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This article describes an implementation of lightweight views - visual objects that behave like Windows Forms controls but are windowless. Such objects simplify some tasks user interface design tasks and conserve system resources.
In about 1990 I was working at the Computer Centre of Russian Academy of Science. At the time a colleague of mine was developing a kind of an interactive quiz application. He was working on a pretty descent computer of the time, an Intel 80386-based PC with 8 megabytes of memory running Windows 3.1 in Extended Mode and used an excellent developer's environment Borland C++ 3.1. His first attempt with the quiz UI was a scrollable window that contained a 12x12 matrix of panels. Each panel contained a question (a static text control) and 3 radio buttons with possible answers. The UI was build on top of the Object Windows Library and stylish Borland Windows Custom Controls (BWCC). The program worked, but was making the computer to crawl slowly.
The explanation of this fact was simple. Each panel with a question consumed at least 5 window handles: itself, a static box with the question and three radio buttons. Thus the whole UI consumed at least 1 + 12*12*5 = 721 window handles and the good old Windows 3.1 couldn't bear it.
The developer solved the problem, of course. He turned the matrix into a kind of a wizard. But I remembered well the whole awkward situation.
Recently I faced it again. In a project I needed something that was suspiciously familiar - a grid of panels with controls. The difference is that the number of panels would be smaller and the number of controls on a panel would be significantly bigger. Consuming hundreds of window handless seems to me unwise even if you are running a modern NT-bases operating system.
Obviously, I am not the only person who faces such a problem. Microsoft developers themselves recommend to keep number of controls on a form at minimum. It is recommended to draw text messages, icons and images manually. Sometimes it is easy to perform custom drawing but usually it involves a lot of calculations to lay out manually drawn text and pictures properly. There is, however, a bit simpler solution - use of windowless user interface elements.
I can think of two implementation of such controls right away. The first one is from Borland's class library for Delphi named VCL. It's developers introduce a class named the TControl that is essentially a windowless control and derive from it the class TWinControl, a control with a handle and a window function. Most of layout and mouse logic goes to the TControl, everything related to Win32 API goes to the TWinControl and it's descendants. For instance, the VCL has two classes for text labels - a windowless TLabel and windowed TStaticText. In most cases you can replace the latter with the former thus reducing the number of windows consumed by your application.
The second implementation is a bit more exotic. In the Be Operating System the designers split the UI elements to windows and views. A window is a heavyweight, kernel mode object that represents an almost rectangular area on the screen. The BWindow class (a side note: BeOS is written in C++ and most system services are implemented as C++ classes) is a proxy for this object. A view in BeOS is a lightweight object that resides in the application space. The BView class, the root of BeOS' controls or widgets hierarchy, is a rectangular area inside a window that can draw itself and respond on incoming events. BWindow supports a list of BView objects, delegates the drawing of it's interior to them, maintains the input focus, passes keyboard and mouse events to the views and lays them out properly when the window changes it's dimensions.
Because in Windows Forms class library the Control class is derived right from the Component class and all logic related to input events and layout is in the Control class it is impossible to implement windowless controls VCL way. So I decided to go BeOS way. There going to be an ordinary control that would host the views.
The goals to achieve:
The lightweight views can be used in particular to create following custom controls:
Note that in the listings I omit the comments and also most of the implementation code. If you want to see them just download the source code.
A view in this implementation is a rectangular area (or a non-rectangular area that can be inscribed into a rectangle) in the host control that can draw itself and react on some mouse events. I declared an interface with all the properties and callback methods. The interface is called, obviously, IView.
public interface IView { IControlService Parent { get; set; } int X { get; set; } int Y { get; set; } int Width { get; set; } int Height { get; set; } bool Enabled { get; set; } bool Visible { get; set; } void Invalidate(int x, int y, int width, int height); void Draw(Graphics graphics); void OnMouseDown(int posX, int posY, MouseButtons buttons); void OnMouseUp(int posX, int posY, MouseButtons buttons); void OnMouseEnter(int posX, int posY); void OnMouseLeave(int posX, int posY); void OnMouseHover(int posX, int posY); bool HitTest(int posX, int posY); }
NB: The declaration of the interface has been changed since the last article review.
This interface provides bare minimum of methods and properties, required for the views to position and draw themselves in the host window. The Parent property provides for the view itself an object that implements IControlService interface. This interface gives the view the ability to invalidate itself and provides access to the parent windowed control. I give more details on this interface below.
Although a view is enclosed into a rectangle, you may create non-rectangular views. For such a view you have to provide a specific implementation of the HitText method. It returns true if a coordinates provided are inside the view's boundaries and false if they are not.
While developing this set of classes I came up with an interesting, in my opinion, solution related to caching GDI+ objects.
System.Drawing namespace provides a whole lot of pre-build objects like various pens and solid brushes. However, if you need more complex objects as linear gradient brushes, you have to create those relatively heavyweight objects. You usually dispose of them right after use or keep for the application lifetime. The DrawHelper class provides a compromise by caching the graphics objects and releasing the resources at the application's idle time. When you need a new GDI+ object the instance of the DrawHelper creates it for you, when you ask again for an object with the same parameters, the DrawHelper first looks up the cache and returns the already created object. It is especially useful for the lightweight views because the container would keep many similar views that draw themselves in similar ways.
However, this class has a drawback. I keep graphics objects in hash tables and keys to them are integers calculated from the parameter's hash values. While it works for simple pens and brushes, there might be a problem with TextureBrush objects. A TextureBrush is based on an image. But both the Image class descendants use the default implementation of the GetHashCode method. It means that two identical Image objects (the same image loaded from file or resource twice or an image and it's cloned copy) would have two different hash codes. Thus the DrawHelper will create and keep two identical TextureBrush objects. On the other hand, calculating a hash code by scanning the image would be too expensive. Just keep this in mind.
public sealed class DrawHelper { public static DrawHelper Instance { get { . . . } } public Pen CreateColorPen(Color color, float width) { . . . } public Pen CreateColorPen(Color color) { . . . } public Pen CreateBrushPen(Brush brush, float width) { . . . } public Pen CreateBrushPen(Brush brush) { . . . } public SolidBrush CreateSolidBrush(Color color) { . . . } public TextureBrush CreateTextureBrush(Image image, WrapMode wrapMode, RectangleF dstRect) { . . . } public TextureBrush CreateTextureBrush(Image image, WrapMode wrapMode, Rectangle dstRect) { . . . } public Font CreateFont(string familyName, float emSize, FontStyle style, GraphicsUnit unit, byte characterSet, bool isVerticalFont) { . . . } public LinearGradientBrush CreateLinearGradientBrush(Rectangle rect, Color color1, Color color2, LinearGradientMode linearGradientMode) { . . . } public HatchBrush CreateHatchBrush(HatchStyle hatchStyle, Color foreColor, Color backColor) { . . . } public PathGradientBrush CreatePathGradientBrush(GraphicsPath path) { . . . } public PathGradientBrush CreatePathGradientBrush(Point[] points, WrapMode wrapMode) { . . . } public PathGradientBrush CreatePathGradientBrush(Point[] points) { . . . } public PathGradientBrush CreatePathGradientBrush(PointF[] points, WrapMode wrapMode) { . . . } public PathGradientBrush CreatePathGradientBrush(PointF[] points) { . . . } public StringFormat CloneDefaultStringFormat() { . . . } public StringFormat CloneTypographicStringFormat() { . . . } }
The factory methods have parameters that match the most common constructors of the graphical objects they create.
Also take a look at CloneXXX methods. They make clones of built-in StringFormat.GenericDefault and StringFormat.GenericTypographics objects so you may use these as templates for your own tweaked string formats, see LabelView class implementation for an example on these usage. The clones, of course, will also be disposed of at the idle time.
public interface IControlService { ViewContainer Control { get; } void Invalidate(int x, int y, int width, int height); }
The interface provides for a view the reference to it's host control and a frequently used facility that invalidates a rectangular area inside the view.
At the beginning of the development all the view objects kept back references to the ViewContainer objects. But I introduced the CompositeView class, a view that also hosts other view objects. Because these two classes are completely different I had to create this interface to unify access to the parent control for views.
public class ViewCollection: IList, ICollection, IEnumerable { . . . }
This class represents a typed collection of objects that implement IView interface. I implement it as an old-style collection not only because I still use .Net Framework 1.1 but I also derive from it two private classes with custom functionality.
The class has some methods rarely found in usual collections. For instance, there are MoveXXX methods that help you to manage the view's z-order. The host control draws views one by one, from index 0 to the upper bound of the collection. It is obvious that views with bigger index are on top of the others in the z-order. You can move a view one step up or down in the z-order with MoveForward and MoveBackward methods or bring it to the front or the back of the z-order with MoveFront and MoveBack methods. Of course, you can use Remove and Insert methods to achieve the same goal but remember that these methods force repaint of the whole host control and recalculation of it's scrollable area but MoveXXX methods don't. It can be important if a host contains hundreds of views.
[Designer(typeof(ViewContainerDesigner))] public class ViewContainer: Panel, IControlService { . . . }
This is a host for the views. It's implementation is pretty simple because the Windows Forms controls provide excellent support for the contents scrolling. I derived the class from the System.Windows.Forms.Panel because it exposes the BorderStyle property that I need for prettier UI. However, by modifying control flags in the constructor I make the ViewContainer selectable so you can set TabStop property for the instances of this class and also scroll it's contents (the views) with the keyboard. I also set the styles that make the ViewContainer transparent, perform the background painting on it's own, perform custom mouse processing and double buffer it's drawing. Note that you can turn double buffering off, but the control might flicker, especially when two or more views that use heavy drawing operations overlap.
The class declares two important methods: HitTest and CalcExtent. The first one is used to find a view the mouse cursor points at by enumerating all the views:
protected virtual IView HitTest(int posX, int posY) { for(int i = views.Count - 1; i >= 0; i--) { IView view = views[i]; if(view.Visible) { if((view.X <= posX) && (view.X + view.Width > posX) && (view.Y <= posY) && (view.Y + view.Height > posY)) return view; } } return null; }
The second one calculates the size of the canvas that encloses all the views in the ViewContainer:
protected virtual void CalcExtent() { if(Updating) return; Size size = new Size(); foreach(IView view in views) { if(view.Visible) { size.Width = Math.Max(size.Width, view.X + view.Width); size.Height = Math.Max(size.Height, view.Y + view.Height); } } AutoScrollMinSize = size; }
Note the Updating property, it's used to prevent changing of the extent when you insert a bunch of views to the host control at once. You can toggle the Updating property by calling BeginUpdate/EndUpdate methods.
Both methods have rather generic implementations for this class; the derived classes, if they know the exact layout of the views, can override these methods to perform faster search and calculation. I'll show how it can be done in the StringBox sample.
internal class ViewContainerDesigner: ControlDesigner { protected override void PostFilterProperties(IDictionary properties) { . . . } protected override void PostFilterEvents(IDictionary events) { . . . } }
Because the ViewContainer performs all mouse processing itself by relaying mouse events to it's views, it does not raise any events of MouseXXX family. It also performs custom drawing and uses different default values for some properties. It is possible to hide events and change the default values of the properties from the forms designer by overriding them and changing their attributes, but because the number of those changes is big I decided to create for the ViewContainer it's own custom designer and perform the modifications by implementing PostFilterEvents and PostFilterProperties methods. The implementation of these methods is pretty straightforward, just look at the source.
Note that I derive the ViewContainerDesigner from neither PanelDesigner nor ScrollableControlDesigner but right from the ControlDesigner. I do it so because the advanced designers provide some features like background grid in design mode that I don't need for the ViewContainer.
This is the root of the lightweight views hierarchy. The AbstractView class implements the IView interface, adds a lot of state properties the derived classes may use and with explicit interface implementation hides certain methods from outsiders (it keeps FxCop happy). Note that X, Y, Width and Height properties are abstract and must be overridden in derived classes. Also keep in mind that by default views are believed to be rectangular, see AbstractView.HitTest implementation. Derive your custom views from this class if you want the parent control to manage the view's boundaries.
This class defines a stand-alone view that has boundaries. I. e. essentially it is the AbstractView with X, Y, Width and Height properties implemented.
The CompositeView is a container for other views. Just like ViewContainer it implements IControlService interface, has it's own private implementation of the ViewCollection class and corresponding Views property and it's own HitTest method. However, it does not support scrolling for obvious reasons.
In version 3 of the views library I have implemented views nesting. It means that you can insert a CompositeView into another CompositeView. This view nesting is good but don't overuse it, drawing and relative mouse position calculations utilize recursion.
This lightweight view mimics the System.Windows.Forms.Label control. It has two useful properties: Text and TextAlign. If you need more flexible solution either use the standard control or add required properties and events yourself.
This view mimics the System.Windows.Forms.Button control. It has Text and TextAlign properties, just like the LabelView, and Click event.
This view mimics the System.Windows.Forms.PictureBox control. It has Image property that allows one to set and retrieve the current image, associated with the view, and SizeMode property that specifies how the image will be handled by the view (stretched, centered etc.).
Note that though an Image object is disposable, the ImageView objects do not dispose of it. Thus is the rule of thumb for the views: because they are lightweight, they do not manage any resources. Keep track of pens and brushes in the DrawHelper, Image objects in your forms or ViewContainer-derived objects and never add any resource management code to the views.
This view mimics a bit the Sysytem.Windows.Forms.Panel control and is actually a CompositeView with borders.
I'm sure that both design and implementation of the lightweight views framework is far from perfect. Consider it kind of a blueprint for real applications.
I provide a sample project with the code for the views. It contains several subprojects.
In the source code provided as an addendum to this article you find the StringBox project. This project actually gave me inspiration to write this article.
The lightweight views framework were an internal project until one day I made a typo. I was writing code for a ListBox-like control and in a test program, in the initialization method, I by mistake put constant 1200000 instead of 12000. The constant was the number of views to create and put to the control. When I run the program, it hung and then I realized my mistake. But curiosity took over and I left it running. I wanted to see how much memory it would eat. A half of an hour later the ViewContainer painted itself.
To my surprise I was able to work with it. I could scroll, I could select views. Even hot-tracking worked. It surely was slow, but it worked. At that moment I realized that the views can be used not only in my toy project.
I started to tweak and optimize the code and soon made it possible for the StringBox (my quick-and-dirty replacement for Windows' ListBox) to handle 1000000 lines of text. On my computer it takes about 20 seconds to populate the list then you can scroll it and select the items as if you were using the standard ListBox control. But the standard control cannot handle this many strings on my computer, after an hour of populating it the program crashes with OutOfMemory exception.
I had created a managed control that was faster and more reliable than the standard, unmanaged control. There was something very wrong with it┼ Anyway, the StringBox subproject is a grandchild of my buggy program that once generated 12000000 views.
I never wanted to create a replacement for the Windows' own list box, but tried to make my StringBox to look and feel close to the standard control.
Two points of interest are HitTest and CalcExtent implementations. The first one does not enumerate all the views but returns the selected view by calculating it's vertical position:
protected override IView HitTest(int posX, int posY) { if(Views.Count <= 0) return null; int index = posY / GetStringHeight(); if(index < Views.Count) return Views[index]; return null; }
The second one assumes that the StringBox scrolls only in vertical direction and never has a horizontal scroll bar:
protected override void CalcExtent() { if(Updating) return; int width = ClientSize.Width; int height = Views.Count * GetStringHeight(); if(height > ClientSize.Height) width -= SystemInformation.VerticalScrollBarWidth; AutoScrollMinSize = new Size(width, height); }
Both implementations significantly speed up the StringBox operations.
This project demonstrates use of the views in various situation. The main interface is a window with tabs, each tab contains a test of a particular views functionality:
To build samples you need either Views.cmbx combine to build with SharpDelelop v 1.1 or nant.build file to build with NAnt v 0.85. I also provide two batch files to build the samples.
SharpDevelop combine contains two targets, Debug and Release, the names say for themselves. NAnt build file contains four targets, Debug, Release, Doc and Clean with Debug set to default. First two targets are identical to the combine, the Doc target builds the documentation for Pvax.UI.dll, the Clean target, obviously, deletes all files generated.
I also included an FxCop project for FxCop 1.32. It isn't happy about me not validating arguments of the public methods in my private collection classes. I don't do it because my methods call base class implementation that do validate the parameters. It also suggests not to call virtual methods in constructors for ViewCollection class because in the derived classes the overridden versions would be called - but it is right what I want. On your computer FxCop might also be unhappy about short parameter names like X and Y. I disabled these warnings by adding X and Y to the FxCop custom dictionary. You can find an XML file named CustomDictionary.xml in the folder C:\Documents and Settings\{Your profile name}\ApplicationData\Micrososft FxCop\{FxCop version number}. Just add two <Word> tags with X and Y texts to <Dictionary>/<Words>/<Recognized> section.
SharpDevelop 2.0 uses msbuid instead of it's own old project engine so I created a VisualStudio 2005-compatible (?) solution. It's, however, is not tested with "real" VisualStudio so use it on your own risk. If it really works, please inform me. And yes, the lightweight views are fully compatible with .Net Framework 2.0.
During the upgrade to SharpDevelop 220.127.116.112 I found that Pvax.Views.Tests project references old versions of NUntit.Core and NUnit.Framework assemblies. Those of you who get errors in this particular subproject should remove references to them and add back again (from the GAC). Alternatively you may reference private copies of these assemblies. I could do it myself but it would bloat the ZIP with the source code. Anyway, you are warned - beware of NUnit versioning.
NUnit.Framework assemblies
The core set of classes that reside in Pvax.UI and enclosed namespaces are covered by a BSD-like license. The rest of the code is public domain.
There are ways to improve the views framework.
First, add design-time capabilities to the views. It can be done fairly easily by implementing System.ComponentModel.IComponent interface or by even deriving the IView interface from it. The downside is that by doing so you turn lightweight views into not-so-lightweight components. Probably by using ADAPTER (wrapper) pattern it is possible to separate IComponent-derived and IView-derived hierarchies.
Second, further speed optimizations for the generic views host, the ViewContainer.
Third, more views, they are nice.
Automatic contents scrolling in Windows Forms is excellent.
Some native Windows' controls are weird.
If you want to use keyboard for navigation in your custom control, first make sure that System.Windows.Forms.ControlStyles.Selectable flag for it is set to true. Then, if you want to intercept arrow keys, do not override OnKeyDown/OnKeyPressed methods, they never receive neither arrow keys nor other navigation keys like PgUp/PgDown. Don't waste your time with interop and just override the low-level keyboard hook ProcessDialogKeys.
Cache you GDI+ resources, use built-in pens and brushes whenever it is possible.
Custom controls, at least, ViewContainer, don't work if the application is downloaded from the Internet because of security restrictions.
This article has no explicit license attached to it but may contain usage terms in the article text or the download files themselves. If in doubt please contact the author via the discussion board below.
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Sri Lanka leader on China visit
28 May 2013 Last updated at 04:20 BST
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa is on his sixth visit to China, in a sign of warming relations between the two countries.
China has been a huge financier of investment projects in Sri Lanka, including a vast new seaport and an airport. Beijing also recently financed the building of a theatre for performing arts in Colombo named after Mr Rajapaksa.
Meanwhile, an increasing number of Chinese tourists are also visiting the island nation, which is recovering from a decades-long civil war.
However, opponents to Mr Rajapaksa say that the country is getting getting hooked on Chinese debt.
The BBC's Charles Havilland reports from Colombo.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Lil' Bow WowRapperBorn: 9 March 1987 Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio Best known as: Youthful rapper of "Bounce With Me" Name at birth: Shad Gregory Moss A rapper since he was five years old, Lil' Bow Wow caught the attention of rap stars and producers such as Snoop Dogg (who gave him his nickname), Dr. Dre and Jermaine Dupri in the late 1990s. Lil' Bow Wow first made guest appearances in songs for the movies Wild Wild West (1999, with Will Smith) and Big Momma's House (2000, with Martin Lawrence), and in 2000 released his debut album, Beware of Dog. The album featured the hit singles "Bounce With Me" and "Bow Wow (That's My Name)," and Lil' Bow Wow was in steady rotation on MTV, in television appearances and on magazine covers, a star at the age of 13. In December 2001 he released his second album, Doggy Bag, and in 2003 he dropped the "Lil'" from his name in favor of simply Bow Wow. He released the album Wanted in 2005, featuring the songs "Let Me Hold You" (with Omarion) and "Like You" (with then-girlfriend Ciara). Moss has also established himself as an able actor, starring in Like Mike (2002) and Roll Bounce (2005). His other records include The Price of Fame (2006), Face Off (2007) and New Jack City II (2009). Extra credit: Other rappers on Who2 include: Lil Kim, DMX, Jay-Z, Lil' Romeo, Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Tupac Shakur and The Beastie Boys. Copyright © 1998-2017 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved. |


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I appreciate the roll which stays fresh in the refrig. I cut up snack-size bites, filling a plastic container with a lid. When empty, I cut up more. It has extremely healthy ingredients, where meat is the first on the list!
This is an excellent product from a reliable company I trust for consistent,healthy, tasty food for my dog who is a bit of a fussy eater. . I cut the roll into 1/4" slices, a few at a time and seal in plastic bags in the fridge, Each day I take out 1 slice, nuke it for 7 seconds just to take off the chill, and chop it up and sprinkle it on top of Tuffy's dry dog food. It smells delicious! The lamb roll is his favorite.
This is Great to have in the freezer. I have it in slices so I can pull it out a little at a time and give it to him ever so often. The 1in slice last several days. This is a GREAT value for the money. Murphy really likes this.
Bought this as treats for a dog training class and my dog loved it. Not greasy, apparently tastes great (says the dog) and keeps for a long time in the fridge. They say you can feed it as an actual meal but the serving sizes seem pretty high, but I'd definitely recommend it for treats.
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One quintessential aspect of the ViX woman is her propensity to give back and inspire others to do the same. A passion for charitable causes may best be channeled into fundraising, volunteering or servicing the community. Others may find that they have the gusto and charisma to make a difference through grander means:
Imagine playing powder puff football in 20°C weather. Not many women would be able to handle that but Andrea Rodgers can—especially if it benefits a charity like the one she co-founded, "Blondes vs. Brunettes for the Alzheimer's Association"—which to date has raised $2 million for the nonprofit organization. Add to that other charitable endeavors such as her brainchild, Fashion For Paws (to benefit the Washington Humane Society), and Courage for Kids (her nonprofit which provides school supplies for low-income children) and it is easy to see what drives this DC socialite.
With a contagious smile and energy to match, Andrea is a fixture within the Washington, DC social circuit. She is perhaps best known as "Miss A," a moniker that inspired her editorial website covering charity and style, Ask Miss A. When not managing the site or her consulting firm, Miss A Marketing, Andrea is out supporting various nonprofits such as The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. As 2013 Charity Partner of Ask Miss A, the organization will receive ten percent of the site's revenue this year. Though Andrea has practically made 'giving back' a full time job (and then some), this charitable Washingtonian took a moment to shed some light on being a metropolitan woman in the know:
There are a great number of things about DC that are overshadowed by the fact of it being our nation's capital. What are your top 3 things that make DC special to you?
1. We don't have sky scrapers thanks to the Height of Buildings Act! No building can be more than twenty feet taller than the width of the street that it faces. I love all the green space in Washington as a result.
2. We are blessed with amazing art and culture. There are free performances daily at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' Millennium Stage, and no fee for visiting the Smithsonian museums.
3. Only about 600,000 people live in DC which is on 61.4 square miles of land, so it truly feels like a small town as you run into people you know all the time.
One of your greatest female influences:
I would say Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker, Founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. She promised her sister that she would find a cure for breast cancer and created a global organization that has funded more breast cancer research than any entity aside from the U.S. government.
I have a passion for charity work because…
I wanted to make a contribution and be a part of something greater than myself. I love connecting people, businesses, brands and nonprofits, and being able to shine a light on all they are doing.
How did you come up with the idea of bringing style and charity together?
I had to think about my brand and boil it down to what all I have done is all about, and that is — charity meets style. From hosting polo events, to starting Fashion for Paws and Blondes vs. Brunettes, and even my consulting work — it's what I love, who I am, and what I'm all about.
Who has had the most influence on your style?
Everything I know about style comes from my mom who was a fashion designer in Holland. She wall-papered her sewing room in W magazine pages. So I literally grew up surrounded by fashion images.
A lady can't leave the house without…
I'm a bit of a "Girl Scout" so I am always prepared and it's hard for me to come up with a few things but I'll try: a lady shouldn't leave the house without her iPhone, money to pay her own way, lipgloss, breath mints, an open heart, an open mind, and awareness of her goals – both short and long-term.
Your favorite way to stand out at a social event:
Wearing color helps you stand out at social events. Everyone does the LBD. When everyone zigs, zag. Also, be welcoming and connect people!
And of course, your top ViX pick this summer?
The Barbados Tri Detail Bikini with the matching Brazilian bottom! Pink is my favorite color, so I was drawn to the beautiful magenta pattern in the Barbados fabric. I love a classic triangle top, and I think the gold and leather accents give the bikini a modern and luxurious touch!


text: Are You Telling Me You Made a DeLorean...Out of Cake?Kat Hannaford11/05/10 7:30amFiled to: MoviesDelorean cakeDeloreanBack to the FutureCakecakesDelorean cakesmichael J fox263EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalinkGreat Scott! It's an 8-foot (2.4m) long DeLorean cake! It was baked to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Back To The Future and the Blu-ray releases, where cast and crewmembers tucked in—despite it leaving flaming tyre tracks.That's Michael J. Fox taking a peek at the cake, no doubt wondering if he can squeeze a banana peel and Miller beer can into the Mr. Fusion Home Energy Reactor. [Gizmodo Australia]AdvertisementUPDATE: I'm told that the cake was created by Charm City Cakes, and will appear in a TV show called Ace of Cakes next year.Reply263 repliesLeave a reply


text:
Members pay homage to AA founders
Photos: Dale Dong |
Activities for the 79th anniversary took place throughout the weekend and were based on the campus of The University of Akron (UA), where recovering alcoholics and others descended on InfoCision Stadium Saturday evening for the "big meeting," where member Danny B. from Houston, Texas, followed a performance by the Serenity Singers with his talk, "If you don't drink, you won't get drunk."
Throughout the weekend, Dr. Bob's Home, located on Ardmore Avenue in West Akron, was the site of major activity. Many lined up outside Saturday to visit and pay homage to Bob and Anne Smith for their part in AA's founding, shown above near right. Smith was an Akron doctor and a co-founder of AA who lived there from 1916 until his death in 1950. The house became a museum in 1985 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2012.
Another hub of activity took place at the Gate Lodge on the grounds of Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, where Henrietta Seiberling brought together Smith and New York stockbroker Bill Wilson on Mother's Day in 1935. Smith and Wilson, both admitted alcoholics, developed the principles that still serve as the cornerstone for the organization, according to Stan Hywet officials. The Gate Lodge formally was dedicated as the "Birthplace of Alcoholics Anonymous" in 2000 and reopened in 2004, according to Stan Hywet officials. Shown at bottom right is Elzbieta, a visitor from Chicago, who is in front of the Gate Lodge taking notes.
Visitors also paid their respects at the Smiths' gravesite, located in Mt. Peace cemetery on Aqueduct Street. A group from Cincinnati are shown above right embracing at the site.
A close up of the Smiths' grave, where Dr. Bob and Anne are both buried, shows tokens left in remembrance at the monument.
— By Ariel Hakim
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- Bringing Down the Dam - 3/30/2017
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- Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous - 3/30/2017
- Hi-Fructose Storytelling with Wandering Aesthetics - 3/30/2017
- Woodland Garden and Wine Workshop - 3/30/2017
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Frost shows up in the attic when moisture-laden air from the house gets into the attic. That's about it, pretty simple. When the moisture gets into the attic, it condenses on the roof sheathing in the form of[...]
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Have you checked for frost in your attic yet this year? If you live in Minnesota or a similarly cool climate, now is a good time to check your attic for frost. If you already have frost in[...]
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This is a blog about home inspections and home related topics in the Minneapolis / Saint Paul areas. I try to focus on topics and issues, rather than stories and anecdotes... but you'll still find a few of those. To subscribe to this blog, sign up below.
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I was unloading the dogs off the truck yesterday and noticed something a little shiny in the leaves.....it was the biggest southern copperhead I've ever seen.Be careful out there hunting.
I was unloading the dogs off the truck yesterday and noticed something a little shiny in the leaves.....it was the biggest southern copperhead I've ever seen.Be careful out there hunting.
I trust you did "the right thing" to the copperhead!
<--- Dooey, MH
MHR Duckmates Fly Guy MH 05/17/94 - 07/17/08 "Flyboy"
Candlewood Court Magician JH 1/31/02 - 8/2/12 "Magic Man"
Thats a good and timely post Jay. Folks tend to quit thinking about reptiles after the first cold snap. But down here in the south, it only takes one warm bright morning to bring them crawling back out. SC duck hunters, don't forget to watch for the alligators Wednesday if you are working the ACE basin area. Some of the biggest gators around there and they are still active on a nice day.
Carol Howey
Owned and handled by Cruisin' with Indiana Jones, JH
Alternate Handler: Westwind Buffalo Soldier
Apprentice Handler: Snake River Medicine Man, SH
found that out the hard way(almost). I was bow hunting few years back and the nights were in the 30's, but the days were in the 70's. I missed a doe and was down looking for my arrow when i stepped on a "stick" that popped up and hit my leg. I looked down to see a cotton mouth hanging on my boot. I guess he was too sluggish because of the cold nights to go all the way through. He went through my boot but not my pants leg. The 45 minute walk to my stand only took 5 minutes to get back to truck. Talk about needing a change of clothes.
This seems to be the year of BIG copperheads. Lost several in bush cutting on the place, ran over a 3' 6" one on the road the other day. Looked like it had just shed. Neighbor who raises goats has had more than usual too.
A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.
Gators, snakes and hurricanes oh my. Not the land of Oz but. You folks sure have my respect. Always on the lookout. Have a great Thanksgiving. HPW
"Sometimes we just gotta do what is right". Jerry 2006
See ya in the field. HPW http://www.sagaciouskennel.com/
That's a monster copperhead.
(Friend of the camp came by the other day with the hide of 6'1" cottonmouth, from the Slidell/Pearl River area, that I wouldn't have believed existed if I heard of it from almost anyone else and hadn't seen the skin.)
Fwiw, there's liquid Benedryl in my truck, my boat box and my day pack. And both dogs I've had bitten down here, as well as a friend's, seem to have benefited from quick doses.
If you think I'm wrong, you might be right.
(And to see just how confused I really am, join us in my online blind at: 2016-2017 Season Log
Here is a 43" copperhead Tim killed a couple years back on our farm while sunbathing on a sandstone rock. It was this time of year too.
Home to:
Crusin' Hallowed Grounds*** - "Bones"(FC-AFC RSK's Smooth Sailing X FC Ozark's Cosmic Dream)Happy Hippie*** - "Ziggy"(FC-AFC Wood River's Franchise X FC-AFC Oakdale Whitewater Devil Dog MH)
Anyone that knows much about mojave green rattlers will be shocked by the size of this toad. He was hanging out in my quail hotspot a couple of years ago.
A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I'm afraid of widths.
A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.


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What is The Hill Flea?
An interactive marketplace and community edu-tainment playspace, the Hill Flea is designed to be a dynamic destination for city and county residents of all ages, fusing creativity with education and experience. One part vintage flea market, one part interactive workshop, the Flea will bring traditional vendors, artisans, and entrepreneurs together to offer their talents and treasures for sale while also imparting their skills or knowledge to the visiting public. Celebrating the principles of sustainability, vendors and visitors alike will be invited to reuse, renew, recycle and rediscover their goods, services, and skills.


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Prince William's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, welcomed VIP wedding guests at a Thursday (April 28) pre-wedding reception at London's Mandarin Oriental Hotel. It was a parade of royals as HRH welcomed her regal counterparts from overseas.
Guests included Prince Pavlos of Greece and Princess Marie-Chantal, Queen Sofia of Spain, Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Spain, Queen Margarethe of Denmark, Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia and Princess Katherine, the Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg, King Harald of Norway and Queen Sonia.
Less than a mile away, according to The Press Association, Kate Middleton and her family were safely tucked in at the Goring Hotel in London's Belgravia neighborhood.
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles arrive:
Prince Pavlos of Greece and Princess Marie Chantal of Greece were on hand to attend the gala:
As of 3:55 a.m. ET, guests were already filing in to London's Westminster Abbey. Stay tuned for continuing coverage!


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Hollywood Child Star Shirley Temple Dies at 85
Shirley Temple, the actress, singer, dancer and politician, who came to fame as a child star, died, aged 85.
The family of the actress have confirmed the singer and dancer who began her film career in 1932 at the age of only three, has passed away, Tuesday.
Temple served as a U.S. ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia when she retired from acting.
She sat on the boards of corporations and organizations including The Walt Disney Company, Del Monte Foods, and the National Wildlife Federation.
Shirley Temple is ranked number 18 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest female American screen legends of all time.
She is survived by three children, one grandchild and two great grand children.
- » Seychelles' First President Dies Aged 77
- » British Musician George Michael Dies
- » Bulgarian Union of Banat Leader Nikolai Mirkovic Passes Away
- » Bulgarian TV Journalist Dimitar Tsonev Dies at 56
- » Legendary Heavyweight Boxer Muhammad Ali Dies Aged 74
- » Dutch Football Legend Johan Cruyff Dies of Cancer Aged 68


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Lubin keys Rebel comeback against Leafs
The Castlegar Rebels fell behind early Sunday against the Nelson Leafs but rallied for a 5-3 win.
The Leafs got off to a quick start with two goals within the first two minutes. The Rebels weathered the early storm and were able to put together a comeback with some hard-fought play. Bryan Lubin scored on a rebound to put the Rebels within one with two minutes left in the first.
"It was right at the end of a power play," said Lubin. "Our defenceman, (Dylan) Bowerman took a shot at the net. He saw the goalie out of position so he thought he'd throw it to net and create some havoc. (teammate) Matt Reed was in front of the net and it went off him and right to me waiting backdoor and I had an open net."
James Sorrey scored to give the Leafs a 3-1 lead early in the second stanza. At 15:33, Braydon Horcoff put the Rebs within one. Lubin, with his second goal of the game, tied the score at 11:38 of the second with a breakaway goal.
"It was a kind of funky deal there," said Lubin. "Coach told me to go out. We didn't know that two guys came off the ice (for Nelson). I felt the tap on the shoulder and I jumped on the ice. I saw the whole (Nelson) team was above the red line, we had possession of the puck. So I just waited back and I had a breakaway from the red line in."
Diego Bartlett gave the Rebels their first lead at 11:36 of the third period. Jamie Vlanich gave the home team some insurance by way of a powerplay marker with 46 seconds left in the third.
"To be honest, it was a couple of breakdowns early on," said Rebel coach Steve Junker regarding the Rebels' slow start. "I thought our guys came out ready to play and had a great first shift. There was a couple of bad bounces. Those things happen. You try to prepare for them and try to avoid them but it's hockey and mistakes happen and things like that happen. I think the big lesson was not getting down. Our guys really showed a lot of mental toughness and stuck with the game plan and really, I thought, out-played them even though we were down early."
Junker was pleased with how the team fought back after finding itself down early.
"We really didn't miss a beat," he said. "It's really easy for guys to get down when you're down 2-0. It's the natural thing to do. I thought our guys battled and stuck to the game plan and played a solid game from that point on."
Lubin, who came to the Rebels this year after playing midget AAA hockey in Michigan last year, said the key to the comeback was the team remaining positive.
"Nobody got down," he said. "Nobody was yelling at each other at the bench. We all came together as a team. We came out strong and they just got a couple of bounces there early."
Being able to get scoring from outside the Stuart Walton-Diego Bartlett-Jamie Vlanich trio is one of the keys to the Rebels going deep in the play-offs and getting a strong performance from the likes of Lubin is a real boon to the team.
"He had a great game," said Junker. "I thought we had our power play going, which it hasn't, as well, which is great. That was nice to see. We had great play from Jordan Gluck again."
After a shaky start, Gluck was a rock in the net for the Rebs stopping 24 shots. Recently acquired Nelson netminder Marcus Beesley stopped 43 of 48 Castlegar shots. Beesley was acquired from the Kamloops Storm in a deal that saw the Leafs send goalie Cody Boeckman to Golden.
The only other game last week for Castlegar was a rare Wednesday match-up with Spokane.
The host Rebels were absolutely dominant in the first period, outshooting the Braves 25-1 on the way to a 3-0 lead after one period. They would add two more to cruise to a 5-0 victory.
"I thought we came out really strong, spent quite a lot of the first period in the offensive zone," said Junker. "It was a dominant start. Our guys were ready to go. It was nice to see and we kind of rode that start for the rest of the game."
Opening the scoring was Walton with his first of two, followed by Vlanich and defenceman Aaron Brewer, who scored from the point on the powerplay.
The Rebels would finish strong with Walton's second of the game in the second period and a goal from Darren Medeiros in the third to give them a 5-0 shut-out win over the fourth place Braves.
Jordan Gluck picked up the shut-out win for the Rebels stopping 16 shots.
Lubin said the Spokane game was a full team effort. "I'd say everything was going well," he said. "We did all the little things well. We got pucks deep. We had good communication; we moved the puck up well. We knew their goalie was a big guy and we had to get him moving so we just kept moving the puck around and put a bunch behind him."
The Rebels, along with Beaver Valley are now two points behind Nelson for first place in the division with 53 points with 14 regular season games left.
"Obviously, getting home ice for the play-offs is something to shoot for, for sure," said Junker. "Everybody is going to be tinkering with their line-ups leading up to the deadline on Jan. 10. As for the remainder of the season, we're looking to find our form and work out any kinks in our game and really get everyone on to the same page. We're focusing on ourselves rather than worrying about what other teams are doing. Getting our game where it needs to be."
Castlegar has three games this week. Tonight (Thursday) in Grand Forks against the lowly Border Bruins and then a home and home with Creston Valley. The Rebs host the Thunder Cats Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Castlegar Complex and then travel to Creston for a Sunday afternoon game at the Johnny Bucyk Arena against the 'Cats. Creston Valley is only fourth in the Eddie Mountain division, but features KIJHL top-10 scorer Trevor Hanna who has 25 goals and 46 points in 39 games.
"You have to be up for every game," said Lubin. "Everybody can beat everybody in this league if you don't show up to play. We're playing good hockey now and want to keep it up. It's coming down to play-off time. We just need to keep rolling and keep the momentum going. We can't take any days off."


text: On Sunday 5/19 from 2-3 pm, Divaville Lounge will host an in-studio interview with Durham's swing orchestra, the Mint Julep Jazz Band. Bandleader and trombonist Lucian Cobb and singer Laura Windley will talk about performing live swing music in the modern era, play songs from their new CD "Durham on Saturday Night," and play some of their favorite classic songs from the 1930s and 40s. Tune in for a swinging afternoon!


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Stephen Maran
Astronomies and Cultures in Early Medieval Europe. Stephen C. McCluskey. xiv + 235 pp. Cambridge University Press, 1998. $54.95.
Astronomical practices of the 2nd through 13th centuries in Europe, roughly the period described in this work by the science historian Stephen C. McCluskey, are rarely taught to astronomers and their students today. After all, this period was the Dark Ages (starting in late 5th century), when scientific learning advanced little. Nevertheless, the ecclesiastical and civil authorities had important needs to determine time, date and season, and if they did not sponsor original investigation, they strongly encouraged practical astronomy. The Roman Church emphasized the prediction of astronomical events by calculation, to combat astrology and pagan religious practices. If the movements of the stars and planets could be predicted, then they did not hold sway over man on earth. Pagan festivals whose dates had been determined by celestial events were replaced by Christian feasts whose dates were fixed in the Julian calendar. Manuscripts based on the discoveries of antiquity were preserved as precious user manuals, but the underlying theory of the celestial mechanisms was of little concern. For some users, events were predicted by arithmetical calculations, even when the corresponding geometry on the sky was not understood.
One of the common daily practices of this era was that of the sky-watching monk who, by following the stars through the night, determined when that pre-dawn hour was reached at which the whole monastery needed to be awakened for the day's first prayers. (Whether anyone threw a shoe at the astronomer who awakened him is unrecorded.) In computing the dates of festivals each year, different monasteries followed rules derived from different, poorly understood authorities, often with discordant results. Others worked on long-range problems.
By Charlemagne's time, says McCluskey, the Irish monk Dungal of St. Denis claimed "for astronomers the ability to predict eclipses and other celestial events not only a month in advance, or a year, or twenty years, or a hundred or a thousand, but over fifteen thousand years." Dungal's actual calculations, however, were not very accurate. By this time, in the early 9th century, interest was revived in the stars and constellations themselves, but works of the period simply described them. Unlike Ptolemy's work of six and a half centuries earlier, the descriptions were not accompanied by celestial coordinates. The Carolingian works in this sense were closer to a beginner's guide to the sky than to a celestial reference manual.
Despite numerous scholarly footnotes that mark almost every page, McCluskey succeeds in presenting a very readable if serious account, reminding us of, or introducing, as the case may be, such historic characters as Martin of Braga, who condemned a pagan custom of observing the Moon and stars "to determine the time to build a house or plant trees or consort with one's wife." Today's astrophysicists universally condemn astrological practices but have made little progress in influencing society. You are more likely to find a horoscope in your local daily newspaper than an account of astronomical discoveries. Also remembered is Queen Eanfled, who observed the Paschal fast in Northumbria while King Oswiu, whose monks followed a different rule, was already feasting. This marked inconsistency led to improvements by Bede of Yarrow (approximately 672–735 A.D.) who, according to Alcuin of York, "wrote with marvelous clarity a book on time, containing the courses, places, times, and laws of the stars."
Toward the end of the period covered by Astronomies and Cultures in Early Medieval Europe, Latin Christendom rediscovered the science of astronomy as it was known to the ancients through contact with Islamic scholars. From then on, the history of astronomy is familiar to many. But for the centuries covered by McCluskey's book, it is an essential guide, with a comprehensive bibliography and a fascinating, if modest, set of monochrome illustrations.—Stephen P. Maran, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center


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Today ends my review of what I believe to be the five steps in the management of a third party under an anti-bribery regime such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) or UK Bribery Act. On Monday, I reviewed Step 1 – the Business Justification, which should kick off your process with any third party relationship. On Tuesday, I looked at Step 2 – the questionnaire that you should send and third party and what information you should elicit. On Wednesday, I discussed Step 3 – the due diligence that you should perform based upon the information that you have received from and ascertained on the third party. On Thursday, I examined Step 4 – how you should use the information you obtain in the due diligence process and the compliance terms and conditions which you should place in any commercial agreement with a third party. Today, I will conclude this series by reviewing how you should manage the relationship after the contract is signed.
I often say that after you complete Steps 1-4 in the life cycle management of a third party, the real work begins and that work is found in Step 5– the Management of the Relationship. While the work done in Steps 1-4 are absolutely critical, if you do not manage the relationship it can all go down hill very quickly and you might find yourself with a potential FCPA or UK Bribery Act violation. There are several different ways that you should manage your post-contract relationship. This post will explore some of the tools which you can use to help make sure that all the work you have done in Steps 1-4 will not be for naught and that you will have a compliant anti-corruption relationship with your third party going forward.


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Drama Movies Site Map Material for films is often gathered from the other creative arts, such as novels and plays. Bio-pics continue to be a popular genre in film and actors frequently win awards for playing these real-life characters. Books that cover the world of film from both popular and academic perspectives. Films that transport the viewer to past moments in time. The protagonist could be a cop or a criminal in this genre that explores the illicit and dangerous side of life. Using the same dramatic elements as narrative films, documentaries inform us about the world in which we live. The home is often where life´s fiercest struggles take place. These films depict the conflicts inherent in the relationships between women and their husbands, lovers, children, parents, and employers. Ambitious films that recreate worlds and contain a multitude of characters. Essays on people working creatively in the world of film. Articles that explore the development of film as an art form and also look forward to its future.
Films that originate from different cultures around the world. Independent filmmakers have smaller budgets but more freedom to create. Films that consider love in all its forms. Films that explore contemporary political issues and films that keep us on edge. |
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The Monarchy Model
Morocco's King Mohammed VI shows the Middle East's autocrats how to hold on to power.
The lesson Arab autocrats seemed to learn from Egypt and Tunisia was almost the exact opposite of what democracy advocates were hoping for. Instead of using less force, leaders across the region have been using more of it, reaching unusual levels of brutality. Shocking reports of mass rape and torture have emerged in Syria and Libya, where thousands have been killed. In Bahrain, a close U.S. ally and home of the Navy's Fifth Fleet, thousands have been arrested or dismissed from their jobs. Indeed, the "Arab spring" has turned into what political scientist Gregory Gause colorfully calls the "winter of Arab discontent."
In a season of growing disillusion—and disastrous televised speeches—the king of Morocco's June 17 national address stood out. It wasn't a great speech, and it fell well short of protesters' demands. But it was a substantive engagement with the opposition. The 47-year-old monarch did not demean his own people or place the blame on foreign conspirators. Instead, he announced a new constitution—one that has the potential to reshape the country's politics. While retaining effective veto power over major decisions, he pledged to empower elected institutions. The prime minister, drawn from the ranks of the largest party in parliament, would have the authority to appoint and fire ministers, as well as to dissolve parliament.
Morocco is offering the rest of the Arab world a different "model." And it is one that other monarchs will be watching closely. It is not a model of true democratic transition toward British-style "constitutional monarchy," as Moroccan Prime Minister Abbas al-Fasi recently claimed. There is little evidence to suggest King Mohammed VI is ready to merely reign and not rule. The Moroccan monarchy has a long history of failing to deliver on its promises of reform.
But this is precisely its appeal: To preserve power, you sometimes have to give some of it up. We can call this the "pre-emptive" model of reform. Here, autocrats take protests seriously. They announce big, high-profile reforms—whether it's moving toward elected governments or rejiggered constitutions. They release political prisoners and appoint real commissions that come up with real recommendations. They give people hope by using all the right buzzwords: change, democracy, reform, institutions, accountability. In doing so, this time around, the Moroccan regime has managed to seize the initiative and steal some momentum from the Feb. 20 protest movement—the loose coalition of leftists, liberals, and Islamists that has brought tens of thousands of Moroccans out into the streets. With a resounding "yes" vote in the July 1 constitutional referendum, the monarchy will be able to say that the mass of Moroccans stand behind the crown, further underlining regime legitimacy in a time of uncertainty.
Pre-emption is a strategy particularly suited to popular monarchies with reserves of historic and religious legitimacy. As the late King Hassan, Mohammed's father, once said, "I will never be put into an equation." The region's monarchs—in stark contrast to the presidents—stand above the fray, acting as umpires rather than partisans.
As attractive as such a model may be for embattled autocrats, it is not revolution-proof. Once changes are set in motion, they are difficult to control. With more political space, opposition groups will be in a better position to build support and mobilize their followers. They may be more emboldened to challenge the king directly. In their seminal Transitions From Authoritarian Rule, political scientists Philippe Schmitter and Guillermo O'Donnellwrite of the "extraordinary uncertainty of the transition with its numerous surprises." For those holding on to power, surprises can be dangerous. Where does it end?
In Europe, kings and queens were once dominant. But with gradually empowered parliaments, elected officials and notables began to assert themselves at the expense of monarchs. These contests for power became pitched battles. Many of them, unfolding over decades, were punctuated by instability and bloodshed—with Russia's October Revolution and the "Terror" of the French Revolution as only the most prominent examples. More recently, too, the peaceful transformation of monarchies has been a rare event. But just because it rarely happened in the past does not necessarily mean it won't happen in the future.
Prospects for reform in Morocco will depend not just on the king and his generous devolving of power but also on other forces in society that will fight for greater freedom and democracy, eventually turning to challenge the king on his own turf. For now, though, such a scenario is difficult to envision. Morocco's established political parties are careful, timid, and overly deferential to the king. As it stands, then, Morocco's pre-emptive model of reform seems good for autocrats, perhaps less so for those who wish to oppose them.


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Cadillac Detailing and Bodywork - Interior and Exterior including Body and Wheels Discussion, Back Soon..... in Item Specific Cadillac Discussion; ...
- 12-24-05 03:05 PM #1Cadillac Owners Fanatic
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Back Soon.....
I want to alert everyone that I wont have access to phone or computers from 12/27-1/5, (going on a Cruise) so I wont be able to respond quickly to car care questions. You are welcome to send me a mail and when I get a chance to access I will get back to you. I hope everyone has a great holiday and Happy New Year!!!!!! Before you know it spring will be here!!!!!!!!!!! Best to all, Gary
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Hope you have fun on the cruise, sounds like a blast!
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text: Pin Outlook Templates to the Taskbar for Quick AccessThe How-To Geek6/30/09 1:00pmFiled to: Outlook TipMicrosoft OutlookOutlook 2007Microsoft OfficeWindowsTipsTimesaversTemplatesAutohotkey4EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalink Reader Stephen writes in with an excellent, time-saving Windows 7 tip: you can create Outlook templates for boilerplate emails and pin them to the Windows taskbar for easy access. This technique is not limited to readers using Windows 7, since you can pin a folder to the taskbar in any version of Windows—but the new Jump lists in Windows 7 make it a lot simpler. To create your own set of Outlook templates, Stephen advises: Create an Outlook template by composing a new email message with the text you want, and then using File -> Save As to save the message as an Outlook Template into a folder of your choice.If you are using Windows 7, simply drag the template files onto the Outlook icon.For previous versions of Windows, right-click the taskbar, choose Toolbars -> New Toolbar, and pick the folder that you saved the templates into.Now you can quickly access your templates from the Jumplist by right-clicking on the Outlook icon. For previous versions of Windows, you can use the pop-up folder menu.It's a great tip for anybody that repeatedly sends emails on the exact same topic. Thanks, Stephen!For more ways to be productive while dealing with email overload, learn how to save time and typing with Outlook 2007's Quick Parts, tweak Outlook to empty your inbox faster, knock down repetitive email with AutoHotkey, or just take a look through our top ten Outlook boosters. Reply4 repliesLeave a reply


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33 hours ago
Depleted Rabbitohs out-class Titans
The South Sydney Rabbitohs have guaranteed their spot on the top of the ladder for another week with a 32-4 drubbing of the Gold Coast Titans in front of a 20,392 crowd.
Burgess brothers Sam and George were stand outs, scoring two tries and one try respectively.
It was Sam who opened up the scoring in the 11th minute. The huge Pom proved too much for the Titans defence as he muscled himself over from in front.


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Holiday hoops: Bluffton boys place 5th in Bobcat Classic; girls finish 4th
Things are different this season for the Bluffton High boys basketball team.
Coming off the best season in program history, coach Brett Macy said, the Bobcats are the team everyone in Beaufort County wants to beat.
That was evident in Bluffton's first loss early last month, when it couldn't match Whale Branch's energy. It happened again Thursday in the first round of the Bobcat Classic, with an overtime loss to Battery Creek.
"They wanted to win that game a lot more than we wanted to win," Macy said. "We didn't really wake it up until the third quarter. Through the first eight games, what I'm most disappointed in is our inability to handle the target on our back."
Still, the Bobcats (6-2) ended their annual holiday tournament on a high note with two spirited victories against out-of-state competition. They routed Fisher Catholic (Lancaster, Ohio) and beat McIntosh County (Ga.) Academy 58-44 on Saturday to finish fifth.
The Bluffton girls (2-6) posted a fourth-place finish. After a blowout of Harvest Community (Jacksonville, Fla.) in the opener, they lost their final two games to Douglass (Atlanta) and Brewbaker Tech (Montgomery, Ala.).
Frankfort (Ky.) beat Douglass on Saturday night to win the girls championship.
Macy's team gets a chance to avenge its only tournament defeat in a non-region game Saturday at Battery Creek, which lost to Alter (Dayton, Ohio) in the finals Saturday.
The Bobcats easily handled their local rivals in last season's region championship run, so Macy hopes the early losses will serve as a pair of wakeup calls as the team prepares to begin SCHSL Region 8-AAAA play. The region schedule includes another county foe in Beaufort.
Macy said the performance against McIntosh — tough defense, aggressive offense — reminded him of last year's team.
Bluffton is loaded with seniors who played big minutes a season ago. Many of them are used to playing as big favorites — only on the football field for a team that has made three consecutive state semifinals. Now, they must get used to a similar dynamic on the basketball court.
"I'm proud that we've stuck together when it hasn't gone as well as it did last year," Macy said. "Most of those guys have had (targets on their backs) in football, too. It's the same thing. You have to be mentally ready to play."
Senior forward Ahdonus Cofer said the Bobcats aren't far from reaching the form they displayed last season, when they finished with a 19-4 record.
"This team is mainly seniors," Cofer said. "We need to keep talking and make sure the team chemistry is there."
More Info
Championship: Alter (Dayton, Ohio) 81, Battery Creek 40
Third-place game: Brewbaker Tech (Montgomery, Ala.) 72, Ridgeland-Hardeeville 44
Fifth-place game: Bluffton 58, McIntosh County (Ga.) Academy 44
Seventh-place game: Fisher Catholic (Lancaster, Ohio) 50, Groves (Garden City, Ga.) 48
Championship: Frankfort (Ky.) 57, Douglass (Atlanta) 45
Third-place game: Brewbaker Tech 51, Bluffton 39
Fifth-place game: Whale Branch 62, Glynn Academy (Brunswick, Ga.) 57
Seventh-place game: Ridgeland-Hardeeville 48, Harvest Community (Jacksonville, Fla.) 18
What: Bluffton at Battery Creek
When: 5:30 p.m. Saturday


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22 local playwrights have been nurtured by the Huntington Playwriting Fellows program.
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Curtis McClarin appeared on Broadway in Bring in 'Da Noise Bring in the 'Da Funk. Off Broadway credits include The Good Negro, Tartuffe, and East Texas Hot Links (Public Theater), Dust (West Side Theatre), King Hedley II (Signature Theatre), The Exonerated (Bleecker Street Theatre), and St. Stanislaus Outside the House (Manhattan Class Company). His regional credits include Topdog/Underdog (South Coast Repertory), Intimate Apparel (Two River Theater Company), Lobby Hero (Pittsburgh Public Theater), Elmina's Kitchen, A Raisin in the Sun, and Day of Absence (Baltimore Centerstage), Jitney (Crossroads Theatre Company), The Day the Bronx Died and Ceremonies in Dark Old Men (Long Wharf Theatre), and Bailey's Café (Hartford Stage). Mr. McClarin's film and television credits include The Occupant, The Happening, Path to War, "The Good Wife," "Damages," "Rescue Me," "The Wire," "Law & Order: SVU," "Law & Order: Trial By Jury," and "Oz."


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At an isolated and snowbound country manor in 1950s France a family is gathering for Christmas. But this year there will be no celebrations - their beloved patriarch has been murdered. The killer can only be one of the eight women closest to the man of the house. Eight women. Each has a motive. Each has a secret. Beautiful tempestuous intelligent sensual and dangerous... One of them is guilty. But who? Dressed to kill with glamorous costumes and sumptuous art direction 8 WOMEN stars a dazzling ensemble of cinema icons and the leading French actresses: Catherine Deneuve (Belle de Jour) Isabelle Huppert (The Piano Teacher) Emmanuelle Bart (Un Coeur en Hiver) Fanny Ardant (Ridicule) Virginie Ledoyen (The Beach) Danielle Darrieux Firmine Richard and Ludivine Sagnier. Franois Ozon has attained international acclaim over recent years for his short films and for his features which include Water Drops on Burning Rocks Sitcom and Under the Sand.
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My husband and I travelled with our two teenage children. After spending four nights in the town of Santa Teresa and participating in many activities, we spent four relaxing days/nights at Villas Hermosas. We had visited the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve the previous day and spent an hour and a half watching for wildlife, when we spotted howler monkeys in the distance. After checking into Villas Hermosas, we decided to take a dip in the pool only to look up and see howler monkeys in a tree near the pool! The next morning after our wonderful breakfast, a group of howlers were feeding in a tree beside the sand badmitton court while we played. One day, Tara arranged for a nearby fishing excursion for the guys (yielding mackerel, blackfin tuna, and the much anticipated...roosterfish) and a massage & pedicure for the girls in our villa. Most of our time, however, was spent walking along the beautiful beach, gathering shells and swimming. It was one of the most peaceful, unplugged family experiences one could imagine. Everyone we came in contact with at Villas Hermosas was helpful and friendly. After reading many reviews, it's hard to summarize the experience other that to say, "Stay here and create lifelong memories!".
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- The distinctive beachfront hotel, Villas Hermosas, is located in Playa Hermosa of Mal Pais on the Pacific Ocean in Costa Rica. Please come and share with them their playful surf, thriving jungle, empty beaches, tropical gardens, and inviting swimming pool, while enjoying all the comforts of home! With only four villas, they offer a uniquely intimate experience. ... more less
- Also Known As:
- Villas Hermosas Hotel Santa Teresa
- Hermosas Hotel Santa Teresa
- Villas Hermosas Costa Rica/Santa Teresa


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Get a Smoke No Smoke Electronic Cigarette. Contact Maria on 07757 512 442 and join the trend which has taken over the UK since 2011
News - We celebrate 5 years trading in December 2016. A huge thank you goes out to our loyal customer base.
A Smoke No Smoke E - Cigarette:
- Does not contain Tar
- Does not contain Tobacco
- Does not create Carbon Monoxide Toxins
- Does not stain teeth
- Does not create ash
- Does not contain the 4000 chemicals created by burning regular cigarettes.
- WILL - Satisfy your nicotine craves no matter how small or large.
- Cost a fraction of smoking regular cigarettes.
- Have no passive implications on others
- Importantly, as well as the great experience of 'Vaping' rather than 'Smoking' tobacco cigarettes, it is legal to use an electronic almost anywhere - restaurants, nightclubs, pubs, offices, trains, planes, concerts, casinos, bars.......................anywhere!
With these advantages, plus the fact that using an electronic cigarette will help reduce the 6,000 000 deaths each year from regular cigarette smokers, it is not hard to see why they have fast become such a global phenomenon, with thousands of smokers switching to these healthier and far less expensive alternatives every week.
Contact your local Smoke No Smoke store to find out more.
Stores So Far:
RUGBY - on line only
NUNEATON - no longer part of the Smoke No Smoke Group
LEAMINGTON - no longer part of the Smoke No Smoke Group


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And immortal prince langly. Can't forget him!Iron Weasel wrote: »
However, this one is going to be a pretty experimental game, particularly lots of Alternate Win Conditions. I make no promises about the balance.
Iron Weasel wrote: »I have never participated in a PA Phalla before, but would like to Sign Up.
Please be gentle.
Gandalf_the_Crazed wrote: »
Oh gods I'd forgotten about that.
Joint Serial Killer and Village Idiot victory was the best thing I've ever been a part of.
TheRoadVirus wrote:Fun fact: obi never shits. He burns efficiently enough so as to produce minimal waste. All leftover matter is deposited in his venom sacs


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York Bowen: Symphonies (Chandos, through Ode Records)
Rating: 4/5
Verdict: "Symphonic frolics with a minor English master."
Joseph Holbrooke, in his 1925 book Contemporary British Composers, allotted York Bowen (1884-1961) one short paragraph, stressing the lighter side of his output.
This music may not have been so individual, Holbrooke comments, but at least it was not academic and turgid, one of its rather quaint virtues being its "frolicsome innocence".
A York Bowen Society was founded just a few years ago, with Stephen Hough as president, so the man once hailed as the English Rachmaninov could get some overdue acknowledgement. Hough had recorded Bowen's piano music in 1996, justifying its relatively conservative style as that of "a composer who loved the ground he dug, and found a lifetime of contentment sifting through its contents".
More Bowen music filtered through in the new century, with Lawrence Power's splendid 2008 Hyperion recording of the complete music for viola and piano giving intimations of deeper and darker emotions.
Ironically, in that same year, I had the good fortune to rescue a score of one of these sonatas, turfed out, unloved and unwanted, from one of our university libraries.
A new recording of Bowen Symphonies, with the BBC Philharmonic under Sir Andrew Davis, is a brave gesture of faith.
The first is a student work from 1902, with a curtseying first movement that is more salon than symphony hall.
A central Larghetto nods to Schumann, although the elegantly rendered clarinet melody, veering through shifting harmonies, is of a quality that should make time and period irrelevant.
It is simply exquisitely crafted music.
The 1909 Second Symphony is more secure stylistically even if its fairly traditional idiom makes it difficult to believe that Stravinsky was about to hatch his Firebird and Schoenberg was fossicking in the psychoforest of Erwartung.
Bowen's Symphony is a big work, written for a big orchestra, with an opening as punchy as anything Tchaikovsky could muster and an equally full-on Finale that makes a convincing symphonic argument.
But you may well wish that its sparkling scherzo ran for twice its frolicking length.


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"These chewy cookies, packed with wholesome and delicious ingredients, don't keep the cookie jar full very long," reports Holly Cicchirillo of Chino Valley, Arizona. "My husband and I devour these low-fat treats."
30 Recipes for Valentine's Day Cookies
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup apple jelly, melted and cooled
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup Wheaties
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped dates
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- In large bowl, combine the applesauce, egg whites and jelly. Combine dry ingredients; add to applesauce mixture. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Flatten slightly. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 3 dozen.
Originally published as Cookie a Day in Taste of Home
February/March 2000, p17
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A lease that is not held directly from the freeholder, but from a tenant.
The most common way for an underlease to arise is for a tenant to create one out of an existing lease. The tenant of the existing lease would be the landlord of the underlease created from it. A headlease ( www.practicallaw.com/resource.do?item=:20756008) may become an underlease, if an overriding lease ( www.practicallaw.com/2-107-6955) is created, but this is uncommon.
Where an underlease is created out of another underlease, it is sometimes described as a sub-underlease. An underlease granted out of a sub-underlease may therefore be known as a sub-sub-underlease and so on.
An underlease should be granted to expire before the lease out of which it is created. If it is not, the underlease may operate as an assignment of the lease, instead of creating an underlease.


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WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama exhorted Congress on Monday to make passage of a long-languishing small-business aid package its first order of business when it returns next month from its summer break.
"I ask Senate Republicans to drop the blockade," Obama said in the Rose Garden after meeting with his economic advisers.
Acknowledging that the economy still remains extremely fragile, the president said he'd also have other specific ideas in the days ahead.
He mentioned extending tax cuts for households making under $250,000 a year signed into law by former President George W. Bush but due to expire this year, upping the nation's investment in clean energy, rebuilding more roads and highways, and tax cuts designed to keep jobs in the United States.
"My economic team is hard at work identifying additional measures that could make a difference in both promoting growth and hiring in the short term and increasing our economy's competitiveness in the long term," he said.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs later said that in addition to initiatives already unveiled that are bogged down in Congress, the administration would roll out a variety of targeted measures designed to spur the economy and create an environment conducive to hiring.
None of the measures will be as major as last year's stimulus bill, Gibbs said. "There's only so much that can be done," he added.
"Those in America are frustrated. Those in the West Wing are frustrated" about the slow pace of recovery and an unemployment rate hovering near 10 percent, Gibbs said.
In a week likely to be dominated by foreign policy, Obama is trying to show he's still minding the economy after his 10-day vacation in Martha's Vineyard, Mass.
A string of weak economic reports in recent weeks has fed fears that the economy would fall back into recession, only slightly offset by Monday's government report that consumer spending had increased in July after several down months.
"Every single day, I'm pushing this economy forward, repairing the damage that's been done to the middle class over the past decade and promoting the growth we need to get out people back to work," Obama said in his statement.
Obama said action on the package of small-business tax cuts and credit incentives is "one thing we know that we should do" as soon as possible. Republicans have been blocking the bill, calling it misguided.
However, Obama said it was being "held up by a partisan minority that won't even let it get to a vote."
"The bill is fully paid for. And there's no reason to block it besides pure partisan politics," he said.


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Fine Dining
If you're trying to top your last meal, Massachusetts is the place to be for fine dining. Food aficionados are never disappointed with some of the trendiest culinary haunts on the continent.
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The Gill Tavern
The Gill Tavern serves fare made from fresh ingredients (mostly locally produced) in an atmosphere that fosters friendship, community, and... more
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