I can only hope the owners would be so stupid. If the NFL dissolves itself, what’s the first thing that will happen? The UFL or any other new league will open with 30-32 teams with all the same players from the NFL. So unless you were watching Giants v. Eagles because you love the historic connection the teams keep to YA Tittle and Ron Jaworski, I’m pretty sure you’re going to watch the same teams and players play in the new league.

I leave open the possibility that the people who so blindly support the owners would watch the NFL with scrub replacements as long as there were enough shots of the Kraft and Rooney families up in their owners boxes. For those people, I simply ask that you please stop ruining the game for the rest of us.

Lastly, how do people look themselves in the mirror when they say they’re free enterprise and hate unions for destroying America, but they want to force the players to be in a union and not be allowed to sell their services to the highest bidder?

]]>By: anthonyfromstatenislandhttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1060496
Wed, 11 May 2011 13:15:01 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1060496But hank10: What if it’s more like $13.5 billion the owners and players do not collect?

18 + 34 + 14 = making it closer to $13.5B than $9B:

18 games, 34 teams in the league (one expansion team in Los Angeles, to go in the NFC West, the other in San Antonio, to go in the NFC East to give Dallas a natural geographical rival; then move the Seahawks back to the AFC West, which Paul Allen never wanted to leave to begin with), and 14 teams in the playoffs (by adding one more playoff berth in each conference, leaving only the 1 seed with a bye and thus getting rid of the riduculous situation you have now under which the difference between being a 2 seed and a 3 seed is greater than the difference between being a 1 seed and a 2 seed because the 1 and 2 seeds get both a first-round bye and home field in the second round while the 3 seed gets neither).

Instead of this zero-sum crap about who gets what share of the pie, grow the pie, for cryin’ out loud.

]]>By: jpmelonhttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1060388
Wed, 11 May 2011 06:56:22 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1060388If I owned a team and a bunch of goons that I pay millions of dollars to for playing a game 16 times a year asked for more, I’d shut the thing down to prove a point too.
]]>By: airraid77http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1059248
Tue, 10 May 2011 11:23:28 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1059248a billionaire is a billionaire, He found ways to make a billion dollars. Which the libs cant stand.
Nineroutsider, you keep you are not taking taking sides yet you keep taking head shots at the owners….are you related to m-flo?
The owners should be praised not demonized.
]]>By: nineroutsiderhttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1059165
Tue, 10 May 2011 04:41:46 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1059165@locutus

“Idiots commenting here will never be billionaires so the next best thing they (or their offspring) can hope for is to be a flash in the pan athlete to cash in.”
———————————————————

Neither will you though. That is the major problem I have with you pro-owner guys that own a blue collar service company…you keeping putting yourselves in the shoes of billionaires as if their industry is similar to yours.

It’s funny…keep doing it. Especially whoever it was that listed the keystone qualities of billionaires so eloquently and included ‘grudge holding’; you don’t happen, by chance of course, to see reflections of yourself in these qualities? Keep showing the digital world just how successful you are…its makes the lockout far more interesting.

Scanning the threads, I noticed you both waving to get my attention. That’s sweet, and I’m sorry to disappoint you. PalinforPresident, I can’t offer a legal opinion since I’m not an attorney. But as a one-time employment attorney, Mike has done a terrific job breaking down these complete issues. And Rachael, I do apologize that my posts are over your head. Perhaps you can take that up with your principal. Your school administration may be able to assign you to some remedial courses before you’re held back yet again.

As for the topic at hand, I’d rather not waste my ire and hysteria on rumors. I’ll just wait and see …

]]>By: locutushttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058778
Mon, 09 May 2011 20:19:32 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058778Question for all the people making arguments in favor of the owners:

Speaking for myself, and I would venture to guess most that are pro owners, I am an owner of a company. I know what it takes to run one successfully and what employees do. During our history, there was a point where a segment of our employees had us over the barrel regarding their talents. Meaning they did jobs well and there were few in the free market to take their place so we had to swallow our pride and pay them whatever they asked for. Now, that is not the case and we can be more discriminating and they know this as well.

One thing we would never do is just keep paying to the point of having no profitability. I would be the most vocal against the players if I were an NFL owner. They need to know they can go to hell by use strong arm tactics without any risk.

Regarding your stupid question however; it only makes sense idiots like you think that anyone that is pro owner is a shill. It only solidifies the mentality that has engulfed the US and that is envy of anyone successful. Idiots commenting here will never be billionaires so the next best thing they (or their offspring) can hope for is to be a flash in the pan athlete to cash in. Pretty damn sad when you can’t see what is the correct course of action for not only the people who created the game but the game itself.

]]>By: ebenezergrymmhttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058761
Mon, 09 May 2011 20:13:26 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058761100% on the owners side. The players winning does nothing for the fans, they won’t spend their money to upgrade your stadium experience, they won’t spend money on advertising or expansion, they’ll spend their money on new rims and Escalades.

I also like the irony of shutting down the NFL and how it parallels decertifying the union. How’s it feel, DeMoron Smith?

But what I really want to know is if when the league reforms and all contracts have to be redone, will 2K Sports get to make a new (insert name of new football league here) game? If so then

FANS WIN! FANS WIN!

]]>By: notacelticsfanhttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058708
Mon, 09 May 2011 19:31:24 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058708Question for all the people making arguments in favor of the owners: How much are you getting paid to troll sites and leave those comments, and are the Owners still hiring?

Thank you in advance.

]]>By: shark298http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058499
Mon, 09 May 2011 16:21:24 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058499The funny thing is no matter how severe the stoppage as soon as they all snap their fingers and say it’s time for football, there will be 70,000 idiots in the stands forking over their hard earned mone
]]>By: truthserum4uhttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058436
Mon, 09 May 2011 15:40:05 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058436iamtalkingsolistenandlearn has covered much of what I was going to say, but I’ll chime in anyways.

For those of you thinking a new league, or the existing UFL, can or will swoop in and take the place of the NFL are living a pipe dream. There are several reasons why.

It takes years for a new league to establish owners, infrastructure and a business plan. The players would be giving up years of what is already a short career waiting for it to get started.

Any existing or new league would need owners with incredibly deep pockets if they were to try and match the player’s current salaries; which would be highly unlikely. It’s also important to note wealthy owners on it’s own does not insure business success. The USFL had wealthy owners like Donald Trump and they still went belly-up.

They would need incredibly wealthy owners because they would not be receiving huge TV contracts from the networks or cable, like some of you seem to think. The television networks aren’t currently handing over the big money to the NFL because the league has superstars playing in it; the league has always had superstars. It’s not because the game is wildly popular. It’s because the NFL has spent decades building a track record with solid and reliable management producing a proven commodity that the networks know is sustainable. The networks/cable won’t fork out nearly that kind of money to a start-up league or even the existing UFL without a much longer history than what they currently possess. This means the players would be settling for far less than they would with the last owners offer.

The other statement I see posted so often is “the players are the game” or “the players are the product”. This just isn’t true. The GAME is the game. The GAME is the product. If this isn’t true, how did the NFL survive (and grow & thrive) when players like Montana, Elway, Payton, Rice, R White, and so many of the greatest to play the game retired? How will it go on without Manning, Brady, R Lewis and many others? Besides, the game is massively popular with people who could care less about the name on the back of the jersey – gamblers and fantasy leaguges.

The bottom line is both sides need each other and need to acknowledge the value of the other. Whether you’re on the side of the owners or the players, you should be copying the following statement from rushbacker and emailing it to both sides.

“Sadly, it now seems more about ego than anything else, even money. If both sides are determined to “win” at all costs, they should both be ready to pay the ultimate cost– which in this case is diminishing the popularity and profitability of the game.

You morons have the throat of the proverbial golden goose gripped tightly in your mitts– go ahead, keep squeezing.”

]]>By: dietrich43http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058343
Mon, 09 May 2011 14:46:48 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058343The Owners run 32 businesses. I’m sure they’ve figured out the cost to shutdown and lose a season, and they’re evaluating that against a bad deal with labor. Why is the possibility of a complete shutdown such a surprise?
]]>By: vahawkerhttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058284
Mon, 09 May 2011 14:03:43 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058284So Kidder…please point to the part in the owner’s proposal(that the players didn’t even bother reading) where the owners were CUTTING player’s pay. Unless you want to argue that a rookie cap cuts a rookie’s pay, but can you can cut the pay of someone you have never had a contract with?
]]>By: pigeonpeahttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058277
Mon, 09 May 2011 14:01:15 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058277Last February, I watched my favourite team win the Lombardi for the fourth time and was really looking forward to see if they could repeat this season. After this mess, I have lost all interest. I didn’t look (nor care) who the Packers drafted, and instead booked the day off to take the girlfriend to see the Toronto Argonauts home opener. Who knows? Without the NFL in 2011, maybe I may find the CFL to be just as exciting – especially when all those unemployed NFL players come knocking on the CFL’s door for a job. With only 8 teams in the league, the NFL could end up with NFL superstars at every position!
]]>By: sfsaintsfanhttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058268
Mon, 09 May 2011 13:55:21 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058268“drumzan says: May 8, 2011 10:50 PM

Perfect time for the Buffalo Bills to join the CFL.”

Where they would finish the season with a record of 3-6…..

]]>By: pksivhttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058261
Mon, 09 May 2011 13:49:39 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058261For all of those saying that these players can play in the UFL here’s what those guys got paid last season –

“For the 2010 UFL season, a player making a UFL team’s roster will earn a salary of $50,000 over a period of eight weeks. And that is pretty much non-negotiable. ”

Other than UDFA’s, do you really think any of the NFL stars are going to risk serious injury for $50K ?

The NFL should shut down, re-organize as a single Corporate entity with 32 internal divisions that all operate under a single ruling body. They wouldn’t even need a CBA with the players. The league could dictate all the terms. The players can choose to play or not to play and there could be no collusion because it’s all one company.

]]>By: yzguy431http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058208
Mon, 09 May 2011 12:55:56 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058208does anyone really think that ‘the fans’ will stay away from the game? they can take 2 years off, and ‘the fans’ will come roaring back.
]]>By: raven4life21http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058202
Mon, 09 May 2011 12:47:32 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058202If this happens, without football, I am fully convinced the world is going to end and the 2012 armageddon theory is true… and i say as politely as i can F-O-R-G-E-T YOUUUUUU!
]]>By: hank10http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058174
Mon, 09 May 2011 11:43:37 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058174Memo to Owners and Players:

You all can go straight to Hell. Do not pass Go. Do not collect your $9,000,000,000.00.

That is all.

]]>By: lawyermalloyhttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058167
Mon, 09 May 2011 11:20:47 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058167While I don’t believe the owners have the balls to shut down, to do so MAY be the choice that actually resolves this mess.
As soon as the players lose several checks a settlement of ALL open issues will commence.
This strategy would be a lot quicker than allowing this mess to grind through the court system.
]]>By: anthonyfromstatenislandhttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058164
Mon, 09 May 2011 10:48:27 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058164If the union can go out of business, why can’t the owners?

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

And I say go for it, owners!

]]>By: warhorse007http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058154
Mon, 09 May 2011 06:38:08 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058154BTW, for anyone who brings the argument of the violence and threat of injury to the table, just remember: THEY DONT HAVE TO PLAY FOOTBALL.

If they dont want to risk injury, dont play. Hello?

NASCAR drivers……anyone stoppin you from getting out of an automobile and walking away?

Well, dont let this little piece of news pass you by, cause it may just be the tip of the iceburg.

The initial rumors of a complete NFL shutdown if the courts order a lifting of the lockout are slowly swirling.

Cant say as I blame the owners. Nobody wants someone else telling them what to do in their own business, and if it were me, and I dont have the freedom to decide what happens, then I may as well shut my doors. I would never let a group of people that I employ dictate to me how things should be, simply because my business is lucrative.

That would include the union they scam under.

The players are making more money then they ever have before, and the money is SPREAD across the entire spectrum of players. The elite still take the biggest cut of the pie, but players that are further down build equity through their years. Can there be better retirement? Yes. Better medical? Yes.

But in the end, I believe in the NFL, its too violent a game to be taking money from those lower on the tier and giving it to those higher on the tier.

The NFL owners of teams that are struggling to stay afloat have a right to want to renegotiate. The owners had, and have excercised, their right to opt out of the current agreement.

They no longer wish to work under that agreement, and its their right.

The players also have a right to quit, and retire from the NFL and go somewhere else and find work……….McDonalds?

Perhaps they ought to look into being a union rep, I hear they take home quite a bit of money, and have GREAT death benefits for their family members.

Get rid of these players, and sign some new ones if they dont want to play in the NFL. The NFL isnt asking them individually to take pay cuts, and they will CONTINUE to make more and more money into the end of their careers.

If they dont, goodbye, and bring in the players of the future, the stars of the future, and the game of the future.

Start with this rookie class, and tell them if they want to play, today is the day.

The only other alternative is for the 32 NFL owners to merge into a single entity, with limited parnterships and structures that allow for individual handling of their teams, and everyone knows that wont happen……theyre billionaires afterall.

D. Smith needs to take his union busting derby, put it on his head, face the north and keep on walking till he hits water.

I love my NFL team. And if that aint the players we have today, then goodbye, and bring in those who want to represent. I love football, even on its most basic level.
If the competition is level, I love it!!!

]]>By: bluetalonzhttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058147
Mon, 09 May 2011 05:49:46 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058147Kidder95, it’s really hard to tell if you think everyone is really that stupid, or if you are just pretending to be that stupid.

It would take a truly stupid player with a truly stupid agent to sign a contract with a start-up league with no out-clause.

It would take incredibly stupid owners and managers in a start-up league to think such a start-up league would draw the kinds of crowds that require venues like Qwest, and that lack the imagination to work around potential scheduling problems.

It takes a pretty stupid person to think that the NFL is the only option for people who want to play football professionally. UFL, AFL, CFL, are all viable alternatives for players who want to play and get paid for it. (It belies defining the NFL as a monopoly.)

And it takes a pretty stupid person to write everything you wrote in the manner you wrote it (it takes a pretty flexible lexicon as well), as if there were no alternatives to the scenarios you posited.

]]>By: jebsta16http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058142
Mon, 09 May 2011 05:27:56 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058142I hope the owners do this. I don’t see anything good coming from giving in to the players. They have no right to be demanding so much money when they invest 0 % back. I would love the players association to get a nice reality check because if they don’t play football for the apparent bread crumbs they are making now I sure could use some help in my department where they will be making 1/100000 of what they are used to making and they will have to live a lifestyle of living within your means and pay check to pay check. I am so sick of the players demands. The owners gave you a more then fair deal and you turned it down. You made a huge mistake and now are going to get raped on the next deal and then you will beg the owners for the original deal back. Time to fire De smith for misleading you.
]]>By: stevecmhhttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058136
Mon, 09 May 2011 05:01:51 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058136It’s amusing to read that if the players are successful in negotiations, it will actually benefit Jerry Jones and a few other rich owners who will gleefully turn the NFL into MLB. If you follow this theory to its logical conclusion, you have to assume that those owners are hoping for the players’ success if not actually secretly colluding with them. Those players deserve an Oscar for acting so upset when Jones “stormed out of the negotiations” last month!

On a more serious note, the owners may bluff about a shutdown but they are essentially doing that now with the lockout. If the lockout were to continue into the season, the owners would be in a very similar financial situation, wouldn’t they? They would probably be able to reduce their fixed expenses by a formal shutdown but would also likely incur certain one-time charges for shutting down.

The owners cannot afford to actually shut down the league, nor can they afford to continue the lockout into the season, because most have financial obligations they would not be able to meet without their 2011 revenue. It’s possible they would be able renegotiate those obligations but that would be subject to their individual situations and likely up to their creditors. While some owners have outside business interests that could help them meet their football-related obligations, all of the owners are not in that position.

And let’s not forget the penalties they will likely incur from their violation of the last CBA. That damages hearing will start in Judge David Doty’s courtroom in a couple of weeks. While I’m sure the owners would appeal an unfavorable decision, they may have to post a very sizable financial bond in order to file the appeal.

Of course, the players have financial pressures on their side ALSO. Those pressures are not as easy to summarize because there are so many players with unique circumstances. There are only 32 owners who receive equal league revenue plus individual team revenue. I suspect the players’ situations are much more varied than the owners because of the wider disparities in their incomes. For this reason, it will probably be more difficult for the players to stay united compared to the owners. That’s what the owners are banking on, I think. Of course, most of the players are not used to being paid until the first game of the season. The only players likely to experience financial pressure before the season are those expecting off-season bonuses.

This process continues to be a protracted, high stakes ‘game of chicken’ with the added dimension of external factors such as the lawsuits in Minnesota and St. Louis, the owners’ NLRB complaint, the owners’ major business partners, etc. Both sides are taking a big chance gambling with the success of the NFL. If the season is lost, there are no guarantees that the NFL will return to its prior level of success. Both sides are taking big chances with a $9 billion ‘golden goose’.

This article is about the NFL closing its doors. The lockout is covered by Brady et al and the court will decide what happens. If the 8th Circuit keep the lockout in place while deciding the case, we will find out then what the liabilities are when the case is fully adjudicated.

None of the things you say will be irrepaable harm has to come if the league is disbanded. Teams are still liable for their contracts if they close their doors. But since players contracts aren’t guaranteed, it doesn’t matter. Also, if the Seahawks close their doors, they are still liable for the terms of the contract. Don’tyou think Paul Allen knows that. He can pay and if the team can’t pay, the team can file for bankruptcy relief. If he pays, he can keep a team from the new league off of that field.

As for the free market, I am not necessarily against it. However, you do need to be aware that there will unintended consequences. It may or may not be fun.

]]>By: biisthttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/#comment-1058128
Mon, 09 May 2011 04:30:48 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=129691#comment-1058128Nuclear option out-come: Players win and Tom Brady, et. al. win antitrust. End of NFL. The irony is they win the battle but lose the league and have a smaller pie to apply their 60% revenue “winnings” against.
Tom Brady will be the icon of the end of the league. The rings on his finger will be worthless as the last superbowl will have been played and the league becomes a MLS like shadow of its former self. Small market teams fold for lack of revenue sharing; their are fewer teams for from which players can get hired. And former players with injuries get a smaller or no check as league cannot afford extra contributions.

Players ought to be careful what they wish for…they may just get it after all.


Delém

Vladem Lázaro Ruiz Quevedo (April 15, 1935 in São Paulo, Brazil – March 28, 2007 in Buenos Aires, Argentina), known as "Delém", was a Brazilian footballer who played for clubs in Brazil, Argentina and Chile. He played seven games and scored five goals for the Brazil national football team, all in 1960.

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COURTS AND COURTIERS v. Under the Timurid and Turkman dynasties

COURTS AND COURTIERS

v. Under the Timurid and Turkman dynasties

One of the causes of Timur’s break, in 771/1370, with the Chaghatayid prince Amir Ḥosayn (see chaghatayid dynasty), who ruled northern Afghanistan and had been his ally in his early campaigns against the eastern Chaghatayid Tuḡluq (Tūḡlūq) Tīmūr, may have been Ḥosayn’s intention to build a fortified capital city for himself at Balḵ (Šāmī, I, pp. 51-52; cf. Gronke, p. 18). In that respect he was challenging a tenet of Mongol tradition that had until then been immutable. A nomadic existence was the established pattern among Mongol rulers, and a fortified capital was not permitted. Nevertheless, once Tīmūr had consolidated his own power, he no longer rejected the idea of such a capital for himself. He gave up his original plan to establish it in the vicinity of his birthplace at Keš (Šahr-e Sabz), in favor of Samarqand, which, after a period of flowering under the Samanids (204-395/819-1005), had gradually declined under the Qarakhanids (433-607/1041-1211) and, owing to subsequent plundering by Čengīz Khan, had finally sunk to an insignificant locality (Brandenburg, 1972, pp. 17-18). Tīmūr intended Samarqand to outdo in pomp and splendor all other capitals in the world known to him. For that purpose, from 781/1379, when he entered Organj, in every city that he conquered he selected architects, artists, craftsmen, teachers, and poets and transported them to Samarqand, where he founded new settlements, frequently named for other major Islamic cities: Cairo (Meṣr), Damascus, Baghdad, Solṭānīya, Shiraz (cf. Roemer, 1989, p. 107; Barthold, 1938, p. 11). By the time of Tīmūr’s death in 807/1405 Samarqand had become one of the foremost capitals of the Islamic world, ornamented by a number of splendid architectural monuments, many of which are still preserved today (see Golombek and Wilber).

Subsequent Timurid and Turkman rulers and princes established their seats in other cities and built them into important political and especially religious and cultural centers. During the short reign of Tīmūr’s grandson Oloḡ Beg (850-53/1447-49) Samarqand remained a significant center of cultural patronage. But already during the lifetime of his father, Šāhroḵ (807-50/1405-47), Herat had become a significant court center, and under Sultan Ḥosayn Bāyqarā (875-912/1470-1506) it was developed into the most splendid capital of the period, usurping the position of Samarqand. Tabrīz under the Qara Qoyunlū (782-873/1380-1468) and Āq Qoyunlū rulers (780-914/1378-1508) and Shiraz under the Timurid princes Eskandar b. ʿOmar Šayḵ (812-17/1409-14) and Ebrāhīm b. Šāhroḵ (d. 837/1434) were also noteworthy urban centers. Despite the foundation of capital cities and court establishments, the Mongol nomadic tradition was not entirely given up by Timurid and Turkman rulers. It remained alive in the royal encampments (ordū-ye homāyūn) in which the princes customarily resided with their followers as they traveled about the countryside, far from the royal household established in the capital (see iv, above). Even the Safavids continued this practice until the time of ʿAbbās I (996-1038/1588-1629; see vi, below).

The princely entourage. Although the internal structure of the various Timurid and Turkman courts has not so far been the focus of extensive research, certain fundamental elements must have been similar in all of them. For example, neither Tīmūr nor his successors ever assumed the official title “khan,” though contemporary chroniclers frequently referred to them as such in their works. Tīmūr preferred to call himself “amir” and, underscoring his familial relation to the Chengizids, also adopted the Mongol title kürgän (lit. “son-in-law”; Šāmī, I, pp. 9, 15; Ḥāfeẓ-e Abrū, pp. 430, 439, 457). Until 805/1402 he professed loyalty to successive princes of the lineage of Čengīz Khan, Soyūrḡātmīš (771-86/1370-84) and Solṭān-Maḥmūd (786-805/1384-1402), who as nominal rulers of the realm bore the title “khan,” though actually they functioned only as legitimizing figures and puppets in the hands of the conqueror (Roemer, 1989, p. 60; Barthold, 1935, pp. 108-09). His son Šāhroḵ did not adopt the title kürgän and maintained no shadow khan at Herat, but his other son, Mīrānšāh, who ruled in western

Persia, did use the title (Ḥāfeẓ-e Abrū, p. 8; Dawlatšāh, ed. Browne, pp. 324, 329). Furthermore, both Mīrānšāh’s son Ḵalīl, who was Tīmūr’s immediate successor in Transoxania (807-12/1405-09), and Šāhroḵ’s own son Oloḡ Beg (Ḥāfeẓ-e Abrū, p. 444; Barthold, 1935, p. 109), in addition to calling themselves kürgän, also ruled with shadow khans, though Ḵalīl’s choice was a descendant of Tīmūr himself, rather than of Čengīz Khan; Oloḡ Beg’s shadow khan was a Chengizid, who lived entirely secluded at the so-called “khan’s court” (ḥeyāt-e ḵān), a walled precinct in the eastern part of Samarqand (Mīrzā Ḥaydar, pp. 71-72; Barthold, 1935, p. 109).

The influential class of nobles with the title tarḵāns constituted a special group at court. Various privileges accompanied membership in this group: free access to the ruler; immunity from punishment for nine infractions, both for the title holders and their descendants; release from the obligation of providing horses for the cavalry (olāḡ); and exemption from taxes and levies, including those on booty from hunting and military conquest (Šāmī, I, p. 123; Hinz, 1952, pp. 216-17, 220). Amirs from a Turkish tribal group called Tarḵān, which seems to have taken its name from a bearer of this title, played a leading role in Herat under Šāhroḵ (Ando, pp. 118, 138-45).

Understanding the organization of the court and administration in the 15th century poses severe difficulties for the researcher, for several reasons. There was obviously no uniformity between the practices of the Timurid and Turkman dynasties, which were also subject to internal variations at different periods. Furthermore, it is difficult to reach definitive conclusions because the distinction between court and state officials is not always clearly recognizable. In every instance these difficulties reflect the absence of scholarly investigation. No comprehensive survey of the period, which would have to be drawn from many different sources, has yet been written, to say nothing of a more systematic description.

As for those offices that were part of the court establishment, in most of the sources official posts that were already known earlier at the Mongol court are mentioned. Particularly prominent among them were the qūṛčīs (quiver bearers), who were members of the ruler’s bodyguard; the yūrṭčīs (stewards), who were responsible for provisions and arrangements for the entire royal encampment on campaigns, hunting expeditions, and journeys; and the aḵtāčīs (stable masters; Rašīd-al-Dīn, Jāmeʿ al-tawārīḵ, Baku, p. 164; Naḵjavānī, II, pp. 62-67; Šāmī, I, p. 199, II, pp. 16, 114; Samarqandī, p. 355; cf. Doerfer, Elemente I, pp. 117-18, 429-32, IV, pp. 216-17). The Mongol legacy was also apparent in the presence at court of yār/yarḡūčīs (judges), whose duty it was to provide interpretations of the laws (yāsā) of Čengīz Khan and Mongol customary law. Supervising court ceremonial, organizing the reception of visitors, and similar official arrangements were the responsibility of the yasāvols (masters of ceremonies), who during audiences led forward those attending to hear the commands of the ruler and, in time of war, were supposed to take charge of mustering the troops for battle (Naḵjavānī, II, pp. 34, 57-62; Samarqandī, pp. 38, 226; Mīrzā Ḥaydar, p. 54; cf. Doerfer, Elemente IV, pp. 64-66, 166-72). The būkāvols appear to have been military quartermasters or staff officers, subordinate to the commanders; they were charged with administering the different divisions of the army, the provisioning of troops, the payment of wages, and the equitable distribution of the booty from war (Naḵjavānī, II, pp. 53-67; ʿAbd-Allāh Morvārīd, fols. 31b-32a, tr. pp. 61-63, comm. pp. 155-57; Hinz, 1952, p. 215; cf. Doerfer, Elemente II, pp. 301-07). The decrees of Sultan Ḥosayn Bāyqarā at the end of the 15th century show that the būkāvols still also fulfilled their original function as tasters and cooks (ʿAbd-Allāh Morvārīd, comm. p. 156); in this connection official sūčīs (cupbearers; Šāmī, II, p. 138; Ḥāfeẓ-e Abrū, pp. 447, 463; Doerfer, Elemente III, pp. 285-86) were also part of the court establishment. The tūḡčīs (standard bearers, banner carriers) carried the standards adorned with horse tails (Doerfer, Elemente II, p. 624), which, along with kettledrums, were the insignia of rank for nobles and higher officials (Doerfer, Elemente II, p. 620. For this reason, the ruler’s own military band, including tympanists (naqqāračīān), flutists (ṣūrnājīān), trumpeters (nafīrjīān), and cymbal players (senjīān), was also carefully regulated. The band was responsible not only for martial music but also for the nawba, a musical piece heard several times daily at fixed times. The leader of both the band and the court drum corps bore the title ostād (master) and also had jurisdiction over the circle of people who performed regularly at public festivities, as well as others who belonged to the socially scorned professions and minorities, like public entertainers (qawwālān) who performed in the markets, spinners (fartmālān), gypsies (lūlīan), sieve makers (ḡerbālbāfān), and especially foreigners (ḡarīb-zādagān), the proprietors of wine taverns (bāda-bānān), bathhouse keepers (ḥammāmīān), bath scrapers (dallākān), barbers (sartarāšān), cuppers (ḥajjāmān), peddlers (ṭawwāfān), and corpse washers (ḡassālān; ʿAbd-Allāh Morvārīd, fols. 20b-22a, tr. pp. 88-91, comm. pp. 174-76). For soft music, which was very popular at court, there were also court musicians. The musicians and singers in Samarqand during Oloḡ Beg’s reign enjoyed an especially high reputation for their artistry; under Sultan Ḥosayn Bāyqarā they bore the title ostād (ʿAbd-Allāh Morvārīd, fols. 44b, tr. pp. 91, comm. p. 176). For the royal hunting expeditions there were bārs/pārsčīs (keepers of the hunting cheetahs) and qūščīs (falconers; Rašīd-al-Dīn, Jāmeʿ al-tawārīḵ, Baku, pp. 372, 479, 486; Hinz, 1952, p. 214). The post of qūščī was an important military office, and the incumbents were amirs, numbered among the highest-ranking group of officers (ʿAbd-Allāh Morvārīd, fols. 19a-20b, tr. pp. 87-88, comm. p. 173). For his library at Herat Sultan Ḥosayn Bāyqarā created the post of court librarian, with the official title dārūḡa-ye ketāb-ḵāna-ye homāyūn (Ḥabīb al-sīar, Tehran, IV, pp. 155, 188, 189; Barthold, 1938, p. 56). In keeping with Turkish tradition princes were educated by atabegs, who were responsible for teaching their young charges everything they, as future rulers and princes, were required to know (Šāmī, II, p. 58; Mīrzā Ḥaydar, pp. 140, 375). The treasurers (ḵezānačī), seal bearers (mohrdār), and secretaries (parvānačī), who were entrusted with writing the decrees of the ruler, were also included among the officials of the court. There is some confusion about the position of the bahādors (lit. “heroes,” perhaps field marshals), a designation that seems to have been only an honorary title conferred for bravery in battle and probably did not refer to a precise official function (for a discussion of this term, see Doerfer, Elemente II, pp. 366-77). Finally, there were also state chanceries (see dīvān) at the Timurid and Turkman courts; the details of the chancery system in the different realms are frequently unclear, but they belong outside the framework of official functions that were specifically part of the court, in the equally little understood arena of state administration (see cities ii).

Ceremonials and entertainments. The court life of Timurid and Turkman princes, with its entertainments and ceremonies, is depicted in the miniature paintings of the 15th century, which at present have been too little studied from this point of view. The parallel Islamic and Mongol-Turkish traditions of the period exerted varying degrees of influence on the court establishments of individual princes. For example, Šāhroḵ governed Herat as a pious Islamic ruler, strongly enforcing the provisions of the šarīʿa (Islamic canon law). Every Friday he attended the mosque in the role of a simple Muslim, without distinguishing himself in the slightest from the rest of the faithful. On Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays Koran readings were presented at his court audiences. Šāhroḵ also strictly observed the fast of the month of Ramażān (Barthold, 1935, p. 142). In contrast, his son Oloḡ Beg continued many Mongol customs in his court at Samarqand. Like his grandfather Tīmūr he loved banquets with music, singing, and copious wine drinking, and he paid only the slightest heed to the šarīʿa (Barthold, 1935, pp. 141-43). It is known that Uzun Ḥasan Āq Qoyunlū (857-82/1453-78), after morning prayer in the presence of the princes and amirs, took the opportunity to hear appeals personally. Poor and needy subjects brought petitions, which were presented by officials acting on their behalf, and the ruler handed down decisions and, through his secretaries, gave instructions for action (Woods, p. 122).

Receptions and banquets for ambassadors played an important part in court life. According to Mongol-Turkish tradition, the wives of the rulers and other women of their households participated in these festivities. A detailed report on the ceremonies observed at a reception of ambassadors was given by Ruy González de Clavijo, who left an eyewitness account of life at Tīmūr’s court in Samarqand. The seating order was arranged according to rank. Tīmūr himself sat in splendid dress on a seat of silk cushions arrayed on a platform. Hundreds of filled wine jugs stood ready, and there were music and processions of elephants. During the entire presentation ceremony the ambassadors were held under the armpits by servants, who loosened their grasp only when the ambassadors had returned to their places. The ceremonial wine drinking was also precisely regulated: Each guest stepped forward in turn, bent his right knee, stood up again in order to step forward somewhat farther, then knelt on both knees and received the filled beaker. Then he stood up, stepped back a little, knelt again, and drank the wine in a single draft. Finally, he stood and, as an indication of respect, placed his left hand on his forehead (Clavijo, tr. Markham, pp. 154-56). Frequently the royal audience concluded with a banquet. On such occasions and at other court festivities it was customary to distribute robes of honor and titles. Oloḡ Beg elevated several individuals to the status of tarḵān on the occasion of the circumcision ceremonies for one of his sons (Ḥabīb al-sīar, Tehran, IV, p. 35). In general not only the princes themselves but also their wives and high officials attended such revels, at which entertainment was provided by musicians, singers, and poets (Ebn ʿArabšāh, p. 163).

Most Timurid princes took a special delight in hunting expeditions in the open air. Oloḡ Beg, who was particularly enthusiastic about the sport, drew up for himself a list of the wild beasts that he had personally killed (Dawlatšāh, ed. Browne, p. 362) and was accustomed to undertaking winter journeys to the neighborhood of Bukhara in order to hunt birds. Sultan Ḥosayn Bāyqarā particularly enjoyed hunting for pigeons (Barthold, 1938, p. 55).

Splendid receptions, banquets, and hunting parties were no less typical of the court of the Āq Qoyunlū at Tabrīz under Uzun Ḥasan and his son Yaʿqūb (883-96/1478-90; Alderly, 1873b, pp. 52-63).

Patronage and cultural life. Every Timurid and Turkman prince strove to enhance his prestige not only by displaying the trappings of power but also by turning his court into a center of cultural life. The courts thus swiftly developed into centers of learning and the arts. The princes and their courtiers were important patrons of literature and poetry, miniature painting, calligraphy, and the art of bookbinding; they assembled large numbers of scholars at their courts and adorned their capital cities with splendid architectural monuments. To name only the most important examples, Samarqand under Tīmūr and Oloḡ Beg; Herat under Šāhroḵ, his son Bāysonqor, and Ḥosayn Bāyqarā and his vizier, ʿAlī-Šīr Navāʾī; Tabrīz under Uzun Ḥasan Āq Qoyunlū and his son; and the smaller court cities like Shiraz under Eskandar b. ʿOmar Šayḵ and Šāhroḵ’s son Ebrāhīm developed in similar ways into cities of refined aspect and artistic accomplishment, as well as centers of pleasant living, where the most outstanding contemporary scholars congregated.

The Timurid and Turkman are particularly noted for the rich historical and poetic literature fostered at their courts. Although the best historians, like Ḥāfeẓ-e Abrū, ʿAbd-al-Razzāq Samarqandī, and Mīrḵᵛānd, did not perhaps achieve the magisterial level that characterized Mongol historical writing, nevertheless they left works of considerable scope. Princely patronage also engendered new vitality in the art of court poetry (see ix, below). Although the number of poets thus increased greatly, their works do not rank intellectually or aesthetically with the output of the great period of Persian literature in the preceding centuries. Poetic conventions and a strong emphasis on formal elements came more and more to replace originality and richness of thought. The 15th century produced only one truly great Persian poet: ʿAbd-al-Raḥmān Jāmī, who lived in Herat in the time of Sultan Ḥosayn Bāyqarā. When he died Sultan Ḥosayn himself and his entire court attended the funeral services (Ḥabīb al-sīar, Tehran, IV, p. 338). In addition, patrons also interested themselves in scientific works, especially in astronomy and mathematics. The court of Oloḡ Beg in Samarqand was especially renowned as a center of such studies; the observatory constructed there was known to contemporaries far and wide (Barthold, 1935, pp. 165-66). The culmination of this work was the set of astronomical tables known as Zīj-e Oloḡ Beg or Zīj-e jadīd-e solṭānī, in the formulation of which the ruler himself participated. His son ʿAbd-al-Laṭīf, following in his father’s footsteps, also showed an inclination toward study of the exact sciences, as Eskandar b. ʿOmar Šayḵ had done earlier in Fārs (Aubin, pp. 82-83).

Literary works were extremely popular as gifts between princes and leading figures, but these men did not limit their cultural activities to patronage. Many of them participated directly in the flourishing literary activity of the age. Two examples may be cited to demonstrate the regard for the literary life among the ruling families: an edition of Ḥāfeẓ sponsored by Farīdūn Ḥosayn Mīrzā, a son of Sultan Ḥosayn Bāyqarā, and an anthology of classical Persian poetry compiled by Eskandar b. ʿOmar Šayḵ in Fārs (ʿAbd-Allāh Morvārīd, fols. 97a-100a, tr. pp. 134-39, comm. pp. 200-01; Aubin, p. 77). Sultan Ḥosayn Bāyqarā, Eskandar b. ʿOmar Šayḵ, Jahānšāh Qara Qoyunlū (841-72/1438-68), and Yaʿqūb Āq Qoyunlū composed poetry in Persian and Turkish. Oloḡ Beg, who was very well acquainted with Persian literature, corresponded on literary subjects with his brother Bāysonḡor in Herat (Dawlatšāh, ed. Browne, p. 351). Yaʿqūb Āq Qoyunlū exchanged letters with Jāmī (Woods, p. 150). In addition to the historic, scientific, and poetic literature in the Persian language, in the 15th century Chaghatay, an eastern Turkic language, was also elevated to a literary language, under the tutelage of ʿAlī-Šīr Navāʾī in particular, though the inclusion of Persian literary material is noteworthy (see chaghatay language and literature). Princes of the blood were also to be found among the numerous composers of the period (Bouvat, pp. 267-68).

Owing to the intense interest of Timurid and Turkman princes, painting also developed rapidly into a major art form; although no murals or pictorial textiles are known today, a great many book illustrations survive. In Shiraz a lively school of miniature painting flourished successively under Eskandar b. ʿOmar Šayḵ and Ebrāhīm b. Šāhroḵ; it soon found a strong competitor in the Herat school, which developed under the patronage of Šāhroḵ and his son Bāysonqor and eventually of Sultan Ḥosayn Bāyqarā. Toward the end of the 15th century the calligrapher Solṭān-ʿAlī Mašhadī lived and worked in Herat, as did Kamāl-al-Dīn Behzād, perhaps the greatest painter ever produced in the Islamic world. Painting and calligraphy also flourished at the court of the Turkman dynasties at Tabrīz, especially under Uzun Ḥasan and Yaʿqūb Āq Qoyunlū (883-96/1478-90). It reached a high level of originality there, and comparison with the much more renowned painting of the Timurids is not inappropriate.

Following the example of Tīmūr, who had been active as a patron of architecture in Keš and especially in Samarqand, the princes of the 15th century embellished their residential cities with numerous religious and public buildings: mosques, schools, baths, hospitals, and the like (Golombek and Wilber). In addition to the rulers themselves, court officials also enhanced their reputations by sponsoring buildings; the most famous example is ʿAlī-Šīr Navāʾī. The architecture of the period was distinguished by an unprecedented use of color in surface decorations, particularly tile revetments (Roemer, 1989, pp. 170-71), as well as a general preference for ostentation, which expressed itself in costly ornamentation and a multiplication of domes and minarets. Tīmūr ordered a palace, the Kök Sarāy (Blue palace) to be built for him in the center of Samarqand, but he preferred to spend most of his time in a series of pleasure palaces that he had constructed in the midst of extensive gardens, for example, Āq Sarāy near Keš and Taḵt-e Qarāča south of Samarqand (Yazdī, fols. 163a, 295b); the ruins of the former, the most significant surviving example of Timurid palace architecture, have been preserved. Tīmūr’s garden pavilions were faced with tiles and on the interior with wall paintings in, which his military victories were depicted (Ebn ʿArabšāh, pp. 227-28). His successors also preferred to withdraw from the urban centers to the suburbs or to establish their courts entirely outside the cities, developing new centers of intellectual and cultural life around their princely residences. Large garden installations with palaces and pavilions, providing a glittering backdrop for royal receptions and festivities, were equally characteristic of both Timurid and Turkman courts (Gaube, pp. 231-32). On the occasion of banquets or entertainments lavish canopies and expensively furnished tents were erected for guests. The most glittering parallels for Tīmūr’s garden palaces were to be found in the Herat of Sultan Ḥosayn Bāyqarā. Already Šāhroḵ had moved his court from the center of the city to the outskirts, to the Bāḡ-e Zāḡān, which had been founded in the Kartid period (see āl-e kart; Allen, p. 22). Then under Sultan Ḥosayn Bāyqarā a new court center, the Bāḡ-e Jahānārā, was established north of the city on formerly uninhabited terrain; it included palaces, mosques, and other buildings located in the midst of large gardens. The plan of this entire complex was most probably based on that of Tīmūr’s Āq Sarāy at Keš (Allen, pp. 51-54).

The Āq Qoyunlū court at Tabrīz also lay outside the city, near the settlement of Ṣāḥebābād, from which it was separated by a stream. From a central square, on which Uzun Ḥasan had built a mosque decorated with ceramic tiles, a door led into the palace proper, which was surrounded by extensive gardens. Construction of this splendid palace, the Hašt Behešt, had probably already been started by Uzun Ḥasan and was completed by Yaʿqūb; it consisted of a glittering domed building, the interior rooms of which were ornamented with faience and gilding. The ceiling of the great hall was covered with painted battle scenes, embassies, and hunting parties of the Āq Qoyunlū rulers. The harem, which was separate from the palace, had space for a thousand people (Alderly, 1873a, pp. 173-77).

In the courts, as well as the courtly life, of the Turkman and Timurid princes traditions of very different kinds seem to have been intertwined, though the separate components have not yet been investigated. A number of elements surviving from the Sasanian period may have been incorporated (see ii, above); the characteristic practices of the ʿAbbasid caliphal courts and especially of earlier Turkish courts like those of the Saljuqs, were probably even more influential. Some aspects were probably taken over from the Il-khanids as well, and Byzantine elements, perhaps transmitted through the marital connection between the Āq Qoyunlū and the imperial house of Trabzon, must also be considered.


People tend to confuse him with Cooper Nielson, his character in the popular dance movie Center Stage, says Ethan Stiefel, just because they both ride motorcycles. "If there are similarities, they are purely coincidental," Stiefel says. Fans may get even more confused when he reprises his role in Center Stage II, now shooting in Vancouver. This time Cooper not only dances but teaches, just like Stiefel, a principal at American Ballet Theatre who recently was named dean of dance at North Carolina School of the Arts. Stiefel feels his teaching experience (he has run a summer intensive program Stiefel and Students, on Martha's Vineyard for several years) helped him with some of Cooper's scenes. "I'm still creating a character, but some things he says ring true to my philosophy," Stiefel says. "Like, you can have obvious talent and technique, but what about the intangibles that make a great artist?"

This time around, the movie follows Kate Parker (Rachele Smith), an ambitious young dancer from a small town, who comes to New York to enroll in the prestigious American Ballet Academy, and must contend with scornful fellow students who look down on hip hop, one of her passions. Stiefel had to learn some moves, which proved one of the shoot's highpoints. "It was fantastic!" he says. "I'm not sure I was necessarily successful, but what was beautiful was the collaboration with the other dancers. At this point in my career, when learning something brand-new like this falls into your lap, it's challenging and exciting." With multiple knee injuries behind him, Stiefel has a fresh perspective on his career, and the message of movies like Center Stage II. "It's about what makes an artist," he says. "It's not about the number of turns or how high you jump, but about that other thing you can't describe that someone has no matter what they're doing. It's about being able to express yourself completely onstage. You have to fight for a professional career; it doesn't always come easily. You may get knocked down a lot in your training, or with knee surgeries, but you have to pick yourself up and move forward." Like he is. Welcome back, Cooper. Er, Stiefel.

Casting has been released for Center Stage II!! Sadly this movie looked like a movie with a number tacked onto the end of it when it first premiered back in 2000 and now we must endure more…. Below were my thoughts for Center Stage I:

Quote:

Egad! Please don’t waste your money on that Hollywood junk! It was a made-for TV movie at best. The acting wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. But as for the story and the motorcycle ballet, you won’t be able to view it more than once. Anyone who buys this video will be helping every filmy, soulless, reptilian pinhead in Hollywood to perpetuate their species. Stop those bastards from polluting the history of cinema. If you must see it, wait for it to come out on FREE TV. Don’t be a sucker.

Question: Is there a chance it may go straight to DVD or perhaps it will be so bad, it may go straight to VHS? Viewer discretion is highly advised!

Someone in this forum was under the impression it received good reviews…. Well, from memory it did not in Toronto and the majority gave it a rotten tomato on www.rottentomatoes.com

_________________The world revolves around the beauty of the ballerina.

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Q:

Codeigniter _remap function

Please help I want to use first URI segment into my CodeIgniter website.
Like when I open these url they opens my profile:
http://www.facebook.com/buddyforever
or
http://www.myspace.com/zarpio
How can I do this with CodeIgniter? I checked _remap function but first coming controller how to hide controller?

A:

You can do this using the URL routing of codeigniter...
If you want your URL to be http://www.mydomain.com/zarpio and you want it to refer to your_controller, then do the following.
/config/routes.php
$route['(.*)'] = "your_controller/$1"; // Now, `zarpio` will be passed to `your_controller`

You can access it in your controller like this...
$my_name = $this->uri->rsegment(2);

However I do not suggest this way of configuring URLs. A better way would be...
$route['users/(.*)'] = "your_controller/$1";

This way, you're just renaming your controller name your_controller to users.
If you want to access profile of a user, you can do it like this...
$route['users/profile/(.*)'] = "another_controller/method/$1";
$route['users/(.*)'] = "your_controller/$1";

Consider the order of routing. Since you wrote users/(.*) in your route, it will match users/zarpio as well as users/profile/zarpio, and route both of them to your_controller/$1, which in the case of profile will give you a 404 page not found error. That is why you need to write users/profile/(.*) before users/(.*) in your routing configuration.
More information in codeigniter URI class documentation


Q:

Convert DateTime to MM/dd/yyyy in c#

I am calling the webservice which gives me the Datetime as "dd-MM-yyyy 00:00:00". Now i want to save it to the database. So in order to save the date, i have to convert the date format to MM/dd/yyyy. I have tried below code to convert the date time format, but nothing works for me
1. DateTime.ParseExact(string, "MM/dd/yyyy", culture);
2. Convert.ToDateTime(string).ToString("MM/dd/yyyy",CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);

Can anyone help me on this?

A:

DateTime type have not any specific format you can directly save it to database. But if you want it as specific format string then you can do it by
//input date string as dd-MM-yyyy HH:mm:ss format
string date = "17-10-2016 20:00:00";
//dt will be DateTime type
DateTime dt = DateTime.ParseExact(date, "dd-MM-yyyy HH:mm:ss", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
//s will be MM/dd/yyyy format string
string s = dt.ToString("MM/dd/yyyy");

and if you get input date as DateTime type then you can get formatted string directly
string s1 = date.ToString("MM/dd/yyyy");

A:

The DateTime is a struct that does not have any information about something like a "format".
You only use a format if you want to create a string representation of the DateTime's value. What you mean by "nothing works for me" is probably that your debugger always uses the same format to display the value of your DateTime.
What you have to do to insert the value into your database depends on the database system and the kind of connection you use. Normally you should use a parameterized query where you can pass the DateTime as it is and everything will work fine.
If you have to put your DateTime value directly into your query string, you can simply use myDate.ToString("MM/dd/yyyy",CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);. But I am absolutely sure you use a database connection that supports parameterized queries accepting your DateTime directly and I would not suggest to convert the value back into a string representation.


Inside a dark cave with shadowy wall paintings of hungry ghosts, a monk tells the teenage Pey, “I know you don’t like being controlled or told what to do. Nobody likes being controlled.” He lights prayer candles surrounding the Buddha statues. “But sometimes we must follow the precepts and rules. Rules can distance us from sins.”

And some sins can get you killed.

That’s the moral behind the horror movie Novice, directed by Paween Purijitpanya. The short film is part of the Thai anthology Phobia 2, which collects five thrillers that intertwine Buddhist themes of morality, karma, and supernaturalism. (The films were first released in 2009 but were recently added to Netflix in September 2018, making them widely available to a US audience for the first time.) Novice, in particular, stands out as an example of how Thai ghost movies explore how karma can haunt us.

In Western horror, the vulnerable characters—the virginal women in slashers or children in paranormal flicks—are often in the wrong place at the wrong time. But Thai horror movies are often driven by an idea of karmic justice: you reap what you sow, and the consequences of your intentions (Sanskrit, cetana) can unleash paranormal punishments. Novice explicitly introduces these Buddhist themes, which the remaining four films explore further.

Novice is a story about the hungry ghosts from Buddhist cosmology known as pret (Sanskrit, preta). As a Thai movie watcher who was raised by Buddhist parents, this movie terrified me and filled me with complex feelings about morality and how “sins” can come from mindlessness. When looking at online reviews, I see many Southeast Asians agree, especially those who are familiar with the cultural context of phi [spirits] or dead ancestors intimately looming over our mundane lives. But others, especially non-Buddhists, seemed to be unfazed, reducing it to basic jump scares. That makes sense. Imagine watching the Exorcist without any understanding of Satan or Catholic rites. Since many Phobia 2 reviews missed the overt Buddhist themes, I hope to break down some scenes of Novice that may have gotten lost in translation.

Related: The Monsters of Buddhism—Inside and Out

According to Buddhism—and many Thai parents’ threats—merits and sins determine your reincarnation into various realms inhabited by gods, human, animals, demons, and pret. As a child, I was taught that in a world dimmed by misery, ignorance, and suffering, those who found their inner light are protected. Those who fail to find this light, however, come back as demons or pret, or are haunted by them. Pret are tall ghosts cursed with tiny needle mouths but huge agonizing appetites for worldly pleasures. In Thailand, pret have a special significance in the household: they are often used to scold children about the dangers of disobeying their parents by serving as a moral tale about ungratefulness. Talking back to your elders, for example, isn’t just a behavioral stigma but a violation of right speech in Buddhism’s eightfold path—in other words, it is a sin (Thai, บาป).

Novice starts the day after a hungry ghost ritual in a superstitious rural town, where a troubled teenage boy, Pey (Jirayu La-ongmanee), has traveled to be ordained at a monastery. Early in the film, Pey thinks back to a car crash, which ends up being pivotal later on. The imagery ties into a larger theme. Phobia 2’s original Thai title translates to “Five Crossroads,” and each film in the series plays with transportation motifs. All the wheels, however, are turning away from dharma and speeding toward darkness.

Back in the present, the abbot (Chumphorn Thepphithak) shaves off Pey’s hair, indicating his disconnection from identity and his tainted ego. In Thailand, it is fairly common for young men to undergo ordination for a short period of time, although some choose to further their commitment to monastic life. People become novice monks—whose vows cover fewer precepts than full-fledged monks, or bhikkhus [one who shares in the alms given]—in an effort to renounce societal desires and to create merit, or good karma. But as Pey begins this process, we learn that he is hiding something.

At first, I had empathy for Pey’s teenage angst, fueled by parental divorce. My parents would view behavioral or mental health issues as a faith-based dilemma. Pey fails miserably at adjusting to the ascetic life. He calls his mom a sexist slur, disrespects the shrine of the tree spirits, violates the Buddhist precepts, and shoves the temple’s abbot to the ground. Unable to curb his worldly desires, Pey steals the food offering for the pret.

That’s when omens start to appear, such as scorpion infestation and a snake fighting with a Tokay gecko (usually symbolizing luck). As Pey’s bad karma builds up, his inner light dims, and the pret’s wrath intensifies.

Though Thai ghosts can kill, Novice is not a revenge fantasy. Rather, in the way we feel satisfaction when an annoying character on TV show gets their just deserts (think of the tyrant King Joffrey’s death in Game of Thrones), we are equally satisfied by ghosts punishing karmic sins through terror.

Related: Ghosts, Gods, and the Denizens of Hell

“Some sins once committed are difficult to rectify. I know you understand this well,” one monk (Ray McDonald) says after he leads Pey to a secluded, dark cave. Pey is left with a book of protection prayers and instructed to chant, pray, and meditate for “the peace of his mind” and to undo his bad karma. Before leaving, the monk tells Pey about Maya, or illusions. “No matter what happens, you must remember that what you see, have seen, or will see, they have no truths. You must compose your samadhi [concentration in meditation].”

[Spoiler alert: Stop reading if you don’t want to know what happens.]

During Pey’s meditation, he has more flashbacks. In the silent cave, the sound of the speeding motorcycle echos in Pey’s mind; in the backseat his hand grips a heavy rock. The plan, we find out, is to throw the rock at a car and then steal the driver’s phone when he crashes. Suddenly, a car approaches, and Pey throws the stone, which smashes through the windshield. The driver swerves out of control, and Pey runs over to grab the phone, only to discover that his dad lies inside, dead.

In the present, the monks chant in a circle as the candles go out in the cave, and Pey screams as the hungry ghosts visit with devilish wails. The teen panics, changes back into his layperson’s clothes, and flees on foot, breaking a white thread at the cave’s entrance that offered protection. At the same time, a matching thread resting in the hands of the monks also breaks. “There is nothing we can do,” the abbot declares. “It is karma.”

A pret screeches in the forest. Trapped, Pey throws heavy rocks into the darkness, challenging the hungry ghost. Eventually the rocks are flung back at him. His face breaks, bloody like the windshield. Lying on the ground, Pey takes out his stolen Nokia phone, screaming apologies to his parents. But it’s too late for Pey. His hands stretch out and his body grows taller, showing us that he is doomed to live out his next life as a pret.

Novice portrays karma, morality, and attachment through its stunning cinematography, and also presents the tensions between supernatural folklore and our modern city lives. The older generation in Pey’s world are driven by the belief that he can be saved, while Pey himself fails to understand this. He often appears small, his stature diminished by the natural settings that engulf him, and he is powerlessness against the ever-present ghosts that haunt him. His rocks are no match for the pret, inexorable agents of karma. In the cave, paintings of the hungry ghosts and statues of the Buddha symbolize both temptation and enlightenment, both possibilities that lie within. That’s what makes Novice terrifying beyond scary noises, gore and ghosts—the horror of having to face up to the parts of ourselves we try to ignore, the parts we sense deserve a darker fate.


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#include <metal_stdlib>
#pragma clang diagnostic ignored "-Wparentheses-equality"
using namespace metal;
struct xlatMtlShaderInput {
  half4 xlv_TEXCOORD0;
  half4 _glesFragData_0 [[color(0)]];
};
struct xlatMtlShaderOutput {
  half4 _glesFragData_0 [[color(0)]];
};
struct xlatMtlShaderUniform {
};
fragment xlatMtlShaderOutput xlatMtlMain (xlatMtlShaderInput _mtl_i [[stage_in]], constant xlatMtlShaderUniform& _mtl_u [[buffer(0)]])
{
  xlatMtlShaderOutput _mtl_o;
  half4 xlt_ocol_1 = 0;
  xlt_ocol_1 = _mtl_i._glesFragData_0;
  half4 ocol_2 = 0;
  ocol_2.w = xlt_ocol_1.w;
  ocol_2.xy = _mtl_i.xlv_TEXCOORD0.xy;
  ocol_2.z = (xlt_ocol_1.z * (half)(2.0));
  xlt_ocol_1 = ocol_2;
  _mtl_o._glesFragData_0 = ocol_2;
  return _mtl_o;
}

// stats: 1 alu 0 tex 0 flow
// inputs: 1
//  #0: xlv_TEXCOORD0 (low float) 4x1 [-1]


Neurons store and transmit information in the brain.Credit: CNRI/SPL

Superconducting computing chips modelled after neurons can process information faster and more efficiently than the human brain. That achievement, described in Science Advances on 26 January1, is a key benchmark in the development of advanced computing devices designed to mimic biological systems. And it could open the door to more natural machine-learning software, although many hurdles remain before it could be used commercially.

Artificial intelligence software has increasingly begun to imitate the brain. Algorithms such as Google’s automatic image-classification and language-learning programs use networks of artificial neurons to perform complex tasks. But because conventional computer hardware was not designed to run brain-like algorithms, these machine-learning tasks require orders of magnitude more computing power than the human brain does.

“There must be a better way to do this, because nature has figured out a better way to do this,” says Michael Schneider, a physicist at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, Colorado, and a co-author of the study.

NIST is one of a handful of groups trying to develop ‘neuromorphic’ hardware that mimics the human brain in the hope that it will run brain-like software more efficiently. In conventional electronic systems, transistors process information at regular intervals and in precise amounts — either 1 or 0 bits. But neuromorphic devices can accumulate small amounts of information from multiple sources, alter it to produce a different type of signal and fire a burst of electricity only when needed — just as biological neurons do. As a result, neuromorphic devices require less energy to run.

Mind the gap

Yet these devices are still inefficient, especially when they transmit information across the gap, or synapse, between transistors. So Schneider’s team created neuron-like electrodes out of niobium superconductors, which conduct electricity without resistance. They filled the gaps between the superconductors with thousands of nanoclusters of magnetic manganese.

By varying the amount of magnetic field in the synapse, the nanoclusters can be aligned to point in different directions. This allows the system to encode information in both the level of electricity and in the direction of magnetism, granting it far greater computing power than other neuromorphic systems without taking up additional physical space.

The synapses can fire up to one billion times per second — several orders of magnitude faster than human neurons — and use one ten-thousandth of the amount of energy used by a biological synapse.

An artificial synapse connects with high-speed electrical probes.NIST

In computer simulations, the synthetic neurons could collate input from up to nine sources before passing it on to the next electrode. But millions of synapses would be necessary before a system based on the technology could be used for complex computing, Schneider says, and it remains to be seen whether it will be possible to scale it to this level.

Another issue is that the synapses can only operate at temperatures close to absolute zero, and need to be cooled with liquid helium. Steven Furber, a computer engineer at University of Manchester, UK, who studies neuromorphic computing, says that this might make the chips impractical for use in small devices, although a large data centre might be able to maintain them. But Schneider says that cooling the devices requires much less energy than operating a conventional electronic system with an equivalent amount of computing power.

Alternative approach

Carver Mead, an electrical engineer at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, praises the research, calling it a fresh approach to neuromorphic computing. “The field’s full of hype, and it’s nice to see quality work presented in an objective way,” he says. But he adds it would be a long time before the chips could be used for real computing, and points out that they face stiff competition from the many other neuromorphic computing devices under development.

Furber also stresses that practical applications are far in the future. “The device technologies are potentially very interesting, but we don’t yet understand enough about the key properties of the [biological] synapse to know how to use them effectively,” he says. For instance, there are many outstanding questions about how synapses remodel themselves when forming a memory, making it difficult to recreate the process in a memory-storing chip.

Still, Furber says that because it takes 10 years or more for new computing devices to reach the market, it is worth developing as many different technological approaches as possible, even as neuroscientists struggle to understand the human brain.


Lumigrids are a great example of a product that solves a problem that young able-bodied people often don’t think about. The small mounted grid light projects a path on the ground ahead showing the location of any uneven surfaces. This example of a universal design tool shows a man riding a bicycle at night. The light becomes an accessibility product when mounted to the front of a walker or wheelchair. The grid can aid people with limited visibility or create a safe path to follow at night. Inventions and ideas like this that might have initially been invented for military use, are part of Universal design.

Universal Design recognizes a wider spectrum of abilities, to create things that are easier for everyone to use.

Universal Design includes the full spectrum of human motion.

Sweet LED faucet lights for kitchen or bathroom Blue light changes red when water heats up

Universal Design applies to any product that ranging from appliances to cars, to door handles, to hair brushes, to smartphones.

Universal Design applies to any type of architecture, including homes, public and commercial buildings.

The Key Turner promotes better grip and turning leverage when using a key. Those with arthritis or carpal tunnel will find the key an extremely useful tool. The Key Turner’s handle has two large finger holes for increased maneuverability.

Universal Design for homes helps older adults with Aging In Place products and spaces that are easier and safer to use.

Universal Design for housing, provides accessible design standards that are not included in CODE. Universal Design can apply to the community at large through urban planning, public transit, and New Urbanism.

What is the difference between Universal Design and the Americans with Disabilities Act?

Plan now for your future by incorporating Universal Design and Ageing-In-Place ideas into your home

How does Universal Design help people Age-In- Place in their own home?

At the beginning of the 21st century, those aged 65 or over made up five per cent of the population, in 20 years’ time, this proportion will rise to around 18 million, according to the Office of National Statistics.

Across the globe the number of those aged over 60 will nearly triple by 2050, rising to 2.4 billion, up from 894 million in 2010.

Universal Design is the principle of designing spaces for maximum usability for people living with disabilities, of varying size or limited mobility. There are no specific codes for Universal Design. There are suggestions. Universal design is not law, it is a way of viewing how things work in our world. These design principles compensate for a reduced range of motion, reduced sight, reduced sound and reduced strength. Many universal design inventions were originally developed for military use.

Universal design solutions make life easier for people with mobility, agility, balance and coordination differences. Successful universal design creates a barrier-free living environment.

Since no two individuals are alike, no code solves every situation. Everyone needs to be their own advocate for their individual abilities and aging in place. Homes must be designed for the individual user’s unique capabilities. There is no “one size fits all” solution. Children grow and adults change.

Consider designing your next home with the future in mind. When selecting a designer for a home where you intend to “Age-In-Place,” find one who listens to YOU. There are many CAPS certified designers and builders, but not all of them are looking at the individual’s needs. Explore options and solutions. Create a design that gives you maximum ability within the constraints of your budget. Strive for safety. When people feel safe in their home, they gain self-confidence and increase independence.

Design Smart Solutions, with over 30+ years in the architectural design industry, knows that great design solutions are limitless.

What is the Difference between Universal Design and ADA, the American Disabilities Act?

The American Disabilities Act provides legal guidelines for designing public buildings and space that accommodate the disabled. The guidelines are a minimum standard based on the general population.

Universal Design is not law. It is a free-thinking way of creating design solutions to address individual challenges. Universal Design and Ease Of Use design decisions can ease the transition as we age or suffer from injuries affecting our mobility.

None of us want to admit that someday we will be old and our bodies will not be as quick, our eyes not as focused and our reflexes not as sharp. The home we live in and our reaction to it will change.

Our homes will either enhance our ability to live by our own choices or force us to move. By planning ahead during construction, with a few Universal Design tips, we can all extend the time we remain in our own homes.

Doors, Windows and Hallways, Universal Design Tips

Have a covered outdoor entryway.

Allow space for a future ramp.

Minimize the front threshold.

Make sure that there is at least one step-free entry into the home with easy access to the driveway

Check the size of a step in bath tub with the door that closes after you enter the tub. Many people do not like having to sit in the tub while it fills and then again while it drains.

Add an instant hot water heater by your bathroom.

Install lever faucets at sinks with pull out sprayers.

Consider a heat lamp if you chill easily.

Consider radiant floors for heat

Add a large linen closet with a 3′-0″ wide door in the bathroom for large towels and personal products.

First Floor Guest Suite, Universal Design

If you sleep upstairs, design a first floor Guest Suite large enough for a full size bed, large chair and dresser with a minimum of 4′-0″ clear on all sides and 5′-0″ clear on the closet side, exit door side and direct access to a 3 foot wide pocketing bathroom door.

The bathroom with this suite should be accessible.

The entrance to this bedroom should be easily accessible for medical personnel.

Bathrooms, Universal Design

Have the Builder put wood bracing behind the drywall and tile in
Aging In Place and Universal Design Solutions for Homes

the bathroom walls for future grab bar locations.

On the first floor, have a roll-in curbless shower without a step or lip (slope floor to drain in at least one bathroom).

This shower should be a minimum of 5′-0″ wide by 4′-0″ deep.

This shower could be located near a Guest Suite or used as the Pool Bath.

Consider multiple shower heads.

Have a hand held shower head mounted on a slide bar, with a separate valve to control it from a seated position.

Install lever faucets in this bathroom and an adjustable handheld shower head. Do the closed fist test, by seeing if you can turn the water on and off with a closed fist.

Provide a toilet in the same bathroom with a 3′-0″ clear empty space next to it for transferring.

Install comfort level toilets.

Install a bidet if you have space.

Consider a water wand at the toilet if there is no room for a bidet.

Floors, Steps and Stairs, Universal Design

Select slip-resistant flooring that is comfortable.

Limit stairs. Design stairs wide enough to fit a future chair lift.

Consider building a 5 x 5 closet on the first floor with a 5 x 5 closet above, for a future elevator.

Minimize changes in floor level throughout the home and outdoor spaces.

Anywhere that there is a step-down, select two different colors of flooring material.

Minimize any step down to the garage. Provide enough clear floor space for a future ramp.

Make sure that there is adequate space in the garage to maneuver a wheelchair with an assistant around a parked vehicle.

Add extra lighting to the Garage for maximum visibility.

If you need to walk through a Laundry Room to access the garage, make sure that it is large enough for both a wheelchair to turn around in and clothes hampers on the floor.

Lighting and Electrical, Universal Design

Automate Lighting Systems.

Maximize natural light.

Locate extra security system and lighting controls in the rooms where you plan to spend most of your time.

Install adequate lighting throughout the home for safety and visibility.

Locate electrical service boxes, security boxes, main water disconnect valve and any system controls that you might need to access in an emergency, where they can be comfortably reached from a sitting position. 42″ to 48″ off of the floor.

Make sure that the thermostat is not higher than 48″ off the floor.

Make sure that electrical outlets are 18″ to 24″ off of the floor.

Make sure that all switches are easy to reach from a seated position.

Consider easy touch lighting and electrical switches.

Install task lighting in all areas.

Make sure that kitchen some electrical outlets can be reached from a seated position.

install flood lights on all corners of the outside of the house. Have them on timers.

Kitchen & Laundry, Universal Design

Create work areas in the kitchen.

Install pull out racks and drawers in base cabinets.

Keep everyday storage at waist level.

Install dishwasher drawers.

Add a 9″ high kick plate under a standard size dishwasher.

Install a Microwave drawer.

Add under counter safety lighting.

Bring outlets to the front of the cabinets for easy reach.

Leave a minimum of 48″ clearance between surfaces in kitchen aisles.

Buy a front-loading washer and dryer set and mount them on a pedestal.

Consider an adjustable height sink that raises and lowers at the push of a button.

Consider an adjustable height range that raises and lowers at the push of a button.

Buy a side by side refrigerator freezer.

Provide a pull out shelf below a wall oven door

Use “D” shape cabinet pull handles.

Have multi-level countertops for different tasks.

Use light colored countertops to make items easier to see.

Use easy slide and close drawers.

Use a 3′-0″ pocket door on the pantry.

Mount wall ovens at a height where they can be reached from a seated position.

Add an instant hot water faucet at the sink.

Install a pull out flexible faucet at the kitchen sink and laundry sink.

Disability Smart Solutions is committed to working with organizations and companies who believe in diversity and social inclusion. We are an ADA Accessibility consulting company providing resources to businesses that serve the unique needs of both the 50+ aging population and people living with disabilities.

While parenting a special needs teenager and caring for an elderly parent, she learned the harsh realities of all-ability customer service and architectural barriers to access.

Susan knows that it's one thing to explore a building as an able young person, but it's another to shop, dine, visit the doctor, or vacation as a person living with a disability. Mobility, comprehension, perception, hearing and sight can change in a split second.

Susan believes that exemplary customer service and ease-of-use in Places of Accommodation are key to creating long-term productive employees and life-long happy customers.

His photos star in our "Spot the Service Dog" presentation, where we explain the differences between Services Dogs and Emotional Support Animals.

Serge wants everyone to know that for Places of Public Accommodation:
1. A service dog vest is like a Rock Star t-shirt. It is just informational clothing.
2. The Department of Justice and the ADA do not acknowledge any "Service Dog Certificates."

The ADA only allows two legal questions for businesses.
1. Is the dog or tiny horse a service animal required because of a disability?
2. What work or task has the dog or tiny horse been trained to perform?

A business may ask any animal, including a Service Dog, to leave their facility for bad behavior.

Call Susan to schedule a Service Dog seminar for your organization. 407-310-3663

What is the ADA?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities that are like those provided to individuals on the basis of race, sex, national origin, and religion.

The ADA guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in employment, public accommodations, transportation, State and local government services and telecommunications.

Susan P. Berry, NCIDQ, National Council for Interior Design Qualification

National Council of Building Design Certification, Susan P. Berry, CPBD

Disability Smart Solutions is an ADA Consultancy and a service of Susan Berry Design, Inc.
DSS does not practice Law, Architecture, Commercial Interior Design or Engineering.
DSS recommends always using a State Licensed professional for Construction Documents.
DSS recommends always reviewing Disability Discrimination with an Attorney.
Fees and Prices quoted on website are samples and subject to change at any time.
The comments and observations provided within documents provided by Susan Berry Design, Inc. and/or Disability Smart Solutions (SBD/DSS), are for general information & compliance purposes only. SBD/DSS are not licensed attorneys or architects in the State of Florida. We do not claim to be agents, representatives, or licensees of the DOJ (Department of Justice), ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) or any other state or government agency. Any information provided is not intended as professional legal advice, nor does it supersede government authority. Susan Berry Design, Inc., Disability Smart Solutions and/or their assignee's, do not assume any liability for information.

Disclaimer:
ADA Consulting and ADA Inspectors are non-regulated professions.
The International Code Council provides a Certified Accessibility Inspector and Plans Examiner program. Disability Smart Solutions has this certification.
The Department of Justice does not certify or endorse any individual or organization as ADA consultants, nor does the DOJ approve or endorse any products or designs as being in compliance with the ADA.
We DO NOT provide Certificates of ADA Compliance, as we have never been in a facility that maintained 100% ADA compliance.