In the January, 2006 issue of Intellectual Property Today, attorneys Thomas J. Van Gilder and Carl A. Kukkonen cited to a document on the webpage of the United States Patent and Trademark Office [USPTO] for the proposition that “patent filings have grown from 353,394 to 406,302, an increase of nearly 15%, from FY 2002 to FY 2005.” In footnote 3 of their article, they carefully provided the page number of the document and the link to the document: See USPTO 2005 Annual Report at 61, http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/annual/2005/2005annualreport.pdf.
The interesting, and troubling, aspect about this is that one will not find in the cited document at the given link the number “406,302”.

The number 406,302 did not arise out of thin air. Intellectual Property Today had mentioned the number in its December 2005 issue: The agency received 406,302 patent applications, and
323,501 applications for trademark registration as reported in its fiscal year 2005 Performance and Accountability Report released in November. The magazine eWeek had mentioned the number on January 16, 2006: Last year, the USPTO granted 165,485 patents, up from 99,000 in 1990. According to the patent office, a record 406,302 new applications were filed
last year alone. On January 25, 2006, Bruce V. Bigelow of the San Diego Union-Tribune used it: In November, the patent office said it issued 165,485 patents in the fiscal year that ended in September — and had received 406,302 patent applications, along with 323,501 applications for trademark registration. Andy Holloway of Canadian Business used the … Continue Reading ...

Being good in doing something doesn’t just fall on you knowing the practical aspect which is key for most sports, but you need to know some theory like knowing terms that are related to that sport. This not only gives you that feeling of a professional player, but also helps you in understanding the rules of the game. As well as knowing your Table and Paddle, you should know these.

Anti-topspin – a rubber type that deactivates spin and speed, returning a “dead” ball

Backhand – a stroke done directly in front of the body, with the racket turned so that the back of the hand faces the opponent

Backspin – a type of spin where, if struck with a normal racket position, the ball would not make it over the net

Block – a defensive shot done mostly against loops and smashes, where the racket is in a closed position to keep the ball on the table

Chop – a defensive shot that carries a tremendous amount of backspin

Closed – a racket angle that allows the top of the ball to be struck

Dead ball – a ball returned without any spin. Very difficult to execute, read, and return

Doubles – a format in table tennis where two people play on each side and must alternate turns at striking the ball

Drive – an offensive shot used mostly as a setup or in rallies, where the racket is in a normal position and the ball is struck at … Continue Reading ...

For ages, gemstones have been used medicinally. Jade was thought to protect the kidneys, liver, spleen, and heart; beryl to cure eye injuries, and carnelian to purify the blood and relieve menstrual cramps. Yet the properties assigned to gems in the past tended to be general and ambiguous. No more. Today, gemstone therapy has evolved into an art and science, and a sophisticated energy medicine modality.

Gemstone therapy is based on gemstones in spherical form. The primary advantage of spheres over crystals is a sphere’s ability to radiate its energies in all directions. The body’s energy field is able to moderate how much of this energy it wants and can direct the energy where needed. This is impossible with a crystal, which points its energies in only one direction. Furthermore, when a sphere is cut from a crystal, it captures the finest essence of that crystal, leaving the dross behind.

Gemstone therapy began in 1987 when Isabelle Morton researched the missions and essential effects of gemstone spheres by intuitively communicating with the devas, or guardians, of individual healing stones. Back then, gemstone therapy was limited to wearing therapeutic-quality gemstone sphere necklaces to support physical and life issues, plus concerns that involve emotions, memory, and mind. A few techniques for placing necklaces on the body over ailing organs were also taught.

Today, many new applications for therapeutic gemstone necklaces are available, including special techniques for applying them in the aura. Gemstone therapy has also expanded into two more branches: single sphere … Continue Reading ...

From its invention in the early 90’s gin rummy became one of the most played and well liked card games of all time. Playing gin rummy with family and friends turned to be a time for everyone to bond. It’s a little wonder why at these days, our favorite card games stepped a notch higher with internet ads such as Play Gin Rummy Online Free and the likes. Gin rummy can now be enjoyed and played not just with your family members and friends but with online gamers and virtual pals as well.

There are a lot of sites that cater the need of internet users to play games such as gin rummy. To play gin rummy online free and quickly, you only need to search for a good site that doesn’t do any unauthorized solicitations from gamers and a site that will not bring virus to your computer. In general, there are two ways on how a gamer can play gin rummy online free and without hassle; one is through finding online free card game sites and the other one is by downloading trial games from online sites.

The basic rules of the games don’t change even if you play gin rummy online free in the internet. You and your virtual opponent will still use the standard deck of cards. You still need to complete sets or runs to reached gin. The knock option is still available and the drawing and discarding are still the basic elements observed in … Continue Reading ...

Tortoises are one of the most easily found reptiles that can inspire curiosity and fascination in reptile keepers young and old alike. Whether it’s their slow yet determined nature or their built in defense/house that they carry on their backs, tortoises find their way into our homes and hearts. We are going to take a look at the top five tortoises for sale on the market today and some of the reasons why they are there.

The African Spurred Tortoise

African Spurred tortoises also known as sulcate tortoises are one of the most commonly kept pet tortoises. They are one of the mid to large sized tortoise that are easy to keep and rather inexpensive to purchase. Adult males will get to a very impressive size of fifty to eighty pounds and for keepers that have access to an enclosed parcel of land, they can be a very impressive pet to have. They are grassland tortoises so a diet of hay and vegetation along with a mixture of prepared tortoise food will keep them happy and healthy for years.

The Red footed Tortoise

Red foots are one of the most exotic looking mid sizes land tortoises due their name sake red scaled legs and head as well as a nicely colored shell that is normally black and yellow. They are also one of the less expensive tortoises on the market which along with their looks makes them a highly sought after reptile pet. They originate from the northers parts of … Continue Reading ...

There are courses on the Internet that you can download immediately so that you can start to learn how to play piano today. You can get these lessons at a really great price, and yes, they really do teach you how to play the piano. You may be thinking that you need to get private instructions at a music school to really learn how to play, but this is not true. Many people have used these lessons online, and some of them have become experts or professionals. You can use this form of teaching to get amazing results and start playing the piano today.

It really isn’t that hard to play the piano. Once you understand a few basic things such as where some notes are and how to read them on the page you can start playing a very simple song right away. It is encouraging to play a simple song for the first time, and you will feel so proud to be able to play it. You may even find yourself playing it different ways to experience the thrill of playing your first song over and over.

You are probably one of the many that does not have a lot of time on their hands to devote to learning the piano and practicing it. The courses available online understand that most people have limited time, so they have put together very simple instructions that you can follow when you can find the time. These lessons need to be … Continue Reading ...