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Pas De Rouge
The ancient soul of a new story.
The Brand. Made in Italy: one title for so many different stories. The key names and places may vary, but the true sense of the work remains unchanged: a great passion for quality. Pas de Rouge's Made in Italy is located in the footwear district of the Brenta, the waterway that connects the mainland to Venice. It is here where, over the centuries, master craftsmen have created shoes for Doges and Princesses, moulding an elegance that has taken shape right through to today. Here, together with Pas de Rouge, the Gritti shoe factory is writing the latest chapter of a story of style and, once again, of passion.
Soft Appeal. Fewer than 150 grams, 30 years of Italian manufacturing and a unique style 24 hours a day: all this in just one shoe. Pas de Rouge stems from an idea to renew the slip-lasting "a sacchetto" method, an all-Italian shoemaking technique with a feminine, fresh and contemporary design.
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Are you an England fanatic or can you take a backward step and laugh at the circus that surrounds the team? One of the first ever games I went to was England v Holland at Euro 96 and I cried when they went out to Germany in the semi-finals. I still get a bit of a lump in the throat if I watch the Argentina match from 1998, and when they were struggling to qualify for Euro 2000, I couldn't imagine the tournament without them. Cut to 2007 and I was genuinely delighted they weren't going to Euro 2008. In the last decade the team has become depressingly loathsome and I find it hard to back players who I can't stand or who play for teams I hate. It would be two-faced to boo Frank Lampard when he plays for Chelsea and to cheer him when he plays for England and I'd rather not see Ashley Cole attain any sort of happiness. I don't begrudge anyone who wants to support them but it's not for me. Sometimes I've actively supported the opposition, particularly during the last World Cup because they were so mind-numbingly dreadful. I can't be bothered now and would rather not jump on the bandwagon should a pig fly past my window and England win the World Cup. It's relaxing to watch the football without having to support anyone in particular, it can make you more objective and level-headed about what you see, although I don't think you can ever be truly neutral during any game. I usually support the team playing the best football and let's face it, England don't fall into that category.
So no England car flag on your motor then? Definitely not, although I do have an England mug, which is currently sitting on my desk with a load of pens in it that are emptier than John Terry's rhetoric on Sunday.
Silly old Fabio eh? Wear red, name the team a bit earlier and we win the World Cup. What was he thinking? When you put it like that it sounds so simple! And what does Fabio Capello know about football anyway? I am amused by the attempt to blame Capello for England's woes. He's a serial winner and our players have a proud record of under-achievement. This is the same group that missed out on Euro 2008 remember. It seems that people will use any old excuse to try and escape what is blindingly obvious: England don't have a very good team and never really have. Individually some of the players might be outstanding but football's a team game. I don't think anyone could argue that Italy had the best set of players at the last World Cup - or, indeed, that Germany ever do. But these teams have a plan. England either never do or they are incapable of carrying it out effectively. We focus too much on individuals rather than the whole, and look to scapegoat and deride players who aren't an instant fit. Capello doesn't have to prove himself to anyone, not that he cares either way.
I belong to Jimbo. Do you? Without a doubt. When I was younger I didn't have Sky and wasn't allowed to stay up to watch Match of the Day, so I would actually watch very little English football. That meant my football fix would come on Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons thanks to Football Italia. So I'm sure James will be delighted to hear that I've been a staunch admirer of his work since the grand old age of seven. What a pro.
What's it like working with people's champion Barry Glendenning? As Barry is the deputy editor of the site I work for, I don't think there's a good answer to this question! I was quite proud to win a fiver off him last week though, especially as he's The Guardian's betting 'expert' during the World Cup.
Previously on these pages, we've established he (Barry) is mates with Dara O Briain whereas John Ashdown and Barry Chuckle are virtually (chuckle) brothers. Which famous punters do you knock about with? Sadly I don't have anyone too famous on speed dial. I do know a chap who plays for Millwall who goes by the name of Scott Barron. He played in the play-off final recently - a left-footer filling in at right-back at Wembley. And on that pitch too! Damon Albarn goes to my gym and is responsible for the acquisition of a table-tennis table. I've never seen him in there though (minor detail - Ed.). But I have seen Jeremy Paxman there. That was an awkward little episode. I'd just arrived and he was getting dressed in the changing room. I sort of knew it was him but couldn't be sure so I was staring at him quite intently, only for him to clock on and throw me a dirty look. We're not best mates.
Talking of comedy moments, aren't you a West Ham fan? Indeed. I'd rather not talk about them now though. We've had a thoroughly depressing time of it on and off the pitch and it remains to be seen how things are going to turn out next season. In fact someone asked me the other day and I said it's too early to tell - we have to wait and see how we do in the transfer market this summer. At least no one's going to want Robert Green.
Are you an armchair fan or do you pitch up at the Boleyn Ground every now and then? I had a season ticket for seven years before going to university in Manchester. When I was up there I was also able to get to loads of away games, but the most I've ever been during a season was when we were in the Championship between 2003 and 2005. I barely missed a match then. It's tougher now. I've got a membership which means I can get tickets easily but work can get in the way. Plus I play football on Saturday afternoons, which makes it even more difficult. You might say I'm not missing much but there's nothing quite like going to a football match, even if they're regularly somewhere on the scale between atrocious and dismal.
How did you end up at The Guardian? The usual route. I did some work experience there after I graduated two years ago and I was fortunate enough to be offered shifts on the web's night team by Gregg Roughley, who was the co-night editor at the time and is now the sports desk's Official Scouser. You've probably heard Gregg more on the podcast recently and if you haven't you should. So I regularly work until the early hours, which is why people might often see me talking to myself on Twitter at 2am. That works fine for me though, I can cope with the nocturnal lifestyle. It means you can sample the many delights of Kings Cross when your shift ends at 3am.
Should people pay to read your online work? People should definitely pay to read my online work. It's a tricky subject - the web does seem to be the future but it has to be profitable. But in doing that, you have to ensure you don't lose your readers if you do set up paywalls. I'm not sure if The Times website will work that well, you have to have something that sets you apart. Currently why would you pay to read what's on their site when you can read something similar on The Guardian's for free? Charlie Brooker's said much the same thing too. I'm not cheerleading on behalf of The Guardian's content, just offering a realistic perspective. In terms of football coverage, Gabriele Marcotti is excellent, especially on European football, but then so are the likes of Sid Lowe, Paolo Bandini and Raphael Honigstein.
You seem to have embraced Twitter and unlike some, mentioning no names (Henry Winter) you reply to your followers. It's addictive though isn't it? It's remarkably addictive and my output has only increased since I purchased a Blackberry in March. I think that may have been the beginning of the end for me as a functioning socialite. You've got to reply to your followers haven't you? That's the whole point of it. If you don't you just make yourself look a bit snobbish. Replying can really boost a writer's reputation too - I've had some illuminating debates with Honigstein and Marcotti recently. Mark Segal wrote a piece in last month's WSC about journalists on Twitter and pointed to how it's given more exposure to very good writers who aren't as well known as the ones on, say, Sunday Supplement. And usually they're the ones who reply. There are some exceedingly intelligent people on there too, people who know their football inside out. For example I only found out about the sublime Zonal Marking website thanks to Twitter.
Any other sports take the Steinberg fancy? I'm quite obsessed with football and always have been, but I also love tennis. I want to find the person responsible for putting the World Cup and Wimbledon on at the same time. It's like people who schedule a wedding in August and end up missing the first day of the new season. That's why God invented July. I'm really into boxing too, particularly since I started putting the gloves on myself.
How much sport do you watch each week? Too much. When we're at work we have multiple screens so if there are matches on at the same time you can watch them side by side. One weekend I watched a German and Italian game at work on a Friday night, the early Premier League game at home on a Saturday lunchtime, I went to West Ham in the afternoon, then at work I watched the 5.15 game and followed it up with two Spanish games and the Serie A clash, before tuning in to Match of the Day, and polished it off on Sunday with two afternoon Premier League matches before going to work in the evening and watching two Spanish games. (And Match of the Day 2.) I could probably have found a way to fit in more. I think I'd get on well with Marcelo Bielsa.
It must be like 'living the dream' getting paid for watching sport? Despite the answer above, sometimes when you're being paid to watch sport, you're actually doing the opposite. If you're in on a busy night, then you'll actually end up so caught up with the work that you'll probably only catch bits of the game here and there. The same's true of the minute-by-minutes. You spend so much time looking at your keyboard, you can't focus 100% of your attention of the match. So when angry readers email to ask us if we're even watching, the answer is ... well, sort of.
Can you sum up the World Cup so far in a tweet of less than 140 characters? Forget the vuvuzelas, the Jabulani, the diving, the boring opening games and James Corden. It will all be worth it in the end #worldcup

subset: commoncrawl


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- Canadian Grand Prix
Second feels like a win - Alonso
- Race:
- Canadian Grand Prix
- Drivers:
- Fernando Alonso
- Teams:
- Ferrari
Fernando Alonso says second place in the Canadian Grand Prix feels like a victory after a tricky weekend.
While Sebastian Vettel was able to convert pole position in to victory and extend his championship lead, Alonso climbed through from sixth on the grid to finish second with a late overtake of Lewis Hamilton. Having to start further back on the grid and make a number of moves on track, Alonso said he got the best result he could realistically hope for.
"Yesterday obviously we didn't have a good qualifying; I didn't put a lap together and the conditions didn't help," Alonso said. "But we knew the pace of the car in dry conditions on Friday was good so we had some hopes. Obviously we are fighting with top drivers and I had a very good fight with Mark [Webber], with Nico [Rosberg] and with Lewis at the end.
"It's not easy even if you have a little bit more pace they are super talented ones and it was a difficult race. In the end I think this second place has a victory taste because we scored some good points after a very difficult weekend."
With Kimi Raikkonen only scoring two points, Alonso said Ferrari had done all it could from sixth place and would have to look at improving its qualifying pace.
"I'm happy. Obviously we want to finish in front of our main competitors in the championship. With Sebastian we couldn't do it today but he did pole position, he did a very dominant race so we just need to congratulate him and do a better job next time. With Kimi we managed to score many points and he didn't, but we need to improve, especially qualifying, if we start up in the front with Sebastian we can fight a little bit closer."


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Cheers for Kate on school visit
The Duchess of Cambridge brought fun to a playground on a visit to a primary school - and one excited little boy said he had "never seen a princess before".
Kate was at the Blessed Sacrament School in Islington, North London, to see the work of a project she launched to help families affected by addiction - a cause royal aides said is very important to her.
Her arrival attracted lots of onlookers keen to catch a glimpse of royalty while children sat cross-legged waving England flags and cheering.
Kate, wearing a coral dress by Goat, knelt down and chatted to the excited children, asking them about their favourite subjects and what they like most about school.
Five-year-old T'shai said he enjoyed it, adding: "Because I've never seen a princess before."
Nathan, also five, said he told Kate his favourite thing was "books", while Ezekiel, 4, said "lunchtime and playing".
Kate was joined by comedian John Bishop, with whom she launched the charity effort last year, and she spoke with people involved in a pilot programme for the school-based project M-PACT (Moving Parents and Children Together) Plus.
The initiative, funded by The Royal Foundation and Comic Relief, and delivered by charities Place2Be and Action on Addiction, of which the Duchess is a patron, aims to provide early support for schoolchildren affected by a parent's drug or alcohol misuse.
Bishop had the Duchess giggling at the end of the visit when he appealed to the press not to focus on what the "style icon" was wearing, where the clothes were from or what hairstyle was in place - but to focus on the project.
"Basically, don't make the story about me," he joked.
Speaking about his passion for the issue, Bishop said a lot of it is down to how "fleeting" childhood is, adding: "We haven't got the time to waste."
The comedian said he and Kate discussed parenthood. Not so long ago he had a little baby and now he has a "bloke with a beard" - again prompting laughter from the Duchess and small crowd gathered in the school dining hall.
Bishop said Kate is "genuinely committed" to the issue, and hailed the involvement of the Royal Foundation.
"What's good about it is that it will hopefully de-stigmatise the whole area.
"Addiction doesn't care what social class you're from. It's across the board. The levels of addiction in Knightsbridge will be as high, if not higher, than some of the most deprived areas in the country," he said.
"I think, from the brief conversations I've had with her, she's committed to it as a person and probably even more so now as a mother, because you realise children are such fragile things and you've got to try and support them when they're at their weakest."
Kate attended an M-PACT Plus steering group meeting to discuss progress made so far across the programme and specifically in the initial pilot sites: Manchester and Salford, the North East, London and Essex.
She then had a meeting with headteachers and a private meeting with children to hear more about the mental health support services offered at the school.
It is estimated that three million children in the UK are living with parental drug and alcohol misuse, according to Comic Relief.
This new partnership has seen Place2Be school staff trained by Action on Addiction to identify and support families affected by these issues.
A two-year programme is being piloted in four areas of England, with the aim of larger-scale delivery of the programme in schools in the future.
Kevin Cahill, chief executive of Comic Relief, said: "Children who are affected by parents with addiction are particularly vulnerable, so it's fantastic to be here today to meet the people working hard to ensure that they and their families are getting the support that they need in school."
Nick Booth, chief executive of The Royal Foundation, said: "By equipping teachers and school staff with the skills and confidence to address these issues with children and families, we aim to demonstrate the value and importance of intervening early, reducing the long term impact on children, and enabling them to fulfil their potential in life."
Nick Barton, chief executive of Action on Addiction, said: "Children of problem substance users are seven times more likely to develop problems themselves but can receive little support despite being so at risk. Our collaboration with Place2Be enables us to provide young people and families with the specialised support they need."
Catherine Roche, chief executive of Place Be, said: "When we, together with the school are able to intervene early we can support children and enable more parents to tackle these issues, the whole family benefits from improved health and wellbeing and an improved ability to cope and succeed in their lives."


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Quote:The real problem is that fraud is so rampant that there is just no way any more to tell. Some of the most well known "experts" in the U.S., (especially on forums) are frauds themselves. Even respecetd publications have been known to prop up fakes and discredit good people.
Quote:The best thing to do is just stay away from commercial schools in general. Look for someone that teaches out of thier home, a community center or other non-profit place. Never sign any kind of contract.
Quote:One of the best things that "legitimate" schools can do is do away with the ranking system. If there are no ranks, there's no way to sell ranks and then there's no way to be accused of selling rank. Which has been happening since the very start of it.
Quote:I'd just like to reiterate JAMJTX's position that it's good advice for commercial dojos, with the reminder that not every newbie is looking for a discipline for it's 'martial worth'. Face it...many people that are very happy with their arts are not concerned with the martial side/potential.
Quote:As for scratching a bit deeper, to find non-commercial training, I think it's a bit trickier to go about verifying the 'credentials'. I wouldn't suggest the 20 questions approach if applying to koryu, or private dojos. Research is good, and an openness to answering questions is always preferable...but the 'contract' is different...and different rules apply.
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Every year I am kept busy from early December right through until well into the New Year helping my clients to pursue money that is owed to them. If you are currently experiencing issues with debtors you may be in a very dangerous situation as many debtors simply close their doors at this time of year and disappear. This leaves Companies like yours short of money at the worst possible time of year.
If your business is located in the Sydney's CBD, Eastern or Southern Suburbs, or even throughout or outside of Australia, we can work with you in recovering your outstanding debts.
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Be proactive and act NOW before it becomes too late. Remember, the "early bird gets the worm"!
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You have successfully built your business in the Sydney or elsewhere in Australia. Don't let Bad Debts destroy everything that you have worked for!


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In this article, you will find:
- Standing your ground
- More than saying "No!"
- Over using the 'No' tactic
- Redirecting baby's attention
Redirecting baby's attention
Just Say "Yes!"
An infant, as noted earlier, is not capable of behaving a certain way just because it's "good" (or avoiding certain behaviors because they're "bad"). Infants behave according to the urges and interests of the immediate present. They cannot do otherwise.
Your baby will behave himself (in your eyes) only if he wants to behave the way you want him to behave. Of course, this doesn't mean that you should let your baby do anything he pleases. You still need to provide the guidelines of acceptable behavior, again and again if necessary.
When all else fails, try banishment. Despite hearing you say "No!", your baby may continue to live dangerously. Ignoring your attempts at distraction, he may remain obsessed with a particular forbidden behavior. If this is the case, put him in exile. Pick him up and physically remove him from the "scene of the crime."
If he persists in his efforts to go back and repeat the objectionable behavior, create a physical obstacle (perhaps a safety gate) that blocks him from returning. You may find him much more willing to accept the alternatives you offer once he's in a different room.
You cannot possibly get your infant to renounce bad behavior at this age, but you can get him to embrace good behavior. How? By tricking or enticing him into doing what you want him to do. With a little creative redirection, you can put a positive spin on negative prohibitions, turning a sharp "No!" into a resounding "Yes!"
Your baby has a very short attention span. If something's out of sight, it's out of his mind as well. So if you can distract him, you can probably steer your baby relatively easily away from unsafe or unacceptable behavior. Try to get your child interested in something else, something that's safe and non-destructive. He'll probably forget all about that unsafe thing he wanted to do within seconds.
Similarly, you can redirect your baby's energies from mischief or unsafe behavior toward a safer behavior that involves the same action. For instance, if your baby starts hitting you, offer him an alternative: something safe to hit. You might say, "Oh, you want to hit something now? Okay, these are for hitting." Then steer him toward drums or a tower of soft blocks to knock down. If he's biting, offer him a teether or a biscuit that he can bite on. If he wants to throw something valuable (and breakable), trade it for a ball or a beanbag. That way your child can hit or bite or throw as much as he wants, but in such a way that no one gets hurt.
Another positive way to steer your child toward good behavior is through babyproofing. By limiting your toddler's choices only to safe ones, babyproofing can steer him away from dangerous actions and toward safe behavior without his even knowing it. Thorough babyproofing takes care of two of the four aims of setting rules: keeping your baby safe and your property intact. If babyproofing takes care of these, you can focus your rules and your "Nos" on keeping others safe from your baby and on nurturing respect for the rights and feelings of others.


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Passionate. Dedicated. Driven. Accessible. Do these words fit your idea of a college professor? They do ours.
Muhlenberg professors are experts in their fields. They conduct cutting-edge research, publish books and papers, are quoted in the media, present at conferences, and win awards. But ask them what's most important and they most often say, "teaching."
In fact, our professors are the force behind our unmatched connectivity. They drive our rich and rewarding curriculum, which connects and combines classical liberal arts with outstanding pre-professional study. They support 40 majors (and nearly as many minors) in the humanities, fine arts, social sciences, and natural sciences, as well as preparation in areas such as pre-medicine and allied health, pre-law, business, education, and pre-theological studies.
Our professors demand much—but they give much in return. Knowledge. Support. Research opportunities. Performance collaboration. They encourage you to take chances, and challenge you to reach new heights. It's not always easy, but you will find that there's no better feeling than exceeding your own expectations.


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If you intend to release your game on a specific foreign platform, you'll wan't to test the game on a machine with that OS anyways to make sure everything works. And since the IDE runs on Linux, OSX and Windows you can even debug the game on that platform to find bugs.
Releasing a game for a platform without testing it is suicide, you will get torn apart in the reviews on steam if something doesn't work.


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Monday, April 22: Three Stocks to Watch
Paul Vigna details three stocks to watch on Monday, Caterpillar and Halliburton, which reported negative results on Monday. Photo: AP Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the the ... let's jump over to the U S markets yesterday stocks looking at the ... Floyd's the earnings week Caterpillar this morning to close in the global bellwether Intel mining equipment manufacturing ... earnings were down sharply have unexpected is the practice is gonna happen ... earnings are down sharply and cut their outlook for the year the stock is up a little tiny hit the cinemas from buying back stock which can be doing a sign that shareholders unite some hold onto but get ... another one another when you're looking at is Albert Halliburton ... Shaw earnings are down earnings were almost flat a lot of that is the header reserve charge related to the Deepwater Horizon ... litigation ... on the strip that out new earnings are actually better than expected and that stock is up and last we had an excellent or ... stock is up this morning ... the report after the bell right into the back eighteen cents a share so ... that's a big momentum stock


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Wednesday, November 23, 2011
The Pre-Visit Moment of Doubt
They are kind people who love my children and make few demands as guests. I will enjoy their visit, and I will be sorry to see them go. But right now, I am at the difficult part of a visit: the hours before they arrive. During this time, I want to get my house clean, even though I know I can't. There is too much. I tried to have more realistic goals this time: I would merely make sure that the stacks of things we are giving to Goodwill actually make it to Goodwill before they come.
Nope. The stacks are still there. The time of day that Goodwill accepts donations are times when I have my children with me, and I would rather give birth again than listen to them scream and cry or beg to help me or run outside the door and away as I carry box after box to the van. Goodwill errands with children are even worse than post office errands with children.
So I am anxious and feeling like a failure. Which I probably shouldn't, because I have actually accomplished a lot this month. This year I have been determined to simplify our lives in the house, and I have cleaned out all the upstairs closets (hence the Goodwill stacks). I want to have a home where an emergency does not send me into a housekeeping tailspin. I want to stop feeling like I am almost drowning.
So my bedroom is the cleanest it has been in years. The upstairs closets have some shelves that are BARE. Currently I am in the kitchen, where I have given the coffeemakers their semi-annual thorough scouring and put them in storage for the week (we will use the party 40-cup coffeemaker while family visits, and it is still spankin' clean from last time I put it away). The bar stools that always have piles of stuff on them are, in fact, clean. I am sitting on one right now.
But the children have already demolished the living room that was clean two days ago. And I look around and I wonder - where do other people put their junk? I walk into houses that don't have cannisters of pencils and rubber bands on the little shelf under the light switch. Where do they keep them? What do you do with the stacks of papers that you can't throw out but have no immediate use for?
I have worked harder at housekeeping in the last month than I ever have in my life, and you would never know it by looking around my house.
12 comments:
I have decided in my own head that I will not stress out about the state of my house until my youngest is in sixth grade. If all my kids are over the age of 12 and I STILL can't keep the house clean, then we know we've got a problem.ReplyDelete
Of course, that resolution goes right out the window when company's coming... *sigh* I know just how you feel.
Why can't you throw the papers out? Toss 'em, file 'em, or scan 'em.ReplyDelete
Ugh, I hate piles but they seem to breed!!
It sounds like a huge accomplishment to get stuff cleared out. Well done!! :) If you have stacks of boxes, sometimes charities will arrange a home collection for you. Might be worth ringing them up.ReplyDelete
- Linda B.11/23/2011
While it won't help you for this weekend, Goodwill does home pick ups. I don't know if they require a certain volume before they will pick up, but it is worth a call...ReplyDelete
- Anonymous11/24/2011
Another post I could have written. I'm beginning to get concerned that I am just a figment of your imagination.ReplyDelete
Ah, but Coralie, I am the one with a pseudonym, so it makes much more sense that I am a figment of yours.ReplyDelete
My house is a total sty all the time and I have no excuses beyond the simple fact that I am terrible at housekeeping. I have other glowing personality traits, but they all seem to dim in light of my sub-par cleaning skills. So. I understand.ReplyDelete
We've moved a lot. It's forced me to come to terms with The Stuff. A few years ago, when I knew we were moving from a house to a townhouse, essentially cutting our square footage by 65%, I made myself go through every drawer, every shelf, every box and ruthlessly get rid of things I don't use or like. That project took me six months, and that was only because I had a moving day deadline.ReplyDelete
I say: Cut yourself some slack. Keep plowing forward. You'll make progress, slowly at first, but then it will pick up speed.
And maybe keep that 40-cup coffee maker out for a while, because wow. That much caffeine could really add some zip.
Oh, laws. My own sainted mother (who is an excellent housekeeper, of course) is coming to help me with my new baby tomorrow. She will uncomplainingly set about restoring my house to the order that it should have been in the first place. I have been SO BUSY (and so TIRED) trying to get it clean before she comes so that my shame is less, but it still looks like I sit on the couch and read novels all day.ReplyDelete
Probably because in the normal course of things, I do.
I have a junk drawer that lives up to its name quite well. We put stuff in our laundry room sometimes when we are having guests just for an evening or whatever. I will forever lament my lack of motivation to get my house as ordered as it should/could be.ReplyDelete
Hello there. I check in here now and then (through friends, you know how it goes...) and feel the need to chime in tonight.ReplyDelete
1) My daughter still laments the demise of two cottonwood trees that the neighbors had removed when she was THREE. She is eight now and still remembers it. I don't think this is a bad thing. How wonderful to have loved a tree.
2) Can't wait to hear about this trip. I am intrigued and tempted to copy such an idea.
3) I love recreating magical things that were rare in my childhood. Even if it doesn't taste the same as a grown up.
4) I am glad you write. Under whichever name. But would like to read your published work, so just come on out and point us to amazon.com.
They put them in the dryer before company arrives, and get them out after. Or at least that's what happens at my friend's house. Me? I put them places and then forget about them for months, proving to myself that I truly didn't need them to start with. Only then the next time I throw them out really quickly I really DID need them...it's hard.ReplyDelete


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The New York Times approach to climate change
Behold the CrapWaffler, the writer that the New York Times thinks is a contribution to the climate change debate. It's what happens when you hire a climate denialist with the implied condition of employment that they can't completely lie about climate change, but merely smear uncertainty and misdirection about undertaking reasonable action (and Stephens still managed to get important things wrong).
The New York Times thinks it has added to the breadth of discussion on climate by getting as close to wrong as possible while not saying much of anything.
Issue w/ Stephens' article is absence of specifics that wd allow to verify the validity of its point #NotEvenWronghttps://t.co/KJcdbUHXwq— Climate Feedback (@ClimateFdbk) May 1, 2017
Stephens is shocked, shocked, that people would accuse him of "closet climate denialism". The term denier fit Stephens perfectly in 2015 when he wrote that temperatures would be about the same in 100 years, unless he was lying at the time about what he believed. It would be helpful if he now said his beliefs had changed, but all we get instead is crapwaffles.
I often read Razib Khan, an old-school Burkean conservative who also writes a lot about science. Several years back the NY Times hired him and then quickly dismissed him - he had unwisely associated with some simply vile racists, and guilt by association was enough to deem him unacceptable. I disagree, but to think Stephens, whose range is from wrong to crapwaffle, is better just tells you something about the Times. I recently subscribed to the Washington Post instead.
So skip Stephens, and read Razib to see what a thoughtful conservative would say.
P.S. And fellow bloggers, a reminder to add "no follow" whenever you link to Stephens. I'm pretty good about that when linking to denialists


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When you get to this stage in the current generation of game consoles questions start to be asked as to when Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, will look to introduce a successor. Last time that happened there was a bit of a shake-up with Microsoft releasing early, Nintendo taking a very different approach, and Sony embracing a new media format.
So what about the PlayStation 4, next Xbox (720?) and the Wii 2? According to Michael Pachter, the Wedbush Morgan analyst who regularly comments on the games industry, don't expect them any time soon. His current opinion is that:
We do not expect a "new" console in 2010 (other than the long-rumoured high definition Wii, which is likely to upgrade the Wii to current console technology) … We do not expect the 'next' generation to begin before 2013, if at all.
The reason for not expecting new hardware over the next 4-5 years is mainly down to the need to recoup investments made developing and producing this generation of hardware. Patcher therefore believes the hardware will be kept in order to continue to profit from game revenues without having to spend on developing new hardware again.
Matthew's Opinion
It's always hard to predict when the next generation of hardware is going to arrive, but I think there are a few things you can expect. Here's my guesses:
- Wii HD will arrive in the next 12-18 months
- Wii 2 will arrive around the same time as the next Microsoft or Sony hardware update
- Microsoft will bring out an Xbox 360 successor before the PS4 arrives
- All next-gen machines will have motion controllers as standard
What new hardware from Microsoft and Sony will consist of is the real unknown. In the past the updates have all been focused around improved performance and graphics, with the last generation also putting a bigger emphasis on online play. But there are so many new factors that need to be considered next time.
The big dilemma for Microsoft is whether to go digital-downloads only or not. If they want to include a drive then the only choice is going to be a Blu-ray drive, but then they are using Sony-developed tech. Will the market be ready for a digital-download only console in five years? I suspect yes.
I think Nintendo has the easiest job with Wii 2. Make the successor to MotionPlus standard in the controller, use hardware that is much closer to what the PS4 and next Xbox will have, and add a large hard drive to the machine while retaining the lower price point. They already have a huge user base for Wii so the Wii 2 should be an easy sell.
What are your predictions for the next generation of hardware?


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It's rare to find an automatic windless that combines both strength and beauty. Maxwell Marine's new RC10 Rope/Chain Windless does just that. Skillfully engineered, the sleek windless effortlessly retrieves and deploys up to 3/8" G40 HT short-link chain and 5/8-inch rope.
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Straightforward two-piece installation saves time and money. It is simple to retrofit without disassembly of the windless. The low-profile RC10 Rope/Chain Windless comes with a 1,000 or 1,200-watt motor and can be operated from helm station controls or an optional foredeck foot switches. A Max Grip capstan drum version is also available.
Featuring and exclusive 3-year limited warranty, the classy RC10 from Maxwell has a suggested retail price of $2,700. Contact Maxwell Marine Ltd. at 714-689-2904 or visit www.maxwellmarine.com.
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text: Rainfall, Windfall: Cloudy with a Chance of Profits August 1, 2013 03:50 AM Tweet © Gregory Horne TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By Ben Potter AgWeb Social Media and Innovation Editor Email email@example.com Is volatile weather becoming the norm? The past two growing seasons have certainly made a case for it. Last year brought a once-in-a-generation drought to much of the Midwest. The 2013 planting season brought a mix of cold, rainy weather that resulted in the latest planting season in 20 years and the wettest June in more than 50 years. While everyone's heard of the proverbial "million-dollar rain," most farmers don't think of the weather as an actual marketing tool. However, you can use Mother Nature as a blueprint to help devise a better set of marketing strategies. The best place to start is in your own backyard, says Frayne Olson, North Dakota State University crops economist. Just make sure that's not the only place you're looking. "One of the traps farmers get caught in is they will look out their back window and assume what's happening in their yard is happening to everybody else," he says. Understanding the relationship between cash and futures can help farmers lock in the best marketing tools, Olson says, and weather often plays a huge set-up role in that dichotomy. "Weather plays a huge set-up role in the dichotomy of cash and futures." For example, local weather influences local cash grain prices, but futures prices are more dependent on Midwest-wide weather and other national and global influences. Seek out anomalies for extra profit opportunities, Olson says. Last year's drought, for example, pushed prices higher as much of the Midwest was lined up for below-average yields. "But we were the outlier in the corn crop in North Dakota," he says. "We had above-average yields." In this example, the marketing tool of choice was a hedge-to-arrive contract, Olson says. He watched farmers flexing this option last fall take in an extra 60¢ per bushel as the cash/futures gap shrank from 80¢ to 20¢. Tracking local weather conditions is critical, Olson says, but it's equally important to understand what is happening elsewhere in the Corn Belt and across the globe. "We're really good at following local supply and demand," he says. "What's much harder to follow are those things outside of agriculture that still impact crop prices." The problem with weather forecasting is its ultimate impossibility, says Jim Hilker, agricultural economist at Michigan State University. Calculate Probability. "If it were not for weather, I would be pretty good at marketing," Hilker says. "That's why when I talk to farmers about prices, I like to talk about probability distributions." Knowing that the weather can take any farmer on a wild ride at any given time, Hilker likes marketing strategies such as the grain price options fence. "This allows you to lock in a slightly higher bottom and a slightly lower top," he says. Puts are relatively expensive pricing tools, but selling the call lowers the cost of the downside price protection without limiting the upside, Hilker explains. Revenue insurance is also important when forward pricing a lot of new crop. Even the best-laid marketing plans can hit the occasional road block, Hilker admits. Back to news


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Designer swimwear is going to be a big hit on a beach near you. So you want to look your best while Sipping Pretty. Wearing a bikini is flirty and fun but you still want to make sure the best bits are showing. Flaunt that body. Work hard to overcome those challenges that are preventing you from wearing a two piece this summer. Here are a few ways to look bootylicious in your luxury swimwear.
Get those squats going. You'd be surprised at how 50 squats a day can bring the booty to stay. You will get a more rounded, lifted bottom. Plus, squats are really great to getting that glute muscle that makes celebs look hot in bikinis. Designer swimwear looks even more sizzling with the butt workout in place. Get into the habit of doing these and your butt will thank you at the beach. Sophie Monk looks fabulous wearing her snake skin bikini with the perfectly toned bottoms and a great fit for that bathing suit.
Get a fitted bottom. The right bikini bottom should not be too loose on you. A saggy diaper look is not sexy. Get a great style and a fit for your body type and you're set. Don't be scared to experiment with fun cuts that are low rise, high rise, boy shorts…you an even mix and match to create a whole new look. Emily VanCamp chooses a fitted charmer as she vacations with her boyfriend in Monaco. Having that type of great fit makes you feel confident to walk around and strut your stuff. You don't have to let feat keep you sitting on that towel all day.
Wax it and groom it. The bikini line is best groomed and moisturized. You don't want to draw attention to stubble and razor burns! Ouch! The more tiny your luxury swimwear, the more the need to upkeep the groom.


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By Ben Harrow2012-05-29T08:00:00
Lighting company unveils first commercial product made of sugar waste
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How do we prepare for meditation?
John Main rediscovered meditation, the faithful repetition of a prayer phrase to lead us into the silence of 'pure' prayer. He found it to his utter joy in the writing of an early Christian monk from the 4th century CE, John Cassian, who had sat at the feet of many Christian hermits in the desert of Egypt in that time to learn about prayer and about leading an authentic Christian life.
Cassian stressed that this practice led to the silence of 'pure' prayer, contemplative prayer, without words and images. "The mind thus casts out and represses the rich and ample matter of all thoughts and restricts itself to the poverty of a single verse." He continued by stressing the importance of the mantra: "This mantra must always be in your heart. When you go to sleep let it be by saying this verse, till having been moulded by it you grow accustomed to repeat it even in your sleep."
The faithful repetition of a prayer phrase, just saying our word is, however, not as easy as it sounds. We need to prepare for this period; we can't expect to become fully focussed on our prayer without preparation. When John Main was asked, how we should prepare for meditation, he said "by many kind acts". We have to be in the right frame of mind; trying to meditate after a heated argument with someone is not really going to work, is it? Our ordinary life and our prayer life are not separate: "As you live, so you pray" was a very common saying amongst the early Christians.
In the world, in which we live, our lives tend to be busy and stressful. If we find that we are really very tired, it may well be advisable to have a short nap before we come to our meditation group. Doing a few Yoga stretching exercises, a Tai Chi movement or two will also help to get the energy flowing. Otherwise all we will be doing is 'holy dozing', and that is alright too, but often it is accompanied by the sweet sound of snoring! Snoring and other noises that occur during meditation, however, can actually be excellent practice in detaching ourselves from extraneous matters and gently coming back and focussing on our word. Noises on the whole do not really disturb us, as long as we do not get irritated by them. We just need to accept that that is the way it is. No judging, no criticizing.
The reason we sit with our backs straight and our shoulders back and relaxed, is that this position also helps us to stay awake: our chest is free and open, so that we can breathe well and oxygen can flow freely round our body keeping us alert. Relaxing and falling asleep – however much needed – is of course not really the point of meditation; the focussed attention needed for meditation is in fact a way to alertness and being energised. It may help to start our session with a few really deep breaths right into the abdomen, which both relax and energize us.
The essential task in meditation is 'to say your word'. That is our focus. The word John Main recommended is 'maranatha'. It is the oldest Christian prayer in Aramaic the language Jesus spoke. We say it as four equally stressed syllables – ma-ra-na-tha. It does not really matter, whether you say it with an English 'th' or with a 't' sound . The pronunciation is not that important. You just need to remember that in praying to Jesus, we pronounce His name differently in all the languages of our world, but it does not change the effectiveness of prayer. Moreover in Aramaic his friends and family would have called Him Yeshua.
What is important is that you say it with full attention, lovingly and faithfully. Whenever your thoughts have distracted you, just gently bring your mind back to the word. Some people find it helps them to let the word float on the breath, but if that causes distractions just focus on your word and say it at the speed that suits your being.


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In a multi-disciplinary Web application development team, the fulfillment of several roles need to occur, one of which is that of the page author. This role typically includes HTML or JavaServer Pages (JSP) editing, graphic design, and scripting. An experienced page author knows how to present information effectively while conforming to relevant standards. When it comes to defining data analyses and accessing the results, a programmer is usually required. Our design approach capitalizes on the best skills of each role, and brings the complex task of data analysis and results access within the scope of the page author, while leaving the details of the data access to the programmer.
Online analytical processing (OLAP) applications use a data model that provides an abstraction of the underlying data that separates the definition of the data access and aggregation mechanisms from the selection, presentation, and exploration of the data. Therefore, an OLAP-like model is particularly well-suited to separating the roles of programmer and page author. Full-scale OLAP engines offer a huge range of features for slicing, dicing, and aggregating data, but as with many complex systems, the majority of users only need a relatively small subset of these features.
We will discuss the most commonly used OLAP features and describe a simplified OLAP-like conceptual model. The use of the model will be the foundation for a set of custom JSP tags for page author use.
{mospagebreak title=Data analysis concepts}
Understanding data and being able to express it in an appropriate form is a key task. Many often overlook this task in the rush to get information to the user. By providing a means to focus on the important concepts and a tool set to exploit them, our design approach encourages an up-front analysis of data that pays dividends in the development cycle.
Data Sources
Early in the development cycle, and typically during the requirements gathering phase, you develop an understanding of the required data. The questions that need to be answered during this phase include:
- What are the user tasks to be supported, and what data is needed to perform those tasks?
- Where is the source data, and how closely does it match the required data?
- If there is a mismatch between the required data and the source data, how can the mismatch be remedied?
- If the source data is distributed over more than one location, how can it be joined?
- In what ways will the user need to aggregate, filter, and sequence the data?
- What metrics does the user need to view and manipulate?
Arriving at the correct answers to these questions requires user consultation, as well as the services of an expert in the data domain. The use of low-fidelity prototyping helps to clarify user thinking and hone in on the true requirements. This iterative phase will identify the shape and characteristics of the required data, and from this, the programmer will be able to define one or more data sources which will be made available to the page author. The lessons learned about the user tasks will be important to the page author, who can now focus on the user interface (UI) details secure in the knowledge that the building blocks necessary for accessing and presenting the data will be there.
{mospagebreak title=Dimensions and measures}
Not all data is suitable for analysis and presentation using an OLAP-like model. The data should be rectangular in nature; in other words, it should be representable using a row-and-column structure. A common way of obtaining such data could be by querying relational databases or by reading from spreadsheets or other file-based data.
The OLAP model for analysing data involves the aggregation of values classed as measures according to related values classed as dimensions. Dimensions group, filter, and order data. For example, sales figures might be analysed by sales region and month. The sales region and month will both be dimensions of the data. Measures, on the other hand, are the data that is being sliced and diced. It is sometimes also useful to order by measure values. In our sales example, we might have unit volume and revenue. Unit volume and revenue are both numeric, and inherently aggregatable. Each data source will be defined in terms of dimensions and measures.
Collaterals is the term we use for data. Their use is not for slicing and dicing data. This means they are not dimensions and are not aggregatable. An example of collateral data might be the free-form responses to survey questions or images.
Data resulting from an OLAP analysis returns in one or more slices, with each slice containing one or more rows of data. You can control the arrangement of slices by using slice dimensions. For example, if we request the dimensions Month, Sales Region, and Product, and we specify Sales Region and Product as the slice dimensions, then there will be one slice for each month with each slice containing a row for each combination of sales region and product within the month. The choice of slice dimensions depends on how the data is to be presented.
{mospagebreak title=Filtering and ordering}
When focusing on a subset of data, such as one particular sales region, filtering is required. You might achieve filtering by specifying data to be included or less commonly, data to be excluded. You need to identify the dimensions to be tested for the values.
It is often useful to present data in a certain sequence so the ability to specify the order in which slices and rows within each slice are returned is required. Alphabetic ordering uses the lexicographic sequence of values, while numeric ordering works by numeric comparison. Other custom orderings are also possible. Ordering might be in ascending or descending sequence.
The conceptual model for data
To enable the page author to express data requirements in the terms described above, a set of custom JSP tags can be provided. The programmer will need to implement a tag handler for each of the custom tags and create a tag library descriptor file, which defines the custom tags and associates each custom tag with its tag handler. When you contruct a Web page, you can embed the custom JSP tags, and identify the appropriate tag library descriptor along with a prefix used to distinguish this set of custom tags.
A well designed custom tag library closely reflects the conceptual model to the page author. Listing 1 shows a set of custom tags that present the OLAP-like data model described above. In this example, a data source is identified along with the dimensions and measures which are required for a particular analysis, and the slice dimensions, filters, and orderings which are to be applied.
Listing 1. A representative set of data definition tags
<%@ taglib uri="/WEB-INF/tlds/dd.tld" prefix="dd" %>

Sales Figures

Unit Sales

Sales Region

Unit Sales

Taglib directive, data, and data source tags
In Listing 1, the taglib directive establishes the scope of the data definition tags within the JSP with a prefix here of dd.
The data tag acts as a container for all the other data definition tags, which together define the required data and how the results are to be arranged. The id attribute provides a means of referencing the results, and we shall see how this is used in the Data presentation tags section.
The dataSource tag identifies the name of the data source of interest. The data source must contain all of the dimensions and measures referenced within this data tag.
{mospagebreak title=Dimension, measure, and slice dimension tags}
The dimensions tag acts as a container for the dimension tags that define the dimensions that are required in the results. In this example, the Year and Product dimensions are included in the results.
The same pattern is followed with the measures and measure tags: In this case, the Unit Sales and Revenue measures are included in the results.
The sliceDimensions tag acts as a container for the dimension tags that define the slice dimensions to be used as described above. In this case, the Product dimension is included as a slice dimension so there is a slice for each year, with each slice containing a row for each product.
Data conversion
Depending on the interpretation, data values can be strings or numbers. The data access tags should perform the correct conversion, and the page author should make sure that the format of the data values have been understood, and that the data has the appropriate filtering and ordering selected to achieve the required results.
Filtering and ordering tags
The filters tag acts as a container for all required filter tags. In this example, the includeFilter tag is acting on the Sales Region dimension. It includes only those rows whose sales region is North in the results.
The grouping of numericOrdering tags within an orderings tag follows the tag containment pattern, which by now, should be familiar. Note that the sequence in which ordering tags are specified is significant. In this case, result rows are sequenced first by year, and then by unit sales in descending order.
{mospagebreak title=Presenting data}
To present and explore the result data, the page author will require some further custom JSP tags. These custom tags will often be general purpose, and leave the page author in control of the layout and display attributes of the result values. In certain cases, specialised custom tags might provide a more sophisticated presentation of the entire result set.
Listing 2 shows some general purpose custom tags which can be used to iterate through the result values and extract individual values for presentation. In this case, the result values from the data definition shown in Listing 1 are formatted as a series of HTML tables, one for each year of sales results.
Listing 2. General purpose data presentation tags
<%@ taglib uri="/WEB-INF/tlds/dp.tld" prefix="dp" %>
<dp:forSlices id="slices" dataRef="sales">

Year	Product	Unit Sales	Revenue
<dp:forRows id="rows" sliceRef="slices">
<dp:valueFromColumn rowRef="rows">
<dp:valueFromColumn rowRef="rows">

<dp:valueFromColumn rowRef="rows">

Unit Sales

<dp:numberFormat style="currency" locale="server">
<dp:valueFromColumn rowRef="rows">
Slice and row iteration tags
In Listing 2, the taglib directive establishes the scope of the data presentation tags within the JSP with a prefix of dp.
The forSlices tag references a data tag by using the dataRef attribute to specify the id of the data tag. In this case, it references the data tag defined in Listing 1. The forSlices tag will evaluate its body for every slice in the result data. It, in turn, has an id attribute by which it might be referenced. In the example, an HTML table with borders switched on is defined for each slice. The page author, knowing the dimensions and measures to be presented, has included a row of suitable headers in each table. This is followed by a table row for each row of data within the slice.
The forRows tag references a forSlices tag using the sliceRef attribute. The forRows tag will evaluate its body for each row in the result data slice from the referenced forSlices tag. It, in turn, has an id attribute by which it might be referenced.
{mospagebreak title=Value formatting tags}
In the example, the page author has chosen specific presentation tags that he or she knows will suit the result values.
The write tag is used to evaluate data values in its body and include them in the page content.
The valueFromColumn tag references a forRows tag using the rowRef attribute, and extracts a value from a particular column in each row. It is configured with a single dimension or measure tag.
The numberFormat tag expects a numeric value within its body and formats this according to the specified style. The documentation for each data source needs to explain to the page author what type of values are found in each of the dimensions and measures. The set of custom tags for data presentation have to include a range of value formatting tags to meet the needs of the page author.
Table 1. Example output of generalised presentation tags
|Unit Sales
|Widget A
|Widget B
|Widget C
|Unit Sales
|Widget C
|Widget A
|Unit Sales
|Widget B
In Table 1, an example of the output generated by the tags in Listing 2 is shown. The table lists sales information covering three distinct years and three products for the sales region of interest. Note that the measures have been aggregated for each unique combination of year and product, resulting in six output rows which have been collected into three slices. The rows are in order of year first, and then by unit sales within year in descending order.
Specialised presentation tags
The generalised tags above will meet the many needs of the page author. However, inevitably specialised presentation requirements will need the development of bespoke function.
Listing 3 shows an example of a bespoke tag designed with specific knowledge of the data it is to work with.
Listing 3. A specialised presentation tag
<%@ taglib uri="/WEB-INF/tlds/dc.tld" prefix="dc" %>
<dc:satisfactionChart id="sattrend" width="100%" dataRef="satdata" aggregation="trend"
monthDimension="Month" yearDimension="Year"
sampleSizeMeasure="NSI Sample Size" lowSampleSizeMeasure="Low Sample Size"
nsiMeasure="NSI" satVSatMeasure="SatVSat">
<dc:title>Net Satisfaction Index (NSI) – Product Diagnostic Survey</dc:title>
In Listing 3, the satisfactionChart tag references a data tag using the dataRef attribute. The dimensions and measures that the satisfactionChart tag requires are named by attributes, which allows it to work with different data sources with different dimension and measure names, provided the data in those dimensions and measures conforms to its requirements. A chart title is provided using the nested title tag. An example of the output from the satisfactionChart tag is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Example output of a specialised presentation tag
Example output of a specialised presentation tag
Enabling dynamic data analysis
Flexibility in presenting information is half of the equation, but to be truly dynamic, the user has to be given the means to modify the information being presented.
The data-related tags illustrated in Listing 1 lend themselves to dynamic control in a structured, yet versatile way. The OLAP-like model provides a structure which ensures that any resulting query is well-formed and valid. Custom JSP tags, such as those illustrated earlier, provide a number of opportunities for dynamic substitution including:
- Selection of dimensions to be included in the analysis
- Selection of measures to be included in the analysis
- Provision of filtering values to be used to constrain the result data
- Selection of alternative ordering options for the result data
{mospagebreak title=Use of JavaBeans to provide dynamic values}
A common way to transfer information within and between JSPs is by using JavaBeans. Bean attribute values might be set using HTML form submission, or a variety of other means. Once set, those attribute values can be used to control aspects of the data-related tags.
Listing 4. Controlling filtering using a JavaBean
<%@ taglib uri="/WEB-INF/tlds/dd.tld" prefix="dd" %>
<jsp:useBean class="package.beanClass" id="salesChoices" scope="page"/%>

Sales Region

><jsp:getProperty name="salesChoices" property="region"/>
In Listing 4, a JavaBean is given an id of salesChoices and given page scope. This bean might support a number of properties that have been set by various means, but in this case, we assume that the region attribute has been set by user input using an HTML form control. The includeFilter tag filters on the sales region dimension, and the value to be included is taken from the region attribute of our salesChoices bean.
Populating form fields with dynamic values
To make the example shown in Listing 4, the page author will need to construct a page where the user can select the region from a list of current regions. The page author might choose to hard code a set of known sales region values. This is an acceptable strategy if the set of valid sales regions is fixed. However, if the list of current regions is volatile, or the list of regions that will be returned in the data varies according to other selections, the page author will wish to present the user with region choices that reflect the current state.
To meet this requirement, provide custom JSP tags can that produce HTML form controls populated with the appropriate values. You can obtain these values from the data source by leveraging the existing data definition.
{mospagebreak title=Reporting common errors}
When filtering is applied to data, it is not uncommon to find that no rows of data match the filtering criteria. The page author might wish to deal with this and other exceptional occurrences gracefully. An ifDataState tag can be used to allow various common conditions to be anticipated, detected, and reported in a structured way. Listing 5 illustrates the use of ifDataState tags in a common pattern used to protect against empty result sets and access violations.
Listing 5. A common error-handling pattern

You are not authorised to access this sales data.

Your selections have returned no data.

<%– All seems OK, let's use the data here –%>
The example in Listing 5 assumes that identification, authentication, and authorization mechanisms are in place to match the user with access rights for the associated data. The details of such a scheme are beyond the scope of this article. What is important is that the problem has been encapsulated by the custom tag, and that the page author does not have to worry about the nasty details.
In this example, two cardinalities of result rows are then tested. Each cardinality test can only be satisfied if the authorisation test is met and data is successfully fetched. The first cardinality test recognises the empty result set situation. The next performs the data presentation if at least one result row is available. Other cardinalities might be tested for, but these are the most common.
Implementation notes
The JSP specification provides services which enable cooperating sets of custom JSP tags, such as those described here, to be developed and deployed successfully. This article is not intended to be a detailed survey of JSP custom tag development, but this section does address some of the principle issues in the implementation of sets of custom JSP tags of the type we have discussed here. It also provides pointers to appropriate parts of the API and the associated documentation.
{mospagebreak title=Tag containment}
To associate the contained tags with some particular purpose or context, it is often useful to provide custom tags that act as containers for other types of custom tag. Examples in Listing 1 include the dimensions tag, the sliceDimensions tag, and the includeFilter tag. All three of these tags can contain dimension tags, and in each case, the contained tags specify the dimensions which are to be applied in a particular way when fetching the data. Listing 6 shows the dimensions tag again for reference.
Listing 6. The dimensions tag from Listing 1
<%@ taglib uri="/WEB-INF/tlds/dd.tld" prefix="dd" %>

Sales Figures

and so forth..
The dimension tag will implement the JSP BodyTag interface, as it needs to work with the text contents of the tag (which is the dimension name). The most straightforward implementation is to extend the BodyTagSupport class, and override the doEndTag method to extract the body text. However, it is not the dimension tag itself that needs to know the dimension name. It is actually the containing tag (the dimensions tag in this example) that knows what to do with it. So, a system is needed for passing the dimension name to whatever containing tag can handle it.
The JSP findAncestorWithClass static method is very helpful for locating a suitable containing tag. Notice that this method does not only look at the immediate containing tag (which is known as the parent tag), but continues to look at parent tags all the way out until it either finds one that is suitable or runs out of tags to look at. This is important because the example here has the dimensions tag as an immediate parent of the dimension tags that are within it. Many reasons exist why other tags might come in-between. For example, the page author might use some suitable conditional inclusion tags to selectively activate certain combinations of the contained tags, and the findAncestorWithClass method will step past any such intervening tags and find the required containing tag if it exists.
Of course, quite a variety of tags might want to contain dimension tags. To enable the dimension tag handler to find the right container, a Java interface is created. Listing 7 shows a suitable interface. Any custom tag that is designed to contain dimension tags needs to implement this interface, as well as the JSP Tag interface. Listing 8 shows a typical implementation of the doEndTag method for the dimension tag itself.
Listing 7. An interface for containers of dimension tags to implement
public interface DimensionTagContainer
* Supply the name of a dimension from a contained dimension tag.
* @param dimensionName The name of the contained dimension.
* @throws JspTagException If this tag cannot accept the contained dimension.
void addDimensionName(String dimensionName)
throws JspTagException;
Listing 8. Implementing the dimension tag handler
public class DimensionTag extends javax.servlet.jsp.tagext.BodyTagSupport
* Give the body content as a dimension name to the containing tag.
public int doEndTag()
throws JspException
final DimensionTagContainer container =
(DimensionTagContainer)TagSupport.findAncestorWithClass(this, DimensionTagContainer.class);
return EVAL_PAGE;
You can use this same strategy repeatedly at each level of containment. The data tag needs to contain several types of custom tags, including the dimensions tag we have been discussing. By implementing a suitable interface, the data tag can ensure that it will be found by the dimensions tag handler, which can then report to it the complete set of dimension names to be fetched. The dimensions tag will be told each of these names by the dimension tags it contains, and it will store these in a suitable list until its own doEndTag method is called.
{mospagebreak title=Custom tags: lightweight, cheap, replaceable}
One benefit of using suitable interfaces to enable contained tags to find their appropriate containers is that it avoids having tag handlers explicitly looking for other classes of tag handler. This ensures a greater flexibility of design. Custom tags are the interface between the function that the programmer is providing and the page author who will use that function. So, the custom tag sets should be adapted to the needs of the page author and not encapsulate too much of the implementation detail that lies behind them.
Ideally, a custom tag handler is:
- Lightweight: inexpensive to instantiate and destroy, maintaining low overhead in terms of memory and other resources.
- Cheap to develop: most of the effort of the development team can be focused on ensuring the back-end function works smoothly.
- Easy to replace: as the needs of the page authors change, the design of the custom tag set might change, and this should be quick and easy to do as the tag handlers do not embody the back-end function but only provide access to it.
Referencing tags
Several custom tags have been shown which must reference the data tag, which has been configured with all the details of the data to be fetched. These tags then have to get the data and work with it in various ways. Note that it is not the data tag handler itself which does the data fetching: following the principles just outlined, the data tag handler simply acts as an interface to the appropriate data fetching function produced by the programmer or sourced from a third party.
Scripting variables
As well as allowing other tag handlers to access stored values by using the findAttribute method, a tag can also make stored values available to Java code embedded directly into the JSP (sometimes fragments of Java code included in a JSP in this way are called scriptlets). This requires the use of a TagExtraInfo class, which supplements the tag handler and can be used to specify extra validations and also to create scripting variables. When this is done, the id value becomes the name of the Java variable which can be used to refer to the object from within Java code in the JSP.
Suppose, for example, that a back-end class called DataProvider can be suitably configured and then used to fetch the required data. The data tag handler creates and configures an instance of DataProvider using all the details specified in the contained tags. It then needs to make that instance of DataProvider available to other tags which might need it. This is accomplished by setting an id attribute on the data tag, and then using this id as a key to save the instance of DataProvider into a suitable store.
The setAttribute and findAttribute methods provide the means to save values into a suitable store and then retrieve them later. The setAttribute method can be given the value of the id attribute as the key value, the instance of DataProvider as the value to save, and the scope (request scope, page scope, session scope, or application scope) in which the value is to be saved. For most purposes, page scope is appropriate. If necessary, a scope attribute could also be included on the data tag to specify which scope the instance of DataProvider should be saved in.
Custom tags, such as the forSlices tag (see Listing 2) and the satisfactionChart tag (see Listing 3), have a dataRef attribute which allows the id of a data tag to be supplied. When the tag handler needs to obtain data, it can use the findAttribute method, supplying the dataRef attribute value as the key to search for. This method will attempt to locate a stored value in request scope, page scope, session scope, and finally in application scope with a return value. The tag handler now has access to the instance of DataProvider, which it can use to fetch data and work with it as appropriate.
{mospagebreak title=Benefits of this design approach}
The design approach described in this article uses a set of custom JSP tags to implement an OLAP-like data model, which provides an architected interface between the data access and presentation parts of a Web application. The sections that follow describe the benefits.
Separation of data access from presentation
It is widely recognised that an architectural separation between data model and presentation is desirable within all but trivial Web applications. For instance, the Model-View-Controller paradigm is one widely used approach to achieve this, and the architecture described in this article is compatible with such approaches.
As well as providing a well-defined interface to separate the implementation of data access from that of presentation, the actual tasks of creating such implementations are also separated. Once the initial work of defining the data sources (in terms of dimensions, measures, and so forth) is complete, then the tasks of implementing them and any pages that depend on them can be done in parallel and by different individuals.
Separation of the roles of page author and data access programmer
The OLAP-like data model is inherently simple, but retains a high degree of flexibility. It neatly surfaces the key concepts most commonly required to control the analysis and delivery of data for presentation, while insulating the page author from almost all of the details of how it is achieved. When combined with the separation of data access from presentation, this means that not only can the tasks of page authoring and data access programming be done by different people, but that those people do not need to have the same skills. Indeed, specialists can now be employed to undertake each task, with their efforts focused towards providing and using the data sources that are the central feature of the data model.
The OLAP-like data model, in conjunction with a well-implemented data source, provides the page author with little likelihood of inadvertently configuring an incorrect analysis of the data. This is in stark contrast to technologies such as SQL, where a simple typographical error or misunderstanding of the database schema can lead to very significant and sometimes subtle errors.
From the perspective of the data access programmer, the OLAP-like data model provides a lot of flexibility for implementation. It is conceptually simple and requires only the ability to filter and aggregate data to support it. This leaves a considerable design space for the data access programmer to exploit any capabilities of the underlying data source (such as converting requests into appropriate queries against a relational database, for instance).
Dynamically configurable
The illustrated tag library is particularly suited to dynamic configuration as a result of form submission. The individual component tags that are used to configure a data tag, such as filter tags and ordering tags, can be readily integrated with conditional logic tags and input from form fields. This enables the page author to create pages that permit the user to control some parameters of an analysis (such as selecting a sales region to filter the results to, or selecting whether to aggregate by months or quarters, and so forth).
Reusable data sources
A well-thought-out data source can be used to supply data for a variety of pages. It is not necessary to use every dimension and measure whenever a data source is used — just the subset required for the particular purpose. So, data sources can often be defined that offer a common superset of the dimensions and measures needed for several different analyses/pages.
Encourages good design
The fact that the design approach is centered around the definition of the required data means that this critical aspect of the design must be approached early on and in considerable detail. Neither the implementation of the pages nor the data sources can begin before the definition of the data source in terms of dimensions and measures is done. Furthermore, considering the data to be used in the relatively abstract terms of dimensions and measures encourages good conceptual design independent of the physical details of how the data will be displayed or accessed. In short, this approach encourages design before implementation, as well as conceptual design before physical design.
These data definition and data presentation tag libraries conform to the J2EE 1.2 standard, making them compatible with a wide range of Web application servers.
The custom JSP tags that are used to implement the interface between page author and programmer are readily understood by integrated development environments and other tooling, thus improving productivity.
{mospagebreak title=In conclusion}
The design approach of combining a simple but flexible OLAP-like data model with a custom JSP tag library implementation provides an architecture with many benefits which is well-suited for Web applications that need to support dynamic analysis of data. A particular strength of the approach is that it not only provides a good structural basis for implementation but also encourages good up-front design. Finally, it can be readily replicated and adapted to a variety of situations because it is based on standard J2EE technologies.
* To understand why data is important to page authors, read Designing Easy-to-use Web Sites by Vanessa Donnelly.
* Get a broad view of the OLAP world from The OLAP Report (http://www.olapreport.com/)
* Read "Learn from your customers for usable Web apps" (developerWorks, June 2003) to design an effective business site.
* For more information on the misconceptions about information architecture, read "Information architecture concepts" (developerWorks, July 2002). The article also addresses the role an information architect plays in Web site development.
* Browse through "JSP best practices: Combine JavaBeans components and JSP technology" (developerWorks, May 2003) to learn more about dynamic site design.
* In "JSP taglibs: Better usability by design" (developerWorks, December 2001) discover how declarative tags improve the usability of JSP pages.
* Find articles about every aspect of building for the World Wide Web in the developerWorks Web Architecture zone .
* Visit the Developer Bookstore (http://devworks.krcinfo.com/).for a comprehensive listing of technical books, including hundreds of Web development titles.
* Develop and test your Web applications using the latest IBM® tools and middleware with a developerWorks Subscription: You get IBM software from WebSphere®, DB2®, Lotus®, Rational®, and Tivoli®, and a license to use the software for 12 months, all for less money than you might think.
About the authors
Simon Moore joined IBM in 1986 as a software developer, working on the Personal AS product at the Application System International Centre in Warwick, England. During the next eight years, he worked on the development of various pieces of business intelligence related software and specialized in UI development. In 1994, one of these products moved to the Santa Teresa laboratory in California, and Simon went with it on a three-year assignment. During this time, he worked on the development of various products related to the IBM DB2 relational database, including Visualizer, Intelligent Decision Server, and DB2 OLAP server. In 1998, Simon returned to the United Kingdom, and he now works in the Ease of Use department.
Dave Clark first worked for IBM as a pre-university employee in 1988, and returned on several occasions for vacation employment before joining the company permanently in 1992 as a software developer specialising in UI technologies and design, working on the Visualizer product range at the Warwick Software Development Laboratory in the United Kingdom. Since 1995, he has worked in the Ease of Use department supporting the mission of Vice President, Tony Temple. Dave has worked with Java since its inception, and on Web technologies for several years. He has also developed Web applications for Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) deployed on IBM WebSphere Application Server both within IBM internally and on the Internet.
Photo of Andy SmithAndy Smith joined IBM in 1977 as an operator working with the Call 360 timeshare service. After five years as an operator, systems programmer, and product support analyst, he moved to Warwick, England to join the Application System International Centre. This centre was responsible for the development and support of Application System, a mainframe business intelligence product. Andy worked on a complementary PC product called Personal AS, later renamed to Visualizer. Specifically, he worked on business graphics before becoming one of the overall product architects. When this function was moved to Santa Teresa Lab in 1994, Andy remained in Warwick in what has evolved into the Ease of Use department. He has produced several software components that have been incorporated into IBM products or made available via alphaWorks. His recent work includes an internal project that presents disparate data using a Web application, allowing users to dynamically configure the analyses. This article is informed by that project.


text:
Concert. Romeo and Juliet are the world's most famous lovers. With falling in love is so closely connected with spring and summer and to bring the season to a close, the Göteborg Opera would like to offer a true abundance of love's beauty and madness.
A musical lovestory by BJÖRN DOBBELAERE
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The story of the young lovers is brought to the main stage by singers, dancers, the Göteborg Opera Choir and the Göteborg Opera Orchestra. The story is told by the actor Per Myrberg.