text: Short answer: You are worrying about syntax. The things you want are possible. TJ wrote: > Following up on my previous thread, I have figured out why it bothered > me that we cannot have a list such as the following: ["abc", 123, (1, > 2)] :: Show a => [a] That type doesn't mean what you want it to mean. That means : A list of objects of some fixed type 'a', such that a is a member of the typeclass 'Show'. In fact, "worse" than that, it's a polymorphic list, which means the *caller* should be able to choose the type 'a'. What you want to mean is 'A list of objects, each of which is of some possibly different type 'a', subject only to the restriction that a is a member of typeclass Show. > It seems to me that there is an annoying duality in treating simple > algebraic data type vs type classes. As it stands, I can only have a > list where all the elements are of the same basic, ADT, type. There is > no way to express directly a list where all the elements satisfy a > given type class constraint. There is, it's just not as simple as you want it to be. You need a constructor for the existential, as shown in the recent Renderable thread. Incidentally there is no restriction that all the elements in a list have to be an ADT. They can be functions, or tuples of functions, or higher order functions, or lists of tuples of higher order polymorphic functions operating on lists of functions on tuples of..... In GHC they can even be higher-rank. > > If I am not mistaken, type classes are currently implemented in GHC like so: [You are pretty much right, but of course how type classes are *implemented* isn't relevant, except as intuition. Any proposed extension should be based on what they mean (their semantics) not how GHC does it] > Suppose that I have a list of type Show a => [a], I imagine that it > would not be particularly difficult to have GHC insert a hidden item > along with each value I cons onto the list, in effect making the > concrete type of the list [(Dictionary Show, a)]. Right. That's almost exactly what the Showable existential does. > I'm assuming that it > will not be particularly difficult because GHC will know the types of > the values I cons onto it, so it will most definitely be able to find > the Show dictionary implemented by that type, or report a type > mismatch error. No dynamic type information is necessary. Now it sounds like your only complaint is that : has the wrong type? You could have a special case of (:) with type (:) :: Show a => a -> [Showable] -> [Showable] and then you could write: "123" : 34 : "foo" : [1,2,3] : (1,2,3) : [] > I am not an OO programming zealot, but I'd like to note here that this > is also how (class based) OO languages would allow the programmer to > mix types. e.g. I can have a List<Show> where the elements can be > instances of Show, or instances of subclasses of Show. > > Why does this second rate treatment of type classes exist in Haskell? I don't think it is second rate :) Type classes are a different thing from types, of course they are treated differently... Or maybe, if you're asking a slightly different question: "Why is there always some syntactic hint, like an explicit constructor or a carefully typed combinator, when existentials come into play?" then the answer is "because of type inference". That is, the type inference algorithm which GHC uses, which is not the only one you can imagine, but for a variety of reasons is considered to be one of the best choices, cannot 'automatically' construct existentials, and requires some kinds of explicit annotations to 'delimit' the existential. I will also repeat the non-justified assertion that others have made, and that I've made myself in the other thread, that you don't need existentials as often in haskell as you do in OO languages, and they certainly don't always need to be type-class quantified ones. Jules


text:
BMW's i8 sports car is at the forefront of the company's technology prowess. It's performance rivals that of a supercar, the fuel consumption could be mistakenly thought to belong to a city car and the technology seems to come from a spacecraft.
Yes, it's a high priced exotic – at $135,000, most people won't even dream of ever owning one. Yes, driving it could be an experience far fetched from conventional motoring. And yes, it's loaded with the very best the German premium automaker has available. The thing is, you don't need to have an i8 for some of the goodies.
"Innovation is at the core of everything we do. Following in the lead of the BMW i8, which epitomizes innovation, we are elevating the technology across our entire range of BMW models, as highlighted in this national campaign," comments Trudy Hardy, vice president of marketing for BMW of North America.
The automaker is highlighting the features that are available on the i8 and then reach other models in a US wide campaign that starts on September1. The first of the ads, called "Looking Forward," reveals the i8's full-color heads up display (HUD) can also be had on the 2015 3 Series sedans through the $3,150 Technology Package or the $950 Driver Assistance and $1,900 Driver Assistance Plus Packages.
"Eyes Everywhere," the second ad, talks about the i8's surround view camera system. The catch is that the 360-degree panoramic view can also be had in the 2015 X3 crossover – it comes with the $2,850 Driver Assistance package.
The last, but not the least is the "Change" ad that shows us the incredible LED headlight technology – a fully adaptable system that makes i8's headlights some of the most advanced and energy-efficient in the world. The system also comes now as an optional extra for the 5 Series, in the $1,900 Lighting Package.
Via Business Insider

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Delight in spectacular cuisine at our restaurants in Riyadh
Savor the tradition of gathering with friends and family to experience some of the best fine dining restaurants in Riyadh. Here, at The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh, guests can traverse the culinary globe to taste the delicacies of Italy, China and the Middle East — an array of cuisines to please every palate.
The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh respects local culture and tradition, and asks all those entering the property to dress in either traditional local garments, smart casual to formal attires. Shorts, skirts, sleeveless tops and sports shirts are not permitted. Any clothing with profanity is prohibited by law.
Feast to a delectable assortment of culinary delights at Al Orjouan, widely regarded as one of the finest all day dining restaurants in Riyadh. A favorite for Friday Brunch.
An exclusive atmosphere to unwind and enjoy the world's premium cigars, impressing even the most seasoned aficionados.
A family-friendly, high end sports lounge with six bowling lanes, an extensive juice bar and dedicated evenings for ladies and families.
An elegant interior and peaceful al fresco dining area offer equally beautiful spaces to enjoy breakfast, lunch or Afternoon Tea at Chorisia Lounge.
Uncover the royalty in Oriental sweets-crafting at the newly opened Sweets of Arabia. Treat yourself to a prime authenticity of the Arabic sweets, hand-crafted by our culinary experts.


text:
|Previous Section
|Back to Table of Contents
|Lords Hansard Home Page
Earl Russell: I hope that the amendment will be taken to refer to those who may be reasonably suspected of being children. The Minister, the noble Lord, Lord Williams of Mostyn, whom I am glad to see in his place again, will remember the case of the Ramsbotham Report on Campsfield House. It indicated
Lord Hylton: I support all three amendments in this group. My noble friend Lord Sandwich made a valuable point about inspections. It seems to me that they are absolutely necessary as a precaution against abuses and malpractices. I hope that the noble Lord, Lord Williams of Mostyn, will look with particular sympathy on the amendment in view of his previous experience of problems that have arisen in the past in children's homes in this country.
Before turning to Amendment No. 201, it would be very helpful, and would decrease the need for frequent inspections, if the Government could give an assurance that every child who is detained in the absence of his parents or other adult relatives will be referred immediately to the Official Solicitor. The Official Solicitor understands fully the needs of children, particularly those in dispute, those who are subject to official proceedings or those who are detained. He can ensure that staff take the appropriate action.
I turn to Amendment No. 201. It is almost ridiculous to expect the employees of private contractors who run detention centres, or prison officers, to understand what is involved in the proper care of detained children. That is why training is so necessary.
As to Amendment No. 203, the rules to be made should specify that where adults are present in this country the relevant children are always detained in the same place as those adults. On the other hand, if there are no adults the children should be accommodated, in so far as possible, completely separately.
Lord Cope of Berkeley: I begin by expressing sympathy for Amendments Nos. 199 and 200, both of which have already been spoken to effectively. In particular, I refer to Amendment No. 207, which is also part of this group.
Lord Williams of Mostyn: As I understand it, the Committee is considering Amendments Nos. 198A, 201 and 203.
Lord Cope of Berkeley: I beg the Committee's pardon.
The Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells: I rise briefly to support Amendments Nos. 198A and 201. Amendment No. 198A in no way suggests that visitor committees are not of great value. I am sure that noble Lords have observed the usefulness of those committees. I emphasise that this is a skilful business which requires sharpness on the part of the Social Services Inspectorate.
As was made clear earlier, sometimes matters that one believes should be on the face of the Bill because they are helpful and supportive to those who enter the system are left out and those which need not necessarily be on
Lord Cope of Berkeley: I apologise to the Committee. My attention momentarily wandered. I support Amendment No. 198A moved by the noble Earl, Lord Sandwich, and the other two amendments in the group. The position of detained children is important. We all have sympathy with the intention and want to ensure that these children have the best possible conditions if it is absolutely essential to detain them.
Lord Williams of Mostyn: As to this group of amendments, we all share the concerns expressed in different ways but with the same degree of emphasis. We believe that where families or children are exceptionally detained--I emphasise "exceptionally"--the accommodation and surroundings must be suitable for their needs. The Committee will be aware that detention centre rules will be made under Clause 143. It is worth reminding ourselves that, under subsection (2), the,
Therefore, we shall be setting out, under Clause 143 rules, detailed provisions about accommodation and facilities to be provided for detained families and children. For example, separate living accommodation will be required. Staff coming into contact with children will have to have basic childcare training. One of the key functions of the visiting committees--a point raised by the noble Earl, Lord Sandwich--will be to monitor and report on the proper implementation of detention centre rules.
The noble Earl, Lord Sandwich, referred also, I believe, to Clause 142. That makes provision for the inspection of all detention centres by the Chief Inspector of Prisons. It is fair to say that his history indicates that Sir David Ramsbotham, as Chief Inspector of Prisons, is well known for his abundant willingness to involve specialist inspectors in this work. However, despite that, I undertake specifically to draw to his attention the anxieties which have been mentioned and suggest the involvement of social services inspectors, if necessary. He will, of course, be able to invite such further specialists as he thinks fit. His office will be under a statutory duty to report on the treatment of all detainees, including families, and on the condition of detention centres. I repeat that his past track record does not
I shall take on board the point raised by the noble Lord, Lord Hylton, about the automatic referral to the Official Solicitor. It is worth thinking about. I wish to reflect on that and possibly to write to him. If the point is referred to at Report stage I shall deal with it then.
I believe that these measures, together with the undertaking I have given about drawing the attention of Sir David Ramsbotham to the SSI inspectorate, will provide for independent and objective scrutiny of detention centres and an appropriate level of statutory regulation.
There is only one discrete facility at the moment for the detention of families. It was designed and developed in consultation with the local authority child protection officer. That was a point raised by two Members of the Committee. I can assure the Committee that the Secretary of State will continue to have regard to the views of the local authority child protection officer as regards any future provision of family accommodation.
I turn now to Amendment No. 201. I agree entirely that, where children are detained, those charged with looking after their well-being should have the necessary, appropriate level of specialist training. That is implicit in Clause 144(2)(b), which, as the Committee will have seen, requires training appropriate to the performance of the functions of detainee custody officers.
We shall require contractors, as now, to ensure that a suitable number of detainee custody officers have basic childcare training so that they can accommodate and look after children where necessary.
As regards Amendment No. 203, I assure the Committee that detention centre rules will contain special provisions in respect of children in a number of areas and one of them will be the present one. The objective of Schedule 11, paragraph 1, is to regulate the measuring and photographing of detained persons in detention centre rules. That will mirror the position in the equivalent context under Section 16 of the Prison Act 1952. The list in subparagraph (2) is illustrative only.
Perhaps I may say one further thing. Children are detained on their own only in the most exceptional and justifiable circumstances, such as arriving at an airport, perhaps late at night, and cannot be placed with a relative or the social services who are unable to look after the child immediately. That is only for as short a time as possible before the social services are able to take up their responsibility. I welcome the fact that these amendments were tabled and even more so that they were fully spoken to. I hope I have been able to give useful reassurance.
Lord Avebury: Before the Minister sits down, can he tell the Committee whether the separate accommodation for families with children about which
Lord Hylton: Before the Minister replies, he referred to Clause 144 which has the rubric Detainee custody officers. We all know what that means in the context of police stations. However, in the context of detention centres, does it refer only to someone who deals with admissions and discharges, or with the whole staff who may come into contact with children? It is the latter who so urgently need the training already referred to.
Next Section
Back to Table of Contents
Lords Hansard Home Page


text:
The lights are on
Following up on a previous video that featured start screens from every NES game, the same YouTube channel has published a video covering the start screens of every Super Nintendo game.
The previous video clocked it at around three hours, but the new Super Press Start video triples that number coming in at nine hours and three minutes. I fast-forwarded to the four hour and 11 minute mark to grab a screenshot from one of my favorite start screes, which you'll see above.
The 1,874 games are presented in alphabetical order and the video can be pumped up to full 1080p resolution for the best experience. For the full list of games, check out NicksplosionFX's Tumblr.
[Source: NicksplosionFX on YouTube, via Polygon]
Email the author Kyle Hilliard, or follow on Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and Game Informer.


text:
Current Newswire:
Trinux 0.61 ReleasedJun 20, 1999, 17:58 (1 Talkback[s])
WEBINAR: On-Demand
No-Size-Fits-All! An Application-Down Approach for Your Cloud Transformation REGISTER >
Thanks to Matthew Franz for this announcement.
Trinux 0.61 is the first functional release of the new glibc2-kernel 2.2.x development track of Trinux: A Linux Security Toolkit.
Trinux 0.61 supports the latest 2.2.10 kernel and provides integrated support for common (3Com, SMC, Intel, DEC, NE2000) Ethernet chipsets as well as automatic network configuration using DHCP.
A "classic" data disk is available that provides packages for performing network mapping, vulnerability scanning, and network monitoring, although the eventual goal of Trinux-OpenSEC is to distribute customized Linux-based "security appliances" using Open Source tools.
Improvement's over 0.4x/0.5x Series:
Trinux disk images are available on the Trinux FTP server under /pub/trinux/images/devel/0.61/ and at Trinux Mirrors such as SunSITE and kernel.org.
0 Talkback[s] (click to add your comment)


text:
The Dallas Cowboys won't see the Philadelphia Eagles until Oct. 20, so there will be plenty of time to get ready for that fast-paced offense.
But they know enough about it already.
Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin went against Chip Kelly's offense three times while working on his son Lane's staff at Southern Cal. It wasn't pretty.
Oregon averaged 601 yards and 50 points against the Trojans, winning two of the three matchups. Last year, Marcus Mariota threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns and gained 96 yards on the ground. The Ducks rolled up 730 yards of offense in a 62-51 win.
Since returning to the NFL sideline, Kiffin has said countless times -- jokingly -- that he is glad his defensive players no longer have to go to study halls and can focus completely on football. He believes he can be more technical with his schemes and will have better athletes to handle what the Eagles will throw at them twice a year.
Unfortunately for Kiffin he will have to contend with the Eagles' pace and the Washington Redskins' read-option, provided Robert Griffin III is healthy. The Cowboys struggled in both games last year against the Redskins, losing twice. Rod Marinelli did not fare well against those offenses last year as Chicago's defensive coordinator either.
And both meetings this year against the Redskins and Eagles come on back-to-back weeks, including during the final two games of the season.
Until Kiffin shows he can slow down Kelly even a little bit at the pro level, the Southern Cal-Oregon games will be mentioned over and over again.


text:
Destin Pipeline Company, L.L.C.
Original Volume No. 1
Contents / Previous / Next / Main Tariff Index
Effective Date: 01/01/2002, Docket: RP02- 93-000, Status: Effective
Second Revised Sheet No. 161 Second Revised Sheet No. 161 : Effective
Superseding: First Revised Sheet No. 161
performing any or all functions listed on the
Interactive Internet Website menu, including those
functions which are available presently and those
functions which shall become available at a later date.
SHIPPER agrees to provide Operator's Gas Pipeline
Department, 4502 East 41st Street, Suite 300, Tulsa, OK
74135 with an executed copy of the Agency Agreement.
Operator agrees that SHIPPER may cancel the Agency
Agreement by notifying Operator pursuant to the
procedures set out in paragraph 6 of this letter
agreement. Operator agrees further that SHIPPER may
appoint a successor Agent by providing Operator with an
executed copy of such successor's Agency Agreement.
Operator shall not be required, however, to give effect
to any Agency Agreement until it has actually received
an executed copy of such Agency Agreement in writing or
through the Interactive Internet Website if the Agency
Agreement has been executed on the Interactive Internet
3. Prior to being issued USERIDs and passwords, each of
SHIPPER's employees and Agents (collectively hereinafter referred
to as "authorized persons") must return to Operator a completed
Interactive Internet Website Access Request Form, attached hereto
as Exhibit B. SHIPPER agrees to promptly provide Operator with
any material change to the information provided thereon,
including but not limited to the designation of an Agent.
4. SHIPPER's combined USERIDs and passwords are confidential
and are used to identify SHIPPER. SHIPPER agrees that only
authorized persons of SHIPPER will be given SHIPPER's USERIDs and
passwords and only authorized persons will be permitted to access
the Interactive Internet Website on SHIPPER's behalf. SHIPPER
agrees to keep confidential all USERIDs and passwords issued by
Operator to SHIPPER for use on the Interactive Internet Website.
SHIPPER further agrees that SHIPPER and its authorized persons
will not disclose its USERIDs and passwords, either separately or
combined, to anyone without authority to access the Interactive
Internet Website for SHIPPER. Any use of the Interactive
Internet Website by any person using any of SHIPPER's USERID's
and/or passwords shall be deemed to be authorized use by SHIPPER
and SHIPPER agrees to be responsible for and to accept liability
for any such use.
5. Certain information contained in the Interactive
Internet Website is proprietary and confidential.
SHIPPER agrees not to disclose or otherwise make
available confidential information to any other
company, corporation or third party, whether such
information is accessed in an authorized or
unauthorized manner. This provision does not apply to
any information maintained by Operator on the Internet
Web Site, as such information is available to all


text:
The first shoe has dropped, and the Columbus Blue Jackets are involved.
Far from dealing star Rick Nash, however, GM Scott Howson has merely upgraded in goal, adding Russian netminder Sergei Bobrovsky for three draft picks on Friday afternoon in advance of the NHL draft's first round.
Going to the Philadelphia Flyers for Bobrovsky is a second-round pick and two fourth-rounders (one this year and one next).
It's not a bad return for Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, who had offered the young goalie around the league a few weeks ago as he searched for more of a safety net behind Ilya Bryzgalov.
For Howson, it's a decent gamble on a 23-year-old on an entry level deal who went 28-13-8 with a .915 save percentage as a rookie a year ago.
The expectation is Bobrovsky will now battle Steve Mason for playing time in the Columbus crease.
"He's had a great first year in the league," Howson said of Bobrovsky. "He's won over 40 games in the league. I think he has the potential to be a very good NHL goalie. He's still a young goalie... I think he has a chance to be a No. 1.
"Now we have two NHL goalies who have a chance to be both No. 1 goalies. We're going to see how it plays out."
Because Bobrovsky had been on the market for a while, Howson had time to do some in-depth scouting on the netminder. He and his staff came away impressed.
"He has good size," Howson said. "He plays a little low in the net. Has very powerful lateral movement. He's a fitness machine [and a] very hard worker. Very competitive."
The deal takes the Blue Jackets out of the running for a netminder, leaving really only the Toronto Maple Leafs in the hunt for a No. 1. Several teams, including the Flyers, are looking for a backup, but there are several options available in free agency.


text:
Bring buckets and shovels for sand-sculpting contest at Edmonds Marina Beach
Edmonds Parks and Recreation will host a sand-sculpting contest from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12, at Marina Beach.
Teams or individuals are welcome. Judging will begin at noon, and awards will be handed out at 12:30 p.m.
The contest is sponsored Nama's Candy Store.
For more information, call Edmonds Parks and Recreation at 425-771-0230.


text:
From my blog...............
MLB Zapper (May)
June has arrived, and that means the Zapper will be up and running for the annual June swoon that engulfs so many Major League Baseball teams. However, the Zapper was not idle in May, as these unlucky squads need not worry about crapping out in June, as they managed to run smack dab into the glow in May.
Baltimore Orioles (25-28)
The Os are arguably the best team to be zapped thus far. However, playing behind the Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays in the AL East pretty much makes this season a lost cause any way you slice it. Recently, Kevin Millar chastised his teammates for worrying more about their fancy suits and the rims on their cars than winning baseball games. Well, Millars teammates should feel free to book a fitting at Armani because theyve been officially zapped.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays (21-32)
You know its bad when your only organizational goal is to NOT finish last in your division. The D Rays have yet to accomplish that miraculous feat in their franchise history, which becomes a more ridiculous and embarrassing fact with each new season. After a decent April, it looked as though Tampa Bay may have finally seen the light. Alas, it was just the tantalizing glow of the zapper.
Seattle Mariners (23-32)
The Mariners really only have two problems: They dont get on base (26th in MLB) and they dont hit home runs (28th in MLB). Oh yeah, theyve also allowed more runs than all but four other AL teams.
Chicago Cubs (20-32)
It seems like just yesterday the Cubs were on the verge of the World Series. Manager Dusty Baker was the toast of the town, and the Cubs had their long-suffering fans believing the all the curses had been lifted. Then came the collapse in Game six of the NLCS against the Marlins, followed by nagging injuries to their best players, followed by the demise of Sammy Sosa, followed by a steady slip from the top of the NL. Now, not only do they sit near the bottom of the standings, but the roster no longer seems young an invigorated. Who let the goat in?
Only four teams join the five already zapped in April, but June promises to be a busy month, when the cream usually rises, and the zapper works overtime.
Teams Zapped in April
Kansas City Royals
Washington Nationals
Florida Marlins
Pittsburgh Pirates
San Diego Padres (no, their May turnaround does not get them un-zapped)


text:
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, VLADIMIR MENKOVA study commissioned by The Chronicle of Higher Education shows that women in academia are much less likely than men to cite their own research. Because citation counts are now critical to many decisions about hiring and promotions, citations are becoming one more area where women are falling behind their male colleagues.
A research team from the University of Washington, led by theoretical and evolutionary biologist Carl Bergstrom, analyzed 1.6 million papers spanning 60 years from the scholarly database JSTOR. The papers included 40 million citations, of which 1 million were from scholars referring to their own work. Bergstrom's team found that men were 56 percent more likely to cite their own work. In some male-heavy fields, the gender gap was even more pronounced than in fields where female researchers are more prevalent. In mathematics, for example, men were 84 percent more likely than women to self-cite, compared to sociology, where they were only 43 percent more likely to cite their own research. The researchers also reported that this gap has grown in the last 10 years, as more women have entered academic research.
"If men are self-citing at a higher rate, and we are using those data to decide things like who to hire," Shelley Correll of Stanford University, who is collaborating with the research team on another study, told the Chronicle, "then men are gaining an advantage."
The researchers proposed that the issue may be linked to workplace attitudes—women might be more likely to consider self-citation unseemly—as well as professional practices—female researchers are more likely to work on smaller teams, resulting in fewer opportunities for citations by their colleagues.
The 44-year-old patient has Hunter syndrome, which doctors hope to treat using zinc finger nucleases.


text:
$9,950 CARFAX Value
No Accident or
Damage Reported
No accident or damage reported to CARFAX
CARFAX 1-Owner
Purchased on 11/11/08 and owned in FL until 10/27/17.
Personal Use
Driven an estimated 8,049 miles/year.
Service History
Last serviced at 72,195 miles in Milford, CT on 10/30/17 • Maintenance inspection completed • Safety inspection performed


text:
- Age / Gender:
- 29, Male
- Location:
- Saratoga, NSW, Australia
- Joined:
- 5/5/05
- All Stats >
User Statshot
- Community Stats
Level 20 Gamer
Deity Whistle
Ranked as Police Lieutenant
Contact Info / Websites
- lightagentx
Recent Game Medals
Watch Your Step 5 Points Collapse a wooden platform by walking over it. Medal Stats.
Foe Juggler 10 Points Keep an enemy up in the air by attacking it. Medal Stats.
Shrooms are Bouncy 5 Points Bounce off a mushroom and into the air. Medal Stats.
Clouds Disappear 5 Points Collapse a cloud by standing on it. Medal Stats.
3K Damage 5 Points Deal 3,000 damage with a single hit Medal Stats.
Winter is Coming 5 Points Freeze a foe, and then hit them again for massive damage. Medal Stats.
Realm of Robots 25 Points Enter the Waste Disposal Plant for the first time. Medal Stats.
Power On 5 Points Power up a set of factory doors, and open the next area. Medal Stats.
I See Dead People 25 Points Enter Graybone Graveyard for the first time. Medal Stats.
Unknown Power Level 5 Points Find an unscannable secret foe. Medal Stats.
Total Medals Earned: 415 (From 29 different games.)
Latest Audio Submissions
|Random Work
|Miscellaneous Song
Latest Favorite Audio
|Dreadnaught Mk II
|Classical Song
|-Orr- Four Brave Champions
|Classical Loop
Latest Favorite Movies
Desktop Stripper Rated 4.4600 Stars Hot sexy girls for YOUR desktop! Comedy - Original How to be a Vblogger! Rated 4.4400 Stars A Definitive Guide. Comedy - Parody One More Final Battle Rated 3.7300 Stars An RPG themed battle with random THINGS Comedy - Parody Madness Antipathy Rated 4.4400 Stars Madness Combat 6: Antipathy Action


text: Does anyone know of a website that has a master list of games for these two systems. Ive been to some sites but the list are not complete . Id prefer a site with just NTSC-U but it dont matter that much. Im trying to make a list of games I want to get.


text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|8 Mar 1994
|Filing date
|31 Jan 1992
|Priority date
|31 Jan 1992
|Fee status
|Publication number
|David A. Allen, Joseph K. Bohrman, James N. Fitzsimmons, Michael A. Niver
|Original Assignee
|Huffy Corporation
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (43), Non-Patent Citations (1), Referenced by (33), Classifications (8), Legal Events (12)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This invention relates to basketball backboard support arrangements and, more particularly, to such arrangements as will permit adjustment of the vertical height of the backboard and attached goal.
The desirability of having an adjustable basketball backboard is well recognized. Numerous constructions have been proposed for accomplishing incremental adjustment of the vertical height of the backboard and attached goal. Such arrangements have incorporated parallelogram type support frames capable of permitting vertical movement of the backboard while maintaining a parallel relationship between the backboard and the particular support surface to which it is attached. In addition, various releasable locking arrangements have been proposed for holding the backboard at a desired height and alternatively allowing the backboard to be lowered to a different position. Such selective locking arrangements have been used in combination with parallelogram type frame supports as well as other types of backboard supports.
For the most part, these prior art arrangements have been relatively complex, meaning they are relatively involved and expensive to manufacture as well as difficult to manipulate after installation and in use.
Among the general objects of this invention are to provide a simplified and yet effective basketball backboard support.
A further object of this invention is to provide such a basketball support which permits incremental height adjustment of the goal with a simplified frame and selective height locking arrangement.
Yet another general object of this invention is to provide an effective locking arrangement for establishing a desired basketball goal height and yet one which is relatively simple to operate both when raising and lowering the goal.
A more specific object of this invention is to provide a combination height adjustable backboard support and locking arrangement therefor, which combination permits upward adjustment of the backboard and release for downward movement of the backboard through basically a unitary readily manipulable releasable locking mechanism.
The invention provides an elevator system for a basketball backboard having a parallelogram frame and a backboard connected to the frame. The frame has first and second vertical, relatively parallel surfaces, upper and lower parallel arms disposed one above the other and extending between the first and second surfaces, and a pivotal connection of the arms to both of the vertical surfaces so that the first vertical surface is supported on the arms for vertical movement relative to the second vertical surface while maintaining the parallel relation between the first and second surfaces. A ratchet and pawl arrangement is connected between the arms and the vertical surfaces so that one vertical surface is freely movable upward relative to the other and can be held at a selected height when the vertical lifting force applied is removed. The ratchet is connected to and movable with the one arm and the pawl is pivotally connected to the first vertical surface for engagement with the ratchet teeth to hold the first vertical panel in a selected vertical position. Also provided is means for biasing the pawl toward selective engagement with the ratchet teeth, the engagement depending upon the vertical position of the first vertical surface. A bell crank lever is pivotally connected to the first vertical surface and operatively associated with the ratchet and pawl arrangement much that pivotal movement of the bell crank moves the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet teeth. Vertical manipulating means is engageable with the first vertical surface for applying the vertical lifting force and further for engaging the bell crank and pivoting the bell crank lever and the pawl against the bias to disengage the pawl from the ratchet to permit lowering of the first vertical surface.
In another embodiment the invention provides an elevator system for a basketball backboard which includes a frame having means defining first and second relatively spaced parallel, vertical surfaces. The frame has means defining support arms, relatively spaced one above the other, and pivotally connected between the first and second surfaces so that the vertical surfaces are connected on the arms for relative vertical movement while maintaining the parallel relation between the first and second surfaces. Means defining a ratchet and pawl arrangement are connected between one of the arms and one of the vertical surfaces so that the one vertical surface is freely movable upward relative to the second vertical surface, and can be held by the ratchet and pawl in a selected vertical position when the vertical lifting force applied to the first vertical surface is removed. The ratchet and pawl are pivotally connected to one vertical surface with one or the other of the ratchet and pawl being pivotally connected to one of the support arms. Also included are means biasing the pawl toward engagement with the ratchet, the ratchet being freely movable relative to the pawl upon upward movement of one vertical surface and the pawl, then, engageable with the ratchet to hold the one support arm against pivotal movement and correspondingly the one vertical surface against downward movement. Separate means are provided for selectively engaging the pawl and for moving the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet so that the one vertical surface is released for downward movement, whereby the one vertical surface is freely movable in an upward direction while maintaining a parallel relation with the other vertical surface, is held in a selected vertical position by the ratchet and pawl arrangement, and is released for downward movement when the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet.
More generally, the frame supports a backboard and is attached to a support structure. The backboard is connected for up and down movement while maintaining the backboard in a preselected vertical orientation. Releasable locking means is connected to the frame and allows free upward movement of the backboard and releasably locks the backboard and frame means at a desired vertical height. Means on the frame means adjacent the releasable locking means is engageable by vertical manipulating means for applying a vertical lifting force to the backboard. The vertical manipulating means is connectable with the releasable locking means and the vertical manipulating means is operative to release the locking means so that the same manipulating means can be used to raise the backboard and to release the locking means to lower the backboard.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims, and drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing a basketball backboard attached to a pole through a parallelogram structure.
FIG. 2 is a perspective, partially exploded view of the ratchet and pawl arrangement of the elevator system.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the backboard portion of the support frame, and showing the elevator system engaged in its lowest position.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the ratchet and pawl arrangement engaged in the next highest position from FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the ratchet and pawl arrangement engaged in its highest position.
FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the backboard and elevator system engaged in the highest position and showing an upper stop mechanism.
FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the ratchet and pawl arrangement where the pawl has been pivoted to its release position to permit lowering the backboard.
FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the elevator system taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 4.
Before one embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
An elevator system embodying the invention, which is used in adjusting the height of a basketball backboard and goal (not shown), is shown in FIGS. 1-8.
With reference to FIG. 1, the elevator system 10 comprises a basketball backboard 12 mounted to an adjustable frame 14 which is generally in the form of a parallelogram. The frame 14 comprises vertical and horizontal extensions or supports. More specifically, these are the back vertical members or brackets 16, forward vertical members or brackets 18 and 19, lower horizontal arms 20 and 21 and upper horizontal arms 22. Only one arm 22 is illustrated in the drawings, it being appreciated that there are two, one positioned over each of the arms 18 and 19. Likewise, only one vertical bracket 16 is illustrated in the drawings, it being understood that there are two, one bracket attached to the back of arm 20, and the other attached to the back of arm 21. The backboard 12 is attached, such as through bolts 24 (FIG. 8), to the forward vertical brackets 18 and 19 of the parallelogram frame 14. The back vertical brackets 16 are secured to a support surface 26, such as a pole or other fixed object. In the illustrated embodiment they are secured to a pole support surface 26 by conventional U-shaped brackets 27 (FIG. 1).
The front brackets 18 and 19 have turned-in forward surfaces, or legs 28 and 29. The surfaces of the front, turned-in legs 28 and 29 of the brackets 18 and 19 are in a common vertical plane, thus the front brackets 18 and 19 can be viewed as defining a generally vertical backboard support surface. Similarly, the rear brackets 16 can be viewed as defining a generally vertical attachment surface. Arms 20, 21 and 22 are pivotally attached to brackets 16, 18 and 19. As a result, in parallelogram fashion, backboard 12, with brackets 18 and 19 can be moved vertically relative to support surface 26 but while maintaining the forward vertical surface (brackets 18 and 19) to which the backboard is attached in parallel relationship with the rear vertical surface (brackets 16).
The backboard elevation is adjusted through the use of an elongated pole 30. The end of pole 30 has an open ended, U-shaped tip 32 which is engageable with parallelogram frame 14 to raise the background. This structure and operation will be described more completely hereinafter.
A releasable locking mechanism in the form of a ratchet and pawl arrangement 34 is also provided, for holding the backboard in any selected vertical position. Again, the structure and operation of the ratchet and pawl will be described more completely hereinafter.
Engagement of the pole with the frame is achieved through post 35 extending laterally from bracket 18 in the area, i.e., adjacent to, the locking mechanism.
FIG. 2 shows the various components of the ratchet and pawl 34. The components are illustrated in perspective and partially exploded to more distinctly show the working relationship of the components. A similar ratchet and pawl is associated with arm 21, but for convenience only one arrangement will be described in detail, it being appreciated that the two are identical. A ratchet 36 is shown as attached to a lower arm 20 of the parallelogram 14. The lower arm 20 and the ratchet 36 are mounted for rotation about a pivot pin 38 supported on the vertical bracket 18 (with a pivot pin 38a on bracket 19 performing a similar function for lower arm 21 and a ratchet 36a). The ratchet 36 is attached to and movable with the lower arm 20 by an attachment 40. When the lower extension arms 20 and 21 pivot about pivots 38 and 38a to the back brackets 16, the ratchets 36 and 36a move with them. Upper arms 22 move correspondingly.
A pawl 42 is supported from bracket 18 by a shaft 44, and is adjacent ratchet 36 to selectively engage and lock the parallelogram frame 14 in a desired fixed position. A spring 46 (FIGS. 3-5 and 7) biases the pawl 42 and the shaft 44 in a counterclockwise direction such that the pawl 42 is generally urged into engagement with one of the teeth on the ratchet 36. The shaft 44 also carries a release link 48. Pawl 42 and release link 48 are connected for rotation with shaft 44 by means of a flattened portion on shaft 44 engaged in a complementary shaped opening in pawl 12 and link 48. In FIGS. 3-5 and 7, the head 50 of pin 44 is cut away to better depict the connection. A nut 50a threads onto the opposite end of shaft 44 to complete the connection.
The locking mechanism also includes a bell crank lever 52, which is pivotally mounted on pivot 38 together with arm 20 and ratchet 36. The bell crank lever 52 includes angularly related arms 54 and 56. The arm 54 is positioned adjacent link 48 so that as the arm 56 rotates in counterclockwise direction the arm 54 engages link 48, rotating it and pawl 42 clockwise against the bias of spring 46. This movement releases the pawl 42 from the teeth of the ratchet 36 to accommodate up or down movement of the backboard.
FIG. 3 shows the ratchet and pawl 34 engaged when the parallelogram frame 14, and hence the backboard, is in its lowermost position. FIGS. 4 and 5 show the ratchet and pawl engaged in intermediate and uppermost positions. In these conditions, the backboard is held against downward movement.
The overall operation of the elevator system will be described in relation to FIGS. 3-5 and 7.
When it is desired to raise the backboard 1, tip 32 of pole 30 is pressed into contact with post 35. When pole 30 is moved upward against post 35, vertical brackets 18 and 19 move upward with the upper and lower arms 20, 21 and 22 pivoting to accommodate that movement. During this upward movement, ratchet 36 rotates about the pivot 38 with its teeth passing under pawl 42, the pawl sequentially being positioned to engage a particular ratchet tooth depending upon at which point the upward pressure on post 35 is removed. The backboard 12 can be incrementally raised in this manner, one tooth at a time if desired, until the pawl 42 reaches the last tooth of the ratchet 36 as shown in FIG. 5. As seen in FIG. 6, stop 58 on the upper portion of the vertical bracket 18 limits the upward movement of the backboard 12. More particularly, the limit on upward movement is such that pawl 42 can be raised slightly above the last tooth of the ratchet 36 so that the pawl can be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the last ratchet tooth.
At this point, it will be noted that pole 30 is cradled in a convex projection 60 on the end of arm 56. When it is desired to lower the backboard 12, the pole 30 is moved vertically upward to release the pawl and then pole 30 is moved in a counterclockwise direction about post 35, as indicated by the arrow 62 (FIG. 7), until the pole 30 is in a vertical position. When the pole 30 is moved to a vertical position, that movement is transmitted through projection 60 of the bell crank lever 52 to arm 54 of the bell crank lever and thus to link 48. Link 48 transmits movement through shaft 44 to pawl 42. That is, release link 48 rotates in a clockwise direction. Shaft 44 also rotates in a clockwise direction, then, and the pawl 42 rotates with the shaft 44, to maintain the pawl disengaged from the teeth of ratchet 36. Thus, a backboard 12 mounted on the parallelogram frame 14 may now be lowered simply by lowering the pole 30 while maintaining its vertical orientation, so that the ratchet and pawl remain disengaged. It will be noted that spring 46, in addition to biasing pawl 42 into engagement with the ratchet 36, also biases link 48 into engagement with arm 54 of bell crank lever 52.
When the pole 30 is rotated opposite to the direction of arrow 62, the spring 46 returns the pawl 42 back into a locking position, such as is shown in FIGS. 3-5. Of course, any rotational movement of the pawl 42 will translate into similar movement of the release link 48, and thereby act to urge the bell crank lever 52 back to its rest position along with the pole 30. In this manner, any locking position of locking member 34 can be chosen while lowering the backboard elevation. In other words, whenever the pressure of pole 30 on engagement surface 60 is released, or the pole 30 is turned clockwise, the engagement end of the pawl 42 can be lowered counterclockwise to engage a tooth of the ratchet 36. The tooth engaged will depend on the rotational position of the ratchet 36 about the pivot 38, which will vary with the backboard elevation, and that elevation will be maintained by the pawl 42 engaging the tooth of the ratchet 36.
It will be noted that the combination of the ratchet and pawl 34, bell crank lever 52 and post 35 are all located in the same area on the frame, and particularly in the area of one of the pivot connections of the support arms with the vertical support surface. With this arrangement, the same mechanism for raising and lowering the backboard (pole 30) can be used to operate the releasable locking mechanism. The system overall is, thus, a simple mechanism to fabricate and assemble and one which is very simple to operate.
FIG. 8 shows a top sectional view of the elevator system 10, utilizing a releasable locking mechanism associated with both vertical brackets 18 and 19 and connected on a common shaft 44 which traverses the width of the parallelogram frame 14, with bolt 50a securing the opposite end of shaft 44. The second ratchet 36a is illustrated on an opposite horizontal support arm 21 and the second pawl 42a is attached to an opposite vertical bracket 19. The additional ratchet and pawl arrangement, when used, provides added support and safety to the parallelogram frame 14, and balances the forces holding the backboard 12 in an elevated position. When pole 30 is rotated against the projection 60 of the lever 52, the lever rotates release links at both support arms 20 and 21 through the common shaft 44. Thus, rotation of the common shaft 44 rotates both of the pawls 42 and 42a to their disengaged positions when the backboard 12 is to be lowered. When the pressure of pole 30 on lever 52 is removed, i.e., the pole 30 is rotated clockwise, the springs 46 and 46a return their respective pawls 42 and 42a in a counterclockwise direction. Only one spring can be provided, if desired, as rotational movement of one pawl is always translated to the other through the common shaft 44, but two springs make for more reliable operation. In either case, the common shaft 44 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction in release, and thereby will necessarily cause both pawls to move into engagement. The pawls 42 and 42a are thus simultaneously urged back into engagement with teeth on ratchets 36 and 36a, respectively, to lock into position. Release link 48 is on the same common shaft 44, and will be moved as well, back into engagement with the arm 54 of bell crank lever 52, causing the release link 48 and the bell crank lever 52 to return to their rest positions.
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|2 Jun 1868
|Improved oae-seat and chaie
|8 Mar 1875
|2 Nov 1875
|Improvement in adjustable brackets
|13 Dec 1875
|4 Jan 1876
|Improvement in adjustable brackets
|3 Feb 1879
|1 Apr 1879
|Improvement in adjustable brackets
|14 Aug 1883
|4 Dec 1883
|Assigkoe to h
|1 Sep 1885
|Head-rest for embalming-tables
|26 May 1890
|17 Feb 1891
|24 Aug 1891
|9 Aug 1892
|Dental cabinet
|25 Jan 1892
|6 Sep 1892
|Adjustable swinging bracket
|6 Mar 1905
|12 Dec 1905
|Henry F Foersterling
|31 Dec 1906
|14 Jan 1908
|Franklin Chichester
|2 Jun 1911
|14 Jan 1913
|James H B Macintosh
|Dental wall-bracket.
|18 May 1915
|Cleveland Dental Mfg Company
|Dental tray.
|26 Aug 1940
|9 Mar 1943
|Chester C Woodburn
|Adjustable goal for basketball courts
|13 Apr 1943
|1 Jan 1946
|Quentin Berg
|Driver's seat
|22 Nov 1949
|19 Jun 1951
|Invidiato Cosmo L
|Surgical brace and pivotal joint therefor
|15 Mar 1954
|12 Mar 1957
|Happich Gmbh Gebr
|Adjustable backrest mechanism
|1 Jun 1964
|1 Mar 1966
|Morita Mfg
|Dental tray supporting mechanism
|27 Apr 1965
|14 Nov 1967
|Kurz Rudolf
|Adjustable joint
|29 Aug 1966
|13 Feb 1968
|Zealand Engineering Company Lt
|Adjustable self-locking joints
|22 Jan 1968
|19 Aug 1969
|Walt S Trailer Shop
|Auxiliary motor mounting bracket
|1 Aug 1966
|16 Sep 1969
|Evans Mfg Co Jackes
|Foldable backstop down-lock means
|8 Sep 1967
|20 Jan 1970
|Miller Harvey Q
|Holding apparatus for loads adapted to be strapped to the back of humans
|14 Apr 1969
|22 Jun 1971
|Goals Inc
|Vertically adjustable basketball goal
|26 Feb 1969
|19 Oct 1971
|Automatic Sprinkler Corp
|Retractable overhead basketball backboard support structure
|15 Jan 1971
|16 Oct 1973
|B Bearson
|Adjustable basketball goals
|7 Mar 1973
|9 Apr 1974
|Equalizer Inc
|Support structure for basketball board and hoop combinations
|7 Mar 1977
|20 Mar 1979
|The Ohio Art Company
|Portable basketball set
|12 Sep 1977
|1 May 1979
|Dunk King Inc.
|Basketball practice device
|15 Oct 1979
|19 Jan 1982
|Uop Inc.
|Armrest assembly for a seat
|31 Oct 1979
|18 May 1982
|Equalizer, Inc.
|Basketball backboard support apparatus
|12 Apr 1982
|26 Jul 1983
|David White
|Adjustable basketball goal
|15 May 1981
|1 Nov 1983
|Mahoney Elmo J
|Foldable basketball goal means
|27 Apr 1979
|14 Aug 1984
|Dunk King Inc.
|Basketball goal structure
|29 May 1985
|3 Feb 1987
|Tachikawa Spring Co. Ltd
|Headrest for a vehicle seat
|24 Mar 1986
|4 Aug 1987
|Andersen Manufacturing, Inc.
|Basketball standard and adjustable support strut therefor
|4 Nov 1986
|13 Sep 1988
|Tachi-S Co., Ltd.
|Reclining device
|21 Oct 1986
|1 Nov 1988
|Lifetime Products, Inc.
|Method and apparatus for adjusting a basketball goal
|6 Jul 1987
|17 Jan 1989
|Harvard Sports, Inc.
|Basketball goal height adjustment apparatus
|19 Feb 1988
|21 Feb 1989
|Lifetime Products, Inc.
|Method and apparatus for adjusting a basketball goal
|20 Jun 1988
|9 May 1989
|Sears Manufacturing Company
|Adjustable armrest
|16 Jun 1988
|21 Nov 1989
|Lifetime Products, Inc.
|Method and apparatus for adjusting a basketball goal
|Title not available
|Wilson Adjustable Backstop Support, Backboard & Goal Kit Instruction Manual Mar. 1990.
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|15 Jul 1994
|16 Jan 1996
|Lifetime Products, Inc.
|Angled support brace
|25 Oct 1995
|20 Aug 1996
|Wagner; Glenn
|Adjustable basketball goal
|24 Jul 1995
|19 Aug 1997
|Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
|Concentric joint mechanism
|17 Sep 1996
|1 Sep 1998
|Modern Technologies Corp.
|System and method for molding a basketball backboard
|21 May 1998
|16 Mar 1999
|Huffy Corporation
|Method of packing a basketball goal support system
|31 Jan 1996
|29 Jun 1999
|Huffy Corporation
|Portable basketball goal support system with separate ballast tank
|26 Aug 1998
|21 Sep 1999
|Modern Technologies Corp.
|Basketball backboard with integrally molded graphics sheet
|16 Sep 1996
|9 Nov 1999
|Huffy Corporation
|Compression molded basketball components with inmold graphics
|15 Jun 1998
|16 Nov 1999
|Huffy Corporation
|Method of packing a portable basketball system
|3 Jun 1998
|16 Nov 1999
|Taylor; Bryce
|Adjustable basketball standard
|6 Nov 1997
|14 Dec 1999
|Huffy Corporation
|Basketball backboard support pole
|5 Mar 1997
|25 Apr 2000
|Huffy Corporation
|Portable basketball system having dual ballast tanks movable between compact and expanded positions
|20 Sep 1999
|20 Feb 2001
|Composite Technologies Co., Llc
|Method for creating a billet for molding a part
|28 Sep 1999
|2 Oct 2001
|Pioneer Corporation
|Movable body supporting mechanism
|24 Jan 2001
|16 Sep 2003
|Composite Technologies Co. Llc
|Method for molding reinforced thermoplastic parts
|11 Apr 2003
|23 Aug 2005
|Lifetime Products,
|Collapsible backboard support assembly for a basketball goal system
|16 Dec 2004
|19 Feb 2008
|Robert Smith
|Portable fence-mountable basketball goal and method
|27 Sep 2005
|19 Feb 2008
|Russell Corporation
|Spinning nut basketball elevator system
|29 Sep 2005
|26 Feb 2008
|Russell Corporation
|Ratchet elevator system
|20 Mar 2006
|30 Nov 2010
|Humanscale Corporation
|Keyboard support mechanism
|21 Oct 2008
|30 Nov 2010
|Humanscale Corporation
|Keyboard support mechanism
|30 Aug 2011
|14 May 2013
|Chen-Chieh Lin
|Adjustable dressing mirror assembly
|12 Sep 2003
|11 Mar 2004
|Composite Technologies Co. Llc
|System and method for molding a basketball backboard
|16 Dec 2004
|23 Jun 2005
|Robert Smith
|Portable fence-mountable basketball goal and method
|19 Jul 2005
|22 Dec 2005
|William Denton
|Outboard motor lift
|1 Jun 2005
|7 Dec 2006
|Perry Robert S
|Portable basketball assembly for use on trailer hitches with integrated telescoping pole, foldable backboard and rim, and anti-rattle device element
|29 Sep 2005
|29 Mar 2007
|Russell Corporation
|Ratchet elevator system
|27 Sep 2005
|29 Mar 2007
|Russell Corporation
|Spinning nut basketball elevator system
|12 Apr 2006
|25 Oct 2007
|Reynolds Charles S
|Extendable flag pole assembly
|21 Oct 2008
|9 Apr 2009
|Humanscale Corporation
|Keyboard Support Mechanism
|12 Jun 2009
|5 Aug 2010
|Beger Lawrence J
|Motorized mount
|14 Sep 2006
|11 Apr 2007
|Russell Corporation
|Ratchet elevator system
|9 Feb 1995
|17 Aug 1995
|Jeremy Peter Gorman
|Adjustable basketball backboard frame
|U.S. Classification
|473/484, 248/284.1, 403/93
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|31 Jan 1992
Owner name: HUFFY CORPORATION A CORP. OF OHIO, WISCONSIN
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNORS:ALLEN, DAVID A.;BOHRMAN, JOSEPH K.;FITZSIMMONS, JAMES N.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:006001/0733;SIGNING DATES FROM 19920123 TO 19920127
|28 Aug 1997
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|1 Feb 2000
Owner name: KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, OHIO
Free format text: PATENT COLLATERAL ASSIGNMENT AND SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:HUFFY CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:010567/0881
Effective date: 20000126
|20 Nov 2000
Owner name: HUFFY CORPORATION, OHIO
Free format text: RELEASE;ASSIGNOR:KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION;REEL/FRAME:011213/0401
Effective date: 20001026
|16 Aug 2001
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|5 Nov 2004
Owner name: RUSSELL CORPORATION, GEORGIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:HUFFY CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:015341/0801
Effective date: 20040719
|10 Aug 2005
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 12
|6 Jul 2006
Owner name: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., GEORGIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:RUSSELL CORPORATION;BROOKS SPORTS, INC.;REEL/FRAME:017882/0454
Effective date: 20060630
|10 Aug 2006
Owner name: RUSSELL ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC., DELAWARE
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:RUSSELL CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:018075/0595
Effective date: 20040824
|17 Jan 2007
Owner name: RUSSELL CORPORATION, GEORGIA
Free format text: MERGER;ASSIGNOR:RUSSELL ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC.;REEL/FRAME:018757/0976
Effective date: 20061219
|2 Mar 2009
Owner name: RUSSELL CORPORATION, ALABAMA
Free format text: RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST PERVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 017882 AND FRAME 0454;ASSIGNOR:BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.;REEL/FRAME:022331/0054
Effective date: 20060730
|11 Mar 2009
Owner name: RUSSELL BRANDS, LLC, ALABAMA
Free format text: "CHANGE OF NAME AND CONVERSION OF CORPORATE FORM UNDER SECTION 266 OF THE DELAWARE GENERAL CORPORATION LAW (DELAWARE CODE TITLE 8) AND SECTIONS 18-214 OF THE DELAWARE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY ACT (DELAWARE CODE TITLE 6, CHAPTER 18)";ASSIGNOR:RUSSELL CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:022390/0327
Effective date: 20081231
Owner name: RUSSELL BRANDS, LLC,ALABAMA
Free format text: "CHANGE OF NAME AND CONVERSION OF CORPORATE FORM UNDER SECTION 266 OF THE DELAWARE GENERAL CORPORATION LAW (DELAWARE CODE TITLE 8) AND SECTIONS 18-214 OF THE DELAWARE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY ACT (DELAWARE CODE TITLE 6, CHAPTER 18)";ASSIGNOR:RUSSELL CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:022390/0327
Effective date: 20081231


text:
The odds are not looking good for the Philadelphia 76ers.
One more loss stands between them and a dubious distinction of ineptitude.
Austin Daye netted 22 points off the bench and the San Antonio Spurs handed the Sixers their 25th-straight loss following a 113-91 rout Monday night.
Philadelphia visits the Houston Rockets on Thursday to avoid matching the longest single-season losing skid in NBA history held by the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers. The Rockets are 28-7 at home this season.
The Sixers, who have dropped 11 straight on the road, haven't won since a buzzer-beating victory in Boston over the Celtics on Jan. 29. Evan Turner scored the winning bucket and he's now a member of the Indiana Pacers.
Tim Duncan poured in 19 points for the Spurs, who have won 14 in a row.
Tony Parker sat out the game for San Antonio due to a sore left Achilles.
Michael Carter-Williams and Thaddeus Young had 17 points apiece to lead Philadelphia.
The Spurs led 31-24 after a quarter of play before they netted the first 15 points of the second to pull away for good.
Daye hit a pair of triples and recorded eight points during the surge, which he capped with a jumper for a commanding 45-24 advantage with 7:20 left in the second.
San Antonio took a 60-44 advantage into the break and an 89-68 cushion into the fourth, where they led by as many as 24 before cruising to the easy win.


text:
Games Inbox: Sleeping Dogs, Counter-Strike, and Eternal Sonata
The morning Inbox has a very personal suggestion for the perfect in-game audio experience, as one reader offers some hardware advice for the next Xbox. To join in with the discussions email
No apologiesI am willing to admit that I enjoy video games, movies, music and books but I am not an expert or a connoisseur. I am a borderline enthusiast at best. I read your Inbox submissions and reader's features and it is great to learn a little bit about why Final Fantasy's score is so brilliant but I honestly don't have that level of appreciation or knowledge. My favourite video game theme is still Mappy and my favourite soundtrack is a tie between Need For Speed Underground 2 and Matt Hoffman's BMX. My favourite movie is probably Shaun Of The Dead or O Brother, Where Art Thou? I read Elmore Leonard most and think Nick Hornby is a genius. What I am getting round to saying is that I am not an intellectual of any kind, I am a rather simple sort and am easy to please as a result.I play video games for sheer entertainment value and as a result I think Sleeping Dogs is my new favourite game of this generation. I know it's a solid 7 out of 10, it hasn't revolutionised a single thing, never mind brought anything new to the games industry overall. However I am loving every single moment of it. It is a stone cold classic and I will milk it like a farmhand for every drop of goodness.Bad Guys, Kung Fu, explosions, machine guns, cloak and dagger undercover subterfuge, fast cars and motorbikes. I know that last bit makes me sound childish – but that's what I mostly play games for. To just not care about grown-up things for one hour a day and a bit longer on weekends. Thank you Square Enix – thank you so much you beautiful creatures. What else can I buy of yours to say thank you?Deceitfularcher (PSN ID)It's nothing personalAlthough it's very sad to see the closure of Liverpool Studio/Psygnosis I felt that some of the remarks in the comments section against Sony were a tad harsh. Clearly it's a business decision taken on the back of past sales of their titles, the current climate and projected future sales of planned games so this surely would not have been taken lightly. Sony isn't going to simply come out and say that poor sales have led to this hence the corporate lingo which has upset some it seems. If lessons are to be learned from this then it must be to try and drastically reduce the length of time it's taking developers to make games and greater emphasis on part of us to try games that are perhaps out of our normal comfort zone without essentially resorting to the second-hand market.Sam8,785 hours laterJust finished Eternal Sonata after 25 hours (and two years or so). It was a strange game. The enemies were sometimes harder than the bosses. Standard fighting, etc. but the cut scenes were plain odd. Not a lot of it made much sense to me. If anyone does play it and finishes it, watch the very end of the credits when you get a little cartoon cut scene and explain what it is about because I didn't have a clue. What role-playing game should I play next? Is The Last Remnant any good? What about Resonance Of Fate? Anyone?BobwallettGC:As far as we're concerned Persona 4 and Xenoblade Chronicles are the current top tier of Japanese role-playing.
Catch up on every previous Games Inbox here
Sony hates EuropeMy first long term love: Counter-Strike. The year was 1998, I had just got my first PC, Half-Life was in its prime. Enter the brilliant minds that gave us Counter-Strike. It was the most influential game for my gaming life. I played it through many betas, alphas, full releases and patches. Counter-Strike: Condition Zero was released, with a lot of updates (unnecessary in my opinion… the simplicity of the game made it what I loved). Counter-Strike: Source came next to the table, however my aging PC couldn't very well handle it, and I was moving to another county for college.I abandoned my beloved Counter-Strike. Loved, lost but not forgotten. Early 2011 I hear of a game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It tickles an old sore, causing me to play Counter-Strike: Source on my aging laptop. It was quite enjoyable but not what I remembered. I wanted some refined mechanics and I heard Global Offensive was bringing this to me. What's that Valve? On consoles too!Skip forward to August 2012, the very month of release. Anticipation builds. A day off from work to enjoy the merits of my eager awaited lost love. The Sony Europe Store people have once again, quite simply, screwed me over. I say this with a very flat tone, in a very low and steady voice.The service is not good. I will probably go with neXbox for the next generation (Xbox Infinity or whatever).I am quite annoyed at the minute, but more upset that US PlayStation Network has the game, along with Steam and Xbox. Let me overcome my sadness with Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night. Oh wait. I can't because Symphony Of The Night isn't available on the EU PlayStation Network.Let me try and search for a game on the PS Store. Oh wait. Rant Over. Anyone else (prematurely) excited for this title?Young-treePersonal immersionRE: blueherring. If it's just for personal use and you don't mind wearing headphones I recommend you invest in a good set of headphones (around the £80 mark, no need to break the bank) and a Turtle Beach Earforce DSS unit (£50-60) which creates a staggering Dolby 5.1 surround effect even with normal stereo headphones.After buying a DSS unit for use with an aging pair of Hitachi studio headphones, I haven't touched my surround sound hi-fi! It's all about the headphones now, and that personal feel where nothing can interrupt your game or film, or whatever else you happen to be listening to. And I know what you might be thinking, I don't just want to have a surround sound 'effect', but for £50 you can't buy anything else that sounds this good. I've also listened to other sets of headphones around the £200 mark, that boast real surround sound… believe me, the DSS unit hooked up to a good set of headphones is just as good!It can even be used has a sound processor for other gadgets if you want it to… all in all, a very handy little device that I wouldn't be without. When I play Battlefield 3 or Skyrim using this device, honestly… it feels like your there.RedDotDinx (PSN ID)Geek prideI have always had gaming on my CV but I will never know if it stopped me getting a particular job or even an interview. I list it with other hobbies and feel it is an intrinsic part of who I am. Employers, whether fickle or otherwise I don't really care. It is better to be hated for who you are than loved for someone you're not. I told all my fellow team-mates on the first day (four years ago) of my current job that I was a geek and gamer. I celebrate it.I was at work yesterday and didn't see the Psygnosis/Studio Liverpool news until much later on. They are a major part of my gaming history. I will never forget their amazing box art, unusual fonts and cutting edge graphics. It is a truly sad day. I wish everyone who worked there the very best of luck in future.The last game I bought this year was Mass Effect 3. Lack of gaming time means I just can't bring myself to buy something else that will just sit and wait on the shelf. I'm just waiting for Halo 4.Big Lizafish (gamertag)Hide nothingRE: Alistair and gaming CVs. From most of the comments I have read in the underbox a majority seem to say leave it off but it was mentioned at my interview for my current job. I put down 'retro gaming' as a hobby and my future boss asked to explain. I told him why I liked it and I also linked it to writing up a preview and review for my local paper for a gaming convention that I attended.Just try and put a positive spin on it if you do and say you are passionate about it. I was the first person the company ever hired so I must have done something right.eyetunes (PSN ID)Off the shelfWith all the talk of how much Sony and Microsoft have lost this generation on creating and selling a console, and the cost of their replacements, you have to wonder why they bother.Who will be the first to take the easy route – simply take mid-range lowish cost PC hardware, stick it in a custom case and add a sprinkling of DRM so they retain control of who releases games for it. Why go to all the trouble of a custom architecture? It's no longer the days of the Mega Drive and SNES when a console was a different species to a home computer.Alan LovedogCause and effectDoes anyone think that we take our gaming spoils for granted these days? I keep hearing about people with their 'backlog' (cough!) and it reminds me of how much time most of us would invest into an individual game. It makes perfect sense to me that the games industry has veered away from harsh difficulty levels because we are exposed to so many competing distractions. I also don't take it for granted that we can pick up so many quality games now for so little and so soon after they're released.Somebody in the Inbox mentioned recently that they wouldn't pick up Sleeping Dogs until it was less than a tenner: this is a perfect example of how throwaway our culture has become when it comes to how much we are willing to invest in things like video games and music.I expect the go-to counter argument would be that we are in a recession, but I think that's becoming too much of a lazy trope for people to wheel out when the more likely motivation is that we want as much as possible for as little as we can. I'm not saying that to do so is wrong, far from it, I think a shrewd gamer is also more likely to be a happy one.I do think however that the next time anybody complains about the onslaught of downloadable content or the sinister rise of smartphone gaming that you consider if maybe you're part of the problem, and not a hardcore gamer saint because you've never idled with an iPhone or dallied with downloadable content. Overly alliterative-rant complete.DMThis week's Hot TopicThe subject for this weekend's Inbox was suggested by reader KiloK, who asks whether you are, or ever have been, a lapsed gamer?Has there been a period of your life where you just stopped playing video games completely or almost completely? If so why and what got you back into them, if at all? If you know a friend or relative that's had a similar experience did you try to get them interested in games again, and if so using what?How much did the prevailing quality or fashions in games influence your losing interest in them, and how much was due to new console hardware (or an aging PC)? What other reasons have there been for you to give up on gaming and can you imagine yourself ever leaving it behind for good?
E-mail your comments to: firstname.lastname@example.com The small printNew Inbox updates appear twice daily, every weekday morning and afternoon. Letters are used on merit and may be edited for length.You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word 4Player viewer features at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.


text:
Short Bio:
Senior level Analyst,Project management ,Sr. Coordinator,Traffic and Broadcast Management professional, offering a result driven professional effective in leadership, creating and controlling budgets
Enter Something as a reference to proceed.
You have already written reference for this user.
Show all profiles
You can't add yourself as reference.
Show all profiles
Write a reference for Stephanie Hollier
Create Your Own Profile
Looking for Analyst Jobs?
Try the Analyst Job Board


text:
Ernie Baron was a curious sort, and proved it by inventing the Baron Super Antenna and the tetrahedron, both of dubious efficacy, at best. The latter was supposed to have the same supernatural power of the Egyptian pyramids, but now to make cheese, eggs salted, sharpen the brain and your kitchen knife, and charge batteries (for the non-believer's electric knife sharpener).
The tetrahedron became a minor fad. Students supposedly walked to and from their classes wearing this "invention" on their heads for better grades. Even my neighbors—completely rational, mountaineers/boy scouts and tech school grads—believed in it and made their own, swearing by its efficacy.
Mr Baron surely had his 15 minutes and used it to peddle some useless products, but he was able to capitalize on a populace that was experiencing the highs of a new Philippines. Newfound empowerment, self-determination, and a media environment that was free from suppression of liberal thought and intellectualism.
Today, the world's psyche is balancing on the tip of a sharpened edge. Climate change, capitalism, and the correlated collapse of the American empire all give us the right to be anxious and uncertain, to the point of pouring money into the next new technologies that may save us all. Companies that are developing SPF 5000, terrorist repellant, and gill transplant technology come to mind. Make no mistake, doomsday predictions and all, this is the most challenging and thus exciting time for humanity. With so much tumult, so many rules being upended, there is so much possibility—literally in our hands—that the barriers between thought and action, product, or service have all but disappeared.
A year ago, I was in San Francisco, working for a startup in a down market. A market whose only hope was to make products that could avert global disasters, a.k.a. God Save Us From Ourselves. Corporate greed, disregard for the balance of nature and for fellow man was threatening absolute chaos. It was a bummer of a place and time to start a story, not to mention a career in advertising.
However, it was also the age of the hyperlink, Obamania, and the Large Hadron Collider. If you aren't hearing the universe sending signals that imagination rules, you should maybe stick to your 9-5 but chain your kids to a computer. Nowadays, we can create anything out of thin air. And that was why I was happy to be back in Manila. At least that was what I told myself.
Dickens famously said, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." The Philippines is the land of paradoxes and love amidst difficulties. You have tight social cliques, but also 7,107 islands to leave them all behind. We have only one beer, but the best mangoes on the planet. You get three receipts when you buy a pack of gum, but, in traffic, anything goes with hardly the threat of punishment.
I knew it all too well. I also knew that I would need to leave all my California righteousness and the 15% tip rule on the plane if I wanted to seamlessly reintegrate.
But was seamless reintegration really the answer? Warren Buffet says, in a selling market, buy. And vice-versa. Always buck the crowd. Zig when everybody zags. For at night, the candle's brighter than the sun.
This is the moment we have all been waiting for. Art, technology, games, politics, food, microbrews, weatherproofing, environment, peace and order, driver education, community organizing; there is virtually unlimited possibilities that can effect change—positive change in people's behavior. And why now more than ever?
But every thorn has its rose; every essay has a silver outline; every economic downturn lays down prime fodder for fomenting change; every unmitigated natural or manmade disaster makes us ask why we need government and capitalists to take our money.
In times like these, we invite family and friends to dinner at our houses more. We feel better about going to the weekend markets than a faceless grocery. We cherish hand-me-down baby strollers to a pimped-out pram.
We value substance over form, especially at a discount. We go for the different against the status quo. We sift through the promises and look for promise. And sometimes, we get deluded into buying the 'new' for the lack of the 'improved.'
In cycles, the universe is kind to the Ernie Barons, the Obamas, the mavericks of public opinion who do the opposite of what is said to be possible. After all, man does well enough alone to monopolize and overwhelm his environment with his vision of dominance. Natural law clears the path for the upstarts, with often brutal ways to cull the laggards, victims, and the dinosaurs. And if you find yourself in one piece when the slaughter ends, sharpen that knife, and get to work on the next big thing.
You have 15 minutes.


text:
Chocolate Fix is a sweet deductive reasoning game that's addictively fun to play! The Chocolate Fix game app comes with an incredible 400 challenges ...
Discontinued App
Undefined | iPhone, iPad
Casual | Android
Entertainment | Android
Casual | iPhone, iPad
Chocolate Fix is a sweet deductive reasoning game that's addictively fun to play! The Chocolate Fix game app comes with an incredible 400 challenges ranging from Easy to Expert! To complete a challenge, you must use the clues provided to fill the tray by placing the nine chocolate pieces in their correct positions. Similar to Sudoku, you must examine all clues carefully before making a move. The challenges start simply enough, making the game easy to learn, but they gain in difficulty as you move through the 4 levels. You will feel your confidence build as you narrow down the possibilities to complete each challenge. Chocolate Fix is a fun and satisfying way for players of all ages to sharpen logical deduction skills. ************************************* HOW TO PLAY: Each Chocolate Fix challenge consists of visual clues that describe how the 9 chocolates much be placed into the chocolate tray. Clues offer information about the chocolates' shapes, colors, and orientation in the grid. Only by combining all the information in the given clues will you unlock the solution and move on to the next challenge! ************************************* GAME FEATURES - 400 Games, 100 at each difficulty level - Four difficulty levels – EASY, MEDIUM, HARD, EXPERT - Save multiple games in progress - Hint/Reset buttons to help you figure out each puzzle - Quick and easy Tutorial - Keeps history of "Solved" and "Perfectly Solved" challenges - Settings allow players to choose different colored "flavors" to play with! If you like Chocolate Fix, check out Rush Hour and Solitaire Chess. Each of these apps is designed to push your brain in different ways and sharpen your thinking. Visit www.thinkfun.com to see more great games from ThinkFun!
Version: 1.0.4
Size: 8.6 MB
Price: 2,82 €
Developed by ThinkFun, Inc.
Day of release: 2011-10-22
Recommended age: 4+
Casual | Android


text:
" Author: Susan Hill / Format: Paperback / Date of publication: 04 October 2007 / Genre: Modern & Contemporary Fiction / Publisher: Vintage / Title: The Woman in Black / ISBN 13: 9780099511649 / ISBN 10: 0099511649 "
* Prices may differ from that shownMore Offers
I have just finished reading The Woman in Black by Susan Hill, before I start this I should say I don't normally read ghost stories, but this one had come recommended by my dad, and was lent to me by him. I haven't yet seen the film. So what did I think?
**The plot**
The story is told by the main character, Arthur Kipps, who following some christmas eve ghost stories with his family is reminded of some long suppressed memories. Having never recovered properly from the events Kipps decides to write down his memories of what happened. The memories surround a visit he had to make to a deceased clients house to settle her affairs when he was a young solicitor, the house in good ghost story tradition is set on it's own between a marsh and an estuary, and is only accessible at low tide across a causeway. To add to Kipps woes is a village full of nervous superstitious people, and the mysterious woman in black of the title, so what will happen to Kipp?, well if you don't want to read the book to find out there's always the film :).
**My Thoughts**
So how did I find this story, within a story? Well to be honest at first I found it pretty hard going, the style of writing in the book is pretty old fashioned, it actually reminded me of the style of "Wuthering Heights", although this being a more modern book published in 1983 I assume the style was deliberate, but for me I just felt it made it harder to get into the book. This is quite a short book, only 200 pages, but it felt like it was taking forever to read, and I would say it was only the last four chapters that I actually managed at any kind of pace. The first half of the book I was only reading a couple of pages a day before getting bored and putting it down, it was only the fact it was recommended and I'd decided to write a review about it that made me persevere.
That said for me this was a book of two halves, and the second half (or last third) was quite creepy. The story as a whole is good, I can see what has made it a successful film, and tv programme, as well as a stage play, although for me Kipp as a character didn't draw me into the story enough to make me care what had happened to him. It's kind of hard to explain as the book is well written with a good story, it was I think just the style that put me off.
After finishing the book I did feel I had enjoyed the book, and I can see that the slow start is part of the build up to make the story creepier, but for me I think it's only 3 stars, it was ok but I wouldn't read it again, that said I think I might watch the film.
Despite some initial reservations, I have to concede Susan Hill's novella soon had me hooked. The opening pages struck me as a pastiche of Henry James or the M.R. James school of traditional English ghost story but, having brought the paperback on holiday with me, I decided to persevere. As the plot unfolded, it actually turned out to be a real chiller. I was glad I'd packed it.
The book was first published nearly thirty years ago and a stage version has so far had a twenty two year run in the West End, starting to rival 'The Mousetrap'. It was only when a film version was finally released earlier this year to some critical acclaim that I noticed this lying on our bookshelf, bought some time ago on a whim but still unread. I'm not sure how this escaped me as the London show has been running all that time at the Fortune Theatre, which coincidentally happens to be right next to the church where we got married in Covent Garden. Still, better late than never...
Maybe I was just in holiday mood, suspending normal critical faculties, but I actually quite enjoyed this. It's quite sparsely narrated, with less than 200 pages. The plot held my attention for just long enough, the atmosphere was remarkably foreboding and, to my surprise, I found myself quite caught up in the suspense as the pace gathered after the first chapter.
The sense of time and place is fairly imprecise, but this seemed a broadly successful attempt at a classic ghost/horror story, in a bygone English rural setting and a creepy old country house. All the ingredients are there, including unpredictable sea fogs ('frets') that roll in across the marshes, graveyards and, of course, the isolated Eel Marsh House only accessible via a tidal causeway. But it's the malevolent presence of the eponymous Woman in Black that really catches the imagination. What is her terrible secret?
The story is told in the first person of young solicitor, Arthur Kipps, sent to attend the funeral and deal with the affairs of the recently deceased reclusive Alice Drablow, sole resident of Eel Marsh House. His sense of foreboding is well conveyed, from his arrival at the village of Crythin Gifford with its taciturn inhabitants, their air of superstition, and his first encounter with the spectral Woman in Black.
Slightly hackneyed perhaps as a narrative device, but quite effective nevertheless, the tale is told on Christmas Eve years later to a cosy family gathering. The domestic setting contrasts nicely with the unsettling gothic atmosphere of the main story.
Suffice it to say, this is basically 'just' a classic ghost story, set around the turn of last century. For me it's the sparse descriptions and brevity that really make it succeed: less is more!
Without giving too much away, I found the ending slightly disappointing, somewhat predictable and a decidedly cheerless twist to a dark tale. Nevertheless, this is still an enjoyable ghost/horror story, told in the traditional manner. It will probably appeal to anyone who enjoys classic English ghost stories.
Hill, Susan
The woman in black
Vintage, 1998
~~Availability and price~~
Paperback currently available from Amazon: £3.86
Kindle edition: £3.74
Audiobook also available as CD or download
~~Related links~~
* www.susan-hill.com
[© SteveS001 2012. A version of this original review may appear on other review sites]
Last night, after spending three years on my bookcase, I finally got round to finishing Susan Hill's 'The Woman in Black.' After seeing the film adaptation starring Daniel Radcliffe, I was eager to finish the book I had started so long ago. For anyone who has not seen the film or read the book, it is the tragic story of a young lawyer who is sent to Eel Marsh House to sort through the papers of the late Mrs. Drablow. While he is there, he experiences many unexplained events and is haunted by the ghost of a woman in black - a woman whose presence leads to deadly results.
The book is wonderfully written. You find yourself being drawn into the experiences of the narrator until you begin to feel on edge yourself - something that not many books manage to achieve. The book less than two hundred pages long and with something gripping happening in every chapter (roughly ten pages long) you can't help but wanting to read chapter after chapter in one sitting.
I was amazed at how true to the book the film really is. Often filmmakers take advantage and turn the story into something completely different, but in this case it is not true at all. Admittedly the film does introduce the underlying story much sooner to keep the action going, but it still holds on to the essence of the book. The film also uses the advantage of visual and audio effects to build up the suspense to create scenes where the audience cannot help but jump out of their seat...even if you think you can predict what is coming!
The main difference between the book and the film that I encountered was the ending. The film leaves the audience with complete closure and, what could almost be interpreted as a happy ending in the reunion of the lovers and the expelling of the ghost. However, the book offers no real conclusion to the story, somehow making it scarier, as you are still left with questions at the end, which keeps you thinking about the book a long time after you have finished it.
Overall, I found that both the book and the film are wonderful examples of a truly gripping ghost story. The book is a completely unique concept that, even for those who have seen the film, offers something very new and will keep you wanting to read more. The film offers an interpretation of the book that is very true to it, while offering something that people who had already read the book wouldn't expect. I would strongly recommend both reading the book and watching the film, as even though they tell the same story, they are wonderfully unique.
The Woman in Black is an extremely chilling yet one of those books that you just can't put down until you reach the end!
The story tells of Arthur Kipps, a young solicitor who is sent to Eel Marsh House to attend the funeral of Mrs Alice Drablow, and to deal with her affairs in the following days.
As the book progresses you begin to sense that all is not quite as it seems at Eel Marsh House, and as the story progresses through a series of twists & turns, you really feel that you are experiencing the ghostly encounters alongside Arthur during the days that he spends alone at the deserted house.
At the climax of the book you discover that not only does the Woman in Black haunt Arthur, she also has a much more disturbing impact on his life than anyone could imagine.
Susan Hill has written this book with just the right amount of suspense, intrigue & power, and the final few pages are genuinely spine-tingling.
The story begins with the main character, Arthur Kipps, struggling over the choice whether to tell his family his story. After agonising over the decision to write it down or not, he decides he will.
And it's a ghost story.
Mrs. Drablow is dead, and the young upcoming solicitor has been sent to sort out her affairs and documents (quite similar to the main character from Dracula in this respect). When Arthur arrives at the town of Crythin Gifford he is pleased by the pleasant calm and familiarity of the towns inhabitants. However, after describing his business at the Inn he is staying in, the locals begin to avoid him and warn him against going to the remote homeplace of the deceased Mrs. Drablow... Eel Marsh House.
Kipps, being a rational man committed to becoming a partner in the law firm, goes anyway. Once there, he finds that the house is only accessible through a lengthy causeway in the marshes, which is completely underwater in some parts of the day. At night, the path is covered by the tide and a thick fog that means leaving by carriage is impossible.
But for the first night, there are no problems, except maybe the mysteriously locked door at the end of the upstairs corridor, and he decides that the fear of the towns inhabitants must just come from local superstition.
Then, at the funeral of Mrs. Drablow, he sees the Woman in Black. As the mystery of the woman develops before him, Arthur learns that there's more to the house than meets the eye, and nothing in Crythin Gifford is quite what it seems.
When the Woman In Black takes an interest in Arthur, he finds himself unable to continue rationalising the terrifying events that follow...
Susan Hill's novel is completely gripping, from start to finish. Her character development, although a little unbelievable at times, is accomplished very well and the gradual change in Kipps's character is excellent. The descriptions of Arthur's experiences and the appearance of the woman are very atmospheric, as is the isolated setting of the house in the marshes. She uses common, solid themes from the Gothic genre and adapts them well to her story.
There are few main characters, and the book revolves soley around Kipps - unfortunately, this means that other characters you'd like to see more of are a little overlooked and unexplained.
Written in the early 1970's, the Woman In Black reads like it comes from an earlier period - the style has all the characteristics of a turn of the century gothic novel. It's an excellent way of delivering the story, and Hill adapts to this style seamlessly.
As previously said, the only negative thing I can think of is that Kipps' continued desire to rationalise events does become slightly unbelievable further into the book, but the story is imaginative enough for that not to be much of a significant problem.
Pricewise, it's a fairly cheap book. My copy is pretty thin and cost £3.99 from Borders and it's likely to be a similar price elsewhere.
If you enjoy reading a more chilling type of story, this is one I would definitely recommend to you. Plus, it is a short novel that you really could read in one exciting session.
This is about the play, based on this novel. When the play opened, I was uncertain that I was going to enjoy it. It started off in a way that made me think, "Oh no, this is awful!". However, the beginning is just one twist in a series that keeps you in suspense until the very end. The play is billed as a two-hander, i.e. there should only be two actors in the play all the way through. Spot the extra as the play progresses! It concerns a solicitor, Arthur Kipps, a man attempting to exorcise a nightmare he lived through by setting it down as a story to be read to anyone who will listen. He enlists the help of a younger actor, who loses patience with the reading, and suggests that as they happen to be in a theatre, they should act it out. So this actor takes the part of the solicitor and Arthur Kipps plays all the other parts. Obviously, the role taxes the actor playing Arthur Kipps tremendously, I have seen it played by Barry Stanton and Edward Petherbridge, and both were incredible. The set appears to be very simple, and then slowly turns into a lonely mansion through the aid of gauze, lighting effects and an exceptional back stage team. At one point they do a scene change whilst you are watching the two actors, and I had absolutely no idea it was going on! It is scary; there are real "scream" moments – quite literally. At one, the whole audience cried out, and laughed nervously because they all did it together! It is not blood thirsty, just a genuine build up of tension in a claustrophobic atmosphere. I highly recommend this play, but be warned it is not for younger children, or the faint of heart!
Proud and solitary, Eel Marsh House surveys the windswept reaches of the salt marshes. Arthur Kipps, a young solicitor summoned to funeral, has no inkling of its tragic secret or of the mysterious black-robed woman who haunts its shuttered rooms.


text:
PRE-ORDER: Joie Aire Twin Stroller £95.99 @ Smyths
Do or are you expecting twins? If so then you might be needing a twin pushchair. They don't come cheap, unless you head over to Smyths today. You can pre-order the Joie Aire Twin Stroller for just £95.99. Please not that you won't get it until 3rd to 10th July. It's fine if you aren't needing it until then though as it's a super price. I haven't seen this anywhere for under £100.
The Joie Aire twin stroller is designed for two babies and is of the side by side kind. The chassis is made from high quality aluminium which helps keep the weight of the stroller to a minimum but is strong enough to tackle the daily journey of a pushchair.
This twin pushchair has the ability to lie flat, which makes it suitable for babies from birth. The Baby Soft Touch Harness is will keep baby secure.
Baby Soft Touch Harness Restraint is ultra soft and gentle on baby's sensitive skin while keeping baby safe and secure. The five point harness can be adjusted to three different heights for when baby grows.
With the Joie Aire Twin Stroller you get reversible blue and pink seat liners, a raincover, hoods and a shopping basket.
Thanks to Lindsey on our Facebook Page


text:
Described as a hidden gem in Dublin city, the Schoolhouse Hotel is located just a 10 minutes walk from many of Dublin's main event venues and visitor attractions like the the fashionable area of Grafton Street, Trinity College, Temple Bar, St. Stephen's Green, The National Museum, and the RDS and Aviva Stadium.
Standard Rooms feature a king-size bed with en-suite facilities and a Victorian style suite. For your comfort the beds are fitted with sumptuous micro fibre duvets and oversized pillows. These rooms include unlimited movies, email and internet on the LCD televisions, mineral water and ice, tea, coffee and cookies, bathrobes, and luxury toiletries.
The Schoolhouse Bar & Restaurant is one of Dublin's trendiest and most vibrant neighbourhood bars. Located in the heart of leafy Ballsbridge and on the banks of the Grand Canal, it is within walking distance from Aviva Stadium, St. Stephen's Green, Trinity College, and Grafton Street. The Schoolhouse provides an oasis of calm from the daily hustle and bustle of Dublin's busy city centre.
Spanning over two floors, the soaring interior of the Schoolhouse Bar is both amazing and unique. Filled with distinctive characteristics and embodied with original architectural features, all carefully refurbished and restored to create the perfect ambiance for any occasion. Breakfast is served daily from 9am with a great selection of traditional Irish offerings, along with an excellent range of coffees and freshly prepared scones and pastries. Food is served daily from noon where the menus feature a large selection of hot dishes, delicious soups, gourmet sandwiches, and much more. By night, The Schoolhouse Bar turns into one of Dublin's most stylish bars offering an extensive and much sought after whiskey menu, a fun and affordable cocktail menu, a large range of beers, and great music entertainment.
The Schoolhouse Hotel is delighted to offer an exclusive selection of Spa Services and Leisure Facilities at Sportsco Gym and Urban Day Spa, both in walking distance of the hotel. All guests receive an extra 10% discount off of all Urban Day Spa luxurious treatments.