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My book Reading Between the Lines: A Christian Guide to Literature has been re-issued in an updated format. The publishers, Crossway Books, asked me to write about the book for their blog, which I did. [Read more…]
My book on literature gets re-released
Gutting literature from the curriculum
Educational reform efforts in the public schools are generally well-intentioned, but once they are taken over by the educational bureaucrats they often achieve the opposite of what was intended. A commendable concern to ensure that students have learned something from the classes they take, that they achieve certain "learning outcomes," gave us the dumbing down of "Outcome based education." The "No Child Left Behind" program left behind whole schools.
The latest reform program being foisted on all public schools is "The Common Core." That derives from a great idea, having students learn a basic foundation of material, including reading key books. In practice, though, the Common Core is resulting in literature being gutted from the English curriculum.
The Common Core State Standards in English, which have been adopted in 46 states and the District, call for public schools to ramp up nonfiction so that by 12th grade students will be reading mostly "informational text" instead of fictional literature. But as teachers excise poetry and classic works of fiction from their classrooms, those who designed the guidelines say it appears that educators have misunderstood them
Proponents of the new standards, including the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, say U.S. students have suffered from a diet of easy reading and lack the ability to digest complex nonfiction, including studies, reports and primary documents. That has left too many students unprepared for the rigors of college and demands of the workplace, experts say.
The new standards, which are slowly rolling out now and will be in place by 2014, require that nonfiction texts represent 50 percent of reading assignments in elementary schools, and the requirement grows to 70 percent by grade 12.
Among the suggested nonfiction pieces for high school juniors and seniors are Alexis de Tocqueville's "Democracy in America," "FedViews," by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (2009) and "Executive Order 13423: Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management," published by the General Services Administration. . . .
"There's a disproportionate amount of anxiety," said David Coleman, who led the effort to write the standards with a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Coleman said educators are misinterpreting the directives.
Yes, the standards do require increasing amounts of nonfiction from kindergarten through grade 12, Coleman said. But that refers to reading across all subjects, not just in English class, he said. Teachers in social studies, science and math should require more reading, which would allow English teachers to continue to assign literature, he said. . . .
In practice, the burden of teaching the nonfiction texts is falling to English teachers, said Mark Bauerlein, an English professor at Emory University: "You have chemistry teachers, history teachers saying, 'We're not going to teach reading and writing, we have to teach our subject matter. That's what you English teachers do.' "
Sheridan Blau, a professor at Teachers College at Columbia University, said teachers across the country have told him their principals are insisting that English teachers make 70 percent of their readings nonfiction. "The effect of the new standards is to drive literature out of the English classroom," he said.
Timothy Shanahan, who chairs the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said school administrators apparently have flunked reading comprehension when it comes to the standards.
via Common Core State Standards in English spark war over words – The Washington Post.
So the idea is that science and other subjects would include reading in those areas. Great idea. But because the administrators also are not very good readers and because no one but English teachers want to require reading, the burden of requiring 70% "informational" reading is falling on English teachers,who must make room for it by cutting out literature. So instead of reading Old Man and the Sea, students have to read "Executive Order 13423: Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management."
The Art of Words
This is a topic that Lori Lewis asked me to address at her webzine Everyday Opera, trying to help people appreciate all the different literary styles:
"I can't stand all of those flowery descriptions in classic literature. Why don't the authors just get to the action?" "I don't like opera with all of that over-the-top emotion." "Those old writers are just not realistic!" Those are common complaints, but they deserve an answer.
First of all, literature is an art form that consists of language. Whereas a painter uses daubs of paint, an author uses daubs of words. Whereas a musical composer works with individual musical notes, working them together into complex harmonies, rhythms, and melodies, an author creates the effects of a novel or a poem with individual words.
This is to say, an author can't just "get to the action" because a story is not just a matter of action. It's words. Plays, including the dramatic production that is a movie, do consist of action. But even a visualized story generally depends on the language of dialogue, which actors use to create their characters. Purists who want only action might restrict themselves to silent movies. But even silent movies—as with all dramatic scripts—have to be written.
Words are multi-dimensional and can create an infinite number of effects–including the illusion that the words are doing nothing. Those who are impatient with "style" often don't realize that "realism" is also a style.
I'm speaking at an online apologetics conference
Do you like to go to conferences–say, a big conference on apologetics–but don't have the time or the money to take off and fly somewhere for several days? But why should anyone have to travel for a conference, what with online technology?
I'm going to be giving a lecture on Christianity & Comedy at an online apologetics conference to be held April 19-21. The overall topic will focus on "Literary Apologetics," the use of stories (including literature, films, music, and other expressions) to convey the truth of the Christian faith. The conference is being put on by Athanatos Christian Ministries, an apologetics organization led by Anthony Horvath (a Lutheran teacher and a former student of mine!).
You can sign up for the conference here. The following are the speakers and the topics. Go here for a schedule of the actual times. (Mine will be at 9:00 a.m. Central on Friday, April 20.) Notice that most of the conference is for paid registrants (a mere $30) but that the sessions on the 19th are free.
Athanatos Christian Ministry's Third Annual
Online Apologetics Conference
2012 Theme:
Using Story to Defend, Promote, Explain, and Transmit the Faith
Dale Ahlquist
President of the American Chesterton Society
Other Speakers:
Dr. Gene Edward Veith | Dave Sterrett | Paul Hughes | Dr. Holly Ordway | Anthony Horvath | Brian Auten | Stephen Bedard | Glenn Jones | James D. Agresti | Mikel Del Rosario | Mark Riser | Tom Gilson | Joseph Keysor | Bruce Hennigan, M.D. | Dr. Ryan MacPherson | Paul Nowak
An apologetics conference held… entirely online! (Click here to see what a session is like)
April 19th, 20th, and 21st, 2012.
Follow us on Twitter! | or join our Facebook Page
Sign up for our mailing list to receive updates!
ALL SESSIONS RECORDED – Make up sessions you missed at your convenience. All conference registrants receive free access to these archives. Information on purchasing archive access coming soon!
2012 Conference Goals:
- Build off of visions of ACM's previous conferences, encouraging Christians to defend the faith through the arts.
- Call attention to the power of Story and Narrative in the formation of world views.
- Argue that the Gospel Story is superior to all of them, if only because it is the Truth.
- Encourage Christians to use video, movies, literature, and music to mount a defense of Christianity in general and the Biblical model for the family in particular.
- Connect Christian artists with each other and with those who can help propel them to success.
- Remind Christians that they each have a responsibility to be ready to give a defense in their own lives.
- Raise awareness of the fact that competing 'stories' are promoting beliefs and values that must be critically analyzed, not just mindlessly absorbed.
Conference Framework
ACM's 2012 conference will be a little different than previous years. The main part of the conference (being held on the 20th and 21st), the plenaries, will present a number of short stories that have some bearing on the Christian worldview. Each presenter will take one of those stories, digest it, and apply it to contemporary issues in apologetics. The stories and presenters will be announced in due time.
On the 19th, credible apologists will be invited to present on the topic of their choice (subject to ACM approval). Up to 20 presenters are expected, and the topics will vary. Note: all presentations on the 19th will be open to the public! Only the sessions on the 20th and 21st require paid registration.
Friday-Saturday (Apr. 20-21st, paid registrants only)
- Dale Ahlquist, President of the American Chesterton Society. "Finding the Right Word: Chesterton on the Writer's Art."
- Dr. Gene Edward Veith, Author, "Christianity and Comedy"
- Dave Sterrett, Author and Apologist, Spokesperson for "I am Second", "Using Story for Christ: Reflections on 'I am Second.'"
- Paul Hughes, Author and Apologist, "Tim Gautreaux and the Apologetics of Real Life" and "5 by Flannery [O'Connor]."
- Dr. Holly Ordway, "Finding God in Fairy Tales" (Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel) and "The Importance of Excellence in Christian Fiction: A Lesson from CS Lewis"
- Jason Jones, MovietoMovement, producer of movie Bella, "Topic TBA"
- Anthony Horvath, Athanatos Christian Ministries, "An Analysis of 'The Birthmark' by Nathaniel Hawthorne" and "How 3 Stories Got Under the Skin of PZ Myers and the New Atheists."
- Bruce Hennigan, M.D., author. "Speculative Fiction and Apologetics."
- Paul Nowak, author. "It's the Fight that Matters" [based on Chuck Palahniuk's original short story "Fight Club" (later a novel and movie by the same title)].
Guest Lectures (Thursday, Apr. 19th – Free Access)
- Brian Auten, Apologetics315, "Avoiding Apologetics Pitfalls"
- Glenn Jones, apologist. "Reading Genesis as History: Implications for Science and the Age of the Universe."
- James D. Agresti, author of Rational Conclusions. "Cosmology, the science of the origin and development of the universe."
- Stephen Bedard, author and apologist, "Reading the New Testament in Context."
- Mikel Del Rosario, apologist, "Defending the Resurrection in Everyday Conversations."
- Mark Riser, apologist. "Why I Am An Old-Earth Creationist: A Personal Journey"
- Tom Gilson, apologist. "How Arrogant Are We, Anyway?'
- Joseph Keysor, author. "Hitler, the Bible, and the Holocaust."
- Bruce Hennigan, M.D., author. " CSI: Golgotha"
- Dr. Ryan MacPherson, author. "The Culture of Life: The Redemptive Power of Conversion Narratives"


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As our patient you will receive the best of care. You can freely select an independent examining doctor from a network of 2'000 doctors.
Our partners are all highly qualified specialists offering you the highest level of care.
A review of your personal insurance coverage is certainly worthwhile as it affects and facilitates your hospital stay. It can be divided roughly into two categories: accident and health insurance. Semi-private or private supplementary insurance can be taken out for both categories and will cover the full range of services.

subset: commoncrawl


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We try to get out and about as much as possible, and are blessed to have the beach a couple of minutes walk away and the South Downs just a short drive in the other direction. The girls love to be outside and we try to get out for a walk or another nature adventure at least once a day. All that adventuring can involve some difficult terrain and, although I have got a lovely pair of wellies, they don't always cut it on rough ground and can be a bit too slippy for my liking when wearing a baby or toddler in a sling or carrier. And of course wearing caked-in-mud trainers is not ideal for more prosaic urban adventures, so we have concluded that I need a pair of proper walking boots.
My quest for a decent pair of walking boots has been extensive and I have learnt that I should be considering lots of different factors, including:
- what terrains you will mostly be travelling over;
- what weight you will carry;
- how long you plan on walking for.
The more I investigated the clearer it became that I needed to talk to an expert. My child-free friend Jen is a regular weekend hiker and does some serious climbing of big peaks, and she recommended Cotswold Outdoor footwear for expertise, great service and a huge range of suitable walking shoes. I duly headed to our nearest store for a consultation. They were really helpful in talking through exactly what I needed the boots for and helped establish the best boots for me. Having narrowed their extensive range of boots down to just four potential choices, I plumped for the incredibly comfortable and flexible Renegade.
The Renegade are perfect for ramblers and have a superb fit, are light and comfortable, just like slipping on a favourite pair of trainers. The flexibility makes them ideal for rambling up hill and down dale, but they also have an added heel support to keep you stable over any sharp declines or ascents. They have a robust but flexible Vibram sole which provides support and great grip, ideal for babywearing. Plus the lining is seamless, so the risk of hot spots and blisters is reduced, and the mid-height ankle support ensures a secure fit. Being incredibly comfortable, straight out of the box, I was ready for our next outdoor adventure straight away. They're waterproof too so I'll be able to take those muddy puddles in my stride!
Whether you are kitting up for your next alpine ascent or just getting ready for a country walk, Cotswold Outdoor has everything you need, from jackets to the latest walking boots and lightweight rucksacks.


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The Anthem Country Club Community Association (ACCCA) Board of Directors welcomes you to the community. Enjoy the benefits of living in this beautiful, gated neighborhood, which is governed and preserved by the Board and the homeowners' association (HOA), as well as the many residents who call it home.
About the ACCCA
Developer Del Webb established the Anthem Country Club community in 1999. The Country Club community has 2,865 homes governed by the ACCCA HOA. Anthem has two other HOAs and a larger Board-governed structure, the Anthem Community Council.
The ACCCA owns and manages:
- Gates and gate personnel;
- Roads and bridges within the Anthem Country Club community;
- Wash drains, street dividers and entry areas.
Additionally, the ACCCA enforces all governing documents, policies and Design Guidelines.
The ACCCA is managed by Associated Asset Management (AAM) staff and can be reached at 623-742-6030.
Anthem Golf & Country Club (AG&CC)
Amenities are provided via additional dues by the Anthem Golf & Country Club (AG&CC), a separate entity within the community gates operated by ClubCorp, Inc. These amenities include two clubhouses, fitness centers, tennis courts, swimming pools, golf courses and dining facilities (also referred to as Persimmon and Ironwood Clubhouses). The AG&CC is not a part of the ACCCA structure.
Any questions regarding these amenities may be directed to 623-742-6200 or by visiting the ClubCorp website.
Helpful Information
- Who Does What (listing of roles/responsibilities for ACC/ACCCA/AG&CC)
- Anthem Golf & Country Club (AG&CC)
- Anthem Community Council (ACC)
- View contact information for Utilities Agencies
- View Resident Information
- Community Resources


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|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Jun 18, 1985
|Filing date
|May 4, 1982
|Priority date
|May 4, 1982
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Joseph W. Blake, III, Jack W. Kaufman
|Original Assignee
|Blake Joseph W Iii, Kaufman Jack W
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (21), Referenced by (96), Classifications (10), Legal Events (6)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This invention relates to improved stapling instruments, and more particularly to a surgical skin stapler which may be disposable after a single-use or application.
Modern medical procedures and equipment have led to significant advances in medicine, and there have been many new developments in recent years which have substantially contributed to better health care. One of such developments is the use of a skin stapler and metal staples to close a wound or incision, rather than the more conventional thread sutures for closing incisions in living tissue such as fascia or skin of a patient. Such use of skin staplers and metal staples have clearly demonstrated a reduction in suturing time and thus overall operating time the patient must remain in the operating room under anaesthesia. The various stapling instruments developed and marketed heretofore in the medical profession comprise diverse constructions, such as manual and gas powered instruments, but none are yet widely accepted by all doctors for a number of reasons, such as poor visibility of wound site, cost, reliability, bulkiness, lack of familiarity with the product, clumsiness and/or difficulty in use, mechanical complexity, etc. Other surgical stapling instruments incorporate replaceable staple cartridges which may be changed when all of the staples in a single cartridge are utilized.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,851 teaches a skin stapler with a staple cartridge and a trigger activated, gas-powered unit for driving a pusher forward to form the staple about an anvil and to eject same prior to returning automatically to its initial rearward position in the stapler ready for the next stapling cycle or sequence. Such instruments incorporating gas-powered driving means, however, do not lend themselves to wide acceptance as they must use sterilized gas, and must be periodically recharged with fresh pressurized gas cartridges or cylinders and such a maintenance requirement is simply disruptive to a doctor or surgeon. However, disposable gas powered staplers are now currently in use, but they, like any gas powered staplers, do not provide the doctor or surgeon with tactile feedback, unlike manually operated instruments which provide more flexibility in control and feel of staple bending and wound approximation. These gas powered staplers are also expensive and complex in operation.
In another medical stapler disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,844, a spring-loaded means constantly urges and advances the staples along an anvil plate independent of the staple driver and the driving mechanism which actuates it. Also, a safety latch means to preclude inadvertent operation of the stapling instrument is provided in the stapler. Nevertheless, even though it employs a rotatable nose portion, its overall configuration, hand grip and vertical orientation to the wound site obstructs one's visability of the work area.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,504, staples are stacked in a track of a removable and/or disposable cartridge and moved by spring means toward an anvil on the stapler. Each staple is shifted from a staple feeding track in the cartridge through a specifically sized window by means of a shifter closing the window to a separately divided staple forming track in the forming chamber which contains a former or driver. This unit further employs plural drive means for the staple feed and staple former and is otherwise complex in construction. In addition, the drive means are oriented perpendicular to the two tracks which have a divider wall therebetween and consequently its mechanical operation is achieved with difficulty and requires considerable space creating a more bulky stapler structure. In this regard, the cartridge of U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,504 is specifically intended to be used with the surgical stapling instrument disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,836. This instrument has a handle portion and a straight nose portion rotatively mounted in the handle portion. The nose portion carries the instrument anvil and releasably supports the surgical staple carrying cartridge by means of a resilient latch configured to releasably engage the upper end of the cartridge in such a way as to urge the cartridge into abutment with both the nose portion and the instrument anvil.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,819,100, 3,949,924 and the disposable skin stapler covered by U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,623 (identified by the "Auto Suture" registered trademark of U.S. Surgical Corporation) all relate to manually-powered surgical stapling instruments and a staple-carrying cartridge, with a nose portion which is rotatably mounted in a hand-held main body portion so that the stapling angle can be varied without rotating the hand-held position of the stapler. Clutch means are also provided to ensure the staple-advancing drive means is only activated once per stapling operation. One of the disadvantages of the Auto Suture stapler is that its trigger is difficult to pull and it can inadvertently pinch flesh, fingers and linen or other items between the trigger and handle in certain positions of use.
A further medical stapling device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,762. This device teaches a relatively simple structure wherein staples are moved along a track between grooved rails by a drive member having spaced lugs which are moved into engagement with the staples for advancing them along the track and simultaneously forming a first staple about an anvil. Rearward movement disengages the lugs away from the track so as to position the driver and its lugs for its next stapling cycle or sequence of continued operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,480 deals with a medical stapler provided with a device which leaves the ram across the staple in the opening to prevent another staple from being fed (double feeding) into the channel if manual activation of the stapler is discontinued before staple ejection. Also the stapler includes means for producing a "click"when the driver ram is moved fully to its eject position to provide both a tactile and an audible indication of the closing of a staple around the anvil.
Another U.S. Pat. No. 4,256,251 teaches a surgical stapler having a magazine or cartridge of staples secured to a base by spring clips and a pair of toggle-joint linkage handles which serve to drive a staple forming ram and bend a staple around the anvil. When pressure on the handles is released slightly, the anvil then is slid out from under the top of the staple.
Other skin staple cartridges such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,227 employ a staple cartridge embodying a belt system carrying a plurality of staples and ramp means for singly moving the staples out of the belt and into the plane of the pusher. In the surgical stapler of U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,016, the staple is pushed from the magazine into the driver chamber where it is engaged by the driver and pushed down the chamber to the anvil where it is deformed. Such a stapler also includes ratchet means for preventing a second staple from being fed into the guide while the one ahead of it is still being formed and yet to be ejected.
It is, therefore, a principle object of the invention to provide a unique and novel medical stapler for stapling skin or fascia.
Another object of the invention is to provide an entirely new stapler design which improves visibility at the suture or wound site, and control in the positioning or staple placement. A further object of the invention is to provide an improved skin stapler which has a slender, curved nose section and a closed handle and trigger portion, which are designed to function in an idealized manner with the human hand when in a clasped condition as in the case when pulling the trigger.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a further improved skin stapler incorporating a driving mechanism which exhibits high driving forces within a confined area, but yet the manual force required to activate and drive the mechanism is small and easily and comfortably handled.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a skin stapler of the disposable type and one which holds a sufficiently large number of stored staples so that in most routine applications where the staples are used, switching instruments when the staples are exhausted is kept to a minimum.
In accordance with the invention, the skin stapler comprises a frame structure, with a slightly curved, nose section for positioning the staples at a suture site, and adapted to be gripped by a hand, including a housing therein supporting an anvil, a stapler ejector, a driver for deforming said staple about said anvil, and a staple follower for continually urging the staples against a release member; and means for actuating said driver in a substantially translatable direction; said actuating means comprising a toggle mechanism and means for restoring said driver to its unactivated position; and means for preventing the double loading of said staples in said surgical stapler.
In accordance with the invention, the skin stapler also comprises an entirely disposable unit having a housing including an anvil, a staple ejector, a driver for deforming the staple about the anvil, a staple follower and a release member; the housing further including means for holding the skin stapler while moving the driver from its normal unactivated position to a forming position where a staple is formed about the anvil by means of the driver.
The invention further concerns a surgical stapler for suturing tissue with staples, comprising a frame structure adapted to be hand held, including means for feeding, deforming and ejecting a formed staple, and further means for activating said means; and an approximating blade, disposed at the tip of said stapler where said staples are ejected, for centering the stapler about the approximated sides of the wound to be sutured.
Also, in accordance with the invention, one embodiment of the surgical stapler which is adapted to be hand held has a visible staple supply in the frame structure; the frame structure further comprising an anvil and a housing structure having a single track therein for a driver-follower unit. The follower is secured to the driver and is resiliently biased so as to continuously urge said plurality of staples which are stacked end to end atop the driver to a forwardly position. A release member is disposed above the most forward staple for urging a staple into position in front of the driver, with the driver being manually actuated by actuating means for traveling between a forming position for closing said staple about the anvil and a retracting position in said track for reloading a next staple in front of said driver. The driver upon retracting permits only a single staple to move independently of the actuating means into position in front of said driver without a direct actuation of the stapler.
Another form of skin stapler has stored therein a plurality of staples and has a frame structure, with a nose section for directing the staples at a suture site. The stapler is also adapted to be gripped by a hand, with the stapler housing supporting an anvil, and having a single track encompassing a driver for deforming said staple about the anvil and a staple follower is in juxtaposition to said driver for continuously urging said staples forwardly in the single track in cooperative association with a release member. Further, the staple is provided with manually operated actuating means for actuating the driver in a substantially translatable direction by a toggle-like drive mechanism for forming a closed staple about said anvil biasing means restores the driver to its unactuated position; and the staples are stacked and nested end to end between the driver and the upper portion of the housing. Thus, when the driver is to be restored to its unactuated position by the biasing means, a single staple from the front of the stack of staples is urged and moves into position in front of the driver so as to be formed about said anvil upon the driver being actuated.
The invention also encompasses a surgical staple for joining the severed skin or facia of a body comprising, prior to emplacement, a curved central portion, straight portions extending upwardly and outwardly from opposite ends of said curved central portion, straight portions extending upwardly and outwardly from opposite ends of said curved central portion at obtuse angles, and straight portions extending downwardly and outwardly from curved portions connecting said upwardly and outwardly straight extending portions with said downwardly and outwardly straight extending portions, and said straight portions being about equal in length to each other.
The present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts in the various views, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a surgical stapler in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view thereof, taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 2a is a fragmentary sectional view, taken along the line 2a--2a of FIG. 2;
FIG. 3 is an exploded, perspective view of the innards of the stapler, including the actuating drum and staple driving mechanism;
FIGS. 4-7 generally illustrate the operational sequence of staple closure, with FIG. 4 representing in a top plan view the front portion of the stapler with the split housing cut away to show detail, and generally illustrating a starting position;
FIGS. 4a and 4b are enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken, respectively, along the lines 4a--4a and 4b--4b of FIG. 4;
FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4, but with the top cover and escapement spring of the staple driving, mechanism removed, and with the follower and row of staples illustrated and generally illustrating a forward moving position with a single staple having been advanced and wedged between the driver and the anvil;
FIG. 5a is another enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken along the lines 5a--5a of FIG. 5;
FIG. 6 is a further view like that of FIGS. 4 and 5, but with the follower and row of staplers removed, and generally illustrating a complete crimping and stapling position;
FIG. 6a is a further enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken along the line 6a--6a of FIG. 6;
FIG. 7 is another view like that of FIGS. 4-6, but with the driver removed, and illustrating the ejector having lifted the crimped staple off the anvil;
FIG. 7a is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken along the line 7a--7a of FIG. 7;
FIG. 7b is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken along the line 7b--7b of FIG. 7a;
FIG. 8 is a greatly enlarged, front fragmentary view in perspective of a staple between the escapement spring and follower, and another staple in front of the conforming curved front edges of the driver;
FIG. 9 is an exploded, perspective view of an anti-jam or "fail safe" ratchet mechanism which insures that only one staple is advanced through a complete sequence of staple closure operation once the cycle is commenced;
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of the front end of a resilient follower or pawl-arm riding a camming surface of a ratchet;
FIG. 11 is a view similar to that of FIG. 10, but illustrating in phantom lines the front end of the follower riding over the caming surface and returning back with the tooth of the ratchet engaged in the slotted portion of the follower;
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the lines 12--12 of FIG. 11;
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the lines 13--13 of FIG. 11;
FIG. 14 is a view similar to that of FIG. 11, but illustrating the follower or pawl arm locked in a position of forward movement by the tooth having engaged the front edge of the follower;
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the lines 15--15 of FIG. 14;
FIG. 16 illustrates in perspective an alternate modification of the anti-jam or "fail safe" ratchet mechanism shown in FIGS. 9-15;
FIG. 17 is a fragmentary end view, showing the tooth of the ratchet in the slotted portion of the follower projection;
FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the lines 18--18 of FIG. 17;
FIG. 19 is a view showing the follower locked in a position of forward movement by the tooth having engaged the front edge or surface of the follower projection;
FIGS. 20-24 are diagramatic illustrations of just five alternate constructions of means for activating the driver so as to move the driver forward for expelling and forming a staple about said anvil, which incidentally does not require much force at all;
FIG. 25 is a top plan view of a bottom housing cover with an alternate construction embodying a modified ejector spring and driver;
FIG. 26 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 26--26 of FIG. 25; and showing escapement spring and staples;
FIG. 27 is a fragmentary sectional view, similar to that of FIG. 26, but showing advanced driver and raised escapement spring;
FIG. 28 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 28--28 of FIG. 25;
FIG. 29 is a fragmentary top plan view of the cover housing and escapement spring (shown in phantom) employed with the alternate construction shown in FIGS. 25-28;
FIG. 30 is a fragmentary perspective view of the escapement spring shown in its engagement with a staple;
FIG. 31 is a plan view, of a staple designed for used with the skin stapler, with the staple shown in the undeformed state with reference to the anvil about which the staple is formed; and
FIG. 32 is another plan view, of the staple of FIG. 31, but showing the staple formed about the anvil.
Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1-8, there is shown our novel medical surgical skin stapler generally designated by the reference numeral 10. The stapler 10 comprises a frame 12, preferably comprising paired halves 14 and 16 having a rearward portion defining a gripping element, and including a generally translatable trigger element 18, preferably of a length which forms a closed handle portion substantially orthogonal to the top upper portion 20 of the frame 12. The shape and grip is such as to be conveniently gripped with one hand of a surgeon.
As best shown in FIGS. 2, 2a and 3, a pusher or driver 22 is moved or generally provided with translational motion by means of an actuating drum 24 supported on a shaft 26 extending from half 14 and said shaft 26 being in a suitable bearing support provided in the paired halves 14 and 16 of the frame 12. Wrapped about the actuating drum 24 is a resilient strap 32, preferably made of metal, such as stainless steel, anchored at one end, suitably by means of a closed loop 33 of the strap 32, to a pin 34, suitably affixed to the trigger element 18. The other end 36 of the strap 32 is connected to resilient means, such as the return extension spring 40, for continually tensioning and urging rearwardly the "return" of the strap 32, and in turn the driver 22 through the action of the actuating drum 24, as will be explained in greater detail hereinafter.
The actuating drum 24 is rotated about its shaft 26, as shown in phantom FIG. 2, when the trigger element 18 and strap 32 are pulled back by means of a pair of projections 42 (see FIG. 3), suitably provided on the drum's peripheral surface 44 and which project through a suitable pair of mating apertures 46 in the strap 32. The actuating drum 24 acts as a toggle mechanism in providing the necessary driving forces required to move the driver 22 and subsequently perform the forming and/or stapling operation for each staple used; with the driving forces acting tangentially to the peripheral surfaces 44 of the actuating drum 24.
As best shown in FIG. 3, the driver 22 comprises a front portion 48 and a rear channel shaped connecting portion 50, bendable and/or resilient in an intermediate flexible linking portion 51 as said intermediate portion 51 acts as a hinge between and transfers forces between said front and rear portions 48 and 50. The driver 22 is also preferably of one piece construction. The distal end of the rear connecting portion 50 is provided with suitable arcuate side elements 52 and 54 for connection to the actuating drum 24 about a pair of oppositely disposed lugs 56 and 58 formed by suitable recess means 60 cut into the side surfaces of the drum 24. Such toggle driving arrangement provides the necessary high forces required to form the staple about the anvil 61 which is located on the bottom cover 84.
Through means 62, such as, for example, the elongated slot in the top surface portion 64 of the channel shaped connecting portion 50 of the driver 22, a negator spring 66 is suitably mounted about a shaft to the parallel sides 68 and 70 of the channel driver 22 and to a follower 72, for maintaining a continuing force on the follower 72. Thus, a constant pressure on the row of staples is provided to urge them forward at all times. The follower 72 continually urges the row of staples 74 against the formed front underside of an escapement spring 76 which is in mutual cooperative association with an open unformed staple. The escapement spring 76 which is resilient also maintains a constant downward pressure for moving or shifting downwardly a single staple in front of the driver 22. The staples 74 are retained beneath the opposite edges 77 of the cover 80 in a single track 79 which also accommodates the follower 72 and driver 22.
The follower 72, since it should freely slide between the driver 22 and the top cover 80, is preferably made of a material exhibiting low frictional resistance, such as "Delrin", a trademark of the DuPont Company of Wilmington, Del. The escapement spring 76 is suitably secured, such as by welding, riveting or peened over pins 78, to the top cover 80. Secured in a like manner to a bottom cover 84 is a suitable ejector 86 which functions to eject a formed or closed staple 74 as is best shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b. Alternately, the escapement spring 76 may also be formed integrally with the top cover 80 and comprise a resilient cantilevered element stamped out from the central open cut-out area 81 in the top cover 80. The shifting movement up and down of the ejector 86 is governed by a depression or "elongated" dimple 88 in the driver 22 and a mutually cooperative raised portion 90 on the ejector 86. FIGS. 4a-7a clearly show the interaction and cooperative association between the dimple 88 of the driver 22 and the raised portion 90 of the ejector 86. Alternate means for ejecting and a modified escapement spring may be employed as will be discussed hereinafter.
The bottom end 92 of the trigger element 18 is guided for translational movement in a bore 94, preferably of the blind type (although a through hole is also satisfactory), with the bore being disposed at an angle of about 14� to about 24� with the horizontal. Preferably, an angle of about 19� is employed as with this angle, a most satisfactory balance of forces is achieved with the hand in an open to closed position as when the hand is gripping the stapler. This arrangement also ensures that as the staple is being formed and applied to a wound, the nose section of the stapler is maintained in a stationary manner and does not exhibit any "kicking up" action as do some of the prior art staplers, such as U.S. Surgical's. The movement of the bottom end 92 in the bore 94 is somewhat less than the movement of the upper end of the trigger element 18 relative to the actuating drum's shaft 26, as the path of travel at the upper end is longer. In this regard, the trigger element 18 also may comprise paired halves 96 and 98, each with a suitable slot 100 at their upper ends for guiding the trigger element 18 when actuated by pulling and for its return when released. In addition, the trigger element 18 may be provided with gripping means, such as at least one finger grip 104. The index finger as the trigger 18 is squeezed is relieved of the power required to actuate the trigger element 18 and it thus provides maximum or total control to the stapling operation. The nose section of the stapler being relatively thin (about 1/8-1/4 inch) and being curved downwardly provides increased visibility at the wound site which is vitally important to the surgeon as proper placement of the staples is greatly facilitated. If desired, an approximating blade 102 which is mounted to (or held between) the housing may be provided with a suitable scored line (not shown) so that it can be removed by breaking it off should a particular surgeon desire not to utilize such a centering device. It should also be appreciated that the closed trigger loop of our skin stapler, precludes catching or squeezing one's fingers, or flesh of the patient or snagging linen or other materials, etc. between the trigger and handle, which not only can cause considerable discomfort to a person, but also disturb the concentration of the doctor or surgeon during his suturing procedure.
Referring now to FIGS. 9-15, there is shown an antijamming or "fail safe" ratchet mechanism for preventing double loading, thus ensuring that once a cycle or sequence of staple placement is started, it must be finished to completion before a new staple can commence the next placement cycle or sequence. As shown therein, the mechanism comprises a resilient deflecting follower or pawl arm 106, having a notched area 108, which may be, if desired, integrally molded into one of the paired halves 96 and 98, and a ratchet 110, preferably integrally formed with the driver 22, having top or track-like surface 112 and a front tooth 114. Initially, the front of the pawl arm 106 resides in front of the tooth 114 and is not in contact therewith. As the handle is pulled back, the tooth 114 is engaged and part of the pawl glides on the lower surface as the trigger is pulled rearwardly. The pawl arm 106 is then deflected and stressed downwardly until the rearmost position of the trigger is reached. The pawl arm 106 then leaves the surface and pops to a stress-relieved position. When the trigger is released, the pawl arm comes down into contact with the top surface, and thereafter is deflected upwardly and stressed until the trigger reaches a full forward position. At this time, the pawl arm snaps back to its original non-contacting position ready for the next cycle. The pawl arm 106 is resilient and deflectable so that it generally rides on the camming surface 112 of the ratchet 110 until it is initially deflected downwardly and is locked behind the tooth 114 precluding its forward travel. This locked position of the pawl arm 106 and trigger element 18 to which it is connected occurs almost immediately after the trigger element 18 is initially pulled back to start a cycle for the placement of a staple.
The curved slot 34' provided on at least one of the handles, shown in 98 on FIG. 9 provides a tracking path for locking in position at any given point the strap 32 during the stroke or cycle of operation of the stapler so that the flexible strap 32 cannot be kinked since it is forced to travel along the fixed glide path.
In the modification of FIGS. 16-19, the ratchet 115 forms a downwardly extending cam track 116 with a front tooth 118 which is engagable with a pawl arm 120 having a channel-shaped projection 122 which rides on the cam track 116 as the trigger element 18 is pulled back (FIG. 17). As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the front tooth 118 prevents the pawl arm 120 from moving forward once the tooth 118 snaps behind the channel-shaped projection 122. On the trigger's return the pawl arm 120 rides on the top camming surface 124 of the ratchet 115. The operating cycle of this modification is essentially the same as that described hereinabove for the ratchet mechanism of FIGS. 9-15.
As shown in phantom in FIG. 16, a second tooth 118' may also be employed with both ratchet embodiments for precluding the trigger from inadvertently releasing with full retracted force into the front tooth 118 in the event the handle slips or the trigger is released unintentionally. Such a second tooth 118' would protect the pawl arm 120 of the half 96 from fracturing if the trigger was accidentally released in the fully retracted position as the second tooth 118' would stop the pawl arm and released trigger in its rearward positions and keep same from rushing forward into the first tooth 118. The second tooth is preferably placed in the pre-cocked position where the staple is just about ready to be formed about the anvil.
FIGS. 20-24 diagramatically illustrate a few alternate forms of our disponsable skin stapler. For example, as shown in FIG. 20, the driver 150 is provided with an extension in the form of a "thumb" finger loop 152 for actuation of the stapler as shown in phantom, and as is similarly done with a conventional type of syringe, wherein additional finger loops 154, 156 are provided on opposite sides of the body or housing 82 for holding purposes. The housing 82 further encompasses all of the other elements of the skin stapler, namely, the ejector, the bottom cover, follower, top cover and the escapement spring. Of course, with such a skin stapler, one must manually return or retract the driver 150 to its initial position shown in FIG. 20 as no return spring is employed. Such a stapler may be of the "single shot" type or it may be provided with a plurality of staples just like the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8. However, a compression spring may be employed between the finger loop 152 and the housing 82 so as to return the driver 150 to its unactivated position. FIG. 21 illustrates another alternate form of our stapler in side elevation, wherein an extension 160 of the driver 162 is in the form of a sliding handle and a fixed trigger element 164 forms part of and or extends from the body or housing 82. In this embodiment of the invention, a return spring 166 may be employed between the handle 160 and trigger 164 for returning the handle to its normal position.
The embodiment of FIG. 22 is similar to that of FIG. 21, but employs a pivoting type of handle 160' pivoted at 168 and is provided with a slot 170 for engagement with a pin 172 provided on the driver 162'. This skin stapler operates in essentially the same manner as that of FIG. 21, but it has a "closed" handle portion in lieu of an open handle portion.
FIG. 23 further illustrates a very compact form of stapler wherein handle means in the form of a pair of connecting pivotable or toggle links when actuated provide together the driving force for the driver 174. In this example, the handle link 176 is attached to an extension 175 of the housing 82 and is squeezed for moving the driver 174 forward by means of an intermediate link 178. Spring 180 returns the links to their normal position as shown by the solid lines.
FIG. 24 is similar to FIG. 23, except that here the handle link 176' is pivoted and attached up front to the housing 82, with the intermediate link 178' and spring 180' in generally the same positions.
FIGS. 25-30 show a preferred construction of the stapler mechanism of the apparatus of the invention. Here, the leading edges of the forward or first staple pushes down the paired tangs or legs 200 extending from the end of ejector 202 as the staple 204 advances forward to be formed about an anvil 208. Thus, when the driver 206 is retracted, the legs 200 immediately push up the staple 204 and advance it off the anvil 208. Constant pressure is therefore maintained on the staple 204 as it is moved to the front of the stapler. The legs or tangs are inclined slightly upwardly about 10� to further aid in keeping the staple 204 in position and precluding it from dropping forward or falling loose at the front of the stapler. Other preferred features of the invention are accurate alignment means between driver 206 and bottom cover 210, and the three point staple contact maintained by escapement spring 216 (FIG. 30). As best shown in FIGS. 26-28, the driver 206 is suitably provided with groove means 212 which cooperates with pin means 214 in the bottom cover 210. With such disposed pin and groove means or vice-versa, the staple is precisely aligned or centered about the anvil even though the width of the single track is slightly larger than the width of the staples to allow for clearance. This alignment feature between driver and bottom cover, as well as the modified ejector and escapement spring or release member 216 are interchangeable with and may be substituted in lieu of the ejector 86, driver 48, bottom spring 76, and top and bottom covers of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8. The escapement spring 216 has a delayed raising action (see FIG. 27) due to the driver 206 moving a greater forward distance before urging the spring up. This action ensures that only one staple is acted on at any one time by the driver.
The staple most suitable for use with the stapler of the invention, although any staple of similar size and shape would also suffice so long as driver and follower profiles conform to the staple profile, is best shown in FIGS. 31 and 32. As shown therein, the staple 190 comprises seven portions, a curved central portion 192 smaller than the width of the anvil, and on opposite sides thereof short upwardly and outwardly portions as well as short downwardly and outwardly portions, all of the same length, connected together by curved portions. With such a construction, the staple enters and leaves the suture site with minimum trauma as the ends of the staple track the same path generally in each operation; and the retention power of the staple is more than satisfactory for its purpose. The diameter or wire size of the staple may be of any suitable size, such as, for example, 0.0225" or 0.021" and may be fabricated from a suitable stainless steel, with as reference anvil width of 0.230 inch for the heavier staple and 0.173 inch for the lighter staple. Such staples provide a generally closed box-like configuration when fully formed about the anvil with their sharp pointed tips just about "kissing" each other when the staple is closed, to form a parallelogram structure, as shown in FIG. 32. Other suitable rod material, such as a wire with, for example, pairs of flats, be employed with the stapler of the invention. Such a square or other shaped wire lends itself to improved feeding characteristics minimizing jamming of the staples in the feeding track, and a square wire or wire with flats also exhibits other desirable features over round wire staples insofar as manufacture is concerned.
The operation of the skin stapler is best illustrated with reference to FIGS. 2-8. As seen therein, in operation, a row of staples 74, which are included with the skin stapler, are positioned atop driver 22 slidably mounted between the top and bottom covers 80 and 84 which are suitably secured together by extending elements 126 suitably crimped over notched out areas 128 of the top cover 80. The top and bottom covers 80 and 84 are fixed in place in the housing 12 by suitable means, such as the upwardly extension 130 which engages a slot 132 in the housing 12, and by a downwardly tip projection 134 of an arrowhead at the front of the housing 12 which arrowhead incidentally simply alerts the doctor or surgeon to point the nose of the stapler with the approximating blade 102 and the incision 140 at the point at which staples are to be placed. Slidably mounted above the driver 22 is a follower 72 which continually urges the row of staples against a conforming front underside surface of the escapement spring 76 (FIG. 8) or top housing cover, as best shown in FIG. 29. Attached to the bottom cover 84 is a resilient ejector 86 which is provided with a pair of upwardly projecting fingers 136 extending on both sides of the anvil 61. The ejector 86 is displaced downwardly out of the way when the trigger element 18 is pulled during crimping of a staple 74 by the elongated dimple 88 of the driver 22; and the fingers 136 lift a crimped staple 74 from the anvil 61 (FIGS. 7a-7b) when the trigger element 18 is released to return the stapler mechanism to its original start position. As only one staple is acted upon at one time during each cycle of operation, there is virtually no chance for the stapler of the invention to become jammed.
As the top cover 80 is provided with a rectangular opening partially covered by the escapement spring 76 and the housing 12 has a front window 138, the staples are visible to a doctor or surgeon thus giving an idea as to the number of staples 74 remaining in the stapler 10. As the stapler 10 does not employ replaceable staple cartridges, the entire stapler must be discarded and a new one used to complete a job. It is understood that even if only one or two staples are used for a suture, the stapler would still be discarded and not used again as such practice eliminates the problem of sterilization and contamination.
The start of a staple placement cycle generally commences when a single staple 74 is urged into position in front of the driver 22 the instant the driver 22 commences its retraction mode which is when the trigger element 18 is released and the actuating drum 24 pulls the driver 22 back. Thereafter, the driver 22 is advanced to commence bending the staple 74 around the anvil 61 and finally closing the staple 74, when the trigger element 18 is completely pulled in. Subsequently thereto, the trigger element 18 is released pulling back the driver 22, and the crimped staple 74 is lifted off the anvil 61 by means of the ejector's fingers 136, and a new cycle is commenced by the next staple urged into position in the same manner as experienced by the first staple. All of these sequences are clearly shown in FIGS. 4-7 in the various plan and sectional views taken generally along numerous section lines.
The ratchet mechanism is operative during each cycle or sequence of staple placement or operation as it precludes double-loading and ensures at all times that only one staple is being acted upon during any one cycle of operation. Thus, such a mechanism aids in preventing jamming as once a cycle is started, it must be completed before a new cycle is commenced. The toothed elements of each ratchet mechanism disclosed herein thus engage the pawl arm to stop the stapler from being recycled in "mid-stream" before a full cycle of operation is made with the trigger.
Another feature of the present invention is the curved shape of the top portion of the housing or frame structure. This curved section and nose portion at the distal end thereof greatly increases visibility at the work site as the stapler does not block the surgeon's line of sight during use of the instrument.
It should also be appreciated that the follower is preferably made of a low friction material to facilitate movement of same between the driver and the top cover, while the elements of the housing other than the follower including top and bottom covers, ejector, driver and release member or escapement spring are all of a suitable metal, such as stainless steel.
The handle or frame portion including the trigger element may comprise an injection molded plastic material which is capable of sterilization as an assembled unit and is subject to complete sterilization once the staples are stacked in the stapler or housing and all parts of the stapler are secured together.
Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity and understanding, it will, of course, be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the form, details, and arrangements of the parts without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
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|Green David T.
|Apparatus and method for applying surgical staples to attach an object to body tissue
|Jul 22, 2005
|Jan 26, 2006
|Acco Brands, Inc.
|Low staple indicator for a stapler
|Sep 6, 2007
|Mar 12, 2009
|Cardica, Inc.
|Endocutter With Staple Feed
|Oct 30, 2007
|Apr 23, 2009
|Green David T
|Apparatus for applying surgical fasteners to body tissue
|Aug 26, 2009
|Dec 17, 2009
|United States Surgical Corporation
|Apparatus for applying surgical fasteners to body tissue
|Aug 26, 2009
|Dec 24, 2009
|United States Surgical Corporation
|Apparatus for applying surgical fasteners to body tissue
|Oct 30, 2009
|Feb 25, 2010
|General Surgical Innovations, Inc.
|Apparatus and method for surgical fastening
|Sep 5, 2008
|Nov 18, 2010
|Max Co., Ltd.
|Sep 13, 2010
|Dec 30, 2010
|Amid Parviz K
|Hernia stapler with integrated mesh manipulator
|Dec 19, 2011
|Apr 12, 2012
|Tyco Healthcare Group Lp
|Apparatus and Method for Surgical Fastening
|Mar 21, 2012
|Jul 12, 2012
|Alan Bachman
|Hernia stapler
|Dec 14, 2005
|Jun 18, 2008
|Purse-string suturing device
|Oct 11, 1991
|Apr 22, 1993
|Beiersdorf Ag
|Geraet zum setzen von wundklammern
|Mar 11, 1998
|Sep 16, 1998
|Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
|Skin stapler with multi-directional release mechanism
|Mar 11, 1998
|Jan 5, 2000
|Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
|Skin stapler with multi-directional release mechanism
|U.S. Classification
|227/19, 227/121
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Sep 19, 1988
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Dec 18, 1992
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|Jan 19, 1993
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Oct 29, 1996
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 12
|Aug 13, 2003
Owner name: TELEFLEX-CT DEVICES INCORPORATED, PENNSYLVANIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:GENZYME CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:014363/0776
Effective date: 20030630
Owner name: TELEFLEX-CT DEVICES INCORPORATED,PENNSYLVANIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:GENZYME CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:014363/0776
Effective date: 20030630
|Nov 19, 2004
Owner name: TECHNOLOGY HOLDING COMPANY II, DELAWARE
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:TELEFLEX-CT DEVICES INCORPORATED;REEL/FRAME:016059/0332
Effective date: 20031217


text:
Bauer Sucht FotzeFavorites [+]
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Running Time: 89 minutes
Studio Name: Toro Movie
Categories: Anal Euro International All Sex Threeway German Speaking
Description: On the farm, things get a little heated as these maidens go from milking the cows to milking dirty old cock!
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Following claims from analyst that the next Battlefield would be released in 2016, EA CEO Andrew Wilson confirmed that the next Battlefield, while not specifically named Battlefield 5, would be released during quarter 3 of EA's 2017 fiscal year (2016), which finishes at the end of December.
No other specifics were provided, but this release supports the recent predictions of the analysts, who said EA may wait until 2016 for the next installment. This would not only avoid franchise fatigue, the analysts said, but also clear space for Star Wars: Battlefront in 2015.
Battlefield Hardline's new release date was also announced –– the game releases March 17, 2015 in North America and March 19 in Europe. The game was originally delayed to account for user feedback and other needed improvements, as developer Visceral Games is taking extra pains to make sure its upcoming game works properly upon release.
News Blogs
Hello Battlefield Wiki! This is 3RDRANGER bringing you some later-than-new news about the upcoming …Read more >
GREAT NEWS Battlefield Wiki. DICE has finally announced in a blog post that the Open Beta for Battlef…Read more >
ORIGINAL POSTRead more >
Late last week, DICE revealed that they'll be unveiling a brand new Battlefield game on…
EA has announced today that the next Battlefield will be released in Fiscal year 2017 along with Tit…Read more >
Welcome to January, here's hoping your new year is off to a good start! Battlefield news is pretty m…Read more >


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Get to know RDF, SPARQL and Ontology
Following the main W3C standard for graphs – the Resource Description Framework (RDF) – each graph is described as a set of triples: two nodes and an arch between them. This is where the name "triplestore" comes from.
GraphDB is the triplestore graph database used in all examples and hands-on exercises in this training course. Tweet this.
To get started, you need to familiarize yourself with the three main concepts that differentiate graph databases: RDF triples, SPARQL and Ontology.
RDF triples: the building blocks of your graph.
Each triple is a statement about your data resources, according to the Resource Description Framework (RDF). It consists of a subject (first node), a predicate (arch), and an object (second node), and links to other statements about your data.


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NAZRAN, Russia — A suicide bomber rammed a truck into a police station in the Russian region of Ingushetia yesterday, killing at least 20 officers in the worst attack in the poor North Caucasus republic in years.
The blast, which wounded more than 130 people, undermined Kremlin claims that its efforts to bring calm and prosperity to the impoverished patchwork of ethnic groups, clans and religions were succeeding. It also stoked fears that Ingushetia has replaced Chechnya as the next battleground in the southern Russian region.
In Dagestan, another Caucasus republic where violence is on the rise, a roadside bomb in the capital, Makhachkala, killed one policeman and wounded three late yesterday, said Col. Shamil Guseinov, a city police commander.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack in Nazran, Ingushetia's main city, which left the two-story building smoldering and a crater in the compound's courtyard, where the attacker detonated the bomb.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev fired Ingushetia's top police official and, in unusually harsh comments, said police forces were as much to blame as the attackers themselves.
"This terrorist attack could have been prevented," he said.
Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev attended an emergency meeting early today of Ingushetia's anti-terrorist committee, the Itar-Tass news agency reported. Nurgaliyev said authorities would "take additional measures to ensure stability and security in the republic" and "deliver a blow" to those responsible for the attack.
Ingushetia — more than any other North Caucasus region — has been reeling from militant violence in recent months, including a suicide bombing that badly wounded the Kremlin-appointed leader, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov.
Yevkurov blamed militants who have battled security forces in the forests along the mountainous border with Chechnya.
"It was an attempt to destabilize the situation and sow panic," he said in a statement.
Investigators said the attacker crashed his truck through the gates of city police headquarters in Nazran as officers were lining up for their morning inspection. Police fired shots at the truck but failed to stop it.
Nurgaliyev said experts estimated that the explosive device in the suicide bomber's vehicle was equivalent to about 900 pounds of TNT, Itar-Tass reported.
The blast then triggered a fire that raged for hours, destroying a weapons room where ammunition detonated.


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RED HILL GENERAL STORE Ripoff Reports, Complaints, Reviews, Scams, Lawsuits and Frauds Reported
For more results perform a general search for "Red Hill General Store"
As the leading consumer advocacy website, our technology is being continually upgraded to handle the volume of searches from consumers, the media, the authorities and millions of others from around the world. While we are always in the process of upgrading, our search results may not return all reports. This is only temporary and intermittent. If you are an attorney helping victims, the media, or law-enforcement, please contact us to have us run a complete database search to help your case or story.
|Specific Search
|General Search
|Title City, State
1, Report #1192505
Dec 02 2014
|Red Hill General Store I bought a pressure canner priced for $338 after shipping and was charge $338 twice on my credit card Hillsville Virginia Merchandise and Refund Recieved Author: Fort St. John, B.C. Canada, Alabama Appliances: Red Hill General Store Hillsville, Virginia
2, Report #1059190
Jun 14 2013
|Red Hill General Store Poor customer service Hillsville Virginia Author: Palm Bay, Florida Kitchens: Red Hill General Store Hillsville, Virginia
3, Report #440694
Apr 03 2009
|Red Hill General Store Refused to refund shipping for wrong part sent. Hillsville Virginia Author: Floresville, Texas Shipping & Handling: Red Hill General Store Hillsville, Virginia
Approximately 3 Reports Found
Showing 1-25 | Showing Page 1 of 1
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What are good twitter names?
.....@i_R_b :Petc. etc.
What are good tumblr names?
well use Obey infront of ur name.
What are good Nightclub Names?
the boxoffice
What are some good YouTube names?
Personally I have found out the easiest names to remember on YouTube (and I have been on YouTube for a very long time) are the simple ones. I recommend Mr or Mrs and then a word that descirbes your...
Read More »
What are some good boy and girl names?
I like Zach, troy, and dante for girls i like kim, Jennifer,and Hannah Well those are all decent naems but I prefer the following :(boys names)Pheonix,Jakeb,Jake,and Edward.For girls I like:Scarle...
Read More »


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DIY Member Spotlights: Meet Our Members
DIY Member Spotlight: July 17, 2017
Meet Conde Bartlett. Conde is a catalyst for change and a strategist for personal and spiritual fulfillment. Specializing in women with fibromyalgia, she offers transformation and healing for body, mind and spirit.
Please LIKE Conde's Facebook page at Cocoon Wellness Center.
Visit her website at www.CocoonRHC.com.
DIY Member Spotlight: July 17, 2017
Meet fine artist Cynthia Mosser. Her whimsical art is colorful, vibrant, and satisfying to both eyes and soul.
Please LIKE Cynthia's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CynthiaMosserFineArt.
Visit her website at www.CynthiaMosser.com.
DIY Member Spotlight: July 3, 2017
Meet Jennifer of Tea Trade Mart. Jennifer is a tea enthusiast with over 18 years as a master tea blender, retail/wholesale business, and tea restaurant & gift shop owner. She is the first Certified Tea Mentor by the Tea Association of the USA, Inc.
Please Like Jennifer's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/JenniferPetersen.Tea, and see her website at http://www.teatrademart.com
DIY Member Spotlight: June 26, 2017
Meet Connie Dorigan of Dorigan & Associates, a recruiting agency that matches talented job seekers to employers in the food processing and emerging tech and software industries.
Please Like Connie's Facebook page at Dorigan + Associates.
Visit her website at www.Dorigan.com for her list of hot jobs and great advice for job seekers.
DIY Member Spotlight: June 19, 2017
Meet Carol Naff of Mariner Company.
Please Like Carol's Facebook page at Mariner Company, follow her blog at https://carolnaff.me and see what makes her services so special on her website at http://marinerco.com.
DIY Member Spotlight: June 12, 2017
Meet Jonathan and Tara Douglas of Atlas Spinal Care.
Please Like their Facebook page at Atlas Spinal Care and visit their website at RealHeadacheSolutions.com.
Full disclosure: I have been a patient of theirs for 5 years and swear by them!
DIY Member Spotlight: June 5, 2017
Meet Mary Wilson, of Mary's Spatique.
Please Like Mary's Facebook page at Mary's Spatique, and see why her services are so special on her website at www.MarysSpatique.com
Full disclosure: I am a devoted client of Mary's and get my nails done by her almost every month!
DIY Member Spotlight: May 29, 2017
Meet Lori Arveson, Portland's Pain Relief Expert.
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DIY Member Spotlight: May 22, 2017
Meet Stephanie Arnheim, Portland's Networking Expert.
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DIY Member Spotlight: May 15, 2017
Meet Kym Gordon-Cumbo, the Divorce Resilience Coach.
Please Like Kym's Facebook page at facebook.com/ignitechangecoaching.
Visit her website for more info at IgniteChangeCoaching.com.
DIY Member Spotlight: May 8, 2017
Meet Mary Jane (MJ) Charles, author of "Surviving the Business of Dying: A Guide to Why Final Papers Matter" available on Amazon at www.amazon.com/dp/1544800150
Please Like Mary Jane's Facebook page www.facebook.com/MJCharlesAuthor
Visit her website for more info at www.MJCauthor.com
DIY Member Spotlight: May 1, 2017
Meet Victoria Cook, the Guilt-Free Business & Marketing Coach, who helps women entrepreneurs attract great clients who pay, stay and refer.
Please Like Victoria's Facebook page www.facebook.com/Ctr4GFSuccess
Check out her website at CenterForGuiltFreeSuccess.com
DIY Member Spotlight: April 24, 2017
Meet Dotty Scott, web designer, social media expert, and founder of Premium Websites.
Please Like Dotty's Facebook page www.facebook.com/PremiumWebsites
Is your business information correct and complete everywhere on the Internet? Dotty can now give you access to the same professional tool that she uses for her business, saving you time and frustration. Only $200 for one full year! Details at https://premiumwebsites.net/get-business-directory-listing
DIY Member Spotlight: April 17, 2017
Meet Valerie Lyon, the Mojo Recovery Therapist, who finds strategies for relieving chronic physical pain and regaining strength, flexibility, range of motion and vitality after injury or surgery.
Please Like Valerie's Facebook page facebook.com/ValerieLyonAP
Check out her website at www.MojoRecoveryTherapies.com.
DIY Member Spotlight: April 10, 2017
Meet Teresa Rodden, author of Wholly Sober, speaker, certified coach and founder of PinkCloudCoaching.com. She specializes in helping women who are exploring moderation or living sober.
Please Like Teresa's Facebook page Facebook.com/PinkCloudCoaching
Check out her website at PinkCloudCoaching.com
DIY Member Spotlight: April 3, 2017
Meet Coca Bell, Certified Reflexologist, Licensed Nail Technician and Reiki Master Teacher.
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Find her on Instagram @blissyoursole and check out her website at www.BlissYourSole.com
DIY Member Spotlight: March 27, 2017
Meet Becky Tengwall, business connector with I Take The Lead Inc., one of the fastest growing leads group organizations in the Vancouver WA/Portland OR metro areas, Seattle WA/Bellevue WA metro areas, Denver CO metro areas, and now Sarasota FL.
Please Like Becky's Facebook page www.facebook.com/itaketheleadinc.
Find meetings close to you on MeeUp at www.meetup.com/i-Take-The-Lead-Networking-Events.
More info at the iTTL website at iTakeTheLead.com.
DIY Member Spotlight: March 20, 2017
Meet Roni Sasaki, author, speaker, gold medalist and entrepreneur. The owner of EnviroMet, Roni is also known as "Mrs. Clean" for her full line of spill solutions and drain protection products.
Please Like Roni's Facebook pages www.facebook.com/EnviroMet-378319250394 and www.facebook.com/Roni.Sasaki.Speaker
Check out her website at www.spill-kit.com
DIY Member Spotlight: March 13, 2017
Meet Joy Overstreet, Portland's Color Analyst, who says that life is too short to live in black and white!
Please Like Joy's Facebook page facebook.com/colorstylePDX
See her work on www.pinterest.com/colorstylePDX
Check out her website at www.colorstylepdx.com
DIY Member Spotlight: March 6, 2017
DIY Member Spotlight: Meet Caron MacLane, the Clarity Coach & Consultant.
You can Friend Caron on Facebook at facebook.com/coachcaron.
Check out her website to find out how to turn chaos into clarity at www.CaronCircleCC.com.
DIY Member Spotlight: February 28, 2017
Meet Lee Whittier, the Dog Show Mentor.
Please Like Lee's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DogShowMentor.
Check out her website to find out how to win as an owner/handler in the competitive dog show world at www.DogShowMentor.com.
DIY Member Spotlight: February 20, 2017
Meet Keya Murthy, author, coach, and founder of the Ventura Healing Center.
Please Like Keya's Facebook page at Coach Keya.
Check out her website at CoachKeya.com, and take a look at her video library on youtube.com/lifepathguide
DIY Member Spotlight: February 13, 2017
Meet Holly Stokes, The Brain Trainer. She can help you train your brain out of fear and self sabotage, and set it up for motivation, focus, confidence, and achievement.
Please Like Holly's Facebook page www.facebook.com/TheBrainTrainerLLC
Check out her website at www.TheBrainTrainerllc.com
DIY Member Spotlight: February 6, 2017
Meet Cindy Hooker, Executive Coach, Mentor, HR Consultant, US Navy Veteran. Developing thoughtful leaders through expertly facilitated workshops.
Please Like Cindy's Facebook page www.facebook.com/GoldDogCoach
Check out her website at www.GoldDogConsulting.com
DIY Member Spotlight: January 30, 2017
Meet Kristin Taylor, the On-Call Marketing Director.
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DIY Member Spotlight: January 23, 2017
Meet Bill Willis of Printing Expressly for You.
Bill prints our DIY cool notepads, tablets, calendars, postcards and more.
You can see more on his website at www.PEFY.net.
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DIY Member Spotlight: January 16, 2017
Meet Dan & Shyla Bare of Wild Spirit Travel.
Please Like Dan & Shyla's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WildSpiritTravels
Check out their cool group for Wild Spirit Travelers www.facebook.com/groups/WildSpiritTravelers
You can learn more on their website at www.WildSpiritTravel.com, and see lots of great photos from their recent trip on Instagram www.instagram.com/wild_spirit_traveler
DIY Member Spotlight: January 9, 2017
Meet Shana O'Brien, Vancouver's Red-Headed Realtor(R) at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services.
Please Like Shana's Facebook page at Facebook.com/ShanaBHHS
Check out her cool local group for house-hunting in Vancouver, WA: www.facebook.com/groups/HouseHuntVancouverWA/
DIY Member Spotlight: January 2, 2017
Meet Kymm Nelsen of the Institute for Conscious Leadership.
Please Like Kymm's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/instituteforconsciousleadership
Check out her new podcast featuring interviews and deep dives into conscious leadership: www.ConsciousLeadershipWeekly.com
DIY members, find out how to get your member spotlight here.


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Author has written 2 stories for Lord of the Rings.
"I reject your reality and substitute my own" ~ Adam, from Mythbusters
Hi, my name is Finna and have been a fanfiction user for about 3 years, and going strong! I love creative writing, in fact I am an english major (despite my horrible editing, though i think that i'm getting better and in the mean time Lindahoyland has proof read the last few chapters of To Whatever End), and have ambitions to one day author a novel.
Hmm lets see, I'm 20 and I live in the United States, though most of my family still lives in Ireland. My parents moved here for work about a year before I was born, so I'm American. I live in New York, but not the city, I sadly live out on eastern Long Island and have nothing to interesting to do! Thank the Valar my friend introduced me to Fanfic . I absolutly love Lord of the Rings, its a passion of mine, ever since i can remeber i have loved those books and the movies, which were soooo well done cemented it for me. I also love Harry Potter, Starwars, Lost, Heroes and Battlestar Galactica!
Ok so i just finished reading Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, it is amazing! i have to say they are the best books i have read in a very long time, they are quick and draw you in! not to mention that JK Rowling is a fabulas writter, i love her technique, its very to the point, while giving you just enough info to visualize the world she has so masterfully created! i strongly suggest that everyone who is a lover of fantasy or reading in general get these books and devour them!
Any feedback would be greatly apreciated, contructive criticisim is always useful! Thanks!


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Une robe très classe avec une touche d'originalité
En effet, cette robe a une coupe très classique, un col rond qui mettra en valeur un collier "choker" pour un look BCBG. De dos, une fermeture éclaire est cousue sur toute la longueur. De couleur blanche satinée, elle crée un très bel effet visuel et met en valeur votre cambrure. Le tissu est plutôt épais donc solide, et est satiné.
Matières: Synthétique.
Couleurs disponibles: Noir.
Tailles disponibles: M.
Produkterna levereras av självständiga detaljhandlare belägna runt om i Europa. Leveranstiderna och fraktavgifterna varierar beroende på var återförsäljaren har sitt säte och det valda leveranssättet.
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Vi skickar en leveransbekräftelse till din e-postadress så snart din beställning har gått iväg. Du kan också kontrollera beställningens status på Min profil → Mina beställningar.
Leveranstiden till svåråtkomliga ställen är längre.
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Order now to get it by: Saturday August 05 - Monday August 07
Get it on Tuesday August 1st with expedited shipping.
Select the expedited delivery option after adding this item to your cart.
Condition: New
Product ID: 438745
Delivery Information |Returns & Exchanges |Payment Methods
Do you like the Wii network, online gaming, and streaming internet movies? You need to connect your Wii to the internet!
If your WiFi signal isn't fast enough or you don't have any WiFi available, this ethernet adapter will get your Wii
connected and get you back in the game. Plug the adapter in to your Wii's USB port, and connect to your home router with
ethernet Cat-5 cable (sorry, but the cable is not included with this adapter). Length: 33cm / 13in


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Leighton Meester to Get 'Beastly'?
Leighton Meester is keeping herself busy lately.
In addition to moonlighting in the recording studio in preparation for the release of her debut album, the Gossip Girl beauty may be signing on for CBS Films' upcoming Beauty and the Beast retelling Beastly.
E! Online reports that Meester, 22, is currently the top choice to fill the female lead in the film, based on Alex Finn's young-adult supernatural novel of the same name. The movie is written and will be directed by Daniel Barnes, whose only prior project is the Sunset Film Festival hit Phoebe in Wonderland.
"Leighton really wants to do it," a source reveals. "They're trying to figure out how to do the two movies (Meester also recently signed on to star in cinematic thriller The Roommate) before she starts shooting another season of Gossip Girl."
Beastly chronicles the tale of a 17-year-old boy who's transformed into a monster by a classmate. High School Musical hunk Zac Efron was rumored to be up for the male lead in the film at one point.
It's probably just as well that he didn't get the part; it's hard to imagine Efron convincingly playing a disfigured beast.


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CREACTOS Mission:
Create the worlds from collective imagination without the fear of wrong decisions.
The Problem we address:
Decisions are a responsibility and executive decisions are a bigger responsibility. Decisions made based on past experiences are mostly either status quo or personality driven.
Fear, mistrust and lack of knowledge restrain both imagination and value judgments, creating a whirlpool of costly failures.
Our Solution:
Creative exploration of options, and choices made based on accurate decision models.
Consulting and Long term partnership services from CREACTOS help your business in this exploration and planned execution for sustained growth.
Your Benefit:
More time and new capability to focus on streamlined execution and new growth opportunities.
Spheres of CREACTOS for Scoping Scaping and Sustaining Desired Outcomes. Click to Download
- is an acronym of Creative Action Outcomes, emphasizes the need for creative exploration, planed actions and execution for desired outcomes.
- is a London based startup in Management Consulting, partnering globally drawn expertise for building and sustaining capabilities for creative economies.