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Politics, Profits & Pandemic Fear Mongering
Are you grabbing your face mask, stocking up on food and Tamiflu, locking your doors and keeping your TV tuned to the news to find out just how bad the "swine flu pandemic" really is going to get? While Americans are being scared to death, few are noticing how much of their tax money politicians are giving to drug companies and government health officials to grease the skids to create more experimental flu vaccines and drugs and more effective ways to quarantine or force their mass use whenever a "public health emergency" is declared in the future.
Call me cynical but not clueless. The bird's eye view I have had for the past 27 years at the National Vaccine Information Center has taught me one thing: the global alliance between Big Pharma and Big Public Health is a prescription for disaster that could extend far beyond a bout with the flu.
The international drama playing out right now before our eyes is an example of how citizens around the world can be easily manipulated by doctors and politicians engaging in fear mongering in the name of disease control to forward agendas that have more to do with ideology, power and corporate profits than health. When the U.S. Director of Homeland Security is the government official doing the talking rather than the U.S. Director of the Centers for Disease Control, put a copy of the U.S. Constitution in your pocket and take a look at federal and state legislation passed since September 11, 2001 to understand which civil rights you don't have anymore when government health officials declare a "public health emergency."
But before we take a look at the threat to civil liberties that pandemic fear mongering poses, let's take a look at how creation of a global human market for influenza vaccines works. It is a blueprint for Successful Marketing 101 (or perhaps it is all just a coincidence).
In 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an international call for all nations to do whatever it takes to increase public appetite and demand for annual influenza shots as the main strategy to prepare for an influenza pandemic. In April 2007, the WHO used money donated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to fund the creation of influenza vaccine manufacturing plants in Mexico and other countries one week after the FDA gave Sanofi Pasteur a license to produce an experimental bird flu (H5N1) vaccine. Sanofi Pasteur is just one of many drug companies the U.S. government has given millions of dollars to for the creation of bird flu vaccines.
On February 19, 2009, the FDA's Vaccines & Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) discussed whether to give approval for the testing of experimental bird flu vaccine on American infants. VRBPAC consumer member, also NVIC's Director of Patient Safety Vicky Debold,PhD, warned that testing of an experimental pandemic bird flu vaccine on infants in the absence of a real epidemic and without assurances that unapproved novel oil based (squalene) adjuvants (AS03, MF59) are safe, could pose unacceptable risks in terms of inducing severe immune dysfunction.
On February 27, 2009 it was confirmed that an influenza vaccine maker, Baxter International, had released a mixture of seasonal influenza viruses mixed with unlabeled live bird flu viruses to facilities in Czechoslovakia, Germany, and Slovenia. Baxter, which is waiting for a license to manufacturer bird flu vaccine, explained it was an "accident" and that no harm was done.
On April 23, 2009, the world heard the first news reports about a mysterious pig (H1N1) and bird (H5N1)and human hybrid influenza virus that was making people sick near a Mexican pig farm. By April 30, the WHO had issued a Phase 5 "Alert" warning that the world was facing an imminent pandemic influenza epidemic on the strength of several hundred cases of "swine" flu and less than 10 confirmed deaths.
The pandemic flu panic that has an especially strong grip on people living in Mexico and the U.S., thanks to the governments of both countries declaring a "public health emergency," has been a good thing for pharmaceutical companies in the pandemic flu business. Wall Street revealed that the pandemic scare sent stock prices soaring for drug companies making anti-viral drugs, rapid flu diagnosis tests and influenza vaccines. Sanofi Pasteur, GlaxoSmithKline, Novavax, Baxter, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, BioCryst, and Vical are among the drug companies likely to benefit from the world pandemic panic.
In all the chaos that has Americans running to drug stores to buy face masks, closing schools to wipe desks down with rubbing alcohol and avoiding public transportation, there is action being taken behind the scenes by politicians and government health officials to prepare the way for implementation of future quarantine and mass vaccination of citizens with experimental vaccines and drugs that have by- passed normal FDA regulations for demonstrating purity and potency of pharmaceutical products. A "public health emergency" has become an excuse to grease the skids and rush to market experimental drugs and vaccines that are not subject to product liability in the civil courts.
The creation of this pharmaceutical company stockholder dream scenario and simultaneous erosion of civil liberties in the name of disease control began in earnest in 21st century America after the tragic events on September 11, 2001. In a time defined by shock, fear, anger and deep sadness, Congress reacted quickly and passed the Homeland Security Act while CDC officials pulled out model state legislation (Model State Emergency Health Powers Act) that gave sweeping new powers to public health officials to use the militia, if necessary, to quarantine citizens and force them to use experimental drugs and vaccines after the U.S. Secretary of Health declares a "public health emergency."
The stampede in 2001/2002 to re-write long standing public health laws in this country was fueled by reports that terrorists were in possession of weaponized smallpox and anthrax, a fear that was fostered by U.S. government officials and New York Times journalists reporting Iraq had secret stockpiles of weaponized smallpox and anthrax. This myth played a role in public support for the U.S.-Iraq War and persuaded Congress to pass Bioshield and pandemic influenza vaccine legislation that gave billions of dollars to vaccine manufacturers, the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to create experimental bioeterrorism and pandemic flu vaccines while protecting drug companies and doctors from liability for vaccine injuries and deaths that will occur.
The mandated, mass use of multiple vaccines has become big business in the last quarter century since the U.S. Congress passed a law in 1986 shielding vaccine makers and doctors from liability for vaccine injuries and deaths and the numbers of vaccines recommended by the federal health officials for American children multiplied from 23 doses of 7 vaccines to 48 doses of 14 vaccines from birth to age six. For older children and adults, there are several dozen more federally recommended or state mandated vaccinations.
All of this liability protection and government vaccine mandating has been a boon for vaccine profit- making and public health agency empire building. In 1986, four drug companies made and sold vaccines in America and, by 2007, after corporate mergers and acquisitions there were six drug company giants making and selling vaccines in the U.S. Today, there are more drug companies seeking to enter the lucrative multi- billion dollar U.S. vaccine market as financial predictions for global profits from the worldwide vaccine business by 2010 have climbed to more than $20B.
A true global influenza pandemic that could take out projected millions of people is something all nations should prepare for using reasonable strategies to ensure the public health and safety. However, it is a matter of legitimate debate as to whether the primary strategy being urged by the WHO, pharmaceutical companies and government health agencies around the world - ramping up production and use of seasonal influenza vaccine and fast tracking the creation and human testing of influenza vaccines using novel but potentially risky adjuvants and cell substrates - is the way to effectively deal with public health or a future influenza pandemic.
Certainly, the loss of the human right to bodily integrity and informed consent to taking pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines that may pose serious health risks is not justified in the name of controlling pandemic influenza or any other infectious disease outbreak. Politicians should not bow to additional pressure from vaccine manufacturers and public health officials to by-pass normal FDA standards in proving safety and efficacy of pandemic flu vaccines and their components for the purpose of rushing them to market in response to the pandemic panic that has been created. The swine flu debacle of 1976 should have taught Congress that lesson.
A rational perspective that reduces pandemic fear and includes common sense advice for staying healthy in every season is being offered by holistic health doctors, such as Joseph Mercola, D.O. and physician Congressman Ron Paul, M.D. The next time you turn on the TV or the radio or search the internet for the latest news on the flu pandemic, take a deep breath and consider all the natural ways to stay healthy and resist influenza or any illness : washing your hands; eating nutritious food; drinking plenty of water; getting enough exercise, rest and sunshine, and lowering stress - which includes not walking around filled with fear, anxiety and dread.
16 comments:
- shrewsburydc said...
Thanks, Barbara. I have experienced first hand the swine flu hysteria. I was going to Cancun next week with some girlfriends and my children's school informed me that if I did, the children would not be allowed to attend school for 7 days after my return. This is completely out of control.
- Aaron Russell said...
Thankyou. The editors of all the papers now feel they must give us the play by play on an hourly basis, complete with statistics of the Flu cases. Soon this will fade as the new NEWS rolls on in; forget Iraq, forget Afghanistan, forget Healthcare, forget ... that's Old News. We want the newest NEWS!
- David Goldenberg said...
Barb--just completely thorough and to the point, as usual!!
Here's what my dad emailed me from Boca Raton:
"That is the best written treatise of any--It's so true---how the gov't treats us like sheep and the power the drug co's have.
They are running out of face masks (which are worthless!)
They can't make a vaccine for at least 4-5 months-after we're
all probably dead from the pandemic."
- J. Ruth Kelly said...
My son came home the other day with a public health alert concerning Swine Flu. I was livid. This one is infiltrating every layer of our culture. His comment? "They want to vaccinate us against being alive." And what they do is more harm than good. I feel so helpless against this tide of stupidity! We need more rights.
- Praeeo said...
Great information. The public needs to be reminded (constantly).
- Anonymous said...
I believe you just head the facts exactly as they are!
- John H said...
Great report. As usual loaded with facts and always complete with a solution.
It's time to have a laugh at all of this fear mongering...
I think you will enjoy this video.
- Anonymous said...
Someone made comment on your blog on Swine flu.
"I'll call her clueless. She is conflating the reactions from the WHO and federal public health agencies with those of the media and local health agencies. Even though she may have some good points to make, they get lost in the conspiracy-mongering.
Pandemic designations are based upon the distribution of an outbreak, not the severity and health agencies would be called 'irresponsible' or 'unprepared' if their response was impotent. So damned if they do and damned if they don't"
- Suze said...
Excellent, EXCELLENT post!!! I am an RN who has no doubt whatsoever that drug company profits come before patients in too many cases. I have seen the wining and dining of docs firsthand. I can't imagine what goes on at thigher levels.
As for "Anonymous" above, yes, there IS a conspiracy. Believe it. Or not - go get your kool-aid, I mean, flu shot. ;-)
- Sue Keller said...
Barbara, you're a voice in the wilderness. I've long been an admirer of yours and want to thank you for this piece. I've been dreading the thought of getting an H1N1 flu shot (with the attendant thimerosal preservative) and this firms my resolve to use my common sense when a flu shot becomes available.
Anecdotally, my mom, now 95, has never had flu shots due to an egg protein allergy. She has sometimes gotten the flu but never a severe case. Certainly, she has good genetics, but all her nurses's training - hand washing, keeping hands away from her face, staying out of crowds during flu season, getting enough rest, and good nutrition - must play a part as well.
- jruthkelly said...
Anon on your "conspiracy-mongering" comment, it's not that simple. It IS a conspiracy fueled by a greed that risks personal freedom and health. Read Barbara's words here: "In all the chaos that has Americans running to drug stores to buy face masks, closing schools to wipe desks down with rubbing alcohol and avoiding public transportation, there is action being taken behind the scenes by politicians and government health officials to prepare the way for implementation of future quarantine and mass vaccination of citizens with experimental vaccines and drugs that have by- passed normal FDA regulations for demonstrating purity and potency of pharmaceutical products. A "public health emergency" has become an excuse to grease the skids and rush to market experimental drugs and vaccines that are not subject to product liability in the civil courts."
So many layers...some are damned if they do, damned if they don't but the basic integrity of choosing what you have put in your body is threatened by these selective public health "emergency" manuevers. What next will be "mandatory?" How do you boil a frog?
If there's something truly unique and deadly about the swine flu, they need to prove it and say so and then they need to take their own level of concern shown here for something so ridiulously typical (flu!) into their decisions to allow vaccinations whose health impact are far-reaching and deadly. They strain a gnat and ask the rest of us to swallow the camel. Nothing doing...
- Fran said...
I'm 44 years old. When I was in second grade, I woke up with my face on the cold, dirty cafeteria floor after receiving a TB test. Not a single teacher there knew I passed out. I received the TB test again in middle school. A similar reaction happened to me. I almost passed out. The third time I got the TB test I was 19 years old moving to Puerto Rico. My reaction was so bad I thought I was going to die. My arm went completely limp. I couldn't drive. I started vomiting and then went into convulsions. I will NEVER have myself injected with foreign viruses and bacteria ever again! A few months after receiving the vaccines required to move to Puerto Rico, which included typhoid began my journey fighting off chronic urticaria (hives). I suffered for over 15 years. I then discovered through the help of the pH Miracle and a fecal test that I had too much bad bacteria in my body. Thanks to alkalizing, my flora is stable now. I did vaccinate my kids who are 21 and 23 now. God had me have my kids early during the time when vaccines were not as bad but I'm getting ready to adopt an infant and the idea of vaccinating weighs very heavy on my soul. My gut instinct is telling me to not vaccinate.
- John H said...
Fran, better go with your gut.
If the kid gets a 'virus' it a.) has to pass through the body's defenses before ever becoming a problem and, b.) it will ONLY be A virus and not a cocktail of heavy metals, RNA / DNA strands, chemical adjuncts on top of mixing itself up with a number of other lab created 'franken-viruses' injected into the blood stream for that child to have to deal with.
- Anonymous said...
H1N1 is killing people all over the world and right here in America. It is a dangerous virus to all who have health issues and if you are pregnant.
40% of all deaths are in perfectly healthy adults.
The vaccine is made the same way seasonal vaccine is made. I take it every year and i am going to take this one once it is tested.
Close the schools now before it spreads into the wider communities and takes our pregnant women and at risk kids and adults.
- lawrence said...
Hello Barbara, You are spot on with your analisis in your writing. How can we trust these people? Baxter pharmaceuticals who have a plant in,, hmmmmm "Mexico" have been chosen by WHO to lead the efforts in finding a vaccine cure for H1N1.
Never heard of Baxter? With little more than a slap on the wrist, Baxter sent vaccines contaminated with deadly live H5N1 avian flu virus to 18 countries before someone caught the mistake and the vaccine got injected thousands of people.
Baxter just missed creating its own pandemic by mixing deadly H5N1virus with a mix of H3N2 seasonal flu viruses, or did they? By possibly creating the pandemic, maybe Baxter already has the cure and that is why WHO has deemed them the appropriate pharmaceutical company to lead the way for a swine flu vaccine.
Baxter was also responsible for the mislabeled, recalled doses of Heparin. Baxter recalled one lot of a product that hospitals use to treat burn victims and patients in shock after a test found a rare form of HIV in the plasma used to make the product. HIV-2 in a plasma! http://www.aegis.org/news/ct/2001/CT010716.html
These new "deadly viruses" that we are all supposed to be in fear of are bogus BUT they are nothing to the real pain that will be caused to the people by taking their forced unsafe, unproven vaccinations.
The HIV/AIDS senario is no different. When it was sent out to the gay community as a new Hepatitus b vaccine it too was contaminated with the HIV virus and this was the start of the gay plague and of course world depopulation, A similair vaccine was sent to Africa to cure chicken pox but it too was infected with the deadly HIV virus. The problem is we are not dying quick enough for the Eugenists.
New medicines that are able to cure such viruses will never be allowed to see the light of day once this new power really takes hold. An all out GLOBAL ban on "silver type health products" is being aggressively pushed by the FDA to ban them as pesticides. Silver has been proven and used successfully for many 100`s of years and now that it can be used at nano level its benefits now are apparantly...unequalled!!
I am running a Silver experiment currently on myself www.living-with-hiv.co.uk I started this experiment on 1st sept 2009 to show that cure exists for hiv/aids. This same cure is said kill many many viruses including the swine flu...So cures are available NOW for many ills using silver type theraphy but it is only a matter of time until that this saviour to us.. the human race.. becomes classed as a pesticide and it will be banned from the shelves by the new world order that OBAMA is ushering in to kill us all. God help us all lawrence
- Anonymous said...
First and foremost I feel for your loss. I have also learned that the current H1N1 vaccination program ( which is in itself a shame) has a much higher purpose. The corralling of children and forced vaccination by employers and others is for the specific intent to "kill-off" citizens so that the elite rich (Rockefeller's and others) can make the world populous surfs. This is a strong statement and I understand completely if this is your thought. However, I have definitive proof of my statement, and believe me when I say that it is the last thing I want to believe as a U.S. citizen.
If you want further information, please email me at email@example.com.
Thank you, and again, what you have said I totally believe and I prove everything I say before I say it.
Fred Sturman
P.S. If you wish, please email me and I will be glad to talk with you on the phone. The word MUST get out!!!


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A Mass of Christian Burial for the Rev. Robert Struzynski, O.F.M., a former friar at Mt. Irenaeus in Western New York, will be celebrated Dec. 21 at St. Bonaventure University, where he taught for several years.
The 78-year-old Franciscan friar died Dec. 13 at Holy Name Friary in Ringwood, N.J. Fr. Bob was a member of the Order of Friars Minor for 55 years and an ordained priest for 50 years.
A viewing will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. on Dec. 20 at the St. Bonaventure University Chapel, Doyle Hall, with a vigil service at 5 p.m. A viewing is also scheduled from 10 to 11 a.m., prior to the 11 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial at the chapel.
The Rev. Dominic Monti, O.F.M., provincial vicar of Holy Name Province, will serve as principal celebrant, and Fr. Daniel Riley, O.F.M., guardian of Holy Peace Friary at Mt. Irenaeus, will preach the homily. Burial will follow at St. Bonaventure Cemetery, Allegany.
Early Years
Born May 1, 1935 in Dunkirk, N.Y., to Albert and Bernice Struzynski, Fr. Bob attended a local parish school and graduated from Dunkirk High School in 1952. He earned a bachelor of business administration degree from St. Bonaventure in 1956. Upon graduating, he resigned his ROTC commission as second lieutenant to enter St. Joseph's Seraphic Seminary, Callicoon, N.Y., in the fall of that year.
He was received into the Order in 1957 in Lafayette, N.J., where he professed temporary vows one year later. Fr. Bob professed his final vows as a Franciscan in 1961 in Washington was ordained a priest there in 1945.
Upon completing theological studies in 1964, Fr. Bob joined the theology department of St. Bonaventure as an instructor, before going on for doctoral studies at the University of Notre Dame. After earning a doctorate in 1971, he returned to St. Bonaventure, where he continued teaching for another seven years, also becoming involved in campus ministry.
In 1978, in a career shift, he went to Philadelphia, where he helped found the St. Francis Inn soup kitchen and shelter. Then, from 1984 to 1993, he served as a missionary in Jamaica as pastor of Our Lady of the Angels Parish in Kingston. While there, he helped build homes with materials received from Food for the Poor and started a Housecraft Training Institute, a project to help the poor learn to sew to enable them to better earn a living.
Fr. Bob returned to the U.S. in 1993, and was assigned for the next 12 years at St. Patrick Friary in Buffalo, N.Y., where he ministered in the Cephas program, an ecumenical organization serving men and women in prison and on parole. In 2005, he became a member of the fraternity at Mt. Irenaeus, the Franciscan retreat in West Clarksville, N.Y.
In June 2013, he retired from full-time ministry at St. Anthony Friary, Butler, N.J., where he fell ill earlier this month.
Fr. Bob is survived by his sister-in-law, Maryann Struzynski, and nephews Patrick of South Wales, N.Y., and Norman of Forestville, N.Y., as well as several cousins. Condolences may be sent to Mrs. Maryann Struzynski, 103 Trinity Park Lane, East Aurora, NY 14052-9477.
Memorial contributions may be sent to Franciscan Friars-Holy Name Province, Office of Development, 144 West 32nd St., New York NY 10001-3202.
About Holy Name Province
Holy Name Province is the largest of seven entities in the United States belonging to the Order of Friars Minor. With ministries in 12 states along the East Coast, its more than 300 Catholic priests and brothers serve in colleges, parishes, urban ministry centers and a wide variety of social ministries, as well as in overseas missions.
Application forms, procedures and additional information
There are many ways to experience
St. Bonaventure for yourself
Learn more about the programs that interest you

subset: commoncrawl


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Photos by: Bethany Struble Pants and Shirt by: Pacsun
Transitioning weathers can be difficult at times, in fact I see TONS of people struggling with it in socal. They don't know whether to dress cold or warm. I mean for goodness sakes people, the weather dropped 5-10 degrees farenheit, it does not call for winter clothes already. This goes out to all you SoCalers who already threw on their uggs and fur coats when it's only 70-80 degrees out. So I suggest wearing a light layer over, like a nice cardigan or a sweater. I of course, chose to go a different route and just threw on a light denim vest. Keeps the heart warm :] In fact, mix it up! Think of something creative and tell me what you did in the comments.


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The MLB Mascot Game
Baseball has been around for more than 150 years. In that time there have been some pretty crazy and silly things that teams have introduced and fans have embraced. None have had more longevity or personality than the Team Mascot. A fan-favorite, most teams have cycled through various characters and animals testing the waters with outlandish designs and funny costumes. They've ranged from giant anthropomorphic Baseballs to unidentifiable creatures. Yet throughout all of the rich mascot history, there are still four teams of the 30 that don't have an official mascot.
The Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs and Angels.
Those are some heavy hitters in the vast mythos of Baseball. I didn't want them to be left out so I thought I'd give these four teams a mascot. In the interest of being fair, though, I consulted with each teams biggest fan and got their input (except for the Dodgers.)
The Yankees
So here's a fun fact. The Yankees actually used to have a mascot. Who knew, right? His name was Dandy, and he was a giant bird with a mustache that wore a Yankees uniform. Class all the way. He only stuck around for three seasons after which the Yankees brass decided to give him the axe. So a giant bird with a mustache is out. The Yanks could go with a city vibe and make their mascot a giant Empire State building or an Uncle Sam with a Baseball bat. I feel like it's just a tad too corny, though. So @stephelovee had a different idea. Since the Yankees have the "Bleacher Creatures," she wanted the Yankees mascot to be some form of creature that represents the fans in the outfield. (Thanks, @Stephelovee.)
The Dodgers
This one's tricky since the Dodgers originated in Brooklyn. A mascot should represent the legacy, the present and where the organization is headed. The Dodgers play in Los Angeles where the sun always shines and since Palm Trees are a staple of the stadium, I'm going with a big ol' Palm Tree that has sunglasses on as our mascot.
The Cubs
This one's dangerous. You can't go with the obvious choice of a bear cub and I feel like making the mascot a brick wall with ivy on it is too on the nose. So @Katiecernek came up with a great idea. Despite not having won a World Series title in almost 100 years, the Cubs' faithful remain strong though and actually rally behind their underdog image. So Katie thinks the Cubs mascot should be a Dog! Not just any Dog, an Underdog! He could come out of a doghouse covered in ivy to excite the fans and spark late inning rallies. This would embrace their underdog image and also add a bit of Wrigley field flavor. (Thanks, @KatieCernek.)
The Angels
Trying to figure out what the Angels mascot would be, you start to tread a risky path. Like the Cubs, you can't go with the obvious choice. So going with some form of Angel or something with wings and a halo goes right out the window. The Angels also have an unofficial mascot called the Rally Monkey. You could meld these two together and slap some wings on a monkey and call it a day but @ohshootitsdan is a little more creative than that. One of the most revered players in Angels history is Tim Salmon. The current future of the franchise is Mike Trout (see where I'm going with this?) They're the fish. They're the Angel Fish. The Angels new Mascot is none other than the adorable sea dweller known as the Angelfish! (Thanks, @Ohshootitsdan.)


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Tanning Salons
Tanning salons are not regulated.
Effective January 1, 2005 Assembly Bill 2193 prohibits persons under 14 years of age from using tanning devices in salons, tanning parlors, and spas.
California law requires a tanning facility to provide a written warning to customers and post signs warning that tanning beds and sun lamps emit ultraviolet radiation that is similar and sometimes more powerful than the UV radiation emitted by the sun. Tanning facilities that violate this provision of the law are liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $2,500 a day.
Links to the web pages of all the California Counties' Health Departments can be found at:
If a patron is injured whereupon he or she must seek medical attention, a tanning facility shall do the following:
- (a) Report any injury to the Department of Consumer Affairs.
- (b) Send a copy of the injury report to the person who is injured.
- (c) Send a copy of the injury report to the Federal Food and Drug Administration.
- (a) Report any injury to the Department of Consumer Affairs.
Consumer Resource & Referral Guide
Directory of State Agencies
Directory of Federal Agencies
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Amazing!! Faves and collection for me too! 5/5 ♥'s
This gorgeous..beautifully done !...FAV and collect
SO pretty!
amazing! she is so lovely!
Really lovely depth and detail
Love the contrast! :)
Excellent!! fav 5/5
The colouring is very beautiful.
looks old but well done....


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Couple fined for term-time holiday
A couple who took their three children out of school to go on a week-long holiday to Greece have been fined £630 and ordered to pay £300 in costs.
Stewart Sutherland and his wife Natasha were also handed a £63 victim surcharge after telling magistrates that work commitments had prevented them taking the holiday during the official summer break.
Speaking after the case at Telford Magistrates' Court in Shropshire, Sutherland described newly-tightened regulations governing pupils' absence for holidays as a farce.
The 39-year-old, who works as a Ministry of Defence guard, told reporters: "The people who make these laws and policies don't live in the real world."
Sutherland, from Trench, Telford, and his spouse both admitted failing to ensure their children, aged 15, 11, and six, attended school regularly between September 4 and October 25 last year.
The court heard the couple had not been given authorisation by two schools to take the children out of classes during the holiday last September.
Addressing magistrates in mitigation after entering guilty pleas to three counts brought under the 1996 Education Act, Sutherland said: "Because myself and my wife both have full-time jobs, we have very little time together as a family.
"I don't work somewhere where you can can choose when you take your leave.
"It had been a long time since we had had a family holiday and I think as a parent you have got the right to take a summer holiday."
Telling JPs that he stood by his decision to go on holiday despite ending up in court, Sutherland added: "Some parents can take their holiday over the period the kids are off.
"Unfortunately, I couldn't.
"There is no flexibility at all (in the current laws) and if the whole country took their holidays when the kids are off school, the country would come to a stand-still."
Many parents simply viewed penalty notices of £60 per child as part of the cost of term-time holidays, the father-of-three told the court.
Claiming the family needed to spend time together on holiday to address problems being experienced by one of his children, Sutherland added: "I feel that I am being treated like a criminal and being punished because I am trying to do the best for my family.
"It's like being taxed because I am a shift worker.
"I had to take everybody as a family to get us back on track, which is what I have done."
Sutherland, who was brought to court after opting not to pay a £360 fixed penalty notice, told magistrates: "I didn't want to come to court today, what I wanted was an appeal process that would show the reason why I had to do it."
Chair of the bench Janice Haines thanked Sutherland for his "very eloquent" explanation of his position.
Passing sentence, Ms Haines told the couple: "This offence, which is strict liability, attracts a fine of up to £1,000.
"In deciding on a financial penalty we were obliged to take into account your earnings and also the fact that you came to court with a guilty plea at the earliest opportunity."
The Sutherlands agreed to pay the fine at a rate of £40 per month.
The amount parents can be fined for such offences has recently been increased, while new legislation makes clear that schools can only authorise term time absences in exceptional circumstances.
A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: "Poor attendance at school can have a hugely damaging effect, and children who attend school regularly are nearly four times more likely to achieve five or more good GCSEs than those who are regularly absent.
"That is why we have given schools more power to tackle poor attendance and allowed them to intervene much earlier.
"Parents should never simply discount a possible penalty notice from the cost of a cheaper holiday, because this is a criminal offence and when doing so they are always risking prosecution."
In a statement, Telford and Wrekin Council said: "The decision to not authorise an absence request from parents during term is taken by a school or an academy and not the council.
"The school or academy will then instruct the council to issue the fine notice and legally this has to be done by the council.
"If the fine is not paid the council must take further legal steps, as it has in this case.
"The council's policy on absence has been developed to reflect the national and local priority of raising the educational achievement and attainment of pupils and the Government's view that parents should not take their children out of school during term time, and follows changes in legislation that clearly indicate that absences during the term time can only be authorised by heads in exceptional circumstances."


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Fashion law roundup: Israel regulates model BMI; IDPPPA backers tire; Zara's Harris Tweed apology; "scrotal support garments"...
True, weekly "roundups" are conventionally posted on Fridays. But LAW OF FASHION is not your conventional news source. (Okay, yeah, it's fairly conventional.) In any event, here are the notable fashion law stories of the past week; the name of the game was protecting models. Well, that, and "scrotal support garments"...
Top Headlines
"Israel passes law banning use of underweight models" (BBC News)
"The Israeli government has passed a law banning the use of underweight models in advertising and on the catwalk. The new law requires models to provide medical proof of their weight, and for adverts to state if an image has been altered to make a model appear thinner...."
"New Bill Aims to Protect Models from Clients Who Won't Pay Up" (Fashionista)
"According to an announcement posted on Model Alliance's site, [Model Alliance and the Freelancers Union] are working together to help pass the Freelancer Payment Protection Act, a proposed law that will help protect models and other freelancers in New York from deadbeat clients as well as protect models from wage theft by their agencies. Under the new law, victims of nonpayment will be able to file complaints with the New York State Department of Labor, and after investigating, the Department of Labor may award victims 100% of what they're owed, plus attorney's fees and interest...."
"Aristeo Tengco, Emmanuel New York Models Founder, Sued By Three Models" (HuffPost Style)
"Yet another lawsuit is bringing the [vulnerable] nature of modeling to the forefront: three young models are suing Aristeo Tengco, head of Emmanuel New York Models, for forcing them to live under 'relentless and severe and pervasive sex-based hostility and fear.' [The 17- and 19-year-old plaintiffs are] alleging that Tengco touched them inappropriately and lured them in to his 'model apartment' with talks of Christian values...."
"CFDA, AAFA Taking New Tack on Design Piracy" (Women's Wear Daily)
"The two groups backing copyright protection for designers are shifting their priorities from a legislative solution that remains stalled in Congress and are focusing instead on industry initiatives addressing design piracy and knockoffs.... It has been five years since the legislative battle for copyright protection began in the fashion industry. What has come out of the lobbying campaign for the legislation is a higher level of collaboration between the AAFA, which opposed the initial bill, and the CFDA, which has taken the fight into its own hands and launched anticounterfeiting campaigns as an industry initiative.... In light of the lack of traction on the bill, Rick Darling, president of LF USA and chairman of the AAFA, said, 'I think what you are seeing is great collaboration that took place between the AAFA and the CFDA, and neither party necessarily needs the government to intervene right now. We're actually cooperating pretty well together.'"
"US Customs set to share information again [if the 'Foreign Counterfeit Prevention Act' passes]" (Managing Intellectual Property)
"IP owners will get more information from US Customs officers about suspected counterfeits if politicians agree to back a new bill introduced in the House of Representatives[.] The Foreign Counterfeit Prevention Act, House Bill 4216, will allow US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to disclose information including retail packaging, a sample of the [questionable] merchandise, and images of the merchandise while determining whether suspected counterfeit goods are fake or not. Officers used to share such information, but in 2008 were told by CBP to remove bar codes and other identifying marks before giving information to rights holders, amid fears that they [might violate] the Trade Secrets Act."
"Coach Wins $5M Judgment Against Flea Market Owner" (WREG Memphis)
"A federal jury has returned a $5 million judgment against Memphis businessman, Fred Goodfellow, for [the sale of counterfeit Coach handbags at the flea market he owns and operatess, which now] is trashed. It was shut down after it was raided by officers and now the man who owns the property has to pay big for what he allowed vendors to sell there, fake Coach purses and other items with the company's name on it.... Investigators went to Goodfellow's home to ask if he'll be able to pay Coach the money they were awarded. Goodfellow said, 'Ma'am, you know I don't have $5 million.'"
"Zara apologises for misusing Harris Tweed name" (BBC News)
"Earlier this year ITX Fashion Limited was selling a product on its website described, but not actually labelled, as a Harris Tweed blazer. The [Harris Tweed Authority] said that because the jackets had not been made from Harris Tweed, ITX had broken the law. ITX has apologised and the case has been settled "amicably".... The Harris Tweed Act of 1993 ensures the name and symbol can only be used for fabric "handwoven by the islanders of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra in their homes, using pure virgin wool that has been dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides."
"Karen Millen responds to reports over potential trademark infringement" (Drapers)
"Womenswear retailer Karen Millen will 'take very seriously' any attempts to trade using its name following reports that its [namesake] founder wants to start trading again, despite her having sold all interests in the business in 2004.... The retailer added that while it would be 'delighted' to see someone with Millen's talent back in the market, they believe that she would want any new venture to be successful in its own right and not to be confused with the Karen Millen brand which she sold in 2004."
"Could the Future of Pop Art Hinge on the Legal Fight of One Underdog Alabama Sports Painter?" (ART INFO)
"Birmingham-based Daniel A. Moore has been locked in a fiercesome high-stakes legal battle with the University of Alabama (UA), which is seeking to prevent him from creating his popular photorealistic paintings of the school's sports exploits. In this case, the fate of the avant garde is definitely wedded to that of kitsch: Any work of art that happens to feature images of actual athletic uniforms, insignia, or even a franchise's signature colors could be affected. [Moore] scored a big victory in [the] case three years ago, when a U.S. District Court in Birmingham ruled that his paintings were protected by the First Amendment. The same court did, however, deny First Amendment protection to the mugs, calendars, and other items printed with reproductions of the paintings that Moore had been peddling. Neither party was pleased with the ruling, and each filed an appeal. Arguments in the ensuing case were given at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta on February 2, and a decision is expected soon...."
"U.S. Patent Examiner Cites Borat's Famous Swimsuit in Rejecting Claimed Invention" (The Hollywood Reporter / THR Esq.)
"It looks like Sacha Baron Cohen has a fan at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. A patent examiner there recently rejected an application for a 'Scrotal Support Garment,' which bears great similarity to the swimsuit that Cohen famously wore in Borat. In the non-final rejection, the examiner pointed to a picture of Borat found on the Internet and included a humorous diagram to show prior art...."
Below the Fold
"Burberry Sues Armenian Coffee House" (Fashion Law Center)
"The Situation v. Abercrombie Trademark Lawsuit Ordered to Mediation" (LA LATE)
"Consumers Still Offended by Abercrombie & Fitch Hoax" (BET)
"Springsteen merchandiser sues knock-off artists ahead of TD Garden show" (Boston Business Journal)
"Pa. Army vet get probation in fake jersey case" (PennLive via AP)
"Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against [American Apparel CEO] Dov Charney Moved To Arbitration" (Styleite)
"Retailers report more shoplifting" (Commercial News)
"Michael Kors To Make Billions Thanks to IPO; Will Other Designers Follow Suit?" (Fashionista)
Upcoming events featuring this writer
Thursday, Mar. 29th, 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. (NYC) - "Why Copyright: Going Beyond the Parameters of the Copyright Act" (sponsored by The Copyright Society of the U.S.A. and hosted by NYU Law School). Moderated by Eric Rayman, with panelists Julia Haye, Max Tonnone, and me. The event is free, but you must register NOW.
Thursday, April 25th, 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. (NYC) - "The Margins of Copyright Law," organized by the Institute for Information Law and Policy at New York Law School. Details forthcoming.
Late April (exact date/time TBD): This writer will be moderating a fashion law panel at the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY), tentatively featuring Marc Jacobs Associate General Counsel Kelly Koyama and other notable panelists TBA.
[This post is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship among any individuals or entities. Any views expressed in this post or at the linked web pages are those of the writer on a particular date, and should not necessarily be attributed to this writer, his law firm, or its clients. LAW OF FASHION does not and cannot warrant the thoroughness or accuracy of the content at the linked web pages.]


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Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. 4, by Edward Gibbon, [1788], at sacred-texts.com
Zeno And Anastasius, Emperors Of The East. - Birth, Education, And First Exploits Of Theodoric The Ostrogoth. - His Invasion And Conquest Of Italy. - The Gothic Kingdom Of Italy. - State Of The West. - Military And Civil Government. - The Senator Boethius. - Last Acts And Death Of Theodoric.
After the fall of the Roman empire in the West, an interval of fifty years, till the memorable reign of Justinian, is faintly marked by the obscure names and imperfect annals of Zeno, Anastasius, and Justin, who successively ascended to the throne of Constantinople. During the same period, Italy revived and flourished under the government of a Gothic king, who might have deserved a statue among the best and bravest of the ancient Romans.
Theodoric the Ostrogoth, the fourteenth in lineal descent of the royal line of the Amali, 1 was born in the neighborhood of Vienna 2 two years after the death of Attila. !_0001 A recent victory had restored the independence of the Ostrogoths; and the three brothers, Walamir, Theodemir, and Widimir, who ruled that warlike nation with united counsels, had separately pitched their habitations in the fertile though desolate province of Pannonia. The Huns still threatened their revolted subjects, but their hasty attack was repelled by the single forces of Walamir, and the news of his victory reached the distant camp of his brother in the same auspicious moment that the favorite concubine of Theodemir was delivered of a son and heir. In the eighth year of his age, Theodoric was reluctantly yielded by his father to the public interest, as the pledge of an alliance which Leo, emperor of the East, had consented to purchase by an annual subsidy of three hundred pounds of gold. The royal hostage was educated at Constantinople with care and tenderness. His body was formed to all the exercises of war, his mind was expanded by the habits of liberal conversation; he frequented the schools of the most skilful masters; but he disdained or neglected the arts of Greece, and so ignorant did he always remain of the first elements of science, that a rude mark was contrived to represent the signature of the illiterate king of Italy. 3 As soon as he had attained the age of eighteen, he was restored to the wishes of the Ostrogoths, whom the emperor aspired to gain by liberality and confidence. Walamir had fallen in battle; the youngest of the brothers, Widimir, had led away into Italy and Gaul an army of Barbarians, and the whole nation acknowledged for their king the father of Theodoric. His ferocious subjects admired the strength and stature of their young prince; 4 and he soon convinced them that he had not degenerated from the valor of his ancestors. At the head of six thousand volunteers, he secretly left the camp in quest of adventures, descended the Danube as far as Singidunum, or Belgrade, and soon returned to his father with the spoils of a Sarmatian king whom he had vanquished and slain. Such triumphs, however, were productive only of fame, and the invincible Ostrogoths were reduced to extreme distress by the want of clothing and food. They unanimously resolved to desert their Pannonian encampments, and boldly to advance into the warm and wealthy neighborhood of the Byzantine court, which already maintained in pride and luxury so many bands of confederate Goths. After proving, by some acts of hostility, that they could be dangerous, or at least troublesome, enemies, the Ostrogoths sold at a high price their reconciliation and fidelity, accepted a donative of lands and money, and were intrusted with the defence of the Lower Danube, under the command of Theodoric, who succeeded after his father's death to the hereditary throne of the Amali. 5
A hero, descended from a race of kings, must have despised the base Isaurian who was invested with the Roman purple, without any endowment of mind or body, without any advantages of royal birth, or superior qualifications. After the failure of the Theodosian life, the choice of Pulcheria and of the senate might be justified in some measure by the characters of Martin and Leo, but the latter of these princes confirmed and dishonored his reign by the perfidious murder of Aspar and his sons, who too rigorously exacted the debt of gratitude and obedience. The inheritance of Leo and of the East was peaceably devolved on his infant grandson, the son of his daughter Ariadne; and her Isaurian husband, the fortunate Trascalisseus, exchanged that barbarous sound for the Grecian appellation of Zeno. After the decease of the elder Leo, he approached with unnatural respect the throne of his son, humbly received, as a gift, the second rank in the empire, and soon excited the public suspicion on the sudden and premature death of his young colleague, whose life could no longer promote the success of his ambition. But the palace of Constantinople was ruled by female influence, and agitated by female passions: and Verina, the widow of Leo, claiming his empire as her own, pronounced a sentence of deposition against the worthless and ungrateful servant on whom she alone had bestowed the sceptre of the East. 6 As soon as she sounded a revolt in the ears of Zeno, he fled with precipitation into the mountains of Isauria, and her brother Basiliscus, already infamous by his African expedition, 7 was unanimously proclaimed by the servile senate. But the reign of the usurper was short and turbulent. Basiliscus presumed to assassinate the lover of his sister; he dared to offend the lover of his wife, the vain and insolent Harmatius, who, in the midst of Asiatic luxury, affected the dress, the demeanor, and the surname of Achilles. 8 By the conspiracy of the malecontents, Zeno was recalled from exile; the armies, the capital, the person, of Basiliscus, were betrayed; and his whole family was condemned to the long agony of cold and hunger by the inhuman conqueror, who wanted courage to encounter or to forgive his enemies. *_0002 The haughty spirit of Verina was still incapable of submission or repose. She provoked the enmity of a favorite general, embraced his cause as soon as he was disgraced, created a new emperor in Syria and Egypt, **_0002 raised an army of seventy thousand men, and persisted to the last moment of her life in a fruitless rebellion, which, according to the fashion of the age, had been predicted by Christian hermits and Pagan magicians. While the East was afflicted by the passions of Verina, her daughter Ariadne was distinguished by the female virtues of mildness and fidelity; she followed her husband in his exile, and after his restoration, she implored his clemency in favor of her mother. On the decease of Zeno, Ariadne, the daughter, the mother, and the widow of an emperor, gave her hand and the Imperial title to Anastasius, an aged domestic of the palace, who survived his elevation above twenty-seven years, and whose character is attested by the acclamation of the people, "Reign as you have lived!" 9 !_0002
Whatever fear of affection could bestow, was profusely lavished by Zeno on the king of the Ostrogoths; the rank of patrician and consul, the command of the Palatine troops, an equestrian statue, a treasure in gold and silver of many thousand pounds, the name of son, and the promise of a rich and honorable wife. As long as Theodoric condescended to serve, he supported with courage and fidelity the cause of his benefactor; his rapid march contributed to the restoration of Zeno; and in the second revolt, the Walamirs, as they were called, pursued and pressed the Asiatic rebels, till they left an easy victory to the Imperial troops. 10 But the faithful servant was suddenly converted into a formidable enemy, who spread the flames of war from Constantinople to the Adriatic; many flourishing cities were reduced to ashes, and the agriculture of Thrace was almost extirpated by the wanton cruelty of the Goths, who deprived their captive peasants of the right hand that guided the plough. 11 On such occasions, Theodoric sustained the loud and specious reproach of disloyalty, of ingratitude, and of insatiate avarice, which could be only excused by the hard necessity of his situation. He reigned, not as the monarch, but as the minister of a ferocious people, whose spirit was unbroken by slavery, and impatient of real or imaginary insults. Their poverty was incurable; since the most liberal donatives were soon dissipated in wasteful luxury, and the most fertile estates became barren in their hands; they despised, but they envied, the laborious provincials; and when their subsistence had failed, the Ostrogoths embraced the familiar resources of war and rapine. It had been the wish of Theodoric (such at least was his declaration) to lead a peaceful, obscure, obedient life on the confines of Scythia, till the Byzantine court, by splendid and fallacious promises, seduced him to attack a confederate tribe of Goths, who had been engaged in the party of Basiliscus. He marched from his station in Maesia, on the solemn assurance that before he reached Adrianople, he should meet a plentiful convoy of provisions, and a reenforcement of eight thousand horse and thirty thousand foot, while the legions of Asia were encamped at Heraclea to second his operations. These measures were disappointed by mutual jealousy. As he advanced into Thrace, the son of Theodemir found an inhospitable solitude, and his Gothic followers, with a heavy train of horses, of mules, and of wagons, were betrayed by their guides among the rocks and precipices of Mount Sondis, where he was assaulted by the arms and invectives of Theodoric the son of Triarius. From a neighboring height, his artful rival harangued the camp of the Walamirs, and branded their leader with the opprobrious names of child, of madman, of perjured traitor, the enemy of his blood and nation. "Are you ignorant," exclaimed the son of Triarius, "that it is the constant policy of the Romans to destroy the Goths by each other's swords? Are you insensible that the victor in this unnatural contest will be exposed, and justly exposed, to their implacable revenge? Where are those warriors, my kinsmen and thy own, whose widows now lament that their lives were sacrificed to thy rash ambition? Where is the wealth which thy soldiers possessed when they were first allured from their native homes to enlist under thy standard? Each of them was then master of three or four horses; they now follow thee on foot, like slaves, through the deserts of Thrace; those men who were tempted by the hope of measuring gold with a bushel, those brave men who are as free and as noble as thyself." A language so well suited to the temper of the Goths excited clamor and discontent; and the son of Theodemir, apprehensive of being left alone, was compelled to embrace his brethren, and to imitate the example of Roman perfidy. 12 *_0003
In every state of his fortune, the prudence and firmness of Theodoric were equally conspicuous; whether he threatened Constantinople at the head of the confederate Goths, or retreated with a faithful band to the mountains and sea-coast of Epirus. At length the accidental death of the son of Triarius 13 destroyed the balance which the Romans had been so anxious to preserve, the whole nation acknowledged the supremacy of the Amali, and the Byzantine court subscribed an ignominious and oppressive treaty. 14 The senate had already declared, that it was necessary to choose a party among the Goths, since the public was unequal to the support of their united forces; a subsidy of two thousand pounds of gold, with the ample pay of thirteen thousand men, were required for the least considerable of their armies; 15 and the Isaurians, who guarded not the empire but the emperor, enjoyed, besides the privilege of rapine, an annual pension of five thousand pounds. The sagacious mind of Theodoric soon perceived that he was odious to the Romans, and suspected by the Barbarians: he understood the popular murmur, that his subjects were exposed in their frozen huts to intolerable hardships, while their king was dissolved in the luxury of Greece, and he prevented the painful alternative of encountering the Goths, as the champion, or of leading them to the field, as the enemy, of Zeno. Embracing an enterprise worthy of his courage and ambition, Theodoric addressed the emperor in the following words: "Although your servant is maintained in affluence by your liberality, graciously listen to the wishes of my heart! Italy, the inheritance of your predecessors, and Rome itself, the head and mistress of the world, now fluctuate under the violence and oppression of Odoacer the mercenary. Direct me, with my national troops, to march against the tyrant. If I fall, you will be relieved from an expensive and troublesome friend: if, with the divine permission, I succeed, I shall govern in your name, and to your glory, the Roman senate, and the part of the republic delivered from slavery by my victorious arms." The proposal of Theodoric was accepted, and perhaps had been suggested, by the Byzantine court. But the forms of the commission, or grant, appear to have been expressed with a prudent ambiguity, which might be explained by the event; and it was left doubtful, whether the conqueror of Italy should reign as the lieutenant, the vassal, or the ally, of the emperor of the East. 16
The reputation both of the leader and of the war diffused a universal ardor; the Walamirs were multiplied by the Gothic swarms already engaged in the service, or seated in the provinces, of the empire; and each bold Barbarian, who had heard of the wealth and beauty of Italy, was impatient to seek, through the most perilous adventures, the possession of such enchanting objects. The march of Theodoric must be considered as the emigration of an entire people; the wives and children of the Goths, their aged parents, and most precious effects, were carefully transported; and some idea may be formed of the heavy baggage that now followed the camp, by the loss of two thousand wagons, which had been sustained in a single action in the war of Epirus. For their subsistence, the Goths depended on the magazines of corn which was ground in portable mills by the hands of their women; on the milk and flesh of their flocks and herds; on the casual produce of the chase, and upon the contributions which they might impose on all who should presume to dispute the passage, or to refuse their friendly assistance. Notwithstanding these precautions, they were exposed to the danger, and almost to the distress, of famine, in a march of seven hundred miles, which had been undertaken in the depth of a rigorous winter. Since the fall of the Roman power, Dacia and Pannonia no longer exhibited the rich prospect of populous cities, well-cultivated fields, and convenient highways: the reign of barbarism and desolation was restored, and the tribes of Bulgarians, Gepidae, and Sarmatians, who had occupied the vacant province, were prompted by their native fierceness, or the solicitations of Odoacer, to resist the progress of his enemy. In many obscure though bloody battles, Theodoric fought and vanquished; till at length, surmounting every obstacle by skilful conduct and persevering courage, he descended from the Julian Alps, and displayed his invincible banners on the confines of Italy. 17
Odoacer, a rival not unworthy of his arms, had already occupied the advantageous and well-known post of the River Sontius, near the ruins of Aquileia, at the head of a powerful host, whose independent kings 18 or leaders disdained the duties of subordination and the prudence of delays. No sooner had Theodoric gained a short repose and refreshment to his wearied cavalry, than he boldly attacked the fortifications of the enemy; the Ostrogoths showed more ardor to acquire, than the mercenaries to defend, the lands of Italy; and the reward of the first victory was the possession of the Venetian province as far as the walls of Verona. In the neighborhood of that city, on the steep banks of the rapid Adige, he was opposed by a new army, reenforced in its numbers, and not impaired in its courage: the contest was more obstinate, but the event was still more decisive; Odoacer fled to Ravenna, Theodoric advanced to Milan, and the vanquished troops saluted their conqueror with loud acclamations of respect and fidelity. But their want either of constancy or of faith soon exposed him to the most imminent danger; his vanguard, with several Gothic counts, which had been rashly intrusted to a deserter, was betrayed and destroyed near Faenza by his double treachery; Odoacer again appeared master of the field, and the invader, strongly intrenched in his camp of Pavia, was reduced to solicit the aid of a kindred nation, the Visigoths of Gaul. In the course of this History, the most voracious appetite for war will be abundantly satiated; nor can I much lament that our dark and imperfect materials do not afford a more ample narrative of the distress of Italy, and of the fierce conflict, which was finally decided by the abilities, experience, and valor of the Gothic king. Immediately before the battle of Verona, he visited the tent of his mother 19 and sister, and requested, that on a day, the most illustrious festival of his life, they would adorn him with the rich garments which they had worked with their own hands. "Our glory," said he, "is mutual and inseparable. You are known to the world as the mother of Theodoric; and it becomes me to prove, that I am the genuine offspring of those heroes from whom I claim my descent." The wife or concubine of Theodemir was inspired with the spirit of the German matrons, who esteemed their sons' honor far above their safety; and it is reported, that in a desperate action, when Theodoric himself was hurried along by the torrent of a flying crowd, she boldly met them at the entrance of the camp, and, by her generous reproaches, drove them back on the swords of the enemy. 20
From the Alps to the extremity of Calabria, Theodoric reigned by the right of conquest; the Vandal ambassadors surrendered the Island of Sicily, as a lawful appendage of his kingdom; and he was accepted as the deliverer of Rome by the senate and people, who had shut their gates against the flying usurper. 21 Ravenna alone, secure in the fortifications of art and nature, still sustained a siege of almost three years; and the daring sallies of Odoacer carried slaughter and dismay into the Gothic camp. At length, destitute of provisions and hopeless of relief, that unfortunate monarch yielded to the groans of his subjects and the clamors of his soldiers. A treaty of peace was negotiated by the bishop of Ravenna; the Ostrogoths were admitted into the city, and the hostile kings consented, under the sanction of an oath, to rule with equal and undivided authority the provinces of Italy. The event of such an agreement may be easily foreseen. After some days had been devoted to the semblance of joy and friendship, Odoacer, in the midst of a solemn banquet, was stabbed by the hand, or at least by the command, of his rival. Secret and effectual orders had been previously despatched; the faithless and rapacious mercenaries, at the same moment, and without resistance, were universally massacred; and the royalty of Theodoric was proclaimed by the Goths, with the tardy, reluctant, ambiguous consent of the emperor of the East. The design of a conspiracy was imputed, according to the usual forms, to the prostrate tyrant; but his innocence, and the guilt of his conqueror, 22 are sufficiently proved by the advantageous treaty which force would not sincerely have granted, nor weakness have rashly infringed. The jealousy of power, and the mischiefs of discord, may suggest a more decent apology, and a sentence less rigorous may be pronounced against a crime which was necessary to introduce into Italy a generation of public felicity. The living author of this felicity was audaciously praised in his own presence by sacred and profane orators; 23 but history (in his time she was mute and inglorious) has not left any just representation of the events which displayed, or of the defects which clouded, the virtues of Theodoric. 24 One record of his fame, the volume of public epistles composed by Cassiodorus in the royal name, is still extant, and has obtained more implicit credit than it seems to deserve. 25 They exhibit the forms, rather than the substance, of his government; and we should vainly search for the pure and spontaneous sentiments of the Barbarian amidst the declamation and learning of a sophist, the wishes of a Roman senator, the precedents of office, and the vague professions, which, in every court, and on every occasion, compose the language of discreet ministers. The reputation of Theodoric may repose with more confidence on the visible peace and prosperity of a reign of thirty-three years; the unanimous esteem of his own times, and the memory of his wisdom and courage, his justice and humanity, which was deeply impressed on the minds of the Goths and Italians.
The partition of the lands of Italy, of which Theodoric assigned the third part to his soldiers, is honorably arraigned as the sole injustice of his life. *_0004 And even this act may be fairly justified by the example of Odoacer, the rights of conquest, the true interest of the Italians, and the sacred duty of subsisting a whole people, who, on the faith of his promises, had transported themselves into a distant land. 26 Under the reign of Theodoric, and in the happy climate of Italy, the Goths soon multiplied to a formidable host of two hundred thousand men, 27 and the whole amount of their families may be computed by the ordinary addition of women and children. Their invasion of property, a part of which must have been already vacant, was disguised by the generous but improper name of hospitality; these unwelcome guests were irregularly dispersed over the face of Italy, and the lot of each Barbarian was adequate to his birth and office, the number of his followers, and the rustic wealth which he possessed in slaves and cattle. The distinction of noble and plebeian were acknowledged; 28 but the lands of every freeman were exempt from taxes, **_0004 and he enjoyed the inestimable privilege of being subject only to the laws of his country. 29 Fashion, and even convenience, soon persuaded the conquerors to assume the more elegant dress of the natives, but they still persisted in the use of their mother- tongue; and their contempt for the Latin schools was applauded by Theodoric himself, who gratified their prejudices, or his own, by declaring, that the child who had trembled at a rod, would never dare to look upon a sword. 30 Distress might sometimes provoke the indigent Roman to assume the ferocious manners which were insensibly relinquished by the rich and luxurious Barbarian; 31 but these mutual conversions were not encouraged by the policy of a monarch who perpetuated the separation of the Italians and Goths; reserving the former for the arts of peace, and the latter for the service of war. To accomplish this design, he studied to protect his industrious subjects, and to moderate the violence, without enervating the valor, of his soldiers, who were maintained for the public defence. They held their lands and benefices as a military stipend: at the sound of the trumpet, they were prepared to march under the conduct of their provincial officers; and the whole extent of Italy was distributed into the several quarters of a well- regulated camp. The service of the palace and of the frontiers was performed by choice or by rotation; and each extraordinary fatigue was recompensed by an increase of pay and occasional donatives. Theodoric had convinced his brave companions, that empire must be acquired and defended by the same arts. After his example, they strove to excel in the use, not only of the lance and sword, the instruments of their victories, but of the missile weapons, which they were too much inclined to neglect; and the lively image of war was displayed in the daily exercise and annual reviews of the Gothic cavalry. A firm though gentle discipline imposed the habits of modesty, obedience, and temperance; and the Goths were instructed to spare the people, to reverence the laws, to understand the duties of civil society, and to disclaim the barbarous license of judicial combat and private revenge. 32
1 Jornandes (de Rebus Geticis, c. 13, 14, p. 629, 630, edit. Grot.) has drawn the pedigree of Theodoric from Gapt, one of the Anses or Demigods, who lived about the time of Domitian. Cassiodorus, the first who celebrates the royal race of the Amali, (Viriar. viii. 5, ix. 25, x. 2, xi. 1,) reckons the grandson of Theodoric as the xviith in descent. Peringsciold (the Swedish commentator of Cochloeus, Vit. Theodoric. p. 271, &c., Stockholm, 1699) labors to connect this genealogy with the legends or traditions of his native country.
Note: Amala was a name of hereditary sanctity and honor among the Visigoths. It enters into the names of Amalaberga, Amala suintha, (swinther means strength,) Amalafred, Amalarich. In the poem of the Nibelungen written three hundred years later, the Ostrogoths are called the Amilungen. According to Wachter it means, unstained, from the privative a, and malo a stain. It is pure Sanscrit, Amala, immaculatus. Schlegel. Indische Bibliothek, 1. p. 233. - M.
2 More correctly on the banks of the Lake Pelso, (Nieusiedler- see,) near Carnuntum, almost on the same spot where Marcus Antoninus composed his meditations, (Jornandes, c. 52, p. 659. Severin. Pannonia Illustrata, p. 22. Cellarius, Geograph. Antiq. (tom. i. p. 350.)
!_0001 The date of Theodoric's birth is not accurately determined. We can hardly err, observes Manso, in placing it between the years 453 and 455, Manso, Geschichte des Ost Gothischen Reichs, p. 14. - M.
3 The four first letters of his name were inscribed on a gold plate, and when it was fixed on the paper, the king drew his pen through the intervals (Anonym. Valesian. ad calcem Amm. Marcellin p. 722.) This authentic fact, with the testimony of Procopius, or at least of the contemporary Goths, (Gothic. 1. i. c. 2, p. 311,) far outweighs the vague praises of Ennodius (Sirmond Opera, tom. i. p. 1596) and Theophanes, (Chronograph. p. 112.) Note: Le Beau and his Commentator, M. St. Martin, support, though with no very satisfactory evidence, the opposite opinion. But Lord Mahon (Life of Belisarius, p. 19) urges the much stronger argument, the Byzantine education of Theodroic. - M.
4 Statura est quae resignet proceritate regnantem, (Ennodius, p. 1614.) The bishop of Pavia (I mean the ecclesiastic who wished to be a bishop) then proceeds to celebrate the complexion, eyes, hands, &c, of his sovereign.
5 The state of the Ostrogoths, and the first years of Theodoric, are found in Jornandes, (c. 52 - 56, p. 689 - 696) and Malchus, (Excerpt. Legat. p. 78 - 80,) who erroneously styles him the son of Walamir.
6 Theophanes (p. 111) inserts a copy of her sacred letters to the provinces. Such female pretensions would have astonished the slaves of the first Caesars.
7 Vol. iii. p. 504 - 508.
8 Suidas, tom. i. p. 332, 333, edit. Kuster.
*_0002 Joannes Lydus accuses Zeno of timidity, or, rather, of cowardice; he purchased an ignominious peace from the enemies of the empire, whom he dared not meet in battle; and employed his whole time at home in confiscations and executions. Lydus, de Magist. iii. 45, p. 230. - M.
**_0002 Named Illus. - M.
9 The contemporary histories of Malchus and Candidus are lost; but some extracts or fragments have been saved by Photius, (lxxviii. lxxix. p. 100 - 102,) Constantine Porphyrogenitus, (Excerpt. Leg. p. 78 - 97,) and in various articles of the Lexicon of Suidas. The Chronicles of Marcellinus (Imago Historiae) are originals for the reigns of Zeno and Anastasius; and I must acknowledge, almost for the last time, my obligations to the large and accurate collections of Tillemont, (Hist. des Emp. tom. vi. p. 472 - 652).
!_0002 The Panegyric of Procopius of Gaza, (edited by Villoison in his Anecdota Graeca, and reprinted in the new edition of the Byzantine historians by Niebuhr, in the same vol. with Dexippus and Eunapius, viii. p. 488 516,) was unknown to Gibbon. It is vague and pedantic, and contains few facts. The same criticism will apply to the poetical panegyric of Priscian edited from the Ms. of Bobbio by Ang. Mai. Priscian, the gram marian, Niebuhr argues from this work, must have been born in the African, not in either of the Asiatic Caesareas. Pref. p. xi. - M.
10 In ipsis congressionis tuae foribus cessit invasor, cum profugo per te sceptra redderentur de salute dubitanti. Ennodius then proceeds (p. 1596, 1597, tom. i. Sirmond.) to transport his hero (on a flying dragon?) into Aethiopia, beyond the tropic of Cancer. The evidence of the Valesian Fragment, (p. 717,) Liberatus, (Brev. Eutych. c. 25 p. 118,) and Theophanes, (p. 112,) is more sober and rational.
11 This cruel practice is specially imputed to the Triarian Goths, less barbarous, as it should seem, than the Walamirs; but the son of Theodemir is charged with the ruin of many Roman cities, (Malchus, Excerpt. Leg. p. 95.)
12 Jornandes (c. 56, 57, p. 696) displays the services of Theodoric, confesses his rewards, but dissembles his revolt, of which such curious details have been preserved by Malchus, (Excerpt. Legat. p. 78 - 97.) Marcellinus, a domestic of Justinian, under whose ivth consulship (A.D. 534) he composed his Chronicle, (Scaliger, Thesaurus Temporum, P. ii, p. 34 - 57,) betrays his prejudice and passion: in Graeciam debacchantem ...Zenonis munificentia pene pacatus ...beneficiis nunquam satiatus, &c.
*_0003 Gibbon has omitted much of the complicated intrigues of the Byzantine court with the two Theodorics. The weak emperor attempted to play them one against the other, and was himself in turn insulted, and the empire ravaged, by both. The details of the successive alliance and revolt, of hostility and of union, between the two Gothic chieftains, to dictate terms to the emperor, may be found in Malchus. - M.
13 As he was riding in his own camp, an unruly horse threw him against the point of a spear which hung before a tent, or was fixed on a wagon, (Marcellin. in Chron. Evagrius, l. iii. c. 25.)
14 See Malchus (p. 91) and Evagrius, (l. iii. c. 35.)
15 Malchus, p. 85. In a single action, which was decided by the skill and discipline of Sabinian, Theodoric could lose 5000 men.
16 Jornandes (c. 57, p. 696, 697) has abridged the great history of Cassiodorus. See, compare, and reconcile Procopius, (Gothic. l. i. c. i.,) the Valesian Fragment, (p. 718,) Theophanes, (p. 113,) and Marcellinus, (in Chron.)
17 Theodoric's march is supplied and illustrated by Ennodius, (p. 1598 - 1602,) when the bombast of the oration is translated into the language of common sense.
18 Tot reges, &c., (Ennodius, p. 1602.) We must recollect how much the royal title was multiplied and degraded, and that the mercenaries of Italy were the fragments of many tribes and nations.
19 See Ennodius, p. 1603, 1604. Since the orator, in the king's presence, could mention and praise his mother, we may conclude that the magnanimity of Theodoric was not hurt by the vulgar reproaches of concubine and bastard.
Note: Gibbon here assumes that the mother of Theodoric was the concubine of Theodemir, which he leaves doubtful in the text. - M.
20 This anecdote is related on the modern but respectable authority of Sigonius, (Op. tom. i. p. 580. De Occident. Impl. l. xv.:) his words are curious: "Would you return?" &c. She presented and almost displayed the original recess.
Note: The authority of Sigonius would scarcely have weighed with Gibboa except for an indecent anecdote. I have a recollection of a similar story in some of the Italian wars. - M.
21 Hist. Miscell. l. xv., a Roman history from Janus to the ixth century, an Epitome of Eutropius, Paulus Diaconus, and Theophanes which Muratori has published from a Ms. in the Ambrosian library, (Script. Rerum Italicarum, tom. i. p. 100.)
22 Procopius (Gothic. l. i. c. i.) approves himself an impartial sceptic. Cassiodorus (in Chron.) and Ennodius (p. 1604) are loyal and credulous, and the testimony of the Valesian Fragment (p. 718) may justify their belief. Marcellinus spits the venom of a Greek subject - perjuriis illectus, interfectusque est, (in Chron.)
23 The sonorous and servile oration of Ennodius was pronounced at Milan or Ravenna in the years 507 or 508, (Sirmond, tom. i. p. 615.) Two or three years afterwards, the orator was rewarded with the bishopric of Pavia, which he held till his death in the year 521. (Dupin, Bibliot. Eccles. tom. v. p. 11 - 14. See Saxii Onomasticon, tom. ii. p. 12.)
24 Our best materials are occasional hints from Procopius and the Valesian Fragment, which was discovered by Sirmond, and is published at the end of Ammianus Marcellinus. The author's name is unknown, and his style is barbarous; but in his various facts he exhibits the knowledge, without the passions, of a contemporary. The president Montesquieu had formed the plan of a history of Theodoric, which at a distance might appear a rich and interesting subject.
25 The best edition of the Variarum Libri xii. is that of Joh. Garretius, (Rotomagi, 1679, in Opp. Cassiodor. 2 vols. in fol.;) but they deserved and required such an editor as the Marquis Scipio Maffei, who thought of publishing them at Verona. The Barbara Eleganza (as it is ingeniously named by Tiraboschi) is never simple, and seldom perspicuous
*_0004 Compare Gibbon, ch. xxxvi. vol. iii. p. 459, &c. - Manso observes that this division was conducted not in a violent and irregular, but in a legal and orderly, manner. The Barbarian, who could not show a title of grant from the officers of Theodoric appointed for the purpose, or a prescriptive right of thirty years, in case he had obtained the property before the Ostrogothic conquest, was ejected from the estate. He conceives that estates too small to bear division paid a third of their produce. - Geschichte des Os Gothischen Reiches, p. 82. - M.
26 Procopius, Gothic, l. i. c. i. Variarum, ii. Maffei (Verona Illustrata, P. i. p. 228) exaggerates the injustice of the Goths, whom he hated as an Italian noble. The plebeian Muratori crouches under their oppression.
27 Procopius, Goth. l. iii. c. 421. Ennodius describes (p. 1612, 1613) the military arts and increasing numbers of the Goths.
28 When Theodoric gave his sister to the king of the Vandals she sailed for Africa with a guard of 1000 noble Goths, each of whom was attended by five armed followers, (Procop. Vandal. l. i. c. 8.) The Gothic nobility must have been as numerous as brave.
**_0004 Manso (p. 100) quotes two passages from Cassiodorus to show that the Goths were not exempt from the fiscal claims. - Cassiodor, i. 19, iv. 14 - M.
29 See the acknowledgment of Gothic liberty, (Var. v. 30.)
30 Procopius, Goth. l. i. c. 2. The Roman boys learnt the language (Var. viii. 21) of the Goths. Their general ignorance is not destroyed by the exceptions of Amalasuntha, a female, who might study without shame, or of Theodatus, whose learning provoked the indignation and contempt of his countrymen.
31 A saying of Theodoric was founded on experience: "Romanus miser imitatur Gothum; ut utilis (dives) Gothus imitatur Romanum." (See the Fragment and Notes of Valesius, p. 719.)
32 The view of the military establishment of the Goths in Italy is collected from the Epistles of Cassiodorus (Var. i. 24, 40; iii. 3, 24, 48; iv. 13, 14; v. 26, 27; viii. 3, 4, 25.) They are illustrated by the learned Mascou, (Hist. of the Germans, l. xi. 40 - 44, Annotation xiv.) Note: Compare Manso, Geschichte des Ost Gothischen Reiches, p. 114. - M.


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42"H AV Cart - 3 Shelves, Pullout - Nickel Leg
This American-made, Luxor 42" AV Cart offers two pullout trays (one side and one front) that provide additional space for a keyboard, laptop, projector and more. There's also a recessed, three-outlet electrical assembly for convenient power access. The three main shelves are made of molded plastic that won't scratch, dent, rust or stain, and all have a .25" retaining lip to keep contents in place. Square legs provide sturdy support and four 4" casters along with an ergonomic push handle make this cart easy to maneuver.
- Multipurpose utility cart perfect for use with audio/video equipment and more
- Made of recycled molded plastic shelves that will not scratch, dent, rust or stain
- Three 1.5"-thick flat shelves with raised, textured surface to ensure minimal sliding
- .25" retaining lip borders flat shelves
- Legs measure 1.5" square
- Includes front and side pullout shelves
- Ergonomic push handle molded into top shelf for easy maneuverability
- Rolling cart with four 4" full-swivel casters, two with locking brake
- Three-outlet recessed UL-Listed electrical assembly with 15' cord, built-in cord wrap and three cable management clips
- Available with 20-gauge steel locking storage cabinet
- Multiple color options
- Assembly required
- Made in the USA
- Overall: 24"W x 18"D x 42"H
- Front pullout shelf: 19.625"W x 15.625"D
- Side pullout shelf: 19.625"W x 13.625"D
- Cord: 15'


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does anyone have a suggestion on how to use SharePoint a standard Cms to publish content from one editing site to many others? That is to say:
- have a site collection as an editing one
- having as many destination site collections as your internet web sites are pulled by the editing/one.
One solution could be content deployment, but I woult like taht the target web have a different branding (master page and page layouts) On the other side I've got variations, but they are not cross site collection. Any suggestions is welcome. Thanks Barbara


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Private Minibus 9 Seats ?
Max 9 people
per vehicle
Departure date
August 15, 2019
Departure time
Ssanyong…or similar
Group 9 passengers + 9 Luggage
Private professional door to door Ssanyong minibus transfer is provided in a high-quality vehicle, perfect for a group of 9 people. In most airports, this service includes 'Meet & Greet' and your driver will be waiting for you in the arrival hall holding a sign with your name on it. Further information on how to locate your transfer can be found on your booking voucher. When returning to the airport your driver will be waiting for you at your pick-up location (hotel lobby). Your pick-up time is calculated automatically based on your flight details.


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MakeMeSustainable: Reducing Your Carbon Emissions, Socially
Looking to reduce your carbon emissions? There's no shortage of sites on the Web that offer some form of carbon calculator. MeMakeSustainable takes the feature one step further, Web 2.0-style, which, as those of you who have been following the Interwebs for the couple of years know, involves AJAX and tacking on a social networking service.
The carbon calculator and energy management tools remain the core of the site. Upon signing up, you're prompted to enter some personal information, including the size of your home, how many people you live with, what you use to heat it, your primary form of transportation, and how much air travel you engage in. Right off the bat, such prompts are a welcome change from the standard "what bands are you into?" social networking fare.
Once you've entered all of your info, the site calculates your annual carbon footprint. Clicking on Take Action will bring you to a page that presents activities that can help you offset your output. Options include "install better power management on your PC," "unplug electrical devices not in use," and "lower thermostat setting in winter," among others.
You can choose Pledge or Already Do for each of the options, as well as the date when you enact said changes. Reductions you make are added to your thumbprint (that's not a footprint, mind you) and are eventually subtracted from your total output. The number of options for reduction are still a bit sparse, in this stage, unfortunately.
The Manager page presents a graph of your annual carbon usage, including reductions and the amount covered by carbon offsets. Clicking on the Money page displays another annual list, which features cost of electricity, heating, and transportation to you, each year--of course without entering information from your bills every single month, the results are little more than rough estimates. Fortunately, the site does offer a lot of initial options for information entry, down to the year and model of your car. Unfortunately, still in beta, it's a bit tricky to update or add to this info, once you've already created an account.
The social networking functions are pretty standard. You can add friends and leave comments on their pages. At the moment, I'm having a bit of trouble understanding the purpose of social networking in this context--the main premise seems to be showing off to others how much you've saved, and perhaps egging one another on.
MMS's creators mentioned to me interest in creating widgets to incorporate the site into popular social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace, which would likely have a lot more appeal than a standalone social networking site based solely upon carbon emissions. Expanding the site's focus to other environmental issues and activism might prove fruitful, as well. The site has a good design and quality tools--as such, MMS is in a good position to become something of a central meeting place for environmentally concerned netizens.
In the meantime, the service has extremely limited appeal, in terms of social networking. For those seeking a place to keep tabs on their carbon output, however, it's certainly worth a look.


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Tooling Article
Zero Defects with Problematic Dies
While not every stamping company can build smart dies that adjust themselves, or use RFID-enabled cribs to track supplies, there are two constants that affect every metalforming company in the world: poor-quality parts and unplanned downtime. Smashed dies and bad parts affect everyone, from managers who must explain a late shipment to a customer, to a production scheduler who must find time to complete a run after the toolroom has put in extra hours to repair broken dies and create fixtures to rework bad parts.
Case I: In-Die Tapping and Detecting Broken Taps
Exact's Robert Matis, who heads the firm's design team, describes a recent project: stamping a part, to relatively high volumes, with four tapped holes. While piercing and extruding a hole to be tapped offline is certainly not a new concept in stamping, performing the tapping operation in the press can pose a challenge—reference Ray Osborne's article on in-die tapping (IDT) in this issue. To tackle the project, Matis' design team decided to use an IDT system (from Pronic) using rollformed taps to eliminate any debris inside the die. Tapping a hole in relatively thin material with an extruded sidewall allows the tap to float within 0.003 to 0.006 in. without affecting thread quality or hole location.
For Exact Tool & Die, the challenge came from tapping four 3⁄8-in.-dia. holes in material thicker than 0.210 in. This left little room for misfeeds or broken taps. Monitoring the feed with a proprietary plunger and sensor system eliminated the chance of a mishit due to a short or long feed, but broken taps were another story. Should a tap break and move into the next station, the damage could be pretty excessive.
To avoid such a scenario, the firm installed four sensors (from Sick Automation, Fig. 1) in the die. The sensors detect the presence of a broken tap in the strip, uninhibited by any coolant mist or smoke from the stamping operation. Because the sensors use background suppression, only the tap will be detected. This eliminates the chance of nuisance faults caused by any other die components.
Since installing and calibrating the sensors, the die has been running continuously without fault. "The die is running at 40 strokes/min., as fast as it can possibly run," says Ron Gunter, Exact Tool & Die's director of manufacturing. "We haven't had any damage from broken taps since the sensors have been added."
Case II: Eliminating Human Error in the Pressroom
When an operation is performed manually, quality can be compromised by poor judgment, a lack of understanding of necessary features (fit, form and function) or even fatigue. For these reasons and others, introducing an automated solution to a manual task can eliminate scrap and excessive downtime. Case in point: KLS Controls, Menomonee Falls, WI. KLS president Scott Shaw describes a recent application from a customer that manufactures heavy equipment.
"We were tasked with stamping heavy-gauge steel plate with several holes pierced from another press operation. When the operator loads the part into the press for forming, he must be sure to orient it properly or the part becomes scrap—it is possible to orient the part four different s."
This is a common problem—a manually loaded secondary operation that can be nested incorrectly while the press can still cycle, resulting in a bad part. Reworking the tooling or adding proximity sensors to detect part-in-place was not an option, so KLS opted for an entirely different approach.
"We decided to look at the part from outside the die using a vision camera," says Shaw. "We use a pair of pattern-match detectors on the reference image captured by the camera and have the camera inspect for the correct orientation (Fig. 2). When both criteria are met, the press can cycle and a good part is produced. And when both pattern criteria are not met, the operator receives a signal indicating improper part orientation in the die."
Case III: Zero Defects at High Volumes of Muffin Pans
At G&S Metal Products, Cleveland, OH, the largest U.S. producer of metal bakeware, high-volume stamping often means using dedicated presses for particular jobs; long production runs with modular tooling for various similar parts; and little time for scheduled maintenance, not to mention unplanned downtime. Inherited tooling often can provide little room for design changes or improvements. And, if a die has been damaged, the die shoe may be in less-than-ideal condition, with sections altered. Therefore, consistently producing good parts from the inherited tool can be a challenge.
G&S recently overcame these hurdles with a takeover tool used to produce five different styles of muffin pans. Among the problems experienced with this die: material feed. A mechanical feed working off of press-ram motion made feed adjustment difficult, and proved unreliable for achieving accurate feed lengths. Says G&S Metal automation engineer Steve Kerg:
"We improved feed accuracy by replacing the mechanical feed with an air feed and installing hall-effect sensors on the pistons. We also redesigned the top of the die to reduce changeover time to 20 min., and replaced all of the coil springs with nitrogen." Previously, changeovers could take as long as a full shift. With movable rails in the die, changeovers for five parts with different widths and material thickness can be performed with little effort.
"The presence of the feed bars also is monitored," adds Kerg, "so they can't be smashed in the press. In the past, we might smash as many as one part per 20 due to a misfeed. We haven't smashed a part in more than 40 shifts."
With feed problems solved, Kerg then tackled another issue: in-die assembly of the 12 muffin cups into the frame. Some of the cups would shift during transfer, or frames themselves could be transferred incorrectly. As did KLS Controls, G&S found its solution by installing a vision camera, which detects the presence and orientation of the frame. Flags on the upstroke and downstroke of the ram trigger the camera. If the camera fails to detect the part and its proper orientation, the press stops and the operator clears the error on the PLC to stroke the press. If any part sticks to the upper die section, an optical part-out sensor stops the press at the top of the stroke. A custom-programmed PLC is used for sensor logic and for signaling emergency stops or top-stops.Bottom line: An inherited tool that previously ran under less-than-ideal conditions now continuously produces good parts without risk of damage to the die. MF
See also: SICK, Inc.
Related Enterprise Zones: Sensing/Electronics
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From the New York Times Sunday Magazine, here's Stephen Roddrick on Lindsay Lohan in Paul Schrader's new movie:
Lindsay Lohan moves through the Chateau Marmont as if she owns the place, but in a debtor-prison kind of way. She'll soon owe the hotel $46,000. Heads turn subtly as she slinks toward a table to meet a young producer and an old director. The actress's mother, Dina Lohan, sits at the next table. Mom sweeps blond hair behind her ear and tries to eavesdrop. A few tables away, a distinguished-looking middle-aged man patiently waits for the actress. He has a stack of presents for her.
Lohan sits down, smiles and skips the small talk.
"Hi, how are you? I won't play Cynthia. I want to play Tara, the lead." Braxton Pope and Paul Schrader nod happily. They'd been tipped off by her agent that this was how it was going to go. They tell her that sounds like a great idea.
Schrader thinks she's perfect for the role. Not everyone agrees. Schrader wrote "Raging Bull" and "Taxi Driver" and has directed 17 films. Still, some fear Lohan will end him. There have been house arrests, car crashes and ingested white powders. His own daughter begs him not to use her. A casting-director friend stops their conversation whenever he mentions her name. And then there's the film's explicit subject matter. Full nudity and lots of sex. Definitely NC-17. His wife, the actress Mary Beth Hurt, didn't even finish the script, dismissing it as pornography after 50 pages. She couldn't understand why he wanted it so badly.
But Schrader was running out of chances. His last major opportunity was about a decade ago, when he was picked to direct a reboot of "The Exorcist." He told an interviewer, "If I don't completely screw that up, it might be possible for me to end my career standing on my own feet rather than groveling for coins." A few months later, he was replaced by the blockbuster director Renny Harlin, who reshot the film. Renny Harlin! Schrader is now 65 and still begging for coins.


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Cameronian Scottish Rifles Balmoral Hat – Dark Rifle green balmoral with black toorie tied ribbon tails. 100% made in Scotland since 1845. Crown approx 10 1/2″ = 26cm across depending on hat size.
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