leiyu5

As many as 30 million tires on the road are at risk of blowing out,causing a serious, even fatal accident. The problems arepotentially faulty tire valves. The valves have been recalled butplenty of them are still out there.

 It's not easy to tell if your tire has one of these valves. At aminimum, Consumer Reports says you should check your tires'pressure at least once a month and inspect the valves for anycracks. Flex the valves out toward the tire and rotate them,looking for any cracks along the stem. A flashlight can be helpful.

 If you do find a crack, go to your mechanic and make sure all fourtire-valve stems are replaced, not just the defective one.

 To be certain that your valves haven "t been recalled, have amechanic take the tire off and inspect the valve from the inside.That "s the only way to check the model number to see if a valveis part of the recall. The model numbers of the recalled valvesare: TR-413, TR-413CH, TR-414, TR-415, TR-418, and TR-423.

High Accuracy Torque Multiplier for Wet Valve Actuation

Tuesday, Aug 05, 2008

 Norbar Torque tools has developed an innovative torque multiplierfor the subsea tools market. Designed as an adapter to allow API17D Class 4 intervention torque tools to generate the torquerequired to handle Class 7 applications, the new torque multiplierdelivers a higher level of accuracy than alternative solutions, andincreased flexibility in use through its added-value features andits ability to be configured in two standard lengths.

 The gear unit has been designed as an adapter for torque tools usedon subsea Christmas trees – the assemblies of control valves,gauges and chokes that control oil and gas flow at a well head.Installed on the ocean floor at depths of up to 3000m, these‘wet trees’ provide the ultimate challenge for thetorque tools designed to actuate the various valves.

 The valves come in various sizes with different torquerequirements, with the typically used subsea products ranging fromClass 1 valves with maximum torques of 68Nm up to Class 7 withtorques of 34,000Nm. Clearly it would be impractical to holddifferent tools for each valve, or to standardise only on thelargest tool on the off-chance of having to accommodate a Class 7valve now and again. So the gear adapter has become popular as ameans of extending a Class 4 tool (which would generate up to2,700Nm of torque) up to Class 7.

 To date, the trade-off for this added convenience has beenaccuracy, with extended Class 4 tools failing to offer the precisetorques of dedicated Class 7 tools. But Norbar’s innovativedesign has overcome this problem, enabling a Class 7 torque outputto be generated from a Class 4 torque input to an accuracy ofbetter than ±5%.

 “Our Norwegian customer came to us to see if we thought wecould improve on the existing designs,” says Norbar’sTim Bloor. “We looked at the problems with the existingproducts, and went back to basics. The result was two prototypeunits that we believe deliver far greater accuracy than the currentgear adapters on the market.”

 The function of the gear is to operate as a torque multiplier, butthe ratios have to be exactly right to achieve the correct torqueand the specified speed from the Class 4 tool. At the same time,the gear has to be able to function reliably in a subseaenvironment at extreme temperatures and pressures. It also has tobe easy to handle. Norbar was able to meet all of theserequirements.

 The design of the gear to match the accuracy requirements was notrivial matter. Inherent gearbox inefficiencies mean that thenumber of turns that the input has to make to achieve onerevolution of the output is not the same as the torquemultiplication ratio. A key aspect of the design, then, was toengineer each gear stage to give an exact velocity ratio whichwould deliver the required torque multiplication at an accuracy ofbetter than ±5%.

 The company’s newly developed torque multiplier is designedto withstand the corrosive environment and is pressure compensatedto allow operation at typical subsea pressures. It is designed tobe suitable for use with the standard Class 4 torque tools that,operated by ROVs, are used to remotely actuate the wet valves. There is also a restriction on the weight that ROVs can manipulateso considerable design work has gone in to keeping the tool weightdown to an acceptable level.

 The design recognises that there are two standard tool lengths ingeneral use, with different companies preferring either one or theother. With the Norbar design, the nominal length can be quicklychanged from short to long by adding or removing an adjustmentshaft under the adapter sleeve. The result is a tool that is highlyversatile.

 As well as the improved accuracy and length options, the multiplierbuilds in a host of special features that will make it even moreattractive in the subsea torque tools market. These include alifting handle that has been developed from the ground up to makethe tool as easy as possible to manoeuvre. Attention to detail isalso demonstrated in the fact that the tool is coloured orange– the last colour to fade at increasing depths of water.

 The new torque multiplier is currently under test withNorbar’s Norwegian customer serving the North Sea Oil market,but the expectation is that the product will prove an idealsolution in this demanding application. “It’s been asignificant investment on our part, but if we get it right then themarket potential is huge,” says Bloor. “It seems tohave been favourably accepted, and we’re confident that theextensive testing it is currently undergoing will prove ourdesign.”

 Norbar will then be able to offer a standard, high accuracysolution to the various subsea valve tool manufacturers worldwide,enabling those companies in turn to offer tools of significantlysuperior performance and accuracy to the multitude of oil and gascompanies across the globe with subsea operations.

 Source:

Valve This Saturday we've reported about the PC/X360 shooter

Left 4 Dead possibly winging its way

to the PlayStation 3The scoop, which was actually a blurb in the latest issue of OPM,indicated that Electronic Arts would take on the task of portingthe game to Sony's console.

 As it turns out, the story was bogus, at least according to Vavle'sDoug Lombardi, who made the following statement to clarify things:"There is no PS3 version of Left 4 Dead currently inproduction." Nicely said.

 So, once again, there isn't a PS3 edition of Left 4 Dead indevelopment. Not yet anyway. Still, who knows, eh? Maybe they'llget to work on it someday.

 Source

 All these assumptions are certainly reasonable and cover some ofthe most likely scenarios. Most vintage glassware, depression orotherwise, comprises items to be used in the dining room orkitchen.

But another avidly sought type of depression glass may have youheaded elsewhere in the house. Items termed bedroom and bathroomglassware are a popular collectible category encompassingdecorative pieces as well as those used for personal grooming. Hereare some of the objects collectors look for.

Lamps

Although lamps are certainly not limited to the bedside table, thatis what many depression era glass lamps were made for. With bothglass bases and glass shades, many of these lamps haven't survivedthe years intact and unscathed, but those that have are much indemand by collectors. Bedside lamps often have figural bases -well-dressed ladies and Scotty dogs are two examples of popularthemes used. Lamps may be clear, coloured or frosted glass. Theymay also have fired-on colour or painted details.

Perfume and Cologne Bottles

Old perfume bottles make up a popular collecting category all theirown, but there is a distinct elegance to those from the depressionera. Plain, patterned, or art deco in style, perfumes and colognesoffer a huge selection to collectors. Some seek single bottles,while others look for matched vanity sets consisting of two or morebottles, a powder jar and sometimes a glass tray. A range ofcoloured glass bottles from amber to cobalt blue can be found. Onecommon collector concern is the difficulty in finding intact glassstoppers for the bottles though, as they were so often damaged orbroken.

Powder Jars

Made to hold facial or body powder, depression era powder jarsoften capture the imagination of collectors who appreciate whimsy.Many jars are either embellished with a figure as a knob on top ofthe cover, or the whole container itself may be figural. Somecommon themes include well-dressed ladies and animals. Non-figuraljars may be patterned or plain. Examples can be found in manycolours in both clear and frosted glass. Some collectors acceptminor wear and roughness on interior cover edges, which is to beexpected from years of moving a lid on and off.

Other Items

For the bedroom, some other collectible items include glass clocks,and guest or night sets consisting of a water pitcher and glass orglasses. For the bathroom, various toiletry jars and containers,soap dishes and even glass towel bars can be found. As with alldepression glass, collectors want pieces in the best conditionpossible without chips or damage.

So whether enjoying someone else's collection of depression glassor perhaps thinking of starting your own, remember this lovelyglassware doesn't have to be restricted to the china cabinet.

Riel Nason catontheporch@yahoo.ca is a columnist, collector andantique dealer living in Quispamsis. Her column appears the lastSaturday of every month.

glassware She can sous vide (vacuum-seal) salmon in her RationalSelfCooking Center.

She can whip up a pizza Margherita (with basil from hergarden) in her wood-burning oven.

Or she can just make a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich and call ita meal.

But this 800-square-foot cooking showplace isn't for Leineke'spopular catering company (Joan Leineke Catering). This is her homekitchen. It's the kitchen she and husband Jake, an industrialcontractor, have dreamed about for the 30 years they've lived inFair Oaks.

"The new kitchen replaces the family room, dining room and the oldkitchen," Leineke says. "It took 1 1/2 years to complete, and I'mamazed at how it turned out."

Richard Graber of Graber- Rasmussen Architects in Sacramento wasthe primary architect on the Leineke project.

"I had fun doing it," Graber says. "It's a commercial-type kitchenwith a residential feel."

The redesign was handled by Applegate Tran Interiors of SanFrancisco. (The company opened an office in Sacramento.) It alsoincluded additional square footage to the country/modern home: amaster bedroom/bathroom.

But it's the kitchen that Leineke's personal and professionaltouches heat up.

"The appliances, plenty of counter space and pull-out cabinetsinstead of overhead cabinets were my must-haves," she says.

And ample space to either use or store her 15-inch platters.

For example, the Sub-Zero refrigerator is 26 inches wide (with aneighboring 18-inch freezer).

The 36-inch-wide, six-burner Jade gas range is a beauty, with amighty 18,000 BTUs. (Restaurant stoves are usually 32,000 BTUs.) Itreplaces Leineke's 48-inch monster Garland stove. She even had afaucet built in overhead for easy water access – no trips backand forth to the sink.

The counters (and one island), honed out of antiqued granite, are30 inches deep instead of the traditional 24.

More than 60 cabinets hold dishware, glassware, utensils, pots andpans, even lids.

"I love pull-out cabinets for storing pantry items like vinegarsand oils," Leineke says.

The kitchen incorporates several cooking areas: the main "line,"which is similar to what you might see in a restaurant kitchen, anda pastry- and pizza-making area that's mere steps away from thewood-burning oven, which is surrounded by Venetian plaster. Longpizza paddles and fire-stoking equipment hang on the side. Oak, cutfrom the trees in the backyard, is stored underneath.

Each work area has its own sink (with disposal and trashcompartments). Both are within reach of two smaller refrigerators– for cheeses and pizza ingredients, and bottled and canneddrinks.

There's a dishwasher just for glassware and a Miele washer thatcleans a load in 10 minutes.

With all this storage space, what you don't see in Leineke'skitchen are countertop appliances lined up side by side.

"My Cuisinart, choppers and my dream machine Thermomix (it makeseverything from sorbet to home-baked bread) reside in the'appliance garage,' " she says. The cover rolls up and down justlike a garage door.

Her Kitchen-Aid standing mixer is hidden in the pizza/pastry area,on a lift-out board, "so you don't move it."

Leineke admits that when she saw the final plans on paper, shedidn't realize how much space she would have.

That's why there's also room for a wine-storage unit, a built-incoffee maker and the Rational SelfCooking Center, which Leinekesays her designer wasn't happy about including.

"But I insisted," she says. "You can grill, steam veggies and rice,roast, even fry an egg in it."

Vernon Applegate, the lead designer, e-mailed that the Leinekeproject took a modern approach yet remains informal.

glassware The shipping company, P & O says it's offering counselling topassengers affected by the impact of heavy weather on the cruiseship, Pacific Sun.

Jonathon Hall reports more than 1700 passengers were aboard for aneight-night cruise through the South Pacific.

On Wednesday night their holiday turned dangerous when the PacificSun encountered seven metre seas and 50 knot winds between Vanuatuand New Zealand.

The ship rolled suddenly, developing a 20 degree list. Passengers,furniture and glassware were thrown around.

The company says it was 'freak incident' and the ship was notstructurally damaged.

The ship docked in Auckland. Three passengers with broken boneswere taken to hospital, another 39 were treated for minor injuries.The company says it planned the cruise route to try to avoid theworst of the extreme weather in the area.

Tags:

pacific

glassware HUNTINGTON -- With just a handful of change, Kathy Miller was theproud new owner of a large, brown purse.

Miller was one of many area residents taking home bargains Saturdayas part of the Citywide Yard Sale in Huntington.

The Neighborhood Institute of Huntington voted to sponsor acitywide yard sale event during its April meeting. Locations werespread throughout the city, including Walnut Hills, Rotary Road andFairfield West.

Christine Hainer was hosting a yard sale for the first time at herhome on Washington Boulevard. Her sister and mother, alsofirst-timers, were in on it, too. Hainer said much of her salescame from items she had in storage.

"I've had this stuff here for two years and I'm not using it. It'stime to get rid of it," she said.

Hainer said she started setting up for the sale around 6:30 a.m.,and already customers began showing up. Despite some early morningrain, business seemed steady, she said.

In Hainer's yard, shoppers kept busy as they looked through clothesand picked up glassware. "How much for this coat?" asked one woman."$5," came the reply.

Many seemed encouraged by a peek of sunshine around 9 a.m. as theyasked one another where other yard sales were located.

Miller of Pritchard and her sister were among the many out lookingfor deals. Visiting yard sales is something she and her sisterenjoy doing when they have the time.

"It's fun," she said.

Miller said she wasn't looking for anything specific. She was justlooking. She had her arms full with throws, purses and homedecorations on Saturday morning.

"You never know what you're going to find," she said.

Very little fine glassware was marketed in Ireland until the 1780sbecause the English government prohibited Irish glass exports. Thisprohibition was designed to protect the English glassmakingindustry. In 1783, just after the export ban was lifted, brothersGeorge and William Penrose opened the Waterford Flint GlassManufactory (later called the Waterford Glass House) in Waterford,which was then one of Ireland's busiest ports. The brothers, bothof whom were Quakers, were determined to take the lead glasstechnology of the time to a higher level. They developed formulasfor mingling molten glass with various minerals to create glasswarethat, while still strong and durable, also showed a uniquebrilliance and felt soft to the touch. This Waterford glass evenhad the feature of giving a certain unusual ring when tapped.

The Penrose brothers decorated their Waterford glass with deeplycut ornamentation that enhanced the natural sparkle of the wares.Typical products included decanters, jugs, fruit bowls, fingerbowls, honey jars and other glassware serving accessories.

In the earliest years, Waterford glass (like all Irish glassgenerally) copied English glass, but soon developed some distinctstyles of its own. Bowls, for example, began to be made withturnover rims and heavy square feet.

At it's height, the Penrose firm had around 70 employees -- managedby another Quaker, John Hill, who was a famous glassmaker in hisown right -- and was one of the most important businesses inWaterford. The market for Waterford glass made by Penrose existedthroughout Europe and America. King George III even ordered someWaterford crystal and it became fashionable in high society todisplay Waterford wares.

The Penrose brothers wisely decided in the early 19th century tosell their interests in the business to several local citizensnamed Ramsey, Gatchell and Barcroft. These new owners keptmanufacturing high quality cut glass, but also expanded theirmarket to the middle class. In 1851, the firm was even awardedseveral gold medals at the Great Exhibition in London.

Even as the firm was gathering these achievements, however, itsdemise was imminent. Earlier, in the 1820s, the British parliamentbegan to levy excise taxes on many Irish exports including glassproducts. By the early 1850s, these excessive taxes were causingmany Irish glassmaking companies to fold. In 1851, the same year inwhich it received the Great Exhibition awards, the Waterford firmfounded by the Penrose brothers was forced to close because of thetax burden imposed by Parliament.

For almost a century, no company manufactured glass under aWaterford name. This changed in 1947, when a small group of mainlyimmigrant workers from war-ravaged Europe set up a small glassfactory less than two miles from the original Penrose site. Thebusiness was a huge success and the operation, which eventuallysettled upon the name of Waterford Crystal, soon moved to itspresent 40-acre site.

The quality of modern Waterford Crystal is (like its predecessor)known throughout the world. The firm has had, for example, samplesof its glassware presented to every American President fromEisenhower to Reagan by the Irish government. Although techniqueshave been refined since the 1950s, the basic glassmaking process isstill the same. The melted crystal, containing alloys of silicasand, lead oxide and potassium carbonate, is poured into a mold. Anexact amount of air is introduced (by artisans who blow by mouthinto tubes reaching inside the mold) at specific points in the moldto shape the piece as perfectly as possible. Once the mold stage isdone, the piece is allowed to cool very slowly in a specialannealing oven that controls the temperature. This cooling takesapproximately three hours.

Once the glass item is cooled, it is then hand-cut withdiamond-tipped wheels. The basic technique requires that thecutting be done at precisely defined and sharp angles so that lightfalling on these angles will be portrayed with a diamond-likebrilliance. The people doing the cutting serve a five-yearapprenticeship before being allowed to cut the glass on their own.

The result is glassware that is unrivaled for its clarity,durability and appearance. Although Waterford crystal appears inplaces like Buckingham Palace and the White House, the single mostpublic Waterford item is arguably the Waterford Crystal Ball usedin each New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square. With theWaterford name having such famous associations, it is likely thistradition of Irish glassmaking will carry far into the future.

Joe Devanney, an attorney who lives in Paoli, is a longtimeantiques enthusiast. He may be reached at dlnantiques@cs.com.

At first, the company used the alloy to manufacture products forthe restaurant industry.

It wasn't until the early to mid-'70s that we started selling it atthe retail level, Lefever said.

Wilton Armetale now makes about 700 different cookware andserveware products, Lefever said, turning out about 700,000 items ayear with a work force of 80 to 85 employees and sales runningbetween $15 million and $20 million.

We are the largest manufacturer and supplier of alternative metalin the country, Lefever said. We call ourselves the last manstanding' ... in an industry where made in the USA still meanssomething.

But to grow, he said, the company had to break with that tradition,a decision that Lefever said has not always set well with all itscustomers.

The new lines of glassware and ceramics are not Wilton Armetale'sfirst forays into outsourcing. They're part of a process ofmodernization that began several years ago.

One of the first steps the company took to ensure its future was toinvest about $4 million in new equipment in 1999 and 2000 to makeits Mount Joy foundry operations more efficient and environmentallyfriendly.

Expanding its brand beyond metal was another step in the process.

For us to continue to grow our business, we realized we had tobranch off into other media, Lefever said. The reason we import theglassware and ceramics is we don't have the expertise to do thatourselves.

Importing is also a step that most of Wilton Armetale's competitors- Arthur Court, Mariposa, Namb and Lenox - took some time ago.

We have to constantly reinvent ourselves when we're in an industryas competitive as this, Lefever said.

The company began exploring the idea of outsourcing around 2005,Lefever said, approaching several of its major customers, such asMacy's, to see if there would be a market for cheaper, mass-produced versions of some of the company's original metal breadtrays.

Finding the right supplier in China took about 18 months.

The challenge, Lefever said, was to find an environmentallyfriendly manufacturer that treated its workers right. And it alsohad to be someone who could be entrusted with the formula for theArmetale alloy.

He credits Ivan Jeffery, president of Crescent Brass in Reading anda longtime friend of Fred Wilton, with helping the company find theright supplier.

It's not that difficult to do business in China, Jeffery said,although the idea scares people at first.

Crescent is similar to Wilton Armetale in being a century-oldfoundry that still pours its own metal castings, Jeffery said.

But unlike Wilton, Crescent Brass has been outsourcing some of itsproducts for a long time.

We started in Taiwan and Italy 25 years ago, Jeffery said. We'vebeen in China about 10 years and have developed relationships justlike you would doing business in this country.

Lefever said he and Fred Wilton flew to China and spent more than aweek there visiting with the company's owner.

\It's been a very good relationship, Lefever said. He's an honestbusinessman who has never breached the issue of confidentiality.We've never seen any of our products show up anywhere else.

\It also turned out to be a profitable relationship.

\That first year, we sold 250,000 units, Lefever said.

\But the outsourcing was a big change for our customers, Lefeversaid.

\The company wholesales its products to nearly every departmentstore in the country, along with about 1,800 independent andspecialty shops across the U.S. and Canada.

\Some of them were upset, Lefever explained, and were saying Wiltonis selling out by importing some of its products from China.

That has begun to change, he said, as they've recognized that thequality is not any different from the products made here. And thathas helped pave the way for the company to leverage its well-knownbrand with imported glassware and ceramics.

Jeffery also helped Wilton Armetale find its ceramics supplier. Inaddition to Crescent Brass, he runs a company with a partner inmainland China - Total Source Trading - that imports a variety offinished products and has contacts with a broad range ofindustries.

The ceramics supplier, like the metal supplier, is in GuangdongProvince, in southern China.

Wilton Armetale's connection with its glassware supplier in Mexicois a different story.

Lefever said that relationship grew out of a tour of factories heand Fred Wilton made independent of Jeffery.

During their travels, one of the metal suppliers they were visitingin Guadalajara happened to mention that he also had a factory thatmakes hand-blown glass, Lefever said.

That company, Hacienda Real, is now producing Wilton Armetale's newline of Bello Vaso glassware.

Wilton already has a stock of the glassware at its 80,000-square-foot distribution warehouse on Stony Battery Road, and it hopes tostart shipping its new line of ceramics around Oct. 1, at thebeginning of the busy holiday gift season.

Our goal, over the next three years, is to try to do $1 million ineach product line, Lefever said.

The company had the same goal when it came out with its locallymade Gourmet Grillware a couple of years ago, a line sold throughsuch outlets as Home Depot that is now bringing in $600,000 to$700,000 a year.

That will always be made here, Lefever said. We believe there'salways going to be an advantage to make some of our productsdomestically.

 (c) 2008 Intelligencer Journal. Provided by ProQuest Informationand Learning. All rights Reserved.

Special report:

2008 Olympic Games

BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Olympic badminton venue chief onTuesday blasted at a report about a flag complaint lodged by aBritish Olympic official, labelling it "totally ungrounded."

Ren Chunhui, executive deputy director of Beijing Olympic badmintoncompetition venue located at the Beijing University of Technology(BJUT), said that the media department of the venue has beeninformed of "the irresponsible report".

An Australian newspaper reported Monday that British Olympicofficial Clive Woodward complained in an official chefs de missionmeeting that the English flag had been hung at the badminton venue,not the Union Jack, an oversight that will upset Scottish, Welshand Northern Irish competitors.

"We didn't hang the English flag in our gym, not Union Jack flageither," said Ren, emphasizing that some Britons working at thevenue can prove it.

"We are considering seeking apology from the reporter," said thevenue chief.

the Olympic badminton competition, scheduled to be held in the BJUTgymnasium from August 9 to August 17, will attract a record50teams.

What do former local high school standouts do when their playingdays are over?

Many of them take to the field in the Western Mass. Flag FootballLeague, which begins its 11th season Friday with two night games atHolyoke High School.

"It's a range from 18 to guys who are 36, 37 years of age," saidChad Gibson of Chicopee, the league's commissioner andsingle-season sack leader. "The majority of high school standoutsfrom the past 15 years have all played in the league."

The 11-team WMFFL plays a 13-game regular season over 15 weeks. Thefirst four weeks and the playoffs are held at Holyoke High School,with the remaining games at Van Horn Park in Springfield. When playshifts to Van Horn, two games are held simultaneously on Saturdaysat 8 and 10:30 a.m.

Gibson, who is in his sixth season as commissioner, hopes to take agroup of all-stars to a World Cup qualifying event, sponsored byflagmag.com, a leading resource on flag football.

The league plays 8-on-8, using NCAA rules. The sidelines areconsidered live, which leads to some pretty spirited tackling thatborders on full contact. High school and college officials call thegames.

"I anticipate in probably five years, my main goal is to have thisleague with approximately 20 to 24 teams," Gibson said.

The 2008 WMFFL campaign begins with a rematch of last November'sSuper Bowl, as Gibson's Maximum Capacity Bears open defense oftheir championship against the No Fear Falcons. The Bears arearguably the league's elite team, having won the last two SuperBowls and four of the eight individual postseason awards in 2007.

Gibson and top defensive back Nate Mercier anchor the defense,while the combination of reigning MVP K.J. Walsh at quarterback andreceiver Juni Delgado give the Bears offensive firepower. Otherelite quarterbacks in the league include the Falcons' RichieSantiago, the Eagles' John Frasco and the Redskins' Tim Klett.

LEESBURG, Fla. --

 Leesburg residents were protesting a move Monday that could bringdown a giant American flag, but the city council decided to instead'grandfather in' the flag.

SLIDESHOW:

Images Of 30-Foot By 60-Foot American Flag

VOTE:Agree With Decision To Let Giant Flag Keep Flying?

VIDEO REPORT:

Giant American Flag Gets To Keep Flying

The city said the flag is too big, but others call it a citylandmark. The city commission decided to make an exception Mondayto their own rules to keep the flag flying. They were facing alarge crowd of people who are at Monday night's meeting to stand upfor the stars and stripes and found a way to avoid any controversy.

If you drive Highway 441 through Leesburg, you can't miss it. It'sone of the largest, if not the largest, American flags in all ofCentral Florida and it flies over a car dealership.

Greg Clark says it's a tradition, not a trademark. Clark and mosteveryone else who crowded Monday's Leesburg city commission meetingbelieve an ordinance to limit the size of U.S. flags and polesshould be repealed.

The ordinance was originally passed in 2004, along with a new setof rules for signs in Leesburg's business districts. Some considerlarge signs an ugly sight and the city set deadlines for theirremoval, the first wave to hit next January. But because of theenormous cost involved and with some businesses struggling in tougheconomic times, city leaders might consider extending the deadlineanother two years.

As for the 30-foot-by-60-foot star spangled banner, the cityavoided a likely fight if they tried to bring it down. Members ofthe city council that Eyewitness News talked to Monday had saidthey thought patriotism would win out.

The car dealership was annexed into the city of Leesburg in 2006,but the flag has flown since 1987. For that reason, some believethe flag should be grandfathered in and allowed to remain flying.

Between shows in Melbourne there is a feast of great eating. Andwith food from every culture – from the Italian postwarimmigrants to the most recent surge of Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese– there's a dish for every palate.

Beyond the food itself is a level of service New Zealanders arejust not used to: in The Press Club on Flinders St, our group ofsix was welcomed by a hugely competent maitre d, a professionalsommelier who knew our orders and recommended great wines to match,three waitresses and two waiters. And each knew who was havingwhat, and when.

It's a dining experience hard to find in Wellington, and if the newgovernment wants to do our tourism industry a favour come November,it could do worse than send the whole sector to Melbourne to findout what good service really is.

The competence, knowledge and casually professional service isepitomised at MoVida, a Spanish tapas 100-seat restaurant on HosierLane that is so popular it has had to open next door.

Spanish-born, Australian-raised Frank Camorra's combinations ofsalty flavours – anchovies with roast tomato sorbet, forinstance – are exciting and challenging.

With "tapa" – individual pieces at about NZ$5 and"racion", entree-sized portions at $7-$10, it's possibleto cover the taste spectrum in a succession of small bites,complemented by white linen napkins, fine glassware, and thevelvety flavour- packed wines of Spain.

The Press Club is the flagship of chef George Colombaris –the Good Food Guide's chef of the year – and offerstraditional Greek food with very modern twists: cumin-roastedbeetroot, pistachio biscuit, yoghurt cheese and honey; black musselspanakopita, warm vinaigrette of white anchovies and chickpeas.

The roast cuts and exquisite desserts are just as interesting.

Straight-up modern Melburnian food is served at Gills Diner, offLittle Collins St, one shop up from the bakery that supplies allits bread and pastry.

The warehouse-schoolroom tiled-wall space has shared refectorytables, an efficient clatter, and French-Italian blackboard mealsserved with local beer and wine in serious glassware.

The vibe, and the music, are managed by Lazlo Evenhuis and histurntable, amp and timber speakers, and the warmth of theatmosphere shows off the tastes of the earthy, slow-cooked,market-fresh food.

Kitchen glassware bowl mixes up some dough

Q:The primary colored mixing bowl set in this photo was a weddinggift in 1963. Even though I have used the set over the past 45years, it is in excellent condition. Each bowl is marked with an"R" in a circle and the words "Trademark -- Pyrex -- Made in U.S.A.-- Ovenware." And each bowl contains a number and the amount ofliquid it holds. The yellow bowl is numbered "404 -- 4 qt.," "403-- 2 1/2 qt." is on the green one, "402 -- 1 1/4 qt." is on thered, and "401 -- 1 1/2 pt." is on the blue bowl.My daughter told me she has seen sets like mine in antiques shops,and I now am curious what my set is worth.A:

 Pyrex kitchen glassware was introduced in 1915 by the CorningGlass Co. in Corning, N.Y. Corning employee, Dr. Jesse T.Littleton, discovered that Nonex, a low expansive glass, could makea heat resistant casserole. After successfully testing theovenware, Corning introduced their first pie plate.Some believe the name evolved from "pie" and "ex" the ending ofNonex, thus the name "Pyrex." Over the years they have produced amyriad of ovenware pieces. Your mixing bowl set would probablyfetch $50 to $60 in an antiques shop.Q:

 This mark is on the bottom of my pottery jardiniere. Thejardiniere has a matching pedestal, but it is not marked. Theoverall height is approximately 25 inches. It has a glossy greenglaze and is in good condition. The set was in a home we purchasedin Florida. We know it survived two Florida hurricanes, but otherthan that, we don’t know much about its history and value.

Thanks for any information you can provide.A:

 McCoy Pottery was made in Roseville, Ohio, from 1910 to 1990. Yourjardiniere and pedestal were made around 1955. The set wasavailable in green, matte white, and a brown and green blend.

Its value would probably be $300 to $400.

Q: I have a clear, pressed glass pedestal vase that I bought in anantiques shop. I was told it is a double vase with the "AmazonSawtooth" pattern. It stands 9 inches tall and is in mintcondition. I could not find a manufacturer’s mark.

Any information about its maker, when it was made, and its valuewill be appreciated.

A:You have a double bud vase in the "Amazon" pattern. It is anexample of Victorian non-flint glass -- the design is also known as"Sawtooth" and "Sawtooth Band." Bryce Bros. located in Pittsburgh,produced the pattern from around 1890 to 1891, and United StatesGlass Co. in Pittsburgh reissued the pattern from 1891 to 1904.

"Amazon" was available in clear, amber, canary-yellow, amethyst,blue and ruby-stained clear. Both glassmakers produced the patternin a myriad of pieces and it has not been reproduced.

The value of your double bud vase would probably be $75 to $125.

Q: I have a 1933 World’s Fair silver ring. On the black enameltop are the words "1933 -- A Century of Progress -- Chicago." It isin excellent condition.

Is it collectible and what is it worth?

A: Mementos and souvenirs from any of the World’s Fairs arecollectible. Your ring would probably be worth $100 to $125.

Address questions to Anne McCollam, P.O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column.Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individualletters. To find out more about Anne McCollam and read features byother Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit theCreators Syndicate website at

www.creators.com

.

Popular Bedroom, bathroom glassware

 All these assumptions are certainly reasonable and cover some ofthe most likely scenarios. Most vintage glassware, depression orotherwise, comprises items to be used in the dining room orkitchen.ut another avidly sought type of depression glass may have youheaded elsewhere in the house. Items termed bedroom and bathroomglassware are a popular collectible category encompassingdecorative pieces as well as those used for personal grooming. Hereare some of the objects collectors look for.LampsAlthough lamps are certainly not limited to the bedside table, thatis what many depression era glass lamps were made for. With bothglass bases and glass shades, many of these lamps haven't survivedthe years intact and unscathed, but those that have are much indemand by collectors. Bedside lamps often have figural bases -well-dressed ladies and Scotty dogs are two examples of popularthemes used. Lamps may be clear, coloured or frosted glass. Theymay also have fired-on colour or painted details.Perfume and Cologne Bottles

Old perfume bottles make up a popular collecting category all theirown, but there is a distinct elegance to those from the depressionera. Plain, patterned, or art deco in style, perfumes and colognesoffer a huge selection to collectors. Some seek single bottles,while others look for matched vanity sets consisting of two or morebottles, a powder jar and sometimes a glass tray. A range ofcoloured glass bottles from amber to cobalt blue can be found. Onecommon collector concern is the difficulty in finding intact glassstoppers for the bottles though, as they were so often damaged orbroken.

owder JarsMade to hold facial or body powder, depression era powder jarsoften capture the imagination of collectors who appreciate whimsy.Many jars are either embellished with a figure as a knob on top ofthe cover, or the whole container itself may be figural. Somecommon themes include well-dressed ladies and animals. Non-figuraljars may be patterned or plain. Examples can be found in manycolours in both clear and frosted glass. Some collectors acceptminor wear and roughness on interior cover edges, which is to beexpected from years of moving a lid on and off.

Other ItemsFor the bedroom, some other collectible items include glass clocks,and guest or night sets consisting of a water pitcher and glass orglasses. For the bathroom, various toiletry jars and containers,soap dishes and even glass towel bars can be found. As with alldepression glass, collectors want pieces in the best conditionpossible without chips or damage.

So whether enjoying someone else's collection of depression glassor perhaps thinking of starting your own, remember this lovelyglassware doesn't have to be restricted to the china cabinet.

Riel Nason catontheporch@yahoo.ca is a columnist, collector andantique dealer living in Quispamsis. Her column appears the lastSaturday of every month.

Forget printing photos: Kodak's latest drugstore kiosk can nowcreate entire bound photo albums in a matter of minutes.

According to a story reported on the business journal

StreetInsider.com, new Kodak photo kiosks being rolled out to CVS/pharmacydrugstores nationwide allow you to create customized hard-coverphoto books while you wait.

Details on how the new kiosks work, how long the process takes, orwhat customization options are available are sketchy, but accordingto a

related press release, users who hold one of CVS/pharmacy's ExtraCare shopper cards willbe reimbursed for the cost of one photo book created through July19.

Overall, the Kodak kiosks seem like an interesting approach towhat's traditionally been an online purchase (through sites likeSnapfish.com and MPIX.com), and the promotion is a greatopportunity to check out the results without laying downhard-earned cash to do it.

The latest kiosks, which should be up and running at 4,500CVS/pharmacy stores by the time of this writing, also allow usersto create photo slideshows (complete with music and video effects)and instantly burn them to DVD for home playback. For all thedetails on the new kiosks, head over to StreetInsider.com.

UPDATE: Kodak's PR folks were able to provide clarification on howthe album binding system works. The same photo printing kiosks thathave been in place before are actually used for the system, onlythey're now set up to assist users in laying out and printing albumpages from a selection of templates.

Users build and print their book page layouts using their photosand the kiosk's templates and then print them. The printed pagesare then bound into book form "behind the counter" by aCVS/pharmacy employee, rather than within the kiosk itself.