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Funeral services for Mrs. Meadows, 75, are scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday, April 19 at the Highland Heights Church of Christ.
Mrs. Meadows died Monday, April 16, 2012, at the University Medical Center.
Visitation Wednesday 2-9 p.m. at Ligon & Bobo Funeral Home and Thursday after 9 a.m. at the church.
Interment at the Cedar Grove Cemetery.
Ligon & Bobo Funeral Home of Lebanon is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Shorter, 72, died April 15, 2012 at Summit Medical Center.
Visitation 11 a.m. - 12 Noon Friday, April 20, with funeral to follow at JC Hellum Funeral Chapel. Interment follows at Wilson County Memorial Gardens.
Lebanon's JC Hellum Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Horton, 58, died April 12, 2012.
Services were held Sunday afternoon, April 15 at the Sellars Funeral Home, Lebanon.
Interment was in Wilson County Memorial Gardens.
Arrangemets by Sellars Funeral Home, W. Baddour Pkwy, Lebanon.
Mrs. Sanders, 89, died Sunday, April 15, 2012 in The Pavilion.
Graveside services were held Tuesday afternoon, April 17 at the Cedar Grove Cemetery.
Lebanon's Partlow Funeral Chapel was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Lannom, 86, of the Norene Community, died Thursday, April 12, 2012.
Services were held Sunday afternoon, April 15 at Hunter Funeral Home in Watertown.
Interment was in the Fairview Cemetery.
Watertown's Hunter Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
A celebration of life for Mr. Nabors, 68, of Lebanon, will be held 4 p.m. Saturday, April 21 at his residence, 8464 Coles Ferry Pike.
Retired from the Energy Management Division of Novar-Honeywell, Mr. Nabors died Monday, April 16, 2012 at Lebanon's University Medical Center. Services will be conducted by Jason Mull.
A veteran, he was a member of American Legion Post 17, AMVETS, DAV; the 109 Car Club and was a member of the Baptist faith.
Survivors include: his wife of 46 years, Patricia Nabors; son Bill (Jennifer) Nabors; grandsons Michael Cosmo (fiance Lucy LaLonde) Nabors and Zachary Orion Nabors. Also surviving are siblings Robert (Jonaa) Barnes, Charles (Amy) Barnes, Anita (John) Phillips and Linda Palmer.
He is preceded in death by parents George and Eva Hall Nabors and brother Billy Nabors.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to: New Leash on Life or to the American Cancer Society.
Lebanon's Partlow Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Ms. Bennett, 63, died Monday, April 16, 2012 at the Cedars Health Care Center.
She was the daughter of the late Floyd and Floy Bennett.
Graveside services will be held 10 a.m. Thursday April 19 at Wilson County Memorial Gardens.
Lebanon's Partlow Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
A celebration of life was held Tuesday morning, April 17 at the Partlow Funeral Chapel for Mrs. McDonald, 90, of Lebanon.
A seamstress, an avid reader and lover of flowers, she passed away Saturday, April 14, 2012 at her home surrounded by her children and family.
Mrs. McDonald worked at the Lebanon Garment Factory for 37 years and the First Baptist Church nursery for 13 years. She was a member of College Hills Church of Christ for 65 years and she dedicated her life to her children, grandchildren, friends and church.
Services were conducted by Dr. Larry Locke. Burial followed at the Wilson County Memorial Gardens.
Survivors include: children Terry (Christine) McDonald of Lebanon and Peggy (Louis) Thompson of Fayetteville; grandchildren Kirsten (Scott) Harris, Alexandra McDonald, Morgan McDonald, Brian (Julie) McDonald of Nashville, Ginny McDonald, Angie (Chad) Mullins of Fayetteville, Taylor (Steve) Flatt of Nashville and Jay Thompson of Dothan, Ala.; along with nine great grandchildren.
Mrs. McDonald was preceded in death by mother Mary Elizabeth Lanius Gibson; father George Thomas Gibson; husband Lewis McDonald; son Michael McDonald; brother George Elmer Gibson; sister Jessie Loudermilk and special nephew Gwynne Young.
Active pallbearers included: Vic McDonald, Bob McDonald, Ed Lasater, Ernest Lasater, Raymond Lasater and Brian McDonald. Honorary pallbearers: the Tuesday Morning Ladies Bible Class at College Hills Church of Christ, her caring medical team of Dr. Larimore Warren, Dr. Robert Woods, Dr. Gary Gallant, Dr. Wiaam Falouji, Dr. James Peyton, Dr. Heather Dooley, special friends, Sam Sherrill, Lisa Neal, James Walker, John Turner, Opal Midgett, Jerri Gannon, Georgia Matula and Ivadell Stroud.
The family would like to thank the talented and caring professionals at Avalon Hospice and her home care team of Sara McClendon, Betty Owens, Dana Corder and Traci Dedmon.
Memorial donations can be made to the building fund of College Hills Church of Christ.
Lebanon's Partlow Funeral Chapel was in charge of arrangements.
Editors note: Spc. Stacey Hawkins, a member of the Tennessee Army National Guard, is currently on duty in the Afghanistan theatre. Her first deployment to the war zone was with the Lebanon National Guard unit. She is now serving with a Nashville Guard unit. Originally from White House, Hawkins also lived in Lebanon. She submitted the article below to The Wilson Post last week.
By Spc. STACEY HAWKINS
Being a soldier was never something I thought about as a little girl.
I wanted to play with my Barbies, make the softball team, go to prom, senior vacation, and finally college. I was the typical small town girl from White House, Tennessee.Im not too sure what made it so easy for me to make up my mind, but when I decided I wanted it, I wanted it. I needed to be a soldier. When I was 19, I made the decision to join the Army National Guard and shipped out to basic training at Ft. Leonardwood, Missouri and later trained to become a member of the Military Police (MP), also something I never saw myself doing, law enforcement.
By PATRICK HALL
The Wilson Post
Wilson County Commission passed a resolution Monday night opposing legislation at the state level that would limit the local government from making its own decisions on what they feel is best for the county.
District 13 Commissioner Clint Thomas proposed the resolution, providing it to the commission last month. Thomas said the state legislature has proposed and passed numerous bills that limit the countys authority over local issues.
I think we can run Wilson County better than the people in Nashville, said District 14 Commissioner Jeff Joines, who agreed with Thomas resolution.The resolution passed 22 to 1 with District 11 Commissioner Jim Bradshaw abstaining. District 16 Commissioner Jason Brockman and District 24 Commissioner Paul Abercrombie were absent.
By PATRICK HALL
The Wilson Post
Unofficially, 251 students at Wilson Central High School are Guinness World Record holders as they narrowly beat the world record of individuals completing a 100-meter relay in one hour Wednesday morning.
Mt. Juliet High School students set the record of 248 runners Tuesday morning, and tomorrow, Lebanon High School and Watertown High School students will have the chance to break the new record set by WCHS.
The record is officially currently held by the Bank of Scotland (UK), which had 191 participants during the Bank of Scotland National School Sport Week at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland, on June 7, 2011.
The effort is part of Leadership Wilsons Get Fit Wilson campaign, to encourage more physical activity and healthy living across the county. This years Leadership Wilson class has been working for months to set up the relay events.
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text:
Bears falter late in women's hoops defensive struggle
December 8, 2012
The University of Northern Colorado was unable to maintain contact late in a 51-35 nonconference women's basketball game against Wichita State on Friday at Koch Arena in Wichita, Kan.
The Shockers (4-5) closed the game on a 20-4 run, nearly doubling up the Bears (2-5) in the second half, outscoring them 31-16.
Wichita State led just 20-19 at halftime.
The teams played in front of a crowd of 10,307 — the second largest crowd to watch a UNC women's basketball game, according to a UNC press release.
The largest was 10,687 at Oklahoma in 2006.
Bears sophomore center Stephanie Lee was back in the lineup after missing the past four games with an injury.
Lee led the team in scoring with nine points off the bench.
Senior forward Lauren Oosdyke and junior guard D'Shara Strange shared a UNC-high in rebounds with eight apiece.
The Bears shared the ball, recording 11 assists on 14 buckets, but — as has been the case throughout much of the season — turnovers continued to hurt UNC's cause.
The Bears had 22 giveaways, including six during a three-minute stretch after UNC fought back from down eight to tie the game at 31.
No player scored double figures.
Jazimen Gordon and Jessica Diamond led Wichita State with nine points each.
Neither team shot well from the field. The Shockers shot 33.9 percent, and UNC shot just 32.6.
Alie Decker led the Shockers with six rebounds.
The Bears will take a week off for final exams before returning to action at 1 p.m. Dec. 16 at Texas Tech.
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subset: commoncrawl


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The organization is one of the largest volunteer women's organizations in the United States; in the early 21st century it had more than 300,000 members. It was founded in 1912 by Jewish scholar and activist Henrietta Szold and other women as the Hadassah Chapter of the Daughters of Zion. In 1914 the organization changed its name to Hadassah, the Hebrew name for the biblical Queen Esther.
Within its first year the organization opened a medical institution in Palestine, marking the beginning of its commitment to the provision of medical services. In 1918 it established the Henrietta Szold Hadassah School of Nursing to provide staff for the facility. Since then Hadassah has financed, established, and maintained a large number of health-care-related services and facilities in Israel, which serve those in need regardless of their religious affiliations. It also is involved in environmental projects, including tree planting and the creation of parks.
In the United States Hadassah's national educational department publishes study guides on Jewish history and culture and produces a number of periodicals. Local chapters of the organization also sponsor Zionist youth programs and provide resources to American Jews wishing to migrate to Israel.


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This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
The matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) technique has been used for the deposition of metal dioxide (TiO2, SnO2) nanoparticle thin films for gas sensor applications. For this purpose, colloidal metal dioxide nanoparticles were diluted in volatile solvents, the solution was frozen at the liquid nitrogen temperature and irradiated with a pulsed excimer laser. The dioxide nanoparticles were deposited on Si and Al2O3 substrates. A rather uniform distribution of TiO2 nanoparticles with an average size of about 10 nm and of SnO2 nanoparticles with an average size of about 3 nm was obtained, as demonstrated by high resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM-FEG) inspections. Gas-sensing devices based on the resistive transduction mechanism were fabricated by depositing the nanoparticle thin films onto suitable rough alumina substrates equipped with interdigitated electrical contacts and heating elements. Electrical characterization measurements were carried out in controlled environment. The results of the gas-sensing tests towards low concentrations of ethanol and acetone vapors are reported. Typical gas sensor parameters (gas responses, response/recovery time, sensitivity, and low detection limit) towards ethanol and acetone are presented.
The synthesis of nanoparticles of different materials and the study of their properties and possible applications are at present among the most active research areas. Nanostructured films are expected to offer efficient and flexible tools for applications in different fields such as catalysis, information storage, nonlinear optics, optical and chemical sensors and many others. The functional properties of the nanostructured films are largely determined by composition, size, morphology and surface properties of the nanoparticles forming the film. Nanoparticles can have very different properties with respect to the relative bulk material due, for example, to quantum confinement effects [
High quality nanoparticle films can be obtained by different methods like molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) [
Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) [
The difficulty of realization of uniform close-packed nanoparticle thin films is a very strong limit to their possible applications. This is why a versatile, fast deposition technique, like MAPLE, was considered as a very attractive alternative. Colloidal nanosized particles, prepared with the required uniform dimensions, can be diluted in a volatile solvent and frozen at the liquid nitrogen temperature, thus forming the target to be laser irradiated.
Recently, TiO2 and SnO2 colloidal nanoparticle films were prepared by MAPLE deposition, preserving the size and crystalline phase of the starting particles [
The MAPLE deposition hardware does not substantially differ from that commonly used in PLD. Excimer lasers (or Nd:YAG, third harmonic at 335 nm) are mostly used, since UV radiation strongly couples with almost any target material. The main difference with respect to PLD is the target holder, since it must be kept at very low temperature during depositions. It means that a liquid nitrogen reservoir must be connected to the target holder. It is usually made of high-conductivity oxygen-free cooper, crossed by a stem of the same material supporting the target holder. The target must rotate (3–10 Hz), like in PLD, to allow smooth erosion of the frozen solution. Feedthroughs and connectors have to be accurately designed, with properly chosen gaskets, to allow rotation at low temperature without seizing problems. A schematic diagram of a MAPLE deposition system is shown in
Titanium dioxide colloidal nanoparticles (size 10±1 nm) in the anatase phase were prepared by using standard procedures [
Tin dioxide nanoparticles were prepared as follows: in a 500 mL three-neck flask equipped with a condenser and a thermometer, 1.25 g of Sn (II) 2-ethylhexanoate ([CH3(CH2)3CH(C2H5)CO2]2Sn) were mixed with 10 mL of diphenyl ether (DPE) and hexylamine, with an hexylamine:Sn molar ratio of 1:1. The flask was thoroughly degassed and heated up to 250 °C. When the final temperature was reached, the liquid was further heated for 25 minutes. After cooling the flask, addition of methanol resulted in precipitation of the nanocrystals, which were collected by centrifugation and further purified by dispersion in hexane and subsequent recovering by addition of methanol. While the as-recovered nanocrystals are usually soluble in hexane or toluene, the solubility is lost through the purification process. In this case, the solubility is fully recovered when the nanocrystals are dispersed in hexane and a few drops of trioctylphosphine are added. The dimensions of the resulting SnO2 nanoparticles were of 3.6±0.6 nm, as determined by TEM inspection, with one monolayer of trioctylphosphine as capping layer. They presented the tetragonal (cassiterite) crystallographic phase, as reported in [
The dioxide nanoparticle films were deposited on different substrates: silica, <100> Si and interdigitated alumina (Al2O3) slabs, for the different characterizations. The interdigitated alumina substrates, 2 mm × 2 mm, used for the gas sensing tests, were equipped, on the back face, with a 50 nm Ti/500 nm Pt meander as heater and, on the front face, with similar Ti/Au interdigitated contacts, in order to polarize the sensors and read the electrical current values during the sensing tests.
The deposited films were analyzed by high resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). UV-Vis transmittance and reflectance spectra of the films deposited on silica substrates were recorded, to evaluate the optical properties of the films. In particular, the crystalline phase of the films was investigated by using an INEL CPS 120 diffractometer, the surface morphology by using a JEOL 6500F Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope, while a Perkin Elmer apparatus with 4 cm−1 resolution in transmission mode was used to record the FTIR spectra in the range 500–3200 cm−1 for chemical characterizations. For structural analysis, room temperature UV-Vis transmittance and reflectance spectra of the dioxide films deposited on silica substrates were recorded by a Varian Cary 500 UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer, equipped with an integrating sphere, at normal light incidence. A clean silica substrate was used as reference to measure the absolute transmittance of the deposited film.
High resolution SEM images of the TiO2 nanoparticle films deposited on silicon substrates showed that the nanoparticles preserved the starting dimensions, although a tendency to form aggregates can be noted. By a comparison with TiO2 nanoparticle films deposited by the spin coating technique, starting from a solution with the same TiO2 nanoparticle concentration (i.e. 0.2 wt %) used for the MAPLE-deposited films, a much more uniform coverage for the MAPLE deposited film was observed (
The preservation of the anatase crystal phase was evidenced by XRD spectra, where the characteristic peak of the anatase phase at 2θ=25°, corresponding to the reflection by the <101> crystallographic plane, is well evident. In
The transmittance and the reflectance UV-Vis spectra of TiO2 nanoparticle films deposited by the MAPLE technique on silica substrate were acquired in the 200–800 nm spectral range. In general, the transmittance spectrum is characterized by a sharp fall at wavelengths shorter than ∼360 nm, corresponding to the energy threshold for band edge absorption of TiO2.
In order to determine the nature of the band gap of the nanostructured material, the spectral behavior near the fundamental absorption edge can be calculated by considering the expression [
The first step in the analysis of the deposited films was the SEM characterization, in order to evaluate the film morphology. As shown in
These structures are due to the organic material, trioctylphosphine, present in the solution, as confirmed by their gradual modification during SEM inspection, down to a complete vanishing due to the interaction with the electron beam. Due to the presence of such structures, the analysis of the nanoparticle was not possible. For this reason, the deposited films were annealed in order to remove any residual organic material from the surface of the films.
To get more information about the film structure and composition before annealing, the FTIR spectrum was acquired (
The presence of trioctylphosphine was confirmed also by the UV-Vis absorption spectrum (not reported here), recorded in the spectral range of 200–800 nm, which was very similar to the absorption spectrum of the capping material diluted in hexane (the hexane absorption in the investigated spectral range is negligible). On the other hand, the use of trioctylphosphine is necessary to avoid nanoparticle precipitation. However its use determines, as a consequence, the presence of this agent also in the toluene solution with a concentration which can be estimated to be of 10 % in volume. The trioctylphosphine has a vapor pressure of 120 Pa at 20 °C, which is much lower than that of the toluene solvent (2.9×103 Pa). As a consequence, it is not effectively pumped out during the MAPLE deposition process and finally a trioctylphosphine layer is deposited on the substrate, contributing to the composition of the films.
In order to remove the trioctylphosphine layer, the deposited films were annealed at 400 °C either in vacuum (∼4–5×10−3 Pa) or in dry air for 1 h. Similar results were obtained in both cases. The SEM micrograph of one vacuum-annealed film deposited on <100> Si is shown in
No trace of the trioctylphosphine layer was detected on the annealed film, which is constituted by a rather uniform distribution of nanoparticles. Occasionally, circular shaped areas are apparent on the film, formed by a less dense nanoparticle distribution. From higher magnification SEM figures, it was possible to measure the dimensions of the single nanoparticles. The average nanoparticle dimension resulted to be of 4±1 nm, in accordance with the nanoparticle dimension of the starting solution (3.6±0.6 nm). Some bigger nanoparticles, with dimensions of 10–20 nm, were also evidenced, probably due to nanoparticle coalescence caused by the post-deposition annealing or to the presence of agglomerates in the starting solution itself. The SEM analysis also allowed estimating a film thickness of about 7±3 nm.
The FTIR analysis was repeated on the annealed films and the resulting spectrum can be seen in
UV-visible absorption spectra were recorded to characterize the optical absorbance of the nanocrystalline SnO2 films. The optical energy gap
The dependence of absorption onset on the particle size is based on the effective mass approximation and the increase in the optical band gap of a nanocrystalline semiconductor may be described by the relation [
To realize a sensor based on the electrical transduction mechanism, nanoparticle dioxide layers were MAPLE deposited on pre-processed alumina substrates. The alumina substrates (2 mm × 2 mm) were patterned, on the back face, with 50 nm Ti/500 nm Pt meander as heater and, on the front face, with similar Au/Ti interdigitated contacts, in order to read the electrical current values during tests (
Gas test measurements were carried out in the constant temperature mode by recording the dynamic changes of the electrical resistance caused by the exposition to different concentrations of ethanol and acetone vapors, since surface reactions with reducing chemical species as ethanol and acetone cause an increase in electrical conductance.
For TiO2-based sensors the ethanol and acetone vapor concentrations were varied from 20 to 200 ppm in dry air. The sensor working temperature was varied from 250 to 500 °C to find the best operating temperature. As an example,
The relative variation of signal in electrical current is very high (up to about 1 order of magnitude) even at very low concentrations of both the considered vapors. These very good gas-sensing properties towards ethanol and acetone may be attributed to the nanoscale dimensions of the TiO2 particles. The measurements highlight also the stability of the electrical current signal of the MAPLE-deposited TiO2 nanoparticle thin film. Moreover, also the signal recovery is complete when the air flux is restored after the gas test. It can be also noticed that the response time is not very fast (∼ 4 minutes). We found that it is influenced by the working temperature. In fact, it has been shown that the working temperature has a strong influence on the gas response and on the dynamic behavior of the responses. The best sensitivities were measured for temperatures of 350 °C and 400 °C for ethanol and acetone vapors, respectively (
SnO2 nanoparticle films were also deposited on interdigitated alumina substrates, following the same procedure. After deposition, the devices were soldered onto TO-8 sockets and hosted in a suitable test chamber. First, gas sensing tests were carried out on the as-deposited MAPLE SnO2 films. As expected, no response towards low concentration of ethanol (200 ppm in dry air) was observed, due to the presence of trioctylphosphine. When the sensor working temperature reached 300 °C, a very low variation of the sensor signal was detected at high ethanol concentrations (
An improvement of the electrical properties of the MAPLE deposited SnO2 nanoparticle gas sensors were obtained after annealing at 400 °C in air (
The sensor showed a high resistance (∼1010–1011 Ω). This behavior can be linked to the very small SnO2 nanoparticle size (∼3.6 nm), to the low thickness of the film (about two monolayers) and to the electrical transport properties through the network of nanoparticles. It is generally agreed that the gas sensing property of the nanoparticle film enhances with decreasing of the grain size in metal oxide films [
It has been demonstrated that MAPLE is a very promising technique for the deposition of nanoparticle films, starting from colloidal solutions. A uniform layer of TiO2 nanoparticles was obtained, not only on flat SiO2 substrates, but even on rough alumina substrates. Nanoparticle TiO2 films were found very sensitive to ethanol and acetone vapors. In contrast, SnO2 nanoparticle films were obtained after annealing of the as-deposited layer at the temperature of 400 °C. The annealing procedure was necessary to remove the trioctylphosphine present in the colloidal solution. Sensing characteristics of SnO2 nanoparticle films resulted poor, with respect to the ones of TiO2 nanoparticle films, most probably due to the very small nanoparticle dimensions (3.6 nm, compared to 10 nm for TiO2).
Work supported in part by NATO grant CLG 982748.
Schematic diagram of a MAPLE deposition system.
High resolution SEM micrographs of TiO2 nanoparticle thin films deposited by MAPLE (left) and spin coating techniques (right) on Si substrates.
SEM micrographs of TiO2 nanoparticle thin film MAPLE-deposited onto a rough alumina substrate.
XRD spectra of the TiO2 nanocrystals in the starting solution and in the MAPLE-deposited thin film (inset).
SEM micrograph of the as deposited SnO2 film on <100> Si substrate
FTIR spectra of the as-deposited (dotted line) and vacuum-annealed (solid line) SnO2 nanoparticle films.
Left: overview of the annealed SnO2 nanoparticle film morphology (the white marker is 100 nm). Right: a higher magnification zone of the film (the white marker is 20 nm).
Plot of (αhν)2 vs photon energy hν of the SnO2 nanoparticle film (open dotted line). The closed line represents the linear fit.
Calculated SnO2 nanoparticle energy gap vs. particle radius. The dot represents our sample characteristics (Eg=4.24 eV).
Back and front side of the sensing element.
Sensing elements fixed on wired socket.
Typical dynamic response of the MAPLE deposited TiO2 sensing layer for different concentrations of ethanol (right) and acetone (left) vapors at the working temperature of 300 °C.
Response of the TiO2-based sensor to ethanol and acetone as a function of working temperature.
Typical dynamic response of the MAPLE deposited SnO2 sensing layer for concentrations of ethanol vapors of 8 and 16×103 ppm at the working temperature of 300 °C.
Typical dynamic response of the MAPLE deposited SnO2 sensing layer after 1 h annealing in air at 400 °C for concentrations of ethanol vapors of 200 ppm at the working temperature of 420 °C.


text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Aug 26, 2008
|Filing date
|Apr 24, 2006
|Priority date
|Jun 27, 1996
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Carl M. Olson
|Original Assignee
|Olson Carl M
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (40), Non-Patent Citations (7), Referenced by (3), Classifications (29), Legal Events (6)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This is a continuation of Ser. No. 10/406,731, filed Apr. 3,2003, now Pat. No. 7,033,273, which is a divisional of Ser. No. 09/680,200, filed Oct. 4, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,710, which is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 09/418,733, filed Oct. 15, 1999, abandoned, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 08/673,817, filed Jun. 27, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,062.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electronic lottery type games, and more particularly to a lotto game which provides the player with rapid acknowledgment of the win or loss status of the numbers played.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, lotto is played as a state-wide governmental system where the player chooses to play the game by wagering money, usually in one dollar ($1.00) increments, and obtaining some form of lotto ticket with the player's lotto numbers selection printed thereon. During predetermined intervals, the game is open to any new players and is then closed, at a regularly scheduled selected period. At the time of the closing of the lotto game, a series of random numbers are selected by the agency running the lotto game and winners are determined by the players matching their selected numbers with those randomly selected by the lotto agency. Winners are notified only if they observe the announcements of the winning numbers through the mass media, or if they check the winning numbers posted at a lotto ticket dispensing facility.
Attempts have been made to automate lotto games, but in every case the automation has generally been limited to the mechanics of selection of numbers and issuance of tickets to players of the lotto game, or the computer visualization of the traditional lotto mechanical number selection apparatus. What is needed is a system for a lotto game that allows the player to initiate play of the lotto game with numbers selected by the player, and that provides the player with instant acknowledgment of the win or loss status of the numbers selected by the player against those randomly selected by the machine on which the game is being played, or by the agency administering the lotto game. This invention provides such a system for playing a lotto game.
This invention is directed to a lottery type gaming apparatus and method wherein the player can initiate play of the lottery type game with numbers selected by the player, and the player is provided with a rapid acknowledgment of the winning or losing status of the numbers selected by the player. The player can initiate play through an interface unit which can take the form of a gaming console of the type found in gaming parlors and the like, but the term can also apply to any of a variety of computer terminals such as personal computers and computer gaming terminals or the like. The console can contain the software and hardware components of the win/loss gaming apparatus or it can be located elsewhere in the system. Once a player selects a series of numbers and initiates play of the game, the gaming apparatus of the invention nearly instantly determines whether any, or all, of those numbers match the set of numbers randomly selected by the apparatus as the winning numbers. If the player is a winner, the gaming apparatus pays or credits the winner without delay. In one presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the gaming apparatus can be played independent of a master controller, master number selection system, or any delays waiting for future winning number selection drawings.
In another presently preferred embodiment of the invention, each gaming apparatus is connected with an appropriate master controller, and may thereby be connected with other gaming apparatus, so that each player simultaneously plays the lottery type game against the gaming apparatus on which the game is being played and against the master controller. In this embodiment, the player selects a series of numbers on the gaming apparatus. The local gaming apparatus generates a randomly selected series of numbers which represent the winning set of numbers and instantly identifies which of the players numbers are a match. The player is thereafter notified of the winning, or losing, status of his/her selected numbers. The local gaming apparatus also sends the player's selected numbers to a master controller which has generated another randomly selected series of numbers. The player's selected numbers are compared with the master controller randomly selected numbers to determine the win, or lose, status of the player's selection of numbers. At the same time that the master controller is determining the status of player #1's selections, players #2 through #n are also being reviewed by the master controller for a win or loss status. This embodiment of the invention, by combining the selections and payoffs of more than one device, can provide larger payouts to the individual players. This embodiment of the invention further provides instant status of increasing, (progressive), payouts at the master controller concerning payouts to, and inputs from, the connected gaming apparatuses. This embodiment of the invention need not be limited to a selection of gaming apparatuses within a single casino, bar, store, or other gaming facility. It can be collective games played over a group of gaming facilities, over a state, national or international network.
Another embodiment of the invention provides a means for playing a lottery type game through a personal computer, or home video game terminal via an electronic communications network. In such an embodiment, the personal computer or game terminal can act as a gaming console analogous to a dedicated gaming apparatus through the use of appropriate software and interact, if necessary, with a master controller over the internet or other network connection.
In any of the embodiments in which multiple gaming apparatuses are connected to a master controller, one objective in the invention can be to provide a variable win/loss capability, such that the actual and relative amounts of wins versus losses can be adjusted. This adjustment can be accomplished, as an example, by changing the jackpot seed amount, (the minimum level of the progressive jackpot after payout of a win), or by adjusting the number of numbers from which the player will select, (e.g.: 51, 60, 70, etc.). While a game involving a choice of six numbers is used for the purpose of illustration, it will be understood that the choice of number of picks from a given number of possibility (e.g. 6 from 49, etc.) may be used to provide appropriate odds for winning.
A typical game would find the player inserting the appropriate wager, (e.g.: $1.00) into the gaming apparatus and selecting up to six numbers, (or alternatively, a selection of a "quick-pick" which commands the device to randomly select six numbers for the player). When satisfied with the numbers set selected, the player then would push the PLAY button on the gaming apparatus and the game is automatically played, comprising the following steps:
In those embodiments of this invention where multiple gaming apparatus are interconnected through a master controller, with each PLAY, the player could have an opportunity to win at three independent levels with three distinct randomly selected winning number combinations played against a single six number combination selected by the player at the gaming apparatus he is currently playing. At the gaming apparatus where the player has selected six numbers, a random number generator has selected a six number winning lotto pick which is applicable only for that gaming apparatus. At the same time of that PLAY, the player's selected numbers are forwarded, via a secure electronics network to a master controller at a casino or other gambling facility level where a separate random number generator has already selected a six number winning combination for that PLAY. Simultaneously to these two PLAY events, the player's selected numbers may also be sent, via a secured electronics network, to a state or national level master controller where a distinct third set of six randomly generated winning numbers have been selected for that PLAY. The player therefore could be a winner at any one of the three levels, or any combination of the three; as an example: two out of six matching numbers at the national level, three out of six at the state level, with no matching numbers at the gaming apparatus. The screen on the gaming apparatus where the PLAY originated will display the results of all three "games" simultaneously. Since the probability of success of a six out of six pick typically reaches lottery proportions, the dollar amount for a "pick-six" can rapidly reach multi-millions in a relatively short period of time.
An important improvement of this gaming apparatus over prior art lottery type games is the rapid acknowledgment of the win or loss status of the player's selected numbers and the ability of the player to then immediately play another game without delays of hours or days before another game will close and the winning numbers are selected.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, which, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example the benefits of the invention.
The present invention includes a method and apparatus for player initiation of a lottery type game with rapid acknowledgment of the players' win or loss status.
The present invention can be embodied in several system configurations. One embodiment is depicted in
In a second embodiment of the invention, the lotto gaming apparatus 10 includes one or more game playing consoles such as CLMs 11 connected to a casino master controller (CMC) 20, as depicted in
Another embodiment of the invention, depicted in
In another embodiment, depicted in
Turning now to
A player begins a lotto gaming apparatus 10 sequence by inserting coin(s) or choosing to play credit(s) at a CLM 11. This initiates the following sequence of events:
1. CLM 11 responds by enabling the player to select a "Quick Pick" or manually select the desired set(s) of lotto numbers.
2. The player selects from one to six lotto number playing sets via Quick-Pick or manual number selection and starts a game by pushing the "PLAY" key on the CLM 11.
3. CLM 11 spins numbers on player's video display screen. (Note: This is to show activity on the screen for the player. It is actually a simulation of a random generation process to allow time for the determination of win/loss status at each level of the game).
4. CLM 11 selects machine winning numbers through use of a random number generator.
5. CLM 11 passes players number set selections to CMC 20 via an electronic network.
6. CMC 20 validates each players numbers against the previously selected casino winning numbers. (Note: this can be re-selected on a regular or random basis, changing winning numbers as often as one to three seconds.) Winning numbers are selected through random number generator. CMC 20 increments jackpot for each losing play. If a winner is found, CMC 20 re-sets jackpot to seed level.
7. CMC 20 passes players selections to SMC 30 (City, multiple-casino, state etc.) via electronic network.
8. SMC 30 validates each players numbers against the previously selected state winning numbers. (Note this can be re-selected on a regular or random basis, changing winning numbers as often as one to three seconds.) Winning numbers are selected through random number generator.
9. SMC 30 increments jackpot for each losing play. If a winner is found, SMC 30 re-sets jackpot to seed level. SMC 30 passes win/lost statistics and current jackpot to CMC 20.
10. CMC 20 passes win/lost statistics and current jackpot of casino and SMC 30 to CLM 11.
11. CLM 11 stops spinning, indicates won/lost on video display screen for local CLM 11, casino lotto and state lotto.
12. CLM 11 posts current casino and state lotto jackpots.
13. CLM 11 re-sets and waits for Player to play again.
Referring now to
A player initiates a lotto playing sequence by starting the Home lotto Program (HLP) on a personal computer, or on a Home lotto Terminal (HLT). The HLP or HLT, (hereafter referred to as the Local Program, LP), executes the appropriate program to initiate the following sequence:
1. The LP prompts the player for his(her) Player Identification (eg.: Name) and his(her) PIN (Player Identification Number, a password). If it matches the one stored in the computer (for security, adult supervision, etc.) the LP initiates contact to the Worldwide lotto System (WLS) either via direct dial, via computer modem or via Internet electronic network.
2. The WLS acknowledges the request for play to the LP and validates serial number and password security with the LP.
3. The LP passes the player's information (PI & PIN) to the WLS.
4. The WLS passes the player's information to the lotto Accounting System (LAS) for verification of current account status.
5. The LAS provides current account status to the WLS. If sufficient credit exists to play, the LP provides positive indication on the video display screen for player, and Internet lotto play may begin. Otherwise, the player is informed of lack of credit and advised to arrange for additional credit. If such a rejection occurs, the LP disconnects from the WLS and resets for further player initiation.
6. The WLS downloads the current account status and current jackpot status to the LP.
7. Assuming the player has sufficient credit to play, the player may begin play by either manually selecting a set(s) of lotto numbers or by pushing "Quick-Pick." If "Quick-Pick" is selected, the LP, using a random number generator, selects from one to six sets of lotto numbers.
8. The player then pushes "PLAY", (on the HLT) or enters "PLAY", (on the computer), and the playing of Internet lotto begins.
9. The LP creates a "spin" on the video display screen to simulate a lotto draw in progress to allow time for the determination of win/loss status. The LP passes the selected lotto number sets to the WLS.
10. The WLS accepts the lotto number sets from the LP and determines win/lose conditions. If a win is realized, the jackpot is zeroed to start, the player's accounting balance is incremented by the amount won and the game status along with the current jackpot is passed to the LP.
11. The LP posts the game status and the current jackpot to the video display screen and completes the game cycle.
12. Based on his current account status, the player can either continue to play or retire from the game.
13. If the player desires to retire from the game, the LP advises the WLS with a request to disconnect. If the WLS approves, the WLS updates the LAS with current account status from the recent game play and advises the LP to disconnect.
14. The LP then disconnects from the WLS and returns to an inactive state or to the DOS/Windows Prompt if via a personal computer.
In any of the embodiments herein described, methods can be incorporated to provide instant status of increasing (progressive) payouts at each level of the lotto game, whether local, gaming facility, state, national or worldwide level. By incorporating a seed level (i.e.; the minimum level of the progressive jackpot after payout of a jackpot—a pick-six-of-six win) an attractive win payout is always available to the player. Also methods provide a variable win/loss ration capability so that the actual and relative win verses loss amounts can be adjusted. Two ways of adjusting the win/loss rations can be by either changing the jackpot seed level or by adjusting the quantity of lotto numbers to be played (e.g.: 51, 60, 70, etc.).
From the above, it can be seen that the present invention represents a method and apparatus for implantation of a lotto game which can have highly attractive playing qualities, relatively low equipment cost and provide virtually instantaneous win/loss results for a variety of normal and progressive games on both a local and distributed basis.
While various preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated, it will be seen by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Mar 8, 1979
|Jan 26, 1982
|James J. Ogilvy
|Electronic bingo system
|Dec 11, 1980
|Apr 5, 1983
|Jacob Gluz
|Electronic device for playing bingo, lotto and allied card games
|Aug 11, 1981
|Jun 19, 1984
|Yuri Itkis
|Electronic card and board game
|May 18, 1984
|Nov 25, 1986
|Yuri Itkis
|Electronic card and board game
|Jan 26, 1984
|Nov 3, 1987
|Texas Instruments Incorporated
|Method and apparatus for voice control of a computer
|Jan 17, 1986
|May 31, 1988
|Selectro-Vision, Ltd.
|Electronic game board for bingo
|Jun 10, 1988
|Jun 27, 1989
|Victor Markowicz
|Hierarchical lottery network with selection from differentiated playing pools
|May 3, 1988
|Aug 15, 1989
|Yuri Itkis
|Concurrent game network
|Nov 13, 1987
|Oct 24, 1989
|Herbert Timms
|Electronic bingo games system network and components therefor
|Sep 1, 1987
|Feb 26, 1991
|At&T Bell Laboratories
|Use of telecommunications systems for lotteries
|Mar 28, 1989
|Apr 16, 1991
|Selectro-Vision, Ltd.
|Gaming system with system base station and gaming boards
|Dec 1, 1989
|Aug 27, 1991
|Gary Weingardt
|Multi-deck poker game
|Oct 23, 1991
|Jan 12, 1993
|Lovell John G
|Display device for the playing of multiple games simultaneously
|May 22, 1992
|Aug 3, 1993
|Sludikoff Stanley R
|Lottery game system and method of playing
|Feb 6, 1992
|Jan 25, 1994
|Mikohn, Inc.
|Gaming system with progressive jackpot
|Aug 19, 1992
|Feb 1, 1994
|Bet Technology, Inc.
|Method of playing a card game
|Jun 5, 1992
|Mar 29, 1994
|Terrence Pocock
|Televised bingo game system
|Feb 7, 1992
|Jul 5, 1994
|Secure automated electronic casino gaming system
|Jun 3, 1993
|Jul 12, 1994
|At&T Bell Laboratories
|Mediation of transactions by a communications system
|Oct 8, 1992
|Jul 26, 1994
|Rio Properties, Inc.
|Apparatus and method for playing an electronic poker game
|Sep 16, 1992
|Oct 4, 1994
|Fioretti Philip R
|Methods and apparatus for playing bingo over a wide geographic area
|Jan 21, 1992
|Oct 11, 1994
|Ahbrew Company
|Lottery emulation system
|Sep 9, 1991
|Nov 15, 1994
|First Data Resources Inc.
|Telephonic-interface lottery system
|Jun 4, 1992
|Dec 13, 1994
|Uc'nwin Systems, Inc.
|Promotional game method and apparatus therefor
|Jan 21, 1994
|Jan 10, 1995
|Travis; Christopher P.
|Video lottery gaming device
|Feb 7, 1992
|Feb 28, 1995
|Marnell, Ii; Anthony A.
|Electronic gaming apparatus and method
|May 9, 1994
|Mar 28, 1995
|Wms Gaming Inc.
|Keno type video gaming device
|Jan 31, 1991
|Apr 4, 1995
|At&T Corp.
|Telecommunications systems for lotteries
|Sep 28, 1993
|May 23, 1995
|Gtech Corporation
|Player operated win checker appended to lottery agent terminal
|Nov 1, 1994
|Jul 29, 1997
|Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
|Keno machine with two separate plays
|Nov 14, 1996
|Oct 6, 1998
|Rlt Acquistion, Inc.
|Prize redemption system for games
|May 19, 1997
|Feb 15, 2000
|Walker Asset Management Limited Partnership
|Off-line remote lottery system
|Jun 27, 1996
|Jun 27, 2000
|Olson; Carl M.
|Lotto gaming apparatus and method
|May 9, 2000
|Sep 24, 2002
|Kevin J. Aronin
|Free remote lottery system
|Oct 4, 2000
|Apr 29, 2003
|Carl M. Olson
|Lotto gaming apparatus and method
|Apr 3, 2003
|Apr 25, 2006
|Olson Carl M
|Lotto gaming apparatus and method
|Sep 29, 1988
|Apr 5, 1989
|Intervision (Proprietary) Limited
|Equipment and a method for entertaining people
|Mar 28, 1991
|Oct 9, 1991
|Zvi Ganot
|Lottery terminal
|Title not available
|Title not available
|Free Enterprise Spirit-Sep. 1996.
|IGWB-"Gaming's Ball and Chain" Vo. 17, No. 10-Oct. 1996.
|IGWB-Europe "Room for New Ideas" Taxining the Capitalists-May 1996.
|International Search Report Re PCGT/US97/08457.
|Oasis Electronic ITVM "The Future of the Scratch Ticket is Here".
|U.S. Games, Inc. "Pot-O-Gold" Instant Electronic Lottery-Technical Description.
|Video Lotto "There's A New Game In Town", Creative Gaming Concepts, St. Petersburg, Florida.
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Mar 17, 2014
|Feb 2, 2016
|Frederick Sandvick
|Computer activated instant winner lottery ticket game system and method
|Mar 17, 2014
|Sep 13, 2016
|Frederick Sandvick
|Computer activated instant winner lottery ticket game system and method
|Aug 24, 2006
|Dec 21, 2006
|Hamud Garry A
|Multi-level simple lotto
|U.S. Classification
|463/17, 463/26, 273/269, 463/42, 705/14.39, 705/14.14
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Apr 9, 2012
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Aug 24, 2012
|Surcharge for late payment
|Aug 24, 2012
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Apr 8, 2016
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Aug 26, 2016
|Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
|Oct 18, 2016
|Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee
Effective date: 20160826


text:
Shakira plays 'truth or dare on the dancefloor' in the music video for both English and Spanish versions of the upbeat dance track.
Shakira invades the dance floor in a music video for her latest single "Dare (La La La)". The song is released in two versions, English and Spanish, and both get similar music videos that show the Colombian singer busting her sexy moves. A crowd joins her near the end of it.
While dancing on top of a building, strutting her stuff in a maze garden, and strolling through the street, the blonde beauty is seducing her fans with lyrics, "Is it true that you love me/ I dare you to kiss me/ With everyone watching/ It's truth or dare on the dancefloor."
"Dare (La La La)" is lifted off her self-titled album which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard Hot 200 since being released last month. "Shakira" album was originally set for 2012, but was delayed due to her pregnancy. She gave birth to her first son with footballer Gerard Pique, in January 2013.
Shakira's "Dare (La La La)" music video (English version)
Shakira's "Dare (La La La)" music video (Spanish version)


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There's something for everyone on our list of top dog-friendly hotels around the country.
We've got you covered on everything from finding the right dog walker for your pup to how much dog-walking services cost.
Of course the German Shepherd and Labrador Retriever have something to say on the topic, but we also talked to some of the other smartest dog breeds.
Can you give a dog Imodium or other human over-the-counter medicines like Kaopectate or Pepto-Bismol when he's vomiting or has diarrhea? We find out.
Can we get a woof! woof! for the top dog-friendly cities in the USA?
Dealing with dog accidents, even though your pup is housetrained? Here's what may be happening, and how to effectively handle the problem!
Actor Jonathan Slavin is a pet parent to four dogs, six cats, a cockatoo, a tortoise and a pig! Here are the incredible stories behind his rescue dogs.
Should your puppy sleep in your bed with you? Going from a warm pile of littermates to a cold lonely crate can be traumatizing, so we think "yes."
Are Shih Tzu hypoallergenic dogs? How about Corgis, Jack Russell Terriers and Dachshunds? We take a look at the top hypoallergenic dog breeds.
Blood banks aren't just for humans — learn how Hemopet saves dogs' lives through their blood donor program.
Food allergies in dogs are tricky to diagnose — and it's even more difficult to pinpoint exactly what's triggering your pup's allergic reactions.
German Shepherds are on the list, naturally, but some other loyal dog breeds might surprise you.
The origins of dog howling go way back — but there are a few reasons why modern-day dogs howl.
When it comes to fresh food dog diets, steer clear of fatty meats! Here's how to determine what lean meats to feed your dog.
Dog drool is nothing new — but some breeds like the Bloodhound and the Mastiff take slobber to the next level.
From dog diarrhea to dog constipation, here's how to prevent common dog gastrointestinal issues — and what to do if your pup has one of these problems.
We've unearthed a pet-safe roach killer that gets the job done and won't harm your dog.
What exotic fruits can dogs eat? Can dogs eat passion fruit, acai and pineapple? Here's the scoop on 11 exotic fruits that you can and cannot give your dog.
Dog eye discharge can be completely normal or something to bring to your vet's attention ASAP. Here's how to determine what's worrying and what's not.
If constant dog barking is disturbing your neighbors, here's how to fix the problem without punishing your dog.
Summer is a fun but hectic season. Keep your pup safe, happy and healthy with these summer dog training tips.
It's a common misconception that all dogs love water — here's how to handle and train a dog that's afraid of water.


text:
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text:
Fuerteventura Hostels, Spain
See all Hostels in Fuerteventura
Hostel | 44.9 km
Surf Riders Fuerteventura is an excelent and modern surf hostel to meet new friends from other cultures and countries with the same aim; to spend…Read more a perfect holidays in this magical island. Surf Riders also offers Surf, Kite and Windsurfing courses every seasons of the year (Fuerteventura is one of the best places to practice water sports, some of the best International Championships are here! We offer cheap accomodation very close to the main Street of Corralejo.from 23.27 USD
Guesthouse | 46.2 km
Old Town House converted into a hostel. It is clean and very centrally located and close to all local bars, cafes, restaurants and supermarkets.…Read more Only 5 mins walk from the bus station and 5 mins from the ferry port. It is a great place for single travellers and has a good sociable, relaxed atmosphere. Breakfast is included in the price and free Wififrom 26.83 USD
Hostel | 46.2 km
Buenaventura surf house cosy and comfortable for great holidays.from 19.83 USD
Guesthouse | 42.2 km
Eco friendly guest house situated above the small village of Majanicho with great views of the north shore, Lanzarote, and surrounding volcanos.…Read more Very quiet, a great place to relax and enjoy nature.from 23.33 USD
Hostel | 45.3 km
Surfers Paradise will bring you the very scent of Fuerteventura and Corralejo.from 17.50 USD
Hostel | 44.8 km
Villa Sea Dogs is the perfect match to enjoy and get the best waves in Fuerteventura.from 17.50 USD
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text:
The List
For this reason, every year, I promise myself that Ill be one of those mothers who buy the pre-boxed, highly priced school supplies from the PTO. But unfortunately for all involved, Im also one of those mothers who, every year, forgets to turn in the slip necessary to reserve said pre-boxed, highly priced school supplies.
Ever the optimist, however, I wait in line on registration day, assuming I did turn in the sliponly to be reminded by supermom working the PTO table that my name is not on the listbecause, once again, I have failed my children.
Which means its off to the racestrying to find the multitude of items on an exhaustive list after the supermoms in town have already bought all the school supplies within a 100 mile radiusjust to spite me! But this year, things are different.
First off, child number two has already reminded me that I failed to turn in the slip. Apparently, being told by supermom last year that she comes from less than perfect stock is not something she wants to relive.
And secondly, this year, when I shop for school supplies, I am taking a sacrificial lamb. So as my husband and I walked into Target, I said,
Im going to look for a toaster. Just take this school supply list to the back, and Ill meet you over there when I am done. Go ahead, take it all the supplies are in one spot.
And the innocent lamb looked up at me and said Ok, lets get this done quickly, so we can go eat dinner.
Poor thing, I thought, little did he know HE was dinner those crazed supermoms back there were going to eat him alive!
One and a half hours later, after I had perused all the toasters Target had to offer (and then some) I sauntered back to school supplies.
The lamb no longer looked innocent, he looked crazed.
Where have you been? Ive been calling your phone over and over! I cant find half the garbage on this list. Why do they need self-sharpening colored pencils? And what are accordion files? By the way, I had the last box of 24-count crayons until that so-called mother over there took them right out of my hands!
You see, I cried back. You never listen to me when I tell you that teachers are horrible people. Dont you remember me telling you about Read-a-Thon, Field Day or Science Fair. These events are not about the childrenthey are a means of ruining my life and it all starts on day one with the school supply list!
When we finally got home that evening and laid all the supplies on the counter, child number two had a complete meltdown.
These are not self-sharpening colored pencils. I cant be expected to use a sharpener! And the list said a BOX of Clorox wipes not the tube! Are these 7-pocket accordion files? You were supposed to get the 10 pocket ones!!
Stop screaming, I said. Daddy will go back out tomorrow and get anything we missed.
After which I noticed my husbandreach for the hammer.
To read more of Angel and Beckys columns go to www.wilsonpost.com and hit Columns & Blogs.


text:
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text:
There is a tendency among some Conservatives, even those nervous about the government's recent slip-ups, to assume that David Cameron has one overwhelming strength: Ed Miliband.
These Tories say that Cameron's mixed response to the crisis in the Arab world, following a series of U-turns in the domestic arena, have highlighted some serious weaknesses in the Downing Street operation.
But they then make a hard-headed calculation: Ed Miliband's weaknesses will always prove greater than theirs. In the eyes of these Tories, the Labour leader will never connect with the British people because he inhabits a land that has no understanding of aspirational Britain.
Those same Tories will probably be a little less complacent after the weekend if they find time to study a few of the speeches made at the Progress conference. These show that some members of the shadow cabinet have grasped two fundamental points: the scale of the challenge facing Labour but also the opportunities if the party gets its act together.
First out, as I blogged on Saturday, was a speech by Jim Murphy, the shadow defence secretary, who urged Labour to avoid the "quicksand of continual apology" about its past. And on Sunday we had a speech by Douglas Alexander, the shadow foreign secretary, who told Labour that it had to recapture the spirit of the "mid-nineties modernisers" who swept the party back into power in 1997.
Murphy and Alexander are worth listening to because they have four things in common. They are West of Scotland MPs, they were born in the year (1967) that has produced some of the finest minds ever and they are two of the sharpest thinkers in the shadow cabinet. Finally over the summer they had a job share – as joint campaign managers to David Miliband.
Alexander's central message was that Labour history does not need to repeat itself and that the party does not have to wait for years to return to power. Labour can win the next general election in 2015 but only if it recaptures the spirit of 1994-1997 when the party embarked on the final push for modernisation under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
In making this point, Alexander shows a deft touch by barely mentioning New Labour. Instead he calls for the party to revive the spirit of what he calls the "mid nineties modernisers":
For those mid nineties modernisers, making the party comfortable was never enough. The aim was always to make the public comfortable with the idea of living, once again, in Labour Britain.
There are two key messages in those two sentences. Firstly, Labour must avoid what Tony Blair famously called its "comfort zone", the political territory that enthuses Labour supporters but leaves the rest of the country cold. Secondly, the party must ensure that everything it does is based around reaching out to voters who would never naturally identify with Labour.
To stress this point, Alexander takes aim at those members of the Labour party who are taking comfort at the party's lead in the opinion polls. Alexander reminded his audience that Labour's frequent leads between 1979-1997 only translated into victory when Labour underwent painful reforms:
During those eighteen years we were frequently ahead in the opinion polls. At times, we were judged a popular vehicle of protest, but only in the years immediately preceding 1997 were we judged a credible party of power.
I would argue that it was only in those years and after the modernisation of our policy agenda and our political positioning, our finances and our organisation that people began to feel comfortable again with the idea of living in Labour Britain.
In echo of Jim Murphy, Alexander says that today's Labour party should recapture the spirit of the mid 1990s modernisers but should not copy them. This will deal with any critics who say that Alexander simply wants to recreate New Labour.
Of course, this is not to suggest that we should now return to the specific policy positions that brought us to power as New Labour.
Neither nostalgia about the past or naiveté about the future are adequate to overcoming the challenge we face.
As those mid-nineties modernisers stated repeatedly new times demand not old dogmas, but new approaches.
So what does Alexander think is one of the most important messages from those mid 1990s modernisers? That would be to listen with great care to voters, such as those he met at an advice surgery in his Paisley and Renfrewshire South constituency on Friday night.
Alexander believes his constituents provided two key message:
• Labour has an opportunity because voters have great concerns about the scale of the public spending cuts.
• Labour needs to tread with care because those same voters have concerns about how Britain is going to pay its way in the future. Alexander clearly believes that if Labour does not reflect those concerns, as it joins the protests against cuts later this month, then it will just end as a lively, but largely irrelevant, protest group.
This is what Alexander said:
The power of our voice in the public discourse is directly related to its credibility.
As I argued in an article in the Guardian at New Year, moral outrage is a laudable response to manifest unfairness but it is not an electoral strategy.
And how we give voice to the public's anger in the months ahead [will] either demand that we are heard, or allow us to be dismissed.
So Labour has a great opportunity to win the next general election in 2015 if it makes the right judgments over the next year, according to Alexander. This must mean that the leadership will have no excuse it it fails.


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Loretta Saunders, the Inuk university student writing her thesis on missing and murdered aboriginal women, was killed on the same day native women delivered a petition to Parliament, signed by more than 23,000 Canadians, demanding a national inquiry into the issue.
That connection haunts Cheryl Maloney, a native leader in Nova Scotia – and it has also compelled her to act.
Ms. Maloney, the president of the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association, is organizing a vigil on Parliament Hill at noon on March 5 to honour Ms. Saunders and other missing and murdered indigenous women. Delilah Saunders-Terriak, Ms. Saunders's younger sister, has also called out for vigils to be organized across the country this month – and is receiving offers of help.
Ms. Maloney has no clue as to how many people will show up, or how the vigil on Parliament Hill will be structured. She simply believes "something big has to be done."
So far, repeated demands for an inquiry – including as recently as Friday – have fallen on deaf ears. But Ms. Maloney hopes that Ms. Saunders's story and her quest to shine a light on the issue that captivated so many Nova Scotians will do the same across the country.
"She broke the stereotype of what people can accept as missing and murdered aboriginal women," said Ms. Maloney. "It's easy for people to say 'okay, they were on drugs. It's okay, they were a sex trade worker.' That's not the whole story of who is going missing and murdered."
Ms. Saunders was a 26-year-old Saint Mary's University student, studying criminology. She had dreams of becoming a lawyer and hoped to return to her Labrador community as a role model.
What struck Ms. Maloney about the support for Ms. Saunders's family as they searched for nearly two weeks was that it was strong, immediate and not along ideological lines. "People genuinely cared. People were kind. I don't think Canadians take the same position Stephen Harper has of indifference to the issue of aboriginal women going missing …," she said.
There are reports that at least 800 native women have been murdered or gone missing since 1990. Since September, there have been eight aboriginal women who have been killed, according to the Native Women's Association of Canada. Ms. Saunders is one of the eight.
"This is about patterns … if you are an indigenous woman and you are five times more likely to be murdered than I am, then there is a pattern," said NDP Halifax MP Megan Leslie. But what is different with Ms. Saunders's case, she said, is that "we are paying attention and the collective 'we' care about this."
"People have actually said her death won't be in vain," said Ms. Leslie. "What the reason is I don't know exactly. But I am thankful."
The Assembly of First Nations, which has repeatedly called for a national inquiry, noted that Ms. Saunders's death provoked an increased awareness in a larger Canadian audience.
AFN Alberta Regional Chief Cameron Alexis, who speaks on this issue for his organization, is hopeful that it can "turn the balance" politically. "There is a public outcry here and what are we doing about it?" he asked.
Ms. Saunders went missing on Feb. 13. For two weeks, her family, many of whom live in Labrador, were in Halifax searching for her. Last Wednesday, her body was found dumped in a wooded median of the Trans-Canada Highway in New Brunswick.
Two people – Blake Leggette, 25, and his girlfriend, Victoria Henneberry, 28 – who were subletting her apartment for the past month, have been charged with first-degree murder. They were arrested near Windsor, Ont. on Feb. 18 and initially charged with stealing Ms. Saunders's car.
Police believe Ms. Saunders was killed in her apartment.
Ms. Maloney, meanwhile, hopes Ms. Saunders has started something with her research.
"I think it's up to Canadians and Canada to step up and finish her thesis and finish this story," she says.Report Typo/Error
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