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 Vector, the Journal of the British APL Association

Current issue

Vol.26 No.4

Vol.26 No.4

© 1984-2017
British APL Association
All rights reserved.

Archive articles posted online on request: ask the archivist.

Volume 12, No.1

Jot-Dot-Min: Stereo Vision

by Ian Clark, .

My father once told me that as a boy he used to fish for flatfish in the river Clyde with a table fork tied to a stick. The idea was to creep about barefoot in the shallows until you felt something wriggle under your foot, then lunge down with the fork. Inevitably there was somebody who didn’t get his foot out of the way in time and priceless excuses had to be invented for bloody footprints in the kitchen.

British flatfish like the plaice and sole have a pretty neat camouflage pattern on their topsides which mimicks the random speckle of a sandy bottom. But you don’t stand a chance if you’re a flatfish and your predator has stereoscopic vision, unless you can flatten yourslf on the bottom and stay still. According to the evolutionists, mankind’s marvellous capacity to spot speckled fish underwater must have been many millions of years in the making, around the shores of clearer waters than the Clyde, where we can imagine our brutish hominid ancestors peering into pools brandishing sticks with the elder-day equivalent of a table fork lashed to them.

Here’s the sort of thing they were looking for, and (since we’re all here) successfully spotted.

The two squares of random dots A and B together form a stereogram. This is not as elaborate a construction as the often-named “stare-ee-o” pictures created using J, as recently described in our parent magazine (Clough, VECTOR Vol 11 no 4, 110-116), but still impressive nonetheless. Some people find it easier than a “stare-ee-o” to see the illusion. For best results you could mount the pair of images in a Victorian device called a stereoscope, which directs each image exclusively to one or the other eye. Failing this, fusion lines are provided below the squares to assist you. Simply allow the fusion lines to drift together, then focus on the pattern inside the fused image.

After a few seconds you will see a shape, a rectangle in this case, clearly detach itself and float above the surrounding dots. Dover soles aren’t normally rectangular, but we’ll overcome that problem later.

Not only do squares A and B together form a stereogram, but so do B and C — and a quite distinct one too (it’s a different rectangle). If you’re lucky, you can see both sets simultaneously, because when you fuse A and B, by happy chance you also fuse B and C.

Were you to cut out the squares A and B and transpose them, you would again see the same rectangular shape, but this time in the form of a window. We’ve done it for you below:

Let us consider for a moment just how marvellous this capacity is. With two eyes having overlapping fields of vision you can clearly see an object which, for each eye considered separately, quite simply isn’t there. What do we mean by that?

Image B is a random array of square blobs, actually blown-up pixels. Each pixel can be black or white with equal probability. The Apple Macintosh supports both black-and-white and coloured icons, 32 by 32 pixels each. APLomb (a software construction kit using I-APL as its scripting language) lets you turn an icon into a 32 by 32 array of numbers (a black-and-white icon becomes a Boolean array, with 1 for black and 0 for white) and back again. So Image B was produced as follows:

B←¯1+?32 32⍴2
Here’s the explanation. Roll (?) followed by an integer value (scalar or array) returns an integer value of the same shape, but of random integers. ?2 is a random integer between 1 and 2, but we want a random 0 or 1. You can’t get this with ?1, you just get 1 back again, so we must use ?2 and subtract 1 from it.

If you want an array of {0,1} which you can bias towards more 0s, you can use 50>?100 in place of ?2. If you increase 50 to 85, say, then 0 will tend to arise for approximately 85% of the entries.

The “Dover sole” S was defined as a sub-array of bitmap B by means of the indexed assignment:

Then S was rotated by one pixel (simulating the shift rightwards of S, or rather a rectangle one pixel narrower than S) and put back into C (a copy of B) over the same rectangle as before:
The result C is still a random array, with exactly the same statistical distribution of pixels as before. Mathematically speaking, nothing about the operation distinguishes the boundary of the Dover sole in C, except that it happens to be derived from B. Considered apart from B, it is mathematically impossible to detect in C that an arbitrary rectangle has been rotated by 1 pixel. Just to make the point, a different rectangle has been rotated the other way in B, using 1⌽S instead of ¯1⌽S to make A.

However, fuse the images B and C together (or A and B), and the brain detects parallax. That is, it recognises that a region of pixels has shifted bodily sideways against a background formed by the remaining pixels, when viewed first by one eye, then by the other. Why doesn’t the brain just see a blurred area where the value of the expression B=C contains 0s, meaning no-match? If you repeat the experiment you’ll notice that the 0s don’t form a solid block, yet the illusion is of a crisp floating rectangle. Moreover both the pattern on the rectangle and the background pattern are precisely fused! You’d think the eyes could superimpose only one or the other at a time, not both at once. So B=C is not what the brain is computing.

Instead it would seem to be making a crafty guess at what might have caused the displaced pixels and decides, from its experience of Nature, that the most plausible explanation is that there is a well-camouflaged object with a rectangular border floating above a speckled background. But then the brain goes and presents its hypothesis to you, not as a hazy probabilistic suggestion, but as certainty, i.e. as a rock-solid illusion of a floating rectangle.

If you equip yourself with a suitable APL capable of printing dot-arrays from rectangular Boolean arrays (or as we called them in the last issue, bitmaps), then here are a few experiments for you to try:

  1. Use a non-rectangular mask, like a fish-shape. Does the brain still “see” a clear boundary? Don’t forget, some of the displaced speckles might accidentally match the “underlying” ones, although that doesn’t seem to bother the brain with examples A B and C above.
  2. The Dover sole is “opaque”, i.e. no underlying pixels show through. What if it were “transparent”? Is the boundary still crisp? Does swapping the two images still give the impression of a window, instead of a floating shape?
  3. How small can the displaced rectangle be before the illusion is lost? Will the brain detect a single displaced pixel and portray it as a tiny “floating” fish? Or will it write off a single pixel out-of-place as “noise”. Does it matter if the pixel coincides with an underlying speck when it is shifted?
  4. There are programs which allow you to view a collection of similar pictures as an animated sequence. By generating several successive pairs of images, can you get the sole to “move”? Can you make it rise, by increasing the pixel displacement from one to two, or sink to the bottom by going the other way? If it does sink to the bottom, can you still “see” it, even briefly? If you can, you’re seeing something for which there’s absolutely no statistical evidence, at least in one particular frame.
  5. What if the sole is displaced vertically or diagonally with respect to the background instead of horizontally? Do you still see a crisp illusion? Don’t forget that the brain knows your eyes are in-line horizontally, so a vertical displacement going from one eye to the other is rather unlikely to arise as a result of parallax.

Now for some APL techniques with bitmaps to help in your investigations. To get a fish-shaped Dover sole, it’s best to abandon indexed assignment to pick out and rotate a given sub-rectangle. The trouble is that defining a shape by means of B[U;V] where U and V are vectors of consecutive numbers, means the shape has got to be rectangular. Used above, it helped us to make a philosophical point (the randomness statistics of the image with its rotated shape remained totally unaltered), but in practice you will find it easier to generate the speckled background once for all, then the fish as a separate array, then to overlay the fish first in one place, then shifted sideways by one column or maybe two.

First you need a mask of a fish in the form of a bitmap. It’s best to edit this by hand. Suppose F is the fish shape as a 32 by 32 Boolean array, G is the random speckle on the fish, H the random speckle on the background. G and H may be generated as follows:

G←¯1+?32 32⍴2
H←¯1+?32 32⍴2
making two independent random patterns. Now use F as a cookie cutter on both G and H; like this. G^F zeroes everything outside the fish shape, and H^~F zeroes everything inside the fish shape. Put them together and you have just placed the fish opaquely on the background (although it won’t show up of course): A←(G^F)∨(H^~F) Now rotate both the fish and the speckled background: F←¯1⌽F G←¯1⌽G and repeat the above steps to make B: B←(G^F)∨(H^~F) B now forms a stereo pair with A.

That’s all the space we have for bitmaps this week. We’ll get onto games of life and epidemic models shortly.

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All posts tagged ‘AbleGamers’

Grant Lets Kids With Disabilities Become Gamers With Adaptive Technology

Giddeon plays a videogame using adaptive technology.
Photo courtesy AbleGamers Foundation)

Learning a new videogame can be frustrating. But for kids with disabilities, the experience can be especially hard. If you can’t play what the other kids are playing, it’s like being picked last for the kickball team.

Take Giddeon, whom the AbleGamers Foundation met at one of their “Accessibility Arcades” in Atlantic City, New Jersey. According to the AbleGamers Foundation website, Giddeon didn’t want to play any games. A rare disease had stunted the growth of his arms. Only a few fingers had formed. Holding a game controller was tough.

Already, too many kids with disabilities feel like they’re being left out of all the fun. For Giddeon, the experience of not being able to play the game could have been a minor encounter with low self-esteem, or a major lesson in humiliation.

A boy uses the Adroit accessible controller at an “Accessibility Arcade.”
Photo courtesy AbleGamers Foundation

But after encouragement from the AbleGamers staff, Giddeon used an “accessible controller” called the Adroit with the racing game Forza 3. “Within seconds he was racing past the competition and smiling brightly at his newfound driving skills,” the AbleGamers Foundation website said. “By the end of that day he was coming in first place in every race.”

Thanks to adaptive technology, Giddeon had gone from being unable to play a videogame to becoming a racing champion — and a gamer.

Now the AbleGamers Foundation, long dedicated to bring greater accessibility in the digital entertainment space for people of all ages, has launched the AbleGamers 2012 Children’s Grant Program, a one-time grant that provides gaming equipment for children 15 years or younger.

“We are thrilled to be enabling children with disabilities by providing assistive technology through this grant,” said Mark Barlet, president and founder of the AbleGamers Foundation. “Our supporters are wonderful. Without the amazing and continued support of generous donors, this wouldn’t be possible.”

Applications are now being accepted for kids to receive one piece of assistive technology, courtesy of the AbleGamers Foundation, so that they might can “gain a greater quality of life, and develop a rich social life that gaming can bring,” AbleGamers said.

Accessibility Arcade

A young woman uses the an accessible controller to play a videogame.
Photo courtesy AbleGamers Foundation

The grants might fund hardware and accessible controllers from major assistive technology makers, as well as software. Accessibility technology enables play on most major game systems, including Nintendo’s Wii, Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Sony’s PlayStation 3, and personal computers.

Parents and caregivers can apply for the grant here. The deadline is fast approaching — Aug. 31. You can learn more about the foundation on its website. Its Facebook page is loaded with photos of accessibility arcades. You can also donate to AbleGamers.

Kids deserve to feel normal, powerful and able to participate in the culture, which for so many revolves around gaming. Kids with disabilities, AbleGamers said, ”just want to have fun despite [the] many serious challenges disability can bring.”

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All posts tagged ‘stroller’

GeekMom Holiday Gift Guide: Travel Savvy

From our cross-country trek to California. Image by Natania Barron.

Travel is no easy task, not even for the most well-accoutered GeekMom. This year I took an unexpected trip to California with my new baby old in tow, and let’s just say I learned a great deal about what makes sense on a cross-country trek when you’re hoisting along a twelve pound bundle of joy. So fair warning: I’ve included a variety of items here, both for the casual traveler and the adventurer, but there’s definitely a newer mom slant.

My daughter snuggled in the Maya Wrap. At Costco. Image by Natania Barron.

The Maya Wrap Ring Sling
I have my friendly consignment store clerk to thank for this one, even though she didn’t have one in stock. When my son was little, we used a sling that wasn’t adjustable, and while it was decent it really took some getting used to, and I expressed a desire for something even easier. The clerk told me that the Maya Wrap was one of the most important items she ever got with her kids, and that she used it until they were almost two years old apiece! I found one in maroon locally, and at first was a little taken aback at the price. But with such glowing recommendations, I didn’t turn it down. I have a philosophy that when it comes to items I’m going to use every single day, skimping isn’t a smart choice.

I’ve been thrilled with the Maya Wrap ever since. For the first five months of her life, my daughter has pretty much gone everywhere with me, comfortably ensconced in it. I far prefer this design to the front sling models, as it actually uses my hips to help with weight displacement. It’s comfortable for me and for her, and sure beats carrying around a carseat everywhere (which is impossible with my bad wrists, anyway). Plus, we get compliments where ever we go, as her adorable little head peeks over the top. It’s made of sturdy material, is easily washable (which isn’t the case with many other wraps) and doesn’t have miles of fabric or strange snaps and buttons that seem to serve no purpose. The straightforward design and sturdy construction hold up for years.

The Lumix G5 by Panasonic. Image by Panasonic.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 Camera*
MSRP $799
I have a confession to make. I love taking photographs. And honestly, I don’t think I’m terrible at it. Sure, I rely on Instagram a lot these days but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to move up in the world. However, having recently sold a DSLR camera because I just didn’t have time to become an expert in it, I’d thought there was no middle ground between the classic point and shoots, like the Nikon Coolpix that we had forever, and the bells and whistles of the DSLR camp.

Holiday reflections. Image by Natania Barron. Taken with the Lumix DMC-G5.

Thankfully I was wrong. It’s not that I’m incapable of learning a professional-style camera, but that I don’t have the time. I have enough hobbies. The Lumix DMC-G5 from Panasonic boils everything down for you, and features the things I love bout DSLR cameras (a fantastic display, excellent zoom, responsive buttons, presets) and makes it even easier to use. Extra bonus? Built in filters.

My favorite part is the scene gallery that lets you match an image to the finished product (i.e. there’s a setting for Christmas lights, which you can see I took advantage of). Using DSLM technology (Digital Single Lens Mirrorless) it basically allows the responsiveness of  a professional grade camera, but without the bulk. It’s compact and lightweight, which is always a consideration with my less than impressive hands. I’ve had a blast doing all sorts of fun things with the camera, and can honestly say I’ve never gotten the hang of a camera so quickly. I’ve just started to graze the surface of the photographic possibilities, but it’s turning into one of my favorite holiday items this season. Continue Reading “GeekMom Holiday Gift Guide: Travel Savvy” »


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Theiling Online    Sitemap    Conlang Mailing List HQ

"organic/non-organic intelligence gender" <was Re: Ladan and woman's speak>

From:Jonathan Chang <zhang2323@...>
Date:Wednesday, May 24, 2000, 7:03
In a message dated 2000/05/24 02:51:27 AM, Fortytwo wrote:

>Sure it would. After millennia have passed, any pre-existing >gender-system could be lost, and a new gender-system could've evolved. >A gender system involving things like "electric" I could see developing >if electricity were used for thousands of years.
This whole discussion has me in a humourous mode. I think it is possible to someday have a language or two with "gender systems" based on organic lifeforms & non-organic intelligences (i.e. AI [Artificial Intelligence] & a-Life [artificial-Life]). For instance, the organic/sentient intelligences might be divided into: 1) _human/primate_ and then _other animal intelligences_ (cetean, feline, canine, etc.) & 2) the machine intelligences all lumped into one category. Sounds like a Herman Miller project to me... ... also this for some reason, reminds me of David Brin's "Uplift" (?) sci-fi novels... ; ) zHANg


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Anti-Bullying Bill Passes House Committee

by Gabe Bullard on February 22, 2011

from Kentucky Public Radio’s Stu Johnson

Legislation designed to better protect gay students from bullies has cleared a committee in the Kentucky House.

Three gay students testified about their experiences with bullying before the committee vote today Tuesday. Among them was Bradley Kaufman, who went to high school in Casey county.

“Many of my teachers had probably never met someone who is LGBT before so they don’t know what to do with it it’s not stated that they have to protect those students,” he said.

Several committee members expressed concern about bullying but indicated current law should address the issue. Sponsor Mary Lou Marzian says the legislation gives school officials power they don’t currently have to better deal with bullies who target gay students.

The bill now goes on to the full House.

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Jacobin 1

Definition: A Dominican friar; so named because, before the French Revolution, that order had a convent in the Rue St. Jacques, Paris.

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Definition: One of a society of violent agitators in France, during the revolution of who held secret meetings in the Jacobin convent in the Rue St. Jacques, Paris, and concerted measures to control the proceedings of the National Assembly. Hence: A plotter against an existing government; a turbulent demagogue.

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Definition: A fancy pigeon, in which the feathers of the neck form a hood, whence the name. The wings and tail are long, and the beak moderately short.

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Definition: a member of the radical movement that instituted the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution

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Monthly Archives: October 2015

Video: Blisters and barrier coat

Ariel was hauled out today, prompting a few thoughts on osmotic blisters and barrier coating a hull. The portion of the video that got cut off at the end essentially posits that a hull in good condition, without evidence of osmotic blisters, should NOT be barrier coated.

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HODGES, AGNES VIRGINIA - Yuma County, Arizona | AGNES VIRGINIA HODGES - Arizona Gravestone Photos

Agnes Virginia HODGES

Yuma Pioneer Cemetery
Yuma County,

Agnes V. Polhamus 1871-1960, wife of Peter B. Hodges
daughter of Sacramento Sambrano 1848 & Isaac Polhamus 1828

Contributed on 1/22/08

Record #: 58200

Thank you for visiting the Arizona Gravestone Photo Project

On this site you can upload gravestone photos, locate ancestors and perform genealogy research. If you have a relative buried in Arizona, we encourage you to upload a digital image using our Submit a Photo page. Contributing to this geneology archive helps family historians and genealogy researchers locate their relatives and complete their family tree.

Submitted: 1/22/08 • Approved: 1/22/08 • Last Updated: 11/3/12 • R58200-G58200

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News for social, fiscal & national security conservatives who believe in God, family & the USA. Upholding the rights granted by God & guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, traditional family values, "republican" principles / ideals, transparent & limited "smaller" government, free markets, lower taxes, due process of law, liberty & individual freedom. All content approval rests with the ARRA News Service Editor. Opinions are those of the authors. While varied positions are reported, beliefs & principles remain fixed. No revenue is generated for or by this site - no paid ads accepted - no payments for articles. Fair Use doctrine is posted & used.
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One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. -- Plato (429-347 BC)

Sunday, April 03, 2016

Removing Lexi

by Penna Dexter, Contributing Author: The plight of a 6-year-old girl is causing a stir in Santa Clarita, a community outside Los Angeles. The state of California and LA County recently removed her from the home of a Christian family with whom she’s been living since she was two.

The reason: Race.

The little girl’s name is Alexandria; she goes by Lexi, Lexi Page.

She was taken from the home of Rusty and Summer Page, her foster parents, who want to adopt her, but can’t because they are not Native American.

Lexi is — like — 1.5 percent Choctaw. Because Lexi has a Native American great-great-great-great grandparent on her father’s side, she was taken from the home of the Pages, who have lovingly parented her for going on 5 years, and their children whom she considers siblings, who love her dearly.

A March 18th court order demanded Lexi be removed from the Page home and taken to Utah to live with a couple who may or may not be distant relatives of her biological father. Social workers carried a sobbing Lexi, to a waiting car. Friends were there, some scolding, some singing hymns and praying. Now, when Zoe, the youngest Page, hears the doorbell she says “Lexi’s home.”

This is all taking place under a federal law: the Indian Child Welfare Act, or ICWA, enacted 40 years ago to give Native American groups the right to take custody of children who can claim Native American ancestry.

At 17 months of age, Lexi was removed from the custody of her mother who had a severe problem with substance abuse and has lost custody of at least six other children. Her father has an extensive criminal history and despite reunification efforts, was unable to retain custody of Lexi either. The dad, with his miniscule Indian ancestry, is an enrolled member of an Indian tribe. Under ICWA, that makes Lexi Indian and the tribe gets to say what happens to her. When Lexi was a baby, the tribe allowed her to be placed in foster care in hopes she would be reunified with her dad. It became apparent that’s a lost cause. So the court, despite the wonderful results of loving and consistent parenting by the Pages, ordered that Lexi be placed where a couple of her dad’s other kids have been placed, with so-called relatives in Utah, amazingly, a couple who is not even Native American.

Laws requiring a child’s best interest be considered would apply here if Lexi were not 1/64th Indian.

The Goldwater Institute is challenging the ICWA, saying it “was written out of a concern that the state courts were breaking up tribes by placing Native American children to live off-reservation.” But now, four decades later, the Institute’s attorneys say the law “penalizes Indian children by subjecting them to different and less favorable rules than other children.”

It’s really discrimination against a child because she’s got a bit of Native American blood.
Penna Dexter is a radio talk show host heard on numerous stations via the Point of View Network endorsed by Dr. Bill Smith, Editor, ARRA News Service

Tags: Penna Dexter, Viewpoints, Point of View, Removing Lexi, Alexandria Page, Lexi Page, 1.5 percent Choctaw, Indian Child Welfare Act, ICWA, taken from, foster parents, The Goldwater Institute, Santa Clarita, CA To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
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Saturday, September 5, 2009

Arman Pashikian (Арман Пашикян)

FIDE rating card
Profile at

Arman Pashikian (28 July 1987) is an Armenian Grandmaster of chess (2002).
He is the winner of the European Youth Rapid Chess Championship in 2005 and the Armenian Youth Championship in 1997 and 1998. Pashikian won the Armenian Chess Championship in 2009.
Other results include: =1st at Batumi 2003; =3rd at Saratov 2006; =2nd at Istanbul 2007; 1st at Gyumri 2008; 1st at Martuni 2008; 1st at Sevan 2009.
On the September 2009 FIDE list, he has an Elo rating of 2663, making him number 70 in the world and Armenia's number four.


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Monday, May 28, 2012

Moroccan Carrot-Chickpea Salad

Ever wanted to be transported to a Moroccan bazaar in ten minutes? Cue in this amazing and quick salad from Rachael Ray. This recipe is so versatile and you can whip it up in ten minutes or less! Can it get any better?

Toby and I have been dying to go to Morocco for a few years now and when I made this salad I imagined myself roaming the streets of some Moroccan bazaar eating this fresh and delicious salad. This is perfect for summer picnics because there is no mayonnaise in it. It also is so light and fresh. There are so many different flavors going on in this salad. You have the bright,tartness of the lemon, the sweetness of the golden rasins and the crunch of the carrot and cashews. And did I mention this is healthy? You can a ton of protein from the chickpeas and nuts. You can even add a dollop of Greek yogurt to bump up the protein and creamy factor. Might I add, it is also fairly inexpensive to prepare.

This is a perfect side dish for summer so whether you are taking it on a picnic or serving it with some burgers for your family you will enjoy a new take on plain old salads. Did I mention you don't even have to turn the stove on for this side dish? Yeah, I knew you would like that.

Moroccan Carrot-Chickpea Salad

  • 1 lemon, finely zested and juiced
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Salt
  • Olive Oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds carrots, coarsely grated
  • 2 cans  (15 oz.) chickpeas, rinsed
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 1/2 cup roasted, unsalted cashews, coarsely chopped
  • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, plus leaves for garnish
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
  1. In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest and juice, coriander, cayenne and 1 1/4 tsp. salt; whisk in the oil.
  2. Stir in the carrots, chickpeas, raisins, cashews, chopped cilantro and mint; toss to coat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Top with the cilantro leaves.

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Fresh Links!

by Art Fag City on September 13, 2008 Fresh Links!

Writer David Foster Wallace found dead – Los Angeles Times

His wife told Claremont police that the novelist and humorist who wrote ‘Infinite Jest’ hanged himself Friday night. He was 46.

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NSAIDS Reduce Dementia

Not all the news about non-steroidal drugs is bad. In fact, this next item might surprise you…

Decreased Risk of Dementia With Prolonged NSAID Exposure in RA

Lauren Grygotis writing in Neurology Advisor reported a longer period of treatment with non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was associated with a decreased risk of dementia among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a large population-based cohort, according to recent findings published in Medicine.

Previous studies have suggested that early inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and depression are associated with increased risk of dementia.  The authors of the study noted that NSAIDs are “commonly used for treating RA, and several studies suggest that NSAIDs reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia in patients with RA.”

Comment: Interesting

Have you ever wondered if there are natural ingredients that would help as well as pharmaceuticals? Many doctors don’t agree but the latest science suggests they might be wrong… next

Green Tea May Help Ease Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms

Ashley Boynes-Shuck writing in Healthline reported a new study appearing in the medical journal, Arthritis and Rheumatology, shows that a compound found in green tea may hold promise in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease management.

Herbal teas have been in use to treat various ailments for literally thousands of years, with estimates of its medicinal use since before the beginning of recorded history.

Green tea has been touted by health coaches, nutritionists, doctors, and dietitians for decades. The drink is particularly known for anti-oxidant properties.

Now, green tea is being heralded as way to reduce inflammation in the body as well. In fact, the recent study concludes the drink has potentially as a regularly prescribed treatment for patients with RA, although so far it has only been tested on mice.

Comment: Mice is a start…

Have you wondered if some arthritis drugs affect weight even though your doctor says they won’t. Experts say this because they want you to believe it. But recent data says otherwise. Coming up next.

Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs affect weight of patients with RA

Reported in Healio, the results of a long term study conducted at the Department of veteran Affairs. The researchers evaluated a large cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with various agents. Of four disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, Arava was most likely to cause weight loss and prednisone was associated with weight gain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to the results of the study.

Comment: Not surprising. As the dose of prednisone increases above 5 mgs per day, I have noticed patients may begin to gain weight. The trick is to keep the dose low.

Here’s another common occupation associated with rheumatoid arthritis…next

Textile Workers at Higher Risk for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Lisa Rapaport writing in the Rheumatologist reported breathing textile dust on the job is linked to an almost tripled risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, a Malaysian study suggests.

While smoking is a known risk factor for RA, the findings add to evidence suggesting that environmental factors could trigger RA in some people, the researchers note in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

The investigators suspect that textile dust might cause changes in the lung tissues, and those changes might trigger the immune response that leads to RA in individuals with genetic risk factors for the disease, said senior study author Dr. Camilla Bengtsson of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

Although more research is needed to prove whether textile dust directly causes RA, the findings suggest factory workers might benefit from respiratory protections that prevent or minimize inhalation of this pollutant, Bengtsson added.

Comment: Who would have thunk it…

An ancient Chinese secret erases rheumatoid arthritis… next

Acupuncture And Moxa Alleviate Rheumatoid Arthritis

Reposrted in Health CMi, this item… Acupuncture and moxibustion alleviate rheumatoid arthritis. Research published in the Jilin Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine finds an 83.3% total effective rate for acupuncture combined with moxibustion for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Lower levels of clinical success were achieved by using acupuncture and moxibustion independently as standalone treatment modalities. However, once the researchers combined acupuncture and moxibustion into one treatment protocol, the positive patient outcome rate increased significantly.

Comment: While Chinese medicine helps with symptoms., I’m skeptical about its ability to slow disease progression.

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Southwest Airlines to sell tickets for pets

May 29, 2009

Southwest Airlines said today it plans to start selling airline tickets for family pets, one of several new initiatives that are designed to generate new revenues for the discount carrier.

As of June 1, Southwest passengers will be able to purchase the right to bring small pets onboard flights for $75, each way, for travel that begins June 17.

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-- Julie Johnsson

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Sox Notes

July 17, 1987

General Manager Larry Himes said he was ``frustrated`` over his inability to make a trade during the All-Star break. Himes had talks with several teams concerning Richard Dotson and Floyd Bannister. The Sox want young talent, a commodity most teams want to keep.

``Most teams are looking to develop from within,`` Himes said. ``They`re placing a high value on their system now. But the closer a team comes to winning a pennant, it might have to change its direction.``

Himes said there are no trades imminent. He reported ``no action`` on the Bannister front, although revealing four teams are interested in the left-hander.

The Sox might be close to signing their No. 1 draft pick, pitcher Jack McDowell. Himes spoke with him over the weekend.

Bobby Thigpen rejoined the Sox Thursday and found out he`s back in the bullpen. Thigpen had gone to Hawaii to learn how to become a starter but had mixed results. ``You prefer to go where you`ve had some success, and for me, that`s been in the bullpen,`` said Thigpen, who has developed a change-up since was last here.


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Forest Preserve Property Is Tentatively Annexed

January 24, 1994|By Bob Goldsborough.

Glen Ellyn — Trustees have tentatively agreed to annex 1.44 acres of forest preserve property on the village's eastern border just north of Crescent Boulevard.

The annexation will make Michael Rahal's home at 934 Crescent Blvd. contiguous to village limits. Rahal requested the forest preserve allow the annexation so he may apply to join the village.

"I think it's an excellent program, helping Rahal get Lake Michigan water," said trustee Joe Wark.

Village officials said they will offer no guarantees that Rahal's expected annexation application would be approved. However, Glen Ellyn has held annexation discussions with homeowners in that area for the last 18 months.

Village manager Gary Webster said that while there is no apparent consensus in the neighborhood about annexation, individual property owners might if the Rahal property is annexed.

"We think some other property owners will be interested in annexing," Webster said.


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Shhhh! Romney wants economy talk in 'quiet rooms'

Romney says criticism of his high finance career is 'envy'

January 13, 2012|Eric Zorn | Change of Subject

Inside voices everyone, please!

We're going to talk about the widening income gap between rich and poor, tax policy and the seemliness of predatory investing, and GOP presidential front-runner Mitt Romney wants us to do so only "in quiet rooms."

He made this suggestion in an interview Wednesday with NBC "Today" host Matt Lauer, the relevant portion of which began when Lauer challenged Romney's assertion in his victory speech Tuesday after the New Hampshire primary that questions about his lucrative career in high finance are rooted in "the bitter politics of envy."

"I think it's about envy," Romney replied. "I think it's about class warfare. I think when you have a president encouraging the idea of dividing America based on 99 percent vs. 1 percent, and those people who've been most successful will be in the 1 percent, you've opened up a whole new wave of approach in this country which is entirely inconsistent with the concept of one nation under God."

Had I been in Lauer's chair, I would have reminded Romney that "under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954, when top-bracket earners paid a 91 percent federal income tax rate. They now pay 35 percent, and yet Republicans howl that those who want to move it back up to 39 percent, where it was through most of the 1990s, are "socialists."

Instead, Lauer asked, "Are there no fair questions about the distribution of wealth without it being seen as envy, though?"

"You know I think it's fine to talk about those things in quiet rooms," Romney said. "But the president has made this part of his campaign rally. Everywhere he goes we hear him talking about millionaires and billionaires and executives and Wall Street. It's a very envy-oriented, attack-oriented approach."

Attack? Yes. Politics isn't beanbag as Romney himself reminded us recently. And harsh criticism of opponents' records and philosophies is common, as the broadsides against President Barack Obama in Romney's stinging, hyperbolic victory speech illustrated.

But envy? No. Envy requires bitter resentment, and most of us don't resent or begrudge the material success of the industrious, the talented or even the lucky — Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, say, or Oprah Winfrey, Derrick Rose, Steven Spielberg and Scott Anetsberger, the Lombard man who, we just learned, hit the $1 million jackpot in the Illinois Lottery's Merry Millionaire scratch-off game twice in nine years.

I'd even go so far as to say the vast majority of Americans admire successful venture capitalists — those who get rich investing in the ideas of ambitious entrepreneurs (whom we also admire), thus creating new products and businesses that fuel economic growth.

That's free enterprise. And despite Romney's complaint that those in both parties who are critical of his tenure at Bain Capital investment firm "want to put free enterprise on trial," no one in the political mainstream is challenging its basics.

What they are challenging are the rules of high finance that allow private equity firms like Bain to sweep in, buy up mature companies, gut and restructure them with heavy infusions of other people's money, then bail out with handsome profits even when the company may be headed for bankruptcy.

"There's a big difference between financial manipulation and capitalism," said Newt Gingrich, the GOP candidate whose technically unaffiliated political action committee will spend a reported $5 million in South Carolina this week to promote and air "When Mitt Romney Came To Town," a 28-minute video that portrays Romney the businessman as rapacious, heartless and obtuse.

Others critics are challenging a tax system that has allowed wealth to concentrate more and more at the top, impeded income mobility and hit particularly hard at middle-income families, losers in a class war they did not start.

They want to put on trial a structure that bails out bankers in trouble but shrugs off the woes of the unemployed and the foreclosed as part of the "creative destruction" necessary for growth.

They're angry, not envious.

As a relatively calm person, I support Romney's implicit call for polite, reasoned discourse here. But it won't happen until he sets an example, stops flinging self-pitying accusations and acknowledges that his foes and critics have reasonable concerns about fairness and growing income inequality. He could start by allowing that it isn't anti-God and anti-capitalism insisting that we do better by those destroyed in the cycle of creative destruction.

In other words, expect a lot of noise in the coming months.

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Wheaton North looks sharp in shutout

No.8 Wheaton North 45, Naperville Central 0

October 06, 2012|By Paul LaTour, Special to the Tribune
(James C. Svehla/for the Chicago Tribune)

A 24-point halftime lead seems comfortable. But Wheaton North wasn't about to fall into that trap.

The No. 8 Falcons piled on 21 more points in the second half and rolled to a 45-0 DuPage Valley victory over Naperville Central on Friday. Patrick Sharp ran for 137 yards and three scores, while Matt Biegalski caught three touchdown passes as the Falcons (7-0, 5-0) won to set up a first-place showdown with Glenbard North next Friday.

"We come out and try to bury them," Sharp said about the Falcons' second-half intensity. "We don't get complacent. We just play our game and things turn out well."

They turned out very well against the Redhawks (3-4, 3-2), who were shut out for the second consecutive week. The Falcons threw for 152 yards and ran for 175 yards in the rout.

"We try to spread the ball around so the defense doesn't know where we're coming from," Sharp said. "When they don't know where we're coming from, it's a lot easier."

Biegalski finished with six catches for 101 yards in his first three-touchdown varsity performance. He caught one from Johnny Peltz on the Falcons' opening drive and capped the night with a 52-yard score from Clayton Thorson to put the game in running time with eight minutes remaining. In between he caught a 6-yarder from Thorson to give the Falcons a 24-0 halftime lead.

"We came out gunning from the start," Biegalski said. "I'm proud of the defense. I'm proud of the offense. We had a great week of practice. We thought it would be a (closer) game but this was great."

Player of the game: Patrick Sharp, Wheaton North, 137 yards rushing, 3 TDs.

Key performers: Wheaton North — Matt Biegaski, 101 receiving yards, 3 TDs; Johnny Peltz, 10-for-13, 94 yards, 1 TD; Clayton Thorson, 64 yards passing, 2 TDs. Naperville Central — Jake Kolbe, 19-for-33, 115 yards; Jimmy Nashert, 50 receiving yards.


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Rents Increased More Than 12% in San Diego

June 23, 1985

Rents in the Chula Vista/Bonita area and other portions of southern San Diego County increased an average of 12.15% in the past year, according to a recently completed survey.

One hundred of 110 apartment owners representing projects with between nine and 352 rental units were interviewed by Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate Services in San Diego, for a total of 8,414 units.

The study found an 8.1% rent increase in an eight-month period, which projected to 12.15% on an annual basis. (The survey was to have been completed in January but the volume of brokerage business delayed it.) The last previous survey, in July, 1984, found a 5.6% increase for six months, or 11.2% for a year.

Exceptional Return

Coldwell Banker staff members noted that South Bay rent increases averaged about 12% a year and added, "Many landlords historically anticipate a 5% annual climb in rents, so 12% represents an exceptional return on their investments."

The South Bay has a less-than-3% vacancy rate, the survey found. Monthly rents averaged $402 a month for one-bedroom apartments, $488 for two bedrooms and one bath, $534 for two bedrooms and two baths, and $614 for three bedrooms and two baths.

The Coldwell Banker staff members saw a danger in the Chula Vista School District's raising of fees imposed on developers from about $100 a dwelling to $1,690. A similar proposal by the Sweetwater High School District, due to take effect July 1, would raise fees from $750 per dwelling unit to $3,700.

"The sudden and incredible increases--in excess of 560%--will increase the cost per apartment unit by at least $5,290," they said, "and will halt many projects already planned in the South Bay area, adding to an already critical housing shortage in San Diego County."

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Arms Talks Progress Seen Despite Daniloff Case

September 20, 1986|ELEANOR CLIFT | Times Staff Writer

WASHINGTON — Despite their differences over the detention of American journalist Nicholas Daniloff, the United States and the Soviet Union are making progress in a number of areas related to arms control, Administration officials confirmed Friday.

The latest evidence is a Soviet proposal advanced in Geneva, where arms control talks resumed Thursday, that would permit only a token missile force to be stationed in Europe. The two sides have been jockeying over numerical limits for medium-range missile warheads for months, with the United States resisting earlier Soviet proposals that would have eliminated all such superpower missiles from European soil.

"Our respective positions on numbers are getting closer and closer," a U.S. official said, adding that the Administration is prepared to accept virtually any number above zero as long as it is a reduction. The United States is reluctant to endorse a total ban because Western allied nations regard the missiles as a symbol of American commitment to the defense of Europe.

"Progress on arms control has been obscured by the political tensions over Daniloff," a White House official said. "While we've made it clear the Daniloff matter is impinging on U.S.-Soviet relations, that's not to say we're not going to do business--we are."

Before Daniloff dominated the dialogue, U.S. officials talked optimistically of reaching an accord on a new strategic arms agreement, on an intermediate-range missile agreement and on so-called "risk-reduction centers" in both countries that would lessen the risk of an accidental nuclear war. Despite the heated rhetoric over Daniloff, progress on all these fronts is apparently continuing.

"Our positions on numbers and types and ceilings are getting close to convergence--the things that would constitute a framework," the U.S. official said. "We're getting the ball down the alley."

President Reagan is being pressured by conservatives to suspend business as usual with the Soviet Union in retaliation for Moscow's treatment of Daniloff. But Reagan so far has been unwilling to directly link the Daniloff matter to progress in arms control or to make the journalist's release a precondition for a summit this year.

"Anyone who tries to characterize Daniloff vis-a-vis arms control is going to find himself in a political thicket," an Administration official said. "Daniloff remains a problem, a very serious problem, . . . but the signs of hope are there (in arms control)."

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Unbaited Hook : I, JFK by Robert Mayer (E. P. Dutton: $18.95; 263 pp.; 0-525-24776-9)

July 16, 1989|George Bernau | Bernau's "Promises to Keep" (Warner Books) received the highest advance for a first novel in publishing history. and

"I, JFK" has a hook, as they say in Hollywood and apparently in some publishing circles in New York now as well. It even has--please forgive me, but such things are truly highly regarded in some quarters--a coveted "pithy hook," that is, a story line that can be told so succinctly that one film executive can tell another studio executive the entire idea while they're using the facilities in the washroom. The hook here is--wouldn't it be funny (all pithy hooks are required to begin with this phrase) if Jack Kennedy could write his memoirs from the afterlife and give us the lowdown on the many questions and mysteries he left behind? The answer is, of course, as it always is with such hooks--not necessarily.

The too-often forgotten fact is that after hook conception must come hook execution. And although a work may get high marks for its premise as "I, JFK" does, it may never fulfill its potential.

The book contains two major narrative lines. First, there is the imagined J.F.K. biography itself. The reader is teased in the beginning of the book to expect, if patient enough, that much will be revealed. Who really killed J.F.K.? Why? All the inside scoop on Marilyn M. and Judith E., Bobby's mysterious death, the shadowy roles of the FBI and the CIA in the secrets of the '60s, the true facts behind the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs and much, much more. The truth is, however, that the answers the book finally arrives at for these mysteries are ultimately shallow and unbelievable.

The biographical narrative itself, except for occasional wild flights of fancy, is also pretty flat reading. There is nothing new here and even though it is supposed to have been written by President Kennedy, both the events chosen and the prose that they were written in sound very much like a series of events copied off index cards researched in a library somewhere.

And although it purports to be written through the eyes of Jack Kennedy himself, there is never any serious attempt to truly imagine ourselves inside J.F.K.'s consciousness. Instead, what we are given is the writer's sensibility merely labeled as Kennedy's. We are told early in the story that we won't recognize the writing as that of J.F.K. because we are only familiar with the words Ted Sorenson wrote for the President and not Kennedy's real voice. Then the writer seems to feel free to abandon any attempt at creating a unique J.F.K. persona, and to replace J.F.K.'s consciousness with the author's own style and tone. The result is a mismatch of story and style that leaves the reader feeling cheated by being promised one thing and then given another.

The final problem with the imagined biography line of the book is that although it is occasionally surprising, even shocking, the surprises and shocks are totally unbelievable. Of course, we're not really meant to believe these flights of wild fantasy. We're meant to laugh and be enlightened. And there are some laughs along the way, but unless this is a reader's first look at this material--very little light.

The second narrative line of the book is better. As he writes his imagined biography, J.F.K. banters with the after-death personas of Bobby, Lyndon B. Johnson, J. Edgar Hoover, Martin Luther King Jr. and others. There are good light moments here and nicely set-up laughs, but what it adds up to essentially is only a series of exaggerated caricatures. The characters, who are some of the most complex and interesting people of the 20th Century, do and say things quickly and effortlessly with all the simplicity of a cartoon, not a novel. The characters are shallow and without motive; viewed ultimately in this manner, they become simply pathetic and foolish. Of course, good political cartoons can amuse and enlighten too, but once again, these cartoons are so slight that although they occasionally amuse, they do not ever really enlighten.

Although there are some smiles along the way, "I, JFK" is a good concept only very slightly executed.

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Scaling Down : Marinades: Low-Cal Goes Exotic : Enhancements: It's a world full of marinades, a world practically bursting with wild but low-cholesterol flavor combinations. It's a small (waistline) world after all.

June 27, 1991|STEVEN RAICHLEN | Raichlen is a Miami-based food writer. and

One of the best ways to give food flavor without fat is by using marinades. Like sauces, marinades enhance the flavor of simply cooked meats and seafood. But they are used before cooking, not afterward. High in flavor and low in fat, marinades increase flavor without adding cholesterol to arteries or inches to the waistline. This comes as no news to cultures as diverse as Japanese, Indian and Mexican, where marinades are an integral part of the cooking.

Marinades can be used to give bland basic foods--pork chops or chicken breasts, for instance--a distinctive ethnic character. Soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil lend an Asian accent, while olive oil, lemon juice and fresh herbs evoke the flavor of the Mediterranean. Latin Americans favor a pungent blend of chiles, orange and cumin, while in India, cooks favor the piquancy of yogurt, ginger and spices.

A typical marinade has three components: acid, oil and an aromatic. The acid helps break down muscle fibers, aiding in tenderizing the meat. The oil coats the exterior of the meat, preventing it from drying out during cooking. Aromatics add flavor; in the days before refrigeration, they also acted as preservatives. All three go a long way toward improving the flavor of the fish or meat.

The acidic ingredients can range from fruit juice to vinegar, wine and soured milk products. Fruit juices might include fresh lemon juice, used in Greece; lime or sour orange juice, popular in the Caribbean; or even pomegranate juice, which is widely used in Soviet Armenia. Soured dairy products include yogurt, used in India and Pakistan, and buttermilk, used in the American South.

Oils may include olive oil and walnut oil, used throughout the Mediterranean, and sesame oil, which is favored in the Far East. When buying olive oil, extra virgin is the grade to look for. When buying sesame oil, find a brand imported from the Far East; domestic oils sold at health food stores lack the distinctive nutty flavor of Asian sesame oil.

The aromatics usually include some sort of vegetable: onion, celery, carrot and garlic, in the case of a classical French marinade; garlic, green onions and ginger in Asia. Herbs and spices are essential to any marinade. Whole spices, such as cinnamon sticks and star anise, generally have more flavor than commercially ground powders.

Similarly, fresh herbs are tastier than dried. To help release their flavor, lightly bruise them by twisting. One classic herb combination for marinades is the bouquet garni : bay leaves, thyme sprigs, parsley stems, peppercorns and a clove or allspice berry wrapped and tied in cheesecloth. If you happen to be out of cheesecloth, wrap these ingredients in a piece of foil and perforate it with a fork.

Marinades needn't be liquid. The Berbers of North Africa, for example, marinate beef and lamb in a thick paste of garlic, ginger, paprika, coriander and chiles. Pesto makes a delectable marinade for poultry, pork and lamb.

The ingredients for a marinade are limited only to the creativity of the cook. Nonetheless, throughout the centuries, certain flavor combinations have become associated with individual foods. Seafood is enhanced with lemon, olive oil and fresh herbs, while game is almost always marinated with red wine, juniper berries and peppercorns. Poultry and beef are well served by a teriyaki-type marinade made with soy sauce, ginger and garlic.

Delicate foods, such as fish, need only an hour or so of marinating. Chicken may require two to eight hours of marinating (two hours for chicken breasts, eight hours for whole chickens), while red meats are usually marinated overnight. Be careful not to marinate the food too long, or the meat will become mushy.

Use a glass, ceramic or stainless-steel dish for marinating. Aluminum and cast iron tend to react with acids, like wine or lemon juice. It is not necessary for the food to be completely submerged in liquid, but it should be turned on a regular basis. Keep the food refrigerated for all but the last hour of marinating.

Whatever food you marinate, be sure to drain and blot it thoroughly before grilling or broiling. (Wet meat tends to stew rather than roast.)

The recipes below attest to the universal appeal of marinades. Each of the marinades below is sufficient for 1 1/2 to two pounds seafood, poultry or meat.

Teriyaki could be called the national marinade of Japan. It goes equally well with seafood, poultry and meat. Mirin is sweetened rice wine. It's available at Asian markets and health food stores. If unavailable, use sake, Sherry or white wine and increase the sugar. The maple syrup helps round out the flavors.

1 (1-inch) piece ginger root, peeled and minced

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 green onions, finely chopped

6 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup mirin

3 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup or 1 tablespoon sugar

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Ranking baseball's best and worst fans

Baseball writer's rankings place Boston Red Sox fans at the top and Tampa Bay fans at the bottom. Dodgers and Angels fans make the top 10.

August 13, 2011|By Kevin Baxter
  • Red Sox fans give designated hitter David Ortiz a standing ovation after a home run against the Kansas City Royals last month.
Red Sox fans give designated hitter David Ortiz a standing ovation after… (Brian Snyder / Reuters )

Players are quick to say they do what they do for the fans (along with, in many instances, an enormous paycheck). So which teams have the best fans? Times staff writer Kevin Baxter offers his opinion about the cities with the 10 best and worst fan bases in baseball.

Standing 'O'

Team (average home attendance); comment

1. Boston (37,666) Red Sox Nation not only fills Fenway, where there have been 690 consecutive sellouts, but the team's fans travel, too.

2. St. Louis (38,023) Downtown is a sea of Cardinals red on game days. The fans understand and respect the game, politely cheering good plays by the opposition.

3. New York Yankees (44,739) Old Yankee Stadium drew more than 4 million fans in each of its last four years. The crowds are large, loud and passionate.

4. Philadelphia (45,496) Attendance was dismal in the final years at Veterans Stadium. But a winning team and a gorgeous ballpark have rekindled a love affair in South Philly.

5. San Francisco (41,899) Last year's World Series victory parade underscored the Giants' relationship with the city, where the players are like family.

6. Chicago Cubs (37,220) No titles in more than a century, so these aren't fair-weather fans — especially the ones who sit through near-freezing early season windchills.

7. Detroit (30,620) The recession hit Detroit hard, yet the Tigers' blue-collar style so mirrors the city that crowds have averaged 30,000-plus for six seasons.

8. Dodgers (36,949) The fans are loyal and passionate. That they've stayed home this season only underscores their feelings for the franchise.

9. Angels (39,063) The team will outdraw the Dodgers for the first time this season, yet Anaheim crowds still get marked down for a lack of ardor. It's a bum rap for a loyal fan base.

10. Milwaukee (36,330) Long-suffering fans are backing the winners they have long deserved. Or are they simply saying goodbye to Prince Fielder?

1. Tampa Bay (19,326) Management gave away tickets to draw respectable crowds during a pennant race last fall. The Rays are good and exciting, but few in Tampa Bay care.

2. Florida: (17,992) The state is officially a baseball wasteland. The last time the Marlins weren't last in the NL in attendance, 2004, was the season after they won the World Series.

3. Cleveland (21,881) We know all about the long sellout streak at Progressive Field. But that was last century. This year, the Indians got off to a great start and the fans still stayed home.

4. Oakland (18,925) This one's on management, which has put a losing team in a dreary mausoleum of a ballpark. The lack of enthusiasm and energy here is depressing.

5. Toronto (23,007) The Blue Jays drew more than 4 million to their stadium when they were winning in the 1990s. Now they're competitive again — and rank 24th in attendance.

6. Arizona (23,868) A great ballpark with air conditioning in the middle of the desert. A first-place team. And the stadium is still half empty?

7. Atlanta (28,866) The Braves have failed to sell out playoff games. Maybe Bobby Cox made winning expected, but this year's team is fighting for a playoff berth before empty seats.

8. Washington (23,682) Why did the Senators leave? Oh, yeah: There weren't many baseball fans in Washington. Even a beautiful new stadium hasn't helped attendance.

9. Cincinnati (27,651) We can understand fans staying home in Kansas City, Seattle and Oakland. But the Reds won a division title last year.

10. Seattle (23,478) A 17-game losing streak can dampen enthusiasm. But fans were staying away even when the team was in contention.

Los Angeles Times Articles


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YOU ARE HERE: LAT HomeCollectionsBusiness

Supreme Court sides with book reseller in copyright ruling

The Supreme Court's ruling on copyrighted works bought abroad and resold in the U.S. gives discount retailers a victory and the entertainment industry a setback.

March 19, 2013|By David G. Savage and Dawn Chmielewski, Los Angeles Times
  • In a copyright case, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Tuesday in favor of a USC graduate student from Thailand who had bought low-cost textbooks in his native country and resold them in the United States.
In a copyright case, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Tuesday in favor of a USC… (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated…)

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court gave foreign buyers of books, video discs and other copyrighted works a right to resell them in the U.S. without permission of the copyright owner, giving discount retailers a victory and the entertainment industry a setback.

The 6-3 decision Tuesday came in the case of Supap Kirtsaeng, a USC graduate student from Thailand who figured he could earn money for his education by buying low-cost textbooks in his native country and reselling them in the United States.

John Wiley & Sons, a textbook publisher, sued him over copyright infringement and won $600,000 in damages from a New York jury. Kirtsaeng was ordered to turn over his golf clubs, computer and printer as partial payment.

But in Tuesday's decision, the Supreme Court found the Thai student's view of U.S. copyright law "more persuasive" than the publishing industry's, and it threw out the verdict against him.

In doing so, the justices adopted a version of EBay's motto: "If you bought it, you own it, and you have a right to sell it."

Judges had been divided over whether copyright protection extended to works that were lawfully made and sold abroad, but were imported for resale in the United States. One part of the law says the U.S. copyright holder has an "exclusive right to distribute copies" in the United States.

A second part of the law says the rights of the copyright holder are protected only for the "first sale" of a work. For example, a book publisher profits from the first sale of a novel, but the buyer is then free to sell it as a used book.

In Kirtsaeng vs. John Wiley, the high court decided the copyright holders get only the protection for a first sale and not a protection against copies being imported into the U.S. for resale.

"This decision is a landmark win for consumers, small businesses, online marketplaces, retailers and libraries," said a coalition called the Owners' Rights Initiative. Its members include EBay and as well as libraries, used-book stores and discount retailers.

But U.S. companies that sell books and software around the world said they were disappointed by the ruling.

"The truth is, the ruling for Kirtsaeng will send a tremor through the publishing industries, harming both U.S. publishers and students around the world," said Keith Kupferschmid, counsel for the Software & Information Industry Assn.

Indeed, the ruling has ramifications that extend beyond books to all types of copyrighted works — including music and movies — sold around the world, said Tom Allen, chief executive of the Assn. of American Publishers.

The motion picture and recording industries had told the court their international marketing strategy would be upset if they could not prevent unauthorized sales of video discs or CDs in the United States. They said filmmakers often introduce films at different times in other parts of the globe.

"Under Kirtsaeng's view, a studio could not release a movie on home video disc in one market while the movie was still in theaters in the United States … without incurring risk that unauthorized importation of those discs could detract from the success of the U.S. theatrical release," the Motion Picture Assn. of America argued in its friend-of-the court brief.

In response to the ruling, the MPAA said the decision "will hinder American business' ability to compete overseas to the detriment of the long-term economic interests of the United States, and particularly its creative industries."

Howard Gantman, its spokesman, stressed the ruling dealt only with resale of products made abroad, such as DVDs, not with theatrical releases or online distribution of movies.

Kirtsaeng, who returned to Thailand to teach after earning a doctorate in math, was unavailable to comment on the ruling. His New York attorney, Sam P. Israel, said he had not yet spoken with his client.

"I'm delighted the Supreme Court has found the logic in the statute that has eluded many others," he said. "There is nothing inherent in the copyright law that makes subsequent sales after a first sale illegal."

The case had been closely watched in the retail industry because many products, such as watches, have copyrighted logos or labels that could have prevented their resale in the United States without permission of the copyright holder.

Justice Stephen G. Breyer, speaking for the majority, said the justices were wary of extending copyright protection to all manner of products, including books and artworks, that were lawfully made and sold abroad.

In dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg called the ruling a "bold departure" from "Congress' aim to protect copyright owners against the unauthorized importation of low-priced, foreign-made copies of their copyrighted works." Justices Antonin Scalia and Anthony M. Kennedy agreed with her.

Allen, head of the publishers group, said the Supreme Court's ruling would harm the ability of American publishers to compete in global markets.

"That ruling creates a disincentive for American educational publishers to continue to produce Asian editions or editions for foreign markets," Allen said. "If that disincentive takes hold, there'll be fewer American educational materials, which are the gold standard, available for students and educators around the world."

The entertainment industry has long relied on the more restrictive reading of the copyright law to prevent the sale of movies licensed for sale abroad from being purchased and imported to the U.S. for resale.

"Now those types of movies cannot be stopped," said Jonathan Kirsch, a publishing and intellectual property lawyer in Los Angeles.

It is unclear how the movie, music or video game industries will be affected by the high court's decision, as more entertainment content is sold digitally.

Times staff writer Adolfo Flores in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Los Angeles Times Articles


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Home Builders Group Asks Longwood To Give Back $8,500

June 7, 1985|By Terry Osinski of The Sentinel Staff

LONGWOOD — The Home Builders Association of Florida has asked the city to return the $8,500 it took from its building department budget to buy a new police car and study whether the city can lower its building fees.

The city received a letter last week from John Sloop, the attorney representing the Home Builders Association, noting that an 1984 state ruling makes it illegal to divert building fee funds to unrelated municipal expenses. It also asked that the city rectify the mistake by transferring the $8,500 back to the building department and lower the current building permit fee.

Sloop, of Sloop and Smith in Orlando, could not be reached Thursday for comment.

The commission adopted a resolution to transfer the money from the building to the police department at a Jan. 21 meeting. City Attorney Jerry Korman said ''at this point, nobody knows exactly where the funds came from. If they came from building fees, we'll have to put the money back.''

The money could have been a combination of building fees and money from the city's general fund, Korman said. He added that the city's new finance director, who is scheduled to begin work June 20th, will be charged with investigating the source of the funds.

The Home Builders Association of Mid-Florida in 1984 cited a $1 million surplus in county building permit, inspection and other development related fees to support its claim that the fees were too high and were being used to support unrelated county government services.

The homebuilders cited a 1974 Florida attorney general's opinion that stated that fees levied for inspection and building code enforcement shouldn't generate excessive money that could be used to defray the cost of operating other government activities unrelated to regulating the building industry.

Longwood's building fees are based on a flat rate of $10 for the first $1,000 of estimated construction cost and $5 for each additional $1,000. Bud Bryant, the city's building inspector, said the fees have remained unchanged since 1983.

The city's rate is the second highest in Seminole County. Altamonte Springs leads the county with a charge of $15 for the first $500 of project value and a charge of 0.5 percent of the building value above $500. Oviedo and Casselberry tie for the third-place showing. Both cities charge $5 per $1,000 of project value. Winter Springs has the lowest charge in the county, with a $4 per $1000 rate.

For example, a building permit for a $60,000 home would be $305 in Longwood, $313 in Altamonte Springs, $300 in Oviedo and Casselberry and $240 in Winter Springs.

Orlando Sentinel Articles
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Many Pieces Of The Kal Flight 007 Puzzle Don't Quite Fit

September 15, 1985|By Tom Wicker, New York Times

On the second anniversary of the shooting down of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 on Sept. 1, 1983, it seemed clearer than ever that the truth of this terrible event, in which 269 lives were lost, has not been told. Facts keep turning up that won't fit the generally accepted version or that raise unanswered questions about it.

That version, assiduously fostered by the Reagan administration and apparently supported by a report of the International Civil Aviation Organization, is that the airliner innocently strayed off course on its flight across the North Pacific, inadvertently flew over Soviet territory, and was wantonly shot down by Soviet air defense forces.

The only thing certain about this thesis is that the Soviets shot down Flight 007; but so widely accepted is the rest of it that questioners are accused of being paranoid perpetrators of a conspiracy theory or even servants of Soviet interests.

Nevertheless, the conventional theory is inherently implausible and may be disintegrating. An affidavit by a veteran former air traffic controller asserted that the words ''we should warn him'' (referring to the Korean pilot) could be heard on a recording of United States radar operators, made several hours before the plane was shot down over Sakhalin Island.

The affidavit was filed last month as evidence in a civil lawsuit against the United States and KAL by surviving relatives of those who died aboard 007. The federal judge conducting the trial will hear the tape and rule as to whether these words, in fact, can be heard. If they can be, they contradict the Reagan administration's repeat- ed, if hard to believe, claim that no American knew that Flight 007 was in trouble during more than five hours when it flew off course by hundreds of miles across skies in which the United States has a vast array of electronic sentinels.

That assertion was considerably tarnished when, in the same trial, the government disclosed last February that Air Force tape recordings of radar tracks of part of the airliner's course had been destroyed. Such tapes are normally ''recycled'' 30 hours after being recorded; but the fate of Flight 007 was known in less than 30 hours after the tapes were made. In view of the importance of the incident, how could these tapes have been ''routinely'' destroyed, as purported?

Last May, Prime Minister Nakasone of Japan released to an inquiring member of the Diet data from Japanese Defense Agency monitors that tracked Flight 007 as it entered and flew over Soviet territory. The data detailed significant changes of altitude and speed by the Korean plane while radio transmissions, ostensibly from its pilots, described quite different maneuvers.

This new information -- withheld from the public for nearly a year and a half -- suggests that as they flew over Sakhalin the pilots were taking evasive action while deceiving Tokyo air traffic controllers. It also directly contradicts both the administration's version of events and the ICAO report on which that version heavily relies. Both say the pilots, unaware they were in Soviet airspace, maintained their assigned altitude until shot down.

The State Department, queried by The Nation magazine -- which published in its Aug. 17-24 issue an account of new developments in the Flight 007 case -- said the ICAO had been given the Japanese Defense Agency data and had considered it in its report. But ''a member of the organization's inquiry team'' told The Nation that the ICAO had never seen the altitude and speed data.

On the very day Flight 007 was destroyed, the Japanese Defense Agency issued a map describing the airliner's course as a broad arc over Sakhalin, a total turn of about 20 degrees. But to arrive over Sakhalin at the point of interception by a Soviet fighter, Flight 007 must first have made a northward turn from the course on which it departed Anchorage.

These two turns, which from data now available seem indisputable, not only belie President Reagan's statement that when intercepted the plane had been flying ''a straight-line course'' for 2 1/2 hours, together with the newly released speed and altitude changes recorded by the Japanese Defense Agency, the turns suggest that the pilots knew where they were and deliberately flew over Soviet territory. This, too, would flatly contradict the administration and the ICAO report.

On Sept. 2, 1983, Charles Lichtenstein, deputy U.S. representative to the United Nations, was asked by a Soviet delegate if the United States had tracked the airliner's flight.

''No,'' Lichtenstein replied, ''I would assure the representative of the Soviet Union: We followed you following the flight.''

It's hard to understand how U.S. monitors could have tracked Soviet monitors as the latter tracked Flight 007, while the American monitors had no knowledge that Flight 007 was off course; but the administration has not explained Lichtenstein's statement.

Orlando Sentinel Articles
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The Candidates

October 25, 1985

Candidate: Incumbent Mayor Diane Tingley Gunn, 39.

Occupation: Parks and recreation director, north Brevard County.

Political experience: Mayor of Cocoa, six years; former member, East Central Florida Regional Planning Council board of directors; secretary, Metropolitan Planning Organization; chairwoman, Cocoa Police Pension Board; chairwoman, Cocoa Firefighters Retirement System Pension Board; Cocoa representative, Brevard League of Cities.

Office sought: Mayor, non-partisan.

Birthplace: Vancouver, Wash.

Reason for seeking office: ''Because I'd like to continue with our efforts to redevelop and beautify our city.''

Orlando Sentinel Articles
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New York Yankees

April 6, 1986|By Bob Fowler of the Sentinel Staff

Manager: Lou Piniella (1st).

1985 finish: 97-64, 2nd.

Strengths: Third in league in batting and pitching, outstanding offense with Dave Winfield, Don Mattingly and Rickey Henderson, Dave Righetti (29 saves) now ranks as one of top relievers.

Weaknesses: Fielding is average, shortstop a question mark, starting pitching is suspect with Britt Burns lost for season, influence of owner George Steinbrenner always a problem.

New talent: LH Mike Easler (.262, 16 homers) should hit well in Yankee Stadium, OF Gary Roenecke hit .218 for Baltimore.

Pitching: Ron Guidry (22-6), and Joe Niekro offer experience, Ed Whitson (10-8) could be key to staff.

Intangibles: How will team adjust to playing for former buddy Piniella? How will Joe Niekro adjust to release of his older brother, Phil? Is Billy Martin in the broadcast booth going to be a distraction?

Predicted finish: 4th.

Orlando Sentinel Articles
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Douthit, Burn Recommended

February 1, 1986

RICHARD C. BURN and Nancy Douthit have done creditable jobs as members of the Palm Beach Town Council.

The News/Sun-Sentinel recommends that voters return both candidates to office on Tuesday.

Burn, 67, is running in Group 2. As chairman of the town`s Public Works Committee, he is well versed on the beach restoration issue. His knowledge of the financial and engineering aspects of beach restoration will be invaluable in the years ahead as the council makes decisions on how to solve the erosion problem.

Tax reform is another area of interest for Burn, a two-year council veteran. He is concerned about the heavy property tax burden and believes the town needs to look for other sources of revenue. Among other things, he wants to explore the possibility of implementing a town sales and tourist tax. He also thinks it may be feasible for Palm Beach to establish an endowment fund, interest from which would help ease the property tax burden.

Burn, a nine-year resident of Palm Beach, is a retired U.S. Army colonel and civilian employee of the National Security Agency. He is opposed by Adrian Winterfield, 55, an attorney, and Erik Nord Gilbertson, a charter boat captain. Nancy Douthit, 57, also has served on the Town Council for two years. She is running in Group 3.

Her top priority is maintaining the residential nature of the community, and she is concerned that developers, interested only in ``making a buck,`` will ruin the town`s character.

A major culprit in the beach erosion problem, Douthit says, is the inefficient sand transfer plant at the inlet, which is not under Palm Beach jurisdiction. She does not believe it will be possible for the town to obtain state and federal funds for beach restoration because limited space makes it impossible for the town to meet parking and beach access standards.

Douthit, a 20-year resident of Palm Beach, favors enactment of a new worker identification law. She says there should be no fee for an I.D. card and that everyone working in Palm Beach in professions that are not already regulated should be subject to background checks.

A homemaker, Douthit is opposed by Jeffrey Diamond, 32, who operates a one- man advertising firm.

Sun Sentinel Articles
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Dolphins Sign Neal

May 22, 1986|By Andy Cohen, Staff Writer

MIAMI -- The Miami Dolphins signed former University of Miami fullback Speedy Neal Wednesday to a free-agent contract.

Released by the Buffalo Bills last summer, Neal will have a tough time beating out either Woody Bennett or Ron Davenport for a spot on the roster.

Neal, who is best known for his blocking ability, weighed in Monday at 254 pounds and has been asked to drop at least 10 pounds by the beginning of training camp (July 17).

Sun Sentinel Articles
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Officials Place Work Limits On Mariner Staff

May 30, 1986|By Patricia Elich, Staff Writer

The Broward County Public Health Unit has decided to send letters to about 30 laid-off or terminated employees of the Ancient Mariner restaurant, prohibiting them in most cases from working at any other food-service business for the next 50 days.

Meanwhile, records show that the owners of the Ancient Mariner filed in federal bankruptcy court for protection from its creditors while it attempts to reorganize.

The case was filed 10 days before the Fort Lauderdale eatery was closed by health officials as the source of a massive outbreak of infectious hepatitis.

The manager of the restaurant said the filing was not prompted by the outbreak.

Dr. Charles Konigsberg, director of the health unit, instructed his staff on Thursday to inform restaurant employees of the work ban.

The employees as a group are being scrutinized as the source of the largest hepatitis-A outbreak in recent Florida history.

As of Thursday, at least 55 people had contracted hepatitis from eating or drinking at the restaurant sometime between late March and May 22, when the business was closed. The figure is up eight from the previous day`s total of confirmed cases.

And at least 1,200 people have showed up at the health unit`s clinics for anti-hepatitis vaccinations, in hopes of preventing sickness or lessening its symptoms.

Konigsberg, whose department is still trying to isolate the exact cause of the outbreak, said Wednesday that he did not know whether Ancient Mariner employees were working at any other restaurants. He said the workers in question, two of whom have tested positive for the ailment and another who definitely has it, were not a health hazard as long as they practiced good personal hygiene.

``That can go a long way in preventing transmission,`` Konigsberg said, ``even if a person is infected.``

Ellen Feiler, director of education for the health unit, said Thursday that Konigsberg has met with attorneys and decided to send letters as ``reinforcement`` to a personal briefing several days ago.

``They (the employees) were told that they should not handle food,`` she said. ``What we are doing is a reinforcement.``

Eddy Korbel, general manager of the restaurant, said the health unit`s newest action is a surprise to him.

``You mean they`re telling them they can`t work for 50 days?`` Korbel said.

Korbel, who spent the day at the restaurant meeting with a representative from the establishment`s insurance company, said many of his former employees already have been looking for work at other restaurants.

``Lots of them are looking,`` Korbel said. ``I haven`t heard of anybody finding a job yet.`` He declined to give any names.

Korbel said the restaurant`s owners filed a Chapter 11 petition asking for protection from creditors before the restaurant had any indication that it was being scrutinized by health inspectors.

``That`s a whole other subject,`` he said. ``That happened way before.``

According to Korbel, the first hint of problems from the health unit came on May 13, the day after the restaurant filed its bankruptcy petition.

The petition states that the restaurant, a refurbished Coast Guard boat docked on the New River, owns assets of $144,463 and has debts of $589,007.

The first lawsuit stemming from the outbreak was also filed Thursday.

The plaintiff is Tamela Tougas, a Fort Lauderdale court reporter who ate lunch at the restaurant in late March with an attorney from the Broward Public Defender`s Office and later contracted hepatitis.

Tougas` attorney, Robert Jordan, said the law regarding restaurant poisoning is similar to other cases of alleged product liability.

``We don`t have to prove negligence,`` he said.

Sun Sentinel Articles
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Winning Poster Captures Spirit Of Sunfest 87

November 2, 1986|By DAVID GIBSON, Staff Writer

WEST PALM BEACH -- At 4:56 p.m. on Oct. 24, Kevin Cummings burst through the door of the SunFest offices downtown, four minutes ahead of the deadline for submission of his entry in the festival`s poster contest.

Thursday, under more relaxed circumstances, Cummings was back in the SunFest offices.

The occasion was the announcement that Cummings` work will serve as the official poster for SunFest 87, the fifth edition of the downtown waterfront festival of music, art and water events.

Cummings` multicolored design features a trumpet blowing a bouquet of music and confetti over the West Palm Beach waterfront and skyline at sunset.

Selecting the winner from among the 38 entries was not an easy decision, said SunFest President Granny Webb.

``But the comments were that this one was more expressive of what SunFest is about, with the music, the skyline and the sun reflecting on the water,`` Webb said.

The selection of the poster by SunFest carries with it an $800 prize for Cummings. SunFest will run April 30 through May 3, 1987.

Cummings, 25, has lived in West Palm Beach for 1 1/2 years. He is a recent graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and is the art director at Destiny Design in Riviera Beach.

``I`m pretty excited about it,`` said Cummings.

Cummings said the SunFest contest is the first one he has entered. It took 17 hours to complete the design once he decided on it after considering about 10 other ideas, he said.

``I wanted to show the idea of being on the lake, the reflection and the skyline, with the horn for music and confetti for the festivities,`` he said.

Second and third prizes in the contest, which each carry $100 awards, went to Jeffrey Fessler, a graphic designer for Urban Design Studios in West Palm Beach, and Barbara McCreight, who works in the art department of the The Palm Beach Post.

The 38 entries will be on display through Nov. 10 in the offices of the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority, 317 Clematis St.

Sun Sentinel Articles
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Writing for Artists Selling Art

writing for artists selling artArtistsSellingArt has a Blog which contains valuable information for artists of all kinds of genres. It is possible writing for Artists Selling Art as a guest writer or author.
Your article will be  published on all social media and thousands or artists will read it. We always add your website or credentials to the article.

Writing for Artists Selling Art

What content are we looking for? Keep in mind this is FOR ARTISTS.
– Business related  topics
– Social Media Tips
– Technical Tips and Tricks and new Techniques
– Successful Sales Actions
– New and useful websites you came across

Why do we Need your Article?

  • Reach tens of thousands of artists.
  • Share your knowledge with the community – give back!
  • Get some fame & recognition
  • Get some links back to your website and show off some great pictures of your work.

How can you Submit an Article?

Use the contact form below. Send me your blog post idea(s). Keep them brief and to the point. If I like your pitch idea, I’ll email you back ASAP with timelines and further instructions.

If you send me an already written post, I may send it back for revisions. I won’t be republishing anything that’s already posted elsewhere.

Keep in Mind: Search Engine Optimization is Real and has become very important! So what are we looking for:

– Your article must have at least 300-400 words.
– The keywords must be in the article, the first keyword in the first paragraph.
– The article must be useful for artists.
The article should contain practical tips that can be applied.

Important: Your article cannot be published anywhere else online! This is very important because the Google machines penalize duplicate content.

What’s Next?

If your article qualifies we will send you an email.  If not, we will delete it. We are getting so many emails – we are sure you understand. Please use the form below to submit your article.