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Archive for the 'Consumerism' Category
The cannabis queen of Beverly Hills
By Rhys Blakely
Originally published in The Times magazine, 4th April 2015.
Cheryl Shuman claims she survived cancer because of her drug use. Now, she has her own cannabis farm and hosts marijuana parties for Hollywood A-listers. It's all legal, she says
Cheryl Shuman is talking me through how she kick-starts her day. "I'll have a cannabis juice smoothie," she explains. "Kale, cannabis juice, carrot juice, apple. That's usually my breakfast.
"And for lunch I'll generally have a grilled chicken breast with a raw cannabis salad – so I've got leafy greens along with some raw cannabis leaves. And the dressing will be cannabis-infused. So will the chicken breast. It helps with my digestion."And I'll usually have some medicated [with cannabis] pretzels and pecans, which I like to nosh on."
Added to this, at approximately one-hour intervals, she'll take a hit on a pen-like device that delivers a lungful of a marijuana vapour rich in THC, the compound that gets you high.
Wow, I say. Shuman is a cannabis advocate, and at some point in the not too distant future, she hopes that a significant number of her fellow Americans will be living like this, and perfectly legally. But surely, if I tried this diet I'd quickly become hopelessly, comically wasted?
"I'd definitely say I have a pretty high tolerance," says Shuman. "I mean, do I seem stoned to you?"
The answer – remarkably, given the Goliath scale of her cannabinoid intake – is that 54-year-old Shuman appears to be one of the least stoned people I've ever met. Blonde and chatty, she manages to be both delicately petite and a looming presence, all at the same time. In a black power suit and chunky silver necklace, she looks like a high-class estate agent. Her power to recall names and statistics is striking, and she doesn't appear to have the munchies. She never uses the word "dude". She never breaks into fits of giggles. She is the very antithesis of the blissed-out hippy, the brooding hip-hop aficionado or the bong-ripping student of marijuana cliché.
This, though, all makes sense. Because Shuman's mission is to upend what it means to be a stoner. At a time when cannabis regulation is loosening across the United States, she wants to rid weed of stigma and drag it into polite society – in part by rebranding it as a luxury product, as delectable as any fine wine.
Her critics have called her a fraud, a snake-oil saleswoman and a drug addict. But she says her ultimate ambition is to become the "Martha Stewart of marijuana". Her plans include everything from a cannabis lip balm to pot-friendly retirement homes. And given the interest being shown in the industry by some of the world's canniest businessmen – Peter Thiel, the Silicon Valley investor who made $1 billion from Facebook, is the latest to plunge in – who knows? Perhaps Shuman really could realise her ambition to become the queen of the cannabis world.
To witness her in action, I've travelled to Beverly Hills to see Shuman host one of her invitation-only cannabis dinner parties – events at which it's not only the soufflés that get baked. Shuman will supply a collection of wealthy guests with cannabis in a dizzying variety of forms. Attendees regularly include celebrities, Hollywood agents and other high-flying professionals, she says. One of her recent cannabis dinners counted two A-list actresses as guests, she adds. (She tells me the names, but then says I can't write about them.)
Her collective – the Beverly Hills Cannabis Club – is a brand name for the high-grade weed produced on her own farm. One hundred core members contribute to the farm's upkeep, and it has supplied cannabis to about 2,000 registered patients through the dinner parties and other events. (Cannabis is legal only for medical use in California.)
She likes to say she's redefining "high society" and according to Shuman, her "couture cannabis" business is booming.
"The luxury market, the affluent market, it hadn't been tapped," she explains.
Shuman typically holds one pot-themed dinner party a week, but can do as many as ten in a month. Any fees that guests pay for cannabis can only cover costs, since making a profit from the drug would be illegal under Californian law. They can, however, be asked to donate to charity, and have been known to give $5,000 apiece, she says.
The parties also produce publicity – and this is where Shuman makes her money.
She says she has 25 full-time PR clients, all of them cannabis-related businesses, who pay her retainers of as much as $20,000 a month. They range from manufacturers of smoking paraphernalia, to a tech company working on a dating app that promises to connect pot lovers.
This evening's party will take place at a sprawling mock-Tuscan mansion on a smart secluded street off Sunset Boulevard. Most of the guests are yet to arrive, but a camera crew is following the preparations being made by Shuman and her cook, a very nice, extremely mellow chap called Colin, who is 6ft 4in and has the kind of ridiculously handsome features that belong on the cover of a Mills & Boon novel. Colin has been smoking pot since he was nine years old, he tells me, and right now he appears to be unabashedly stoned. He concentrates hard as he tells the TV host how he's going to broil a hunk of wild salmon, after dousing it with olive oil, garlic, lemon and – of course – cannabis. On the counter top are half a dozen tubs full of weed. If anybody's peckish there is a dish of cannabis-infused pretzels.
I'm starving – but I have to drive home and I daren't eat anything.
Shuman offers the TV host who is interviewing her a "medicated candy-glazed pecan" – a nut spiked with yet more marijuana.
"You don't feel the effect for 45 minutes," she warns him. Shuman tilts herself towards the lens. Years ago she was a star saleswoman on QVC, the shopping channel, and she can still turn it on for the cameras. "But, you know, here's an interesting fact: nobody, in the history of the world, has ever overdosed on cannabis," she says.
The TV guy smiles, and reaches for another pecan.
Out of view of the camera stands Urban Smedeby, a Swedish investment banker who has come to see Shuman because he has $5 million – £3.3 million – to invest in the cannabis industry. He is one of the few people here who isn't at least a little stoned. "Everybody is getting more and more wasted," he whispers. "This is not my usual environment.
That the pot business in America is in a state of flux is no secret. In 2012, two states – Colorado and Washington – legalised recreational marijuana use for the first time.
My own interactions with pot aficionados hint at the heady pace of change. Take, for instance, the first time I met Rick Cusick, associate publisher of High Times magazine, a bible for America's cannabis users for 40 years. It was in 2013, in an agreeably down-at-heel bar in Denver, and Cusick's luxuriant white beard lent him more than a passing resemblance to Gandalf. He told me about how High Times was holding a massive cannabis-themed rave the next day. Snoop Dogg was to be given a lifetime achievement award.
Cusick went on to explain how he'd be judging the Cannabis Cup, a competition to grow the finest weed. "People laugh at marijuana culture, but the real connoisseurs have standards of performance that make the Indy 500 look like a kids' tricycle race," he said.
In September last year I interviewed him again. This time we talked by telephone, about how High Times planned to launch a venture capital fund.
Still though, for all the corporatisation, the pot business is shrouded by a veil of sketchiness. Medical cannabis was legalised in California in 1996. But Frank Marino, another investment banker attending Shuman's dinner party, whom I meet by the poolside gazebo, says the industry's illegal heritage is still evident.
"How do I put this? Anybody who has been in the marijuana business for a few years was basically OK with operating illicitly, criminally – right? A master grower today was a dope dealer a few years ago," he says.
Marino sees the transition now under way as akin to the fall of communism and the disintegration of the Soviet bloc. "Cannabis is already a $30-$50 billion [£20-£30 billion] industry, and it's going from illicit to legal now. The industry is in its nascent stage. It's replete with opportunities."
If that Soviet analogy really does hold, then Shuman wants to be an oligarch. She has plans for numerous pot-related businesses. Stiletto Stoners will be a marijuana-themed clothing line and accessories including glamorous gold-plated vapourisers, for inhaling the drug without burning it.
Shaman Therapeutics will specialise in herbal remedies, and she also wants to start a chain of cannabis-friendly holiday resorts.
"This is the only way, right now, that the American dream is still possible. It's the only way," she says of the cannabis industry.
"Our economy is in the crapper. People have lost their jobs, their homes. They've lost hope. Cannabis is a plant that not only heals a multitude of illnesses – it can also heal our economy. It can provide jobs, a whole new industry. This is the birth of that whole new industry. And the people who are in at the ground floor now are going to be billionaires. They're going to be on the covers of magazines. It's already happening. It's already a $47 billion industry – bigger than the NFL, bigger than corn, wheat and soy beans combined."
In fact, she has her sights set well beyond the US. "In Israel, I'm known as the Mother Teresa of marijuana," she tells me.
First, though, pot needs to become respectable. And to enable that, Shuman reckons a couple of things have to happen. First, she believes that celebrities "coming out" as cannabis users (a process she likens to somebody revealing that they are gay) will foster societal acceptance.
Second, she says the movement needs a leader – a modern equivalent of Pauline Sabin, who spearheaded the campaign to overturn prohibition in the Thirties.
She has, she says, a candidate in mind: "I know media; I know celebrities; I've got a huge pair of balls – I'll do it!"
Now, let's be clear – the precise scale and success of Shuman's business empire I've found tricky to pin down. She owns a pot farm – but for legal reasons it must operate on a non-profit basis. Most of her other ventures appear to be in the planning stages. But certainly, she's made a mark. "Shuman's ability to generate publicity means that she cannot be excluded from activism conversations," said The New York Times recently. The question many onlookers ask, however, is whether Shuman is more interested in beckoning forth a new era of enlightened cannabis use, or in selling herself. Some see her as a harbinger of crass commercialism – an anathema to the old-school hippy types who see weed as a gift to be shared.
Others will view her as a reckless champion of a dangerous drug. Smoking extra-strong varieties of cannabis could be the cause of a quarter of all new cases of psychotic mental conditions such as schizophrenia, a six-year study recently concluded. Researchers found that about 60,000 people in Britain are currently living with conditions involving hallucinations and paranoid episodes brought on by the use of high-potency skunk.
Faced with such claims, Shuman can launch a volley of her own statistics: pot is less dangerous than alcohol, a recent study found, she notes. And a number of studies have suggested that some cannabis compounds may be useful to treat psychosis.
The one thing that isn't in question is Shuman's chutzpah. She was born in poverty and raised on a tobacco farm in Buena Vista, a rural hamlet in Appalachian Ohio. "We didn't have running water and electricity until I was almost 14. We worked hard … It makes me grateful for everything I have," she says.
As a young woman, she started out by publishing a newsletter about collecting money-saving coupons, before getting a TV gig as the "Coupon Queen". At 23, she was a single mother when she headed to Los Angeles to try to find her daughter's father. She spent three weeks living in her car before landing a job in a spectacles store in the suburb of Encino.
It was at this point, Shuman says, that her life took its first extraordinary turn. One day, Michael Jackson, who lived not far away, pitched up in her store in disguise. She offered to bring a selection of glasses to his house, for him to try in private. The Prince of Pop took her up on the offer, she says, and before long she had started another business – Starry Eyes Optical Services – which would supply eyewear for films such as Terminator 2, When Harry Met Sally and Pretty Woman. Before long she was appearing on QVC, as the "Optician to the Stars".
In 1995, however, her life took what she says was a darker turn. She sued Steven Seagal, the action star, for alleged sexual harassment. She also alleged that Seagal used a notoriously dirty Hollywood private eye to try to intimidate her. (Her lawsuit was ultimately dismissed.)
In the wake of the Seagal scandal, her business collapsed. Fearing some sort of retribution, she says she went underground for several years. By now she had two daughters by two men, and for lengthy spells each child went to stay with their father.
Then, in 2006, Shuman's life took perhaps the darkest twist of all: she learnt that she had ovarian cancer. She underwent a radical hysterectomy, and part of her colon and bladder were also removed.
She was, she says, on end-of-life care (she had even snipped out a magazine coupon to get a discount on a coffin), when a friend offered to supply her with cannabis. "The worst that can happen is that you'll die with a smile on your face," she says she was told. Shuman began taking doses of cannabis oil, the first batches smuggled into the hospital. The impact, she claims, was remarkable.
"Within 30 days, I was off my morphine pump and all the pharmaceuticals I was being given. I was able to bathe myself and walk. At 60 days, I was able to drive. At 90 days, I was back to work full-time.''
She adds: "It helped to treat many symptoms, from nausea to anxiety, and shrank the tumours that I had."
Those are big claims, and since Shuman was not part of any medical trial they can't be verified. But if she is going to be a force for good, odds are it will be in the field of medical marijuana.
On the roof terrace of the dinner party mansion, I meet Jacquelyn Sponseller, who is 26, looks like a young Salma Hayek and is said to be one of the most accomplished growers of premium-quality weed on the US Pacific seaboard. "I'm just going to kill two birds," she says when we sit down to talk. She packs a small glass pipe with a nugget of pungent cannabis bud. "Interview and medicate …"
Sponseller is thinking of adopting Shuman as a mentor, and in many ways Sponseller is the perfect poster girl for Shuman's mission of making pot acceptable. I'm just not sure that Shuman, with her emphasis on celebrities and Beverly Hills connections, fully realises this yet.
Sponseller was diagnosed with severe epilepsy at the age of 19. "I was very, very sick. I've had hundreds of seizures. I've had more than 30 recorded concussions – that's like an NFL football player. Pretty bad," she says.
She'd been an aspiring law student, but the seizures made studying impossible. The cocktail of conventional drugs she was prescribed left her "like a complete zombie", she says.
They also wrecked her liver – so much so, she's been told she'll need a transplant.
Then there was the psychological impact: "It's not fun – you can't wake up [because of the sedative effect of the drugs]. Before long you get depressed because you're not yourself. You do question the purpose of living. And what got me through was medical cannabis."
When I meet her, Sponseller is a week shy of being six months seizure-free – the longest seizure-free spell she's had since the age of 19. She puts the improvement down to medicating with marijuana – both by smoking it and taking a pill form. She has stopped taking all her previous conventional medicines.
Again, she has not been part of a proper medical trial, and it is impossible to know for sure whether cannabis has really benefited her. But put that to pot advocates and they will counter that proper research on cannabis has been thwarted in America because for more than 40 years, it has been listed under Schedule I of the US Controlled Substances Act. That means it is regarded as a dangerous drug that has "no currently accepted medical use", alongside the likes of heroin and LSD. (Cocaine is classed in the more relaxed Schedule II category.)
As Sponseller describes the weirdness of this situation, her thoughts turn to Shuman. She's happy that Shuman is out there, making a case for greater acceptance. "Cheryl's a strong woman. She has a beautiful aura. And she's making herself heard," says Sponseller, clutching her pipe.
That she certainly is.
A Vision Of The Future Of Cannabis.
Channel 4 Cannabis Programme. Irresponsible, Unethical, Misleading.
The pre-publicity for next week's programme 'Drugs Live: Cannabis on Trial' has been nothing but a repeat of 1930s 'Reefer Madness'. See 'Jon Snow gets the inside dope on skunk' for his commentary and a video.
It is tragic that respected journalists, Jon Snow and Matthew Paris, both of whom have been intelligent opponents of the disastrous drugs war, have been duped and manipulated into being used as sensationalist propaganda by an unscrupulous production company, Renegade Pictures. After Channel 4's prejudicial and hate-mongering programme, Benefits Street, one would have hoped that its editors would have learned lessons and resolved to take a more responsible approach.
I have been in correspondence with Renegade Pictures, with UCL, which is responsible for ethical approval of the study and with Jon Snow. Today I have written to the Chief Executive of Channel 4.
David Abraham
Chief Executive
Channel 4
124, Horseferry Road
Dear Mr Abraham,
Drugs Live: Cannabis on Trial. Due for broadcast 3rd March 2015
There are compelling reasons why you should halt the broadcast of this programme in its present form. It is grossly irresponsible, deeply unethical and highly misleading.
I write as the elected leader of more than 320,000 supporters of cannabis law reform. CLEAR represents more people than all other UK drugs policy groups combined. I have made repeated attempts to engage with the producers of this programme, Renegade Pictures, but apart from one acknowledgement my correspondence has been ignored. This is an open letter which will be published on the CLEAR website.
A comprehensive complaint will be made to OFCOM if the programme is broadcast in its present form and I am already in touch with UCL on the question of ethics. At this stage I want to draw to your attention to conclusive evidence of the unethical basis of this programme.
The study being conducted by Professors Curran and Nutt is important science. However, it is not original and the outcome is a foregone conclusion. It is well established in other research and widely understood that CBD moderates the psychoactive effects of THC.
The cannabis used in the programme is not 'skunk' as claimed, it is a 'haze' variety produced by Bedrocan BV, the Netherlands government official producer of medicinal cannabis. It is prescribed as medicine by doctors in Holland, Belgium, Italy, Germany and Canada.
I would refer you to the Netherlands Office for Medicinal Cannabis, which regulates Bedrocan products. It publishes guidelines for medical professionals which can be seen here: BEDROCAN GUIDELINES
On using a vapouriser these state:
"Inhale a few times until the desired effect is reached or until psychological side-effects occur. Wait 5-15 minutes after the first inhalation and wait between inhalations."
If you now observe the ludicrous overdose that Jon Snow and Matthew Paris were subjected to, you will understand how gravely irresponsible is the conduct of the programme's producers.
Aside from the impact on the individuals concerned, this programme will present a highly misleading and false impression of the use of cannabis which millions of British people participate in every day.
I urge you to take prompt action and stop the broadcast of this programme in its present form.
Kind regards,
yours sincerely,
Peter Reynolds
Vote 'YES' Scotland!
If all the people, politicians, institutions, banks and monopoly businesses who are responsible for the terrible injustices and inequalities in our society are so desperate for a 'NO' vote, what should that tell you?
That Cameron, all his disgusting, self-serving cronies, Miliband and Clegg are terrified, scared and panicking, what should that tell you?
When all the members of the Fleet Street Mafia: dishonest, manipulative, gutter press editors and seedy proprietors want Scotland to vote 'NO', what should that tell you?
When the UK parliament does all it can to prolong the sick perversion of democracy that is Britain in the EU, what should that tell you?
Please vote 'YES' Scotland!
Will Uruguay Be High?
In pursuit of their World Cup ambitions, England must face Uruguay, the only country in the world where cannabis is fully legalised and regulated by the government.
But is cannabis a performance enhancing drug? Will the Uruguay players have an unfair advantage?
In America there is much debate about cannabis in sport. It is widespread in baseball, football and almost de rigueur in ice hockey.
The evidence is that moderate cannabis use probably is performance enhancing, in that it will improve recovery, healing and general health. Used as an intoxicant it will dull the senses for a while but far less than a night on the San Miguel.
Of course, if you're not playing then both together is also fully acceptable in polite society nowadays, particularly if you also have a doctor's recommendation. So how can sport regulators deal with that? Is it just medicine?
Legal Highs Banned At UK Festivals. So Stick To The Safe Stuff: Cannabis, Ecstasy And LSD.
The madness of Queen Theresa is killing the British people.
She presides over a government that has succeeded in making alcohol stronger and more easily available, leading to the highest rate of liver disease in the world.
She sides with King Canute's advisors in believing she can hold back the tide of demand for cannabis and ecstasy, drugs that are safely consumed by millions. Her deranged efforts to 'ban them, ban them, ban them' have led to the rise in 'legal highs', far more dangerous, untested, unpredictable, sold at enormous profit without any control at all.
Now she's desperately trying to shut the stable door that she opened . According to her bible, The Daily Mail, "More than 20 UK music festivals have banned the sale of 'legal highs' at their events this summer".
The only sensible advice if you're going to a festival this year is beer and wine in moderation but stick to the safe stuff. Cannabis has never killed anyone, neither has LSD. About 25 deaths have been attributed to 'E' but that's with about 500,000 doses taken every weekend for 30 years.
So roll a spliff (tobacco free), maybe pop a pill or two. Stay safe.
Online Trolls Are Psychopaths And Sadists, Psychologists Claim.
Source: The Independent, 18th February 2014
Canadian researchers have confirmed what most people suspected all along: that internet trolls are archetypal Machiavellian sadists.
In a survey conducted by the group of psychologists, people who partake in so-called trolling online showed signs of sadism, psychopathy, and were Machiavellian in their manipulation of others and their disregard for morality.
The researchers defined online trolling as "the practice of behaving in a deceptive, destructive, or disruptive manner in a social setting on the Internet" for no purpose other than their pleasure.
To achieve the results, the team asked internet users about subjects including how much time they spend online, and whether they comment on websites such as YouTube.
They were also given tests that measured their responses against psychology's "Dark Tetrad": narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy and a sadistic personality.
Questions also surrounded sadistic statements including: "I enjoy physically hurting people," "I enjoy making jokes at the expense of others" and "I enjoy playing the villain in games and torturing other characters."
"It was sadism, however, that had the most robust associations with trolling of any of the personality measures," said psychologists from the University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg and University of British Columbia in an article published in the 'Personality and Individual Differences' journal.
It went on to claim that trolls are "agents of chaos" that exploit "hot-button issues" to inflame and exploit users' emotions,
"If an unfortunate person falls into their trap, trolling intensifies for further, merciless amusement. This is why novice Internet users are routinely admonished, 'Do not feed the trolls!'," the study warned.
The team concluded that those who enjoyed trolling more than other activities, such debating and making friends, had tendencies in line with the psychological "Dark Tetrad".
Perhaps most worryingly, the psychologists based their conclusion on cyber-trolling being an "Internet manifestation of everyday sadism," rather than merely on online phenomenon.
It is thought the findings may contribute towards a trend of sites such as YouTube and the Huffington Post requiring users to comment using registered accounts rather than allowing anonymous posts.


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Detergent-compatible fabric softening and anti-static compositions containing particular smectite clay materials, cationic anti-static agents and certain substituted amino compatibilizing agents are described. The compositions permit the simultaneous attainment of fabric softening, static-reduction and cleansing effects of fabrics washed therein.
Claims available in
Description (OCR text may contain errors)
United States Patent Bernardino May 27, 1975 FABRIC SOFTENING COMPOSITION CONTAINING A SMECTITE TYPE CLAY [56] References Cited [75] Inventor: Lowell Watson Bernardino, T D T T S ATENTS Cincinnati, Ohio 3,644,203 2/1972 Lamberti et al. 252/8.8
73 A' :ThPt&GblC I Sslgnee f fsg e ompany Primary Examiner-Stephen J. Lechert, Jr.
Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jack D. Schaeffer; Richard [22] Filed: Apr. 16, 1973 C. Witte; Thomas H. O'Flaherty [21] Appl. No.: 351,678
R l t d U S A l' t' D t [57] ABSTRACT a a Detergent-compatible fabric softening and anti-static [63] fgf g s g 'g of 337331 March compositions containing particular smectite clay matea an one rials, cationic anti-static agents and certain substituted amino compatibilizing agents are described. The com- [52] 252/835 gg ggf o fi positions permit the simultaneous attainment of fabric [5 l 1 lm Cl noism 13/00 softening, static-reduction and cleansing effects of fab- [58] Field of Search 252/155, 8.75, 8.8, 546, washed 4 Claims, N0 Drawings 1 FABRIC SOFTENING COMPOSITION CONTAINING A SMECTITE TYPE CLAY CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part application of application Ser. No. 337,331, filed Mar. 2, 1973 now abandoned, titled: DETERGENT-COMPATIBLE FABRIC SOFTENING AND ANTI-STATIC COMPO- SITIONS, inventor Lowell W. Bernardino.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention related to compositions adapted to the provision of fabric softening and anti-static effects in fabric laundering operations. More particularly, it relates to the provision of these effects while simultaneous cleansing fabrics in the presence of conventional synthetic detergent compounds and organic or inorganic detergent builders.
Various clay materials have been utilized in many different types of detergent systems for widely diverse purposes. Clays, for example, have been disclosed for utilization as builders (Schwartz and Perry, Surface Active Agents, Interscience Publishers, Inc., 1949, pp. 232 and 299); as water-softeners (British Pat. No. 461,221); as anti-caking agents (US. Pat. Nos. 2,625,513 and 2,770,600); as suspending agents (US. Pat. Nos. 2,594,257, 2,594,258 and 2,920,045); and as fillers (US. Pat. No. 2,708,185).
It is also well known that some clay materials can be deposited on fabrics to impart softening properties thereto. Such clay deposition is usually realized by contacting fabrics to be so treated with aqueous clay suspensions (see, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,033,699 and 3,594,221). The copending applications of Storm and Nirschl, Ser. No. 271,943, filed July 14, I972 now abandoned; Ohren, Ser. No. 279,127, filed Aug. 9, 1972, now US. Pat. No. 3,852,211 Nirschl and Gloss, Ser. No. 305,416, filed Nov. 10, 1972 now US. Pat. No. 3,862,058; and Gloss and Nirschl, Ser. No. 305,417, filed Nov. 10, 1972; relate to the use of clays as softeners in laundry compositions.
While clays can provide softening properties, and in the presence of detergent and builder substances used in the cleansing or laundering of fabrics, they do not provide anti-static properties. Commericallyacceptable fabric softeners additionally provide antistatic benefits, and such benefits have come to be expected by the user of such products. Indeed, fabrics coated with clays, while exhibiting a soft hand, tend to develop higher levels of static charge than the uncoated fabrics.
Various quaternary ammonium compounds known in the art possess anti-static properties. These compounds, while suitable in combination with clay materials to provide the anti-static properties which are not provided by the clays can be inhibited in their provision of anti-static effects by the presence of anionic substances conventionally employed in the cleansing of fabrics in laundering operations.
It is an object of the present invention to provide fabric softening and anti-static compositions capable of providing their effects in the presence of conventional detergent compositions to thereby concurrently launder, soften and impart anti-static benefits to fabrics.
It is another object of the present invention to provide compositions containing certain clay fabric softening agents and quaternary ammonium anti-static agents adapted to use in the washing cycle of a laundering operation.
These and the objects are obtained herein, as will be seen from the following disclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is based in part upon the discovery that certain substituted amino compounds, defined hereinafter, will mitigate the interactive effects of quaternary ammonium anti-static agents and conventional detergent laundering compositions. These materials, termed compatibilizing agents hereinafter, can be employed in combination with quaternary ammonium anti-static agents and clay fabric-softening materials in fabric-laundering operations to provide treated textile materials with simultaneous cleansing, anti-static and fabric-softening effects.
In its composition aspect, the present invention encompasses fabric-softening compositons containing as essential ingredients a particular smectite-type clay fabric-softening material, a quaternary ammonium fabric softening agent and a substituted amino compatibilizing agent. Such compositions can be conveniently employed by the housewife or other user by addition to the laundry washing bath provided by addition to water of a conventional laundry detergent composition. The present invention also encompasses as integral formulations compositions containing the materials hereinbefore-defined in combination with synthetic detergent compounds and organic or inorganic builder salts. Such compositions, merely added to water, provide in a single step the provision of a laundering bath adapted to the provision of simultaneous cleansing, softening and anti-static effects.
In a method aspect, the invention encompasses a method for simultaneously cleansing, softening and providing anti-static effects on fabrics or textiles which comprises treating the fabrics or textiles in an aqueous laundry bath containing detergent, clay, quaternary ammonium and compatibilizing agent as defined herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Compositions suited herein as additives to the detergent washing bath of a laundering operation, and termed additive compositions herein comprise:
a. from about 2 to about by weight of a smectitetype clay having an ion-exchange capacity of at least 50 meq/ I00 grams;
b. from about 1 to about 40% by weight of a substantially water-insoluble quaternary ammonium anti-static agent of the formula:
wherein R and R represent hydrocarbyl groups containing from about 10 to about 22 carbon atoms, R; and R represent hydrocarbyl groups containing from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, X is an anion and n is an integer from I to 3; and
c. from about I to about 40% by weight of a compatibilizing agent of the formula:
wherein R, represents an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 22 carbon atoms; R and R represent alkyl groups containing from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms or hydrogen, whereby not more than one of the groups R and R can be hydrogen; and Y represents CONH CON(R or COOH, wherein R. represents a alkyl group containing from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms or hydrogen.
Built laundry detergent compositions of the invention comprise (a) from about 2 to about 30% by weight of a synthetic detergent compound selected from the group consisting of anionic soap and non-soap detergents, nonionic synthetic detergents, ampholytic synthetic detergents, zwitterionic synthetic detergents and mixtures thereof; (b) from about to about 60% by weight of an organic or inorganic detergent builder salt; (6) from about 1 to about 50 by weight ofa smectitetype clay softening agent having an ion exchange capacity of at least about SO/meq/lOO g; (d) from about 0.5 to about 15% by weight of a substantially waterinsoluble quaternary ammonium anti-static agent of the formula, R N*R' X wherein each R is an alkyl group containing from about to about 22 carbon atoms and each R; is an alkyl group containing from about 1 to about 4 carbon atoms and wherein X is an anion, e.g., F', Cl, Br', OH; and (e) from about 0.5 to about of an amino compound having the formula:
wherein R represents an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 22 carbon atoms; R and R represent alkyl groups containing from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms or hydrogen. whereby not more than one of the groups R and R can be hydrogen; and Y represnts CONH CON(R or -COOH, wherein R represents an alkyl group containing from about 1 to about 4 carbon atoms or hydrogen. The weight ratio of smectite typc clay-to-quaternary ammonium compound in the detergent compositions herein is from about 40:] to about 1:] and is preferably about 10:] to 3:1. The quaternary ammonium compound and amino compatibilizing agent are present in releasable combination in the com positions herein in a weight ratio of quaternary ammonium compound to amino compound of from about 1:5 to about 5:], preferably from 3:1 to 1:2.
The detergent compositions herein provide a solution pH of from about 7 to about 12 when dissolved in water at a concentration of about 0.12% by weight.
The compositions and method of this invention employ three essential ingredients; the clay softener; the quaternary ammonium anti-static agent; and the amino compatibilizing agent. The detergent compositions of the invention additionally will comprise a water-soluble detergency compound and a detergency builder salt. The smcctite-type clay functions to soften the laun dered fabrics while the quaternary ammonium compound provides anti-static effects on the fabrics and adds an increment of softening benefits to the fabrics. The detergent and builder components provide the known cieansing and building effects. The various components of the compositions herein are described in greater detail hereinafter.
CLAY COMPOUNDS The essential clay component of the present compo sitions consists of particular smectite clay materials. These smectite clays are present in the additive compositions of this invention at levels from about 2 to about 90%, preferably from 5 to 90% and especially from 8 to by weight. In the built detergent composition embodiments of this invention, the smectite clay is used in an amount from about 1 to about 50%, preferably from about 5 to about 25% by weight. The clays used herein are impaipable, i.e., have a particle size which cannot be perceived tactilely. lmpalpable clays have particle sizes below about 50 microns; the clays used herein have a particle size range of from about 5 microns to about 50 microns.
The clay minerals can be described as expandabie, three layer clays, i.e., alumino-silicates and magnesium silicates, having an ion exchange capacity of at least 50 rneq/lOO g. of clay. The term expandable as used to describe clays relates to the ability of the layered clay structure to be swollen, or expanded, on contact with water. The three layer expandable clays used herein are those materials classified geologically as smectites.
There are two distinct classes of smectite-type clays; in the first, aluminum oxide is present in the silicate crystal lattice; in the second class of smectites, magnesium oxide is present in the silicate crystal lattice. The general formulas of these smectites are Al (Si O (OH) and Mg (Si O )[OH) for the aluminum and magnesium oxide type clay, respectively. It is to be recognized that the range of the water of hydration in the above formulas can vary with the processing to which the clay has been subjected. This is immaterial to the use of the smectite clays in the present invention in that the expandable characteristics of the hydrated clays are dictated by the silicate lattice structure. Furthermore, atom substitution by iron and magnesium can occur within the crystal lattice of the smectites, while metal cations such as Na+, Ca++, as well as H+, can be copresent in the water of hydration to provide electrical neutrality. Except as noted hereinafter, such cation substitutions are immaterial to the use of the clays herein since the desirable physical properties of the clays are not substantially altered thereby.
The three-layer, expandable alumino-siiicates useful herein are further characterized by a dioctahedral crystal lattice, while the expandable three-layer magnesium silicates have a trioctahedral crystal lattice.
As noted hereinabove, the clays employed in the compositions of the instant inventon contain cationic counterions such as protons, sodium ions, potassium ions, caicium ion, magnesium ion, and the likev It is customary to distinguish between clays on the basis of one cation predominantly or exclusively absorbed. For example, a sodium clay is one in which the absorbed cation is predominantly sodium. Such absorbed cations can become involved in exchange reactions with cations present in aqueous solutions. A typical exchange reaction involving a smectite-type clay is expressed by the following equation:
smectite clay (Na)+NH OH (NHQ-l-NaOH Since the foregoing equilibrium reaction, one equivalent weight of ammonium ion replaces an equivalent weight of sodium, it is customary to measure cation ex change capacity (sometimes termed base exchange capacity) in terms of milli-equivalents per lOO g. of clay (Meq./l g.), The cation exchange capacity of clays can be measured in several ways, including by electodialysis, by exchange with ammonium ion followed by titration or by a methylene blue procedure, all as fully set forth in Grimshaw, The Chemistry and Physics of Clays", pp. 264-265, lnterscience (1971)v The cation exchange capacity of a clay mineral relates to such fac tors as the expandable properties of the clay, the charge of the clay, which, in turn, is determined at least in part by the lattice structure, and the like, The ion exchange capacity of clays varies widely in the range from about 2 meq/lOO g. for kaolinites to about 150 meq/IOO g., and greater, for certain clays of the montmorillonite variety. lllite clays have an ion exchange capacity somewhere in the lower portion of the range, i.e., around 26 meq/lOO g. for an average illite clay.
It has been determined that illite and kaolinite clays, with their relatively low ion exchange capacities, are not useful in the instant compositions. However, smectites, such as nontronite, having an ion exchange capacity of approxmately 5O meq/lOO g., saponite, which has an ion exchange capacity of around 70 meq/lOO g., and montmorillonite, which has an ion exchange capacity greater than 70 meq/lOO g., have been found to be useful in the instant compositions in that they are deposited on the fabrics to provide the desired softening benefits. Accordingly, clay minerals useful herein can be characterized as expandable, three-layer smectite-type clays having an ion exchange capacity of at least about 50 meq/lOO g. A smectite-type clay known as fooler clay, found in a relatively thin vein above the Black Hills, also has the requisite ion exchange properties characteristic of the clays useful herein and such fooler clay is also encompassed by the term smectite-type clay, as used herein.
The smectite clays used in the compositions herein are all commercially available. Such clays include, for example, montmorillonite, volchonskoite, nontronite, hectorite, saponite, sauconite, and vermiculite. The clays herein are available under various tradenames, for example, Thixogel No. 1 (also, Thixoalell) and Gelwhite GP from Georgia Kaolin Co, Elizabeth, New Jersey; Volclay BC and Volclay No. 325, from American Colloid Co, Skokie, Illinois; Black Hills Bentonite Bl-l450, from international Minerals and Chemicals; and Veegum Pro and Veegum F, from R. T. Vanderbilt. It is to be recognized that such smectitc-type minerals obtained under the foregoing tradenames can comprise mixtures of the various discreet mineral enti ties. Such mixtures of the smectite minerals are suitable for use herein.
While any of the smectite-type clays having a cation exchange capacity of at least about 50 meq/lOO g. are useful herein, certain clays are preferred. For example, Gelwhite GP is an extremely white form of smectite smectite clay clay and is therefore preferred when formulating white granular detergent compositions. Volclay BC, which is a smectite-type clay mineral containing at least 3% of iron (expressed as Fe O in the crystal lattice, and which has a very high ion exchange capacity, is one of the most efficient and effective clays for use in the instant compositions and is preferred from the standpoint of product performance. On the other hand, certain smectite clays marketed under the name bentonite are sufficiently contaminated by other silicate minerals that their ion exchange capacity falls below the requisite range, and such clays are of no use in the instant compositions.
Appropriate clay minerals for use herein can be selected by virtue of the fact that smectites exhibit a true 14A X-ray diffraction pattern. This characteristic pattern, taken in combination with exchange capacity measurements performed in the manner noted above, provides a basis for selecting particular smectite-type minerals for use in the compositions disclosed herein.
ANTI-STATIC AGENT The quaternary ammonium anti-static agents will normally be employed in the additive compositions in an amount of from about 1 to about 40% and preferably from about 2 to about 25% by weight. The quaternary ammonium anti-static agent will normally be present in the detergent compositions of the invention in an amount of from about 0.5 to about 15% and preferably in an amount of from about l to about l0% by weight. Whether an additive or detergent composition; of the invention is employed in providing an aqueous laundering bath or liquor, an amount sufficient to prqvide a concentration of quaternary ammonium compound in the bath or liquor offrom about 2.5 ppm (parts per million) to about 1500 ppm will normally be employed. ln general, the quaternary anti-stats are used in either type of composition at a clay-to-quaternary weight ratio of from about 40:1 to about l:l, preferably from about l0:l to about 3:l.
The anti-static agents useful herein are quaternary ammonium salts of the formula wherein each R group is a hydrocarbyl (i.e., alkyl or alkenyl) group containing from about 10 to about 22 carbon atoms and each R group is a short-chain hydrocarbyl group containing from I to about 4 carbon atoms X in the above compounds can be any saltforming anion, e.g, halide, hydroxide, sulfate, carbonate, phosphate, etc. The charge on the anion is designated as n-, where n is 1-3. The number of cationic ammonium groups, n, will equal the charge, n, on the anion to provide electrical neutrality. Quaternary ammonium compounds wherein n=l are commercially available and are preferred herein for this reason.
The quaternary ammonium anti-static agents herein are characterized by their limited solubility in water. That is to say, such quaternary salts are essentially insoluble in water, existing therein in what appears to be the mesomorphic liquid crystalline state. The insolubility of the quaternary salts used herein is a critical aspect of this invention inasmuch as water-soluble quaternary salts become chemically affixed to the surface of the clay. When the quaternary anti-static agent is affixed to the surface of the clay, it does not provide the desired anti-static effects on fabrics.
The quaternary ammonium antistatic agents used in this invention can be prepared in various ways well known in the art. Many such materials are commercially available. The quaternaries are often made from alkyl halide mixtures corresponding to the mixed alkyl chain lengths in fatty acids. For example, the di-tallow quaternaries are made from alkyl halides having mixed C -C chain lengths. Such mixed di-long chain quaternaries are useful herein and are preferred from a cost standpoint.
As noted above, essentially any anionic group can be the counter-ion in the quaternary compounds used herein. The anionic groups in the quaternary compounds can be exchanged, one for another, using standard anion exchange resins. Thus, quaternary ammo nium salts having any desired anion are readily available. While the nature of such anions has no effect on the compositions and processes of this invention, chlo ride ion is the preferred counter-ion from a cost standpoint.
The following are representative examples of sub-- stantially water-insoluble quaternary ammonium antistatic agents suitable for use in the compositions and processes of the instant invention. All of the quaternary ammonium compounds listed can be formulated in releasable combination with the detergent compositions herein, but the compilation of suitable quaternary com pounds hereinafter is only by way of example and is not intended to be limiting of such compounds. Dioctadecyldimethylammonium chloride is an especially preferred quaternary anti static agent for use herein by virtue of its high anti-static activity; ditallow dimethyl ammonium chloride is equally preferred because of its readily availability and its good anti-static activity; other useful di-long chain quaternary com pounds are dicetyldimethylammonium chloride; bis-docosyldimethylammonium chloride; didodecyl dimethylammonium chloride; ditallowdimethylarnmonium bromide, dioleoyldimethylammonium hydroxide; ditallowdiethylammonium chloride; ditallowdipropylammonium bromide; ditallowdibutylammonium fluoride, cetyldecylmethylethylammonium choride. bis-[ditallowdimethylammonium]sulfatc; tris- [ditallowdimethylammonium]phosphate; and the like.
COMPATIBILIZING AGENT The essential amino compatabilizing agent is used is an amount of from about 1 to about 40%, preferably from about 2 to about 20% by weight of the ternary mixture of essential components, i.e., the additive compositions of the invention. In the built detergent embodiments, said compatiblizing agent is used in an amount from about 0.5 to about 15%, preferably from about 1 to about 10% by weight. Normally, in either the additive or detergent embodiments of the invention, an amount of amino compatibilizing agent sufficient to provide a weight ratio of quaternary ammonium compound to amino component of from about 5:1 to about 1:5, and preferably from 3:1 to 1:2, is employed.
The compatibilizing agent can be represented by substituted amino compounds having the formula:
wherein R, represents an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 22 carbon atoms; R and R represent alkyl groups containing from l to about 10 carbon atoms or hydrogen, whereby not more than one ofthe groups R and R; can be hydrogen; and Y represents -CONH CON(R,) or COOH; wherein R represents an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms or hydrogen.
Preferred herein because of ready availability and also by virtue ofits high anti-static activity is N-coco-B- amino-propionic acid.
Other useful compatibilizing agents include:
Octadecylamino-propionic acid Methylamino-bispropionamide Tallow alkyl-amino-dipropionic acid Dodecylamino-diacetic acid Hexadecylamino-bisacetamide Hexylamino-bisbutyramide Nhexadecyloaminoacetic acid Dodecyl-aminodiacetic acid N-octyl-B-amino acetamide Butylamino-pelargonamide Ethylamino-dicaproamide Methylamino-din-heptylamide DETERGENT from the group consisting of anionic, nonionic, am-
pholytic and zwitterionic detergents and mixtures thereof. Examples of organic detergents of these types are described in us. Pat. NO. 3,579,454; incorporated herein by reference. column 11, line 45 to column 19, line 64.
Preferred for use herein are the water-soluble salts of alkyl benzene sulfonates, in which the alkyl group contains from about 9 to about 20 carbon atoms in straight chain or branched chain configuration, e.g., those of the type described in US. Pat. Nos. 2,220,099 and 2,477,383 (especially valuable are linear straight chain alkyl benzene sulfonates in which the average of the alkyl groups is about 1 1.8 carbon atoms and commonly abbreviated as C,, LAS). Suitable cations include alkali me als (sodium. potassium, lithium) ammonium and substituted ammonium (mono, di and tri-ethanol and methanol amines) neutralizing agents.
Another preferred detergent for use herein include alkyl ether sulfates. These materials have the formula RO(C H, O) SO M wherein R is alkyl or alkenyl of about 10 to about 20 carbon atoms, x is l to 30, and M is a watensoluble cation such as alkali metal, ammonium and substituted ammonium. The alkyl ether sulfates useful in the present invention are condensation products of ehtylene oxide and monohydric alcohols having about i() to about 20 carbon atoms. Preferably, R has 14 to 18 carbon atoms. The alcohols can be derived from fats, cg, coconut oil or tallow, or can by synthetic. Lauryl alcohol and straight chain alcohols derived from tallow are preferred herein. Such alcohols are reacted with l to 30, and especially 1 to 6, molar proportions of ethylene oxide and the resulting mixture of molecular species, having, for example, an average of 3 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol, is sulfated and neutralized.
Specific examples of alkyl ether sulfates of the present invention are sodium coconut alkyl ethylene glycol ether sulfate; sodium tallow alkyl trioxyethylene ether sulfate; and sodium tallow alkyl hexaoxyethylene sulfate.
Other preferred detergents utilizable herein are olefin sulfonates having about 12 to about 24 carbon atoms. The term olefin sulfonates is used herein to mean compounds which can be produced by the sulfonation of a-olefins by means of uncomplexed sulfur trioxide, followed by neutralization of the acid reaction mixture in conditions such that any sultones which have been formed in the reaction are hydrolyzed to give the corresponding hydroxy-alkane-sulfonates. The sulfur trioxide can be liquid or gaseous, and is usually, but not necessarily, diluted by inert diluents, for example by liquid S chlorinated hydrocarbons, etc., when used in the liquid form, or by air, nitrogen, gaseous S0 etc., when used in the gaseous form.
The oz-olefins from which the olefin sulfonates are derived are mono-olefins having 12 to 24 carbon atoms, preferably 14 to l6 carbon atoms. Preferably, they are straight chain olefins. Examples of suitable l-olefins include l-dodecene, l-tetradecene; l-hexadecene; loctadecene; l-eicosene and l-tetracosene.
In addition to the true alkene sulfonates and a portion of hydroxy-alkanesulfonates, the olefin sulfonates can contain minor amounts of other materials, such as alkene disulfonates depending upon the reaction conditions, proportion of reactants, the nature of the starting olefins and impurities in the olefin stock and side reactions during the sulfonation process.
A specific anionic detergent which has also been found excellent for use in the present invention is described more fully in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,332,880 of Phillip F. Pflaumer and Adrian Kessler, issued July 25, i967, titled Detergent Composition", the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Builder Salts The detergent compositions of the instant invention contain, as an essential component, an alkaline, polyvalent anionic detergent builder salt. in the present compositions these water-soluble alkaline builder salts serve to maintain the pH of the laundry solution in the range of from about 7 to about 12, preferably from about 8 to about ll. Furthermore, these builder salts enhance the fabric cleaning performance of the overall compositions while at the same time serve to suspend particulate soil released from the surface of the fabrics and prevent its redeposition on the fabric surfaces. Surprisingly, although the detergency builder salts serve to suspend clay soils of the kaolinite and illite types and prevent their redeposition on fabrics, they do not appear to interfere with the deposition on fabric surfaces of the smectite-type clay softeners used herein. Furthermore, these polyanionic builder salts have been found to cause the smectite-type clays present in the granular detergent formulations of the invention to be readily and homogeneously dispersed throughout the aqueous laundering medium with a minimum of agitation. The homogeneity of the clay dispersion is necessary for the clay to function effectively as a fabric softener, while the ready dispersability allows granular detergent compositions to be formulated.
Suitable detergent builder salts useful herein can be of the poly-valent inorganic and poly-valent organic types, or mixtures thereof. Non-limiting examples of suitable water-soluble, inorganic alkaline detergent builder salts include the alkali metal carbonates, borates, phosphates, polyphosphates, tripolyphosphates, bicarbonates, silicates and sulfates. Specific examples of such salts include the sodium and potassium tetraborates, perborates, bicarbonates, carbonates, tripolyphosphates, orthophosphates and hexametaphosphates.
Examples of suitable organic alkaline detergency builder salts are: (l) water-soluble amino polyacetates, e.g., sodium and potassium ethylenediaminetetraacetates, nitrilotriacetates and N-( 2-hydroxyethyl)nitrilodiacetates; (2) water-soluble salts of phytic acid, e.g., sodium and potassium phytates; (3) water-soluble polyphosphonates, including, sodium, potassium and lithium salts of ethane-lhydroxy-l,l-diphosphonic acid; sodium, potassium and lithium salts of methylenediphosphonic acid and the like.
Additional organic builder salts useful herein include the polycarboxylate materials described in US. Pat. No. 2,264,l03, including the water-soluble alkali metal salts of mellitic acid. The water-soluble salts of polycarboxylate polymers and copolymers such as are described in US. Pat. No. 3,308,067, incorporated herein by reference, are also suitable herein. It is to be understood that while the alkali metal salts of the foregoing inorganic and organic poly-valent anionic builder salts are preferred for use herein from an economic standpoint, the ammonium, alkanolammonium, e.g., triethanolammonium, diethanolammonium, and the like, water-soluble salts of any of the foregoing builder anions are useful herein.
Mixtures of organic and/or inorganic builders can be used herein. One such mixture of builders is disclosed in Canadian Pat. No. 755,038, c.g., a ternary mixture of sodium tripolyphosphate, trisodium nitrilotriacetate and trisodium ethane-l -hydroxy-l ,l-diphosphonate.
While any of the foregoing alkaline poly-valent builder materials are useful herein, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium nitrilotriacetate, sodium mellitate, sodium citrate and sodium carbonate are preferred herein for this builder use. Sodium tripolyphosphate is especially preferred herein as a builder both by virtue of its detergency builder activity and its ability to homogeneously and quickly disperse the smectite clays throughout the aqueous laundry media without interfering with clay deposition on the fabric surface. Sodium tripolyphosphate is also especially effective for suspending illite and kaolinite clay soils and retarding their redeposition on the fabric surface.
The detergent builders are used at concentrations of from about 0 to about 60%, preferably 20 to 50%, by weight of the detergent compositions of this invention.
The clay-containing compositions of this invention are in granular form. The compositions can be conveniently prepared in standard fashion by admixing the clay and detergent, builder and optional ingredients, if any, in a crutcher anad spray-drying the mixture to form granules.
Following this, the quaternary ammonium anti-static agent and amino compatibilizing agent can be sprayed on the granules from a melt. It is a critical aspect of this invention to avoid affixing the quaternary compound to the surface of the clay by an ion exchange mechanism; accordingly, it is preferable to avoid spraying the detergent granules with an aqueous solution or suspension of the quaternary compound. The ion-exchange problem is avoided by employing a melt of the quaternary compound and at least a portion of the amino compatibilizing agent to spray onto the granules. The compositions are then added to water. or to a detergent bath as the case may be, to provide a laundering liquor. Soiled fabties are added to the laundering liquor and cleansed in the usual manner. The effective amount of the additive or detergent compositions to be used will depend to an extent on the weight of clothes being laundered and their degree of soiling. Aqueous laundering baths prepared thereby provide adequate cleaning, softening and anti-static benefits with soiled fabrics, especially cotton and cotton/polyester blends.
It will be appreciated that the method of simultaneously cleansing, softening and reducing static buildup on laundered textiles can be conveniently practiced by providing an aqueous treating liquor in a number of ways. A suitable washing liquor can be prepared by adding, for example, a commercially-available built anionic-based laundry detergent composition into a wash ing machine at a concentration of about 0.12% and separately. adding an additive composition of the invention as defined hereinbefore. Suitable treating liquors will normally contain:
Smectite clay S to 5000 ppm Quaternary ammonium compound 25 to 1500 ppm Amino computibilizing agent 2.5 to 1500 ppm Detergent 10 to 3000 ppm; and Builder to 6000 ppm, whereby the weight ratio of quaternary ammonium compound to amino compatibilizing component is normally in the range from about to about l;5.
The additive and built detergent compositions and processes of the instant invention are illustrated by the following examples.
EXAMPLE I A through-the-wash cycle fabric-softening detergent composition which imparts imultaneous cleansing, softening and anti-static properties to fabrics treated therewith having the following formula is prepared:
Component Weight Percent Anionic surfactant* 16.6 Sodium tripolyphosphate 43.3 Sodium silicate 5.8 Sodium sulfate 10.0 Gelwhite GP (smectite) 9.8 Dioctadecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride 2.0 N'coco-B-amino propionic acid Miscellaneous minors" ca. 3. Moisture Balance l ZI'I ratio of sodium tallow alkyl sulfate-sodium C linear alkyl benzene sulfonatc "Including hnghtcncrs. curboxymethylcellulose, coconut alcohol cthoxylutc and perfume sulfate; sodium coconut alkyl ethylene glycol ether sulfate; sodium tallow alkylhexaoxyethylene sulfate; olefin sulfonates produced by means of uncomplexed sulfur trioxyde sulfonation of l-dodecene; l-tetradecene; l hexadecene; l-octadecene; l-eicosene and ltetracosene and sodium linear dodecyl benzene sulfonate.
Substantially similar detergency, softening and antistatic benefits are obtained when the clay softening agent in Example I is replaced with an equivalent amount of volchonskoit, nontronite; nectorite; sauconite; and vermiculite, respectively, all such clays having an ion exchange capacity of at least about 50 meq,/
EXAMPLE II Through-thc-wash-cycle fabric softener additive compositions having the following formulas are prepared:
Components Formula (IN parts) Sodium bicarbonate 7 l3 Ditallow dimethyl ammonium chloride 8 4 N-cocoflhmino propionic acid 4 2 Sodium montmorillonite 21 2] Extender granules* 60 60 Parts *Sodium linear dodeeyl benzene sulfonate 6 Sodium silicate solids (ratio SiO (N3 0 2.0) 12 Sodium carbonate 12 Sodium sulfate 23 Minors 2 When employed in conjunction with a commerciallyavailable anionic-based built detergent composition in a conventional laundering process, the foregoing additive composition provides fabric softening and antistatic effect.
The extender granules employed in the composition of Example ll are replaced with any inert or compatible filler materials such as sodium, sulfate, starch, or the like with similar results.
EXAMPLE III A through-the-wash cycle fabric-sfotener composition having the following formula is prepared:
Silicate solids (ratio siO fNa O 2.0)
Balance to 86 Moisture and minor ingredients The composition of Example III when used in a conventional laundry operation at a product concentration 15 of 0.12% by weight provides fabric-softening, cleansing and anti-static benefits which are substantially similar to what can be obtained from a conventional laundry operation in combination with the subsequent rinsesoftening treatment.
What is claimed is:
l. A fabric softening composition comprising:
a. from about 2 to about 90% by weight of a smectitetype clay having an ion-exchange capacity of at least 50 meq/lOO grams;
b. from about 1 to about 40% by weight of a substantially water-insoluble quaternary ammonium antistatic agent of the formula:
wherein R and R represent hydrocarbyl groups containing from about 10 to about 22 carbon atoms, R and R represent hydrocarbyl groups containing from l to about 4 carbon atoms, X is an anion and n is an integer from i to 3; and
c. from about i to about 40% by weight of a compatibilizing agent of the formula:
wherein R represents an alkyl group containing from l to about 22 carbon atoms; R and R represent alkyl groups containing from i to about 10 carbon atoms or hydrogen, whereby not more than one of the groups R and R can be hydrogen; and Y represents CONH CON(R or COOH; wherein R represents an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms or hydrogen.
2. A composition in accordance with claim 1 wherein the component (a) smectite-type clay is used in an amount from about 5 to about 90% by weight.
3. A composition in accordance with claim 2 wherein the component (b) quaternary ammonium component is present in an amount from about 2 to about 25% by weight.
4. A composition in accordance with claim 3 wherein the component (a) smectite-type clay is used in an amount from about 8 to about by weight.
Patent Citations
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"CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" ABC Special
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CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock, hosted by Little Big Town, airs Aug. 12, on ABC. The three-hour special combines some of the best performances of the four-day event into one energy-packed show, but it also includes a behind-the-scenes look at country music's biggest week. Viewers will be taken to late-night pickin' parties, impromptu jams and will spend a day in the life of a country music star.
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Astral Projection
Astral Projection is a magic/mystic practice which allows a character to detach either his soul or his conscious mind (the distinction is important) from his body and let it wander freely, either invisibly in the material plane or out in the Spirit World. As, essentially, a living ghost, the character can go just about anywhere, see and hear anything, and potentially engage in Invisible Jerkass behaviour, depending on whether he can move objects telekinetically. Also like ghosts, characters who are Astral Projecting may use Demonic Possession to take over host bodies, though this doesn't necessarily allow them to pry into their mind. Most victims usually have no idea what happened afterward. Unfortunately, the freedom of the soul comes at the expense of the body, which usually lies in a Convenient Coma, utterly helpless and vulnerable to attack or neglect. In many cases the body will die if the soul is separated from it for too long. Another danger is that, like a ghost, the soul/mind might be unable to find its way back. This is especially risky if the Astral Projector loses the "tether" that connects him back to his body, or if another person moves his body while he is "away." Worst case scenario, another detached soul takes up residence in the body and takes over the person's life while they are stuck outside their own body for good. Some darker uses of this practice will forcibly evict the Astral Self from its host body. If the spirit doesn't know their body is still alive, they may even confuse themselves for an actual ghost. It's entirely possible for an Astral Projector to separate from his body by accident. Perhaps he misused an Ancient Artifact that forced him into an Astral Projection without telling him how to undo the state or return to his body. Or he might accidentally end up in the wrong body, or someone else might take possession of his. On the upside, being Made Of Air makes him indestructible to everything (except angry ghosts, exorcisms, irate housewives with vacuum cleaners...) Many people believe they have had experiences similar to these in Real Life. Astral projection is a serious part of belief systems like Spiritualism and Theosophy. There are several books on technique. Sylvan Muldoon's 1929 classic Projection of the Astral Body is still recommended for beginners. Compare Animal Eye Spy, where the character can see other locations through an animal's eyes.
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- Only the most powerful Newtypes in the various incarnations Gundam have this ability. Examples include series protagonist Camille Vidan and main villains Paptimus Scirocco and Haman Kahn of Zeta Gundam, Judau Ashita in Double Zeta, and Amuro Rei by the time of Char's Counterattack.
- Something like this happens in the Pokémon episode where Ash visits the Pokèmon tower in hopes of catching a ghost type Pokèmon that can help him beat Sabrina. While trying to capture one, he and Pikachu get knocked out by a falling chandelier and Haunter takes the oppurtunity to pull their spirits out of their bodies. Ash discovers that the ghost Pokèmon just wanted some friends to play with, but tells them that he can't stay with them because he has to continue his quest to become a Pokèmon master. The ghost Pokèmon are disappointed by this, but they allow Ash and Pikachu to return to their bodies.
- Production I.G.'s Ghost Hound features a group of teenage boys who each gained the ability to enter the "Unseen World" after a traumatizing experience they went through in their own childhood. For the former half of the series, they use it to investigate their own past trauma.
- Mai Taniyama in Ghost Hunt frequently astral projects in her sleep, giving her what seem to be psychic dreams.
- The bedridden Grove in Vampire Hunter D has the power of astral projection, his soul becoming a powerful entity, though doing so drains his life.
- Schierke of Berserk uses this to communicate with the elemental spirits that power her magic and occasionally to go into Guts' mind to snap him out of the influence of his Superpowered Evil Side.
- In One Piece, this is one of the abilities that Perona's Devil Fruit grants her. She notably uses this to counter Usopp's immunity to her negative hollows.
- During the two-year Time Skip in One Piece, this ability is developed by Brook, apparently as an extension of his Undead Fruit powers. Guess what was the first thing he did with it?
- In the Ranma ½ manga an old man has this ability and uses it to enter and alter Ranma's dreams to date her.
- In the first movie of Kara no Kyoukai, Kirie Fujou, though bedridden, can project a double of herself on top of the Fujou Buildings, which her family used to own.
- The Silver Tribe of Heroic Age frequently does this, and are capable of it across the vastness of the galaxy. Dhienalia, the human princess, is also capable of it, and makes use of it for long-distance communication, or guiding the ship through uncharted space. It's apparently pretty well-known, as no one shows the slightest surprise when someone does it.
- KEY Visual Arts love this trope. Both Fuko in CLANNAD and Ayu in Kanon are actually comatose for a large part of their respective series.
- In Noragami, this happens unintentionally to the main heroine after she was hit by a bus.
Comic Books
- Johann Kraus in Hellboy was a spiritualist whose body was killed while during a seance. His soul had nowhere to return to, so he has to live in a containment suit to avoid completely evaporating.
- Being the world's most powerful telepath, Charles Xavier does this frequently.
- Despite not having any Psychic Powers of his own, Xavier's sometimes-ally, sometimes-enemy Magneto can do this as well.
- Xavier's Arch-Enemy the Shadow King also specializes in astral projection. It was eventually retconned that he's a purely astral being who possesses human hosts (specifically, other mutants with telepathic powers that can amplify his own). When Xavier and the Shadow King (at the time using the body of an Egyptian named Amahl Farouk) first met, to any outside observers they seemed to be just sitting motionless at their tables in a tavern. In reality, the astral forms had left their bodies to duel. Once his astral form was defeated, his body slumped over, seemingly braindead. This encounter was what led Xavier to conclude he needed to create a team of mutant superheroes in order to deal with mutant supervillains like Farouk.
- As the picture indicates, this is one of the many mystic arts Doctor Strange has mastered. He can also pull someone else's astral form out of his/her body, though the other person usually freaks out and needs constant reassurance that everything is okay.
- On the DC Comics side, magic users like Doctor Fate, Zatanna, and Raven can do this.
- Wonder Woman as written by her creator William Marston often involved astral projection. A villain once forced Wonder Woman out of her body with electricity ("What a queer feeling... like falling!"). Other times, characters learned the art of deliberately leaving the body.
- A form of astral projection called hypnokinesis is used on Johan and Peewit in The Smurfs story "The Smurfs And The Magic Flute". The main difference is that their projected forms have physicality, so it's as if they have actually been transported into the Cursed Land (or to the Smurf forest, in the Animated Adaptation of the story).
- Superman did this one time with the help of Wonder Woman's assistant I Ching in a Bronze Age story where a sand-created duplicate of himself was stealing his powers.
- The villain Scarab in Manifest. And possibly the protagonist's mentor, the Spectral Wayfarer.
- The thematic foundation of Insidious.
- After getting caught by the police, the Big Bad of 976-EVIL 2: The Astral Factor uses his One Phone Call and receives this power from the title phone number to continue his wrongdoings.
- In the movie Just Like Heaven we think one of the characters is a ghost through most of the film, but it turns out the character in question is in a coma and the "ghost" is this trope. The latter part of the movie is trying to prevent the person's life support from being shut off.
- Happens a few times in Beverly Hills Ninja. Haru and Gobei both use astral projection to communicate with their master while on a mission in America.
- In Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, the titular protagonist uses it to go back to Tibet and discuss his frustration with the case he has on hand with his master.
- Freaky Friday (2003) unsuccessfully invokes this during Tess' and Anna's failed attempt to become "selfless" to undo a "Freaky Friday" Flip.
Live Action Television
- Charmed
- Prue develops this as a power in the second season although it's treated more like cloning.
- A demon in Season One displays a more traditional verison of the power; he is invisible to others (meaning he can spy on the girls) and he is able to influence people by whispering into their ear. He uses this to simultaneously make Prue steal a tiara from the auction house and make her believe she's just locking up like normal, leading to her arrest.
- The power returns in Season 7 when the girls are taught the power by Leo (who learnt it from Prue) offscreen and use it to distract Zankou and trick the authorities into believing they'd died in the explosion that killed the Nexus.
- Weird Al did this once on The Weird Al Show. Once he achieved it, all he did was go watch TV for a while before returning to his body.
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Nightmares". A twelve-year-old boy in a coma manages to do this (thanks to the Hellmouth's all-purpose magic-boost), but drags people's nightmares into the waking world along with him. Buffy has to help him defeat his own nightmare - the guy who put him in the hospital - for him to wake up.
Buffy: Could I be seeing Billy's asteroid body?Giles: Astral body.
"Astral projection? Well, is there any way to get her astral over to L.A.?"
- And in the spin-off, Angel is trying to get hold of Willow, but she's otherwise engaged.
- "The Walk" from The X-Files: Rappo, the Monster of the Week and an Evil Cripple, can detach his phantom soul from his body. He uses this power for Revenge by Proxy, killing off families of military men.
- In The Powers Of Matthew Star Matthew has astral projection as one of his powers. Unlike most astrals, his is solid and can interact with objects & people freely. He just needs to get back to his body within a certain amount of time.
- In one episode of Supernatural, Sam and Dean are taught how to astral project so they can communicate with the spirits and reapers in a town and find out why no one has been dying.
- Anne-Marie on Constantine is capable of this. Notably, while the projection usually retains her current visual appearance, at one point she projects herself topless to distract a guard she was sneaking by.
- Caspian Knoll of the Astral Dawn series is perhaps the most powerful astral projector there's ever been.
- Caspian actually managed to astral project into the astral plane and back again while his body slept in his bedroom over the course of a night.
- The second time Caspian astral projected, he realized he did so with the aid of a special ankh he bought in the city. His body is also left behind during the day instead of night.
- The third time Caspian astral projects is after he is knocked unconscious at a funeral.
- Caspian's son astral projects to the Land of Nod and gets stuck there, prompting Caspian to astral project again after many years.
- In Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles and Lives of the Mayfair Witches powerful vampires and some human psychics can do this. David Talbot contends that anyone could do it with the proper training or guidance. In The Tale of the Body Thief an unscrupulous telepath guides a catatonic man into doing this so that he can switch bodies with him.
- Discworld: Esmeralda Weatherwax can move her consciousness away from her body and share an experience with a target, or several as in Lords and Ladies when she possessed a swarm of bees. In A Hat Full of Sky, Tiffany Aching learns a similar trick but remains disembodied.
- Is a central theme in James Herbert's Nobody True.
- The telepathically-gifted on Darkover do this a lot; there's a psychic plane called the Overworld where they do various kinds of work (and occasionally engage in mortal combat...)
- Seems to be John Carter of Mars's primary method of traveling to Barsoom.
- Willie Connolly in the 1972 thriller Daughter of Darkness is accustomed to sneaking out of her body to skip boring classes. She gets more than she bargained for when she slips out late one night to see what her parents are up to.
- The Jedi Academy Trilogy has an involuntary example, when Exar Kun forcibly separates Luke Skywalker's spirit from his body.
- In the Zoë Martinique series, this is the eponymous character's main ability as well as a central theme of the story.
- Dennis Wheatley's supernatural thriller The Ka of Gifford Hillary concerns a man whose spirit is separated from his body and forced to walk the Astral, invisible to almost all. The ka is the ancient Egyptian term for the astral body.
- Used as a means of space travel by Michael Ramer in J. R. R. Tolkien's unfinished story The Notion Club Papers. The story is partly written as a commentary on and criticism of Tolkien's friend C. S. Lewis' The Space Trilogy novels, and Tolkien - who disliked the idea of spaceships - was using this to suggest an alternative for how such an adventure could take place.
- My Trip To Alpha 1 by Alfred Slote uses a technological version called Voya-Code, where a person's mind and personality are transmitted through space to appear in a highly-functional android duplicate of the traveler's body so they can travel across the galaxy, while their original bodies remain in sleep storage until they return. (An android duplicate differs from the original body in that a small scar called the Computer Entry Scar appears on the small of the android's back.) The main protagonist of the story, Jack, uses this to visit his Aunt Katherine on Alpha 1, only to discover that the Aunt Katherine he is visiting is actually a Voya-Code android being used by her house servants, the Arbos, to give away all her property to them. The real Aunt Katherine is still in sleep storage on Alpha 1 and assumes that she is now on Earth and feels like she's been traveling forever when Jack finds her and has her awakened.
- In the Eighth Doctor Adventures, Fitz's mum can do this, prompting her to mention the times she's seen Fitz in his room doing something too embarrassing to mention.
- Entering Shadesmar in The Stormlight Archive seems to involve this trope.
- In The Other Side by Jacqueline Wilson, twelve-year-old Alison's mother is taken into hospital after a psychiatric breakdown, so Alison has to live with her father and his new family. She is incredibly miserable at having to live with the stepfamily, and discovers that she is able to astrally project during times of stress. Played with in that it's called into question whether she really has such powers, or is imagining them, or they're hallucinations caused by mental illness (although the truth is ultimately left open to the reader to decide.)
- In the Paradox Trilogy, one of Maat's psychic powers is the ability to astrally project her consciousness anywhere in the vicinity of herself or one of her daughters. Her projection is invisible to most people, and her ability to influence physical objects depends on the proximity to her body.
- Lammas Night: Several of the characters in the novel can do this (called "going on the Second Road").
- As the title might suggest, astral projection features prominently in The True Story of the Bridgewater Astral League, a concept album by The World/Inferno Friendship Society. The narrative (such as it is) follows the rise and fall of a group of teenagers in suburban New Jersey who use astral travel to commit a series of poetic crimes with impunity, until their leader is attacked by their astral guide for his arrogance. And it all really happened. Maybe.
- This is one of the main themes of the Mastodon concept album Crack the Skye.
- This is how the band maudlin of the Well claimed to write their songs, and most of their lyrics are about it as well.
- Older Than Print: Iron Crutch Li, one of the Chinese Eight Immortals, was once a handsome man with the power of astral projection. He told his apprentice to wait seven days before cremating his body, but when the apprentice had to go visit his dying mother he had to cremate his master's body early, leaving his master with no choice but to enter the body of a recently deceased old cripple.
Other Sites
- SCP-438 ("Addictive Straitjacket of Espionage"). SCP-438 appears to be a normal straitjacket. When it is put on, the person wearing it falls into a coma and undergoes an OBE (Out of Body Experience). Their consciousness can travel great distances instantly and effortlessly, with a full range of sensory perception.
Tabletop Games
- Dungeons & Dragons had spells that allowed Astral Travel, usually with a "silver cord" of infinite length that connected the wandering soul to its body; it made the soul virtually indestructible unless the cord was broken, which only very few beings or objects could do.
- Astral travel exists in Shadowrun, but there's also "decking," when a character with the proper cyber implants sends his consciousness onto the Internet.
- This is pretty common in the Old World of Darkness, just about every gameline has one version of this.
- It's the whole point of Orpheus.
- RuneQuest allows players to become shamans, whose souls travel in the spirit world to commune with greater spirits and capture lesser spirits for their magic or other powers. Usually an ally spirit called a Fetch guards the shaman's body. At least as of Mongoose's RQII (RQ 5?) advanced shamans can carry other characters' spirits along with them, either voluntarily to journey together or forcibly to engage in spirit combat.
- The Mask of Spirit allows the wearer this power in BIONICLE.
Video Games
- In World of Warcraft, when players die, they control their characters' spirits until they're revived.
- In the video game Prey, Tommy's spirit can be projected from his body. Players can use the ability to pass through forcefields, dangerous obstacles, and attack enemies.
- Also, when the player dies, they can shoot down spirits and regain health in the Spirit World to return.
- In BioShock 2, the Scout plasmid allows Delta to astrally project himself, as well as cast plasmids and, with some upgrades, hack machines. The plasmid automatically cancels if his body is harmed, though.
- One of the psychic toys from Sam & Max: The Devil's Plahouse is the "Astral Projector". A reel projector that allows Sam and Max to spiritually enter the bodies of their respective Grandparents. As well as allowing Sam to posses any cloned body.
- Naturally, Doctor Strange uses this at the beginning of his Level 3 super in Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3.
- In the ZX Spectrum games Avalon and Dragontorc, the protagonist is an astral projection.
- In The Night Of The Rabbit the old magician A. Molena uses Astral Projection to help the hero. In this game it is called "active sleep", but it is the same thing.
- In Ghost Trick, those who are struck by the Temsik meteor gain the normal ghostly "powers of the dead" but also retain the ability to return to their original bodies.
- Second Sight has this a power, which can be used to remotely operate switches and with a later upgrade, possess people.
- Used in Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy to look around, check enemy movement and make the player motion sick.
- What kicks off the plot of Mind Your Manors. The protagonist falls asleep in an abandoned mansion and wakes up to find his spirit separated from his body, and must escape to restore himself.
Web Comics
- Magick Chicks: This is just one, among many, of Faith's abilities as an esper. First seen, when she attempts to helps Melissa, while the latter was unconscious, due to the wand's powers being out of control. The second instance takes place in chapter 15, when "fade-out girl" makes an unexpected appearance in Faith's subconsciousness.
- In Gunnerkrigg Court going out-of-body allows to see other Etheric entities and magic in colour, over grey shapes of the material world, and even communicate "invisibly" — unless there's another observer in the same state, of course. Strong reactions translate to the body — Antimony and George during the memory-dump didn't move, but wept. Later when Annie saw Lindsay and Bud kissing and when Red was surprised by Annie's trick this reflected in appropriate grimaces on their bodies. At least Gillitie Wood creatures turned humans can leave their bodies "on autopilot" speed-typing the lesson in the real world while they fly around and are distracted by something more interesting ("We's don't need our minds to learn dis junk!") and create illusions from memory if they concentrate a little.
Web Original
- In the Chakona Space stories Skunktaurs of House Blackpaw have this ability, as do Chakats sired by them and some other individuals of different species.
Western Animation
- The sheep talisman in Jackie Chan Adventures does this.
- In the third season when the talismans are destroyed, the power ends up being given to an actual sheep, who uses it to fly about and enter people's dreams.
- In Avatar The Last Airbender, Aang can astral project into the spirit world (or accidentally into the material one). The Legend of Korra later confirms that non-Avatar people can do this as well.
- Korra does this in The Legend of Korra so she can fight the Dark Avatar. It also revealed earlier in the series that at the time of his death, Iroh did this, and his spirit became a permanent resident of the Spirit World.
- Jinora is found to be very talented at this in the third season. This becomes important when the team reaches Ba Sing Se.
- In The Simpsons in "Lady Bouvier's Lover" Nelson is shown to do this when Bart receives an animation cel of an arm that he bought for $350. This leaves him twitching on the Kwik-E-Mart floor.
Apu: This boy is having an out of body experience. This is very bad for business.
- Doctor Orpheus in The Venture Bros. can do this, usually for the sake of communicating with Jefferson and/or The Alchemist.
- Unfortunately, he cannot double project, which leads to some difficulty when talking to them both at the same time.
- Finn has done this twice so far on Adventure Time. In "Still," he mentally projects himself to the astral plane to summon an "astral beast" to help free him and Jake from their magic-induced paralysis. And in "Astral Plane" Finn astrally travels throughout Ooo and eventually to Mars because of a comet that's on a collision course with Mars, which Glob diverts to Ooo.


text:
Spot on. Best Amiibo manifesto I've yet read.
For all the reasons stated above, and more (i.e. - Amiibo/Skylanders crossover, U.S. retailer exclusives), I finally woke-up from my Amiibo-hunting nightmare said: "NO MORE" to Nintendo's intentionally-manufactured insanity, and took back my life (very little exaggeration here).
I'm currently selling-off my entire/complete collection and it feels just fine.
Spot on. Best Amiibo manifesto I've yet read.


text:
VIEWS: 40 PAGES: 1 CATEGORY: Finance POSTED ON: 5/30/2010 Public Domain
Metcard Compensation claim form Eligible customers Claim process Tick Customers who: 1. Complete details below. used a monthly, six-monthly or yearly 2. Attach the Metcard (if it has expired) or a photocopy of Metcard both sides of the ticket if you are still using it. active for the first day of the 3. Place this form, your expired ticket or photocopy of both compensation month in question on our train system sides of the ticket in a business sized envelope. are eligible for the free daily ticket/s for the 4. Send to: equivalent zone/s. Metro Trains Melbourne Reply Paid 6422 It is essential that you enclose your expired ticket St Kilda Rd Central or a photocopy of both sides of your ticket if you are still using it. Melbourne VIC 8008 No postage stamp is required. Only one claim per customer will be accepted. 5. If your claim is approved, the full fare daily ticket/s for the equivalent zone/s will be posted to the mailing We will accept claims up to 6 weeks post address below. publication of results. Please complete all fields neatly in block capitals, as incomplete or illegible forms cannot be processed. YOUR DETAILS (The person applying) Title Mr Mrs Ms Other First Name Surname Street Address Suburb State Postcode Email @ Work Phone MONTH of CLAIM Home Phone Mobile Phone YOUR INDIVIDUAL TICKET DETAILS (Ticket copy attached) Ticket Number Ticket Expiry Date D M Y Ticket Held Yearly Six Monthly Monthly *Mark one option only with an "X" Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 1 + 2 *Mark one option only with an "X" Normal Train Line Alamein Lilydale Belgrave Upfield Craigieburn Epping Frankston Glen Waverley Hurstbridge Cranbourne Pakenham Sandringham Sydenham Williamstown Werribee As an eligible customer, I hereby apply for compensation for service levels. Signature: _________________________________ Date: _________________ Please note: For full details of our privacy policy please visit http://www.metrotrains.com.au/Tools/Privacy-Copyright.html
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text:
116 Godfrey Road
Commute to Downtown New London
Almost all errands require a car.
Score Details
116 Godfrey Road has a Walk Score of 6 out of 100. This location is a Car-Dependent neighborhood so almost all errands require a car.
Nearby parks include Corey Sub Park, Avon Park and Meredith Hill Park.
Explore how far you can travel by car, bus, bike and foot from 116 Godfrey Road.


text:
As a Premier Service Agent in Katy, Texas, our agency specializes in auto, home and life insurance. Our knowledge and understanding of the people in the Katy, Cypress and Houston communities helps me provide customers with an outstanding level of service. I look forward to helping local families like yours protect the things that are important - your family, auto, home, boat and more.
I'm proud to offer Allstate products, because they stand by their service. As an Allstate customer, when you're in need, you can take advantage of a variety of repair options for a damaged home or auto. From selecting a repair shop, to workmanship guarantees – it just makes sense to work with Allstate.
As your Allstate agent, I can help you understand how the choices you make – such as the car you drive – affect your insurance rate. I'm committed to helping you get the appropriate level of protection and make it easy to do business with Allstate.
Rick Luckett
5444 N Fry Rd, Ste B
Katy, TX, 77449
Send Me An Email


text:
California Gold Nutrition, Ultra Omega-3, 60 Softgels
By California Gold Nutrition1 Review
Expiration Date:?Feb 2016
Expiration Date
The length of time for the expiration date or "best used before" date depends on the type of product, as well as the brand.
Perishable items (such as flax oils or certain probiotics) generally have shorter expiration dates. Although our warehouse is fully air-conditioned, these more fragile items are put in cold storage (freezer or refrigeration unit) for maximum freshness.
Our receiving department does its best to verify and then enter the correct expiration dates for all incoming products. However, discrepancies do occur from time to time. This being said, the exceptionally high turnover at iHerb ensures that our inventory is among the freshest in the industry.
Shipping Weight:?0.35 lbs (0.16 kg)
Shipping Weight
The Shipping Weight includes the product, protective packaging material and the actual shipping box. In addition, the Shipping Weight may be adjusted for the Dimensional Weight (e.g. length, width & height) of a package. It is important to note that certain types of products (e.g. glass containers, liquids, fragile, refrigerated or ice packed) will often require protective packaging material. As such, these products will reflect a higher Shipping Weight compared to the unprotected product.
- Product Code: CGN-00657
- UPC Code: 898220006571
- Package Quantity: 60 Softgels
- Dimensions: 2.5 x 2.5 x 4.4 in, 0.3 lbs (0.14 kg)
- Volume Discount
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Total: $15.90
Combo Discount: -$2.00
Together: $13.90
Product Overview
- Molecularly Distilled
- Enteric Coated
- A Dietary Supplement
Suggested Use
As a dietary supplement, take 1 softgel 1 to 2 times daily with food.
Other Ingredients
Softgel capsule (gelatin, glycerin, water, enteric coating) and vitamin E (as natural d-alpha tocopherol).
Contains fish (sardines anchovies, mackerel). Vitamin E from soy.
Store in a cool, dry place after opening. Please recycle.
Caution: For adults only. Consult physician if pregnant/nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children.
Do not eat freshness packet. Keep in bottle.
|Supplement Facts
|Serving Size: 1 Softgel
|Amount Per Serving
|% Daily Value
|Calories from Fat
|Total Fat
|1 g
|Saturated Fat
|<0.5 g
|Trans Fat
|0 g
|Polyunsaturated Fat
|1 g
|Monounsaturated Fat
|<0.5 g
|0 mg
|Natural Fish Oil Concentrate
|1.0 g (1,000 mg)
|Omega-3 Fatty Acids
|750 mg
|Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA)
|500 mg
|Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)
|250 mg
|* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
† Daily Value not established.


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Q. We like to keep fruit on the table where we eat (it encourages eating the fruit) but we just don't have a lot of room – what's a good way to do this without one of those banana holders? We had one, but it kept falling over. Thank you.
A. I recommend Three-Tier Hanging Fruit Baskets–a classic solution to the age-old problem of storing fruit so that it's handy yet out of the way, while also providing good air circulation. These fruit organizers are economical as well as effective.
You can find more fruit storage options here.