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Patently Ridiculous
Published at 8:07pm on 07 Mar 2007
For 500 years the patents system has protected innovation by allowing inventors to capitalise on their ideas. But with the changing pace of technology, and the rise of patents for software concepts and algorithms, are cracks appearing in this venerable institution...?
It is my considered opinion that the time has come for a serious revision of the patents system.
Patents are often confused in the minds of the general population with copyrights and trademarks, so before I begin, let me clarify what is meant by a patent:
From thefreedictionary.com:
A grant made by a government that confers upon the creator of an invention the sole right to make, use, and sell that invention for a set period of time.
Unlike copyright, which is inherently granted for anything you create, a patent must be applied for from the government, and is subject to several conditions which determine whether it will be granted, summarised below:
- A patent is by definition an invention - you have to have invented something to get a patent for it. You can't patent a painting, (though you could patent a method of painting), and you can't patent a discovery, such as a dinosaur skeleton, because you didn't invent it, you just happened to find one. You also can't patent the theory of evolution that explains its existence because evolution already existed, you just discovered it.
- A patent must be original - you can't patent the wheel, even though no patent already exists for it, because you didn't invent it. The legal term for this is prior art - the artistry of it existed prior to your claim.
- A patented concept must also be non-obvious. This is a tricky thing to prove, since most ideas seem obvious once you've heard about them, but essentially this means "if any expert in a given field was given the same problem to solve would they have been likely to solve it the same way?" If the answer is yes, then the idea does not warrant a patent.
The purpose of patents is right there in the dictionary definition; They exist to allow a creator of an invention to profit from his idea for a reasonable period so as to justify the time, effort and expenditure put into the research. Patents have a twofold benefit - they encourage innovation by ensuring that inventors have the opportunity to be rewarded, and they allow inventors to share their ideas early on, rather than being forced to keep them a secret for as long as possible to avoid others from stealing and capitalising on them.
And up until about twenty years ago, this was exactly how patents were used.
But then something changed. The pace of technology cranked up a notch. Computers in particular made new forms of research possible, and the technological innovation increased. Most importantly a new kind of technology emerged that had not existed before, that of software applications.
Software is fundamentally different from hardware in that it is very easy to duplicate. Initially this was mostly a concern for copyright holders, since their work can now be effortlessly duplicated and redistributed. Clinging to the glories of yesteryear, they have fought back against this wave of change by concentrating all their efforts on innovative new ways to prevent the copying of digital data (using technologies such as DRM), rather than seeking innovative new ways to monetise their intellectual property.
Digital data's primary benefit is that it is easy to duplicate and distribute. This is why it has triumphed over the analogue technologies that preceded it. People like DVDs because they can be played again and again without degradation, and because they are more faithful to the original film in terms of quality than VHS. Both of these traits come from the fact that digital data is more robust when copied.
For the media companies to have jumped aboard the bandwagon of digital media, and to now suddenly declare that they want to find a way to make it harder to duplicate, is one of the more ludicrous things to have happened in recent times. They've even expended huge sums on developing DVDs that degrade quickly! Who wants to bet that the 3rd generation DVD will be the VHS cassette?
A few months ago, I suggested that copyright "theft" is a phantom menace, and that rather than trying to stave off the inevitable march of progress, copyright owners need to adjust their perceptions and start focussing on how to make money out of giving people what they want, instead of trying to charge them more for something they don't (when the same product is already freely available with fewer restrictions via the black market).
But where copyright is failing in the world of digital media, patents have flourished into something much more powerful (and sinister) than was ever envisaged at their inception.
Patents were created in a time when the following things were true:
- Innovation was infrequent. New ideas came along at a slow enough rate that it was possible for the patent office to keep track of all claims.
- Most innovation came out of the UK (and later the US, which had a similar patent system, and good communication).
- Most patent holders would develop and market their own inventions, seeking financial backing where necessary, but usually retaining the development rights for themselves, and acting on them. They generally didn't lock them in a box and wait to see who came up with the same idea next so they could sue them (or sell them to a company which intended the same).
Under these conditions the patents system worked very well. Innovations were put into practice quickly, and if they failed then the patent would expire and someone else could have a shot at capitalising on the idea. It was also relatively easy for an inventor to check that his idea was unique, or for the patent office to do so on his behalf. Once a patent was granted, its ownership was indisputable.
But modern patents work very differently indeed. The idea of a lone genius producing patentable ideas is an archaic fantasy. It seems probable that most technologies that could reasonably be conceived from scratch by an individual have already been discovered and implemented. Almost all modern innovations, particularly in the field of software are evolutionary (rather than revolutionary), incremental improvements of existing ideas, many of which already have patents protecting all or part of the concept. Truely original, non-derivative ideas are much less common, and are usually the product of large research groups or organisations.
Even if the inventor is an individual, any patents for ideas they produce belong to the company he or she works for, or the organisation funding their research. Depending on the contracts involved, this may even apply to works they produce in their spare time - which can lead to situations where the inventor is unaware that a patent exists for their invention, and cannot be certain who owns the rights to it.
The next problem is that the pace of these innovations has completely swamped the various patent offices' ability to cope with them. There is no reliable, global, public database of patented inventions, nor any search engine capable of reliably determining if an idea has already been patented. This in itself is a disaster as it leads to patent conflicts or overlaps, but it is made far worse by the fact that many innovations are not patented at all by their original creator, and those are even harder to track down. Proving prior art is often essentially impossible without weeks of careful research by large teams of (expensive) patent lawyers.
Sadly, on more than one occasion free-thinking software innovators have designed new algorithms and published them as free tools for the masses, only for it to be discovered at a later date that the developer was not contractually entitled to release the algorithm at all, and that a patent had been filed for it by their employers prior to publication.
The most famous (and awful) example of this was the LZW compression algorithm. Originally published in 1984 as an article in IEEE Computer magasine, it was quickly adopted by hundreds of independent software developers, and became part of the GIF image standard, used extensively on the Web. Years later it emerged that the patent for this algorithm had been bought by Unisys, a little known company who appeared from obscurity and declared that they were entitled to seek damages from every web site and software application that used (or could output) GIFs! Though the Unisys patent is now expired and the controversy around it all but forgotten, the more recent dispute between IBM and SCO shows that frivolous lawsuits over patent disputes are not going out of fashion.
So this is the sad reality of modern patents. Far from being used to protect the interests of the "small businessman with a big idea", as originally intended, patents are now used as stealth weapons, secretly hoarded by anonymous companies who skulk secretively in the shadows waiting for victims to innocently stumble on one of the ideas in their patent portfolio. They wait until some poor sap achieves moderate market success and then pounce on them with a lawsuit seeking outrageous damages and giving the victim little choice between paying them, or facing bankruptcy from paying legal fees for the duration of an inevitably long-drawn-out court battle.
Many modern patents never result in an actual product, instead they are traded in secret between giant companies so that they may be used as weapons in the legal cold war that erupts whenever anyone is foolish enough to try to bring a new product to market.
Patents are now so numerous and far-reaching that it is essentially impossible to introduce a new software application or electronic device that does not infringe on a patent that somebody, somewhere has filed. Instead, companies must gather their own patent arsenal so that when they are inevitably sued, they will hopefully be able to find something buried deep in their archive that will allow them to launch a countersuit to nullify their attacker.
Of course this just further encourages the growing trend of companies that do nothing except buy patents and file lawsuits. By actually producing any products they are putting themselves at risk, but by assimilating intellectual property rights and preying on competitors, they can earn a healthy living with far less expenditure.
It gets worse. The rate of innovation means the patent office is no longer able to keep track of the state of the art. Many patents are filed that grossly infringe on prior art, and many others push the boundaries of the obvious. More recently, genetics researchers have been patenting minor modifications to naturally occurring gene sequences and molecules for use in drugs. There is already great concern that patents have been granted for parts of the human genome. How is this possible? Surely this violates the principle that patents must be inventions not discoveries? The patents circumvent this by claiming that they cover the use of these sequences only as part of an original process or application (a definition which can easily be extended later by the use of ambiguous language, or further incremental patent applications).
Sadly, it doesn't matter to most companies that their patents may not stand up in court because the mere threat of court action is sufficient to blackmail businesses into coughing up licence fees. If the choice is between an extortionate licence fee or even more extortionate legal fees (with no guarantee of success) most companies just aren't prepared to take the risk.
Laws designed to prevent frivolous lawsuits are often ineffective in these cases due to the level of technical knowledge required to prove that an idea is obvious, or that it is conceptually similar to an existing invention. Also, sitting on patents until violaters achieve market success is not frivolous according to the legal definition, and the company in question can easily claim that they were "unaware" of their patent until recently, or that they had only just acquired it as a result of a merger.
So how can we change this?
Numerous suggestions have been made to combat this new patent plague. Ideas range from reducing the maximum software patent expiration period (currently between 15 and 20 years), to simply rejecting the concept of patents for software altogether. Patents were invented in a time before software existed, even as a concept, so one could attempt to argue that they don't apply to it.
Despite some benefits, I think this solution is disingenuous. While it is true that patents pre-date software, the principles of their application are a logical extension of the same idea. And banning software patents doesn't really help. It would reduce the incentive for large companies to fund software innovation, and it wouldn't even solve the problem - modern digital electronics devices suffer the exact same issues, with companies attempting to patent the specifics or generalities of particular user interface paradigms, or even vague concepts like "look-and-feel".
And if we were to go down this road, I believe the coming revolution is going to blur the hardware/software distinction so much as to make this unenforceable. In the end, we would would either have to ban all patents, or none at all.
So what can we do?
I think the better solution is to take a cue from the way that trademarks are handled. Trademark licences come with a "use it or lose it" clause. You cannot secretly trademark a name and then wait quietly for someone to come along and take it up before suing them for infringement. If you don't actually trade under your trademark then it expires and may be employed by someone else who actually intends to use it.
If patents were to come with an additional clause stating that they would be considered null and void if the company made no efforts to develop a product with them within a fixed (short) period, they would be much less of a menace to innocent parties, whilst still serving the useful purpose of protecting investments in innovative research.
The patents system also needs to be brought out into the open, with rules requiring companies to publish lists of all their patents on a single, publicly (and freely) accessible database. Any company that made use of an invention prior to it appearing on this list would not be liable for damages.
The patent ratification process also need to be tightened up. Patent applications should be required to undergo a public review, during which time anyone would be given the opportunity to provide evidence of prior art, or submit challenges to the innovative content of the proposal. Patents, if granted, would be deemed retrospectively applicable from the beginning of this process, so there would be no danger of copycats abusing this waiting period to steal the idea and capitalise on it.
Finally, these rules need to be agreed on an international basis, or at the very least the interactions between patents laws in different regions need to be clarified.
At the moment it is not clear if any infringement is taking place when a developer posts a US patent-violating freeware program on a server that is accessible from the US, but not located on US soil. Would he be required to paste a disclaimer stating that the material was not permitted in the US? Or even take stronger action to block such downloads? And what if the programmer himself was a US citizen, or based in the US?
The global nature of the Internet means that international borders are a very poor method of enforcing boundaries between contradictory intellectual property restrictions.
The key point here is that patent laws, like copyright laws are currently fighting against the tide of progress instead of guiding it. While their purposes may seem noble, the reality is that they cannot possibly function in this environment. Laws can only work if they reflect will of the majority. When we have thousands or even millions of people pouring their creativity into circumventing these regulations, we cannot expect the legal profession to be able to put the same magnitude of effort and creativity into frustrating them. And we have to ask ourselves whose interests are they serving by doing so?
In the end, whatever we decide to do, it must be done soon. The patent laws as they stand are failing, and with the power for defeating these barriers that the Internet community has demonstrated, we face a simple choice between reforming our concepts of intellectual property once and for all, or watching as they are trampled to dust under the steady march of progress.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are those of the author and are not shared by Charcoal Design unless specifically stated. The material is for general information only and does not constitute investment, tax, legal or other form of advice. You should not rely on this information to make (or refrain from making) any decisions. Always obtain independent, professional advice for your own particular situation.
Patently Ridiculous
Extremely well-thought out and well-written opinion on an important topic that touches us all - although most folks probably have no idea how they are affected by it. Your idea about companies being required to post their patents is interesting. If there was a way to ensure such online publications were truly hacker-proof AND if a central patent site were organized in a way that would allow a developer to be able to logically search for related concepts and find current active links to all companies (and individuals) who own a related concept then this would certainly be an idea worth pursuing.
Once you can resolve those issues, the next step would be to put together a bipartisan group Senators and Congressman to put together a bill and push it through for a vote. Of course, this is far easier said than done. The biggest obstacle to being able to actually effect such changes is having the leverage to defeat those who have a vested interest in the status quo, i.e. not to imply all but certainly a substantial percentage of large corporations, foreign governments, and patent attorneys who only see they have much to lose and nothing to gain. These adversaries aren't particularly concerned about stifling innovation or progress since it's not the inventions that fill their coffers, nor even the development of inventions to actual product, but rather the marketing rights.
How do we overcome that? I've got no magic answers but here's a couple of thoughts to add to the brainstorming on this issue:
1. Differentiate between "concepts" and "inventions". Concepts being either a purely functional description for a new product and/or process. "Inventions" being concepts that have been taken to the level of passing a preliminary proof of concept test which means it has been deemed technologically worthy of further development. "Concepts" should not be patentable as they are essentially still in the "dream" or "I wish" stage, whereas for a concept to become an "invention", requires an intention to turn that dream into reality and adequate sweat equity as proof of that intent.
2. Differentiate more between patent owners, developers, manufacturers and marketers. Patent "owners" should be limited to ONLY the actual individual (or individuals actively working in concert) who had hands-on involvement in taking a concept to the point it became a patentable invention; Patent "Developers" would be those who purchased (and publicly registered) the right to develop a particular patent for a particular product or process. If they take their development to the point of having a final product or process, then that "Patent Developer" can apply for upgraded rights as a "Derivitive Patent Owner". The "Patent Manufacturer", where applicable, would be the actual company (or companies) hired to manufacture the final physical product. They would be required to be publicly registered as such linked to the Derivitive and original Patent owners, along with date range those manufacturers provided that service. The "Patent Marketers" obviously are those who market and distribute the final product to wholesalers, retailers and/or individuasl. Again, those Marketers should be listed on a central registry with links to the Manufacturers, Developers, and Patent Owners. The intended benefit of requiring public registry of these phased-owners of any particular patent would be that (A) Eliminates suppression of ideas and theories by an individual or company that seeks only to eliminate competitors; (B) Ensures credit to the individuals who actually deserve it, which is often more of a motivator for them than money - BUT it also would provide those individuals with a right to claim continuing royalties or assign those rights to their heirs; (C) Creates better exposure for an invention to be discovered by potential developers and marketers and opens avenues for global bidding on development, manufacturing and marketing rights; (D) Gives small companies and individuals more opportunities to compete with "the big guys"; (E) Eliminates claim that the actual manufacturer of a product is a "trade secret"; (F) Easier for consumer protection groups to trace responsible parties for defects in design or manufacturing; (G) Easier to trace and track "leaks" and pirateers; (H) Creates motivation for new and better methods for funding development of inventions; (I) Failed Marketers, Manufacturers and Developers won't be in a position to bury an invention; (J) Greater transparency is ALWAYS better for the honest people, whether consumers, inventors, or businesses.
Obviously, the above ideas are not "complete" or perfect. My intent though is NOT to turn patents into a socialist or communist process (as I believe those are de-motivators for innovators) but I would like to find a way to prevent (or at least substantially reduce) abuse of capitalism by individuals and companies who seek to beat their actual or potential competitors through unfair means, which often includes complete destruction of what would have been a viable invention in the right party's hands.
BTW, you might want to post links to your site and this thread on some Blawgs (Law Blogs) particularly those geared for patent attorneys, corporate attorneys, and government attorneys.Reply
Posted by Leslie at 05:46am on 15 Mar 2007
Patently Ridiculous
Leslie, great enhancements to the original post.
But we all need to remember that the solution employed must come from the top in order to be embraced by all. That is, it must be global. Sending a bill through congress wont really help, as the status quo will still exist in other countries...
Those who wish to use the patent system for revenue by way of lawsuits will simply move their operations outside the USA.
So... Maybe the United Nations is good place for this to start?
How that actually will come to pass I have no idea...
Posted by Wex at 8:40pm on 18 Mar 2007


text: St Albans is slugging it out with Cambridge for top spot on the proposed Monopoly Here and Now UK edition. So cast your vote early and often - well once a day anyway which is allowed in the rules. Cambridge was less than 100 votes in front when I cast my vote today. (Bizarrely Burgess Hill is in fifth place, with Oxford a distant 7th.) St Albans District Council vision is to be Hertfordshire's premier community. Time to pass Go and collect £200.

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Welcome to the Urban Butterfly Project! Urban areas can be real havens for butterflies, with parks, gardens, allotments and nature reserves providing some of the best spaces for them.
Workshops and events include collecting, sowing and growing wildflower seeds, planting wildflower plug plants and scrub removal.
Current volunteer opportunity: the project is working with Glasgow City Council and TCV at the new wildflower nursery at Pollok Country Park in Glasgow. This autumn we will be sowing wildflower seeds and growing them in the nursery over the winter. They will eventually be planted out around Glasgow to help our butterflies. Can you help at the nursery? We need volunteers to help with potting on small plants as they grow. No experience necessary, and all training will be provided!
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2013-14 Summit League Men's Basketball Schedule
ELMHURST, Ill. – The Summit League announced its 2013-14 men's basketball schedule today. Each of the eight teams will play a 14-game double round-robin schedule beginning Thursday, Jan. 9.
Thursday/Saturday games are scheduled for eight weeks, with each team playing either a home or road contest against its travel partner on two of those weeks.
South Dakota State begins defense of its league title with a contest at IUPUI and tournament runner-up North Dakota State plays at Fort Wayne on opening night. Two days later, league newcomer Denver makes its Summit League debut with a game at South Dakota and last season's regular season co-champion Western Illinois hosts Omaha.
The first rematch of the 2013 Summit League Basketball Championship Game comes Saturday, Jan. 25 when South Dakota State hosts North Dakota State. On Saturday, Feb. 22, the Bison and Jackrabbits meet in Fargo.
The Summit League's regular season concludes with a full slate of Feb. 27 and March 1 games. Pairings for the final day of the regular season include: Denver at North Dakota State, Fort Wayne at Omaha, IUPUI at Western Illinois and South Dakota at South Dakota State.
The 2014 Summit League Men's Basketball Championships are set for March 8-11 in Sioux Falls, S.D.
In its fourth decade of Division I athletics, The Summit League offers 19 championship sports and has a combined enrollment of over 120,000 at eight institutions, including three located in top 60 U.S. metro populations and two land-grant universities. Member institutions include: Denver (University of Denver), Fort Wayne (Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne), IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis), North Dakota State University, Omaha (University of Nebraska Omaha), the University of South Dakota, South Dakota State University and Western Illinois University. Previously known as the Mid-Continent Conference, The Summit League rebranded in 2007 and has since produced eight NCAA Champions, 62 All-Americans and 50 Academic All-America selections.
Follow The Summit League on Twitter @thesummitleague, @summithoops and @summitchamps


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Decimating 3D Scan Data & Lossless Data Compression
Reducing the size of 3D Scan Data can be important. Most people familiar with 3D scan data are aware of this because scanners can generate a lot of redundant information in relation to actual useful information in the geometry.
Take, for example, a brick. It can be represented with a few dimensions (w x h x L, plus chamfer size if it's a fancy brick). In CAD, a brick is light-weight and is composed of a few primitive pieces of geometry. But a 3D scanned brick can have millions of triangles.
Decimating scan data reduces the number of triangles, and a good decimation tool will keep track of the actual geometry and not try to deviate from the original geometry all that much.
Below is an example of a brick in (1) CAD, with an (2) Original Scan, and with a (3) Decimated Scan (note the scans are simulated). All of the shapes adequately represent the brick, and give a good idea about the heaviness of the different representations of the model
Decimation: Lossy Reduction
Rarely, however, are 3D Scanners used to scan simple shapes like bricks, and are better applied to complex shapes (with a lot of detail) or ones with complex forms. Below you'll see a few examples of a free form shape being decimated. You can click to open the 3D view.
Click to view/rotate in 3D, you can also download the file here (http://bit.ly/Kxq2QG)
It is more clear in these samples the differences in decimation and that decimation can effect the geometry if it is over-applied. Clearly there is geometry loss when the data is decimated which can unacceptable in many situations.
Lossless Compression
Another way to reduce the size of data without changing the geometry is to store it in a more efficient format. Unfortunately for people moving heavy data around, it is common to see legacy data formats value a simple data structure rather than a compressed and more efficient format. An STL is a good example of this, as it an uncompressed and very heavy format which stores a lot of unnecessary and redundant information – it's basically an extremely inefficient file format for storing 3d geometry. (An simple inefficient example of storing data would be storing an x-coordinate as 1.25 vs 1.25000, where the 000′s don't contribute to the geometry and just take up extra file space).
One of the benefits of working and sharing 3D models on the cloud with TeamPlatform is that models are automatically compressed by TeamPlatform when they are uploaded. This means the the information (the 3d geometry) in the files can be loaded at a fraction of the time it would take to load the geometry had it not been compressed. Loading files on TeamPlatform is faster than downloading the original files because of the high (and lossless [no shape is lost]) compression. When this idea is taken a step further to viewing 3D models within TeamPlatform's Design Review, the benefit of this compression can save a lot of time.
The video below shows a head to head comparison between launching and loading installed software vs. viewing data online in TeamPlatform (the software used is the very capable 3D scan data software Rapidform from INUS Technologies, www.rapidform.com)
[wpvideo CloyP8H2]
The speed differences boil down to (1) compression of the 3D geometry makes loading the compressed file online much faster than downloading it, and (2) the file is accessed from the cloud and immediately loaded in the browser (which means you can skip the program launch and load times).
Viewing data obviously isn't the end-all for 3D geometry. You might want to comment, or provide feedback, or send the data to someone else to process or review. When you really, really have to download the file, it's good to have a fast internet connection on your side (download speeds typically max-out at a few MB's per second), and a good software on your computer to handle the data.
Decimation and Compression both reduce the weight or filesize of geometry. Lossless Compression means that the filesize is reduced but the geometry is identical (100% exactly the same; no-loss; lossless). TeamPlatform uses lossless compression for it's online viewer which means that you can view files in a fraction of the time they'd take to download and then reload into a viewer on your own PC.


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In the Fall of 2004, having just completed the Dartmouth MA in Comparative Literature, I enrolled in the ThM program in Biblical Studies at Harvard Divinity School. At the time, I lived in Andover where I was Roman Catholic chaplain at Phillips Academy and an instructor in English until 2006 after which I moved to Our Lady of Czestochowa Friary in South Boston where I stayed until I finished the program at Harvard in 2007.
Thereafter, I return to my Franciscan Province of California and Nevada and worked in the formation of Franciscan postulants in Bay Area until 2010, when I took up residence in Nevada as rector of Saint Thomas Aquinas Cathedral in Reno. My term of office kept me at the Cathedral until 2015. After that, I taught English to Franciscan postulants in Vietnam and now serve the Order as promoter of the Franciscan Vietnam Mission, a position that requires multiple preaching engagements across the Western United States from May to October of every calendar year.
During my time in Reno, I enrolled in the PhD program in English Literature with a focus on Renaissance Studies at the University of Nevada and am now scheduled to defend my dissertation on the Italian Verse of Milton this Fall. In the meantime, I have accepted a full-time assistant professorship in Rhetoric at Zaytuna College, the nation's first Muslim liberal arts college and the newest member of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley CA.
The Dartmouth MA program re-awakened in me the ambition to pursue doctoral studies and showed me ‹ step-by-step ‹ how it might be achieved given the unusual circumstances of my ongoing commitments as a Franciscan friar and Roman Catholic priest. Also, the program gave me a thorough foundation in critical theory which, despite the general lack of enthusiasm for theory in the current state of the academy, nonetheless provides an astonishing array of critical tools for investigation into almost any imaginable field of inquiry in Literature and Rhetoric. Finally, Dartmouth put me in the company of smart peers and generous professors whose insight, encouragement and guidance have benefitted me throughout my time ever since: Ehud Benor, Gerd Gemünden, Amy Lawrence, Monica Otter and Irene Kakandes, our program director at the time, among others.


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Release: P1.0 (2018-07-10)
Mob Programming is a natural extension of the popular Pair Programming concept and is not restricted to a specific programming language or technology. It can be used by anyone who develops software, including dev leads, software developers, and agile coaches. When you have more people working on a bug or feature, you get fewer dependencies on individuals and overall increased learning for everyone involved. With more eyes on the code, you'll find you develop better solutions with fewer defects.
Set up your team for success by introducing Mob Programming in a way that benefits them. Create a good first Mobbing experience for your team with a template that avoids the common traps beginners may fall into. Master a collaborative and empathic mindset to help optimize the Mobbing experience. Learn how to make adjustments when things go wrong. Adapt your mobbing to different types of development tasks. Get management buy-in for your Mobbing experiment by demonstrating the benefits. Discover the equipment and resources you need and how to adjust your workspace for an effective mob.
Get important features to market sooner, squish bugs faster, and collaborate better today with Mob Programming.
What You Need
All you need is three or more programmers, a meeting workspace that's large enough to accommodate your mob, and a computer on which to work.
Contents & Extracts
- Acknowledgments
- Preface
- About This Book
- Online Resources
- Why Mob Programming
- What Is Mob Programming?
- Mobbing vs. Pairing
- Getting Support from Management
- The Disillusioned Mobber
- What's Next?
- Starting to Mob
- Preparing for Your First Mob
- A Recipe for Mobbing
- Setting the Stage
- Mobbing Intervals
- Learning from the Experience
- What's Next?
- People and Mobbing
- It Starts with Empathy
- Adopting a Collaborative Mindset
- The Big Five Personality Traits Model
- Running a Group Session on Personality Types
- What's Next?
- Adjusting Your Mobbing
- Mobbing with an Expert
- Mobbing on Explorative Work
- Mobbing on Trivial Work
- What's Next?
- Preparing the Workplace for Regular Mobbing
- Guiding Principles for Your Workplace
- A Typical Mob Layout
- Equipment You'll Need
- Adjusting to Open-Plan Offices
- Using a Team Room
- A Quick Word on Costs
- What's Next?
- Preparing Your Team for Regular Mobbing
- Linking Mobbing Needs to Team Needs
- Adjusting Team Processes for Regular Mobbing
- Who Should Be in the Mob
- Being Around to Mob
- Gathering the Mob
- Handling Mob Fatigue
- What's Next?
- Focusing on Flow
- What Do You Mean by Flow?
- The Biggest Impact on Flow in Software Development
- Increase Flow By Reducing Work in Progress
- Dealing with Other Flow Breakers
- What's Next?
- Mobbing Over Time
- New People Joining Your Team
- Slow Mobbing
- Promoting Mobbing to Others
- Reverting to Old Habits
- From Novice to Master
Mark Pearl has been developing software professionally for over 15 years. He is an active participant in the Mob Programming community since 2015 and has helped teams all over the world adopt Mob Programming with exceptional results.


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Località Stroppare
35020 Pozzonovo (Pd) Italia
0429 773055 uff. 049 605820 fax 049 605909
Parco Faunistico Valcorba , a 20 ha developing and exciting zoo located in north of Italy near Venice and Padoa, has an exciting opportunity for an experienced keeper to join our Mammal team. You will be responsible for the hands-on day-to-day husbandry of a large and diverse collection of mammals, with a focus on carnivores.
The ideal candidate will have previous experience working with similar species, in a mainstream zoological collection and an awareness of current conservation issues and a passion for animal welfare.
The successful candidate will be expected to have an animal-based qualification and as this is a physically demanding role, candidates must be physically fit. Candidates will need to have a full driving licence. Experience driving tractors and off-road vehicles would be advantageous. Due to the position of the park your own transport is essential.
Italian language is mandatory.
Please send a detailed CV and covering letter explaining why you wish to be considered for this post to Pietro Laricchiuta by email to firstname.lastname@example.com
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Deadline 15/06/2018
Peter Dickinson
Independent International Zoo Consultant
+971 50 4787 122 | firstname.lastname@example.com | Skype: peter.dickinson48


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Available at Cookie Co. 415 in San Francisco.
Cookie Co. 415 has by far the largest menu of sweet buds that hail from the Girl Scout Cookies strain in the Bay Area, and the Cookies 'N Creme offering is one of the company's best. Scrumptious scents just like the smell of a freshly baked sugar cookie are complemented by a sweet and creamy aftertaste. The crispy nug structure of this strain shows how perfectly dried and cured this strain is. Notable for its sedative effects, Cookies 'N Creme is best used at night, as it certainly packs a punch straight from the sandman. Muscle pain and insomnia are two ailments that just drift away when enjoying this powerful strain. This is not a bud that should be passed up for those looking for the classic couch-lock experience. Cookie Co. 415 in San Francisco is the spot for this top-of-the-line cookie.


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Avoid These 3 Job Search MistakesAugust 26th, 2013
A job search is hard enough – there's no need to make it even harder on yourself. When you're feeling frustrated, it's important to stay cool, calm, and collected during all stages of the interview process. These are the simple mistakes that make recruiters look away – while you're left looking for a job.
1. You Dropped the Name… of Someone You Don't Even Know.
Maybe a close friend offered up the name of one of their connections who works at this company. Unless you have explicitly spoken with that person and asked their permission to use them as a reference, you should not mention their name on an application or in an interview. This advice goes both ways. Don't offer up the name of your connections to a job-seeking friend unless you were given permission. Here are the right ways to build up your reference arsenal.
2. You Applied for a Great Position… But You're Not Even Qualified
You've found the perfect position. There's just one problem: you're not really, technically qualified. Unfortunately, you need to move on. It's a waste of your time and a recruiter's time. But what if you exaggerated your experiences just a little bit? Stop, right there. You know your limitations. Instead, focus on what you can do.
3. You Incessantly Follow Up… and Get Angry That You Haven't Heard Back.
While the anticipation of a potential interview or job offer can consume every waking moment of your life, the same cannot be said for those making the hiring decisions. They are recruiting for multiple jobs at one time and you never know if something has come up and stalled the hiring process. You can get angry privately, but don't show it to the potential employer. Be patient. The outcome will eventually be revealed to you. And if this does not work out, something else will come up.
About ABR
ABR Employment Services provides employment opportunities to job seekers and staffing solutions to employers throughout Wisconsin and in Winona, MN. ABR provides temporary, try-before-hire and direct hire job opportunities in: customer service, data entry, receptionist, office assistant, administrative assistant, assembly, packaging, machine operator, warehouse, janitorial, CNC, welder, forklift, maintenance, and call center. Connect with us on Facebook or LinkedIn for job seeking tips and advice.


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Center for Animal Law Studies
Visiting International Research Scholar Program
CALS welcomes law professors and legal scholars from all over the world come to Lewis & Clark Law School as a Visiting International Research Scholar. Visits may range anywhere from one week to one year to do self-directed, in-depth research on animal law. We value and appreciate the perspective that Visiting Scholars provide for our students and faculty, as well as providing opportunities for our Scholars to immerse themselves in our animal law community and learn more about U.S. animal law. Scholars chosen for our Visiting International Research Scholar Program have the opportunity to participate in our many animal law programs, including auditing our Animal Law courses, attending our annual Animal Law Conference, presenting to groups on campus, and interacting with students and faculty.
In order to be considered for a Visiting International Research Scholar position, it is essential that you be fluent in English and have an understanding of the common law legal system.
—more information on how to apply—


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Not all the highlights at the Calgary Folk Music Festival are of the musical variety. When you get 12,000 people/day on a tiny island in the river, you get some great humanity sightings as well. Horse head guy, leiderhosen fellow, green man, bee hive lady, nose bleed dude, smiley hippie dancer, and the featured misplaced Saskatchewan Rough Rider watermelon helmet guy are just a small sampling.
Although I had absolutely no complaints about the hospitality food, that I didn't even realize until partway through day two that my guest pass gave me privileges for, the food truck offerings had their ups and downs. The weather, with its occasional severe thunderstorm warnings, was a bit challenging at times. But the music and musicians, of course, took precedence.
Here are some of my own personal picks for memorable moments from this year's festival:
Musician who totally delivered, despite the unreasonably high expectations I held them to:
* Frazey Ford
Highest-spirited party band who absolutely delivered the partaayy:
* The Strumbellas
Hairiest country band with the best choreographed dance moves:
* The Dead South
Band I had never heard of who completely gobsmacked me:
* Lake Street Dive
Musician, from whom I had very little expectations, who wowed me:
* Rhiannon Giddens
Best blistering blues:
* Bombino and Cecile Doo-Kingue
Long-lived legends who have still got it:
* Buffy Sainte-Marie and Richard Thompson
Band that I want at every kitchen party I ever attend for the rest of my life (also recommendation that my sister was totally bang on about):
* The Jerry Cans
Guy I want hosting every kitchen party I ever attend:
* Socalled
Best breakfast workshop, complete with Phil & Sebastian coffee and Sidewalk Citizen oatmeal cookie:
* "Uncorrected Personality Traits" - Robyn Hitchcock, The Dead South, The Strumbellas, Jennifer Castle
Musician who makes my ears bleed, whose workshop I attended just to prove that I could:
* Colin Stetson
Most sublime folk fest moment:
* Slipping out of one workshop early to get to the 4:20 workshop we really wanted to see (which just happened to be at the only tented stage) and arriving just as the skies let loose with cold driving rain, and then being blown away by Socalled, The Leftover Cuties and the Jerry Cans, as they got the entire tent up on their feet and jump-dancing with sheer joy. And then, as the workshop wrapped up, the sun came out.
How do you beat all that? I guess we'll see next year.
Monday, July 27, 2015
best of the fest
4 comments:
- Eugene K said...
Sounds like a fantastic festival!
- 2:50 am
- Barbara Bruederlin said...
It was grand, Eugene. Which is exactly what I have come to expect. You would love it.
- 7:05 am
- Erik Donald France said...
AbFab ~ wonderful & the bee's knees, or are they the bees' knees?
- 1:24 pm
- Barbara Bruederlin said...
It's the eternal question, isn't it, Erik?
- 2:05 pm
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Need help pinning drapery hooks?
Need help pinning drapery hooks?
In this short video, Galaxy-Design's lead designer Steve Messri shows you how to pin drapery hooks like a pro.
With or without special tools, Steve shows you how to get the job done the right way.
Click below to watch...
-The Galaxy-Design team
Feel free to share this using the links below or click to tweet. If you'd like to purchase the hardware featured in this video, you can do so by clicking here. Use PROMO CODE CL02 for free shipping on your order.


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1313 Shrimp Boat Lane Mt. Pleasant sc 29464
Our reservation policy changes during the season, but right now we accept reservations Monday - Sunday for parties with 7 guests or more. We do not take reservations for the patio or guarantee window seating. Fortunately, most of our tables have an excellent water view. We will try our best to accommodate requests for outdoor seating and tables with a view, but these are typically on a first available basis. If interested in information regarding booking an event or a reservation for more than 25 guests, please contact email@example.com.
Please call the restaurant at (843)884-4440 to book your reservation or contact us for an event at our events email address.
Please click on the Google icon in lower left corner of map to open Google maps to navigate to our location.


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Light Sage Green Rug for Interior
Light sage green rug – Light sage green color symbolizes hope, but also peace and harmony. Occurs in many shades and is readily used by interior decorators. It is a good idea to paint the apartment with a soft shade of green or to buy accessories in that color. The special advantage of light sage green is that it fits in many other colors. Thanks to this it can be aesthetic complement of interiors decorated in different styles. Green color, due to its association with nature, works well on large surfaces. It is worth to paint the walls on one of the shades of green or buy a light sage green rug. The versatility of this color makes light sage green rugs suitable for any type of room. They are also available in different sizes.
Green interior for baby; Children's room is a place where the design needs to devote much attention. First of all, it must be safe. A good baby rug needs to be non-slip. In case of fall, it should provide the best possible depreciation. It must also be ant allergic and easy to keep clean. Because your own little room is an adventure for children, the child kingdom should be interesting and attractive. It is important that supplements stimulate the imagination of the toddler or affect his mood. Bright and cheerful shades of light sage green rug will create a child friendly atmosphere. The green elements of the decor will be particularly attractive in comparison to white or light wood furniture. Such a combination raises associations with nature and the forest.
12 Photos Gallery of: Light Sage Green Rug for Interior
Meanwhile, the light sage green rug will also check in the living room. Homeowners spend most of their time here. And it is worth to make their decor a pleasure to rest. A shaggy light sage green rug is a good idea. Such a rug will create a spring, joyful atmosphere in the living room. Combined with the subdued colors of the walls and the brown floor. You will find a place to relax and forget about everyday problems. The individual character of the bedroom will be emphasized by green mats and accessories in soft colors. Combined with pastel walls. They create a relaxed atmosphere in the bedroom. Especially recommend shaggy light sage green rug, which thanks to their long.


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29 Dec Yoga in Prisons – Benefits Everyone
You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it. –Albert Einstein
It seems that yoga is catching on and being offered everywhere – including in the work place, hospitals, schools and even prison's. Many are benefiting from what is an endless list of benefits with sometimes surprising results. Weight-loss and Flexibility are common results as well as a peaceful inner stillness, but shifting the behavior of criminals? That's what these three prisons have found when they began the practice of yoga and meditation with their inmates. Quoted from www.Dailygood.org.
"At first glance, a room filled with a group of people practicing meditation may not look unusual. But these men and women who are sitting calmly, trying to focus their minds, are a little different from most. They are prisoners in the central jail in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, serving sentences for committing violent crimes. Their objective? To reduce anxiety and make a new beginning. This is the first time prison officials in Bangladesh have introduced a meditation program for inmates."
In an Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, some 4000 inmates have a chance to shorten there jail sentence by practicing yoga regularly. The state's inspector general of prisons, Sanjay Mane, said: "Yoga is good for maintaining fitness, calming the behavior, controlling anger and reducing stress. Some even move on to teach yoga. A quote from inmate at Gwalior central jail, Narayan Sharma – who now has become an instructor – says it helps to banish the "angry thoughts" in his mind "It was these thoughts that made me commit crimes," he said. "I hope that after we are released, we can use what we have learned and promote yoga in society so that people no longer commit crime."
A little closer to home in the United States one other prison is seeing surprising results:
"San Quentin is one of the nation's most notorious prisons. It is home to some of California's most dangerous criminals – 80% of whom are going to get out one day. But it is also notorious for an unusual, and some say bizarre, inmate rehabilitation program.The Insight Prison Project teaches inmates how to control their anger by tapping into it — primarily through yoga techniques. 300 men a week take the classes. No tax money is used to fund this program. And it seems to be working. Since its inception 6 years ago, only one program graduate has returned to prison — a far cry from the 70% average return-to-prison rate for San Quentin inmates." to view the news broadcast copy and paste this address in your browser window. http://www.karmatube.org/videos.php?id=2046
As yoga helps us and others throughout the world – the effect can only be a raised global consciousness. How easy it is to begin this change in even the most difficult places in our world. Now share yoga with everyone you meet and see the change in our own community. Come join us at LLYC!


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Hey Coaches,
We look forward to seeing you and your gymnasts at the 17th Anniversary of the Spirit of the Flame Challenge on Friday, February 28 through Sunday, March 1, at the beautiful Santa Clara Convention Center.
We will have welcome bags, a separate Coaches' area, food, and snacks. It's a great competition for the gymnasts and fun for the whole family, including a Kids' Fun Zone for youngsters, a fun photo backdrop, and vendors and raffle prizes.
Register early: last year we filled up quickly and had a waiting list by October. This also saves on entry fees with our early bird discounts. Register here.
Travel Planning
We're fortunate to have a venue so close to many attractions: the Silicon Valley, San Jose, San Francisco, Santa Cruz beaches and more. We hope that your team and their families will have an enjoyable weekend exploring the area — when not competing or cheering on teammates!
Please make your travel arrangements early. Last year, our primary host hotel sold out in December! The first sessions will start at 8:00 am Friday morning and the last sessions will end around 8:00 pm Sunday. Your session assignments will become available just a few weeks before the meet.
If you're not familiar with the area, please note that Bay Area traffic can be difficult. Check our transportation info and be sure to leave yourself enough time to be ready and on-site before each session.
Sharing the Fun
Let your parents know they can celebrate their gymnast or the whole team with a Good Luck ad in our souvenir program. Programs are distributed for free at the meet. Follow the Spirit of the Flame Challenge on Facebook. If you attended the meet last year, we'd love it if you'd share some of your personal photos from the meet or other fun with your team that weekend on our page.
Your friends and hosts,
Abra Slater & the Spirit of the Flame Team


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Review: Angel Olsen, My Woman
Completely baffled by the critical reception at Burn Your Fire for No Witness, I suspect I'll be baffled once more. Upfront: there's nothing original about Angel Olsen's music. This is just more frail female vocals over lo-fi indie rock a la 90s that people get all nostalgic for; I've heard comparisons to Liz Phair (sans the subversion, of course) and Hope Sandoval (which isn't fair, because Angel Olsen at least sings with physical power that Hope was frankly incapable of or uninterested in). I guess we should just be thankful she's not being compared to Bjork or Kate Bush, which every woman needs to be compared to.
That Angel Olsen will likely take the indiesphere by a bigger storm this time around rests on two key factors: she sings pretty and her lyrics are sincere. Or, I suppose, you could read them as naïve, but whatever the case, it's a welcome change from the irony that pervades the genre. Regardless of my feelings of the album as a whole, "Hi-Five"'s bridge remains one of my favorite moments of 2014 because of those two factors: "Are you lonely too? HI-FIVE! So am I!", a well-delivered and unpretentious lyric in the hell-hole of that year. Plus, the song had the benefit of a nice bounce of a country-inspired bass.
That all happens again on My Woman: bass-lines distinguish "Give It Up" and are present in all of the second half except the closer. And opener/teaser "Intern" is a good example as any for both her voice and lyric. Over spare, starry synths, Olsen eventually shifts her voice into a falsetto for the outro: "Pick up the phone but I swear it's the last time / Falling in love and I swear it's the last time." It's obvious it won't be the last time, but she hopes anyway. (Olsen has said that the minimalistic synth backdrop of the song has garnered comparisons to Lana Del Rey. To be clear: the song isn't emblematic of the sound throughout the rest of the album, merely a stage-setter. And furthermore, she's a lot more honest than Lana Del Rey will ever be.)
If Burn Your Fire was a punchier affair than her hushed and humble debut, this one logically takes another step in that direction. Thank producer Justin Raisen, known for other mainstream pop-stars that are accepted in indie circles including Charli XCX and Sky Ferreira. And while Justin Raisen does scrub the lo-fi guitar pop/rock songs clean and make them—again—punchier, he also brings with him, unfortunately, the pristine (read: anti-septic) production of the 80s for this album's second half when it gets into the sparer, slower stuff. In other words, it's a two-fold nostalgia box-checker, this one: you get the '90s indie stuff and the '80s production! But songs like piano ballad "Pops" and heavy syncopated guitar of "Heart Shaped Face" are rendered emotionless because of the dentist-office production. By contrast, "Those Were the Days" fares better because of the way she oscillates her vocals for the hook and because the drums have a garbage-pail umph to them.
There's no point in trying to deny some of the album's tunes. Of particular note in the first half is single "Shut Up Kiss Me", the album's best hook (punctuated by the guitar and drums) and plenty of other things to note. There's the powerful and sassy singing, bolstered by reverb ("Tell me what you think and don't dela-hey-hey") in the first half, and the way she flickers her voice in the second-half ("I could take it down to the flo-or"). In the background, there's the ghostly backing vocals that appear in the second half of the song that materialize into something more powerful for the final instance of the chorus. And of course, there's the tuneful guitar solo-as-outro. Similarly, more great singing to be found on "Never Be Mine" (the way she sighs the melody on "I go blind, every time") with some sturdy drum-rolls pushing the song forward.
But crucially, I don't think the two long tracks are at all deserving of their lengths or, I'm sure, the acclaim either will receive. Of course, both tracks are informed by emotion: "Sister" is about Angel Olsen's imagining what it would be like to have a sister; "Woman" has the key line of "I dare you to understand what makes me a woman," which is precisely when that song hits its climax and catharsis. But both songs are identical in structure and sound: they both canoe their way to climax, then die down, and then crescendo again. But after the climax of "Woman," the song proceeds to die down in a swimming pool of reverb. A buzzing guitar gets thrown in to half-heartedly push the song to its second crescendo, which, in comparison to the exact same trick in "Sister", doesn't nearly come off as well.
I'll grant it this: it's more ambitious than her last one; better too. But I simply don't think the formulaic songwriting is worthy of praise, nor the very notion of being more ambitious. Nor do I think the anti-septic production of the second half to be the best fit for her sound. B


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- Advertisement -
The hazards of E-waste
Toxic e-components such as lead, cadmium, PCB's and mercury leach into our soil and waterways, long after they have been disposed of in landfill. The process of extracting usable materials from electronic items is both hazardous and often non-regulated. Strict waste standards that exist in much of the developed world have prompted companies to take short cuts and dispose of their waste elsewhere.
Third world industrial e-waste centres have become thriving businesses and entire communities have been built around their existence. The industry now poses life-threatening consequences for the residents of local villages and cities, in places where water supplies and soils set aside for food crops have been found to be extremely high in waste pollutants.
The conditions for workers are incredibly dangerous - heavy metals such as mercury and lead are absorbed by workers as they heat the materials in order to separate them. Repeated exposure over time has led to a number of reproductive, mental and physical health problems for workers. These include: carcinogens released from toner cartridges, lead poisoning from cathode ray tubes (monitors, TVs) and arsenic from old circuit boards.
The Basel Convention
Fortunately, Australia was among 162 other countries that ratified the Basel convention, which is an agreement pertaining to the export of hazardous e-waste and how it is handled. Under Basel convention protocol, an e-waste recycler must be certified, and comply to strict standards, seeking to minimise the human and environmental harm caused by the rapid growth in e-waste recycling.
Not surprisingly, the United States was the only OECD country not to join and among only four countries in the world not to sign up. You can find out more here (link = http://www.basel.int/ ).
How you can be part of the solution
According to the latest ABS data, Australians buy more than 2 million new computers each year; but of more concern, about 1.6 million computers were dumped into landfill. From this figure, only about 500,000 units were recycled. While these figures sound massive, there are a few small ways we can make a difference:
Donate your old computer to charity. An organization such asCharity Computers and Computer Bank have more details.
Recycle your used toner and ink cartridges. Programs such as Close the Loop are doing great work for the environment.
Encourage your employer or local businesses to recycle their electronic waste with companies such as 1800 E-waste (www.ewaste.com.au)
Learn more about your local e-waste recycling centre here.
Buy equipment made using recycled materials, including packaging. Check the various vendor websites before you buy.
Consider upgrading your computer system - many of its parts can be reused without needing to purchase an entirely new setup. Or buy second hand on www.ebay.com.au
Green PC also have some good deals.
Consider leasing / buy-back schemes that encourage items to be reused.


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Monthly Archives: Apr 2018
The price of An Anglican Prayer Book 1989 will be going up from the 1st June 2018
Three titles have been reprinted and are once more on our list – The Sacristan's Handbook,
the Bible and Homosexuality and Anglican Liturgical Notes.
Click here for further information
Thank you
Young people invited to join Taizé 'Pilgrimage of Trust'
Young Anglicans across the Province are being invited to join thousands of young people from across the world on a five-day pilgrimage to Cape Town in September next year.
The "Pilgrimage of Trust" is being organised under the auspices of the famous Taizé Community in France.
It will take place from September 25 to 29, 2019, at the invitation of Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop Stephen Brislin of the Catholic Church, Bishop Ziphozihle Siwa of the Methodist Church and Dr Gustav Claassen, general secretary of the Dutch Reformed Church.
The organisers expect up to 10,000 young people between 18 and 35. They say that "this meeting will help young people in their search for God. It will help encourage them to have a profound trust in themselves and in others.
"This meeting will invite them to be attentive to the signs and people of hope present around them and encourages them to take up responsibilities to become bearers of peace and trust in the Church and in society.
"The daily programme will include common prayers and times of sharing. The morning programme will be in the parishes/local churches and from midday onwards in a common venue.
"The participants of the Cape Town meeting will be accommodated in the parishes and local communities. This personal welcome is an important aspect of this pilgrimage."
- For these and other, fuller details of the pilgrimage, download and share the flyer at this link.
Former Namibia missionary, Bishop Shannon Mallory, dies in U.S.
Bishop Charles Shannon Mallory, a missionary in the Diocese of Namibia in the 1960s and later the first Bishop of Botswana in the Province of Central Africa has died in California at the age of 81.
Dr Ivor Jardine of Cape Town reports:
"Fr Shannon Mallory and I were fellow missionaries in the Diocese of Damaraland (now Namibia) in the 1960's under Bishop Robert Mize. He became the Director of St Mary's Mission, Odibo and did an enormous job in the building up of the Ovamboland church at the time.
"He worked in Grahamstown and then in Uganda for short periods, and then became the first bishop of Botswana. He returned to America after 18 years' service in Africa, and continued as a bishop in the Episcopal Church."
In the United States, Bishop Mallory became the first bishop of the Diocese of El Camino Real in California. From that diocese's website:
[Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real] The Rt. Rev. Charles Shannon Mallory, 81, first bishop of the San Jose, California-based Diocese of El Camino Real, died peacefully in Monterey, California, on April 4. Mallory, who led El Camino Real from its founding in 1980 through his retirement in 1990, had recently returned to Monterey County and was preceded in death last November by his wife Marti.
Born Sept. 9, 1936 in Dallas, Texas, Mallory grew up in Van Nuys, California, completing his education at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the General Theological Seminary in New York. He entered the mission field after his ordination to the diaconate in the Diocese of Los Angeles. In 1961, he was ordained priest in Africa where he exercised his ministry first as a missionary in Namibia, South Africa, and Uganda, and then as the first bishop of Botswana. In 1978, after 18 years in Africa, he and his family returned to the United States where Mallory served as assistant bishop in the Diocese of Long Island.
He was elected the first bishop of El Camino Real in 1980 and his installation took place that October in San Juan Bautista. The Rt. Rev. John Allin, then-presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, presided over the service in the plaza of the historic California mission.
"We are a pilgrim Church on the King's Highway," Mallory noted at the time. "This new diocese is an optimum size for rediscovering and experiencing some of the dynamic qualities of the early Church." His vision for the diocese included "a more effective and supportive quality of fellowship among clergy and laity," less hierarchy, and "more of a collegial relationship among bishop, clergy and laity."
Following his retirement, Mallory served in the Diocese of Oklahoma and then lived and served in Indian Wells, California, as a member of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church. He authored two books: "Blacklisted!," his memoirs of 18 years of traveling throughout Africa, and "Other Roads Less Traveled," a collection of sermons and meditations that ask and answer a range of provocative questions about God, death, the value of prayer, the common thread of religions and more. He continued to write and inspire until his death.
"Bishop Shannon was able to support the Diocese of El Camino Real in its call to be a missional diocese with a collaborative mode of ministry among lay and clergy leaders," said the Rt. Rev. Mary Gray-Reeves, current bishop of El Camino Real. "His interest in people, their spiritual journeys, and his sense of adventure were gifts to our diocese in its earliest days, nurturing it as a place where the Gospel could always flourish amidst a very diverse and rapidly changing context. He will always be a critical part of the story of El Camino Real and will be missed."
Mallory was predeceased by Martha ("Marti"), his most recent wife, and before that Antonia ("Toni"). He is survived by his brother William Lee Mallory and his first wife Mondi, mother of his five children, plus nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. His memorial will be at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Palm Desert, California, to be announced at a later date.
Invitation to apply for grants for educating clergy children
The Robert Selby Taylor Will Trust has been established to provide financial resources for educational assistance, among other purposes.
At this time, the Trust is inviting applications for educational grants for the children of clergy.
To apply for assistance, please download the two forms below, fill them in and submit them to the address provided.
The main purpose of the grants is to finance tertiary education. Grants for primary education are limited.
The deadline for applications is August 31.
Robert Selby Taylor was the Archbishop of Cape Town from 1964 to 1974.
Robert_Selby_Trust_Application [Download form]
RST_Trust_education_form [Download additional form to name children]


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ABC Development Corporation
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Shards of Verse
Coping with Bad Billionaires, Psychopaths and Presidents' Disinformation when researching due diligence on me, Melinda Pillsbury-Foster
Due Diligence is done to ascertain the facts when these are deliberately clouded in doubt. This is routine for corporations; but also appropriate for corporate officers. As a strong advocate for transparency in both finance and media, I want you to have the facts. Please read the links and documents here provided.
If you have been paid to do research on me, I want to make it easy for you. Documents are provided through links along with both time lines and the narrative below. When I began publishing to the web on these issues it was 2006. Then and now I have powerful political and corporate enemies worth billions, who can afford to pay for disinformation. Be wise, do a thorough job with these links. I hope to shorten your time on task.
This became necessary as a matter of protecting myself, my son Arthur, and my important work and associates from both disinformation attacks and other kinds as well. Note that I am also available for interviews on the materials herein provided. Just ask.
Born: October 26, 1948 to Dr. and Mrs. Arthur F. Pillsbury. See
Family Background
Birth Name: Mary Linda Pillsbury. I have been known as Melinda Pillsbury-Foster since 1973 including when I was married. My surname is a combination my born name, Pillsbury, and
Foster in honor of my great-grandmother, Dr. Harriet Foster Pillsbury, a physican who graduated from the Women's Infirmary of NY in 1880. My parents named me Mary Linda, fulfilling a family naming practice which gave me my mother's first name, Mary, and Linda. This allowed them to call me Melinda,
in memory of Dr. Pillsbury's Aunt Belinda, my paternal grandmother Sylvia Ball's sister.
I have been called Melinda from childhood.
Family Lineage)
My first born child: Carolyn Anne Barteaux, now known as
Morgan Pillsbury Gell
Morgan's name today reflects her choice to change her first name to Morgan, by usage, when she was about 17. She became Pillsbury when my parents adopted her legally when she was 12. Gell is her married name. She married Jay E. Gell in 2005, then several months pregnant with her first of two children. Morgan appears to be a psychopath, as was her biological father, my first husband.
Richard Lee Barteaux.
I was 17 at the time. The marriage lasted about seven months.
I have five biological children from the first two of my three marriages.
Since 1997, I have been the caretaker for my disabled son, Arthur Edward Foster since he suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury during a traffic accident at age 19. This occurred in September 1997. Six months later Arthur, then handicapped but struggling for recovery, was persuaded to shoot himself in the brain by his adopted father, Craig Franklin.
Craig Franklin Wills
Melinda Pillsbury-Foster
- recent photograph
Craig had insisted on adopting all five of my biological children, including the oldest, Morgan, who had been adopted by my parents when she was 12. The father of the others, is my second husband, Ronald Edward Kellett (Foster).
Ron took the name 'Foster' for his own reasons. I was never sure of his reasons for this. He did not consult me. The change took place around 1975. Ron's born surname is Kellett. Ron ceded his parental rights to Craig as part of an agreement between the two of them.
Ron Document, notarized.
If you are a journalist or researcher carrying out an inquiry you most likely want information on my life from 1998 onward, you need to know the background. Note you should research the existence of payments to Ron from Craig from 1999 - present; some of this is recorded real estate transactions.
John H. Fund - Craig Franklin
Issues will include a NeoCon political operative named John Fund. Fund's first job as a political operative was for Charles Koch in 1979. He went on to work for the Bush-Cheney-Rove Group, working mostly in media. See
Time Line
Because Fund and my third husband, Craig Franklin, began cooperative efforts to destroy my credibility in 1998, Craig is included with Fund in this part of the narrative.
As you will see, others are mentioned. This will provide insights into what Fund was doing for the "Bush - Cheney Administration" as relevant to his intimate relationship with Morgan and much earlier, myself. My romantic involvement with Fund was brief and ended by 1984.
John and I continued to be friends, I thought, until 1999. Over the next years, I realized he was not to be trusted.
Some of these ugly events took place during the Franklin / Pillsbury-Foster Divorce from 1998 - 1999. The divorce was also a corporate event as Dan O'Dowd, the President of Green Hills Software, Inc., needed Craig's assistence to buy out his partner, Glenn Hightower, who had funded the company in 1982. Dan could not raise more than $47M and the company was worth $350M in 1998. So Dan needed someone to orchestrate a walk-out during Hightower's due diligence in response to the Partnership Sudden Death challenge issued by Dan O'Dowd to Hightower, his partner, in January 1998.
Craig decided he did not want to share the marital asset of the large grant of stock Green Hills had made to him in 1996 when critical employees were offered stock options. Both Hightower and O'Dowd offered the options to specific employees.
Craig received the largest award of stock options because he was responsible for the success of Green Hills Software, Inc., which incorporated in 1982. The company had no sales and Da O'Dowd did not know Craig until in 1985 Craig noticed what they were trying to sell, then read their code. Craig related what happened to me on numerous occasions. Craig noted that their marketing material, produced, he said by Dan O'Dowd "was lousy." But the code, Craig told me, was excellent. Craig therefore recommended to three of his associates at different companies they buy the product. Because of these purchases, reflected in 1986, Dan was not forced to return to his partner, Hightower for more funding, which would have diluted his stock. Dan wanted Craig to come to work for Green Hills, but not to write and oversee engineers. Dan wanted him to sell what Green Hills was producing. Because Craig could not find another job in the Los Angeles area, where he wanted to be; because I refused to relocate, he accepted. Sales increased as Craig learned an entirely new job.
By 1998 the company was valued at $350M, moving O'Dowd to make his move for control against Hightower, who had funded Green Hills Start-up in 1982. Hightower had remained an active partner as well.
In late 1997, Craig and Dan cut a deal which they referred to as the,
"Throw Momma From The Train,"
Strategy. Dan would get his walk-out of critical personnel; Craig would get all of the stock allocated to him, even though it was our joint marital property.
I was entirely unaware of this until it was leaked to me by Morgan who kept coming back to ask for help when Craig was not handing out money. At first Craig was giving Morgan a measily $5,000 a month for assisting Craig with the divorce. This included defaming me with lies to my friends, political and professional associates. I discovered this from calls made to me informing me of what she had told them. Additionally, Morgan was paid $10,000 to persuade me to turn off Arthur's life-support after Arthur's unsuccessful suicide attempt on March 22, 1998.
My temporary support in this period was around $25,000 a month, reflecting an exact evaluation of the funds available to Craig, In this, Morgan failed. Since ensuring Arthur was dead was the goal this apparently badly annoyed Craig.
Morgan's Deposition from 2001
, which appeared on John Fund's website, which went up in 2003, should not be overlooked. The document was supplied to Fund by Craig Franklin early in 2003. It was uncertified and therefore not legally available. A witness exists who will testify to the fact Craig sent it.
Arthur suffered a life-threatening motorcycle accident on September 27, 1997. His injuries included Traumatic Brain Injuries.
Earlier in 1997 I thought I had solved all the hideous problems we have been coping with by cleaning up Craig's IRS problems. Wrong. Read,
"You're Not Paranoid – The IRS is out to get you."
Craig left me in January 1998, but he called in late February to tell me he wanted to remain a father to Arthur. This made me cry. Then Craig asked if I would bring Arthur down to have lunch with him the next day. I was overjoyed to tell Arthur this and he was also cheered. But instead of calling me to be picked up, or Craig dropping him home, he slammed into the house and locked himself in his room. I would only learn later after he began to recover from the suicide attempt, years later, what had transpired.
Craig had let him order lunch, a sandwich, then told this fragile young man, still in early recovery from a brain injury which had nearly killed him in the motorcycle accident, that Arthur was worthless and Craig wanted nothing to do with him. Throwing money on the table, Craig walked out and Arthur, still not steady on his feet, walked home alone.
Arthur, distraught, would not tell me what had happened, nor would Craig when I called him, frantic. Making arrangements to get Arthur into a program for depression, I allowed him to spend a weekend with Ron, his former father. I made Ron promise not to leave Arthur alone. Later, I learned Ron ignored this promise entirely. First, Arthur went to the local mall, intending to throw himself off the parking garage. When Arthur returned to Ron's house, Arthur got out a gun Ron left loaded in plain sight, went in the back yard, laid down next to the play house he had used as a child, stuck the 22-calibre gun, in his mouth and shot himself through the palate.
While I was by Arthur's bedside, Morgan called me and told me she had a heart problem and needed Arthur's heart for the transplant which she required
to replace her's to survive her bad heart. This was news to me. I learned later both were mercenary lies. These manipulations come easy to psychopaths.
Every action by Craig originated in his wish to leave me penniless, his ongoing goals were to attempt to destroy me in every possible way, emotionally, professionally and personally. I survived only through diligent efforts.
Dan and Amy O'Dowd, along with the senior vice-presidents of Green Hills Software expected to benefit, each of them, from assisting with this campaign.
One might think Craig's actions stems from anger from something I did. This is not the case. Later, I learned he had attempted to do similar things to his first wife, Elaine Brown. They were married for only 18-months. Elaine was pregnant when Craig left to return to Stanford for a Master's Degree in Mathematics. Elaine had told him she would divorce him if he returned to school while she was expecting, but he left anyway. Elaine was also a mathematician at MIT, and older than Craig. During their divorce, Craig tried to drain her financially. This only ended when his parents and her's stepped in and told him they would stop his war on her by dis-inheriting him.
After Craig left me, he did the same to several other women, five I know of. One woman, 'A', he left homeless twice with her two children. I will supply the names of these women if it is deemed necessary. At least three of them are well known. All but 'A' appear to have received money explicitely for sexual favors. He met dozens of women on sugar daddy sites.
Craig is not interested in a relationship with a woman. He plans out a campaign of destruction as he begins a relationship and carries it out like a military action. Through 'A' I followed his activities for years, horrified. Craig is a pedophile as well. His sexual target of preference is around 12-years old, a girl who trusts him and calls him 'Daddy". Over the last 20 years he has attempted to get young women to have his child with this end in mind. He also began writing children's songs to gain access to children.
I discovered his predelicitions in this direction only after he left me, realizing why he had married me in the first place, only when a private detective I had hired to find his residence so I could serve him with papers. The detective saw Craig leaving a bag of trash on top of his condo's trash can. After Craig left, he grabbed it, opening it onto my dining room table a few minutes later. "
Franklin Incest Porn
In 2010, Craig's oldest son, Jonathan Scott Franklin, was arrested for hiring a hitman to kill his wife, Kathy. They had two children, a boy ten and a girl eight. Craig's first action upon finding out about Scott's attempt was to hire an attorney in an attempt to get unsupervised access to his grand-daughter. He ignored his grandson. You should research this history. He attempted to contact me. Emails
Craig's first comment upon being told Scott had been arrested for hiring a hitman to kill his wife was,
"That was stupid. They always suspect the husband first!"
This was reported to me by A.
Green Hills Software, Inc. - A Department of Defense Contractor in 2003 and today worth Billions.
Glenn Hightower, the man who funded Green Hills, was unable to complete his due diligence in answer to the Partnership Challenge issues in January 1998. Craig had successfully recruited the other critical personnel into the conspiracy by extending Dan's offer to them for more stock. Glenn sued. It was obvious to him there was a conspiracy. The court said he had not proven this, however. Bad timing since I was only then learning about the conspiracy to defraud me about that time, too.
Hightower lost his suit and had to settle. It is likely he was forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement with Dan O'Dowd. I know, for a fact, he will not return my calls. He may return your calls, however.
When Morgan began having sexual relations with Fund, October 26, 1998 during a trip Craig and Morgan took together to New York, London and Paris. Was she then having sex with Craig, too? That she was having sex with Fund from that time on she told me.
The train of lies told by Morgan was long. She had lied to us about attending college from 1986 until she demanded to take acting lessions instead. Instead, she was engaged in attempts to find a wealthy husband. This started when she was around 16. I have the names of these individuals, all prominent, and can supply them. Fund was just the last.
John Fund was the factor which connected Morgan to individuals such as Sidney Blumenthal. The charges of domestic violence filed in
, which were true, made her a person of interest to John's enemies, including Sidney Blumenthal.
On the 2002 police report it is noted photos were taken. These curiously disappeared. I saw the photos being taken, however, and would so testify. I was on my way to the apartment, in a taxi, when I called Morgan and learned John was there with her. Five minutes later I walked in and Morgan had clearly been battered. She refused to seek medical aid, despite my urging. Again, I would so testify and was surprised at the time neither the police or later the District Attorney was willing to take a report from me.
How this case was handled raises questions which still demand answers.
September 1999
John had been promised a job as Bush's speechwriter after Bush-Cheney was elected. Fund did not get the job because he lied to me in 1999. If he had told me he was in a relationship with Morgan in March of 1999, when I called to follow up what I thought an unlikely rumor, I would have warned him about her. That was my intention in calling him.
That September Morgan called to tell me she had aborted John's baby and they were in a relationship. I responded by quoting his denial they had a sexual relationship. While we are arguing about this, she suddenly put me on hold.
When she called back she played what would later be called the
WeaselSearch Tape
for me. I was outraged that Fund had lied to me. If you don't know John, you have not experienced his strategy for eliciting your trust. It goes like this.
The Fund Strategy
John Fund's strategy, used on friends, associates, fellow journalists and editors: Sound sad and confused. Confess to being too trusting. Offer excuses for this. Then, obviously on the verge of tears, lay it on thick. He has used this strategy all of his life. See
John Fund vs The Truth
by Justin Raimondo, appearing in Anti-War on April
26, 2006. Raimondo reports Eric, who had heard and believed Fund's claims to have an active campaign, called the local Recorder for the outcome. Eric discovered Fund had not even filed to run but instead was reporting on another campaign. Garris then,
called Fund and asked him how his campaign had done. Fund's reply: Oh, fantastic, we got 46 percent of the vote! Oh really? replied Eric. Then how come the registrar says you weren't even a candidate? Confronted with his lie, Fund tearfully confessed to fabricating the entire story: not that there wasn't a campaign, but, you see, it was somebody else's campaign. Fund had merely projected himself onto another person's candidacy and reported developments as if he had filed his papers and carried through with his intent to run."
That was what he did to me in March 1998. I believed him. He was doing the same to another friend, who told me about this directly, in 2003. He is a well-known member of the intelligence community.
So when Morgan called back
about an hour after she put me on hold in September, 1999, she had had exactly what she needed to get me to believe her.
As you listen to Fund's very recognizable voice you will see why I believed Morgan. She had delivered undeniable PROOF that this time she was not lying.
At the time I knew nothing about psychopathy. Today, I know better. As you listen to the
Weaselsearch Tape
you will hear two psychopaths lying for all they are worth.
John Fund and Craig found they had common interests while Craig was travelling with Morgan to NY, London and Paris in October of 1998, and then in carrying out various cover-ups. Green Hills Software, the O'Dowds, got huge government contracts for programming related to surveillance and attack drones as part of these cover-ups.
As you read down the
John Fund Time Line
you will run into Sidney Blumenthal, his son, Max, and others. Blumenthal wanted information from Morgan on Fund. This could have been for the book he was then writing,
Clinton's War
, or it could have been payback for Fund's part in planning and publishing, with Matt Drudge, the false charges on spousal abuse which resulted in great fundraising for Drudge. Fund was deposed for this but lied about when he had gotten to know Matt.
According to what I later read, and was shown documents by Morgan, the White House was contacted in late October by Saddam, who offered to leave Iraq. This appears to have created a problem for the Bush Administration. They needed a back-channel to persuade Saddam to stay so he could be captured and or killed. The Clintons were in need of funds and available.
As the Clinton Capo it would have been Blumenthal who handled the campaign to persuade Saddam Hussein that the threatened invasion was only a bluff. This worked. Saddam remained in Iraq. Without this the Bush Administration would have lost their rationale to go to war to steal back the nationalized oil fields for Cheney's friends. The Clintons would have been the activator for Blumenthal. Hillary and emails, you know. Read the article below.
October 21, 2015 - "
Saddam Hussein and the Offer - "Pay Me and I Will Leave" "
Summary: I have experienced a journey from innocence to virtue. I have not become like my enemies. I choose to do what is right with transparency. This is impossible without due diligence. I suggest you do the same.
- Melinda Pillsbury-Foster, July 2, 2018
NOTE: If any linked sites are blocked inform me. I have a compiled list of the referenced materials which can be provided or reposted on another site.


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I was on the Today Show with Robin Thicke on Tuesday, so how was YOUR week?
If you know anything about me or this blog, I am NBC, all the time and I watch the Today Show like a religion. As many times as I have been to NYC...I have never gone down to stand in the crowd although I want to really bad. Just haven't had the time. My dream of all dreams is to sit and collaborate on my prattle on all that is um, well ANYTHING! So, the next to best thing is to have my tweet underneath the gorgeous Robin Thicke. I literally dropped my coffee. May I say, it will probably be the only time I will ever be underneath Robin Thicke but I'll take it. Can you say those things when you are married? I don't know!
I was also included in the Today Show Storify on the event and RT by their Sr. Community Manager for @NBCNews who has the coolest Instagram ever. He always makes me miss NY very bad. So, that was quite the sugar high!
I joined the Ormond Beach Chamber today, it was about time. I think it will be neat to see when you are officially being out there advertising instead of thankfully and luckily relying on word of mouth. We will see.
An agency I worked with pitched me for social media for a RFP we were working on, as well as another client and it got accepted. I can't wait to see what comes out of this. Very exciting.
Today is Thursday and I almost have the feeling in my ass back from the Fit Barre class I took on Saturday. Isn't that incredible. I really want it to work for me, but I don't know I look forward to running this weekend now that I can move without looking like an idiot.
Onward to a new month and a new weekend. I hope it is a good one for you.
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Kevin from Home Alone is all grown up!
Macaulay Culkin reprises his 1990's character Kevin McCallister from Home Alone, in the new web series, :DRYVRS. The movie was a huge holiday hit. It starred Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern as robbers who took advantage of empty houses during holiday travel. To their dismay, Kevin was a clever 8-year old who was left behind by his entire family.Read More