9999

Yesterday evening, fifteen horses died in a fire at a boarding stable here in Washington state. Fire investigators are still looking into the cause of the fire. The specter of a barn fire looms over every horse owner - as it should. It's not uncommon for a barn to burn to the ground in the space of a few minutes. In cases where the structure remains intact, horses can die quickly from smoke inhalation. Everyone who works in your barn should be involved in fire prevention. Ignition

• Cigarette smoking is an obvious source of flame. A lit cigarette accidentally dropped into a pile of loose hay can kick everything off. No smoking in the barn!
• Piles of dirty rags can spontaneously combust. Rags which have come in contact with any chemical, even something as innocuous as leather conditioner, should always be cleaned before being put back on the shelf. Oily rags are a common culprit in fires, but other chemicals can break down over time and become flammable.
• Damp hay can spontaneously combust. Horse safety expert Michelle Staples reports that "One of the three major causes of stable fires is hay."
• Electrical equipment should never be left to run unattended. Stable fires can started by box fans, space heaters, radios - anything that plugs into the wall. If you like to leave a radio on for your horses, buy one that can run on rechargeable batteries.
• Make sure that your electrical system is up to code, and use it correctly. Don't chain together more than one extension cord per outlet, and don't use an adapter so that you can plug a ton of things into the same outlet. Inspect extension cords frequently, looking for cracks and mouse bites in the insulation.

Prevention

• Keep loose hay swept up - not only in the hay room, but in the tack room, aisles, and the dozens of other nooks and crannies where the Loose Hay Fairies sprinkle their magic. Loose hay can spread a fire quickly.
• Keep fire extinguishers beside every exit, inside every room, and at the middle of any long aisle. Make sure that everyone who works in your barn knows the location of every fire extinguisher, and knows how to use them.
• Make sure your phone is easy to reach, and that everyone knows where it is. If you have a cordless phone, designate a spot for the handset and make sure it doesn't wander. Post your address (and directions if necessary) beside the phone.
• A standard home smoke detector isn't designed to be used in a stable. Its sensors quickly clog with barn dust, rendering it useless. Instead, use optical or heat-sensing smoke detectors which are designed for use in dusty locations.
• If you operate a commercial stable, and are on a municipal water supply, consider putting in a sprinkler system. Horse fire safety expert Laurie Loveman has some excellent articles on the various considerations involved in setting up a sprinkler system. A sprinkler system is expensive, but check with your insurance agent - it may reduce your monthly premium.

Hi: For the last 35+ years ,I have been driving caddie trading every 2yrs. for business use. Now after two open heart operations I had to stop working..I want to buy a smaller car that will last 5+ years or so rides real good little up keep. What should I looking at:maybe Alavon,300M,Linc.LS,BMW3series,VolvoS80.I am 67+ alone and do not need a big,big car.Will you advise me what kind of cars to look at.What you like the best

Pac-Man was an absolute phenomenon across the world. It was first released in 1980 by Namco in Japan and Midway licensed it for distribution in the US. Pac-Man was universally popular and transcended traditional gender barriers attracting an audience of female and male gamers of all ages. The game is quite possibly the most famous arcade release of all time and it has firmly established itself as an icon of popular culture.

 

Pac-Man featured a new style of game-play altogether casting the player in the role of a yellow circle with a big mouth and challenging them to navigate through a series of maze like levels eating up all the dots. Pac-Man is pursued by four ghosts in different colours who chase him through the maze and by eating one of the four larger dots in each corner of the map the player can supercharge Pac-Man and turn the tables to gobble down the ghosts. Periodically fruit appears in the centre of the map which the player can eat for bonus scores. In theory the game has no end and simply speeds up with each passing level until the player runs out of lives.

 

The game was developed by Toru Iwatani and took around a year and a half to design and develop. He had no experience of developing games when he joined Namco and was actually keen to work on pinball games but the company lacked a pinball division so they put him to work on an arcade title instead. He first produced a video game version based on pinball but when he began work on Pac-Man he aimed to make something which would appeal to all gamers. He wanted to create a game which was different to the popular titles of the day, which were mostly shooters like Space Invaders. The name of the character came from the Japanese slang word for the movement your mouth makes when you eat, paku paku. Toru was given a small team to help realise his vision and thanks to advances in the technology he was able to produce the game in colour.

 

The initial release in Japan was less than stellar and the game continued to be outsold by Space Invaders but when Midway picked it up for US release the popularity surprised everyone and it went on to be the biggest selling arcade title ever in America. Midway redesigned the cabinet and changed the name from Puck Man to Pac-Man. They sold over 100,000 games in the first year alone.

 

Pac-Man was also one of the first games to spawn a huge range of merchandising and many clones and sequels followed the original release. Pac-Man himself was soon one of the most recognisable video game characters around and his likeness graced everything from lunchboxes to t-shirts. The game also inspired a cartoon series and even a successful song.

 

The enduring appeal of Pac-Man is not hard to explain and in the violent world of videogames he stood out as a peaceful alternative with an innocently fun aim. The game-play remains deeply addictive and there are loads of free playable online versions. Namco have even released replica cabinets of the original which you can buy for your home.

Thursday, December 11th 7:35am Dear Diary, After google-ing my name, as I like to do from time to time, I discovered that someone has recently come out with a Joe Biden Commemorative Plate. On first glance, this seemed like a great idea. Until I watched the video… It’s an outrage! The Joe Biden Commemorative Plate almost seemed like the creators are making a mockery of me. I’m sure that I have fans out there, but who would buy that plate? It almost seemed like they were belittling the role that I played in getting a Democratic Administration back in the White House. To start, I disliked the way the narrator said, “Jooooe Biiiiiden.” Not to mention, he was a little too happy about my “clean hair and articulate teeth.” (What are “articulate teeth” anyway?!) And when he finally brought up how I was in the shadow of history, he was basically saying that I’m just a little paint and the real deal is Barack Obama. Seems like they’re really belittling my role, especially when the seemed almost make fun of my achievements, and my commute to and from Delaware. Well, to whoever created that plate – I hope nobody buys it. Maybe it’s a joke, maybe it’s not. But regardless, that kind of mocking doesn’t deserve a profit. Oops, gotta put the pen down… I think Jill wants to discuss the plate. Well, according to Jill, the plate really was a joke. She said not to take it too harshly, but I’m upset! Who would create such am abhorrent thing, dismissing my contributions to the campaing, and society as a whole! And it’s the holiday season! People are looking for gifts to buy, and go figure – they’re probably just happening on this item as I did. Well, don’t buy that plate. There’s no reason to reward cruelty. Until next time, Joe the Veep