text:
As the fall season winds down, it's time to announce our inaugural Athletes of the Year.
As the fall season winds down, it's time to announce our inaugural Athletes of the Year. The soccer honorees were captains of the previously announced Super 12 boys and girls soccer teams. Hartley's Ja'Wuan Woodley was named the top football player. A story on him can be found in this edition. Here are the fall honorees:Courtney Deena
A senior midfielder, Deena helped lead Columbus Academy to its first state title since 2006 and ninth overall.
The Maryland recruit had 13 goals and 27 assists, as the Vikings won the Central Ohio Field Hockey League and beat Watterson 2-1 in overtime in the state final Nov. 3 to finish 19-0-1.
Deena was first-team all-state and all-league.
"Her passion, commitment to excellence and athletic courage are driving forces in her mastery of the sport of field hockey," Academy coach Anne Horton said. "... She had over 140 defensive takeaways this season. While taking the ball away, she equally was setting up her team's attack. Her leadership and climb to success has been a pivotal role in our team's recent journey. She has definitely developed into one of the state's best players."Sam DeRoy
The senior midfielder had 14 goals and 11 assists to help lead Olentangy Liberty to its first state championship.
DeRoy shared state Player of the Year honors in Division I with Cleveland St. Ignatius' Tyler Sanda and was named district and OCC-Central Player of the Year as well as ThisWeek's Super 12 captain.
The Patriots won the OCC-Central championship and defeated Sylvania Southview 2-0 in the state final Nov. 10 at Crew Stadium to finish 22-1. Liberty was the state runner-up last year.
DeRoy had two three-goal games and a pair of two-goal games this season.
"Sam would be the first person to say our team isn't a one-man show," Liberty coach Rick Collins said. "He's relentless. He never quits. Offensively and defensively, he's always working. He's a strong, tenacious two-way player."Jacob Dumford
A senior at Westerville North, Dumford was second (15 minutes, 17.61 seconds) in the Division I state meet Nov. 3 at National Trail Raceway.
Dumford, who verbally committed to Notre Dame on Nov. 11, finished first or second in every postseason race. He won the OCC-Cardinal meet Oct. 13 at Hilliard Darby in an area-best 15:15.27 and the regional meet (15:51.81) on Oct. 27 at Pickerington North, and finished second to teammate Kent Ford in the district 1 meet (16:55.98) on Oct. 20 at Watkins Memorial and at state to Tipp City Tippecanoe's Sam Wharton (15:09.95).
"We asked Jacob and Kent to hold back earlier in the year to help the rest of the team," said North coach Dave Weaner, whose team was fourth at state (151 points) behind champion Cincinnati St. Xavier (71). "They've been polite and strong policing each other. They held accountability to a high degree."Sam Edwards
The junior forward had 19 goals and 18 assists to help lead Dublin Coffman to the OCC-Central title and its fourth consecutive Division I district championship.
The Shamrocks lost to Pickerington North 1-0 in a regional semifinal Nov. 3 to finish 15-1-4.
Edwards was district and OCC-Central Player of the Year and first-team all-state. She was ThisWeek's Super 12 captain.
"Sam's athletic ability is kind of what sets her apart," Coffman coach Marc D'Auteuil said. "Also, (so does) her competitiveness, which is not seen too often at this level. She has an unwillingness to lose."
Edwards showed her "unwillingness to lose" in a 1-all tie against Medina on Sept. 29, as she dribbled the ball down field and scored just 11 seconds after Medina had taken a 1-0 lead with 3:22 left.Megan Giardina
Pickerington North had the program's best seasons the past two years, finishing 26-2 overall both seasons with a pair of regional runner-up finishes.
That was due in large part to Giardina, a senior setter who signed Nov. 14 to play for Clemson.
"She really developed into an incredibly well-rounded player," coach Kris Kern said. "She was a powerful right-side hitter and often blocked the opponent's best hitter. In the back, she was a primary passer and serve receiver."
The Panthers lost to Massillon Jackson 21-25, 25-14, 20-25, 25-20, 15-8 in a Division I regional final Nov. 3 at Hilliard Davidson. North won the OCC-Ohio title at 14-0, extending its league winning streak to 86 matches.
"She is a major reason why this senior class went 100-10 and never lost a district or league match," Kern said. "She was a captain and wonderful leader."Rachael Morales
A four-time state qualifier, Morales reached the pinnacle of her prep career Oct. 20 when she beat DeSales' My Linh Li 6-0, 6-2 to capture the Division II state singles championship.
Morales, a Hartley senior and Reynoldsburg resident, finished third in the 2009 state tournament, lost in the second round as a sophomore and fell in the first round as a junior.
She is a Marshall University recruit who finished 25-1 this season, with her only loss to Li in a district final Oct. 13. She went 118-10 for her career, with four of her losses to Li.
"She's worked so extremely hard to get to where she is," coach Lynn Winters said. "She did a great job getting focused and playing her game. She (committed) to Marshall early on in the season and I think that was a big relief. Rachael just seemed like she was so well focused in every match this season."Nick Sparling
The Dublin Coffman junior became the first player in program history to win the Division I state title, as he shot a 145 (74-71) Oct. 19 and 20 at Ohio State's Scarlet Course to finish two strokes ahead of the runner-up.
Sparling was OCC-Central Player of the Year, shot a 72 to win a sectional title Oct. 2 at Darby Creek and was district runner-up Oct. 9 at Apple Valley with a 72.
He was medalist eight times and had a 73.6-stroke average on the season.
"Nick had the best average of any player I've ever coached and the amount of awards he won was impressive," Coffman coach David Woodmansee said. "But what I'm most proud of is the growth he made on the golf course and as a team leader. Adversity never phased him at all. He played his best golf in the highest-pressure rounds."Lexie Toth
An example of what made this junior the area's best player this season took place on the night of Dublin Jerome's team banquet Nov. 7 at Muirfield Village.
"It was freezing, and while I'm pulling out all of the stuff for the banquet, she pulls up in her golf cart because she'd been practicing," coach C.D. Butcher said. "Lexie has the best competitive drive of any (player) I've ever had, which is saying something."
Named the district's Player of the Year, Toth was the OCC-Cardinal medalist and averaged what Butcher believes is a program-best 74.6.
Toth turned in an area-best tie for fourth (149) in the two-round Division I state tournament Oct. 19 and 20 at Ohio State's Gray Course. She tied for 14th a year ago at state as Jerome won its first of back-to-back team championships.Betsy Trace
A field player, Trace helped lead Upper Arlington to its third consecutive state championship and 13th overall.
The junior scored five goals of 44 goals in a 15-5 win over Napoleon in a state semifinal Oct. 26. The Golden Bears defeated Cincinnati Sycamore 6-2 in the state final Oct. 27 to finish 26-3 overall.
Trace also had 44 assists and 49 steals for UA, which went 9-1 in the South Region.
Bears coach Dan Peterkoski classifies most of his players as "field" players because they play multiple positions.
"Betsy has a great shot, probably the best shot on the team," Peterkoski said. "She can score at any time from any place in the pool. She has an ability to be aggressive and help from anywhere. No matter what girls were in the pool, we knew we weren't going to miss a beat."Thomas Trace
A utility player, the Upper Arlington junior had 116 goals, 25 assists and 43 steals for the Golden Bears, who went 25-4 overall and won their first state championship since 2009 and seventh overall.
Trace was named state Player of the Year after scoring eight goals in an 18-8 win over Thomas Worthington in a state semifinal Oct. 26 and scoring six more in a 17-2 win over Cincinnati Sycamore in the state final Oct. 27.
The Bears, who had finished third at state each of the previous two years, went 12-0 in the South Region.
"He has an outstanding shot," UA coach Jim Roberts said. "He's fast and quick and anticipates things very well. He was our rookie of the year as a freshman and started as a sophomore, and this year I told him my goal for him was to be the top player in the state."Leah Wallace
After placing 13th in the Division I state meet a year ago, this Reynoldsburg sophomore proved that her freshman performance was no fluke.
Wallace captured her second consecutive OCC-Ohio championship Oct. 13 when she ran 18 minutes, 43.7 seconds in the league meet at Lancaster. She followed with a title in the district 2 meet Oct. 20 at Watkins Memorial when she ran 18:45.71.
At regional Oct. 27 at Pickerington North, she battled muddy and cold conditions to win in 18:44.9.
On Nov. 3 in the state meet at National Trail Raceway, Wallace placed 16th in 18:24.28.
"I'm really excited about my season," she said. "At the regional I didn't even think about winning it until I got to the postseason. I didn't do as well as I wanted at state but it was still a good season."


text:
Hello Crafter!
Carolina here, this week I'm sharing a quick & easy to make tutorial and
showcasing this new sentiment stamp called
'Peace, Love Joy' from High Hopes 'Fall/Winter Stamps Release'
Are you looking for an easy to make handmade gift idea for your friend
or kids teachers, you will love this tutorial!
Let me tell you how I created this elegant christmas tag!
First stamped the sentiment with Versamark on black cardstock and used gold embossing powder. After I heat embossed the sentiment I die cut it using a circle die from Spellbinder. I die cut a second scallop circles adhesive the circles together and my tags in all ready.
Here's a closer look at the stamp!
Here's what I used to created this coconut oil and brown sugar scrub.
First measure out how much brown sugar will fit in your jars or container.
This type of mason jar fit 1 cup of brown sugar!
So I used 1 cup of bs and 1/2 cup of coconut oil.
I mixed the coconut oil and brown sugar together.
Your scrub will look something like this when it's been mix enough.
No sugar lumps or chunks of oil still showing!
This smell so amazing and is a wonderful exfoliator for your body or face.
Here's what I used to decorated my handmade coconut oil and sugar scrub jars.
Seal the jar and attach the tag with some cute holiday ribbon or twine.
***I hope you enjoyed my tag and brown sugar scrub inspiration today ****
Thank you for visit my blog today!
May sure to stop by again soon for more ideas and inspiration!
For more details and photos, please visit my blog at

subset: commoncrawl


text:
AUGUSTA, Ga. — There's just something about Tiger this year.
The look is different, the swagger is back. The joy is evident, the smiles more frequent. And with club in hand, he is reminiscent of the Tiger who dominated the sport for a decade.
MICKELSON: Another bold move for Lefty?
Just three years removed from a public scandal that shattered his home life, tarnished his impeccable image and wrecked his play on the golf course, Tiger Woods is in a better place these days at one of his favorite places in the world.
KEY GROUPINGS: Woods to play with Piercy, Donald
Having rebuilt his swing under relentless analysis and sharpened his putting stroke after a tip from a friend, the red shirt on Sundays means something again. He will be the prohibitive favorite when the Masters begins Thursday. This towering presence who has won six times in his last 20 starts on the PGA Tour — including his past two — is again No. 1 in the world.
"He's so happy," said fellow golf pro Steve Stricker, who gave Woods a putting lesson a month ago and joined Woods for a practice round Sunday at Augusta National. "He's smiling, he's joking around. He's in a good mood. He seems a little more at peace with himself.
"He must have things in order."
THE MASTERS: No one forgets his first time
Outside of the ropes, it appears he does. After a single-car accident outside his former home in Florida in November 2009 — a crash that led to revelations of serial infidelity and ultimately cost him his marriage and millions of dollars in endorsements — Woods has slowly rebuilt his life one day at a time and his game one swing at a time.
Further removed from his divorce in 2010, he seems happy as he and Olympic ski champion Lindsey Vonn announced via Facebook and Twitter last month that the two are dating. He is sharing custody of his two children, daughter Sam, 5, and son Charlie, 4. And he is as healthy as he has been in years, his surgically reconstructed left knee and aggravating Achilles injuries posing no threat, which allows him to fully train and practice.
Put it all together, Woods looks poised to get back on track in pursuit of Jack Nicklaus and his record 18 majors. Woods has been stuck on 14 since winning the 2008 U.S. Open — missing four of the last 18 majors due to injury — and the four-time Masters champion hasn't won at Augusta National, the first major of the season, since 2005.
"I feel comfortable with every aspect of my game," Woods said Tuesday in a news conference. "I feel that I've improved and I've gotten more consistent, and I think the wins show that. That's something that I'm proud of so far this year, and hopefully I can continue it this week and the rest of the year."
MEMORABLE SHOTS: Mickelson between the trees
Stricker and other players on the PGA Tour say Woods appears more at peace with himself off the course, which they believe correlates to improved play on the course. Without expanding or giving away too much, Woods says there is a correlation between the two.
"Life is all about having a balance, and trying to find equilibrium and not getting things one way or the other, and I feel very balanced," Woods said. "I think it's just a balance in life, and I think that's what you're seeing."
Tiger Woods says his life is balanced and he's comfortable with every aspect of his game as he looks for his fifth green jacket this week at Augusta National. Woods returned to No. 1 in the world with three wins in his last five tournaments. (April AP
The world is also seeing a different side of Woods, even to the point of talking about his children. Notoriously private, he lights up when he recalls how Sam loves to run around and pick flowers while Charlie hits golf balls with Daddy on the three-hole course in the backyard of his compound in Jupiter, Fla. How he loves to color and play tennis with Sam. How he cherishes the putting contests he has with Charlie, who thrusts his tiny fist in the air when he makes a good putt just like Daddy does. How they love to see Daddy win — because they want to see the trophy. Earlier this year, the kids were in the crowd at the Honda Classic, with Sam holding up a "Go, Daddy" poster.
The once-singular focus he had toward his golf career is crowded now.
"Life is better since I've had kids," he says. "It's a beautiful juggling act. … That's the joy in life and to be able to be a part of their life and watch them grow and help them grow."
Yet Woods, 37, remains intent on catching — and then surpassing — Nicklaus in his lifelong pursuit of the most major championships won. Although Woods has reclaimed the top spot in the world rankings, there are those who insist he won't truly be back until he wins a major.
That baffles some of his colleagues.
"Everyone is waiting for the first major. I don't know why they're waiting for that," golf pro Hunter Mahan says. "I think he's done enough this year to realize that ... he's still better than everyone else. ... I think he's the man again."
Woods hasn't been the man in the green jacket at the end of the day since he, as is customary as the defending champion, helped Mickelson slip on the cherished garment in 2006. The year before, Mickelson did the honors after Woods won the 2005 Masters with a 15-foot birdie on the first playoff hole.
TIGER WOODS: Why did Masters dominance fade?
A stunning 0-for-7 drought has followed for the man Nicklaus once said would win more green jackets than the 10 he and Arnold Palmer won at Augusta.
"It does," Woods says when asked whether it bothers him that he hasn't won his fifth green jacket. "I put myself in the mix every year but last year, and that's the misleading part. It's not like I've been out of there with no chance of winning this championship."
Indeed he has been. He has five top-4 finishes — including two seconds — and a tie for sixth in his last seven starts.
"I've been there, and unfortunately just haven't got it done," Woods says. But "as of right now, I'm tied for second on the all-time win list here, so that's not too bad, either."
Major champion and ESPN golf analyst Paul Azinger says Woods is primed to break the tie with Palmer. (They've each won four Masters.) Considering the off-the-course turmoil and public shaming Woods endured, Azinger wasn't surprised to see Woods' game fall off and his mental strength on the golf course diminish. But Azinger never thought Woods was done.
"People were saying, 'Oh, everyone is catching up, the players are better, they're not intimidated by Tiger anymore,' and I totally disagree. Tiger dropped to their level," Azinger says. "There are great players. But I believe the gap between Tiger and the next best guy may be the size of the Grand Canyon again if he continues to putt that way."
Azinger was talking about the change he has seen since Stricker gave Woods a tip last month at the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship at Trump Doral Resort north of Miami. The tip dealt with how Woods stood over the golf ball. Woods then needed just 100 putts in wrapping up the win, his lowest total in a 72-hole tournament in his career. Two weeks later, Woods won again in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Golf Club in Orlando, relying on strong iron play and superb putting.
"Let's face it: no one on the face of the Earth has ever putted like Tiger Woods putts, especially under pressure," Azinger says. "Tiger feels pressure like everyone else. He just deals with it better."
While noting that some people will never forgive Woods for his off-course transgressions, Azinger says that Woods had to forgive himself and find "peace again" if he was to play at the highest levels — like snaring another green jacket.
"I feel like (the Masters) is his to lose," Azinger says. "It's all on him this week."


text:
The Edge Brackets system is easy to install and once installed no tools are needed to remove your saddlebags. Edge Brackets are installed by removing the two bolts from your fenders and replacing the two OEM bolts with the Ghost Bracket bolts and hardware which are called "keepers". The Edge Brackets are then bolted on to your saddlebag and simply slide right on to the keepers.
Now with the latest Generation III (G3) Edge Brackets you will have the most versatile saddlebag system ever developed. Made from solid 10 gauge steel, the brackets are specialty pretreated and then black powder coated for durability and good looks. All the hardware provided is stainless steel that is polished to a show room finish. The Generation III Edge Brackets are completely adjustable in every direction allowing you to place your bags on the bike exactly where you need them not only getting you the exact look you desire, but also helping to avoid many undesirable turn signal relocation requirements. Simply slide the bracket on the stainless steel keepers, turn your locking key and the brackets and your expensive saddlebags are safe, securely locked onto your bike. Why settle for just one set of saddlebags? With Edge Brackets your saddlebags are interchangeable allowing for multiple sets of saddlebags to be used.
Edge Brackets G3 Model 105 Fits fender bolt width 4 1/2" - 7 5/8"Large Image
Edge Brackets G3 Model 106 Fits fender bolt width 4 1/2" - 10 3/8" Large Image
A voluble accessory for every Edge Brackets owner. This carrying handle sports a convenient leather strap and specially designed polished stainless steel slotted keepers that slide into the Edge Brackets mounting slots. The Carry EEZ allows you to conveniently carry both your saddlebags when you want to remove them from your motorcycle. No fumbling when trying to carry both your saddlebags at once, just slip both your bags onto the keepers and you now have one hand free to open doors, search your pockets, or wave at friends. Be the envy of your riding group with a Quick Release Detachable setup and the Carry EEZ Leather carrying handle.
Buy Now
Large Image 1Large Image 2


text:
McNider and Christy: Why Kerry Is Flat Wrong on Climate Change
It was the scientific skeptics who bucked the 'consensus' and said the Earth was round.
In a Feb. 16 speech in Indonesia, Secretary of State John Kerry assailed climate-change skeptics as members of the "Flat Earth Society" for doubting the reality of catastrophic climate change. He said, "We should not allow a tiny minority of shoddy scientists" and "extreme ideologues to compete with scientific facts."
But who are the Flat Earthers, and who is ignoring the scientific facts? In ancient times, the notion of a flat Earth was the scientific consensus, and it was only a minority who...


text:
How to Win Cold War 2.0
To beat Vladimir Putin, we're going to have to be a little more like him.
The last two weeks have witnessed the upending of the European order and the close of the post-Cold War era. With his invasion of Crimea and the instant absorption of the strategic peninsula, Vladimir Putin has shown that he will not play by the West's rules. The "end of history" is at an end—we're now seeing the onset of Cold War 2.0.
What's on the Kremlin's mind was made clear by Putin's fire-breathing speech to the Duma announcing the annexation of Crimea, which blended retrograde Russian nationalism with a generous helping of messianism on behalf of his fellow Slavs, alongside the KGB-speak that Putin is so fond of. If you enjoy mystical references to Orthodox saints of two millennia past accompanied by warnings about a Western fifth column and "national traitors," this was the speech for you.
Story Continued Below
Putin confirmed the worst fears of Ukrainians who think they should have their own country. But his ambitions go well beyond Ukraine: By explicitly linking Russian ethnicity with membership in the Russian Federation, Putin has challenged the post-Soviet order writ large.
For years, I studied Russia as a counterintelligence officer for the National Security Agency, and at times I feel like I'm seeing history in reverse. The Kremlin is a fiercely revisionist power, seeking to change the status quo by various forms of force. This will soon involve NATO members in the Baltics directly, as well as Poland and Romania indirectly. Longstanding Russian acumen in what I term Special War, an amalgam of espionage, subversion and terrorism by spies and special operatives, is already known to Russia's neighbors and can be expected to increase.
In truth, Putin set Russia on a course for Cold War 2.0 as far back as 2007, and perhaps earlier; Western counterintelligence noted major upswings in aggressive Russian espionage and subversion against NATO members as far back as 2006.The brief Georgia war of August 2008, which made clear that the Kremlin was perfectly comfortable with using force in the post-Soviet space, ought to have served as a bigger wake-up call for the West.
Unfortunately, it didn't, and now former Soviet republics with a Russian minority—which is most of them—must now wonder what parts of their country the Kremlin may wish to unilaterally seize in the future. Statements from Crimea's new rulers that the Tatar population will need to be relocated—considering that Stalin deported them in toto in 1944, killing nearly half in the process—speak volumes about the Kremlin's mentality.
There is ample Soviet nostalgia on display, combined with a crude nationalism that ought to worry all Europeans. After all, issues of ethnicity and borders led directly to both World Wars. Central and Eastern Europe believed such questions had been settled—by Josef Stalin, let us remember—in 1945 and ought not be reopened.
Where revisiting this leads was made painfully clear in the Balkans in the 1990s. Yet Putin has now done the same in the far bigger post-Soviet space, with implications that are deeply troubling. That Russia, a patchwork of nearly 200 nationalities, not all of them deeply pro-Kremlin, ultimately has far more to lose than Ukraine from redrawing borders based on ethnicity seems not to have occurred to anyone in the Kremlin.
Since the annexation of Crimea, Russian intelligence has reportedly been employing its playbook in eastern and southern Ukraine, using spies and operatives to stir up trouble among ethnic Russians and lay the groundwork for a future invasion by "self-defense militias" backed by Russian troops. It's not yet clear that these techniques will get Putin what he wants, but there is always the option of overt invasion by the Russian military, which must be judged a serious possibility.
If Russia goes down that road, the stoic passivity we have witnessed by besieged Ukrainian troops in Crimea will end and Moscow will have a major war on its hands—indeed the biggest European conflict since 1945. Moves by the Russian military into central Ukraine would generate stiff resistance that could last years, particularly since the brutal Stalinist methods of mass repression that were needed to pacify Ukraine in the late 1940s are off the table for even Putin in 2014. In the unlikely event that Russian forces move into western Ukraine, past Kyiv and toward Poland, it would be difficult to see how NATO could avoid becoming involved.
That said, it's evident that Moscow prefers easy conquest and would likely avoid any moves that could trigger a genuine war with NATO. Putin has become a gambler but not yet a fool. However, his nationalist attack on the post-Cold War European order is bound to evoke memories of Adolf Hitler in the late 1930s. Like Hitler, Putin has reestablished the pride of a defeated people, brought them out of economic disaster, rebuilt the military and revitalized ethno-nationalism while humiliating the hated victors of the last war. This is a heady brew, so Putin's current high popularity numbers among average Russians ought not surprise, but the Kremlin's vision of a Russian Lebensraum transcending current borders ought to alarm to anyone invested in European peace and stability.
Whether or not Putin invades mainland Ukraine, NATO must understand that the Kremlin has decided to begin a new Cold War by attacking the settlement of the last one. Further Western denial—like we saw after the invasion of Georgia—will only encourage more Russian adventurism, with all the attendant risks of wider conflict and major war. While the George W. Bush administration bears its share of the blame here, there is no denying that the Obama White House has repeatedly fumbled the ball with Russia. The famed "reset" was a fine idea if Dmitry Medvedev were actually running Russia, which he certainly was not. Moreover, this White House's mishandling of Syria, essentially outsourcing U.S. policy to Moscow, only encouraged more hardball from Putin, as was predictable to those who understand this Kremlin.
All the same, I have never had much sympathy for neoconservative critiques of Putin's Russia, which too often have counseled needless hostility and willful disregard for legitimate Russian interests in Moscow's "near abroad," as well as unwise emphasis on missile defense, seen by the Kremlin as a threat. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Western powers, including the United States, were indeed too casually dismissive of Russian concerns—the Balkan wars of the 1990s being a major case in point—and Moscow has now gotten its revenge, repaid with interest, in Ukraine.


text:
A refrigerated train carrying the remains of Australian and other victims of downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 has arrived in Kharkiv amid tight security.
The safe arrival of the bodies in Ukraine's second-biggest city marks the beginning of Operation Bring Them Home.
The first remains are now expected to be flown to the Dutch city of Eindhoven on Wednesday.
The refrigerated train, which had travelled from the rebel village of Torez, was taken to the Malyshev military plant just southeast of Kharkiv's city centre.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte subsequently announced the first group of MH17 victims would be flown on Wednesday to the Netherlands, where their identification could take months.
"Preparations will be made in Kharkiv so that identification can be done in the Netherlands as well as possible," Mr Rutte said.
"As soon as a victim is identified, first and foremost, the family will be informed and no one else. That can take weeks or months."
Outside the guarded Malyshev complex earlier on Tuesday, there were intense discussions between Dutch officials and members of the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART).
The Dutch, who are leading the identification and crash investigation missions, weren't able to allow all of the SMART team members into the controlled area. Just 20 were granted access.
All journalists have been banned from entering the restricted zone, too. One Malaysian reporter told AAP: "Why haven't they let us in?"
"It is out plane - we have to show the Malaysian prime minister."
Dutch forensic specialists are aware they have a huge task ahead of them.
A spokeswoman told AAP some of the remains could have to be repacked before being flown to the Netherlands. The bodies are also expected to be put through security scans.
Malaysian investigators have taken possession of the two black boxes from the flight, which will shed light on cockpit conversations and flight data in MH17's final moments.
Up to 39 Australian citizens and residents were among the 298 people killed when MH17 was downed, likely by a missile fired by Russia-backed separatists.
The Netherlands lost almost 200 people on MH17.
The transfer of the bodies in Kharkiv is expected to be observed by Australia's ambassador to Ukraine, Jean Dunn, and a defence attache from London.
Two other Australian consular officials are later expected to travel with the Australian bodies to Eindhoven.
The plane will likely be greeted there by Australia's ambassador to the Netherlands, Neil Mules, and a defence attache from The Hague.
In Holland, forensic experts from Australia will assist in the identification process. A number are already on the ground while many more are understood to be en route.
The identification process will likely involve using both DNA and dental records.
Canberra is hoping for a "speedy turnaround" with the Australian victims being repatriated on an RAAF aircraft.


text:
Urban life can be hard on the ears
Urban living may be harmful to your ears. That's the takeaway from a study that found that more than eight in 10 New Yorkers were exposed to enough noise to damage their hearing.
Perhaps more surprising was that so much of the city dwellers' noise exposure was related not to noisy occupations but rather to voluntary activities such as listening to music. Which makes it hard for me not to worry that when my 16-year-old son is sitting nearby with his earbuds in, I can hear his music.
There's a pretty good chance that he's got the volume up too loud -- loud enough to potentially damage the sensory cells deep in his ear and eventually lead to permanent hearing loss.
That's according to Christopher Chang, an ear, nose and throat doctor at Fauquier ENT Consultants in Warrenton, Va., who sees patients every day with hearing-related issues. "What he's hearing is way too loud, because it's concentrated directly into the ear itself," he says of my son, adding that the anatomy of the ear magnifies sound as it travels through the ear canal.
Listening to music through earbuds or headphones is just one way that many of us are routinely exposed to excessive noise. Mowing the lawn, going to a nightclub, riding the subway, using a power drill, working in a factory, playing in a band and riding a motorcycle are activities that can lead to hearing problems.
Aging is the primary cause of hearing loss; noise is second, says Brian Fligor, who directs the diagnostic audiology program at Boston Children's Hospital, and it's usually the culprit when the condition affects younger people. Approximately 15 percent of American adults between the ages of 20 and 69 have high-frequency hearing loss, probably the result of noise exposure, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
Several studies of music listening behavior in adolescents suggest that between 15 and 25 percent of teens listen to music at volumes that put them at risk for hearing loss. Fligor, who has conducted one such study, says "the majority of kids don't turn their headphones too loud. [But] for ear buds, my rule of thumb is 80 percent of maximum volume for 90 minutes a day."
And when someone turns the music up louder? Well, in short spurts, that's okay. Loudness is only one part of the equation. How long you're exposed to loud noises also affects your risk. "The biggest concern is that teens and 20-somethings are using music players so regularly," Chang says.
For a long time, excessive noise exposure occurred largely on the job. As a result, most knowledge about noise-induced hearing loss comes from research on occupational noise done in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This work led to regulations set by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which says that workers can be exposed to 90 decibels -- somewhere between the noise you'd experience from a heavy truck and a jackhammer each being operated about 15 yards away -- for eight hours. For louder noises, the allowed exposure time is reduced accordingly. OSHA provides an online chart of typical noise levels.
However, these limits do not protect workers completely, experts says. "They are lax noise standards," Fligor says, who notes that other countries have stricter limits.
How lax? "The result is a one-in-four chance of developing substantial hearing loss over a lifetime," says Rick Neitzel, an environmental health sciences researcher at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Neitzel believes a better limit would be an average of 70 decibels over a 24-hour period; this standard was recommended by the Environment Protection Agency when it studied the issue in the 1970s. "That's a little louder than a person speaking. It's fine to be over that, but for every loud experience, you need to have quiet time to balance it out."
Staying below the EPA limit eliminates the risk of noise-induced hearing loss, Neitzel says.
In a 2012 study, Neitzel and colleagues surveyed 4,585 New Yorkers about how often and how long they spent in noisy environments and activities, including their jobs, their subway commutes, their attendance at sporting events and concerts, their use of power tools and listening to music. The researchers then calculated average daily exposures and found that 91 percent of transit users and 87 percent of others were exceeding the EPA standard.
The results surprised Neitzel because the majority of participants were professionals or office workers, "so it was nonoccupational activities that were driving their exposure," he says. In two of every three participants, music was a major source of what the study called "voluntary exposure" to loud sounds.
Riding the subway was also a major source for some New Yorkers: 10 percent of transit users exceeded the 70-decibel goal from their time on transit alone. "When the train comes in in Manhattan, the noise is 80 to 85 decibels on average and goes upwards of 95 to 100 decibels for brief periods," Neitzel says.
Besides advising people to turn down the earbud volume, Neitzel recommends better ear protection.
Cheap earplugs that you can buy at the drugstore offer some protection, Chang says. In addition, there are specialized ear plugs, such as ones for hunters that amplify low-level sounds and block out gunshots. Musicians' earplugs reduce noise with higher fidelity than the muffling effect that regular plugs have: You want to hear the music that you and your orchestra mates are playing, after all.
To gauge your noise exposure, you can try mobile phone apps that function as decibel meters. You can use a noise dosimeter -- there are apps for that as well as stand-alone devices available on the Web -- that measures average exposure over time, Neitzel says. "If it's below 70 decibels, you're okay. You have nothing to worry about."
Some music players allow the user to limit its maximum volume. But many do not. In which case: If you can hear your kids' music coming through ear plugs or headphones, tell them to turn the volume down.
If you have any concerns about your own hearing or your children's, you should see an audiologist for a comprehensive hearing evaluation.


text:
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Terrelle Pryor had done the math and determined the failure of the Raiders to score a touchdown with a first-and-goal situation at the 1-yard line was the difference in a 24-20 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Given the loss of four points when settling for a 24-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski and the four-point margin of defeat, it was tough to argue.
"We got three points and we lost by four," Pryor said.
Leading 17-14 at halftime, the Raiders took the second-half kickoff and painstakingly drove from their own 20 to the Giants' 1-yard line on a 5-yard run by Rashad Jennings for a first-and-goal.
Jennings, who finished with 88 yards on 20 carries, was stopped on first down for no gain. Pryor threw incomplete to Denarius Moore in the back of the end zone on second down.
On third-and-1, a false start on tackle Khalif Barnes pushed the ball back to the 6. Pryor threw incomplete to Rod Streater on third down.
The drive contained the only two third-down conversions the Raiders had all day (they were 2 or 12) and consumed 8:04 off the clock.
But instead of being up 24-14, the Raiders led 20-14.
"You want to think you can punch it in," Jennings said. "We've got a physical group up front. … There are no excuses for not being able to get in the end zone, and that's starting with myself just being the running back out there."
The decision to pass the ball on second-and-goal after Jennings was stopped for no gain was debatable, given the circumstances. Coach Dennis Allen said the play-action pass to Moore was in hopes the New York defense would "bite up" and that the call on third down was another run — until the false start from Barnes.
"That pushes us back to the 6, and we had to end up throwing the ball," Allen said.
When asked about the play, Barnes, after a long pause, said, "I can hear T.P. saying 'hut-hut,' but that's neither here nor there. I've got to move when the ball moves."
(Barnes also had three holding penalties.)
The Raiders averaged 4.3 yards per carry against a team that came in giving up 3.6, and Allen said, "I thought we ran the ball exceptionally well today."
So with a sore-kneed quarterback, perhaps the Raiders should have run it more often?
In the end, the Raiders had 25 rushes and 26 passes.
"I thought we had a good game plan," Allen said. "I thought we did the right things. We just didn't make enough plays at the end to win the game."
"It was just zone coverage, reading the quarterback, he settled in to get the ball to (Victor) Cruz, and I just made a good read and he let the ball go, and I made a great break and I ran it back for a touchdown," Porter said.
Said Manning: "The guy just undercut it. I didn't really get to step into the throw the I wanted to, and he just read it and made the play."
"I don't think the travel out to the East Coast had anything to do with it. I think our guys were focused in and wanted to come out here and win a ballgame," Allen saiwd. "We just couldn't get it done."
The Raiders are now 1-11 on the road with Allen as coach.


text:
Planned Parenthood sells Obamacare
Planned Parenthood is diving into a new area of education, not without its own controversy: Obamacare.
The group's more than 750 health centers across the country will be promoting the health law and helping women find out about new coverage options for themselves and their families before — and after — enrollment begins Oct. 1. They're creating everything from refrigerator magnets to online apps that help people enroll in a health plan. Some affiliates will be applying to become official government-funded "navigators" to give people more hands-on help through the signup process.
Story Continued Below
Planned Parenthood says its health centers see nearly 3 million patients a year, many of them using the clinics as their primary point of care. More than nine out 10 are under age 40. About half are uninsured.
( PHOTOS: Celebrities react to health care ruling)
So the group sees itself as uniquely placed to reach those women, helping them get covered and serving as messengers to their families and communities. To that end, it's training clinic staff, printing posters and pamphlets and incorporating information about the law into its educational programs.
It makes sense, but giving Planned Parenthood such a major role in promoting Obamacare brings great risks as well. Republicans in Washington and across the country have long wanted to defund Planned Parenthood and making it a major part of the public relations rollout is already inviting criticism from opponents.
"Planned Parenthood is among the long list of liberal organizations that are expected to receive taxpayer-funded navigator grants. The navigator grants would further enable Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in America, to continue its misuse of taxpayer dollars to [supplement] their big abortion business," said Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.), who says she wants to eliminate the navigator program — for which $54 million in funds will be made available — even without a Planned Parenthood link because it's "ripe for fraud and abuse" and violations of privacy.
( PHOTOS: The eight GOP governors who said yes to Medicaid expansion)
Former Colorado Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, who now works with the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List, had a similar reaction. "Of course, Planned Parenthood wants to see this law implemented," she said. "It will just put more money in their coffers."
But some Democratic lawmakers are enthusiastic about Planned Parenthood's ability to draw in women who can benefit from President Barack Obama's health law. In fact, Obama himself had urged the organization to take on a role.
( Also on POLITICO: TOP 5 complaints about Obamacare)
"If Americans don't know how to access the new benefits and protections that they're going to receive as we implement this law, then health care reform won't make much of a difference in their lives," he said earlier this year when he became the first sitting president to address Planned Parenthood's national conference.
"We've got to spread the word, particularly among women, particularly among young women, who are the ones who are most likely to benefit from these laws. We need all the women who come through your doors telling their children, their husbands and their folks in their neighborhoods about their health care options. … You are all in a unique position to deliver that message because the women you serve know you and they trust you," he said.


text:
This is not a COMMERCIAL, it is an INFO.
If you like your C-Kite but also want the 100% depower of Bow-Kites, there is a solution.
It is called DPS-Depower-Pulley System and it has been developed by paraflysurf.ch !
With the DPS-System you can trim your C-Kite down to 100% Depower.
The DPS is integrated in the bar. So you need just one bar with the DPS-System to convert all your "old"
C-kites to 100% depower. All you need on your kite is a connector for a 5th Line.
You can as well use the pump-connector that is mounted on nearly all kites on the market.
With the DPS your kite will turn faster and more direct than before in high rates of depower and even in 100% depower you can easily steer your kite.
If you are interested, there will be a detailled report in the next Kite&Friends-Snowkite-Special Magazine that is going to be released soon (November).
For more infos contact firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Crystal clear visuals that look and feel like hardwood or stone, plus a surface that resists scratches, stains, dents and moisture. Laminate flooring makes it all possible on a practical budget. Choose from countless traditional, rustic or modern styles, perfect for any room in your home – even your wa
Floors & More is your local resource for your interior design needs, including window coverings from Hunter Douglas, laminate from Mannington, Armstrong, and Mohawk, Engineered wood, Hunder Douglas window treatments, and granite counters.
Count on the knowledgeable and friendly professionals at Floors & More to coordinate your decorating project from start to finish. Our distinctive services include professional measuring, experienced installation and stylish design advice, all provided with a local flair since we're independently owned and operated. Floors & More has proudly served the Sacramento County areas.
Whether your priority is energy efficiency, privacy or room darkening, ease of use or child and pet safety, you can count on the design team at Floors & More! You'll find everything you need to transform your living space into your dream home.
Contact us today to get started with your project!
At Floors & More, we provide the highest quality products at a great price. Come see why we are one of the premier home design companies in Sacramento.
Larry Kirch
(916) 505-1703
Mon: 10:00-5:00pm
Tue: 10:00-5:00pm
Wed: 10:00-5:00pm
Thu: 10:00-5:00pm
Fri: 10:00-5:00pm
Sat: 10:00-4:00pm
Sun: Closed


text:
Going by the growing investment opportunities in emerging markets, their popularity with investors from the developed economies is not dying down any time soon. Most of the investors are looking for high returns that their mature markets cannot offer, and hence finding prime investments in the emerging markets.
Private equity investors lead the pack in the hunt for quality investments with clear exit strategies across Africa and other emerging economies. Africa presents a strong case that is luring many private equity funds to re-focus their lenses to the continent. Advancement in technology, political stability and the aggressive infrastructure development across the continent are a few of the many pros that are being highlighted in Africa-focused pitch books.
In 2013 alone US$3.2 billion of private equity investments were made in Africa; a 136% increase from the 2012 figure of US$1.4 billion; according to a report by EY titled "Private Equity Round Up Africa". The same report shows a growing interest in other parts of Africa away from South Africa the former darling for PE funds targeting Africa. Between 2008 - 2010, South Africa received 57% of all the PE total deal value in Sub Saharan Africa. However, the trend is changing with the same economy receiving 20% of the PE investments in Sub Saharan Africa in the period between 2011 - 2013.
As much as there is an increase in funds being directed to Africa, the proportion of the global PE funds directed to Africa remains very insignificant. For the period 2007 – 2014 PE funds raised globally amounted to US$ 3.7 trillion; according to a June 2015 survey report by KPMG & East Africa Private Equity and Venture Capital Association. Of the total amount, funds earmarked for Africa were a mere 0.6% (US$ 22 billion); with East Africa taking a meagre 0.04 % (US$ 1.6 billion).
In terms of deal sizes, Africa still lags behind the developed economies by far. In 2013 the average PE backed deal size was US$30 million. In the US in Q1 2015 more than 50% of the deals were valued at more than US$25 million, with a significant number of deals falling in the US$100million – US$ 500 million bracket; according to a Q2 2015 report by Merrill Datasite -https://www.datasite.com/. That notwithstanding, Africa has experienced a doubling in the number of PE deals from 49 in 2011 to 98 in 2013.
Priority sectors for most PE funds have been banking and financial services with media & telecommunication infrastructure also gaining traction. Beside the service sector which takes up a bulk of the PE funds, the commodities also are getting a good share of the cake. Energy and natural resources also rank high for foreign PE funds focused on Africa.
Narrowing down to East Africa, the KPMG report on East Africa PE survey puts the number of deals between the years 2007 - 2014 at 79. Total deals value within the same period stood at approximately US$822 million bringing the average deal size to about US$10 million for the region.
Most of the PE funds were invested in the financial services and the FMCG sectors; supported by the bulging middle class in the region; which assures investors of scalability of their targets. Agriculture being the major economic activity in the region attracted 27% of the PE funds; though they were more focused on agri-processing as compared to the primary agriculture sector. Financial services attracted 14%, FMCG 11%, ICT 10% and healthcare closes the top five target sectors at 9%.
Going forward, Africa will leverage on its peace dividend and its faster growth rate compared to other economies globally to attract more foreign direct investments. As more local companies grow and become more stable, PE funds are likely to move in and find quality investments to deploy their dry powder in. The PE market in Africa is still nascent, but we can only look forward to brighter days ahead buoyed by the positive African economic growth narrative.


text:
Or Login using BecomeGorgeous
Please fill the form below and follow the further instructions.
You are about to receive a email from us please make sure to check your spam or junk folder and add our email [email protected] to your contact list.
Thank you!
Fitness Jobs at 24 Hour Fitness You can make a living doing what you enjoy by filling in the 24 Hour Fitness job application. 24 Hour Fitness are always looking for knowledgeable, passionate and enthusiastic fitness professionals who are motivated and inspired by the possibility to improve people's lives. 24 Hour Fitness jobs is a real career starter as this is an innovative, stable and fast-growing company with incredible development opportunities and a great leadership track for high potential career growth. Join their fun, diverse... Read More


text:
Members Login to Reserve
Not a Member?
A few public sites are available through RVontheGo.com
Year-Round RV Camp in Washington
Talk about ocean access! This RV camp in Washington is located just 1,200 feet from the Pacific Ocean. Don't forget to bring your four-legged friends. All 28 miles of beach is 100% dog friendly. All of the sites at our Long Beach campground offer full RV camping hookups and are satellite ready. A Long Beach RV Camping trip also features wonderful summer activities for the whole family. Explore bike paths, play on the beach, visit our historical lighthouses and much, much more.
Along with our on-site amenities, make sure to allow extra time to enjoy the nearby attractions. Just two miles up the road is the city of Long Beach, where great restaurants, shopping and museums await.
Don't wait to make reservations! There are many events happening around town and at the campground this year so we expect a very full and exciting season. We look forward to helping you plan a memorable time with us here at Long Beach RV & Camping Resort.
- Clubhouse
- Bike Trails
- Swimming Pool
- Whirlpool/Spa/Hot Tub
- Near Beach
- Creek / Lake / Canal / River / Ocean Frontage
- WiFi
- RV Storage
- Pets Welcome
- Nature / Hiking Trails
- Restroom/Shower Facilities
- Laundry Facilities
- Picnic/BBQ Area
- Playground
- Volleyball
- Basketball
- Horseshoes
- Library


text:
Summoning a woman of Amazonian might, Rodarte revealed their powerful and darkly majestic collection.
For S/S 10, Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte summoned up a mythical, battle scarred woman emerging victorious from ashes of being burnt alive, like a Californian condor, that mangled and tattered vulture. If the reference sounds kooky, the collection was anything but, being both powerful and darkly majestic. Painted with tribal tattoos, the models appeared from the fog of dry ice, resembling primitive warriors. This idea of ashes meant the fabrics (leather, silks, cheesecloth, plastic, macramé and cobweb) this season were burnt, shredded, destroyed and utterly ruined until they were remnants of their former selves and then delicately draped and latticed back together again.
With this showing, they further refined the ideas they have been developing over the last few seasons to exquisite results. With no formal background in design, there is a sense of the sisters literally feeling their way through the collection, but in return, creating a visceral response in the viewer. With the recent winning of the Swiss Textile Awards and 2009 CFDA Womenswear Award (not to mention women like Kirsten Dunst and Natalie Portman in their creations and a line for Target due to hit stores in December); it is astonishing that two sisters working in such an insular way in Southern California have been able to translate their vision to the public so completely. Perhaps it has something to do with the compelling, emotional response the clothes provoke.
Dazed Digital: What were some of the reference images for the collection?
Kate and Laura Mulleavy: To start we had fires. Which is strange because Southern California has been in flames for the last 3 weeks. We went on a trip to Death Valley with one of our best friends, Johnson (Hartig of Libertine). It's an alien landscape and it doesn't look like anyone's actually been there. And then imagining this empty house, like what would be left behind. So we imagined this woman who was stranded and mangled and burnt alive, and then being reborn as a Californian condor. What we wanted to say was that this person could tell a story. Their bodies would be a physical transformation, there would be scars everywhere. So that's where the tattoos on the body come in. And the idea of having hair that looked like it still had ash on it. But still restrained enough that it was not wild. It was just this idea that there was freedom and restraint with it.
DD: Tell us about your experiments with fabric in the collection.
Kate and Laura Mulleavy: The starting point was that we wanted to burn everything. So it started from burning and then we burned the fabrics back and stained it and sandpapered it. We ruined these beautiful textiles and we thought, "it's not ruined enough!" Then that's when your idea of beauty changes. Then we used these leathers, macramé, an incredible plastic that looks like bird skin. Then we went through an intensive two month period of hand braiding that was the hardest thing we've ever done. We wanted it to look like there is a story everywhere.
DD: The way you work is so hermetically sealed. Is it difficult then presenting it to the world?
Kate and Laura Mulleavy: Well it's really hard because sometimes you have to do fittings in front of a group of people. I think it's better to not talk about what you're doing. It's better to keep your own dialogue.
DD: And if you were to sum up an emotion running through the collection?
Kate and Laura Mulleavy: I think there's desperation in it – this idea of a woman being stranded. That's why we used this floral print which reminds me of the Depression and this dustbowl mentality where people just got through it. But ultimately, I like the idea of empowerment and survival and coming up stronger for it.


text:
There is not much gaming fans do not know about French wizard Bruce Grannec, the current holder of the FIFA Interactive World Cup title. At the age of 26, the diehard Paris Saint-Germain supporter has turned the videogame world upside down and even has a manager and a coach to aid him with his full-time career.
Yet one thing the fans perhaps do not know is that the poker-faced Grannec, who is known in the trade as The Machine for his ability to grind out wins, has a sparring partner by the name of Brak, a close friend against whom he plays all his training matches.
"Brak is very important for me, not just because he's my friend but because he knows my game inside out," explained Grannec, who takes on his right-hand man between five and seven times a day. "There's no one better placed than him to advise me and test my game. I'm always learning things with him."
"I don't know if I'd put it like that," replied Brak, proud to receive his friend's praise but a little reticent about it nonetheless. "It's more a case of me learning everything from him. He beats me nine times out of ten, and he's taught me how to defend, attack and concentrate. Bruce is so good you have to be focused from the first minute to the last."
*Ten years together *The imposing yet smiling Brak, who hails from a Senegalese family, is much more than a mere sparring partner to Grannec. He is one of his best friends, the duo having first met as gaming rivals.
"It was ten years ago," said the 25-year-old Brak, taking up the story. "I was looking to take on the best and I saw Bruce was leading the table, so I invited him to a game. What we didn't know was that it was the start of a great friendship."
A PSG fanatic himself, Brak also plays in and reports on gaming tournaments but found time to make an important contribution to Grannec's FIWC Grand Final win in Madrid in May.
"I wasn't there but I spoke to Bruce on the phone after the terrible first day he had," he recalled. "He was very down but I wasn't. I know him and I know what he's capable of achieving. I told him to remember that he's a great player and that everything would come naturally. All he had to do was enjoy himself and not think about things."
The pep talk was just what Grannec needed. Filled with renewed confidence, he began to string the wins together and eventually walked off with the title for a second time.
"I watched the final from my room in Paris," continued Brak. "My heart was beating fast and I was so happy to see him win the title. I remember going with his brother to meet him at the airport, but you know what Bruce is like. He's not very expressive. It's not easy to celebrate with him. We just gave each other a hug."
The sky is the limit
FIFA.com saw for itself the effect that Brak has on the two-time world champion. Whenever he is around, Grannec comes to life. Responding with a laugh to his recent defeat to Alfonso Ramos in the Champions Trophy final in Cologne, a defeat Brak witnessed in person, Grannec said: "It was obvious I was going to lose here. He brings me bad luck. He didn't go to Madrid and I won. Then he comes here and look what happens."
Taking the joke in good humour, Brak explained his absence from May's Grand Final: "With some of the tournaments, it's better that his coach Zal goes. He knows him as well as I do, but he's better at coming up with the right words at the right time."
Brak has never contested an FIWC Grand Final himself. "It's very hard to qualify," he said. "I regard myself as a good player but not that good." Yet in contemplating his friend's chances of retaining his world title next year, he exuded confidence: "He's a very special player who can win whenever he puts his mind to it. All he has to do is enjoy what he's doing. If he does that, he can achieve whatever he wants to."


text:
5 Ways to Protect the Rights of Future Generations
We often talk about the rights of women, immigrants, and animals. Yet the rights of future generations are rarely mentioned, despite the fact that their very ability to exist is threatened by our actions today. Perhaps, if the needs and rights of future people were legally recognized, it might give us the impetus to stop projects that threaten the climate and the survival of future peoples.
That was the thought that led Carolyn Raffensperger, a lawyer and executive director of the Science and Environmental Health Network, to call for women across the country to join her at the Women's Congress for Future Generations in Moab, Utah. Raffensperger and her co-organizers chose to invite women (although men were also invited) because, as producer Christy Williams-Dunton said, they "are the first environment for every [living] thing that comes through." This gives women a sense of responsibility for the nurturing of life, she added. And because women's voices have been largely left out of political discussions, our contribution might add insight lacking in current policies.
Meanwhile, event organizers chose Moab as the setting because, as the home of sacred sites endangered by both fracking and the mining of tar sands, it heightened our sense of urgency. Plus, Moab's gorgeous red-rock desert and breathtaking formations like Delicate Arch—which a group of us hiked to under the light of the full moon—seemed an inspirational place for discussion on how to protect nature.
The plan, announced via email and the conference website, was to get together and brainstorm the things we'd need to do in order to ensure a livable future for the generations to come. Because the well-being of ecosystem and future people require some sort of legal framework in order to demand respect, it was decided that we would use the language of "rights" to do this, a strategy that has been successfully employed by groups like the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund. We would outline the rights of humans, animals, plants—even rivers—and then hammer our ideas into a Declaration of Rights for Future Generations. It wouldn't be the first time such a document had been produced—the United Nations wrote one in 1997, Adbusters magazine published one in 2008, and Jacques Cousteau's "Bill of Rights for Future Generations" has gathered nine million signatures. Ours, however, would be the first to emerge from a conversation among women.
Such a broad expansion of legal rights might sound like a flower child's fantasy, but it's grounded in hard science. Every schoolchild learns that ecosystems are interdependent. Yet our society continues to behave as though humans can survive the destruction of forests, the pollution of groundwater, and the warming of the climate. We need to take a hard look at our legal system—the code that defines which behaviors are and aren't OK—and revise its systems of rights so that it protects whole ecosystems and all the species within them, from the top of the food chain to the bottom.
The rights of ecosystems and the rights of future generations are inherently connected. Future generations will depend on the ecosystems we are caring for today, and, because they will be our descendents, considering their point of view helps us see what's at stake in the protection of those ecosystems.
However, they lack a political voice, which Raffensperger calls one of the critical civil rights issues of our time. Such rights are just one of the ideas the women gathered in Moab came up with in several days of debate and conversation. I've collected the five most revolutionary ones here.
1. Recognize nature's inherent right to exist
Existing legal structures view nature as a commodity or, at best, a "service provider," rather than as a community of living entities. We must accept that nature has the right to exist for its own sake.
Laws recognizing the rights of nature are already emerging. Rights of nature have taken root in the constitutions of Ecuador and Bolivia, and in local ordinances in more than 100 communities across the United States, especially those dealing with fracking. Such laws recognize nature as more than a resource, and acknowledge that ecosystems and species have the right to exist for their own sake, not only for the sake of humans. By helping whole ecosystems to thrive, these laws ultimately ensure a healthier world for all.
2. Reserve political rights for living beings, not corporations
Corporations' rights too often trump those of humans, let alone other living beings. Our declaration holds that corporations' privileges should be limited and able to be revoked if they violate the rights of present and future communities. Rather than being liable to their shareholders alone, corporations would be liable to all whom their actions affect. Oversight agencies, accountable only to the people, could revoke a corporation's charter if they deem its actions irresponsible.
Rather than allowing corporations to buy and sell nature at whim, land, water, and ecosystems will be held as the commons, a concept that even Western culture has accepted until the relatively recent commodification of nature for industrial use. In other words, a community wouldn't own a river, but could use it in a sustainable way. No person or company would have the right to pollute water or use it at the expense of others. Other species would also share rights to the water.
3. Build economies that benefit the world they inhabit
The women of the conference agreed that economic activity must benefit, not destroy, the natural world. In most workplaces today, economic activity has become estranged from environmental consciousness. A healthy system of governance must recognize that the value placed on human activity must take into consideration the long-term effects of that activity on future generations.
Practices such as tar sands mining and fracking—which are profitable only because of invisible clean-up costs future generations will have to pay—would be outlawed if those generations' rights were part of the law. Careful organic farming is a good example of the kind of industries that would replace them, as organic farms actually improve the quality of their soil and usually preserve woodlots that help encourage biodiversity.
4. Practice restorative justice
Restorative justice must be used to prevent and address environmental destruction. In the context of environmental justice, this practice would involve the perpetrator of an ecological crime in the remediation process. It also recognizes the root causes of the injustice and considers the crime's effect on the community as a whole, rather than on an individual victim.
In the case of ecocide—destruction of an ecosystem—the perpetrator would work to remediate the ecosystem. We decided that restorative justice provides the most effective way of remediating environmental destruction because it changes the perpetrator's worldview and cultivates recognition of the interdependence between humans and the rest of nature. New institutions, such as guardians of nature and guardians of future generations, will allow for the enforcement of such rights.
5. Organize through radical inclusion
The topic of radical inclusion permeated discussion throughout drafting of the declaration. As women taking a greater role within our political and legal system, how do we keep ourselves from claiming power at the expense of other groups of people? Furthermore, how do we ensure that the rights we choose reflect the needs and wants of all humans and future generations as accurately as possible?
Only through diversity of participation—that is, radical inclusiveness—in the drafting of the declaration could we accomplish this, and many of us felt that the conference could have benefited from more diversity, especially in terms of class and race. Organizer Hénia Belalia explains that her plan to address that problem, saying, "Our intention is to carry this work forward in a way that honors bringing more voices, a growing diversity of opinions and experiences, to the process."
Being radically inclusive about the rights of other living beings and ecosystems involves using the platinum rule, which holds that we must treat other beings as they want to be treated, one woman said during the drafting of the declaration. This ensures that we consider other living beings and nature as equals, rather than as existing for our own use.
An old idea whose time has come (again)
What's So Special
About Humans?
We take it for granted that humans have rights. Now, there's growing interest in rights for nature and animals.
Many Indigenous cultures have lived by these principles for thousands of years, and some have shared similar declarations with the world. The Bemidji Statement on Seventh Generation Guardianship, drafted in 2006, brings together the wisdom of peoples from across North America.
The Women's Congress Declaration, however, aims to synthesize an even broader range of voices—including indigenous ones—to create a strong foundation for bringing such rights into law.
In voicing the rights that are intrinsic to a living planet, our declaration can serve as a guide to dramatic social change. It calls not merely for tweaks in the existing legal system, but to a paradigm shift that recognizes nature's own inherent rights and calls for a halt to unbridled corporate power over nature. Whether we must implement our own power structures alongside the existing ones, or attempt to transform them, this declaration stands as a potent tool for change.
Millennium Development Rights would provide accountability for governments, corporations, and others who deny those rights.
A historic new ordinance bans natural gas drilling while elevating the rights of nature over the "rights" associated with corporate personhood.
Why cancer survivor Heidi Hutner, and others, are convening the Women's Congress for Future Generations to make the earth safe again for our children.


text:
A customer walks into a store. He or she tries on the clothes, paws over the books, fondles the trinkets. Out comes the smartphone … snap, snap, snap … and then they leave.
They're "showroomers," savvy shoppers taking advantage of an antiquated tax system. Armed with information and pictures, these shoppers can return home, surf the Web and finish their shopping at such megaretailers as Amazon for lower prices — and without state sales tax. Local retailers, already at a competitive disadvantage, lose out.
About a dozen states have reached agreements with Amazon to collect state sales tax. Texas started collecting Internet taxes on July 1; California and Pennsylvania began Sept. 1. Massachusetts is in early negotiations with Amazon, the megaretailer. Gov. Deval Patrick, in response to a Dracut caller to WTKK radio, said he hopes to broker a deal soon. Last week the effort landed a key ally in state Treasurer Steven Grossman.
Grossman estimates the state can raise another $339 million in sales-tax revenue per year. A national agreement to force Internet sales-tax collection could reap $5.1 billion over 25 years.
Amazon began as an online book retailer; so much of the debate has centered on it undercutting other chains and the corner bookstores. As Amazon has expanded to include everything from baby clothes to sporting goods to food, its reach has threatened other retailers up to behemoth Wal-Mart. Grossman noted, by not charging state sales tax, Amazon has a 6.25 percent headstart on your local store.
He would like to use Internet tax revenue to bolster the state's transportation system, but that misses the mark. The MBTA, for example, dug itself a massive hole by its mismanagement. On Thursday, state Auditor Suzanne Bump reported that the T cannot account for $101 million in fares; its automated fare-collection system is so faulty that it's hard to tell whether the money was miscounted or stolen. All too often, tax collections earmarked for specific programs are often diverted to others, either by the Legislature or corner office.
How's this for an idea: Use the Internet tax revenue to lower the state sales tax from its current 6.25 percent?
Grossman is still right on the basics. Tax revenue is there for the taking. And while small-business owners may never be on a level playing field with online companies that ship billions of parcels a year, they should not have to climb mountains to succeed.


text:
Holiday Inn Orlando East - UCF Area
Holiday Inn Orlando East - UCF Area
1724 N. Alafaya Trail
1724 N. Alafaya Trail
Orlando, Florida
United States
Check In: 3PM
Check Out: 11AM
Check-in Age: 18
Book With Us Advantage
- Best Price Guarantee
We promise you access to the guaranteed best available prices, or your first night is free.
- Online Reservation Guarantee
Your room is guaranteed.
- No Booking Fees!
We do not charge any booking fees for making reservations directly with us.
- Data Privacy and Site Security
IHG takes your privacy seriously and works to protect you. All personal information you provide is encrypted and secure.
Welcome to Holiday Inn Orlando East - UCF Area
Welcome to the NEWLY renovated and 2015 Renovation of the Year award winning Holiday Inn Orlando East-UCF Area Hotel conveniently located just over a mile from the University of Central Florida and the CFE Arena. And, only minutes from Central Florida Research Park and Quadrangle Office Park home to several major local corporations such as AFAMS, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, NAVAIR, Northrop Grumman, PEO STRI, Raytheon, Rockwell Corporation, SAIC, Siemens and Central Florida Research Parkway, the Holiday Inn Orlando East-UCF Area Hotel is your best choice in East Orlando.
The Holiday Inn Orlando East-UCF Area Hotel is the ideal destination. Imagine having all the space and tools you need for business, complimentary Wi-Fi and a specialized work area in your room. We even have the right space for your professional meeting with over 4,500 sq. ft. of meeting space. And, if you're here for pleasure you are just minutes away from the Waterford Lakes Town Center Mall where you can experience first-class shopping and entertainment.
The Holiday Inn Orlando East-UCF Area Hotel is your personal retreat. Guests enjoy amenities including our outdoor pool, Fitness Center, 24-hour Business Center, and when it's time to dine you can enjoy first-class room service or a dining adventure at the Black & Gold Bar & Grill.
Kids Stay and Eat Free
Kids ages 18 and under stay for free when sharing their parents' room. Up to four kids ages 11 and under eat free any time of the day in any Holiday Inn® on-site restaurant.
|Kids Stay Free
|Kids Eat Free
|United States, Canada, Central America, South America, Mexico, Caribbean
|18 and Under
|11 and Under
Free High-Speed Internet
Standard Wireless Internet service is included for all guests.
Shuttle/ Parking
- Car Parking Available
- Complimentary Daily Self-Parking is available
- Complimentary On-Site Self-Parking
Pet Policy
- No pets allowed
- Service Animals Allowed
- We accept service animals and or guide dogs. Traditonal pets will also be accepted in the event of evacuation due to hurricanes.
Languages Spoken by Staff
Credit Cards
- American Express
- Visa
- MasterCard
- Diners Club
- Carte Blanche
- Discover
- Smoke-Free Facility
- Number of Floors: 7
- Total Number of Rooms: 149
- Number of Suites: 0
- Number of Non-Smoking Rooms: 149
- Number of Accessible Rooms: 7
- Connecting Rooms Available
- Public Spaces Renovated in: 2015
- Guest Rooms Renovated in: 2015
- Public Entrance
- Guest Rooms
- Elevators
- Public Restrooms
- Registration Desk
- Exercise Facility
- Business Center
- Pool
- Number of Accessible Meeting Rooms: 4
Accessible Hotel Areas
- Registration Area
- Accessible Guest Rooms
- Business Center
- Meeting Room
- Exercise Facility
- Pool
Hotel Areas with Accessible Routes from Accessible Public Entrance
- Accessible Self-Parking
- Van Accessible Self Parking
- Ramp Access
- Portable Bathtub Seats
- Closed Caption TVs
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Guest Rooms
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Public Spaces
Provided by Hotel


text:
(click to enlarge image)
ALL WHITE HAWK ©2008 R. Guthrie
There's a beautiful strain of Red-tailed Hawks around the Capital Region.
They're all white.
They're not albinos. The eyes are dark.
So far, I know of at least six in the area around Albany.
It's a totally interesting phenomenon.
They all appear to be perfectly healthy. And they appear to be females. All the ones I am aware of have mates and are nesting.
There's evidence that this is also something new to the scene. If such a showy spectacular bird were around a century ago, the ornithologists of that era would have made a big deal about them. What's more, they'd have been showing up on mantle as beautiful trophies. They did a lot of that sort of thing back then. So – where are the specimens? I don't know of any. To me, this says that there were no "White" Red-tails around back then.
So it appears that we have an unique and evolving genetic strain of Red-tailed Hawks going on right here; right now!
You might draw a parallel with the "White" Grey Squirrels being found in places such as Niagara Falls, NY/Ont, and Washington, DC. And, the herd of "White" White-tailed Deer at the old Seneca Army Depot in the Finger Lakes District.
I've heard of another enclave of "White" Red-tailed Hawks. This one is in the St. Louis, Missouri area. Or, so I've heard. I don't know if that's true.
If so, that would be outrageous.
There may be more out there. If you know of a "White" Red-tailed Hawk around your area – be sure to let me know.
The investigation continues.


text:
Dobar dan and welcome to Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia! If you're an expat recently arrived or planning a move to this beautiful Balkan city, you'll find numerous helpful tools and resources to help you to get settled in, thanks to our active community of expat residents. Simply join InterNations to discover answers to all of your burning questions, such as where the best districts of Zagreb to buy or rent a house can be found, how to deal with Croatian bureaucracy, and where to find the best bars and restaurants. If you find the advice and support of our membership helpful, why not "pay it forward" by sharing your own experiences and recommendations? As a gateway to Zagreb's international community, our goal at InterNations is to support you in the process of relocating, to connect you with like-minded global minds, and to help you to gain a better understanding of the Croatian way of life. A city very much on the ascendant, surrounded by beautiful and diverse natural landscapes, Zagreb offers a wide range of delightful experiences to curious expats, from sampling delicious Croatian seafood at one of the capital's many mouthwatering restaurants to enjoying the stunning panoramic views from Lotrščak Tower, one of the oldest buildings in the city.
With InterNations, you never stand alone. Whether you move to another city or go on a business trip somewhere — our communities are there to make you feel at home wherever you are in the world. Feel free to also check out our other vibrant InterNations Communities like the ones in Dubai or Riyadh.
Attend our monthly events and activities for Zagreb expatriates to get to know like-minded expatriates in real life.
Get trustworthy advice and local insights from fellow members in our Zagreb expat forums.
Like many Balkan cities, Zagreb bears the hallmarks of a long history of occupation by various empires, including the Ancient Greeks, the Romans and the Austro-Hungarian Empire — plus of course their time as part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. All of these influences play into the diversity and unique personality of the city, which in recent years has stepped out of the shadow of Croatia's more celebrated coastal districts to become a popular holiday spot in its own right. The city center is a vibrant cultural hub packed with museums, art galleries, theaters, cafes, bars and restaurants, while just outside the capital lie some of the natural wonders of the Balkan region — such as Jarun Lake and Mount Medvednica, helping to create an organic and natural feeling that permeates even the more built-up areas of the city. Located at the crossroads between Central Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Balkans, Zagreb is also a thriving business hub, drawing many expats to key industries including mechanical production, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and food processing. The city's increasing popularity as a city break location has also seen major growth in the local tourism and services industries. The financial crash may have dealt a harsh blow to Croatia's economy, but the feeling in Zagreb today is of a young and ambitious city where opportunities are all around if you know where to look.
InterNations is the largest global network for expatriates, with communities in 420 cities across the globe. Get to know fellow internationals in your city, before you're moving, or when traveling somewhere and never feel like a stranger. InterNations makes it easy for you to stay in touch with your expat friends, both online and offline, so you can grow your network of friends and contacts from all over the world. Whether they live in Singapore or Hong Kong, InterNations allows you to be close to them even if they are miles away.
As the world's leading expat community, InterNations has always been founded on a commitment to providing a safe, secure, and respectful experience. Our members are carefully monitored according to our guiding principles, meaning you can feel free to pose any questions you might have about living in Zagreb and look forward to an insightful, helpful, and reliable response from your fellow members. These questions may be of a practical nature — such as advice on setting up a business in the city, how to avoid corruption, and what your rights are as a renter or property owner — or they might relate to your hobbies or social activities, such as taking skiing lessons, forming a hiking group, or sampling the best of Zagreb's many bars and restaurants. Some of the latter interests are also served by our InterNations Groups, which enable members to meet like-minded people and organize interest-based get-togethers. In addition, please feel welcome to attend one of our larger, regular events, where you can meet fellow expats over informal drinks at one of the city's many attractive venues.


text:
MySQL Health Check
The "MySQL Health Check" provides a technical review and recommendation to optimize your database deployment. A MySQL Technician will work closely with your team to deploy the MySQL Enterprise Monitor and to review alerts and advisors to optimize schema, server configuration, queries and replication. This will maximize performance, scalability, availability and security. The MySQL Technician can also help your team evaluate new audit functionality, external authentication to LDAP or Active Directory servers and non-blocking, and high-speed backup capabilities.
MySQL Health Check Activities:
The following activities may be included in a Health Check:
- Architecture: Review and recommend database architecture and design optimizations
- Configuration: Review MySQL configuration and suggest changes based on your specific application
- Performance: Monitor queries and recommend SQL code changes to improve performance
- Performance: Monitor memory usage (cache, hit ratios, etc.) and recommend changes
- Backup: Review backup configuration and recommend changes to improve backup/restore performance
- Security: Identify security vulnerabilities and recommend tighter security configurations
- Security: Demonstrate MySQL Enterprise Audit capabilities
- Authentication: Demonstrate MySQL user authentication against existing authentication model (PAM, LDAP, Active Directory)
- Roadmap: Discuss MySQL Roadmap
- MySQL Application Developers
- MySQL DBAs
- System Administrators
- When:
- A MySQL Account Manager will contact you and discuss your requirements
- Where:
- Onsite at your location
- Virtually by webcast
- All tools are installed by you on a non-production system, with advice and guidance from a MySQL Technician
- None! There is no cost to you.
Limited availability so Act Now to secure your preferred date and time!


text:
Japan's latest trade numbers are out.
The trade deficit came in at ¥641.5 billion, which was wider than the ¥522.8 billion forecast by economists.
Exports fell by 5.8 percent year-over-year versus the estimate of -4.2 percent.
Exports to China fell 15.8 percent.
Exports to the EU fell 11.1 percent.
Export to the US fell 0.8 percent.


text:
New Zealand v Italy, Rome, November 17
Read to skipper All Blacks against Italy
ESPN Staff
November 15, 2012
Kieran Read will captain the All Blacks for the first time against the Azzurri © Getty Images
Kieran Read will captain New Zealand for the first time when they tackle Italy at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Saturday.
The No.8, who will be playing his 46th Test, is handed the honour with regular skipper Richie McCaw rested for the All Blacks' second end of year our outing following their victory over Scotland last weekend.
The line-up features 14 changes to the side that swept the Scots aside at Murrayfield with Read taking Victor Vito's spot at the back of the scrum, Sam Cane stepping in for McCaw and Liam Messam replacing the suspended Adam Thomson at blindside. In the front row, Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu and Charlie Faumuina come in for Wyatt Crockett, Andrew Hore and Owen Franks respectively.
Ali Williams is promoted from the bench to the second row and will partner Brodie Retallick with Luke Romano and Sam Whitelock making way. Scrum-half Aaron Smith and fly-half Aaron Cruden will look to pull the strings having been handed the playmaking duties instead of Piri Weepu and Dan Carter.
The All Blacks' most experienced midfield pairing, Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith return with Ben Smith (cheek) and Tamati Ellison (toe) both sitting out. Hosea Gear is named on the right wing instead of Cory Jane, Julian Savea gets a second start on the left, with Beauden Barrett at fullback.
Head coach Steve Hansen was pleased with his start's tour opener but insists there are plenty of areas for improvement. "The team last week put a stake in the ground and, while the performance was nowhere near perfect, there was some quality rugby played. There is now an opportunity for this group to build on that."
Hansen is also expecting a rough ride against Italy having been held to a 20-6 victory on their last visit to the country. They are renowned for their forward play so they will certainly be up for the challenge and we will have to match that physicality," he said.
New Zealand: Beauden Barrett; Hosea Gear, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Julian Savea; Aaron Cruden, Aaron Smith; Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu, Charlie Faumuina, Ali Williams, Brodie Retallick, Liam Messam, Sam Cane, Kieran Read (capt)
Replacements: Dane Coles, Wyatt Crockett, Ben Franks, Samuel Whitelock, Victor Vito, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Daniel Carter, Cory Jane
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Communication error please reload the page.


text: An isolated letters typeface design with a comic feel. All letters start with a prominent circular dot. All final shape letters end with a smaller dot, in addition. The Nuqat (Arabic for dots) font family has four members which include two weights, normal and bold, and comes in regular and left-slanted italic styles. This font family design follows the guidelines of Mutamathil Taqlidi type style with one glyph for every basic Arabic Unicode character or letter, as defined in the latest Unicode Standards, and one additional final form glyph, for the freely-connecting letters in traditional Arabic cursive text. The Nuqat font family employs variable x-height values. Nuqat includes only Lam-Alif ligatures. Soft-vowel diacritic marks, harakat, are selectively positioned. Most of them appear by default on the same level, following a letter, to ensure that they would not interfere visually with letters. Tatweel is a zero-width glyph. Keying the tatweel key before Alif-Lam-Lam-Ha will display the Allah ligature. Nuqat includes both Arabic and Arabic-Indic numerals, in addition to standard punctuations.


text:
- Team Apache - Simis / Mindscape, 1998.
Can't select the glide renderer in the launcher but can run the glide mode manually ("apachefx.exe -aohsn").
Uses glide2x. 512x384, 640x480 and 800x600 resolutions.
Works ok with nGlide 1.05.
Needs the SingleProcAffinity ACT fix (movies hiccups).
- Jungle Legend - Flair Software / Valusoft, 1999.
Software, d3d and glide.
3(?) glide renderers: voodoo.vd (glide2x and maybe glide1x), voodoo2.vd (glide3x) and glide3.vd (glide3x).
4(?) software renderers: mmx.vd, "old soft.vd", soft8bit.vd, software.vd.
Final.exe have soft8bit.vd, d3d.vd and voodoo.vd links only. Looks like others aren't used.
640x480 only.
Works ok with Voodoo2 SLI. "Memory I/O error" after "Esc" but then quits to the main menu w/o troubles.
Works ok with nGlide 1.05. Freezes after Esc.
D3d and software versions not have this bug.


text:
I am building an'app for Windows Phone 7.5 where I needed to show a list of videos from a YouTube channel, listing videos inside a ListBox and then allowing users to play the selected video.
I never did this before, so I found an interesting article on Visual Studio Magazine that put me on the right direction and that I adapted to my needs (not least writing code in Visual Basic ).
The first thing you need to do is constructing the Web address of the feed containing the desired list of videos. There is a number of URIs according to what you want to query, such as channels or categories. In this post I'm going to show you how to query a channel, which is nothing but querying the list of videos uploaded by a specific YouTube user.
YouTube provides specific APIs to do so. The full YouTube developer guide is available here.
Imagine you want to list all videos from the channel of Queen, my favorite rock band. The feed to retrieve the list is the following:
You can easily verify how it works by pasting the link inside your browser. How about using it in Windows Phone? First you need a DataTemplate for the ListBox. This DataTemplate is going to show the videos' thumbnail and description:
<DataTemplate x:Key="SearchResultsItemTemplate">
<StackPanel Margin="0,0,0,30" Orientation="Horizontal">
<Image Source="{Binding VideoImageUrl}" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Width="100"
Height="90" Stretch="UniformToFill" VerticalAlignment="Top"/>
<TextBlock Text="{Binding Title}" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="300"
HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="10,0,0,0" TextWrapping="Wrap"/>
Then you need a ListBox, which is simple:
<ListBox x:Name="ResultsList"
ItemTemplate="{StaticResource SearchResultsItemTemplate}"
ItemsSource="{Binding}" SelectionChanged="VideoListSelectionChanged" />
As you can see the ListBox uses the previously defined template. Now there are three things to do. The first thing is defining a class that represents a video, in a simplified way:
Public Class YouTubeVideo
Public Property Title As String
Public Property VideoImageUrl As String
Public Property VideoId As String
End Class
The second thing to do is implementing the load operation for the list of videos. The place where you will write the code depends on your app implementation, however this is what you will write:
Dim w As New WebClient
AddHandler w.DownloadStringCompleted, Sub(sender As Object, e As DownloadStringCompletedEventArgs)
Dim atomns = XNamespace.Get("http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom")
Dim medians = XNamespace.Get("http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/")
Dim xml = XElement.Parse(e.Result)
Dim videos = (From entry In xml.Descendants(atomns.GetName("entry"))
Select New YouTubeVideo With {.VideoId = entry.Element(atomns.GetName("id")).Value,
.VideoImageUrl = (From thumbnail In entry.Descendants(medians.GetName("thumbnail"))
Where thumbnail.Attribute("height").Value = "90"
Select thumbnail.Attribute("url").Value).FirstOrDefault(),
.Title = entry.Element(atomns.GetName("content")).Value}).ToArray()
ResultsList.ItemsSource = videos
searchUri = "http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/users/queenofficial/uploads?orderby=updated"
w.DownloadStringAsync(New Uri(searchUri))
We can use LINQ to XML to parse the content of the feed and create an instance of the YouTube class which is populated with values coming from the feed. I'm not using XML literals here because we are referring to a namespace which is different in the Descendants element.
The very last step is handling the SelectionChanged event on the ListBox:
Private Sub VideoListSelectionChanged(sender As System.Object, e As System.Windows.Controls.SelectionChangedEventArgs)
Dim video = CType(ResultsList.SelectedItem, YouTubeVideo)
If video IsNot Nothing Then
Dim parsed = video.VideoId.Split(CChar("/"))
Dim id = parsed(parsed.Length - 1)
Dim playbackUrl = "vnd.youtube:" + id
Dim task As New WebBrowserTask With {.Uri = New Uri(playbackUrl)}
End If
End Sub
Basically the selected item is converted into an instance of the YouTubeVideo class; properties of the instance are read and these are used to construct the video's URL which is then launched via the WebBrowserTask launcher.
At this point you should not be suprised that your application will try to launch the YouTube app, which is created from Microsoft and that is free. The particular video format requires such an app to be available. This implies that you will not be able to test the code on the Windows Phone Emulator, because this does not allow downloading apps from the MarketPlace. This definitely means that you will have to test the result on the physical device.
If you disregard this limitation, you will see how effective this technique is especially if you need to play videos that are not available in other formats.
Print | posted on sabato 21 gennaio 2012 00:04 |
Filed Under [
Visual Basic
Silverlight/Windows Phone
Powered by:
Copyright © email@example.com


text:
Is it possible to have automatic rounding of numbers in a table?
Say that I have this, made in the usual way with a
tabular environment:
pi | 3.14592654
e | 2.7182818284
phi | 1.6180339887
Can I control how many significant digits are shown without truncating the numbers manually myself?
So for example, if I need four significant digits, the numbers should appear as
pi | 3.1459
e | 2.7183
phi | 1.6180
Bonus points for actually rounding the numbers according to the usual rules without simply truncating them.
I understand this is probably non-trivial, so here's a relaxed version that will also work in my circumstances (all numbers have one and the same precision and character count):
(How) Can I control how many characters are rendered in a column of a table?
So if I define the text in the columns as:
\begin{tabular} % some black magic column definition
text & alongword\\
text & anotherlongword\\
text & morelongwords\\
I'd like to get something like:
text along
text anoth
text morel
I know there are non-TeX ways to do this, and I will probably resolve to writing a script if all else fails, but I'm curious whether there's a way to do it solely with TeX & friends.


text:
Your Mental Workout for a Better Game
|You've taken plenty of lessons....Now access what you've learned!
"...Those who allowed themselves to relax and truly listen, discovered that their golf game did improve and they were overcoming problems and mental blocks that were causing problems on the golf course.....If you are looking to improve your golf game, get out to the practice range, the putting green and the sand bunkers. But don't neglect your inner spirit, attitude, beliefs and the mental game of golf...." - Pat Mullaly, Golfgurls.com
"...Every golfer seeks to reach their inner most potential. By using Janet's techniques, golfers can improve their game by several shots as they learn to focus at an optimum level. Janet teaches golfers how to prepare for a round of golf mentally, and how to prepare and adapt to real situations golfers often find themselves. Whether it be focusing after a great start, focusing after a rough start, or dealing with distraction, you will be prepared!"
-Lee Weissmann, Northridge, CA
"...Golf Well really helped me learn to shutout all distractions, allowing me to relax
and focus on my next shot...." -Ryan Aleck, North Hills, CA
"...After listening to the Golf Well, I came in second in our club tournament and won over $300! Since then I've shot well below my handicap. It has been better for me than a series of expensive lessons!"
-Richard Klein, Los Angeles, CA
"...I have been listening to Janet Montgomery's Accessing Your Inner Champion for several months now. It has given me calmness and allowed me to focus more sharply on my Golf Game. About a month after practicing my inner calmness I had a Hole In One! Not bad -- I recommend it to everyone wanting to improve their Golf Game..." -Jess Stevenson, Woodland Hills CC
"...If you are a little to stressed or amped up over that next days match, Play "Golf Well". It's great to listen to while course managing your next days round in your head..."
-Rory Spears, Golfers on Golf Radio