text:
by Mike Masnick
Fri, Sep 16th 2011 5:28am
Filed Under:
arbitration, playstation, playstation network, psn, terms of service
AC alerts us to a change in the new Sony PlayStation Network terms of service that basically says that you agree not to sue the company. Honestly (and Sony pointed this out in its defense), such clauses are pretty common. It is debatable how enforceable some of these clauses are, but they say that you have to go to arbitration, rather than sue. The terms also bar participating in class action lawsuits, which seems much more questionable. Where Sony gets ridiculous is in claiming that this change "is designed to benefit both the consumer and the company by ensuring that there is adequate time and procedures to resolve disputes." That makes me think of a two syllable word whose first four letters are bull. Come on. At this point, everyone knows that binding arbitration between a company and a consumer wildly favors companies. A study from a few years back found that companies win in arbitration against consumers 95% of the time. Sony knows this. So its move is not about protecting consumers at all, and it's insulting for it to imply that it is.
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Reader Comments
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Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 5:38amhm perhaps i should have read that junk, but i just wanted to watch netflix..
doughless (profile), 20 Sep 2011 @ 9:24am
Re:I have no idea if this would ever hold up in court, but I told my 9 year old son that he doesn't have permission to accept any agreements on our PS3, but then also told him that if the PSN store and Netflix won't work unless someone accepts them. I've never accepted any Sony agreements, but both of those things surprisingly work on my PS3 right now.
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 5:46am
So, "agreeing" to the PS TOS means..So, if I buy a PS, and then get hit by another rootkit fiasco, that means I can't sue them?!??!? How the fuck is that "fair" to anybody but Sony?
How about if I'm George Hotz and Sony sues me - all of a sudden I'm not allowed to file a countersuit?
Fuck Sony and the horse they rode in on.
Richard (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 6:04am
Re: So, "agreeing" to the PS TOS means..Actually I think this is restricted to problems relating directly to PSN. If your PS3 explodes and destroys your house you can still take them to court. (Having said that I haven't read the full agreement - so I stand to be corrected by anyone with more information.)
sheenyglass (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 8:01am
Re: Re: So, "agreeing" to the PS TOS means..The security breach was of the PSN - the hackers weren't after my FF13 save games, they were after credit card numbers and other personal info from our PSN accounts.
So it appears that this is an attempt by Sony to prevent customers from suing them for their egregiously poor security measures. For this reason, the class action bar is especially troubling, as that would be the most effective way for Sony to be sued case like this, where the damages are spread out among a large number of people in small increments. And the threat of class action suits is generally the only thing keeping companies honest absent a regulatory regime (and even in a regulatory regime, class action lawsuits can be more effective for a variety of reasons, such as regulatory capture or an inadequate enforcement scheme). Although they aren't terribly effective at compensating people (except lawyers), they are still better than arbitration).
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 6:15am
Re: So, "agreeing" to the PS TOS means..Hey, what did the horse ever do to deserve that sentiment?
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 8:08am
Re: Re: So, "agreeing" to the PS TOS means..It helped Sony
anonymous, 16 Sep 2011 @ 5:54amjust another case of the consumer drawing the short straw. it shows the continuing contempt Sony has for it's customers!
Richard (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 5:56am
AhaYou can opt out of it (for the price of a stamp.
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 5:58am
Re: AhaYou can also opt out by not buy any Sony products, which is the route that I'm going to take.
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 6:27am
Re: Re: AhaElectronics today have a very tight integrated supply line, even if you buy a Motorola. Samsung, Apple or any other electronic chances are that you are still buying Sony products, just not the branded one.
With that said not buying the brand does hurt them.
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 6:52am
Re: Re: AhaThis. Last time I bought a Sony product it was years ago. A pair of earbuds I urgently needed.
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 6:58am
Re: Re: Re: AhaI used to have a sony walkman...it was a pos though.
Spaceboy (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 6:16am
Re: AhaAnd then they disconnect you from PSN. If you rely on your PS3 for playing online games and Netflix then it is essentially bricked.
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 6:33am
Re: Re: AhaIf you never buy the product, how can it get bricked?
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 7:13am
Re: Re: Re: AhaYou realize the PS3 isn't a new product right, and that there at least one or two people who own them already?
Spaceboy (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 7:39am
Re: Re: Re: AhaMy reply was to the guy that said you can opt out via mail. So if you already clicked through Sony is giving people a way out. Their way out bricks the PS3 for people that rely on its online capabilities. If ever there was a reason to have an alternate OS this is it.
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 9:55am
Re: Re: Re: Re: Ahanothing in there says they will brick your PS3. they just allow you to opt out of waiving your rights to arbitration and class action lawsuits.
Phillip Vector (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 9:36pm
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: AhaYou misunderstand..
He isn't saying brick like "It's not going to work at all".
He's saying brick as in "All I use it for is netflix and online stuff." Basically, useless now for whatever purpose he had it for.
Hence, Bricked.
Richard (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 6:53am
Re: Re: AhaAnd then they disconnect you from PSN.
Actually No - on my reading - I think they are relying on inertia - most people won't bother.
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 6:06amdont care, any smart people already don't buy Sony crap. The dumb ones? We'll, screw them!
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 7:14am
Re:Why are you planning on having some kind of group sex with PS3 owners?
The eejit (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 7:35am
Re: Re:It depends on the USB port.
el_segfaulto (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 8:14am
Re: Re: Re:Unless he decides to just have sex with one after another, then he could use a serial port.
The eejit (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 9:21am
Re: Re: Re: Re:Parallel interfaces are more fun though.
G Thompson (nli), 16 Sep 2011 @ 10:24am
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:you two... Get a room then you can duplex the night away ps: writing this on crappy ps3 virtual keyboard blah
Andrew (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 8:34am
Re:To be fair to Sony it wasn't all bad in the beginning. I am an old school fan of the Play Station and even their walkmans where good. My first MP3/cd player was from them and it worked fantastic for years. So they have decent products, just of late they have really dumb marketing strategy and its turning a lot of people, like me, away.
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 9:05am
Re: Re:Good for you; keep voting with that wallet. It is, sadly, the only language that Sony understands, and even at that, not so well.
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 6:12amI will just boycott.There is nothing I ever need to buy from that Company again
Spaceboy (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 6:21amNice move Sony. Instead of showing the world how confident you are in your new network and how secure it is, you do an end-run around your customers and try to limit your liability by removing our right to sue. You should be putting that energy into your infrastructure.
I remember your rootkit fiasco and the TOS you tried to force down peoples throats then. Seriously? If I declare bankruptcy I have to delete all my music?
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 6:24amMike unfortunately you're wrong about banning participating in class action lawsuits being illegal. The US Supreme Court recently ruled in the last few years that this is perfectly legal in a controversial 5-4 ruling. I forget the name of the case, but the case was about a cell phone company in California. The cell phone company advertised free cell phones if you sign up for their plan. But then when customers went to get their 'free' cell phone they were charged over 30 dollars in a state tax.
Obviously 30 dollars in tax means that the phones weren't really free. So someone started a class action lawsuit against the cell phone company. I believe that the cell phone company lost in court until they appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that their contract bars class action lawsuits, and the idiots in the supreme court sided with the cell phone company.
This means that class action lawsuits will soon be pretty much dead in the US, once all companies not run by complete idiots amend their contracts to ban class action lawsuits. This pretty much guarantees that companies can get away with stuff like that Cell Phone company, because no one is going to waste their time suing over $30 dollars. The lawsuit itself would cost the victim much more then $30 dollars even if they won.
The eejit (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 7:39am
Re:That would be fine, if arbitration almost always didn't work in the consumer's favor. It was also the case, as I understand it, that if arbitration fails, you have a statutory right to go to court in that case.
This doesn't allow for that. At all.
Jordan (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 11:51am
Re: Re:Well has anyone actually ever received anything from a class action lawsuit more valuable than a free chalupa? Besides the lawyers that is.
Robert Doyle (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 6:24am
You can always sueIt is a right to sue them. They can't take it away.
They can write all of the terms in the world - if they are negligent and cause damage, they are held liable. Period.
These terms are scare tactics. Don't be bullied.
American A-hole, 16 Sep 2011 @ 6:54am
Re: You can always sueIt is a right to sue them. They can't take it away.
Oh, wait, you're serious? You really think because something is a "right" that it can't be removed?
I have some Tennessee oceanfront property for sale...
doewnskitty, 16 Sep 2011 @ 6:29amThe terms only pertain to the PSN service, which you agree to if you want to use it. Thing is, the "agreement" has about as much tooth to it as an elderly gumline, given that it's possible to "agree" to the terms from your dog having sat its ass on your controller, hitting the button that triggers the "agreement" to commence.
fogbugzd, 16 Sep 2011 @ 6:35amThis would be irrelevant if people would just follow the simple DBS Rule*.
*DBS: Don't Buy Sony.
A Dan (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 6:46am
TypoLast sentence: "and its insulting for it" should be "and it's insulting for it"
The sad truthClass action lawsuits will not disappear completely if people would not agree to TOS contracts forbidding them. Companies (smart companies, this may not include Sony) would catch on that including this bull was costing them money and customers and then they'd just concentrate on good service instead.
Playing games and having their PS3 is more important to most people. The toy they get to play with is more important than the possibly of getting to sue when everything goes south.
But sadly this won't happen. I never read TOS contracts so I can't blame anyone, but news articles like this alert myself and others to what Sony is trying to pull over on us. Most people will click "agree" and move on. I won't, I haven't bought a Sony product since my PS2 and I doubt I ever will again. There's too many reasons why to list here.
To everyone who's reading this story (on any news site, not just this one), you know what you're doing by agreeing to the terms and you know what the company's been capable of in the past so good luck.
Pitabred (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 7:41am
Re: The sad truthIf you don't read TOS contracts, and I don't read TOS contracts, and the VAST majority of people don't read them, are their terms still binding? They make them so easy to click through because the know people won't read them. They force you to scroll to the bottom, but that's no guarantee of reading, comprehension, or even the user being of legal age to agree to such terms. TOS "agreements" are almost always unfair to the consumer, and there should be a guarantee of an acceptable level of service in return for the rights you give up. Otherwise the courts should see them for the scams they are.
Jay (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 8:02am
Re: The sad truth"Class action lawsuits will not disappear completely if people would not agree to TOS contracts forbidding them. "
How can they when the TOS is specifically binding?
" Companies (smart companies, this may not include Sony) would catch on that including this bull was costing them money and customers and then they'd just concentrate on good service instead."
No, most companies go the arbitration route, which runs counter to being able to sue in open court by leagues.
1) Arbitration doesn't report the results of the mediation
2) There is huge incentive for judges to favor with the plaintiffs, who are usually businesses.
3)The arbitration judges are usually gone if they favor defendants.
So why not sue in open court with all of the precedents? Because the law allows this binding in arbitration.
The only thing I remember about arbitration is how Al Franken pushed for the denouncement of arbitration.
The move "Hot Coffee" also discusses this, but be aware, it's quite controversial. I'm sure an AC will come here to say the movie is bad, under the guise of working for the Chamber of Commerce (since they're portrayed quite badly in the move) so I'll leave off by saying, Your mileage may vary.
Rex, 16 Sep 2011 @ 10:35am
Re: Re: The sad truth"How can they when the TOS is specifically binding?"
You don't buy it. Hence, no reason to agree to their terms. I haven't for years. Believe me, it's quite possible.
The rest of the post becomes kind'a moot so I'll just stop there.
I look into a company and product before I spend money on it. If I don't agree with practices then they don't get my money and I have nothing to do with them. If more people did that then... (continues rant on soapbox)
Lesath (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 7:08amFortunately this will never apply to me, as I will never buy another Sony product ever again. Honestly wouldn't surprise me to find out Microsoft and its XBOX Live has something similar but MS, to my knowledge, has never let any of my personal information be hacked.
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 7:10amThe machine will eventually brick anyway. Just like that nice new Ipad you just bought. Technology is flawed by its very nature. As long as I can play Final Fantasy, listen to my Ipod and toast so (well) toast at least for a while I'll be happy.
Still an anonymous coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 7:19amJust let me play "Dark Souls" then the PS3 can go back to rearing dust bunnies.
Harrekki (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 7:35amof course, you don't KNOW about the TOS to not sue until you have opened and used the console, meaning you can't return it.
So... when Is congress going to crack down on this? oh
wait, that requires action.
Citizens are screwed.
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 8:01am
Amusing.Rather amusing to read all the people who are now stating they won't buy Sony's products in the future. Sony's despicable treatment of their customers has been appalling for so long, but what is it *today* that offends you so much that their prior poor behavior didn't?
Won't affect me, anyway. Their isn't a SONY logo in my house, anywhere, not even on a blank CD. There are, however, large screen TVs, stereos, clock radios, and a number of other things happily purchased from other manufacturers. I don't just advise it, I actually vote with my wallet.
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 8:10am
Re: Amusing.No blu-ray player I'm guessing?
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 9:08am
Re: Re: Amusing.You are correct, I am without Blu-Ray. I enjoy the feeling of smug moral superiority, it seems, more than I enjoy fancy movies.
Anonymous Coward, 16 Sep 2011 @ 8:02amHow enforceable is it when you are not able to read the terms of service until you set up your PS3 and connect it to the Internet? Also, what about people who have purchased games through the PSN that require PSN connectivity to run? My son couldn't play Fat Princess until the terms were agreed to.
Greevar (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 8:06amThey're just trying to protect themselves from the next hack of the PSN so users can't sue them for gross incompetence that they rightly should be sued for.
Jimr (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 10:23amThere are certain consumer rights that you should not be able to sign away in a TOS agreement.
What if the minor is the recipient of the Sony product? The minor are not of legal age to consent to a binding legal document?
What if some asshat at Sony added in to the TOS that 10% of your gross income is forfeited to Sony?
Just chris (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 11:47amMy kids might have said yes to this when it happened but I did not. So I can still sue that and they need to know kids can't sine any contract with out a parent.
Just chris (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 11:53am
Re:Makes most of what your kids sine or say yes to mute in any legal contract and since 90% of all PS3 accounts are kids accounts don't sweat the little shit Sony would not have a leg to stand on in court.
Phillip Vector (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 9:38pm
Re:I was wondering this myself. I have all my ToS's clicked on by my 8 year old. They are free to try to prove that it was me who installed whatever. :)
Killercool (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 12:03pm
Can I...?Would it be feasible to file a class action suit against Sony for taking away functionality of my already-purchased PS3 and PSP? Since I will never agree to this ridiculous contract clause, and I can't seem to find the button that allows me to strike out a clause and send it back for deliberation, I have lost my ability to update my systems, play multiplayer-only games that I have purchased (Brink; even the single player requires an internet connection), and cannot return, since they are already opened, as well as a few other functions
Just chris (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 12:13pm
Re: Can I...?I think you can if people stood up and said HELL NO in one big voice but most won't. So just click yes and blame your kids if no kids then barrow one :)
Just chris (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 12:09pmI would love to see there little JAP faces when a judge tells them kids in the USA can't sine legal contracts. They look so funny where there mad -,-
Just chris (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 12:39pmLook like I said in there country this might fly but in the USA there is a lot of legal reasons why a court will not take Sony's side, the list is long but just use your heads. The person that wrote this does not know law he is just informing people what was in the new TOS Sony sent out yesterday.
Bergman (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 2:34pmThere's a simple solution.
The courts have, essentially, ruled that there is no need for a meeting of the minds or an actual signature for contract terms to be binding. The company simply needs to publish them to you and include a clause that states that use of the service equates to signing the contract.
But if that's legally true, then it is true both ways.
Either in a separate mailing or printed on a check used to pay the first bill, include an image of the sections of the terms of service you reject, with those clauses lined out and the statement that continuing to provide service constitutes a binding agreement. Mail it to the company.
Suddenly, you have the same type of agreement with them that they do with you. Equally binding, equally enforceable, and if their shrinkwrap EULA is binding on you, then yours binds them too. And suddenly you can sue again.
Rabbit80, 16 Sep 2011 @ 4:30pm
I just saw thhis comment on Arstechnica...I saw the email update from Sony about this yesterday. I thought that TOS update looked fishy. The email is set up to show you redlines to indicate the diff between the old and new legalese - something they probably don't want you to understand. So, if they're pointing it out, it's so they're covered in the future. "We took the extra mile and pointed out the differences!"
What got my notice was that this same TOS update removes references to "purchases" of content on the PSN in favor of the term "license" or "content license". So, after this update, you aren't buying content anymore from PSN... You're just giving them money for a license. Sounds questionable for older purchases (they shouldn't be able to just declare old purchases are now rentals).
Additional on this subject:
purchase -> completing a transaction
acquiring -> licensing
sales -> transactions
pay for purchase -> complete transaction payment
"You bear all risk of loss for accessing your content" -> "You bear all risk of loss for accessing the content"
cost-> total amount
purchase -> order
DELETED WORDING (any reference to owning is removed)
"purchase of rental content, subscriptions and other prepaid products"
"Upon termination of this Agreement, Your Account, or license to any Property, You will immediately cease use of the Property and delete or destroy copies of the Property."
�own,� �ownership�
Last edited by Blue Adept on 16 Sep 2011 15:00
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2011/09/mandatory-ps3-update-removes-right-to-join-in-a- class-action-lawsuit.ars?comments=1&start=40#comment-22066988
Just chris (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 5:26pmI called my legal counsel and he said I was right that Sony can't cut off any thing bought before this new TOS that came out yesterday and if they do there breaking the law. When we bought the systems, games and add-on packs we said yes to there terms and they have to stick to those terms if we do not agree with new terms they try to make us sine. They have to keep providing the same services for items bought before Sep 15, 2011 or it breaks blackmail laws (holding something a value that was payed for tell you sine a new contract is blackmail under CA Penal Code 518 and federal blackmail statute (P.L. 103-322, 108 Stat. 2147)). Only systems and games gotten after the new TOS would be forced by law to stick to the new TOS. Cutting off Peoples access to items bough like the 47 add-on packs I have gotten in the past 5 years for not agreeing to new TOS is BLACKMAIL any way you look at it.
That Anonymous Coward (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 5:52pmThe fail boat, soon we'll be making another run...
The fail boat, promises to screw every single one...
We'll set a course for failure, our eyes on a new defense...
dere is no T infront of AC... I has a sad.
Phillip Vector (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 9:32pm
IdeaSomeone from Reddit said, "Watch Microsoft give a major discount to people who buy an xbox and trade in their sony PS3.
Heck, donate them to childs play and get even more good PR.
G Thompson (profile), 16 Sep 2011 @ 11:40pmWonder if this is world wide, since it is absolutely voidable under Australian law and as far as I am aware NZ, and most probably EU consumer laws (??).
Also it cannot be retrospective for any products already purchased and used. So really only for new PS3, PS Vita, PSN owners.
Though when you read their Terms it would of been interesting if it was around when GeoHot was sued, since under these terms they would of breached them themselves for suing him (or am I reading it wrong).
As for whether it is legal in the USA for these terms to be enforced, if so, it is even further proof of why the USA needs better consumer protection statutes and tort reform.
Just chris (profile), 17 Sep 2011 @ 3:13pmI just got back from talking to a friend who is a CA district attorney and he is going to his boss Monday to see if charges can be charges brought against Sony for blackmail witch non of us need a lawyer for since it is a state law and this is only the first legal action I am taking to fight back.
That Anonymous Coward (profile), 17 Sep 2011 @ 7:10pmI has a question for the hivemind.
I do not own a PS3 and I don't begin to know where to find the answer to my question.
These TOS are for the PSN, to get the updated code bits for newer DRM'd games and BlueRay keys/features do you not have to use the PSN network to get these things? Or do they have a different channel to deliver these things to the consoles?
I ask because there was a story in my recent memory about a game coming out that to play at all required you to connect to the PSN network and let them update your firmware otherwise your new $60 game was just a brick that you unwrapped and could not return.
Is what they are doing as bad as I think it is?
They want you to settle for a machine that will no longer do "everything", because your unwilling to accept TOS that they modified to protect themselves from being punished for misdeeds they might continue to do in the future?
Just chris (profile), 18 Sep 2011 @ 8:35am
Re:No you have to have PSN in order for any game or add-on you have gotten online for your PS3 or PSP and yes there is games that are 100% PSN dependant like Brink.
Just chris (profile), 18 Sep 2011 @ 8:42amLike right now I have been locked out from 5 games, 47 Add-on packs The one pack for Fallout 3 was $50 and you can only get the Add-on pack from PSN but (PC and Xbox once you buy the add-on packs there yours), netflix and all online PSN dependant games.
Just chris (profile), 18 Sep 2011 @ 8:47amOne question I have is I pay Netflix and it has nothing to do with Sony at all, so why on the PS3 do you have to sine in to use the Netflix at all.
Just chris (profile), 18 Sep 2011 @ 8:57amOH and I have been locked out of all games I have gotten for the PSP GO!
ArbitrationThe reason companies prevail 95% of the time isn't because arbitrators are inherently biased in favor of companies - it's because the vast majority of the cases that go to such arbitrations are essentially uncontested collections actions. And while the potential for arbitrators to have such bias is obvious, I've never seen any data suggesting it plays out that way.
In fact, in the cases people seem to be concerned about here (suits against the company), arbitration is actually more consumer-friendly, as it's easier and much cheaper than going to court. Sony's not concerned about those cases - which are few and far between - but rather the ability to use arbitration as a quick and cheap method for bringing its own claims.
And the class action waiver, of course.
True, 18 Sep 2011 @ 10:25pm
How legit?I do wonder on that 5% stat being the same as court cases. I used to work for a major tech co and people would sue us over the stupidest things. I was the one people in charge of helping people with special cases. I had checks cut for 100's to 1000 of dollars some time due to some horrible issue where are product caused some sort of real damage (like causing a small fire) or Giving refunds or free products for lesser issues. If the user has a valid claim it was't a big deal. But some people would claim the silliest things like one of our software products that did't even install into the PC blew there pc power supply or made there cable modem fry Many of these jokers that I told that there claims were impossible or would demand insane compensation would sue us and get tossed by the first judge who looked at it. Frivolousness law suits are nothing new. I just don't know.
Anonymous Coward, 1 Sep 2012 @ 11:17pm
Re: How legit?interesting you worked as a lawyer, yet still can't spell "their"...
kie, 10 Dec 2011 @ 6:10amWhat about UK, you can't sign away your rights here, we just bought a PlayStation 2nd hand and apparently it's been banned from the playstation network, we can't even play offline games because they demand Playstation network membership to progress past a couple of minutes of gameplay (EA and others). It's about time people in the UK started suing sony for destruction of many thousands of � worth of property.
Sony haven't answered e-mails and the notice of the ban doesn't give a time-frame.
japan student, 1 Sep 2012 @ 11:14pmThis is the tyrrany the US gets for no executing war criminals in 1946. Japans excuse for accepting 5 refugees a year is that any more and it would be harmful for the refugees, so therefore its a good thing for the refugees because they would "not get along with japanese society". meaning there would be racism and social unrest in a 95% japanese society if it accepted foerigners so leting them suffer in refugee camps is an acceptable alternative to headaches for the gov in accepting them in. "WE say it benefits everyone and all you have to do is lie down and accept our version of reality"
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"We moved the river into the lab," says Gomes about the indoor testing process.
As part of the research, the students had to assess both the positive and possible negative effects of the system. Additionally, they measured the torque on the generator and the generator shaft speed to determine the power produced, and found the small-scale indoor system could produce a cycle average of 2.5 watts.
"These runs were not designed to maximize power but to validate the model," says Gomes, who added that the power scale of a system like the one the students built compared to today's hydroelectric plants are vastly different. "There's only so much power we can get from this at this point; our predictions are low. Theoretically, when the flow rates get higher, we should be able to get more power out, but again, we want to verify that we are right."
The EPA competition has two phases where interdisciplinary student teams compete for $15,000 grants to further the designs with the potential to implement the projects commercially. The RIT team was awarded an initial grant in the fall and worked over two-plus quarters on the design and development of the hydrofoil system.
Note: Members of the hydrofoil design team are Geoff Bastian, Chris Donnelly, Joe Fertitta, Justin Grates, Donald Leclerc, Matt Marion, Hope Alm, Tim Buckner, Will Lentlie, Andres Santizo Matheu, Shauna Traxler Adam Dunn, Andrew Garland, Vulf Kirman, Mark Negro and Michelle Wang. Harshita Sood, a student in RIT's environmental science program, also worked with the team to define potential methods for assessing impacts of the system on the current river ecosystem as well as possible fish reintroduction programs that may occur in the Genesee River.


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Some Exhibition NonsensePosted by rtmsf on November 4th, 2008
We don't put any much stock in Exhibition Games, because, well, they're exhibitions. But maybe we should – last year, Findlay defeated Ohio St. and Grand Valley St. beat Michigan St., and both of those teams had worse seasons than expected (OSU in particular – NIT). Someone should do a correlation on this. Anyway, here are some exhibition tidbits for the discerning fan…
Syracuse 76, Cal St. LA 55. Jonny Flynn led with 13/6 assts, as Cuse celebrated the returns of Andy Rautins and Eric Devendorf from injuries. Red Flag – SU was 10-26 from the foul line.
Florida 108, Warner 49. Alex Tyus led the way with 16/14, in a game that was a clear mismatch from start to finish.
Kentucky 111, Missouri St – St. Louis 53. Jodie Meeks is healthy, netting seven threes en route to 27 pts. Someone named Josh Harrelson led the Cats with 21/12.
UCLA 86, Cal Baptist 58. Jrue Holiday's debut – 12/7/7/6 stls. Nice.
Southern Illinois 82, Missouri Southern 59. Carlton Fay led SIU with 17 pts, all in the first half. Red flag – 34 turnovers.
Minnesota 88, St. Cloud 80. Tubby gave his team a C or C- for their efforts.
USC 85, Azusa Pacific 64. Taj Gibson with 19/14 but Demar DeRozan debuted with 21/7 himself.


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2004 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - Wheel A DealPosted in Features on August 9, 2013
We generally agree that if a deal seems too good to be true, then it probably is. When James Macklin, a diesel mechanic from Riverton, Utah, found this '04 LJ for sale, he realized that the good deal was just that and quickly scooped up this super-clean Wrangler. To say we are jealous would be an understatement, but hey, the good news is that not only does James love his pretty LJ that he got for a steal, he wheels it, and wheels it hard.
We generally shy away from high-end, shop-built Jeeps because some schmo saying, "I called them up, told them what I wanted, and left a blank check!" does not make for a good story. We like Jeeps with stories to tell and owners who like to use their Jeeps. James certainly likes to drive his Unlimited TJ, and while his story with the Jeep is not too long, it is different.
The story goes something like this: While in the middle of building a custom CJ-7 with 5.3L Gen III GM power, Dana 60s, 4L60E transmission, and a 4:1 Dana 300, James kept seeing this solidly built LJ pop up on a couple of forums for sale all ready to go. At first the asking price was too high to get many bites, but James instantly knew he would like to own the Jeep if it could be had for the right price. He figured someone with deeper pockets would pick up the red Wrangler before it would come down to being affordable to him. As time continued to pass (as it usually does), the Jeep kept showing up with a lower and lower price. Finally James decided to make an offer, and the seller took it. The good news is James was able to sell off most of his unfinished CJ project to help offset buying the Wrangler. This means that a couple of weeks after James bought the Wrangler, he was out on the trail with us rather than back home spinning wrenches and running to the parts store to get his CJ running.
They say horse breeding is a great way to make a small fortune…out of a large one. Apparently the same can be said about custom Jeep building. Let's just say that the price James paid for the '04 Wrangler Unlimited does not really reflect the cost of the sum of the Jeep's parts by a long shot. Either way, it's hard to hate James for the deal he got on this Jeep. He seems to be a nice guy, and boy, are we glad this beautiful Jeep went to someone who uses it as it should be used.
The chassis of the Unlimited Wrangler is basically stock with exception of a 1-inch body lift, welded-on custom tubular rocker guards, and various custom brackets added to house the LT1, 4L60E, and Atlas II. Suspension lift on the Unlimited comes from a 4-inch Full Traction long-arm conversion. This system converts the rear suspension to a three-link with an upper wishbone, eliminating the need for a rear track bar. Bilstein 5150 shocks control the bounce while the vitals are all protected by a high-clearance belly skidplate.
The drivetrain of the '04 LJ is where this beast really stands out from the crowd. Sunray Engineering cleanly installed a fire-breathing LT1 V-8. The engine received a set of ported and polished heads, an LT4 cam, roller rockers, Mahle pistons, chromoly pushrods, and 24lb/hr SVO injectors. Exhaust leaves the engine through a pair of custom one-off ceramic-coated headers and on through a sexy exhaust that tucks and dives around the suspension. An Edelbrock muffler emits a pleasing rumble followed by an angry rappp if the throttle hits the wood. Behind the healthy V-8 rests a 4L60E slush box bolted to a 3.8:1 Atlas II with a 32-spline front output. The Atlas deals out horsepower via 1350 U-joints to two Sunray Engineering 609 fabricated axlehousings. These axles hold 35-spline shafts, Detroit Lockers, and 5.13 gears, with a pair of massive 1550 U-joints in the front shafts. Sunray built these axles with kingpins, '78 Chevy calipers, and '78 Ford rotors so despite the huge U-joints and 35-spline shafts the Jeep still has a 5-on-51⁄2 bolt pattern. Warn locking hubs allow the front axle to easily be disconnected at the end of the trail when the Atlas II is in 2WD. GM Hydroboost from a '00 Chevy truck helps whoa the ponies via disc brakes bolted on all four corners. At time of shooting this feature black steel beadlocks hold 38x12.50-15 Super Swamper TSL SX tires that have been siped. A Via Air 550 CI compressor supplies plenty of compressed air to refill tires after a day on the trail.
Body and Interior
The body of the Unlimited is protected front and rear with a pair of Warn bumpers with the front housing an XD9000i winch in case a tug is needed. Aforementioned tubular rocker guards sit under the body tub and provide ample protection from any angry rocks that may try to leap up and scratch that red paint. These rockers even kick out a touch just in front of the rear tires to help the big Jeep slide past any large rocks. Both the rear corners and rockers of the LJ are also wrapped in steel 1⁄8-inch armor that has been painted black. Xenon TJ fender flares provide a touch more clearance than stock units. The interior sheetmetal is coated in Line-X in lieu of carpeting while the stock seats are wrapped in water resistant seat covers that match the black on red theme of the Jeep. Engine vitals are relayed to the driver via a group of AutoMeter gauges cleanly mounted in the LJ's dash. Passengers are protected from any possible flops with a Poison Spyder Customs full rollcage. Since we went wheeling with James, he has dropped the fender flares and did a little body trimming in order to fit some 40x13.50R20 Pro Comp Xterrain in competition compound mounted on Pro Comp aluminum beadlocks when on the trails. Daily driving duties fall to 325/70R17 Toyo ATs on Walker Evans wheels. Future plans include high-line front fenders, re-working the rear wheel openings for the larger tires, and maybe some coilovers.
Good, Bad, and What It's For
The first thing that comes to mind with this LJ is that it is pure Jeep eye candy. The combination of parts that make up this Jeep is something everyone can dream about, and few would have the cojones to wheel hard. James uses this Wrangler to drive to work and hit the rocks of Utah and the Southwest, and the Jeep has power, strength, and plenty of room for his wife and hound doggies. The combination of big parts, big power, big tires, and shiny red paint make this LJ just sexy.
Why I Wrote This Feature
Honestly, when I first saw James and his Unlimited I figured this guy was just another credit-card-wheeler in a pretty Jeep. I won't lie, I was jealous of what was clearly a spendy Jeep. Once I saw James wheel his Wrangler, I'll admit I liked his style. He wasn't afraid of hitting hard obstacles on Hells Revenge and Poison Spider Mesa in a Jeep that most would only dare rub with a cloth diaper. Once I heard the story of how James had built a few rigs in the past while working as a diesel mechanic and then got an amazing deal on this Jeep, I thought maybe this guy was okay. When I heard James was currently driving the Jeep to and from work so he could afford the payment on it and had driven (not towed) four hours to be a part of the trail ride, I respected that. After wheeling with James for a few days, I realized he knew his stuff and that I actually liked the guy. I am still jealous of his Jeep, but I can't blame him for scooping up a great deal on a stunning Jeep and then having fun with it.
—Verne Simons
Hard Facts
Vehicle: 2004 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
Engine: LT1
Transmission: 4L60E automatic
Transfer Case: Atlas II 3.8:1
Suspension: Full traction long-arm
Axles: Sunray Engineering 609 front and rear 35-spline
Wheels: Black steel beadlocks
Tires: 38x12.50/15 TSL SX
Built For: Rocks


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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Last weekend, MIT's women's swimming team hosted Tufts University, Wheaton College and Roger Williams University in the perennial Charlie Batterman Relays. The Engineers rocked the waters of the Zesiger Center, winning all nine events. MIT's men fared equally as well, as the two teams combined for eighteen wins and twelve meet records.
While no official team scores were recorded, the meet provided an opportunity for swimmers to showcase their talents before the competitive season. Amy Jacobi was MIT's leading contributor, as the junior participated in six of the nine races. Freshman Anna Kokensparger, who set two individual team records in last month's alumnae meet, swam on five winning relays.
The Engineers will compete in their first head-to-head match on Wednesday, November 18, when they travel to face the Blue of Wellesley College at 7 p.m.


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Moderators: Three Stars, dagny, pfim, netwolf
MrKnowNothing wrote:I'm waiting for the Chili Pepper's new CD myself. I like the single. The album's been leaked but I'll hold off a few more days for the release.
NIN wrote:I bought it last week and I have been wearing it out in my truck CD player ever since. I dont get up in the morning to go to work. I get up in the morning to listen to the new PJ cd on my way into work!
Another instant classic by the best band of the 90's and 00's.
Vedder has lost alittle of his voice over the years and on this CD it is actually reflected in the recording. They have turned up the background vocals alittle bit and it makes up for it. Having said that, he still has the absolute greatest rock n' roll voice in the business.
Has this CD made me want to quit my job, buy a surfboard, and drive across the country to become a BEEECH BUM?? No, but that is only because I dont have the $10,000 in gas it would cost me to get there!! I fear that by the time it goes down my PJ buzz will subside.
This is their best effort since Yeild but I love every single thing they have ever put out. This CD has placed Pearl Jam among the all-time greatest bands of all time. My current all-time favorite band list is as follows:
1.Led Zepplin
2.Social Distortion
4.Pearl Jam
6.Iron Maiden
7.Nine Inch Nails
8.Pink Floyd
Pitts wrote:Sorry guys...Pearl Jam died about 10 years ago.
spoon wrote:I just downloaded that show. Matt did a good job playing Rats for the first time. What sucks is faintly in the background some drunk chick keeps shouting "Play Baba!" I'm stoked for Cleveland tomorrow. Ok the show not the city.
Just saw this on Google Video. video for Life Wasted
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 4357770983
FallenHero96 wrote:Ten and Vs. are in the same catagory in my book, both awesome. Vitolagy is really where I think things started to change, but they still rocked and I was really into it. Yeild and No Code were both really good, and I loved them too. Binaural is where things started going downhill for me. It just wasn't the same.... I hardly ever listened to it. Then Riot Act came out, and it seemed like more of the same. All his political stuff soured me too. Then with this new one it confirms for me that the Pearl Jam that I like is years past.
But man, there aren't much better memories for me than to get in the car, put Ten in the CD player and crank up "Alive".
oh and one more thing.... did anyone get the Lost Dogs CD? That track "Brother"... man what a song that would have made, I love it. I heard that Jeff almost left the band because they didnt make a song of that track way back in the day.
So you've only heard the instrumental version of "Brother"? There's a full version of it on the "Rough Mixes" demo that made its way onto the Internet years ago. I think that the old Lukin.com site still has all of them available for download.FallenHero96 wrote:oh and one more thing.... did anyone get the Lost Dogs CD? That track "Brother"... man what a song that would have made, I love it. I heard that Jeff almost left the band because they didnt make a song of that track way back in the day.
spoon wrote:Mallguard, the show in Cleveland was INSANE! Best show ever!
Here's my pics http://www.superunknown.com/photos/thum ... p?album=81
Here's the setlist
Pre-Opener Last Kiss
Set 1 Better Man, Given To Fly, World Wide Suicide, Life Wasted, Severed Hand, Faithfull, Unemployable, Gone, Daughter/(It's Ok), MFC, Immortality, Lukin, Do The Evolution, Spin The Black Circle, Porch
Encore 1 Wasted Reprise, Thumbing My Way, Inside Job, Black, Alive
Encore 2 Go, Comatose, U, Don't Gimme No Lip, Smile, Why Go, ****' Up, Yellow Ledbetter
Tocchet wrote:C'mon, Ben, keep the questions on here -- inquiring minds want to know more info on PJ!
Tocchet wrote:My girlfriend just told me that she got us tickets for Sunday night's show here in Philly. I had tried previously but it was sold out, but someone at her work was selling for face for tix in the seating area (not lawn) at this outdoor venue. I went to both nights they were in Philly on the last tour in 2003, and the first night definitely was better than the second (but I was also drunker for the first night, which could explain my enjoyment). I'm going to download one of the shows from Boston or Toronto to check those out to get a feel for how they sound.
WDVE morning show (back when Paulsen was on) did a gag song called 'Glorified version of Jim Morrison' to the tune of 'Glorified G'. I'll take Vedder and PJ to the Doors any day. But I grew up in the 90's....Tocchet wrote:Is Eddie Vedder turning into Jim Morrison? Looks like it in some of those pics with the hair and body language. Interesting look...
spoon wrote:Mallguard, the show in Cleveland was INSANE! Best show ever!
Here's my pics http://www.superunknown.com/photos/thum ... p?album=81
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9:00 pm
Martin Clunes: Horse Power "The Animal" Clunes seeks to learn how the horse became so important to humans and how our ancestors managed to tame such a large, nervous prey animal. He heads to Dubai and the opening of a new racecourse before going to Mongolia to find the only untamed horse breed. Then the Niaux Cave walls in the Pyrenees Mountains reveal a 14,000-year-old record of the human-horse relationship. Part 1 of 2G
10:00 pm
Nature's Power Revealed "Power of Fire" This examination of the power of volcanoes looks at their effect on life at the time of eruption, how they have shaped Earth's landscape, and the constant churning cauldron of molten rock within Earth itself that finds its way to the surface through volcanic activity.G
11:00 pm
Nature "Ocean Giants: Deep Thinkers" Dolphins and whales have the largest brains of any animals and like humans, have special brain cells called spindle cells that are associated with communication, emotion and heightened social sensitivity. Filmmakers reveal long-term studies about dolphin brains, and then dive with a group of dolphins as the creatures demonstrate how clicks, whistles and synchronized movements and volcalizations establish personal identity and gang behavior. Part 2 of 3G


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Save the most on your grocery bill
Save the most on your grocery bill
Still pinching pennies? Check out ways you can maximize your grocery store dollar.
- Prepared foods may be convenient, but can be pricey. According to Bankrate, prepare meals at home, double a recipe and freeze the extra for another day.
- As most dieters know, grocery shopping when you are hungry can lead to poor choices. Shopping when you aren't hungry will help keep those choices out of your cart.
- Some retailers will guarantee that if a price rings incorrectly, you get a discount. Or, if no receipt is given, your purchases are free. Pay attention to the details that can give you additional discounts.
- Check out coupon services on the Internet. They can save you money even if you incur a nominal fee.
- Avoid buying non-grocery items. They will often be pricier in the grocery store.
- Allow your eyes to travel above and below the high-priced items on the center shelves. Cheaper and generic brands often are at the bottom or top of shelving.
- Make a shopping list and stick to it. Don't let those impulse items that you don't really need wind up in the cart.
- Shop when you are well-rested. Being tired is similar to being hungry -- you are likely to buy more sweets and high-carbohydrate items.
- Call the toll-free numbers on your favorite products' labels and tell the customer-service rep how much you enjoy them. Some reps will offer cents-off (or even free) coupons for the product itself; if not, ask.
- Join a warehouse club where buying in bulk can save money in the long-term and also save you trips to the store.
- Try to shop when you are by yourself. Children not only take more time but can also distract you with unwanted items that add to the grocery bill.
- Bring a calculator with you to check and see if the unit price is cheaper on larger packaging and to keep track of your grocery total.
- Don't be fooled by familiar products, such as cereal, that have decreased package sizes while keeping prices constant, the food industry's latest response to rising costs.
- Shopping early can get you through the store faster and help you spend less.
- Seek out supermarkets that will double -- some super stores even triple -- the face value of manufacturers' coupons.
- Don't "crisis cook." Shopping after work for the day's dinner gets expensive. Plan a weekly menu before shopping and watch your grocery bill shrink.
- Trim your food bill by as much as 19 percent simply by shopping at a couple of different stores.
- Check your store for a small section where they discount products that aren't as popular as the manufacturer had hoped. This area can be a gold mine for bargains.
- Know when your store marks down expired products such as beef and bread. These can easily be tossed in the freezer for use later.
- Check out a local farmer's market for produce. It will be fresh, inexpensive and in season.


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εἰπεῖν, γράψαι, δέξασθαι, γενέσθαι, θεῖναι, πειραθῆναι
Tomorrow, I'll focus on Infinitives. I was curious about the frequency of endings. Should I be bothering so much with an infinitive like θεῖναι? Yes!
Between Logos "export results" and Excel "Right" formula, and a bit of sorting, you can find out some interesting facts in a hurry. The "right" formula is =Right(A1,3)
2300 infinitives in the NT
- 920 -ειν
500 -ναι
450 -σαι
360 -σθαι
70 -ᾶν, ῆν, λαι
- (numbers are rounded)
If you're curious as to how we'll work with the infinitives, here's the start of my script. I'll be running the language play like a WAYK game.
Write down what you want to do: to say, to receive, to be, to put.
Do you want to speak, write "to say."
Do you want to receive, write "to receive."
Do you want to "be," write "to be"
Do you want to put, write "to put."
If one writes "to say" another cannot write "to say"
If one writes "to receive" another cannot write "to receive"
If one writes "to be" another canont write "to be"
If one writes "to put" another cannot write "to put."
[After the choices are made...]
Say his name.
- Who wanted to say something?
What did he want to do?
Who tried to say something?
What did he do?
Who said something?
What did he do?
Write your name on this piece of paper.
Be straight (sit up straight)!
Put your pen on the table.


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WASHINGTON (WJLA) - The Smithsonian's National Zoo is honoring #NationalMilkDay by bringing light to its largest collection of exotic animal milk in the world, the zoo tweeted Thursday.
At the National Zoo's Exotic Animal Milk Depository, the milk is used to "learn about mammal nutrition."
In a video posted to its Twitter page, the zoo explains that the milk is collected from around the world by animals trained to voluntarily give the life-saving substance.
Baby hippo Fiona at the Cincinnati Zoo, who was born six weeks early, is one of the many animals in captivity that received formulated milk from the zoo's milk depository.
Watch the video below to learn more about the National Zoo's exotic collection:


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"Battle on the Bridge! Zabuza Returns!" (橋上決戦!ザブザ再び!!, Kyōjō Kessen! Zabuza Futatabi!!) is episode 12 of the original Naruto anime.
Haku is picking medicinal herbs in the forest when he encounters a sleeping Naruto, who is exhausted from training. He wakes Naruto, who loudly proclaims that he is training to become stronger (believing Haku to be a girl, and subsequently trying to impress "her"). Haku tells Naruto that only when a person has someone precious to protect does that person become truly strong. Naruto considers this statement and enthusiastically agrees. At Tazuna's house, Sakura and Tsunami are concerned about Naruto spending the previous night in the dark by himself, but Kakashi tells them not to worry. Sasuke abruptly leaves, saying he's going for a morning walk. Back in the forest, Haku leaves (after revealing his true gender to a shocked Naruto), and Sasuke shows up to check on Naruto and scolds him for missing breakfast. The two boys continue their Tree Climbing Practice into the evening, until they finally make it to the top of their respective trees.
Naruto and Sasuke return triumphantly to Tazuna's home, with Naruto cheerful, yet completely drained from the effort. Inari is disturbed at the sight of Naruto, who has exhausted himself for what Inari thinks is a futile struggle against Gatō and his men. He thinks of Kaiza and tearfully tells Naruto that he only thinks he can win because he has not suffered as Inari has. Naruto tells Inari that he is a coward and leaves the table. Later that night, Kakashi tells a despondent Inari that Naruto didn't mean to hurt him. Kakashi continues to explain that Naruto is an orphan who has suffered more than Inari knows and understands Inari's pain better than anyone.
The next day, Team 7 escort Tazuna to the bridge, but leave Naruto sleeping to recover from his excessive use of chakra. Once at the work site, the team is confronted by Zabuza, who has returned for round 2.


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SendGrid Hops Aboard The DOer Express to International Startup FestNick Quinlan
A tour bus full of founders, business people, and programmers all sat silent in Downtown Manhattan at 8:00am, mentally preparing for two days of pitching, networking and making connections that could launch their early stage startups to success. SendGrid, Twilio and Microsoft recently partnered to bring eleven startups from New York City to Montreal for the International Startup Festival. We rented a bus and drove six hours through upstate New York and into Canada.
The night before all the startups had gathered at 10gen Headquarters for a Q&A with Brian Watson of Union Square Ventures (USV). The founders seized the opportunity, asking questions about funding and business strategy and heard about USV's investment thesis.
Back on the the DOer Express, the startups were hard at work, despite the long ride. Everyone was connected to the internet, working in a mobile office driving up I–87 at 65mph. Riders pitched their startups to a panel of SendGrid and Twilio employees, who then gave the startups tips on ways to sharpen their pitching skills. The startups found this invaluable, as they pitched constantly over the two day Startup Festival.
Here are the 11 startups riding the DOer Express:
- Cheek'd
- Cloudbill
- Freak'n Genius
- See Sharp Guys
- CallProof
- Meridix
- Call Ecko
- RequestNow
- Simply Grid
- Wisdom.ly
Upon ariving in Canada, startups had a chance to plan, decompress, and even sing karaoke. However, once Startup Fest began, the founders began hussling. Meeting venture capitalists, pitching to anyone and everyone, including a panel of grandmothers. On the line was $70,000 in funding, a windfall for these early stage startups.
Two of the eleven startups on the DOer express reached the final round of the competition to recieve the funding. Although neither won, both had their first experiences selling VCs on their startups.
All the startups left the event with great experiences. "I had an amazing time on the DOer bus and so many doors were opened based on my time there," Joshua Pierce, cofounder of The See Sharp Guys, said. It was a sentiment shared by many.
This was the second annual DOer Express. Look out for it next year and hop aboard.


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SUPERACID PROMOTED SYNTHETIC TRANSFORMATIONS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW SOLID SUPPORTED BRØNSTED ACIDS by Kevin E. Glinton A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (CHEMISTRY) August 2010 Copyright 2010 Kevin E. Glinton
Object Description
|Superacid promoted synthetic transformations and the development of new solid supported Brønsted acids
|Glinton, Kevin E.
|Author email
|firstname.lastname@example.com; email@example.com
|Doctor of Philosophy
|Document type
|Degree program
|College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
|Date defended/completed
|Date submitted
|Restricted until
|Date published
|Advisor (committee chair)
|Prakash, G.K. Surya
|Advisor (committee member)
Olah, George A.
Shing, Katherine S.
|The following dissertation describes the development of several new transformations by the application of a wide range of superacid catalysts and reagent systems for many potential synthetic reactions. The synthesis of some new and novel solid Brønsted acids and their applications in a number of classical organic reactions are also reported in detail. In Chapter 1, a brief overview and history of acids and superacids are given including their different forms and classifications. The strengths of acids and the acidity function are also briefly highlighted along with the importance and application of superacids in organic reactions. Finally, the properties of solid acids and their recent emergence as eco-friendly catalytic alternatives are outlined.; The discussion of new superacid-assisted reactions begins with Chapter 2 in which the triflic acid catalyzed Friedel-Crafts alkylation of aromatics with mono and bis(trifluoromethyl)oxiranes is detailed. Ring opening reactions of these substrates afforded fluorinated β-phenylethanols in excellent yields. The regioselectivity of oxirane ring opening and subsequent Friedel-Crafts alkylation were found to depend upon electronic and steric contributions from the substituents in the oxirane ring which were further explored through DFT studies. Chapter 3 expounds the Nafion-H® catalyzed synthesis of trifluoromethyl imines from benzylamine derivatives and trifluoromethylated ketones. The formation of fluorinated benzaldimines occurs primarily by a previously unreported, acid-catalyzed 1, 3-hydrogen shift. Fluorinated benzaldimines may subsequently be converted to pharmaceutically important α-trifluoromethylated amines.; Chapter 4 summarizes the triflic acid catalyzed sulfonation and alkyl-sulfonation of proton exchange membranes and new synthetic pathways to substituted diarylsulfones and thiochroman dioxides. These reactions are considered new examples of direct Friedel-Crafts cycli-alkyl-sulfonation. Reactions between Polyvinylidene Fluoride – Polystyrene (PVDF-PS) and various reagents, under superacidic conditions, lead to polymeric sulfonic acids while reactions with monomeric aromatics under similar conditions lead to diaryl sulfones or thiochroman dioxides.; Chapter 5 describes the synthesis of polymer-bound Brønsted acids and their use as convenient alternatives to liquid acids. Nitric acid and sulfuric acids have been combined, both individually and as a mixture, with poly(4-vinyl pyridine). The new solid acid systems have been used to nitrate several substituted arenes and proved to be quite effective nitrating agents.; In, Chapter 6, the complexes formed between hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVD) or poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (PVP) have been revealed as successful solid H2O2 equivalents. The complexes are used in the selective oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides and in the synthesis of gem-diperoxides from ketones. The complexes proved to be convenient, safe and tolerant of a variety of substituents.; Finally, Chapter 7 discusses the use of (aminomethyl)polystyrene as an efficient reservoir for anhydrous HF as the polymer forms ionic solid HF complexes with varying amounts of anhydrous HF. The complexes can be used as a catalyst for isobutylene alkylation as well as a convenient fluoride source for the fluorination of alcohols. Interestingly, treatment of 1-adamantanemethanol with the reagent results in its unexpected ring expansion to homoadamantane involving carbocationic intermediates.
|acids; superacids
|Part of collection
|University of Southern California dissertations and theses
|Publisher (of the original version)
|University of Southern California
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|University of Southern California
|Glinton, Kevin E.
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|SUPERACID PROMOTED SYNTHETIC TRANSFORMATIONS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW SOLID SUPPORTED BRØNSTED ACIDS by Kevin E. Glinton A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (CHEMISTRY) August 2010 Copyright 2010 Kevin E. Glinton


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U.K. team bans suits and ties, scores interoperability hit
All around the world, governments have spent years and billions of dollars just trying to make defense procurement agile, responsive and cost-effective. Yet two British Defense Ministry staffers—working, initially, in their spare time—may have come up with a solution to a problem that continues to vex militaries and industry alike worldwide.
In 2007, Merfyn Lloyd, a mathematician at the ministry's Defense Science and Technology Laboratory, whose role is to provide scientific and technical advice to the Chief of Defense Materiel-Land, was asked to find a way of integrating new devices purchased under urgent operational requirements for use on legacy army vehicles in Afghanistan. Lloyd was joined by Simon Masley, a mechanical engineer and project manager from the ministry's procurement wing, Defense Equipment and Support, and they began a project that may have far-reaching implications for the global defense industry.
Lloyd and Masley established a series of working groups with representatives of the main suppliers of land equipment. The result was the August 2010 publication of Def Stan 23-09, a 54-page document that provides a framework to enable "plug-and-play" interoperability of subsystems across British military vehicles.
The standard, known as Generic Vehicle Architecture (GVA), was launched at the official Defense Vehicle Dynamics (DVD) trade show here in the summer of 2010. As well as describing a means of connecting subsystems and peripheral devices across the vehicle platform, the standard provides a single human-machine interface—a ruggedized touchscreen and keypad, with contextual menus, able to monitor and control all integrated systems. GVA now is mandatory on all new British military land vehicles and major upgrades. The Foxhound lightweight patrol vehicle, which began arriving in Afghanistan this June, is the first platform to be fielded with it.
GVA's impact is such that, at this year's DVD, the ministry announced the imminent publication of two new standards; one to cover forward operating bases (GBA—Generic Base Architecture), and the other the individual soldier (Generic Soldier Architecture, or GSA), under the overarching banner LOSA (Land Open Systems Architecture). When fully implemented, these codes will mean new devices can quickly and seamlessly operate across soldiers, vehicles and bases, ensuring that legacy platforms remain capable for longer, and eliminating delays between the creation of potentially life-saving or battle-winning technologies and getting them to the front line.
Lloyd and Masley discussed the history of GVA's development at this summer's show. There was no significant resistance from industry, they said. "If it becomes easier to take everyone's products and put them together, the benefits for both industry and the ministry are clear enough to convince most people," Masley notes. "Because it's such a sensible thing to do, it was quite easy to get buy-in for it."
Discussions took place at a technical and engineering level within defense contractors. "We got rid of the business-development people," said Lloyd. "Nobody was allowed to wear a tie—they had to come along in a T-shirt."
Non-disclosure agreements were put in place to encourage open interaction between companies. Monthly meetings took place—not at Lloyd's and Masley's office in Abbey Wood, near Bristol, but at each participant's site, to ensure all involved got to see what each other was doing. "We refused to get bogged down in unnecessary process," Lloyd said. "If there was something to be done, we went ahead and did it."
GSA is likely to concentrate on power issues—the wide range of different and non-interoperable batteries required by increasingly power-hungry dismounted equipment suggests significant weight-reduction benefits can be achieved—while the base architecture includes standards to permit fast replacement of water, fuel and waste-disposal equipment, as well as power and data-management systems. All three concepts are due to be extensively tested in October, during a three-week experimental exercise in Wales.
Of course, the full benefits of LOSA cannot be achieved by one nation alone. Other militaries are looking at generic architectures, though approaches vary. The U.S. equivalent of GVA is the Vehicular Integration for C4ISR/EW Interoperability (Victory) standard. Its scope is different and the team there is reportedly seeking to standardize in detail, whereas GVA deliberately avoids specifying the minutia. The Victory and GVA teams are in contact, but cooperation is informal.
Meanwhile, Germany has asked NATO to convene a working group to convert the U.K.'s GVA Def Stan to a NATO standard agreement. Canada, Australia and France are also interested. It is easy to see why: If a series of LOSA-based interoperability standards can be established globally, defense procurement will never be the same again.


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Yup Ruday as s1 said our scores as a tribe immediately shot up and we were finishing higher every week and even had 3 1st place finishes. We were discussing so freely and everyone could get the picks so easily! So the full credit must go to you! You deserve an award! :smartass
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6:30 pm
Dialogue "Philip Gourevitch: Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference" The New Yorker staff writer and editor of The Paris Review talks with host Marcia Franklin. Gourevitch is the author of I Regret to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families, an investigation of the 1994 Rwandan massacre. He also wrote The Ballad of Abu Ghraib about some of the military police who worked in that prison during its scandal over inmate torture.G
7:00 pm
Need to Know EFF GREENFIELD ANCHORS. This week Need to Know medical correspondent, Dr. Emily Senay, examines whether the Food and Drug Administration's medical device review process adequately protects the public and anchor Jeff Greenfield interviews Dr. Josh Rising, project director of the Medical Device Initiative at The Pew Charitable Trusts. D
7:30 pm
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Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority This program explores the life and times of the late U.S. Representative Patsy Takemoto Mink (1927-2002), the first woman of color in Congress and the driving force behind Title IX, the landmark legislation that mandated gender equity in education. While Mink was considered a controversial figure at times, the film aims to provide a balanced view of her politics and actions. D
9:00 pm
Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club The film chronicles the thrilling life and extraordinary times of aviation pioneer Florence Lowe "Pancho" Barnes, one of the most colorful and accomplished women pilots of the early 20th century. Narrated by Tom Skerritt, with Kathy Bates as the voice of Barnes, it employs newly discovered personal files, never-before-seen photos and rare movie footage to tell her story. The film also includes interviews with General Charles 'Chuck' Yeager, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and famed test pilots R.A. 'Bob' Hoover and Bob Cardenas.G
10:00 pm
Moyers & Company "What Has Capitalism Done for Us Lately?" Richard Wolff's smart, blunt talk about the crisis of capitalism on his first Moyers & Company appearance, we asked him to return. On this week's show (check local listings Wolff dives further into income inequality, analyzing the widening gap between a booming stock market and a population that increasingly lives in poverty. Wolff also takes questions sent in from around the world by our viewers. D
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Washington Week NULL


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What You Need to Know When Rolling Into Lincoln for Gameday
By Husker Locker at August 20, 2012 | 6:00 AM | Print
Via the Nebraska Department of Roads:
– Highway Travel Update
The first home Husker football game is Saturday, Sept 1. According to the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR), contractors will minimize lane closures on home game weekends on the highways around the immediate Lincoln area where highway improvement projects are ongoing.
– Lincoln Area Highways
– I-80 – East & West of Lincoln: Two lanes in both directions will be open on home gamedays. Some speed reductions may be in place.
- I-180 into Lincoln: Open
- US-6 – East & West of Lincoln: Open
- N-2 – Nebraska City to Lincoln: Open
- N-79: Open
- US-77- Wahoo to Lincoln and Beatrice to Lincoln: Open
- US-34 – Seward to Lincoln: Open
- Eastbound I-80 Entrance Ramp at Waverly Interchange (409) from N-6 will close at halftime of each home game. Traffic will be directed to continue east on N-6.
- Northbound I-180 Entrance Ramp from Superior St. will also close to assist traffic exiting Lincoln on I-180, after each game.
Message boards will be posted, as in the past, to direct traffic upon departure from Lincoln. City of Lincoln Police and Public Works, along with Nebraska State Patrol and the State Roads Department coordinate Husker game day traffic operations to enhance public safety.
– Statewide
There are many active highway improvement projects on Nebraska's highways and the interstate. Motorists planning highway travel to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln home football games are reminded to buckle-up and pay extra close attention to the greatly increased traffic which increases the travel time. Leave for your destination allowing plenty of time for a safe arrival to and returning from Memorial Stadium.
– 511
The Advanced Traveler Information Service, 511, is a free 24-hour, year-round information source offered by the NDOR and the State Patrol. Phone Numbers and web details are below.
Travel Resources Year-Round
PHONE: Call 511 or 800-906-9069, then follow the prompts.
WEB: 511 on the web at: www.511.nebraska.gov. Use the icons on the left side of the page and click the map to zoom into the area you wish to see in detail. Hover or click on icons for more details. Other map layers include weather sensors, cameras, and message boards.There are links on the page to weather info and travel info for surrounding states.
MOBILE: www.ndortraveler.mobi. View a Text version of 511 info, (sorted by highway number), selected camera views across the state by geographic area, weather links, the most recent NDOR Tweet, as well as push-to-talk 511 phone. The site works on PC's, too.
Lincoln Parking Info & Links for Game Days
Mary Jo Oie, Lincoln, 402-479-4512


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Editor's Note: The ongoing negotiations in the World Trade Organization have the potential to bring far-reaching changes in U.S. farm programs. Farm Press Executive Editor Forrest Laws recently sat down with Mark Lange, president and CEO of the National Cotton Council, to discuss the status of the Doha Round talks.
Q: There was a lot of news coming out of the WTO last week (Oct. 17-21), but we didn't hear much about its impact on cotton?
A: I remain hopeful we will be able to keep cotton in what's referred to as the "single undertaking" so that whatever is done in agriculture applies to cotton, and cotton doesn't get singled out in some manner. The U.S. Trade Representative's office continues to support such a position because they are fully aware that while some countries would like to single out cotton, there are others that would like to single out other commodities. If you start down that path, you probably begin to disassemble the whole concept of comprehensive negotiations, and everything becomes a rifle shot at whoever has the hot topic on a single commodity. This probably makes any negotiations more difficult than comprehensive negotiations. The special subcommittee on cotton continues to meet in Geneva. That special subcommittee was created by the framework agreement adopted in 2004. The agreement specifically noted that the subcommittee was a monitoring committee, not a negotiating committee. And, so far, the chairmen, the first chairman, Tim Groser, and the current chairman, Crawford Falconer, have been able to keep the committee working as a monitoring body, and they've avoided the committee becoming a negotiating committee. But there certainly have been pressures on both chairmen to attempt to establish new negotiations on cotton. And even the European Union's agricultural negotiator, Peter Mandelson, has added to the complexity by noting that cotton should be accorded some additional special treatment. In particular, he has talked about the "early harvest." An early harvest means you might have a comprehensive agreement that called for a 10-year phase-in of new disciplines that would apply to agriculture in general but then you might have an early harvest agreement on cotton that said cotton would achieve its disciplines in five years or less. So far, the United States has resisted that, and even the chairman of the cotton subcommittee has said the single undertaking serves the best interest of the African countries.
Q: Are the West African countries and Brazil the primary movers behind this pressure for negotiations in the cotton subcommittee?
A: Of course, Brazil, as the so-called leader of the G20 group of countries, is attempting to use the special cotton subcommittee to maintain its leadership role with the less developed countries.
Q: The G20, G10, G33. Why do all these groups keeping springing up in the Doha negotiations?
A.: There are so many of them that it's hard to keep track of. I find the relationship between Brazil and the African countries really puzzling because the amount of land devoted to cotton in the United States is fairly stable. It may move up or down 4 or 5 percent. The place with the most rapid expansion of the area devoted to cotton is Brazil. Brazil now has a cotton program. If I were a West African farmer and looking at who's going to be my competition; that is, the one who's adding bales and the new acres and the guy with the new program it's Brazil. The United States is fairly stable.
Q: Traveling through Mato Grosso, the newest cotton-producing state in Brazil, you have to wonder if they have any constraints on how much they can grow?
A: Obviously, their biggest limitation right now is their infrastructure in terms of the ginning and the roads. That will be forthcoming over the next few years, and we're going to see a different cotton situation in a few years.
Q: What do you think the odds are the United States can keep cotton from being singled out for special treatment in the Doha Round?
A: Every time they meet I hold my breath. It's a negotiation that's in a constant state of creating a new dynamic, and we all know that those negotiators are there to eventually reach a deal. So we stay ever watchful.
Q: Ambassador Rob Portman, the U.S. Trade Representative, was criticized after he proposed a 60-percent reduction in U.S. domestic farm support on Oct. 10. How does the cotton industry feel about the proposal?
A: I think the only way U.S. agriculture is able to tolerate something like that is if we see the extraordinary gains in market access that correspond to the reductions we're talking about in domestic support. It's apparent from the current crisis in the EU on these talks that market access is probably going to be every bit as difficult a negotiation as reducing domestic support.
Access pillar areas You know there are two major areas in the market access pillar. One is the general reduction in tariffs, and the other is the so-called sensitive and special products area. It appears that the EU has some problems with both, and I think it's clear that the less developed countries as represented by the G20 are unwilling to discuss the sort of market access that the U.S. has put forward.
Q: Some groups have said they were willing to go to 1 percent and 1.5 percent caps on sensitive products or tariff lines?
A: Cotton is not a sensitive product for a number of countries. But this pursuit of capping the number of tariff lines that could be in the sensitive category obviously seems to be of huge importance for this group called the G10. That's the group that has used border measures to maintain high prices. A good example of that would be South Korea. If you look at agricultural spending in South Korea, it's not all that high. Of course, what they do is use border measures or tariffs to keep their internal commodity prices high.
For them a discussion about sensitive products is a very sensitive issue because they know what would have to happen if they were to agree to the kinds of market opening that is being sought. When their domestic prices came down to something like world prices they probably would be under pressure to have some sort of WTO-compatible program, the green box or whatever, to compensate some of their agricultural sector for what would be a rather substantial loss in income. I believe it would be their intent in those countries to maintain domestic production and not simply watch it disappear. Just as food security has been an issue in the United States and the EU, I believe it's an issue in other countries, and how they address it in the constraints of the WTO is a difficult question because they don't have the money or a budget that allows them to do some of the things the United States can do.
Q: Ambassador Portman has said that while the United States has a ceiling of $19.1 billion on farm payments, we only use $14 billion to $15 billion so 60 percent of that would take us to $7 billion to $8 billion for amber box payments...
A: One of the things in this $19.1 billion amber box ceiling is called a cap on measures of support so it's not just spending. The principal spending there are marketing loan gains. Now it's not checks written for loans; it's only the marketing loan gains and loan deficiency payments. Of course, Step 2 was in there and the Senate Agriculture Committee action would eliminate Step 2 by the end of July. If the House does something similar, I would assume Step 2 would not be an issue after this year. The other thing is that dairy and sugar don't have significant spending programs, but they do have significant border measures.
USDA each year has to estimate the subsidy equivalent of the border measures. By having these type quotas and high tariffs, it's as if we were making a payment to the producers supporting high domestic prices compared to world prices. In an average year, that comes out to about $5.5 billion that has to go into this amber box. So before we ever spend a dollar in marketing loan gains for grains, oilseeds and cotton, we already have $5.5 billion of the $19.1 billion claimed by dairy and sugar.
Now in a high cost year like we saw in 2000 and 2001 when most commodity prices were hitting 30- and 40-year lows, I believe we spent around $8 billion for marketing loan gains for all the program crops. In those years, we came closest to actually hitting the cap of $19.1 billion because you take those actual spendings plus that $5.5 billion in support for dairy and sugar plus several hundred million dollars for Step 2 and a few other odds and ends.
'Blow through cap' A 60 percent reduction in the $19.1 billion gives you a spending cap of $7.6 billion. That would be your total of marketing loan gains plus whatever you do on dairy and sugar plus a few other miscellaneous programs. You couldn't exceed $7.6 billion. Well, that says very clearly that we're going to change the dairy and sugar programs. They're just not going to be able to have that big a score and chew up three-fourths of your cap. It also means if you have a year like we saw in 2000 and 2001 in terms of commodity prices with current loan rates that $8 billion in marketing loan gains and LDPs would blow through the cap by themselves.
So the recent proposal by the USTR has extraordinary implications for U.S. agriculture. The other thing that most of U.S. agriculture applauded in the framework agreement from July 2004 was the apparent ability of the United States to move the counter-cyclical program to the blue box in the WTO agreement. The U.S. proposal calls for a cap of 2.5 percent of value on blue box spending. If you look at the value of agricultural products in the U.S., say $215 billion a year, then you have a blue box cap of about $5.5 billion. If you look at today's programs with the loan rates, target prices and direct payments where they are, if all the commodities ran into a year where they were receiving the maximum counter-cyclical payments, I believe you would spend around $7.5 billion, which would exceed the cap on the blue box.
So it's not a matter of U.S. agriculture and the cotton industry looking at USTR's proposals and saying, "Well, we could move that around to where we're getting this support and still manage to have the same support." Some in agriculture are also saying we could pull down some of the blue box or counter-cyclical support or maybe some of the loan support and transfer that into the green box and make direct payments larger than they currently are. And from a policy standpoint it would be more WTO-prudent; that is, less trade distorting, less reliance on loans and more on green payments, which are considered minimally trade distorting. The problem is that for the average Sunbelt producer there's not a lot of room in their farm structure to pick up any more direct payments. They have a tight cap on them – $40,000. If all you did is go in and add to the direct payment on a per pound basis, I'm not sure all of agriculture sees that as way of maintaining support that would be less trade-distorting. I think it just takes away from some of our producers.
Q: We tried that in the 1996 farm bill.
A: Yes, we did. This really does concern me because when you start putting pencil to paper on meeting those kinds of commitments it makes clear the kind of improvement in market access you have to achieve to be able to withstand such reductions in the safety net.
It's further complicated by the fact that not all agricultural commodities see the same thing when you say market access. For cotton, very few countries constrain the movement of cotton across their borders. For U.S. grains and U.S. oilseeds, they look at Europe and some other countries and see increased opportunities. But cotton, we look at China. That means that who's granting the access and how much they've agreed to becomes a much bigger issue. Any agreement in this Doha Round gives China any sort of latitude they seek. They keep saying, "We had to make these extraordinary changes to get into the WTO in 2001. You all wrestled these from us in the WTO accession agreement. So now we should be given a free ride in the Doha Round." Our position is that the Chinese came into the WTO in 2002 as if they had been in since 1994. In textiles, most of the textile world says that if they came in in 2002 when most of the world was finishing the phase-out of the 10-year multi-fiber arrangement, then the timetable for them should have run from 2002 to 2012. My view is they came in and got all the benefits as if they had been here since 1994. So they don't get any slack during this debate in 2005 and 2006 on whatever the commitments will be in this next round of negotiations.
Q: Some would say they haven't lived up to what they agreed to in the WTO accession agreement in 2002.
A: It took us a while to get to the point where I think, by and large from a raw cotton market access, they meet the letter of the agreement on the TRQ (tariff rate quotas) in the accession agreement that calls for about 4 million bales of access to China with a 1 percent duty. Initially, they were constraining the allocation to state-run enterprises and enterprises that were re-exporting the finished product. Through negotiations we have largely addressed that so they are meeting the letter of the agreement.
Collect on TRQs But what they've been doing this year is to issue that first TRQ. Then they issue several additional TRQs that have these variable levies on them so the government can collect up to as much as 40 percent duty on cotton coming in on the supplemental or additional TRQs. That means they maintain a much higher internal price for cotton in China and that becomes a border measure. We've been saying that what they're doing is keeping the price of foreign cotton equal to or above the price of domestic polyester in China so that in products for domestic consumption in China mills have an incentive to use polyester rather than imported cotton. Our view is and we have provided sufficient evidence to USTR that this is what's happening, and we will have to continue to work on this.
Woods Eastland (National Cotton Council chairman) was in China in June for a world cotton conference sponsored by the China Cotton Association, and he made this point: It is important that the world cotton industry see that in its use of its market access provisions, China actually is stimulating the use of polyester in China.
Q: So something that was already a problem – the lack of cotton consumption inside China – is getting worse?
A: We have a heckuva problem there. The other thing is that this Doha Round has a long way to go. If the ministerial in Hong Kong in December doesn't fall apart, they're still going to take most of 2006 for countries to table what they believe they have to do to meet their commitments. Then you wrestle with the responses to that into 2007. So, even if there could be some conclusion to the Doha talks, it's not likely to be next year and it may not be the next. The good thing is the United States has laid down a very aggressive proposal with respect to market access and domestic support. I certainly would anticipate that if negotiations reveal we're probably not capable of reaching the targets the United States had in the market access arena in terms of reductions in tariffs, then correspondingly we don't have to reach that 60 percent reduction in the amber box.
Q: Some have expressed concerned that the United States is pushing so hard for a Doha agreement that it might be willing to compromise on market access?
A: I think that really has to be talked about. I think we need constantly to be testing whether the concessions are sufficient to warrant continued support of the agreement. The necessary concessions may come with too large a sticker price. There would be those who would say that the failure to bring the talks to a successful conclusion would endanger the entire system. I don't see the WTO falling apart if these talks don't have the outcomes that people would hope. I do think as an economist that if we improve trade opportunities we generally see better economic performance. But we always have to test that by asking what's the cost?


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LONGMIRE, Wash. – After two weeks of delays due to weather and avalanche danger, the body of a Mount Rainier National Park ranger who fell to his death during a rescue operation was recovered Thursday by helicopter.
The body of Nick Hall was flown to the Sunrise ranger station to be driven to the Pierce County medical examiner's office in Tacoma, park spokeswoman Patti Wold said.
The recovery went smoothly in clear weather, Wold said.
Snow, clouds and avalanche danger prevented the recovery in the days after the June 21 accident.
Officials didn't want to unnecessarily risk the loss of another life in a recovery attempt in dangerous conditions.
A dog accompanied six rangers in an Army Chinook helicopter from Joint Base Lewis-McChord to help them find the body, which was covered with snow, Wold said.
Rangers who found Hall dead the day of his fall had already put the body on a litter.
When it couldn't be removed, it was anchored while officials waited for clear skies to return above the Winthrop glacier, at about 11,300 feet on the mountain.
While the weather was good, rangers also planned to use the helicopter Thursday to recover gear left during the initial rescue.
Hall fell 2,500 feet while helping rescue four climbers from Waco, Texas, after two of them fell into a crevasse on the Emmons glacier at the 13,800-foot level on their way down from the 14,411-foot summit.
The 33-year-old Hall was a four-year climbing ranger originally from Patten, Maine.
The park held a memorial service June 29 for Hall at the Paradise ranger station.
His family is holding a memorial service for Hall today at the United Methodist Church in Patten.
Mount Rainier is about 60 miles southeast of Seattle, and the volcano towers over the skyline on a clear day.
The national park attracts 1.5 million visitors a year.
About 10,000 climbers each year attempt to climb the mountain, and about half make it to the summit.
Whitefield Lions Club welcomes two new members
Carrabec's class of 2018 honor late math and science teacher David Gordon
Husson University fall dean's list
Nation & World
For poor during shutdown, anxiety builds over gaps in safety net
Maine Crime
Morning Sentinel Jan. 21 police log


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Lack one lacks both, and the unseen is proved by the seen, Till that becomes unseen and receives proof in its turn.
Surving dating cooper
Jan was known for her quick wit, engaging smile and her joyful spirit. Flowers are welcome, or memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 930-B Wellness Dr., Greenville, NC 27834. Published in the Star-News on 4/4/2008 Bennett, Robert 'Bobby' Therrin, 64, of Beulaville, died Sunday, April 27, 2008, at Lenoir Memorial Hospital, Kinston. She was a humble person who gave unselfishly to strangers, friends and family alike.
A graduate of Oak Ridge Military Academy and East Carolina University, he was a lifelong member of Edenton Street United Methodist Church, serving on its Administrative Board. A memorial service will be held at Edenton Street United Methodist Church on Saturday, April 26, at pm. Surviving in addition to his parents is his beloved wife of forty-four years, Shirley Jones Andrews of the home; children, Lisa O'Meara and husband Michael of Wilmington, Jamie Andrews and wife Katrina of Wilmington, Donna Batts and husband Jonathan of Wilmington; grandchildren, Corey Carmichael, Brittany Carmichael, Rhiannon O'Meara, Kaitlin Andrews, Sydney Andrews, Landon Batts and Maddoux 'Levi' Batts; brothers, Keith Andrews and wife Beverly of Wilmington and Kirk Andrews and wife Melissa of Wilmington; numerous nieces and nephews. She was born in Newark, NJ on June 13, 1933, the daughter of the late Kurt and Johanne Kloss Glaeser.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Lower Cape Fear Hospice, 2222 S. Darlene graduated from New Hanover High School in 1980 and from UNC in 1984. She will be missed by all, but leaves the fondest memories.17th Street, Wilmington, NC 28401 or to the local Humane Society. She and Tom were married in 1989 while overlooking the water on St. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 o'clock Tuesday morning, April 15, 2008, at St.In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Lower Cape Fear Hospice, 2222 S. A service of Coble Ward-Smith Funeral and Cremation Service, Oleander Chapel, 791-4444. Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 7, 2008, at 11 am at Lake Forest Baptist Church with the Rev. Interment will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park with his grandsons and great- grandsons serving as pallbearers. He was a loving & devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather & friend.Published in the Star-News on 4/12/2008 RALEIGH -- W. The family will receive friends on Sunday, April 6 from 5-7 pm at the funeral home. Perry worked in the shipyards of Wilmington during WWII building Liberty ships.
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