Tin Sign Info

What is usually called the flower is actually a head (formally composite flower) of numerous florets (small flowers) crowded together. The outer florets are the sterile ray florets and can be yellow, maroon, orange, or other colors. The florets inside the circular head are called disc florets, which mature into seeds.

The florets within the sunflower’s cluster are arranged in a spiral pattern. Typically each floret is oriented toward the next by approximately the golden angle, 137.5°, producing a pattern of interconnecting spirals where the number of left spirals and the number of right spirals are successive Fibonacci numbers. Typically, there are 34 spirals in one direction and 55 in the other; on a very large sunflower there could be 89 in one direction and 144 in the other. This pattern produces the most efficient packing of seeds within the flower head.

The sunflower is native to the Central Americas. The evidence thus far is that it was first domesticated in Mexico, by at least 2600 BC. It may have been domesticated a second time in the middle Mississippi Valley, or been introduced there from Mexico at an early date, as maize was. The earliest known examples of a fully domesticated sunflower north of Mexico have been found in Tennessee and date to around 2300 BC. Many indigenous American peoples used the sunflower as the symbol of their solar deity, including the Aztecs and the Otomi of Mexico and the Incas in South America. Francisco Pizarro was the first European to encounter the sunflower in Tahuantinsuyo, Peru. Gold images of the flower, as well as seeds, were taken back to Spain early in the 16th century. Some researchers argue that the Spaniards tried to suppress cultivation of the sunflower because of its association with solar religion and warfare.

During the 18th century, the use of sunflower oil became very popular in Europe, particularly with members of the Russian Orthodox Church because sunflower oil was one of the few oils that was not prohibited during Lent.

This license plate tag makes a great gift for anyone who loves Sunflowers.

Texas hold ‘em (also known as hold’em or holdem) is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed by the dealer—a series of three (”the flop”) then two additional single cards (”the turn” and “the river”), with players having the option to check, bet or fold after each deal, i.e. betting may occur prior to the flop, “on the flop,” “on the turn,” and “on the river.”

For more information on playing the game you can go to the Wikipedia the free encyclopedia for all the rule. This lisense plate tag makes a great gift for anyone who likes Texas Holdem

U.S. Route 66 (also known as the Will Rogers Highway after the humorist, and colloquially known as the “Main Street of America” or the “Mother Road”) was a highway in the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66, US Highway 66, was established on November 11, 1926. However, road signs did not go up until the following year. The famous highway originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, before ending at Los Angeles, encompassing a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km). It was recognized in popular culture by both a hit song (written by Bobby Troup and performed by the Nat King Cole Trio and The Rolling Stones, among others) and the Route 66 television show in the 1960s. More recently, the 2006 Disney/Pixar film Cars featured U.S. 66.

Route 66 underwent many improvements and realignments over its lifetime, changing its path and overall length. Many of the realignments gave travelers faster or safer routes, or detoured around city congestion. One realignment moved the western endpoint farther west from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica.

Route 66 was a major path of the migrants who went west, especially during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, and supported the economies of the communities through which the road passed. People doing business along the route became prosperous due to the growing popularity of the highway, and those same people later fought to keep the highway alive even with the growing threat of being bypassed by the new Interstate Highway System.

US 66 was officially removed from the United States Highway System on June 27, 1985 after it was decided the route was no longer relevant and had been replaced by the Interstate Highway System. Portions of the road that passed through Illinois, Missouri, New Mexico, and Arizona have been designated a National Scenic Byway of the name “Historic Route 66″. It has begun to return to maps in this form. Some portions of the road in southern California have been redesignated “State Route 66″, and others bear “Historic Route 66″ signs and relevant historic information.

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Yin and yang
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For information about (and other uses of) the symbol , see Taijitu.
 This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.

In Chinese philosophy, the concept of yin yang ([yin – simplified Chinese: 阴; traditional Chinese: 陰; pinyin: yīn] [yang - simplified Chinese: 阳; traditional Chinese: 陽; pinyin: yáng] often referred to in the west as yin and yang) is used to describe how seemingly disjunct or opposing forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, giving rise to each other in turn. The concept lies at the heart of many branches of classical Chinese science and philosophy, as well as being a primary guideline of traditional Chinese medicine, and a central principle of different forms of Chinese martial arts and exercise, such as baguazhang, taijiquan, and qigong and of I Ching divination. Many natural dualities — e.g. dark and light, female and male, low and high, cold and hot — are viewed in Chinese thought as manifestations of yin and yang.

Yin yang are complementary opposites within a greater whole. Everything has both yin and yang aspects, although yin or yang elements may manifest more strongly in different objects or at different times. Yin yang constantly interacts, never existing in absolute stasis. The concept of yin and yang is often symbolized by various forms of the Taijitu symbol, for which it is probably best known in western cultures.

There is a common misperception (especially in the West) that yin and yang correspond to good and evil. However, Taoist philosophy generally discounts good/bad distinctions as superficial labels, preferring to focus on the idea of balance. The idea that yin and yang has a moral dimension originated in the Confucian school (most notably Dong Zhongshu) around the second century BCE.

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Badge deflects bullet, saves Tenn. cop shot during traffic stop
Dept. had recently switched to heavier badges, made by Blackinton
By PoliceOne Staff
There is a lot of equipment that police officers must rely on daily to keep them safe and protected, but the badge isn’t usually one of them. However, in Oakland, Tenn., officer Joshua Smith was very grateful he was wearing the thicker, heavier badge his Chief had just ordered.

During a fairly routine traffic stop, Smith was shot at by the driver and his Blackinton B2172 Badge stopped the bullet aimed for his chest.

“The chief said the officer was complaining about it being too heavy,” Oakland Mayor Bill Mullins said. “He said he wouldn’t be complaining anymore.”

In the early morning hours of Dec. 24, Smith had pulled over a Chevrolet Tahoe or Suburban for weaving in traffic with expired tags. He attempted to administer a field sobriety test, but a passenger exited the vehicle and refused to get back in. The passenger then said something to the driver in Spanish before pulling a knife.

The driver then drew a gun and shot Smith in the chest. The officer was knocked to the ground, but still managed to fire two shots at the fleeing suspects. The department did not know if he hit either of them.

Smith was wearing body armor, but the point blank shot could have penetrated it. The oval badge was a Blackinton B2172, and is made from a thick, 12-gauge, brass alloy with an applied seal – the district’s seal was virtually destroyed by the shot. The badge allowed Smith to walk away from the incident.

“We were very pleased to hear how our badge saved a life,” said Blackinton’s Director of Sales Tim Convery. “We told Chief Hogwood we’d be more than happy to make a new badge for the officer.”

Oakland Police Chief Keith Hogwood had ordered the heavier badges only a few months prior to the shooting. He admitted that their previous badges would not have been able to stop a bullet like the thicker Blackinton model did. Officer Smith was examined at Baptist Memorial Hospital-East in Oakland and released.

Blackinton plans to get the badge from the Oakland Police Department to be made into a memento for Officer Smith.

“We’ll encapsulate it in Lucite for him so he can have the badge as a souvenir for all-time,” said Convery.

 
This is an article I thought people should see. This License plate tin sign makes a great gift.

The meaning of Semper Fidelis
By Cam Beck

 For my family, Semper Fidelis is more than a fancy slogan. It is truly a way of life. My father retired from the Marine Corps in the 90s, after serving over twenty years and more than one tour of duty in a combat zone. Therefore, my two brothers and I grew up in a culture that demanded excellence and loyalty of its members, and it showed. It is partially for this reason, I am convinced, that we all joined the Marine Corps when we were of the appropriate age. Because of my upbringing, it is somewhat difficult to imagine what life would be like, had I not grown up surrounded by living, breathing personifications of “Semper Fidelis,” and I am increasingly beginning to realize that I do not understand the mindset of those who had not. It is this realization that led me to reflect on the history of the phrase, and speculate the reason it holds such weight with the members of the Marine Corps..
The first thing I questioned was the Latin thing. Why not simply make the slogan “Always Faithful,” since that is what the Latin phrase literally means? More people would certainly understand it. Apparently, whenever someone has something important to say, he translates it to Latin, and that lends the phrase credibility and respectability.

E Plurbus Unum. Pro bono. Carpe Diem. Mea Culpa. Sic Semper Tyrannus. The phrases are a part of our culture, but not native to our language. Unless we have been taught what they mean separately from our education in English, we would have no idea. I would wager that Semper Fidelis means more to those who use it than just about any other Latin phrase in use today.

Customarily, though, Latin has also been the language of law. Habeus Corpus, Stare Decisis, and Per Curium are terms one commonly would come across if he did only a precursory exploration of legal decisions. Even the United States adopted the practice of using Latin in its written Constitution, in spite of the desire to create a Constitution that could be easily understood by common people, who typically could not read and write Latin. However, America was a special case. The people had already been governing themselves for some time before the revolution. Unlike today, now that apathy reigns, participation in local politics was almost necessary for survival. That atmosphere of social and political cooperation was one that was replete with Latin phrases. America was unique–set apart from the other countries–for just that reason. It was a province that was governed by the people, not kings–and its people would not relinquish that tradition without a fight.

When doctors started translating ailments into Latin-Greek hybrids, they were criticized for creating a language that only doctors could understand. Of course, that was partly the point. It set apart those who could understand from those who could not–thus both signifying the value that doctors provided as well as creating a group of people who could identify one another by their similar values and education.

The use of Latin in the Marine Corps motto is not bred from a very different motivation. Of course, the Marine Corps has never experienced a mutiny. Marines in England were revered for their loyalty to the crown, just as United States Marines are now revered for their downright fanatical dedication to each other, their service, and their country. Using Latin to characterize this quality represents its legitimization–its codification. Significantly, for Marines at least, it also provides a caste–a group that is separate and unique from any other–a group that has no desire to be like any other.

“It is not
negotiable.
It is not
relative, but
absolute.”What is left unsaid in the motto is also notable. The phrase is “Always faithful.” It isn’t “Sometimes Faithful.” Nor is it “Usually Faithful,” but always. It is not negotiable. It is not relative, but absolute. Who is always faithful, though. and to what, exactly are they faithful? Interestingly, the simplicity of the phrase and the calculated neglect to specify its parameters seems to strengthen it. Marines pride themselves on their straightforward mission and steadfast dedication to accomplish it. Things do not need to be spelled out for them; they know what it means and what to do about it.

Even though Marines are known to swell with pride from time to time (they do, after all, have a noble legacy to continue), they are not snobbish. Even the use of Latin must make them uncomfortable, because they shorten an already-short motto to the more colloquial “Semper Fi.” This does not misrepresent the phrase; it simply symbolizes the ability of common people to become part of a brotherhood that demands more of its members than any other comparable group in the world.

The longer I am out of the service, the more I recognize my draw to and longing for the culture of “Semper Fidelis.” I suspect that reading this will impart nothing significant to Marines, as they already are aware of their glorious charge. It is my earnest hope, however, that it may help others understand the reason Marines hold the Corps in such high esteem. All those references by former Marines, in their new jobs, to “back when I was in The Corps,” will begin to make a little more sense. Marines are imbued with Semper Fidelis, and all it means, and because they lived it for so long, they have difficulty accepting any less from others.

Semper Fi!

To all our brave Marines. This license plate would make a great gift.

Dirt track racing is a type of auto racing performed on oval tracks. It began in the United States before World War I and became widespread during the 1920s and 30s. Two different types of racecars predominated—open wheel racers in the Northeast and West and stock cars in the South. While open wheel racecars are purpose-built racing vehicles, stock cars (also known as fendered cars) can be either purpose-built racecars or street vehicles that have been modified to varying degrees.

Dirt track racing is the single most common form of auto racing in the United States. There are hundreds of local and regional racetracks throughout the nation: some estimates range as high as 1500. The sport is popular in Australia and Canada also. Many of the cars may also race on asphalt short tracks during the racing season.

Dirt Late Model class drivers show how dirt track car drivers slide their car’s backend around through a corner. The multiple drivers show the car angle at different points in a corner.[edit] North America
Nearly all tracks are oval and less than 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) in length with most being ½ mile (804 m) or less. The most common increments in the U.S. are ½ mile, ⅜ mile (603 m), ⅓ mile (536 m), ¼ mile (402 m), and ⅛ mile (201 m). With the longer tracks, the racecars achieve higher speeds and the interval between cars increases. This decreases the chance of crashes but increases the damage and chance of injury when cars do crash.

The track surface may be composed of any soil, but most racers prefer a track with a clay base. The track operators usually try to keep the surface tacky and may sprinkle water on it if it begins to dry. Some operators build flat ovals, but many are highly banked. A tacky track usually provides alot of close racing while a dry track is slick and provides single file racing.

This dirt track racing license plate makes a great gift.

Craig Morgan

I’m the son of a 3rd generation farmer       
I’ve been married 10 years to the farmer’s daughter
I’m a God fearin’ hard workin’ combine driver
Hoggin’ up the road on my p-p-p-p-plower
Chug a lug a luggin’ 5 miles an hour
On my International Harvester

Three miles of cars layin’ on their horns
Fallin’ on deaf ears of corn
Lined up behind me like a big parade
Of late to work road raged jerks
Shoutin’ obscene words flippin’ me the bird

Well you may be on a state paved road
But that blacktop runs through my payload
Excuse me for tryin’ to do my job
But this year ain’t been no bumper crop
If you don’t like the way I’m a drivin’
Get back on the interstate
Otherwise sit tight and be nice
And quit yer honkin’ at me that way

Chorus:
Cause I’m a son of a 3rd generation farmer
I’ve been married 10 years to a farmer’s daughter
I got 2 boys in the county 4-H
I’m a lifetime sponsor of the F.F.A.
Hay! That’s what I make
I make a lotta hay for a little pay
But I’m proud to say
I’m a God fearin’ hard workin’ combine driver
Hoggin’ up the road on my a p-p-p-plower
Chug a lug a lugin’ 5 miles an hour
On my International Harvester

Well I know you got your own deadlines
But cussin’ me ain’t savin’ no time hoss
This big-wheeled wide load ain’t goin’ any faster
So just smile and wave and tip your hat
To the man up on the tractor
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Mandiri Customers Latest to Fall Victim of ATM Withdrawal Scam
The ATM theft scam plaguing Indonesia continued on Monday, with several customers of state-owned PT Bank Mandiri reporting to police that their accounts had been robbed of millions of rupiah through illegal ATM withdrawals.

Limbong, 53, from Medan, said that he suspected theft after he received a text message from the bank notifying him of a cash withdrawal.

“I received several messages from the bank within five minutes, informing me of a Rp 1.75 million ($187.25) withdrawal,” Limbong said, adding that the got the messages at 10p.m. on Sunday night just as he was arriving in Jakarta to attend a training course.

“I immediately called Mandiri to block my account,” he said.

Limbong’s colleague, Zulkifli, 50, said he lost Rp 70 million, while Soemadi Saiman, 60, said he lost Rp 90 million.

Soemadi said he discovered the theft after printing his account statement and saw that Rp 90 million had been withdrawn between December and Friday.

“My money had been taken in Rp 3 million to Rp 4 million withdrawals,” Soemadi said.

Bank Mandiri told Soemadi the withdrawals were all made from an ATM in Tebet, South Jakarta. However, Soemadi said he had never withdrawn any money from that ATM.

Soemadi filed a complaint to the bank.

“But they seemed to put the blame on me somehow,” he said. “Now I’m afraid to keep my money in a bank.” .

Moehardomo, 63, a retired public works employee, said he had lost a total of Rp 4.8 million through illegal withdrawals from his Bank Mandiri account.

“There were four withdrawals, each of Rp 1.2 million,” he said, adding that they were made on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6.

Moehardomo said he discovered the missing money when trying to convert his savings account into a time deposit.

“I asked that my transactions be printed and was shocked to find that the balance was lower,” he said.

Moehardomo said he was even more surprised to find that the withdrawals were made through other banks’ ATMs, despite the fact that he only used Bank Mandiri ATMs.

Moehardomo said he had now moved all his funds into a time-deposit. “I hope the rest of my money is safe if I put it in a time deposit,” he said.

Jakarta Police said they had stepped up patrols at several ATM locations deemed unsafe.

“Of course, we coordinated with the banks. We will also patrol high-risk areas,” spokesperson Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said.

Banks should have boosted the security of their databases, Boy said.

“So far [security of most ATMs] is covered only with CCTV cameras,” he said, adding that police will evaluate the most frequently visited ATM locations.

Police are now holding 13 suspects in custody for various ATM-related crimes in Jakarta and East Kalimantan and are investigate the possibility that more ATM thieves are still on the loose.

The National Police on Sunday said they had yet to confirm whether the suspects were linked in any way, or tied to the recent wave of illegal ATM withdrawals in Bali. “We will investigate, and please give us time,” National Police deputy spokesman Brig. Gen. Sulistyo Ishak said.

“We also need the public to check their accounts and report to us if their money was stolen.”

People don’t like to carry cash for fear of being robbed, but then if you go to use your ATM card someone gains access to your account and robs you. This license plate tin sign is to put some rumor back in your life.

The University of Alabama (also known as Alabama, UA, or colloquially as ‘Bama) is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. Founded in 1831, UA is the flagship university of the University of Alabama System. Within Alabama, it is often called “the Capstone”. UA is the senior and the largest in terms of enrollment of the state’s major research universities, the others being rival Auburn University and fellow UA System institutions the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAHuntsville) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

The University of Alabama offers programs of study in 12 academic divisions leading to bachelor’s, master’s, Education Specialist, and doctoral degrees. The only publicly-supported law school in Alabama is at UA. Other academic programs unavailable elsewhere in Alabama include doctoral programs in anthropology, library and information studies, metallurgical engineering, music, Romance languages, and social work.

As of fall 2009, Alabama has an enrollment of close to 29,000 students. Its president is Dr. Robert Witt. Under his leadership, the University has experienced significant growth, despite lower admission acceptance rates, and higher academic standards. The UA Honors Program has grown rapidly as well, with one in five freshmen now enrolled in UA’s Honors College. In fall 2007, these 1,065 scored in the top 2 percent nationally on the ACT.

This championship license plate can be hung on the wall or a car,