text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Jan 23, 1996
|Filing date
|Aug 10, 1994
|Priority date
|Aug 10, 1994
|Fee status
|Publication number
|Donald D. Joye, William H. Mints, John R. Clarke, Peter Wechgelaer
|Original Assignee
|The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (9), Referenced by (7), Classifications (9), Legal Events (5)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of underwater breathing apparatus (UBA), more specifically to self-contained, closed-circuit underwater breathing apparatus, which operates without need of air or breathing gas from an outside supply remote from the diver, and wherein carbon dioxide gas (CO2) generated by a diver is constantly removed and oxygen (O2) needed for metabolism is constantly supplied.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A closed-circuit UBA is a form of self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) in which a diver's breathing gas is recycled through a closed loop, adding oxygen and removing carbon dioxide gases as needed. The carbon dioxide gas is typically removed by chemical absorption. Elements of UBA typically comprise an oxygen supply bottle, a canister containing CO2 absorbent, a breathing bag or flexible volume element, connecting hoses, a mouthpiece for the diver, and a diluent gas or inert gas bottle. Diluent gases such as nitrogen, inert gases such as helium, or helium/nitrogen mixtures are often used. Some UBA versions monitor O2 electronically and add oxygen when inspired O2 concentrations drop below desired levels. The only mechanical adjustments that can be made by a diver involve the degree of filling of the breathing bags. As ambient pressure changes, for example as the diver goes deeper or rises, the volume of gas within the breathing bag(s) contracts or expands respectively, and diluent gas may be added or dumped, either manually or automatically. Some UBA have a single breathing bag; others have one for the inhalation side and another for the exhalation side of the recirculating loop that handles the gas movement through the rig.
The closed-circuit breathing apparatus and its basic construction and principles of operation have been known for some time (U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,337 to LaViolette, 1974). Improvements to such equipment are always being made for the diving community, which includes military, commercial underwater construction and salvage, and sport divers. For example, improvements in the control of air or breathing gas flow within the apparatus are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,166 to Winkler, et al, (1984), particularly with respect to emergency mechanical control system in the event that the electronics fails.
The majority of patents in the art center around the two critical performance factors for UBA, namely CO2 absorption and O2 control. Almost none deal with improving or lessening the difficulty of breathing at depth, particularly during arduous exercise or heavy work. Those that do, deal only with the fluid mechanical flow resistance and not other sources of impedance or mechanical resistance to breathing arising from the elements in the UBA including tubing or hoses, canister, etc. One exception to this is the prior invention (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,988 to Clarke, et al., issued May 31, 1994) by three of the inventors common to the present invention. In general, breathing resistance in a UBA can be significant for the diver; it can reduce his effectiveness or the duration of work capability, and may, more seriously, contribute to loss of consciousness.
The mechanical resistance to breathing on a UBA is complex, because the breathing is sinusoidal or periodic in nature and not a steady flow. In this kind of flow situation dynamic analyses must be employed, such as those common to the art and discussed in detail by R. Peslin and J. J. Fredberg, "Oscillation mechanics of the respiratory system", chap. 11 in Handbook of Physiology; Vol. III, The Respiratory System, A. P. Fishman (ed.), 1987, American Physiol. Soc., Bethesda, Md., and H. D. Van Liew, "The electrical-respiratory analogy when gas density is high", Undersea Biomedical Research, vol. 14, no. 2, (1987) pp. 149-160. In a periodic flow, allowance must be made for additional resistances to the motion of the breathing gas. These resistances are termed elastic and inertial, and they cause increased energy loss, because the diver must overcome them, as well as the resistance due to flow, to keep breathing. Inertial resistance or inertance arises from accelerations and decelerations in the gas flow or displaced water due to the periodic nature of the flow. Elastic resistance or elastance arises from pressure changes due to flow entering a closed volume or pressure changes due to volume changes (in submersed breathing bags for example). Because of the oscillatory or periodic nature of the flow, complex algebra must be used to describe the overall resistance to flow, which is termed the impedance. Therefore, for a linear model;
Z=R-(jE/ω)+jωI Eqn. 1
where Z is the impedance in units of pressure/flow rate, R is the resistance due purely to flow (the flow resistance) in the same units, E is the elastance in units of pressure/volume, I is the inertance in units of pressure/flow acceleration, and ω is the radian frequency in units of reciprocal time. Eqn. 1 applies to a series arrangement of R, E and I with linear resistance, elastance and inertance, which is fundamentally typical of UBA, but other more complex models may also be used. Impedance is composed of a real part, namely the flow resistance, and an imaginary part, which is a combination of the inertance and the elastance. The magnitude of Z can be computed by;
|Z|=√[R2 +(ωI-E/ω)2 ]Eqn. 2
so that all three components of impedance contribute to the pressure required to drive the flow in the system.
At the natural or resonant frequency, the inertial and elastic terms in Eqn. 2 cancel, leaving only the flow resistance contributing to the impedance. Thus impedance is at a minimal value when the system is oscillating at the natural frequency, the condition of which is given below;
ωn =√(E/I) Eqn. 3
The foregoing are terms of the art necessary to understand the present invention, but they do not constitute the invention.
Impedance in the UBA adds to the positive and negative respiratory pressures that a diver must generate to breathe. Impedance is generated by the elastance, inertance and resistance in the UBA. Resistance in UBA arises from breathing hoses, valves, changes in flow diameter, the canister and other similar obstructions in the flow path. Resistance is the fluid mechanical cost of moving a volume of fluid at a given rate. The ratio of pressure difference required to cause a given flow rate to the flow rate is termed the flow resistance.
Elastance is the reciprocal of compliance in the system and is derived in UBA primarily from changes in volume of the breathing bag when immersed. If these changes in volume lead to a vertical expansion or contraction of the bag, pressure is altered by hydrostatic forces, wherein the pressure change (.increment.P) is given by;
.increment.P=ρg.increment.h Eqn. 4
where .increment.h is the vertical displacement and p is the density of the ambient fluid, usually water or sea water, and g is the acceleration of gravity. The shape of the bag and its orientation in the water have an effect on the elastance. Reference is made to D. D. Joye, J. R. Clarke, N. A. Carlson and E. T. Flynn, "Formulation of Elastic Loading Parameters for Studies of Closed-Circuit Underwater Breathing Systems", NMRI Technical Report 89--89, Bethesda, Md. This reference is available from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). Elastance is inversely proportional to the cross-sectional area that is perpendicular to the vertical direction. In general, as the breathing bag changes volume, the hydrostatic component of pressure from the top to the bottom of the bag is the elastic pressure. There are other contributions to elastance in a UBA, for example the volume of internal hoses and containers in the breathing loop, that have an additional, but much smaller, effect.
Inertance arises from the acceleration of mass in a system. The larger the mass the higher the inertance. Accelerated masses comprise breathing gases, water displaced by the breathing bag and various UBA components. Inertance (I) can be calculated from the formula:
I=m/A2 Eqn. 5
where m is mass and A is the cross-sectional area through which mass is moved, or the sectional area which moves with the mass. For a fluid moving in a tube or conduit and filling the cross-sectional area, this reduces to ρp L/A, where L is the tube length and ρ is the density of the fluid.
The force that moves the flow of breathing gas is respiratory pressure. Although the respiratory pressure imposed by UBA elastance can be relatively high at the low frequencies commonly encountered in a diver's breathing pattern, which is typically in the range 5-60 breaths/minute, particularly 10-40 bpm, there have been no efforts to either statically or dynamically reduce UBA elastic impedance to make it easier for the diver to breathe.
Some efforts have been made in the design of breathing machines (not UBA) that simulate human breathing or can be adjusted to generate other breathing conditions, and/or to provide adjustable impedance. Reference is made to M. Younes, D. Bilan, D. Jung and H. Kroker, "An apparatus for altering the mechanical load of the respiratory system", J. Applied Physiology, vol. 62, no. 6 (1987) pp. 2491-2499, wherein adjustment to elastance by changing gas volume in the machine is shown. Inertance is not adjusted, and oscillatory behavior is damped, not fostered.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,988 to Clarke, et al., issued May 31, 1994, a reactive, closed-circuit underwater breathing apparatus is described in which tuning is accomplished continually by electronic sensing, computing and control action. In general, the tuning principles used in this invention are the same as those described therein, i.e. adjusting inertance of the UBA by changing the amount of water moved by displacement or volume changes of the breathing bag during inhalation/exhalation. Because Clarke, et al. is the work of common inventors and the present invention is a variation of the application of the same principles, the disclosure of the present invention hereby incorporates by reference Clarke, et al. to this specification, specifically from col. 1, line 1 to col. 4, line 10 and substantial portions from col. 6, line 22 to col. 8, line 28.
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to reduce the impedance in a UBA by changing the inertance so that elastic and inertial contribution to impedance cancel.
A further object of this invention is to provide a means for adjustment of the inertance in a UBA to change the natural frequency of the UBA, so that the resonant frequency of the UBA more closely matches the diver's breathing frequency, thereby minimizing impedance to breathing.
These and additional objects of the invention are accomplished by tuning a UBA. Tuning is defined as adjusting inertance so that the natural frequency of the UBA is modified to equal the breathing frequency of a diver using the UBA. Inertance is altered in a controlled manner by adjusting mass associated with motion of the breathing bag, particularly the mass of water moved by displacement of the breathing bag.
These objects are accomplished by a manually tunable underwater breathing apparatus adapted to recirculate breathing gas from a diver, absorb carbon dioxide gas, add oxygen as needed for metabolism and provide capacitance through a breathing bag, comprising a breathing bag contained in a fixed-volume container, and a means for manually changing inertance of the UBA by altering the amount of water moved by volume changes in the breathing bag during exhalation/inhalation. This differs from the objects of Clarke, et al. in that there are no computers, no position sensors, no complex electronics, and no tuning to the divers breathing frequency automatically. In the present invention, reduction of breathing load through tuning is completely under the diver's control, which is of great psychological advantage to the diver.
In one embodiment of the invention, an adjustable length tube with one end free is connected at the other end to the fixed-volume container in which the breathing bag resides. Inertance is changed by means of an actuating device which alters the length of the tube. The tube length can be lengthened or shortened by action of an initiating device such as a three-pole switch.
In a second embodiment of the invention, a fixed-length tube is connected at one end to the fixed-volume container in which the breathing bag resides. A valve, or controlled opening device, provides a means by which water can be partly diverted from moving through the robe, thereby altering the inertance. The valve can be connected to the breathing bag container or the tube through a tee fitting. Actuating means and initiating means cooperate as in the first embodiment above to change valve position and alter the amount of water diverted, hence the mass of water moving through the tube and the inertance of the system.
A more complete appreciation of the invention will be readily obtained by reference to the following Description of the Preferred Embodiments and the accompanying drawings The representation in the figure is diagrammatic and no attempt is made to indicate actual scale, actual placement or precise ratios.
FIGS. 1 and 1(a) are views in schematic of a preferred embodiment of the present invention (adjustable length hose) in cooperation with the other elements of the invention in an otherwise typical closed-circuit underwater breathing apparatus.
FIGS. 2 and 2(a) are views in schematic of a modification of the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 1(a), in that the flexible, extendable hose is moved by a rotating disc instead of a linear extension-retraction mechanism.
FIGS. 3 and 3(a) are views in schematic of another preferred embodiment of the present invention with a fixed-length hose in combination with a tee and adjustable valve.
Several ways are known to the inventors for changing the mass of water moved by displacement of the breathing bag, thereby altering the inertance and making possible the reduction of breathing effort by cancelling elastance. The means for changing inertance may comprise any means selected from the following: (a) changing the mass of water displaced by motion of the breathing bag by altering the geometry of an exit hose, for example changing the length of this hose through telescoping means, attached to the breathing bag housing, a rigid, fixed-volume container in which the breathing bag moves, (b) changing the inertance of the UBA, for example adding or removing mass attached to the breathing bag or counterlung, (c) changing the geometry of the breathing bag housing by having holes placed in the housing, and having a means to open or close those holes to change the primary direction of flow of the water displaced by changes in volume of the breathing bag during exhalation/inhalation, for example axial to radial, and (d) using a valve and a fixed length of hose, wherein the valve bleeds off water in the hose by adding a parallel escape path for the water so that a portion is diverted away from moving through the hose of fixed length.
The actuating means take forms appropriate to the means for adjusting inertance. For example, if the means for adjusting inertance is the adjustable length tube, then appropriate actuating means must be used. This can comprise any means for moving one end of the tube axially, such as rack and pinion or other gear mechanism, endless cable, rotating disc and many others obvious to those skilled in the mechanical mechanism art. The actuating means may be a motor which effects motion in response to a signal from the switch, either to extend or contract the adjustable length tube, for example, or to rotate the disc clockwise or counterclockwise. If the means for adjusting inertance is the fixed-length tube with valve means for diverting a portion of the water moving in the tube, the actuating means would comprise a motorized, position-sensitive valve, which is so common in the process control, servomechanisms and other similar art.
The initiating means may comprise direct action by the diver to initiate the actuating means, for example, turning a valve wheel, crank or lever to adjust the valve opening or to change the length of a flexible, extendable hose. In a preferred embodiment the initiating means comprises an electrical three-pole switch that can be toggled between open/close/neutral settings to change the opening of a motorized valve or the length of a flexible, extendable hose. The switch can be activated by the diver at will and can work as a hold-down initiation device, where continuous operation of the actuating means is effected by holding the toggle of the switch in position, and release of the toggle to the neutral position deactivates the actuation means. Other alternatives can also be used within the scope of skill in the art.
Old UBA were designed to minimize only resistive impedance; they did not react to the diver, other than to maintain minimal inspired partial pressure of oxygen. In addition to performing all the functions of existing UBA, the new "Manually Tunable UBA" will allow the diver to reduce or minimize breathing impedance at will by tuning the UBA to resonate at the diver's respiratory frequency. This will be particularly effective where elastance is a major portion of the total respiratory impedance. Where elastance is not a major factor, tuning will not help to reduce respiratory load.
Having described the invention, the following examples are given to illustrate specific applications of the invention including the best mode now known to perform the invention. There may be other ways to do the basic tasks of the present invention, once the invention is known, thus these specific examples are not intended to limit the scope of the invention described in this application.
With reference to FIG. 1, basic elements of the UBA and features of the present invention are shown. The diver breathes on mouthpiece [1 ], which contains valves to control the direction of the flow. Breathing gas circulates through hose [2]; exhalation goes to the canister [3]. The CO2 from the diver's exhale gas is absorbed in canister [3], make-up oxygen is added by oxygen bottle [4] as needed. The breathing bag [5] provides a capacitance in the system. Inhalation into mouthpiece [1] is from breathing bag [5]. The UBA housing [6] is generally porous to water, so ail the elements are in a water environment. Diluent gas bottle [7] for adjusting volume in the breathing bag or changing gas composition is also shown.
With respect to the elements of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and l(a), switch initiating means [8] with toggle [9] would most conveniently be attached to the diver's wrist via a strap. The switch [8] is connected to actuating means [11] by electrical wire [10]. Power supply is generally by battery (not shown), and this supplies all electrical power required for illumination and running of the motor in actuating means [11]. The switch [8], when activated by toggle [9] in one of two directions, sends an electrical signal to the electro-mechanical actuating means [11 ] which then adjusts the length of an extendable tube [12], for example a tube with bellows, as shown in FIG. 1, or a more smooth-walled telescoping tube [12a] shown in detail fig. 1(a), through mechanical connection [13] or magnetic means at the end of flexible, extendable hose [12]. Adjusting the length of the tube [12] changes the inertance of the UBA according to application of Eqn. 5. The extendable hose [12] moves in a porous housing [14] for retention and protection. The breathing bag is contained in a solid, rigid enclosure or fixed-volume compartment [15], so that all water displaced by the changing volume of the breathing bag is forced out hole [16] through hose [12]. Alternatively, for access of water, initially, to compartment [15], the compartment may be fitted with a valve [17].
Mechanical actuating means [11] may operate an endless, flexible cable, toothed belt or the like, shown in schematic by [20], fixedly attached to a moveable, outlet end of extendable hose [12]. The other end of extendable hose [12] is fixedly attached to the rigid, fixed-volume compartment [15] containing the breathing bag at hole [16]. Alternatively, magnetic means may be used to move the hose; or a worm gear and rack, or other mechanical linkage devices adaptable from the art may be used in place of the endless, flexible cable to change the length of extendable hose [12] by moving the hose outlet, the motion being effected by a motor, generally of the sealed electric type suitable for underwater use.
In order to return hose or shorten its length, the motor is adapted to reverse, or a spring-loaded return mechanism may be included. Other mechanisms are within the skill of the art, as it is well known that it is easier to extend a flexible member than it is to contract or compress it. For example, the tube itself can incorporate a coil-spring in the tube wall, so that it contracts by spring action when extending force is reduced or released.
The length of extendable hose [12] may need to be longer than the shoulder-to-hip length shown in FIG. 1. In these cases alternative designs for moving the hose in a confined space can be used. For example, FIGS. 2 and 2(a) show a rotating, circular disc [21] to which a moveable end of the hose [12] is attached by mechanical linkage [13]. The rotating disc has a collar [22] at its periphery to maintain the hose at the circumference of the disc and prevent kinking or the like. Hole [16] communicates directly with the breathing bag chamber. Mechanical actuator [1] rotates the disc by turning the connecting shaft [23]. It is preferred to keep the extendable hose as close to the UBA housing as possible, primarily for ease in length adjustment, but the extendable hose in FIG. 1 can be extended around the lower back, for example, if necessary. It may also be desirable to place a rigid housing around the outer periphery of the disc to protect the hose, or such that the hose moves in a kind of tunnel similar to the protective housing [14] of FIG. 1. Design modifications in the linkage will have to be made in that event, but these and others will be modifications within the scope of the art and the present invention.
Another and particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 3 and 3(a). Exit hose [18] is a rigid, non-extendable tube of fixed length, and adjustable bleed valve [19] acts to change the mass of water moving through the tube by diverting a portion of the water to the outside, before it goes through the tube. As the valve is opened or closed, it can have equal, greater or less resistance than the tube. The valve is placed at one end of a tee and the fixed-length tube is attached to another end of the tee. Valve opening is controlled by hand directly or by switch [8] with toggle means [9]. Switch [8] is connected to actuating means [11] by electrical wire [10]. It is preferred to use a motorized valve familiar to the control art, but it is also feasible to operate the valve by hand through mechanical linkage, rather than through the sequence just described. In this case the valve would have to have an operating handle within easy reach of the diver, for example a turn wheel on extended shaft. to the front of the shoulder. It may be especially preferred to have a fail-safe mechanical linkage in addition to the motor. The mechanical linkage may be a turn-wheel as is most common in the art or an extended shaft turn-wheel or some other remote operation device such as a cable plus turn-wheel, so as to put the operation of the valve at the diver's fingertips, literally. As the valve is opened, a greater mass of water is diverted from moving through the tube and inertance is reduced. As the valve is closed the opposite occurs. As an alternative, the tee may be dispensed with, the tube connected directly to the breathing bag container, and valve [17] used as the adjustable bleed valve. Other alternatives will become apparent to those skilled in the art.
Experimentally we have found a tube diameter of 1.5 inches (0.038 m) or larger is suitable. By calculation, a length of 18 inches (0.46 m) with a tube diameter of 1.5 inches (0.038 m) would be sufficient to reduce breathing effort in the range of 15-30 breaths per minute by an amount in the range of 3-6 cmH2O for tidal volumes of about 1 liter. Larger gains are possible at larger tidal volumes. We have found a ball valve to be a particularly suitable valve type for its quick opening characteristics, its relatively low flow resistance, and its low turns-to-open ratio. Changing parameters, for example elastance, inertance and resistance, to effect other desired results is within the skill of the art. Another important constraint on the ability of the UBA to oscillate is to have minimal flow resistance in the path between breathing bag housing and tube exit. A high resistance here adds to the total breathing impedance and will not be able to be reduced by reactance tuning. Care must be taken to minimize this factor in the design stage, lest the benefits of tuning be lost.
The manually adjustable UBA of the present invention does not automatically tune to the diver's breathing frequency., as does the tunable UBA of Clarke, et al., hence it is distinct from that invention. The diver may prefer a frequency lower than the resonant frequency, because the presence of significant resistance in the tuning circuit may lower the minimum mouth pressure required for breathing. One of the major advantages of the present invention is the psychological benefit the diver has, when the option is available to reduce breathing load at the command of the diver. The direct mechanical control of the present invention is much simpler and far less costly than the automatically tuned version. Hence maintenance costs and expected down-time for servicing would be minimized. Reliability should be potentially much better with the simpler and more direct operation of the present invention. In brief, the present invention has advantages of control, psychological confidence, cost, simplicity and potential reliability over the tunable UBA of Clarke, et al., though the precision and automatic, "set it and forget it" aspect is lost.
Should the actuator fail, the diver would not be endangered in any of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. The valve can be made to fail open or fail closed, and in either event water from the volume change of the breathing bag will have an opening through which to escape.
A further alternative in the method of adjusting inertance described above is to substitute a solid, moveable mass, denser than water, for the water in the fixed-length tube. Water displaced by the breathing bag moves this mass, and the valve bleeds off the displaced water as above. The solid mass is attached to the housing or tube by a weak spring, and a rolling seal or other means can be used to prevent leakage of displaced water past the solid, moveable mass. The advantage of this method is that smaller, or more convenient geometries for equivalent inertance can be used.
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Oct 31, 1946
|Sep 27, 1949
|Yarbrough Oscar D
|Underwater breathing apparatus
|Dec 5, 1958
|Jul 31, 1962
|Air Shields
|Lung ventilators and control mechanism therefor
|Apr 24, 1964
|May 2, 1967
|Seeler Henry W
|Variable volume rebreathing bag for scuba system
|Jul 19, 1971
|Mar 20, 1973
|Ball S
|Bubble transfer device for open system scuba diving applications
|Sep 12, 1979
|Aug 25, 1981
|Mcintyre Robert T
|Electronic closed loop servomechanism and electronic scuba regulator therefor
|Nov 15, 1988
|Jun 20, 1989
|Robert Bosch Gmbh
|Device for actuating a throttle valve
|Jan 25, 1988
|Jan 9, 1990
|Eaton Corporation
|Fluid control device
|Sep 29, 1992
|May 31, 1994
|The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
|Reactive, closed-circuit underwater breathing apparatus
|Dec 5, 1958
|Oct 5, 1965
|Lung ventilators and control mechanism therefor
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Oct 28, 2002
|Feb 3, 2004
|Fraanberg Oskar
|Rechargeable breathing apparatus particularly an apparatus for divers
|Sep 17, 1998
|Mar 30, 2004
|Martin John Parker
|Self-contained breathing apparatus
|Apr 11, 1998
|May 24, 2005
|Gueorgui Todorov
|Method and device for the autonomous production, preparation, and supply of breathing gas to divers at extreme depths
|Nov 6, 2012
|Weber David W
|Aircrew rebreather system
|Oct 19, 2006
|Oct 16, 2008
|Benriah Goeldi
|Method and Apparatus for Improving Flow and Pressure Estimation in Cpap Systems
|Apr 25, 2001
|Nov 8, 2001
|Fraanberg Oskar
|Rechargeable breathing apparatus particularly an apparatus for divers
|Dec 11, 2003
|Jun 24, 2004
|Oleg Bassovitch
|Breathing apparatus for hypoxic pre-acclimatization and training
|U.S. Classification
|128/205.13, 128/204.27, 128/204.26
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Oct 17, 1994
Owner name: NAVY, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:JOYE, DONALD D.;REEL/FRAME:007169/0533
Effective date: 19941004
|Jan 12, 1995
Owner name: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE, AS REPRESENTED BY T
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:CLARKE, JOHN R.;MINTS, WILLIAM H.;WECHGELAER, PETER;REEL/FRAME:007326/0044;SIGNING DATES FROM 19941013 TO 19941215
|Aug 17, 1999
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Jan 23, 2000
|Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
|Apr 4, 2000
|Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee
Effective date: 20000123


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Definition of stitching in English:
noun[mass noun]
A row of stitches sewn on to cloth: the gloves were white with black stitching
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Filed under: Bureaucracy, Crime, Democrat Corruption, Domestic Policy, Immigration, Law, Progressivism, Regulation, The Constitution, The United States, Unemployment | Tags: President Baack Obama, US Court of Appeals, US v Texas
In the case over the Obama administration's controversial immigration reforms, U.S. v. Texas, the Supreme Court confessed its inability to bring clarity to the broader debate over the scope of executive authority, splitting four-four and affirmed the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit by an equally divided vote. This essentially means that in all likelihood, had Justice Antonin Scalia not passed away earlier this year it would have been settled.
On Thursday the Supreme Court shot down Barack Obama's illegal executive amnesty – something he alleged at least 22 times he did not have the authority to pass before he went ahead and pushed through his executive authority anyway.
"During his comments Barack Obama once again argued that we need illegal aliens to "make our beds." Well, never mind. "Speaking shortly after the Supreme Court's immigration decision, President Obama made it 'very clear' that deporting illegal immigrants is not a priority of his administration."
We knew that. We are interested in why this president who swore an oath to uphold the Constitution believes that he should overrule it. Obama wants more Democrat voters. He has lied about deportations insisting that he has deported more people than any other president in history. That's hooey. There are always consequences. Criminal immigrants reoffend at a higher level than ICE has suggested. A smuggling network brings Middle East illegals to our border. Obama accuses a judge of "scaring' illegal aliens from signing up for amnesty. Here are the shoes handed out to many of the "unaccompanied children" who arrived last year, to remind them of just who allowed them in, and gave them shoes.
Six diseases that had been near eradication are making a comeback, thanks to Obama's refugee resettlement industry. They are 1.Tuberculosis 2.Measles 3.Whooping Cough 4.Mumps 5.Scarlet Fever and 6. Bubonic Plague. The number of communicable TB cases, dubbed active TB, increased by 1.7 percent to 9,563 in 2015, after 23 years of steady decline in the United States. Parents who got all excited about the canard that vaccination is bad, should investigate those claims a little more thoroughly.
The problem is not so much illegal immigration, as it is that the President of the United States seems to believe that he is above the law and has no need to follow the laws. That's really a problem.
Filed under: Bureaucracy, Domestic Policy, Law, Media Bias, Progressives, Regulation, The Constitution | Tags: Chick-fil-A, Rep. John Lewis, Sixties-Style Sit-Ins
Democrats were inspired by memories of the Sixties, and decided to hold a "Sit-In" on the floor of the House chamber. They were demanding gun control by disallowing anyone on the no-fly list from being able to purchase a gun. Trouble is, the U.S, Constitution guarantees citizens Due Process before they get forbidden to do something—that means a hearing before a judge or judge and jury, not a quickie law written as a stunt. But as people started to focus on the stunt, they quickly learned that 26 of the Democrats who took part in the sit-in own guns.
Rep, Lewis was once on the no-fly list (erroneously), but they were interested in backing up their ban on buying guns with evidence, but the evidence clearly shows that crime has been dropping for several years, but is starting to edge up in response to the anti-cop publicity, and release of felons from prison (who have a 75% recidivism rate).
Then it began to get funny. Several Twitterers pointed out that it was absurd to stage a "sit-in" on the floor where there were enough chairs for everyone. Charlie Rangel said he thought it should not be possible for his constituents to own guns, but when asked, said that Congressmen 'deserve' protection. Despite a long speech about the problem of guns in the inner city and the deaths of so many young blacks, when it came time for dinner they turned to the fast food restaurant that NY Mayor De Blasio demanded that New Yorkers should boycott — Chick-fil-A. Which was also a validation of the restaurant's tasty fried chicken and denied Chick-fil-A's supposed anti-gay bigotry.
The media fell all over themselves with the drama of a real live sit-in, and failed to notice the absurdity of the whole thing as the video above shows. Don't expect consistency or logic. That's just the way Democrats are.
Filed under: Bureaucracy, Crime, Democrat Corruption, Domestic Policy, Law, Police, Politics, Progressivism, The Constitution | Tags: Bureau of Justice Statistics, President Barack Obama, The Butterfield Fallacy
An official from the U.S. Department of Justice has said the agency will no longer call people "felons" or "convicts" after they are released from prison — because it is too hard for them emotionally.
This fits right in with the Obama administration plan to release large numbers of "non-violent" felons to remedy "mass incarceration." To a liberal, crime is never the fault of the perpetrator. It is the fault of society, the criminal's parents, his lack of a good education, poverty, drugs, or lack of opportunity. Federal prisons are filled with "first-time, non-violent drug offenders" they claim, who were caught up by the criminal justice system and imprisoned, unfairly, for years. This conviction is behind the current drive for criminal justice reform.
Mass incarceration of such prisoners tears apart families, and most of these unfairly imprisoned and nearly innocent are African American, which means that the system is deeply racist. Trouble is that all of these popular buzz words are bunk. There is no mass incarceration. Each prisoner is there because he was arrested for committing a felony, was convicted by a judge and jury or pleaded guilty, may have appealed the sentence or chose not to to appellate courts and received all the rights of due process that are provided by the U.S.Constitution.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics shows that almost all drug offenders in federal prison are serving sentences for drug trafficking, which does not mean selling small amounts of marijuana or heroin.
The Butterfield Fallacy is also at work here. Because crime has decreased, it is believed there is no need for so many people to be in prison. Wrong assumption. Crime is down in a simple cause and effect matter. Because so many criminals are in prison, there is less crime. The vast majority of prisoners are in state prisons, not federal prisons. Recidivism rates for chronic drug traffickers are over 75 percent, in other words three quarters of those released will be arrested again for committing serious crimes. And for every arrest, such criminals commit, on average, twelve other unsolved crimes.
Malcolm B. Benson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 1995, and spent 19 years behind bars. He was released early for good behavior in January 2015. It took him only nine months to kill a 59 year-old Army veteran who was waiting at a bus stop on his way to work, when Benson shot him during a botched robbery. Recidivism is common. According to Breitbart —
Over the past several years, the U.S. Sentencing Commission has ordered the release of thousands of serious criminals from federal prison, and in 2014 reduced the guidelines for all drug traffickers, regardless of the type of drug, criminal history, history of violence, gang or cartel ties making over 46,000 convicted drug traffickers eligible for early release. It is estimated that the bills now pending in Congress could make another 12,000 eligible for early release.
Jason L. Riley, writing in the Wall Street Journal. asked plaintively:
Why the fate of criminals should matter more than the fate of crime victims is a question that went largely unasked, let alone answered, during last week's bipartisan celebration of President Obama's decision to release dozens of individuals from prison and push for looser sentencing guidelines.
If the president is to be believed, it is not the prevalence of thugs that turns black ghettos into living nightmares for residents. Rather, the police, prosecutors and judges who pursue lawbreakers are the bigger cause for concern.
"A growing body of research shows that people of color are more likely to be stopped, frisked, questioned, charged, detained," said Mr. Obama in his recent address to the NAACP. "What is that doing to our communities? What's that doing to those children? Our nation is being robbed of men and women who could be workers and taxpayers, could be more actively involved in their children's lives, could be role models, could be community leaders."
This is apparently a big part of President Obama's effort to establish a legacy. He is attempting to empty the detention center at Guantanamo Bay as well, and no new detainees have been held there. He just released the detainee responsible for the attack on the USS Cole, and the deaths of 17 servicemen. Congress has acted to make it illegal to bring detainees to the United States, but none seem to be tried by Military Commissions, as was the original intent, and most of those released have returned to the battle against Americans.
ADDENDUM:The White House "announced that they have commuted the sentences of 58 federal convicts, part of a broader push to revamp the criminal justice system and ease punishments for nonviolent drug offenders."
Those whose prison terms were cut short include 18 who were sentenced to life terms.. Most will be released on September 2, though others will be released over the next 2 years.This group includes defendants who were convicted of selling cocaine, crack and methamphetamine, and makes a total of 306 whose sentences Obama has commuted.
Filed under: Bureaucracy, Capitalism, Democrat Corruption, Energy, Environment, Freedom, Global Warming, Junk Science, Law, Politics, Regulation, Science/Technology, The Constitution, The United States | Tags: "The Clean Power Plan", Carl Gunnar Fossdal, The Enviromental Protection Agency
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay against the Environmental Protection Agency's global warming plan in February. But EPA officials are moving right ahead with a central part of the Clean Power Plan (CPP). They've devised a song and dance way to get around the order from the court. Court orders don't have the authority under this administration that they once did.
The EPA submitted a proposal to the White House for green energy subsidies for states that meet the federally mandated carbon dioxide reduction goals early. The Clean Energy Incentive Program would give "credit for power generated by new wind and solar projects in 2020 and 2021" and a "double credit for energy efficiency measures in low-income communities," according to Politico's Morning Energy. …
EPA argues it's doing this for states that want to voluntarily cut emissions — despite this being part of CPP.
"Many states and tribes have indicated that they plan to move forward voluntarily to work to cut carbon pollution from power plants and have asked the agency to continue providing support and developing tools that may support those efforts, including the CEIP," reads a statement provided to Politico from EPA.
A report says that the Earth is turning greener because of carbon dioxide emissions, but America is not doing its part. Other countries are pumping out more CO2, shutting down wind farms, and the United States has cut its output. In 2000, America pumped out 5,868 million metric tons of CO2, then 6,001 million metric tons in 2007, and the figure fell to 5,406 in 2014. This means an increase in growing season over 25% to 50% of the global vegetated areas, which means more hungry people are fed, and more small children live to grow up.
Theoretically we all learned about photosynthesis in junior high or high school. More CO2 means more plant life. We breathe in the air, use the oxygen, and exhale CO2. If CO2 were poisonous or dangerous we'd all be dead from breathing on each other.
A new study says that if the extra green leaves prompted by rising CO2 levels were laid in a carpet, it would cover twice the continental USA.
Climate skeptics argue the findings show that the extra CO2 is actually benefiting the planet.
The new study is published in the journal Nature Climate Change by a team of 32 authors from 24 institution in eight countries. But the numbers don't count in science. What counts is what the evidence proves.
Norwegian scientists, according to a 30-year long study, are finding that plants adapt well to differing environmental conditions — in contrast to claims that plants won't be able to adapt from the climate worriers. "There is a kind of flexibility in the genetic material, …much like a 'molecular thermostat' that can shift the growth cycle of the plant" said Carl Gunnar Fossdal of the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research. "This phenomenon has great importance for the discussion around climate change." The scientists speculate that animals adapt in the same way, suggesting that the evidence linking global warming to extinctions is sparse.
The Climate Change Lobby, like much of the rest of the Left, doesn't like disagreement, nor studies that contradict their firmly-held truths. They want to shut the contrary voices up. No skeptics allowed. That's why the word "skeptic" never passes the green lips — it's always deniers — like holocaust deniers, you see. They don't accept mild rebukes, nor proof of error. It's their way or the highway. They have too much invested in changing the world and ending nasty capitalism.
Filed under: Bureaucracy, Freedom, History, Immigration, Intelligence, Islam, Law, Middle East, National Security, The Constitution | Tags: President Barack Obama, The European Union, The Supreme Court
The news almost daily has headlines regarding the influx of refugees or migrants into Europe. They are generally referred to as Syrian refugees or Syrian migrants, but they come from a wide range of countries including many from Africa, and Asia as opposed to what we usually think of as the Middle East. We have seen pictures of massive marches of immigrants in Europe and read the tales of the problems Europe is having with their refugees, and specifically with Islamic terrorism. Paris and Brussels are only the start.
Did you know that the Obama administration has issued around 680,000 green cards to migrants from Muslim nations during the last 5 year period? If there is no change in current policy, the U.S. will admit another 680,000 over the next five years, or possibly more. During the same five years, we issued green cards to only 270,000 migrants from the European Union.
According to DHS files the largest numbers of migrants came from Iraq and Pakistan with 83,000 each, and 75,000 from Bangladesh, 45,000 from Egypt, 31,000 from Somalia, 24,000 from Uzbekistan, Turkey and Morocco had 22,000 migrants each, Jordan and Albania 20,000 each and Lebanon and Yemen each had 16,000. Indonesia (15,000), Syria (14,000), Sudan (13,000), Afghanistan (11.000). and Sierra Leone (10,000). There were only a few thousand each from Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Kosovo and Libya.
The administration, aside from being unable to say the words 'Islamic terrorism,' seems to believe that terrorism doesn't really exist— even when the Ayatollah Khomeini leads his followers in chants of 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel' — that's just P.R. to please the locals. The programs launched by the administration to reach out and protect Muslims are extensive, and the administration has agreed to a terrorist front's demands to purge FBI's anti-terrorism material that was thought to be 'offensive' to Muslims.
A closely watched case, United States v. Texas, is going to be argued before the Supreme Court on April 18, Monday. The court surprised watchers when it asked that the parties in that case address a question they did not raise in their briefs: whether President Obama's "Deferred Action for Parents of Americans" (DAPA) order violates the "Take Care Clause" of the Constitution. ("he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed,") That clause had never before been addressed by the Court. An interesting development for the president who has said "I have a phone and a pen," and has not been troubled by taking the laws into his own hands.
DAPA is a set of executive branch directives giving some four million illegal aliens who have given birth to children in the United States what the orders call "legal presence" — even though they are here in violation of the law. This "legal presence" entitles DAPA beneficiaries to work permits, a picture ID, driver's licenses, social security, Earned Income Tax credits, Medicaid, ObamaCare, and other social welfare benefits. Until the 2014 election, President Obama repeatedly and emphatically stated that he did not have authority to issue such an order without congressional action. Then he did it.
Absolute monarchs rule absolutely. What they say goes. It was a long battle in English history, and King John (1119-1216) did things his way until confronted with armed insurrection at Runnymede (1215) when he agreed to the Great Charter which established the principle that even kings are not a law unto themselves, and must act through settled law.
The framers of the U.S. Constitution took care to carefully consider what prerogative powers were suitable for an American president. Much of the Constitution is devoted to replacing prerogative powers with settled law. Henry VIII believed his royal proclamations should have the force of law —Parliament repealed the Act of Proclamations.
As our Constitution was being written, the Committee on Detail changed the words of the draft Constitution which vested a "single person" with the power to carry into execution the national laws" to read "he shall take care that the laws of the United States be duly and faithfully executed." That changed the execution of the law from a power to a duty rather than a power, indicated by the word "shall." A reversal would portend ever-increasing exercise of executive powers. The question is not whether the president's rule would make good policy, but whether the Constitution allows the president to rule statutory violations. It does not.
The State Department wants to increase the rate of bringing Syrian refugees to the United States to an average of 1,500 a month in order to meet President Obama's target of settling 10,000 refugees in the country by September. Why by September? That's Obama's target —perhaps he expects to get 10,000 of them voting by November. Who knows? We have Trump's Yuge wall, 40 feet tall, that he claims he will make Mexico pay for, which is absurd. The 18 to 24 month time for processing admission of refugees has reportedly been slashed to 3 months to meet the president's goal of 10,000 refugees this fiscal year.
Although the Muslim immigrants clearly include some ISIS members seeking entrance to the U.S, (they are certainly plentiful among European migrants), the slashing of processing time is worrying. It would seem that immediate admissions should focus on providing a safe haven for the remnants of historic Christian communities throughout the Middle East that are now targeted for extinction. Churches have been burned, priests arrested, Christians have been tortured, raped and crucified. They have nowhere to go. Present policy does not take into account their precarious situation. The State Department accepts refugees from lists prepared by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner on Refugees which oversees the large refugee camps— but Christians do not dare enter those camps, where they are attacked and targeted by Islamists.
Playing politics with Immigration is a particularly unseemly thing to do. Instead of efforts to carefully vet Muslim immigrants, we run into accusations of "Islamophobia," designed to stop any dissension. Religious freedom, promised by our Bill of Rights, does not aim to free those who are intending terrorist attacks. There are many tenets of the Muslim faith that are directly antithetical to the U.S. Constitution. We should be able to clearly explain those to all Muslim immigrants. We do not tolerate honor killings, we do not regard women as second-class citizens, we don't accept wife-beating, and rape is a crime. These are serious prison offences. That is not Islamophobia — it's just clearly setting the ground rules. There should be a clear discussion of rules that are in the Koran that are not acceptable under our Constitution. If they cannot agree to American law, perhaps they would prefer to go elsewhere.
One of the most despicable acts of President Obama has been to delete some of the requirements under the law for becoming an American citizen. That's why Europe is in such great turmoil at present. They have no programs for assimilation, or for becoming a citizen of a particular country. European nations have always been tribal, with differing languages, customs and rules. After centuries of constant and deadly wars they thought to end them by opening borders and sharing finances and laws. It hasn't worked. An unelected and unrepresentative bureaucracy merely substitutes for the absolute monarchs that once ruled Europe, and the people are not quite at the armed insurrection stage, but it's not all peaches and cream either. Political correctness dictates acceptance of poor refugees, common sense dictates something else.
Emma Lazarus's "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore—" is all very compassionate, but hardly an acceptable guide to immigration.
Filed under: Bureaucracy, Capitalism, Domestic Policy, Economics, Economy, Freedom, History, Law, Media Bias, Politics, Regulation, The Constitution, The United States | Tags: A Grab For Power, Donald Trump, Philip Hamburger
Are you tired of the circus that the presidential campaign has become? The latest insult from Mr. Trump is food for a thousand articles about the polls and who is up and who is not. Mr. Trump is doing an amazing job of keeping the attention of the media on his every word. Comments on posts are partisan and angry, but the anger is remarkably unfocused. Everyone is furious with "the establishment" but no one seems to know just who "the establishment" is. Presumably it's the people they elected last time around.
The "establishment" is apparently the people who know their way around Washington, and understand how it works. And they deserve your fury because? There has been a major shift over the past seven-and-a-half years as the two major parties jockey for power. President Obama had a Democrat Congress to work with, and was able to pass all sorts of noxious laws without a single Republican vote. Lots of promises, mostly hooey, and lots of regulations that Republicans would not have put into place. But Democrats were in charge. See the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in the sidebar.
The major change has been the arrogation of power to the executive branch. Lawmaking is the task of the Congress, but this president has claimed much of that power for himself, and distributed much administrative power to the various executive agencies. From the Coyote Blog, Mr Meyer said: "This is eye opening:"
In one recent year alone, Congress passed 138 laws—while federal agencies finalized 2,926 rules. Federal judges conduct about 95,000 trials a year, but federal agencies conduct nearly 1 million. Put all that together and you have a situation in which one branch of government, the executive, is arrogating to itself the powers of the other two.
he adds: This probably understates the case. Most of the laws were probably brief fixes or extensions or for national _____ day declarations. The administrative rules can be thousands of pages long and create nightmarish compliance issues. Already, most of our businesses compliance efforts (which seem to be rising exponentially in time and cost) are due to administrative rules changes rather than new laws per se.
This is called "Administrative Law. Suddenly, executive agencies are writing the regulations, administering them, enforcing them and conducting trials and issuing fines or penalties to those who do not go along cheerfully. Some agencies even have their own SWAT teams.
America has witnessed a massive shift in government authority, says George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley—one that "has occurred without a national debate and certainly not a national vote." That shift has led to the de facto creation of a "fourth branch of government containing legislative, executive and judicial components but relatively little direct public influence."
Turley made those remarks in recent testimony before a House Judiciary subcommittee. His talk waded deeply into the weeds of legal history and precedent, but the upshot was this: By failing to rein in regulatory agencies when they overstep their bounds, the Supreme Court and Congress have allowed those agencies not merely to administer law, but to create it—and run roughshod over the public in the process. …
All of this has happened thanks largely to a 1984 Supreme Court case called Chevron. The Reagan administration chose to relax some air-quality regulations, and the Natural Resources Defense Council challenged the decision in court. The Supreme Court sided with the Environmental Protection Agency. It did so for commendable reasons: to avoid turning the courts themselves into policy-making bodies. Rather than decide whether the EPA was right or wrong, the high court deferred to the agency. This is judicial modesty.
Daniel Greenfield said "This is how we move toward a totalitarian state. Incrementally. Step by step. Regulation by regulation implemented by a collectivist bureaucracy for all the "right leftist reasons". You can't object. That would be bigoted. Or mean that you have "something to hide".
That last link notes that the EEOC has released a proposed rule requiring employers to submit employee W-2 earnings and hours worked. All employers with at least 100 employees would be required to comply. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) would jointly have access to the pay data for enforcement purposes. Whoa!
The Republican House voted in February "on legislation to make it more difficult for banking regulators to demand that banks shut down certain business accounts." The legislation is designed "to target the Obama administration's 'Operation Choke Point' a Justice Department effort to require businesses to stop banks from working with certain businesses. These businesses include lawful firearms dealers, payday lenders, escort services and other companies."…"While the Justice Department cut off financial services to certain industries, it encouraged banks to provide services to others like illegal marijuana sales."
We are all too familiar with the overreach of the EPA under administrator Gina McCarthy the agency is embarked on a grab for power. Philip Hamburger had a new book "Is Administrative Law Unlawful?" in 2014. Powerline chatted with him about the book, which they said is the most important book they had read in a long time.
I think this is perhaps what people are getting at when they are so angry with "the establishment" — that undefined bunch of "insiders."That's where the anger should be directed. Administrative Law is unlawful, unconstitutional and illegitimate. This is the power once claimed by English kings, and exactly what our Constitution was carefully designed to prevent.
Filed under: Bureaucracy, Domestic Policy, Education, Foreign Policy, Freedom, History, Intelligence, Islam, Law, Middle East, National Security, Progressivism, Terrorism, The Constitution | Tags: Bill Gertz, Leon Aron, Victor Davis Hanson
Here's some straight talk about our current problems. Unfortunately, straight talk is somewhat rare, but knowledge of what is true and what is not is a good first step.
Leon Aron, resident scholar and Director of Russian Studies at AEI.
From Alabama to Denmark, Nevada to the Netherlands, and from Arizona to Sweden and Germany, Hungary and Poland, voters are flocking to right/left populist, nationalist, isolationist, and nativist demagogues, parties, and movements.
The trend sweeping Europe and the United States is broader and deeper than politics. …This chasm is not merely ideological. It is ethical, linguistic — almost anthropological
Victor Davis Hanson senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.
—"How America Lost Its Groove"
Deterrence is lost through lax foreign policy, an erosion of military readiness, and failed supreme command — often insidiously, over time, rather than dramatically, at once. The following random events over the seven years that Barack Obama has been in office have led to the idea abroad that the U.S. is no longer the world's leader and that regional hegemonies have a golden opportunity to redraw regional maps and spheres of influence — to the disadvantage of the West — in the ten months remaining before the next president is inaugurated.
Any fair reading of State Department and general federal government laws regarding the use of classified information by federal employees makes it is clear that Hillary Clinton violated the law—both by improperly setting up her own private server, and then by sending information through it that was classified. …
If she is not indicted by the Obama administration for violations of federal laws or conspiracy to obstruct justice, in the future it will be almost impossible to prosecute successfully any federal employee for violating government protocols about the handling of classified information.
—"Hold Colleges Accountable to the Real World"
The public is steadily losing confidence in undergraduate education, given that we hear constantly about how poorly educated are today's graduates and how few well-paying jobs await them.
The cost of college is a national scandal. Collective student-loan debt in America is about $1.2 trillion. Campus political correctness is now daily news.How could higher education be held accountable and thereby be reformed?
These latest linguistic contortions to advance ideological agendas follow an established pattern of the Obama administration and the departments beneath it.
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper described Egypt's radical Muslim Brotherhood as "largely secular." CIA Director John Brennan has called jihad "a legitimate tenet of Islam," a mere effort "to purify oneself.
Bill Gertz national security columnist for The Washington Times
—"Cybercom sounds alarm on infrastructure attacks"
The commander of the U.S. Cyber Command warned Congress this week that Russia and China now can launch crippling cyberattacks on the electric grid and other critical infrastructures. …
Most military operations involve the use of commercial infrastructure and thus their vulnerabilities to cyberattacks are a major concern.
"If you were able to take that away or materially impact the ability to manage an air traffic control system, to manage the overhead [satellite] structure and the flow of communications or data, for example, that would materially impact [the Defense Department's] ability to execute its mission — let alone the broader economic impact for us as a nation. …


text:
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.comments2016-07-08T12:57:00.906+01:00Under Three HundredJonny Morrishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-86879609912599611512016-07-08T12:56:19.463+01:002016-07-08T12:56:19.463+01:00Sensible. However I don't see the Labour leade...Sensible. However I don't see the Labour leadership taking a blind bit of notice. They don't seem to be concerned with winning elections, just with fulfilling the supposed mandate of the Labour members who elected Corbyn, and if that means they don't get into government and have to scream in "principled" futility from the sidelines for a decade or two then so be it.Nisbethttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-74584592903305822592016-01-19T13:17:15.337+00:002016-01-19T13:17:15.337+00:00And there's also pan-international thingies li...And there's also pan-international thingies like the Mahabharata which aside from a Channel 4 funding, aren't that British at all, and that only had Space 1999's Jeffrey Kissoon, though Space: 1999 maybe somewhere in the Whoniverse, alongside the rest of the Andersonia, judging by enough clues in the Extended Universe, and a TARDIS prop hidden in the spaceship graveyard apparently.George Whitehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-1792155289301626762016-01-19T13:15:20.951+00:002016-01-19T13:15:20.951+00:00And Roots, the Marks/Gran sitcom has nobody from W...And Roots, the Marks/Gran sitcom has nobody from Who according to IMDB though one of the actors was in the very Who-ey Amicus film the Terrorrnauts and Alan Corduner was in Carry On Columbus, and I think the Carry On multiverse is in the Cushing Who-verse (i.e. the ref to "Doctor Watt?" "Who!" "No, Who is my uncle!" Plus the idea of regeneration, though very different to Time Lord regeneration)George Whitehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-72428056426721538042016-01-19T13:13:23.111+00:002016-01-19T13:13:23.111+00:00Another series that has no one from Who, there'...Another series that has no one from Who, there's a Robin Nedwell sitcom that according to the listings in genome and IMDB has nobody in Who though Jack Watson costars and he was in a lot of OTHER BBC and ITV SF, eg Sky, and David Williams, who was in the League of Gentlemen, which may or may not be in the Whoniverse, lots o things to suggest and deny it is in the world (i.e. Who exists as a show but Whoniverse companies such as Global Chemicals, Auto Plastics and Rosseni's Circus exist too)George Whitehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-67832164171298859112015-12-05T17:32:58.297+00:002015-12-05T17:32:58.297+00:00You should also include Mine All Mine as that has ...You should also include Mine All Mine as that has Ianto Jones in it!Jonny Morrishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-64664807605354023252015-12-05T17:29:29.309+00:002015-12-05T17:29:29.309+00:00Good one - but it can only be a matter of time!Good one - but it can only be a matter of time!Jonny Morrishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-62025414673049691302015-12-04T20:43:14.163+00:002015-12-04T20:43:14.163+00:00I often play this list and I also count Blake'...I often play this list and I also count Blake's 7, Quatermass, Doomwatch and Hitchhiker';s Guide, because they feel Who-ey, plus Carry On Screaming because the evidence it exists in the Cushing-Whoniverse ("Who is my uncle") and At the Earth's Core, and the 1981 version of Ivanhoe that is directed by Douglas Camfield and has Julian Glover as Richard Couer De Lion, and the Michael Winner film Bullseye which has Mary Reynolds reprising her role
Because it's my personal head-canon, and also because then I can count Michael Caine, Roger Moore and James Mason and Sam Neill as playing characters who exist within the Whoniverse. Plus Robin Hood features as a character, too. George Whitehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-9695451104928972702015-12-04T20:39:05.187+00:002015-12-04T20:39:05.187+00:00Garth Marenghi's Darkplace has nobody from Who...Garth Marenghi's Darkplace has nobody from Who.George Whitehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-17559895557558308272015-10-05T22:02:03.671+01:002015-10-05T22:02:03.671+01:00"I daresay ITV are offering him the lead in v..."I daresay ITV are offering him the lead in various angst-ridden detective dramas at this very moment"

Soothsayer.Stuart Ian Burnshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-90079372967553441182015-10-02T17:52:19.486+01:002015-10-02T17:52:19.486+01:00Thanks for that especially on Progress and I am gl...Thanks for that especially on Progress and I am glad some people are recalling what New Labour achieved and how they helped our less advantaged as well as the voters as a whole.
Many more of us from Progress would have loved to be there but had job commitments. I hope Progress in the coming months will arrange
Something for those unable to attend Brighton.Peter from St. Albanshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-88080820303763882452015-09-04T10:52:00.107+01:002015-09-04T10:52:00.107+01:00I hadn't seen this before. Great stuff. I wond...I hadn't seen this before. Great stuff. I wonder if Steven's read it? He's right of course that they can't all be like this. But this is a near-perfect summation of why it's so loved. Plus, it's a neat refutation of the rule that all the best "Doctor Who" episodes are not really episodes of "Doctor Who".Rob Stradlinghttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-27507843252535434592015-05-12T21:30:47.498+01:002015-05-12T21:30:47.498+01:00A reasonable and well thought out post. As a Cons...A reasonable and well thought out post. As a Conservative, though, your suggestion that we are the ones who 'blindly follow ideology' isn't something I recognise at all. From my perspective, we are simply trying to find solutions that work, and it is the socialists with the ideology, being fixated on public ownership and state provision.

Probably the truth is somewhere between, with idealists and pragmatists on both sides.

There's been a lot of stuff on the internet since the election about Conservatives being evil, wanting to destroy the NHS/Education/whatever. Please just consider the alternative view that we just have a different opinion about how to fix them. Some of us are nice people who give to charity and like small furry animals (and Time Lords) as well, you know.
WhoFan FortyPlushttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-12747527995278104242015-02-14T13:13:48.371+00:002015-02-14T13:13:48.371+00:00Hiya, I very much hope you enjoy The Entropy Plag...Hiya,

I very much hope you enjoy The Entropy Plague. I've had one person say reading the script moved them to tears so hopefully that will come across in the finished product (so much depends on the performances, direction and post-production).

I have always loved writing the character of Nyssa. Sarah Sutton is one of the best actors that Big Finish have; she is utterly reliable, always gives a strong performance, but also rises to every challenge. With The Entropy Plague I've tried to give her the best possible story.

Thank you for your kind words, they are greatly appreciated.Jonny Morrishttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-4515737235121102272015-02-14T08:17:47.216+00:002015-02-14T08:17:47.216+00:00One month to go until Entropy Plague. It's gon...One month to go until Entropy Plague. It's gonna be a kleenex-and-tea session for that tiny pocket of fandom where Nyssa-fans congregate. We've been bracing for this for so long. We certainly can't say you didn't warn us with the foreshadowing (so much so that I'm suspicious; BF is NEVER this explicit about what's going to happen in advance!) Whatever happens, thank you for launching the arc of older!Nyssa. There aren't enough older female characters in SF, and fast forwarding Nyssa has been magical, letting Sarah show off her range a little more. Giving Nyssa decades of experience has reenforced the sense that she's Five's Romana, the companion he trusts almost as a colleague. That's a wonderful dynamic. Also, having her grow old brings some of us full circle. Those of us girl geeks who were too young to catch Zoe and Liz had Nyssa to emulate and identify with back in the day, and now she's almost caught up with us again: still prettier and smarter and more badass than we are, of course, but it's lovely to have her age with us. I deeply appreciate your giving Nyssa a post-Terminus future, even if it's a heart-wrencher. Greekgeekhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-13655343273687213052015-01-09T12:59:03.961+00:002015-01-09T12:59:03.961+00:00I loved reading your deleted scenes. I often find ...I loved reading your deleted scenes. I often find myself writing scenes I know I'll have to cut because, while they amuse me, they don't fit the tone. It can be a little sad but at least I get a giggle :) Krista Wilsonhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-17618829021543144502014-11-29T20:35:51.637+00:002014-11-29T20:35:51.637+00:00Ha ha before watching this movie, just have a glan...Ha ha before watching this movie, just have a glance at the mysterious staircase of Escharian staircase! This will help you watch get thru this with a different version!surendra nathhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-83033756798013289152014-09-02T12:40:15.801+01:002014-09-02T12:40:15.801+01:00I know absolutely nothing about televison producti...I know absolutely nothing about televison production so I could be about to write a lot of shit.

It seems to me that when it comes to writing for Doctor Who you have to be an established television writer rather than an established Doctor Who writer.

Chris Chibnell has been rightly lauded for his scripting especially on Broadchurch. But had he actually written anything Whoish before he wrote for the television series?

You, and many other Big Finish scribes, have written scripts that are much better than anything that has been on tv over the last nine years.

The top Big Finish writers are prolific and have an amazing hit rate. When I see the names Marc Platt, Andrew Smith and, yes, Jonathan Morris on a CD cover I know I'm going to be listening to something special.

Marc and Andrew wrote for the televison series in the 1980s but they've never been invited back.

To be honest, I think that Moffat not being prepared to take a punt on you and the other is his losss...and the show's.David Wellerhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-78628193398675949982014-03-26T19:07:42.549+00:002014-03-26T19:07:42.549+00:00In my mind, the Voyager arc (everything that was s...In my mind, the Voyager arc (everything that was stuck in that graphic novel) made up the best Doctor Who story we've ever had. Whether in glorious colour or simple black and white, there's something to enthral and entertain every time I pick it up. As you say, it would be amazing to have more Doctor Who like this, but I doubt anyone is both brave enough and talented enough to pull it off - no offence to any of the current Who writers (both BF & TV), but this was the kind of story that could only occur in special circumstances. Steven Alexanderhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-21934792892015613092014-03-11T10:19:55.062+00:002014-03-11T10:19:55.062+00:00Ooh. The ArkAngel of Kinsmen is pretty good and I...Ooh. The ArkAngel of Kinsmen is pretty good and I've heard people use it as a substitute when they're working through the BBC, and will have to do since it seems to be only commercial recording of it. Here's the cast:

Michael Maloney - Proteus
Damian Lewis - Valentine (!)
Lucy Robinson - Julia
Saskia Wickham - Silva
John Woodvine - Launce
Nicholas Murchie - Speed

And a clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQYevrPxd9c

Lewis is a stalwart of the ArkAngels. He's Laertes in Hamlet and Alcibiades in Timon as well as other minor roles.

Unfortunately even they ignored Sir Thomas More which isn't available anywhere (legal), not even a release of the BBC version with Sir Ian McKellan from the 70s. At least Vivat Rex has a chunk of Edward III in it.Stuart Ian Burnshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-84197601005525405262014-02-26T13:31:21.779+00:002014-02-26T13:31:21.779+00:00"It also has the wonderful line: TRINCULO: I ..."It also has the wonderful line:
TRINCULO: I do smell all horse-piss at which my nose is in great indignation
which I can't understand why isn't more famous."

It's famous in my house! Well, I say it a lot, at any rate. It's stuck in my mind since seeing The Tempest on a school trip to the Young Vic in 1988. Alexei Sayle was Trinculo, and gave the line more than its full weight. From the scattered tutting that followed I got the impression that much of the audience thought he was ad-libbing.Paul Morrishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-24406964250535142572014-02-17T09:28:28.030+00:002014-02-17T09:28:28.030+00:00I've always wished that Hollywood had made an ...I've always wished that Hollywood had made an updated modern language Gangsters version of this with De Niro as Timon when he was in his imperious Goodfellas/Untouchables period or now if he remembered that he was an actor rather than a comedian of only for the moment when he reveals the emptiness of the second meal. Oh the shouting, the shouting.Stuart Ian Burnshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-74783589605210421252014-02-15T21:19:23.287+00:002014-02-15T21:19:23.287+00:00"The BBC production is an underwhelm. It'..."The BBC production is an underwhelm. It's very stagey - it takes place in a Playschool void, with different locations being projected onto backdrops - and, well, pretty cheap-looking."

Blame Jonathan Miller. When the project began under Cedric Messina, the money people guaranteed the cash because it was agreed that the productions would be very of the period but realistic, whatever that meant, in other words what we have with Romeo and Juliet or As You Like It or Taming of the Shrew. But Messina had production problems in general and work he was turning out because it was so "traditional" was thought to be too musty and pointless by tv critics and some the right-on people in the BBC so he was fired and Miller was brought in and unfortunately he went in completely the other direction and embraced the artifice of the television studio and effectively decided to create filmed theatre which on the one hand led to the superb second Henriad cycle in the venture playground but on the other ended up as this, which I hated, hated, hated and like you dozed through.Stuart Ian Burnshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-51825799822483826652014-02-13T09:13:28.401+00:002014-02-13T09:13:28.401+00:00I had a trip to Milford Haven last year. It was il...I had a trip to Milford Haven last year. It was ill-fated. Have you ever been there? "Ill" is the only fate they got. I bet even their Summer Fête would make you ill.

As deeply uninteresting chance (or fête) would have it, I watched this one last week. That's a week I won't get back. Christ on a blasted heath...Rob Stradlinghttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-75534990718491901372014-02-11T09:35:12.600+00:002014-02-11T09:35:12.600+00:00Yet another one I must revisit at some point. Whe...Yet another one I must revisit at some point. When I was working my way through the canon in 2005 I ended up with the Radio 3 production from 2005 which has Benjamin Zephaniah as Gower and pre-Who Adjoa Andoh as Dionyza. Reading along with the text I was surprised at just how quickly the upswing in quality of the poetry is in the later Acts as the lines suddenly gain excesses of meaning and in the reading Zephaniah is suddenly overtaken with a sense of what sounds like renewed energy as though he's noticed too. If ever you need to explain to people why Shakespeare's great, Pericles is a good expression of it.Stuart Ian Burnshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987298928548206988.post-91503977787643414832014-02-08T00:34:35.494+00:002014-02-08T00:34:35.494+00:005000 words, a month's work? Could do that in a...5000 words, a month's work? Could do that in an afternoon now.Jonny Morrishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com


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Vatican lays down rules for new .catholic web domain
Name reserved for Church organizations, not individual bloggers
November 11, 2013
The Vatican has secured the use of the new Internet domain name ".catholic," but bloggers hoping that platform could ramp up their own digital pulpit will be disappointed — the Holy See says it'll be reserved for church-related organizations, not individuals.
The new rules on how to assign rights to the ".catholic" domain name are part of the larger issue of how to adapt a tradition-bound, 2,000-year-old institution to the fast-paced digital present.
Case in point: As the parameters of the new domain name were being set, Ivano Dionigi, president of the Vatican's Latin Academy, said Friday he was still debating how to say "Twitter" in Latin.
Pope Francis tweets in eight languages, and his Latin feed is surprisingly popular — it has more followers than the native languages of the last previous two popes, German and Polish. But there is still no consensus on how to refer to the medium in the church's official language, Dionigi said.
National top-level Internet domains, such as ".it" for Italy or ".ca" for Canada or ".mx" for Mexico, are usually limited to sites based in those countries, and so the Vatican's ".va" domain is necessarily restricted because it can be used only for sites that originate from within the 110 acres of the tiny city-state.
But other domains don't carry geographical restrictions, though newer top-level Internet domains created by ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) like ".movie" or ".guru" or ".museum" are more restrictive than the Web's original monikers ".com," ".org" and ".net."
In the case of ".catholic," individuals — whether religious bloggers or a cleric — will not have access, according to Monsignor Paul Tighe, secretary of the Vatican's social communications council.
That extension will be reserved for church institutions such as dioceses, parishes, religious orders, schools, universities or hospitals. Use of the domain, Tighe said, will be a guarantee that a site is "authentically Catholic."
Full Story: The Vatican sets rules for new Internet domain: sorry, Catholic bloggers
Source: Religion News Service
Sri Lanka's anti-terrorism law should end, says report
But even if controversial legislation was repealed, abuses may not end, says Catholic priest
Spread message of mercy, delegates at WYD opening told
Starting today we are going to communicate with each other in the language of love and peace, says Krakow cardinal
Child bridegrooms in Nepal
The issue of young boys being married off is often neglected
Loss of natural land puts Bangladesh at risk
Caritas has been promoting organic farming and changing food habits to reduce pressure on arable land
Church groups campaign against summary executions
Philippine bishop estimates about 500 people have been slain in Duterte's war on drugs


text:
I have a script that takes input from a large log file. This file has encoded URLs. I am using standard input to grab these URLs from the file. I wish to process each URL separately.
Problem is when I get the a single URL its split up into each character in the URL. I do ''.join(something) when then after processing I get characters.
for line in sys.stdin:
line = line.strip()
line1 = ''.join(line)
I also tried collecting all the characters in the URL and then joining. Still same result.
Sample out I get:
Input from file: " www.cnn.com" output after sys.std and processing : ['w','w','w','.','c','n','n','.','c','o','m']
the list appears because i make it so. Otherwise i get www.cnn.com from sys.stdin. But the underlying structure is same as the output.
What I want is: Input from file: " www.cnn.com" output: "www.cnn.com" (this should be one string. not strings of individual characters)


text:
A far cry from his reported speaking fee of $175,000. [University City Patch]
4 Comments
$35.00?? Still overpriced…
My suggestion for the (true) "six drivers of global change" are:
• A poorly educated public.
• A lazy public.
• A lazy, un-curious, lap-dog press.
• Politicians spending other people's money, including those unborn.
• Politicians exempting themselves from the laws, regulations, and costs that they impose on others.
• The I-am-a-victim/I-am-entitled attitude of so many.
'hocks' or 'hawks'?


text:
Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten
- Studio: IFC Films
- Release Date: Nov 2, 2007
Critic Reviews
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
The most powerful documentary I've seen all year, and one of the two or three best films ever made about an artist or musician.
That rarest of movie biographies: a warts-and-all exploration of the life and times of its subject.
The film is much more than a biography of the Clash's guitarist and lead singer: It's history, criticism, philosophy and politics, played fast and loud.
By focusing on Strummer and giving a fair amount of screen time to his years in the wilderness before and after the Clash, Temple arrives at a more poignant and mature statement of what this committed band was all about.
The triumph of this fond, uncontainable documentary is that it lets you hear that voice again loud and clear.
Julian Temple, the British music-documentary director who helmed the 2000 Pistols' flick "The Filth and the Fury," has done such cinematic justice to the punk humanist born John Graham Mellor, who died of a congenital heart defect in 2002.
Captures the Joe Strummer who, in the late 1970s, just about firebombed the rock establishment with his fury.
Temple introduces viewers to Strummer the punster, Strummer the womanizer, and Strummer the poseur, whom his mates could only really talk to when no one else was around.
The film is a rigorously thorough biography and an impassioned accolade. Temple spends as much time on Strummer's life before and after the Clash as he does charting the band's powerful musical and political influence.
Like an early Clash number, it's by turns lovely and ugly, loud as bombs and quiet as a revolution's first-thrown stone; it acknowledges the legend while uncovering the truth.
The movie fascinates not so much because of Strummer, whose brooding temperament and flash-and-burn career arc seems pretty routine by rock standards, but because of the way Temple organized and edited the film.
Its moving narrative requires little in the way of embellishment, but Temple's documentary sometimes becomes too clever for its own good.
Temple's engrossing portrait of the Clash's late frontman uses endlessly suggestive montage to show how he kept punk's precepts alive, even after he left the music and eventually the earth itself.
Awards & Rankings
User Score
Generally favorable reviews- based on 16 Ratings
User score distribution:
Positive: 1 out of 3
Mixed: 2 out of 3
Negative: 0 out of 3
AndrewF.Apr 4, 2008I'm surprised to see the positive reviews. I felt the film was a sprawling mess that didn't engage. By the end, I was tired of all I'm surprised to see the positive reviews. I felt the film was a sprawling mess that didn't engage. By the end, I was tired of all the nameless faces, poor sound mixing, and the endless montage. My friend who adores Strummer felt he didn't learn anything that any fan would already know. Myself, who knows nothing of Strummer, felt drowned in a sea of confusion. We both felt bored.… Full Review »
NikkiIkkiDec 13, 2007Wonderful! Just Wonderful!
keithB.Dec 7, 2007I had high expectations from the maker of the Filth and the Fury, a real masterpiece. Julien Temple follows up with another excellent doc but I had high expectations from the maker of the Filth and the Fury, a real masterpiece. Julien Temple follows up with another excellent doc but at one point I started to think something's not quite right. Ok, the campfire testimonials was pretty bad. But more than that it was the relentlessness of the pacing that didn't work: kind of like watching a train go by, the cars one after another after another. Sorry Julien, I nodded off at one point.… Full Review »


text:
Next Slideshow:
Lost and Found Pets around Oklahoma
Utah is tied for the lowest percentage of overweight or obese children - 23.1%.
Where does your state rank in terms of overweight, obese children? This media gallery ranks states by percentage from lowest to highest using the most recent data from 2007.


text:
Book your room at Ramada Plymouth Hotel and Conference Center
Get an overview of this hotelFamily-friendly hotel with free breakfast and restaurant
Located in the suburbs, this family-friendly hotel is within 6 mi (10 km) of Ridgedale Center, Eagle Lake Golf Center, and Spring Hill Golf Club. Shops at West End and Shoppes at Arbor Lakes are also within 9 mi (15 km).
Hotel Features
A restaurant, an indoor pool, and a fitness center are available at this smoke-free hotel. Free continental breakfast, free WiFi in public areas, and free self parking are also provided. Other amenities include a bar/lounge, a conference center, and coffee/tea in a common area.
Room Amenities
All 149 rooms provide conveniences like refrigerators and microwaves, plus free WiFi and LCD TVs with cable channels. Guests will also find coffee makers, free weekday newspapers, and free local calls.Would you like to give us feedback? Share it! Opens in a new window
Ramada Plymouth Hotel and Conference Center2705 Annapolis Ln N Plymouth MN 55441
Renovations & Closures
- Spa tub
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
In addition to an indoor pool and a children's pool, Ramada Plymouth Hotel and Conference Center provides a waterslide and a fitness center. The hotel offers a restaurant. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. Guests can enjoy a complimentary breakfast. A computer station is located on site and high-speed wireless Internet access is complimentary.
Business-related amenities at this 3-star property consist of a business center and meeting rooms. Event facilities measuring 4900 square feet (455 square meters) include a conference center. This family-friendly hotel also offers coffee/tea in a common area, concierge services, and complimentary newspapers in the lobby. Complimentary self parking is available on site.
Ramada Plymouth Hotel and Conference Center is a smoke-free property.
- 24-hour front desk
- ATM/banking
- Bar/lounge
- Business center
- Children's pool
- Coffee/tea in common areas
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Computer station
- Concierge services
- Conference center
- Conference space
- Conference space size (feet) - 4900
- Conference space size (meters) - 455
- Designated smoking areas
- Designated smoking areas (fines apply)
- Elevator/lift
- Fireplace in lobby
- Fitness facilities
- Free breakfast
- Free self parking
- Free WiFi
- Indoor pool
- Laundry facilities
- Meeting rooms 6
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Number of floors - 3
- Number of meeting rooms - 5
- Restaurant
- RV, bus, truck parking
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Smoke-free property
- Television in common areas
- Total number of rooms - 149
- Waterslide
Family Friendly Amenities
- Children's pool
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
- Free Wi-Fi
- Indoor pool
- Laundry facilities
- Microwave
- Refrigerator
- Waterslide
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking, RV, bus, truck parking
Room Amenities
- Air conditioning
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Cable TV service
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Free toiletries
- Free weekday newspaper
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Daily housekeeping
- Desk
- Free local calls
- Free WiFi
- Hair dryer
- Iron/ironing board
- Microwave
- Premium TV channels
- Private bathroom
- Refrigerator
- Shower/tub combination
Where to Eat
Guests are offered a complimentary continental breakfast.
Green Mill Restaurant - This restaurant specializes in American cuisine and serves lunch and dinner. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar. Happy hour is offered.
Nearby Things to Do
An indoor pool and a children's pool are on site. Other recreational amenities include a waterslide and a fitness center.
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessible bathroom
- In-room accessibility
- Roll-in shower
Hotel Policies
Minimum check-in age is 21
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
- Pets allowed for an extra charge of USD 10 per pet, per night
- Dogs and cats only
- 3 per room (up to 65 lb)
- Specific rooms only, restrictions apply
- Pet-friendly rooms can be requested by contacting the property at the number on the booking confirmation
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
Service animals exempt from fees/restrictions
Minimum guest age is 21
Optional extras
- Pet fee: USD 10 per pet, per night
- Rollaway bed fee: USD 10.00 per day
Hotel Name
- Best Western Plus Kelly Inn Plymouth
- Best Western Plus Kelly Plymouth
- Best Western Plymouth Hotel
- Best Western Plymouth
- Best Western Plus Kelly Hotel Plymouth
- Plymouth Best Western
- Ramada Plymouth Hotel
- Ramada Plymouth
We should mention
Children 17 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding. Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms. The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation. Construction is underway at a neighboring building and there may be noise disturbance from the construction work. The property allows pets in specific rooms only and has other pet restrictions (surcharges apply and can be found in the Fees section). Guests can arrange to bring pets by contacting the property directly, using the contact information on the booking confirmation.