text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Jan 30, 2007
|Filing date
|Jun 24, 2003
|Priority date
|Jun 24, 2003
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Jayshree Seth, Ronald W. Ausen, James S. Mrozinski, Janet A. Venne
|Original Assignee
|3M Innovative Properties Company
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (28), Referenced by (11), Classifications (16), Legal Events (4)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
The present invention concerns breathable hook fasteners.
Disposable absorbent articles, namely diapers, adult incontinent articles and feminine hygiene pads have recently been designed with breathable outer layers to increase the comfort of the wearer. PCT Publication No. WO01/45609 proposes forming a liquid impermeable and breathable outer cover sheet for a disposable garment formed of a meltblown nonwoven web. PCT Publication No. WO01/32403 proposes a breathable multilayer elastic film for use as a disposable absorbent article outer cover sheet and PCT Publication No. WO01/43969 also discloses a laminate of breathable film and a nonwoven for use as a backing for a diaper and the like. This patent document states that breathable laminates of a stretched porous film and a nonwoven, such as spunbond webs, are commonly used in diapers stating laminates which are breathable to water vapor but substantially impermeable to liquid water are known in the art, and are commonly used in diaper backings, other personal care absorbent garments, medical garments and the like. These laminates may be composed of a breathable, stretch-thinned filled film and a spun bond web. The breathable film can be formed by blending one or more polyolefins with an inorganic particulate filler, forming a film from the mixture, and stretching the film to cause void formation around the filler particles. The resulting film may have thin polymer membranes around the filler particles which permit molecular diffusion of water vapor, while the overall film substantially blocks transmission of liquid water, or may have micropores going through the film. The breathable film can be laminated to a nonwoven web, for instance, a spunbond web, by thermal, adhesive, pressure or ultrasonic, or combinations thereof. The spunbond web adds strength and integrity to the breathable laminate, and provides a soft, cloth-like feel.
Another trend in the disposable absorbent article industry is the use of hook and loop type mechanical fastening systems. Hook fasteners are generally fairly small and engage a large area loop patch on the diaper or the like. The loop patch in order not to compromise the breathability of the diaper is also generally preferably breathable or air permeable. The hook element, however, has not been breathable. However, as hook patches become larger, it is desirable to provide disposable, thin, conformable hook fasteners that can both function effectively as a hook and also be breathable. Breathability or air permeability promotes skin health by allowing air to circulate next to the skin.
There are a variety of methods known to form hook materials for hook and loop fasteners. One of the first manufacturing methods for forming hooks involved weaving loops of monofilaments into a fibrous or film backing or the like followed by cutting the filament loops to form hooks. These monofilament loops were also heated to form headed structures such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,290,174; 3,138,841 or 4,454,183. These woven hooks are generally durable and work well for repeated uses and are breathable. However, they are generally expensive and coarse to the touch.
For use in disposable garments and the like, it is generally desirable to provide hooks that are inexpensive and less abrasive. For these uses and the like, the solution is generally the use of continuous extrusion methods that simultaneously form a backing and the hook elements, or precursors to the hook elements. With direct extrusion molding formation of the hook elements, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,740, the hook elements must continuously taper from the backing to the hook tip to allow the hook elements to be pulled from the molding surface. Alternatively, stem-like shapes can be directly molded and subsequently modified into a hook such as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,077,877; 6,558,602; 6,368,097 or 5,679,302. An alternative direct extrusion process is proposed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,060, which permits the formation of hook elements without these limitations. Instead of the hook elements being formed as a negative of a cavity on a molding surface, the basic hook cross-section is formed by a profiled extrusion die. The die simultaneously extrudes the film backing and rib structures. The individual hook elements are then formed from the ribs by cutting the ribs transversely followed by stretching the extruded strip in the direction of the ribs. The backing elongates but the cut rib sections remain substantially unchanged. This causes the individual cut sections of the ribs to separate each from the other in the direction of elongation forming discrete hook elements. Alternatively, using this same type extrusion process, sections of the rib structures can be milled out to form discrete hook elements. With all these methods, the hooks are relatively inexpensive but not breathable. The hook fastener is mated to a breathable mating fastener surface which generally is a breathable loop fastener.
The present invention is directed at providing a breathable or porous, conformable large area fastener element for use in disposable absorbent articles and like articles. The fastener is preferably a unitary polymeric hook fastener comprising a thin, strong flexible breathable film backing, and a multiplicity of integral spaced hook members projecting from at least one major surface of the unitary breathable backing. The invention further relates to a method for forming a unitary breathable polymeric film backed hook fastener. The fastener and the method of the invention forms upstanding projections, which may or may not be hook members that project upwardly from a major surface of a unitary breathable film backing of at least a uniaxially oriented polymer. The fastener members if hook fasteners each comprise at least a stem portion attached at one end to the film backing, and preferably a head portion at the end of the stem portion opposite the backing to allow for more secure engagement with a loop type material. A head portion can also extend from a side of a stem portion. The head portion preferably projects past the stem portion on at least one of two opposite sides. Conformable breathable fasteners of the invention generally comprise a two-dimensional fastener of a surface area of greater than 10 cm2 up to 100 cm2 or more, preferably greater than 20 cm2 up to 70 cm2, which can be in the form of a rectilinear fastener, or preferably a complex body conforming shape having at least one curved surface for engaging the contour of a wearer. The large area breathable fastener is used alone or as a laminate with a further breathable layer such as a nonwoven web and engaged with a mating breathable mechanical fastening surface.
The present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts in the several views, and wherein:
The present invention mechanical fastener has a porous film-like backing of a thermoplastic material that is generally a porous stretched or oriented fastener made of a thermoplastic material. The porosity of the interstitial volume per unit area of the porous film material of the mechanical fastener is preferably in the range of 0.0001–0.005 cm3 as calculated by the equation:
Interstitial volume per unit area=[film thickness (cm)�1 (cm)�1 (cm)�void content (%)]/100 (where the void content is the percentage of voids in the porous film).
The porous stretched fastener may be produced by various different methods using a thermoplastic material as the starting substance. In one preferred method, the film backed fastener is produced by adding a diluent to a transparent crystalline thermoplastic resin, forming a film backed fastener using conventional methods, and then stretching the formed fastener to create fine voids therein. A porous stretched thermoplastic fastener obtained in this manner has a large percentage of voids constituting a volume of the fastener backing. The thermoplastic film backing has a structure with a substantially uniform distribution of many fine voids. Examples of preferred transparent crystalline thermoplastic resins which can be used as the film forming material for production of the porous unstretched thermoplastic fastener of the invention include, but are not limited to, polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutylene, poly-4-methylpentene and ethylene-propylene block copolymer.
Examples of preferred nonparticulate diluents that can be used in combination with the aforementioned thermoplastic resins to provide the fine voids include, but are not limited to, mineral oils, petroleum jelly, low molecular weight polyethylene, soft Carbowax and mixtures thereof. Mineral oils are preferred among these diluents because of their relatively low cost. The diluents may optionally be partially on entirely extracted from the films by known methods. However, additionally conventional particulate based fillers can also be used to form the porous film, such as talc, calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, barium sulfate, etc.
The aforementioned fillers or diluents can be varied within a wide range within the starting thermoplastic resin used for production of the film backed fastener. The amount of filler or diluents used is preferably in the range of 20–60% by weight, and more preferably 25–40% by weight of the starting thermoplastic material. If the amount of filler or diluent added to the starting material is under 20% by weight, the void content of the hook film resulting after stretching is reduced, while if it is above 60% by weight it becomes more difficult to produce flexible coherent film backed fasteners.
Other additives may also be added as necessary in addition to the thermoplastic resin and filler or diluent in the production of the porous stretched thermoplastic fastener. For example, organic acids such as carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid and phosphonic acid, and organic alcohols. As additional suitable additives there may also be mentioned, for example, inorganic and organic pigment, aromatic agents, surfactants, antistatic agents, nucleating agents and the like.
The main starting materials and optional additives are melted and/or combined producing a filler-containing thermoplastic fastener. The melting and mixing step(s) and the subsequent fastener element or hook forming step may be carried out according to known methods, but modified to ensure formation of a porous backing for the fastener. An example of a suitable melt mixing method is kneading with a kneader, and examples of suitable hook forming methods are extrusion and extrusion molding or casting methods. The mold casting method can give films by melt mixing the main starting material, etc. and then extruding it from a die onto a cavity containing roll (e.g., preferably a cold roll). The cavities directly form the hooks or hook precursor that could subsequently be applied on otherwise modified to form a hook such as by the application of heat. Examples of such methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,077,870; 5,607,635; 5,879,604; 6,558,602; 5,679,302; 5,845,375; 6,287,665; 6,568,047; 5,551,130 or 5,791,969, the substance of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. The direct extrusion method forms projections or hook precursors directly from a die. In a modified forms of these methods, the nonparticulate additives and/or fillers may be removed by washing off or extracting with a suitable solvent after extrusion of the melted mixture.
The formed filler-containing thermoplastic fastener material is then preferably stretched sufficiently to provide it with fine voids in the film backing. The stretching may be carried out according to known methods, such as uniaxial stretching or biaxial stretching. For example, in the case of biaxial stretching, the stretching in the lengthwise direction may be accomplished by varying the speed of the driving roll, and the stretching in the widthwise direction may be accomplished by mechanical pulling in the widthwise direction while holding both sides of the fastener with clips or clamps.
The conditions for the fastener stretching are not particularly restricted, but the stretching is generally carried out so as to give a stretched fastener backing thickness in the range of 25–500 μm. The backing of the hook fastener must be thick enough to allow it to be attached to a substrate by a desired means such as sonic welding, heat bonding, sewing or adhesives, including pressure sensitive or hot melt adhesives, and to firmly anchor the stems and provide resistance to tearing when the fastener is peeled open, or placed under shear. However, when a fastener is used on a disposable garment, the fastener backing should not be so thick that it is stiffer than necessary. Generally, the fastener backing has a Gurley stiffness of 10 to 2000, preferably 10 to 200 so as to allow it to be perceived as soft when used either by itself or laminated to a further carrier backing structure such as a nonwoven, woven or film-type backing, which carrier backing should also be similarly soft for use in disposable absorbent articles. Softness is preferred such that the fastener can conform to the contours of a wearer's body. The optimum backing thickness will vary depending upon the resin from which the hook fastener is made, but is preferably 50 to 150 μm for softer backings.
The stretching ratio for the thermoplastic fastener is usually preferred to be in the range of 1.5 to 3.0 in one or both of the longitudinal and transverse directions. If the stretching ratio is under 1.25 it becomes difficult to achieve a sufficient void content, while if it is over 3.0 the voids tend to collapse and/or the fastener backing breaks. The average size of the voids in the fastener backing formed by stretching of the fastener is usually preferred to be in the range of 0.2 to 2 μm.
As mentioned above, the interstitial volume per unit area or porosity of the porous stretched thermoplastic fastener backing obtained by the stretching process described earlier is preferably in the range of 0.0001–0.005 cm3, and more preferably in the range of 0.0002–0.001 cm3, as calculated by the equation defined above.
Referring now to
A first embodiment preferred method for forming a porous or breathable hook fastener, such as that of
After cutting of the ribs 54, the base 53 of the strip 50 is longitudinally stretched at a stretch ratio of at least 1.5 to 1, preferably between a first pair of nip rollers 60 and 61 and a second pair of nip rollers 62 and 63 driven at different surface speeds. Optionally, the strip 50 can also be simultaneously or sequentially transversely stretched to provide biaxial orientation to the base 53. Roller 61 is preferably heated to heat the base 53 prior to stretching, and the roller 62 is preferably chilled to stabilize the stretched base 53. Stretching causes spaces between the cut portions 57 of the ribs 54, which then become the hook portions or members 14 for the completed hook fastener portion 10. A hook density of at least 50 and preferably from 70 to 150, up to 300 hooks per square centimeter is best suited for the invention breathable hook fastener for most conventional loop fasteners. The hook fastener could also be formed by direct molding methods where either the final hook or a hook precursor is formed and subsequently treated to form the final hook form.
In certain applications, it has been discovered that very low hook densities are desirable. For example, hook densities of less than 100, preferably less than 70 and even less than 50 hooks per square centimeter are desirable when used to attach to low loft nonwovens using a relatively large area flexible hook fastener tab or patch. This low spacing has been found to increase the hooking efficiency of the individual hook elements, particularly relative to low cost and otherwise ineffective nonwoven materials not traditionally used as loop products. The hook tab or patch is also made flexible by suitable selection of the polymer forming the backing or base layer and/or by the stretching of the base layer reducing its thickness, to a preferred range of 30 μm to 60 μm. Biaxial orientation also reduces the hook density to the desired preferred range for a large area hook fastener. Generally, the fastener would be of a size of from 10 to 100 cm2. When the fastener is less than 10 cm2 the breathability becomes irrelevant and performance deteriorates due to the general low hook density. Fastener tabs greater than 100 cm2 are difficult to handle by an end user and are less comfortable.
The large area breathable fastener forms a breathable closure system when is engaged to a large area mating surface which could be a breathable fibrous woven or nonwoven which in a garment application would preferably to joined to a breathable film or liquid barrier layer to keep liquids contained. The bonding of the fibrous layer to a breathable backing would be intermittent to ensure breathability of the end laminate. Such laminates are used extensively in disposable diapers or feminine hygiene products.
The large area fastener when used on a garment type application, such as diapers or the like, provides stability between the two engaged regions. The enlarged area provides resistance to twisting forces and therefore tends to keep the two engaged surfaces in a fixed relationship to each other. Further, when a large area fastener is brought forward or backward for engagement with an outer surface of an article, the large area fastener is capable of fastening into a large area of the outer surface of the article. With this, the need for a specific attachment region or target attachment zone can be eliminated if the garment can engage at some minimum level with the fastener. The larger area of the fastener also ensures secure closure due to the fastener's size. As such, large area breathable fasteners of the invention could potentially eliminate the need for a separate loop component or other "mating" fastener component on the breathable backing of the garment or article, otherwise provided with a fibrous type outer surface. The increased size of the large area fastener also can eliminate the need for secondary fasteners or bonded areas (such as passive bonds) that may be required to stabilize the overlapped regions of the article or garment.
Use of a large area fastener reduces the manufacturing complexity of a garment such as an absorbent article by eliminating the need for additional bond points or multiple fasteners to stabilize the fastening system of e.g., the front and rear waist regions. The addition of bond points or additional fasteners increases the complexity of the manufacturing process.
Specifically, in a preferred arrangement on a diaper (or like incontinent product) a large area hook fastener, is capable of directly engaging an outer surface of a diaper provided with a relatively low loft nonwoven without the need for an expensive loop patch. The large area breathable hook fastener can also prevent inadvertent disengagement of the diaper closure due to the large contact and attachment area creating a more stable garment closure. The oversized hook fastener could also be used in a prefastened pull-on type diaper type garments, due to the large area of fastener contact making the garment suitably stable for packaging and subsequent use.
Examples of suitable uses for this large area hook fastener, as a hook tab or patch, are illustrated in
This type of self-engaging fasteners 31 can be used as a wrap 30 such as shown in
Gurley Time
The "Gurley" densometer or flowthrough time was measured on a densometer of the type sold under the trade designation "Model 4110" densometer by W. & L. E. Gurley of Troy, N.Y., which is calibrated and operated with a Gurley-Teledyne sensitivity meter (Cat. No. 4134/4135). The "Gurley" densometer time was determined in a manner similar to that specified in ASTM D726–58. "Gurley time" is the time it takes for 50 cc of air at 124 mm (4.88 in.) H2O pressure to pass through a sample of the web having a circular cross-sectional area of approximately 645 mm2 (1 square inch). The testing was done at a temperature of approximately 23�–24� C. (74�–76� F.) and 50 percent relative humidity. Gurley time is usually inversely related to void volume of the hook fastener web. Gurley time is also usually inversely related to average pore size of the hook fastener web.
Compression Stiffness
A compression test was used to measure the stiffness of the webs of the invention. A sample was cut from the laminate, 25 mm wide by 60 mm long, the long direction being in the cross or transverse direction of the web. A cylinder was formed from this sample by bringing together the two ends, overlapping them by approximately 4 mm, and then stapling the two ends together. The cylindrical sample was then placed on a platen mounted to the lower jaw of an INSTRON Model 5500R constant rate of extension tensile machine. A plastic ring with a 45 mm outer diameter, 40 mm inner diameter and 5 mm thickness was then placed inside the cylindrical sample such that it rested on the platen. The ring serves as a shape retaining means as the sample cylinder is compressed. The upper jaw of the tensile machine was equipped with a flat compression plate. This plate was lowered at a rate of 10 mm/min. The load to compress the sample was continuously recorded. The peak recorded load, which represents the force required to buckle the sides of the sample cylinder, divided by the thickness of the base film of the web, is reported in kg/mm in Table 1 below as Compression Stiffness. 3 replicates were tested and averaged. Test sample replicates exhibiting multiple peaks were discarded.
Hook Dimensions
The dimensions of the Example and Comparative Example hook materials were measured using a Leica microscope equipped with a zoom lens at a magnification of approximately 25�. The samples were placed on an x-y moveable stage and measured via stage movement to the nearest micron. A minimum of 3 replicates were used and averaged for each dimension.
Comparative Example 1
A mechanical fastener hook web was made using apparatus similar to that shown in
A mechanical fastener hook web was made as in Comparative Example 1 except a precompounded (twin screw) blend of 65% polypropylene (5D45, 0.65 MFI, Dow Chemical, Midland, Mich.), 35% mineral oil (White Mineral Oil #31 USP Grade Amoco Oil Company) and 0.06% dibenzylidene sorbitol nucleating agent (Millad 3905, Milliken Chemical Co., Spartanburg, N.C.) was extruded with a 6.35 cm single screw extruder (24:1 L/D) using a gradually increasing barrel temperature profile of 177� C. in the first zone to a temperature of 260� C. in the last zone and a die temperature of approximately 260� C. After being shaped by the die lip, the extrudate was quenched in a water tank at a speed of 6.1 meter/min with the water being maintained at approximately 45� C. The web was then advanced through a cutting station where the ribs (but not the base layer) were transversely cut at an angle of 23 degrees measured from the transverse direction of the web. The spacing of the cuts was 305 microns. There were approximately 10 rows of ribs or cut hooks per centimeter. The base film layer had a thickness of approximately 127 microns. The width of the individual hook elements was approximately 500 microns as measured in the cross-direction of the web. A 115 mm by 115 mm piece of the web was then mounted into the frame of a KARO 4 pantograph stretcher (providing a stretchable area of 100 mm by 100 mm) and then preheated at 130� C. for 60 seconds. The sample was then stretched biaxially at a rate of 100%/sec to a dimension of 200 mm by 200 mm. The resulting oriented film was opaque and microporous as evidenced by the Gurley Time test described above.
Table 1 below shows the dramatic decrease in stiffness and increase in porosity of the microporous webs as compared to the non-porous webs. The Gurley Time of web C1 could not be measured as no air was able to pass through the sample.
Compression Stiffness
Gurley Time
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
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|The Procter & Gamble Company
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|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Nov 29, 2005
|Dec 29, 2009
|Tama Plastic Industry
|Wrapping material with fastener
|Dec 18, 2006
|Jul 6, 2010
|3M Innovative Properties Company
|Breathable fasteners
|Mar 9, 2006
|Jun 12, 2012
|3M Innovative Properties Company
|Methods for making fasteners
|May 14, 2012
|May 14, 2013
|3M Innovative Properties Company
|Methods for making fasteners
|May 23, 2013
|May 16, 2017
|3M Innovative Properties Company
|Laminates including a reticulated thermoplastic film and method of making the same
|Nov 29, 2005
|May 18, 2006
|Derscheid Daniel E
|Wrapping material with fastener
|Dec 18, 2006
|Apr 26, 2007
|3M Innovative Properties Company
|Breathable fasteners
|Mar 9, 2006
|Jun 12, 2008
|Zoltan Mandzsu
|Methods For Making Fasteners
|Nov 12, 2009
|Mar 4, 2010
|3M Innovative Properties Company
|Methods for making fasteners
|Dec 11, 2009
|Apr 15, 2010
|Tama Plastic Industry
|Wrapping materal with fastener
|Sep 11, 2009
|Jan 27, 2011
|Steven Wieder
|Sweatband with absorbent bamboo inner layer and related method of use
|U.S. Classification
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Jun 24, 2003
Owner name: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY, MINNESOTA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:SETH, JAYSHREE;AUSEN, RONALD W.;MROZINSKI, JAMES S.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:014229/0216
Effective date: 20030623
|Apr 10, 2007
|Certificate of correction
|Jul 1, 2010
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Jul 2, 2014
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8


text:
Say whatever you want about this guy, All I know is that whatver side he chooses in his love/hate column, if I happen to be on the opposite side of that opinion, I start to feel good about my bet and vice versa.
He's like the guy from Bronx Tale that whenever he bets he loses. So even if you have a ticket and he says he's backing the same action, you rip it up because you know its a loser.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
On the eve of the first expected freeze of the season here in southern Arizona, I know at least a few horse owners are asking themselves the annual question: to blanket or not to blanket.
Now the show crowd has been blanketing for months, either trying to coax coats into staying short or keeping clipped horses warm. But for those of us who leave our horses fuzzy for the winter months, these sudden cold snaps can provide a dilemma. Tuesday's low temperature was 50; Thursday's is forecast for 30. That kind of drop can be a problem for some horses.
But how much of a problem and for which horses? Common sense suggests, of course, the very old, the very young and the sick should have a bit more warmth on extra-cold nights. But how cold is too cold? And what about other horses?
Wouldn't it be great if there were some nice, clear answers? Maybe some quality research, even? Voila! This post was making the rounds on social media this fall, being passed around by horse owners facing this season of dropping temperatures and the associated horse-management issues:
Here is something for my horsey friends….
Here is some information on winter blanketing that may surprise you. This is the result of a multi-year study done by CSU, using state of the art thermal detection equipment. Colorado State University is widely considered to be one of the top three equine veterinary schools in the country: Blanketing horses is one of the worst things that you can do to a horse in the winter. Horses have the ability to loft and lower their coats to 17 different levels, so it's like exchanging 17 different thermal weights of blankets off and on them all day and night, depending on what they need- except that we don't know what they need as well as they do. Their 'self-blanketing' process works a little like 'chill bumps' do in our own skin. That's why long-haired horses may seem fluffier on some days than on others. Only three things make the 'self-blanketing' process not work: blanketing, clipping, and wind. Not even snow or rain stops their own thermostats from doing the job. Also horses are in 'neutral' (meaning not using energy for either heating or cooling) when the air around them is between 26 and 38 degrees. Otherwise, they're using energy to control their temps. So- since they're cooling their bodies when the temp is over 38 degrees, they're having to use extra energy to cool themselves when blanketed in temperatures over that. Any time a horse that is outside and has a long coat is shivering, it's because the horse has opted to shiver to warm itself, instead of using the option of moving. Moving generates a considerable amount of heat for a horse, but they sometimes stand and shiver while napping, etc. It does not mean that they need to be blanketed. However- a horse MUST have a way to get out of the wind in order for their
'self-blanketing' abilities to function fully. It turns out that blanketing is done more for pleasing the human, than to fill a need of the horse. The horse blanket industry has done a great job of making us think that their product is a necessary part of good horsekeeping- when it is actually an item that is very seldom needed.
Finally, a credible institution like Colorado State University has done some research to help us answer the blanketing question. Except, CSU didn't actually do any such research. What?!
I admit I fell for it at first read. Some of the information matches what I already know about how a horse keeps warm even in rain or snow. (I wrote about it a couple years ago, even.) And I don't disagree that some people are more inclined to respond to marketing campaigns than to learn about the physiology of their four-legged charges.
On second read, though, a couple of things stuck out. First, I find it hard to believe that temps between 26 degrees and 38 degrees are optimal for horses acclimatized to warm places like Arizona. If that were true, our horses here would be way more stressed most of the time.
I also have doubts regarding the anonymous writer's assertions about horses choosing to shiver instead of move around to keep warm. I can only think of one instance I've ever seen of a horse shivering when he wasn't wet and/or in wind (ie: cold) and that was a horse with a super short coat reacting to a cold, damp evening. (He got walked until he was warm, then was blanketed on subsequent damp nights and the shivering behavior didn't recur. Draw your own conclusion.)
I was tempted to share the post to my Facebook page just like many others no doubt did. So glad that instead I did my due diligence, looking for both the source of the post and for an abstract of the research. Instead of finding either, I found a blog post by someone else who was temporarily fooled and then put right by a CSU source. And a reputable forum with not one but two discussion threads about the bogus research.
I can only hope there aren't too many horse owners who believed the poster's assertion that blanketing "is one of the worst things that you can do to a horse in the winter" based on the false reference. And that there aren't too many cold horses out there on freezing nights because someone faked a scientific basis to back up his or her own point of view.


text:
About Meso3D
Formative Period
About Meso3D
Meso-3D is an expandable database that contains information about the Mesoamerican Formative period (c. 1800 BC to AD 200). This centralized source of research material centers on the results from projects featuring advanced three-dimensional imaging and cartographic technologies applied to a growing number of project areas. It offers researchers, students, and others the opportunity to view, analyze, and experience monumental carved objects and their archaeological context from a diversity of scales and perspectives.
Map shows locations in Mesoamerica that relate to the Formative period.
To date, more than 300 stone monuments and objects from sites such as Takalik Abaj, Kaminaljuyu, La Venta, Dzibanche, and El Mirador have been recorded and will soon be available for viewing. Background information is provided about each of the project areas, artifacts, and monuments. Archival records and photos are presented when available. Best available technologies have been used to document and analyze these materials, including high resolution photographic and imaging techniques such as light raking, high dynamic range, reflectance transformation imaging (RTI) and panoramic images. Spatial control is achieved through Real Time Kinematic (RTK) and mapping grade GPS, and 3D terrestrial laser scanning at multiple scales. As these records are processed and projects are completed, they will be added to this database.
NEW - Takalik Abaj Project Interactive Map now available
NEW - Takalik Abaj Project(Phase I) now available
Types of Data Provided
Historical Photos
2D and High Res imagery
Location Maps
3D Scan
3D View
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We've known for a while that God of War: Ascension would pack a demo for The Last of Us, but we didn't know when the demo for developer Naughty Dog's latest would go live. Well, we still don't know for sure, but we're narrowing down the dates.
On the back cover of God of War: Ascension, a footnote reads "Estimated availability for The Last of Us demo is April 2013. SEN [Sony Entertainment Network] account and internet access required." Seems like that would be the end of the story, but when you click to access the demo from the God of War: Ascension main menu, you get a black and white image of Joel and Ellie along with a countdown clock that's set to end on May 31, 2013, at 9 a.m. Pacific/noon Eastern/5 p.m. GMT.
By the time we put up the story, Naughty Dog twitted to our IGN US colleagues that the May 31st date was, in fact, correct. So, there you have it - if you bought God of War: Ascension (some countries in the Middle East might not sell the game due to censor), then you only have a couple of months to wait out for your first hands-on with Naughty Dog's latest adventure.


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NEW PORT RICHEY — Since 2006, River Ridge coach Skip Glover and his girls soccer team have faced the same old situation.
Battle Land O'Lakes for the district title, earn a home playoff game and essentially end the season on a bad note, losing in regionals.
But Glover and the Royal Knights (17-2) hope the 2009 campaign goes a little differently after claiming their fourth district title since 2006 Friday, defeating Land O'Lakes 1-0.
"One to nothing, four years in a row. We had our opportunities and they had their opportunities and the difference was we just got one of ours in," Glover said.
And the difference in the game came in the ninth minute when junior midfielder Mikaela Morolla launched a rocket shot from 25 yards out that bounced off the top right crossbar and ended up in a perfect spot for sophomore Jessica Tata. Tata then rebounded the ball past goalkeeper Tara Marshall (eight saves).
Land O'Lakes (13-10) could not find many openings against a stiff River Ridge defense that has yielded only 10 goals all year and also notched its 12th shutout of the season.
The Royal Knights outshot Land O'Lakes 13-6 and had a 2-0 advantage in corner kicks.
"We played really well. It may have been the best we have played all year," Gators coach Vicky King said.
"During the year they dominated us a little more, but tonight we had more attack to us and had our opportunities to score."


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33 Pages Posted: 25 Aug 2010
Date Written: March 24, 2002
Eastern Europe is one of the fastest growing transition economies of the world. The post-socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe, especially the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, continue to undergo a radical economic reform program via microeconomic liberalization, macroeconomic stabilization and institutional reconstruction. Privatization has become one of the most important facilitators of this economic and political strategic policy, and together with regulation, targets the gradual emergence of a capitalist market economy.
In a centrally planned economy the networked utilities sector were among those most vulnerable to the adverse effects of the attempts at practical implementation of the "socialist economy" dogma. The mono-utility model, which dominated the utility sectors, totally ignored market mechanisms. Privatization, liberalization, and regulation now subject these same industries to increasing levels of competition by applying open-market principles, and therefore challenge the de-monopolization and a complete turnaround of its ownership and governance structure.
The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the roll of fiscal and financial relationships in foreign direct investment and the manner in which they support or hinder the privatization processes that lead to restructuring of networked utilities in transition economies. In the utilities sector, continued profit-maximizing growth is dependent upon access to international financial markets. Setting the conditions such that continued growth and development in the energy industries may be challenging, but successful implementation will provide significant gains to investors, consumers, and the state governments alike.
Keywords: Energy, Telecommunications, Privatization, Regulation, Liberalization, Competition, Anti-trust, Corporate Governance, Networked Industries, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
JEL Classification: A1, E00, F00, H6, H7, J6, K2, L, L5, L7, L94, L95, L96, L97, N7, O3, O4, O52, P1, P30, P33, P34, P35
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Teksten, Ryan Dain, Fiscal and Governance Linkages in Eastern European Energy: Enabling Growth and Convergence Through Flexible and Fiscally Accountable Regulation (March 24, 2002). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1664599 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1664599


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Different Types of Credit & Debit Cards
Credit, charge, ATM, and debit cards are not all alike. Here's some information to help you choose wisely.
Credit cards, charge cards, ATM cards, and debit cards are all ways to make purchases or get cash. But each one works differently -- and these differences are important. In order to use these cards wisely, you should know what each one is and how it differs from the others.
Credit Cards
The way credit cards work is fairly straightforward: The credit card issuer gives you a card. You use the card to pay for items and services up to a certain total amount -- your credit limit. The store merchant or service provider collects what you owe from the card issuer, whom you repay.
Carrying a balance. If you carry a balance, credit cards function like very expensive loans. The credit card company allows you to pay off what you owe little by little each month, as long as you pay a minimum amount each time. In exchange, you pay interest on the balance you owe (as high as 29% each year) at the end of each period.
How credit card companies make money. Credit card companies earn high profits in several ways.
- High rates of interest -- interest on credit cards accounts for the bulk of the profits earned by banks that issue credit cards.
- Annual fees.
- Late fees, over-the-limit fees, and other miscellaneous charges.
- Charging merchants and service providers a fee each time a customer uses the company's credit card in the merchant's establishment.
The federal Credit CARD Act of 2009. President Obama signed the Credit Card Accountability and Disclosure Act of 2009 (the Credit CARD Act) into law on May 22, 2009. The new law provides additional protections to consumers, including better disclosures of account terms, limits on interest rate hikes, and restrictions on certain billing practices and fees. To learn more about the new law, see Nolo's article The Credit Card Act: More Protection for Cardholders .
Charge Cards
Charge cards, also called travel and entertainment cards, are a little different from credit cards. Charge cards, such as American Express and Diners Club, have no credit limit. You can usually charge as much as you want, but are required to pay off your entire balance when your bill arrives.
You cannot carry a balance. If you don't pay your charge card bill in full, you'll get a one-month grace period without interest charges. After that, you'll be charged interest that can be as high as 30 to 35%. If you don't pay after about three months, your account will be closed and your bill sent to the collections department.
How charge card companies make money. Charge card companies make their profits by charging high annual fees -- up to about $90 -- and by charging merchants relatively high fees each time a customer pays using the company's charge card. Some merchants don't accept charge cards
for this very reason.
Cash Advances
Many people use their credit cards to obtain cash advances. Similarly, many credit card issuers send cardholders "convenience" checks they can use to pay for goods or services. The amount of the check appears on your credit card statement as a charge, but is generally treated as a cash advance.
Cash advances are more expensive than standard credit card charges and have more onerous terms for consumers, including:
- Transaction fees. Most banks charge a transaction fee of up to 4 to 6% for taking a cash advance.
- No grace period. Most banks charge interest from the day the cash advance is posted, even if you pay it back in full as soon as your bill comes.
- Higher interest rates. The interest rate is often substantially higher on cash advances that it is on ordinary credit card charges.
ATM Cards
ATM cards are issued by banks, essentially to give bank customers flexibility in their banking hours. In most areas, you can use an ATM card to withdraw money, make deposits, transfer money between accounts, find out your balance, get a cash advance, and even make loan payments at all hours of the day or night.
Debit Cards
Debit cards combine the functions of ATM cards and checks. When you pay with a debit card, the money is automatically deducted from your checking account.
Combo ATM/debit cards. Many banks issue a combined ATM/debit card that looks just like a credit card and can be used wherever credit cards are accepted. But don't be mistaken -- they are not credit cards. The money you spend comes out of your checking account immediately.
Pros of debit cards. Many people prefer debit cards over checks for two reasons:
- you don't have to carry your checkbook and present identification, and
- you pay your bills immediately, unlike when you use a credit card and get the bill later.
Cons of debit cards. There are disadvantages to using debit cards.
- Payment is immediate. Many people prefer having 20-25 days to pay their credit card bills.
- No right to withhold payment. Because the money is immediately transferred, consumers using debit cards don't have the right to withhold payment in the event of a dispute with the merchant over the goods or services purchased.
- Transaction fees. Some banks and merchants charge transaction fees for using debit cards.
- High risks if stolen. If your debit card number is stolen during an online purchase, the thief may drain your bank account before the bank is able to complete its investigation. This is why you should never use a debit card when shopping online.
For a comprehensive discussion of credit and debit cards, along with information about budgeting and dealing with debt collectors, get Solve Your Money Troubles: Debt, Credit & Bankruptcy . by Robin Leonard with attorney Margaret Reiter (Nolo).Source: www.nolo.com
Category: Credit
Similar articles:
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How To Generate Virtual Credit Card Number For Different Banks
Can I Get Two Mortgages for Different Houses?


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Nursing Department
Chair: Kathleen Patenaude, EdD, RN, CNE
Samuel Read Hall Building
Mailing Address
Plymouth State University
17 High Street
Plymouth, NH 03264
Fall Sports
Winter Sports
Spring Sports
To apply to the Pre-Licensure Nursing Program visit the Admission site.
Students attending at least half-time (6 credits per semester) are eligible to apply for federal financial aid. The Priority deadline for filing the FAFSA for financial aid consideration is March 1st. Refer to http://www.plymouth.edu/office/financial-aid/
Students attending full-time will complete the program in 4 years.
General education and prerequisite courses are offered in a variety of formats including traditional daytime classes, evenings, or online. Students interested in completing the prerequisites and general education courses through a combination of online, evening and daytime classes should apply through the Online and Continuing Education Studies at: https://www.plymouth.edu/online/. All nursing specific courses are traditional, […]
Prior to entering nursing (NR) clinical courses, students are required to have proof of the following immunizations… Negative PPD (Tuberculin skin test) within 1 year of admission into the program/hire. Positive PPD responders should have documentation of negative chest x-ray by a health care provider. 3 Hepatitis B vaccines, or documentation of Hepatitis B antibody, […]
For current undergraduate costs please go to: http://www.plymouth.edu/office/student-account-services/tuition-and-fees/
Yes, PSU offers CLEP and DSST (Dantes) for some general education and prerequisite courses by appointment.
Admission is competitive and based on academic qualifications, science background, and recommendations. Associate degree R.N.s interested in the B.S. in Nursing Completion program must have a current, unencumbered NH registered nursing license.
The total number of credits for the B.S. is 120. Department of Nursing Baccalaureate (BS) Nursing Curriculum (Effective Fall 2016) Year One Credits EN 1200 Composition 3 IS 1111 The First Year Seminar: Critical Thinking and the Nature of Inquiry 3 MA 2300 Statistics I (MATH) 3 BI 2110 Human Anatomy and Physiology I 3 […]
Chair: Kathleen Patenaude, EdD, RN, CNE
Samuel Read Hall Building
Mailing Address
Plymouth State University
17 High Street
Plymouth, NH 03264
Private Scholarships: Private foundations, civic organizations and others are a great resource for additional scholarship monies.
Clear. Haze. Temperature: 64; Wind: Calm; Conditions as of Mon Sep 25 at 12:00 AM EDT courtesy of The PSU Weather Center
Plymouth State University. 17 High Street. Plymouth, New Hampshire, 03264-1595. Main Switchboard: (603) 535-5000.
A member of the University System of New Hampshire. © 2006-2017. All rights Reserved.


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Smaller parties prove popular in debate falloutTuesday 16 February 2016 16.16
RTÉ's Leaders' Debate involving seven party leaders has sparked a lot of reaction on online.
The general consensus was that the minority party leaders - Lucinda Creighton, Stephen Donnelly and Richard Boyd Barrett - were the strongest overall.
Rural crime, the ongoing homeless crisis and health were the topics that largely dominated the debate.
The first question of the night was directed towards Taoiseach Enda Kenny. He was asked about how people should be expected to believe the Government, after so many promises have been broken.
Good opening question from audience member as to broken promises. #GE16 kenny claims "mandate' in response. What mandate? Imagined one?— Matt Cooper (@cooper_m) February 15, 2016
Tánaiste Joan Burton aimed an early jab at Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, saying that he was like "the emperor with no clothes".
Ms Burton and Mr Kenny appeared to group together on a number of occasions against Mr Martin.
The Enda - Joan tag-team. Both focusing on Michael Martin. Will backfire. People don't want to be afraid, they want to hope. #leadersdebate— Elaine Byrne (@ElaineByrne) February 15, 2016
Renua leader Lucinda Creighton pointed out that having stepped down as a Fine Gael TD, she is the only party leader at the debate who has not broken promises.
Is this the night when campaign will ignite thru Nichola Sturgeon like performance . Could it be @LCreighton @RBoydBarrett or S Donnelly?— harrymcgee (@harrymcgee) February 15, 2016
While speaking about the homeless crisis, Mr Martin went off topic by saying that Gerry Adams had been denying his involvement with the IRA for years. Mr Adams was praised online for quickly responding: "That won't help the homeless."
Adams' 'the IRA card won't help the homeless' reply is interesting as it leaves others with one fewer card to play later in the night— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) February 15, 2016
During the first half of the debate, joint-leader of the Social Democrats Stephen Donnelly was the most favoured leader online.
Seems @DonnellyStephen making biggest impression but Social Democrats won't be able to capitalise fully due to shortage of candidates #GE16— Matt Cooper (@cooper_m) February 15, 2016
At one point, moderator Claire Byrne asked Mr Adams to stop criticising other parties and instead focus on Sinn Féin's policies.
Claire pushing Adams on what's in SF's plan, rather than cribbing about those of others. Takes his time getting there #leadersdebate #ge16— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) February 15, 2016
Mr Boyd Barrett was the first leader of the night to be applauded while speaking about JobBridge and the reduction in dole for those under the age of 26.
RBB replicating his usual Dáil tack of start-moderate-then-escalate, gets applauded twice over JobBridge and lower-dole-for-under-26s #GE16— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) February 15, 2016
Question three of the night was based on health. Mr Martin said he "fundamentally disagreed" with a suggestion by Claire Byrne that he had failed while minister for health.
Must say that @stephendonnelly over the top there saying people are afraid of being sick because they have to go to hospital. #ge16 #cblive— harrymcgee (@harrymcgee) February 15, 2016
During the first half of the debate, the leaders of the smaller parties received the best reviews on Twitter, with Mr Donnelly mentioned the most.
Both Enda Kenny and Gerry Adams appear to have been pushed to the margins in this debate. #ge16 #leadersdebate— Richard Chambers (@newschambers) February 15, 2016
A lot of traditional Labour votes,nervous of transferring to "harder left" might find Soc Dems attractive after Donnelly's performance #ge16— Matt Cooper (@cooper_m) February 15, 2016
Ms Creighton spoke about Renua's policies on crime. Renua's 'three strikes' policy, along with stipulations for parents whose children commit crimes, received mixed reviews.
Prisons would fill up fairly lively with the three strike rule. #leadersdebate— Jonathan Healy (@jonathanhealy) February 15, 2016
While on the topic of crime, Mr Boyd Barrett said he supported the idea of re-opening local Garda stations around the country.
RBB's stance on Garda stations is people should have them back if they feel they're needed - a weak card in his hand #leadersdebate #ge16— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) February 15, 2016
When asked about the possibility of a coalition between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, Mr Kenny responded "certainly not, certainly not". Mr Martin said "this country needs a change of government".
Enda is asked about coalition options. "Labour! Labour!" he says, in a similar tone to how Haughey beckoned Mara in Scrap Saturday— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) February 15, 2016
The debate will be an interesting playback if Enda and Micheal end up in government.— Michael O'Regan (@MOReganIT) February 15, 2016
Ms Creighton said there was "no difference" between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil and what the government needed was a "change of culture".
Mr Adams directed more than one insult to who he called the "three amigos" - Enda Kenny, Joan Burton, and Michael Martin.
Good line from @GerryAdamsSF saying three amigos should ride off on their donkeys. Now referring back to 1916. His best moment of night.— harrymcgee (@harrymcgee) February 15, 2016
Overall, Claire Byrne was largely praised for her performance tonight. She began the show by telling the leaders that there was a ban on political jargon.
No stand out moment so far in this debate...well other than @ClaireByrneLive who has done a great job so far— McConnellDaniel (@McConnellDaniel) February 15, 2016


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Opening hours with staff
Monday to Friday: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
For non-members of the institute by agreement only.
Library introductions take place after a short consultation.
Online Workshops are offered by the IVS-BM (Informations Retrieval Services of the Bio.-Med. Section ofthe MPG). These provide introductions to Max Planck specific resources and tools for the retrieval and management of scientific literature. For all scheduled dates, workshop details and registration, please see: this page.


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Ready to Make Video Calls From Your Facebook?
November 18, 2011 Leave a comment
Starting today, you can now make a video call from your Facebook without having to open up your browser and log in to the social-networking site.
It's as easy as 1-2-3… connect your Facebook account to Skype, then pick a Facebook friend, and hit the Skype video call button. DONE! I know… what's the big deal here? Nothing! but for sure it's much more convenient to make a video call. Read more of this post


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In agriculture, it's called flex acres land that could be planted as pasture for cattle grazing pastures or row crops like corn and soybeans.
And it presents quite a choice these days.
In the last year, the price of a bushel of corn has more than doubled and is now flirting with $8. At the same time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts cattle prices to be 20 percent higher than they were last year.
You might think more farmers would be looking to flip their acres from cattle pasture to cropland. But that's not always the case.
Consider Ed Morse's 320-acre farm just outside of Council Bluff, Iowa. Morse is taking acres out of corn and soybean and putting it into pasture.
"With the cattle you're more on your own; you don't have those insurance policies on those cattle," he said. "In some ways it's an act of faith where you have to look out to the future a couple years and see this will be a paying proposition as well."
Morse is used to analyzing figures; he's also a law professor at nearby Creighton University in Omaha. He admitted it's tempting to switch to corn, but he'll stick to cows for now.
That's an unusual decision, according to agricultural economist Darrell Mark with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
"It appears like in key corn belt states like Iowa, Illinois and eastern Nebraska and South Dakota and parts of Minnesota, that we've seen a reduction in the number of cow/calf operations, cow/calf pairs, and correspondingly we're seeing an increase in acres being planted to row crops," he said.
In central Missouri's Calloway County, farm owner Margot McMillen said one of her tenants offered three times the rent to convert some of her pasture into row crops.
But she turned down the offer because of a commitment to her long-term plans and a desire to avoid knee-jerk decisions based on what commodity is hot.
"It's like gambling. You make the decision because of what your neighbors are doing, the buzz," McMillen said. "You really can do better. Become independent and think on your terms as to what's going to work for me."
It would be a challenge to leave the cattle market. The last three years has seen historically low cattle numbers. Combined with increasing worldwide demand, that's led to some of the highest cattle prices ever seen. The problem is that input costs including feed and fuel are rising as well.
Still, Sean McClatchey sees this as an opportunity. The 38-year-old grew up near the southwestern Nebraska town of Palisade, but lives four hours to the east in Lincoln.
"We've got to grow it to make it work," he said. "It's not like it was 30 to 40 years ago where a farm our size could support a family or two."
McClatchey's parents got rid of cattle when he was a boy. He now has 115 head and is slowly increasing his herd size. He's getting creative with his wheat crop this spring to save on input costs like feed and fuel. He'll graze on the wheat fields early in the growing season in a way that will still allow the wheat to be harvested.
"You're getting essentially more than one harvest per year off that ground, you can graze cattle in the fall if you get it drilled in time and in spring when it warms up you can graze them for 30 days," he said.
And keeping feed on the farm is one way to keep costs down.
But it'll likely be a while before herd sizes increase from their lowest point since the 1950s. It takes a minimum of 14 months for cattle to move from birth to the market.
While ag economist Mark predicts herd sizes will increase later this year, he doesn't expect it to drive down costs at the meat counter for quite a while.
"Retail prices that we see in the restaurant and grocery store do change, they don't change as often as we see at the farm level," Mark said. "So when we continue to see cattle prices going up to record levels each week in the first couple months of this year that doesn't mean you're seeing retail prices go up in the grocery store."
Meanwhile, farmers like Morse and McClatchey will try to figure out just where the profit tipping point will be.
Clay Masters also reports for Harvest Public Media, an agriculture-reporting project involving six NPR member stations in the Midwest. For more stories about food, fuel and field check out HarvestPublicMedia.org
As markets soar, farmers weigh cattle vs. crops
In agriculture, it's called flex acres land that could be planted as pasture for cattle grazing pastures or row crops like corn and soybeans.


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- Score:
- rated 3.68 / 5 stars
- Views:
- 65,530 Views
- Share Links:
- Genre:
- Comedy - Parody
- nintendo
- nes
- awesomevideogames
- doubledragon
Credits & Info
- Uploaded
- May 29, 2007 | 5:11 PM EDT
- Frontpaged May 30, 2007
If you liked this, check these out!
Plenty more like this here!
Author Comments
Rated 4 / 5 stars
swt episode...bt honestly...what have u been smokin
Rated 4 / 5 stars
But I liked the one who makes its look cool, the one and the only,
the... camera=man!!!!
great job! =] get some credit ;]
Thanks bro, crazy cameras are intense to the extreme!
Rated 4 / 5 stars
4/5 and 8/10
Not the best one but still alright. Funny and a bit mad. I'm goin' to watch the next one!
Rated 4 / 5 stars
Awsome indeed.
I find your awesome video games flashes funny as hell. All though i thought this one was a bit lesser and not quite as good as the other ones. Still made me lol but not making me cry in laughter. BUt a good flash none the less.
Thanks dude! Hope you like the next one too!
Rated 4 / 5 stars
This was one of the funnier ones. Double charge the wall!!! hehe great idea. I miss the old side-scrolling cooperative fighter genre.


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This mid-weight custom fleece provides warmth without weight as well as a great place for your company logo.
Upgrade your company apparel with these Harriton easy blend custom polo shirts that employees will be proud to wear.
A cool custom camp shirt that is perfect for vacations and hanging out at the beach.
Promotional apparel from the Harriton Collection from ePromos offers customers a number of high quality outerwear items. These articles of clothing are great for any number of occasions, from holiday gifts, to employee rewards, to customer or client thank you's. The quality construction of the items in this collection ensure that the products will last a long time, offering scores of people the chance to see your imprinted logo.


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First Lady Michelle Obama writes touching letter to Newtown in the aftermath of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting massacre, 'holding you in our hearts."
Full disclosure, I am a big fan of First Lady Michelle Obama, as I was of Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush. Mrs. Obama wrote a touching and heartfelt letter to the people of Newtown, Conn., in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting massacre that left 20 children dead and six adults. Here's the letter in its entirety:
Over the past week, we as Americans have been united in our grief as Newtown has laid to rest so many beautiful, innocent children, along with the heroic educators who worked every day to help them achieve their dreams.
As a mother of two young daughters, my heart aches for you and your families. Like so many Americans, I wish there were something — anything — I could do or say to ease your anguish.
But I know that I cannot begin to imagine the depths of your grief. I know that for many of you, the pain you are enduring right now seems unbearable; and many of you may be asking yourselves, how can we go on — as families and as a community?
But I also know that we have already begun to see the answer to that question in the countless acts of courage, kindness and love here in Newtown and across America.
Over the past week, I have been awed and inspired by Newtown's heroes: the first responders who risked their lives at a moment's notice; the educators whose devotion to their students shone brightest in one of our nation's darkest hours; the children who comforted each other despite their fear; the families coming together to support each other as they grieve.
And I am so proud of the outpouring of love and support that has come from every corner of America: from first responders from neighboring cities rushing to help however they could; from people in Cleveland and Charlotte and Juneau and so many other communities joining together to honor Newtown with their thoughts and prayers; and in living rooms and houses of worship and the halls of our government, where we are beginning to have those difficult conversations about how we can build a safer, more peaceful tomorrow for all our children.
And I want you to know that this is just the beginning. As my husband has said, in the coming weeks, he will use all the powers of his office to engage citizens from across this country to find ways to prevent tragedies like this one. And please know that every minute of every day, we are thinking of you, and praying for you, and holding you and your families in our hearts as you begin the slow and wrenching work of healing and moving forward.
In the months and years ahead, may the memories of those beautiful children and those heroic adults be a blessing for their families, for your community, and for our country, and may God bless you all.
First Lady Michelle Obama, Washington, D.C. Source
This was cross-posted from The Hinterland Gazette.
Copyright 2012 The Moderate Voice


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home :: paragraphs: patterns of development lesson
Patterns of Development
A pattern of development in writing refers to the particular strategy writers use to develop ideas. Whether you are aware of it or not, you already use patterns of development to express yourself. When you show someone how to make an omelette, change a tire, or set up an instant messaging account, you are using a pattern of development called "process analysis"; when you describe what your roomate looks like when she gets up in the morning you are using "description"; when you offer several reasons why you are late for an appointment, you are using cause and effect; and when you tell the story of your first date, you are using narration. Learning to use these patterns of development in writing is not difficult: you will need to familiarize yourself with key transitional expressions that send a signal to the reader that a particular pattern is being used, and you will need to make conscious decisions about which strategies best develops your ideas.
Objectives: By the end of this module students should be able to
Subjective Description:
Writers use descriptive paragraphs most often in fiction. Just think of lines like "It was a dark and stormy night," or "The mountains loomed above them." Description of time and place draws readers into other worlds and sets the stage where a story can unfold. Description of characters, their appearance, mannerisms, and utterances, helps us imagine what people are like, as in this description of Caroline Meeber by Theodore Dreiser in his novel Sister Carrie:
In this type of description, the author is describing an impression of what is observed. What is described is subjective: the reader experiences the world as it appears to the author or the narrator in a story and learns what is important to the person recording the description.Objective Description:
Description is also used in reportorial and scientific writing, or other writing in which the goal is to present an objective picture of an object or scene. In these writing situations, the writer attempts to stay away from emotional impressions or responses, and instead report what is seen, as a video camera records a scene, as in the following example:
It is important to note that while being objective may be a writer's goal, getting past biases can be difficult. What a writer notices and chooses to describe as well as what a writer leaves out of a description is influenced by many factors: the purpose for writing, how the writer feels about the subject, the writer's age, ethnic and cultural background, cultural contexts for writing, and gender, too. Therefore, part of writing good objective description, is being aware of one's own biases.
Writing Description:
Whether your goal is to write objective or subjective description, your paragraph should have a clear controlling idea so that your reader knows what to do with your descriptive details. In subjective description, that controlling idea should be a dominant impression of a particular scene or person. Supporting details should help the reader understand the dominant impression. For example, "It was a gloomy morning," is an example of a dominant impression. Good supporting details could include "The morning air felt damp and cold. People huddled inside their coats."
In an objective description, the controlling idea should identify the object, scene, or person to be described as objectively as possible and the descriptive details of the paragraph should add substance to the main point. Nothing should be included in the paragraph that does not support the controlling idea.
When detectives cover crime scenes, writing accurate and clear reports of their observations is an essential skill. Typically, in these reports, detectives will take a spatial approach: paragraphs have controlling ideas that identify an area of the crime scene to be explored, for example, "Outside the entrance to the apartment we found evidence of break-in," and then the rest of the paragraph will present the evidence found in that location demonstrating the detective's general conclusion.
In both subjective and objective description, organizing details around clear controlling ideas is essential. You may experience a scene or a person as a holistic impression; however, if your reader is to understand what your observations mean, the details must be organized in a meaningful way on the page.
Dreiser, Theodore. Sister Carrie. 1900.
Seiberling, Stephen, et. al. "Common Trees of the North Carolina Piedmont." Open Key: Illinois-North Carolina Collaborative Environment for Botanical Resources. <http://www.ibiblio.org/openkey/intkey/web/ACBA3.htm>
A narrative is a story. As a method of development, storytelling can be very effective for the simple reason that people love to hear stories, and will tune in to a story when their eyes glaze over at other styles of writing. Even when your purpose is to write an essay that is primarily to inform, analyze or argue, a narrative paragraph can be effective at drawing the reader in and establishing your voice in the essay. For instance, at the beginning of an essay on the problems caused by excessive instant messaging by young teens, a writer might tell a brief story about the limited options she had for socializing outside of school in the 1970's to illustrate how substantially socializing patterns have changed.
Writing a Narrative Paragraph:
Action Verbs and Transitional Expressions:
A story takes place over a period of time and is built around people doing things—thinking, talking, running, etc. Therefore, narrative paragraphs are characterized by words that show action and words that show sequence. Consider the folllowing narrative paragraph from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, paying particular attention to the action verbs and transitional expressions to show sequence:
For the most part, logical sequence of actions supplies the narrative sequence: "I took off. . . I heard guns . . . I worked along under the trees." By virtue of the linear arrangement of these sentences on the page, the reader assumes the actions take place in sequence. However, here and there, transitions are needed to emphasize important time relationships, as in the phrase "by and by." Below are some of the common transitional expressions used in narrative writing:
These phrases do call attention to themselves, so it is wise to use logic most of the time to show sequence.
The Controlling Idea in Narrative Paragraphs:
The controlling idea in a narrative paragraph presents some difficulty for developing writers in that they think of a story as a series of events without natural breaks. However, a controlling idea is important, even in a narrative paragraph, because it gives the reader information about what to do with the details that follow. In a narrative paragraph it is useful to think of paragraphs as scenes, and the controlling idea as a kind of wide angle shot on the scene. Further shots take the reader into the scene emphasizing details and actions that will take place in that scene. For example, in the previous paragraph from Huckleberry Finn, the controlling idea for the scene is "I took up the river road as hard as I could put." What follows is what happened when he took off and went up the river road—he hides in a tree from the men with guns. A new paragraph will begin when the scene changes, or when our attention is directed toward a new event—which in the case of Huckleberry Finn is the arrival of the men with guns.
Concrete and Specific Detail:
Descriptive details in a narrative paragraph are essential to a good story. Details help readers to connect to the world the author envisions. Good writers, therefore, spend a lot of time trying to find the right words for their meaning, choosing concrete and specific expressions, rather than abstract or general ones. Consider the difference between the general and specific, and abstract and concrete expressions below to see what a difference the right words can make:
The concrete and specific expressions get a reader's attention far more effectively than the abstract and general expressions do. A reader can imagine specific things far more readily than general concepts. Part of your revision process should included finding concrete and specific expressions for your ideas.
Process Analysis
A process analysis is a discussion of the steps one must take to achieve a particular end. Some process analysis writing is intended for an audience that needs to learn how to perform a process themselves, for example, fixing a bent bicycle wheel, quitting smoking, finding a good job. Other process analysis writing is informative rather than instructional; examples of this type include how to resolve the healthcare crisis, and how to rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Some process analyses work on both levels, for example, a discussion about how to respond to global warming will probably be both instructional and informative: individuals can take many steps to control global warming, but other steps must be taken by corporations and governments as well; the reader reads such texts for understanding as well as instruction.
Writing a Process Analysis
Typically, the steps in the process being described happen in sequence over time, and so are presented in chronological order. Process analysis paragraphs also depend on transitional expressions such as "first," "second," "then," and "finally," to indicate the sequence in which steps are to be taken.
Audience awareness is extremely important in process analysis writing. The writer must have a clear sense of the audience in order to know what to include, what to leave out, how technical to be, and how formal or informal to be. Asking questions before beginning writing is key: What does my audience already know about this topic? Which key terms and concepts might they already be familiar with? Which terms will I need to define? Consider the difference in these two descriptions of how to build a web page:
Both examples show how to build a web page, but the author of the second example assumes his audience has a great deal more starting knowledge on the topic than the author of the first example. The second author assumes the reader is familiar with terms like "FTP," "Telnet," and "server." The first author assumes his audience has no knowledge of key terms. In addition, the authors take different tones with the reader. The first author is very informal and friendly (even including a smiling cartoon of himself); the second author is formal and more detached.
When writing your own process analysis paragraph, take the time to decide who you think your audience is going to be, and write for that audience.
Barta, Joe. "So you want to make a web page." PageTutor.com. <http://www.pagetutor.com/html_tutor/index.html>
"How to Create a Web Page." <http://www.make-a-web-site.com/>
Division & Classification
Division and classification are related methods for organizing objects or information. In division, we divide a general category of things into smaller subcategories. For example, "There are three main problems associated with living across from a highschool: noise, trash, and traffic congestion." In classification, we develop criteria for the items in a subcategory based on relationships between the items. Consider your favorite music store: the compact discs are organized into many subcategories such as country, rock, hip-hop, dance music, world music, classical, jazz, soundtracks, etc. We understand that Garth Brooks recordings will be in the country music category because we know that Garth Brooks' music shares certain characteristics with other music in the group: a guitar as the main instrument, a country twang in his vocals, themes of heartache, homesickness, country life, etc.
Classification sometimes refers to a ranking system by which things or persons are evaluated. For example, a classification system is used in the military to rank officers, and hotels are ranked and classified according to quality, cleanliness, and other features. Neighborhoods are ranked by prospective home buyers according to criteria such as schools, crime rate, noise, etc. If you are asked to write a classification paragraph or essay, be sure to examine the writing prompt to see if your instructor is looking for you to develop a complete classification system that allows one to evaluate items according to specific criteria.
Division and classification make it easy for individuals to locate what they are looking for, but these organizational methods are also useful for understanding complex problems or issues: For example, by dividing cancer into more than 100 different types, medical professionals are better able to analyze the disease; and by looking at different groups suffering from poverty—for example, the elderly, the sick, and those who are unable to find work—we are better able to combat the crisis.
Using Division and Classification in Your Writing:
To use division and classification successfullly, you must first have a strong sense of purpose. Without this sense of purpose, your system for dividing and/or classifying information may not meet your needs. For example, if you pack for a camping trip without taking the context of your trip in mind, you could end up with all the wrong things; you could have sleepwear suited for a warm bed rather than a cold forest floor, or uncomfortable street shoes to hike in rather than hiking boots. In writing an essay involving division and/or classification, knowing your goal is also important. For example, a student might write an essay about the problems created in society by the cell phone; for this student, dividing these problems into categories—cell phones as a social problem, and cell phones as a cause of accidents and physical injury—will help the student develop a clear argument. Classifying cell phones according to size, price, convenience, and appearance would not be an effective system for this argument.
Topic sentence in division and classification paragraphs:
Typically, in the topic sentence of a division paragraph (or in the thesis of an essay that relies on division as the primary method of development) writers will use enumeration to prepare the reader for the content, as in "There are two main problems associated with . . . " or "We can proceed in one of three ways." In a classification paragraph, the topic sentence might also involve enumeration, but the emphasis is likely to be on the ranking of the different divisions, or the criteria that chacterize items in a group, for example, "Most states recognize two types of murder," or "Ponds have several characteristics that differentiate them from lakes."
Checklist for division and classification paragraphs:
You may associated the word "illustration" with images that accompany a story in a picture book; in illustrated books, the picture helps to illuminate or clarify the meaning in the text. Illustration also refers more generally to clarification through exemplification. Writers use examples to make a general idea clear—to illustrate an idea. The illustration may be one long, extended example, or it may be several short examples. It may be a story, an anecdote, a quotation, or a statistic. The key to a good illustration, however, no matter which form it takes, is that it sheds light on the general idea. Consider the following examples:
Using illustration in your writing:
Once you have a clear sense of an idea you want to illustrate, you need to decide on the form of illustration you will use:
A series of examples or statistical information can be persuasive, as in the following example,
In each paragraph, the main idea is developed through a list of concrete examples, making the idea clear and real.
A single, long illustration allows you to get in depth and explore facets of an idea. This technique is useful if you are exploring a complex idea, as in the following illustration from an essay on e-voting. The writer uses the story of Bev Harris' discovery of easy vote database access to illustrate how hackable computer vote databases can be:
You may also choose to use quotations to illustrate an idea. This technique is useful when you are writing a literary analysis, or a biography. Consider this paragraph about Caeser Chavez from Wikipedia:
"Caesar Chavez." Wikipedia.org. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%A9sar_Ch%C3%A1vez>
Keim, Brandon. "Hacking your body's bacteria for better health." Wired.com. 2007. <http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2007/04/bacteriahacking>
Zetter, Kim. "How e-voting threatens democracy." Wired.com. 2004. <http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2004/03/62790>
In a definition paragraph, the writer's goal is to help the reader understand new terms or concepts, or to come to new understanding of terms they may be familiar with. Definition is very important in the sciences, where the terminology is extensive and discipline-specific. In defining scientific terms, a writer should be as objective as possible, and when impressions are essential, the writer should strive to use analogies and impressions that the reader can readily identify with. In the humanities, on the other hand, definitions can be more subjective. A writer may wish to define complex terms such as "heartache," "luck," or "democracy" in a personal way. Compare the following scientific definition with a highly subjective definition:
The second paragraph is taken from an essay-length definition of "idiocy" by Ian Frazer. He goes on to give examples of his idiocy and then conclude that his idiocy is just not his fault.
Writing Definitions:
To write a definition paragraph (or essay), a writer must identify the term being defined, provide a basic or general definition, and then provide clear detail to support the definition. A definition can be developed in a number of ways. The method(s) you choose should be determined by the term you are defining. Below are some common methods of definition:
By characteristics or features: Scientific definitions typically rely on this type of definition. Physical features as well as behaviors (as in animal or cell behavior) may be a part of this type of definition.
By function: how something works, or what it does can be an important part of definition.
By what it is not: Ironically, we can get a pretty good sense of what something is like, by learning what it is not, or what it is lacking.
By what it is similar to: Comparison and analogy help us understand things that are unfamiliar to us.
By example: Giving examples illustrating what the term means can be highly effective, as in the above definition of "idiocy."
By its origins: Providing a history of what a term has meant can help us understand its current meaning. For example, the slang term "wimp" comes from the term "wimple," which refers to a head scarf women wore in mediaeval Europe. Exploring the evolution of the term could yield interesting insight into the connotations of the contemporary term.
By its effect: Discussing what effects the subject produces is important with certain subjects or in certain contexts. For example, in an essay on global warming, a definition of CO2 emissions emphasizing the consequences of these emissions to the environment would be important.
"Bacterial Endocarditis." American Heart Association. <http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4436>
Frazer, Ian. "What I am." The New Yorker.com.
2007. <http://www.newyorker.com/
Cause & Effect
A cause and effect development techniques are typically discussed together. However, in a particular paragraph, one or the other will be emphasized. A paragraph emphasizing the causes of something typically begins with an effect; the purpose of the paragraph is to explore how that effect came to be—to show what caused it. In a paragraph emphasizing the effects of something, a writer begins with a particular cause, then explores the consequences or effects of this cause. Look at the examples below:
Writing a cause & effect paragraph or essay:
In a cause and/or effect paragraph, the writer needs to know which factor to emphasize: causes or effects, and why it is important to discuss a cause and effect relationship in the first place. It is not Ok to write "There are several causes and effects for . . . " A controlling idea like this merely establishes a fact; no purpose has been identified for discussing the cause and effect relationship.
Using transition words to emphasize cause and effect relationships between ideas is useful.
In an analysis paragraph, the goal is to understand a subject by examining its parts. For example, a writer might analyze the setting in a short story to better understand the theme of the story, or a student in an anthropology class might write an analysis of broken pottery shards found on the site of an 18th century dwelling to support conclusions about the wealth and status of the family who lived on the site, or a detective might write an analysis of evidence found at a crime scene to support a conclusion about the perpetrator of the crime. Take a look at the following example of an analysis of setting in the novel Hard Times. The author analyzes scenes from the text to support an interpretation of their significance in the larger context of the novel:
The overall argument here is that Charles Dickens wants readers to see 19th century factory towns as strange, disorienting places. The writer presents several examples as evidence for this interpretation.
Writing an Analysis Paragraph:
Strong analysis depends on a clear sense of purpose, solid evidence, and careful explanation of the significance of the evidence. The first thing a writer must do in writing the analytical paragraph is develop a sense of confidence about what should be asserted about a subject. To get to this point of confidence takes hard work: rereading a text or examining a subject several times to become familiar with the contents, doing research, taking notes, and then deciding what the evidence suggests. Once a writer has developed an interpretation of or conclusion about a subject, evidence must be selected that best supports the interpretation or conclusion. Finally, the writer needs to present the evidence in an orderly way and provide enough explanation of the evidence for the reader to understand how it relates to and supports the writer's idea.
Analogy can be highly effective for extended definitions because in analogy, one explains something that is difficult to understand through comparison with something that is more readily understood. For example, a complex experience like falling in love might be explained in a rose analogy. A rose blooms, it is delicate and beautiful, a rare beauty in nature; but it also has thorns, and eventually dies. Rather a cynical view of love in the end, if one chooses to emphasize the thorns of the rose. There are no perfect analogies; all analogies break down at some point; however, in spite of this fact, analogies are quite useful. Consider Neil Postman's analogy between a certain kind of preachy television commercial and religious parables that "put forward a concept of sin, intimations of the way to redemption, and a vision of Heaven":
The parable is highly useful in explaining the stress such television commercials cause the viewer.
Writing an analogy:
Writing analogy is one of the more difficult forms of writing, but it can also be a lot of fun. A good way to get started is to use the phrase (subject) is like . . . Search your brain for the features of your subject and see if you can think of other subjects that share these features. Take a look at the famous analogies below to see how the process works . . .
Finally, when developing your analogy, make sure that there are no key features of the items being compared that are obviously incompatible, or the analogy won't work. As mentioned earlier, every analogy eventually breaks down, and that is to be expected, but key features of the items being compared should be present in both subjects.
1. Description
2. Narration
3. Process Analysis
4. Division & Classification
5. Illustration
6. Definition
7. Cause and Effect
8. Analysis
9. Analogy