text:
\section{Introduction}

When approaching the solution of a class of problems, in many cases a simple single-phase approach works well: formulate a model parameterised on the data that defines an individual instance of the problem class, and solve each instance in a single solving phase. In some scenarios however, as we will illustrate below, this approach is either not sufficient or not feasible to solve the problem at hand. Instead, a larger or more difficult problem instance is solved as a sequence of smaller or simpler related instances. In this situation, communication between a modelling system that prepares an instance for solution for a low-level solver and the solver itself can become a bottleneck, with much work repeated between consecutive, very similar instances.

Incremental modelling and solving is a process of constructing an initial low level instance and
obtaining further instances in a sequence by modelling and encoding just the differences between the previous and the new instance. Most SAT solvers are capable of working incrementally by allowing to append new irrevocable clauses or set certain assumptions that are temporary to each call.

To illustrate, consider the task of pattern mining, the process of extracting useful patterns from large data sets. The most well-known pattern mining task, frequent itemset mining \cite{agrawal1994fast}, requires us to find the sets of items whose number of occurrences together (known as the {\em support}) in a transactional database exceeds a specified threshold. Specialised, efficient tools exist for standard pattern mining tasks \cite{zaki2000scalable}. However, finding all frequent patterns is rarely useful since it usually produces a very large volume of results. Rather, an end-user is typically interested in focusing on a much smaller set of patterns for further inspection. One approach is to seek patterns that compactly represent the full set of patterns \cite{pasquier1999discovering}, another is to consider domain-specific side constraints \cite{bonchi2004closed} that further reduce the volume of patterns returned. Both methods require a more sophisticated search for patterns and hence carry an increase in computational cost.

Constraint-based mining \cite{de2008constraint} offers a general means of modelling more sophisticated pattern mining tasks. Its flexibility means that side constraints can easily be added to the basic model of a pattern mining problem, which is difficult to do with a specialised mining tool. We distinguish {\em local} and {\em non-local} constraints in modelling pattern mining problems. The former, such as the frequent itemset property, can be expressed simply on a candidate solution, e.g. by constraining the support of a candidate itemset to be equal to or greater than the threshold. Non-local constraints, however, must be expressed {\em between} candidate solutions and are therefore more challenging to model. Closed frequent itemset mining \cite{pasquier1999discovering,koccak2018closed}, which is one approach to representing the full set of frequent itemsets more compactly, is an illustrative example: it stipulates that an itemset is closed frequent if its support exceeds that of all of its supersets.

Constraint Dominance Programming (CDP) \cite{negrevergne2013dominance} provides a method of supporting constraints between solutions via {\em dominance blocking constraints}: every time a new solution is found, a new blocking constraint is added to disallow solutions that it would dominate. An extension to CDP, CDP+I \cite{koccak2019towards,kocak2020} exploits {\em incomparability} between solutions (solutions $A$ and $B$ are incomparable if $A$ does not dominate $B$ and $B$ does not dominate $A$) so that they may be found in batches. The search is organized into levels in which all solutions are incomparable, and hence may be found together through a single call to a solver without the need for additional per-solution blocking constraints. Operating on CDP, which requires posting new constraints after each solution, and operating on CDP+I, which has requirements similar to CDP's but for a batch of solutions, are incremental modelling and solving examples.

Other problem types that might be considered for incrementality are constrained optimisation problems (COP), where an objective function is given in addition to a standard constraint satisfaction problem, or AI planning problems where we can incrementally extend the planning horizon and solve the problem of trying to find a plan of a particular length.

CP solvers like \minion~\cite{gent2006minion} or chuffed~\cite{chuchuffed} are typically capable of supporting COP directly in addition to CSP. However other solver types, such as standard SAT solvers, sometimes lack the facility to represent objective values. Instead of using standard SAT encoding for the problem, a maximal satisfiability problem encoding (MaxSAT) can be used to represent the objective function. However, converting a SAT encoding to a MaxSAT encoding may be time consuming depending on the size of the instance.

Alternatively, using SAT or SMT solvers is possible for optimisation and planning problems via a sequence of solver calls in an incremental structure. The COP can be encoded as a pair of CSP's with a different optimisation value encoded into each CSP. Afterwards, those CSP instances can be solved for satisfiability. The threshold where the problem switches from SAT to UNSAT or the other way around can indicate the proven optimal value for the original COP instance. Searching for this threshold will have multiple solver calls that can be adjusted for efficiency.

\subsubsection{Contribution} This paper proposes to enable a native interaction between the SAT solver and the automated modelling system that organizes the CDP+I mining process and the optimization process using a SAT backend. This is done to remove a major bottleneck in which the consecutive SAT calls are operated. Two additional benefits of this native coupling are the ability to retain learned information between SAT solver calls and to enable SAT assumptions, further improving efficiency by reducing redundant search between levels.

Our experiments on one optimization problem and five pattern mining tasks demonstrate that the native interaction between the modelling system and SAT solver consistently improves the performance of each system significantly.

\section{Background}
\subsection{CDP+I Architecture}
\essence~\cite{Akgun2013automated} is an abstract high-level constraint specification language. It has the power to represent complex abstract structures, such as sets, multisets, sequences, and partitions. It supports arbitrary nesting of these structures and also supports quantification over decision variables. Hence, the language is ideally suited to expressing data mining problems. \essence can be refined into a constraint model in \eprime~\cite{essence-prime-description} using \conjure~\cite{Akgun2013automated}. Due to the high-level abstract nature of the specification, there are multiple ways of compiling \essence to \eprime. \conjure has a number of built in heuristics to make modelling decisions automatically. Alternatively, the modelling decisions can be manually selected. \savilerow translates \eprime{} into input suitable for a variety of black-box solvers while applying solver specific optimisations to the model, such as rewriting constraint expressions, common sub-expression elimination and using \minion{} to enforce strong levels of consistency in a preprocessing step \cite{nightingale2015automatically}.

A constraint satisfaction problem consists of decision variables ($V$), their domains ($D$) and problem constraints ($C$). CDP extends constraint satisfaction problems (CSP) by adding a \textit{dominance relation} ($R$), which defines the condition under which an assignment to the decision variables is dominated by another assignment. In CDP, an assignment is a solution if it is not dominated by any other solution. When enumerating all solutions of a CDP instance, dominance blocking constraints can be generated for each solution as soon as they are found. These constraints will eliminate all future dominated assignments. However, a post-processing step may still be needed~\cite{negrevergne2013dominance}. CDP+I extends CDP by defining an \textit{incomparability function} ($I$), which defines when two assignments are incomparable (mutually non-dominating).

\begin{figure}[t!]
\centering
\linespread{1.3}
\begin{lstlisting}
language Essence 1.3
letting ITEM be domain int(...)
letting SUPPORT be domain int(...)
given db : mset of set of ITEM
given minSupport : int
find itemset: set of ITEM
find support: SUPPORT
such that
 support = sum entry in db . toInt(itemset subsetEq entry),
 support >= minSupport,
 SideConstraints
 \end{lstlisting}
 \begin{lstlisting}
dominanceRelation
  (itemset subsetEq fromSolution(itemset))
  -> (support != fromSolution(support))
   \end{lstlisting}
 \begin{lstlisting}
incomparabilityFunction descending |itemset|
 \end{lstlisting}
 \caption{Closed Frequent Itemset Mining in \essence{}\label{fig:essenceClosed}. The dominance relation defines the closedness property between the currently sought solution and the previous solutions via \texttt{fromSolution}. The incomparability function is defined on cardinality using a descending order, since closedness is defined by a superset relation.}
\end{figure}

An itemset mining problem can be specified naturally in \essence as a multiset of transactions. Depending on the nature of the mining task, each transaction can be represented using a set of integer item labels or ornamented (using tuples or records) with additional information such as a class label. \Cref{fig:essenceClosed} presents the specification of the Closed Frequent Itemset Mining problem in three parts. The first part is the declaration of the parameters, the decision variables and any constraints that concern a single solution. The second part gives the dominance relation in terms of previously found solutions. The third part defines the incomparability function, which in this problem is any two solutions that have the same itemset cardinality.

\begin{algorithm}[h!]
\caption{CDP+I}\label{al:cdpi}
\begin{algorithmic}[1]
\State $ (V,D,C,R,I) \gets CDP\text{+}I $
\State $ levels \gets getLevels(I) $
\For{$ l \gets levels $}
    \State $ C \gets C \cup levelRestriction(l) $
    \State $ CSP \gets (V,D,C) $
    \State $ S \gets findAllSolutions(CSP) $
    \State $ B \gets generateDominanceBlocking(R,S) $
    \State $ C \gets C - levelRestriction(l) $
    \State $ C \gets C \cup B $
\EndFor
\end{algorithmic}
\end{algorithm}

\Cref{al:cdpi} makes use of both the dominance relation and the incomparability function when solving CDP+I instances. The CDP+I algorithm aims to find all non-dominated solutions. It achieves this by partitioning the search space into levels extracted from the incomparability function. For example, for the closed itemset mining problem, a separate search is conducted for every value in the domain of \texttt{|itemset|}. For every level, we take the base CSP model and start by adding a level restriction constraint to it. In our running example, this corresponds to posting a cardinality constraint on the itemset. Then, we enumerate all solutions and generate the corresponding dominance blocking constraints. The problem constraints are then updated to \textit{remove} the level restriction constraint before adding the new dominance blocking constraints.

Previous implementations of CDP+I made a separate solver call for each level when using an AllSAT solver and a separate solver call for each solution when using a standard SAT solver. This allows for a simple implementation of the CDP+I algorithm at the cost of losing learned clauses between separate solver calls. The performance of modern SAT solvers relies heavily on learned clauses~\cite{marques2009conflict}. \Cref{sec:native} presents our approach for enabling native interaction with SAT and AllSAT solvers. Through the use of assumptions in SAT, we achieve improved performance without changing the high-level problem specifications.

The use of \essence{} for specifying the problems allows access to a large number of different models (via \conjure{} options), different preprocessing options (via \savilerow{} options), and different solvers (SAT and AllSAT).
\subsection{Solving COP using SAT solvers}
\label{sec:cop_strategies}

A COP problem can be rewritten as a series of CSP problems where the objective function value is encoded differently in each of them. A naive but inefficient approach would be to exhaustively try all possible values and pick the best one which satisfies the instance.
Alternatively, we can apply a search for the optimal objective function value in its domain space. Three different search strategies which are supported by \savilerow can be considered for this purpose, namely Linear, UNSAT, and Bisect. They are explained as follows (assuming that we are solving a maximisation problem).

\subsubsection{Linear search}
Linear search is a straightforward search strategy to search for the optimal value. It starts from the lowest value and increase the optimal by one incrementally until the problem becomes unsatisfiable.

\subsubsection{UNSAT search} This is also a straightforward strategy which starts from the highest objective function value and decreases it one by one until the problem becomes satisfiable. %

\subsubsection{Bisect search}
This is a binary search strategy also known as \emph{dichotomic} search. It starts with splitting the objective function's domain into two. This results in two CSP problems, each with half of split domain. The satisfiable CSP problem is chosen and the same procedure is repeated until the objective function's domain size reduce to one (the optimal objective function value).

\section{Problem Classes and Side Constraints}
\label{sec:Classes}

Throughout this paper we will experiment on six problem classes to demonstrate the enhancements we will introduce. Five of these problem classes are pattern mining problems encoded in CDP+I and the instances we use are taken from the supplementary material of \cite{kocak2020}. The sixth problem class is Multi-Mode Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem (MRCPSP).

The pattern mining problems are variations of the frequent itemset mining problem, each parameterised over a dataset of transactions. The task is to find a set of frequent items that satisfy minimum value and maximum cost side constraints. In addition, each problem class has a different constraint among assignments which encodes the dominance relationship.

\subsubsection{Closed frequent itemset mining (CFIS)}
A frequent itemset is \textit{closed} if and only if its support is greater than all of its supersets \cite{pasquier1999discovering}. The \textit{support} of an itemset is the number of times the set occurs together in the transactions database. Maximal itemset mining is a similar problem class where the only difference is that a frequent itemset is \textit{maximal} if none of its supersets are frequent. We do not include maximal itemset mining in our experiments since it is a simpler version of closed itemset mining.
\subsubsection{Generator frequent itemset mining (GFIS)}
Generator itemsets (also called free itemsets or key itemsets) \cite{boulicaut2000approximation} are frequent itemsets which do not have any frequent subsets with the same support.
\subsubsection{Minimal rare itemset mining (MRIM)}
A minimal rare itemset is an infrequent itemset whose subsets are all frequent \cite{szathmary2007towards}.
\subsubsection{Closed discriminative itemset mining (DFIS)}
Discriminative itemset mining \cite{cheng2007discriminative} is parameterised over a dataset of transactions that also have a class label (positive/negative). Instead of a single support value, we maintain two support values: the \textit{positive support} of an itemset is the number of transactions that are labelled positive and have the itemset as a subset. The \textit{negative support} similarly is the number of transactions that are labelled negative and have the itemset as a subset. A \textit{discriminative itemset} is one where the difference between the positive and the negative support is greater than a given threshold. A closed discriminative itemset is a discriminative itemset that has support greater than all of its supersets.
\subsubsection{Relevant subgroup discovery (RSD)}

Relevant subgroup discovery~\cite{lemmerich2010fast} is similar to discriminative itemset mining. While discriminative itemset mining reasons on the support numbers of different classes of transactions, relevant subgroup discovery reasons using the actual sets of transactions that provide the support~\cite{negrevergne2013dominance}. A relevant subgroup $X$ is an itemset where at least one of following conditions hold; 1) For positive transactions, no other itemset covers a superset of the transactions covered by $X$, 2) For negative transactions, no other itemset covers a subset of the transactions covered by $X$ or 3) For both kinds of transactions, no other itemset that has the same total cover is a superset of $X$.

\subsubsection{Multi-mode resource constrained project scheduling problem (MRCPSP)}
This is a variant of the project scheduling problem~\cite{kolisch1997psplib}, a classical and well-known optimisation problem in operations research. Given a number of activities and a set of renewable resources. Each activity is associated with a duration and demands for some resources. The activites are non-interrupted and there are precedence constraints which states that some activities can only start once some others are finished. The variant considered in this paper is the \emph{multi-mode}~\cite{mori1997genetic}, where each activity may have multple modes. Each mode dictates the duration and resource demands of the activity. The goal is to schedule the activities and choose a mode for each of them so that the makespan (the latest completion time) is minimised. An \essence  specification of this problem is presented in \Cref{sec:ap_mrcpsp} (\Cref{fig:mrcpsp}).

\section{Native Interaction} \label{sec:native}

The main CDP+I algorithm (\Cref{al:cdpi}) and the SAT optimisation backend requires multiple solver calls. For CDP+I, each solver calls occur once per level when using an AllSAT solver and once per solution when using a standard SAT solver. Solutions from a level are used to produce dominance blocking constraints for the next level. Furthermore, level restriction constraints are both added and removed between levels. Likewise, for optimisation problems using a standard SAT backend, multiple solver calls occur to apply three optimization strategies to reach to optimal value. In addition to adding temporary constraints, the ability to remove added constraints is also required.
Adding constraints during search is relatively common even without an incremental process. However, removing constraints requires special treatment by the solver in question. A direct implementation of these algorithms would indeed call the solver several times and consequently would not benefit from any learned clauses between solver calls.

There are two main ways of maintaining learned clauses between solver calls. The first option works by extracting learned clauses once the solver finishes the search and post-processing them to keep a relevant subset for a future solver invocation. \cite{shishmarev2016learning} uses a similar approach to learn candidate implied constraints from a learning solver. The second option works by keeping the solver active, modifying the active model by posting additional constraints and restarting search. Adding new variables and constraints in this way is a relatively common operation, available in \texttt{ipasir}, an incrementality API for SAT solvers used in SAT competitions \cite{jarvisalo2012international}. Removing constraints requires the {\em assumptions} machinery that is available in most modern SAT solvers. Constraints that are going to be removed are posted as conditional new clauses dependent on an assumption. Hence, when the assumption is lifted (and the constraint is removed) any learned clauses which depend on that assumption can be deactivated.

We define a new API for SAT solvers that shares most of the functionality of \texttt{ipasir}, including methods for adding new clauses, adding assumptions, solving and retrieving solutions. We extend this basic API to also include methods for reporting detailed statistics about learned clauses and the solver's state, in addition to triggering solution callbacks. Our extended API is implemented using the Rust programming language. It works with SAT solvers \glucose, \cadical and \minisat and the AllSAT solver \nbc. Our Rust implementation encapsulates the required functionality of these solvers and compiles them into a shared library.

The entire pipeline of tools starts with \conjure{}, which produces an \eprime{} model for each problem class. A modified \savilerow{} is then used to instantiate the problem class model using a given data file, preprocessing it using \minion{} to shave domains, and then encoding into SAT using the standard encodings found in \savilerow{} \cite{nightingale2017automatically}. Prior to our work, \savilerow{} worked by producing a DIMACS file that has the entire encoding in it and calling a SAT solver on this file. Thanks to the new API we define and implement, \savilerow now skips building this file and directly makes calls to the SAT solver to create the model.

Our solver API layer is implemented in Rust while \savilerow{} was implemented in Java. We use the Java Native Interface (JNI) to integrate the API layer into \savilerow{}.

\section{Experiments}

\subsection{MRCPSP experiments}
\label{sec:mrcpsp_experiments}

To demonstrate the effectiveness of keeping SAT learnt clauses between levels during the optimisation process using native interaction, we evaluate the three optimisation strategies explained in \Cref{sec:cop_strategies} on 928 MRCPSP instances from the PSPlib~\cite{kolisch1997psplib}. The SAT solver \glucose~\cite{audemard2018glucose} is combined with each of the three optimisation strategies. We also compare the the resulting performance with Open-WBO~\cite{martins2014open}, a MaxSAT solver and with \texttt{Chuffed}~\cite{chuchuffed}, a learning CP solver.

Each run on an instance is given a time limit of one CPU hour, and is repeated three times. The average solving time is recorded.
The comparison of the usage of native interaction on \glucose is shown in \Cref{fig:inter_compare_mrcps}. Results suggest that for all three strategies, the native interaction boosts the efficiency significantly on all tested instances.

Comparison against Open-WBO and Chuffed are plotted in \Cref{fig:inter_mrcpsp}. While in the first figure only includes the default SAT strategies, the second figure replaces them with their native equivalents.  Results suggest that the native interaction create a drastic performance improvement for the SAT backend \glucose and results on these problem instances are competitive against the two established optimisation solvers.

\begin{figure*}[!h]
    \centering
    \begin{subfigure}{0.3\textwidth}
    \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{results/MRCPSP/glucose-bisect.pdf}
    \end{subfigure}
    \begin{subfigure}{0.3\textwidth}
    \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{results/MRCPSP/glucose-linear.pdf}
    \end{subfigure}
    \begin{subfigure}{0.3\textwidth}
    \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{results/MRCPSP/glucose-UNSAT.pdf}
    \end{subfigure}
    \caption{Solving time of \glucose with versus without native interaction on 928 MRCPSP instances.}
    \label{fig:inter_compare_mrcps}
\end{figure*}

\begin{figure*}[!h]
    \centering
    \begin{subfigure}{0.8\textwidth}
    \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{results/MRCPSP/results-normal.pdf}
    \caption{Without native interaction}
    \end{subfigure}
    \begin{subfigure}{0.8\textwidth}
    \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{results/MRCPSP/results-inter.pdf}
    \caption{With native interaction}
    \end{subfigure}
    \caption{Solving time of \glucose with three settings (bisect, linear and UNSAT), Open-WBO and Chuffed on 928 MRCPSP instances. \glucose's results are shown without (top) and with (bottom) native interaction.}
    \label{fig:inter_mrcpsp}
\end{figure*}

\subsection{CDP+I experiments}

\subsubsection{Computational Evaluation with a Standard SAT Solver}

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of maintaining learned clauses and using SAT assumptions between CDP+I levels, we solve 240 instances across 5 problem classes (see Section \ref{sec:Classes}). Within a 6-hour time limit, the native version solves 210 instances whereas pure CDP+I solves only 173 instances. We believe this is due to needing fewer search nodes, which is made possible by pruning large parts of the search tree via the learned clauses.

\Cref{fig:interpol_nodes} presents the median number of search nodes per level. Since instances have different numbers of levels, we normalise the number of levels on the horizontal axis. The plot also shows that the default CDP+I's performance can vary amongst different instances, while CDP+I-native's performance has more stability, indicating that CDP+I-native is more robust.

\begin{figure*}[h!]
    \begin{subfigure}{.5\textwidth}
        \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{results/CDP_I/closed_inter-crop.pdf}
        \caption{\closed\label{fig:interpol_nodes_closed}}
    \end{subfigure}
    \begin{subfigure}{.5\textwidth}
        \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{results/CDP_I/gen_inter-crop.pdf}
        \caption{\generator\label{fig:interpol_nodes_gen}}
    \end{subfigure}
    \begin{subfigure}{.5\textwidth}
        \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{results/CDP_I/min_inter-crop.pdf}
        \caption{\minimal\label{fig:interpol_nodes_min}}
    \end{subfigure}
    \begin{subfigure}{.5\textwidth}
        \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{results/CDP_I/disc_inter-crop.pdf}
        \caption{\discriminative\label{fig:interpol_nodes_disc}}
    \end{subfigure}
    \begin{subfigure}{.5\textwidth}
        \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{results/CDP_I/rel_inter-crop.pdf}
        \caption{\relevantsub\label{fig:interpol_nodes_rel}}
    \end{subfigure}
    \begin{subfigure}{.5\textwidth}
        \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{results/CDP_I/all_inter-crop.pdf}
        \caption{All problem classes\label{fig:interpol_nodes_all}}
    \end{subfigure}
    \caption{Median solver nodes per CDP+I level. Error bars range between the 45\textsuperscript{th} and the 55\textsuperscript{th} percentile. Horizontal axis represents normalised levels between instances. Native CDP+I uses significantly fewer search nodes, thanks to accumulated learned clauses between levels.
    \label{fig:interpol_nodes}}
\end{figure*}

CDP+I-native uses fewer search nodes than pure CDP+I, due to maintaining a subset of learned clauses between levels. \Cref{fig:inter_solve_all} presents a comparison of total solver run time of the two CDP+I variants on \nbc and shows that native interaction clearly results in faster run times as well.
On PAR2 average, CDP+I-native spends 493 seconds per instance whereas pure CDP+I spends 8,210 seconds.

\subsubsection{A Case Study on \closed Tumor 20\% instance}
To evaluate whether keeping learned clauses improves efficiency, we will demonstrate this by examining one particular instance in detail as a case study.

\Cref{fig:closed_tumor_20_nodes_satc} presents two plots. The first shows that CDP+I-native uses fewer search nodes on each level. The second illustrates the increased number of SAT clauses in each level that result from keeping learnt clauses. The improved efficiency seen on the first plot is a direct result of the restricted search space from having more clauses.

\begin{figure*}[h!]
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=0.49\textwidth]{results/CDP_I/closed_tumor_20_nodes.pdf}
    \includegraphics[width=0.49\textwidth]{results/CDP_I/closed_tumor_20_satc.pdf}
    \caption{ A comparison on one CDP+I instance with and without native interaction using \nbc{} AllSAT solver. The example instance is \closed{} Tumor with 20\% frequency. Each plot is averaged out from a single model and multiple random seeds. The plot on the left shows the number of solver nodes on each level, while the plot on the right shows the total number of SAT clauses on each level.}
    \label{fig:closed_tumor_20_nodes_satc}
\end{figure*}

\subsubsection{Computational Evaluation with a Standard SAT Solver}

CDP+I on a standard SAT solver operates by generating solution blocking clauses between each solver call in a level. Once a level is completed, the dominance blocking clauses generated by \savilerow are encoded and passed on to the next level. The solution blocking clauses are not encoded again since they are redundant and already implied in the dominance blocking constraints.

Implementing a native interactive system on a standard SAT solver will bring both costs and benefits to its performance. AllSAT solvers are already capable of keeping learned information in a level due to their all solution enumeration behaviour. The native interaction will grant the standard SAT solver this capability, in addition to making the learned information persistent between levels. Thus, the increase of the standard SAT solver's performance will be relatively much higher than the increase of the AllSAT solver's performance. However, since we will still be using solution blocking clauses in a level and since the system cannot eliminate the redundant solution blocking clauses once the level is done, the standard SAT model might expand far beyond its non-native equivalent. AllSAT solvers are not susceptible to this because they can operate without the use of solution blocking clauses, regardless of whether they use native interaction.

\begin{figure*}[h!]
    \begin{subfigure}{.5\textwidth}
        \centering
        \includegraphics[width=0.99\textwidth]{results/CDP_I/all_11_vs_3_solverlog.pdf}
        \caption{Comparing total solver time using the AllSAT solver \nbc.
        \label{fig:inter_solve_all}}
    \end{subfigure}
    \begin{subfigure}{.5\textwidth}
        \centering
        \includegraphics[width=0.99\textwidth]{results/CDP_I/all_12_vs_5_solverlog.pdf}
        \caption{Comparing total solver time using the standard SAT solver \glucose.
        \label{fig:inter_solve_all_glucose}}
    \end{subfigure}
    \caption{Comparison plot between pure CDP+I and CDP+I-native. The time limit is 6 hours per instance. Each data point is averaged out from a single model and multiple random seeds.}
\end{figure*}

\Cref{fig:inter_solve_all_glucose} illustrates a comparison of CDP+I with and without native interaction using the standard SAT solver \glucose. Native interaction increases the performance amongst all instances significantly. The results also suggest that the anticipated decrease in performance due to the expansion of the model did not outweigh the increase provided by native interaction.

In this section we have evaluated the effect of native interaction on the performance of CDP+I. We conducted our analysis on an AllSAT solver and a standard SAT solver. In the next section we evaluate the configuration space of CDP+I-native.

\section{Conclusion}

We have proposed and implemented a new native interaction component to bridge the gap between low level SAT solving and higher level model compilation in \savilerow. We integrated this component into \savilerow to be able to use in the CDP+I framework and optimization problems. Our experiments on different pattern mining tasks and an optimization problem (MRCPSP) show that the native component boosted solving performance significantly. This interaction enabled accessing SAT assumptions to encode level information in a transparent way and also made learned information persistent across multiple runs.

Future work includes evaluating the native interaction component with different problem classes.
We believe this native interaction can be a viable option for multi objective optimization tasks as well. Additionally, there is a large space of possible configurable options which is yet to cover, including different modelling and reformulation methods, other SAT solvers and SMT solvers.

\paragraph{Acknowledgements} This work is supported by EPSRC grant EP/P015638/1. Nguyen Dang is a Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow (ECF-2020-168).

\bibliographystyle{splncs04}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Chimp Haven
In the Federal Chimpanzee Sanctuary System at Chimp Haven located in Keithsville, Louisiana, an aging chimp named Lester, walks a well-worn path along the concrete perimeter walls, avoiding the more than 5-acres of forest available to him and the clicks of fellow chimpanzee residents. As if riddled with an extraordinary case of OCD, he is careful not to touch the patches of grass, always keeping some surface of his hands and body touching the concrete. Lester was bred in captivity, isolated from social contact and used for biomedical research before finally being retired to Chimp Haven. According to researchers, Chimpanzees born or raised in captivity often exhibit behavioral abnormalities in the form of wall walking, head banging, self-mutilation and other harmful or anti-social displays. Normally, over time, they adjust and the behavior ceases, but Lester despite years at the sanctuary, still walks the perimeter daily. Lester's is the story of what can happen when we isolate animals--and humans--in extreme situations for prolonged periods of time.
Chimp Haven, a nonprofit with a government grant, is an answer to a problem for the aging population of chimpanzees used for biomedical research. A 2013 brief by the National Institute of Health (NIH) recommended that all research chimpanzees under NIH care, with the exception of fifty, be retired to the federal sanctuary system. With rising costs of care (upwards of $200,000 per chimp) and the reduced justification for using chimpanzees in light of newer research methods, the recommendations are to be implemented in the next few years.
Chimp Haven has seen success in incorporating over two hundred chimpanzees into functioning social groups. And many of the chimps are exhibiting natural nesting and foraging behavior found in the wild showing further acclimation to their new home. Most of the geriatric chimpanzees suffer from various diseases, including AIDS and hepatitis and must be specially cared for. In addition, some chimps used for prolonged cognitive testing and other research, show signs of aggression, violent behavior and coprophagia (playing with and throwing excrement), and must be kept separated from the larger groups. For this ongoing care, Chimp Haven has a cadre of employees including veterinarians and animal behavioral scientists on site.
A surprising aspect of life at Chimp Haven is the occurrence of unexpected births. Upon arrival at Chimp Haven, all the chimpanzees receive vasectomies, but it has since been discovered that in eighty five percent of chimpanzees this naturally reverses, giving rise to what sanctuary workers are calling "oops babies". The birth of "oops babies" has helped to solidify social groupings but has also created a situation where these new sanctuary-born chimpanzees must remain, along with their retired elders, permanently within sanctuary walls.
I wanted to see what a haven within walls was like for these long-suffering creatures. I found a sanctuary with caretakers dedicated to their charges and forests and lakes boxed in for the pleasure of the chimpanzees. But acclimation has been hard for many, like Lester, whose history of confinement and trauma has borne zoochosis. With the birth of new sanctuary babies, there is a conundrum in the way captive chimpanzees are to be phased out. What does the future hold for these sanctuary babies born within haven walls?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


'Well arrived at Ibrox optimistic of success having won their previous two league games but were crushed after having Carl McHugh sent off for handball and a penalty awarded against them at 1-1 in the 32nd minute.
"Obviously it was really disappointing," said ex-Grimsby Town ace Tait (28).
"Obviously it's a terrible result for us regarding the scoreline and it's totally unacceptable on our part.
"We don't want to use the red card and penalty as an excuse, definitely. For 30 minutes we're in it.
"It was one each but things change in the game and we have to adapt to that.
"Regardless if it's a refereeing decision or whatever.
"But we didn't do that and we lay down far too easily.
"I think once they scored their fourth and fifth goals we just lay down, possibly waiting for the end of the game.
"There's still quite a lot of time to go in the game and that's not acceptable. I can only apologise to the travelling fans who came and try and put it right.
Referee Craig Thomson angered visiting fans by dismissing McHugh and awarding a spot kick in front of a large Old Firm crowd – just like he did when red carding Cedric Kipre in last season's Betfred Cup final defeat to Celtic – but Tait was remaining philosophical.
Tait was asked if he felt the decision of whistler Thomson (pictured inset) to send off McHugh and award a spot kick was too harsh.
He replied: "I don't know the rules any more to be honest with you.
"If it's double punishment or what I don't know.
"The referee has made his decision and we'll stand by that.
In the wake of such a disappointing result, Tait and his mates won't get the chance to put the humbling out of their system by going for three points this Saturday.
An international break this weekend means that Motherwell's next league game is a home encounter against Aberdeen a week on Saturday.
And the rampaging fullback – touted for a Scotland call-up due to his consistently good displays – said that 'Well's capitulation in Glasgow was made all the more painful by the fact that they'd beaten St Mirren and Dundee in their previous two Scottish Premiership outings.
He said: "Definitely, yeah. I think we came here with a spring in our step and hope we could really come and challenge and get a result.
"And it went totally the other way, badly.
"But, like I say, we've got two weeks until we play Aberdeen.
"We'll go and assess it and look at the things we did wrong and look at the things we could have done better.
"And we'll try and bounce back.


For us… bike is a passion!
Fausto's father, Carlo Guarguaglini, the founder of Zi Martino was a professional cyclist in the late '50s and early '60s and ran in Charly Gaul's Team.
He went on to host the first professional teams in Tuscany before the time of cycle tourism.
Zi Martino today is a landmark known and appreciated by all fans of the pedal and the numerous professional teams who gather here to spend periods of training during the winter.
It is also a destination for cyclists and bikers who are searching for an attractive location, family atmosphere, hospitality and the great responsibility of the Guarguaglino family .
The location is nothing short of strategic, in the heart of the Etruscan Coast, a paradise for wheels and pedals featuring an incredible variety of trails suitable for everyone, from families to the most demanding professionals, from the convinced road racer to the more adventurous bikers.
Among the teams who have chosen Zi Martino are Motorola with Armstrong (World Champion), Lampre's Camenzind (also a world champion) Gilberto Simoni("Gibo"), Boogerd of Rabobank.
Among the usual camp includes two former Americans pros Andy Hampsten and Davis Phinney.


text:
Sister Karen (Evelyn Marie) Pozniak
Karen Pozniak's journey of faith began at Sunday school, memorizing Bible passages and songs at the Baptist church in Lynn, Massachusetts, the faith of her mother. When she was nine, her family moved to California, and several years later, she and her mother were baptized at St. Lucy Catholic Church in Campbell, California.
Karen continued her journey at Notre Dame High School in San Jose. In March of her senior year, the new principal Sister Mary Emmanuel, thought Karen was another girl and asked if she had ever considered becoming a Sister. Though the question wasn't intended for Karen, she began a discernment process. On August 14, 1960, the birthday of her grandfather, "another influence on her faith journey," she entered the convent.
After the novitiate in Saratoga, Karen, now Sister Evelyn Marie, continued her studies at College of Notre Dame in Belmont (now Notre Dame de Namur University), where she earned her lifetime teaching certificate. She first taught primary grade children in Watsonville, Calif. and later, in Portland, Oregon. At Star of the Sea Parish in Hawaii, she became involved in the Charismatic Movement, teaching and healing ministry, and learned new ways to pray. She prepared children for the sacraments and assisted parents in their own faith development. As a result of these experiences, Karen was eager to learn more about how to help adults grow spiritually. So, for the next three summers she studied at Gonzaga University receiving her Masters in Spirituality.
Sister Karen Pozniak, SNDdeN ministering at a rest home c. 1990.
At this time, she made a 30-day retreat at El Retiro Jesuit Retreat House in Los Altos, Calfornia—a place especially meaningful for Karen because it was where her grandfather had met the Jesuits years before, a time that brought him and, subsequently, her whole family to the faith.
When she became part of the ministry team at St. Julie Parish in San Jose, California, pastor Father Matthew Sullivan recognized her gifts for religious education and for training those who were bringing communion to patients at Santa Teresa Hospital. Father Sullivan encouraged her to share her effective program with other parishes through the Diocesan TV network. After five years in that parish, Sister Karen had found her calling to chaplaincy. She spent the summer completing a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at St. Mary Hospital in San Francisco. Then her service as a chaplain was needed at St. Mary Hospital in Reno, Nevada for one year, during which time she worked for and received recognition as a certified chaplain. The community then asked her to be the community coordinator at Notre Dame Villa Infirmary. Recognizing her sensitivity to the sick and dying, one of the Sisters there said, "I hope Karen is here when I die."
Sister Karen Pozniak with a Pastoral Care training group.
Sister Karen's next assignment was to the people of St. Joseph of Cupertino, in Cupertino, Calif. where she worked with the Liturgy committee and trained Eucharistic ministers for homebound and nursing home care. A special memory here was being able to support parishioners in offering a very meaningful celebration for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe each year.
Wanting to be closer to her mother who was alone in Vermont following Karen's father's death, Sister Karen applied for a position at Fanny Allen Hospital, the only Catholic hospital in Vermont. This small hospital eventually joined with the Medical Center of Vermont to become the University of Vermont Medical Center. Doctoral and nursing candidates received their clinical training at this location and Karen trained and supported the many volunteers who helped the chaplains in the Spiritual Care Department. She also served the hospital's patients, staff and families. During this time, Sister Karen joined the Colchester Community Chorus and enjoyed being part of this musical community.
Sr. Karen Pozniak with her prayer partner in Namur, Belgium.
One of Karen's friends, Jeannie M. Slauson, says of Karen that: "Her intrinsic sense of joy is contagious and comes from being content with all things. I will be forever grateful to her for introducing me to Healing Touch, a gift that has the effect of exponentially imparting God's grace. Her keen sense of humor seems effortless and serves as a continual catalyst in mitigating anxiety to those she interacts with. I have seen this with patients at the hospital, as well as with her mother. Sister Karen is truly a remarkable mentor and spiritual guide."
Sister Karen is now living in California again.
Sister Karen's Ministries
Sister Karen Pozniak with Notre Dame de Namur Associates in Vermont.
1967-72 Moreland Notre Dame School, Watsonville, CA
1972-73 St. Stephen Elementary School, Portland, OR
1973-77 Star of the Sea Schools, Honolulu, HI
Service to the Sisters
1978-81 Healthcare Assistant, Notre Dame Infirmary, Saratoga, CA
1987-89 Community Coordinator, Notre Dame Infirmary, Saratoga, CA
2018-Present Novitiate Community, Cincinnati, OH
1981-84 Parish Ministry, St. Julie Billiart Parish, San Jose, CA
1985-86 Chaplain, St. Mary Hospital, Reno, NV
1989-91 Pastoral Associate, St. Joseph of Cupertino Parish, Cupertino, CA
1992-96 Pastoral Care Director, Fanny Allen Hospital, Burlington, VT
1996-2018 Chaplain Educator, University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington, VT
Sr. Karen Pozniak (second from left in front row) with family in 2010.
They helped you through life's biggest moments. Won't you help them now?
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur US East-West Province is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our tax identification number is 04-3210469.
gift Donate Today


text:
Q: phpMyAdmin installation - ERROR 1045: Acces denied (using: password: NO) I tried to install phpMyAdmin on Ubuntu 16.04LTS, for MariaDB and Apache. The problem is that during the setup process, it asks me about 'root' name, but not for root's password, and I end up with common ERROR 1045 (28000): Acces denied for user 'root'@'localhost' (using password: NO)
Lately I've reinstalled Apache and MariaDB, but I don't know how to deal with this problem. I've already tried dpkg-reconfure dbconfig-common, and dpkg-reconfigure phpmyadmin, but every time this ERROR showed up.
Also, I know the root password, and I can normally log in with mysql -u root -p, so the only question is how to give it to the phpmyadmin.
I checked my config.inc.php, but I can't see any place to put either administrative user's name or passowrd.

A: I had the same problem in Ubuntu 20.04. However setting root password to empty with
ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY '';

as suggested in other answer did not help. I was still getting the same error from the phpmyadmin setup. I chose the "ignore" option in that phpmyadmin setup dialog, and then manually created phpmyadmin database and user, and manually created tables as follows:
mysql> create database phpmyadmin;
mysql> create user 'phpmyadmin'@'localhost' identified by 'some_passwd';
mysql> grant all privileges on phpmyadmin.* to 'phpmyadmin'@'localhost';

Where 'some_password' was the same as I specified in the setup dialog and which in consequence was saved in /etc/phpmyadmin/config-db.php
Then I went to /usr/share/phpmyadmin/sql and ran
$ mysql -u phpmyadmin -p phpmyadmin < create_tables.sql

and specified that 'some_password'. This made phpmyadmin happy and it started to work as expected.
I also needed to allow the webserver access to /usr/share/phpmyadmin in apache2 config, because the phpmyadmin setup failed to do that properly.

A: I fixed this issue by temporarily removing the root password.
Log into mysql using mysql -uroot -p.
Execute SET PASSWORD FOR root@localhost=PASSWORD(''); to remove the root password.
After that, execute dpkg-reconfigure phpmyadmin or re-install phpmyadmin, follow the installation as you normally would. Once that is done, run mysql_secure_installation again to set a root password again.
You can now log in with that password as root using phpmyadmin as normal.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Africa's richest billionaire and Chairman, Aliko Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote, alongside the GBCHealth and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) have called for more synergy between governments and private sectors toward providing improved healthcare for Africans in the continent.
They made the call on Thursday via a joint statement as top African leaders including Heads of States, Ministers, CEOs as well as representatives from the African Union and United Nations are expected to converge at the inaugural Africa Business: Health Forum (AB:HF) taking place in Ethiopia on 12th February 2019 on the sideline of the 32nd African Union Summit.
According to the statement, the forum will unify Africa's key decision makers in exploring opportunities for catalyzing growth in the continent's economy, through business partnerships to invest in the health sector.
"From a business standpoint, we are beginning to see the opportunities that could be created by focusing on improving and investing in health," says AigbojeAig-Imoukhuede, a renowned financier and Co-Chair of GBCHealth.
"There is a need to close the gap on the inequality of life in Africa from a healthcare stand point and we must look to develop a universal plan that shifts the needle as far as healthcare in Africa is concerned. Health must cease being a source of pain, and become a source of prosperity instead," he added.
The AB:HF is the vision of GBCHealth, UNECA, and Aliko Dangote Foundation, with the objective of driving business leadership, strengthening partnerships, and facilitating investments to change the face of healthcare in Africa.
The forum will culminate in the launch of the African Business Coalition for Health (ABCHealth), a coalition that will mobilize a core group of private sector champions through a coordinated platform to advance health outcomes and shape health systems across Africa, the statement added.
It noted that the ABCHealth will serve as the regional platform to unlock synergies that will contribute more directly to a healthy and prosperous Africa, enabled by collaboration and business partnerships.
Commenting on the need for business leaders to key into this vision, Aliko Dangote, said "The best way to move Africa forward is for businesses to step up in health care and take bold action.
"We must work together, across industries and with governments and communities, to foster innovation and drive more strategic investments that benefit us collectively.
Also commenting, Vera Songwe, UNECA's Executive Secretary, said "the Commission will play a role in the design and implementation of policy frameworks around the financing of healthcare through Public-Private Partnerships and the private sector.
The statement noted that the inter-relationship between the health of employees and economic growth is increasingly taking centre stage in many African countries, and business is being pushed to exploring how to maximize shareholder value as a complex interplay between financial, human, social and environmental return.
"African business entrepreneurs are waking up to the reality that good health is good business, and investing in health is both a business and social imperative with studies showing that by 2030, business opportunities in health and wellness sector will reach $1.8 trillion in current prices.
"Investing in African health systems is an opportunity to accelerate economic development and growth, contribute to saving millions of lives, prevent life-long disabilities, and move countries closer to achieving SDGs and Africa's Agenda 2063," it stated.
Daily Trust recalls that Africa Business: Health Forum (AB:HF) is a platform instituted by GBCHealth, UNECA and Aliko Dangote Foundation to broker private sector commitments to healthcare across Africa.


A session of Children's Literature Festival at with music and puppets by Asha Bhatt.
A session of Children's Literature Festival at #GLF with music and puppets by Asha Bhatt.
Niren Bhatt, Bhargav Purohit, Abhijeet Deshpande and Kausar Munir discuss the importance of songs in Hindi Cinema at #GLF. #Gujlitfest #GLF2019..


The standard of the Toyota brand is their Camry, which has boasts it own reputation for safety, reliability and quality! Because it has been a staple in the Toyota collection since it debuted in 1983, the vehicle has seen many tweets and design changes over the year while still being able to maintain the integrity of why folks love it.
And how loved is the Camry? Toyota has manufactured and sold 15 million Camry models across 100 countries since it made its debut. That astonishing number, according to a report, means that if all of those Camry's were lined up in a dealership today, there would be one for every man, woman and child in Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C. combined, and you'd still have a almost a million vehicles left over. Impressive right?
I spent some time in the 2012 Toyota Camry XLE Sedan, which has been completely redesigned both inside and out, and completely understand while consumers rave about this classic Toyota vehicle. The five-passenger, four-door sedan featured with a 268-hp 3.5-liter V6 and six-speed automatic transmission. It also delivers 25 miles per gallon in the city, 35 mpg highway or 28 mpg combined. That's a three mpg increase in the city and two mpg bump on the highway and combined over the old model. It was quiet to drive, no loud hum or unnecessary engine noise. The vehicle maneuvered easily on the highway and in the city as well.
Tech features for the Camry include Bluetooth phone connectivity and audio streaming, garage door opener, rear camera, navigation with touch screen, HD and satellite radio, and the new Entune mobile app and services system.
Spin Control: The Toyota Camry is a rock solid investment! You get every bit of the $28,033 you would spend on the model I test drove. These cars are built to last and are worth every dime.


text:
The scoop on lacrosse at VIU
SportsSports & Lifestyle
By Kain Stewart	 On Apr 11, 2019
VIU values, celebrates, and supports Indigenous culture. Despite this focus, lacrosse—Canada's national sport, rooted in Indigenous history—has never found a home underneath the Mariners crest. Jesse Kemp, the Career and Work Integrated Learning Coordinator at VIU and an avid lacrosse player, wants to be the driving force behind a team's creation.
Lacrosse has changed dramatically since its inception. The traditional wooden stick has been replaced with plastic and titanium, but wooden sticks still hold the image of the original Iroquois players who wielded them centuries ago.
Today five devoted players gather weekly at John Barsby's outdoor lacrosse box as Mariners. All of these players come from different heritages and histories, but they each carry the same idea: to be the players behind VIU's first lacrosse team.
Sadly, the five players committed are not enough for a team. At least ten players are required, and that is if the team doesn't have any spares. For the team to have any form of success for a September season, it needs more support. The team is currently listed as recreational but wants enough interest for a Fall 2019 rookie season. Jesse Kemp stated that he wishes to "develop [the team] organically, but the hope is that it will soon be competitive provincially."
In order for the team to be competitive, it needs the support of more players and of community members. If any current or future VIU students wish to play for the team, they can contact Kemp at jesse.kemp@viu.ca.
lacrosseviu athletics
Kain Stewart 3 posts 0 comments
VIU's "Cardiac Kids" reflect on championship season
IP pulled pork for an army
Mariners Dance Team Hosts Beer and Burger
Start of the Season: Women's Basketball


In this series we present talks of the Helmholtz Horizons Symposium 2018. Today's featured talk is by Obi Felten. Her keynote was titled: 'Solving problems that matter: Insights from X, Alphabet's moonshot factory'. Helmholtz Horizons took place 6 November 2018 in Berlin. The motto was 'The Digital (R)Evolution in Science'.
Obi Felten works at X, Alphabet's moonshot factory: the team behind projects like self-driving cars, delivery drones and internet from balloons. She is responsible for getting early stage X projects from the lab into the real world, or ensuring they fail fast. Previously she was Director of Consumer Marketing for Google EMEA. Before Google, Obi launched the ecommerce business of a major UK retailer, worked as a strategy consultant and led eToys.com's expansion to Germany during the first dotcom boom.
Our society is facing major challenges but also huge opportunities. We at Helmholtz combine cutting-edge research and outstanding technology in order to meet these challenges to shape a better future. The Helmholtz Horizons Symposium 2018, hosted by the President of the Association, highlights scientific breakthroughs of Helmholtz's established researchers, showcases our talented early career researchers, and gives a platform to the entrepreneurs and innovators, who ensure that our research has societal impact. This year's overarching theme is 'The Digital (R)Evolution in Science'.
For more information visit the Helmholtz Horizons website.


The Iconographer will be arriving to the US to write (draw) the Icon of Christ Enthroned inside the Pantocrator.
You can participate in this very unique way. The process calls for egg whites to be the base for the color pigments. If you would like to be connected to, and blessed by this project, please bring in half a dozen or a dozen organic brown eggs by this Sunday. We guarantee that eggs will be used from every family's donation if there are more eggs than needed.
The drawing of Christ in the Pantocrator, which is the curved wall of the Altar, symbolizing "The Bosom of the Father" is one of the requirements to consecrate a church.
If you wish to make a financial donation outside of your tithing, please use this link or send a check. Please notate "Pantocrator" in the special instructions field on PayPal, or on the check.
May all be done for the Glory of God!


text:
Deep Politics Forum › Deep Politics Forum › Human Trafficking
New ISGP post on Child Abuse in EU
New ISGP Post: A Closer Look at Child Abuse Networks in the Netherlands and Belgium
Via: ISGP: http://www.isgp.eu/miscellaneous/Closer_...rlands.htm
Although this article can be read on its own, it really is a continuation of previous ISGP articles, most notably Beyond the Dutroux Affair (2007), La Nebuleuse (2008) and as it turns out, also to the short "Beyond Dutroux" ties to the Netherlands (2009). None of these articles are easy to read. Go slow, sleep on it for a night, come back, get your brain fried again, sleep on it another night, etc. That's also the way these articles got written.
[Admins or others may "explode" the post if warranted.]
More excellent research from the indefatigable Joël van der Reijden.
This is dark material - an expose of a degenerate deep black octopus whose tentacles corrupt the powerful and destroy innocent lives.
There is no redemption here.
Only horror and pain.
The piece is primarily about the Belgian and Dutch networks, but they are also international and link with activities such as Iran-Contra.
For the record, below is the article about the butler to the British Queen and Queen Mother:
Quote: Paedophile royal butler 'took victims to tea with Queen Mother'
A former royal butler who admitted sexually abusing young boys took one of his victims for tea with the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, according to sources.
Published: 10:25AM BST 02 Oct 2008
Paul Kidd introduced the youngster to the royal as a "friend" during a Christmas party at Clarence House - but in reality he had been assaulting the boy since the age of 14.
Kidd, 55, of Stalybridge, Greater Manchester, was senior footman to Queen Elizabeth from 1979 to 1984 and previously worked as a royal butler to the Queen from 1977.
He pleaded guilty to a string of historic sexual offences, a number of which were committed when he was a royal servant.
Sources said he charmed his victims with his stories of high living and was a "brilliant groomer".
It is understood there may be many more victims of Kidd who have yet to come forward and that the butler could have been part of an organised paedophile ring.
Kidd introduced one of his victims to a friend, David Hobday, 56, of Dukinfield, Greater Manchester, who also pleaded guilty to a number of sexual offences.
The former candidate for the UK Independence Party was caught after one of his three abuse victims read a newspaper article which he gave on the 10th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
His boasts about his royal connections, coming from a man who has his own website, http://www.royalbutler.co.uk, led the complainant to contact police.
The victim, now aged in his 40s, reported he had been indecently assaulted by Kidd at the butler's home in the early 1980s when he was as young as 13.
An investigation was launched and evidence of further abuse was uncovered during a search of his home in Castlehall View.
Among items found on his computer were 18,019 images of unknown children and a video recording of him abusing another youngster as recently as 2006.
Many of the images recovered were encrypted in computer files with the password "Pickles" - thought to be a reference to a royal corgi.
His third victim, who was treated to the royal tea party, came forward after reading publicity on the case when Kidd was charged by police.
The source said: "Kidd went down to Clarence House one Christmas for a tea party with the Queen Mother.
"He introduced the boy as a friend and he spoke to the Queen Mother.
"This is the type of thing Kidd would do to impress his victims. He was a brilliant groomer who came across as a charming individual.
"He met one of his victims randomly on CB radio and another while he worked as a trainee nurse."
Kidd changed his pleas today ahead of a scheduled four-week trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
He pleaded guilty to six counts of indecent assault, five counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Kidd also admitted 11 counts of making indecent images of a child and two counts of possessing indecent images of children. In both cases the images were classed between Levels 1 and 5 - the latter being the most serious end of the scale.
The offences were committed between 1974 and 1977, 1981 and 1983 - when he was in the employ of the Queen Mother - and 2005 to 2008.
He pleaded not guilty to two counts of making indecent images which were accepted by the Crown and ordered to lie on file.
Charges of rape against Kidd, who had no previous convictions or cautions, were dropped.
Hobday, of St John Street, pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of possessing an indecent image of a child, namely a video recording.
Both men were remanded in custody and will be sentenced on November 20.
Judge Mushtaq Khokhar told them: "Given you have both pleaded guilty to some serious offences, you should be under no illusion that the sentence is going to be custody."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopi...other.html
In his Beyond Dutroux, Joel names names -- all leading businessmen, aristo's and top officials in Belgium. In his latest essay he names names in the Netherlands, including Prince Claus, husband on Queen Beatrix.
European royals feature in paedophile activity with great regularity. They are absolutely untouchable.
The lower-down-the-food-chain abominations are there as facilitators and providers. These loathsome people are protected at the very highest levels - because at those levels too, loathsome people abound.
More on Royal butler Paul Kidd.
I note that "during his royal service (Kidd) came to boast that he had looked after three US presidents and every monarch in Europe. He also boasted that he had been awarded the Most Noble Order of Merit by the West German President".
Quote: December 22, 2008
Former royal butler Paul Kidd jailed over child sex offences
A paedophile royal butler who once introduced a young victim to the Queen Mother at a Clarence House Christmas party has been given an indeterminate jail sentence.
Paul Kidd, 55, once made a living on the after-dinner circuit telling what he described as "hilarious" anecdotes about life below stairs at Buckingham Palace, gathered from his years in royal service during the 1970s.
But he was less forthcoming about his secret life as a serial abuser of impressionable young teenagers, whom he befriended and groomed assiduously before sexually assaulting.
Judge Mushtaq Khokhar described him as a dangerous man who posed a risk to every teenage boy he met before jailing him at Minshull Street Crown Court, in Manchester, for a notional sentence of 12 years. He said he would have to serve a minimum of six years before he could be considered for release.
Kidd, of Stalybridge, Greater Manchester, had already pleaded guilty to nine offences of indecent assault, sexual activity with a boy, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, making indecent photographs and possessing indecent images of children. The charges relate to historic abuse against three separate individuals dating back 32 years to 1975.
Kidd began work as butler to the Queen in 1976 and remained at the Palace for six years before transferring to Clarence House, where he performed a similar role for the Queen Mother.
During his royal service he came to boast that he had looked after three US presidents and every monarch in Europe. He also boasted that he had been awarded the Most Noble Order of Merit by the West German President.
After he left Clarence House, he advertised himself as a royal expert ready to give lectures around the world about what made the Queen smile, 'those damn corgies', the ghillies at Balmoral Castle and the 'Queen Mother's whip'.
His secret life as a predatory groomer of boys as young as 12 emerged last year after he gave an interview in a local newspaper as part of the coverage of the tenth anniverary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. It prompted one of his victims, now in his forties, to come forward to complain that Kidd had abused him in the early 1980s when he was 13.
Nicola Gatto, for the prosecution, told the court that Kidd would befriend his victims' parents as part of the grooming process, and would indulge his victims with treats and trips before sexually assaulting them.
In 1974, he took a 14-year-old on holiday to the Lake District before the abuse began. Later he took him to Clarence House, where he was introduced to the Queen Mother over tea.
Another victim, identified only as Victim A, was 14-years-old in 1981 when Kidd invited him to his flat to discuss a shared interest in CB radios after befriending his parents to gain their trust.
After arranging the visit on the pretext that atmospheric conditions were conducive to CB radio early in the morning, he indecently assaulted him.
A third, more recent, victim, identified as Victim B, was 12 or 13 when he was invited by Kidd to look at his autograph collection of Manchester United players. The abuse began when he was 14-years-old.
Ms Gatto described how Kidd introduced the teenager to another man, 57-year-old David Hobday, of Dukinfield, Tameside, who was also invited to abuse him. Their victim, a vulnerable lonely boy, said he believed he had a duty to please them.
In their impact statements the victims each described how they believed their sexual innocence had been destroyed. One said he felt his whole life was a lie, another resorted to drug addiction because he felt violated and the third said he would have to carry feelings of shame and guilt for the rest of his life.
When police raided Kidd's home they found CD discs containing more than 18,000 indecent images of children.
Another disc showed him engaging in sexual activity with a young teenager. When asked about it in interview, he said: "I know which clip you are talking about and he is 17-years-old. It was just messing about."
Saul Brody, Kidd's defence counsel, acknowledged that the nature of his offences would give his client pariah status inside jail. Incarcaration would be an excruciating experience.
His service in the royal household at least demonstrated a sense of duty, obedience and service, he said. In effect he acknowledged Kidd's life was ruined.
Jailing him, Judge Khokhar told Kidd he was a dangerous man who posed a risk to all the young people he might come across.
Hobday, who pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child and possessing an indecent image, was jailed for three years.
Detective Constable James Teggart, of the Child Protection Unit, based at Ashton-under-Lyne, described the abuse meted out by Kidd as "nothing short of monstrous".
He said: "The pair are sexual predators who have manipulated their victims and subjected them to the most horrific abuse time and again. The victims have had their childhoods taken away from them and will have to deal with what they have been put through for the rest of their lives.
"I would like to praise the courage of those who came forward and helped bring this evil pair to justice".
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk...t=0&page=1
Peter Presland
Spurred on by earlier DPF threads I have read the entire ISGP site. I have also read 'The Control of Candy Jones' and several other difficult and deeply disturbing books including Dave McGowans's 'The Pedophocracy'. I find it difficult to recommend them to people who I regularly refer other stuff to because the whole subject is so damned disturbing that I just know they will not get beyond skimming the stuff. IMHO, 'Pedophocracy' is the precise, laser accurate word for what we are dealing with here though, and the instinctive human reaction to the calculated sadistic depravities involved is what effectively provides it with its immunity. The naive assumption (hope??) is that the Authorities will always do all in their power to root-out and prosecute such people. The more widespread and depraved the phenomenon is alleged, the less believable it becomes, so that it remains hidden in plain sight so-to-speak. People simply do not want to be told of such things - Which renders them all too ready to be 'reassured' by the odd sacrificial minnow. Outrage is thus indulged for a while before relapse into the consensus trance of everyday routine, where fear of strangers and the dark are relegated to the subconscious and the odd bad dream.
What you and I and the average Joe/Jane can do about it though is quite another matter.
For my money the world (The Western World anyway) IS, to a large extent, effectively run by 'The Pedophocracy'. To use Masonic analogies - to be enlisted as a 1st degree member is a temptation difficult for the psychopathic personality type that aspires to power to decline. To BECOME a 1st degree member is to sell one's soul - and there are probably thirty-odd higher degrees each capable of 'making an offer that cannot be refused' by their 'juniors' - Standard military discipline simply does not hold a candle to it; Special Forces and SIS-type discipline clearly makes extensive use of it.
".....there is something far worse than Nazism, and that is the hubris of the Anglo-American fraternities, whose routine is to incite indigenous monsters to war, and steer the pandemonium to further their imperial aims"
Guido Preparata. Preface to 'Conjuring Hitler'[size=12][size=12]
"Never believe anything until it has been officially denied"
Claud Cockburn
[/SIZE][/SIZE]
I agree that reading of these awful things in detail, one's soul is seared. It is a harrowing journey.
And yes Peter, I think they have sold their souls.
Fox News Greta Van Susteren Connected to 80's Franklin Child Trafficking Scandal George Williams 0 166 05-12-2020, 11:13 PM
Last Post: George Williams
The Franklin cover-up. Child abuse, Satanism and murder in Nebraska 2nd edition Magda Hassan 31 32,538 20-04-2019, 07:50 PM
Last Post: Lauren Johnson
Bush-linked child sex ring in Florida and Georgia? George Klees 0 25,666 30-07-2017, 11:00 PM
Last Post: George Klees
CDC executive arrested for child molestation, bestiality Ed Jewett 1 4,098 17-10-2011, 01:56 AM
Dick Cheney to Speak at Notorious Child Trafficking Center in Vancouver on September 26 Ed Jewett 2 4,770 29-09-2011, 02:41 PM
Agency (US Immigration) deports man wanted for child sex abuse, human smuggling Ed Jewett 0 2,717 21-07-2011, 11:18 PM
Pope faces fresh claims of child sex abuse cover-up Susan Grant 8 4,510 25-10-2010, 09:42 AM
An Epidemic of Child Abuse Ed Jewett 0 2,451 28-03-2010, 06:21 PM
Boy Scouts Chronicle Sex Abuse by Scout Leaders Ed Jewett 0 1,992 22-03-2010, 10:26 PM
'Lawyer' for US Missionary Child Abductors in Haiti is Arrested for Human Trafficking Ed Jewett 1 2,773 20-03-2010, 12:50 PM


Full Legislative Briefing document (pdf).
The Economic Case for shale gas, if it ever did exist, has evaporated. The shale gas investment "bubble is now bursting. Dozens of companies face bankruptcy and massive layoffs.
Moody's has lowered its bonds to 'junk' status.
Potash Corporation – one of NB's largest users of gas – has left the province. Shares of Corridor Resources, which provided gas for Potash, are valued at thirty-nine cents.
The rapid growth of inexpensive, renewable energy casts doubt on the LNG export business. Projects have been cancelled or postponed. Analysts say that these trends show, "There could not be a worse time to be embarking on challenging gas projects." In shale areas, a 'boom' that lasted less than a decade has led now to a 'bust': cuts to budgets and services, increased deficits, severe social problems including unemployment, and abandoned wells.
The Climate Change Case against shale gas has strengthened.
The Water Contamination Case against shale gas continues. In 2014, the Canadian Council of Academies reported a total lack of scientific monitoring of groundwater at shale sites, and a lack of a scientific basis for regulations. Contamination specialist Dr. John Cherry says that that lack remains, adding that New Brunswick "shouldn't experiment with shale gas until that situation changes".
The US EPA's draft report on shale found cases of water contamination in every category it covered, saying many more are likely hidden behind court settlement 'gag orders'.
The EPA's Science Advisory Board's draft review of the report found that this evidence did not support the conclusion that no 'widespread systemic contamination' was found. It called for the removal of that phrase from the report, and criticized the report's omission of EPA investigations that had found contamination, and its failure to discuss the serious consequences of contamination.
The Public Health Case against shale gas is growing. The EPA noted that the health effects of 92% of chemicals used in fracking remain unstudied and untested, even as public health studies associate a growing number of serious illnesses with the industry.
Earthquake concerns continue to grow. Earthquakes associated with shale development have increased exponentially in number and strength, occurred in more places, and are linked to both fracking and wastewater injection wells. Wastewater disposal thus also remains an unsolved problem.
The only logical and moral response is a ban or minimum 10-year moratorium on shale gas and hydrofracturing. Citizens in the areas affected by shale gas development, including their local governments and First Nations, will accept no less.
NBASGA would be much happier working with the government to promote and secure a sustainable future in our province, rather than pursuing justice in a court of law.
Posted in: climate change, Fracking & Health, Fracking and Economics, Moratoria, Most Asked Questions, NBASGA, Research & Scientific Studies.


text:
#AtoZChallenge2015: Hegemony
April 9, 2015 April 9, 2015 / Sisyphus47
For students of world history, and of world-historical thought, hegemony is one of the Sesame keys: from ancient Greece, to the Italian city-states of the early Renaissance, to the Netherlands of the 17th century, to imperial Great Britain, to todays' United States of America, the presence of "great powers", and among them that of a "hegemon", one country or nation state for a while dominating the others, has been the backdrop of western history.
From Wikipedia: "Hegemony is the political, economic, or military predominance or control of one state over others.[1][2][3][4] In Ancient Greece (8th century BCE – 6th century CE), hegemony denoted the politico–military dominance of a city-state over other city-states.[5] The dominant state is known as the hegemon.[6]
In the 19th century, hegemony came to denote the "Social or cultural predominance or ascendancy; predominance by one group within a society or milieu". Later, it could be used to mean "a group or regime which exerts undue influence within a society."[7] Also, it could be used for the geopolitical and the cultural predominance of one country over others; from which was derived hegemonism, as in the idea that the Great Powers meant to establish European hegemony over Asia and Africa.[8]
The Marxist theory of cultural hegemony, associated particularly with Antonio Gramsci, is the idea that the ruling class can manipulate the value system and mores of a society, so that their view becomes the world view (Weltanschauung): in Terry Eagleton's words, 'Gramsci normally uses the word hegemony to mean the ways in which a governing power wins consent to its rule from those it subjugates'.[9]
Ancient Greece under the hegemony of Thebes, 371–362 BCE
In cultural imperialism, the leader state dictates the internal politics and the societal character of the subordinate states that constitute the hegemonic sphere of influence, either by an internal, sponsored government or by an external, installed government."
From Giovanni Arrighi "The Long Twentieth Century":
"A dominant state exercises a hegemonic function if it leads the system of states in a desired direction and, in so doing, is perceived as pursuing a general interest. It is this kind of leadership that makes the dominant state hegemonic. But a dominant state may lead also in the sense that it draws other states onto its own path of development… This second kind of leadership can be designated as 'leadership against one's own will' because, over time, it enhances competition for power rather than the power of the hegemon."
From Christopher Layne ("The Peace of Illusions"):
"When World War II ended, the Soviet Union was the only obstacle to US global hegemony, and in the first postwar decade Washington's principal grand strategic goal was to secure that hegemony by removing the Soviet Union as a peer competitor. The United States emerged from the war in a position of unparalleled geopolitical preeminence, and the scope of America's interests expanded concomitantly, and indeed, had done so while the war was still ongoing. Once the war ended, Washington's perceptions of the Soviet threat to those interests began to grow. As a result, US and Soviet interests collided… in Europe, the Middle East, and Northeast Asia, which contributed to the intensification of postwar Soviet-American tensions that culminated in the cold war… America's main grand strategic aim was to secure its global hegemony by bringing these potential poles of power [Germany and Japan] into its orbit and thereby prevent them from emerging as challengers to US predominance."
While reading through this post, I realised I had already written on the subject, for last year's challenge! Which shows either (or both) my lack of imagination, or continued interest in the subject…
America, Antiquity, Blogging from A to Z challenge, World history, World War II
Christopher Layne, Giovanni Arrighi, hegemony
← #AtoZChallenge2015: Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
#AtoZChallenge2015: Images →
2 thoughts on "#AtoZChallenge2015: Hegemony"
Brenda Williamson
Interesting post. I've learned something new.
Probablement bien de poster deux fois plutot qu'une. Ici on parle moins d'hegemonie ce qui est assez paradoxal!


text:
Alloa Athletic FC
Pitch advertising
virtual match advertising
Wasp 2000 Club
Past Managers
Past Greats
Anti Discrimination Policy
Customer/Supporters Charter
Provisions for Disabled Supporters
Wasp TV – LIVE STREAMING
Raith Rovers v Alloa Athletic
This was a game for large periods "The Wasps" played attractive football and they would have been disappointed not to have taken at least one of them in the first half, but goals change games. It was important for "The Wasps" not to conceed an early goal as they had done in past two league games, but it took a spectacular goal to open the scoring for the home side and five minutes later they scored the crucial second to take a hold in the game. The end result looks cruel on Danny Lennon's side but they will know themselves it could have been so much different if they had scored the crucial opening goal.
DANNY LENNON AT STARKS PARK
If the half time whistle had been the full time whistle I would be a very happy chap at this time, but the two halves were a totally different contrast, a lot of pleasing stuff particularly in the first half, we looked compact, we defended as a team, we broke as a team, we passed the ball well and created good opportunities. Likewise did Raith Rovers, I thought it was quite an open and exciting game in the first half, but in the second half it took a wonderful goal, you can actually see as that ball goes in, the mentality then changed and we stopped doing all the good things which got us success in the first half and we went longer and more direct and that put pressure upon us that we got deeper and deeper and gave a quality Raith Rovers side time on the ball. It's important that we once again learn from that, I think you can always learn in any defeat, but what we have to do is rise above that, sometimes you just have to hold your hand up and say what a wonderful strike that was, and you can do absolutely nothing about it, you can't let a goal like that change your mentality, if we had continued to play in the manner we did in the first half we would have still caused Raith Rovers one or two problems, so it is very difficult, the second and third goal, one from a set play which always is bad to lose and the third one we drop runners, which again is very basic, although we were pleased with the first half performance, overall we have got to prove that we can do both sides of the game as well as we did in the first half for the full ninety minutes.
A lot of people have us down for finishing in the bottom of the table, so we are so far proving these people correct but we will certainly take that challenge and go out there and prove that's not the case, I certainly believe we have a good balance and that was evident in our first half performance but what we have to do is bring these qualities for a full ninety minutes and we will then give ourselves a good platform but we need to make sure we do the basics right, we do not drop runners, very basic things have cost us severely. The goal gave Raith Rovers a massive lift and we have not had that the last couple of weeks, we need to make sure that the quality of chances that we did create especially in the first half we have to be ruthless in front of goal and ready to take these chances.
I saw a change in the mentality when the first goal went in and that was my message to the players, we needed to let the game settle down again before we lost the second goal so quickly thereafter. When the second goal goes in it became more difficult but if we had got one back we would have put them back on the back foot but losing the third it was game over.
The frustrating thing was when we were playing well we needed to get in front, we created good opportunities and had good possession but we failed to hit the net, what was pleasing is the way we created more clear cut chances that we did against Elgin City, but I want to stick with the positives as much as we have got to learn and we move forward, they are a hard working group of players , they will come in on Tuesday and they will give absolutely everything again but we have to make sure we play for the full ninety minutes. Points are important and that's what keeps you in this league but I have asked the players to go home tonight and look at the good things we did in the game and learn from the mistakes and if they do that and show the same appetite and hunger and belief they will be ok and they will give every team in this league, perhaps outside Rangers, they will give every single team problems if they continue to play like they can and stick by it for the full ninety minutes.
Alloa Athletic v Raith Rovers
Starks Park
Stark\\\'s Park, Pratt Street, Invertiel, Linktown, Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, KY1 1AB, United Kingdom
Inverness CT v Alloa Athletic (On time)
next three games
Inverness CT v Alloa Athletic
Ayr United v Alloa Athletic
Alloa Athletic v Queen of the South
Alloa Athletic v Heart of Midlothian
Heart of Midlothian 11 19 27
Dunfermline Athletic 11 7 20
Dundee 11 2 19
Greenock Morton 11 -3 16
Raith Rovers 9 10 15
Ayr United 11 0 13
Inverness CT 9 3 12
Queen of the South 12 -12 11
Alloa Athletic 12 -16 8
Arbroath 11 -10 6
Indodrill Stadium
Clackmannan Road,
FK10 1RY
E-Mail:-fcadmin@alloaathletic.co.uk
© 2021 Alloa Athletic FC
Designed by Leodhas


text:
A Decade of e-Train
e*Train Issue: Apr 2012 | Posted in: TCA Adventures
March 2002 to Spring 2012
Through its publications and activities, TCA has been focused on using the best methods to keep its members informed and to promote the wonderful hobby of train collecting. This is nowhere more evident than in e-Train, whose first edition hit the world wide web in March 2002.
It looked something like the above. The stories, some of them updated, are still available online. See the full array of issues here. In the decade of its operation, some things have changed in our hobby while others haven't. Below we present the observations of some of those who have been supporting it since its inception.
TCA Operations Manager John Luppino:
Recently, e*Train began its eleventh year of publication. This is a signal achievement for an on line publication that does not deal in celebrity gossip or news.
Robert "Bob' Mintz has been the editor since Day One. Again, this is quite an achievement as almost every other on line publication has seen editors come and go. Whether it be a website, an online magazine or a Blog, finding content that has quality and interest is the universal challenge.
Many times Bob has shouldered the entire burden of creating and editing entire issues of e*Train. He has managed to keep a dream alive and we applaud him for it.
And, we recognize the hard work of many authors, as well as the pioneering technical work of Angelo Lautazi, e-Train's first webmaster, who devised the technical underpinnings that have allowed this publication to be carried by others, expanded far beyond what was originally expected.
The e*Train is and remains a key part of the Internet presence of TCA.
HOW e*Train got its' name:
Bob Mintz, whose engraved epitaph shall be "Mintz in Box" wrote:
>First off, we need a name for this electronic magazine. A simple >process, but something clever would work. I know that we have an >ample supply of talent on this list, so let's see some results.
How about: "The E-Train".
It's properly electronic and all networky sounding, and, it's Jazzy! Take the E-Train! (Not to mention the appeal to New Yorkers who have ridden the E train).
Regular features could be:
E-lectronics – news, practices and products from the emerging world of toy train tech.
E-Gauge – new products in all the gauges and scales.
The Virtual Back Shop – articles on repair and maintenance.
Mainline Online – News and articles about 1:1 prototypes.
Interactive Paint Shop – a web based Flash-like page that lets users test paint schemes and custom logos on engines and rolling stock from a library of shapes.
E-Mail Car – Reader's questions and comments selected for publishing.
Route Map – Another interactive page using Map-Quest style zoom-in USA maps to find train related points of interest around the country.
E-Tales – Yarns, tales, myths, and folklore from the glory days of
railroading to the glory days of toy train trading and everything in between. Selected reader stories.
Trainline – An archive of helpful FAQ's on common procedures that may be needed as a reference by newbies and veterans alike, such as phasing transformers, isolating blocks, or re-stringing a boom car. Included could be manufacturers original instructions with modern day annotations from user experience.
How's that for a few ideas?
Chris Zizzo
(November 21, 2001)
It appears that Bob LeBras first announced the opening of E-Train on March 9, 2002 in this TTML post:
Greetings Fellow Train Folk –
As we rapidly approach both Spring, and that wonderful event simply known as "York," the anticipation of renewal builds in each of us; it is the circadian rhythm of time. It is time to enjoy the great outdoors, time to share fellowship with train collectors, and time to think about the future.
I'd like to share a new website with you called "e-Train: The Online Magazine of the Train Collectors Association". Presented and published by the TCA Internet Committee, it is a rapidly developing online resource with articles and photos submitted by TCA members. Everyone is invited to visit and contribute to e-Train:
http://www.tcamembers.org/ [later shifted to tcaetrain.org]
Dr. Joseph Lechner (TTML Moderator)
E-Train, the official online magazine of the Train Collectors Association, is ten years old today.
The title E-Train was a play on words, with the "E" suggesting "electronic" while also alluding to a New York City subway line that runs from lower Manhattan eastward to Jamaica in the borough of Queens.
The table of contents for March 2002 included Clem's York Primer, a review of Fundimensions "coupon cars" by William Meyer, an explanation of railroad signal lantern colors by Robert S. Butler, a study of National Toy Train Museum commemorative boxcars by Gordon Wilson, and a blog by Bob LeBras about his 0 gauge Gallitzin Western Railway.
The latter article stirred some memories for me, because Bob had signed my TCA membership application just a few months earlier. Sometime in mid 2001, Bob had announced via TTML a contest to help him name his layout, and he selected my "Gallitzin Western" suggestion as the winning entry. I still have the Lionel "Route 66" flatcar that he sent as a thank-you.
As Bob explained in his March 2002 story, Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin was the Dutch-born son of a Russian prince. He sailed to the New World in 1795, attended to Sulpician Seminary and became a catholic priest. In 1799 he asked the Bishop of Baltimore to assign him to the Pennsylvania frontier. For the next four decades, this "Missionary of the Alleghenies" served his parish until his death in 1840. At the western Pennsylvania town that is named for him, Pennsylvania Railroad bored a tunnel beneath the summit of the Alleghenies. That tunnel, and a parallel one built in 1905, are still used by Norfolk Southern today.
Frank Samaritano and E-Train editor Bob Mintz posted a detailed article on the first thirty years of Lionel's annual Toy Fair commemorative cars (usually 6464-style boxcars, but sometimes wood-sided reefers). Bob has continued to update his definitive listings of 6464 boxcars, mint / window display cars, and other Lionel rolling stock from then until now.
E-Train was a monthly publication from its inception through the end of 2003. Since then, it has averaged between 3 and 4 issues per year. All 48 issues are still available online.
Congratulations to Bob Mintz on this significant milestone, and thanks for performing a labor of love on behalf of toy train enthusiasts everywhere.
I look forward to many more E-Trains in the years to come.
Bob Mintz:
Looking back at the first and subsequent issues, the thing that most saddens me is that a number of authors that have written for me that have passed into that Big Terminal in the Sky.
Gone is NYC Toy Fair and the accompanying commemorative boxcars for the toy train manufacturers, as well as the phony identification necessary to get me and my friends into this "To The Trade Only" event. My being able to falsify, in the pre-911 world, W-2 forms, employee identification, etc., lead to a lifelong friendship with the likes of "The Italian Stallions": Frank Samaritano, Michael J. Rotolo and John Cifichiello, as well as fulfill the childhood desire to attend Toy Fair for one of my Hampton timeshare roommates, Howard Singer.
In reviewing the first Clem's Primer, at one time I had to park by the strip mall behind the Holidome for the Bandit Meets, which went on from Monday thru Thursday, and were guarded by security on each end. Occasionally we bribed a Keystone Kop (after all, it takes place in the Keystone State) and parked on the lawn. Now I literally pull up and park in the parking lot, which is basically barebones, when it was packed to the gills 10 years ago. I actually enjoyed the Yellow and Gold Halls, they had a certain charm that is missing in the Orange Hall, sort of the way I like wooden roller coasts such as Coney Island's Cyclone as compared to the metal versions of today.
I was originally doing a monthly magazine, but ran out of gas after the first year or so. I was also commuting into Wall Street from the East End of Long Island daily, and had many commuter/railfan trips to write about. Now I live in a retirement community in south Florida.
On the other hand, I started a trend of using old train related posters as the backdrop for the covers. Although books have been published on several topics such as mint cars and we had Greenberg Publishing do full features on all Modern issues, e*Train has had the unique distinction of being able to ride with the tide as it were.
In other words, in this age of instant communication and gratification, we are able to publish up the moment information on York for nstance, as well as update past articles with the latest products. There is very small, if any, window, between the time something occurs and when it goes live. That to me is the greatest thing that we can do given the present technology.
e-Train the Early Years.
By Angelo Lautazi
TCA# 93-37260
My involvement with e-Train began with a phone call from Gordon Wilson back in October or November of 2002. Gordon was the TCA Internet chairman and he told me about the e-Train project that was headed by Bob Mintz. It was to be a TCA internet magazine (e-zine in the vernacular) publishing stories and information on the hobby of toy trains. He went on to tell me that the person who had set up the web site was unable to continue as webmaster and they were in dire need of someone to step in and help get the e-Train published. Since I was a fellow member in the Desert Division, Gordon knew I had recently built the web site for the Desert Division and was maintaining it as the webmaster. He asked if I would work with Bob to get the e-Train out on the web. I agreed to take a look and see what I could do, reminding Gordon that I was fairly new to this web stuff.
I am familiar with computers and software but web publishing and managing web sites at that point in time was something that I had learned quite recently. So when I agreed to help Gordon and Bob, I was just hoping that I wasn't getting in over my head. The e-Train web site was already created and it was quite complex as compared to what I was used to. I worked with Bob by communicating through email and we developed our routine. Each issue would consist of 10 to 15 articles and would be accompanied by a cover page which was usually a Lionel catalog or magazine page from way back when.
Oh, did I mention that there were also photos to go with the articles. In fact, some articles had over 50 photos attached. Some of Bob's comprehensive articles on every 6464 boxcar or Mint cars might have had even more photos. In addition to writing these extensive articles, Bob took every photograph that was included. Each photo had to have a thumbnail created, get optimized for the web and then inserted into the article. One article could take me over an hour to complete. I tried to be creative with the cover art by embedding the e-Train logo into the Lionel page. I always wanted to give a different look and not bore our readers with the same thing every month.
In the early years the e-Train was a monthly publication and continued as such for almost two years. In the fall of 2004 we decided that we would publish quarterly as the monthly issues were getting too much for Bob and I. Bob always tried to solicit articles from members and many did respond but the bulk of each issue was Bob's writing and photography. That was a lot of work and I was always amazed at how Bob found the time to get it all done. I continued working with Bob for two more years and in the Fall of 2006 after 26 issues; I resigned as webmaster so someone in National could take over.
The e-Train concept was not only to publish timely articles on the train hobby but also to build an archive of information that would be available to the TCA membership. I think it has succeeded quite well. You can open up the E-Train and you can still go back and read the first issue of March 2002. The articles archive has continually grown and can be a very useful reference to the toy train hobbyist. Congratulations e-Train and its editor Bob Mintz on its 10 year anniversary.
Two Anniversaries on TCA's Track Forward
PART 1: "NOT EXACTLY"—6464 Picture vs. Production
1900-1942 PreWar Era (76)
1945-1969 PostWar Era (68)
1970-now Modern Era (100)
Combined Eras (74)
Hobby Shops (3)
Museums Past & Present (5)
Railroad Industry (2)
Operating & Layouts (96)
Past e*Train Issues (20)
Railfanning (52)
Restore & Repair & Photograph (18)
TCA Adventures (133)
Toy Train Paper & Auctions (48)
Have Train Stories to Share?
Write for e*Train!