text:
Dr. Xiaoliang Ma, senior research associate at the EMS Energy Institute, has accepted an offer to lead a refinery research program at Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research, as a program manager. He will be leaving the EMS Energy Institute in June 2011.
Dr. Ma began working at Penn State in 1995 as a post-doctoral scholar and research associate in the fuel science program. Currently, he is a senior research associate and the leader of the sorption and desulfurization group at the EMS Energy Institute. In his time at the Institute, Dr. Ma has contributed to numerous research projects and has been a principle investigator or co- principle investigator on many clean fuels research projects.
"I have greatly enjoyed working with Xiaoliang for over 15 years and am grateful for all his contributions to EMS Energy Institute research, especially in experimental and computational research in fuel desulfurization and gas separation research," said Dr. Chunshan Song, director of the EMS Energy Institute.
Prior to coming to Penn State, Dr. Ma worked at the Beijing Research Institute of Coal Chemistry, on coal liquefaction and upgrading of coal-liquid, and at National Institute for Resources and Environment, Japan, on upgrading of coal-liquid and co-processing of coal and petroleum. Dr. Ma received a bachelor degree in chemical engineering from Zhejiang University, China, a master degree in chemical engineering from Central Coal Mining Research Institute, China, and a doctorate degree in engineering from Kyushu University, Japan.
"We will miss Xiaoliang greatly but we realize this offer from Kuwait presents great opportunities for the next phase of Xiaoliang's career development," said Dr. Song. "We wish Xiaoliang well in his new career."


text:
Chinese shares tumble to fourth weekly loss amid worries over trade disputeDevdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 17-05-2019 11:56 IST | Created: 17-05-2019 10:37 IST
Chinese stocks were trading on the shaky footing on Friday, poised for their fourth straight weekly decline, as the yuan dropped amid heightened worries over the Sino-U.S. trade dispute and its impact on the country's economy. At the midday break, the Shanghai Composite index was down 1.5% at 2,912.48 points, and down 0.9% so far this week, having stayed in negative territory for the last three weeks. The blue-chip CSI300 index dropped 1.7%, and was down 1.3% on the week.
CSI300's financial sector sub-index slipped 1.5%, the consumer staples sector dropped 2%, the real estate index down almost 2% and the healthcare sub-index fell 1.7%. The offshore yuan weakened past 6.94 per dollar for the first time since Nov. 30, 2018, erasing all gains since the U.S. and Chinese presidents met at the G20 in Argentina. The onshore yuan dropped to 6.9099 per dollar, its lowest since December 2018. China's state planner said on Friday trade frictions with the United States has had some impact on China's economy, but it was "controllable" and countermeasures would be rolled out when needed to "keep economic operations within a reasonable range".
The comments came after China reported surprisingly weaker growth in retail sales and industrial output for April this week. Trade tensions worsened this week after the Trump administration officially added China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd to a trade blacklist, immediately enacting restrictions that will make it extremely difficult for the telecoms giant to do business with U.S. companies.
"The trade negotiation is the main reason of volatility in asset prices," Ming Ming, an analyst at Citic Securities, wrote in a note on Friday. "The renminbi has been really weak," said Alex Wong, a director and fund manager at Ample Finance Group in Hong Kong. "People, in general, are more bullish towards U.S. assets in a trade war environment. The dollar has been strong recently and that is hurting emerging markets." An index for IT hardware makers in Hong Kong dropped 3.7%. Chinese H-shares listed in the city was down 0.6%, while the Hang Seng Index fell 0.8% to 28,056.69 points.
The smaller Shenzhen index dropped 1.7% and the start-up board ChiNext Composite index slipped 1.8%. Around the region, MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index was weaker by 0.5%, while Japan's Nikkei index was up 1.1%. The largest percentage losses in the Shanghai index were Jiangsu SOPO Chemical Co Ltd, which dived 9.8%, followed by Lifan Industry Group Co Ltd, which lost 9.6% and Dongfeng Electronic Technology Co Ltd, which dropped 8.8%. As of midday, China's A-shares were trading at a premium of 23.61% over the Hong Kong-listed H-shares. The Shanghai stock index is below its 50-day moving average and above its 200-day moving average.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
City of Medicine HatHome Menu
Information about registering for activities and programs
Please take a look at our program guide to see what's happening now!
- Summer 2020 Program Guide (external link)
- Winter 2020 Program Guide (internal link)
Registration Day - Spring/Summer 2020
- Tuesday, March 24, 2020 @ 7:00 am
Registration and information can be completed in the following ways:
- Online, In Person and By Phone - 403.525.8844
- Create an online account (external link)
- Register for a class or program (external link)
Now Online! Purchase/renew your 10 Punch Pass Online.
- Create an online account (external link)
- Purchase/renew a 10 Punch Pass (external link)
Please note that our current software requires the use of Google Chrome in order for you to move through the registration process seamlessly. Google Chrome is a free browser that can be downloaded to any computer, phone, or tablet.
- Download here (external link)
Registration for programs is on a first come, first served basis. You can register during facility hours at the Family Leisure Centre or Crestwood Recreation Centre. You can also register by telephone or by utilizing our online services.
If you are registering a participant with special needs, please take the time to help us understand that need by either describing it in the comment section and/or by providing your name and contact phone number. We look forward to working with you to make this experience a positive one.
Online access begins at 7:00 am on the first day of registration. The City of Medicine Hat recommends creating your online account prior in order to speed registration. If you have any questions about setting up your account, please call us at 403.502.8566 and we will be happy to help.
**Please Note: Registrations using the credit on an account must be made in person or by phone Registrations using Financial Assistance must be made in person
Financial Support
- Customers are now requested to submit applications online via Jumpstart. Once approved, please bring your submission number to the Family Leisure Centre or Crestwood Recreation Centre to enroll in programs, etc.
Jumpstart allows $300 per sport (per child/per year) to a maximum of $600 per year for swim lessons, sports programs and facility punch cards for families in financial need.
Parents/guardians can provide a copy of last year's income tax summary or notice of assessment to show financial status. Please note: Jumpstart can coordinate with other financial assistance to share the registration fee or associated costs. Please allow 1-2 weeks prior to registration day to process your application and ensure that funding is available for the children for the upcoming swim lessons.
Canadian Tire Jumpstart is a nationally registered charity dedicated to removing financial barriers so kids across Canada have the opportunity to get off the sidelines and into the game. Chapter members and Community Partners are joined by Canadian Tire Dealers and employees from across the Canadian Tire Family of Companies who are dedicated to building up their communities. Since inception in February 2005, Canadian Tire Jumpstart has given more than 880,000 kids a sporting chance.
To learn more about this program and how it can help your family, please visit this page.
Fair Entry
The City of Medicine Hat launched the Fair Entry program to assist low-income families/individuals gain reasonable access to a range of programs throughout the city. One application for Fair Entry allows access to various subsidized services per year in Recreation, Arts & Culture, Senior Services and more. Recreation User Fee Assistance: The Fair Entry program grants 50% off up to $100 per year for City of Medicine Hat regular-priced recreation program and admissions to successful applicants at:
- Family Leisure Centre
- Crestwood Recreation Centre
- City-operated outdoor pools
Fair Entry funds are applicable to:
- Regular-priced recreation programs (including swim lessons)
- Single Admissions
- Punch Cards
- 31 Day Passes
- Annual Passes
Visit medicinehat.ca/fairentry for more information. Applicants are required to provide proof of Medicine Hat address and proof of income.
Program Cancellation Policy
100% Full Credit Refund:
- Cancellations initiated by the patron must be received at least 10 business days PRIOR to the start date of the program.
- Cancellations made by the City of Medicine Hat: Patrons will be transferred to a different lesson/ program or entitled to a full refund or credit.
- Special circumstances* occur PRIOR to the start date of the program.
Partial Credit Refund:
- Cancellations initiated by the patron that is received LESS THAN 10 business days prior to the start date of the program will be subject to a withdrawal fee of $15. The remaining refund can be applied as credit and placed on the account.
- If some portion of the program has been attended and special circumstances* occur, a prorated credit refund will be considered based on the amount attended
No Refund OR Credit:
- NO Refund or Credit for cancellations made AFTER or DAY OF the start date of the program unless special circumstances* occur.
*Special Circumstances
- Medical condition develops (doctor's note required - verifiable by Customer Service Staff.
- Family relocation to another city/town
- Death in the immediate family (grandparent, mother, father, sibling)
Waiting Lists
- Registrants will not be charged to add or remove a name on a waiting list.
- Registration and payment processing will be handled only once the course slot is offered to the individual.
Unsuccessful Course Completion
- If a registrant in a lesson is unsuccessful at meeting the minimum standards for advancement, the registrant will NOT be charged a fee for adjustments to other registration already established in successive levels if changed or withdrawn prior to the start of the next class.


text:
Have a question about Rental?
Contact us
The ARRI MB-19 Studio Matte Box is a compact, lightweight production mattebox, which is ideally suited for use with the ARRIFLEX 16SR 3 in Super 16 format. When mounted on the lightweight support LWS-3, graduated filters can be pushed through unhindered. Side flags with adjustable segments, used in conjunction with the top light shield, provide optimum protection against unwanted light.
The MB-19 is supplied with a filter stage for (2) 4" x 5.65" filters. The front filter can be pushed through vertically, and the rear filter can be displaced horizontally and additionally rotated. The filter stage is fitted with a rear receptacle for 138mm diameter filter rings as well as for an additional filter stage for one 4" x 5.65" filter and one 138mm round filter.
To simplify lens changing, the mattebox swings away from the console. For quick adaptation to different lens lengths, it can be moved forward and backward with a lockable adjustment knob. A holder for secure mounting of french flags is included.
Also available are sets of clip-on hard mattes for use with both 16mm and 35mm formats. By use of additional adapters the mattebox can also be mounted on 15mm or 19mm studio support rods of conventional bridge plates.
We are accustomed to working with productions and budgets of all sizes. Need a complete camera system specifically tailored to your needs or a few accessories to complete your kit? We've got you covered. All our gear is meticulously maintained by our on-site technicians, and we treat all jobs with the highest degree of care and attention to detail.


text:
The City of Vancouver said Thursday it is reviewing its method of demanding extra payments from developers to help pay for non-traditional services such as daycare centres, heritage conservation, parks and social housing.
The review comes after the province issued new guidelines for how local governments assess community amenity contributions (CACs) that are tied to rezoning applications. Those guidelines were sparked in large part by concerns that Vancouver is using a method of calculation that could be seen as both coercive of developers and breaching long-standing rules against the selling of zoning in return for a benefit.
The city's practice has been to seek what it calls "voluntary contributions" from developers that amount to 75 per cent of any profit they might generate from land that becomes more valuable through rezoning. In the most expensive of cases, that amounts to as much as $50,000 per-unit, compared to a more modest $1,200 per unit in Surrey.
By seeking "voluntary" payments the city retains a discretionary right to approve rezoning applications. The payment is different from legislated "development cost levies" that all applicants must pay for services such as sidewalks, water, roads and sewer connections. Vancouver said it obtained a legal opinion that the CACs are fair as long as they are made "voluntarily" by developers, who are told they are not a precondition of zoning approval.
Developers have instead called the payments "extortion" but say they pay the fees because they're told city council will not approve their rezoning applications without them. The practice has drawn the concern of the Urban Development Institute, which argues that by taking a majority of profits from a project the city is acting as an income taxing authority, something it doesn't have the legislative right to do.
Anne McMullin, the executive director of the UDI, said there is a perceived lack of fairness in how municipalities assess CACs. Developers are willing to pay for the community amenities their projects need but feel the city is being unfair in what it takes. She noted that in 2000, local governments in B.C. collected $100 million in CACs and development cost levies. By 2011, it had risen to $720 million.
"It's not the developer who pays this. Those costs are passed on," she said. "It results in a higher cost of housing."
The amount Vancouver has collected in CACs in the last four years alone is a staggering $340 million, which it has put to everything from social housing to heritage retention to parks, daycare centres and transportation services.
The province has now weighed in, saying some municipalities are making excessive demands that can lead to higher housing prices and a shortage of affordable housing. It recommends municipalities confine their CACs to "modest" fees based on an assessment of community needs but doesn't say what those amounts should be. It singled out Vancouver's method of taking the majority of the "land lift," or increased value in rezonings, saying this was "not an approved method."
"The province has concerns about housing affordability and about some of the practices that are going on," said Alan Osborne, the former executive director of intergovernmental relations and planning for the ministry of community development, who co-authored the guidelines. "The province wants municipal governments to focus on good planning. It is concerned some of these practices could be interpreted as municipalities selling zoning.
"The city of Vancouver has ambitions to take most or all of the value. When you do that you are going to have an impact on affordability. If you take the profit, you take incentive for landowners to sell their land to developers."
Osborne, who now acts as a consultant for the province, said B.C. considered bringing in legislation directing how CACs are to be calculated but chose to issue guidelines after consulting with municipalities and developers. Those guidelines could become the basis for legislation if necessary, he said.
Brian Jackson, Vancouver's general manager of planning, said the city is reviewing its policy in light of the province's criticism.
"This leaves cities to come up with a better (policy) that fits this ill-defined term of 'modest.' We're reviewing the guidelines carefully and looking at the implications," he said.
"I think the province was sending two messages, one to the city of Vancouver about its method of calculation. But it was also sending a message out to every other municipality in B.C. because that is what the UDI is concerned about, that the Vancouver approach could be taken provincewide."
But he stopped short of saying that the city would either abandon its current method of calculation or reduce the amounts it expects from developers.
"It is too early to tell whether the amounts that would be asked would be less. It is too early to say whether there is an equitable method to replace the "land lift" method that still ensures the facilities and services are delivered."
Osborne said the province supports the idea of municipalities asking developers to pay for the community amenities their projects will need. But it disagrees with how Vancouver calculates those fees.
"The province is pretty strongly concerned about that (land lift) technique. It is also the one most likely to affect housing affordability," Osborne said. "It hosts the perspective that zoning is for sale, that we're not planning, we're simply selling zoning, and to get as much money as you can."
Tsur Somerville, the director of the University of B.C.'s centre for urban economics and real estate, said there is a limit to what the market can bear. He told a UDI luncheon this week that Vancouver's method is causing a shortage of developable land and raising prices because homeowners are choosing not to sell.
Jackson said there is no evidence the city's policy is leading to higher housing prices or a lack of developable land.
"The province argues that the city is slowing down development with its CAC policy. But I challenge you to look out your window and look at what is going on in the city. We don't suffer from getting developers to propose developments. We suffer from too much work going on," he said.
Follow me: @SunCivicLee
Read my blog: Civic Lee Speaking


text:
skip to main
skip to sidebar
USA Hockey Disabled Festival
Everything you need to know about the 7th Annual USA Hockey Disabled Festival in Blaine, Minn., April 1-3, 2011
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Opening Day -- with the Stanley Cup
The Gardens Ice House is all set up and ready to welcome nearly 50 teams from acros the country for the 6th Annual USA Hockey Disabled Festival. At noon, the Stanley Cup arrived. A group of guys playing pickup at the rink were pleasantly surprised to see Stanley as they left the ice. If you're in the area, today is the day to see the Cup -- it will also be here tomorrow, but we'll be taking team photos. I expect it will exciting but also a little chaotic.
Festival committee members Justin Murch, Mark Miller, and Mike Hickey.
Festival program.
Handicapped parking has been significantly expanded for the festival, and the signs even have the festival logo.
Posted by
Mark Miller
Email This
Share to Twitter
Share to Facebook
Share to Pinterest
No comments:
Post a Comment
Newer Post
Older Post
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
About the Festival
April 1-3, 2011
Schwan Super Rink
Blaine, Minn.
Join Us on Facebook
American Special Hockey Association
on Facebook
Subscribe To HockeyFest
American Amputee Hockey Association
American Special Hockey Association
Special Hockey on Facebook
Special Hockey on Twitter
NHL's Hockey is for Everyone
USA Hockey Disabled Programs
Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Assn Disabled Programs
The Gardens Ice House
Blog Archive
Spreading the Word about Disabled Hockey
"Most Uplifting Display of Sportsmanship I Have Ev...
"Being on the Ice Makes Me Feel Free"
Festival "a Reminder That We all Need to Turn a Ba...
Miss Virginia 2008, Tara Wheeler, Opens Military G...
Clai Carr, Owner of Gardens Ice House
Players' Code of Conduct
Former Capitals on USA Warriors and other Brave At...
Sunday Highlights
See You Next Year...in Minnesota
US National Amputee Team vs. USA Warriors
Sled Hockey Championship Results
800 Players, 800 Stories. Here's One.
A Visit by a Goalie, Miss Virginia 2008
Seen on Saturday
Media Interest Grows for Disabled Hockey
Medals and Medalists
Interview: Andy Yohe, USA Sled Hockey Captain
Meet-and-Greet with Sled Hockey World Champions
Looking Ahead to an Action-Packed Saturday
NHL Home Ice Interview with Festival Director Mike...
Mixed Reviews for Ace of Cakes' Sled Hockey Debut
Q&A with the Keeper of the Cup
Photos: Opening Night Games
Ready for NHL Playoffs? Silent Auction Now Has Pri...
Opening Day -- with the Stanley Cup
Johnstown Sitting Bulls Pack Sleds for Hockey Fest...
Sled Hockey GM on Growth of Disabled Hockey Festiv...
Player Profile: Max Maksimyadis, New York Raptors
"If You Have Plans This Weekend, Cancel Them for U...
Opening Day: Thursday's Lineup
Michigan FAR Flyers Pack for Two Tournaments
Player Profile: Joe Bowser, USA National Amputee T...
Silent Auction Items
"They're done being spectators. They're hockey pla...
USA's 2010 Gold Medalists
USA Warriors: Heroes on Ice
Ace of Cakes Supports Disabled Hockey!
A Special Guest Named Stanley
"Even More Hockey Heading to Washington, D.C."
6th Annual USA Hockey Disabled Festival
List of Participating Teams
Intro to Special Hockey
Looking Back at 2009 Hockey Festival
About Me
This blog is written by John Faughnan of Minnesota Special Hockey and Mark Miller, communications director for the American Special Hockey Association. The views expressed are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of USA Hockey, the Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association, the NHL's Hockey is for Everyone initiative, or any other participating organization. Questions or comments? Email


text:
F is at the lowest weight (17 lbs) for this style of SleepSack and it is a little big still but she loves it more than any other SleepSack we have because it is easier for her to move around in. As you can see, F is quite comfy in her SleepSack. It works great for her to sit, climb, and cuddle plus keeps her warm.
I love the lightweight fabric of the SleepSack we were sent because she can wear it year round although I do wish they had the micro-fleece sleep sacks in her size as we woke up to show this morning and I have a feeling we will need all the warmth we can get this winter.
In celebration of F's birthday HALO has generously offered to give one Kerrific reader a SleepSack Early Walker or Big Kid of their very own for this winter. To enter, please use the simple form below. Good luck!


text:
With the promise of sunshine the other week, we drove to Wisley to get some fresh air and see the butterflies in the greenhouse. My dad, who is a bit of a wildlife fan also ventured out with us. I was hoping to get some photos of the butterflies in the greenhouse and know the children enjoy the freedom there. It was a very wintery walk around the gardens. All the ponds and streams were frozen, apart from the parts in the January sun.
Wisley is a great place to visit at any time of the year, as there is always so much to see and with the different seasons it brings the different plants and exhibits there.
This time there was an exhibit of caterpillars and butterflies all around the gardens. Even the ginger breads in the cafes were in the shapes of these, and pretty tasty from the way Charley wolfed hers down.
This time we got to see Wisley frosty and frozen, with the ducks and swans standing on the icy ponds, their reflections on the ice making it look like they were standing on stones in the water.
We'd pre-booked our butterfly session this time so we didn't have to queue with two little ones, not that there seemed to be a queue anyway.
It felt lovely and tropical in the butterfly part of the greenhouse and I was glad we had left our coats on the pushchair outside.
I don't know how many butterflies they have at any one time but its quite a spacious area so it doesn't feel like they are constantly flying round your head. Some are quite large and all very pretty. We saw one sitting on a ladies hat and one even sat on my dads glove for a little bit. Others were on the fruit that have around the greenhouse on the tables.
After all the dreary weather recently it was lovely to be out in the air and to take some (ok a lot!) of photos with the sun out.
Here are some of my photos from our day out:


text:
I'm pleased to announce the release of this nifty little project, part math visualization, part puzzle game. You navigate a maze on the surface of a sphere, but the maze is being visualized on the screen via stereographic projection—a method for mapping the surface of a sphere onto a flat plane. Imagine a globe with a 2D plane bisecting it at the equator. If you draw a line at any downward angle from the north pole, it will pass through the surface of the sphere once, and through the equatorial plane once. Project each point on the sphere along that line onto the equatorial plane and you've got a stereographic projection. The southern hemisphere is projected upward into a circle in the center of the plane, and the northern hemisphere is projected outward to fill the entire remainder of the plane. The north pole itself is lost in the infinite distance.
In Stereographic Maze, our intrepid player (a dot) starts on the south pole (which is in the center of the screen), and must find its way to the north pole (marked by a modulating circle). Use the arrow keys to move along the surface of the sphere to eventually reach the north pole; or, more accurately, use the arrow keys to rotate the entire sphere to flip it upside down, getting the original north pole to be the south pole.
Play: https://tangledwebgames.itch.io/stereographic-maze
Source: https://github.com/l-e-webb/stereographic_maze


text:
LITTLE ROCK — A bill that would let colleges and universities decide whether to allow staff to carry a concealed handgun on campus passed in the House on Friday in a 70-11 vote.
House Bill 1243 by Rep. Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville, now heads to the Senate. Gov. Mike Beebe said Friday he likely will sign the bill if it reaches his desk.
As the bill was originally written, it would have required public colleges and universities to allow faculty and staff members who have concealed-carry permits to carry guns on campus, but Collins amended the bill to allow institutions to decide in an annual vote whether to allow guns on campus.
"The fact that they have made it optional for colleges to say, 'No, we don't want them on campus makes its palatable, so I'm probably going to sign it," Beebe told reporters Friday.
While presenting his bill in the House, Collins said he believed it could save lives.
"We've got a serious problem in America," he said. "On our college campuses about every two months we have somewhere in the country a shooting incident, and our loved ones are the ones that are suffering. One of the things I think we can do to protect our loved ones is to move forward with this bill."
Collins said that after he amended the bill to include an opt-out provision, the state's public two- and four-year colleges agreed not to oppose the measure.
Rep David Whitaker, D-Fayetteville, spoke against the bill, saying there would be no consistency between campuses and that permit holders would be "at sea" trying to figure out whether they are allowed to carry guns.
"I know for a lot of reasons that many of you cannot or do not feel comfortable with a 'no' vote on any sort of gun legislation," he said. "So what I will ask you to do on this bad little law is take a walk on this one. Get a cup of coffee, start your weekend early."
Rep. John Burris, R-Harrison, spoke in support of the bill, saying it gives institutions a choice. He also urged members not to abstain.
"We're elected to come here and make decisions," he said.
The House also voted 57-16 to approve HB 1280 by Rep. David Kizzia, D-Malvern, which would add gas grill lighters to a state law banning the sale of cigarette, cigar and pipe lighters shaped like objects that would appeal to children.
"They're dangerous, they're a nuisance item, they appeal to kids," Kizzia told House members.
Rep. John Payton, R-Wilburn, said he has a grill lighter shaped like a fishing pole and asked if it would be banned under the bill. Kizzia said it would.
The bill goes to the Senate.
Unusual House session
Friday's House session was unusual in several respects, beginning with an overtly political prayer by the Rev. Allen Jackson, who thanked God for "tremendous victories" in the Legislature on abortion and guns. The prayer raised eyebrows among some House members.
The proceedings were disrupted briefly when freshman Rep. Mark McElroy, D-Tillar, asked to be allowed to address the House, then gave a rambling, incoherent speech before being escorted back to his seat. McElroy later applauded loudly while another member was speaking on a bill and then was escorted out of the chamber.
A doctor who was in attendance for the day met with McElroy outside the chamber, according to the House staff. McElroy did not return to the chamber Friday.
Committee endorsements
Elsewhere Friday, the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee endorsed HB 1187 by Rep. Nate Bell, R-Mena, which would prohibit a public servant or governmental body from spending public funds to support or oppose a ballot measure.
The proposal would not prohibit verbal expressions of views supporting or opposing ballot measures.
The bill goes to the House.
The committee also endorsed Senate Bill 215 by Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View, which would prohibit a person from filing as a candidate for more than one municipal office at a time. The bill goes to the House.
The House City, County and Local Affairs Committee endorsed HB 1300 by Collins, which would amend a law that exempts the security plans and risk assessments of public water systems from the state Freedom of Information Act.
The current law expires on July 1. Collins' bill would remove the sunset clause, making the exemption permanent.
The bill goes to the House.


text:
First look at Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland
By Dave Campbell | March 13, 2009
The Tim Burton Collective has gotten their hands on scans from the March 10th issue of the new quarterly Disney magazine, Disney Twenty-Three where Mark Salisbury (editor of the biography Burton on Burton), has written an article on Burton's next film Alice in Wonderland. Take a look at the pics I snagged below and click on them to be taken down the rabbit-hole to view the original articles.
Topics: News | 1 Comment »


text:
November 18, 2010
Woman's Club of Stuart Salute Our Veterans Month!
STUART, FL – On Wednesday, November 17, 2010, at 11:30a, the Women's Club of Stuart (established in 1913, District 10) held their monthly luncheon and business meeting that featured guest speaker and award-winning author, Bette Lee Crosby. Crosby presented excerpts from her moving fictional tale, Cracks in the Sidewalk. For more information about Crosby's work, please see: https://betteleecrosby.wordpress.com/. Additionally, for the November meeting, the Woman's Club collected items for White Doves, Council on Aging, Toys for Tots, and the Veteran's Hospital. The ladies also held a bag-stuffing workshop to prepare gift-bags for Helping People Succeed. Two more new members were inducted to the club which has enjoyed a 35-40% increase in membership in the past year.
Moreover, in honor of Veteran's Day, the Woman's Club of Stuart was proud to salute the members of their club for service and support to the United States Armed Services. The following members were recognized: Barbara Peard, US Air Force Reserve Corps. nurse; Polly Pharo, US Navy, Lieut, j..g., nurse; Lee Vought, US Navy, Yoeman, 2nd class; Patti Eck, USO volunteer, and Lauri Parenti, USO volunteer.
The Women's Club of Stuart is part of a larger organization, the General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC), District 10. Since it was founded in 1890, the General Federation of Women's Clubs has been a unifying force, bringing together local women's clubs from around the country and throughout the world. Although there is considerable diversity in the ages, interests, and experiences of GFWC clubwomen, all are united by a dedication to community improvement through volunteer service and fundraising endeavors. With "Unity in Diversity" as its motto and a strong umbrella of programs that adapt to suit the needs of their communities, GFWC encourages the flexibility that has enabled it to expand its reach in a rapidly changing society. To find out more about the GFWC, please visit, http://www.gfwc.org.
The December 15th luncheon and business meeting will be catered by Eventmakers International, tickets are $20pp, and reservations are required. The afternoon will feature Holiday music by some very special guests, and will be hosted by the Executive Board of the Woman's Club of Stuart. The event will be held at the Women's Club of Stuart Clubhouse located at 729 East Ocean Boulevard in Downtown Stuart at 11:30 a.m. Regular meetings are held Sept. – May the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Anyone wishing to attend as a guest please RSVP to (772) 288-3227. For information on new membership, please contact Beth Guild interim membership chairman at 772-240-9919 or e-mail at: email@example.com. For more information about the Club, please see the new and improved website at: http://www.womansclubofstuart.com.
The Girlfriends committee will also meet on the 2nd & 4th Tuesday of the month at 12 noon, please see the club website for more information. For more information about clubhouse rental rates (in the newly rejuvenated Banyan Room), please call Virginia MacDonald at, 772-285-7813 or email: email@example.com. For more information how your organization might be included as a guest presenter at one of the many club events planned for the 2010-2011 season, please contact the program coordinator, Paula Rosen at email@example.com. You can now also visit us all over the web, http://www.womansclubofstuart.com and on FaceBook, To find out more about the Holiday Home Tour coming up on December 5th, 2010, the Harbour Bay Shoppes Fashion Show in January, and the Club's Annual Fashion Show at Miles Grant Country Club in February 2011.
Contact: Pat Schmader – President 463-5969 firstname.lastname@example.com
This Press Release was written and distributed by:
Jeannie M. Ferrara
Palm City, FL 772-287-7566


text:
Garet wrote:Is this part of why mega-lites are listed at 25 on your post but not counted as part of the results this year? They are asterisked on the main poll site. Same with Space Mountain and some other rides like the Batman rides, is it a case of all cloned rides being asterisked?
Correct. It isn't displaying 100% properly but we know how it should look internally.
Also not sure I can see last years poll but I could have sworn the mega lites placed higher last year, is that a result of putting them together or did they just fall from grace because of new rides or more voters, etc?
There were several brand-new coasters, as well as a bunch that did not qualify in 2017 due to low ridership but qualified this year. Also consider that on the combined poll, the Mega Lites were one entry out of eight that were all within one percentage point of each other in terms of rider preference.
What was the cut-off for riders for some of the rides? I saw Draken on the poll with a number which surprised me since including myself I think i've only seen 1 or 2 other forum members mention riding it.
The cutoff is twelve (12) riders for all coasters on the poll. Keep in mind that we had a heavier push on Theme Park Review's social media channels this year, so a lot of the votes are likely from people who don't frequent the forum.


text:
Jordan Adorno
12 April 2010
Extra Credit Paper
Mondays-Wednesdays 2:00-3:15
"Second-Wave Feminism: the Impact of two Unconventional Publications"
Second-Wave Feminism was a rich and fervent movement for women's rights that peaked in the 1960s. It fought to instill a message that men and women are equal, and that women are entitled to equal rights as opposed to the excessively degraded, constrictive options of the time. Coloring the forefront of the movement were two highly influential feminists: first, Gloria Steinem, editor-in-chief of Ms. Magazine and the leader of the campaign for the Equal Rights Amendment, who wrote the daring "I was a Playboy Bunny"; second, Betty Freidan, the polarizing author of the controversial book The Feminine Mystique, which was a rigorous attack on what she considered to be the typical poor perception of women as 'inferior' across America. These two particular feminists famously combated the messages of antifeminists that endorsed the highly penetrative messages in articles like the "Good Wife's Guide" in the inflammatory 1950s magazine Good Housekeeping, which instructed women on how to be perfectly subservient to their husbands. Regardless of individual opinions, however, the works of Gloria Steinem and Betty Freidan sent a message to women everywhere to equalize themselves in society – one that managed to pull past the borderlines of antifeminism and beyond.
In order to begin, the question of why any elementarily educated American can tell you who Martin Luther King Jr. is, while perhaps only half could tell you who Gloria Steinem is must be postulated; hence, why is the average eighteen-year-old American likeliest to be minutely knowledgeable about Second-Wave Feminism while well-informed, in an ironic contrast of likelihood, about Black America's civil movement? There is no questioning either extraordinary monument; both were catalysts to unarguable, superior advancements of civil rights in America's history. Respective, the movements - exceeding beyond (as required) the far edge of reasonable doubt in level of importance - prove ultimate to any ADEQUATE history curriculum. Both, needless to say, deserve rightful-honored remembrances.
The most obvious answer as to the cause of "educator's bias", thus, is perilous - stigma. Because when Americans think of 'feminism' it's highly common that they think of inflammatory meanings which, usually erroneous, are fast-forwarded by the infamous image of radical, man-hating lesbians. Such merits little to no seriousness; complexly, it mostly requires specific education, not common knowledge, to understand accurately the sheer essence of feminism and its historic progresses: Feminism is essentially the belief that women are equal to men and deserve their respective equal rights, and the movement did not begin in the 1960s with a bunch of barbaric, rabid women burning bras like anti-propagandas so often misleadingly proliferate into the mainstream.
In actual fact, feminism spurred its First-Wave in American history during, centrally speaking, the fervent movement for women's suffrage in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Second-Wave would be the rejection of the "Good Wife" in the '50s and, far more progressively, in the heated '60s. Third-Wave is technically still current, having begun roughly in the '80s and '90s to continue the fight for equality in modern day, but many people know of no such activism. Hence, it must be first understood that the perpetual impact of antifeminist proliferations negated feminism off the map for masses of people, and "I Was a Playboy Bunny" by Gloria Steinem is one of the most exceptional hallmarks to override such reception.
Gloria Steinem is a 'standout' before other feminists because, essentially, she pioneered the innovative Ms. Magazine, which served as catalyst to publish her independently controversial perspectives in the mainstream. "I Was a Playboy Bunny", specifically, remains of the most richly acclaimed due to its alternative, courageous method of inspiring female liberation: Steinem ensues her account of being an undercover Playboy bunny to expose the maltreatment degrading women in that industry first-hand, bringing a never-brought-up topic casually with blunt force. And in an America barred by housewifery and silence to such topics as Playboy, Ms. Magazine allowed Steinem unconformable means to publicize; as retrospectively summed by Serena Freewornyn from "Feminists For Choice" foundation, "In 1968, Steinem rocked the publishing world with her article "I Was a Playboy Bunny." Gloria had gone "undercover" as a Playboy Bunny to expose Hugh Heffner for what he was. It was NOT a glamorous lifestyle" (Freewornyn par 2). Essentially, Steinem's story drew not only attention toward the feminine labor in Playboy, but also sympathy for its female models. For once people began viewing the women with not only detest but with also pity. It effectively convoluted the glamorous undertones about the women in Playboy, taboo or not, and slammed belief that it was any sort of career worth seeking. But what's prolific about the piece was that Playboy overall symbolized a much grander message to America: women can do much greater things.
In addition to the wonders of Gloria Steinem, however, Betty Friedian's The Feminine Mystique contended that women simply weren't happy in a time where it was presumed that women had everything meant for them as homemakers. It rejected every notion in articles like the "Good Wife", claiming that women were being brainwashed from an early age to forget their potentials. An excerpt from the text describes, "[Women] were taught to pity the neurotic, 'unfeminine', unhappy women who wanted to be poets or physicists or presidents." Profound statements like this fired up both praise and resentment effectually; regardless, The Feminine Mystique broke through the glass ceiling that prevented young women from hearing motivating messages around them. Though the phenomena of women returning to school and work pays due to many feminists, Friedian's work is credited for transcending extreme volumes because of its remarkable and unrelenting fervency.
The Feminine Mystique cleverly didn't just complain about sexism, it provided compelling facts to illustrate the desperation of the circumstance, such as, "The proportion of women attending college in comparison with men dropping from forty-seven percent in 1920 to thirty-five percent in 1958. A century earlier, women had fought for higher education, now girls went to college to get a husband." This particular quote's extraordinary in that it bluntly insults the backward turn society took in women's disfavor, and it reminds society of the hard work women of the past suffered to try to make a better place for a women. It was able to taint the inaccurate orders society was giving to women by directly correcting them. Friedian clarifies powerfully, "It is no longer possible today to blame the problem on loss of femininity: to say that education and independence and equality with men have made American women unfeminine. I have heard so many women try to deny this dissatisfied voice within themselves because it does not fit the pretty picture of femininity the experts have given them." She simply does not allow room for argument over how horrible women's disenfranchisement from opportunities was.
Importantly, in conclusion, although in the 1950s "The Good Wife's Guide" was repugnantly like a bible for women, by the end of the 1960s controversial extraordinaires like Steinem and Friedian had successfully brought the alternative feminist perspective into mainstream lenses. Instructions to women like "Don't ask [your husband] questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house" were beginning to mean less and less to women during Second-Wave Feminism. The same society that seemed insurmountably patriarchal had suddenly become home to an all-transcending philosophy that both Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedian centrally helped proliferate.
Updated: Friday, 20 September 2013 4:44 PM EDT
Permalink | Share This Post


text:
FANTASTICRADIOUKCARES… i am.. beause we are..
FANTASTICRADIOUKcares is our community upliftment initiative that strives towards making a meaningful difference in the lives of those around us and beyond. FANTASTICRADIOUKcares will provided much-needed assistance to those in need within our community.
FANTASTICRADIOUKcares will use the power of radio to increase awareness, influence positive change and inspire those in our broadcast area. FANTASTICRADIOUKcares has three focus areas namely: health and welfare, education and skills development, and the environment and sustainability in the UK, Africa and in the Caribbean.
The appreciation and the difference FANTASTICRADIOUKcares will make in the community will be evident in the support it receives from its' listeners. Our listeners will not only grow to love our music and the station but will opened their hearts to those in our community who are less fortunate. It is from FANTATICRADIOUKcares together with the income received from the pledges at our annual FANTASTICBALL FUND RAISING DINNER, the quaterly FANTASTICRADIOUKcares auctions and other donations that will enable FANTASTICRADIOUKcares to sustainable this life changing work.
In the spirit of Ubuntu,which is imbued with the sentiment, "I AM, BECAUSE WE ARE" and we truly believe that together we can reach our goal of making a difference in as many lives.Our services to Non- Profit organizations
1. FANTASTICRADIOUKcares on-air
2. FANTASTICRADIOUKcares promotional support
3. FANTASTICRADIOUKcares Outside Broadcast services FANTASTICRADIOUKcares PROJECTS AHEAD
Below are events we currently working on, if you want to partner with with us please email email@example.com
2020 LIBRARIES – Kenya and Ghana
2022 MENTORING – UK (Hertsfordshire and Manchester)
2024 GIRL CHILD – Jamaica and Barbados


text:
God claims creation of Earth still on budget, despite over-running six day estimate
The Almighty has hit back at critics who claim that the creation of Earth was supposed to be completed in a day – and ended up costing far more than the original estimate. 'That the original price was just for the Light and rocky bits. [read...]


text:
Happy Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day
Because every mummy is unique, offer a unique gift with a personalized message. At the heart of this watchmaking fable, two graceful butterflies in orange Super-LumiNova flit around a daisy. The darker one, symbolizing the female, is perched on a daisy petal that rotates every hour. Meanwhile, the lighter one, embodying the male, indicates the minutes.
The visual enchantment does not end there. One press on the pusher at 2 o'clock makes the numbers disappear to reveal a personalized message.
On the back, the owner can indulge in the "He loves me… he loves me not" game, the simplified English version of daisy petals.
For this new model, Marguerite is clothed in diamonds, more than 600 in total: 380 diamonds of different sizes for the bezel and the lugs and 220 for the petals.


text:
Spike in cannabis overdoses blamed on potent edibles, poor public education
Katie Nicholson
"I would have liked to have seen public health messaging starting as soon as the bill passed, if not sooner than that," said Ian Culbert of the Canadian Public Health Association. "We've known that this was coming — at the federal level the Liberals have a majority, we knew that it was going to pass," Culbert said. "That [public health] information should have started immediately."


text:
Facade update for new Pearl of Canton Restaurant formerly the Sears building in downtown West Bend
March 6, 2018 – West Bend, WI – The old Sears building in downtown West Bend is going to get a face lift.
Tonight the West Bend Plan Commission will review a site plan is for exterior architectural building alterations for the commercial building at 102 S. Main Street and 515 Hickory Street. The property is zoned B-2 Central Business District.
Architectural Building Elevations:
· The exterior building elevations have been updated to incorporate the following aesthetic changes:
o The north elevation of the building will be updated with an "Antique White" colored EFIS treatment that will be constructed over the main door entrance Hickory Street. The Existing brick will be also repainted "Antique White".
o The east elevation of the building will be repainted "Antique White" to match the remaining building.
o All of the existing windows have been or will be replaced during the renovations.
· All of the architectural building updates satisfy the architectural requirements and Planning Staff has no concerns.
· As a part of the improvements, a wall sign is proposed on the east and north sides of the building above the entrances. The exact size of the sign is not shown and will have to conform to the zoning code size requirements. Staff has no concerns with the sign location.
Recommend approval of the site plan as presented.
pc: BeBay Luu, Pearl of Canton
Gerald Holasek, Holasek Architecture and Design
Last year owner BeBay Luu was optimistic about opening in January 2018. That opening date will now likely occur this summer.
Jan. 1, 2018- West Bend, WI – The old Sears building in downtown West Bend, is being revamped and a new Vietnamese, sushi and Chinese restaurant will be opening. "This will be a bar and restaurant," said Bababebay Luu, the new owner.
Luu, who goes by the American name Sandy, purchased the 2-story building, 102 S. Main Street.
Born in Vietnam, Luu left her country in 1983. "I left my mom when I was 14 years old," she said. "I lived in the Philippines for three years and that's where I learned English."
Luu then moved to Canada where she got married and had two boys. She has been in the U.S. since 1990.
"When I got here I worked," she said. Luu is also the current owner of Modern Nails on S. Main Street in the Paradise Pavilion. "We are very busy," she said.
Standing about 5-foot-3, the diminutive Luu walks through the huge building with confidence. "We'll knock out this wall and right here will be the kitchen," she said.
There is an altar still in place on the first floor; a remnant of when the building was home to Generations Christian Fellowship. The walls of the back hall are lined with decorative tin ceiling tiles; hundreds of them.
Luu scrolls through photos of luxurious Asian restaurants and interior decor on her cell phone. The high ceilings and 6,000-square-feet of space on the first floor will be perfect for her layout.
The remodel, according to Luu, will be completed by her boyfriend. She optimistically said she would like to be open in January 2018.
"I have a cousin who has a really big restaurant in another country and I have my friend in Vancouver with a restaurant and they will help me to start.
Walking upstairs there is a maze of rooms. Luu plans to live on the premises. She already has dibs on her bedroom overlooking Main Street.
The former Sears building was listed by Paula Becker with RE/MAX United. The asking price for the location was $269,900. Real estate agent John Newkirk with Hanson & Co. Real Estate said the buyer closed at $250,000.
According to the city assessor's office, BMO Harris Bank took over the property Feb. 23, 2017. They purchased it $161,800.
Prior to that it wasn't fully taxed because it was a tax-exempt organization; the taxes at that time were $157,600. When the bank took over the parcel the full assessment on the parcel was for $258,600.
The property had been vacant as of Jan. 1, 2017.


text:
Set up User Segmentation to drive adaptive experiences in a Product Catalog in SharePoint 2013
Adaptive Experience is about tailoring the user experience in order to better match the interests of the end user. This can have a great effect on sales, since a better match between products and user needs increases the chance of a sale.
Let's take a look at the following scenario:
Pete Smith owns an online store selling electrical consumer goods. New Windows mobile 8 phones have arrived recently, and Pete wants to promote one of these phones to the customers he believes is interested in the state of the art products. He decides to bring this product to attention to all end users using Internet Explorer 10 as their browser, as he thinks people using the state of the art browsers, are interested in state of the art mobile phones. In order to differentiate between end users, he divides them into different user segments and gives the different user segments a different user experience. While those end users running Internet Explorer 10 will get an Ad displaying one of the newest Windows mobile phones in stock, end users running on older versions will not see this particular campaign. They may be offered other products (but that is not a part of this example).
By segmenting his users and giving different user experiences to different end users, Pete is able to tailor his market campaigns towards different users at the same time. He could segment his users by numerous things; location, gender, age, etc as long as he has this data available.
This blog post describes how to set up user segmentation based on browser type, and how we can change the user experience in a product catalog by the use of Query Rules. The only custom made part in this example is the web part which is fetching the end user browser data and matching it with custom properties in the user segments we are setting up. I will give code examples on the most important parts of such a web part.
Topics covered in this blog:
- This is how it's working
- Prerequisites
- Create a term set defining the User Segments.
- Create a custom web part that fetches the User Agent String
- Create an image to be used as the Ad
- Create a Query Rule that will activate on User Segment IE10
- Add a web part to the category page for displaying the Ad
- Verify the end result
This is how it's working
The end user is doing a page request towards the web site, and is at the same time sending its User Agent String with this request. The custom web part (web part 2) extracts the User Agent String value (MSIE 10.0) and matches it against Custom Properties for User Segment Terms in the term set. When matching, the relevant User Segment name (IE10) is added as a parameter to the search query which is sent to the index to fetch items to be presented in web part 2. A Query Rule monitors the search queries, and activates when the search parameter User Segment=IE10. The Query Rule is configured to return a search result (the Ad), to the web part sending the query in the first place. The Ad is a part of the resultset SpecialTermResults. Another web part (web part 1) is added to the web site in order to display the Ad (Promotion). This web part does not send out search queries, but fetches results from web part 2. The resultset SpecialTermResult is fetched. This contains the Ad sent from the Query Rule, and consists of a Title and an URL to the image to be promoted. Web part 2 can now display the Ad for the new Windows mobile phone.
- A Product catalog site collection has been created.
- A list of products has been created
- Navigation term set is created
- Products list is shared with publishing site collection using XSP.
- A publishing site collection has been created.
- The web site is build up by a category page, and an item details page to display the items.
- The site collection is available to anonymous users
- Skills to create a custom web part in Visual Studio and deploy it in SharePoint as a Solution
Let's see how all the different parts are configured to get this scenario working.
Create a term set defining the User Segments.
On your publishing site, in SharePoint, navigate to Site Settings=> Term store management => Taxonomy term store. In the Taxonomy Term Store navigation pane at the left, navigate to Managed Metadata Service => Site collection (the one mapped to the product catalog site collection). Create a new term set (User Segments). Then create the term Browser Type, and the child terms IE8, IE9, IE10.
For each child term in the Browser Type term set, click on Custom Properties tab, and add unique properties for that user segment in the Shared Properties section.
- Shared Property Name: UserAgent.
- Value: Set the User Agent String for that particular browser type. E.g. for user segment term IE10, Value= MSIE 10.0. For user segment IE9, value=MSIE 9.0, etc
Create a custom web part that fetches the User Agent String
You will have to create your own custom solution in Visual Studio. This project is called SPCDemoWebParts. The custom web part you are creating has to be a part of this solution. In Visual Studio give the custom web part at title and in which group the web part will end up in.
This web part will be a modified ContentBySearchWebPart. This is done by sub-classing the ContentBySearchWebPart and adding the methods described below.
… using Microsoft.SharePoint; using Microsoft.SharePoint.Taxonomy; using Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.WebControls;
namespace SPCDemoWebParts.TargetedContentSearch { [ToolboxItemAttribute(false)] public partial class TargetedContentSearch : ContentBySearchWebPart { …
Note that you will also need to add some references to required assemblies for your project
In addition to show content by search, it will also fetch the UserAgent string given by the end user. The web part will then split the user agent string into parts, and check each part for a matching custom property in the term store.
private void AddUserAgentSegmentTerms(List<string> userSegmentTerms) { SPSite site = SPContext.Current.Site; TaxonomySession session = new TaxonomySession(site); TermStore defaultSiteCollectionStore = session.DefaultSiteCollectionTermStore;
var userAgentparts = Page.Request.UserAgent.Split(new char[] { ';', '(', ')' }); foreach (var part in userAgentparts) { var entry = part.Trim(); var terms = termStore.GetTermsWithCustomProperty("UserAgent", entry, false); if (terms.Count > 0) { userSegmentTerms.Add(terms[0].Id.ToString()); } } }
Thus the code will split a User Agent String such as "Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; MSIE 10.0; Windows NT 6.1; Trident/6.0)" into the list { "Mozilla/5.0", "compatible", "MSIE 10.0", "Windows NT 6.1", "Trident/6.0" } and then check the term store for any matching custom property.
The GUIDs of any matching terms will then be added to the search query for fetching products. This is done by adding the list of GUIDs to the UserSegmentTerms property of the DataProviderWebPart.
private void AddMycustomProperties(object sender, BeforeSerializeToClientEventArgs e) { DataProviderScriptWebPart dataProvider = sender as DataProviderScriptWebPart; List<string> userSegmentTerms = new List<string>(); AddUserAgentSegmentTerms(userSegmentTerms); dataProvider.Properties["UserSegmentTerms"] = userSegmentTerms.ToArray(); }
All that now remains is to stitch the AddMycustomProperties into the OnLoad method of the web part, so it's called before the page is rendered.
protected override void OnLoad(EventArgs e) { if (this.AppManager != null) { if (this.AppManager.QueryGroups.ContainsKey(this.QueryGroupName) && this.AppManager.QueryGroups[this.QueryGroupName].DataProvider != null) { this.AppManager.QueryGroups[this.QueryGroupName].DataProvider.BeforeSerializeToClient += new BeforeSerializeToClientEventHandler(AddMycustomProperties); } } base.OnLoad(e); }
The same method can easily be used for segmenting users in other ways based on browsing history or login information.
The custom web part created is packaged as a solution with a .wsp extention.
You will have to upload the solution into the Public site Collection, and use it when setting up the category page, to display items in a category.
Upload the custom web part as a solution
Assuming the .wsp file is placed in C:\Temp\MyCustomWebPart.ws
- Start «SharePoint» 2013 Management Shell as Administrator
- Run: Add-SPSolution -LiteralPath C:\temp\MyCustomWebPart.wsp
- Run: Install-SPSolution -identity MyCustomWebPart.wsp -GACDeployment –AllWebApplications
- In the publishing site collection, navigate to Site settings=> Site collection Administration => Site collection features: Deactivate and activate site collection feature "Adaptive Experiences WebParts"
Create an image to be used as the Ad
We need an image to be displayed as the Ad. In this example I've used an image of a Windows mobile phone, and added some text to it. Place the image in the Image library in the publishing site collection.
Create a Query Rule that will activate on User Segment IE10
The goal is to have the Query Rule to be activated by end users using the browser Internet Explorer 10. When activated the Query Rule shall place an Ad (the image placed in the Image library) at the top of every category page.
In the publishing site collection in Site Settings, navigate to Site Collection Administration=> Search Query Rules. Select your product catalog as source, before clicking on New Query Rule.
Set Rule Name: Mobile Ad for IE10 users.
Click on Context.
Under the section Query is performed by these user segments, click the radio button "One of these user segments". Then click Add user segment. From the Import UI that pops up, navigate to Managed Metadata Service => Site Collection => User Segments => Browser Type and choose the IE10 term.
Then give the User Segment the name Internet Explorer 10.
You have now mapped the Query Rule to the User Segment called Internet Explorer 10, that again is mapped to the User segment Term IE10, which contains the value MSIE 10.0, which again can be matched (by the custom web part) with the User Agent String returned from the end-user. In other words; the query rule will execute on end-users running on Internet Explorer 10.
Note: Under the section Query conditions: click on Remove Condition, as this Query Rule is not to be triggered by any (manuel) query.
We now have to set the Actions performed by the Query Rule.
Under the section Actions, click on Add promoted result. Type Mobile campaign in the text box for Title, and insert the URL of the image to be displayed as the Ad in the text box for URL. Thuis is the URL to the image placed in the Image library. Select the checkbox Render the URL as a banner instead of a hyperlink.
Then click Save.
The Query Rule definition now looks like this:
Click on Save to store the Query Rule.
Add a web part to the category page for displaying the Ad
In this section we shall add another web part at the top of the category page, to display our Ad.
Navigate to a category page, click on Edit page and Edit page template.
Click on Add a Web Part in the top section of the page. Select a Content search web part from the Content Rollup category. (you can also use your custom web part if that is based on a Content search web part) From the drop down menu in the upper right corner of the web part, click Edit Web Part.
- Expand the Display Templates section. Under Control choose List. Under Item choose Large picture.
- Expand the Property mappings section . Select the checkbox for "Change the mapping of managed properties for the fields in the Item Display Template" . In the Field Picture URL type URL.
- Expand the section Settings, and in the drop down menu for Query results provided by, select the web part that this web part shall get its result from. In other words, select the custom target content search web part that is used on that category page. In the same section in the drop down menu for Result table, select SpecialTermResults. This is the result set where the Ad is placed by the Query Rule.
The respective sections in the web part editor shall now look like this.
Click OK to save the configuration.
Verify the end result
Navigate to one of your category pages. By using an Internet Browser 10, you will now see the Ad on top of any category page:


text:
Bad moods happen. But, while you probably can't stop yourself from waking up on the wrong side of the bed once in a while – literally or figuratively – you can prevent a few sour emotions from ruining your whole day… or worse, affecting your relationships with others.
Here are a few things you can do to shake off a bad mood and get back to feeling like yourself again:
Figure Out What's Really Bothering You – sometimes, we find ourselves being bothered by things that are just below our level of conscious attention. But, by asking yourself "why am I really annoyed right now?" you might be able to get to the root cause of things.
Change up Your Routine or Surroundings – if your bad mood is stopping you from being productive, sitting around and obsessing over it isn't going to help. Think about having a walk, taking a nap, or otherwise giving yourself a break in your normal routine. An unexpected rest could snap you out of it.
Focus on Something You Can Control – when a bad mood just won't let go, it can help to distract yourself from negative thoughts for a little while. Focus on one single thing you can control (like making a phone call, or sorting a few files) and you might find that your bad mood fades when you find sense of accomplishment.
Looking to get rid of some bad habits are your mental outlook? Why not give hypnotherapy a try? You can make an appointment with Minnesota certified hypnotherapist Blaze Driscoll by calling 952-960-1907 now!


text:
When you purchase a language arts program, whether you realize it or not, you have a choice to make. Do you place your child according to grade level, or do you place your child according to ability?
Your decision will play a significant role in whether your child experiences success or frustration and failure.
As you ponder the purchase of reading or spelling curriculum for your child, consider the differences between grade-level-based programs and mastery-based programs.
First, let's take a quick look at the grade-level choice.
Let me explain it this way.
My dog Bea is three years old. She has participated in agility classes, and she loves running through the tunnels and weaving through the bars.
My friend's dog is also three years old. Buffy has taken basic obedience classes, but she has never seen a tunnel or weaving bars before.
Would you put both dogs in the same agility class?
Of course not. Bea—with her natural aptitude and previous experience—is ready for the more advanced Level 2 class, but Buffy belongs in the Level 1 beginner's class.
What would happen if you put both dogs in a Level 2 class? Buffy would likely fail because she would never be able to perform at the same level as dogs who have already mastered the Level 1 course.
So what does all that have to do with kids and curriculum? Let's connect the dots.
Some people might say, "My ten-year-old is in third grade, so I need the third grade spelling book for him." But we would never say, "Bea and Buffy are both three years old; they should be in the same agility class." So here's a question for you: If you wouldn't expect a dog to skip the Level 1 course and go straight to the Level 2 course, why would you expect a child to?
Maybe it's time to rethink how we place our children in reading and spelling programs.
After all …
The story of Bea and Buffy illustrates that age and grade aren't reliable indicators of which level you should place a dog (or a child) in. Common sense tells us that since not all ten-year-olds have the same educational background, they probably don't have the same reading or spelling ability either.
For example, some ten-year-olds can easily spell words like pigeon and partridge, while others may still be trying to grasp the idea that the letter G can make different sounds in different situations. Some ten-year-olds can spell circles around most adults, while others have their parents shaking their heads in dismay at their spelling struggles.
It really doesn't matter whether the differences are the result of natural ability or previous teaching. The fact is, your child is very likely functioning at a different reading and spelling level than her friends. And it would be unfair to force your child and her friends all into the same level just because they are the same age.
Age is never the best indicator of academic ability, so let's consider these five compelling reasons to opt for a mastery-based program instead.
Mastery-based curriculum makes learning easier by placing high priority on five important elements. Let's take a closer look at these five elements and how we apply them in our curriculum.
As we illustrated earlier, a mastery-based program lets you focus on your child's ability instead of on her age or grade level. That's why we have your child take a placement test before beginning All About Reading or All About Spelling. This sets your child up for success by allowing instruction to meet her right where she is.
A mastery-based program teaches at your child's pace instead of at a rigid pace set by a curriculum. All About Reading and All About Spelling help you pace your lessons so the material is efficiently learned and effectively retained, setting the stage for long-term learning. This gradual, incremental approach respects your child's developmental level and allows her to slow down or speed up as needed. Anna Gillingham, one of the founders of the Orton-Gillingham approach, put it this way: "Go as fast as you can, but as slow as you must."
The goal of mastery-based lessons is to make sure that learning "sticks"—that the brain is able to permanently store, manage, and retrieve information for later use. It's the "sticking" part that matters. Concepts that are forgotten are not mastered. Simply put, long-term learning should be the main goal of your teaching. In All About Reading and All About Spelling, we help you accomplish that goal by building daily practice and cumulative review into every single lesson. That way, you never have to worry about whether you're doing enough.
Nothing brings long-term learning to a screeching halt like encountering missing bits of knowledge. It's essential in mastery-based learning that no knowledge gaps exist. Then as you teach new skills and provide practice and review, you also monitor your child's progress so you know he's really learning. This continual process of teaching, monitoring, and offering feedback is necessary to ensure that no gaps surface down the road.
This is an area where mastery-based programs really differ from grade-level programs.
Completing a grade is not the same thing as mastering a level. In a grade-level program, when your child completes Grade 6, he moves on to Grade 7 regardless of whether he has mastered the content in Grade 6. Just imagine the miserable cycle of defeat and frustration that this can create for you and your child. But it doesn't have to be this way. With a mastery-based program, your child moves on to the next level only after he has mastered the content in the previous level.
The video below summarizes the differences between the two approaches.
The concept of a mastery-based program may be new to you and to those around you. After all, it is so "normal" to place your child according to age or grade. But there are so many factors other than age—including experience, innate ability, and opportunity—that contribute to where a child is academically. Just as we wouldn't expect a ten-year-old to perform at the same music or athletic level as every other ten-year old, we shouldn't use age as a way to determine placement in a spelling program.
When you teach a child at her instructional level, she can blossom! And you can relish the fact that you are providing long-term learning.
Every child is more than just her "grade" or numerical age. A child's unique experiences and aptitude play an important role in where she should be placed in terms of ability.
That's why All About Reading and All About Spelling are mastery-based programs that:
If you're ready to buck the system and experience the amazing progress your child can make when she's working at the right ability level, be sure to check out our curriculum! And if you ever need a helping hand, we're here for you.
What has been your experience with mastery-based lessons versus grade-level lessons? Do you have anything else to share? Let me know in the comments below!
We are halfway through level 4 of AAR. My daughter simply loves this material. I can't say enough how much we appreciate and look forward to this part of our school day. I am wondering what you might recommend to use following the completion of this program? We are looking for something more multisensory than just a writing program. We are working our way through AAS as well. Thank you!
The Master-bases lessons is so right for any child . I totally agree with you. Each child learn at different levels. At the grade level lessons, some children cannot always keep up with the others. This is good advice and I wish that all schools would follow the master-bases lessons. The results will be great and beneficial to each child.
How do I purchase this program.
I agree with you on this and believe all schools should be taught as so. Each child learn at a different level. If schools would do it, they would be more successful and the would not be so stressed out.
How could I determine at which level my granddaughters should commence. One is 10 and the other is 12 years old. THe 12 year old is not bad at spelling and reading but won't write. The 10 year old struggles at times with reading and spelling is a problem. I have been using Jolly PHonics with her ap present but not entirely happy with her progress on this programme.
I have an 8 year old who reads 3rd grade level books but he struggles pronouncing some words. I Also have an 11 year old that reads 4 and 5 grade level books but also struggles and the last time he was tested he was at 3rd grade level. I have already purchased level 1 of spelling to start at the beginning for spelling. What level should I purchase for reading? Do they also have to start at the beginning?
I love that we can go back and review and most of the information has actually been retained! We love being able to build on knowledge that stays put and is ready for use in future lessons:)
My daughter is three yrs and blending is becoming difficult for her what can I do to help her.
My child has done very well with All About Reading and is now in Level 3. We had gotten through with several lessons when we took a two month break this summer so we are now doing some review and re-reading the first several stories in Chasing Henry.
My concern is that she is struggling with All About Spelling. She went through Level 1 with little difficulty but Level 2 has really slowed down. She can read the words in the spelling list, but when it comes to spelling them she just seems to have a mental block. Before our break we had gotten through Step 6 in Level 2, but I started over at the beginning on August 1st to try and help her. Any suggestions will be appreciated.
My daughter just turned 3 and is showing interest in reading. I met a mom who does homeschooling and she suggested All about reading. I was still worried whether it's too early to start on a program, this post helped me in understanding that I can start now and need not hurry. This program can be finished when she feels comfortable:)
I love this program. My daughter was in pre-K and the teacher wanted the class to memorize sight words. My daughter never could do it. She saw all of her friends recite the list and get prizes. She would come home so discouraged. At 4.5 years old, she asked me why everyone could remember the words except her and was something wrong with her. It was then I decided to homeschool. I researched curricula to death. I Found this program and started her on level 1. This program has been such a huge blessing for us. She has about 15 lessons left in level 1 and has started zooming through! She is really doing well. She is SO happy with herself. She is so incredibly proud and wants to show off her reading skills to anybody willing to listen. I can not tell you how that makes this Momma's heart feel to see her so confident in herself again! I just wanted to say thank you to the All About Learning team for their constant support and wonderful program!!
Our homeschool is built on mastery-based programs in all subjects. If the program is not geared toward mastery learning I don't buy it, or I tweak it to work for our goals. This program is working for my daughter and she looks forward to it.
This makes a lot of sense. Thanks
Ditching grade levels is so important for those struggling readers! I have an almost 8 year old and a 5 year old both in AAR 1. The older went through once and now again, because apparently she needed more practice than I gave her the first time. She's learning, though, it just takes awhile for it to stick for her. Little brother just started, but we'll see how they handle it if he catches up to her.
We are having so much fun with Spelling now! Our daughter (4th grade homeschooler) can do some awsome crazy math in her head, but the poor thing just wasn't connecting things for spelling. We were told that the spelling program is mastery based and outlines the rules of spelling. This is what math thinkers need! We are loving the program for its simplicity and ease of understanding, too!
I have a child in my class who is 5years who can hardly read,
We are doing everything possible but it looks as if
the parents too are not helping in any way. I have invited them couple of times but still. His doing well in
Other areas but in language no.what can I do to help him?
Thank you for this article. Can't wait for my son to master spelling permanently! Not just memorize words temporarily.
Your analogies used in the articles are always helpful. I appreciate that the lessons in AAR are not per day but rather a mindset of "move on when your child is ready."
I love the analogy of dog training! Our schools are so grade-level based, but for many students, they need a different approach!
We have just recently started with AAR level 2. We are very pleased with it so far, and look forward to continuing with the program.
The ability to use a mastery-based approach for my kids was fundamental in our decision to homeschool. We have used All About Spelling all the way through with 2 children so far and just started with a third. Both older children love spelling and found the methods painless and fun. They are both excellent spellers.
AAS is helping us fill a number of gaps in my 11 year old's spelling knowledge. We have started all the way back in level one so that we can learn the rules from the beginning.
I use AAR and AAS with both my kids and they love it. It's fun, engaging and teaches a lot of thing without the stress of being bored
I have used level one and 2 of AAR and AAs and we love all the programs. Thank you for a simple yet multisensory approach. After homeschooling for 12 years and using many reading and spelling programs, your tops them all.
Love All About Reading & All About Spelling!
We love AAR and AAS!
My grand daughter is failing in 4th grade. She's has struggled since first grade. However, I don't have the option to homeschool her. Our schedule together is at least one hour 1x a week. Do you have any idea how I can make that hour useful using your material? Also is it possible to teach her while she is going to school and using your material?
These programs can for sure help! I've heard the spelling you should spend about 15 minutes on and reading we spend no more than 20-30 minutes on at a time, just so that I don't burn them out. It's set up where you don't have to finish a lesson a day, go at whatever pace you want. The teacher's guide is VERY friendly, tells you exactly what to say and how to present it if you want that kind of help.
I am doing All about Reading with my son and can already see a huge difference in his reading. We just started this year. I had been pushing grade level and love the idea of mastery. Very encouraging. Now I just need to know what to do after we finish Level 4 :)
We are loving tell AAR program! My daughter is learning so much and I know that she is retaining it. I love how everything is ready for teaching and introduces quotations and other elements that many kinds may not see until later in schoom
I love how the mastery based system has been working for my kids. It's more personal to their ability.
I definitely think mastery based is the best way to give your child the best education possible.
I agree with this so much! This is the biggest reason we are homeschooling! My daughter is 6 1/2 but we are still working our way through level 1. She is learning at her speed.
I absolutely love that AAR is mastery based and not grade level based! It has made all the difference in the world for us! So easy and open and go.
I LOVE that I found your program. I was a public school teacher who was frustrated with our choices to teach our children in the district. But I didn't have a big enough voice to change it in the school. When I had my own children, I immediately started researching for homeschool options. I think I sent Marie a message a good 2 years before I ever ordered (and you all are SO great at answering any question!) because my kids were still too young. As soon as they were old enough I was sooo excited to order. All About Learning Press impressed me SO much with my research for a mastery based reading program and I couldn't wait to really test it out. A few years later, 3 kids using it, and I'm still impressed! Not only that, the kids BEG to do reading above any other subject. You have a customer and an advocate for your program for LIFE! Thank you for all the hard work and research that went into making this program what it is.
Such a great example and analogy of this concept. Totally agree. Thank you for making that so clear.
Teaching at our children's pace is a big reason we homeschool, and All About Reading fits right in!
My son is really starting to see and recognize spelling patterns. He reads at a high school level but is working through AAS1.
We have been beyond relieved to find the AAR program! We will be sticking with it long term!
Love AAS! We stated last year and will he done next year (my son is 7th grade). Easy to teach!!
All 5 if my kids are doing really well with AAS. This is our first year using this curriculum and love it!
Great information. Thanks!
So true.
We love all about spelling!!
Thanks. Great article!
We love your programs! Wish we found them sooner!
Love AAR and AAS!!!
Looking forward to starting AAS with my son. He is a self taught early reader so has never really articulated a lot of the "rules". It will be interesting to go back over it all with him as he masters spelling. Not for a while though, he's only 3 :)
Thank you! My son is making progress at his own pace! So glad we don't have to focus on "grade level."
Just started using AAS1. Love it!
We love this program!
The program looks great!
I have loved this program so far!
This is such a wonderful program!
My son is doing very well using all about reading and all about spelling. It helps because he is 8 and in the first half of level 2 but he doesn't associate being "behind grade level" becuase we don't call it grade 1 or 2 reading. He struggles with reading and this program works very well with his style. we move at his pace and some lessons go quickly and others take extra time.
Mastery Based learning is so important with these key foundations.
Good explanation. We love AAR!
This program has been such a blessing!
AAR had been awesome for our daughter!
Love AAR
Thank you so much for this program!!!!! It has changed our lives!
I love this approach to learning to read and my son is doing so well with this program!
100% agree, this is why we homeschool. Just because my child is a certain age doesn't mean he is working at the exact level of others with his birth year.
I would love to use this program with my son who we are homeschooling this year! I have heard great things about it:)
We have never used All About Spelling. It would be great to try it out!
My kiddos have done so well with the program! Thank you so much!
We are just beginning the All About Spelling program with the IEW PALS program. We love the hands on and visual learning. It makes spelling fun!
Hi! My daughter is 7 Years old and we started 2nd level of All About Reading and Spelling programs for second grade. With the pace she is doing her work for the last two months, I feel that she will finish both programs in February-March. I am ordering level 3 now so we can continue to work without any breaks until end of this school year. We may continue level 3 during the summer or take a summer off and continue it in grade 3. I like that whole Program made by levels not by grades, which gives us flexibility in our work. Thank you!
Well! here in Fiji we are using Observation Checklist where Teachers observe children individually. From there they may figure out the development pace of the child. I'm so thankful with your help in advising me with the 5 reasons of dong Mastery based Program mes
Looking forward to trying all about spelling program.
Mastery-based just makes more sense. Why move on if the child does not grasp the information they are being taught?
I love the ability based programs. It allows me to tailor school to my child's strength and weaknesses. It also takes the pressure off to hurry and get to the next grade.
We have been enjoying the All About Reading program that we have tried for the first time. It's a great program and my kids are gaining confidence and enjoying reading. Thanks
Can't wait to try this!
Sounds like a fabulous curriculum.
Mastering a concept or a skill before moving on to the next is what education ought to be – that is just plain common sense!
Make sense. That's why many of us homeschoool so we can meet the needs of our kids
We are loving mastery-based lessons versus grade-level lessons. We recently found out that one of my children has double vision as his eyes aren't working together. So, after the addition of glasses and vision therapy, he is enjoying learning to read. He and his younger brother are doing the same reading lessons at the moment without any negativity that would be caused by grade-level lessons. We are looking for mastery and success at his pace.
This makes so much sense!
Love this! This is one of the reasons I love AAR and AAS! My son can go at his pace. He has no clue about grade level. If he's having trouble in the level 2 AAR, we go back and review concepts in the Level 2 AAR or we read the level 1 AAR books. This builds confidence to try and succeed. LOVE this program.
I definitely agree with you on your mastery-based curriculum. My 8 year old boy has struggled learning to read, but is doing well with AAR. We are taking the lessons a little slower than the plans and he is coming along. He is embarrassed because most children he knows from public school (we homeschool) are way ahead of him. Just the other day he said, "I am ever going to learn to read?" I reassured him that he is reading already and he will get better as we go. Thanks for your great curriculum!
I am so glad God gave me the courage to buck the system! My third child had been our most reluctant reader yet; no matter what I tried he just wasn't interested. I finally found AAR and began with level 1, even though he is 10 years old. And he has definitley "blossomed". This program is so wonderful. He's not only learning fast but he's loving it…and mastering the skills almost effortlessly. We are all so happy with his progress! Thank you AAR!!!
Yes and Amen.
This makes so much sense!
Just what I needed to hear. Thank you!
When my daughter was in grade 4 I ordered the level 4 book. It was very clear that she was not at that level and so we started with level 1. She is now in grade 6 and almost finished the 3rd book. Some lessons take 1day some take 3days – but as long as she is progressing that's all I'm after!
I've taken a mastery-based approach. I did attempt grade-level but it was clear that we needed to go down a level.


text:
14 February 2013
London Fashion Week: Bag Essential's
14 comments
I would be the same, I love to be overly organised to the point of ocd!!ReplyDelete
Have a fab time, excited to see you pics and read your posts on LFW, if you do one!! X
- Anonymous14 February 2013 at 13:08
You look very prepared, but I'm just the same lol!ReplyDelete
Enjoy LFW!
Oo looks so exciting! Hope you have a great time and take loads of pictures! I like the inclusion of the Mac lipstick :)ReplyDelete
http://www.ragsoflove.com/ xxReplies
Haha thank you! Thought I best be prepared with some lipstick xxDelete
Ooo first time at LFW must be so exciting! I'm still to organize my first time too haha, won't be for years knowing my procrastinating self. I'd love to see a post on the shows and your experience there!ReplyDelete
Jessica xo
Thank's Jessica! Hopefully have some post's up in the next couple of day's xxDelete
Have fun at LFW! I'm so jealous!!XxReplyDelete
Thank you Lucy! xxDelete
Have fun :) Have you signedup already or doing it there?ReplyDelete
I love the impulse mini sprays, so useful xxReplyDelete
mac lipstick giveaway. 1stepclosereveryday.blogspot.co.ukReplies
Thank you- So much easier then carrying the normal size around! xDelete
Great post. You camera gear looks amazing, love it,http://thebeautycave99.blogspot.co.uk/ JELOUS,ReplyDelete
Have fun! I don't know how you manage to lug all that stuff around! Impressive!ReplyDelete
Decisions Decisions


text:
Posts Tagged 'beach'
Seychelles Wedding October 10th, 2012
I seem to be shooting a fair few weddings of late. 🙂
One such wedding took place on the beautiful island of La Digue, Seychelles. A place that is as close to paradise as there can be.
It was the wedding of a dear friend and wonderfully talented photographer Diane Aftimos (check out her work here). The wedding was a small and intimate (we were no more than 20 people attending) fairy tale affair. I was very privileged to have attended, and doubly so to have been asked to photograph it.
Here are a few shots from this extraordinary heart-warming wedding:
Confetti were flying everywhere when I took this shot.
The massive granitic boulders which are scattered along the beaches make for some extraordinary settings, especially with the warm light of the setting sun and the dramatic crashing of the waves on the rocks.
More coming soon!
Tags: afternoon, aftimos, beach, boulder, confetti, diane, diane aftimos, granite, granitic, island, la digue, rock, sea, seychelles, sunlight, sunshine, wave, wedding
Posted in Animals, Friends, Travel/Urban | Comments (7)
An Island Sunset September 14th, 2010
Last weekend an escape to one of the beautiful untouched island beaches was organised by some friends and I.
We spent the best part of the afternoon and evening relaxing on the beach and swimming in the clear emerald waters. And chatted away as the sun set a few degrees off the main island of Abu Dhabi some distance away.
We've been blessed here over the past few weeks. We've had some truly amazing sunsets. I had the chance to enjoy a few over the holy month of Ramadan as most every day at that time I was driving up or down the Corniche heading to some iftar or other.
But this time I had the chance to sit back, relax and give my attention to the sky. The typically cloudless Abu Dhabi sky was filled with a mix of wide streaks and thin wisps of clouds that shifted and changed during the period from sunset to twilight to dusk. And the dying sun's rays hit them in such a way as to throw the dome of the sky into a riot of ever-changing vibrant oranges and deep reds.
Naturally, I ended up snapping off a few frames.
Here are a few of the results.
To camera left you can see the Abu Dhabi city skyline in the distance. I loved the gradual change of colour from deep orange to an arc of magenta to deep blue as you look away from the sun towards the top of the frame.
I waded waist-deep in the water to make this frame.
What's a beach without beach sports? Supersportsman Alex catches a frisbee with the tips of his fingers.
That little speck in the water left of the center of the frame is not a dust spot. It's one of my friends enjoying the water.
The new moon graced us with its company and its Cheshire Cat smile.
There's nothing quite like being in the water as it changes colour to reflect the sky at dusk.
This is one of my favourite pictures from that series. It says it all, really. And yep, I was waist-deep in water for this one too.
More coming soon!
Tags: abu dhabi, beach, cheshire cat, cloud, dusk, island, landscape, moon, sea, streak, sunset, twilight, UAE, water, wave
Posted in Travel/Urban | Comments (7)
Dibba in the Morning October 7th, 2009
So, going on from my previous post, I mentioned that the plan was to make merry on the beach until dawn.
That mostly held true. Particularly for the others. For my part, I collapsed in my chair in the wee (and I mean wee) hours, shortly before dawn, while serenaded by 5 brilliant singing musicians (including Birthday Boy – and you should hear him play the piano). On the plus side, I awoke shortly thereafter in the middle of that magical hour – dawn – to find that everybody else (except for Birthday Boy) had collapsed and was snoring happily away.
So: Dawn + Awake + Amazing Place = Picture Time!
I hurriedly got up, grabbed my camera from the other end of the camp after fighting my way through the giant wasps that always seem to invade a camp-site in the morning, and the results are here for you to see.
I've realised that lately I've become much more partial to soft pastels, whereas before I had a strong penchant for strikingly vivid colours…
Take this picture for example:
Or this one (in which you can see just how crystal-clear the water was):
Ok, so this one is rather vivid, but still:
I shot the picture below from some old ruined huts which are peppered along the foot of the mountain. When I went towards the huts, my aim was to make some good pictures in the soft light of morning. Unfortunately, nothing I saw really spoke to me, so instead I turned my attention to more interesting stuff – like our camp.
Below you can see Birthday Boy about to ready breakfast, tiptoeing over and around the party animals that lay sprawled all over the place, while in the background the mountains of Fujeirah rise up through the mist in the fragile light of dawn.
I probably could have gone off in search of different angles to shoot from, and different things to see, but to be honest – all I wanted to do was get in the water and snorkel (more on that in comping posts).
Tags: beach, breakfast, camp, camping, D700, dawn, dhow, dibba, fuheirah, pastels, ruins, sea, sun, sunlight
Posted in Travel/Urban | Comments (3)
Dibba by Night October 5th, 2009
Last weekend was a great friend of mine's birthday. To celebrate, the plan was for some 15-odd people to camp for a night by the beach at the foot of a mountain and to make merry until dawn.
So that's exactly what transpired, and thus Camping Season was reopened after the too-long summer hiatus.
The location, you ask? Dibba!
Dibba is located on the coastal region at the northeastern tip of the UAE/Oman peninsula, on the Indian Ocean. Dibba is odd in that it is a town and region which is divided among three states. One part is ruled by the Emirate of Sharjah (Dibba Al Hosn), the other by the Emirate of Fujeirah (Dibba Al Fujeirah) and the third by Oman's Governorate of Mussandam (Dibba Al Baya).
The camp was to be set up at the far end of the Omani side of Dibba, in a spot my friends and I know well and love. The last time we were there was at that same friend's birthday exactly one year ago.
By the time I got there it was just after sunset and the full moon was out and was oh-so bright.
I don't have many shots to share with you from then as I got engrossed in other things: the company of great people, the delicious food (including camp-fire roasted lamb which was so tender it would just melt in your mouth – did I mention Birthday Boy is a cordon bleu?), the camp-fire guitar-and-drum-accompanied songs, and moonlight snorkelling (yes, moonlight – the water was so clear and the moon so bright it was possible for us to see 7 to 8 meters down, but more on that later).
So here are two of the (pitifully few) pictures I took that night.
The arcs of light you see to the right of the picture above are from the light painting I did with my torch. I have another shot where the light painting spreads across the whole middle of the frame, but I prefer this one for some reason.
I wanted to show how bright the moon was – so bright you didn't need a fire to light your way around. Here you have the little lonely tree at the top of the mountain, with the bright flame of a camp fire midway up its flank, and the sloping sand of the beach before it.
More pictures coming very soon!
Tags: beach, camp, camp-fire, campfire, D700, dibba, fire, fujeriah, guitar, moon, moonlight, mountain, mussandam, night, oman, sand, sharjah, song, tree, UAE
Posted in Travel/Urban | Comments (4)
Island Chilling September 21st, 2009
Eid Mubarak to one and all!
Well, Ramadan is over. And it's back to a normal train of life. But meanwhile, there's nothing like a boat trip to start off the Eid holiday on a good footing. I went out to one of the islands around Abu Dhabi (featured up top) with some friends. We snorkelled, walked among the mangroves, enjoyed the chattering of birds, the company of baby rays, went sea-shell hunting and stayed out rather late into the night, chatting by the fire, taking night swims and enjoying the fluorescence.
I took my camera with me, hoping to be able to capture something interesting.
Shooting from the speedboat while moving was difficult at best – too much shaking, and trying to zoom in/out through the ziplock bag I'd DIYed into a protective cover for the camera was an annoyance. To top it off, later when taking pictures of star trails I even managed to run out of juice, mid-picture. Dead battery. Should have checked it before hand. First time it happens to me – Nikon's awesome batteries have tended to last and last and last… My bad.
Overall, fantastic day (and night) out in great company, but not a great picture-taking day.
That said, the two shots below made lugging the camera with me worthwhile.
All shots above were with a Nikon D700 with a Tamron 24mm-135mm F3.5-5.6 lens.
Tags: abu dhabi, beach, boat, boat trip, D700, island, nikon, photo, photography, pic, picture, sand, sea, sunset, swim, swimming, tamron
Posted in Travel/Urban | Comments (0)
Out To Sea September 11th, 2009
I had a free day on my last trip to Lebanon and spent it with some friends at the excellent and oh-so-relaxing Lazy B beach.
They have a little creek with a freshwater spring and a gentle current from out to sea running through it. I took this from inside the creek, in chest-deep water at *cough* great risk to my camera. 🙂
Tags: beach, jiye, landscape, lazy b, lebanon, photo, photography, picture, portrait, sea, travel
Posted in Portraits, Travel/Urban | Comments (0)