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This is the Tetragon rug of the Parquet collection, a series of three kilims created by Swedish design studio Front. Their inspiration came from old parquet flooring patterns, and their varied dispositions and geometry. This frequent combination of square and rectangular shapes, traditional in parquet compositions, has been applied to the Tetragon rug with vivid colors, specifically selected to create a three-dimensional sensation. Since it is irregularly shaped, Tetragon also allows for interesting compositions of more than one piece.
The kilim is an artisan method of rug making in which the weft is tightly woven on a manual loom, using only threads and no knotting. The result is a light fabric with no pile, similar to that of upholstery. It is a technique that offers great flexibility, a feature that GAN explores thoroughly to create high-impact details.
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No fewer than 110 top Nigerian bank executives and junior staff members have been sacked for fraud-related cases in the past two years.
These were contained in the ‘Reports of Fraud and Forgeries in Nigerian Banks’’ released by the Financial Institutions Training Centre between the second quarter of 2021 and Q2 2023.
FITC’s institutional members are members of the Nigerian Banker’s Committee, which comprises the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, and all licensed banks in Nigeria.
A breakdown showed that while only four bank officials were sacked in Q2 2021, the figure rose by 175 per cent to 11 in Q2 2023.
The highest number of sacked top bank executives and junior staff members was recorded in Q3 2022. Twenty officials were fired.
PUNCH observed that between Q2 2021 and Q2 2022, 52 bank staff members were sacked for fraud-related issues.
However, between Q3 2022 and Q2 2023, 58 bank staff members were sacked for the same reason.
Also, within the period under review, the sacked staff members were involved in a total of 967 fraud cases.
The highest number of cases was recorded in Q4 2021, with 410 cases involving bank staff, while the lowest was recorded in Q3 2021, with 32 cases.
It was further observed that between Q2 2021 and Q2 2022, bank staff were involved in 657 cases, while between Q3 2022 and Q2 2023, they were involved in 310 cases.
Also, about N18.01bn was lost due to fraud committed by bank staff and outsiders within the reviewed period out of a total of N81.69bn involved in fraud cases.
It was learnt that the highest amount lost was N5.79bn in Q2 2023, while the lowest amount lost was N472.28m in Q1 2023.
For the total amount involved, the highest amount was N34.78bn in Q3 2021, while the lowest amount was N1.18bn in Q2 2022.
It was further observed that mobile fraud, computer/web fraud, and P0S-related fraud were the most prevalent types of fraud, and this trend persisted in Q2 2023.
Recall that Nigeria Police Force (NPF) officially verified the arrests of two suspects who are allegedly part of a syndicate involved in the unauthorised access of over 1000 bank accounts within Nigeria.
This follows an earlier alarm raised by the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) about the heightened number of bank fraud cases in Nigeria.


text:
Dr. Mark Evers, Markey Cancer Center (#604)
Dr. Mark Evers, the director of the Markey Cancer Center at the University of Kentucky since 2009, talks about his work, Kentucky's high rate of cancer and cancer mortality, and his goal to have the Markey Cancer Center designated a National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer center.
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The Markey Cancer Center was established in 1985 and serves over 1,800 new patients each year. One of Markey's leading areas of research is in gastrointestinal cancers, for which it received a national Specialized Program of Research Excellence grant. In addition, Markey has received national recognition for its ovarian cancer screening program.
Evers came to Kentucky from University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. An internationally recognized gastrointestinal and endocrine surgeon, Evers is also a prolific researcher. A Tennessee native, he completed his residency training in general surgery at the University of Louisville in 1988.

domain: biology


|Publication number||US7193966 B2|
|Application number||US 09/888,922|
|Publication date||Mar 20, 2007|
|Filing date||Jun 25, 2001|
|Priority date||Jun 25, 2001|
|Also published as||CN1520653A, CN100353696C, US20030007456, WO2003001725A1|
|Publication number||09888922, 888922, US 7193966 B2, US 7193966B2, US-B2-7193966, US7193966 B2, US7193966B2|
|Inventors||Praveen Gupta, Todd Ruth|
|Original Assignee||Telefonakitebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ)|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (9), Referenced by (53), Classifications (24), Legal Events (4)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
The present invention relates to wireless communication systems in general, and particularly relates to such systems that employ variable rate or variable bandwidth radio channels.
As wireless communication systems evolve, the range of services offered by such systems expands. The increasing diversity, sophistication, and quality of available services have attracted a rapidly growing number of people who use wireless communications in their everyday lives. For example, today's mobile terminal user may subscribe to a wide range of voice and data services, including Internet access, email, and other data services in addition to more conventional voice services. It is expected that the demand for wireless communication services will continue to grow as new services are added and existing services are improved.
While the demand for data services continues to grow, the resources available to provide such services are finite. These resources include both the call processing and management resources, generally referred to as network resources, as well as the radio resources necessary to communicate with individual mobile terminals.
In next generation communication systems, the number of channels or bandwidth allocated to a user varies, depending on the services being provided to that user. For example, in cdma2000-based (IS-2000) networks, a user might be allocated a fundamental channel to support low data rate services, such as voice. For higher data rate services, the user might be allocated a fundamental channel and one or more supplemental channels to support the higher data rates. Thus, in contrast to older communication systems, these newer communication networks may allocate substantial resources to a single user, potentially reducing the total number of users that may be simultaneously supported.
The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for managing radio channel allocation and configuration in a radio access network. In one aspect, the present invention provides rate management functions that dynamically adjust the data rate capacity of an allocated radio channel upwards or downwards to its most appropriate rate setting. The appropriateness of the current data rate setting may be evaluated in terms of channel utilization, observed error, or any combination thereof. By selecting the best matching of available data rate settings for allocated radio channels, the radio access network's resources are more efficiently utilized. So, rather than maintaining a high data rate capacity on a channel that is being underutilized or suffers from excessive error, that channel's data rate may be reduced and the freed resources put to better use elsewhere.
Radio channel management may utilize a number of variables intended to balance the desire to maintain the minimal resource allocation for a given channel against the need to limit additional processing and signaling overhead associated with reducing or increasing radio channel capacity. These variables may include timing parameters that permit tracking the time since a last channel adjustment was made upwards or downwards, and may be used to prevent the rate management function from implementing rate control changes too frequently. Additional variables used in the dynamic rate management and radio channel allocation techniques of the present invention may further include subscriber-specific values, such as might be taken from home location register information. Thus, if a given subscriber has paid for premium access, higher access rates may be assigned or maintained for that subscriber.
Radio channel management in accordance with the present invention may be practiced in any number of radio network types, with cdma2000 and Wideband CDMA (W-CDMA) being primary examples. In these types of radio networks, individual subscribers may be allocated one or more radio channels or one or more channel types or data rate capacities. By incorporating the rate management techniques of the present invention, the radio channel resources allocated to individual subscribers may be maintained at or near the actual capacity needed by each subscriber.
The present invention may also incorporate channel allocation techniques that determine the type or number of radio channels initially allocated to a given subscriber by the radio access network. These techniques may find particular use in radio access networks where subscribers may be initially allocated a basic rate channel, such as a fundamental channel in a cdma2000 network, which is then altered or supplemented with additional radio channel capacity if needed. Thus, given subscribers may be allocated additional radio channel data rate capacity based on actual need. Then, these higher data rate channel resources may be dynamically rate managed as above.
The present invention may be applied to a variety of radio access network types. These network types include but are not limited to so-called third generation (3G) wireless cellular communication networks, such as those radio access networks based on the cdma2000 or W-CDMA standards. Thus, it should be understood that the following discussion of particular system types and implementations is only for illustrative purposes. It should also be understood that where illustrative variables are involved, such as various timers or counters, and minimum and maximum values, these value are configurable as specific implementations might require.
Turning now to the drawings,
The RAN 12 supports communication with the mobile terminals 20 via RF signaling. A typical RAN 12 comprises one or more base station controllers (BSCs) 30 and a number of associated radio base stations (RBSs) 32. The BSC 30 provides connection management services, communication signal processing, and radio link management functions. Operating under control of the BSC 30, the RBS 32 provides the radio resources used to establish and maintain communication between the mobile terminals 20 and the RAN 12. Typically, radio resources are allocated to a given mobile terminal 20 in the form of one or more radio channels.
Within this discussion, the term radio channel generally denotes the physical signaling resources allocated to establish a dedicated data or control link to a given mobile terminal 20. For example, if the RAN 12 uses a code division multiple access (CDMA) air interface, a radio channel includes the RF transceiver resources necessary to generate and receive signals to and from the mobile terminal 20, along with the unique spreading codes necessary to operate within the multiple-access environment inherent in CDMA systems. Walsh codes, which are orthogonal code sequences, are commonly used as CDMA spreading codes, with one Walsh code used to uniquely encode each defined radio channel.
In addition to managing the radio resources, the BSC 30 also configures and allocates network resources in association with its call management functions. As such the BSC 30 cooperates with the MSC 14 in call setup and teardown operations, as well as cooperating with the PDSN 18 to establish needed network channels to support packet data communications with the PDN 24. Call processing and management functions provided by the BSC 30 further include configuring and maintaining backhaul connections between it and the RBSs 32.
In operation, then, the BSC 30 allocates logical and physical network and radio resources as needed to the various mobile terminals 20 in active communication with the RAN 12. By properly allocating these resources, the BSC 30 supports and manages communication traffic to and from the mobile terminals 20. This traffic may involve a user of one mobile terminal 20 communicating with another mobile terminal user, or may involve the mobile terminal user communicating with other users or systems associated with the PSTN 22 or PDN 24.
The particular radio and network communication channels that are configured for a given mobile terminal 20 depend on the service or services required by the user of that mobile terminal 20.
Fundamental channels are typically used for low data rate (e.g., 9.6 kbps) services such as voice, while the supplemental channels are used to support higher data rate services. Typically, the maximum data rate of a supplemental channel is configurable between some minimum and maximum value. For example, a typical forward SCH (F-SCH) in a cdma2000 network may support data rates from 9.6 kilobits-per-second (kbps) to 2.3 Mbps (mega-bits-per-second). If the RAN 12 is based on W-CDMA the terminology changes, as that standard does not use fundamental and supplemental channels per se, but nonetheless W-CDMA employs configurable or variable data rate radio channels.
In a typical cdma2000 scenario, a user of the mobile terminal 20 is assigned a forward FCH (F-FCH) upon initially accessing the RAN 12. If the user requires a higher data rate service, the user's mobile terminal may be assigned a F-SCH to support the higher data rate needed. In packet data calls, the F-FCH is setup during call-setup time. With higher rates of incoming communication traffic (i.e., more than supportable with F-FCH capacity), the radio link protocol (RLP) data queue used by the RAN 12 to queue outgoing communication traffic to the mobile terminal 20 will grow in length. This leads to increasing queuing delay, which beyond a given delay threshold is undesirable.
To understand the relationship between queuing delay and queue length, first consider end-to-end delay, also referred to as round trip time (RTT) of the data connection involved. In this exemplary case, the RTT may be on the order of 500 ms to one second, which equals the typical packet data Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) time out. The wireless link portion of the RTT delay varies depending upon the air interface, but may typically range from 80 to 120 ms. Also, a nominal frame error rate (FER) of roughly two-percent may be assumed for the outgoing communication traffic. With these values, the effective maximum wireless link on the F-FCH is given approximately as,
Rate=(base FCH rate)(% of available bandwidth)(1−FER),
which approximately equals 9.6 kbps*0.8*0.98=7.526 kbps. Thus, the effective RLP buffer length (data queue) permissible to avoid delays in excess of a target value (e.g., 300 ms in this particular example) is given as,
Maximum buffer length =7.526 kbps/8 bits/byte*0.3 seconds =282 bytes. Therefore, in this example, if the F-FCH RLP data queue for outgoing communication traffic to the mobile terminal 20 exceeds 282 bytes excessive transmission delay may occur.
It follows from this data queue length analysis that excessive packet size can violate the queue length restraint. That is, the communication traffic may comprise packet data of varying packet sizes. The size of a given packet depends on a number of variables, including its type and source. In any case, in the above example, a large data packet would violate the maximum desirable queue length, and could result in undesired transmit delay from the perspective of the mobile terminal 20.
However, the packet size limit above which supplemental channel activation is triggered may or may not be equal to the queue length limit. For example, some types of communication traffic may comprise occasional large data packets with relatively long intervening periods of no traffic. Wireless application protocol (WAP) traffic may exhibit this characteristic. As such, it would be undesirable to trigger F-SCH allocation just to service the occasional large, intermittent data packet. Thus, the trigger threshold should be configurable and may take on one of several different values that may be set based on traffic source, traffic type, or other operating condition.
One approach to determining whether to assign a F-SCH to a given mobile terminal 20 is outlined in the logic flow of
If the activation timer has not reached the predetermined value (block 206), processing ends (block 210). These processing steps may be called with a frequency dependent on the desired maximum transmit delay time. Thus, the logic of
If a F-SCH is already active for the mobile terminal 20 (block 202), then rate management techniques may be used to maintain an optimal or best matching data rate capacity configuration for the assigned F-SCH resources. Such rate management functions should be called periodically during active service, so a rate change timer is incremented each time the logic of
If the request separation timer has a non-zero value, meaning that a prior channel activation request was issued that resulted in no F-SCH channel allocation, presumably due to a lack of available resources, the request separation timer is decremented (block 224) and processing ends (block 226). The activation routine will follow this logical flow through subsequent calls to it until the request separation timer has been decremented to zero, thus enforcing the desired delay between channel activation requests sent to the signaling layer. One second represents an exemplary value for the request separation timer, and with this value repeated requests for SCH activation would be at least one second apart, thereby minimizing processing overhead in the RAN 12.
If the request separation timer is already zero, then one or more F-SCH activation “triggers” are evaluated. In this exemplary logic flow, the first trigger condition evaluated is the length of the RLP data queue for the outgoing communication traffic to the mobile terminal 20 (block 228). If the outgoing packet data has an excessive queue length, this is an indication that the F-FCH is inadequate to serve the mobile terminal's service needs. Simply put, the queue length of outgoing data is an effective indicator as to whether the data rate of the F-FCH is sufficient to keep up with the incoming data rate of traffic for the mobile terminal 20. Here, “incoming” refers to traffic coming into the RAN 12 for transmission to the mobile terminal 20.
If the RLP data queue length does not exceed a defined threshold (e.g., a maximum permissible queue length), an excess queue length timer is reset (block 230), and the next trigger condition is evaluated. The next trigger is based on the size of one or more packets in the outgoing communication traffic. For example, if one or more packets have a packet size that exceeds the maximum permissible packet size, then activation of the F-SCH may be warranted to avoid excessive transmission delay to the mobile terminal 20 (block 232).
If the current RLP data queue length exceeds maximum permissible queue length value (block 228), the excess queue length timer is incremented (block 234). An excess queue length timer at or above a defined threshold count indicates that the RLP data queue has exceeded its maximum permissible length for a defined period of time and, therefore, activation of the F-SCH is warranted (block 232). Note that the interval between calling the processing logic of
A number of steps occur with regard to the F-SCH activation request. First, an activation request rate value (Req13 Rate) is set to the desired data rate capacity indicator. The requested rate may default to, for example, the maximum defined data rate, or may be based on some intermediate value that reflects a rate that is satisfactory for most general high data rate traffic. Alternatively, the requested rate may be based on a custom value that is linked to subscriber-specific information. For example, the user of the mobile terminal 20 may have relevant subscriber profile information in the HLR 16 (or elsewhere) that determines the default data rate. This subscriber information may indicate, for example, whether the subscriber is eligible for premium data rate services, or may otherwise have a default data rate value that may be used in requesting the F-SCH.
An activation procedure is called using the Req13 Rate value that involves communicating with other processes in the BSC 30 where the resource assignments are made, such as communicating with the signaling layer. If the requested assignment is granted, the assigning process communicates back an Assigned13 Rate value that may or may not equal the Req13 Rate value. An Initial13 Rate value is set equal to the Assigned13 Rate so that in indicator of the beginning data rate for the assigned F-SCH may be preserved. An FSCH13 Active flag may then be set to indicate that F-SCH resources are active for the mobile 20, and an adjustment guard timer (Guard13 Timer) may be initialized with an appropriate count value. The Guard13 Timer is described later in the discussion of rate management operations. After completion of these operations, processing ends (block 226).
Note that if the BSC 30 indicates that no additional resources are available for completing the requested radio channel allocation, the request separation timer may be reset to an appropriate count value (block 236). As explained, subsequent calls to the logic flow of
While the above discussion of F-SCH activation triggering related primarily to the cdma2000 scenario where an initial F-FCH is supplemented with a F-SCH if needed, it alluded to rate management processing once the F-SCH channel was allocated. One advantage of rate management is that it allows the RAN 12 to avoid under- or over-allocating radio resources. That is, the data rate capacity allocated to individual mobile terminals 20 should ideally match the actual data rate requirements of those mobile terminals 20.
While exact data rate matching may not be practicable since rates may be selectable only in discrete steps and user traffic is very bursty, it is still preferable to assign the most appropriate data rate capacity to each user. It should be noted that data rate management as described herein is not limited to cdma2000, or to W-CDMA. Data rate management as described herein is appropriate for wireless communication systems where multiple data rates are defined and radio resource allocation may be optimized by matching allocated radio channel rate capacity based on actual channel usage.
In general, an allocated radio channel is rate managed based on monitored channel usage or monitored error. This applies whether the channel in question is a F-SCH in a cdma2000 system, a configurable-rate radio channel, such as a digital traffic channel (DTCH), in a W-CDMA system, or other configurable rate channel in another type of communication system.
Channel usage and channel errors are generally good bases for rate management functions. In a cdma2000 implementation, the RAN 12 (e.g., BSC 30) may monitor RLP usage and RLP FER. Other network types may use different terminology for like parameters. Thus, if RLP usage is above a configurable upper usage threshold, it may be appropriate to re-configure the allocated radio channel to provide a higher data rate capacity to the mobile terminal 20. Conversely, if RLP usage is below a configurable lower threshold, it may be appropriate to re-configure the allocated radio channel to provide a lower data rate capacity, or perhaps even de-allocate the radio channel.
RLP usage (or its comparable metric) may be measured in exemplary fashion as follows,
RLP 13 Usage=(X*100)/(D*RATE),
where X= total number of octets sent as new data to the mobile terminal 20, D=number of frame durations since last usage measurement, and RATE=a value based on the current channel data rate. Essentially, RLP13 Usage serves as an indicator of the percentage of RLP frames used to send new data to the mobile terminal 20.
As with usage, the capacity (i.e., data rate) of the allocated radio channel may be adjusted upwards or downwards based on observed communication error, which may be indicated by RLP FER for example. A high FER indicates a potentially bad radio link with the mobile terminal 20 and suggests that forward link power levels are not sufficient to sustain communications at the current date rate.
RLP error (or its comparable metric) may be measured in exemplary fashion as follows,
RLP 13 Error=(E*100)/(D*RATE),
where E=total number of retransmitted octets. Essentially, RLP13 Error serves as an indicator of the percentage of RLP frames being used to retransmit data to the mobile terminal 20.
Using these usage and error parameters, rate management processing may adjust the capacity of allocated radio channels as needed. The frequency at which rate changes are made may be adjusted in accordance with particular system needs. For example, in a system with a relatively slow forward-link power control loop, it may be desirable to slow down rate adjustments such that rate change adjustments do not outpace the frequency with which forward link power adjustments are made. Such a scenario might be found in, for example, a wireless local loop (WLL) implementation of the RAN 12, where mobility is typically not an issue and power control is typically implemented with a much slower control bandwidth as compared to a conventional high-mobility cellular communications implementation of the RAN 12.
Upon being called, rate management processing begins (block 250) with a first or one-time initialization of various timers and constants as needed. Here, High and Low Duration Timers are initialized to zero. As the rate management function is called on a periodic basis, the duration of the calling interval determines High and Low Duration Timer values. That is, if the rate management function is called once per N frame cycles (i.e., once per N data frames), each count value of the High and Low Timers represents N frame times. With the exemplary value of six (6) for N, each count value of the Low and High Duration Timers equates to 120 ms for 20 ms frame times.
Processing continues with evaluation of the Guard Timer (block 252). The Guard Timer prevents the rate management function from making rate adjustments too frequently. That is, after each rate adjustment, it is reset to a default non-zero count and must decrement down to zero again before a subsequent rate change is permitted. If the Guard Timer is not clear (i.e., non-zero), it is decremented (block 254) and processing ends (block 256). Note that here, as in the other logic flow illustrations, “RETURN” indicates a return to other processing, which most likely entails a return to the calling program for execution of other tasks.
If the Guard Timer is clear (i.e., zero). Processing continues with evaluation of the Up Delay Timer (block 258), which operates on a similar basis, but may have a different non-zero default or reset count value than the Guard Timer. The Up Delay Timer prevents a too rapid rate increase following a rate decrease operation and will be explained in more detail later.
If the Up Delay Timer is not clear (i.e., non-zero), it is decremented (block 260) and rate management processing ends (block 256) until the next time it is called. If the Up Delay Timer is clear, processing continues with an evaluation of the channel usage (block 262). An exemplary channel usage evaluation compares the RLP13 Usage value with a MAX13 USAGE constant, which may be a configurable percentage utilization threshold. The calculation of RLP13 Usage was described earlier, and it was explained that it indicated a percent utilization of the allocated radio channel as determined in the time between calls to the rate management function.
If channel utilization is greater than MAX13 USAGE, the High Duration Timer is incremented and the Low Duration Timer is set to zero (block 264). If the High Duration Timer is satisfied, meaning it has reached a predetermined count value (block 266), up-rate management operations are performed at “A,” which are detailed in
If channel utilization is not greater than MAX13 USAGE (block 262), the High Duration Timer is set to zero (block 268). Processing continues with an evaluation of whether the current usage (RLP13 Usage) is less than a usage limit for halving, or whether the channel errors (RLP13 Error) exceed a defined error threshold denoted as MAX13 ERROR (block 270). The usage limit for halving may be set depending on the type of RAN 12, but is generally defined as a minimum percentage of channel utilization below which a current data rate capacity should not be maintained.
Similarly, MAX13 ERROR may be an FER threshold above which it makes sense to reduce the data rate to the mobile terminal 20. In other words, if the radio link conditions to the mobile terminal 20 are so bad that substantial errors occur at the current data rate, the allocated channel resources are not being efficiently used. In this sense, evaluation of channel utilization entails both the calculated percentage utilization, as well as the effectiveness of that utilization based on observed or measured error.
If neither the usage limit for halving nor the MAX13 ERROR thresholds are violated, the Low Duration Timer is cleared to zero (block 272) and processing ends (block 256). However, if one or both thresholds are violated, the Low Duration Timer is incremented (block 274) and then evaluated to determine if the under-utilization condition has persisted long enough to warrant a down-rate adjustment (block 276). This condition is evaluated by determining whether the Low Duration Timer has reached a predetermined count threshold. If it has not, processing ends (block 256). If the Lower Duration Timer has reached the count threshold (e.g., a count of three), processing continues with down-rate management operations at “B,” which are detailed in
A request for a rate increase is then sent to the appropriate handler in the RAN 12 (e.g., the signaling layer functions in the BSC 30) using the REQ13 RATE value to indicate the new rate desired (block 284). The signaling layer will allocate resources as available and return a value indicating the assigned rate, which may or may not match the requested rate.
To preserve the rate actually assigned, this value is saved as the new current rate, denoted by CURRENT13 RATE (block 286). Note that this logic flow assumes that resources to support a higher rate are available. However, the BSC 30 may not be able to assign any higher rate and it should be understood that the logic of
If the current rate is not less than the initial rate (block 280), processing continues with an optional evaluation of whether it is permissible to increase the rate beyond that which was initially allocated (block 290). If such an increase is not permitted, processing ends (block 256). However, if the increase is permissible, the REQ13 RATE parameter is set to the desired rate value (block 292). The desired rate may be a multiple of the current rate, may be a default maximum value, or may be a custom value linked to, for example, subscriber-specific information. In this latter case, subscriber profile information, such as might be stored in the HLR 16, may be used to determine the value for REQ13 RATE. After setting the REQ13 RATE value, processing continues as above with the rate management function sending the rate request to the signaling layer and responding the assigned rate (blocks 284–288).
Allowing the current rate to progress above the initially assigned rate may have differing implications depending upon the type of RAN 12 involved. For example, in a cdma2000 system, the Walsh code assignments and the particular radio resources assigned to a given radio channel are based on the channel's data rate. To move beyond this initial rate may require assigning a new radio channel, which requires tearing down the existing channel and setting up the new channel. Moreover, there may be a period of overlapping teardown and setup where resources from both the old channel and new channel are dedicated to the mobile terminal 20. Thus, some care should be exercised in these operations, given the call processing overhead and resource utilization considerations involved.
With these considerations, it may be desirable to use custom subscriber information to determine whether a higher-than-initial data rate increase is permitted. The subscriber may be charged a premium for such flexibility, or may forego additional service charges at his or her option. Incorporating subscriber preferences into the rate management function allows service providers to provide pricing and service flexibility to subscribers.
The remaining operations of the exemplary rate management function address down-rate management shown in
If the current rate is not greater than the minimum rate (block 303), processing continues with no adjustment (block 256). If at or below MIN13 RATE and at or below MIN13 USAGE, the higher data rate channel is deactivated, or a lower data rate channel is otherwise adopted (block 302). In cdma2000, this might entail de-allocating the F-SCH, relying only on the F-FCH. In W-CDMA, this might entail dropping back to the lowest defined data rate for the allocated channel. Once the channel is de-allocated or a minimum rate channel is adopted, processing continues with the Low Duration Timer being cleared to zero (block 304), after which processing ends (block 256).
If either of the above conditions is not met, and if the current rate is greater than the minimum rate, processing continues with additional evaluation of the channel usage (block 306). A defined table of usage values may be stored in a memory comprising a portion of the BSC 30 or elsewhere, such that it is accessible to the rate management function. This table, denoted as Usage13 Limit[ ], comprises a set of thresholds corresponding to convenient fractional channel utilizations. For example, Usage13 Limit[ ] may comprise the following values:
TABLE 1 Usage_Limit Data Structure Usage_Limit[⅛] ⅛ Utilization Threshold Usage_Limit[¼] ¼ Utilization Threshold Usage_Limit[½] ½ Utilization Threshold
Of course, the definitions and thresholds in the above table may be varied as needed.
The first evaluation determines whether the channel usage (e.g., RLP13 Usage) is below the Usage13 Limit[⅛] threshold. If so, the REQ13 RATE value is set to ⅛ the CURRENT13 RATE value (block 308). This REQ13 RATE value is checked to insure that is not below the minimum defined rate (block 310). If it is, the REQ13 RATE is set to the minimum defined rate MIN13 RATE (block 312) and processing continues. The current error level (e.g., RLP13 Error) is evaluated to determine whether it exceeds the MAX13 ERROR threshold (block 313). If the error threshold is exceeded, the Up Delay Timer is then set to enforce a delay that prevents subsequent calls to the rate management function from making upward rate adjustments too soon (block 326).
From there, processing continues with a request to the signaling layer to adjust the current rate to the newly requested reduced rate (block 314) and the Guard Timer is reset to enforce a delay before subsequent adjustments are made (block 316). Because reducing the current data rate addresses the low duration condition that prompted the rate fallback, the Low Duration Timer is reset to zero (block 304).
If the initial channel usage evaluation above determines that RLP usage was above the ⅛ threshold (block 306), processing continues with an evaluation of whether usage is below the ¼ threshold (block 318). If so, the rate to be requested is set to ¼ the current rate (block 320) and processing continues as above (e.g., from block 310). If the usage equals or exceeds the ¼ threshold, the requested rate is set to ½ the current rate (block 324), and processing continues as above (e.g., from block 310).
If the condition necessitating downward rate adjustment was excessive error rather than underutilization of the channel, there is substantial value in imposing a controlled delay using the Up Delay Timer before any subsequent up-rate adjustments are allowed. That is, it is likely that if the radio environment surrounding the mobile terminal 20 was bad enough to result in the FER exceeding the MAX13 ERROR threshold, there will likely be little gained by bumping the data rate back up soon after a downward adjustment.
Whether a downward rate adjustment is due to error or underutilization, it may also be advantageous to set the Up Delay Timer in consideration of the new rate. For example, if the new rate is at or near the highest defined data rate, it may be sensible to enforce a relatively long delay before allowing subsequent up-rate adjustments. Conversely, if the new rate is near the minimum data rate, it may be sensible to impose a less lengthy delay before allowing subsequent up-rate adjustments. This logic acknowledges the increasing likelihood of failure in attempts to increase the data rate of a connection with an already high data rate.
Exemplary values for the Up Delay Timer in a cdma2000 environment are given in the following table:
TABLE 2 Exemplary Up Delay Timer Settings New Rate = 16x (max rate setting) Timer value = 16 * 8 New Rate = 8x Timer value = 8 * 8 New Rate = 4x Timer value = 4 * 8 “x” denotes base data rate
Of course, the up-rate delays are preferably configurable to accommodate the varying needs of different implementations and RAN types.
It should be understood that the preceding logic flows illustrated in
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|U.S. Classification||370/231, 370/437, 370/465, 370/332, 370/232, 455/435.1|
|International Classification||H04J1/16, H04L1/00, H04L12/56, H04J3/14, H04L29/08, H04W28/14, H04W74/00, H04W28/22, H04W72/00, H04W24/00|
|Cooperative Classification||H04W28/22, H04W72/0486, H04L1/0017, H04L1/0002, H04W28/14|
|European Classification||H04W72/04L, H04L1/00A1, H04L1/00A8Q|
|Jun 25, 2001||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL), SWEDEN
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:GUPTA, PRAVEEN;RUTH, TODD;REEL/FRAME:011936/0435
Effective date: 20010622
|Sep 2, 2008||CC||Certificate of correction|
|Sep 20, 2010||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|Sep 22, 2014||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 8


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Bethlehem Central High School, winter 2012.
BETHLEHEM The Bethlehem Central School District is projecting a year-to-year deficit of nearly $5 million in the 2013-14 school year budget, but officials said this year they will not attempt to challenge the state tax cap.
At a school board meeting on Wednesday, February 6, the district released its budget projections for the coming year. Under the state’s tax cap law, the district would be able to raise the tax levy by 3.64 percent next year.
Voters in May ultimately decided to exceed the tax cap with a tax levy increase of 3.99 percent, reducing the budget gap by $3.8 million for the 2012-13 school year. The plan cut some programs and clubs, increased class sizes and implemented centralized bus stops for students.
This year school officials blamed unfunded mandates, an increase in the cost of benefits and unreliable state aid funding for the budget gap.
“We are on a state aid level that is six years old and has never increased,” Superintendent Tom Douglas said.
Officials said the state’s Gap Elimination Adjustment has reduced the total amount of state aid BC has received since the 2009-2010 school year by nearly $12 million. Bethlehem has also seen a 70 percent reduction in its high tax aid from the state. Chief Business and Financial Officer Judith Kehoe said property owners are now paying for about 59 percent of the school budget, up from 46 percent in 2008.
“The board and I don't want to raise taxes, but we have a moral and civil obligation to keep given the plight we've been handed by our state legislators,” Douglas said.
The district was able to find savings last year through a reduction in transportation costs and a renegotiated teachers contract that resulted in savings of more than $1.6 million.
The district would have to spend $90.6 million to maintain this year’s programming in 2013-14, with approximately $21.8 million being provided in state aid as a conservative estimate. Voters approved an $88.2 million budget for this school year.


text:
Scheduling is not a new feature in wireless lighting control systems. Until recently, virtually all wireless solutions providing this functionality had one thing in common: They relied on a gateway to handle time management and to trigger desired lighting schedules. A new standard-based service can deliver on lighting schedules without a gateway device by leveraging the capabilities of the open Bluetooth mesh protocol. This article will examine the benefits of this approach and the challenges accompanying the development of the gatewayless scheduling feature.
State of the standard
Bluetooth mesh was adopted in 2017 as the first wireless standard designed specifically to address professional lighting applications. It aimed to solve the three pain points — simplicity, scalability, and reliability — while delivering innovative lighting control and data management features. A global technological shift always takes time, but Bluetooth mesh is making strong headway, with more than 1,200 qualified products on the market and projects of scale previously not achievable for standard-based wireless technologies. (See the 3,500-plus node Minneapolis project that received the 2021 Sapphire Award for Design Excellence in Networked Lighting Controls for LLLC.)
Industry organizations have also shown their support for Bluetooth mesh technology. The collaboration between the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) and the DALI Alliance continues to strengthen, and the DesignLights Consortium has certified several wireless control solutions based on Bluetooth mesh. It is still too early to consider Bluetooth mesh a go-to wireless technology for lighting controls, but the standard seems well positioned. Considering the fragmented wireless lighting control landscape over the past decade, widespread adoption would be a real breakthrough for the lighting industry. In the meantime, new Bluetooth mesh–based developments continue to advance the standard. The so- called in-node scheduling shows promise in moving the technology forward.
Essence of decentralization
The Bluetooth mesh specification included in-node time-management procedures, so gatewayless scheduling was expected on the market at some point. As a contributor to the Mesh Working Group at the Bluetooth SIG, Silvair has been working on this functionality update. In-node scheduling turned out to be a significant development effort and perhaps the most complex single feature developed as part of the company’s lighting control solutions.
Although gateway-based scheduling service was already available, we needed to implement this functionality to eliminate the gateway hardware requirement. As controls developers, we aimed to extend the scope of features available for small- and mid-sized projects where a gateway is not preferred due to, for example, internet connectivity limitations, the need to drive hardware costs down, or a preference to keep the system offline. Sometimes, a gateway device is not an option for projects that still benefit from deploying lighting schedules. Being forced to use a gateway in a lighting control system is a significantly different scenario than having an option to use a gateway in order to access additional functionalities, such as remote configuration or control.
Bluetooth mesh’s decentralized nature makes it unique among other wireless communication standards. Bluetooth mesh lighting control systems do not need a gateway or other central controller to govern the entire network, because Bluetooth mesh puts a software controller into each luminaire. The implementation of in-node scheduling fulfills the promise of decentralization with an opportunity to deliver cost-effective scheduling to projects of any scale.
In-node scheduling was challenging to develop due to how a network without a central controller manages time synchronization. With gateway-based scheduling, the time-management issue is relatively straightforward. A gateway is always on and online. It can retrieve exact information on the current time from an online server whenever it is needed and share this information with the entire network; therefore, ongoing time tracking is unnecessary. If a power outage happens, the gateway simply checks the current time online when power is restored.
But things get trickier without that central controller and constant connection to time servers. For example, how will the individual nodes know the time without an internet connection? How can time desynchronization be prevented when a partial or networkwide power outage happens?
A decentralized Bluetooth mesh network addresses these issues first by defining the role of the “time authority,” or a node that keeps time for the entire network. Every individual luminaire in the topology has its own internal clock based on the user-defined scenes specified, but all these internal clocks synchronize themselves with the time authority node. This ensures that schedules are triggered simultaneously for all relevant nodes and zones.
The role of time authority is assigned automatically during the commissioning process, and it can be performed by any network node. However, priority is given to a real-time clock (RTC) node — a dedicated piece of hardware with an RTC chip and, preferably, extended battery life to keep track of the time even without an external power supply. As long as such an RTC node is available in the network, it will automatically become the network’s time keeper.
All computer systems show clock drift over time, resulting in a gradual deviation between system time and accurate or “true” time. Support for RTC hardware helps to minimize gradual time drift and ensure the precision of the scheduling service; however, an RTC node is not mandatory in a project that implements the in-node scheduling feature. In installations that include an RTC node, time drift amounts to up to 30 seconds per month. In installations without an RTC node, the potential time drift increases to approximately 120 seconds per month.
Because most RTC nodes include battery backup, they can prevent time desynchronization in the event of a networkwide power outage — and automatically share the internal clock setting with the entire network as soon as the power supply is restored.
A mobile app is the last key component of the time-management process discussed here. During the commissioning process, the app injects the current time into the network, notifying the network’s time authority of the current time (Fig. 1). Moving forward, whenever a need arises to recalibrate the time, perhaps to offset time drift or after a power outage when an RTC node is not present, a user can tap the “time sync” button.
Translating complex tech into a simple user interface
Although the underlying time-management mechanisms are technical, the user interface part of the in-node scheduling feature can be simple and intuitive. As with multiple aspects of Bluetooth mesh lighting controls, complicated network processes can be automated so the end user faces only basic decisions related to lighting control system operations.
The major steps in the scheduling configuration process are carried out off-site in the web app, which is more detailed for planning and configuration. In the case of Silvair’s app, the user specifies which lighting zones leverage the scheduling feature by assigning a predefined scheduling scenario to desired zones in floorplans (Fig. 2). Next, the user defines the lighting scenes to be triggered at desired times in accordance with the given space’s lighting needs. These can be static scenes, where the user only defines the percentage of luminaire output, or dynamic scenes that involve occupancy- or daylight-based automation. Then the user creates and names the scheduling events that will deploy these lighting scenes, entering parameters such as the day of the week and the time at which a particular event will occur.
For every lighting zone, a user can specify up to 16 time events and four scenes triggered by their defined events. This provides flexibility in terms of luminaire scheduling; for example, different schedules can be configured for different weekdays. Once the scenes and events are set up, the off-site scheduling configuration is complete. The process is finalized during the on-site commissioning phase, which is carried out via the mobile app and a smartphone or tablet. The mobile app connects with luminaires and quickly deploys the precommissioned configuration. When the app adds the installed luminaires to the network, it transfers all user-specified scheduling configuration settings to each commissioned luminaire. The app also injects the current time to the network so that its time authority node can track the time autonomously going forward. The luminaires can then start operating in accordance with the user-defined schedules.
Advanced control for everyone
By minimizing the hardware requirements for luminaire scheduling, Bluetooth mesh allows this gatewayless strategy to be implemented in virtually any lighting project, regardless of scale or budget. The goal in developing Bluetooth mesh–based systems is to provide advanced controls that can be deployed and used in every type of commercial environment to generate savings and drive energy efficiencies. Bluetooth mesh has more to offer in this regard and further developments are on the roadmap. The implementation of a standard-based, in-node scheduling feature is another milestone in accelerating worldwide adoption of advanced lighting- control strategies across many commercial enterprises.
Get to know our expert
SIMON RZADKOSZ is product marketing specialist for the wireless connectivity and controls firm Silvair, with offices in San Francisco and Krakow, Poland. He covers smart lighting, IoT, wireless technologies, and building automation.
A member of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, Silvair offers Bluetooth mesh lighting control software that operates with partner products in the Bluetooth ecosystem.
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domain: design


text:
- Booster Gold
Showing posts 0-5 of 35 matching: interviews
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
In the comments of my blog post about the single greatest Booster Gold comic ever written (Justice League #4), there was some discussion about when exactly Booster's comic book portrayals turned from fun-loving but competent crime fighter (as portrayed in his own original series) to bumbling moron (as portrayed in 52 and just about everywhere since).
The timing of that change can be narrowed to shortly after the dawn of the 21st-century. No so coincidentally, that's about the same time that Blue Beetle's character also got an overhaul before coming to a very gory end.
Blue Beetle, who during the JLI years always played the fool in the original Blue and Gold dynamic, lost his sense of humor for his inclusion in the 1999 L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons) mini-series reuniting the former Charlton Comics characters. For a few years following, he appeared much more prominently in DC Comics than his best friend, notably in issues of Birds of Prey, where he was diagnosed with a weak heart and semi-retired from heroics. This allowed his more serious demeanor a chance to take root with readers and editors alike.
I'd always assumed that was why, when Beetle and Booster were reunited in 2003's Formerly Known as the Justice League, the comedy roles of the two super buddies were swapped. However, when I put that question to JLI writer J.M. DeMatteis on Twitter last week, he revealed a different reason.
Whatever you think of the change, you have to admit that "just because" is as good a reason as Beetle and Booster ever had for any of their hijinx.
And now you know the rest of the story. (Thanks to Ariel for inspiring this topic.)
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
It seems that in my glee over Bootser's cover appearances on Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium #2, I missed a second Booster Gold appearance last week. Fortunately for us all, Booster booster J directed me to Harley Quinn #66 which included panels of Booster Gold and Harley hooking up in the Coney Island Wonder Wheel Ferris wheel.
words by Sam Humprhies, art by Sami Basri, Hi-Fi
Wow. Heroes in Crisis sure made some strange bedfellows. (Amusingly, earlier in the issue, Harley's mother tells her that she has "terrible taste in men.")
Given that the panel appears in a comic book within a comic book (and therefore isn't the "real" Booster or Harley), does this count as an example of in-universe 'shipping? Is such a thing possible? Maybe it's better if I don't find out.
Thanks to J for the spot.
If that's not enough Booster Gold for you this New Comic Book Day, consider taking a listen to Mike Avila's interview with Dan Jurgens for SyFy Wire's Behind the Panel podcast. As you might expect from the episode title, "Dan Jurgens on Booster Gold and the Death of Superman," about half of the 22-minute interview covers the creation of Booster Gold. Enjoy listening.
Friday, June 14, 2019
I thought Booster Gold's appearance in a DCeased one-shot would be the biggest news of the week, especially as it looks like Booster was excluded from the comics spinning-off from Heroes in Crisis (per Hollywood Reporter). I was wrong.
Over on ComicBook.com, Russ Burlingame has interviewed writer Brian Michael Bendis about his plans for a new Millennium mini-series that will reintroduce readers to DC's future continuity on the way to launching new Legion of Super-Heroes stories. That news would be welcome enough without the bonus announcement that Space Museum security guard Michael Jon Carter will be playing a role in Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium issue 2.
Burlingame: It's funny, seeing Booster becoming part of a building block to the Legion, since he has sparred with them a few times about his stolen Legion ring!
Bendis: Speaking of which, the Booster Gold chapter is drawn by Nicola Scott, if you need another reason to buy this. I love Nicola's work so much, but she's one of my closest friend's closest collaborators. She works with Greg Rucka so closely that I never thought I'd get a chance to do something, and we did this thing together. It's just, on a personal level, one of my great moments as a comics creator that I got to do this with Nicola.
Burlingame: I won't lie: at either San Diego or New York last year, I spoke with her briefly and we ended up talking about how much she wanted to draw Booster.
Bendis: That happened a few times on this project. I don't want to speak for the other creators, but I had accidentally said, "Hey, I think you'd be perfect for (blank)." And they go, "That's my favorite thing, I can't believe you're asking!" It happened quite a few times on this project. I get excited, because I know for the few pages they're drawing, it's going to be among the best pages of their whole careers, because they think this might be the only chance they get to do it. Nicola's Booster pages reek with the feeling of, "Oh, my God, I finally got to draw Booster Gold."
DC has already released a few pages from the issue (visible at Newsarama.com). I'm in no position to judge whether they are the best of Scott's whole career, but they are pretty darn Boosterrific.
Judging from those panels, it sure looks like DC will be allowing Bendis to roll back Booster's New 52 origin and realigning his "past" with his pre-Flashpoint beginnings. Super sweet.
For more information about the upcoming series and to read the rest of the interview, visit ComicBook.com. Expect the book to arrive in your Local Comic Shop this September.
Friday, August 3, 2018
Mike Cecchini interviewed Dan Jurgens at San Diego Comic-Con for Den of Geek. Of course, the topic of Booster Gold came up, including Jurgens' reaction to Tom King's "The Gift" story in Batman.
Den of Geek: You are also known as the creator of Booster Gold, and Booster has been absent from the DC Universe the last couple of years until that story that came towards the end of your run on Action Comics. What was it like revisiting Booster yet again, and are we ever going to see him again, or see you working on him again?
Dan Jurgens: Well, it's always fun to work on Booster Gold, and it's sort of like he comes up for a while, then he fades and comes back. Working on him in Action was a lot of fun. Watching Tom King use him in Batman was a lot of fun, and obviously Tom is using him in a new series that's coming up, called Heroes in Crisis. And, after that we'll see. Booster is, I think, this fun jovial character who is very complicated on one level, and at the same time very direct. In comics we have characters with secret identities, and all sorts of secrets they try and protect. Booster just wears it on his sleeve, and it's all out there for everybody to see, both the good and the bad, and he has plenty of faults. I think that's what makes it fun to work on Booster Gold, so yeah, hopefully out there we'll see something.
"And, after that we'll see." Booster will need something to do after Heroes in Crisis ends in March. And Green Lanterns is being cancelled in October, leaving Dan Jurgens working on only one book (Batman Beyond ). Wouldn't it be nice if we could get a creator/creation reunion in 2019?
You can read what else Jurgens had to say about his past work with Superman and his current plans for Green Lantern at denofgeek.com.
Monday, July 16, 2018
The latest issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine is out just in time for Comic Con and includes Chancellor Agard's interview with Tom King about many things, but especially his plans for Heroes in Crisis:
EW: Based on the cover, it looks like Booster Gold and Harley Quinn will play a big role in Heroes in Crisis. Why did you pick those two characters?
King: They're the two stars of the book along with the Trinity. I do this comic called Mister Miracle, which I really like. The way Mister Miracle started was me going to [co-publisher] Dan DiDio and asking him, "I want to do something amazing with a character, but you have to give me some room to do some stuff, and you pick the character." He picked Mister Miracle and that's how that started. It's unoriginal, but I wanted to repeat that success. So when I came up with this Heroes in Crisis idea, I went back to Dan and said, "Can we do this again? Give me two heroes, I’m going to put them through the ringer and at the end we’re going redefine them to be central to the DCU, pillars of this universe." And the two he gave me were Booster Gold and Harley Quinn. I think they're perfect because they’re almost two sides of the same coin. They're both, like, these manic dreamers who have made huge mistakes and come back from them. They're kind of these survivors.
I'm not sure I like the idea of Tom King "redefining" Booster Gold, but "pillar of this universe" sounds nice.
You can read the rest of the interview online at EW.com or in the magazine on newstands now. Heroes in Crisis will be in comic shops everywhere on September 26.
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domain: entertainment


Jah9’s First UK Tour
Written by Midwest Reggae on October 29, 2018
Roots reggae songstress Jah 9 is set to bring her talents to the UK for her first ever tour of that market
Launching on November 18 in Bedford, the six-date tour will also include stops in Manchester, Norwich, London, Leeds, and concluding in Brighton on November 27. The singer, who is known for tracks including New Name and Advocado, is currently putting the finishing tourches on new music which is set to be released in the coming months.
Jah9 is also a yoga practitioner. On October 2 she participated in her signature ‘yoga on Dub’ and a concert for fans at The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. The sold-out yoga class was the first time Jah9 brought her special form of yoga to Brooklyn. She then graced the stage to perform a one-hour-long set of her hit songs including Feel Good and Love Has Found I from her recent EP Feelings.


text:
Omsk City Center
Omsk, Omsk Oblast, Russia
The course consists of 6 laps of 3.5 km and runs through the City center. Start and finish are in the same place. The race passes through the historical centre of Omsk and along the embankment of the Irtysh River. The course is a three and a half kilometre circuit on the riverbank and in the centre of the city, and runners complete it six times to make the distance of the half marathon.
赛事信息可以在在赛事的官方网站或通过公开渠道找到。 总是以官方网站上的最新赛事信息作为参考。 如果有任何数据错误或遗失，请通过电子邮件告知我们.

domain: geography


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Oliver | Theatre Review
Grand Opera House • Summer Youth Theatre • Thursday 27 July ’17
By Conor O’Neill • Photos:Aaron McCracken
Consider yourself well in, consider yourself one of the family. And what a great family night out this piece of theatre this is. Now in its seventh year, the GOH’s Summer Youth Project’s depiction of Lionel Bart’s Broadway and West End hit of Dickens’ well told tale of a young boy orphaned and on the streets of London. It is as relevant today as was in 1839 when the book was first serialised in Bentley’s Miscellany way back when chimney sweeps and youthful vagabonds were the order of the day. We’ve still got the vagabonds, thankfully chimney sweeps are out of time.
The Grand Opera House is packed to the proverbial gills as first timers behind me ask their parents, “Is that a real dress?”, “Is that a bad man?” and more disturbingly, “This is boring!” In this age of kids rarely looking up from their tablets and i-phones, it’s amazing to see youths from the age of 10 to 18 engage 1000 people with what can only be described as sheer joy. 223 kids singing and dancing their little heads off with such precision must make choreographer Rebecca Leonard’s heart thump with pride. And never a foot put wrong.
Tonight’s ‘Oliver’ is Luke Fields, just 10-years-old himself, strut the stage like a RADA trained pro in the bloom of his career. There are two Olivers in the run; four shows over two days would be too much for someone just out of short trousers. The other ‘Oliver’ being Andrew Montgomery with be taking Friday night and Saturday evening show, hopefully up there with Fields. Sam Gibson plays the crowd favourite as the Artful Dodger; master thief and somewhat mentor to the slightly gullible focus of the show that is the young Twist.
Orphaned, apparently, the young ‘professional mourner’ escapes the clutches of the workhouse and is soon dragged into the orbit of Tommy Bell’s Fagin, a man who believes in cash without taxes, and more important cash without rules. Bell has apparently been with the Youth Group since the beginning. From our vantage point, it’s hard to see how a 16-year-old Bangor boy can pull off the role of a decrepit old git with yellow tombstone teeth, a mop of hair Robert Plant would be proud of – nods to the costume and make-up crew – with such aplomb, yet he does it.
Throw in the disarming and alarming Bill Sykes played by Conor Healy (18) and this piece of theatre will take you back to your childhood when watching the villain with no heart filled your young man with fear. Emiko Seawright’s Nancy, to my mind steals the show; not only can the girl act, but boys and girls, women and men, can she sing.
Of course all the big numbers are here: Food Glorious Food; Consider Yourself; You’ve Got to Pick A Pocket Or two and As Long As He Needs Me – Seawright’s signature tune and as the crowd rises to their feet, a medley of the best.
For a group all under the age of 18, I’ll bet you my next pay-check you’ll be hard pressed to find a bunch of pro thespians that can put on a better show. We didn’t just see a great production of a classic here tonight; we saw the cream of the crop of Northern Ireland’s future darlings.Tony Finnegan and his troop of fine young talent should have repetitive strain injury from patting themselves on the back after this performance.
Oliver runs till July 29. Matinee Saturday afternoon followed by the the grand finale on Saturday night. For booking details visit www.goh.co.uk or contact the box office on 02890 241919


Ed O’Daly is the director of the ANU Communications and Engagement division.
He has an extensive background in communications and public affairs in the university sector, having worked previously as part of the team at ANU and held senior communications roles at the University of Canberra. More recently, Ed was director of the Government Communications Unit in the ACT Chief Minister’s Office and then director of communications for Transport Canberra and City Services in the ACT Government. He has also worked as a journalist in the UK and as an English teacher in China.
He has an undergraduate degree economics, government and social policy from the University of Manchester and a postgraduate certificate in communications from the University of Canberra.


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domain: finance


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The Liberal Democrats have backed a motion to bring forward the UK’s climate change targets by ten years from 2050 to 2040 and condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the USA from the Paris climate change agreement.
The party’s annual conference, which is meeting in Bournemouth, changed Lib Dem policy by setting a new target that greenhouse gas emissions should be reduced by 80% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels. Under current government policy, the UK is due to achieve the 80% target by 2050.
As well as Trump, the motion also condemns the Conservative government over the delayed publication of its clean growth strategy to reduce the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions.
And it calls for the UK’s continued membership of the EU internal energy market, which the government looks set to quit under its current Brexit plans.
The motion calls for a ‘comprehensive low-carbon industrial strategy’ underpinned by investment in renewable electricity generation including the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon and onshore wind and solar power.
The Lib Dems would restart the carbon capture and storage programme, which was cancelled by the Conservatives in 2015, with the aim of capturing emissions from industrial processes as well as gas-fired power generation.
As well as encouraging the take-up of electric buses and other vehicles through city-level low-carbon transport strategies, the motion backs investment in a major energy efficiency improvement programme coupled with support for low-emission heat technologies including district heating networks and renewable hydrogen and biogas piped through the gas network
Following the passage of the motion, Lib Dem energy and climate change spokesperson Baroness Featherstone said: “We need urgent and radical action to combat climate change, not the small and incremental changes coming from this government.
“The Liberal Democrats want a substantial increase in investment in renewable electricity and a major programme of insulating homes, both of which will bring down consumer energy bills as well as protect the environment.”

domain: news


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Sometimes I think that I suffer from too much empathy. In Sue Monk Kidd's novel The Secret Life of Bees, one of the characters feels others' sorrows and tragedies as if they were her own, and, if you look at it one way, dies from it. Kidd painted her positively, but it was clear: this woman was simple-minded and sweet, and by that, we mean lovably stupid. She wadded up her pain, in the form of newspapers, and put them in a stone wall.
I, too, overpempathize. Watch a sad movie with me. See me react to the deaths of people I barely knew.
When I ran across this series of essays by my creative writing professor, Dr. Ann Bauer, I – I'm not sure what to say. It derailed my weekend. I read a few of the comments on her latest Salon piece, and the reactions ranged from sympathy ("I cannot imagine how hard it must be to tell this story") to "croak the bastard at once" to accusing Ann of being a bad mother ("How often has anyone been nice to him lately? You think his mother would want someone to be nice to him?") On Tuesday night I'll sit across from this woman, knowing now what nightmare she goes home to, what no-win decisions she's had to make while being my professor, the reasons for the circles under her eyes.
It'd be nice to have a stone wall to shove this into.
EDIT: Turns out I am pretty simple-minded. A little Googling would have brought up this page, which clearly shows an Ann Bauer who is NOT my professor. Oh, well.

domain: literature


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*Warning* This chapter contains a violent seen towards the end. If pixellated blood bothers you, then I suggest you don’t read. 🙂 I’d also like to note that in this chapter it contains 3 different points of view. Breelynn’s, Cole’s, and Shane’s. Decided to shake it up a little. 🙂
Breelynn’s point of view………………
I stood looking out through the window into the darkness. The night was still and quiet, the only sound the gentle whisper of dead leaves as they blew across the yard. It was the night after my sisters funeral and I couldn’t sleep, which seemed to be the norm lately. Every time I would close my eyes, it was like I was there again. How long would I relive this nightmare in my dreams?
Padding quietly through the house I watched my children sleep. As I stood over them watching their small chests rise and fall I was filled with love, and also sadness. I haven’t been there for my children emotionally since Brennan’s death. Every time I went to hold them, I would freeze. Cole understood, he was like I was, closed off from his emotions. The twins were too young to understand. They would ask questions, that I wasn’t able to answer. Yet.
I was staring off into space when I heard footsteps behind me. I watched my mother walk into the living room.
I was once again struck with how old she looked. Brennan’s death had taken its toll on my mother as it had on us all. I myself, felt I had aged a hundred years. My body constantly ached from the weight of grief that seemed to rest on my shoulders.
“What are you doing up?” She asked me, softly. “You need to get some rest-you have school tomorrow.”
I felt sick, even though I wasn’t surprised. My mothers episodes were becoming more and more frequent now. She was living in the past as a way of dealing with Brennan’s death. I would give anything to have her back! I needed my mother.
“Mom…” I whispered trying not to cry. “Brennan’s dead. We had her funeral yesterday.”
Lucy frowned. “Funeral?” She was quiet for a long moment her brown eyes filling with tears. She didn’t say another word. We sat there in silence, my mother trapped in the past, and I to deal with the present and future.
I felt like If I didn’t get out of the house soon, I would explode. I needed time to myself to think and just get away from the noise of three, almost four small children. I found myself at the graveyard the following morning.
I shouldn’t have left the twins with my mother with the way she was, but despite her confusion she was a big help around the house and I doubt I could have made it if it wasn’t for her help with the twins.
The grave yard was empty, for which I was grateful. I approached Brennan’s headstone and gently touched the flowers I left their yesterday.
“This sucks!” I managed to get out through my tears. “I miss you so much.” I was quiet for a long moment. “Mom is losing it big time. She is stuck in the past because she can’t deal with the truth. I don’t know what to do. If you were here you would know exactly what to do.”
I lapsed into silence and sat, enjoying the silence around me, even while my heart was heavy with grief.
My head was pounding when I got home. Mom was tending to the twins, and I snuck past her wanting to lay down and get in a quick nap before Shane got home from work.
I ended up sleeping way too long. It was dark outside when I opened my eyes and the house was silent.
The bedroom door opened softly and Shane stepped in closing the door softly behind him. I jumped up and ran toward him and hugged him tightly, relieved he was home safe.
He dropped his hands to my swollen belly and looked into my eyes.
“Hey honey.” He whispered. “I’m sorry I haven’t been here much.”
“I hate the fact that I have to worry so much.” I said trying not to cry. He didn’t need guilt tears.
“I know you worry, but everything is fine. I’m safe. I will always come home to you and the kids.” His green eyes stared directly into mine.
We got into our pajamas and crawled into bed.
“Any new leads?” I asked Shane hopefully.
“Well we got the camera film back.” He looked at me. “Your sister was one smart woman, before the shooting, she was able to snap a picture of the car. Now the picture of the driver is very hazy, and we don’t have a licence plate number, but we do have the make and model, and I’ve narrowed it down to registered owners of that vehicle type. Everyone came up clean, except one. And he has known ties to Nino Shapiro.” He smiled grimly. “We are getting closer to nailing that bastard to the wall!”
“So can’t you just arrest him then?” I asked feeling hope blossom in my chest.
“We can’t find him.” He looked down. “But we will.” Shane’s eyes flashed coldly.
Cole’s point of view….
I hate math. I frowned staring down at my homework. I stared at the numbers on the paper until my eyes started to burn making the numbers blurry. The shuffle sound of Grandma’s slippers on the floor snapped me out of my trance. She sat down next to me.
“Hey grandma, how good are you at math?” I asked hopefully.
“Oh Aaron.” She laughed looking at my paper. “I’ll be happy to help you with your homework before school.”
I looked down uncomfortably as I started to fidget in my chair. Grandma was always calling me other names. Uncle Aaron her son, or Sam, my dead grandfather. She even called me Milo a few times which really irritated me considering he was in jail for kidnapping me when I was younger!
“Are your sisters up yet Aaron? She asked me. “I hope Breelynn didn’t stay out with that Milo. I worry about her with him you know.” Her voice trailed off
I tapped my foot against my chair in irritation. I jumped up and shoved my notebook and pencil into my backpack that was slung over the chair. I didn’t care if it was finished, or if I’d get another incomplete in math. Besides, who would even care? It’s not like my mother even acknowledged my existence anymore! I just wanted to be away from this!
“See ya later grandma!” I yelled and ran out the back door.
Outside I leaned against the siding and tried not to cry. I was just a boy but everything else was falling apart around me, and I had to stay strong! My aunt was dead, my grandma was going insane, my step dad was always working, and my mom was but a ghost of herself. My grades were even worse now, but nobody seemed to care.
Jake the family pet came running up and barked at me. He wagged his stub of a tail and crouched down low with his front paws splayed out in front of him wanting to play! It was like he too had been feeling neglected lately. I dropped to my knees and hugged him, my head resting in his soft fur. Only then did I let myself cry….
Shane’s point of view…………..
I stared at the cork poster board in my office and sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose to stem off my headache that was just starting to form. Ever since the death of my sister-in-law I’ve been feeling the heat to catch the asshole who did this. Every time I went home and saw my wife’s sad eyes I was filled with so much guilt I thought I might go mad.
I was thumbing idly through the case folder when the phone rang. It was my boss and he wanted me to check out a possible drug deal at the old mill on the outskirts of time. I was furious, I didn’t have time to go snooping around a possible drug deal when there was a murderer on the loose!
When I got to the mill there wasn’t a car or person in sight, just the old wooden building and mill that hadn’t been used in years and looked like it could fall apart at any moment. I decided to be thorough, and check around despite my doubts.
I was quiet and light on my feet as I walked towards the wooden shack. I paused when I heard voices come from inside. With my back pressed tight to the rough wood I snuck a glance over my shoulder.
My blood pressure and heart rate spiked when I saw Nino Shapiro, and Max Mickelson, who was the suspected shooter based on vehicle records!
The blood was pounding in my ears and I felt a rush of adrenaline! This could get dirty fast, I drew my gun and yelled “Freeze!”
Max held up his hands, while Nino was quicker and pointed his gun at me firing a shot before I noticed he even had a gun.
I rolled out-of-the-way tumbling into the dirt and landing on my hands and knees. I was lucky. The bullet just grazed my side and tore my uniform.
Nino stepped out into the fading afternoon, his gun aimed directly at my head. I stared at the barrel, and knew that my life could easily come to an end tonight!
I would not put this family through another funeral! I was going to be there for the birth of my new baby!
I picked up a small rock and chucked it at Nino. I had great aim, and it hit him square in the middle of the forehead. While I threw the rock, I jumped sideways my gun drawn and fired a shot hoping the bullet would find its mark!
At the same time I fired so did Nino as he also dove out-of-the-way of the bullet. His bullet grazed my ear, but Nino wasn’t as lucky.
He laid on his side in the frost and dirt clutching his side. His face was pale, the color of dirty snow, and I could tell from the blood loss that he had a mortal wound.
I radioed for backup and watched Nino bleed out, the red of his blood contrasting against the stark ground frost. As the sirens blared in the distance I held a finger to his carotid artery on his neck to check for a pulse.
I sat numbly in the dirt, the frost melting and seeping into the fabric of my pants giving me the chills.
Max had run off when guns were drawn, and I knew he couldn’t be far. He would be picked up and booked for Brennan’s murder, and this nightmare would soon end!


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