Mermaid Fairy Tales that Mothers Can Tell to Children
Jakarta – Reading fairy tales can be a useful routine for children, Mother. There are many fairy tales that we can tell our children before going to bed, such as the fairy tale of the Mermaid. The fairy tale of the Mermaid or The Little Mermaid was first written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1837. This fairy tale was later adapted into an American animated film in 1989. The story of the Mermaid is very interesting to tell to children because it can increase their imagination, Mother. Your little one will create a new underwater world to illustrate the storyline. Then what kind of fairy tale Mermaid can you tell your child? Come on, take a look at the following story, such as quoting the Stories to Grow By page! The Tale of the Mermaid and the Kind Prince It is told that in a very deep and wide sea, there lived a Sea King who ruled the underwater world. The king lived in a beautiful palace, made of blue coral with a shell roof that could be opened and closed. There the Sea King lived happily with his mother and four daughters. The four of them have a short age gap with each other. The King’s youngest daughter was named the Little Mermaid. Unlike her brothers, the Little Mermaid spends most of her time going to sunken ships that have fallen to the bottom of the sea. These ships held many treasures from the outside world, a world the Litte Mermaid had never known. While spending time on shipwrecks, the Little Mermaid often sings while organizing the collection of treasures he finds. He really likes to sing with other fish. Everyone knows that the Little Mermaid’s voice is the most beautiful there is. There was one rule made for the Little Mermaid and her sisters. When they are 15 years old, they can swim to the surface of the sea. The Little Mermaid was eagerly waiting for this moment because she was the last one in her family to be allowed to swim there. But because she was so curious, Little Mermaid made her grandmother tell her about life on land. “There are ships, cities and people up there,” said the grandmother. Mermaid Illustration/ Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto/totallyjamie Before long, the eldest sister turned 15 years old. She became the first princess to be allowed to rise to sea level. When he returned, he brought the story to his three younger siblings. He tells the story while resting on the soft white sand, looking at the sky and clear clouds, and the sunset turning golden red. He had even seen birds flying high above him. After that, it was the turn of the Little Mermaid’s second sister who swam to the surface after she was 15 years old. He tells of an iceberg floating in the sea and shining brightly. All the ships looked away from the iceberg, as if frightened and the iceberg looked uninhabited. The next story was brought by the Little Mermaid’s third sister. After returning from sea level, he told the story as he swam closer to the city gates. He heard human voices calling to one another, the sound of horses being pinned down on the road. This Little Mermaid’s third sister even heard music for the first time at sea level. All the stories shared by the three sisters made the Little Mermaid even more curious about the life above him. When he was 15 years old, he came to the surface to see for himself the story his brother was sharing. When it appeared above sea level, the Little Mermaid was next to a large ship. From his place, he could hear beautiful music and sailors dancing. They seemed to be laughing and having fun. Suddenly the Little Mermaid saw a handsome young man stepping off the deck of the ship. At the same time, the sound of fireworks rang out and the Little Mermaid approached. The young man seemed favored by the sailors. At that time, the Little Mermaid thought that he was a prince. “He must be a prince,” said the Little Mermaid. However, suddenly the party turned into a disaster. Big waves came followed by lightning and rainstorms. The ship was adrift in the ocean. Little Mermaid saw that the handsome prince earlier was the only one on the ship. He seemed to help the sailors who fell into the sea. Unfortunately, the handsome prince was also thrown and fell into the sea. Knowing that humans cannot live underwater, the Little Mermaid dives in and saves the prince. The Little Mermaid then swam to the surface and pulled the prince’s body to the shore. The Little Mermaid looked confused because the prince didn’t come to his senses and opened his eyes. “Is he dead?” asked the Little Mermaid in her heart. The Little Mermaid then sang a sad song. Suddenly, the prince started to move and opened his eyes. “Oh! Are you all right?” asked the Little Mermaid while touching the prince’s forehead. At the same time, the voices of several women appeared on the beach. The Little Mermaid immediately dived quickly so that her identity would not be exposed. Since then, the Little Mermaid never met the handsome and kind prince again. He returned home without saying anything to his brothers. Years later, the Little Mermaid still can’t forget the prince. She then told her grandmother and said she wanted to meet the handsome prince again. “My dear, you know that a Mermaid can’t walk on two legs! The only one who can do that is a Sea Witch. But of course it’s too dangerous to meet her,” said the grandmother to the Little Mermaid. Mermaid Illustration/ Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto/totallyjamie Little Mermaid doesn’t listen to Grandma’s advice. He went to the far end of the sea to meet the Sea Witch. Hearing the Little Mermaid’s request, the Witch Laur gave a potion to give her two legs. The condition is, the Little Mermaid must throw away her melodious voice. In addition, the Sea Witch also said that the prince had to marry her if the Little Mermaid wanted to live. Her sweet voice won’t come back either. “If the prince marries someone else, you will die the next day and your voice will stay with me forever,” said the Sea Witch. The Little Mermaid agreed and immediately drank the potion from the Sea Witch. He passed out and woke up on the ground with two legs like a human. At that time, the Little Mermaid was found by her idol prince. He was invited to the prince’s palace and heard all the stories of his idol man. The next day was the royal feast. The prince took the Little Mermaid. The prince wanted the Little Mermaid by his side every day. The Little Mermaid thought the prince would surely fall in love with her and she still had hope of marrying the man with the beautiful voice she had saved. However, suddenly the King called the prince to and asked his son to choose a bride, a princess from a nearby country who came to the party. The prince’s heart was broken, and so was the Little Mermaid. Unbeknownst to the Little Mermaid, her voice has been transferred by the Sea Witch to the woman betrothed to the prince. The prince was amazed by the sound of the princess being betrothed and agreed to marry her. The Little Mermaid’s heart was breaking even more. The next day, the Little Mermaid went to sea and told her three brothers about the prince’s problem. Little Mermaid’s brothers told the father. Unfortunately, the Little Mermaid turns out to be held captive by a Sea Witch who wants the Sea King’s wand. Seeing the princess pressed, the Sea King agreed to give his scepter and kingdom to the Sea Witch. The Sea Witch then turned into a monster came to the wedding and made a mess. The Little Mermaid tried to save the prince until he was trapped by the monster’s tentacles. The Little Mermaid used the knife she was carrying to stab the monster’s chest. The prince then helped him by shooting arrows at the monster. The Sea Witch fell into the water and lost. At that moment, the Little Mermaid’s melodious voice returned again. The prince who heard the Little Mermaid’s true voice immediately realized that he had been misjudging all this time. The prince remembered the voice as the voice of the woman who helped him when the shipwrecked. At the same time, the princess who was the prince’s match came to attack because she didn’t accept the Little Mermaid’s presence. Suddenly, the Sea King came and again took his wand and helped the princess against the evil princess. The evil princess was defeated and the Sea King immediately waved his wand and lifted the Little Mermaid back to the ship. The prince came and hugged the Little Mermaid. “Now I know that you saved me first. Will you marry me?” asked the prince. The Little Mermaid answered ‘yes’ in her sweet voice. Both of them live happily. See also 3 benefits of storytelling to children, in the following video:
[Gambas:Video Haibunda] (ank/som) .
child activityfairy talesfairytale
5 HP Oppo AMOLED screens, recommendations for January 2022
7 Portraits of Joe Taslim and His Wife, Praised Like a Couple of Korean Artists Bun


Utes football: Cornerback Justin Thomas not taking anything for granted
By Dirk Facer Apr 18, 2013, 8:10pm MDT
Share All sharing options for: Utes football: Cornerback Justin Thomas not taking anything for granted
Justin Thomas practices with the University of Utah football team in Salt Lake City, Thursday, April 18, 2013. Ravell Call, Deseret News
Justin Thomas works to get free during University of Utah football practice in Salt Lake City, Thursday, April 18, 2013. Ravell Call, Deseret News
Justin Thomas runs a punt return during University of Utah football practice in Salt Lake City, Thursday, April 18, 2013. Ravell Call, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — Although Justin Thomas is pleased to be on top of the depth chart at one of the cornerback spots, the redshirt freshman from Texas isn’t taking anything for granted as Utah closes out spring camp.
“Everything is like temporary right now,” Thomas said. “Nothing’s locked in. So I’ve got to keep on working.”
The 21-year-old is especially eager to play in a game. It’s been awhile since he’s done so.
“I’m really excited about it,” said Thomas, who wasn’t allowed to play for West Orange-Stark High School as a senior because he surpassed the University Interscholastic League’s maximum age mark. “I haven’t played a game in two years. I’m ready.”
The former four star-rated prep star spent his first season with the Utes as a redshirt while senior cornerbacks Ryan Lacy, Moe Lee and Reggie Topps completed their eligibility.
“He’s very talented. He’s maybe the fastest kid on the team — certainly in the top three or four, which is a requisite for playing corner,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. “You’ve got to be able to run. So he’s got that. He’s got great quickness and balance and he’s eager to get in there.”
Whittingham added that Thomas has had a nice spring and would be a starter, in the 4-3 package at cornerback with Keith McGill, if the Utes were to play tomorrow.
“He’s really got a bright future in our opinion,” Whittingham said.
The former four-star recruit, though, shies away from such recognition.
“Anybody that can get the job done will do good for us,” Thomas said. “I’m a team player, so that will work for me.”
As for Utah’s ability to replace last year’s three contributing cornerbacks, Thomas is confident this year’s squad is capable of doing it.
“Oh yeah. We can work something out,” he said. “Everybody’s coming along technique-wise.”
Junior Davion Orphey and redshirt freshman Reginald Porter are also on this week’s depth chart at cornerback — as backups. Junior Joseph Smith and senior Michael Walker occupy the No. 1 spot at nickel back.
SPRING GAME: As has become the norm in recent years, the teams in Saturday’s annual Red and White game (1 p.m., Rice-Eccles Stadium) will be divided up evenly.
“It’s a chance for us to see guys in as game-like situations as we can create — find out who can finish, find out who can make the plays when they need to be made,” Whitingham said. “A lot of the position battles are very close and very heated and this will be one more opportunity to evaluate them.”
A few healthy players, though, won’t be participating. Defensive tackle Tenny Palepoi and safety Eric Rowe are among those being held out of the game for precautionary reasons. Quarterbacks Trevor Wilson and Adam Schulz will play, but will be off-limits to tacklers.
GREAT SHOWING: If Friday’s golf tournament is any indication, expect a lot of former Utes to be on hand for this weekend’s spring football finale. Whittingham said all 144 slots have been taken.
“We’ve had great response,” he explained. “It’s just been building over the last five or six years, where we get more and more every year and so we’re looking forward to seeing them all.”
Eric Weddle and Sione Pouha are among those expected to be back for the spring game. An alumni flag football contest is scheduled for Saturday at noon.
CHANGING TIMES: Utah’s spring game will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks.
“I think it’s great. It’s great for recruiting and I think that certainly we’ve come a long way in the last 15 years,” Whittingham said. “I remember when the spring game was maybe 100 people in the stands, tops, and now we’ve got several thousand and a live broadcast on national TV.”
Email: dirk@desnews.com
Twitter: @DirkFacer
AP Source: L.A. Lakers assistant coach Eddie Jordan agrees to coach Rutgers basketball
Utah basketball's scholarship roster will be a 50/50 blend


West Torrens Library Service
Matthew Bourne’s Romeo + Juliet
MATTHEW BOURNE'S ROMEO + JULIET is a passionate and contemporary re-imagining of Shakespeare's classic story of love and conflict. Set in the not-too-distant future in 'The Verona Institute' and mysteriously confined against...
MATTHEW BOURNE'S ROMEO + JULIET is a passionate and contemporary re-imagining of Shakespeare's classic story of love and conflict. Set in the not-too-distant future in 'The Verona Institute' and mysteriously confined against their will by a society that seeks to divide and crush their youthful spirits, our two young lovers must follow their hearts as they risk everything to be together.
A timeless story about repressed emotions and teenage discovery is no better told than by the young', said Matthew Bourne. Inspired by this and as part of New Adventures' ambition to support the next generation of on-stage talent, Romeo & Juliet featured the finest emerging male and female dancers from around the UK. Bursting with youth, vitality, and Bourne's trademark storytelling, six young cast members were chosen following a nationwide audition tour and they performed alongside the New Adventures company at each theatre venue.


The true state of the case considered
The true state of the case considered or, The Oxford Tracts, the public press, and the Evangelical party by G. P. de Sancta Trinitate.
Published 1986 by British Library in London .
Tracts for the times
Statement by G. P. de Sancta Trinitate.
Pagination 1 microfiche (item 2, neg.) ;
Download The true state of the case considered
Aaron Hernandez was a former NFL player who was convicted of murdering a former friend. His case would be considered a "celebrated case" in the wedding cake model. If a person who was not a public figure carried out an identical crime, that case would fall under which layer of the wedding cake model? But, the full panel of the 9th Circuit eventually ruled that the case was more properly evaluated under true-threat analysis and that the Web site did in fact constitute a true threat. In , the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review this ruling. The American Digest System indexes and classifies all case law, both state and federal. True A memorandum opinion is an opinion of the entire court, rather than . Verse - He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; Revised Version, he that pleadeth his cause first seemeth just. A man who tells his own story, and is the first to open his case before the judge or a third party, seems tot the moment to have justice on his side.
So Green Book isn’t merely inspired by history, we’re told, or based on a true story: it is the “true story,” written by family, and furthermore, it depicts a “true friendship Author: K. Austin Collins. Clear and present danger was a doctrine adopted by the Supreme Court of the United States to determine under what circumstances limits can be placed on First Amendment freedoms of speech, press, or assembly. The test was replaced in with Brandenburg ' s "imminent lawless action" test. First, let's address what would be considered libel. In order to be libelous, a statement must meet these conditions: 1. There must be some negligence on the part of the writer. 2. It must be defamatory. Which means false and injurious to the plaintiff's reputation. 3. It must be published in some form. /5(K). Get this from a library! A true state of the case of Bosavern Penlez, who suffered on account of the late riot in the Strand: in which the law regarding these offences and the statute, commonly called the Riot Act, are fully considered. [Henry Fielding; Bosavern Penlez].
All Things Considered for May 9, That's no longer true. Women accounted for 55% of the rise in job losses last month. Lawyer Representing Ahmaud Arbery's Family Discusses Case. Books shelved as court-case: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult, Deviant: The Shocking. A nation state is a state in which a great majority shares the same culture and is conscious of it. The nation state is an ideal in which cultural boundaries match up with political boundaries. According to one definition, "a nation state is a sovereign state of which most of its subjects are united also by factors which defined a nation such as language or common descent.". To clarify, there are in general two levels of ruach simply inspires and moves the person to take a specific action, like rescuing a community, as is the case with the various Judges of Israel (see, for example, Judges , ).The second and greater level of ruach ha-kodesh is when the person is granted divine knowledge, and may also be encouraged to Author: Yehuda Shurpin.
The Law of the Sea
effect of multinational corporations on European integration.
True brew
Requirements Engineering for Sociotechnical Systems
Hitler Among the Germans.
Seminar on AACR2
Naming the Sky


ABOUT LEARN MORE CHAMPIONS OF ADULT EDUCATION ADULT LEARNER SUCCESS TEACHER SUCCESS EMPLOYER SUCCESS INNOVATIONS MAP LOCATOR TOOL SOCIAL MEDIA ROOM LATEST NEWS CONTACT
Have an adult learner success story or testimonial?
Adult Learner Success
Alisha Cash
A mother and full-time student “who never misses a day of school and always has a smile on her face,” Aisha Cash excelled at Waterbury Adult Education despite numerous trials and tribulations. With a “passion for learning so uplifting and rare,” Aisha achieved her goal of becoming a college student.
In fact, “Post University was so impressed with her enthusiasm and fantastic grades, that they came here to Waterbury Adult Education to tell her in person that she has indeed been accepted to the school of her dreams, Post University,” shared her teacher.
With plans to become a counselor to aid others on their journey, Aisha was one of two that placed college level on the Accuplacer Test as a student in the credit diploma program at Waterbury Adult Education. Mapping out the courses that would best prepare her for getting into the college program she wanted, Aisha did so well on her entrance exams that she earned course credit before starting her college journey.
Always concerned with the welfare of her fellow classmates, Aisha views the classroom as a community where everyone can help one another. Openly sharing about personal challenges she has overcome—including being incarcerated and dealing with a lifelong autoimmune disease—Aisha’s desire to help others is sincere and heartfelt.
“She makes sure the person sitting next to her ate something that morning, she will get up from her seat and sit with a complete stranger if she thinks they might not understand the material in class, and if someone is missing from class, she wants to know why they were absent and reminds them of the importance of coming to school every day.”
Edy Vasquez
Edy Vasquez immigrated from Guatemala and works two jobs while attending classes at San Mateo Adult School as an ESL student. When Edy first arrived in the U.S., he focused only on working for several years, as there were no classes nearby that he could attend. Since discovering San Mateo Adult School, Edy has regularly attended classes, steadily progressing as a learner and contributor, while “always helping others as he ascended. He is a leader who lifts up others as he moves forward, always thinking of the community and sowing all his accomplishments back into the community so that others can excel, as well,” says Edy’s teacher.
Edy hopes to work in a forensic lab or open a small business in the future. Edy attends school four evenings a week and enjoys making a positive impact in school and community life.
Hanan Chatila
With the goal of attending an American college, Hanan Chatila began taking adult education classes in Florence, South Carolina, in September 2012, having immigrated to America from Lebanon with a high school diploma and some college background. Entering school as an English language learner and ESL student, Hanan worked to achieve her literacy goals while overcoming domestic challenges and health issues, as well as engaging in her children’s education.
Determined to succeed, Hanan faithfully took adult education classes for 7 years, passing GED tests and earning her high school equivalency degree in January 2018. Upon graduation, she was recognized as a member of the Adult Education National Honor Society, participating on-stage as a cohort leader. Hanan also serves as a volunteer at a local regional hospital system and at Florence County Adult Education.
In October 2018, she became certified as an Arabic translator through LanguageLine and was approved as a translator for Florence One Schools. She currently attends classes at Florence-Darlington Technical College where she is studying to earn a degree as a radiology technician and has a 4.0 GPA.
Nazaria Valdez
As a young teen mother, Nazaria Valdez struggled to make ends meet, putting her education on hold to work and raise her daughter. Overcoming numerous challenges together through the years, including bullying and depression that caused her daughter to stop attending school, Nazaria and Sarahi recently celebrated their dual graduation!
Their mother-daughter journey began when Nazaria accompanied Sarahi to an orientation and registration session at Region One’s ESC Adult Education and Literacy Program. At her daughter’s suggestion, Nazaria signed up for GED classes too. They supported each other in class, first passing the RLA test and, with assistance from Operation College Bound testing vouchers, completing the rest of their tests in no time.
Nazaria graduated on November 6, and Sarahi graduated a week later, on November 14. The determined, inspirational mother-daughter duo plan to attend South Texas College in McAllen to continue their educational journey.
Katelyn Moore
Katelyn Moore possesses the potential and drive to one day serve as a United States Supreme Court judge, says her college math professor, describing Katelyn as “an amazing student, a true leader and a shining example of the opportunities that students can create for themselves when they have encouragement and support.”
A single mother who enrolled in Spokane Community College after a 10-year break, “Kat” excels in her studies, community involvement and family life, despite financial and emotional hardships.
“She inspires so many students, especially the nontraditional, female students who are also juggling family, school, and work,” says her Applied Math professor, who met Katelyn in 2018 in the Adult Basic Education Division’s College Prep Program and challenged her to get involved in student life.
“She accepted my challenge and surpassed my expectations,” her professor noted, adding that Katelyn served as the Chief Justice for the SCC Associated Student Government in 2018–2019, and this year, served as SCC ASG Vice President. “Her efforts have helped to improve the school’s food bank, better student organization events, such as our Family Fun Night in October and the Latin American Club’s Feliz Navidad event.”
After graduating this spring with an Associate of Arts degree with an emphasis on Communications and Legal Studies, Katelyn plans to attend Whitworth University to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in Law and Justice. She will then attend Gonzaga University School of Law to earn her Juris Doctor and become a prosecutor and eventually a judge with the state court system.
Haydee Gil
As the first person in her family to complete college and only the second to complete high school, Haydee Gil serves as an inspiration for many, including her fellow college students whom she tutors and family members like her niece, who was influenced by Haydee to finish high school after a series of setbacks.
Drawing strength from personal challenges to reach her goals, Haydee aims to become a Parent Advocate for kids with special needs—as a parent of a son with Stickler Syndrome, Haydee learned firsthand the importance of support for families trying to navigate the healthcare system. She launched her career plan by sitting for her state test to become a certified Medical Assistant in 2020 after overcoming multiple challenges and resolving to pursue an education to better care for herself and her family.
Having dropped out of high school to help her family with their restaurant business more than 20 years prior, Haydee enrolled in Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa County. At her intake assessment she discovered she wasn’t that far behind academically, and bolstered by this news and the compassionate, nonjudgmental welcome she received from LVMC staff, she enrolled in GED prep classes.
Eight months later Haydee passed the GED exams, obtained her High School Equivalency (HSE) Diploma, and boldly moved on to the next phase of her education pursuing a Medical Assistant certificate at Brookline College. Eager to explore all facets of patient care in her first health care position, Haydee plans to further her education, weaving knowledge and experience together to reach her dream position of Parent Advocate, while continuing to sit at the kitchen table with her young children modeling academic pursuits and a pure love of learning.
Caitlyn Robards
Caitlyn left high school without a diploma due to family issues, including the death of her father. He had been Caitlyn’s main source of support and encouragement, and without him she was lost. She left school weeks shortly after her junior year began. She worked in minimum wage jobs and lived paycheck to paycheck, struggling to provide for her son and daughter Caitlyn decided to make a major life change and enrolled at the Iosco RESA Adult Education program. As her skills increased, she gained the confidence to apply for more professional jobs and was hired at a local credit union. Caitlyn completed her high school diploma in the fall of 2019. She finished her final class the day after her late father’s birthday. Within a few weeks of earning her GED credential, she received a promotion. Caitlyn is better able to provide for her children, enjoys a higher standard of living, and is fully invested in helping her children succeed in school and in life.
Josiah Lewis
After earning his high school diploma through the GED exam, former GED Prep student Josiah Lewis knew he wanted to continue his education at Seminole State College of Florida. He decided to pursue an engineering career and is now thriving at the college level. Josiah developed a real passion for helping others and for connecting students with college resources. So he now serves as the president of the Student Government Association at our Altamonte Springs campus. Read More.
Madison Jackson
Fall 2020 Adult High School graduate Madison hopes that by sharing her story she can inspire students who, like her, started going down the wrong path in the traditional high school environment. When she enrolled in our Adult High School program, she worked hard to stay focused, to keep on the right path and reach her goal of graduating as soon as possible. She took control of her life by making that initial appointment to talk with an advisor which helped her to start moving forward. She urges fellow students to “stay strong-minded.” To any students who struggle with a learning disability, Madison would like to encourage you that everything happens for a reason and to remember that keeping end goals in mind can be crucial in overcoming adversity. “Your sense of achievement is so much greater because you worked so hard for something,” she said. Madison expressed appreciation for her Adult High School teachers who “cared ten times more than any teacher in public school.” After graduating this semester, Madison plans to transition to college, study Early Childhood Development and work with children in a daycare setting.
Amran Firin
Following the dreams of her mother, Adult High School student Amran immigrated from Somalia to the USA at 12 years old to find a better life and a quality education. Years later, she is now realizing her goal of earning a high school diploma as she raises her own two daughters. Coming to Seminole State College of Florida was “the best decision I’ve ever made,” Amran declares. In the past she sometimes felt discouraged when others made her feel less for not having an education. “My biggest motivation of all was that I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. Education makes me feel powerful.” Her advice to fellow students: “Sometimes what we plan and what God plans are not the same. But don’t listen to the voice telling you to drop out. Do not let go of education because it is your life.”
To help her persist through difficulty, Amran keeps a vision board in her house to remember what is most meaningful: her freedom, her dreams, her family. She also takes time to reflect on her past and how it inspires her future. Amran is motivated by the helplessness she felt when her mother fell ill but could not find quality medical care. Unfortunately, this kind of experience was common in her home country. “I never want to feel powerless again. I want to help somebody’s mother,” she proudly proclaims. After graduation, Amran plans to continue her education and attend medical school. She aims to partner with Doctors Without Borders, a humanitarian medical organization known for working in countries severely impacted by disease. Amran encourages people of all ages to consider going back to school to further their education: “Don’t hear the voice telling you your time has passed. Ignore it and go back to your dream of having complete freedom with your finances, bills, life – education is the way. Education is freedom!”
Alberto Rolando Hernandez
Alberto worked as a paralegal in Mexico City and came to the U.S. to pursue the American Dream. He knew he needed to learn English to succeed and enrolled in a Beginning Literacy class. As his language skills improved, he qualified for an employment preparation class and sought to become a technology instructor. Through this program and with family support he developed skills in time management, organizational strategies, and goal setting. Vocational Rehabilitation Services supported him in job development and accessing assistive techniques to help him succeed. Alberto plans to become a fully certified teacher for the visually impaired. For Alberto, persistence has been the driving force helping him to achieve his academic, personal and professional goals.
Shakita Boyd
Shakita always loved school as a child, but instability disrupted her education. She spent her childhood in foster care and group homes due to her mother’s drug addiction. Shakita knew how challenging life would be without her education and was determined not to repeat her mother’s mistakes. “Regardless of what I was told, regardless of what program had tried to convince me that I wasn’t smart enough, I would get my diploma,” Shakita recalls. She faced many setbacks and challenges and started and stopped different programs over the course of ten years. When the pandemic hit and the testing center closed, Shakita was crushed, and she considered giving up. Then, she learned about a program that offered virtual classes and would loan her the technology she needed to continue. Finally, in December 2020, Shakita earned her high school credential. Shakita is passionate about helping people who, like her, have been discouraged and told they can’t achieve their dreams. Her next step is to enroll in community college to study environmental science. She then plans to transfer to a state college to study political science. She dreams of one day becoming President.
Gudelia Contreras
Gudelia came to the United States almost 25 years ago. Earning her GED diploma in Spanish at Oregon Adult Basic Skills, and improving her English reading and writing skills, propelled her from the brutal work on the processing floor of a fish cannery to HR and QC responsibilities. Gudelia then began doing her own outreach work, tutoring students for the Spanish GED and teaching English-speaking volunteers basic Spanish so they could better communicate with students. Five years ago, she was hired by a nonprofit to provide health outreach to low-income clients. Her good work earned her a spot on the boards of Seaside Providence Foundation and the Clatsop Community College Foundation. In 2018, she earned an associate degree from Clatsop Community College, and is now enrolled full-time at Portland State University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Spanish with a minor in Black Studies/Latin America. Her goal is to become a professor. Gudelia is a testament to literacy and adult education programs and how they empower students to take charge of their futures and their families and fully participate in our communities.
Sandra Zavala
Sandra journeyed to the U.S. from Peru to give her son a better life. She stepped into her classes determined to grow. Learning was not without challenges—she navigated the public transportation system to work three jobs while also attending school. In June 2017, Sandra earned her high school equivalency diploma with her son proudly in attendance. One year later she was hired as the English Language Learner Paraprofessional/Secretary at Wayne Township Adult Education. As Sandra welcomes new students, she talks about the challenges on the journey while emphasizing the rewards awaiting each person who remains dedicated to their dreams. “Sandra is a role model who inspires our staff, our students, and our community. She exudes confidence, optimism and her determination is impacting the lives of hundreds of new immigrants,” says Christy McIntyre-Gray of Wayne Township Adult Education.
Marty Finsterbusch
For 20 years, Marty Finsterbusch has led VALUEUSA, an organization devoted to giving voice to adult learners and developing leadership opportunities. “Whether adult learners can read or write, or whether they have learning disabilities, they can lead,” Marty explains. His commitment to adult education started with his own experience as an adult learner in the 1980s when he sought help for a learning disability that made it difficult for him to use written text. VALUEUSA currently connects with 2,500 adult learners and organizations nationally. It initiated two major research/evaluation projects, one to evaluate learner leadership and its outcomes and the other to identify barriers to entering adult education and solutions to support adult participation. As National Coalition for Literacy president from 2012 to 2014 and organized quadrennial Congressional visits by learners, fostering literacy “champions” in Congress.
Sabrina LeVan
Seven years ago, Sabrina–and her service dog Saddie–enrolled in the ASPIRE program to give learning another chance. Sabrina is an example of what it takes to find the tools and solutions to persevere in the face of adversity and embrace lifelong learning. She has grown her skills substantially and is well on her way to earning her high school equivalency diploma. Sabrina has balanced caring for three children, single motherhood, extensive surgeries, the transportation barriers inherent in Appalachia, and even homelessness, while pursing her educational goals. Once a reluctant learner, she is now referred to by her peers as “That really smart girl with the dog!” Sabrina hopes to pursue a postsecondary degree in animal science with an ultimate goal of training service dogs.
Cecilia DeLeon
Outstanding Adult Learner 2020
Cecilia battled stomach cancer and raised two children on her own while pursuing her GED diploma at Whatcom Community College. She became an advocate for other victims of sexual assault while also serving members of her community as a translator and resource. She has truly demonstrated leadership while overcoming the most difficult of circumstances. When Cecilia sets her mind to something, it will get done and done well. Helpful, engaged and encouraging, Cecilia brings out the best in her fellow students.
Yang He
Yang moved to Minnesota from Beijing, China, in December 2015, with her husband and two young daughters, Keyu and Miranda. Yang and her husband wanted the girls to have more opportunities than they had growing up in China. Her first year in the U.S. was very difficult. Yang felt very lonely and was nervous to go out into the community because she didn’t feel confident speaking English. She especially worried about her daughters who had been bubbly and social in China but isolated here due to language and cultural barriers. Despite these hardships, with the help of St. Paul Public Schools, they have become more comfortable in their new home. Yang plans to enter Concordia University soon and get her teaching license so she can become an elementary teacher.
Karmel Radan
Karmel grew up in the foster care system and endured an abusive childhood. She taught herself to read and write with the only books in the house—the Bible and a set of encyclopedias. Despite having no formal schooling, Karmel earned her GED® diploma after a mere 10 months of study. She is now a 4.0 student in college and leader on campus with dreams of a career in medicine or business. “I want to help people who believe the negative about themselves and don’t see that they are unique and have many possibilities,” Karmel explains. “They are smart and they are capable—they just don’t know it yet.”
Dov Yaffe
Dov’s studies have created more stability and security for his family of five. While pursuing his GED diploma, Dov was co-enrolled in Austin Community College’s Ability to Benefit program and began taking college credit classes. He earned his diploma in December of 2018 and a Level 1 Certificate in Network Administration the following year. He is currently pursuing his associate degree and plans to continue his internship Housing Authority of the City of Austin. Dov has become a mentor to his peers. He donated time outside of class and provided students with equipment and encouragement to help them succeed in their studies.
CHAMPIONS OF ADULT ED
EMPLOYER SUCCESS
MAP LOCATOR TOOL
SOCIAL MEDIA ROOM
Some 65,000+ adult education leaders stand united in a national campaign to educate America about the importance of Adult Education in advancing career and college readiness for millions of people. We urge policy makers to stay informed on our successes and to fund Adult Education at the $685 million level as called for in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act enacted in 2014.
NASDAE and COABE office
444 North Capitol Street NW
Office: 888-44-COABE
Email: info@EducateandElevate.org


Three cities to host events for BPA’s National Paralympic Day
A number of British Paralympic medallists will join National Paralympic Day celebrations in Brighton, Nottingham and Plymouth. 30 Jun 2015
Paralympic medallists Ben Quilter, Sophie Wells and Will Bayley
ⒸGetty Images
By British Paralympic Association
“These events are a great way for people across the country to find out more about the sports that they’ll be watching in Rio in just over a year’s time.”
Paralympic medallists Sophie Wells, Will Bayley and Ben Quilter have called on the British public to show their support for the Paralympics by joining celebrations for National Paralympic Day in Nottingham, Brighton and Plymouth, Great Britain on Saturday 25 July.
The three cities will be inviting residents to head down to their local event where they can enjoy free interactive and fun activities from 10:00–17:00. Fans – young and old, disabled and non-disabled – are all encouraged to have a go and test their skills to learn more about some of the extraordinary talents of our Paralympic athletes, plus find out how they can get more active.
At Jubilee Square in Brighton, London 2012 Paralympic medallists Will Bayley and Ben Quilter will be on hand to meet and greet fans, while Q&A sessions will give people the chance to ask questions and pick up sporting tips from the top.
Quilter, a London 2012 bronze medallist in judo who was born and raised in Brighton, was delighted to see National Paralympic Day heading to his hometown.
He said: “I’m really looking forward to National Paralympic Day in Brighton, it’s going to be a really fun day and there will be plenty of opportunities for people to come along to try out disability sport and find out more about the Paralympics.
“It means so much to me that this is all happening in my home town, and I hope lots of people take a little bit of time out of their day to come along and join us.”
Table tennis player and reigning world number one Will Bayley, who won silver and bronze at London 2012, added:
“Anyone can get involved in National Paralympic Day, so I’d encourage people to come and join us at Jubilee Square in Brighton on July 25 to see what it’s all about.
“The support from the British public since London 2012 has been incredible, and this is a really good way for people to feel part of it before the Games in Rio next year. I can’t wait to meet everyone who turns out to support National Paralympic Day, and to celebrate the day with them.”
Sophie Wells MBE, a multi-medallist in equestrian, will be attending the event at Smithy Row in Nottingham on July 25. She said:
“Paralympic sport has so much to offer and I hope people will come along to get involved on National Paralympic Day. It’s a fun way to find out more about the different sports and understand some of the skills that British athletes have to master to go out there and compete with the world’s best.”
Tim Hollingsworth, CEO of the British Paralympic Association, was very pleased to announce the regional events.
He said: “I’m delighted that we are taking celebrations for National Paralympic Day to these three cities for the very first time, building on last year’s regional celebrations in Liverpool and Birmingham.
“These events are a great way for people across the country to find out more about the sports that they’ll be watching in Rio in just over a year’s time. They can also enjoy meeting some of the athletes who made us so proud in those incredible days of sport that we witnessed during London 2012.”
National Paralympic Day is brought to Nottingham, Brighton and Plymouth with the support of Spirit of 2012, a trust established by the Big Lottery Fund to recreate the spirit that radiated from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics. Spirit is committed to funding partners who help challenge perceptions of disability.
Debbie Lye, Spirit of 2012’s Chief Executive, said: “The spirit that radiated from the London 2012 Paralympic Games is a huge inspiration to us and all that we do. I’m delighted that people in Nottingham, Brighton and Plymouth will have the chance to experience it first-hand, meeting ParalympicsGB medallists and getting the chance to try their hand at the sports themselves. With only a year to go until Rio, I hope National Paralympic Day will reignite the passion sparked by our winning London 2012 ParalympicsGB Team.”
In addition to the three regional events taking place on 25 July, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London will light up the following day as National Paralympic Day joins up with The Liberty Festival to showcase the finest talent in disability sport and arts.
Paralympic heroes Ellie Simmonds, Ollie Hynd and Jessica-Jane Applegate are among the star names set to compete in the London Aquatics Centre, while GB athletes will also be looking to impress in the IPC Athletics Grand Prix final, hosted alongside all of the action for National Paralympic Day in the former Olympic Stadium.
Local sports clubs across the country can also get involved in celebrations by hosting their own event, whether that be a come and try session, a cake sale, or a Paralympic quiz.
For more information about the National Paralympic Day, people are encouraged to log on to www.paralympics.org.uk/npd2015.
Simmonds leads stellar cast of swimmers for National Paralympic Day
Great Britain women's wheelchair basketball team named
British para-rowing coxed four set world best time


Stories from May 01st, 2013
Africa's Ancient Plant Diversity And Seed Independence Under Threat, Supposedly In The Name Of Progress
from the it's-a-trick dept
Wed, May 1st 2013 11:46pm - Glyn Moody
As Africa continues to develop rapidly, Western countries and companies are increasingly interested in bringing it into existing international legal and commercial frameworks, but always on terms that maintain their dominance. One way of doing that is through intellectual monopolies: last year we wrote about proposals for a Pan-Africa Intellectual Property Organization (PAIPO), whose benefits for Africa seem dubious. Meanwhile, here’s another plan that is being presented as a vital part of Africa’s modernization process, and yet oddly enough seems to benefit giant Western companies most, as AllAfrica reports:
the proposal is to create a harmonised system of control around the presently fragmented African seed trade regime and create a system based on what is projected as modern best practice.
This includes uniform adherence to the strict 1991 Act of the International Union for the Protection of Plant Varieties (UPOV), across the board, for Africa. Because of the stringency of UPOV, the real impact of this will be the loss of control of the seed supply by indigenous small farmers. The consequences for food production and social cohesion across the continent will be dire.
The fear is that changes to how seeds are regulated will have major knock-on effects on African societies:
Once locally adapted seed varieties are lost, dependence on outside seed suppliers will rapidly become unaffordable. The implications will reverberate far beyond food production.
Indebted farmers are at direct risk of losing land tenure. On the one hand this causes accelerating urbanisation and social dislocation. On the other, good agricultural land is appropriated by large conglomerates. There is already a massive thrust by nations and corporations to gain land tenure in fertile tropical African agricultural zones.
It’s well worth reading the rest of the article, which explores the continuing consolidation in the African seed industry, and how global giants like Monsanto hope to avoid some of the resistance they have experienced elsewhere in the developing world — for example, in Brazil, discussed in Techdirt last year. As the AllAfrica article concludes:
If there was ever a time for the vocal proponents for African unity and values to step forward, it is now. Should they fail, African leadership will be harshly judged for enabling the next phase of neo-colonialism to unfold unopposed.
Unfortunately, given that PAIPO seems to be going ahead, despite major concerns about its lack of balance and transparency, the chances of the requisite African unity being achieved in order to stave off this latest attempt by the West to disadvantage the continent by locking it into inappropriate international structures look poor at the moment.
Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca, and on Google+
Filed Under: africa, paipo
Companies: monsanto
Brazil's Marco Civil Not Dead Yet; Yahoo Voices Support
from the not-google-this-time dept
Techdirt has been following the story of Brazil’s innovative Marco Civil project, a civil-rights based framework for the Internet, for a while. Last time we wrote about it, it had been shelved following some aggressive work by lobbyists. As we noted then, it wasn’t clear whether it would be resuscitated or not, but here’s Kuek Yu-Chuang, Yahoo!’s Regional Public Policy Director, who seems to think it still stands a chance of being approved:
I recently had the opportunity to travel to Brasilia with colleagues from Yahoo! representing our public policy, privacy, copyright, and communications teams. While in the Brazilian capital, we engaged with key officials to voice Yahoo!’s support for the Marco Civil da Internet (known as the Marco Civil), which some have described as Brazil’s “Constitution of the Internet.” The Marco Civil establishes the promotion of access to the internet as a right for all Brazilians. The draft bill also aims to provide safe harbors for Internet service providers, and allow free speech on the Internet.
In an impressive effort to incorporate the ideas of Brazilian citizens, the drafters of the Marco Civil made the initial version of the bill open to the public for comments in late 2009. More than 1100 contributions were received from around the country. The Marco Civil is now with the House of Deputies in the Brazilian Congress and a vote is expected in coming months.
That’s unexpectedly good news; it’s also great that Yahoo! is publicly supporting the Marco Civil in this way, since that may help to counterbalance renewed lobbying from other quarters when the vote in the Brazilian Congress takes place.
The fact that on this occasion it’s not Google trying to bolster moves to make the laws governing the Internet more balanced is important. That means the law’s opponents won’t be able to paint the Marco Civil bill as something largely for the benefit of Google, as has happened elsewhere. Let’s hope that Yahoo! continues speaking out on the issues of net neutrality, privacy and maybe copyright modernization: that would be good for burnishing the company’s image, and good for Internet users.
Filed Under: brazil, marco civil
DailyDirt: Advances In Wheelchair Technology
Wed, May 1st 2013 05:00pm - ITInnovation
There are nearly 6 million people in the US living with some form of paralysis. Despite some controversy, the FDR memorial has a statue of the president sitting in a wheelchair. Wheelchairs have been around for over a hundred years, but technology could improve how they work. Here are just a few examples.
The Tongue Drive System allows users to control their wheelchairs via tongue movements. This prototype requires a “clinical” tongue piercing and a dental retainer, so maybe a camera system would be a nice improvement. [url]
Tek RMD is a robotic mobilization device that might replace a wheelchair and give paraplegics the ability to move around upright. It’s not quite a powered exoskeleton, and it can’t do stairs, but it’s an interesting robotic alternative to a wheelchair (even though it costs a lot more). [url]
A wheelchair from Kyoto University called the Permoveh has omnidirectional wheels, so it can move more freely and turn on a dime. The prototype has a top speed of 3.7 mph and costs over $36,000, but future models are expected to be cheaper. [url]
Filed Under: omnidirectional wheels, paralysis, prototypes, tongue, ui, wheelchairs
Mainstream Press Waking Up To DOJ's Massive Overreaction To Minor Computer Hacks
Overhype
from the omg-it's-a-computer! dept
Wed, May 1st 2013 03:47pm - Mike Masnick
We’ve talked plenty about the government abusing the CFAA to pretend that some minor hacks were some giant criminal conspiracy, but now even the mainstream press is starting to recognize that an overactive Justice Department seems so freaked out by computers that it feels the need to use the CFAA over and over again against minor hacks. We’ve covered the various cases mentioned in the article in the past, but it’s good to see a paper such as the Washington Post call the administration out for its silly overreactions. It’s as if they see a computer and assume that something bad must be happening. At no point, when it comes to these cases, does the DOJ seem to step back and look at the actual seriousness of any of these cases.
Filed Under: cfaa, doj, hacking
Companies: washington post
New Special 301 Report Shows Spain's Kowtowing Paid Off
from the pat on the head dept
Wed, May 1st 2013 02:31pm - Leigh Beadon
Today, the USTR released its 2013 Special 301 Report (pdf and embedded below), the notorious “watchlist” of foreign countries where intellectual property is supposedly in danger (which is in fact just a self-serving diplomatic pressure tool). Ukraine has been dubbed enemy number one, with Algeria, Argentina, Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand and Venezuela on the priority watchlist, so expect the diplomatic push for American-style IP laws to intensify in those countries.
One thing to note is the fact that Spain succeeded in staying off the list. As we recently noted, the Spanish government has essentially admitted that its recent copyright reform efforts were designed entirely to keep the country out of the 301 Report. Well, it looks like they got their wish, and all they had to do was sell out their country to US interests. Nobody will be able to say that they sit on a list of dirty thieves alongside backwards pirate nations like Canada and Finland, which brazenly ignore the kind US diplomats who surely have our best interests at heart. Congratulations, Spain!
Filed Under: spain, special 301 report, ustr
Read More	31 Comments »
How Key Decisions In Copyright Cases Can Impact The Pace Of Technological Innovation
from the don't-underestimate-the-importance dept
Next month, I have a law review article coming out, specifically focused on how much innovation is held back and hindered when courts rule against new and innovative technologies based on the claim that they are infringing copyrights. This goes well beyond just the technology on trial itself, but many follow-on innovators who are held back or hindered in either designing their innovations or receiving investments for those same innovations. Markham Erickson, a telecom and internet lawyer, has written up a blog post that highlights this same point in looking at the recent ruling in the Aereo caes and how important the Cablevision case was in driving the innovation that led to Aereo, and to a variety of other investments in online services, and cloud computing in particular. First, Erickson notes that both the Cablevision and Aereo rulings helped create legal symmetry such that the length of a cable should not impact whether a technology is legal or not (i.e., a remote device is treated the same as a device in or on your home), and then he talks about the wider impact of that clarity:
In reaching this conclusion, the court placed utmost importance on certain technological designs such as the use of an individual antennae and copies unique to the individual. The court also made clear that Cablevision’s holding was not confined to particular, pre-approved technologies: “[W]e see no support in Cablevision or in this court’s subsequent decisions for the Plaintiff’s argument that Cablevision’s interpretation of the Transmit clause is confined to technologies similar to the VCR.” Aereo, 2013 WL at *11.
This rejection of a technology-specific reading of Cablevision should be heartening to cloud service providers. The reliance of cloud service providers on Cablevision is hard to overstate. After the Cablevision decision, the average quarterly investment in cloud computing in the United States increased by 41 percent. By one estimate, the certainty provided by Cablevision led to an additional incremental investment in US cloud computing firms of anywhere between $728 million and $1.3 billion in the 2 and 1/2 years following the decision. As the Second Circuit observed in Aereo, “many media and technology companies have relied onCablevision as an authoritative interpretation of the Transmit Clause. One example is cloud media services, which have proliferated in recent years.”
And yet, he notes, this clarity and ability to invest and to innovate may be at risk. As we noted at the time, the stunning dissent in the Aereo case actually indicated that designing a system to be within the clear boundaries of the law as explained in the earlier case should be seen as intent to infringe. That’s a rather incredible interpretation when you think about it. Following the explicit nature of the law should be seen as trying to subvert it? Talk about a way to chill innovation. If that became the law, the chilling effects on innovation would be tremendous. Not only would innovators be fearful of creating new services that might be sued for infringement, they wouldn’t even know how to make sure their technologies were considered legal, due to a court system that explicitly argued that any attempt to obey the law may be seen as an attempt to subvert it!
Meanwhile, other courts seem to be attacking these basic principles, which may result in more stifling of significant innovation and investment. We’ve avoided covering what’s now called either the “AereoKiller” or “BarryDriller” cases, because the service, which used to be known as FilmOn, seems much more focused on doing stupid promotional stunts, rather than something serious. His lawsuit against CBS, as well as changing the name of FilmOn to AereoKiller/BarryDriller, highlights the sort of focus that David seems to have. And, unfortunately, when you have someone more focused on publicity stunts and acting like a clown, rather than mounting a serious legal defense, you get bad rulings. AereoKiller is a somewhat similar service to Aereo, but may actually end up killing Aereo and a ton of other important innovations, not because it’s better/more innovative, but because it’s mounting a horrible defense on a similar issue, and has already lost at the district court. The impact on innovation could be huge. With a split decision and concerns about Aereo’s future success, investment in key innovations, including various cloud services, may be held back, while other countries continue to invest in such companies.
It’s incredible that we have a legal process, and a tool in today’s copyright law, that is being actively used to scare off key investment in new innovations at a time that we should be much more focused on innovation.
Filed Under: markham erickson
Companies: aereo, cablevision
No Good Can Come Of Any Cybersecurity Bill Without A Clear Definition Of The Problem
from the putting-the-cybercart-before-the-horse dept
Wed, May 1st 2013 11:56am - Leigh Beadon
With CISPA dead (mercifully) from a critical case of Senate disinterest, the conversation has inevitably turned to what the next cybersecurity bill should look like. Over at Wired, Julian Sanchez has laid out some guidelines for a cybersecurity bill that actually works, achieving the stated goals of CISPA without butchering civil liberties. His key point is that, according to CISPA’s authors, the bill’s sole purpose is to let companies and the government share technical data (or as Dutch Ruppersberger adorably called it last year, “formulas, Xs and Os, the virus code”) to help shore up network security and anticipate major attacks — and there’s no real reason that has to conflict with privacy at all.
Few object to what technology companies and the government say they want to do in practice: pool data about the activity patterns of hacker-controlled “botnets,” or the digital signatures of new viruses and other malware. This information poses few risks to the privacy of ordinary users. Yet CISPA didn’t authorize only this kind of narrowly limited information sharing. Instead, it gave companies blanket immunity for feeding the government vaguely-defined “threat indicators” — anything from users’ online habits to the contents of private e-mails — creating a broad loophole in all federal and state privacy laws and even in private contracts and user agreements.
There’s no need to share [personally identifiable] data for security purposes anyway: Kevin Mandia, head of the cybersecurity firm Mandiant, insisted at a February hearing on CISPA that in 20 years in the industry, he had “never seen a package of threat intelligence that’s actionable” that included personally identifiable information.
Sanchez suggests some straightforward basic requirements for a cybersecurity bill that might actually get consensus from privacy watchdogs and the broader public: the removal of personal information before data reaches the government, a limited lifespan on the data (CISPA’s authors have stated that real-time information sharing to deal with immediate threats is the key point of the bill anyway), and the ability for companies to respect their contracts with customers. As written, CISPA would have exonerated service providers from keeping any promise they made to not share user data. Even a service provider that wanted to offer you the contractual certainty that they would protect your data would have been unable to do so.
The reason for that is a key piece of language that’s been drifting around CISPA since the beginning: “notwithstanding any other provision of law.” There are lots of bits and pieces to the bill, but that line is the exemption granted to companies that wish to share cyber threat information with the government, and it’s incredibly broad, allowing companies to ignore even the contracts they have with their customers.
So why is it there? That’s the question nobody seems to want to answer, and that’s the real issue with the whole push for cybersecurity legislation. Supposedly, according to the message that has accompanied CISPA and similar bills from the beginning, companies and the government are currently prevented from doing some harmless, common-sense information sharing to improve network security, because existing laws block such sharing. But… what laws? That has never been clear. Why does CISPA need to provide immunity “notwithstanding any other provision of law” rather than simply creating specific exceptions to the specific laws that are causing a problem? Why has nobody in Congress even been able to point out these problematic laws?
Perhaps it’s not just one or two laws; perhaps it’s a whole cluttered legal framework that can’t easily be cleaned up and needs some broad, sweeping exceptions. But… nobody has made that case either. They just keep saying, non-specifically, “existing laws prevent it”. And yet we know that’s not true, at least to some degree: the FBI has had a system for sharing threat information back and forth with companies for 15 years. Why is that model not sufficient? Again, if there are reasons, nobody in Congress is offering them.
I’d like to say Sanchez’s guidelines make an excellent starting point for cybersecurity legislation, but a starting point for legislation has to be a definition of the problem it’s trying to solve, and we still don’t have that. Nevertheless, they do serve as an excellent set of rules to hold Congress to if it is really so intent on barreling forward blindly. Cybersecurity grandstanders are likely to say that such restrictions would gut the legislation. Whether that’s ignorance, cognitive dissonance or a tacit admission of dishonesty I’m not sure, but the restrictions suggested by Sanchez, the EFF, the ACLU and others would do nothing to hinder CISPA’s stated and largely innocuous purpose — they would only interfere with the other much scarier potential uses that Congress insists aren’t going to happen.
The longer Congress offers only the vaguest of vague definitions of the problem it’s trying to solve, while at the same time seeming to betray even that vague definition with its response to suggested safeguards and restrictions, the harder it gets to afford them even one iota of trust on the subject of cybersecurity.
Filed Under: cispa, cybersecurity
IP Attorney Responds To Patent Application Rejection By Filing Ranting, Ad Hom 'Remarks'
from the should-try-to-patent-a-scotch-that-isn't-also-a-whiskey dept
Wed, May 1st 2013 10:43am - Tim Cushing
There’s a lot of anger directed at the US Patent Office, but it mainly originates with people frustrated by the office’s “rubber stamp” approval process that has littered the road to success with hundreds of trolling speedbumps, each one waving a stack of overly broad patents and demanding that actual innovators hand over enough cash to cover the rent on their empty East Texas offices.
Patently O has uncovered some anger directed at the USPTO, this time coming from the opposite direction. After a client’s application for a telescoping sprinkler was rejected for not being anything the patent office hadn’t seen before, patent attorney Andrew Schroeder fired off an apoplectic set of “remarks” to the patent examiner. It starts by suggesting the examiner has a drinking problem and then sinks even lower. Way lower.
REMARKS: Are you drunk? No, seriously…are you drinking scotch and whiskey with a side of crack cocaine while you “examine” patent applications? (Heavy emphasis on the quotes.) Do you just mail merge rejection letters from your home? Is that what taxpayers are getting in exchange for your services? Have you even read the patent application? I’m curious. Because you either haven’t read the patent application or are… (I don’t want to say the “R” word) “Special.”
Andrew Schroeder is too genteel to actually use the word “retarded,” but that doesn’t stop him from throwing around a bunch of synonymous phrases.
So, tell me something Corky…what would it take for a patent application to be approved? Do we have to write patent applications in crayon? Does a patent application have to come with some sort of pop-up book? Do you have to be a family member or some big law firm who incentivizes you with some other special deal? What does it take Corky?
Perhaps you might want to take your job seriously and actually give a sh.t! What’s the point in having to deal with you Special Olympics rejects when we should just go straight to Appeals? While you idiots sit around in bathtubs farting and picking your noses, you should know that there are people out here who actually give a sh.t about their careers, their work, and their dreams.
The USPTO briefly posted these “remarks” before taking them down (and there’s more of this spectacular rant at Patently O). As for the patent in question (posted below), the patent reviewer found the tripod sprinkler wasn’t anything special, citing U.S. Patent No. 2,694,600, Patent No. 4,824,020 and Patent No. 5,484,154.
Apparently, attorney Andrew Schroeder sent another set of “remarks” to the examiner who rejected this patent application. Oddly enough, it was the same examiner who rejected the sprinkler: Alexander Valvis. This unlucky lightning rod/government employee lists seven patents in this rejection. These remarks have also been removed by the USPTO, somewhat limiting Schroeder’s infamy.
Clients hiring Schroeder to assist them in filing patent applications may be surprised to learn that “antagonizing the USPTO” is one of the bonus services the attorney provides. It’s certainly not included in the long list of services on his fee page. (It does, however, list an intriguing option called “Office Action,” which is available in 2 or 3-hour sessions [$500-$750].) Schroeder’s offerings cover a whole range of IP-related services, many of which are thoroughly “explained” by pages that appear to be still under construction. (Click on the “IP Piracy” page to watch a not-yet-uploaded video futilely attempt to buffer itself into existence and marvel as the attorney’s phone number [the only text on the page] tells you all you need to know about how “IP Law Stops IP Theft.”)
At the end of the day, it appears that patent examiners just can’t catch a break, especially if that patent examiner is Alexander Valvis, bane of Andrew Schroeder’s existence and destroyer of dreams.
Filed Under: andrew schroeder, east texas, uspto
Craigslist's Abuse Of Copyright And The CFAA To Attack Websites That Make Craigslist Better Is A Disgrace
from the please stop this craig dept
Wed, May 1st 2013 09:29am - Mike Masnick
Craigslist and Craig Newmark, specifically, have been very involved in being good corporate citizens on the internet. Craig was one of the key players in stopping SOPA, and has been involved in a number of other key internet activism campaigns, including the fight against CISPA. That’s part of the reason we were so surprised and disappointed last year to see Craigslist seek to abuse both copyright law and the CFAA to go after a couple of sites that added a layer of value on top of Craigslist. The key target seemed to be Padmapper, a site that combined data from Craigslist and other sources to make searches for real estate much more useful (adding maps and other data). Those results did not compete with Craigslist but layered more info on top, driving interested people right back to Craigslist. After Craigslist threatened Padmapper for scraping its site, Padmapper switched to using a third party, 3taps, which had figured out a way to get data from Craigslist, and Padmapper just used that instead.
In response, Craigslist sued them both (and another site that was using 3taps as well) making some highly questionable claims about how this was both copyright infringement and a CFAA violation because it violated its terms of service. The copyright claim seemed particularly bizarre, because Craigslist appeared to be claiming copyright on posts made by others, something that was obviously ridiculous. Making things even more farcical, Craigslist then tried to cover this up with a click through notice on the site telling visitors that when you post on Craigslist you’re granting an exclusive license to Craigslist — meaning you’re effectively giving it control over your copyright. After that raised significant backlash, including from the NY Times, Craigslist backed down on that one point.
But the lawsuit itself has continued and the judge recently ruled on the motions to dismiss the lawsuit from 3taps and Padmapper. The ruling is a mixed bag, but mostly bad. First we’ll start with the tiny “good” part, though: the court did dismiss the general copyright claims Craigslist was making over everyone’s posts on its site (outside that time period discussed above where Craigslist said it wanted an exclusive license).
The meaning of the phrase “You also expressly grant and
assign to [Craigslist] all rights” was the subject of some debate at the hearing on these
motions, but the “all rights” language relates specifically to enforcement rights–not rights to
the content of the posts. The language assigning rights to the content did not use the phrase
“all rights,” and did not specify that the rights granted were “exclusive.” Craigslist provides
no authority for the proposition that an ambiguous grant of rights is presumptively exclusive,
and the Court declines to read that term into the terms that Craigslist itself drafted
Basically, it says that Craigslist’s regular terms of service didn’t grant Craigslist an exclusive license, which is necessary for a lawsuit over the copyrights.
But, in the long run, that’s a small victory. The court does say that Craigslist has a copyright in the “compilation,” claiming that adding geographic information is somehow creative.
Craigslist has alleged that its “classified ad service is organized
first by geographic area, and then by category of product or service,” with these categories
organized in “a list designed and presented by craigslist.”… Construing the
relevant allegations in Craigslist’s favor at this early stage in the proceedings, the Court
concludes that Craigslist, in “deciding which categories to include and under what name,”
… “display[ed] some minimal level of creativity,”
Ick. I have trouble seeing how that kind of activity raises to the level of creativity protected by copyright, so hopefully later in the process the court will reject this concept. Now, the next bad part of the ruling: the court says that Craigslist does actually have a valid copyright in the posts for those few short weeks when it had that clickthrough “reminding” people that it had the exclusive right. I still don’t see how this is possible, since an exclusive license is supposed to require a written confirmation, not clicking through on an oddly worded “reminder.” But, the court twisted some things around to say this is okay. I’ve read this over a few times and it still doesn’t make any sense.
Basically, it says, as noted above, that Craigslist’s “regular” terms of use don’t grant the necessary exclusive license, but the combination of the terms that don’t grant an exclusive license with a “reminder” from Craigslist that it does grant an exclusive license, somehow makes the terms grant an exclusive license. I don’t see how that’s possible, especially as there’s no explicit or written agreement from the user to assign the exclusive license. Even though it was just written as a “confirmation,” the court says that “it is reasonable to infer that a Craigslist user would understand that this “confirmation” effected a transfer of rights.” But why? How could a statement that is written as if it reminds you of something actually be an official decision to transfer rights? Here’s what the reminder specifically said:
Clicking “Continue” confirms that craigslist is the exclusive licensee of this content, with the exclusive right to enforce copyrights against anyone copying, republishing, distributing or preparing derivative works without its consent.
That certainly sounds like a reminder of an existing situation and not an official agreement to transfer rights. But the court seems to think people will realize that clicking that single button is giving up entirely the rights to their own copyrights to Craigslist. That seems ripe for revisiting…
The impact of this — even if it only applies to posts from July 16, 2012 through August 8, 2012 — could be huge. As the EFF notes this could create serious problems:
So, if you posted a craigslist ad while this provision was live, you’re out of luck. craigslist’s ownership claims over user posts could potentially mean that the affected users can’t republish their ads on multiple services without risking a claim of infringement. And while not every craigslist post is going to go viral and have real value outside the original context (like the “Jesus Tap-Dancing Christ” car ad), users still need the right to post and repost their material in a variety of venues. Moreover, the exclusive license provision calls into question craigslist’s compatibility with common licensing schemes, like the Creative Commons ShareAlike license or the GNU Free Documentation License for the time that provision was valid. And, worse still: craigslist’s actions, and the court’s ruling, only increases the chance that other websites will start demanding ownership of the content you post there.
So, a tiny bit of good, but a lot bad on the copyright front.
On the CFAA front… it’s the same basic story. The court rejects the idea that merely accessing the website is a CFAA violation (thanks to the Nosal ruling). It rejects Craigslist’s claims that it was blocking access, rather than uses (which is the core of the Nosal ruling), noting correctly that within Craigslist’s terms, all of the restrictions are about uses.
The Court need not decide whether violating “restrictions on access to information”
contained in a website’s terms of use can ever support liability under the CFAA, because
Craigslist’s TOU contain only “use” restrictions, not true “access” restrictions as the term is
used in Nosal. Although the TOU include a section titled “Unauthorized Access and
Activities,” parts of which are framed in terms of “access,” these restrictions depend entirely
on the accessor’s purpose. TOU at 6-7 (prohibiting, e.g., “access to or use of craigslist to
design, develop, test, . . . or otherwise make available any program” that interacts with
Craigslist).
That part is good. But… unfortunately, the CFAA claims stay alive on two counts. First, because Craigslist sent a cease and desist letter, the court says that violating that letter is unauthorized access. That seems extreme and ridiculous in the same way the argument that violating a terms of service violates the CFAA. The second issue is that Craigslist blocked the IP of 3taps… and 3taps (shocker) changed their IP. The court actually argues that changing your IP address when it was blocked is a violation of the CFAA. This is unfortunately similar to one of the arguments made against Aaron Swartz.
Aside from the TOU, however, Craigslist specifically denied authorization to use the
website “for any purposes” in its cease and desist letters, Kao Decl. Ex. A, and also used
technological measures to block access from IP addresses associated with 3Taps, which Craigslist alleges that 3Taps bypassed by using different IP addresses and proxy servers to conceal its identity. Assuming that the CFAA encompasses information
generally available to the public such as Craigslist’s website, Defendants’ continued use of Craigslist after the clear statements regarding authorization in the cease and desist letters and
the technological measures to block them constitutes unauthorized access under the statute.
The EFF points out how ridiculous both of these claims are. On the cease and desist:
Cease and Desist Letters Should Not Make Access to a Website Criminal
The CFAA is both a civil and a criminal statute. This is a civil case, but has criminal ramifications. While the court looked at the earlier Facebook v. Power Ventures case, it misread a key holding. There, the court recognized that imposing criminal liability based on the “receipt of a cease and desist letter would create a constitutionally untenable situation.” This would put too much power in the hands of private parties to decide what a crime would be.
And on the IP address change, EFF points out how changing IP addresses is a common thing that happens all the time:
Changing IP Addresses Is Not Hacking
The court’s ruling on IP address blocking is dangerous because it could criminalize innocent behavior.
[….] There is nothing inherently improper, never mind unlawful, about switching IP addresses and thereby avoiding IP address blocking. Moreover, when a website is available without restriction to the public, a private party should not be able turn access into a crime to back up owner preferences or terms of service with the weight of criminal authority.
Given all that, there are very serious problems with this ruling, and the fact that Craigslist is driving such dangerous precedents is quite upsetting for a company that has been so involved and so at the forefront of helping fight back against such abuses of the law. Over at Freedom to Tinker, Steve Schultze asks Craigslist to dismiss the case with prejudice, and I second that call.
If Craig Newmark and Craigslist move forward with this lawsuit, which has the possibility of creating very dangerous precedents concerning both copyright law and the CFAA, it will do tremendous harm to Craigslist’s reputation and standing in the wider internet community. As Schultze notes, moving forward at this point, given the details in the latest ruling will just make Craig look petty and vindictive. I know Craig and he’s anything but vindictive and petty. Destroying his reputation and acting out just because a couple of sites tried to make Craigslist more useful? It just doesn’t make any sense at all. Hopefully Craig will realize this as well, and will call off his legal attack dogs, and think twice about future lawsuits of this nature.
Filed Under: cfaa
Companies: 3taps, craigslist, padmapper
Chuck Schumer To Introduce Patent Reform Bill To Make It Cheaper To Fight Back Against Patent Trolls
from the a step forward dept
Back during the fight for the America Invents Act — the big patent reform effort from a couple years ago — Senator Chuck Schumer was able to add in an amendment that made it easier to get the USPTO to review business method patents. As we noted at the time, this amendment also effectively killed off some specific financial patents. This was a good step, though we wondered why it was limited just to business method patents. The general answer that we got back from those involved in the process was that this would be a “test bed.” That test bed is now known as Section 18 of the America Invents Act, which makes it easier for those sued to get the patent reviewed by the USPTO, and also makes it more likely that a court will put a lawsuit on hold while the USPTO reviews the patent. Given how often re-exams by the USPTO lead to claims being rejected, this process can certainly help dump some really bad patents before a defendant has to go through an incredibly pricey court case (and appeals and such).
It’s now being reported that Schumer is set to introduce a new bill that will expand Section 18 to cover technology patents, rather than just limiting it to business method patents (the more cynical among you will note the rapid growth of New York’s tech sector as a reason for this expansion). This is definitely a big step in the right direction. If something like this was also combined with the SHIELD Act, which shifts fees to the trolls for bogus patent lawsuits, it would really help limit some of the most egregious activities of trolls.
That said, this is only one step. There are some limitations and oddities within Section 18 which may have been necessary to get it into law, but which also limit the overall effectiveness of the bill against trolls. While we’re extremely encouraged that Congress and other parts of the federal government appear to finally be taking the issue of patent trolling seriously, there is still much more to be done. Thankfully, there are indications from a bunch of Senators and Representatives that they know this is a problem and they intend to do something to fix it. Kudos to Senator Schumer for jumping in with this fix, and we look forward to more efforts to fix our broken patent system and to limit innovation-hindering patent trolling.
Filed Under: chuck schumer, patent reform


Big names, big stories: Details of Exit/In lore lost to time
Friday, July 22, 2016, Vol. 40, No. 30
By Tim Ghianni
All who were there seem to agree that Steve Martin took his Exit/In audience down the street for burgers, though there is little agreement on which restaurant or whether burgers were purchased.
-- Submitted
So, did you ever hear the story of Jimmy Buffett stepping through a small, open door, surprising the occupants, then successfully auditioning to play at a new club with a capacity of 90 people?
How about the one in which a young comic named Steve Martin led the crowd out the door and down the street and bought them hamburgers?
Well, let’s get to Buffett first. First of all, he wasn’t there singing with wink-and-nudge abandon songs about slushy drinks, carnal adventures or pirates. He didn’t even wear a flowered shirt.
It’s a true story from the very start of Nashville’s Exit/In, 45 years ago.
Buffett, looking like any typical Nashville songwriter (because that’s what he was), walked in the door off Elliston Place one day in the very early 1970s and smiled at the two 24-year-old dreamers – Brugh Reynolds and Owsley Manier – who were putting the finishing touches on their 90-seat nightclub.
“Jimmy Buffett came in. We were kind of finishing the place up, the first incarnation,” says Manier, remembering that initial encounter with a guy who would later adopt the Parrothead-and-hung-over-pirate shtick that has made him untold millions.
The door of the old building onto Elliston Place was only opened for ventilation during the construction. Soon it would be sealed and the way in would be to go down a few stairs behind the building, using the exit to literally get in to hear music or nurse beers. Exit/In … get it?
“He said he wanted to audition,” says Manier. “I told him to go ahead. Then we hired him.”
That was 1971, and Buffett became the first performer at the tiny “listening room” Reynolds and Manier had dreamed up, a place where the audience was “shushed” before “shushing” became cool.
“We were very idealistic about it,” Manier adds. “We wanted people to remain silent. We made an announcement: ‘Refrain from talking,’ and we would throw people out if they wouldn’t be quiet.”
It was the birth of a tradition and a club that has evolved over the years from listening room roots to a storied rock barn reality.
Exit/In developed a reputation as a “must” stop for those early wandering troubadours: lovable losers, no-account boozers, honky-tonk heroes. And comics.
That’s where Steve Martin comes in … and leaves, taking the crowd with him for hamburgers, according to varied accounts of that incident.
There are many versions of this story, depending on who’s telling it. Current co-owner Chris Cobb has heard most of them.
“In separate versions, some people say he took them to Friday’s (then a neighbor of the club). Other people say it was Krystal. I was talking to a guy two weeks ago who said he was there and it was Krystal. ‘I was there. He bought me a burger,’ the guy said.
“I think what we know (for sure) is that he was there and he takes everyone somewhere that made some kind of burger,” Cobb says with a laugh.
Perhaps then it’s best to just use Martin’s version from pages 164-165 of his book “Born Standing Up:’’
“It (Exit/In) was a low-ceilinged box painted black inside, with two noisy smoke eaters hanging from the ceiling, to no avail. The dense secondhand smoke was being inhaled and exhaled, making it thirdhand and fourthhand smoke….
The room seated about two-hundred and fifty, and the place was oversold, riotous and packed tight, which verified a growing belief of mine about comedy: The more physically uncomfortable the crowd, the bigger the laughs…. (He began taking crowds outside to end the show and make room for the second set.)
“One night at the Exit/In, I took the crowd down the street to a McDonald’s and ordered three hundred hamburgers to go, then quickly changed it to one bag of fries.’’
Such unexpected events became the norm for Martin’s crowd, and he began to realize that his comedy really had no boundaries:
“Even though I had done the act hundreds of times, it became new to me this hot, muggy week in Nashville. The disparate elements I’d begun with ten years before had become unified; my road experience had made me tough as steel, and I had total command of my material. But most important, I felt really, really funny….’’
Musician/nice guy Bill Lloyd is still sorry he missed that night, but he did see the wild-and-crazy legend-in-the-making at the club. “I wasn’t there the time he took everybody to Krystal’s. He acted like he was going to take us all out. Then he said ‘No, I did that last time.’”
There are many stories about the club. And then there are the half-truths and truths. But Buffett wasn’t the only young artist who got his first boost to stardom on Elliston Place.
It wasn’t that long after Buffett christened the place that “John Hiatt came in,” says Manier, remembering the sight of the skinny, 18-year-old with a guitar. And he kept coming in and performing even as the club made its transformation from small listening room to larger listening room (they added the building next door as an extension of the club in its first year) to a mini-arena-like place with more seats than bodies to fill them and then to the standing-room-only rock hall where acts like Jason & The Scorchers, R.E.M. and The Ramones would play.
Manier explains his original dream was initiated by visits to a similar club “called The Bottom of the Barrel, I think, in Underground Atlanta.”
He became a frequent visitor when he was on leave from Fort Benning where he was undergoing basic training for National Guard duty in the early 1970s.
“It was this listening room in a little club. They had the early Allman Brothers, and mostly folk stuff. You could hear a pin drop, and I was really impressed by that.”
Something clicked inside Manier’s brain, and when he was back in Nashville, he met up with Reynolds at Bishop’s Pub. “I said ‘I saw this place in Atlanta. Why don’t we look at it? Why don’t we do it?’”
They did both. “We didn’t have any money. We both borrowed a little bit of money on our life insurance policies to buy it,” Manier adds.
“Nothing like that had existed prior. We were seat-of-our-pants learners. It really was all about doing something cool. It was all about the music.
Jason Ringenberg of Jason and the Scorchers playing the Exit In in 1983.
-- Submitted Photo By Alan Mayor
“I don’t know how people started hearing about it. People talked, said it was a cool place to play.”
Nine months into its existence, the club expanded into a former H.G. Hill Grocery store next door, could seat about 200 people and the word continued to spread nationwide, through the music community.
“We had a vision for a place with a stage where acts and small groups could play and have a venue for local talent of which we knew Nashville was full, and it wasn’t just county. In fact, we resisted anything that resembled a country act for the first couple years,” says Reynolds.
“Back then there was no nightlife, no going out to hear music all the time like we have now. The only live music was in Printers’ Alley or on The Grand Ole Opry, two widely divergent experiences.”
“We wanted people to behave like they would in a movie theater (in fact, they did host art house films when they had no music to offer.)
“So we unwittingly became a cog in the music industry and learned that groups toured around clubs like this,” he adds, noting that the Exit/In – the funky little place where you came in the back and the acts dressed in an out-building to the rear of the property – became a major touring stop back when labels sent acts out on tour behind a new album.
“Places you could compare it to were the Bottom Line in New York or what was that place in L.A.? The Troubadour,” Reynolds adds.
The eventual big-business growth of this club into what it is today – Nashville’s best-known rock hall – is chronicled elsewhere in this package of stories.
But Reynolds, Manier and Liz Thiels (who became a partner early on) created an indelible mark on Music City’s live scene and actually opened doors – both front doors and back doors – for a city that now has a seemingly endless number of listening rooms.
“Our goal was to create an environment. … We were going to make the place so cool that they’d come even if a turtle was playing,” says Manier, laughing at that naivete.
“But the reality was that we had some incredible people there, and no one was there [listening].” Crowds were slow catching on.
They began booking acts like B.B King, Odetta, Waylon Jennings. Heck, they even had Billy “The Piano Man” Joel play there for $1,500 back in the days when labels subsidized performers’ national tours to promote recently released albums. (That was when vinyl LPs were king, long before they became a collectible and sometimes pricey oddity in these compressed, digital years).
“One thing that was interesting to me is that because in those days we played a lot of black artists, on any given night the place was 80 percent black people,” Manier explains, illustrating how inadvertently the Exit/In was breaking down societal barriers even while the dream materialized.
Thiels, now retired after a career in public relations and as an executive with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, became in charge of publicity and carting the artists around town for radio interviews.
There were live broadcasts, WKDA did a rock night on Wednesday, and WPLN broadcast the Sunday night jazz – all fed to the stations via old-fashioned telephone lines.
Not always were they successful, though.
“The record labels and the artists were just thrilled to be broadcast, we never called for permissions,” Thiels says.
That caused one performance headache when Rahsaan Roland Kirk – multi-instrumental jazz player, best known for his tenor sax – came to perform. “He found out we were going to broadcast his show live (and he became angry) and he played a really short set and said ‘That’s all for a suck-ass rock station,” she recalls, with a laugh.
While the owners were losing money, they were happy to see their club’s stature increase nationally.
In fact, Thiels illustrates that occasionally the glowing reputation – and high regard from national music magazines – sort of outpaced the reputation locally.
“Dizzy Gillespie played there, and nobody came,” she says, awe and disappointment still flavoring her words all these decades later.
“It was Dizzy Gillespie (the legendary jazz trumpet player), and we could not figure out why the jazz people didn’t come to see Dizzy Gillespie.
“I asked a jazz guy ‘Why didn’t you come?’ And he told me he ‘didn’t think it would be him.’”
Still none of those early owners has many regrets, and would do it again.
“Outside of losing a bunch of money, sure,” notes Manier, when asked if he viewed the club as a success despite the fact the original owners piloted it into bankruptcy. “People love that place, and I can’t tell you how many people met their wives there … all of them.”
The national acclaim was not reflected in ticket sales. “We were struggling to survive. There were times when, as the owners… the wait staff and the bartenders would make more money than us.
“Waitresses could make $200 or $250 a night, and that was a lot of money back then,” but he wouldn’t change it. “It was a place of magical musical happenings and the interaction between the musicians and the audience was energizing,” Manier says.
“We didn’t go into it to make money,” says Reynolds. “Unfortunately that’s not a good way to go into a business venture, but we did what we wanted to do.
“You had to be there to know what it was,” he says. “You had to be there.”
Of course, the club had its ups and downs, but it did make it through its infancy to become what essentially was a cavernous concert hall, the perfect venue for rock bands.
Current co-owner Cobb is proud of the club and its history.
“I think it’s a very special place and a very special thing, and I think that, as a city and as a music community, Nashville is so fortunate to have the Exit/In,” he says.
“I’m sure most of us take the Exit/In for granted. But it’s rare. There’s not a lot of places that have a 45-year-old rock club.”