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Telling the Truth About Defects in Technology Should Never, Ever, Ever Be Illegal. EVER.
Congress has never made a law saying, “Corporations should get to decide who gets to publish truthful information about defects in their products,”— and the First Amendment wouldn’t allow such a law — but that hasn’t stopped corporations from conjuring one out of thin air, and then defending it as though it was a natural right they’d had all along.
Some background: in 1986, Ronald Reagan, spooked by the Matthew Broderick movie Wargames (true story!) worked with Congress to pass a sweeping cybercrime bill called the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) that was exceedingly sloppily drafted. CFAA makes it a felony to “exceed[] authorized access” on someone else’s computer in many instances.
Fast forward to 1998, when Bill Clinton and his Congress enacted the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), a giant, gnarly hairball of digital copyright law that included section 1201, which bans bypassing any “technological measure” that “effectively controls access” to copyrighted works, or “traffic[ing]” in devices or services that bypass digital locks.
Notice that neither of these laws bans disclosure of defects, including security disclosures! But decades later, corporate lawyers and federal prosecutors have constructed a body of legal precedents that twist these overbroad laws into a rule that effectively gives corporations the power to decide who gets to tell the truth about flaws and bugs in their products.
Businesses and prosecutors have brought civil and criminal actions against researchers and whistleblowers who violated a company’s terms of service in the process of discovering a defect. The argument goes like this: “Our terms of service ban probing our system for security defects. When you login to our server for that purpose, you ‘exceed your authorization,’ and that violates the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.”
Likewise, businesses and prosecutors have used Section 1201 of the DMCA to attack researchers who exposed defects in software and hardware. Here’s how that argument goes: “We designed our products with a lock that you have to get around to discover the defects in our software. Since our software is copyrighted, that lock is an ‘access control for a copyrighted work’ and that means that your research is prohibited, and any publication you make explaining how to replicate your findings is illegal speech, because helping other people get around our locks is ‘trafficking.'”
The First Amendment would certainly not allow Congress to enact a law that banned making true, technical disclosures. Even (especially!) if those disclosures revealed security defects that the public needed to be aware of before deciding whether to trust a product or service.
But the presence of these laws has convinced the tech industry — and corporations that have added ‘smart’ tech to their otherwise ‘dumb’ products — that it’s only natural that they should be the sole custodians of the authority to embarrass or inconvenience them. The worst of these actors use threats of invoking CFAA and DMCA 1201 to silence researchers altogether, so the first time you discover that you’ve been trusting a defective product is when it is so widely exploited by criminals and grifters that it’s impossible to keep the problem from becoming widely known.
Even the best, most responsible corporate actors get this wrong. Tech companies like Mozilla, Dropbox and, most recently, Tesla, have crafted “coordinated disclosure” policies in which they make sincere and legally enforceable promises to take security disclosures seriously and act on them within a defined period, and they even promise not to use laws like DMCA 1201 to retaliate against security researchers who follow their guidelines.
This is a great start, but it’s a late and limited solution to a much bigger problem.
The point is that almost every company is a “tech company” — from medical implant vendors to voting machine companies — and not all of them are as upstanding and public-spirited as Mozilla.
Many of these companies do have “coordinated disclosure” policies by which they hope to tempt security researchers into coming to them first when they discover problems with their products and services. But these companies don’t make these policies out of the goodness of their hearts: those policies exist because they’re the companies’ best hope of keeping security researchers from embarrassing them and leaving them scrambling by just publishing the bug without warning.
If corporations can simply silence researchers who don’t play ball, we should expect them to do so. There is no shortage of CEOs who are lulling themselves to sleep tonight with fantasies about getting to shut their critics up.
EFF is currently suing the US government to invalidate DMCA 1201 and the ACLU is trying to chip away at CFAA, and there will come a day when we succeed, because the idea of suppressing bug reports (even ones made in disrespectful or rude ways) is totally incompatible with the First Amendment.
Rather than crafting a disclosure policy that says “We’ll stay away from these unjust and absurd interpretations of these badly written laws, provided you only tell the truth in ways we approve of,” companies that want to lead by example could do so by putting something like this in their disclosure policies:
We believe that conveying truthful warnings about defects in systems is always legal. Of course, we have a strong preference for you to use our disclosure system [LINK] where we promise to investigate your bugs and fix them in a timely manner. But we don’t believe we have the right to force you to use our system.
Accordingly, we promise to NEVER invoke any statutory right — for example, rights we are granted under trade secret law, anti-hacking law, or anti-circumvention law — against ANYONE who makes a truthful disclosure about a defect in one of our products or services, regardless of the manner of that disclosure.
We really do think that the best way to keep our customers safe and our products bug-free is to enter into a cooperative relationship with security researchers and that’s why our disclosure system exists and we really hope you’ll use it, but we don’t think we should have the right to force you to use it.
Companies should not rely on these laws to silence security researchers who displease them with the time and manner of their truthful disclosures — if their threats ever materialize into full-blown lawsuits, there’s a reasonable chance that they’ll find themselves facing down public-spirited litigators (ahem) who will use those suits as a fast-track to overturning these laws in the courts.
But while we wait for the slow wheels of justice to turn, the specter of legal retaliation haunts the best and most public-spirited security researchers (the researchers who work for cyber-criminals and state surveillance contractors don’t have to worry about these laws, because they never make their findings public). That is bad for all of us, because for every Tesla, Dropbox and Mozilla, there are a thousand puny tyrants who are using these good-citizen companies’ backhanded insistence that disclosure should be subject to their corporate approval to intimidate their own critics into silence.
Those intimidated researchers? They’ve discovered true facts about why we shouldn’t trust systems with our data, our finances, our personal communications, the security of our homes and businesses, and even our lives.
EFF has sued the US government to overturn DMCA 1201 and we just asked the US Copyright Office to reassure security researchers that DMCA 1201 does not prevent them from telling the truth.
We’re discussing all this in a Reddit AMA next Tuesday, August 21, from 12-3PM Pacific (3-6PM Eastern). We hope you’ll come and join us.
Author: Cory Doctorow
Author Electronic Frontier FoundationPosted on August 16, 2018 Categories Politics
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NetComposites > News > Carbon Fibre Dart Wins Praise from Aficionados
Carbon Fibre Dart Wins Praise from Aficionados
Tuesday, 29th January 2008
An international supplier of darts has enhanced the reliability and prolonged the performance lifetime of its products through use of a tough, stiff, carbon fibre-reinforced nylon compound from Chem Polymer.
Evolution Dart-Technologie uses Beetle 66CF4, a 20% carbon fibre-filled nylon 66 compound, to injection mould 34 and 44 mm (1.3 and 1.7 in.) shafts that are lighter than widely used metal counterparts and exhibit greater resistance to breakage than conventional thermoplastic shafts.
“”The perpendicular forces generated in the dart as it strikes the target are great enough to pose a real challenge for other all-plastic shafts,”” noted Roland Kühn, owner of Evolution, “”but the outstanding tensile and flexural properties of the Beetle compound make our new shafts better capable of withstanding the considerable stresses imposed on them in repeated use by intensely competitive dart players.””
There are four components in a dart. The most apparent to non-players are the tip, the barrel (gripped by the player), and the flight (fins that stabilize the dart as it moves through the air). The fourth component is the small but critical shaft, which connects the barrel and the flight. The shaft is threaded at one end and screws into the barrel; the flight is affixed to the shaft by rings or other fasteners. Different lengths are available to vary dart performance. The shaft can be made of metal, plastic, or a combination of plastic and a threaded metal segment.
“”The high stiffness imparted by the carbon fibre reinforcement in the Beetle compound has enabled Evolution to completely replace metal in the shaft, saving weight while providing the dimensional stability required for an accurate and secure connection between the flight and the barrel,”” said Dr. Inge Würtz, Chem Polymer sales manager. “”At the same time, the carbon fibres provide greater flexibility than comparably filled glass fibre composites, which are more brittle and less capable of withstanding repeated stresses without breakage.””
Evolution began using Beetle 66CF4 only a few months ago. “”Although we have offered our carbon fibre reinforced shafts for only a short time, they are already very much in demand by our customers,”” said Mr. Kühn. “”The high quality of the Beetle material is a perfect fit with our range of darts, which are widely regarded by players as first-class products.””
http://www.evo-darts.com
Web Industries to Expand US Manufacturing Facility
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Top Two Titles Coming to Netflix – March 2018 • With Chris Crespo
Jessica Jones: Season 2 & Benji
Chris Crespo
Top Two Titles Coming to Netflix – March 2018
By: Chris Crespo
Jessica Jones: Season 2
Coming to Netflix March 8, 2018
It has been two years since the debut of the first Marvel scripted show (or movie, for that matter) with a female lead character, and now in March it is time for the follow up to the very successful season one of Jessica Jones. Based on the comic book series Alias, Jessica Jones is the Marvel-Netflix version of a film noir story, with private detective Jessica (Krysten Ritter) using her superpowers to help her with her job of tracking people and photographing them from a distance. Of course, just like in season one, this new season will surely see her dealing with her short lived (and failed) tenure as a superhero, but now with the added the layer of dealing with the fallout of her most recent battle with super evil mind controlling Kilgrave (David Tennant), who is also returning in some capacity for this all new second season.
What made the first season so exciting and interesting was how it tackled some topics and themes that other shows can’t and it did so in very fascinating ways, so hopefully season two will continue that tradition of exploring ideas that are fresh and new when it comes to entertainment revolving around super powered beings. As long as the supporting characters are used wisely, with just enough development to make them interesting but not so much that we take away from the reason we are here to begin with, this should be Netflix’s best Marvel show since…well…since the last Jessica Jones series.
OFFICIAL TRAILER: Jessica Jones – Season 2 | Coming to Netflix March 8, 2018
Coming to Netflix March 16, 2018
Debuting in 1974, a dog character named Benji has kept appearing in movies in a number of films written and directed by the same person, a fella named Joe Camp, who built a whole story around a cute mixed breed rescue dog. He produced and distributed the movie on his own, it was a huge success, and he found himself with an interesting career of making Benji movies for the next few decades, which even includes one starring Chevy Chase called “Oh! Heavenly Dog” from 1980. And now, thanks to Blumhouse Productions, a new Benji film is set to be released on Netflix, written and directed by Brandon Camp, son of Joe Camp, so at least the Benji family business is being passed down to the next generation.
Are the Benji movies amazing feats of cinematic mastery? Absolutely not! But they are fun little movies perfect for families and young kids, and to be honest the bit of love I have for nostalgia does make it nice to see a whole new Benji adventure for today’s kids, and maybe this will have them go back and check out all the other movies that have come before. I mean, come on, look at that cute little mutt, will ya?
TRAILER: Benji | Coming to Netflix March 16, 2018
What’s Coming to Netflix
Follow on Twitter: @ComingToNetflix
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Best Netflix Movies Best Netflix Shows Chris Crespo Cinema Crespodiso Coming Soon to Netflix Coming to Netflix in March Netflix News Netflix Updates PFT Media
What’s Leaving Netflix March 2018 | NetflixCenter.com
OFFICIAL TRAILER: Collateral | Coming to Netflix March 9, 2018
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The Shame of Iraq Once More
Posted by MLToday | Jul 10, 2014 | Commentary
by Zoltan Zigedy
As the Sunni Jihadists of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham conquer city after city in northern Iraq and as black-clad soldiers from Shiite military muster to repel them, it is tempting to blame the chaos there on ancient religious hatreds. But the strife in Iraq today is less the mystifying product of of primordial grievances than the predictable result of very modern power politics.
The US shouldn’t repeat the mistake made two decades ago, when a generation of Western leaders explained away the wars that ripped Yugoslavia apart as the result of primeval ethnic hatreds. Then as now, such resignation is an easy way to avoid hard thinking. Hatreds Bred by Power Politics, Daniel Benjamin (Wall Street Journal, June 28-29, 2014)
Benjamin, a former US State Department coordinator, is right on both counts: politics fundamentally drives the crisis in the Middle East and simplistic, but convenient explanations for the catastrophic events supplant any real analysis.
Apologists in both Parties and the supplicant media want to pass off the blame to the victims of the quagmire that the US and its allies have created in the Middle East. They insist that it is not a malignant foreign policy designed to advance US corporate interests and install puppet governments lurking behind the violence and chaos, but tribal and religious animosities, disdain for “human rights,” and ignorance of “democratic” values that thwart the “civilizing” mission of the US and the EU. Just as US ruling elites evaded the lessons of defeat in Vietnam, their twenty-first century counterparts revive the same chauvinistic, self-serving explanations for the hatred and mass slaughter they perpetrate.
To his credit, Benjamin insists on more nourishing explanations. As an insider and participant in shaping US policy, he knows better; he knows that interests– economic and politic interests– play the decisive role in shaping the events now spinning out of control in Iraq. He concedes, regarding “the demons of sectarianism,” that “[a]t key points, the US has even unintentionally abetted them…” [My italics] While this confesses far more than most of the US foreign policy commentariat wants to admit, it falls far short of the truth.
As I argued in a previous article (The Shame of Iraq, ZZ’s Blog June 22, 2014), Western nations, especially the US and Israel, have devoted enormous resources and attention towards re-directing a decidedly post-World War II secular trend in the Middle East by courting religious fundamentalism. They have, with some success, quashed secular movements and promoted religious zealotry in its place. It is not difficult to discern their motive: in the calculus of imperialism, encouraging backwardness– ethnic and religious frictions– often overwhelms the struggle for economic independence and social justice that usually finds fertile soil in secularism.
That I did not make this point clearly was underscored by several critical comments received. It was not my intention to portray Nasserism, the early Ba’ath Party, the brief leadership in Iran of Mosaddegh, or even the Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan as paragons of national sovereignty, unity, or socialism. Nevertheless, they were part of a healthy anti-imperialist, pro-independence movement worldwide, a movement that gathered momentum after World War II.
In Central and South America, this trend was associated with leaders like Peron, Goulart, Bosch, Fidel, and Arbenz. While they were not all untarnished exemplars of social progress or even radical democracy, they all sought to eke out an independent path for national development, a path that drew the attention and ire of the US and its allies. Similarly, Nkrumah, Kenyatta, and a host of African leaders joined Nehru and Sukarno in Asia in using the opportunity offered by the Cold War stand-off to escape subservience to Western capitalism. In most cases, the escape was thwarted through assassination, CIA coup, covert corruption, or division. In the Middle East, the primary tool was the fueling of the ever present, but dormant, ethnic or religious sectarianism.
With the demise of the Soviet Union, that opportunity is gone and the road to political and economic independence is far rockier.
In understanding the Iraq debacle, context– historical context– is everything, a truth that the former State Department official, Daniel Benjamin, fully understands. Scornful of the patently nonsensical explanations that begin and end with alleged Middle Eastern pathologies, he insists that “The spark behind today’s fires sprang from the 1979 Iranian Revolution.” Certainly, the Iranian Revolution is a handy scapegoat for those unwilling to fully expose the critical role of the US in fueling, igniting, and stoking the “fires” burning throughout the Middle East.
Yes, the overthrow of the Shah, both a reliable puppet and guardian of US interests, unleashed a firestorm of fundamentalist zeal. But it is impossible to imagine the religiously fomented revolution without grasping the decades of violent and complete repression of the secular Iranian left, beginning with the US- and UK-instigated coup against the moderate, secular and democratic Prime Minister, Mohammed Mosaddegh, in 1953.
While Benjamin insists that we ask credible questions about the Iraqi catastrophe, he purposely directs us away from credible answers.
Nothing exposes the complete bankruptcy of US policy in the Middle East more dramatically than the widespread “surprise” accompanying the sweeping offensive of ISIS across a huge segment of Iraq. Despite decades of intense scrutiny and the most sophisticated technologies, US security services were caught completely off guard by the speed and success of the offensive. Equally embarrassing and “surprising” was the complete collapse of the US-trained, financed, and armed Iraqi military faced off against ISIS.
But US policy makers were equally “surprised” by the treachery of their fundamentalist surrogates who launched an attack on the US in 2001 after undermining a revolution in Afghanistan.Of course, they were also “surprised” by the chaos in Libya after the US and NATO waged war on Gaddafi, creating destruction, death, and instability. They are “surprised” that their sponsorship of an insurrection against Assad in Syria has drawn mercenary armies bent on creating a fundamentalist Caliphate (ironically, challenging the US puppet government in Iraq). They will be “surprised” when the puppet government in Afghanistan also collapses in the next few years.
At the same time, US rulers, wrapping themselves around the banners of human rights and democracy, readily accept the greatest abusers of human rights and of democracy, countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Colombia, in their crusades against “terror.”
What does this callousness to peace and stability, this unprecedented hypocrisy, tell us?
Surely, it leaves no doubt that US policy in the Middle East, like its policy toward Cuba, Venezuela, and many other countries, is disconnected from high-minded values. Instead, it is deeply embedded in US interests, not the wholesome interests of the US people, who consistently show their disapproval of US intervention in polls, but the interests of US corporations and their courtesans.
One can only wish that this truth could permeate the nearly impenetrable corporate media filter that denies access to all but inane entertainments and surreal politics.
But that doesn’t excuse the quiescence and inaction of the broad US left. Even if most cannot bring themselves to utter the word “imperialism,” they must surely see the pattern of violence and destruction that is the constant companion of US policies. They cannot escape the human toll of unrelenting, perpetual war since the phony “war on terror” was birthed. They cannot ignore the contradiction of massive resources devoted to destruction and domination while infrastructure, services, and welfare starve for funding in the US.
The only plausible explanation for this ubiquitous meekness in confronting imperialism is a groveling subservience to the electoral fortunes of the Democratic Party. I say “groveling” because no other word could capture an allegiance that only stiffens in the face of a Democratic Party leadership that is completely contemptuous of the Party’s “left” and even more contemptuous of the left in general.
If the Democratic Administration that enjoyed a rousing mandate from US voters, inherited a congressional majority, and spoke of urgent change, fails to deliver a cessation of aggression, then there is little prospect for it doing so in the future. Therefore, remaining mute in the face of the murderous Iraqi debacle, not voicing an objection to US engagement is tantamount to groveling before morally corrupt Democratic Party elected officials.
Certainly some have spoken up, organized, demonstrated, but too few to challenge the media fire wall. We need more to join with UNAC or the ANSWER coalition into assembling local actions. Or for those whose ideological purity is threatened by rubbing elbows with different shades of the radical left, organize your own rally. But public renunciation of the march of imperialism cannot be set aside for electoral opportunism.
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Zoltan Zigedy
This Country Needs a Few Good Communists
Tutoring Trump
A Friend’s Tribute to Mike Jerome
A Beast in the White House (Eng.; Esp.)
by Zoltan Zigedy time to read: 6 min
Commentary The Need for an Organization of Revolutionaries
Commentary The Pitchforks Are Coming..For Us Plutocrats
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No Wetsuits Now, But Expect Wetsuits In Future Olympics
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
FINA announced today during its FINA Bureau meeting in Hungary that it decided to keep the current open water swimwear equipment rules until the conclusion of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
“During this competition, FINA, together with the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, will take all necessary measures to ensure the maximum possible levels of security and safety for all athletes in the men’s and women’s 10 km races,” stated FINA.
But starting in September 2016, new rules will apply for FINA open water swimming events (Olympic 10K Marathon Swim, FINA 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup, FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix, FINA Junior Open Water Swimming Championships). The new rules were instituted due to concerns that the FINA Bureau has regarding conducting events in low temperatures:
– The lowest possible water temperature allowable in FINA races should remain at 16°C (60.8°F)
– Between 16°C and 18°C (60.8°F and 64.4°F) wetsuits + bathing cap are mandatory
– Between 18°C and 20°C (64.4°F and 68°F), wetsuits are optional
– Over 20°C (68°F), wetsuits are not allowed
At least for the rest of the FINA season and the Rio Olympic 10K Marathon Swim, it seems entirely reasonable and fair that swimmers should continue to adhere to the commonly accepted FINA swimsuit rules.
In a previous commentary (see here), the World Open Water Swimming Association believes that allowing wetsuits in future FINA’s professional marathon swimming events is a misplaced decision for several reasons.
1. 100% of the professional marathon swimmers already wear tech suits that almost completely cover their body with the exceptions of their arms.
These tech suits offer a significant level of skin protection and even a level of warmth that is not available if the swimmers swam in traditional porous swimsuits. These tech suits provide sufficient protection against the cold for professional athletes who train and acclimate specifically for different conditions (both warm and cold).
2. Swimmers can also wear ear plugs for additional level of cold water protection as well as two swim caps in the open water competitions.
3. While there are a handful of elite marathon swimmers who cannot handle water temperatures under 18ºC, all of these athletes have the opportunity (least we say obligation) to acclimate themselves to the chosen venue.
4. Open water swimmers are not triathletes. Open water swimmers – unlike triathletes whose majority of racing is done on a bicycle and with running shoes – are entirely focused on handling the various conditions of open water venues. We understand that 18ºC may be considered cold by triathletes, but 18ºC is – and should not – be considered outside the capabilities of world-class open water swimmers.
5. FINA’s currently allowable water temperature ranges are 16ºC – 31ºC. Professional marathon swimmers have been competing in cold water competitions for generations. Why should FINA change now? Does FINA’s decision imply that the previously held FINA races held in water under 20ºC were dangerous and risky?
6. In the event that wetsuits are approved, this changes the nature of open water swimming in profound ways. If 18ºC is considered too cold and potentially dangerous, who made this determination? The FINA Bureau? TOWSC (Technical Open Water Swimming Committee)? Do these officials and administrators have hard data showing the dangers of swimming in water temperatures under 20ºC? While the swimming community knows and readily acknowledges that FINA’s upper limits of 31ºC is too warm, a vast majority of the swimming community knows that water temperatures in the 18ºC – 20ºC are entirely reasonable. Cool for some, but not dangerous for the elite, world-class, competitive swimmers who are professionals.
7. Professional marathon swimmers compete for money, have sponsorships, and are supported by their teams and/or national governing bodies and benefit from the guidance of full-time coaches, experienced trainers and sports scientists. Their team of supporters can easily educate the athletes on how best to acclimate and how to swim fast in water temperatures between 18ºC – 20ºC.
Photo shows Olympic 10K marathon swimming gold medalist Maarten van der Weijden in a TYR tech suit at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
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Commentareum
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Sunday!
Jim Butcher’s next Dresden book has a title! Not a release date, mind, but it has a title! Warning: the title appears in this post.
Saul DeGraw
Privilege and Entrepreneurship
What do you need to be an entrepreneur? Money, lots of money.
talk to me like an adult: planned parenthood edition
Women are not children, but the habit of thinking of them as children is deeply ingrained. And like all bad habits, it’s hard to break.
Christopher Carr
Nurembleg
I’m looking for a good book about the Nuremberg Trials…
Manifestly American: FIFA Women’s World Cup Champions
Elections In The Meantime
Ten Second News
Biden Sings Same Song, Second Verse
[caption id="attachment_316702" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Photo by Pete Souza Public domain [/caption]
Meanwhile, in non President Trump vs "The Squad" news, current Democratic primary frontrunner Joe Biden was unveiling his healthcare proposal, and the tagline he laid on the folks at an AARP gathering sounds strangely familiar.
Former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday said that under his new health care plan, people who like their insurance coverage won’t be forced to give it up.
Speaking at the AARP presidential forum in Iowa, Biden drew a contrast between his plan, which would give people a Medicare-like public option, and the “Medicare for All” plan championed by more progressive Democratic presidential candidates including Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.).
“If you like your health care plan, your employer based plan, you can keep it. If in fact you have private insurance, you can keep it,” Biden said.
Biden’s speech echoed the now-infamous “if you like your doctor, you’re going to be able to keep your doctor” catchphrase former President Barack Obama repeatedly said in 2009 and 2010 when he was trying to sell the public on the benefits of the Affordable Care Act.
The GOP seized on those remarks, and spent years throwing them back at Democrats to showcase what they said were ObamaCare’s failures. In 2013, PolitiFact called "if you like your health care plan, you can keep it" the "Lie of the Year."
But the law has provided 20 million people with health insurance, and it’s now more popular than ever.
Biden is running on protecting ObamaCare. He is banking the law’s popularity will convince voters that his plan of shoring up the law with more subsidies and a public option is a better approach than Medicare for All.
“You get your choice, you get full coverage … I think it’s the quickest, most reasonable rational and best way to get to universal coverage,” he said.
In formally announcing his plan on Monday, Biden equated the push for Medicare for All with the GOP attempts to repeal ObamaCare.
“I understand the appeal of Medicare for All, but folks supporting it should be clear that it means getting rid of ObamaCare, and I’m not for that,” Biden said in a video announcing his plan.
Comment →
Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta Resigns Amid Epstein Furor
[caption id="attachment_316589" align="aligncenter" width="739"] photo by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons[/caption]
The head many have been calling for since the details of Jeffrey Epstein's plea deal were first reported has finally rolled:
President Donald Trump alerted reporters this morning of Acosta's departure. "This was him, not me," said Trump as Acosta stood beside him.
Trump, who saw Acosta largely as a source of favorable monthly statistics about unemployment and job growth, called Acosta "a great labor secretary not a good one" and "a tremendous talent. He's a Hispanic man, he went to Harvard, a great student." Trump indicated that he was satisfied with Acosta's explanation for the plea deal in Wednesday's news conference, saying, "He explained it."
But Acosta has had a rocky relationship in recent months with other White House officials, including acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, over the perceived slow pace of deregulation at the department. And one person familiar with the situation said that although Trump initially thought Acosta handled the Epstein controversy well, over the last couple of days the president saw the negative press and didn’t like it.
“POTUS is not a fan of bad press, especially when other people make him look bad," this person said.
Acosta, a 50-year-old Harvard-educated lawyer, came newly under fire for the lenient 2008 plea deal after Epstein was re-arrested July 6 in New York City and charged with sex trafficking. Under the earlier plea agreement, Epstein served only 13 months of an 18-month term and was permitted daily furloughs to go to the office. Epstein also was required to register as a sex offender and to pay restitution to his underage victims.
At the White House this morning, Acosta told reporters: "Over the last week I've seen a lot of coverage of the department of labor. And what I have not seen is the incredible job creation that we've seen in this economy. more than 5 million jobs, I haven't seen that.... I do not think it is right and fair for this administration's labor department to have Epstein as the focus, rather than the incredible economy that we have today."
Cuff the Midwife
A horrible story raises age-old questions about regulation, medical care, and people who make money insisting they know better than trained professionals.
At about 9:15 p.m. June 15, Omaha Fire Department paramedics were called to a home where a 25-year-old woman at full term in her pregnancy was in distress following complications during a breech birth.
The woman told police she went into labor at about 9 p.m. June 14. Hock reportedly arrived to help with the birth at 6 p.m. June 15, according to a criminal complaint.
After realizing the baby’s foot had been delivered, the mother told detectives that Hock asked her whether to continue with the birth at home “and stated she had trained in delivering breech babies,” court documents state.
The mother agreed to continue at home but said that after at least 30 minutes, the baby had only been delivered up to the shoulders, the documents state. That’s when Hock advised calling 911.
When police arrived, they found Hock assisting the pregnant woman and asking for medical scissors, court documents state. Paramedics said the baby was partially delivered at that time and that Hock performed a medical procedure during her attempt to deliver the baby.
The baby, delivered by paramedics while en route to a hospital, was limp and unresponsive, according to the criminal complaint. Resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful.
The baby was taken to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit upon arrival at the hospital and placed on life support, the documents state.
The obstetrics doctor in the ER that night reported to police that the baby was deprived of oxygen and suffered swelling in the brain and indicated the infant could die as a result of the injuries.
The doctor told officers Hock had revealed she was at the scene serving as a midwife, a service she advertises through her company’s website, Nebraska Birth Keeper, and “had known for a couple hours that the baby was in breech” position but continued with the birthing process for an hour before 911 was called, the court documents state.
The baby was pronounced dead June 17.
A warrant was issued for Hock’s arrest when it was determined by Nebraska Health and Human Services that she does not hold a medical or certified nurse-midwife license.
The mother told investigators she had signed an agreement for Hock’s midwife services and that she and her husband had paid Hock about $3,000 to $4,000 for those services.
Home births are illegal in Nebraska. This was the second time the Noes had used Ms. Hock in the birthing of a child. That pregnancy as well resulted in a breech birth, and the Noe's opted for the hospital and a C-Section delivery.
The couple paid about $4,000 for Ms. Hock’s services, according to Mr. Dornan, who said Ms. Hock served as a midwife when Ms. Noe gave birth to another child two years earlier.
“They wanted to have a birth in their bedroom,” Mr. Dornan said. “Didn’t want to go to the hospital."
Similar complications arose during the earlier pregnancy with a breech baby, he said, and Ms. Noe opted to have a C-section at the hospital after Ms Hock advised her of the risks. This time, he said, Ms. Hock once again warned Ms. Noe of the risks of a breech birth, but that she had opted to remain at home.
Mr. Dornan said Ms. Hock tried a maneuver to dislodge the baby, but was unsuccessful. She was accompanied by her 9-year-old daughter and a doula, who Mr. Dornan said called 911.
When the emergency responders arrived at the home, Mr. Dornan said, they gave Ms. Hock a pair of scissors to try to help make a wider opening for the baby, which is considered to be a surgical procedure and is mentioned in the criminal complaint against his client.
Trump Meets Kim, Steps in North Korea
President Donald Trump went there:
On Sunday, Mr Trump became the first sitting US president to set foot in North Korea, accompanied by leader Kim Jong-un.
Mr Trump had earlier tweeted asking Mr Kim if he would like to meet while the US president was in South Korea.
On Monday, KCNA carried extensive coverage of the unprecedented meeting.
North Koreans rarely receive news of the outside world, and the heavily controlled media has depicted the US as its most hated enemy for decades.
Images of the US president walking into the North as a friend of Mr Kim will be an extraordinary sight for ordinary North Koreans.
Negotiations over North Korea's controversial nuclear programme have stalled since the second summit between the two leaders ended without an agreement in February.
After their surprise talks on Sunday, they reaffirmed their claims to friendship and said talks would continue through their negotiating teams.
Critics have dismissed the occasion as an act of political theatre which does not make substantial progress towards North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons.
Negotiations with North Korea to try to convince it to abandon its controversial nuclear programme reached a peak last year when Mr Trump and Mr Kim had a historic meeting in Singapore.
They both committed to the "complete denuclearisation" of the Korean peninsula, but without clarifying what that meant.
It was hoped their second meeting, in Hanoi in February, would make some concrete agreement about North Korea handing over its nuclear programme in exchange for some of the tight sanctions against it being lifted.
But those talks ended with no deal, as they failed to agree on the pace at which sanctions should be eased.
SCOTUS: “partisan gerrymandering claims are not justiciable”
Whoa...people can over-react to Supreme Court rulings, but this ruling, and the reaction, is going to be big.
In a 5-4 decision along traditional conservative-liberal ideological lines, the Supreme Court rules that partisan redistricting is a political question, not reviewable by federal courts and can't judge if extreme gerrymandering violates the constitution.
"We conclude that partisan gerrymandering claims present political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts," Chief Justice Roberts wrote for the conservative majority. "Federal judges have no license to reallocate political power between the two major political parties, with no plausible grant of authority in the Constitution, and no legal standards to limit and direct their decisions."
The court's ruling came in two cases. In Maryland, Democrats who controlled the state legislature drew new lines for congressional districts to eliminate one of the state's two GOP seats in the U.S. House of Representatives; and in North Carolina, where Republicans controlled the state legislature, they used the same tactics to isolate and limit Democratic power, and maximize their own.
Lots more to come from this...
Read the full opinion here.
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Player of the year..
Posted on 22 April, 2010 by Ryan Brice
In a transparent attempt to get away from the leaders’ ‘debate’ (for debate, read ‘childish bickering’), and a prompting from a comment on another piece – it’s about time we had a ponder about the player of the season award, isn’t it? We’ve had a season which has certainly far exceeded my expectations, and that brings with it a certain dilemma.
You see, we have a fair few candidates this season for player of the year, don’t we? I’m sure in my ponderings-without-preparation will result in me missing out some deserving candidates, which you are welcome to add in via comments. The best way I can think about it is by going through who I consider the viable candidates.
Lee Camp – despite not being one of the fans that singled out Paul Smith, it’s undeniable that our defence has looked to be on a much surer footing with Camp behind them, and when they have faltered he’s invariably there as our final defence, and vice-Captain to boot.
Chris Gunter – I think I’m right in saying that until Blackpool away he was our only ever-present, he’s slotted in to his right back (and occasional left-back cameos) with a maturity that belies his years. As well as his defensive duties he provides an outlet going forward.
Wes Morgan – every season he seems to get written off by sections of fans, but he’s been an absolute rock this season putting himself bodily on the line again and again to try to keep our miserly goals-conceded column where it is. He scored an absolute pile-driver against Palace too!
Kelvin Wilson – I was convinced we needed a new centreback to partner Wes this season, and Kelv has shoved that view right down my proverbial. He’s been a revelation this season along with Wes in the centre of defence, cutting out that ‘laziness’ we’ve seen before and proving he’s capable at this level.
Paul McKenna – things just slotted together with the skipper in midfield, and I’m not surprised – away at least – things have started to slide without him. Arguably they did so before his injury, as he looked jaded. Ball winner, experienced head and captain. He’s been a real loss through injury.`
Radoslaw Majewski – Raddy has shown glimpses of absolute genius, but has also showed he’s inexperienced and can sometimes ‘go missing’ during games. But when he’s there, by gosh we can see it – Derby at home, West Brom away – you won’t see many better goals than those this season!
Chris Cohen – Chris is our engine, he’s put his tireless enthusiasm into playing out of position for much of the season with good nature and a hard-working ethic. I still want to see more end product sometimes, but his graft is undeniable, and his commitment to the Reds.
Dexter Blackstock – I like Dex because he works his arse off, he takes a battering from centrebacks often with no protection from the referee – and he chases lost causes. He’s netted a fair few goals too, which is always a good thing for a striker. It’s easy to forget how young he is, too. More to come from Dex!
Just missing the cut, but with massively honourable mentions, are the likes of Robert Earnshaw and Paul Anderson. Indeed, players like Luke Chambers and James Perch who’ve had to be patient to get back in and have performed admirably are deserving of huge credit too – as I started by saying, that it’s been such a fantastic season makes decisions regarding ‘who’s the best’ almost as difficult as I suppose it is fairly facile.
It is a team game after all, and it is our prowess – on our day – in playing for one another as a team, which is one of the reasons I struggle with picking a single one. But for what it’s worth, the nffcblog.com player of the season for 2009/2010 is – and it wasn’t an easy call – Wes Morgan. I’ve been so impressed with Wes’s consistency and commitment this season, so big congratulations to Wes, and indeed, the whole squad.
What about you? Have I missed anybody out? Who would you choose for your player of the year? You can either make use of the comment facility or vote in the attached poll.
« Forest vs. Plymouth Argyle preview.. Forest stroll past the Pilgrims to assure 3rd or 4th.. »
skirmis, on 22 April, 2010 at 9:25 pm said:
all players its good the best in the world
Alan, on 22 April, 2010 at 9:50 pm said:
Although I voted for Wes I have to say the most improved player has to be Wilson !!
nffc, on 22 April, 2010 at 9:51 pm said:
Wils was so close in my choice, too. It wasn’t easy at all!
Dr_Horse, on 22 April, 2010 at 9:51 pm said:
There is a strong case for all of those.
McKenna’s leadership, drive and surprisingly assured touch has no doubt been the missing keystone that this season has been built around, but his dip in form and then injury means you’re only looking at about 2/3 of the season.
Out of the rest, Camp is the only player that had neutrals talking about England call-ups, and when you go back and look at some of his saves around and after Xmas then you can see their point perhaps! So yea, out of a great bunch – Lee Camp.
Aylesbury Red, on 22 April, 2010 at 9:55 pm said:
For me, it has to be Camp. He’s the best keeper we’ve had in donkeys years, makes so many crucial saves and commands the back 4. Without him we’d have been lucky to finish mid-table.
I bet there are a few premiership clubs sniffing round him if we don’t get up.
Alex, on 22 April, 2010 at 10:27 pm said:
I voted for Camp. All those clean sheets home and away have been the backbone of our season – every game he seems to make at least one spectacular save.
nffc, on 22 April, 2010 at 11:05 pm said:
After all that careful preparation I missed Dex off the poll part. What a plonker!
radgie, on 22 April, 2010 at 11:31 pm said:
If the vote had been conducted 6-8 weeks ago then I think Cohen would have been the clear winner.
But as his form has dipped so much since mid Feb then I have to vote for Wes. He’s been utterly brilliant all season. Not in patches, all season.
Camp has undoubetdy been fabulous but I fear his best moments have come in games we’ve ultimately lost through no fault of his own which therefore relegates his heroics to the back of the mind.
If there was a vote for most improved player then it’d be Kelvin by a country mile. If there was an award for player whose made the biggest impact on the team, McKenna would be the only person anyone could vote for. A vote for player I’d like to have seen used more would go to McCleary, while Gunter would get my nomination for great prospect, needs to learn the game (especially (defensive) positional sense).
Manager of the year? 🙂
EgorTheRed, on 23 April, 2010 at 4:05 pm said:
Nah – BD wont get that. Hughton will.
BUT on improvement (ie against where teams were last year) BD would win by a country mile!!
Oh yeah – the poll doesn’t work on the mobile WP site, all options come up as “undefined”.
How annoying! What phone are you using? Works okay on my iPhone.
radgie, on 23 April, 2010 at 8:23 am said:
Red Ric, on 23 April, 2010 at 7:56 am said:
Its a very close one between campy and wes i voted for our keeper hes been worth 15 /20 points.
AD_BC, on 23 April, 2010 at 11:02 am said:
I voted for Camp too. He’s been the difference between losing and drawing on so many away games during our unbeaten run. I’m struggling to think of a bad performance he’s put in this season. I genuinely believe he is probably the only player in our squad that is a consistent premier league quality performer. Wes, Raddy, McKenna and Cohen can produce premier league displays but not every match. I was tempted to vote with my heart for Raddy because of those two blinding goals against Derby and West Brom. The West Brom one for me is the best Forest goal of the last 10 years and easily goal of the season. Sadly it seemed to inspire West Brom into better form rather than Forest.
apwarren, on 23 April, 2010 at 11:01 am said:
Has to be Dexter, a workaholic, whose endless energy combined with his goal getting prowess make him a red legend in the making for me.
Also THAT GOAL AND CELEBRATION AGAINST BRIZZLE CITY. The club has just kept going forward from that point last season.
All are worthy, but Dex is red to the core.
Matt, on 23 April, 2010 at 1:58 pm said:
Chris Cohen all day long by far our best player
redash, on 23 April, 2010 at 2:31 pm said:
I tried to vote for Clegg but could not see him on the list…..
“Raddy the Laddy” for me. I know it should be the likes of McKenna / Cohen / Camp but dont forget this is his first season in England, a young lad, could not speak english and he shut those sheep shagging bastards up within 2 minutes at the city ground.
Ryan, on 23 April, 2010 at 6:56 pm said:
Majewski for me. The whole team has done so well and really played to the best of their abilities and the reason why, imo, is that having a class act like Majewski, pinging passes around, has just given them so much confidence within themselves.
Steve G, on 24 April, 2010 at 9:40 am said:
McKenna, not just for his own performances (which were largely excellent till he looked tired) but also for the impact as captain that he had the team as a whole – with Camp and Wes very close.
It’s great that you can put forward eight plausible contenders (and probably still draw some grumbles about omissions) unlike a few previous years when it was more a case of who was the best of an ordinary bunch!
Mart, on 25 April, 2010 at 7:18 pm said:
Yes, Camp and Wes I thought, that’s taking zero away from the rest.
Make no mistake, Camp saved us a fair few points this season, plus he hates derby.
Wes, he’s outstanding. Cant think of any better defender at this level. Plus he’s Nottingham born and bred
mattyboy, on 26 April, 2010 at 8:30 am said:
Congrats Campy.
It was Wes for me, but I think Camp shaded it with many fans with his arm waving and generally getting the crowd buzzing.
As has been stated elsewhere it has been an incredible season when you consider any one of half a dozen players were in the running.
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Is Forest’s transfer sluggishness paying dividends?
Posted on 26 January, 2011 by Ryan Brice
It’s that time when the transfer window is starting to creak closed – and so the rumours go into overdrive. I’ve long since opted to try my best not to rehash them, because – well – frankly often when I have passed on information I’ve heard in the past it has turned out to be wrong – and, frankly, I’d rather just wait until Forest confirm whatever’s happening.
Certainly I’ve not bothered reading much into Billy’s “let’s see what the next day or two brings” type comment to Robin Chipperfield – you see, aside from the assumption that deals are imminent for the mighty Reds, our wee fella has plenty of things to be cheerful about.
2011 has seen Forest register an impressive run of results, and despite the mythology surrounding our own fans around the strength in depth in our squad, I can’t help but notice a number of managers commenting on the kind of quality we have on the bench. Not only are we starting games with a line-up that can cause any side in this division difficulties, we have players waiting in the wings who can come on and make a difference.
Cotterill said it after we beat Portsmouth at the City Ground (unsurprisingly really, he could only name four subs!), although I couldn’t help but think that was a bit rich coming from someone able to call on the likes of Kanu, Utaka and Lawrence, to pick on just three of their squad who showed real quality on the pitch.
Nigel Clough, amidst his rabid-foaming after either of our recent wins against them pointed at some fanciful figures at how much we’d spent on players, but did have a reasonable point that we had players on the bench to change things. Earnie came off the bench to net the winner at Pride Park afterall. He not only had a bench full of second-rate players, he had to start with them too!
The latest manager to do the same was Bristol City’s Keith Millen – after the game he too said the same kind of thing. Yet perusing most of the notable Forest forums our fans seem to be clamouring like ants after a mound has been kicked for us to be signing players from here, there and everywhere.
I can sort of see why – it’s exciting to sign players, of course – and oddly we do seem to be ‘getting by’ with players playing in positions you wouldn’t expect them to thrive in. Lynch has stepped up admirably to fill the left back berth, we still seem to have an extra central midfielder and only one winger at any one time, and we’d be a bit screwed if certain players picked up a suspension or injury…
… but it’s kind of working. It’s kind of working, I think, because of the increasingly evident team spirit our squad seem to have. They are a very tight group, they work for each other – they seem to care. Would that be the same if we hoovered up every loan, free transfer or even paid-for transfer available just to get some bodies in?
I’m not sure it would – indeed, Billy Davies – much more calm and good natured in recent interviews – does talk of the need to make sure that we get the right players in. He doesn’t just mean players with the right ability, but the right character to not upset the dressing room spirit he’s engendered in his players.
That isn’t to say I wouldn’t welcome sensible acquisitions before the window closes, of course. Some clarification over players out of contract in the summer would be nice for the fans – although the recent performances of Nathan Tyson, Robert Earnshaw and particularly Guy Moussi would suggest that playing for a contract isn’t necessarily doing us much harm!
Down the A52 it looks like ex-Red Kris Commons is heading north of the border finally, to don the green and white hoops of Celtic having audaciously priced himself outside of Rangers’ spending power! Ultimately he seems to leave teams beneath the one he left them for – Stoke soon overtook us when we signed him, and as he leaves Derby they must strain to look up the league table to us.
Once the deal is done have a bet on Rangers to win the Scottish Premier next season as he sends Lennon’s Celtic into decline, where of course he’ll be joined by his former team-mate Kelvin Wilson, who the Reds seem keen to keep hold of until the end of the season for cover (when he doesn’t have a mystery ‘injury’ or ‘illness’).
I wasn’t really sure where I was going with this when I started – it’s very much a stream of consciousness mingled with observations. Basically I suppose it’s a warning of sorts against the kind of panic that always ensues at this time of year. Certainly if you were to hand me a Bertrand or a Shorey I’d be delighted (with no disrespect to Mr Lynch)… but well, things ain’t so bad as they are, are they?
« Chambers ‘header’ bags three points! West Ham United vs. Forest preview.. »
EgorTheRed, on 26 January, 2011 at 10:13 pm said:
We need a left back for sure. Lynch is exacly what Billy said his is in his pre match interview last night i.e . a young promising left sided centre back.
All the UBE chat last night was of Betrand again but saying Chelsea and Forest have agreed a price but can’t agree payment terms. Fingers crossed.
I’d like another midfielder, someone with a bit more creativity but I guess good ones are a bit like rocking horse shit so I suppose i won’t get my way on that.
I do think Billy was teasing a bit with his “next day or two” comment but then again, maybe not! He’s a tough b*stard to second guess sometimes!
Red Ric, on 26 January, 2011 at 10:33 pm said:
Good article mate made me think ….and I agree with your observations.Football can be a very cruel game tho as we are all very aware of and Feb is a very tough month for us. We will be tested with injuries and other things so a couple of decent bodies in will do us no harm at all.
As for fat boy well lennon and Celtic are welcome to him and Wison they are both dropping down a level in my opinion.
Marshy, on 26 January, 2011 at 10:35 pm said:
I too have been impressed with Lynchy, and was happy to hear some of the faithful shouting words of encouragement to the lad. However, I still can’t help thinking we miss Bertie going forward. He’s not quite the class of Shorey, but then he is still a young man and I do believe we’ll see bigger things of him in the future. Billy, Sign Him Up!
Pachuca Red, on 26 January, 2011 at 10:37 pm said:
A great post NFFC, completely agree with your musings. In view of the competition this year, Forest must boast one of if not the richest set of forward men, even bearing in mind Blackstocks injury. A creative midfielder would help, someone like dare I say it Pratley but as you point out, the team are working very well together and with current form, they could just be peaking at the right time. We always want new players, it adds an extra sense of hope that a new player is going to add to what is already turning into another very good season for the reds. Yet from day one, I thought Forest finally captured a manager who could build a good football club. At this level he is one of the best, a manager to believe in. I’d like to think he wants the kind of players that will help forest. If he can’t get them, nobody can really complain where the boys are at present, 1 point off second with a game in hand (away to Scunthorpe). I’d be very happy with 5th at the end of the season and a good run to take into the play offs. U reeeds!!!
Aylesbury Red, on 26 January, 2011 at 11:40 pm said:
It’s a good point, well made NFFC. We’ve got to go all out for promotion this season and give Billy what he wants. He is clearly doing a great job and should be rewarded with a new contract offer himself!
Re left back, in additional to the impressive Lynch, we also have Jules waiting in the wings, although he will perhaps go out on loan again. As too you would expect Joe Garner, especially with another striker arriving in the form of Findlay.
Our time is coming once more. In Billy we trust!
Husky Red, on 26 January, 2011 at 11:45 pm said:
Given it seems we are after shorey, that casts doubt on anything being close with bertrand. We also seem to be after mills, the ex donny centre back at Reading. Why would they sell to a rival? And given je is currently captain, he’s not coming to warm the bench, so who do you drop? Chambers who has scored AA many goals as any of our fit strikers? Or wes???
I agree we need some depth. Qpr have just signed another bus load on loan it seems. Still, less than a week now til the window closes and we can get back to normality
James Cooper, on 27 January, 2011 at 12:30 am said:
I believe we should look at getting a couple of players on loan. Possibly step in for Ayala off Liverpool if Derby don’t get him, and also have a look at an MLS star seeing as their season is up and they are all clamouring for loan moves. I think the loan system needs reworking howevere. Look at Cardiff, 7 loan players. They are a club with terrible finances, yet they are allowed to sign the likes of Bellamy (6 mill) , Koumas (2 mill) , Ramsey( 5 mill+), Emmanuel-Thomas (described as a future England player) , Keogh (2 mill), Olofinjana (1.5 mill) plus one more. They are mostly multi-million pound players. We are very lucky to be as close as we are to them considering we have a big disadvantage.
Rahoul, on 27 January, 2011 at 7:06 am said:
It’s also worth noting that one of the stated aims of the Transfer Acquisition Panel, or whatever it’s called today, was to ensure that the **character** of the players brought in would fit with the existing squad. On that front it seems to be working.
mattyboy, on 27 January, 2011 at 7:40 am said:
Agree totally nffc.
We seem to have a real team spirit within the squad, you’ve only got to watch how they ALL celebrate a goal!
Billy has fostered that mentality, and they all seem to want to please HIM.
Interesting on Tuesday when he told McCleary to warm up, Garath wasn’t ready and was fiddling with his boots. Well, Billy went nuts, shouting at him, and all but dragged him out by his collar! Then in the 2nd half Lewis never tracked back and again Billy had a right go. Lewis shrugged and actually said the words “what do you want me to do??”. I never heard BDs response, but within half a second Garath was warming up again!
Lewis then promptly dived into a 50-50, then made another tackle and a few moments later pulled off a lovely piece of skill opening up their defence.
The point is, Billy knows how to get the best out of these players, arm round the shoulder or rollicking.
I hear Lesta have taken van Arnholt, so Bertie wont be coming back and if we cant get Shorey back we just trust in Lynch to do the business, or Jules.
Vittorio Cobianchi, on 27 January, 2011 at 11:25 am said:
I wholeheartedly agree with your point; very good post.
I’ll translate it for my blog.
AD_BC, on 27 January, 2011 at 5:37 pm said:
Its uncanny the similarities between us at this stage last year. No left back, still chasing Shorey. (Waste of time in my opinion, he doesn’t want to come) And as Rahoul mentioned, character is playing a big part in the signing of a player. However, the difference, and its a pretty big one is the way the players play for each other and the club now. Especially when it isn’t going all their way. Lynch has come in and done well. He’s wanting his chance and wanting to step up just like McGugan earlier in the season. We’ve got to be pleased with that. Its a shame Billy doesn’t think Bennet is good enough, maybe he isn’t but he’s better than what we had this time last year.
The worse case is we don’t sign anyone. But its not nearly as bad as last year. 2 new quality faces would be fantastic but I’d rather no one than bullshit players making up the numbers and disrupting the team spirit.
redrob, on 27 January, 2011 at 5:48 pm said:
good points NFFC , we are definiltely a stronger unit than this time last year and closer to the leading two
last year we were always trailing Newcastle and WBA.
Some players are noticeably playing better Moussi , Chambo , Mcgugan, Tys , Dele and maybe only Raddy and Cohen are below last year but not by much – so overall we are stronger .
But and its a big but – we are so far blessed by injury free and no suspensions – we probably need one more in my view and that is a left back as per last year .
Vittorio Cobianchi, on 27 January, 2011 at 6:21 pm said:
@AD_BC
NFFC is growing better without any signing, for they are the typical “manager team”, a team in which the work of the manager is really appreciable: they become tactically better every match, they become mentally better every match (lots of late goals, lots of matches won by one goal, great decrease of “omg I’ve stupidly lost the ball in the midfield and they’ve scored”, so typical at the beginning of the campaign, a team almost always attentive and focused), some youngsters or not so youngsters are really improving, and backup players always ready to go and play well.
You can ever buy some good player, if you’ve got the money, but really good managers are a sort of gift.
“I’d rather no one than bullshit players making up the numbers and disrupting the team spirit”: pure gospel.
LTLF.co.uk » Is Forest’s transfer sluggishness paying dividends? - Nottingham Forest fans news, comment and humour, on 27 January, 2011 at 7:59 pm said:
[…] the original post on Through the seasons before […]
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Phoebe Waller-Bridge delights students in Fleabag and Killing Eve Masterclass
Screen Names Five NFTS Alumni 2019 'Stars Of Tomorrow'
NFTS Grads Scoop 5 2019 RTS Student Television Awards!
NFTS Games Grad Wins ‘Women In Games Breakthrough Talent’ Award
First StoryFutures Academy Co-Funded Immersive Production Selected for Tribeca Festival
StoryFutures Academy, the National Centre for Immersive Storytelling jointly run by the National Film and Television School (NFTS) and Royal Holloway, University of London, announces that its first co-funded immersive production, Common Ground, directed, produced and written by Darren Emerson has been selected for the Tribeca Film Festival. Common Ground can be experienced at the Festival’s Virtual Arcade, presented by AT&T which takes place between April 26th to May 4th 2019 in New York.
NFTS Diverse Directors Meet Captain Marvel Directors & Attend Premiere!
The six participants of this year’s NFTS Diverse Directors Workshop were invited by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures UK who are headline sponsors of the programme to meet the directors of the highly anticipated Captain Marvel, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, and to attend the premiere of the film!
Oscar Winning Director Asif Kapadia discusses collaboration, storytelling and archival documentary-making in insightful masterclass
NFTS students were thrilled to participate in a masterclass with Oscar and BAFTA winning writer, director and producer Asif Kapadia, whose work includes documentaries 'Amy', 'Senna' and 'The Warrior'.
‘Mary Queen of Scots’ director Josie Rourke talks gender politics, ‘Me Too’ and telling stories of women in power, in gripping NFTS masterclass.
Mary Queen of Scots director Josie Rourke talks gender politics, ‘Me Too’ and telling stories of women in power, in gripping NFTS masterclass. British Theatre and Film director Josie Rourke rounded off this year’s NFTS Springboard week with an honest, insightful and frank Q&A, following a screening of her recent film debut, BAFTA nominated feature 'Mary Queen of Scots.'
NFTS 2019 Graduating Students Awarded Industry Prizes
National Film and Television School (NFTS) Graduation Showcase - sponsored by Netflix - is a celebration of the last 12 months of graduate productions and an opportunity to showcase the resulting work to the industry.
Oscar Winning Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse Phil Lord & Chris Miller Talk Teamwork, Anxiety and Having Faith in Humankind!
NFTS students were yet again treated to a one-of-a-kind masterclass, this time courtesy of Oscar winning director, writer and producer team, Phil Lord and Chris Miller a couple of days before they picked up their BAFTA for ‘Best Animated Feature Film’ for Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse and on the same day The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part was released in UK cinemas.
NFTS Alumni Inspire New Students During Springboard Week 2019
This year’s Springboard Week, the NFTS equivalent to fresher’s week, included an inspiring and session with NFTS alumni including BAFTA nominated animation director, Edward Foster (Little Princess, the Rubbish World of Dave Spud), Royal Television Society winning editor Paulo Pandolpho Les Misérables; Tin Star; Cucumber), Breakthrough Talent BAFTA winning director, Mahalia Belo (The Long Song; Requiem) and visual effects artist, Gillian Simpson who has worked on Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs and Tim Burton’s upcoming Dumbo.
Amma Asante to Receive Honorary NFTS Fellowship
The National Film and Television School (NFTS) Board of Governors is to bestow an Honorary Fellowship on BAFTA award-winning writer/ director, Amma Asante MBE.
NFTS recent grad wins 2019 Golden Reel Student Film Award
Recent NFTS Sound Design for Film and Television MA graduate Adam Woodhams has won the prestigious Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel award for his work as Sound Designer and Dubbing Mixer on NFTS graduation animation film Facing It.
NFTS Scotland at Glasgow Film Festival
This year, NFTS Scotland is delighted to partner with Glasgow Film Festival again, staging two events as part of the Behind the Scenes public strand and two Industry Spotlight events.
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Holy Potatoes! We're In Space?! (Switch) Review
by Daan Koopman - February 20, 2019, 4:44 pm PST
The Holy Potatoes going into space is likely the best decision they've ever made.
When I played the Holy Potatoes franchise for the first time, I wasn't really sure what to expect. The style seemed a little off the wall and the hook didn't pull me in from the get-go. Man, how naive I was. Those initial impressions took a turn in a whole other direction as I quickly became engaged with the shop management tools provided. In addition, the dialogue was legitimately funny and there was just tons to do. So when I got the chance to jump into the series again, how could I refuse? That being said, this game is completely different from the previous one and adds a new mixture of gameplay mechanics. Luckily, they chose exactly the gameplay loop I could find myself heavily invested in.
Holy Potatoes! We're In Space?! sees you following the trail of grandfather Jiji. In your spaceship, you search for any signs of him after his clash with the evil Eclipse. You certainly don't have to do it alone as a ragtag team of friends are ready to provide assistance. Cassie, Fay, and the rest of the crew bring a lot of humor to the table as you go from galaxy to galaxy. Amidst cute references to hilarious one liners, everything passes you by in a matter of moments. It is those bright spots that you certainly need as Eclipse follows you around any way he can. This is where the gameplay comes into the picture.
Basically, you fight enemy ships as well as manage your own ship. The battles are turn-based and see you exchanging blows back and forth. Depending on your preparation, the results of these battles can certainly vary. What doesn't help is that the weapons are different on every ship, forcing you to adjust on the fly. It took a little while to find my footing with these, but I never felt completely out of my comfort zone. By focusing on weaponry first, enemies will be stopped in their tracks. It will force to pay you for a strong and swift retreat.
Once again though, preparation is the key word here. While managing your ship, there is a ton to keep in mind. You must find chances to use materials, weapons and researching upgrades that benefit you in the long run. In addition, you will need to train your crew and ensure that they can help out on the battlefield. Each character has unique specialties, so it is up to you to make a team that can get the job done. One thing you can't prepare for, however, is some weird difficulty spikes that will throw you off your game.
The galaxies that you search are split up into scenarios. These will see you explore planets, experience cutscenes, and solve various problems. If you manage to do all of your tasks within a certain day cycle, you are free to explore the wider galaxy for a bit. For the majority of my time with the game, however, I really never got to that point. There were a few days left before I had to move out of Eclipse's way. Believe me, you really don’t have a game over screen coming your way. Either way, the campaign felt a little cramped, with just a bit too much going on for my personal liking.
While I'm never completely sold by these games' style at first, I found myself coming around when I start playing. Holy Potatoes! We're In Space?! looks pretty darn great, almost like one of a wacky Saturday morning cartoon. The larger than life characters really complete the picture and make for a wonderful-looking journey. What helps is that the sound and music absolutely rock with fun tunes adding to the overall presentation.
As a package, Holy Potatoes! We're In Space?! doesn't know when to slow down. While I found the experience busy at moments, I can't deny that I had quite a solid time overall. The strategy and management elements are fantastic hooks that kept me glued to the screen for a stupid number of hours. There were some frustrating moments, particularly towards the end of the game, but it always managed to put a smile on my face. Just a lovely thing!
Fun presentation and story
Gameplay elements sincerely fantastic
Tons of content to get through
Restrictive at moments
Small difficulty spikes
Holy Potatoes! We're in Space?!
Release Jan 17, 2019
Publisher Rising Star Games Limited
gameHoly Potatoes! We're in Space?! [Switch]
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William C. Weldon
Born: 26-Nov-1948
Birthplace: Brooklyn, NY
Party Affiliation: Republican
Executive summary: CEO of Johnson & Johnson
Wife: Barbara (one son, one daughter)
University: BS Biology, Quinnipiac University (1971)
Administrator: Trustee, Quinnipiac University
Johnson & Johnson CEO (2002-)
Johnson & Johnson Worldwide Chairman, Pharmaceuticals Group (1998-2001)
Johnson & Johnson Company Group Chairan, Ethicon Endo-Surgery (1995-98)
Johnson & Johnson President of Ethicon Endo-Surgery (1992-95)
Johnson & Johnson VP Sales & Marketing, Janssen Pharmaceutica (1989-92)
Johnson & Johnson Managing Dir., Ortho-Cilag Pharmaceutical, UK (1986-89)
Johnson & Johnson EVP of McNeil Limited, Korea (1984-86)
Johnson & Johnson (1971-84)
Member of the Board of Johnson & Johnson (2001-, as Chairman, 2002-)
Member of the Board of JP Morgan Chase
Bush-Cheney '04
The Business Council
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Chairman
NNDB MAPPER Create a map starting with William C. Weldon
Major Media Cos.
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Non-Linear Gaming
Video game impressions, news, and opinions.
Kazunori Yamauchi: PS3 was a “Nightmare”
During E3, GameSpot had a chance to interview Kazunori Yamauchi of Gran Turismo fame about the upcoming Gran Turismo Sport. While much of the interview revolved around the much anticipated sequel and how it will incorporate eSports and tournament play, Yamauchi’s standout quote was actually in reference to the PlayStation 3.
The age of the PS3 for us was sort of a nightmare. We really had to deal with this situation for a while where, ‘This is what we want to achieve, but all we can do is this.’ So there was a lot of frustration that was built up. The PS3 hardware is something that, at first glance, looks like it’s able to do this certain level of things, but in actuality, it can’t.
In terms of development, it was really really difficult and the games, after all the development efforts were put into it, were very very low. I think it was just that the balance as a piece of hardware wasn’t very good. But the PS4 is so good. This time we’re really able to do and achieve what we want to do, so it’s really fun.
While these comments don’t exactly go against the general perception that the PS3 was a difficult console to develop for, it’s surprising to hear them from a someone directly employed by Sony. While it isn’t exactly breaking news to hear that the PS3 was difficult to develop games for, hopefully Yamauchi’s comments will be fleshed out some day in the form of a retrospective or an oral history piece.
Nick June 29, 2016 June 28, 2016 Gran Turismo Sport, GT Sport, Kazunori Yamauchi, Yamauchi
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E3 Predictions: PlayStation
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The Perfect Switch Launch Games
MCV: Big First Party Titles for NX Launch Window
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Casual Conversations
E3 Previews
E3 Recaps
Trailer Analysis
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What Should Be Asked at the First Presidential Debate
Rick Cohen
September 26, 2012; Source: Politico
We’re only one day away from the first of three presidential debates between President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Both have been practicing with their opposing candidate stand-ins. Politico’s James Hohmann suggests a few good questions that moderator Jim Lehrer might ask the two candidates.
Hohmann suggests that Obama explain why he didn’t push for a bigger stimulus package in 2009, as many liberal economists recommended at the time, whether he overestimated his ability to bridge partisan divides in Washington, why he has done so little to help families facing mortgage foreclosure, whether he is talking out of both sides of his mouth when he talks about no changes to entitlements as he puts changes in Social Security on the table for negotiations, and why he hasn’t shown any leadership on gun control even after the Rep. Gabby Giffords and Aurora, Colo. shootings.
For Mitt Romney, Hohmann wants him to name at least one specific tax loophole he would eliminate to help balance the budget, how he would figure out how to keep and pay for the popular but expensive parts of health care reform (such as no preexisting conditions) while getting rid of other pieces of the law, why he made Paul Ryan give him more years of tax returns than he is willing to disclose to voters, how he justifies paying a lower tax rate than most of middle income American taxpayers, and what three things he disagrees with in Ryan’s budget.
All good questions, but what questions would nonprofits stick onto the debate docket? We have several questions we would ask the candidates:
The Tax Exempt/Government Entities (TEGE) division of the IRS has historically been underfunded and unable to do the kind of monitoring and oversight needed to enforce nonprofit laws and regs. What would you do to ensure that the TEGE division is funded to do the job it is supposed to do?
Foundations often spend the minimum proportion of their tax-exempt assets required by law and a proportion of that goes for foundation administrative costs. What would you do to get more foundation money into the hands of charities?
A third or more of nonprofit revenues come from government sources, but government funding for nonprofit service providers is threatened by the across-the-board formula cuts of sequestration. How would you protect nonprofit service providers from the impact of devastating cuts to federal funds and to federal pass-through funds administered by state and local government agencies?
How do you propose to bolster local community governance and control of nonprofits as they respond to pressures and incentives to “scale up?”
Moneyed interests armed with the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision have been using 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations as avenues for secretly funding partisan political campaign activities. Would you—and if so, how would you—compel donor disclosure in 501(c)(4) organizations?
Even when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is fully implemented, there will be tens of millions of people in this country without health insurance coverage. What would you do to provide for health care coverage for people who would not be covered by the ACA, those who typically end up being served by nonprofit clinics and other nonprofit health providers?
Through a nonprofit lens, what would you ask of the two presidential debaters if you were in Jim Lehrer’s seat on Wednesday night?—Rick Cohen
Rick joined NPQ in 2006, after almost eight years as the executive director of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP). Before that he played various roles as a community worker and advisor to others doing community work. He also worked in government. Cohen pursued investigative and analytical articles, advocated for increased philanthropic giving and access for disenfranchised constituencies, and promoted increased philanthropic and nonprofit accountability.
Make No Mistake: The Governor’s Race in Georgia Isn’t Over
By Diandria Barber
Advancing from New Ground Taken: What Civil Society Must Bring Forward from the Midterms
By Ruth McCambridge
Early Voting Gives First-Time Young Voters a Way In
By Jason Schneiderman
Kemp and an Unauditable Voting System Meet Abrams and the People of Georgia
A Message on the Midterms (and Beyond)
Political Branding? There’s No Outside
A Veterans Day Call for Cleaning Out Scamming Faux Veterans...
By Rick Cohen
A City in Remission: Can the “Grand Bargain” Revive...
The State of Local Anti-Panhandling Ordinances
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Ivanov's Serum
Ivanov's Serum Good: 4.5 3.7 Use of technology 4.6 Immersion 4.8 Service 4.7 Fun for money (18)
2 - 5 60 min 16 + 8 +
85 WILLESDEN LANE, LONDON
Good: 4.5 3.7 Use of technology 4.6 Immersion 4.8 Service 4.7 Fun for money (18)
For centuries, people all around the world were trying to create the eternal life serum. A well-known scientist was working on a project in his secret laboratory with the aim of creating the most powerful vaccine ever discovered. It would bring youth, immortality, and everlasting happiness to mankind. But sadly, it all went wrong…
The professor has disappeared and the serum is unfinished!!! In this state, it is extremely dangerous and could lead to a biological disaster.
By solving puzzles, hints, and clues, you’re able to save the world and stop the serum from ending up in the wrong hands. This is a race against time that’s guaranteed to be entertaining and interesting.
Good luck! Your time is ticking…
Our Escape Room Game was specially designed for couples and small teams, up to a maximum of five people. Mind The Game offers a new dimension of fun and a memorable game of live entertainment whereby teams of 2-5 people must find the 'unfinished serum' and get out of a professor's study within 60 minutes by solving puzzles, riddles, hints and mysteries. An excellent team-building exercise. It requires observation, teamwork, creativity, communication and courage. No hard physical exercises or scary elements are involved. Just think outside the box. A fun activity for couples, families and friends. Great for a date, a hen night, for a surprise birthday party or even to propose to your loved one.
With a little bit of grit and determination, you may just break free from our escape room! Based in London, Mind The Game is a company that provides team building exercises specifically designed for couples and small teams of up to 5 people. We offer fun and memorable room escape games where you must obtain the unfinished serum and find your way out of a professor’s study. Along the way, you and your group will solve puzzles, riddles, hints, and mysteries.
Do you have what it takes to escape? We offer room escape games that are designed to test and challenge you. Please note that there’ll be no hard, physical exercises or scary elements involved, just observation, teamwork, creativity, communication, and courage! So, whether you’re planning a date, hen night, birthday party, or you want to propose to your loved one, why not enjoy the thrilling entertainment that we have to offer. Mind The Game was recognised in 2017 by TripAdvisor™ and was awarded a certificate of excellence.
What is an escape room game?
An escape room game is a real-life experience designed for 2-5 people. The players are locked in a themed room and need to work as a team to solve a series of puzzles, riddles, and hints to escape within 60 minutes.
Why try our escape room game?
It is a fun and highly unique experience that will be remembered for a long time. Enjoy with your family, friends, or colleagues. The game is challenging but gives you a great sense of achievement and encourages you to work together with your team.
How long can I play for?
Our escape game is limited to 60 minutes.
I’m claustrophobic, can I play?
Our escape room is fairly spacious, so claustrophobia won’t be an obstacle. If you still feel like leaving during the game, you will be able to leave the room at any time during the game. If you would feel more comfortable, we can even leave the door unlocked.
What time should I arrive?
It is very important that you arrive 15 minutes before your booked session for your briefing and introduction. Unfortunately, it is not possible to delay the game because of the strict daily routine and fixed game times. If you are more than 10 minutes, the game timer will start and your team will have less time to escape.
Is there any preparation I should do before the game?
You don’t have to do any preparation at all. Everything will be explained right before the game.
Anything goes, but casual, comfortable clothing is recommended.
Mind The Game
RECENT REVIEWS OF Ivanov's Serum ESCAPE ROOM
Summary Rating 4.5
Irene del Val Rating
Great fun! It was my first game and can't wait to try new ones. Really liked the vintage vibe as well, made the whole experience even more special.
Many thanks to our Game Master!
Donald Fisher Rating
This was an excellent escape room with friendly staff too.
Uddhav Sarvaiya Rating
Great experience! Fantastic puzzles which were the right level of difficulty and great staff!
Emily Rating
My team and I had an excellent time at this escape room! The clues were very clever and thought out, and we managed to "save the world" with 4 minutes to spare! I'd definitely recommend to anyone thinking about doing an escape room!
Simon Richards Rating
We enjoyed our experience and managed to escape but were disappointed to be told that they always ensure the group escapes in time. The puzzles were interesting and the sense of period was good.
Lottie Pollak Rating
Really great fun. Highly recommend it.
Paul Boundy Rating
Great escape the room. Brilliant game master, many clues to find. Very well thought out clues.
Chelsea Qu Rating
Really enjoyed it !!!! Good fun !
Ruby Glove Rating
we went along as a group of 3 and throughly enjoyed the game.
Fantastic fun family experience. Host was great too! Would recommend to anyone who is thinking about trying it out
Goodwin st Rating
What can I say other than we had a good time. It's mentally challenging and fun at the same time.
Leo Randall Rating
Had a great time trying to solve the clues there. Really enjoyed the game. Couldn't escape the room,the
hour whizzed by. But would definitely recommend and would like to try the other game next time.
Sophie Wrick Rating
Great escape room with fantastic theme and all. Fully recommended.
Ellie M Rating
Fantastic place! Brilliant clues and tasks. Very well done! If you're looking for a fun time of doing something different,this escape game is one of the best!
We went there for a family birthday with 4 people. It was just great, we all had a great time.
Chris Morgan Rating
Went there with my wife. Worked as a team. All the puzzles and riddles were quite
tough but managed to pass! We successfully escaped within the time range. It was really fun and I must say one of the best experiences so far.
Danny wilson Rating
Amazing! Great fun!
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Corsets in Chicago
Thanks to daisyfae, while in Chicago we stayed at the almost-too-hip-for-its-own-good-hotel, The Wit. Floor to ceiling windows on the 24th floor with gorgeous views of architectural delights. And two televisions back to back in case we wanted to watch different channels from the bed or the couch. Actually, I think we only turned the tv on once, most of our down time in the room was spent playing banagrams, sleeping and taking corset photos. We discovered daisyfae’s pretty turquoise number on St Mark’s Place, NYC and my red leather lace up came from a vintage store in Chicago’s WickerPark.
the suite even came with its own chaise lounge
Tags: chicago, corset, daisyfae, red, turquoise
The URI to TrackBack this entry is: https://nursemyra.wordpress.com/2011/07/31/corsets-in-chicago/trackback/
On July 31, 2011 at 2:51 am dinahmow said:
I’d say you two were stifling chuckles til the shutter’d clicked!
Almost makes me wish I still had my old corsets… (actually, these days I’m more in need of them! ;-( )
Yeah, we were laughing the whole time. there’s nothing sexy about trying to take the photos, it’s more like a teenage girls’ pajama party
On July 31, 2011 at 4:42 am TerraShield said:
Such a gorgeous red!
It was a fabulous find, impossible to pass up
On July 31, 2011 at 4:59 am kermit said:
Lovely! Enjoy the holiday!
Thanks Kermit. It was great while it lasted but I’m home again now and back to work tomorrow 😦
On July 31, 2011 at 6:36 am melbo said:
Well in that case, welcome back Kotter!
Fabulous! I’m so jealous of your ample cleavage (both of you). Enjoy the rest of your break!
daisyfae is the one with the ample cleavage. Mine is definitely helped along with the boning and uplift
On July 31, 2011 at 6:18 am King Willy said:
Well those mammaries will last a lifetime.
On July 31, 2011 at 11:58 am archiearchive FCD said:
Oh Joy! Corset Sunday! Is this to be a new feature?
On July 31, 2011 at 12:12 pm Double Corset in the Windy City | Trailer Park Refugee said:
[…] has posted her photos from the Chicago session here. Love the one of her sitting across the lounge […]
On July 31, 2011 at 12:21 pm Mitzi G Burger said:
Fabness to the max. Corsetry is officially reclaimed for the sisterhood.
On July 31, 2011 at 1:08 pm daisyfae said:
i’m wishing that we’d added a third city to the itinerary… could have used one more week away from reality! we’ll just have to do it again! xoxo
On July 31, 2011 at 1:23 pm thegnukid said:
as always, a delightful buffet of eye candy whenever you two get together. and it was a true treat to finally meet.
On July 31, 2011 at 1:26 pm Chicago Chicanery « The Wilds of Ohio said:
[…] already know the scrumptious Daisyfae, i also met–in person!!–the delectably delightful Nursemyra and the divine Rassles. i look forward to getting together again, if possible. but, even if […]
On July 31, 2011 at 1:55 pm NickQ said:
Red becomes you nursemyra…..veh veh sexy.
On July 31, 2011 at 4:36 pm Kirk said:
I do hope we get some sort of travelogue before normal transmission is resumed and hopefully it was all as fabulous as the photos are
On July 31, 2011 at 5:56 pm Nick said:
The red leather number is scrumptious. No wonder you found it impossible to pass up. Goes perfectly with those tantalising legs! (okay, Nick, calm down)
On July 31, 2011 at 6:10 pm bschooled said:
Are you back? I want details!!
ps. LuHUVE these corsets. They put my wife beater and sweat shorts to shame. (Then again, most things do.)
On July 31, 2011 at 6:24 pm Carl D'Agostino said:
I safest comment from an old buzzard like me is to just hit the like button and leave it at that.
On July 31, 2011 at 8:49 pm jams o donnell said:
On July 31, 2011 at 11:31 pm robinaltman said:
You guys look amazing! Now I know that you are amazing for real!
I’ve never been to Chicago. It sounds really cool. I’ll save my first corset for Chicago.
On August 1, 2011 at 2:23 am Daisy said:
Aw, back to work. Oh well, from the photos it looks like a fun break away.
On August 1, 2011 at 2:41 am Binky said:
Do all nurses wear red?
On August 1, 2011 at 4:12 am Cindy said:
You girls rock.
On August 1, 2011 at 4:15 am Jaya said:
If I start wearing corsets, it’ll be because of you ! Lovely red
On August 1, 2011 at 7:22 am Scarlet said:
If, Jaya?? I’m definitely going to start wearing corsets!
On August 2, 2011 at 6:33 am Jaya J said:
I’ve been looking around, trying out a few, but somehow havent gotten the right fit yet 😦
On August 1, 2011 at 8:53 am Jimmy said:
Are you sure you want to leave that worded as such?
I could have a field day with that!
On August 1, 2011 at 11:27 am The Unbearable Banishment said:
Shoot, I miss you guys already. I don’t think we spent nearly enough time together but I was afraid of imposing myself on you too much. Come back very soon. You’re just the right height.
On August 1, 2011 at 12:25 pm Nota Bene said:
You paraded in front of the windows in your corsets? Bet there was an accident or two down below…
On August 1, 2011 at 10:37 pm Pat said:
Never mind the cleavage – how do you get the flat tummy?
The last time I wore a corset was when i was preggers with my first son and had put on rather a lot of weight(4 stone)
It was pale pink with laces – a real passion killer but great for back ache.
On August 1, 2011 at 11:35 pm spilledinkguy said:
I wasn’t too far from Chicago (for a brief amount of time), N.M…
I could almost sense something special was in the windy air!
On August 1, 2011 at 11:54 pm renalfailure said:
I am so pissed I couldn’t make it to NYC or Chicago. Couldn’t convince Rassles to get a corset?
On August 2, 2011 at 12:15 am alonewithcats said:
Red and blue … so patriotic!
On August 2, 2011 at 2:05 am Marvin the Martian said:
What did you think of the Field Museum? You DID go, I’m sure. 😉
On August 2, 2011 at 4:48 pm healingmagichands said:
I can imagine that the corset shoots were more like a slumber party! It just looks like so much fun, and yet I’m sure there were many moments of frustration as the camera timer went off at the wrong time….
I am going to have to get me a corset. Really. I know I’ve been saying that for several years, but —
Glad you had a great time, glad you made it home safe.
On August 2, 2011 at 7:14 pm bluntdelivery said:
ahhhhhhh! i’ve been mia and didn’t even know you were coming to chi. you know that’s where i am RIGHT???
Never heard of the Wit, but sounds amazing…. will have to check it out. Dude, Chicago is awesomesauce. Best food. Best people. Great comedy. ugh.
stay forever.
On August 2, 2011 at 10:34 pm nursemyra said:
Noooooooo!! I didn’t know you lived in Chicago – shit shit shit. What a wasted opportunity.
But you and Rassles should totally catch up
On August 2, 2011 at 8:49 pm rassles said:
Look at you lovely ladies. You are brilliant.
On August 4, 2011 at 5:20 pm El Postino said:
How cute are you two? Very cute.
The tops are great but oh, that leg shot. I’m correcting typos from the fingers of my trembling hands even as I tap this out on my keyboard. Yes, very pretty legs legs do that to me.
On August 28, 2011 at 3:56 pm 25BAR said:
I hope these continue, NYC or no NYC!
On May 29, 2012 at 8:28 am balloon riots « gimcrack hospital (PG) said:
[…] daisyfae had to lace me into this corset in Chicago 2011 […]
On May 31, 2012 at 5:03 am Scott said:
My God, you both look hot as hell!
Leave a Reply to Jaya Cancel reply
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Rob Gronkowski reunites with SI model as Patriots decision looms
By Jaclyn Hendricks
April 18, 2018 | 11:38am
Rob Gronkowski and Camille Kostek Getty Images
As Rob Gronkowski keeps the Patriots at bay, he’ll still continue to play.
On Tuesday, the tight end reunited with former flame and Sports Illustrated swimsuit stunner Camille Kostek, as they splashed around an indoor pool.
“Fun fact: My grammy has a pool in her house,” Kostek posted on her Instagram story, later captioning a video of Gronkowski, 28, as “my human water ski.”
Following their dip in the water, the blond twosome cuddled with Rob’s brother Glenn Gronkowski’s pup before taking a ride in a car.
Kostek, a former Patriots cheerleader, was first linked to Gronkowski in 2015. Though breakup rumors surfaced early last year, the model learned to tune out the noise.
“I’ve quickly learned that everyone has their own two cents, and I just kind of let that stuff roll and let the people talk,” Kostek told The Post in May. “At the end of the day, the people that matter know what’s the truth.”
Much like their relationship status, Gronkowski’s status for the 2018 season is a question mark. ESPN reported Gronkowski is undecided about playing this season, though he has had “good communication” with the team. He skipped the start of New England’s voluntary offseason workouts Monday.
Patriots' offseason beginning with real Gronkowski red flag
The biggest question of the Patriots’ offseason won’t be answered...
Gronkowski’s future with the Patriots has been in doubt since February. Following New England’s loss in Super Bowl LII, he told reporters he would “sit down in the next couple of weeks and see where I’m at” before making a final decision on his NFL future. A trade is also rumored to be a possibility, given Gronkowski nearly walked away from the game last summer, following a tense camp under Bill Belichick.
The coach offered no insight into Gronkowski’s future during last month’s NFL owners meetings.
“I’m not going to speak for anybody else,” Belichick said in Orlando, per ESPN. “So, conversations I’ve had with the players — and I’ve had a lot of them — I will keep those private between myself and the player. I respect those coach-to-player conversations. I don’t want to speak for anybody else.”
Filed under camille kostek , models , new england patriots , rob gronkowski , wags
Aaron Rodgers is trying to kill the angry narrative he sta...
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Biden walks back praise for Pence following criticism
February 28, 2019 | 11:33pm | Updated February 28, 2019 | 11:56pm
Joe Biden and Mike Pence Getty Images (2)
Biden’s doubling down on ObamaCare — lies included
Biden praises 'masterful' Pelosi in dealing with freshmen 'Squad'
Sanders losing the 'Bern' in New Hampshire: poll
Biden repeats Obama's infamous pledge during Iowa campaign event
OMAHA, Neb. — Former Vice President Joe Biden’s tendency to talk about his good relationships with Republicans landed him in trouble Thursday when he called his successor, Mike Pence, a “decent guy.”
The comment was quickly criticized by fellow Democrats, including actress and activist Cynthia Nixon, who tweeted that Biden had complimented “America’s most anti-LGBT elected leader,” forcing Biden to walk back his comment.
“You’re right, Cynthia. I was making a point in a foreign policy context, that under normal circumstances a Vice President wouldn’t be given a silent reaction on the world stage,” Biden tweeted. “But there is nothing decent about being anti-LGBTQ rights, and that includes the Vice President.”
The episode shows one of the challenges the 76-year-old Biden will face as he considers a run for the presidency. In promoting his relationships with Republicans in a way that might appeal to general election voters, Biden also risks alienating the Democrats he would need to win a primary.
His comment about Pence came during a foreign policy forum in Omaha with former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. Biden hailed “the character, integrity and humanity I’ve seen up close” of the former GOP senator from Nebraska. He also referred to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as “a good guy.”
Biden has had kind words for other Republican officials in recent weeks.
Biden hailed the late Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona as “brother” during public events, including at a speech in Germany when he pointed out another former Defense Secretary William Cohen, a former Republican senator from New Hampshire, as “my buddy.”
One Democratic official warned that Biden should focus first on the Democratic primary, not the general election, if he decides to run.
“He has to be careful not to run too much of a potential general election campaign before he even gets in the primary race,” said Brenda Kole, an Iowa-based Democratic operative who was a senior adviser to Hillary Clinton’s 2008 and 2016 campaigns.
But Jennifer Palmieri, a former top aide to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, said, “The idea that he is someone who has Republican friends and can have good bipartisan relationships is baked into the Joe Biden brand.”
“I don’t think that comes with the attendant risks that it would for newcomers,” she said.
Biden said earlier this week that he hadn’t made a final decision about running in 2020, though his family was encouraging him to launch a White House bid. Biden told the New York Times he’d launch his campaign after March if he decides to get in.
Filed under cynthia nixon , joe biden , mike pence
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OKC Zoo euthanizes lioness after illnessdeveloping: Man, woman arrested in connection with Edmond killing
Chattanooga staff adds ex-Louisville interim head coach Ward
Published: Tue, June 4, 2019 11:48 AM Updated: Tue, June 4, 2019 11:48 AM
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — Former Louisville interim head coach Lorenzo Ward is heading to the Football Championship Subdivision ranks this season as Chattanooga's defensive coordinator.
New Chattanooga coach Rusty Wright announced Monday that he was adding Ward to his staff.
Ward posted an 0-2 record as Louisville's interim head coach last season after Bobby Petrino was fired. Louisville hired Scott Satterfield away from Appalachian State to become Petrino's permanent replacement.
Ward had joined Louisville's staff in 2017 as a secondary coach. He was a defensive coordinator at South Carolina from 2012-15 and at Fresno State in 2016.
He previously worked at Chattanooga as an assistant coach from 1994-98 before joining Frank Beamer's coaching staff at Virginia Tech, where he spent the next seven seasons.
Wright said in a statement that Ward "was on the staff when I played here and has coached at the highest levels throughout his career."
For more AP college football coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
CommentsChattanooga staff adds ex-Louisville interim head coach Ward
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developing: Old police HQ to get further look for new usesOKC Zoo euthanizes lioness after illness
Witness: Navy SEAL called dead prisoner an 'ISIS dirtbag'
Published: Thu, June 20, 2019 12:21 AM Updated: Thu, June 20, 2019 12:21 AM
Navy Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, right, walks with his wife, Andrea Gallagher as they arrive to military court on Naval Base San Diego, Tuesday, June 18, 2019, in San Diego. Jury selection continued Tuesday morning in the court-martial of the decorated Navy SEAL, who is accused of stabbing to death a wounded teenage Islamic State prisoner and wounding two civilians in Iraq in 2017. He has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder, charges that carry a potential life sentence. (AP Photo/Julie Watson)
SAN DIEGO (AP) — A decorated Navy SEAL suddenly plunged a knife into the neck of a wounded young Islamic State prisoner, killing him, and later scoffed that he was "just an ISIS dirtbag," former comrades testified at a war crimes trial.
Dylan Dille and Craig Miller took the stand Wednesday at the San Diego court-martial of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, who has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder stemming from his 2017 tour of duty in Iraq.
More former SEALs were expected to testify on Thursday in a case that has drawn the attention of President Donald Trump and revealed a rare rift in the typically tightknit elite special forces.
Testifying on the second day of trial, Dille said when a radio call announced the prisoner was wounded on May 3, 2017, Gallagher replied: "Don't touch him, he's all mine."
The captive was on the hood of a Humvee fading in an out of consciousness with only a minor leg wound visible when Iraqi forces delivered him to a SEAL compound in Mosul.
Dille said he was not the grizzled warrior he expected to find.
"He looked about 12 years old," Dille said. "He had a wrist watch around his bicep. He was rail thin."
Gallagher, a trained medic, began treating the boy's injuries. When he applied pressure to his leg wound, the boy shot up in pain.
Miller, a then-Special Warfare Operator 1st Class who has since been promoted to chief, said he put his foot on the boy's chest to keep him down.
Miller briefly stepped away and said when he returned he saw Gallagher unexpectedly plunge a knife twice into the boy's neck "right here on the right side in the jugular vein," he said tapping the spot above the collar of his dress whites.
Blood spurted out and another SEAL jumped back and grabbed his medical bag, Miller said.
Defense lawyers say Gallagher treated the prisoner for a collapsed lung suffered in a blast from an air strike. He made an incision in his throat to insert a tube to clear the airway.
They claim that disgruntled sailors fabricated the murder accusations because he was a demanding platoon leader and they didn't want him promoted.
Miller said he immediately reported the stabbing to an officer, but didn't pursue a more formal complaint until months after returning from deployment.
He acknowledged he never took photos of the enemy's wounds or tried to document the incident.
No corpse was ever recovered, no autopsy was performed and no forensic evidence was gathered.
(Story continued below...)
Miller struggled with recalling details from that day. He didn't remember the platoon flying a drone over the dead body — not even after seeing video in court that showed him smiling nearby.
After the boy died, Gallagher's re-enlistment ceremony was conducted next to the corpse. Miller and other troops were in photos of the event.
Later that day, Dille said Gallagher confronted him and other senior enlisted men and said he knew they were upset with what happened.
"This was just an ISIS dirtbag," Dille said Gallagher told the group.
Defense lawyer Tim Parlatore questioned why Dille never confronted Gallagher or reported him to superiors until after deployment. Parlatore also accused Dille, Miller and other officers who discussed concerns about Gallagher in a chat room of coordinating a campaign to oust Gallagher.
"My truth is watertight, Mr. Parlatore," Dille said.
Dille also said that he also believed Gallagher had fired at Iraqi civilians from a sniper's position several times, including an instance on June 18, 2017, when an old man was shot by the Tigris River.
Dille was also a sniper and was near Gallagher during the shootings but didn't see him pull the trigger.
After hearing a gunshot coming from Gallagher's position and seeing the old man fall, Dille said he looked through his scope and saw the man bleeding through his white clothing. He said Gallagher then radioed that he thought he had missed the old man.
Defense lawyer Marc Mukasey objected to the testimony, saying descriptions of the alleged shootings were "wildly vague."
Gallagher, who served eight tours of duty and earned two Bronze Stars for valor, was in the courtroom in his dress uniform with a chest full of medals. His wife, parents and brother also attended.
His family has lobbied intensely for his freedom, claiming he was being treated unfairly.
Congressional Republicans took up his cause and prevailed on Trump to release Gallagher from the brig into better conditions in a military hospital. Trump also is reportedly considering a pardon for Gallagher.
A judge released Gallagher from custody last month after prosecutors violated his constitutional rights by tracking defense attorney emails in an effort to find who leaked court documents to reporters.
Melley reported from Los Angeles.
CommentsWitness: Navy SEAL called dead prisoner an 'ISIS dirtbag'
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Back to OMG HOME
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PHD UAE’s general manager, Luca Allam, speaks on programmatic at BBC event in Dubai
At a BBC event on programmatic trading last week, PHD Dubai’s general manager Luca Allam was invited to participate in a panel discussion on how the display advertising market is changing in the region. Staged at the Grand Millenium Hotel in Dubai on the morning of Wednesday 11 March, the event, entitled ‘Premium Programmatic: About Change’, was held for advertising professionals from affiliate agencies and clients of the global television broadcaster.
The seminar’s host – BBC’s Programmatic trading manager, David Goddard – opened the conversation by presenting statistical evidence to show that programmatic has emerged to comprise $14.7 billion of projected global digital display ad spends in 2015. This figure is expected to more than triple to $55.3 billion by 2017, representing 59% of all display ads. Therefore, this is no doubt that automation is altering the world of agencies.
“Agencies have a lot more information at their disposal today,” commented Luca at the start of the panel discussion. “In the past, there was no real uniqueness in what agencies were doing; all of them were buying the same thing. Now, we’re acting more like a network in our agencies, because we have more data to leverage.”
When discussing the current state of programmatic in the region, Luca added: “Programmatic does have a place, but there is still room for everything else as well, especially in this market where we value people relationships. However, what is key is getting that synergy across devices, such as including mobile.”
During the Q&A session, the panel received a question on whether the use programmatic for TV, radio and outdoor will work in this region. Luca stated: “In this region, we love technology. Just look at the video consumption and smartphone penetration behaviour here. We have a complex about wanting to have the latest technology available here first. We are already having conversations with clients about programmatic TV, so there’s definitely an attitude here that ‘if we can do it, we will’.”
On the subject of agency restructuring due to programmatic, the panel unanimously agreed that there will be a shift in the way we perform our jobs as an industry. “There will be a future where everything will be planned by a machine and optimized by a machine,” said Luca. “It’s an evolution though and it’s not a bad thing. There will still need to have planners and buyers to add a human touch, so we will just be doing a different job with the technology that we have. We are still targeting people, so the work of agencies still has to resonate with what us – as people – are doing.”
Dubai Media City,
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Category Archives: Blue Jays
Baseball, Blue Jays, Boxing, Tampa Bay, Tennis, Toronto
The stupidest rules in sports
Rays BJ Upton hit a 200 foot homerun off Kyle Drabek this week, prompting Write Fielders to look at some stupid sports rules.
STRADER: After watching Kyle Drabek suffer the fate of a legendary BJ Upton homerun in his last start, I started to wonder, what are the stupidest rules in sports?
For those who didn’t see it, Drabek got Upton to fly out. Yep. Fly out. It was high, lame, and ready to be caught by Colby Rasmus. Camped under it, Rasmus all of a sudden looked shocked, and struggled to react as the ball plopped to the ground 10 to 15 feet beside him. It was in a dome, and it wasn’t the old Metrodome. For a few moments, even the TV commentators couldn’t figure out what was going on.
And then, it came to light (nice pun, huh?). There are catwalks, gangplanks whatever you want to call them, dangling from the rook of Tropicana Coliseum. They aren’t high enough to be completely out of the way of fly balls, and in a moment of genius, someone in the MLB offices simply decided to steal a page from SkeeBall. Hit a particular ring, and it’s a double. Hit another, a triple, and strike the one Upton struck, and you get to do a homerun trot for what was a 300 foot flyout to centre.
Disgusting? For a stats geek, yes. Upton should be minus one, and so should Drabek’s ERA. They both know it.
Stupid. Definitely.
So I’m going to list my top five stupidest rules in sports (okay, two to six, cause Tropicana’s roof wins top spot), and hope that some of our readers and tweeters will add in their own.
Deciding an elimination game on penalty kicks
I will admit, watching Liverpool beat Milan in 2005 was one of the most exciting sporting matches I’ve ever watched. But are you kidding me? Deciding the Champions League, the World Cup on penalty kicks? Footballers across the world need to rise up against this one (Don’t riot! I’m not inciting riot! How about just a nice letter writing campaign?). It’s idiotic. Can you imagine the Stanley Cup awarded after a shootout? The World Series after a homerun derby?
The intentional walk
I’ve always hated it. I understand it, and you should be able to decide you’re going to walk a guy, but I paid to watch you pitch. So pitch. If the dips—t wants to swing at stuff off the plate, let him swing. But to have the catcher stand up, and just dance to the side while you lob balls. Come on. Who was it a few years back who took the swing at one that was just too close and got a hit? I believe it was Miguel Cabrera? Genius, pure genius.
Disqualifying a golfer for an unsigned scorecard
It’s a game of honour. We punish ourselves, and we don’t cheat – at least stand up guys don’t cheat. This is the dumbest thing in the sport outside of most of Phil Mickelson’s decisions. Some player completes a gruelling 18-hole round, in 30-35 degree heat, while spending the entire day focused on the leaderboard, their shot making, the 50,000 people standing right beside their ball, they forget to sign their card, and you’re going to take a major from them? Honour should only go so far. This is stupid.
Boxing scoring
Anybody who has been on a playground knows how to score a fight. Who has ever watched their buddy duke it out with a bully, helped him up after getting his ass kicked and said, “Don’t worry about it man, it was close, I had you at 108-105.”
The double fault
In that it shouldn’t exist. “Oops, sorry. Haha. I know, I’ve been practicing that for about 15 years, but let me try again, ok?”
Field goal kickers everywhere unite.
So, these are mine.
Blue Jays, Drew Hutchison, Jose Bautista, Kelly Johnson, Kyle Drabek, Mets, Ricky Romero, Rogers Centre, Skydome
So you’re saying there’s a chance…
Ricky Romero’s start against the New York Mets could be a big opportunity for the Jays to get back into the winning ways many fans expect from the squad.
STRADER: I would hate to say that Stephen Brunt stole my thunder, ‘cause really, he’s a messiah of sports writing, and I’m, well, a pretender. But he stole my thunder.
I was going to write about how it’s time to see what John Farrell is made of. After Lawrie’s blow up (I don’t think doing it is right, and I certainly think it’s a suspension, but I’m willing to admit I would have thrown the helmet right at Miller…) it became clear to me that it is time for the Jays to calm down.
Umps are petty.
They have too much power.
And for all we know, they don’t face much retribution either, outside of a well-thrown beer.
With the team facing five series in a row against winning clubs, I thought, oh man, this isn’t good. The first one is the Yankees, and it’s Drabek and Hutchison pitching. This could get ugly.
They could pitch well for their respective ages and experience levels, and the squad could still be looking at five losses in a row going into the Mets series – interleague always seems to be a tornado for the Jays – and oh man, the stories would begin about Lawrie disappointing the team, the young staff showing it’s true colours, yadda yadda yadda…
So it was time for Bautista to take a bad call, for Escobar to stop waving at where he believes the running lane is, for Encarnacion to just get punched out.
Shut up and play ball boys. You’re better than that.
And then Drabek goes out and shows why he was such a highly touted prospect.
Hello Yankees. Here’s my nasty sinker. Deal with it.
8-1, you have to be kidding me.
Now, there’s a chance.
A chance that this run against winning squads and first place squads could result in a turnaround for the record, and the standings. Bautista could keep hitting bombs. Tweaks to the lineup could continue to work out.
Can someone please write about how good D’Arnaud is again? ‘Cause everytime it happens, Arencibia goes medieval on the baseball…
And there’s a chance.
This time, I think it falls on Romero.
Hutchison is still so young, so inexperienced, that to expect a Yankee sweep tonight, a win from him – even though he gets lucky and draws Phil Hughes instead of the tilted hat killer – would be asinine. The Yanks are the Yanks. They’re resilient.
A win by the Jays tonight, like so many things with this team this season, has to be considered gravy.
But tomorrow Romero will go against the Mets. Romero has a chance to get this team back on a good train. Dominate, and open up the weekend for Morrow, Alvarez and Drabek again, who will more than likely give us a chance to win when they toe the rubber.
There’s a chance tonight could be 9-1, but don’t listen to the happy voices today, who will immediately be angry voices again tomorrow if it is, set the brim of your cap low, remember that you’re Ricky Damn Romero, and attack.
We need you.
And then there’s a chance.
I’m also emboldened by one other thing. Lawrie is appealing, and it will be heard by the league.
So there’s another chance.
I believe the league made a statement when they handed him four games.
Ok kid, like the genius words of Chris Rock describing OJ Simpson, I wouldn’t have done it, but I understand.
Now, with the appeal, they can make another statement.
What Lawrie did was wrong. But take a game off of his appeal, and you’re also acknowledging that what Miller did was equally as wrong. Major League Baseball can’t punish umpires for bad calls. We can’t have replay for balls and strikes. Managers would begin arguing everything they disagreed with. It’s the nature of competition, and the human umpire is part of the beauty of baseball.
But just like everyone who will scream for a guy to lose his job when he’s hitting .160, Miller didn’t do his job. I don’t care about code, or circumstance.
His job is simple. He is to be an impartial judge to an entire game. No matter his personal feelings.
Getting plunked is part of the code. But it has consequences.
Not stealing a bag in a blowout is part of the code. Do it, and it has consequences.
What Miller did was deliberate. It was intentional.
I acknowledge as a fan of the game that umpires cannot be punished.
But give Lawrie back one game, and there’s a chance Major League Baseball acknowledges, that they understand.
Tagged Blue Jays, Brett Lawrie, Ike Davis, Jose Bautista, Kelly Johnson, Kyle Drabek, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Toronto
Adam Lind, Arencibia, Blue Jays, Brett Lawrie, Eric Thames, Jake Marisnick, Joe Maddon, Morrow, Rogers Centre, Skydome, Suspension, Toronto
Hey Lawrie, let’s refocus that intensity. You also deserve a suspension.
Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie is looking at some form of suspension after a temper tantrum over two poorly called strikes against him in the bottom of the ninth resulting in his ejection.
photo from Toronto Star
LIVINGSTONE: The Jays have looked like a team who left its defense at home the last three games. Seven errors in three losses resulting in nine unearned runs – six coming in the 7-1 loss to the Rays Monday night and three again Tuesday night, on four errors, against the divisional rivals.
The frustration seemed to boil over Tuesday night for a team determined to compete, but coming up short defensively. Bright side? The Jays have turned 50 double plays in 37 games according to mlb.com, six more than the Baltimore Orioles. Sadly, however, they’ve committed 41 errors in 38 games (37 in 37, but tack on the four from Tuesday night and there you have it). That’s anything short of good. They lead the league in errors and the fielding – both infield and outfield – has been a big part of the Jays struggles. Let’s not forget the seven blown saves so far this season – but defense wins championships, or at least plays a huge part of it, and the Jays certainly aren’t playing in the field like contenders.
But that’s neither here nor there. What really needs to be said in this post is with respect to Brett Lawrie. Jays fans young and old alike love this kid for his high energy approach and league-leading level of intensity. He plays every game like it’s a game seven in the World Series. Fans love it – even fans from other teams can appreciate his youthful energy. He brings something to the game that isn’t seen in many organizations and it’s a breath of fresh air (cliched?) for a club – and a fan base – dying to be relevant again.
But he went too far Tuesday night when he threw one of the biggest temper tantrum’s seen in recent memory. Down a run in the bottom of the ninth, Lawrie came up to bat with one out. With a 3-1 count, closer Fernando Rodney threw what looked like – and even someone sitting in the 500-level at the Skydome could see it was – ball four and made his move for first. Home plate umpire Bill Miller wasn’t having it and called it a strike. Visibly frustrated by the call, Lawrie stepped back in and took what looked to be ball five high and outside.
Lawrie made two steps toward first before Miller called strike three throwing Lawrie into a fit of rage. He went straight at Miller and in the process, slammed his helmet at the feet of the umpire, bouncing it off the side of his leg. Miller looked stunned by the move and Lawrie continued to scream every obscenity in the book at the veteran umpire. It took coach Brian Butterfield to keep Lawrie from getting back into Miller’s face. Mere minutes after and about fifty f-bombs later, Manager John Farrell was ejected.
Don’t get me wrong: Lawrie had every right to be upset about the two terrible calls made by Miller. They dictated how the end of the game would go, and in a 4-3 game, it was far from over. It seems Miller took Lawrie’s initial move to first personal, like he was showing up the seasoned ump.
Sportsnet baseball guru Mike Wilner said something to this effect in the post-game show on FAN590 and I would agree. Miller made it about him.
Even if that fifth ball, high and outside, had ended up in the dirt three feet in front of the plate, Miller would’ve called it a strike. Lawrie’s reaction, however, was completely uncalled for. The frustration didn’t have to be such a spectacle. Argue the strikes, get tossed, curse at the umpire, but the reaction was that of a guy who needs to figure out how to get his emotions in check. At 21, Lawrie has a long way to go before he matures and it certainly showed Tuesday night.
Last year, Yadier Molina, catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, got five games for bumping an umpire over a bad call. If Lawrie gets less than 10 games, I’d be surprised. It could end up being more, as Wilner pointed out, if the league disciplinarian determines Lawrie was intentional in hitting Miller with his helmet.
Lawrie deserves to be suspended and I hope that kind of embarrassing display doesn’t happen again. That’s not what the Jays are about. Sure, the passion and intensity is there, but it needs to be channeled into making quality plays on the field, picking good pitches to hit and then hitting the cover off the ball.
The opportunity for the Jays to be contenders is in their grasp. Discipline and focus is going to get them into the playoffs. They need to find it quick.
Tagged Blue Jays, Brett Lawrie, David Price, John Farrell, Rays, Tampa Bay, Toronto
Blue Jays, Jake Marisnick, Minor Leagues, Rogers Centre, Skydome, Toronto
D’Arnaud and Marisnick – two faces of the Jays future
Blue Jays prospect Jake Marisnick is one of the young faces expected to be an integral part of the future of the Toronto team.
STRADER: Didn’t exactly keep up the every two day commitment, but I’m sure all the other young fathers out there will join me in saying…leave it alone…
The MINOR LEAGUE REPORT will look at intriguing bats this week, and to me, there are four young Jay bats everyone wants to know about.
With apologies to Mike McDade and Moises Sierra, sorry guys, but one more consistent season please, then we’ll talk.
And for all those Adeiny Hecchevaria fans (I’m one too!) we’re gonna give him his own page later this week.
Anthony Gose – Born: August 10, 1990. 6’1” 190 pounds. Bats left.
Drafted: Second round (51st overall) of the 2008 first year player draft.
Is there a more intriguing talent in the outfield? I’m going to argue yes later in this piece, but boy, you’ve got to be something to outduel this guy for the front page of “I can’t wait to see him in Toronto” magazine.
Gose runs. I wouldn’t be surprised if eventually his nickname has something to do with Forest Gump, ‘cause man, the stories of the speed. In the 2012 spring session, Gose was said to have scored from second on a 55-foot groundball to the opposing third baseman.
But what has always marred the speedster are questions about his bat. Defense is not a struggle for this kid. Scouting reports call him one of the best defensive outfielders in the minor leagues.
Ok, so can he hit?
He answered that last year in AA with a resounding, yes I can, but his strikeout to walk ratio is still going to need some work, and appears to, at least so far, still a-hunt him this season.
In 2011, Gose hit .253, .349, .415 in New Hampshire with 20 doubles, 7 triples, 16 home runs and 59 RBI’s in 509 plate appearances. Couple that with 70 stolen bases in 85 attempts, and scouts and fans begin to drool.
However, mark him down for 154 strike outs compared to 62 walks, and the scouts begin to flinch.
This season, Gose is batting .224, .313, .306 in AAA Las Vegas with 3 doubles, 2 triples and nine RBI’s in 85 plate appearances. The averages can’t be critiqued until we see at least 200 AB’s, but the power is still there, and six stolen bags in nine attempts isn’t terrible.
It’s the 26 strikeouts to 10 walks that need to be monitored.
Travis Snider – Born: February 2, 1988. 5’11” 230 pounds. Bats left.
Drafted: First round (14 overall) of the 2006 amateur entry draft.
He’s out of options, so the Jays have to be careful, and a lot of voices like to call him AAAA, but I really want to see this kid for a full season.
We’ve seen what confidence can do. Jose, you’re going to start, everyday, go to it….
Adam, you’re my guy, no more up and down, go to it….
Man I want to hear those words spoken to this kid.
Rushed to the Majors and dubbed “The Franchise” by some of his teammates, things looked great one April when Travis began slugging the ball (anybody see those two jacks into the upper deck of the Metrodome?) like he was supposed to. But the curveball began to baffle him, and down he went.
Scouting reports detail power to all fields. A quality base runner that could get better, and a better defender then most would expect from a power hitter.
But Sniders’ professional life has been filled with ups, and downs, and now, we as fans have to wait again while Thames toils in the field, and Snider toils in AAA Las Vegas.
His numbers, again, are awesome.
Will they finally translate to the Majors? I have a feeling we’re going to find out soon.
In 74 plate appearances in 2012, Snider is hitting .405, .476 and .703 with 10 doubles, four homeruns and 23 RBI’s.
Tack on two stolen bases, and it looks again as if AAA is simply going to do nothing for this guy.
Earlier this season I wrote that left field may be the only place for Anthopolous to add the impact bat he’s hinting at. I hope Snider is it.
While I prophesized that Alfonso Soriano would be the best of the vets, the patient fan in me would like to see Travis get a full season.
Take another look at that birth date. It feels like we’ve been waiting for him forever, but this young talent is only 24.
Travis D’Arnaud – Born: Febraury 10, 1989. Bats right.
Drafted: First round (37 overall) of the 2007 first year player draft.
Earlier this season, critics were calling for Arencibia’s head and D’Arnaud to be called up. Arencibia’s average was low, and D’Arnaud was coming off an MVP season in AA, and looked like the second coming of Pudge with a .311 avg, 21 HR’s and 78 RBI’s.
But Arencibia, it would seem, isn’t the only young catcher to suffer from a slow start.
D’Arnaud is batting .239, .333, .373 with one homerun, six doubles and seven RBI’s in 67 plate appearances.
It’s not too bad, but considering he is in offense friendly Las Vegas, it’d be nice see Snider-like numbers from the A plus prospect.
He’s described very simply in all scouting reports.
More than enough defense to play everyday, and a bat that will one day feature in the middle of a lineup.
Considering the pitcher he was traded for, let’s hope so…
Jake Marisnick – Born: March 30, 1991. 6’4” 200 pounds. Bats right.
Drafted: Third round of the 2009 draft.
This is the guy I can’t wait to see. His line is constantly that of a basketball player. There are simply numbers everywhere, and that has been the book on him since Toronto scouts began drooling about his ceiling.
Jake does it all.
He’s minding centre field in single A Dunedin, but I would look for a promotion to double A (where we know all the quality arms are) this season to see what he can really do.
Marisnick is the definition of five tool, and comparisons to Brett Lawrie will begin once he gets closer to the show and more people see the athletic ability that he brings.
His defense is sound, and his all around athletic ability, well that’s going to translate into a guy who can do it all. Maybe one day he becomes a corner outfielder and focuses on power, but with a bat like his, who cares?
Let’s look at the line so far in 2012.
Marisnick is batting .266, .372, .481 with seven doubles, two triples, two homeruns and 10 RBI’s in 79 plate appearances. Add in four stolen bases, as the giant of a kid also has supreme wheels.
Marisnick is the once in a lifetime prospect every organization hopes for, now it’s time to cross fingers, toes and whatever else that this isn’t Billy Beane, and he will translate that talent to the pros.
Tagged Blue Jays, Catcher, Future, Jake Marisnick, OF, Prospect, Skydome, Travis D'arnaud
Arencibia, Baseball, Bautista, Blue Jays, Catcher, Dunedin, Eric Thames, MLB, Morrow, New Hampshire, Pitcher
Arencibia shouldn’t apologise for Twitter-spat – and here is why
Blue Jays catcher JP Arencibia called out a sports journalist on Twitter last week. Matthew Strader has his take on the situation.
STRADER: With the mini-twitter gate that surrounded JP Arencibia last week, and the articles I’m still reading about it, I suddenly began to wonder, why is my industry filled with a bunch of wimps?
A radio reporter from New York called Arencibia out for his low batting average.
Arencibia tweeted back, have another donut, and sports reporters of the world unite! I’ve read column after column about how Arencibia shouldn’t have done it. He went too far.
My colleague Livingstone and I discussed that day whether Arencibia, and his fellow twitter-addicted Blue Jays (Romero, Lawrie…etc.) would be asked by the organization to shut down their accounts.
It seemed plausible at the time. Organizations don’t like negative press. And athletes’ seem to get into trouble on social media all the time, so were we going to lose the insight into these players’ lives?
We haven’t, and I don’t know if anything was said to Arencibia behind closed doors, but I listen to what I’ve listened to on the radio in the past week, and read what I’ve read in the papers, and I wonder who is in the wrong here? Because every sports writer and broadcaster I’ve heard think Arencibia is, and I can’t help but think…are you kidding me? What did he do wrong?
How is it any different then what sports reporters do, and why should he be held to a different standard? Because he makes millions? Oh, yeah, right. If my paper decided to suddenly pay me $4-million a season, and Major League baseball suddenly changed the structure so that catchers made $60,000 a year, things would be completely different…..pfffft….
I don’t need to mention any names here, but here are the quotes I’ve read this week.
“They’re chokers….”
“He should be fired…”
“He’s lazy…”
“He sucks…”
“He’s fat, and out of shape, and it’s embarrassing….”
Okay, so let’s turn to the radio for some insightful and classy analysis.
“They don’t know how to play the game…”
“He sucks, and he knows it, his family knows it, I bet when he was born his parents looked at him and thought he’s gonna suck…”
“The guy should lose his job…”
“It was the worst performance I’ve ever seen and it’s what you get from this guy all the time…the worst…”
“Off with his head…Off with all their heads…”
“They are the biggest chokers in sport…”
I don’t need to continue. Everyone knows what I’m talking about.
Now, let me qualify this by saying I’m happy with all of these comments. I love the soap opera. We don’t ever find out anything great. The dressing room doors are like iron curtains, and we dig and dig and dig for insight. Players are trained to give media savvy answers, clichés really, about 110 per cent and it’s all about the team…blah blah blah. We die for an honest comment.
So if some dude decides to call Arencibia out, and Arencibia decides to call him out, then good, set up the ring, and let them go.
But Arencibia should apologize? He went too far? It was personal?
It’s personal to say a guy sucks at his job. It’s personal to say a guy should lose his job.
If I write that somebody sucks, which I might, ‘cause really, the Red Sox suck, then they have every right to call me a skinny wuss who couldn’t make it past tee ball. ‘Cause I couldn’t. And I don’t need a bunch of dudes behind their keyboards to get their backs up and come to my defence. It’s okay guys. I can handle it.
I’m not a p—y.
If I were Arencibia, the next time I hit a jack, I’d make sure to have a box of donuts in the dugout, I’d grab one, look right into the camera, and chow down while holding up my Major League jersey.
That would be TV I would love to watch.
Baseball, Blue Jays, Catcher, David Ortiz, Eric Thames, Fantasy, Fenway Park, Johnny Damon, Jose Canseco, Kevin Youkilis, MLB, MVP, Red Sox, Sports
Can Ben Affleck predict the World Series?
Ben Affleck + movie release dates + Red Sox = A World Series title.
Who knew rock bottom would look this way.
I didn’t think David Ortiz wouldn’t be among the AL batting leaders at rock bottom.
I wouldn’t have imagined a pitching staff with Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz would be part of rock bottom.
As for the bullpen, that’s what a rock bottom pen looks like.
Bobby Valentine as the manager of a team hitting rock bottom? That seems to be more and more likely each time he talks or has Ortiz and Kelly Shoppach try and steal bases.
Despite the doom and gloom of the early 2012 Red Sox season, there is a slight sliver of hope.
I present the ‘Ben Affleck movie release date theory (BAMRDT).’
When Affleck has a movie scheduled for release in Oct., rest assured the Red Sox are going to the World Series.
Surviving Christmas – Starring Ben Affleck. Release date Oct. 22, 2004.
Gone Baby Gone – Directed by Ben Affleck. Release date Oct. 10, 2007.
I will admit Gone Baby Gone is a far superior movie to Surviving Christmas and gets points for double Affleck action as Ben’s brother Casey stars in the film. However, quality of films has no bearing on the BAMRDT.
As you may have noticed, in one film Ben is an actor and the other a director. A singular focus in each.
This brings me to 2012 and…..
Argo – Starring and Directed by Ben Affleck. Tentative release date Oct. 12, 2012.
This fits the BAMRDT criteria, but that release date is not set in stone. Warner Bros. could wreak havoc on the theory, but for now everything seems to be in place. Here’s what imdb.com says about the plot: “As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA ‘exfiltration’ specialist concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador.”
I have no idea if that sounds good or not, but the BAMRDT does not require the movie be good, just released in October. However, with this year off to such a poor start surely not even the BAMRDT could possibly save it. This may very well prove to be true, but Affleck sensed this and thus ratcheted things up on his end. He’s an actor/director in Argo – a double focus. Ben knew the lack of off-season signings and hiring of Valentine would require some extra magic on his part to reverse the trend and selflessly decided to pull double duty.
If this theory pans out, I’m nominating Affleck for all-time president of Red Sox Nation. If the BAMRDT doesn’t pan out, I know what movie I’ll be going to see rather than watching the World Series in October.
Tagged Baseball, Bautista, Ben Affleck, Blue Jays, Bo Sox, Boston, Fantasy, Fantasy baseball, Movies, Rays, Sports, World Series, Yankee
Aaron Hill, Alfonso Soriano, Baseball, Bautista, Blue Jays, Cubs, Eric Thames, Fantasy, Kevin Youkilis, LA Angels, MLB, Morrow, Pitcher, Red Sox, Sports, TSN
A power bat? Where? I’m guessin’ left…
Subs outfielder Alfonso Soriano would be a good power bat addition to the Jays roster - however, the salary he is owed could be an issue.
STRADER: Does anybody get the feeling the Blue Jays aren’t happy with either left fielder?
One, because AA doesn’t make anything public, and his desire for an impact bat just became public. Two, because it’s not JP Arencibia that’s going to lose his job, I don’t care how many people want to focus on the low batting average.
How would the Baltimore Orioles feel if they’d given up on Matt Wieters?
Pretty dumb, I would imagine.
There’s way more to being a catcher than hitting and I don’t think the organization is as frustrated with Arencibia as some of the fans are.
(That damn debut is going to haunt this kid until he hits….)
No, there is a position on the field that doesn’t seem to be filled by that reliable, crushing, middle of the order bat, just yet.
So, with Anthopolous reportedly telling MLB network radio’s Jim Bowden that a middle of the order bat is his true desire, to “wear down” other teams, it appears that a trial run with a kid for a couple seasons is not what Anthopolous wants. And look around the diamond.
Do you move Rasmus? Nope. He’s looking confident and skilled again, and there’s a speedster in the wings.
Is it Escobar? Nope. Once again, not the power development that has been hyped, but there’s talent waiting on the depth chart there too in a young Cuban who’s looking all world.
No, left field, which I believe in two to three years will be occupied by Jake Marisnick could use a dominant, power-hitting, veteran.
So for fun, ‘cause speculation with the Blue Jays brass is always wrong, let’s take a look at Major League outfields and see if we can find a power-hitting veteran, that would come cheap, is on a team that wants to move him, and also a squad looking to add to their young talent.
Melky….I don’t know….Delmon….would Detroit trade anything right now?….Logan Morrison….is he proven enough?….Brennan Boesch…certainly a lot of talk about his ceiling….Jason Bay…I could only dream he becomes reliable again and lands in Canada….
Nope, I think I found the perfect hole filler. His team will absorb a lot of his contract. He would hit the snot out of the ball in Rogers Centre. And in a couple years, he would happily be replaced by a young outfielder, because he’s in his mid-30s.
Yep, I never thought I would say it, but I want to see Alfonso Soriano in a Blue Jay uniform.
Because of his critics, price tag, and lack of a market, I believe he would only require a couple mid-level prospects to get him.
His OPS is always above .700, this guy can simply hit the ball.
And without having to be the go-to guy in a lineup, he would be an unreal complement bat.
As I’ve said before, I’m patient. I’d rather see Travis Snider for a full season, leave him alone, let him play.
But if we’re going to see 24 and 25 year olds platooned with Rajai, replaced for defensive reasons, not playing against left-handed pitchers, then bring the vet, and wait for Marisnick and Gose.
Maybe Thames and a mid-level pitching prospect would get us Soriano?
And how wicked would he look sandwiched in there with Edwin, Brett, Adam and that dude in right field?
I’m thinking pretty good.
Of course, it looks like my Jenkins prediction was a little out of left field too….
Tagged Baseball, Bautista, Cubs, David Ortiz, Fantasy, Fantasy baseball, Lawrie, MLB, Morrow, Rays, Red Sox, Soriano, Sports, World Series, Wrigley Field, Yankee
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“This is she” vs. “This is her”
A common example is the phrase “This is she.” used to answer a telephone. ‘She’ is the nominative form of the word, so it cannot be used to describe somebody who is the object of a sentence (in this example, ‘this’ would be the subject). The correct way to phrase the example would be “This is her.”, though most people prefer the familiar businesslike shorthand “Speaking.”
See suite101.com.
From another site, this was the response:
“This is she” is grammatically correct. The verb “to be” acts as a linking verb, equating subject and object. So this is she and she is this; “she” and “this” are one and the same, interchangeable, and to be truly interchangeable they must both play the same grammatical role—that of the subject.
See press.uchicago.edu
I am quite confused! I believe “This is her” is correct because it is understood that “speaking” is simply omitted; thus, we know the speaker is implying “This is her speaking” when she answers “This is her.” After all, we ask to speak to her. When she answers that she’s the one who had answered the call, she’s (obviously) speaking at the time. Therefore, it is her speaking.
What is your opinion on the matter?
Posted by isabella
When you say "this is her/she," you are not implying the word "speaking." In fact what you are doing is equating yourself to the person for whom the caller is asking. If the caller is asking for Sarah, one could accomplish the same thing by saying "I am Sarah." But instead you are replacing the word "I" with "this" and "Sarah" with the nominative pronoun, in this case "she."
If you still don't buy it, take latin for example (in latin, the rules about which words go in which cases (nominative/accusative/etc) are about smack-on to our own, but they are easier to see because of case endings.) In latin, Sarah would say "ego sum sara" or "I am sarah", and the same grammatical markings would appear on "haec est ea" or "this is she."
Scott1 Jun-15-2006
97 votes Permalink Report Abuse
Scott is correct, as is your second link from press.uchicago.edu.
More precisely, the verb "to be" is a copulative verb, not a transitive verb. As such, it connects not subject and object, but two noun phrases of the same case. see:
http://www.alt-usage-english.org/excerpts/fxitsmev.html
Interestingly, this doesn't mean that you always use the nominative form. The verb "to be" links nominative to nominative or accusative to accusative. As long as the noun on both sides uses the same form.
porsche Jun-15-2006
In traditional grammar, the "complement" of a linking (or copulative) very is called the "predicate nominative." Its name indicates the proper case. Subject and predicate nominative are identities. The predicate nominative indicates what the subject IS rather than what the subject DOES. This is the difference between an "action" verb and a "linking" verb.
Bob3 Jun-18-2006
Potato Potaato
garthkensington Jun-19-2006
Or, as Dan Quayle once said, "potatoe".
anonymous4 Jun-19-2006
Is "to be" the only copulative verb in English? It sure seems like it; I can't think of another that works this way.
Note that members of the contrast class to this really shouldn't be called "action" verbs, because not all of them *do* describe what an object does. Consider the verb "to have." There's no sense in which this describes an action, but it definitely takes accusative, not nominative, case:
I have her and she has me.
*I have she and she has I. (Unless you're Tom Lehrer.)
Avrom Jul-10-2006
Avrom, here is an allegedly complete list of english copula:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_copulas
Note, none of them seem to allow a sentence with the same me/I, him/he her/she issues to be constructed.
porsche Jul-10-2006
An interesting note:
In Spanish, it is common to respond "soy yo" which means "I'm me".
Morgan1 Jul-17-2006
Scott, why are you using Latin as an example?
Lots of people say "this is her". Some people (altho not in my part of the world) say "this is she". They are both acceptable
I think these questions are a good way to determine if something is "right" or not: "do I say it in normal speech?" and "is it understandable?"
John4 Jul-24-2006
Determining if something is right or not by whether a lot of people you know use it is ridiculous. If I used all the terrible English I heard everyday no one would understand a word I said, way to aim low!
Jennifer3 Aug-21-2006
120 votes Permalink Report Abuse
You obviously have to use some judgment. You might not want to use slang just because everyone else is using it. But I don't see how using the English you hear everyday means that no one would understand you. Do you not understand the English you hear every day?
Everyone around me says "this is her." No one says "this is she." If the traditional rule differs from what people say, that tells me that something is wrong with the rule, not the speakers.
John_Anderson Aug-22-2006
I have been criticized for saying "Is that her?" or "that's her"...and further criticized for saying it's 'common usage'.
I do say "this is she" as a phone response - but saying "is that she?" just doesn't sound right????
lois1 Aug-25-2006
I should have said that no one in my part of the world says "this is she." I know that many people do say it. But even for those people, using the subject case after "be" is only used in a restricted set of cases.
John4 Aug-25-2006
If we follow the prescription that we must use nominative (or subject) case after "be", we get ridiculous things like this:
"Here's a photo of my old hockey team."
"Which one of these players is you?"
(pointing) "Oh, that's I."
goofy Aug-25-2006
I am almost certain that the correct phrase is "This is she". This is because you can ask, "May I please speak TO her?" but in that case, you are using it directly. I like to swap the phrase making it "she is this" or "she is who is speaking" and it just makes more sense, yes?
Kurt1 Aug-31-2006
"This is her" is correct, because the only people who say "This is she" are people who have been told a rule that's based on one or both of two rules:
1. Language is math.
2. English is a different language.
Languages don't always make sense analytically. Fortunately, they don't have to.
David_Fickett-Wilbar Sep-01-2006
The correct response is "This is she". "Is" is a linking verb and so the complement is subjective not objective. "This is she" is not used very often and because of that it sounds funny. Just because it sounds funny does not mean it is incorrect.
Toria Sep-06-2006
Then why do I never say "That's I"?
When am I supposed to use the subject case pronouns after "be" and when am I supposed to use the object case? The "rule" is impossible to follow.
goofy Sep-09-2006
The last comment from goofy is absolutely right. If "This is she" is grammatical (as the Chicago Manual of Style says) then it isn't consistent with general usage of the verb "be". I suppose you could call it an idiom, or more likely, snobbery.
English is a Germanic language, and in general Germanic languages take the nominative case for the object (sometimes called predicate) of the verb "be". Modern German does for all objects of "be", not just pronouns.
Old English did this too, but in the middle ages, English started to change under the influence of French and started using the accusative (me, her, him, us, them) after "be" instead of the nominative (I, she, he, we, they).
If it was true that modern English took the nominative after "be", we would say things like "That's they over there" or "The man who murdered Poirot is he!".
So if anyone tries to tell you that "This is she" is really their natural way of speaking ... they
a) have been dead for several hundred years
b) are a snob
c) have had this rule shoved down their throat by a snob
mofei Oct-05-2006
Mofei,
The latter part of your response (a, b, c) really made me laugh...beautiful!
Great posts from everyone!
And here I thought when I did a Google search on this topic, nothing would come up!
Now, I will leave things at that/this (whole new topic? which one is it? "that" or "this"?) and not to get into a discussion over my usage of the word "And" to start a sentence.
Goodness, English can be a headache ;)
Nora Dec-07-2006
Simple explanation:
http://www.ehow.com/how_117260_fix-improper-pronouns.html
Megan1 Feb-23-2007
It's inaccurate and confusing, particularly steps 3 and 6.
STEP 3: Turn a sentence around if you are confused about whether a pronoun is the subject or object: "The best swimmer is him." "Him is the best swimmer." (Wrong) "The best swimmer is he." (Correct)
STEP 6: Answer "This is he (or she)" when you identify yourself on the telephone: Caller 1: "Is Lucy Peters there?" Caller 2: "This is she." ("She is this," not "Her is this.")
In following these rules, I'll end up saying absurd things like:
"Who's that in the picture? - That's I."
"Who are the winners? - The winners are we."
To insist that nominative pronouns must follow "be" is to ignore the facts.
John4 Feb-23-2007
Insisting that nominative pronouns must follow 'be' ignores what "fact"? The "fact" that it sounds absurd to you? It doesn't sound absurd to me, so is it still a "fact"?
Jennifer is right. Just because something sounds funny doesn't make it absurd or snobbish or wrong. When it sounds funny, check out the rules. If you don't like the answer, too bad.
People don't like to find out that something they're accustomed to is technically wrong. So what's the reaction? Declare the rules are wrong and decide that what sounds right to them is correct. So we all now have our own personal grammar rules.....great! Grammatical Relativity.
Jeez - have some humility!
Ed1 May-05-2007
The rule ignores the facts of usage. The fact is that native speakers do not say:
That's I.
The best swimmer is he.
The winners are we.
Some speakers of course do say these, but I'm claiming that if they do, they say them because they've been explicitly taught that these forms are "correct."
So the rule does not describe the facts of usage. So how useful is it?
A better rule might be something like this: The object pronouns (me, him, her etc) are the default.
"Me and my friend are going out."
"Who wants to go? Not me!"
"She is taller than me."
The subject pronouns (I, he, she etc) are only used in a few cases:
- as the single subject before the verb: "I am going out."
Repeat the pronoun for emphasis, and it revert to object form: "Me, I am going out."
- in certain compound constructions after a preposition, for instance "between you and I".
John4 May-07-2007
It is what a lot of speakers say, including well-educated speakers I know. Whether it is acceptable depends on the register and the attitudes of the speaker and listener.
I'm just talking about how native speakers use their language. There's no need to insult me.
"My friend and I are going out"..
Personally, I think this whole discussion seems ludicrous. You don't like the rules? Deal with it. It is ridiculous to think that just because you have some bad habits, the rules of grammar must be changed to make speech more comfortable for you. I have always heard it said "this is she," and that is the right way of saying it. People who say otherwise are poorly educated or just careless.
Cal1 May-08-2007
P.S. "Anonymous".. I find your comments about "special ed" and "trailer parks" rather rude and completely out of line. You don't need to stoop to meaningless insults to get your point across.
Common usage does not equal correct usage.
Jess1 May-08-2007
What does equal correct usage? Shakespeare used "between you and I" - 200 years before English grammar was taught in school.
We find "take a picture of her and I"
but we never find "take a picture of I"
We find "her and I are going out"
but we never find "her is going out"
Why is that? What is it about 2 pronouns conjoined by "and" that makes them behave differently than a single pronoun? This is the question we should be asking. Insisting that one usage is wrong and the other is right because of some Latin-derived prescriptive rules doesn't help us learn anything interesting about language.
http://www.ling.upenn.edu/courses/Fall_2003/ling001/prescription.html
This is from Ronald Wardhaugh's "Proper English," which I recommend if you are interested in this at all:
Whatever a grammar of a language is, it is largely impervious to human intervention. That is, the really interesting rules and principles are so basic that we cannot do anything at all about them. What we can do is try to influence some of the minor outcomes, for example, try to insist that people say "I drank" instead of "I drunk" or "It's I" instead of "It's me". Essentialy that is tinkering with matters of no linguistic consequence. To elevate the study of grammar to the task of trying to bring about "correction" in such matters is to trivialize that study. These matters may be of social consequence and often are, but that is a social observation and not a linguistic one, because "I drunk" and "It's me" are linguistically on a par with "I drank" and "It's I". Furthermore, it is an observation that tells us much about social organization and the function of trivia in such organization and nothing about the structure of language.
anonymous4 May-08-2007
The easiest rule to follow would be to place your subject first, that is following the pattern-Subject Verb Object. Example, "He is the best runner." and not "The best runner is he."
In any case Cal and Jess are correct in that one must live up to rules and not the other way around. If we don't hold the line then widespread use of "ain't" and "ax" for ask will be our future.
Shawn1 May-18-2007
I personally waver between trying to be a purist - and to talk 'correct' English - and trying to be a normal everyday human, who is living with and using an evolving thing. If I arrive home, I call out "It's me!". I don't say '"It is I". I am aware that by the 'correct rules' of language - laid down fundamentally by the prissy and over-zealous Victorians - I should say "It is I"; but I am also quite aware that to the modern ear, it sounds silly and frankly wrong. That is what linguistic evolution is all about.
That being said, I will absolutely insist upon using 'I' when I say 'My friend and I are going out'; because I would say 'I am going out'. Conversely, simply because it just doesn't sound right, I will not say "I and my friend are going out."
I am educated, I am (fairly) aware of my language, and so I will try to use it correctly. Fundamentally, I try to use it to express what I mean, and to ensure that my audience will understand what I am saying; without excessive pedantry.
Oh - although 'shall' and 'will' remain a bit of a mystery to me!
Sian May-20-2007
Sian, If you look up "shall" at dictionary.com, there is a somewhat abstruse usage note about "shall" vs. "will". Perhaps it is a little easier to compare "should" vs. "would". At least in some contexts, "shall" has an implied sense of compulsion. I shall do something that is imperative, that I am supposed to do. I will do something that I am surely going to do.
porsche May-20-2007
Anonymous's remarks to John may have been overly harsh, but, to tell you the truth, I can't help but appreciate anonymous's frustration. For someone to assert that "me and my friend are going out" is somehow normal or acceptable is just plain absurd. Even the most liberal descriptivist doesn't accept that anything anyone says or hears is grammatically correct, just because it is said or heard.
Furthermore, the claim that "It is what a lot of speakers say, including well-educated speakers I know." is equally absurd and proves nothing. If someone consistently says something that is so egregiously, grammatically incorrect, then, by definition, he or she is not well-educated. Anyone who identifies such a person as well-educated merely betrays their own lack of discrimination. That's probably what sparked anonymous's outburst in the first place.
PS, I would also disagree with some of John's basic facts. It's one thing to discuss whether "this is she" is required, optional, or archaic. It's quite another to suggest that "me and my friend are going out" illustrates the very rule for proper grammar. I'm sorry, but this is NOT how native speakers use their language. To assert otherwise as fact is just incorrect. You do hear it, but not commonly, and never from anyone well-educated, usually from a small child. Certainly, no one I know speaks that way.
chuck_EEE May-21-2007
"me and my friend are going out" is how many native speakers use their language. Maybe not you, chuck, but many native speakers do say this. And I don't see what's wrong with educated speakers using this in some contexts - it just means they may not be educated in a certain prescriptive rule that is not part of their native language. And by "educated speakers" I mean my friends who have Canadian university degrees.
Note that I never said that "me and my friend are going out" is standard English as defined by say, Merriam-Webster. I don't think it is. But there are many different kinds of English, and standard English is just one kind.
My point is simply that I think it's useful to distinguish between how native speakers use their language, and the opinions of usage commentators. Because that is all these rules about grammatical correctness are - opinions.
Here's a linguistic thesis on "me and her" vs "she and I" and how conjoined pronouns behave differently than single pronouns
http://www-csli.stanford.edu/~zwicky/Grano.finalthesis.pdf
John4 Jun-01-2007
Scenerio#1: Your name is Jane. You are in a room (crowded with people), and someone asks: "Who is Jane?"
Do you say?
1. "This is she!"
2. "This is her!"
3. "I am Jane." or "I am."
CORRECT ANSWER: # 3
Scenerio#2: Your name is Jane. The phone rings, you pick up, and the caller says: "May I speak with Jane?"
Do you answer?
3. "You're speaking to Jane."
Furthermore, I've never heard callers begin a phone conversation by asking: "Who is Jane?" If they would, then #2 would be correct.
On the same note, callers never say: "If Jane is in the office, then I really need to speak to SHE." If that was correct, then the grammatically correct way to answer would be: "This is SHE."
A more grammatically correct way to say this: "If Jane is in the office, then I really need to speak to HER." Then, the correct way to answer would be: "This is HER." or "This is Jane."
MITRE Jun-06-2007
wow. im teaching english as a second language and this question came up in class today. after reading this entire page i still have no clue what to say to my students on monday. *sigh*
Jen1 Jun-08-2007
Ok, so your lesson has passed now, but here's what you tell your students: "this is she" is technically correct but "this is her" is often used.
AO Jun-13-2007
"technically correct"
I don't like that phrase. It implies to me that there is a Manual of English that explains the hard and fast rules of all English for all time, and also that such rules even exist. Also, I wonder about the cognitive dissonance produced by thinking that something is "technically correct" but seldom used.
As I say above, from a descriptive point of view, I'm thinking that the subject-object distinction in pronouns is becoming obsolete. Instead we have a situation with default pronouns (me, him, her etc), which are replaced by marked pronouns (I, he, she etc) in certain situations.
The fact is that this is something that usage writers disagree about. Merriam-Webster's Concise Dictionary of English Usage gives an overview of the arguments, then says
"Clearly, both the it is I and It's me patterns are in reputable use and have been for a considerable time. It is I tends to be used in more formal or more stuffy situations; it's me predominates in real and fictional speech and in a more relaxed writing style. Him, her, us, and them my be less common after the verb to be than me is, but they are far from rare and are equally good."
I understand and appreciate both sides of this discussion, that there are rules that should be respected and adhered to regardless of "common" (i.e. incorrect and widespread) usage, and that some people prefer an incorrect usage to a correct usage that sounds formal, snobby or pedantic due to a ubiquitous lack of proper usage. (I really appreciate Sian's comments; he/she articulated his/her point of view perfectly, which happens to align rather neatly with my own.)
However, * no one * will EVER convince me that "me and her are going" or "me and my friend are xxx" is correct in any way, shape or form! John states that his friends who say this are well-educated. Perhaps they are brilliant in their respective fields...but their English usage in this case is atrocious. I'm not sure where he gets his argument about "native speakers", but I'm with everyone else who rejects his argument regarding this usage. It is simply wrong, wrong, wrong, no matter how you try to slice it.
Jess' comment that "common usage does not equal correct usage" was brilliantly succint and cuts to the heart of the argument.
Regarding another of John's comments, I don't find steps 3 or 6 in that link confusing at all; in fact, I find them quite helpful at times.
I find Mitre's final comments about matching a question's grammar to its answer rather absurd. One has nothing to do with the other. The caller asks to speak TO someone, and the preposition requires a certain part of speech after it. The grammatical construction of the answer is not dependent on the grammatical construction of the question!
All these opinions worth exactly the .00 you paid for them :)
P.S. I'd love to hear about the rules for usage when a written word begins with a vowel that sounds like a consonant. Case in point: in my first paragraph, I said "a ubiquitous" instead of "an ubiquitous". The latter is, I believe, technically correct; however, since most of us actually sound out words in our head as we read, the former sounds "better", or at least, less awkward. (Yes, I recognize the irony inherent in the fact that I chose to utilize the common usage over the correct usage despite railing against such a choice about half a second ago.) Has anyone seen this kind of issue addressed or codified in a rule somewhere? If so, I'd greatly appreciate a link.
Melissa3 Jul-12-2007
We use "a" before a consonant sound and "an" before a vowel sound. So "a ubiquitous" is standard, because "ubiquitous" begins with a consonant sound: /y/ as in "you". And we write "an hour" because "hour" begins with a vowel sound.
"me and her are going" is not standard English. OK? OK.
However, it IS how many native speakers speak. Many people don't like it, but that won't stop other people using it. As I said before, it is useful to distinguish between opinions about "correctness" and how the language is actually used.
http://www.ling.upenn.edu/courses/Summer_2004/ling001/lecture1.html
It is obvious that the only thing that is "incorrect" is claming that one or the other situations is the "tecnical" truth.
First of all, grammar rules are not written in stone. Chaucer couldn't pass a modern grammar test and neither could Shakespeare. Language evolves based on usage.
In this whole forum, nobody has established an absolute, clear-cut rule. Additionally, nobody has defined their terms, and after doing several internet searches I still haven't gotten a good definition of what a copulative verb, a coordinated pronoun, or a substituted non-coordinated pronoun are. Why would a person use a fancy linguistical term that has no definition? The only answer I can come to is that they are just making it up to sound smart and reduce the possiblity of a retort. (If I'm wrong on this, prove it by providing simple definitions)
There is clearly, even among linguists, a division over whether it is correct to say "This is her" or "This is she" which leads me to suggest that this is a poor construction to use. Therefore, in my opinion, BOTH are wrong. When somebody asks:
"Is Jane there."
The ONLY absolutely correct answer that nobody can complain about is.
"I am Jane."
Furthermore, this kind of conversation is dangerous because people start misapplying the poorly explained rule to other situations. I had a friend of mine who is a high school ESL teacher try to tell me that it´s incorrect to say:
You are smarter than me.
And it should be:
You are smarter than I.
I´ve looked all over to see if there is any truth to this suggestion and the closest thing I found to a treatment of this was in the Raymond Murphy grammar book in which they said you can use EITHER "You are smarter than me." or "You are smarter than I am." but it said nothing about only using "You are smareter than I."
However, this should not be taken as an absolute rule either for there is a precident in the English language where implied words are not stated and the sentence is still gramatically correct.
So, to sum up, if linguists can't agree, then there is no hard and fast rule, OK.
And just to leave you with a little bit of a brain teaser, what about when somebody brings you something and says: "Here you go." How many grammatical rules are broken with that statement? Or is there some loophole "official" rule in the linguistic bible that justifies it?
Ben2 Jul-20-2007
Mitre, you are incorrect. In the sentence "If Jane is in the office, then I really need to speak to her," the proper word is "her" because it is the object of a preposition. The objective case word would be "her." In "This is she," "she" is a predicate nominative. The nominative case word is "she."
Ben, the correct sentence is "You are smarter than I," because the understood ending of the sentence is "You are smarter than I am smart." "You are smarter than me am smart" would never make sense.
mj Jul-23-2007
Ben, you seem to have a misunderstanding of what linguists do. Linguists are not in the business of telling people what is "correct" or "incorrect." Rather, linguists describe how the language is used. See the links I gave.
For coordinated pronouns, see the thesis I linked to.
copula: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copula
This is interesting. I was just called up by a company calling me in for a job interview. I answered the call with "this is she". Afterwards i wasn't sure if I answered correctly, so i typed the phrase into google..... Well, considering that from all the posts above, there isn't any general consensus on what's right or wrong, I don't think the person on the other line would think my English was poor, she might just be a little bit confused! A big relief!
Shibrette1 Jul-30-2007
On second thoughts, I think 'this is she' is more grammatically correct.
Consider regular sentences with 'her' or 'she':
1. She is beautiful.
2. Her dress is beautiful.
If we were to insert names, each sentence would respectively be:
1. Sarah is beautiful
2. Sarah's dress is beautiful.
'Sarah' replaced 'She' and Sarah's' replaced 'Her'.
If Sarah were to be asked "May I speak with Sarah?', Her answer could be 'This is Sarah'. If she were to replace her name with she/her, from the sentences above, then her response should be 'This is she'.
I didn't major in English though..... and I realize my analogy wouldn't work with 'I', 'My' or 'Me'.... or some other she/her sentences, for that matter....
But if I replace "Sarah" with "she" in any other context, I get ungrammatical English: "May I speak with she?"
Is it just me (is it just I) or am I the only one who doesn't have this problem?
Maybe it's because it is not often me (it is not often I) who answers the phone. Or perhaps it is because when I do, if someone asks if I am there, I say, "Wait a minute, I'll check."
A_Nony_Mouse Aug-03-2007
Look at what I did on related ones. Of course "This is she" is correct.
David_Calman Sep-04-2007
Reality Check #1:
This discussion has been going on for a YEAR! Better usage of time people? Simple solution: use something you know to be correct, do not risk sounding like an idiot (because either usage of she/her can have that result).
Language is constantly evolving, from having a lot of vitality to near death (defend Latin all you want, 99% of the world does not really care). Therefore, this conversation will become irrelevant when the Chinese people take over the world and everybody will have to speak Cantonese or Mandarin.
I already spent too much time on this inconsequential topic (compared to the big picture), so this will be my first and last post!
Much Love and Peach for All.
Reality_Dr. Sep-10-2007
John, native English can only go so far. English is, after all, native to England, where the most common response we would have received from the great literary figures while English developed would have been:
" 'Tis I, Willy Shakespeare, the Great..."
Clearly, an answer in favor of "it is she", therefore "this is she", not "this is her."
Besides, most natives aren't even native. I belive you're using the term loosely and in reference to Americans. Well, the native americans didn't even speak English. Having said this, maybe we should look for Indian grammar rules, not Latin derivations.
And to those of us that are looking for answers with more research, please remember that Wikipedia is yet another website with postings from mere 'native' speakers.
J_Asly Sep-13-2007
J Asly, I'm not sure what you're talking about. I'm talking about native English speakers: people who have English as a native language, whether they're American, Canadian, British, etc. I'm not sure what you're trying to say with Shakespeare. Shakespeare used both "it's me" and "it's I", he mixed up "who" and "whom", he used "between you and I".
Finally, perhaps an intro course in linguistics would help to explain where I'm coming from:
John4 Sep-13-2007
John, I, too studied, linguistics, and can appreciate where you are coming from about linguists describing what the norm is, and not prescribing the rules.
I, however, have bones of contention with the approach you've taken. This concept of native speakers and numbers cannot hold when you realise that put together, the greatest number of English speakers resides not with the Northern American countries and England, but in the Asian countries like India and China, where the largest populations of people in the world hold sway. There are at least 250 milllion Chinese nationals who speak English (as of last count in Jan 2007), and the number extrapolates astronomically when you realise the penetration of the English Language across school classroom curricula. Very soon, if we base the ownership of English grammar rules on the mere size and commonality of the language's occurrence, then you will eventually see both India and China prescribing rules for the rest of the world to follow, including America, Canada and England. The learning of English in China, at least, requires the reliance on prescriptive rules, and at a young age of junior school, they are taught these so-called 'dead-rules', or 'snobbish English rules', which is an irony since these prescriptivisms derive themselves from the West. With your argument, phrases like "long-time-no-see (literal chinese translation), and "clever bug" for the English term "spider" are recently coined terms which have penetrated Global English's lexicon, and are perfectly understood by Chinese speakers of English. Now, should this population of Asian English speakers continue to expand at an exponential rate (also thanks to Bejing's hosting of the Olympics), you will soon find the "archaic" rules and Chinese-coined English terms being the "norm", and eventually the descriptive rules.
Food for thought: San Diego-based consultancy Global Language Monitor (GLM) has noted that new Chinglish expressions are being coined daily in China. As these new denominations of linguistic currency circulate online, English's lexical bank grows richer by the day. "Because of China's growing influence, it now has more impact on Global English than native English-speaking countries. That's pretty astonishing," said GLM president Paul JJ Payack. It also found that Chinglish had contributed 5 to 20 percent of the words added to Global English since 1994, more than any other single source.
Your very argument will soon fail you, and 10 years down the line, the "archaic" may get a retro-revival, all thanks to these New Asian English Speakers.
Derek1 Sep-14-2007
Derek, I was talking about native English speakers. Most of the English speakers in Asia are not native speakers as far as I know. Otherwise, I don't disagree.
Here's a thought. John, there's a common thread in many of your posts about descriptivism, the nature of linguistics, etc. Well, how about this? When someone asks if something is correct English, stay out of it! As you have said many times, linguistics isn't concerned with prescriptive "correctness". It is only concerned with observing how some people speak. Knowing that more or fewer people use a particular twist of speech today than a few years ago, however interesting, does not mean that there are no language "rules" in English. The fact that linguistics is not concerned with rules or correctness does NOT mean that rules or correctness do not exist. If anything, your assertions make linguistics mostly irrelevant! It seems at times that you are asserting that anything that anyone says is OK as long as there are many, no, even a few people who say it. Well, I guess it is "OK" for them, but if someone is asking about correct grammar, such comments are not particularly helpful.
Everyone over the age of four learns English by studying it in school according to prescriptive rules. Yes, we don't have a government bureau of English, at least not in the US, but that doesn't mean we don't have a vast system of education much, if not most, of which is dedicated to the prescription of our language. If I may make an analogy, speeding is illegal almost everywhere on the planet. However, most people drive a little over the speed limit, some, a lot. Everybody does it mostly with impunity, but it's still against the law. If someone asked about it, an intelligent and useful answer would be "The rules say that you should drive within the speed limit. If you drive a little faster on the highway, you are unlikely to get a ticket. If you exceed the limit by more than, say, 10 MPH, you stand a good chance of being pulled over. Regardless, if you want to obey the law, you should not speed. While it is unlikely, you can get prosecuted for going even 1 MPH above the speed limit." It is NOT accurate or useful to say "Go ahead. speed if you want to. Everybody does it. Drive as fast as you want." It is also not helpful to say "Go ahead and speed. Everyone does. just be aware that if you drive dangerously faster than the norm, you might get a ticket, but that's OK, you're still a good driver, because there really aren't any rules. Rules are some arbitrary irrelevant thing made up by society. They shouldn't concern you." Linguists may not be concerned with grammar rules, but that doesn't mean that everyone else isn't or shouldn't be.
Abby_Normal Sep-14-2007
Speaking a language is such a different activity than driving a car that I don't think your analogy works. We don't learn our native language in the same way we learn to drive a car. We acquire language unconsciously, but we learn to drive consciously. Also, using nonstandard English will not result in death or prosecution.
How do we determine what is correct? I think the only reasonable position is that usage is the final arbiter. Look at the relevant evidence. How can any rules about English usage have no bearing on how English is used by the speakers and writers you want to emulate?
The idea that usage is the final arbiter has a place in discussions about correctness. It is not a new idea; Oldmixon wrote in 1712 that any arbiter besides usage is the "Arbitrary Fancy of a Few, who would impose their own Private Opinions and Practices upon the rest of their Countrymen." It is used by Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, which relies on evidence from real writers of English rather than opinions about how some people think English should be used. And they show that a lot of opinions about what is "correct English" don't describe the facts. For instance, "which" is used restrictively by many good writers more often than it is used nonrestrively. Singular "they" has been used for 500 years by the best writers of English.
I'm not saying that "anything goes," I'm saying "look at the relevent evidence." A lot of what we've been taught about "correct grammar" and grammar in general is unhelpful and often wrong. Language does have rules, and they are largely unconscious rules. For instance, no native speaker will normally produce the sentence "It can do easily it." We don't put adverbs between the verb and its object. This is a rule. It is also a rule for many speakers to use accusative pronouns after "be": it's me, it's her. And indeed many good writers use these constructions. Don't use these constructions if you don't want to, but there's no evidence for saying that they are incorrect.
So I am concerned with what is correct. I think a lot of assertions about what is correct are misinformed because they are based on opinions instead of evidence.
Here's an overview of prescriptivism in English:
http://www.uqu.edu.sa/majalat/humanities/2vol15/011.pdf
John, this is where you will be interested to know that there are many native speakers of English in Asia, because English is by nature of its easy assimilation of foreign language words an international language. It has its roots in its Anglo Saxon origins, but to implicitly claim that people in Asia are not native speakers of English suggests that only those in western Europe, Canada and the rest of Northern America are Native English Speakers.
In fact, you should know that in Singapore, a country in SE Asia, English is its first language.
Also, your assertion that "not anything goes" is on its own a fallacy, because if a sizeable number of people started speaking in poetic language rather than in common prose, your positioning of adverbs and adjectives goes 'awry'.
Like it or not, if you had to teach children the rules of English, I wonder which population of English speakers you can refer to? Because sooner or later, judging from where your part of town is, it's not going to have the majority of speakers of English.
Come to Asia, and hear English as it is taught, not as it is treated by the whims and fancies of those who had made unconscious errors and have decided to casually abandon all they've been taught (depending on which space and time they exist) for the sake of "natural evolution" of language.
I think the Suite101.com example is clearly wrong in its explanation. There is no "object" in the sentence "This is she." "IS" is a linking verb, therefore there is a subject and a predicate nominative.
My mother summed it up well:
Use "she" b/c it is the predicate nominative case (the implied sentence is, "this person speaking is she").
"This is her speaking" is incorrect too. Because again, you have a linking verb. You can't use an object form with a linking verb; you have to use a P.N.
Drew Oct-24-2007
So which is which? I really felt bad after a phone interview when I said "This is her". Should I?
message_in_a_bottle Jan-25-2008
I don't expect everyone to understand all the rules of grammar since it's not even taught anymore, but I cannot believe this is an issue. Were you never taught this in Elementary school, or by your parents? "This is she" is antiquated but DEFINITELY correct. I promise you. May I be stricken dead this instant if I am wrong.
And that first comment was not meant to insult educators. I'm an English teacher, and I can tell you, the curriculum does not focus on grammar. None of my students have ever diagrammed a sentence.
sdbolam Feb-22-2008
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage page 568:
John_Anderson Feb-25-2008
Actually, John, Abby Normal's analogy with speed limit rules is right on target. You failure to see the clarity of the analogy goes directly to her opening suggestion: as you take the stance of a linguist (observer) rather than grammarian (prescriber), then your opinions and viewpoints are irrelevant -- and in fact distracting -- in any discussion of what is CORRECT. So if the query is "which is correct", your response is not germaine.
By the way, I love your user name, Abby!
amazed Feb-25-2008
amazed, could you please explain how using a language is like driving a car?
What about languages with prescriptive manuals? If we keep to this analogy, we must assume that speakers of these languages might be "speeding" whenever they use their language, since there are no written rules for them to follow.
What about speakers of English who lived before the 18th century (which is when prescriptive grammar was invented)? Were Chaucer, Spencer and Shakespeare speeding when they used their language? Would their works have been better if there was a cop telling them what to do?
In my opinion and in the opinion of many other usage commentators, "correct" means "what is used by good writers". In other words, usage is the final arbiter. I don't see how this view is irrelevant to the discussion of correctness. How can the rules have no bearing on how English is used by the writers you want to emulate?
that should be "What about languages without prescriptive manuals" of course...
Just speaking as someone who googled the keywords "this is she correct grammar" and stumbled across this exchange, thank you!
'This is she' sounds better in my head, so it is a relief that many people consider it grammatically correct.
On the other hand, as much as I love to have technically correct language, I always follow the immortal Dana Scully and say,
"It's me!"
I never say,
"It is I."
If it's good enough for Scully, it's good enough for me.
Carmela Mar-19-2008
Sorry to come in at the end -- but could anyone tell me what they think of this angle? You are showing someone a picture of a friend of yours and you say -- this is she and her father on vacation last year. ?? Does this REALLY sound correct to anyone?
c.dickson Mar-31-2008
@ Folie. Yes, that's correct.
You can think of it as:
(pointing to the girl) This is she...
(then pointing to her father) and this is her father.
In fact, "This is her and her father" (as my wife would say it) sounds rather awkward to my ears...unless, of course, you are referring to something that is possessed by both her and her father, as in "This is her and her father's boat." :)
Foie_Gras Apr-13-2008
Let me get something straight: why is everybody disagreeing with John? (There, I just posed a question that is worthy of an entire book. Done.).
I mean, face it. He's right. Why? It's called "idiolect." At some point, someone in this thread said something about how absurd it would be if we all had our own personal grammars. Guess what. Absurd or not, that is the reality. Every individual on earth with the faculty for language creates their own linguistic forms based on an entirely personal set of rules called an idiolect. The fact that these idiolects have a lot in common within a given language is what gets us arguing over what is correct and what isn't.
Not to get too far off topic, the question posted nearly 2 years ago was whether "this is she" or "this is her" is correct. The answers to that question have drawn on analogous forms and in some cases, even used the rules of other languages (Latin) to justify English structures!! Talk about absurd. I think the original question is fascinating and John's corollary to it--the issue of copulative verb dependent pronomial case behavior (wow what a mouthful of nounspeak!)--is equally if not more exciting. The problem is, for nearly 2 years, I think the discussion is not gone in the right direction. Listen to John! He wants to get to the bottom of this! How would we answer these questions? First we'd have to look at concrete examples of usage (from literature, or speech, or both) to identify the formal processes that render one structure or another. But that isn't enough, we also need to ask how and why these things happen. Here is where the philological analysis of English pronouns and copulative verbs comes in. Enter: the bookworms. Then we want to know about what speakers actually think about what they say. Just read the posts here on this thread. We might eventually formulate an hypothesis not only about how case works in English pronouns within the context of copulative phrases, but also about the cultural context for this strange grammatical behavior. This is what linguistic anthropologists do! They bother people about how they talk and then they think about it...A LOT. Great stuff, everyone. A lot of good material here.
AO Apr-14-2008
Thanks AO, for being another voice of reason here.
I find it incredible that in anything other field, scientific enquiry is respected. But when it comes to language, if we look at the evidence - that is, how the language is actually used - we're either ignored or insulted.
John4 Apr-17-2008
John-
Well, yah, of course we get ignored or insulted! In our corner of the world, language is the yardstick that we use to measure each other's intelligence. When you talk ABOUT language, you risk "threatening" people. Language plays such a fundamental role in structuring the Universe itself (down to the smallest sub-atomic particle) that pointing out its plasticity is, frankly, quite scary. Most people don't realize, for example, that many academic papers have been written in Krio. Not ON Krio. IN Krio. And as for intelligence, you mentioned Pirahã at some point, if I recall correctly. Documentation of this language by Indo-European-speaking anthropologists has come to redefine our understanding of the meaning of "intelligence."
The verb "to be" does take an object. "This is she" is the correct form.
York Apr-22-2008
Correction: The verb "to be" does not take an object. "This is she" is the correction form.
Does the use of "this is her" instead of "this is she" obscure, or create any confusion about, the intended meaning?
Then why does it matter if "her" is used rather than "she"?
"The verb 'to be' does not take an object."
Then "him" in the following example should be "he"?
I would not want to be him
Okay, let’s look at the cases that the two sides have made. In favor of “her”:
-Pretty much everyone says “her”.
-“She” sounds funny.
-“To be” takes the objective case in other situations, such as “That’s him over there.”
-The object of a verb takes the objective case, and this gives every indication of being the object, so it takes the objective case.
In favor of “she”:
-Because I said so.
I mean, really, that’s what all the arguments come down to.
>The verb “to be” acts as a linking verb, equating subject and object.
>So this is she and she is this; “she” and “this” are one and the same,
>interchangeable, and to be truly interchangeable they must both play
>the same grammatical role—that of the subject.
So, “to be” is special type of verb, that follows rules completely different from the rule that all the other verbs follow. Why? Because I said so. The idea that because they are interchangeable in FACT, they must be the same GRAMMATICALLY is absurd. According to that logic, every noun should take exactly the same pronoun regardless of its case. And if they are truly interchangeable, why must they take the same CASE, but not the same PERSON? So both “It is I” and “It is me” are wrong, since “it” is third person, and “I” and “me” are first. “I am Sarah” is also incorrect.
>But instead you are replacing the word "I" with "this"
> and "Sarah" with the nominative pronoun, in this case "she."
But it’s the object, so it should take the objective pronoun.
>I am almost certain that the correct phrase is "This is she".
>This is because you can ask, "May I please speak TO her?"
>but in that case, you are using it directly. I like to swap the
>phrase making it "she is this" or "she is who is speaking"
>and it just makes more sense, yes?
But when you swap the phrase, you swap the pronouns. Why on Earth would you think otherwise? For instance, “He hit her”, but “She hit him”. When you change the order, you also change the pronouns. So “she is this” but “this is her”.
>Insisting that nominative pronouns must follow 'be' ignores what "fact"?
Umm… the fact that pronouns in the objective case take the objective case?
>Hey Jen,
>Ok, so your lesson has passed now, but here's what you tell your students:
> "this is she" is technically correct but "this is her" is often used.
>Done.
How is it “technically” correct? Because someone made up a rule about how “to be” is a special type of verb that follows a completely different rule, even though virtually no one actually follows that rule?
>We use "a" before a consonant sound and "an" before a vowel sound.
>So "a ubiquitous" is standard, because "ubiquitous" begins with a
>consonant sound: /y/ as in "you".
>And we write "an hour" because "hour" begins with a vowel sound.
And people who talk funny write “an historian”.
>Mitre, you are incorrect. In the sentence "If Jane is in the office,
>then I really need to speak to her," the proper word is "her"
>because it is the object of a preposition.
No, it takes the objective case because it’s the object of a VERB. Being the object of a preposition is irrelevant.
>Ben, the correct sentence is "You are smarter than I,"
>because the understood ending of the sentence is
>"You are smarter than I am smart." "You are smarter
>than me am smart" would never make sense.
IF one intends the elliptical meaning, THEN “I” is correct. However, according to the literal meaning of the sentence, “me” is the correct word.
>John, this is where you will be interested to know that
>there are many native speakers of English in Asia,
>because English is by nature of its easy assimilation of
>foreign language words an international language.
Many? How much is “many”? Why do I meet so many Asians who aren’t native speakers, if English is so common?
>May I be stricken dead this instant if I am wrong.
Shouldn’t that be “struck”?
To those claiming that "it is I" or "this is I" is correct: We say "I AM this," not "I IS this." How do you explain or justify the subject pronoun "I" not agreeing with the verb?
Lia May-10-2008
That's a good question, Lia. How is a 1st person pronoun (I) made to agree with a verb form (is) in the 3rd person -- as in "That's I", which it would be "I is that" in reverse? Anyone?
donna1 May-10-2008
"To those claiming that 'it is I' or 'this is I' is correct: We say 'I AM this,' not 'I IS this.' How do you explain or justify the subject pronoun 'I' not agreeing with the verb?"
"That's a good question, Lia. How is a 1st person pronoun (I) made to agree with a verb form (is) in the 3rd person -- as in 'That's I', which it would be 'I is that' in reverse? Anyone?"
This question is a red herring; the answer has nothing to do with the "it is I/it's me" argument.
It's nothing more complicated than this: the verb agrees with its subject. Reverse the phrase and your subject changes from third to first person, so the verb changes too.
If the subject is "that" then "be" must be third person singular ("is"). If the subject is "I" then "be" must be first person singular ("am").
JJMBallantyne May-11-2008
THIS IS SHE/HE the end
tilk Jul-22-2008
Why is this still a topic of discussion? I thought John and AO solved this problem already?! The horse is dead!
Andre Aug-20-2008
I've always said "this is she" on the phone, because my mother taught me to say it this way. Now, so many say "this is her" that "this is she" sounds funny and wrong. Slang expressions and spellings are overwhelming the English language these days anyway. E-mail and the Internet are making changes faster than in the past. The whole point in having language is for communication. Are we going to become better communicators as the world gets smaller? Do the rules from the past still apply, or do the rules need to be adaptable?
KL Aug-25-2008
I say the simplest way to ensure grammatical correctness is to ensure situational correctness. "This is he/him/she/her" is in almost ALL cases situationally incorrect when answering the phone. The correct situational AND therefor grammatical answer should be to answer the question you are asked. Your answer should almost always be "yes". If someone asks if Jane is there and you reply with "this is she/her", you have not answered the question directly and honestly. "Is Jane there?" ... "Yes" or "She is". "May I speak to Jane?" ... "Yes, you may" or even... "You are". If you are a person who absolutely MUST quantify statements, then I suppose "This is Jane" would be most situationally and gramatically correct. I may be a smart alec, but my grammar is correct.
umop_apisdn Sep-01-2008
Umop, you are a smart alec, but that doesn't make your grammar any better. No one is obligated to answer a question exactly as phrased. We are not robots. Nor do social obligations require us in any way to answer so literally. When someone answers "Do you know what time it is?" with simply "yes", at best, they are guilty of a poor attempt at humor, and at worst, are rude, obnoxious and dull-witted. Their answer is not contextually or situationally correct in any way. Their response bears no relationship to grammar, good or bad, and is irrelevant.
anonymous4 Sep-01-2008
When someone asks "May I speak with Sam?", you may reply:
"Yes, this is Sam."
Alternatively, if we are to replace Sarah with a pronoun, then you may say:
"Yes, this is him."
Similarly, when the caller is referring to a third person (say, in a conference) by the question "Is that Sam?", then a response would likely be:
"Yes, it's him."
In parallel, the feminine follows the same pattern:
May I speak with Sarah?
Yes, this is her.
"Her" sounds more appropriate than "she" given these settings.
Thank you. I am enlightened. Please further inform me. Where was my grammar incorrect when responding literally to a question? As for social obligations. I don't recall mentioning them. Unless you are assuming the social obligation of telling someone exactly to whom it is that they are speaking. A speech pattern I believe I was rather obviously against. But, again, thanks.
Thank you, all!! I prefer the sound of, "this is she", but I don't cringe when I hear, "this is her", anymore. I will start saying, "speaking", however.
Ines1 Sep-03-2008
After reading this tirade, I am convinced that in the future I will answer the question, "May I speak with Jana?", with this response: "Speaking."
Jana_Floyd Sep-24-2008
Sorry if I ask something wrong. I am Russian so English is foreign for me.
Suppose someone asks me what my brother looks like. I show him photo. What should I say in this case: "this is he (i.e. my brother)" or "this is him"?
xelibri Oct-04-2008
I agree Jana.
missy1 Oct-29-2008
Caller: "Hello, is Wendy there?"
Wendy: "This is she."
Caller: "I think you mean, this is her?"
wndylayn Nov-03-2008
NUTS to static rules of English. Long ago did they cease to keep pace with rapidly evolving usage such as our burgeoning mother tongue affords; yea, do not some posts in this very thread which strive to follow said laws provoke a disgust most visceral among the unpretentious? Further, why should it be so that those 'elite' posters at whom the above broadside was leveled bristle at so-called non-standard patternage, yet feel quite at ease violating, say, the rule of indentation governing the start of a paragraph? Hypocrisy, cry I! Stilted, atavistic, inflexible hypocrisy!
I'm with John, if I discern his stance correctly. "This is she" may be the construction of choice as per a consensus of style manuals, but to follow, for example, "May I speak to her?" with "This IS she" smacks more of haughtiness and rudeness than it be an indication of an mind well educated. And while some may think "Me and him are friends" an affront to erudite sensibilities, sure as Hell I ain't deigning to correct a body what says it.
the_bottom_line Nov-05-2008
you are wrong, in the case of answering the phone, "this is she" is correct.
and when answering the door and telling someone who it is you would say "It is they."
Grammar_MOTHER Nov-15-2008
GRAMMAR MOTHER IS RIGHT!!!
update your sight for God's sake!
Grammar_daughter Nov-15-2008
And don't forget, if you and your spouse answer the door, and the caller says "are you Mr and Mrs Smith?" you must answer "This is we."
David5 Nov-15-2008
David, should it be "they are we"?
anonymous4 Nov-16-2008
I've seen the light: always answer the query "May I speak to X?" with "This is s/he." Similarly, when you knock on a door and someone inside asks, "Who is it?" you should say, "It is I." That way, everyone will know right up front that you have a twig in your mudhole about speaking 18th Century English and they can adjust their attitudes accordingly.
I think all this is very interesting. I was taught in an English Grammar Theory course that languages, and the rules governing them, are organic. They are not static and evolve over time. Factors that influence changes almost always involve audience and usage. Although I understand the usefulness of prescriptive rules, I do find it trite to hover and debate over an issue like this. Could it be that usage pattern is eroding formal structure. Is this a bad thing?
I tend to get nervous when language is used as a tool for social demarcation - much like a previous comment which equated improper usage with mental deficiency or low social status. I don't believe communication is relegated to the wealthy - and isn't that the purpose of language? To communicate?
I say, "this is her," because it is natural to my tongue. Never once did the person on the other end misunderstand me. If they noticed and assumed I was from a trailer park or without mental function, they never let on. Answering a phone is not taking the SAT. Plus when I say "this is she," I feel 50 years older.
Krystal Jan-25-2009
I agree with Krystal (and half of the posts) that "This is her" is more natural to the tongue, and that I feel 18th century by saying "This is she." However, I was corrected on this by a caller just the other day.
As a side note, I feel that it is inappropriate to be correcting people's spoken grammar in a professional setting, you are not my 3rd grade teacher. If you want to think I'm an idiot, that is okay. Although, with the amount of debate on the subject, I don't think anyone has the right to make that strict judgement call, its not like I said "This be her".
But, alas, in the future I think I will just avoid the controversy in general.
Recently_Corrected Jan-28-2009
If I point to a picture of the subject and identify the person in question, I say "This is her." I see no difference between that and the telephone answer, this.is.her
bobfoot Feb-18-2009
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Posts Tagged ‘experts’
US “Think Tanks” Awash in Foreign Bribe Money
Posted: February 23, 2019 in -
Tags: bribes, Brookings Institution, corruption, experts, foreign meddling, fraud, Gulf States, hired spokespeople, MEI, mercenary, money, public policy, Qatar, Saudis, think tanks
Every year foreign governments pour tens of millions of dollars into those very institutions and, though many think tanks are tax-exempt non-profits, such donations often turn out to be anything but charitable gifts. Foreign contributions generally come with critically important strings attached — usually a favorable stance toward that country in whatever influential work the think tanks are doing. In other words, those experts you regularly read or see on screen, whose scholarship and advice Washington’s politicians and other officials often use, are in some cases being paid, directly or indirectly, by the very countries on which they are offering advice and analysis.
How Middle Eastern Powers Fund Think Tanks
The Age of Fakes
Posted: November 16, 2014 in -
Tags: Big Lies, deception, experts, fake, fraud, hoax, lie, Lies, perception, perception management, PR, propaganda, public, rescue, Syria, unverified, Youtube
I’ve been detailing numerous frauds, many of them with war propaganda value. These are used to demonize people half a world away. Today we have another unlikely fake, and exposed by the Daily Mirror no less, a tabloid rag upstaging the Telegraph, Fox and Daily Mail!
Footage of Syrian ‘hero boy’ dodging sniper’s bullets to save girl revealed as FAKE
How many of you passed this on as real? I was tempted to here.
I want you to read an article from 1999 in the Washington Post, to finish up this thread on fakery and propaganda:
When Seeing and Hearing Isn’t Believing
By William M. Arkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Monday, Feb. 1, 1999
“Gentlemen! We have called you together to inform you that we are going to overthrow the United States government.” So begins a statement being delivered by Gen. Carl W. Steiner, former Commander-in-chief, U.S. Special Operations Command.
At least the voice sounds amazingly like him.
But it is not Steiner. It is the result of voice “morphing” technology developed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
By taking just a 10-minute digital recording of Steiner’s voice, scientist George Papcun is able, in near real time, to clone speech patterns and develop an accurate facsimile…
Fake youtube hero video was noticed by Tony Cartalucci; his article.
Russian Audio Analysis: Ukraine Intercepts a Fraud!
Posted: July 21, 2014 in -
Tags: airliner, assembled, audio, auido, day before, experts, false flag, fraud, intelligence, intercepts, Kiev, MH17, Russian, shoot down, time, Ukraine
The audio provided by the Kiev coup regime has been deemed a fraud made up of numerous unrelated snippets of recordings. This fraud is published at NY Times, BBC and around the world, because it seems to blame the Ukraine separatists for the airliner shootdown. This is modern war propaganda concocted by intelligence services to sell to gullible western publics.
A group of experts studied the tape and came to the conclusion that it was made up of numerous unrelated recordings
Kiev’s evidence of militia’s responsibility for airliner crash faked – expert
Short pauses in the tape are very indicative: the audio file has preserved time marks which show that the dialog was assembled from various episodes, the expert said.
The tape’s linguistic analysis also shows that those who made the faked tape clearly didn’t have enough material and time, the expert said.
That is why, speech fragments can hardly correlate with each other in terms of their sense and the spectral picture of audio materials also differs, the expert said.
But the most indicative moment is that the audio tape clearly shows that it was created almost a day before the airliner crash, the expert said.
War Inc. So-Called TV “Experts”
Posted: October 13, 2013 in -
Tags: Big Lies, conflicts of interest, contractors, corruption, disinformation, experts, exposed, Lies, manipulation, media, money, paid, perception management, PR, private, professional, propaganda, public, public accountability initiative, public relations, report, shills, Syria, warmongers
Truckloads of money corrupting the US “news” about Syria, war and peace.
Public Accountability Initiative
Conflicts of interest in the Syria debate
The media debate surrounding the question of whether to launch a military attack on Syria in August and September of 2013 was dominated by defense industry-backed experts and think tanks. These individuals and organizations are linked to dozens of defense and intelligence contractors, defense-focused investment firms, and diplomatic consulting firms with strong defense ties, yet these business ties were rarely disclosed on air or in print. This report brings transparency to these largely undocumented and undisclosed connections.
Good example, the darling of the “liberal” and “progressive” warmongers, the Brookings Institution:
…Experts with The Brookings Institution were cited in 31 articles on Syria in our dataset, more than any other think tank. Brookings is an influential think tank that is presented in the media as an independent authority, yet it receives millions in funding from the defense industry, including $1 – 2.5 million from Booz Allen Hamilton and $50,000 – $100,000 from Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Palantir Technologies. Brookings Executive Education’s Advisory Council Chair, Ronald Sanders, is a Vice President and Senior Fellow at Booz Allen Hamilton.”
For some reality, see our articles and posts on Syria, false flags, supporting Al Qaeda, Saudi arms and money. It’s a real great time for all. War is Peace; heil Hitler.
Not Film Related: On Japan’s Nuclear Meltdowns
Posted: March 16, 2011 in Joe Giambrone
Tags: disaster, experts, Japan, lies media, nuclear energy, nuclear power, nuke, spin
Are we allowed to type the “T” word when the culprit is a corporate / capitalist entity?
How about when a government colludes with the terrorists in order to hoist nuclear Swords Of Damocles up over our heads?
If we’re forced to play Russian Roulette, does that count as terrorizing?
I guess the real world terror of radiation poisoning and cancer doesn’t count as the highly-branded “Terror (TM)” terror. If you can’t bomb some foreigners in the bargain why waste the ink?
We have to call it something else.
Massive stupidity comes to mind. Criminal greed.
And what of the non-stop lies we get from the Mainstream Media and their allegedly unpaid “experts” who paint smiley faces on the exploding nuke plants? So many “experts” on nuclear issues come out of the woodwork and so fast.
These self-styled expert-like people have no idea what’s actually going on inside the reactors. The Japanese don’t even know! Yet they assure us repeatedly how it can’t possibly be that harmful — and even if it is, so are lots of other things — so, “Naaa!”
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.
I keep recalling Einstein’s famous quote, because I keep coming across these situations that warrant it. First there was the destruction of the Gulf of Mexico by British Petroleum and their friends (in the White House). Now it’s the U.S. Department of Energy shamelessly prostituting for the nuke sugar daddies even as Japan is poised to go up in a radioactive cloud.
Oh yes, it could still happen. It is — four days later — not “under control” at multiple reactors. Yet the head of the DOE stood up and shilled for Big Nuke — again — even as investors around the world have acquired half a clue, and are running from Godzilla as fast as their brokers will permit. Meanwhile solar, wind and natural gas shares are surging ahead (Marketwatch) .
The nation’s top Energy Clown Stephen Chu said Tuesday:
…whenever there is a reactor near a (potential) earthquake site, we look to what’s the maximum size of that particular earthquake that geologists (say) can ever happen, and we design considerably above that. (CNN)
So, even as multiple Japanese reactors built by General Electric with the same design used on 23 plants operating in the US today literally explode on live TV, we are told that nothing like that could happen here. Go back to sleep. Geologists said we’re just fine. Right?
It should be noted that these 23 excruciatingly badly designed nuke plants are Stephen Chu’s responsibility as head of the Department of Energy, while parroting nuclear industry propaganda is technically not Mr. Chu’s responsibility. It’s not supposed to be, anyway.
The reactor at Diablo Canyon in Southern California was built to withstand a 7.5 magnitude earthquake (Reuters). Anything larger, then all bets are off. The quake that hit Japan last week was a 9.0 or roughly 50 times greater movement than a 7.5 on the Richter scale.
Not to disappoint his campaign donors, their president Obama responded Tuesday:
Nuclear plants are designed to withstand certain levels of earthquakes, but having said that, nothing’s completely failsafe, nothing is completely foolproof, and so each time these kinds of events happen, I think it’s very important for us to examine how we can further improve the safety and performance of these plants.”
–Barack Obama, March 15, 2011 (CBS)
No, Mr. Obama. The correct end of the sentence is: “”it’s very important for us to shut down these unsafe and unhealthy relics of the past and usher in a new age of clean, safe technologies.”
Things have gone from bad to worse, to worserer at the Japanese sites. One of the problems is that the plants seem to have been designed expressly to hide the spent fuel pools from the public, and they are located directly above the reactors themselves and under the roofs that have since exploded from the hydrogen gas build ups.
The spent fuel rods are arguably far worse of a hazard than the reactors themselves! If they go dry, these hot waste products ignite on their own and spew cesium-137 into the atmosphere.
Robert Alvarez, a senior policy adviser to the Energy Department’s secretary from 1993 to 1999, writes:
Particularly worrisome is the large amount of cesium-137 in fuel ponds, which contain anywhere from 20 to 50 million curies of this dangerous radioactive isotope. With a half-life of 30 years, cesium-137 gives off highly penetrating radiation and is absorbed in the food chain as if it were potassium.
In comparison, the 1986 Chernobyl accident released about 40 percent of the reactor core’s 6 million curies ” a major release of cesium-137 from a pool fire could render an area uninhabitable greater than created by the Chernobyl accident.
Tuesday afternoon, after Chu and Obama made what should be impeachable statements of utter incompetence, we have confirmation of the unthinkable:
Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, said the fire was at its No. 4 reactor, where an earlier blaze in a nuclear fuel storage pond Tuesday exposed fuel rods and spewed radioactivity into the air. The utility said the original fire had not been fully extinguished and had flared anew in the outer housing of the reactor’s containment vessel. [emphasis added]
The USA Today piece predictably avoids the cesium-137, the 20-50 million Curies and the comparison with Chernobyl, opting instead for the vague term “radiation,” which apparently sells better. It’s better not to know, huh?
Another facet to this disaster is that the pumps began failing, which means failing to provide cooling water to the reactors. If the reactors are not cooled constantly then they melt down and burn through their concrete containment vessels down into the earth, until they reach the water table below and the radioactive steam beneath explodes and spews radioactive gases uncontrollably: the China Syndrome.
Fools masquerading as “experts” were hyper-confident about the Japanese reactor situations as simultaneously we learned:
“Here [at the No. 2 reactor] pumps feeding in seawater failed, causing water levels to drop.
This exposed fuel rods, allowing them to overheat. Water flow was initially restored, then failed again, exposing the fuel rods for a second time.”
So, the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, perhaps millions, dangle on the reliability of a couple of water pumps and valves that have just been through an earthquake, a tsunami and a hydrogen gas explosion. Yet, the so-called “experts” who are called up by the corporate press to provide information to the American masses can easily rattle off their 100% assurances that it’s all fine and well. And they do it with a straight face.
Is there an acting school the “experts” go through? A training course of some sort? What’s the pay?
The next imbecile who tells you that we cannot manage without nuclear power, punch the jerk in the face.
Unnecessary?
Yes. Just like nuclear energy. But I guess it has its own rewards.
Joe Giambrone is a novelist and filmmaker who moved to Redding Ca to hopefully get away from all this nuclear insanity. He’s at polfilmblog — a t — gmail — dot — com.
Additional:
Harvey Wasserman discusses the Japan disaster.
President Obama: Reverse your support of risky nuclear power
Public Citizen: Halt New Reactors
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Port Isaac Surgery
Patient Record
View your medical record
Update your patient record
Sharing Your Medical Record
Increasingly, patient medical data is shared e.g. between GP surgeries and District Nursing, in order to give clinicians access to the most up to date information when attending patients.
The systems we operate require that any sharing of medical information is consented to by patients beforehand. Patients must consent to sharing of the data held by a health provider out to other health providers and must also consent to which of the other providers can access their data.
e.g. it may be necessary to share data held in GP practices with district nurses but the local podiatry department would not need to see it to undertake their work. In this case, patients would allow the surgery to share their data, they would allow the district nurses to access it but they would not allow access by the podiatry department. In this way access to patient data is under patients' control and can be shared on a 'need to know' basis.
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There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). The Summary Care Record is meant to help emergency doctors and nurses help you when you contact them when the surgery is closed. Initially, it will contain just your medications and allergies.
Later on as the central NHS computer system develops, (known as the ‘Summary Care Record’ – SCR), other staff who work in the NHS will be able to access it along with information from hospitals, out of hours services, and specialists letters that may be added as well.
Your information will be extracted from practices such as ours and held on central NHS databases.
As with all new systems there are pros and cons to think about. When you speak to an emergency doctor you might overlook something that is important and if they have access to your medical record it might avoid mistakes or problems, although even then, you should be asked to give your consent each time a member of NHS Staff wishes to access your record, unless you are medically unable to do so.
On the other hand, you may have strong views about sharing your personal information and wish to keep your information at the level of this practice. Connecting for Health (CfH), the government agency responsible for the Summary Care Record have agreed with doctors’ leaders that new patients registering with this practice should be able to decide whether or not their information is uploaded to the Central NHS Computer System.
For existing patients it is different in that it is assumed that you want your record uploaded to the Central NHS Computer System unless you actively opt out.
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HomePress ReleasesGrown Rogue Establishes Operations in California
Grown Rogue Establishes Operations in California
First of several phases of multi-state plan
MEDFORD, OR, Dec. 5, 2018 /CNW/ – Grown Rogue International Inc. (CSE:GRIN) (“Grown Rogue” or the “Company“), has secured 16,000 square feet of prime location real estate in the heart of California’s cannabis growers’ region – Humboldt County, California as part of its multi-state expansion into California. Grown Rogue established GRD Cali, LLC for its California operations and has received licensing approval from the City of Eureka, anticipating full distribution license approval from the State of California this month.
California Humboldt cannabis distribution license Grown Rogue (CNW Group/Grown Rogue)
GRD Cali, dba Rogue Distribution, will provide distribution services to support local licensed cannabis farmers and processors, as well as distribution of its own Grown Rogue product categories produced or sourced in California. In addition, Rogue Distribution will assist with bulk distribution transactions throughout the state. In 2019, Grown Rogue plans to build out the 16,000 sq ft location to add a manufacturing lab (types 6 and 7) as well as retail operations.
“In California we are replicating successful operations, cultivation, distribution, and brand integrity that has been so effective for Grown Rogue in Oregon,” said Obie Strickler, CEO of Grown Rogue. “Unlike most California producers, we have first hand experience operating under the changing supply chain logistics and compliance, which allows us to replicate our proven business model within these new jurisdictions like California.”
Grown Rogue’s initial California sales team is headquartered in the Los Angeles region, anchored by a business development director with 15 years of experience in the cannabis markets. “We started investing almost a year ago by developing sales and distribution relationships that span Los Angeles to San Francisco so we could hit the ground running,” added Mr. Strickler.
The California expansion is the first step in a multi-state business plan that is also evaluating two other states.
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“Very few cannabis operators have the history and years of experience in cannabis that our senior management possesses,” stated Jacques Habra, Grown Rogue Chief Strategy Officer. “From building out cultivation infrastructure and manufacturing to establishing distribution systems that work, this team has the knowledge and understanding to move quickly and effectively into new regions,” continued Mr. Habra.
“Knowing what operational environment will work and identifying what talent will perform has become second nature over the years,” added Mr. Strickler, “We are applying this experience into California and other states as legalization occurs.”
About Grown Rogue
Grown Rogue International (CSE: GRIN) is a vertically-integrated, multi-state Cannabis brand specializing in “seed to experience” products through an experienced management team, state of the art indoor and outdoor manufacturing facilities, and a proprietary distribution platform featuring exclusive partnership with Microsoft 365. Grown Rogue’s diverse product suite includes premium flower, patent-pending nitrogen sealed pre-rolls, 3.5g flower jars, oil and concentrate distillates, and most recently dark chocolate edibles featuring partnership with world-renowned chocolatier.
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This press release contains statements which constitute “forward‐looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to future business activities. Forward‐ looking information is often identified by the words “may,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “will,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect” or similar expressions and include information regarding: (i) statements regarding the future direction of the Company (ii) the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business and financial objectives, (iii) plans for expansion of the Company, and (iv) expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Investors are cautioned that forward‐looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect the Company’s management’s expectations, estimates or projections concerning the business of the Company’s future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward‐looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the combined company. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward‐looking information are the following: the potential impact of the announcement of the going public transaction on relationships, including with regulatory bodies, employees, suppliers, customers and competitors; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; and in particular in the ability of the Company to raise debt and equity capital in the amounts and at the costs that it expects; adverse changes in the public perception of cannabis; decreases in the prevailing prices for cannabis and cannabis products in the markets that the Company operates in; adverse changes in applicable laws; or adverse changes in the application or enforcement of current laws; and increasing costs of compliance with extensive government regulation, and other risks described in the Company’s Listing Statement available onwww.sedar.com.
Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward‐looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward‐looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.
Safe Harbor Statement:
This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), including all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things: (i) the Company’s financing plans; (ii) trends affecting the Company’s financial condition or results of operations; (iii) the Company’s growth strategy and operating strategy; and (iv) the declaration and payment of dividends. The words “may,” “would,” “will,” “expect,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend” and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Also, forward-looking statements represent our management’s beliefs and assumptions only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s ability to control, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors including the risk disclosed in the Company’s Form 20-F and 6-K filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Company is indirectly involved in the manufacture, possession, use, sale and distribution of cannabis in the recreational cannabis marketplace in the United States through its indirect operating subsidiaries. Local state laws where its subsidiaries operate permit such activities however, these activities are currently illegal under United Statesfederal law. Additional information regarding this and other risks and uncertainties relating to the Company’s business are disclosed in the Company’s Listing Statement filed on its issuer profile on SEDAR at www. sedar. com. Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information or forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected.
No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.
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SOURCE Grown Rogue
For further information: on Grown Rogue International please visit www.grownrogue.com or contact: Obie Strickler, Chief Executive Officer, [email protected]; Jacques Habra, Chief Strategy Officer, [email protected]; Investor Relations Desk Inquiries, [email protected]
Grown Rogue Revenue More than Quadruples in Preliminary First Quarter Sales Results
MEDFORD, OR, March 5, 2019 /CNW/ – Grown Rogue International Inc. (CSE:GRIN |OTC:NVSIF) (“Grown Rogue” or the “Company“), a vertically-integrated, multi-state cannabis company, with licenses and operations in Oregon, California, and now positioned for significant …
Grown Rogue Announces Binding Agreement for Michigan Cannabis Licenses and Assets
DETROIT, Feb. 25, 2019 /CNW/ – Grown Rogue International Inc. (CSE:GRIN |OTC:NVSIF) (“Grown Rogue” or the “Company“), a vertically-integrated, multi-state cannabis company, with licenses and operations in Oregon and California, has signed a binding agreement …
Grown Rogue Appoints Adam Wolf as Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Wolf brings decades of management experience and cannabis industry knowledge
MEDFORD, OR, Jan. 3, 2019 /CNW/ – Grown Rogue International Inc. (CSE:GRIN) (“Grown Rogue” or the “Company“), announces the appointment of Mr. …
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About PRB MEDIA – Celebrity and Music Entertainment Booking Agency
PRB Media
Music | Film | TV
Blockchain Could Have a Huge Impact on the Entertainment Industry…
The Music industry and the Blockchain with Ceek VR
Blockchain tokens could transform the entertainment industry
Listen Up Britain: BeX will be live at the London Semi Final at BIRTHDAYS!
Wightlink’s Sounds of Summer playlist revealed
Bit Coin
isle of wight, westend, shows, summer, performance
m#Music Stars and Pop Stars
shows and festivals
Wightlink
Posts Tagged ‘playlist’
Posted: August 25, 2017 in isle of wight, westend, shows, summer, performance, live, music, New music, shows and festivals, Uncategorized, Wightlink
Tags: artists, boat, business, entertainment, ferry, holiday, isle of wight, music, playlist, solent, sounds, southampton, spotify, summer, Wightlink
ISLE of Wight singer/songwriter BeX has joined the likes of REM, the Pet Shop Boys, Blondie and Paul McCartney on a new playlist celebrating the Isle of Wight.
BeX’s single Time to Stop the Rain has been added to Wightlink’s Sounds of Summer Spotify playlist after topping a public vote in a competition run in partnership with the Isle of Wight County Press.
Wootton-born BeX’s song received almost 500 of the near 700 votes cast for six original songs performed and put forward by Island artist.
Besides a spot on the Sounds of Summer playlist alongside some stellar names, BeX will also be given the chance to perform a gig on board a Wightlink sailing and also a free passage for her and her band to a future mainland gig.
The rest of the Sounds of Summer playlist features 75 songs nominated by Wightlink customers.
Marketing and Innovation Director Stuart James said: “We wanted to create an iconic soundtrack to the summer of 2017. A soundtrack which people can download, share, stream, and listen to whenever they like – recapturing that happy, Isle of Wight holiday feeling.
“BeX’s song fits in perfectly with the spirit of Sounds of Summer and takes a worthy place alongside many other great tunes. BeX has already performed an on board concert for us during this year’s Isle of Wight Festival and we will be delighted to welcome her back for another performance.”
BeX said: “I am thrilled to hear my debut single Time To Stop The Rain has been chosen for the Wightlink Sounds of Summer competition and Spotify playlist, a big thank you to everyone who voted.”
Songs by Island artists also chosen for the playlist by the general Wightlink vote include Derek Sandy’s Welcome to the Isle of Wight and Nakamarra’s Temptress.
Many other songs are by bands who have played at Island music festivals.
The Sounds of Summer playlist is available at
http://www.wightlink.co.uk/do/sounds-of-summer/
For more information about BeX contact:
info@prbmedia.co.uk (more…)
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Association for Healthcare Philanthropy
SunTrust Foundation provides $150,000 grant to National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, The Carter Center names eight U.S. recipients of the 2017-2018 Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, Catalysts of the Climate Economy National Innovation Summit to take place September 6th-9th, and more.
09.06.12.: US News Bits
Foundation for Youth Investment announces awards, First Five Years Fund appoints new executive director, six individuals receive the World of Children Award, and more.
Giving to Canadian health care rebounds
Donors contributed a total of $1.2 billion to nonprofit health-care organizations in Canada in fiscal 2010, an improvement over 2008 and 2009, but still far below pre-recession levels, a new report says.
Giving to nonprofit hospitals grows
Philanthropic donations to U.S. nonprofit hospitals and health-care systems grew 8 percent last year to $8.26 billion, but fundraising costs grew and return on investment fell.
Health of nonprofit hospitals improves
While still anemic in almost all fundraising avenues, development at nonprofit hospitals is beginning to see some signs of recovery, a new study says.
Health-care fundraising costs soar
Fundraisers in fiscal 2009 spent a lot more money than in 2008 to secure gifts and grants for nonprofit hospitals and health-care systems in the U.S. and Canada, a new survey says.
Nonprofit health-care providers see threat
State and local governments hungry for revenue are creating fiscal barriers that limit nonprofit hospitals’ ability to provide needed services, a trade group for nonprofit health-care providers’ philanthropic programs says.
Health-care giving falters
Charitable giving to nonprofit health-care institutions is ailing, with U.S.-based giving up an anemic 2.6 percent in 2008 and Canadian giving off by 12.9 percent, a new study says.
‘Rainmakers’ vital to health-care industry
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Hospitals serve poor despite economy
Of the nonprofit hospitals expecting a drop in donations this year, fewer than one in 10 plans to cut services for the poor and underinsured, says a survey.
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SWaTOR Update! December 16, 2008
Filed under: BioWare,Games,Other Folks — Gwyddia @ 12:28 pm
Tags: KOTOR, MMO, MMORPG, Star Wars, swtor
Five minutes of geek goodness from BioWare courtesy of GameTrailers.com:
KOTOR MMORPG Combat To Be A Graceful Dance November 10, 2008
Filed under: BioWare,Games,Kotaku,Other Folks,Rumors — Gwyddia @ 8:53 pm
Tags: BioWare, combat, Knights of the Old Republic, KOTOR, MMO, MMORPG, Star Wars
Will it go a little something like this?
At least according to BioWare, anyway. The team is looking for versimilitude with the movie, including the detailed, almost choreographed combat sequences. In an interview with videogaming247, BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk described classic Star Wars fights as “. . . elegant; it’s big, powerful moves and lightning bolts flashing, but in a way that makes sense visually and aesthetically.”
Some sites, notably Kotaku and Destructoid, are skeptical. They note, and rightly so, that one of the weaknesses of the prequels was the overly-rehearsed lightsaber duels at the expense of thing like, say, dialogue. I, for one, doubt that BioWare is ever going to skimp in the writing department. I suspect the combat will be similar to the pause-and-play back-and-forth of the original KOTOR, with some modern flourished befitting the five-plus years since that game’s release. We’ll know more in the weeks and months to come.
Preview: Star Wars: The Old Republic October 25, 2008
Filed under: Araan,BioWare,Games,Industry,Previews,Rumors — Gwyddia @ 6:50 pm
Tags: Araan, BioWare, lightsabers, MMORPG, Previews, Rumors, Star Wars, The Old Republic
From Araan:
This week Bioware finally let out some details about the worst-kept secret in PC video games: that their secret MMORPG project is related to their hit title, Knights of the Old Republic.
Welcome to SWTOR, or “Swatter”, as we shall pronounce it.
The new game, is set 3,500 years before the rise of Darth Vader, and 300 years after your adventures as Revan in the original KOTOR. Players will be thrust into a world where the real Sith Empire has finally emerged from hiding on the fringes of the galaxy and delivered a major defeat to the Republic. While the two sides are technically at peace, it’s clear that a new war between the Republic and the Empire is in the offing.
The Galactic Republic stood for generations as a bastion of peace in a galaxy of warring star systems. Protected by its stalwart Jedi guardians, the Republic held the greatest hope for the progress of civilization and galactic unity.
Deep in unknown space, however, a mighty Sith Empire was forged, led by dark Sith Lords who dreamt of galactic domination and vengeance against their ancient Jedi enemies. After centuries of preparation, the time came for the Sith to make their return.
Bioware’s official website is sparse on details, without even an expect ship timeframe or base system requirements. All we can do at the moment is oogle at the pretty concept pictures hosted at the site.
Review: Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood October 6, 2008
Filed under: 3 weiners,BioWare,DS,Games,Reviews — Gwyddia @ 2:15 pm
Tags: 3 weiners, BioWare, Reviews, Sonic
The original Sonic design.
In the beginning there was a hedgehog. Well, maybe more in the post-beginning/pre-middle. Certainly in the early 16-bit era. Yes, by 1991 there was Sonic The Hedgehog. (Note: The “T” in “The” is properly capitalized. Sonic creator Naoto Ōshima registered Sonic with The as his middle name.) Over the last 17 years there have been over 30 Sonic and Sonic-related titles, including such highs as Sonic 2 and Sonic CD, and such lows as Sonic Heroes and Sonic and the Secret Rings.
Super speed also leads to jaundice.
Several of those games have had RPG elements. Chaos Emerald and chao collection could earn the Blue Blur extra powers or lives. Most games post-Sonic Adventure featured a “Super Sonic” mode, giving the ‘hog even more speed after he collected 50 precious, precious rings. In Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, BioWare has taken these power-ups several steps further in an attempt to turn Sonic into a “real live” role-playing game.
On a pure mechanics level, they succeeded. Sonic forms a party, gets quests, earns experience, levels up and collects loot. The party’s static skills increase automatically with each level, but the player can assign one bonus point to a stat of their choice each level. Every level also brings five more action points that you can either spend on a talent or save for higher levels of a talent. Pretty standard fare, with the exception of Chaos – cute little creatures which you can collect, hatch, and bond with to add abilities to your team.
Say it COW, spell it CHAO!
The real question is how this stop-and-go framework fits a game world that is all about speed. The answer is that mostly, it doesn’t. BioWare has a knack for making pause-and-play gameplay seem fluid (see KOTOR), but mere fluidity is not enough for Sonic The Hedgehog. The developers tried to include running puzzles and loop-de-loops aplenty, but the fact that you have to select Sonic then push a button to enter the loop then have no control whatsoever over where you land or what you do during the “speed boost” completely destroys the illusion of fast.
Whee! Talking and button-pressing!
Where BioWare does try to allow for real speed, it is a complicated mess. It seems as if they tried to combine their own inimitable style of pause-and-play with the 2.5D action-RPG battles of Nintendo’s Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. The problem is that Mario is all about good jumps and better timing, and Sonic is all about running like hell, which does not lend itself to drawn-out battles. The stylus-controlled special abilities minigames are ill-explained and imprecise, and every special move requires a metric ton of minigame action to pull off. It makes you want to just hit Attack over and over and over.
All of that being said, the game is not terrible. The visuals are charming and do hold true to classic Sonic style. The RPG format in and of itself is an interesting twist for an overused, yet beloved, video game character. And BioWare does bring the story. For a Sonic game, this baby is deep. A plot with turns, surprises and revelations, all adding to the Sonic “canon”. I think the problem is that Sonic doesn’t really need a canon. Sonic needs another good 2D game full of speed and color. I wish that Team Sonic would take a page from Mega Man 9 and go solidly retro the next time out. Unfortunately, as the next few Sonic games include Sonic Unleashed (featuring a were-Sonic) and a sequel to the super-odd Sonic and the Secret Rings, I don’t think I’m going to get my wish any time soon.
For being a colorful and often witty addition to the Sonic family while also being unfittingly slow and imprecise, I’m giving Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood 3 Weiners out of 5.
Preview: Dragon Age: Origins September 19, 2008
Filed under: BioWare,Games,PC,Previews — Gwyddia @ 8:18 am
Tags: BioWare, Dragon Age, preview
Gee, I wonder what those KOTOR guys have been up to lately. Sure, they’re developing a Sonic RPG for the DS, but that seems pretty small potatoes in comparison to say, Baldur’s Gate. Yeah, Baldur’s Gate. I miss that. I wish they’d do another one.
Huzzah! The spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate is Dragon Age: Origins, and BioWare recently confirmed that PC players will have it before April 2009, and consoleans soon after.
Originally just titled “Dragon Age” the ‘Origins’ in the title refers to how your origin and the decisions you make affect the way your story unfolds. This is nothing new for BioWare. KOTOR, Jade Empire, and Mass Effect all had “light side/dark side” decision trees. BioWare considers this sort of character development its particular idiom, and they seem determined to keep honing the technique until every player feels that each of their characters is an entirely unique entity shaped by the player’s own hand.
Unlike in Mass Effect, however, your main character does not have a voice. BioWare told Joystiq at PAX that this was due to the great variability in gender and race for your character. The demo makes it clear that, at least in town, race does matter. In the town we saw, Human Wardens were treated with great honor and respect, but their Elven brethren were far less revered. Humans might experience the reverse in an Elven town, and it remains to be seen how the Orc PCs fit into the whole mess. The specifics of character creation are still under wraps.
Elves Pay Moar.
As far as the game world is concerned, the forces shaping the characters in Dragon Age are not your typical D&D high thud and blunder. BioWare has taken a darker tone, complete with real blood and real violence. You play as the Grey Wardens, elite warriors called to task to put down the forces of a risen Old God.
A beheading from the PAX demo.
Combat is classic BioWare pause-and-play, with a decent mix of action and roleplaying every combat. The fight in the 45-minute PAX demo felt solid, and gave the player several options to finish the fight, including butchery and trickery. It is possible that even these choices can affect your character development, but BioWare has yet to confirm this.
As of PAX, the game looks good. BioWare has developed a new game engine for DA that they are calling Eclipse. The game will come with a toolset for user-created content, and one can only expect that with a subtitle like Origins, expansion packs will be on the way.
If Dragon Age: Origins is this promising eight months before its release, I look forward to seeing the depth and polish BioWare puts on the final product.
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written by Patrick Burton
3D Bioprinting Spritam Innovation R&D Personalized Medicine
How 3D Bioprinting is Revolutionizing Personalized Medicine
With the US FDA approval of a 3D bioprinted drug in 2016, the floodgates have been opened for a new wave of innovative, personalized and customizable printed medicine.
Printing tailored medicine could simplify our supply chain dramatically.
Martin Wallace, GSK
3D Bioprinting on the Rise
Many healthcare and life science companies are investing in 3D bioprinting and are cognizant of the potential that the technology can bring. The US-based Organovo has already had some success in printing parts of lung, kidney and heart muscle and is working with Roche on assessing drug-induced toxicity on simulated liver tissue and with L’Oreal to test potential product side-effects on artificial skin. While plenty of research is being directed towards bioprinting a working, transplantable human organ, this is proving to be hugely complex due to difficulties in creating blood vessels and capillaries. NASA has even offered a USD 500,000 prize for the first research team to manufacture a working vascular system.
Printing Pills
Although a 3D printed human organ is some way off coming to market, 3D printed drugs are already being made available to patients. Spritam (levetiracetam), an oral drug for epilepsy patients suffering from seizures manufactured by Aprecia Pharmaceutical, became the first 3D bioprinted medication to gain FDA approval in March 2016.
Unlike conventional production techniques, the 3D printing process for Spritam does not rely on compression forces, punches, or dies. Instead, it binds layers of powdered medication together with an aqueous fluid. This forms medicine that is solid, yet very porous. The porous design helps the medication to rapidly disintegrate when taken with a sip of liquid, creating a medication suitable for patients who struggle to swallow tablets capsules or pills, dislike the texture and/or taste of liquid medicine, or who have trouble measuring precise doses of liquid medicine. Martin Wallace, director of technology at British pharma giant GSK, comments that Spritam represents “an almost instantaneous release of the drug, with a very high drug loading, which is difficult using conventional technology.”
Big Pharma Keeping an Eye
GSK itself is investigating the advantages that 3D printing could bring to the manufacture of pills and tablets, specifically in the field of personalized medicine. Wallace explains, “Because personalized medicine has the ability to stratify patient populations and segregate them in a more precise manner, it means that we can provide more specific solutions for that patient,” he continues. “Printing tailored medicine could simplify our supply chain dramatically.” Wallace feels that 3D printing can also unlock the ability “to create complex shapes and geometry in order to deliver the drug in a different way.” The drug loading, release, and taste of a medicine can all be altered by changing the geometry of a tablet.
Wallace does, however, caution that, 3D printing will not replace today’s production methods for some time. “Current technology allows us to produce up to 1.6 million tablets per hour,” he notes. “You’re going to need a lot of printers to achieve that sort of production.”
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Pam travelled to Yunnan, China in the spring of 2014 to hunt for Primulas. Click image for more...
Primula Rediscovered
Primula bracteata and Primula bullata are found in their type locations after 125 years.
Near Lhasa, Tibet
How do you tell the difference between P. tibetica and P. fasciculata?
Primula ambita in the Wild
The first ever cultivated plant caused a stir at Chelsea earlier this year.
New Primula Book
The latest Primula book is a revision of the 106 species of Primula found in India.
Primula whitei or Primula bhutanica?
characteristics , research , species profile No comments
Primula bhutanica
Primula whitei and Primula bhutanica are members of Section Petiolares whose members have a crumbling seed capsule (rather than the seed capsule opening by valves like most species), and often have dimorphic leaves, that is, leaves of a different shape are produced at different times in the season.
There is much confusion regarding these two species and their relationship to each other and, if indeed, they are actually distinct species.
Primula whitei was described first, in 1911, by W.W. Smith from plants collected by J.C. White (#122) on the Pe-le La, Bhutan 27°32'50.33"N 90°12'57.39"E. The holotype is in Calcutta, CAL0000017397, with a photograph of the type at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, E00024821. Many additional collections were also gathered by Ludlow & Sherriff and R.E. Cooper.
Primula bhutanica was described in 1941 by Fletcher who recognised that some plants collected under P. whitei showed consistent, distinct characteristics separate from true P. whitei. Several collections are listed in the description, but the holotype is Ludlow and Sherriff #1166 from the Choling La, in Eastern Bhutan 27°19'22.59"N 91°46'33.69"E and resides at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh E00024661.
The distinct characteristics used to separate the two species are: the calyx lobes which are entire (undivided) in P. bhutanica and fimbriated (fringed) in P. whitei, and the corolla lobes which are tridentate (three toothed) in P. bhutanica and crenulate (finely wavy) in P. whitei. Both species are blue with a white zone in the center and a yellowish-green eye. The distribution of the two species is split with P. bhutanica occurring further east than P. whitei.
Characteristics of P. bhutanica
Characteristics of P. whitei (courtesy RBGE)
In fruit the leaves of P. whitei have a base decurrent along the petiole and P. bhutanica has an attenuate base with a narrow, distinct petiole. (see illustration below)
In 1947, L&Ss&E observed and collected under #12299 near Tongkyuk Dzong in Tibet 29°57'39.88"N 94°46'49.59"E a population of plants that had characteristics of both species - some plants had tridentate petals and others had finely crenulately toothed petals. They stated in the field notes: "Specimens under this number should not be separated. All specimens were collected in one spot and represent one species."
From John Richards (Spring leaf left, Fall leaf right)
John Richards has discussed these species in the context of the Section in the article "An Account of Primula Section Petiolares in Cultivation", J. Scott. Rock Gard. Club 15(3):177, 1977. He noted that "it appears that extensive hybridisation has occurred between P. whitei and bhutanica in a few gardens where they self-sow; the majority of plants now in cultivation seem now to be hybrid, with poor pollen and seed fertility."
So only further observations of plants in the wild will help solve this problem.
The Flora of Bhutan keeps the two species distinct but notes that P. bhutanica may only warrant subspecies status within P. whitei.
The Flora of China (1994) reduces P. bhutanica to a synonym of P. whitei with the explanation given in the Chinese version stating that from observations in the wild and the Ludlow & Sherriff collections 12299 and 12291 show the distinction between the corolla lobes and calyx used to separate the two species is mixed in that population.
Pam Eveleigh © 2016
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Posted on February 4, 2019 February 4, 2019 By AntBit
Hell Fest first published by Sight & Sound, Jan/Feb 2019
Review: 2018 has seen the release of Owen Egerton’s Blood Fest, Ante Novakovic’s Fright Fest and now Hell Fest – all similarly titled, and all exploiting the recent growth in horror-themed amusement events. These films may largely unfold in scare mazes and ghost trains, but their real fixture is the hall of mirrors, given that they offer a carnivalesque reflection of their own thrill-seeking viewers, who, from within the safe confines of the theatre, similarly desire to get close – but not too close – to their own mortality. Conversely, all those scary rides, grisly tableaux and costumed figures are modelled on the tropes of horror cinema. Set a real killer loose on one of those events, and the security of both those fun lovers at the park, and of those watching in the theatre, is challenged, even as acts of bloody murder can easily remain hidden in locations designed to resemble charnel houses. After all, at a fright event, or indeed at a horror film, we both hope and expect there will be blood.
That is certainly the dynamic of Hell Fest, directed by Gregory Plotkin, who previously helmed Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015), and edited four other Paranormal Activity sequels as well as Get Out (2017) and Happy Death Day (2017). “Fear is an aphrodisiac,” as Taylor (Bex Taylor-Klaus) points out near the film’s beginning. “It reminds us that life is short, and our only compensation is to reproduce.” What Taylor has in mind is that single Natalie (Amy Forsyth) and Gavin (Roby Attal) should couple up at the ‘traveling horror show’. What she cannot know is that, over this Halloween night of fun and frights, the lives of several people will be terminally shortened as a hulking masked figure known only as ‘The Other’ (Stephen Conroy) stabs, hammers, guillotines and axes his way through the co-ed body, using the scary milieu as perfect cover. If Natalie is to survive the night, she must play this killer at his own game, exploiting the tripwires and traps and masks all around her – even as the only actual reproductive activity going on here is The Other’s mute reprisal of numerous slasher clichés, in artificial locales where such conduct seems right at home.
When Natalie first encounters The Other about to stab a terrified young woman, she eggs him on with the words, “Just do it,” thinking that it is all part of the show. It is a peculiar moment, as this all-round good girl is made complicit in an act of murder. Yet that is akin to the conflicted feelings of most horror viewers, who will their darkest fears to be enacted as on-screen entertainment. Meanwhile the film’s relentless villain, whose very name denotes a removal from societal norms, turns out, once the mask of Otherness has been removed, to have a life more everyday and familiar than we might like to suppose. The slash and dash, though ably executed, is a little rote – but it is in these momentary frissons where horror fantasy meets reality that Hell Fest works best.
Synopsis: A young woman is murdered by a masked man – ‘the Other’ – at a travelling horror show, her corpse left undiscovered for days amidst grisly props. Two years later, at Halloween, Natalie joins best friend Brooke, her roommate Taylor and their respective boyfriends Quinn and Asher at Hell Fest, where everyone wants Natalie to hook up with Gavin. In the Deform School maze, Natalie urges the Other on as he stabs a woman, thinking it is a performance. The Other starts stalking Natalie, creeping her out. When Gavin stays behind looking for a prize to give Natalie, the Other crushes his head with a mallet. In the Dead Lands area, Asher gets separated in a maze, where the Other stabs him through the eye with a novelty syringe. The Other menaces Natalie in the toilets. Security are called, but cannot trace a man wearing the same mask as many of the staff. Taylor cheerily goes on stage for a mock execution. When the Other tries to kill Taylor for real with the guillotine, she flees, but is stabbed in public along with Quinn, creating a panic. The Other chases Natalie and Brooke into the Hell maze, but they manage to elude him by donning masks themselves and fighting back. The Other, injured, escapes, and drives to his suburban home, putting his mask away in a cabinet, and greeting his young daughter with a stuffed toy from Hell Fest.
© Anton Bitel
Hammer Horror: The Warner Bros Years (2018)
Cold Prey 2: Resurrection (Fritt Vilt II, 2008)
Fright Fest (American Fright Fest) (2018)
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Videogames & Loneliness: The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
31st Mar 2018 In Video Games
Tags: Eugenie Johnson, Interview, Russell Bennetts, Videogames, Videogames & Loneliness
by Eugenie Johnson
“Your friends… What kind of… people are they? I wonder… Do those people… think of you… as a friend?”
As The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask begins, we find Link riding his horse Epona through a mist-strewn forest. It is here, in an unnamed wood, that he has come to find his departed fairy and once-trusted guide, Navi. The young Link has turned his back on Hyrule, gone in search of his friend.
It’s an opening that sets the tone for the rest of Majora’s Mask, where the conflicting themes of isolation and companionship often rear their head. Not that I noticed that when I first played it. I was too busy being eternally frustrated working out how to return Link from his Deku form back into being human again. There was a lot of running backwards and forwards through the central hub of Clock Town trying to get the sequence of events nailed down before the moon finally decided to collapse and crush the world. That impending apocalypse was a real nail-biter (quite literally). It wasn’t anything like the relatively languid pace of Ocarina of Time, where Link’s central task of saving Hyrule from Ganon could be delayed for as long as you wished in favour of a spot of fishing or hunting down all those elusive golden skulltulas. Hyrule could suffer under tyranny a bit longer if it meant Link could indulge in a spot of fishing.
Perhaps some of these childhood frustrations can explain why Majora’s Mask didn’t instantly jump to mind when asked to write about videogames and loneliness. I thought of a number of different options. Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon seemed obvious choices; both games implanted the player into a community that (for the most part) was filled with friendly inhabitants, asking you to interact with them and influence their lives in a positive way. Final Fantasy (mostly VI through to XII) has often been equally as absorbing, providing lush and diverse environments to explore and epic narratives of good versus evil that were still often filled with depth and emotion. I also reflected on the numerous times that I’ve played Midway’s hack and slash adventure Gauntlet: Dark Legacy with my mother, the local multiplayer experience I’ve indulged in the most (and still continue to; the speed of my usual companion Green Archer continues to annoy the slower yet robust Blue Valkyrie, albeit more fleetingly).
Yet Majora’s Mask is the game I’ve continually returned to. But why? Yes, the gameplay is undoubtedly a factor in this. Its looping three-day cycle, which resets the vast majority of the narrative each time the Song of Time is played, means it’s easy to tackle the different mini-games and dungeons dotted around Termina time and time again (although the rubber-band physics on the Goron races never fails to make me want to tear my own hair out. Curse the quest for the Gilded Sword).
As time has passed, though, it’s gradually become clear that it was always the narrative that has a unique gravitational pull. On the surface it pretends to be similar to Ocarina of Time (save the world from a powerful, evil force) but is far darker in tone than its predecessor. Yes, there are some brief moments of levity, but for the most part Majora’s Mask is deeply steeped in a sense of sadness. Even from his first steps in Clock Town, Link, in his Deku form, is met with people who shun him for his plant-like form. The Bombers won’t let him join their group because of his transformation; though they have a somewhat reasonable explanation for it (a former Deku member apparently once broke their club rules), it still feels somewhat exclusionary.
Loneliness wasn’t something that ever came to mind much around the time I first stepped foot inside the world of Termina. Perhaps the concept of being lonely, though, was more of a subconscious feeling. In Matilda, Roald Dahl wrote that books gave the eponymous heroine “a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.” Similar to Matilda diving into Ernest Hemingway and Joseph Conrad, literature and music, helped to transport me to distant lands or place me in the shoes of another. Video games offered this in a more literal, hands-on sense. While sitting in a bedroom, it was possible to dive head-first into a completely different, fantastical land. The world of Termina – more geographically condensed than Ocarina of Time’s Hyrule – compacted mysterious swamplands, colossal mountains, a great ocean and a barren desert together into a space that could be traversed from end to end in a matter of a couple of minutes. Its diverse landscape makes it breath-taking to explore. And that early rejection by the Bombers of Deku Link gave me an almighty gut-punch, just a small sign of what else was to come.
Over the years, whether consciously thinking about it or not, I’ve come realise that the concept of loneliness is interwoven into the fabric of Majora’s Mask. Almost every character Link encounters in Clock Town he’s already met in Ocarina of Time. Yet, none of them recognise the boy who saved Hyrule. Termina is often described as a parallel world to Hyrule but even for a character like Link, who the player can project their own vision on to, it must undoubtedly be a surreal and alienating experience. When you eventually rewind the clocks, any positive impact that Link has on the citizens of Termina are erased from history and from their minds. We’re sent back to square one, back to when Link – and the player – meant nothing to these people. Even if you’ve spent all three days helping to reunite estranged lovers Anju and Kafei, ultimately you have to play the Song of Time, undoing that hard work and isolating the pair from each other once more.
Perhaps more than any other region in the game, Ikana Canyon embodies the lingering sense of isolation and alienation most vividly; it is a land “stained with a history of darkness” and “drenched in blood.” Unlike the other areas in the game, little changes when Link defeats the evil lurking within the Stone Tower Temple; it still remains a barren wasteland even when supposedly “cleansed”. Igos du Ikana, the undead king of the region, proclaims: “Believing in your friends and embracing that belief by forgiving failure. These feelings have vanished front our hearts.” These are spirits alienated from their feelings, vessels with little attachment to the world. It’s unsurprising that here Link learns the Elegy of Emptiness, a song that produces hollow, surreal representations of his living form.
Despite being the most barren of landscapes though, music permeates through the narrative of Ikana Canyon. Pamela and her father reside in a Music Box House, where two songs save their fragile existence: the melody that plays from the house itself repels the onslaught of Gibdos, while the Song of Healing restores Pamela’s father from his half-mummified, monstrous state, temporarily returning him into the warm embrace of his daughter. A history of pain and loneliness flows even deeper through the tales of composers Flat and Sharp. Sharp sold his soul to the devil, imprisoning his brother in the graveyard. When Link meets Flat his discontent comes pouring through his words after a millennia of isolation from the outside: “The thousand years of raindrops summoned by my song are my tears. The thunder that strikes the earth is my anger!”
Now though, I can also see the threads of loneliness stitched through some of the game’s seemingly most minor occurrences. Take one instance just outside Ikana Canyon (or underneath the watchtower in the Pirate’s Fortress if you happen to be picking up the 3DS remaster). There, you can use the Lens of Truth to meet Shiro; give him a Red Potion and he’ll give you the Stone Mask. It’s a very fleeting encounter, but one that’s deeply tinged with feelings of separation. His appearance is non-descript; unlike most of the notable NPCs in the game who help Link on his journey, his model is simply that of a typical Hylian soldier. Shiro remarks that “you’re the first person who’s ever spoken to me. I’ve been here for many years, waving my arms around and asking for help, but everyone ignores me and passes me by.” Shiro’s is a short side-quest, one that seems utilitarian and designed simply as a quick aside to obtain a useful item. Yet even here, Shiro is so alienated that he spends the rest of his three days trying his hardest to “stand out” and finally be noticed. Even the Stone Mask, probably one of the most useful items in the game, renders Link invisible, no matter how close he stands to others. Loneliness is so entrenched and interwoven into the story and mood of Majora’s Mask that it even permeates the very fabric of the gameplay.
All of this begs the question: why would I continue to return to it, even in my loneliest of times? One thing is quite clear: I didn’t notice all of the little details embedded within the narrative when I played Majora’s Mask as a child. But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t somewhat aware of what some of the characters were experiencing or feeling as I lived my own solitary existence, a sense of loneliness hovering around in the subconscious. This, I believe, is where my affinity for the game stems. When playing Majora’s Mask, there was a sense almost of fighting fire with fire, of becoming aware of, learning about and combating loneliness as the game progresses through a virtual process of empathy.
Admittedly, there’s something slightly strange about contemplating all of this when I am probably the least lonely now than I have ever been. For the characters of Majora’s Mask though, the cycles they go through though will never cease. Their three days waiting for the apocalypse to happen will repeat ad infinitum, all the emotions that they experience in that time continually flooding back. They are stuck in a perpetual Groundhog Day, except it’s a dystopian version of Groundhog Day where Bill Murray never gets to leave Punxsutawney with Andie MacDowell.
When Link finally reclaims Majora’s Mask back from Skull Kid, the Happy Mask Salesman has some final words for him, including the lines: “Whenever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow. However, that parting need not last forever… Whether a parting be forever or merely for a short time… That is up to you.” Theoretically, Link can now choose to shorten his time spent apart from the one he was searching for in the first place. Whether we chooses to or not, we never do find out. But those meetings and partings happen beyond the virtual realm of Termina as well. With his final lines, the Happy Mask Salesman offers a glimmer of hope after the despair that has come before it. Even after all the despondency that the player has encountered within its borders, there’s still always the possibility that isolation and loneliness can one day transform into companionship.
16th Jul 2019 / Yahia Lababidi / Misc
14th Jul 2019 / Alexandra Naughton / Misc
11th Jul 2019 / Owen Vince / Misc
9th Jul 2019 / Sylvia Warren / Misc
25th Jun 2019 / Scott Manley Hadley / Misc
Vlad Interviews: Kim Vodicka
20th Jun 2019 / Vlad Savich / Misc
WRITING DEATH by Jeremy Fernando
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Departments R - Z
Utilities Services
Outdoor Conservation
Tips for Efficient Irrigation
Even when used efficiently, sprinklers frequently account for more than half of the typical Floridian's water bill. The following tips are intended to help maintain a healthy, water-efficient landscape.
Top Ten Tips:
1) Frequency Adjustment: Set your irrigation clock for the correct watering day according to the last number in your street address.
2) Duration: Apply 3/4" per irrigation.
Note: Application rates and system design can vary significantly. Suggested run-times shown in the table below are based on average application rates. Always check amount with tuna can calibration.
Sprinkler head type
Suggested run-time
Fixed spray pop-ups
Micro-irrigation / drip
3) Rain shut-off devices: Turn ON roof mounted rain shut-off device and check for proper operation. Set to turn off after 1/2" of rainfall. If non-functional, replace. Or for even better savings, upgrade to a Soil Moisture Sensor (see tip #6).
4) Mature landscape plants don't need as much water as turf. Well-established trees and shrubs typically don't need weekly irrigation. If shrubs and trees are 5+ years old, turn down or turn off individual emitters, or entire zones if not used for turf irrigation.
5) Install micro-irrigation in landscape beds, or water by hand as necessary. (Looking for an in-depth guide to micro-irrigation?)
6) Soil moisture sensors: Replace roof-mounted rain shut-off device with a soil moisture sensor (installed in the ground). Wired and wireless versions are available. When properly installed and calibrated, these devices can provide significant water savings over traditional rain shut-off devices. Important note: To achieve maximum savings, follow installation and calibration instructions closely. Improper location, installation, or calibration of sensors can reduce or eliminate water savings.
7) Mulched landscape beds / alternative groundcovers: Replace irrigated turf with mulched landscape beds of drought-tolerant plants or alternative groundcovers such as perennial peanut, Asiatic jasmine, beach sunflower, etc. Remember, in order to achieve water savings, you'll also need to modify the irrigation system by replacement with micro-irrigation, or by capping existing emitters once plants are established. And remember, always get HOA approval first.
(How much mulch will you need? Use a "mulch calculator" to determine how many bags -or- cubic yards you'll need to get.)
8) Manual operation: Operate the irrigation system manually. Shut it off entirely during the rainy season for maximum savings.
9) Seasonal adjustment: Use 'Seasonal Adjustment' or 'Water Budget' settings during cooler months. Irrigation needs are typically up to 50% less in the winter dormant season.
10) Programming problems: Periodically check controller programming. In particular, check for duplicate programs, multiple start-times, excessive run-times, etc. (See "Programming Problems" section below.) These issues are easy to overlook, but are frequently identified as the cause of excessive water consumption.
ALWAYS check programming after power outages, power surges, or lightning strikes, as these have been known to reset controllers to factory default settings. For many controllers, factory default = a DAILY watering schedule.
Programming Problems
Sprinklers can use more than 1,000 gallons per hour they run. Even when used efficiently, sprinklers account for more than half of the typical Floridian's water bill. Accidentally programming too many start-times can suddenly cause the sprinkler's usage to double, triple, or worse... Because over-watering can encourage weeds, pests, and turf disease, this type of common mistake doesn't just waste water (and money); it can even harm the lawn you're trying to keep green.
A real example:
Pasco County Utilities' Customer Information & Services received a call from a concerned homeowner whose water bill had unexpectedly skyrocketed. When asked about whether the sprinklers had been used recently, the customer stated, "Yes, but we only water once a week, 15 minutes per zone."
To verify the billed usage and assist with troubleshooting, their flow data was downloaded from the meter. According to the meter data, there was a pattern of timed, overnight, high-volume usage consistent with sprinkler usage, BUT... each usage spike lasted nearly nine hours! This was certainly different than the "...15 minutes per zone..." this homeowner believed was scheduled.
A close examination of the sprinkler controller's programming identified the following cause:
“[…] The irrigation controller was set with four start-times on Program A. Therefore, the system was running four times during the night which accounts for both the volume used and the nine-hour run-time in the profile [...]”
This is actually a very common mistake. Even some landscapers have been known to do it. So, how does it happen?
Problems start when someone mistakenly assumes that each zone needs its own start-time. Typically, a controller only requires a single start-time to run the entire sprinkler cycle, or "program." The controller actually interprets multiple start-times as meaning "I want to run all the zones, then run them again, then run them again..." Your controller even 'helpfully' arranges overlapping start-times to run consecutively! For more information on checking for (and removing) multiple start-times, check out the helpful video tutorial links below.
Another example of "irrigation gone wrong"
In some cases, a homeowner may believe they turned OFF their sprinkler system, but in reality, they only turned off a single start-time, or one of several active programs.
For example, most controllers allow you to set up at least two different programs (A/B) for plants with different watering requirements. (Some controllers allow for many more... Program A/B/C/D, etc.)
Say Program A and Program B both contain active programming. Only Program A gets turned OFF. The display screen may now include the word "OFF" (referring only to Program A), but... Program B still contains a start-time and run-times for several zones. Therefore, Program B will continue to run until the controller is turned to the "System OFF" position, or until the programming is eliminated from B.
If a homeowner doesn't know to check for additional start-times on Program B, the second program will frequently keep running until... the water bill arrives. The usage shown on the bill may seem impossible - since they sincerely believed the sprinklers had been turned off for the entire month. Unfortunately, by the time that bill has been received, alerting them to the problem, there may have already been several weeks of additional sprinkler usage that will be included on the next bill cycle...
This brings up a final key point when troubleshooting timer issues - Always note the dates of any timer changes you make. That way, you'll be able to compare those changes with your meter reading dates on the upcoming water bills.
Start-time
Tells the system when to turn on and begin running a program.
Run-time
Tells the system how long to run a given zone/station before proceeding automatically to the next zone with a run-time.
For most controllers, a program only requires ONE start-time to run EVERY ZONE. Once a program starts running, every zone that has a run-time will automatically run, in sequence. No extra start-times are needed!
Q: Why do sprinkler controllers have all these high-tech features and settings? It seems like a recipe for disaster...
A: When used carefully, features such as the ability to program multiple start-times are actually intended to help save water. Such features allow increased flexibility in irrigation scheduling, even in the trickiest situations.
Example 1: If your soil is compact, and your yard has steep slopes, water probably tends to run off, rather than soaking in. With the capability to program multiple start-times, the controller could allow you to program a “cycle and soak” schedule. This technique uses a series of very brief watering cycles, with adequate time between to allow the water to sink in, thus minimizing runoff.
Did you know? “Cycle-and-soak” is a common technique on golf courses.
Example 2: You have five irrigation zones. You’ve just re-sodded Zone 3. You can use Program A to run the typical once-per-week schedule for Zones 1, 2, 4 & 5, while Program B can handle a custom sod establishment schedule just for Zone 3. This allows the new sod to receive the extra water it needs without overwatering the rest of the landscape.
Remember! Be sure to delete Program B once the sod is fully established!
Note for homes built in the early 2000s (or before):
Irrigation controllers don't last forever. Recently, a number of Utility customers and irrigation professionals have reported an increase in situations where the electrical contacts inside the irrigation controller have degraded, making the performance of the controller highly unpredictable. In the most extreme cases, the dial on the controller can be turned to the OFF position, but the controller remains active.
This may be the result of internal wear or corrosion of the electrical contacts, of excessive voltage from lightning strikes or power surges, or a combination of factors. While such issues will sometimes cause the controller to completely quit functioning, in other cases, the signs of internal damage may be more subtle, and the controller can continue to appear functional.
"Q: What should I do?"
If your controller is approaching 10+ years old, and it displays any of the symptoms listed below, it may be time to consider replacing it.
When rotating the central dial, the display hesitates, lags, flickers, or 'jumps.' Sometimes, tapping on or wiggling the dial will cause the display to change or “catch up.”
In the photo below, the controller's dial was pointing at Friday, however, the display is showing Monday’s settings. In the same way, this dial could be pointed in the “OFF” position, whereas internally, the controller might remain fully active and operational. By wiggling and tapping the dial, the display could eventually be coaxed into showing the correct day's settings, but the decision was ultimately made to replace the controller due to erratic operation.
Keep in mind, the cost of a new controller is typically less than one unexpected high water bill. Therefore, replacement of an old quirky controller in this condition would be highly recommended.
Useful online tutorials - Checking programming on common sprinkler timers
Learn how to check for multiple start-times. Verify the total run-time for all zones.
Note: The following URLs have been compiled for educational purposes. Inclusion of a website in this list does not imply endorsement of a brand, company, or product by Pasco County or Pasco County Utilities. Pasco County Utilities is not responsible for the creation or maintenance of the content included in these external links. Please let us know of any issues with the links below.
“Hunter X-Core Programming Overview and Setting up Program A.”
– Basic setup of Program A.
“Hunter X-Core Programming Multiple Programs and Additional Features”
– How to advance to the next program.
“Programming Multiple Programs Part 2 of 4: Program A”
– Check which program is currently selected. Learn how to advance to the next program.
“Programming Multiple Programs Part 3 of 4: Program B”
– Selecting between Program B and Program A.
“Canceling Extra Start Times on Hunter Controller”
– How to remove extra start-times from the X-Core Controller.
“How to Program a Rain Bird ESP-ME controller”
– (1:08) Discusses setting and removing start-times. Switching between programs and setting up different zones.
“Rain Bird® ESP-Me: Total Run Time Calculator”
– Quickly check the total run-time for each Program on the ESP-ME controller.
“Rain Bird ESP Modular Controllers: Manual On & Off Adjustment”
– How to manually run a program. How to turn the system OFF to prevent watering.
“Toro DDC-8 Controller (Model 53808) - How to Set up Program A” – How to turn off a station’s watering time. Also describes how to set up Programs B and C, and how to check the current program.
“Toro DDC-8 Controller (Model 53808) - How to Set up Run Times” – How to adjust or turn off run times for a specific zone.
“Toro DDC-8 Controller (Model 53808) - How to Set Up Watering Days”
“Toro DDC-8 Controller (Model 53808) - How to Set Start Times”
“Toro DDC-8 Controller (Model 53808) - How to Seasonally Adjust”
Note: A lot is changing in the world of sprinkler controllers. With more and more controllers being "smart" and/or wi-fi / bluetooth enabled, there will be some monumental shifts in the field of home irrigation efficiency. With any new technology comes new issues to troubleshoot as well. If you've encountered an issue that you think should be included here, let us know! We'd love to learn and help spread the word.
Too much of a good thing?
Turf-grass needs water. But did you know that over-watering grass can do at least as much harm as under-watering?
Frequent, shallow watering encourages shallow root development, and can increase a lawn’s susceptibility to diseases, insect damage, root-rot, and weed growth.
In contrast, a thorough, less frequent watering schedule helps to promote deeper, healthier root development. Deeper roots, in turn, allow your lawn to better withstand hotter, drier weather, while making the turf more resistant to pests, weeds, and disease.
Applying approximately ¾” - 1” of water per-week is typically sufficient to maintain healthy turf-grass in our region. (That equals about 2 gallons of water per square foot of lawn, per month...)
When in doubt, “Let Your Lawn Tell You When to Water”
Mowing height: Did you know?
Aside from over-watering, one of the most harmful common turf mistakes involves mowing height. Varieties like St. Augustine-grass and Bahia-grass thrive when mowed at heights of 3" - 4". Shorter mowing heights invite problems including stress, scorching, weeds, and disease.
Compounding the problem, grass that has been “scalped” often turns brown, which can be mistaken for a lack of water, leading to over-watering of already stressed turf,... which invites disease, weeds, insects - and the cycle continues.
Remember: For healthy turf, raise your mower to a higher setting.
Additional Water Conservation Tips for Lawns & Irrigation
Don't allow sprinklers to water your street, driveway or sidewalk. Position them so water lands on the lawn and shrubs...not the paved areas! The following online tutorials demonstrate how to easily adjust several common types of spray and rotor heads:
Adjusting spray heads:
Hunter Spray Adjustments and Maintenance
MPR and U-Series Nozzle: Radius and arc adjustment
Variable Arc Nozzle (VAN): Radius and arc adjustment
Adjusting rotors:
How to Adjust a Hunter Rotor - Quick Tip
Do not excessively fertilize your lawn. Fertilizer applications increase the need for water. Apply fertilizers that contain slow-release, water-insoluble forms of nitrogen, and apply only as directed.
Boost organic matter in sandy soils by topdressing with compost. In addition to adding nutrients, compost can help to increase water and nutrient retention.
Do routine inspections. Broken heads and leaking valves can greatly increase the sprinkler system's water usage. Check sprinkler systems and timing devices regularly to be sure they operate properly.
Raise the blade! Adjust the lawn mower blade to at least three inches or to its highest level. A higher cut encourages grass roots to grow deeper, shades the root system and holds soil moisture better than a closely clipped lawn.
Timing is everything! Water lawns during the early morning or late evening hours when temperatures and wind speed are the lowest. This reduces water losses from evaporation.
For more information or to ask questions, email the Utilities Department or call at (727) 847-8131. Or return to the main Water Conservation page.
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Justia Patents Bill Distribution Or PaymentUS Patent Application for System and method for bill delivery and payment over a communications network Patent Application (Application #20040064409)
System and method for bill delivery and payment over a communications network
A system for delivering and paying subscriber bills associated with a plurality of billers includes a server computer and at least one subscriber computer connected to a communications network. The server computer transmits bill presentment information representing one or more bills for a subscriber, each of the one or more bills having an associated biller, via the network. A subscriber computer includes a communications port for receiving the transmitted bill presentment information representing the one or more bills for the subscriber, and a display for displaying the received bill presentment information. An input device is also provided for selecting at least one of the one or more bills represented by the displayed bill presentment information. The subscriber computer additionally has a processor for causing the communications port to transmit a payment record for the selected at least one bill, to the server computer via the network, responsive to the selection. The server computer generates remittance advice based on the transmitted payment record, and routes the remittance advice that is generated based on the transmitted payment record for each selected bill, to the biller associated with that bill.
[0001] This application is a continuation of (1) pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/795,314 (Docket No. 3350-005A) entitled “Electronic Bill Processing with Enhanced Bill Availability Notification and/or Enhanced Bill Presentation”, filed Mar. 1, 2001, which is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/034,561 (Docket No. 3350-005) entitled “Electronic Bill Processing”, filed Mar. 3, 1998 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,322, issued Sep. 11, 2001), and (2) pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/250,711 (Docket No. 3350-031B) entitled “System And Method For Electronically Providing Customer Services Including Payment Of Bills, Financial Analysis And Loans”, filed Feb. 16, 1999, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/372,620 (Docket No. 3350-031) entitled “System And Method For Electronically Providing Customer Services Including Payment Of Bills, Financial Analysis And Loans”, filed Jan. 13,1995 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,072, issued Feb. 16, 1999), which is in turn a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 07/736,071 entitled “Electronic Bill Payment”, filed Jul. 25, 1991 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,113, issued Jan. 17, 1995). Pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/795,314 (Docket No. 3350-005A) and 09/250,711 (Docket No. 3350-031B) are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
[0002] This application is also related to U.S. application Ser. No. ______, entitled “INTEGRATED ELECTRONIC BILL PRESENTMENT AND UNIVERSAL PAYMENT”, filed Jun. 30, 2003, (Docket No. 3350-0106); U.S. application Ser. No. ______, entitled “FLEXIBLE INTEGRATED ELECTRONIC BILL PRESENTMENT AND PAYMENT”, filed Jun. 30, 2003, (Docket No. 3350-0106A); U.S. application Ser. No. ______, entitled “INTEGRATED ELECTRONIC BILL PRESENTMENT AND RISK BASED PAYMENT”, filed Jun. 30, 2003, (Docket No. 3350-0106B); U.S. application Ser. No. ______, entitled “INTEGRATED ELECTRONIC BILL PRESENTMENT AND PAYMENT”, filed Jun. 30, 2003, (Docket No. 3350-0106C); and U.S. application Ser. No. ______, entitled “INTEGRATED ELECTRONIC BILL PRESENTMENT AND PAYMENT WITH IMPROVED ACTIVATION”, filed Jun. 30, 2003, (Docket No. 3350-0106D).
[0003] The present invention relates generally to electronic commerce and more particularly to integrated electronic presentation and payment of bills from different billers.
[0004] Historically the billing process has been a three party process. More particularly, the typical billing process consists of billers, such as merchants, utility companies, service providers and bankcard companies, preparing hardcopy paper bills either directly or through an independent bill preparation service provider. The bills normally consist of detailed billing information relating to the goods or services purchased or ordered, including a detailed itemization of the billed charges. The billing information also includes the total charge, due date for payment and, in many cases, the minimum amount which must be paid by the due date.
[0005] The hardcopy billing information relating to each individual biller is then placed in a separate envelope and mailed through the postal service to the applicable payor. The envelope may also be stuffed with other materials such as other product offerings, e.g., special discounts or new goods or services. Hence, each payor has historically received billing information from each biller as an individual ha received by mail.
[0006] Most, although not all, billers bill on a periodic basis, such as each calendar month or every thirty days. However, although billers may issue bills covering similar periods of time, e.g., thirty day periods, individual billers may have billing cycles and bill issue dates which vary. For example, some monthly billers may have a billing period which extends from the fifteenth of one month to the fifteenth of the next month, while other billers may have a monthly billing period which extends from the last day of one month to the last day of the following month. Further, even if different billers bill charges incurred over identical periods, the issue dates of the bills can vary widely. Accordingly, payors typically receive bills at various times throughout, for example, any given calendar month.
[0007] Payors continue to receive large numbers of hardcopy paper bills from individual billers. Hence, bill presentment has remained a tedious and expensive task both in terms of the preparation and the distribution of billing information.
[0008] To complete the billing process individual payors have historically made payments directly to each individual biller by hardcopy paper check drawn against a financial institution and mailed via the postal service to the biller's remittance center. A returnable portion of the billing information received from the biller is typically returned with the check. The biller must then present the check for payment through the payor's financial institution before the payment funds can be actually received by the biller and applied against the payors account.
[0009] For example, it has been common for many years for consumers to pay monthly bills by way of a personal check written by the consumer and sent by mail to the entity from which the bill or invoice was received. Consumers have used other ways to pay bills, including personally visiting the billing entity to make a cash payment. In today's economy, it is not unusual for a consumer to have several regular monthly invoices to pay. Writing individual checks to pay each invoice can be time-consuming and costly due to postage and other related expenses.
[0010] Accordingly, a need exists for a method whereby a consumer can contact a single source and inform the source to pay various bills of the consumer, to have the source adjust the consumer's account with the consumer's financial institution (ie., bank, credit union, savings and loan association, etc.) to reflect a bill payment, and to actually pay the billing entity a specified amount by a particular time. The system should be efficient and not unreasonably expensive and relatively simple for a consumer to interact with.
[0011] Some banks have attempted to provide a service for making payment to a few billing entities to which the banks have established relations. The banks that do provide that type of service are limited in that they provide the service only for their own customers since the banks have not developed a system for accurately acquiring and processing account numbers and balances of customers of all other banking institutions and coordinating that information with bill payment. Furthermore, banks have not developed a system for managing the risks involved in providing such a service and the inherent complexities of providing the service to consumers other than the bank's own customers.
[0012] Therefore, a need exists for a single source system that would be available to any consumer, regardless of where the consumer banks and regardless of what bills are to be paid.
[0013] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a technique for electronically presenting billing information in a manner which electronically presenting billing information in a manner which facilitates the timely payment of bills by payors.
SUMMARY DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The present invention is designed to fulfill the above listed needs. The invention provides a universal system that works regardless of the consumer's financial institution and bill to be paid. The present invention provides a computerized system by which a consumer may pay bills utilizing the telephone, a computer terminal, or other electronic, data transmission means. Transactions are recorded against the consumer's account wherever he or she banks. The consumer may be an individual or a business, large or small. The present invention works regardless of where the consumer banks.
[0015] In accordance with the invention, a system for delivering and paying subscriber bills associated with a plurality of billers via a communications network, such as the Internet, is provided. The system includes a server computer and at least one subscriber computer connected to the network.
[0016] The server computer is adapted to transmit bill presentment information representing one or more bills for a subscriber, via the network. Each of the one or more bills has an associated biller.
[0017] Preferably, the server computer is further configured to receive original bill information representing the one or more bills, and to generate the bill presentment information representing the one or more bills based on the received original bill information. The server computer can then transmit the generated bill presentment information via the network. It may be advantageous for the generated bill presentment information to include a summary of each of the one or more bills represented by the received original bill information. If so, the transmitted bill presentment information can also include the bill summary for each of the one or more bills.
[0018] The one or more subscriber computers each include a communications port for receiving the transmitted bill presentment information representing the one or more bills for its subscriber, and a display for displaying the received bill presentment information. Also included is an input device for selecting at least one of the one or more bills represented by the displayed bill presentment information, and a processor for causing the communications port to transmit a payment record for each selected bill, to the server computer via the network, responsive to the selection of the at least one bill.
[0019] The server computer is further configured to generate remittance advice based on each transmitted payment record, and to route the remittance advice which is generated based on the transmitted payment record for each selected bill, to the biller associated with that bill. Beneficially, one or more biller computers are also coupled to the communications network. If so, the remittance advice which is generated based on the transmitted payment record for each selected bill, may, if desired, be routed directly from the server station to the respective one of the one or more biller computers, which represents the biller associated with that bill, via the network.
[0020] According to other aspects of the invention, the payment service provider server includes a communications port and processor. The communications port is configured to transmit the bill presentment information representing one or more bills for a subscriber, and to receive a signal indicative of the selection by the subscriber of at least one of the one or more bills represented by the transmitted bill presentment information for payment, via a communications network.
[0021] The processor is configured to generate remittance advice based on each transmitted payment record, and to route the remittance advice that is generated based on the transmitted payment record for each selected bill, to the biller associated with that bill.
[0022] The processor may be further configured to generate the bill presentment information based on the original bill information representing the one or more bills, and will typically direct transmission of the bill presentment information, so that the communications port transmits the bill presentment information responsive to the transmitted directive from the processor. The processor may also be further configured to route the remittance advice to the associated biller by directing the transmission of the remittance advice by the communications port. If so, the communications port will transmit the remittance advice which is generated based on the transmitted payment record for each selected bill, dirertly from to the biller associated with that bill, responsive to the processor directive.
[0023] FIG. 1 depicts a bill processing network in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 2 depicts a functional block diagram of the bill processing network of FIG. 1.
[0024] FIG. 2A depicts a simplified block diagram of the CF station of FIG. 1. FIG. 2B depicts a simplified block diagram of an exemplary payor station of FIG. 1.
[0025] FIG. 3 depicts various types of payor stations which can be utilized in the bill processing network of FIG. 1.
[0026] FIG. 4 depicts a payor enrollment screen in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 5 depicts another payor enrollment screen in accordance with the present invention.
[0027] FIG. 6 depicts a still further payor enrollment screen in accordance with the present invention.
[0028] FIG. 7 depicts a simplified flow diagram of the operation of the bill processing network depicted in FIG. 1.
[0029] FIG. 8 depicts a payor welcome screen in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 9A depicts bill presentment information which includes a new bill summary screen in accordance with the present invention.
[0030] FIG. 9B depicts bill presentment information which includes an unpaid bill summary screen in accordance with the present invention.
[0031] FIG. 9C depicts bill presentment information which includes another type of bill summary in accordance with the present invention.
[0032] FIG. 10A depicts a pre-bill payment authorization screen in accordance with the present invention.
[0033] FIG. 10B depicts another pre-bill payment authorization screen in accordance with the present invention.
[0034] FIG. 11 depicts bill presentment information which includes a detailed bill screen in accordance with the present invention.
[0035] FIG. 12A depicts a bill payment authorization screen in accordance with the present invention.
[0036] FIG. 12B depicts a different bill payment authorization screen in accordance with the present invention.
[0037] FIG. 12C details certain aspects of the bill payment authorization screen of FIG. 12B.
[0038] FIG. 13 depicts bill presentment information which includes a listing of information related to bills which have been authorized for payment in accordance with the present invention.
[0039] FIG. 14 depicts a biller category screen in accordance with the present invention.
[0040] FIG. 15 depicts a screen having bill presentment and payment authorization information in accordance with the present invention.
[0041] FIG. 16 is a diagrammatical representation of the creation of a consumer database in accordance with the present invention.
[0042] FIG. 17 is a diagrammatical representation of the establishment of a merchant's (billing entities) database and the making of payments in accordance with the present invention.
[0043] FIG. 18 is a diagrammatical representation of the creation of a consumer pay table in accordance with the present invention.
[0044] FIG. 19A is a diagrammatical representation of a payment processing cycle in accordance with the present invention.
[0045] FIG. 19B is a continuation of the diagram of FIG. 19A.
[0046] FIG. 19C is a continuation of the diagram of FIG. 19B.
[0047] FIG. 20 is a diagrammatical representation of a computer hardware system that may be used for creating a consumer database and a consumer pay table, establishing a merchant's database, and accomplishing the payment processing cycle shown in FIGS. 16-19C.
[0048] FIG. 21 is a diagrammatical representation of another computer hardware system that may be used for creating a consumer database and a consumer pay table, establishing a merchant's database, and accomplishing the payment processing cycle shown in FIGS. 16-19C.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
OVERVIEW OF SELECTIVE FEATURES
[0049] In accordance with the invention, an electronic bill presentment system includes a memory, such as an electrical or optical storage device, a processor, such as a high speed microprocessor, and a communications network interface. The system may take the form of one or more servers interconnected to a private or public bill presentation network, e.g. the Internet.
[0050] The memory stores billing information, associated with various billers, representing bills for various payors. Preferably the billing information is received from the billers or their representatives, e.g. bill consolidators, via the network interface and is stored on the memory by the processor in association with an identifier of the appropriate payor.
[0051] In a typical operational sequence, the processor accesses the memory to read the stored billing information. Using this information, the processor generates bill presentment information which corresponds to a portion of the billing information which represents bills for a first payor. The processor also generates bill presentment information which corresponds to other portions of the billing information which represents bills for other payors. The bill presentment information may relate to paid bills, unpaid bills or bills having another desired status, or any combination thereof. The bill presentment information, may be a detailed bill which includes all the applicable billing information, could be a summary of the applicable billing information, or could be a simple retransmission of all or some of the applicable billing information. Some or all of the bill presentment information may also be stored in the memory.
[0052] Preferably, the bill presentment information includes a summary listing of all bills of a desired status, such as all paid or unpaid bills. Beneficially, the bill presentment information includes a listing of respective billed amounts owed by the payor to a number of the different billers, which can be presented as one or more pages on a display, such as the monitor of a payor's home or office computer. The bill presentation information could also include a formatted version of all the applicable billing information, such as a full detailed presentation of a bill, which can be presented on a display so as to appear substantially similar to the conventional hardcopy bills which are regularly received by mail today.
[0053] The processor generates signals directing transmission of the applicable bill presentment information responsive to requests for current billing information, received by the network interface, from respective payors. The network interface transmits the applicable bill presentment information to the appropriate payor responsive to the applicable signal.
[0054] Preferably, the processor generates a notice of availability of current billing information to each of the payors for whom billing information has been received by the system and stored in the memory. In this regard, the processor generates a signal directing the transmission of each notice, responsive to which the network interface transmits a respective notice to the appropriate payor. Each notice may be an e-mail message addressed to the network e-mail address, e.g. an Internet e-mail address, of the appropriate payor.
[0055] According to other aspects of the invention, the processor may also generate a further notice of availability of current billing information and a signal directing the transmission of this further notice to a payor after some period of time has passed subsequent to the applicable billing information having been first noticed to or requested by the payor. For example a further notice may be generated if no request for bill presentment information is received for some period of time after a first notice of availability has been transmitted. An additional notice may also or alternatively be generated if no notice of payment of some or all of the bills represented the applicable portion of the billing information has been received by the system for some period of time after bill presentment information has been requested by a payor, transmitted to a payor or viewed by a payor. The network interface transmits this further notice to the applicable payor responsive to the signal.
[0056] According to further aspects of the invention, the processor may continuously update the bill presentation information based upon the new bill related information, such as additionally received billing information representing new bills to be paid or the payment of bills which were represented by billing information previously received by the applicable payor. In this regard, the processor, if desired, can generate new bill presentment information corresponding to some or all of the portion of the old billing information which represents bills for a particular payor, e.g. that which represents only those bills which have been paid or remain unpaid, and the portion of the new billing information which represents bills for the same payor, e.g. newly paid bills or new outstanding bills. If, for example all the bills represented by the applicable portion of the old billing information have been paid, the new bill presentment information would only include the applicable portion of the new billing information. This new billing information may be associated with the same and/or different billers as the previously received billing information, but would more typically relate to different billers. The processor also generates a signal directing the transmission, via the network interface, of the new bill presentment information to the applicable payor responsive to the payor's request for the then current billing information.
[0057] In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, an electronic bill presentment network is provided. The electronic bill presentment network includes a private or public communications network, such as the Internet, interconnecting multiple biller stations, multiple client stations and a network server.
[0058] The biller stations each transmit the billing information associated with a respective one of the different billers to the server via the network. The network server receives and stores the transmitted billing information. The received information is stored such that the portion of the billing information representing bills for a particular payor is associated with that payor. Using a client station a payor can transmit, via the network, a request for current billing information. The network server receives each payor request and transmits bill presentment information, which corresponds to an appropriate portion of the billing information, to the applicable payor client station via the network responsive to the request.
[0059] As discussed above, if desired, the network server can transmit a notice of availability of current billing information to payors via the network. The client stations may transmit, subsequent to the transmission of a first request for current billing information, one or more additional request for then current billing information via the network. Hence, applicable current bill presentation information will be provided on-demand to the payor.
[0060] Beneficially, the network server receives notification of the payment of bills represented by the respective portion of the billing information applicable to each payor. In such a case, the network server only transmits or retransmits that part of the applicable bill presentment information which corresponds to the portion of the billing information representing the remaining unpaid bills via the network responsive to a payor request for information regarding outstanding bills which is received by the network server after receipt of the notice of payment.
[0061] Payment processing includes, for example: gathering payor information and creating a master file with banking or other financial institution information and routing codes; inputting payment instructions by the payor at a convenient location (e.g., at home), typically remote from the payment service provider, by using an input terminal; applying the payment instructions to the payor's file; using computer software to examine various files to determine such things as what is the appropriate form of payment based on variables involving banking or other financial institutions and merchants or other payees; comparing each transaction against a dynamic credit file and routing based on set parameters; and, if the system determines that everything is ready for payment to be made, adjusting the payor's account (usually by debiting) and making payment directly to the billing entity or other payee. The single source service provider for payee payment could be any entity with the capability to practice the invention as described hereinafter. The foregoing and other objects and advantages will become more apparent when viewed in light of the accompanying drawings and following detailed description.
[0062] FIG. 1 depicts a communications network 100, which can be a private or public network such as a wide area network (WAN), the Internet or some other type of communication network for linking biller stations 110a-110d, payor stations 120a-120d, financial institution (FI) stations 130a-130c and a centralized CF station 140. The biller stations 110a-110d may represent individual merchants, utility companies, service providers, bank credit card companies, or other individuals or entities to whom a payment is owed. Payor stations 120a-120d may represent individuals or entities which have purchased or ordered goods or services or otherwise have an outstanding debt to the billers represented by stations 110a-110d. The payors represented by stations 120a-120d maintain accounts with one or more of the financial institutions, which may, for example, be banks, credit unions or other type of financial institution or any combination. Each of the billers represented by stations 110a-110d may also maintain one or more deposit accounts in the financial institutions represented by stations 130a-130c. The CF station 140 serves as a centralized bill processing system as will be described in detail below.
[0063] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the bill processing network depicted in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the CF station 140 is interconnected, via the network 100, with each of the biller stations 110a-110d and each of the payor stations 120a-120d. Accordingly, each of the billers represented by stations 110a-110d can transmit, via the network 100, billing information to each of the payors represented by stations 120a-120d as appropriate through the CF station 140.
Electronic Bill Presentment
[0064] As shown in FIG. 2A, the CF station 140 includes a network interface (NI) 405 for receiving and transmitting communications via the network 100. The station 140 also includes a processor 410 and a memory 420. The station 140 could, for example, be a high powered work station, minicomputer, mainframe computer or other type of network computing device which serves as a network server, or any combination of such devices. The memory 420 stores, in area 420a, which will sometimes be referred to as a merchant master file database and is described further below with reference to FIG. 17, biller data such as the biller's name, remittance center address, deposit account number with one of the financial institutions represented by stations 130a-130c, account numbers for respective payors represented by stations 120a-120d, network address, e.g. an e-mail address, and other biller related information of each of the billers represented by stations 110a-110d. Payor data is stored in memory area 420b, which is sometimes referred to as the consumer database and described further below with reference to FIG. 16, and will typically include such information as the payor's name and address, account numbers with respective billers represented by stations 110a-110d, checking account number with one of the financial institutions 130a-130c, network address, e.g. an e-mail address, and other payor related information.
[0065] The billing information received by the CF station 140 from the respective billers represented by stations 110a-110d via the network 100 is normalized. by the server processor 410 in accordance with the bill presentment software stored in memory area 420c. Different portions of the normalized bill information are stored in memory area 420d in association with a respective identifier of the appropriate payor represented by station 120a-120d to whom that portion of the billing information relates.
[0066] The bill presentment software also generates a summary of the received billing information from each of the billers represented by stations 110a-110d for each of the payors represented by stations 120a-120d and stores the summary information with an identifier of the applicable payor in the memory area 420e. Bill templates are stored in memory area 420f. The bill templates can be merged with the normalized billing information to electronically present the billing information to the appropriate payor represented by station 120a-120d in substantially the same form, including detailed billing information, biller logo, color and terms and conditions, as has historically been provided to the payor in hardcopy. Network software is stored in area 420g of the memory 420.
[0067] Once the billing information has been processed by the processor 410 so as to be available for access by the appropriate payors, the processor 410 in accordance with the bill presentment software instructions stored in memory area 420c, generates an e-mail or other message to notify the applicable payors represented by station 120a-120d of the availability of bill presentment information. The processor 410 also generates a signal directing the transmission of the message, via the network interface 405, to the applicable payors using a network address, e.g. an e-mail address, stored as part of the payor data in area 420a of the memory 420.
[0068] As shown in FIG. 3, the payor 120a-120d may be represented by a personal computer (PC) 310 interconnected to the network 100 by a modem, a television (TV) 320 interconnected to the network 100 via a set top box, a touch tone telephone 330, a mobile phone 340, a notebook computer 350 interconnected to the network 100 by a modem, or some other network device. It will recognized by those skilled in the art that the network device could be of virtually any type capable of receiving a voice, graphic, or textual message. If different types of payor station devices are utilized, the payor data will include an identification of the particular type of network device being utilized by the payor. If audio devices such as telephone 330 or mobile phone 340 are utilized, the processor 410 is configured to include a voice synthesizer to generate voice messages and a voice signal converter to transform received audio messages into digital signals of processing at station 140 in accordance with the bill presentment software instruction stored in memory area 420c.
[0069] Referring now to FIG. 2B, an exemplary payor station 120 capable of receiving e-mail messages will now be described. Station 120 includes a payor processor 450 which is interconnected to a memory device 470. The memory stores the payor client software in area 470a and the network software in area 470b of the memory 470. It will however be recognized that, if desired, the memory 470 could be eliminated in and that storage of the payor client software could be implemented on the memory 420 of the CF station 140. A network interface (NI) 455 interconnects the payor station 120 to the network 100. Messages transmitted by the CF station 140 to the payor station 120 are received via the network interface 455 and processed by the processor 450 in accordance with the network software stored in area 470b of memory 470.
[0070] In a customary e-mail notification processing sequence, the processor 450, in accordance with the network software instructions stored in memory area 470b, directs the presentation of an indicator on the display 460 of the payor station 120 to notify the applicable payor that an e-mail message has been received. Using the input device 465, which may be a keyboard, mouse or other input device, the applicable payor can access the e-mail message and request the available billing related information from the CF station 140.
[0071] The notification mechanism may alternatively be implemented directly in the bill presentment client rather than via e-mail. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that there may be many possible implementations of a notification mechanism.
[0072] The payor may request the available billing related information by, for example, inputting one or more commands on the input device 465. Responsive to these commands, the processor 450 generates and directs the transmission of the request, via the network interface 455, to the CF station 140. The generated request could, for example, take the form of a reply e-mail message, an instruction to access a web page at the CF station 140 if the network is the Internet or some other instruction as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. If desired, the e-mail message could include an icon or other indicator which can be activated using the input device 465 to automatically link the payor station 120 to the CF station 140 to access bill related information.
[0073] Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 2A, the processor 410 of the CF station 140, in response to the request received from the payor station 120a-120d, directs the transmission of the requested bill presentment information, via the network interface 405, to the applicable payor station 120a-120d. The transmitted bill presentment information may need to be generated by the processor 410 responsive to the payor request or may be already stored in the memory 420. For example, the processor 410 may either retrieve the applicable template(s) and normalized billing information from memory areas 420f and 420d and merge this information to generate requested detailed bill presentment information. On the other hand, the processor may simply retrieve information stored in area 420e of memory 420 if only bill summary information is requested. It should be noted that by storing unmerged templates and normalized data and merging this information only responsive to request for detailed information, the required memory to store detailed bill presentment information can be significantly reduced. It should be understood that, in many cases, the payor will require only summary bill presentment information, and thus on-line processing to merge the templates and normalized billing information will not, in many cases, be required. However, preferably, detailed bill presentment information dynamically generated by merging template and normalized data may be cached to support re-retrieval requests responsively.
[0074] Referring again to FIG. 2B, the payor station 120a-120d receives, via network interface 455 of payor station 120, the bill presentment information transmitted by the CF station 140 over the network 100. The payor processor 450 processes the received information in accordance with the payor client software stored in memory area 470a and directs the presentation of the received bill presentment information on the display 460 of the payor station 120.
General Payment Processing
[0075] Although payment processing will be described in further detail with reference to FIGS. 16-21, the following provides an overview of certain aspects of the processing relating to the payment of presented bills.
[0076] As discussed above referring to FIG. 2, the CF station 140 is linked via the network 100 to various financial institution stations 130a-130c which represent financial institutions with whom checking accounts are maintained by one or more of the payors represented by stations 120a-120d and/or deposit accounts are maintained by one of more of the billers represented by stations 110a-110d. A payor, having received bill presentment information, can now request that payment of one or more bills be made to the appropriate biller(s) represented by station(s) 110a-110d.
[0077] In this regard referring again to FIG. 2B, the payor processor 450 generates, in accordance with the client software residing in memory area 470a, a payment instruction and an instruction directing the transmission of the instruction, via the network interface 455, over the network 100 to the CF station 140. Referring again to FIG. 2A, the payment instruction is received and processed by the processor 410 of CF station 140. The processor 410, responsive to the received payment instruction and in accordance with the bill payment software stored in memory area 420c, directs the payment of the applicable bills either by electronic funds transfer or by hardcopy check.
[0078] If the payment will be made by electronic funds transfer, the CF processor 410 generates an electronic funds transfer instruction to electronically transfer the appropriate amount from the applicable payor's checking account maintained at one of the financial institutions represented by stations 130a-130c to the appropriate biller's deposit account maintained at one of the financial institutions represented by stations 130a-130c. The processor 410 also generates an instruction to transmit the electronic funds transfer instruction via the network interface 405, over the network 100 to the applicable payor financial institution station 130a-130c and/or an originating financial institution and or originating financial institution to the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network or similar financial network for funds transfer.
[0079] The processor 410 also generates, in accordance with the bill payment software instructions stored in memory area 420c, a message indicating the amount of payment remitted and the associated payor account number, along with an instruction to transmit the message, via the network interface 405, over the network 100 to the appropriate biller station 110a-110d. This remittance advice information may flow directly to the biller station 110a-110d or be routed with the payment through the biller's financial institution 130a 130c, which would deliver the information to the biller station. It should be recognized that the biller station to which the payment notice is transmitted may be different than the biller station from which the billing information is transmitted.
[0080] If the payment will be made by hardcopy check, the CF processor 410 generates an instruction to print a hardcopy check for the appropriate amount against funds in CF station 140's checking account. The applicable payor's checking account maintained at one of the financial institutions represented by stations 130a-1 30c is debited appropriately via ACH (resulting in electronic funds transfer to the CF station account) or via some form of “good funds” debiting through a direct electronic connection to the financial institution (resulting in electronic or wire funds transfer to the CF station account). The check may be a “single check” remitting only a single payor's payment to a particular biller, or a “check and list”, combining the remittance from multiple payors to a particular biller. Alternatively, the CF processor may generate an instruction to print a hardcopy check, sometimes referred to as a draft, for the appropriate amount against funds in the applicable payor's checking account maintained at one of the financial institutions represented by stations 130a-130c.
[0081] The processor 410 also generates, in accordance with the bill payment software instructions stored in memory area 420c, a message indicating the amount of the payment(s) remitted and the associated payor account(s). The printed message, i.e. the remittance advice, and check are then mailed to the applicable biller remittance center. It should be recognized that the location to which the payment notice is sent may be different than the location of the biller station from which the billing information is transmitted.
Distributed Functionality
[0082] Referring again to FIG. 2, rather than having all operations performed by the CF station 140, certain operations can be performed directly by other network stations and certain information can be transmitted directly between the payor stations 120a-120d, the biller stations 110a-110d and the financial institution stations 130a-130c. It may, in some instances, be preferred to have the CF station 140 linked to the payor stations 120a-120d and biller stations 110a-110d via the financial institution stations 130a-130c.
[0083] For example, it may be desirable in some cases for the biller stations 110a-110d to communicate some or all bill related information via the network 100 directly to the payor stations 120a-120d while the notices of the availability are generated and transmitted by the CF station 140 directly to the appropriate payor stations. This facilitates biller control over bill related information which could be stored exclusively on a memory device at the appropriate biller station. In other cases, it may be advantageous for all payment instructions to be transmitted directly from the payor stations 120a-120d to an appropriate financial institution station 130a-130c. In such cases, there could be a preference to have the payment instruction processed by the CF station 140 or at the financial institution station 130a-130c. In still other cases, it may be beneficial for all communications to be transmitted through the financial institution station 130a-130c but all processing to be performed by the CF station 140.
[0084] As indicated above, if desired, all or part of the billing information may be retained at the biller stations 110a-110d. For example, it may be desired that detailed bill presentment information be retained at the biller stations 110a-110d while summary bill presentment information be stored and provided by the CF station 140. Although billing information may be maintained by the biller stations 110a-110d, the request for such information may be directed through the CF station 140 to the appropriate biller 110a-110d in order to provide a third party audit trail or meet other desired objectives.
Notifications of Bill Availability
[0085] Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 2A, the CF processor 410, in accordance with the bill presentment software stored in area 420c of the memory 420, preferably tracks and stores information relating to requests or transmissions of bill presentation information to payors after the notice of availability. The CF processor 410 also preferably receives, stores and tracks a signal from the payor stations 120a-120d relating to when a notice of availability bills has been viewed by the applicable payor. In this way, the processor 410, in accordance with the bill presentation software instructions, may transmit a reminder notice of the availability of bills, for example, if no request to view the bills has been received for some period of time after the payor has viewed the notice or if bills represented in previously requested bill presentment remain due and unpaid after some period of time. It may be desirable to send reminder notifications one or more times at fixed intervals, e.g., weekly, after the initial viewing of the notice of availability or the initial request for bill presentment information. A reminder notice could alternatively or additionally be sent just prior to the bill due date as a final reminder to the payor before late payment or interest charges will accrue.
[0086] Turning now to FIGS. 4-6, the payor enrollment process performed by the CF processor 410, in accordance with the bill presentment and bill payment software instructions stored in memory area 420c, will be described. Upon request by an existing or potential payor represented by a payor station 120a-120d, enrollment interface information is electronically transmitted via the network 100 from the CF station 140 to the applicable station 120a-120d. The information is provided so as to be capable of processing by the payor processor 450 and presented in one or more screens on a display 460 of the payor station 120. It will of course be recognized that, although the enrollment process is described with reference to a payor station of the type shown in FIG. 2B, the process could be easily implemented with other types of payor stations.
[0087] The initial enrollment screen 550, as shown in FIG. 4, includes a listing in block 560 of billers from whom bills can be received electronically. An indicator 565 indicates those billers whose bills can be received electronically and who can also be paid electronically as previously described. The payor using the input device 465 of the payor station 120 can select any or all of the billers identified in the listing in block 560 for electronic bill presentation and/or electronic payment, if applicable. The account number for the payor's account with each selected biller is inserted in block 562 using the payor input device 465. The payor is also given the option, in block 570, of identifying other payees, including billers not included in the listing in block 560. Since all billers from whom electronic bills are available are listed in block 560, block 570 is reserved for those billers, for example, the paper boy, babysitter, lawn boy, etc., to whom the payor desires to make payments electronically through the CF station 140 based upon hardcopy bills received directly from the biller. This information will typically be used to populate a consumer database, as will be described further below with reference to FIG. 16.
[0088] FIG. 5 depicts further enrollment screen 1600 transmitted by the CF station 140 to the payor station 120a-120d during the enrollment process. This screen is also presentable on the display 460 of the payor station 120. This screen facilitates the gathering of payor data which is necessary or desirable for the processing of bills. Using the input device 465 of the payor station 120, the payor enters his/her first name, middle initial, and last name in block 510 of the screen 1600. The payor is also requested to enter his/her social security number in block 520 and mother's maiden name in block 525. The maiden name of the payor's mother is requested for subsequent verification purposes. The payor's address is also requested to be entered in block 530. In blocks 540, both home and office telephone numbers are requested.
[0089] It should be noted that although the payor's account numbers for those billers selected from the listing in block 560 of FIG. 4 are requested, in certain implementation it may be preferable to obtain the account numbers from the billers as part of the information to be forwarded to the CF station 140 by the applicable billers selected in block 560 of FIG. 4. By eliminating the need for potential payors to provide an account number, the enrollment process can be simplified somewhat from the enrollee's prospective. However, it should be noted that in most cases it will be beneficial to request that the payor enter an account number for each selected biller.
[0090] Turning now to FIG. 6, another screen 600, transmitted from the CF station 140 to the payor station 120 during the enrollment process, depicts an exemplary portion of a conventional personal check in block 610. Within this block, the areas of the check having the routing and transit number (RTN) and the account number are indicated. The RTN and account number for the applicable payor's checking account with the applicable financial institution 130a-130c are entered in block 620. Additionally, in block 630, log on information is entered in the form of a user name and password to complete the enrollment process.
[0091] All of the gathered payor information will typically be used to populate a consumer database, as will be described further below with reference to FIG. 16.
[0092] Upon enrollment, the billers from whom electronic bills have been requested and the financial institutions from whom checking account withdrawals have been authorized are notified, supplied information is verified and additional information is requested.
CF Station Operations
[0093] FIG. 7 provides a simplified flow diagram which summarizes operations of the CF station 140 during bill processing. It should be noted that the operations are described with the CF station 140 serving a centralized role within the bill processing network of FIGS. 1 and 2. Those skilled in the art will understand that the described operations could be performed, as appropriate, by stations other than the CF station 140 within the network shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, as has been previously described above.
[0094] As indicated in step 705, the CF station 140 receives billing information from the biller stations 110a-110d via the network 100. The received billing information is normalized, summarized and stored in steps 710 and 715 at the CF station 140. In step 720, the payor is notified of the availability of bills by message transmitted from the CF station 140 to the payor station 120a-120d via network 100. In step 725, the CF station 140 receives a request for bill presentation information from the applicable payor station 120a 120d. The bill presentment information is transmitted over the network 100 by the CF station 140 to the applicable payor station 120a-120d in step 730, responsive to the request. The bill presentment information may include only a summary of bills or one or more detailed bills formed by templating the normalized data before transmission. If desired the transmitted bill presentment information could include both summary and detailed bills.
[0095] In step 740, the CF station 140 determines if bill payment instructions have been received for those bills represented by the previously transmitted bill presentation information. This determination may, for example, be made at some predefined period after the receipt of a request for or transmission of the bill presentation information. If not, the payor is again notified of the bill availability in step 720.
[0096] Optionally, the payor station 120a-120d may be configured to transmit a notice to the CF station 140, responsive to the viewing of the notice of availability by the applicable payor. In step 735, the CF station 140 determines if a request to receive bill presentment information has been received for those bills represented by the previously transmitted notice of availability. This determination may, for example, be made at some predefined period after the initial viewing of the notice of availability of bill presentation information. If not, the payor is again notified of the bill availability in step 720. If a request has been received, the process continues at step 730.
[0097] As will be described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 16 to 21, if the determinations in step 740 is positive, in step 755, the CF station 140 determines if, in accordance with the payment instruction, the bill is to be paid by electronic funds transfer. If yes, CF station 140 transmits, via the network 100, an electronic funds transfer instruction for the payor's deposit account at one of the applicable financial institution represented by stations 130a-130c in step 760. The CF station 140 also transmits, via network 100, a notice to the applicable biller station of the payment in step 765. If payment is to be made by check or draft, the CF station 140 generates a hardcopy check or draft with the appropriate account information and directs the mailing of same to the biller in step 770.
[0098] Referring now to FIGS. 8-15, the payor, at his/her own prerogative, can access the bill presentment information at the CF station 140 via the network 100 at any time. For example, this contact may be initiated by using a payor station 120a-120d to contact the CF station 140 at a Web site on the Internet.
[0099] Upon initiating contact with the CF station 140, the payor is welcomed, as shown in FIG. 8, by a screen 800 transmitted by the CF station 140 to the payor station 120a-120d for presentment on the payor station display 460. The screen 800 includes notification of bills in block 810 and of messages in block 820 which have not been previously transmitted to the payor. In this particular instance, no new bills or messages are indicated. If new bills and/or messages are available, the payor can, using the payor station input device 465, click on indicator 810a to access the new bills and indicator 820a to access the new messages.
[0100] From screen 800, the payor can also access either bill presentment information related to previously transmitted billing information, including information relating to unpaid bills or paid bills, as well as information relating to previously accessed messages by clicking on indicator 830a to receive the unpaid bills, indicator 840a to access bill presentment information related to paid bills, and indicator 850a to access other messages. The payor can also select categories as indicated in block 870 by clicking on indicator 870a. Responsive to clicking on indicator 870a, the CF station 140 will transmit a screen which will be described below and allows the payor to categorize billers in any desired manner.
[0101] The payor can also contact customer care by inserting a topic of interest in block 860 and clicking on the indicator 860a. Alternatively, block 860 may offer a pulldown list of selectable topics, similar to block 560 in FIG. 4. In such a scenario, the payor would select one of the topics prior to clicking on indicator 860a. By clicking on the indicator 860a, a message is sent from the payor station 120a-120d to the appropriate customer care station. The customer care station may be the CF station 140 for all topics, or could alternatively be the CF station 140 for certain topics, the appropriate financial institution station 130a-130c for other topics and/or the appropriate biller station 110a-110d for still other topics.
[0102] For example, if the inquiry topic relates to the accounting of certain funds transferred from the payor's checking account, the customer care request can be directed to the appropriate financial institution station 130a-130c. If the indicated topic relates to a particular merchant billing, the customer care request can be directed to the appropriate merchant station 110a-110d. If the inquiry is of a more general nature, the customer care request can be directed to the CF station 140.
[0103] The customer case messaging option shown in FIG. 8 and described here may be beneficially provided on some or all screens presented on the payor station 120a-120d.
[0104] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, if the CF station 140 serves as a centralized gateway for all communications, all customer care requests could be directed to the CF station 140 and it may be unnecessary for the payor to indicate a topic of interest in block 860. Likewise, if all pertinent information is available at the CF station 140, then all customer care inquiries could also be directed to and disposed of by customer care represented by the CF station 140, rather than being forwarded on to a financial institution station 130a-130c or biller station 110a-110d for response.
[0105] Referring now to FIG. 9A, as noted above, if new bills are available, a summary of these bills can be accessed by clicking on indicator 810a. Similarly, if new messages are available, these messages can be accessed by clicking on indicator 820a. By clicking on indicator 810a when new bills are indicated, a screen 900, as shown in FIG. 9A, is transmitted from the CF station 140, via the network 100, to the payor station 120a-120d, processed by payor processor 450 and presented on the payor display 460. The screen 900 includes bill presentment information 910 which summarizes the new bills which have been received since the payor last requested bill presentment information related to unpaid bills. The summary information includes the biller name, amount of the new bill and the due date for payment of the bill.
[0106] As indicated in FIG. 9A, the applicable biller logo may be displayed as part of the presentation. The payor is given the option of clicking on a pay indicator 910a, a mark indicator 910b, or a delete indicator 910c, associated with each summarized billing. By clicking on the pay indicator 910a using the payor input device 465, a signal is transmitted to the CF station 140 to direct payment of a particular billed amount on the due date. By clicking on indicator 910c, the displayed bill presentation information relating to a particular biller is deleted. By clicking on indicator 910b, the bill summary information relating to one or more particular bills is marked and by then clicking on indicator 915 the detailed bill presentment information relating to these particular bills can be retrieved from the CF station 140.
[0107] The payor also has the option, using the payor input device 465, of clicking on block 920 to access a summary of all unpaid bills from the CF station 140. The unpaid bill summary will be substantially in the form of bill summary 910, but will include a summary listing of all unpaid bills rather than just listing new unpaid bills.
[0108] FIG. 9B depicts screen 930 which can be transmitted from the CF station 140 to present summary bill related information at the payor station 120a-12d in a categorized manner. As shown, by clicking on indicator 935, categories of billers are changed in block 940. For example, in screen 930 the category has been set to unpaid bills and accordingly, a summary of all unpaid bills appears on the payor display 460. Other categories could be, for example, utility bills, paid bills, questioned bills, credit card bills or any other category which may be desirable under the particular circumstances.
[0109] In screen 930, one or more of the check blocks 945 can be clicked on along with the pay bill indicator 950 to direct a communication from the payor station 120a-120d to the CF station 140 instructing particular bills which are summarized in screen 930 should be paid on the due date. Indicator 955 allows the check blocks 945 to be reset in the event that a block is inadvertently checked.
[0110] FIG. 9C depicts still another screen 960 which can be transmitted from the CF station 140 to the appropriate payor station 120a-120d for presentation on the payor display 460. As shown, the listing contains a current bill summary with payee names 965, total bill amounts 970, minimum payment amounts due 975, payment due dates 980 and bill status 985. Indicators 990 indicate that a pre-bill payment authorization has been made with respect to particular bills. Such authorizations will be described below. The status may, for example, be indicated as unpaid, as being processed if payment has been previously directed by the payor, or as on hold if the bill has been previously questioned by the payor.
[0111] As indicated in block 992, the payor can direct that all bills summarized in the bill summary of FIG. 9C be paid by clicking on the indicator 992a. Clicking on indicator 992a will result in the payor processor 450 directing a communication to the CF station 140 to pay all of the listed bills by the due date. Alternatively, as indicated in block 994, the payor can click on the indicator 994a to direct payment of the minimum amount due on all listed bills be paid by the payment due date. To the extent that the payment of bills have been pre-authorized by the payor, clicking on indicator 992a or 994a will not affect the pre-authorized payments.
[0112] Block 996 identifies the category of billers with respect to whom bill related information is summarized in screen 960. An indicator arrow 996a can be clicked on to scroll through various categories of billers to change the information summarized on screen 960, as has been previously described with reference to FIG. 9B. Additionally, dates can be inserted in block 998 to limit or extend the amount of bill summary information which is displayed. The arrow indicator 998a can be used to change the “TO” date.
[0113] By clicking on one or more indicators 965a and the retrieve indicator 999, detailed bill presentment information relating to particular bill summary items can be accessed from the CF station. By clicking on one or more of the indicators 970a and the pay indicator 997, an instruction to pay the total billed amount associated with particular bills will be communicated to the CF station 140. By clicking on one or more of the indicators 975a and the pay indicator 997, an instruction will issue to the CF station 140 to make payment of the minimum amount due on particular bills.
[0114] Turning now to FIG. 1A, a pre-bill payment authorization screen 1000 is shown. The screen is transmitted from the CF station 140 to the appropriate payor station 120a-120d for presentation on the payor station display 460. The pre-bill payment authorization screen 1000 allows the payor to identify billers in column 1005 whose bills are pre-authorized by the payor for payment by the CF station 140. More particularly, the payor can designate in column 1010 a fixed payment amount, a maximum payment amount or an instruction to pay the total amount due or mininum amount due for any named biller. Further, the payor can specify, it so desired, in column 1015, a frequency at which such payments are authorized.
[0115] As shown in FIG. 10A, the payor can also authorize payment of the total amount billed for all billers identified by an asterisk 415 in FIG. 4 by filling in a period of authorization in block 1020 and clicking on indicator 1020a. Similarly, if the payorwishes to pre-authorize payments of the minimum amount due on all bills, the period of authorization can be inserted in block 1025 and indicator 1025a can be clicked on. As indicated by block 1030, an indicator 1030a can be clicked on to direct that notification of and bill presentment information associated with bills for which payment is pre-authorized not be forwarded to the payor. The payor also has the option, as indicated by block 1035, of clicking on indicator 1035a to receive notices and presentations of bill presentment information associated with the bills which have been pre-authorized for payment by the CF station 140.
[0116] FIG. 10B depicts an alternative screen 1050 which may be utilized in setting up pre-bill payment authorization. Screen 1050 is transmitted from the CF station 140 to the applicable payor station 120a-120d. Billers identified in block 1060 and associated account numbers identified in block 1065 can be changed by clicking on indicator 1055. Alternatively, the payor can enter a biller name in block 1060 and the payor's account number with the particular biller payments will appear automatically in block 1065. By clicking on indicator 1070, the payor can direct the CF station 140 not to transmit notices and presentations of bill presentment information relating to the particular biller indicated. By clicking designator 1075, the payor can direct the CF station 140 to continue to transmit notices and bill presentment information regarding unpaid bills of the identified biller. By clicking on indicator 1080 after entering an amount in block 1085, the payor can pre-authorize the CF station 140 to pay bills of the indicated biller up to the maximum amount indicated without further authorization.
[0117] As indicated above, the payor station 120a-120d can also access the detailed bill related information stored at the CF station 140. As shown in FIG. 11, detailed bill presentment information, identified with referenced numeral 1110, is transmitted as screen 1100 by the CF station 140 responsive to a request for such information from the payor station 120a-120d. By clicking on indicator 1120, the payor station 120a-120d will issue an instruction directing the payment of the bill through the CF station 140. The bill can-also be deleted from the screen by clicking on indicator 1125.
[0118] Responsive to clicking on indicator 1120 at payor station 120a-120d, a screen 1200, as shown in FIG. 12a , is transmitted by the CF station 140. The screen 1200 includes a check 1205 which can be presented by the payor processsor 450 on the display 460 at the payor station 120a-120d. The check 1205, as shown, resembles a conventional hardcopy personal check. The name of the applicable biller automatically appears in the block 1210. An appropriate payment date automatically appears in block 1215. It should be noted that the indicated payment date may pre-date the payment due date included on the bill presentment information of FIG. 11 to reflect when the payment must be made to ensure timely arrival and avoidance of late charges. The lead time may vary depending on the remittance method (hardcopy check or various forms of electronic funds transfer). The total bill amount is also automatically indicated in block 1220.
[0119] The payor can modify the date and amount of the payment if so desired. As an option, the payor can also indicate in block 1225 that the amount shown should be paid to the biller more than once, for example, monthly or semi-annually. This feature will typically be most useful where a fixed payment amount is payable on a fixed periodic basis to the applicable biller. The payor then clicks on the pay bill indicator 1230 to direct transmission of an instruction from the payor station 120a-120d to the CF station to make payment to the designated payee, i.e., biller, in the designated amount on the designated date.
[0120] FIG. 12B depicts an alternative bill payment screen 1250. Screen 1250 includes a check 1255 which is similar to check 1205 of FIG. 12A, but which can be used in connection with the payment of individual bills from a bill summary screen such as those previously described with reference to FIGS. 9A-9A. More particularly, responsive to the pay indicator, in the bill summaries shown in FIGS. 9A-9C, being clicked on at the payor station 120a-120d, the CF station 140 transmits screen 1250 to the payee station. The check 1255 includes block 1260 in which an individual biller's name can be inserted by scrolling through billers names appearing on the bill summary using the arrow indicator 1260a. The bill due date or a date which allows time for hardcopy mailing of a check to the biller automatically appears in the date block 1265 for the listed bill of the selected biller.
[0121] In the screen 1250, the block 1270 must be filled in by the payor to indicate the desired payment amount. Block 1275 can be scrolled by clicking on the arrow indicator 1275a to select the period of payment as has been previously discussed with reference to block 1225 in FIG. 12A. FIG. 12C further details screen 1250 to show that block 1275 can be expanded to provide multiple options with respect to the payment period for selection by the payor.
[0122] Once the check 1255 has been appropriately filled out the payor can then click on the pay bill indicator 1280 to transmit an instruction from the payor station 120a-120d directing the CF station 140 to pay the selected biller in accordance with information contained in the filled check 1255. If, on the other hand, changes in the check information are required, the payor can click on indicator 1285 to reset check 1255 and restart the process of selecting a biller for payment and filling in the amount of the payment to be made.
[0123] Referring to FIG. 13, a screen 1300, having a payment list 1305 including those bills which have been paid or on which instructions for payment have been received, is generated by the CF station 140. Responsive to a request from the payor, the screen 1300 is transmitted via the network 100 to the appropriate payor station 120a-120d. The screen 1300 is presentable on the payor display 460. The screen includes a listing of billers in column 1310 and a listing of the date on which payment has or will be made in column 1315. The amount of the authorized payment is listed in column 1320 along with the period at which such payment is authorized in column 1325. A payment confirmation number is referenced in column 1330. This number can be used to identify the particular transmission or payment of interest should the payor wish to make any inquiries to customer care regarding the payment. In column 1335, the status of the payment is indicated. For example, as indicated, the status may be that payment has been processed or may be pending awaiting a due date of payment. In column 1340, the payor is provided with various options depending upon the status of the payment. For example, where payment is pending, the payment authorization can be stopped or edited. In those cases where payment has been made, the payor can make inquiries relating to those payments.
[0124] FIG. 14 depicts a screen 1400 which, responsive to a request from a payor, is transmitted by the CF processor 140 to the payor station 120a-120d. Screen 1400 allows the payor to establish certain categories of billers, as has been previously discussed. For example, the biller may, in block 1405, establish categories for utilities, credit card companies, school, tennis related activities and any other categories as may be desired by an individual payor. By clicking on the reset indicator 1410, the payor can modify the listed categories. The selected categories and any changes to the category listings are saved by clicking on indicator 1415.
[0125] FIG. 15 depicts a particularly beneficial screen 1500 for bill presentment and payment. As shown, the CF processor 140 transmits for presentation on the payor station display 460, a screen having an area 1505, which includes biller-specific bill presentment information, including the biller name, biller address and payor account number with the biller in block 1510. The area 1505 also includes a block 1515 having the biller invoice number and invoice date to the extent applicable. A block 1520 presents information which includes the purchase dates, product/service descriptions and the associated billed amounts, along with the total amount due and minimum payment due. A block 1525 indicates the payment due date.
[0126] In section 1530 of screen 1500, a check 1535 is shown which includes information similar to that of check 1205 which is described above with reference to FIG. 12A, with the exception that the check 1535 includes an invoice number in block 1540 and a click on indicator for approving the payment in block 1545. As in FIG. 12A, the payment due date and the total payment amount can be modified. An area 1550 of the screen 1500, has indicators which can be clicked on to access other information. As shown, indicator 1555a can be clicked on to access other terms and conditions as indicated in block 1555, and indicator 1560a can be clicked on to access advertisements which the biller wishes to include with the bill presentment as indicated in block 1560.
[0127] An indicator 1565a can be clicked on to access customer care as indicated in block 1565. The customer care access can, if desired, be similar to that described with reference to FIG. 8. Any customer care inquiry will automatically reference the particular account number referred to in area 1505 of the screen 1500, and may also reference the invoice number referred to in area 1505. By clicking on indicator 1570a, the payor can determine if payment has already been made as indicated by block 1570. If payment has been made, by clicking on indicator 1570a a canceled check stamp will appear on the check 1535 to indicate that the check has been cashed.
[0128] Accordingly, utilizing the screen 1500, a payor can access all information on a single screen necessary to review detailed bill presentment information relating to any particular bill, make payment of that bill in a desired amount and access other information, such as terms and conditions and advertisements, which would normally be included in a hardcopy mailing of bill. The payor can also determine that payment of the bill has in fact been received by the applicable biller. Should the biller have questions regarding the bill or payment, by simply clicking on indicator 1565a, customer care can be accessed.
Processing Payments to Billers and Other Payees
[0129] Payment processing will now be described in further detail with reference to FIGS. 16-21.
[0130] FIG. 16 illustrates the steps in the creation of a consumer database for use with the present-invention. The first step in the process is to establish a consumer's data records on the system. This may be accomplished by the consumer completing an authorization form 1600, which may include some or all of the enrollment screens 500 and 600 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, would contain the needed information to input into the system concerning the consumer. As has been discussed above with reference to FIG. 5, this information may include the consumer's name, address, telephone number and other applicable information. The consumer would also provide a voided check from the consumer's personal checking account, or the consumer's personal checking account information via the enrollment screen 600 as previously described with reference to FIG. 6.
[0131] The consumer's information may then be manually input via a keyboard 1652, or otherwise automatically entered into the consumer database record 1622, which forms part of the payor data 420b described above with reference to FIG. 2A. Default amounts may be set for an individual credit line parameter and for a total month-to-date parameter. These amounts establish the maximum unqualified credit risk exposure the service provider is willing to accept for an individual transaction and for the collective month-to-date transactions of a consumer. As explained hereinafter, the service provider may be at risk when paying a consumer's bills by a check written on the service provider's account.
[0132] From the voided check or entered checking account information, the consumer's bank routing transit and individual account numbers at an institution are input into the computer system. This information may be edited against an internal financial institutions file (FIF) database 1624 of the present invention. It will be recognized that the FIF database 1624 may also be stored at the memory 420 shown in FIG. 2A or could be stored at another location accessible to the CF processor 410. FIF 1624 is a database of financial institutions'identification codes and account information for the consumer. This file is used to edit[s] the accuracy of the routing transit number and the bank account number. If the numbers do not correspond with the correct routing and bank numbers, they are rejected in 1623 and the data entry is done again. FIF 1624 in conjunction with the software stored in area 420c of the memory 420 shown in FIG. 2A of the present invention also allows the CF processor 410 to update[s] the consumer database 1622 for both electronic and paper draft routing and account information. The needed information may be obtained from each banking institution and each consumer.
[0133] As appropriate, the consumer is notified by the service provider of his or her local phone number access and personal security code for informing the service provider that a bill is to be paid. This information may be stored in a phone access table 1626. Of course, no local access phone number is required if the Internet will be used to inform the service provide that a bill is to be paid. The personal security code may be much like an ATM machine four digit code.
[0134] In addition, to the extent necessary or as otherwise desired to comply with federal law, an electronic pre-note 1628 will be created to be sent to the consumer's bank to inform the bank that the service provider is authorized to debit the consumer's account. For further security to the service provider, a consumer credit record 1630 may be obtained. The default credit limit amounts over which the service provider may be unwilling to assume financial risk may be modified based on the information obtained from the credit report 1630.
[0135] In FIG. 17 the steps are shown for establishing merchants to be paid and the making of a payment. The consumer must inform the service provider or processor of a merchant's name, address, phone number and the consumer's account number with the merchant 1732. As described above with reference to FIG. 4, this can be done using enrollment form 550, which avoids the need for the consumer to enter all of the necessary information for billers named in the listing in block 560. The term “merchant” as used herein is intended to pertain to any person or entity that the consumer wishes to pay and is not to be limited to the usual merchants most consumers pay, such as the electric company, a home mortgage lender, etc. Thus, the term “merchant” should be understood to include the billers describe above, as well as any other payee. This information is put into a merchant master file database 1842 (MMF), to the extent it is not already included in the MMF 1842. The MMF 1842 and the addition of merchants to the MMF 1842 will be further described with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19. The MMF 1842 is stored as payee data in area 420a of the memory 420 shown in FIG. 2A.
[0136] The consumer may also indicate whether the merchant is a variable or fixed merchant. A variable merchant is one in which the date and amount of payment will vary each month. A fixed merchant is one in which the date and amount remain the same each month. If the merchant is fixed, the frequency of payment may be other than monthly, such as weekly, quarterly, etc. The consumer should inform the service-provider of the date on which the merchant is to be paid and the amount to be paid.
[0137] Through a telecommunications terminal 1734 (e.g., a push-button telephone such as telephone 430 or mobile phone 340 of FIG. 3, or computer terminal such as the PC 310 or notebook computer 350 of FIG. 3, which serves as the payor station 120 described in FIG. 2B), a consumer may initiate payment of bills. Through the terminal, the consumer may access his merchant list and input the payment date and amount. The system may be provided with a payment date editor 1736 to insure that the date is valid and logical (i.e., payment dates already in the past or possibly a year or more into the future would be questioned). The consumer interfaces with the service provider via a front end processor 1740 communicating through a network. The front end processor 1740 may, for example, form part of the CF process 410 of CF station 140 shown in FIG. 2A.
[0138] As payments are initiated, a consumer “checkbook register” may be created and automatically updated to reflect this activity. The merchant list can be visible on the consumer's personal computer screen, e.g. display 460 of the payor station 120 shown in FIG. 2B. On a personal computer a consumer may enter merchant payment amounts and payment dates, e.g. using input device 465 of the payor station 120 shown in FIG. 2B, on the computer screen, e.g. display 460 of the payor station 120 shown in FIG. 2B, and then transmit this information to the service provider, e.g. using the network interface 455 of the payor station 120 shown in FIG. 2B.
[0139] By telephone, the list may be presented by programmed voice. The voice may be programmed to ask the consumer if a particular merchant (selected from the consumer's MMF, which may be updated from time to time) is to be paid and to tell the consumer to press 1 if yes, or press 2 if no. If yes, the voice may instruct the consumer to enter the amount to be paid by pressing the numbers on a touch tone phone. The asterisk button could be used as a decimal point. After the amount is entered, the voice may ask the consumer to enter the date on which payment is to be made to the merchant. This may be accomplished by assigning each month a number, such as January being month 01. The consumer may then enter month, day and year for payment. The programmed voice may be accomplished with a VRU (voice response unit) available from AT&T or other vendors. It may communicate with a data processor to obtain consumer information. At the end of the consumer's session on the terminal a confirmation number may be sent to the consumer, in step 1632, providing a record of the transaction.
[0140] In FIG. 18 the steps are shown for the creation of the consumer pay table 1838 and making updates to it. The consumer's files of payment related requests may be received at the service provider on a front end processor 1740 that interfaces with the telecommunications network, e.g. the network 100 of FIGS. 1 and 2. The consumer's records may be edited 1844 for validity by comparing to the merchants' account scheme. Any new merchant records, from step 1732 of FIG. 17, are added to the consumer's pay table 1838. New merchants are compared to the MMF 1842 and appropriately cross-referenced to the pay table 1838 to check if a merchant record already exists in the MMF 1842. If no merchant record exists, a merchant record will be created on the MMF 1842.
[0141] Payment records may also be received on the service provider's processor. The payment may first go through a validation process against the pay table 1838. The validation process checks for duplicate payments and if duplicates are found they are sent to a reject file 1839. The validation process also verifies that merchants are set up and may check for multiple payments to be paid to a particular merchant. Orders for payment go to the consumer pay table 1838 to determine when the payment should be released and how it will be released for payment. The consumer pay table 1838 can be stored as payor data in area 420b of memory 420 within CF station 140 shown in FIG. 2A.
[0142] The service provider may pay merchants by a draft or check (paper) or by electronic funds transfer. To create a draft that will pass through the banking system, it must be specially inked. This may be accomplished by a printer which puts a micro code on drafts, like standard personal checks.
[0143] For example, as shown in FIG. 20, the front end processor 1740 may be a DEC VAX which is connected to an IBM main frame 46 Model 4381. Consumers may call by telephone 2035, a number that passes through the private bank exchange (PBX) 2039 and contacts a voice response unit 2041 in association with the front end processor 1740. The telephone 2035 could, for example, be a hard wired phone such as telephone 430 of FIG. 3 or a wireless phone such as mobile phone 340 of FIG. 3. The private bank exchange (PBX) 2039 could be part of the network 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0144] After the consumer's payment instructions are received an analysis is performed to determine the most cost effective and least risk mode of payment for the service provider to use. One preferred mode of payment is electronic funds transfer through the Federal Reserve Automated Clearing House (ACH) Network 2047, which could be part of the network 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. If the service provider is not a bank, a bank intermediary may be needed to be connected to the Federal Reserve Network. Another payment mode is a charge to the consumer's credit card through the RPS Network 2049, which could also be part of the network 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Additionally, an IBM Laser Printer attached to a micro post printer 2048 may be used by the service provider to send drafts 2076 or consolidated checks 2078 to merchants.
[0145] The main frame 2046, the functionality of which can be included in the CF processor 410 of CF station 140 shown in FIG. 2A, has data storage means 2050, which may form part of the memory 420 of CF station 140 shown in FIG. 2A, and runs the FIF 1624 and MMF 1842 programs, which may be stored in the area 420c of the memory 420 in CF station 140 shown in FIG. 2A. It may also have a tape drive or telecommunication interface, such as interface 405 of the CF station 140 shown in FIG. 2A, for accomplishing electronic funds transfer. It should be recognized that various other hardware arrangements could be used to accomplish the present invention.
[0146] FIG. 21 illustrates a similar arrangement for use when the consumer is using a personal computer 2137, which is shown to be either a MS/DOS or Macintosh PC, to instruct the service provider. The personal computer may access the front end processor 1740 through the standard X.25 Network 2143, which could be part of the network 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0147] Referring now to FIGS. 19A, 19B and 19C, the payment process is shown. This process may be performed by the CF station 140 in accordance with the bill payment software stored in area 420c of the memory 420 as shown in FIG. 2A. The payment process may be cycled 1956 each day or more or less frequently. The first step is to establish when payment items are to be processed. This may be accomplished through a processing calendar 1958. A processing calendar 1958. may be built into the system, e.g. stored in the area 420c of the memory 420 in the CF station 140 shown in FIG. 2A. The calendar 1958 enables the system to consider each date, including weekends and the Federal Reserve holidays. Payments are released from the consumer pay table 1838 using the due date. Any bank date, payments, or payments within a period such as four business days may be released the same day. All future payment dates would be stored in the consumer pay table 1838. On-line inquiry may be made on the consumer pay table 1838. The service provider has on-line capability to make changes to the consumer payment upon request until the day the payment is released. A consumer's merchant change may also affect the consumer's payment on the pay table 1838.
[0148] The method of payment to the merchant may be either paper (draft or check) or electronic. There are several factors in the process used to determine if a payment will be released as a paper item, or an ACH electronic transaction (automated clearing house; service provider is a party to transaction).
[0149] Each consumer may be assigned a status such as: active=good; inactive=bad; and, pending=uncertain, risky. If a consumer's status is pending 1960, when reviewing the payment file with the processing calendar 1958, the payment should go out as a draft paper 2076, as shown in FIG. 19C, to protect the service provider. When payment is made by draft, the service provider is not a contractual party to the transaction. The consumer's bank account codes are actually encoded onto the draft prepared by the service provider and act much like the consumer's personal check. The draft has been specially designed for this process. The draft is payable to either the service provider or the particular merchant. This allows the draft to be delivered to the merchant for payment and depositing, but allows the draft to be legally payable by the bank, with proper authorization. Additionally, posting information for the merchant is contained on the body of the draft. To the applicant's knowledge, it is the first time a draft has been used in such a manner and with this unique design to accomplish this.
[0150] If the consumer's bank transit number does not indicate an electronic bank 1962 (i.e., a banking institution that will accept electronic funds transfer), the program associated with FIF 1624, which may be stored in the area 420c of the memory 420 in the CF station 140 shown in FIG. 2A, sends the payment as a draft. A pre-note 1628 is required any time, step 1964 determines, new banking information is entered on a consumer and the bank shows on FIF 1624 as an electronic receiving bank. The pre-note period is ten (10) days under federal law. Any payments released during this period are sent as paper.
[0151] The third manner in which the service provider may pay bills is by a check written on the service provider's account 2078. A consolidated check may be written if many customers have asked the service provider to pay the same merchant. Under this method of payment the service provider assumes some risk since the service provider writes the check on its own account. The service provider is later reimbursed by the (consumer's) banking institution.
[0152] As a means of minimizing risk to the service provider, any transaction may be compared to the MMF 1842 credit limit. For example, if the check limit is greater than zero and the payment is $50.00 or less in step 1966, the item may be released as electronic 1974 or by service provider check 2078. If the payment is greater than $50.00 but less than or equal to the merchant credit limit, as determined in step 1968, the payment may be released as an electronic payment 1974 or check 2078. Any payments within the merchant's credit limit, as determined in step 1968, are added to the consumer's monthly ACH balance in step 1972. This provides a monthly total billing day to billing day summary of the consumer's electronic payment activity. Any transaction may be compared to the consumer's database 1622 credit limit parameters. If a payment amount is greater than the consumer's credit limit, as determined in step 1970, the item is released as a draft 2076 which is written on the consumer's account. If the payment amount plus the total of electronic payments in a particular month is greater than the consumer's credit limit in step 1971, the item is released as a draft 2076. Items not released as paper are initiated as an ACH debit against the consumer's account in step 1974.
[0153] The consumer database 1622 may be reviewed for proper electronic funds transfer (EFT) -routing. Payment to the merchant may be accomplished one of three ways, depending on the merchant's settlement code. Various merchant's settlement codes may be established. For example, a merchant set up with a settlement code “01” results in a check and remittance list 2078 being mailed to the merchant. Merchants with a settlement code, such as “10” produce an ACH customer initiated entry (CIE). Merchants with a settlement code, such as, “13” produce a remittance processing system (RPS) credit.
[0154] In the consumer pay table 1838, for fixed payments, a payment date gets rolled to the next scheduled payment date on the pay table. The number of remaining payments counter is decreased by one for each fixed payment made. For variable payments once made, the payment date is deleted on the consumer pay table 1838. The schedule date and amount on the consumer pay table roll to zero. A consumer payment history may also be provided which show items such as process date as well as collection date, settlement method, and check number in addition to merchant name and amount.
[0155] The software of the present invention is designed in part to make several decisions relating to particular transactions for consumers. The following example is provided to more fully describe the software. This example is not intended to limit the application to the details described in the example and is only provided to further enhance the description of the invention already stated above.
[0156] For this example, assume that a consumer has five transactions of varying amounts for which the consumer has asked the service provider to arrange payment. For simplicity, assume that the five payments are to be made on the same day. First, the consumer database 1622 is edited to validate the status, banking institution, and pre-note flags associated with the consumer's requested payments, in steps 1960,1962 and 1964. The account numbers provided by the consumer for the merchants to be paid, are also checked to determine if they are valid in step 1965. Assuming the merchant account numbers are valid, the program begins with the first dollar analysis.
[0157] For purposes of this example, the five payments the consumer has requested are in the amounts of: $25.00; $75.00; $150.00; $250.00; and $1,000.00. The program will consider each dollar amount individually as it goes through the various edit modes. The first edit may be called a $50.01 edit in step 1966. In this example, any transaction that is less than $50.01 is automatically sent as an ACH debit, in step 1972, to the consumer's account. This means that the service provider uses ACH to electronically transfer funds from the consumer's account to the service provider's clearing account.
[0158] In this example, the initial payment of $25.00 will satisfy the $50.01 edit and therefore will be paid without any further edits being conducted for this particular payment. Continuing with the example, the next edit may be a merchant dollar edit in step 1968 that is established for the specific merchant to which the transaction is being sent. For purposes of this example, this edit is set at $100.00 for all merchants. Different dollar edits can be incorporated for different merchants. In the example, the second payment request of the consumer, for $75.00, meets the $100.00 merchant edit parameter and is sent as an ACH debit to the consumer's account. Note that the $75.00 payment would not have satisfied the $50.01 edit and therefore would have passed on to the second edit which in this case, is the merchant dollar edit.
[0159] The remaining three payments in the example exceed both the $50.01 edit and the merchant $100.00 edit and therefore, go to the next edit. In the example, the next edit is for a consumer individual transaction limit set at $200.00 in step 1970. The $150.00 payment is less than the $200.00 consumer individual transaction limit and is, therefore, sent as an ACH debit to the consumer's account and paid. The other two remaining payments yet to be made exceed the $200.00 limit in this example and pass to the next edit.
[0160] In the next edit, which happens to be the last edit in the example, the consumer's month-to-date “unqualified” risk limit is checked. In the example, the month-to-date limit is set at $1,500. Assume that for this particular consumer $400.00 of month-to-date payments have already been made on the consumer's behalf. Added to the $400.00 would be the three payments made above for $25.00, $75.00 and $150.00. So an additional $250.00 is added to the $400.00 month-to-date for a total of $650.00 “unqualified” risk for the current month-to-date amount in step 1971. The next payment to be made is for $250.00 and would fall within the $1,500 month-to-date limit when added to the current $650.00 risk amount. Therefore, the $250.00 payment is made and an ACH debit is sent to the consumer's account. This brings the total month-to-date “unqualified” risk amount to $900.00. The final $1,000 payment has not been paid and would send the “unqualified” risk amount over $1,500 when added to the $900.00. Since the final payment of $1,000 in the example fails the consumer month-to-date limit edit, the $1,000 payment would be sent as a paper draft directly drawn on the consumer's account, and for which the service provider has no liability. In the example, the final step would be updating the consumer month-to-date current total to $900.00.
[0161] It will also be recognized by those skilled in the art that, while the invention has been described above in terms of one or more preferred embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Various features and aspects of the above described invention may be used individually or jointly. Further, although the invention has been described in the context of its implementation in a particular environment and for particular purposes, those skilled in the art will recognize that its usefulness is not limited thereto and that the present invention can be beneficially utilized in any number of environments and implementations. Accordingly, the claims set forth below should be construed in view of the full breadth and spirit of the invention as disclosed herein.
1. A system for delivering and paying subscriber bills associated with a plurality of billers via a communications network, comprising:
a server computer connected to the network and adapted to transmit bill presentment information representing one or more bills for a subscriber, each of the one or more bills having an associated biller, via the network; and
a subscriber computer, connected to the network, and including a communications port for receiving the transmitted bill presentment information representing the one or more bills, a display for displaying the received bill presentment information, an input device for selecting at least one of the one or more bills represented by the displayed bill presentment information, and a processor for causing the communications port to transmit a payment record for each selected bill, to the server computer via the network, responsive to the selection of the at least one bill;
wherein the server computer is further configured to generate remittance advice based on each transmitted payment record, and to route the remittance advice which is generated based on the transmitted payment record for each selected bill, to the biller associated with that bill.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein:
the server computer is further configured to receive original bill information representing the one or more bills, generate the bill presentment information representing the one or more bills based on the received original bill information, and to transmit the bill presentment information to the subscriber computer, via the network.
the generated bill presentment information includes a summary of each of the one or more bills represented by the received original bill information.
4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:
one or more biller computers connected to the communications network;
wherein the remittance advice which is generated based on the transmitted payment record for each selected bill, is routed directly from the server computer to a respective one of the one or more biller computers, which represents the biller associated with that bill, via the network.
5. A method of delivering and paying bills via a communications network to which are coupled a central station, and a plurality of payor stations, comprising:
receiving bill presentment information representing one or more bills, each having an associated biller, at one of the plurality of payor stations via the communications network;
displaying the received bill presentment information at the one payor station;
entering an input at the one payor station to select at least one of the one or more bills represented by the displayed bill presentment information;
transmitting a payment record for each selected bill from the one payor station to the central station via the communications network;
generating remittance advice at the central station based on each transmitted payment record; and
routing the remittance advice which is generated based on the transmitted payment record for each selected bill, to the biller associated with that bill.
6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:
receiving original bill information representing the one or more bills;
generating the bill presentment information representing the one or more bills based on the received original bill information; and
transmitting the bill presentment information from the central station to the one payor station via the communications network.
7. The method according to claim 6, wherein:
one or more biller stations are also coupled to the communications network; and
the remittance advice which is generated based on the transmitted payment record for each selected bill, is routed dirertly from the central station to a respective one of the one or more biller stations, which represents the biller associated with that bill, via the communications network.
9. A system for delivering and paying subscriber bills associated with a plurality of billers, comprising:
a communications port configured to transmit bill presentment information representing one or more bills for a subscriber, each of the one or more bills having an associated biller, and to receive a signal indicative of the selection by the subscriber of at least one of the one or more bills represented by the transmitted bill presentment information for payment, via a communications network; and
a processor configured to generate remittance advice based on each transmitted payment record, and to route the remittance advice which is generated based on the transmitted payment record for each selected bill, to the biller associated with that bill.
10. The system according to claim 9, wherein:
the processor is further configured to generate the bill presentment information based on original bill information representing the one or more bills, and to direct transmission of the bill presentment information; and
the communications port transmits the bill presentment information responsive to the transmission directive.
11. The system according to claim 10, wherein:
the processor is further configured to route the remittance advice to the associated biller by directing the transmission of the remittance advice; and
the communications port is further configured to transmit the remittance advice which is generated based on the transmitted payment record for each selected bill, directly from to the biller associated with that bill, responsive to the processor directive.
13. A method of delivering and paying bills, comprising:
transmitting bill presentment information representing one or more bills, each having an associated biller, to a subscriber via a communications network;
receiving a payment record via the communications network, for at least one of the one or more bills represented by the transmitted bill presentment information, which has been selected by the subscriber for payment;
generating remittance advice based on each transmitted payment record, and directing a delivery of the remittance advice which is generated based on the transmitted payment record for each selected bill, to the biller associated with that bill.
14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:
generating the bill presentment information based on original bill information representing the one or more bills.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein:
the generated bill presentment information includes a summary of each of the one or more bills represented by the original bill information.
delivery of the remittance advice is directed by transmitting the remittance advice which is generated based on the transmitted payment record for each selected bill, directly to the biller associated with that bill via the communications network.
Filed: Jun 30, 2003
Publication Date: Apr 1, 2004
Inventors: Peter J. Kight (Alpharetta, GA), William C. Kitchen (Westerville, OH), Mark A. Johnson (Duluth, GA)
Application Number: 10608433
Current U.S. Class: Bill Distribution Or Payment (705/40)
International Classification: G06F017/60;
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Justia Patents US Patent for Video tracking and display system Patent (Patent # 4,893,182)
Video tracking and display system
Mar 18, 1988 - Micronyx, Inc.
An imaging processing system (10) for displaying a succession of selected separated images of a moving object (62, 64) moving in an otherwise substantially static scene includes an image sensor (12) for generating video signals of the static scene and for generating video signals of the static scene including the object (62, 64) moving therethrough. The video signals are generated over a plurality of frames (80-94). A first memory (104) stores the video signals of at least one of the plurality of frames from the static scene. A second memory (104) stores the video signals of the plurality of frames from the static scene including the object (62, 64) moving therethrough. Structure (106) is provided for comparing on a frame-by-frame basis the video signals stored in the first memory (104) with the video signals stored in the second memory (104) to thereby determine the presence of the object (62, 64) in each of the plurality of frames (80-90). A display (18) illustrates the location of the object (62, 64) in each of the plurality of frames (80-).
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This invention relates to image processing systems, and more particularly to a system for capturing and displaying the trajectory of a moving object.
In many instances, in order to more clearly illustrate the trajectory of a moving object, it is desirable to record the path of the object by photographic devices. In the past, multiple-flash stroboscopic photography has been used to show in a single picture the complete motion path of an object. This technique has been found to be a useful and an instructive way of visualizing minor changes associated with, for example, athletic activities such as the swing of a baseball bat or a golf club. The apparatus for producing such photographs include a stroboscopic light source for intermittently illuminating the object in motion and a black scene background.
With the advances in television systems and video cameras, displays have been produced for providing a television display which depicts the motion of an object in a scene during predetermined time intervals. The path of a moving object can then be viewed for subsequent study. The images can also be stored for comparison purposes with later images, such as, for example, comparing athletic activities over a period of time. With the increasing use of video cameras, the recording of a path of a moving object has been made easier, and with viewing techniques of playback units, slow motion and stop action features allow viewers to clearly review the path of moving objects and study their trajectories.
The use of television systems as well as video cameras, for the capturing of the trajectories of moving objects requires excessive storage facilities, and therefore existing systems for capturing and displaying the path of a moving object have been limited in their use. For example, if it is desired to capture the path of a bowling ball as it travels down a lane, and in particular, if it is desired to capture the path of the bowling ball throughout multiple games being played at a bowling facility simultaneously, the amount of storage memory would be prohibitive both in volume and expense.
A need has thus arisen for an image processing system for capturing and displaying the trajectory of moving objects which requires minimal data storage capability for the selective capturing of large amounts of data.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an imaging processing system for displaying a succession of selected separated images of a moving object moving in an otherwise substantially static scene is provided. The system includes an image sensor for generating video signals of the static scene and for generating video signals of the static scene including the object moving therethrough. The video signals are generated over a plurality of frames. A first memory stores the video signals of at least one of the plurality of frames from the static scene. A second memory stores the video signals of the plurality of frames from the static scene including the object moving therethrough. Structure is provided for comparing on a frame-by-frame basis the video signals stored in the first memory with the video signals stored in the second memory to thereby determine the presence of the object in each of the plurality of frames. A display is provided for illustrating the location of the object in each of the plurality of frames.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a bowling ball tracking and display device for displaying an image of a bowling ball at predetermined positions along a bowling lane is provided. An image sensor generates video signals of the bowling lane and generates video signals of the bowling lane including the bowling ball moving therethrough. The video signals are generated over a plurality of frames. A first memory stores video signals of at least one of the plurality of frames from the bowling lane. A second memory stores video signals of the plurality of frames from the bowling lane including the bowling ball moving therethrough. Structure is provided for comparing on a frame-by-frame basis the video signals stored in the first memory with the video signals stored in the second memory to thereby determine the presence of the bowling ball in each of the plurality of frames. A display is provided for illustrating the location of the bowling ball in each of the plurality of frames. The display illustrates a simulated image of the bowling lane and includes the bowling ball positioned thereon corresponding to the location of the bowling ball within each of the plurality of frames.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention and for further advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following Detailed Description taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the present video tracking and display system;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present video tracking and display system utilized for tracking the trajectory of a bowling ball along a bowling lane;
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the bowling lanes illustrated in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is an illustration of the representation of the display associated with the present video tracking and display system for use with the tracking of a bowling ball;
FIG. 5 illustrates in schematic form the tracking of a bowling ball through a plurality of frames;
FIGS. 6A and 6B are schematic representations of the detection of a bowling ball within a frame;
FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C are schematic representations of gray scale processing performed by the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating gray scale processing performed by the present invention; and
FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the present video tracking system illustrated in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, a block diagram of the present video tracking and display system is illustrated, and is generally identified by the numeral 10. Video tracking and display system 10 includes a video camera 12 for capturing the image of a generally static scene through which the moving object passes, both in the absence of the object and in the presence of the object. Video camera 12 generates a video signal which is applied to a video tracking system 14. Video tracking system 14 will be subsequently described in connection with FIG. 7.
The output of video tracking system 14 is applied via an electronic communication medium 16 such as, for example, a local area network to a video image display system 18. Video image display system 18 displays the trajectory or path of the moving object by depicting the object at predetermined and selected positions along its path. In this manner, the path of the object can be stored and displayed to allow the user of the present video tracking and display system 10 to view the path of the moving object. The path of the moving object can be displayed, for example, on a background of a stored image. While the present video tracking and display system 10 will subsequently be described for the purposes of tracking a bowling ball down a bowling lane, the present invention can be utilized for the tracking of any moving object moving through a substantially static scene and, can be used for the tracking and display of automobiles moving down a roadway, aircraft in flight, and for other sporting activities such as basketball, baseball, golf and rifle activities.
Referring simultaneously to FIGS. 2 and 3, the present video tracking and display system 10 is illustrated for the use of tracking a bowling ball as it travels down a bowling lane. FIG. 2 illustrates the present video tracking and display system 10 mounted above a pair of bowling lanes 30 and 32. Bowling lanes 30 and 32 are standard bowling lanes typically found at a bowling center and include a ball return device 34 disposed therebetween. Associated with bowling lane 30 is a foul line 36, reference arrows 38, gutters 40 and 42 and bowling pins 44. Similarly, bowling lane 32 includes a foul line 50, reference arrows 52, gutters 54 and 56 and bowling pins 58. Video camera 12 is positioned between bowling lanes 30 and 32 in order to capture bowling balls traveling down both bowling lanes 30 and 32. Although video image display system 18 is illustrated in FIG. 2 as being positioned adjacent to video camera 12, display system 18 may be positioned at any desired location in a bowling center or remote from the bowling center, since communication with video tracking system 14 is achieved via electronic communication media 16. Illustrated in FIG. 2 are bowling balls 62 and 64 moving down bowling lanes 30 and 32, respectively. The image viewed by video camera 12 is the continuous image of bowling balls 62 and 64 as they travel down bowling lanes 30 and 32, respectively.
FIG. 4 illustrates a display associated with video image display system 18 which would be displayed to a bowler during use of the present video tracking and display system 10. Video image display system 18 depicts a simulation of bowling lanes 30 and 32, and is not necessarily an image of the actual bowling lanes 30 and 32. The image of bowling lanes displayed on display system 18 is a previously stored digitized captured image of actual bowling lanes and may constitute an image of a bowling lane taken from a perspective different from that by video camera 12. The trajectory of bowling balls 62 and 64 is illustrated in video image display system 18 by representations of bowling balls at selected locations along the lane. The path of the bowling ball is therefore illustrated on video image display system 18 as a series of ball position representations along the trajectory of the bowling ball. For example, bowling ball 62 is illustrated by 8 representations 62a-62h along its path. This path corresponds to the continuous path of the bowling ball 62 as illustrated in FIG. 2 in the dotted lines. Similarly, bowling ball 64 is illustrated on video image display system 18 as having 8 positions 64a-64h. The present video tracking and display system 10 further displays to the bowler the angle of entry into the pin deck of bowling balls 62 and 64 at display location 70; the terminal velocity in miles per hour over predetermined positions, such as, for example, positions 62d and 62h of bowling ball 62 at display location 72; the position of the bowling balls 62 and 64 in terms of lane boards from the right hand or left hand of a bowling lane 30 or 32 at a predetermined distance such as, for example, 45 feet from the foul line at display location 74, and the initial velocity in miles per hour of the bowling balls 62 and 64 over predetermined positions such as between positions 62b and 62d of bowling ball 62 at display location 76.
In summary, the present video tracking and display system 10 includes a video tracking system which receives inputs in the form of video signals from video camera 12 representing the target image in addition to parameters describing the geometry of the system in its environment. The outputs of video tracking system 14 consists of data communicated via electronic communication medium 16 to video image display system 18. The output data consists of point locations describing the trajectory of a moving object or objects, average velocities between the point locations and direction of travel at or between various point locations.
An important aspect of the present invention is that data is gathered by video tracking system 14 in blocks, hereinafter referred to as "windows" or "frames". A window is a portion of the video image, taken along the trajectory of the object such as for example, bowling balls 62 and 64 along bowling lanes 30 and 32, respectively.
FIG. 5 illustrates in schematic form, bowling lane 30 divided into 8 windows 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, and 94 along bowling lane 30. Captured within each window 80-94 is the position of bowling ball 62 as it progresses along its trajectory as illustrated in FIG. 2. The present video tracking system 14 detects the presence of bowling ball 62 within each window 80-94 and determines the coordinates of bowling ball 62 within each window 80-94. These coordinates are then utilized by the video image display system 18 to depict the positions of bowling ball 62 in the video image display system 18 as shown in FIG. 4. The windows are approximately three-fourths of a bowling ball size in height. Video tracking system 14 captures data on the vertical synchronization pulse of video camera 12 and then processes the captured data on the next video synchronization pulse to determine if a bowling ball is far enough into the window to be considered present within the window. Location occurs after all the windows have been captured by video tracking system 14. Video tracking system 14 then processes each window in detail to determine the ball position in each window 80-94. During processing, velocity and pin angle are calculated for display on video image display system 18. The centers of windows 80-94 at which the bowling balls illustrating the ball path will be displayed on video image display system 18 may be located at distances from the foul line at for example, 15 feet, 21 feet, 27 feet, 33 feet, 40 feet, 45.5 feet, 50 feet and 54 feet, respectively for the system utilizing eight windows.
As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, when a bowling ball 62 moving in the direction of arrow 96 crosses the center 98 of a window 80, data is captured. A window is the smallest unit of information captured by video tracking system 14. Video tracking system 14 includes two memory subsystems as will subsequently be described with respect to FIG. 9. Within one memory, images of each window of the bowling lane 30 alone are stored. The second memory system contains data captured by video camera 12 of a bowling ball image moving through a window. These two memories for each window are then compared using gray scale processing as is well known to those skilled in the art, and, for example, using the gray scale comparison algorithm illustrated in FIG. 8 to determine the presence of a bowling ball (62, 64) within a window. Since the gray scale comparison is performed using the computer of FIG. 9, the image of the picture elements exceeding the gray difference threshold is shown in FIG. 7 for conceptual purposes only. As will be described subsequently, the video tracking system 14 generates tables to determine bowling ball location, thus preserving the data in the two memories and reducing memory requirements. Also the flexibility of the computer allows the window sizes and the gray scale thresholds used to be dynamically changed during processing.
The sequence of capturing data within each window 80-94 (FIG. 5) of bowling ball 62 will now be described. Initially, a reference frame of window 80 is captured and stored in the first memory. The reference frame for window 80 is captured at a time when no bowling ball is present within the field of window 80. Secondary frames are captured and recaptured and are stored in the second memory by overwriting this same second memory for each window 80-94 on a periodic basis until bowling ball 62 is detected within each frame 80-94. After detection, the last secondary frame captured is "frozen" in the video memory of the second memory subsystem. It is this last secondary frame which is then compared with the previously stored reference frame of the first memory subsystem in order to determine the presence of bowling ball 62 within each window 80-94. After detection of bowling ball 62 within window 80, window 82 then serves as the reference frame for bowling ball 62 passing through window 82. Window 82 is scanned by video camera 12 to serve as the reference frame simultaneously with the scanning of window 80 by video camera 12 to determine the presence of bowling ball 62 within window 80. Therefore, the reference frame through which the bowling ball 62 continuously moves down bowling lane 30 serves as a "fresh" reference frame in which the bowling ball 62 has not yet entered as it traverses its path through subsequent windows 84-94. During the time the video tracking system 14 is awaiting for bowling ball 62 to appear in window 80, window 80 is being scanned by video camera 12 in addition to window 82 which will serve as a subsequent reference frame.
After bowling ball 62 is detected within window 80, video tracking system 14 begins to store data within the second memory subsystem for window 82, and window 84 becomes a new reference window. When bowling ball 62 is detected within window 82, the number of frame counts between detection and the two windows 80 and 82 are saved for a time base to be utilized for velocity calculations of bowling ball 62 passing through windows 80 and 82 along bowling lane 30. This procedure continues until bowling ball 62 is detected within each window 80-94 such that a total of 8 reference frames and 8 secondary frames of data have been captured by video tracking system 14 and stored in the first and second memories, respectively, for use in determining the position of bowling ball 62 within each window 80-94 for display on video image display system 18. Since all the necessary data has been stored within the memory of video tracking system 14, all subsequent calculations and processing do not need to be performed in real time.
Detection of a bowling ball within a window is done by gray scale processing by comparing one line of video data and by differencing a picture element in the secondary frame memory with the corresponding picture element in the reference frame memory. If the absolute gray difference is greater than a gray difference threshold, the neighbor of the current picture element is compared. If the neighbor's gray difference is also greater than this threshold, and the difference has the same polarity, the picture element is counted as being different. In this manner, the effects of noise in determining the presence of a bowling ball within a window is minimized. The window is searched from the outside gutter edges, in overlapping zones. These zones are equal in size and overlapped by a ball diameter. If the total number of picture elements different is greater than the number of picture elements in one-third of a bowling ball diameter for the window being searched, in any of the five zones, a bowling ball has been detected on this scan line. By varying the constant, the systems' sensitivity can be varied.
In order to reach the conclusion that a bowling ball has been detected in a window, the video tracking system 14 must declare that the ball has been found on the detect line and the scan line immediately below the detect line, closer to the foul line. The detect line is located approximately one-fourth window size below the top of a window. Window 80, however, is treated differently from the other windows 82-94 in that the bowling ball must be detected on the detect line and a scan line located two scan lines below the detect line. If the ball is detected, the line with the greatest number of picture elements different is searched again utilizing the constant to which the reference is compared to in order to determine the contrast of the bowling ball. For a bowling ball having a low contrast with respect to the reflectivity of the bowling lanes 30 and 32, the constant is offset before processing data for windows 82-94. Because video tracking and display system 10 is capturing data for both bowling lanes 30 and 32 simultaneously, time multiplexing is accomplished to complete processing of the two bowling lanes 30 and 32 asynchronously.
Video tracking system 14 further determines the location of bowling ball 62 within each window 80-94 after all 8 windows have been stored in memory. Video tracking system 14 computes the scan line and picture element position of bowling ball 62 for each of the 8 windows. Processing is done through a window 80-94 line by line. Video tracking system 14 compares difference between the reference frame and the secondary frame looking for an absolute difference greater than the previously described gray difference threshold. The search begins at a specified left limit and the search progresses right for a ball segment. A ball segment is a number of picture elements in sequence that exceed the specified gray difference level. When a ball segment is located, the initial picture element in the sequence is declared to be the left edge of the ball. This search is repeated, beginning at the right search limit, searching left. When a ball segment is located, the initial picture element of this sequence is the right ball edge. This process is repeated for each line in the window in order to build a table of the left and right edges of the ball for each line.
This process continues in an iterative manner, providing noise filtering of the stored data. Using search limits of the width of bowling lane 30 plus a ball diameter on each side and the gray difference threshold set by external inputs to video tracking system 14 plus a positive offset, an initial pass through each window 80-94 is made. From the tables generated, the leftmost and rightmost edges of the bowling balls 62 and 64 are determined. A second pass through each window 80-94 is executed using search limits of the previously determined edges plus a large offset and a ball radius. Again, leftmost and rightmost ball edges are found using the preset gray difference threshold with no offset. A final iteration through the windows 80-94 are executed. The search limits used are leftmost and rightmost ball edges plus a small offset plus a ball radius. The gray difference reference level is the prior threshold plus a negative offset. This iteration allows a greater final accuracy for placement yet keeps the effects of noise to a minimum. On the final pass, the contrast of the ball is also calculated, determining whether the ball is dark or light colored. If the sum of the differences are negative, the ball is a reverse contrast, light colored ball. From the final edge tables generated, the tables are searched for the first line containing a ball segment. This line is the top of the ball, and this line along with the frame count is saved for later use for calculating the location and velocity of the ball.
To define the ball position along the width of the lane, either the left, right or center of the ball is used. This value is also derived from the edge tables stored within video tracking system 14. If the rightmost edge of the ball is located left of the left lane edge plus an offset, the rightmost edge is stored for processing, along with a flag noting right edge. If the leftmost edge of the ball is located right of the right lane edge plus an offset, the leftmost edge is stored for processing, along with a flag noting left edge. For the third case, the left and right edges are averaged, yielding the ball center. The center is stored and a flag is set noting the center of the ball. If the ball is a reverse contrast ball when the final position information is determined, the offset used in determining which edge of the ball to use is smaller and the left edge of the ball is compared to the left lane edge, since the contrast between a light ball and a dark gutter will be greater than the light lane surface. Similarly, if the ball is located on the right lane edge, the right edge of the ball is used.
This entire process is repeated for each of the 8 windows 80-94.
As previously stated, video image display system 18 displays velocity of bowling ball 62 over two groups of windows. The velocity is computed using the straight line distance between ball positions between windows and the travel time between those positions. The time interval is computed by summing the count of video frames between windows. Video frames occur at a rate of for example, 30 frames per second, this time interval is also corrected for the time difference due to the ball appearing on different video scan lines in the different windows. Ball entry angle into bowling pins 44 is then calculated based upon the ball position in windows 92 and 94. The ball position, velocity and angle information is then transmitted over electronic communication medium 16 to video image display system 18.
Referring now to FIG. 9, block diagram of the present video tracking system 14 is illustrated. Video camera 12 may comprise, for example, a standard RS-170 video camera which generates an analog video signal which is applied to a video multiplexer 100. The output of video camera 12 is a composite video signal including vertical and horizontal synchronization signals. The output of video multiplexer 100 is applied to an analog-to-digital converter 102 which generates digital data for storage in video random access memory (VRAM) 104. VRAM 104 includes the two memory subsystems previously described for storing reference frames and secondary frames of data captured by video camera 12 of bowling lanes 30 and 32. Data is stored in VRAM 104 in 256K bytes. VRAM 104 is a two-port memory which is accessed in parallel mode, but additionally supports serial accessing. The serial mode is used to write digitized video data into VRAM 104.
VRAM 104 is interconnected to a computer 106 which may comprise, for example, an Intel 8344 central processing unit. Computer 106 functions to perform a comparison between the reference frames and secondary frames to determine presence of a ball within a frame, ball location, velocity and pin angle. The output of computer 106 is applied to electronic communication medium 16 for application to video image display system 18. Outputs of computer 106 via signal lines 118 and 120 are applied to variable white and black reference voltages 122 which is utilized for setting the minimum (V.sub.L) and maximum (V.sub.H) output voltage levels for analog-to-digital converter 102, applied via signal lines 126 and 128, respectively.
VRAM 104 includes eight serial shift registers, each having 256 bits for storing one scan line of video data which represents the maximum width of one bowling lane. VRAM 104 includes a second bank of eight 256 bit shift registers for storing one scan line of video data for the second of bowling lanes 30 and 32. Computer 106 accesses VRAM 104 through the second, parallel, port of VRAM 104. VRAM 104 also has inputs from a horizontal picture element counter/timer 132 and a vertical counter/timer 134. These timing devices are utilized for transferring serial data from the shift registers into the parallel sections of the VRAM 104. Also input to video multiplexer 100 are dynamic voltage reference levels VR1, 138; and VR2, 140 for establishing the optimum black and white levels used during the analog to digital conversion of picture elements. Computer 106 controls the operation of multiplexer 100 via signal line 142.
The references voltages V.sub.L and V.sub.H utilized by analog-to-digital converter 102 in the conversion process are variable through the use of variable white and black references voltages 122. This variability allows video tracking system 14 to compensate for variations in the output of video camera 12 with age as well as allowing system 14 to calibrate itself to operate with different cameras 12. Reference voltages 122 may comprise a variable voltage source such as, for example, an Electronically Erasable potentiometer (EEpot) for each reference voltage V.sub.L and V.sub.H used by analog-to-digital converter 102.
Typically analog-to-digital converters transform analog signal to a digital signal using a linear transfer function. The conversion takes the form:
f(V)=K(V-V.sub.L)/(V.sub.H -V.sub.L) (1)
Which reduces to:
f(V)=mV+b (2)
f(V)=Transfer function
V=A/D Input Voltage
K=Number of possible outputs of A/D
V.sub.L =Lower reference voltage
V.sub.H =Upper reference voltage
m, b=constants
Potentiometers within reference voltages 122 are used to set the reference voltages (V.sub.L, V.sub.H) so that the limits of the analog to digital conversion transfer function can be varied. By using a potentiometer directly adjustable by computer 106, system 14 can dynamically set the transfer function constants. The current limits of the reduced transfer function (Equation 2) can be determined by digitizing two known voltages using analog-to-digital converter 102, then calculating the transfer function. Computer 106 then digitizes an input voltage and sets the range of values for the resulting conversion accordingly.
The references, V.sub.L and V.sub.H, are adjusted as follows. Multiplexer 100 routes the lower range limit of the upper reference voltage VR1, the upper range limit of the lower reference voltage VR2 and the input voltage from video camera 12 to analog-to-digital converter 102. Under the control of computer 106, multiplexer 100 selects VR1 which is then digitized and stored and then selects VR2 which is also digitized and stored. From these values, the current limits for analog-to-digital conversion are calculated. The known brightest part of the environment and the known darkest part of the environment are then digitized. The brightest and darkest parts define two known points, and in system 10, may comprise, for example the lane and the pit area, respectively. However, any two points are all that is necessary in this process, and not necessarily the whitest or darkest levels of the environment. The actual digital equivalent of these two points is then compared to the desired equivalent for these points. The new desired transfer function constants are then computed which is the desired slope (m) and intercept (b) of Equation 2. From these values the required adjustments to reference voltages V.sub.H and V.sub.L are computed and reference voltages V.sub.H and V.sub.L are adjusted accordingly.
It therefore can be seen that the present invention provides for a video tracking and display system in which the total trajectory of a moving object is divided into segments or windows. The position of the moving object within a window is detected and displayed on a video image display system. Since only portions of the total trajectory are stored, the memory storage requirements for the present system are minimized. Additionally, since data for each window is repeatedly stored within a same memory for each window until the object is detected within a window, memory requirements are also minimized. The present video tracking and display system further displays to the user object velocity, position, and direction.
Whereas the present invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various changes and modifications will be suggested to one skilled in the art and it is intended to encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.
1. An image processing system for displaying a succession of selected separated images of a moving object moving in an otherwise substantially static scene, comprising:
an image sensor for generating video signals of the static scene and for generating video signals of the static scene including the object moving therethrough, said video signals being generated over a plurality of frames;
first memory means for storing video signals of at least one of said plurality of frames from the static scene;
second memory means for storing video signals of said plurality of frames from the static scene including the object moving therethrough;
means for comparing on a frame-by-frame basis said video signals stored in said first memory means with said video signals stored in said second memory means to thereby determine the presence of the object in each of said plurality of frames; and
means for displaying the location of the object in each of said plurality of frames.
2. The image processing system of claim 1 wherein said display means further includes means for displaying a simulated image of the static scene including images of the object positioned thereon corresponding to the location of the object within each of said plurality of frames.
3. The image processing system of claim 1 wherein said display means further includes means for displaying the velocity of the object moving between selected frames of said plurality of frames.
4. The image processing system of claim 1 wherein said display means further includes means for displaying the location of the object with respect to a selected reference point within the static scene.
5. The image processing system of claim 1 wherein said comparing means includes means for establishing reference picture element threshold levels for determining the presence of the object in each of said plurality of frames.
6. The image processing system of claim 1 wherein said second memory means stores images of a single frame of said plurality of frames over a period of time until the presence of the object is detected.
7. The image processing system of claim 1 wherein said comparing means determines the presence of the object in each of said plurality of frames by detecting the leading edge of the object at a predetermined position within each of said plurality of frames.
8. The image processing system of claim 1 wherein said first memory means stores video images of all of said plurality of frames of the static scene.
9. The image processing system of claim 1 and further including:
analog-to-digital converter means for converting video signals from analog to digital format;
means interconnected to said converter means for generating reference voltages; and
means for dynamically adjusting said reference voltages.
10. A bowling ball tracking and display device for displaying an image of a bowling ball at predetermined positions along a bowling lane, comprising:
an image sensor for generating video signals of the bowling lane and for generating video signals of the bowling lane including the bowling ball moving therethrough, said video signals being generated over a plurality of frames;
first memory means for storing video signals of at least one of said plurality of frames from the bowling lane;
second memory means for storing video signals of said plurality of frames from the bowling lane including the bowling ball moving therethrough;
means for comparing on a frame-by-frame basis said video signals stored in said first memory means with said video signals stored in said second memory means to thereby determine the presence of the bowling ball in each of said plurality of frames; and
means for displaying the location of the bowling ball in each of said plurality of frames.
11. The image processing system of claim 10 wherein said display means further includes means for displaying a simulated image of the bowling lane including images of the bowling ball positioned thereon corresponding to the location of the bowling ball within each of said plurality of frames.
12. The image processing system of claim 10 wherein said display means further includes means for displaying the velocity of the bowling ball moving between selected frames of said plurality of frames.
13. The image processing system of claim 10 wherein said display means further includes means for displaying the location of the bowling ball with respect to a selected reference point along the bowling lane.
14. The image processing system of claim 10 wherein said comparing means includes means for establishing a reference picture element threshold levels for determining the presence of the bowling ball in each of said plurality of frames.
15. The image processing system of claim 10 wherein said second memory means stores images of a single frame of said plurality of frames over a period of time until the presence of the bowling ball is detected.
16. The image processing system of claim 10 wherein said comparing means determines the presence of the bowling ball in each of said plurality of frames by detecting the leading edge of the bowling ball at a predetermined position within each of said plurality of frames.
17. The image processing system of claim 10 wherein said first memory means stores video images of all of said plurality of frames of the bowling lane.
18. A bowling ball tracking and display device for capturing an image of the motion of a bowling ball moving over a bowling lane and for displaying an image of the bowling ball at predetermined positions, comprising:
an image sensor for generating video signals for the bowling lane and for generating video signals of the bowling lane with the bowling ball moving therethrough, said video signals being generated over a plurality of frames;
memory means for storing said video signals of said plurality of frames;
means for comparing on a frame-by-frame basis said video signals stored in said memory means to thereby determine the presence of the bowling ball in each of said plurality of frames; and
means for displaying the location of the bowling ball in each of said plurality of frames on a stored image of a bowling lane.
19. The device of claim 18 wherein said stored image comprises a color representation of an actual bowling lane.
20. The device of claim 18 wherein said image sensor and display means further includes:
means for simultaneously displaying images of the motion of multiple bowling balls along multiple bowling lanes.
21. An image processing system for capturing an image of an object, comprising:
an image sensor for generating analog video signals of the object;
analog-to-digital converter means for converting said analog video signals to digital signals;
means for dynamically adjusting said reference voltages to set, at the beginning for an entire period of use of said image processing system, optimum black and white levels used during the analog-to-digital conversion of said analog video signals, whereby said analog-to-digital converter converts said generated analog video signals into digital data, and modifies said data, if required, so that it is within said optimum white and black levels.
22. A method for dynamically adjusting an analog-to-digital converter to compensate for changes in the signal levels of an image sensor comprising the steps of:
generating analog video signals from the image sensor;
converting the analog signals to digital signals;
generating reference voltages;
applying the reference voltages to the analog-to-digital converter; and
dynamically adjusting the reference voltages to set, at the beginning for an entire period of use of said image processing system, optimum black and white levels used during the analog-to-digital conversion of said analog video signals, whereby said analog-to-digital converter converts the generated analog video signals into digital data, and modifies said data, if required, so that it is within said optimum white and black levels.
23. A method for displaying the trajectory of an object moving through an otherwise substantially static scene, comprising the steps of:
capturing the image of the static scene over a plurality of frames;
capturing the image of the static scene including the moving object over a plurality of frames corresponding to the plurality of frames of the static scene;
storing an image of a reference frame of the plurality of frames of the static scene;
storing an image of the object moving through each of the plurality of frames;
comparing the image of the object moving through each of the plurality of frames with the corresponding image of the reference frame;
detecting the presence of the object in each of the plurality of frames;
determining the location of the object within each of the plurality of frames based upon the comparison of the object moving through each of the plurality of frames and the corresponding image of the reference frame; and
displaying the location of the object within each of the plurality of frames on a representation of the static scene.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of storing the image of the reference frame includes:
storing the image of each of the plurality of frames of the static scene, such that the reference frame shifts from the first of the plurality of frames to the last of the plurality of frames of the static scene as the object moves through the plurality of frames, to thereby compare each frame containing the object to each frame without the object.
25. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of storing the image of the moving object through one of the plurality of frames occurs simultaneously with the storing of the image of the next subsequent reference frame.
26. The method of claim 23 wherein the static scene includes a bowling lane, the moving object includes a bowling ball, and the display displays a representation of the trajectory of the bowling ball at selected locations along the bowling lane.
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Filed: Mar 18, 1988
Assignees: Micronyx, Inc. (Richardson, TX), Brunsick Bowling & Billiards Corporation (Muskegon, MI)
Inventors: Michael G. Gautraud (Muskegon, MI), Thomas M. Buie (Richardson, TX), Mark F. Blessing (Dallas, TX)
Primary Examiner: John K. Peng
Law Firm: Richards, Harris, Medlock & Andrews
Current U.S. Class: 358/105; 358/93; 273/63D; Means For Displaying Article At Various Stages Of Manufacture Or Treatment (434/369)
International Classification: H04N 718;
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Justia Patents US Patent for Method for constructing a data structure which allows data to be shared between programs Patent (Patent # 5,625,809)
Method for constructing a data structure which allows data to be shared between programs
Apr 22, 1994 - Hewlett Packard
A method in a computer system provides for the establishment of a link between two object data structures, the link specifying shared data. A first user command specifies the shared data and specifies a first object data structure as source of the shared data. A second user command specifies a second object data structure with which the data will be shared. The first user command may be accomplished by a user highlighting the shared data and selecting a share command. As a result a link is constructed which includes a reference to the shared data, a first object data structure, which is the source of the shared data and a clipboard object. The second user command may be accomplished by a user selecting on the computer display an area within a first window controlled by the second object and then selecting a paste command. The first object then may display the shared data in the area in the first window.
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The present invention relates to the management of data within a computing system.
One problem that has made computer use difficult is inefficient file management systems. For instance, in a directory, there cannot exist two files with the same name.
Further, there is data incompatibility between data files which are originated by different computer applications. Typically, each computer application operates independently from other computer applications. It is extremely rare that data from one computer application may be effectively incorporated into data from another application. If data is incorporated, it is difficult if not impossible to modify. Furthermore, once data has been transferred from a first application to a second application, it is usually impossible to return the data back to the first application to be modified.
On occasion so-called integrated software is developed whereby there is some data compatibility between certain applications. However, these integrated software packages do not provide for data compatibility with computer applications which are not part of the integrated software packages.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a computer having a file management system is presented. The file management system includes a plurality of application programs, a plurality of data files a plurality of class data structures and a plurality of object data structures. Each class data structure includes a reference to an application program within the plurality of application programs. Each object data structure includes a reference to a class data structure from the plurality of class data structures and a reference to at least one data file from the plurality of data files.
The use of object data structures adds a layer between a user of the computer and data files. This allows for the computer to refer to an object data structure and access files associated therewith using a tag which is inaccessible to the user. The user refers to an object based on the physical location of the object on the screen. The user may also give the object data structure a name, which is wholly unconnected to the value of the tag. This allows a user to, for instance, give two objects in the same directory, the same name.
Additionally, the file management system includes a plurality of link data structures, each link data structure including a reference to a first object data structure in the plurality of object data structures which serves a parent object of the link, and including a reference to a second object data structure in the plurality of object data structures which serves as a child object of the link. Child objects and parent objects are not necessarily the same for each link data structure.
One advantage of the present invention is that it allows users to file and use their data in any number of locations, by linking those locations to the actual data object. For example, a single spreadsheet can be linked into several different folders, used as a table in a word processing document and as a data source for a bar chart. From any of these linked locations, for instance, the user can very easily get to the spreadsheet to more fully examine or modify it. Any changes made to the spreadsheet are automatically reflected in all locations where the spreadsheet is linked.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a computer in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 2 and 2A show block diagrams which illustrate the relationship between objects, applications and data files in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 shows a plurality of objects linked in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 shows a series of objects serving as folders, as parents of objects containing data, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 illustrates the screen display which results from linking of various objects in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 shows the linking of objects in order to create the screen display shown in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 shows how three objects may be linked together in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 illustrate how an object may be copied in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 illustrate the copying of a public object in accordance to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 12 through FIG. 71 show the appearance on a screen of a session in which a user manipulates objects in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Also shown are block diagrams of how objects appearing to the user are linked in accordance to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 72 is a block diagram of an Object Management Facility (OMF) in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 73 shows a block diagram of the organization of HPOMF.CAT, a system file included in the OMF shown in FIG. 72.
FIG. 74 shows the relation between a global parent and global objects in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 75 is a block diagram which shows how system files within the OMF shown in FIG. 72 accesses data files and applications from a memory shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 76 is a block diagram of the organization of the memory shown in FIG. 75.
FIG. 77 and FIG. 78 show objects and links in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 79 is a block diagram of the organization of HPOMF.XRF, a system file included in the OMF shown in FIG. 72.
FIG. 80 shows a view specification record in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 81 shows the use of a snapshot in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 82 shows the data path of a view when there is no snapshot, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 83 shows the data path of a view when there is a snapshot, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 1 shows a computer 18 having a monitor 14, a keyboard 19 and a mouse 20. A portion of computer main memory 17 is shown by an arrow 9 to be within computer 18. Within computer memory main 17 is shown an object management facility (OMF)100, an application 101, an application 102, an application 103, an application 104, an application 105 and an application 106.
Each of applications 101 to 106 store data using objects. For instance, in FIG. 2, application 101 is shown to have stored data using an object 202, an object 203, an object 204 and an object 205. Similarly, application 106 is shown to have stored data in an object 207, an object 208, an object 209 and an object 210. OMF 100 stores information indicating which objects go with which application. Objects which are associated with a single application are considered to be objects of the same type, or the same class. For instance, object 202, 203, 204 and 205 are of the same class because each is associated with application 101. Similarly objects 207, 208, 209 and 210 are of the same class because each is associated with application 106. All objects of the same class use the same application. When an application is being run by computer 18, OMF 100 informs the application which object the application should access for data. That object is then considered to be active. An object is inactive when the application the object is associated with is not being run by computer 18, or when the application the object is associated with is being run, but is not being run with the data of that object.
Active objects can communicate with each other using messages. For example if two instances of application 101 are being run by computer 18, one with the data of object 202 and the other with the data of object 203, object 202 and object 203 are both active. Therefore object 202 may send a message 211 to object 203. Similarly, if computer 18 is running application 101 with the data of object 202, and is running application 106 with the data of object 207, object 202 and object 207 are both active. Therefore, object 202 may send a message 212 to object 207.
Messages, such as message 211 and 212 may be formatted to be sent and received by all types of objects. This allows for free communication between all active objects. This also allows new object types to be defined and added to the system without requiring that the existing object types be updated to use the new type.
Each object has associated with a set of data files. For instance, object 210 is shown to have associated with it a data file 221, a data file 222 and a data file 223. Data in data files 221, 222 and 223 are in a format which can be interpreted by application 106.
Each object has associated with it a list of properties. Each property has a name and a value which may be accessed by specifying the name. In addition, each class of objects has associated with it a list of properties that are common to all objects of that class. For instance, in FIG. 2A, object 205 and application 101 are shown. Object 205 has associated with it a property 231, a property 232, and a property 233. Application 101 has associated with it a property 131, a property 132 and a property 133.
Property lists can contain any number of properties. Each property value can be from zero to 3,2762 bytes in length. Properties are used to store descriptive information about objects and classes, such as names, comments and so on.
Objects may have references to other objects. These references are called links. Links are directional: one object is called the parent, the other the child. Each link has a reference name which is a number that is assigned by the parent object to identify each of its children. All of an object's children, its children's children, and so on are collectively called that object's descendents. Similarly, an object's parents, its parents' parents, and so on, are collectively called that object's ancestors. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, an object which may be manipulated by a user, can have zero or more children and one or more parents. An object is not allowed to become its own descendent.
In FIG. 3 is shown an object 301, an object 302, an object 303, an object 304, an object 305, an object 306, an object 307, an object 308 and an object 309. Objects 301-309 have links with reference names which are numbers shown in parenthesis by each link. Object 301 has a link 310, with reference name "1", to object 302. Object 301 has a link 311, with reference name "2" to object 303. Object 302 has a link 312, with reference name "7", to object 304. Object 302 has a link 313, with reference name "8", to object 305. Object 303 has a link 314, with reference name "1", to object 306. Object 303 has a link 315, with reference name "4" to object 307. Object 304 has a link 316, with reference name "1", to object 308. Object 305 has a link 317, with reference name "7", to object 308. Object 306 has a link 318, with reference name "8", to object 309. Object 307 has a link 319, with reference name "9" to object 306. Object 307 has a link 320, with reference name "13", to object 309. Object 308 has a link 321, with reference name "1", to object 309. Object 308 has a link 322, with reference name "3" to object 303.
Object 301 is a parent of 302 and 303. Object 303 is a child of object 301 and of object 308. Each of objects 302-309 are descendents of object 301. Descendents of object 303 are objects 306, 307 and 309. Object 309 has for ancestors all of objects 301-308. Object 303 has for ancestors objects 301, 302, 304, 305 and 308. And so on.
Active objects can dynamically make and delete links to other objects. When a link to an object is deleted, OMF 100 checks if the object has any other parents. If not, OMF 100 destroys the object by deleting the data files of the object and reclaiming other storage space associated with the object.
Object links may be used for various purposes. For example, folders may be in the form of objects. The children of objects used as folders may be objects containing data for use with various applications, or the objects may be other folders. FIG. 4 shows an example of the use of objects as folders. An object 401 (also called folder 401), an object 402 (also called folder 402), an object 403 (also called folder 403) and an object 404 (also called folder 404) are used as folders. Folder 401 contains an object 405, used to contain data, an object 406, used to contain data, an object 407, used to contain data, and folder 402. Folder 402 contains an object 408, used to contain data, folder 403 and folder 404. Folder 403 contains an object 409, used to contain data, and an object 410, used to contain data. Folder 404 contains an object 411, used to contain data, an object 412, used to contain data and an object 413, used to contain data.
A more sophisticated use of links is to construct compound objects. For instance in FIG. 5, a document 510 contains lines of text 511, lines of text 512, a graphics FIG. 513, a graphics FIG. 514 and spreadsheet data 515. As shown in FIG. 6, text and formatting data is stored in an object 611, graphics data for graphics FIG. 513 is stored in an object 612, graphics data for graphics figure 514 is stored in an object 613 and spreadsheet data 515 is stored in object 614. Links that are used to build compound objects always have some kind of data transfer associated with the link and hence are called data links. In FIG. 6 is shown a data link 615, a data link 616 and a data link 617. In document 510, data from object 612, object 613 and object 614 are merely displayed, therefore data link 614, data link 615 and data link 616 are visual data links. In a visual data link, the parent will send requests to its child to display data within the parent's window.
In FIG. 7, an object 701, which contains data for a first spreadsheet, is linked through data link 704 to an object 702, which contains data for a second spreadsheet, and is linked through data link 705 to an object 703, which contains data for a third spreadsheet. The first spreadsheet uses data from the second spreadsheet and from the third spreadsheet. Since the first spreadsheet does more than merely display data from the second and the third spreadsheets, data link 704 and data link 705 are called data-passing data links.
OMF 100 does the "bookkeeping" when objects are copied or mailed. When an object is copied, OMF 100 makes copies of data files associated with the object. If the object being copied has children, OMF 100 also makes copies of the object's descendents, and builds links between the new objects to give the new compound object the same structure as the original.
For instance, FIG. 8 shows object 308, from FIG. 3, and the descendents of object 308. When OMF makes a copy of object 308, OMF copies each of object 308's descendents and the links shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 9 shows a copy of object 308. Object 308a is a copy of object 308. Object 303a is a copy of object 303. Object 306a is a copy of object 306. Object 307a is a copy of object 307. Object 309a is a copy of object 309. Link 321a is a copy of link 321. Link 322a is a copy of link 322. Link 314a is a copy of link 314. Link 315a is a copy of link 315. Link 318a is a copy of link 318. Link 319a is a copy of link 319. Link 320a is a copy of link 320.
In the preferred embodiment, the default behavior results in the copy of a parent's children when the parent is copied. However, when a child is designated as "public" it is not copied. Rather, a copy of the parent includes a link to the child. For instance, in FIG. 10, a parent object 161 is to be copied. Parent object 161 is linked to a child object 162 through a link 163. Child object 162 is a public object. As shown in FIG. 11, copying of parent object 161 results in new object 161a being linked to object 162 through a new link 163a. Object 161a is a copy of object 161. Link 163a is a copy of link 163.
In FIG. 12 through FIG. 71, it is shown how objects are displayed to a user on monitor 14. In FIG. 12 a "NewWave Office" desktop is shown to include icons labelled as "File Drawer", "Waste Basket", "Diagnostic", "Printers", "Star" and "My Folder". A user (not shown) has manipulated a cursor 781 , using keyboard 19 or mouse 20, to select "My Folder".
FIG. 13 shows how the objects displayed on monitor 14 are linked. NewWave Office (shown as an object 700) is the parent of "File Drawer" (shown as an object 701) through a ink 711, of "Waste Basket" (shown as an object 702) through a link 712, of "Diagnostic" (shown as an object 703) through a link 713, of "Printers" (shown as an object 704) through a ink 714, of "My Folder" (shown as an object 705) through a link 715 and of "Star" (shown as an object 706) through a link 716.
In FIG. 14, the user, using cursor 781, has selected "Create a New . . . " in a pull down menu 782. As a result of this selection a dialog box 779 appears as shown in FIG. 15. Using cursor 781, the user has highlighted the icon "Layout" and using keyboard 19 has typed in the name "Paste Up" as a name for a new object to be created. Cursor 781 now points to a region labelled "OK". Once this region is selected, a new object titled "Paste Up" is created, as is shown in FIG. 16.
In FIG. 17, "Paste Up" is shown as an object 707 linked as a child of NewWave Office through a link 717.
The basic clipboard operations are Cut, Copy, and Paste. The user must select the data that is to be moved or copied, and then give either the Cut command or the Copy command. Cut moves the selected data to the clipboard (deleting it from its original location). Copy makes a copy of the selected data on the clipboard. The user must then select the location where he wants the data to be moved or copied to, and give the Paste command. This command copies the contents of the clipboard to the selected location.
In FIG. 18 a user is shown to have selected "Paste Up". The selection is represented by the icon for "Paste Up" being displayed using inverse video. With cursor 781, the user selects "Copy" from a pull down menu 783. In FIG. 18A a Clipboard object 720 is shown to be a parent of an object 708 through a link 721. Object 708, is a copy of object 707 ("Paste Up").
As shown in FIG. 19, next the user selects "Paste" from pull down men 783. The result, shown in FIG. 20, is the addition of an object 708, pointed to by cursor 781, which is a copy of the original "Paste Up" object 707.
In FIG. 21, the new object is shown as object 708 linked as a child of NewWave Office through a link 718.
In FIG. 22, "My Folder", has been opened by double clicking the icon for "My Folder" using cursor 781. The result is a new window 785 representing "My Folder".
In FIG. 23, using cursor 781, "Paste Up" (object 708) is shown being dragged to window 785. In FIG. 24, the process is complete and "Paste Up" (object 708) is now in window "My Folder". In FIG. 25, "Paste Up", shown as object 708, is now a child of "My Folder" through link 728.
The user sets up multiple links by using the Share command. This command is an extension of the clipboard metaphor common in software packages today for moving and copying data around the system. The clipboard is a special buffer that the system uses to hold data that is in transit.
In one way, the Share command operates similarly to the Cut or Copy command described above. That is, using Share, Cut, or Copy, the user selects some data first and then gives the Share command, which results in something being put on the clipboard. In the case of the Share command, however, what is put on the clipboard is neither the actual data nor a copy of the actual data. Instead, it is a link to the selected data. When this link is pasted, a permanent connection is made between the original data and the location of the Paste. Through use of OMF 100, this link is used by the involved applications to provide easy access to the original data (in its full application) and automatic updating when the original data is modified.
In FIG. 26, the NewWave Office window has been activated. "Paste Up" (object 707) has been selected, as evidenced by "Paste Up" (object 707) being in inverse video. Using cursor 781, "Share" from menu 783 is selected. In FIG. 720, Clipboard object 720 is shown to be a parent of "Paste Up" object 707 through a link 722.
In FIG. 27, window 785 has been activated. From a menu 787, "Paste" is selected. The result, shown in FIG. 28, is an icon 707a appearing in window 785, which indicates that "Paste Up" (object 707) is shared by window 785 and the NewWave Office window. In FIG. 28A, as a result of the paste, "Paste Up" is now shown to be both a child of Clipboard 720 through link 722 and a child of "My Folder" 705 through a link 727. In FIG. 29, showing just the interconnection of objects visible to the user, "Paste Up" (object 707) is shown to be a child of "My Folder" 705 through link 727. Since "Paste Up" (object 707) is shared, not copied, "Paste Up" (object 707) remains a child of NewWave Office through link 717.
One key feature of data links is automated data transfer. When a child object is open and the user changes a part of it which is "shared out", then it makes a call to OMF 100. OMF 100 checks if any of the object's parents "care" about this particular change. If they care and if they are also open, OMF 100 sends to the parents a message informing them that new data is available. The parent can then send messages to the child to produce or display the data. This feature allows the user to establish compound objects with complex data dependencies, and then have changes made to any sub-part be automatically reflected in other parts. For example, changing a number in a spreadsheet could cause a graph to be re-drawn, and updated as a figure in a document. And since an object can have many parents, a single object can be used as "boiler plate" for any number of other objects. A change in the boiler plate will be reflected in all the objects which have links to it. Automated data transfer is illustrated in the following discussion.
In FIG. 30, window 785 for "My Folder" has been closed. In FIG. 31, cursor 781 is used to select "Create a New . . . " from pull down menu 782. As a result of this selection dialog box 779 appears as shown in FIG. 32. Using cursor 781, the icon HPText has been highlighted and using keyboard 19 the name "Sample Text" has been typed in as the name for a new object to be created. Cursor 781 now points to a region labelled "OK". Once this region is selected, a new object titled "Sample Text" is created, as is shown in FIG. 33.
In FIG. 34, "Sample Text" (object 709) is shown to be a child of NewWave Office through a link 719. In FIG. 34, since "My Folder" has been closed, "Paste Up" (object 708), link 728 and link 727 are not shown. However, these still exist, but are not currently visible to a user.
In FIG. 35, placing cursor 781 on the icon "Sample Text" and double clicking a button on mouse 20 results in "Sample Text" being opened. In FIG. 36, an open window 789 for "Sample Text" is shown.
In FIG. 37 a window 791 for "Paste Up" (object 707) has been opened by double clicking on the icon for "Paste Up". In FIG. 38, using Cursor 781, controlled by mouse 20, a portion 790 of the text of "Sample Text" has been selected. The portion in inverse video stating "New Wave Office environment" is portion 790.
In FIG. 39, cursor 781 is used to select the selection "Share" in a pull down menu 792. In FIG. 40, an area 793 in window 791 is selected using cursor 781. In FIG. 41, a selection "Paste" is selected from a pull down menu 794 using cursor 781. In FIG. 42, "Sample Text" is linked to "Paste Up" (object 707) and displayed text 790 is displayed in "Paste Up" window 791. In FIG. 43 "Sample Text" (object 709) is shown to be a child of "Paste Up" (object 707) through a link 729. In FIG. 42, displayed text 790 is shown in gray because "Star" window 789 is open. In FIG. 44, "Star" window 789 is closed so displayed text 790 is clearly displayed.
In FIG. 45, a region 795 of window 791 is selected using cursor 781. FIG. 46 shows cursor 781 dragging the icon "Star" into region 795 of window 791.
In FIG. 47, data from "Star" (object 706) is now displayed in region 795 of window 791. As may be seen in FIG. 48, "Star" (object 706) is now a child of "Paste Up" (object 707) through a link 726.
In FIG. 49, a user has placed cursor 781 over region 795 of window 791 and double clicked a button on mouse 20. The result is the opening and display of "Star" (object 706) in a window 796. FIG. 40 shows the use of cursor 781 to select selection "Ellipse" in a menu window 797 which results in the data within "Star" (object 706) being changed from a star to an ellipse. As shown in FIG. 51, the result is a change both in data displayed in window 796 and data displayed in region 795 of window 791.
In FIG. 52, cursor 781 is used to define a region 797 in window 791. In FIG. 53, cursor 781 is used to select a selection "Create a New . . . " in pull down menu 798. As a result of this selection dialog box 799 appears in FIG. 54. Dialog box 799 contains icons for the two classes of objects available which are able to display data in region 797 of window 791. Using cursor 781, the icon "HP Shape" has been highlighted. Using keyboard 19 the name "New Shape" has been typed in as the name for a new object to be created. Cursor 781 now points to a regions labelled "OK". Once this region is selected, a new object titled "New Shape" is created. Data for "New Shape" is displayed in region 797 of window 791 as is shown in FIG. 55. In FIG. 56, "New Shape" (object 750) is shown to be a child of "Paste Up" (object 707) through a link 760.
In FIG. 57 a window 800 for "New Shape" was opened by placing cursor 781 over region 797 of window 791 and clicking twice on a button on mouse 20. In FIG. 58, cursor 781 is used to select the selection "Triangle" from a pull down menu 801. The result, as shown in FIG. 59, is that a triangle is now displayed both in window 800 and in region 797 of window 791.
In FIG. 60, window 800 has been closed. In FIG. 61, "New Shape" is selected by placing cursor 781 over region 797 of window 796, and clicking a button on mouse 20. In FIG. 62, cursor 781 is used to select selection "Share" from pull down menu 794. In FIG. 63, cursor 781 is used to select a region 802 of window 791. In FIG. 64, cursor 781 is used to select selection "Paste" from pull down menu 794. The result, as shown in FIG. 65, is the sharing of "New Shape" with data from "New Shape" being displayed in region 797 and in region 802 of window 791. In FIG. 66, "New Shape" (object 750) is shown to have an additional link 770, from its parent "Paste Up" (object 707).
In FIG. 67, region 797 has been selected using cursor 781. Cursor 781 is then used to select selection "Cut" from pull down menu 794. The result, as seen in FIG. 68, is that region 781 has been removed from window 791. In FIG. 69, cursor 781 is used to select selection "Paste" from pull down menu 783. The result, shown in FIG. 70, is an icon for "New Shape" pointed to by cursor 781. In FIG. 71, "New Shape" (object 750) is shown to now be a child of NewWave Office (object 100), through a link 780.
In FIG. 72, OMF 100 is shown to contain seven system files: system file 601, system file 602, system file 603, system file 604, system file 605, system file 606 and system file 607. OMF interface 599 serves as interface of OMF to other programs running on computer 18. System files 601-607 serve as a data base that provides various information. They provide information about object properties such as what class each object is what is the name of each object. System files 601-607 provide information about classes of objects such as what application is associated with each class of objects, what icon represents objects of a particular class and lists of what messages (such as those shown in FIG. 2) can be processed by objects of a particular class. System files 601-607 also contain information about links between parent and child objects including a list of parents and reference names of each link from a parent for each object; a list of children and reference names of each link to a child for each object; and additional information to manage data exchange across data inks. Additionally, system files 601-607 contain general information such as what files are installed in the operating system for each class that is installed, and what objects have requested automatic restart when the OMF 100 is restarted.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention system file 601 is referred to as HPOMF.CAT, system file 602 is referred to as HPOMF.CLS, system file 603 is referred to as HPOMF.XRF, system file 604 is referred to as HPOMF.PRP, system file 605 is referred to as HPOMF.INS, system file 606 is referred to as HPOMF.SDF and system file 607 is referred to as HPOMFICO.NWE. A description of each system file is now given.
System file 601, HPOMF.CAT, is also referred to as SYSCAT. HPOMF.CAT is a catalog of all the existing objects in the system. In FIG. 73, HPOMF.CAT is shown to be record oriented. HPOMF.CAT has a plurality of file records. In FIG. 73, file record 0 through file record 8 are shown, although HPOMF.CAT may contain many more file records than are shown in FIG. 73. File record 0 is a header which contains various signatures and is used to manage a list of free file records. A signature is some known value which if present indicates that the file is not corrupted. File record 1 through file record 8 and additional file records (not shown) either define an existing object, or are free. In the preferred embodiment HPOMF.CAT can grow dynamically, as more file records are needed, but cannot shrink.
File record 1 defines a special object called the global parent. The global parent has a form different than every other object, and may be regarded as a "pseudo" object. FIG. 74 shows the global parent to be the parent of global object 250 through link 260, global object 251 through link 261, global object 252 through link 262, global object 253 through link 263, global object 254 through link 264 and global object 255 through link 265, as shown. Global objects 250-255 are also within HPOMF.CAT. Each global object 250-255 may be a parent of one or more objects in HPOMF.CAT. Each object in HPOMF.CAT which is not a global object, is a descendent of global object. Although FIG. 74 shows only six global objects, the number of global objects operating on a system is a matter of system configuration. Any object in the system can refer to a global object by using the reference name of the link to that global object from the global parent.
As may be seen from FIG. 73, file records in HPOMF.CAT are numbered consecutively. These numbers serve as tags, which identify each object.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each record is 128 bytes in length. The fields for file record 0 are listed in Table 1 below:
1FirstFreeEntry
Contains the record number of
the first free record in
HPOMF.CAT, or "0" if there are
no free records.
FileId Contains the null terminated
string "HPOMF.CAT". This serves
as a signature.
Version Contains the file format version
number, which also serves as a
1MaxRecordNumber
Contains the number of the
highest record ever allocated
from within HPOMF.CAT (this
highest record may or may not be
free).
Table 2, below, contains the fields for file records in HPOMF.CAT for file records other than file record 0:
Is "-1" if this record defines
an object, otherwise this record
is free and this field is the
record number of the next free
record, or "0" if there are no
more free records. If the
record is free, none of the
other fields in the record is
meaningful.
TypeInClass Specifies the class of this
object. This is the number of
the record in HPOMF.CLS that
indicates to which class the
object belongs (see discussion
of class above).
SysCatFlags Specifies if the object is
global if the bit masked by the
number 20 (hexadecimal) is set
in this byte. In the preferred
embodiment all other bit
positions must contain "0" and
are not used.
properties Specifies the number of
properties, the length of the
property names and the location
in HPOMF.PRP of the object's
properties. See the description
of HPOMF.PRP below for further
definition of the structure of
this field.
fastprops Certain object properties, such
as name, are so heavily accessed
that they are stored directly in
this field, rather than
indirectly in the properties
file. Properties stored in this
field are called "fast
properties."
System file 602, HPOMF.CLS is also referred to as SYSCLASS. This system file is a list of all installed classes in the system. It is record oriented. The first record, numbered 0, is a header which contains various signatures (see above) and is used to manage a list of free records. All other records either define an installed class or are free. In the preferred embodiment HPOMF.CLS can grow dynamically, but cannot shrink.
Each file record in HPOMF.CLS is thirty-two bytes in length. HPOMF.CLS file record 0 (the header) contains the following fields listed in Table 3:
HPOMF.CLS, or "0" if there are
string "HPOMF.CLS"
number.
from within HPOMF.CLS (this
Table 4, below, contains the fields for file records in HPOMF.CLS for file records other than file record 0:
1FirstFreeEntry Is "-1" if this record defines
an installed class, otherwise
this record is free and this
field is the record number of
the next free record, or "0" if
there are no more free records.
If the record is free, none of
the other fields in the record
is meaningful.
ModuleFileName Specifies the name of the
application associated with
objects of this class as a null-
terminated string.
properties Specifies the number of
In FIG. 75, the relationship of HPOMF.CAT and HPOMF.CLS is shown. Within each object entry within HPOMF.CAT, the record number, which is an object's tag, serves as an identifier 650 of data files in a mass storage memory 170 associated with the object. The field "TypeInClass" serves as an identifier 651 of the class entry in HPOMF.CLS, which identifies the class of each object. Within each class entry in HPOMF.CLS, the field "ModuleFileName" serves as an identifier 652 of the application file in mass storage memory 170 which is associated with the class.
In FIG. 76, the organization of a portion of mass storage memory 170 is shown. A root directory 660 contains pointers to an HPNWDATA directory 661 and HPNWPROG directory 668. HPNWPROG directory 668 is the location of storage for applications files, represented by arrows 669. HPNWDATA contains a plurality of HPOMFddd directories, represented by directories 662, 663, 664, 665 and 666. In the HPOMFddd directories are stored data files associated with objects. The "ddd" in HPOMFddd stands for a three digit, leading zeros, hexadecimal number. Each HPOMFddd directory has a different "ddd" hexadecimal number. The "ddd" number indicates which HPOMFddd directory stores data files for a particular object. Data files for a particular object are stored in the HPOMFddd directory which has a "ddd" number equal to the tag for the object divided by an integer number, e.g., fifty four. Within each HPOMFddd directory, files are stored by tag numbers, e.g. data file names have the format xxxxxxxx.111, where "xxxxxxxx" is an eight digit leading zeros hexadecimal tag, and "111" are a reference chosen by the application.
System file 603, HPOMF.XRF is also referred to as SYSXREF. This file is a list of all the links existing in the system. It is record oriented, but does not have a header record. Each record file is either free, or defines an existing link, or is used as an overflow record from the previous record to specify additional view specification information. Records that contain view specifications are called view specification file records. View specification file records can be identified only by a previous record which defines an existing data link; view specification file records cannot be identified by the content within a view specification file record. HPOMF.XRF is increased in size 16K bytes at a time. A newly allocated portion of HPOMF.XRF is filled with zeros. File records within HPOMF.XRF which are free or which define a link have the following fields listed in Table 5:
ParentTag Contains the tag (HPOMF.CAT
record number) of the parent
object of this link. If this
field is 0, then this record
does not define a link and is
ChildTag Contains the tag of the child
object of this link. If
ParentTag in this record is 0,
and this field is also 0, then
no record beyond this record in
HPOMF.XRF defines a link.
RefName Contains the reference name that
the parent has assigned to the
link. This field is meaningless
if ParentTag or ChildTag is
zero. Otherwise, if the top
three bits of this value are
110, the next record in the file
is a view specification.
File records within HPOMF.XRF which are view specification file records have the following fields listed in Table 5A:
TABLE 5A
DataId Contains the value that the
child has assigned to identify
the part of itself that is being
viewed through the link.
Snapshot Contains the tag (HPOMF.CAT
record number) of the object
which is the view's snapshot, or
if zero, the view has no
snapshot. For further
discussion of snapshots, see
Misc Composed of several bit fields
described below:
VS.sub.-- NEWDATASET Set if child has told OMF
that new data is available,
but has not been announced
to the parent. The
hexadecimal number 8000
0000 is a mask which
indicates which bits are
used for this bit field.
VS.sub.-- NEWDATAANNOUNCED
Set if child has told OMF
to announce new data to
parent, but parent was
inactive and was not
notified. The hexadecimal
number 4000 0000 is a mask
which indicates which bits
are used for this bit
VS.sub.-- SNAPSHOTOLD
that the view's snapshot is
out-of-date. The
VS.sub.-- WANTMESSAGES
that it wants to process
view messages when snapshot
is out-of-date. The
VS.sub.-- TEXTDISKLOC
File position in HPOMF.PRP
where a view's 32 character
textual data ID is located.
This contains zero if no
textual data ID has been
defined by the child. The
low order five bits of the
file position are always
zero and are thus not
stored in the Misc field.
The hexadecimal number 0FFF
FFE0 is a mask which
VS.sub.-- INITIALIZED
Set if the view
specification has been
initialized. If clear, all
information in the view
specification is zero. The
VS.sub.-- RESERVED Reserved for future
expansion. The hexadecimal
VS.sub.-- VIEWCLASS Specifies the view class
the child assigned to the
view. The view class
defines what view methods
are available to the
parent. The hexadecimal
For example, in FIG. 77, Object 671 is a folder and has a tag of "6". Object 671 is a parent of an object 672 through a link 674 and a parent of an object 673 through a link 675. Object 672 has a tag of "12". Link 674 as a reference name "1". Object 673 has a tag of "19". Link 675 has a reference name "7". Reference names are picked by the parent object and need to be unique for the particular parent object; however, other parents may have a link with the same reference name provided each reference name is unique for each parent.
FIG. 79 shows a block diagram of HPOMF.XRF 603. HPOMF.XRF contains an entry for each link between parents and children. In HPOMF.XRF 603 column 731 contains the tag of the parent for each link. Column 732 contains the tag of the child for each link. Column 733 contains the reference name for each link. The first three bit positions of column 733, shown in FIG. 79 as sub-column 734, indicate whether a view specification file record is present ("110") whether no view specification file record follows ("000") or whether the link is between is a link from the global parent to a global object ("100").
As may be seen, entry 735 is an entry which describes link 674 shown in FIG. 77. That is, in column 731 of entry 735 there is the parent tag "6". In column 732 there is the child tag "12" and in column 733 there is the reference name "1". Since object 671 is a folder, there is no view, therefore the three bits within subcolumn 734 would be "000".
Similarly, entry 736 is an entry which describes link 675 shown in FIG. 77. That is, in column 731 of entry 736 there is the parent tag "6". In column 732 there is the child tag "19" and in column 733 there is the reference name "7". Since object 671 is a folder, there is no view, therefore the three bits within subcolumn 734 would be "000".
In FIG. 78, Object 676 is a document and has a tag of "17". Object 676 is a parent of an object 677 through a link 679 and a parent of an object 678 through a link 680. Object 677 has a tag of "8". Link 679 as a reference name "1". Object 678 has a tag of "21". Link 680 has a reference name "3".
In FIG. 79, an entry 737 describes link 679 shown in FIG. 78. That is, in column 731 of entry 737 there is the parent tag "17". In column 732 there is the child tag "8" and in column 733 there is the reference name "1". Object 676 is a document, and assuming there is a view associated with link 679, the three bits within subcolumn 734 contain the three bits "110" and entry 738 is a view specification record.
Similarly, an entry 739 describes link 680 shown in FIG. 78. That is, in column 731 of entry 739 there is the parent tag "17". In column 732 there is the child tag "21" and in column 733 there is the reference name "3". Assuming there is a view associated with link 680, the three bits within subcolumn 734 contain the three bits "110" and entry 740 is a view specification record.
In FIG. 80, view specification record 740 is shown to include a field 741 which contains a data identification for the view, a field 742 which indicates whether there is a snapshot used in the view, and a field 743 which contains miscellaneous information about the view. The data identification number is used by the child object of the link, to determine what data is sent through the link.
FIGS. 37-43 show the establishment of a link with a view. As has been discussed before, in FIG. 37 window 791 for "Paste Up" (object 707) has been opened by double clicking on the icon for "Paste Up". In FIG. 38, using Cursor 781, controlled by mouse 20, portion 790 of the text of "Sample Text" has been selected. The portion in inverse video stating "New Wave Office environment" is portion 790.
In FIG. 39, cursor 781 is used to select the selection "Share" in a pull down menu 792. Once "Share" is selected, child object 709 ("Sample Text") creates a data identification number which identifies portion 790 of the text to child object 709. Child object 709 also causes OMF 100 to put a link to child object 709 on clipboard 720--Child object 709 communicates to OMF 100 through command set forth in Appendix B, attached hereto--. Child object 709 also informs OMF 100 what data identification number is associated with the new link between the child 709 and clipboard 720. If there is a snapshot associated with the link, child 709 will also inform OMF 100 if there is a snapshot associated with the link. Snapshots are discussed more fully below. As a result OMF 100 will make an entry in HPOMF.XRF 603 for a link between clipboard 720 and child object 709. The view specification record for the link will include the data identification number given to OMF 100 by child 709.
In FIG. 40, area 793 in window 791 is selected using cursor 781. In FIG. 41, a selection "Paste" is selected from a pull down menu 794 using cursor 781. At this point parent object 707 ("Paste Up") requests OMF 100 for a link making him the parent of what is on clipboard 720. The view specification record for the between clipboard 720 and child 709 is copied for link 729 between parent 707 and child 709. In FIG. 43 "Sample Text" (object 709) is shown to be a child of "Paste Up" (object 707) through link 729.
In FIG. 42, "displayed text 790 is displayed in "Paste Up" window 791. In accomplishing this, parent object 707 makes a call to OMF 100 asking that a message be sent to the object identified by the reference name for link 729. This message requests the child object 709 to display data from this link into a location specified by parent object 707. OMF 100 takes the message from parent 707, adds the data identification number from the view specification record for link 729, and delivers the message to child 709. Child 709 displays the data in the specified location, in this case area 793. The name of the message sent from parent 707 to OMF 100 to child 709 is "DISPLAY.sub.-- VIEW", further described in Appendix B, attached hereto.
Another message "PRINT.sub.-- SLAVE", also described in Appendix B, may be used when it is desired to print data on a printer rather than display data on a terminal screen.
In addition, Parent 707 may send a "GET.sub.-- SIZE" message to child object 709. In a "GET.sub.-- SIZE" message, parent object 707 identifies a reference name for link 729 and indicates coordinates for a display. OMF 100 takes the GET.sub.-- SIZE message from parent 707, adds the data identification number from the view specification record for link 729, and delivers the message to child 709. Child 709 returns to parent 707 the size of the portion of the specified area that child 709 would use to display the data. This allows parent 707 to modify the region reserved for displaying data from child 709 when child 709 is not able to scale the data to fit in the region specified by parent 707.
When a data from a child object is being displayed by a parent object, and the child object changes the displayed data, the child objects notifies OMF 100 that there has been a change in the data object. For example, as described above, in FIG. 47, data from "Star" (object 706) now displayed in region 795 of window 791. And, as may be seen in FIG. 48, "Star" (object 706) is a child of "Paste Up" (object 707) through a link 726. Since data is being passed from child object 706 to parent object 707, link 726 is a data link which includes a view specification.
In FIG. 49, the method for changing data in child object 706 is shown. A user places cursor 781 over region 795 of window 791 and double clicks a button on mouse 20. The result is the opening and display of "Star" (object 706) in a window 796. Using cursor 781 to select selection "Ellipse" in a menu window 797 results in the data within "Star" (object 706) being changed from a star to an ellipse. As shown in FIG. 51, the result is a change both in data displayed in window 796 and data displayed in region 795 of window 791.
Child object 706 accomplishes this change by making a call to OMF 100 stating that data associated with the data identification number associated with link 726 is changed. OMF 100 looks up all of the links that use the data identification number. If the parent object of any of the links is not active, OMF 100 sets the bit VS.sub.-- NEWDATAANNOUNCED for that link in HPOMF.XRF. When the parent object is activated, the parent object can then request the new data.
If the parent object is active, OMF 100 will send a message to the parent object saying that new data is available. OMF 100 will identify to the parent object the reference name of the link for which there is additional data. The parent object sends a message to the child object if it wants the new data displayed. In the present case parent object 707 is active and has requested the new data to be displayed in region 795 of window 791. A further description of the View Specifications are found in Appendixes B, C and D.
The advantage of the present invention is that parent object 707 is able to communicate with child object 706 through OMF 100, without parent object 707 or child object 706 knowing the identity or any other details about each other. The parent object identifies the link using only the reference name of the link. The child object identifies the link using Just the data identification number of the link. OMF 100 does all the translation and identification of which links and which objects are involved.
System file 604, HPOMF.PRP, is also referred to as SYSPROP. HPOMF.PRP contains all the object and class properties except for the fast object properties which are contained in HPOMF.CAT. Each record in system file 601 (HPOMF.CAT) and system file 602 (HPOMF.CLS) has a properties field, as described above. Each properties field contains the fields described in Table 6 below:
DirDiskLoc Contains the position (byte
offset) within HPOMF.PRP of the
property list directory.
nProps Contains the number of
properties in the property list.
This is the number of entries in
the directory entry array
PoolSize Contains the combined length of
all the names of the properties
in the property list, including
a null-terminating byte for each
name. This is the size of the
directory name pool described
For each object and for each class, at the DirDiskLoc position in the HPOMF.PRP file is the property directory for that object or that class. The directory has two major portions: the entry array, followed by the name pool. The entry array has one entry for each property in the property list. Each entry has fields set out in Table 7 below:
ValueLen Specifies the length in bytes of
the associated property. This
can be zero.
ValueDiskLoc Contains the position within
HPOMF.PRP of the value of the
associated property. If
ValueLen is zero, this is also
zero, and there is no value
stored anywhere.
CacheOffset This field is only used at run
time and is not meaningful in
the file.
Immediately following the entry array is the name pool. This portion of HPOMF.PRP contains the null-terminated names of properties in the property list, in the same order as the entry array. Properties may include such things as titles, user comments, date and time of creation, the user who created the object, etc. For more information on properties, see Appendix D.
HPOMF.PRP grows dynamically as need. At the beginning of HPOMF.PRP there is a 128 byte bitmap which controls the allocation of the first 1024 pages of HPOMF.PRP. Each page is 32 bytes in length. These pages immediately follow the bit map. The bitmap is an array of words with the most significant bit of each word used first. Thus, bits 15 through 0 of the first word of the bitmap control the allocation of pages 0 through 15 of the file, respectively.
When storage in the first 1024 pages is insufficient, a second bitmap is added to the file following page 1023. This bitmap controls the allocation of pages 1024 through 2047, which immediately follow the second bitmap. Additional bitmaps and pages are added in the same way, as needed.
Each directory and property value is stored as a single block in the file, i.e., as a contiguous run of pages that are all allocated in the same bitmap. This causes the restriction that no directory or value can exceed 32K bytes (1024 times 32) in length.
System file 605, HPOMF.INS, is also referred to as SYSINSTL. HPOMF.INS contains a list of the files that were copied to the system when each class was installed. This information is used so that these files can be deleted when the class is de-installed.
The very beginning of HPOMF.INS is a double word value which serves as a validity/version identifier. In the preferred embodiment the value of this double word must be 0101ABCD hex to be valid. In Table 8, this number is stored as shown because of the protocols for storage in the particular processor used by the preferred embodiment, i.e. an 80286 microprocessor made by Intel Corporation.
Following the double word comes a series of variable length-records. There is one record for each installed class. The first word of each record is the length of the rest of the record, in bytes. This is followed by the null-terminated class name of the installed class. Then follows the file names of the files copied to the OMF directories, each terminated by a null byte, and preceded by a byte which gives the length of the file name, including the length byte and the null terminator. If the file name begins with the special character "*", the file is assumed to be located in the HPNWPROG directory. If the file name begins with the special character "+" the file is assumed to be located in the HPNWDATA directory.
For example, assume two classes are installed: class "AB" and class "CDE". Class "AB" caused two files to be installed: "Z" to HPNWPROG directory 668 and "YY" to the HPNWDATA directory. Class "CDE" caused 1 file to be installed: "XXX" to HPNWPROG directory 668. Given this case Table 8 below shows the contents of HPOMF.INS for this example:
content comments
0 CD AB 01 01 File header/version check
4 0C 00 Length of AB record (12
decimal)
6 41 42 00 "AB" + Null
9 04 Length of length byte "*Z" +
A 2A 5A 00 "*Z" + Null
D 05 Length of length byte + "+YY" +
E 2B 59 59 00 "+YY" + Null
0A 00 Length of CDE record (10
14 43 44 45 00 "CDE" + Null
18 06 Length of length byte + "*XXX"
+ Null
19 2A 58 58 58 00
"*XXX" + Null
System File 606, HPOMF.SDF is also referred to as the "shutdown file". HPOMF.SDF exists only when the system has been cleanly shut down. It is deleted as the system starts, and created as it shuts down. On startup, if this file is missing, OMF assumes that the last session ended abnormally, and so it goes through its crash recovery procedures to validate and repair the system files as best it can. The system files can be in an invalid but predictable state on a crash. These errors are corrected without user intervention. Certain other kinds of file consistency errors are detected, but are not really possible from an "ordinary" system crash. These errors are in general not correctable and the OMF will not allow the system to come up in this case.
If HPOMF.SDF is present, it contains a list of objects. When the system is being shut down normally, each object which is active at the time can request that the OMF restart them when the system is restarted. The list of objects, then is the list of tags of objects which have requested that they be restarted when the system is restarted.
The first word in HPOMF.SDF is a flag word. If this word is non-zero, OMF will execute its crash recovery code even though HPOMF.SDF exists. Normal shutdown will set this flag when producing the file if some serious error occurred in the session being ended.
After the first word, the rest of the file is a sequence of three byte records. The first two bytes of each record contain the tag of the object to be restored. The least significant byte is first. The third byte is not used in the preferred embodiment, and is zero.
For example, if the system is shut down cleanly in the last session and two objects, having tags of 2 and 7, respectively, have requested restart, the contents of HPOMF.SDF will be as set out in Table 9 below.
offset content comments
0 00 00 Indicates no crash recovery
2 02 00 Tag of first object to restart
4 00 Unused and reserved
5 07 00 Tag of second object to restart
System file 7, HPOMFICO.NWE, is a Microsoft Windows dynamic library executable file which contains a dummy entry point and no data. Microsoft Windows is a program sold by Microsoft Corporation, having a business address at 16011 NE 36th Way, Redmond, Wash. 98073-9717. HPOMFICO.NWE also contains as "resources" the icons of each installed class. OMF modifies HPOMFICO.NWE directly during run time, and loads and unloads it to get the icon resources from it. The format of HPOMFICO.NWE is defined in Microsoft Windows documentation distributed by Microsoft Corporation.
Normally working with a view (see discussion on views above) causes a child's application to be invoked. Where large applications are involved, this can cause a lot of unnecessary overhead. The use of snapshots allow this overhead to be eliminated.
A snapshot is an object that uses executable code from a separate library referred to as a dynamic access library (or DAL) rather than using the full application executable code. The only data file associated with a snapshot contains data which is to be sent from a child object to a parent object. The code which encapsulates the data file although referred to as a dynamic library, is still stored in directory HPOMFPROG (directory 668).
For example, FIG. 81 shows a parent object 501 linked to a child object 502 through a link 504. Associated with link 504 is a snapshot 503. Once child object has designated snapshot 503 in a view specification record for link 504, snapshot 503 is able to provide data from child object 502 to parent 501 without the necessity of invoking an application associated with child object 502.
As shown in FIG. 82, when there is no snapshot, child object 502 must be active in order to send view data 522 to parent object 501, in order for parent object 501 to display view data 522 in a window display 521. In FIG. 83, however, snapshot 503 is shown to provide view data 522 to parent object 501 without the necessity of child 502 being active. Further implementation details of snapshots are given is Appendix B, Appendix C and Appendix D.
Appendix A is a list of major data structures within OMF 100.
Appendix B is a description of functions which OMF interface 599 recognizes in the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Appendix C (HP NewWave Environment: Program Design Examples) Gives examples of how the preferred embodiment of the present invention may be implemented.including detail as to how OMF 100 allows data to be viewed between windows displayed on monitor 14.
Appendix D (Chapter 2 of Programmer's Guide) gives a further overview of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. further detail as to the operation of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
1. In a computer system, a method for establishing a link between two documents wherein the link specifies shared data, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) constructing, in response to a first user command which specifies the shared data and which specifies a first document as source of the shared data, a portion of a link which includes a reference to the shared data and a reference to the first document; and
(b) completing construction of the link, in response to a second user command which specifies a second document with which the shared data will be shared, by adding to the link a reference to the second document.
2. A method as in claim 1 where the first user command is a "Share" command to a clipboard.
3. A method as in claim 2 where the second user command is a "Paste" command from a clipboard.
4. A method as in claim 3 wherein in step (a) the link additionally includes a reference to the clipboard.
5. A method as in claim 4 wherein step (b) is accomplished by replacing the reference to the clipboard with a reference to the second document.
6. A method as in claim 1 additionally comprising the step of:
(c) displaying, by the first document, the shared data in a first window in a computer display, the first window being within a second window controlled by the second document, the second window displayed at a location specified by the second document.
7. A method as in claim 1 wherein in step (a) a user makes the first user command by highlighting the shared data on a computer display and selecting a share command.
8. A method as in claim 7 wherein in step (b) a user makes the second user command by selecting on the computer display an area within a first window controlled by the second document and selecting a paste command.
(c) displaying, by the first document, the shared data in the area in the first window.
10. In a computer system, a method for displaying a portion of data from a first document within a window controlled by a second document, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) constructing, in response to a first user command which specifies the portion of data from the first document and which specifies the first document as source of the portion of data, a portion of a link which includes a reference to the portion of data and a reference to the first document;
(b) completing construction of the link, in response to a second user command which specifies the second document by adding to the link a reference to the second document; and,
(c) displaying, by the first document, the portion of data in a first window in a computer display, the first window being within a second window controlled by the second document, the second window displayed at a location specified by the second document.
11. A method as in claim 10 wherein in step (a) the link additionally includes a reference to the clipboard.
12. A method as in claim 11 wherein step (b) is accomplished by replacing the reference to the clipboard with a reference to the second document.
13. A method as in claim 10 wherein in step (a) a user makes the first user command by highlighting the portion of data on a computer display and selecting a share command.
14. A method as in claim 13 wherein in step (b) a user makes the second user command by selecting on the computer display an area within a first window controlled by the second document and selecting a paste command.
15. In a computer system, a method comprising the steps of:
(a) constructing, in response to a first user command, a portion of a link which specifies a first portion of data within a first document;
(b) completing construction of the link, in response to a second user command, the second user command being made while a second document is active;
(c) upon completing construction of the link, utilizing within the second document the first portion of data; and,
(d) when within the first document the first portion of data is modified, automatically updating the first portion of data as utilized within the second document.
16. A method as in claim 15 wherein in step (c) and in step (d) the first portion of data is utilized within the second document by being displayed by the second document.
17. A method as in claim 15 where the first user command is a "Share" command to a clipboard.
18. A method as in claim 17 where the second user command is a "Paste" command from a clipboard.
19. A method as in claim 17 wherein in step (a) a user makes the first user command by highlighting the first portion of data on a computer display and selecting a share command.
20. A method as in claim 19 wherein in step (b) a user makes the second user command by selecting on the computer display a location within a first window controlled by the second document and selecting a paste command.
21. In a computer system, a method for displaying a first portion of data from a first document within a second document, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) constructing, in response to a first user command, a portion of a link which includes a reference to the first portion of data within the first document;
(b) completing construction of the link, in response to a second user command made while the second document is active;
(c) upon completing construction of the link, displaying within the second document, the first portion of data; and,
(d) when the portion of data is updated by the first document, automatically updating the first portion of data as displayed in the second document.
24. A method as in claim 1
wherein the first document includes a first data object and a first application process corresponding to the first data object;
wherein the second document includes a second data object and a second application process corresponding to the second data object; and
wherein step (a) includes:
creating, by the first application process the reference to the shared data, and
sending, by the first application to a management facility, a first request to place an entry for the link in a link table, the entry including the reference to the shared data.
25. A method as in claim 24 wherein step (b) includes:
sending, to the management facility by the second application, a second request to make the second document a parent for the link.
26. A method as in claim 25 additionally comprising the step of:
(c) displaying, by the first application, the shared data in a first window in a computer display, the first window being within a second window controlled by the second application, the second window displayed at a location specified by the second document.
27. A method as in claim 26 wherein step (c) includes:
sending, by the second application to the management facility, a first message requesting display of the shared data into the location specified by the second document, the first message including a reference to the link; and,
sending by the management facility to the first application, a second message requesting display of the shared data into the location specified by the second document, the second message including the reference to the shared data.
sending, by the second application to the management facility, a first message, the message including a reference to the link and coordinates for a display;
sending by the management facility to the first application, a second message, the second message including the reference to the shared data and the coordinates for the display;
returning by the second application to the first application, through the management facility, a size of area the first application would use to display the shared data;
sending, by the second application to the management facility, a third message requesting display of the shared data into the location specified by the second document, the third message including a reference to the link; and,
sending by the management facility to the first application, a fourth message requesting display of the shared data into the location specified by the second document, the fourth message including the reference to the shared data.
29. A method as in claim 10
creating, by the first application process the reference to the portion of data, and
sending, by the first application to a management facility, a first request to place an entry for the link in a link table, the entry including the reference to the portion of data.
30. A method as in claim 29 wherein step (b) includes
sending, by the second application to the management facility, a first message requesting display of the portion of data into the location specified by the second document, the first message including a reference to the link; and,
sending by the management facility to the first application, a second message requesting display of the portion of data into the location specified by the second document, the second message including the reference to the portion of data.
sending by the management facility to the first application, a second message, the second message including the reference to the portion of data and the coordinates for the display;
returning by the second application to the first application, through the management facility, a size of area the first application would use to display the portion of data;
sending, by the second application to the management facility, a third message requesting display of the portion of data into the location specified by the second document, the third message including a reference to the link; and,
sending by the management facility to the first application, a fourth message requesting display of the portion of data into the location specified by the second document, the fourth message including the reference to the portion of data.
creating, by the first application process a reference to the first portion of data, and
sending, by the first application to a management facility, a first request to place an entry for the link in a link table, the entry including the reference to the first portion of data.
sending, by the second application to the management facility, a first message requesting display of the first portion of data into the location specified by the second document, the first message including a reference to the link; and,
sending by the management facility to the first application, a second message requesting display of the first portion of data into the location specified by the second document, the second message including the reference to the first portion of data.
36. A method as in claim 35 wherein step (d) includes
sending, by the first application to the management facility, a third message indicating data associated to the first portion of data has been modified, the third message including the reference to the first portion of data;
sending, by the management facility to the second application, a fourth message indicating the first portion of data has been modified, the fourth message including the reference to the link;
sending, by the second application to the management facility, a fifth message requesting display of the first portion of data into the location specified by the second document, the fifth message including the reference to the link; and,
sending by the management facility to the first application, a sixth message requesting display of the first portion of data into the location specified by the second document, the sixth message including the reference to the first portion of data.
40. A method as in claim 39 wherein step (d) includes:
sending by the management facility to the first application, a second message, the second message including the reference to the first portion of data and the coordinates for the display;
returning by the second application to the first application, through the management facility, a size of area the first application would use to display the first portion of data;
sending, by the second application to the management facility, a third message requesting display of the first portion of data into the location specified by the second document, the third message including a reference to the link; and,
sending, by the management facility to the first application, a fourth message requesting display of the first portion of data into the location specified by the second document, the fourth message including the reference to the first portion of data.
42. In a data processing system in which data is stored in objects, a link mechanism for linking a first object associated with a first application process into a second object associated with a second application process, the link mechanism comprising:
a management facility, the management facility coordinating a transfer of request to perform an operation originating from the first object and addressed to a second object, the management facility including
a link reference means, the link reference means including
a reference name of a link between the first object and the second object,
a reference to the first object,
a reference to the second object, and
forwarding means for receiving the request to perform the operation from the second object and forwarding the request to the first object.
43. A link mechanism as in claim 42 wherein the request includes the reference name of the link when the request is sent from the second object to the management facility.
44. A link mechanism as in claim 43 wherein the operation is a request to display data, the link reference means additionally includes an identifier of the data to be displayed, and wherein the request includes the identifier when the request is sent from the management facility to the first object.
45. A link mechanism as in claim 44 wherein the forwarding means includes means for invoking the first application process and means for communicating to the first application process the request.
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Date of Patent: Apr 29, 1997
Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (Palo Alto, CA)
Inventors: John A. Dysart (Santa Clara, CA), Peter S. Showman (Cupertino, CA), William M. Crow (San Jose, CA), Peter M. Williams (Gloucestershire), Brian W. McBride (Wokingham), John R. F. Senior (Thornbury), Charles H. Whelan (Placerville, CA), Brian Murdoch (Berkshire)
Primary Examiner: William M. Treat
Current U.S. Class: 395/614; 364/DIG1; 395/340
International Classification: G06F 1730;
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Justia Patents Bicyclo Ring System Having The Five-membered Hetero Ring As One Of The CyclosUS Patent for Lactacystin analogs Patent (Patent # 6,838,477)
Lactacystin analogs
Described herein are compounds related to lactacystin and lactacystin β-lactone, pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds, and methods of use.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/945,092, filed on Jan. 26, 1998, which is a U.S. national stage application of PCT/US96/05072, filed on Apr. 12, 1996 and designating the United States, which in turn is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/421,583, filed Apr. 12, 1995 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,335,358 all of which applications are hereby incorporated by reference.
The invention relates generally to lactacystin and analogues thereof.
Eukaryotic cells contain multiple proteolytic systems, including lysosomal proteases, calpains, ATP-ubiquitin-proteasome dependent pathway, and an ATP-independent nonlysosomal process. The major neutral proteolytic activity in the cytosol and nucleus is the proteasome, a 20S (700 kDa) particle with multiple peptidase activities. The 20S complex is the proteolytic core of a 26S (1500 kDa) complex that degrades or processes ubiquitin-conjugated proteins. Ubquitination marks a protein for hydrolysis by the 26S proteasome complex. Many abnormal or short-lived normal polypeptides are degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome-dependent pathway. Abnormal peptides include oxidant-damaged proteins (e.g., those having oxidized disulfide bonds), products of premature translational termination (e.g., those having exposed hydrophobic groups which are recognized by the proteasome), and stress-induced denatured or damaged proteins (where stress is induced by, e.g., changes in pH or temperature, or exposure to metals). In addition, some proteins, such as casein, do not required ubquitination to be hydrolyzed by the proteasome.
The proteasome has chymotryptic, tryptic, and peptidyl-glutamyl peptide hydrolizing activities, i.e., the proteasome can cleave peptides on the carboxyl side of hydrophobic, basic, and acidic residues, respectively.
The invention relates to novel compounds structurally related to lactacystin and lactacystin β-lactone. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions including lactacystin and lactacystin analogs.
One aspect of the invention is a pharmaceutical composition containing a compound having the formula (I)
wherein Z1 is O, S, SO2, NH, or NRa, Ra being C1-6 alkyl; X1 is O, S, CH2, two singly bonded H, CH(Rb) in the E or Z configuration, or C(Rb)(Rc) in the E or Z configuration, each of Rb and Rc, independently, being C1-6 alkyl, C6-12 aryl, C3-8 cycloalkyl, C3-8 heteroaryl, C3-8 heterocyclic radical, or halogen, X1 being two singly bonded H when Z1 is SO2; Z2 is O, S, NH, NRd, CHR1, or CHOR1 in the (R) or (S) configuration, wherein Rd is C1-6 alkyl and R1 is H, halogen, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, NRdRe (except where Z2 is CHOR1), or the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid, or R1 and R2 taken together are a bivalent moiety, provided that when R1 and R2 are taken together, Z1 is NH or NRa and Z2 is CHR1; Re being H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, or C2-6 alkynyl, and the bivalent moiety forming a C3-8 cycloalkyl, C3-8, heteroaryl, C3-8 heterocyclic radical, or C6-12 aryl, where the H in CHR1 is deleted when R1 and R2 taken together form a C3-8 heteroaryl or C6-12 aryl; R2 is C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, azido, C2-6 alkynyl, halogen, ORf, SRf, NRfRg, —ONRfRg, —NRg(ORf), or —NRg(SRf) (each of Rf and Rg, independently, being H, C1-6, alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, or C2-6 alkynyl), or R1 and R2 taken together are a bivalent moiety, the bivalent moiety forming a C3-8 cycloalkyl, C3-8 heteroaryl, C3-8 heterocyclic radical, or C6-12 aryl, where the H in CHR1 is deleted when R1 and R2 taken together form a C3-8 heteroaryl or C6-12 aryl; A1 is H, the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid, or is of the following formula,
—(CH2)m—Y—(CH2)n—R3X3
wherein Y is O, S, C═O, C═S, —(CH═CH)—, vinylidene, —C═NORh, —C═NNRiRi′, sulfonyl, methylene, CHX4 in the (R) or (S) configuration, or deleted, X4 being halogen, methyl, halomethyl, ORh, SRh, NRiRi′, —NRi(ORh), or —NRi(NRiRi′), wherein Rh is selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, C1-10 acyl, C1-6 alkylsulfonyl, and C6-10 arylsulfonyl; and each of Ri and Ri′, independently is selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, and C1-10 acyl; m is 0, 1, 2, or 3, and n is 0, 1, 2, or 3; and R3 is straight chain or branched C1-8 alkylidene, straight chain or branched C1-8 alkylene, C3-10 cycloalkylidene, C3-10 cycloalkylene, phenylene, C6-14 arylalkylidene, C6-14 arylalkylene, or deleted, and X3 is H, hydroxyl, thiol, carboxyl, amino, halogen, (C1-6 alkyl)oxycarbonyl, (C7-14 arylalkyl)oxycarbonyl, or C6-14 aryl; or R3 and X3 taken together are the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid; and Lo is an organic moiety having 1 to 25 carbon atoms, 0 to 10 heteroatoms, and 0 to 6 halogen atoms; and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
A second aspect is a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound having the following formula (II)
wherein Z1 is O, S, SO2, NH, or NRa,Ra being C1-6 alkyl; X1 is O, S, CH2, two singly bonded H, CH(Rb) in the E or Z configuration, or C(Rb)(Rc) in the E or Z configuration, each of Rb and Rc, independently, being C1-6 alkyl, C6-12 aryl, C3-8 cycloalkyl, C3-8 heteroaryl, C3-8 heterocyclic radical, or halogen, provided that when Z1 is SO2, X1 is two singly bonded H; Z2 is CHR1 in the (R) or (S) configuration, R1 being H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, hydroxyl, halogen, a side chain of a naturally occuring α-amino acid, ORd, SRd, or NRdRe (each of Rd and Re, independently, being H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, or C2-5 alkynyl); Z3 is O, S, NH, or NRj, wherein Rj is C1-6 alkyl; X2 is O or S; and A1 is H, the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid, or is of the following formula,
wherein Y is O, S, C═O, C═S, —(CH═CH)—, vinylidene, —C═NORh, —C═NNRiRi′, sulfonyl, methylene, CHX4 in the (R) or (S) configuration, or deleted, X4 being halogen, methyl, halomethyl, ORh, SRh, NRiRi′, —NRi(ORh), or —NRi(NRiRi′), wherein Rh is selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, C1-10 acyl, C1-6 alkylsulfonyl, and C6-10 arylsulfonyl; and each of Ri and Ri′, independently is selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, and C1-10 acyl; m is 0, 1, 2, or 3, and n is 0, 1, 2, or 3; R3 is straight chain or branched C1-8 alkylidene, straight chain or branched C1-8 alkylene, C3-10 cycloalkylidene, C3-10, cycloalkylene, phenylene, C6-14 arylalkylidene, C6-14 arylalkylene, or deleted; and X3 is H, hydroxyl, thiol, carboxyl, amino, halogen, (C1-6 alkyl)oxycarbonyl, (C7-14 arylalkyl)oxycarbonyl, or C6-14 aryl; or R3 and X3 taken together are the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid; and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
A third aspect is a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound having one of the following formulae (III) or (IV)
wherein Z1 is NH or NRa, Ra being C1-6 alkyl; X1 is O, S, CH2, two singly bonded H, CH(Rb) in the E or Z configuration, or C(Rb)(Rc) in the E or Z configuration, each of Rb and Rc, independently, being C1-6 alkyl, C6-12 aryl, C3-8 cycloalkyl, C3-8 heteroaryl, C3-8 heterocyclic radical, or halogen; Z2 is O, S, NH, or NRj, wherein Rj is C1-6 alkyl; R1 is in the (R) or (S) configuration, and is H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, hydroxyl, halogen, a side chain of a naturally occurring α-amino acid, ORd, SRd, or NRdRe (each of Rd and Re, independently, being H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C6-12 aryl, C3-8 cycloalkyl, C3-8 heteroaryl, C3-8 hetero-cyclic radical, or halogen); X2 is O or S; and A1 is H, the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid, or is of the following formula,
wherein Y is O, S, C═O, C═S, —(CH═CH)—, vinylidene, —C═NORh, —C═NNRiRi′, sulfonyl, methylene, CHX4 in the (R) or (S) configuration, or deleted, X4 being halogen, methyl, halomethyl, ORh, SRh, NRiRi′, —NRi(ORh), or —NRi(NRiRi′), wherein Rh is selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, and C2-6 alkynyl, and each of Ri and Ri′, independently is selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, and C1-10 acyl; m is 0, 1, 2, or 3, and n is 0, 1, 2, or 3; and R3 is straight chain or branched C1-6 alkylidene, straight chain or branched C1-8 alkylene, C3-10 cycloalkylidene, C3-10 cycloalkylene, phenylene, C6-14 arylalkylidene, C6-14 arylalkylene, or deleted, and X3 is H, hydroxyl, thiol, carboxyl, amino, halogen, (C1-6 alkyl)oxycarbonyl, (C7-14 arylalkyl)oxycarbonyl, or C6-14 aryl; or R3 and X3 taken together are the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid; and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
A fourth aspect is a pharmaceutical composition containing a compound having the following formula (V)
wherein Z1 is O, S, NH or NRj, Rj being C1-6 alkyl; X1 is O or S; R1 is in the (R) or (S) configuration, and is H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, hydroxyl, halogen, a side chain of a naturally occuring α-amino acid, ORd, SRd, or NRdRe (each of Rd and Re, independently, being H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, or C2-5 alkynyl); R2 is H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, C6-12 aryl, C3-8 heteroaryl, or halogen; X2 is O or S; and A1 is H, the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid, or is of the following formula,
wherein Y is O, S, C═O, C═S, —(CH═CH)—, vinylidene, —C═NORh, —C═NNRiRi′, sulfonyl, methylene, CHX4 in the (R) or (S) configuration, or deleted, X4 being halogen, methyl, halomethyl, ORh, SRh, NRiRi′, —NRi(ORh), or —NRi(NRiRi′), wherein Rh is selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, and C2-6 alkynyl, and each of Ri and Ri′, independently is selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, and C1-10 acyl; m is 0, 1, 2, or 3, and n is 0, 1, 2, or 3; and R3 is straight chain or branched C1-8 alkylidene, straight chain or branched C1-8 alkylene, C3-10 cycloalkylidene, C3-10 cycloalkylene, phenylene, C6-14 arylalkylidene, C6-14 arylalkylene, or deleted, and X3 is H, hydroxyl, thiol, carboxyl, amino, halogen, (C1-6 alkyl)oxycarbonyl, (C7-14 arylalkyl)-oxycarbonyl, or C6-14 aryl; or R3 and X3 taken together are the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid; and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
A fifth aspect is a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound having the following formula (VI)
wherein Z1 is O, S, NH or NRj, Rj being C1-6 alkyl; X1 is O or S; R1 is H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, hydroxyl, halogen, a side chain of a naturally occuring α-amino acid, ORd, SRd, or NRdRe (each of Rd and Re, independently, being C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C6-12 aryl, C3-8 cycloalkyl, C3-8 heteroaryl, C3-8 hetero-cyclic radical, or halogen); R2 is H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, C6-12 aryl, C3-8 heteroaryl, or halogen; Ra is C1-6 alkyl; and A1 is H, the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid, or is of the following formula,
A sixth aspect is a pharmaceutical composition containing a compound having the formula (VII)
wherein X1 is O, S, CH2, two singly bonded H, CH(Rb) in the E or Z configuration, or C(Rb)(Rc) in the E or Z configuration, each of Rb and Rc, independently, being C1-6 alkyl, C6-12 aryl, C3-8 cycloalkyl, C3-8 heteroaryl, C3-8 heterocyclic radical, or halogen; Z1 is O, S, NH, or NRa, Ra being C1-6 alkyl; R1 is H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, hydroxyl, halogen, a side chain of any naturally occuring α-amino acid, ORd, SRd, or NRdRe (each of Rd and Re, independently, being H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 halo-alkyl, C6-12 aryl, C3-8 cycloalkyl, C3-8 heteroaryl, C3-8 heterocyclic radical, or halogen); or R1 and R2 taken together are a bivalent moiety which forms a C3-8 cyclo-alkyl, C3-8 heteroaryl, C3-8 heterocyclic radical, or C6-12 aryl; R2 is H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, azido, C2-6 alkynyl, halogen, ORf, SRf, NRfRg, —ONRfRg, —NRg(ORf), or —NRg(SRf)(each of Rf and Rg, independently, being H, C1-6, alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, or C2-6 alkynyl), or R1 and R2 taken together are a bivalent moiety, the bivalent moiety forming a C3-8 cycloalkyl, C3-8 heteroaryl, C3-8 heterocyclic radical, or C6-12 aryl; X2 is O or S; and A1 is in the (R) or (S) configuration, and each of A1 and A2 is independently H, the side chain of any naturally occurring amino α-acid, or is of the following formula,
A seventh aspect is a pharmaceutical composition containing a compound having the following formula (VIII)
wherein Z1 is NH or NRa, NRa being C1-6 alkyl;
X1 is O, S, CH2, two singly bonded H, CH(Rb) in the E or Z configuration, or C(Rb)(Rc) in the E or Z configuration, each of Rb and Rc, independently, being C1-6 alkyl, C6-12 aryl, C3-8, cycloalkyl, C3-8 heteroaryl, C3-8 heterocyclic radical, or halogen;
Z2 is O, S, NH, or NRj, Rj being C1-6 alkyl;
R1 is in the (R) or (S) configuration, and is H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, hydroxyl, halogen, a side chain of any naturally occuring amino acid, ORd, SRd, or NRdRe (each of Rd and Re, independently, being H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C6-12 aryl, C3-8 cycloalkyl, C3-8 heteroaryl, C3-8 heterocyclic radical, or halogen); or R1 and R2 taken together are a bivalent moiety which forms a C3-8 cycloalkyl, C3-8 heteroaryl, C3-8 heterocyclic radical, or C6-12 aryl; R2 is H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, azido, C2-6 alkynyl, halogen, ORf, SRf, NRfRg, —ONRfRg, —NRg(ORf), or —NRg(SRf) (each of Rf and Rg, independently, being H, C1-6, alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, or C2-6 alkynyl), or R1 and R2 taken together are a bivalent moiety, the bivalent moiety forming a C3-8 cycloalkyl, C3-8 heteroaryl, C3-8 heterocyclic radical, or C6-12 aryl; X2 is O or S; and each of A1 and A2 is independently in the (R) or (S) configuration, and is independently H, the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid, or is of the following formula,
An eighth aspect is a pharmaceutical composition containing a compound of the formula (IX)
wherein Z1 is O, NH, or NRa, NRa being C1-6 alkyl; X1 is O, S, CH2, or two singly bonded H; each of A1 and A2 is independently H, the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid, or is of the following formula,
wherein Y is O, S, C═O, C═S, —(CH═CH)—, vinylidene, —C═NORh, —C═NNRiRi′, sulfonyl, methylene, CHX4 in the (R) or (S) configuration, or deleted, X4 being halogen, methyl, halomethyl, ORh, SRh, NRiRi′, —NRi(ORh), or —NRi(NRiRi′), wherein Rh is selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, and C2-6 alkynyl, and each of Ri and Ri′, independently is selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, and C1-10 acyl; m is 0, 1, 2, or 3, and n is 0, 1, 2, or 3; and R3 is straight chain or branched C1-6 alkylidene, straight chain or branched C1-8 alkylene, C3-10 cycloalkylidene, C3-10 cycloalkylene, phenylene, C6-14 arylalkylidene, C6-14 arylalkylene, or deleted, and X3 is H, hydroxyl, thiol, carboxyl, amino, halogen, (C1-6 alkyl)oxycarbonyl, (C7-14 arylalkyl)-oxycarbonyl, or C6-14 aryl; or R3 and X3 taken together are the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid; and R12 is H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, or C2-6 alkynyl; and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
A ninth aspect is a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound having the formula (X)
wherein Z1 is NH, or NRa, NRa being C1-6 alkyl; each of X1 and X2, independently, is O or S; each of A1 and A2 is independently in the (R) or (S) configuration, and is independently H, the side chain of any naturally occurring amino acid, or is of the following formula,
Many of the compounds described above are novel compounds; the novel compounds are also claimed. The invention also encompasses lactacystin analogues that can be made by the synthetic routes described herein, and methods of treating a subject having a condition mediated by proteins processed by the proteasome by administering (e.g., orally) to a subject an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition disclosed herein. These methods include treatments for cancer, inflammation (e.g., inflammatory responses associated with allergies, bone marrow or solid organ transplantation, or disease states), psoriasis, and restenosis.
The compounds disclosed herein are highly selective for the proteasome, and do not inhibit other proteases such as trypsin, α-chymotrypsin, calpain I, calpain II, papain, and cathepsin B.
Other features or advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, and also from the appending claims.
The term “naturally occurring amino acid” is meant to include the 20 common α-amino acids (Gly, Ala, Val, Leu, Ile, Ser, Thr, Asp, Asn, Lys, Glu, Gln, Arg, His, Phe, Cys, Trp, Tyr, Met and Pro), and other amino acids that are natural products, such as norleucine, ethylglycine, ornithine, methylbutenylmethylthreonine, and phenylglycine. Examples of amino acid side chains include H (glycine), methyl (alanine), —(CH2—(C═O)—NH2 (asparagine), —CH2—SH (cysteine), and —CH(OH)CH3 (threonine).
The term “inhibitor” is meant to describe a compound that blocks or reduces the activity of an enzyme (e.g. the proteasome, or the X/MB1 subunit or α-chain of the 20S proteasome). An inhibitor may act with competitive, uncompetitive, or noncompetitive inhibition. An inhibitor may bind reversibly or irreversibly, and therefore the term includes compounds which are suicide substrates of an enzyme. An inhibitor may modify one or more sites on or near the active site of the enzyme, or it may cause a conformational change elsewhere on the enzyme. Thus, some compounds disclosed herein (e.g., where LO is an oxiranyl or aldehyde group) react with the enzyme by bonding to the carbon atom corresponding to C4 of lactacystin (e.g., resulting in a C4 having a hydroxyl or thiol), while other compounds react with the enzyme to release a leaving group (e.g., L1), corresponding to an acylation.
An alkyl group is a branched or unbranched hydrocarbon that may be substituted or unsubstituted. Examples of branched alkyl groups include isopropyl, sec-butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl, sec-pentyl, isopentyl, tert-pentyl, isohexyl. Substituted alkyl groups may have one, two, three or more substituents, which may be the same or different, each replacing a hydrogen atom. Substituents are halogen (e.g., F, Cl, Br, and I), hydroxyl, protected hydroxyl, amino, protected amino, carboxy, protected carboxy, cyano, methylsulfonylamino, alkoxy, acyloxy, nitro, and lower haloalkyl. Similarly, cycloalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, alkylaryl, heteroaryl, and heterocyclic radical groups may be substituted with one or more of the above substituting groups. Examples of cycloalkyl groups are cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, cycloheptyl, and cyclooctyl. An aryl group is a C6-20 aromatic ring, wherein the ring is made of carbon atoms (e.g., C6-14, C6-10 aryl groups, wherein C8 aryl may be an alkylaryl such as 2,3-dimethylphenyl or an arylalkyl such as phenylethyl, or an alkylarylalkyl such as o-methyl-benzyl). Examples of haloalkyl include fluoromethyl, dichloromethyl, trifluoromethyl, 1,1-difluoroethyl, and 2,2-dibromoethyl.
A heterocyclic radical contains at least one ring structure which contains carbon atoms and at least one heteroatom (e.g., N, O, S, or P). A heteroaryl is an aromatic heterocyclic radical. Examples of heterocyclic radicals and heteroaryl groups include: thiazolyl, thienyl, furyl, 1-isobenzofuranyl, 2H-chromen-3-yl, 2H-pyrrolyl, N-pyrrolyl, imidazolyl, pyrazolyl, isothiazolyl, isooxazolyl, pyridyl, pyrazinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyradazinyl, indolizinyl, isoindolyl, indolyl, indazolyl, purinyl, phthalazinyl, cinnolinyl, and pteridinyl. A heterocylic radical may be attached to another moiety via a carbon atom or a heteroatom of the heterocyclic radical.
A (Cn alkyl)oxycarbonyl group has the formula R—O—(C═O)—. (C1-6 alkyl)oxycarbonyl, therefore, includes methoxycarbonyl and hexyloxycarbonyl. A C1-10 acyl group as used herein is of the formula —(C═O)—L3 and contains 1 to 10 carbon atoms (e.g., C1-6) and 1-5 heteroatoms (at least one oxygen). Examples of such acyl groups include formyl, acetyl, benzyloxycarbonyl, tert-butoxycarbonyl, trifluoroethyloxycarbonyl, thiobenzoyl, phenylamidocarbonyl, and 4-nitrophenoxycarbonyl.
An alkylene is a bivalent radical derived from alkanes by removing two hydrogens from two different carbon atoms. Examples of alkylenes include —CH2—CH(R)—CH2 and 1,4-cyclohexylene. An alkylidene is a bivalent radical derived from alkenes by removing two hydrogens from the same carbon atom, such as 1-propanyl-3-ylidene (═CH—CH2—CH2—).
An aromatic carbon atom, as used herein, is a carbon atom within an aromatic system such as benzene or naphthalene or a heteroaromatic system such as quinoline. Examples of nonaromatic carbon atoms include the carbons atoms in R—(C═O)—R, —CH2Cl, —CH2— and R—(C═O)—O—R. A fragment formula weight is the combined atomic weight of the fragment or moiety indicated. For example, the fragment formula weight of methyl is 15 and the fragment formula weight of hydroxyl is 17.
A leaving group departs from a substrate with the pair of electrons of the covalent bond between the leaving group and the substrate; preferred leaving groups stabilize those electrons via the presence of electron withdrawing groups, aromaticity, resonance structures, or a combination thereof. Examples include halide (I and Br are preferred), mesylate, trifluoromethanesulfonate, p-toluenesulfonate, p24-nitrobenzensulfonate, benzoate, p-nitrobenzoate, p-nitrobenzyl, and C2-5 haloalkylcarbonyloxy such as trifluoroacetate.
Numerous thiol-, amino-, hydroxy- and carboxy-protecting groups are well-known to those in the art. In general, the species of protecting group is not critical, provided that it is stable to the conditions of any subsequent reaction(s) on other positions of the compound and can be removed at the appropriate point without adversely affecting the remainder of the molecule. In addition, a protecting group may be substituted for another after substantive synthetic transformations are complete. Clearly, where a compound differs from a compound disclosed herein only in that one or more protecting groups of the disclosed compound has been substituted with a different protecting group, that compound is within the invention. For example, where a compound differs from a compound disclosed herein only in that one or more hydrogens from a thiol-, amino-, or hydroxyl-moiety (or a hydrogen or hydroxyl from a carboxyl moiety) has been substituted with a protecting group to form a carboxyl or sulfonyl ester, that protected compound is within the invention. Sulfonyl esters include alkylsulfonyls (e.g., methylsulfonyl or mesyl) and arylsulfonyls (e.g., tosyl). Further examples and conditions are found in T. W. Greene, Protective Groups in Organic Chemistry, (1st ed., 1981; 2nd, ed., 1991, T. W. Greene and P. G. M. Wuts).
The invention also encompasses isotopically-labelled counterparts of compounds disclosed herein. An isotopically-labelled compound of the invention has one or more atoms replaced with an isotope having a detectable particle- or x-ray-emitting (radioactive) nucleus or a magnetogyric nucleus. Examples of such nuclei include 2H, 3H, 13C, 15N, 19F, 29Si, 31P, 32P and 125I. Isotopically-labelled compounds of the invention are particularly useful as probes or research tools for spectrometric analyses, radioimmunoassays, binding assays based on γ- or β-scintillation, fluorography, autoradiography, and kinetic studies such as inhibition studies or determination of primary and secondary isotope effects.
The following abbreviations are used in the synthetic description:
AIBN, 2,2′-azobis(isobutyronitrile); Bn, benzyl; BOP-Cl, bis(2-oxo-3-oxazolidinyl)phosphinic chloride; Bu2BOTf, dibutylboron triflate; CDI, N,N′-carbonyldiimidazole; Cp, cyclopentadienyl; DBU, 1,8-diazabicyclo-[5.4.0]undec-7-ene; DCC dicyclohexylcarbodiimide; DDQ, 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone; DEAD, diethylazodicarboxylate; DIBAL-H diisobutylaluminum hydride; DMF, dimethylformamide; Gilbert reagent, dimethyl diazomethylphosphonate; LDA, lithium diisopropylamide; LiHMDS, lithium hexamethyldisilazamide; mesylate, methanesulfonic acid ester; Mitsunobu reagents, (DEAD, PPh3, and nucleophile); NMO, N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide; Ph, phenyl; PhFl, 9-phenyl-9-fluorenyl; Ph2NTf, N-phenyltrifluoromethanesulfonimide; Swern oxidation reagents ((COCl)2, DMSO, Et3N); TBAF, tetrabutylammonium fluoride; TBS, tert-butyldimethylsilyl; TCDI, thiono-N,N′-carbonyldiimidazole; Tf2O, trifluoromethane-sulfonic acid anhydride; TMS, trimethylsilyl; triflate, trifluromethane sulfonate ester; and TsCl, p-toluene-sulfonyl chloride.
The following reagents are also used:
The invention is based, in part, an the structure-function information disclosed herein which suggests the following preferred stereochemical relationships. Note that a preferred compound may have one, two, three, or more stereocenters having the indicated up-down (or β-αwhere β as drawn herein is above the plane of the page) or (R)-(S) relationship. In some embodiments, preferred configurations are 7(R), 9(S), 6(S), or combinations thereof. In lactacystin analogs, R2 and Lo preferably have a syn relationship to allow formation of a lactone or lactam-type intermediate, which is believed to be related to the activity of the compounds disclosed herein as proteasome inhibitors. However, it is not required that every stereocenter conform to the structures below.
A person of skill will recognize that the compounds described herein preserve certain stereochemical and electronic characteristics found in either lactacystin or lactacystin β-lactone. For example, the hydroxyisobutyl group and the configuration of the hydroxyl group on C9 are believed to be important for recognition of the target, as are the configurations of the C6 hydroxyl and the C7 methyl of the γ-lactam ring. However, the N-acetylcysteine moiety is not required for activity. Moieties such as R2, R1, and particularly A1 (e.g., where A1 is a side chain of a naturally occurring α-amino acid such as Val, Leu, Lys, and Phe) can be modified to control selectivity for the proteasome, and selectivity for a particular peptidase activity of the proteasome. In combination, these moieties simulate certain peptides or proteins processed or degraded by the proteasome (i.e., are peptidomimetics).
The invention is also based, in part, on the finding that lactacystin and lactacystin β-lactone are highly selective for the X/MB1 subunit and α-chain of the proteasome and do not inhibit the activity of proteases such as trypsin, α-chymotrypsin, calpain I, calpain II, cathepsin, and papain. Such selectivity is useful to formulate a pharmaceutical composition with fewer side effects and to evaluate basic research results involving any subunit of the proteasome in conjunction with the selective inhibition of the X/MB1 subunit and α-chain.
Turning to the novel compounds described by the formulas of compounds contained within the pharmaceutical compositions, several embodiments are next considered.
Embodiments of the first aspect include compounds having one or more of the following limitations. In one limitation L1 is linked by an oxygen or preferably sulfur atom to the carbon atom bonded to X2. Such an L1 forms a thioester, thus providing a good leaving group. The precise nature of the thioester group is generally not critical. In initial experiments, the magnitude of activity measured by Kobs/for both large and small thioesters was about the same, whether the thioester terminus was a simple arylalkyl group or a more complex, branched moiety with intervening amide linkages and terminal carboxylic acid, esters, or aminocarbonyl groups. In one embodiment, Z1 is NH or NRa; X1 is O or S; Z2 is CHR1 or CHOR1, R1 being H, halogen, C1-6 alkyl, or C1-6 haloalkyl; R2 is ORf; and LO is —(C═X2)—L1, X2 being O and L1 being linked by a sulfur atom to the carbon atom bonded to X2. In another embodiment, L1 is selected from substituted or unsubstituted C6-20 arylalkylcarbonylthio, C6-20 arylthio, C2-8 alkylcarbonylthio, and C1-12 alkylthio. As defined above in the “Terms” section, arylthio includes arylthio, alkylarylthio, arylalkylthio, and alkylarylalkylthio groups.
In other limitations, A1 is C5-20 alkyl when LO is carboxyl or (C1-4 alkyl)oxycarbonyl and A1 is alkyl; only one of A1 and LO is selected from carboxyl and (C1-4 alkyl)oxycarbonyl; A1 cannot be H; L1 has at least 3 carbon atoms when Z1 and Z2 are both NH, and A1 is methoxy; when R1 and R2 are taken together, Z2 is CR1; and when one of A1 and LO is (C1-4 alkyl)oxycarbonyl or carboxyl, the other of A1 and LO has a fragment formula weight of at least 20. Novel compounds of the first, fifth, and seventh aspects generally do not have A1 being H.
Further embodiments of the first aspect, when Z1 is NH and Z2 is (R) CHR1, are compounds wherein: L1 has between 0 and 3 nonaromatic acyclic carbon atoms when there are 5 heteroatoms; L1 has between 6 and 15 nonaromatic acyclic carbon atoms when there is only one oxygen atom; and L1 has 0, 1, 3, or 5 nonaromatic carbon atoms when there are three halogen atoms.
Further embodiments of the first aspect include a compound wherein Z2 is CHR1 and Z1 is NH or NRa; wherein LO is C2-16 oxiranyl; L1 is hydroxy, C1-12 alkoxy, C1-12 alkyl-sulfonyloxy, C6-20 arylsulfonyloxy, C7-20 arylalkyl, C6-20 aryloxy, C6-20 arylalkylcarbonyloxy, C2-8 alkylcarbonyloxy, C2-8 alkylcarbonylthio, C1-12 alkylthio, C6-20 arylalkylcarbonylthio, or C6-20 arylthio; or L2 is H, C1-2 haloalkyl, or C1-6 alkyl. In addition, Z2 is O, S, NH, or NRd. In another embodiment, Z2 is O, S, NHJ, NRd, or CHR1; and Rh is H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, or C2-6 alkynyl.
Further embodiments of the first aspect include compounds wherein Z1 is O, S, or SO2; wherein Z2 is O, S. NH, or NRd; wherein X1 is CH2, CHRb, or C(Rb)(Rc); wherein R2 is C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, or halogen; wherein R2 is ORf, SRf, or NRfRg; wherein Z2 is in the beta (above plane of page) configuration; wherein CHX4 is in the alpha (below plane of paper) configuration; wherein R2 is in the beta configuration; or combinations thereof.
The invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition wherein LO is H or —(C═X2)—L1, X2 being O and L1 being linked by an oxygen or sulfur atom to the carbon atom bonded to X2; where only one of A1 and LO is selected from carboxyl and (C1-4 alkyl)oxycarbonyl; wherein L1 is hydroxy, C1-12 alkoxy, C1-12 alkylsulfonyloxy, C6-20 arylsulfonyloxy, C7-20 arylalkyl, C6-20 aryloxy, C6-20 arylalkylcarbonyloxy, C2-8 alkylcarbonyloxy, C6-20 arylalkylcarbonylthio, C6-20 arylthio, C2-8 alkyl-carbonylthio, or C1-12 alkylthio.
The invention also provides embodiments wherein Z1 is NH or NRa; X1 is O or S; Z2 is CHR1 or CHOR1, R1 being H, halogen, C1-6 alkyl, or C1-6 haloalkyl; R2 is ORf; and L0 is —(C═X2)—L1, X2 being O and L1 being linked by a sulfur atom to the carbon atom bonded to X2. Individual compounds include lactacystin, clasto-lactacystin trifluoroethyl ester, descarboxylactacystin, lactacystin amide, and phenylacetyl lactacystin.
Embodiments of the second aspect include compounds wherein CHX4 is in the (S) configuration when X4 is hydroxyl and —(CH2)n—R3X3 is isopropyl; wherein the moiety —(CH2)n—R3X3 has between 5 and 20 carbon atoms when X4 is hydroxyl, m is O, and Z1 is NH; wherein Z1 is NH or NRa; wherein Z1 is O, S, or SO2; wherein Z1 is NRa; wherein X1 is CH2, CH(Rb), or C(Rb)(Rc); wherein Z2 is in the beta (above plane of page) configuration; wherein CHX4 is in the alpha (below plane of paper) configuration; wherein R1 is H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, or halogen; wherein R1 is a side chain of a naturally occurring α-amino acid, ORd, SRd, or NRdRe; or combinations of the above.
Another embodiment of the second aspect includes compounds wherein Z1 is NH or NRa; X1 is O or S; Z2 is CHR1 in the (R) or (S) configuration, wherein R1 is H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, hydroxyl, halogen, a side chain of a naturally occurring amino acid, ORd, SRd, or NRdRe (each of Rd and Re, independently, being H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, or C2-5 alkynyl); Z3 is O or NH; X2 is O or S; and A1 is the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid, or is of the following formula,
—Y—(CH2)n—R3X3
wherein Y is C═O or CHX4 in the (R) or (S) configuration, or deleted, X4 being halogen, methyl, halomethyl, or ORh, wherein Rh is selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, C1-10 acyl, C1-6 alkylsulfonyl, and C6-10 arylsulfonyl; n is 0, 1, 2, or 3; and R3 is straight chain or branched C1-8 alkylene, C3-10 cycloalkylene, phenylene, C6-14 arylalkylene, or deleted; and X3 is H, hydroxyl, thiol, carboxyl, amino, halogen, or C6-10 aryl; or R3 and X3 taken together are the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid.
The invention also provides a compound wherein Z1 is NH and Z3 is O; or a compound wherein each of Z1 and Z3 is NH; or a compound wherein at least four (e.g., at least 5, or all) of the following limitations apply: Z1 is NH or NRa; X1 is O or S; Z2 is CHR1 in the (R) or (S) configuration, wherein R1 is H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, hydroxyl, or ORd, Rd being C1-6 alkyl; Z3 is O or NH; X2 is O; Z3 is O or NH; and A1 is the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid, or CHX4, X4 being halogen, methyl, halomethyl, or ORh, Rh being selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C1-10 acyl, C1-6 alkylsulfonyl, and C6-10 arylsulfonyl; R3 is straight chain or branched C1-8 alkylene, C3-10 cycloalkylene, phenylene, C6-14 arylalkylene, or deleted; m is 0, 1, or 2 and n is 0 or 1; and X3 is H.
The invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition wherein Z1 is NH or NRa; X1 is O or S; Z2 is CHR1 in the (R) or (S) configuration, wherein R1 is H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, hydroxyl, halogen, a side chain of a naturally occuring α-amino acid, ORd, SRd, or NRdRe (each of Rd and Re, independently, being H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, or C2-5 alkynyl); Z3 is O or NH; X2 is O or S; and A1 is the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid, or is of the following formula,
wherein Y is C═O or CHX4 in the (R) or (S) configuration, or deleted, X4 being halogen, methyl, halomethyl, or ORh, wherein Rh is selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, C1-10 acyl, C1-6 alkylsulfonyl, and C6-10 arylsulfonyl; n is 0, 1, 2, or 3; and R3 is straight chain or branched C1-8 alkylene, C3-10 cycloalkylene, phenylene, C6-14 arylalkylene, or deleted, and X3 is H, hydroxyl, thiol, carboxyl, amino, halogen, or C6-10 aryl; or R3 and X3 taken together are the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid.
Another embodiment includes a compound wherein X2 is O, and A1 is the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid, or X4 is halogen, methyl, halomethyl, or ORh, Rh being selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C1-10 acyl, C1-6 alkylsulfonyl, and C6-10 arylsulfonyl; R3 is straight chain or branched C1-8 alkylene, C3-10 cycloalkylene, phenylene, C6-14 arylalkylene, or deleted; m is 0, 1, or 2 and n is 0 or 1; and X3 is H. Individual lactone analogs include clasto-lactacystin β-lactone.
Embodiments of the third aspect include compounds wherein: when X1 is 2 singly bonded H and R1 has only one oxygen, then the fragment formula weight of R1 is at least 30 atomic mass units; when X1 is 2 singly bonded H and R1 is 2 H, and A1 is alkyl, then A1 has at least 3 carbon atoms; A1, R1 and X1 taken together have at least one carbon atom, halogen, or heteratom; when X1 is two singly bonded H, and R1 is H, X2 is O, and Rh is alkyl, then Rh is C4-6 alkyl; and when n is 2,Rh is C1-6 haloalkyl.
Further embodiments of the third aspect include compounds wherein: X1 is CH2, two singly bonded H, CH(Rb) or C(Rb)(Rc); Z2 is O or S; Z2 is NH or NRj; R1 is C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, or halogen; R1 is a side chain of a naturally occuring α-amino acid, ORd, SRd, or NRdRe; A1 cannot be H; R1 is in the beta configuration; X4 is in the alpha configuration; or combinations thereof.
Embodiments of the fourth aspect include compounds wherein: Z2 is O or S; Z2 is NH or NRj; X1 is O or S; R1 is C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, or halogen; R1 is a side chain of a naturally occuring α-amino acid, ORd, SRd, or NRdRe;; R2 is H, C1-3 alkyl, C1-3 haloalkyl, C2-3 alkenyl, C2-3 alkynyl, C6-12 aryl, C3-6 heteroaryl, or halogen; R2 is H, C3-6 alkyl, C3-6 haloalkyl, C4-6 alkenyl, C4-6 alkynyl, C6-12 aryl, or C3-8 heteroaryl; A1 cannot be H; R1 is in the beta configuration; X4 is in the alpha configuration; or combinations of the above.
Further embodiments of the fifth aspect are compounds wherein: Z1 is O or S; Z2 is NH or NRj; R1 is H, C1-3 alkyl, C1-3 haloalkyl, C2-3 alkenyl, C2-3 alkynyl, or a side chain of a naturally occuring α-amino acid, ORd, SRd, or NRdRe; R1 is H, C4-6 alkyl, C4-6 haloalkyl, C4-6 alkenyl, C4-6 alkynyl, halogen, or a side chain of a naturally occuring α-amino acid, ORd, SRd, or NRdRe; R2 is H, C1-3 alkyl, C1-3 halo-alkyl, C2-3 alkenyl, C2-3 alkynyl, C6-12 aryl, C3-8 heteroaryl, or halogen; R2 is H, C4-6 alkyl, C4-6 haloalkyl, C4-6 alkenyl, C4-6 alkynyl, C6-12 aryl, or C3-8 heteroaryl;n Ra is C1-3 alkyl; A1 cannot be H; X4 is in the alpha configuration; or combinations thereof.
Embodiments of the sixth aspect are compounds wherein: X1 is O or S; X1 is CH2, two singly bonded H, CH(Rb), or C(Rb)(RC); Z1 is O or S; Z1 is NH or NRa; R1 is C1-3 alkyl, C1-3 haloalkyl, C2-3 alkenyl, C2-3 alkynyl, halogen, or a side chain of any naturally occuring α-amino acid; R1 is ORd, SRd, or NRdRe; R1 is C4-6 alkyl, C4-6 haloalkyl, C4-6 alkenyl, C4-6 alkynyl, a side chain of any naturally occuring α-amino acid, ORd, SRd, or NRdRe; R1 and R2 taken together are a bivalent moiety; R1 is in the beta configuration; R2 is in the beta configuration; R2 is C1-3 alkyl, C1-3 haloalkyl, C6-12 aryl, C3-8 cycloalkyl, or halogen; R2 is C4-6 alkyl, C4-6 haloalkyl, C6-12 aryl, C3-8 cycloalkyl, C3-8 heteroaryl, or C3-8 heterocyclic radical; A1 has a higher fragment formula weight than A2; A1 has a lower fragment formula weight than A2; A1 is in the (R) configuration; A1 is in the (S) configuration; only one of A1 and A2 is H; A1 is a side chain of any naturally occuring α-amino acid; or combinations thereof.
Embodiments of the seventh aspect are compounds wherein: X1 is O or S; X1 is CH2, two singly bonded H, CH(Rb) or C(Rb)(Rc); Z2 is O or S; Z2 is NH or NRj; R1 is C1-3 alkyl, C1-3 haloalkyl, C2-3 alkenyl, C2-3 alkynyl, hydroxyl, halogen, or a side chain of any naturally occuring α-amino acid; R1 is ORd, SRd, or NRdRe; R1 is C4-6 alkyl, C4-6 haloalkyl, C4-6 alkenyl, C4-6 alkynyl, a side chain of any naturally occuring α-amino acid; R1 and R2 taken together are a bivalent moiety; R2 is C1-3 alkyl, C1-3 haloalkyl, C2-3 alkenyl, azido, C2-3 alkynyl, hydroxyl, or halogen; R2 is ORf, SRf, NRfRfRg, —ONRfRg, —NRg(ORf), or —NRg(RSf); R2 is C4-6 alkyl, C4-6 haloalkyl, C4-6 alkenyl, azido, C4-6 alkynyl, ORf, SRf, NRfRfRg, —ONRfRg, —NRg(ORf) or —NRg(RSf); R1 and R2 taken together are a bivalent moiety; R1 is in the alpha configuration; R1 is in the beta configuration; R2 is in the alpha configuration; R2 is in the beta configuration; A1 is in the alpha configuration; A2 is in the beta configuration; or combinations thereof.
One embodiment of the eighth aspect is a compound where A1, A2, R12, and X1 taken together have at least one carbon atom and one heteratom. Further embodiments of the eighth aspect are compounds wherein: Z1 is NH, or NRa; X1 is O or S; X1 is CH2, or two singly bonded H; R12 is H, C1-3 alkyl, C1-3 haloalkyl, C2-3 alkenyl, or C2-3 alkynyl; R12 is C4-6 alkyl, C4-6 haloalkyl, C4-6 alkenyl, or C4-6 alkynyl; where A1, A2, R12, and X1 taken together have at least one carbon atom and one heteratom; where the fragment formula weight of A1 is greater than the fragment formula weight of A2 (e.g., by at least 30 or 60); where the fragment formula weight of A2 is greater than the fragment formula weight of A1 (e.g., by at least or 50); or combinations thereof.
Embodiments of the ninth aspect are compounds wherein A1 is a side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid; wherein A1 has a fragment formula weight of at least 50 (e.g., 70, 100, or 120).
Examples of individual compounds described herein are provided in Tables A, B, and C.
TABLE A
I-1 I-2 I-3 I-4 P-1 P-2 P-3 P-4 P-5 P-6 P-7
TABLE B
J-1 J-2 J-3 J-4 J-5 J-6 J-7 J-8
TABLE C
J-9 J-10 J-11 J-12 J-13 J-14 J-15
The syntheses disclosed herein are organized by structure groups. A person of skill will recognize that the claimed compounds are related to the compounds in the compositions claimed. The synthesis of the compounds of formula (I) rely primarily on the results reported by Uno, et al. in their enantiospecific synthesis of (+)-lactacystin from (R)-glutamate [Uno, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. (1994) 116:2139]. Note that in all schemes relating to compounds of formula (I) when a straight line is used to connect A1 (or anything corresponding to A1) to the rest of the molecule, a dashed line should be assumed. The straight line is used simply for clarity. All A1 are attached to the rest of the molecule on the “alpha,” i.e., the bottom, face.) Compound A-1 (Scheme 1) serves as the starting material for all synthetic routes proposed for compounds of formula (I) wherein Z2 is CHR1 and Z1 is NH or NRa for example. Thus, conversion of A-1 to A-2, in analogy to the above-mentioned work allows for introduction of R1 via standard alkylation chemistry. In the cases where R1 is hydroxyl, halide, —SRd, or —NRdRe, wherein Rd and Re each, independently, is selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, the electrophile in step b is, respectively, a N-arylsulfonyl-3-phenyloxaziridine [Davis, F. A. et al., J. Org. Chem. (1984), 49:3241], a N-halosuccinimide [Stotter, P. A. et al., J. Org. Chem. (1973) 38:2576], RdS-SRd or elemental sulfur [Zoretic, P. A. et al., J. Org. Chem. (1976) 41:3587] [Gassman, P. G. et al., J. Org. Chem. (1977) 42:3236], a N-arylsulfonylazide (followed by reduction of the azide to the primary amine and elaboration to NRdRe) [Evans, D. A. et al., J. Am. Chem. (1987) 109:6881]. If R1 is labile or reactive, or both, a protecting group would be introduced at this point and removed at the end of the synthesis. The preparation of compounds of type A-2 is then completed with the two-step (steps b and c) process reported by Uno [Uno, et al., (1994)].
Introduction of A1 is the next task. Uno [Uno, et al., (1994)] showed that under Lewis-acid mediated aldol addition conditions, A1 is introduced with very high facial selectivity with respect to the bicyclic aminoacid derivative A-2. Accordingly, conversion of A-2 to A-3, as described by Uno, followed by treatment of A-3 with SnCl4 and an aldehyde (RfCHO, where Rf corresponds to H or to the rest of A1), in diethylether yields aldol products A-4 (or A-5 if Rf is H), following suitable protection of the hydroxyl group with a group designated here as Po. [Greene and Wuts, et al., Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis, 2nd ed., (1991)].
Introduction of R2 by a stereoselective, conjugate nucleophilic addition to the unsaturated carbonyl system of A-4 or A-5, followed by quenching of the resulting enolate with acidic water gives access to compounds A-6 and A-7, respectively. This process is analogous to the “three-component coupling” strategy for prostaglandin synthesis of [Suzuki, et al. (1988)]. In this case, the three components are A-4 (or A-5), R2, and a proton.
The diastereomers shown for A-6 and A-7 are predicted to be the major ones based on several facts. The Uno synthesis [Uno, H., et al., (1994)] used an OsO4-catalyzed dihydroxylation of a compound similar to A-4 (R1=methyl, Rf=iso-propyl) to introduce a hydroxyl group corresponding to R2. This reaction proceeded with complete facial selectivity. Thus, in general, groups with appropriate reactivity (nucleophiles or electrophiles) similarly approach preferentially the “beta” face (from the top) of A-4 or A-5.
Quenching of the enolate with acidic water proceeds stereoselectively. In Suzuki's three-component coupling strategy, [Suzuki, et al., (1988)] the nucleophile and electrophile are introduced trans to each other. In our case, R2 and the proton are introduced trans to each other. In the event that compounds in which R1 and R2 are trans to each other are desired, as depicted in compounds A-12 and A-13, a similar strategy has been devised.
The basic strategy has one exception to that detailed above: The order of introduction of R1 and proton at the carbon alpha to the carbonyl is reversed. Thus, conversion of A-1 to A-9 is carried out using the same procedures as those for the preparation of A-3, omitting the alkylation step (step a). Elaboration of A-9 to A-10 and A-11 utilizes the same conditions as those which afford A-4 and A-5. Addition of R2 still occurs from the top face, but the quenching step with an electrophile corresponding to R1 now gives a trans relationship of R1 and R2, as shown in compounds A-12 and A-13.
Another advantage of these approaches to A-6, A-7, A-12, and A-13 is as follows. Should the quenching step introduce the electrophile (proton or R1) cis to R2 (opposite that predicted above), then one still has stereospecific routes to the desired compounds, except that A-4 and A-5 give A-12 and A-13, respectively, and A-10 and A-11 give A-6 qnd A-7.
Compounds in which A1 is H are prepared by a different strategy (Scheme 2). For example, it has been shown that when A1 is H, nucleophiles [Hanessian, et al., Synlett (1991) 10:222] and electrophiles [Griffart-Brunet, et al., Tet. Lett. (1991) 35:119] approach from the bottom face, cis to the hydrogen at A1. Thus, the key to our strategy above is that the stereoselectivity of addition is reversed when A1 is not H. The rapid preparation described below of compounds in which A1 is H takes advantage of this reversal of stereoselectivity.
Thus, bromination of A-2 by standard methods [Caine, et al., J. Org. Chem. (1985) 50:2195] gives A-14, which is utilized in conjugate addition-elimination procedures to give compounds of type A-15. Since A1 is H, catalytic hydrogenation of the olefin should install R1 and R2 in the desired cis configuration shown in compound A-16. Cleavage of the N,O-aminal may occur under such conditions, giving compound A-17. Such an occurrence is not disadvantageous since such a deprotection is the next step in the synthesis anyway. Compounds A-18 and A-19 are accessed by base-catalyzed epimerization of A-16 and A-17, respectively.
The above strategies allow for the preparation of all compounds of formula I wherein Z2 is CHR1 and Z1 is NH or NRa except compounds where an additional ring is fused to the lactam ring (specifically, compounds in which R1 is taken together with R2, giving a bivalent moiety which forms a C3-8 cycloalkyl, C3-8 heteroaryl, C3-8 heterocyclic radical, or C6-12 aryl). Their preparation will be discussed below (Schemes 3 and 4). Note that while only carbocyclic systems are depicted in Schemes 3 and 4, both the alicyclic and heterocyclic (aromatic and non-aromatic in both cases) classes of compounds can be prepared in this manner by choice of the appropriate reagents. Further, all substitution patterns on these rings that are normally accessible by such processes are accessible by the methods proposed below. The simplest carbocyclic variants are shown for clarity and to illustrate the general strategy to these compounds.
The synthesis of these compounds relies on the diverse chemistry of cycloaddition [Carruthers, et al., Cycloaddition Reactions in organic synthesis (1990) and J. March, Advanced Organic Chemistry, (1992) pp. 826-877] to alpha-beta unsaturated olefins. Thus, as shown in Scheme 3, [1+2] processes (e.g. diazoinsertion, cyclopropanation, epoxidation, and aziridination) with compound A-20 (see Scheme 1 for preparation of compounds of this type, e.g. A-10-and A-11) gives access to compounds of type A-21. Compounds of type A-22 are prepared with a variety of [2+2] cycloaddition processes (e.g. photocycloadditions and ketene additions). 1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition chemistry ([3+2] cycloaddition reagents, such as nitrile oxides and azomethine ylides) prepares a wide variety compounds of the type A-23. The preparation of compounds of type A-24 is perhaps the most flexible and far-reaching of the cycloaddition chemistry because it relies on the Diels-Alder reaction, one of the most utilized and studied reactions in all of organic chemistry. The variety of compounds of type A-24 that are prepared by this method is far too great to detail; [Carruthers, (1990)] however, notably, bridged compounds (type A-25) are prepared by this method. [5+2] cycloadditions to give A-26 are less common, but some intriguing examples have been reported. [Wender, et al., J. Org. Chem. (1991) 56:6267 and Wender, et al., Tet. Lett. (1992) 32:6115].
While all these procedures introduce R1 and R2 cis to each other, base-catalyzed epimerization in the cases of A-24 and A-26 gives access to the trans-fused versions of these compounds, A-28 and A-29, respectively. (A-21, A-22, A-23, and A-25 can not be epimerized in this fashion, as these trans-fused rings suffer from much more ring strain than do the cis-fused systems.)
Cycloheptyl (A-26) and cyclooctyl (A-27) compounds are prepared with a slightly different process, one that is akin to that shown in Scheme 1. Fundamentally, one adds a nucleophile (abbreviated as “Nu”) to A-20 which also has a leaving group (abbreviated as “LG”) attached to the other end of the incoming nucleophile, separated by the necessary number of atoms (5 in the case of A-26, 6 in the case of A-27). Thus, following the addition of the nucleophile, the resulting enolate displaces the leaving group, forming the ring. Alternatively, such a process is done stepwise in order to minimize undesired intramolecular side reactions of the nucleophile and electrophile. These and other methods for making cycloheptyl and cyclooctyl compounds from alpha-beta unsaturated carbonyl compounds have been reviewed in the chemical literature. [Petasis, N. A., et al., Tetrahedron (1992) 48:5757].
Aryl and heteroaryl compounds (e.g. compounds A-30 and A-31, Scheme 4) are prepared by [4+2] cycloaddition chemistry, followed by oxidation of the resultant cycloalkene or heterocycloalkene with dichlorodicyanoquinone (DDQ). [Pizey, N., Synth. Reagents (1977) 3:193-225]. In the case of compounds of type A-31, other types of dienes that are utilized are the hydroxyorthoxylylenes, formed by the ring opening reaction of hydroxybenzocyclobutenes. [Arnold, B. J., et al., J. Chem. Soc., (1974) 409-415].
Thus, having prepared all the variations of R1 and R2, we turn now to the elaboration of these compounds to include all of the variations of A1 (Scheme 5).
Based on the results of [Uno, et al., (1994)] and as shown in Scheme 1, Lewis-acid catalyzed aldol additions of A-3 to RfCHO, followed by further elaboration, provide compounds of the type A-33 (Scheme 5) with the stereocenters in the configurations shown, including both configurations of R1. (A straight bond (i.e. neither bold or dashed) is shown here to represent both diastereomers at this position.) Here we will focus on the stereochemistry of the secondary hydroxyl that is included in A1, and related derivatives. While modification of conditions in the aldol addition (Scheme 1) reaction can provide the other diastereomer at this position, another method of inverting this center is to first oxidize to the ketone under standard conditions (e.g. Swern, Dess-Martin periodinane, etc.) and then reduce with the appropriate reducing agent (e.g. NaBH4, etc.) whose identity is determined by screening a number of reductants. This two-step procedure provides compounds of type A-35. Analogously, reductive amination of ketone A-34 with an amine or hydroxylamine (represented in Scheme 5 as RnNH2) and sodium cyanoborohydride (NaCNBH3) provides compounds of type A-36. The sense of stereochemical induction in this step can be altered by using a different reducing agent. Alternatively, by first preparing the methanesulfonate ester (“mesylate”) of A-33 or A-35, and then displacing the mesylate with a nucleophile (e.g. RNH2, RS—, RO—, halide, hydroxylamine, Grignard reagents, etc.) one obtains a wide variety of A1 derivatives with complete control of stereochemistry at the carbon corresponding to the secondary hydroxyl in A-33.Reduction of the mesylate (with lithium triethylborohydride (LiEt3BH)) or of a halide (with, e.g., zinc in hydrochloric acid) provides compounds of the type A-38.
Another method to produce the various A1 derivatives is depicted in Scheme 6. Compounds of the type A-39, which are prepared according to Scheme 1, are converted to those of type A-40 where Xa is a halide or trifluoromethanesulfonate ester (“triflate”), for example, using standard functional group manipulation. Displacement of these leaving groups with nucleophiles gives another method for the preparation of compounds of type A-38. Subjecting iodide A-40 (Xa is I) to metal-halogen exchange conditions (e.g. activated Mg metal or tert-butyllithium) provides nucleophiles to which a variety of nucleophiles can be added, providing yet another route to compounds of type A-38.
Another strategy for the preparation of a subset of compounds of type 33 is worth noting (Scheme 7). This strategy allows for the preparation of compounds of type A-33 for all R2 discussed above and for all R1 other than hydroxyl, halide, —SRd,—NRdRe. Compounds of the type A-4, A-5, A-10, and A-11 as shown in Scheme 1 (represented as compound A-41 in Scheme 7), in which R1 is attached to the lactam ring with a carbon—carbon bond, can be dihydroxylated to give compounds of type A-42, in which the hydroxyl groups have been added to the top face exclusively. [Uno, et al., (1994)] (The reasons for this stereoselectivity have been discussed above.) Following the procedure of [Uno, et al., 1994)] the tertiary hydroxyl can be removed selectively, yielding a mixture of R1 diastereomers A-43, which can be separated by a variety of chromatographic methods. Mitsunobu inversion of the secondary hydroxyl, followed by displacement of a suitably derived leaving group by any nucleophile corresponding to R2 (e.g. hydroxide, alkoxide, sulfide, Grignard reagents, amine, halide, etc.) gives compounds of the type A-44, which are a subset of compounds of the type A-33, and can therefore be elaborated into their corresponding A1 derivatives as described above.
Thus, having provided viable routes to all variations of R1, R2, and now A1 in formula (I), we now turn our attention to the installation of X1, L1, and X2 (Scheme 8).
The compound of general structure A-45 can be converted to A-46 in a two-step process involving first catalytic hydrogenolysis or mild acidic hydrolysis [Corey, E. J., et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. (1992a), 114:10677] and then protection of the primary hydroxyl group as its tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBS) ether under standard conditions. [Corey, E. J. and Venkateswarlu, A., J. Am. Chem. Soc. (1972), 94:6190] N-Alkylation of the amide provides access to compounds A-47. [Challis, N., The Chemistry of Amides; (1970) 734-754]. (In the cases where Rb is desired to be H, the amide can be blocked with a suitable protecting group that will be removed at the end of the synthesis. [Greene, T. W., et al., Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis (1991)].
Enamine A-48 can be prepared from A-47 under Tebbe olefination conditions. [Pine, S. H., et al., J. Org. Chem. (1985) 50:1212]. Thioamide A-49 can be prepared by treatment of A-47 with bis(tricyclohexyltin)sulfide and boron trichloride. [Steliou, K., et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., (1982) 104:3104]. Substituted enamines A-50 can be prepared by addition of the appropriate Grignard reagent or alkyllithium to A-47 or A-49, followed by acidic hydrolysis, and separation of the E and Z olefin isomers. [Aguerro, A., et al., J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. (1986) 531 and Schrock, R. R., J. Am. Chem. Soc., (1976) 98:5399, and Hansen, C., J. Org. Chem. (1973) 38:3074). Pyrrolidines of type 51 can be prepared by reduction of A-47 with lithium aluminum hydride [March, J., Advanced organic Chemistry (1992) 826-877 and Gaylord, J., Reduction With Complex Metal Hydrides (1956)] 544-636] or alternatively by reduction of A-49 with Raney nickel. [Belen'kii, W., Chemistry of Organosulfur Compounds 91990) 193-228].
Taken together, these procedures constitute a synthesis of compounds of the general structure A-52, which are converted to A-53 following, for example, the procedure of Uno, et al. [Uno, H., et al., (1994)] (Scheme 9). Compounds A-53 are converted to analogues A-54a via oxidation to the acid and coupling with L1 (all of which can be prepared by standard methods) under the conditions utilized by Corey and Reichard [Corey, E. J., et al., (1992a]. Sulfurization of these compounds with Lawesson's reagent [Cava, M. P., et al., Tetrahedron (1985) 41:5061] gives thiono analogues A-55a. Compounds A-54b are prepared via addition of a nucleophile (e.g. CF3) [Francese, C., et al., J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun (1987) 642], corresponding to L2 to the aldehydes A-54b followed by oxidation of the alcohol with Dess-Martin periodinane. [Linderman, R. J., et al., Tet. Lett. (1987) 28:4259]. Sulfurization of these compounds with Lawesson's reagent [Cava, M. P., et al., (1985)] gives thiono analogues A-55b. Epoxides of the type A-55c are prepared from A-53 or A-54b by the method of Johnson [Johnson, C. R., Acc. Chem. Res. (1973) 6:341], thus completing the synthesis of all the analogues detailed in this section.
The preparation of the compounds of formula (I) wherein Z2 is O, S, NH or NRd relies primarily on the methods of Seebach and of Corey. Thus, as shown in Scheme 10, epoxides of the type A-58 are prepared according to the procedure of Corey, et al., [Corey, E. J., et al., (1992b)] from 61 via compound 62. R2 is thus installed by choosing the appropriate aldehyde for the aldol reaction in step a. Corey [Corey, E. J., et al., (1992b)] showed that epoxides A-58 are opened stereospecifically to give A-59. Thus, Z1 is installed by treating A-58 with a nucleophile corresponding to Z1. (Pz refers to a protecting group for Z1.) Installation of Z2 is accomplished by conversion of the hydroxyl A-59 to a leaving group, for example, a tosylate, and displacement of the leaving group with a nucleophile corresponding to Z2(Pz, refers to a protecting group for Z2).
The results of Seebach [Seebach, D., et al., Helv. Chim. Acta. (1987) 70:1194] are used in the next part of the synthesis. Conversion of A-60 to A-61 allows for enolization and alkylation with an electrophile corresponding to A1, yielding A-62. Seebach showed that such alkylations give predominantly the diastereomer shown.
After reduction of the ester and protection of the resulting primary alcohol as the TBS ether, removal of the tert-butylmethylene protecting group, enables conversion to compounds of either the type A-63 (by treatment with, for example, formaldehyde and an acid catalyst) or the type A-64 (by treatment with, for example, CDI) is effected.
Compound is a key intermediate in the completion of the synthesis of the compounds of formula (I) wherein Z2 is O, S, NH or NRd, (Scheme 11). Compounds of the type A-65 are prepared from A-64 under Tebbe olefination conditions. [Pine, S. H., et al., (1985)]. Compounds of the type A-66 are prepared by treatment of A-64 with bis(tricyclohexyltin)sulfide and boron trichloride. [Steliou, K., et al., (1982)]. Compounds of the type A-67 are prepared by addition of the appropriate Grigard reagent or alkyllithium to A-64 or A-66, followed by acidic hydrolysis, and separation of the E and Z olefin isomers. [Aguerro, A., et al., (1988) and Schrock, R. R., (1976), and Hansen, C., et al., (1973)]. Compounds of the type A-63, prepared in Scheme 10, are also prepared by reduction of A-64 with lithium aluminum hydride [March, J., (1992), and Gaylord, J. (1956)] or alternatively by reduction of A-66 with Raney nickel. [Belen'kii, W., (1990)].
Taken together, compounds of the type A-63, A-64, A-65, A-66, and A-67 are of the general class A-68, which are converted the general class of lactacystin analogues A-69 by fluoride deprotection of the TBS ether, oxidation of the resulting primary alcohol to the carboxylic acid, via the aldehyde analogues, in, for example, the two-step process shown, and coupling with L1 using the method of Corey and Reichard, [Corey, E. J., et al., (1992a)] and removal of the protecting groups on Z1 and Z2 (if necessary). Lactacystin analogues A-71 are prepared by treating A-69 with Lawesson's reagent [Cava, M. P., et al., (1985)]. Analogues A-70 are also prepared from A-68 by fluoride deprotection of the TBS ether, oxidation of the resulting primary alcohol to the aldehyde, addition of nucleophile (e.g., CF3) [Francese, C. et al. 1987, supra] Dess-Martin periodinane oxidation, sulfurization with Lawesson's reagent (if desired) [Cava, M. P., 91985)], and deprotection of Z2 and Z2, if necessary. Epoxides of the type A-72 are also prepared from A-68 by fluoride deprotection of the TBS ether, oxidation of the resulting primary alcohol to the aldehyde, addition of a nucleophile corresponding to L2, Dess-Martin periodinane oxidation, addition of dimethyloxosulfonium methylide, and deprotection of Z1 and Z2 (if necessary). Thus, the above strategy prepares all the compounds of formula (I) wherein Z2 is O, S, NH or NRd.
The preparation of the compounds of formula (I) relies primarily on the methods of Evans and of Corey. Thus, as shown in Scheme 12, chiral oxazolidinones of the type A-73 are enolized and alkylated with benzyloxy-bromomethane, thereby installing R1. [Evans, D. A., et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc., (1982) 104:1737]. (Only one configuration of R1 is obtained in the reaction. The other configuration of R1 is obtained by using the opposite enantiomer of the chiral oxazolidinone.) Conversion of A-74 to aldehydes of the type A-75, and chiral, boron-mediated (using A-76) aldol condensation with tert-butylbromoacetate gives [Corey, E. J., et al., (1992b)] a secondary alcohol that is protected as the tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBS) ether to give compounds of the type A-77. Displacement of the bromide with a nucleophile [Corey, E. J., et al. (1992b)] corresponding to Z1 yields A-78, which can be converted to compounds of the type A-79. As discussed above regarding claim 4, such compounds can be enolized and alkylated stereospecifically with electrophiles corresponding to A1, giving A-80. Standard functional group manipulation yields tosylates of the type A-81. Displacement of the tosylate with a nucleophile corresponding to R2, [Hanessian, S., et al., J. Org. Chem. (1989) 54:5831] gives compounds of the type A-82, the primary alcohol of which is deprotected via, for example, catalytic hydrogenolysis, and cyclized to compounds A-83 after oxidation of the primary alcohol to the carboxylic acid.
As shown in Scheme 13, compounds of the type A-84, in which R1 is in either the (R) or (S) configuration, are converted into a variety of X1 variants. Compounds of the type A-85 are prepared from A-84 under Tebbe olefination conditions. [Pine, et al., (1985)] Compounds of the type A-86 are prepared by treatment of A-84 with bis(tricyclohexyltin)sulfide and boron trichloride. [Stelious, K., et al., (1982)]. Compounds of the type A-87 are prepared by addition of the appropriate Grignard reagent or alkyllithium to A-84 or A-86 followed by acidic hydrolysis, and separation of the E and Z olefin isomers. [Aguerro, A., et al., (1986), Schrock, R. R., (1976) and Hansen C., et al., (1973)]. Compounds of the type A-88 are prepared by reduction of A-84 with lithium aluminum hydride [March, J. (1992), and Gaylord, J., (1956)] or alternatively by reduction of A-86 with Raney nickel. [Belen'kii, W., (1990)]. When Z1 is S in A-88, oxidation to the cyclic sulfone variants is effected with, for example, KHSO5. [Trost, B. M., et al., Tet. Lett. (1981) 22:1287].
Taken together, compounds of the type A-84, A-85, A-86, A-67, A-88, and A-89 are of the general class A-90, which are converted analogues A-91, following for example, the procedure of Uno, et al. [Uno, H., et al., (1994)] (Scheme 13b). Compounds A-91 are converted to analogues A-92 via oxidation to the acid and coupling with L1 (all of which can be prepared by standard methods) under the conditions utilized by Corey and Reichard. [Corey, E. J., et al., (1992a)]. Sulfurization of these compounds with Lawesson's reagent gives thiono analogues A-93. Compounds A-94 are prepared via addition of a nucleophile (e.g. CF3) [Francese, C., et al., (1987)] corresponding to L2 to the aldehydes A-91 followed by oxidation of the alcohol with Dess-Martin periodinane. Sulfurization of these compounds with Lawesson's reagent gives thiono analogues A-95. Epoxides of the type A-96 are prepared from A-91 or A-94 by the method of Johnson, thus completing the synthesis of all the analogues detailed in this section. Note: As above for compounds of formula (I), in all Schemes relating to compounds of formula (II), when a straight line is used to connect A2 (or anything corresponding to A2) to the rest of the molecule, a dashed line should be assumed. The straight line is used simply for clarity. All A2 are attached to the rest of the molecule on the “alpha” face (i.e. the bottom face).
The proposed syntheses of all of the compounds P1-P7 (Table A) and J1-J15 (Tables B and C) rely on a key intermediate from Scheme 9. As shown in Scheme 14, compounds of type B-1 are analogous to a subset of compounds A-53, whose various preparations were described in Schemes 1, 2, and 5-8, and described in the accompanying text.
In order to prepare analog B-2, the method of Corey, et al. is utilized. [Corey, E. J., et al., Tet. Lett. (1993) 34:6977]. Sulfurization of B-2 with, for example, Lawesson's reagent [Cava, M. P., et al., (1985)] provides analogs B-3.
The preparation of compounds of type B-1 is summarized in Scheme 15. Thus the same starting material (A-1) as that used in Scheme 1 is elaborated to all of the compounds B-2 by the same methods as those used in Schemes 1, 2, 5, 6, and 8. There are then two possible general strategies for the conversion of these intermediates to B-2. The first is analogous to that detailed in Schemes 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, and 9, in which Z5 (suitably activated or protected) serves as the nucleophile in the relevant reactions.
The other strategy, based on that shown in Scheme 7 is also depicted in Scheme 15. Thus, dihydroxylation of B-4 gives B-5, which is then be deoxygenated as before, giving B-6. Separation of the diastereomers, Mitsunobu inversion of the secondary hydroxyl, and displacement of a leaving group derived from the Mitsunobu product provides compounds of the type B-7, which are then elaborated to B-1 as described in Schemes 8 and 9.
The proposed syntheses of all of the compounds of formula (II) rely on intermediate A-81 from Scheme 12. As shown in Scheme 16, compounds of type B-11 are analogous to a subset of compounds A-81, whose various preparations are illustrated in Scheme 12, and described in the accompanying text. Conversion of compounds of the type B-11 to B-12 is performed in analogy to Scheme 12. Compounds of the type B-13 are prepared from B-12 following the relevant steps in Schemes 13a and 13b.
In order to prepare analogs B-14, the method of Corey, et al. is utilized. [Corey, E. J., et al., (1993)] Sulfurization of B-14 with, for example, Lawesson's reagent [Cava, M. P., et al., (1985)] provides analogs B-15.
The preparation of the compounds of formula (II) relies on a key intermediate from Scheme 7. As shown in Scheme 17, compound C-1 is analogous to A-41, whose preparation is illustrated in Scheme 7 and described in the accompanying text. Following the work of Fuchs, [Hutchinson, D. K., et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. (1987)] C-1 is treated sequentially with bis(benzyloxymethyl)lithium cuprate and acidic water, giving compounds of the type C-2. Both configurations of R7 can be accessed. See Schemes 1 and 2 for details. As in Scheme 8, mild acidic hydrolysis, protection of the primary hydroxyl, and alkylation or protection of the nitrogen gives compounds C-2.
Deprotection of the benzyl group by, for example, catalytic hydrogenolysis followed by displacement of the derived tosylate with a nucleophile corresponding to Z2, accesses compounds C-3, in which Z2 is protected, if necessary. Elaboration to carboxylic acids C-4 follows the same set of reactions in Schemes 8 and 9, allowing the preparation of all X9 variants. Deprotection of Z2, if necessary, followed by cyclization with, for example, DCC, yields bicyclic structures C-5 which if desired are sulfurized with Lawesson's reagent [Cava, M. P., et al., (1985)] to give C-6.
The preparation of the compounds of formula IV relies on a key intermediate from Scheme 9. As shown in Scheme 18, compound C-11 is analogous to a subset, defined by Z2, of the class of compounds A-52, whose preparation is illustrated in Schemes 1-8, and described in the accompanying text. Deprotection of the primary hydroxyl with, for example, TBAF in THF and oxidation via, for example, under Swern oxidation conditions to the aldehydes C-12. Homologation of the aldehyde with, for example, the phosphorous ylide derived from triphenylmethoxymethylphosphonium chloride [Jamison, T. F., et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., (1994) 116:5505] yields enolethers of the type C-13, which are converted to carboxylic acids C-14 with acidic hydrolysis and oxidation of the resulting aldehyde with, for example, buffered NaClO2 oxidation. [Corey, E. J., et al., (1992a)].
Deprotection of Z2, if necessary, followed by cyclization with, for example, DCC, [Klausner, Y. S. et al., Synthesis (1972) 453] yields bicyclic structures C-15 which if desired are sulfurized with Lawesson's reagent [Cava, M. P., (1985)] to give C-16.
The preparation of the compounds of formula V relies primarily on the boron-enolate mediated asymmetric aldol procedures of Evans [Evans, D. A., et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., (1981) 103:2127] and on the results of studies on intramolecular radical cyclizations. [Curran, D. P., Comprehensive Organic Synthesis, (1991) 4:779-831].
Esters C-21 (Scheme 19), prepared by standard methods, are deprotonated and then alkylated with benzyloxybromo-methane and reduced with DIBAL-H to give aldehydes C-22 as a racemic mixture. Addition of C-22 to an boron enolate derived from chiral oxazolidinone imides C-23 [Evans, D. A., et al., (1981)] yields C-24 as a mixture of A3 diastereomers. The configurational identity of the other two new stereocenters is established in this reaction and is not affected by the configuration of A3.
Conversion to aldehydes C-25 in a six-step procedure (for example, tosylation of the secondary hydroxyl, displacement with a nucleophile corresponding to Z71 catalytic hydrogenolysis of the benzyl group, oxidation of the alcohol to the carboxylic acid and esterification) allows for preparation of the substrate for the intramolecular radical cycloaddition. Thus, treatment of the aldehyde with the Gilbert reagent [Gilbert, J. C., et al., J. Org. Chem. (1982) 47:1837] and replacement of the enolizable hydrogen with iodine gives an acetylenes C-26, which, after deprotection of Z7, if necessary, and cyclization with, for example, BOP-Cl, affords C-27.
Exposure of C-27 to atom-transfer, intramolecular radical cyclization conditions [Curran, D. P., et al., Tet. Lett. (1987) 28:2477 and Curran, D. P., et al., J. Org. Chem. (1989) 54:3140] gives compounds C-28. This reaction deserves further comment. The stereochemistry of A1 and the iodine atom are inconsequential because the radical generated from the iodine can interconvert under the reaction conditions. Further, only one of the radical diastereomers will be able to cyclize—that giving the cis-4,5 ring system depicted, because the trans-4,5 suffers from much greater ring strain.
This cyclization is favored for two other reasons. First, it is a 5-endo-dig type cyclization and therefore favored according to Baldwin's rules for cyclization. [Baldwin, J. E., J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. (1976) 734]. Second, the atom transfer conditions used are ideal because the resulting vinylic radical is very reactive and is rapidly quenched by the iodine radical. [Curran, D. P., et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., (1986) 108:2489].
Elaboration of C-28 to C-29 is accomplished using, for example, standard Stille [Stille, J. K., Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. Engl. (1986) 25:504] or Heck [Heck, R. F., Comprehensive Organic Synthesis, (1991) 4:833-863] type coupling conditions using a suitable metallic derivative (M is, e.g., tributylstannyl) of R9. Sulfurization with Lawesson's reagent [Cava, M. P., et al., (1985)] gives compounds C-30, thus completing the preparation of all the compounds of formula V.
The preparation of the compounds of formula VI relies primarily on intermediate B-2, whose preparation is described in Schemes 13a, 13b and 14 and discussed in the accompanying text. As shown in Scheme 20, C-31 is deprotonated with a suitable base, and the resulting enolate is treated with, for example, the triflate source PhN(Tf)2 [McMurry, J. E., et al., Tet. Lett. (1983) 24:979). The vinyl triflates C-32 are treated with, for example, a catalytic amount of (Ph3P)4Pd and a suitable metallic derivative [Stille, J. K. (1986) and Heck, R. F. (1991)] (M is, e.g., tributylstannyl) of R9, giving analogues C-33, which can be treated with Lawesson's reagent [Cava, M. P., et al., (1985)] gives compounds C-34, thus completing the preparation of all the compounds in this section.
The preparation of the compounds of formula VII relies primarily on intermediate A-38, whose preparation is illustrated in Schemes 1, 5, and 6, and discussed in the accompanying text. Compounds of the type C-41 (Scheme 21) can therefore be prepared with either the (R) or (S) configuration of Z7 by following the procedures illustrated in Schemes 1-6, and discussed in the accompanying text.
Mild acidic hydrolysis of C-41, [Corey, E. J., et al., (1992a)] followed by protection of the primary hydroxyl [Corey, E. J., et al., (1972)] allows for installation of A4 via standard alkylation procedures, (Challis, N. (1970)] giving C-42. Elaboration of these intermediates to C-43 is performed as described for the analogous compounds in Scheme 8. Deprotection of the primary hydroxyl allows for oxidation to the carboxylic acids C-44, which are cyclized with, for example, BOP-Cl, giving analogues C-45, which can be treated with Lawesson's reagent [Cava, M. P., et al., (1985)] gives compounds C-46, thus completing the preparation of all the compounds of formula VII.
The preparation of the compounds of formula VIII follows the strategy illustrated in Schemes 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 9, and described in the accompanying text. Thus, as shown in Scheme 22, C-51, being analogous to A-2 is elaborated to C-52 following the same methods used in Scheme 1 using an aldehyde containing A5 and a protected form of Z7 in either the (R) or (S) configuration. Protection of the secondary hydroxyl gives compounds C-52, [Corey, E. J., et al., (1972)] which can be treated with a nucleophile corresponding to R9 and subsequent quenching with acidic water, giving C-53. The reasons governing the indicated stereoselectivity of the nucleophilic addition and aqueous quenching have been discussed in the text accompanying Scheme 1.
Deprotection and subsequent conversion of the secondary hydroxyl to the tosylate allows for introduction of A3 via displacement of the tosylate with a nucleophile corresponding to A3 to give compounds of the type C-54. [Hanessian, S., (1980)]. Elaboration of these compounds to C-55 is performed with the methods illustrated in Scheme 8 and described in the accompanying text. Deprotection of the primary hydroxyl allows for oxidation to the carboxylic acids C-56, which are cyclized with, for example, DCC, [Klausner, Y. S., et al., (1972)] following deprotection of Z7, if necessary, to give analogues C-57. Sulfurization with Lawesson's reagent [Cava, M. P., (1985)] gives compounds C-58, thus completing the preparation of all the compounds of formula VIII.
The preparation of the compounds of formula IX relies primarily on the results of Lubell, et al., J. Org. Chem., 1990 55:3511. Thus, as shown in Scheme 23, L-serine (C-61) is converted to ketones C-62 by known procedures. (PhFl is an abbreviation of 9-phenyl-9-fluorenyl.) Standard Wadsworth-Emmons olefination of C-62 yields either C-63 or C-64, or a mixture thereof. The composition of the product mixture is of no consequence, since both olefin isomers yield the same diastereomer in the next reaction.
Thus, a cuprate reagent derived from A1 approaches from the back face of both C-63 or C-64 since the very bulky PhFl group blocks the other face completely, giving C-65 as the major diastereomer. C-65 is converted to C-66 in a five-step procedure (reduction of the methyl ester to the aldehyde and protection as the dimethyl acetal, deprotection of the oxazolidinone, and oxidation of the primary alcohol to the carboxylic acid.)
As depicted in Scheme 24, DCC-mediated coupling, for example, of C-66 with an amine, yields amides C-67. Taken together, C-66 and C-67 comprise the general class of compounds C-88. The PhFl group is removed by catalytic hydrogenolysis, and the free amine alkylated with an electrophile corresponding to R12 (reductive amination with an aldehyde or ketone and NaCNBH3 is another option) to give compounds C-69. Acidic hydrolysis of the dimethyl acetal yields intermediate aldehyde C-70, which cyclizes to analogues C-73.
Tebbe olefination of C-71 provides compounds C-73. Treatment of C-71 with Lawesson's reagent provides compounds C-72, which can be desulfurized with Raney Nickel to give compounds C-74, thus completing the synthesis of all the compounds of formula IX.
The preparation of the compounds of formula X relies primarily on the results of Dener, et al., [J. Org. Chem., 1993, 58:1159], and on those of Evans et al., [J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1981, 103:2127]. Thus, as shown in Scheme 25, D-aspartic acid (C-81) is protected and alkylated with an electrophile corresponding to A6 to give compounds C-82, with the major diastereomer to be that shown. Dener et al., [J. Org. Chem., 1993, 58:1159]. (PhFl is an abbreviation of 9-phenyl-9-fluorenyl.) Site-specific DIBAL-H reduction (owing to the extreme size of the PhFl group) affords aldehyde C-83.
A diastereoselective boron-mediated aldol addition is the next step. Following the procedure of Evans, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., (1981) 103:2127, one obtains C-85, after TBS protection of the secondary hydroxyl. The oxazolidinone is removed with lithium hydroperoxide, the PhFl group removed with catalytic hydrogenolysis, and lactam formation accomplished under, for example, DCC conditions, to give C-86. Removal of the TBS group with TBAF and lactone formation (saponification of the methyl ester with LiOH, followed by DCC coupling may be necessary) yields C-87, which is elaborated to C-88 by alkylating the amide nitrogen with a nucleophile corresponding to Rd. Epimerization with DBU provides access to compounds C-89. Treatment of C-89 with Lawesson's reagent, Cava et al., Tetrahedron, 1985, 41: 5061, yields compounds C-90, thus completing the preparation of all compounds in this section. Examples 13-21 below are individual syntheses.
The disclosed compounds are used to treat conditions mediated directly by the proteolytic function of the proteasome such as muscle wasting, or mediated indirectly via proteins which are processed by the proteasome such as NF-κB. The proteasome participates in the rapid elimination and post-translational processing of proteins (e.g., enzymes) involved in cellular regulation (e.g., cell cycle, gene transcription, and metabolic pathways), intercellular communication, and the immune response (e.g., antigen presentation). Specific examples discussed below include β-amyloid protein and regulatory proteins such as cyclins and transcription factor NF-κB. Treating as used herein includes reversing, reducing, or arresting the symptoms, clinical signs, and underlying pathology of a condition in manner to improve or stabilize the subject's condition.
Alzheimer's disease is characterized by extracellular deposits of β-amyloid protein (β-AP) in senile plaques and cerebral vessels. β-AP is a peptide fragment of 39 to 42 amino acids derived from an amyloid protein precursor (APP). At least three isoforms of APP are known (695, 751, and 770 amino acids). Alternative splicing of mRNA generates the isoforms; normal processing affects a portion of the β-AP sequence, thereby preventing the generation of β-AP. It is believed that abnormal protein processing by the proteasome contributes to the abundance of β-AP in the Alzheimer brain. The APP-processing enzyme in rats contains about ten different subunits (22 kDa -32 kDa). The 25 kDa subunit has an N-terminal sequence of X-Gln-Asn-Pro-Met-X-Thr-Gly-Thr-Ser, which is identical to the β-subunit of human macropain. Kojima, S. et al., Fed. Eur. Biochem. Soc., (1992) 304:57-60. The APP-processing enzyme cleaves at the Gln15-Lys16 bond; in the presence of calcium ion, the enzyme also cleaves at the Met−1-Asp1 bond, and the Asp1-Ala2 bonds to release the extracellular domain of β-AP.
One embodiment, therefore, is a method of treating Alzheimer's disease, including administering to a subject an effective amount of a compound (e.g., pharmaceutical composition) having a formula disclosed herein. Such treatment includes reducing the rate of β-AP processing, reducing the rate of β-AP plaque formation, and reducing the rate of β-AP generation, and reducing the clinical signs of Alzheimer's disease.
Other embodiments of the invention relate to cachexia and muscle-wasting diseases. The proteasome degrades many proteins in maturing reticulocytes and growing fibroblasts. In cells deprived of insulin or serum, the rate of proteolysis nearly doubles. Inhibiting the proteasome reduces proteolysis, thereby reducing both muscle protein loss and the nitrogenous load on kidneys or liver. Proteasome inhibitors are useful for treating conditions such as cancer, chronic infectious diseases, fever, muscle disuse (atrophy) and denervation, nerve injury, fasting, renal failure associated with acidosis, and hepatic failure. See, e.g., Goldberg, U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,736 (1994). Embodiments of the invention therefore encompass methods for: reducing the rate of muscle protein degradation in a cell, reducing the rate of intracellular protein degradation, reducing the rate of degradation of p53 protein in a cell, and inhibiting the growth of p53-related cancers). Each of these methods includes the step of contacting a cell (in vivo or in vitro, e.g., a muscle in a subject) with an effective amount of a compound (e.g., pharmaceutical composition) of a formula disclosed herein.
Another protein processed by the proteasome is NF-βB, a member of the Rel protein family. The Rel family of transcriptional activator proteins can be divided into two groups. The first group requires proteolytic processing, and includes p50 (NF-κB1, 105 kDa) and p52 (NF-κ2, 100 kDa). The second group does not require proteolytic processing, and includes p65 (RelA, Rel (c-Rel), and RelB). Both homo- and heterodimers can be formed by Rel family members; NF-κB, for example, is a p50-p65 heterodimer. After phosphorylation and ubiquitination of IκB and p105, the two proteins are degraded and processed, respectively, to produce active NF-κB which translocates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Ubiquitinated p105 is also processed by purified proteasomes. Palombella et al., Cell (1994) 78:773-785. Active NF-κB forms a stereospecific enhancer complex with other transcriptional activators and, e.g., HMG I(Y), inducing selective expression of a particular gene.
NF-κB regulates genes involved in the immune and inflammatory response, and mitotic events. For example, NF-κB is required for the expression of the immunoglobulin light chain κ gene, the IL-2 receptor α-chain gene, the class I major histocompatibility complex gene, and a number of cytokine genes encoding, for example, IL-2, IL-6, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and IFN-β. Palombella et al., (1994). Some embodiments of the invention include methods of affecting the level of expression of IL-2, MHC-I, IL-6, IFN-β or any of the other previously-mentioned proteins, each method including administering to a subject an effective amount of a compound of a formula disclosed herein.
NF-κB also participates in the expression of the cell adhesion genes that encode E-selectin, P-selectin, ICAm, and VCAM-1, Collins, T., Lab. Invest. (1993) 68:499-508. One embodiment of the invention is a method for inhibiting cell adhesion (e.g., cell adhesion mediated by E-selectin, P-selectin, ICAm, or VCAM-1), including contacting a cell with (or administering to a subject) an effective amount of a compound (e.g., pharmaceutical composition) having a formula disclosed herein.
NF-κB also binds specifically to the HIV-enhancer/promoter. When compared to the Nef of mac239, the HIV regulatory protein Nef of pbj14 differs by two amino acids in the region which controls protein kinase binding. It is believed that the protein kinase signals the phosphorylation of I-κB, triggering IκB degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. After degradation, NF-κB is released into the nucleus, thus enhancing the transcription of HIV. Cohen, J., Science, (1995) 267:960. Two embodiments of the invention are a method for inhibiting or reducing HIV infection in a subject, and a method for decreasing the level of viral gene expression, each method including administering to the subject an effective amount of a compound of a formula disclosed herein.
Complexes including p50 are rapid mediators of acute inflammatory and immune responses. Thanos, D. and Maniatis, T., Cell (1995) 80:529-532. Intracellular proteolysis generates small peptides for presentation to T-lymphocytes to induce MHC class I-mediated immune responses. The immune system screens for autologous cells that are virally infected or have undergone oncogenic transformation. Two embodiments of the invention are a method for inhibiting antigen presentation in a cell, including exposing the cell to a compound of a formula described herein, and a method for suppressing the immune system of a subject (e.g., inhibiting transplant rejection), including administering to the subject an effective amount of a compound of a formula described herein.
In addition, the invention provides a method for treating inflammation, wherein the method includes administering to a subject an effective anti-inflammatory amount of a pharmaceutical composition containing a compound of a formula described herein. Inflammation can be a primary or secondary responses associated with (a) injury such as a cut, laceration, puncture wound, (b) infection (including infected surgical incisions) by one or more viruses, bacteria, mycobacteria, microorganisms, parasites, and fungi, (c) allergies, (d) a disease state, (e) surgery (e.g., transplantation), or (f) a combination thereof.
Allergies are primary inflammatory responses to antigens or allergens. Sources of allergens include plants (e.g., grass or tree pollen), animals (e.g., dander, venom, urine, execreta from dogs, cats, insects, and snakes), and fungi. In addition to allergens such as rye grass, ragweed, and Japanese cedar pollen, certain foods or food components (e.g., eggs, milk, shellfish, strawberries, chocolate), vaccines, and drugs (e.g., penicillin) can induce allergic reactions in certain individuals.
Disease states include rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, rheumatic fever, inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), diabetes mellitus, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, conjuctiva of the eye, systemic lupus erythematosus, encephalitis, Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome, psoriasis, emphysema, Alzheimer's disease, and muscular dystrophy.
The invention provides a method of treating inflammation induced by organ or tissue transplantation. This method includes administering to a patient who has undergone or is about to undergo transplantation a composition containing a compound having a formula disclosed herein. Transplantations include bone marrow, solid organ (e.g., kidney, lungs, heart, pancreas, liver, and skin), or tissues.
Certain proteasome inhibitors block both degradation and processing of ubquitinated NF-κB in vitro and in vivo. Proteasome inhibitors also block IκB-α degradation and NF-κB activation, Palombella, et al.; and Traenckner, et al., EMBO J. (1994) 13:5433-5441. One embodiment of the invention is a method for inhibiting IκB-α degradation, including contacting the cell with a compound of a formula described herein. A further embodiment is a method for reducing the cellular content of NF-κB in a cell, muscle, organ, or subject, including contacting the cell, muscle, organ, or subject with a compound of a formula described herein.
Other eukaryotic transcription factors that require proteolytic processing include the general transcription factor TFIIA, herpes simplex virus VP16 accessory protein (host cell factor), virus-inducible IFN regulatory factor 2 protein, and the membrane-bound sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1.
Other embodiments of the invention are methods for affecting cyclin-dependent eukaryotic cell cycles, including exposing a cell (in vitro or in vivo) to a compound of a formula disclosed herein. Cyclins are proteins involved in cell cycle control. The proteasome participates in the degradation of cyclins. Examples of cyclins include mitotic cyclins, GI cyclins, (cyclin B). Degradation of cyclins enables a cell to exit one cell cycle stage (e.g., mitosis) and enter another (e.g., division). It is believed all cyclins are associated with p34cdc2 protein kinase or related kinases. The proteolysis targeting signal is localized to amino acids 42-RAALGNISEN-50 (destruction box). There is evidence that cyclin is converted to a form vulnerable to a ubiquitin ligase or that a cyclin-specific ligase is activated during mitosis. Ciechanover, A., Cell, (1994) 79:13-21. Inhibition of the proteasome inhibits cyclin degradation, and therefore inhibits cell proliferation (e.g., cyclin-related cancers). Kumatori et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (1990) 87:7071-7075. One embodiment of the invention is a method for treating a proliferative disease in a subject (e.g., cancer, psoriasis, or restenosis), including administering to the subject an effective amount of a compound of a formula disclosed herein. Chronic or acute inflammation can result from transplantation rejection, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, infection, dermatosis, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, osteoporosis, and autoimmune diseases. Rejection or inflammation can occur in transplanted tissues or organs of any type, including heart, lung, kidney, liver, skin grafts, and tissue grafts. The invention also encompasses a method for treating cyclin-related inflammation in a subject, including adminstering to a subject an effective amount of a compound of a formula described herein.
Additional embodiments are methods for affecting the proteasome-dependent regulation of oncoproteins and methods of treating or inhibiting cancer growth, each method including exposing a cell (in vivo, e.g., in a subject or in vitro) to a compound of a formula disclosed herein. HPV-16 and HPV-18-derived E6 proteins stimulate ATP- and ubiquitin-dependent conjugation and degradation of p53 in crude reticulocyte lysates. The recessive oncogene p53 has been shown to accumulate at the nonpermissive temperature in a cell line with a mutated thermolabile E1. Elevated levels of p53 may lead to apoptosis. Examples of proto-oncoproteins degraded by the ubiquitin system include c-Mos, c-Fos, and c-Jun. One embodiment is a method for treating p53-related apoptosis, including administering to a subject an effective amount of a compound of a formula disclosed herein.
Treatment of cancer prevents, alleviates, or ameliorates one or more primary or secondary phenomena associated with the initiation, progression, and metastasis of tumors, especially malignant tumors, e.g., a growth of tissue wherein cell multiplication is uncontrolled. Malignant tumors show a greater degree of anaplasia than do benign tumors. The invention provides a method of treating cancer including administering to a subject an effective anti-cancer amount of a pharmaceutical composition described herein, wherein the cancer is selected from carcinoma, lymphoma, sarcoma, and myeloma.
Examples of carcinomas include adenocarcinoma, acinic cell adenocarcinoma, adrenal cortical carcinomas, alveoli cell carcinoma, anaplastic carcinoma, basaloid carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, bronchiolar carcinoma, bronchogenic carcinoma, renaladinol carcinoma, embryonal carcinoma, anometroid carcinoma, fibrolamolar liver cell carcinoma, follicular carcinomas, giant cell carcinomas, hepatocellular carcinoma, intraepidermal carcinoma, intraepithelial carcinoma, leptomanigio carcinoma, medullary carcinoma, melanotic carcinoma, menigual carcinoma, mesometonephric carcinoma, oat cell carcinoma, squamal cell carcinoma, sweat gland carcinoma, transitional cell carcinoma, and tubular cell carcinoma. Examples of sarcoma include amelioblastic sarcoma, angiolithic sarcoma, botryoid sarcoma, endometrial stroma sarcoma, ewing sarcoma, fascicular sarcoma, giant cell sarcoma, granulocytic sarcoma, immunoblastic sarcoma, juxaccordial osteogenic sarcoma, coppices sarcoma, leukocytic sarcoma (also known as leukemia), lymphatic sarcoma (also known as lympho sarcoma), medullary sarcoma, myeloid sarcoma (also known as granulocytic sarcoma), austiogenci sarcoma, periosteal sarcoma, reticulum cell sarcoma (also known as histiocytic lymphoma), round cell sarcoma, spindle cell sarcoma, synovial sarcoma, and telangiectatic audiogenic sarcoma. Examples of lymphomas include Hodgkin's disease and lymphocytic lymphomas, such as Burkitt's, nodular poorly-differentiated lymphocytic (NPDL), nodular mixed lymphocytic (NML), NH (nodular histiocytic), and diffuse lymphomas. Additional carcinomas include neural blastoma, glioblastoma, astrocytoma, melanoma, leiomyo sarcoma, multiple myeloma, and Hemangioma.
A tripeptide aldehyde protease inhibitor (benzyloxycarbonyl (Z)-Leu-Leu-leucinal induces neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells at an optimal concentration of 30 nM, Tsubuki et al., Biochem. and Biophys. Res. Comm. (1993) 196:1195-1201. Peptide aldehydes have been shown to inhibit the chymotryptic activity of the proteasome. Vinitsky, et al., 1992, Tsubuki et al., 1993. One embodiment of the invention is a method of promoting neurite outgrowth, including administering to the subject a compound of a formula disclosed herein.
Finally, the disclosed compounds are also useful as diagnostic agents (e.g., in diagnostic kits or for use in clinical laboratories) for screening for proteins (e.g., enzymes, transcription factors) processed by the proteasome. The disclosed compounds are also useful as research reagents for specifically binding the X/MB1 subunit or α-chain and inhibiting the proteolytic activities associated with it. For example, the activity of (and specific inhibitors of) other subunits of the proteasome can be determined.
Most cellular proteins are subject to proteolytic processing during maturation or activation. Lactacystin can be used to determine whether a cellular, developmental, or physiological process or output is regulated by the proteolytic activity of the proteasome. One such method includes obtaining an organism, an intact cell preparation, or a cell extract; exposing the organism, cell preparation, or cell extract to a compound of a formula disclosed herein; exposing the compound-exposed organism, cell preparation, or cell extract to a signal, and monitoring the process or output. The high selectivity of the compounds disclosed herein permits rapid and accurate elimination or implication of the proteasome in a given cellular, developmental, or physiological process.
The compounds and compositions of the invention are useful in several methods including a method of treating inflammation, comprising administering to a subject an effective anti-inflammatory amount of a pharmaceutical composition described herein (e.g., a lactacystin thioester, a lactone, or a lactam); wherein the inflammation is associated with injury or infection; wherein the inflammation is associated with an allergy or asthma; wherein the inflammation is associated with a disease state selected from rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, rheumatic fever, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes mellitus, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, Guillan-Barre syndrome, conjunctiva of the eye, systemic lupus erythematosus, encephalitis, Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome, emphysema, Alzheimer's disease, and muscular dystrophy; wherein the inflammation is associated with transplantation of bone marrow or a solid organ selected from kidney, lung, heart, pancreas, liver, and skin, and the composition is administered before, during, or after transplantation; wherein the pharmaceutical composition is administered orally; or combinations thereof.
The invention also provides a method of treating cancer, comprising administering to a subject an effective anti-cancer amount of a pharmaceutical composition described herein; a method for treating psoriasis, comprising administering to a subject an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition described herein; and a method for treating restenosis, comprising administering to a subject an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition described herein. Preferred compounds and compositions include various lactacystin thioesters, and lactacystin β-lactone analogs, including the β-lactone itself.
Formulation and Administration
The methods of the invention contemplate treatment of animal subjects, such as mammals (e.g., higher primates, and especially humans). The invention encompasses pharmaceutical compositions which include novel compounds described herein, and pharmaceutical compositions which include compounds described and first recognized herein as proteasome inhibitors, such as lactacystin.
Pharmaceutically acceptable salts may be formed, for example, with 1, 2, 3, or more equivalents of hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide, trifluoroacetic acid, and others known to those in the art of drug formulation. Compounds of the invention can be formulated into pharmaceutical compositions by admixture with pharmaceutically acceptable non-toxic excipients and carriers. A pharmaceutical composition of the invention may contain more than one compound of the invention, and/or may also contain other therapeutic compounds not encompassed by the invention, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, or other agents. A subject may have more than one type of inflammation, or more than one type of cancer, a combination of allergies, or a mixture of the above conditions for which the disclosed compounds are useful. A compound of the invention may be administered in unit dosage form, and may be prepared by any of the methods well known in the pharmaceutical art, for example, as described in Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences (Mack Pub. Co., Easton, Pa., 1980). The invention also encompasses a packaged drug, containing a pharmaceutical composition formulated into individual dosages and printed instructions for self-administration.
Compounds disclosed herein as proteasome inhibitors may be prepared for use in parenteral administration in the form of solutions or liquid suspensions; for oral administration (preferable), particularly in the form of tablets or capsules; or intranasally, particularly in the form of powders, gels, oily solutions, nasal drops, aerosols, or mists. Formulations for parenteral administration may contain as common excipients sterile water or sterile saline, polyalkylene glycols such as polyethylene glycol, oils of vegetable origin, hydrogenated naphthalenes, and the like. Controlled release of a compound of the invention may be obtained, in part, by use of biocompatible, biodegradable polymers of lactide, and copolymers of lactide/glycolide or polyoxyethylene/polyoxypropylene. Additional parental delivery systems include ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer particles, osmotic pumps, implantable infusion systems, and liposomes. Formulations for inhalation administration contain lactose, polyoxyethylene-9-lauryl ether, glycocholate, or deoxycholate. Formulations for buccal administration may include glycocholate; formulations for vaginal administration may include citric acid.
The concentration of a disclosed compound in a pharmaceutically acceptable mixture will vary depending on several factors, including the dosage of the compound to be administered, the pharmacokinetic characteristics of the compound(s) employed, and the route of administration. In general, the compounds of this invention may be provided in an aqueous physiological buffer solution containing about 0.1-10% w/v of compound for parenteral administration. Typical dose ranges are from about 0.1 to about 50 mg/kg of body weight per day, given in 1-4 divided doses. Each divided dose may contain the same or different compounds of the invention. The dosage will be an effective amount depending on several factors including the overall health of a patient, and the formulation and route of administration of the selected compound(s).
The effective amount of the active compound used to practice the present invention for treatment of conditions directly or indirectly mediated by the proteasome varies depending upon the manner of administration, the age and the body weight of the subject and the condition of the subject to be treated, and ultimately will be decided by the attending physician or veterinarian. Such amount of the active compound as determined by the attending physician or veterinarian is referred to herein as “effective amount”.
Without further elaboration, it is believed that one skilled in the art can, based on the description herein, utilize the present invention to its fullest extent. The following specific examples are, therefore, to be construed as merely illustrative, and not limitative of the remainder of the disclosure in any way whatsoever. All publications cited herein are hereby incorported by reference.
Synthesis of [3H] Lactacystin
Lactacystin was prepared from the β-lactone, which was tritiated by an oxidation-reduction sequence. Unlabeled β-lactone was oxidized at C9 to the ketone with the Dess-Martin periodinane in dichloromethane and then reduced with [3H]NaBH4 (NEN, 13.5 Ci/mmol) in 1,2-dimethoxyethane/1% H2O to afford tritiated β-lactone along with its C9-epimer (2:3 ratio). The isomeric β-lactones were separated by HPLC (Rainin Microsorb SiO2 column, 4.6×100 mm, 10% i-Pr-OH in hexane) and reacted separately with N-acetylcysteine (0.5 M) and Et3N (1.5 M) in CH3CN to afford the lactacystin (9S) and its C9-epimer (9R), which were purified from their respective reaction mixtures by reverse-phase HPLC (TSK ODS-80Tm column, 4.6×250 mm, 10% CH3CN/0.1% CF3CO2H in H2O).
Fluorography of Crude Cell and Tissue Extracts
Crude Neuro 2A extracts (˜11 μg total protein/lane) and crude bovine brain extracts (˜54 μg total protein/lane) were treated as follows: (1) 10 μM [3H]lactacystin; (2) 10 μM [3H]lactacystin and 1 mM cold lactacystin; (3) 10 μM [3H]lactacystin; (4) 10 μM [3H]lactacystin and 1 mM cold lactacystin; (5) 10 μM [3H]lactacystin and 1 mM cold β-lactone; (6) 10 μM [3H]lactacystin and 1 mM cold phenylacetyl lactacystin; (7) 10 μM [3H]lactacystin and 1 mM cold lactacystin amide; (8) 10 μM [3H]lactacystin and 1 mM cold dihydroxy acid; (9) 10 μM [3H]lactacystin and 1 mM cold 6-deoxylactacystin; (10) 10 μM [3H]lactacystin and 1 mM cold (6R,7S)-lactacystin (6-epi, 7-epi); (11) 10 μM [3H]lactacystin and 1 mM cold des(hydroxyisobutyl)-lactacystin. Crude extracts from Neuro2A neuroblastoma cells or bovine brain were incubated in the presence of 10 μM [3H]lactacystin in the presence or absence of 1 mM cold competitor (added simultaneously) for 24 h at room temperature, followed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (0.75-mm-thick 12% polyacrylamide gel). The gel was stained in 0.1% Coomassie brilliant blue R-250, 12% acetic acid, 50% MeOH, and then destained in 12% acetic acid, 50% MeOH, followed by impregnation with EN3HANCE (NEN) and precipitation of the fluor with water. The gel was dried on Whatman filter paper in a gel dryer at 65° C. for 30 min and then exposed to Kodak SB film at −78° C.
Separation of Purified Protein Complex (20S Proteasome)
Bovine brain was frozen in liquid N2. A total of two kg of brain was dry homogenized in a Waring blender for one minute. All operations were performed at 4° C., except as noted. The following buffer (6 liters total) was then added (pH 7.7): 18.25 mM K2HPO4, 6.75 mM KH2PO4, 0.27 M sucrose, 2 mM EDTA, 2 mM EGTA, 25 mM NaF, 5 mM tetrasodium pyrophosphate, 5 μg/ml each of leupeptin and pepstatin A, and 5 mM β-mercaptoethanol. The tissue was wet homogenized in the Waring blender for two minutes. The homogenate was centrifuged at 5,000 g for 15 min and then at 12,000 g for 30 min. Ammonium sulfate was added to the supernatant to 50% saturation, and the sample spun at 10,000 g for 20 min. The 50-60% saturation ammonium sulfate fraction, containing the lactacystin-binding activity as determined by SDS-PAGE and fluorography of samples incubated with radioactive compound, was then dialyzed overnight against 20 mM MES-NaOH, pH 5.6, 5 mM β-mercaptoethanol, followed by SP-sepharose chromatography (Pharmacia SP-sepharose, fast flow; 120-ml bed volume column) with 20 mM MES-NaOH, pH 5.6, 5 mM β-mercaptoethanol and an NaCl gradient from 0-0.3 M (500-ml gradient; flow rate=2 ml/min).
After pooling and diluting the relevant fractions, the pH was adjusted to 8 with 1 M Tris-HCl, pH 8. Q-sepharose chromatography (Pharmacia Q-sepharose, fast flow; 16-ml bed volume column) was performed with 20 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8, 5 mM β-mercaptoethanol and a NaCl gradient from 0-0.5 M (120-ml gradient; flow rate=1 ml/min). The relevant fractions were pooled, concentrated, and then applied to a Pharmacia Superose 6 gel filtration column (10 mM Tris-HCl, 1 mM EDTA, pH 8, 5 mM β-mercaptoethanol; flow rate=0.5 ml/min), with the lactacystin-binding activity corresponding to a single high molecular weight peak. This peak was isolated and treated with 10 μM [3H]lactacystin or 10 μM [3H]β-lactone for 24 h at 25° C. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) was added to 0.1%, and the sample was allowed to stand at room temperature for 20 min. Reverse-phase HPLC was then carried out at room temperature using a Vydac C4 column (300 Å/4.6×150 mm) with 20-40% acetonitrile/0.1% TFA over 10 min and then 40-55% acetonitrile/0.1% TFA over 30 min (flow rate=0.8 ml/min). An IN/US β-RAM in-line scintillation detector was used to monitor radioactivity.
The lactacystin-binding proteins were purified from bovine brain, and both were found to reside in the same high-molecular weight protein complex by gel-filtration chromatography. Treatment of the complex with [3H]lactacystin did not cause its dissociation, and the radioactivity uniquely comigrated with the complex. The molecular weight of the complex was estimated to be 700 kDa, and SDS-PAGE revealed that it consisted of numerous proteins with molecular weights of ˜24-32 kDa. Edman degradation of blotted protein revealed the sequences of several proteasome subunits in the 24 kDa band, leading to a tentative identification of the complex as the 20S proteasome. After the complex was treated with [3H]lactacystin and subjected to reverse-phase HPLC to separate the proteasome subunits, eleven to twelve distinct peaks were resolved. However, the radioactivity was associated exclusively with the first two peaks, and predominantly with the second. These first two peaks were judged to be homogeneous by Coomassie blue staining of SDS-polyacrylamide gels and by sequencing of tryptic fragments, while some of the subsequently eluting, larger peaks were clearly not homogeneous. The ratio of counts incorporated into the first peak versus the second peak varied with the batch of protein, the length of incubation, and the ligand. The first peak is labeled more slowly, and the degree of labeling of the first peak relative to the second is greater with [3H]lactacystin than with the [3H]β-lactone at any given time. A one or two hour reaction with [3H]β-lactone results in only trace labeling of the first peak, while a 24 hour reaction with [3H]β-lactone or [3H]β-lactacystin results in significant labeling of this peak. The selectivity runs opposite to the relative chemical reactivity of the two compounds, and this finding suggests that the N-acetylcysteine moiety of lactacystin may facilitate recognition by this secondary protein. The first peak to elute from the reverse-phase HPLC column contained only a ˜32 kDa protein, which corresponded to the 32 kDa secondary lactacystin-binding protein identified earlier.
Amino Acid Sequence of Purified Bovine Lactacystin-Binding Proteins
Purified 20S proteasome (purified as described in Example 3) was incubated for 24 h at room temperature with 10 μM lactacystin in 10 mM Tris-HCl, 1 mM EDTA (pH 8). The solution was then diluted tenfold with 20% aqueous acetonitrile containing 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and allowed to stand at room temperature for 5 min. Reverse-phase HPLC was then performed at room temperature using a Vydac C4 column (100 Å/4.6×150 mm) with 20-40% acetonitrile/0.1% TFA over ten minutes and then 40-55% acetonitrile/0.1% TFA over 30 min to elute the proteasome subunits (flow rate=0.8 ml/min). Peaks were collected based on ultraviolet light absorbance at 210 and 280 nm, with the primary lactacystin-modified protein being the second to elute off the column and the secondary lactacystin-binding protein being the first. Protein from repeated injections was pooled, lyophilized and subjected to Edman degradation following tryptic digestion and reverse-phase HPLC separation of tryptic fragments. The putative lactacystin-modified residue was identified by adding subunit X/MB1 isolated from [3H]lactacystin-treated proteasome to a sample that had been treated with unlabeled lactacystin, and then isolating and sequencing radioactive tryptic fragments. At one position, the phenylthiohydantoin-amino acid derivative was not identifiable, indicating possible modification of the residue.
Sequences from direct N-terminal sequencing and from tryptic fragments derived from the primary bovine lactacystin-binding protein aligned with sequences of human proteasome subunit X (predicted from the cDNA clone), and human LMP7-E2 (predicted from the exon 2-containing cDNA clone). Sequence 1 (from direct N-terminal sequencing) is also aligned with sequences of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pre-2 (predicted from the genomic clone) and Thermoplasma acidophilum β-subunit (predicted from the cloned gene). The N-terminal heptapeptide corresponds to the tryptic fragment that appears to contain a lactacystin-modified N-terminal threonine residue. The threonine at this position also corresponds to the putative N-termini of the mature, processed forms of all the homologs listed. Upper-case letters denote high confidence sequence, while lower case letters indicate lower confidence assignments.
TABLE 1 DIRECT N-TERMINAL SEQUENCES
1. Direct N-terminal sequence of primary bovine lactacystin-binding protein
TTTLAFKFRHggIIA SEQ ID NO:1 Human subunit X/MB1 5 TTTLAFKFRHGVIVA 19 SEQ ID NO:2 Human LMP7-E2 74 TTTLAFKFQHGVIAA 88 SEQ ID NO:3 S. cerevisiae Pre-2 76 TTTLAFRFQGGIIVA 90 SEQ ID NO:4 T. acidopholum β-subunit 9 TTTVGITLKDAVIMA 22 SEQ ID NO:5
2. Primary bovine lactacystin-binding protein
DAYSGGSVSLY SEQ ID NO:6 Human subunit X 171 DAYSGGAVNLYHVR 184 SEQ ID NO:7 Human LMP7-E2 239 DSYSGGVVNMYHMK 252 SEQ ID NO:8
VIEINPYLLGTMAGGAADCSF SEQ ID NO:9 Human subunit X 38 VIEINPYLLGTLAGGAADCQFWER 61 SEQ ID NO:10 Human LMP7-E2 106 VIEINPYLLGTMSGCAADCQYWER 129 SEQ ID NO:11
GYSYDLEVEEAYDLAR SEQ ID NO:12 Human subunit X 146 GYSDLEVEQAYDLAR 161 SEQ ID NO:13 Human LMP7-E2 214 GYRPNLSPEEAYDLGR 229 SEQ ID NO:14
Sequences of tryptic fragments derived from the secondary lactacystin-binding protein aligned with N-terminal fragment sequence of human erythrocyte proteasome α chain and of rat liver proteasome chain.
TABLE 2 TRYPTIC FRAGMENT SEQUENCES
Secondary bovine lactacystin-binding activity
TTIAGVVYK DGIVLGADTR SEQ ID NO:15
Human erythrocyte proteasome a chain
1 XXIAGVVYK DGIVLGADTR 19 SEQ ID NO:16
Rat liver proteasorne chain 1
1 TTIAGVVYK DGI 12 SEQ ID NO:17
Sequence analysis of tryptic fragments derived from this protein showed it to be homologous to the proteasome α chain, a ˜30 kDa protein identified in purified human erythrocyte proteasome and rat liver proteasome for which only an N-terminal fragment sequence exists. The second peak to elute contained only a ˜24 kDa protein, the primary lactacystin-binding protein. Sequence from the N-terminus of the protein and from derived tryptic fragments showed high identity to the recently discovered 20S proteasome subunit X, also known as MB1, a homolog of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-encoded LMP7 proteasome subunit.
Kinetics of Inhibition of 20S Proteasome Peptidase Activities
Experiments involving the proteasome were performed as follows: 20S proteasome (˜5 ng/μl) in 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, 1 mM EDTA was incubated at 25° C. in the presence of lactacystin or lactacystin analogs in DMSO or MeOH [not exceeding 5% (v/v)]. Aliquots for fluorescence assay were removed at various times following addition of compound and diluted in 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, 1 mM EDTA containing fluorogenic peptide substrates (100 μM final). Suc-LLVY-AMC, Cbz-GGR-βNA and Cbz-LLE-βA (AMC=7-amido-4-methylcoumarin; βNA=β-naphthylamide) were used to assay for the chymotrypsin-like, trypsin-like and peptidylglutamyl-peptide hydrolyzing activities, respectively.
Biological activity of compound refers to the ability of the compound to induce neurite outgrowth in Neuro 2A neuroblastoma cells and to inhibit cell cycle progression in MG-63 osteosarcoma cells.
Kinetics of Inhibition
κassoc = κobs/[I] (s−1M−1)
Biological Chymotrypsin-like Trypsin-like activity Peptidylglutamyl- activity of activity (Suc- peptide hydrolyzing Compound (concentration) compound LLVY-AMC) (Cbz-GGR-βNA) activity (Cbz-LLE-βNA) Lactacystin (10 μM) + 194 ± 15 10.1 ± 1.8 Lactacystin (100 μM) + 4.2 ± 0.6 β-Lactone (1 μM) + 3059 ± 478 β-Lactone (5 μM) + 208 ± 21 β-Lactone (50 μM) + 59 ± 17 Dihydroxy acid (100 μM) − No inhibition No inhibition No inhibition Lactacystin amide (12.5 μM) + 306 ± 99 Phenylacetyl lactacystin + 179 ± 19 (12.5 μM) 6-Deoxylactacystin − No inhibition (12.5 μM) (6R,7S)Lactacystin (6-epi,7- − No inhibition epi) (12.5 μM) Des(hydroxyisobutyl)-lactacy − No inhibition stin (12.5 μM)
Selectivity of Protease Inhibition
Experiments involving the other proteases were similar to Example 5, except that buffers used for incubation with lactacystin were as follows: α-Chymotrypsin: 10 mM Tris-HCL, pH 8, 1 mM EDTA (plus 100 μM Suc-LLVY-AMC for fluorescence assay); Trypsin: 10 mM Tris-HCL, pH 8, 20 mM CaCl2 (plus 100 μM Cbz-GGR-βNA for assay); Calpain I: 20 mM Tris-HCL, pH 8, 1 mM CaCl2, 1 mM DTT (plus 100 μM Suc-LLVY-AMC for assay); Calpain II: 20 mM Tris-HCL, pH 8, 10 mM CaCl2, 1 mM DTT (plus 100 μM Suc-LLVY-AMC for assay); Papain: 50 mM MES-NaOH, pH 6.4, 1 mM DTT (plus 100 μM Cbz-RR-AMC for assay); Cathepsin B: 100 mM KH2PO4, pH 5.5, 2 mM EDTA, 1 mM DTT (plus 100 μM Cbz-RR-AMC for assay). Fluorescent emission at 460 nm with excitation at 380 nm was measured for AMC-containing substrates, and emission at 410 nm with excitation at 335 nm was measured for βNA-containing substrates. The fluorescence assays were conducted at 25° C., each experiment was performed at least three times, and values represent mean±standard deviation.
Inhibition of Other Proteases
Effect of lactacystin Protease tested (100 μM) α-Chymotrypsin No inhibition Trypsin No inhibition Calpain I No inhibition Calpain II No inhibition Papain No inhibition Cathepsin B No inhibition
The effects of lactacystin and the β-lactone on proteasame peptitase on activities using fluorogenic peptide substrates were assessed. All three peptidase activities were inhibited, irreversibly in the case of the trypsin-like and chymotrypsin-like activities and reversibly in the case of the PGPH activity. The apparent second-order rate constant for association of each inhibitor with the enzyme, kassoc, was determined for each of the activities (Table 1A). Lactacystin inhibits the chymotrypsin-like activity the fastest (kassoc=194±15 M−1s−1), the trypsin-like activity 20-fold more slowly, and the PGPH activity 50-fold more slowly. The fact that the inhibition kinetics are different for the three activities lends further support to the notion that the activities are due to separate active sites. The β-lactone displays the same rank order but inhibits each activity 15-20 times faster than does lactacystin itself, in accord with the greater expected chemical reactivity of the β-lactone. It is also possible that, upon initial binding to the protein target, the lactacystin thioester is cyclized in a rate-limiting step to the β-lactone, which serves as an activated intermediate for attack by the nucleophile.
The reversibility of the inhibitory effects was assessed by measuring residual peptidase activity after removal of excess inhibitor by extensive serial dilution/ultrafiltration. The trypsin-like and chymotrypsin-like activities were still completely inhibited in the lactacystin-treated samples following dilution/ultrafiltration, implying very low koff of inhibitor from enzyme, whereas controls untreated with inhibitor maintained activity (data not shown). In the case of the PGPH activity, removal of the inhibitor was accompanied by a return of the catalytic activity; inhibition of the PGPH activity could be due to non-covalent association of lactacystin with the PGPH site or covalent association with turnover.
Previously, we had shown that the ability of analogs to cause neurite outgrowth in Neuro 2A cells was mirrored by their ability to inhibit cell-cycle progression in MG-63 osteosarcoma cells, and that modifications to the γ-lactam part of the molecule impared both activities whereas modifications of the N-acetylcysteine moiety had little effect [Fenteany, 1994 3135]. We therefore tested the ability of the analogs to inhibit the 20S proteasome, but as our supplies of these materials were insufficient to examine all three activities, we focused on the chymotrypsin-like activity, which is inhibited most rapidly by lactacystin. The same trends found in the biological studies were apparent: the biologically active compounds inhibited the chymotryptsin-like activity about as well as lactacystin itself, and the biologically inactive compounds did not inhibit this activity as all (Table 3). Modifications of the γ-lactam core of lactacystin mitigate its effect, but modifications of the N-acetylcysteine moiety do not.
Assay of the Ability of Lactacystin (β-Lactone Form) Can Block TNF-α Dependent Degradation of IκB-α In Vivo
Hela cells were plated onto 6-well plates in DME plus 10% fetal calf serum (3 mls/well). Cells were then pretreated with 0.125% DMSO 40 μM G132 (carbobenzoxyl-leucinyl-leucinyl-leucinal-H)(40 μM, lanes 103), or 5 μM β-lactone for one hour, followed by treatment with 1,000 U/ml TNF-α or phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Cells were harvested after 0 min, 20 min, or 40 min of further incubation at 37° C. Cells were then lysed in buffer containing NP-40 and protease inhibitors, and the proteins separated on a 10% SDS-polyacrylamide gel. The proteins were then transferred to nitrocellulose and probed with antibodies against the C-terminal 20 amino acids of human IκB-α.
Previous reports have shown that the inducible degradation of IκB is preceded by phosphorylation of the protein (Beg et al., 1993, Mol. Cell. Biol. 13:3301; Traenckner et al., 1994, EMBO J. 13:5433; Miyamoto et al., 1994, PNAS 91:12740; Lin et al., 1995, PNAS 92:552; DiDonato et al., 1995, Mol. Cell. Biol. 15:1302; and Alkalay et al., 1995, Mol. Cell. Biol. 15:1294). The phosphorylated IκB is then preferentially degraded, apparently by the proteasome (Palombella et al., 1994, Cell 78:773). Phosphorylation is evidenced by a slightly heavier shift in the electrophoretic mobility of IκB. IκB from cells induced with TNF show the requisite pattern of phosphorylation and degradation over time. Cells treated with PBS only show no change in the level or modification of IκB. As was reported previously, (Palombella et al, 1994), the peptide aldehyde proteasome inhibitor MG132 blocks the degradation of IκB and stabilizes the phosphorylated form. β-lactone also blocks degradation and stabilizes the phosphorylated form of IκB. These results indicate that lactacystin does not effect the TNF dependent signalling pathway that leads to the phosphorylation of IκB, but does block the degradation of the protein. Lactacystin inhibits the degradation of IκB after TNF induction of Hela cells, most likely by specifically blocking the action of the proteasome.
Assay of the Effect of Lactacystin (β-Lactone Form) on the Proteasome Dependent p105 to p50 Processing In Vivo
COS cells were plated onto 100 mm dishes, then, with DEAE-Destran, either mock transfected, or transfected with 3 μg of pcDNA plasmid containing the human p105 cDNA. Forty-eight hrs after transfection, cells were pretreated for 1 hour with 0.5% DMSO, 50 μM calpain inhibitor II, 50 μM MG132, or 10 μM β-lactone. Cells were then pulse labelled with 250 uCi/plate of 35S-methionine/cysteine for 15 minutes, and either harvested immediately or followed by a 2 hour chase with excess unlabelled methionine and cysteine. Cells were then lysed with SDS/Tris, and proteins were immunoprecipitated with anti-p50 antibodies (recognize the N-terminal half of the p105 protein). These proteins were then separated on a 10% SDS-polyacrylamide gel, which was then fixed, dried, and exposed to autoradiographic film.
An analysis of the proteins isolated immediately after the pulse-labelling period reveals significant amounts of labelled p105 protein and very little p50. After the 2 hour chase period, the levels of p105 were reduced, and a new band that corresponds to p50 protein is apparent, as was expected (Fan and Maniatis, 1991, Nature 354:395; Palombella et al., 1994, Cell 78:773). Pretreatment of cells with calpain inhibitor II has no effect on the processing of p105 to p50 (lane 4). However, treatment of cells with the peptide aldehyde proteasome inhibitor MG132 completely blocks the appearance of p50 (lane 5), as has been reported previously (Palombella et al., 1994). Low levels of β-lactone (10 μM) have only a slight effect on the level of p50, but higher concentrations (50 μM) result in the complete inhibition of the processing of p105 to p50. Lactacystin efficiently blocks the proteasome dependent procession of p105 to p50 in vivo.
Neurite Outgrowth Assay
Compounds are dissolved in the minimal amount of methanol (MeOH) or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) required for solubilization. No more than 0.1% solvent is present in any assay. When necessary, solutions are evaporated to dryness and resuspended in cell culture medium to their final concentrations before use.
Neuro 2A, IMR-32, PC12, and MG-63 cells are obtained from the American Type Culture Collection. Neuro 2A and IMR-32 cells are cultured in Eagle's minimal essential medium (MEM) containing 10% (vol/vol) fetal bovine serum (FBS). PC12 cells are grown in RPMI 1640 medium containing 10% (vol/vol) horse serum and 5% FBS, and MG-63 cells are cultured in RPMI 1640 containing 10% FBS.
Neuro 2A cells are plated at a density of 1×104 cells per 1 ml per well in 12-well polystyrene dishes (22-mm-diameter flat-bottom wells) and are grown for 24 h in MEM with 10% FBS prior to any treatment. In the relevant experiments, nocodazole, cytochalasin B, or cycloheximide is added 3 h before addition of lactacystin. In the serum deprivation experiments, cells are switched to serum-free MEM 24 h after plating and, when relevant, incubated another 24 h before addition of lactacystin and subsequently maintained in serum-free conditions.
Cell Cycle Analysis
MG-63 cells are plated at 7.5×104 cells per 3 ml per 25-cm2 flask and grown for 24 h in RPMI containing 10% FBS. These subconfluent MG-63 cultures are synchronized in G0/G1 by changing the medium to RPMI containing 0.2% FBS and incubating for 64 h. This is followed by stimulation with 2 ml of RPMI containing 10% FBS and addition of compounds. Neuro 2A cells are grown to ˜2×107 in 175-cm2 flasks in MEM with 10% FBS. Mitotic cells are harvested by shaking for 5 min at 100 rpm on a rotary shaker. The detached cells are replated at 1.5×105 cells per 2 ml per 25-cm2 flask and incubated for 30 min to allow for reattachment prior to addition of lactacystin. Cells are harvested for cell cycle analysis 21 h after stimulation in the case of the MG-63 cells and 20 h after replating in the case of the Neuro 2A cells and then were processed for flow cytometry. DNA histograms are obtained using a Becton Dickinson FACScan flow cytometer.
Purification of 20S Proteasome and Proteasome Activator PA28
20S proteasome was purified by a modification of procedures by Hough et al. [Hough, R., et al., (1987) J. Biol. Chem., 262, 8303-8313] and Ganoth et al. [Ganoth, D., et al., (1988) J. Biol. Chem., 263, 12412-12419. PA28 Activator was purified by a modification of procedures of Chu-Ping et al. [Chu-Ping, M., et al., (1992) J. Biol. Chem., 267, 10515-10523]. Rabbit reticulocytes were obtained from Green Hectares (Oregon, Wis.). The reticulocytes were washed three times by suspending them in ice cold PBS and centrifuging at 2000×g for 15 min. After the final wash, the cells were lysed in 1.5 volumes of cold distilled water containing 1 mM DTT. The mixture was then passed through a Glas-CO Bio-Nebulizer at 250 psi to ensure complete cell lysis. The lysate was then centrifuged at 100,000×g for one hour to remove cell debris. The supernatant (extract) was brought to 20 mM HEPES pH 7.6, 1 mM DTT (Buffer A), filtered through a 0.2 μm filter, and applied to a DE52 anion exchange column equilibrated in Buffer A. The column was washed with 5 volumes of Buffer A and absorbed proteins were eluted with 2.5 volumes of Buffer A containing 500 mM NaCl. The eluate (Fraction II) was brought to 38% saturation with ammonium sulfate and centrifuged at 10,000×g for 20 minutes. The supernatant was brought to 85% saturation with ammonium sulfate and centrifuged 10,000×g for 20 minutes. The resulting pellets were resuspended in a minimal volume of Buffer A and dialyzed vs. 4L of Buffer A overnight. The dialysate (Fraction IIB), which contains both 20S proteasome and PA28 activator, was applied to a Mono Q anion exchange column. Elution was performed by a 40 column volume gradient from 0-500 mM NaCl.
20S Proteasome
Column fractions were assayed for SDS-stimulated Suc-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-AMC hydrolyzing activity. The active fractions were pooled, diluted to 50 mM [NaCl], and applied to a 1 mL Heparin Sephrose Hi-Trap column. Elution was performed with a 20 column volume gradient from 50 mM-500 mM NaCl. Active fractions were pooled and concentrated using a 30,000 MWCO Centricon centrifugal concentrator. The concentrate was applied to a Superose 6 size exclusion chromatography column and eluted with Buffer A containing 100 mM NaCl. The active fractions that were judged to be pure by SDS-PAGE analysis were pooled and stored at −80° C. for subsequent use.
Column fractions (vide supra) were assayed for their ability to stimulate the Suc-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-AMC hydrolysing activity of exogenous 20S proteasome. The active fractions were pooled and diluted to 10 mM NaCl. This material was then further purified and concentrated on a 1 ml Resource Q anion exchange column with a 40 column volume gradient from 10-500 mM NaCl. Active fractions were pooled and concentrated using a 10,000 MWCO Centricon centrifugal concentrator. The concentrate was applied to a Superdex 200 size exclusion chromatography column and eluted with Buffer A containing 100 mM NaCl. The active fractions that were judged to be pure by SDS-PAGE analysis were pooled and stored at −80° C. for subsequent use.
Lactacystin Inactivation of Proteasome Activity
2 ml of assay buffer (20 mM HEPES, 0.5 mM EDTA, pH 8.0) and Suc-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-AMC in DMSO were added to a 3 ml fluorescent cuvette and the cuvette was placed in the jacketed cell holder of a Hitachi F-2000 fluorescence spectrophotometer. The temperature was maintained at 37° C. by a circulating water bath. 0.34 μg of proteasome and 3.5 μg of PA28 were added and the reaction progress was monitored by the increase in fluorescence at 440 nm (λex=380 nm) that accompanies production of free AMC. The progress curves exhibited a lag-phase lasting 1-2 minutes resulting from the slow formation of the 20S-PA28 complex. After reaching a steady-state of substrate hydrolysis, lactacystin was added to a final concentration of 1 μM and the reaction was monitored for 1 hr. The fluorescence (F) versus time (t) data were collected on a microcomputer using LAB CALC (Galactic) software. kinact values were estimated by a nonlinear least-squares fit of the data to the first-order equation:
F=A(1−e−kt)+C
where C=Ft=0 and A=Ft=4−Ft=0. Owing to the complex kinetics of lactacystin hydrolysis and its mechanism of inactivation of the proteasome the kinetics of proteasome inactivation are also complex and this fact is reflected in the curve fitting. There was a small systematic deviation of the measured progress curves from the “best-fit” curves generated by fitting the data to the equation above. Estimates of kinact were obtained using this simple kinetic model.
Inhibition of Protein Degradation in C2C12 Cells
C2C12 cells (a mouse myoblast line) were labeled for 48 hrs with 35S-methionine. The cells were then washed and preincubated for 2 hrs in the same media supplemented with 2 mM unlabeled methionine. The media was removed and replaced with a fresh aliquot of the preincubation media containing 50% serum, and a concentration of the compound to be tested. The media was then removed and made up to 10% TCA and centrifuged. The TCA soluble radioactivity was counted. Inhibition of proteolysis was calculated as the percent decrease in TCA soluble radioactivity. From this data, an IC50 for each compound was calculated. The compounds can be qualitatively grouped into ++, +, and 0 categories, wherein wherein ++ indicates better activity than +, and 0 indicates little or no activity, due to insolubility, instability, or other reasons. For example, in the lactacystin group compounds I-1, I-2, and I-3 were in the ++ category; compound I-4 was in the + category. Turning to the P series of lactone-like compounds, P-1 through P-4 were in the ++ category; compounds P-5 and P-6 were in the + category; and compound P-7 was in the 0 category.
Synthesis of Compound I-1
(3R,4S,5R,1′S)-4-Hydroxy-5 (1′-hydroxy-2′-methylpropyl)-3-methylpyrrolidin-2-one-5-carboxylic acid (10.0 mg, 43.2 mmol; made by the route described by Corey, E. J.; Reichard, G. A., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1992, 114, 10677) was dissolved in 0.4 mL anhydrous dichloromethane and then treated, in order, with tri-ethylamine (18.0 mL, 0.13 mmol, 3.0 equiv.), 13.0 mg bis(2-oxo-3-oxazolidinyl)-phosphinic chloride (51.1 mmol, 1.2 equiv.) and benzyl mercaptan (8.0 mL, 68.1 mmol, 1.58 equiv.). The solution was stirred for 5 hours at room temperature and then diluted with dichloromethane and washed with water. The aqueous layer was extracted with ethyl acetate and the organic layers were combined and dried over magnesium sulfate. Filtration followed by removal of the solvent afforded a crude solid which was triturated with 19:1 hexane/ethyl acetate and collected by filtration. The white solid obtained was then dissolved in a minimum amount of acetonitrile and the clear solution was diluted with water then frozen and lyophilized overnight. This afforded 8.0 mg of the desired thioester I-1 (55%) as a fluffly white solid. 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 300 MHz) d 8.34 (s, 1H, NH), 7.19-7.28 (m, 5H), 5.40 (d, 1H, 3J=6.4 Hz, OH), 5.11 (d, 1H, 3J=7.4 Hz, OH), 4.39 (t, 3J=6.4 Hz), 4.04 (s, 2H), 33.76 (t, 1H, 3J=7.4 Hz), 2.62 (m, 1H), 1.55 (m, 1H), 0.90 (d, 3H, 3J=7.5 Hz), 0.85 (d, 3H, 3J=6.6 Hz), 0.66 (d, 3H, 3J=6.8 Hz).
To a solution of glutathione (360 mg, 1.17 mmol) in 11 mL of water was added 1.35 mL of 1.004 N sodium hydroxide in water. This solution was then added to a freshly prepared solution of clasto-lactacystin-b-lactone (49.0 mg, 0.23 mmol; made by the route described by Corey, E. J.; Reichard, G. A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1992, 114, 10677) in 10 mL of acetonitrile. After stirring the solution at room temperature for 4 hours, the pH was adjusted to about pH=4 by the slow addition of 1 N aqueous hydrochloric acid solution. The acetonitrile was removed in vacuo and the aqueous phase was frozen and lyophilized. The solid obtained was redissolved in water, filtered and lyophilized again. The white solid obtained was purified by reverse phase HPLC [Waters Prep Delta-Pak® 19×300 mm C18 column eluting with 98% 0.05% trifluoroacetic acid/H2O and 2% 0.05% trifluoroacetic acid/methanol to 80% 0.05% trifluoroacetic acid/H2O and 20% 0.05% trifluoroacetic acid/methanol in 65 min at 5 mL/min]. After lyophilizing the pure fractions, glutathione thioester adduct I-2 (48 mg, 40%) was obtained as a fluffly white solid. 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 300 MHz) d 7.73-8.26 (m, 4H), 5.28 (bs, 1H, OH), 5.09 (bs, 1H, OH), 4.44 (m, 1H), 4.37 (bd, 1H, 3J=5.9 Hz), 3.74 (m, 2H), 3.23 (dd, 1H, J=13.3, 4.6 Hz), 2.95 (dd, 1H, J=13.3, 8.8 Hz), 2.62 (m, 1H), 2.29-2.32 (m, 2H), 1.98-2.08 (m, 2H), 1.51-1.63 (m, 1H), 0.92 (d, 3H, 3J=7.5 Hz), 0.86 (d, 3H, 3J=6.6 Hz), 0.71 (d, 3H, 3J=6.7 Hz).
(3R,4S,5R,1′S)-4-Hydroxy-5-(1′-hydroxy-2′-methylpropyl)-3-methylpyrrolidin-2-one-5-carboxylic acid (20.0 mg, 86.5 mmol; made by the route described by Corey, E. J.; Reichard, G. A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1992, 114, 10677) was dissolved in 1.0 mL acetonitrile and then treated, at 0° C., with 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (14.0 mL, 93.6 mmol, 1.08 equiv.) followed by benzyl bromide (12.0 mL, 101 mmol, 1.17 equiv.). The mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight and was then partitioned between ethyl acetate and water. The aqueous layer was extracted three times with ethyl acetate and the organic layers were then combined and dried over magnesium sulfate. Filtration followed by removal of the solvent afforded a crude solid which was triturated with hexane and collected by filtration. The white solid obtained was then dissolved in a minimum amount of acetonitrile and the clear solution was diluted with water then frozen and lyophilized over-night. This afforded 6.7 mg of the desired ester I-4 (24%) as a fluffly white solid. 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 300 MHz) d 8.02 (s, 1H, NH), 7.31-7.44 (m, 5H), 5.45 (d, 1H, 3J=6.4 Hz, OH), 5.11 (d, 1H, 2J=12.5 Hz), 5.03 (d, 1H, 3J=7.2 Hz, OH), 5.00 (d, 1H, 2J=12.5 Hz), 4.31 (t, 3J=6.4 Hz), 3.76 (t, 1H, 3J=7.2 Hz), 2.68 (m, 1H), 1.52 (m, 1H), 0.89 (d, 3H, 3J=7.4 Hz), 0.85 (d, 3H, 3J=6.6 Hz), 0.67 (d, 3H, 3J=6.7 Hz).
Synthesis of Compound P-2
(3S,7aR)-3-Phenyl-5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]oxazol-5-one was prepared in three steps from D-Pyroglutamic acid by a known procedure (Thottathil, J. K. et al. J. Org. Chem. 1986, 51, 3140) and was converted to (3S,7aR)-3-Phenyl-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]oxazol-5-one in two steps (selenylation and oxidative elimination) by the method reported by Hamada et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1989, 111, 1524). (3S,7aR)-3-Phenyl-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]oxazol-5-one was then converted to (3S,7S,7aS,1′S)-7a-(1′-acetoxy-2′-methylpropyl)-7-hydroxy-3-phenyl-5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]oxazol-5-one in 6 steps by analogy to the sequence reported by Uno et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1994, 116, 2139). (3S,7S,7aS,1′S)-7a-(1′-acetoxy-2′-methylpropyl)-7-hydroxy-3-phenyl-5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]oxazol-5-one (70 mg, 0.21 mmol) was dissolved in 1.0 mL pyridine and treated at room temperature with 32.0 mL acetic anhydride (0.34 mmol, 1.6 equiv.). The mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight and the solvent was removed in vacuo affording 77 mg of desired (3S,7S,7aS,1′S)-7a-(1′-acetoxy-2′-methylpropyl)-7-acetoxy-3-phenyl-5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]oxazol-5-one (97%), a yellow oil which was used as such in the following step.
The crude (3S,7S,7aS,1′S)-7a-(1′-acetoxy-2′-methyl-propyl)-7-acetoxy-3-phenyl-5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]oxazol-5-one (75 mg, 0.20 mmol) was dissolved in 5 mL methanol and placed under 1 atmosphere of hydrogen in the presence of 50 mg 20% palladium hydroxide on carbon. When a TLC analysis (1:1 hexane/ethyl acetate) showed the reaction to be complete, the mixture was filtered and concentrated in vacuo affording 55 mg (97%) of the desired primary alcohol which without any purification was converted to (4S,5R,1′S)-4-Hydroxy-5-(1′-hydroxy-2′-methylpropyl)-pyrrolidin-2-one-5-carboxylic by a two step sequence (Jones' oxidation, saponification) analogous to the sequence reported by Uno et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1994, 116, 2139).
(4S,5R,1′S)-4-Hydroxy-5-(1′-hydroxy-2′-methylpropyl)-pyrrolidin-2-one-5-carboxylic acid (7.0 mg, 32 mmol) was dissolved in 2.0 mL 1:1 acetonitrile/tetrahydrofuran and then treated, at room temperature, with 2-(1H-Benzotriazol-1-yl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyl uronium tetrafluoroborate (11.0 mg, 34 mmol, 1.1 equiv.) followed by triethylamine (0.36 mmol, 11 equiv.). The mixture was stirred for 30 min to room temperature and concentrated in vacuo. Flash chromatography (230-400 mesh SiO, elution with ethyl acetate) finally afforded 3 mg of the pure lactone P-2 (47%) obtained as white solid. H NMR (DMSO-d6, 300 MHz) d 8.95 (bs, 1H, NH), 5.64 (d, 1H, 3J=6.7 Hz, OH), 5.26 (d, 1H, 3J=6.0 Hz, OH), 3.78 (dd, 1H, 3J=6.7, 3.5 Hz), 2.81 (dd, 1H, 2J=19.2 Hz, 3J=6.0 Hz), 2.60 (d, 1H, 2J=19.2 Hz), 1.74 (m, 1H), 0.90 (d, 3H, 3J=6.9 Hz), 0.68 (d, 3H, 3J=6.8 Hz).
Clasto-Lactacystin-β-lactone (5.0 mg, 23.4 mmol; made by the route described by Corey, E. J.; Reichard, G. A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1992, 114, 10677) was dissolved in 1.5 mL pyridine and treated, at room temperature with acetic anhydride (40 mL, 0.42 mmol, 18 equiv.). After stirring the solution at room temperature overnight, the pyridine was removed in vacuo with the aid of 2 mL of toluene affording a light brown solid. The solid was washed with three portions of hexane and then filtered giving 5.5 mg of the pure acetate P-3 (93%) obtained as a white solid. 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 300 MHz) d 9.11 (bs, 1H, NH), 5.33 (d, 1H, 3J=6.1 Hz), 5.21 (d, 1H, 3J=5.0 Hz), 2.84 (m, 1H), 2.06 (s, 3H), 1.90 (m, 1H), 1.08 (d, 3H, 3J=7.5 Hz), 0.87 (d, 3H, 3J=6.9 Hz), 0.78 (d, 3H, 3J=6.8 Hz).
(3S,7aR)-3-Phenyl-5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]oxazol-5-one was prepared in three steps from D-Pyroglutamic acid by a known procedure (Thottathil, J. K. et al. J. Org. Chem. 1986, 51, 3140) and was converted to (3S,7aR)-3-Phenyl-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]oxazol-5-one in two steps (selenylation, and oxidative elimination) by the method reported by Hamada et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1989, 111, 1524). (3S,7aR)-3-Phenyl-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]oxazol-5-one was then converted to (3S,6R,7S,7aS,1′S)-7a-(1′-acetoxy-2′-methylpropyl)-6-hydroxy-7-hydroxy-3-phenyl-5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]oxazol-5-one in 4 steps by analogy to the sequence reported by Uno et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1994, 116, 2139).
(3S,6R,7S,7aS,1′S)-7a-(1′-acetoxy-2′-methylpropyl)-6-hydroxy-7-hydroxy-3-phenyl-5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]oxazol-5-one was then converted in 4 steps (acetylation, hydrogenolysis, oxidation and saponification) to (3R,4S,5R,1′S)-4-Hydroxy-5-(1′-hydroxy-2′-methylpropyl)-3-hydroxypyrrolidin-2-one-5-carboxylic acid in the same manner described for making P-2.
(3R,4S,5R,1′S)-4-Hydroxy-5-(1′-hydroxy-2′-methylpropyl)-3-hydroxypyrrolidin-2-one-5-carboxylic acid (20 mg, 86 mmol) was converted to the corresponding β-lactone by the method described for making P-2. This afforded 3 mg of the pure lactone P-4 (16%) obtained as white solid. H NMR (DMSO-d6, 300 MHz) d 8.96 (s, 1H, NH), 6.08 (bs, 1H, OH), 5.63 (d, 1H, 3J=6.6 Hz, OH), 5.12 (d, 1H, 3J=5.7 Hz), 4.31 (d, 1H, 3J=5.7 Hz), 3.72 (bt, 1H), 1.70 (m, 1H), 0.88 (d, 3H, 3J=6.9 Hz), 0.72 (d, 3H, 3J=6.8 Hz).
Clasto-Lactacystin-β-lactone (11.8 mg, 55.3 mmol; made by the route described by Corey, E. J.; Reichard, G. A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1992, 114, 10677) was dissolved in 0.4 mL freshly distilled pyridine and treated, at room temperature with methanesulfonyl chloride (6.0 mL, 77.5 mmol, 1.4 equiv.). The solution was stirred for 2 hours at room temperature, treated with more methanesulfonyl chloride (10.0 mL, 129 mmol, 2.3 equiv.) and stirred at room temperature overnight. The dark solution was then concentrated in vacuo with 3×2 mL of toluene affording a yellow solid. Flash chromatography (230-400 mesh SiO2, elution with 1:1 hexane/ethyl acetate) finally afforded 12.6 mg of the pure mesylate P-6 (78%) obtained as fluffy white solid. 1H NMR (CDCl3, 300 MHz) d 6.28 (bs, 1H, NH), 5.27 (d, 1H, 3J=6.1 Hz), 5.06 (d, 1H, 3J=4.0 Hz), 3.11 (s, 3H), 2.80-2.89 (m, 1H), 2.24-2.34 (m, 1H), 1.33 (d, 3H, 3J=7.5 Hz), 1.14 (d, 3H, 3J=7.0 Hz), 1.05 (d, 3H, 3J=6.8 Hz).
Other Embodiments
From the above description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of the present invention, and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions. Thus, other embodiments are also within the claims.
1. A method for identifying a biological process mediated by proteasome-dependent proteolysis, said method comprising:
contacting a cell preparation or cell extract with a compound of formula
wherein Z1 is O, S, SO2, NH, or NRa, Ra being C1-6 alkyl;
X1 is O, S, CH2, two singly bonded H, CH(Rb) in the E or Z configuration, or C(Rb)(Rc) in the E or Z configuration, each of Rb and Rc, independently, being C1-6 alkyl, C6-12 aryl, C3-8 cycloalkyl, C3-8 heteroaryl, C3-8 heterocyclic radical, or halogen, provided that when Z1 is SO2, X1 is two singly bonded H;
Z2 is CHR1 in the (R) or (S) configuration, R1 being H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, hydroxyl, halogen, a side chain of a naturally occurring α-amino acid, ORd, SRd, or NRdRe, each of Rd and Re, independently, being H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, or C2-5 alkynyl;
Z3 is O, S, NH, or NRj, wherein Rj is C1-6 alkyl;
X2 is O or S; and
A1 is H, the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid, or is of the following formula, —(CH2)m—Y(CH2)n—R3X3
wherein Y is O, S, C═O, C═S, —(CH═CH)—, vinylidene, —C═NORh, —C═NNRiRi′, sulfonyl, methylene, CHX4 in the (R) or (S) configuration, or deleted, X4 being halogen, methyl, halomethyl, ORh, SRh, NRiRi′, —NRi(ORh), or —NRi(NRiRi′), wherein Rh is selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, and C2-6 alkynyl, and each of Ri and Ri′, independently is selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, and C1-10 acyl; m is 0, 1, 2, or 3, and n is 0, 1, 2, or 3; and R3 is straight chain or branched C1-8 alkylidene, straight chain or branched C1-8 alkylene, C3-10 cycloalkylidene, C3-10 cycloalkylene, phenylene, C6-14 arylalkylidene, C6-14 arylalkylene, or deleted, and X3 is H, hydroxyl, thiol, carboxyl, amino, halogen, (C1-6 alkyl) oxycarbonyl, (C7-14 arylalkyl)-oxycarbonyl, or C6-14 aryl; or R3 and X3 taken together are the side chain of any naturally occurring α-amino acid; and
measuring an effect of said compound on a biological process;
wherein the measurement of the effect indicates that said biological process is mediated by proteasome-dependent proteolysis.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein Z1 is NH or NRa.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the compound is lactacystin β-lactone.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said biological process is degradation of a protein selected from the group consisting of p53, IκB-α, a muscle protein, a cyclin, c-Mos, c-Fos, and c-Jun.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said biological process is degradation of a protein selected from the group consisting of β-amyloid protein, p105, transcription factor TFIIA, herpes simplex virus VP16 accessory protein, virus-inducible IFN regulatory factor 2 protein, and membrane-bound sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said biological process is selected from the group consisting of proteasome-mediated MHC-1 antigen presentation, NF-κB activation, NF-κB-dependent gene expression, cell cycle arrest, cell adhesion, HIV infection, and apoptosis.
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Filed: Aug 8, 2001
Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College (Cambridge, MA)
Inventors: Stuart L. Schreiber (Boston, MA), Robert F. Standaert (Bryan, TX), Gabriel Fenteany (Cambridge, MA), Timothy F. Jamison (Cambridge, MA)
Primary Examiner: Russell Travers
Attorney: Hale and Dorr LLP
Current U.S. Class: Bicyclo Ring System Having The Five-membered Hetero Ring As One Of The Cyclos (514/412); 514/210; Additional Hetero Ring Which Is Not Part Of The Bicyclo Ring System (514/414); Additional Hetero Ring (514/422); Chalcogen Bonded Directly To The Five-membered Hetero Ring By Nonionic Bonding (514/424); Chalcogen Bonded Indirectly To The Five-membered Hetero Ring By Acyclic Nonionic Bonding (514/428); Plural Hetero Atoms In The Hetero Ring (514/439); Chalcogen Bonded Directly To Ring Carbon Of The Hetero Ring (514/441); Polycyclo Ring System Having The Hetero Ring As One Of The Cyclos (514/443); Bicyclo Ring System Having The Hetero Ring As One Of The Cyclos (e.g., Methylenedioxyphenyl Group, Etc.) (514/464); The Hetero Ring Is Substituted (514/465); Nitrogen Containing (514/466)
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New Landscapes
I Foresee an Uproar Over an ESP Study
Rather than accepting or rejecting controversial findings — like Daryl Bem’s upcoming paper on ESP — based on preconceived notions, how about approaching them with scientific scrutiny?
Nate Kornell and Sam Kornell
One evening more than a decade ago, I attended a talk by Daryl Bem, a well-known psychologist, at Reed College in Portland, Ore. Bem claimed that humans might be capable of precognition, or the ability to predict the future.
As a newly minted Reed psychology graduate, Bem inspired me to write a computer program to test my own precognitive abilities. I happened to tell my boss and mentor at Reed, Allen Neuringer, about my little self-experiment. Allen, a wonderful person and adviser, and a behaviorist interested in hard facts, looked at me, paused for a moment, said "ESP doesn't exist," and walked away.
An upcoming issue of the prestigious Journal of Personality and Social Psychology will publish scientific evidence indicating that Allen was wrong. (Take an early peek here.) In a study put out by Cornell University, Daryl Bem claims that in a series of nine tightly controlled experiments he designed and conducted, more than 1,000 Cornell university students were able to predict future events with more than 50 percent accuracy. The experiments were straightforward, such as having test subjects guess on which side of a computer screen an image would appear. Taking the results together, Bem says, “The odds against the possibility that the combined results are merely chance coincidences or statistical flukes are about 74 billion to 1.”
Bem’s article is already generating conversation and controversy in the scientific world. Proof of psi — psychic powers — would turn a slew of academic disciplines inside out. It is difficult to overstate its implications. In psychology, we would have to conclude that there really is a "sixth sense.”
Endless questions would follow: How does it work? Can we train it? Is it a form of psychopathology? Neuroscientists and biologists would face similar questions. How did this ability evolve? Do other animals have it as well?
Perhaps the most violent shock of all will come to the laws of physics. Quarks move through time in strange ways, but there is no reason to conclude that billions of them would coordinate their strange behaviors in an intelligent way to affect a network of neurons in the brain. Precognition would turn physics upside down.
And of course that's just academia — the practical implications could be even more staggering. What if we can predict the future? What does that mean for politics? The economy? Las Vegas?
It is difficult to imagine a scientific discovery as spectacular as Bem’s coming along for another century. If true, it will essentially be proof of magic; it will require the boundaries human knowledge to be re-examined. So how should we regard Bem’s study, and the media barrage that will inevitably accompany its publication?
There are three general ways to approach Bem’s research. The first might be characterized as the “no duh” reaction: “I don’t need a scientist to tell me ESP exists! I’ve predicted the future plenty of times. I even predicted the outcome of the Super Bowl last year!”
This is faulty reasoning at best, though it’s far from uncommon. All humans are saddled with a psychological tick called confirmation bias: We have a natural tendency to seek confirming evidence of our beliefs and ignore disconfirming evidence. So you’re apt to remember when your Super Bowl prediction came true, but not when you got it wrong. And of course it needn’t be mentioned that examples of humans beings being utterly, spectacularly wrong about the future are easy to call to mind — chances are all you need to do is take a quick survey of your recent past.
That’s the first approach. The second might be called the “No. Duh,” approach. Many people, scientists and nonscientists alike, are likely to greet Bem’s research with stout disdain. ESP is only a shade different than witchcraft, they’ll say. They won’t deny its ubiquity, or its appeal: We have all probably experienced moments when we had the uncanny sense that we were able to peer into the future. Indeed, this time of year some of us may pay visits to a fortune-teller; even the most hardheaded among us might thrill at the idea that something “special” was involved in our successful Super Bowl prediction.
But a professional scientist in virtually any field, should we happen to consult one, will tell us, charitably or uncharitably, that we are being crazy. ESP is magical thinking, they will say.
If the first approach is too credulous, this second approach is too dismissive. Daryl Bem has lectured regularly about precognition for years, and he always warns young professors to never say its name aloud if they wish to get tenure. So noted. Job security aside, however, I wish to make clear that I do not believe in ESP. What I do believe in, though, is science.
Which brings us to the third, and best, approach. Bem has conducted a serious study, and it should be approached scientifically, with a scientist’s skepticism but also a scientist’s faith in free inquiry accompanied by empiricism.
Daryl Bem knows as much as anyone about criticisms of psi phenomena and the pitfalls of doing psi research, and he says that there’s a 74 billion to 1 chance that his results are a fluke. This situation puts an empiricist between a rock and hard place: Bem’s results are convincing and yet impossible.
The way to find out for sure is to put his results under a microscope until every possible angle has been examined with the minutest care. My prediction is that future research will not support his claims. But when it comes to predicting the future, I could be wrong. And if I am, wow.
BrainNeurologyScienceESPPredictionsPsychology
Enlightening New Science of Optogenetics
The new science of optogenetics is amending neuroscience’s focus on cutting and chemicals to shine a light directly on the brain.
Media Gloms Onto Brain Studies More than Mind Studies
Although it’s fun and science-y to know how the physical brain parses data, most of us really should be more interested in what the mind is doing.
Brain's Indiana Joneses Search for Empathy
Empathy is more than an item on a prospective Supreme Court nominee's résumé; it's a core human trait. But where inside the brain might it arise?
Science Plugs into Prediction Markets
Although some set-up hurdles remain, a market in scientific predictions may help us forecast innovation.
Self Comes to Mind and On Second Thought: Book Reviews
New books "Self Comes to Mind" and "On Second Thought" examine the origins of consciousness, and the unconscious pulls that influence our behavior.
NBA Star Ray Allen Scores in Nature vs. Nurture Debate
We can learn from Ray Allen, Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon, even if we can never hope to beat them on the court.
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a.(a) General. Except for the provisions of §§ 555.180 and 555.181, this part does not apply to:
1.(1) Any aspect of the transportation of explosive materials via railroad, water, highway, or air which is regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation and its agencies, and which pertains to safety. For example, regulations issued by the Department of Transportation addressing the security risk of aliens transporting explosives by commercial motor or railroad carrier from Canada preclude the enforcement of 18 U.S.C. 842(i)(5) against persons shipping, transporting, receiving, or possessing explosives incident to and in connection with the commercial transportation of explosives by truck or rail from Canada into the United States. Questions concerning this exception should be directed to ATF's Public Safety Branch in Washington, DC.
2.(2) The use of explosive materials in medicines and medicinal agents in the forms prescribed by the official United States Pharmacopeia or the National Formulary. “The United States Pharmacopeia and The National Formulary,” USP and NF Compendia, are available from the United States Pharmacopeial Convention, Inc., 12601 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
3.(3) The transportation, shipment, receipt, or importation of explosive materials for delivery to any agency of the United States or to any State or its political subdivision.
4.(4) Small arms ammunition and components of small arms ammunition.
5.(5) The manufacture under the regulation of the military department of the United States of explosive materials for, or their distribution to or storage or possession by, the military or naval services or other agencies of the United States.
6.(6) Arsenals, navy yards, depots, or other establishments owned by, or operated by or on behalf of, the United States.
7.(7) The importation, distribution, and storage of fireworks classified as UN0336, UN0337, UN0431, or UN0432 explosives by the U.S. Department of Transportation at 49 CFR 172.101 and generally known as “consumer fireworks” or “articles pyrotechnic.”
8.(8) Gasoline, fertilizers, propellant actuated devices, or propellant actuated industrial tools manufactured, imported, or distributed for their intended purposes.
9.(9) Industrial and laboratory chemicals which are intended for use as reagents and which are packaged and shipped pursuant to U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, 49 CFR Parts 100 to 177, which do not require explosives hazard warning labels.
10.(10) Model rocket motors that meet all of the following criteria—
i.(i) Consist of ammonium perchlorate composite propellant, black powder, or other similar low explosives;
ii.(ii) Contain no more than 62.5 grams of total propellant weight; and
iii.(iii) Are designed as single-use motors or as reload kits capable of reloading no more than 62.5 grams of propellant into a reusable motor casing.
b.(b) Black powder. Except for the provisions applicable to persons required to be licensed under subpart D, this part does not apply with respect to commercially manufactured black powder in quantities not to exceed 50 pounds, percussion caps, safety and pyrotechnic fuses, quills, quick and slow matches, and friction primers, if the black powder is intended to be used solely for sporting, recreational, or cultural purposes in antique firearms, as defined in 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(16) or antique devices, as exempted from the term “destructive devices” in 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(4).
Previous section - § 555.130 [Reserved]
Next section - § 555.142 Relief from disabilities (effective January 24, 2003).
31 Related documents
2 Rulings
These rulings help to interpret this section of the regulation.
2016-05 2016-5 – Marking Variance for Government Defense Contractors
2009-03 2009-3 - Storage of Explosives in Law Enforcement Explosives Response Vehicles
6 Open Letters
All FELs-Jun2014-Open Letter-Black Powder
All FELs-July2011-Open Letter-State/Local Government Entities and Explosives Industry Members Distribution To and Receipt Of Explosive Pest Control Devices (EPCDs)
All FELs-Mar2011-Open Letter-Exemption of Tribal Display Materials
All FELs-Nov2010-Open Letter-Explosive Pest Control Devices (EPCDs)
All FELs-Nov2002-Open Letter-Safe Explosives Act Provisions for Blasting/Mining Educators
3 Guides
Department of Defense Contractor Inspections: ATF Inspection Process (Explosives)
5400.24 Publication on Fireworks Reminders (ATF P 5400.24)
Explosives in Transit
11 Newsletters
Explosives Industry Newsletter - August 2015
Explosives Industry Newsletter-December 2014
Explosives Industry Newsletter-January 2014
Explosive Industry Newsletter-June 2013
Explosives Industry Newsletter-June 2012 .pdf
Explosives Industry Newsletter- December 2011.pdf
Explosives Industry Newsletter June 2011
Explosives Industry Newsletter - December 2009
Explosives Industry Newsletter-June 2009
Explosives Industry Newsletter- May 2003
9 Q&As
Who must comply with the storage requirements?
With the exception of 3⁄32" pyrotechnic safety fuse for use in small arms, must black powder fuses generally be stored in approved explosives magazines?
Is smokeless powder designed for use in small arms ammunition subject to the explosives storage requirements?
Are State and local government agencies required to store their explosive materials in conformity with Federal storage regulations?
What types of fireworks require an ATF license or permit in order to be lawfully transported or received?
May I sell black powder without a license?
Are “display fireworks” considered to be explosive materials subject to regulation under Federal explosives laws and regulations?
Are “consumer fireworks” subject to regulation under the Federal explosives laws?
Are “Articles Pyrotechnic” subject to the requirements of the Federal explosives regulations?
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Jane Werner
Cultural ambassador, optimist, Children’s Museum director
werner@pittsburghkids.org
Jane Werner, Executive Director of the The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, has often said, when interviewed, that working in her field requires a good sense of humor, a commitment to remaining open-minded, and an overall sense of optimism. Of course, in the world of children and learning, in general, all these qualities do apply on a daily basis and are what keeps she and her team innovative, gracious, and ready for anything.
Under her guidance, the museum is award-winning and well-known, winning such recent honors as Parents Magazine’s 10 Best Children’s Museums in 2011, a mention by ParentsConnect in 2010 as a top kid party place, and a green building management award a few years ago. Under her enthusiastic and playful watchful eye, however, the museum is comfortable, neighborly, and provides constant inspiration for the world’s future creators, scientists, and innovators. She can recount many stories of inspiration and downright fun regarding children and their parents, and she can also cite a slew of accolades from community educators and academic and educational partners.
Jane is a member of the Remake Learning Council.
Raising awareness, building partnerships, setting the agenda
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
Inspiring joy, creativity and curiosity
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Christian mission, miracles, revivals evangelism, miracles, revival
Ebola area miracles – 100% saved – Look what God is doing!
by Geoff 2 April 2016 1 Comment
Look what God is doing!
Edited from Chapter 3:
People of the Trees
100% of the 6,000 in a Pygmy tribe close to the area where the Ebola virus began now follow Christ 5 years after the young chief’s conversion.
Dick Eastman, International President of Every Home for Christ (EHC) – formerly Christian Literature Crusade – describes his visit to this area even though he was warned not to go. Catholic nuns and nurses who cared for the first known Ebola victims there also died from the highly contagious virus. The EHC team had round-the-clock prayer warriors praying for them the whole trip. They arrived 3 years after the pioneering Bantu Africans began sharing good news there and 4,000 had become Christians. Two years later all 6,000 of that tribe professed Christ.
This edited excerpt is from Chapter 3: People of the Trees (pages 37-51).
It would take eleven days travelling by canoe up the mighty Zaire River (also known as the Congo) before the two Every Home for Christ pioneer missionaries (Bantu Africans) from Kinshasa (Zaire) would reach their destination deep in the equatorial rainforest. From the Zaire River they would travel several days more against the strong current up the smaller Momboyo River. From the Momboyo they would journey still deeper into the forest on small tributaries, until they reached the heart of the rainforest rarely seen by outsiders. It was a dangerous journey few ever made.
The Power of a Prayer Shield
Despite what I knew was the harassment of the enemy, my colleague and I soon found ourselves in Kinshasa, Zaire, loading our small tents and other supplies – including 100 pounds of salt for the Pygmies – into a small Mission Aviation Fellowship plane.
Thankfully we had found a courageous MAF pilot willing to take us to a rugged landing strip an an encampment called Boteka, located along the Momboyo River. It would serve as the launching pad for our trip still deeper into the forest … to our final destination, the village of Bosuka, where hundreds of Pygmies were turning to Jesus.
The MAF flight took us only three hours. As if to heighten my concern, we were flying straight into huge, billowing clouds with raindrops ripping against the windshield and lightning dancing just beyond our wingtips. Yet the plane flew steady as an arrow. I was amazed how the Lord guided our MAF pilot straight through the weather with hardly a bump. Not a moment of our entire journey, day or night, lacked at least a few people praying as part of our special prayer shield.
The Last Tree on Earth
The plane landed safely on a patch of grass in Boteka, which I soon learned had been a Belgian Catholic mission since the early 1950s. (Zaire was known then as the Belgian Congo.) I also discovered that the Every Home Crusade ministry had already seen significant results in the region around Boteka. In fact, many of the Pygmies and Bantu people (taller Africans) who stood cheering along the small grass landing strip when we arrived were converts of EHC’s systematic every home evangelism ministry in the Boteka area.
At daybreak the next day, just before 6 a.m., we climbed into our borrowed 40-foot canoe to begin what would be a 14-hour journey against the strong current of the snake-like Momboyo River. We would not arrive at our destination, an encampment called Imbonga, until eight o’clock that night. We faced an additional 32-kilometer (20 mile) trek even deeper into the rainforest the following day.
The Momboyo was one of hundreds, if not thousands, of rivers that flow throughout the several rainforests of central Africa. As I looked at a map, I noticed, not too far north, the name of another river I recognized – the Ebola. Being reminded of that name made me a little uneasy.
The Catholics of Imbonga had the only vehicle within hundreds of kilometers – an old, beat-up Land Rover. Then we learned that the narrow road – not much more than a twelve-foot-wide jungle clearing – included 222 separate log bridges. Each bridge consisted of little more than 10 or 20 thick logs.
Along the 32-kilometer journey from Imbonga to the Pygmy settlement of Bosuka, we saw numerous Bantu villages – not uncommon in the area. Pygmy villages, on the other hand, were highly unusual, since Pygmies tend to be nomadic, seldom settling down to live in conventional huts or dwellings.
None of the initial progress reports from our workers had indicated how many homes were being reached even though this statistic appears on every report coming to our central office from the field. But our area director had been reporting only the numbers of conversions (and subsequent baptisms) among the Pygmies. So we asked him for updated reports that included the number of actual homes being reached.
He wrote again suggesting we still did not understand. The Pygmies do not live in homes, houses or even huts in the trees. They just live and sleep in the trees, sometimes on the thick leaves, sometimes under them and sometimes in temporary thatched shelters assembled hastily when a tribe moves to a new area for hunting. Occasionally they even tie themselves into a tree, he wrote, so they will not fall asleep (quite literally) from a high tree and injure themselves.
This report from our director ended with the usual African humour: “Brother Dick, we have now launched EHC’s very first Every Tree Crusade.” Then he modified our long-standing goal, which speaks of reaching “the last home on earth with the Gospel,” by printing in large letters on his report: “WE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL WE REACH THE LAST TREE ON EARTH WITH THE GOSPEL!”
The settlement called Bosuka meant “the end of the world” in their Pygmy dialect, for not much lies beyond Bosuka but dense forest. Indeed, the very village of Bosuka did not even exist until relatively recently. But here I was, standing among these usually nomadic “people of the trees” and seeing with my own eyes that they had formed a village with a church at its centre. It was a Christian phenomenon, I was told, and had resulted in thousands of Pygmies in the area giving their lives to Christ.
Half an Arm’s Length
The work had gone slowly at first. The two EHC workers, who had come to this part of the forest 14 months earlier – not for a visit but to live – were a married couple, both Bantu.
But as far back as anyone can remember, the smaller Pygmies have feared the larger Bantu. They learned to trade with them for precious commodities not available in the deep forest, commodities like salt and metal (the latter to make tools and weapons), but for generations the Bantu had slaughtered the Pygmies and driven them deeper into the forest.
Pygmies are the world’s shortest people. Because they are unable to process the hormones needed for normal growth, adults reach an average height of only four feet six inches. Pygmies feel they are second-class human beings – like monkeys, perhaps, or a category of human just above the animals. Their very name derives from the Greek word pygme, which means “half an arm’s length.”
The Pygmy sense of inferiority made it difficult at first for the Bantu workers to make even an initial presentation of the Gospel. So they had to be unusually creative. They would go to a clearning, for example, where they knew Pygmies could see them, and leave a quantity of salt on an old stump or mound in the clearing. Then they would retreat into the shadows of the forest but stand near the edge so the Pygmies could see they were still there. Soon the Pygmies would come, ever so slowly because they wanted the salt so desperately. Then they would snatch up the precious substance, leave monkey meat or fish in its place and rush off into the forest.
The Christians would come a third day, but this time they would wait only a few paces from the salt. Now it would take even more time for the Pygmies to cultivate the courage to come. But because salt is priceless to a Pygmy, a brave adult (usually a young warrior) would soon step into the clearing and move toward the salt. As he did, the Bantu Christians would walk very slowly toward the salt, trying to send a signal that they meant no harm.
Eventually at least one of the Pygmies, sometimes more, would muster enough courage to approach the believers waiting nearby with the salt. In this moment – through interpreters, if necessary – the Christian workers would begin to tell them they had come in a spirit of love with Good News for their people. The Pygmy listeners almost never looked into the eyes of the speaker, reflecting their conviction that they were less than human.
These first close encounters usually lasted only a few minutes, but they were crucial for building trust that might later lead to longer meetings. Still, in these first moments of contact, the Christians sought to share the gospel message as quickly as possible. They never knew if they would get another opportunity.
Sometimes it took two or three encounters before there was an indication the message was being understood. When it was, it was clear something was happening in the heart of the recipient. The pattern was almost always the same. The Pygmy would agree to say the sinner’s prayer, still not looking into the eyes of the believer. Then he or she would begin to weep, sometimes uncontrollably. Then, just as suddenly, as one worker described the process to me, “The Pygmy will lift his head boldly, look you straight in the eye and laugh with joy. We know then that something has really happened. The Pygmy has just met Jesus.”
A Cornelius Conversion
When our team had finally arrived at Bosuka, we discovered that a groundswell of conversions had taken place over an amazingly short time. Our last report some six months earlier had indicated that as many as 1,200 Pygmies in the Bosuka area had received Christ. But because of a lack of radio transmitters in this village, or any other communications from this deep in the forest, we did not know this number had grown significantly. There were now 4,000 converts from a tribe of little more than 6,000. Two thirds of the tribe had come to Jesus! (Two years later a report would indicate all 6,000 had now professed Christ!)
One of the special converts – and one of the very first ones – was Lendongo Botshemba, the 30-year-old chief of the tribe, who greeted us graciously on our arrival. His conversion, our director of the region told me, had been like that of Cornelius in Acts 10.
The young chief had grown up worshipping the snakes and trees of the dense rainforest along the Momboyo River, just as his parents Bokimba and Bolanza had before him.
But the miracle of the Gospel was now transforming those parts of the rainforest. Lendongo’s entire family had been converted affecting some 40 persons in all. And churches were being planted to help nurture and sustain these new believers. Lendongo was responsible for the formation of at least 18 additional Christian villages in the region, each one established around a church.
In a neighbouring part of the equatorial rainforest, where we had heard that 32 churches had been planted by EHC workers 36 months earlier, we now learned that an astounding 300 additional fellowships of new believers had been born. In still another rainforest area (in Cameroon, West Africa) 5,000 more Pygmies were converted and baptized. Several hundred additional churches were formed as a result.
The “Every Tree Crusade” launched in the rainforest had been responsible for more than 15,000 Pygmy conversions – in just 36 months! And as our journey to the people of the trees ended, and our large canoe headed back down the Momboyo River, I could not get a verse from Isaiah out of my mind: “The earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9)
Look what God is doing – and rejoice!
See Dick Eastman interviewed about this book
Offer of free book – and you can donate
See also: God’s Visitation, by Dick Eastman
See also Chapter 2: Mountains of Mystery
Solomon Islands:
Hostile tribe’s chief died and met Jesus
by Dick Eastman
Ch 2: Mountains of Mystery
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BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)
BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)
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BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)
BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)
BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)
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An Unlikely Thanksgiving Treat
On November 27, 2013 November 27, 2013 By James CastroIn Movies, Opinions
Let’s face it, sequels are lame. They either do the exact same thing as the first film, only less effectively, or they do something completely different and lose all of what made their progenitor worthy of continuance.
Every now and then, however, a sequel can surprise you and sometimes even surpass the original. A couple of famous, celebrated examples are Aliens and Terminator 2; two Jim Cameron films that built on what the original did and included new elements that added to their luster. But then there are some less-well known films, where the original isn’t considered a classic, the sequel relatively forgotten, and, while both are actually fun movies, the sequel is by far the better. In this particular case, I’m talking about Addams Family Values.
The original live-action Addams Family film starring Raoul Julia, Angelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd, and a very young Christina Ricci, was a fun little caper film. Well-acted and entertaining. Addams Family Values is far zanier. It’s like the best episode of your favorite cartoon show, big laughs, satisfying stories, priceless moments. The dark humor is spot-on, every actor is terrific (bringing great characters to the sequel are Joan Cusack as a psychotic black widow, with Peter MacNicol and Christine Baranski as two sociopathically happy camp counselors, and you’ll even spot Tony Shaloub in there if you look carefully…) and still featuring all the actors from the first returning to their original roles.
It’s goofy, dark, simple, and damned entertaining. I’ve seen it dozens of times and laugh all the way through it.
So why am I posting this on the day before Thanksgiving? Because it’s the only movie I actually like (sorry but Planes, Trains, and Automobiles isn’t entertaining to me at all…) that has a memorable Thanksgiving theme and the ONLY Thanksgiving song I know. The Thanksgiving song is one of my favorite movie musical moments. It sounds ridiculous but it’s true. Doubt me? Well here it is!
And for the great full Thanksgiving play:
Happy Thanksgiving from RevPub!
Addams familymoviessequelsThanksgiving
Thanksgiving: The Little Things
2013 Concert Review: Teen Dreams Coming True
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Neeme Järvi
Harlem, "A Tone Parallel to Harlem" (arr. L. Henderson)
Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major, Op. 83:III. Allegro
Symphony No. 7 in F Major, Op. 77, "Pastora'nayal":III. Scherzo: Allegro giocoso
Spartacus Suite No. 3:II. Dance of a Greek Slave
The River Suite (arr. R. Collier for orchestra):V. Vortex
Pacific 231, "Mouvement Symphonique No. 1"
Estonian Dance Suite:I. Ristpulkade tants
Svadebnoye shestviye (Wedding Procession), Op. 21
The Birds (Aristophanes):I. Introduction: Allegro - Poco meno mosso - Poco a poco meno mosso
Harlem (A Tone Parallel to Harlem)
Negro Folk Symphony:III. O, le' me shine, shine like a Morning Star!
War and Peace Symphonic Suite (arr. C. Palmer):I. The Ball: i) Fanfare and Polonaise
MotorCity Triptych:III. Rosa Parks Boulevard
Symphony No. 2 in D Minor, "Fatum":III. Intermezzo: Allegro amabile
Kalevipoeg Suite:I. Kalevipoeg's Dance with the Maiden of the Lake
La princesse jaune (The Yellow Princess), Op. 30: Overture
Symphony No. 7 in F Major, Op. 77, "Pastora'nayal":I. Allegro moderato
Die Feen, Act I: Overture
Symphony No. 1 in E Major, Op. 5, "Slavyanskaya":II. Scherzo: Allegro
Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman): Overture
Fire and Blood:I. Volcano
The Snow Maiden, Op. 12:Act I: Dance of the Jesters
Symphony in E Major (fragment) (orchestration completed by F. Mottl):II. Adagio cantabile
ATTERBERG, K.: Orchestral Music, Vol. 5 - Symphonies Nos. 7 and 9 (Larsson, Persson, Gothenburg Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, N. Järvi)
Ibert: Orchestral Works
GLAZUNOV, A.K.: Symphony No. 2 / Concert Waltz No. 1 (Bamberg Symphony, N. Järvi)
GLAZUNOV, A.K.: Symphonies Nos. 4 and 7, "Pastora'nayal" (Bamberg Symphony, N. Järvi)
GLAZUNOV, A.K.: Symphonies Nos. 1, "Slavyanskaya" and 5 (Bavarian Radio Symphony, N. Järvi)
GLAZUNOV, A.K.: Symphony No. 8 / Ouverture solenelle / Wedding Procession (Bavarian Radio Symphony, N. Järvi)
TCHAIKOVSKY, P.I.: Nutcracker (The) (Bergen Philharmonic, N. Järvi)
RAFF, J.: Symphony No. 5, "Lenore" / Overtures / Abends (Swiss Romande Orchestra, N. Järvi)
WAGNER, R.: Overtures / Preludes (Royal Scottish National Orchestra, N. Jarvi)
CHAN 5116W - Atterberg- Orchestral Works- Volume 1
TCHAIKOVSKY, P.I.: Sleeping Beauty (The) (Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, N. Jarvi)
PARRY, H.: Te Deum for Coronation of George V / England / The Birds / Jerusalem / The Glories of Our Blood and State (Jarvi)
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chris cameron
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chris cameron/Web
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Google Updates Car Home Android App for Navigation Customization
chris cameron/Mobile
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Chris Lang in Australia, Papua New Guinea | 4 January 2010
Recent videos about carbon cowboys and REDD in Papua New Guinea
“It’s depressing”, Kevin Conrad told Associated Press, commenting on what happened (or didn’t) in Copenhagen. “It means I’ve got to spend another year … coming to meetings and talking about the same things.”
Conrad would probably be even more depressed had he been asked to comment on what is happening in Papua New Guinea.
The PNG government is investigating allegations of corruption linked to REDD and carbon trading. The Rights and Resources Initiative notes that “there are reports of villagers are being threatened at gunpoint to hand over their carbon rights to ‘carbon cowboys’.” The government has shut down the Office of Climate Change & Environmental Sustainability (OCCES) and there are criminal investigations underway regarding the issuance of carbon certificates.
In December 2009, to coincide with the negotiations in Copenhagen, two programmes came out about REDD in PNG. The first, “Carbon Cowboys”, is from Al Jazeera and follows the progress of Kirk Roberts (a “cock-fighting, carbon cowboy, kingpin, tree tyrant”) as he attempts to set up multi-million dollar carbon trading schemes in PNG’s forests. Here’s how Roberts explains carbon trading to villagers:
“If we chop the trees down and we go logging, you get one chop, one chop and then all the biodiversity, all the water and everything becomes polluted, it disappears. Your children will have nothing. You keep the trees and you keep the biodiversity and you let me work hard to find a way to make you get paid for that, that’s carbon trading. . . . There’s lots of opportunities to come from carbon trading. There’ll be, er, income for the people, there’ll be money provided for infrastructure to improve your roads, to help you with schools, with hospitals. This is very important what’s happening here. I congratulate everybody here.”
The second is a four-part documentary broadcast on the Australian channel SBS:
Deforestation on Summit Agenda
Climate Controversy in PNG
PNG Climate Woes Continue
Papua Carbon Trade Blind Eye
In the second video, “Climate Controversy in PNG“, SBS asks Carbon Planet’s Dave Sag about Kirk Roberts of Nupan Trading Company Ltd. According to Carbon Planet’s website, “Nupan, as well as other project developers, has contracted Carbon Planet to provide the certification and trading services for its carbon projects in Papua New Guinea and other countries around the World.” But on film Sag was reluctant to speak about Roberts. “Yeah, look. Can you stop the tape, for a moment?” he said. He pulled his earpiece out and left the recording studio. Kirk Roberts declined to be interviewed by SBS.
Toruk Makto
“Kirk Roberts”, _not_ “Kirk Talbot”…
@Toruk Makto – Thanks. I’ve corrected that. (I got it right in the following sentence and the last paragraph… not that that’s much consolation.)
Kiro S
Its just more money grubbing carpetbaggers coming to PNG this time they’re called carbon traders. Another way to take advantage of our people in the villages.
Why after so long still not one serious media investigation of Kevin Conrad’s business schemes of the past? There’s plenty to dig through to see if this fellow is really legit. From our PNG perspective it would seem he is promoting things that will enrichen him behind the scenes & onus is on him to prove otherwise.
You Americans you think it is ok to promote what looks like a good thing only because you know that if people support your idea you’ll be the one getting rich? You think its ok for more foreigners to copycat our PNG politicians and take their 10%, 15%, 20% or whatever as middlemen instead of truly delivering goods and services to the people? I’m sick of middleman like Somare, Conrad, Roberts, etc. They’re all in it for the money those scum.
SAKIASI GENEWA
The Copenhagen type of gathering has not and will not solved even though another meeting will be held next year will also NOT solved the third world nations tropical forests, because we are ALL contributor to the Global Climate Changes and Warming. So why going to such meeting asking for money to help solve your problem. You as a Sovereign Nations, with independent Constitutions, different language, culture, traditions, why should other country help you for the money to establish the Country’s Adaptation Fund and help serve your problems?
Did you ever asked yourself this simple question: WHY THE FIGURE OF MONEY YOU READ ON NEWSPAPERS, CNN, BBC ETC., IN TRILLION DOLLARS AND YET THE GLOBAL POPULATION IS ONLY 6.7 BILLION. WHY IS STILL POVERTY, DEBTS, HUNGER, FOOD SHORTAGES, CHILDREN CANT GO TO SCHOOLS, UNEMPLOYMENT RATE SO HIGHER.
IF YOU PUT UP US-$6.7 BILLION PER HEAD, THERE SHOULD BE NON OF THOSE DIFFICULTIES MENTIONED ABOVE.
SO THE QUESTION NOW RAISED, WHERE IS THE BALANCE OF THE A TRILLION DOLLARS MONEY KEPT?
ANOTHER WAY OF ASKING, NATIONS OF THE WORLD MUST QUICKLY FIGURE OUT ANOTHER WAY TO CREATE MONEY IN YOUR OWN WAY BY MEANS OF YOUR ASSETS STILL IN THE GROUND AND USE IT AS A BANKABLE ASSETS BASE ON THE GLOBAL COMMODITY PRICE OR BETTER GO BACK TO GOLD BASE AND ISSUE YOUR OWN LOCAL CURRENCY AND MEET YOUR CLIMATE AND GLOBAL REDUCTION PROGRAMS INDEPENDENTLY WHICH IS LEGAL TO DO. IT IS YOUR SOVEREIGN CHOICE NO OTHER NATIONS WILL STOP YOU IF YOU DO THAT.
PLEASE GIVE THIS EMAIL MESSAGE A SERIOUS TAUGHT.
Bush Mangi
Thanks REDD Monitor, SBS and Aljazeera for revieling the rot in PNG.
If no deal was reached in Copenhagen and yet Aljazeera and SBS TVs talk about the mess we are in PNG about Carbon Trading, Carbon Cowboys. OCCES&CT and the effects of Global Warming and Climate change. Sir Somare and Kevin ConnREDD should start small in PNG.
Many questions are still being asked….why pay McKinsey Consultants a huge K5 million for a weeks work on PNG POSITION FOR COP15 while 80% of their hypotesis was drawn based on external data while they came to PNG just to confirm 20% and presented it and was their report having any meaning on PNG’s position at the Copenhagen meeting; people who went there should report back to the people of PNG….what a shame on Kevin, Somare and Wari….maybe they also took their 10-20% of that K5 million.
With the LNG project now off the ground, PNG does not need to ask or beg for money from external sources for REDD and other climate change related projects in PNG. It must now look at its own internal funding sources if it is serious about its 6.5 million people and the future.
Somare and his Ministers are becoming filty rich at the expense of the people of PNG, our land and resources with very little benefiting the majority…PNG is a rich country as the Americans said ” An island of Gold floating on an ocean of oil” …and yet we are poor because our leaders are greedy, selfish, and corrupt and live in a dream world.
It is about time, greedy Politicians and Ministers of Government are executed by firing squad.
Sori ol pipol bilong yumi Papua Niugini, wanem taim tru bai yumi kirap, sanap and opim ai luksave na opim iau na harim tok and wokim samting tru bilong gutpela bilong yumi nau na ol pikinini bilong yumi long bihain taim !!
Was McKinsey’s really paid K5 million for a week’s work for PNG on climate change? How do you know? Where did the money come from?
“This is indeed the core of what conditionality is supposedly about – aid buys reform. Unfortunately, it does no such thing.”
— Paul Collier, The failure of conditionality, Overseas Development Council, 1997
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Outfits, Redemption DLC Outfits
Savvy Merchant Outfit
The Savvy Merchant is an outfit featured in Red Dead Redemption.
Marston buying weapons and ammunition from a gunsmith.
The Savvy Merchant outfit dresses Marston in a navy blue pea coat with a pair of black pants similar to those worn with the Elegant Suit. Marston's cowboy hat is replaced with a taupe beret.
The outfit decreases item costs found in gunsmith stores by half the original price. The discount also stacks with the high honor discount as well as any other discounts bonuses found in the game. The outfit's bonuses don't influence the value of the items the player themselves sells, nor does it effect any other shop aside from gunsmiths.
Before the release of Red Dead Redemption, the Savvy Merchant outfit was one of three outfits proposed by Rockstar Games to be included as a pre-order bonus at GameStop, but it was beaten by the Deadly Assassin Outfit. As such it was originally unobtainable in the game.
The Savvy Merchant outfit's discovery is only unlocked by downloading the free Hunting and Trading Outfits DLC for Red Dead Redemption, which adds the quests for both this outfit and the Expert Hunter Outfit. The DLC is also included in copies for the game's Game of the Year edition.
Five scraps must be obtained by completing challenges before the outfit will be unlocked. The scraps can be obtained in any order.
Scrap 1: Win $1000 total from Gambling
Scrap 2: Buy or sell an item at every Gunsmith
Scrap 3: Gather $200 worth of herbs
Scrap 4: Execute 20 people
Scrap 5: Complete "The Prohibitionist" Stranger side-mission
Clearing the Scraps
Scrap 1
Current winnings can be checked in the Money section of Stats. Total gambling winnings have to be at least $1000 to unlock Scrap 1 for the Savvy Merchant Outfit. Note that gambling losses before winning any money will be counted as a negative, so if the player lost $1,000, then they'll have to win $2,000 to make a $1,000 profit and unlock the first scrap of the outfit.
$1000 winnings from gambling may seem like a challenge, but it can easily done by playing Five Finger Fillet at Armadillo. Once the 4th contestant sits down, wager $100. The combination for both rounds is "A-B, A-Y, A-X, A-B, A-Y" (Xbox 360) or "X-O, X- ▲, X-Square, X-O, X- ▲ " (PS3). Keep repeating this, wagering $100 each time, and after 10 rounds $1000 should be earned.
To try and win $1,000 in a single go, the player can gamble money playing High Stakes Poker in Blackwater Hotel. However, the table has to have four other players, all of whom have to be cleaned out in order to win each of their $250. The player can not cheat during the game.
Another way to obtain the first scrap, if the outfit is downloaded before completing the Stranger side-mission "Lights, Camera, Action", is to start the stranger side-mission and go to Thieves' Landing to play Liar's Dice. After winning once, continue playing as the ante will remain at $200 and winning will mean that the player will earn a $400 profit per game if there are 3 people, including the player, sitting at the table. This could also be attempted playing the game at the regular ante of $20 if the Stranger task is already completed (although it will obviously take ten times as long), due to the simplicity of Liar's Dice.
The Gunsmiths required for obtaining Scrap 2 are located at Blackwater, Thieves' Landing, Armadillo and Escalera. Simply buying OR selling a single item to each Gunsmith is all that is required. Transactions with Gunsmiths prior to downloading the outfit will not count towards this scrap of the outfit.
This scrap seems to be time consuming, but it is actually not as difficult if herbs are collected from the right location. Within the Great Plains, there are monstrous amounts of herbs. Prairie Poppy appears in frequent amounts in the southern and eastern part of the great plains. Golden Currant appears in the northern section of the great plains. A survivalist map is a big help, giving a wide view of herbs. Herb abundance is so great, the player can collect them traveling on foot. The collectibles section of the stats menu allows tracking of collected herb value. Completing the Survivalist Challenges should generally yield this scrap by the time the 8th level is reached.
To execute someone, the player must simply walk up to them with a gun drawn and press the fire button. A mini-cutscene should play, killing the person and confirming the execution. An easy way of achieving this is to go to Casa Madrugada or Thieves' Landing, where there is no law enforcement. Walk up to someone with the throwing knives out and hold attack. Using the throwing knives results in a silent kill, even if someone witnesses the execution. Players may want to equip their bandana before executing someone, as it hides Marston's identity. It will prevent the player from losing honor points. Another execution method is to shoot both the target's legs, at which point they will drop to their knees and continue shooting the player. Then simply walk up to them, pull the trigger without aiming, and Marston will execute the target with a shot to the head.
Execution opportunities exist within story missions as well as gang hideouts. In general, look for when enemies are just around the corner, then step in and execute them — Marston will also take a couple of strides to an enemy if he has to. Another common execution opportunity is the 'kidnap' event in Thieves' Landing, in which a man is leaving town with a hogtied prostitute on his back. Lasso the man, free the girl, then draw the knife, crouch over the man, and pull the trigger to cut his throat (this also works on any random encounter where you don't have to kill enemies; "stolen wagon/horse" and/or "escaping prisoners").
Scrap 5 - see the mission page for tips.
Usage of the outfit
If the player has the Liars & Cheats DLC pack, the Explosive Rifle is $10,000. It is recommended to use this outfit to reduce the price to $5,000, or, with honor at Peacemaker, only $2,500. As well as making its ammo only $3 each.
An unfinished and untested variation of the Hunting and Trading Outfits DLC was released for the game's PlayStation 3 version on September 1st 2010; the version was reported to be glitched and bugged. Rockstar Games released a finished version on October 12th, and recommended players to delete the original version and download the newer one.
A glitch may occur with this outfit, in which the first cutscene of story missions won't play.
Promotional depiction of the Savvy Merchant outfit.
Promotional screenshot of the Savvy Merchant outfit.
The Savvy Merchant outfit appearing in a trailer depicting the pre-order outfits.
The Savvy Merchant outfit's benefits described.
Trailer screenshot of the Savvy Merchant outfit.
Marston dueling, wearing the outfit.
Related Content for Savvy Merchant Outfit
Google • Images
Rockstar site
The links above will perform a search for the content that matches this page's name.
Outfits in Red Dead Redemption
Standard outfits
Cowboy | Elegant Suit | Duster Coat | Mexican Poncho | Rancher
Gang outfits
Bandito | Bollard Twins | Reyes' Rebels | Treasure Hunter | US Army | US Marshal | Walton's Gang
Special outfits
Bureau Uniform | Gentleman's Attire | Legend of the West
DLC outfits
Deadly Assassin | Expert Hunter | Savvy Merchant
Undead Nightmare outfits
Union Suit | Undead Hunter | Legend of the Apocalypse | Undead Cowboy
Bold text indicates upcoming outfits
Scraps | Pre-order bonuses | Category:Redemption Outfits | Category:Outfits
Retrieved from "https://reddead.fandom.com/wiki/Savvy_Merchant_Outfit?oldid=371190"
Redemption DLC Outfits
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People Stories
Why Tuc Craft Kitchen Sees the Value in Rise Payroll
Written by Rise Staff
Tuc Craft Kitchen believes that sharing good food with friends and family is life’s greatest pleasure.
In 2013, co-owners Colin Ross, James MacFarlane, and Roy Flemming turned their vision into reality of incorporating the experience of hanging out in the kitchen with friends into the dining experience. Today, the Gastown-based restaurant & bar serves farm to table food, craft beer, inventive cocktails, and a carefully curated selection of wine in a setting that truly brings to life that feeling of homestyle cooking and hospitality.
Tuc Craft Kitchen lives by their guiding values of authenticity, comfort, genuine care and warmth, and the love and support of things that are local. The founders were determined to build a team of people that shared those same values, and what that has afforded them is a stable staff of 35 employees, which is unheard of in the high turnover industry of the restaurant business.
Ensuring there are no qualms regarding payroll is key to providing support to the employees of Tuc Craft Kitchen. As Colin Ross shared, they previously used a well-known service for their payroll. After meeting with the founders of Rise in person, their interest was piqued and they were curious to know more, particularly because they liked the idea of supporting a small local business, much like themselves. Soon enough, they saw other similar values shared between Tuc Craft Kitchen and Rise, such as the comfort, care, and ease in the services provided, and the match was inevitable.
Colin’s favourite things about Rise
Time & attendance integration
Tuc Craft Kitchen uses their point of sale system to track their staff’s hours. Hours worked are cross-referenced with the employee’s schedule, after which the hours are then entered into the Rise software.
“The idea of having a downloadable integration with our point of sale system was an important factor [of our decision to use Rise].”
Resourceful customer support
“I’ve had a good experience with the customer service team. They are very responsive and get back to us right away. If they don’t have the answer right away, they’ve always managed to find the answer quickly.”
A comfortable experience
“It’s simple. The interface is clean and easy to navigate. And it’s reliable.”
“Because the hours can be automatically inputted, it definitely saves time, and that time can be spent less on data input and more on review and accuracy. End of year processes are a lot easier too.”
Worry-free
“When it comes to payroll systems, the less we have to think about it or worry about it, the better. And since we don’t have to think about it or worry about it, we’re really happy.”
Looking for more Rise People case studies?
Explore these client stories:
Why The Arbutus Club Puts Their People First With Rise Payroll
Why THE TEN SPOT Feels Like a 10 With Rise Payroll & Benefits
The Key Ingredient In Savoury Chef’s Recipe for Success
Discover how Rise can help you improve your employee experience, save time, and money in the same way that we did for our Vancouver client.
Canadian Disrupter Rise People Offers Free Payroll to Small Businesses in Canada
As part of Rise People’s commitment to small business, the company is now offering free payroll to businesses with 10 employees or less.
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Research | Open | Published: 04 May 2018
Identifying risk factors for L’Hermitte’s sign after IMRT for head and neck cancer
Hannah M. Laidley ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-8440-98981,2,
David J. Noble2,3,
Gill C. Barnett2,3,
Julia R. Forman2,4,
Amy M. Bates2,
Richard J. Benson2,
Sarah J. Jefferies2,
Rajesh Jena2 &
Neil G. Burnet2,5
L’Hermitte’s sign (LS) after chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer appears related to higher spinal cord doses. IMRT plans limit spinal cord dose, but the incidence of LS remains high.
One hundred seventeen patients treated with TomoTherapy™ between 2008 and 2015 prospectively completed a side-effect questionnaire (VoxTox Trial Registration: UK CRN ID 13716). Baseline patient and treatment data were collected. Radiotherapy plans were analysed; mean and maximum spinal cord dose and volumes receiving 10, 20, 30 and 40 Gy were recorded. Dose variation across the cord was examined. These data were included in a logistic regression model.
Forty two patients (35.9%) reported LS symptoms. Concurrent weekly cisplatin did not increase LS risk (p = 0.70, OR = 1.23 {95% CI 0.51–2.34}). Of 13 diabetic participants (9 taking metformin), only 1 developed LS (p = 0.025, OR = 0.13 {95% CI 0.051–3.27}). A refined binary logistic regression model showed that patients receiving unilateral radiation (p = 0.019, OR = 2.06 {95% CI 0.15–0.84}) were more likely to develop LS. Higher V40Gy (p = 0.047, OR = 1.06 {95% CI 1.00–1.12}), and younger age (mean age 56.6 vs 59.7, p = 0.060, OR = 0.96 {95% CI 0.92–1.00}) were associated with elevated risk of LS, with borderline significance.
In this cohort, concomitant cisplatin did not increase risk, and LS incidence was lower in diabetic patients. Patient age and dose gradients across the spinal cord may be important factors.
With contemporary techniques, transverse myelitis following radical radiotherapy (RT) for head and neck cancer (HNC) is extremely rare. The QUANTEC paper of 2010 quotes a risk of < 1% at 54Gy with conventional fractionation [1], and recent randomised trials have mandated maximum spinal cord (SC) doses much lower than this [2, 3]. However, milder spinal cord toxicity in the form of L’Hermitte’s sign (LS) may be more prevalent.
LS is characterised by electric-shock sensations down the spine and into limbs on neck movement (particularly flexion). It is a well-recognised symptom of demyelinating conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) [4], and can also occur as a side effect of radiation to the cervical or thoracic spinal cord [5]. The mechanism is believed to be transient inhibition of oligodendrocyte proliferation leading to reversible demyelination [6, 7]. LS usually develops in the first few months after radiotherapy, and seldom lasts more than 6 months [7,8,9], but can be unpleasant and distressing for patients. No clear link between radiogenic LS and progressive irreversible myelitis has been established, although delayed radiation-induced myelopathy causing paralysis may be preceded by LS [9].
Historical series, in which patients were treated with conformal, field-based techniques, report a risk of LS following RT for HNC between 3 and 13% [9,10,11]. More recent work on LS following Intensity Modulated RT (IMRT) for thoracic and head and neck malignancy describes an incidence between 15 and 29% [5, 12, 13]. Since IMRT permits superior sparing of critical organs at risk (OARs), and given our previous understanding of the dose-response relationship of the spinal cord [1, 14], these results are surprising. Recent research has indicated that younger age and higher maximum dose are risk factors, and inferred that concomitant chemotherapy may also be implicated [13, 15].
IMRT can generate steep dose gradients in order to adequately treat target volumes, whilst sparing OARs such as the SC. This often results in inhomogeneous dose distributions across OARs, and work on rat models has suggested that such inhomogeneity may be a risk factor for LS [16]. Whilst some clinical data appears to support this notion [12], no convincing evidence of a ‘bath and shower’ effect has yet been seen [13].
We sought to examine the link between radiation dose, comorbidities, and concomitant systemic therapy and the subsequent development of LS using a logistic regression model, in a cohort of patients with HNC recruited to the VoxTox study.
Study design & patient selection
VoxTox is a longitudinal observational study to collect toxicity data for patients undergoing image-guided IMRT [17]. It received National Research Ethics Service (NRES) Committee East approval in February 2013 (13/EE/0008) and is part of the UK Clinical research network Study Portfolio (UK CRN ID 13716).
Adults undergoing curative RT with daily image guidance (IG) for histologically confirmed HNC are eligible for the broader study. This work included patients with squamous cell carcinomas (SCC’s) and salivary gland tumours (SGT’s) undergoing treatment to the primary site and neck with a minimum of 30 fractions. Prescription doses of 60Gy and above were permitted, and for patients to be included, a minimum of ipsilateral nodal levels II and III needed to be included in the neck CTV. As new LS beyond the first year is rare [9], a minimum follow up of 1 year was mandated. The following factors were regarded as exclusion criteria; incomplete baseline screening of past medical history, shorter fractionation schedules (fraction size > 2.17Gy), primary site radiation only, documented neurological comorbidity, non-specific neurological symptoms (e.g. numbness and tingling) at baseline, and insufficient follow up.
Patient treatment
All patients in this study underwent helical IMRT on the TomoTherapy HiArt™ system with daily IG [18]. Immobilisation was with a thermoplastic shell, and simulation performed on a planning-CT with 3 mm slices. Diagnostic imaging including MRI and PET-CT was rigidly co-registered to aid contour definition. A 3-dose, 30 fraction technique was used for SCCs. Gross primary and nodal disease CTV’s received 65Gy, high-risk elective regions 60Gy and lower risk neck CTVs 54Gy in line with recent trial protocols [2]. Post-operative patients (both SCC’s and SGT’s) underwent adjuvant RT following surgery and received 60Gy in 30 fractions to primary site and elective nodal regions depending on risk. A PTV margin of 5 mm was used for all target volumes. The SC (not canal) was contoured as an OAR, with a 3 mm PRV margin. A maximum dose objective of 46Gy and absolute dose constraint of 50Gy to the SC PRV were defined.
Fit patients (KPS ≥ 80) up to 70 years old with Stage III-IV SCC received concomitant weekly cisplatin (40 mg/m2), or cetuximab (400 mg/m2 loading dose, 250 mg/m2 weekly dose) if specific contraindications to cisplatin existed [19]. Chemotherapy records were retrospectively accessed to define how many cycles of systemic therapy patients received. Baseline characteristics are listed in Table 1.
Table 1 Patient characteristics univariate analysis
Toxicity assessment
Using both the CTCAE v4.03, and LENT-SOM(A) scales, patients had toxicity assessments undertaken at baseline, and 3, 6 and 12 months post-treatment [20, 21]. Interviews were undertaken by the study research radiographer. Patients were asked about symptoms of LS, and responses were logged digitally at interview into a database within MOSAIQ® (Elekta, Stockholm, Sweden) care management software.
CTCAE v4.03 was used for the primary analysis. Symptoms consistent with LS qualified as Grade 1 myelitis. On this basis, patients were categorised as either having LS or not. Previous studies show that the average duration of LS is 4–6 months [10, 11, 13]. We therefore took a single positive response as sufficient to define patients as having developed LS. The LENT-SOM(A) scale was used to grade severity of symptoms from 0 to 4, and this data informed a secondary ordinal analysis. The relevant question from the clinical reporting form is found in supplementary materials (Additional file 1: Figure. S1).
Spinal cord dosimetry
Planning CT images, structure sets and dose cubes were reloaded into RT contouring software ProSoma v3.3 (MedCom GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany). To minimise bias from inter-observer contouring variability, the spinal cord was re-contoured for all cases by one observer (DJN). To replicate the methodology of a similar study [13], two separate volumes were created; ‘whole cord’ and ‘short cord’ (Fig. 1a). Whole cord was defined by foramen magnum superiorly, and inferior extent of the planning scan, usually carina, inferiorly. The short cord volume was created by deleting slices caudal to the most inferior PTV slice. ProSoma was used to compute cumulative DVH’s for both structures. The whole cord volume was used to calculate the maximum point dose to the spinal cord (Dmax), and the minimum dose to the 2cm3 of the spinal cord receiving the highest dose (D2cc), as well as the absolute volumes receiving 10, 20, 30 and 40Gy respectively (V10Gy, V20Gy, V30Gy, V40Gy) [13]. The short cord volume was used to calculate mean and median dose to the cervical cord, and relative volumes receiving 10, 20, 30 and 40Gy respectively (V10%, V20%, V30%, V40%).
a ‘whole cord’ shown in blue, ‘short cord’ in pink. b axial dose gradient across the cervical cord; max. Left - right gradient 8.3Gy (36.9–28.6Gy). Dose wash; 95% isodose for 60Gy (57.9Gy) dark red, 50Gy light red, 45Gy orange, 40Gy amber, 35Gy green, 30Gy light blue, 25Gy royal blue
To investigate the effect of dose inhomogeneity [12, 13], DVH data for short cord volumes were used to calculate homogeneity index, defined as (D2% - D98%)/D50% [22]. An example patient with LS, and a significant axial dose gradient across the spinal cord, is shown in Fig. 1b.
A refined logistic regression model was developed in three steps: 1) Univariate analyses 2) Logistic regression model 3) Refined logistic regression model. Univariate relationships between LS incidence and baseline parameters, chemotherapy and radiotherapy data were analysed using Fisher’s Exact test if they were binary, student’s t-test if data were parametric (determined by Shapiro-Wilk test), and Mann-Whitney U test if not. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for independent variables. Estimates of the confidence intervals between medians are shown in Table 2 [23]. A receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the relationship between number of cycles of cisplatin received, and the incidence of LS.
Table 2 Univariate analysis of SC Dose parameters and LS incidence
Variables were included in a regression model based on three criteria: (i) biological plausibility and evidence from previous studies, (ii) collinearity statistics to reduce confounding, (iii) univariate analysis association at the p < 0.15 level. Automated subset selection algorithms were not used, nor was selection based solely on univariate statistics, as these methods may conflate chance effects and reduce the reliability of models in biological systems [24]. Instead variables that fit the three criteria above were used to produce a regression model. Finally, the model was refined by removing all variables where p > 0.15 and recalculating the regression model. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS v23, and R statistical software (R Notebook, R version v3.4.0, R Foundation for Statistical Computing).
One hundred seventeen patients were included in the final analysis, and 42 patients (35.9%) reported LS symptoms at least once: 29 reported Grade 1 LS, 11 Grade 2, two people had Grade 3 symptoms, and none reported Grade 4. Mean onset of LS symptoms was 5.4 months; median duration was 6 months.
Univariate analyses
Cisplatin prescription (as a binary variable) was not associated with LS development (Table 1). As cisplatin was administered weekly, ROC curve analysis was used to test the hypothesis that patients receiving a greater cumulative dose might be at greater risk, despite the absence of a relationship as a binary variable (Fig. 2). This confirmed that the number of cycles of cisplatin received had no impact on incidence of LS (ROC curve AUC = 0.53, 95% CI 0.43–0.63). However, younger patients were more likely to get cisplatin, (mean age 56.1 +/− 7.8 vs 61.7 +/− 11.1, p = 0.0017), whilst diabetic and hypertensive patients were less likely to receive the drug (p = 0.0036 and p = 0.017 respectively). Univariate analysis showed possible relationships between LS and all 3 factors (Table 1). Therefore, to mitigate the potential for these factors confounding and masking a real effect from concomitant chemotherapy, cisplatin was included in the first iteration of the logistic regression model.
Number of cycles of cisplatin received vs incidence of LS
a number of cisplatin cycles received by patients with and without LS (absolute numbers above bars). b - Receiver Operator Characteristic curve - number of cisplatin cycles received for prediction of LS (AUC = 0.525, 95% CI = 0.416 to 0.634)
Unilateral neck treatment tends towards significance on univariate analysis, despite mean Dmax being lower in patients treated unilaterally than those undergoing bilateral neck irradiation (35.4 vs 36.9Gy). This difference did not reach significance at the 5% level (p = 0.08, Additional file 1: Figure S2). Homogeneity index was slightly higher in patients with LS (p = 0.049) and significantly higher in patients receiving unilateral treatment (p = 0.0004) (Table 2, Fig. 3).
Dose inhomogeneity in patients with and without LS
a Box and whisker plots showing higher homogeneity index in LS patients b higher homogeneity index in patients receiving unilateral neck radiation.
Both mean and maximum SC dose was similar in patients with and without LS (Table 2). Only 28.6% of patients who developed LS, but also 26.7% of patients who did not, had SC Dmax ≥ 40 Gy (p = 0.8). Some dose parameters (V30Gy, V40Gy, V10%, V20%, V30%, V40%) were not normally distributed (because they were mostly 0 or 100 – Additional file 1: Figure S3) and could not be transformed to fit a normal distribution. Using the Mann Whitney U test three dose parameters were associated at the p < 0.15 level; V20%, V30%, and V30Gy. The latter two were excluded to avoid multi-collinearity (Additional file 1: Figure S4 and Table S1).
Previous studies show that higher SC dose is more likely to cause LS or myelitis [7, 11, 15], with absolute or partial volumes over 40 Gy seemingly most predictive for LS [13]. SC doses in our series are substantially lower than these studies, and the absence of a relationship between V40Gy/V40% and LS on univariate analysis (p = 0.85 and 0.86 respectively) may have been influenced by the low proportion of patients receiving ≥40 Gy (27%). Those that did had only small volumes of SC receiving 40 Gy (mean 1.44cm3). V40Gy metrics were therefore included in the logistic regression model, to directly compare with previous work in the field, to account for possible bias on univariate analysis, and to strengthen our initial assertion if univariate analysis results were reproduced.
Logistic regressions
A binary logistic regression model (LS vs Non-LS) was produced - Table 3. Age, unilateral vs bilateral radiation (laterality), homogeneity index, diabetes, and hypertension were included as they trended towards significance on univariate analysis (p < 0.15, Tables 1 and 2). Cisplatin, V20% and V40% were included as described. The model was refined by removing variables with a p value over 0.15. This refined model found 3 predictors of LS with a pre-defined α < 0.05: unilateral neck radiation, higher percentage volumes receiving 40 Gy or more, and absence of diabetes.
Table 3 Binary logistic regression with LS vs Non-LS as the dependent variable
An ordinal regression (highest grade of LS reported as the dependent variable) was also undertaken to investigate an association with more severe symptoms (Additional file 1: Table S2). This suggested younger age is also a significant predictor of LS (p = 0.031).
It is possible that by using relative dose-volume parameters in the primary analysis, small differences in absolute volume were magnified (V40Gy range; 0 to 8.2 cc, V40% range; from 0 to 66.4%). To account for this effect, the analysis was repeated using V20Gy and V40Gy instead of V20% and V40% (Additional file 1: Tables S3 and S4). The outcome was very similar; in this model predictors of LS included younger age (p = 0.028), unilateral treatment (p = 0.042), higher absolute volumes receiving 40 Gy (p = 0.025), and absence of diabetes (p = 0.033). V20Gy was predictive in the ordinal regression (p = 0.021).
This is the largest prospective study of L’Hermitte’s syndrome in HNC patients in the era of IG-IMRT. LS incidence in our cohort is higher than previously reported (3.6–29%) [5, 11,12,13, 15], although mean onset and duration of symptoms were similar. The high incidence may be due to its prospective nature, and the fact that a single positive response classified patients as having LS. As LS is transient [9], we believe this definition is justified. Furthermore, these data come from a large, prospectively evaluated cohort of patients treated with a homogeneous protocol including daily IG and positional correction; thus the observed difference in LS incidence is credible.
Pak and colleagues suggest that concurrent neurotoxic chemotherapy may contribute to a higher incidence of LS [13]. The odds ratio for cisplatin on univariate analysis is 1.23 (95% confidence interval is 0.5 to 2.3). Thus, we cannot conclude that there is an effect from cisplatin. It may be that our study was underpowered to detect such an effect, and there may be a confounding effect of separate factors linked with cisplatin use such as age, hypertension and diabetes.
Surprisingly, V20% was significantly lower on univariate analysis in patients with LS, although its effect was insignificant in the multi-variate model. Conversely, V40Gy and V40% were insignificant on univariate analysis but significant according to the logistic regression model, consistent with previous work [13]. Of note, TomoTherapy plans confer excellent spinal cord sparing, meaning only 27.3% of all the patients in our cohort had a partial cord volume receiving 40 Gy or more. Therefore, our V40Gy results should be interpreted with caution. Mean Dmax in our cohort was 36.4 Gy compared to 39.1 to 42.5 Gy in similar studies using VMAT and IMRT respectively [12, 13], yet more patients in our cohort reported LS than in these studies. Interestingly, a study on 105 patients receiving thoracic IMRT for lymphoma reported a mean Dmax of 33.5 Gy and had an LS incidence of 29% [5], also suggesting factors other than dose may be important. According to our multi-variate analysis, age, diabetes, and unilateral neck radiation may be related factors, although given the sample size and degrees of freedom in the model, p-values for all factors should be considered borderline significant, and interpreted with caution.
Patients developing LS were younger than patients without LS. The difference was insignificant on univariate analysis and binary logistic regression, but significant in the ordinal regression, suggesting younger patients have more severe symptoms if they do develop LS. These findings are not new: Mul and co-workers found a mean age of 52 in LS patients compared with 61 in non-LS patients [15], whilst Leung et al. found a decreased risk in those over 60 [10]. Although younger patients were more likely to receive cisplatin (p = 0.0017) they were not more likely to receive a higher maximum or mean SC dose (r = 0.030 and − 0.203 respectively, Pearson correlation coefficient).
Intriguingly, our data suggest that patients with diabetes are less likely to develop LS, a previously unreported finding. It should be noted that 10.2% of our cohort had diabetes compared to 3.9% and 4.1% in similar studies [13, 15]. Nine of 13 diabetic patients in our cohort took metformin (the one diabetic patient with LS also took metformin). This drug has been suggested to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant neuroprotective effects in mouse models of MS [25, 26], whilst a significant anti-inflammatory effect of metformin and pioglitazone has also been shown in patients with MS and metabolic syndrome [27]. However, more investigation would be needed to ascertain whether these benefits are also seen in radiation-induced demyelination.
Lastly, patients with LS were significantly more likely to have had unilateral neck radiation. A ‘bath and shower’ effect, whereby radiation tolerance is reduced if an area of high dose is surrounded by an area of low dose, was first demonstrated in rat spinal cords [16, 28]. It is hypothesised that low dose radiation prevents oligodendrocyte migration to repair damage, and can alter gene expression [29, 30]. This effect was sought, but not found in a previous clinical study [13]. However, Ko and colleagues observed LS exclusively in patients that received unilateral radiotherapy (5 of 33 patients), and suggest that axial dose inhomogeneity may contribute to the development of LS [12]. Other authors postulate that anterior-posterior dose gradients may be significant because of spinothalamic tract damage [31].
In addition to a relationship between unilateral neck irradiation and LS, we also found that unilateral neck treatment plans had much more inhomogeneous SC dosimetry. Although this inhomogeneity was not an independent risk factor for LS in the multi-variate model, this may be due to the close association with treatment laterality, and the possibility of diluted statistical power within the model. Our interpretation of these data are as follows; firstly, to corroborate previous findings of higher LS risk in patients undergoing unilateral neck treatment, secondly to suggest that inhomogeneous SC dose distributions may be a mechanistic factor in this effect, and finally that a paradoxically rising incidence of LS may in part be due to the greater SC dose inhomogeneity that IMRT confers. It is clear however that understanding of neurological response to complex dose distributions is incomplete.
The incidence of LS in this study remains paradoxically higher than previously reported, despite modern IMRT techniques delivering low SC doses. We found no increased risk from concomitant cisplatin, but confirmed previously reported higher risk in younger patients, and with higher volumes of SC receiving ≥40 Gy. Diabetes appeared to reduce risk, and unilateral neck treatment was associated with LS. Greater SC dose inhomogeneity may explain this finding, but further work on neurological response to complex dose distributions is required.
CTCAE:
Common terminology criteria for adverse events
CTV:
D2cm 3 :
The minimum dose to the 2cm3 of the spinal cord receiving the highest dose
Dmax :
Maximum point dose to the spinal cord
EORTCQLQ:
European organisation for research and treatment of cancer quality of life questionnaire
HNC:
IBM SPSS:
International business machines corporation statistical package for social sciences
Image guidance
Intensity modulated radiotherapy
KPS:
LENTSOM(A):
late effects normal tissue task force – subjective, objective, management, analytic
L’Hermitte’s sign
OAR:
Organ at risk
PRV:
Planning organ at risk volume
ROC:
Receiver operator characteristic
RT:
SCC:
SGT:
Salivary gland tumour
V40% :
Percentage volume of spinal cord receiving 40Gy or more
V40Gy :
Absolute volume of spinal cord receiving 40Gy or more
VMAT:
Volumetric modulated arc therapy
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Thomson D, Yang H, Baines H, et al. NIMRAD - a phase III trial to investigate the use of nimorazole hypoxia modification with intensity-modulated radiotherapy in head and neck cancer. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2014;26:344–7. http://www.clinicaloncologyonline.net/article/S0936-6555(14)00086-7/fulltext.
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Leung WM, Tsang NM, Chang FT, et al. Lhermitte’s sign among nasopharyngeal cancer patients after radiotherapy. Head Neck. 2005;27:187–94. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hed.20140/abstract.
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Ko HC, Powers AR, Sheu RD, et al. Lhermitte’s sign following VMAT-based head and neck radiation-insights into mechanism. PLoS One. 2015;10:e0139448. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/26448647/.
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Bonett DG, Price RM. Statistical inference for a linear function of medians: Confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, and sample size requirements.. Psychological Methods 2002;7(3):370–383.
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Nath N, Khan M, Paintlia MK, Hoda MN, Giri S. Metformin Attenuated the Autoimmune Disease of the Central Nervous System in Animal Models of Multiple Sclerosis. The Journal of Immunology. 2009;182(12):8005–8014.
Paintlia AS, Paintlia MK, Mohan S, Singh AK, Singh I. AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling Protects Oligodendrocytes that Restore Central Nervous System Functions in an Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Model. The American Journal of Pathology. 2013;183(2):526–541.
Negrotto L, Farez MF, Correale J. Immunologic Effects of Metformin and Pioglitazone Treatment on Metabolic Syndrome and Multiple Sclerosis. JAMA Neurology. 2016;73(5):520.
Bijl HP, van Luijk P, Coppes RP, Schippers JM, Konings AWT, van der Kogel AJ. Influence of adjacent low-dose fields on tolerance to high doses of protons in rat cervical spinal cord. International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics. 2006;64(4):1204–1210.
Chari DM, Huang WL, Blakemore WF. Dysfunctional oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) populations may inhibit repopulation of OPC depleted tissue. Journal of Neuroscience Research. 2003;73(6):787–793.
Nieder C, Andratschke N, Astner AT. Experimental concepts for toxicity prevention and tissue restoration after central nervous system irradiation. Radiat Oncol. 2007;2:23. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-717X-2-23.
Dong C. Lim, Patrick J. Gagnon, Sophia Meranvil, Darryl Kaurin, Linda Lipp, John M. Holland. Lhermitte's Sign Developing after IMRT for Head and Neck Cancer. International Journal of Otolaryngology. 2010;2010:1–4.
The authors wish to acknowledge and thank Dr. Marina Romanchikova for assistance with data preparation and transfer.
The VoxTox programme received a 5 year programme grant from Cancer Research UK (CRUK) [grant number CRUK/A13405]. DJN received funding from Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust and CRUK [grant numbers 24/15 A/Noble, RG82557, and C20/A20917]. NGB was supported by the Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. No funding sources were involved in study design or analysis.
Foundation Doctor, Northampton General Hospital, Cliftonville, Northampton, NN1 5BD, UK
Hannah M. Laidley
VoxTox Research Group, Cambridge University Dept. of Oncology, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Box 197 Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0XZ, UK
, David J. Noble
, Gill C. Barnett
, Julia R. Forman
, Amy M. Bates
, Richard J. Benson
, Sarah J. Jefferies
, Rajesh Jena
& Neil G. Burnet
Oncology Centre, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
David J. Noble
& Gill C. Barnett
Cambridge Clinical Trials Unit, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Rd, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
Julia R. Forman
Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Cancer Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, and the Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
Neil G. Burnet
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HML and DJN analysed and interpreted patient data and were major contributors in writing the manuscript. GCB and JRF were involved in statistical analysis and reporting. AMB was the study research radiographer who collected all patient data. RJB and SJJ recruited patients to the study. RJ and NGB made substantial contributions to conception and design of the study. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Correspondence to Hannah M. Laidley.
VocTox received National Research Ethics Service (NRES) Committee East approval in February 2013 (13/EE/0008).
Additional File 1:
Figure S1. The relevant question from the clinical reporting form Shows the question patients were asked to grade severity of LS from 1 to 4. Figure S2. Maximum spinal cord dose in patients with unilateral and bilateral neck radiation Box and whisker plot showing no difference in Dmax for patients with unilateral and bilateral neck radiation. Figure S3. Dose parameters in patients with no LS symptoms (unshaded, n = 75), and with LS (shaded, n = 42) A – Dose to spinal cord. B – Volume of spinal cord receiving 10, 20, 30, and 40 Gy. C – Percentage of spinal cord receiving 10, 20, 30, and 40 Gy. Figure S4. Dose parameter multi-collinearity plots. A – V20% vs V30%. B – V20% vs V40% Scatter plots showing significant multicollinearity between V20% and V30%, but less collinearity between V20% and V40%. Table S1. Collinearity statistics for models containing V20%, V30%, and V40% Tables showing variance inflation factor and tolerance statistics for logistic regression models containing A V20%, V30%, and V40% (high collinearity); and B V20% and V40% (low collinearity). Table S2. Ordinal logistic regression with highest reported grade of LS as the dependent variable Logistic regression output showing younger age and absence of diabetes are significantly associated with higher grade LS. Table S3. Binary logistic regression with LS vs Non-LS as the dependent variable, and absolute dose volumes (in cc). Logistic regression output showing that using absolute volume or percentage volume makes little difference to the predictive power of the model or the odds ratio for variables in the refined model. Table S4. Ordinal logistic regression with highest reported grade of LS as the dependent variable, and absolute dose volumes (in cc). Logistic regression output showing that using absolute volume or percentage volume makes little difference to the predictive power of the model or the odds ratio for variables in the refined model. (PDF 234 kb)
Chemoradiotherapy
Head and neck neoplasms
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Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
"computer - brain question (this may have just been asked of me because I'm a neuroscience major)" Report Response
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The Schuylkill River begins at its headwaters in the mountains near the tiny coal-region town of Tuscarora, PA and flows southeasterly for 137 miles through Schuylkill, Berks, Montgomery, Chester, and Philadelphia Counties on its way to its confluence with the Delaware River. The Schuylkill River Watershed is the most densely-populated region in Pennsylvania. Over 3.2 million people live, work, and play in this 1,700-square mile area (over 1.2 million acres). Almost one-third of the state’s population lives within its boundaries and nearly 25% of the U.S. population lives within a five-hour drive of the Schuylkill.
The Schuylkill River Water Trail is a paddler’s destination, but recreational motorboaters, water skiers and rowers will also find many places to enjoy the Water Trail. Some of the Schuylkill’s tributaries and nearby lakes also offer public access.
Use the links below to see more details about each section of the Water Trail.
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Paddling the Schuylkill River can be a fun way to exercise and enjoy the outdoors. Public access points to the Schuylkill are marked as landings on the Schuylkill River Water Trail. These locations are publicly owned and maintained and meet Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission standards. Look for the oval medallion at these launch points. The river can be shallow and rocky at spots, so please be sure to check the water levels in the area you wish to paddle before putting in. Also, please note that there are several dams on the Schuylkill, and paddlers are required by law to portage around these dams. Portages can be lengthy in unimproved locations.
To gauge how much time it takes to paddle from one landing to the other, consult the water trail map to calculate the river miles from point A to B. Typically 4 river miles will take a little more than an hour under normal flow conditions. Or, visually gauge the speed of the river. The average person walks at 3 miles per hour. Is the river moving slower or faster than you can walk?
The maps included on this website are from the printed guide A Paddler’s Guide to the Schuylkill River Water Trail.
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Paddlers Advised Not to Use Schuylkill Haven Island Park Landing Due to Tree Hazards
Kayak, tube, and canoe paddlers are advised to begin their Schuylkill River Paddle at Port Clinton, and not to paddle the Schuylkill River from Island Park, Schuylkill Haven, to Landingville for the indefinite future due to numerous in and over water tree hazards and debris fields at many river railroad bridges. Schuylkill River Greenways is forming crews to address as many of the hazards before the June 1st Sojourn paddling event. If you can help clear the river, please contact Bob Folwell at 484 945-0200 or at rfolwell@schuylkillriver.org. You don't need to know how to operate a chain saw to help clear the river.
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Batman #9 Review
Arkham Asylum, Batman, Batman #8, Batman #9 review, Batman I Am Suicide, Batman I Am Suicide Part 1, comics, Commissioner Gordon, DC Comics, DC Rebirth, Gotham, Gotham City, June Chung, Mikel Janin, Tom King
Batman #9
It’s a case of better the devil you know in Batman #9 as the Dark Knight embarks on a mission to return Psycho Pirate to Gotham so he can save Gotham Girl. Recruiting a team from the bowels of Arkham’s most deranged and dangerous to break into an impregnable prison in order to take something from one of his deadliest enemies, there’s no doubt that Batman has had some crazy ideas in his time, but this could be suicide!
Tom King really begins to stamp his mark on the series with this issue of Batman. I Am Suicide Part 1 is a wonderfully brooding and menacing opening to this new story arc. King brings us a frighteningly graphic and nightmarish glimpse into Bane’s psyche forged in brutality right from the outset, one that’s chilling in the extreme, and it makes Bane‘s presence feel all the more formidable and ominous as a result. Psycho Pirate is also something of a revelation here; and his role is potentially the most intriguing one of all.
The embellishments King waves into the narrative are sublime, there’s a wonderful scene with Alfred, and a nostalgic tip of the hat to the Batman TV series, but ultimately it is Batman’s decision to accept Amanda Walker’s proposition that brings him to Arkham, and that’s were the issue really notches up the suspense. The Dark Knight’s recruitment drive is uncompromising, calculated, and full of surprises. There’s a host of familiar faces here, some old, some newer, some unexpected, and King is clearly relishing every moment here as Batman’s makes his way through this ghoulish pick-and-mix of madness and mayhem to form his team.
Mikel Janin’s excellent pencils and inks on this issue gloriously flesh out the powerful nuances and subtexts within every scene, matching the beats of King’s tautly scripted plot perfectly, and the result is stunning. The psychological horror and revulsion of that opening scene alone nearly drowns you in terror, Janin’s rendition of Bane is as mesmerising as it is intimidating, this makes the contrast with the tender emotional scenes with Gotham Girl all the more striking, and if ever there was a money shot in comics then our glimpse of the Dark Knight standing outside the gates of Arkham in this issue will totally blow you away. June Chung’s colors are equally magnificent, with deep shadows, aquatic hues, and hazy dread dominating early scenes, while Arkham’s interior with its red railings and opaque off-white walls, and resplendent atmospheric gloom are just some of the many visual highlights that fires the imagination as the issue unfolds.
Indeed, there’s a legion of foreshadowing to enjoy, and hints that several things are going to spin out from the issue. The final addition to Batman’s team brokers no argument as this issue draws to a closes in fine style. I’ve been enjoying Tom King’s run since he took over on Batman. Sure, I had a few misgivings and some slight niggles with the early issues, but those gradually ironed out. His approach to Batman has ushered in a fresh new era and simultaneously widened the scope of Batman‘s world and has made him even more integral to the rest of the DCU overall. It takes time to get used to a new creative team sometimes, I Am Gotham got things off to a good start post Rebirth, Night of the Monster Men had its moments, but I feel that with Batman #9 Tom King is really hitting his stride now and bang on the money with this first instalment of I Am Suicide.
Writer: Tom King / Pencils & Inks: Mikel Janin
Colors: June Chung / Clayton Cowles: Letters
Cover: Mikel Janin / Variant Cover: Tim Sale and Rico Renzi
12 thoughts on “Batman #9 Review”
The Telltale Mind said:
This was the best issue of the new Batman launch so far. Cannot wait for the next issue now where as before, I was close to dropping it. Good review!
Paul Bowler said:
It was a great issue, my favourite so far in this new Batman run. There’s lots of potential with this new story arc, its darker, and more compelling. Thanks, glad you enjoyed the review, was an interesting issue to write about.
healed1337 said:
I agree that this issue is enjoyable, but it’s hard to gauge how good this story arc will be. It’s a great built-up issue, but that’s still all it is, build up.
Very true, this issue is all about setting the scene for the new arc and all the characters involved. I still think Batman #9 is one of the strongest issues in King’s run that I’ve read so far. Hopefully the rest of the story can live up to the potential set up in this issue.
Chris Evans said:
Great review Paul (glad you picked up on the nod to the 60s tv series as well!), I’m glad that the risible “Night of the Monster Men” is finally over! I am Suicide has me intrigued and should set the stage for Justice League vs Suicide Squad.
Thank you, yes I love it when they put in little nods to the past like this. I wasn’t a fan of the Monster Men crossover that much either. I am Suicide has so much potential and I like the dark, gritty tone as well. Think we are in for a very exciting storyline. Yes, I expect this might pave the way for Justice League V Suicide Squad as well, indeed, this issue had a Legion of foreshadowing for the future. Cheers and glad you enjoyed the review as well, had a lot of fun doing this one, so many great points to cover 🙂
Victor De Leon said:
Haven’t started the rebirth batman books yet but I will catch up very soon when I get some down time. Thanks for the head’s up!
no, wait! I have actually started them lol. up to issue 3 or 4 so I still have some catching up to do!
No too far to catch up then! I’ve been enjoying this new run of Batman, I feel its really hitting its stride now with issue #9, and the new I Am Suicide story arc has certainly got off to a strong start. Fantastic artwork in this issue as well!
awesome! can’t wait 😁👌
Enjoy catching up with DC’s Rebirth and the Batman books 🙂
thanks, I will. I have them lined up, my man! 👌😁
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Whisky Reviews
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Caermory
Single malt whisky produced at Tobermory distillery, initially for a tax exemption scheme.
Caermory Profile
Islands Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Put simply, Caermory is a limited edition run of unpeated single malt from Tobermory distillery on the Isle of Mull, bottled under a different name. However, the story of its conception is anything but simple [see below].
Matured solely in ex-Bourbon casks, Caermory was initially released as a no-age-statement ‘single malt Scotch whisky from the Isle of Mull’, but has since been bottled as a 15-year-old (at 56% abv), 20-year-old (at 49.6% abv) and most recently as a single cask 21-year-old (at 48.2% abv).
The release of Caermory 25-year-old is being planned for the end of 2017.
Produced at
Caermory History
In a word, the history of this brand is fascinating. In 1992 Harold Currie (ex-Pernod Ricard and Isle of Arran Distillers), Stewart Jowett (then owner of Tobermory distillery) and Derek Hewson (a tax and revenue consultant) planned to get Tobermory distillery, which had been silent since 1982, up and running again.
The trio created the Spirit of 1992 PLC as a Business Expansion Scheme (BES) project, which exempted investors from paying capital gains tax.
The group issued the plan to potential investors on 16 September 1992 – Black Wednesday – but luckily managed to attract investment of £750,000. Distillation started in March 1993 on Tobermory’s two copper pot stills, which hadn’t been used for around a decade.
As soon as Spirit of 1992 had finished distilling, Jowett sold Tobermory to Burn Stewart Distillers, but the BES retained the 150,000 litres of spirit it had distilled.
In 1998 the company sold what had become five-year-old single malt whisky as bulk, and bottled just 888 bottles as ‘single malt Scotch whisky from the Isle of Mull’. It wasn’t until later the whisky became known as Caermory.
Hewson had kept his own stock of 20 hogsheads in bond to allow him to release it for sale at a later date, bottled as Caermory by Hunter Laing & Co. Three single casks have been bottled to-date with an approximate outturn of 280 bottles per cask, although some hogsheads have been traded to Hunter Laing wholesale.
There are plans for a 25-year-old but this may turn on whether Hewson feels his investment would be better realised by selling his remaining stock to the trade.
1992 Spirit of 1992 PLC is established to purchase Tobermory spirit
1993 The run of what will become Caermory spirit is produced at Tobermory distillery
2002 The Spirit of 1992 PLC is dissolved
2008 Caermory is released as a 15-year-old
2013 Caermory 20-year-old is released
Caermory Whisky 2008 - present
Previous owner
The Spirit of 1992 1993 - 2002
Caermory Whisky
114 Wymondley Road
SG4 9PX
Visitor Opening Hours
Not open to the public
Own-label
The global supermarket chain has been selling Scotch under its own label for more than a decade.
Tobermory’s alter-ego peated malt.
Islay Pillaged
This series of three independently bottled blended malts raised thousands for charity.
Calchou
An Orkney single malt – most likely Highland Park – that was bottled only briefly during the 1990s.
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The Good Place Season 1 Finale Review: Serialized Comedy At Its Best
by Molly Freeman
in TV Reviews
[This is a review of The Good Place season 1 finale. There will be SPOILERS.]
NBC's Thursday night comedy block has a history of including beloved and critically acclaimed series; the most recent lineup of must-see TV included The Office, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, and Community. Although it doesn't span the entire two-hour primetime block of, NBC has somewhat resuscitated Thursday night comedy with Superstore and The Good Place. Developed by Parks and Recreation co-creator Michael Schur, The Good Place premiere introduced Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell), who discovers she was sent to the wrong afterlife.
Throughout season 1, Eleanor has received help from the man with whom she was erroneously matched as soulmate Chidi (William Jackson Harper), her next door neighbor Tahani (Jameela Jamil), and Tahani's supposed soulmate Jianyu (Manny Jacinto) -- who was revealed to also be in the Good Place by accident and is actually named Jason Mendoza. Meanwhile, Michael (Ted Danson), the facilitator of their neighborhood in the Good Place, and the human-looking guide Janet (D'Arcy Carden) have worked to figure out what went wrong.
In the one-hour The Good Place season 1 finale, 'Mindy St. Claire/Michael's Gambit', Eleanor travels with Jianyu and Janet to a Medium Place inhabited only by one woman. Meanwhile, Michael must contend with the judge Shawn, who arrived in his neighborhood in the previous episode. Plus, Eleanor and her friends contemplate what it means to be in the Good Place.
All season long, The Good Place has been building to a confrontation and some sort of resolution to Eleanor's presence in the neighborhood - even as she questioned the logic of the Good Place (Eleanor suggested she belonged in some sort of Medium Place earlier in season 1). These threads of Eleanor's distrust in the "Good Place's" logic were paid off in the best possible way when she realized during 'Michael's Gambit' that she and her friends are actually in the Bad Place, with Michael was the architect of their incredibly specialized torture.
Throughout season 1, The Good Place has used humor to tackle the morally complex question of what makes a person good or bad. Eleanor - as both a character and the audience stand-in - is told early on that there are rigid rules to the Good Place. The point system determined that Chidi and Tahani were good, while Eleanor's mistaken identity implied she was bad, with it later being confirmed by Trevor (Adam Scott) - and everyone can agree Jason is bad.
But, the actions of the characters seemed to be in opposition to the rules laid out by The Good Place's world. Tahani was self-centered and prideful; Chidi was indecisive and often too wrapped up in theory to carry out any kind of action, whether good or bad. Meanwhile, Eleanor learned to be selfless and Jason fell in love with Janet - which presumes a level of empathy and compassion. These character traits and arcs allowed for a number of comedic beats, but additionally provided an even more complex moral dilemma.
All throughout the season, and especially in The Good Place's season finale, the show let its characters shine - flaws and all - though they were helped greatly by the chemistry of the cast. Shur's other sitcom success, Parks and Recreation, brought together vastly different characters who formed a kind of family, and the same can be said of The Good Place. Even as Michael was revealed to be an antagonist - a transformation that was delivered expertly by Danson - the interaction of the four humans, Janet, and the architect made for some heartwarming and hilarious moments.
In terms of the major character arc in season 1, 'Mindy St. Claire' made it seem as though Eleanor had finally completed her journey from self-involved Bad Place-dweller to someone deserving of a spot in the Good Place. The episode even highlighted what sent Eleanor down a selfish path - though she owned up and took responsibility for her actions - and how she died. Then, when given the choice between staying safe in the Medium Place or going to the Bad Place in order to save her friends, Eleanor chose to save her friends - and even fought against opposition from Janet, Jason, and Mindy herself.
But, when it seemed The Good Place had reached its logical conclusion, so far as the world had been established and developed in season 1, 'Michael's Gambit' turned the series on its head. The reveal that Michael is an architect of the Bad Place rather than the Good Place, and the further development of The Good Place's afterlife, provided for a quick turnaround of the show's trajectory. In fact, since Michael wiped the memories of Eleanor, Jason, Chidi, and Tahani - and rebooted Janet - The Good Place is given somewhat of a restart over the course of a few minutes.
However, certain aspects are different: Eleanor leaves a note with Janet telling herself to find Chidi, while Michael replaced Chidi as Eleanor's "soulmate" with someone more her well suited to the person she was in life. These differences offer a new intriguing premise for The Good Place, should the series be renewed for a second season. Considering the fun journey viewers took through season 1, it may be entertaining to see how these differences throw off Michael's plan - or, if not done correctly, could be tedious.
That said, The Good Place proved over the course of season 1 that the show is able to take highbrow concepts like human morality and create a compelling and entertaining serialized comedy. While, on the surface, the reveal and fallout in 'Michael's Gambit' seems to reset the series back to the start - even going so far as to include nearly identical scenes from the pilot - The Good Place has established an endless premise that necessitates serialized storytelling. All in all, Schur has crafted a truly unique and delightful series in The Good Place - one that will hopefully continue in a second season.
Screen Rant will keep you updated on The Good Place season 2 as more information becomes available.
Tags: the good place
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Our LGBT history is the future for tomorrow's LGBT adults
Frank Nobiletti, president, and Sharna Langlais, membership chair, Lambda Archives of San Diego
Support the Lambda Archives
Editor's Note: On Friday, Feb. 27, the Lambda Archives hosted the third annual Heroes, Pioneers and Trailblazers Awards Gala at The Center. Frank Nobiletti, current president, and Sharna Langlais, membership chair, made some poignant remarks - and an impassioned plea - during their speeches; both of which followed the opening remarks of City Commissioner Nicole Ramirez-Murray. SDGLN thought what they had to say should be shared with the community at large, so here they are:
Sharna Langlais, Membership Chair; Remarks
This work of teaching our community’s history is one of the most vital components of what the Archives does. In this way, the Archives takes the history we collect and preserve, and gives it life again – inspiring a generation to learn about those that came before.
In Big Mike’s interview he said “We all stand on the shoulders of others, and Lambda Archives helps us remember whose shoulders we are standing on.”
History may not be the sexiest of causes, but it is absolutely vital to our community’s survival. Judy the Beauty reminded me in her interview that rights can be taken away and as such, repeated in her interview many times, “We cannot forget.”
Well, San Diego’s extremely lucky, because Lambda Archives exists so that we will not forget.
It is the stories of individuals like the trailblazers and pioneers we are honoring tonight, that MUST be preserved, that MUST be shared with future generations. Toni Atkins said in her interview “one day when we get to hear about our lives in the schools as we’re educated and our kids are educated, we’re going to need Lambda Archives’ storyline. We owe a great debt to Lambda Archives because they are the holder of our history.”
Lambda Archives IS the storybook – students and researchers come from all over the country to San Diego to flip to a chapter or a page in LGBT history - they can do that at Lambda Archives.
Sadly, the Archives took a hit last year, just like all non-profits did, but for us that hit was particularly difficult because it meant we lost our only paid person. The Archives has been existing since as a 100% volunteer-driven organization. This event was put on tonight with absolutely no paid staff.
And as a newcomer to this event, I was humbled in every moment that I sent out a call for help – we need a photographer, we need someone to design the program, we need help getting food from local restaurants. I have never seen a community come together so quickly, so passionately and so happily.
You heard Nicole’s exciting announcement about the work being done with the help of our Councilmembers to find a larger, more secure and exhibit-worthy space for the Archives. Seeing the turnout tonight, meeting all of you and feeling the passion and commitment of this community to its causes, I believe that this is the Archives’ chance to make a big leap into the future…to make its next mark as an organization on San Diego’s LGBT history.
So I’m asking, we’re asking, the voices of generations past are asking, for your help in making this leap. We need your support – there are so many ways to help but of course cold, hard cash is simple, easy and preferred. We also have membership opportunities, volunteer opportunities and pledge opportunities – a multi-year pledge of support would provide lasting stability.
Many of you have helped to create the current home we have for San Diego’s LGBT history – thank you SO much. And due to the success of our collection efforts, we’ve now outgrown that home. And I don’t know about you, but I’d LOVE to have a space where we can pull some of these treasures out of their boxes, dust them off and bring them into the light of day. Imagine a space in which we can share with the entire San Diego community, and beyond, the brilliance and glory of our LGBT history.
You heard Frank Buttino say that courage is contagious…tonight I’m hoping we can say the same about giving. Thank you.
Frank Nobiletti, President of Lambda Archives; Remarks
As a teacher of LGBT history, I want to urge you all to give support to our brothers and sisters being hunted down or persecuted in Uganda, and Kenya and Malawi, Iraq, etc. If you don’t know how to give support, ask me.
Well you heard what Nicole just said.
This is the vision of two of our most visionary leaders of the last half-century in this LGBT community: [Nicole being one] - Jess Jessop, the other, inspired and helped found two organizations in San Diego: The Center -- This Center—and the Archives.
Jess was a visionary like none other in our community. When he founded the Archives, as he was dying, he was trying to tell us how important knowing our history really is for our community.
To show you how tenuous keeping our history can be, take the Update collection. Update was a very significant LGBT publication in San Diego for 30 years. A few years ago when Update folded, all its records were headed for the dumpster.
It happens so easily – people are so easily overwhelmed during transitions.
But this time, a couple of sharp community women alerted one of our board members. They all got a pickup and saved file cabinet after file cabinet of pictures and community records – one day away from the dumpster!!!
And that’s just one example. There are many; and so many of them are sad examples of history lost BEFORE it gets to the Archives.
So what specific suggestions can I give you to reinforce Nicole’s and Jess’s and so many others’ vision - to take the Archives to another level?
1. Give a Signal that you’ll be giving on a sustained basis: a mult-year pledge -- 3 years or 5 years. Or, sign up for a monthly automatically recurring donation. Just $10 – or $50. That makes it possible for us to plan.
2. If you haven’t been to the Archives, come visit. You who are here tonight, know the value of the Archives, but some have never been. And, bring somebody else to visit Lambda Archives during open hours 4 days each week. The hours are always on our Web site. Bring them to see the Archives in action -- so they can feel the impact themselves and become a supporter.
3. We need more older community volunteers. The students WANT to meet you, want to work with you, want to talk with you.
4. Be alert to saving our history – and getting it to the Archives (but call about it first. If I didn’t remember to tell you that, our Archivist will kill me:)
If we can get the facility we hope for, what can you expect?
• You can expect a more visible Archives.
• An Archives always filled with displays and exhibits, including traveling exhibits.
• And at least twice as many young people as we took in at our peak, being transformed by their experience at Lambda Archives. We had to stop taking so many students this year because of both the economic squeeze and our space crunch.
Already Lambda Archives is known among historians as one of the best LGBT archives in the country. Forty of the best, most acknowledged historians of sexuality just visited Lambda Archives last month – and they raved!! We couldn’t move in the Archives - we were so squeezed in - but they RAVED about the Archives.
Scholars and researchers tell us things like “I’ve been looking 15 years for that pamphlet before I saw it in your on-line catalog.” That writer flew in from Tucson.
“You have Bandara Gay issue # 5? There’s not another copy researchers know of anywhere in the world at this point -- including Mexico!” Bandara Gay is a Tijuana paper.
So scholars know. Many students know. And we need our community to know that too.
We need, and are very, very grateful for, the support that our city officials are giving us, AND for the community’s support – yours. A big thank you to all those members and donors that sustain the Archives. You sure make my life easier.
We must get back to having at least one part-time staffer! We used to have 60 student volunteers per semester. We could place 120 students each semester! SDSU, UCSD, USD, Point Loma Nazarene University, community colleges. And high schools! But that takes at least a little staff, no?
It’s a bustling archive. You can see in the first 10 minutes at Lambda Archives that there’s amazing stuff there.
Yet pretend you are a LGBT youth. Or pretend you are a young, straight ally. What kind of an archive would make you feel stronger? What would give you more confidence in the LGBT community?
Say you came in today; you looked around [and saw]: an Archives [where] people are working on top of each other, where things are stacked on top or in front of other things for lack of space? Or, one that has the dignity of the LGBT archives in San Francisco or Los Angeles -- or Minneapolis -- or Ft Lauderdale’s LGBT library building!!
Surely San Diego can allocate more resources than Fort Lauderdale.
So, which would make our next generation stronger? And these are the LGBT kids who say time after time these days: “I never knew people in the past did this much for us.”
They are also the young, straight allies who say with anger and conviction over and over again: “I never knew how many ways LGBT people used to be (or still are) discriminated against.”
These young people are our future!
You know Nicole’s not getting any younger; you may all be, but not him. And not me either. I only have another couple [more] years that I can do this. I’ll be 70 in not too many years, and I can’t teach hundreds of students the History of Sexuality at SDSU, AND do this level of volunteering in my 70s!
You know, when people ask why I do this, and why I teach so many students, I say, “I don’t mind.” These days, I am glad to give back. In the 1960s and 70s I took my retirement when I was young.
And, I am very grateful and very proud of how much our country has changed for the better -- moved towards equal justice. And I know many of you are proud of how much has changed. (With plenty more to go, I know.)
Let’s pass along that Pride -- AND MORE to the next generations by saving and telling our history.
Is that right, Jess? Did you hear him, too, say, “Yes!!”?
PLEASE -- MAKE SUPPORTING LAMBDA ARCHIVES A PRIORITY! Starting tonight.
Frank Nobiletti is the President of Lambda Archives, San Diego. An avid historian, he is also a professor of World and LGBT History at San Diego State University.
Source: For more information about Lambda Archives San Diego, click HERE
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Rooted Contradiction
Doster Avenue
The old boards creaking and peeling,
Unstained pinewood gnawed at by insatiable time:
There we were under a porch painted bright red,
Asserting its difference against the endless street of mill houses —
Sheltering cigarette smoke and crass jokes.
We watched pitbulls bark and crooked teeth grin and gnash:
A bottle of vodka and warm bodies under a quilt,
Laughter, safety, oblivion.
Lovers and midnight kisses, split knuckles and conspiracy,
Out on the street: never, never coming back,
but we always came back,
To each other and our cracked skin, our familier wounds,
Our rats and roaches holed up beneath bandages and comradery.
We said forever, Brother, my Brother:
We said forever
and sealed ourselves with ritualized outbursts of affirmation.
Grinning, skulls, Grinning, Smiles,
We were open and destitute,
Open and forlorn: Salvia under forest lights — saliva stirring in cotton mouths —
Burning Pungent Sage, Dizzy children running from the shadow of fate.
Nurturing our dreams in hackneyed chord progressions and stale rifts,
Splitting harmony to hairs which dropped on the floor to feed our delusions —
I screamed, you screamed, we all screamed for nowhere,
Our blessed somewhere of denial.
Did you know that I loved you, love you, am loving you,
But my love is snake bites — pierced skin and thrilled laughter.
But my words are snake skin — left to rot with the remnants of our memories.
Where is the sacred smell of homemade corn tortillas?
Where is the temple of imported eggnog and tinfoiled beer?
Where is the music and the dreams and twinkle lights we wasted under?
Where is the home I have lost?
My veneration is mourning — my appreciation only for that which I have left behind.
A creature of the rearview mirror, there is nothing but what I cannot touch.
Far from me, you have been thrown, in my pride, in my caprice, in my madness;
Forever brother: these are phrases for dreams, crosses to bear, denials to witness.
Take here my two drops of blood — my metonymy for the flood I’ve drowned in —
Take this cup and mix it with herbs of scorn and forgetting.
I Loved you, Love you, am loving you
Forever, brother, my brother
Ethan NOPE Uncategorized 2 Comments July 8, 2019 2 Minutes
Open Letter: 7/8/19
Dear literally Anyone,
An experience of sinking deeply within myself, of the tendrils of connection falling away — there amongst only the ruins of a once-alterity, I can finally be honest with myself, can finally be truly naked. I find myself mirroring others, though without much success, when I am directed outward, find myself becoming always what other people see me as (or what I see other people seeing me as), but when I am truly alone — mentally as well as physically — then I find my faults not so pressing, can admit to them like no time else. A deep sense of sufficiency, of guilt as disconnection, as what prompts one to disconnect: I am deeply guilty and deeply disconnected. Yet, there is a joy in this aloneness, in no longer needing to consider the plethora of ways everything I might say or think will be viewed. The pattern for my wanderings is now within myself, sinks all the way down to the inscriptions of my unconscious self rather than miming what I think to be the patterns of others. This is a rare blessing.
My friends, I can address myself to you only when you are absent, when you are not imminent to me. Here, I am in myself, and only here can I view myself without distortion. I know of theories — so many theories — about the nonexistence of the self without the other, but I experience the self as its own other, as its own multiplicity of others. Rather than merely noting and inscribing within myself the signs from actual others without, I create a closed circuit of positions within which I exist and observe myself existing. I am what is in between what I am, and what I am is this multiplicity which I unify as what emerges from them.
I cannot do without metaphysics. I cannot subsist in a pure Eros, in a pure relation — I desire ontology, identity, self sufficiency. This desire is written deeper than my conceptual personas of the nihilist, that other which I am as negation of the stability of the phrase “I am”. I destroy my own identity wishing to be someone else, but that someone else rarely sinks deep enough to make lasting changes: I am still deeply delusional, deeply individualistic, and deeply of metaphysical bent. Postmodernism is like a more enjoyable Ketamine — a way to become other than what I am codified to be, a way to decode — but how hard is it to recode as a decoded creature? How hard is it create after you have destroyed so completely? I chase the philosophical dragon as deep as it will lead me, go absolutely bonkers in some wasteland of the mind, but what am I able to do there that I can take back with me into the mediated world — the world in which, practically, I must identify, function, and act like an agent and individual?
This is not what I wanted: I wanted to discuss nakedness, the feeling of being without any ornamentation, will, or artifice — of persisting as the inertia of what one is. That is what I feel, naked. There is something growing upon which the sun beats, which feels and wills its own life — how I miss existing as that thing! How I miss being exactly what I am as I am, miss the absence of translation. Let me be in one voice. Let me negate the outside.
Why do I write this then, if I desire that isolation? What I desire is not true isolation, but a self of my own which is able to relate as something irrevocably other than that with which it relates — I want to be myself through and through, to have the words of others stop at the first layer of my skin as ineffectual unless I give them effect. I want — not power over any other — but power to be myself and only myself. More often than not recently, I have been lost in a total identification with any presentation of the world that brushes across me or addresses itself to me, yet not as a single point — rather as particle bouncing between perspectives and personas, inhabiting each briefly before being torn off to the next.
“Sometimes, what stands between two people is the absence of a wall.” *
Ethan NOPE Uncategorized Leave a comment July 8, 2019 3 Minutes
The Rebel, Pt. 3
This will be the second to last post in this series, as I hope to do one focusing Camus’s conception of art — perhaps in comparison with Adorno’s, which he definitively contradicts in his notion of art as rectifying.
Personal Feelings
My preceding posts stayed on the level of abstraction, something which one might construe as a mishandling of a book which condemns abstraction as the inhuman evil of a vile totalitarian sphere which subordinates “the good” under a universal reign of terror, a state in which there is no mercy nor affirmation, nothing which is not worthy to perish in the light of some new ideal — a reign of “absolute negation”, as he puts it. Camus good is solidarity — the union of friendship and loyalty, those candle flames in the dark of a cruel world, which will, if he is to be believed, never be fully rectified and which will never — no matter how it improves — become a utopia.#
I believe he is correct in his firm assertion of the eternity of some form of misery, though we rectify all we can through our art and our technology, but his world — though he changes the terms — is nothing but the world of mediocrity, of effectless courage, of a poetic pretense which makes life bearable for us who suffer in the ghettos of the spirit (and that, curiously enough, is not to be found in actual ghettos): a weak form of religion, a metaphysical assertion of an ethics — though limited to the human sphere — which is absolute in its relativity, or relation, to us. He laments the atrocities which a concept of a infinitely malleable nature in man produce, praises moderation and humility, defines rebellion as an egalitarian sentiment predicated on man’s shared nature which goes beyond itself should it violate the right to life of even those who deny the same right of others. Take the mediocrity of liberal politics and sprinkle it with Parisian style and you have The Rebel. How I want to believe the feelings it evokes in me — the sense of solidarity, of absolute moral principles (such as the moral equivalence of all lives), of a conventionality dressed in wolves clothing, rectifying the world in giving it the sense it lacks in itself — but how can I? Equally, how can I not?
I am at a crossroads with this book, a forking path which is more than a choice of critical stance on a work of philosophy — a philosophy which still retains the naive conceptual permeability of ideal and history, agent and structure, makes one think of simpler times when concepts of God, good, and evil still held a gravity — but is more the decision about the nature of my projection into the future: do I choose to accept this life, the limitations of human thought and sanity, affirm the megerest of philosophical figurations for their actionability and their comforting sense of community or do I press the horizon ever onward, attempting to eek out from my frayed mind constructs beyond personality, beyond known errors and into the risk of new ones? Do I choose his condemned All or Nothing? Truth or insanity? (Or, truth and insanity — as it often enough goes.) Do I choose the concepts of good and evil, which Camus so defends as based upon the ethical nature of the human being — an unexplainable and absurd nature as it may be? Do I ground myself in something or jump into what is only madness for those who become lost within it (but a tempting darkness, a beckoning leap beyond such a small world as ours)?
What is it in man which rebels against his condition and affirms the rectitude of what should be against what is? This is the question Camus asks; but, equally, I ask: what is it that drives man beyond the concepts of the previous generation, ever further from any stability, any comforting truth or static factor? What is the draw of that endless motion — which is analogous to the endlessly vivisecting and complexifying philosophical current — that Camus so condemns in Fascism and in state communism? Why does part of me balk at his thought as simplistic, as weak and sentimental — childish — while still the part of me that is a child, that grandiloquent believer, finds it so dear to his heart? I don’t believe I am ready to take a stance on this work, don’t think I’m ready to cast off into stormy seas in search of a new nature, nor am I ready to commit to this one which persists despite its constant failing and it’s continuing irrelevance. (I too am moderate in some regards, or attempt to be.)
Camus stands, on my current horizon, as the most reasonable figuration of what I can understand as valid — reasonable in the conventional sense — but he is not daring, does not excite me, only fills me with a sense of safety, of stepping back from a ledge. I understand how Johnny could declare Camus a life saver, for I could see myself saved, could see myself a believer in yet another absurdity which is precisely acceptable for recognizing itself as such, but… will I allow myself that luxury? What draws me to suffering, to a complete annihilation of what I currently am — accomplished in stages though it may be?
General Philosophical Quibbles , and The Negation of The Universal
Camus philosophizes as man — an individual embodied even in philosophizing — yet we increasingly come to the disembodied in philosophy, to a pure immanence of mind to its objects, if not literally, in the removal of the subject qua human and its replacement with subject as instrument whose data must be parsed. Can such a philosophy survive except wherein philosophy is closest to fiction? Camus is not “a coordinator of things said”, a la Merleau-Ponty, but judger of things valued, a heart which bleeds and beats with compassion for the world, a declaimer of murder, of injustice, of an undefined crime, and a vague right of man that exist only by its assertion. He defies the merging of value with a science, the human with its objects — attempts to keep that separation which is man’s moderate refusal, his conditioned acceptance, from what merely is or what absolutely should be at the expense of all else. Sartre is the proclaimer of hard truths — at least as he sees them — and of a misery which cannot be resolved, while Camus speaks too of irresolvable contradiction but also man’s ability to find meaning through a mutual recognition of shared dignity within those eternal riddles. There is meaning possible — even where it is rejected in the name of one concept or another — but that meaning is never necessary, always chosen and always fragile. Existentialism recognizes absolutely that man must create his own meaning, but Camus is holding on to a nature which would be able to source that meaning and source it universally. Declaring human nature only choice, only a nihilation of the past and a projection toward the future in conjunction with a meager facticity is still in some sense a universal, but it is a universal empty of content, the universal recognized as only an emptiness to be filled, as the ethical sphere — the sphere of a chosen becoming — as only a choice and never a necessity. Camus comes close to convincing me in some more substantial nature, something which is not so open to choice but which has implications for the justice and dignity of “man” and which declares that conceptual man follows — at least partially — from natural man.
Camus writes:
The profound conflict of this century is perhaps not so much between the German ideologies of history and Christian political concepts, which in a certain way are accomplices, as between German dreams and Mediterranean traditions, between the violence of eternal adolescence and virile strength, between nostalgia, rendered more acute by knowledge and by books and courage reinforced and enlightened by the experience of life—in other words, between history and nature.
In other words, he sees the conflict between history — as the becoming of man which denies his nature in the process of accomplishing that nature — and between a nature which is an essential being expressed through but always existent in history. While he references Hegel as the philosopher of becoming, of an eternal not yet (even if Hegel believed history accomplished during the reign of Napoleon), Sartre, in his concept of consciousness as a nothingness which can never truly be, is equally a philosopher of eternal becoming and equally implicated in this conflict.@ Adolescence, in Camus figuration, is the time of becoming, but adulthood, that is when one has being, a stable point from which to view history and modify that history from somewhere, if not outside, at a distance. In adulthood, becoming is mitigated, subordinated to good already existent, to “the grandeur of life”, or at least must vye with that already existent good. This is the position of someone who dwells in the existent good, who is not overcome by misery, who, though he is close enough to see misery, is far enough to deny that it has totally permeated life and that such a life of misery is not worth living. I too am in that position, but I understand those who can find nowhere outside of misery, can understand the absolute nihilism of one who in fact has nothing, not even a nature — and is not the visceral sense of being progressively destroyed by the society we live in? (It is a constant battle to feel I have anything analogous to the nature Camus speaks of, to feel any solidarity with some common source of man.)
While Camus sees the degradation of human dignity in the denial of the human for a constant praxis of ‘becoming-what-one-isn’t’, perhaps that sense of dignity he feels is missing in those who choose such a praxis; perhaps the struggle for what they aren’t is all they have left. There is sometimes dignity in recognizing that separation does exist, that there are monstrous circumstances that create beings outside the universal, outside of any intelligibility, and while we may seek to mitigate the spread of their negation, we must also recognize that our moderation — our intelligibility — was made possible by a system which produced their absolute negation. There is good and evil, and then there is that which has been created without such categories, which has never known the dignity and universality such categories entail — let us not condemn them, but mourn for them, fight them when we must, but with sadness in our hearts. They are not our brothers, our sisters, or our fellow human beings except in the sense of could have been so — and that isn’t their fault, nor completely ours.% (Man is something one is made into — man is defined by his culture and his contextualization as such — and not all are so lucky, or unlucky, depending on your stance, to have been made so.) Perhaps the time of the human has ended, perhaps there is something — not “better” than man, unfortunately — but beyond him coming, something which is not universal, which negates universality in the roar of an implacable individual suffering. To recognize that there is a inhuman humanity, a living death, so to speak, is — though unrecognized in this case — to declare that man can be other than he is, that man is something one becomes and something one can become other than. In defining a position which negates universality and creates separation, one declares that there is a position outside universality and that it is a position that one can occupy; i.e., in defending man against the Un-man, one is recognizing the Un-man’s existence.
Camus’s Horseshoe Theory
Camus advocates the middle way through irrationality and rationality: neither operating in complete rationality — which would allow mUrDer — nor complete irrationality — which would make his “civilization” impossible.* He writes:
[T]he desire for unity not only demands that everything should be rational. It also wishes that the irrational should not be sacrificed. One cannot say that nothing has any meaning, because in doing so one affirms a value sanctified by an opinion; nor that everything has a meaning, because the word everything has no meaning for us. The irrational imposes limits on the rational, which, in its turn, gives it its moderation. Something has a meaning, finally, which we must obtain from meaninglessness.
This obtaining meaning from meaninglessness but still operating rationally upon it is what Camus is advocating (and something I often enough advocate). The irrational source of value is, for him, the rebellion through which man declares his dignity against that which would deny it, but in being an assertion as man rather than as an individual — as Stirner’s unique one (a notion which Camus critiques) — this assertion is normative, makes the claim for all men, even for that man who is perpetrating the infringement which gives rise to the assertion of dignity. From this “fact”, Camus asserts that revolutionary murder is unjust because it contradicts the normative foundation of rebellion; in murdering an oppressor, you deny the common human dignity which you share with the oppressor and which inspired you to stand up for that dignity initially. The only way through rebellion is moderation and a normative claim which would eliminate “silence between men” — or so Camus thinks.
As for Murder which a revolutionary might find necessary, Camus grants that this may be a moral action only if the rebel consents to die afterwards himself. If the rebel asserts the equality of all men, on taking life, he must die — this is Camus’ poetic logic — and it does have a sort of primitive appeal. To live by the sword is often enough to die by the sword, but not from equity or from some innate symmetry — rather, from the nature of enmity and war, from a conflict which culminates only in one force giving up its claim to domination, or, in the case of some revolutionary struggles, the claim for recognition all together. Camus writes:
From the moment that he strikes, the rebel cuts the world in two. He rebelled in the name of the identity of man with man and he sacrifices this identity by consecrating the difference in blood. His only existence, in the midst of suffering and oppression, was contained in this identity.
Essentially, this misses the fact that the act of rebellion is inspired by an initial split preexisting. The rebel rebels against that which is separate from himself and imposes itself externally. His separation from those who oppress him is not merely metaphysical — neither do I think revolutions are driven by metaphysics — but material, juridical, and systemic. It’s all very well to talk about the abstract equality of all men, about its inviolability, but oppression — while it may be manifested in abstract beliefs — is not a matter of metaphysics, but of bodies and peoples. Camus himself advocates for localizing rebellion, in autonomous groups of interests being the grounds for struggle, yet he still believes that rebellion should be predicated on universality. The sole right of the universal over individual struggle, this is precisely a method of excluding all those who haven’t been assimilated into the mental structures of “civilization”. Camus prefigures the aporias of contemporary moderate thought and enlightenment liberalism — or liberalism predicated on enlightenment premises. Ah, “to learn to live and to die, and, in order to be a man, refuse to be a god”— what a sentiment! But, there will always be those who find it acceptable to play god — revolutionaries and conservatives alike — and they would rejoice at the timidity of others, of their refusing to play god, when god is being played regardless. No man can completely determine others, but there is the sphere of culture — and of cultural war — in which agents vye for the determination of common morality and prejudice, vye for control over the law and the production of ideas and the control of platforms, and this war is “beyond good and evil” — not that actions within it can’t be judged as good or evil.& Camus, in seeking to predicate a “universal limit” to rebellion, even in the name of some originary, common experience — which is of dubious existence — is playing god.$ Any concept which applies to all men, seeks to assert a human nature and its necessary implications, is an assertion within the sphere of divinity, in the sphere of the absolute, no matter how relatively qualified. The human universality of moderates is essentially immoderate in its projection of an immoderate scope of application — in daring to declare itself universal.
Continue reading “The Rebel, Pt. 3” →
Ethan NOPE Uncategorized Leave a comment May 21, 2019 June 16, 2019 16 Minutes
A Scream Hijacks Meaning
babbling silence…
Capitalize on your wails —
No suffering for free.
in between what two bookends —
there will be nothing after;
nothing after ten minutes in the back of your car,
foggy windows, eyes glazing,
already anyone.
lick the ear hole and drink my worms like rotting pasta in an abandoned fridge.
tell me a story about us — then
burn it up for 10 seconds of euphoria.
tell me about your three isms
and alight your identity at the end like a firecracker;
gouge my eyes with an aesthetic thrifted from decomposing icons —
let’s rub ourselves against these ruins,
so free from anything but a kamikaze spiral.
tell me you want to die four ways and in six metaphors and in eight places;
keep living anyway.
piss in the shower and fuck a bartender;
take three Xanax and swipe right three times on men whose names blur together like their faces.
(call a women darling — if that’s your thing — give her what you can’t give yourself, get married and live a sitcom of pretend love and dried and flaccid isomorphisms of a wedding night that happened and happened and happened)
buy a coat from forever 21 and be forever 16;
murder me with banality — dissect my eyeballs and take yourself from the viscera.
Go to AA and get addicted to sobriety, cry with gratitude on TV, run a lifestyle blog, go to church, drink exotic herbal teas with supposed healing properties, appreciate tradition, praise the gaps between stars, snort cocaine, babble into wordpress about nihilism and waste waste waste in a landfill the whole world wide.
insert all the slurs you know into a rocket aimed at the moon: scream hatred at the bark of trees until it shrivels like the unlucky fig beneath The Holy Christ’s chastising ire.
smile self righteously about what you know that others don’t,
have political opinions,
vote in even the midterms,
talk about birth control, as if everything wasn’t already impotent,
already dead at every crowning,
and get fucked endlessly — or i mean, “get fucked”, all of you, please.
as mine is ending
hold my hand on a hospital loading bay; take the hand with you wrapped in tissue paper,
bury it in your garden next to a rose bush,
and forget me seasonally — tell me a story about life after my seven minutes in heaven.
Ethan NOPE Uncategorized Leave a comment May 19, 2019 May 21, 2019 2 Minutes
Adorno, Writing, and Localization
What is there to say, what simplicity is there to write — what understanding is there to milk from the world? In striving for complexity as someone simple, one produces simplicity complexly, which is mere unnecessary obscuration. The most popular blogging topic is to obsess about blogging; the most popular writing topic, to obsess about writing. We have purpose in these pursuits, hopes in the extraneous things we do on the side, hope for greatness, for transcendence of of our everyday — whatever the case may be. We want a role, something to give us a purpose which is not alienated from who we believe we are, who we thought we could be when the whole world told us to dream.
To dream one instant, to dream with hope and unquestioned faith — to bend to necessity the next, becoming the possible rather than the hoped for — then once again to dream, except without hope, with only the dream itself, forever apart from realization, being only the consolation in a world in which there is no space for the before of our enmeshment.
I used to dream of other worlds, to hope to create some fantasy which would carry me away from here, from this doldrum of alienation, from things which I could only bow to but never participate in — whether in ritual or in art — but now, all narratives seem equally laughable, equally irrelevant to the space within which these narratives occur.
I work under the assumption of an outside — though that outside is only simulated — and under that assumption, I exist. If the truth is what is, I exist only by denying that truth for what could be true — for what I wish was.
Adorno writes of art as psychological sublimation thusly in his Aesthetic Theory:
“They [artworks] are exhausted in the psychical performance of gaining mastery over instinctual renunciation and, ultimately, in the achievement of conformity. The psychologism of aesthetic interpretation easily agrees with the philistine view of the artwork as harmoniously quieting antagonisms, a dream image of a better life, unconcerned with the misery from which this image is wrested.”
By sublimation is meant the fulfilment of what is impossible in reality through art — art as a means of wish fulfillment (see the primary process in psychoanalysis). Adorno argues against this use of art as consolation, as a means to dissociate from the misery present in one’s environment, instead advocating for a art of mimesis — or imitation of what is the case objectively — to show the misery that is present in the world, to merge fully with that misery rather than denying it through art. Art as wish fulfillment and art as the revelation of what is the case in its de-subjectivized immanence don’t seem necessarily to exclude each other, but I find that the former function begins to repulse me more with each day. Though, It must be noted that, even if art is qualified by its stance towards conditions actually existing, it doesn’t thereby lose the aspect of escape; Adorno writes:
“Formerly, even the traditional attitude to the artwork, if it was to be absolutely relevant to the work, was that of admiration that the work exist as they do in themselves and not for the sake of the observer. What opened up to, and overpowered, the beholder was their truth, which as in works of Kafka’s type, [outweigh] any other element. They were not a higher order of amusement. The relation to art was not that of its physical devouring; on the contrary, the beholder disappeared into the material.”
So, the viewer disappears as a subject, as something in relation to the conditions represented by the artwork and thus becomes those conditions — escaping misery in coming to know from inside its conditions. This is supported by Adorno’s reference to Kafka, who, precisely through his artistic transposition of alienation, allows one to go beyond one’s singularity in alienation; or, it is through art about alienation that alienation becomes objective, comes to be represented in an object which can be culturally referenced. Fleeing misery, fleeing the unfreedom and inhumanity of what we exist in, seems the surest way to never change that which gives rise to that misery; or, in other words, nothing will change if we live in denial of the world as it is through our use of fantasy. (More, there will never come to be anything to change, no known object, only that vague malaise which haunts.)
Art serves an objectivizing function — as Adorno supposes — in objectivizing the subjective, in making subjective states referenceable entities. By hiding our misery, our depression, and our alienation, we individualize what is collectively instantiated — we privatize the emotional ails which always form in relation to the milieu within which we exist. Writing misery, while it may be condemned by those who seek personal happiness at any cost, by those who would seek to deny even that which within themselves is dark — even as they deny the darkness in others —, is the only way we can be united in that misery, can deprivatize what is, in its essence, collective — even if it must always be individually experienced.
What I find more interesting than enforcing and meditating on my identity as a writer is why exactly I feel so strongly drawn to that identity, why I feel the desire for an audience, and what function — besides my own self esteem and coping — my writing actually serves. What hole am I attempting to fill with the practice, and is this practice even the best fit for that hole? There is something unnerving about the cult of the writer, about the mythos of intelligence, about the pedestal we put others on and desire — in our wildest dreams — to be on ourselves. Personally, what I desire through writing is not an identity, but an expansion of myself in linguistic community with others, the merging of myself, my thought, and the unthought embodiment my thought is metonymy for with the same of others. I want to touch the world and be touched by it; to engage creatively, not just with the display of my own mental processes or wishes, but with the very formation of the world which forms me. The great art which has been lost is not any complexity in technique or profundity of subject matter, but the art which is the formation, in congress with others, of life itself.
I think of the amount of effort even the simplest of understandings and slightest communions require, and I can’t help but wonder if, in pursuit of the singular existence of one’s thought apart from the world — as a privatized writing practice might entail —, one sacrifices the opportunity for such understandings and such communions. Perhaps, the way we do literary and philosophical creation in present society — at least where I exist — is precisely what prevents intellectual community. Through having the ultimate aim of philosophizing or narrating be idolization through the media and capital through the market, we destroy the community functions that philosophical speculation and storytelling once served. What one writes always forms in view of who one is writing for, and if I am writing for “the whole world”, that often comes to the same thing as writing for no one and saying nothing which is revelatory in the real. Perhaps, we would do better to localize our focus, to write books for our county, for a circle of friends — to create narratives which concern, not the entire world, but our entire world. There are many ways that a communication — even in long form — is superior to a platform, which always precludes communication through its *ehm* form.
This is not to say that global narratives and philosophies don’t have value but perhaps to say that the function which they serve has enough potential agents to fulfill it. There is an immense amount of ungrounded fantasy and of high-flying theory, but what is lacking depth is not the heavens — not in that which is apart from the everyday — nor in any grand teleology of humankind, but in the depth of our individual relationships and local situations. Talent — and I am not categorically saying I have it — by no means necessitates application to global problems nor to grand and historically universal, intellectual products; it can just as easily, and perhaps more fruitfully, be applied to the communities within which one exists and the relationships one sustains. We once has local deities and mythologies, customs and vernacular, and perhaps — with our analogies to myth: philosophy, and to magic: science, and to custom: narrative — we would do well to likewise invest our localities, to stop looking to the “best” for our entertainments, for our concepts, and for our politics, but to start creating those things ourselves — to take up the creation of our own selves and our own worlds.
While the introduction was relatively short and could be summarized almost in full, from here on out, we will be a little more diasporic with our engagement — picking particular themes out of the chapter concerned to meditate upon. It must also be noted that Camus uses “he” to designate his rebel, a stylistic choice I might choose to modify if it were my work but which I maintain for congruence.
First, some general remarks: Camus, in giving rebellion a primacy in “absurdist experience”, seeks to delineate rules for political and general action. The jump from a state of complacency to a state of rebellion is precisely that from a state of passive engagement with the world to a state of active assertion of the self against the world, but in asserting this self, one finds — in Camus’s account — that one has this very assertion in common with others, rebels against a state of affairs oppressive to more than just the self. Camus says: “From the moment the rebel finds his voice — even though he says nothing but “no” he begins to desire and judge”, or in other words, he begins to be the rebel. What rebellion is is the taking up of the prerogative to judge and assert oneself over and against the powers that judge and control the self rebelling. In every act of rebellion, there is implied an authority, and in their being an authority, there is a group formed under that authority; e.g., the category of youth as locus of rebellion could be seen as an outgrowth of a class awareness of parental authority — one can see how this example might be transposed to apply to other areas.
Every condition of subjugation, when consciously affirmed, is a complicity with the authority subjugating — an enslavement of the self via the agency of another. (This is not an uncoerced complicity, lest I be accused of blaming the oppressed for their own oppression, but if one believes in choice absolutely — of the freedom of human action apart from their circumstances — a coerced choice is still chosen. The more strongly attached someone is to some ‘earthly good’ which could be used as means of coercion, the more strongly they tend to object to the notion of an absolute choice. Humankind has always been free to deny their own interest and to sacrifice themselves for whatever it might happen to be; for more on this theme, I would recommend The Dominant Idea, by Voltairine De Cleyre, available here.) While Camus may be generally right when he says the following, “The very moment the slave refuses to obey the humiliating orders of his master, he simultaneously rejects the condition of slavery. The act of rebellion carries him far beyond the point he had reached by simply refusing. He exceeds the bounds that he fixed for his antagonist, and now demands to be treated as an equal”, he misses, in my view, the nonexistence of slavery before the act of rebellion.1 In the unquestioned attitude of obedience, one has nothing to compare slavery to, no freedom which would designate that slavery as itself; only through acts of rebellion — only through a testing of the bounds imposed upon one — does one come to an awareness of the bonds in the first place. What I do find insightful in the above quote is the recognition that all rebellion is an assertion of equality in that it seeks to determine the conditions of the self through an assertion about — and a vye for determination of — the rights of the one subjugating the self. In being able to determine what an authority can and cannot impose on the self, the self asserts its equality to that authority — its right to legislate for itself in the domain of authority proper.
There is, however, something I take issue with in this particular account of rebellion: the assumption of a rebellion against a one sided determination of the rights of authority the only species of rebellion; i.e. the notion that rebellion against a lack of representation is the only type of rebellion. Rebellion is assumed only in the context of vying legislative powers and not in the sense of a pure revolt against legislation proper, against the universalization and embodiment of ethical power in any one agency (a monopolization of the “ought”).2Camus maintains himself within the sphere of the political — in the sphere of State thought — even when discussing rebellion. In the context within which it was written, I understand this limitation, but from a theoretical perspective, I believe it is an oversight.
Our next point will be the theme of Martyrdom in the first chapter; Camus writes:
The rebel himself wants to be “all”—to identify himself completely with this good of which he has suddenly become aware and by which he wants to be personally recognized and acknowledged—or “nothing”; in other words, to be completely destroyed by the force that dominates.
If we compare this account of the rebel with account of absolute negation offered in the introduction, we must be struck by their similarity — or at least I am — and we must also ask, then, does not the rebel subordinate human life, his own life, to some other external good, even if the good of some abstract category he himself qualifies under, viz. the human? If it is as Camus says and “the affirmation implicit in every act of rebellion is extended to something that transcends the individual”, we must ask what precisely is this rebellion against — certainly not authority itself, certainly not heteronomous imposition, for in making is his rebellion in the name of something other than himself, he is implicitly affirming the principle of authority there through. What Camus’ rebel is against is a certain permutation of authority, a certain universal and external imposition, not authority or the universal as such. In this figuration of the rebel’s willingness to die for that which he asserts through his rebellion, he is precisely an absolute nihilist in the sense that, for him, there is something more valuable than life, something worth negating his own life in absence of.
Now, for a human nature based on the fact of rebellion — cringe — as exemplified here:
“Analysis of rebellion leads at least to the suspicion that, contrary to the postulates of contemporary thought, a human nature does exist, as the Greeks believed. Why rebel if there is nothing permanent in oneself worth preserving?”
In an irresistible but low hanging quip, I must say, if Camus is shooting for absurdity, in this formulation, he has surely reached it. I am having a hard time even engaging with the infantilism exhibited by this remark — “Why rebel if there is nothing permanent in oneself worth preserving”, as if rebellion is a rational conduct at all! As if permance is a predicate of almost anything people see fit to squabble over! This argument for a universal being is one of the weakest I have yet had the pleasure of reading, but it is, at the very least, somewhat unique — rebellion, religiously figured as a revolt against universal order, used as an argument precisely for a universal nature (as exemplified by “human nature”): that is one for the books, so to speak. Even granting permanence to some aspect of the rebel’s nature, there isn’t any evidence there through for the similarity of this permanent aspect of his nature with that of every other human being. Granted, by his definition, rebellion is a revolt predicated on a universal right, but I believe one could see the normative claims of rebellion more as a function of a culture which has learned an absolute universality is necessary to legitimate any action whatsoever, rather than as evidence for a universality inherent to the human as such. Why does Camus assume that rebellion is a reasonable comportment, and why does one’s nature have to be a “human nature” to be worth asserting against and into the world?
Further than just rebellion being the defining agent of human community, Camus also posits, later in the same chapter, suffering as another such collectivizing experience:
“In absurdist experience, suffering is individual. But from the moment when a movement of rebellion begins, suffering is seen as a collective experience. Therefore the first progressive step for a mind overwhelmed by the strangeness of things is to realize that this feeling of strangeness is shared with all men and that human reality, in its entirety, suffers from the distance which separates it from the rest of the universe.”
There is undoubtedly something to be said for the ability of suffering to produce compassion — a major premise of buddhist thought — but in declaring suffering a collective phenomenon, one misses what is particular in it, that which is irreducibly individual in every experience of suffering (that irreducible individuality being precisely what the absurd is). Under Camus figuration, rebellion would be, qua its role as a collectivizing phenomenon, opposed to the absurd and a negation of the realization that the absurd is. The intuition — or belief in — shared suffering is just as liable to deconstruction as is any other universal intuition, the deconstruction of which gave rise to the absurd in the first place. If rebellion is predicated on the unreflective projection of a universal right into action — and a reflective affirmation of the propositional content of that action — then rebellion is just as much a universal, just as much doomed to the fate of all other universals, as anything which previously fended off absurdity and which absurdism denies. It is by no means given that all human reality — or realities experienced by humans — are plagued with the degree of separation that absurdism asserts, and just as Rebellion collectivizes a suffering, irrationally and in unreflective action, so too can particular joys categorically common — or common under a set of concepts — give rise to a collective consciousness. Camus seems on the verge of recognizing this in his account of the rebel as a liminal figure, caught between rejecting the sacred — which is akin to rejecting the rectitude of things as they are — and accepting it:
“The rebel is a man who is on the point of accepting or rejecting the sacred and determined on laying claim to a human situation in which all the answers are human—in other words, formulated in reasonable terms. From this moment every question, every word, is an act of rebellion while in the sacred world every word is an act of grace.”
While this is me interpolating heavily, we could say that the rebel chooses a universality based on suffering — on what is wrong with the world — and stakes himself on an unconditional opposition to that suffering through a bid at establishing himself in the universality of the world through declaring himself, his own rights, already universal. Conversely, those who choose the sacred, affirm the the world as it is — deny their own rights in opposition to how things already are — and see every possibility of self assertion, every possible action, as something which is granted by the grace of the already existing, which is always divine and in the right against the individual. Under this conception, the sacred is a sort of unconditional affirmation of the way things are — “God works in mysterious ways” — and a likewise unconditional gratitude for whatever good there happens to be. As a wager against present conditions and an unconditional attempt at changing those conditions, rebellion is opposed to the sacred in its projection of injustice onto the universal categories currently operative; or, in other words, in denying the righteousness of what exists, one denies its divinity. 3 For Camus, as implicated by the following quote, man cannot exist without asserting himself over and against what already is — or cannot come to a full realization of what he is and what possibilities he sustains — but in order that rebellion not fail in its promise of a new universal, a universal which is without the faults of that which is attemptedly negated in rebellion, it must always be collective, a “noble” recognition of a shared suffering and a shared struggle against that suffering predicated on a universal right:
In order to exist, man must rebel, but rebellion must respect the limit it discovers in itself—a limit where minds meet and, in meeting, begin to exist. Rebellious thought, therefore, cannot dispense with memory: it is a perpetual state of tension. In studying its actions and its results, we shall have to say, each time, whether it remains faithful to its first noble promise or if, through indolence or folly, it forgets its original purpose and plunges into a mire of tyranny or servitude.
While I agree that this is the healthiest form of rebellion and the essence of collective struggle, I don’t think it adequately captures the nuance of rebellion itself, which can be particular and against any universalization, not just a particular configuration of oppressive authority, nor do I think that rebellion — even politically manifested — can be said to have a purpose in many cases, especially in the diversity in individual motivations for participating in a collective movement.4One cannot maintain the collectivity which a civil society is without all rebellions being normative rebellions, for if they were other than that, they would rather be schisms than rebellions, the formation of new social bodies rather than the reformation of a social body already existing.
1: While I use the figure of speech “missing something” here, it could very well be that Camus just chose to omit nuance for the sake of clarity and effect, something I am clearly incapable of doing. In general, I tend to dislike the attribution of an omission to the fault of the author, as the complete articulation of a conception — especially a concept of any breadth of application — can fill many volumes and many more hours. Whether or not Camus missed something, I just added something, or I merely explored some implications of his concept is all up to the individual judge. The critical tone is heavy today, for whatever reason — perhaps, because the work in question is so rhetorically powerful, it takes a great deal vitriol to not simply agree and to be able to engage with it at all.
2: A project of pure revolt as figured in Bædan #1, a queer anarchist journal: “Halting the ceaseless pursuit of a better world for the Child, our project centers itself on immediate fulfillment, joy, conflict, vengeance, conspiracy and pleasure. Rather than politics, we engage in social war. Without demands, we expropriate what we desire. Instead of representation, we rely on autonomous self organization. We do not protest, we attack.” This is an example of an anti-political project, one which denies the universal authority — the government — to which it is opposed, as well as any static, collective identity of even those who participate in the project. A further figuration of the anti-political — and hence pure revolt — is given by John Moore here: “For the ecdysiast, the decision to dress or stay naked depends purely upon individual desire,but anyway a peripheral concern. The key issue remains the sloughing of dead tissue, the character armour, internalized authority, the Leviathanic integument — and hence to the elimination of the entire control complex. Ecdysis thus becomes part of the wider psychosocial biodegradation process. Individually and collectively, people who reject the identities and postures assigned to them by the control force, begin to emerge in the positive anarchy or chaos which predates the creation.” (Ecdysiast here means only one who seeks to destroy internalized authority structures in themself — “kill the cop in your head”, as they say.) The emphasis here is not on collectivity or a shared suffering, but on the liberation of the individual and their subjugation in collective structures. I felt obligated to include these perspectives, not only because they relate, but also because I believe they provide a valuable line of inquest which might lead out of the political dilemma that collective politics face — and ideology based on universal categories more generally. Though, I do think one has to be careful with the extremity of some of these idea’s implications.
3: The mediation of the spirit of rebellion — or, more, revolution — and the sacred could be said to be exactly what Hegel was attempting with a philosophy of progress, each step in said progress, while being righteous, also holding within itself impetus to change. Under this philosophy, one can still affirm the sacred character of what is without thereby affirming its conservation as desirable — one can still engage critically with what in its nature calls for critique without, at least spiritually, denying its rectitude: an interesting work around, one which I’ve not formed a solid opinion on as of yet.
4: I mean here that, while a collective movement may have an explicit creed, that creed doesn’t usually reflect the motivations of those who participate in that movement. Take, for example, liberal arts education: while there is the old scholastic rhetoric that circulates — “the formation of well rounded individuals” etc. — many people who go through these programs do so for economic reasons, rather than any notion of self development, or under the coercion of or blind adherence to social norms. One can follow this line of reasoning for any collective institutions — can imagine a plethora of individual uses these institutions could serve.
Camus, The Rebel, Pt. 1 : Introduction
Over the next couple days, I will be doing a series of blog posts about The Rebel by Camus. I was inspired to take on this task after watching a documentary about the conflict between Camus and Sartre, sparked initially by the work under discussion. Already a fan of Sartre, I decided to check out his rival, for I always find the intellectual enemies of great thinkers are usually great thinkers themselves, no matter the latter’s opinion of the former. Just the introduction was sufficient — I wholly, even from so small of an exposure, believe Camus to be a genius, if not philosophically, than in his recognition of the extra-philosophical function of philosophy. He writes in the introduction:
“Our criminals are no longer helpless children who could plead love as their excuse. On the contrary, they are adults and they have a perfect alibi: philosophy, which can be used for any purpose—even for transforming murderers into judges.”
The utilization of rationality to excuse that which springs forth from the passion of an extra-rational subject is a personal peeve of mine and something which Camus here demonstrates a firm grasp of. Written in the context of the Soviet abuse of ideology to justify horrendous atrocities — not to long after a similar utilization of ideology by the Nazis (“massacres justified by philanthropy [Soviet] or by a taste for the superhuman [Nazi]”) — Camus warns us of “crimes of logic”, which, in his view, are not as acceptable as crimes of passion that make no pretense to rectitude.
He compares the tyranny of the middle ages — “slaves dragged behind chariots” etc. — and the tyranny of now, the former being unabashedly what it is, an abuse of power, while the latter “dons the apparel of innocence”, justifying its use of force philosophically. The use of abstract logic to justify the forceful exclusion and, in this case, extermination of other perspectives and ways of life is an insidious feature of many of the political movements of the 20th century — on the left and on the right — and Camus here seeks to flesh out the moral acceptability of this use of logic.
Starting from his “absurdist position”, which he asserts holds life as the only inherent good, he seeks then to prove that murder is then, when based on logic, wholly against this one inherent good. There being no other good but the good of life itself in absurdism — at least not as self evident — murder (and suicide) are exactly what is excluded by absurdism; or, as he puts it:
From the moment that life is recognized as good, it becomes good for all men. Murder cannot be made coherent when suicide is not considered coherent. A mind imbued with the idea of the absurd will undoubtedly accept fatalistic murder; but it would never accept calculated murder. In terms of the encounter between human inquiry and the silence of the universe, murder and suicide are one and the same thing, and must be accepted or rejected together.
He then goes on to differentiate absurdism from “absolute nihilism” by claiming that, in contraposition to absurdism, nihilism denies the value of life, giving rise to — or ethically legitimating — logical murder. While I understand the point, I do think it is poorly stated and given to the overblown phrasing of philosophy not torn from its mores in other genres of writing — though that is precisely where Camus has his appeal for me. For a system of philosophy to legitimate murder, it must legitimate that murder on the grounds of something — some value held above the life of the individual(s) murdered — and so I don’t think the phrasing “absolute nihilism” is correct for the systems of thought which legitimate logical murder. However, Camus would not be able to deliver such an engaging account of the issues without some of the philosophical imperfections which are, concurrently, stylistic perfections. An “absolute negation” must result in the complete destruction of everything, or that must be its aim, but the orders of logical murder don’t negate merely for absolute destruction, but to create something which they value more than life upon the ruins of that which they have absolutely negated. (A point Camus makes about the stance of the rebel further on.) To not value human life is not to not value anything; his absolute negation may very well be “…a single system,the system of a misguided intelligence that prefers, to the suffering imposed by a limited situation, the dark victory in which heaven and earth are annihilated”, but it is a system which would see a new heaven and earth established, even if, holding that, they would see the demise of the existing heaven and earth anyway.
Unfortunately, he goes on to invalidate the conclusion he makes above about absurdism — that it values life — and asserts its absolute incoherence, that “it does not provide us with values which will enable us to decide whether murder is legitimate or not”, even going on to designate the absurd as primarily an emotional climate that, while it gives rise to evaluative statements, is not itself a value. In his words: “Absurdism […] leaves us in a blind alley.” Absurdism being excluded as a source of values, he can only conceive of rebellion as a source of value and rational articulation.
Rebellion is born of the spectacle of irrationality, confronted with an unjust and incomprehensible condition. But its blind impulse is to demand order in the midst of chaos, and unity in the very heart of the ephemeral. It protests, it demands, it insists that the outrage be brought to an end, and that what has up to now been built upon shifting sands should henceforth be founded on rock. Its preoccupation is to transform. But to transform is to act, and to act will be, tomorrow, to kill, and it still does not know whether murder is legitimate. Rebellion engenders exactly the actions it is asked to legitimate. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that rebellion find its reasons within itself, since it cannot find them elsewhere. It must consent to examine itself in order to learn how to act.
I would argue that rebellion as described above, in some of its features, is almost identical to a formulation of fascism — or identical with the impetus which grows into fascism in the feature of wanting to impose stability on an unstable and chaotic world. He seeks to discover whether or not this rebellion against the inherent chaos and injustice in the world — in reference to any conception of justice held — “must end in universal murder”, or whether it might maintain some concept of justice (“reasonable culpability”, as he puts it.)
I’m almost certain that he will address the majority of my criticisms in this first post within the following the following chapters, which I am looking forward to reading, so I hope any rhetorical reader who has already finished this book might be graceful with my initial critical attitude. I find it interesting to see the paths a given piece evokes in my own thinking and how well those paths align with the actual direction the author ends up taking the text, hence why I attempt an exploration of the ideas before the author himself has finished exploring them.
Ethan NOPE Uncategorized Leave a comment May 16, 2019 June 17, 2019 5 Minutes
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Acne appears to be strongly inherited with 81% of the variation in the population explained by genetics.[15] Studies performed in affected twins and first-degree relatives further demonstrate the strongly inherited nature of acne.[2][15] Acne susceptibility is likely due to the influence of multiple genes, as the disease does not follow a classic (Mendelian) inheritance pattern. Several gene candidates have been proposed including certain variations in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), IL-1 alpha, and CYP1A1 genes, among others.[19] The 308 G/A single nucleotide polymorphism variation in the gene for TNF is associated with an increased risk for acne.[40] Acne can be a feature of rare genetic disorders such as Apert's syndrome.[15] Severe acne may be associated with XYY syndrome.[41]
To many parents’ dismay, their beautiful newborn’s face breaks out with red bumps at around 3 to 4 weeks of age. This is called baby acne. It tends to occur at about the same age as the baby’s peak gas production and fussiness. How attractive! (This all coincides with parents’ maximum sleep deprivation.) Parents are often quite concerned both about how these bumps look and about their significance.
For UVA protection, a sunscreen with a high UVA protection of PA+++ or higher of PA++++ as recommended, especially to treat PIE. PPD is the UVA equivalent of SPF; use a sunscreen with a minimum of PPD20. The PA+ system has a + that corresponds to a tier of PPD protection. Of note, different countries use different PA systems. Japan and Taiwan changed their PA system to a 4+ tier system while Korea uses a 3+ tier system.
Cortisone is a quick fix for acne emergencies. We mean got a big board meeting tomorrow kind of quick. Go into the dermatologist’s office for a shot of this corticosteroid, and acne will disappear in 24 to 48 hours. The treatment works to curb inflammation, which makes it best for cystic breakouts and can be really good at combatting hormonal flare-ups. If done incorrectly, a cortisone shot can leave a small depression in the skin that lasts about eight weeks. “It’s a rare side effect that happens if dosage of cortisone is too high,” explains Linkner. “You want to go to someone who knows what they’re doing.”
This at-home skin peel available at Sephora tightens pores, reduces oil, helps retexturize skin and diminishes dark spots. It's paraben and sulfate free, non-comedogenic and isn't tested on animals. Use this peel each week as part of your clear skin regimen to help even out skin tone and gently remove unhealthy top skin layers, revealing new, healthier skin underneath.
What's Going On: Do you tend to get these at the same time every month — say, just before you get your period? Because these are the work of fluctuating hormones, says Joshua Zeichner, a dermatologist and the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Hormones can put oil production into overdrive, and having an excess of it means that it’s more likely to settle in your pores and cause zits.
This at-home skin peel available at Sephora tightens pores, reduces oil, helps retexturize skin and diminishes dark spots. It's paraben and sulfate free, non-comedogenic and isn't tested on animals. Use this peel each week as part of your clear skin regimen to help even out skin tone and gently remove unhealthy top skin layers, revealing new, healthier skin underneath.
Alternative and integrative medicine approaches used in the treatment of acne include fish oil, brewer's yeast, probiotics, oral zinc and topical tea tree oil. More research is needed to establish the potential effectiveness and long-term safety of these and other integrative approaches, such as biofeedback and traditional Chinese medicine. Talk with your doctor about the pros and cons of specific treatments before you try them.
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Opium Abuse
Opium — History
Opium [electronic resource]
Video; Computer Resource; Online Video; Online
Scotland is plagued with over 50,000 drug addicts and one of the roots of this addiction is the opium poppy. In this second episode, actor Brian Cox travels to China to discover how the seeds of this modern-day addiction were planted during the height of Britain's trading empire. Since then opium has fueled the world's largest drug-smuggling operation, earned vast fortunes, triggered war with China and inspired medical breakthroughs. Brian Cox reveals how Britain unleashed the most dangerous of addictions on the world, and how the consequences still haunt us today.
Encoded with permission for digital streaming by Films Media Group on May 04, 2014.
Films on Demand is distributed by Films Media Group for Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Cambridge Educational, Meridian Education, and Shopware.
Addicted to Pleasure
Introduction: Opium: Addicted to Pleasure (1:50)
Pain Relief (2:06)
Papaver Somniferum (2:07)
Cultivation (2:01)
Negotiations (2:03)
Smuggling Opium to China (3:06)
Jardine Matheson (3:03)
War on Drugs (2:00)
Retaliation (2:04)
Treaty of Nanking (1:56)
Power of Opium (2:34)
Laudanum (2:55)
Hypodermic Syringe (3:19)
Widespread Use (2:12)
Addiction (1:46)
Brain Study (2:05)
Heroin (3:32)
Jesus Pills (2:24)
Opium Wars (1:59)
Looking Ahead (2:20)
Credits: Opium: Addicted to Pleasure (0:35)
Publisher no.
57411s Films Media Group
57413 Films Media Group
Access requires authentication through Films on Demand.
1 streaming video file (50 min.) : sd., col.
Mode of access: Internet.
System requirements: FOD playback platform.
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a| Opium h| [electronic resource] / c| BBC Worldwide Ltd.
a| New York, N.Y. : b| Films Media Group, c| [2014], c2012.
a| 1 streaming video file (50 min.) : b| sd., col.
a| Addicted to Pleasure
a| Encoded with permission for digital streaming by Films Media Group on May 04, 2014.
a| Films on Demand is distributed by Films Media Group for Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Cambridge Educational, Meridian Education, and Shopware.
a| Introduction: Opium: Addicted to Pleasure (1:50) -- Pain Relief (2:06) -- Papaver Somniferum (2:07) -- Cultivation (2:01) -- Negotiations (2:03) -- Smuggling Opium to China (3:06) -- Jardine Matheson (3:03) -- War on Drugs (2:00) -- Retaliation (2:04) -- Treaty of Nanking (1:56) -- Power of Opium (2:34) -- Laudanum (2:55) -- Hypodermic Syringe (3:19) -- Widespread Use (2:12) -- Addiction (1:46) -- Brain Study (2:05) -- Heroin (3:32) -- Jesus Pills (2:24) -- Opium Wars (1:59) -- Looking Ahead (2:20) -- Credits: Opium: Addicted to Pleasure (0:35)
a| Access requires authentication through Films on Demand.
a| Scotland is plagued with over 50,000 drug addicts and one of the roots of this addiction is the opium poppy. In this second episode, actor Brian Cox travels to China to discover how the seeds of this modern-day addiction were planted during the height of Britain's trading empire. Since then opium has fueled the world's largest drug-smuggling operation, earned vast fortunes, triggered war with China and inspired medical breakthroughs. Brian Cox reveals how Britain unleashed the most dangerous of addictions on the world, and how the consequences still haunt us today.
a| 10 & up.
a| Mode of access: Internet.
a| System requirements: FOD playback platform.
a| Opium abuse.
a| Opium x| History.
a| Educational films.
a| Internet videos.
a| Videorecording. 2| local
a| BBC Worldwide Ltd.
a| Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Firm)
a| Films Media Group.
i| Originally produced: d| BBC Worldwide Ltd, 2012.
a| Addicted to pleasure.
z| Part of the Films on Demand collection. u| http://proxy01.its.virginia.edu/login?url=http://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=29178&xtid=57413
a| XX(6387124.1) w| WEB i| 6387124-1001 l| INTERNET m| UVA-LIB t| INTERNET
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Texas State Technical College-Waco
Texas State Technical College-Waco in Waco
Annual Cost
Texas State Technical College-Waco offers 300-degree programs and 3 via distance education. Student-to-faculty ratio is 13:1. 1 high safety campus. 78.5% are women, and 21.5% are men. The average annual total cost of attendance at Texas State Technical College-Waco is 8071$, that is at the level of national average. Total price of living is between $8001 and $12512 per year. 25% of full-time Texas State Technical College-Waco students completed their education in 150 percent of time: graduation rate is at the level of national average. Average salary after attending is $32,600, so if you studied 2 years, you’ll get your funds back in less than 2 years.
Download Texas State Technical College-Waco Whitepaper!
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Average Annual Cost
Average annual cost includes tuition and fees, books and supplies, and living expenses, minus the average grant/scholarship aid. Separate metrics have calculated for different institutions depends on calendar system and sector of the establishment (public or private).
The Texas State Technical College-Waco is a public and non-academic-year institution, so it’s net price represents an average of all programs and includes only undergraduates who first enrolled in the fall term and pay in-state tuition and receive Title IV aid.
By Family Income
Depending on the federal state, or institutional grant and available, Texas State Technical College-Waco students in your income bracket may pay more of less than the overall average costs.
$0 - $30,000 $6,113
$30,001 - $48,000 $7,043
$75,001 - $110,000 $11,351
$110,001+ $12,148
Typical room charge for academic year: 2440
Typical board charge for academic year: -
Combined charge for room and board: -
In-district
Recognized student veteran organization
Member of Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges
Texas State Technical College-Waco graduation rate is below the national average.
25% of full-time students enrolled for the first time to Texas State Technical College-Waco completed the education program and got a degree in 150 percent of the expected time of completion.
The graduation rate value includes only programs that were completed less than six years for four-year degrees or less than three years for two-year degrees.
Graduation rate is the percentage of institution’s new-entering, first-time, first-year undergraduate students who complete their program within 150% of the published time for the program. Graduation rate excludes an extensive number of students. This indicator doesn’t consider students of nontraditional enrollments - part-time students, students who enroll mid-year, and who transfer from one institution to another. So graduation rate alone can create a misleading perception. Completion rate in the form of total number of students receiving any types of awards/degrees creates a complete picture. Combining this data with graduation rate is a better way to compare institutions.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Texas State Technical College-Waco is 13:1, that means that for every 13 students the institution has one professor, lecturer or specialist with a degree in education. Lower student-to-faculty ratio is better - it means that professors can dedicate more time and attention to each student.
In Texas State Technical College-Waco the biggest percent of students are enrolled in on-campus courses.
Here are the students enrolled exclusively in distance education courses at Texas State Technical College-Waco and grouped by their location. Distance education courses are the most popular for students located in Texas.
The percentage of crimes on Waco Campus
The campus located by 3801 Campus Dr. address in Waco, Texas.
Waco Campus in comparison of all branches in the US. It is calculated as the average percent of crimes yearly by five years of data for every campus, based on an overall number of students studying there. The branch is a part of Texas State Technical College-Waco with 1.48% of maximum crimes a year. The most often crimes detected on Waco Campus are burglary, motor vehicle theft, and forcible sex offense.
Texas State Technical College-Waco offers 300 programs in total: 135 are for Associate's degree, 99 - for 1-year, but less than-2-year certificate programs, and 66 are less than 1-year certificate programs.
This is one of the lowest number of programs in comparison with other 471 universities in Texas state.
Number of degree programs offered via distance education
There are 3 distance learning programs that are offered in the Texas State Technical College-Waco: 3 are for Associate's degree.
Note, that programs offered via distance education might be fully online as well as partially online and require on-campus meetings. So look carefully into each program to make sure you can commit.
Here you can find the data on instructional activity in measured in total credit and/or contact hours delivered by institutions during a 12-month period. Also we shown the Texas state average data to help you compare.
Texas State Technical College-Waco provides coursework for undergraduate students оnly.
In 2014-2015 academic year estimated full-time equivalent undergraduate enrollment was 3937 students with 118111 сredit hours for 12-month instructional activity period.
The most popular majors counted as percentage breakdown of degrees awarded in every single discipline in Texas State Technical College-Waco
13% — Engineering Technologies and Engineering-related Fields
7% — Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies
7% — Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians
6% — Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians
4% — Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Give feedback about Texas State Technical College-Waco
Tell us what you think about Texas State Technical College-Waco:
Student Reviews and Ratings for Texas State Technical College-Waco
Address: 3801 Campus Drive
Calendar system: Semester
Institution's internet website address: https://tstc.edu
More colleges and universities in McLennan county
McLennan Community College
ITT Technical Institute-Waco
Graduation Rate: 0%
Texas State Technical College-System
Texas State Technical College
Setting: Rural
More colleges and universities in Texas state
Sebring Career Schools-Houston
Astrodome Career Centers
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Utah College of Massage Therapy-Dallas
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The Hand of the Lord in Scripture
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John 14:8-14 - Is Jesus Enough
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TWA - Bible Reading Schedule
Elliott Kwong • Sermon • 11 years ago • 3,536 views
Time with Abba - Bible Reading Schedule Jan l Feb l Mar l Apr l May l Jun l Jul l Aug l Sep l Oct l Nov l Dec Date Psalms OT NT Proverbs 1/1 Ps 1:1-6 Gen 1:1-2:25 Matt 1:1-2:12 Prov 1:1-6 1/2 Ps 2:1-6 Gen 3:1 - 4:26 Matt 2:13-3:6 Prov 1:7-9 1/3 Ps 2:7-12 Gen 5:1 - 7:24 Matt 3:7-4:11 Prov 1:10-19 1/4…
The benefits of serving Him
Wesley Crouch • Sermon • 9 years ago • 3,368 views
The Benefits of Serving God Psalm 103:1-5KJV 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth…
Jesus Can Heal Our Broken Hearts
Rick Crandall • Sermon • 5 years ago • 2,809 views
Jesus Can Heal Our Broken Hearts Luke 4:14-21 Sermon by Rick Crandall Grayson Baptist Church - August 17, 2014 *One of the biggest news stories this past week was the tragic death of actor Robin Williams. Millions of Americans were stunned and saddened by his unexpected death. *Part of that reaction…
Luke 4:14–21
God's Comfort
Jesus Healing
Genesis 37:12-36 - The Persecution Of Joseph
I. The Life of Joseph Part 3: The Persecution of Joseph Introduction: we all go through different trial and seasons in our lives whether it be financially, physically (being sick), etc. but there is a promise that God gives us that I would like to share with you as study the life of Joseph. Paul, writing…
Genesis 37:12–36
God Can Use Anybody
Robert K. Storey • River Church NOLA • Sermon • 2 years ago • 2,485 views • 40:23
Welcome to Streams of Mercy 2 Last WE we looked at What Mercy Is and learned that God shows us mercy when we’re Ashamed - of the things we have done wrong Angry - over things we don’t have Afraid of things that might happen in our future. Today - God Can Use Anybody … because of His Mercy. Greatest Joy…
Unstoppable Faith2Cor4
Stan Lubeck • Sermon • 10 years ago • 2,355 views
Unstoppable Faith (You don't Have What it Takes) 2 Cor 4 Pastor Stan Lubeck The LIFEhouse Church 1/10/10 Today we finish our series of messages entitled "unstoppable." What would cause you to be stopped in your tracks? Have you known people who have given up on God or gave up on the church? Have you…
Sermon Determination Quitting
Faith unstoppable
Nothing to Lose; Everything to Gain
Timothy C Glover • Sermon • 9 years ago • 2,080 views
Nothing to Lose; Everything to Gain 2Corinthians 12:11-13:14 February 1, 2004 Scripture Reading: 2Kings 19:14-22 Introduction: Like the passage we read this morning in 2Kings 19 where King Hezekiah has nothing to lose and everything to gain, the situation in the Corinthian church has been so bad that…
2 Corinthians 12:11–13:14
SEEING THE INVISIBLE
GLENN PEASE • Sermon • 5 years ago • 1,723 views
By Pastor Glenn Pease A young sportsman just back from a hunting trip in India was criticizing the efforts of the missionaries there. He said that in all the months he was there he never saw any good they were doing. It was all a useless waste of money and effort. A returned missionary overheard him…
Topical - Overcoming Discouragement
Overcoming Discouragement Topical February 27, 2005 Scripture Reading: Exodus 5-6 Big Question: How can we overcome discouragement? Discouragement is an enemy that we all have to face. It can come in many forms. It saps our strength to go on because hope and vision become clouded in the midst of life’s…
La Armadura de Dios
Efesios
Pastor: Andres Espinoza • Sermon • 2 years ago • 1,462 views
Introducción: Hoy continuamos con la exposición de la epístola de Pablo a los Efesios. La semana pasada hicimos un repaso de la carta, vimos que Pablo del capitulo 1 al 3 ha estado hablando de lo que Dios ha hecho y de la posición que la iglesia tiene en Cristo y luego desde el Capitulo 4 nos llama como…
Ephesians 6:10–20
Armor of God
Treasure in Jars of Clay
Text: II Corinthians 4:1-12 Theme: We have treasure inside our cracked clay pots Doctrine: God uses the weak Image: clay pots Need: image adjustment on the importance, or lack their of, of the denomination Message: “rejoice” in the treasure the CRC holds Treasure in Jars of Clay II Cor 4:1-12 (esp. v7)…
150th anniversary of CRC
Clay Pots
Hindered but not Defeated
Edward Sermon • Sermon • 11 years ago • 1,292 views
“HINDERED BUT NOT DEFEATED” 1 Thess 2:17,18 But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire. Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us. Psalm 37:23-24…
How do you Honor God the Father in Worship?
John Fallahee • Sermon • 9 years ago • 1,220 views
See the Video: June 19, 2010 Hear the Audio: June 19, 2010 Download Sermon Outline One little boy's definition of Father's Day went like this, "Well, it's just like Mother's Day only you don't spend so much." Well we fathers can concede that. Someone said, "A father is someone who carries pictures where…
Psalm 103:13–18
Worship Faith Grace
2 Cor 4 :17-18
Bill Diaper • Sermon • 11 years ago • 937 views
Title: Power in a Plastic Bag Context: Paul explains that it is the Message not the Messenger that is important Text: 2 Corinthians 4 :7-18 @ Nelson Road on 8th June 2008 Introduction Last week I received an important parcel, one which I had was looking forward to receiving, it was going to change my…
Power in a Plastic Bag
Paul explains that it is the Message not the
Treasure in clay pots
Pastor John Tindall • Sermon • 12 years ago • 909 views
2 Corinthians 4 Treasures in clay pots ___________________________________________________________ Let me draw a picture for you of two people. The first is one of the most famous men in the world. His name is Moses. He’s been appointed by the living God to be leader of the people of Israel. He’s spent…
power and weakness
Suffering and the Sovereignty of God
Sermon • 11 years ago • 867 views
The experience of human suffering has perplexed minds ever since the fall. For Christians, the question of suffering rises to a new level of importance because of our belief in the sovereignty of our loving and merciful God. In Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, John Piper and friends tackle some…
THE BURIAL OF HIS BODY
GLENN PEASE • Sermon • 5 years ago • 816 views
By Pastor Glenn Pease Doctor Martin von Butchell was a London dentist who lost his wife in 1775, and was reluctant to part with her. There was no law against it, so he had her embalmed, and kept her in a glass case in his home. He introduced visitors to her as my dear departed. Word spread of this spectacle,…
1 Corinthians 15:1–11
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Peter Gray, “The Great Irish Famine and Transatlantic Historiographies, 1847-1914”
Peter Gray, de Queen’s University, Belfast, présentera sa communication “The Great Irish Famine and Transatlantic Historiographies, 1847-1914”, le jeudi 11 décembre. Exceptionnellement, cette séance aura lieu de 18h à 20h. La séance est organisée conjointement avec Mondes Anglophones, Politique et Société (MAPS) de Paris IV – Sorbonne.
Podcast ci-dessous et sur le site de l’IHR.
The second half of the 19th century saw in the Anglophone world the growing prestige of ‘History’ as an authoritative genre for the interpretation of past events, and to some extent the growing prominence of ‘historians’ (some self-defined, others holding prestigious professional positions) as public intellectuals commenting on current affairs. This lecture will focus on the self-consciously ‘historical’ constructions of the Great Irish Famine in the decades preceding the First World War, aware that these occurred in the contexts of both a frenzy of politicised instrumentalisation of the crisis by Irish nationalists and the salience of recalled memory on the part of many of the writers who had been observers or participants in the events they depicted. It gives particular emphasis to the transatlantic nature of the historical formation of the Famine, not just because of the immense importance of Irish America as a site of Famine memorialisation, but also because of the role played by Anglo-America as the focus for much of the public contestations of meaning articulated by British and Irish liberal as well as Irish nationalist writers.
Ce contenu a été publié dans 19ème siècle, Séances par Claire Delen, et marqué avec 19ème siècle, histoire sociale, historiographie, Irlande. Mettez-le en favori avec son permalien.
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Home » Horror » Shaun Hutson » Slugs prev book next book
Slugs by Shaun Hutson
a review by Arron , in the genre(s) Horror . Book published by Sphere in
Ok so we all know who Shaun Hutson is, and asked to name some of his works then Slugs is more than likely to be in the answer bank, most people probably know that it was even his first novel. What they may not know however, unless they have read up on the guy is that he is a die-hard Iron Maiden fan and Liverpool fan. Now Liverpool aside, if you didn't know those facts then you could never have read a Hutson book.
The amount of references in there is unbelievable and I’m sorry Shaun, very corny. Yes it was your first book so some allowances could be made, sure. But thirty years on it just really shows his naivety and comes across as, “Look at me, I’m a Maiden fan and I can prove it by adding content to my book that metal fans across the country will get”. I’m sure Shaun does/did have a lot of metal fans as his fan base, I for one growing up certainly did swallow a lot of his work, owning every book up until around the mid 90’s of White Ghost and Lucy’s Child but then I kind of grew up and the gore and erotica lost its edge for me and became just another book in his catalog.
At the beginning of his career though that is one thing that made him stand out from the crowd and there aren't many people who could pick up one of his early novels without having to put it down due to the graphic descriptions in there. Slugs doesn't quite live up to that but the potential is there to be seen. The story basically runs in the same way of Herbert’s first novel, The Rats in that there are thousands of large hybrid killer slugs with a taste for human flesh.
I kind of get the feeling with this book in fact that it is either a homage to The Rats made modern or his way of trying to imitate Herbert but make the sex scenes hotter and harder and the gore much more graphic. He does achieve both but the story and style that Herbert had is definitely missing. It was the sex and gore that sold Hutson's work though, becoming known as the Grandmaster of Gore over time. A sequel to the book was spawned entitled Breeding Ground, which came out three years later. Altogether not a bad novel at all, very early days for the author and maybe now, with a host of gore filled movies to choose from I think somebody who hasn't read that type of novel but enjoys them kind of films would really like this book and the author. Don’t expect too much in terms of plot and killer twists. What you see with Hutson is what you get. Exactly as it says on the tin.
Written on 25th October 2013 by Arron.
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Authors books reviewed
Unmarked Graves
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Geralds Game
N0S4R2
Necroscope
Salems Lot
The Spear
The Veil
The Valancourt Book of Horror Stories: Volume 2
This Book is Full of Spiders
The Mouth of the Dark
Author: Shaun Hutson
Publisher: Sphere
Format reviewed: Paperback
Age Range: N/A
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February 12, 2012 in News, Predictions, Previews, Tournament Analysis | Tags: Azarenka, Bartoli, Christina McHale, Cibulkova, Doha, Goerges, Hantuchova, Ivanovic, Jankovic, Kerber, Kuznetsova, Lisicki, Mona Barthel, Pavlyuchenkova, Peng, Premier Five, Radwanska, Schiavone, Sorana Cirstea, Stosur, Tennis, Wozniacki, WTA, Zvonareva | Leave a comment
Two weeks after the Australian Open begins the first marquee WTA tournament, a Premier Five event that ranks among the nine most significant non-majors of the women’s season. Clearly the most important tournament in February, Doha nevertheless will proceed without four of the sport’s leading figures in Sharapova, Kvitova, Serena, and Clijsters. Their absence makes the draw less predictable, but we do our best to predict anyway.
First quarter: In her first match as the top-ranked player in the world, Azarenka will collide with one of her victims during the Australian Open. The champion in Hobart, Mona Barthel burst from anonymity to threaten the Belarussian at times in Melbourne and continued her surge by winning four matches at the Paris Indoors last week. Also surpassing expectations early in 2012 is the aging Hantuchova, who soared above a weak draw in Pattaya City. When the Slovak won the Thai title last year, though, she faded quickly in the Middle East as fatigue dulled her strokes. Azarenka’s depth and streamlined movement position her effectively in a meeting with Hantuchova, as they would in a quarterfinal against Schiavone. But the latter’s berth in that round looks uncertain considering her early loss in Melbourne and indifferent Fed Cup performance on her favored clay. Winning a characteristically epic three-setter from Jankovic in Brisbane, Schiavone might find herself embroiled in another rollercoaster should she collide with Pavlyuchenkova in the third round. The Italian and the Russian split their two major meetings last year in memorable third sets. Winning only two matches in her first three tournaments this year, Pavlyuchenkova has struggled with every department of her game and has gone winless in three meetings with Azarenka. That said, none of last year’s first-time major champions reached the semifinals in their next tournament.
Second quarter: A semifinalist in Sydney and quarterfinalist in Melbourne, Radwanska enjoyed a consistent beginning to 2012 while losing only to Azarenka, both times in three sets. Stacked with three qualifiers and two underpowered players in Paszek and Yakimova , her section looks especially accommodating for a Premier Five event. Scarcely more intimidating is the presence of Julia Goerges, thrashed in embarrassing fashion by the Pole at the Australian Open. Nevertheless, Kerber rebounded from her rout by Sharapova to reverse that result at the Paris Indoors, so her fellow German may have learned from a recent debacle as well. Reaching the third round at the Australian Open, Christina McHale will aim to climb further towards the top 30 with winnable matches against Scheepers and perhaps Peng. Overshadowed by Zheng as well as Li this year, the Chinese double-fister accumulated a losing record in January and has failed to win consecutive matches at her last five tournaments. (On the other hand, she defeated McHale resoundingly in Tokyo last fall.) Anchoring the base of this section is Jankovic, who looked somewhat promising in Australia while reaching the second week. After she dominated second-tier competition, she imploded in a ghastly deluge of unforced errors when she met a noteworthy opponent in Wozniacki. That profligacy will not carry her far against Radwanska, who built her charge to last fall’s Tokyo title upon a third-set bagel of the Serb.
Semifinalist: Radwanska
Third quarter: The defending champion in Doha after an impressive victory over Wozniacki, Zvonareva has reached no fewer than three finals in the Persian Gulf city, including when it hosted the 2008 year-end championships. This court’s moderate pace suits Vera’s consistent, well-rounded baseline style, which nevertheless can range from stylish to disheveled depending on her mood. As her sagging ranking illustrates, Zvonareva has recorded unremarkable results at most significant tournaments over the past year. Among the exceptions was an appearance in a US Open quarterfinal, where she fell routinely to eventual titlist Stosur. Again situated in the same quarter as her nemesis, Zvonareva cannot look too far ahead when she considers how to halt her seven-match losing streak against the Aussie. Possibly awaiting her in the third round is Cibulkova, who defeated her in two of their three 2011 engagements. Nor should Stosur look too far ahead, having won only one match in three Australian tournaments to the chagrin of her compatriots. In a curious quirk of fate, she could open her Doha campaign against Sorana Cirstea, the Romanian against whom she opened—and closed—her Melbourne fortnight. Otherwise, Stosur would face the psychologically complicated task of toppling her Fed Cup teammate from two weeks ago, Gajdosova. In a section so murky and filled with recent underachievers, one might fancy a surprise semifinalist. Those who do might consider Ivanovic, who won more matches at the Australian Open than Stosur and Zvonareva combined as her service rhythm continued to coalesce. Yet she has lost both of her hard-court meetings to the Australian, whom she would meet in the third round, and never has brought her best tennis to the Middle East.
Semifinalist: Stosur?
Fourth quarter: Aligned for a possible third-round clash are the two Paris finalists Bartoli and Kerber, who may reach Doha with little more energy than Kvitova and Hantuchova did last year. Who stands to profit the most from their fatigue? Look no further than Sabine Lisicki, destined to open against her countrywoman Kerber in a battle of muscular blondes. Having defeated Bartoli at Wimbledon last year, she should aim to exploit the vast disparity in their serves even on this slower surface. In the lower part of this section lie two-time major champion Kuznetsova and the newly deposed Wozniacki, the finalists in nearby Dubai a year ago. Retreating to the exclusive supervision of her father, the former #1 has stagnated since winning Indian Wells last March as a disturbing complacency has settled into her. When at her best, though, she has excelled at the most prestigious non-majors until an arid stretch in the second half of 2011. Overshadowed lately by the accomplishments of the Trident, she may gain valuable purpose from the goal of regaining the top ranking. Meanwhile, Kuznetsova showed glimmers of rebounding from a dreadful season last year by reaching the Auckland semifinal and winning the Australian Open doubles title with Zvonareva. Gifted with the natural talent to trouble the more mechanical Wozniacki, she nearly conquered her at the US Open before her inherent inconsistency undid her. Against the mighty serve of Lisicki, both the reckless Russian and the defensive Dane would shoulder considerable pressure.
Semifinalist: Lisicki
Final: Radwanska vs. Lisicki
Champion: Agnieszka Radwanska
February 6, 2012 in News, Post-Tournament Analysis, Tournament News | Tags: ATP, Benesova, Berdych, Cornet, Fed Cup, Goerges, Hantuchova, Jovanovski, Kuznetsova, Kvitova, Lisicki, Monfils, Nicolas Escude, Schiavone, Tennis, WTA, Youzhny | Leave a comment
The quietest month on the calendar between the Australian Open and the US Open, February showcases several indoor tournaments as well as the opening rounds of national team competition. We review the best and worst of what we watched in the first week at venues around the world.
National #2s: Overshadowed at the outset by higher-ranked compatriots such as Kvitova, Sharapova, and Jankovic, several of the second-ranked women on Fed Cup teams played pivotal roles in their team’s success. While most of the attention in Moscow swirled around Sharapova, Kuznetsova delivered two singles victories to continue her excellence under national colors. Not renowned for valiant responses to pressure in ordinary circumstances, she clinched yet another tie with a rollercoaster three-set victory over a plucky opponent with nothing to lose. When Jankovic vanished after a first-rubber victory, as did Sharapova, Bojana Jovanovski became the heroine of Serbia’s road victory over Belgium. The promising teenager rebounded from a Saturday loss to Wickmayer and fueled her nation’s comeback from a 1-2 deficit by winning in both singles and doubles on Sunday. Stagnant over the last several months in individual competition, perhaps she can build from that success to reinvigorate her fortunes.
Nor should one neglect the effort of Hantuchova in World Group II, opening and closing a dangerous tie against France with victories. Similar to Kuznetsova in her unsteadiness at crucial moments, the elegant Slovak found the courage to survive a 16-game final set in the first rubber, when the tie still hung in the balance. Although Kvitova provided the principal heroics for the Czechs (see below), Iveta Benesova mastered the more talented Lisicki to strip the suspense almost immediately from what had seemed an intriguing tie. Even in the presence of their more notable peers, therefore, the performance of these #2s proved the importance of depth in team competition.
Berdych: Having waited two and a half years between his two previous titles, the world #7 ensured that no such drought would separate his next two. Following swiftly upon his Beijing title last fall, another minor title at Montpellier extended his momentum from a quarterfinal appearance at the Australian Open. As confident and authoritative as he looked in Melbourne, Berdych comfortably shouldered the burden of the top seed at a small event and withstood a second-set surge by Monfils in the final. While his programmatic style translates especially well to the artificial conditions under a roof, he should bring confidence to the North American hard courts in March. A runner-up at Miami two years ago, Berdych should aim to surpass the flagging Tsonga as the leading threat to the top four.
French men: In the absence of the aforementioned Tsonga, his countrymen still flew the French flag with panache under the roof of Montpellier. Monfils may have watched his finals record dwindle to 4-13, but he edged within a set of defending a title for the first time in his career. Sandwiched around his dismal exit from Melbourne are runner-up trophies at his other tournaments. In an all-French semifinal that must have delighted the audience, Simon fell one point short of snatching his countryman’s berth in the final but displayed the competitive resilience associated with him. To be sure, one should not overstate success at a tournament so minor and so friendly to native talent, where the French held three of the top four seeds and 12 of the 28 total slots in the main draw. But les bleus historically have labored under a reputation for imploding on home soil, and the weeks enjoyed by these two Frenchmen combined with the recent success of Tsonga and Monfils at the Paris Indoors to undermine that theory.
Youzhny: Now outside the top 30, this former resident of the top 10 had not even reached a final since the start of 2010. Exploiting the inexperience of first-time finalist Lukas Lacko, Youzhny won his fifth indoor title under the Zagreb roof while showcasing his elegant backhand and effortless versatility. Although very Russian in personality, his game almost looks French with its free-flowing grace from all corners of the court. Considering his volatile emotions, a three-set victory over Karlovic during which he never broke serve represented the most impressive accomplishment from an otherwise smooth passage through the draw. Added to the Fed Cup team’s triumph, Youzhny’s title offered multiple causes for celebration in Russia, whose women long have dwarfed the men in tennis talent. With Davis Cup on the horizon, Shamil Tarpischev must look forward to welcoming this experienced veteran and stalwart patriot at one of his more optimistic moments in recent years.
Kvitova: Although she lost the first set to lower-ranked players in each of her Fed Cup rubbers, the world #2 showed commendable determination in eking out victories against talented opponents in hostile territory. Extended to eighteen games in the third set against Goerges, she marshaled sufficient energy to outlast inspired resistance from Lisicki on Sunday. Uncharacteristically fragile late in the third set of the Australian Open semifinal, she displayed a tenacity more worthy of her status on an occasion not much less intense in pressure.
Germans: In all of the first three singles rubbers, they won the first set. In all three rubbers, they lost the next two sets. As the momentum slid away from them again and again, Lisicki and Goerges must have sensed the opportunity slipping through their fingers. But they should take comfort from their ability to threaten the heavily favored Kvitova in a tie much more competitive than the scoreline showed. When Petkovic returns, this team will have the depth to become a Fed Cup powerhouse.
Schiavone: Unaccountably ghastly on Saturday, she regrouped to win her second rubber on Sunday but only after a rollercoaster three-setter, a startling result on her beloved clay against a Ukrainian team that struggles on the surface. One typically numbers Schiavone among the lionesses of Fed Cup, but surprisingly she has won only 22 of 39 singles rubbers. After reaching the Brisbane semifinal to start 2012, she has sputtered in the last few weeks. That said, Schiavone delivered a key win for her country when the situation absolutely demanded, and she showed the poise of a veteran in regrouping from Saturday’s debacle with competitive willpower undimmed.
South American clay: If these tournaments wish to attract players more notable than Spanish clay specialists, they must consider changing to the hard courts where almost any sensible player would spend their time between the Australian Open and Indian Wells. Such a change might imperil their attractiveness for players like Ferrer and Almagro, who can inflate their rankings by gorging on cheap rankings points up and down the continent. (Appearance money and distance from players’ bases in North America and Europe also play a role, of course.) For now, they represent a curious anomaly on the calendar and a reminder of the region’s remoteness from relevance.
Nicolas Escude: With his team’s survival at stake, the French captain bizarrely selected the Fed Cup-allergic Cornet to face Hantuchova, who has enjoyed a strong start to 2012. To no surprise, the feckless Frenchwoman sank to 2-12 in Fed Cup action, including 1-8 in singles. Never should Escude have entrusted her with a live rubber, much less a must-win live rubber, and least of all after Razzano (the player for whom she substituted) had defeated Slovakian #1 Cibulkova routinely on Saturday. As France faces possible relegation to zonal play, the French Tennis Federation should have little trouble identifying a key architect of their humiliation.
February 3, 2012 in News, Predictions, Previews, Tournament Analysis | Tags: Azarenka, Benesova, Bojana Jovanovski, Christina McHale, Cibulkova, Errani, Fed Cup, Gajdosova, Goerges, Hantuchova, Jankovic, Kateryna Bondarenko, Kimiko Date Krumm, Kuznetsova, Kvitova, Lisicki, Pennetta, Polona Hercog, Razzano, Schiavone, Serena Williams, Sharapova, Stosur, Suarez Navarro, Tennis, Vinci, Wickmayer, WTA | Leave a comment
Perhaps with an eye to the looming Olympics, many of the top women have “made themselves available” for Fed Cup duty as required for participation in the Summer Games. Rather than looking so far ahead, though, we discuss the eight ties in this weekend’s “Winter Games.”
Russia vs. Spain: A year ago, Sharapova followed a disappointing performance at the Australian Open with a Fed Cup defeat in Moscow. After reaching the Melbourne final this year, she will hope to carry that momentum into another home tie and an opening rubber against the 77th-ranked Soler Espinosa. While Sharapova generally has fizzled on Russian soil, the Spaniard has won just four WTA main-draw matches since the start of 2011. More problematic for the home squad is the second rubber between Kuznetsova and Suarez Navarro, who has defeated the Russian on hard courts and impressed in a three-set loss to Kvitova at the Australian Open. If the visitors can reach Sunday with a 1-1 tie, the pressure might accumulate on their heavily favored opponents. But Russia rallied from a 0-2 deficit in the same round last year, suggesting that they will respond courageously to adversity. Likely to win at least three of four singles rubbers, their far superior firepower should render the doubles rubber irrelevant.
Belgium vs. Serbia: The only top-20 player on either squad, Jankovic likely holds the keys to Serbia’s success but may find her fitness tested by the prospect of playing three rubbers. The former #1 has recorded notable exploits in team competition while compiling a 24-7 record in singles matches, and teammate Bojana Jovanovski has produced tennis much better than her current sub-100 ranking. Without Clijsters, Belgium rests its hopes on Yanina Wickmayer, who began 2010 and 2011 in impressive fashion before fading later in those seasons. Defeated by a qualifier in the Hobart final, she continues to struggle with consistency and may struggle with the unfamiliar role of spearheading this team. Like Jankovic, she probably will play three rubbers if necessary on a team with no other member in the top 150. Never have the two #1s met on an indoor hard court, a surface that should benefit the more aggressive Wickmayer. If the tie reaches the doubles, Jankovic’s superior grittiness should prevail.
Italy vs. Ukraine: Probably the least intriguing tie of the weekend is this pairing in which one team’s lowest-ranked player stands more than 50 notches higher than the other team’s highest-ranked player. A quarterfinalist at the Australian Open, Errani replaces the higher-ranked Pennetta, hampered by injury during January. Notable mostly for accomplishments on hard courts, Ukraine should count itself lucky to win any of the rubbers, for a daunting challenge awaits in the doubles against Australian Open doubles finalists Errani and Vinci. Although Schiavone fell early in her last two tournaments, a return to Italian soil should reinvigorate the 30-year-old veteran, especially when facing two women who have combined to win one main-draw match this year.
Germany vs. Czech Republic: In probably the most intriguing tie of the weekend, the 2011 champions open their title defense against the potent serving of Lisicki and Goerges. Solid but not spectacular in Melbourne, world #2 Kvitova delivered crucial victories for the Czech Republic in both the semifinal and final. Despite the victories that each German recorded against her in 2009 and 2010, the home team’s strongest hope may lie in preying upon her teammate Benesova and extending the tie to the doubles. Like Belgium, Germany enters the weekend without its leading singles player in Petkovic, so Lisicki and Goerges must curb their characteristic unpredictability and discipline themselves against playing to the level of the competition. Since both Germans and Benesova reached the second week of the Australian Open, one should expect an extremely high level of tennis in every singles rubber. Even if the tie reaches the doubles, though, the pairing of Hradecka and Zahlavova Strycova would summon greater experience and doubles expertise than any duo that the hosts could assemble. With a surface tailored to the strengths of both squads and a clash between two neighboring countries, this tie should produce not only explosive serves but the type of volatile atmosphere on which Fed Cup thrives.
World Group II:
USA vs. Belarus: No fewer than three #1s have traveled to the prosaic environs of Worcester, Massachusetts for the mere opportunity to contest the World Group next year. Those who wished to see Serena face one of the younger generation’s rising stars in Melbourne will find some consolation for January disappointment when she meets the newly top-ranked Azarenka on Sunday. Since the hosts possess the only doubles specialist on either team in Liezel Huber, the visitors would prefer to clinch the tie before that rubber. That objective would require Azarenka to defeat Serena and Belarussian #2 Govortsova to defeat promising American Christina McHale. Winless in three Fed Cup matches, McHale nevertheless has acquitted herself impressively on home soil with victories over Wozniacki, Bartoli, and Kuznetsova among others. Moreover, Azarenka may lack the willpower to overcome Serena if she suffers a predictable hangover from winning her first major title.
Japan vs. Slovenia: The only top-50 player on either team, Polona Hercog aims to lift Slovenia back into relevance during the post-Srebotnik era. Having just turned 21, she already has played sixteen Fed Cup rubbers and can wield significantly more offense than anyone on the Japanese squad. Two decades older than Hercog, Kimiko Date-Krumm has accomplished little of note over the past year, but she may draw confidence from her memories of a career-defining victory over Graf in this competition. Japanese #1 Ayumi Morita exited in the first round of the Australian Open and has lost her first match at eight of her last ten WTA tournaments. But the only two events in that span where she survived her opener happened on home soil. Update: Date-Krumm rallied from a one-set deficit to win the first rubber from Hercog, suggesting that one shouldn’t underestimate those memories–or home-court advantage.
Slovak Republic vs. France: During this weekend last year, an underpowered French squad thrust the Russian juggernaut to the brink of defeat in Moscow, so underestimate les bleues at your peril. That said, their collapse thereafter confirmed stereotypes of Nicolas Escude’s squad as mentally fragile, especially when situated in a winning position. Outgunned by the Slovakian duo of Hantuchova and Cibulkova, the visitors still face a challenge less daunting than Sharapova/Kuznetsova in 2011. Central to their initial success that weekend was a sturdy performance by Razzano, who has compiled a 7-3 singles record under her nation’s colors, and the location of the tie outside France, again a factor in their favor here. Nevertheless, the two leading Slovakians have edged through several tense ties together among their 71 combined Fed Cup rubbers, experience that infuses them with the sense of shared purpose and team spirit absent from their opponents.
Switzerland vs. Australia: On paper, this matchup looks as ludicrously lopsided as Italy vs. Ukraine. The lowest-ranked Australian, Casey Dellacqua, stands higher than Swiss #1 Stefanie Voegele. (How soon can Federer’s daughters start wielding a racket?) But Stosur has looked wretched while losing three of her first four 2012 matches, and Aussie #2 Gajdosova also exited Melbourne in the first round amidst a ghastly avalanche of errors. Both struggle under the weight of expectations thrust upon them by this proud tennis nation, especially the Slovakian-born Gajdosova. Adding depth to this potentially dysfunctional squad is Jelena Dokic, rarely free from controversy. If the Aussies simply focus on fundamentals and keep their wits about them, their overwhelming advantage in talent should propel them forward. Like the French, they may benefit from playing outside their nation, but somehow one senses that this weekend might unfold in a manner more interesting than expected.
Drawn and Quartered (II): Australian Open Women’s Draw Preview
January 13, 2012 in News, Predictions, Previews, Tournament Analysis | Tags: Australian Open, Azarenka, Bartoli, Chakvetadze, Clijsters, Dulko, Grand Slams, Ivanovic, Jankovic, Jovanovski, Kirilenko, Kuznetsova, Kvitova, Li Na, Lisicki, Pavlyuchenkova, Peng, Pennetta, Petrova, Radwanska, Safarova, Schiavone, Serena Williams, Sharapova, Stosur, Tennis, Wickmayer, Wozniacki, WTA, Zheng, Zvonareva | 1 comment
First quarter: Still clinging to the #1 ranking, Wozniacki warily arrives into Melbourne after a wrist injury and attempts to shed her inconsistency of the past several months. These slow courts will benefit her defensive style, especially since she faces no overwhelming shot-maker in the first week. Even when the Dane reaches the fourth round, she would face only her counterpunching counterpart Jankovic, who compiled respectable but not remarkable results in Brisbane and Sydney. If Safaraova can capitalize upon a fine week in Sydney to upset Jankovic, a more intriguing test might await for Wozniacki in the Czech lefty’s assertive serve-forehand combinations. As her 24th seed would suggest, though, Safarova likely lacks the consistency to outhit the world #1 for an entire match. Offering more intrigue is the lower part of this section, where both Clijsters and Li Na reside. After a series of consistently solid performances at preparatory tournaments, last year’s runner-up looks sharper than she has since winning Roland Garros. More questions surround the defending champion, forced to withdraw from her last tournament with a minor injury but now ostensibly recovered. Often vulnerable in the early rounds of tournaments, Clijsters could meet Hantuchova for the second time in four matches, having struggled with her before retiring from their Brisbane semifinal. No similar obstacle could intercept Li, who might replay last year’s semifinal and final in reverse order should she reach the second week. Last year, she defeated Wozniacki and probably should have finished off Clijsters. This year, she has acquitted herself much more convincingly than both rivals and, for once, seems physically healthier.
Second quarter: The champion at Sydney in 2011, Li built upon that momentum to reach the Melbourne final two weeks later. As she searches for her first major final, Azarenka will hope to follow that example, but her draw could prove somewhat thorny. In the first week, clashes with Bolletieri pupil Heather Watson and rising Serb Bojana Jovanovski would prepare Vika effectively for the challenges ahead. Capable counterpunchers Pennetta and Peng might vie in the third round for the honor of withstanding Azarenka’s offense. When they met at the US Open, their two-set match lasted over two hours as they fiercely contested every game and point with protracted rally after protracted rally. Bookending the lower part of this quarter are two artful practitioners of a finesse rare in the current WTA, Schiavone and Radwanska. Although she withdrew from Sydney, Julia Goerges returns in Melbourne to eye a third-round meeting with Schiavone that would contrast the German’s penetrating serve and groundstrokes with the Italian’s biting slice and uncanny placement. Playing for the Hobart title on Saturday, Yanina Wickmayer seeks to reassert her relevance in the aftermath of a disappointing 2011 campaign. As she showed against Henin two years ago on Rod Laver Arena, the Belgian #2 possesses natural athleticism, crisp technique, and a generally balanced game. Sometimes too emotional at the wrong moments, Wickmayer could find Pironkova’s deceptively vanilla style frustrating in the second round and likely would come unglued when she meets Radwanska a round later. Reaching the second week last year, the eighth seed would aim for a quarterfinal rematch with Azarenka of their Sydney semifinal, a match that she controlled for a set and a half before fading. While neither of these Generation Next stars has broken through at a major, the third seed Vika has accomplished somewhat more on these stages and has grown slightly more patient with age.
Third quarter: When the draw first appeared, many who awaited it scanned to see where Serena had appeared. Still an intimidating presence in any player field, the 13-time major champion lies embedded in this quarter near Cibulkova, who has played three sets in all three of her matches this year and lost two of them. The imposing serve of Canadian Rebecca Marino, praised by Serena’s sister, might test the American should she meet her in the third round. Yet the most serious challenge that she will face during the first week concerns her ankle, severely twisted in Brisbane and not quite recovered. Early in her comeback last year, Serena sustained a loss in Eastbourne to Vera Zvonareva, projected to meet her when the second week begins. Considering the Russian’s ongoing slump, though, Brisbane champion Kaia Kanepi might offer more plausible resistance with her overwhelming serve and improved footwork. Even if Zvonareva stumbles in the first week, this section still might feature a Russian quarterfinalist, since it includes 2008 champion Sharapova as well as two-time major titlist Kuznetsova. A nagging ankle injury forestalled Sharapova’s tournament preparation and may leave her rusty for a dangerous first-round encounter with steady Argentine Gisela Dulko, who defeated her at Wimbledon in 2009. Meanwhile, Kuznetsova’s primary challenge should emerge from the chronically injured Lisicki, seeking to recover from a back injury in Auckland. While she has not reached a semifinal at the Australian Open, Kuznetsova upset Henin and competed with unexpected tenacity throughout her epic against Schiavone last year. The mercurial Russian defeated Serena at a major and once served for the match against her here before another of the American’s patented comebacks.
Semifinalist: Serena
Fourth quarter: Perhaps a little less deep than the other sections, this quarter lies at the mercy of second seed and probable future #1 Kvitova. Losing to Li in Sydney after leading by a set and a break illustrated some remaining vestiges of immaturity, costly against elite opponents. Aligned to face Kirilenko in the third round, Kvitova will need to cultivate her patience as she attempts to repeat her Fed Cup dominance over the Russian on slower, hotter courts. On paper, her fourth-round encounter with either Ivanovic or Pavlyuchenkova should confront her with a hard-hitting adversary worthy of her steel. Nevertheless, the still youthful Russian crashed out of both Brisbane and Sydney ignominiously, constantly beleaguered on serve. While Ivanovic’s serve has improved, her overall confidence level falls well below the heights recently attained by Kvitova, who exudes purpose with each stride when at her best. Australian fans should take confidence of their own from Stosur’s comfortable early draw, although the US Open champion nearly fell to third-round opponent Petrova early in her championship run. Dangerous but not quite dominant in the last two weeks, Bartoli will open against her compatriot Razzano, with whom she has crossed verbal swords before. Among the non-boldfaced names to note is Zheng Jie, the improbable Auckland champion and 2010 semifinalist. Her opener against rising American Madison Keys ranks as one of the more intriguing first-round WTA matches. Nor should one neglect former top-5 resident Anna Chakvetadze, who stirred from her long-dormant state in Hobart and will start against another comeback artist in Jelena Dokic. All of these storylines feel like subplots, though, in the presence of Kvitova.
Semifinalist: Kvitova
Final: Azarenka vs. Kvitova
Champion: Petra Kvitova
The Art of Ambush: Previewing the Australian Open Dark Horses
January 11, 2012 in News, Predictions, Previews, Tournament Analysis | Tags: ATP, Australian Open, Bartoli, Del Potro, Dolgopolov, Grand Slams, Harrison, Isner, Ivanovic, Kanepi, Kuznetesova, Lisicki, Nishikori, Pavlyuchenkova, Radwanska, Raonic, Schiavone, Soderling, Tennis, Tipsarevic, Tomic, WTA, Zheng | 2 comments
Having examined the leading contenders for the Australian Open titles, we now cast a glance across the diverse spectrum of dark horses who might stifle the hopes of a favorite.
Tipsarevic: Long before his late-career surge carried him into the top 10, the second-ranked Serb dragged Federer deep into a fifth set on Rod Laver Arena. While Tipsarevic’s more recent visits to Australia have resulted in few such exploits, his appearance in the Chennai final extended his momentum from a strong second half, including a US Open quarterfinal. His compact physique conceals an unexpectedly effective serve, and his backhand down the line sometimes triggers parallels to his more famous compatriot. Throughout his career, though, Tipsarevic has struggled with injuries, fatigue, and sporadic lack of motivation.
Del Potro: During the Davis Cup final, he competed vigorously throughout two losses on clay to Ferrer and a heavily favored Nadal. Those matches illustrated not only Del Potro’s forehand but his movement, uncommon in a player of his height and a key to his Melbourne success. Never has he distinguished himself in Rod Laver Arena, even before his wrist injury. Nevertheless, Del Potro won sets at majors from Djokovic and Nadal last year. If he has gained confidence from his Davis Cup performance and a strong week in Sydney, his groundstrokes should regain some of the explosiveness that they have lacked since his injury. Very few other players in the draw can claim victories over every member of the top five.
Dolgopolov: For an example of the Ukrainian’s talent for wizardry, one need look no further than the first set of his US Open encounter with Djokovic last fall. Against the ATP’s leading player, his befuddling mixture of spins, slices, and sudden groundstroke blasts nearly worked their magic. A quarterfinalist at the Australian Open, Dolgopolov won consecutive five-setters against Tsonga and Soderling during which his counterpunching blunted their far superior power. One might expect him to feel pressure when he returns to the scene of those former triumphs, but the Ukrainian seems thoroughly immune to such emotions, as he does to more significant aspirations.
Isner: A stark contrast to Dolgopolov, the American relies upon an unvarnished, almost retro style of serving and simplistic first-strike tennis. Stiff and ungainly at times, he nevertheless won two sets from Nadal at Roland Garros last year—something that Federer never has accomplished in five attempts. As he showed at the US Open when reaching the quarterfinals, Isner can force even the most elite foes to tiebreaks, an uncomfortable position for a contender early in the tournament Since his game revolves around a single shot, Isner can struggle with almost any opponent when his first-serve percentage dips, so he also could suffer an upset of his own before he meets a notable name.
Raonic: The champion in Chennai after an arduous battle with Tipsarevic in the final, Raonic never lost his serve throughout the tournament. His relentless holds intensify the pressure on his opponents during their own service games, sometimes resulting in anxious, uncharacteristic errors. Since a hip injury at Wimbledon truncated most of his second half, he begins the new season fresher than many rivals. Unknown until this time last year, Raonic won six consecutive matches in Australia to burst through qualifying to defeat Llodra and Youzhny before Ferrer finally outlasted him in four sets.
Nishikori: Somewhat like Ferrer, the Japanese #1 always will lack the effortless power on serve and groundstrokes that forms the cornerstone of the modern game. Without those attributes, he still can punish the unwary or profligate with a steady, disciplined baseline style and excellent stamina, both physical and mental. Finally breaking through at meaningful tournaments last fall, Nishikori already has proven that he can spring a stunning upset at a major when he conquered Ferrer a few US Opens ago. He likely will receive substantial crowd support in Melbourne, the major nearest his home.
Tomic: Although Hewitt remains the sentimental favorite in the men’s field for most Aussies, the two-time major champion has ceded the status of his nation’s leading hope to this precocious prodigy. Surprising Wimbledon by reaching the quarterfinals, Tomic has evolved into a more mature player and always has possessed a complete game with intelligent shot selection. That attribute has convinced observers like John McEnroe that he has the greatest potential of his generation’s players, but the Australian must improve his serve and gain more experience before hoping to fulfill his potential. To the delight of his compatriots, he reached the Brisbane semifinals before Murray unraveled him.
Harrison: Just as Tomic represents the future of Australian men’s tennis, so does this brash youngster represent the future of American men’s tennis. That prospect has sat comfortably on Harrison’s shoulders more often than not, spurring him towards a few inspired runs on American soil. Still waiting for the breakthrough performance that Tomic unleashed at Wimbledon, he crumbled in the first round of the US Open and surely will burn to improve upon that result at the next major. His passion for competition will serve him well as his career progresses, but he has not always channeled it productively thus far.
Radwanska: Appearing in the second week at last year’s event despite a recent foot injury, the clever Pole enjoyed an outstanding second half of 2011 by her standards. Among her three titles were prestigious events in Tokyo and Beijing, which preceded a competitive display at the year-end championships. At those tournaments, Radwanska finally seemed to mix more opportunistic tactics with her customary counterpunching. Although her benign serve always will leave her at the mercy of serving juggernauts like Serena or Kvitova, she can frustrate players with less first-strike power by deploying her clever court sense. Also demonstrated by her upset over Wozniacki in Sydney was her improved competitive resilience.
Bartoli: Lethal at the middle two Slams last year, the double-fisted Frenchwoman knocked off former champions at both Roland Garros (Kuznetsova) and Wimbledon (Serena). But she left no mark whatsoever on the two hard-court Slams, despite reaching the Indian Wells final. Bartoli probably would prefer a faster surface that would allow her to shorten points more easily, and the serve that shone at Wimbledon continues to desert her more than it should. All the same, she looked convincing at Hopman Cup even while winning only one of three matches.
Schiavone: From the first two weeks of the WTA season, the most entertaining match featured her comeback victory against Jankovic in Brisbane after saving double match point in the second set. Undeterred as she clawed out of deficit after deficit, Schiavone seemingly won through sheer force of will and appetite for battle. That appetite emerged most strikingly not in either of her memorable fortnights at Roland Garros but in the epic that she contested with Kuznetsova at last year’s Australian Open. Yet she could not withstand the blows of second-tier shotmaker Kanepi a round later, illustrating the limits of her agility and ingenuity as a counterbalance to raw power.
Lisicki: Raw power describes the game of this German, who will serve as the flag-bearer of her nation in Melbourne following Petkovic’s withdrawal. Plagued by injuries throughout her still young career, Lisicki began the season inauspiciously with a retirement and a withdrawal. Buttressing her charge to the Wimbledon semifinals, her serve ranks among the fiercest in the WTA and allows her to slash at her returns with impunity. A little like Isner, her dependence on that single shot mean that she can win or lose to almost anyone at any moment, even discounting her chronic injuries.
Pavlyuchenkova: A quarterfinalist at two majors in 2011, Pavlyuchenkova battled courageously against Serena at the US Open and showed sufficient composure to avenge a Roland Garros loss to Schiavone. She continues to struggle with sporadic injuries and especially with her serve, which donates an alarming quantity of double faults for a player so young. Early in 2012, Pavlyuchenkova struggled to hold at all in two early-round losses at Brisbane and Sydney. When she can sink her teeth into baseline rallies, though, she can match the firepower of any opponent from either groundstroke wing.
Kuznetsova: Less than three years removed from her last major title, she attempts to rebound from one of her worst seasons, which witnessed no titles and an embarrassing series of losses to anonymities. A natural athlete who might have excelled in a variety of sports, Kuznetsova probably cannot maintain her wayward focus for an entire fortnight. Her taste for the spotlight sometimes spurs her to rise to the occasion, as evidenced by her near-upset over Wozniacki at the US Open. Despite her unimposing physique, she strikes a heavy ball that travels through the court with deceptive speed.
Kanepi: On this list merely for her performance in Brisbane, she has accomplished nothing memorable at majors to date. But one should note that she held serve seamlessly through three of her last four victories that week against quality competition, an astonishing feat in the WTA. Having reached the Moscow final in her last tournament of 2011, Kanepi deserves credit for extending that momentum through the offseason. And all three previous Brisbane champions vaulted from that success to greater heights before long.
Zheng: Two years ago, China stood within two combined victories of monopolizing both berths in the women’s final here. Thwarted in the semifinals by Henin, Zheng also reached a semifinal at Wimbledon in 2008. Having gained greater acclaim for her exploits in doubles than singles, she returned to relevance by sweeping to the Auckland title following a semifinal victory over Kuznetsova. The relatively high bounce of these courts will hinder her returns, normally one of her strengths, but her ability to keep the ball low and deep troubles tall opponents and those who specialize in creating angles.
Ivanovic: The 2008 runner-up, “Aussie Ana” can count upon ample fan support in her quest to erase the memories of last year’s first-round exit. Since succumbing to Sharapova four years ago, Ivanovic has not reached the second week at the Australian Open and has not reached the quarterfinals at any hard-court major. Extending Clijsters to three sets in Brisbane, she still showed flashes of the form that lifted her to the top ranking while continuing to struggle with finishing matches. Searching for renewed confidence, she has improved her serve under the guidance of Nigel Sears and has shown more patience in constructing points. If any Slam suits her temperament, moreover, it’s the “Happy Slam.”
Guns and Guile: WTA Brisbane Semifinal Preview
January 5, 2012 in News, Predictions, Previews, Tournament Analysis | Tags: Australian Open, Brisbane International, Clijsters, Hantuchova, Kanepi, Premier, Schiavone, Tennis, WTA | Leave a comment
Schiavone vs. Kanepi: Through the first two and a half sets of her epic quarterfinal victory over Jankovic, Schiavone escaped from one perilous situation after another. Eluding her opponent when she served for the match at 5-3 in the second set, the feisty Italian successfully stared down multiple match points a few games later and then clawed herself out of a 3-1 third set. Her unquenchable optimism throughout this three-hour comeback recalled her Melbourne marathon against Kuznetsova a year ago, although one wonders the battle-scarred veteran can recover successfully from her exertions. On that earlier occasion, Schiavone competed valiantly with Wozniacki for a set and half before fading, and she certainly will need every ounce of agility available to withstand Kanepi. Pummeling Pavlyuchenkova for the loss of just three games, the robust Estonian stifled the second-seeded Petkovic nearly as emphatically in the quarterfinals. In both of those matches, she surged through a commanding first set and sustained that momentum through a more competitive second set, so the early stages of this semifinal could prove crucial once again. Thumping twelve aces against Petkovic, Kanepi dropped her serve only once against two of the WTA’s brightest rising stars—an intimidating prospect for a player like Schiavone who lacks a consistently formidable delivery.
Seven of the last eight sets between the Italian and the Estonian have lasted ten games or more, suggesting that their seventh meeting will hinge upon a timely burst of shot-making from the former or a timely spurt of scrambling from the latter. A prototypical collision of guns against guile, their semifinal will test Schiavone’s talents for artistic improvisation under pressure as much as it does Kanepi’s ability to finish points and take time away from her opponent. If she can win the battle of court positioning, the younger woman’s weapons will prevent the third seed from crafting the type of point with which she unhinged the less muscular Jankovic.
Clijsters vs. Hantuchova: Undefeated in nine meetings against the Slovak, Clijsters has won 18 of the 19 sets that they have played while recording eight bagels or breadsticks. But all of those dismal statistics date from the Belgian’s first career, which ended nearly five years ago. While Clijsters has won three of her four majors in her widely lauded second career, she also has succumbed to odd stumbles more often than usual (see her debacle in Melbourne 2010 or her loss to Arantxa Rus at Roland Garros last year). The schism between her Jekyll and Hyde personas surfaced in her second Brisbane match, a whiplash-inducing rollercoaster in which she won six of the first seven games, lost nine of the next ten, and then won six consecutively. To a certain degree, however, those oscillations reflected peaks and valleys in the prowess of her opponent, Ivanovic, as well as Kim’s rust on physical and mental levels. In her quarterfinal against Benesova, she struck both wings of groundstrokes with an authority born of increasing confidence.
Very much a Jekyll-and-Hyde player herself, Hantuchova enjoyed one of the better seasons of her career in 2011 while recording victories over players as notable as Zvonareva and Wozniacki. Yet she possesses essentially the same game that she did when losing those nine consecutive meetings with Clijsters, far superior in movement and overall athleticism. With those two advantages, the Belgian could counter Hantuchova’s sharply angled but not quite stinging groundstrokes until she could transition from defense to offense. Had not Serena sprained her ankle a round earlier, in fact, Hantuchova almost certainly would not have earned this opportunity to duel with a four-time major champion. Although Clijsters may consider herself fortunate in one sense, she probably would have profited more from the experience of playing one of her more significant rivals as the Australian Open approaches.
Back to Business: WTA Brisbane Preview
December 31, 2011 in News, Predictions, Previews, Tournament Analysis | Tags: Australian Open, Benesova, Brisbane, Clijsters, Ivanovic, Jankovic, Paszek, Pavlyuchenkova, Peer, Petkovic, Premier, Safarova, Schiavone, Serena Williams, Stosur, Suarez Navarro, Voskoboeva, WTA | Leave a comment
Having shed these shimmering robes and braced herself for 2012, Ivanovic confronts many a daunting challenge in the dense Brisbane draw. We glance across it in our first tournament preview of the season to come.
Top half: After a triumphant homecoming as the US Open champion, Stosur shoulders the unfamiliar burden of holding the top seed amongst a group that includes Serena and Clijsters. At the 2011 Australian Open, among other occasions, the Aussie #1 has appeared ruffled by the expectations of her compatriots. One wonders whether her major breakthrough will allow her to handle those situations with greater composure, for surely expectations will have risen even higher following her victory over Serena in New York. Destined to face one of two streaky Czech lefties in the second round, Stosur must establish herself early in the tournament so that she can build confidence for the marquee clashes from the quarterfinals onwards. First among those is a projected meeting with 2010 Brisbane champion Clijsters, who has played sparsely since early April but should shine in the relaxed atmosphere of this city near the sea. Although rustiness might trouble this champion who relies on rhythm, she returned impressively from a far longer absence when she launched her second career. Undefeated against both Stosur and Ivanovic, Clijsters will aim to exploit her more balanced game and far superior movement to outlast two players centered around first strikes and forehands. If she survives a potentially intriguing opener against Paszek, the Serb can seek revenge for a loss to Belgian in Miami when she held five match points. Nevertheless, the memories of that epic encounter should provide Clijsters with a significant psychological advantage in the sequel.
Much more accommodating than the top quarter is the section that houses Serena, who appears in Brisbane for the first time. Inactive since the US Open, the 13-time major champion likely simmers with motivation to erase her disappointment there. More successful at the Australian Open than at any other major, she claims to start the season in full physical health—ominous news for her rivals. Third-ranked Serb Bojana Jovanovski dazzled at this stage of 2011, reaching the Sydney quarterfinals and winning a set from Zvonareva in Melbourne. But she mustered little resistance to Serena at the US Open and may struggle to overcome home hope Casey Dellacqua, always more dangerous in Australia than anywhere else. Highlighting this quarter is the first-round meeting between Slovaks Hantuchova and Cibulkova, separated by eight inches and six years. While Hantuchova lacks the athleticism to survive baseline rallies with Serena, Cibulkova lacks the wingspan to return many of her serves. A semifinal against Stosur or Clijsters would elevate the level of competition substantially, though, testing the American’s patience and concentration more than she would prefer at an event of this magnitude.
Semifinal: Clijsters d. Serena
Bottom half: Less imposing than the top half, this section features one of the least imposing Slam champions and least accomplished #1s in the history of the WTA. Sharing a quarter, Jankovic and Schiavone collaborated on a pair of scintillating three-setters at Roland Garros and Cincinnati last year. Probably spurred by momentum from that victory, the winner reached the final on both occasions. After she received a retirement from Russian-turned-Kazakh Ksenia Pervak, she next sets her sights upon a second Kazakh in Voskoboeva. Meanwhile, the diminutive Spaniard Suarez Navarro unfolds an elegant one-handed backhand that contrasts with the Serb’s more streamlined two-hander. Neither Schiavone nor Jankovic ended 2011 in especially impressive fashion, so both should welcome the opportunity to collect morale-boosting victories against unremarkable opposition. Should they meet in the quarterfinals, Jankovic would hold the surface advantage while Schiavone might hold a fitness edge, judging from her heroics in Melbourne a year ago.
A quarterfinalist at the Australian Open last year, Petkovic compiled a consistently solid second half before succumbing to a knee injury. More rested than many of her colleagues, she reached the final in Brisbane 2011 with a victory over Bartoli. Opening her week is a first career meeting Peer, who hopes to elevate her ranking from a deceptive #37 to its position inside the top 20 from early last year. While Petkovic appeared in quarterfinals at every major but Wimbledon, possible quarterfinal foe Pavlyuchenkova gained only a little less acclaim by reaching quarterfinals at Roland Garros and the US Open. Similar to the German in playing style, the 20-year-old Russian has compiled far more experience than her age would suggest and seems equally ready to move a tier higher in the WTA hierarchy, provided that she can improve her serve. Although have faced each other only once, just a few months ago in Beijing, Pavlyuchenkova and Petkovic should intersect more and more often if their careers continue on such promising trajectories.
Semifinal: Petkovic d. Jankovic
Final: Clijsters d. Petkovic
The Best of 2011: WTA Edition
December 18, 2011 in News, Player Profiles, Post-Tournament Analysis | Tags: Azarenka, Bartoli, Clijsters, Goerges, Grand Slams, Lisicki, Petkovic, Radwanska, Schiavone, Serena Williams, Sharapova, Stosur, Tennis, WTA | Leave a comment
Outside women of the year Li Na and Petra Kvitova, several other leading women have plenty of reason to celebrate over the Christmas holidays.
Sharapova: Boldly replacing coaches and equipment during the 2010-11 offseason, Sharapova signaled her determination to catalyze her sagging fortunes following a tepid 2010. Not until Indian Wells and Miami did she reap rewards, but those tournaments sparked a magnificent spring and early summer for the three-time major champion. A semifinalist in the California desert, she burst through to her third Miami final following consecutive comebacks from one-set deficits. With a berth in the top 10 at stake in the quarterfinals, she overcame a pesky Alexandra Dulgheru, an ankle injury, and 17 double faults to eke out a victory in the longest match of her career. And her momentum did not ebb when the clay season arrived, as one might have expected. Capturing the most significant clay title of her career in Rome, Sharapova swept through her first five matches at Roland Garros until Li Na halted her. That surge proved the overture to her memorable fortnight at Wimbledon. A champion at the All England Club seven years before, she erased her recent frustrations at her favorite tournament with a vintage performance of fearless ball-striking. Legendary for her ferocity in three-setters, she ended 2011 with a 12-1 record in that category, one of the most remarkable statistics compiled by anyone in the WTA.
Azarenka: Somewhat like Sharapova, Azarenka ended 2010 in a seemingly stagnant position after failing to build upon her 2009 achievements. A fourth-round loss in Melbourne and yet another retirement at Indian Wells did not prepare audiences for her superb display in Miami. In her last three matches there, she demolished the imposing triumvirate of Clijsters, Zvonareva, and Sharapova without dropping a set. Demonstrating her proficiency on all surfaces, Azarenka concurrently cooed and battered her way to the final in Madrid, where she competed valiantly in one of three 2011 losses to player of the year Kvitova. A somewhat modest Roland Garros preceded a breakthrough at Wimbledon to her first major semifinal, although the draw opened conveniently for her. The draw did not accommodate her at the US Open, where her third-round loss to Serena Williams concealed a resilient effort in the second set that turned the match from a rout into a catfight. Her second 2011 winning streak of seven matches or more combined a Luxembourg title with two round-robin victories at the year-end championships, where she advanced from her group for the first time. Thwarted again by Kvitova, Azarenka nevertheless ended the season with a career-high ranking of #3. If she can find a way to defeat the Czech in 2012, a compelling rivalry will develop.
Stosur: After the first half of 2011, the bright-eyed Aussie looked destined for a very different type of list. Reaching only one final, she won four total matches at the first three majors while losing to Dulko and Melinda Czink. In Toronto appeared the first sign of a revival, when she overcame Li Na and Radwanska en route to the final before an implacable Serena intercepted her. All the same, even Stosur’s most ardent admirers probably did not predict what happened at the US Open, a cauldron of pressure seemingly designed to unhinge her. Down a break to Petrova in the third set of her third round, the Aussie rallied to rewrite the script and then retained her composure when match point after match point slipped away in an epic tiebreak against Kirilenko. Fortunate to face Zvonareva in the quarterfinals, she mastered the role of the overwhelming favorite in a semifinal against Kerber, the type of match where she had nothing to gain and everything to lose. Overnight, the situation reversed itself when she faced the heavily favored Serena in the final. Few fans felt much enthusiasm for a match that seemed likely to feature little suspense. And it did not. Overpowering Serena with her serve and forehand, Stosur toppled the greatest player of her generation with astonishing courage and poise. Not since Sharapova at Wimbledon 2004 had a player so thoroughly dominated Serena in a Slam final and surpassed her at her own strengths.
Clijsters: Effectively gone by Roland Garros, the battle-scarred Belgian bolstered her legacy by winning a major outside the US Open for the first time. Opening with a double bagel, she rarely seemed challenged during her first six matches in Melbourne, where both the courts and the environment suited the player once fondly dubbed “Aussie Kim.” Under unexpected fire from first-time Slam finalist Li Na, Clijsters looked ripe for an upset during the first set and a half. As defeat drew nearer, though, she refused to crumble as she had in similar situations before. Slowing the tempo of the match and constructing points more carefully, the four-time major champion found a way to survive on a night when she could not showcase her best tennis. Together with Serena, she represents perhaps the most impressive 12-13 combination in the history of the WTA rankings.
Serena: Despite contesting only six tournaments this season, she returned to her familiar intimidating self with remarkable speed after a year-long absence. Dazzling at Stanford and the Rogers Cup, Serena displayed a delight in winning those relatively insignificant tournaments that she might not have shown before her injury. Under the spotlights of New York, she looked clearly the best player of the tournament for most of the fortnight as she carved through a thorny draw. The 13-time major champion revealed late-match nerves on a few occasions but otherwise looked virtually impenetrable in dismissing Azarenka and Wozniacki. In her highly anticipated semifinal with the Dane, Serena proved again that an elite offense generally trumps an elite defense in the WTA on non-clay surfaces. Following that commanding performance, her debacle against Stosur must have stung her deeply. Still, few players could have accomplished so much so soon after so long.
Radwanska: Hampered by an injury when the season started, the Pole nevertheless edged past the dangerous Date-Krumm and Peng in Australian thrillers en route to an unexpected quarterfinal appearance. That accomplishment testified to Radwanska’s resolve, a trait on display less often as the first half unfolded; struggling with confidence, she grew tense and tentative at turning points in narrow losses to Azarenka at Indian Wells, Sharapova at Roland Garros, and Kvitova in Eastbourne. When the second half began, however, the longest title drought in the WTA top 15 ended with victories over Petkovic and Zvonareva in San Diego. With that reassuring triumph behind her, Radwanska approached the fall with redoubled determination and enjoyed the best fortnight of her career by completing the Tokyo-Beijing double. As she swept through Asia, the artful counterpuncher befuddled opponents by interweaving her familiar finesse with opportunistic aggression. As with Murray’s fall, the absence of many elite contenders probably inflated Radwanska’s achievements, but her berth in the year-end championships seemed well deserved.
Schiavone: When she returned to defend her improbable Roland Garros title, most expected little from the flamboyant but aging Italian. Like a nuanced Italian wine, though, Schiavone relied upon her cunning and experience to defuse her first six opponents. Especially compelling was her quarterfinal victory over Pavlyuchenkova, which witnessed massive comebacks from both players, and her fourth-round victory over Jankovic, during which game after game seemed like a miniature drama. But both of those matches paled in comparison with the 284-minute epic at the Australian Open that she contested with Kuznetsova. Saving five match points before tottering to victory, Schiavone thrilled international audiences with her shot-making imagination and her unrelenting competitive appetite. The veteran best known for her accomplishments on clay then sparred convincingly with Wozniacki a round later in a hard-court Slam quarterfinal. After such first-half heroics, one hardly could blame the fiery Fran for fading somewhat in the second half, although she fell just a 20-game final set short of reaching the second week at every major in 2011.
Bartoli: Only two small titles did she win this year, yet the double-fister also defeated three of the season’s four Slam champions. Boosted by a gentle draw when she reached the Indian Wells final, Bartoli enjoyed no such assistance when she reached the semifinals at her home major. Generally considered a fast-court specialist, she overcame former champion Kuznetsova as well as clay specialist Dulko at Roland Garros, where the expectations of her compatriots did not unhinge her as they have so many French players. Bartoli reawakened memories of her Wimbledon finals appearance in 2007 when she emerged triumphant from a strong Eastbourne finalist and then halted Serena’s title defense on Centre Court. Rarely intimidated by any opponent, she attacked the defending champion’s serve with courage and snuffed out an inevitable eleventh-hour comeback with the fortitude of a much more accomplished player. The Frenchwoman’s iconoclastic style causes purists to shudder in horror, but her much-maligned serve grew more effective this year and rarely abandoned her in key matches.
Germans: Only one player reached three Slam quarterfinals in 2011, a year of anarchy by even WTA standards. After Venus retired from their third-round meeting in Melbourne, Petkovic capitalized upon the opportunity by stunning Sharapova in straight sets a round later. Dormant until Miami, she recorded three-set victories over Wozniacki and Jankovic there, the former of which snapped a streak of five consecutive Premier Mandatory / Premier Five tournaments won by the world #1. Clay would have seemed a surface ill-suited to her flat groundstrokes and sometimes impatient shot selection, yet Petkovic collected a title in Strasbourg and four victories at Roland Garros. Not known as a paragon of consistency, she compiled a surprisingly steady second-half record by reaching the quarterfinals or better at all five tournaments that she played before a knee injury curtailed her 2011 campaign. Among those victories were two wins over Kvitova and another over Bartoli, opponents who had defeated her on hard courts during the first half.
But Petkovic did not stand alone in the spotlight, accompanied by her countrywoman Lisicki. Multiple injuries and extended absences had blunted this formidable server until the grass season, when she reached the Wimbledon semifinal. Facing double match point against Li in the second round, Lisicki erased both opportunities with massive serves unmatched by anyone in the WTA except Serena, Venus, and possibly Stosur. A much less balanced player than Petkovic, she receded in the second half as physical issues resurfaced. More similar to the German #1 in playing style is Julia Goerges, who ambushed Stosur and Wozniacki while winning her home tournament (and a Porsche) in Stuttgart. Outside a second victory over Wozniacki in Madrid, Goerges also faded from relevance following that attention-seizing statement. Nevertheless, the nation that produced Steffi Graf should harbor plenty of hope for a more sustained assault from its racket-wielding Cerberus in 2012.
Breaks (and Holds) in China: Previewing the WTA Beijing Draw
October 1, 2011 in News, Predictions, Previews, Tournament Analysis | Tags: Azarenka, Bartoli, Benesova, Cetkovska, China Open, Christina McHale, Cibulkova, Date Krumm, Dulko, Gajdosova, Goerges, Hantuchova, Ivanovic, Kanepi, Kirilenko, Kuznetsova, Kvitova, Laura Robson, Li Na, Lisicki, Martinez Sanchez, Paszek, Pavlyuchenkova, Peng Shuai, Petkovic, Premier Mandatory, Radwanska, Scheepers, Schiavone, Stosur, Wozniacki, WTA, Zvonareva | Leave a comment
First quarter: Battered by Gajdosova and banished by Kanepi in Tokyo last week, Wozniacki hopes that this week’s title defense fares better than its predecessor. Remarkably, she could face the same pair of opponents again in her first two matches, although the booming serve of Lisicki might disrupt that odd serendipity. Absent from action since the US Open, the 17th-ranked German suffered a slight dip in form following her Wimbledon semifinal appearance and will engage in a bruising second-round battle of first-strike bombs. Lisicki resoundingly defeated Wozniacki twice in 2009, so the world #1 certainly will have earned a quarterfinal berth should she navigate her Viking vessel around such a dangerous reef. Less dangerous are her potential quarterfinal opponents, headlined by Schiavone and home hope Peng Shuai. A quarterfinalist in Beijing two years ago with wins over Jankovic and Sharapova, the Chinese double-fister will aim to steal a bit of the spotlight from newly crowned Slam champion Li Na. Meanwhile, Schiavone lost her first-round match in Seoul and has looked shaky for most of the second half. Perhaps more intriguing than the bold-faced names, therefore, are two of Wozniacki’s Slam nemeses this year: the flamboyant Hantuchova (Roland Garros) and the gritty Cibulkova (Wimbledon), who has struggled lately with an abdominal strain. In a section with ample talent but plenty of questions hovering over its leading combatants, the hour seems ripe for an unexpected heroine to make a statement.
Second quarter: Spiked with three Slam champions, this quarter could feature a second-round clash between fellow Roland Garros titlist Ivanovic (2008) and Kuznetsova (2009), should the Serb defeat Kimiko Date-Krumm for the fourth time in less than a year. Although she displayed flashes of her vintage brilliance in a Wimbledon epic against Venus, 2011 has proved much less kind to the aging Japanese legend than 2010. Last year’s runner-up Zvonareva should arrive either determined to win one more match than she did in Tokyo or deflated from still another loss to Radwanska, an opponent whom she formerly had dominated. Should she arrange a third-round clash with the winner of Ivanovic-Kuznetsova, however, one would fancy the steady Russian’s chances to outlast either of those erratic opponents in an encounter of oscillating momentum. What reward would Zvonareva gain for such an achievement? As she did in Cincinnati, she could confront the challenge of defeating Radwanska less than a week after losing a final to the Pole, a challenge to which she could not rise this summer. Inadvertently positioned to rescue Zvonareva is her semifinal victim last week, Kvitova, who delivered a generally reassuring series of performances in Tokyo. On the other hand, her unsightly meltdown against a player infamous for such meltdowns herself continues to trigger concerns surrounding her maturity. Kvitova can ill afford such a lapse when she meets the stingy Radwanska in the third round, for the Tokyo champion will magnify and exploit the flaws in her still-raw style. At Eastbourne this year, they dueled into a third-set tiebreak before the Czech’s power prevailed. She could profit from the dip in performance that one expects from both Tokyo finalists.
Third quarter: A member of the Wozniacki “déjà vu” club, Stosur likely will reprise her second-round meeting with Kirilenko in Tokyo should she neutralize Pironkova, who tested Zvonareva for a set last week. To the surprise of some, the Aussie’s competitive experience proved no shield to the hangover suffered by all three of the WTA’s first-time Slam champions this season. Just weeks after stunning Serena in such spectacular fashion, she should aim to reassemble her motivation before the year-end championships in Istanbul but may fall victim to one of her steady opponents here. Nevertheless, Stosur will enjoy a distinct serving advantage over most early opponents except Julia Goerges, an enigmatic German who extended Sharapova to two tiebreaks in Tokyo following an indifferent summer. If this ambitious German rediscovers her spring prowess, a path to the quarterfinals might lie open. Among the most compelling questions surrounding this tournament is the tennis with which Li Na will either dazzle or dismay her compatriots. Although she left little imprint upon Beijing in recent years, the reigning French Open champion reached the bronze-medal match at the 2008 Olympics in her nation’s capital, vanquishing Venus and Kuznetsova en route. With three qualifiers and two wildcards in their vicinity, Li should feel relatively sanguine about a draw that she will tackle with the guidance of her coach-husband rather than Michal Mortensen. That new arrangement might infuse the Chinese superstar with fresh energy, valuable against Guangzhou champion Scheepers or the persistent Dulko. Should she reach a quarterfinal with Stosur, though, Li somehow must solve an opponent who has dispatched her in all five of their meetings while conceding one total set. Slightly less likely is a rematch with New Haven nemesis Cetkovska in the quarterfinals. Like a volcano that quietly accumulates lava before exploding, Li has spent a career alternating between long dormant periods and abrupt, ephemeral explosions of greatness. She has accomplished almost nothing in the last four months, so…
Fourth quarter: A tight two-set encounter, Petkovic’s victory over Safarova determined one of the week’s most intriguing first-round matches. By dispatching the WTA’s second most dangerous Czech lefty, the WTA’s most dangerous German moved a step closer to an Istanbul berth and showed little sign of sliding into complacency after a US Open quarterfinal. Two rounds ahead, Petkovic might encounter the third most dangerous Czech lefty in Benesova but more plausibly would encounter Bartoli or Christina McHale. The rising teenager ambushed the double-fisted Frenchwoman in New York, although that task will prove more daunting without the vociferous American fans to exhort her. Not at her most impressive in Tokyo, US Open quarterfinalist Pavlyuchenkova faces recent Quebec champion and fellow serpentine surname Zahlavova Strycova. Either the 20-year-old Russian or Seoul titlist Martinez Sanchez could pose a stern test for Azarenka, who might meet the equally feisty Laura Robson in her first match. While the second seed has struggled with lefties before, including Martinez Sanchez, Vika twice has lost sets to Pavlyuchenkova and probably would prefer to avoid her on the court where “Nastia” once defeated Venus. Rather than a predictable second straight quarterfinal against Bartoli, an encounter between the brash Belarussian and the pugnacious Petkovic would offer the scintillation of the uncertain. Only once have they clashed before, in a Moscow three-setter, and their relatively even strengths should intertwine for a blazing battle from the baseline as well as a fiery clash of personalities.
Bright Lights, Big City (VIII): US Open Day 8 Preview
September 4, 2011 in News, Predictions, Previews, Tournament Analysis | Tags: ATP, Day 8, Djokovic, Dolgopolov, Fish, Grand Slams, Ivanovic, Pavlyuchenkova, Schiavone, Serena Williams, Tsonga, US Open, WTA | 1 comment
Pavlyuchenkova vs. Schiavone: A tiebreak from defeat in the previous round, the flamboyant Italian has grown accustomed to suspenseful three-setters during a year filled with epic encounters. Among her more memorable triumphs was her quarterfinal duel with Pavlyuchenkova at Roland Garros, during which she lost 10 of the first 12 games. In that whiplash-inducing rollercoaster, Schiavone then squandered a 5-1 lead in the final set, only to capture the two games that she needed. At last year’s US Open, the Italian prevailed much less dramatically over a teenager who slumped through a second half of injuries and double faults. Tested by rising Croat Petra Martic in the second round, Pavlyuchenkova enjoyed a more tranquil passage against 2008 finalist Jankovic, troubled by a back injury.
In a battle of youthful vigor against veteran cunning, the Russian will aim to take time away from Schiavone with penetrating cross-court groundstrokes into the corners that set up mild mid-court replies. Not especially comfortable at the net, “Nastia” possesses the firepower to end points from the baseline or with a routine drive volley. Unlike most practitioners of first-strike tennis, however, she has not honed an overwhelming serve or an especially explosive return. Those shortcomings have forestalled Pavlyuchenkova from mounting higher in the rankings, but they may not hamper her against an opponent unremarkable in those categories herself. An all-court artist who excels at tying her opponents in knots, Schiavone darted and dodged to consecutive Roland Garros finals by improvising unexpected gambits. If she can parry Pavlyuchenkova’s initial assault, she might unsettle the relatively one-dimensional novice for the third time in five Slams.
Ivanovic vs. Serena: Thrilled to reach the second week of the US Open for the third time, Ivanovic relished the experience of playing under the lights of Arthur Ashe as her thunderous forehand crackled through the sport’s largest arena. From her victory over American hope Sloane Stephens emerged flashes of her vintage form, especially her ability to dictate play from her stronger groundstroke while shielding her weaker wing. On this fast surface, this challenging task will grow ever more demanding when the smiling Serb confronts the greatest player in this era of women’s tennis. Superior to Ivanovic in virtually all departments of the game, Serena sharpened her weapons with a victory over world #4 Azarenka that began as a rout and would have ended in that fashion had not one of her backhands landed an inch or two wide. Drama then ensued, but the 13-time Slam champion enjoys nothing more than drama and once again demonstrated her superiority to the WTA’s next generation.
Likely to experience less suspense in this round, Serena will thrive whenever she directs her backhand into Ivanovic’s two-hander, a neutral shot at best and often a liability against elite competition. Although the American has lost serve only once in the tournament, Ana still should swing freely on her returns in the effort to seize the initiative immediately in rallies. Should she not deliver that first strike, Serena’s more natural athleticism will offer her few opportunities to assert herself thereafter, and the Serb will not win many points from her defensive abilities. In her three fourth-round appearances at the fourth jewel in the sport’s crown, Ivanovic has drawn the daunting trio of Clijsters and the Williams sisters. Giggling with disarming charm when the media discussed her next opponent, the clear-eyed Serb knows the magnitude of the task ahead and likely lacks the confidence to convince herself that she can conquer it.
Tsonga vs. Fish: Heavy are the expectations that rest upon the top-ranked American man, especially in a tournament where many of his compatriots have surpassed their projected results. Joined in the second week by Roddick, isner, and Donald Young, Fish continues to generate the most anticipation following a summer of two small titles, a Masters 1000 final, and a first career victory over Nadal. Yet his performances to this stage have not inspired great confidence, littered with routine unforced errors and missed first serves. In the previous round against Kevin Anderson, Fish needed four set points to seal the first set and five more to seal the second. Hitting consecutive double faults at 5-4, 40-15 in the first set, he conceded consecutive backhand unforced errors at 5-4, 40-15 in the second set before losing his serve with another wayward groundstroke. Unable to finish the match more emphatically, Fish instead came within a few points of losing the third set as well.
Not known for his competitive steeliness, Tsonga has advanced more confidently against arguably more imposing competition, including an authoritative straight-sets victory over former nemesis Verdasco. Perhaps still buoyed by his Wimbledon semifinal, the Frenchman has struck even his less imposing backhand with conviction. Nevertheless, Fish should hope to arrange rallies from backhand to backhand rather than forehand to forehand, for his two-hander should break down Tsonga’s stroke under sustained pressure. As one ponders the seismic serves on both sides of the net, one wonders how many rallies in fact will develop. Both players typically establish unrelenting control over a point from the first ball, while neither transitions impressively from defense to offense. Still without a Slam semifinal, Fish has yet to prove that he can translate his ascendancy from best-of-three tournaments to majors.
Wozniacki vs. Kuznetsova: In a fourth-round night match two US Opens ago, this pair of pleasant personalities waged a gripping war of attrition that culminated in a third-set tiebreak. The 2004 champion showcased her natural athleticism in extended exchanges during which she steadily outmaneuvered the Dane from the baseline during the first set and a half. As many of Wozniacki’s more recent opponents have discovered, the precision required to execute that strategy throughout an entire match eventually eluded Kuznetsova, fallible as always when the pressure peaked. Since that crossroads, their careers have diverged in opposite directions with the Dane soaring to the top ranking and the Russian lurching to perplexing loss after perplexing loss. Reflecting their relative fortunes are their last two meetings, during which Sveta won nine total games from a steady opponent who needed no more than patience and consistency to outlast her.
Despite losing to anonymous foes like Begu, Arn, and Halep at non-majors, Kuznetsova has saved some of her best tennis in 2011 for the most important tournaments on the calendar. Reaching the Roland Garros quarterfinals, she dispatched Henin into retirement at the Australian Open and then collaborated with Schiavone on the WTA match of the year. The glittering lights of Arthur Ashe might spur her to unleash something memorable against an opponent in a state of flux. Although she survived the first week with minimal difficulty, Wozniacki pursues her first major under constantly increasing scrutiny and with correspondingly increasing uncertainty over the best means to that end. Only by staying within herself can she earn more opportunities to justify her ascendancy.
Djokovic vs. Dolgopolov: A classic example of the dark horse who can defeat almost anyone or lose to almost anyone at almost any time, Dolgopolov has recorded victories over Tsonga (twice), Soderling, Ferrer, and Wawrinka this year. Yet he also has lost to Potito Starace, Jarkko Nieminen, Jose Acasuso, and Carlos Berlocq in 2011. The last of those names should sound familiar, for it belongs to the opponent whom Djokovic mercilessly devoured in a second-round victory somewhere between exhibition and execution. After reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals and excelling in the South American clay tournaments, Dolgopolov faded throughout the spring and summer before reaching his nadir with a first-round Wimbledon loss to Gonzalez. With nowhere to go but upwards, the Ukrainian then won Umag and ousted the similarly budding Dimitrov at Winston-Salem. His second-week appearance here comes as little surprise, therefore, while his ability to physically and mentally survive the towering serve of Karlovic in the third round bodes well for his future.
A carefree character who plays an effortless brand of tennis, Dolgopolov should not flinch from the towering odds confronting him against a player who has lost only one match to a player outside the top 20 since Wimbledon last year. So overwhelming is Djokovic’s dominance that his resounding win over Davydenko, a former top-5 talent, seemed imperfect as well as unremarkable. The best mover in the ATP, the world #1 should track down the spectacular angles that Dolgopolov creates with his sprawling retrievals, ultimately driving his challenger into attempting the impossible. Beforehand, though, a series of court-stretching rallies and scrambles to and from the forecourt should unfold.
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Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar
Popularly Known as
Doctorji
Kundakurti
the founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
धर्मज्ञो धर्मकर्ता च सदा धर्मपरायणः ।
तत्त्वेभ्यः सर्वशास्त्रार्थादेशको गुरुरुच्यते ॥
धर्म को जाननेवाले, धर्म मुताबिक आचरण करनेवाले,
धर्मपरायण, और सब शास्त्रों में से तत्त्वों का आदेश करनेवाले गुरु कहे जाते हैं ।
Shradhanjali By
Tarunbhai Vyas
Biography of Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar
Keshav Baliram Hedgewar (April 1, 1889 – June 21, 1940) was the founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Hedgewar founded the RSS in Nagpur, Maharashtra in 1925, with the intention of promoting the concept of the Hindu nation. Hedgewar drew upon influences from social and spiritual Hindu reformers such as Swami Vivekananda, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and Aurobindo to develop the core philosophy of the RSS.
He went to Kolkata to pursue a degree in medicine. After successful completion, Hedgewar was drawn into the influence of secret revolutionary organisations like the Anushilan Samiti and Jugantar in Bengal. He was also a member of the Hindu Mahasabha till his death. Hedgewar was imprisoned for sedition by the British government in 1921 for a year and again in 1930 for nine months. After his spell in prison he instructed the RSS to remain aloof from political activities including the Salt Satyagraha (1930) and continue mainly as a social organisation.
Early life and career
Dr. Hedgewar was born in 1889 on the Hindu New Year. He hailed from a Deshastha Brahmin family which was originally from Kundakurti, a small village in Bodhan taluka near the border of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh states. Near this village, the rivers Godavari, Vanjara and Haridra meet to form a Triveni sangam.
Hedgewar was educated by his elder brother. After matriculating, he decided to go to Kolkata to study medicine. He was sent to Kolkata by Dr. B. S. Moonje in 1910 to pursue his medical studies and unofficially learn the techniques of fighting from the secret revolutionary organisations like the Anushilan Samiti and Jugantar in Bengal. He immediately joined Anushilan Samiti and had contacts with revolutionaries like Surya Sen. He came to believe that although the revolutionaries had immense determination, in a country of continental proportions it was impossible to instigate an armed insurrection. After completing his graduation, he returned to Nagpur, disillusioned with the armed movement. In his memoirs, the third chief of RSS, Balasahab Deoras narrates an incident when Hedgewar saved him and others from following the path of Bhagat Singh and his comrades.
In Nagpur, Hedgewar became involved with social work and also with Tilak faction of the Congress Party, through which he developed a close association with Dr Moonje who later became his Mentor of Hindu Philosophy. In the 1920 session of Indian National Congress was held in Nagpur, Dr Hedgewar was appointed as the Deputy Chief of volunteers cader overseeing the whole function. This volunteer organisation was named as Bharat Swayamsewak Mandal which was headed by Dr. Laxman V. Paranjape (Dr. Hedgewar as his Deputy). All volunteers were told to wear Military type uniform (to be made at their own expense) which was later on adopted as RSS's official uniform from 1925 to 1940. This could be called as the real beginning of RSS because Dr L. V. Paranjpe had declared the intention of starting such an organisation in future. Dr B. S. Moonje and Dr. L. V. Paranjpe funded and actively supported Hedgewar to start RSS as the Top Senior Hindu Mahasabha Leaders of Nagpur region.
Background of RSS
Hedgewar slowly came to the conclusion that all the problems he felt the Hindu community in India faced - subjugation and oppression by 'foreigners' in the present and past, provincialism, and untouchability - were a result of an inherent flaw in the Hindu character rather than problems themselves. He felt a remedy was a cultural organisation that would unite Hindus on a common platform and instill among them discipline and national character. In this endeavour, he was blessed by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who was then under house imprisonment in Ratnagiri.
Inception of RSS
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) first met in 1925 in a small ground in Nagpur with 5-6 persons on Vijaya Dashami. The basic element of RSS was to be the Shakha (branch) in every town/village, where swayamsevaks were to perform drills, exercise and chant slogans on an open ground everyday for an hour.
His initial followers included Appaji Joshi, Bhaiyyaji Dani,Babasaheb Apte, Gopal rao Yerkuntwar,Dada rao Parmarth,Balasaheb Deoras,Yadav Rao Joshi ,Bhaurao Deoras,Moreshwar Munje, K.D.Joshi ,Raja Bhau Paturkar,Bapu rao Bhishikar,Abaji Hedgewar,Madhukar rao Bhagwat, Viththal Rao Patki, Bapu Rao Diwakar and K.S.Patait.
"Words fail to describe the depth of that pure and selfless love. The boundless affection of the mother's heart, the sleepless care and diligence of the father and the inspiring guidance of the guru found their culmination in that single bosom. I for one feel it my proud privilege to worship him as my ideal. The worship of such a soul transcends the worship of an individual and becomes the worship of the ideal itself. He is verily my chosen deity", says Sri Guruji Golwalkar, in a glowing tribute to Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar.
Dr. Hedgewar said often, "Even if the British leave, unless the Hindus are organised as a powerful nation, where is the guarantee that we shall be able to protect our freedom?" His words have proved to be prophetic. Conjointly with Independence, parts of Punjab, Bengal, Sindh and the frontier-areas were sundered from Bharat; and, four and a half decades after the nation's attaining freedom, Kashmir remains a thorn in the flesh.
Birth and early life
Dr Hedgewar, the founder of the RSS was born on Ugadi day [New Year's Day] in 1889 at Nagpur. He was a born patriot. Even when he was studying in primary school, he refused to eat sweets distributed on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Victoria on June 22, 1897. Surprised at this stance, his elder brother asked him, “Keshav, didn’t you get the sweets?” Keshav answered, “of course, I got it. But, our Bhonsle dynasty was liquidated by these Britishers. How can we participate in these imperial celebrations?”
when as a child he stepped into the primary school and listened to the story of Shivaji, that great Hindu redeemer became his chosen hero. When he was studying in Neel City High School, Nagpur, he was rusticated for singing "Vande Mataram" in violation of the circular issued by the then British government. As a result he had to pursue his high school studies at Yeotmal.
Once happened that Keshav had to accompany Abaji to the house of one Jakatdar in Bhandara. Among those present there was Amritrao bambawala, the Assistant Commissioner. After the introductions, jakatadar said, “Keshavrao is not at all interested in studies. He is spoiling his future by participating in student movements.” Amritrao felt pity for keshav. He affectionately called Keshav near him and advised: “Keshav, you are too young to understand things. These activities will land you in trouble in future. Listen to me, and stay away from politics. Such activities are not for students.” Keshav calmly replied, “Sir, I am ready to quit politics as advised by you. In that case, it is but proper that elders and learned persons like you should give up your jobs and jump into the political arena. Until that happens, students like me have no alternative except to take part in politics, even at the cost of our studies if need be.” Amritrao, of course, had no answer to this logical rejoinder.
The renowned revolutionary, Nalini Kishore Guha, introduced Keshav and Narayanrao Savarkar, younger brother of Veer Savarkar, into the Anusheelan Samity, a secret revolutionary organization, and according to the practice of the organization, they were administered a pledge and given secret names. Keshav was given the name 'Cocaine' and he became well known among the revolutionary workers because of his fiery patriotism, courage, deep intellectual capacities and foresight. Doctor of the Nation After passing the L.M.&S. Examination in June 1914, Keshav completed one year apprenticeship and returned to Nagpur in 1915 as a doctor. But his mind did not turn to the direction of practice and earning livelihood. He wanted to diagnose the disease that had afflicted the nation and cure it, and with this determination in his mind he dedicated his life at the altar of the Motherland. Since his arrival in Nagpur, Dr. Hedgewar was busy organizing the revolutionary youth in Nagpur, with the help of Bhaoji Karve. Dr. Hedgewar kept close links with the revolutionary organizations in Punjab and Calcutta.
Preparations for Revolutionary Upsurge
When the First World War broke out, the revolutionaries all over the country wanted to make use of the opportunity created by the difficult situation in which the Britishers were pitched against the Germans. The revolutionaries in India and abroad conceived a plan for a revolutionary upsurge in the country to throw out the Britishers. Dr Hedgewar also threw himself heart and soul into the endeavour. The revolutionaries under the leadership of Bhaoji Kavre and Dr. Hedgewar were collecting arms and money for the proposed uprising. Once, in order to secure arms for the Gadar soldiers spread in different parts of the country, Dr. Hedgewar put on a military uniform and under the guise of a military man, managed to get away with a stock of British guns kept in Nagpur railway station. He also entrusted to one of his trusted colleagues, Vamanrao Dharmadhikari, the work of receiving arms reaching Goa port in 1912 in a steamer sent by revolutionaries abroad. But the British Government got scent of the scheme and the ship was seized before it could reach its destination. Analysis of the Causes of Failure The defeat of Germany in the War foiled all the attempts of the Indian revolutionaries for a revolutionary upsurge inside the country.
In the National Movement
Dr. Hedgewar realized that the lack of discipline among the revolutionaries, want of proper organization to coordinate the different revolutionary groups spread all over the country and the absence of a political and national awakening among the common masses were the root causes for the failure of revolutionary upsurge. He also came to understand that mere acts of bravery and self-sacrifice on the part of a few daring and patriotic individuals will not bring independence to the country. With this clear realization, Dr. Hedgewar diverted his attention to the national movement launched by the Indian National Congress.
He participated in the freedom struggle under the leadership of the Indian National Congress and participated in the Non-cooperation Movement of 1921 and was jailed. He was released on July 12, 1922. In the National Movement Dr. Hedgewar's sterling character, untainted devotion to the cause of the country, undiluted patriotism, self-effacing sacrifice and amiable nature made him dear to all the leaders of the nationalist movement in Central Province and he soon rose to a top position in the Congress organization. At that time, the Congress in Central Province was in the hands of staunch supporters of Tilak. The extremist and nationalist leaders in the Congress were all looking with apprehension at the all-out support given by Mahatma Gandhi to the Khilafat movement in an attempt to exploit the discontent among the Indian Muslims against the British who were enemies of the Khalif of Turkey, the religious head of Muslims. Dr. Hedgewar, with his deep foresight, understood that this sort of appeasement of Muslim communalism, though intended to win them over to the freedom struggle, would in the long run sow the seeds of separation in the hearts of the Muslims and result in the disintegration of the country. And his fears did prove to be true in the long run.
Important incidence after which Dr. Hedgewar created a History
On 26th December, 1920, the Congress session began with Sri Vijayaraghavachari as President. A significant event took place in the session. Sri Bade moved in the AICC meeting a resolution for cow protection. In the name of maintaining Hindu-Muslim Unity, Gandhiji not only opposed the move, but even forced Sri Bade to leave the meeting and brought the meeting to an abrupt end. This incident did create a lasting impression on the mind of Dr. Hedgewar about the disastrous consequences of the slogan of Hindu-Muslim unity and the Muslim appeasement policy of Gandhiji and the Congress.
Founding of RSS
After making an in-depth study of our history, he came to the conclusion that lack of patriotism and disunity among the Hindus was the reason for our defeat at the hands of foreign invaders and enslavement under foreign rule. He, therefore, felt that unless a sense of patriotism, selflessness, sterling character, national consciousness and sense of unity, selfless service, self-realisation and discipline were inculcated in a substantial number of individuals, it would be impossible to uplift the nation and secure political freedom.
He, therefore, decided to start a unique organisation to solve the problems. He took a vow to remain a bachelor and devote his entire life and energy to the aforesaid noble cause. For this purpose, he founded the "Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh" on Vijayadashami day September 27, 1925. He evolved a unique technique which was unprecedented, simple and inexpensive. He selected a group of young boys who would assemble in an open field every day for one hour. During that time, in addition to playing national games, he began to inculcate in them a sense of patriotism, unity, discipline, love for the country and selflessness, by singing of patriotic songs and narration of stories of patriots. He appealed to the youth to spare one hour a day for the Nation by attending the Shakha (the meeting). He visualised that the one hour programme in the Shakha would ultimately transform the youth to devote greater time and energy in the service of the nation. He, therefore, undertook the Himalayan task of organising the Hindus, who despite having a common cultural bond and fundamental unity had come to be divided into various castes, religions, regions and language groups.
Dr Hedgewar never used to impose his ideologies on others. In fact, for naming of Sangh, Doctorji arranged a baithak in his house on April 7, 1926 where 26 persons participated. Three names were suggested after elaborate discussions. They were: 1. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS); 2. Jaripataka Mandal; 3. Bharatoddharak Mandal. The name RSS was finally decided upon.
Bharat Mata as common deity
Dr Hedgewar felt that it was necessary to have a common deity to be worshipped by all and a common ideal which all should strive to achieve and a common prayer (mantra) for all. He declared that irrespective of castes, religions and languages, etc, we are all children of Bharatmata who shall be the common deity to be worshipped by all of us and the common ideal of all shall be to strive for all-round progress and development of the nation and for taking the nation to the pinnacle of glory. These two ideals were incorporated in the common prayer to be sung by all the members at the Shakha every day. The first line of the prarthana says "Namaste Sada Vatsale Matrubhume"Oh my beloved motherland salutation to theeand the last line of the prayer says "Oh God, please give us strength and bless us to enable us to take our nation to the pinnacle of glory" (param vaibhavamnetu metat swarasthram) and concludes with the all unifying slogan "Bharat Mata ki jai" (Victory to Bharat Mata). Having decided about the common deity to be worshipped, common ideals to be achieved, a common prayer to be made and the common slogan, Dr. Hedgewar started contemplating on who should be placed in the position of Guru.
Doctorji’s idea behind starting the Shakha
Doctorji also said that one hour Shaka was to initiate Swayamsevaks to inspire them to dedicate themselves to the noble and onerous task of nation building. But moulding of character of swayamsevaks was a whole time job after shakha hours to be performed by the Karyakartas of the RSS. He advised and encouraged swayamsevaks to undertake higher education and for that purpose to go to different places in the country. He said higher educational attainment by Karyakartas would confer better suitability and capacities to spread the work of the RSS and going to different places was necessary to spread the work of RSS throughout the country.
Deciding National Flag
There was much ignorance and misunderstanding about our national flag ever since the beginning of the national movement in our country. From 1906 to 1921, different organizations had adopted different types of flags as our national flag. In the Karachi session of the Congress, a seven member committee consisting of Sardar Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru, Pattabhi Sitaramayya, Dr. Hardikar, Kaka Kalelkar, MasterTara Singh and Moulana Azad was formed to recommend a national flag.
This committee recommended an orange colour flag. The working committee's approval was needed for the adoption of the flag. Dr. Hedgewar, who feared that this flag might not get the approval of those who were raising slogans of Hindu Muslim Unity, persuaded Lokamanya Bapuji Ane to strongly support the recommendation of the flag committee. He also went to Delhi, stayed in Bapuji Ane's house and met other members of the working committee. But his efforts did not completely meet with success. The Congress adopted a tri-colour flag. However, in the place of red in the earlier flag, orange was selected and it was taken to top with white and green strips below. Dr. Hedgewar felt very sorry that though the saffron flag has been the symbol of our national culture and heritage since times immemorial, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh had also adopted the same as its flag, the Congress chose a national flag suited to the interests of certain individuals and groups.
On the morning of June 21, 1940, Dr. Hedgewar's condition turned from bad to worse. The doctors attending on him decided to perform lumber puncture. Dr. Hedgewar knew that his end was nearing. Before undergoing the lumber puncture, he called Sri Guruji Golwalkar and some other important workers of the Sangh by his side and expressed his last wish that, after him, Sri Guruji Golwalkar should takeover the responsibility of the Sarsanghchalak of the Sangh. Unto Eternal Rest the efforts of the doctors to save the life of Dr. Hedgewar proved futile. On 21st morning his temperature rose to 106o and the doctors gave up hope. Dr. Hedgewar breathed his last at 9-15A.M. on that day. A glorious life which, like a flame, burnt itself silently, but shed warmth and light all around, ebbed away. Though he left his mortal coil, his spirit still lives in the hearts of millions of Swayamsevaks all over the country and abroad, who march ahead on the path shown by him to attain the goal of Hindu Rashtra.
Dr Hedgewar’s Last message to Swayamsevaks
His message to the dedicated Swayamsevaks of the Sangh echoes and re-echoes in millions of hearts: "The flower of youth should be offered at the feet of the Mother when it is in full bloom shedding its fragrance and beauty all round. After it has lost its beauty and fragrance, that dry and withered flower is unfit for worship"?
Remarks on Legendary Dr. Hedgewar by a great historian Professor G.C.Asnani
Persons like Hedgewar do not come every day. Once in a way, they appear on the horizon, take a position unconventional for their times, but bold and brave. The cowards, the cheats, and the envious ones cannot stand their presence, because their own position is in jeopardy; they find some excuse to eliminate them if possible. That was the position of Dr. Hedgewar and his organization known as RSS till today, which the Congress and the Secularists can not tolerate till today. Who stands condemned, RSS or Congress? In my view, Congress stands condemned. At one stage, Congress was the ideal organization for many of us including myself; now it has lost all its respectability and is in the dying stage. But that is the fate of many organizations that have come and gone on this Earth; Congress is no exception. This is the Rule of life...
Bhagwadwaj as Guru
It is well known that in our culture the highest place is given to the Guru and he is regarded as equal to God. It is the Guru who with the instrument of his intellect and wisdom opens the eyes of his disciples and enables them to proceed from darkness to light. Therefore, every year the people worship their Guru on Guru Poornima day. Dr Hedgewar wanted to choose a Guru befitting the divine task of national reconstruction.
What Dr Hedgewar did is comparable only to what Guru Govind Singhji did in respect of Sikhism, who put an end to a human person being a Guru and substituted the Guru Granth Sahib in place of a living Guru.
After founding the RSS, he announced that the members have to perform guru pooja on the specified day and offer gurudakshina which alone shall be the financial resource of the Sangha. The Swayamsevaks began to think as to who could be installed in the position of Guru other than Dr. Hedgewar himself. But on Guru Poornima day there was a surprise. Dr Hedgewar declared that Bhagwadwaj under whose auspicious presence Shakhas were being held every day shall be the Guru. He stated that Bhagwadwaj represents our glorious history and cultural heritage. It reminds us of Sri Rama, Sri Krishna and Gitopadesha and also reminds us of great empires like the Maurya, Gupta, Vijayanagara, etc. It also represents the gurus of all religions and religious sects born in the country. It reminds us of Mahavira, Buddha, Shankara, Basava, Tiruvaluvur, Ramanuja, Madhwa-charya, Guru Nanak, Guru Ramdas and Vidyaranya under whose guidance the great Vijayanagara empire was established. It also represents those who fought valiantly to protect the freedom and honour of motherland such as Maharana Pratap, Chatrapati Shivaji, Guru Govind Singh and Rani of Jhansi. Further it also represents our cultural heritage, all good values of life of great heroes and saints. More than all the saffron colour of Bhagwadwaj has been the symbol of sacrifice.
He said he was not in favour of placing any human being in the place of Guru, as it is quite possible that on account of some pitfall or shortcomings in him, which is natural in human beings the followers might get disappointed or frustrated at some point of time. He also indicated that he was placing Bhagwadwaj, which represents the noble ideals of the RSS in the place of Guru as he desired that there should be "tatvanishta" (loyalty to ideals) and not "vyaktinishta" (loyalty to any individual).
What Dr Hedgewar did is comparable only to what Guru Govind Singhji did in respect of Sikhism, who put an end to a human person being a Guru and substituted the Guru Granth Sahib in place of a living Guru. Thus Guru Govind Singh transformed an inanimate object into a powerful Guru who is guiding the entire Sikh community. Similarly, Dr Hedgewar transformed Bhagwadwaj an inanimate object into guru. He said it is only after a Bhagwadwaj is presented to a shakha after it is well established that it becomes a recognised shakha and that only after hoisting the Bhagwadwaj in a Shakha, activities of national learning commence and all functions of RSS commence.
Metamorphosis through shakha
In order to transform an ordinary individual into an extraordinary patriot ready to sacrifice everything in the service of the motherland and in order to completely erase selfishness, ego and divisive factors such as high and low castes, rich and poor, he invented a simple inexpensive technique called Shakha, a method of get-together for one hour at a specified place and time every day. His appeal was simple in that he asked the youth to spare one hour out of 24 hours for the Nation. Accordingly, he attracted a handful of youths for attending Shakha which was comparable to ancient Gurukulas. Shakha programmes were such as would bring about an all-round development of an individuals i.e. physical, mental, moral and intellectual. Physical fitness through physical activities solely comprising of national games and physical exercises, character building, inculcating patriotism through stories of heroes, saints social reformers, etc, as also through patriotic songs and intellectual development through periodic Bhaudhiks. The whole process was called Samskara. Important aspect of programmes of Shakha has been to treat Bharatmata as the common deity, Bhagwadwaj as the common Guru and Sangha prarthana as the common mantra for all the swayamsevaks. Through this methodology Doctorji sought to demolish all fissiparous tendencies afflicting the nation. The prarthana contains an oath by every swayamsevak that he will lay down his life in the service of the nation. There is also a prayer to God to confer invincible physical strength and excellent character and finally blessings of almighty is sought to enable them to take the motherland to pinnacle of glory.
Gandhiji and Dr.ji
In 1934 at Wardha, Gandhiji had the following conversation with Dr. K. B. Hedgewar, the founder of the R.S.S.:
Gandhiji: Doctor Saheb, what made you start an independent organisation like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh? You were in Congress and surely you could have built up such a voluntary body in the Congress itself. By the way, did you feel dearth of funds in the Congress?
Hedgewar: Oh, no, not at all. Fact is, that creation of the kind of Swayamsevaks I had in mind, was simply not possible through the Congress.
Gandhiji: Why so?
Hedgewar: Because, the Congress, after all, is a political party and its volunteers are just boys of errands, arranging chairs and tables, saluting and cheering the leaders, looking to their arrangements and such other sundry jobs, whereas my concept of a Swayamsevak is altogether different.
Gandhiji: What is your concept, Doctor Saheb?
Hedgewar: One who offers himself, voluntarily in the cause of national upliftment in a spirit of total selflessness - such a person alone is a Swayamsevak. I also believe that, it is only on the strength of such Swayamsevaks, that our nation can ultimately rise to its full glory.
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access_time published 08.03.2018
Women in science: a call to action to fix the leaky pipeline
Halshka Graczyk
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We are far from reaching equality, equity, and parity. Women currently represent less than 30% of the research and development workforce worldwide.
On February 11, the world commemorated International Day of Women and Girls in Science – an occasion on which we were called together to recognise that future progress and sustainable development depend on unlocking the full potential, capabilities, as well as ideas of both women and girls in science.
However, we are far from reaching equality, equity, and parity. Women currently represent less than 30% of the research and development (R&D) workforce worldwide. In Switzerland, we barely surpass the average, with only 32% of R&D roles held by women. Although the number of female students in science is rising, only a small percentage among them make it into academic careers, especially at the highest levels.
Currently, the biggest challenge facing women in science in Switzerland is the striking gender imbalance that exists at the highest rungs of the academic ladder: women only occupy 19% of all full professorships, and only 8% of academic institutions are led by women. A survey from the University of Lausanne (UNIL) found that the gender ratio of principal investigators was 75% male to 25% female – a shocking difference given that the ratio of postdoctoral researchers proves equal. Where is the leak of women from the science pipeline?
From the bench to the boardroom, women in science face pervasive discrimination. Despite advances in recent decades, female researchers are still paid less, promoted less frequently, receive fewer grants, and are more likely to abandon their careers when compared to men with similar qualifications. Female scientists are under-represented as authors among published papers, and are less likely to be selected as peer reviewers of manuscripts. Gender bias, whether conscious or unconscious, is observed at many different levels, and can unfortunately break academic careers. Imagine that up to 67% – two of every three Europeans – believe that women do not possess the necessary capabilities to succeed in scientific positions. Not to mention a study from Yale that showed scientists rating job applications perceived candidates to be less competent when they had female names. Applicants with male names were not only more likely to be selected, but also to be offered higher starting salaries and more career mentoring.
As if gender bias was not enough, the National Academies’ Committee on Women in Science, Engineering and Medicine, recently concluded that “somewhere in the range of 40 to 70% of women have experienced sexual harassment during their careers or as students,” and that “this range of prevalence was strikingly consistent across different studies.” In a recent article in Science, sexual harassment is aptly defined as a “productivity tax” for female scientists, taking up unnecessary time and energy, and leading to the avoidance of co-authored manuscripts or joint grant applications with male colleagues. It also marks a major push factor for women to leave academia, ultimately amounting to a lost potential not only for the academic institution and advancement of science itself, but also for the progression of women in science at present and in the future.
Other studies have pointed out that the time when female researchers move from postgraduate training to higher level positions often coincides with the time for family planning decisions. This poses difficult career issues, which are made more challenging by the fact that scientific research is dominated by short-term contracts with poor job security. Indeed, children significantly impact career trajectories for women. Specifically, women with children are 35% less likely than men with children to attain tenure-track positions. Furthermore, mothers in academia often face a “baby penalty,” incurring losses to their salary, thereby contributing to the gender wage gap.
Moving forward: how do we fix the leak?
During my PhD and postgraduate studies in life sciences, the insidious nature of gender bias, discrimination, and harassment proved shocking and all too nonchalant. Based on many discussions that I have had over the years with fellow female colleagues, I can say first hand that yes - the institutional and personal productivity tax is still being paid in Switzerland.
Nonetheless, there is hope, as there is a light at the end of the leaky pipeline. An increasing number of female researchers do come forward and initiate an open dialogue about the challenges they face. In response, institutions must commit themselves to creating safe spaces, along with mechanisms to accommodate potential solutions that arise from this dialogue. To combat conscious and unconscious bias, as well as discrimination and harassment, institutions should implement comprehensive training courses for students and staff at all levels. Institutions must likewise provide transparent criteria for the promotion of researchers, while actively encouraging women to take on leadership and management roles. Lastly, initiatives to support work-family balance likely alleviate the toll on lost productivity for young parents, both male and female scientists alike.
However, institutions alone do not suffice to catalyse effective change. We urgently need wider and more diverse networks and must work all together to effectively dismantle the barriers that girls and women face in science. This requires a change in attitude designed to challenge traditional and harmful stereotypes, and this, not only at the institutional level, but across all domains from the classroom to the laboratory, boardroom, and, most importantly, at home.
When discussing with my female colleagues about the most significant means for tackling gender bias in our respective studies and careers, the clear common denominator was the active presence of female mentors. A key factor that inspires women to pursue scientific paths, and to remain within, consists of having successful female role models who have pursued a similar career and have met these challenges head on. Such mentors provide an aspirational roadmap, as well as confidence, and most of all create a critical sense of belonging.
At a recent “Women in Science event” in Lausanne, a female undergraduate approached me asking to have lunch together to discuss career options. I agreed and prepared a couple of ideas. However, towards the end of our chatty lunch, as we still had not reached the topic of jobs, I asked her how I could help. She responded – “honestly, it’s just nice to get to know another female scientist and have lunch together.”
I understood. We are all social animals. We need to feel that we are part of a tribe. We need to feel a sense of belonging, as well as reassurance that yes - this is where we are supposed to be. Women and girls must participate in science, as they have the undeniable right to study science, work in science, and most importantly, lead in science. The International Day of Women and Girls in Science celebrates this right, thus serving as a critical reminder that we must continue to work together, as an informed and responsible society, in order to ensure that this right is upheld in Switzerland and far beyond.
No financial support and no other potential conflict of interest relevant to this article have been reported.
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Halshka Graczyk, PhD
Institute for Work and Health
CH-1066 Epalinges-Lausanne
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The East of England – Will they elect the regions first Green MEP? →
There is hope yet when the Telegraph publishes an article like this on climate change
My hopes were lifted today when I read this article ripping shreds out of climate change sceptic Sean Thomas in…wait for it…no, not The Guardian, but the Daily Telegraph!
Might this be a game changer? Instead of giving column space to climate change sceptics such as James Delingpole is The Telegraph now looking to publish serious scientists such as Professor of Climate Change Science at the University of East Anglia, Director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and PhD holder in oceanography, Corinne Le Quéré?
Can we finally move on from spending our time responding to the delusional few who keep peddling the ‘is global warming man-made?’ debate and start discussing how we are going to limit and mitigate the impact climate change is already having?
Maybe I am being too optimistic, but either way this article in today’s Telegraph by Corinne Le Quéré is an absolute corker and well worth a read.
What if man-made climate change is loading the dice on floods in the UK?
Despite what ignorant pundits may have to say on the topic, climate change has raised the risk of flooding in this country
Sean Thomas depicts me in his blog as professing a new type of religion because I speak about climate change and flood risk. His tweet appears to describe me as a “nutter”. Mr Thomas appears to be himself professing ignorance, something I hardly recommend.
I am a physicist of 20 years’ experience, and climate change research is a science, not a faith. That means it is based on observations and on understanding of how the world works. It is the same kind of science that provides the tides, currents and weather forecasts. It’s not perfect science, but science, and knowing the weather, has taken us a long way in making our everyday life a lot more comfortable.
Mr Thomas is ignorant of the fact that heavy precipitation in winter has increased over the past 45 years in all regions of the UK. That’s not just stories told by people based upon their own experience, it is a lot of data collected and analysed all over the UK.
Mr Thomas is ignorant of the fact that that heavy precipitation is an anticipated consequence of a warming climate in wet regions of the world, such as the UK. It is simple physics: the planet warms, water evaporates more, more moisture is available in the atmosphere for individual storms, therefore more heavy precipitation. Storms are made by the weather, but climate change puts more moisture into the atmosphere that makes the rainfall heavier.
As for his ignorance on Arctic melting, Mr Thomas cites one year of data for his claim. The September ice cover has shrunk by 40 per cent in 30 years. When there is no ice, seawater evaporates and loads the atmosphere with moisture, which affects the weather patterns. A look at a map shows that the UK is close to the Arctic, and the possibility that changes in the Arctic might play a role in the weather that we are experiencing in the UK and elsewhere. Mr Thomas takes science and data very lightly.
What is harder to detect is the exact contribution of climate change to extreme weather when it occurs. Bad weather has always been around and “extreme” is a relative term. The techniques required to detect the role of climate change in extreme weather is at an early stage of development, and we don’t yet have the capacity to apply it while weather events occur. If UK science had that capacity then it would help alleviate Mr Thomas’s ignorance over the difference between weather, climate and belief. It would also help put a cost to the risks we are taking by changing the climate.
Mr Thomas refers to the “eerie and echoing syntax” and “the faintly theological tones of the estimable Professor Corinne Le Quéré” – but the only faintly theological tones here are made up by Mr Thomas’ livelihood as a writer of religious fiction. His fatalistic belief that data and independent evidence is of no value, and that climate change is all in the mind of the thousands of scientists specialising in the topic, is ignorant and foolish. While Mr Thomas might believe that it is all in the hand of god, science attributes manmade climate change to man, and coping with and limiting the consequences is in our hands.
If Mr Thomas would like to improve upon his fictional writing, my university, the University of East Anglia, has an esteemed creative writing programme, though he’ll have to do better than this to win a place.
Filed under Climate Change, Media
Tagged as Climate Change, Guardian, Media, Telegraph
One response to “There is hope yet when the Telegraph publishes an article like this on climate change”
> From: jennifer > Subject: Re: [New post] There is hope yet when the Telegraph publishes an article like this on climate change > Date: 15 January 2014 16:58:21 GMT > To: “Hynd’s Blog” > Cc: jen woodcock > > hi there, i really enjoy your posts, particularly about uganda. but this one, re climate change. deforestation and concrete (rather than grass,say,) promotes flooding anyway. difficult one to change particularly in developing countries and our own, britain tilts more and more, scottish highlands/northeast getting higher whilst southern england tilting downwards�.houses falling off land to sea. also earth tilts. magnetic poles change as does sun activity, sunspots when sun’s polarity is changing. i don’t know much about this, but china produces more air pollution than anywhere else.. we don’t but i think our high recorded rates come from the westerlies, i.e. from the americas, if not further west�.is that what is happening at present, do u think?�in the early 70’s we were all told in uk by scientific “experts” that we were entering a new ice-age.. someone must have archives. all the papers carried this�???? best wishes to stroud from malmesbury jenxxx > >
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Steven Potter, Reporter
…answer when I call, I only need 20 minutes
Madison settles Tony Robinson lawsuit for record $3.35 million
Attorneys representing the family of Tony Robinson say they had strong evidence directly contradicting Madison Police Officer Matt Kenny’s account in the 2015 killing. On Thursday, the city settled the case for $3.35 million.
Read the story here.
(Photo credit: Steven Potter)
Questionable account?
In a lawsuit filed against the city, attorneys representing the family of Tony Robinson contend that video and forensic evidence directly contradict statements by Madison police officer Matt Kenny, who killed Robinson two years ago.
(Art credit: Chris Roberts/Isthmus)
Clyde Stubblefield’s gift to hip-hop
Where would hip-hop be without the influence and backbeat created by the Funky Drummer, Clyde Stubblefield? Steven Potter talks to Madison’s hip-hop community about the death of the legendary musician.
Students learn far more than just technique in Jenie Gao’s free printmaking class, offered by The Bubbler program at the downtown library.
Perfect Circles
Gnar Hoops & Happy World Clothing combines hula hoops and eco-friendly clothing. Oh yeah, the hula hoops are eco-friendly, too.
From track star to DJ (Audio Interview)
Twenty years ago, Gabe Moskoff was a sophomore at Madison East High School.
Today, he’s the DJ for rap supergroup Run the Jewels and goes by the stage name Trackstar.
Moskoff will return home as Trackstar the DJ on Feb. 15 for a sold-out Run the Jewels show at the Orpheum Theater.
I caught up with Moskoff to talk about his mixtape beginnings, how he came to be the DJ for Run the Jewels’ emcees Killer Mike and El-P and what it’s like on tour.
Listen to the interview here.
Joey Banks, one of Madison’s busiest drummers, was mentored by his idol, Clyde Stubblefield. Now Banks is music director of the Clyde Stubblefield All-Star Band, where the two men drum side by side.
(Photo credit: Nick Berard)
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Jonty Rhodes Finds 'The Map Of Tamil Nadu' On Matthew Hayden's Head Injury
Updated: 08 October 2018 20:12 IST
தமிழில் படிக்க
Jonty Rhodes had earlier named his daughter India, and recently spotted the map of Tamil Nadu on Matthew Hayden's head injury.
Written by Samrat Chakraborty
Jonty Rhodes recently spotted the map of Tamil Nadu on Hayden's head injury. © Instagram
Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes has time and again showed his love for India. Jonty Rhodes had earlier named his daughter India, and recently spotted the map of Tamil Nadu on Matthew Hayden's head injury. He replied to Matthew Hayden's post on Instagram and said, "@haydos359 is that a map of The Tamil Nadu coast u are wearing on your forehead? Real commitment buddy!!! Some of us softies take the easy option and just get tattoos!!"
Test great Matthew Hayden said on Monday that he had "dodged a bullet" after suffering head and neck injuries, including a spine fracture, while surfing during a holiday in Queensland.
Ok. Last attention seeking post I promise. Just wanted to say a big thank you to all our mates on Straddie who have been so supportive.Especially Ben & Sue Kelley for the fast diagnosis with MRI, CT scan. Fractured C6, torn C5,C4 ligaments safe to say I truly have dodged a bullet. Thank you everyone On the road to recovery
A post shared by Matthew Hayden (@haydos359) on Oct 7, 2018 at 3:44am PDT
Hayden, a top-order batsman who was last year inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame, fractured his spine near the base of his neck, tore several ligaments and hurt his forehead after being dumped into a sandbank while surfing with his son Josh off North Stradbroke Island on Friday.
"Fractured C6, torn C5, C4 ligaments safe to say I truly have dodged a bullet," Hayden wrote in an Instagram post beside a photo of his battered face.
"Thank you everyone. On the road to recovery."
The 46-year-old, who retired from international cricket in 2009 after a 103-Test career, told Brisbane's Courier Mail he was "bloody lucky" to escape serious injury.
Hayden said he was able to get back onto the beach, but had scans later that day, which revealed the extent of his injuries.
Despite the scare, Hayden said he would return to surfing, adding: "The ocean gives and the ocean takes -- I will be back."
(With AFP inputs)
Topics mentioned in this article Australia Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team Matthew Hayden Jonty Rhodes Cricket
Jonty Rhodes had earlier named his daughter India
He recently spotted the map of Tamil Nadu on Matthew Hayden's head
Hayden said he was able to get back onto the beach
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Matthew Hayden Takes Swipe At Virender Sehwag As War Of Words Begins
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Beyond the Flag
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NFL’s top running back is not who you think
Photo Credit: The Inscriber Magazine
The NFL season is now under two months away from kicking off, and millions of people around the world will participate in fantasy football. While running backs like Dallas Cowboys’ star Ezekiel Elliott, Pittsburgh Steelers’ star LeVeon Bell and Arizona Cardinals’ star David Johnson will likely be the first three running backs off of most draft boards, put fantasy football aside and don’t let that distract you from who the real top running back in the NFL is.
Elliott has a monster offensive line to run behind in Dallas, and he carried the ball more than any other running back last season. Naturally, he should lead the league in rushing yards, as anything less would really be considered a disappointment, especially since he was the #4 overall pick in last year’s draft out of Ohio State. He did end up leading the league in rushing yards by over 300 yards to the next highest running back last season. Yet he’s not the league’s best running back.
Bell is the most explosive running back with the ball in the game, but he hasn’t exactly established himself as a reliable option in the long-term. He has played in all 16 games just once in four seasons, with injuries and legal issues sidelining him already even at only 25 years old. A rookie missing some time in his first season is one thing, but he has been in the league for four years and has averaged fewer than 12 games per season. He’s not the league’s best running back either.
Johnson is the best receiving running back in the game, as he totaled the most receptions and most receiving yards among all running backs by over 250 yards and led the entire NFL in yards from scrimmage last season. He was the Cardinals’ go-to guy in most situations, and his statistics show just how good of a producer he is from an offensive standpoint at the running back position. But like Elliott and Bell, Johnson is not the NFL’s best running back.
The real best running back in the league is none other than the Chicago Bears’ Jordan Howard. The 22-year-old out of Indiana had an under-the-radar rookie season that was truly elite from a running back standard, yet it was overlooked, and he doesn’t get nearly the attention or the hype that the other three do. He played in 15 games and was the primary running back in just 13 of them, yet his rushing total of 1,313 yards was second to only Elliott’s total, which made rookies the top two rushers in the NFL last season.
While Howard was second to Elliott in yardage total, he averaged 0.1 more yards per carry (5.2 to 5.1) than Elliott did. And Howard pulled that off despite Bears’ center Hroniss Grasubeing out for the season while Elliott, the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award winner, had the league’s best offensive line to run behind. The only three players that Howard trailed in the yards per carry category carried the ball fewer times than he did, which shows just how elusive of a running back he is.
Teams that play behind more often than they play ahead tend to throw the ball more because there is more potential for big plays throwing the ball than there is running it. And the Bears played behind a lot last season, as they tied for only 28th in average points per game last season (17.4). Yet they still managed to rank 17th in average rushing yards per game with just a 3-13 record! Why? Jordan Howard, that’s why. And if the Bears as a whole can have more success as a team, the team’s rushing numbers, particularly Howard’s numbers, could get even better than they already are.
Teams like Dallas, Pittsburgh and Arizona, the teams of the other three running backs mentioned above, provided their running backs with what the Bears could not provide Howard, and that was a solid overall offense, and frankly, a solid overall team. Dallas (13-3), Pittsburgh (11-5) and Arizona (7-8-1) ranked 5th, 6th and 10th, respectively in average points per game last season, so they were not forced to rely on the passing game and could allow their running backs to do more and carry the bulk of the workload.
But it was Howard on the 28th-best scoring team at just 3-13 that ended up doing more, and he did it with much less than those other three running backs. And while his rushing total is one thing, his numbers in the receiving category weren’t too shabby either, as his receiving yardage total bumped what would have been the 15th highest scrimmage yardage total in the NFL counting just rushing yards all the way up to 6th.
Sure, if you’re going to play fantasy football, you want to look at the yards, the touchdowns, and in some cases, the receptions to make your selection. In that case, you’d likely pick Elliott, Bell or Johnson as your top running back. But if you’re not interested in fantasy football and instead just looking to watch a top-tier running back slice through defensive units with ease every Sunday, prioritize Bears’ games above all the other teams’ games, including the Cowboys, Steelers and Cardinals.
-Asher Fair
Asher Fair July 10, 2017 March 2, 2018 2017, bestwork, featuredone, football, NFL
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US DHS Deports Over 55,000 Criminal Aliens in First Quarter of 2019 - Statement
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - More than nine in ten of nearly 63,000 aliens deported during the first quarter of 2019 by the two primary law enforcement divisions of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) - Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - had criminal convictions or were facing criminal charges.
Trump Plans to Arrest Tens of Thousands in Mass Deportation Raids
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
Trump Policies Directed at Central American Immigrants Create Vicious Crisis Cycle
US President Donald Trump announced Monday that, beginning next week, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency would begin detaining and deporting undocumented individuals across the country. This, coupled with Trump’s plan to stop aid to Central America, could be the precursor to a vicious cycle – particularly in terms of healthcare.
Missing Money? TSA Raked in Nearly $1 Million in Unclaimed Currency for 2018
From loose change to foreign currency, travelers’ misplaced money became the US Transportation Security Administration’s gain in 2018, totaling almost $1 million.
National Sovereignty No More, Trump Sanctions the World
DHS resignations; Israel heads to elections Tuesday; the destruction of Libya after US invasion; NATO celebrates 70 years of war
Iowa Man Says He Was Fired for Adding 'In Christ' to Emails, Loses Lawsuit
A former mental health care specialist attempted to sue the Department of Homeless Security and his superiors at an Iowa sex offender treatment unit for religious discrimination and violating of his First Amendment rights.
US Invades Migrants’ Text Message Conversations
A Tuesday NBC report claims the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is using not only intelligence taken from US officials working with Mexican authorities to track the notorious migrant caravan, but also information obtained from migrant organizing groups on WhatsApp.
‘A Bureaucracy on the Make’: DHS Fabricated ‘Russian Hacking’ Lie to Expand Its Authority
A major thread in the Russiagate narrative, namely that Russian hackers may have infiltrated US states’ voter registration databases in 2016, can be explained by bureaucrats at the Department of Homeland Security seeking to spark fear and then assume leadership over those same cyber assets.
Infamous FBI Agent Peter Strzok Escorted From FBI Building...
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EXCLUSIVE: Troubling DOJ & DHS Connections from the 2016 Election
On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Garland Nixon and Lee Stranahan analyze connections between the DOJ/DHS and the infamous "Speedway Bomber" Brett Kimberlin during the 2016 election. What are the facts of this association, and why is anyone with credibility in US politics still connected to Kimberlin?
Revival of Debunked State Voting Systems Hack Story Shows ‘Bankruptcy’ of Russiagate Narrative
Mainstream US outlets this week revived an old story that the Russian government compromised state voting systems in 2016, because there’s no time like the present to regurgitate narratives that were discredited literally months ago.
US Announces Tougher Screening For Refugees From 11 Nations
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US Seeks Face-Scanning Tech to Target Visiting Foreigners
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which had a 2017 budget of $40 billion, is planning to solicit the private sector to create technology that lets the government scan the faces of foreign nationals crossing US borders by car, NextGov reports.
US Proposes Laptop Ban on International Flights Around the World as ‘Severe’ Threat Looms
A US regulatory agency is pushing for the United Nations to implement a ban on laptops in checked bags during international flights, one day after Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke said “the intelligence is clear” that terrorists groups “want to have a big explosion like they did on 9/11.”
US Cybersecurity Consultant Claims WannaCry Hackers From Southern China
A new analysis of the ransom note included with the global WannaCry Microsoft Windows malware hack earlier this month suggests that it may have originated in southern China.
SWAT Raids Home of Armed WashPost Employee Posing as ICE Agent
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Trump DHS Chief Suggests Demanding Social Media Passwords of US Visa Applicants
New Department of Homeland Security secretary John Kelly has proposed that foreign travelers wishing to enter the US reveal their social media passwords when applying for a visa.
Trump's 'Monday Night Massacre', Democrats' Tuesday 'Resistance'
On today's BradCast, the fallout and chaos continues following Donald Trump's reckless Executive Order banning travel from seven majority-Muslim countries and his firing of the Acting U.S. Attorney General who refused to enforce it, after announcing that she was unconvinced the order was lawful.
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On today's BradCast: Donald Trump's Executive Order on Friday, banning immigrants and even some permanent US residents from seven majority-Muslim countries, has sparked chaos, confusion and a blizzard of lawsuits in its wake.
Experts Destroy White House ‘Proof’ of Russian Hacking
Two expert analyses from the intelligence community are destroying the Obama administration's “proof” of Russian hacking.
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British-Run Oil Tanker 'Shelters' Inside Gulf Over Fears of Iran's Tit-for-Tat Response - Reports
The reported developments follow the detention of an Iranian supertanker in the Strait of Gibraltar on 4 July, when Gibraltar police and customs agencies, aided by British Royal Marines, seized the vessel. Tehran has pledged to retaliate against what the Iranian Foreign Ministry slammed as an act of “maritime piracy”.
Greenpeace Activists Blocking BP's London HQ for 'Fueling Emergency' (PHOTO)
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Greenpeace UK environmental group said on Monday its activists are blocking the entrance to the BP oil and gas company's headquarters in London, accusing the energy giant of turning a blind eye to climate change.
Saudi Aramco to Support Small, Medium-Sized Companies With $16 Bln in Contracts
Saudi Arabia's national oil and natural gas giant Aramco is set to offer billions of dollars' worth of contracts to the kingdom's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as part of a broader effort to diversify the country's economy.
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HOUSTON (Sputnik) - BP Chief Executive Bob Dudley on Tuesday confirmed he would be attending the 2019 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in June.
BP's 'I Am Ashurbanipal' Exhibit Showcases Untold History, Taps New Alliances
UK oil and gas giant BP’s ‘I am Ashurbanipal: King of the World, King of Assyria’ exhibition drew to a close on 24th February at the British Museum, which celebrated the life of seventh-century BC’s most powerful person on earth in the first ever major exhibition of its kind in the UK.
BP Chief Calls US ‘Market Without Brain’ for Renewing Record Oil Output to Beat Prices
LONDON (Sputnik) - The United States is acting as "a market without a brain" as it responds to prices and increases its oil output to record highs, Bob Dudley, the chief executive officer of the UK multinational BP Group, said Tuesday.
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EU Energy System to Collapse if US Sanctions Affect Russian Oil and Gas Companies – BP Head
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St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2018
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LONDON (Sputnik) - Oil company BP considers its partnership with Russia's Rosneft to be "very strong," as the energy firms remain above the political fray amid the deterioration of Russian-Western relations, BP Group Chief Executive Bob Dudley said Tuesday.
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Philly Not Planning Crackdown on Protesters at DNC Convention
© Flickr / James
As Cleveland officials announced that they will fence off a 3.3 square mile area to bar protesters from getting close to the Republican National Convention, Philadelphia officials have taken the opposite tack, announcing that they will not be doing the same for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) the following week.
© AP Photo / Carolyn Kaster, File
White House Not Commenting on Alleged Breach of DNC by Russian Hackers
Officials in Philadelphia have stated that they will be “respecting the First Amendment rights” of all protesters during the DNC, provided they have the proper permits. Law enforcement in the city also announced that no permits would be granted for protests during rush hour or for camping in nearby FDR Park.
Tens of thousands of people, particularly supporters of Bernie Sanders, are planning to protest the event.
"There is no intended 'crackdown' on un-permitted protesting," city solicitor Sozi Pedro Tulante wrote in a letter to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Pennsylvania.
The ACLU had written to the city regarding their concerns that major streets would be blocked off from protesters who wish to march and express their dissent.
"We are gratified that the city has reconsidered its ban on marches on Broad Street," said ACLU deputy legal director in Pennsylvania Mary Catherine Roper to the Associated Press. "It is where Philadelphians have marched for decades in both celebration and dissent."
While the ACLU celebrated the march allowance, they are less pleased about the rules that have been set in place for permits.
© Facebook/Democracy Spring
What CNN Doesn’t Want You to Know: #DemocracySpring Enters Second Day After 100s Arrested at US Capitol
"We will continue to press for both access and clarity for protesters so that the DNC will not be just a showcase for party mechanics, but also a genuine celebration of democratic — small 'd' —values,” Roper said.
Many protest organizers have stated that while they will attempt to obtain permits, denial will not be a deterrence.
"The First Amendment is our permit," Scott Williams, an organizer with the International Action Center, told AP of their planned march.
The city has passed legislation allowing police to issue $100 fines instead of making criminal arrests for the typical charges incurred during protests, including disorderly conduct, blocking a street, and failure to disburse, but have prepared space to house protesters in the Holmesburg Prison gymnasium in case of mass arrests.
In Cleveland, the ACLU has filed a lawsuit to reduce the parameter which protest will be barred from.
“What the city has done here is draw a gigantic blanket area that covers most of downtown Cleveland,” Elizabeth Bonham, staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, told Boing Boing. “When the government takes the extreme step of limiting speech and assembly in any way, the burden is on them to justify that those restrictions are reasonable. Here there are no alternatives.”
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ACLU, Republican National Convention, Democratic National Convention, DNC, RNC, Cleveland, Philadelphia
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Scientists Shocked by Huge, Strange-Looking Fish Washed Up on California Beach
© Photo: YouTube/ShantiUniverse
A strange-looking seven-foot fish was discovered on the coast in Southern California last week, according to the CNN news outlet.
The fish was discovered by ecologist Jessica Nielsen from the University of Goleta. She turned to a number of specialists from the US, Australia and New Zealand for help investigating the dead fish.
"This is certainly the most remarkable organism I have seen wash up on the beach in my four years at the reserve," Nielsen said in a UC Santa Barbara press release.
‘Strangest fish I’ve Ever Seen’: Scientists Shocked by Rare Giant Sunfish in California https://t.co/UDPS5qK74z pic.twitter.com/oGwI1FA2pp
— KQEDscience (@KQEDscience) March 1, 2019
It turned out to be a hoodwinker sunfish that are found exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, near the coast of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Chile. How it crossed the equator and ended up in California is not yet clear.
A huge, strange-looking fish washed up on a California beach. Scientists say it's a first https://t.co/b4JDMhDpjd pic.twitter.com/qP81513O3p
— Diagonal22 (@Diagonal22) March 1, 2019
Scientists suggest that the sunfish may be a specimen of the still unexplored pack of hoodwinker living in the waters of North America.
Take This, Pussy: Cat Accidentally Catapults Fish Toy in Other Feline's Face
Scuba Diver Rescues Fish Trapped in Plastic Bag
fish, scientists, United States, California
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Stars in Her Eye
Sharing with you my take on entertainment
Category Television
‘Hannibal’: Producers Stoke Fan Support with ‘#SaveHannibal’ Twitter Campaign
By starsinhereye Posted in Home Entertainment, Television Tagged Bryan Fuller, Hannibal, NBC
Foundation of a Legend
Legends touts Sean Bean’s return to television and uses his notorious habit of dying in his various projects as hype for the show. The hash tags for the show? #dontkillseanbean
This is a stroke of genius and allows TNT to cash of Game of Thrones by directly referencing to being beheading in their promotional material. It engages fans and makes them invested in the show’s main character. Don’t kill Sean Bean!
How does the pilot live up to the wonderful hype and social media engagement? It’s a little under whelming. Pilots often are because they have to set up for multiple arcs and give you back ground. Legends sets the basic foundation without too much information. We learn Martin is an undercover FBI agent and he has an ex-wife and child. His world is then rocked when someone tells him that he is not who he thinks he is; that his undercover life has completely taken over his real life.
This is where the meat of the story gets interesting though the idea isn’t delved into too deeply. Legends (or their undercover egos) aren’t really explained. I feel like it’s much more than just an uncover identity and see some very Dollhouse-like aspects popping up in the FBI’s program. But the show is vague (I am hoping intentionally vague).
The pilot does help you connect to the character past the original Sean Bean base. Martin wears every man “Lincoln Dittman” who joins a terrorist militia because everything in his life has gone to crap. Martin is easily able to spin his story on the fly and adapt to surrounding making him a kind of super spy even though many of his coworkers don’t like him. This includes the female lead.
Alli Larter plays Crystal an exlover, current coworker who has trouble working with Martin. He goes off script often and will disappear from contact when he goes deep undercover. She is also concerned because he failed all but one psychological exam to be fit for duty. That one he passed? It claimed he was the best candidate for this kind of job.
The writers have no problem finding a way to sexy up Larter. Though she is a gorgeous woman and I am sure the male fans were excited, I felt like it demeaned her role as operative and as a professional woman. Hopefully, the show can create in her character a beautiful, forceful woman without too much gratuitous T&A.
Legends has lots of potential especially as the show expands into Martin’s various personalities and how they bleed into each other and his “real” life. I look forward to seeing how the next few episodes unfold.
By starsinhereye Posted in Home Entertainment, Pilot Review, Television Tagged Ali Larter, dontkillseanbean, Legends, Sean Bean, TNT
Endless Wonder Remains
Warehouse 13 closed its doors Monday night. Fans sadly said goodbye to Pete, Myka, Artie, Jinks, Claudia and Mrs. Frederic. While the Warehouse respawns, their adventures are not. In the finale, because of past events, the Warehouse is moving to relocation with a new set of agents. Before then, each team member has to record their defining moment on the stone tablet that was the genesis for the King Arthur tales. These scenes capture something new about each character and are not just a mash-up of past events. In fact, each of this moment could have been expanded to comic, well thought out hour long shows. These sequences captured the magic of the warehouse as well as the personality of the agents. This is a fantastic way to end the show: mini-stories showing viewers something new The writers have Pete become the emotional stand in for the viewers. Like us, he rails against any attempts made at peace. He can’t lose the Warehouse. He tries in vain to keep the Warehouse from moving even referring to the manual (a nice touch). Pete finally comes to the understanding that this ending will be ok. Pete realizes it is not the Warehouse that defines him, he does. He does have something to keep him distracted though. This is the moment where the show goes wrong. Pete and Myka are thrown together in a whirlwind kiss and a promised of a future. It’s odd that this is the love connection. Fans had no interest in them being together and, in fact, there is a huge population that wanted Myka to be with H.G. I am personally upset because they worked so well together without a romantic relationship. Hollywood has a tendency of saying that men and women can’t be friends or work together without sleeping together. These two are perfect partners-work partners, that is. The only other mistake is the last minute reveal of Artie’s son. The reveal is used to convince Claudia that she has a say about being caretaker. It seems abrupt but I wonder if this was pulled from story idea the creative team had before the show was cancelled. Was each section a story that they would have told? Then Artie’s revelation wouldn’t seem so abrupt, but as it stands it’s more of an absurdity than a plot twist. Overall saying goodbye to the Warehouse was a happy occasion as we saw Jinks find peace and learned that Lena knew her fate and was ok with it. It was fun to see H.G. go against Jack the Ripper in her defining moment. Even the montage (when Pete touches the stone, all his memories go flooding through) seems less repetitive and more like a reunion of friends. Warehouse 13 left us wanting more and still at the top of its game. Bittersweet as that is, it’s good to see he Endless Wonder not grow stale. Besides there is always the hope of a TV movie.
By starsinhereye Posted in Spoilers, Television, Uncategorized Tagged endless, endless wonder, series finale, Warehouse 13
How Season 4 of Game of Thrones Season 4 is Angering Book Fans
Game of Thrones brought TV viewers into a rich world book lover had known for ages. As most adaptations, the show changes things to entertain book and TV audiences. In the case of GoT, the changes have been minimal. But the creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have consulted with author George R.R. Martin (the show will end way before the books ever will) and know what Martin plans to happen. Evidence of that is popping up in Season 4 as the TV show is starting to give spoilers to book readers.
Taking some liberties with the material is good for the show and to keep book readers on the toes. This is valuable to a point. A Song of Ice and Fire is MASSIVE. There is so much going on those things often have to be cut out or condensed to tell and meaningful story. But it becomes a problem when you add material that did not happen in the books. For example, the story with the return to Craster’s keep. These events did not happen in the books and the writers created a new villain as if there were not a plethora of villains in the text. While giving time to the wildlings as they terrorizes Mole Town can really give a more rounded look for these characters, it doesn’t help to draw out certain stories of over characters (here’s looking at you Bran).
The TV show is pooling things for book readers and this s angering fans of the books. It is known that the creators know where the general story is going and to hint at it, but to outright say “so and so killed Jon Aryan” is news to the reader, a reader who has read through thousands and thousands of pages and, in two seconds, the mystery is solved. The television viewers are lucky; all is resolves for them and the book fans have become annoyed when their loyalty is not rewarded. Yes, the book and TV readers are somewhat of even footing when it comes to The Others, but should they be?
It also seems that the writers are inherently changing our characters. Jamie’s rape scene never happens. In fact, book readers are so angry at Cerci’s treatment of Jaime, that when he finally (spoiler) breaks away from her, fans cheered. I wish I knew the logic behind this change and why they decided that Jaime is suddenly a rapist (this up there with the logic behind everyone’s love of Stannis). There is a flip side to this. TV’s Margeary is much more innocent and isn’t conniving until her grandmother gets ahold her. In fact, in the show, she is completely innocent in Joffery’s murder helping some fans to appreciate her better.
Season 4 has deviated from the books the most. Previous ones just moved the plot along quicker or consolidated some characters for cast budgeting. But as they reach their end came, they veer further away from the story fans know and love. Will this pay off? The book fans may say no but the TV fans are saying yes.
By starsinhereye Posted in By the Book, Essay, Home Entertainment, Spoilers, Television Tagged A Song of Ice and Fire, book readers, Bran, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff, Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin, TV audiences
I Demand A Recount!
How The Governor is Bringing The Walking Dead Back to Life
“Live Bait” is by far one of the best episodes in The Walking Dead’s history. Many fans complain because the episode does not contain a Rick/Daryl prison plot. But this episode returns to what made The Walking Dead so good when it began: it focused on drama and character development.
The Walking Dead has had tumultuous existence going through three show runners in four seasons. Sadly none of the following seasons have lived up the status quo set up from Season 1. Season 2 had pace issues. For as slow as the first half of the season was, the second half was just as fast and there was never a middle ground. Season 3 flipped flopped between stories and alienated many members of the cast from each other. As the viewer watches with omnipresence, not all the character knew what was going on. Season 4 attempts to go back to the character development of Season 1, but the writing has been subpar. Season 1 was the best because it focused on the drive and emotions on the people in it. It focused less on the zombies and more n how the zombie apocalypse changed them and those around them.
Season 4 finally found the right path with “Live Bait.” The episode centers on The Governor after his disappearance in Season 3. The plot follows him as he reacts to his own deeds. You’d think The Governor would be laughing and boasting. Instead, he’s a shell; he’s not the man he once was. We see him interact with someone new showing that he could care about people showing a more timid and meek governor that even before he became a villain deranged by grief. The juiciest part? The excitement of finding out if he will succumb to his evil side or if he can truly change?
In fact, it’s very the same kind of tale found in the pilot episode. Lone, bearded man meets a stranger and becomes emotional close to them. He moves on without them, killing poor suffering zombies on his way. Like Rick, this substitute family gives The Governor (now known as Brian) hope. But unlike Rick, the family sees hope is in this broken man and follows him. The viewers feel that hope as well and ponder if the man can change. The episodes end the same as the pilot with the man facing certain death. Viewers eagerly await what happens next. What worked for Rick clearly works again for The Governor.
More attention to character development and less focus on zombie carnage (don’t worry there is some good, gross stuff) makes “Live Bait” one of the strongest episode by far. The Governor’s arc is setting this Season up as something that creator Frank Darabont would appreciate.
“The Walking Dead” Episode 6 Analysis (frankallenbarber.wordpress.com)
All Hail the Governor: Recapping The Walking Dead, “Live Bait” (Season 4, Episode 6) (complex.com)
The Walking Dead To Film Live Episode In Maine (moviewriternyu.wordpress.com)
The Walking Dead “Live Bait” (comicvine.com)
He Just Lost It: ‘The Walking Dead’ Reboots With The Governor 2.0 (forbes.com)
By starsinhereye Posted in Essay, Television Tagged Live Bait, The Governor, The Walking Dead, Walking Dead
Pretty Much Dead Already
I always have a lot to say about entertainment. I created this blog as an avenue to post reviews and few other fun tidbits. But I have some essays in mind that don’t really fit the blog. I have set up a Blirt page for these essays (including my defense of Sons of Anarchy post). I’m not sure how I like Blirt but I am going to try it out. You never know, they may just end up living on this blog. So here’s my latest essay to ease you in. Now got to my Blirt page! LoL
Is The Walking Dead ready for its own spin off?
The Walking Dead is highly popular, besting ratings for a basic cable drama. TWD spans the age and gender gap brining in 12.4 million viewers for its Season 3 finale. The source material comes from a long running comic series by Robert Kirkman. Keeping some creative control, Kirkman has helped the show thrive. Now AMC wants to capture that same spirit again and create a spin off about a separate group of survivors with no link to the comic books.
As a fan of both the show and the comic, I think this is premature. Season 1 was a perfect example of using dramatic story telling themes and dressing them up with horror elements. While people complained Season 2 was slow, it stuck with the character developments and the theme that people are the most dangerous aspect of the apocalypse (a big theme from the comics). But Season 3 veers from this quite a bit. Adding more zombies and blood shed may have added more ratings, but it made the characters and story take the back burner thus decreasing the quality of the show. The other major issue with Season 3? The stories of the different groups became more and more segregated separating the prison from Woodbury and breaking up the character development flow and ease of storytelling.
Robert Kirkman (Photo credit: Gage Skidmore)
Besides, TWD has been rife with controversy and issues in its three seasons. Season 4 brings yet another shower runner, Scott Gimple whose past credits include being a staff writer. Frank Darabount was fired in the midst of Season 2 and Glenn Mazara took his place for the rest of the season as well as the next. The high rate of show runner turnover is bothersome and indicates that there is incredible tension between AMC and the cast and crew. Season 2 was haunted by rumors that actors wanted out of their contracts because of AMC’s actions. What will happen when current producers Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert take time to develop this new show? Will the staff be able to maintain a balance that does not injure either show?
Successful spin off have occurred while the current show is still on air. Buffy the Vampire Slayers did not suffer as Joss Wheadon and crew spent time on Angel. Both shows stayed true to the themes and thought provoking look at life Buffy viewers became accustomed to. While Buffy came of age at college, Angel headed down a darker path to redemption. This spin off allowed several of the Buffyverse characters to really expand and become utilized. Wheadon worked with a trusted team and made the spin off a natural story line expansion for the world he set.
One the flip side, spin offs can go array and cause harm to the original show. One of the most current and notorious examples? Criminal Minds. CBS decided it was time to take Criminal Minds in the same direction of CSI and NCIS, creating another show focusing on another crew of profilers. In setting up the new show, the production company began looking at nonresistant issues and cost cutting efforts for the original show. They essentially fired the two female leads, and replaced them with a different, less costly actress. Meanwhile, the amazing Kirsten Vangsness was playing double time, appearing in both shows. The story lines faltered as the writers tried to find reasonable ways to remove the current cast members and add the new girl in. These story lines were not in cannon (Seaver questioned Reid and played videogames with Rossi) and the crew purposely styled the new girl’s hair and clothing like that of one of the fired actresses. Fans revolted sending irate letters and refusing to tune in to the spin off. By Season 6’s end, the new girl was fire and the previously released women were brought back-with better pay. And the spin off died.
While The Walking Dead spin off could go either way, I believe the endeavor will take its toll on the original show. The show already suffers from mismanagement, and separating Kirkman, Hurt and Alpert, even for the short time, will quite possibly kill it. While I can’t even speculate on the quality of the spin off, I know it’s a screwdriver to the eye for TWD.
By starsinhereye Posted in Essay, Television Tagged AMC, Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Criminal Minds, David Alpert, Gale Anne Hurd, Kirsten Vangsness, Robert Kirkman, Scott Gimple, The Walking Dead, TWD, Walking Dead
Waking up in Sleepy Hollow
Fox jumps on the fairy tale band wagon with its version of Sleepy Hollow. This incarnation of the Headless Horseman brings the tale to the modern day putting a witchy spin on the original story. Taking cues from Grimm and Once Upon a Time, Sleepy Hollow set out to prove that fairy tales and legends are not just for kids.
“Sleepy Hollow” begins in the American Revolution where Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horse first come face to face. Crane beheads his enemy but finds himself mortally wounded. When he awakes, Crane finds himself in a cave. Confused and unsettled, he adventures out into the world and comes face to face with cars. It seems he has woken hundreds of years later in the present. But he is not the only one that has arisen. The Headless Horseman is wreaking havoc in Sleepy Hallow. Crane teams up with a young police officer who frees him from a mental institution in order to keep the Horseman from reuniting with the skull.
Sleepy Hollow stands out for two reasons. The first is the new twist on an old tale. The plot is not just a modern take on a classic story. The twist is that Crane and the Headless horsemen are controlled by magic and Biblical prophecy. Crane’s wife is part of a coven of “good” witches who fight for balance in the world against the evil side of magic. She casts a spell on Crane keeping him alive allowing him to awaken only when the Horseman comes back. But the Horseman isn’t control by magic. Instead, he is Death, one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. So Crane is not just fighting a foe, he is fighting for the sake of the world.
The second is the casting. Tom Mison as Crane is a casting masterpiece. He plays the character with genuine fervor. One minute Mison is mastering one like quips, the next he is fighting against magical and non-magical beings alike. His portrayal makes Crane seem real. No longer is Crane a scared school teacher; he is trained fighter who is coming face to face with magic. What we learn, he learns. While the character is not on the good side of Crane, it’s good to see Orlando Jones again. It’s interesting to see him take on drama when his most memorial moments are the hilarious miss adventures from Evolution. He works well opposite Nicole Beharie who seems too fresh for her part as the police cadet traumatize by demons, but she has the potential to grow in this role.
In fact, the whole show has potential. It captures you with an old tale with a fresh spin and a protagonist that you truly feel for. It will be interested to see if the show can live up to its potential. We shall see tonight.
This HOLLOW Isn’t That SLEEPY… (scifi4me.com)
Sleepy Hollow (closetprofessor.wordpress.com)
Sleepy Hollow series debuts on Fox (thequeenofscream.com)
Pilots and Premieres: “Sleepy Hollow” – Series Premiere (couchpotatoesunite.wordpress.com)
Local man put own spin on ‘Tale of the Headless Horseman’ (fox2now.com)
“Sleepy Hollow” 9/16/2013 (spoilers): Death Wields a Mean Shotgun (midlifecrisiscrossover.com)
By starsinhereye Posted in Pilot Review, Spoilers, Television Tagged Headless Horseman, Ichabod Crane, Nicole Beharie, Orlando Jones, Sleepy Hollow, Tom Mison
In Defense of Sons of Anarchy
Spoilers of the Season 6 Premier
Last night’s Sons of Anarchy premier contained standard SOA fair as well as a shocking ending leaving fans reeling. Responsibility dictates that I inform you that this essay contains massive spoilers for the Season 6 premier. There is a lot of material in the premier episode including Chibs getting straight with Juice, Tig’s remorse about his daughter’s death, and Tara’s transformation in jail. But it is the school shooting that is at the heart of the controversy. Many say the show has gone too far. But I’m going to tell you why the event is just right.
Creator Kurt Sutter did not use the scene as a stunt. If you watched the promo for next week, the shooting has a huge impact on the club and on Jax. It seems the club has indirectly supplied the gun that was used in the shooting. Sutter told Entertainment Weekly, “My desire to do this story just felt very organic to the world: These guys deal guns, and there’s a certain amount of disconnect once you put those guns out on the street not really knowing whose hands they’re gonna end up in and what violence that they create…And to have a father who’s struggling with boys of his own and questioning the violence of his life, and is this right for his kids — it just seemed like a very organic story to tell”
The emotional implications of this are huge for character development as well as the show’s end game. “I knew if we did it, it would really have to be at the end and, ultimately, I realized it was a good way to take us to the end,” Sutter says as the show plans to end after Season 7. “It’s not being done arbitrarily. It ultimately becomes the final straw in their relationship with the gun business and the domino that takes us to a fairly tragic and epic conclusion.” The events move the story; it’s not there just to drop jaws.
Secondly, the scene was very well done. Sutter kept the depiction of the violence to a minimum. The scene focuses on the child and his mental state. The child is shown looking through a notebook. He rolls back his sleeves breaking the illusion that he is a clean cut boy in a school uniform. He has cuts up and down his arms, probably self-inflicted. The boys pull a gun from his back pack leaving his journal on the bench. The viewers see drawings of a very disturbed mind. The scene cuts to guns shots and flashes through a school window. Viewers never once see him actually shoot anyone. The scene is done tastefully keeping any actual violence shown to a minimum.
The scene depicts real life and this is why it hits so hard to viewers. For those like me, it’s an emotional impact that I know will change every aspect of the show. For others, it’s linked to a personal past experiences that can be very emotional. This is not his first instance that SOA has dealt with such emotional topics. Season 2 dealt with Gemma being raped, a violent affair that happens to thousands of women every day. In Season 3, Jacks son is kidnapped. These three events are all very real but have been used in other shows as plot points. Even Buffy the Vampire Slayer dealt with the issue of schooling shooting but the episode was cut because soon before airing Columbine happened. Criminal Minds has also dealt with the after affects from school shooting victims. It’s not taboo; its real life presented in art.
The events of the premier will resound through the last two seasons changing Jax and bringing the club to its eventual demise. Powerful, tasteful, and though provoking, the shooting is the epicenter of everything that the club does now. Like in the real world, it will change every life it touches.
Read the original Entertainment Weekly article here.
The Internet Reacts To Controversial ‘Sons Of Anarchy’ Season 6 Premiere (businessinsider.com)
‘Sons Of Anarchy’ Creator Explains Controversial School Shooting Scene In Premiere (businessinsider.com)
Trigger Warning: Sons of Anarchy Out-Shocks Itself Again (entertainment.time.com)
‘Sons of Anarchy’ boss talks school shooting in season premiere (today.com)
‘Sons Of Anarchy’ School Shooting: Why It Didn’t Cross A Line (hollywoodlife.com)
By starsinhereye Posted in Home Entertainment, Spoilers, Television, Uncategorized Tagged Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Chibs, Criminal Minds, Entertainment Weekly, Jax, Juice, Kurt Sutter, School shooting, SOA, Sons of Anarchy, Sutter, Tara, Tig Trager
Where For Art Thou Guardian Angel
Drop Dead Dive Season 5 Premiers
Who am I and why am I in this body? The fairy tale comedy Drop Dead Diva returned with a new twist and a change of cast.
Where Season 4 Left Off
Last season, Grayson began putting some the pieces together about Jane and Deb, and ultimately fell for Jan. Jane, on the other hand, fell for Owen the judge who proposed but then quickly disappeared. Seems he had a heart attack and had to have surgery. Jane forgives him for lying about where he was foxing and not even notify her of the surgery. The two are on the brink of marriage when Jane’s life hits a roadblock: before the wedding Grayson professes his love to Jane. Owen catches those kisses and falls down possibly dead.
Upstairs, the original Jane is ticked off at Deb and the way Deb is running her life. She tricks Fred into letting her hit the return button. It seems she may be inhabiting Owen’s body.
What Happened in the Season 5 Premier
Sunday’s premier expanded on last season’s cliff hanger getting deeper into Jane’s predicament.
Rushing to the hospital in her wedding gown, Jane finds that Owen has checked himself out of the hospital and is now missing. He’s not returning Jane’s phone calls and is not in his office. Luke finds her before she can find Owen. He has the misfortune of telling her that “old Jane” is free and that he might be in Owen’s body. Jane does not deal with the idea of Owen’s death well. When Grayson comes to her, she can do nothing but turn away from him because of her guilt.
When not balancing her current case (trying to restore a clinical trial for a dying boy), Jane has to deal with a confrontation with Owen. Though it doesn’t go well, she is overjoyed to find that he is himself and has not died. She’s less excited to learn that she has a new guardian angel. Paul is the only one who would take her on. His goal is finding “old Jane” but is sidetracked by the world and his own looks.
Before she can even handle these new curve balls, Jane comes face to face with “old Jane.” In a stroke of irony, “old Jane” is in the body of a hot, young Stacy and Deb wannabe.
Let’s talk Changes
This season bring plenty of changes to the veteran series. It had been officially cancelled only to be, like Deb, resurrected with major differences. The first is the absence of Josh Stamberg’s Jay Parker. The character was removed when the budget for the show was decrease-the only way to keep it on the air. The good news about the changes is that Luke is gone. He has been summarily fired after the “old Jane” debacle. I hated Luke; he was smug and annoying. And how could Lifetime loose Fred? Money and recurring role drew Ben Feldman to Mad Men and Fred was lost to us. But now we have Paul who seems like a lot of fun.
It is disjointing to see the changes in the characters when the events of the two episodes are on the same timeline. Some are small like Jane’s hair is lighter or Grayson got a haircut. Then there are the more noticeable changes. Kate Levering is noticeably pregnant, and I’m glad they had already written it into the story line. But what the hell happened to Stacy? I barely recognized her. Not only did her long straight hair gets body and volume it’s now more of a caramel blonde. Even her make up changed to match her new look. I didn’t even recognize her! Hopefully, the character will get some development to go with this new look.
The biggest surprise is the direction the creative team chose to go with “old Jane.” They had set up at the finale for “old Jane” to become Owen. But was that always their into or purposely trying to psych us out. I was thrilled at the deliciousness of the conflict if she had been Owen. Not sure why we need yet another petite, vapid character even if she is embodying “old Jane.”
I just want Jane to get with Grayson and for “old Jane” to transform like “New Deb” did. Not sure where the tension is leading us but the exec better wrap this story up before it gets canceled again.
Drop Dead Diva Boss Talks Jane’s Complex Love Life, Losing Parker and the New Hottie Angel (tvline.com)
Drop Dead Diva Sneak Peek: Who’s Gone Missing? Plus, Meet the New Guardian Angel! (tvline.com)
“Drop Dead Diva” to feature gay professional athlete (salon.com)
What to Watch Sunday: Finales for Mad Men and Veep, Diva’s Back, Maids Gets Devious and More (tvline.com)
[News] Lady Jane Explains It End with Simon D Not As E-Sens (allkpopersworld.wordpress.com)
Drop Dead Diva Season 5 Premiere In HDHQ (dropdeaddiva5x1.wordpress.com)
By starsinhereye Posted in Home Entertainment, Spoilers, Television, Uncategorized Tagged Ben Feldman, Drop Dead Diva, Josh Stamberg, Kate Levering, Season 5, Season Premier
Strange Things are Afoot in Hemlock Grove
Netflix original, streaming
First it was cable television that gave network TV a run for its money. Now it’s streaming TV online. Netflix and Amazon Prime have both jumped on this band wagon presenting new material and returning fan favorites. The creepiest so far? Hemlock Grove whose first season is streaming on Netflix.
Hemlock Grove is based on the novel by Brian McGreevy. A pair of gypsies move into town and the teen boy is pegged by the local aspiring writer to be a werewolf. But when grisly murders start happening around town, some of the town’s folk give credit to the girl’s theory. Local girls are torn apart by what looks like animals. But it seems that the upiόr that the Gypsies are chasing may be the cause. The town sheriff as well as representative from the US fish and Wildlife Federation is investigating as well. Many strange things are found in the Pennsylvania little grove including a girl impregnated by an angel.
The show is The Gates combined with American Horror Story with a dash of The Walking Dead thrown. The story combines a supernatural town with the bizarre twists that keep the viewer confused, terrified, and wanting more. Each town member has a secret and not one person is the town is truly normal. McGreevy sinks into years of folklore putting the fear back into werewolves, vampires, and angels.
Any reviews you read about the show focuses on how gory the show is. In reality it’s not insanely gory. What is disgusting is the events and how realistic they look. It’s not The Walking Dead gory with blood and guts everywhere. Greg Nicottero’s FX company uses a more subtle hand here. For example, it’s not gross how the werewolf sheds its skin; it is disturbing when the werewolf at its left over human parts. Only one body looks like a zombie, and even then, Bicycle Girl was scarier. But maybe I’ve just watched too much horror and sci-fi to be bothered by the gore.
The story itself is psychologically disturbing. The show uses a giant with a deformed face as an allegory for being a teenager as well and a mysterious medical company that brings her back to life. The story sometimes over reaches and the finale is like the worst episodes of The X-files; you have more questions than answers. But more than anything it the characters and the actors that portray them that keep viewer hooked. Viewers will recognize Femke Jemson and Dougray Scoot as the adult stars. Battlestar Galatica Fans will be thrilled by the appearance of Kandyse McClure and Aaron Douglas. But it is the two teen boys Landon Liboiron and Bill Skarsgård that give the best performances as they deal with their dual nature. Their unique bromance captures your attention as they both try to help a girl they love (a love triangle Twilight would never touch!).
The first season follows the original novel and McGreevy is writing second while he had outlines for a third. As an Executive Producer, the show captures his warped version of a town from his childhood and this works for Netflix. Forget who shot JR; I want to know what that thing is inside the box!
Eli Roth’s ‘Hemlock Grove’ Devoured By Fans As The First Season Hits Netflix (contactmusic.com)
WonderCon 2013: HEMLOCK GROVE Panel Recap Featuring Eli Roth and Famke Janssen (collider.com)
Explore Hemlock Grove with this Interactive Map (dreadcentral.com)
‘Hemlock Grove’ Clip Rocks A Grisly & Thorough Werewolf Transformation (screenrant.com)
Start Now, and You’ll Know Tonight (tv.nytimes.com)
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Heros in Our Backyard!
January 5, 2015 SWAG Project Leave a comment
Last year, SWAG Project was chosen by ioby as one of their 2014 Hero projects. This lovely video, made by Good Eye Video, gives an overview of our community development and local food project and it’s goals. We are incredibly thankful to ioby for highlighting our work, for helping us raise funds to continue making our neighborhood a more livable and lively place, and for making us a part of the creation of this short film. Were also incredibly thankful to all the local community members and partners who have made SWAG what it is!
Below is the blog published by ioby as part of the ‘Hero’ highlight, we hope you enjoy!
And please remember to support sustainability at SWAG through this years ioby fundraiser here.
Last year, we started cooking up a video series designed to feature some of the real heroes of the ioby community – projects and leaders we wanted to set squarely in the limelight, and hold up as role models and as inspiration. Among those we featured was SWAG of Newark: a thriving urban community farm that today educates around 700 local students per year, sells wonderful fresh produce at its own market, and has become a source of great pride and pleasure in the South Ward of Newark. The farm has even served as a wonderful resource for the unemployed or underemployed who seek a creative, confidence-building, social outlet while they search for new work.
In fact, so much has happened at SWAG since the video went into production – not least of all their latest ioby campaign, to which you can still donate here – that we wanted to accompany the video’s release with a little update. Here’s where they are now:
The last year has seen SWAG delve deeper than ever into an analysis of what sustainability means for the farm, and for the South Ward community. Becoming sustainable with a capital “S” will mean closing loops on environmental impact, on financial self-reliance, and in terms of community leadership. SWAG co-founder Alexandra Payne is thrilled about the developments on all three.
“In a lot of smaller communities that are poor communities,” says Payne, “you see these big ups and downs in how well projects work based on funding or based on how well things are going in the city or based on these small pots of money that are available. What this sustainability project is partially about doing is making it possible for the farm to continue its basic operations without having to worry about that. So without having to worry about issues like where will our seed money come from every year, or can we afford to buy seedlings and supplies, or can we afford that outside organic fertilizer, or can we afford to pay the neighbor for water? Can we afford local interns?”
How will SWAG close those loops? Well, first, they’ll make their own soil, for free. Plans are in the works for two huge new compost bins will turn organic farm waste into fresh soil for next year. “For a quarter-acre farm,” says Payne, “you do need a decent amount of soil additives to keep soil healthy, and we prefer not to buy those, not have them all be purchased cow manure or mushroom compost. We prefer to make them because you get a better mix of components, and because it means that we can do it right on farm and have more of a closed loop.” Second, a hoop-house for germinating seedlings will go up in the fall, so that SWAG won’t have to look to expensive nurseries at the start of each growing season. Taken together, these two new initiatives will mean greater security through the unpredictable ebbs and flows of external funding.
Another hugely important part of SWAG’s vision for its sustainable future is that they be able to afford to pay local interns. Some of the interns they’ve had have come back year after year, both shaping the project and being shaped by it – even choosing college majors according to new passions they discovered on the farm. “It’s really great for us to have interns who can really run small pieces of the project,” says Payne, “and who feel comfortable leading the classes and who when they’re at the market can talk to people about ‘this is why we’re doing this and these are our goals’ and who can really start to internalize that and see the project as their own.”
But Payne and the SWAG Team don’t want those dedicated interns to have to choose between the farm and earning money. Starting with their current ioby campaign and moving forward, she plans to offer interns a stipend, as well as lunches and travel reimbursements. “We really want to invest in interns from the local community,” she says.
As part of that transition toward even stronger community-directed leadership, Payne would like to see volunteer numbers going up, so that each person takes on fewer hours. “Like a co-op,” she says, so that the joy of the work spreads further, but the burden for each person is lighter, reducing burnout.
Meanwhile, an exciting transition is afoot at the farm. Payne and her team are readying the farm for a passing of the baton, in terms of leadership. SWAG belongs, she says, to the South Ward community, and that is where its future leaders will be found. “We’re there to give some direction and help raise funds and help people dream about what the farm could be, and in the future I’d love to step back and have a group of residents and students who’ve been there really take the day to day reigns of the project,” Payne says.
She and her team plan to step back a bit, starting this spring – very slowly and consciously, of course – and she’s excited to start talking about where the first satellite projects might pop up. They already have small satellites in Baltimore and outside of Philly, and want to continue to expand in the model of SWAG. “I don’t think we ever see ourselves not being a part of those projects; I just think it’s important at a community level to have them be very community directed. So once it’s stable and on its feet, that’s what I see happening.”
To support SWAG during this time of innovation and transition, and to learn more about the farm’s new initiatives, click here.
To view the original article, click here
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DealCloud and PitchBook Form Data Partnership, and Announce Integration with DealCloud DataCortex
April 30, 2018 Asianet Pakistan Asean, Technology
Integration of PitchBook data into DataCortex will provide DealCloud clients with access to verified private and public capital markets data to augment proprietary data to fuel stronger market coverage.
NEW YORK, April 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DealCloud, a technology leader for CRM and deal management in the private capital markets, and PitchBook, the premier data provider for the private and public equity markets, announce today a strategic partnership to integrate PitchBook data within the DealCloud DataCortex.
With the launch of this partnership, DealCloud clients can now search and query PitchBook’s data sets directly from within the DealCloud platform, including hard-to-find financial data on private and public companies, investors, funds, limited partners and service providers. PitchBook’s data – which is captured by web crawlers, machine learning technology and verified by specialized data teams – is increasingly sought after by the institutional investment community to make informed investment and business decisions.
“To meet the demands of the competitive climate, today’s dealmakers must have powerful and easily accessible data in their toolkit,” says DealCloud Chief Operating Officer Lokesh Seth about the integration. “This partnership with PitchBook will allow private capital markets professionals to have a more centralized location for all of their data and will be the fuel behind more meaningful analytics.”
Over 400 principal investing firms, investment banks, and operating companies rely on DealCloud’s vertical customer relationship management (CRM) technology for storage of proprietary data, deal sourcing, origination and deal management. DealCloud customers can now leverage data from many leading industry providers, including PitchBook, in DealCloud’s business intelligence platform and mobile applications, with custom workflows and notifications for immediate actions.
“In today’s private capital market, with well over $1 trillion in committed capital sitting in the coffers of private equity and venture capital funds worldwide, the ability to gather and make sense of data as quickly and as accurately as possible is table stakes,” said Steve Carver, managing director of strategic initiatives at PitchBook. “Our data, combined with DealCloud’s technologies and tools will allow customers to achieve stronger market coverage and to execute more effectively on their business development initiatives.”
About DealCloud, Inc.
DealCloud is a pioneer in M&A Software. The Company was formed in 2010 by a team of former deal professionals with deep knowledge of the private capital markets. DealCloud is now a global leader in providing deal management, workflow, and technology solutions to all participants in the private capital markets, including private equity and growth capital firms, sell-side banks, publicly traded companies, and debt capital investors. DealCloud is well known for its customer service, takes great pride in the delivery of its configurable SaaS platform, and values the strength of its relationships with clients. The DealCloud team understands the pace of deal execution and is committed to working at the same cadence as its clients to deliver fast and accurate outcomes.
For more information, please visit www.dealcloud.com.
About PitchBook
PitchBook is a financial data and software company that provides transparency into the private and public capital markets to help professionals discover and execute opportunities with confidence and efficiency. PitchBook collects and analyzes detailed data on the entire venture capital, private equity and M&A landscape—including public and private companies, investors, funds, investments, exits and people. The company’s data and analysis are available through the PitchBook Platform, industry news and in-depth reports. Founded in 2007, PitchBook has offices in Seattle, San Francisco, New York and London and serves nearly 15,000 professionals around the world. In 2016, Morningstar acquired PitchBook, which now operates as an independent subsidiary. For more information, please visit www.pitchbook.com.
Contact: Sarah Goldfuss
Email: sgoldfuss@dealcloud.com
Black & Veatch’s PRICO® Technology to Play Critical Role in FLNG, Enabling BP Field Development Work in Greater Tortue/Ahmeyin
VistaJet Consolidates Its Global Leading Position and Grows 22% in 2017
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Tag Archives: Northwestern Ohio
McWilliams has Indiana Tech baseball back in NAIA Opening Round
Kip McWilliams is taking Indiana Tech to the NAIA Opening Round baseball tournament for the seventh time in his 10th season as Warriors head baseball coach.
With plenty of experience back from the 2016 Opening Round qualifier, 18th-ranked Indiana Tech (41-12) has been assigned as the No. 2 seed at the five-team Bartlesville, Okla., site. The winner of the double-elimination event scheduled for Monday through Thursday, May 15-18, will have their ticket punched to the 10-team NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.
Indiana Tech plays No. 3 Bryan (Tenn.) (37-18). No. 1 Oklahoma Wesleyan (48-9), No. 4 Midland (Neb.) (40-18) and No. 5 St. Ambrose (28-23) will also be competing in Bartlesville for a berth in Lewiston.
Indiana Tech, conference tournament champion Northwestern Ohio and tournament runner-up Davenport (Mich.) are three Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference teams in the Opening Round — Northwestern Ohio at Lima, Ohio, and Davenport at Bellevue, Neb.
Other Indiana schools in the NAIA tournament are Huntington, Marian and Indiana University Southeast.
McWilliams credits a roster full of players used to winning with the ability to focus on the task at hand has Indiana Tech back in championship contention. The Warriors will have scouting reports on the opponent, but are more concerned with what they do best.
“We focus on ourselves,” says McWilliams. “The game of baseball is very interesting. It’s the best teams, not the most talent that gets you there. We work well together. We focus on the fundamentals. We look to execute the pitch or execute the play.”
Tech executed well enough in 2017 to surpass the 40-win plateau for the third straight year and this came against a super-strong schedule inside and outside the WHAC.
“We’re not trying to go through the season perfect,” says McWilliams. “You can go 50-5 or something by scheduling lesser opponents. We want to be challenged. We want our guys to expect a fight.
“If I’m going to go down south, I want play southern schools that have already been outside for awhile. Many times before conference we’re .500 or below because of the strength of our schedule. I’d much rather lose a game 1-0 to the best team in the country than win 35-2.”
Fast-paced practices get the team ready for what might come.
McWilliams recalls dialing up the curveball machine to throw a “Chris Sale slider.”
The players protested, saying they’ll never see that in a game.
McWilliams’ response: “You never know.”
With a coaching staff that includes Gordon Turner (eighth season), Zach Huttle (third season), Bryant Mistler (third season), Pat Collins-Bride (third season) and graduate assistant Cody O’Neal (first season), McWilliams leads a 2017 roster with players from seven different states and three Canadian provinces. There are 14 with Indiana hometowns (most near the Fort Wayne campus), seven from California and one each from Florida and Texas. Some of them are transfers. Tech has a strong relationship with many junior college coaches.
Having a successful background gives players a better chance of landing with the Warriors.
“We’re recruiting kids that can compete at that tournament level,” says McWilliams. “If we’re looking at Player A and Player B and they are both about the same in talent, we may look at their experience in the postseason to see who we might actually offer that scholarship.
“There’s something about those guys who are winners. We can get them come to Indiana Tech and have a great experience.
“My father (the late David McWilliams) gave me some great advice: Get good players and stay out of the way.”
The Tech experience also includes an education and McWilliams is careful to give his players a chance to hit the books, experience collegiate life and be fresh for the diamond. After all, the NAIA season, including fall and spring periods, is 24 weeks, not including the postseason.
“It’s like a full-time job,” says McWilliams. “We give guys enough rest time so they can focus on being a student-athlete.
“We give them some time off and time away so we’re not at each other’s throats.”
McWilliams is a Bloomington South High School graduate. Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Grier Werner and Indiana Football Hall of Famer Mo Moriarty were his coaches.
“I was not very good at baseball, but I loved it and I loved it because of Coach Werner,” says McWilliams. “He held me accountable. He pushed me to be the best teammate I could be.
“(Moriarty) taught me just how important the leaders on the team are. I remember my senior year. The team had a bad day at practice. Mo called us captains into his office and jumped on us. It was all our fault. We’ve got to be there to hold the other teammates accountable. Everybody has a job to do.”
McWilliams played baseball and football for two seasons at Franklin College. His baseball coach was Lance Marshall, who taught him much about the mental and physical aspects of pitching.
Coaching came into McWilliams’ life when he went to Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis and worked with Brian Donahue and Mark Flueckiger (now at Huntington).
Before landing at Tech, McWilliams was at Marian College (now Marian University) in Indianapolis for eight seasons (six of which ended with the Knights making the NAIA tournament). His head coach was Kurt Guldner, who reached the 500-win plateau during his career.
“It’s not just coaches you coached with, but coaches you coached against,” says McWilliams. “When I went against Sam Riggleman at Spring Arbor I knew I was going to walk away learning some things.
“Coaching college baseball is such a nice fraternity. We share ideas all the time. Everything we do is taken from other coaches.”
From his own experience, McWilliams learned in his first year as a head coach that he didn’t want captains. He had 15 seniors, named three as captains.
“The other 12 don’t lead because they don’t think that’s their job,” says McWilliams. “Seniors do help with the team culture.”
At Tech, that means making sure every player is welcomed and the attitude stays positive. College is hard enough.
“When we have practice we don’t know how their day’s been going,” says McWilliams. “If we start riding them and riding them, they are going to shut down. We want to keep trust in each other.”
Kip McWilliams is in his 10th season as head baseball coach at Indiana Tech. The Warriors are heading into the NAIA Opening Round for the seventh time under his leadership. (Indiana Tech Photo)
Bloomington SouthBrian DonahueBryant MistlerChris SaleCody O'NealDavenportDavid McWilliamsFranklin CollegeGordon TurnerGrier WernerHuntington UniversityIHSBCA Hall of FameIndiana Football Hall of FameIndiana TechIndiana University SoutheastIUPUIKip McWilliamsKurt GuldnerLance MarshallMarian UniversityMark FlueckigerMidlandMo MoriartyNAIANAIA Opening RoundNAIA World SeriesNorthwestern OhioOklahoma WesleyanPat Collins-BrideSam RigglemanSpring ArborSt. AmbroseWolverine-Hoosier Athletic ConferenceZach Huttle
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Around the World Tours/Cruises
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DESTINATIONS thailand bus-travel-99
Thai buses are cheap and faster than trains, and reach every corner of the country. There are usually two to three buses a day on most routes and several daily (or even hourly) buses on popular routes between major towns. Most buses leave in the morning, with a few other runs spaced out in the afternoon and evening. Buses leave in the evening for long overnight trips. Overnight buses are very popular with Thais, and they're a more efficient use of time, but they do crash with disturbing regularity and many expats avoid them.
Avoid taking private bus company trips from the Khao San Road area. The buses are not as comfortable as public buses, they take longer, and they usually try to trap you at an affiliated hotel once you reach your destination. This is particularly the case for cross-border travel into Cambodia. There have also been many reports of rip-offs, scams, and luggage thefts on these buses over the years.
There are, generally speaking, three classes of bus service: cheap, no-frills locals on short routes that stop at every road crossing and for anyone who waves them down; second- and first-class buses on specific routes that have air-conditioning, toilets (sometimes), and loud chop-socky movies (too often); and VIP buses that provide nonstop service between major bus stations and have comfortable seats, drinks, snacks, air-conditioning, and movies (often starring Steven Seagal or Jean-Claude Van Damme). If you're setting out on a long bus journey, it's worth inquiring about the onboard entertainment—14 hours on a bus with continuous karaoke VCDs blasting out old pop hits can be torturous. Air-conditioned buses are usually so cold that you'll want an extra sweater. On local buses, space at the back soon fills up with all kinds of oversize luggage, so it's best to sit toward the middle or the front.
Bangkok has three main bus stations, serving routes to the north (Mo Chit), south (Southern Terminal), and east (Ekamai). Chiang Mai has one major terminal. All have telephone information lines, but the operators rarely speak English. It's best to buy tickets at the bus station, where the bigger bus companies have ticket windows. Thais usually just head to the station an hour before they'd like to leave; you may want to go a day early to be sure you get a ticket if your plans aren't flexible—especially if you hope to get VIP tickets. Travel agents can sometimes get tickets for you, but often the fee is more than half the cost of the ticket. All fares are paid in cash.
Many small towns don't have formal bus terminals, but rather a spot along a main road where buses stop. Information concerning schedules can be obtained from TAT offices and the bus stations.
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Guest Author: Debra Glass + Giveaway
Today my guest is Debra Glass, who, like me, writes historicals for Ellora’s Cave, although hers are quite a bit more steamy than mine! Last year I loved her ménage book, Scarlet Widow, so I’m eager to hear about her latest release, Lover For Ransom. Welcome to Susana’s Parlour, Debra!
Debra:
Thank you very much for hosting me in the Parlour today.
A Yankee Teacher Comes South in Lover for Ransom
Cathleen Ryan is one of my favorite heroines. She’s feisty and no nonsense and has a firm grip on everyone and everything—except herself. I thoroughly enjoyed writing her interaction with Southern hero, Ransom Byrne, who found he was far more intrigued with the Yankee hired help than he wanted to admit.
Leave me a comment and be sure to include your email address. One lucky commenter will receive a copy of Lover for Ransom!
Byrne’s End, Thompson’s Station, Tennessee
Mr. John A. Bennett
I have arrived in Tennessee in one piece, though at times, I highly doubted that would be the case. Once my train crossed the Mason Dixon line, there was a marked change in the land. Many once grand dwellings are now but burned out shells, skeletal remains of the bastions of slavery I so fervently fought against during my tenure as an abolitionist prior to the war. I must admit, however, this area referred to as Middle Tennessee by its inhabitants is, for the most part, unscathed by the ravages of the war.
Upon my arrival, I was met at the station by Mr. Ransom Byrne who, I’m given to understand, contracted my service with the Perkins School for the Blind. Though pleasant enough, Mr. Byrne embodies all the qualities I would have heretofore ascribed to a former officer in the Rebel Army. With his easy and overly familiar manner of speech, he seeks to dazzle and woo, but I assure you, Mr. Bennett, those cavalier charms are lost on an affirmed spinster such as I, but not, as I so shockingly observed, on the local maidens.
Mr. Byrne took it upon himself to confide in me that, during the war, he had been brought home to convalesce during an illness which he unwittingly spread to members of the Byrne family, including my charge, his younger sister, Jenny. The illness resulted in her blindness, and I have clearly determined that my work with the sixteen-year-old has been cut out for me. Like many who have been robbed of sight in the bloom of life, Miss Byrne is disillusioned and bitter. I have no doubts I shall be able to rectify that and teach her that the blind can indeed live full lives.
It is obvious to me that Mr. Byrne feels beholden to his family and their business of horse breeding. In fact, the Byrnes and their servants alike, put far too much stock and trust in the wiles of the beasts, as I unfortunately learned firsthand after a mishap with a wagon and its novice driver, seven-year-old Charles Hunt.
I imagine a lesser woman would be intimidated by the Southern aristocracy, but not I. I fully intend to not only adhere to the standards I have adopted from my friends and mentors, Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Miss Susan B. Anthony, but to instruct these Southern women, long repressed by their menfolk, the way to equality both in the home and at the voting poll.
As soon as I begin my instruction with Miss Byrne, I will write to you and inform you of my progress. Again, I appreciate the opportunity you have afforded me to travel from my hometown of Boston to this godforsaken land where I might not only help this young woman, but also enlighten my Southern sisters.
Cathleen M. Ryan
About Lover For Ransom
Ransom Byrne has been ravaged by guilt since an illness rendered his little sister blind. The former Confederate cavalry officer has resolved to make amends by hiring a Yankee tutor who’ll hopefully restore order to his sister’s life. Once accomplished, he’ll be free to leave Byrne’s End.
From the moment she steps off the train in Tennessee, Cathleen Ryan makes a startling first impression. With her feminist ideas, the irrepressible Bostonian quickly outrages everyone—especially Ransom. He deems the bespectacled teacher too uptight and prim for his tastes. Appearances, however, are deceiving. She tenders decadent proposals that shock and intrigue him, and sultry nights spent submitting to his every illicit request offer them both love and redemption.
But when her steadfast convictions attract the attention of dangerous men, Cathleen risks losing her chance of becoming more than just a lover for Ransom.
Inside Scoop: This 19th-century tale contains mild violence, spanking, sloppy puppy kisses, more spanking, fiery suffragette speeches and an attitudinal horse named String Bean.
A Romantica® historical erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
Excerpt From: LOVER FOR RANSOM
Copyright © DEBRA GLASS, 2013
All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.
“Don’t you ever read anything for pleasure?”
She toyed with the earpieces of her glasses, her mind fixed on the way his velvety drawl had played havoc with the word pleasure. She cleared her throat. “There are far too many important things to read to waste my poor eyesight on frivolities, Mr. Byrne.”
He closed her book, set it on the table and stood. Cathleen flinched as his leg brushed hers when he passed on his way to the bookcase. He opened it and pressed his fingertip to his lips in thought as he perused its contents.
Cathleen studied his casual stance. His weight shifted to one leg and his head cocked to the side. He looked back at her, stared so long it made her insides quiver and then turned back to the collection and removed a slender book from the shelf.
“I shall read to you then,” he said with a smile and he returned to his chair. “To protect your poor eyesight from…frivolities.”
Cathleen gulped as his long fingers opened the book and he thumbed through the pages. It looked like a child’s volume in his hands and she couldn’t help but wonder what he’d chosen.
“Ah, here,” he said, placing his elbow casually on the armrest of his chair to hold the book at a comfortable height. “It was many and many a year ago, in a kingdom by the sea, that a maiden lived there that you may know by the name of Annabel Lee.”
Edgar Allan Poe. Of course she was familiar with the famed Baltimore author. But she’d read his works in braille, and certainly had never heard them read aloud by a man with such a hauntingly husky voice. This night—this moment, with the clock’s pendulum ticking off the seconds in time with the poem’s meter and the flickering glow of the lamp—seemed to be made for the dark, beautifully macabre poem about a woman who’d died before her time.
“For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams of the beautiful Annabel Lee,” Ransom continued.
Cathleen closed her eyes, picturing a pair of young lovers walking hand in hand on a stormy beach. Ransom’s voice transported her and she felt the anguish of the author who’d lost his love only to find himself frequented by her ghost.
“And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side, of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride, in the sepulcher there by the sea, in her tomb by the sounding sea.”
Eyes still closed, Cathleen sat in the stillness, absorbing the song contained in the words. When her lashes fluttered open, she was surprised at the tear that traced down her cheek. Blushing, she swept it away. “Very nice, Mr. Byrne.”
He raised his eyebrows in mock warning.
She giggled. She actually giggled. Closing her eyes for a split second, she struggled to compose herself. She was acting like a bashful schoolgirl. “Ransom,” she corrected, her voice but a breath.
In that instant, something had suddenly changed between them and she was at a loss to decipher it.
Staring, he inhaled. “With your hair loose, you reminded me of the woman in that poem.”
Her eyes widened. “Dead?”
He chuckled without mirth. “No. Wild and windswept.”
This time, Cathleen did begin to smooth her hair down.
“No,” he said. “No. Don’t touch it. It’s perfect the way it is.” He must have realized he’d said too much. “I mean, it’s only you and me. There’s no need for pretense.”
Cathleen nodded. Her gaze fell to the brown leather covered book in his hand. “Do you believe such love exists?”
He snorted and closed the book. “This was the fancy of a man who imbibed too much and who thought too much. Love like that is for the young and foolish—for people who haven’t experienced the things I have.”
Cathleen gnawed her bottom lip. “Are you referring to your time during the war?”
He suddenly looked uncomfortable. His big and masculine exterior seemed incongruous with his sudden unease. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I saw and did things no living human being should ever have to see or do. Things that’ll make you hate yourself.”
Cathleen didn’t know how to respond. Newspapers told of the hardships and combat. She’d seen soldiers boarding trains to join the fighting. She’d watched neighbors don their widow’s weeds. She herself had received a telegram informing her that her brother had been killed. But even when the war had come into her very home, it had always seemed a distant thing. But these Tennesseans had lived the war. This man had fought it. Federal troops had occupied their home. While on the train, she’d overheard tales about frightening guerilla raids from both sides, about men who didn’t live by any code of decency, who took what they wanted and killed indiscriminately. These families had lived day to day, wondering if their hard-earned food stores, their homes or even their very lives would be taken from them.
“No,” Ransom continued. “The war was anything but glory.”
Still, Cathleen remained uncharacteristically silent. While she pitied the plight of these people, in her eyes, the war had been a necessary evil, a vehicle through which an entire race had broken the bonds of slavery and declared themselves free. And yet, she didn’t feel free to admit her thoughts on the matter to Ransom Byrne. Not tonight.
“What about you, Cathleen?” he asked, his gaze finding and holding hers, daring her to correct him. “Do you believe in that kind of love?” His tone was almost mocking.
Realizing he’d shifted the conversation back to the poem, she let out a laugh. “Of course not. In fact, I don’t agree with marriage at all and I shall never marry.”
“How did you come to this conclusion?”
“Contrary to what you might think, I haven’t chosen a life of spinsterhood because I am bookish and outspoken, not to mention plain.” She straightened, confused at the way a belief she’d always maintained with pride, now hurt. “No. I simply do not accept as true that a woman should have to marry and live out her days in subjugation.”
“Subjugation?” he asked and then laughed. “I’ve always thought that was the other way around. All the married men I know are pretty beholden to their wives.”
“That’s but a puerile joke. We all know that marriage gives husbands rights to a woman’s livelihood and even her body, if he so chooses to claim them. For a woman, marriage is nothing but legalized…rape.”
This time, both his eyebrows shot up. “That’s a mighty strong word.”
“A married man can demand his rights anytime he chooses. Therefore, if a woman is forced into coitus with him, it is legalized rape.” Cathleen lifted her chin, awaiting an argument. It was a strong word. But he needed to know how she felt about subjugation. She needed him to know it.
Instead, he surprised her. “Don’t you ever feel desire?”
Yes, I’m feeling it this very instant.
Can’t wait for the drawing? Buy Lover for Ransom (available in all ereader formats ) at Ellora’s Cave today! http://www.ellorascave.com/lover-for-ransom.html
DEBRA GLASS is the author of over thirty-five books of historical and paranormal romance, non-fiction, young adult romance, and folklore. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Professional Authors’ Network as well as RWA’s Heart of Dixie and Southern Magic Chapters.
She lives in Alabama with her real life hero, a couple of smart-aleck ghosts, and a diabolical black cat.
www.DebraGlass.com
This entry was posted on March 21, 2013, in Debra Glass, Erotic, Revolutionary War and tagged Debra Glass, Ellora's Cave, erotic, giveaway, historical romance, Lover For Ransom, Revolutionary War. Bookmark the permalink. 7 Comments
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Guest Author Linda Carroll-Bradd Talks About “Dreams of Gold” + Giveaway →
7 thoughts on “Guest Author: Debra Glass + Giveaway”
teacooper says:
Sounds great! I particularly like the idea of the ‘spanking, sloppy puppy kisses, more spanking, and an attitudinal horse named String Bean!
Josie Haney Hink says:
I am so in love with the Heros name Ransom Byrne !!!!
josiehink122026@gmail.com
I agree, love that name Ransom. I’d love to read this .Please count me in if it’s a print copy.
debraglass says:
Thanks so much for the comments!! Lover for Ransom is an ebook, but will possibly be combined with another of my novellas for a future print edition.
Naima says:
Lover for Ransom is a wonderful love story…and very hot! I loved it! Cathleen is an awesome heroine. Outspoken, courageous and hilarious! One of the best Debra Glass heroines! I’m a tad bit jealous of those who haven’t read it yet…they have this awesome read ahead of them!
ANNETTE NAISH says:
Cathleen seems to be a strong interesting heroine. I believe this book will be a great read for me.
andallthingsnicexxx says:
a great piece of writing, would love to read the rest! Loved the flow and that it was so believable. Am straightening my hair and looking for a crinoline…!
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An Evening at Vauxhall Gardens, Part II
In our last installment, Susana and Lady traveled by carriage to the Royal Vauxhall Gardens, bespoke a supper-box, chatted with a waiter, and partook of shaved ham “so thin you could see through it,” as well as other delicacies.
Ladies Retiring Room at Vauxhall
After our meal, Lady P excused herself to visit the “ladies’ retiring room.” Curiosity induced me to follow her to a large tent in a secluded area, where a young woman dressed in servant garb brightened at our approach. When Lady P shook her head slightly, the woman shrugged and looked hopefully behind us for another potential “client.” Her ladyship whispered to me that such women were there to collect tips for assisting ladies who had come without maids to help with their private needs.
Peering into the darkly-lit interior, I saw a half-dozen women seated on what appeared to be wooden seats similar to those scene in outhouses when I was a child (or the latrines at Girl Scout camp). The better-dressed ladies had maids attending to them, but I didn’t get a good glimpse because Her ladyship squeezed my shoulder and I could see by her tight jaw and raised eyebrows that it was not the thing to be staring in such a place.
Not being especially inclined to use such things as outhouses and porta-potties except in case of emergency—and I decided I could wait until I got home—I abandoned the tent and strolled about a hundred yards away until I had left the unpleasant smells behind. From my position, I had a good view of the dancing in front of the Orchestra. It was so amazing to see the vibrant colors of the ladies’ gowns—as well as the gentlemen’s waistcoats—and I could not help but marvel at the sight of the diversity of the dancers. A soberly-dressed gentleman in charcoal gray who was partnered with a woman in serviceable blue circled among an older, elegantly-dressed couple and an energetic young couple dressed in servant garb, and they all seemed to be having a good time. Among the bystanders I could see a gentleman looking through his quizzing-glasses at me, and fearing that he might be thinking of asking me to dance—Lady P would kill me, and in any case, I have two left feet and have never waltzed in my life—I backed a little further back into the hedges, and nearly trampled a little girl.
“Oh dear, I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there, sweetheart. Are you all right?”
Lady Emily Caroline Catherine Frances Cowper, later Countess of Shaftesbury (1810-1872) after Sir Thomas Lawrence.Half length portrait of a child, a string of pearls round her neck. Unframed.
The child—about six or seven I thought—blinked rapidly after she had moved a safe distance away. Wavy dark hair curled around her childish round face, tied at the top with a pink ribbon. Dressed in white, her gown trimmed with pink bows, she didn’t have the appearance of a child who would be abandoned on her own in a place like Vauxhall.
Her eyes widened at the sound of my voice, and before she answered, she gave me a long glance from head to toe. My hands started to sweat, knowing that my gown—beautiful though it was—would not stand up to close scrutiny, created as it was from an unauthentic pattern and materials made with 21st century technology.
“You speak strangely,” she said. “You’re not from Hertfordshire, are you?”
“Uh no, I’m from America.”
She nodded as though her suspicions were confirmed. “That’s a great distance from here.”
“It is,” I agreed. “I came to visit my friend Lady Pendleton.”
She smiled. “I like her. She invited me to come to tea with Emily and Theodosia.”
Emily and Theodosia are two of Lady P’s grandchildren. [They appear in A Home for Helena.]
“I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting them as yet.”
She tilted her head. “They live in Kent. Sometimes they come to London to visit their grandmother. I visit mine as well, but she is quite ill at present.” She crossed her arms in front of her. “She is an important lady, you know.”
“She is?” I was quite eager to know the identity of this child, but I had a feeling I shouldn’t be encouraging her to talk to strange people. And I know Lady P would have a fit. I gave a quick glance behind me in case she was approaching, but the coast was clear.
“Yes. And my mother as well. She is one of the patronesses of Almack’s.” She inclined her head toward me. “Have you attended there?”
Almack’s Assembly Rooms
I smothered a laugh. Me? At Almack’s. Not likely. But then… who could have imagined I’d ever be at the Vauxhall from two hundred years ago?
She smiled. “You do not have a voucher? Perhaps I can prevail upon my mother to get you one. You are a proper lady, are you not?”
Now that was a loaded question. I was pretty sure Lady Pendleton would not describe me thus, and I certainly didn’t feel like a Regency lady.
“I am quite certain Lady Pendleton would not invite me to her home otherwise,” I prevaricated. “I am Susana Ellis. I’m a novelist.”
“You are?” she breathed. “Like Mrs. Edgeworth and Mrs. Burney?”
“More like Miss Austen,” I said before I could stop myself. I knew that Jane Austen had published her novels anonymously at first and wasn’t sure when her identity was finally revealed.
She wrinkled her brow. “Miss Austen?”
Fortunately, I was saved from responding by the sudden appearance of my time-traveling Regency friend.
“Dear Susana, I see you have found a friend.” There was a hint of irritation in her voice. “Lady Emily, have you accompanied your parents here this evening? I wonder why you have been left alone without your maid.”
Lady Pendleton’s voice was firm but kind as she viewed the little girl. Lady Emily fidgeted under her gaze. “I came with Mama and Lord Palmerston. Alice was too ill. I’m just here waiting while they finish the dance.”
Her ladyship shook her head. “I shall give your mama a talking-to when next I see her. Leaving her child unaccompanied indeed!”
Lady Emily flushed. “No! Please don’t do that! I am meant to be sitting with the Howard party.” She bobbed us a curtsey and made her adieux. “I must return in all haste.” She fled just as the music stopped.
I turned toward Lady P. “Is that—?”
Lady Emily Cowper (1787 – 1769) by Sir Thomas Lawrence. The daughter of the famous Whig hostess, Elizabeth Lamb, Lady Melbourne, Emily was likely the result of her mother’s affair with Lord Egremont. Emily had plenty of extramarital affairs of her own, including a long one with Lord Palmerston, whom she married after the death of her husband.
“Lady Emily Caroline Catherine Frances Cowper,” confirmed my mentor. “The daughter of Lady Emily Cowper and the granddaughter of the Melbournes.”
I let that knowledge sink in. Then I giggled. “She offered to help me get a voucher to Almack’s!”
Her ladyship lifted an eyebrow. “Indeed. And what did you say to her to elicit such an offer?”
“Nothing!” I insisted. “All I said was that I am an American visiting you, and she told me she knew your granddaughters and asked me if I’d been to Almack’s…”
Lady P snorted. “Because she knew you hadn’t, of course.”
That stung a little, but I knew she was right. I’m not a proper Regency lady and never will be. I was there to observe—and that in itself was a rare privilege.
Maria Theresa Bland, née Romanzini (1769-1838) was a popular singer at Drury Lane and other venues. Sister-in-law to the actress Mrs. Jordan, she had two sons who were also musical. Her mezzo-soprano voice was ideal for the singing of English ballads.
Our conversation was interrupted with cheers and applause as a rotund little lady in a blue gown with a laced-up bodice and an enormous cap topped with colorful flowers that accentuated the roundness of her face, stepped up on the stage in front of the musicians, giving a deep bow at her introduction by the organist, Mr. James Hook. She—her name was Mrs. Bland—proceeded to sing a charming little song called “Pray Excuse Me,” that had everyone smiling and cheering for more. Her exquisite voice and cheerful vivacity more than made up for the incongruity of her appearance. Following that, she sang “Jesse o’ the Dee” and several other other songs until it was announced that the musicians would take a short respite while Mr. Hook entertained the crowd with his lively organ-playing. In spite of that, I noticed the audience starting to thin out, many heading in the same direction.
James Hook by Lemuel Francis Abbott
“Madame Saqui!” I breathed. Lady P nodded, and we set out to follow the crowd to the venue where the popular French tight-rope dancer would perform.
More next week, same bat-time, same bat-channel!
Lady P and Susana Visit Vauxhall Gardens, Part I
An Evening at Vauxhall Gardens, Part III
An Evening at Vauxhall Gardens, Part IV
An Evening at Vauxhall Gardens, Part V
This entry was posted on January 19, 2017, in 19th dentury, Almack's Assembly Rooms, Lady Cowper, Lady Melbourne, Lady P, Regency, Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens and tagged A Home For Helena, Almack's, Drury Lane, James Hook, Jane Austen, Lady Emily Cowper, Lady Melbourne, Lady P, Lady P Chronicles, Lord Egremont, Lord Palmerston, Mrs. Jordan, Mrs. Maria Theresa Bland, Sir Thomas Lawrence, Susana Ellis, Vauxhall. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments
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Amusements of Old London: The Play Tables →
3 thoughts on “An Evening at Vauxhall Gardens, Part II”
Mary Preston says:
A fabulous post thank you.
I have had my fair share of latrines when camping.
fun images
mlaird0128 says:
I love the post.
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Māori New Zealanders
Māori origins and arrivals
Canoe navigation
Story: Canoe navigation
Waka – canoes
Ocean voyaging
Locating land
Decline and renaissance of canoe voyaging
Recent voyaging
Page 1. Waka – canoes
Pacific migrations
Outriggers of New Guinea
A Fijian ndrua (1st of 2)
Early Pacific Island canoes (1st of 3)
Club Med, contemporary double-hulled yacht (1st of 2)
A canoe paddle from the Pacific
Ancestral seafarers
Waka is the Māori word for canoe. The ancestors of Māori were among the greatest of canoe builders, navigators and mariners. Over the course of several thousand years, long before they came to New Zealand, Māori ancestors swept out of South-East Asia and Oceania into Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia.
Early sea craft
The earliest crossings were probably made on rafts and dugout canoes. Travel would have been limited to neighbouring islands that were within clear sight of each other. Rafts could carry several people and heavy loads, but were slow. Dugout canoes were faster, but could carry only a few people. Both would have been unsafe for longer crossings – high seas easily washed people off rafts, and dugouts were prone to capsize.
Over time, an outrigger (a secondary hull fixed parallel to the canoe) was added to increase stability. Decks gave stability between the hull and the outrigger. Sails were also added for greater speed, and steering paddles controlled direction.
The Micronesian baurua and proa were the most sophisticated of outrigger canoes. They were always sailed with the outrigger facing the oncoming wind, so that it did not drag and slow the vessel. Hulls had a distinctive asymmetric shape. The outside of the hull was flat, which stopped the wind pushing the canoe sideways; the inside was rounded to keep the water flowing between the hull and the outrigger. Carefully counter-balanced decks maintained overall stability.
The stability and speed of these canoes allowed navigators to sail across long stretches of open sea, between relatively distant islands. European explorers, including Captain James Cook and Charles Wilkes, observed craft like these moving much faster than their own ships: some were estimated to be travelling at speeds up to 22 knots. In two separate incidents, Louis-Antoine de Bougainville in Samoa and Cook in Tonga wrote that outrigger canoes sailed around them, ‘with the same ease as if we had been at anchor’. 1
Polynesian double-hulled canoes
Polynesians developed the double-hulled canoe (sometimes called a twin-hulled canoe or catamaran) to sail in the rougher waters of the open Pacific. Some of these canoes were very large – one Fijian ndrua measured 36 metres long (Cook's Endeavour was 33 metres). European explorers and missionaries reported ndrua carrying up to 250 people.
Ndrua had two hulls, one slightly longer than the other. The longer main hull could bear the weight of heavy loads; the shorter hull allowed manoeuvrability, functioning in much the same way as an outrigger.
The Tongan adaptation of ndrua was called kalia, and the Samoan equivalent was ‘alia. They were best suited for ferrying large numbers of people on trips between nearby islands.
For long distances, double-hulled canoes were generally shorter (about 20 metres). Such vessels were capable of travelling from 150 to 250 km a day. Tongans used the tongiaki and Samoans the va‘a-tele, and an outrigger called an amatasi. Tahitians used the pahi and tipairua: on one occasion Cook saw six of these canoes, each 23 metres in length. The Rarotongan double-hull was called vaka-katea. Hawaiian double-hulls were wa‘a-kaulua, usually about 20 metres long; although one, probably used for inter-island sailing, measured 33 metres and reputedly carried over 100 people.
Hulls, sails and steering paddles
Canoes could have two main hull shapes: the fast V-shape, and the more manoeuvrable U-shape. All double-hulled canoes sat high in the water to minimise drag, and were therefore capable of great speeds. The record-breaking catamaran yachts of Sir Peter Blake (Steinlager 1) and Grant Dalton (Club Med) were based on Polynesian designs.
Several types of sail were used on traditional craft. Forming a V-shape, sails caught more wind on masts which, made from natural materials, were much shorter than those of modern yachts.
Steering paddles were long, some over 6 metres. Length served two purposes: one was to steer the canoe; the other was to prevent the vessel being pushed sideways by the wind and sea swell. When plunged deep into the water, paddles had much the same function as the keel on a modern yacht.
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Previous Next: Page 2. Ocean voyaging Next
G. S. Parsonson, ‘The settlement of Oceania.’ In Polynesian navigation, edited by Jack Golson. Wellington: Polynesian Society, 1962, pp. 37–38. › Back
Rāwiri Taonui, 'Canoe navigation - Waka – canoes', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/canoe-navigation/page-1 (accessed 17 July 2019)
Story by Rāwiri Taonui, published 8 Feb 2005
More stories about...
Canoe traditions
First peoples in Māori tradition
Hawaiki
Ideas of Māori origins
Māori creation traditions
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New Zealand in Brief
Nation and government
Story: Nation and government
The origins of nationhood
From colony to nation
System of government
The electoral system
The state sector and Crown entities
The legal system
Nationhood and identity
New Zealand in the world
From colony to dominion, 1907 (1st of 2)
Although the settlers enjoyed self-government from the 1850s, New Zealand remained officially a British colony. In 1907 its status was changed from colony to dominion. Dominion status was proclaimed with a flourish. In this photograph the proclamation is being read on the steps of Parliament. But it was a symbolic gesture indicating the young nation’s growing self-confidence rather than a significant change in the way it was governed.
Alexander Turnbull Library, The Press (Christchurch) Collection (PAColl-3031)
Reference: 1/1-008650; G
The South Island provinces, 1867
Celebrating Dominion Day
John Wilson, 'Nation and government - From colony to nation', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/2459/from-colony-to-dominion-1907 (accessed 17 July 2019)
Story by John Wilson, updated 16 Sep 2016
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How Disney Built Star Wars, in real life
Disney's Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is a tour de force of technology and world building
Matthew Panzarino @Panzer / 5 months
From the moment that Disney announced its acquisition of Lucasfilm, the question on every fan’s mind was “when will they build Star Wars in real life?”
While most assumed that they would do it eventually, they probably weren’t aware that in 2013 even as work began on the first movie of the ‘final’ trilogy, work also commenced on the early planning of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. That initial team of a handful of people would eventually grow to over 4,000.
Over the course of the past 5 years, Walt Disney Imagineering has been hard at work making the world of Star Wars a reality on Earth. In two locations, California and Florida, Black Spire outpost on the planet of Batuu is now under construction. It’s an enormous several-billion-dollar bet that people will want to visit a place very similar to the ones that they’ve seen on the screen for decades.
In some ways, this project seems like the safest bet ever. The confluence of rabid fans of Star Wars and disciples of Disney’s particular flavor of amusement park alone feels like it could fuel the demand for the two park additions for years. But the ambitions of Walt Disney Imagineering staff and Parks management are stratospherically high for what is the largest single land expansion ever in a US Disney park. And the financial results required from these additions will require Disney to draw not just the loyalist crowd, but to convince a wide and deep array of park visitors to spend the day in a hyper-faithful reconstruction of a fictional far away galaxy.
To do this, Disney’s Imagineers have spent over five years planning and two years building the outposts that will open this year in its two US parks.
Last week, I got to spend three days talking to those Imagineers, partners from Lucasfilm and management about the inspiration, planning, tools, design and construction efforts. I also visited the construction site of Star Wars Land in Disneyland, California to take in the size, scale and environment of Batuu and its two major attractions.
“We’re really being very ambitious with what we do with Star Wars,” says Disney Portfolio Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, Scott Trowbridge. “This location is over 14 acres. It is basically a small city in our parks. All the amazing architecture…the ships, the aliens, the droids, the creatures, everything that makes Star Wars Star Wars, all coming together so that our guests can have an opportunity to live that dream of living their Star Wars story.”
At risk of being too susceptible to marketing speak, I’d have to agree with this particular statement. What is being built here has little parallel in terms of immersion and ambition in an amusement park or out. And it’s going to blow Star Wars fans, casual and involved, away.
If you’re familiar with what Disney has said about its “Star Wars lands” so far, then some of the following might be a refresher, but I think that some context about what they’re trying to build is important before we talk about the how.
Covering 14 acres individually at both Disneyland, Anaheim and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida, the lands are pieces of the planet Batuu, and they host Black Spire Outpost, a village with shops, eateries, villagers and a First Order advance post. Outside of the village, you can also find the Resistance encampment with its ad-hoc infrastructure, rag-tag starfighters and equipment. The lands house two major attractions — Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
The entire land has been designed from the ground up to be immersive. The Disney cast members that inhabit Batuu will dress in authentic costumes and can pick and choose their own garments and accessories from a selection. They will be encouraged to have an understanding of the village, the various factions at play from the Resistance to the First Order to the underbelly of smugglers operating there. The food is completely new, and it all has backstory as well. You won’t have pork ribs, you’ll have Kaadu ribs — the non-famous creature famously ridden by famously hated Jar Jar Binks. You’ll drink blue (and green) milk and cocktails at the seedy cantina (yes, with alcohol). The signage is all in-universe as much as possible, the products for sale have been created from scratch just for Batuu and will be sold nowhere else — and they all have a ‘found’ or ‘crafted’ vibe with minimal packaging.
The name of the game is transportive.
Transportation to Batuu
One of the over-arching themes throughout the discussions over the course of several days was the concept of transportation. How do you convey the feeling of being transported from the worlds of Disneyland and Earth to the world of Star Wars.
That begins with the decision to make the location for the lands a new planet.
“Why not make a place that is very familiar from the classic Star Wars films, a Tatooine, a Hoth, or one of those places? The answer really is we know those places, we know those stories that happen there, and we know that we’re not in them,” said Trowbridge. “This place, Black Spire Outpost, is an opportunity. It’s designed from the very get‑go to be a place that invites exploration and discovery, a place that invites us to become a character in the world of Star Wars, and, to the extent that we want to, to participate in the stories of Star Wars.”
A multi-purpose transport shuttle docked on top of a large hangar (left) will beckon guests into Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo
One of the primary drivers for the decision was also to create some sense of equanimity between hardcore fans and casual attendees.
“I want to walk into this land and be in the same level as everyone else, from the really hardcore Star Wars fan to someone who knows nothing about Star Wars,” Managing Story Editor at WDI Margaret Kerrison recalls saying in the first pitch meeting she attended for Star Wars land. “I want to have that urgency to explore, to discover, to run around every corner, and to meet every single droid and alien in this land. I want to not feel like I’m at a disadvantage because I don’t know all the nitty‑gritty details as a hardcore Star Wars fan would know.”
Walking through one of the entrances to Batuu, guests should feel a bit of compression and then decompression, says Executive Creative Director, WDI Chris Beatty. Coming in from Frontierland or just outside Fantasyland, you’re presented with ‘laser cut’ rock tunnel that creates a blank slate that then opens up into a cinematically framed vista that varies depending on your entrance. For the middle tunnel, you get a peek at some of the architecture, for instance and then boom, you’re presented with ships in the foreground, buildings, tall ancient spires, ships perched atop the buildings, canopies sawing in the wind. Shot established, you’re in Black Spire Outpost.
There are several of these ‘reveal’ moments throughout the land. The first time you see the Resistance encampment, your first glimpse of the Millennium Falcon. Photographic moments, but also establishing moments, grounding you in the place you’re in.
Having stood in that vantage, even with construction going on all around, I can tell you it’s incredibly effective. There is no hint or trace of the rest of the park here. The vegetation, the meticulous weathering and rockscapes and the eerily familiar yet newly remixed shapes of Star Wars buildings and accessories make you feel like this is another place that you know.
The land is constructed using a blend of familiar techniques and newly minted ones. In some ways, Disney’s Pandora – The World of Avatar at Walt Disney World and its in-theme dining, open spaces and rides feels like a test run for how far it could push themed worlds. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge feels like an additive result of learnings from a land that has ‘native’ merchandise and foods and tries to keep as much as possible ‘in story’.
Before they could begin to build, though, Imagineers had to build the tools to do so.
Building Star Wars
Headquartered in the compound of low beige and salmon colored buildings making up Grand Central Business Park in Glendale, California, Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) is a wonderland of mad tinkers, costumers, roboticists, simulations engineers and historians. The only Disney design and development organization founded by Walt Disney himself as WED Enterprises (and later sold to the Disney company in a somewhat controversial move for the time). Since then, it has proven to be so influential around the world through its application of theming and robotics that the term Imagineering is synonymous with the basic concept of world building.
Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will feature rare items from across the galaxy for sale
One of the things that you have to understand about the way that Imagineering works is that they waste as little effort as possible. The imagination is always a hundred times more creative, complex and ambitious than the reality, and to even get a tiny chunk of that in front of guests Imagineers have to constantly find ways to work within constraints of time, space, money and, yes, the laws of physics.
In order to get the job done, they often build their own tools or cobble together solutions for problems out of a combination of off-the-shelf hardware and custom built components. It feels a bit odd to describe it this way, because there is certainly pride involved, but building for Imagineering is remarkably ego free. It’s not ‘our way or no way’ it’s ‘whatever works’. This commitment to making the illusion complete for the viewer no matter what the source of the solution is has led to some really fascinating advances from Disney R&D and Imagineering.
You only have to look at the procession from a couple of metal slugs attached to a servo through to full on humanoid stunt doubles to see what the kind of teasing out of technical applications to storytelling problems happen inside Imagineering.
For the Galaxy’s Edge project, one of the first problems to be solved was how to manage such a complex undertaking inside WDI and in partnership with Lucasfilm.
This was largely due to the major difference between this project and any that Disney has undertaken in the past: the intimate involvement of all departments from the beginning. People from props, set dressing, construction, merchandising, food, ride systems and technical departments all worked together from ideation onwards. On a normal production, they are typically brought in at various phases — but for Batuu, everyone had to be on the same page from the very beginning.
If Disney wanted this to be a truly immersive experience it had to feel organically integrated and the conversation had to be lengthy and continuous so that set design served vending and vending served story and story served ride systems and engineering. They all had to be in lock step.
One of the major tools Imagineering used to keep everyone on the same project page is their BIM (building information modeling) tool. The tool takes a combination of 2D plans, 3D models, infrastructure and set dressing information and combines them into one massive interlocking source of truth for all departments to pull from. Teams were able to drill down from an overview of the land in 3D to the design plans for a specific doorway control panel.
Basically, it’s foundational geometry from across the project that’s then fed into the Unreal engine and presented in 3D. Like a 3D world from a game, but it’s a real place with real plumbing, architecture and technology underneath.
“When we saw the level of complexity that we were faced with when we started this project, we understood that we would need to use all the tools at our disposal. What the plan was is that we would essentially build a digital replica of the entire project. We built the planet before we actually built the planet,” said Sanne Worthing, Manager of BIM & VDC Technology, WDI. “It allows the creative designers to make decisions… It gives you a lot of planning time. It helps avoid some of the more complicated and costly problems out in the field.”
BIM allowed the teams to do everything from testing how things would interlock in 3D to seeing where cranes could be placed during construction. The BIM reconstruction also fed into a system that WDI built in virtual reality to simulate the park.
“Using Unreal, we were able to take from all different parts of our attraction and put the moving pieces together. That means putting in our media that we would get from ILM, our partners there, getting our animation for our animated figures. Every piece of our puzzle to create our attraction, we put into a virtual reality simulation,” says April Warren, Show Programmer for WDI. “We’re able to look at it and make quick iterations with our creative team to be able to find things that we wouldn’t find normally until we were in the field and solve those problems early, or to be able to find out something just wasn’t working for us creatively and we wanted to change that.”
WDI has been using its own VR simulation system for a while, I first saw it a couple of years ago when it was being fleshed out. It feels very similar to flying around inside a simulator. It allows the Imagineers to look at the land from all sides, swooping through projects and highlighting elements of various types from infrastructure to set dressing. More importantly, it allows them to get as clear a picture as possible of what it will look like to a guest on the ground. This includes sight lines that play to maximum effect, with forced perspective and seamless presentation while hiding things like heating and cooling units, conduits and ducts and regular Earth buildings.
Theme Park design is is wild — with modeling/VR they know exactly where to place scenic elements to accomplish line-of-sight effects, but as a result from up above the lands kinda look like you fell through the ground in a video game
(pic by @bioreconstruct) pic.twitter.com/61KkufMQ3j
— Cabel (@cabel) February 24, 2019
“We do do a lot of work with sight lines, making sure that when you’re out in the land, where guests are moving through, that the experience is what we intend it to be. That we’re not looking at some ugly AC unit,” says Worthing. “Immersion, and making sure that people feel like they are immersed in this world is super important. BIM is one of the ways that we are able to do that.”
“There’s things from the BIM that have been super [helpful],” says Warren. “We’ve had some back and forth I would say trying to run a vehicle through an area and I go, “oh, there’s a piece of conduit there that I didn’t realize what going to be there, because I got from…BIM.” I can say, “Hey, can we remove that piece of conduit?”
“If we were in the field and we had planned this without that step, we could have been in trouble because we might have hit it.”
A saying that the Imagineers have, says Bei Yang, Technology Studio Exec, WDI, is that it’s “easier to move bits than it is to move Atoms.”
There is a daily review of packages added to BIM, which allows the ride and animatronics team to ‘walk’ inside the attraction regularly before it’s built.
“While we’re only building one building, I promise there are a hundred designs of that building that nobody will ever see,” says Jacqueline King, Producer on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. “We get to go into them, and be able to make the best decisions, so that when we start putting rebar into the ground, you’re putting it in the right place. They talk about discovering those walls once you get out in the field later, but for the most part, we’re able to work out a lot of those early on, and completely change layouts to get the best results.”
In addition to using VR simulations driven by BIM, WDI has also begun using it for simulation of the actual rides, but more on that a bit later.
Once the construction pipeline was in place, it was time to start fleshing out the physical world of Batuu, including the architecture, set dressing, props, merchandise, food and inhabitants.
Designing Galaxy’s Edge
The design of Batuu extends across all of the major food groups of a Disney Park, but this time they were all designed in concert with one another. From the architecture and props to the costumes to the music, food and merchandise. It’s all imagined Star Wars from the ground up.
Disney does not have a standing construction crew, especially not one as large as 3,000 people. So, to make sure that their design work was executed by people that care, they brought in partners and started indoctrinating them in the process and the land’s purpose. And, most importantly, they listened to them and asked them to get involved in how to execute on the vision.
“It turns out Star Wars, there’s lots of pipes,” jokes Robin Reardon, Portfolio Executive Producer at WDI. “We drew lots of pipes, we modeled lots of pipes, there’s pipes. We met with a mechanical contractor and said, “We could make these from scratch, but hey, look, you do pipes.” He was so excited because, normally, the work of a mechanical contractor is up in the ceiling or inside the walls, and maybe you see a vent. [They were excited] that their work got to be on a stage, so that when they take their family in and say, “I did that. That’s part of the world. That’s part of what’s on stage,” it’s been fun. It continues to be. His whole team continues to be really enthusiastic about what they’re doing there.”
Disney Imagineers view a life-size TIE fighter as they work on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
The creative endeavors extended to the ground you walk on in Batuu. Paul Bailey, Show Systems Engineer at WDI, described the process of detailing the ‘dirt’ and stone surface you walk on in the land.
“Our world, where guests are this close to something, it’s got to be that next level. A good example of that is, droids move through our land. That’s part of the story that we’re trying to tell. We got access to one of the original Kenny Baker, New Hope, 1976‑1977 era droids. We took rubbings of the bottom of the droid feet. We turned that into a set of three files, which then, we turned into a set of 3D wheels. We built a little droid trolley, which Kirstin [Makela, Art Director] and team used.”
“I’ll set the scene for you,” says Makela. “You’re on a busy construction site, there’s lots of people around. There’s some people pouring hardscape concrete, all dirty and all their tools and their stamping. Then all of a sudden, one of them just jumps on this little trolley and someone else pulls them through the concrete, leaves a little trail of droid tracks.”
“It’s dead accurate,” says Bailey.
I saw the tracks walking through the land. They are dope.
Even the set dressing and props are ‘next level’ accurate.
“To start out, my first day on the job, I was put on a plane to go to England to visit the film set and work with the Star Wars film crew. I got to know a lot of the members of the art department, the prop guys, the art directors, learn how they made stuff for the films,” says Eric Baker, Creative Director at WDI. “One of the philosophies that they told me is they said, “We don’t use anything that you couldn’t buy before 1980 because the original films were made pre‑1980.” We spent a lot of time. A lot of the stuff we build is built on recycled goods. For example, Xerox machines were filled with thousands of parts that we used to build stuff. We would always try to find some of those pre‑1980.
“That’s how we started with that. Working with the set decorator from the films, I was able to put together a style that led the way and showed us how to build things the way they were built for the films. What we get to do is take this amazing village that these guys have built, these incredible buildings that have been designed and bring life to them through the story of the people that live there.”
The team says that they spent a lot of time stripping parts off of the same jumbo jets that the film team harvested for parts, and that not every part is pre-1980, most of the feature pieces are or they’re molded off of parts that are so that the look and feel is as close to the films as possible.
The costumes for the residents of Batuu are also a big departure from other Disney Parks. First of all, the residents of Black Spire Outpost choose their own outfits out of an ensemble of clothing parts, hats and accessories every day. This puts them in character and makes them feel more invested in helping guests to have an immersive experience.
These range from ponchos to sun hats to ventilated jackets and pants. The clothing is light-weight so that it wears well in the parks and is a cotton nylon blend to help with heat and colorfastness. The styling is fresh and cool with a natural fiber look and a layered vibe. Some of the clothing is even pieced together into a single piece to look like layering without actually having to layer in hot and sunny California or muggy Florida.
“One of the great privileges of costume design is our costumes and things we design and build, they literally touch the lives of our cast members,” says Costume Designer Joe Kucharski. “In addition to trying to help them build those personalities, we wanted to find options that would fit their body type, that would feel comfortable. We have introduced tops that are of a woven fabric, tops that are the knit fabric, things that are really breathable, so lots of different choices there that should really flatter.”
The Resistance, the First Order and the village cast members all have their own uniforms to keep with the theme.
Anima-lectric
As you’d imagine with any high profile Disney Parks property, Batuu will be home to a variety of animated robots, Animatronics, in Imagineering parlance. From droids to shop proprietors to ride pre-show characters, there are a lot of animated figures in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Since the 80’s, the hydraulics-based animatronics in Disney parks were based on the A-100 chassis. A sort of basic humanoid template. The animatronics on Batuu are all based on a new A-1000 series chassis, which can be configured in a variety of ways at a variety of sizes — with one major difference: electric motors.
Electric motors were pioneered in 2009 with the head of Mr. Lincoln. They’ve since been used in Enchanted Tales with Belle, Frozen Ever After and the Na’vi River Journey attractions. Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: Breakout is also an electric figure.
At Savi’s Workshop Ð Handbuilt Lightsabers, guests will have the opportunity to customize and craft their own lightsabers.
Unlike hydraulics, electric motors enable far more precise movements. They can start and stop nearly instantly, have less wind up and wind down times and make for more fluid transitions between directional movements. Plus, you cut the amount of cabling going to the figure in half by eliminating hydraulic lines. This cuts down on figure installation size and control cabinet size, allowing for more interesting placements in scenes that don’t have to allow for covering all of that stuff up and for easier maintenance.
The new figures are smooth, capable and really fun to watch in action.
Here are some of the major AA characters that will inhabit Star Wars land:
Hondo Ohnaka — A Weequay pirate introduced in Clone Wars, Hondo is now the proprietor of Ohnaka Transport Solutions and has been loaned the Millennium Falcon by Chewie for some “deliveries”. The animatronic figure itself is around 7 feet tall and uses the latest in electric motors instead of hydraulics. Hondo’s figure includes around 50 functions (movement points) total and is the second most complicated animatronic in Disney parks. The most complicated, for the record, is the Na’vi Shaman, mentioned above, which has 40 functions in its face alone, not to mention the rest of the body. We had the Shaman at our robotics event a couple of years ago, it’s incredible to watch. Hondo isn’t far behind, with fluid movements, smooth facial contortions and believable interactions between himself and his R5 droid.
DJ R-3X — You know him previously classified as RX-24, or Captain Rex, the pilot over at Star Tours. Now, he’s a DJ at Oga’s Cantina on Batuu. He plays music composed by the Imagineering team and a variety of artists from around the world. All of it is poppy and synth-ey and a bit 80’s, with some classic mixes of Cantina tunes gone by. His torso and arms move to work the controls and dance and he has a three hour cycle of music and dialog to keep patrons entertained. Fun fact, Lucasfilm Creative Executive Matt Martin says he has many, many pages of backstory about how Rex ended up on Batuu.
Dok-Ondar — An Ithorian trader, Dok is renowned for his Jedi and Sith artifact collection. I was able to see Dok fully active in the Imagineering animation building and he looks incredible. The figure towers several feet above guests heads as he sits behind his counter and interacts with shop employees. The detail is lovely here, with a rich, smooth set of animations for hands and neck, his whole body rising up and down. The lips along his two mouths ripple as he speaks in a resonant stereophonic voice.
Nien Nunb — A Sullustan pilot famous for copiloting the Millennium Falcon on its mission to destroy the second Death Star in Return of the Jedi. On Batuu he will pilot the transport ship that you board during the Rise of the Resistance attraction.
One of the more minor but no less intriguing characters includes a Dianoga beast which will cameo inside of a water fountain, popping up out of the very murky looking (for show) water intermittently to surprise guests. You’ll also see a ton of animated creatures inside the Creature Stall including fan favorites like the Loth-cat and a Worrt. The Droid Shop is also set to be full of animated droids of all kinds, and its exterior will have droids interacting with guests via the PLAY Disney Parks app and getting a refreshing lubricant bath.
Interestingly, I’m aware of some droid projects that Disney is working on that have not yet appeared in any official reveals. There is a lot more to come in the interactive figure department and Imagineering already has plans to expand Batuu with new experiences. I was also unable to get them to tell me whether the Loth-cat and other small creatures that will be featured here are part of the interactive semi-autonomous Tiny Life project I’ve written about previously.
Black Spire Outpost
The process of animating the figures has also been updated along with the chassis.
“One of the things that went so well on this project is that some of our software partners have developed tools that allow us to import and export data from design software into modeling and animation software,” says Associate Show Mechanical Engineer Victoria Thomas. “We’re able to give them a 3D representation of exactly what the figure is, exactly where the pivots are. They’re able to take that and animate in exactly how fast they want those joints to move. We’re able to get a lot of great feedback like, “Oh, well the shoulder pivot’s kind of off. Is it possible for you to adjust that?”
“Getting that feedback early in the process allows us to change, improvise and adapt and overcome anything that’s going on with the figures.”
The animations, like all of the other data that makes up the land, are hosted inside of BIM. That pre-visualization work saves a lot of heartache and physical fudging on the back end.
“Doing things early allows us to solve problems before they become serious problems. With the Hondo figure specifically, we were able to determine, “Oh, based on his show set and where he is, there’s not enough room for audio in his scene. He needs an onboard speaker,” says Thomas.
“In another scene, we were able to determine, “Oh, there’s large speakers in the scene where we expected a maintenance person to be able to access the figures. If those speakers are there, then you can’t maintenance the base frame.”
Because of BIM and pre‑visualization, we were allowed to do a lot of that. One of the other cool things is that we were able to get motion‑capture data on these figures initially as a way to prove out, how would a human move? How would this look natural? How can we make this look as organic as possible in order to improve the guest experience?”
The resulting figures are some of the best looking creations Disney can currently make, and they’re at the forefront of this pre-visualization work with electric-driven figures. It’s as absolutely close to a real-life Star Wars alien as you’re ever likely to meet.
But the denizens, though cool, aren’t the biggest attraction in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. That would be, well, the attractions.
The Rides
There are two attractions inside the land. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (Falcon from here on out) and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (Rise). The Falcon is a simulator type ride that reads like a very, very advanced version of Star Tours that you can actually control in real time with a crew of 6 people. Rise is much harder to explain, and consists of multiple stages of ‘ride’ that, taken together, are best described as an “experiential” attraction.
Developing those rides involves some wild new technology, some known tech applied in new ways, and some really sky high difficulty levels to pull off correctly.
Rise and Simulate
For a while now, Disney has been using VR and augmented reality in various ways to help it design and test rides. At Imagineering in Glendale it has a big simulator room called The Dish to paraphrase myself from my earlier visits, This is a curved chamber that houses multiple high resolution projectors that functions, most simply, as a holodeck. Disney uses it to “see” rides and attractions as a group to make decisions about look and feel.
Millennium Falcon pictured under development
Users wear a ‘Bowler Hat’ that tracks their movements and walk around inside a space that changes and shifts to match perspectives. We flew through and around Batuu, getting to see, virtually, the vistas we would see the next day when we were at the land physically.
But Disney has also been using VR in more radical ways to simulate their rides. Specifically, they’ve built a full ride-on vehicle that sits inside a warehouse on the Imagineering lot. It’s surrounded in a wide 100 foot long ring by traffic dividers and operates just like the trackless vehicles in Rise.
“We were able to test all of our vehicle motion early using VR,” says April Warren. “Imagine you’re on a vehicle, you’ve got your VR headset, and you are able to see what this attraction is going to look like in the future. We could do that all in real‑time. It was very exciting. I don’t think we could’ve made this attraction without this workflow. We broke the attraction to pieces and could ride it in the facility to really prove out that what we thought we were getting with our vehicle is what we were going to get in the attraction.”
“The great thing was when we got to the actual building things were all installed. We hadn’t been down there before, at least I hadn’t. To walk through that building knowing what we’d seen in VR and go, “Oh, my gosh. I know exactly where I am. I know how to get around this place because I have seen all of this before, and it looks exactly like what I thought it would look like.” It’s been super exciting.”
The rig itself is pretty wild. It’s built out to match the seat layout of the Rise of the Resistance vehicle itself. On board it has enough compute power to push out the visuals to headsets of everyone on board and a motor to run the vehicle around the floor perfectly in sync with those visuals. This gives you the illusion of the ride mixed with the real physicality of moving through space and feeling the pull — a process the imagineers who show us the rig call “Visceralization”. It’s the most bad ass VR sim rig ever.
Disney is clear to note throughout our visit to the sim center that they are not using it to develop VR rides. Rather they are developing physical rides using VR. An important distinction these days with VR becoming more prevalent in the parks.
The Rise of the Resistance ‘experience’ itself is much harder to categorize. On our site tour we got to go through what we are later told is about 1/3 of the total ride (a figure which boggled me). You approach through the Resistance area of Batuu, outside of the village gates. There are star fighters (an X-Wing, an A-Wing, both perfectly replicated from the films) which will be being actively worked on and primed at intervals throughout the day by Resistance members. you enter the queue and walk through chambers which advance from scrubland with railings made out of the ubiquitous Star Wars cabling through to ancient ruins that have been co-opted by the scrappy rebels.
Disney guests will traverse the corridors of a Star Destroyer
The rooms advance to sections that are ‘laser cut’ through rock as they would be by an army trying to make due in natural and unnatural caverns. Rooms are piled high with equipment of medical, utilitarian and military origin. There is an armory with blasters and pilots uniforms in cages. A room merges the Fast Pass and Standby lines in a communications hub. The entire effect is wildly effective, giving you the feel of walking the cramped halls of a base from the movies.
This queue, by the way, features a low stone bench cut into a big section of the middle of it, allowing a place for families and kids to rest. A personal victory, Executive Creative Director John Larena jokes, as a dad with kids who knows what it’s like to wait in long lines.
From there, we’re led into a briefing room that will feature an animatronic BB-8 on a high cabinet that interacts with a video element of Poe Dameron, your escort on the mission. Other appearances will be made by a hologram of Rey and a message from Finn.
From there, you make your way across a landing pad as Poe’s X-Wing warms up to your right. You walk towards and board a I-TS transport ship with a group of fellow passengers. A simulated takeoff and flight, facilitated by your Nien Nunb and Poe, commence with everyone standing troop transport style. You are quickly captured and pulled aboard a Star Destroyer.
Then, through some ride magic I won’t disclose here, your door opens to what is one of the most stunning ride reveals I can ever remember: a full size Star Destroyer hangar bay, complete with expansive black floor, Tie Fighters on loading racks and, yes, an absolutely enormous window opening up onto space outside with (eventually) a view of the First Order fleet.
After your moment of awe, you are split up into groups by First Order officers — played by real cast members in uniform by the way — and led down perfectly rendered corridors to a holding cell the spitting image of the one Poe Dameron was held in. At this point, you have an encounter with a nearby Kylo Ren and your adventure continues.
This is where we left off on our tour, and we hadn’t even made it to the vehicle portion yet, which features encounters with more First Order troops, AT-ATs and more that they have yet to reveal.
It’s an enormous attraction, with a sense of scale that goes beyond anything I’ve seen Disney do. And it’s only one of the two major attractions.
Flying the Falcon
The other, of course, is the Falcon ride. There have been tons of questions about this one, so I’ll try to sate some appetites.
Approaching the Falcon from one of the entrances to Batuu for the first time is a surreal experience. This is a full-size 110-foot version of the ship as you’ve seen it in the movies. It’s meticulously detailed and acts as a center-piece for the area. The ship will periodically vent out gas and Hondo’s tinkerers are constantly working on its engines. It’s a living thing inside the land, a character.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
As you enter the maintenance bay, you pass into the queue inside Ohnaka’s Transport Solutions. Climbing gantries through a working shipping and machine shop, getting views of the Falcon from every angle. Until, finally, you burst out into the oh-so-familiar weathered ‘chiclet’ corridors of the Falcon herself. The holding area is the very well known common area of the ship with the chess board (not currently holographically active) and communications console. Everything in this space is meticulously accurate down to the bolts. Break out your magnifying glasses and soak it in, you’re on the Millennium Falcon.
From here, you’re handed boarding cards in groups of six and wait to be ushered down the corridor to your waiting cockpit.
The famous chess room
The Falcon, as previously mentioned, is a simulator ride that puts you in the cockpit of the most famous starship in the galaxy. The cockpits (there are multiple that can be loaded at a time, but they won’t say how many) fit six people. Two pilots, two gunners and two engineers. You’re all responsible for how smoothly the Falcon completes its mission, but it always completes, one way or another.
The simulation is run on the Unreal engine and the mechanics are a much upgraded version of what powers Star Tours. Each cockpit has its own real‑time rendering system for a multi‑projection feedback hub across five screens that completely surround the cockpit seamlessly. Any decision you make as a member of the crew has to result in an action on screen, and it’s all real-time, so none of the major stuff is pre-rendered. While Disney itself was fairly cagey about what powers the ‘magic’ behind this system, Nvidia talked a bit about it last year.
Black Spire Outpost is the name of the village
“Walt Disney Imagineering teamed with NVIDIA and Epic Games to develop new technology to drive its attraction. When it launches, riders will enter a cockpit powered with a single BOXX chassis packed with eight high-end NVIDIA Quadro P6000 GPUs, connected via Quadro SLI.
Quadro Sync synchronizes five projectors for the creation of dazzling ultra-high resolution, perfectly timed displays to fully immerse the riders in the world of planet Batuu.
Working with NVIDIA and Epic Games, the Imagineering team created a custom multi-GPU implementation for Unreal Engine. This new code was returned to the Epic Games team and will help influence how multi-GPUs function for their engine.
“We worked with NVIDIA engineers to use Quadro-specific features like Mosaic and cross-GPU reads to develop a renderer that had performance characteristics we needed,” says Bei Yang, technology studio executive at Disney Imagineering. “Using the eight connected GPUs allowed us to achieve performance unlike anything before.””
The effect in person is wild, though we only saw a static-ish scene of the hangar bay.
Entering the cockpit was an out-of-body situation for me, I’m not ashamed to admit it. It’s wild how right it feels. The six seats all feature belts and the familiar weathered look. More importantly, each of them has a wide array of buttons either to the side or in front of them if you’re one of the pilots. Every square or rectangular button has a light up ring around it which will indicate which of them you need to press for the best result during your moments to act during the ride. The toggles have small LED indicators built into one end that do the same indicating job. I am happy to report that the large, satisfyingly chunky toggle switches and satisfyingly clicks buttons have been very well chosen and require enough force to push without stress but with satisfaction. They’re the right switches.
And yes, one of the right-hand pilot’s jobs is to pull back the lever to jump to hyperspace, and that pull is very satisfying.
This is how you will ‘control’ the falcon. Left and right or throttles for the pilots, depending on seats, and buttons to push to shoot down Tie Fighters or put out fires if those Tie Fighters get missed.
Though every flight will have its own permutations, you cannot ‘fail’ a flight on the Falcon. You just come through either pristine or more battered, depending on your efficiency. And the people of Black Spire Outpost will react to your team’s performance flying the Falcon — either you all do well or you all don’t.
“If our guests so choose, and they opt in, we will be able to have some level of persistent interaction with them, not only throughout their day as they accumulate experiences, but on the attractions or as they meet certain characters,” says Bob Chapek, Chairman of Parks, Experiences and Products. “Not only will we be able to remember that and then interact with the guest accordingly, but over the course of several visits, we’ll remember what they did the previous visit. As a result, we’ll have much more of a close, tight interaction.”
One big question mark that still remains undisclosed despite my inquiries, is how, exactly the proprietors or characters will remember this. They seemed to indicate that it was not the PLAY Disney Parks app that would do this, so more yet to be revealed. Perhaps a system like the Magic Bands out in the Florida parks that has yet to be discussed.
The land is a ride
The way that Imagineering thinks of Galaxy’s Edge is that there are three main attractions. The 2 rides and the land itself. In addition to the 5 restaurants and 5 shops, there are two distinct biomes and the land is embedded with activities that are accessed through the PLAY Disney Parks app. When you enter the land, it switches over to a Star Wars mode, allowing you access to several tools including Scan, Translate, Tune and Jobs. Through these, and dozens of bluetooth beacons located throughout Batuu, you can activate droids, download schematics from hacking ships, download secret messages from door panels and listen to transmissions from three factions inclined the First Order, the Resistance and the Smugglers. You can also translate some of the alien languages that are spoken or written throughout the land.
You can choose to complete jobs for these factions, and there is an over-arching meta game that allows you to use scannable to try to tilt the balance from the Resistance to the First Order throughout your visit — rewarding you with digital collectibles. There are even missions to complete in the app during ride queues. 1 in Smuggler’s Run and 2 in the Rise queue for both sides of the conflict.
This is an absolutely enormous undertaking. And walking through the village of Black Spire or the outskirts showed us construction still very much underway. Disney is pushing hard day and night to finish what is going to be a massively big risk for it on the storytelling and immersion front. While the world of Star Wars seems like a gimme from a fan point of view, that attention also means that Disney has to get everything so right from the beginning. It’s telling that even on our tour, workers continued to cut, paint and plaster. Summer isn’t very far away and there’s a long way to go to Batuu.
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cryptojacking
Aditya Birla
Aditya Birla group hit by 'cryptojacking' attack
More than 2,000 computers were targeted by hackers in a new kind of cyber-warfare where hackers misuse a target’s terminals to mine cryptocurrency.Sugata Ghosh | ET Bureau | May 11, 2018, 08:39 IST
MUMBAI: India suffered the first big 'cryptojacking' attack last month. The target was the Aditya Birla Group — one of the country’s largest business conglomerates headquartered in Mumbai.
More than 2,000 computers of various companies of the group were targeted by hackers for cryptojacking — a new kind of cyber-warfare where hackers misuse a target’s terminals and their processing power to mine crypto currency.
The attack was first detected about a month ago at a group's overseas subsidiary. Within days the malware found its way into some of the manufacturing and other services companies belonging to the business house. “It’s a kind of attack where the primary intention of the hackers is not to steal information and cause business disruption. Rather, they hijack the target’s computers and tap the power supply to the organisation to mine crypto coins,” a person aware of the attack told ET.
Responding to ET’s email query, an Aditya Birla group spokesperson said: “Aditya Birla Group has advance threat management systems that are constantly monitoring and protecting business critical applications and infrastructure in all Businesses. Recently, the advance threat detection systems of our Group alerted us of suspicious activity on some desktop systems. Based on this, our internal team immediately carried out an investigation and deployed countermeasures to isolate and eliminate the cause of this activity.
This has resulted in limiting its spread. We also ascertained that there was no data loss due to this activity. As an added assurance, we initiated a detailed forensic investigation which is nearing conclusion in respect of root cause analysis and preventive actions”.
The digital currency that was mined in the attack was Monero -- a favourite among many in the cyber underbelly. Monero is virtually untraceable and believed to be more anonymous than Bitcoin, the best known crypto currency which experienced huge price volatility amid regulatory crackdowns and strong interest from wealthy investors who chose to diversify beyond conventional securities and central bankbacked dominant fiat currencies like dollar and euro.
In cryptojacking, the malware infiltrates the target’s system and converts the computers into zombies to make them work on behalf of the hackers. One of the symptoms of the attack is the sudden slowing down of the machines.
Tags : Internet, cryptojacking, Aditya Birla, FinTech, data loss, terminals, Corporate, bitcoin
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Basic Income, The Opportunities Party, Universal Basic Income
UBI, Realistic Goal or Pipedream? – The Opportunities Party.
Mar 26, 2017 TPPA = CRISIS Leave a comment
A number of people have asked me what the ultimate objective of “The Opportunities Party” is. We have a tonne of policies, so which are the most important? What are we trying to achieve?
It’s a more than fair question given that the policies we’re promoting are radical by recent New Zealand measure – although I’d argue they’re not by historical comparison in the land of the 1893 Woman’s Suffrage Electoral Bill, our 1938 Social Security Act, 1975 Treaty of Waitangi Act and 1987 NZ Nuclear Free Act.
The answer is simple: reform of the tax and benefit system is central to creating a fair and prosperous society. If our ultimate goal of an Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) were enacted, that would certainly rank alongside the other pioneering policies listed above.
Instead of continuing to be pioneers, agile and farsighted, New Zealand has lost its mojo of late and our society has degenerated into one where Establishment parties are loath to provide leadership on anything lest they lose votes. This. in a society where more and more people are living their day-to-day lives on a treadmill of fear, is unacceptable lethargy and intellectually lazy.
The “fear” I’m referring to is the trepidation we all feel from job insecurity, astronomical housing costs, the future we’re leaving for our children and grandchildren, and of course our own future once we’ve passed our ‘used by date’ insofar as paid work is concerned. It’s ironic that we should have these emotions when on paper our society is markedly more prosperous than it’s ever been – at least insofar as GDP measures and even GDP per head is concerned.
So at TOP we say “stop”. Enough is enough of this imbalance of power – New Zealanders need to care for our most vulnerable citizens and ensure all participants pay their fair share of tax. This stuff is not hard, but there has to be a will. Sadly we don’t see that from National; and Labour really has yet to prove itself given that these trends have been underway for 30 years now.
So what is The Opportunities Party’s philosophical approach? You have had plenty of policy detail from us for each of our TOP 7 Policy Priorities, you know our whole package is fiscally neutral (meaning any spending initiatives are accompanied by detail on the source of funding), and you know that we are championing the rights of those at the wrong end of the inequality gulf that has opened so widely since 1990.
But where are we heading? We’ve introduced the first steps toward a UBI (Unconditional Basic Income) which will sit at the centre of the rejuvenated approach to fair capitalism, but we haven’t laid out how we’ll make that truly universal yet. We know how to, but the first step has to be integrity in the tax regime – and our Policy #1 confronts that head on. We can’t be sure the public is up for and it’s essential before we even dream of making a full UBI a reality.
We’ve suggested that the level a UBI can be set at is confined by (a) fiscal affordability and (b) the minimum wage. In short it cannot cost so much that taxpayers can’t tolerate the tax burden nor as high that the incentive to perform paid work is removed. With those constraints in mind you end up with a UBI that plays a role more akin to bridging finance as people are between jobs or retraining or off work for family reasons. It does not replace targeted benefits but it does allow us to roll them back significantly – particularly those that are the worst of witch hunt welfarism – the impossibly tightly targeted ones with the atrociously steep abatement rates or poverty traps. Returning the humanity to social assistance and getting rid of this victim targeting that gives the Hard Right their jollies, is a priority at TOP.
Ultimately a UBI will be affordable with an income tax regime that has a single or flat tax rate –the UBI makes the lower of the graduated tax rates redundant. And progressivity of the overall tax regime remains because we include accumulated capital (or wealth) within the tax base. Wealth is far more accurate indicator of ability to pay than income is.
It will take time but it is certainly possible. A future where everyone pays their fair share of tax, where our tax and welfare systems are hugely simplified, where the stigma and poverty traps associated with welfare are removed, and where unpaid work is honoured. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.
Basic IncomeUBIUniversal Basic Income
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The Last Straw On the Great Barrier Reef
Alternatives – straw stockists
PLASTIC Magazine
Registered venues
Plastic straw free – Vessels
Please see below a list of current Media releases and news articles relevant to The Last Straw on the Great Barrier Reef, the Official straw campaign for the GBR.
4 July 2018 – MEDIA RELEASE – Australia First, Abell Point Marina, Airlie Beach, first marina in Australia to have all venues plastic straw free.
04 Jul 2018 / by Joscelyn O’Keefe / in Marina News, Media Releases
Abell Point Marina village joins The Last Straw Great Barrier Reef campaign.
With over 500 million plastic straws being discarded every day globally and each straw taking up to 450 years to start to degrade, the team at Abell Point Marina felt like it was time to take environmental action.
With 27 marina businesses and over 53 commercial tourism operators calling Abell Point Marina home, the next step for the marina was to spread the message and encourage participation in the campaign. In an overwhelming response, all five marina food venues have committed to becoming plastic straw free. Abell Point Marina is now the first marina in Australia to have all it’s venues plastic straw free.
Hemingway’s, Lure, The Kiosk Café, Bohemian Raw Café and Sorrento Restaurant & Bar have all taken the pledge to no longer provide plastic straws in beverages and only provide paper straws on request.
Bohemian Raw has taken this one step further and is selling reusable stainless straws to customers, with the first smoothie with every reusable straw purchase being complimentary. Says Kat Harrison, owner, of the initiative, “the response has been overwhelming particularly from our regulars, we have had to purchase new straws already to keep up with the demand.”
The Kiosk Café as well as removing plastic straws has also moved towards cardboard takeaway boxes and sandwich packs, to further commit to their business being plastic free.
Nicole Nash, marine biologist and founder of The Last Straw Great Barrier Reef explains, “Abell Point Marina is the not only the first marina in Queensland, but the first in Australia, to have all of its venues plastic straw free. With over 80% of marine debris entering the ocean from a land-based source, it is essential that both land and sea venues curb their plastic consumption. This is a massive achievement to all staff and businesses involved and will only inspire more venues to join the current 225 venues who have pledged to never use plastic straws again. ”
Abell Point Marina is a Clean Marina Level III and Fish Friendly Marina accredited through the Marina Industries Association. Located in the Whitsundays at the doorstep to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Abell Point’s commitment to The Last Straw campaign is the first of the environmental responsibility activities planned for the next financial year.
Encouragingly many of the marina’s tourism operators have also committed to the campaign including Explore Whitsundays, Whitsunday Sailing Adventures, Ocean Rafting, Red Cat Adventures, Providence Sailing and Whitsunday Escape, Charter Yachts Australia and Cumberland Charter Yachts have all signed the pledge. With over 120 vessels in their combined fleets and the majority being Eco Tourism Accredited, these operators educate thousands of visitors every year on the importance on conserving our marine environment.
Kate Purdie, Abell Point’s General Manager explains, “The businesses within our marina share the beautiful Whitsunday beaches and marine life with hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. We see protecting these natural assets as our responsibility, so we are committed to marine conservation. By eliminating plastic straws from our food outlets, we have eliminated 70,000 straws per annum from being discarded. The marina is already plastic bag free and our participation in The Last Straw campaign is a great next step in our environmental strategy. We hope to lead the way for other marinas to follow suit and encourage all their venues to become plastic straw free.”
For more information on The Last Straw campaign, head to their website – http://www.laststraw.com.au/
Deakin graduate giving Great Barrier Reef marine life a fighting chance
Deakin news
A former Warrnambool student is giving Great Barrier Reef marine life a fighting chance as part of her new campaign to outlaw straws on commercial boats.
Nicole Nash graduated from Deakin’s Warrnambool marine biology course in 2013 and has since started her own campaign, The Last Straw on the Great Barrier Reef.
‘Banning straws will start the conversation with commercial vessel operators and the general public about the impacts that plastic has in the marine environment,’ she said.
‘Straws are easy to eliminate. Unless people have a medical condition, most people don’t really need a straw. There are many alternatives to plastic straws like stainless steel and bamboo. But our motto is, sip, don’t suck. No straw is still the best option.’
Formerly from Geelong, Ms Nash came to Warrnambool for the marine biology course and subsequently completed her master’s in Natural Resource Management at James Cook University in Cairns, where she researched marine debris around Australia. She now works as a ranger with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service in Cairns.
Her research inspired her to tackle human consumption of single-use plastics. More than 75 per cent of marine debris found in and around the Great Barrier Reef is plastic. ‘Plastic will survive for more than 100 years, and the problem is it’s often mistaken for food by marine life and ingested; it also poses a threat of entanglement and critical habitat destruction,’ Ms Nash said.
‘Why use a straw for one minute when it will survive longer than your lifetime.’
The initiative is asking boats to pledge to remain straw free forever and will eventually expand to tackle island resorts, with the aim to inspire vessels to consider other single-use items they use like plastic cups and cutlery.
The response has been positive with many boats agreeing to the ban and displaying signs to inform customers.
Ms Nash has been working with supporting partners the Tangaroa Blue Foundation, Wet Tropics Healthy Waterways and Cairns Regional Council in producing a video and signs for the initiative.
She has fond memories of her time at Deakin Warrnambool. ‘The location is perfect and the academic staff always have an open door policy to assist,’ she said.
PUMPKIN ISLAND JOINS THE ‘LAST STRAW’ CAMPAIGN
Pumpkin Island’s very own Pumpkin Xpress vessel is the 100th to join the ‘Last Straw’ campaign, pledging to never use single-use plastic straws again. Vessels as far north as Thursday Island have committed to this campaign. The campaign aims to eradicate single-use plastic straws from businesses operating on and around the Great Barrier Reef.
Pumpkin Island owners, Wayne and Laureth Rumble, made the switch to offering paper straws on request only, in November 2016. They estimate that they would have previously used 5,000 plastic straws a year.
“Our paper straws do get composted and completely break down after a month or so in our compost bins”, says Wayne and Laureth.
Sip don’t suck, is the initiative of Cairns local Nicole Nash, an environmental scientist and Marine Biologist who formed the Last Straw on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) campaign. Launched in early 2017, the campaign has reduced the GBR region’s single-use, plastic straw consumption by an estimated 1 Million straws per year. The campaign has just reached 100 plastic straw free vessels across the GBR region and over 60 businesses; including bars, cafes, restaurants and even resorts.
Mary Carroll, CEO Capricorn Enterprise, says, “We are so thrilled to see Pumpkin Island join this initiative. They already work extremely hard to reduce their environmental footprint, so it is no surprise that they have leapt at the chance to reduce their plastic waste even further. The Southern Great Barrier Reef is our region’s biggest drawcard, so it is so important that we all do our part to look after it.”
The Australian Marine Debris Database indicates that over 75% of marine debris found in and around the Great Barrier Reef is plastic. The Tangaroa Blue Foundation regularly conducts beach clean ups along the north Queensland coastline, to remove debris that has washed ashore. The majority of debris removed is plastic.
Research published earlier this year in the journal “Science” indicates that contact with plastic can make corals more than 20 times more susceptible to disease, and that there are more than 11 billion pieces of plastic debris on coral reefs across the Asia-Pacific. Management of plastic waste is critical to protect precious ecosystems like the Great Barrier Reef.
For more information on how you can join contact the Last Straw on the GBR on www.thelaststrawonthegbr.org or on their Facebook @thelaststrawonthegbr
April 6, 2018 Updated 4/7/2018
‘The Last Straw on the Great Barrier Reef’
Plastic News – US Correspondent
By Kate Tilley
The Last Straw on the Great Barrier Reef Marine biologist Nicole Nash is working to persuade cruse ships, restaurants and bars working at or near the Great Barrier Reef to give up plastic straws.
Cairns, Australia — A marine biologist is waging a one-woman campaign against disposable polypropylene straws on the Great Barrier Reef.
Nicole Nash was working on the reef as a cruise attendant and a marine biologist, and was worried the reef’s millions of visitors were unaware of their environmental impact and problems like coral bleaching.
Just over a year ago she launched a campaign called “The Last Straw on the Great Barrier Reef,” which aims to get rid of disposable drinking straws used by businesses and commercial cruise vessels operating on and within a 125 mile radius of the reef.
Cairns-based Nash works full time in visitor management for the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service, but in her lunch breaks, at weekends and after work, she visits cruise vessel operators, accommodation venues, tourist attractions and restaurants, asking them to sign a pledge to not supply PP straws.
Last Straw Nicole Nash at Sunlover, one of the companies that has signed the “Last Straw” pledge.
So far, 15 food outlets; 114 cruise boats; 30 resorts and hotels; and eight tour companies have signed the pledge and display signage in their venues or on their ships to show they support Nash’s campaign.
Nash estimates there are 450,000 fewer straws used annually from businesses that have signed the pledge so far.
Nash told Plastics News the “last straw” campaign is intended as a “conversation opener,” a way to get people thinking about their environmental impacts.
She is passionate about protecting the reef and thought of the PP straw campaign as a gimmick to more broadly promote “plastic-free alternatives” and to encourage venue and vessel operators to “increase sustainability standards and eco-friendliness” in Queensland’s tourism industry.
“Single-use plastic straws were a no brainer. People don’t need a straw unless they have a disability,” she said.
“Straws are something people don’t think twice about using. They just get one in their drink and don’t think about the environmental impacts and the fact the straw will outlive them.”
There are alternatives, like paper straws, but her campaign theme is “sip don’t suck.”
Last Straw A bar sign on board a straw-free vessel.
The campaign uses social media and Nash’s personal slogging around business owners to spread its message.
But she says there are hundreds of cruise companies, hotels and other companies she’s yet to talk to about joining the campaign. “The hardest part is reaching out to them all to get them to join,” Nash said.
She also wants to create educational materials that can be shown in schools and on cruise boats to promote protection for the reef and environmental awareness.
Last straw is affiliated with other environmental groups, like Citizens for the Great Barrier Reef, which has 380 members and campaigns on what it says are the reef’s greatest threats, climate change and waste.
The Great Barrier Reef marine park stretches for more than 1,800 miles off the Queensland coast. It is visited by millions of tourists annually.
To obtain reprints or copyright permissions:
E-mail: pnreprints@crain.com
Visit: Reprints
Cairns Regional Council – to go straw free and single use plastic free
http://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/council/news-publications/media-releases/releases/straws
Not just a campaigner – Brains behind the movement
Nicole Nash Founder and Manager Last Straw on the GBR. BSC Marine Biology MS Science (NRM) Photography by Blueclick.
gday@thelaststrawonthegbr.org
Last Straw on the GBR promo video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh_hqYb7TuM
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RBC Daily: iPhone 5 set for launch in Russia in November
by Matt Brian — in Apple
Russian newspaper RBC Daily has revealed that Apple’s iPhone 5 could launch in Russia in November, going on sale “almost immediately” after the smartphone goes on sale in the U.S.
The news outlet cited sources close to handset retailers, noting that Russian mobile operators were actively working with Apple to speed up deliveries of Apple smartphone devices, to reduce the number of authorised handset sales caused by longer release cycles.
Apple’s products have typically between three and six months to come to Russia after the original release in U.S and Europe, meaning that carriers are unable to offer their own deals on handsets and simply provide service to consumers that have acquired an iPhone via an unauthorised source.
Apple has reportedly ordered 10 million iPhone 5 units from Taiwan-based manufacturer Pegatron. The Cupertino-based company could be positioning itself to deliver stock to an increased number of partners across the U.S and Europe to reduce high-priced third-party resales.
Read next: Yipit introduces "Trending Daily Deals" so you don't miss out
iPhoneiPhone 5
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National’s Spending Cap Bill
Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 2:30 pm, December 6th, 2011 - 112 comments
Categories: act, education, national, schools - Tags: charter schools, diane ravitch
It is frankly disturbing that the Nats care so little about education that they make major policy decisions on the fly, as part of political agreements with minnow political support “party” ACT. Neither ACT nor National went in to the election campaigning for charter schools, and now without any consultation or (I’d bet good money) serious consideration of the evidence, charter schools are to be introduced.
They’re calling it a “trial” this time, instead of a brute force national standards approach, but it is clear that this development fits the Nats’ profit driven ideology. Derek Cheng at The Herald has a reasonable first look at the issue and even manages to find some balance:
Schools plan ‘bulk funding in drag’
The Labour Party and teacher unions are panning a National-Act proposal for charter schools as a step towards privatising the education system with a proposal that neither party put forward before the election.
Charter schools – effectively state-funded private schools – will be introduced to South Auckland and Christchurch within the next three years as part of the confidence and supply deal between the National and Act parties. The goal of charter schools is to lift the performance of low-achieving students by giving schools more flexibility and autonomy – including the possibility of for-profit private management, an independent curriculum and performance-pay for teachers, which teach unions are vehemently opposed to.
Charter schools will be expected to be faith-based with an academic focus on approved curriculum and qualifications. They can raise revenue through partnerships or sponsorship with iwi, community groups or the private sector. …
But NZEI president Ian Leckie said the Government had no mandate for charter schools. “Overseas experience shows they can take students and money away from existing schools, undermine communities and increase social segregation. They are also less accountable. “New Zealanders should be very concerned that Act is suddenly shaping and dictating key education policy.” Labour’s education spokeswoman Sue Moroney called the trial “bulk-funding in drag” and exposed National’s true colours. …
Charter schools overseas have had mixed results, with some improved learning outcomes amid accusations they have been used as a vehicle for religious indoctrination. … The New Zealand model will be based on the Knowledge is Power Programme in the US – which involves about 100 schools and 27,000 students from primary to high school- and to some extent the UK system. KIPP has been lauded for improvements in maths and reading, but criticised for selecting the most motivated students; the National-Act proposal is for charter schools to have to accept all student applicants, regardless of academic ability.
As a very first look at the issue, concerns about the efficacy of these schools seem well founded. Educational historian Dianne Ravitch used to be a strong supporter of charter schools (and national standards), but the evidence has changed her mind:
Scholar’s School Reform U-Turn Shakes Up Debate
Diane Ravitch, the education historian who built her intellectual reputation battling progressive educators and served in the first Bush administration’s Education Department, is in the final stages of an astonishing, slow-motion about-face on almost every stand she once took on American schooling.
Once outspoken about the power of standardized testing, charter schools and free markets to improve schools, Dr. Ravitch is now caustically critical. She underwent an intellectual crisis, she says, discovering that these strategies, which she now calls faddish trends, were undermining public education. She resigned last year from the boards of two conservative research groups.
“School reform today is like a freight train, and I’m out on the tracks saying, ‘You’re going the wrong way!’ ” Dr. Ravitch said in an interview. Dr. Ravitch is one of the most influential education scholars of recent decades, and her turnaround has become the buzz of school policy circles. …
Here’s Ravtich on the efficacy of charter schools (in a piece critiquing a film on the topic):
The Myth of Charter Schools
… Some fact-checking is in order, and the place to start is with the film’s quiet acknowledgment that only one in five charter schools is able to get the “amazing results” that it celebrates. Nothing more is said about this astonishing statistic. It is drawn from a national study of charter schools by Stanford economist Margaret Raymond (the wife of Hanushek). Known as the CREDO study, it evaluated student progress on math tests in half the nation’s five thousand charter schools and concluded that 17 percent were superior to a matched traditional public school; 37 percent were worse than the public school; and the remaining 46 percent had academic gains no different from that of a similar public school. The proportion of charters that get amazing results is far smaller than 17 percent.
Like Ravitch, but for different reasons, the creator of charter schools in America has changed his mind on their value. From the same piece:
… charter schools were created mainly at the instigation of Albert Shanker, the president of the American Federation of Teachers from 1974 to 1997. Shanker had the idea in 1988 that a group of public school teachers would ask their colleagues for permission to create a small school that would focus on the neediest students, those who had dropped out and those who were disengaged from school and likely to drop out. He sold the idea as a way to open schools that would collaborate with public schools and help motivate disengaged students. In 1993, Shanker turned against the charter school idea when he realized that for-profit organizations saw it as a business opportunity and were advancing an agenda of school privatization.
Once again, under National, we get to repeat an experiment that failed 20 years ago. All cooked up on the back of an envelope in a coalition deal. Education deserves much better.
112 comments on “Charter schools”
grumpy 1
The education system in New Zealand is seriously stuffed in providing decent education to low socio-economic areas.
This proposal can’t be worse than the status quo and deserves a try.
King Kong 1.1
Agreed. If the existing scheme was perfect and kids were not being left behind I could understand the union insisting that the status quo is the only acceptable method.
Talented teachers will be over the moon about this.
Uturn 1.1.1
Do you two qualify your statements or are we to just accept the idiocy at face value?
I can play this game too:
Schools are fine as is; excellent teachers everywhere getting good results; education results effected by larger environment; “seriously stuffed” is not an official measure; causes for children being left behind has wider implications than education; measures for academic success are wider than just mathematic ability; low-socio-economic does not equal low intelligence; people who support charter schools really don’t give a shit about low socio-economic anything; “can’t be worse than status quo” is not an intelligent reason for action.
So there we are. Line in the sand. Step to your side, put your fingers in your ears and jump like monkeys.
RedLogix 1.2
This proposal can’t be worse than the status quo
All school systems struggle with lower socio-economic populations, for the simple reason that much of what determines successful outcomes happens in the home and is largely outside the influence of the school.
But overall NZ’s education system rates pretty well globally; so the chances are that this ‘charter school’ proposal WILL be worse than the status quo.
Of course this doesn’t mean that the status quo is perfect. You are doing what is called ‘binary thinking’; ie you are only allowing two possible choices in your mind… in this case ‘the existing system’ or ‘charter schools’. And in your mind you have decided that because the existing system is not perfect .. that your charter school alternative must be better.
Do I need to point out the obvious fallacy here?
grumpy 1.2.1
I am not saying that Charter Schools are better that the top performers in the state sector (that give the NZ rankings a high result) but it is better than nothing for those poor performing schools.
Although not the universal panacea, charter schools have had some success in both the UK and USA.
Obama has opened 5000 of them FFS.
The UK and the US also brought in “National Standards” which brought about a decrease in education so I want to see proof of your assertion.
BTW, “some success” is indicative of overall failure.
grumpy 1.2.1.1.1
So, are you opposed the the Australian Labor Party’s education policy too, which has both National Standards AND League tables?
Draco T Bastard 1.2.1.1.1.1
Yes, but what’s that got to do with this thread?
Oh, that’s right, nothing. You’re just trying for another useless distraction.
Draco T Bastard 1.3
That would be why our students keep getting ranked in the top few…
Oh, wait.
There’s nothing wrong with our education system. What’s wrong is the resource distribution system that channels the countries wealth to the few and is otherwise known as capitalism.
Jackal 1.4
Studies show that Charter Schools perform on average 20% worse than Public Schools.
Rodel 1.5
Grumpy and King Kong.Ridiculous empty statements ..worthless… no evidence..as dumb as John Banks rubbish.
r0b 2
I see we’re going to get the usual “the school system is failing” nonsense from Right wingers in this thread. Hello reality check:
NZ near top in OECD education figures
New Zealand’s education system has won major praise with it nearing the top in literacy, mathematics and science according to a highly recognised international assessment system.
But the data points to some alarming gaps in New Zealand – especially socio-economic.
Our education system does very well. It’s problems are created by inequality. The solution is to end poverty, not to tinker with failed educational ideology.
grumpy 2.1
“But the data points to some alarming gaps in New Zealand – especially socio-economic”
Looks like we are saying the same thing………………
RedLogix 2.1.1
So if the if these ‘alarming gaps’ are strongly correlated with ‘low income’, (while the educational system can be shown to serve most of the rest of NZ very well indeed)… then the most plausible root cause is:
A. A deficient school system that needs reform to perform better?
B. A deficient economic system that needs reform to distribute income better?
grumpy 2.1.1.1
…but….the Left is not going to be able to “redistribute income” in the forseeable future (if at all) and have made a bloody poor job of it when Labour was last in power.
The “redistribute income” option is not a goer – so option A is the only one on the table.
RedLogix 2.1.1.1.1
Translated:
“We don’t believe in doing the correct solution; so we’ll go with a demonstrably wrong solution that suits our preconceived ideological position.”
Why am I not surprised?
grumpy 2.1.1.1.1.1
Wrong translation.
Charter schools have shown some success.
How about this translation:
“We lost the election so we’ll just oppose everything the government come up with, regardless of whether it might increase the opportunities for some children……”??
Draco T Bastard …
No grumpy, that was a perfect translation. You really are saying that you’ll go with the demonstrably wrong solution on ideological grounds.
spratwax …
wrong again! “We have no ideas about economic policy but we must follow the current US idealogical bent, and after consultation with their people we will institute a way to prop up private schools with taxpayer money (socialisation of private losses again) and enforce free market competition in lower decile schools so we can squeeze more hours out of their teachers for the same money (or less, depending on how you look at it), resulting in the flight of ‘good, better qualified experienced teachers’ to ‘better’ schools in higher socio- economic areas, and the probability that lowest decile schools will close down because they don’t meet Government achievement levels.”
Watch how public money will be channelled into private schools, and of course the system distributes quality teachers into these schools due to the free market application, – this is the Key to this policy, securing a brighter future for the elite in society and guaranteed dumbing down for the rest.
…….and they complained about Helen Clark and social engineering! This is in a completely different league altogether.
Fermionic Interference …
wrong again! “We have no ideas about economic policy but we must follow the current US idealogical bent, and after consultation with their people we will institute a way to prop up private schools with taxpayer money (socialisation of private losses again)
+many
well said and how so accurate.
as to the teachers who are the best actually choosing to wrok in these schools is 50/50 because the teachers who are best at inspiring students and helping them learn are more likely to be in the job for the reward of helping kids not money (or not just the fact that they too have to put food on the table).
fabregas4 2.1.2
You’re not saying the same thing at all. What those who critique NZ Education and Educators say is “Teachers and schools are failing” without considering the impact that socio ecomomic and family factors bring into the equation. The research says that these two things have a greater influence on learning than anything else. Research also tells us that only Canada is better in the OECD at lifting achievement of children in poverty than NZ (and in NZ we spend less).
There is no surprise that as poverty has risen in our country educational outcomes have fallen – rather it is surprising that as we grow poverty so quickly that our achievement levels stay so high.
Rob is correct. The way to lift achievement of all children is to ensure that all children live without poverty. Not easy, but if we want our schools to achieve then something has to be done and it certainly isn’t labeling low decile schools failing and making them businesses.
Oh goody we are near the top of the tree.
We needn’t bother with the kids that leave school unable to read or count because we are just about the best.
We are near the top for not having homeless living on the streets but it doesn’t seem to stop you banging on about that,
Bored 2.2.1
A gorilla of an intellectual effort KK. Have you ever bothered to work through what causes underachievement at school?
Give you a little hint: teachers and teaching standards are pretty low on the list of causes. Underachievement has its causes well outside of the school gates.
Which makes me pose some questions:
1. Why do so many jerk offs expect teachers to pick up the pieces and get results?
2. What makes proponents of Charter Schools so confident they can achieve results when every other organ of state cant get ahead with the same people / students?
King Kong 2.2.1.1
So the children of the poor are mongs and there is nothing teachers can do about it so you may as well just leave them to play touch rugby.
Bored 2.2.1.1.1
Where exactly did I say that????? Read it again King Mong.
No KK, that’s what you said. What needs to be changed is the socio-economic circumstances of the parents – not the teaching.
ianmac 2.2.1.1.3
For 50+ years those who “fail” at school have been known. Who they are and why they are is well documented. The solutions to helping those “failing” kids are also known.
Poverty.
Lack of family support.
English as a second language.
Slow learners buried in classes to big.
Testing to prove failure.
What a pity that Government didn’t deal with those issues instead of rolling out unproven, worthless, expensive political projects.
Ask a school or two where there are many failing kids just what they would do if they had money and resources at hand. They know what they would do.
insider 2.3
But then you have schools which consistently have only a 50% pass rate at NCEA. Education is not just a symptom of deprivation it is a way out, so to blame society and income perhaps doesn’t do enough to motivate kids and their parents to make that next generation a step better.
In a NZ system with integrated and independent schools, charter ones are just going to be a whiter shade of pale, not the end of education as we know it. If providing a bit more to the mix lifts some of the bottom end, that’s a good thing isn’t it?
McFlock 2.3.1
Because all liberals and socialists believe that children will do better if you just “blame society and income”. /sarc
I like the way you pretended to care about the problems other people face in order to imply liberals just blame society and do nothing. Almost made you look like something other than a sociopathic spin-merchant.
red blooded 2.3.2
6 December 2011 at 10:33 pm
Christ – our schools can’t win, can they? If too many kids pass NCEA, it’s being “dumbed down” and teachers are not demanding enough of students; if the bell curve (which, let’s remember, RULED School Cert and Bursary) starts to be seen again, the schools are failing kids and it’s a disgrace that 20% leave without Level 2 NCEA. How about looking at the half-full side of the glass 80%(!) achieve Level 2 (over time, and often with a lot of hard work from their teachers to support their learning).
NZ kids consistently score in the top 5 OECD countries for both reading and maths skills. The US is nowhere near this! Why are we importing their (failed) ideas?
Our biggest challenge is meeting the educational needs of kids who come to school without prior (and ongoing) reading experience, who have high absenteeism, live in families who can’t afford to give them the breadth of background experience that most middle class kids get… Nobody’s saying that working class kids are thick. Don’t be simplistic (and manipulative).
Spratwax 3
This tells me that Key and National have a direct line to their US ideological paymasters, just as Tory, David Cameron, has instituted policies from advice given by US right-wing reform experts.
Read this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/nov/07/britain-welfare-state-born-usa
The similarities to what is happening here (and is probably being planned for the next 3 years) makes my skin crawl but I would wager that ‘tea party politics’ has been instilled in National and dictates their programme.
Bored 3.1
I have a deep suspicion of schemes like this: follow the money and we might see whats behind it.
Two probabilities pop up….
1. Somebody wants to make a profit here running schools.
2. Private schools see this as a progression toward full state funding without having to join the state system.
Both. It’s another way for unaccountable, unelected people to tax the country.
insider 3.1.2
I reckon #2 if going to make a choice. Many independent schools without large historic bequests seem to be begging to be integrated, particularly newer smaller Xtian ones. You don’t see many opting out for the bundles of cash they’ll make.
Puddleglum 4
Drawn up hastily on the back of an envelope during coalition talks?
Possibly. I know that accepted wisdom is to choose incompetence over conspiracy but that ignores a third possibility – incompetent conspiracy.
I find it hard to believe that, in the lift going to the 9th floor, Banks suddenly thought – “Ooooh! How about Charter Schools? – must mention it to John.” Some research must have been done on this prior to the election, at least by ACT ‘policy wonks’ (if they have such things).
I also liked Mary Wilson’s roasting of both Key and Banks on Checkpoint last night over the lack of any mention in their respective campaigns about Charter Schools.
Key brushed it off with words to the effect of ‘Well, ACT’s campaign is their business and, anyway, this is what you get with MMP coalition deals …’
Whatever happened to personal responsibility?
Nothing to do with Key, apparently – despite signing a deal that includes a significant policy that wasn’t mentioned by anyone on the campaign trail.
Mr Moderate and Transparent strikes again.
fender 4.1
Yes Mary Wilson has to be the best interviewer in the country, she demands answers and stomps all over any attempt to deviate off topic. I love her pitbull method and would love to see Espiner, Garner, Sainsburry and those other TV hacks follow her lead.
Hami Shearlie 4.1.1
TV hacks is right. Mary Wilson makes them all look so bad! Remember when Kim Hill and Linda Clark were on tv? The tv political reporters and interviewers now are so mediocre, so much personal bias and so little actual research, so little actual reporting of fact and so much of their own personal opinions which they try to pass off as facts!
Banks is a National Party man, so is Don Brash. I suspect that you’ll find that this is a National Party initiative being passed off as an Act Party initiative and that the “agreement” came about before the coup that replaced Mr Hide with Don Brash.
Spratwax 5.1
Absolutely correct, Draco. Both Brash and Banks are National party through and through- ACT
was a scam. National had to get rid of Rodney Hide to gain control of ACT. National and
the ‘business elite’ will be looking to manufacture other parties (under their control) to use as
coalition partners in the future- the nature of their politics in this country, puts them at a
disadvantage under MMP, that’s why the campaign against MMP hasn’t yet finished as far as
they’re concerned.
Gravedodger 6
Of course the socialist oppose any initiative to give the bottom 20% a chance to escape the welfare trap, how else do they maintain that dependent base for their electoral hopes every three years.
Add another 20% of dreamers to the greens moonbat base and Bob’s yr uncle and hes stayin the night.
What a load of bullshit. Like you give a fuck about the “bottom 20%”, when in the next breath you’ll be off slandering them as “bludgers” or claiming that 80% of the minimum wage is all they deserve.
Go long on guillotine manufacturers.
Of course the socialist oppose any initiative to give the bottom 20% a chance to escape the welfare trap…
No we don’t. We just recognise that these charter schools won’t actually do that. To get people out of the poverty trap requires paying them more and this government is determined to pay people less just as John Key promised.
ianmac 7
Hey . How about setting up Charter Schools where the bottom 20 percent of kids are chosen to go. (No chance of picking off just the great learners like Private Schools do now.)
Fully funded, expertly staffed, and curriculum designed to be in context with kids’ lives.
Wow. That would show that the pollies really really care. And by next year the long tail will be gone- forever! Roll on Charter schools just for those in need!
Let our excellent State Schools get on with what they already do so well.
Great idea Ianmac. The ability of Iwi to get involved in this scheme means that you can even specifically target poorer Maori and tailor the delivery to the audience.
Why the assumption that this is only targeted for smart rich kids? Just because Danyl says so doesn’t make it true.
Even better, why not encourage schools that aren’t mass market blancmanges, but that specialise in things like languages, science, art, culture, sport, disabilities or music so that aptitude is nurtured in a focussed setting, and then allow children to go there and not be penalised for being out of zone.
Psycho Milt 8
Looks like the main difference between the proposed “charter schools” and our existing “schools” is that private schools will be publicly funded. All this “give the bottom 20% a chance to escape the welfare trap” blather is just bullshit – what’s actually being proposed is privatisation and union-busting. If it does turn out the privatised schools do better than the regular ones, the Johns will no doubt look on it as a bonus, but it will be tangential to the actual purpose of the exercise.
ianmac 8.1
By the time evidence of success/failure appears, those who chatter for chartering will be long gone. 8-10 years?
http://www.metafilter.com/110138/Good-for-Business-Kids-Not-So-Much
Stevo 10
This is the great leap backwards…..faith based anything. But that’s the nats for you..blind faith in their ideologies counter to the best evidence provided by Treasury, history or even scientists.
The cult of Key. The responses in this thread in favour of this un- capaigned for policy proves it is real.
The National party IS a cult, their supporters nodding away like the dog in the back window of an Austin 1100 on the holiday highway to hell.
How soon till we have the…Destiny State Funded Faith Based School?
How soon till we have a state funded Muslim schools then?
This will only create separatism. I am surprised at the right supporting opening the door to religion in our education in this way. They should know better.
insider 10.1
We already have
the papist opus dei state funded faith based schools (Catholic integrated)
the English heretic Faith Based Schools (Anglican integrated)
the hippy Green Faith Based Schools (Steiner integrated)
the rapturist Faith Based Schools (various fundie cults represented)
The libertarianz Faith Based School of choice (Montesorri)
and not forgetting the future islamofunditerror faith based school (Al-Madinah in Mangere)
So your fear of the cult of Key is about 30 years too late
mik e 10.1.1
Insider trader these private schools have a worse pass rate than the public schools
Got link?
mik e 10.1.1.2
I just read the exam results every year in the paper and private school in my area -private schools have a lower academic achievement rate than most of the public school including lower decile schools, all that private schools do is set up cliques for life so their networking is more important than their school working.
ianmac 11
http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/12/michigan-privatize-public-education
The list of initiatives reads like a grand plan to dismantle public education as we know it: Slash education spending. Outsource public teachers. Curb collective-bargaining rights. Kneecap teachers’ unions. Open the floodgates to charter and “cyber” schools.
Sound familiar? This is in Michigan but could be here and coming to a school near you. (Thanks to Millhouse for spotting this on “Mother Jones.”)
Nick C 12
http://www.nber.org/~schools/charterschoolseval/how_NYC_charter_schools_affect_achievement_sept2009.pdf
“On average, a student who attended a charter school for all of grades kindergarten through eight would close about 86 percent of the “Scarsdale-Harlem achievement gap” in math and 66 percent of the achievement gap in English. A student who attended fewer grades would improve by a commensurately smaller amount.”
Note that the study uses random lotteries which account eliminate any selection bias. It also finds benefits to children who dont go to the charter schools due to the increased comeptition.
spratwax 12.1
The Hoxby study has been thoroughly discredited due to flawed methodology.
Read this instead: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/03/education/03ravitch.html?scp=2&sq=Diane%20Ravitch&st=cse
Nick C 12.1.1
Oh I thought you were going to link to evidence that the study has been discredited, rather than just asserting that it had..
Colonial Viper 12.1.1.1
this is all shit, bet you any equally resourced public school could match those results easy.
[lprent: please no betting. We all remember the unfortunate fate of the mods and myself having to reread the fallout after big bruv made that unfortunate bet with bLip. Never again… ]
Found this one but it doesn’t say much. Just that the methodology of the report sucked. Of course, methodology is everything. If the methodology sucked then the report is useless.
And this one which calls it misleading, rips it a new one while also praising it and then it’s pointed out that it hasn’t been peer reviewed. I think sums it up though:
but to make matters worse, the authors present (again, in their executive summary) the finding that, for each year students attend a charter high school, they are seven percent more likely to graduate than are comparable students in regular public schools.…What the authors fail to mention in their summary is that this result is not statistically significant at any conventional level.
Dodgy seems to be a good description of that report you linked.
Spratwax 12.1.1.3
Here’s the link then: http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=981
Hoxby is also a senior fellow of the Hoover Institution, which is funded by corporates and is a right-wing public policy think tank. I notice your avatar seems to refer to the american flag- another sad sack promoting the americanisation of NZ. Everyone knows that research results merely reflect the wishes of the those that fund the research.
Nick C 12.1.1.3.1
This is hardly a thorough discrediting. The actual report is here: http://nepc.colorado.edu/thinktank/review-how-New-York-City-Charter
It says that the study ‘likely overstates the benefits’, but it ‘has the potential to add usefully to the growing body of evidence regarding the effectiveness of charter schools.’
Here is more of that body of evidence: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1517008
dave brown 12.2
Those kid’s ‘ll close that Scarlem gap lightnin quik when they occupy their skools. They will learn to count as the bankers drop from the sky over Wall St and spell as they rename all the parks and streets after the working class heroes and martyrs. On the index of cmopteiiton they will score in the 80th percentile behind the intifada and Arab Spring teams. Performance art, music, poetry, will break out everywhere led by the rapsta Banksta from Ouckland NooZeeland performing ‘I done a deal, its a steal, those black queers make me squeal.’
First, I thought to myself that the charter operators were cynically using children as political pawns in their own campaign to promote their cause. (Gail Collins in The New York Times had a similar reaction and wondered why they couldn’t just send the families a letter in the mail instead of subjecting them to public rejection.) Second, I felt an immense sense of gratitude to the much-maligned American public education system, where no one has to win a lottery to gain admission.
If this was such a brilliant move, why did no-one campaign for it?
Mike Smith 15
As I predicted in October /is-key-going-where-goves-gone/. Sell assets to fund charter schools – classic Tory bait and switch. No mandate for this either.
DS 15.1
One wonders what other non-disclosed and non-campaigned-upon policies are going to come tumbling out of the woodwork.
Michael Bott 16
Earlier this year John Key announced in a public meeting in Masterton that funding was going to be cut for the Wairarapa’s flagship last chance school Ohorere Student Transition Programme. That school has a proven track record with an 85 percent success rate at taking troubled young children and getting back on track to return to and complete mainstream education. It cost just $150,000 a year to run (the same prices as 10 minutes of fireworks used to open the Rugby Worl Cup). It has ERO report after ERO report congratulating the school on its success. It is shameful that a school which has a proven record of success with some of the children from the poorest levels of our communities, is going to be binned when Mr Key can find millions of dollars to plough into charter schools, just to make a deal with a former National Party cabinet minister, when the bulk of research suggests charter schools are a failure
Stevo 16.1
perhaps mainfreight will fund it, with logoed shirts n all
Puddleglum 16.1.1
Here in Christchurch, Banks is hoping that construction companies like Fulton Hogan will ‘invest’ in schools. Why?
“Banks said yesterday that Christchurch was chosen as a trial area because of the opportunities that had arisen from the earthquakes.
He refused to name the groups that wanted to set up charter schools in the city, but hoped business interests in the building industry would work closely with a charter school to bring workplace education into the classroom.
Banks said he envisaged building and construction companies co-funding charter schools, which would focus on getting pupils into the work force.
“This will give opportunities for education to become very relevant to people like myself who were not interested in school work,” Banks said”
So, here we have it pretty plain and simple. Those (low socioeconomic) pupils who – curiously – are particularly predisposed to work with their hands and are “not interested in school work” are being ‘helped’ to become the ‘work force’. Coincidentally, large corporations get to make money out of it and provide themselves with a ‘captive’ population of future workers.
But, what about all those poor souls who are the children of Fendalton and Merivale people who will miss out on this amazing opportunity to become part of the manual workforce and who are “not interested in school work”?
Why should they be denied this wonderful opportunity to be freed from the expectation to become lawyers, doctors, accountants, teachers, etc.?
Seems unfair.
joe90 16.1.1.1
The British Secondary Technical Schools were supposed to do the same thing but very few were ever built and most kids were turned into factory fodder at a Secondary Modern School.
And oddly enough the country had numerous post secondary trade schools, I attended the NZED trade school in Mt Wellington, but the eighties reforms closed the lot.
logie97 17
There are many issues regarding charter schools, but one out of left field is some tidy real estate a few years out.
The Nats know it. ACT knows it.
And if those who are currently investing their time in the state system would open
their eyes they should know it as well.
The state school sites will be valuable real estate.
Our schools are going to change through the influence of new technology. The delivery of the curriculum will see children learn more and more through private providers on-line. The rapid growth of the home schooling movement is also testament to this. (The Correspondence school is tailor made for on-line learning.)
So the traditional school as we know it will become surplus to requirements, and the savvy industries who are going to be able to get into these charter schools will have a foot in the door when they come to be sold off.
And what about the staffing of the charter schools? While the government is pushing for a post graduate degree required for new teachers in the primary sector, there is still a large pool of youngish teachers with diplomas (who currently get paid $12000 pa less than those with any sort of degree) who could suddenly be in demand to staff the charter schools.
In the meantime, how is the government able to float the need for the charter schools? Some nebulous argument that the tail can be catered for. We are told there is a need for these initiatives – the public perception of a failing state education system is being formed and influenced by a concerted attack on the profession by the government.
mik e 18
this is just union busting nothing more.
Dr Terry 19
One picks up on many words and phrases among these comments: restraint “has only just started”; “faith-based” – exactly what does this mean – faith in Messiah John Key (or Banks)?; a “business opportunity” (you bet!); perfection – what in hell IS “perfect”?; “some success” will do (in fact this is minute); the solution is to end poverty (much closer to reality!); “a deficient economic system” (good again, except for the word “system”; “a brighter future for the elite in society” (what else would we expect?); finally, and most important of all “what other non-disclosed and non-campaigned upon policies” – we have seen nothing yet (but so much of the country has begged for what is coming!!)
With the enormous input of giant intellects Banks and Dunne (added to that of Tolley!) what educational marvels should we expect? We are going down the gurgler.
randal 20
Unlike gullivers travels where he only had to deal with small people now we have to deal with complete loonies who seem to want to destabilise society just to appease some groups who want to pay off politcial support with patronage with suspect education.
the country has gone bonkers.
ionmannz 21
So they can select their students can they? Well what about the students they dont select? And note that they will only do it in areas where there are large numbers of students so they can choose (cherry pick) and not take in disruptive, aggressive or special needs students. Here is a challenge – go to Mangakino or Murupara or a similar socially deprived area where there is only one school and you have to take all students – ie no cherry picking!! I’ll wager they never will!
this has nothing to do with education but everything to do with ignorati who think they know better and have the political clout to pull it off.
the country has gone mad.
Draco T Bastard 22.1
We’re seeing the rise of the dictators and psychopaths that will bring our civilisation down.
Scott ovewr at Imperator Fish sums up NActs arguments:-
* If the teachers unions are against it then, by God, it must be a good idea!
* Oh well, bad luck, that’s MMP for you.
Sit back, watch, enjoy.
http://dimpost.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/the-charter-school-scam/#comment-58803
Descendant Of Smith 25
It would be simpler and easier to simply put more funding into low socio-economic schools.
The school my kids went to gives everyone a chance at education – those who have been rejected or kicked out of other schools included.
They have the best outputs in the area I live for the improvement from entry to exit, but the second lowest for actual NCEA outcomes.
Does that make them a good school or a bad school?
Two different outputs and no measure at all of outcomes.
One of the low socio-economic pressures on these kids is the pressure to go to work at an early age to help support the family – the same pressure that meant my father left school at 15, my aunty left school at 15 to help raise the younger children, and so on.
The past pressure that used to mean kids worked in coalmines.
The teachers can do little about that pressure apart form instill in these kids a passion for ongoing learning, by conveying it them that in this modern world you still have some access to educate yourself further.
The trouble is some of those outlets have been destroyed by this government – e.g. adult learning classes, which not only removed an option but also removed funding from these schools – about $70,000 per annum from my kids school. That money was taken to put more funding into private schools.
What I also know is that there is a world of difference between the school I went to (NPBHS) with a vast old boys network, a trust that owns the racecourse in New Plymouth, The land NPGHS is on, the land the polytech is on, an education minister at the time who was an old boy (Merv Wellington) who quite happily ensured that the school got funding for a new gymnasium etc in time for the school centennial, and so on.
If my kids school had half the external funding and support that NPBHS has they could probably do quite a bit more – but still wouldn’t necessarily overcome all those barriers that exist.
It might mean however that some poor kids for instance could afford to do sport – the school has to provide for most of the costs associated or it doesn’t happen. It was quite evident at the NI champs that our kids had none of the personal coaches, spiked running shoes, gymnasium access that many of the kids they were competing against did.
Fuck if business are that keen to get involved all they need to do is give money to the low socio-economic schools – no strings attached. If they are concerned about the plight of these kids – give their parents a job. Give the schools some cool resources and donate some salary money for additional teachers.
They don’t need to set up more schools with more buildings and more infrastructure – though they could provide funds to improve some of the existing infrastructure.
There’s heaps they could do right now with hardly any effort. They could seriously lobby for the funding to stop being reduced e.g. the change to funding based on term rolls for high schools – high rolls drop off as the year goes on – another $40,000 loss in funding for our school. Primary schools on the other hand who have rolls that go up as kids turn 5 apparently aren’t good enough to be funded this way.
In saying that there are businesses and businessmen who do support the school and for that no doubt the school is eternally grateful – though no doubt they would rather be properly funded through taxation and have to spend time teaching the kids and not figuring out how to get foreign fee paying students and filling out funding applications instead of administering the school.
burt 25.1
Right, so ease of administration. IE: A state run monopoly with a highly unionised workforce operation under a simple collective takes less administration… shit it must be the best way!
Descendant Of Smith 25.1.1
No it’s more cost effective .
Even replacing the $110,000 a year in funding lost from my local school in the last 2 years would help.
Tell me how that $110,000-00 taken from that schools budget – much transferred to private schools (who are clearly less cost effective because they operate on a much higher $ per student basis) has helped these students do better.
The reality is my local school is run much more cheaply than NPBHS, Auckland Grammar, etc and that’s just state schools.
If the minister wants to produce some tables show the cost per pupil that each school has from all sources of funding. Put that table against the NCEA outputs and lets compare schools.
Tell me burt should a young person from a disadvantaged background get more, less or egalitarian equal funding applied to them in order to make them a contributing member of society, to counter that disadvantage?
Dv 26
Good comment DOS.
Descendant Of Smith 26.1
Apart from not proof-reading it – that’s my two fingered typing rather than my spelling and grammar. Sorry for the bits that need a little deciphering.
Over time, the best way to improve the performance of low-achieving kids is probably to increase the incomes of their parents.
So $15 min wage, WFF for beneficiaries, free early childhood education, etc.That’s the ‘long game’ – reduce inequality over time.
Dopey tinkering round the margins of the education system won’t help. That’s not to say there isn’t a ‘short game’ too, but I doubt this is it.
lilli2000 28
NZ has one of the best education system in the world and this nonsense about 1/3 teachers failing and 20% of children failing is rubbish. Has anyone ever challenged the govt on where they get their facts? Oh from bullshit tests they designed to fail %50 of those who sit them. The National Standards are based on closing ones eye, opening the curriculum and letting ones finger fall on page and announcing that that is the standard. They were not developed by teachers or educators, they were designed by business people who have limited understanding of what happens at school these days, but they went to school once so they know.
Education costs money and they want don’t want to spend money on education… they want to spend money on tax cuts for the rich. So they are figuring out ways to cut spending on education so they can.
If they cared about children they would have teacher ratios of 1:12, they’d have one teacher aide to every five children, they’d pump money into class sets of kindles, they’d better resource schools.
But they don’t see education as an investment, they see it as an expense.
New Zealand’s education system is great, but yes we do need work and resourcing to move it to excellent. Here are some facts, feel free to google to check them for yourselves:
Nz’s Education system ranked best in the world by the Legatum Prosperity Index 2010.
92% people feel that children are learning & growing every day (Gallup World Poll, as cited in the Legatum Prosperity Index 2010).
New Zealand leads the world, along with Norway & Australia, in the 2010 UN Human Development Index, which measures education, health, & income.
At tertiary level, many more students come to New Zealand to study than leave New Zealand to study overseas
Ranked second in the world by the OECD in terms of entry rates to diploma-level study (Education at a Glance 2010).
Ranked second in the world by the OECD for the share of people aged 25 to 64 with a qualification at Level 4 or above.
The NZ early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki, when it was developed in the 1990s, was a world-leading early childhood curriculum document. It is still considered an international exemplar.
New Zealand 15-year-old students’ overall reading performance was substantially higher than the average for the 34 OECD countries (PISA 2009).
Of the 65 countries or economies participating in PISA 2009, only two OECD countries, and two non-OECD partner economies performed better than New Zealand.
Close to one in six of New Zealand students were top-performing readers (PISA 2009).
Only one OECD country and three non-OECD partner countries or economies achieved a higher mean scientific literacy score than New Zealand (PISA 2009).
Mew Zealand primary school students finished in 5th place on World Maths Day 2011, and one New Zealand student took top place in the 8-10 yr old category.
New Zealand is the most peaceful place to be a student – listed as the world’s most peaceful country in the 2010 Global Peace Index.
The National Education Monitoring Project (NEMP) at the University of Otago found in 2009 that out of 14 subjects, mathematics is the second most popular subject for year 4 students and the third most popular subject for year 8 students. At least 85% of students in both years were positive about doing mathematics at school.
The National Education Monitoring Project (NEMP) at the University of Otago found in 2009 that the percentage of year 4 students who indicated that they practised basic facts and tables (mathematics) in their own time (not at school) increased by 11% to 47% from 2005 to 2009.
Education costs money and they want don’t want to spend money on education…
Had a short conversation on twitter with a suspected RWNJ. I pointed out that properly funding education would bring about as good or better results than charter schools and his response was:-
so throw money at schools, (great idea) and where does this money come from ?
He didn’t seem to appreciate that that was all that the government was doing with the charter schools (they’ll spin it as costing nothing but in reality it will be massively expensive) and that nothing is free.
They’re RWNJs, they seem to see everything except themselves as an expense and they see themselves as the Great Creators.
red blooded 29
Well, I guess we now know why Key wanted Banks in – so he could impose a raft of loopy, ideologically driven ‘experiments’ on us and tell us he had no choice. National have wanted this (or something like it) for years. I remember arguing it off in seminars during the Bolger years.
A few facts on the table, though:
1) NZ ALREADY HAS one of the most extremely devolved, community controlled schooling systems in the world. Each school is run by a locally elected Board of Trustees, who have control over all employment and most curriculum matters. For heaven’s sake – our schools don’t even have to use our national qualifications system (NCEA) to asses students.
2) There is already a significant amount of competition between schools (too much).
3) Not only do all schools develop their own characters, and their own areas of specialisation, but along with competition between the various state schools in any one area, there are likely to be integrated schools. These are ALREADY ‘special character’ schools that receive state funding and are allowed to accept and reject (ie, cherry-pick) their students, as the proposed charter schools would be.
4) On top of that, we have fully private schools, which (bizarrely) also receive state funding, even though they have no obligation to teach the NZ curriculum (and can accept/reject/cherry-pick as described above).
5) Note – teachers in these private schools are not members of NZEI or PPTA and so are paid whatever their school decides (as Key and Banks want for the charter schools).
6) All NZ teachers have to have prior qualifications and teacher training (although the Nat.s want to dump this and let people train on the job, but that’s another story…). They have to be registered with the Teachers’ Council and have their registration renewed every 3 years. This is only possible if they have been professionally assessed and judged to be competent each year. They must also take part in professional development training on a regular basis.
7) There is no automatic progression up a pay scale. Again – this depends (at first) on ongoing reviews of competency, then on taking on extra responsibilities.
8) None of the requirements for qualifications, training, registration or professional development described above are planned for staff in charter schools. This is idiocy. Not only that, it’s irresponsible and extreme.
It’s always been obvious that Key and Tolley don’t value state education. Let’s remember that their 1st decisions for secondary education after the last election were to give an extra $30 million to independent schools (basically stolen from state schools) and to lift the caps on the numbers of students funded at integrated schools (even in areas where there were state schools with extra space, and equal or better academic records).
The other thing they don’t value, of course, is the education sector unions, which still have 90%+ membership and considerable strength of purpose. These are not just ‘self-interest groups’ as Banks & Key claim, though. There is a strong focus on education policy driven by a sense of professional calling. It’s also telling that other education sector expert groups like the absolutely apolitical Teachers’ Council (a government body) and the (usually right wing) School Trustees’ Association are also against this extremist experiment.
One last thing (I know this is too long – sorry); whoever said that schools were becoming irrelevant because of digital learning, think again. Students need human interaction. Their learning can certainly be scaffolded around some great digital material, but they still need teachers, and to get a chance to be with their peer group. Plus school is much more than happens in the classroom, now. Schools are vital, challenging places that offer kids the chance to explore all sorts of interests and abilities outside of classtime.
The NZ education system needs to keep asking itself some pretty hard questions, but we need to crate our own answers, based on our own issues. The last thing we need to do is import another failed policy from a system that we so consistently outperform.
Puddleglum 29.1
Excellent post. I’m learning a lot.
Ari 30
The details of this policy look very disturbing, despite the fact that in principle I like the idea of experimenting with different policies.
Pete George 30.1
Is it worth trialling in areas with high educational failure rates? Or should it be stopped at all costs in case it flows on to affect wider teaching employment conditions?
Dunedin views on Charter Schools.
Hocuspocus 31
Talk about reactionary. The empirical evidence is equivocal – (http://shankerblog.org/?p=4201). Some charter schools have done exceedingly well. Others not as well. The same could be said of public schools. On average they tend to be no better nor worse. If that is the case (and the evidence suggests that it is) then the world isn’t going to end if some (a small minority of schools) become charter schools.
The US expert quoted in the herald this morning suggests that external accountability is key in ensuring charter schools do well (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10771435).
The Nat/Act confidence and supply agreement suggests that accountability for the proposed for the charter schools will be no less than that for public schools.
One can only surmise that teacher and principal unions are opposed to change (Change Obama Can Believe In) for interests other than student achievement particularly given the selective quoting of evidence (as this post also does).
Given that you claim there is no difference, overall, in the effects of student achievement between public and charter schools and that the ‘success’ of charter schools (up to the point where they provide equivalent outcomes to state schools) depends on ‘accountability’ and that the only assurance we have of that accountability is motherhood and apple pie words in the coalition agreement – then, surely,
“One can only surmise that those who support the charter school proposal are doing so for interests other than student achievement, particularly given the selective quoting of evidence”
Those other interests might be (a) undermining teachers’ unions; (b) providing further areas for private profit in the economy; (c) channelling low socioeconomic pupils into the construction and industrial workforce (where they ‘belong’)??
Wouldn’t you agree?
neoleftie 32
oh if one studies the chosen model type, its language and framing one can see that it simply turns a few chosen schools in a few carefully selected areas into private like schools with selected and limited entry.
Me, i’m more concerned between the obvious lack of support, infrastructure and funding between socio eco areas after visiting ECE centres in my local area.
Make no mistake this is about expanding schooling for the elites in a few selected area’s, depowering the teachers union and other groups. Objective = create more elites = more stabalised right leaners.
We all know the ideology of the right and it aint about floating the boats for everyone…more likely improving the lot, control and connectiveness of the selected few…almost time for the barricades.
‘Make no mistake…’
I think you are making a mistake trying to frame this policy as part of a conspiracy before you have any idea how they intend implementing it.
We should wait for details and discuss and explore it surely? That’s better than closed mind ideological entrenchment.
neoleftie 32.1.1
PG – both idiological sides frame events, objectives, policy through the narrow framework of the party blue coloued specs and red coloured specs – any other observation is naive in the extreme…
Trouble is once the detail is available that allows discourse the policy is basically in motion and unstoppable.
Also i’m a realist there PG,but one who believes in opportuntiy for all and not just a selected few. the help is needed at the bottom..so bottom up not top down approach with meaningful and measureable solutions to real issues
Pete George 32.1.1.1
That’s why we should be discussing and exploring this policy now, rather than putting up instant ideologocal barriers.
I agree the bottom up approach is important, but we need – and will get – top down proposals. We need to establish better ways of meeting in the middle and working together.
rosy 32.1.1.1.1
This is ideologically driven from the right, Pete. If you’ve read this thread it appears there is no research to support charter schools, and plenty to show they are not effective. It’s not an ideological position from the left and there cannot be a meeting in the middle when the proposition under discussion will probably leave those that are subject to it worse off.
Pete George 32.1.1.1.1.1
It pays to read more than just one thread rosy. Like this..
In 2009, the most authoritative study of charter schools was conducted by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University. The report is the first detailed national assessment of charter schools.
It analyzed 70% of the nation’s students attending charter schools and compared the academic progress of those students with that of demographically matched students in nearby public schools.
The report found that:
17% of charter schools reported academic gains that were significantly better than traditional public schools
46% showed no difference from public schools
37% were significantly worse than their traditional public school counterparts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_school
Doesn’t it make sense to see how the 17% better was achieved and see if similar can be done here?
rosy …
It makes even more sense to understand what 37% significantly worse off means before announcing changes, don’t you think? BTW that report is discussed on this thread.
felix …
Jesus, Pete.
Your own quote states that it’s twice as likely to make things worse than better.
Pete George …
Yes, so we should avoid what makes things worse and learn from the 17% better outcomes and consider utilising what might make things better.
So we study those 17% and then duplicate the processes in our public schools. No need for the extra complication of charter schools.
“Yes, so we should avoid what makes things worse”
And I agree with you on that. In this case it’s charter schools, according to what you quoted.
I’d be more concerned about the 37% worse off. According to that research, charter schools will leave our children worse off.
oftenpuzzled 33
What really upsets me is that we the tax payer have to contribute to this scheme through our taxes. We already contribute far too much to the private school system. If the money that goes to Private schools from the public purse went into the public school system our schooling and educational achievements would be even higher. I don’t care how many and in what form private schools take but let the creators and attenders/families of these schools pay their own way and not call on the public purse.
Gruntie 34
this is classic Shock Doctrine – Christchurch post earthquakes is our version of New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina – make no mistake – this is a far right, neocon move to privatize schools – the thin end of the wedge
http://www.naomiklein.org/shock-doctrine/excerpt
http://www.apple.com/asia/education/profiles/escondido/
This study reports on impressive lieracy improvement using an ipod touch.
I suspect that there are major gains to be made by the use of the new techologies tablet, kiddle, ipads
And i suspect it is extremely cost effective learning tool.
If any teachers reading this who are using the new tecnolgies, could you comment on their effectiveness.
stever 36
Slightly related…too big to fail??…”corporate” (they’re a mutual???)….Southern Cross ask for Govt subsidies….
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10771374
KJT 37
Why? when we have one of the better performing education systems on earth, as well as one of the most cost effective, do we want to emulate two (UK and USA) which are way down the scale.
Shouldn’t we be looking at taking the best from systems which do better than ours?
What the new NZ curriculum was set up to do. Now being dumped to emphasize failed right wing policies.
Nationals backers spy a new way of extracting more wealth from us. Methinks!
the same idiots who want to f*ck the school system must be the same ones that believe in aliens and ufo’s.
the ignorati rule.
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Broncos bus crash
TheGrowthOp: Cannabis in Canada
StarPhoenix Sporting Christmas
People Project
Surrey, B.C., police say family of four reported missing has been found safe
SURREY, B.C. — A family of four that was reported missing on Tuesday has been found.
Surrey RCMP says the Anderson family has been located and is safe, but provided no further details.
RCMP had issued a public appeal asking for help finding 43-year-old Sheldon Anderson, 45-year-old Nona Anderson and the couple’s two daughters, Chanel and Mariah, who are 13 and 10 respectively.
They were last seen Sunday and a family member spoke to them Monday evening.
At the time of the search, police said the family is known to frequent Minoru Park in Richmond, B.C., and that it was also possible the Andersons were driving to Alberta.
The Mounties thanked the public and its community partners for their assistance.
Lloydminster doctor sanctioned after admitting sexual relationship with patient Claude Gauthier sentenced to seven years for role in beating death...
Police seek internet-based access to info for media after privacy commissioner finding silences scanners
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[PHOTOS] Luis Borje vs Alimar Altarejos at MP Promotions, Ringstar Asia’s ‘Rising Stars’ at Resorts World Manila
For the first time, Ringstar Asia of Scott Patrick Farrell and MP Promotions of Manny Pacquiao co-promoted a boxing event along with Sanman Promotions of Jim Claude Manangquil. The weigh-ins for the event titled “Rising Stars” took place at Resorts World Manila in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines on March 22, 2019 and the fight night was held at the same venue the next day.
“Rising Stars” featured 11 boxing bouts. The first match was between Filipino boxers Luis Borje, 20, and Alimar Altarejos.
Borje was originally scheduled to face his fellow Filipino boxer Bernie Aday, 20, a Penalosa Boxing Gym trained and managed by Jonathan Penalosa. However, the latter was not able to make it to the weigh-ins so he was replaced by Altarejos.
Altarejos made his professional boxing debut at “Rising Stars.” He replaced fellow Filipino boxer Bernie Aday, 20, who was not able to make it to the weigh-ins.
Borje made his professional boxing debut on May 13, 2018. Representing MP Boxing Gym, he is trained and managed by Raides Neri.
Fight Result
Borje and Altarejos’s bout was set in four three-minute rounds. They competed in the junior bantamweight division with Sammy Bernabe as the referee.
Bernabe put a stop to the contest in the second round. Borje knocked out Altarejos.
Winning at “Rising Stars” improved Borje’s professional boxing record to 2 wins and 0 loss. On the other hand, Altarejos now has 0 win and 1 loss.
In the co-main event, Filipino boxers Rene Mark Cuarto, 22, and Samuel “Silent Assassin” Salva, 21, competed in an International Boxing Federation Minimumweight title eliminator. Cuarto won via unanimous decision.
In the main event, Filipino boxers Kenny “Big Heart” Demecillo, 26, and Michael “Gloves on Fire” Dasmarinas, 26, and competed in an IBF Bantamweight Championship title eliminator. Dasmarinas won via unanimous decision.
Pacquiao graced the event with his wife Jinkee Pacquiao, 40, and their children. They were also with NBA coach Metta World Peace, 39, who was previously known as Ron Artest.
Among the 22 boxers on the card, 21 are Filipinos. Check the complete fight card and results on Conan Daily.
For more information, follow Ringstar Asia:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ringstarasia
Instagram: http://instagram.com/ringstarasia
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ringstarasia
Website: https://ringstar-boxing.com/
Categories: Boxing, COMBAT SPORTS
Tagged as: Luis Borje, MP Promotions, Philippines, Resorts World Manila, Ringstar Asia
‘Brave 22: Storm of Warriors’ delivers festival of finishes in the Philippines
Philippines’ Ramon Gonzales eager to sustain winning momentum in homecoming bout
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Bitumen BubbleCanadaCanada's Pipeline-Climate Policy ParadoxClimate Policy/Meetings/NegotiationsEnergy PoliticsFinance & InvestmentSub-National Governments
Home›Bitumen Bubble›How a Houston Pipeliner Out-Maneuvered the Canadian Government
How a Houston Pipeliner Out-Maneuvered the Canadian Government
Full Story: Reuters @Reuters
Primary Author David Ljunggren @reutersLjungg, Liz Hampton @LizHampton1986, and Gary McWilliams @CarMcWilliams
Pixa/klassensprecher930/">klassensprecher930 / Pixabay
In an exclusive after-action analysis of the negotiations leading up to Canada’s purchase of Kinder Morgan’s C$7.4-billion pipeline, the Reuters news agency recounts the hardball business deals that enabled the Texas-based pipeliner to offload a failing project and avoid the financial losses that hit Enbridge Inc. and TransCanada Corporation when their own pipeline plans went awry.
Reuters notes that one of the architects of the company’s big win, Kinder Morgan Canada finance chief Dax Sanders, has already received a “battlefield promotion” to head of strategy for the parent company in Houston.
Bank financing and oil shipping contracts reviewed by Reuters “show Kinder Morgan cut creative deals with lenders and oil producers to shield itself from massive write-downs,” the news agency reports. “The arrangements, which have not been previously reported, gave Kinder Morgan unique leverage in threatening last month to walk away from the project.” Ultimately, “the company’s cautious financial planning and hardball politicking combined to create a no-lose bet on what might have been one of the oil industry’s riskiest plays, given the volatility of Canadian pipeline politics.”
Now, Canadian taxpayers will reimburse Kinder Morgan for the $1.1 billion it has already spent on the project, plus another $3.4 billion for potential profits foregone, on a project whose rising costs had cut profit potential to “just a little north of their cost of capital,” according to Brian Kessens, managing director at Leawood, Kansas-based investment firm Tortoise, which holds shares in Kinder Morgan Inc.
“Kinder Morgan wins,” Kessens said, largely by transferring all its project risk to other parties.
In its review of Kinder’s contracts with 13 Alberta fossils that had reserved capacity on the expanded pipeline, Reuters found the companies had agreed to cover 80% of the cost of building the project—even if the twinned, expanded pipeline was never completed. The payments were to be made over time through access charges on the existing Trans Mountain pipeline. Then Kinder drove a bargain with 26 lenders led by the Royal and TD banks, winning an exemption from up to $100 million in penalties on construction loans if political problems stopped the project.
About $220 million in additional financing came from assessments on oil shipped through the company’s Westridge export terminal in Burnaby, B.C., Kinder Morgan Canada CEO Steve Kean told analysts last month.
With that mix of safety factors in place, Kinder Morgan’s April 8 ultimatum aimed at governments in Ottawa, Alberta, and B.C. was a “genius move on Kinder Morgan’s part to move this project along and put a date to it,” said Bob Prasad, senior director of Allnorth, a Vancouver-based energy engineering and consulting firm involved with the project.
Economist and fierce Kinder Morgan critic Robyn Allan told Reuters that Kinder Morgan guaranteed itself a bailout for both the existing and new Trans Mountain pipelines by using assets from one to finance the other. “Now Kinder Morgan’s U.S. shareholders will be made whole,” she said. “They have offloaded all of these costs onto Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.”
In her own post Wednesday on National Observer, Allan said those costs could exceed $15 to $20 billion.
“When asked about the cost to build the expansion during his press conference, [Finance Minister Bill] Morneau was cagey. He refused to explain that $4.5 billion simply buys Ottawa the rights to what exists today—a 65-year-old pipeline serving B.C. and Washington State, storage facilities, and a one-berth marine terminal that sends modest volumes of diluted bitumen to California markets.”
But on top of Canada’s compensation to Kinder Morgan, “the $7.4 billion capital cost for the project estimated in February 2017 will likely exceed $9 billion by the time an up-to-date budget is prepared,” Allan writes. “Then there is $2.1 billion in financial assurances required for the land-based spill risk, and the $1.5-billion Oceans Protection Plan for marine spill risk that Ottawa has already agreed to.”
By the time the ultimatum was issued, “Trans Mountain’s expansion was never commercially viable and Kinder Morgan knew it,” Allan asserts. “The Texas based company—forged from the executive offices of Enron—plowed ahead anyway. It relied on the National Energy Board (NEB) as an industry-captured regulator to help in the cover-up of the project’s commercial challenges.”
After that, “the company played the huge egos of desperate politicians who based project approval on backroom deals rather than proper due diligence,” she adds. “Ottawa never did the job it should have to protect the public interest. It never understood the project’s compromised financial case, or how it was cobbled together.”
In a post republished by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), the Seattle-based Sightline Institute concludes that the “big winner in all this is Houston’s richest billionaire, Richard Kinder—the executive chairman of Kinder Morgan, a multinational pipeline giant that rose from the ashes of Enron and succeeded in playing the Canadian government like a fiddle throughout the years-long Trans Mountain saga. The losers? Well, just about everyone else, especially the First Nations whose homelands and waters will be threatened by an unwanted pipeline.”
In a letter to the editor in yesterday’s Toronto Star, Greenpeace Canada’s Keith Stewart points to the “fine print of Kinder Morgan’s security filings”, indicating that “Ottawa has bought itself a pipeline that only succeeds economically if the Paris agreement fails. Quite the Faustian bargain.”
Stewart notes that, “according to the filing, serious progress on achieving the Paris climate agreement’s decarbonization goals would reduce oil demand, and thus oil companies might not be able to honour their contracts with Kinder Morgan or sign new ones.”
Meanwhile, Reuters points out that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s political project with the project he’s just bought are only beginning.
“Though Trudeau asserts federal authority to approve the project, British Columbia officials could effectively bog it down for years in environmental studies, lawsuits, and regulations that undercut its profit potential,” the news agency notes. While Trudeau could rely on federal legislation from the 1940s to neutralize provincial opposition, “that’s unlikely given that his Liberal party relies far more on electoral support from British Columbia than from conservative Alberta.”
Murray Reiss 1 June, 2018 at 10:32 Reply
Except that the Reuters report repeats the claim that delays in the pipeline are costing Canada $15 billion per year which has been debunked repeatedly, by such analysts as Robyn Allan and David Hughes, most recently in this piece Mr Hughes wrote for Macleans — https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/the-faulty-math-behind-trudeaus-reasoning-for-buying-trans-mountain-from-kinder-morgan/
al 2 June, 2018 at 18:24 Reply
”costing Canada $15 billion per year ”
Where does the article say that?
Mitchell Beer 5 June, 2018 at 23:46 Reply
$15 to $20 billion, actually. It’s in Robyn Allan’s comments, about two-thirds of the way down. That’s before factoring in the cost overruns that usually come along with big energy megaprojects, most recently according to a Deloitte study a couple of years ago.
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← Ominous: Ebola cases double in DR Congo – 35 dead, nearly 400 people may be infected
Ebola in the air? A nightmare that could happen – ‘would be one of the most devastating things to ever hit the world’ →
Ebola Virologist: fight against Ebola outbreaks in Sierra Leone and Liberia is already lost – 5 million people could die
Posted on September 12, 2014 by The Extinction Protocol
September 2014 – AFRICA – The killer virus is spreading like wildfire, Liberia’s defense minister said on Tuesday he pleaded for UN assistance. A German Ebola expert tells DW the virus must “burn itself out” in that part of the world. His statement might alarm many people. But Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit of the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg told DW that he and his colleagues are losing hope for Sierra Leone and Liberia, two of the countries worst hit by the recent Ebola epidemic. “The right time to get this epidemic under control in these countries has been missed,” he said. That time was May and June. “Now it is too late.” Schmidt-Chanasit expects the virus will “burn itself out” in this part of the world. With other words: It will more or less infect everybody and half of the population – in total about five million people – could die. Stop the virus from spilling over to other countries. Schmidt-Chanasit knows that it is a hard thing to say. He stresses that he doesn’t want international help to stop. Quite the contrary: He demands “massive help.” For Sierra Leone and Liberia, though, he thinks “it is far from reality to bring enough help there to get a grip on the epidemic.” According to the virologist, the most important thing to do now is to prevent the virus from spreading to other countries, “and to help where it is still possible, in Nigeria and Senegal for example.” Moreover, much more money has to be put into evaluating suitable vaccines, he added.
In the headquarters of Welthungerhilfe, a German non-governmental aid organization that is engaged in helping with the Ebola epidemic, Schmidt-Chanasit’s statement causes much contempt. Such declarations “are not very constructive,” a spokeswoman said. Jochen Moninger, Sierra Leone based coordinator of Welthungerhilfe, told DW, Schmidt-Chanasit’s statement is “dangerous and moreover, not correct.” Moninger has been living in Sierra Leone for four years and has experienced the Ebola outbreak there from the beginning. “The measures are beginning to show progress,” he says. “The problem is solvable – the disease can be stemmed. If I had lost hope completely, I would pack my things and take my family out of here,” Moninger adds. Instead, he and his family will stay. In Sierra Leone, the government has ordered a quarantine of 21 days for every household in which an Ebola case occurred. Soldiers and police are guarding these houses preventing anyone who has come into contact with an Ebola patient from leaving. According to Moninger, that is exactly the right thing to do: isolating sick people – should it be necessary, even with military force.
She admits, though, that the situation especially in Liberia is “very intense.” The government is completely outstripped and as soon as a new Ebola treatment center has opened, it is overflowed by patients, she says, adding that Liberia has the highest number of cases and deaths in West Africa with a 60 percent case-fatality rate. The situation is getting worse after 80 health workers, doctors and nurses, have died after contracting the disease. The WHO even expects thousands of new cases of Ebola in Liberia over the next few weeks. –DW
“The number of new cases is increasing exponentially,” the WHO said, calling the situation a “dire emergency with … unprecedented dimensions of human suffering.” –CNN
This entry was posted in Black Swan Event, Catastrophic Insurance losses mount, Civilizations unraveling, Dark Ages, Disease outbreak, Earth Changes, Earth Watch, Ecology overturn, Environmental Threat, Famine Threat, High-risk potential hazard zone, Human behavioral change after disaster, Infrastructure collapse, New virus reported, Pestilence Watch, Potential Earthchange hotspot, Prophecies referenced, Quarantine, Time - Event Acceleration. Bookmark the permalink.
22 Responses to Ebola Virologist: fight against Ebola outbreaks in Sierra Leone and Liberia is already lost – 5 million people could die
Lorra B. says:
To say this is heartbreaking is an understatement…
I don’t think this virus will simply burn out like a forest fire as the German doctor suggests. This is an environment of open borders, international travel, ignorance, and a collapsed health care infrastructure. Just like a forest fire, this virus will easily jump over obstacles and spread into Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and the entire middle east. That is the only direction it can go, except maybe toward South Africa. If it ever spreads to Egypt, it will even seep into closely guarded Israel. This is science fiction becoming reality.
From the mideast, it could spread to Europe, India, China, Pakistan and then into Russia. Then it will be just a matter of time and it will cross the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean to North and South America.
This may change everything. We may look at life before this, and after.(Black Death) children will likely read about in their history books. Hopefully we won’t see this magnitude!
“We don’t know what to do”. The understatement of the year.
ANTHONY HOLMES says:
Just a thought , ebola is spread by touch right , the flies seen walking on the infected guy must be picking the virus up from his skin and feces , they fly off and land on another person – their virus infected feet touch the skin and the virus burrows down through the pores – and a new infection starts . flies are everywhere and they make a beeline for poop – which ebola victims produce in large quantities , has no one thought that ebola could after all be airborne ?
davidh7426 says:
Don’t forget mosquitoes, if they can be used as a transmission vector, then it’ll be like injecting the blood from an Ebola carrier directly into your body.
amy adams says:
Anthony Holmes
It would seem logical that it would spread in just such a way even the mice , fleas , anything that crawled or landed in the feces, blood or urine , although I have not heard even one person besides you say so , one would assume it to be true scary isn’t it .
Copper, Gold, Platinum and Iron Ore are the goal. Soros is working for Rothschild interests to sew up the resources of West Africa. The people are not needed, since Western engineers and Asian technicians will be brought in to run the open pit mines.
stevenj says:
Ebola will hit every continent within 12 to 18 months…. Our international mobility will be our downfall. Once it’s all said and done, the world’s population will be culled by at least 25 to 40 percent, and that may be a conservative estimate. Even if a vaccine is found, it will be too little too late. Science fiction has become fact…
Ken McClellan says:
Five million is a conservative’s figure. Go to your August 21st chart and update it. This thing jumped 3 orders of magnitude in the first six months. What are we doing differently now than before? We still let them on airplanes. We still let them go home. We don’t burn the bodies. We don’t eradicate the animals gnawing on them. This is the Cull the elites have long wanted. Time to relearn the poem “Ring around the rosies.”
Chilling… he’s not the only expert giving their honest opinion.
An epidemiologist from London says we “can’t rule out some sort of nightmare doomsday scenario.”…
… based on data from recent weeks, researchers estimate each case in the community could be giving rise to about 1.5 more cases. “That means each case that is turned away generates more than one new case,” said Edmunds. And then you’re looking at an ongoing epidemic that could permeate right through society unless we do something to stop it right now.”
‘The Terrifying Mathematics of Ebola’
Ebola treatment facilities in Monrovia, the Liberian capital, are now so overwhelmed they are turning away up to 30 infected people every day according the medical charity Medecins sans Frontieres.
Given the rate at which the virus is spreading, it says the virus will soon be having an “apocalyptic” impact on the country and its neighbours unless there is a dramatic increase in international assistance.
“It could get very bad indeed,” said Prof John Edmunds, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. ”And I mean you can’t rule out some sort of nightmare doomsday scenario.”
“But the quicker we react and put interventions in place, the better chance we’ve got of avoiding something really, really serious.”
The leading epidemiologist is studying the spread of the virus in Monrovia, where the outbreak is now most intense. He has told Channel 4 News that based on the current rate of spread and lack of power to control it, it has the potential to infect the majority of the population of the country.
Getting a real handle on how fast the virus us spreading is becoming impossible. Official statistics are largely based on admissions and deaths in Ebola treatment facilities, from which people are now being turned away.
But based on data from recent weeks, researchers estimate each case in the community could be giving rise to about 1.5 more cases. “That means each case that is turned away generates more than one new case,” said Edmunds. And then you’re looking at an ongoing epidemic that could permeate right through society unless we do something to stop it right now.”
“The doubling time of this epidemic is about two weeks, so if we are overwhelmed with our resources right now, it’s going to be twice as bad in two weeks’ time.”
See more at: http://blogs.channel4.com/tom-clarke-on-science/terrifying-mathematics-ebola/1329
Anni Mock says:
Ezekiel 5:12 King James Version (KJV)
A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.
Pestilence (Ebola), Famine (reduced population in affected areas = less to work the fields), Wars (we’re on the brink right now)… Couple that with the significant rise in volcanic and tectonic activity worldwide – Connect the dots… We are seeing prophecy unfold before our eyes… Of course, many will choose to ignore what they see, and will be lost. But that is foretold as well.
sunlinepr says:
Global Economies will perish……Once all comercial activities go down hill in Ebola infected countries due to isolation, hunger, the lack of basic resources needed for normal every day will move the people into panic.
Imagine that you are part of a wealthy family in one of those countries. You would be right now preparing your departure with all your loved ones. So…
We will hear news about how the wealthy ones will use their influences to find their way to escape the country, taking the virus with it.
Like the WHO sais and many other experts…..This virus is already unstopable. The ones that have the resources to escape will look for developed societies in order to obtain expected cures. So the US, England, Brazil, China, Russia, Europe, ANY COUNTRY will be their target. This is serious… and is a situation that we all will have to deal and prepare for in the next year….
Energist says:
It is sad watching this also because it doesn’t seem like the true danger of the virus is resonating with the populations the way it should. Why is that woman sitting there with her bare feet, not taking care of her self so that she isn’t the next to contract the virus. There are too many of these people who are relying on being saved instead of doing what they are able to, to try and save themselves. A lot of these people do not know how to take care of themselves, relying on their governmental aid and looking beyond for aid as well. This is a sadness beyond belief and there is not even a clean up crew anywhere. There are the sprayers, but what about the sanitization of everything along with the spraying. People should try to keep everything in a sanitary order and keep clean, not roll around on the dirty ground. I guess this is also the OCD popping out of me while watching these videos.
This is so sad and I do feel like it’s a part of an earth cleanse that’s taking place everywhere in the world with alarming weather conditions, sickness and death of many animals and new human sicknesses that are popping up with new strains, like this one. Just like our body wants to cleanse itself when it’s sick and needs renewal and doctors try and aid the body toward better health. The earth is cleansing herself, screaming for renewal and it’s doing it’s part with the aid of the Universal Energies that be.
Earth in general is going through a master cleanse in more ways than one and it’s sad to watch the unfolding of it all, but I understand.
Bone Idle says:
A couple of days ago a WHO agency set up a 260 bed emergency response centre in Monrovia. The day they opened it over 1000 unreported cases turned up to try and occupy the available beds. Obviously the majority were turned away – these cases still remain unreported. A the days wore on there were long queues of more new unreported patients lined up outside.
The unreported cases are obviously a nightmarish number to the staff on the ground.
Every day the figure of official cases of infections and deaths is far outstripped by the unreported.
Exactly, this has already morphed into an extinction threat…
How much more will it take for people to wake up?
At a guess… For the world they know to become a morgue, where those they know, are dead, dying, or running for the proverbial hills in a desperate bid to hide from the contagion.
Most won’t wake up, they’ll just die where they stand, waiting for the MAN to come and save them, a somewhat vain hope at best.
When the world’s population is reduced to less than a billion – reality will set in.
Broer says:
This is indeed a potential global catastrophe.
Just like the swine flu a hundred years ago.
The swine flu killed over ten million.
The difference here is that there was basically no international passenger air traffic a hundred years ago.
Now this epidemic can be here in twelve hours.
There are between 3000 and 5000 visitors from Nigeria on non stop flights from Nigeria weekly.
Nigeria is an infected country.
It’s almost as if the global elite want a pandemic.
But of course a massive population reduction is their stated goal.
Always remember the georgia guide stones.
All direct international flights to the USA and European countries need to stop from infected countries.
Maybe the president can miss a golf game to sign an executive order to stop the air traffic.
The over all health of most Africans is terrible over fifty percent in some areas have aids.
There are specific things you can do to strengthen your immune system
Vit c. 3000mg
Immune support. Four a day
Viagrahics. Four a day
Potassium iodide. 12 mg daily
D3 5000iu daily
I have written am entire article on building the immune system
Not everyone who is exposed to Ebola gets Ebola.
Not everyone who gets Ebola dies from Ebola
By the way pray that this mess doesn’t go global.
One final thing fear not for fear is the mind and spirit killer.
Healthmasters.com
Ted Broer
niebo says:
“. . . .He pleaded for UN assistance.”
That the UN is not already on site (with its billions of dollars worth of assets) is an indictment against everything that the organization is, was, or ever claimed to be. Or maybe the good doctor is right: “It will more or less infect everybody. . . .” Because, apparently, that is what the UN wants.
The WHO is part of the UN, by the way, just so everybody knows that they are NOT really there to help, just to make calls for others to help.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization
hu6098 says:
Or maybe we’re all just getting sucked in to another corporate fear agenda:
http://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/2014/09/13/ebola-the-covert-op-of-modern-medicine/
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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Global Mind’ tag.
Twitter and the Global Brain
December 7, 2009 in Uncategorized | Tags: Brain, Global Mind, Twitter | 8 comments
The prevailing model for many years of how synapses between neurons in the brain are altered during learning has been Hebbian learning, which can be summarized as “neurons that fire together, wire together”. In other words, in two neurons fire at the same time, the connection(s) between them will strengthened.
But recent evidence in neuroscience shows the truth is actually an interested twist on this idea – a twist that could have important implications as a model of how global consciousness could emerge from real-time social media like Twitter.
In reality, synapses are modified according to a rule called Spike Time Dependent Plasticity (STDP). In a nutshell, STDP says that if two neurons fire (= spike) in rapid succession, the connection from the one that fires first to the one that fires second will be strengthened.
In other words, if neuron A reliably fires shortly before neuron B, the connection from A to B will get stronger, so that next time when neuron A fires, neuron B will be more likely to fire too. And the opposite holds as well. In this example, since the firing of neuron B lags behind neuron A, the strength of the connection in that direction (from B to A), will be weakened. You could think of it as the neural equivalent of the old saying ‘the early bird catches the worm’ – a neuron that fires first gains increasing influence on its downstream neighbors.
STDP is a simple idea, but it has been shown to be a surprisingly powerful way that the brain uses for rapid pattern recognition and classification [1][2]. It turns out that using STDP, neurons naturally learn to specialize in detecting certain patterns in their inputs, even in the presence of lots of noise.
So what in the world does this have to do with social networks? There is an intriguing analogy between networks of neurons operating by the STDP rule and the emerging structure and functioning of real-time social networks like Twitter.
Imagine a twitter user as a neuron. He/she makes the equivalent of a synapse with each of his/her followers. When a twitter user sends out a tweet, it is the equivalent of a neuron firing. Followers who receive the tweet decide whether to propagate the activity by retweeting the message, in a sense by deciding whether they too should fire in response to the tweet.
It isn’t happening exactly this way yet, but STDP would enter the picture in the following way. Suppose Bill is a follower of an influential person on Twitter like Guy Kawasaki and Bill decides one of Guy’s tweets is interesting enough to retweet. This is a clear indication that Bill finds Guy’s tweets interesting and valuable. Based on this ‘vote of confidence’ for Guy’s tweets, a yet-to-be-implemented mechanism could automatically increase the weight that Guy’s tweets are given for Bill, making Guy’s tweets more likely to show up high on Bill’s Twitter ‘dashboard’.
But what if Guy wasn’t the first to tweet the news that Bill found so interesting? The same automated mechanism could suggest to Bill that instead of (or in addition to) following Guy, Bill might like to follow another sharp Twitter personality (perhaps Nova Spivack) who beat Guy to the punch by being the first to post the content Bill found interesting.
In this way, users could be automatically steered towards following folks who are the first to post content that will interest them – towards those who are considered the ‘thought leaders’ you might say. And content creators who work hard to be the first to find and tweet interesting content will be rewarded automatically with a growing list of followers, and eventually with monetary reward if/when Scobleizer ‘attention economy’, or some other way to monetize eyeballs, emerges on Twitter.
As an added benefit, the tweets Bill receives could be automatically sorted based on how interesting they are likely to be for him. As a simple example, imagine that several of the people Bill follows and has demonstrated an affinity for in the past (by retweeting their posts) tweet about the same story. This convergence of matching input from sources that Bill weights highly suggests that Bill will find this to be very interesting content, so it should be automatically bubbled to the top of Bill’s prioritized list of tweets to read.
In this model, content generators on Twitter will compete to be the first to create good content or break important news, just as neurons in the brain compete via the STDP update rule to be the first to detect patterns in their input and shout out about it by spiking. In both systems, ‘the early bird catches the worm’.
Eventually, tools may even emerge that automatically retweet messages based on a user’s previously expressed preferences, to alert his followers of content he, and therefore they, will likely consider interesting. At that point, the virtual neurons formed by the combination of people and their automated agents on Twitter will be influencing each other and firing automatically based on the inputs they receive. On a macro scale, this will represent the equivalent of thoughts emerging in the Global Brain, in the form of rapid, coordinated firing of millions of these virtual neurons. These thoughts will propagate and potentially trigger other thoughts in the network. This massive semi-autonomous reverberation in the twittersphere could signal the emergence of a true global consciousness.
[1] Masquelier T, Guyonneau R, Thorpe SJ. Spike timing dependent plasticity finds the start of repeating patterns in continuous spike trains. PloS one. 2008;3(1):e1377. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18167538.
[2] 1. Masquelier T, Hugues E, Deco G, Thorpe SJ. Oscillations, Phase-of-Firing Coding, and Spike Timing-Dependent Plasticity: An Efficient Learning Scheme. Journal of Neuroscience. 2009;29(43):13484-13493. Available at: http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/doi/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2207-09.2009
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Everyone Tells Us How Hard It Is
We just weren’t truly hearing them.
Katie Peake, Happy Wife. Full-time Mother. Aspiring Writer.
A recent trend in online mom confessionals is the common opening line: “No one tells you how hard [it*] is going to be.”
*insert literally anything related to parenthood here
The truth is that everyone tells us how hard [it*] is going to be.
(e.g., conception, pregnancy, labor, breastfeeding, sleep training — essentially anything that falls within the first 90 days of new motherhood and continuing beyond)
Seasoned parents love to tell new moms and dads that it gets better after the first three months. It’s a much-appreciated expression of empathy and a glimmer of hope. But well after the sun had set on our own infamous fourth trimester, the voice in my head was constantly lamenting: when will the first three months be over exactly? As Sydney approached five months old, the end of those first-three-months was seemingly no where in sight.
Spoiler Alert: It does, in fact, get better (not easier, necessarily, but better).
And as it starts to get better, we’re reminded with increasing frequency that we should be relishing the here and the now. You think you’re tired now? It only gets worse once they’re mobile, we’re then told. It’s advice offered by fellow parents with the best of intentions and the innate yearning for moments that are constantly rendered fleeting and precious by Father Time. And as those moments become a fickle combination of better and worse, there is an abundance of resources addressing various challenging parental issues — from fertility to funding college educations and everything in between.
Google any reproductive, birthing or caregiving issue, and there will be someone ready and waiting to impart their research- or experience-based wisdom. After throwing out several sets of crib sheets, friends of ours were grateful for the internet’s effective solution to halting their toddler’s nightly fecal finger-painting projects. Is a milk blister forming on your nipple? Are you uncomfortable with the cry-it-out method? Are you experiencing frightening, intrusive thoughts? Don’t know where to start with potty training? Need an angle for the dreaded question of where babies come from? Why does it seem like my newborn hates me? Just ask The Google and you’ll have an entire world of apps, books, blogs, chat forums and websites at your disposal.
There’s even a 2014 book called The Sh!t No One Tells You: A Guide to Surviving Your Baby’s First Year, followed appropriately by the 2015 sequel The Sh!t No One Tells You About Toddlers: A Guide to Surviving the Toddler Years. The author, Dawn Dais, has since looped back Star Wars trilogy-style in her 2017 release of The Sh!t No One Tells You About Pregnancy: A Guide to Surviving Pregnancy, Childbirth and Beyond. We are quickly running out of untapped territory in the family planning and implementation marketplace. [Side Note: These are three of my favorite (absolutely hilarious) parental self-help titles.]
The point is that everyone is telling us how hard it is.
Our own mothers and fathers were among the first to remind us during some tumultuous moment in our upbringing that we weren’t delivered with manuals. Nearly every woman in the United States (if not the Westernized world) has seen Charlotte and Miranda’s barside motherhood confessional in Sex and the City 2, but even 80s’ movies like Mr. Mom existed decades before Bad Moms hit theaters. And, inevitably, there will always be that one snarky friend who can’t wait to tell you that they told you so. As the advent of social media ushered in the digital overshare and our individual platforms broaden our reach, fading were the dark days of the things that 1950s housewives never talked about. Women have slowly been finding their voices; the success of #MeToo is proving that. Without undermining the importance of the Hollywood-birthed activist movement, moms also need a little “me too” support of their own and a lot less “I told you so.”
It’s just that the trials and tribulations of parenthood — and motherhood in particular — rarely resonate until we wake up in the trenches. We either assume the stories have been inadvertently exaggerated or we are internally and blissfully confident that it couldn’t be that bad. Or — through no fault of our own — we simply weren’t drawn to the information because we were quite naturally occupied with our preparental lives. Blog posts about breastfeeding complications were not essential reading for the boardroom.
Or — just as commonly — we have read many of the expert-crafted books and still remain disillusioned by all the ways we still feel unprepared by our parenting predecessors. There is no shortage of what-the-baby-books-don’t-tell-you op-eds and why-didn’t-anyone-ever-tell-me-xyz rants. They’re pounded out in bitter — and often anecdotal — onslaughts or come across as an entitled tirade of all the things the parenting world owed them yet fell short. Ironically, some of those same angry mothers are the ones whose babies frequently sport the infamous “my mom doesn’t want your advice” onesies.
In The Responsibility/Fault Fallacy chapter of the Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life, Mark Manson addresses a broad resistance to accepting liability for our own problems. He believes that a lot of people hesitate to take responsibility due to a belief that responsibility implies fault. We are responsible for experiences that aren’t our fault all the time. This is a part of life, he explains using several common scenarios as examples. There is a difference between blaming someone else for your situation and them being responsible for your situation, but nobody else is ever responsible for how you respond to your situation but you.
Manson’s philosophy has been my approach to both the parenting books and all of the solicited and unsolicited advice I continue to receive — and gratefully accept — as a new mom (regardless of whether I find it suitable for our situation). It isn’t the world’s job to prepare me to be a parent. All of the things the world failed to tell me are neither the world’s fault nor my own, but I am responsible for figuring it all out. Whether it’s trial-and-error, a library of parenting titles or an endless stream of advice, I have to be open to seeking and, more importantly, receiving the information without negatively perceiving it as a threat to — or criticism of — my own ability as a mother. And some sh!t I’m just going to have to figure out, realize or accept on my own.
Have you ever failed to retell a joke accurately and then shrugged it off with I-guess-you-had-to-be-there? That’s kind of what parenthood is like. You have to get there to truly understand the punchline. It’s human nature to momentarily empathize with a hardship and yet soon move on with very little (if any) enduring traumatic residue. And when a similar trauma eventually enters our own lives with direct force, the resounding impact can potentially deafen our recognition of those who actually did come before us. If this were not one of the many essences of humanity, we would never — for example — hear someone distressfully accuse another of not understanding their heartache. In the aftermath of a break-up, it can feel as though no one could ever have endured such pain before. That’s also what the hardships of parenthood can feel like — especially in our earliest, most isolated moments. Over a year in, I still seek relief and humor from my mama friends because it’s so easy to forget that I am not the only overwhelmed parent in the world.
If the cautionary tales did strike a profound chord without the wisdom of experience as a prerequisite for genuine empathy, there would be far less judgment all around. Critical non-parents and those raising “easy babies,” alike, would express more tolerance for strong-willed children whether in grocery store or on airport security lines. Expectant, new and seasoned parents would not become competitive when comparing childrearing methods, and unsolicited parental advice would not be perceived as a threat or a criticism simply because it originated from a different school of thought (or just because your mother-in-law said it). In short, we would be more open and willing to observe the diversity of parenting philosophies without judgment — especially those that we have no intention of implementing.
Even when I was pregnant, I may have felt like I was a mother already, and I lovingly honored myself accordingly as I prepared for the actualization. However, the reality is that my baby bump was on autopilot. Of course, I did the things that were expected of me (e.g., eat well, remain physically active within doctor’s orders, refrain from alcohol and various toxins, sleep as often as possible), but my body grew, fed and soothed my unborn child whether I was conscious of it or not. The tumbling fetus and hormonal imbalances may have kept me uncomfortably awake and overheated at night, but my baby bump didn’t cry on airplanes or throw tantrums in restaurants. It didn’t blow out a diaper in the middle of a grocery store with a nearly full shopping cart and no public restroom. I didn’t have to find it a babysitter in order to enjoy legitimate pockets of freedom or repeatedly coax it into a stroller.
I was never a career-driven cynic who doubted mothers when they discussed their challenges. I didn’t internally scoff and snidely wonder how difficult could it possibly be to just stay at home in pajamas all day. When mothers said how hard it was, I believed them. Yet no amount of empathy prepared me for the round-the-clock emotional and physical toil.
Perhaps nothing can truly prepare us for the realities of parenthood, but we have to keep sharing our thoughts, our research and our experiences without alternative agendas. With even a small reach for perspective, we can stop using the “no one ever talks about [xyz]” mom-confessionals to garner sympathy for our circumstances. Playing the victim or seeking martyrdom in motherhood only serves to inadvertently place blame on the mothers-who-came-before-us for not better prepping us, new mothers, for what was to come (and, apparently, for not writing more thorough parenting books). It can read as an entitled accusation that my new life as a mama would have been dramatically easier if all mothers weren’t pretending like it’s not hard and purposely hiding their truths from me. Both of which might have been true in 1948; neither of which is true sixty years later.
In the midst of the inevitable chaos, we are constantly navigating a sea of propaganda in an information-overloaded society that still finds ways to complain about not having enough information. Fortunately, we can be both open to diverse parenting theories and simultaneously exercise the power of independent thought and freedom of choice as we settle ourselves on our maternal compasses.
An inability to exercise deductive reasoning, combined with confusion and self-doubt, are in the center of the arena of mom-shaming; surrounding the arena are all of the non-parents with strong opinions. The extremists at the far opposite ends of the well-intentioned #BreastIsBest and #FedIsBest organizations are just one example of the many opposing forces in motherhood; it is up to us to seek the balance. Understanding must replace superiority. So, for as much as we put out into the universe, we must also listen without judgment, entitlement or pretense while ultimately deciding for ourselves what is best for our families.
Maybe then we can feel empowered to face the challenges that can only seem all the more isolating when it feels as though we have been intentionally kept in the dark.
Originally published at MOMganized.com on February 19, 2018.
— Published on March 26, 2018
Katie is on hiatus from corporate Manhattan to dedicate some time to motherhood. She is blogging about the sh!t that is helping new parenthood feel less chaotic for her family at STWFU.com and sharing ideas on how to organize all of that sh!t at MOMganized.com. Her previous blog at blog-by-bike.blogspot.com chronicled her 50-day cycling journey from Oregon to New Hampshire in 2010. And prior to that, she created becoming-a-new-yorker.blogspot.com to write about (spoiler alert) becoming a New Yorker. | DISCLAIMER: She and her husband, Carlyle, offer no guarantee that the Sh!t That Worked For Us will work for other parents, and any parenting advice offered on STWFU and MOMganized is purely anecdotal.
Boundary setting is of paramount importance for life/work balance, with Erica Mackey and Dr. Ely Weinschneider
// February 27, 2019
“A good parent is a parent who takes the time to listen to their children” by Dr. Ely Weinschneider and Alison Maloni
Meet the Girl Feeding Millions…at Fourteen
by Illana Raia
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Putin Greets Orthodox Christians And All Russians For Easter
by L Todd Wood April 16, 2017 April 17, 2017 0365
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev attended Orthodox Easter services in Moscow along with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill. Putin also sent out a greeting to all Orthodox Christians and all Russians for the religious holiday.
“The great holiday of Easter has a special moral meaning, carries in itself the unquenchable light of faith, fills the hearts of people with joy, love, with aspiration for the good. Easter celebrations, which are widely organized throughout the country, turn us to the centuries-old traditions of our ancestors, contribute to establishment in society of the enduring spiritual values and ideals,” Putin’s telegram reads.
“With deep satisfaction I would like to highlight the creative, truly selfless work of the Russian Orthodox Church, representatives of other Christian confessions, aimed at solving important social problems, strengthening the institution of family, educating the younger generation, and harmonizing inter-religious and inter-ethnic relations. And of course, their huge role in preserving our richest historical and cultural heritage,” the president said, reports Russian state news agency TASS.
Patriarch Kirill added during the service, “I wish to all of you to experience this special type of joy…We know that even in smallest churches, where the service is a lot simpler than in cathedrals, people feel this special joy in their hearts.”
“May the blessing and power of Christ, who defeated death, strengthen us in our faith and help us to wend our way through life,” Patriarch Kirill added.
EasterRussiaVladimir PutinShare00
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Walking Beside Our Neighbour
Posted on May 27, 2017 by Jayne Ozanne
by the Revd Charlotte Bannister-Parker, University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford
Everyone of us has been appalled and deeply shocked by the wicked terrorist attack in Manchester on Monday night. We abhor the horror; we mourn the terrible loss, and the deliberate targeting such young, innocent lives. The aim of the attack was to create a climate of fear designed to shatter peace and tear communities apart. All our thoughts, prayers and condolences are with those affected by the terrible atrocity.
Despite the destructive aims, the opposite has occurred. Yesterday’s one minute silence, a time for prayer and reflection, showed the Mancunians — all people, all races, all religions — standing together and then bursting forth at the end with long applause. We have also seen extraordinary acts of kindness to random strangers, feelings of strength and unity, unbowed spirits and moving tributes to those still fighting for their lives.
Radicalisation, terrorism and all forms of extremism are abhorrent, and we must fight back in every way and on every level. We must make community cohesion and international cooperation priorities amongst all faiths. It was pleasing to hear Iman Monawar Hussain, Founder of The Oxford Foundation, say that “One thought on Manchester is that not a single classical Jurist has justified the killing of innocent people, what is happening now is anti-Islam and against all that the religion stands for”.1
And one of the most moving pictures from Manchester showed an Imam and elderly Jewish women side by side expressing solidarity for victims of Monday night’s bombing. Imam Sadiq Patel and Renee Black (93 years old) prayed together, having traveled together from Blackburn to express unity and compassion for the victims.
Such images and actions are important testament to combat hatred and division. And Oxford also hosts an interfaith action which tries to do just that. On the eve of the transfer of power to Iraq in 2004 over 14 years ago, I founded an Interfaith Friendship Walk in recognition of the need for community cohesion. We walked from the University Church, St Mary the Virgin, to the Central Mosque in Manzil Way, Oxford in solidarity against the brutality to Iraqi prisoners in Basra prison. The following year the Jewish community joined, so the walk now starts at the Oxford synagogue, and goes from there to St Mary’s and then on to the Mosque, sharing prayers at each place of worship. The walk is led by a Bishop, a Rabbi and an Imam and now includes 9 other faiths, such as Hinduism and Sikhism. Movingly, the Jewish community makes cakes and delivers them to the Mosque so we can all share a meal at the end of the walk. This event has fostered community cohesion, friendship, mutual respect, and fosters dignity in our difference. And out of this trust and shared action Oxford has created a Council of Faiths, which on Tuesday evening held a candle-lit vigil for those who lost their lives in Manchester.
Sadly, some Christians have declined to participate because the aim of the Inter-faith Friendship Walk is about conversation not conversion, about friendship not judgement. Their response has saddened me deeply, as it indicates an agenda of separateness, and underscores their belief that there is an ‘other’ with whom it is impossible to connect. This kind of thinking has often been referred to as the “sheep and goat” theology. 2. (For many, I too am a “goat” because of gender, as I am a women priest in ministry teaching and leading worship).
Interestingly the Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, The Rt Revd Dr Martyn Percy, said that in the early 1990s the LGBT community was regarded in a similar vein in conservative Christian circles. He said that at that period “Gay men and women are “the other”, not thought to be in the “kraal of the redeemed”. 3
The avoidance of the “other,” whether they are of another faith or a Christian of different theological persuasion, does not work. In a speech he made in St Martin in the Fields called “Who is our neighbour? The Ethic of Global Relations,” the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, said we cannot afford now not to engage with the “other” in a deep and profound way. By referencing the story of The Good Samaritan, he claimed, “It is not a matter of deciding who out there deserved to be loved by you. It is a question of your decision to be a neighbour, your decision to be someone who offers life to others. This is a basic choice, which turns our lives into life-giving realities”. He continued:
To love our neighbour is to love the person who can save our lives. The extra catch in the parable of The Good Samaritan is that we never know quite who that person is. It is likely to be the most improbable person around, so our openness to neighbourliness has to be profound, all encompassing, all embracing thing”. 4
On Monday night the world saw people acting as true neighbours. Taxi drivers, homeowners, emergency workers, doctors and nurses all came to help those in need and brought light into the darkness.
Narrow conservatism and inflexible dogmatism prevent believers from seeing that they have more in common with the “other” than one might first understand. All of us of faith need to encourage and to engage with the “other” in open-hearted and open-minded ways. As the OT scholar Professor Bruce Birch said, “the basic meaning of Shalom is peace – a wholeness, a state of harmony among God, humanity and all religions”. 5
Only with this can we all fight shocking extremism, radicalisation and terrorism. Then there is a possibility that there may be light where there is darkness, hope where there is despair. We as people of faith, can choose understanding over hatred, love over fear, hope over desperation. Without this understanding, we are failing Christ and all those who lost their lives on Monday night.
Iman Monawar Hussain: The Oxford Foundation – Statement 26/5/17
Matthew 25 31-46: The Sheep and the Goats.
The Revd Dr Martin Percy: The Wisdom of the Spirit Gospel, Church and Culture.
Lord Rowan Williams: Who is my neighbour? The Ethics of Global Relationships. Autumn Lecture Series. St Martin’s in the Field. London. 2016.
Prof Bruce Birch: The Predicament of the Prosperous. Chapter V11 p149
This entry was posted in Charlotte Bannister-Parker, Social Justice. Bookmark the permalink.
11 Responses to Walking Beside Our Neighbour
ckatsarelis says:
Philip Almond says:
I promised Jayne Ozanne not to post anymore on via media. I am asking her to make an exception for this post please since the point I want to make is not about the sexuality disagreement. But I am of course OK if she does not post it.
A fundamental disagreement among those who believe Christianity is in some sense true is about which of the following options is true:
1 Finally, everybody will be saved. Whatever ‘saved’ means
2 Finally, not everybody will be saved, some will be lost. Whatever the criteria are which decides. Whatever ‘saved’ and ‘lost’ mean.
Among those who believe that option 2 is true are some who also believe that the Bible is trustworthy and so believe that Jesus said all that the Bible claims he said. One of the things he said is, ‘Love your enemies, do well to the ones hating you…’. So, although we often fail miserably to obey him, those of us who believe Jesus said that are commanded to love the ‘other’, whoever the ‘other’ is.
But Jesus also talked about the narrow way that leads to life and the broad way that leads to destruction and the final separation of the sheep from the goats. Clearly Jesus believed that option 2 is true and that there would come a terrible time when even he would not ‘connect’ with some ‘others’: ‘Go from me having been cursed ones…’; ‘Never I knew you; depart from me the ones working lawlessness’.
The paramount responsibility of all who believe that Jesus said these things must surely be to pray and behave and preach and speak in such a way that more and more people will believe that option 2 is true and will embrace the salvation from the wrath to come sincerely and genuinely offered by the triune God through the atoning death and life-giving resurrection of Christ.
Phil Almond
It doesn’t matter whether Option 1 or Option 2, or any alternative, is true. What matters is that judgement is left exclusively in God’s hands. Exclusively. God does not need human gate keepers. Our job is to love and include, and there is nothing loving about exclusion. God can handle this. The more we focus on the vulnerable and marginalized, the more we are in sync with the commandments of Jesus. When we focus on gate keeping instead, we distract from the real job of following Christ, while creating a heap of hurt. Frankly, it is a lot harder to care for the poor, the refuge, the outcast, etc., because that actually costs us something. Gate keeping costs nothing.
Following Christ and obeying his commands includes paying heed to the warnings that Christ and his Apostles gave and preaching the promise of forgiveness of sins to all who repent and submit to Christ in repentance, faith, love, obedience and fear. Do you believe that Christ said all the things that the New Testament states he said?
Yes, all but the fear. Some of the words that we translate in English as “fear” tend to be more accurately translated as “passion.” And that can be loving and compassionate, etc.
I just don’t believe that Jesus or the NT addresses committed gay couples. Again, the best translations and understandings simply do not support the anti-gay readings. If the best scholarship tells us that, then it isn’t for humans to be gate keepers on that issue.
I would also say that there’s room for continuing revelation, inspired by the Holy Spirit. That gets deeply into discernment that I think is impossible to achieve with people who have made up their minds and will not be moved by the fruits of the various understandings. The science is that accepting LGBTQI people hurts no one. Children of gay couples are as healthy (sometimes healthier) than those raised in heterosexual households. Gay clergy, musicians, and lay people make awesome contributions to the church. With those fruits, it’s pretty safe to leave judgement in God’s hands, as Jesus commands us to do.
I have promised Jayne that I will not enter the sexuality debate on this site. My point in this exchange is: if you believe that Jesus said all that the NT asserts he said, including the quotes I gave in my first post and his explanation of the parable of the weeds in Matthew 13 do you agree that Jesus taught that my ‘option 2’ is true?
My point is that God does the judging, not humans. Humans used to think Scripture justifies slavery, anti-semitism, and burning heretics (usually uppity women like those amazing medieval mystics). In the name of Scripture, crusades and wars have brought death and destruction. We need some humility, at least enough to take heed of Jesus’ words “Don’t judge.”
Thus, “option 2” is completely irrelevant. You can get into deep discussions about salvation by works, or Grace alone, or ticking the right boxes and not the wrong ones. One can conduct oneself according to their beliefs, but not impose their beliefs on others. Judgement is God’s alone.
We are commanded to love one another, not judge one another. Those are the strongest and clearest commandments. They are way clearer than interpretations of stories rooted in a culture so different from ours that true understanding may be impossible. Those parables can only be seen through the lens of the time. Divorce left women vulnerable. A day’s wages was justice, whether you worked 1 hour or all day. Temples to Baal were plentiful and bringing Christ to the gentiles required instruction that was quite specific to local pagan idolatry, including things like temple prostitution and eating food that had been offered to pagan gods.
The Way of Jesus is love, compassion, justice, mercy… that much is clear. And it’s hard, we are called to create a just society that cares for the poor and resident alien. If one works hard to puzzle out the parables and NT writings for meaning, there’s a lot there to help form and shape one’s live. But it is problematic to justify judging others on the terms that one has interpreted for oneself.
jayneozanne says:
Can I suggest Time Out??
Great idea! Thank you! I’ve got to go practice my fingered octaves. I learned a new approach to them at Juilliard last weekend.
Is that a suggestion or an instruction. I would like to continue this exchange but if it is an instruction I will stop posting.
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Does the Bible Really Say…that Baptism Should be Withheld from Some People?
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August 9, 2016 - A museum in Denver, Colorado, has invited donations of animals killed in vehicle collisions and other encounters with modern life.… more
Biological Censuses
Canids
August 9, 2016 - A museum in Denver, Colorado, has invited donations of animals killed in vehicle collisions and other encounters with modern life. By preserving and studying the specimens, researchers are hoping for a better understanding of how well wild animals are coping with their changing habitats.
READ: Everything You Were Afraid to Ask About Roadkill
Humans have altered the environment more so than any other species that has lived on the planet. And we see animals in our environment that are having to adapt to the world that we have essentially fabricated for them. And that includes them dying as a result of interacting with humans in that urban environment.
The salvage animal program is a program where we ask people to bring in animals that they might find in their backyards, on the roads that they’re traveling, and to bring those specimens into us for research purposes.
Right now in our walk in freezer I want to say we have approximately 6,000 animals.
Ohhhhhh holy moly! This animal is a Bullock’s Oriole and it’s in it’s breeding plumage. Absolutely gorgeous, and going to become a really nifty scientific specimen.
In lay terms many people think of it as an autopsy but we’re not trying to determine the cause of death, we are simply trying to preserve that specimen for scientific research.
This is a Western King Bird, he has a broken wing. Either he was hit by a car or hit a window.
We take heart samples, we take kidney we take liver and we also take muscle. We try to save gut contents.
Okay so there’s the inside of the stomach. And you can see it looks like some shell of a beetle.
We try to get as much flesh as you can off of the skeleton, but then they go into our dermestid colonies. And our dermestid colony is a colony of flesh eating beetles. They do the dirty work for us. If they are hungry you can put a small bird skeleton in there and in two to three days it will be completely clean.
The most common animal that we receive are things that you would see in your backyard. Squirrel!
We get a lot of squirrels. We get many American Robins, We get a lot of Northern Flickers. We’ve recently received a Parakeet. So, that obviously escaped from someone’s house.
That’s a baby chipmunk. Wow.
Our collection exists in the digital world as an online database that’s searchable by anyone anywhere on the planet and it contains as much information as we have on our specimens as we could possibly have on there.
We are essentially mapping historical change in organisms responding to us living in an area. We can examine exactly how healthy these populations are, what’s happening to them in response to things that we are doing. It doesn’t only matter for tracking evolutionary change in these particular animals, it also impacts us. Because we live with these animals in these urban environments.
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Pilot reviews of Newtownards Airfield
Have you visited Newtownards recently?
12 Aug 15 - david dennis worsley - manchester
Flew to Newtownards on the 1st August 2015 in my Cessna 172, from City airport Manchester,flew direct out over Southport pier to overhead Isle of Man, and then onto Strangford Lough and track up to Newtownards. Excellent Service provided by Ronaldsway allowing me to have clearance to route overhead the airfield, and later passing me to Belfast for Traffic Service, before coasting in to Northern Ireland. Weather was good most of the day except when I coasted back in, on return at Blackpool, but still good enough for routing back to City Airport Manchester.
Newtownards Airport is excellent airfield to visit, restaurant was excellent good food lots of choice, had a short walk down to the Newtownard town centre, people are friendly and helpful. Overall enjoyed my flight and stay, will be back.
18 Apr 11 - Bob Chapman - North Weald
“ Flew into Newtownards on Sunday 17th, from North Weald, quite a long trip there and back in a day in my 172, but fortunately the wind was light and variable, so three hours up and two hours fifty back. Coasted out at Prestatyn and went direct overhead Ronaldsway, the transit was very easy, the controllers were very helpfull all the way. Had terrific service from Haywarden, Liverpool, Ronaldsway and Belfast before settleing into the circuit at Newtownards, very freindly welcome, the runways are in very good condition. There is a very nice clubhouse, which was very busy, our lunch was a little slow in coming but very nice and reasonably priced. The scenery en route was fantastic albeit the forward viz was not brilliant, quite hazy, but still a great trip. Reccommended
1 Sep 09 - Stephen Nuttall - 0.5 NM North of HMS Nightjar
“ Flew to Newtownards on Saturday 29 August as part of Westair’s fly-out from Blackpool (and on to Donegal and Enniskillen). Three of us had to turn back from our Donegal leg due to weather and had the pleasure of landing at Newtownards twice! The staff were very friendly, helpful and full of good local information. After three of us diverted back into Newtownards for fuel before returning to Blackpool, they arranged taxi’s for us and recommended a local pub, (Romas – excellent and well worth a visit). The taxi was only £3.00 each way too: excellent value. Tea, coffee and biscuits were available in the very nicely appointed club-house and the locals were all very friendly and chatty. The position of the airfield at the top of Strangford Lough, and the monument on top of the hill to the west of the airfield (virtually a non-radio NDB!) made finding the airfield very easy. The approaches to the main runway from the north were over high ground giving a rather different perspective to the approach than normal (and catching out one of our aircraft), and are part of the reason for a displaced threshold. The runways themselves were very well surfaced and maintained. The Chinese restaurant is, sadly, long gone (having burned down some time ago), but the facilities at the airfield are fine and a taxi into a very interesting and bustling town with excellent eateries (I really must commend Romas – which despite it’s name is a pub, not an Italian restaurant, and it is just lovely with excellent food). Well worth a visit: make sure that you fill in the GAR forms and send them to PSNI at least 12 hours before arrival, but other than that, the airfield is easy to find, easy to use and friendly with it.
19 Sep 08 - Roger Griffiths - Clitheroe Lancs.
“ Hi. On Tuesday of this week, we had the good fortune to visit Newtonards airfield in our Gazelle Helicopter YU-HDL, returning to Lancashire in England, from Weston in the ROI.
The initial reception, refuelling and general service was very good and my co-pilot Colin Taylor and I were very impressed.
What happened next, however, was service beyond what any aviator would ever expect! Our trusty gazelle flatly refused to start. We requested ground power, but still it wouldn't start. We suspected that maybe we required extra volts/amps to start the engine so a bigger unit was produced on loan from another helicopter operator, still no start. The fuel bowser was put into service, revving its engine with our leads connected, still no start. A small crowd of friendly helpers gathered and for many hours, from lunch time to evening, mobile phones were busy with people offering advice or help. I was taken by car to a farm to pick up some larger tractor batteries, an engineer who worked for an airline tinkered with our astazou engine. The area was littered with batteries, chargers, leads and helpers. I have never seen anything like it. The airfield staff worked ceaselessly to try and remedy our plight. Suddenly in early evening a whining screaming noise came from the jet engine...it had started! We did not have time to take names or thank the many helpers. Our cancelled flight plan was massaged back into life over the radio, thank you Belfast City Airport and we rocketed into the air and over the water towards home! Our heartfelt thanks to everyone concerned. What a wonderful airfield, what wonderful staff and visiting crews and helpers. We will certainly visit Newtonards again...with a fresh battery...and would recommend this airfield to any aviator....thanks again! Roger Griffiths. Griffair Helicopters.
3 Jul 06 - Stephen Browne - Chesham
“ Visited 26th June 2006. At the head of Strangford Lough, so particularly easy to find. Coming from the east, Flight Information Service from Scottish Info. and then Belfast City. Need to watch for microlights in the circuit, Belfast airspace above and, on final for Rwy 16, a radio antenna on the police station. Three runways, well surfaced and flat.
Superb scenery starts at the end of the runway, with the lough and its islands and, to the south, the Mourne Mountains.
Probably the friendliest airfield I've visited.
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<BR>What fools these mortals be... (1st story)<BR>Deathwatch (2nd story)
John Byrne (writer, penciler), Tom Orzechowski (letterer), Andy Yanchus (colorist), Denny O’Neil (editor), Jim Shooter (editor in chief)
First story: Wounded after Marrina disemboweled him, Puck is being cared for at a hospital in Fort Albany, where he is a favorite of the nurses. One night when he experiences pain and no one comes after he pushes the buzzer for assistance, Puck leaves his ward to look for a nurse. Judd stumbles upon what appears to be a nurse taking drugs. After he does some snooping around the hospital, and finds diluted painkillers, Judd decides to alert the chief administrator of the hospital who accepts his offer to find the drug ring. On his first night investigating, Judd follows some dealers whom he saw with the nurse and ends up at a run down boatshed. Judd is seen and attacked at by the three men, though Judd manages to knock them out, but not without doing serious harm to himself, and he phones the police just before he blacks out. Back in the hospital Judd is thanked by a police sergeant for busting the drug ring they have been searching looking for. When the inspector leaves, the chief administrator prepares to give Judd another shot of painkillers, though Judd, who suspects the ring is not entirely closed down, sees through the doctor‘s guise and realizes him to be the ringleader for the dope ring. He knocks the syringe out of his hand and realizes that he was about to kill him.
Second story: Dr. Michael Twoyoungmen meets with his ailing grandfather and tells the old man that he wants nothing to do with him or the old ways. When Twoyoungmen leaves, his grandfather tells a companion that his grandsons’ destiny is already determined, and he will return to him soon. Upon arriving home to his daughter Elizabeth and her baby-sitter Heather McNeil, Michael discovers that he must go to the hospital urgently, as something has happened with his wife. The doctor tells Michael that Katheryn Twoyoungmen’s condition is more serious than they thought, and there is nothing they can do to help her. Over the coming months, Michael researches everything on his wife’s condition to try and save her, and promises his daughter Elizabeth that he will save Katheryn. Soon after Katheryn dies and Elizabeth tells her father he is a liar before running off from him. Heather McNeil's’ father Ramsey tells Michael that she can live with him and his family, and tells Michael that he needs some time for himself, after all he read that his grandfather died today also.
At a Fort Albany hospital, Ontario. Dr. Michael Twoyoungmen tells Eugene Milton Judd a.k.a. Puck of Alpha Flight that his condition is stable, but he is not entirely out of the woods yet. Twoyoungmen says that if Puck has nothing further he would like of him, he will leave. In his hospital bed, Puck tells his teammate, a.k.a. Shaman that he is flattered he even stuck around this long, and to get back to his own business. After all, he has a team of some of the best doctors in Canada watching over him, and a hospital full of nurses feeding and bathing him, and all falling victim to his irresistible charms, and asks the doctor what more could any man want?
The blond nurse in the room asks Michael Twoyoungmen if there is anything else he wants, as she is off duty in a few minutes, though she tells him she would be happy to stay if he requires her to. Twoyoungmen thanks nurse Cambridge for her time and assistance, but tells her that that will be all for now.
Walking out into the corridor, Margaret Cambridge turns a corner and walks up to three other nurses. One of the nurses says to the others that he, referring to Puck, is one of the most adorable things she has ever seen, but wonders who he is to get someone like Michael Twoyoungmen looking after him? Another nurse says she doesn’t know, but it was some “government types” that bought him in. As Margaret meets the other nurses, the young dark-haired one asks Margaret if she has figured out why Twoyoungmen is looking after Judd? An elderly nurse says she doesn’t really care, and just wants to take home with her a “six-pack of Judds”. The brunette nurse says that Judd is a charmer, and that while he talks like a bar room brawler, he reads Shakespeare! Margaret Cambridge tells the other three that all she knows is that if someone in Nursing School had told her she would be swapping bedpans with Dr. Twoyoungmen, well, she would have just about died on the spot!
Back in Judd‘s ward, Michael Twoyoungmen tells Judd that with the nurse gone, he wonders if perhaps there is anything else he can do, not as his doctor, but as Shaman? Puck tells Shaman that he is okay for now, the pain gets pretty bad sometimes, but he just focuses past it. Michael tells him he is on the maximum allowable dosage of painkillers and shouldn’t be experiencing any excessive pain at the moment. Shaman offers to stay in case there are any unexpected complications, but Puck tells his friend that he will be fine, and that pain and him are “old friends”, it comes with being built the way he is. Puck reminds Shaman that if he needs him he can use the Alpha Flight call signal. Shaman agrees, and tells him that he could also invoke the name of the Great Spirit, and Snowbird will communicate his need to him. Puck tells Twoyoungmen that just as long as Snowbird herself does not come to the hospital, as she scares the “bejeebers” out of him. Shaman tells Puck that while he is not alone in his feelings about the goddess, Snowbird is a vital member of Alpha Flight. As Shaman leaves he tells his diminutive friend to get some rest.
Judd looks up from his book, as the elderly nurse from the corridor comes into his room telling him it is time for his bath. “Another one!” grins Puck. He asks the nurse if they think he is the dirtiest patient in the hospital, and tells her this time he will tell her about the time he went tiger hunting in Nepal. Judds laughter is infectious.
(nine hours later)
At night however, Judd is not laughing because of the pain. Puck thinks to himself as he cringes that he has put up with a lot in his life, but never has he been disemboweled. Puck decides he cannot focus past it, and presses his beeper for a nurse and a shot. But as the painful minutes go by and no one comes, Puck, despite his terrible pain, gets out of bed, thinking he best go and see what is going on. Puck thinks that the Matterhorn was easier than climbing out of bed and that if Shaman saw him doing this he would “pitch a fit”. Puck opens his door and thinks that he has got to find out what happened to the nurses, and that he has been playing this game too long to let anything like this just slide by. It could be nothing, but Judds’ instincts tell him to check it out.
As he edges down the hallway Puck now thinks that he could just ignore his instincts for a change and go back to bed though! As he reaches the nurses station he discovers it unmanned, but decides they couldn’t all be on call. He looks in the nurse lounge, to no avail either until he spots someone in the storeroom. Puck listens outside the storeroom door, and decides that whoever is in there is wearing rubber soled shoes, and moving very quiet, as to not get heard perhaps. Opening the door, Puck is surprised to see Nurse Daly in there. Surrounded by containers of pills on a bench, also a siring, Nurse Daly is startled, and pulls down her sleeves with some sort of rope in her hand, she asks Puck what he is doing out of his bed.
As she ushers Judd out of the storeroom, he tells her to never mind what he is doing, and asks why she was sneaking around. The nurse hesitates, but finally tells Judd that she wasn’t sneaking, just being quiet, after all this is a hospital, and they are supposed to be as quiet as possible. Nurse Daly tells him to get back to his room. Back in his bed, Nurse Daly asks Judd how he thinks Dr. Twoyoungmen would react to this, Judd even pulled his intravenous out. As Nurse Daly prepares a shot of painkillers for Judd, he notices her trembling hands as the drug transfers from the bottle to the syringe. He thinks to himself, that by the way she is shaking he is glad that she is sticking it into his I.V. and not his arm.
When the nurse leaves, the painkiller works its way through Eugene Judds’ body, but he still cannot get to sleep. As he lays awake, Judd thinks that Nurse Daly has always been a bit on the hyper side, and nervous too. Eugene thinks she is exactly the type of person who is a candidate for what he thinks he saw going on earlier that night, but the charges are too serious unless he has real proof.
(the next day)
When morning returns, it brings with it another wave of frenetic activity to the house of the healing. As an orderly pushes a bed down the hallway, Puck, thinking to himself that he must be really sneaky this time, jumps onto it, and hides beneath the overhanging cloth, clinging to the metallic frame. Several minutes later, Puck darts off, without the orderly seeing him. He thinks to himself that the easy part is over, now the hard part is getting past the nurses station desk.
Soon, Puck slips into the storeroom, glad that the nurse finally left from her coffee break, and decides that if he ever has to do this again, he will need a less open access.
Puck begins to search through medicine cupboards, his skilled fingers were all it took to open the combination lock. Upon discovering the painkillers, Eugene decides that is what they are, and that if Nurse Daly were getting ready to shoot up, it would have been with these. He doesn’t think that any are missing – suddenly, holding two bottles up, Judd discovers that the contents of one bottle is slightly lighter in color than the other. While it is hardly noticeable, it looks as if it had been diluted. Puck reaches further into the cabinet for some more stock. He notices the same color dilution, and decides that the strength of the painkillers appears to have been cut in half. Judd doesn’t believe that Nurse Daly could be using that much herself, and decides he must have stumbled onto more than just one junkie nurse. Suddenly the opening of the back door startles Puck.
Puck reacts fast, and after locking the cabinet, and despite all of his pain cartwheels, he leaps up onto a set of shelves, overlooking the door. A bearded man enters the storeroom, though he is just the delivery man. Judd decides, that even so, best not to let anyone see him. As the man leaves, Judd climbs down from the shelves, and thinks that if there is a stolen drug traffic ring in this hospital he will need more evidence before he acts. Judd decides that he best alert the hospital authorities, as to who he is, and what he is doing. Puck is overcome by pain again, and while Shamans Indian magicks accelerated his healing, he could still rip him self open if he tried another stunt like the cartwheel and leap he just did.
A few minutes later, Puck is in the chief administrator’s office, Puck tells Dr. Craigborne that what he needs is for the security people to look the other way for a while, as he investigates. Dr. Craigborne tells Judd that while he appreciates the offer, that if this matter is as serious as Puck believes it to be, than he would like to inform the police. Eugene asks the doctor to give him forty-eight hours to do their job for them. Dr. Craigborne tells Judd that while it goes against his best instincts, his credentials as a member of Alpha Flight are enough to sway him this time. Craigborne tells Eugene that he is rather surprised as to him taking him into confidence about his secret identity. Eugene replies that there is nothing secret about it, and with Puck and Judd at the same hospital, it won’t take much to put two and two together. Dr. Craigborne wishes Judd good luck.
(at night)
Again Eugene Judd sneaks from his bed, though this time he ditches the bed gown he has been wearing, and dons his super hero costume, which Shaman mystically restructured. Judd decides that his costume is tight enough to hold his stomach together, in case the stitches should tear. He thinks that this shouldn’t be too strenuous though, after all, he is only playing detective, and will leave the rough stuff to the police. Walking through a service tunnel in the hospital Judd thinks that whoever the drug dealers are they are not very concerned with covering their tracks, and he can see the trail they have left in the tunnel.
As Judd leaves the hospital, he finds his first major clue, a beat up yellow van. At closer investigation, the driver passes Nurse Daly some of the drugs. Daly complains that he promised her a whole month’s supply, to which the dealer tells her that she is getting greedy, sneaking drugs on her own time. As the van drives off, Judd runs up and decides that if he is clever he may have the whole ring caught in one night. He jumps onto the back of the vehicle, holding onto the back door hand handles while standing on the bumper.
(30 minutes later)
Way beyond Fort Albany’s city limits, the van arrives at a boathouse, which Puck thinks is not as abandoned as it looks. As one of the dealers’ opens the shed door, Puck climbs onto the roof of the van as to not get seen, and just in time too, as a third man is in the boathouse. Judd decides to listen to them before he bashes them. The third man asks how everything went, to which the driver, who calls him Morrie, tells him it went fine, and that he shouldn’t worry so much. Morrie says that he has reason to worry that he has been in jail too many times already, and that if he takes the fall this time, he will be locked up and the key thrown away. Morrie says that tonight’s run was too rushed for him, and he likes warning.
Suddenly the second man spots Puck on top of the van. With his cover blown Puck introduces himself to the druggies, and quickly after kicking Morrie and the driver in the face, he cartwheels over to the second man showing everyone why he is called Puck. Morrie regains consciousness and asks what a “midget in a monkey suit” is doing here, before trying to whack Judd with a fishing pole. Puck tells him that firstly they are called “little People”, and secondly he is a dwarf, not a midget, and the condition he has is called achondroplasty, which involves lack of growth in the long bones. Bouncing off the van, and kicking at Morrie he tells him that he probably knew that though.
Cringing, Puck thinks that Morrie will stay down for now, but he thinks that the move he pulled may have also ripped some of his stitches out. As blood starts to leak from Pucks’ costume, he spies a telephone, and crawls over to it, but, as he reaches for the phone, he doesn’t think he will be able to make it. Puck blackens out.
(hours later)
Puck awakes to find himself back in his hospital bed, with Dr. Craigborne and inspector McNamara at his side. The inspector tells Judd he is glad that he is okay after the big favor he did for them, busting up that dope ring. McNamara tells Judd that they have been trying for months to find out where that supply was originating, and now thanks to Judd, they have the dealers in custody. Puck tells him that it was his pleasure, and asks how they managed to find him though.
Sergeant McNamara tells Puck that de did manage to call the police, and that he was lucky the officer who took his call believed he was with Alpha Flight. Judd supposes Fort Albany does not see too many super heroes.
Dr. Craigborne tells Puck that will be likely to see one less if he does not get any rest. Walking into the corridor, the sergeant tells Dr. Craigborne that Judd is quite a guy, and that he knows six-footers who would have folded before Judd did, and compliments Craigborne on the way he stitched Judd back up. Dr. Craigborne says that he might not have done enough, with the extent of his injuries being so serious. The doctor tells McNamara that he didn’t want to say anything in front of Puck, but there is a high probability that he will not live through the night. The inspector is surprised as he says Judd looks so healthy. The doctor says that as he is on painkillers at the moment, it makes him look better than he actually is.
Craigborne re-enters Judds hospital room, and asks him if he knows just how lucky he is to still be with them. Judd says that he is. Judd tells the doctor that he wished inspector McNamara would have stayed longer, as he is not entirely convinced the drug ring is closed. Craigborne asks how so. Judd tells him that there has to be a top man behind the goons that someone is still out there. The doctor tells Judd he should get some more rest and not worry about it. Judd tells him he has an awful lot to think about, and he doesn’t believe poor nurse Daly was the mastermind of the ring. Craigborne tells Judd that she claimed to be a pawn of the thugs, and pulls out some painkiller and a syringe, telling Judd he needs a long rest.
Suddenly Judd leaps up from his resting position and punches the doctor saying “But not as long as you’re planning, eh?” Judd tells Craigborne that he was a little too clever in getting his goons to beat him up like that, Puck continues saying it was a little too convenient that he would catch the thugs first night. The doctor protests, telling Eugene that he doesn’t know what he is talking about. Judd tells him to stop acting, and picking up the medicine bottle, Puck confirms his suspicions that there were two labels, and as he rips the top one labeled painkiller off, it reveals the one beneath, labeled insulin. Puck knows that an overdose of insulin is enough to kill, and it won’t show up in the autopsy unless specifically looked for. Puck asks Craigborne what happened? Did he get nurse Daly hooked, or did he catch her in the act and use her as a front? Before the doctor can answer, Judd tells him not to answer, as he has no sympathy for a druggie like Nurse Daly, but he has even less sympathy for someone like him, the kind of people that create junkies. Puck says he better call the desk and have them send sergeant McNamara back, as he didn’t collect all of the rubbish.
(Set fifteen years in the past)
At a secret place, near the Sarcee Reservation outside Calgary, Alberta. Dr. Michael Twoyoungmen stands before his frail grandfather, who tells him that he cannot deny his heritage, and that his path is pre-ordained. Michael tells his grandfather that while his father may have believed in him and his ancient “mumbo-jumbos” he does not. He says that this is the age of science and everyday great men, great minds peel back another layer of the universe, and solve another mystery. Michael continues, telling his grandfather that he is a scientist, a doctor, and that he has been called the best surgeon in all of Canada. That he has a wife and a daughter and a thriving medical practice. The man who would become known as Shaman asks his grandfather if he would have him sacrifice all of that for something only he alone believes in?
Twoyoungmen’s grandfather tells his grandson that he must, for his time is at an end, and the old knowledge must be passed from blood to blood. Walking out of his grandfathers cave, Twoyoungmen tells the frail old man that his father is dead. He apologizes to his grandfather, and tells him that his father’s death set him free of his final bond to his grandfather and the old ways. Inside the cave, the old man‘s female companion tells the old Indian that she is surprised he refused, and asks if Michael does not know the power he refuses? Michael’s grandfather replies that he knows, but the white man‘s teachings have put clouds upon his wisdom, and so there is much he must forget, in order for him to remember. The old man tells the woman that there is a great test ahead, and Michael will come back. Back to his ways, and his teachings, only Michael doesn’t know it yet.
Back in the suburbs of Calgary, as Michael Twoyoungmen pulls up at his home, a red-headed girl in her early teens tells the younger Native American, Elizabeth, that her father is home. Picking his daughter up, Michael asks Elizabeth how she is? The young girl replies that she is fine, and that she and her baby-sitter have been playing “Barbie”, and that Barbie and Ken are going to get married and have a baby – maybe three! Michael laughs, and says he detects the McNeil influence. Turning to the redheaded girl, Heather McNeil, Michael asks her how she and that ever-expanding family of hers are? Heather replies that she is fine, as her brothers, and that her mother is going to have another baby, even though she said the same thing last time! Heather tells Dr. Twoyoungmen that Doctor Bassaraba called also, and he would like to be called back.
Inside his home, Michael begins to talk to Doctor Bassaraba, only Michael’s words can be made out, but it is obviously something important being told to him, as Michael’s words become rather urgent, and he tells the doctor that he will come right away. Twenty minutes later, at the Chinook Centre Medical Building, Katheryn Twoyoungmen sits anxiously on an examination bed as Dr. Bassaraba tells her that he would like to have her admitted to hospital for a few days tests and observation. Katheryn agrees if he really thinks it is necessary. A nurse interrupts, and tells Dr. Bassaraba that there is someone here to see him.
In his office, Dr. Bassaraba tells Michael that he is glad he could make it, the situation may have been more serious than he thought. Michael tells Max not to play “doctor talk” with him, and asks what is wrong with his wife. Dr. Bassaraba does just that, using precise terms that few laymen could understand, and he does not skirt the issue, or attempt to soften the blow, as he has too much respect for the younger doctor. Whatever words, however spoken, the results are still the same. Dr. Bassaraba tells Michael he is sorry, and that if there was anything he could do. Twoyoungmen tells him there is nothing anyone can do though.
Suddenly Michael goes from solemn to angry, and says that he is Michael Twoyoungmen, and he is supposed to be the best doctor in the country, and that it is time he proved it. Dr. Bassaraba tells Michael that even he knows it is madness for a doctor to treat his own family, and that he can honestly do no more than anyone else. Max tells Michael that if he involves himself, then Katheryn will immediately know how serious her condition is. Michael tells the other doctor that he knows, and they are supposed to spare the patient any unnecessary anguish, but she is the woman he loves. Entering the examination room, Michael says he is going to do everything in his power to save Katheryn.
During the long months that follow, Twoyoungmen becomes a man driven by the great black cloud that is hopelessness. It crowds around him, closer and closer blocking away all the light.
He becomes almost a ghost, haunting the halls and labs of Foothills hospital at every hour, never far from his wife or instruments of his profession. Even those rare moments Michael Twoyoungmen is home, he is in his small office, buried in textbooks, searching. Until one night. As Michael scours another textbook, his daughter Elizabeth enters his office, asking her father when her mother is coming home. Heather McNeil follows, apologizing to Michael for being disturbed. Michael says it is all right, and beckons his daughter in.
Sitting on her fathers’ knees, Elizabeth tells him that she wants to go to the hospital, as she hasn’t seen her mother in such a long time. The young girl‘s father tells her that it was only a few days since their last visit, and that she needs to understand that her mother is very sick and only doctors can see her at the moment. Elizabeth reminds her father that he is a doctor, and asks him if he is going to make her mother all better. Hugging her, Michael says he will, he promises he will. Standing at the door of the office, young Heather McNeil thinks to herself that she hopes he can, because her mother says Katheryn is dying!
One day not long after, Dr. Bassaraba pulls a sheet over Katheryn’s face. For while dying can be long and hard, for some it brings release from pain at last. Michael puts his hand on Elizabeth and tells her that he should better get her home. ‘Don’t touch me! Liar! Liar!’ Elizabeth shouts to her father. Heather McNeil tries to console her, but as Elizabeth runs out of the room, the young girl is clearly upset as she says that he would have made her mother all better, and that she hates him. Michael calls after, but Elizabeth chooses not to listen.
As Heather and her mother Claire McNeil console Elizabeth, Ramsey McNeil, who had been waiting outside the room with his wife, goes up to Twoyoungmen, and tells him that Claire and he will look after Elizabeth until she cries it out, as he has enough to worry about. Michael protests that Ramsey and Claire have seven kids already and another on the way to worry about. A storm flashes outside, as lightening strikes and the rain pours down. Ramsey tells him that he has more than enough grief to deal with, and that Heather will love taking care of Elizabeth. Ramsey hesitates before telling Michael that he thought he read that his grandfather died today as well...
Puck, Shaman (both Alpha Flight)
Nurse Margaret Cambridge
Nurse Daly
Dr. Craigborne, hospital C.A
Doctors and Nurses at the hospital
Sergeant McNamara
Morrie and other drug dealers
Katheryn Twoyoungmen, his wife
Elizabeth Twoyoungmen, his daughter
unnamed grandfather of Michael Twoyoungmen
tribeswoman with the grandfather
Ramsey and Claire McNeil, Heather’s parents
Nurse at the hospital
Puck was mortally wounded by his friend and teammate Marrina, who had an uncontrollable rage in Alpha Flight (1st series) #2. He obviously did not take part in Alpha Flight‘s adventure against the Master of the World, nor did Shaman who was tending to Pucks wounds.
Located in the Swiss Alps, the Matterhorn is on of Europe’s highest mountains.
This issue continues with the origins of Alpha Flight, concentrating on Shaman. The rest of his origin is told over the next two issues.
The story marks the first appearance of Elizabeth Twoyoungmen, as a child. She will grow up to be long serving, and long suffering Alpha / Beta Flight member Talisman.
Elizabeth’s hostility to Shaman still remains to this day, though several attempts have been made at reconciliation. Any reconciliation made was short lived.
The eighth child of Ramsey and Claire McNeil is Becky. Heather has six older brothers who all remain unnamed.
X-Force (4th series) #11
Despite being a team centered around mutants, the X-Men have included several non-mutants including Mimic, Longshot, Warlock and Danger.
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Composed by Douglas J. Cuomo
Libretto by John Patrick Shanley
Premiered by Minnesota Opera at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota, January 26, 2013
August 19, 20, 26, and 27 [8pm]
Presented in English with projected English supertitles.
Christine Brewer* as Sister Aloysius
Wes Mason* as Father Flynn
Elise Quagliata
Melody Wilson* as Mrs. Miller
Debra Hillabrand as Mrs. Deakins
Philip Touchette as Monsignor
Winston Sullivan as Mr. McGuinn
Grace Fischer* as Mrs. Shields
Madeline Black - Ensemble
Tyler Ciesler*+ - Ensemble
Mia DeJong* - Ensemble
Tyler Green+ - Ensemble
Erin Haupt - Ensemble
Anthony Heineman - Ensemble
Merry Keller - Ensemble
Gina Malone
Emily Moses - Ensemble
Joel Rogier* - Ensemble
Leann Schuering
Debbie Stinson, Ensemble
Caetlyn Van Buren - Ensemble
Directed by Tim Ocel
Conducted by Scott Schoonover
Performed in two acts with one intermission
Place: St. Nicholas, a Catholic church and school in the Bronx, New York, 1964
The principal of the school (Sister Aloysius) begins to suspect the parish priest (Father Flynn) of having improper relations with an eighth grade student (Donald Miller). After receiving a bit of information from Donald’s teacher (Sister James) and interviewing the boy’s mother (Mrs. Miller) Sister Aloysius confronts Father Flynn.
John Patrick Shanley, on Doubt:
When I wrote the play, we were living in a time of great “certainty” in our country, leading up to the Iraq War, and I didn’t feel certain. And the culture around me seemed to be sending me the message that I didn’t feel certain because I was weak. I didn’t agree with that. So, that germ of an idea, about certainty and doubt, was there. But, it’s not something that I would have written about just by itself. And then I thought about the black mother, and I thought that was an interesting story. That’s when things started to get interesting. Because in all of my experiences of life, people have their reasons for doing things, and there are rarely very specific reasons why people do things. It’s usually a fairly complicated tale. And I wanted to tell that tale.
Praise for Doubt following the 2013 World Premiere at Minnesota Opera:
Of this there is no doubt: the opera, with a libretto by Shanley and music by Douglas J. Cuomo, makes for a gripping 2 1/2 hours of theatre…[Cuomo] has an ear for subtle dissonance, and his inventive orchestrations are enhanced by judicious use of saxophone, piano and celeste. – Mike Silverman, Associated Press via Washington Post
Mr. Cuomo’s orchestral writing…is fluent and attractive in a studiedly accessible sort of way. Particularly memorable are incursions of Bernsteinian dance and Glassian Minimalism. – James R. Oestreich, The New York Times
[Doubt] is an absorbing opera of ideas – a philosophical yet lyrical whodunit, cunningly inconclusive, that speaks to the heart…Cuomo’s music is of quite power, most moving when most intimate; he knows how to insinuate what cannot be spoken. Though unmistakably American in sound, he avoids both pop cliché and music-theatre razzmatazz. – Larry Fuchsberg, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Douglas Cuomo’s music serves to expand the emotional palette of Shanley’s words, layering levels of meaning onto exchanges and adding extra shadings to an already complex tale…It’s a production worth experiencing. It’s impressively sung and staged, its story’s ambiguity enhanced by Cuomo’s conflicted music. – Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities Pioneer Press
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