Understanding Dry Ice Blasting, By Edwin Ployhart

Industrial service providers use a variety of techniques to deal with the different types of cleaning and disposal issues they face. Edwin Ployhart, owner of Jet-Way Inc., a North Dakota-based industrial service provider, provides a primer on dry-ice blasting in industrial clean-up.

Dry-ice blasting involves spraying frozen carbon dioxide pellets, or dry ice, from a high-pressure hose on an area to be cleaned. The pellets strike the area at such a high rate of speed that they abrade the area, cleaning accumulated dirt and residue. The technique can be used for a wide array of projects, such as cleaning electrical parts, and on a variety of surfaces, including brick, concrete, and steel.

Dry-ice blasting is similar to the more widely known process of sandblasting, but offers a number of advantages over sandblasting and alternative methods involving cleaning solvents. Because the dry-ice pellets dissipate, there is no residue and there is no disposal of dangerous chemicals. Thus, post-blasting clean-up requires far less time and expense. Additionally, a cleaner can customize the pressure of the dry-ice blaster, minimizing damage to surfaces during cleaning. As a result, dry-ice blasting provides a versatile, cost-effective cleaning technique for a variety of uses.

Edwin Ployhart has provided industrial cleaning services through Jet-Way Inc. for more than 30 years.

Ending the GED Stigma by Edwin Ployhart

There is an unfortunate stigma attached to the GED (General Education Development), with some assigning the exam and achievement certificate the cruel name of “Good Enough Diploma.” What these individuals do not understand is that the GED exam is not the easy way out nor does it mean a student wasn’t smart enough to finish school. And it certainly doesn’t eliminate a person’s chance for a successful life.

The GED exam is normalized with each year’s graduating senior class. This means that a large number of students who will soon graduate take the GED to create the base score required to pass. Anyone scoring in the top 60 percent, compared to the control group, will be awarded their certificate. Based on how the test is scored, this means that 40 percent of graduating high school seniors would not be able to pass the test. What employers and colleges can determine from an applicant who earned a GED is that the individual possesses as much knowledge as a high-school graduate but also has the dedication to earn their GED and the ability to overcome some form of adversity.

Edwin Ployhart the story of a successful GED recipient, serving as Vice President of Jet-Way, Inc., based in Harwood, North Dakota.

Helping Others Helps You, by Edwin Ployhart

Everyone has the general knowledge that helping others is a good thing to do, and many people enjoy a sense of accomplishment when they selflessly do good deeds. But how many know that these good acts actually have tangible benefits for health and wellness? Studies show that altruistic behavior—when the individual actually cares about helping and not just performs the task out of obligation—is directly linked to a lower risk of mortality.

Two major findings state that volunteerism helps with chronic pain and lowers depression. Experts say that the release of endorphins caused by helping others can elevate mood, while others speculate that do-gooders are more aware of their blessings when seeing the plight of others.

In either case, it appears that the human brain is hardwired to help others in need, receiving emotional benefits from acts of kindness. The physical benefits of lowered stress and positive endorphins decrease many risk factors for heart disease and gastrointestinal disorders while boosting the immune system to fight off viruses.

Edwin Ployhart is co-founder and Vice President of Jet-Way, Inc. in North Dakota. Ployhart actively helps his community by building playgrounds, being a scout leader, and supporting Churches United for the Homeless.

A Brief Overview of Services Offered by Jet-Way Multiple Services, Inc. (Part I of II)

Prepared by Edwin Ployhart and Staff

Founded and run by Edwin Ployhart and his wife Peggy Ployhart, Jet-Way Multiple Services, Inc., of Harwood, North Dakota, owns and operates the heavy machinery required for everything from routine plant cleaning and maintenance to various industrial, commercial, and municipal projects. For instance, the company possesses industrial waterblasters capable of producing up to 20,000 psi and specifically designed to remove buildup inside pipes, vessels, and other storage and delivery devices, as well as from other surfaces that require heavy-duty cleaning. Jet-Way’s machinery removes sand, concrete, dirt, lime, and other materials that can collect and solidify.

Jet-Way also offers industrial cleaning using state-of-the-art wet/dry vacuums equipped with their own filter systems. In possession of some of the largest, most powerful vacuums available on the market, the company can remove sand, gravel, mud, or other byproducts and spillage. Furthermore, the firm maintains the capabilities to move product from one container to another and to remove dust to eliminate the possibility of combustion. All of the company’s hoses meet stringent safety requirements.

Beginner’s Guide to Scuba Diving, Part 3

Our scuba guide concludes with a final round of tips to employ during your deep-sea adventures.

Tip #8: Poor Wetsuits
An improper wetsuit lets in cold water. This is something you should look for during a checkout dive. Split seams and broken zippers are two sources of leaks. If you notice your wetsuit letting in cold water, discard the suit and purchase one that fits tightly.

Tip #9: Keep Your Suit Dry
After you have finished your dive, towel off your suit, change into regular clothes, and leave your suit out to dry. If you did not bring a change of clothes, keep your suit on after you towel it off, but wear a windbreaker or parka to keep yourself warm while the suit air dries.

Tip #10: Choose Neoprene
A synthetic rubber, neoprene is an excellent choice for wetsuit material; it maintains flexibility in a wide range of temperatures and is used as an insulation material, which will keep in heat while you are diving.

Tip #11: Be Alert for Shivering
If you shiver while underwater, get to the surface as fast as you can while keeping in mind safe ascension tips. Shivering is a sign of hypothermia. Once on the surface, change into regular clothes, get dry, and stay warm.

Edwin Ployhart on Still Alice, a Novel by Lisa Genova

By: Edwin Ployhart

One of the most realistic depictions of Alzheimer’s disease ever written, Still Alice traces the decline of Alice Howland, a Harvard psychology professor and esteemed linguist. When she begins experiencing slight lapses in memory, she blames normal biological changes, but as the symptoms progress, Howland realizes that something must be wrong. She sees a neurologist and receives a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s. As she rapidly deteriorates, she loses the ability to teach and interact critically with those in her department. Without her Harvard professor identity, Howland struggles to create a new sense of self but loses to increasingly severe dementia. Alice’s husband, John, likewise labors to accept his wife’s fate. Also a Harvard professor, John retreats into his research and becomes despondent as his wife, once his intellectual match, fails to formulate complete thoughts. Still worse, Howland inherited her condition from her father, meaning that any of her three children may suffer a similar fate. The novel details not only Alice’s disease, but also the reactions her children have to their mother’s degeneration and the realization that they may one day face Alzheimer’s first-hand.

Still Alice is Lisa Genova’s debut novel. A Harvard graduate with a Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience, Genova uses her own experiences and research to inform the novel. Genova recently completed a second novel, Left Neglected, which chronicles a young woman’s struggle with left neglect, a neurological syndrome that causes the brain to ignore any message originating from the left side of the body. With recovery uncertain, the novel’s protagonist faces not only the challenge of coping with such a catastrophic diagnosis, but also the fear that it may never improve.

To watch Genova discussing Still Alice, play the following video:

Beginner’s Guide to Scuba Diving, Part 1

By: Edwin Ployhart

Swimming amongst the sea’s plant and animal life can be expensive and daunting for those who have not attempted scuba diving. Follow our guide to make your first expedition as successful as all the ones that follow.

Tip #1: Proper Gear

If scuba gear could be encapsulated in one word, that word would be “tightness.” Your scuba suit should fit your form exactly. Similarly, your mask should be tight so as not to allow water to seep in, and the scope should be checked for holes to avoid leaks. Fins and booties should fit tightly as well, though not so rigid that you develop blisters. Lastly, your buoyancy compensator (also known as BC or BCD) should fit snugly to your body.

Tip #2: Air Supply

It is easy to become entranced by the colorful sights beneath the surface, but you must be vigilant of your air supply. There are certain actions that use more air and others that use less. Swim efficiently by moving slowly and steadily; flailing your limbs only wastes movement and oxygen. Take long, deep breaths, then exhale just as slowly. Finally, make sure you have enough air in your tank to allow a slow, gradual ascent back to the surface.

Tip #3: Lead Balance

Too much lead in your dive kit affects your ability to swim properly – see the previous tip – as well as your buoyancy. On the other hand, too little lead makes you too buoyant; you will find yourself struggling to keep from floating upward. Talk to a scuba diving professional to help determine just how much lead you should take on your dive.

Tip #4: Photography

Understandably, many scuba divers want to capture on film the spectacle of their dive. Even so, operating any extraneous equipment should not be attempted until you have mastered swimming, buoyancy, and proper breathing techniques.

Beginner’s Guide to Scuba Diving, Part 2 Here

Beginner’s Guide to Scuba Diving, Part 3 Here