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RealNames was a company founded in 1997 by Keith Teare. Its goal was to create a multilingual keyword-based naming system for the Internet that would translate keywords typed into the address bar of Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser to Uniform Resource Identifiers, based on the existing Domain Name System, that would access the page registered by the owner of the RealNames keyword.
In effect, to users of Internet Explorer, RealNames became a domain registry which was capable of registering names that worked without needing to belong to a top level domain such as ".com" or ".net". RealNames and its backers expected this to be a lucrative source of income, and it raised more than $130m of funding for its venture.
RealNames was dependent on maintaining its association with Microsoft that enabled the RealNames service on Microsoft's web browser. RealNames shut down operations in 2002 following a decision by Microsoft to redirect the 1 billion page views per calendar quarter that RealNames were resolving from the browser address bar into the MSN search engine. | <urn:uuid:34c9a2a3-edd6-412d-bc2e-f96f6156eb40> | 2013-05-23T18:59:42Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Police in the Denver suburb of Westminster took Sigg into custody on Tuesday night after receiving a phone call, from his mother, that led them to Sigg. He was formally arrested Wednesday.
Sigg reportedly told his mother that he was responsible for the murder of the 10-year-old who was abducted while walking to school. Part of her dismembered remains were found five days later in a field at a park. The torso was reportedly found on Oct. 10. Her remains weren't identified until Oct. 12 because of the body's condition.
Police released photos of a cross apparently left behind by Jessica's killer.
"I made the phone call, and he turned himself in. That's all I have to say," his mother, Mindy Sigg, told a reporter before she broke down in tears and hung up.
Investigators say Sigg also admitted to having some of the 10-year old's remains in a crawl space in his home. Authorities reportedly have recovered those remains since Sigg's arrest.
A Denver television station reported that Sigg in his confession told police he didn't receive the joy from fatally strangling her that he thought he would, so he went further.
Sigg attended Witt Elementary - the same school Jessica went to - but he moved on to middle school in 2007, before she enrolled at Witt, Jefferson County Public Schools spokeswoman Lynn Setzer said.
Authorities declined to elaborate on the arrest and have released few details about the case. Court documents have been sealed, but a police custody report said Sigg was cooperative when he was arrested and waived his rights.
Sigg, an Arapahoe Community College student, showed interest in mortuary and forensic science. Friends say he often wore black and hung out in the "goth corner" of the school's cafeteria.
One of Sigg's classmates said he had been bullied for having a high voice. Another friend of Sigg's says he wasn't a big fan of high school.
Childhood friend Elexus Parmitter knew Sigg very well.
"He was a like the outcast. He wasn't popular, he wasn't in any sports. He was just a really smart kid," she said. "I grew up with the kid. He has a great mom, his brother is very smart, his little brother. They're just all great."
CBS4 in Denver said Sigg came from a troubled home that included divorce and many run-ins with the police.
The CBS affiliate also said Sigg's father, Robert Sigg, has a long arrest history, including multiple DUIs, assault, domestic violence and drug-dealing arrests.
Robert Sigg was involved in numerous civil actions and was convicted in 2006 for involvement in a mortgage fraud scheme after he was arrested by the FBI, reports say.
Austin Sigg's mother also reportedly filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy last May.
The arrest brought some relief to the community, which has been on edge as authorities searched for Jessica's killer. More parents have been waiting with their children at bus stops, and high school students have volunteered to walk younger children to school to keep them safe.
"Every parent in every Colorado community will rest a little easier tonight," said Gov. John Hickenlooper, who has a 10-year-old son. "While we still mourn the death of Jessica Ridgeway, we are relieved an arrest has been made and the pursuit of justice can continue."
Copyright 2012 KCTV (Meredith Corp.) All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Colorado girl went missing on Oct. 5. Her father, Jeremy Bryant, lives in Independence. He has traveled to Colorado to assist in the search for her. Independence family hopes for answers after AmberMore>>
Wednesday, May 22 2013 10:45 PM EDT2013-05-23 02:45:38 GMT
The only things higher than the stakes in Las Vegas are the thrill rides. Now, the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino will be the latest to offer an attraction at dizzying heights. The hotel-casino on WednesdayMore >
The only things higher than the stakes in Las Vegas are the thrill rides. Now, the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino will be the latest to offer an attraction at dizzying heights. More >
Thursday, May 23 2013 1:17 AM EDT2013-05-23 05:17:27 GMT
Las Vegas prides itself being able to offer something for everyone who visits The Strip. To pull it off, it requires jobs with diverse skill sets, maybe even a little crazy.More >
Las Vegas prides itself being able to offer something for everyone who visits The Strip. To pull it off, it requires jobs with diverse skill sets, maybe even a little crazy. FOX5's Jon Castagnino attemptedMore >
Wednesday, May 22 2013 5:26 PM EDT2013-05-22 21:26:31 GMT
Authorities identified a 38-year-old pedestrian who was killed after being struck by a tractor trailer on U.S. 95. The Clark County Coroner's office said Penny Amber Franco died in the incident that tookMore >
Authorities identified a 38-year-old pedestrian who was killed after being struck by a tractor-trailer on U.S. 95.More >
Thursday, February 21 2013 3:40 PM EST2013-02-21 20:40:03 GMT
A woman arrested Tuesday was seen engaging in sexual acts with a pit bull while outside in a backyard and in view of neighbors, Las Vegas Metro police said. Metro Wednesday released the report describingMore >
A Las Vegas woman was arrested Tuesday after authorities caught her having sex with a pit bull in her back yard, according to Metro police.More >
Wednesday, May 22 2013 8:34 PM EDT2013-05-23 00:34:09 GMT
The Clark County District Attorney's office has identified and charged a third suspect in connection with the beheading of an exotic bird at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in October 2012. Hazhir KargaranMore >
The Clark County District Attorney's Office has identified and charged a third suspect in connection with the beheading of an exotic bird at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in October 2012.More >
Wednesday, May 22 2013 5:36 PM EDT2013-05-22 21:36:03 GMT
A 66-year-old inmate serving life in prison at a corrections center outside Las Vegas died Tuesday, officials said. According to the Nevada Department of Corrections, Leonardo Cruz was found dead in hisMore >
A 66-year-old inmate serving life in prison at a corrections center outside Las Vegas died Tuesday, officials said.More >
Wednesday, May 22 2013 7:46 PM EDT2013-05-22 23:46:19 GMT
Just in time for the unofficial start of summer, Clark County is opening eight pools and water parks for Memorial Day weekend at noon on Saturday. The following pools and water parks will be open thisMore >
Just in time for the unofficial start of summer, Clark County is opening eight pools and water parks for Memorial Day weekend at noon on Saturday. More >
Wednesday, May 22 2013 7:56 PM EDT2013-05-22 23:56:01 GMT
(RNN) – Of the 24 killed in the EF-5 tornado that decimated Moore, OK, 10 are children - two of which are infants according to a release by the Oklahoma City Medical Examiner's Office. All the childrenMore >
The last of the missing from Monday's massive tornado that tore through the town of Moore, OK, have been accounted for. More > | <urn:uuid:71150a7e-59a9-43d7-b93e-106c548763a5> | 2013-05-23T18:40:06Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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The National Air and Space Museum in Washington was closed Saturday after anti-war demonstrators tried to enter the building to protest a drone exhibit, and at least one person was pepper-sprayed.
Smithsonian spokesman John Gibbons said a large group of demonstrators, estimated at 100 to 200 people, arrived at about 3 p.m. and tried to enter the National Mall museum. When a security guard stopped the group from entering, saying they could not bring in signs, he was apparently held by demonstrators, Gibbons said. A second guard who arrived used pepper spray on at least one person and the crowd dispersed.
A number of groups have been demonstrating in the city in the past week. The group that arrived at the museum Saturday included individuals affiliated with the October 2011 Stop the Machine demonstration, which has been going on in the city's Freedom Plaza and has an anti-war and anti-corporate greed message. The group also included protesters affiliated with Occupy D.C., a group modeled on the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York City. Occupy D.C. has been holding marches and meetings in Washington's McPherson Square.
Legba Carrefour, who is working with Occupy D.C., said a number of individuals joined the march to the museum following an afternoon meeting of the group.
Ann Wilcox, a lawyer working with Stop the Machine, said a 19-year-old woman from Madison, Wis., was arrested by police. She paid a fine and was released later Saturday. Wilcox said the protesters went to the Air and Space museum to demonstrate against a drone exhibit.
The museum has an exhibit, "Military Unmanned Aerial Vehicles," that covers the history of unmanned aircraft and their current use as offensive weapons. Drones are often called the weapon of choice of the Obama administration, which quadrupled drone strikes against Al Qaeda targets in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas, up from less than 50 under the Bush administration to more than 220 in the past three years.
The museum is expected to re-open Sunday. | <urn:uuid:437420f3-6a40-4a00-a6f4-4e3258e0d9ed> | 2013-05-23T18:46:46Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Key stage 1: use of fire
As most books and museum displays about the evolution of human society mention, the mastery of fire was one of the most crucial steps in human development. Cooking, warmth and defense followed – allowing humans to develop in a newly accelerated way. As well as the ‘good’ things, there was now potential for explosive damage. Matches are a supremely easy and cheap way for everyone to have access to making fire. | <urn:uuid:30d617fe-670e-4f5c-b36e-2d145ccae997> | 2013-05-23T19:05:28Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Search Result for "hoary":
1. showing characteristics of age, especially having grey or white hair;
- Example: "whose beard with age is hoar"-Coleridge
- Example: "nodded his hoary head"
[syn: grey, gray, grey-haired, gray-haired, grey-headed, gray-headed, grizzly, hoar, hoary, white-haired]
- Example: "hoary jokes"
[syn: hoary, rusty]
3. covered with fine whitish hairs or down;
[syn: canescent, hoary]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Hoary \Hoar"y\, a. 1. White or whitish. "The hoary willows." --Addison. [1913 Webster] 2. White or gray with age; hoar; as, hoary hairs. [1913 Webster] Reverence the hoary head. --Dr. T. Dwight. [1913 Webster] 3. Hence, remote in time past; as, hoary antiquity. [1913 Webster] 4. Moldy; mossy; musty. [Obs.] --Knolles. [1913 Webster] 5. (Zool.) Of a pale silvery gray. [1913 Webster] 6. (Bot.) Covered with short, dense, grayish white hairs; canescent. [1913 Webster] Hoary bat (Zool.), an American bat (Atalapha cinerea), having the hair yellowish, or brown, tipped with white. [1913 Webster]Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
109 Moby Thesaurus words for "hoary": acknowledged, admitted, advanced, advanced in life, advanced in years, age-old, aged, ageless, along in years, ancient, antediluvian, antique, argent, argentine, auld, canescent, chalky, conventional, cretaceous, customary, dateless, elderly, established, fixed, fleecy-white, folk, frost-beaded, frost-chequered, frost-covered, frost-fettered, frost-rent, frostbound, frosted, frostlike, frosty, frosty-faced, gray, gray with age, gray-haired, gray-headed, grizzled, grizzly, grown old, hallowed, handed down, heroic, hoar, hoar-frosted, hoaryheaded, immemorial, inveterate, lactescent, legendary, lily-white, long-established, long-standing, marble, marmoreal, milky, mythological, niveous, of long standing, of old, of the folk, of yore, old, old as Methuselah, old as history, old as time, old-time, olden, oral, patriarchal, platinum, prescriptive, pure white, received, recognized, rime-frosted, rimed, rooted, senectuous, silver, silver-bearded, silver-headed, silvered, silvery, snow-white, snowy, swan-white, time-honored, timeless, timeworn, traditional, tried and true, true-blue, understood, unwritten, venerable, white, white as snow, white with age, white-bearded, white-crowned, white-haired, worshipful, wrinkled, wrinkly, years old | <urn:uuid:7352a125-8191-49a6-9b29-9d5b594231ab> | 2013-05-23T18:51:37Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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I've been away for a couple of days, but that gave me the time to buy and start reading this wonderful book "This Is Your Brain On Music", in which rock guitarist turned PhD neuroscientist Daniel Levitin, explains how music interacts with our brain. I will review it later, but I learned here about the "Diabolus In Musica", Latin for "The Devil In Music", a title of the album by Herb Robertson I reviewed earlier this year, and now I understand where the title comes from.
Levitin writes in his introduction about this diabolical interval, the 6th semitone (or 3 full tones) in our western octave, known to musicians as an "augmented fourth" or "diminished fifth". I quote: "The (medieval catholic) church also banned the musical interval of an augmented fourth, the distance between C and F-sharp and also known as tritone (the interval in Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story when Tony sings the name 'Maria'). This interval was considered so dissonant that it must have been the work of Lucifer, and the church named it 'Diabolus in Musica' ".
No wonder the tritone is a crucial element in jazz. I wonder what the church fathers would think about the music reviewed on this blog.
Hence the title of the Herb Robertson, Rick Messbauer, Tom Sayek album (and of the somewhat more popular yet less sophisticated album by Slayer). | <urn:uuid:bcaedbcd-4cb8-4de3-8458-3e0db8dc7db1> | 2013-05-23T18:51:09Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Need some work done? Post a Project Today
Write a script (with the tool of your choice e.g. perl, sed/awk, php) to extract text-data from two sets of webpages and save it into comma-delimited format (csv).
In both sets of webpages, the text data to be retrieved is stored in html tables created from a template,
A sample page of both sets of webpages can be provided via PM. | <urn:uuid:a9c235eb-b091-4897-bf52-732c88d4180f> | 2013-05-23T18:54:29Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Register New Player
Welcome to our world of fun trivia quizzes and quiz games:
Odd 80s stuff
"Here are a few you may have forgotten...or tried to."
15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit
Who did the song 'Mexican Radio'?
Wall Of Voodoo
Who did the song 'Major Tom (Coming Home)'?
Who's song was: 'It's Raining Again'?
What song featured this lyric about a hairdresser that would cut you to the quick and stab you in the heart?
Don't You Want Me
Modern Day Delilah
She's A Beauty
Who did the song 'Electric Blue'?
Terrence Trent D'arby
Who did a song that was about a girl that wasn't too proud to cry out loud and was called 'What About Me'?
Who did 'The Metro'?
Who had a hit with 'My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)'?
Who did the song 'In Between Days (Without You)'?
Who did the songs 'Run Home Girl' (actually 1979) and 'La Di Da'?
Copyright, FunTrivia.com. All Rights Reserved.
Legal / Conditions of Use
Compiled Jun 28 12 | <urn:uuid:d96dccc6-d318-4a2b-b6e7-be4745579cfe> | 2013-05-23T18:31:27Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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If I understood you correctly, you are trying to get from Room D to room M. If so - (This is based on this map:
If you want the traditional west is at the left of the compass and east is on the right - just interchange east and west on the post.
Go back to Rooms - C, H, L, K, G, F and A.
In A, turn around-south, press button and door closes. Go to B.
In B, press the button at center of door.
Go to C (west), H (south), L (south), K (east), G (north), F (east), J (south), N (south), R (south), S (west), T (west) and U (west).
In U, press button and door closes.
Go to T (east), S (east), R (east), N (north), J (north), F (north), G (west), K (south), O (south) and P (west).
In P, turn left-north, press door and door opens (don't go in). Go to O (west).
In O, turn around-east, press button and door closes. Go back to K (north), L (west), P (south), Q (west) and M (north).
Hope that gets you through. | <urn:uuid:d9aded88-ef11-4047-ab6a-38db3bb7703f> | 2013-05-23T19:00:25Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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As you can see in my code I included System.Diagnostics. The purpose of this program is to get the current process and output it to the console. I am trying to access Process.GetCurrentProcess on line 14 . Also, as you can see, I can only access Process.Program . Why is it that I can't use:
Process.GetCurrentProcess(); and all of the other functions of the Process Class. | <urn:uuid:a72a1307-90b4-4875-aa91-7f64e00b1b06> | 2013-05-23T18:47:14Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Juridical Procedures Relating to the Anabaptists
Juridical Procedures Relating to the Anabaptists (Legal Action Against the Anabaptists; German, Rechtsprechung).
Legal action against Anabaptists developed in a natural way out of the juridical practice concerning heretics in general. In the 12th century when ecclesiastical defection or nonconformity led to the rise of Albigensian and Waldensian sectarianism, the Roman Church undertook stern measures of repression. Pope Gregory IX, 1227-1241, creator of the first compilation of Canonical Law, established the Inquisition, and Emperor Frederick II, 1220-1250, in his Sicilian Law Code put the temporal arm of imperial law at the disposal of the church in all cases against heretics. In the 15th century, when the old Roman Law was assimilated into the German Law, the Civil Code of the Holy Roman Empire renewed the old laws of the emperors Gratian, Valentinian II, and Theodosius I (all of A.D. 380) concerning the exclusive right and authority of the Catholic Church, and that of the emperors Honorius and Theodosius II (A.D. 413) concerning the capital crime of rebaptism, punishable with death (Corpus Juris Civilis I, 1 and VI, 2). In criminal law, trials by torture (to obtain confessions incriminating to the accused) had been in use for various crimes against general security ever since the 13th century. In the trials of Anabaptists in particular the questionnaire set up before cross-examination was easily manipulated in such a way that it would influence the outcome of the trial. The first Anabaptist to die thus as a "heretic" on Catholic soil was Eberli Bolt, executed in the canton of Schwyz on 29 May 1525, the first on Reformed soil was Felix Manz at Zürich on 5 January 1527, and the first on Lutheran soil were two men and four women at Reinhardsbrunn on 18 January 1530 (see also Gotha for names).
In the course of the persecution of the Anabaptists a double change is evident on the part of the government, due to a considerable extent to the Peasants' War; the charge shifted more and more from heresy to sedition; and on the part of the Reformers the sentencing of heresy grew more bitter to the extent that in heresy they were no longer attacking a hostile church, but defending their own. -- EC
2. Jurisdictional Practices of Ferdinand I in all of Austria, Bavaria, and the Territories of the Swabian League.
Ferdinand I, Archduke of Austria, King of Bohemia and Hungary, and later also Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, "the prince of darkness" as Jakob Hutter called him in his epistle of 1535, the "tyrant and enemy of divine truth who has had many of ours innocently and mercilessly murdered," was a staunch fighter for the undisturbed integrity of the Catholic Church, With the mandate of 20 August 1527, he ushered in a systematic persecution in his domain by publishing a list of heretical doctrines, adherence to which would lead to capital punishment (see Mandates). The Anabaptists were charged with only two obnoxious articles: rejection of infant baptism and abuse of the Sacrament of the Altar. In the Ordinance of 26 February 1528, to the Austrian Government he complained about laxity in the proceedings against Anabaptists (see Austria). But very soon he transformed these heresy-proceedings into extraordinary proceedings against "rebels."
South German influence on Ferdinand's mandates is very probable. Bavaria had already proclaimed martial law (Standrecht) against Anabaptists. "The ducal secretary Pernöder testified that no proper court session was held for the prisoners but that the sentence was simply read to them, whereupon they were led to execution" (Wiswedel, II, 55). The Swabian League with its practice of martial law shows again the governmental ideas regarding those who deviated from the old church. Many were sentenced to death without recourse to any juridical process, e.g., Eitelhans Langenmantel. On 7 March 1528, the Swabian League issued a mandate against the Anabaptists which expressly said that "it can easily be estimated even by a simple Christian with little understanding" to what an extent Anabaptism will lead to "new revolts and rebellions," unless torture is undertaken and earnest punishment (Klüpfel, II, 319).
The specter of the Peasants' War (1525) was constantly in Ferdinand's mind. Like other princes of the time he too saw in Anabaptism a real threat to governmental authority. To be sure, this was not the only reason for his ruthless persecution of the Anabaptists; another was the presumed Christological heresies. Blasphemous words against "the Mother of God," for instance, were to be punished "in body, life, and property according to the occasion and the degree of guilt." Anyone who administered Holy Communion without having been consecrated as a priest was to be punished with "fire, sword, or water according to the judgment of the judges" (Nicoladoni, 259). Ferdinand argued that since seditious acts would surely ensue from heretical teachings (considered even more serious than a criminal act), extraordinary procedures should be pursued in all such cases, disregarding general legal practices. Ferdinand's policy concerning Anabaptists had, no doubt, also a significant influence upon the ill-famed mandate against Anabaptism of the Diet of Speyer, passed 22 April 1529. On the basis of this mandate Anabaptists were to be condemned to death by fire and sword, "without previous inquisition by spiritual judges." As it is generally known, the Reformers (Luther, Melanchthon) gave their consent to this basic mandate. The motivating force behind Ferdinand was no doubt his confessor, the Court Preacher Johann Faber, who also played an important role at the Diet of Speyer. It was he who one year earlier cross-examined Balthasar Hubmaier and otherwise engaged in literary activities against the Anabaptists.
Luther's views on heretics and their punishment have been thoroughly investigated by Sohm, Köhler, Wappler, Paulus, and more recently by John Oyer (see Bibliography). Until about 1524, Luther definitely rejected the idea of governmental intervention in matters of faith. In his letter "To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation" (1520) he states that heretics should be conquered "with Scripture not with fire, as the forefathers did. If it were an art to overcome heretics with fire, then the executioners would be the most learned doctors on earth." He urged lenience toward the Zwickau Prophets, and did not even want them to be imprisoned (Luther's Correspondence, ed. De Wette, Letter of 17 January 1522, II, 135). In his book Von weltlicher Obrigkeit (1522) he sharply opposed government interference in spiritual matters. Also in a letter to his Prince of Saxony he admonished that the office of the Word should not be resisted. "Just let them preach confidently and vigorously what they can and against whom they will, for... there must be sects" (Luther's letters, ibid., 21 August 1524 (?), II, 547).
In 1525, however, a change took place in Luther's opinion. In a letter dated 4 March 1525, to Spengler, the city clerk of Nürnberg, concerning the "three ungodly painters" (against whom the city council was conducting a trial) the concept of "blasphemy" occurs for the first time. For this particular offense it was necessary for the temporal powers to step in automatically. As to punishment, Luther does not express himself yet. In the years 1526-1528, the concept of "sedition" takes the more prominent place. This idea had been drilled into the national consciousness during the Peasants' War, mainly by the weight of Lutheran publicity. Now, on 9 February 1526 Luther declared to the Prince Elector that in order to prevent sedition and a mob spirit, "there shall be one kind of preaching only at one place" (Luther's Letters, ibid., Ill, 88 ff.). The word "sedition" was also utilized in connection with the newly established Lutheran church inspections (the Electoral Instructions for the inspectors of 16 June 1527, use this term expressly. Sehling, I, 142 ff.). Hence, anyone who did not agree with the Lutheran Church on a point of doctrine, was subject to the temporal authorities also on the suspicion of sedition. It should be emphasized, however, that with the by far greatest number of Anabaptists there was no evidence of seditious tendencies whatever to justify the intervention of the government, even though great divergencies existed in points of doctrine. The task of church organization, however, made it imperative now to find a justification for proceedings against all those who showed any anti-Lutheran mind. Since, as was generally assumed, the suspicion of sedition was not a sufficient ground for proceeding against deviators, it became necessary to find a new weapon. That was the concept of "blasphemy," used by Luther for the first time in the above-mentioned letter to Spengler of 1525.
Apparently Melanchthon was the first to draw the logical conclusions from this situation and demanded of the government that it punish false teachings. The occasion for this was given first by the exceedingly embarrassing results of the church inspections in Saxony which seemed to indicate a threat to the very existence of the new church (Corp. Reform.; Opera Melanchthoni, I, col. 941). It was also Melanchthon who became instrumental in the formulation of the official "Opinion" of the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg concerning the legal aspects of the punishment of deviations in all matters of church discipline. Here the idea of blasphemy is clearly stated as the main argument for the death penalty. According to the study by Meissner, the Wittenberg theologians seemed to have arrived at this idea of blasphemy as the most serious criminal fault by all opponents by pointing to the concept of "ingratitude to the Gospel" (Luther's letter of 22 November 1526, loc. cit. Ill, 135) as well as by reference to the Electoral Instructions of 16 June 1527 (Richter, I, 78). In a letter of 15 February 1530, Melanchthon promoted the idea that blasphemous articles of faith, even if they have nothing to do with sedition, must be punished with the sword. By this procedure an extraordinarily effective legal device was now found for the persecution of all "heretics" and at the same time for the defense of the new church.
Luther bestowed his sanction upon this device in his Exposition of the 82d Psalm. The background of it is as follows: Around 1530, a new party had arisen in Nürnberg which advocated toleration and liberty of conscience in matters of religion. Thereupon, on 17 March 1530, Spengler wrote to Veit Dietrich at Wittenberg asking him to persuade Luther—then just working on an Exposition of Psalm Deus Sedet in Synagoga—to put into this new booklet a condemnation of the new party and its philosophy, all the more as this party defended its stand by reference to the "booklet by Doctor Luther addressed to the Elector of Saxony, against the fanatical Thomas Müntzer." Veit Dietrich then looked Luther up and expounded to him the principles of the prevailing criminal law of the time. Luther then developed these ideas further in his Exposition of the 82d Psalm (Hausdorff). In this Exposition Luther stressed first of all the high dignity of all authorities (or magistrates), which at one place he calls outright "gods." Seditious heretics are to be "punished straightway and without compunction." But likewise also those who teach only contrary to a published article of faith should be punished as open blasphemers who "are not to be tolerated." Against them he recommended quick justice, on the basis of Leviticus 24:16 and also the Church Fathers, who had no more patience with false doctrines than Moses.
That Luther's Exposition of the 82d Psalm was actually considered as a declaration of principles to guide legal practices can be proved by numerous references (see Meissner). The courts of Saxony only too willingly concurred with the suggestions and opinions of the Wittenberg theologians. "They followed the opposite course from Ferdinand's juridical practice, namely, turning from the persecution of sedition to a secular trial of heretics" (Meissner). One might also mention the Imperial Cities of Germany, which followed in general also the direction of the Wittenberg theologians in their administration of justice in all cases of Anabaptism.
Johann Brenz of Württemberg for many years had defended toleration as a matter of principle. In his booklet, Ob eine weltliche Obrigkeit mit göttlichem und billigem Recht möge die Wiedertäufer durch Feuer und Schwert vom heben zum Tode richten lassen (1528), he taught that mere heresy not associated with revolt should be fought only with the spiritual sword, the Word of God, inasmuch as it does not belong to the concern of the temporal powers. Furthermore this booklet proved that the accusation against the Anabaptists was definitely unjustified. Through this booklet Brenz' influence on the juridical practice in Württemberg and elsewhere was quite beneficent: there were at least no death sentences in Württemberg. But later on, unfortunately, Brenz drifted into the current of Luther and Melanchthon. In 1557, he became a signatory of the declaration of several theologians entitled Prozess wie es soil gehalten werden mit den Wiedertäufern, durch etliche Gelehrt so zu Worms versammelt gewesen, gestellt (see Bedenken). This gloomy document deals in patricular with juridical questions concerning the proper course of trials of "heretics." The heads and seducers were to be put to death as blasphemers, for God had clearly commanded secular authorities to punish blasphemy. For that reason it had been right to punish Servetus [the Anti-Trinitarian, 1553]. The concept of blasphemy, as developed by Luther and Melanchthon, is interpreted as formal only (as Meissner has shown), i.e., it does not define particular non-orthodox teachings but in general means simply opposition as such; i.e., rebellion against the new church. It should, however, be mentioned that in the Stuttgart copy of this document (here called "Bendenken, etc.") the passage about Servetus' execution as well as another passage advocating death penalty for heresy is crossed out. Gustav Bossert, Jr., assumes that either the Duke of Württemberg or Brenz deleted these passages, and concludes accordingly that both the duke and the Württemberg theologians agreed basically with Brenz' earlier stand opposing the shedding of blood (Blätter, 25).
These two reformers of Strasbourg were entirely dependent on Wittenberg. In a document called Reformationsprogramm (Program for the Reformation) of 1535 sent in the name of the Strasbourg clergy to the Count Palatine Rupprecht, the establishment of a formal inquisition, ruthless intervention of the government in family life with respect to the baptism of children, and the sharpest measures against all foes or deprecators of the Gospel are demanded (original copy of this document in the State Library in Munich). Bucer believed that the government had the right to introduce Christianity among its subjects and to eradicate any false worship. "Unorthodox teachers are to be punished by body and life." ... "The power of the government over the conscience of its subjects is most harshly represented by Bucer" (Hagen).
Like Luther also Zwingli went dirough a certain change in his ideas concerning the punishment of heretics. In the earlier period of his reformatory activities he was possessed by the same optimism as Luther that the pure Gospel would renew everything and turn it to the good. But when in 1525 Anabaptism appeared in Zürich and tried to establish congregations on a New Testament pattern, he lost more and more the feeling that the norm of the Gospel and the new "Christian State" do not absolutely coincide. He began teaching the identity of Christianity and civil order, and committed to the "Christian" government of Zürich not only the supervision of general morality but also the care for the particular discipline of the new reformed church. He is said to have recommended the beheading of Anabaptists "on the strength of imperial law," as Balthasar Hubmaier claimed (Ein Gespräch Balthasar Hubmörs von dem Kindertauff, 1526). The Swiss authorities only too willingly acted upon his advice and opinion in all Anabaptist trials.
Calvin at first intended to have the spiritual office exclusively take charge of church discipline without any participation by the state. But soon developments in Geneva likewise went far beyond this initial program; the state police now also began to become involved in matters of church discipline. "We have sharpened the sword that they may accomplish their blood work" (Corp. Ref., Opera Calvini, VIII, 477). He expected from the state unconditional subjugation of all heretics and deviators. The execution of Michel Servetus in 1553 is a clear illustration of Calvin's enormous inluence upon the temporal authorities of Geneva.
See also Punishment of Anabaptists
Bossert, G. Jr. "Aus der nebenkirchlichen religiösen Bewegung der Reformationszeit in Württemberg." Blätter für württembergische Kirchengeschichte 28 (1929): 1-41.
Corpus Reformatorum, Opera Calvini
Corpus Reformatorum, Opera Melanchthoni.
de Wette, Wilhelm Martin Leberecht, ed. Martin Luther, Briefe, Sendschreiben und Bedenken. Berlin, 1826-1827: II-III.
Hagen, Carl. Deutschlands literarische und religiöse Verhältnisse im Reformationszeitalter. Frankfurt, 1886.
Hausdorff, Urban Gottlieb. Lebensbeschreibung eines christlichen politici Lazari Spengler's. Nürnberg, 1741.
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon. 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe; Schneider, 1913-1967: III, 433-439.
Hermelink, Heinrich. Der Toleranzgedanke im Reformationszeitalter. 1908.
Klüpfel, K. Urkunden zur Geschichte des Schwabischen Bundes 1488-1533. Stuttgart, 1853: Part 2.
Köhler, Walter. Reformation und Ketzerprozess. Tübingen and Leipzig, 1901.
Kreider, Robert. "The Anabaptists and the Civil Authorities of Strasbourg, 1525-1555." Church History 24 (1955): 99-118.
Meissner, Erich. "Die Rechtsprechung über die Wiedertäufer und die antitäuferische Publizistik." Ph.D. dissertation, Göttingen, 1921. This dissertation forms the basis for the material in the present article.
Nicoladoni, A. Johannes Bünderlin von Linz und die oberösterreichischen Täufergemeinden in den Jahren 1525-1531. Berlin, 1893.
Oyer, John. "The Writings of Luther against the Anabaptists." Mennonite Quarterly Review 27 (April 1953).
Oyer, John. "The Writings of Melanchthon against the Anabaptists." Mennonite Quarterly Review 26 (October 1952).
Paulus, Nikolaus. Protestantismus und Tolerant im sechzehnten Jahrhundert. Freiburg i.Br., 1911.
Richter, A. L. Die evangelischen Kirchenordnungen des 16. Jahrhunderts, 1, 2. Weimar, 1846.
Schraepler, Horst. "Die rechtliche Behandlung der Täufer in Württemberg, Hessen, Baden, Kurpfalz und der deutschen Schweiz in den Jahren 1525-1618." Tübingen doctoral dissertation, 1956.
Sehling, Emil, ed. Die Evangelischen Kirchenordnungen des 16. Jahrhunderts I, Part I. Leipzig, 1902.
Wappler, Paul. Inquisition und Ketzerprozesse in Zwickau zur Reformationszeit. Leipzig, 1908.
Wiswedel, Wilhelm. Bilder and Führergestalten aus dem Täufertum. 3 v. Kassel: J.G. Oncken Verlag, 1928-1952.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, pp. 129-132. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.
©1996-2013 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.
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MLA style: Crous, Ernst and Wilhelm Wiswedel. "Juridical Procedures Relating to the Anabaptists." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1957. Web. 23 May 2013. http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/J864.html.
APA style: Crous, Ernst and Wilhelm Wiswedel. (1957). Juridical Procedures Relating to the Anabaptists. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 23 May 2013, from http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/J864.html. | <urn:uuid:20ef304b-430a-4a50-9268-ac5e647393ec> | 2013-05-23T18:51:18Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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hob - Search Results
Articles About hob
We are all looking for ways to increase production without sacrificing quality. One of the most cost-effective ways is by improving the substrate material of your hob. Solid carbide hobs are widely used in many applications throughout the world. LMT-Fette was the first to demonstrate the use of solid carbide hobs in 1993 on modern high-speed carbide (HSC) hobbing machines. Since then the process of dry hobbing has been continuously improving through research and product testing. Dry hobbing is proving to be successful in the gear cutting industry as sales for dry hobbing machines have steadily been rising along with the dramatic increase in sales of solid carbide hobs.
Today it is common practice when climb hobbing to keep the direction of the hob thread the same as that of the helical gear. The same generalization holds true for the mass production of gears for automobiles. It is the authors' opinion, however, that conventional hobbing with a reverse-handed hob is more effective for the high-speed manufacture of comparatively small module gears for automobiles. The authors have proven both experimentally and theoretically that reverse-handed conventional hobbing, using a multi-thread hob with a smaller diameter is very effective for lengthening the life of the hob and for increasing cutting efficiency at high speeds.
The Hobbing Process The hobbing process involves a hob which is threaded with a lead and is rotated in conjunction with the gear blank at a ratio dependent upon the number of teeth to be cut. A single thread hob cutting a 40-tooth gear will make 40 revolutions for each revolution of the gear. The cutting action in hobbing is continuous, and the teeth are formed in one passage of the hob through the blank. See Fig. 1 for a drawing of a typical hob with some common nomenclature.
The method of cutting teeth on a cylindrical gear by the hobbing process has been in existence since the late 1800s. Advances have been made over the years in both the machines and the cutting tools used in the process. This paper will examine hob tool life and the many variables that affect it. The paper will cover the state-of-the-art cutting tool materials and coatings, hob tool design characteristics, process speeds and feeds, hob shifting strategies, wear characteristics, etc. The paper will also discuss the use of a common denominator method for evaluating hob tool life in terms of meters (or inches) per hob tooth as an alternative to tool life expressed in parts per sharpening.
There are great advantages in dry hobbing, not only for friendliness toward the environment, but also for increasing productivity and for decreasing manufacturing cost. Dry hobbing, however, often causes failures in hob cutting edges or problems with the surface quality of gear tooth flanks. These difficulties are not present when hobbing with cutting oil. Pinching and crushing of generated chips between the hob cutting edge and the work gear tooth flank is considered a major cause of those problems.
Gear hobbing is a generating process. The term generating refers to the fact that the gear tooth form cut is not the conjugate form of the cutting tool, the hob. During hobbing both the hob and the workpiece rotate in a continuous rotational relationship. During this rotation, the hob is typically fed axially with all the teeth being gradually formed as the tool traverses the work face (see Fig. 1a).
This is Part II of a two-part series on the basics of gear hobbing. Part I discussed selection of the correct type of hobbing operation, the design features of hobs and hob accuracy. This part will cover sharpening errors and finish hob design considerations.
The first part of this article, which ran in the September/October 1994 issue, explained the fundamentals of gear hobbing and some of the latest techniques, including methods of hob performance analysis and new tool configurations, being used to solve specific application problems. In this issue, the author continues his exploration of hobbing by describing the effects of progress on requirements in accuracy, as well as the latest in materials, coating and dry hobbing.
We make a lot of single-start worm and worm gear sets, and it always seems as though we're buying another special hob. We also do a lot of spur gear cutting, and the spur gear hobs and the worm gear hobs look alike, so we wonder why we cannot use the standard hobs for cutting worm gears too. Can we do this?
Two questions on hobbing cover the various types of hobs and their unusual names, as well as the importance of hob swivel angle.
Today's high technology hobs are visible different from their predecessors. Gear hobs have taken on a different appearance and function with present day technology and tool and material development. This article shows the newer products being offered today and the reasons for investigating their potential for use in today's modern gear hobbers, where cost reduction and higher productivity are wanted.
The modern day requirement for precision finished hobbed gears, coupled with the high accuracy characteristics of modern CNC hobbing machines, demands high tool accuracy.
With growing markets in aerospace and energy technologies, measuring hob cutters used in gear cutting is becoming an essential requirement for workpieces and machine tools. Zoller, a provider of solutions for tool pre-setters, measuring and inspection machines and tool management software, has developed a new partnership with Ingersoll/Germany for shop floor checking of hob cutters by a combined hardware and software approach.
It is well known that hobs with straight-sided teeth do not cut true involutes. In this paper, the difference between the straight side of a hob tooth and the axial profile of an involute worm is evaluated. It is shown that the difference increases as the diametral pitch increases, to the extent that for fine-pitch gearing, the difference is insignificant.
The following article is a collection of data intended to give the reader a general overview of information related to a relatively new subject within the gear cutting industry. Although carbide hobbing itself is not necessarily new, some of the methods and types of application are. While the subject content of this article may be quite broad, it should not be considered all-inclusive. The actual results obtained and the speeds, feeds, and tool life used in carbide hobbing applications can vary significantly.
Question: We are contemplating purchasing a hobbing machine with dry hobbing capabilities. What do we need to know about the special system requirements for this technology?
In this paper, the potential for geometrical cutting simulations—via penetration calculation to analyze and predict tool wear as well as to prolong tool life—is shown by means of gear finish hobbing. Typical profile angle deviations that occur with increasing tool wear are discussed. Finally, an approach is presented here to attain improved profile accuracy over the whole tool life of the finishing hob.
Chicago- Results of recent studies on residual stress in gear hobbing, hobbing without lubricants and heat treating were reported by representatives of INFAC (Instrumented Factory for Gears) at an industry briefing in March of this year.
Can a gear profile generated by the hobbing method be an ideal involute? In strictly theoretical terms - no, but in practicality - yes. A gear profile generated by the hobbing method is an approximation of the involute curve. Let's review a classic example of an approximation.
Many people in the gear industry have heard of skiving, a process wherein solid carbide or inserted carbide blade hobs with 15 - 60 degrees of negative rake are used to recut gears to 62 Rc. The topic of this article is the use of neutral (zero) rake solid carbide hobs to remove heat treat distortion, achieving accuracies of AGMA 8 to AGMA 14, DIN 10-5 and improving surface finish on gears from 8 DP - 96 DP (.3 module - .26 m.).
In addition to the face milling system, the face hobbing process has been developed and widely employed by the gear industry. However, the mechanism of the face hobbing process is not well known.
With reference to the machining of an involute spur or helical gear by the hobbing process, this paper suggests a new criterion for selecting the position of the hob axis relative to the gear axis.
The gear hobbing process is a generating type of production operation. For this reason, the form of the hob tooth is always different from the form of the tooth that it produces.
Several innovations have been introduced to the gear manufacturing industry in recent years. In the case of gear hobbing—the dry cutting technology and the ability to do it with powder-metallurgical HSS—might be two of the most impressive ones. And the technology is still moving forward. The aim of this article is to present recent developments in the field of gear hobbing in conjunction with the latest improvements regarding tool materials, process technology and process integration.
The art of gear hobbing has advanced dramatically since the development and introduction of unique machine and tool features such as no backlash, super rigidity, automatic loading of cutting tools, CNC controls, additional machine power and improved cutter materials and coatings. It is essential to utilize all these features to run the machine economically.
To meet the future goals of higher productivity and lower production costs, the cutting speeds and feeds in modern gear hobbing applications have to increase further. In several cases, coated carbide tools have replaced the commonly used high speed steel (HSS) tools.
Today, as part of filling a typical gear hobbing or shaping machine order, engineers are required to perform an SPC acceptance test. This SPC test, while it is contractually necessary for machine acceptance, is not a machine acceptance test. It is a process capability test. It is an acceptance of the machine, cutting tool, workholding fixture, and workpiece as integrated on the cutting machine, using a gear measuring machine, with its work arbor and evaluation software, to measure the acceptance elements of the workpiece.
In the past gear manufacturers have had to rely on hob manufacturers' inspection of individual elements of a hob, such as lead, involute, spacing, and runout. These did not always guarantee correct gears, as contained elements may cause a hob to produce gears beyond tolerance limits.
Fig. 1 shows the effects of positive and negative rake on finished gear teeth. Incorrect positive rake (A) increase the depth and decreases the pressure angle on the hob tooth. The resulting gear tooth is thick at the top and thin at the bottom. Incorrect negative rake (B) decreases the depth and increases the pressure angle. This results in a cutting drag and makes the gear tooth thin at the top and thick at the bottom.
Question: When cutting worm gears with multiple lead stock hobs we find the surface is "ridged". What can be done to eliminate this appearance or is to unavoidable?
This article examines the dry hobbing capabilities of two cutting tool materials—powder metallurgical high-speed steel (PM-HSS) and cemented carbide. Cutting trials were carried out to analyze applicable cutting parameters and possible tool lives as well as the process reliability. To consider the influences of the machinability of different workpiece materials, a case hardening steel and a tempered steel were examined.
For environmental and economic reasons, the use of coolant in machining processes is increasingly being questioned. Rising coolant prices and disposal costs, as well as strains on workers and the environment, have fueled the debate. The use of coolant has given rise to a highly technical system for handling coolant in the machine (cooling, filtering) and protecting the environment (filter, oil-mist collector). In this area the latest cutting materials - used with or without coolant - have great potential for making the metal-removal process more economical. The natural progression to completely dry machining has decisive advantages for hobbing.
Hobbing is one of the most fundamental processes in gear manufacturing. Its productivity and versatility make hobbing the gear manufacturing method of choice for a majority of spur and helical gears.
In today’s manufacturing environment, shorter and more efficient product development has become the norm. It is therefore important to consider every detail of the development process, with a particular emphasis on design. For green machining of gears, the most productive and important process is hobbing. In order to analyze process design for this paper, a manufacturing simulation was developed capable of calculating chip geometries and process forces based on different models. As an important tool for manufacturing technology engineers, an economic feasibility analysis is implemented as well. The aim of this paper is to show how an efficient process design—as well as an efficient process—can be designed.
It takes confidence to be the first to invest in new manufacturing technology. But the payback can be significant. That has been the experience at the Ford Motor Company's Transmission & Chassis Division plant at Indianapolis, IN, which boasts the world's first production application of dry hobbing.
The objective, according to Dr.- Ing. Hansjörg Geiser, head of development and design for gear machines at Liebherr, was to develop and design a combined turning and hobbing machine in which turning, drilling and hobbing work could be carried out in the same clamping arrangement as the hobbing of the gearings and the subsequent chamfering and deburring processes.
Prior to the introduction of titanium nitride to the cutting tool industry in the early 1980s, there was very little progress in the general application of hobbing in the gear cutting industry. The productivity gains realized with this new type of coating initiated a very active time of advancement in the gear manufacturing process.
Gear gashing is a gear machining process, very much like gear milling, utilizing the principle of cutting one or more tooth (or tooth space) at a time. The term "GASHING" today applies to the roughing, or roughing and finishing, of coarse diametral pitch gears and sprockets. Manufacturing these large coarse gears by conventional methods of rough and finish hobbing can lead to very long machining cycles and uneconomical machine utilization.
The following is a general overview of some of the different factors that lead to the specific design. and the selection of the correct tool for a given hobbing application.
Load-carrying capacity of gears, especially the surface durability, is influenced by their tooth surface roughness in addition to their tooth profiles and tooth traces.
Precision gears play a vital role in today's economy. Through their application, automobile transmissions are more compact and efficient, ships sail faster, and diesel locomotives haul more freight. Today great emphasis is being placed upon the reduction of noise in all gear applications and, to be quiet, gears must be accurate.
As we approach the problem of hard gear processing, it is well to take a look at the reason for discussing it at this time. In our present economic atmosphere throughout the world, more and more emphasis is being placed upon efficiency which is dictated by higher energy costs.
Our company manufactures a range of hardened and ground gears. We are looking into using skiving as part of our finishing process on gears in the 4-12 module range made form 17 CrNiMO6 material and hardened to between 58 and 62 Rc. Can you tell us more about this process?
Hobbing is probably the most popular gear manufacturing process. Its inherent accuracy and productivity makes it a logical choice for a wide range of sizes.
Some results of evaluation by this method in the automotive industry.
The newer profile-shifted (long and short addendum) gears are often used as small size reduction gears for automobiles or motorcycles. The authors have investigated the damage to each cutting edge when small size mass-produced gears with shifted profiles are used at high speeds.
NC and CNC metal cutting machines are among the most popular machine tools in the business today, There is also a strong trend toward using flexible machining centers and flexible manufacturing systems. The same trend is apparent in gear cutting. Currently the trend toward CNC tools has increased, and sophisticated controls and peripheral equipment for gear cutting machines are now available; however, the investment in a CNC gear machine has to be justified on the basis of economic facts as well as technical advantages.
The seemingly simple process of placing a uniform chamfer on the face ends of spur and helical gears, at least for the aerospace industry, has never been a satisfactory or cost effective process.
I would like to comment on David Arnesen's article, "Dry Hobbing Saves Automaker Money, Improves Gear Quality," in the Nov/Dec, 1996 issue.
Q&A with Liebherr's Dr. Alois Mundt.
New tool from LMT-Fette provides combination of operations.
Flute Index Flute index or spacing is defined as the variation from the desired angle between adjacent or nonadjacent tooth faces measured in a plane of rotation. AGMA defines and provides tolerance for adjacent and nonadjacent flute spacing errors. In addition, DIN and ISO standards provide tolerances for individual flute variation (Fig. 1).
This article describes a method of obtaining gear tooth profiles from the geometry of the rack (or hob) that is used to generate the gear. This method works for arbitrary rack geometries, including the case when only a numerical description of the rack is available. Examples of a simple rack, rack with protuberances and a hob with root chamfer are described. The application of this technique to the generation of boundary element meshes for gear tooth strength calculation and the generation of finite element models for the frictional contact analysis of gear pairs is also described.
Investment in advanced new manufacturing technologies is helping to reinvent production processes for bevel gear cutters and coarse-pitch hobs at Gleason - delivering significant benefits downstream to customers seeking shorter deliveries, longer tool life and better results.
The cutting tool is basic to gear manufacturing. Whether it's a hob, broach, shaper cutter or EDM wire, not much gets done without it. And the mission of the tool remains the same as always; removing material as quickly, accurately and cost-effectively as possible. Progress in the field tends to be evolutionary, coming gradually over time, but recently, a confluence of emerging technologies and new customer demands has caused significant changes in the machines, the materials and the coatings that make cutting tools.
Gearing for Munchkins Gene Kasten, president of Repair Parts, Inc., of Rockford, IL, is the proud owner of a miniature Barber-Colman hobber, the only one of its kind in the world. The machine, a replica of the old B-C "A" machine, was built between 1933 and 1941 by W. W. Dickover, who devoted 2, 640 hours of his spare time to the project.
Hobbing is a continuous gear generation process widely used in the industry for high or low volume production of external cylindrical gears. Depending on the tooth size, gears and splines are hobbed in a single pass or in a two-pass cycle consisting of a roughing cut followed by a finishing cut. State-of-the-art hobbing machines have the capability to vary cutting parameters between first and second cut so that a different formula is used to calculate cycle times for single-cut and double-cut hobbing.
Question: When we purchase our first CNC gear hobbing machine, what questions should we ask about the software? What do we need to know to correctly specify the system requirements?
Question: We are interested in purchasing our first gear hobbing machine. What questions should we ask the manufacturer, and what do we need to know in order to correctly specify the CNC hardware and software system requirements?
Since we are a high volume shop, we were particularly interested in Mr. Kotlyar's article describing the effects of hob length on production efficiency which appeared in the Sept/Oct issue of Gear Technology. Unfortunately, some readers many be unnecessarily deterred from applying the analysis to their own situations by the formidabilty of the mathematical calculations. I am making the following small suggestion concerning the evaluation of the constant terms.
A brief introduction to the subject of Thin Film Coatings and their application to gear hobs and shaper cutters is followed by a detailed description of the Chemical Vapor Deposition Process and the Physical Vapor Deposition Process. Advantages and disadvantages of each of these processes is discussed. Emphasis is placed upon: application engineering of coated gear tools based on laboratory and field test results. Recommendations are suggested for tool design improvements and optimization of gear cutting operations using coated tools. Productivity improvements potentially available by properly utilizing coated tools are considered in terms of both tool cost and machining cost.
New material technology allows for more efficient and flexible hobbing.
In this paper a new method for the introduction of optimal modifications into gear tooth surfaces—based on the optimal corrections of the profile and diameter of the head cutter, and optimal variation of machine tool settings for pinion and gear finishing—is presented. The goal of these tooth modifications is the achievement of a more favorable load distribution and reduced transmission error. The method is applied to face milled and face hobbed hypoid gears.
Bevel gear manufacturers live in one of two camps: the face hobbing/lapping camp, and the face milling/grinding camp.
The quality of the finished gear is influenced by the very first machining operations of the blank. Since the gear tooth geometry is generated on a continuously rotating blank in hobbing or shaping, it is important that the timed relationship between the cutter and workpiece is correct. If this relationship is disturbed by eccentricities of the blank to its operating centerline, the generated gear teeth will not be of the correct geometry. During the blanking operations, the gear's centerline and locating surfaces are established and must be maintained as the same through the following operations that generate the gear teeth.
Indexable carbide insert (ICI) cutting tools continue to play a pivotal role in gear manufacturing. By offering higher cutting speeds, reduced cycle times, enhanced coatings, custom configurations and a diverse range of sizes and capabilities, ICI tools have proven invaluable for finishing and pre-grind applications. They continue to expand their unique capabilities and worth in the cutting tool market.
Nowadays, finish hobbing (which means that there is no post-hobbing gear finishing operation) is capable of producing higher quality gears and is growing in popularity.
This article is part four of an eight-part series on the tribology aspects of angular gear drives. Each article will be presented first and exclusively by Gear Technology, but the entire series will be included in Dr. Stadtfeld’s upcoming book on the subject, which is scheduled for release in 2011.
Fred Young, CEO of Forest City Gear, talks about sophisticated gear manufacturing methods and how they can help solve common gear-related problems.
Sandvik presents the latest in gear milling technologies.
Indexable carbide insert cutting tools for gears are nothing new. But big gears have recently become a very big business. The result is that there's been a renewed interest in carbide insert cutting tools.
Question: Do machines exist that are capable of cutting bevel gear teeth on a gear of the following specifications: 14 teeth, 1" circular pitch, 14.5 degrees pressure angle, 4 degrees pitch cone angle, 27.5" cone distance, and an 2.5" face width?
The complete Product News section from the May 2009 issue of Gear Technology.
Question: I have just become involved with the inspection of gears in a production operation and wonder why the procedure specifies that four involute checks must be made on each side of the tooth of the gear being produced, where one tooth is checked and charted in each quadrant of the gear. Why is this done? These particular gears are checked in the pre-shaved, finish-shaved, and the after-heat-treat condition, so a lot of profile checking must be done.
Among the various types of gearing systems available to the gear application engineer is the versatile and unique worm and worm gear set. In the simpler form of a cylindrical worm meshing at 90 degree axis angle with an enveloping worm gear, it is widely used and has become a traditional form of gearing. (See Fig. 1) This is evidenced by the large number of gear shops specializing in or supplying such gear sets in unassembled form or as complete gear boxes. Special designs as well as standardized ratio sets covering wide ratio ranges and center distanced are available with many as stock catalog products.
Helical gears can drive either nonparallel or parallel shafts. When these gears are used with nonparallel shafts, the contact is a point, and the design and manufacturing requirements are less critical than for gears driving parallel shafts.
The forming of gear teeth has traditionally been a time-consuming heavy stock removal operation in which close tooth size, shape, runout and spacing accuracy are required. This is true whether the teeth are finished by a second forming operation or a shaving operation.
In order to increase the load carrying capacity of hardened gears, the distortion of gear teeth caused by quenching must be removed by precision cutting (skiving) and/or grinding. In the case of large gears with large modules, skiving by a carbide hob is more economical than grinding when the highest accuracy is not required.
High-speed machining using carbide has been used for some decades for milling and turning operations. The intermittent character of the gear cutting process has delayed the use of carbide tools in gear manufacturing. Carbide was found at first to be too brittle for interrupted cutting actions. In the meantime, however, a number of different carbide grades were developed. The first successful studies in carbide hobbing of cylindrical gears were completed during the mid-80s, but still did not lead to a breakthrough in the use of carbide cutting tools for gear production. Since the carbide was quite expensive and the tool life was too short, a TiN-coated, high-speed steel hob was more economical than an uncoated carbide hob.
Bodine Electric Co. of Chicago, IL., has a 97-year history of fine-and medium-pitch gear manufacturing. Like anywhere else, traditions, old systems, and structures can be beneficial, but they can also become paradigms and obstacles to further improvements. We were producing a high quality product, but our goal was to become more cost effective. Carbide hobbing is seen as a technological innovation capable of enabling a dramatic, rather than an incremental, enhancement to productivity and cost savings.
Recent trends in gear cutting technology have left process engineers searching for direction about which combination of cutting tool material, coating, and process technology will afford the best quality at the lowest total cost. Applying the new technologies can have associated risks that may override the potential cost savings. The many interrelated variables to be considered and evaluated tend to cloud the issue and make hobbing process development more difficult.
Increased productivity in roughing operations for gear cutting depends mainly on lower production costs in the hobbing process. In addition, certain gears can be manufactured by shaping, which also needs to be taken into account in the search for a more cost-effective form of production.
Traditionally, profile and lead inspections have been indispensable portions of a standard inspection of an involute gear. This also holds true for the worm of a worm gear drive (Ref. 1). But the inspection of the profile and the lead is rarely performed on a worm wheel. One of the main reasons is our inability to make good definitions of these two elements (profile and lead) for the worm wheel. Several researchers have proposed methods for profile and lead inspections of a worm wheel using CNC machines or regular involute and lead inspections of a worm wheel using CNC machines or regular involute measuring machines. Hu and Pennell measured a worm wheel's profile in an "involute" section and the lead on the "pitch" cylinder (Ref. 2). This method is applicable to a convolute helicoid worm drive with a crossing angle of 90 degrees because the wheel profile in one of the offset axial planes is rectilinear. This straight profile generates an involute on the generated worm wheel. Unfortunately, because of the hob oversize, the crossing angle between the hob and the worm wheel always deviates from 90 degrees by the swivel angle. Thus, this method can be implemented only approximately by ignoring the swivel angle. Another shortcoming of this method is that there is only one profile and one lead on each flank. If the scanned points deviated from this curve, it produced unreal profile deviation. Octrue discussed profile inspection using a profile checking machine (Ref. 3).
Conical involute gears, also known as beveloid gears, are generalized involute gears that have the two flanks of the same tooth characterized by different base cylinder radii and different base helix angles.
In the past, the blades of universal face hobbing cutters had to be resharpened on three faces. Those three faces formed the active part of the blade. In face hobbing, the effective cutting direction changes dramatically with respect to the shank of the blade. Depending on the individual ratio, it was found that optimal conditions for the chip removal action (side rake, side relief and hook angle) could just be established by adjusting all major parameters independently. This, in turn, results automatically in the need for the grinding or resharpening of the front face and the two relief surfaces in order to control side rake, hook angle and the relief and the relief angles of the cutting and clearance side.
Quality gear manufacturing depends on controlled tolerances and geometry. As a result, ferritic nitrocarburizing has become the heat treat process of choice for many gear manufacturers. The primary reasons for this are: 1. The process is performed at low temperatures, i.e. less than critical. 2. the quench methods increase fatigue strength by up to 125% without distorting. Ferritic nitrocarburizing is used in place of carburizing with conventional and induction hardening. 3. It establishes gradient base hardnesses, i.e. eliminates eggshell on TiN, TiAIN, CrC, etc. In addition, the process can also be applied to hobs, broaches, drills, and other cutting tools.
In 1961 I presented a paper, "Calculating Conjugate Helical Forms," at the semi-annual meeting of the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA). Since that time, thousands of hobs, shaper cutters and other meshing parts have been designed on the basis of the equations presented in that paper. This article presents the math of that paper without the formality of its development and goes on to discuss its practical application.
This article summarizes the development of an improved titanium nitride (TiN) recoating process, which has, when compared to conventional recoat methods, demonstrated tool life increases of up to three times in performance testing of hobs and shaper cutters. This new coating process, called Super TiN, surpasses the performance of standard TiN recoating for machining gear components. Super TiN incorporates stripping, surface preparation, smooth coating techniques and polishing before and after recoating. The combination of these improvements to the recoating process is the key to its performance.
I'm a big believer in the value of IMTS as a marketplace where gear manufacturers can go and look at the latest machine tools and processes; compare hobbing machines, gear grinders and inspection equipment; see turning, milling or grinding machines in action; and ask questions of the various vendors all in one place. This year's IMTS promised to be the biggest ever, and I have no doubt that it will be a valuable experience to those who go there looking for ways to improve the way they manufacture products.
The hob is a perfect example of how a little manufacturing ingenuity can make a reliable, highly productive cutting tool. It's an engineering specimen that creates higher cutting speeds, better wear resistance and increases rigidity. The cutting tool alone, however, can't take all the credit for its resourcefulness. Advanced coating technology from companies like Sulzer, Oerlikon Balzers, Ionbond, Seco Tools and Cemecon helps improve cutting tools by reducing overall costs, increasing tool life and maintaining the highest levels of productivity. The following is a quick recap of new technologies and the latest information in the coating market.
The capabilities and limitations of manufacturing gears by conventional means are well-known and thoroughly documented. In the search to enhance or otherwise improve the gear-making process, manufacturing methods have extended beyond chip-cutting - hobbing, broaching, shaping, shaving, grinding, etc. and their inherent limitations based on cutting selection and speed, feed rates, chip thickness per tooth, cutting pressure, cutter deflection, chatter, surface finish, material hardness, machine rigidity, tooling, setup and other items.
Almost any external tooth form that is uniformly spaced around a center can be hobbed. Hobbing is recognized as an economical means of producing spur and helical gears with involute tooth profiles.
Richard Spens has a hobby that leads him onto the Internet, through magazines, to auctions and into farmers' back yards.
The traditional way of controlling the quality of hypoid gears' tooth flank form is to check the tooth flank contact patterns. But it is not easy to exactly judge the tooth flank form quality by the contact pattern. In recent years, it has become possible to accurately measure the tooth flank form of hypoid gears by the point-to-point measuring method and the scanning measuring method. But the uses of measured data of the tooth flank form for hypoid gears have not yet been well developed in comparison with cylindrical involute gears. In this paper, the tooth flank form measurement of generated face-milled gears, face-hobbed gears and formulate/generated gears are reported. The authors discuss the advantages and disadvantages of scanning and point-to-point measuring of 3-D tooth flank forms of hypoid gears and introduce some examples of uses of measured data for high-quality production and performance prediction.
The Dictionary of American Biography describes him as "one of the founders of the gear-cutting industry in the United State." He built the first hobbing machine for cutting spur gears. He founded the companies that are now Boston Gear and Philadelphia Gear Corp.
Imagine the $10 bill with the face of Edwin R. Fellows on it and on the back, a picture of his invention: the gear shaping machine. Or the $5 bill with George B. Grant and a picture of the first hobbing machine, which he built.
When parts you manufacture pass through numerous processes such as deep hole drilling, machining, hobbing and grinding, a CMM is essential when your customers require 100 percent in-process and final inspection.
There are several methods available for improving the quality of spur and helical gears following the standard roughing operations of hobbing or shaping. Rotary gear shaving and roll-finishing are done in the green or soft state prior to heat treating.
A treasure trove of gear and power components for aspiring engineers and dedicated hobbyists.
Dollhouses may be toys for children, but an old-time working miniature machine shop is the ultimate toy for a self-proclaimed hobby machinist like Greg Bierck.
One of the major problems of plastic gear design is the knowledge of their running temperature. Of special interest is the bulk temperature of the tooth to predict the fatigue life, and the peak temperature on the surface of the tooth to avert surface failure. This paper presents the results of an experimental method that uses an infrared radiometer to measure the temperature variation along the profile of a plastic gear tooth in operation. Measurements are made on 5.08, 3.17, 2.54, 2.12 mm module hob cut gears made from nylon 6-6, acetal and UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene). All the tests are made on a four square testing rig with thermoplastic/steel gear pairs where the plastic gear is the driver. Maximum temperature prediction curves obtained through statistical analysis of the results are presented and compared to data available from literature.
Two major processes used for cutting gears, hobbing and shaping. This article describes advanced machine design and cutter materials for gear shaping.
A universal gear is one generated by a common rack on a cylindrical, conical, or planar surface, and whose teeth can be oriented parallel or skewed, centered, or offset, with respect to its axes. Mating gear axes can be parallel or crossed, non-intersecting or intersecting, skewed or parallel, and can have any angular orientation (See Fig.1) The taper gear is a universal gear. It provides unique geometric properties and a range of applications unmatched by any other motion transmission element. (See Fig.2) The taper gear can be produced by any rack-type tool generator or hobbing machine which has a means of tilting the cutter or work axis and/or coordinating simultaneous traverse and infeed motions.
Traditional methods of manufacturing precision gears usually employ either hobbing or shaper cutting. Both of these processes rely upon generating the conjugate tooth form by moving the work-piece in a precise relation to the tool. Recently, attention has been given to forming gear teeth in a single step. Advantages to such a process include reduced production time, material savings, and improved performance characteristics. Drawbacks include complicated tool designs, non-uniformity of gears produced throughout the life of the tooling, and lengthy development times.
After shaping or hobbing, the tooth flanks must be either chamfered or duburred. Here it is paramount that the secondary burr produced will not be formed into the flank, but to the face of the gear, because during hardening, the secondary burr will straighten up and, due to its extreme hardness, will lead to excessive tool wear.
Grinding is a technique of finish-machining, utilizing an abrasive wheel. The rotating abrasive wheel, which id generally of special shape or form, when made to bear against a cylindrical shaped workpiece, under a set of specific geometrical relationships, will produce a precision spur or helical gear. In most instances the workpiece will already have gear teeth cut on it by a primary process, such as hobbing or shaping. There are essentially two techniques for grinding gears: form and generation. The basic principles of these techniques, with their advantages and disadvantages, are presented in this section.
Why Brushes? In this age of hi-tech, robots, automatic machines, machining cells, etc., is there a niche somewhere for power brushes? Let me answer by asking another question. What tool does the gear manufacturer have in his arsenal that allows him to deburr green gears, hardened gears, hobbed gears, ground gears and shaved gears? What tool allows him to deburr powder metal gears - green and sintered - brass gears, bronze gears, stainless gears made of exotic materials such as inconel, waspaloy, or hastaloy, and fiber and plastic gears? How about spur gears, helical gears, sprockets, both internal and external splines, clutch teeth and pump gears?
Hobs, broaches, shaper cutters, shaver cutters, milling cutters, and bevel cutters used in the manufacture of gears are commonly made of high speed steel. These specialized gear cutting tools often require properties, such as toughness or manufacturability, that are difficult to achieve with carbide, despite the developments in carbide cutting tools for end mills, milling cutters, and tool inserts.
News Items About hob
1 Bourn and Koch Hobbing Machine Offers Single Setup Options (May 3, 2012)
The Bourn and Koch 100 H horizontal hobbing machine can hob splines and geared shafts up to 100 mm in diameter. Mount tools in ... Read News
2 Koepfer's Heavy Duty Hobbing Machine Offers Extended Part Size Capacity (June 6, 2007)
The Heavy-duty Model 300 from Koepfer America provides for a bigger part diameter, coarser diametral pitch, and bigger hob capacity than ... Read News
3 Koepfer America Launches Large Capacity CNC Hob Sharpening Machine (August 7, 2007)
Koepfer America developed the new KFS250 CNC hob sharpening machine, which is based on its KFS100 series. The KFS250 series h... Read News
4 Gleason Debuts Opti-Cut Tools for Gashing, Shaping and Hobbing (November 9, 2007)
A new family of cutting tools was recently introduced by the Gleason Corporation for the gashing, shaping and hobbing of gears. This new ... Read News
5 Koepfers Versatile MZ 130 Provides Same-Setup Gear Hobbing and Worm Milling (January 10, 2007)
Koepfers MZ130 hobbing and worm milling CNC machine from Monnier + Zahner was designed with versatility and ease of use in mind. ... Read News
6 New Clamping Devices for Tool and Hob Manufacturing from Toolink (February 9, 2005)
The K?nigdorn hydraulic expansion mandrels from Toolink Enginering manually clamp hobs located between centers on the machine. The system... Read News
7 New Hob Sharpening Machine from Doimak (January 28, 2005)
The AF-75 is a new grinding machine designed for sharpening hobs. Among the various features of this model are high accuracy and an op... Read News
8 New Face Drivers for Gear Hobbing from Logansport (February 2, 2005)
The FDNC face drivers from Logansport Matsumoto are designed for gear hobbing operations. According to the companys press releas... Read News
9 DTR Offers Hobs for Cutting Wind Turbine and Heavy Industrial Gears (January 21, 2010)
DTR Corporation recently announced its full line of high-performance, large coarse pitch hobs for cutting wind turbine and heavy industri... Read News
10 Gleason Introduces Newest Hobbing Machine (February 15, 2006)
The new Genesis 130H CNC vertical hobbing machine features a design that optimizes dry machining, reduces floor space and improves cycle ... Read News
11 Cutting Tool Sharpener Handles Large Diameter Hobs (February 11, 2010)
In response to market demand for a machine capable of sharpening large, heavy hobs, J. Schneeberger has developed the Corvus C500 Coarse ... Read News
12 Gleason Introduces Titan 1200H Hobbing Machine (December 29, 2011)
Gleason has introduced the Titan 1200H Hobbing Machine, the first of a new series of Titan hobbers designed for larger cylindrical gears ... Read News
13 Exsys Tool Provides Roughing/Gear Hobbing on Single Machine (August 16, 2011)
A special compact gear hobber system from Exsys Tool, Inc. allows shops to generate splines, spur or helical gears in one operation. The ... Read News
14 MAG Acquiring Samputensili Gear Hobbing Line (October 11, 2010)
MAG, a manufacturing technology company, has acquired the gear hobbing and chamfering/deburring product line of Samputensili GmbH in Chem... Read News
15 New Gear Hobbing Center from Koepfer EMAG (February 24, 2005)
The VSC 250/400 DUO WF from EMAG Koepfer allows complete soft machining of gears on a single machine. According to the companys ... Read News
16 H 400 CNC Hobs Small or Large Batches (May 9, 2012)
Run small lots or mass produce straight and helical gears; crowned and tapered gears; worm gears; chain sprockets and toothed belt discs;... Read News
17 Zoller Offers Inspection for Hob Cutters (January 14, 2013)
Gear cutting is a challenging task. Only perfect and re-sharpened tools can guarantee correct workpieces, short setup times and low downt... Read News
18 SpeedCore Allows for More Efficient and Flexible Hobbing (October 21, 2011)
In today's gear manufacturing environment, flexibility and efficiency are key factors in modern machine tool technology. Productivity... Read News
19 LMT-Fette Opens Illinois Hob Facility (April 23, 2006)
LMT-Fette established a new precision manufacturing facility in Libertyville, IL. The first phase of the new plant will handle product... Read News
20 Ingersoll Introduces 2-Start Insert Hob (February 10, 2011)
Ingersoll recently introduced a 2-Start Indexable Carbide Insert Hob, which nearly doubles productivity for machining gears with large nu... Read News
21 Gleason Invests in Coarse Pitch Hob Production Cell (August 2, 2011)
In response to unprecedented global demand for large cylindrical gears, Gleason Cutting Tools Corporation has invested in an advanced coa... Read News
22 Gleason Installs 10 Meter Capacity Gear Hobber in China (April 2, 2013)
Gleason Corporation recently announced the successful installation of a P 8000/10000 Gear Hobber at Changzhou Tianshan Heavy Industry Mac... Read News
23 Luren Introduces Hob Sharpening Machine (January 7, 2011)
Luren Precision Co., Ltd. recently introduced the CNC Hob Sharpening Machine LHG-3040.This machine is built with a rigid structure for ma... Read News | <urn:uuid:60ff9a9c-786f-4217-bc1a-87d11f3cdfd1> | 2013-05-23T18:32:48Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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An independent Republic of Armenia was proclaimed at the end of the 1914-1918 War but it lasted only until the beginning of the 1920s when the Bolsheviks incorporated it into the Soviet Union. Armenia's return to independence in 1991 was overshadowed by the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, the predominantly Armenian-populated region in Azerbaijan (see Current conflicts section). Full-scale war broke out the same year as ethnic Armenians in Karabakh fought for independence, supported by troops and resources from Armenia proper. A ceasefire in place since 1994 has failed to deliver any lasting solution.
Russia, France and the US co-chair the OSCE's Minsk Group, which has been attempting to broker an end to the dispute for over a decade. In 1997, the group tabled settlement proposals seen as a starting point for negotiations by Azerbaijan and Armenia but not by the de facto authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh itself. When the then-Armenian-president Levon Ter-Petrosyan tried to encourage Nagorno-Karabakh to enter into talks he was forced to resign amid cries of betrayal. Azerbaiijan declared illegitimate a referendum held in the region in December 2006.
Armenia's president Serzh Sarkisian and Azerbaijan's Ilham Aliyev agreed in November 2008 to intensify their efforts to find a political settlement to the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh. They claimed to have made significant progress at talks in Prague in May 2009 on the sidelines of the EU's Eastern Partnership summit. This overview is based on the BBC online country profile for Armenia. | <urn:uuid:74189cbe-fd6d-4891-9872-ea41fb50a8b1> | 2013-05-23T18:45:03Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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About Joseph Curran
Joseph Curran (March 1, 1906 - August 14, 1981) was a merchant seaman and an American labor leader. He was founding president of the National Maritime Union (or NMU, now part of the Seafarers International Union of North America) from 1937 to 1973, and a vice president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO).
Curran was born on Manhattan's Lower East Side. His father died when he was two years old, and his mother boarded with another family. He attended parochial school, but when he was 14 he was expelled during the seventh grade for truancy.
He worked as a caddy and factory worker before finding employment in 1922 in the United States Merchant Marine. He worked as an able seaman and boatswain, washing dishes in restaurants when not at sea and sleeping on a Battery Park bench at night. It was during this time that he received his lifelong nickname "Big Joe."
Curran joined the International Seamen's Union (or ISU; the remnants of which would become the Seafarers International Union), but was not active in the union at first.
"SS California" strike
Main article: S.S. California strike
In 1936, Curran led a strike aboard the ocean liner S.S. California, then docked in San Pedro, California. Curran and the crew of the Panama Pacific Line's California went on strike at sailing time and refused to cast off the lines unless wages were increased and overtime paid.
The strike was essentially a sitdown strike. Curran and the crew refused to leave the ship, for the owners would have simply replaced them with strikebreakers. The crew remained aboard and continued to do all their duties except cast off the lines. The California remained tied up for three days.
Finally, United States Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins personally intervened in the California strike. Speaking to the crew by telephone, Perkins agreed to arrange a grievance hearing once the ship docked at its destination in New York City, and that there would be no reprisals by the company or government against Curran or the strikers.
During the California's return trip, the Panama Pacific Line raised wages by $5 a month to $60 per month.
But Perkins was unable to follow through on her other promises. United States Secretary of Commerce Daniel Roper and the Panama Pacific Line declared Curran and the strikers mutineers. The line even took out national advertising attacking Curran. When the ship docked, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents met the ship and began an investigation into the "mutiny." Curran and other top strike leaders were fined two day's pay, fired and blacklisted. Perkins was able to keep the strikers from being prosecuted for mutiny, however.
Seaman all along the East Coast struck to protest the treatment of the California's crew. Curran became a leader of the 10-week strike, eventually forming a supportive association known as the Seamen's Defense Committee.
Formation of NMU
The S.S. California strike was only part of a worldwide wave of unrest among American seamen. A series of port and shipboard strikes broke out in 1936 and 1937 in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. In October 1936, Curran called a second strike, in part to improve working conditions and in part to embarrass the ISU. The four-month strike idled 50,000 seamen and 300 ships.
Curran, believing it was time to abandon the conservation International Seamen's Union, began to sign up members for a new, rival union. The level of organizing was so intense that hundreds of ships delayed their sailing time as seamen listened to organizers and signed union cards.
In May 1937, Curran and other leaders of his nascent movement formed the National Maritime Union. The Seamen's Defense Committee reconstituted itself as a union. It held its first convention in July, and 30,000 seamen switched their membership from the ISU to the NMU. Curran was elected president of the new organization. Elected secretary-treasurer of the union was Jamaican-born Ferdinand Smith. Thus, from its inception NMU was racially integrated. Within six years, nearly all racial discrimination was eliminated in hiring, wages, living accommodations and work assignments.
A hallmark of the new union was the formation of hiring halls in each port. The hiring halls ensured a steady supply of experienced seamen for passenger and cargo ships, and reduced the corruption which plagued the hiring of able seamen. The hiring halls also worked to combat racial discrimination and promote racial harmony among maritime workers.
Within a year, the NMU had more than 50,000 members, and most American shippers were under contract. Stripped of most of its membership, the ISU became almost moribund.
In July 1937, Curran and other seamen's union leaders were invited by John L. Lewis to come to Washington, D.C., to form a major organizing drive among ship and port workers. The unions comprising the CIO had been ejected by the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in November 1936, and now Lewis wanted to launch a maritime union. His goal was to create, out of the 300,000 maritime industry's workers, a union as large and influential as the Steel Workers Organizing Committee. Although Lewis favored Harry Bridges, president of the Pacific Coast District of the International Longshoremen's Association, to lead the new maritime industrial union, the other union leaders balked. Curran agreed to affiliate with the CIO, but refused to let Bridges or anyone else take over his union. His views were reflected among those of the other union leaders, and the CIO's maritime industrial union never got off the ground.
During the next 36 years, Joseph Curran worked to make American merchant seamen the best-paid maritime workers in the world. NMU established a 40-hour work week, overtime, paid vacations, pension and health benefits, tuition reimbursement, and standards for shipboard food and living quarters. Curran even built a union-run school to retrain union members, and won large employer donations through collective bargaining to build the school.
Curran was a vociferous advocate of maritime workers' rights. When Joseph P. Kennedy advocated legislation to outlaw maritime strikes and make arbitration of labor disputes compulsory, Curran called him a "union wrecker". When Kennedy was under consideration as executive director of the United Seamen's Service (an association which assists, feeds and houses American merchant seamen overseas), Curran successfully opposed the multi-millionaire's candidacy. Curran put such pressure on Kennedy that on February 18, 1938, Kennedy resigned as chair of the United States Maritime Commission.
Curran was also a strong supporter of far-left-wing causes. In August 1940, he urged unions in the New York City area to support an "emergency peace mobilization" opposing U.S. entry into the war in Europe.
In 1940, Curran was elected a vice president of the CIO. When the CIO and AFL merged in 1955, he was appointed a vice president of the merged organization as well.
Greater New York Industrial Union
Curran was also elected president of the Greater New York Industrial Union.
The Greater New York Industrial Union (GNYIU) was organized by the CIO in 1940 as a central labor body for New York City. CIO-affiliated local unions in New York City and the nearby vicinity were its primary members. At the organization's founding convention on July 24, 1940, Curran was elected president of GNYIU. Saul Kills, a member of the American Newspaper Guild, was elected its secretary-treasurer. The organization had 250 local union affiliates, representing more than 500,000 workers.
By 1948, however, there were serious concerns about communist infiltration of the GNYIU. The United States House of Representatives appointed a special investigative subcommittee to look into the matter. Several CIO unions were investigated, including the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America, the Teachers Union of the City of New York, the United Public Workers of America and the Department Store Employees Union.
CIO president Philip Murray appointed a three-member board in October 1940 to forestall the House investigation. The board members reported to Murray that Curran, Kills and the GNYIU executive board had been advocating pro-communist policies. The GNYIU was on the verge of supporting Henry A. Wallace in an independent bid for president as well. The national CIO executive board revoked the charter of the GNYIU in November 1940. Curran denied that he was a communist before both the CIO executive board and the Joint Commerce Committee of the U.S. Congress. Curran became increasingly anti-communist thereafter. In 1946, he pulled the NMU out of a Committee for Maritime Unity which was led by Harry Bridges. After World War II, he purged thousands of members and elected leaders he suspected of harboring communist sympathies.
Curran served on a number of other committees, boards and positions with other organizations.
For many years, he was chair of the AFL-CIO's Maritime Committee. He was also co-chair of the Labor-Management Maritime Committee, a body established by AFL-CIO maritime unions and U.S. shipping companies to discuss and resolve labor issues.
Curran was also vice chairman of the Seafarer's Section of the International Transportworkers Federation, an international confederation of maritime unions.
Curran was also vice president of the United Seamen's Service.
Retirement and death
Curran suffered a heart attack in 1953 which left him somewhat less physically able than before. Over the next few years, he gradually cut back his workload, and stopped visiting local unions and attending most union meetings. In the mid-1960s, he turned over most of the union's daily business to secretary-treasurer Shannon J. Wall.
By the mid-1960s, Curran was being criticized for ignoring his members' needs and concerns. His $85,000-a-year salary was one of the highest in the American labor movement even though his union was small and shedding members. He enjoyed an unlimited expense account, and traveled by chartered jet and private limousine. He cajoled the union's executive board into building a massive, Art Deco headquarters in Manhattan, and had the edifice named after himself.
In 1966, with the surreptitious help of NMU staffers, union member James B. Morrissey challenged the results of Curran's 1966 re-election as fraudulent. The Department of Labor agreed, but a re-run election did not change the outcome.
In 1973, shortly after Curran won re-election for a thirteenth term as union president, Morrissey sued Curran and charged him with misappropriating union funds. In a precedent-setting ruling in Morrissey and Ibrahim v. Curran, 650 F.2d 1267 (1981), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit established a broad right for union members to sue union officers for improper financial practices.
Morrissey's barrage of lawsuits against Curran led Curran to retire suddenly on March 5, 1973. Long-time secretary-treasurer Shannon J. Wall succeeded him as president.
Curran retired to Boca Raton, Florida. He died there of cancer on August 14, 1981.
Curran married Retta Toble, a former cruise ship waitress, in 1939. The couple had a son, Joseph Paul Curran, Jr. Retta Curran died in 1963. In 1965, Curran married Florence Stetler | <urn:uuid:184c6115-f1eb-4d1a-b242-63b87ad06c1e> | 2013-05-23T19:05:55Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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The Jordan River, which cuts through Israel and Jordan, largely reflects the scarcity of water in the region. The above picture shows a rare flooding event in the Jordan River in the winter of 2003 at the Baptist site (well-known in Christianity). Just several months later, during the summer of 2003, the river was dry again, as shown below at a site close to Abdalla Bridge. Courtesy of Avner Vengosh.
Data collected from more than 6,000 selected sampling points reveal that more than 10 percent of the water resources in the Mediterranean basin have boron levels exceeding 1 milligram per liter, the new E.U. drinking water standard. We found that the highest values of boron are in areas associated with geothermal activity, such as in Tuscany, Italy, and Chalkidiki, Greece. In addition, we discovered high boron levels in the groundwater basins in the central part of Cyprus and in the southern coastal aquifer that is shared between Israel and the Gaza Strip. In order to delineate the origin of boron and salinity in these groundwater basins, we investigated the chemical and isotopic compositions of the boron-contaminated groundwater.
Boron has two stable isotopes that are distributed unevenly among different geological materials and natural water resources. Because different sources of water pollution have unique isotopic fingerprints, we were able to use the boron isotopes to identify clearly the source of the water contamination. For example, the boron isotopic ratios in seawater, wastewater and rocks vary significantly. Thus, when groundwater is contaminated, the imprinted isotopic signature of these different sources is preserved, serving as a tracer for delineating their origin. Similarly, the application of other isotopes such as oxygen, hydrogen and strontium provide a clue to the origin of the polluted water. By integrating these chemical tools, we discovered that the boron contamination in the Mediterranean groundwater basins is derived primarily from natural processes.
In the Cornia basin in Tuscany, we found that boron leaching from sediments into local groundwater is associated with seawater intrusion, reflecting a complex history of boron uptake and release by clay minerals. In western Chalkidiki, the mixing of groundwater with underlying thermal water rich in boron caused the boron contamination. In Cyprus, water-rock interaction is the main mechanism for the boron enrichment in the water. In the southern coastal aquifer of Israel and the Gaza Strip, we discovered that boron pollution is associated with the migration of saline groundwater from Israel into the Gaza Strip.
The chemical and isotopic compositions of the groundwater in these studies clearly indicate that the boron problem in the Mediterranean water resources, on the whole, is derived from natural (geogenic) sources rather than anthropogenic ones.
Our results have several implications for the management of national and transboundary groundwater resources in the Mediterranean basin and for the remediation of boron.
Perhaps most importantly, we are challenging the conventional perception that the boron contamination in these countries is a source of human pollution. For years, companies added boron to detergents because it is an excellent bleaching agent thus resulting in the formation of boron-rich sewage. Moreover, similar to other inorganic ions, boron is not removed during standard sewage treatment processes and even treated wastewater typically has high boron concentrations.
Thus, as a precautionary measure, environmental regulators in both Cyprus and Israel have chosen a particular strategy to reduce boron contamination: mandating regulations that restrict the amount of boron that can be added to detergents. Although the reduction in boron in treated sewage may prove to be beneficial for agriculture because there will be less boron contamination in the irrigation water, these regulations will have negligible effects for improving drinking water.
For a country that soon will join the European Union, such as Cyprus, it will only be able meet its obligation to abide by E.U. standards for drinking water by pursuing an alternative strategy that calls for technological intervention to remove boron. To date, Israel has yet to adopt an official drinking water standard for boron, despite the new proposals for desalination calling for 0.5 milligrams per liter boron in desalinated water. Thus, Israel already faces a similar challenge to Cyprus.
In short, because boron contamination in all our investigated cases comes from natural geochemical background pollution and hence cannot be prevented, the only way to address the boron problem is through treatment of the drinking water.
At present in Italy and Israel, water authorities mix the boron-rich water with high-quality water to reduce the level of boron in the water supplied for both drinking and agricultural purposes. However, the longevity of dilution as a solution is limited, primarily due to the diminishing amount of high-quality water that is available. As a result, our research has focused on the creation of alternative water resources, through the application of technological solutions such as improved desalination and the introduction of new techniques for boron removal from the water.
Reverse osmosis desalination has tremendous potential for a supply of new water for the 21st century, especially in areas of the world where water is scarce or the quality is inadequate. Its widespread application, however, is hampered by the fact that reverse osmosis desalination does not remove boron sufficiently (only 60 percent). As a result, desalination of seawater does not reduce the boron level below the new standard for drinking water in the European Union (and will be also problematic for the non-European Mediterranean countries adopting a similar drinking water standard for boron). Therefore, additional removal techniques must be introduced in order to bring boron levels down to drinking standards.
Different partners in the BOREMED project have developed several independent methodologies for removing boron from water. In Cyprus, BOREMED partners have utilized boron-specific resins combined with a small-scale reverse osmosis to reduce the amount of boron in the groundwater for local users. In Israel, BOREMED partners have succeeded in removing boron by optimization of reverse osmosis processes such as multi-step desalination. Other partners from the Netherlands have established a new method of boron removal through co-precipitation with hydroxides. In addition, a joint Israeli-Turkish team invented a new technique for boron removal through reacting seawater with fly ash and coal materials. This method is particularly useful in Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, where fly ash is abundant and cheap.
Each of the new different methodologies has its own benefits and costs. Ultimately, the E.U. countries that face a boron problem will have to adopt one of these new technologies in order to be in compliance with the new drinking water standard for boron.
Through an integration of geochemistry, hydrogeology, numerical modeling and policy analysis, we also have devised a potential management solution to the water crisis in the Gaza Strip. The local aquifer underlying the Gaza Strip is perhaps one of the most stressed resources in the Mediterranean basin in terms of water quantity and quality: Chloride concentrations reach 1,500 milligrams per liter (six times the E.U. standard); nitrate concentrations reach 400 milligrams per liter (eight times the E.U. standard); and boron concentrations reach 3.5 milligrams per liter (more than three times the E.U. standard).
Over the past five decades, the amount of water pumped from the Gaza aquifer has far exceeded the natural water replenishment. As the water level has declined, the water quality has become unsuitable for human consumption, owing to the high levels of salinity, boron and nitrate pollution. Nevertheless, more than 1 million people depend entirely upon this aquifer for drinking and irrigation water.
The BOREMED project has mapped boron distribution in groundwater from the southern Mediterranean coastal aquifer and the Gaza Strip. The different colors represent boron concentration in milligrams per liter. In most parts of the aquifer and the Gaza Strip, the boron concentration exceeds the drinking standard of 1 milligram per liter for the European Union. Courtesy of Avner Vengosh.
Our chemical and isotopic data show that most of the salinity phenomenon in the Gaza Strip is derived from flow of natural saline groundwater from Israel towards the Gaza Strip. As a result, the southern coastal aquifer does not resemble a classic upstream-downstream dispute over a transboundary aquifer: Israels upstream pumping of the saline groundwater can potentially reduce the salinization rates of groundwater in the Gaza Strip rather than cause downstream harm.
Numerical simulation of different pumping scenarios confirms our hypothesis that increasing pumping along the Gaza Strip border combined with desalination and supply to the Gaza Strip, as well as moderate reduction of pumping within the Gaza Strip, would improve the water quality of groundwater there. Moreover, our finding that the salinity problem in the Gaza Strip is partially natural de-politicizes the water issue and offers a practical solution for the water crisis in the Gaza Strip that has win-win benefits for both the Palestinian Territory and Israel.
Clearing the way
The promulgation of a new drinking water standard for boron in the European Union has forced both E.U. member and non-member states to address boron contamination in drinking water even before a strong causal link has been found between boron contamination and health effects. Yet, while new technologies now exist for boron removal, the adoption of this new drinking water standard is complicated by the fact that each country faces different institutional constraints.
In Italy, the boron problem is a local problem rather than a national one, and as a result, the end-user in conjunction with the regional water authority is responsible for developing its own program for boron removal. In contrast, in the coastal aquifer that is shared between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the boron and salinity problem will only be resolved through the development of institutions for international cooperation. Finally, in Cyprus, the boron problem is a national problem, thus requiring a national solution instead of a local or international solution.
In the end, the ability to address the boron problem at the local, national and international levels in the Mediterranean basin will depend entirely on an integration of science, technology and policy.
At the surface,
northern Africa is one of the driest places on the planet. But underneath
the desert, ancient water lies in a complex groundwater system composed
of the Nubian aquifer. Radiocarbon dating techniques have indicated that
most Nubian aquifer water is at least 50,000 years old, but a newly developed
technique shows that some of the water is 1 million years old adding
further complexity to the Nubian aquifer system, which waters the region.
Boron is only one of many geologic materials that occur naturally in the environment
and can pose health risks to people. Geoscientists are actively involved in
studying such substances by monitoring groundwater, surface water and soils,
and by mapping their distributions. The findings may help policy-makers devise
new strategies for regulation and mitigation. Online sources for asbestos, radon,
mercury, arsenic, crystalline silica and boron are listed below; also see link
to past Geotimes coverage. See this month's print issue for more | <urn:uuid:eb28ddb3-6e99-4dff-ae2f-3d7aafbe077c> | 2013-05-23T18:59:30Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Reaching seemingly endlessly up into the sky, Ulm Minster's tower has watched over the city for centuries. After the Second World War, during which much of the city was destroyed, Ulm took the right approach to reconstruction. The city planners achieved a successful compromise that resulted in a unique cityscape of lovingly restored buildings on the one hand and breathtaking modernity on the other.
Ulm Minster, the 'finger of God' with the highest church tower in the world, is the city's predominant building. And the square on which it stands is an endlessly fascinating place that offers a great mix of historical and modern architecture. But there is definitely more to Ulm than the Minster and Münsterplatz square, and at a stone's throw away, the beautiful town hall is one of the reasons why. The oldest part of the present building was erected in 1370 and served as a trading house. It was first mentioned as a town hall in 1419 and the ornate astronomical clock was added in around 1520. In the building's stairwell, you can look up and see a replica of the flying machine built by Albrecht Ludwig Berblinger, the legendary tailor of Ulm. Unfortunately his attempts at flying more than 200 years ago were not crowned with success. On the crucial day there was no favourable wind and his 'flight' ended in the gushing Danube. Nevertheless, he is still esteemed today as an able man, and the locals' penchant for striking out in new directions – at least in spirit – is a reminder of another famous son of Ulm, Albert Einstein. A new direction, at least in terms of urban development, was taken with the design of Ulm's 'Neue Mitte' (new centre) between Münsterplatz and the town hall. Here, old and new buildings form an ensemble of striking contrasts. The first of these is the Stadthaus by New York architect Richard Meier. This internationally acclaimed milestone in modern architecture is an open house for encounters with art, culture and people – and with a remarkable city.
Its basement contains a fascinating permanent exhibition on the archaeology and history of Münsterplatz square, providing a clear contrast to the architecture of the building itself. The 'House of Senses', which features an optician's with a café on the third floor and affords fantastic views of the minster, the Sparkasse building, Wolfram Wöhr's Weishaupt art gallery, the 'glass pyramid' municipal library by Gottfried Böhm and the Obere Stube with its moving facade stand out against the nearby historical minster and town hall with their modern mode of expression – which was welcomed wholeheartedly by experts but divided opinion among Ulm residents. Further ahead, via the Weinhof – an important trading house for almost 500 years – are the ancient Steinhaus (stone house), the Romanesque Chapel of St. Nicholas dating from around 1220 and the 17th-century Schwörhaus (oath house). Every year on Schwörmontag, a public holiday in Ulm, the town's mayor stands on the Schwörhaus balcony and repeats the historic oath of 1397 to uphold the constitution. A walk through Ulm Museum is also fascinating. The archaeological collection boasts the Löwenmensch (lion man), the oldest animal/human sculpture in the world dating back approximately 30,000 years, and features alongside a collection of major European and American artworks from 1945 onwards.
A distinctive feature of Ulm's townscape are two towers that form part of the old town fortifications: the Gänseturm (goose tower) and the Metzgerturm (butchers' tower), built in 1345 and better known as the Leaning Tower of Ulm. The story behind the tower is typical of Ulm. Legend has it, the tower got its name from the butchers who added sawdust to their sausage mix. When the townspeople realised this, they locked the culprits in the tower. And as the corpulent butchers huddled together in fear in a corner upon the angry mayor's entrance, the tower is supposed to have tilted. In actual fact, the tower is leaning because it stands on a former swamp. However, you should try to stay upright when you visit the quaint fishermen's quarter, which dates from the Middle Ages, or one of the many beer gardens in Ulm and Neu-Ulm – Ulm's sister town in Bavaria on the other side of the Danube. But that is of course up to you. The main thing is that you visit Ulm. | <urn:uuid:6774f965-173b-471d-b3b5-32105b029354> | 2013-05-23T18:59:14Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Violent female footballer
December 09, 2009
After kicking out and violently abusing her opponents in a semi-final match in the Mountain West Conference tournament, Elizabeth Lambert was suspended from the University of New Mexico team.
She has since apologised and this video has spread like wildfire across the web.
What do you think about Elizabeth’s behaviour? Comment below… | <urn:uuid:857d9bf1-976e-4668-81b5-d25e91fea9c4> | 2013-05-23T18:31:23Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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|designed by John Cooper
documented by Andrew Plotkin
It's also possible for your minions to be destroyed. When a minion is destroyed, you just take it back off the board, into your stash of unplayed pieces. You can bring it back into play later.
The board is made of cards; you can imagine it as a grid, with cards in each space. Minions on the board sit on cards. Initially, there are nine cards, in a three-by-three grid, but more cards can be placed later; the board can grow in any direction. Cards can also be removed from the board and discarded. The board can therefore develop holes, or even split completely in half.
The horizontal-vertical tile pattern in these diagrams isn't really important. It's just aesthetically pleasing. It also helps remind players that cards do not touch diagonally; cards are considered to be next to each other only if they lie edge-to-edge.In actual fact, a minion on the board doesn't have to sit on a card. A minion can sit in an empty grid space. Such a minion is considered to be "in the wasteland" -- it's on the board, but outside the fertile territory of the cards. However, minions can only inhabit wasteland spaces which are next to at least one card. If a minion is somehow caught in a wasteland space which is not adjacent to any cards at all, the minion is immediately destroyed.
When a minion is on the board, its orientation is important. A minion can be standing up (pointing upward), or it can be lying down, pointing in one of the four cardinal directions. Minions cannot point diagonally.
More than one minion can share a space. Even minions owned by different players can sit on the same space. However, there is generally a population limit of three minions on a single card (or wasteland space). If a space has three minions on it, you can't put another there.
Certain trump cards let you violate this rule. For example, the power of the Hermit lets you move a minion into a space, ignoring the population limit. If you get four or more minions in a space, you can leave them there as long as you like. There's no rule against leaving more than three minions in a space; only on placing new minions there.
Each player starts with a hand of three cards. There is generally a limit of six cards in your hand. If you add new cards to your hand, you may not take so many as to push you over the hand limit. You must stop at six.
Once again, there are certain trump cards that let you violate this rule. For example, the power of the Star lets you draw four cards from the deck, no matter how many you have in your hand already. Again, you can stay over the hand limit without using any special power. The hand limit says that you can't acquire any new cards when you have six or more already.
Various rules and powers allow you to draw cards from the deck, or discard
them to the discard pile. If you need to draw cards and there are none
left, reshuffle the discards to form a new deck, and draw from there. This
can happen more than once in a game. (It is certain to happen at least
once. See the section on ending the game.)
There is also a fifth "suit", the trumps or Major Arcana. There are twenty-two of these, numbered from zero to twenty-one, and each has a special title.
In Zarcana, each card has a power. The cards in each suit share a common power -- for example, all Cups have the power of growth, and all Swords have the power of attack. The twenty-two trumps each have their own special powers.
The powers are described in detail later on. For now, know that you can use card powers two ways: by playing a card from your hand, or by having a minion on the board use the power of the card it's sitting on. When you play a card from your hand, it's discarded. But you can use a card on the board turn after turn after turn... as long as you have a minion on it.
In fact, it's more accurate to say that a minion uses a card
power. When you play a card from your hand, indicate the minion that's
using the power of that card. When you use a card on the board, indicate
which of the minions on the card is using that power.
The value of a card is its number. Numbered suit cards score their own number, from one (ace) to ten. Any royalty card scores eleven. A trump scores its number, from zero to twenty-one.
The game ends after someone declares the final round (see the Turn Options section above). Nobody can declare the final round until the deck has been used up and reshuffled, so there's a certain minimum length to a Zarcana game. However, there's no maximum length; if nobody decides to end the game, it keeps going. The deck could be reshuffled a second time, or even more.
If, at the end of a game, two or more players are tied, those players share the win. Alternatively, if you can't bare the thought of a tie in Zarcana, try this optional rule: of the tied players, whoever solely occupies the highest ranked card (usually a Major Arcana card) wins the game.Naturally, you will want to end the game as soon as you are sitting on more points than anyone else. But remember: once you declare the last round, everyone gets one more turn. They will probably spend those turns trying to pull ahead of you -- or knock you down. Can you hold onto your lead?
|This card may only be used by a minion which is standing up.|
|This card may only be used by a minion which is lying down.|
|This card may be used by a minion of any orientation.|
|This card may only be used by a minion on a card territory, not in the wasteland.|
|This card may be used by a minion in the wasteland or on a card territory.|
|The population limit of three minions per space must be obeyed while using this card.|
|The population limit may be ignored while using this card.|
|The hand limit of six cards must be obeyed while using this card.|
|The hand limit may be ignored while using this card.|
|This card does not need to be used by any particular minion. It may be played by any minion, or played straight from your hand if you have no minions on the board.|
|The requirements of this card vary; they are the requirements of whichever power is being copied.|
|Cups: Grow or Clone|
Watch the icons in these power definitions. In this case, they say that a minion must be standing to use the power of Cups, and it cannot be in the wasteland. Watch out for the population limit: if a card has three minions of any color on it, you cannot clone them, although you can still grow.
A minion must be lying down to move. It moves into the space it's pointing at, and arrives standing up. If you want to move it again, you'll first have to take a turn to reorient minions.
|Swords: Attack Minion or Territory|
You cannot choose whether to attack minions or cards. If there are minions in the target space, you can decide to attack any of them, but if there are none, you must destroy the card. Remember, a standing minion points at its own space, so it can attack other minions on the same card as itself. A minion standing alone cannot use Swords at all, because a minion cannot attack itself and cannot destroy the territory it occupies.
|Discs: Build Territory|
You can build territory in wasteland spaces, extending the board; or you can build territory on top of existing cards, stacking the cards higher. Only the top card in a space ever counts for anything. An upright minion can build territory under itself, but only if it's already on a card. Remember, a minion in the wasteland can't use Discs at all.
|Royalty: Wild Suit From Hand|
|0||Fool: Play Two Random Cards|
You decide which minions use the two cards you draw. They do not have to be the same minion, or even the minion that invoked the Fool's power.
|1||Magician: Play as Any Suit|
Yes, in your hand, it's just like any Royalty, but on the board, it's still a wild suit.
|2||High Priestess: Draw Two Cards and Go Again|
No, you can't use the High Priestess on your second turn, getting a third turn. But you might be able to copy the power of the High Priestess by using a different card. That's allowed. Be creative.
|3||Empress: Grow or Clone, Ignoring Limits|
|4||Emperor: Attack and Demand Cards|
|5||Hierophant: Attack and Convert|
|6||Lovers: Create Minion in Wasteland|
|7||Chariot: Move Twice|
Even a standing minion can use this power. You do have to obey the population limit on both of your moves, however, so you can't move through a space that has three minions on it.
|8||Strength: Grow or Clone Twice|
Remember, it's more efficient to grow first and then clone.
|9||Hermit: Move Ignoring Limits|
|10||Wheel of Fortune: Build Hidden Territory|
|11||Justice: Trade Hands|
It's legal to trade with a player even if one of you has no cards at all. It's also legal to trade with a player who has more than six cards.
|12||Hanged Man: Destroy This Territory|
|13||Death: Attack Twice|
|14||Temperance: Build Territory Ignoring Limits|
This is the only power that lets you build land "under the enemy". The normal Disc power does not allow this.
|15||Devil: Reorient Nearby Minions|
|16||Tower: Destroy Occupied Territory|
|17||Star: Draw Four Cards|
|18||Moon: Transport Territory|
|19||Sun: Build Territory From Hand|
|20||Judgement: Resurrect Three Cards|
|21||World: Play as Any Face-up Trump|
|Doppelganger: Mimic Last Discard|
|Assassin: Attack in Any Direction|
|Evil Eye: Devalue Territory|
|Harvest: Pick Up a Card|
|Miser: Discard Cards of Your Choice|
|Plague: Destroy Minions and Territory|
|Holy Grail: Grow or Clone Regardless of Position or Orientation|
You might want to draw cards early on, as well. You can hold up to six, and you start with only three.
You want to occupy more cards. This means you have to clone new minions and send them out, while still leaving minions on your starting cards. Don't abandon a valuable card.
Since you can only take one turn option on your turn, it may take several turns to accomplish something. For example, moving a minion to attack may require you to reorient, move one space, reorient again, and then attack.
But by the same token, turns are very short. Once you're familiar with the game, you can plan a couple of turns in advance, and the game zips right along.
To mobilize your forces as quickly as possible, grow large minions, then clone them, and then reorient all your minions at once. It's inefficient to take a reorientation turn every time you get a new piece on the board.
A fine defensive strategy is to use Discs to build a peninsula on your side of the board, which nobody else can easily reach. But watch out for the Moon, the Chariot, the Lovers, and the Gateway.
It is possible to share a card with another player, but it can be an uneasy truce. If both pieces are standing, either can attack the other. And neither of you can score points for the card when the game ends... unless one player is somehow removed from the card. Beware the last-minute betrayal.
Watch for the unexpected. Since the deck will be reshuffled at least once, every card should turn up. If one doesn't appear, someone might be hoarding it.
Initiative is critical. If two players have minions pointing at the same valuable card, whoever moves in first will probably be destroyed. But if either player is distracted for a turn, or lacks a Sword, the other player may be able to occupy and defend the target.
One minion on a card can be destroyed. If you have two, you can respond to any attack by cloning... as long as you are sitting on a Cup, or you have Cups left in your hand. Beware Death.
In any multi-player game, there is diplomacy. If two players get into a tussle, the others may spread unchecked over the board. A non-aggression pact can keep you in the running. On the other hand, if you get too far ahead, you may face a devastating cooperative attack.
If someone points minions at you, it may not be a prelude to an attack. She might be defending herself, preventing you from gaining the initiative in pointing at her.
On the other hand, it might be a prelude to an attack...
A minion can be standing up, or lying down in any of the four cardinal directions.
You can only do one action on your turn. Most actions involve just one minion, but reorienting minions is an exception.
There is a population limit of three minions per space, unless some card power says otherwise.
There is a hand limit of six cards in each player's hand, unless some card power says otherwise.
A minion can only inhabit a wasteland space if it is next to at least one card.
A minion cannot use a Sword to destroy the territory it occupies. Only the Tower can destroy occupied territory.
You can only declare the end of the game after the deck has been used up and reshuffled at least once. | <urn:uuid:1c7a5d8f-4063-4207-bffa-2e29e79d48bd> | 2013-05-23T19:05:46Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini felt nerves played a part as his side were held to a draw by Napoli on their Champions League debut.
Aleksandar Kolarov secured a share of spoils for City in their Group A opener at the Etihad Stadium by cancelling out Edinson Cavani's 69th-minute goal with a free-kick five minutes later. Both sides could have claimed victory with City twice hitting the woodwork through Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero and Napoli's Ezequiel Lavezzi denied by the crossbar.
Overall Mancini was satisfied with his team's introduction to Europe's top competition and believes they will now feel more comfortable against Bayern Munich in a fortnight. Mancini said: "I think we can do better in Munich because it is the second game."
He added: "This game was important for us and I think we were nervous - all the club was so nervous. I think we played very well in the first half but in the first 15 minutes of the second half we conceded a lot of space to Naples.
"They were really dangerous and they scored a goal. A team like us can't concede goals like this. When we lost that goal we didn't have any midfielders in front of the defenders. For 10 minutes there we left a lot of space for Napoli players. After that I was happy with our performance - as in the first half - when we played very well."
City spurned numerous other chances but often looked susceptible to the counter-attack. After scoring 15 goals in the process of winning their first four Barclays Premier League games this season, it was an unusually frustrating night for the hosts.
Yet Mancini felt the result may give his side a reality check and he reacted with incredulity when it was suggested he felt his team had been playing like Barcelona.
The Italian added: "I never said we are like Barca. I heard this but I never said it. I think we need to improve. We have fantastic players but every game in the Champions League is different, it is difficult. I think it is important for us to play simple football. If we play simple I think we can play better, score goals and not concede any chances to them."
Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri was pleased with how his team acquitted themselves and was happy with a point, but felt they could justifiably have had more.
He said: "I was very happy when we went 1-0 up and very happy with the team in the second half. I saw them create a lot of chances, although some were perhaps over-ambitious. We could have gone one further and won, which we were obviously all hoping for, but City are a great team."
Copyright (c) PA Sport 2009, All Rights Reserved. | <urn:uuid:2098fd1d-a1e6-4a3d-971d-0fee0c71a683> | 2013-05-23T19:06:43Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Ronaldinho is disappointed with the Spanish football association´s decision to uphold his one-match suspension following his sending off against Getafe last weekend.
The Brazil playmaker was shown a straight red card in the first half of the 1-0 win for kicking out at opponent David Belenguer following a foul by the Getafe defender.
Barca had appealed against the subsequent one-match ban, claiming Ronaldinho had been provoked, but the ruling was upheld by the Spanish Football Federation´s Disciplinary Committee on Thursday. "It is not fair. For me it is very important to play against Espanyol because of what we are playing for and it is a shame that it cannot happen," Ronaldinho said in Marca.
© Copyright PA Sport Ltd 2007, All Rights Reserved. | <urn:uuid:d577444d-700c-4a43-bf19-c659afee097a> | 2013-05-23T19:01:09Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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KP-SAM / KPSAM New Bow (Shingung / Shingoong)
The New Bow (Shingung, Shin-Gung or Shin-Kung, possibly God's Bow or Divine Bow) is a shoulder-launched missile targeting helicopters, or low-flying fighter and transport aircraft. The KP-SAM [Janes claimes was recently redesignated as the NEX1 Future Chiron (Singung), but no one else seems to agree], is a two-man, fire and forget system that is fired in the same way as the Mistral, which is mounted on a tripod. The 10 kilogram missile features an integral Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system, full night and adverse weather capabilities, and a two-color infrared seeker to aid in negating countermeasures. It has a 7 km maximum target range and flies at a maximum altitude of 3.5 km and maximum speed of Mach 2.1.
The Singung is designed to automatically explode against a target flying within a radius of 1.5 m, shattering into hundreds of pieces while shooting down a target. It is mainly intended to bring down enemy aircraft and helicopter that infiltrate at low altitude. It boasts more than 90 percent-plus hit-ratio accuracy and comes at a unit price of W180 million. Only four countries including the United States, Russia and France, have that kind of portable surface-to-air missile systems. According to the Defense Ministry, the missile is lighter and more accurate than the Stinger missile of the U.S., Russia's Igla and France's Mistral.
The KP-SAM program was originally aimed at developing a new man-portable SAM for the protection of troops in the foreword area. However, by 2003 the delivery of the Igla SAMs from Russia in payment for Russian debts to Korea appear to have solved the problem. The primary difference between the Russian Igla system and the KP-SAM is the IFF system mounted forward of the launcher.
Development of the Chiron (Singung) man-portable surface-to-air missiles system (MANPADS SAM) is believed to have commenced during 1995 when the system was then known as the KP-SAM. The portable anti-aircraft missile Singung was developed by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD)over eight years starting in 1995 with a W70 billion [$71 million] budget. In late 2005 it entered service with the South Korean Army, after being in development for nearly 8 years. The South Korean Army had ordered some 2000 units to be delivered by LG Innotek Co. Ltd.
Series production was expected to commence during 2004, with deployment and IOC during the same year, however, extended trials meant that the system was not ready for series production and deployment before September 2005. Trials during the research and development phase were carried out using both fixed and rotary wing targets. The program was originally aimed at developing a new man-portable SAM for the protection of troops in the foreword area. The seeker technology was Russian, from the Leningrad Optical Mechanical Association (LOMO) but that the control section, warhead and motor were of a South Korean design.
|Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list| | <urn:uuid:dfad3d8a-3af6-4ec5-a790-996b701678e4> | 2013-05-23T18:32:22Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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"...wall upon wall, battlement upon battlement, black, immeasurably strong, mountain of iron, gate of steel, tower of adamant... Barad-dûr, fortress of Sauron
The Fellowship of the Ring II 10
The Breaking of the Fellowship
The mighty shadow-shrouded stronghold of Sauron in the Second and Third Ages.
The First Building of Barad-dûr
The first building of Barad-dûr, when Sauron first came to Mordor, took six hundred years to complete. Soon after, Tar-Minastir of Númenor sent a fleet to Middle-earth, and Sauron's forces were driven out of the western lands that they had roamed at will to that time. Barad-dûr could not be approached by the Númenóreans, however, and Sauron was able to consolidate his power and extend it into the east.
In II 3262, Sauron left his Dark Tower to travel to Númenor with the vast forces of Ar-Pharazôn; he returned after the Downfall of Númenor in II 3319. The Last Alliance besieged Barad-dûr in II 3434, and the Tower was taken and destroyed by the forces of Elendil and Gil-galad, who both perished in the siege, in II 3441. Though Barad-dûr was destroyed, its foundations were left in place.
The Second Building of Barad-dûr
For much of the Third Age, Sauron's stronghold was not in Mordor, which was ruled in his stead by the Nazgûl. Rather, the Dark Lord dwelt in the south of Mirkwood at Dol Guldur. In III 2941, the White Council sent their forces to drive him from Mirkwood, and he withdrew to Mordor once again. There, he began the rebuilding of the Dark Tower. Given that the Tower originally took some six hundred years to raise, it seems surprising that its second building can have taken no more than a few decades. This is perhaps partly explained by the fact that its foundations, laid with the power of the Ring, remained in Gorgoroth ready to be built upon.
Barad-dûr was constructed as much through the personal power of Sauron as through stone and mortar; when the One Ring was destroyed in Orodruin, this power was lost and the Tower destroyed forever.
The Appearance of Barad-dûr
The most complete description we have of Barad-dûr is that given in the quote at the head of this page. We know, then, that it was black, and constructed mainly of metal. 'Adamant' usually refers to diamond, but it is hard to imagine Sauron adding diamond towers to his dark fortress - in this context, it probably has the more general meaning of 'hard, unbreakable substance'.
From the steel gate of the Tower, a causeway ran out into the plain of Gorgoroth, across a mighty bridge. We also know that lava from Mount Doom was channeled back across that plain to Barad-dûr.
Tolkien probably leaves details of the Tower's construction vague intentionally, as it was hidden by a cloud of shadow and darkness at all times. Frodo and Sam saw Barad-dûr as they journeyed to Mount Doom: '...rising black, blacker and darker than the vast shades amid which it stood, the cruel pinnacles and iron crown of the topmost tower of Barad-dûr...' (The Lord of the Rings 6 III: Mount Doom).
The 'topmost tower of Barad-dûr' seems to have been the place where Sauron dwelt. At least, the Window of the Eye, from which the Lidless Eye stared out across Middle-earth, was located there.
Battle of Dagorlad, Black Pit, Black Pits, Chambers of Fire, Dark Lord, Dark Throne, Dark Tower, Downfall of Barad-dûr, Ered Lithui, Eye of Barad-dûr, Eye of Mordor, Eye of Sauron, Fall of Barad-dûr, King of Dale, Land of Shadow, [See the full list...]
For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.
Website services kindly sponsored by Axiom Software Ltd.
Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1997-2000, 2008. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. | <urn:uuid:634ec0c5-2492-4e70-a779-1e6a86259602> | 2013-05-23T18:59:21Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Welcome new guests
Please give us your email address and a password you would like to use.
Please choose a question that we may ask you
in the event that you forget your password.
What is your pet's name?
What is your mother's maiden name?
What city were you born in?
What year were you married?
What is your father's middle name?
Now provide the answer to your question above. | <urn:uuid:d7553abb-6a2f-4ceb-b991-3da13f24823b> | 2013-05-23T18:58:13Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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"Just because I won the U.S. Open doesn't mean I'm going to change the way I live," Angel Cabrera told Sports Illustrated last August in his native Argentina, for a profile co-written by Luis Fernando Llosa. "I'm going to do what I've always done."
What the 38-year-old has always done besides win (19 victories worldwide) is to speak from the heart. Llosa reconnected with the man whose 1-under-par 69 bested Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk at Oakmont last year, making him the second Argentine (after Roberto De Vicenzo) to win a major. In a spirited exchange, the champion talks Torrey Pines, kicking cigarettes, and his lonely life on the PGA Tour.
You smoked a lot of cigarettes at
last year's U.S. Open. You've said,
Some players have psychologists.
I smoke. How has smoking helped?
I get that question over and over. Listen. I quit smoking last summer, after the British, on July 24th. I haven't smoked since. There are a lot of players who smoke and play well. There's nothing wrong with that. Back then I was being tortured with questions about smoking, so I made a comment about smoking and psychologists. But enough already.
Why'd you quit?
Because I didn't feel like smoking anymore. Are you guys are going to torture me for the next year with questions about why I don't smoke? [laughs]
Just one more. Didn't smoking help
you cope with pressure? What do
you do now?
No. No. I smoked because I wanted to and because I was addicted. It was a bad habit, not an aid on the course. Quitting has had no effect on my game.
What annoys you more the oftrepeated
questions about your
smoking, or the oft-repeated
questions about how you got the
nickname El Pato?
Smoking questions. I have never been annoyed by anyone's inquiries about my nickname. Never.
So what do you think about sports
psychologists? Are they necessary?
Definitely. Just look at how many players use them. But the player who starts up with a psychologist ends up not being able to play without the guy standing by to hold his hand.
What about you?
I hope I never need one. I tried talking to a psychologist once. Two minutes in, I said, "Ciao!" Never again. There's no way, no way, I'd continue! I couldn't buy into a single thing the guy was saying.
Even though you're from Argentina,
at last year's Open you seemed to
connect with the U.S. fans, even as
you were beating their favorite player, Tiger. Why do American
fans like you?
I don't know, but I think the public in the U.S. really enjoys watching us play, especially when they see a less well-known player, like me, do well.
What are your long-term goals?
First, to see my sons grow up healthy and happy. In golf, I don't know. I've already done many things I never imagined I'd be able to do. I owe this sport so much that everything that comes my way now is a bonus. I want to win many more tournaments, to win another major, but I don't dream about it. I don't go crazy thinking about it. Winning one is already a dream come true.
Do you dream of winning another
I don't dream about winning another major. I believe that I will.
Since winning at Oakmont, you've
won the Singapore Open and the
Grand Slam of Golf, and you
finished second in the HSBC
World Matchplay Championship.
It seems you've gotten even better
since your Open win.
After winning a major, things changed. I knew I could win before, but sometimes my head got in the way. Once I'd won, I figured, "If I won this I can continue winning." It gave me confidence.
Is there a specific part of your game
you're working on?
The only thing that has changed for me is my mind-set the part that doesn't know whether you can win. Nothing else needs change. For me the swing is always the same. The movements are the same. What matters is knowing you can do big things. Once you know that, you can do them. | <urn:uuid:7ad67fc7-f7f4-4fec-984f-b3bf1c51837b> | 2013-05-23T18:47:50Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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I usually prefer to cut fruit and eat it rather than drink smoothies. This may seem simple enough, but it seems to get overlooked. This makes a delicious breakfast and snack throughout the day. Other desired and seasonal fruit can be added. See my .tropical passion. if you like mango, papaya, mandarins, bananas, pineapple, and coconut.
9 Raspberries, Not pictured
Cut all fruit and arrange in a variety of ways. Best if organic. | <urn:uuid:f6942e42-ebe0-4bae-af8d-29a6e3fd53a9> | 2013-05-23T18:54:02Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Map: Do You Live in a Food Desert? USDA's Food Desert Locator Map
Yesterday, the United States Department of Agriculture unveiled its latest online tool: an eye-opening map of the nation's "food deserts."
These food deserts (marked in pink above) are places where there is "low income" and "low access"—or places where at least a fifth of the population lives at or below the poverty line and where there isn't a supermarket within a one-mile radius (or within a 10-mile radius in rural areas). All things told, about 13.5 million people nationwide have little or no access to stores selling healthful food.
The complete dataset is downloadable, so it should spawn mash-ups. The USDA has also created the Food Environment Atlas, which maps factors ranging from food taxes to farmers' markets (below). What correlations can we make about the absence of food deserts and farmers' markets?
The data's impressive and certainly opens up opportunities to map other connections: What's the impact of healthy corner stores, walkable school districts, or even McDonald's locations on food deserts? Could we put the "Wal-Mart as food desert solution" theory to the test?
Map: USDA (via Alex Howard). | <urn:uuid:7ec2e51c-0e92-4a46-a143-d61b4c34e39d> | 2013-05-23T18:45:51Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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With the information relayed to the others and Nightwing's plan in place, they turned to me and began explaining what the plan was. Color me impressed!
Instead of relating what they planned to do, let me describe what they did and how it worked out:
Nightwing has Jediwife's elf move to underneath the eastern tower they had fought and killed the skeletons atop it earlier. He has Ragnar1965's lady spellcaster accompany the elven bowcaster. When those two were in place, Nightwing had his ranger climb back atop the temple's roof and make his way to the front doors. Once there, his ranger motioned to move ahead with part two of the plan. The female elf prepared her bow and targeted the large dinosaur skeleton that guarded the front doors to the temple. The ranger prepared to repel from the roof to the ground directly in front of the doors. Finally, the cleric/magic-user left the cover of the tower and moved out in the open and attempted to turn the skeleton. Ragnar1965 was hoping for a big number when he released the 20-sided, for if he could turn the beast, they could move to part four of the plan, thus skipping part three-the fight!
Sadly, the number rolled did not cut the mustard, the dinosaur skeleton had a momentary sensation of being uncomfortable and turned its focus to the exposed woman from which the feeling came from. It was time for initiative!
The party got the roll and JediWife scampers over to have her elf shoot an arrow into the skeleton, in the attempt to draw the skeleton's attention away from the exposed spellcaster. [Everyone note that the party is not using blunt weapons against the foe
] She rolls and hits the thing with one of her elf's arrows. Meanwhile, Greyson the ranger is repelling to get into position to attack from the back. The beast ignores the elf in favor of attacking the spellcaster. I hit and Rangar1965 looks to Nightwing with the expression of, "are you sure this was a good idea." He has his PC draw forth her wand of magic missiles, knowing full well spellcasting is not going to be of help.
Round three begins with JediWife rolling a natural-20 and does some great damage, even though it is cut in half. The skeleton's attention is turned towards this source of damage allowing Ragnar1965 to withdraw his spellcaster on his turn, instead of using the wand. As the skeleton moved towards the elf, Nightwing had his ranger charge and attack with both Whisker and Fenis. Both hit and he also did some good damage. And this is how the rest of the encounter went! The skeleton spun about and began attacking Greyson who, with both magic blades has a 20 AC, while the two lady PCs set up flank attacks with the wand of magic missiles and arrows. This three way assault upon the skeletal dinosaur spelled its doom, but not before I got several solid hits upon the ranger.
With the guardian beast out of the way, the players began phase 4 of Nightwing's master plan. Nightwing's ranger was given a flask of acid from Rangar1965's PC and the ranger climbed back atop the temple complex. The elven bowcaster and the human cleric/magic-user both remained by the front door, waiting for the ranger's signal to burst into the complex. Meanwhile, Nightwing rolled to move quietly for his ranger to move towards the hole in the ceiling. He got to the hole and looked below to see if anything had changed. Nope, the three robed figures were still pacing about the mysterious altar. The ranger readied the flask of acid and his animated broom, or as Nightwing calls it "the Broom of Doom." (For those keeping track, he got the broom from the lair of Suto in DCC #0, way back at the beginning of their adventuring careers.)
Nightwing has his PC drop the broom down the hole as one of the figures pass by. It hits the stone floor, bounces slightly and comes to rest. All three figures are puzzled and one looks up at the hole, not seeing the ranger since Nightwing had made it clear the ranger ducked back as soon as he released the broom. I roll the die to see which of the three bends over to pick up the broom, it was the high priest DOH!, while the others approach to see what on earth, or sky, is up with an old straw broom doing falling from above. When Nightwing was sure enough time had elapsed, only a few seconds, to have gathered the three close, he yelled out the command word for the broom to begin attacking, which was the key for the other players to send their PCs rushing through the front door and into the center room, with arrow drawn and wand at ready. As soon as the broom began smacking the high priest, causing all sorts of chaos, the ranger hurled the flask of acid directly to the floor amidst the three figures knowing this would also damage the broom. He was insuring that the other PCs would have an easy go of it for at least a couple of rounds while the enemy was trying to figure out what was going on, i.e.--what was up with the broom and why were they burning from acid!
Seeing that one of the figures was occupied with a broom beating him or her about the face, Ragnar1965 and Jediwife had their PCs focus upon the others in the room. Jediwife had her elf fire an arrow at one, dropping him, and Ragnar1965's PC fired two magic missiles into the other, also dropping him. The high priest did not have a chance. The broom never hit her for damage, but it kept stunning her with the whisk side.
I was amazed at the tactics and what should have been a tough encounter turned out to be a cake walk, all because of planning.
They searched the bodies and Nightwing volunteered to have his ranger remove the gems from the arch. He made all but one of his saves, reducing him to a fourth level ranger for the remainder of the adventure. Ragnar1965 had hoped the level drain was temporary, but as they found out later (and lots of gold) they had to get a high level cleric to restore the ranger his lost level.
That is where they left off on Friday, October 8th. It would be three weeks before they got to conclude this swell little side quest. | <urn:uuid:cde39f74-59d4-4c51-a5e4-66cacc899aef> | 2013-05-23T18:59:29Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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US 5856842 A
Apparatus for gathering a frontal facial image of an individual observing a display area includes a light-conductive waveguide, transferring the image from a first light-redirecting region to a second light-redirecting region to output the image. The element is supported at least partially in front of the display, such that the input region overlies the display area, and all portions of the element overlying the display area, including the input region, are sufficiently transparent so as not to substantially interfere with the individual's observation of the display. In a preferred embodiment, at least the input region is a holographically derived optical grating, and the element is a transparent panel constructed of glass and/or plastic. In use in a communications system, the invention would preferably further include an optoelectronic image sensor disposed to receive the image from the output region, enabling the image to be transferred, for example, to a display at a remote location, which may also incorporate the invention to facilitate two-way eye-contact communications.
1. Apparatus for gathering a frontal facial image of an individual observing a display area, comprising:
a light-conductive element having a first light-redirecting region to input the image and a second light-redirecting region to output the image, the element being operative to transfer the image from the first area to the second area by way of total internal reflection,
the element being supported partially in front of the display such that the input region overlies the display area,
and wherein all portions of the element overlying the display area, including the input region, are sufficiently transparent so as not to substantially interfere with the individual's observation of the display.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least the input region is a holographically derived optical grating.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, further including an optoelectronic image sensor disposed to receive the image from the output region.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light-conductive element is a transparent panel having opposing surfaces, and wherein at least the first region is an optical grating associated with a portion of one of the surfaces.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first light-redirecting region has a perimeter which is optically feathered to provide a smooth visual transition between the first region and the surrounding panel.
6. Apparatus for gathering a frontal facial image of an individual observing a display area, comprising:
a light-conductive panel having a first section overlying the display area and a second section outside of the display area, the first and second sections incorporating first and second optical gratings, respectively, the first grating being operative to receive the image and diffract the image at an angle allowing the panel to convey the image to the second grating through total internal reflection, the second grating being operative to recover the reflected image and diffract the image out of the panel, the first section of the panel being sufficiently transparent so as not to substantially interfere with the individual's observation of the display.
7. An eye-contact video communications system, comprising:
a display defining an optical path to a viewer;
an image sensor outside of the optical path; and
a substantially transparent waveguide having a first optical grating disposed within the optical path to receive a facially frontal image of the viewer and a second optical grating outside of the optical path coupling the image to the image sensor.
8. The eye-contact video communications system of claim 7, further including a second display, second image sensor and second substantially transparent waveguide disposed at a remote location, each image sensor being coupled to a remote display, enabling individuals viewing each display to receive an eye-contact image of the individual at the remote location.
This invention solves the problem of realizing eye contact in a system of the type wherein an operator is imaged while viewing a display. The invention is applicable to numerous operational environments, including on-line video teleconferencing, in which case both or all participants would benefit from the apparatus and methods disclosed herein. Being highly compact, the invention lends itself to video telephones and portable electronic devices as well, including laptop computers having flat-panel displays. Broadly, according to the invention, the perspective of an operator viewing a display is substantially frontal, enabling a recipient of the operator image to receive an eye-contact view of the operator. In a two-way system, the operator would typically be viewing an image of the image recipient, but such is not required according to the invention, as the operator may be viewing anything on the associated display with the recipient of the operator's image still receiving an eye-contact view. Nor is it necessary that these various transmissions occur in real time, as the view taken of the operator may be recorded for later use.
The approach taken by the invention is to form a plurality of gratings on a waveguide enabling it to function as a "periscope" that deviates a line of sight laterally in a thin package, as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6. First making reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, however, FIG. 3 illustrates, in cross-section, an embodiment of this holographic periscope concept. According to the invention, gratings G.sub.1 and G.sub.2 are disposed on an otherwise clear window 302. The gratings may be formed with any grating technology, including volume and surface-relief holographic techniques or computer-generated or mechanical ruling techniques. For example, in a preferred embodiment, the gratings may be formed using the recording material dichromated gelatin applied to a glass or plastic substrate. Grating G.sub.1 takes incident light and diffracts it to an angle that becomes internally guided in the window in conjunction with points 306 of internal reflection. An identical grating G.sub.2, laterally displaced on the window 302, diffracts the guided light back out of the window along a path 308 which is preferably parallel to the path of original entry.
Note that the spectral dispersions of the two gratings compensate for each other in this geometry, resulting in a chromatically-corrected periscope. As shown in FIGS. 4A-C, the gratings may be either transmissive or reflective (or one of each) and that they may, if necessary, be buried in a "sandwich" structure (FIG. 4C). The only requirement is that the entrance and exit paths be parallel and preferably, perpendicular to the plane of the light-carrying window.
As shown in FIG. 5, a device of the type described above is then used to realize eye-contact imaging of operator 510 having field of view 512, even as a retro-fit over existing computer displays, including projection-type arrangements. The general geometry shown in FIG. 5, includes a camera/window assembly 502, which may be placed over any display 504 to shift the line of sight 506 of a camera 508 to pass through a centralized area of the display in the vicinity of grating G.sub.2. As shown in FIG. 6, although a window in the form of a strip may be used according to the invention, preferably a panel 602 is used which entirely covers the surface of the display 604, with gratings G.sub.1 and G.sub.2 being positioned as appropriate, in relation to the operator and camera. The panel may alternatively be incorporated into the design of the display, for example, as a CRT or LCD cover glass.
A color camera system would use visible wavelength light, with G.sub.1 at high efficiency and G.sub.2 at low efficiency to avoid visible interference with the display (a low light level camera can compensate for low efficiency of G.sub.2) The gratings may optionally be a superposition in terms of their spectral responses, for example by having up to three different gratings with responses in the red, green and blue spectral regions to provide a greater color range. To further avoid visual interference, the area surrounding grating G.sub.2 may be optically "feathered" to avoid a sharp visual transition between the area of the grating and the surrounding transparent window. For example, a holographic grating may be used having a perimeter is formed with a tapered exposure that over a short distance gradually tapers to zero rather than exhibiting a sharp boundary. The surface behind G.sub.1 should also be made opaque to avoid cross talks with the undeviated line of sight (ghost images). Alternatively, a near-infrared camera may be used, perhaps even with an active LED source of illumination, if necessary, to form a monochrome image. As such, the NIR gratings G.sub.1 and G.sub.2 may both be made relatively efficient without any visible degradation of the displayed image path, for example through the use of volume holograms which are known to have a limited spectral bandwidth.
There will be tradeoffs in the design specifics between aperture of the camera grating G.sub.1 the aperture of grating G.sub.2, thickness of the window, operating wavelength range, field of view, etc. Improper design can result in multiple overlapping images being presented to the camera. However, solutions to these design issues will be a straightforward matter to one reasonably skilled in the field of optical design.
FIG. 1 is a skeletal, side-view illustration of a display/camera co-residency problem solved by this invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates a prior-art solution to the problem introduced with respect to FIG. 1 involving the use of a beamsplitter;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional drawing of an optical grating according to the invention which may be used to solve the display/camera co-residency problem;
FIGS. 4A to 4C represent cross-sectional views of alternative optical gratings according to the invention;
FIG. 5 is a skeletal, side-view drawing of an optical element according to the invention in use a video conferencing system; and
FIG. 6 is an embodiment of the invention as seen from an oblique perspective.
This application claims priority of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/024,582, filed Aug. 26, 1996, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
This invention relates generally to communications systems of the type wherein an operator observes a display while being imaged by a video camera and, more particularly, to such a system which facilitates an eye-contact view of the operator. Fields of use include video conferencing and teleconferencing, video telephone and other applications.
In video communication systems of the type wherein an operator observes a display while being imaging by a video camera, a problem persists because the display and the camera cannot be in the same optical path. FIG. 1 illustrates the problem. An operator 102 wishes to view a display 104, creating an optical path required for an eye-contact view of the observer along line 106. At the same time, a camera 108 may be used to gather an image of the operator 102, utilizing a field of view 110. However, since the camera 108 cannot be located along path 106 without interfering with the display, the image taken of the operator 102 is typically that of an individual not looking at the camera, i.e., with his or her eyes looking slightly downwardly (or upwardly, depending upon the placement of the camera). Although a cathode-ray tube (CRT) type of display is depicted in broken-line form in FIG. 1, this problem is not limited to the use of the CRT display, but manifests itself with any type of display, including flat-panel types such as liquid-crystal displays, since the problem arises from the inability to realize a display/camera co-residency, regardless of technology.
As shown in FIG. 2, there exists one known attempt to solve this problem. In this case, a beamsplitter 202 is supported in the optical path between an operator 204 and a display apparatus 206. With this configuration, a camera 208 may be placed substantially off axis from the line of eye contact 210, including perpendicular to the line 210, as shown. With the beamsplitter 202 being positioned to substantially transmit the scene on display 206 to the operator 204 while reflecting the image of the operator 204 into the camera 208, a situation results wherein the camera 208 may effectively, at least optically, image along the line of eye-contact 210, resulting in a transmitted image of the operator 204 which is frontal, thereby facilitating eye contact.
However, serious problems exist with the use of the beamsplitter arrangement shown in FIG. 2, including the fact that beamsplitters are inefficient and bulky. The efficiency may result in the operator 204 observing a vestigial image of the camera 208, and the bulkiness precludes this arrangement from being used in compact configurations, which are becoming increasingly popular for video teleconferencing, video telephones, and so forth. The need remains, therefore, for apparatus and methods which will enable an operator viewing a display to be frontally viewed in a compact and efficient manner, thereby facilitating eye-contact in a variety of communications and conferencing-type systems.
This invention provides apparatus for gathering a frontal facial image of an individual observing a display area. In one embodiment, such apparatus includes a light-conductive element having a first light-redirecting region to input the image and a second light-redirecting region to output the image. The element functions as a waveguide, transferring the image from the first area to the second area by way of total internal reflection. The element is supported at least partially in front of the display, such that the input region overlies the display area, and all portions of the element overlying the display area, including the input region, are sufficiently transparent so as not to substantially interfere with the individual's observation of the display. In a preferred embodiment, at least the input region is a holographically derived optical grating, and the element is a transparent panel constructed of glass and/or plastic.
In use in a communications system, the invention would preferably further include an optoelectronic image sensor disposed to receive the image from the output region, enabling the image to be transferred, for example, to a display at a remote location. The remote location may also be equipped with a second display, second image sensor and second substantially transparent waveguide, enabling individuals viewing each display to receive an eye-contact image of the individual at the remote location. Additional conferrees may also be suitably equipped for group communications. | <urn:uuid:8e1fbab6-2945-44d8-b3db-d148d4a66c6d> | 2013-05-23T19:05:25Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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US 4892536 A
A disposable absorbent article, such as a diaper, having a liquid impervious backsheet, a urine pervious liner, and absorbent core intermediate the backsheet and liner is disclosed. The liner has a passageway to allow communication of solid waste materials to the core, thereby isolating such waste from the skin of the wearer. The liner is longitudinally contracted by elastic strands disposed longitudinally nonadjacent the passageway, improving the fit of the article to the wearer without sacrificing leakage protection and allowing various sections of the article to assume independent functions.
1. A disposable absorbent article having a longitudinal axis, said article comprising:
a urine impervious backsheet;
a urine pervious liner having a front portion, a rear portion and at least one passageway adapted to permit waste materials to pass through said liner, said liner being at least partially peripherally affixed to said backsheet;
an absorbent core intermediate said liner and said backsheet;
a means for contracting said liner in the longitudinal direction, said contracting means being disposed substantially longitudinally nonadjacent said passageway and in the front portion of said liner; and
a means for contracting said liner in the longitudinal direction, said contracting means being disposed substantially longitudinally nonadjacent said passageway and in the rear portion of said liner.
2. A disposable absorbent article having a longitudinal axis, said article comprising:
a urine impervious backsheet;
a urine pervious liner having a front portion, a rear portion and at least one passageway adapted to permit waste materials to pas through said liner, said liner being at least partially peripherally affixed to said backsheet;
an absorbent core intermediate said liner and said backsheet; and
at least one elastic strand disposed in said front portion and at least one elastic strand disposed in said rear portion, which elastic strands contract said liner in the longitudinal direction, said elastic strands being substantially longitudinally nonadjacent said passageway.
3. A disposable absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said passageway is an aperture.
4. A disposable absorbent article according to claim 3 wherein said aperture has a greater longitudinal dimension than transverse dimension.
5. A disposable absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2 further comprising a means for transverse contraction of said liner.
6. A disposable absorbent article according to claim 5 wherein said means for transverse contraction of said liner comprises at least one elastic strand having a nonlongitudinal orientation.
7. A disposable absorbent article according to claim 6 wherein said liner has a front portion and a rear portion, said liner having more than one elastic strand disposed in said front portion and at least one elastic strand disposed in said rear portion.
8. A disposable absorbent article according to claim 7 having two elastic strands disposed in said front portion, said two elastic strands forming a V-shape, said V-shape having the vertex oriented towards said passageway.
9. A disposable absorbent article according to claim 8 wherein said elastic strands are transversely adjacent said passageway and further comprising a plurality of secondary elastic strands which contract said liner in the generally longitudinal direction, said secondary elastic strands being disposed substantially transversely and longitudinally nonadjacent said passageway.
10. A disposable absorbent article according to claim 9 wherein said secondary elastic strands contract said liner less than said transversely adjacent elastic strands contract said liner.
11. A disposable absorbent article according to claim 1 wherein said front portion contracting means and said rear portion contracting means are oriented at an angle of about 0 the longitudinal axis.
12. A disposable absorbent article according to claim 11 wherein both of said contracting means are oriented at an angle of about 10 about 45
13. A disposable absorbent article according to claim 2 wherein said front portion elastic strands and said rear portion elastic strands are oriented at an angle of about 0 longitudinal axis.
14. A disposable absorbent article according to claim 13 wherein both of said elastic strands are oriented at an included angle of about 10 to about 45
The present invention relates to disposable absorbent articles, and more particularly to disposable absorbent articles having selectively placed elastic strands to enhance the fit of the article to the wearer.
Several attempts within the art relating to disposable absorbent articles have been made to enhance the fit of the article to the wearer. A better fitting article provides more comfort for the wearer and can be adapted to isolate waste materials from the skin of the wearer. Fecal material which contacts the skin is often a source of epidermal irritation and makes cleaning of the wearer more difficult.
An attempt to overcome these problems is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,877 issued to Williams, May 5, 1987, which discloses a diaper having a urine impervious facing sheet with an aperture to allow waste materials to pass through the facing sheet into the absorbent portion of the diaper. The diaper has elastic strands in the facing sheet to urge it away from the underlying absorbent structure. However, Williams teaches applying the elastic strands longitudinally adjacent the large and convexly rectangular aperture. This arrangement makes sealing around the leg openings more difficult, and does not provide for alignment of the aperture relative to the anal opening.
It is an object of this invention to obviate aforementioned problems related to article fit and fecal material reposing against the skin of the wearer of a disposable absorbent article. The invention comprises a disposable absorbent article having a longitudinal axis and a urine impervious backsheet. The article also has a liner which is generally adjacent the skin of the wearer when the article is in use. The liner has a passageway to permit communication of waste materials through the liner. An absorbent core is disposed intermediate the liner and backsheet. The absorbent article also has a means for contracting the liner in the longitudinal direction and which is disposed substantially longitudinally nonadjacent the passageway. In a preferred embodiment the longitudinal contracting means comprises elastic strands.
A disposable article made according to the present is typically a diaper, but could also be a catamenial pad, a product for incontinent adults or any other execution known to those skilled in the art. The disposable article disclosed herein can be manufactured and prepared using methods and materials well known in commercial practice.
The diaper herein described is suitable for infants of either sex weighing from approximately 5 kg. to approximately 11 kg. It is understood that the diaper may be adapted to larger and smaller wearers by appropriate scaling of the components discussed below.
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an unfolded and flattened diaper 10 having the basic components typical of such an absorbent article: a backsheet 12, an absorbent core 16, a liner 24 and a longitudinal contracting means associated with the liner 24.
The diaper 10 comprises a laminated structure having a generally hourglass shape in the flat, unfolded position. The diaper 10 is generally symmetric about a longitudinal axis oriented from the front to back of the diaper 10, which axis is generally aligned with the machine direction of the diaper 10 during manufacture. A transverse axis is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the diaper 10 and intersects the longitudinal axis at or near the midpoint of diaper 10. As used herein, the front and rear portions of the diaper 10 are defined by and coterminous of the transverse axis and are generally the portions of the diaper 10 disposed to the front and rear of the diaper 10 as observed by the wearer.
The diaper 10 comprises a backsheet 12 which is preferably urine impervious and flexible. An opaque polymer sheet is often utilized. The backsheet 12 provides a chassis for assembly of the diaper 10 about the arcuate posterior of the wearer and holds the other diaper components hereinafter discussed.
The backsheet 12 is sized to be drawn between the legs of the wearer and sealed with elastic leg cuffs 34. The backsheet 12 is fastened about the waist using tapes 36 disposed at the back of the backsheet 12. A diaper 10 generally constructed according to the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,003, issued to Buell, Jan. 14, 1975, and incorporated herein by reference is suitable.
A low density polyethylene backsheet 12 about 0.01 mm. to about 0.3 mm. thick is typical, with a thickness of about 0.03 mm. being preferred. A backsheet 12 having a longitudinal dimension of about 45 cm., a transverse dimension between either end of the longitudinal edges 14 of about 32 cm. and a transverse dimension at the center of the longitudinal edges 14 of about 20 cm. is suitable.
Juxtaposed with the backsheet 12, towards the skin of the wearer, is a urine absorbent core 16, which is generally soft, conformable and compliant. The core 16 comprises any urine absorbent material such as cellulose fibers, and is typically comminuted cellulosic fiber, often known as air felt. The core 16 may further comprise absorbent gelling polyacrylate materials to increase the capacity of core 16.
The core 16 is designed to absorb and retain the expected volume of liquid discharge for the article's intended use, wear time and wearer capacity. For the embodiment described herein, the core 16 should preferably have a minimum capacity of about 300 ml. to accommodate the expected urine discharges of the wearer. The core 16 may be generally rectangular, having two opposed faces about 35 cm. to about 40 cm. long and about 10 to about 15 cm. wide, although it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that other shapes or sizes could be used as well. The core 16 is longitudinally shorter than the backsheet 12 to provide a free margin 18 at each transverse edge 20 of the diaper 10.
The core 16 may be integrally affixed to the backsheet 12, may be peripherally affixed to the backsheet 12, or not affixed to the backsheet 12. If it is desired to affix the core 16 to the backsheet 12, affixing may be accomplished with any suitable urine stable adhesive, such as Century 5227 made by Century Adhesives of Columbus, Ohio.
It is preferable that the core 16 remain intact, in position and not clump, break up or experience undue variations in thickness, otherwise discomfort to the wearer and uneven absorption capacity might result. To provide stability to the core 16, and prevent such disturbances to core uniformity from occurring, the core 16 may be tightly covered with an envelope 22. The envelope 22 may cover either or both faces of the core 16 and be peripherally or integrally affixed to the backsheet 12, using the aforementioned adhesive. The envelope 22 may be made of any urine pervious material, such as spun bonded or carded polyethylene or polypropylene fabric having a caliper of about 0.25 mm. and a basis weight of about 16.7 gm. per sq. m.
Juxtaposed with the absorbent core 16 (or envelope 22, if included), towards the wearer, is an inelastic urine pervious, generally nonabsorbent liner 24. The liner 24 is preferably soft, conformable and nonirritating to the skin. The liner 24 may be made of nonwoven fabric, such as the envelope 22 material described above, or may be a formed film polyolefinic sheet having perforations for the transmission of urine to the absorbent core 16. As used herein, a liner 24 is considered urine pervious if it has any zone or portion of the liner 24 which enables urine to pass therethrough, even though a portion or zone of the liner 24 may be urine impervious.
The liner 24 may generally correspond in size and shape to the backsheet 12. The liner 24 is at least partially, and preferably fully, peripherally affixed to the backsheet 12, laminating the core 16 intermediate the liner 24 and backsheet 12. The liner 24 may be affixed to the backsheet 12 using any well known method such as adhesive, thermal sealing or ultrasonic welding. The liner 24 is considered to be affixed to the backsheet 12 if the liner 24 is directly attached to the backsheet 12 (as shown) or indirectly attached to the backsheet 12 through a separate component.
Associated with the liner 24 is a passageway 26 which permits communication of waste materials, particularly including but not limited to solid fecal materials, through the liner 24 and into the region of the absorbent core 16, thereby isolating the waste materials from the skin of the wearer. In a preferred embodiment, the passageway 26 takes the form of an aperture. As used herein a passageway is any opening through the liner 24 which is sufficient to permit fecal material to pass through the liner 24 without significant obstruction. As used herein the term aperture includes but is not limited to holes, slits or any combination thereof. Preferably the aperture is an oblong hole having a doubly convex shape.
The size of the passageway 26 is a balance between the minimum size necessary to accommodate variations in the placement of the anus relative to the perineum and various cross sections of solid fecal material, while minimizing undue skin contact with the waste material. It is preferred that the passageway 26 have a greater longitudinal than transverse dimension to ensure registration with the anal opening when the diaper 10 is placed in various longitudinal alignments on the infant.
An aperture having a longitudinal dimension of about 5.O cm. to about 6.5 cm., and a transverse dimension between about 3.5 cm. and about 6.O cm. is suitable. The aperture is generally transversely centered on the liner 24 and longitudinally offset at least about 2 cm. towards the back of the diaper 10.
Associated with the liner 24 is a means for causing contraction of the liner 24 in the longitudinal direction. The contracting means preferably remains elastic from the time the diaper 10 is manufactured until the diaper 10 is discarded and is capable of being selectively positioned on the liner 24.
For the inelastic liner 24 described above, the contracting means is preferably provided by rubber strands 28, which function as tensors, oriented with a component parallel to the longitudinal axis of the diaper 10. As used herein, the elastic strands 28 may be of any cross section and have a substantially greater length than transverse dimension. Elastic strands 28 made of natural rubber and having an untensioned rectangular cross section of about 2.4 mm. to about 6.4 mm. by about 0.18 mm. is suitable. Fulflex 9411 strands made by the Fulflex Company of Scotland Neck, North Carolina have been found to work well. Typically, the elastic strands 28 are prestretched, then affixed to the diaper 10 using a suitable adhesive, as generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,301, issued to Buell, Mar. 28, 1978 and incorporated herein by reference.
The liner 24 preferably has an uncontracted area, referred to as a free margin 18, disposed at each end of the diaper 10 intermediate the transverse edge of the core 16 and the transverse edge 20 of the backsheet 12. The elastic strands 28 referably do not extend into or contract the free margin 18, and are preferably coterminous of the core 16. This arrangement reduces wrinkling and contraction of the free margin 18 areas, providing more comfort to the user and reducing leakage around the waist of the diaper 10. Also, by making the contracted portion of the liner 24 shorter than the backsheet 12, the diaper 10 will bow concave towards the liner 24 when the liner 24 and backsheet 12 are affixed, creating a frame suitable to accommodate the arcuate posterior of the wearer. For a backsheet 12 having a length of about 45 cm., as described above, a liner 24 having a longitudinally contracted dimension ranging from about 23 cm. to about 36 cm. is typically suitable.
The longitudinal contracting means is disposed longitudinally nonadjacent the passageway 26. As used herein, longitudinally nonadjacent the passageway 26 refers to any portion of the liner 24 which is displaced from the passageway 26 towards either transverse edge 20 of the diaper 10. Alternatively stated, any point on the liner 24 through which a line parallel to the transverse axis can be drawn without intersecting the passageway 26 is longitudinally nonadjacent the passageway 26. It is to be understood that an elastic strand 28 which is laterally nonadjacent the passageway 26 may also have a portion laterally adjacent the passageway 26, and fall within the scope of the claimed invention.
The contracting means may be disposed transversely adjacent the passageway 26. As used herein transversely adjacent the passageway 26 refers to any portion of the liner which is displaced from the passageway directly towards either transverse edge 20 the diaper 10. Alternatively stated, any point on the liner 24 through which a line can be drawn parallel to the longitudinal axis and intersecting the passageway 26 is transversely adjacent the passageway 26.
Without being limited to any theory of operation, it is believed this arrangement causes the liner 24 to better conform to the complex curvatures of the buttocks of the wearer and obviates longitudinal collapse of the passageway 26. Furthermore, it is believed this arrangement aligns the passageway 26 to the anal opening of the wearer and provides for sealing of the liner 24 against the skin of the wearer. Preferably both a front and a rear liner contracting means are provided, one each side of the passageway 26 and associated with the liner 24, although a diaper 10 with either a front or rear liner contracting means will provide at least a portion of the aforementioned benefits.
A liner contracting means for the rear portion of liner 24, preferably comprises one or more elastic strands 28, laterally centered and aligned generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the diaper 10. Referring to FIG. 2, the rear elastic strand 28 pulls vertically upwardly on the back of the liner 24 when the diaper 10 is being worn by a wearer in the standing position. Also, the rear elastic strand 28 urges the back panel of the liner 24 into the gluteal groove, which tends to prevent solid waste material from migrating into this region of the wearer's body.
A liner contracting means for the front portion of liner 24 preferably comprises one or more elastic strands 28 and preferably provides a longitudinal vector balance against the opposite pull of the rear elastic strands 28. A liner contracting means for the front portion of liner 24 having elastic strands 28 disposed in a V-shape with the vertex oriented towards the passageway 26 and opening towards the front of the diaper 10 is preferred. This arrangement has a substantial component of elasticity in the longitudinal direction, balancing the opposing pull of the rear portion contracting means and providing the alignment and sealing functions discussed above. In a manner similar to that described above, as shown in FIG. 2, the front strands 28 pull vertically upward on the front panel of the diaper 10 when assembled about a wearer in the standing position.
The included angle of the V-shaped liner front portion contracting means should be small enough to provide a longitudinally forward pull, yet wide enough that the strands 28 not abrade or irritate the genitalia, and particularly be wide enough to accommodate the male scrotum. For this reason, the elastic strands 28 may terminate without intersection at the vertex of the "V" or intersect in an arcuate pattern, such as a U-shape, and still fall within the scope of the present invention. A liner front portion front contracting means having an included angle of about 20 to about 90 degrees between strands 28 is suitable, although the angle may vary according to the lateral spacing of the strands 28.
The strands 28 should not be extended into the free margin 18 area of the diaper 10, otherwise distortion of the waist area occurs when the diaper 10 is applied to the wearer. Similarly, the strands 28 should not be too close to the passageway 26, otherwise it may contract or contort into an irregular shape and diminish liner 24 contact with the skin. Conversely, the strands 28 should not be too short, or disposed too far from the passageway 26, otherwise alignment of the passageway 26 and lifting of the liner 24 from the core 16 are difficult to achieve.
Front and rear elastic strands 28 having a modulus of about 125,000 kg. per sq. m. at an elongation of about 100 to about 200 percent, transversely adjacent the passageway 26 and having an uncontracted elongation of about 125 percent to about 200 percent, typically about 175 percent, a length of about 16.5 cm. in the front, and about 14.6 cm. in the rear, has been found to work well for the embodiment described herein. If desired, the urine acquiring zone of the liner 24 may be adhered to the core 16 to promote transmission of the urine through the liner 24.
As shown in FIG. 3, when worn, ideally the longitudinally contracted diaper liner 24 will closely adhere to the wearer, while the larger radius of curvature of the absorbent core 16 will allow the core 16 to fall away from the liner 24 and create a void space 30 thereinbetween. The void space 30 may function to collect waste materials and isolate the collected materials from the wearer, preventing epidermal irritation.
The volume of void space 30 is not critical, so long as at least about 90 gm. of fecal material can be accommodated. Likewise, the shape of void space 30 is not critical, and indeed will be irregular. Preferably the liner 24 is not affixed to the core 16 near the vicinity of the passageway, otherwise the void space 30 capacity may be substantially reduced.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the first embodiment disclosed above. For example, the void space 30 between the liner 24 and core 16 may be enhanced by adding secondary elastic strands 32, illustrated in FIGS. and 2, which act as tensors to longitudinally contract the liner 24. The secondary elastic strands 32 are disposed in a generally longitudinal orientation, and are longitudinally nonadjacent the passageway 26. The secondary strands lift the sides of the liner 24 away from the core 16 and thereby may enhance separation and isolation of solid fecal material from the wearer.
The secondary strands are preferentially symmetrically disposed about the longitudinal and transverse diaper axes, having one group of strands in each quadrant of the liner 24. This arrangement also promotes lateral tensioning of the liner 24 and greater opening of the passageway 26. The secondary elastic strands 32 preferably impart less contraction, or differential from the free length, to the liner 24 than the front and rear strands 28, as it is believed this arrangement lifts the center of the liner 24 to better conform to the shape of the buttocks. Typically, four elastic strands in each group of secondary strands having the same lengths as the aforementioned transversely adjacent front and rear elastic strands 28 and having from about 100 percent to about 200 percent, typically 150 percent elongation in the uncontracted state are suitable.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that other sizes and shapes of apertures are feasible to permit waste materials to pass through the liner 24. For example, a diamond shaped aperture (not shown) of the aforementioned dimensions and having the corners oriented in the longitudinal and transverse directions is suitable. An aperture such as a slit (not shown) having a longitudinal dimension ranging about 4.O cm. to about 6.O cm. and a transverse dimension of about 0.5 cm. may be used. If the diaper 10 is to be scaled for a larger infant, a larger passageway 26 disposed closer to the rear of the diaper 10 may be desirable. All such passageways 26 are within the scope of the present invention.
If desired, the portion of the liner 24 near the passageway 26 may be reinforced to prevent tearing or wrinkling. Reinforcement may be accomplished by providing a double thickness of the liner material in a band adjacent and concentric of the passageway 26 and having a radial dimension of about 1.O cm. to about 2.O cm.
If desired, a transverse contracting means may be incorporated into the liner 24 of any embodiment described above. The magnitude of the transverse contraction is not critical, but may be used to generally neutralize any lateral necking which occurs due to the longitudinal contraction. For example, elastic strands 28 having any nonlongitudinal orientation, such as the V-shape of FIG. 1, provides transverse contraction.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many other modifications may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.
While the Specification concludes with Claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter of the invention, it is believed the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like parts are given the same reference numerals.
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an embodiment of a disposable diaper made according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the diaper shown in FIG. 1, looking towards the front of the diaper when it is assembled on a wearer, not shown, in the standing position; and
FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2 showing the void space between the liner and core. | <urn:uuid:c9f7e031-29ee-42fa-bd46-f30231073189> | 2013-05-23T18:59:15Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Exxon Mobil Corporation (Exxon Mobil) is a manufacturer and marketer of commodity petrochemicals, including olefins, aromatics, polyethylene and polypropylene plastics and a range of specialty products. The Company has a number of divisions and affiliates with names that include ExxonMobil, Exxon, Esso or Mobil. Divisions and affiliated companies of ExxonMobil operate or market products in the United States and other countries of the world. Their principal business is energy, involving exploration for, and production of, crude oil and natural gas, manufacture of petroleum products and transportation and sale of crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products. In January 2012, Apache Corporation acquired Exxon Mobil's Mobil North Sea Limited assets including the Beryl field and related properties. In April 2013, BNK Petroleum (US) Inc. sold Tishomingo Field, Oklahoma assets other than the Caney and upper Sycamore formations to XTO Energy Inc., a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation. | <urn:uuid:b17250a4-018b-4c54-8f0b-e481149b612e> | 2013-05-23T18:46:25Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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US 6366797 B1
A method of analyzing medical image data to measure brain atrophy and determine the severity and progression of multiple sclerosis or other condition which leads to neurodegeneration or axonal damage is provided. Magnetic resonance image data representing a brain of a subject is provided and a brain surface contour is automatically identified by separating the brain from other connected structures in the image data. A total volume within the brain surface contour is calculated. A brain volume is then determined within the surface contour which excludes fluid filled regions and accounts for partial volume effects. The brain volume is then normalized by the total contour volume which generates a brain parenchymal fraction. The brain parenchymal fraction serves as a reliable measurement of brain atrophy and assists in determining the severity and progression of multiple sclerosis or other condition which leads to neurodegeneration or axonal damage.
1. A method of analyzing magnetic resonance images of a brain to determine severity of a medical condition comprising the steps of:
providing magnetic resonance image data representative of the brain;
identifying a brain surface contour from the magnetic resonance image data;
calculating a total contour volume within the brain surface contour;
determining a brain volume within the brain surface contour; and
evaluating the severity of the medical condition based on a ratio of the brain volume to the total contour volume.
2. The method of analyzing magnetic resonance images as set forth in
3. The method of analyzing magnetic resonance images as set forth in
4. The method of analyzing magnetic resonance images as set forth in
thresholding the image data to include brain tissue within the image data;
labeling connected components in the image data, a largest connected component being labeled as the brain; and
searching radially in the image data from within the largest connected component to determined an edge of the largest connected component, the edge representing the brain surface contour.
5. The method of analyzing magnetic resonance images as set forth in
searching radially for edges of the largest connected component in a plurality of directions to determine brain surface contour points; and
filtering and interpolating the brain surface contour points in spherical space to define the brain surface contour and to exclude non-brain structures connected to the brain.
6. The method of analyzing magnetic resonance images as set forth in
7. The method of analyzing magnetic resonance images as set forth in
8. The method of analyzing magnetic resonance images as set forth in
determining a rate of brain atrophy by comparing the ratio with a second ratio of brain volume to total contour volume generated from a second set of image data of the brain, the second set of image data being obtained subsequent to the image data.
9. A method of determining brain atrophy from image data of a brain obtained from a magnetic resonance imaging system, the image data representing brain tissue and non-brain regions of a subject, the method comprising the steps of:
determining a surface contour of the brain in the image data;
determining a total contour volume within the surface contour;
determining a brain volume being the total contour volume less a volume of the non-brain regions within the surface contour;
generating a brain parenchymal fraction being the brain volume normalized by the total contour volume; and
determining brain atrophy according to the brain parenchymal fraction.
10. The method of determining brain atrophy as set forth in
11. The method of determining brain atrophy as set forth in
12. The method of determining brain atrophy as set forth in
13. The method of determining brain atrophy as set forth in
14. The method of determining brain atrophy as set forth in
15. The method of determining brain atrophy as set forth in
16. The method of determining brain atrophy as set forth in
thresholding the image data to remove background data;
identifying the brain within the image data; and
identifying outer edges of the brain within the image data, the outer edges defining the surface contour of the brain.
17. The method of determining brain atrophy as set forth in
18. A method of measuring brain atrophy from image data representing a brain of a subject, the method comprising the steps of:
defining a contour in the image data which contains the brain;
calculating a total contour volume contained within the contour; determining a brain volume within the contour, the brain volume excluding regions representing non-tissue regions and accounting for partial volume effects;
normalizing the brain volume with the total contour volume; and
measuring brain atrophy by comparing the normalized brain volume to a predetermined value.
19. The method of measuring brain atrophy as set forth in
20. The method of measuring brain atrophy as set forth in
This application claims benefit of Provisional Appln. No. 60/097,929 filed Aug. 25, 1998.
The present invention relates to medical image analysis arts. It finds particular application to a method and system for analyzing brain volume from magnetic resonance images for measuring brain atrophy and quantitative multiple sclerosis disease evaluation and will be described with particular reference thereto. Of course, it will be appreciated that the present invention will also find application to the analysis of medical images obtained from other medical imaging systems capable of imaging the brain, and for quantitative evaluation of other conditions which lead to neurodegeneration or axonal damage.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers high contrast images which are far superior to those of other imaging modalities in terms of anatomical detail. In addition, flexible imaging sequences and choices of image orientation allow for detailed analysis of the brain, and for computer methods which can accurately segment the brain into cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), gray matter and white matter compartments.
To date, a number of quantitative MRI methods have reported measurements of cerebral spinal fluid, gray and white matter volumes in brain. Three general methods have been employed: (1) operator directed outlining of a region of interest (ROI); (2) special sequences to enhance cerebral spinal fluid and suppress brain matter signals; and (3) segmentation routines which utilize either automatic boundary outlining or threshold determinations.
Although tracing a region of interest can be quick and simple, it is the most operator intensive, and requires extensive training as well as a detailed knowledge of neuroanatomy. Special MRI sequences have been designed to selectively enhance the cerebral spinal fluid signal for volume determination, but it is not clear how partial volume averaging is accounted for with those sequences. Moreover, the MRI images generated are not suitable for standard radiological interpretation. Semi-automatic boundary outlining or thresholding routines are usually time consuming, and require the operator to select “seed” pixel values to choose numerical thresholds, or to sample representative pixel intensity values for brain and cerebral spinal fluid segmentation. The requirement for operator interaction leads to variable results due to differences in human perception.
The segmentation of the brain in magnetic resonance (MR) images is essential for quantitative analysis in clinical applications. Highly accurate and precise segmentation is required for serial studies which depend on repeated measurements over time for the detection of small changes. For example, for treatment evaluation in multiple sclerosis (MS), quantification of brain atrophy and lesion volumes in MR images is often used in conjunction with clinical evaluation to provide more objective measures of MS burden. Most current methods of quantification incorporate subjective techniques such as manual counting of lesions in 2D slices, or manual tracing for calculating areas and volumes. These segmentation methods may yield intra- and inter-operator variability rates which are higher than the expected changes to be measured. Therefore, computer-aided approaches have been designed to improve reliability. Brain segmentation is essential to determination of the brain volume. It is also important in surface-based registration since the segmented brain surface can be used for alignment of serial images acquired at different times. For these reasons, an automated segmentation technique is necessary to fully exploit the quantitative capabilities of MR imaging.
Automated segmentation of brain structures and tissues in MR is complicated by several factors. The overlap of gray level characteristics of different tissue-types precludes the use of global thresholding as a stand-alone segmentation technique. Typically, there are also inter- and intra-slice nonuniform intensity variations due to RF and/or receiver inhomogeneities which must be handled. Partial volume effects, due to the averaging of signals from different tissues sampled in the same voxel, result in voxels which can not be classified as any one particular type. For highest possible accuracy, an ideal segmentation technique should take all three of these factors into account. The segmentation should also be flexible in order to accommodate images from a variety of MR pulse sequences. Since the relative intensities of tissues vary according to each particular pulse sequence, a purely intensity-based strategy may not be flexible in this regard.
Techniques for “automated” segmentation of brain MR images have been developed to address these problems and to minimize manual interaction. Generic algorithms, such as multi-spectral clustering or thresholding combined with connectivity operations, still usually require the user to select appropriate thresholds or training sets to identify tissues, which can lead to significant variability in the results. Even with methods in which the parameters are determined automatically, anatomic structures connected to the brain and of similar intensity pose problems for thresholding/connectivity-based algorithms of this type, and often require manual editing at the end. Knowledge-based methods attempt to solve these problems by using anatomic information to drive the segmentation to fit some a priori model of the brain. However, the model assumptions are often overly restrictive, especially since there is significant diversity in anatomic features of the brain in different pathological conditions, and considerable differences in the intensity characteristics arising from different MR image acquisition techniques.
The present invention provides a new and unique method and system for fully automated brain image analysis, which solves the above problems and others for the evaluation of multiple sclerosis and other conditions that lead to neurodegeneration and/or axonal damage.
A method of analyzing magnetic resonance images of a brain to determine the severity and progression of a medical condition is provided. Magnetic resonance images of a brain are provided. A brain surface contour is identified from the magnetic resonance image data. A total volume within the brain surface contour is calculated. A brain volume within the brain surface contour is then determined. The severity of a medical condition is evaluated based on a ratio of the brain volume to the total contour volume.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of determining brain atrophy from image data of a brain obtained from a magnetic resonance imaging system is provided. The image data represents brain tissue and non-brain regions of a subject. A surface contour of the brain is determined in the image data. A total volume is determined within the surface contour and a brain volume is determined that is the total contour volume less a volume of the non-brain regions within the surface contour. A brain parenchymal fraction is generated which is the brain volume normalized by the total contour volume. Brain atrophy is then determined according to the brain parenchymal fraction.
One advantage of the present invention is that it provides a reproducible and reliable measurement of brain atrophy by eliminating the subjective analysis of brain image data.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a reliable measurement of brain volume changes over time such that an assessment of brain atrophy and the progression of multiple sclerosis or other condition which leads to neurodegeneration or axonal damage can be made. In this regard, the brain volume from the image data is analyzed in three-dimensions and normalized, which partially eliminates errors in volume determination caused by patient repositioning.
The normalization results in an additional advantange for cross-sectional studies. Since the normalized brain volume is within a constant range for healthy individuals, the present invention can be also be used to measure brain atrophy in individuals at a single point in time.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a method for whole brain atrophy measurement rather than measuring atrophy in multiple sclerosis which measures only ventricular volumes or individual slice volumes. This is important in diffuse diseases in order to account for the total effects of the disease on brain tissue.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a fast method for calculating brain volumes. With current hardware technology, the present invention takes approximately 2.5 minutes on a standard UNIX workstation to segment the entire brain in a set of 30 magnetic resonance images.
Still further advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.
The following is a brief description of each drawing used to describe the present invention, and thus, are being presented for illustrative purposes only and should not be imitative of the scope of the present invention, wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates a process of analyzing image data in accordance with the present invention;
FIGS. 2a-2 e illustrate intermediate segmentation images for one exemplary image data slice in accordance with the present invention; and
FIG. 3 illustrates the final segmentation results for one exemplary image data slice in accordance with the present invention.
With reference to FIG. 1, a process for analyzing medical image data in accordance with the present invention is shown. In the preferred embodiment, the present system and process is a software-implemented process executed by a computer. It will be appreciated that any portion or all of the software functions may be hardware implemented. Medical images of a brain are obtained and acquired 10 by any suitable medical imaging system such as a magnetic resonance imaging system as is known in the art. Exemplary image data is shown in FIG. 2a which is an image slice representing a subject's head 200 and brain 205. In the preferred embodiment, the image data are a set of two-dimensional image slices covering the entire brain and are analyzed as one three-dimensional data set. FIGS. 2a-2 e show one exemplary image data slice as it appears during intermediate stages of the present processing.
The image data are analyzed to identify 15 the surface contour 210 of the brain 205. This is performed by first identifying the brain 205 in the image data by separating “object” from “background” by optimal thresholding 20. Preferably, a minimum error threshold is determined using histogram statistics which separates a mixture of two populations modeled as Gaussian distributions. In this case, a conservative threshold is automatically selected which insures that brain tissue is not omitted from the image data. The original image set is then median filtered for noise removal and thresholded. FIG. 2b illustrates the image data slice as it may appear after thresholding where the highlighted regions represent the “object” which was not eliminated by the thresholding step. The “object” includes the brain 205 and possibly additional connected objects, such as the eyes and optic nerve, that are not part of the brain. The brain is also surrounded by other structures such as the cranium, scalp, etc.
To initially separate the brain 205 from non-brain regions, a sequence of alternating connected components analysis and morphological operations are performed. First, connected components analysis 25 is performed to label the “largest connected structure” in the image data as “brain” and all other bright structures as “other”. Selective morphological erosion 30 is performed on the brain-labeled region to partially isolate the brain from other connected structures as is known in the art. A 3×3×3 diamond-shaped kernel is applied to the image data to remove small connections stemming from the “largest connected structure” further isolating the brain. In other words, the kernel turns off small groups of pixels around the edges of the brain surface which connect non-brain structures to the brain, thus, disconnecting the non-brain structures. Of course, there are many types of kernels that can be used for this step. The connected components analysis 25 is repeated to re-label any newly disconnected structures as “other” and the selective morphological dilation is again performed on the brain-labeled region. It will be appreciated that these steps may be performed once or as many times as desired to isolate the brain from non-brain regions. After this processing, there may still be some structures connected to the brain which need to be removed.
A three dimensional radial search 35 is performed in spherical space to find brain surface contour points at the edge of the intra-cranial cavity (ICC) 215 which marks the brain surface contour edge 210. The ICC is a fluid filled region between the brain and surrounding structures which is detectable in at least some portions of the image. The search begins at the centroid of the brain-labeled region. In spherical coordinates, a ρ value is sought for each (θ,ψ) which specifies the radial distance from the centroid to the edge of the brain. Each voxel occurring at a pattern of “brain-background” is labeled as an edge and its radial distance from the centroid is stored in a two dimensional map of radius values. Based on the labeling described above, when a specific pattern of “brain-background-other” is encountered in the image data, the edge voxel is re-labeled as a possible ICC edge point. At locations where there are connected structures, the pattern is not found, so not all radial lines will contain an ICC edge point. FIG. 2c illustrates an edge contour 220 determined from the ICC edge points found by the radial search. The radius values are then bi-linearly interpolated based on neighboring values to fill in the two dimensional map of radius values.
The edge information from the two dimensional map is used to define the brain surface contour edge by finding the strongest edges. Edge “strengths” are calculated and stored, where the strength of an edge is equivalent to the weighted sum of other edge points and ICC points found within a pre-defined 1×m×n neighborhood of pixels. That is,
and the neighborhood size is dependent on the type of magnetic resonance image. After median filtering the two dimensional (θ, ψ) map to smooth the ICC contour points, bilinear interpolation is performed to fill in the missing ρ values. In some areas, a large portion of the ICC must be interpolated 40. Since the brain is not spherical, it is possible that the interpolation would exclude portions of the brain in these areas. To ensure that the true ICC points are found, for each interpolated location the local region along the radial line is searched for the strongest edge point. This step locates the ICC and “cuts off” any remaining connected structures producing a resultant ICC surface contour 220 shown in FIG. 2d. The voxels which are located within the resultant ICC surface contour and meet the threshold criteria of the first step are taken as the first estimate to the segmented brain tissue.
Since the image data is three-dimensional and includes multiple image slices, interslice intensity variations and partial volume effects are analyzed and corrected if necessary. First, the mean intensity values for the brain and background are calculated for each slice individually and for the whole set of images. The ratio of the means of these two populations is taken as the multiplicative correction factor for each slice:
Partial volume corrections are based on a two-compartment model. The model assumes that each voxel near the edge of the brain may contain up to two tissue classes, brain and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). Using the class averages for each of these two compartments, the contribution of each class can be calculated from the measured voxel intensity. That is, if the measured intensity, I, is considered to be
then the proportion of brain tissue, b, is simply,
An exemplary segmented brain mask is shown in FIG. 2e.
With further reference to FIG. 1, after the brain surface contour is determined, the total volume contained within the brain surface contour is calculated at 45. The total contour volume includes the volumes of all regions within the contour whether they represent brain tissue or not. The brain tissue volume is then determined 50 which includes three tissue classes, namely, normal brain tissue, lesions, and partial volume voxels. The volume of a voxel in the image data that overlaps both tissue and non-tissue is adjusted to more accurately represent only the partial volume that overlaps tissue. Thus, the brain tissue volume is determined using a finite mixture density model to account for partial volume effects according to equation (5) above. This model is used to determine the fractional contribution of each segmented voxel within the contour which lies on the border between brain and CSF regions. Voxels representing fluid filled regions within the surface contour are not included in the brain tissue volume. The final results for an exemplary slice are shown in FIG. 3, with the total contour volume composed of all voxels within the red contour, and the brain volume represented by the voxels included in the blue transparent overlay.
A brain parenchymal fraction (BPF) is calculated as a ratio of the brain tissue volume to the total volume contained within the brain surface contour. In other words, the brain tissue volume is normalized by the total contour volume. The severity and progression of a medical condition which leads to neurodegeneration or axonal damage is determined 55 based on the BPF value. The present inventors have found that normal subjects have a similar BPF. In tests, a group of normal subjects, who did not have a medical condition, were found to have a BPF within a range of 0.86 to 0.88 and a mean BPF of 0.871 with a standard deviation of 0.0077. Since the brain tissue volume is normalized by the total contour volume, all normal subjects have a similar BPF because factors such as head size are offset by the normalizing step. Additionally, the normalizing offsets errors which might occur when determining the brain surface contour such as including non-brain structures within the contour. It should be appreciated that the normal range of BPF may change once a greater population of subjects are tested.
For evaluation of disease progression, a BPF below the normal range indicates brain atrophy and may be a surrogate marker of the severity of a medical condition such as multiple sclerosis, brain tissue damage caused by a medical condition, or other conditions which lead to neurodegeneration or axonal damage. For example, assuming a subject is known to have a medical condition such as multiple sclerosis, comparing the subject's BPF to a predetermined normal BPF range can determine the severity of brain tissue damage caused by the medical condition. If the BPF ratio is within the predetermined normal range, the severity of brain tissue damage is negligible. If the ratio is below the predetermined normal range, the severity of brain tissue damage is significant. In tests, subjects with multiple sclerosis had a mean BPF of 0.821 with a standard deviation of 0.0656 which is below the range of normal subjects. Some multiple sclerosis subjects had a BPF as low as 0.699 which is well below the range of normal subjects and indicated severe brain atrophy.
The measurement of brain atrophy based on the BPF provides a highly reproducible measurement of atrophy which is consistent among healthy individuals. Results show that there is a significant difference in the atrophy measures between a normal group and a multiple sclerosis group which are well matched for gender and age. By obtaining and analyzing image data from the same subject over time, the BPF provides a reliable measure of atrophy regardless of how the image data was obtained, the image views, or position of the subject during imaging. Changes in a subject's BPF over time is used to measure the rate of brain atrophy and to assess the severity of brain tissue damage.
It will be appreciated that many conditions can cause an abnormally low BPF besides multiple sclerosis including normal aging, high blood pressure, hydrocephalus, stroke, Alzheimer's, anorexia, steroid use, alcohol abuse, etc. The BPF can serve as a surrogate marker of disease severity not only in MS but other neurodegenerative diseases and conditions.
The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalence thereof.
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US 20070067032 A1
The invention includes an interpositional arthrosplasty implant adapted to be retained in position in apposition to ajoint surface, at least in part, by surrounding healthy tissue. In some embodiments the implant comprises a knee implant. The implant can include one or more structural features adapted to be fixedly positioned within and/or in apposition to the natural meniscus.
1. An interpositional arthrosplasty implant adapted to be retained in position in apposition to a joint surface, at least in part, by surrounding healthy tissue.
2. An implant according to
3. An implant according to
4. An implant according to
5. An implant according to
6. An implant according to
7. An implant in accordance with
8. An implant in accordance with
9. An implant according to
10. An implant according to
11. A kit for a positional arthroplasty system, the kit comprising:
a) an implant that provides a major surface adapted to be positioned against a femoral condyle and a second major surface adapted to be positioned against a tibial plateau, and
b) one or more devices adapted to perform one or more steps selected from the group consisting of preparing the joint to receive an implant, determining an appropriate implant size for a particular joint, inserting the implant into the joint, and/or securing the implant to a desired extent.
12. A kit according to
13. A kit according to
14. A kit according to
15. A kit according to
16. A method of repairing a knee joint, comprising the steps of providing and implanting an implant according to
17. A knee joint that includes an implant according to
18. A kit comprising a tool useful for preparing a joint to receive an implant, an apparatus useful for determining an appropriate implant size for the joint, an apparatus useful for determining an appropriate implant thickness, and a tool useful for inserting the implant into the joint and/or securing the implant to a desired extent.
21. An implant according to
22. An implant according to
23. An implant according to
In one aspect, this invention relates to biomaterials for implantation and use within the body. In yet another aspect, this invention further relates to the field of orthopedic implants and prostheses, and more particularly, for implantable materials for use in orthopedic joints.
Applicant has previously described, inter alia, prosthetic implants formed of biomaterials that can be delivered and finally cured in situ, and/or that can be partially or fully prepared ex vivo, for implantation into the body, e.g., using minimally invasive techniques. See for instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,556,429; 5,795,353; 6,140,452; 6,306,177; and 6,652,587, as well as US Application Publication Nos. US-2002-0156531; US-2002-0127264; US-2002-0183850; and US-2004-0107000, and International applications having Publication Nos. WO 95/30388; WO 98/20939; WO 02/17821; WO 03/053278; WO 03/061522, and WO 2004/006811 (the disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by reference).
In spite of developments to date, there remains a need for a joint prosthesis system that provides an optimal combination of properties such as ease of preparation and use, and performance within the body, and particularly for use in those patients in which some meniscal tissue remains healthy, and might be retained.
The present invention relates to orthopedic implants and prostheses adapted to be positioned within (e.g., inserted into) orthopedic joints, in order to provide a weight bearing, articulating, or other mechanical and/or structural feature or function. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides an implant suitable for insertion into a joint selected from the group consisting of those that provide immovable articulations (synarthroidal), mixed articulations (amphiarthroidal, e.g., the lumbar joint of the back), and movable articulations (diarthroidal, such as the knee, including both the medial and/or lateral compartments). The ability of amphiarthroidal and diarthroidal joints to provide effective and pain-free articulation, and/or to serve their weight-bearing function, is generally dependent on the presence of intact, healthy fibrocartilage and/or hyalin cartilage within the joint.
The present invention provides an interpositional arthrosplasty implant adapted to be retained in position in apposition to a joint surface, at least in part, by surrounding healthy tissue, such as the meniscus of the knee. This can be compared, for instance, to implants that are either free moving within or upon a joint, or that are substantially retained upon a joint surface by other means, such as by the use of anchors or sutures, by physical conformation and congruence with the supporting joint surface, and/or by contact with the opposing joint surface.
An implant of this invention can be comprised of biomaterials and can be used and prepared by means of corresponding methods and systems described herein. In turn, the method and system, including interpositional arthroplasty implant, are particularly useful for those patients that retain some healthy meniscal tissue. In such patients, the implant of this invention can provide the various benefits, including an improved combination of comfort, alignment, cushioning, and long term performance.
In one preferred embodiment, the implant includes one or more structural features adapted to be fixedly positioned within and/or in apposition to the healthy meniscus, in a manner that permits the implant to be retained by the meniscus in a manner that further improves the retention of the implant itself upon the tibial surface.
In some embodiments, the present invention provides an interpositional arthroplasty implant for insertion into the lateral and/or medial cavity of a knee joint. The implant has a first major surface and a second major surface. The first major surface is adapted to mate with the tibial plateau of a tibia, preferably in a substantially congruent and fixed relationship. In some embodiments, the first major surface is textured promote a fixed relationship with the tibia. The second major surface is adapted to be positioned as an articulating surface against a medial or lateral condyle of a femur. The second major surface is preferably dimensioned so as to provide a femoral glide path. Accordingly, in some embodiments the first major surface includes a generally centrally located depression. In some embodiments, the glide path is smooth to promote articulation. The implant can also include a relief extending below the second major surface. In some embodiments of the present invention, the relief defines a cavity having generally annular shape. In some cases, the cavity can be continuous or discontinuous, extending along either all or one or more portions of the circumference of the implant. In particularly advantageous embodiments of the present invention, the cavity is dimensioned and positioned to receive and/or itself be retained within some or all of the patient's own meniscal tissue.
The implant of the present invention is particularly useful for those patients that retain some healthy meniscal tissue, in that it can provide the various benefits associated with the use of an implant of the type described herein, e.g., restore alignment and provide an elastomeric cushioning, function, while preserving and benefiting from the presence of healthy tissue. Further, the implant of the present invention is particularly suited for use within the lateral compartment of a knee because the engagement of the implant with the meniscal tissue helps to stabilize the implant against forces that tend to be more prevalent in the lateral compartment.
Some embodiments of the system can also include one or more devices in the form of a kit that can be used to provide or perform some or all of the steps of preparing the joint to receive an implant, determining an appropriate implant size for a particular joint, determinig an appropriate implant thickness, inserting the implant into the joint, and/or securing the implant to a desired extent. One or more of the various components and devices, including optionally one or more implants themselves, can be provided or packaged separately or in varying desired combinations and subcombinations to provide a kit of this invention.
In one preferred embodiment, the method and system involve the preparation and use of one or more components (e.g., polymeric, ceramic, and/or metallic) for insertion and placement into the body. The method and system permit the on site preparation or previous manufacture of a unicompartmental interpositional arthroplasty device that comprises a polymeric material such as polyurethane.
In some embodiments, as described below, the present invention therefore provides an implant that is designed to be formed to and congruent with the tibial surface, having a final femoral surface shape that serves largely as a glide path with respect to the femoral condyle. Such a device can be used in patients having joints that have progressed to the stage of “bone on bone,” and thus provides a replacement for the function of articular cartilage, and optionally some of the natural, healthy meniscus, and particularly at the central weight-bearing area, in order to restore alignment, providing an elastomeric, cushioning function. A preferred implant of this type is also congruent with the tibial surface. In turn, the present implant is more permanently anchored in place, in significant part by one or more posterior projections, such as the posterior lip, as well by the optional but preferred use of anterior fixation means (such as, for example, embedded sutures).
The invention will be further described with respect to the drawings, in which
A meniscus 126 of right leg 100 is also visible in
An implant in accordance with the present invention can be placed in the knee joint by first making an incision 140 at the base of anterior portion 130 of meniscus 126. Implant 124 can then be inserted through incision 140 so as to enter the joint space and reside at least partially within the meniscus. Fixation of implant 124 in situ can be accomplished by effectively capping the tibial plateau with one or more projections extending distally over the rim of the plateau at one end of implant 124 and attaching another end of implant 124 with sutures. In
In the embodiment of
Fixation of implant 224 in situ can be accomplished by effectively capping the tibial plateau with tibial projection 254 extending distally over the rim of the plateau at one end of implant 224 and attaching another end of implant 224 with sutures. Implant 224 of
Implant 124 can comprise features useful for stabilizing it against the tibia 104. As shown in the embodiments in
An implant of the type shown provides various benefits, including the correction of varus deformities, based in significant part upon the presence and configuration of the posterior mesial lip, and the cutout (kidney bean shaped) for the intercondylar eminence. The tibial projection is adapted to catch the posterior portion of the tibial plateau. The implant itself has dimensions as provided herein, and can be provided using one of a collection of molds of multiple sizes and/or styles in accordance with the various parameters of the present invention.
Optionally, and preferably, the invention provides an implant that is designed to be formed to and congruent with the tibial surface, having a final femoral surface shape that serves largely as a glide path, such as glide path 280, with respect to the femoral condyle. Such a device can be used in patients having joints that have progressed to the stage of “bone on bone”, and thus provides a replacement for the function of articular cartilage as well as meniscus, and particularly at the central weight-bearing area, in order to restore alignment, providing an elastomeric, cushioning function. A preferred implant of this type is also congruent with the tibial surface, based upon both its initial shape, together with whatever final shaping may occur in situ. In turn, the present implant is more permanently anchored in place, in significant part by one or more posterior projections, such as the posterior lip as well by the optional but preferred use of anterior fixation means (such as embedded sutures).
Such an embodiment includes a unique combination of a femoral glide path and convexity of the tibial surface of the implant, together with a posterior mesial lip. In turn, as provided in the Figures and related description, the implant provides an indentation adapted to accommodate the tibial spine, which together with a slight feathering of the implant on the underside at the tibial spine, the general kidney shape of the implant, and the convexity of the tibial surface, will permit the implant to be congruent with the concave tibia and the posterior mesial lip that extends over the posterior portion of the tibia and into the mesial side of the tibia into the PCL fossa of the tibia. Importantly, such an implant can be provided in various sizes to accommodate different anterior-posterior dimensions of the tibia and different tibial concavities. In other words, the amount of convexity of the tibial surface will be varied with the different sizes depending on the amount of actual concavity that there is in the tibia.
A kit 400 can be supplied for providing implants 124 of various sizes (e.g., implants having thicknesses varying by 1 mm or 2 mm increments and implants having a range of anterior to posterior dimensions), as well as various tools useful for the method of the present invention, as shown in
In some embodiments, a range of implant sizes can be provided and sizing can be accomplished by physical measurement using tools and methods as described in International Publication Number WO 2004/006811 A2, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. Such an embodiment can include tools for the steps of preparing a joint to receive an implant, including the preparation or resurfacing of a femoral condyle and/or a tibial plateau. For example, a tibial smoother 402 shown in
Further, tools can be included for determining an appropriate implant size for a particular joint, such as a sizer 406 as shown in
In some embodiments, a rasper 1000 is provided. Rasper 1000 is useful for removing osteophytes, particularly from the posterior region of the tibia plateau. Such removal can be useful for providing congruency between a posterior lip of an implant and the tibia. As shown in
The tools described above can be constructed of any suitable material. For example, the tools can be constructed of stainless steel, ceramic, and/or polymeric materials. Embodiments constructed at least partially of stainless steel can be relatively more suitable for providing a reusable tool, and embodiments constructed at least partially of a polymer can be relatively more suitable for providing a disposable tool. Further, all of the tools above can be shaped to provide an ergonomic fit for the user. Some embodiments provide a universal tool shaped to provide an ergonomic fit for both left and right hands and/or appropriate fit for use in both the right and left knees.
An implant of this invention is preferably used in a method that includes first determining the proper implant thickness needed to match physiological valgus. The surgeon prepares the site arthroscopically, removing excess cartilage while preserving the medial meniscus to the extent possible, using a portal of about 1 cm in order to provide suitable arthroscopic access while maintaining the presence of fluid in the joint. The remaining meniscus can be manipulated to allow for the implant to be placed. The implant can be inserted into the joint. The meniscus can then be placed over and/or on the implant. In some embodiments, the meniscus is placed in apposition to one or more structural features of the implant in a manner that permits the implant to be retained by the meniscus in a manner that further improves the retention of the implant itself upon the tibial surface. The surgeon will then typically feel the implant once in position, to confirm that the implant is properly seated, and will extend the knee to provide varus stress on the lower leg.
Optionally, and preferably, the surgeon can also use femoral forming device 404 (e.g., spoon-shaped device) of the type described in US Provisional Application mailed Dec. 7, 2001 and entitled “Method and Device for Smoothing The Surface of Bone in an Articulating Joint”, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, in order to prepare a femoral glide path and remove unwanted undulations. The implant can be sutured to the anterior rim, and the knee can be flexed to obtain complete range. Optionally, during or following this procedure, the joint can be filled with a suitable fluid and visualized, after which the knee is extended and braced, with the access portal(s) closed by suitable means (e.g., sutured).
Fixation methods for the implant can include one or more structural features adapted to be fixedly positioned within and/or in apposition to the natural meniscus in a manner that permits the implant to be retained by the meniscus, biologic glues to glue the implant to the underlying surface, trapping of the implant into a cavity on the surface that causes a mechanical lock, using various anchors to the underlying structure and fixing the implant to that surface or using mold retainers and/or screws, staples, sutures or pins. In and alternative embodiment, anchors in the underlying structure can be used for fixing the implant to that surface and/or a tissue ingrowth system can be used to secure anchoring.
In the preferred embodiment, the patient will have a diagnosis of osteoarthritis and have loss of cartilage on the articulating surface. A determination will be made of the amount of correction needed for the reestablishment of a normal angle of articulation. The ligaments will be balanced so that there is no loss of range of motion with the implant in place and the surface will be placed in such a position that the eventual resulting surface geometry reestablishes the same plane and orientation of the original articular surface.
Access to the site is obtained in a minimally invasive way. In some embodiments, this is accomplished through arthroscopic means with arthroscopic portals. In an alternative embodiment, the access is accomplished by a mini arthrotomy with a small incision that allows access to the joint without sacrificing nerves, vessels, muscles or ligaments surrounding the joint. In the preferred embodiment fibrillated articulating cartilage that is degenerated is removed down to the subchondral surface. The surface is dried and prepared for appropriate anchoring. This can include anchor points that give a mechanical lock or that alternatively simply supply horizontal and lateral stability. The surface can be prepared by drying and roughening in case a tissue adhesive is used. Pre-made anchors can be installed. These can be made of various metallic materials or of polymers and can consist of pegs that can extend up through the implant to anchor it to the underlying surface. This surrounding subchondral bone can be roughened to enhance tissue ingrowth or implant adhesion.
Various forms of stabilization can be used, including anchor points or titanium screws. Alternatively, the pre-made material can be made off site to the specifications developed from imaging of the patient's joint surface. In a third embodiment, multiple sizes can be made off site and the selection of the appropriate implant size can be chosen at the time of surgery. Further, the implant can comprise several segments and a single segment can be installed through a portal or a series of segments can be installed through a portal and locked together once inside the joint. They can be placed sequentially and then anchored to the bone by anchor points cut in the bone or by screws or tissue ingrowth. Finally, a robot, a jag or other cutting fixture can be used to prepare the bony surface for the pre-made implant to a fixed geometry of the anchor point.
The biomaterial can be prepared from any suitable material. Generally, a material is suitable if it has appropriate biostability, biodurability and biocompatibility characteristics. Typically, the materials include polymeric materials, having an optimal combination of such properties as biostability, biodurability, biocompatibility, physical strength and durability, and compatibility with other components (and/or biomaterials) used in the assembly of a final composite.
Examples of polymeric materials that may be suitable in some applications, either alone or in combination, include polyurethane, available from Polymer Technology Group Incorporated under the names Bionate,™ Biospan,™ and Elasthane™, available from Dow Chemical Company under the name Pellethane,™ and available from Bayer Corp. under the names Bayflex,™ Texin,™ and Desmopan;™ ABS, available from GE Plastics under the name Cycolac™, and available from Dow Chemical Company under the name Magnum;™ SAN, available from Bayer Plastics under the name Lustran;™ Acetal, available from Dupont under the name Delrin,™ and available from Ticona GmbH and/or Ticona LLC (Ticona) under the name Celcon;™ polycarbonate, available from GE Plastics under the name Lexan,™ and available from Bayer Corp. under the name Makrolon;™ polyethylene, available from Huntsman LLC, and available from Ticona under the names GUR 1020™ and GUR 1050;™ polypropylenes, available from Solvay Engineered Polymers, Inc. under the name Dexflex;™ aromatic polyesters, available from Ticona; polyetherimide (PEI), and available from GE Plastics under the name Ultem;™ polyamide-imide (PAI), available from DSM E Products under the name Torlon;™ polyphenylene sulfide, available from Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP under the name Ryton;™ polyester, available from Dupont under the name Dacron;™ polyester thermoset, available from Ashland Specialty Chemical Company under the name Aropol;™ polyureas; hydrogels, available from Hydromer Inc.; liquid crystal polymer, available from Ticona under the name Vectra;™ polysiloxanes, available from Nusil Technologies, Inc.; polyacrylates, available from Rohm & Haas under the name Plexiglas;™ epoxies, available from Ciba Specialty Chemicals; polyimides, available from Dupont under the names Kapton,™ and Vespel;™ polysulfones, available from BP Amoco Chemicals under the name Udel,™ and available from BASF Corporation under the name Ultrason;™ PEAK/PEEK, available from Victrex under the name Victrex PEAK;™ as well as biopolymers, such as collagen or collagen-based materials, chitosan and similar polysaccharides, and combinations thereof. Of course, any of the materials suitable for use in a composite or single biomaterial implant may be structurally enhanced with fillers, fibers, meshes or other structurally enhancing means.
The present invention provides a biomaterial having an improved combination of properties for the preparation, storage, implantation and long term use of medical implants. The improved properties correspond well for the preparation and use of an implant having both weight bearing and/or articulating functions, and preferably in the form of an implant for interpositional arthroplasty.
In turn, a preferred biomaterial of this invention provides an optimal combination of properties relating to wear resistance, congruence, and cushioning while meeting or exceeding requirements for biocompatibility, all in a manner that serves to reduce the coefficient of friction at the major motion interface.
Wear resistance can be assessed by determining parameters such as DIN abrasion and flexural stress strain fatigue resistance. A preferred implant will have sufficient wear resistance to avoid the generation of clinically significant particulate debris over the course of the implant's use.
Congruence can be assessed by determining parameters such as tensile modulus compressive modulus, and hardness, to determine the manner and extent to which the implant will conform itself to possible other components of the implant itself and/or to bone or surrounding tissue.
Cushioning can be assessed by determining such parameters as hardness, compressive modulus, and tensile modulus, to determine the elastomeric nature of the material, and in turn, its suitability for use in a weight bearing joint. More elastomeric materials will generally provide greater comfort in weight bearing applications, particularly if the other physical properties can be maintained.
Applicant has discovered that improved wear resistance, congruence, and/or cushioning toughness can be achieved without undue effect on other desired properties, such as abrasion, hardness, specific gravity, tear resistance, tensile strength, ultimate elongation, and biocompatibility. Moreover, Applicant has discovered that such properties can themselves be provided in varying forms, as between first and second biomaterials of a composite of the present invention.
A polymeric biomaterial of this invention can be prepared using any suitable means, including by curing the polymer ex vivo. The composition can be used in any suitable combination with other materials, including other compositions of the same or similar nature, as well as other materials such as natural or synthetic polymers, metals, ceramics, and the like.
The invention further provides a method of preparing the composition, a method of using the composition, implants that comprise the composition, as well as methods of preparing and using such implants.
The biomaterial used in this invention preferably includes polyurethane components that are reacted ex vivo to form a polyurethane (“PU”). The formed PU, in turn, includes both hard and soft segments. The hard segments are typically comprised of stiffer oligourethane units formed from diisocyanate and chain extender, while the soft segments are typically comprised of one or more flexible polyol units.
These two types of segments will generally phase separate to form hard and soft segment domains, since they tend to be incompatible with one another. Those skilled in the relevant art, given the present teaching, will appreciate the manner in which the relative amounts of the hard and soft segments in the formed polyurethane, as well as the degree of phase segregation, can have a significant impact on the final physical and mechanical properties of the polymer. Those skilled in the art will, in turn, appreciate the manner in which such polymer compositions can be manipulated to produce cured and curing polymers with desired combination of properties within the scope of this invention.
The hard segments of the polymer can be formed by a reaction between the diisocyanate or multifunctional isocyanate and chain extender. Some examples of suitable isocyanates for preparation of the hard segment of this invention include aromatic diisocyanates and their polymeric form or mixtures of isomers or combinations thereof, such as toluene diisocyanates, naphthalene diisocyanates, phenylene diisocyanates, xylylene diisocyanates, and diphenylmethane diisocyanates, and other aromatic polyisocyanates known in the art. Other examples of suitable polyisocyanates for preparation of the hard segment of this invention include aliphatic and cycloaliphatic isocyanates and their polymers or mixtures or combinations thereof, such as cyclohexane diisocyanates, cyclohexyl-bis methylene diisocyanates, isophorone diisocyanates and hexamethylene diisocyanates and other aliphatic polyisocyanates. Combinations of aromatic and aliphatic or arylakyl diisocyanates can also be used.
The isocyanate component can be provided in any suitable form, examples of which include 2,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, and mixtures or combinations of these isomers, optionally together with small quantities of 2,2′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (typical of commercially available diphenylmethane diisocyanates). Other examples include aromatic polyisocyanates and their mixtures or combinations, such as are derived from phosgenation of the condensation product of aniline and formaldehyde. It is suitable to use an isocyanate that has low volatility, such as diphenylmethane diisocyanate, rather than more volatile materials such as toluene diisocyanate. An example of a particularly suitable isocyanate component is the 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (“MDI”). Alternatively, it can be provided in liquid form as a combination of 2,2′-, 2,4′- and 4,4′-isomers of MDI. In a preferred embodiment, the isocyanate is MDI and even more preferably 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate.
In one embodiment of the invention, the isocyanate is 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (as available from Bayer under the tradename Mondur M), from preferably about 20 to 60 weight percent, more preferably from about 30 to 50 weight percent. The actual amount of isocyanate used should be considered in combination with other ingredients and processing parameters, particularly including the amount of chain extender (such as butanediol (BDO)) used, since the combination typically determines the hard segment component, and in turn hardness, of the corresponding cured polymer. Hardness correlates in a generally proportional fashion with the combined weights of MDI and BDO, such that compositions having between 30 and 60 total weight percent (MDI+BDO) are generally useful, with those compositions having between about 50 to about 60 total weight percent being somewhat harder, and particularly useful for either the first (femoral contacting) biomaterial and surface of a composite implant or for implants having a single biomaterial providing both first and second surfaces. By contrast, compositions having between about 40 to about 50 total weight percent are somewhat more congruent and cushioning, though less wear resistant, and therefore are preferred for use as the second biomaterial, e.g., tibial contacting surface, of a composite implant as described herein.
Some examples of chain extenders for preparation. of the hard segment of this invention include, but are not limited, to short chain diols or triols and their mixtures or combinations thereof, such as 1,4-butane diol, 2-methyl-1,3-propane diol, 1,3-propane-diol ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, glycerol, tri-methylpropane, cyclohexane dimethanol, triethanol amine, and methyldiethanol amine. Other examples of chain extenders for preparation of the hard segment of this invention include, but are not limited to, short chain diamines and their mixtures or combinations thereof, such as dianiline, toluene diamine, cyclohexyl diamine, and other short chain diamines known in the art.
The soft segment consists of urethane terminated polyol moieties, which are formed by a reaction between the polyisocyanate or diisocyanate or polymeric diisocyanate and polyol. Examples of suitable diisocyanates are denoted above. Some examples of polyols for preparation of the soft segment of this invention include but are not limited to polyalkylene oxide ethers derived form the condensation of alkylene oxides (e.g. ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, and blends thereof), as well as tetrahyrofuran based polytetramethylene ether glycols, polycaprolactone diols, polycarbonate diols and polyester diols and combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the polyols are polytetrahydrofuran polyols (“PTHF”), also known as polytetramethylene oxide (“PTMO”) or polytetramethylene ether glycols (“PTMEG”). Even more preferably, the use of two or more of PTMO diols with different molecular weights selected from the commercially available group consisting of 250, 650, 1000, 1400, 1800, 2000 and 2900.
Two or more PTMO diols of different molecular weight can be used as a blend or separately, and in an independent fashion as between the different parts of a two part system. The solidification temperature(s) of PTMO diols is generally proportional to their molecular weights. The compatibility of the PTMO diols with such chain extenders as 1,4-butanediol is generally in the reverse proportion to the molecular weight of the diol(s). Therefore the incorporation of the low molecular weight PTMO diols in a “curative” (part B) component of a two part system, and higher molecular weight PTMO diols in the prepolymer (part A) component, can provide a two-part system that can be used at relatively low temperature. In turn, good compatibility of the low molecular weight PTMO diols with such chain extenders as 1,4-butanediol permits the preparation of two part systems with higher (prepolymer to curative) volume ratio. Amine terminated polyethers and/or polycarbonate-based diols can also be used for building of the soft segment.
In one embodiment of the invention, the polyol is polytetramethyleneetherglycol 1000 (as available from E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. under the tradename Terathane 1000), preferably from about 0 to 40 weight percent, more preferably from about 10 to 30 weight percent, and perhaps even more preferably from about 22 to 24 weight percent, based on the total weight of the polymer. The polyol disclosed above may be used in combination with polytetramethyleneetherglycol 2000 (as available from E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. under the tradename Terathane 2000), preferably from about 0 to 40 weight percent, more preferably from about 10 to 30 weight percent, and perhaps even more preferably from about 17 to 18 weight percent, based on the total weight of the polymer.
In one embodiment, the biomaterial may include a chain extender. For example, the chain extender may be 1,4-butanediol (as available from Sigma Aldrich Corp.), preferably from about 1 to 20 weight percent, more preferably from 5 to 15 weight percent, to perhaps even more preferably from 12 to 13 weight percent, based on the total weight of the polymer.
The polyurethane can be chemically crosslinked, e.g., by the addition of multifimctional or branched OH-terminated crosslinking agents or chain extenders, or multifunctional isocyanates. Some examples of suitable crosslinking agents include, but are not limited to, trimethylol propane (“TMP”), glycerol, hydroxyl terminated polybutadienes, hydroxyl terminated polybutadienes (HOPB), trimer alcohols, Castor oil polyethyleneoxide (PEO), polypropyleneoxide (PPO) and PEO-PPO triols. In a preferred embodiment, HOPB is used as the crosslinking agent.
This chemical crosslinking augments the physical or “virtual” crosslinking of the polymer by hard segment domains that are in the glassy state at the temperature of the application. The optimal level of chemical cross-linking improves the compression set of the material, reduces the amount of the extractable components, and improves the biodurability of the PU. This can be particularly useful in relatively soft polyurethanes, such as those suitable for the repair of damaged cartilage. Reinforcement by virtual cross-links alone may not generate sufficient strength for in vivo performance in certain applications. Additional cross-linking from the soft segment, potentially generated by the use of higher functional polyols can be used to provide stiffer and less elastomeric materials. In this manner a balancing of hard and soft segments, and their relative contributions to overall properties can be achieved.
In one embodiment, the chemical cross-linking agent is 2-ethyl-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol (also known as trimethylolpropane, as available from Sigma Aldrich Corp.), preferably from about 0 to 5 weight percent, more preferably from about 0.1 to 1 weight percent, and perhaps even more preferably from about 0.15 to 0.3 weight percent, based on the total weight of the polymer.
Additionally, and optionally, a polymer system of the present invention may contain at least one or more biocompatible catalysts that can assist in controlling the curing process, including the following periods: (1) the cure induction period, and (2) the full curing period of the biomaterial. Together these two periods, including their absolute and relative lengths, and the rate of acceleration or cure within each period, determine the cure kinetics or profile for the composition. In some embodiments, however, a catalyst is not included. For instance embodiments in which the biomaterial is heated in the course of curing, such as in a heated mold in the manner described herein, can performed without the use of a catalyst.
Some examples of suitable catalysts for preparation of the formed PU of this invention include, but are not limited to, tin and tertiary amine compounds or combinations thereof such as dibutyl tin dilaurate (DBTDL), and tin or mixed tin catalysts including those available under the tradenames “Cotin 222”, “Fomrez UL-22” (Crompton Corp.), “dabco” (a triethylene diamine from Sigma-Aldrich), stannous octanoate, trimethyl amine, and triethyl amine.
In one embodiment of the invention, the catalyst is bis-(dodecylthio)-dimethylstannane (available from Crompton Corp. as Fomrez catalyst UL-22), preferably from about 0 to 2 weight percent, more preferably from about 0 to 1 weight percent, and perhaps most preferably from 0.0009 to 0.002 weight percent, based on the total weight of the polymer.
Further, a polymer stabilizer additive useful for protecting the polymer from oxidation may be included. In one embodiment of the invention, the additive is pentaerythritol tetrakis (3-(3,5-di-tert-buyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)proprionate (available from Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Inc. as Irganox 1010), preferably from about 0 to 5 weight percent, more preferably about 0.1 to 1 weight percent, and perhaps even more preferably about 0.35 to 0.5 weight percent, based on the total weight of the polymer.
Optionally, other ingredients or additives can be included, for instance, a reactive polymer additive can be included from the group consisting of hydroxyl- or amine-terminated compounds selected from the group consisting of poybutadiene, polyisoprene, polyisobutylene, silicones, polyethylene-propylenediene, copolymers of butadiene with acryolnitrile, copolymers of butadiene with styrene, copolymers of isoprene with acrylonitrile, copolymers of isoprene with styrene, and mixtures of the above. Other additives may also be optionally provided. For example, catalysts such as Dabco, antioxidants such as vitamin E, hydrophobic additives such as hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene, and dye green GLS, singularly or in combination, may be included in the polymer formulation.
Suitable compositions for use in the present invention are those polymeric materials that provide an optimal combination of properties relating to their manufacture, application, and in vivo use. In the uncured state, such properties include component miscibility or compatibility, processability, and the ability to be adequately sterilized or aseptically processed and stored. While the composition is curing, suitable materials exhibit an optimal combination of cure kinetics and exotherm. In the cured state, suitable compositions exhibit an optimal combination of such properties as abrasion, hardness, specific gravity, tear resistance, tensile strength, ultimate elongation, and biocompatibility.
The composition of the present invention provides a polyurethane that can be prepared ex vivo. Particularly when formed ex vivo, products incorporating the composition of this invention may be made in advance of their use, on a commercial scale, and under stringent conditions.
Polymeric biomaterials of this invention, including preferred polyurethanes can be prepared using automated manufacturing processes within the skill of those in the art. A preferred manufacturing method, for instance, includes the use of multichannel dispensing equipment to inject the polymer. Such equipment is well suited to high precision applications, having a variable or fixed number of channels, some have all channels dispensing the same volume while in others the volume can be set by channel, some have all channels dispensing the same fluid, while others allow for different fluids in different channels. The dispensing can be automated repetitive or manual. Suitable devices for metering, mixing and dispensing materials such as urethanes are commercially available from a variety of sources, including for instance from Adhesive Systems Technology Corp., 9000 Science Center Drive, New Hope, Minn. 55428.
Furthermore, polymeric biomaterials of this invention may be cured in a heated mold. The mold may receive the contents of the polymeric biomaterial before it is cured. In one embodiment, a permanent enclosed mold is used to form at least a part of the implant. Such a mold may be similar to a standard injection mold and have the ability to withstand large clamping forces. Further, such a mold may include runners and/or vents to allow material to enter and air to exit. Such a mold may be constructed from metals, polymers, ceramics, and/or other suitable materials. The mold may be capable of applying and controlling heat to the biomaterial to accelerate curing time. In some embodiments, the mold may be coated with a release coating agent to facilitate ease of removal of the cured biomaterial from the mold. Examples of suitable release agents include Teflon,™ silicone, florinated ethylene propylene (FEP), dichronite, gold, and nickel-Teflon combinations, various types of which are commercially available from a variety of sources, e.g., McLube Division of McGee Industries. In addition, the mold may be provided in two separable parts to further facilitate removal of the cured biomaterial.
Further, time and temperature parameters can be modified in processing to change the characteristics of the implant. A time temperature profile may be selected to achieve certain implant properties. In embodiments formed with a heated mold as described above, those skilled in the art will appreciate the manner in which both the temperature of the mold as well as the time biomaterial is maintained can be adjusted to change the characteristics of the molded implant.
In the embodiment in which an ex vivo curing polymer is used, the present invention preferably provides a biomaterial in the form of a curable polyurethane composition comprising a plurality of parts capable of being at least partially mixed at a time before use, the parts including: (1) a polymer component comprising the reaction product of one or more polyols, and one or more diisocyanates, and (2) a curative component comprising one or more chain extenders, one or more catalysts, and optionally, one or more polyols and/or other optional ingredients.
In some embodiments, long term congruence of the biomaterial is facilitated by its hydration in vivo, permitting the biomaterial to become more pliable, and in turn, facilitate congruence with the tibial plateau. In turn, an increase in hydration and/or changes in temperature can improve the fit and mechanical lock between the implant and the tibial plateau. The biomaterial may be hydrated ex vivo and/or in vivo, both before and after the composition is cured. Preferably, the biomaterial may be further hydrated within the joint site after the composition in order to enhance both conformance and performance of the implant.
Implantable compositions of this invention demonstrate an optimal combination of properties, particularly in terms of their physical/mechanical properties, and biocompatibility. Such performance can be evaluated using procedures commonly accepted for the evaluation of natural tissue, as well as the evaluation of materials and polymers in general. In particular, a preferred composition, in its cured form, exhibits physical and mechanical properties that approximate or exceed those of the natural tissue it is intended to provide or replace. Fully cured polymeric (e.g., polyurethane) biomaterials within the scope of this invention provide an optimal combination of such properties as abrasion, compressive hardness, compressive modulus hardness, specific gravity, tear resistance, tensile strength, ultimate elongation, tensile modulus, and biocompatibility.
Physical/Mechanical Properties and Test Methods
Various properties of the composition of this invention can be evaluated for use in quality control, for predicting service performance, to generate design data, to determine compliance with established standards, and on occasion, to investigate failures. See, for instance, Handbook of Polymer Testing: Physical Methods, edited by Roger Brown, Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, N.Y. (1999), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Suitable properties include those dealing with a) mass, density and dimensions, b) processability, c) strength and stiffness (including compressive hardness, compressive modulus, tensile stress-strain, flexural stress-strain, flexibility, and tear tests), c) fatigue and wear (including abrasion resistance and hardness), d) time dependent properties (such as creep, stress relaxation, compression set, tension set), e) effect of temperature (such as thermal expansion, shrinkage, and thermal oxidative aging), f) environmental resistance, and g) and biocompatibility parameters.
Of particular note are those properties that lend themselves to the preparation, delivery and long term use of improved implants having an articulating surface, and preferably for long term weight bearing use.
The preferred property ranges given below are only relevant to certain embodiments of the invention. It will be appreciated by those reasonably skilled in the art that materials having one or more properties outside the scope of the preferred ranges given below are suitable for use with the present invention.
Abrasion values for a polymer can be determined with a rotating cylindrical drum device, known as a DIN abrader. A loaded cylindrical test piece is traversed along an abrasive cloth attached to a rotating drum, and the mass loss is measured after a specified length of travel. Advantages of this device include the use of a test piece small enough to be cut from a product or a comparatively thin sheet and a much reduced risk of abrasive contamination caused by debris or smearing. The result can be expressed with the abrasion resistance index, which is the ratio of the volume loss of a black standard rubber sample to the volume loss of the test sample.
The polymer preferably provides a DIN abrasion value of less than about 70 mm3, more preferably less than about 60 mm3 and most preferably less than about 50 mm3, as determined by ASTM Test Method D5963-96 (“Standard Test Method for Rubber Property Abrasion Resistance Rotary Drum Abrader”). DIN abrasion values of greater than about 70 mm3 tend to exhibit wear rates that are too great for longer term use as articulating surface.
Biomaterial can be formed into standardized (e.g., puck-like) implant shapes and subjected to conditions intended to replicate, while also meet and exceed physiological conditions. Preferred biomaterials of this invention are able to withstand one million cycles (approximately equivalent to 1 year implantation), and more preferably greater than 5 million cycles (approximately equivalent to 5 years) before generating unsuitable debris.
Flexural stress/strain fatigue can be measured in a variety of ways. Using the standardized shape as described above, samples can be compressively loaded in cycles of increasing loads, and the stress strain fatigue can be plotted verses the number of cycles.
As another example, flexural stress/strain fatigue can be determined by a three point bending test, in which a standardized implant sample shape is supported at its anterior and posterior ends. A cyclical load is applied to the sample in an area substantially between the two supports to provide a deflection of approximately 4 mm, and the total number of cycles until failure is recorded.
Biomaterials formed into implant shapes in accordance with the present invention, under conditions intended to meet and exceed physiological conditions, are preferably able to withstand one million cycles (approximately equivalent to 1 year implantation), and more preferably greater than five million cycles (approximately equivalent to 5 years implantation) in a test similar to the one described above.
Fracture toughness can generally be determined by a number of methods. For example, fracture toughness can be measured by tests similar to ASTM Test Method D5045-99.
Preferably, the polymer provides a peak load fracture toughness of at least about 50 lbs, more preferably more than about 80 lbs, and most preferably more than about 110 lbs. Further, the polymer preferably provides an energy to break fracture toughness of greater than about 15 lb-in, more preferably greater than about 25 lb-in, and most preferably greater than about 30 lb-in. These values may be obtained with tests similar to ASTM Test Method D5045-99.
The term hardness has been applied to scratch resistance and to rebound resilience, but for polymers it is taken to refer to a measure of resistance to indentation. The mode of deformation under an indentor is a mixture of tension, shear, and compression. The indenting force is usually applied in one of the following ways: Application of a constant force, the resultant indentation being measured, measurement of the force required to produce a constant indentation, or use of a spring resulting in variation of the indenting force with depth of indentation.
A biomaterial of this invention preferably provides a hardness value when hydrated of less than about 75 Shore D, more preferably less than about 70 Shore D, and most preferably less than about 60 Shore D, as determined by ASTM Test Method D2240. In some embodiments, hydration of the biomaterial may lower the shore hardness value.
In one method of determining specific gravity, a test piece is provided weighing a minimum of 2.5 grams, which can be of any shape as long as the surfaces are smooth and there are no crevices to trap air. The test piece is weighed in air and then in water using a balance accurate to 1 mg. The test piece can be suspended by means of a very fine filament, the weight of which can be included in the zero adjustment of the balance and its volume in water ignored. The specific gravity is calculated from the difference in measurements.
The polymer preferably provides a specific gravity of about 1 to 2 g/cm3, more preferably about 1 to 1.5 g/cm3, and most preferably about 1.15 to 1.17 g/cm3, as determined by ASTM Test Method D792.
A tear test may be used to measure tear strength. In a tear test, the force is not applied evenly but is concentrated on a deliberate flaw or sharp discontinuity in the sample and the force to produce continuously new surface is measured. This force to start or maintain tearing will depend in a complex manner on the geometry of the test piece and the nature of the discontinuity.
Preferably, a biomaterial of this invention provides a tear strength value in the Die C configuration of greater than about 400 pounds per linear inch (PLI), more preferably greater than about 600 PLI, and most preferably greater than about 800 PLI, and a value in the Die T configuration of preferably greater than about 100 PLI, more preferably greater than about 150 PLI, and most preferably greater than about 250 PLI, as determined by ASTM Test Method D624.
To measure tensile modulus, tensile strength, and ultimate elongation, a test piece of the material is stretched until it breaks, and the force and elongation at various stages is measured. A tensile machine is used to perform this test. Generally, the basic elements of a tensile machine are grips to hold the test piece, a means of applying a strain (or stress), a force-measuring instrument, and an extensometer.
The polymer preferably provides a tensile modulus at 100% elongation value of about 1,000 to 10,000 psi, more preferably about 2,000 to 5,000 psi, and most preferably about 2,500 to 4,500 psi, as determined by ASTM Test method D412.
The polymer preferably provides a tensile modulus at 200% elongation value of about 1,000 to 10,000 psi, more preferably about 2,000 to 6,000 psi, and most preferably about 2,500 to 5,000 psi, as determined by ASTM Test method D412.
The polymer preferably provides a tensile strength value of greater than about 6,000 psi, more preferably greater than about 6,500 psi, and most preferably greater than about 7,000 psi., as determined by ASTM Test Method D412.
Preferably, the polymer provides an ultimate elongation of greater than about 200%, more preferably greater than about 250%, and most preferably greater than about 300%, as determined by ASTM Test Method D412.
To measure compressive modulus and compressive strength, a sample is again formed in a standardized (e.g., puck) shape and varying compressive loads are applied to the sample in order to develop a corresponding curve. The compressive modulus can be determined from this curve. Compressive strength may be determined by applying increasing loads to a sample until the sample fails.
Preferably, the sample implant provides an compressive modulus of greater than about 4,000 psi, more preferably greater than about 4,500 psi, and most preferably greater than about 5,000 psi, as determined in the manner described above.
Preferably, the sample implant also provides a compressive strength of greater than about 6,000 psi, more preferably greater than about 7,000 psi, and most preferably greater than about 8,000 psi, as determined by a test similar to the one described above.
Water absorption may be determined in a variety of ways. A suitable method for measuring water absorption is to submerge a sample of the test material, with an implant-type geometry, in a saline solution. Once the sample and saline solution reach equilibrium at 37 degrees Celsius, which may take a month or longer, the sample is removed and weighed to determine its water absorption.
Preferably, the polymer provides a water absorption value less than about 5% at 37 C, more preferably less than about 3% at 37 C, and most preferably less than about 2% at 37 C, as determined by a test similar to the one described above.
The medical-grade polyurethane resins were evaluated for biocompatibility in accordance with ISO 10993: Biological Evaluation of Medical Devices and FDA G95-1: Required Biocompatibility Training and Toxicology Profiles for Evaluation of Medical Devices. The biological effects of the resin, such as cytotoxicity, sensitization, genotoxicity, implantation, chronic toxicity, and carcinogenicity, were studied. The tests were conducted in accordance with the FDA Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) Regulation.
The following tests were conducted to determine if the polymer is biocompatible: 1) ISO MEM elution using L-929 mouse fibroblast cells; 2) ISO agarose overlay using L-929 mouse fibroblast cells; 3) ISO acute systemic injection test; 4) ISO intracutaneous reactivity test; 5) ISO guinea pig maximization sensitization test; 6) Material mediated rabbit pyrogen test; 7) In vitro genotoxicology test; and 8) ISO muscle implantation study in the rabbit with histology-1 week. The results of the eight selected screening biocompatibility tests above show that the polymer passes all the tests and is considered biocompatible.
In an alternative embodiment, the implant can be provided by any of a series of metals, including titanium, stainless steel, cobalt chrome millithium alloys and tantalum. Other surface materials can include various ceramics and biologic polymers.
Numerous characteristics and advantages of the invention covered by this document have been set forth in the foregoing description. It will be understood, however, that this disclosure is, in many respects, only illustrative. Changes may be made in details, particularly in matters of shape, size and ordering of steps without exceeding the scope of the invention. The invention's scope is, of course, defined in the language in which the appended claims are expressed.
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As the emerging global power, there is certainly much to gain from studying abroad in Asia. Its cities and universities are modern, vibrant and constantly buzzing with activity. Perhaps the biggest lure of the Orient is the vast differences it has in comparison to the West. Regardless of which country you pick, brace yourself for a (slight) culture shock as Asians often have unique customs that may seem quirky to you. Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent - this also means that it is extremely diverse.
Asia is commonly divided into geographic and cultural sub regions - the Caucasus, Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, North Asia, Southwest Asia and Southeast Asia. Each region has its own distinct identity and with it, a whole host of different cultures! Travelling from one country to another may require understanding of a new language and cultural norms. That being said, English is widespread throughout Asia. So while you may experience difficulty communicating with some locals, it is likely that you will be able to find an English-speaking local along the streets to offer you help in times of distress!
The proximity of Asia's countries to each other (particularly in Southeast Asia) also translates into cheap and easy travel. If you are looking for someplace exotic, and craving a new, different study experience unlike anything in USA, Asia is the place for you!
Asia is home to an extremely diverse range of countries - from buzzing metropolitan areas to laid-back coastal cities, this also means that cost of living in Asia varies greatly from country to country. While the cost of living in Asia has remained stable in the past year, some cities in the region are becoming more expensive to live in as Asian currencies strengthen. No worries, though! You will find that living in Asia is generally still cheaper than in USA or Europe. The Global Property Guide has a great diagram offering cross-country comparisons at a snapshot.
For the budget-conscious, we suggest putting Japan (Tokyo, in particular) on hold as it has continually ranked as the most expensive country in Asia for a long time. Other relatively expensive Asian cities include Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai, although these cities are still cheaper than the average cost of living in USA and Europe. Do keep in mind however, that these locations are relatively expensive precisely because they are modern and trendy cosmopolitan cities. While Cambodia is definitely great for lazing around beaches on a budget, it may not have the best universities in Asia! Ultimately, it really depends on the type of experience you want. The wonderful thing about Asia is that you can travel cheaply from one country to the next (especially within Southeast Asia) and get the most out of your study abroad experience - perfect for curious, adventurous students like you!
Asia is commonly divided into geographic and cultural sub regions - the Caucasus, Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, North Asia, Southwest Asia and Southeast Asia. Culturally, there has been little unity or common history for many of the cultures and peoples of Asia. Each region has a distinct identity of its own that, when aggregated, has given Asia a timeless cultural heritage.
You will likely find Asian customs new, confusing, and even bewildering. Before you tip a waitress in China or Japan, or relax along Thailand's beaches by reclining, stop! Take a look around you to see if anybody is doing that. Regardless of your destination country, it is critical that you not offend the locals by resorting to certain behaviours you wouldn't think twice about back home! Learn to observe others for the culture's dos-and-don'ts, do a little background research before travelling, and keep a lookout for affronted glares from locals!
Once you are able to successfully navigate the quirks of Asia's varying customs, you will be able to better appreciate and feast on its rich heritage and unique traditions. Immerse yourself in Asia's culture by participating in Lunar New Year festivities in China, replete with firecrackers and street parades! Visit the Wonders of the World such as the majestic Taj Mahal in India, or learn more about Cambodia's history by visiting some of the luxurious palaces and temples that dot its landscape. Want to tickle your tastebuds? Stuff your bellies with cheap and yummy hawker food in Singapore, or try some new delicacies (tuna eyes, anyone?) in Japan!
In general, do not be surprised if you experience a 'culture shock' upon arriving in Asia. Asian cultures differ greatly from Western cultures - you may find Asians a little more passive than Westerners, have a less meat-centric diet, and a greater entrenchment of traditions even in modern society. Each culture is very different, but the unifying theme that all Asian cultures have is an emphasis on respect (especially to elders), courtesy and a strong connection to their roots. You can be sure to have a unique (and at times, bizarre) cultural education in Asia. But then again, what is life without new experiences?
Upon setting foot on Asian soil, you can expect to hear a myriad of foreign languages and have no idea what anybody is talking about. Asia and Europe are the only two continents where most countries use native languages as their official languages. Most Asian countries have more than one language that is natively spoken, and it is common for one to be well-versed in multiple languages/dialects. For instance, more than 600 languages are spoken in Indonesia, more than 800 languages spoken in India, and China has many languages and dialects in different provinces.
The dominant language family in Asia is the Sino-Tibetan group (Chinese, Tibetan, Burmese) and Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language in Asia (and also the world!). If you have a command of an Asian language, good for you! But even you don't, do not panic. Other than having to grapple with an initial sense of discomfort and paranoia (that everyone around you is actually talking about you), you will be able to survive, make friends, and understand your professor because English is widespread in Asia. Besides, you may be able to pick up some foreign language skills along the way!
These days, Asia has been touted as the new global hub. With excitement in the air and change brewing, what better way to be in the thick of things at the world's epicentre than to immerse yourself in the dynamic classrooms of Asia?
According to US News, as of 2012, the top 5 universities in Asia are Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong), National University of Singapore (Singapore), University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong), Seoul National University (South Korea) and Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong). As can be seen, Asia's best universities are concentrated in a few cities. If you aren't interested in studying in these countries however, other great universities include Peking University in China and The University of Tokyo in Japan.
From East Asian history to the Chinese Law and Economy, students will be able to pick from a wide range of courses and translate classroom discussions into reality. Certain universities teach courses in their native language however, so be sure to pick classes where you are comfortable with the medium of instruction. Of course, you could always pick up a new language or practise a new culture in Asia - it may just come in handy in the future! Regardless of which university or country you pick, you can be sure to have a world-class education against a backdrop of pulsing modernity interweaved with rich heritage.
With its rich heritage, pulsing economy and little quirks, Asia is guaranteed to offer you the experience of a lifetime! The opportunities to create unique and timeless memories are uncountable, and you can be sure that it will be nothing like what you currently experience at home. Studying in Asia means taking advantage of a world-class education against the backdrop of a modern society interweaved with traditional values and customs.
Since different areas of the continent can vary so much, you should definitely ask yourself some questions before settling on a specific study abroad location: How large of a country would I like to live in? What other countries would I like to be near? What language would I like to learn? Do I want to live in a rural area or a city? Which countries have the best schools for my interests? What kind of accommodations would I like -- homestay, apartment, dormitory? Once you have an idea of the sort of place you're looking for, you'll be on your way to begin this awesome adventure in no time!
Here at Go Overseas, we understand that studying abroad can be a burden as it incurs financial costs. As such, we have compiled a list of scholarships and grants available for you to take advantage of! The Freeman Awards for Study in Asia, for example, provides scholarships for US undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. | <urn:uuid:d87577e6-8992-4787-b5b9-b09e35bd9c5e> | 2013-05-23T18:51:38Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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|| Alex Pintchouk
2007 Season (Junior): Had a career season on the Vault, Bars, Beam and Floor...Tallied a season-best 9.925 on the Vault at the Pac-10 Championships...Scored a season-best 9.900 on the Bars in the meet against UCLA...Earned a 9.875 on the Beam at California and a 9.900 at the Tri-Meet in San Jose State...Scored a 39.425 in the All-Around at UCLA...Performed well at the NCAA Regionals, scoring a 9.850 on the Beam and Floor Excercise...Consistently performed at all the major meets...Named Most Improved Gymnast on the squad along with Lauren Elmore...Honored for the third straight season for her excellent work in the classroom by being named an Academic All-American by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches (NACGC)
2006 Season (Sophomore): One of Stanford's top performers on Floor Exercise and Vault ... Tallied a season-best 9.875 on Floor Exercise against Arizona and Washington ... Also performed on Beam where she collected a season-best 9.850 at UCLA ... Competed at the Pac-10 and NCAA Regional Championships on Floor Exercise and Vault ... Honored for the second straight season for her excellent work in the classroom by being named an Academic All-American by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches (NACGC) ... Also honored academically by being named to the Pac-10 Academic team.
2005 Season (Freshman): Solid performer competed in the all-around five times last season, while participating on vault and floor in all 11 meets ... Posted a personal season-high all-around score of 38.950 at the West Regional in Seattle (4/9), finishing ninth ... Also recorded a personal season-high 9.750 on the balance beam ... Competed on vault, bars, and floor at the Pac-10 Championship (3/26), scoring a 9.750 on vault ... Tied a personal season-high with a 9.750 on bars at the San Jose State tri-meet (3/19) ... Also competed on vault and floor at SJSU ... Was outstanding against Alabama (3/6), registering personal season-highs on vault (9.800) and bars (9.750) ... Finished fifth in the all-around against the Crimson Tide with a score of 38.575 ... Saw action on vault and floor at the Utah Quad (3/4), scoring a 9.775 on vault, and matching a personal season-high on floor with a 9.800 ... Competed in the all-around for the first time since February 4th, finishing third against Arizona State (2/25) ... Set a personal season-high in the all-around with a 38.725 against the Sun Devils ... Set a then-personal season-high on vault with a 9.750 against UCLA (2/18) ... Appeared on vault, bars, and floor at Arizona (2/11), receiving a 9.725 on bars ... Posted an all-around score of 38.550 at Central Michigan (2/4) ... Continued to excel in the floor exercise, receiving a score of 9.800 against the Chippewas ... Captured her first collegiate all-around title against Oregon State (1/28) with a score of 38.675 ... Scored a 9.725 on the beam to place second against the Beavers, and received a 9.775 on the floor exercise to tie for third ... Saw action on vault, beam, and floor exercise in collegiate debut at Washington (1/21) ... Registered a 9.700 on floor against the Huskies.
Club/High School: Two-time Level-10 New Jersey state champion (2003-2004) ... Finished first in the all-around, vault, beam, and floor at the 2003 New Jersey state championships and first in the all-around, floor, and beam in 2004 ... Level-10 Region 7 champion, finishing first in the all-around and beam ... A three-time Level-10 Nationals qualifier ... Established a New Jersey state floor record in 2004 and a state record on the beam in 2003 ... Competed for the Will-Moor School of Gymnastics.
Personal: Born in Minsk, Belarus ... Daughter of Peter and Valentina Pintchouk ... Mother was a member of the Russian national gymnastics team ... Lists competing at the Parkette Invitational as her most exciting experience in sports ... Hobbies include shopping, hanging out with friends, going to the beach, and listening to music ... Undeclared major.
Getting To Know Alex Pintchouk
Stanford Gymnastics Will Be Fun To Watch This Year Because: we have an
extremely talented group of girls and we are determined to make it a great
My Greatest Athletic Moment Was: Winning the Pac-10 Championship as a team last year
The Athlete I Admire Most: Michael Jordan
The Current or Former Stanford Athlete I Most Enjoy Watching Perform: Tabitha Yim
Since Coming To Stanford, I Have Learned: There are amazing people all around you if you only stop and get to know them better
Best Book I Have Ever Read: There are too many that I like but anything by Dan Brown is pretty good
My Favorite Class: Introduction to International Relations
Least Favorite Food: Olives and celery
If I Had To Cook All Of My Meals, I'd Probably Survive On: Salad and grilled chicken
My Favorite Movie: It's a three way tie: Finding Nemo, Crash, and Friday Night Lights
My Favorite TV Show: Nip/Tuck, I'm totally addicted
My Favorite Musical Group: I just like a random mix of things
Favorite Actor: I don't really have one but the first actor that comes to mind is Johnny Depp
Favorite Actress: Julia Roberts
The Best Advice I Ever Received Was: Live, laugh, love.
My Ultimate SportsCenter Highlight Would Be: winning an NCAA championship as a team and winning the all-around
The Person Or People Who Have Had The Greatest Influence In My Career: my mom and my closest friends
If I Could Invite Three People To Dinner In History, They Would Be: My friend Steve, my grandpa, and whoever else would like to join
My Advice To Youngsters: Don't try to grow up too fast, you are only a kid once
I'd Like To Switch Places For A Day With: some princess
If I Had One CD TO Listen To It Would Be: A mix my friend made from back home, just makes you feel good
If I Could Bring Anything From My Hometown To Stanford It Would Be: My mom; but if it had to be a thing either my bed or a WaWa (if you're from the East Coast, you know what I mean)
One Wish I Would Make For The 21st Century: Peace and a healthier environment | <urn:uuid:3852d43d-849f-4bf9-806f-bb4cec640ea4> | 2013-05-23T18:37:58Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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An opinion issued by New York's highest court has changed real estate law as it has been understood and applied for hundreds of years. The majority of the Court of Appeals has decided that a landlord can interfere with a tenant's exclusive possession of real property and the tenant is no longer necessarily entitled to a full abatement of rent. In the case of east side exhibition Corp v 210 east 86th street Corp., the court found that the interference was trivial or de minimus and did not warrant the withholding or abatement of rent.
The dispute arose in 2002 when the landlord of tenant's multiplex theater on east 86th St. in Manhattan installed cross-bracing between two steel support columns on each of the tenant’s two floors changing the flow of patrons and slightly reducing a seating area on the second floor. The work was done in anticipation of landlord's plan to add two floors to the building and resulted in a diminution of approximately 12square feet or one tenth of one percent of the leased property.
The real property law which goes back to feudal times originally applied to land, where diminution of tenant's possessory interest generally meant less farm land, but was until this case applied to modern development or improvement of the land.
Prominent real estate lawyer, David Rosenberg argued that his client had suffered "an actual partial eviction" which relived them of the obligation to pay rent. But a mid-level appellate court had already heard the case and said that " current landlord/tenant realities make it particularly untoward tp apply harsh and oppressive strictures derived from feudal law that mirror the policies and concerns of that earlier society."
Before adopting the prior court's reasoning, the high court acknowledged that "the withholding of the entire amount of rent is the proper remedy when there has been a partial eviction by a landlord." Citing long-standing law, the court continued, "If such an eviction, though partial only, is the act of the landlord because the landlord is not allowed to apportion his own wrong." In other words "the tenant has beebread deprived of the enjoyment of the demises premises by the wrongful act of the landlord" and the basis of the agreement to pay rent has collapsed. These principles have been in place even while the tenant remains in possession.
Reverting to an 1865 case decided in the same court, but ignored for the last century and a half, the majority opinion wrote "not every intrusion amounts to an eviction which warrants a full rent abatement ... when there has been no substantial interference with the use of the premises." Judge Ciparick's opinion further cites similar language applied by courts in other states to conclude that "the interference must be more than trivial," and there musts be "some deliberate disturbance of the possession depriving the tenant of the beneficial enjoyment of the demised premises ... to extinguish the rent." Since it was undisputed that the taking was of less than one-tenth of one percent of the space, even though there was some impediment to the flow of foot traffic and the cross-bracing was unattractive, it was "merely a trivial interference," and there was "no measurable effect on the tenant's use."
An unusual dissent followed, in which Judge Read, in a footnote, described her colleagues’' opinion as "schizophrenic." She criticized it for blaming the tenant for not having negotiated a lease which would have given the theater the right to withhold all rent based upon any intrusion, saying, "Why was it not incumbent on the landlord to negotiate" the term. The dissent was committed to following the line of cases which supported the tenant's position and which came long after the Civil War-era case relied upon in the majority opinion, Lounsbery v Snyder. She pointed out that Lounsbery involved a landlord placing firewood on the tenant's rented property. This, Judge Read, wrote was not a permanent taking of land or real estate, unlike the cross-breaching in the theater lobby. Meaning, she concluded, that there was no exclusion or expulsion, trivial or not. "In short," she wrote," a physical expulsion or exclusion is, by definition, non-trivial. Moreover, the intrusion or trespass is permanent, not transitory.
Siding with the theater, and describing the bracings as "an eyesore,” the dissent "would not characterize landlord's unwanted reaming of the lobby as trifling in amount or trivial in effect" and is "considerably different from what tenant bargained for in the lease. Going forward, according to Judge Read, "At least unt [commercial] tenants have the opportunity to negotiate lease terms that account for the change in the laws they have no effective way to combat unauthorized takings by landlords and in leases already entered, there was no way to anticipate this change in the law.
Landlord was represented by David Rosenberg, Tenant by Howard Grun.
The judges concurring with the majority opinion are judges Lippman, Graffeo, Smith, Pigott and Jones.
Emily Jane Goodman is a New York State Supreme Court Justice | <urn:uuid:53fdf89f-2492-4f95-9cfd-917a00475300> | 2013-05-23T18:52:08Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Follow Us :
This deck of 48 Knowledge Cards invites you to determine a location on the basis of certain clues. A clue - for example, "Suddenly, all is calm after days of rafting on thick, red water through furious rapids in Arizona's high desert. Where in the World Are You?" - appears on one side of each card. The opposite side answers the question and furnishes notes and observations on such topics as the location's geological formation, ecology, and features. The cards' content is as diverse as their subjects, but all yield solid information, dry humor, and fine entertainment for the agile of mind. Whether you're a seasoned world traveler or embarking on your first big backcountry adventure, these cards will provide puzzlement and pleasure on the trip to the trailhead. | <urn:uuid:c760456d-1bb8-4bb6-9d49-16cbffff56c3> | 2013-05-23T19:05:32Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Counting, recognizing numbers 1 to 5, alphabet and prewriting practice, and more.
Visualizing addition, counting to 10, learning the alphabet, indentifying shapes, and more.
Building addition and subtraction skills, telling time, recognizing letters, and more.
Money math, adding multiple digits, learning contractions, recognizing parts of speech, and more.
Finding area, division drills, learning about fractions, alphabetizing, is it I or me, and more.
Triangle types, math with fractions and mixed numbers, writing equations, word problems, finding antonyms, and more.
Decimal subtraction, improper fractions, cause and effect, commas, and more.
Quick, hands-on projects to captivate your little one.
Learning activities to try in the kitchen, at snack time, and more.
From mummies to family trees, find cool art projects to entertain and teach your child.
Find silly word games and other activities to build crucial academic skills - all while having fun.
Get ideas for cool new books your little publisher can make.
See how everyday chores can be transformed into fun learning activities.
Help your child rediscover the majesty of old-fashioned concepts like snail mail, journals, and family trees. | <urn:uuid:62199b06-407e-423f-85aa-53a486cf851d> | 2013-05-23T18:51:55Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Raisin is a small brindle female greyhound mix who is approximately 10 months old. She was turned into the Amarillo shelter and from there joined the GALT family. Raisin weighs about 25 pounds right now, and will likely not get much bigger than about 35 pounds. This smart girl is just waiting to charm you!
Raisin is not cat tolerant, but gets along well with small dogs. | <urn:uuid:a37d6fc4-1eca-40a6-ade8-43d5ab9f9a27> | 2013-05-23T18:44:12Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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In 2006, high sea temperatures caused severe coral bleaching in the Keppell Islands, in the southern part of the reef — the largest coral reef system in the world. The damaged reefs were then covered by a single species of seaweed which threatened to suffocate the coral and cause further loss.
A "lucky combination" of rare circumstances has meant the reef has been able to make a recovery. Abundant corals have reestablished themselves in a single year, say the researchers from the University of Queensland's Centre for Marine Studies and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS).
"Three factors were critical," said Dr Guillermo Diaz-Pulido. "The first was exceptionally high regrowth of fragments of surviving coral tissue. The second was an unusual seasonal dieback in the seaweeds, and the third was the presence of a highly competitive coral species, which was able to outgrow the seaweed."
Coral bleaching occurs in higher sea temperatures when the coral lose the symbiotic algae they need to survive. The reefs then lose their colour and become more susceptible to death from starvation or disease.
The findings are important as it is extremely rare to see reports of reefs that bounce back from mass coral bleaching or other human impacts in less than a decade or two, the scientists said. The study is published in the online journal PLoS one.
"The exceptional aspect was that corals recovered by rapidly regrowing from surviving tissue," said Dr Sophie Dove, also from CoECRS and The University of Queensland.
"Recovery of corals is usually thought to depend on sexual reproduction and the settlement and growth of new corals arriving from other reefs. This study demonstrates that for fast-growing coral species asexual reproduction is a vital component of reef resilience."
Last year, a major global study found that coral reefs did have the ability to recover after major bleaching events, such as the one caused by the El Niño in 1998.
David Obura, the chairman of the International Union for Conservation of Nature climate change and coral reefs working group involved with the report, said: "Ten years after the world's biggest coral bleaching event, we know that reefs can recover – given the chance. Unfortunately, impacts on the scale of 1998 will reoccur in the near future, and there's no time to lose if we want to give reefs and people a chance to suffer as little as possible."
Coral reefs are crucial to the livelihoods of millions of coastal dwellers around the world and contain a huge range of biodiversity. The UN's Millennium Ecosystem Assessment says reefs are worth about $30bn annually to the global economy through tourism, fisheries and coastal protection.
But the ecosystems are under threat worldwide from overfishing, coastal development and runoff from the land, and in some areas, tourism impacts. Natural disasters such as the earthquake that triggered the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 have also caused reef loss.
Climate change poses the biggest threat to reefs however, as emissions of carbon dioxide make seawater increasingly acidic.
Last year a study showed that one-fifth of the world's coral reefs have died or been destroyed and the remainder are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network says many surviving reefs could be lost over the coming decades as CO2 emissions continue to increase. | <urn:uuid:5e2f2baf-ab5a-40e4-ad86-116c02b20572> | 2013-05-23T18:40:02Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Bingo makes you think faster than non-players and keeps you more alert into old age, a researcher told a British Psychological Society conference.
Julie Winstone, of Southampton University, said players were faster and more accurate than non-bingo players on tests measuring mental speed, the ability to scan for information, and memory.
Her research found older players even outperformed younger counterparts, suggesting keeping the brain active keeps it sharper for longer.
The finding came as no surprise to the National Bingo Association, which said the game was played by three million people with an average age of 49.
"The blue rinse brigade dominated it 15 years ago. But then it was taken up by celebrities Denise Van Outen, Elle Macpherson, Robbie Williams, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Bianca and Jade Jagger," said Gloria Pattinson, an association spokeswoman.
"These acted as role models for younger people, who started going to evening sessions before moving on to clubs and pubs. Older people still go to morning and afternoon sessions.
"The skill needed in bingo is quite high which is why these findings are no surprise. You have to be a good listener and search for numbers quickly."
Ms Winstone said: "Any mental or physical activity is good for you but bingo involves searching for digits which is particularly sensitive to the ageing process."
She recruited 112 people - half were bingo players - and divided them into the 18-40 and 60-82 age groups.
She added: "I got them to scan a grid for single digits, pairs of digits and then three digits. The older bingo players were both quicker and made less errors than the older non-bingo players - and the younger bingo players.
"In bingo it is very important not to miss a number and you have to sustain your attention sometimes for several hours.
"Concentration has been shown to decline with age so bingo could be helping older people sustain their attention for longer." | <urn:uuid:a2815a4f-5fe0-4714-ba45-f60e0a35f6a3> | 2013-05-23T18:30:52Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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If you have already created an online account with Guilford and wish to change your password or e-mail address, please see below.
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If you are looking for information on previously placed mail or phone orders, please contact customer service. | <urn:uuid:79e0c2d5-89af-4de0-abf3-499343029caf> | 2013-05-23T18:45:28Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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John McCain has always been a leftist. Not sure what brainwashing techniques the North Vietnamese used on him during his captivity but it appears it worked. There's good reason he was referred to as "The Manchurian Candidate" during his run as RINO Presidential Candidate.
When you're born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America , you get a front row seat. - George Carlin | <urn:uuid:f7f16461-cd1b-4615-92e1-ce3f5753198c> | 2013-05-23T18:53:19Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Become a fan of h2g2
Fairy tales are an endearing form of storytelling. They were designed for, and by, common citizens with no formal education, so they are relatively easy to replicate. Anyone can write a good fairy tale, or at least a funny one.
What You Need
There are two main pieces to the 'Do-It-Yourself Fairy Tale Kit'. The first is some method of randomly selecting a number. Methods include asking someone nearby to pick a number, putting numbered pieces of paper in a hat and then selecting one.
The second piece of the kit is the list of what the numbers actually mean. In fact, there are two lists for this particular kit. The first helps you select a general storyline. The second provides you with the details needed to elaborate on the plot.
Start by selecting one number between one and 20. This number represents the storyline you will be expected to follow. Very advanced writers may decide to skip this part, make up their own storyline, and proceed directly to the second step.
Second, select at least three random numbers between one and 50. Note their corresponding story elements. Continue to select additional random devices until you feel you have enough to construct a complete story with.
Finally, get off your duff and create the story. Give yourself an extra pat on the back if you are able to use the story elements in the order you selected them.
Experienced storytellers should feel free to modify the details where convenient. If the hero's gender is not specified, the storyteller may choose at their discretion or utilize a random method of choice.
A female servant is magically enabled to look like a court lady. She wins the heart of the local prince and marries him.
A young child has lost its parents and is starving. It discovers a fortune, and then rejoins its original family or finds a new one.
The king of a wealthy kingdom is ill and must decide who will inherit his fortune. The youngest of three (or seven) sons succeeds where his older siblings fail. He brings wealth and a bride back home with him, and inherits the throne.
A clever character (human or animal) tricks the local lord (or king) into doing something suitably embarrassing. He also makes off with a bag of gold or some similar prize.
A young lower-class lad discovers a magical object in his home. He goes off on a quest, and along the way he discovers he is the king's lost son.
A working-class man is challenged to beat a machine that has been designed to do his job. He does so at the cost of his own life or health, but he wins. He is hailed as a hero. The machine's maker decides to never use it.
A tiny child is born who is no larger than a thumb. The child is ridiculed, but eventually the local queen discovers how useful a tiny spy can be. The tiny person is granted a lordship for services rendered to the chagrin of the locals.
A horrible monster is terrorizing the land. A scrawny young lad steps in to kill the monster after several larger men die trying. He manages to out-think the beast and is rewarded with riches and/or the princess' hand in marriage.
A beautiful little girl is born to the local queen. The royal court fails to invite one fairy to the celebration party for the birth, and the fairy puts a foul curse on the girl. Another fairy casts a counter-spell to provide the curse with a loophole. Sure enough, the loophole is utilized. A prince saves the princess and marries her.
A king or fairy pretends to be a poor beggar, going from house to house seeking a place to stay for the night. Most of the villagers refuse to help the dirty beggar. The poorest family of all eventually invites the beggar in, offering food and a bed of hay to sleep on. The poor family is rewarded beyond their wildest dreams.
A servant girl decides to steal a tiny amount of food or money from her master. Each day, she increases the amount she steals until finally she is discovered. The girl is punished with manual work, but something goes wrong and she ends up permanently disfigured. A fairy takes pity on the girl and returns her to normal.
A clever animal attempts to get something from nothing in the animal kingdom. The animal ends up a victim of his own folly. In some method, this explains an otherwise bizarre natural phenomenon or changes the appearance of one of the animals to what we recognise today.
A young man is smitten with a local woman, but he is too poor to get her attention and his friends ridicule him for his interest. He sets off on a quest to become worthy of her heart, and when he returns triumphant she falls in love with him instantly. They get married.
An ancestor's ghost (or spirit) has unfinished business, and requests aid from the youngest member of the household. Nobody believes the youngster's tale, but he or she sets off anyway to help the ghost. After nearly getting killed, the quest is completed and the ghost rewards the helper by pointing out a stash of wealth on the family's property.
A lady with too much pride does something selfish enough to alert the local authorities. She is punished by being publicly humiliated or disfigured. She spends many sorrowful years alone paying for her misdeeds until a helpful animal comes to her aid. After she is guided to the solution for her punishment, she finds and marries a handsome and wealthy man.
A young child refuses to listen to the advice of its parents. It wanders off, and engages in a great adventure. However, it eventually realises that it is horribly lost. The child sits down and cries until a solution is presented in the form of a talking animal, a fairy guide, or a magical helping spell. Once returned, the child vows always to listen to his or her parents.
An old farmer dies, and leaves his puny inheritance to his three sons. The third son, who gets the least of all, discovers that his inheritance is in some way magical or prophetic. He travels far and wide to understand and utilize his magic object (or objects) and returns a wealthy man. His brothers are jealous and try to steal his property, but the youngest son out-smarts them. In the end, he decides to share his fortune.
A princess manages to get herself trapped on the top of a slippery glass hill, or within a tower with no door. Nobody can get her down. Finally, a poor local lad disguised as a nobleman finds a magical means to save her. He wins her hand in marriage.
A lord of questionable reputation marries a local lady. Just after their honeymoon, he leaves on business and tells her to explore his grounds except for a single door that must remain unopened. Curiosity is too much for the woman, and she looks inside and finds something very strange indeed. When the lord returns, she tries to hide her action but he discovers her anyway. The lord tries to kill his wife, but she escapes and begins life anew.
An honest local man discovers a band of thieves while hunting in the forest. He follows them and discovers their stash of stolen goods. He wants to return the goods to their rightful owners, but his brother convinces him to take the stash for himself. In the confusion that ensues after they take the things, the brother is killed. The hero narrowly escapes the wrath of the bandits and returns the goods, getting a fair reward for his trouble.
Please note that you are expected to add these elements to the story, even if a similar element already exists as part of your basic storyline. Also, all objects must be used in the story and all characters must have a few lines or some other significance.
The story takes an unexpected turn near the end. The result is an unhappy ending.
The hero has three evil older stepsisters.
A magical being gives the hero three wishes.
The hero discovers or is given a seemingly mundane magical object.
A talking animal attempts to aid the hero, but the hero won't listen and ends up in trouble.
A talking animal attempts to aid the hero. The hero listens and moves closer to the goal.
A talking animal tries to trick the hero for its own gain. The hero falls for the creature's ploy.
A talking animal tries to trick the hero for its own gain. The hero guesses the animal's intent and outsmarts it.
The hero must perform three heroic tasks to reach the story's goal.
The hero must wear a disguise to gain needed information.
The hero rescues a bird with a beautiful song from a cage in a king's castle.
The hero meets a greedy giant, and manages to outsmart it to get something useful.
The hero finds or is given three seemingly mundane magical objects.
The hero must stay in a scary castle for an evening before continuing on.
Halfway through the story the hero's progress is erased by a disaster. The hero must begin anew.
An evil witch attempts to kill the hero, but fails.
Something astoundingly violent happens.
Sex is obliquely referenced for no apparent reason.
An exceptionally cold and rainy night forces the hero to seek shelter.
A magical being tries to steal something precious from the local village, but the hero stops them.
The hero finds or is given a magical mirror that allows the hero to see things that are very far away.
The hero finds or is given magical boots that allow the hero to travel astoundingly far very quickly.
The hero finds or is given a magical cloak. Anyone who wears it is invisible until they take it off.
The hero finds or is given a magical fruit. Whoever eats it falls in love with the first person they see.
The hero gives money to a beggar, and is rewarded with a very important secret.
The hero refuses to give money to a beggar. The beggar, actually a powerful magician in disguise, tries to kill the hero.
The hero looks identical to a local prince or princess. They change places for one day.
A lowly servant gives the hero aid. The hero remembers to repay the servant at the end of the story.
The hero pulls a thorn from a lion's paw. Later, the lion will save the hero.
The hero kills the dragon or tricks him into killing himself. The hero walks off with the dragon's treasure.
A king from a nearby nation decides to kill the hero and sends out an army. The hero remains two steps ahead of the army.
The hero has a wealthy older brother/sister who becomes jealous. The sibling eventually betrays the hero.
The hero's stepmother assigns numerous chores, and when they are done she locks the hero in an attic.
A gnome or other small creature offers the hero a great temptation if he/she will give up the quest. The hero refuses.
A gnome or other small creature offers the hero a great temptation. The hero tricks the gnome into giving up the temptation.
A monster blocks the hero's path. The hero must answer a riddle to bypass the monster.
An evil witch does something suitably clever to cause the hero to fall asleep until a member of the opposite sex kisses the hero.
A good fairy conjures a beautiful set of clothing for the hero.
The hero must travel across a desert, and nearly dies of thirst before a magical being leads the hero to an oasis.
Bandits capture the hero. They punch the hero and steal any magical objects the hero may have.
Bandits capture the hero. They tie the hero up, but the hero escapes and makes off with a fortune.
The hero meets a princess who has lost her memory, and helps her to find her home.
The hero passes by an inn with gambling. Someone he knows asks the hero to join him inside, but the hero refuses.
The hero passes by an inn with gambling. A friend asks the hero to enter, and the hero agrees. Misfortune follows.
An evil witch turns the hero into a strange animal. The curse is broken at the end of the story.
The hero must cross a mountain range to reach the goal.
The hero must cross a wide sea to reach the goal.
The hero must travel through an enchanted forest to reach the goal.
Pirates capture the hero's parents, but the hero is able to save them.
The hero turns out to be the lost prince from one kingdom, but also wins the heart of a princess from a neighbouring kingdom.
A Note On Usage
If you don't complete your tale, the chance of someone else selecting the same numbers is rare enough that a great work might be lost forever. For this reason, it is best not to abuse the 'Do-It-Yourself Fairy Tale Kit'. Use it wisely, because at the very least it is likely to make you laugh and at best it may gain you fame and fortune. | <urn:uuid:2eae9848-a528-4610-8176-b06a58c9c023> | 2013-05-23T18:44:31Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Court to rule on legality of Israeli ultra-Orthodox 'Taliban sect'
Decision follows what appears to be the conclusion of an international family drama involving two sisters from Beit Shemesh who belong to the Taliban sect.
In a precedent-setting move, an Israeli court is expected to decide next week whether it is legal to belong to the extreme ultra-Orthodox group Lev Tahor, known as "the Taliban sect." A decision reached this week by a family court in Rishon Letzion indicates that a ruling on Lev Tahor's legality is imminent.
The decision follows what appears to be the conclusion of an international family drama involving two sisters from Beit Shemesh who belong to the Taliban sect. The two were forcibly returned to Israel on Sunday under an order issued by the court. The sisters, 13 and 15, were en route to a Lev Tahor village located on the outskirts of Montreal, Canada.
The brother of the sister's grandmother petitioned for the writ; the great-uncle was concerned that the girls might be harmed living in the Canadian community.
The Lev Tahor community is a cult, he contended; should the girls enter it, they would be stripped of all their property, he wrote, and they would be compelled to wed male members of the cult, which is an accepted practice among all young women in the group.
The Israeli court upheld the petition, finding that "there is some defect in the parents' perception of ways of life."
Judge Rivka Makayes ruled that the writ will remain in effect until next week, at which time a family court in Jerusalem will hold a hearing to decide whether the pious lifestyle upheld by the parents is marred by such a defect.
The Jerusalem court's ruling will have implications for all members of the Taliban sect in Israel. Should the court find that it is illegal to belong to the community, social welfare agencies will be able to take immediate steps to remove children from the control of parents who are affiliated with Lev Tahor.
Bringing the Beit Shemesh sisters back to Israel was an international operation, involving the foreign ministry and Interpol. The goal of the operation was to stop the pair from entering the ultra-Orthodox community in Canada.
The community was established about a decade ago, and today has about 45 families, some of them newly Orthodox Israeli families. Women are clothed from head to foot in black garb.
The leader of the Lev Tahor community calls himself Shlomo Elbarnes. From Jerusalem's Kiryat Yovel neighborhood, this charismatic figure began forming extremist Orthodox groups in the United States some 20 years ago. His followers are said to heed his authority entirely.
Elbarnes brought his followers to Canada after U.S. authorities expelled him due to charges that he coercively asserted control over a 13-year-old minor. Elbarnes settled with his group outside of Montreal, where they are said to be fervently religious, holding prayer services that last nearly the entire day.
Rituals of the Lev Tahor community reportedly involve lashing anyone considered a "sinner," and sending 14-year-old girls to the wedding canopy.
At dawn last Wednesday, the parents of the Beit Shemesh girls put their daughters on a flight to Montreal, intending for them to join the Lev Tahor group after the Rosh Hashanah holiday.
"We checked the place thoroughly, and it seemed suitable,' said L., the mother of the girls, who spoke on Monday at Ben-Gurion International Airport.
But when the girls reached the airport in Canada, two Canadian officials detained them and said they would not be able to enter the country.
"We reached the airport in Canada," the older of the two young women said. "We saw people from Lev Tahor waiting to take us to their community, but suddenly policemen came and took us aside."
"We tried to resist. We screamed and cried," the girls said Monday after they were brought back to Israel. Due to the Rosh Hashanah holiday, they were not immediately flown back to Israel. They were temporarily placed under the care of a family in a Canadian orphanage. Sunday morning, they were put on a return flight to Israel, where they remained under the watchful eyes of Canadian police representatives.
When they reached Ben-Gurion International Airport, the two were taken by authorities to meet with a social worker from Beit Shemesh. The social worker phoned their parents, who had no knowledge of their daughters' return to Israel. The social worker informed the parents that the girls were being held at the airport.
According to the parents, the social workers stated that their daughters would only be permitted to return to them if the parents signed a form attesting that they would not try again to send the pair to the Lev Tahor community in Canada.
The girls were released after the parents' attorney reached the airport.
The lawyer, Yair Nehorai, stated that "the behavior of the various authorities in this affair seems problematic."
The Beit Shemesh municipality responded that "concerns about the welfare and security of these girls is what motivated decisions reached in this matter. All the decisions were reached in full coordination with the Social Affairs Ministry and in accordance with obligatory procedures." | <urn:uuid:0d95a99a-643a-4bed-972d-073c2b7f0268> | 2013-05-23T18:35:02Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Congrats on the new purchase!
I'm sad to say I'm with you on the Glock 21SF. Mine "went away" the other day, never to return, and I'm not missing it. As much as I like the 9mm and even the .40 Glocks, their large frame guns just don't inspire me in the same manner.
How's the HK's reliability and accuracy so far? I've never shot a LEM-equipped HK, but you're not the first person to say nice things about them. | <urn:uuid:aeb1a4f7-b8b8-475a-a285-c89ccf6fb85f> | 2013-05-23T18:39:01Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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| Risk Factors
Hepatitis B is a liver disease. It can be acute or chronic. Acute hepatitis B usually goes away on its own and may not need treatment.
Chronic hepatitis B is an infection that lasts more than six months. Chronic infection can lead to other health problems. Hepatitis B is treated with antiviral medications.
Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
Hepatitis B is caused a virus. The virus causes swelling and irritation in the liver and makes it difficult for the liver to function normally.
The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is spread by semen, vaginal secretions, saliva, blood, or body fluids from an infected person. The virus can pass from these fluids to your body through an open cut in your skin.
A woman with hepatitis can also pass HBV to her baby during childbirth.
Factors that may increase your chance of hepatitis B include:
- Illicit drug injection use, especially when sharing needles
- Unprotected sexual contact, especially with multiple partners
- Sharing a residence and/or personal items with someone who has HBV
- Stay in hospital or long-term care facility
- Work that includes contact with blood or body fluids, such as health care or public safety workers
- Travel to areas where HBV is common
It is possible that someone infected with HBV may never have symptoms of hepatitis B.
If symptoms do develop, they appear around 60-150 days after exposure. Symptoms may include:
- Fatigue that lasts for weeks or months
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea or vomiting
- Low-grade fever
Yellowing skin and eyes (jaundice)
- Abdominal pain in the upper right side of the abdomen
- Joint pain
- Dark urine and light-colored stool
Chronic hepatitis can lead to serious health problems including:
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. Hepatitis B is diagnosed with blood tests. Blood tests are also used to monitor changes in the liver.
For chronic cases, a liver
may be needed.
Acute infection may not need any treatment since it usually goes away on its own.
Chronic hepatitis B may be treated with a combination of different antiviral medications. All medications do not work the same in all people. Talk with your doctor about the best treatment plan for you.
Your doctor may also ask that you:
- Avoid alcohol
- Avoid certain medicines, dietary supplements, and herbs
- Contact recent sexual partners so they can be tested and/or treated
To reduce your chance of getting hepatitis B, take these steps:
There is a
to prevent hepatitis B. This vaccine, a series of three injections, is routinely given to newborns. Children and teens who were not vaccinated as babies can still receive the shots.
Other prevention strategies include:
or abstain from sex.
- Limit your number of sexual partners.
Do not inject drugs. If you use IV drugs, get treatment to help you
stop. Never share needles or syringes.
Do not share personal items that may have blood or body fluids on them.
- Make sure a tattoo artist or piercer properly sterilizes the equipment.
Wear gloves when touching or cleaning up body fluids on personal items.
- Cover open cuts or wounds.
- If you are pregnant, have a blood test for hepatitis B. Infants born to mothers with hepatitis B should be treated within 12 hours after birth.
Baker CJ, Pickerling LK, Chilton L, et al. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Recommended adult immunization schedule: United States, 2011.
Ann Intern Med. 2011;154(3):168-173.
Hepatitis B. American Liver Foundation website. Available at:
http://www.liverfoundation.org/abouttheliver/info/hepatitisb. Updated February 17, 2012. Accessed May 1, 2013.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HBV. Updated May 16, 2012. Accessed May 1, 2013.
Hepatitis B. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what. Updated April 23, 2013. Accessed May 1, 2013.
Vaccine information statement: hepatitis B vaccine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-hep-b.pdf. Accessed May 1, 2013.
Vaccine-preventable STDs. Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, 2010. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2010/vaccine.htm. Updated January 28, 2013. Accessed May 1, 2013.
Last reviewed May 2013 by Marcin Chwistek, MD; Brian Randall, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:267e7d95-90db-4181-beae-39c9fd1fea4d> | 2013-05-23T18:45:50Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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The World of Plants
The existence of plants is essential for the survival of living things on the earth. For the importance of this sentence to be fully grasped, we must ask: "What are the most important elements for human life?" Of course, basic needs such as oxygen, water, and nourishment come to mind as the answers to this question. And green plants are the most important factor in ensuring the balance of these basic needs on the earth. And there are other balances in the world, of great importance to all living things, not just human beings, such as temperature control and maintaining the correct proportion of gases in the atmosphere, and again it is green plants which maintain the entire equilibrium.
And the activities of green plants do not end there. As is known, the main source of energy for life on earth is the Sun. But human beings and animals are unable to make direct use of solar energy, because their bodies lack the systems to use this energy as it is. For this reason solar energy can reach human beings and animals as usable energy only through the food produced by plants. For example, while sipping tea, we are actually sipping solar energy, and as we eat bread, we are munching solar energy. The strength in our muscles is really nothing other than solar energy in a different form. Plants store this form of energy for us in the molecules in their bodies by carrying out complicated processes. The position for animals is no different from that of human beings. They are fed by plants, deriving solar energy from the plants' energy, which they store in packets.
Plants being able to produce their own nutrition and maintain themselves, in contrast to other living things, is due to their cell structure, which enables them to employ solar energy directly, unlike human or animal cells. With the help of this structure, plant cells turn energy from the sun into energy which people and animals can absorb through nutrition. They store this energy as food through the special procesesses concealed in their structure. These processes are collectively known as photosynthesis.
The necessary mechanism, or more accurately the miniature factory, by means of which plants are able to carry out photosynthesis, is found in their leaves. The transportation system, with its own very special features, for carrying necessary materials such as minerals and water, functions within plants' stems and roots. The reproductive system too has been specially designed in every species of plant.
There are complex structures within each and every one of these mechanisms. And these mechanisms function in connection with one another. If one is missing, the others cannot carry out their tasks. As an example let us take a plant which just lacks a transport system. It is impossible for such a plant to carry out photosynthesis, because the vessels necessary to carry the essential water are missing. Even if the plant managed to produce food, it would be unable to transport this to other parts of the body, and would eventually die.
As in this example, all the systems present in a plant are obliged to function flawlessly. Any flaws or defects in the existing structure will mean that the plant cannot carry out its functions, and this will result in the death of the plant and the disappearance of the species.
When these structures are studied in detail and in depth in the chapters that follow, a most complex and quite flawless design will emerge. When the variety of plants in the world is considered and evaluated, these extraordinary structures seem even more striking. There are more than 500,000 types of plant in the world. And each species possesses its own special planning within itself and features particular to that species. Together with the same perfect basic systems found in all of them, there is also an unparalleled diversity in terms of reproductive systems, defence mechanisms, colour, and design. The only unchanging thing in all this is the reality that the parts of the plants (leaves, roots, stems) and many other mechanisms, must exist at once and with no defects so that the general system, the body, can function.
Modern scientists attribute to such systems an "irreducible complexity." In the same way that a motor will not work if one of its cogs is missing, in plants the absence of just one system, or a single functional failure in any one of the parts of the system, will lead to the death of the plant.
All of a plant's systems have this feature of irreducible complexity. The complex systems, which must all be present at the same time, and this unbelievable variety bring to mind the question: "How did these perfect systems in plants emerge?"
Once again, let us ask some questions to find the answer to this one. Let us think how the functioning of the most important and best known of the mechanisms in plants, photosynthesis, and the transport systems linked to it, came about.
Can the trees and flowers which we see all around us at all times have themselves formed such perfect systems as to bring about a phenomenon such as photosynthesis, some parts of which are still not fully understood, in their own bodies? Did plants choose to use carbon dioxide (CO2), of the gases in the air, to produce food? Did they themselves determine the amount of CO2 they would use? Could plants have designed those mechanisms which make up the root system and which enable them to take the materials necessary for photosynthesis from the soil? Did plants bring about a transport system where different types of tubes are used for transporting nutrients and water?
As ever, defenders of the theory of evolution searching for an answer to the question of how plants emerged have resorted to "chance" as their only remedy. They have claimed that from one species of plant which came about by chance, an infinite variety of plants have emerged, again by chance, and that features such as smell, taste, and colour, particular to each species, again came about by chance. But they have been unable to give any scientific proof of these claims. Evolutionists explain moss turning into a strawberry plant, or a poplar, or a rose bush, by saying that conditions brought about by chance differentiated them. Whereas when just one plant cell is observed, a system so complex will be seen as could not have come about by minute changes over time. This complex system and other mechanisms in plants definitively disprove the coincidence scenarios put forward as evolutionist logic. In this situation just one result emerges.
Every structure in plants has been specially planned and designed. And this shows us that there is a Superior Intelligence which drew up this flawless plan. And the owner of this superior intelligence, God, the Lord of all the worlds, shows proofs of His flawless creation to human beings. God announces His dominion over living creatures and His incomparable creation in this verse: | <urn:uuid:5ad14e5c-9547-42c6-9154-e061e9fd8787> | 2013-05-23T18:37:58Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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[Haskell-cafe] unapplying function definitions?
prstanley at ntlworld.com
Sun May 4 12:48:58 EDT 2008
>>What on earth is unapplying function definitions?
>>The following is taken from chapter 13 of the Hutton book:
>>"...when reasoning about programs, function definitions can be both
>>applied from left to right and unapplied from right to left."
>Well, because of referential transparency, we can say that the left
>hand side of a function is exactly equal to the right hand side.
>Thus, we can instead of applying functions, and making progress
>towards a normal form, unapply them and get further away from a normal
>form... for example:
>5 = head [5,6,7,8,9] = head ([5,6] ++ ++ [8,9]) = head (( ++
>++ ) ++ ++ [8,9]) .......
>There are of course an infinite number of ways of doing this, so it's
>usually only interesting, if we have some reason for applying a
>>What is the normal form?
More information about the Haskell-Cafe | <urn:uuid:d4e25763-444f-49f3-b79b-3545b8dfb249> | 2013-05-23T18:38:02Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Kevin Mitchell is set to make an appearance on the pitch at
Upton Park on Saturday.
The lightweight, who is a massive West Ham fan, is preparing for
his WBO title showdown with Ricky Burns but has agreed to take time
out of training to see the Hammers take on Fulham.
And he says that West Ham's return to the Premier League will
spur him on to box his best against the Scot on September 22.
"It's fantastic that West Ham are back in the Premier League
again, they've had to fight hard to do it and I've had to do the
same to get back to the top and challenge for a world title again,"
"Seeing the Hammers achieve that has given me a boost to beat
Burns in his backyard and bring the world title back to London's
"I couldn't achieve my dream of winning the world title by
beating Katsidis, but I would love to return to hold the belt up in
front of the crowd at the next home game after I beat Burns." | <urn:uuid:429e844c-a539-4c24-925f-485eadf7d31a> | 2013-05-23T18:58:45Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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- slide 1 of 4
Definition of a Mid-Life Crisis or Depression
The type of depression that accompanies a mid-life crisis is generally caused by internal factors rather than external influences. In some cases, however, menopause is a contributing factor. A typical mid-life depression will manifest differently in men and women with some of the symptoms being as follows:
- Affairs with younger women
- Anger and irritability
- Hostility and conflict
- Demands respect
- Restless and agitated
- Afraid of speaking out doubts and fears
- Fear of failure
- Self treats with TV, alcohol, sport and sex
- Loss of libido
- Feelings of sadness and worthlessness
- Avoids conflict
- Feels like a failure
- Withdraws from social contact
- Feelings of guilt and lack of self respect
- Self treats with food, friends and love
- Sleep problems
A mid-life crisis usually lasts for a few years and results in permanent changes in lifestyle. Whether these are positive or negative is an individual choice.
- slide 2 of 4
Identifying a Mid-Life Crisis
Depression in mid-life often arises when a person is in their 40s or 50s. It is at this stage of life that men and women realize they are ageing and their physical strength and appearance will be declining gradually. This realization leads to some of the behavior that is often seen during a mid-life depression. Men tend to have affairs and women may indulge in plastic surgery and dramatic keep-fit programs. By their 40s, most men and women are financially secure and established in a career. During a mid-life crisis they question if this is all there is to life and may feel bored and let down. Others may be disappointed with what they have achieved and frustrated by a loveless marriage. What they do at this point will determine how their lives will look in years to come.
- slide 3 of 4
How to Overcome Depression and a Mid-Life Crisis
There are a number of ways men and women can overcome a mid-life depression:
- Visit your doctor for a checkup. This will determine if there are any health issues that need addressing. Some people with this type of depression benefit from a short course of antidepressant medication to tide them through difficult patches. Hormone replacement therapy can help women suffering from menopause-related depression.
- Join the AA or a support group if you are struggling with addictions or are overindulging in food, alcohol, smoking, gambling or sex. It is easier to overcome these problems when sharing how they affect you with people who understand your struggles.
- Confiding in a friend who you know experienced a mid-life depression can be helpful – especially if they had a positive outcome. Most people are more than willing to share their experiences and offer support to those going through something similar.
- Regard a mid-life depression as an opportunity to re-evaluate goals, dreams and ambitions in life. Look at job satisfaction, leisure time and relationships, and if necessary, make some changes and plan for positive change. People who lose focus are more susceptible to depression and dreams give them something to reach for.
- Accept that while ageing is a natural process, it doesn’t mean the end of enjoying life. There is nothing wrong with trying to improve matters by dieting, giving up smoking or exercising more, but there must be a realization that ageing does bring limitations and bodily changes. Wrinkles, weight gain and hair loss don’t have to signal the end of a fulfilling life or career.
- Joining a gym, taking up a new hobby or meeting different people can give a fresh spark to life. Don’t sit at home feeling depressed. Get out and try a number of new activities until you find one that suits you.
- Take some time out to do something different with your spouse or loved ones. This can be as simple as a day out in the country or a trip overseas. Marital difficulties commonly arise during a mid-life depression and working on love and togetherness can protect against this.
- A mid-life depression may coincide with and be exacerbated by children leaving home. Use this as a time to do things you have always wanted to do but didn’t have the time, money or freedom to enjoy in your younger years.
- Go on a mission trip or volunteer at a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Giving of yourself and your time can be extremely inspiring and will certainly change your perspective on life and your appreciation of your personal situation.
There is no need to suffer in silence while experiencing mid-life depression. There is help available and individuals can make adjustments that transform this period of life into a positive experience where they set the course for future years.
- slide 4 of 4
Male Health. http://www.malehealth.co.uk/node/18837
Male Depression. http://www.midlife-passages.com/depressi.htm
Good to Know. http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/relationships/273583/Midlife-crisis--How-to-help-yourself | <urn:uuid:2090451d-b2b1-47be-9964-945ba960b1b4> | 2013-05-23T18:44:15Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Walker-Warburg syndrome is a congenital disorder of the central nervous system involving fatal neurological lesions. Multiple malformations of the brain, eyes, and muscle tissue distinguish WWS from similar malformation syndromes. It is also known by the acronym HARD +/- E syndrome (hydroencephalus, agyri, retinal dysplasia, plus or minus "e" for encephalocele).
Affected individuals typically show a combination of severe brain, eye, and muscle defects. Multiple malformations of the brain include type II lissencephaly, a condition in which the brain lacks normal convolutions and is unusually smooth without folds. Eighty-four percent of the babies with WWS have macrocephaly (an enlarged head). In half of these cases, the macrocephaly is apparent at birth, and in a quarter of the cases it develops postnatally. Hydrocephalus, or excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid around the brain, occurs in 95% of infants with WWS. This fluid fills abnormally large ventricles or spaces in the brain. Fifty percent of affected infants have an encephalocele, or gap in the skull that does not seal. The meninges or membranes that cover the brain may protrude through this gap. The formation of an encephalocele may be associated with the failure of the neural tube to close during development of the fetus. A malformed cerebellum characterizes the syndrome as well as distinct muscle abnormalities, including congenital muscular dystrophy.
Ocular defects occur in 100% of infants with WWS. The most common are abnormally small eyes and retinal abnormalities, which arise from the improper development of the light sensitive area at the back of the eye. Cataracts may also be present and more than three quarters of the infants born with WWS have a defect in the anterior chamber of the eye. WWS syndrome leads to severely retarded mental development and is often lethal in infancy.
WWS is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. Offspring of parents who have had one affected infant have a 25% chance of having WWS. The locations of the causitive genes remains unknown.
WWS is extremely rare. Cases described in the literature cite siblings with WWS born to consanguineous (closely related) parents as well as cases in families not known to be at risk.
Signs and symptoms
Clinical signs include a malformed head, small eyes, cataracts, retinal abnormalities, and muscle weakness. An
Prenatal ultrasound can reveal some of the brain anomalies associated with WWS, most commonly hydrocephalus and encephalocele. Lissencephaly can not be diagnosed prenatally as normal fetal brains appear smooth. After birth, diagnosis is made on the basis of physical features and ultrasound exams. MRI may be used to confirm the smooth brain feature or type II lissencephaly typical of WWS. Genetic analysis helps distinguish WWS from Fukuyama-type congenital muscular dystrophy (FCMD), which has numerous similar features. WWS can be differentiated from other syndromes that display hydrocephalus or encephalocele by the presence of eye abnormalities including retinal defects, cataracts and anterior chamber defects. Genetic testing for Fukuyama-type congenital muscular dystrophy distinguished this from WWS.
Treatment and management
The severe malformations of the brain defy treatment and many infants with WWS die within the first year of life. Supportive care is required to provide comfort and nursing needs. Seizures may be controlled with medication. Shunting may be required to control the hydrocephalus. A shunt or short plastic tube can be placed to divert the excess cerebral spinal fluid to another area of the body where it can ultimately be absorbed by the body.
Genetic counseling is recommended for families at risk.
Patients have a very limited life expectancy and the syndrome is generally considered lethal. Most patients die before the age of two.
Menkes, John H., and Harvey B. Sarnat. Child Neurology. 6th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2000.
Volpe, Joseph J. Neurology of the Newborn. 4th ed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 2001.
Gasser, B., et al. "Prenatal Diagnosis of Walker-Warburg Syndrome in Three Sibs." American Journal of Medical Genetics 76 (March 1998): 107-10.
Hung, N.A., et al. "Gonaddoblastoid Testicular Dysplasia in Walker-Warburg Syndrome." Pediatric Developmental Pathology 1 (September-October 1998): 393–404.
Vasconcelos, M.M., et al. "Walker-Warburg Syndrome. Report of Two Cases." Fetal Diagnostic Therapy 14 (July-August 1999): 198–200.
Lissencephaly Network, Inc. 716 Autumn Ridge Lane, Fort Wayne, IN 46804-6402. (219) 432-4310. Fax: (219) 432-4310. firstname.lastname@example.org. <http://www.lissencephaly.org>.
National Hydrocephalus Foundation. 12413 Centralia, Lakewood, CA 90715-1623. (562) 402-3523 or (888) 260-1789. email@example.com. <http://www.nhfonline.org>.
National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). PO Box 8923, New Fairfield, CT 06812-8923. (203) 746-6518 or (800) 999-6673. Fax: (203) 746-6481. <http://www.rarediseases.org>.
"Fukuyama Congenital Muscular Dystrophy." OMIM–Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/dispomim.cgi?id=253800>.
"Muscular Dystrophy, Congenital, With Severe Central Nervous System Atrophy and Absence of Large Myelinated Fibers." OMIM–Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/dispomim.cgi?id=601170>.
"Walker-Warburg Syndrome." OMIM–Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/dispomim.cgi?id=236670>. | <urn:uuid:001c6f56-0063-4f23-a3c0-6af3d3116d91> | 2013-05-23T19:06:32Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Middle rectal artery
Within the body's pelvic region, the middle rectal artery serves oxygenated blood to the rectum. However, there are anatomical variances between males and females. For men, the artery branches into blood vessels that serve the prostate as well as the seminal vesicles. In women, the artery branches into vessels that run into the vagina. In both sexes, the artery arises from the internal iliac artery. Also, the rectum is the end of the digestive tract. The supply of oxygenated blood that assists in the final stages of digestion is left over ingested matter processed into feces to be expelled from the body. The middle rectal artery has venal counterparts in the middle rectal veins. These vessels actively drain deoxygenated blood from the area and move it to the internal ileac vein. From there, the deoxygenated blood moves through venal circulatory system until it ends up in the heart via the inferior vena cava. The right side of the heart then pumps it into the lungs for fresh oxygen.
Written and medically reviewed by the Healthline Editorial Team
In Depth: Middle rectal artery | <urn:uuid:b1a46fbf-48ea-4110-9bc5-acc8e7fb80c3> | 2013-05-23T18:33:12Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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During the last decades of the 1800s and the first decade of the 1900s some of the most elegant and colourful military service caps (Schirmmützen) were worn by the Imperial German cavalry. The unique colour combinations identified each regiment and were the last stand for military fashion before and during World War I. This book is the first complete reference on such caps and shows and describes the headgear for all branches of the Imperial German cavalry. The prewar models as well as the M7 and M15 war models are illustrated in colour photos and original period postcards. The book also provides German nomenclature for the caps and valuable tips on how to collect and identify the various regiments. | <urn:uuid:0b6212fc-b972-4499-add9-3b2c7a7769b3> | 2013-05-23T19:06:48Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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33. Ring of Doom
August 3 – September 1, 3019
At first Gandalf's travels had been aimless; all he knew was to get out of Sauron's reach. Later, he had started to think again about where to go and what purpose he could still find. For weeks, as he considered his choices, he had not even bothered to ride, leaving Shadowfax free to follow or not. In the end it had become obvious that there was only one course to take. Círdan would be glad to aid him.
Would that I could go there, Gandalf thought as he glimpsed the White Towers far to his right. Beyond lay the Shire. In his mind he saw a friendly light shining from the windows of Bag End, Bilbo opening the door to welcome him, Frodo opening the do... Shadowfax stopped just before the road turned. Gandalf closed his eyes and took a deep breath. No. He would not hide in the Shire.
Reluctantly Gandalf turned away from the temptation of his favourite haven. There were still some hours to go before the Grey Havens, and he was weary. Not that a chair or a hearth or even a bed would do much good. This weariness was of the mind and the heart; it would not be relieved by mere rest. His hand moved to the pouch where he kept Narya, and barely did he stop before he touched it. There was a sensation in his fingers almost like an itch, and he longed for the soothing warmth of his Ring's Fire, just as he knew that Narya yearned for his touch. He had been beyond Sauron's reach since he left Gondor, but would that still be so if he used Narya now? Surely, if he took only the merest trickle of power to bolster his strength, he would not open himself to the Enemy? Shadowfax tossed his head and stepped forward.
Gandalf took a shaky breath and moved the errant hand to his side, grasping a fold of his robe to give his fingers something to occupy them. They still itched. If he wanted confirmation of his course, he had just had it, the wizard thought as Shadowfax slowly walked on. It had been months since he had even touched Narya, and still the desire to use it was almost strong enough to overcome him.
Yet even now Gandalf had counsel and guidance to offer. But who would heed him? Denethor would not allow him to enter Gondor again. Perhaps... No, even Faramir would spurn his advice. The North? The Shire could not be refuge, but might it be ally? Another no; the hobbits would fight if – when – they had to, but there was so little they could do. The Dúnedain? That they would fight was not in question, but they were too few to be of significance, even if he directed their effort where it could do most good. It was a shame Halbarad had become so suspicious of him after his – admittedly ill-timed, but otherwise entirely reasonable – request for the use of the Orthanc palantír in Minas Tirith. After that, the Ranger looked upon all of Gandalf's acts with suspicion, and he doubted he could regain the man's trust. A slight itching came to his fingers once more, making Gandalf snort. Aragorn always said that Halbarad was the best at sensing the Enemy's traps. Right again, friend.
Aragorn. The sense of weariness deepened to sorrow. Gandalf had lost both friend and ally in him. The wizard's thoughts returned to Minas Tirith and the bitter scene after his defeat of the Nazgûl. A familiar argument started in his mind, one that he never lost, yet could not bring to an end. Leaving when he did had been his only chance, but when the remaining members of the Fellowship refused to come with him, should he have tried harder to convince them? Perhaps, but they understood what was descending upon the city and they made their own choice. He could not choose their path for them. Aragorn, though, he had in truth abandoned; avenging his death on Khamûl could not undo that. Still, had Aragorn been aware of their situation, his friend would have urged Gandalf to go before the city fell.
Gandalf silenced the tiny voice when it observed that even if he had refused to deal with Khamûl to exchange Aragorn for Frodo, he had been all too willing to exchange Aragorn for himself. He could only hope that the skill Elrond's sons had in dealing with Morgul wounds had been enough to protect Aragorn. But to let Sauron gain control over Narya – and over him – would have been worse. He glanced at his hand that was clenched around the cloth of his robe. His fingers did not itch or twitch. He sensed Narya was content to wait.
Yet there were Three. Were Elrond and Galadriel to join him, might the Bearers of the Three together have the upper hand on Sauron? But going to Lothlórien would bring him within reach of Sauron again, and – if he sought out Thranduil or the Dwarves rather than the other Bearers – that was true also of Mirkwood and the Lonely Mountain. Most of the allies he might yet have were beyond his reach, and likely already under attack or defeated, except Rivendell.
Shadowfax stopped abruptly, and Gandalf saw a figure in stained and tattered white robes sitting by the wayside, his horse nibbling at the grass beside him.
"Greetings and well met again at last, Mithrandir," the other spoke as he stood up. Although he looked even more bedraggled than Gandalf, he still sounded as lordly as if he were sat in Orthanc deigning to hear a supplicant.
"Saruman." Gandalf's terse acknowledgement amused the other wizard.
"What?" Saruman laughed. "No warm greetings for a fellow traveller? You pain me, Mithrandir."
"You wore out any warm welcome you might have received a long time ago, Saruman," Gandalf sharply replied, disgust and anger pushing aside the melancholy that had dogged him all afternoon. He itched to teach this traitor a lesson.
Saruman started to laugh again, but almost immediately fell silent. Finally he replied, "You are right of course. I should not expect to be welcomed..." He sighed, leaving his sentence unfinished.
Neither spoke during the rest of the journey to Mithlond. Gandalf wondered why Saruman had come here, and why Treebeard had let him go free, against what had been agreed. All that was of later concern, though, as at last the town came into view.
Gandalf halted briefly to take in the familiar sight, using the time to collect himself. He had not been near even a village since Ethring, nor had he spoken to anyone except Shadowfax since accepting shelter for a few days with a family of fisherfolk near the mouth of Greyflood. Raising a hand to shade his eyes against the sun, which was already low on the horizon, he noted that aside from the usual fishing vessels in port there were four large ships being worked on in the docks. Normally there would be only one, two at most, in preparation for the journey West.
The guards at the town gate let them in with just a nod in greeting. At the entrance to Círdan's residence, both wizards dismounted. As Shadowfax and Saruman's horse followed an Elf to the stables, Gandalf headed for the main door, Saruman almost on his heels.
The two guards beside the door quickly lowered and crossed their pikes, barring the wizards' path.
"Rhúnendir, what is the meaning of this? I must speak with your lord," Gandalf said, recognising one of the two.
"And so he will be informed," Rhúnendir replied, and gestured at a third Elf, who went off after a whispered conversation.
"I, too, will speak to Círdan," Saruman announced.
"His time is not yours to command, but he will be told of your desire," Rhúnendir said.
Gandalf tried not to let his pleasure at Saruman's reception show, but the other wizard turned to him and said softly, "It seems your welcome is less than… warm… also, Mithrandir; I would not presume too much if I were you."
It did not take long for someone to arrive back with word that the two could enter. "You must be weary from your travels. Please follow me; I will guide you to your quarters so you can refresh yourselves," the Elf said as they followed him. "I will come for you in an hour," he added as he turned to unlock the door to a guestroom and gestured for Gandalf to enter.
After the careful welcome, Gandalf had half expected that Círdan would put off seeing them until the next day. However, the Shipwright must have realised that Gandalf would have a reason of great import to come to the Havens now. Nor would Círdan let Saruman go unheard – or unwatched.
After about an hour, the two wizards were indeed taken to Círdan's main audience chamber. Except for Círdan himself the chamber was empty.
"Mithrandir, Curunír, welcome," the Shipwright said. "What brings you here?" His tone was polite, but there was a cold undertone in it that Gandalf had not expected. Perhaps he should have. Círdan, more than anyone else in Middle-earth, knew why he had been sent here, and was the one who had given him Narya in support of his task. Yet Círdan also, more than anyone else in Middle-Earth, would understand his need, and the importance of his request once he could speak freely to explain.
"I need a ship."
Gandalf glared at Saruman, who had spoken first, only to meet an equally fierce look in return. As he met Saruman's gaze, it hit him what the other had said. What was the former head of the Istari up to? What did Saruman truly seek here?
"Indeed," Círdan replied. "And what would you do with a ship, lord of Isengard?"
Saruman turned towards Círdan again, his expression going from haughty to something that almost looked like humility. He lowered his head briefly before replying. "I wish to return home."
"You wish to return home," Círdan repeated. "And is there any particular reason you wish to do so, or is this merely a whim?"
There was a brief flash of anger in Saruman's eyes. "A whim? You dare…" The wizard stopped and shook his head, and it was clear to Gandalf that he sought to calm himself. "Forgive my outburst, Círdan, old friend; I am a hunted man, and fear has the better of my tongue."
Gandalf snorted contemptuously. Hunted man, indeed.
Saruman cast him a brief glance, but quickly returned his attention to Círdan.
Círdan regarded Saruman for a long time. "If you are hunted, I do not doubt that it is the result of your own actions. Even so, I will think upon your request. We will speak again," he finally said. Next, he turned to Gandalf. "And you, Mithrandir, what is it that you seek?"
Gandalf hesitated. As soon as Saruman spoke, he had known Círdan would not grant his own wish, at least not without further persuasion. "I, too, seek passage West."
Now it was Saruman's turn for a contemptuous snort. Gandalf managed to find the restraint not to look at him.
"I see," Círdan said. "Your request for passage at least is more modest than Curunír's wish for a ship. Are you a hunted man also, Mithrandir, or do you have a loftier reason than self-interest for your wish?"
"I would prefer it if my reasons remain my own for now," Gandalf answered. Much as he trusted Círdan, rumour would soon spread if he spoke openly. Nor would he speak of the Three in front of Saruman. The look Saruman gave him was enough to make Gandalf consider that the other already knew too much.
"Then I can only say that I will consider your request also," Círdan said. "I will speak again with you both and in the meantime, you are welcome to the hospitality of my house."
The audience at an end, the wizards returned to their respective quarters. Gandalf contemplated staying behind to try to sway Círdan, but the Shipwright left the chamber along with them, his decisive steps as he walked away making it clear he was not in a mood to be persuaded.
Gandalf found no opportunity to speak with Círdan in private for several days. He could not determine whether Círdan was avoiding him or whether he was genuinely as busy as he seemed. Whichever was the case, he was relieved that Saruman also failed to get a hearing.
One morning, as the sun had only just risen in the east, and a thin fog lay over the Havens, Gandalf had gone outside to smoke. Just as he lit his pipe, he saw Círdan come down the path that led from his residence to the harbour.
As soon as the Shipwright spotted Gandalf he came over to speak to him. "My apologies for not seeking you out before, but with a ship about to sail, my time is not my own."
Gandalf nodded. "About ships…" he started, only to be interrupted by Círdan.
"I understand that you did not wish to speak more openly in front of Curunír," Círdan said as they walked along the quayside, "But the time has come for you to declare your intentions."
"I wish I could," Gandalf replied, "Yet even to you I cannot reveal all my plan."
"Your plan?" Círdan asked.
"You did not think I had one?" Gandalf laughed, though there was little mirth in it.
Círdan's expression was suddenly as stern as ever Gandalf had seen it. "In all honesty, I scarcely know what to think. Curunír clearly has no thought beyond saving himself from the Enemy's wrath. Perhaps there is nothing more than that underneath these hints of a great plan that you have given me; perhaps you truly believe that your leaving will help us against our opponent. If so, I will know what it is."
Gandalf looked down briefly. "Alas, I cannot say it." He held up his hand as Círdan started to answer. "No, wait, let me finish. Trust me. The ship that is about to sail. Grant me a place on that. That is all I ask."
Círdan looked at the water lapping at the foot of the quay for a long time. "No," he finally said as he looked at Gandalf again. "Unless you speak to me of your purpose, I will not endanger my ships or those who take passage on them."
"Sauron's strength grows greater by the day," Gandalf replied angrily. "If you will not aid me for my sake, do so for the people under his rule who suffer needlessly."
"Mithrandir, one more time. Why did you come here and why do you wish to go West?" Círdan spoke softly, but determinedly. At Gandalf's continued silence, the Elf sighed and walked away.
Gandalf had been sitting watching the water all morning. He had found a quiet spot away from the daily goings-on of the fishing boats and the work on yet another ship being prepared for the journey West. Here the docks were lower, suited to smaller boats and often used by those who wanted a place to fish or swim from, or just to sit and think.
The wizard drowsily drew in a long puff of smoke. The warmth of the sun was almost enough to send him to sleep, and for once his thoughts were not on ships, Círdan's stubborn attitude, or Rings. He had been arguing with Círdan for weeks, and his problems would still be there when he returned to them, he thought with a flash of annoyance. Not yet, though. The day is warm; I have a pipe full of good pipeweed, and a bit of time to spare before I… He was drawn rudely from his musings by approaching footsteps on the wooden boards of the quay, and voices arguing. Círdan, Saruman!
"By your own admission, Curunír, you are a traitor and a renegade. You are not welcome aboard my ships," Círdan said, just as he and the other wizard came around the corner.
Gandalf could sense Saruman's anger even without looking at him, but the former master of Isengard was given no chance to reply by Círdan.
"Mithrandir, well met," the Shipwright said smoothly. "Will you join us on our walk? There is a spot a bit further away that you might find interesting." Ah, not a chance meeting. Gandalf's curiosity was raised by Círdan's request.
"Certainly," Gandalf replied, suppressing his amusement at Saruman's frustrated anger. He could only wonder, though; never before would his own presence have inhibited the other wizard from speaking. Not that he believed Saruman's contrition was genuine, but the other had changed. Or was it that he himself had?
Círdan led them away from the town and the water, past an area of low trees and old ruins. Gandalf wondered that the buildings had been left to fall into ruin like this, but said nothing. It was not long after that they returned to the waterside, where broken paving stones marked the remains of a path. Finally, they came to what was left of a low quay, its masonry crumbling.
The Shipwright halted under a broken arch of white marble. "I sometimes come here when I need to be alone with my thoughts," he said.
Neither wizard spoke at first, but both looked around them curiously. By the age of the ruins, Gandalf guessed that this quay dated back to the Second Age. Círdan had not brought them here without reason, Gandalf suspected. If the Elf wanted to speak with them in private, his audience chamber or even his garden would have sufficed.
"Why will you not grant us passage?" Gandalf asked, causing Saruman to look at him in surprise at being included.
Círdan did not answer the question. Instead, he gestured at the ruined quay and the water. "What do you see?" he asked, and went on without waiting for an answer. "The work of our hands fails, the land itself changes. Only the Sea is always there, unchanging. Nothing else is, in the end." Gandalf wanted to interrupt, but Círdan continued. "The Immortal Lands endure, but they have been separate from Middle-earth since the days that this was Mithlond's main quay. I had no part in your coming here, and I do not believe I will have in your departure either."
Gandalf felt a shiver run down his back as he recognised the ring of foresight in Círdan's words. Meanwhile, Saruman had turned to look out over the Gulf of Lune.
"What is that?" he asked, pointing into the distance across the water.
"What is what?" Gandalf asked in return as he and Círdan followed the direction of Saruman's gaze.
Gandalf's uncanny feeling deepened. Still far out on the Gulf, a dense patch of fog moved towards them. There was a sudden tension in the air, much like the stillness before a great storm broke. As Gandalf glanced aside it was clear Círdan and Saruman felt it also.
"What is that?" Saruman repeated, now addressing Círdan. "You… this is some kind of trick!" Círdan merely shook his head in denial as he looked out over the water.
Slowly the mist faded, until all that was left was a sharp salt tang in the air, and a boat. Aboard, just one man… no, one entity. To most he would appear as no more than an old sailor, with grey hair and ragged garb. The boat had a single sail, which its occupant lowered as he neared the quay, using a broad paddle to close the last few yards.
Perhaps even Círdan saw no more than that ancient sailor clad in rough grey cloth, Gandalf thought, but to him that form was no more than an image, a shadow in the mind. Before him stood the Lord of Waters in his full power. Awe and sudden joy brought Gandalf to his knees. The weariness that had lain upon him for so long ebbed away, as though a dark taint was washed from him. He felt Círdan's love of the Lord of Waters pour out along with his own adoration. Saruman alone remained standing, until Ulmo turned to look at him, and he hurriedly sank to his knees.
There was a brief pause before the Vala spoke. "Rise."
"Welcome to Mithlond, Lord," Círdan spoke as soon as he stood, appearing barely perturbed by one of the Powers turning up in his lands.
The Lord of Waters looked at him, but if further words were exchanged, they were not spoken out loud. However, after a short time, Círdan bowed his head as if in acknowledgement and withdrew slightly.
Next, Ulmo turned to Saruman.
"Lord, I… I… forgive me, I…"
Saruman fell silent.
"Curumo," Ulmo said again. "Save your words for the Máhanaxar. Get aboard."
While the other wizard scrambled aboard the small boat, Gandalf felt his own courage almost abandon him. No, I faced even death without flinching, and I always intended this. Do not fall at this hurdle.
As soon as Saruman was safely aboard and sitting down, the Vala turned to look at Gandalf, who steeled himself to stand calmly under that terrible regard. While Ulmo spoke with Saruman, Gandalf had considered how to present his own case. He had not expected to do so here, but in Valinor before all the Valar, indeed in the Máhanaxar. Perhaps this was better – either way, he would certainly not emulate the obsequious cringing of the other Wizard. Best to be bold, even if he felt unable to match Círdan's quiet confidence now that he faced the Lord of the Sea in truth.
"Lord, without guidance, the Children are unable to muster the strength and wisdom needed to oppose the Enemy. If I were granted the full and unrestrained use of my powers, and more…" Gandalf waited, but the Vala showed no reaction. Onwards, then. "The Enemy had no part in the making of the Three Rings of the Elves, nor did he ever touch them. It should be possible to… Allow me to bring the Ring of Fire West so that I, together with its maker, can break it from Sauron's control." There was a disbelieving snort from Saruman, and a sneer in thought – that is your great plan? – but Ulmo remained silent still. Gandalf continued. "I can then return to Middle-earth to gather to me all those of the Free Peoples who will stand to oppose the Enemy."
"And how would you return? The ships of the Elves cannot sail back along the Straight Path, and I do not run a ferry service for erring Wizards, Olórin," the Lord of Waters said sternly.
Gandalf glowered at 'erring', but he knew better than to object. He had presented his case, and he could only wait how it would be received.
"Olórin, attend my words. A choice is before you. You may come with me now, but if that is your decision, it is final. You cannot return again."
"But…" Gandalf started, then as he was faced with a look as cold as the black depths of the ocean, changed what he was going to say. "And my other choice?" he asked.
Ulmo looked at him again. Gandalf quickly lowered his eyes, feeling as if a great wave was about to crash down and sweep him away.
"Your other choice, Olórin, is to become again who you were meant to be. Renounce the temptation of wielding power for its own sake."
At that, Círdan stirred slightly, and the Lord of Waters turned to him. "Your intent in passing on Narya was good, and it was then accepted in that same spirit. Indeed, for most of the Age, Olórin used it wisely and nobly. It was only with the return of the One Ring to its maker's hand that he grew careless, and thus all but lost himself."
Círdan nodded in acknowledgement of the Vala's words, and Ulmo returned his attention to Gandalf.
The wizard knew that Ulmo was waiting for his decision. What to do? He could only admit that he had failed. All his plans were overthrown, and all his deeds had in the end only led to disaster. Go home, and maybe someday find a measure of peace again? Or stay, in the hope that I can find redemption, if not in the eyes of others, at least for myself. Can I ask for more time to decide? One look at the Vala's face put an end to that idea. What do I do?
Gandalf looked away from Ulmo, dismayed, glancing down at the still-burning pipe in his hand. A wisp of smoke rose from the bowl, and the awe he felt before the Power became something gentler, smaller, but no less beloved. Would that I could go there…
"I will stay. But will you not at least take Narya?"
Nay, Olórin, I will not. I am glad at your decision, but the Ring is yours to bear, for good or for ill."
This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J R R Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this archive site. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the enjoyment of Henneth Annûn Story Archive readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author. | <urn:uuid:19e37429-7b68-411d-b979-6fa1da08c92f> | 2013-05-23T18:31:05Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Pair reportedly conspires to steal $2,100 in cigarettes
The following information was provided by reports filed with the Cabell County Sheriff's Office:
LARCENY: An employee at Rich Oil reported someone took $2,100 in cigarettes from the store the afternoon of Oct. 25. Surveillance footage showed a woman "luring" an employee to a cooler in the store while a man wearing a hoodie entered the office and put the cigarettes in a duffle bag. Deputies have a suspect.
BURGLARY, BREAKING AND ENTERING: A 36-year-old woman reported someone forced entry into her home along Tecumseh Trail in Huntington Monday and took $8,300 in jewelry, $320 in electronics and a firearm worth $400. The house sustained $300 in damage.
BURGLARY, BREAKING AND ENTERING: A 34-year-old woman reported someone forced open the rear door of her residence in the 200 block of Winesap Way in Ona sometime between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning and took $5,000 in cash, $4,000 in jewelry and $3,199 in electronics.
The following information was provided by reports filed with the Huntington Police Department:
BREAKING AND ENTERING: Officers responded to the 1400 block of 8th Avenue on Thursday afternoon for three breaking and entering reports involving rail cars parked on the train tracks in the area. The incidents were reported to police by the respective owners of the vehicles, and they are thought to have taken place between noon Wednesday and noon Thursday.
A Minnesota man reported someone attempted to force entry into his rail car, causing $2,000 in damage. No items were reported missing.
An employee for Amtrack reported someone forced entry into their rail car and took an iPod worth $150 and caused $20 in damage.
A Maryland woman reported someone forced entry into her rail car and caused $200 in damage. No items were reported missing from her rail car.
The following information was provided by booking records at the Western Regional Jail in Barboursville:
Denziel Roger Grant, 38, was incarcerated at 3:40 p.m. Thursday. Authorities in Putnam County charged him with eight felony counts of fraudulent use of a credit card. Bond was $24,000.
Benjamin Todd Marcum, 32, was incarcerated at 3:30 p.m. Thursday. Authorities in Wayne County charged him with felony grand larceny. Bond was $7,500.
Andrea Beth Tucker, 25, was incarcerated at 2:50 p.m. Thursday. Authorities in Cabell County arrested him on a felony bench warrant. Bond was denied.
Rebecca Dawn Black, 25, was incarcerated at 6:10 a.m. Thursday. Authorities in Cabell County charged her with felony forgery and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance. Bond was denied pending arraignment. | <urn:uuid:74dc870d-3723-4b91-a0f0-8513674112b9> | 2013-05-23T18:53:17Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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If you're on the verge of buying a new car that's fast -- but not exactly practical -- here's some intel that could tip the scales.
Hagerty Insurance, the world's largest insurer of classic cars, is out with its annual "hot list" of cars that could one day become sought-after by collectors.
To make the list, Hagerty said, the mass-produced cars needed be new for the 2013 model year and cost less than $100,000. The list spans a wide range of prices: At the top is the SRT Viper, with a starting price of $97,395, while the cheapest is the $23,700 Ford Focus ST.
Here's the complete list of the cars and their starting prices:
SRT Viper: $97,395
Chevy Corvette 427 convertible: $75,925
Audi RS5: $68,900
Porsche Cayman S: $63,800
Chevy Camaro ZL1 convertible: $59,545
Tesla Model S: $58,570
Mini John Cooper Works GP: $39,950
Subaru BRZ: $25,495
Volkswagen GTI: $23,995
Ford Focus ST: $23,700
Highway 1 has tested a number of these cars, so click through the gallery to see them up close and read our reviews. What's your favorite? | <urn:uuid:59321e65-ba38-47ba-bb6a-07684f40b46b> | 2013-05-23T18:40:26Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Louis Vuitton, Muhammad Ali And Mos Def. Hmm...
Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) channels his inner Mohammed Ali, delivering Ali's speeches like the champ himself, inside the ring for Louis Vuitton. Why? I have no idea, but it's provocative.
Posted by He who says hmm... at 5:57 AM | <urn:uuid:1c7d40a6-5ec7-4cc9-bd1a-fd330d531377> | 2013-05-23T18:59:08Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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People who believe the Dajjal's way of life, in secular democracy and other 'cracies' and 'isms' also have trouble accepting the fact that Islam's primary function and scope is in the national life of a people, its secondary reflection and version is the personal life although numerous examples from the Qur'an and the Hadis can be put forward to support this. Before them, I would like present just this one thing. Among the five 'fard' or compulsory responsibilities of a Muslim, four are of collective nature, only one remaining strictly personal. Iman, meaning Tawheed, Salah, Zakah, Hajj are all for collective observance, while only 'saom' or fasting is private. In accepting the five pillars of Islam as issues of personal adherence, these people have accepted the Dajjal in their private and personal lives as well. ;
The Messenger has said, “The Dajjal's power and influence will encompass the world's water and earth. The surface of the world will be covered by it as skin on an animal's back.” -from Masnad-e-Ahmed, Haqeem and Dar-ul-Nushr.
WHAT has the Messenger of Allah tried to relay through this allegory if not the Judeo-Christian civilization? For is not all the world's water and land under the control and influence of this one superpower? Even a short time back, there was dissension between two forces of the Dajjal, but today, there is none, today only the Judeo-Christian technological civilization stands as the supreme power on the face of the world, with none to challenge or stand up to its domination. There is not an inch of land or water on this planet where this power does not have access to, or cannot get its own will imposed upon. The allegory used by the Messenger of Allah best describes this scenario… as complete and uninterrupted as the skin on an animal… what better word to describe the scenario where the entire world is under the grip of the Judeo-Christian civilization.
Throughout the world's history, large land areas have been conquered by mighty military powers, huge empires have been established and ruled by them for generations and numerous dynasties established, like the Roman and Byzantine empires, the Ming dynasty of China and so forth. Before that time period, the huge land area from Afghanistan to East Borneo was ruled by the Indian civilization, named ‘Maha-Bharat’. However, never in time had it so happened that a single super power has controlled the entire earth or that a single theory,secularism has been accepted the world over as a whole as it has been in the case of the Dajjal.
If the Muslim population were not to accept the Dajjal, the Messenger of Allah might have rephrased his statement, perhaps saying that one-fifth of the people would not accept it, or that all except his Ummah would accept the Dajjal. However, he said neither of these, which further proves that the 'Muslim' populace too is the follower of the Dajjal. As I have stated earlier, there is no parallel to the present situation of a single ideological domination of the entire world. Before the technological advancement brought about by the Judeo-Christian civilization, the idea of world domination remained a distant dream due to the time and effort entailed in communication and getting from one place to another. However, with rapid scientific growth, communications has become easy and that in turn facilitated the prospect of complete domination of the world by the Dajjal.
The Messenger has said, “Arabia too will come under the grip of the Dajjal and its influence and control will be effective here as well.” -Bokhari, Muslim.
IN MANY other Hadis the Messenger of Allah has narrated about the Dajjal's grip on the world. In this one, however, specifically mentioned Arabia, the cradle of the last reformed version of the Deen-ul-Islam, too will not remain immune to the influence of the Dajjal. Although the Qur'anic injunctions regarding law and order, trade, penalty and punishment remain in force partially in some parts of the Arabian peninsula today, in all other aspect including the system of government, the economy, the rulers look towards the western powers for direction and guidance and act in accordance with their wishes. They make no mistake in realizing that should they act differently than their foreign masters wish them to, their thrones or their precious emirates would soon be snatched away from them and bestowed upon people more keen to follow them, people of their liking. Since the war in Iraq in 1991 the peninsula of Arabia has been under complete domination of the Christian & Jewish army and they have almost completely turned it into an occupied territory.
The Arab rulers of the peninsula have neither the wish nor the ability to move a finger to cause the displeasure of their foreign masters. | <urn:uuid:fef8b55c-a5b9-44f5-896d-b1d9e262a699> | 2013-05-23T19:05:15Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Parshuram did not stay with his parents. Instead he wanted to go for penance somewhere in Badrinath. Before leaving, he promised to visit his parents once a year. Renuka fair is held to commemorate Parshuram's visit to his mother. On the 10th day of the bright half of the month Kartika (November) the idol of Parshurarn, seated in a well decorated palanquin, is taken out in procession which treks the path of some eight kilometers from village Jamu to the site of the lake Renuka.
The two deities held as embodiments of the Lord Parshuram, from villages Kattah and Masu, also join the procession, which is attended by hill orchestra. A few folk dancers dressed in long garb with loose sleeves add to the gaiety of theprocession as they dance to the accompaniment of the folk music. On the Ilth day i.e. Ekadashi, the son stays with his mother and on the 12th afternoon he takes leave for Jamu with a promise to visit next year."*
The Minjar fair has different legends.
"The week-long festivities of the colorful Minjar fair of Chamba start on the second Sunday of Shrawan (August). When was Minjar first celebrated is not known but the present form of the fair is attributed to Raja Shahil Verma who ruled the State in the 10th century.
*The Cultural Heritage of the Himalayas by K. L. Vaidya, (National, 1977), page 34-35. | <urn:uuid:26779d4b-ca9f-4bc6-9d2f-af80b8c127e1> | 2013-05-23T18:51:32Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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HitFix selects 15 new-ish stars to click for 2012
Stephen Amell, 'Arrow'
Where You've Seen Them Before: With roles on "Private Practice," "Hung" and "Heartland," Amell has been around, though you've probably only noticed his cheekbones and abs.
Breakout Role: By day, Amell is shipwreck-surviving billionaire playboy Oliver Queen, but by night, he's archery-loving Green Arrow.
Why: Amell's cheekbones and abs are, again, front and center on The CW's "Arrow," so it isn't surprising to see him doing gravity-defying pull-ups and flirting or brooding effectively. What's more surprising is how well Amell's charisma and presence anchor "Arrow," in which he's asked to play both an action hero and several different versions of Oliver Queen. Amell's the reason "Arrow" will play well with The CW's young female core demo, but he's also commanding enough that he could help this DC Comics adaptation breakout with a wider viewership. He's perhaps the biggest no-brainer on this list. | <urn:uuid:dc6a9ebc-123c-4aa7-8d3a-96c28ef915de> | 2013-05-23T19:09:46Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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It's a wake-up call for the nation's banks -- and for you, if you keep your money with one of them.
The recent cyberattacks from overseas temporarily blocked online account access for customers at several big banks, leaving them unable to check balances, pay bills and make transfers.
So, is your money safe? HLN Money Expert Clark Howard says there's one key way you can protect your accounts. Check it out here. | <urn:uuid:6240adcb-c67e-423d-8b7d-9ab7b482ab02> | 2013-05-23T18:31:25Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Anderson Cooper Goes Off on Kate Gosselin (Video)
Cooper rolls his eyes and mocks the reality TV mom after she takes the last slice of pizza away from her children to give to her bodyguard.
Anderson Cooper is no fan of Kate Gosselin.
On his CNN show Tuesday, he mocked the reality mom on his Ridiculist segment for a clip from the second-to-last episode of Kate Plus 8, which aired earlier this week. Cooper joked about Gosselin taking the last slice of pizza away from her eight children to give to her bodyguard -- and then freaking out when one of her daughters handed over the piece with her bare hands. ("Oh my gosh, that is disgusting!" fumes Gosselin.)
"Middle-aged bodyguards can get pretty cranky if their routine is thrown off: You know, lunch, juice box, binkie nap," Cooper joked, adding that the bodyguard should have been marked with masking tape: "Steve's Pizza, do not touch."
When the kids' babysitter, Ashley, suggests the bodyguard eat something else, Gosselin shrieked, "He doesn't eat macaroni and cheese or salad! That's the whole point."
"Wow," says Cooper, rolling his eyes.
Ashley then says, "I am so sick of your dramatics!" and quits.
"It is a cautionary tale," Cooper says dryly. "So many lessons for all of us to learn…wash your hands, guard your food… If you somehow, against all odds, find a woman who's willing to help you take eight kids on a cross-country road trip, for goodness sake, let her divide the pizza any way she wants."
What's Hot in TV
- MOST SHARED
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Julian Assange Hits Out Against WikiLeaks Movie
The activist says Bill Condon's "The Fifth Estate" is a "massive propaganda attack" and is "fanning the flames" of war.
LONDON – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has lashed out against Bill Condon's WikiLeaks movie The Fifth Estate, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, describing it as a "massive propaganda attack."
Assange claimed he had seen a copy of the script for the movie, backed by Participant Media and DreamWorks, and also argued that the film is an inflammatory attack on Iran.
STORY: Fashion Designer Vivienne Westwood Visits WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange
Assange, currently hiding in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, shared his opinions in a Wednesday night video link with students at Oxford University, the Guardian reported. Talking to the University's famous Oxford Union from his refuge at the Ecuadorian embassy, the activist's remarks came as the first picture of Cumberbatch as Assange was released.
Cumberbatch stars alongside Daniel Bruhl, who plays the activist's confidant Daniel Domscheit-Berg, in the story of the early days of WikiLeaks. The Fifth Estate, which also stars Laura Linney, Anthony Mackie, David Thewlis and Peter Capaldi, is due to be released in the U.S. in November.
The movie is based on Domscheit-Berg's book Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World's Most Dangerous Website, as well as Guardian writers David Leigh and Luke Harding's WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy.
Assange told the Oxford Union that Condon's film began with scenes inside a military complex in Iran, where nuclear symbols could clearly be seen.
He said that scene suggested the country was building a nuclear weapon, and the film was clearly an attempt to go about "fanning the flames" of war.
"How does this have anything to do with us? It is a lie upon lie," he said. "The movie is a massive propaganda attack on WikiLeaks and the character of my staff."
Assange reportedly held a supposed copy of the script for The Fifth Estate by The West Wing's Josh Singer in his hand throughout the video-taped encounter, but didn't show it to the camera.
Assange also quoted from a scene, in which he said scientists were seen meeting a U.S. agent. "How is it that a lie gets into a script about WikiLeaks?," he asked.
Assange did not get an easy run from the students with the activist refusing to answer questions about his decision not to return to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual assault. Assange also said he fears being extradited onwards to the U.S. over his WikiLeaks activism.
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"What is it, something in
the water out there in Pueblo? All you guys turn out to be heroes."
President Dwight D. Eisenhower
upon presenting the Medal of Honor to Raymond G.
Murphy in 1953
has the rare honor of having four of its citizens awarded the Medal of Honor. Four
bronze statues are on display at the Pueblo Convention Center.
is the first enlisted man in Special Forces to have been awarded the Medal of Honor. He
received a direct commission to first lieutenant and retired with the rank of major after
serving twenty years in the army, many of those in unconventional warfare assignments.
Following retirement from the army he continued to work in support of government sponsored
programs and owned and operated an air service in the Alaskan interior. | <urn:uuid:e1cb7514-e75c-4943-a91f-5387abafc0ac> | 2013-05-23T18:37:56Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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2 lbs. thinly sliced round steak
1 cup water
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 can stewed tomatoes (or 2 fresh tomatoes, sliced)
2 sliced green peppers
Directions: Brown steak in a small amount of hot oil in a large skillet. Drain. Add water, garlic salt and ginger. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and corn starch. Thin with water if needed. Add tomatoes and pepper. Cover and steam until vegetables are soft. Serve over white rice.
Notes: This satisfies the hungry men in my family, who can smell it before coming in the back door from chores. | <urn:uuid:f6d1c466-c336-4714-b6f0-d25a312d53a9> | 2013-05-23T18:33:06Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Tag: Employee Interviews
We often think about preparing questions for an employee in an interview, but spend little time on being ready to answer questions that they might ask us. Consider these samples:
- How many employees do you have?
- What are your annual sales and profitability trends over the past three years?
- What percentage of managers are promoted, rather than recruited?
- Why is the position open? Did someone quit or get fired? Is this a new position?
- How would you describe your company’s culture?
- Where do you get your greatest satisfaction in working at the company?
- What frustrates you at times working for the company?
- How does your performance appraisal system work?
- What training programs do you offer employees?
- When is the last time you faced an employee claim?
- How often does the CEO meet with the management team?
- What type of office parties and social events do you have?
- Do you publish career ladders for the position?
- What effort have you made to find out about me before the interview? (i.e., have you done a Google search?)
P.S. As a fringe benefit, preparing these answers will tell you a lot about your company. | <urn:uuid:18f88c7a-e2e2-4b95-9f54-2d6c61f0034f> | 2013-05-23T18:30:33Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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As we begin a new year, we are again filled with hope for a bright future. But if the past year is precedent, our hopes will be burdened with too many uncertainties.
2011 will perhaps be best remembered as the year of the Arab Spring. Following a month of violent protests, the Tunisian government collapsed on Jan. 14, when President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia after 23 years in power. His people had risen up against high unemployment and inflation, corruption, and a lack of freedoms in Tunisia.
The protests were triggered by the actions of a 26-year-old vegetable cart operator named Mohamed Bouazizi, who doused himself with a flammable liquid and set himself on fire to protest the local government. Public support for Bouazizi grew as protests spread with the help of YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Bouazizi died from burns in early January, about 10 days before the government fell. But Bouazizi's act opened the door for millions of Arabs throughout the region.
Demonstrators took over Cairo's Tahrir Square, and at times as many as 1 million Egyptians protested their repressive government and demanded President Hosni Mubarak's resignation. The long-time American ally and friend to Israel resigned on Feb. 11, leaving the Egyptian military in control until a new leader is elected.
Bahrain and Syria have also dealt with protests. But the Syrian government has resorted to extreme violence against its own people, leaving thousands dead and the country's future unclear.
Meanwhile, Iran continues to roil the world stage with its meddlesome acts throughout the Middle East and its threats against Israel and the West. The Iranian government continues to develop a nuclear weapons program despite painful sanctions that have been imposed by many Western nations. War clouds darken the landscape as the Revolutionary Guard represses its own people.
The U.S. military has withdrawn from Iraq, leaving that country deeply divided as it struggles for a democratic future. Iran is doing all it can to destabilize progress in that country by influencing Iraq's Shiite Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, who is accused by minority Sunnis of using security forces to consolidate his power. In 2011, 4,063 Iraqi civilians were killed, a slight increase over the previous year. Turmoil and tumult abound in Iraq nine years after America freed the country from the tyrannical regime of Saddam Hussein.
As the U.S. continues its war in Afghanistan, al-Qaeda and Afghan Taliban fighters have reached out to Pakistani militants in an effort to set aside their differences to take on the U.S. led forces in Afghanistan. Meetings have been held in Pakistan's tribal region, and an alliance may not bode well for Americans as they accelerate their withdrawal from Afghanistan. This as U.S.-Pakistani relations are at an all-time low.
There is much on the world stage to be weary of, not the least of which is Europe's difficult economic problems and the rising influence of China. All these factors are having a great impact on America, which itself is struggling to regain its economic footing following the 2008 recession.
So the U.S. elections in November are critical. Yet Republican presidential candidates have decimated each other in an effort to curry favor from the Tea Party and conservative Christian factions of their party. Their campaigns have reflected the divisiveness that has paralyzed Washington and Congress. They have done little to show a majority of Americans that they can unite the country at such an important time.
Meanwhile President Barack Obama, the persistent president, is now in full campaign mode. His policies are leading to slow but steady economic recovery. More and more people are being hired. His historic health care reform measures are beginning to have a positive impact on Americans. The U.S. auto industry is again vibrant thanks to his intervention.
President Obama has a credible foreign policy, and he has kept the country safe from terrorist attacks. He has destroyed the leadership of al-Qaeda, including Osama bin Laden, and helped to oust Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. He has kept his campaign promises by ending the war in Iraq and focusing his efforts on Afghanistan. Yet huge federal deficits loom as far as the eye can see, entitlement programs lack true reform, the housing market remains weak and consumer demand is still tepid.
Come November, Americans will have a choice: staying the course or voting for change. The question voters will face is, "Will the alternative be change we can truly believe in?"
Follow Joe Peyronnin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/joepeyronnin | <urn:uuid:4734177e-15b7-4047-a45d-4793e7529e6a> | 2013-05-23T18:33:46Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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One of the main morphological differences between men and women is the greater amount of fat that women carry; this softens the outline of the muscles, more or less erases the osseous indicators, and rounds out the surfaces while creating characteristic folds and grooves.
Fat in normal women represents between 18% and 20% of body weight, whereas in men it represents only 10% to 15%. The reason for this difference is that women at some point in their lives may nourish a fetus and then a baby from their own reserves, so women have to stock energy in the form of fat in anticipation of future pregnancies (and must stock even more energy during the last two trimesters of pregnancy).
For various reasons, different fat distributions occur in women according to climate. In hot countries, the fat is localized on the buttocks (black Africans), on the hips (Mediterraneans), and around the navel (certain Asians). This distribution avoids covering the woman with a hot coat of fat that would be difficult to bear and inefficient for thermoregulation during hot periods. In cold countries, the distribution of fat is more uniform, which provides for better protection during rigorous winters. However the fat is distributed, its main function is for the survival of the species as it provides for survival of the woman and her offspring during times of scarcity.
It is important to note that all healthy people have fat reserves necessary for the proper functioning of their bodies. Obsession with obesity or the need to follow deviant aesthetic fashions should not lead to the complete elimination of fat. In fact, the almost complete disappearance of fat can lead to serious hormonal problems involving the cessation of the period (amenorrhea, which is a temporary absence of ovulation and therefore momentary sterility), as this means has been put in place during evolution to avoid bringing progeny into the world that the female could not nourish with her own organic reserves.
Primary Fat Deposits
Fat reserves accumulate in very specific areas on the body. Generally they avoid the flexion folds at the joints in order not to interfere with movement. Fat accumulations are often distributed the same in both sexes; the main difference is in the greater development on certain areas in women.
1. The Buttocks
The buttock region can be quite prominent in women; this is almost entirely due to fat that is contained by the gluteal fold. Besides its role as an energy reserve, this concentration protects the anal area and helps make the sitting position more comfortable by cushioning the direct contact between the bones (ischial tuberosities) and the ground or supporting surface.
The Gluteal Fold
The gluteal fold is made up of tough, fibrous tracts that connect the deep surface of the skin in the gluteal area to the ischium. The main consequence of this fibours attachement is to contain the fat in a sort of pocket, which prevents it from falling down against the back of the thigh while at the same time increasing the volume of the buttock. When certain people age, this fat empties and the bottom of the buttock withers, even going so far as to hang down. Only appropriate training of the buttock area will compensates for the disappearance of fat and the loss of tone through muscle development that maintains the buttocks from the inside.
2. Low Back
Second in importance, this concentration merges with the gluteal area so that the buttock increases in height until it seems to go up to the waist.
3. Below the Trochanter, or “Riding Breeches”
Frequently found in Mediterranean women, this concentration can be quite bulky. Located on the superior part of the lateral thigh just below the depression of the greater trochanter, it blends with the fatty tissue of the anterior surface of the thigh and, at the posterior, with that of the buttocks. When there is a lot of fat in this area we often observe many more or less deep depressions on the surface of the skin, referred to as a “pitted” or “cottage cheese” surface. This is due to inelastic fibrous tracts that, like little cables, connect the deep surface of the skin at the level of the depressions to the enveloping aponeurosis of the muscle, with the adipose tissue creating bumps or bulges in between (a quiltlike phenomenon).
4. Between the Thighs
Relatively common in women, fat in this location plays an important aesthetic role in that it fills the space between the two thighs; it is often more noticeable in women than in men.
5. Around the Navel
As in the subtrochanteric location, the periumbilical concentration is one of the rare fat deposits that is also found in thin women.
This triangular concentration is known as the “mount of Venus.” It protects the symphysis pubis from blows.
In women, the knee is often a location of fat concentration, especially on the medial region.
8. Posterior-Medial Part of the Upper Arm
Especially developed in women, this concentration, besides its energetic role, protects the superficial nerves and arteries in the medial and superior area of the arm.
The breast is composed of fat enclosing the mammary glands, the whole being held together by a web of connective tissue resting on the pectoralis major. Note that men also have glands and mammary fat (atrophied). | <urn:uuid:aaff9032-b333-43f9-a110-ea7797b13d9b> | 2013-05-23T18:33:51Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Valdosta State University hitting coach Todd Guilliams brings his record-setting hitting expertise in this comprehensive resource about the offensive side of the ball. Valdosta State University hitting coach Todd Guilliams is no stranger to offensive success on the field. Now Guilliams brings his hitting expertise to High-Scoring Baseball: Enhanced Edition, the most comprehensive resource available about the offensive side of the ball.
To maximize your offense and experience high-scoring games, read High-Scoring Baseball. To have an effective offense, a team needs to have a flexible game plan that puts the team in the best possible position, day after day, game after game, to score as many runs as possible. Although five runs is the major-league average, a high-scoring offense will seek to score more than the average number of runs, to be better than average.
This directive promotes quick reads and potentially more runs, whereas delayed reads result in only one-base advancement and no runs. The final drill can be used both indoors or out and challenges base runners’ ability to react intelligently to various situations. Base runners can spend three minutes at each base.
An example would be the game-day BP routine, which incorporates hitting in various counts, changing speeds, executing with runners on base, and finishing each round with a bunt. By varying the distance of the BP pitcher from the hitter, we can work on rhythm and timing. Base runners rotate up one base when the hitter finishes a round. | <urn:uuid:bfda32eb-e4b8-40c1-ba84-975913fc02a6> | 2013-05-23T19:09:25Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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No 1: Symphonia di J Clerk
No 2. Recitative – Aria: Odo di mesto intorno – Ahi sì, v'intendo sì
No 3. Recitative – Aria: Parte l'Anglicano Campione – Maiore accrese il foco
No 4. Recitative – Aria: Vanne, ma in bianchi lini – Alla battaglia
No 5. Recitative – Aria: Alla assalto – Amoretti ch'intorno scherzate
No 6. Recitative – Aria: Ma dopo tai conflitti – Le catene d'Amor
This Cantata was made by me at the Duke of Bedford’s desire. The Poesie was made by one of his servants, an Italian, and performed by Corelli, and other musicians before his grace and many of the Roman nobility …
This is the longest of Clerk’s cantatas and was composed in 1698 for the departure of the eighteen-year-old Wriothesley Russell, Duke of Bedford, and Baron Howland from Frascati for Naples, almost certainly to consummate his dynastic marriage to Elizabeth Howland which had taken place when he was fifteen and she thirteen. This likelihood is underlined by the number symbolism in the piece. The numerical value of the name ‘Bedford’ is fifty-two; that of ‘Howland’ seventy-two. The opening Sinfonia adds up to fifty-two bars, announcing the hero’s name, and reflecting two basic moods, sad leave-taking and anticipation of nuptial joy. The main section of the final aria adds up to seventy-two bars, the voice entering after twenty bars and therefore leaving fifty-two bars. In this section Clerk, after twenty bars of instrumental foreplay has literally embedded Bedford in Howland, at which entry point the lady sings.
The opening soprano recitative expresses the sorrows of Nature and of man, and the following plaintive aria explains the cause—the departure of the young English hero. The next recitative and aria are more cheerful. Exhorted by the recitative, the aria banishes sorrows claiming, in its central section, that a feeble heart is no good in such a case. Here is the turning point, for the restraint the young couple presumably underwent for three years must now be thrown off. The active bass line encourages and the outer sections of the aria make lovely play with the words ‘lontananza d’amor’ in which distant love becomes seductively yielding.
There follows a magnificent section sending the young hero forth to meet his beloved in virgin white in the battle of love prepared by Cupid. The aria is full of excitement and echoes of military fervour, but never steps outside the gentility proper to the occasion. The vocal line is brilliant but not excessive, and the writing for the two violins is marvellously active, amorous fanfares answering each other, but always coherent.
The ensuing recitative sustains the mood but, with the battle of love joined at close quarters, the aria is more gentle and little cupids frolic around the couple, delicately expressed by the violins and the vocal line. The cantata ends with lingering and deliberate sensuality, underlined by the arcane number symbolism. The violins intertwine amorously and the gentle but determined rise and fall of the voice is its own explanation.
from notes by John Purser © 1998 | <urn:uuid:7a2265b8-f386-44f5-b81c-08c602b505de> | 2013-05-23T18:39:11Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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He trusted in the LORD God of Israel
2 Kings 18:5
18:5 He trusted in the LORD God of Israel. Hezekiah was arguably the most godly of all the kings of Judah, yet his father Ahaz was probably the most ungodly. Perhaps the testimony of his grandfather, Jotham, or his great grandfather, Uzziah, influenced him toward Jehovah. More likely, he was pointed to the Lord by the prophet Isaiah, who was a frequent spokesman for God at the king’s court. | <urn:uuid:e4d10ef2-87a0-4e42-bcb1-3e52a4a0b28a> | 2013-05-23T18:45:36Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Sega was founded in 1951 by David Rosen, an American living in Japan. Originally named Rosen Enterprises, the company focused on art export before moving into the distribution of coin-op machines and photo booths. In 1965, Rosen Enterprises merged with a jukebox manufacturer and changed its name to Service Games -- or short: SEGA. Over the years, Sega, which was eventually bought by Japanese investors, developed games for the early home consoles as well as arcades, and in 1986 entered the console business with the Sega Master System. As a direct competitor to Nintendo, Sega and the Big "N" battled it out with subsequent gaming machines, including Sega's successful Genesis (Mega Drive) and the handheld Game Gear. But Nintendo's head-start in console gaming, a string of unsuccessful add-ons (Sega CD, 32X) and a lack of focus caused Sega to lose market share in the post Genesis days. The next console, the Sega Saturn suffered a fate similar to the original Master System, in that it went up against an extremely powerful competitor -- this time Sony's PlayStation. After an attempt to revitalize the console publishing business with the release of the Sega Dreamcast in 1998, Sega called it quits in 2001 and shifted to become a platform-agnostic publisher.
Sega of America is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based Sega Corporation, responsible for the development, marketing and distribution of Sega videogame systems and videogames in the Americas.
Sega Corporation is a major player in interactive digital entertainment media, offering interactive entertainment experiences both inside and outside the home.
The corporation merged with Sammy in 2004. SEGA continues to operate under its original business name following the merger. | <urn:uuid:c7912119-6a6b-4c09-9f1a-e435bb0551a1> | 2013-05-23T19:06:09Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Charlie Kohler is a piano player in a bar. The waitress Lena is in love with him. One of Charlie's brother, Chico, a crook, takes refuge in the bar because he is chased by two gangsters, ... See full summary »
Based on the Starkweather-Fugate killing spree of the 1958, in which a fifteen-year-old girl and her twenty-five-year-old boyfriend slaughtered her entire family and several others in the Dakota badlands.
Abel Davis is a criminal, hunted in Italy. The police are closing in, so he and his pal Raymond arrange to flee back to France with Abel's wife, Thérèse, and their two young sons. Abel and ... See full summary »
George, after getting out of prison, begins looking for a job, but his time in prison has reduced his stature in the criminal underworld. The only job he can find is to be a driver for ... See full summary »
Life's a rotten business, says Jean, a deserter who arrives at night in Le Havre, looking to leave the country. He lucks into civilian clothes, a little bit of money, a passport, and a dog, and he also meets Nelly, a 17-year-old who's grown up too fast. She's the object of lust of men: including a boyfriend Maurice, her putative protector Zabel, and Lucien, a local hood. Jean falls for her, faces down Lucien, and gives her courage to stand on her own feet. A ship is leaving for Venezuela; can at least one of them be on it, or is that just a dream? Written by
Funny how blood stains clothes but washes off hands so easily. Ever notice how doctors and surgeons have such clean, white hands? Even though their pretty hands wallow in blood the whole blessed day.
See more »
...lascivious, resentful old storekeepers, effete "toughs", thieving winos, crestfallen, impecunious artists and other downtrodden types. Like Duvivier's incomparable "Pepe Le Moko", "Port Of Shadows" is shrouded in mist. The fog here, however, doesn't evoke a sensual surrealism, but envelopes everything with a graven pallor and dampness. Indeed, everything here screams asphyxiation- Gabin is INCREDIBLE as a well-intentioned Byronic figure embittered by the realities and absurdities of war, whose near-consummate weltschmerz is offered salvation...until inescapable tragedy strikes. As a tragic poet of the cinema, I believe Carne was nearly unrivalled in the Golden Age of French film.
The thick veils of smog give the amplify the film's preoccupation with solitude and opacity- dialogue here is often barbed, strained and bitter, the world-weary cynicism of the characters betraying their immense suffering. Principles are a luxury in an age of disenchantment- the proprietor of Panama's is impassive towards the suicide of his resident Werther (his existentialist exclamation "What's the use?" accenting the futility of suicide- far from offering a reprieve from superfluity, it merely confirms it) while loyalty amongst Leguardier's posse is dispelled briskly after his humiliation. Superfluity is the order of the day- "The world is better off with one less good-for-nothing"..."He needs an identity...I can give him mine.". Each character is acutely aware of his own gratuitousness, and each of them tries desperately to cobble together a raison d'etre in the face of nothingness. When these collapse, as in the case of Michel, Zabal and Leguardier, they are driven to murder or suicide.
As with Les Enfants Du Paradis, Carne's forte lies in sculpting exquisitely intricate characters- the sheer HUMANITY of this movie warrants multiple viewings. Michel Simon's grotesque, graceless Zabal is brilliantly rendered- scorned doubly for his money and his cosmetic deficiencies, Zabal's resignation to a cruel fate (soul-corroding loneliness and a burgeoning moral ugliness) culminates in a death as clumsy and maladroit as his demeanor. His reverence for beauty, as exhibited in his adoration of Nelly and religious hymns, is severely at odds with his environs.
Leguardier, petty hoodlum, imitates American gangster archetypes gleaned from film and hardboiled novels, but his seemingly cocksure swagger is a poor facade for his suffocating ennui and moral cowardliness. Nelly, forbearing and forlorn, is prey to reveries of love, fantasies that promise fulfilment until the film's heartrending conclusion. Looming ominously in the background of the movie are questions on the purpose of art in this grim epoch- the characters on display are all victims of quixotic myths: of war, patriotism, love, crime, masculinity. The incongruities between these fables and cruel reality, the hideous gulf between romance and fact, these are perhaps the saddest truths the film yields.
The ending, seen in this light, is bittersweet- Jean, the tragic character par excellence who has said Yes to all that is absurd and obscene in his life, relinquishes all illusions about the impermanence of all things, including love. Nelly and Jean have achieved true communion, true intercourse, if even for an ephemeral moment. His death is a noble one, an affirmation and acceptance of transience. This is the happiest conclusion that Carne can offer, and even in the film's unrelenting fatalism there is fortitude and life-affirming courage. Camus would've given the thumbs up! In the absurd quandary of life, there is room for sentiment and fraternity, as long as we accept its temporal nature. In Proustian fashion, memory renews all things, so let us embalm these precious moments!
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you? | <urn:uuid:5c31bfd9-73df-4842-a45b-0b5452ef54f4> | 2013-05-23T18:40:23Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Kingston Welcomes You!
Our beautiful waterfront city is located on the shore of Lake Ontario at the entrance to the St. Lawrence River and Thousand Islands. We are a short drive from Toronto, Montreal and Canada's capital city of Ottawa. We are also close to the U.S. border.
Founded in 1673 by French explorers, Kingston is home to people from many different backgrounds. Two of Canada's oldest universities — Queen's University and Royal Military College — are located here. The city is also home to a community college, three hospitals, a vibrant arts community, modern recreational facilities, a military base, and many historic sites and museums, including a UNESCO world heritage site.
Kingston is safe, clean and easy to get around — an ideal size for raising young families. We also have some of the best weather in Canada! | <urn:uuid:955b5707-1e31-4085-9db5-3abad3148394> | 2013-05-23T18:51:11Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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What's the best iPhone app you ever bought?
During a recent iMore show, I was asked to name the best iPhone app I ever bought and it really made me stop and think. When you take free apps out of the equation, and you start to consider what gave you the most enjoyment or stress-relief, or provided the greatest value to your education or business, or made the time you spent with your loved ones, traveling or at home, just that much more special -- when you consider what gave you the most value for your money, it really can be hard to choose just one.
But that's what I'm asking you to do!
Whether it was a $0.99 app that distracted you at just the right time and made you smile when you needed it most, or a $1.99 app that helped you find what or where you absolutely had to find, a $2.99 or $3.99 app that keeps track of things so your already busy brain doesn't have to, or launches things in a way that saves you a ton of time, or a $4.99 app that saved you $$$ on your bills or taxes, or even a $19.99 or higher priced app that helps you get things done on a daily and yearly basis, I'm asking you to think back over all the amazing apps you've bought and share with the iMore community the one that's meant the most to you.
I know what my answer is now, and I'll share it on the next show... along with some of the best of yours!
So think about it and tell me -- what's the best -- paid! -- iPhone app you ever bought? | <urn:uuid:133463e1-cb8a-4f8c-b182-5d5bf9c7146d> | 2013-05-23T18:53:08Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Today, Dell announced the new Vostro V13 small business laptop designed for entrepreneurs on the go. The slim notebook computer (pictured below), which I checked out this afternoon, weighs just 3.5 pounds and is encased in brushed aluminum with reinforced zinc hinges. It has a 13.3 inch LED-backlit anti-glare screen, and a spill-resistant keyboard that lets you drain errant liquid. Business-friendly features include an integrated webcam and microphone for Internet calls and a VGA port for connecting to a projector or docking station.
Price: The base model, which costs $449, comes with 2 GB of memory, an Intel Celeron 743 processor, and a Linux operating system by Ubuntu. For $649, you'll get 2 GB of memory, Windows 7, and an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. | <urn:uuid:34ef078e-119d-4a90-9b87-7540a26e9ec2> | 2013-05-23T18:38:53Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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MI5 ignored tip-off that could have uncovered 7/7 bombing plot
MI5 could have identified one of the July 7 bombers four months before the attacks on London had it acted upon new intelligence.
A senior spy, giving evidence at the inquest into the bombing of London's transport system in 2005, said that due to national security reasons he still cannot reveal why the security services chose not to pursue the new information. The explosions killed 52 people.
MI5 officers had already observed Mohammed Sidique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer meeting with known terror suspects in Crawley in 2004, but labelled the pair "small-time fraudsters" who were not connected to terrorism. The court also heard yesterday that in 2003 Khan was dismissed as a "Jihadi tourist" by MI5 officers when he travelled to Pakistan to attend a terrorist training camp.
Then, in March 2005, MI5 was contacted by someone who told the agency that a man from Batley, in Yorkshire, named "Saddique", but whose surname was not Khan, had trained in an extremist camp in Afghanistan in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
MI5 did not follow this lead. The senior officer, who is MI5 director Jonathan Evans's chief of staff but only identified at the hearing as Witness G, said there were "good operational reasons" for not pursuing the line of enquiry. But he acknowledged that if they had done so, they would have established that "Saddique" was Mohammed Sidique Khan.
Hugo Keith QC said: "You could have found out who Saddique, surname not Khan, was – but for good reason, no steps were taken in that direction."
Witness G replied: "I have a high degree of confidence that we could have done."
Mr Keith continued: "If this person had been identified as Mohammed Sidique Khan and he had come under intensive investigation... then there would have been a greater chance that whatever he was plotting then – and we know he had started plotting by February or March 2005 – might have come to light." Witness G answered: "Yes, a greater chance. I would say a high degree of intrusive investigative measures would have been required to uncover the plot from what we know of it now."
Earlier in the day, Witness G explained how Khan was dismissed as a "Jihadi tourist" when he was observed meeting with Omar Khyam, the fertiliser-bomb plotter who was convicted in May 2007. Al-Qa'ida supergrass Mohammed Junaid Babar told the FBI he met Khyam and two others, known to him as "Ibrahim" and "Zubair", at an airport in Pakistan. But he was only able to identify Ibrahim as Khan after the attacks.
This information "didn't appear all that significant", Witness G said. "It would have been seen as a social gathering... of those who are like-minded."
That's some guestlist! Stunning images show huge dynastic wedding between Ultra-Orthodox Jewish families which attracted 25,000 guests
Man and woman arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder victim of Woolwich machete attack, named as Drummer Lee Rigby
'Sickening, deluded and unforgivable': Horrific attack brings terror to London’s streets
Video: Woolwich attack - man with bloodied hands and knife addresses camera
Ingrid Loyau-Kennett, the mother-of-two hailed as a hero for confronting Woolwich attackers, thought: 'better me than a child'
- 2 'Sickening, deluded and unforgivable': Horrific attack brings terror to London’s streets
- 4 Woolwich murder: They killed, then they performed - these men should be starved of our attention
- 5 Woolwich attack: The EDL will seek to exploit this evil crime for their own evil ends
BMF is the UK’s biggest and best loved outdoor fitness classes
Find out what The Independent's resident travel expert has to say about one of the most beautiful small cities in the world
Nook is donating eReaders to volunteers at high-need schools and participating in exclusive events throughout the campaign.
Get the latest on The Evening Standard's campaign to get London's children reading.
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page. | <urn:uuid:a8fa6fee-b458-44d6-bada-ff5d61560463> | 2013-05-23T18:54:37Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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New Delhi, June 13 (IANS) Anil Sharma, debutant producer of 'Dear Friend Hitler' says he was clueless when he first read the script of the film, which deals with Adolf Hilter and Mahatma Gandhi. He admits he didn't understand a word when the script was narrated to him.
'The very first time when Nalin Singh (scriptwriter) narrated the script to me, honestly I didn't understand it. I didn't know where I was heading to - World War II, Hitler, Gandhiji- I didn't know about theses subjects in detail. But then after re-reading it and after consulting with my team I got a hang of it,' Sharma, who is making debut production under the Amrapali Media Vision banner, told reporters here.
'It took me six to seven months to finalise. But once I got hold of the story, then there was no looking back. I found conviction in Nalin's narration and confidence there after. We (production house) were looking for a different and hard hitting script but we didn't know we would be doing something like this in our first go,' he added.
'Gandhi to Hilter' is an attempt to spread the message of world peace, he said.
The film points out the difference in ideologies of two leaders, Hitler and Mahatma Gandhi and how Hitler's radical methods led to his end, while Gandhi's non-violence played a pivotal role to free India from British rule.
Pallavi Mishra, who has written the lyrics for the songs in the film and is also co-producing the film along with Sharma reveals that controversies have led them to change the title of the film.
'The Hindi version of the film will now be called 'Gandhi to Hilter', while the international version will still remain with the same - 'Dear Friend Hitler'. We had to change the name because of the controversies.
'Gandhiji had addressed Hilter as his 'Dear friend' when he wrote a letter to him and we tried to put across the same point. The international format understood the reason so they allowed us to carry forward with the same name that is 'Dear Friend Hitler',' said Mishra.
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In a bid to save the world, 22nd April has internationally been named ... 6
Southern actor Akkineni Nagarjuna said Saturday that awards are like ...
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Pavitra Rishta - Written Update
Written By: Navii Dhesii
Archana's Mother falls to ground. Everybody is trying to console her. They give her, her puffer. Archana says, " Stop! Mom". Her mother says, " They insulted you". Archana tries telling her that they did not. Then her husband says, " Stop Archana! Why are you causing your self pain?". The mother then replies, " They did that to my daughter and you say stop?". He then says, " We are from the girls side. We can not do anything if we tried to. Just think they have no problem with making a relationship with out family they are just worried about Archana". The mother get's up, " They like our house. But, they don't like the house that made this house worthy of being liked". He then says , " We have not forgotten what Archana has done for this house. But we have 2 other daughters who have to get married, Varsha is 24. If Archana keeps.. ". The mother replies, " Archana, What ? What they said about get married to Varsha. We should have just agreed?. He then says, " No, this is not what I meant. I just think we should get Archana married as fast as possible. Even, if we have to make some deals". The mother then says, " If by deals you mean getting Archana married to some unliterate guy then this is *NOT* possible!. Also, about Varsha..". Varsha interupts saying, " I could never think of getting married to a guy who came to get married to Archana". The mother says, " It's good that this marriage didn't happen". Varsha then says, " Don't worry Mom, I would have never let this marriage happen. His income was 17,000. My income is 9,000. In the next few months, I am getting promoted. I will start making 12,000. So, I need a guy who makes at least 30,000". Her MOM is shocked. Varsha then says, " Archana doesn't make any money. So, if she gets a guy who makes 17,00o it's ok". Her brother says, " QUIET !". Archana looks down in shame. Her mother then says, " Money doesn't make the person better Varsha. What do you do that Archana does not. You easily said you need a guy from a higher caste because you go to a office. Well, the truth is without Archana you would be NOTHING! When you wen't to school she gave you milk. When you go to the office she gives you a tiffin. You made my heart hurt more than the guys family did. If you could not understand your sisters goodness then what can I tell the world?".Vaishali then says, " Leave it mom". She replies, " Leave it! How can I just leave it? I remember when the doctor said I was sick and could not do any work. Then Archana came and took over all the responsibilities. This house would have been destoryed without her ! If she wanted she could have stayed in school 2 more years and been in your place Varsha. Then on whom's shoulders would your dad have left the responsibilities of the house? How would you have gone to school Varsha? How would your dad go to work? How would your brother go to college? For you guys she put her future down the drain
". Her husband replies, " Be calm . You are forgetting to breath". She replies, " Let me forget to breath! In your eyes my daughter is nothing . But, my god is looking down and he sees everything. If I dont find my daughter a good husband then he will never forgive me". He husband replies!" She falls to the ground because she cannot breath anymore. They give her water. Then there Bahu comes, " Sorry I am late. I tried to come as fast as I could". Varsha leaves. " The mother then says, " We told you so many times this morning. Where were you ?".
Bahu says, " I go to work !". She then walks away. The clock then strikes twelve. The father tell's everyone to go to sleep because the kids have to go to school in the morning". Everyone leaves. The mother then thinks to her self what has happened and what is going to happen in the future. Then they show the brother and his wife fighting. He is telling her that he didn't like that she was late and that he didn't like the way she talked to his mother.
PLEASE DO NOT COPY UPDATES TO OTHER SITES, THIS UPDATE IS MEANT EXCLUSIVELY FOR INDIA FORUMS MEMBERS There daughter then comes and asks them to change her clothes. Manju then madly takes her daughter puts her on the bed and starts to change her clothes. Manju then says, " You know why I have all my days off saved.. for the vacation all 3 of us are suppose to take to Punni". Manju then goes on and on about how it's not fair that Archana get's all the attention because she does some house work. Manju then says, " I do not expect your family members to praise me because I know your sister will never let that happen". Her husband tries to explain to her that this is not true and she accuses him of emotional black mail. Manju then goes on about how Archana is illterate and that all she does is sit at home. Then the scene changes to Vaishali and Varsha sitting outside. Vaishali is on the phone with someone. She tells Varsha to join her to go to the mall and to watch a movie. Archana then comes and gives Vaishali tea. There mother is looking at them through the window. Varsha then tells Archana to also to go and get her tea. After she leaves they continue talking about the movie etc. Archana is then brewing up new tea for Varsha. The mother is still looking at Archana through the window and is thinking about all the injustice that she has been through. They then show Archana and her papa. Archana is telling her papa that the food is ready. He then asks, " Archu , Are you mad at me ?". Archana says, " Why would I be mad at you? ". Her papa then says, " Because of all the stuff that has happened today?". He then goes on about how Archana has all the qualities in the world to be the perfect wife and that he will make sure that he finds a perfect groom for her and that there is a prince for her somewhere out there. Archana then looks down. Her father asks her if she is alright and that she should tell her mother this. Archana says that she does not have the courage to because she does not want to hurt her mother. She also says, " I will marry anyone mom says to. My dream is to fulfil her dream". They then show a train station sign. One of the Archana's friends is getting married. They are talking about after marriage that a friend doesn't stay a friend anymore and that she becomes her husbands. The mother says she is very delighted to see that she is getting married. The girl hands her the card. She then leaves and before she leaves she tells them not to forget to come to the wedding. After the girl leaves, Archana's mom tells her that she wants to go to a puja with her. Archana declines she says that she cannot walk that far because she is always sick in the first place. The mother then says that maybe if she goes with her prayers will come true and Archana will also get married. Archana then looks down and blushes
They show alot of people going into a mandar. They then show Archana waving her hand and telling her mom to hurry up. When they are going into the mandar they hear 2 women talking. They are talking about how it is so crowded and that on this particular date if you throw a flower and it lands on the god's statue your prayers will come true. Then Archana's mother says to her, " Make sure to have the right target". They both laugh. The show alot of people pushing and shoving. Then they show Archana's mother talking to a statue saying, " I know you are very close to Hanuman ji and that he listens to what ever you say. Please tell him to find Archana a nice intelligent boy that makes 25,000 - 30,000 rupees a month. That's my only prayer". Then they show Hanuman ji's statue and Archana's mother praying. Then you see Archana and another boy speaking to the statue stating there prayers. They then show them leaving at the same time as well. They then show Archana's mother walking with her friends in the bazaar one day. When all the sudden they see a car crash into a trash can and they turn. The boy steps out of the car and says, " Sorry!". To the police officers. Then 2 of the ladies turn around and say" That's our Satish". Archana's mother then asks who that boy is. The lady beside her tells her that he is a only son of a lady Vimila. Archana's mothers mind gets a idea ( HINT , HINT: To get him married to Archana ). The lady then goes on & on about how he has a company and lots of cars etc. Archana's mother then remembers what the ladies had said in the mandar about the flower on the statue thing. She then remembers how Archana's had landed on the Statue! She then thinks about how a nice boy come infront of her by himself. Then the same guy who had been praying beside Archana comes and fixs Sitish's car. He praises the guy alot! Then they show Archana walking out of the bazaar and Archana's mom thinking of plans to get Sitish and her daughter Archana married. That concludes the episode.
Sorry the update was late !
Please Comment & Like if you liked it
Edited by punjabi_qt26 - 03 June 2009 at 6:58pm | <urn:uuid:08cc5ba2-d90c-40f9-935d-685ed2aa483d> | 2013-05-23T18:31:27Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Every day through the end of the Sundance Film Festival, including weekends, indieWIRE will be publishing two interviews with Sundance '06 competition filmmakers. Sixty filmmakers were given the opportunity to participate in an e-mail interview, and each was sent the same questions.
First-time filmmaker Tin Dirdamal directed "DeNADIE," which is screening in the World Cinema Competition: Documentary section. The film follows Mexican immigrants as they search for liberties that are denied in their own countries, and yet it doesn't have a political agenda. As described by Sundance, Dirdamal is more concerned with personal stories that "force deeper understanding of the United States' border crisis" while also exposing the "hypocrises [and]...uncomfortable intolerance" of Mexican culture by making sure the voices of those affected are heard loud and clear.
Please tell us about yourself. Where were you born? Where did you go to school? Where do you live now?
I'm Tin Dirdamal. I was born in November 1982 in Monterrey Mexico. I grew up in Monterrey. I am still studying industrial engineering. I am currently living in Cochabamba, Bolivia, doing a documentary on the War on Water.
What were the circumstances that lead you to become a filmmaker? What other creative outlets do you explore?
I became a filmmaker by accident. I worked at an immigrant project as a volunteer in the south of Mexico. I started hearing and seeing terrible injustices committed to Central American immigrants in Mexico, in their attempt to get into the United States. It was then that for the first time in my life I took a camera in my hands and did this movie. I played the piano for 10 years and the violin for 3 years.
Did you go to film school? Or how did you learn about filmmaking? How did you finance your own film? And any other insights you think might be interesting...
I did not go to film school. As I was doing this documentary I got into photography classes to learn how to make decent frames. And as I was doing it, read some books about filmmaking. A bishop that has an immigrant shelter wanted to make a video on Central American immigration. So what was supposed to be a video turned out to be this feature film with the help of the 7,000 dollars Raul Vera, the bishop, gave me.
Where did the initial idea for your film come from?
As I was working as a volunteer in an immigrant project, there was an urgent need to tell others about these terrible deaths and injustices, in an attempt for them to end.
What are your biggest creative influences (this could include other filmmakers or films)?
La Pasion de Maria Elena ( Mercedes Moncada )
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in either developing the project or making the movie?
Probably not having a clue on how to make it. I had no previous script, so at the end I had many hours and no idea how to edit them. The editing was very tiring, I had to see the whole material again, and start making several rough cuts to see which seemed the best.
Tell us about the moment you found out that you were accepted into Sundance. Where were you?
I was in a cabin booth in Cochabamba Bolivia, and had just started to work on our next documentary.
What do you hope to get out of the festival, what are your own goals for the experience?
Meet interesting people and share ideas.
What is your definition of "independent film"?
My definition would be a film in which you have all the creative freedom to do it as you please.
What are a few other films you're hoping to see at Sundance and why?
I don't know which other films are going to be at Sundance. There is one I want to see called "In The Pit" by Juan Carlos Rulfo. He is an extraordinary Mexican filmmaker.
Who are a few people that you would you most like to meet at Sundance?
Juan Carlos Rulfo
If you were given $10 million to be used for moviemaking, how would you spend it?
There is this idea that with video format, films are now democratized. That practically anyone can grab their camera and tell what they want. I believe this is not so. Immigrants do not have access to making their own movies, indigenous people don't either. So media and films are still controlled by the ones who have the money. With $10 million dollars I would buy cameras and give free workshops to several marginal groups in order for them to tell their own stories, in order to try to revert who gets to tell the stories.
What are some of your favorite films, and why? What is your top ten list for 2005?
I enjoy Herzog's "Grizzly Man" tremendously. "Batalla en el Cielo" by Carlos Reygadas, "Everything is Illuminated" by Live Schreiber, "1973" by Antonino Isordia, and "Svyato" by Victor Kossakovsky.
What are one or two of your New Years resolutions?
Be more humane.
If you took President Bush's job, who would you hire/fire and why?
Myself...I would fire myself. I don't like power. | <urn:uuid:f633d280-128a-4a2d-a97c-a70aa9e9b41f> | 2013-05-23T18:59:35Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Protect your allies by destroying enemy ships before they attack. Destroy as many enemy ships as possible. Use the scanner on the bottom of the screen to spot enemies before they attack. Use the arrow keys to move and the space bar to fire.
Tags Daily, Free, Games, ROAM, PROTECT
Uploaded 2008-02-08 14:04:23 | <urn:uuid:25bc2761-cc8c-4425-a974-577256e47a0f> | 2013-05-23T18:46:18Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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The United States of Leland
Description: Leland, a 15-year-old, murders an autistic child and claims that he committed the act out of sadness. He is sent to a juvenile facility, where a male teacher named Pearl must unravel the mystery behind Leland's murderous act and extreme sadness, while at the same time deal with how the tragic killing affects the families of both the victim and the perpetrator.
Movie summaries and listings powered by Cinema-Source
Related Content on Movies from Infoplease: | <urn:uuid:704f8662-4444-4947-ab36-3cbb6ee4be45> | 2013-05-23T19:05:31Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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The destiny of the kingdom rests in the players’ hands. Will players build up their kingdom through internal expansion, or perhaps look for a more imperial type of domination, expanding their rule by conquering territories? Will they take on quests in pursuit of fame, or focus on the health and wellbeing of their people? The choice is theirs! With the start of every new game, players will be able to select a new ambition for their kingdom, and embark on a new set of stories.
Everything in The Sims Medieval is crafted to create an immersive medieval world, from the quest-based gameplay, to the medieval objects such as swords and stocks and thrones, right down to the warm look of the characters, and the painterly approach to the world itself. Players can choose to customize every new Hero that comes to the kingdom, including selecting their traits and their fatal flaw. Players get close to their characters, not only sending them on epic quests, but also making sure they carry out their daily responsibilities such as healing the sick, trading for exotic goods, or forging armor. From having a baby to competing in a royal tournament, what happens to their Sims is up to the player. The time of romance and chivalry is back with The Sims Medieval. | <urn:uuid:77977497-3d49-4d83-bf73-9354e0321da3> | 2013-05-23T18:38:33Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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How does it work? Read on for a thrilling example scenario!
(Alternatively, skip to Step 10 to find out how I made it.)
Step 1: A text-based adventure in 3D printing and alcoholism
You try to get up, but your stomach climbs up your throat and tries to smother your brain. You lie back down.
>Drink the water.
You are too far away from the water and you lack the coordination required to crawl.
You doze off again, in the hope that sleep will somehow solve your predicament. You wake some time later. Your head still aches. The hedgehog in your mouth has been joined by its unruly, even less healthy family.
>Remove the hedgehog.
The hedgehog is not a literal hedgehog. It began as a simile then became a metaphor while you were napping. It represents dehydration and regret.
You lurch to your feet and, after swaying on the spot for over a minute, you manage to remain upright. After another minute, so does the room.
> Drink the water.
You drink the stale water. It feels pure and cleansing. There is not enough of it.
>Go to the bathroom.
You stagger to the bathroom. There is a sink, a mirror, a toothbrush and a toilet which has been soiled in an unholy manner.
>Use the sink.
You put your lips over the faucet and fumble for the taps. The water is warm, but still good. You drink until you are dizzy. The vile taste in your mouth remains.
>Brush your teeth.
You squeeze toothpaste along the entire length of the toothbrush and, on your third attempt, insert the head of the brush into your mouth. You brush gingerly. With nothing better to occupy your mind for two minutes, you try to make sense of what happened last night. You draw blanks. You glance in the mirror. A message is printed on your forehead.
>Read the message. | <urn:uuid:ac89c227-aeb5-420c-9e52-237c107eb8bf> | 2013-05-23T18:45:53Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Swift sparkled in one of her trademark sequined dresses at Time
's 100 Most Influential People in the World gala. "This style was inspired by an art deco vintage shawl I saw in New York," says Jenny Packham
. "We call it the Chrysler dress, due to its architectural symmetry." The British designer approved of the silver and crystal sequined minidress for the star's turn in the spotlight: "Taylor always loves the 'wow factor' dresses and wears them with style." | <urn:uuid:75f2fb3c-4a91-4e2e-a364-41c24637f53f> | 2013-05-23T18:45:27Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Hearing Loss in Adults
What Is It?
Hearing loss is a decrease in the ability to perceive sounds. It can be partial or total, sudden or gradual, temporary or permanent. It can affect one ear or both. In general, the risk of hearing loss increases with age.
Sound enters the ear and strikes the eardrum. This causes the eardrum to vibrate. The eardrum's vibrations are amplified through the middle ear by three tiny bones. Inside the ear, the vibrations are transformed into nerve impulses. These nerve impulses travel to the brain, where they are interpreted as sounds.
The outer ear and middle ear conduct sound. Any injury to this part of the hearing pathway is called conductive hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss is injury to the inner ear, eighth cranial nerve and brain. These structures produce, transmit and interpret nerve impulses.
Some of the most important causes of hearing loss in adults are:
- Middle ear disease. A bacterial infection of the middle ear can:
- Injure the eardrum
- Disrupt the middle-ear bones
- Cause fluid buildup
- Noise. Loud sounds can injure delicate cells within the ear. This is a form of sensorineural hearing loss. Noise-induced hearing loss can happen because of a single brief burst of an extremely loud sound. It more often results from long-term exposure to loud sounds of slightly lower intensity.
- Otosclerosis. An abnormal overgrowth of one or more bones in the middle ear prevents the small bones from moving normally. This is a type of conductive hearing loss. Otosclerosis often runs in families.
- Acoustic neuroma. This noncancerous tumor grows on part of the eighth cranial nerve. This nerve carries signals to the brain. Acoustic neuroma often causes dizziness and equilibrium problems in addition to gradual hearing loss.
- Meniere's disease. This typically causes dizziness, hearing loss, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), and a sensation of fullness or stuffiness in one or both ears. Meniere's disease occurs when excess fluid causes swelling in the inner ear.
- Trauma. Many types of accidents can cause hearing loss. Hearing loss can result when the eardrum is injured from the force of an explosion. Or it can result from a Q-tip that ruptures the eardrum during an attempt to clean the ear canal.
- Sudden sensorineural hearing loss. This is a medical emergency. A person loses hearing over a period of three days or less. In most cases, only one ear is affected. The underlying problem may be a viral infection.
- Drugs. Many prescription and nonprescription medications can damage the ear and cause hearing loss. These include:
- Anticancer chemotherapy drugs
- Antimalaria drugs
- Age. Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) is not a single disease. Rather, it is a category for the cumulative effects of aging on the ears. Hearing loss usually begins after age 60. Both ears are affected. It is typically harder to hear high-pitched tones (women's voices, violins) than low-pitched ones (men's voices, bass guitar). Hearing loss usually occurs gradually over a period of years. The person may not realize that he or she has difficulty hearing.
- Other causes. There are more than 100 different causes of hearing loss in adults. The most common reversible causes are severe buildup of earwax in the ear canal and acute infections of the external ear or middle ear.
If you have sudden, severe hearing loss, you will notice immediately that your ability to hear has decreased dramatically or disappeared totally in the affected ear.
If your hearing loss is gradual, your symptoms may be more subtle. You may have difficulty understanding conversations. Family members may complain that you play the radio or television too loudly. You may ask them to repeat what they say or frequently misunderstand what they are saying.
Some diseases and conditions that cause hearing loss may produce additional symptoms, including:
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Discharge or bleeding from the ear
- Deep earache, or pain in the ear canal
- Pressure or a "stuffy" feeling inside the ears
- Dizziness or problems with balance or equilibrium
Your doctor will ask you to describe your symptoms. He or she will ask if anyone in your family had or has hearing loss. Your doctor will want to know if you have been exposed to loud noises, trauma of the ear or head, or ear infections. Your doctor will want to rule out the possibility that medications may be causing your hearing loss. He or she will review the prescription and over-the-counter drugs you take.
Your doctor will examine you, and look closely at your ears. This ear exam may include:
- An examination of your ear canal and eardrum using a lighted instrument.
- The Rinne test. A vibrating tuning fork is placed on the bone behind your ear. This tests for conductive hearing loss.
- The Weber test. A vibrating tuning fork is placed in the middle of your forehead to help diagnose one-sided hearing loss.
- Audioscopy testing. The doctor uses a hand-held device to generate tones of various intensities to find out if you can hear them.
If you are diagnosed with hearing loss, your doctor will refer you to an audiologist. The audiologist will test your hearing sensitivity. He or she will check for middle-ear problems by measuring your eardrum's ability to reflect sounds. Further testing and treatment will follow.
The duration of hearing loss depends on its cause. Sensorineural hearing loss tends to be permanent.
You can help prevent hearing loss:
- Wear protective earplugs or earmuffs if you are often exposed to loud noise at work or during recreational activities.
- Never put cotton swabs or other foreign objects in your ears.
- Wear a seatbelt while driving. Wear a protective helmet while riding a bicycle.
- Know the possible side effects of your medications.
Both age-related and noise-related hearing loss tend to be permanent. Your doctor may recommend a hearing aid or an implant to improve your ability to communicate with others. A hearing aid amplifies sounds electronically and is effective for many people with age-related hearing loss. Hearing aids today are very small, so small that other people often do not notice you are wearing them. A cochlear implant translates sounds into electrical signals that can be carried to the brain.
Certain other forms of hearing loss may be treated medically or surgically:
- Otosclerosis. For mild cases, a hearing aid is usually the first option. In severe cases, one of the small bones is surgically replaced with a tiny prosthesis.
- Acoustic neuroma. Treatment includes surgery or highly focused radiation therapy.
- Meniere's disease. There is no cure. The goal of treatment is to relieve pressure in the ears to reduce symptoms. Some people improve by limiting intake of salt, caffeine or alcohol or quitting smoking. Medications to reduce fluid retention in the ear may help. In some cases, surgery may be considered.
- Traumatic hearing loss. A damaged eardrum can sometimes be repaired surgically.
- Drug-induced hearing loss. Stopping the problem medication may reverse hearing loss or prevent it from getting worse.
- Sudden sensorineural hearing loss. When the cause is unknown, this condition is usually treated with steroids.
- Other. A dense plug of earwax can be dissolved or gently removed by your doctor. Antibiotics can treat hearing loss caused by ear infections.
When To Call a Professional
Call your doctor immediately if you have sudden hearing loss. This is a medical emergency.
Also, make an appointment to see your doctor if:
- You are an older adult, and hearing loss interferes with your quality of life.
- You work in a high-noise environment, and you have trouble hearing.
- You have hearing loss together with:
- An earache
- Discharge from your ears
- Dizziness or balance problems
The prognosis is highly variable. In many cases, hearing loss cannot be treated with medications or surgery. But your quality of life may improve significantly with a hearing aid. A cochlear implant may also be an option.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
National Institutes of Health
31 Center Drive, MSC 2320
Bethesda, MD 20892-2320
American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery
1650 Diagonal Road
Alexandria, VA 22314-2857
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
10801 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
1600 Clifton Road
Atlanta, GA 30333
American Tinnitus Association
P.O. Box 5
Portland, OR 97207-0005 | <urn:uuid:ca1f2bb0-7f74-4408-a374-eeeb5d989d29> | 2013-05-23T19:01:02Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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From Generation to Generation: Video
There is a song called L'dor Va'dor (From Generation to Generation) that is often sung during the Shabbat prayer service. The verse from the song was taken from the Kedusha, which is the last prayer in the Amidah, the main prayer section in the service.
The verse says in English:
"To all generations we will declare Your greatness, and for all eternity proclaim Your holiness."
(Translation from Mishkan T'fila: a Reform Siddur.)
This verse could be proclaimed with authenticity by many family members who are not Jewish. It is important to know what the words to this song mean and how you and your relatives understand the phrase "from generation to generation." Joining in saying this verse could be a unifying experience for a family on Shabbat, and all the more so at a bar or bat mitzvah.
Tefilat Amidah, Hebrew for "The Standing Prayer," is the central prayer of Jewish liturgy. It is recited during every prayer service. Traditionally it's recited individually in silence, then repeated aloud as a congregation; some congregations omit the silent recitation and/or abbreviate the repetition. | <urn:uuid:89facf90-6f01-459a-82e8-ca890946591e> | 2013-05-23T18:44:57Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Our step-by-step mutual fund scoring system will help you uncover the top-quality funds.
Learn about the most popular stock-picking strategies, including their philosophies, methods, and tools.
Learn what it means to do your homework before investing in a company.
Here you can read about the backgrounds and achievements of those people who have mastered the art of investing.
Take a look at the various techniques to determine the value and quality of companies from an industry perspective. | <urn:uuid:20ee29cb-3ba8-4202-a5b4-36fbf45e5ef5> | 2013-05-23T18:58:38Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Futures Fundamentals: The Players
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The players in the futures market fall into two categories: hedgers and speculators.
Farmers, manufacturers, importers and exporters can all be hedgers. A hedger buys or sells in the futures market to secure the future price of a commodity intended to be sold at a later date in the cash market. This helps protect against price risks.
The holders of the long position in futures contracts (the buyers of the commodity), are trying to secure as low a price as possible. The short holders of the contract (the sellers of the commodity) will want to secure as high a price as possible. The futures contract, however, provides a definite price certainty for both parties, which reduces the risks associated with price volatility. Hedging by means of futures contracts can also be used as a means to lock in an acceptable price margin between the cost of the raw material and the retail cost of the final product sold.
A silversmith must secure a certain amount of silver in six months time for earrings and bracelets that have already been advertised in an upcoming catalog with specific prices. But what if the price of silver goes up over the next six months? Because the prices of the earrings and bracelets are already set, the extra cost of the silver can\'t be passed on to the retail buyer, meaning it would be passed on to the silversmith. The silversmith needs to hedge, or minimize her risk against a possible price increase in silver. How?
The silversmith would enter the futures market and purchase a silver contract for settlement in six months time (let\'s say June) at a price of $5 per ounce. At the end of the six months, the price of silver in the cash market is actually $6 per ounce, so the silversmith benefits from the futures contract and escapes the higher price. Had the price of silver declined in the cash market, the silversmith would, in the end, have been better off without the futures contract. At the same time, however, because the silver market is very volatile, the silver maker was still sheltering himself from risk by entering into the futures contract.
So that\'s basically what hedging is: the attempt to minimize risk as much as possible by locking in prices for future purchases and sales. Someone going long in a securities future contract now can hedge against rising equity prices in three months. If at the time of the contract\'s expiration the equity price has risen, the investor\'s contract can be closed out at the higher price. The opposite could happen as well: a hedger could go short in a contract today to hedge against declining stock prices in the future.
A potato farmer would hedge against lower French fry prices, while a fast food chain would hedge against higher potato prices. A company in need of a loan in six months could hedge against rising interest rates in the future, while a coffee beanery could hedge against rising coffee bean prices next year.
Other market participants, however, do not aim to minimize risk but rather to benefit from the inherently risky nature of the futures market. These are the speculators, and they aim to profit from the very price change that hedgers are protecting themselves against. Hedgers want to minimize their risk no matter what they're investing in, while speculators want to increase their risk and therefore maximize their profits.
In the futures market, a speculator buying a contract low in order to sell high in the future would most likely be buying that contract from a hedger selling a contract low in anticipation of declining prices in the future.
Unlike the hedger, the speculator does not actually seek to own the commodity in question. Rather, he or she will enter the market seeking profits by offsetting rising and declining prices through the buying and selling of contracts.
|The Hedger||Secure a price now to protect against future declining prices||Secure a price now to protect against future rising prices|
|The Speculator||Secure a price now in anticipation of declining prices||Secure a price now in anticipation of rising prices|
In a fast-paced market into which information is continuously being fed, speculators and hedgers bounce off of - and benefit from - each other. The closer it gets to the time of the contract's expiration, the more solid the information entering the market will be regarding the commodity in question. Thus, all can expect a more accurate reflection of supply and demand and the corresponding price.
The U.S. futures market is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) an independent agency of the U.S. government. The market is also subject to regulation by the National Futures Association (NFA), a self-regulatory body authorized by the U.S. Congress and subject to CFTC supervision.
A broker and/or firm must be registered with the CFTC in order to issue or buy or sell futures contracts. Futures brokers must also be registered with the NFA and the CFTC in order to conduct business. The CFTC has the power to seek criminal prosecution through the Department of Justice in cases of illegal activity, while violations against the NFA's business ethics and code of conduct can permanently bar a company or a person from dealing on the futures exchange. It is imperative for investors wanting to enter the futures market to understand these regulations and make sure that the brokers, traders or companies acting on their behalf are licensed by the CFTC.
In the unfortunate event of conflict or illegal loss, you can look to the NFA for arbitration and appeal to the CFTC for reparations. Know your rights as an investor!
Next: Futures Fundamentals: Characteristics »
Table of Contents
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fast little loans
By Lebogang Seale
Fifa President Sepp Blatter has rescued President Thabo Mbeki from a barrage of media questions about his future following his castigation by Judge Chris Nicholson.
"I can see, ladies and gentlemen, and I am not here to protect this president. Let's not confine ourselves to local politics in the spirit of (Fifa's) fair play," Blatter said on Sunday night, responding to a question about whether Mbeki would resign.
It was the first time that Mbeki had faced the media since Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Chris Nicholson reprimanded him for his interference with the National Prosecuting Authority in the multiple attempts to prosecute ANC President Jacob Zuma.
"The matter you are raising is irrelevant and out of Fifa," Mbeki said. "There will be an election next year," he said, adding that whatever the outcome would be, the country would meet its obligation to deliver a successful world cup in 2010.
Blatter, who is accompanied by Fifa secretary-general Jerome Valcke, outlined the purpose of his four-day visit, during which he will inspect Cape Town's Green Point Stadium, Johannesburg's Soccer City and Ellis Park and meet Nobel Peace Prize laureates F W de Klerk and Nelson Mandela.
"My objective is to re-ensure the whole country of Fifa's 110 percent commitment... to organise Fifa's 2010 World Cup. I am sure at the end of my visit, I will be able to say some more positive declarations," he said.
Blatter also made a turnaround on his well-publicised Plan B if South Africa was unable to host the World Cup, saying: "Plan B is South Africa (and) Plan C is South Africa.
"We first had to change our regulations to have the rotation system (otherwise)... Fifa would never have organised the World Cup in South Africa because of some reluctance. It's justice to South Africa."
He presented Mbeki with a Fifa flag and gold medal for his commitment to the World Cup in South Africa. | <urn:uuid:840d8e81-4e6b-44e2-b822-d507ce7083b5> | 2013-05-23T18:52:43Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Which chartered status is right for me?
CPhys or CEng?
Chartered Physicist (CPhys) is the qualification awarded by the Institute of Physics to practicing professional physicists.
Many physicists move into engineering at some point in their careers and so the Institute of Physics also offers Chartered Engineer (CEng) to its members.
Deciding which chartered status to go for can be tricky. Bear in mind the following when weighing your options up:
CPhys is for you if…
- You have a physics degree and have been working in a clearly physics-related field for some time.
- You have a physics degree and are still working in science.
CEng is for you if…
- You have a degree in either physics or engineering and are working in a clearly engineering-related field. | <urn:uuid:97bce3fb-7319-4e43-aca6-53e55f9f94c3> | 2013-05-23T19:05:29Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Minister for Foreign Affairs Expresses His Concern for Protesters in Burma/Myanmar
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern T.D., expressed his grave concern at news that the Burmese military have today used physical force and tear-gas to break up the peaceful demonstrations against the government led by Buddhist monks over recent days and arrested many monks and others. The Minister condemned these actions in the strongest terms and described them as unacceptable and deeply shocking.
"I am gravely concerned by news from Burma/Myanmar this morning that, in addition to the imposition of curfews, the Burmese military regime have today deployed troops onto the streets of Rangoon, who have used batons and tear-gas to break up peaceful demonstrations led by Buddhist monks, and that hundreds of monks and others have been arrested. The use of physical force by the military against monks, nuns and unarmed civilians, who have committed their lives to the path of non-violence, and who are simply exercising the basic right of freedom of expression in a peaceful manner, is unacceptable and deeply shocking. All people of conscience throughout the world and all countries, in particular China and India, who have influence with the Burmese military regime, must condemn the use of force against unarmed civilians, demonstrating peacefully and demand the utmost restraint.
Ireland, like the EU, expresses its solidarity with the people of Burma/Myanmar and its admiration for the courageous monks, nuns and other citizens who are exercising their rights of peaceful demonstration.
Burma/Myanmar is at a crossroads. The scale of the demonstrations, led by thousands of Buddhist monks and tens of thousands of ordinary people, is unprecedented. They can leave no room for doubt that, above all else, the Burmese people want rapid, peaceful, political change and genuine, inclusive, national dialogue and reconciliation. The Burmese authorities have an opportunity to respond constructively to the will of the people – so clearly and bravely expressed on streets throughout the country, and to engage meaningfully with the democratic opposition and ethnic groups in open and inclusive dialogue.
The international community has a vital role to play in promoting the path of restraint and reconciliation. At this stage, there is still time to step back from the brink, but we must act immediately and decisively. I believe that the time is right for the Security Council to immediately seize itself of the issue, and I support today’s call to this effect by the British Prime Minister.
At a meeting yesterday with the Chairperson and representatives of Burma Action Ireland, I made clear Ireland’s firm intention to continue to work with all partners, including within the EU and the UN, and with those countries which wield some influence with the Burmese regime, to encourage positive developments in Burma/Myanmar."
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oh I love this shot so much. [: She is probably one of my favourite female models.
Love it!Best of luck!PS Sofia Grace slept through the night last night. WOOHOO! I've never felt better!xx
You do know you could've made a mint with that shot Isaac.
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I have some land that I own with official papers, but another person used deceitful methods to prove that he has ownership of it, and our case is still before the courts. One full hijri year has passed; do I have to give zakaah on this land?.
If your intention was to develop the land in order to live there or to rent it out, then there is no zakaah on this land because it does not come under the heading of trade goods. Please see the answer to question no. 129787
But if your intention was to deal in it, then the basic principle is that trade goods are subject to zakaah. So the value of this land should be worked out every time one hijri year has passed, then you should pay zakaah on it according to its market value.
But because this land has been usurped and you are not able to dispose of it, there is no zakaah on it according to the more correct scholarly opinion.
Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Kaafi: With regard to usurped property, lost property and debt owed to one who cannot get it off because the debtor is in difficulty or because he denies he owes anything or he keeps deferring the payment, there are two view on this issue… etc.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: There are two opinions in our madhhab. One view is that zakaah is due on it and it is obligatory, but he does not have to give it until he takes possession of it, whereupon he should give zakaah for the past period, even if it has gone on for ten years.
The second opinion is that there is no zakaah due on that, because the wealth is not in his possession and he is not able to ask for it, and if he asks for it he will not be able to get it. This view is the correct one.
End quote from ash-Sharh al-Kaafi.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Zakaah is not due on a debt for which repayment has been deferred, or the debtor is in difficulty or is unemployed or is denying that he owes anything, or on usurped or stolen property. This is the view of Abu Haneefah.
End quote from al-Ikhtiyaaraat, p. 146
But to be on the safe side, if you regain possession of this land, you should pay zakaah for one year, even if it remained in the possession of the usurper for several years.
For more information, please see the answer to question no. 125854
And Allah knows best. | <urn:uuid:7bae1516-a198-4af3-aa7b-92c0125107bc> | 2013-05-23T18:39:03Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Observer variation in visual assessment of forelimb ...
|Title||Observer variation in visual assessment of forelimb horseshoe characteristics on Thoroughbred racehorses|
|Author(s)||D. Gross, S. Stover, A. Hill, I. Gardner|
|Journal||American Journal of Veterinary Research|
|Abstract||Objective - To assess the accuracy and reliability of a visual method of evaluating horseshoe characteristics. Animals - 1,199 Thoroughbred racehorses. Procedure - Characteristics of 1 forelimb horseshoe were visually assessed on horses immediately prior to racing by 5 field observers at 5 major racetracks in California. Characteristics evaluated included horseshoe type; toe grab height; and the presence of a rim, pad, and heel traction devices. Sensitivity and specificity for observer assessment of horseshoe characteristics were calculated by comparing observer assessments to a postmortem laboratory standard for horses that died within 48 hours of a race. Intraobserver agreement was assessed in a subset of horses by comparing horseshoe observations made before and after the horse's race. Interobserver agreement was evaluated by comparing horseshoe assessment among observers who examined the same subset of horses prior to racing on select days. Results - The sensitivity and specificity of this visual method of evaluating horseshoe characteristics were good and ranged from 0.75 to 1 and 0.67 to 1, respectively. Agreement beyond chance (weighted kappa values) between observers and the laboratory standard for toe grab height was fair (0.60 to 0.62). Intraobserver and interobserver agreements (kappa values) were high (0.86 to 0.99 and 0.71 to 1, respectively). Conclusions and Clinical Relevance - Visual observation of horseshoes can be a feasible and reproducible method for assessing horseshoe characteristics prospectively in a large cohort of horses under racing conditions.|
Using APA 6th Edition citation style.
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Intellectual Property: What is it? Why is it important to you
Leslie S. Marell, Esq.
Leslie S. Marell, Esq., Law Office of Leslie S. Marell, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254, 310-372-8663, email@example.com
84th Annual International Conference Proceedings - 1999
WHAT IS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY? "Intellectual Property" is a generic term used to describe products of the human intellect that have economic value. Computer software is one of the many forms of intellectual property. Other examples include books, music, movies, artwork, designs and other works of authorship, names, logos, as well as certain inventions.
Intellectual property is "property" because a body of laws has been created that gives owners of such works legal rights similar in some respects to those given to owners of real estate or tangible personal property (such as cars). Intellectual property may be owned and bought and sold the same as other types of property. But in many important respects, ownership of intellectual property is very different from ownership of a house or a car.
DEFINITIONS. Basic definitions are required before we can deal with the real business world issues involving intellectual property law. The principal types of intellectual property legal protection are listed and defined below:
Trademark and Trade Name
- Patent. Patent law protects inventions. Patent protection is available for any new and useful process, machine, method of manufacture, composition of matter, or any new, useful improvement. By filing for and obtaining a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, an inventor is granted a monopoly on the use and commercial exploitation of an invention, for 20 years from the date of filing the application.
In the U.S. patents are awarded to the first to invent. When multiple inventors file applications to patent the same invention, the U.S. Patent Office must decide who was the first inventor. Therefore, it is important that the engineers maintain development records establishing the events surrounding the invention process in order to prove the date of invention. Invention records may also be useful to challenge the validity of another's patent.
- Copyright. A copyright provides protection for a limited time to authors for their "original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression." Copyrights extend only to the expression of creations of the mind, not to the ideas themselves. The Federal law governing copyrights expressly excludes from copyright protection "any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle or discovery." In other words, a pure idea, such as a plan to create an innovative software program, cannot be copyrighted, no matter how original or creative it is.
Copyright protection begins when the work is created. This means that there does not have to be a copyright notice, publication of the work or registration to secure the copyright. It is, of course, advisable to take these measures.
- Ownership of Copyright. As a general rule, the creator of a work owns the copyright. The person who owns the copyright also automatically owns the exclusive rights to it and the rights to prevent others from copying, distributing, or preparing works based on the copyrighted materials.
- Works for Hire: Employees and Independent Contractors. Works for Hire are an important exception to the general rule that a person owns the copyright in a work he or she has created. If a work was created by an employee as part of his or her job, the law considers the product a work for hire, and the employer will own the copyright.
If the creator is an independent contractor, the works will be considered works for hire only if: (1) the parties have signed a written agreement stating that the work will be a work for hire; and (2) the work is commissioned as a contribution to a collective work, a supplementary work, an instructional text, answer material for a test, an atlas, motion picture, or an audiovisual work. Thus, unless there is a contractual agreement to the contrary, and the work fits within one of the above categories the independent contractor owns the copyright.
- Creations by an Independent Contractor. The copyright developed by an independent contractor is owned by the independent contractor unless the contractor has signed an agreement to the contrary. The contract must state that the contractor conveys the copyright ownership in all works created under the contract to the engaging party.
- Trade Secret. All that is necessary for something to be protectable as a trade secret is that (1) it gives the owner a competitive advantage; (2) it is treated as a secret by the owner; and (3) it is not generally known in the industry or business.
A trade secret may be lost if the owner fails to identify it or take reasonable steps to protect it. Otherwise, trade secret protection is perpetual.
The fundamental question of trade secret law is, what is protectable? Clear examples are discoveries, ideas, designs, and specifications. However, even the way you use knowledge and information or the assembly of information itself may be a trade secret even if everything you consider important for your secret is publicly available information. An example of this is supplier and customer lists.
- Trademark. Patent, copyright and trade secret laws do not protect names, titles or phrases. A trademark is any word, name, logo or other symbol adopted and used by a person, manufacturer or merchant group that identifies and distinguishes its goods from those manufactured or sold by others.
- License vs. Sale. A license is an agreement between the owner of the intellectual property (the licensor) and a third party (the licensee) which gives permission to the licensee to use the technology in a manner that would otherwise be reserved exclusively to the licensor, as owner. For example, the licensor of the software program will convey a right to the licensee to use the program and reproduce the program under certain defined circumstances. The licensee is restricted in his or her use of the program and does not receive any ownership rights to the software.
By contrast, a sale involves the transfer of an ownership interest in the property.
In the case of mass marketed shrink wrap software, the buyer is purchasing a copy of the copyrighted program. However, the buyer is not purchasing an ownership interest in the intellectual property itself. The buyer is restricted by copyright law from reproducing the software (except for backup copies) or making derivative works.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS. With basic definitions in place, let us turn to some practical issues that arise in business with frequency and involve intellectual property law.
- Independent Contractors: Who Owns the Intellectual Property? Many companies turn to outside consultants to develop software, etc whether alone or in combination with company employees. From a technical and business standpoint, this may be the most practical approach. But is can raise the important legal issue of who owns the intellectual property rights to the work created?
Since an independent contractor is not an employee, the copyright in the software created by the independent contractor does not automatically belong to the company, as it likely would under the "work for hire" principles applicable to employees. Instead of owning the copyright, the company would probably only be authorized to use a copy of the software and to modify it as necessary for operating its own business.
If your company expects to obtain ownership of the copyright to the software, it is imperative to have the consultant sign an agreement stating that all intellectual property rights in the software and related documentation he or she creates for the company belong to the company, either as a work made for hire or, alternatively, by assignment to the company under the agreement.
- Contract Manufacturing: Outsourcing the Design or Manufacture of the Product
- Outsourcing the Design. Outsourcing is becoming a more common way of doing business as companies streamline their operations and cut costs. If your company is outsourcing the design of a product, the discussion above relating to independent contractors is applicable. Your contract should clearly specify that the outsourcer will assign all its rights in the design to your company and your company will be the sole owner. If you do not have such a provision, the outsourcer will likely be the owner of the information it developed.
- Manufacturing to Your Specifications. If the contract manufacturer will be building product to your company's specifications, your company will be handing over large amounts of confidential information and data to its supplier. This information may be in the form of software, databases, specifications, bills of material, statistics and memos and will all constitute trade secrets of the company. In order to protect the trade secret status of the information, it is imperative that two steps be taken: (1) The information be clearly marked that it is Confidential or Proprietary to the company; and (2) The supplier sign a non-disclosure agreement which requires the supplier to hold the information in confidence.
Keep in mind that in order for trade secrets to maintain their confidential status, the owner must take steps necessary to keep the information secret. Failure to identify the information as secret and to require a written agreement to maintain secrecy endangers the confidential information.
- I.T. Outsourcers and Software Licenses. As companies increasingly rely on outsourcing vendors to perform computer-related functions, these outsourcers often require access to software licensed to their customers by third-party software licensors. Most software licenses restrict assignment (transfer) of the software to a third party without the consent of the licensor. The practical effect of this clause is to prevent giving outsourcers access to the licensed software. As a result, licensee must obtain consent from software licensors to allow outsourcers to use the software.
Licensors may be unwilling to provide consent and have, in some cases, insisted on payment of additional license fees.
To avoid such situations, it is advisable to include a clause in any new license agreement which extends the scope of permissible uses of the software to allow outsourcers to use the licensed software in the performance of outsourcing functions.
- Sole Source Suppliers and Escrow. While a sole/single source alliance can benefit both the buyer and the supplier companies through the creation of a more solid business/ partnering arrangement, the downside occurs if the supplier is unable to deliver.
In order to understand the full impact of this"downside", just be reminded of any recent problem you have had obtaining product from your sole source supplier.
What measures can be taken to protect our companies from these downside possibilities? While contracts are limited in their abilities to "solve" a problem, they can be helpful in addressing the issues to facilitate a solution.
Consider requiring that your supplier establish an escrow account in which the supplier deposits all designs, manufacturing data, processes, etc. necessary to manufacture and support the product. In addition, and if the bill of material for the product includes purchase of certain proprietary products, the supplier would deposit authorization that the buyer be able to purchase these proprietary products from third party suppliers. The contract would grant your company a license to use all the information in the escrow account if the supplier does not perform its contract obligations.
Keep in mind that in order to be able to effectively use this information, your company might likely first require technical understanding of the products. If that is the case, your contract will want to obligate the supplier to provide access to and training in the understanding and use of the information and data during the actual contract performance.
- Employee Issues: Confidentiality; Ownership; Nonsolicitation; Noncompete
- Confidentiality. The issue of confidential information and the employee's responsibility is two pronged. The first prong relates to that confidential information which the employee either develops or learns in the course of his or her employment with the company.
In general, state laws provide that an employee may not, either during or after his employment, divulge or use trade secrets which were developed by him during his employment or divulged to him by his employer, even absent an express agreement. The rationale is that a employee is in a relationship of trust and confidence with the company. In addition, most companies require that their employees sign an agreement which acknowledges that the employee will maintain the confidentiality of the company's trade secret information both during and after employment.
The problematic aspect of this issue is raised when the employee wants to go to work for a competitor of the employer. The employee should be aware that under appropriate circumstances, the ex-employer may prevent the employee from going to work at a competitor if the following three factors are found to exist:
(1) The former employee has knowledge of the first employer's trade secrets;
(2) The employee's new job duties (and the products and technology he is working on) are so similar to those in the former position that it would be extremely difficult for him not to rely on or use the first employer's trade secrets; and
(3) The former employee and the new employer cannot be depended upon to avoid using the trade secret information.
The second prong relates to that confidential information provided by a third party to the employee's company.
In those cases in which the employer signs a non-disclosure agreement to maintain the trade secrets of a third party, the employee -as an agent of the recipient company - is bound to the non-disclosure agreement and must abide by the confidentiality provisions. Failure to do so may subject both the company and the employee to damages.
- Ownership of Intellectual Property. If a work was created by an employee as part of his or her job, the law considers the product a work for hire, and the employer will own the intellectual property rights to that work, as explained above. A work for hire is defined as "a work made by an employee within the scope of his or her employment".
In many instances, the courts have considered the intellectual property rights to a product developed by the employee to belong to the employer when the employee used company resources in developing the product, even if the employee's development was done outside working hours.
- Non-Compete and Non-Solicitation Agreements. The non-compete clause prevents the ex-employee from working for a competitor or going into a business which competes with his or her ex-employer. The non-solicitation clause restricts the ex-employee from soliciting the business of the ex-employer's customers or suppliers.
The enforceability of these provisions vary by state. For example, in most employee/employer circumstances, California does not recognize the enforceability of a non-compete clause. Even in those states that do enforce non-compete provisions, the clauses must be narrowly written such that they are reasonable in time and geography limitations. The enforceability of the clause generally revolves around the underlying question of: Is there a legitimate business purpose for such restriction? In the absence of a sound business reason, the courts are reluctant to enforce a non-compete clause.
The non-solicitation clause will come under similar scrutiny in terms of reasonable time period and location, but is more often enforced by courts. A non-solicitation agreement may restrict the ex-employee from doing business with a supplier or customer of the ex-employer for a certain period of time.
Back to Top | <urn:uuid:08643d0b-1347-4efc-a708-1e2d9ad7eb71> | 2013-05-23T18:59:27Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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Iranian Foundation Increases Bounty for Rushdie
An Iranian foundation has increased a bounty for the death of Salman Rushdie, AFP reported on Sunday.
The foundation has reportedly said that if the British writer had previously been killed for blasphemy, an anti-Islam film currently enraging Muslims would never have been made.
Iranian media quoted Hassan Sane'i, a cleric heading the 15 of Khordad Foundation, as saying in a statement that he was “adding another $500,000 to the reward for killing Rushdie.”
With the increase, the foundation was now offering $3.3 million for the death of Rushdie, who since 1989 has been the target of a Iranian fatwa calling for his murder for allegedly blaspheming Islam and its prophet Mohammed in his book "The Satanic Verses."
The foundation's statement was quoted saying that, unless Rushdie were killed, "the movie offending the prophet will not be the last contemptuous attempt."
It added that "these days are the most appropriate time to carry it (Rushdie's murder) out."
Violent protests erupted this week in several Muslim countries against the American-made movie, “The Innocence of Muslims”.
Indian-born Rushdie, 65, spent a decade in hiding after Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued the 1989 fatwa against him for his book.
Although Iran's foreign ministry in 1998 assured Britain that Iran would do nothing to implement the fatwa, current supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in January 2005 reaffirmed in a message carried by the official IRNA news agency that Rushdie was considered an apostate whose murder was authorized under Islam.
One of the men who allegedly made the anti-Muslim film trailer was taken in for questioning over the weekend by federal probation officers. He was not placed under arrest, but Nakoula Basseley Nakoul, 55, was questioned by the Los Angeles County Sherriff’s station in his home town of Cerritos.
However, a YouTube spokesperson has said the video “is clearly within our guidelines and so will stay on YouTube.”
The spokesperson added, however, that the site restricted access in Libya and Egypt because of the unrest. “We work hard to create a community everyone can enjoy and which also enables people to express different opinions. This can be a challenge because what’s OK in one country can be offensive elsewhere,” the spokesperson said.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Rosh Hashanah in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.) | <urn:uuid:cee40584-1812-410c-94dc-2a17415c21e0> | 2013-05-23T18:51:27Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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A MAN AND THE ABYSS
After a momentary silence spake
-- OMAR KHAYYAM.
I say, can you let a lodging?"
These words I discharged carelessly over my shoulder at a stout and elderly woman, of whose fare I was partaking in a greasy coffee- house down near the Pool and not very far from Limehouse.
"Oh yus," she answered shortly, my appearance possibly not approximating the standard of affluence required by her house.
I said no more, consuming my rasher of bacon and pint of sickly tea in silence. Nor did she take further interest in me till I came to pay my reckoning (fourpence), when I pulled all of ten shillings out of my pocket. The expected result was produced.
"Yus, sir," she at once volunteered; "I 'ave nice lodgin's you'd likely tyke a fancy to. Back from a voyage, sir?"
"How much for a room?" I inquired, ignoring her curiosity.
She looked me up and down with frank surprise. "I don't let rooms, not to my reg'lar lodgers, much less casuals."
"Then I'll have to look along a bit," I said, with marked disappointment.
But the sight of my ten shillings had made her keen. "I can let you have a nice bed in with two hother men," she urged. "Good, respectable men, an' steady."
"But I don't want to sleep with two other men," I objected.
"You don't 'ave to. There's three beds in the room, an' hit's not a very small room."
"How much?" I demanded.
"'Arf a crown a week, two an' six, to a regular lodger. You'll fancy the men, I'm sure. One works in the ware'ouse, an' 'e's been with me two years now. An' the hother's bin with me six--six years, sir, an' two months comin' nex' Saturday. 'E's a scene-shifter," she went on. "A steady, respectable man, never missin' a night's work in the time 'e's bin with me. An' 'e likes the 'ouse; 'e says as it's the best 'e can do in the w'y of lodgin's. I board 'im, an' the hother lodgers too."
"I suppose he's saving money right along," I insinuated innocently.
"Bless you, no! Nor can 'e do as well helsewhere with 'is money."
And I thought of my own spacious West, with room under its sky and unlimited air for a thousand Londons; and here was this man, a steady and reliable man, never missing a night's work, frugal and honest, lodging in one room with two other men, paying two dollars and a half per month for it, and out of his experience adjudging it to be the best he could do! And here was I, on the strength of the ten shillings in my pocket, able to enter in with my rags and take up my bed with him. The human soul is a lonely thing, but it must be very lonely sometimes when there are three beds to a room, and casuals with ten shillings are admitted.
"How long have you been here?" I asked.
"Thirteen years, sir; an' don't you think you'll fancy the lodgin'?"
The while she talked she was shuffling ponderously about the small kitchen in which she cooked the food for her lodgers who were also boarders. When I first entered, she had been hard at work, nor had she let up once throughout the conversation. Undoubtedly she was a busy woman. "Up at half-past five," "to bed the last thing at night," "workin' fit ter drop," thirteen years of it, and for reward, grey hairs, frowzy clothes, stooped shoulders, slatternly figure, unending toil in a foul and noisome coffee-house that faced on an alley ten feet between the walls, and a waterside environment that was ugly and sickening, to say the least.
"You'll be hin hagain to 'ave a look?" she questioned wistfully, as I went out of the door.
And as I turned and looked at her, I realized to the full the deeper truth underlying that very wise old maxim: "Virtue is its own reward."
I went back to her. "Have you ever taken a vacation?" I asked.
"A trip to the country for a couple of days, fresh air, a day off, you know, a rest."
"Lor' lumme!" she laughed, for the first time stopping from her work. "A vycytion, eh? for the likes o' me? Just fancy, now!--Mind yer feet!"--this last sharply, and to me, as I stumbled over the rotten threshold.
Down near the West India Dock I came upon a young fellow staring disconsolately at the muddy water. A fireman's cap was pulled down across his eyes, and the fit and sag of his clothes whispered unmistakably of the sea.
"Hello, mate," I greeted him, sparring for a beginning. "Can you tell me the way to Wapping?"
"Worked yer way over on a cattle boat?" he countered, fixing my nationality on the instant.
And thereupon we entered upon a talk that extended itself to a public-house and a couple of pints of "arf an' arf." This led to closer intimacy, so that when I brought to light all of a shilling's worth of coppers (ostensibly my all), and put aside sixpence for a bed, and sixpence for more arf an' arf, he generously proposed that we drink up the whole shilling.
"My mate, 'e cut up rough las' night," he explained. "An' the bobbies got 'm, so you can bunk in wi' me. Wotcher say?"
I said yes, and by the time we had soaked ourselves in a whole shilling's worth of beer, and slept the night on a miserable bed in a miserable den, I knew him pretty fairly for what he was. And that in one respect he was representative of a large body of the lower- class London workman, my later experience substantiates.
He was London-born, his father a fireman and a drinker before him. As a child, his home was the streets and the docks. He had never learned to read, and had never felt the need for it--a vain and useless accomplishment, he held, at least for a man of his station in life.
He had had a mother and numerous squalling brothers and sisters, all crammed into a couple of rooms and living on poorer and less regular food than he could ordinarily rustle for himself. In fact, he never went home except at periods when he was unfortunate in procuring his own food. Petty pilfering and begging along the streets and docks, a trip or two to sea as mess-boy, a few trips more as coal-trimmer, and then a full-fledged fireman, he had reached the top of his life.
And in the course of this he had also hammered out a philosophy of life, an ugly and repulsive philosophy, but withal a very logical and sensible one from his point of view. When I asked him what he lived for, he immediately answered, "Booze." A voyage to sea (for a man must live and get the wherewithal), and then the paying off and the big drunk at the end. After that, haphazard little drunks, sponged in the "pubs" from mates with a few coppers left, like myself, and when sponging was played out another trip to sea and a repetition of the beastly cycle.
"But women," I suggested, when he had finished proclaiming booze the sole end of existence.
"Wimmen!" He thumped his pot upon the bar and orated eloquently. "Wimmen is a thing my edication 'as learnt me t' let alone. It don't pay, matey; it don't pay. Wot's a man like me want o' wimmen, eh? jest you tell me. There was my mar, she was enough, a-bangin' the kids about an' makin' the ole man mis'rable when 'e come 'ome, w'ich was seldom, I grant. An' fer w'y? Becos o' mar! She didn't make 'is 'ome 'appy, that was w'y. Then, there's the other wimmen, 'ow do they treat a pore stoker with a few shillin's in 'is trouseys? A good drunk is wot 'e's got in 'is pockits, a good long drunk, an' the wimmen skin 'im out of his money so quick 'e ain't 'ad 'ardly a glass. I know. I've 'ad my fling, an' I know wot's wot. An' I tell you, where's wimmen is trouble--screechin' an' carryin' on, fightin', cuttin', bobbies, magistrates, an' a month's 'ard labour back of it all, an' no pay-day when you come out."
"But a wife and children," I insisted. "A home of your own, and all that. Think of it, back from a voyage, little children climbing on your knee, and the wife happy and smiling, and a kiss for you when she lays the table, and a kiss all round from the babies when they go to bed, and the kettle singing and the long talk afterwards of where you've been and what you've seen, and of her and all the little happenings at home while you've been away, and--"
"Garn!" he cried, with a playful shove of his fist on my shoulder. "Wot's yer game, eh? A missus kissin' an' kids clim'in', an' kettle singin', all on four poun' ten a month w'en you 'ave a ship, an' four nothin' w'en you 'aven't. I'll tell you wot I'd get on four poun' ten--a missus rowin', kids squallin', no coal t' make the kettle sing, an' the kettle up the spout, that's wot I'd get. Enough t' make a bloke bloomin' well glad to be back t' sea. A missus! Wot for? T' make you mis'rable? Kids? Jest take my counsel, matey, an' don't 'ave 'em. Look at me! I can 'ave my beer w'en I like, an' no blessed missus an' kids a-crying for bread. I'm 'appy, I am, with my beer an' mates like you, an' a good ship comin', an' another trip to sea. So I say, let's 'ave another pint. Arf an' arf's good enough for me."
Without going further with the speech of this young fellow of two- and-twenty, I think I have sufficiently indicated his philosophy of life and the underlying economic reason for it. Home life he had never known. The word "home" aroused nothing but unpleasant associations. In the low wages of his father, and of other men in the same walk in life, he found sufficient reason for branding wife and children as encumbrances and causes of masculine misery. An unconscious hedonist, utterly unmoral and materialistic, he sought the greatest possible happiness for himself, and found it in drink.
A young sot; a premature wreck; physical inability to do a stoker's work; the gutter or the workhouse; and the end--he saw it all as clearly as I, but it held no terrors for him. From the moment of his birth, all the forces of his environment had tended to harden him, and he viewed his wretched, inevitable future with a callousness and unconcern I could not shake.
And yet he was not a bad man. He was not inherently vicious and brutal. He had normal mentality, and a more than average physique. His eyes were blue and round, shaded by long lashes, and wide apart. And there was a laugh in them, and a fund of humour behind. The brow and general features were good, the mouth and lips sweet, though already developing a harsh twist. The chin was weak, but not too weak; I have seen men sitting in the high places with weaker.
His head was shapely, and so gracefully was it poised upon a perfect neck that I was not surprised by his body that night when he stripped for bed. I have seen many men strip, in gymnasium and training quarters, men of good blood and upbringing, but I have never seen one who stripped to better advantage than this young sot of two-and-twenty, this young god doomed to rack and ruin in four or five short years, and to pass hence without posterity to receive the splendid heritage it was his to bequeath.
It seemed sacrilege to waste such life, and yet I was forced to confess that he was right in not marrying on four pounds ten in London Town. Just as the scene-shifter was happier in making both ends meet in a room shared with two other men, than he would have been had he packed a feeble family along with a couple of men into a cheaper room, and failed in making both ends meet.
And day by day I became convinced that not only is it unwise, but it is criminal for the people of the Abyss to marry. They are the stones by the builder rejected. There is no place for them, in the social fabric, while all the forces of society drive them downward till they perish. At the bottom of the Abyss they are feeble, besotted, and imbecile. If they reproduce, the life is so cheap that perforce it perishes of itself. The work of the world goes on above them, and they do not care to take part in it, nor are they able. Moreover, the work of the world does not need them. There are plenty, far fitter than they, clinging to the steep slope above, and struggling frantically to slide no more.
In short, the London Abyss is a vast shambles. Year by year, and decade after decade, rural England pours in a flood of vigorous strong life, that not only does not renew itself, but perishes by the third generation. Competent authorities aver that the London workman whose parents and grand-parents were born in London is so remarkable a specimen that he is rarely found.
Mr. A. C. Pigou has said that the aged poor, and the residuum which compose the "submerged tenth," constitute 71 per cent, of the population of London. Which is to say that last year, and yesterday, and to-day, at this very moment, 450,000 of these creatures are dying miserably at the bottom of the social pit called "London." As to how they die, I shall take an instance from this morning's paper.
Yesterday Dr. Wynn Westcott held an inquest at Shoreditch, respecting the death of Elizabeth Crews, aged 77 years, of 32 East Street, Holborn, who died on Wednesday last. Alice Mathieson stated that she was landlady of the house where deceased lived. Witness last saw her alive on the previous Monday. She lived quite alone. Mr. Francis Birch, relieving officer for the Holborn district, stated that deceased had occupied the room in question for thirty- five years. When witness was called, on the 1st, he found the old woman in a terrible state, and the ambulance and coachman had to be disinfected after the removal. Dr. Chase Fennell said death was due to blood-poisoning from bed-sores, due to self-neglect and filthy surroundings, and the jury returned a verdict to that effect.
The most startling thing about this little incident of a woman's death is the smug complacency with which the officials looked upon it and rendered judgment. That an old woman of seventy-seven years of age should die of SELF-NEGLECT is the most optimistic way possible of looking at it. It was the old dead woman's fault that she died, and having located the responsibility, society goes contentedly on about its own affairs.
Of the "submerged tenth" Mr. Pigou has said: "Either through lack of bodily strength, or of intelligence, or of fibre, or of all three, they are inefficient or unwilling workers, and consequently unable to support themselves . . . They are often so degraded in intellect as to be incapable of distinguishing their right from their left hand, or of recognising the numbers of their own houses; their bodies are feeble and without stamina, their affections are warped, and they scarcely know what family life means."
Four hundred and fifty thousand is a whole lot of people. The young fireman was only one, and it took him some time to say his little say. I should not like to hear them all talk at once. I wonder if God hears them? | <urn:uuid:c03db137-a2a8-40b2-a16e-7684485dcf46> | 2013-05-23T19:02:10Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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While working with regular expressions, you need quantifiers to specify the number of occurrences to match against. The 3 used quantifiers are ?, + and *.
? means 0 or 1 occurrence
+ means exactly one occurrence
* means 0 or more occurrences
String patternStr = "Java?"; // last a can have zero or 1 occurrence
String patternStr = "Java+"; // last a can have one or more occurrence
String patternStr = "Java*"; // last a can have zero or more occurrence | <urn:uuid:17b99022-dd89-4ec0-9967-482c14526389> | 2013-05-23T19:08:04Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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May I ask, how do you do the multiplayer, using the 3G phone network or using wifi or using bluetooth?
ErnCon is meant to be played over the Internet so 3G or WiFi (connected to the Internet of course).
And what strategy do you use for sync'ing everything?
ErnCon is essentially using a Java implementation of the Quake 3 networking model. I followed this article: http://web.archive.org/web/20060322211154/http://www.bookofhook.com/Article/GameDevelopment/TheQuake3NetworkingModel.html
The above article only describes the networking layer so I still had to come up with things like client-side interpolation to mask lag, serializing/deserializing game objects to/from the network stream, etc.
Must have been a royal pain to work that out. Well done getting it to run in a polished game.
Thanks! I actually implemented this in FRG multiplayer about a year ago so I wasn't starting from scratch for ErnCon. The effort I put into FRG multiplayer was still almost a year of my spare time but it was really fun and interesting!
If you have any specific questions about ErnCon's networking model, please ask! I'm always up for knowledge sharing. | <urn:uuid:4dcd1f2a-0d51-4e23-9338-ad58e6b29cfa> | 2013-05-23T18:51:33Z | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | [
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