New Zealand

Filed under: , , , , , Uncategorized, Blogroll — topinflatables @ 5:18 pm

Ferrari of France, a specialist in architectural textiles, has created a ball-shaped structure that will be displayed at international rugby matches until 2011, when it will be installed in New Zealand for the opening of the next World Cup. Inside the inflatable structure, a 15-minute film presents New Zealand’s tourist attractions. Now we go on.
The structure was inaugurated under the Eiffel Tower during the 2007 Rugby World Cup, which was held in France, and it will now travel from town to town in the manner of the Olympic torch. Each weld of the Ferrari technical textile used in the design exactly reproduces the stitching of a rugby ball.
The ‘ball’ is angled in a dynamic position of about 13° on a wooden platform. It is ballasted by 22-tonne water containers covered with green tarpaulins to create the look of a rugby pitch, with external stickers to make the conversion complete. Visitors enter the structure via two rotating, airtight access doors. Inside, CO2 measuring units are used to monitor the level of carbon dioxide in order to evacuate and purify the internal air.
To be continued.
A single Ferrari Précontraint® 502 textile membrane is fixed to the edge of the platform using a double groove section, which is then inflated. The average pressure is 200 pascals, but it can reach 300 pascals if there are strong winds. Bringing this ambitious project to fruition required nine months of design and study. A complete trial assembly of the whole structure and its internal layout was carried out beforehand in Auckland (New Zealand).
Throughout the course of a test drive, the new Inflatable Sports Volvo S40 exceptional talent for the campaign revealed. Its rich sense of sculpture as well as the appearance of lines filled with a Nordic temperament of the Scandinavian design style at the same time allowing each test - to really understand the unique flavor of Volvo Cars.
The Précontraint® range combines various advantages. Thanks to a bi-axial control used during the coating process, Ferrari Précontraint® technology guarantees the textile exceptional dimensional stability both in weft and in warp. As an advertising medium, the textile structure can be printed digitally or by silk screening. The textile is translucent, light and flexible – it can take on all geometric forms perfectly. Ferrari has more than 20 years experience in the development and formulation of architectural textiles.
Go to have Lunch!
About Ferrari
Ferrari is a family-owned limited company, which is headquartered in La Tour-du-Pin (in south-eastern France). In 2006, the Ferrari Group, which specialises in technical textiles, generated consolidated sales of €128 million, including 70% from export, thanks to the efficiency of its international sales and after-sales network.
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April 25, 2008

Crystal Palace Pier 10 meters distance

Filed under: , , , , , Uncategorized, Blogroll — topinflatables @ 6:17 pm

After 27 hours of running water, 7:00 last night, “the South China Sea No. 1″ Baochuan Hailing Island of Yangjiang City in the parking area from the “Crystal Palace” temporary pier only 10 meters, and meet the “Nanhai No. 1″ all the basic work ready, only to be “Nanhai No. 1″ Liang terms of optional shore. It Cunbubuchi with this reporter, contacted Baochuan zero distance. At the same time, the Baochuan born, it is bound to set off a nationwide tourism hot!

Progress

- Pier 10 meters from the vessel

8:30, the news overnight to follow Baochuan on Hailing Island, from the temporary pier less than one nautical mile (about 10 metres). 78 is responsible for escorting ships in the surrounding park. On that day, all roads into the Crystal Palace alert prohibited vehicles from entering. At 7:00, the terminal before the gathered foreign tourists, the local people as well as hundreds of journalists, all of which are dense mass poll. Everybody is looking forward to the “Nanhai No. 1″ go home.
The competition from the top 10 of each man, woman top two from each group. Each have a souvenir of a players. Application deadline: Inflatable Slides December 25. Application
At this time, the sea began rising tide, wind waves urgency. Yuan Yue from a sea-level rise, the semi-submersible barge “mission 1601″ on the lights, dozens of police strictly in the terminals. “Nanhai No. 1″ caisson semi-submersible barge “mission 1601″ remains fixed anchorage, a semi-submersible barge traction “mission 1601″ approached the pier “De-peng,” and “Man,” semi-submersible boat berth barge near the Inflatable Obstacles “South Tianshun” boat also stopped operating in the semi-submersible barge Chuanbang, and four frigates Baochuan waiting beside the boat. “25 morning or evening, when the rising tide of seawater such as’ Nanhai No 1 ‘is expected landing.” At 8:00, a man responsible for landing Baochuan said.
Go to have Lunch!
Decryption

Baochuanrugong like ants’ removal

Weighing 4,800 tons caisson how to palace security, the command will use salvage what unique skills? Last night, undertake the transfer of the mandate of the people responsible for the general manager of an interview with our reporter, the problem is the answer.

, The manager said, “the South China Sea No. 1″ by the palace, the 26 airbag is called Cord by a rubber layers wound from a line, handmade, and each balloon diameter of 1 m, 15 m length. Each sufficient gas in a balloon, to withstand the pressure of 400 to 500 tons, the cost is 30,000 yuan.
I will tell you in next time!
Manager paragraph said that the current caisson parked in semi-submerged barge on the bottom deck and left some of the gap between them, they first of the 16 inflatable balloon at the bottom of the caisson insert all waiting for high tide, it will be semi-submersible barge tractors temporary pier to the shore. “Then at the bottom of the caisson to the 16 inflatable airbags, the caisson care,” and winch on the shore with two traction. , Said that when the two caissons in the winch on the front, wire rope fixed in the caisson, at the bottom of the caisson and the distance between the airbag in the 20-30 cm between every step in front of the caisson will be vacant for some no airbag space and when that happens, they take a placement of inflatable airbags below. She said that the palace of the whole process is very slow, but with the track is safe airbag components, like ants’ removal in general. Landing time is up, they take action, but in the whole operation is expected
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April 23, 2008

inflatable battens

Filed under: , , , , , Uncategorized, Blogroll — topinflatables @ 4:53 pm

If you have spoken with me recently about sails, there is good chance that we spoke about inflatable battens and our recent success with this project on Sojana, Peter Harrison’s 115ft Bruce Farr Ketch. In St. Tropez we were one of three boats with adjustable inflatable battens on roached furling headsails supplied by North Sails. We all used the same supplier of battens, C Tech from New Zealand. Those involved in these projects in our group have all worked hard to innovate but actually have taken similar but fundamentally different routes with this technology which is still in its infancy.
Just have a rest.
C-Tech Ltd originated in 1997 building yacht masts, high performance dinghy rigs, carbon tube, rudders, centre-boards, etc. When the America’s Cup came to NZ in 2000, C-Tech discovered there was a gap in the market for reliable full-length carbon mainsail battens. The battens had to be strong, light, durable, and stiff enough for a Cup boat especially in pre-starts where the boats are doing low speed gybes.

A design for such a product was put in place in 2001 and the prototypes were quickly snapped up by both TNZ and Alinghi. C-Tech went exclusive with both teams for the 2003 America’s Cup but were also allowed to supply one other team in the Louis Vuitton, which in this case was Victory Challenge. For the recent AC in Valencia, C-Tech supplied full-length carbon mainsail battens to every syndicate and developed an inflatable air-batten product which was supplied to four of the teams.
According to statistics, in 2000 China’s metal containers in the main products of a total of 1.92 million tons, of which two aluminum cans 7000000000, tinplate three cans (including beverage cans and canned) about 6 billion, 600 million aerosol cans only, and all kinds of caps Yilagai nearly 50 billion, 20-200-litre drums of about 40 million, and other types of solid product packaging drum over 50 million, from about 14.3 billion Printing, India. Inflatable Battens
I asked Fraser Brown what his view was on the break through of inflatable battens in Valencia :

FB: It’s definitely been a big talking point since the AC in Valencia and the use of inflatable battens has now gone into cruising and racing boats, mainly for the furling headsails. A rule was created for the 2007 AC which allowed big overlapping headsails. This posed many problems; supporting the roach and being able to tack and do dial ups in the pre-start without breaking battens in the big genoas being the obvious ones. The air batten idea was developed as a way of having a structure supporting the roach/leech of the over lapping genoa that would be able to fold and crease as it bangs through the rig during a tack, hitting the shrouds and mast. When the genoa is sheeted on again after the tack the battens pop back to shape. A conventional batten wasn’t able to do this, as it would simply break or shatter the laminate. Yes, this has been a big break through, which has already fed directly into racing and cruising boats.
It’s so tirred.
On Sojana we fill and empty along the leech. The air supply is a dive bottle. With Geoff Meek, Andy Mitchel from North Sails CapeTown, and Marc Fitzgerald, the skipper of Sojana, we asked a simple question to Fraser Brown, “Is this going to work? Are the battens and air lines and their connections viable?” He replied ‘yes’ so we took him on his word. We have one single air line running up parallel to the leech line feeding all four battens from the clew where there is a simple valve.
These sophisticated choices can be overwhelming for agencies. The following manufacturers offer varying options and choices to law enforcement agencies based on individual needs and situations:
Once unfurled the air line is attached to the valve and the supply opened. Our direct feed requires under five litres of air at about four to six Bars despite using larger diameter tubes than the other boats to facilitate emptying. This process takes seconds. When it is time to furl we open the valve to release the air. Obviously as the sail furls, any residue air is forced out from the top batten downwards as the batten is wrapped around the furler.

I asked Fraser if he thought that this was just another passing fad:

FB: It’s definitely not a passing fad. With the use of air battens in the leech of Super Yacht furling genoas they are now able to have a maximum size genoa, eliminating the big hollow leech you normally need to allow the sail to be furled. With air battens in the sail and air lines running down to a connector you can inflate the battens once the sail is unfurled, then deflate the battens before the sail is furled away. This means you can design a sail with maximum area so it can touch the spreaders. This increases the roach of a sail which won’t be a passing fad, as Super Yacht racing is getting more and more competitive at every regatta. Being able to increase sail area and power is a big step forward.

AD: And Inflatable battens for everybody?

FB: Within reason, boats with furling head-stays can have air battens with air lines so they can inflate and deflate battens, significantly increasing the area of their genoas. Boats with hank/foil-hoist genoas can have air battens which are just pumped up and put in like a regular batten (as per air-battens in the 2007 AC). Inflatable battens are already into the Open 60 fleet for the Barcelona World Race and the V70’s building up for the next Volvo race.

We are now working with Fraser on air battens on the future big roached 3DL main for Sojana. We think that this will enable the head to pass the backstay allowing us to build a bigger roached main than we had previously thought possible.

Nearly fifteen years ago I started working on a project with Claude Thelier (Trimaran Region Guadeloupe) on having an inflatable luff on a free flying code O to enable light but efficient furling on a mini transat, so I asked the final general question to Fraser:
The competition is the largest city end of a Inflatable Slides children’s Go tournament. The competition is divided into child care group, a grade group, the second grade group, third grade group, the fourth grade group, more than a fifth-grade group (under 16 years of age), a total of six groups. Competition Yizhong water locations in the world and the Children’s Palace 2, in accordance with arrangements for the situation.
AD : After battens what do we inflate next?

The list is growing everyday. This is an interesting subject as inflation/deflation also doubles as a space saver, although this is still a little way off.
Do not be so Lazy! Just add as much as you can at here!
In my childhood I saved up my pocket money to buy C.A. Marchaj book “Sailing Theory and Practice” published by Adlard Coles Ltd in 1964. In the chapter on ‘Measurement of Aerodynamic Forces’ he discusses the aerodynamics of the new trend of ‘pumping’ in relation to rapidly changing the incidence of the sail to the wind to promote planning. In the controversy that followed with the I.Y.R.U. with respect to pumping and “means of propulsion” we have finished years later with rule 42.2 ‘Prohibited Actions’ a) “Pumping”— well, at least at present, the rule makers are not talking about “inflating.”Inflatable Battens
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April 14, 2008

Inflatable rings to pump life into blocked arteries

Filed under: , , , , , Uncategorized, Blogroll — topinflatables @ 7:04 pm

HEART disease patients are benefiting from a treatment in which inflatable rings are strapped around parts of their body.

Encircling the outside of the calves and thighs, three sets of rings are inflated and deflated with air to increase blood flow to the heart in patients suffering from coronary artery disease, the most common form of heart disease.
The competition from the top 10 of each man, woman top two from each group. Each have a souvenir of a players. Application deadline: Inflatable Slides December 25. Application
This is where plaque made up of fat, cholesterol and other compounds builds up inside the heart’s blood vessels.
china inflatableinflatable china Start here to find prequalified Inflatable suppliers from China and around the world-Inflatable,Inflatable Manufacturer,Inflatable
In healthy circulation, oxygen-rich blood from the lungs is pumped, via the heart, to other organs through arteries. The blood returns …


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April 9, 2008

Strategies and Technologies for Energy-Efficient Lighting

Filed under: , , , , , Uncategorized, Blogroll — topinflatables @ 6:48 pm

Until a few years ago, typical lighting in domestic settings comprised a central pendant.
For rooms where entertaining was done, such as the lounge or dining room, there might be
a couple of wall lights, and the switch plate might be replaced with a dimmer. The total
lighting load might typically be 200W, so to make the lighting more energy-efficient, the
bulbs were replaced with lower wattage ones, thus reducing the power consumption but also
the light level!
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These days, many rooms of a similar size have upwards of a dozen 50W downlights installed,
resulting in a total of 600W or more lighting load. Our lighting demands are clearly increasing,
but at the same time, we are also being encouraged, if not compelled, to be more energy efficient.
The air batten idea was developed as a way of having a structure supporting the roach/leech of the over lapping genoa that would be able to fold and crease as it bangs through the rig during a tack, hitting the shrouds and mast.
Downlights have replaced the central pendant.

The parts of the current and impending building regulations and guidelines that most concern
people, are those that cover energy efficiency. These include efficient heating and cooling
systems, building insulation against heat loss or heat gain, and having a percentage of the
lights as energy efficient. Since most of these energy-efficient lamps are not dimmable however,
and are unsuitable for sometimes complex lighting schemes, they tend to be used in places such
as utility rooms, loft conversions, spare/guest bedrooms, toilets and cloakrooms.

A large proportion of building owners, both home and business, would be prepared to embrace new
technology if they could see a return on their investment sooner. Their main concern is the cost
of systems such as LED or compact fluorescent lighting, but rather than focussing on what they
perceive as the drawbacks, they should be looking to new technology as being able to provide
effective solutions to a range of problems.

Improving efficiency

In short, energy-efficient lighting means getting as much light output from as little energy as
possible. One of the best ways of making lighting more efficient is to have the lights on only
when they are needed, especially in areas such as bathrooms, hallways, utility rooms and kitchens.
Do you remember your parents telling you that a light switch has two functions? Well, if you cannot
rely on your home’s occupants to
switch the lights off when not needed, how about installing presence/movement detectors to control
the lights? You need never have lights left on again, unnecessarily for hours.

When a room has multiple uses, for example a lounge that is used as a TV room, reception room or
playroom, there will be different lighting requirements, depending on its current use. It may
seem obvious, but energy can be saved by only switching on the lights that are required, and
possibly at reduced levels if appropriate.

Task lighting in the kitchen.

When using a lighting system to highlight something decorative such as a painting, sculpture, vase
or flower arrangement, traditionally a huge, usually brass, fitting would be installed to contain
the bulb and reflect the light in the desired direction. The heat and ultra-violet produced by the
light would not only be wasteful, but could be extremely detrimental to the item being highlighted.
Today however, there are many alternatives, ranging from halogen lights where the heat exits through
the reflector and away from the item, to ‘cool lights’ such as LEDs and some gas discharge lamps.
Many of these newer lighting solutions have a very small visual footprint, so you see the item being
highlighted and not the lighting system. These newer lighting systems also have the advantages of
not damaging the artwork with heat and UV; having more natural colouring with light that has the
same frequency as daylight; and the colour being able to be tailored to enhance the item being lit.

Spotlight with small footprint.

Architectural lighting

Using architectural lighting, rooms have the colour, feel and even the perceived texture of the
walls changed to suit the use, time of day, or season. This can now be achieved using LED technology,
especially the multicolour and colour-changing systems.

Unlike older systems inherited from the stage industry, that use a mechanical system to move different
coloured filters in front of the lamp and therefore offer a limited set of colours, contemporary multicolour
and colour-changing LED system lamps usually contain elements that individually produce the three primary
colours, and an element that produces white light. Via the control system, the full spectrum of colours
can be produced by combining various combinations of the primary colours at different intensities.
Just have a rest.
With the newer LED projection technologies, buildings can be lit from a smaller footprint, hence
discreet lamp housings can be used that can be disguised or hidden from view, and out of reach of
potential tampering. Such systems are on a par with, and often more energy-efficient than, the
older sodium/mercury floodlights. Their lamp life tends to be longer, and they are far more
controllable rather than simply flooding everything with sodium yellow!
Just have a rest.
An electro-luminescent panel.
Sorry,I must go.
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April 8, 2008

Strategies and Technologies for Energy-Efficient Lighting

Filed under: , , , , , Uncategorized, Blogroll — topinflatables @ 6:42 pm

Until a few years ago, typical lighting in domestic settings comprised a central pendant.
For rooms where entertaining was done, such as the lounge or dining room, there might be
a couple of wall lights, and the switch plate might be replaced with a dimmer. The total
lighting load might typically be 200W, so to make the lighting more energy-efficient, the
bulbs were replaced with lower wattage ones, thus reducing the power consumption but also
the light level!
These sophisticated choices can be overwhelming for agencies. The following manufacturers offer varying options and choices to law enforcement agencies based on individual needs and situations:
These days, many rooms of a similar size have upwards of a dozen 50W downlights installed,
resulting in a total of 600W or more lighting load. Our lighting demands are clearly increasing,
but at the same time, we are also being encouraged, if not compelled, to be more energy efficient.
Although developed for use in Iraq, “The advantage this offers port security is that you can have one person in control of several of these vessels, because what we’re running into in terms of port security is a manpower/resource scarcity,” says Choich.
Downlights have replaced the central pendant.

The parts of the current and impending building regulations and guidelines that most concern
people, are those that cover energy efficiency. These include efficient heating and cooling
systems, building insulation against heat loss or heat gain, and having a percentage of the
lights as energy efficient. Since most of these energy-efficient lamps are not dimmable however,
and are unsuitable for sometimes complex lighting schemes, they tend to be used in places such
as utility rooms, loft conversions, spare/guest bedrooms, toilets and cloakrooms.

A large proportion of building owners, both home and business, would be prepared to embrace new
technology if they could see a return on their investment sooner. Their main concern is the cost
of systems such as LED or compact fluorescent lighting, but rather than focussing on what they
perceive as the drawbacks, they should be looking to new technology as being able to provide
effective solutions to a range of problems.

Improving efficiency

In short, energy-efficient lighting means getting as much light output from as little energy as
possible. One of the best ways of making lighting more efficient is to have the lights on only
when they are needed, especially in areas such as bathrooms, hallways, utility rooms and kitchens.
Do you remember your parents telling you that a light switch has two functions? Well, if you cannot
rely on your home’s occupants to
switch the lights off when not needed, how about installing presence/movement detectors to control
the lights? You need never have lights left on again, unnecessarily for hours.

When a room has multiple uses, for example a lounge that is used as a TV room, reception room or
playroom, there will be different lighting requirements, depending on its current use. It may
seem obvious, but energy can be saved by only switching on the lights that are required, and
possibly at reduced levels if appropriate.

Task lighting in the kitchen.

When using a lighting system to highlight something decorative such as a painting, sculpture, vase
or flower arrangement, traditionally a huge, usually brass, fitting would be installed to contain
the bulb and reflect the light in the desired direction. The heat and ultra-violet produced by the
light would not only be wasteful, but could be extremely detrimental to the item being highlighted.
Today however, there are many alternatives, ranging from halogen lights where the heat exits through
the reflector and away from the item, to ‘cool lights’ such as LEDs and some gas discharge lamps.
Many of these newer lighting solutions have a very small visual footprint, so you see the item being
highlighted and not the lighting system. These newer lighting systems also have the advantages of
not damaging the artwork with heat and UV; having more natural colouring with light that has the
same frequency as daylight; and the colour being able to be tailored to enhance the item being lit.

Spotlight with small footprint.

Architectural lighting

Using architectural lighting, rooms have the colour, feel and even the perceived texture of the
walls changed to suit the use, time of day, or season. This can now be achieved using LED technology,
especially the multicolour and colour-changing systems.

Unlike older systems inherited from the stage industry, that use a mechanical system to move different
coloured filters in front of the lamp and therefore offer a limited set of colours, contemporary multicolour
and colour-changing LED system lamps usually contain elements that individually produce the three primary
colours, and an element that produces white light. Via the control system, the full spectrum of colours
can be produced by combining various combinations of the primary colours at different intensities.
These sophisticated choices can be overwhelming for agencies. The following manufacturers offer varying options and choices to law enforcement agencies based on individual needs and situations:
With the newer LED projection technologies, buildings can be lit from a smaller footprint, hence
discreet lamp housings can be used that can be disguised or hidden from view, and out of reach of
potential tampering. Such systems are on a par with, and often more energy-efficient than, the
older sodium/mercury floodlights. Their lamp life tends to be longer, and they are far more
controllable rather than simply flooding everything with sodium yellow!
I will tell you in next time!
An electro-luminescent panel.
Vessels in the Commander Series are available in 21-, 23-, 25- and 27-foot sizes with horsepower ranges from 225 to 600. The Dauntless Series consists of eight different sizes ranging from 28 feet up to 55 feet. Horsepower ranges from 600 to 1,300, and propulsion is provided by twin outboards.
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April 4, 2008

By the age of eight children to parents reprimanded the police complaints

Filed under: , , , , , Uncategorized, Blogroll — topinflatables @ 7:21 pm

This two-day, live in South Shore area south Jia Yuan Ming Wang 5-2 feeling very heavy rain - were the parents of eight-year-old son learned Taotao (a pseudonym), not only brought stool counter, but also a 110 report, the violence during the parents .
I will tell you in next time!
34-year-old Wang Yu sales is the work of the past, and son Taotao relationship has been very good. For nearly a year, because of busy work, she found that the transfer has not only results Taotao decline, and occasionally added obscenity. Christmas night, a result of eating too slow Taotao shed too much rice, Wang Yu’s sister comfortable with chopsticks knock a few Taotao hand, I did not expect that Taotao unusually fierce response, immediately filed out of their own small stools sit, Henhen to see the aunt.

Wang Yu quickly shot: “My son, this does not yo.” To see aunt, and look at the mother, Taotao down a stool. A short while, Taotao playing with her sister Inflatable Christmas made himself a point uncomfortable, aunt jokingly said: “You just mentioned again stools.” Unexpectedly Taotao Gonglelian up immediately, as of Numu hand grasp. Guests son twice in the face of “Buguai,” Wang Yu very awkward, she picked up inflatable “Hangyabang” knock a few Taotao to show alert, thought Taotao face was “Hangyabang “pegged Popi,” wow “to tears, before washed telephone said:” I play 110, the police grasping for you, you the adults too violent. “injured son, Wang Yu-although very distressed, but to safeguard the prestige of the parents, she said: “The parents of the children, of course.” Taotao grievances persist: “I still to sue you, too unreasonable.”
These sophisticated choices can be overwhelming for agencies. The following manufacturers offer varying options and choices to law enforcement agencies based on individual needs and situations:
The husband “reconcile”, the issue faded away, but Wang Yu heart is very calm. Yesterday, Wang Yu Shaofangwang matter to the Forum, we hope to help her analysis, the son such reaction, Who is to blame? Posts attracted many mothers resonance, the netizen “parity sister,” said: “A few months ago my daughter to me to court, that I do not respect her thoughts, her studies of that, she is not willing. Now the child is troubled. “,” Alfa online, “said a few days ago, she played her daughter, her daughter has said,” I want to die Nadaokan you, “but also threatened to run away from home, do not go home. It was also suggested that all this are the parents. Netizen “I pay my small” remind everyone: “Parents prestige does not mean that they have got it wrong battle. Should be more exchanges with the children, the identification of the wrong identification of the child as a friend and the outcome will be much better.”
The competition is the largest city end of a Inflatable Slides children’s Go tournament. The competition is divided into child care group, a grade group, the second grade group, third grade group, the fourth grade group, more than a fifth-grade group (under 16 years of age), a total of six groups. Competition Yizhong water locations in the world and the Children’s Palace 2, in accordance with arrangements for the situation.
In this regard, Chongqing Normal University, Department of Psychology, director of Liudonggang that children right and wrong in the parents: “The kids like the Inflatable Christmas mirror, you can give him violence, violence he gave you, you can give him good, he is still your kindness . “Liu, Taotao aunt as a lesson children should not be, Wang Yu should not be to parents, so regardless of the child’s feelings. Education does not mean that the lessons children, and more time should be reasonable.
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April 2, 2008

Ben Macintyre gets lost in mistranslation in China

Filed under: , , , , , Uncategorized, Blogroll — topinflatables @ 6:44 pm

i RECENTLY VISITED THE GREAT WALL of China and found myself lost in awe. I was overpowered with admiration, stunned by the sheer ingenuity of the mistranslated noticeboard at its foot. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to render the rules into English; each word had been analysed with extraordinary care - and each was very slightly wrong.

It began: “Please don’t carve arbitrarily on the Great Wall. Protect one brick and one stone conscientiously.” Then the signwriter offered a couple of suggestions: “In order to keep fit no spitting” and “Please pay attention to your safety in the rain and snow weather.” Before this rousing coda: “Please walk carefully on abrupt slope and dangerous way: Don’t run and pushes to pash violently and the laugh and frolic.”
Although developed for use in Iraq, “The advantage this offers port security is that you can have one person in control of several of these vessels, because what we’re running into in terms of port security is a manpower/resource scarcity,” says Choich.
Mistranslated English is one of the great pleasures of travelling abroad. It is, I suppose, one of the privileges of a lingua franca that English-speakers have more opportunities than anyone else to see their tongue twisted. I am sure that our efforts to translate for the benefit of visitors are just as inadvertently amusing.

Mistranslations often seem to have a sort of internal poetry, conveying far more meaning than an accurate version, and sometimes offer a small glimpse into the mind of the translator. I can’t help feeling that the warning not to “pash violently and the laugh and frolic” was written by some curmudgeonly old communist convinced that Westerners do nothing but pash violently and frolic all day.

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A little farther along the wall I was introduced to some of the local fauna: “Black bear, eating meat catalog, bear branch.” Then the warning: “Bear is a direct bowel animal so if eat sundry good easy to cause bowel block, especially plastic bag and bottle of mineral water can cause death.” I found that rather moving.
Now we go on.
Mistranslated menus offers particularly rich fare, from the “fried nun” found on many an Indian menu and“hambuggers” the world over, to more elaborate preparations such as the “three cute prawns suntanning on the rice”. As Charlie Croker points out in Still Lost in Translation, his second collection of “Misadventures in English Abroad”, there is such competition between restaurants, and such a hunger for the supposed sophistication that English affords, that linguistic over-egging is practically standard. “Fragrant bone in garlic in strange flavour” is, of course, a precise description, if hardly enticing. But English can be just too specific, such as with the Chinese offering of “Dumpling stuffed with the ovary and digestive glands of a crab”.

It only takes one word to go awry for the product to take on a very different complexion, such as the Japanese advert that wonders: “Why does coffee taste so good when you’re naked with your family?” On the other hand, “Believed ham of the country” sounds so much more delicious than the merely “authentic” or “traditional” stuff.
It’s so tirred.
I vividly remember a tailor’s shop sign in India that boldly declared: “Our best is none too good”, and a French wine list promising: “Our wines leave you nothing to hope for.” Then there is the Cypriot restaurant that recommends of its speciality dish: “Try it, and try to forget it.”

As Croker points out, mistranslations can be divided into two categories. In some, one can glimpse what the translator is driving at, however dimly: the “Beach of irregular bottoms” sign in Spain, for example, or “Beware of your luggage”, and the sign outside a cathedral in Cancún, Mexico, that says: “Please keep loud, wild babes out of the sanctuary.” (I have been to Cancún, and the place for loud, wild babes is in the beachfront bars.) I particularly like the sign at Jeddah airport: “You are required to declare all sorts of private things”.

Then there is the variety that simply makes no sense at all, no matter how hard one squints. Take this on an inflatable slide in Jeddah: “Thereto each participant taken circumspection and the carefulness the aquitable”.

The best mistranslations aspire to a degree of philosophical grandeur that would be impossible in both the language of the translator and “correct” English. Take, for example, the creator of the Indian Highway Code, who reaches for a truth more important than mere law-

abiding motoring when he (for it is surely a he) writes: “We should not drive in the drinking mood and with the worries of the mind. At the time of driving, we should not accompany by ladies. If we do it so, it will create accident.”

But before we get too smug about distorted English, it is worth remembering that native English-speakers are just as capable as falling into the elephant traps of the language as anyone else. For just one example, recall the famous sign in a small Cornish hotel: “Will any guest wishing to take a bath please make arrangements to have one with Mrs Harvey.”
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March 27, 2008

Inflatable toast lets you blow up your breakfast

Filed under: , , , , , Uncategorized, Blogroll — topinflatables @ 6:20 pm

Is it just me, or is inflatable toast one of the most random things you’ve ever seen?
If the soft vinyl slice could be pumped with air to reach the size of a mattress or something,
I could understand the appeal of inedible toast that looks incredibly realistic.
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Wanting to sleep on a gigantic piece of bread and fighting off nightmares of being slathered
in butter and jelly makes sense. Exercising one’s lungs to blow up something that measures
six inches doesn’t.
Throughout the course of a test drive, the new Inflatable Sports Volvo S40 exceptional talent for the campaign revealed. Its rich sense of sculpture as well as the appearance of lines filled with a Nordic temperament of the Scandinavian design style at the same time allowing each test - to really understand the unique flavor of Volvo Cars.
Set of two available now for $6.50 (okay, it makes sense at this price).
You can use link at here,for example:GOOGLE
Via Nerd Approved.


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March 17, 2008

Dealing with Dogs

Filed under: , , , , , Uncategorized, Blogroll — topinflatables @ 2:43 pm

I turned thirty on a farmstead in central South Dakota. I suspected that I would be busting my ass for the next twenty years, which turned out to be true, so took the opportunity to spend some time alone in the country. I spent two and a half great years there, living with a very large black cat.
To be continued.
A neighboring ranch was losing several sheep every night to coyotes. They would attack at dusk as the dog was bringing them into the lot. Orlyn asked around for folks to help protect them until he took them to market in a couple weeks, and of course I had nothing but time.

There was a quiet meeting in the farmyard one evening. A few shy, elderly ranchers and farmers, some lifelong bachelors, the leftover denizens of this flat, dry country struggling through the 80’s farm crisis, collected around an old flatbed to assign watch posts. Most were doubtful about even seeing one of the small prairie wolves. We heard them all night, and they flowed silently through our yards in the dark, but they were rarely spotted during the day.
Do not be so Lazy! Just add as much as you can at here!
Just before sunset every evening, I parked my van on a dirt road and sat on a fence rail adjoining the pasture. This was an actual appointment in my life, something I usually avoided at the time, but it was worth the spectacle of watching the sheepdog at work. His skill and energy was astonishing. He drove four hundred feeder ewes out into an enormous pasture every day at dawn, moving them to shade when it warmed, heading the group toward water periodically, planning the day according to the sun. He knew to keep them from lingering too long in a single spot-sheep will ruin grass by eating it down to the roots. He brought them in good order back to the feed lot before sunset. All Orlyn had to do was open and close the gate twice a day.

I had grown up in this country and had a great respect for working dogs. Ranch and farm dogs, hunting dogs. I had volunteered at a facility near my home in Minneapolis, where blind people were trained to work with seeing eye dogs. Like many people with this background, I looked with dismay at the loud, drooling, humping, pissing, undisciplined pedigrees that most people seemed to adore in the city. As they mindlessly barked at me on sidewalks, I wondered how these highly evolved creatures could become so stupid. Growing up on the prairie, my big labrador and I would roam for hours. I never tired of watching him precisely cover a small grass run, carefully indexing the layers of scents and movements, cataloging time, direction, size, species. He always made the right decisions, far beyond my capabilities, and completely independent.

So I knew what these dogs were worth. A few months previously, I had attended one day of a court case in a nearby county, a local sensation. A man’s sheepdog had been accidentally killed by a neighbor. He was sued for

$50,000, which was the amount of work the owner calculated the dog would have produced in his later years. Everyone I knew felt this was accurate, as did the jury. The defendant’s only argument was that any dog dumb enough to get himself in the way of a piece of farm equipment should be worth no more than $35,000. The judge agreed, and even the owner conceded the point, and that was the settlement. I often reflected on this case when hearing about yet another friend’s dog who had run thoughtlessly in front of a car.
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As the sheepdog worked the far side of the flock, two coyotes appeared magically out of a short patch of dried grass on my edge of the field. They came from nothing, as if beamed down from a starship. Back then, I could cover a hundred yards of flat prairie, carrying a deer rifle, in about fifteen seconds. In that fifteen seconds, those two coyotes killed five sheep. I don’t know what they thought they would do with a quarter ton of lamb, but they had just laid that much meat on the ground. I drew up about seventy five yards out, dropped to my knee and shot one through the lungs. The other vanished immediately, like vapor.

I knelt over her, watching the capillaries break up in her eyes. I could see the setting sun fade to dullness in their reflection. Her overall appearance was magnificent. I recalled my friends washing their clumsy dogs every weekend in their apartments. This animal lived in a plum thicket and her fur was perfectly groomed and elegantly shaded, with a gentle scent of sage. Killing her was my only response to her existence. I had often thought of kicking dogs that frightened me in the city, but never imagined harming a creature as exactly formed and adapted as this.

None of my fellow sheepguards commented on the gunshot or the fallen coyote. We wordlessly field dressed the dead sheep in the deepening dusk and loaded them into a pickup. The little cattle dog was eating his dinner by the barn, right out of the can.

Back home, I baked a pumpkin and prepared for an evening of reading. My cat had already left for the night. He would return happily full of mice in the morning, managing this effortlessly in my farmyard, now overrun with wild dogs. I could hear them in the trees outside my bedroom already. He apparently dealt easily with the coyotes that streamed past the house in the dark. I’m sure he didn’t spend all evening in a tree.
Now we go on.
A year later, just before moving back to Minneapolis, I was driving down that dirt road and remembered the event. I explored the field and found her bones spread over a wide area, no doubt by her former compatriots for whom she had always provided. The skull was intact and spotlessly clean. Even in death and decay, she maintained her exotic beauty and relentless utility. Her skull rests on my bookcase now, a reminder of her silent lethality and the perfectly realized life I had taken. It was the only thing of real value I took back to the city.
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