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Introduction to Game Design, Prototyping, and Development: From Concept to Playable Game with Unity and C# Paperback – Jul 11 2014
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Praise for Introduction to Game Design, Prototyping, and Development
"Introduction to Game Design, Prototyping, and Development combines a solid grounding in evolving game design theory with a wealth of detailed examples of prototypes for digital games. Together these provide an excellent introduction to game design and development that culminates in making working games with Unity. This book will be useful for both introductory courses and as a reference for expert designers. I will be using this book in my game design classes, and it will be among those few to which I often refer."
–Michael Sellers
Professor of Practice in Game Design, Indiana University, former Creative Director at Rumble Entertainment, and General Manager at Kabam
"Prototyping and play-testing are often the most misunderstood and/or underutilized steps in the game design and development process. Iterative cycles of testing and refining are key to the early stages of making a good game. Novices will often believe that they need to know everything about a language or build every asset of the game before they can really get started. Gibson's new book prepares readers to go ahead and dive in to the actual design and prototyping process right away; providing the basics of process and technology with excellent "starter kits" for different types of games to jumpstart their entry into the practice."
–Stephen Jacobs
Associate Director, RIT Center for Media, Art, Games, Interaction, and Creativity (MAGIC) and Professor, School of Interactive Games and Media
"Jeremy Gibson's Introduction to Game Design, Prototyping, and Development deftly combines the necessary philosophical and practical concepts for anyone looking to become a Game Designer. This book will take you on a journey from high-level design theories, through game development concepts and programming foundations in order to make your own playable video games. Jeremy uses his years of experience as a professor to teach the reader how to think with vital game design mindsets so that you can create a game with all the right tools at hand. A must-read for someone who wants to dive right into making their first game and a great refresher for industry veterans."
–Michelle Pun
Senior Game Designer, Zynga
About the Author
Jeremy Gibson is a lecturer teaching computer game design for the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor and is the founder of ExNinja Interactive, LLC. From 2009 to 2013, he was an Assistant Professor teaching game design and protyping for the Interactive Media and Games Division of the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, which was the number one game design school in North America throughout his tenure there. Jeremy serves the IndieCade independent game festival as the Chair for Education and Advancement, where he is responsible for the IndieXchange and GameU conference tracks, and he has spoken at the Game Developers Conference every year since 2009.
Jeremy earned a Master of Entertainment Technology degree from Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center in 2007 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Radio, Television, and Film from the University of Texas at Austin in 1999. Jeremy has worked as a programmer and prototyper for companies such as Human Code and frog design, has taught classes for Great Northern Way Campus (in Vancouver, BC), Texas State University, the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Austin Community College, and the University of Texas at Austin, and has worked for Walt Disney Imagineering, Maxis, and Electronic Arts/Pogo.com, among others. While in graduate school, his team created the game Skyrates, which won the Silver Gleemax Award at the 2008 Independent Games Festival. Jeremy also apparently has the distinction of being the first person to ever teach game design in Costa Rica.
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I found Part One of the book, Game Design and Paper Prototyping, to be the most difficult of the three sections. It reads like a college text book with lots of theory and philosophical discussions. Part One begins with a lengthy discussion of what a "game" actually is, discussing the conflicting definitions presented by several people. Next comes a discussion on Game Analysis Frameworks. Mr. Gibson discusses three Frameworks developed by other individuals, and then presents his own Framework. He compares and contrasts his new framework to its predecessors, and explains how they are different and alike. Heavy stuff. Honestly I only made it through Chapter 4 before I put Part One on hold, and moved on to Part Two. I will get back to Part One day, I promise.
Part Two begins with more definitions, a summary about the advantages of using Unity and C#, and a brief introduction to the C# programming language, but you quickly move on to the Unity installation and running Unity's demo game: Angry Bots. Next comes a very, very brief (1/2 page) explanation of Unity's various windows. Your first Unity program is the standard "Hello World!", but then you get to "Unity-fy" it by adding some falling cubes. Snazzy! The rest of the Part Two - Chapters 19-27 - include hard-core lessons/lectures in various computer programming topics: variables, Vector3s, Quaternion, boolean operations, conditionals, loops, lists, arrays, functions, object-oriented classes. My favorite chapter was the one on Debugging. You need to learn to love debugging if you are going to be a programmer.
Part Three (page 419) starts the fun stuff: building games using Unity. The first game is Apple Picker, and I found it liberating when Mr. Gibson talks about using "programmer art" which is just a placeholder for the "real" art that will be incorporated later. He stresses that you don't need fantastic art to get your game up and running. I know it is common sense, but it was nice to hear those words from an expert. My new mantra is, "Don't worry about the art, just start coding." As for the actual code instructions, they are clear and concise, but they are not what I would call the step-by-step hand-holding variety. How to do something is fully explained once, and after that it is assumed that you will remember the steps. If you don't remember you are directed to the index so you can look up the instructions. If you are new to programming AND Unity this method of instruction might get a little frustrating. The examples/prototypes in this book also have a level of code complexity which is much greater than in other absolute beginner Unity books. You will learn a lot more fancy coding tricks, and not so obvious ways to accomplish a task. Again, this may be intimidating if you have never coded before.
So in summary if you have never opened a programming book before, it might be better to start with a book like Unity by Example or Unity in 24 Hours and save this one till you are a little more comfortable with navigating Unity. If you have used Unity before or if you have programmed in the past, this book is a great place to start.
Part 2 introduces C#. If you've programmed before, you can skim most of it. Chapter 18 ("Hello World") is a must-read, though, as it introduces Unity and demonstrates how to create a project and add elements to it. (Not having used Unity before, I was shocked that I could create a particle storm with only two-lines of code.)
Part 3 walks the reader through creating eight games of increasing complexity.
I recommend this book to you if you'd like to learn how to create well designed games using Unity and C#.
When i was looking for a book that covered Unity programming (C# that is) i found a few books that seemed like they could very well get the job done. This book is brand new and full of good research. It does not teach you how to program until about page 250. The amount of text on each page is enormous, full of information. Im on chapter 4 already and i feel like before i get to the programming side of this book i will have a better understanding of what i will even be needing to program. There is 8 games that you program near the last part of the book after a thorough intro to C# script in unity. The logic that he programs into the games is broad and clever enough to get you on your feet, and there are many tools and tricks that follow.
In conclusion: This book goes deep into game design and getting your ideas into code.
I have a large library of books covering animation, programming, art, game design.... and this book seems like one i will be happy to finish.
Cheers! 5 out of 5 for how much research is in this book alone Plus how clear he talks in his text.
The first part is devoted to Game Design theory. It's quite clear, full of examples and gives you the tools to approach a very complex topic like Game Design is. It also contains some exercises to try your own design, following the topics explained and forcing you to experiment on your own. While there's no programming in this phase, it's really important for starting your journey on making your first video game.
The second part is devoted to programming. It teaches you the basic concepts and uses one of the best languages for doing so: C#. This is also the preferred scripting language used by Unity 3D so everything you learn here will come extremely useful going forward with the development of your first game. It's well structured, it lets you experiment coding and programming practices using Unity 3D and creating very small applications that deal with the topics explained. It's perfect for anyone who never programmed, but if you already know your way around with C# or with programming in general, you can skip most of this part (though Chapter 18 should be read anyway as it is the foundation of the Unity 3D editor usage).
The final part was my favorite. While I enjoyed the first part as well (and gained much knowledge on important design patterns), part three is when everything comes together as you create 8 game prototypes of completely different scopes. You will find this extremely useful. You will learn how to make games in Unity 3D, how to create gameplay, how to operate the editor and most of all you will try so many different genres that you will be comfortable starting your own game shortly after.
All in all, this is a GREAT book for beginners and for anyone who wants to try designing and developing his first game using the excellent Unity 3D engine with C#.
This book begins with a good portion of game history&theory. Maybe somebody finds it non-relevant, but I definitely like it very much. What I like is how author for each statement gives real game examples, which wanted me to play those games one more time and see games from another perspective - potential game developer.
Then it starts to dismantle game into various layers. It helps to set your (developer's) mind and think how to create the game not interesting only for you as a dev but also and in first place to be attractive for players and if you will do a good job you can build an environment attractive even for a community around your game(ie. quake mods ;).
There is also interesting section related to procedures of game ideas brainstorming. Also very interesting in game development is a possibility to do fast prototypes and test a game as soon as possible. Paper version may help in first stages of this process. There is a good load of information about that. A bit of math and game balance...
Part 2 starts topic of digital prototyping - entry point into Unity. There you would need C#. This is a good way how to learn programming by doing something you like. Of course there is a lot of C# theory which cant be bypassed like variables, loops, classes, OOP ;). You have to program somehow that game, right?:)
I hope I don't sound suspiciously too positive about that book, but I cant help myself I've been surprised what topic are here. Even introduction into such topics as agile development, time management etc.
The last part is dedicated to 8 prototypes of different styles of the games instead of one or two detailed tutorials. The author himself states he chose this approach to cover as much game area as possible. You will experience a development of such games like Solitaire, first person shooter like game, shoot-em up etc.
I must admit I haven't read any other book related to game development, so cant really compare to other books, but the complexity of that book and the way how it was presented was very satisfactory and if you are really looking for entry point into game dev, you won't be dissapointed.
ps: oh, how could I forget about excellent Appendix. The part you will be looking into most frequently - the base of essential information you will find handy in everyday process of game development.
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Swinburne University researchers have invented a new, flexible energy-storage technology that could soon replace the batteries in our cars, phones and more.
Han Lin's new super battery (actually, a supercapacitor) can store as much energy per kilogram as a lithium battery, but charges in minutes, or even seconds, and uses carbon instead of expensive lithium.
The majority of batteries used in Australia are lead-acid batteries. These have three main disadvantages: they can take hours to charge, they have a limited lifespan for charging and discharging, and they're bad for the environment, therefore requiring special, expensive disposal processes.
Han's supercapacitor charges extremely fast, can be charged and discharged millions of time, and is environmentally friendly.
Previously, a major problem with supercapacitors has been their low capacity to store energy. But Han has overcome this problem by using sheets of a form of carbon known as graphene, which has a very large surface area available to store energy.
Large scale production of the graphene that would be needed to produce these supercapacitors was once unachievable, but using a 3D printer, Han is able to produce graphene at a low cost.
And because the technology is extremely flexible and thin (as thin as ordinary printing paper) the new super batteries could be potentially be built into clothing, or worn as a watch strap, to achieve a wearable power supply.
Han presented his research at Fresh Science Victoria 2016. Fresh Science is a national program that helps early-career researchers find and share their stories of discovery. Over 120 early-career researchers nominated for Fresh Science 2016, the Victoria round of which was held at ScienceWorks Museum (media training), Melbourne Museum (school forum) and the Kelvin Club (public challenge event) and was supported by Museum Victoria, the CSIRO, Deakin University, Monash University, the University of Melbourne, RMIT University and Swinburne University of Technology.
Contact: Han Lin, 0433 088 865, email@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


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By Ryan Clark | April 20, 2007
As far as TNA's creative team goes, it consists of Vince Russo, Jeff Jarrett and Dutch Mantell. Russo, at this time, is only writing 5-10 percent of TV and PPV shows. Jarrett and Mantell write a majority of it and Russo is left to fill in the blanks.
Russo is also doing a majority of scripting when it comes to promos for the undercard guys such as Chris Sabin and Jay Lethal.
Russo also wrote the Breakfast with the Devil segment between Sting and James Mitchell. Russo wrote the entire segment, word for word. Management was upset with Sting for his deliverance on the few lines he had.
For more great exclusive TNA coverage like what you just read above including major rumored WWE names heading to TNA in 2007, visit WrestlingINC.com
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WWE Star Frustrated?, Rusev Wants Better Competition (Video), Lilian Garcia - WWE Battleground Note
Possible Spoilers For Tonight's WWE Battleground PPV


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Relevant offers
Southland's top volleyballers served up the first round of the Premier League on Monday night, leaving Volleyball Southland management impressed with the quality of play.
The new Lone Star-sponsored six-week competition began on Monday with 10 teams - six in the men's league and four in the women's competition - and, after just one round, Volleyball Southland regional development manager Donna Milne was thrilled with what she's seen.
"The idea behind starting this new competition is to give the region's top players a chance to play more competitively on a regular basis and at a higher level than was available in our social competitions," she said.
"Whilst our social competitions are a huge part of our sport, it's important that we cater to that more elite player base as well, and the Premier League certainly fills that gap.
"From grassroots to elite, our sport needs to be accessible to all levels and we're working hard to achieve that."
The Premier League will be played over six weeks - with one three-week block this month and another starting in late October.
The competition includes several high school teams, who have boosted their stocks with adult players. Milne believes the chance to play at a higher level more regularly will benefit those teams as they look towards interprovincial championships in October.
With players' experience varying from high school level through to a former New Zealand representative, it is a competition Milne expects will be competitive and exciting.
"The first round alone showed just how much talent is out there, which is hugely encouraging. I'm really excited to see how the competition, and the players, progress throughout the six weeks of play," she said.
"Our high school teams, along with all of the other players involved in the competition, should really benefit from playing at a consistently higher level."
The women's competition winner will be decided after two rounds of round-robin play, while the men will have one round-robin round, before playing straight finals in the final round of competition.
- The Southland Times
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Rise of the Tomb Raider is finally coming to the PS4 this October with the subtitled 20 Year Celebration Edition, which includes a bevy of new content.
The Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration Edition (out October 11) includes the Rise of the Tomb Raider game, all the released DLC, a new story chapter named Blood Ties (including VR support), online Endurance co-op gameplay, Extreme Survivor difficulty mode, and new weapons, outfits, and expedition cards.
Xbox One and PC owners can also get this new content, and if they own the season pass, they'll get it for free.
Blood Ties lets players explore Croft Manor to claim ownership from a contested claim by Lara's uncle, with a zombie invasion called Lara's Nightmare at the end. The Endurance co-op gameplay, meanwhile, lets two people raid tombs as well as craft and survive as long as they can with their resources out in the jungle. Endurance co-op features leaderboards to gauge your skills against others.
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Our Take
Making this free to existing owners is a nice move, letting everyone celebrate Lara's accomplishments.


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|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Feb 16, 1988
|Filing date
|May 8, 1985
|Priority date
|May 17, 1984
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Hrabanus Hack, Rainer Haspel
|Original Assignee
|Schott Glaswerke
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (3), Referenced by (15), Classifications (10), Legal Events (5)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
The invention relates to a method of detecting defects located at the surface and/or internally, in transparent materials, in particular included foreign bodies or bubbles in glass, according to which the material which is to be tested is scanned by means of an electromagnetic radiation and the intensity of reflection by the defects is picked up and converted into an electrical signal and analyzed.
It is known that, for example, glass components or sheets of flat glass can be tested automatically at their surface for internal defects with the aid of a scanning light beam, preferably a laser beam. The light beam is passed over the test object and partially reflected at the surface thereof and partially allowed to pass therethrough. Any defects in the interior or at the surface of the test object disturb the reflected or transmitted beam. These disturbances are picked up by electro-optical methods and analyzed as fault signals. With this method it is easy to determine the position of a defect in relation to the length and breadth of the test object but not the depth at which the defect is located inside the object.
In various applications, including in particular the testing of objects of major thickness, it is necessary not only to obtain information about the presence of a defect but also to know how deep this is situated inside the material, that is to say, at what distance from the surface of the object. The case may also arise where the search for defects is to cover only a certain depth, or where defects at relatively different depths are to be differently evaluated.
The objective of the present invention therefore resides in a method and a test rig enabling the determination of the distance of the defects from the surface of the tested material.
This objective is achieved by means of a method and a test rig according to the claims.
The method according to the invention makes use of the fact that the depth of penetration of electromagnetic radiation into the tested material depends on the wavelength.
The penetration depth E is defined as the reciprocal value of the absorption coefficient K:
E=1/K (cm) (1) ##EQU1## d=material thickness (cm) Ti=pure transmission
T is the transmission, P the reflection factor.
1=P specifies how much intensity is reflected at the surfaces.
The penetration depth is not sharply defined. Where a homogenous material can be assumed to be involved, the intensity at single penetration depth has dropped to 37% of the initial intensity, at double penetration depth to 13.5% and at triple depth to 5% of the applied intensity.
This penetration depth is hereinafter called the test depth.
Adjustment or variation of test depth in accordance with the present invention is made as follows:
Objects which appear transparent to the human eye are permeable in respect of electromagnetic rays with wavelengths between 380 and 780 nm. This is the visible light region. Such objects also always have regions in the spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation in which they are not, or are to a weaker degree, permeable relative to electromagnetic radiation, that is to say the transmission of the radiation concerned is more or less strongly reduced in these regions.
Between the regions of good and poor transmission there is a transitional region in which transmission decreases steadily. The variation of transmission as a function of wavelength in this transitional region can be precisely covered by measuring technology. It is therefore always possible to find a wavelength for the scanner light of the testing device according to the invention which would then generally come from the invisible ultraviolet or infrared region of the spectrum which is associated with a very specific desired transmission. On the other hand, a specific penetration depth of the light in the said object also corresponds to a specific transmission. In this fashion it is possible, through the wavelength of the scanner light, to select the penetration depth which determines the depth of testing. According to the invention this allows fault-testing not only of objects which are transmissive in respect of visible light whilst being non-transmissive in other regions but also of objects which are non-transmissive in the visible region but have good transmission in another region.
In a fault-detection by means of the testing device according to the invention, the light of the scanner beam must first penetrate into the test material and then return along the same path after having been scattered or reflected at the fault. Depending on the sensitivity of the opto-electronic array and on the magnitude of the defect, it will therefore be possible to find faults located up to one to two times the penetration depth inside the material. That will then be the above-described test depth. Defects located deeper than this will no longer provide an optical signal and will not be registered.
The test depth can be still more sharply defined if weak signals caused by defects in deeper layers of the tested material are cut off by means of an electronic threshold and thus disregarded in the analysis.
Defects which are located at a greater distance from the surface than the test depth generate no optical signal and will not show up. By passing the object several times through the test rig according to the invention or through a series of successively arranged test rigs according to the invention and varying test depth in appropriate manner between the individual test passes, it is possible to associate detected faults with specific depth layers in the object.
A special application of the present invention resides in operating the test rig with scanner light of a selected wavelength which cannot at all penetrate into the transparent test object. In this fashion defects at the surface of the object are shown up by means of the reflected light completely uninfluenced by defects which are located inside the object.
Examples of embodiments of the invention are hereinafter more particularly described with reference to the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagram of radiation transmission degree of television screen glass 8209, thickness 11 mm, in relation with wavelength.
FIG. 2 is a diagram of the degree of radiation transmission of television screen glass 8209, thickness 0.17 mm, in relation with wavelength;
FIG. 3 is a diagram of the penetration depth of radiation in television screen 8209 in relation with wavelength;
FIG. 4 shows the signal of the optical sensor during the scanning of a bubble located 0.1 mm below the surface of a television screen, operating with light at wavelength 314 nm;
FIG. 5 shows the signal of the optical sensor scanning a bubble located at 3 mm below the surface of a television screen, operating with light at wavelength 314 nm;
FIG. 6 illustrates a test rig according to the invention.
In television screens, bubbles located on the surface of the inside contour of the screen and closely therebeneath constitute a special defect characteristic which ought to be picked up separately from all other faults. The television screen glass type 8209 has good transparency between 370 and 3700 nm. In a thickness of 11 mm, it is non-transmissive 350 nm (FIG. 1). FIG. 2 shows that for a thickness of 0.17 mm on the other hand it still has a measurable transmission down to 270 nm.
In this transitional region between 270 and 370 nm, which is known as the UV-edge, transmission, and with it the penetration depth, varies very strongly with wavelength (FIG. 3). Here any desired penetration depth may be found by selection of a specific wavelength and application of equations (1) and (2). In our example, we selected a wavelength of 314 nm which for a layer thickness of 0.17 mm has a transmission of 31% and a pure transmission of 33.7%. This corresponds to a penetration depth of 0.156 mm. With a monochromatic radiation of the said wavelength, we solved the problem of picking up bubbles only at and closely beneath the surface of a television screen. To this end, the emission line was filtered out at 314 nm from the spectrum of an Hg-high pressure lamp, the television screen was scanned with this light and the light which was reflected by the screen was analyzed. FIGS. 4 and 5 show two examples of the potential curve of the optical sensor during the scanning of two bubbles in the screen. In FIG. 4, a marked potential peak (signal) is clearly observable which was caused by a bubble located 0.1 mm below the surface of the screen. In FIG. 5, a bubble located 3 mm below the surface was scanned by the sensor. No signal was recorded in this case, which corresponds to the present invention. By comparison, the screen was scanned in conventional manner with visible light. Here the more deeply located bubbles generated a signal in the same way as those which were located closely beneath the surface.
FIG. 6 shows a test rig according to the invention for detecting defects. The test rig 1 comprises a light source 2 which is a Laser emitting light at a wavelength which has the desired penetration depth in the transparent test material. Conveniently, a laser is used for this purpose which allows the wavelength of emitted light to be freely selected within certain limits (a so-called tunable laser). The laser 2 directs its light at a rapidly rotating mirror wheel 3 whereby the laser beam 4 is passed at high speed over the transparent test object 5. The object is conducted on a conveyor belt 6 beneath the test rig/array. An optical sensor 7 spaced above the test object picks up the light which is encountered by the defects and reflected in the object. The signals of the optical sensor are registered in an analyzer unit 8.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Mar 7, 1980
|Oct 27, 1981
|Intec Corporation
|Absolute DC system for a laser inspection system
|Nov 8, 1982
|Nov 26, 1985
|John Langerholc
|Detection and imaging of objects in scattering media by light irradiation
|Title not available
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Aug 1, 1990
|Jan 7, 1992
|Erwin Sick Gmbh Optik-Elektronik
|Optical scanning appartaus for seeking faults on moving material webs
|May 17, 1991
|Mar 23, 1993
|Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd.
|Method and apparatus for measuring internal defects for position and depth
|Jan 4, 1999
|Aug 29, 2000
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Surface coating method to highlight transparent mask defects
|Aug 24, 1998
|Sep 5, 2000
|Northstar Automotive Glass, Inc.
|Vehicle windshield scanning system
|Dec 3, 1992
|Jul 3, 2001
|Brown & Sharpe Surface Inspection Systems, Inc.
|High speed optical inspection apparatus for a large transparent flat panel using gaussian distribution analysis and method therefor
|Jun 11, 1999
|Sep 4, 2001
|University Of Chicago
|Optical method and apparatus for detection of defects and microstructural changes in ceramics and ceramic coatings
|Jan 15, 2004
|Aug 14, 2007
|Robert Massen
|Method for the optical inspection of a transparent protective layer and of a colored patterned surface
|Mar 29, 2004
|Nov 6, 2007
|Schott Ag
|Method and apparatus for detecting faults in transparent material
|Sep 24, 2004
|Mar 10, 2009
|Sick Ivp Ab
|System and method of imaging the characteristics of an object
|Mar 29, 2004
|Oct 21, 2004
|Klaus Gerstner
|Method and apparatus for detecting faults in transparent material
|Jan 15, 2004
|Jun 1, 2006
|Robert Massen
|Method for the optical inspection of a transparent protective layer and of a colored patterned surface
|Sep 24, 2004
|May 3, 2007
|Sick Ivp Ab
|System and method of imaging the characteristics of an object
|Nov 29, 2007
|May 29, 2008
|B&G International, Inc.
|Removable electronic tag housing assembly
|Jan 15, 2004
|Aug 5, 2004
|Robert Massen
|Method for optically controlling a transparent protective layer arranged on a coloured patterned surface
|Sep 24, 2004
|Apr 7, 2005
|Sick Ivp Ab
|System and method of imaging the characteristics of an object
|U.S. Classification
|356/237.1, 250/559.49, 356/239.7, 356/239.1
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|May 8, 1985
Owner name: SCHOTT GLASWERKE, A COMPANY OF GERMANY
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNORS:HACK, HRABANUS;HASPEL, RAINER;REEL/FRAME:004403/0615
Effective date: 19850502
|Jul 22, 1991
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Sep 26, 1995
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Feb 18, 1996
|Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
|Apr 30, 1996
|Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee
Effective date: 19960221


text:
Separate names with a comma.
Have been doing the same for 22 years, and very little, if any rust, and usually full of Pellets.
After the summer, and the full cleaning for the...
When pellets are like Greenway Pellets, you will need to keep the instruction on how
to clean your stove with you. The ash is so low that even...
There are so may new Pellets on the market, we will have to work together to weed out the ones that does
poorly in our stove.
For my breckwell 24I...
Hello Jonkman:
I apologize, for being so quick, to defend the Sets, without seeing that you live in the West Michigan area, where there are
Curt: Thank you for the time, that you have spent with Somerset Pellets. You did get their attention,with the quantity that your group
You may want to check the air on the quad. They burn Sets all the time, all over this place with no clinkers.
Good Luck with the Quad
Hello Curt: Have you hear from Sandy, from Somerset Pellets?
I guess you have had enough of the greenways, to buy all you can haul, HI HI, Same Here
Good Luck
Tony is that with them Smith pellets?
Shop Vac
Do you used a fine filter yellow bag with the Clean Stream Hepa filter?
Thanks for the Help
Hello Mr. Cook:
The first post of this Thread, By Curttheqreat, states that he and his son and three other couples have the same problems, with...
The reply from curtthegreat should be close. Sandy at somerset pellets are having them checked and will PM
Curt when the test are finished. I have...
I see you have some greenways in SE pa. Were you able to get tons this year, and if so how much?
I have tried here is Salisbury, Md, but no luck....
Answering my own question.
I have burnt 25 bags of the bridgewell pellets, and have found the temps to be the same on adv as
the sets on adv,...
The pellets that are on the floor, will have a mold smell, and will have to lay out, up right for a week or two.
Good Luck
I have the same vac with no problem. The dry wall yellow bags, and the filters get expensive,
with some of this stuff.
Good luck
I have a breckwell, and I had the same problem. I had to remove all the pellets from hopper
and clean a bridge of damp pellet fines from front of...
Have you burned more bags, so you can tell us about the amount of ASH.these pellets have?
More replys to this post, that is free for the members, than asking the full membership
IF THEY HAVE SEEN GREENWAY Pellets.
Go figure
Thanks for the up-date Curt. I thought there would have been more views, an comments on this site, for a top 5 pellet like this, in question.
Thanks for the reply Dan. You did read the post.
Good season
I bought a General Heat Seeker Non-Contact Infrared Thermometer at Lowes, 4 years ago,
for 19.95 on sale.
Last week, a member answered a question...
Thanks you very much for the heads up with the sets.
Sandy will take care of the problem, and a flooring company should be using the waste from...
Hello Curt:
I clean the hopper of the bridgewell Pellets last night and ran sets for a test this AM.
I have had the General Heat Seeker non...
You may find a dealer, close by calling cathy at the office. I opened a bag of my new for this year and found the smell
the same as last years....
You are either in the flooring business, using saw dust from that business, are you take an unfair advantage of
the public on a one time deal,...
Thanks for all the work in putting this together. We will used this information, for a long time, in search of pellets
across the country.
Last year I got the somersets at lowes in salisbury. This year I got the sets At the Lowes in dover Del.
Two years ago the Mgr. at lowes ordered...
Those Greenway Pellets look good for me. Where did you get the greenways?
Eastern Shore Maryland, Delaware, Or Virginia?
The Lowes Store, in...


text:
Bangkok needs to discover its Seoul – Bangkok Post, September 12, 2013
…I was told by a Seoul Tourism Organisation representative that the canal used to be very polluted and full of human waste and trash after migration at the end of the Korean War (1950-1953). The area around the stream became a slum and water could no longer be used for consumption as it could harm people's health.
The solution was to cover the stream with a concrete floor in 1958. About 20 years later, an elevated highway was built on top as the city geared toward modernisation…
In 2003, the expressway was removed and the concrete floor was demolished. It took about two years and a budget of $386 million (about 12 billion baht) to turn the stream, which is 4.6m below street level, into the fresh and clear Cheonggyecheon of today…
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The Dustin Pittsley Band
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Saturday, December 8th, 2012 at 8:00pm
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Several local bands with the DPB playing from 3:30 to 4:15
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Dabbs Greer Celebrity Watchlist
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Roustabout - Official Trailer03:54 — Charlie Rogers is a leather-jacketed biker who's fired from a singing engagement after getting into a fight with a group of college toughs.
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Gunsmoke — Celia(Season 15, Episode 22) TVLAND
Newly tries to prove that a girl is a con woman out to fleece a blacksmith. Celia: Melissa Murphy. Ben Sommars: Cliff Osmond. Martin Blake: Frank Marth. Newly: Buck Taylor. Festus: Ken Curtis. Doc: Milburn Stone. Kitty: Amanda Blake. Cashier: George Petrie (more…)
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A band of outlaws takes over Dodge City and awaits the arrival of Matt, who is escorting a large shipment of gold. Morgan: Steve Forrest. Kitty: Amanda Blake. Clint: Hank Brandt. Jenny: Charlotte Stewart.
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Hi everyone,
i'm still working on my personal logo but I need your help ! Which one of the 2 logos do you prefer ? Left or right ? And tell me what you think of it please !
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Does the job- sort of.,
This review is from: Dylon 200g Machine Fabric Dye - Pebble Beige (Kitchen & Home)
Dyed a pair of linen curtains with two packs of this stuff. Original colour was cream which should have been a decent base for the pebble colour to take effect. The dye worked but has created a bit of a tie dye effect, not exactly what I was looking for but it was more economical than buying new curtains and I have got used to the hippy look!
Review Details
Location: Glasgow
Top Reviewer Ranking: 566,060


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Originally appeared in Poetry magazine.
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Thursday, July 14, marked the 120th day since Chief Judge Merrick Garland was nominated to the Supreme Court. July 14 was also the Senate Judiciary Committee's final markup before the August recess. In order to highlight Republican senators' irresponsible obstruction on judicial vacancies, People For the American Way staff members attended and stood in solidarity with activists from Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and Americans United for Change at the markup.
We wore buttons that read "#DoYourJob" and some advocates silently held signs when the meeting concluded. Our presence put additional pressure on Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley and his Republican colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee to give Garland fair consideration and to fill the growing number of other judicial vacancies.
On the agenda for the markup meeting were four judicial nominees: Jennifer Puhl, Don Coggins, David Nye, and Kathleen Sweet. Puhl, Coggins, and Nye were unanimously approved by the committee on a voice vote, but they join a long list of nearly 20 other nominees who are still waiting for consideration from the full Senate. They are unlikely to receive a vote before the fall.
During the committee proceedings, ranking member Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) gave voice to our frustrations, and the frustrations of so many Americans, by directly addressing the rising number of judicial vacancies across the United States and the failure of Republican senators to fulfill their job requirements by adequately processing judicial nominees:
"The sharply rising number of judicial vacancies across the country is the direct consequence of Republican leadership neglecting the Senate's duty to ensure the federal judiciary can function. When Senate Republicans took over the majority last year, there were 43 judicial vacancies, 12 of which were emergency vacancies. Because of the Republicans' refusal to do their jobs, vacancies have nearly doubled to 83, and emergency vacancies have nearly tripled to 30."
Astoundingly, at the last markup session before the congressional recess, and 120 days since Merrick Garland's nomination, Sen. Chuck Grassley did not even speak about the most pressing judicial vacancy: the open ninth seat on the Supreme Court. Sen. Leahy, however, did, saying:
"Republicans are failing our justice system and the American people by continuing their unprecedented blockade of Chief Justice Merrick Garland's nomination for the Supreme Court."
We agree with Sen. Leahy and so many Americans. The American people deserve a fully-functioning judicial system, including a Supreme Court with nine justices. Republican Senators' refusal to adequately process judicial nominees is disgraceful. Tell Sen. Grassley to stop playing politics with our justice system, and tell GOP senators to do their jobs.
This piece originally appeared on the Huffington Post.
The Constitution sets up an independent judiciary as the third branch of government, intended to protect people's rights and to serve as a check on the power of the other two branches. Our nation's charter tasks the president and the Senate with the job of selecting and vetting the people who would serve on those courts. President Obama has been doing his duty by nominating qualified women and men to serve as judges at all levels of the judiciary, including the Supreme Court.
But the GOP-controlled Senate is not living up to its constitutional responsibilities. While this has always been harmful to America, it is even more so with Donald Trump the presumed presidential nominee of his party.
Mitch McConnell and his party have slow-walked or outright blocked so many nominees that the number of circuit and district court vacancies has risen from 40 when they took over the Senate to 80 today. (There are also several vacancies for the Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.) In that same time, the number of vacancies formally designated as judicial emergencies has skyrocketed from 12 to 29. The Senate has not been allowed to vote on nominees who were thoroughly vetted and approved months ago by the Judiciary Committee with strong bipartisan support.
Yesterday, Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin went to the floor to draw attention to the problem. She noted that while the Senate GOP's blockade of Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland has been in the headlines, that has not been the case with the obstruction of lower court nominees.
She focused particularly on Seventh Circuit nominee Donald Schott, who not only has Democrat Baldwin's support, but also that of his other home-state senator, Republican Ron Johnson. Schott would fill the nation's longest circuit court vacancy, which has been open for well over six years. Since the Supreme Court takes so few cases, the Seventh Circuit is usually the last word on the meaning of the Constitution and federal laws for millions of people in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana, and every day that goes by with that vacancy open hurts everyone in those states. Schott earned strong bipartisan support from the Judiciary Committee, which advanced his nomination to the full Senate four weeks ago. Baldwin noted that Schott also has the support of a bipartisan group of former Wisconsin Bar presidents. Saying that "the people of Wisconsin and our neighbors in Illinois and Indiana deserve a fully functioning appeals court," Baldwin urged McConnell to finally allow votes on Schott and on all of the judicial nominees who have cleared the Judiciary Committee. Many of them have been waiting for more than half a year for a floor vote, with several having been approved by the Judiciary Committee last year.
But Republicans are fighting to keep vacancies open for as long as possible so that they will be filled by a President Donald Trump.
Donald Trump, who wants to make it easier for the government to punish media sources whose reporting he disagrees with.
Donald Trump, who has said that Latinos cannot serve effectively as unbiased judges.
Donald Trump, who would ban certain people from entering the country based on their religion.
Donald Trump, who has demeaned and humiliated women at every opportunity.
Donald Trump, who has used hate groups' blatantly anti-Semitic imagery in his campaign.
Donald Trump, who has said he is considering firing all Muslim TSA agents.
With serious discussion among scholars, political figures, and Americans across the political spectrum on whether Trump's extreme views amount to fascism, we need a strong, effective, and independent federal judiciary more than ever. Yet Senate Republicans are pulling out the stops to allow Donald Trump to move quickly to dramatically transform our judiciary from the Supreme Court on down.
The Senate GOP is abdicating their constitutional and moral responsibility to the American people and to our democracy.
As the Supreme Court session wrapped up for the term, PFAW hosted a member telebriefing on Thursday to analyze the impact of the term's decisions and to look towards the future of the Court overall. The latest term was atypical in a number of ways, from the death of Justice Antonin Scalia to Republican senators' unprecedented and unconstitutional refusal to consider Judge Merrick Garland's nomination, leaving the Court with only eight justices to decide cases.
On the call were PFAW's Executive Vice President Marge Baker, Communications Director Drew Courtney, Senior Legislative Counsel Paul Gordon, and Senior Fellow Elliot Mincberg, who discussed the Republicans' blockade of the Garland nomination, the impact of the court being forced to operate with only eight justices for a significant portion of the term, and the future of the Supreme Court in coming years, with three of the current justices soon to be over the age of 80. They also fielded questions from members around the country, unpacking the outcomes of cases such as Fisher v. University of Texas, Whole Women's Health v. Hellerstedt, U.S. v. Texas and others.
Mincberg said that "this term turned out very differently" than many expected because of two primary reasons: Justice Scalia's passing, and Justice Kennedy joining the moderate justices in decisions on cases such as Fisher. Baker stressed that "we need a full Court" in order for the Supreme Court to work effectively and encouraged members to speak out about the issue. She also emphasized that "it does make a difference to vote," and that Americans need to have their voices heard by their representatives about the Court.
You can listen to the full telebriefing here:
This piece originally appeared in the Huffington Post.
Before it adjourned for the summer in late June, the Supreme Court issued a series of important decisions, or non-decisions, on affirmative action, immigration, abortion, and other subjects. As with the Court's actions since last October, and particularly since the death of Justice Scalia in February, the most significant message sent by these developments is this: the elections this November will be absolutely critical to the future of the Court and to all our rights and liberties.
Start with immigration. The Court split 4-4 on the challenge brought by Texas and other states to the president's executive actions that would have kept families together by shielding undocumented parents of U.S. citizens from deportation and, in total, helped more than 4 million people across the country. The result of the tie vote is that the lower court decision stands without any opinion by the Court, so that a nationwide injunction by a single Texas federal judge against the president's orders remains in effect. Although the Court doesn't reveal who voted how in 4-4 splits, it's almost certain that the four votes against the orders came from Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Alito and Thomas, joined by Justice Kennedy.
The Court was also split 4-4 in another important case in June, concerning whether Indian tribal courts can rule in civil cases (this one involving an assault) against non-tribe members who do business on Indian land. Altogether, the Court issued 4-4 non-decisions in five cases this term, the most in more than 30 years – a direct result of Republican Senators' unprecedented blockade of the Garland nomination.
In several other important cases in June, Justice Kennedy sided with the Court's moderates and produced positive decisions. This included a decision striking down an extremely restrictive Texas law that seriously and improperly limited women's access to abortion by imposing draconian requirements on abortion clinics, as well as a decision approving a University of Texas plan to increase diversity on campus through affirmative action in admissions.
So does this mean that we have nothing to fear even if the Republican blockade of President Obama's nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the vacant seat on the Court succeeds and a President Trump places a right-wing conservative on the Court, because Kennedy is voting with the Court's four moderates? Absolutely not!
First, the immigration non-decision itself shows that Kennedy – the author of Citizens United and part of the 5-4 majorities in Shelby County and Hobby Lobby and so many other cases damaging our democracy and our rights – unfortunately sides all too often with the Court's far right wing. That was also shown earlier this term when an apparent 4-4 deadlock forced the Court to essentially punt in the Zubik case, leaving the important question of access to contraceptives and employer religious questions in limbo until the Court again has nine members. Whether than ninth seat is filled by President Obama (or by President Clinton if the Republican blockade continues) or by a President Trump is critical.
In addition, the age of the current justices makes clear that there will likely be additional vacancies during the first term of the next president. Three justices will be above 80 during that time, older than the average retirement age for justices. The president who fills these vacancies could easily tip the balance of the Court, not just on the issues the Court dealt with in June, but also on the environment, money and politics, LGBT rights, voting rights, access to justice, protection from government abuse, and many more. And the answer to whether we have a Senate that is willing to do its job and actually hold hearings and vote on nominees, unlike the current Republican Senate that has refused to even hold a hearing for Judge Garland after more than 100 days, will be crucial as well. Election Day 2016 truly is judgment day for the Court and for all of our rights and liberties.
Last Monday, the Supreme Court ruled 5-3 that evidence found by police officers even after they stop someone illegally can still be used if the searches happen after the officers learn of an unrelated outstanding arrest warrant. In a particularly powerful dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor explained the dangers of the majority ruling, particularly for people of color.
In the case, Utah v. Strieff, a police officer investigating possible narcotics activity in a house decided to stop Edward Strieff, who left the house, even though there were no reasonable grounds for the stop, which made it illegal. The officer then ran a check on Mr. Strieff, found a warrant for a minor traffic violation, and arrested him on that prior offense. The officer then searched him, found illegal drugs, and charged him accordingly. Even though the Utah Supreme Court found that the evidence should have been suppressed because of the illegal stop, the Supreme Court reversed because of the prior unrelated warrant.
"The court today holds that the discovery of a warrant for an unpaid parking ticket will forgive a police officer's violation of your Fourth Amendment rights," Sotomayor wrote. "This case allows the police to stop you on the street, demand your identification and check it for outstanding traffic warrants – even If you are doing nothing wrong." As she continued, "if the officer discovers a warrant for a fine you forgot to pay, courts will now excuse his illegal stop and will admit into evidence anything he happens to find by searching you after arresting you on the warrant." Justices Sotomayor and Kagan (who also dissented as did Justice Ginsburg) explained that this danger is far from hypothetical: federal and state databases show more than 7.8 million outstanding warrants, most of which are for minor traffic and other offenses. For example, in Ferguson, Missouri, which has a population of 21,000, there are 16,000 such outstanding warrants.
In a part of her dissent that she wrote only for herself, Sotomayor highlighted the problems that minorities face due to police stops. "For generations," she explained, "black and brown parents have given their children 'the talk' – instructing them never to run down the street, always keep your hands where they can be seen, do not even think of talking back to a stranger – all out of fear of how an officer with a gun will react to them." She added that people "routinely targeted by the police" are the "canaries in the coal mine whose deaths, civil and literal, warn us that no one can breathe in this atmosphere," She continued that "unlawful police stops corrode all our civil liberties and threaten all our lives." Until the voices of these people "matter, too," she concluded, "our justice system will continue to be anything but."
The majority tried to minimize the impact of its ruling, stating that the stop was not a "flagrant" violation or part of a "dragnet" or "systematic or recurrent police misconduct," but simply an "isolated instance" of an error by a police officer. Time and future cases will tell if Strieff will truly be an isolated case and if the Court will prevent abuse. Much will depend on the future votes of Justice Breyer, who joined the majority in the case, and of course the unfilled vacancy on the Court being held open by Republican obstructionism. But Sotomayor's strong opinion was a remarkable and important statement that will hopefully help shape the future direction of the Court. As University of Chicago law professor Justin Driver put it, her dissent is "the strongest indication we have yet that the Black Lives Matter movement has made a difference at the Supreme Court--- at least with one justice."
The stubborn refusal by Senate Republicans to consider the nomination of Judge Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court has caused the Supreme Court to deliberate with only 8, rather than its full complement of 9 justices. Senators have a constitutional responsibility to give fair consideration to the president's nominee to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court, yet they continue to neglect this responsibility as it has been 100 days since President Obama nominated Judge Garland to fill the seat left vacant by Justice Scalia's death earlier this year.
On Thursday, top lawyers from 44 United States companies, such as Nike and Qualcomm, released a letter calling on the Senate Judiciary Committee to move forward on this nomination, emphasizing that "[t]he business community has a great interest in avoiding the legal uncertainty that could result if the vacancy remains unfilled for an extended period of time."
Bloomberg reports: "The signers of the letter include Michael Fricklas of Viacom; Hilary Krane of Nike; David Ellen of Cablevision Systems Corp.; Ivan Fong of 3M Co.; Donald J. Rosenberg of Qualcomm Inc.; Lori Schechter of McKesson Corp.; and Audrey Strauss of Alcoa Inc. The letter was spearheaded by Jonathan Schwartz, general counsel of Univision Communications Inc."
This piece originally appeared on the Huffington Post.
It was both completely in character and shamefully beyond the pale when Donald Trump accused Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who is presiding over two lawsuits against Trump University, of having an "inherent conflict of interest" in the cases because of the judge's Mexican heritage. On Sunday he extended that charge to Muslim judges, who he also suspects would be unable to remain unbiased. If there was a shred of doubt remaining on the question of whether Donald Trump is fit to make judicial nominations before this attack, that debate is now over. Even GOP senators arespeaking out against Trump's remarks. But in a contortion act that defies logic, those same senators continue to go to extraordinary lengths to hold open the vacant Supreme Court seat for the very person whose approach to judicial matters they are condemning.
GOP leaders rushed to denounce Trump's remarks about Judge Curiel, with Republican senators including Kelly Ayotte, Jeff Flake, Rob Portman, and Mitch McConnell speaking out against his comments and House Speaker Paul Ryan calling them "out of left field" even though even a casual observer knows they were coming right from home plate for the past year. Trump has been consistent in his baseless attacks on entire communities since the first day of his campaign, when he smeared Mexican immigrants as rapists and drug dealers. And if some in the GOP are (rightly) condemning Trump's vision of a justice system in which some judges are prohibited from doing their jobs because of their ethnic background, why are they going to extraordinary lengths to put him in the driver's seat of our nominating process?
GOP senators are still doing everything they can to block President Obama from filling the Supreme Court vacancy. Rather than follow the Constitution and give fair consideration to President Obama's extraordinarily qualified and respected nominee, GOP senators are running a campaign of unprecedented obstruction in order to allow Trump to make the Supreme Court nomination instead.
Let's be clear: Trump had already provided countless reasons to call into question his fitness to nominate judges. This is a man who supports killing the family members of terrorists and wants to "open up" libel laws so he can go after journalists. That he's now implying whole swaths of people are not fit for the federal bench is one of the most disturbing examples yet of Trump's contempt for the independence of the judiciary and for Americans different from him. It goes against the most fundamental values of our country, and it is Exhibit A of why he should never be the person nominating judges at the Supreme Court or any level.
It's no wonder Americans are worried about the prospect of Donald Trump making judicial nominations. Even before his attack on Judge Curiel, a recent poll found that the majority of Americans don't trust Trump to fill the Supreme Court vacancy, and they're none too pleased with the senators obstructing President Obama's nominee.Half of voters say they are "less likely to vote for a senator who opposed having confirmation hearings" for Judge Merrick Garland. For Republican senators in tight reelection battles, their unwillingness to do their jobs is increasingly and rightfully becoming a liability with voters.
The fact that GOP senators are flat-out refusing to do their jobs on the Supreme Court was already an outrage. That they are now working to hold the seat open for a man who thinks some judges can't do their jobs because of their ethnic background or religion is unconscionable and should be, quite frankly, embarrassing to all Republicans. GOP leaders are in a position of both condemning Trump's approach to judicial issues and working to make sure he's the one to make lifetime judicial appointments. Make sense? It doesn't to me, either.
The choice is now crystal clear. It's time to call the question and give Merrick Garland a vote.
Over the last few days, both the Washington Post and prominent constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe have joined the growing chorus of voices, including Republican as well as Democratic judges, making clear that eight justices are NOT enough for the nine-member Supreme Court, and that the continuing vacancy caused by Senate Republicans' unprecedented refusal to even consider President Obama's nomination of Judge Merrick Garland for the vacant Court seat is unconscionable. As the Post put it, the continued vacancy has required the Court to "punt, duck, dodge and weave around contentious issues," creating "dysfunction." These problems are documented in more detail in the recent report by PFAW Foundation and the Constitutional Accountability Center, "Material Harm to our System of Justice: the Consequences of an Eight-Member Supreme Court."
As the report explains, the continuing vacancy has already produced several 4-4 splits on the Court, leaving the contested lower court decision in place but setting no national precedent. In one situation, the result was that the Court could not resolve conflicting interpretations of federal law on loan discrimination in different lower courts, causing confusion and different rules for different people around the country. Specifically, as a result of this Supreme Court 4-4 split, people in some states can be required to get their spouse to co-sign a bank loan, while in other states, some right next door, that requirement is illegal.
In addition to several 4-4 splits, the continued vacancy has caused the eight-member Court to effectively punt several important cases for later review by a full Court, again leaving uncertainty and confusion as a result. For example, in the Zubik case concerning whether religious employers can effectively deny to their employees contraceptive coverage required by the ACA because of religious objections, the Court vacated conflicting lower court decisions and suggested that the government and the employers try to find a compromise and then go back to the lower courts, and the Supreme Court, if necessary. The continued litigation by some religious employers makes clear that future resolution by a nine-member Court will be necessary. But in the meantime, uncertainty about these important rights remains. As the report explains, the continued vacancy also appears to have decreased the number of important cases the Court has agreed to review next term starting in October, and makes it difficult for the Court to issue important temporary stay decisions in divisive cases where decisions must be made quickly, as in cases seeking temporary halts of executions or new election rules.
As a result, both Republican and Democratic-appointed judges and justices, including Chief Justice Roberts, Retired Justice John Paul Stevens, and the late Justice Scalia himself, have explained that having a full complement of nine members is important for a fully-functioning Court. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg agreed last week, commenting publicly that "eight is not a good number" for the Court.
And as the Post also explained, the Senate Republican leaders that are responsible for this problem "are doing more than ever to discredit themselves," claiming that their blockade is about the non-existent "principle" that a vacancy that arises in an election year should be filled by the next president, contrary to history and the Constitution, while at the same time claiming that Republicans could find no "worse nominee" than Judge Garland. This is despite the fact that these very same Republican leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have agreed that Judge Garland is "well-qualified." As the Post concludes, this admission should "end the discussion": Judge Garland should receive a hearing and should be confirmed. But if the Senate Republican blockade continues, the eight-member Court will only cause further harm to our system of justice.
This piece originally appeared in the Huffington Post.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made clear this week not only that he wants Donald Trump to be president, but that the main reason he wants Trump to be president is so that he will be the one picking Supreme Court justices.
The Republican leader told radio host Hugh Hewitt that "the Supreme Court is the biggest thing the next president will deal with." He continued, "I made sure of that by making sure that this president doesn't get to pick this nominee and get them confirmed on the way out the door. But that alone, that issue alone will define much of what America is like for the next generation."
According to McConnell, "That issue alone is enough to convince me to support Donald Trump."
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley also recently expressed his support for Trump selecting a Supreme Court justice to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. He told the Des Moines Register, "Based upon the type of people he'd be looking for, I think I would expect the right type of people to be nominated by him to the Supreme Court."
Yesterday, Trump made clear that he applies a racial test when assessing the impartiality of judges, telling The Wall Street Journal that Judge Gonzalo Curiel should not preside over a fraud case involving his Trump University scam real estate seminars case because the federal judge has "an absolute conflict."
According to Trump, Curiel's "Mexican heritage" is "an inherent conflict of interest" because "I'm building a wall." Curiel, whose parents are from Mexico, was born in Indiana.
Trump's pronouncement raises a serious question for the Republicans who are engaging in an unprecedented effort to stop President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, from so much as getting a Senate hearing, with the apparent goal to keep the seat open for a President Trump to fill.
Trump claims that a judge's heritage is a conflict of interest because it means that he will be biased against Trump.
During every president's term, numerous cases involving their policies or interpretations of the law are argued before the Supreme Court. If Trump believes a district court judge's heritage creates an unfair bias against him, then one can assume that he thinks this same bias would exist in a judge on the highest court.
Approximately 10 percent of our country's population is of Mexican heritage, and Donald Trump's racial test would exclude every single one of them from the judiciary. Perhaps this explains why the list of potential Supreme Court nominees that Trump released last month was 100% white.
McConnell, Grassley and other Republicans obstructing President Obama's Supreme Court nominee as they hope for a Republican victory in November now need to answer whether or not they too would apply Donald Trump's racial test to the court.
This piece originally appeared in the Huffington Post.
Perhaps the most important thing about the Supreme Court this May was what it didn't decide. As Justice Ginsburg candidly admitted to a group of lawyers, having only eight justices hamstrings the Court by making it more difficult to decide closely-divided cases. Far from suggesting that the Court's importance has diminished, however, the Court's non-decisions in May show just how important the Court continues to be, particularly in this fall's elections.
With only eight justices, the Court issued two non-decision decisions in May that effectively punted important controversies for a future, fully-staffed Court to decide, but leaving significant confusion and uncertainty in the meantime. In the Zubik case, rather than splitting 4-4, the Court issued a brief unsigned opinion and vacated conflicting rulings in the lower courts on whether the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) allows religious nonprofit colleges and other employers to effectively take away Affordable Care Act-required contraceptive coverage from their female employees. The Court directed that the lower courts should give the government and the objecting employers another opportunity to try to resolve the issue, and then decide the cases again if necessary, with Supreme Court review after that if needed. While resolving such controversies voluntarily is a desirable goal, it is clear from the prolonged litigation that at least some religious employers will not agree to any resolution under which its employees will get contraceptive insurance coverage from its insurer. The result is uncertainty for millions of women about their contraceptive coverage, as well as for religious employers about their claims.
The same day that the Court effectively punted in Zubik, it also issued a non-decision decision in the Spokeo case. In that case, the Court was to decide whether Congress may give individuals the right to sue for damages in federal court, so that they have "standing" to sue, when a federal law has been violated even in the absence of other actual injury. This is an important issue since it affects the ability of Congress and individuals to hold companies accountable when they violate federal law. In a 6-2 decision, the Court did not resolve the question of whether the individual in Spokeoactually had standing, but instead suggested that the lower court's analysis was "incomplete," and sent the case back to that court to reconsider the issue, without taking any position on the key issue presented by the case. This important question will need to be revisited by the Court again, after it again has nine justices.
During May, the Court accepted only three new cases for review starting in October, making a total of eight since Justice Scalia's death. Legal commentators have suggested that the decisions not to take up more significant cases for review is another result of an eight-justice court, with the remaining justices concerned about their ability to resolve controversial cases — again creating uncertainty about people's rights.
Finally, non-decisions in three major pending cases in May, concerning affirmative action, reproductive rights, and immigration, will almost certainly lead to some kind of decisions in these cases in June, as the Court completes its work this term, with significant consequences for millions of Americans. Some decision on the merits is most likely in the Fisher case concerning affirmative action in college admissions, since Justice Kagan's recusal from the case leaves the Court with seven members. The precise result will likely depend on swing Justice Anthony Kennedy, and may affect millions of minority students across America.
4-4 ties are quite possible in some of the remaining cases, including Whole Women's Health, which concerns the constitutionality of extreme and unnecessary restrictions on abortion clinics in Texas. Advocates strongly believe the Court should resolve this case in favor of reproductive rights, which would protect the rights of millions, but the Court is clearly divided. Although not setting any national precedent, a simple tie vote in this case would leave the lower court opinions standing, which could effectively deprive all but the richest women in Texas of the ability to choose abortion. The Court will clearly be taking significant action soon.
In the meantime, Senate Republican leaders have refused to budge on their unprecedented blockade of the President's nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to fill the vacant seat on the court, refusing even to grant him a hearing. It is becoming increasingly clear that they are trying to hold open that vacancy to be filled by, they hope, a President Trump. Trump's list of potential nominees (also released in May) includes people who have called Roe v. Wade the "worst abomination in the history of constitutional law" and two others who voted to make their appellate court the only one in the country that sided with religious nonprofits' efforts to deprive female employees of birth control.
To Senate Republican leaders and their right-wing allies, the stakes are clear. They will do everything they can to ensure that the current Court vacancy, and the additional vacancies very likely to arise in the next president's term, are filled by far-right justices who will vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, limit contraceptive coverage, and set the clock back on civil rights and liberties for America. That is why continuing efforts to push Senate Republican leaders to take action on President Obama's nomination is so important, and why the Supreme Court is such a critical issue in this fall's elections.
The Supreme Court issued a brief unsigned opinion today in the Zubik case, and vacated the conflicting opinions on whether the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) allows religious nonprofits to effectively take away Affordable Care Act-required contraceptive coverage from their employees. The result is to punt the issue away until the Court again has nine justices, reinforcing again why the Court must have a full complement of justices and why the Supreme Court is such a critical issue in the 2016 elections.
Before the Court in Zubik were a series of cases in which federal appeals courts had ruled that objections by religious colleges and other employers to contraceptive coverage had already been accommodated by the Administration by making clear that the coverage was to be provided by insurers and not involve any employer who expressed a religious objection, so that RFRA was not violated and coverage should continue. The more conservative justices on the Court, including Justice Kennedy, were nonetheless troubled by the claim that the religious employers were still involved in providing the coverage, at least by specifically having to provide notice to object to it. So the Court ordered supplemental briefing in the case on whether it was possible to continue to provide the coverage with no involvement by the employers, other than providing insurance that did not include contraceptive coverage.
In its opinion today, the Court vacated the decisions being considered in Zubik and directed that, on remand, the lower courts should give the government and the objecting employers the opportunity to try to resolve the issue, in light of what the Court characterized as the possibility, as expressed in the supplemental briefs, of ensuring that the coverage can be provided without involving the employers. If needed, the lower courts would then issue opinions on the issue, which could be reviewed by the Supreme Court. Interestingly, the Court also gave the same treatment to the single appellate court opinion that ruled in favor of religious employers and was not included in the Zubik case, vacating that decision as well to be reconsidered again if necessary. The Court specifically made clear that while this process is going forward, women covered by the insurance plans should "receive full and equal health coverage, including contraceptive coverage," and that the "Government may not impose taxes or penalties" on the religious employers for failing to provide the formal notice of their religious objection which they had complained about in their lawsuits. In other words, no harm should occur to any of the parties while the government and the employers try to work out the problem and litigate it in the lower courts if necessary. A separate concurrence by Justices Sotomayor and Ginsburg further emphasized that the decision does not resolve either way the substantive issues, including whether the religious employers do incur a "substantial burden" that triggers RFRA.
While both sides can therefore claim some temporary victory from the Court's ruling, the clear loser is our American justice system. A crucial legal issue that clearly divides the justices on the Court concerning the application and meaning of RFRA and contraceptive rights remains unresolved. Despite the apparent optimism in the Court's brief opinion, it seems unlikely that every religious employer in the country will agree to any accommodation under which its employees will still get contraceptive coverage, so that the issue is very likely to remain unresolved and return to the Supreme Court again. Without nine justices on the Court, it seems clear that the Court will not be able to resolve the issue, just as it could not at present. That makes the issue of filling the current vacancy on the Court, and who will be the president that fills future vacancies on our closely divided Supreme Court, extremely crucial now and in November.
Several days ago, USA Today reported on some comments made by Senator Patrick Leahy about the Senate GOP's refusal to consider Merrick Garland's nomination to the Supreme Court. Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley has fallen in line behind the order of his boss, Mitch McConnell, and the demands of far-right extremist groups like the Judicial Crisis Network, who make wildly untrue claims about Judge Garland's record. GOP senators' decision to hide behind those outside attacks and refuse to give Judge Garland a chance to defend himself is "sleazy," Leahy said. He also urged Grassley to show some independence from partisan interests, as Leahy did when he chaired the Judiciary Committee in parts of George W. Bush's presidency.
Conservative Ed Whelan challenged Leahy's positive characterization of his chairmanship on the National Review website in a piece he called "Patrick Leahy (D-Sleaze)." Whelan criticized then-Chairman Leahy for not holding hearings on a number of Bush's nominees. One might think the committee was letting vacancies pile up around the country: that Leahy was fiddling while the American court system burned. In fact, at this point in Bush's last two years, the Democratic-controlled Senate had already confirmed 45 circuit and district court nominees, while the current Senate has confirmed a mere 17. During the entire two years of the 110th Congress, the Senate confirmed 68 judges, a number that Chuck Grassley and Mitch McConnell show no interest in even trying to match.
In fact, it is Grassley and McConnell who are fiddling. When the current Congress began, there were 40 circuit and district court vacancies, a number that has increased to 74 due to GOP inaction. (If you include the Court of International Trade, the increase is from 43 to 78.) In the same period, judicial emergencies have nearly tripled, jumping from 12 to 34 on April 14 (a change in how the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts weights cases went into effect the next day, affecting the number of emergencies and thereby complicating comparisons after that date). In contrast, vacancies and emergencies went down in 2007-2008 because Democrats processed judicial nominations in a responsible manner. Leahy also chaired the committee for 17 months in 2001-2002, during which the Democratic-controlled Senate confirmed 100 of Bush's judicial nominees. Circuit and district court vacancies went down during that period from 109 to 60. When it comes to taking seriously their constitutional responsibility to make sure our federal judiciary is sufficiently staffed, the difference between the two parties could hardly be starker.
The contrast is not limited to the confirmation of judicial nominees. In Bush's last two years, Sen. Leahy held 22 nominations hearings, including one as late as September 23, 2008 … just a few weeks before the presidential election to replace the term-limited George Bush. Chairman Grassley has scheduled a confirmation hearing for April 20, the first since January, only the 13th of the current Congress, and he has suggested that he may shut the process down in July.
With 33 circuit and district court nominees in committee, and only five of them having had a hearing (but not until April 20), talk of such an early shutdown is obscene. Seven of the nominees who have yet to be granted a hearing are circuit court nominees, most of them nominated more than two months ago. Three of the circuit court nominees already have their "blue slips" from their home state senators. The fact that this is an election year should not prevent a hearing for these circuit court nominees: When President Bush nominated Steven Agee to the Fourth Circuit in March of 2008, Sen. Leahy scheduled a hearing seven weeks later, and a committee vote just two weeks after that.
And certainly no one could believably question Leahy's fairness. When President Obama took office, Chairman Leahy maintained the same rules and practices he had used with Bush's nominees. For instance, as under Bush, he opted to require the "blue slip" approval of both home-state senators before holding a hearing on a nominee, something not in the committee rules but rather a prerogative of the chair. This led to a number of highly qualified Obama nominees being denied a chance to publicly respond to the often unfair and inaccurate attacks being made against them by GOP senators. Other times, the Republican senators gave no public reason for their opposition, yet still used Leahy's blue slip practices to deny hearings to targeted nominees. He even allowed Kansas's GOP senators to change their mind after a hearing and, at their request, did not allow a scheduled committee vote on Tenth Circuit nominee Steve Six to take place. The committee records are filled with Leahy's sharp criticism of how qualified nominees were being denied hearings this way, including ones strongly supported by their one Democratic home state senator, including then-Majority Leader Harry Reid. Nevertheless, he did not change his blue slip practice as he could have done unilaterally.
Whelan also criticizes Senator Leahy as "sleazy" for not getting controversial Fifth Circuit nominee Leslie Southwick confirmed quickly enough and then for opposing his nomination altogether. As chairman, Sen. Leahy could have simply chosen not to give him a hearing. In fact, at the confirmation hearing, Sen. Hatch specifically thanked Chairman Leahy for scheduling it over the criticism from "far left groups." Giving a nominee an opportunity to address senators' concerns and defend their record in a public forum is not "sleazy."
As Sen. Leahy pointed out last week, what's "sleazy" is the way that the Republican-controlled Senate is mistreating the president's Supreme Court nominee. And while well-financed far-right groups are working overtime to keep GOP senators in line, two thirds of Americans are rejecting that position and support a hearing for Chief Judge Garland. Chairman Grassley would do well to listen to the American people.
As thousands of activists from around the country head to Washington, DC for the Democracy Awakening, a weekend of marches, rallies, workshops, lobby visits, and – for some – nonviolent civil disobedience, PFAW hosted a member telebriefing Thursday about the upcoming mobilization. Through the Democracy Awakening, Americans are demanding that Congress take action to fix our democracy, from protecting voting rights to getting big money out of politics to giving the president's Supreme Court nominee fair consideration.
"These are all connected issues," PFAW Executive Vice President Marge Baker said on the call. She emphasized that auctioning off democracy "to the highest bidder," suppressing the vote, or obstructing justice through Republican senators' "absurd and totally indefensible" position that President Obama's Supreme Court nominee shouldn't be given fair consideration are all threats to our democracy.
"We have to take back the engines of our government for the American people," Baker said.
PFAW Government By the People Campaign Manager Rio Tazewell outlined the schedule for the weekend and noted that even people who can't travel to DC can still take action in their own towns through letters to the editor, contacting elected representatives, and taking action on social media.
You can listen to the full telebriefing below, and visit www.democracyawakening.org for more information:


text: It seems like PyPy has already done some of the work for us on missing modules. How should we go about getting them into source, and should we be looking for any (partial) unification with PyPy? It seems like the less that is different between branches, the better. Jason On Apr 9, 2005 7:02 PM, Frank Wierzbicki <fwierzbicki@...> wrote: > > But there's still work to finish new-style classes to do. > Are there any grunt work translations left to do? i.e. any old-style > classes that need to be moved to new-style of the simple variety. The > WhosDoingWhat has "file" and "string" listed as being worked on... > > Thanks, > Frank > > ------------------------------------------------------- > SF email is sponsored by - The IT Product Guide > Read honest & candid reviews on hundreds of IT Products from real users. > Discover which products truly live up to the hype. Start reading now. > http://ads.osdn.com/?ad_id=6595&alloc_id=14396&op=click > _______________________________________________ > Jython-dev mailing list > Jython-dev@... > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/jython-dev > -- Jason Whitlark