text:
Le Dernier Rite, ou Malédiction au Connecticut au Québec () est un film d'horreur américain de Peter Cornwell sorti en 2009.

Synopsis
Pour se rapprocher de la clinique où leur fils malade d'un cancer est hospitalisé, les Campbell décident d'emménager dans le Connecticut. Ils ne savent pas que la charmante maison victorienne dans laquelle ils vont loger est un ancien dépôt mortuaire. Jonah, le fils du propriétaire, va bientôt les mettre en contact avec des morts maléfiques…

Une histoire vraie
Ce film est inspiré de la famille Snedeker, victime de phénomènes paranormaux qui se seraient produits dans leur demeure à Southington (Connecticut).

En 1986, Allen et Carmen Snedeker déménagent avec leur fille et leurs trois garçons à Southington (Connecticut). En explorant sa nouvelle maison, la mère trouve des crucifix sur chaque porte et d'étranges articles dans le sous-sol. Il s'agissait d'outils utilisés par des entrepreneurs de pompes funèbres. Les Snedeker découvrent alors avec horreur que leur maison était autrefois un dépôt mortuaire. Leur fils aîné déclare alors avoir vu des fantômes ainsi que des visions terrifiantes. Carmen et Allen sont incrédules. Plus tard, ils sont victimes de phénomènes paranormaux et disent avoir été violés par des démons. Un jour, alors que Carmen lave le plancher de la cuisine, l'eau devient soudainement rouge sang avec une odeur de chair en décomposition. La famille contacte alors Lorraine et Ed Warren, experts en démonologie. Un exorcisme est réalisé en 1988 et les phénomènes ont depuis cessé.
Cet événement a déjà fait l'objet d'un roman intitulé In a Dark Place de Ray Garton, publié en 1992 par l'éditeur Villard Books, et d'un film documentaire de John Kavanaugh, A Haunting in Connecticut en 2009.

Fiche technique

 Titre original :
 Titre français : Le Dernier Rite
 Titre québécois : Malédiction au Connecticut
 Réalisation : Peter Cornwell
 Scénario : Tim Metcalfe, Adam Simon
 Musique : Robert J. Kral
 Directeur artistique : Edward Bonutto
 Décors : Alicia Keywan
 Costumes : Meg McMillan
 Photographie : Adam Swica
 Montage : Tom Elkins
 Production : Paul Brooks, Daniel Farrands, >Scott Niemeyer et Wendy Rhoads
 Budget :
 Format : Couleur - 2.35:1 •  - SDDS • DTS • Dolby Digital
 Langue : anglais
 Genre : Horreur, drame et thriller
 Durée :
 Version censurée : 92 minutes
 Version non-censurée : 102 minutes
 Dates de sortie :
  :
  :  (vidéo)
 Interdit aux moins de 12 ans lors de sa sortie en France

Distribution
Légende : Version Québécoise = V.Q.
 Virginia Madsen (V.Q. : Manon Arsenault) : Sara Campbell
 Kyle Gallner (V.Q. : Nicolas Bacon) : Matt Campbell
 Elias Koteas (V.Q. : Manuel Tadros) : révérend Popescu
 Amanda Crew (V.Q. : Kim Jalabert) : Wendy
 Martin Donovan (V.Q. : Pierre Auger) : Peter Campbell
 Sophi Knight (V.Q. : Ludivine Reding) : Mary
 Ty Wood (V.Q. : Alexandre Bacon) : Billy Campbell
 D.W. Brown (V.Q. : Alexis Lefebvre) : . Brooks

Notes et références

Voir aussi

Articles connexes
 Hantise (A Haunting), un documentaire-fiction sur le sujet A Haunting in Connecticut, diffusé en 2002.

Liens externes

  Site officiel du film
  « The story behind 'The Haunting in Connecticut' »
  Le récit de Carmen Snedeker

Film américain sorti en 2009
Film d'horreur américain
Film dramatique américain
Thriller (film) américain
Film de Lionsgate
Film de Gold Circle Films
Film tourné à Winnipeg
Film se déroulant dans une maison hantée
Film se déroulant au Connecticut
Film américain inspiré de faits réels

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Two new MEMS-based barometric pressure sensors from Omron Electronic Components Europe are specifically designed to support height and pressure measurement in drones, smartphones, pedometers and other battery powered mobile systems.
The new Omron 2SMPB-02B and 2SMPB-02E sensors provide stable and reliable height and pressure measurements, allowing changes in elevation of as little as 2m to be reliably recorded.
Developed as an evolution of the successful blood pressure gauge, the new sensors have been specifically remodelled for mobile applications and are smaller at just 2.0 x 2.5 x 0.85mm in size.
The new barometric sensors measures pressure with high accuracy based on the built-in low noise 24bit ADC and feature digital control and output via I2C/SPI interfaces.
Both automatically power down non-working circuits to minimise the power consumption. Individual calibration parameters are stored in One Time Programmable-ROM (OTP), and are retained when the system is powered down.
An integrated temperature compensation circuit helps ensure accurate absolute pressure measurements.
Both sensors are configured to measure the pressure of air between 30kPa and 110kPa. Maximum pressure is 800kPa and the sensors can be used at temperatures of -40 up to 85 Celsius without condensation or icing.
The sensors have a pin layout that is compatible with alternative solutions on the market, simplifying integration.
2SMPB-02E matches the features and performance of the 2SMPB-02B but offers a better level of accuracy down to +/-50Pa. The -02B version is ±100Pa.
Applications are extensive and include wearables, tablets, smart phones, drones, altitude meters, car navigation and floor detection.


text:
Q: branch & merging Here's the scenario:

*

*development branch (current commit dated 11/15)

*then, i've make a feature branch (FeatureA) from development (with current commit dated 11/15)

*modify & work in the feature branch (FeatureA)

*other user, committed/merged to the development branch  (current commit dated 11/16)

So, I update my local copy of development branch (dated 11/16).
command: git pull origin development
But my feature branch (FeatureA) is still based from the previous commit (date 11/15) of development. right?
Question: how to update my feature branch from the updated code in development?
git merge development, this command?

A: Either git merge development or git rebase development. Prefer the latter only after reading up on rebasing, since it rewrites history.

A: git fetch origin

should update your branch with the changes made to the code in development.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


never understood Paul's mystery gospel of salvation."
a succession of posts training clergy for the ministry of the Church of England.
It makes his spirits drop.
He fades into a swoon...." End Quote.
ultimately away from the one who died to save them from their sin.
do with theirs, it wouldn't be safe to go to a doctor."
sinners, through the sacrifice of the precious blood of Christ.
ever and ever, not only for the hearer, but also the preacher.


text:
M.D. Juan Ramón Pina
MEDICAL DOCTOR Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. Vall d'Hebrón Hospital (Barcelona)
SPECIALIST IN MEDICAL HYDROLOGY AND MEDICAL CLIMATOLOGY. University of Montpellier (France)
QUALIFIED PHARMACIST Universidad Central de Barcelona. Faculty of Pharmacy (Barcelona)
DIPLOMA IN HEALTH National Public Health School. Bellvitge Hospital (Barcelona)
Diploma in Health from the National Public Health School (1988)
Clinical Analyst with the Barcelona Official College of Pharmacists (1981).
Specialist in the Analysis, Control and Treatment of Potable, Industrial and Residual Waters (Empresa Nacional Calvo Sotelo).
Professor at the Universities of Zaragoza, Alcalá de Henares, Granada, Valladolid, Barcelona and Valencia.
Professor at the University of Mississippi (U.S).
Member of the CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) National Team Studying Anti-Aging and Anti-Free Radicals
Holder of various high ranking Management Positions in Companies in the Bromatology and Health Sectors leading to the foundation of his own company, Farmacéutico AVERROES, which specialises in the research and production of treatments using Averroes Spring Sulphurous Waters and bacterial inoculums. He is currently the Medical Director.
Medical Director of BALNEARI FONT VELLA SPA (Spa located at Sant Hilari Sacalm, Girona)
Extensive professional experience as a researcher and technician of more than 21 years in the Escatron Industrial Group(Zaragoza), the Vandellós Nuclear Power Station (Tarragona), Howson Algrapgy (Ripollet – Barcelona), Schweppes LTD(Barcelona) and Palex Brawn (Rubí-Barcelona)
Co-author of the book "TECNICAS Y TECNOLOGIAS EN HIDROLOGIA MEDICA E HIDROTERAPIA" Chapter: Thermal Derived Therapeutic Products. Thermal Cosmetics.
Creator of HYDROPINIC TREATMENT WITH SULPHUROUS WATER of Antioxidant and Revitalising effects, clinically researched and proven on Triathlon Athletes from the Sant Cugat CAR (Centre of High Performance) and used in his Consultancy and in other centres.
Research Member of the BILBILIS Foundation for Study and Research into Thermalism.
Assessor- Consultant on Potable, Industrial, Residual and Mineral-Medicinal Waters. Clinical-Pharmacological Reports. Antioxidant Capacity Research. Bacterial Flora Study. Filed Reports. Technical Support for Spas. Training.
Dr. Pina's medicinal plants can be found in the Vademecum of phytotherapy prescription.
Clinical sessions "The benefits of sulphurous water in ENT pathology" in the Institute of Otology Garcia-Ibanez (Barcelona. October 2010).
September 2011: Conference at the College of Physiotherapists of Catalonia "Technical physiotherapy sour water".
2013: Medical Director of Curhotel Hipocrates for free radical radical treatments, ENT and pulmonology.
April 2013: Doctor HONORIS CAUSA by the Council of Europe
2018:Member of the Spanish Society of Otolaryngology - SEORL.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Trevor's Law
TSCA REFORM
Children's Cancer Pavilion
Erin B's Community Health Book
Childhood Cancer Facts
Trevor's Trek Foundation > Bill S.76 information
Bill S.76 information
Senators Boxer and Crapo Introduce Legislation to Help Communities Investigate and Address Disease Clusters and Environmental Hazards
Washington, DC – Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, introduced legislation with Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) to help communities determine whether there is a connection between "clusters" of cancer, birth defects and other diseases, and contaminants in the surrounding environment.
Senator Boxer said: "Whenever there is an unusual increase in disease within in a community, those families deserve to know that the federal government's top scientists and experts are accessible and available to help, especially when the health and safety of children are at risk. I am pleased to introduce this bipartisan legislation that will enable communities to get the answers they need as quickly as possible."
Senator Crapo said: "As a two-time cancer survivor, I know that cancer can come from many sources. This legislation may provide the answers to questions that many families face when confronting disease, and it's important that we find ways to help Americans fully understand disease clusters. Through increasing federal agency coordination and accountability and providing more resources to affected communities, families will have more information and tools to maintain health and well-being."
Throughout the country, there are communities that experience unexpected increases in the incidence of birth defects, cancer and other diseases. The legislation, S. 76, is designed to:
Strengthen federal agency coordination and accountability when investigating these potential certain "clusters" of disease;
Increase assistance to areas impacted by potential disease clusters; and
Authorize federal agencies to form partnerships with states and academic institutions to investigate and help address disease clusters.
The legislation being introduced today is supported by the Trevor's Trek Foundation, co-founded by Charlie Smith and Susan Rosser with Trevor Schaefer, who survived after being diagnosed with brain cancer seven years ago at the age of 13. Trevor and his family have worked to raise awareness of disease clusters and their possible links to toxins in the environment, and to help build support for legislation to assist communities experiencing suspected disease clusters.
Trevor's Law was originally introduced on January 25th, 2011 in the Environment and Public Works Committee as bill S.76. Trevor Schaefer along with renowned environmental activist Erin Brockovich testified at the Oversight Hearing on Disease Clusters and Environmental Health on March 29th, 2011 on behalf of Trevor's Law. On June 9th the bill passed committee and moved to the full senate. Bill S.76 was not voted on before the 112th congress came to a close.
Senator Barbara Boxer re-introduced Trevor's Law on January 22nd, 2013 now also known as bill S.50 with companion bill S.53. Senator Crapo has co-sponsored both bills.
Trevor's Trek Foundation © 2014. All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Contact |Tax ID# 26-3912411


text:
Q: Understanding integral equation with locally integrable function I'm reading a proof in a book and don't understand a crucial step.
So we have $f \in L^1_{\text{loc}}(\mathbb R^n)$ and $\phi \in C_c(\mathbb R^n)$. Now $\mu$ is a Radon measure, such that $$ \mu(A) = \int_A f \; \mathrm dx $$ for every Borel set $A \subset \mathbb R^n$.
Now the proof states that
$$ \int_{\mathbb R^n} \phi f \; \mathrm dx = \int_{\mathbb R^n} \phi \; \mathrm d\mu \; .$$
Why is this true? Is the author using a Theorem that I should know? Or is it obvious from the upper equation? I don't see it...

A: That's a standard argument in measure theory: First by taking $\phi = \phi^+ - \phi^-$, we assume that $\phi$ is nonnegative. By definition, your assertion is true when $\phi = \chi_A$ for any Borel set $A$. Thus it is also true when $\phi$ is a simple function.
In general if $\phi$ is continuous with compact support, let $\phi_n$ be a sequence of nonnegative simple functions so that $\phi_n$ increases to $\phi$ a.e.. Then also $\phi_n f$ increases to $\phi f$ a.e. (assume that $f\ge 0$). By using monotone convergence theorem twice, we have
$$ \int \phi f dx = \int \lim (\phi_n f) dx = \lim \int \phi_n fdx = \lim \int \phi_n d\mu = \int \lim \phi_n d\mu = \int \phi d\mu.$$
(For general $f$, again consider $f = f^+ - f^-$).


「I started with a Yamaha A-S501 which I found hard to believe had 85 watts as it was clean but gutless. So, I moved on.
I then went to a Marantz PM6005. Yay for the loudness button and a more muscular sound. But here is the thing, it's a touch shrill on the top end. If I turn the treble all the way down (-10db) it's still pretty sharp and at times brassy.


Guided trek with ample acclimatization days built in.
Getting to the foot of world's highest mountain: Mount Everest.
Insight to Buddhism & Sherpa culture while walking through Sherpa villages & monasteries.
Walk through narrow suspension bridges witnessing amazing waterfalls.
Experience breathing in thin air at higher altitudes.
Cross popular Thorong La Pass, the highest point of this trek (5,416 m).
Excellent Opportunity to Climb a Gokyo Peak.
Enjoy stunning views of Everest and other eight thousanders.
Visit around turquoise colored mesmerizing Gokyo Lakes.
Start and end from scenic lake city of Pokhara.
Plenty of cutural exploration at Gurung village of Ghandruk.
Excellent panoramic sunrise and sunset views on most of the days.
Tibetan Buddhist culture at the villages through the Langtang Valley Trekking trail.
Ascent of Tserko Ri (5050m) or Kyanjing Ri or both (as you wish).
Enjoy excellent views of Langtang Ri, Ganesh Himal, Lang Sisa Ganjala Range, Dorje Lakpa.
Chance to trek around world's 8th highest Himalaya, Mt.
Experience restricted area trekking at Manaslu Conservation Area.
Cross exciting high altitude Larkya La Pass with excellent views of snow capped mountain.
Excellent Views of Langtang Himalayan Range from Kyanjing Ri or Tserko Ri.
Cultural Exploration of Sherpa and Tamang Communities.
Visit the Holy Site of Gosaikunda Lake.
Excellent closeup views of the Himalayan range.
Newly developed and less crowded trekking trail.
Enjoy several forest walks and gradual ascents up to 4500m.
Explore the Trans-Himalayan Region landscapes and sceneries.
Visit ancient monasteries, caves and palaces.
Get insights into Tibetan culture and scenery around the forbidden kingdom of Mustang.


text:
Fort William, Scotland, UK
The small town of Fort William lies on the Great Glen, a geological fault line which cuts through the Scottish Highlands. Britian's highest mountain, Ben Nevis, looms over the town. Fort William is also at the northern end of the West Highland Way, a long distance footpath stretching 150 kilometres through remote parts of Scotland. Although Fort William's population numbers only around 10,000, the town is a popular base for walking and other outdoor activities, making it a major tourist centre.
I visited Fort William in June 2015.
No single body has overall responsibility for the transport services in Fort William. However, the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) has a strategic responsibility for developing transport across the Scottish Highlands. Meanwhile, the Lochaber Transport Forum has details of all transport services in Fort William.
A small network of local bus services is operated by Stagecoach.
I was surprised to find that in this relatively small town, most of the buses were double-deck.
Routes 45, 46 and 47 between them provide the core service across the town.
Each service operates hourly, with a combined service of up to four buses per hour over common sections of route. Evening and Sunday services are more limited.
Some of the double-deckers used in Fort William carry the fort link name.
Route 41 operates every two hours, reaching a couple of parts of the town which are not served by routes 45, 46 or 47.
The 41 also heads north-eastwards out of Fort William, to the nearby settlements of Spean Bridge and Roy Bridge.
On the way, it calls in at Nevis Range, a centre for outdoor activities on the slopes of Ben Nevis.
Route 44 heads in the opposite direction out of Fort William, southwards to the small settlements of Ballachulish and Kinlochleven.
These images were taken in Kinlochleven.
Route 44 generally runs hourly, although a more limited service operates during the evening and on Sundays.
The reason for using double-deckers in a town as small as Fort William becomes clear at school times. It is at school starting and finishing times that the high capacity of the buses is needed.
At these times, a different pattern of services operates over routes 45, 46 and 47, with buses numbered between 145 and 149.
As well as single and return fares, Stagecoach also offer all-day tickets. These are based on zones. One zone covers Fort William itself and journeys up to around 5 kilometres from the town centre. A two zone ticket is travel from Fort William to points further afield, including Nevis Range, Roy Bridge, Ballachulish and Kinlochleven. Weekly and longer period tickets are also available, based on the same zones.
Publicity for the Stagecoach services states that easy-access, wheelchair-accessible buses are usually operated on these services.
I was therefore surprised to find that particularly on route 44, several journeys were being operated by high-floor coaches.
I also found a step-floor single-decker being used on the 44. This bus definitely wasn't wheelchair-accessible.
Since these images were taken, the deadline for all single-deck buses in Britain to comply with accessibility standards has been reached. Single-deckers such as this one can no longer be used on regular bus services.
It wasn't just the 44 where vehicles other than low-floor were being used.
I found a coach in Scottish Citylink livery being used on a journey on route 41.
Not all bus services in Fort William are provided by Stagecoach.
Shiel Buses operates several services into Fort William from the sparsely-populated area to the west.
These services are infrequent, with none operating more than three or four journeys per day.
A mix of coaches and minibuses were being used on these services.
Scottish Citylink provides a network of longer-distance coach services across Scotland. Several Citylink routes serve Fort William.
The coach stops are alongside Fort William railway station.
Routes 914, 915 and 916 pass through Fort William on their way from Glasgow and Loch Lomond to the Isle of Skye.
The Citylink livery is yelow and blue. However, I noted several coaches in the colours of their individual operating companies, but with Citylink yellow at the rear.
On route 918, linking Fort William with Oban, I noted coaches without any Citylink branding.
Citylink 919 operates along the Great Glen, linking Fort William with Loch Ness and Inverness. During the early mornings and evenings, when route 919 doesn't operate, Stagecoach operate a few journeys as route 19.
Routes 919 and 19 have been featured on the Great British Bus Routes blog.
Although return tickets are interchangeable between the 919 and 19, the two services may charge different fares.
Just as I found a Scottish Citylink coach being used on a local bus service in Fort William, I found Stagecoach single-deck buses operating on Scotish Citylink route 919.
The lack of luggage space on these buses makes tham less than ideal for use on the 919, which provides a strategic link across the Scottish Highlands.
Fort William is also served by rail.
The West Highland Line is one of Britain's most scenic railway routes. A daytime service of 3-4 trains per day is operated by ScotRail, running from Glasgow to Fort William then on to Glenfinnan and Mallaig.
An overnight train service linking Fort William with London is operated by Caledonian Sleeper, six nights a week.
During the summer season, "The Jacobite" steam trains operate from Fort William to the end of the line at Mallaig.
Special fares apply on these trains, ScotRail tickets aren't valid on them.
A ferry service crosses the loch from Fort William to Camusnagaul, 4-5 times a day. Details are on the Lochaber Transport Forum website.
Camusnagaul is also linked to Fort William by one of Shiel Buses' services. The bus journey takes around 50 minutes, around the head of the loch. The ferry takes 10 minutes.
The ferry operates from a small jetty in Fort William.
In the centre of Fort William, outside one of the town's shops selling outdoor goods, is a cable car. Just one, a static cabin with nowhere to go.
Travel out to the Nevis Range centre, however, and you will find a cable car system climbing from there up the mountainside.
The cable cars were installed to carry skiers and their equipment to slopes on the mountainside.
The cable cars carry bicycles, which can be attached to racks on the outside of the cabin. Mountain biking is a popular activity in this area.
Other than an annual closure for maintenance in November/December, the cable car operates all year round. However, it may close temporarily during high winds.
Labels: .bus, .cable car, .double-deck bus, .minibus, .steam train, great britain, scotland, united kingdom
Location: Fort William, Scotland, UK


text:
NPR: Wood Energy Not 'Green' Enough, Says Massachusetts
August 22, 2012 by Matthew Koehler
You can listen to the National Public Radio segment from All Things Considered here. The opening snip is below:
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: When it comes to renewable energy, wind and solar get a lot of attention. But wood actually creates more power in the U.S., and Massachusetts state officials are scaling back their efforts to encourage wood power. It may be a renewable resource, they say, but that doesn't mean it's good for the environment. NPR's Elizabeth Shogren has that story.
ELIZABETH SHOGREN, BYLINE: Power plants that turn wood into electricity aren't anything new. They're called biomass plants. They've become more popular as states have tried to reduce the use of fossil fuels. The idea is wood is a renewable resource. You can always grow more, but the state of Massachusetts decided it wasn't enough to be renewable. It wants climate-friendly fuel, so it kicked most power plants that burned wood out of a program that helps renewable electricity plants earn more revenue. Mark Sylvia is commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.
MARK SYLVIA: I think what it says is that Massachusetts is very curious about focusing on our climate goals.
SHOGREN: Massachusetts wants to cut its greenhouse gases 25 percent by 2020 and power plants are a huge source of greenhouse gases, so the state asked some scientists to take a hard look at the greenhouse gas footprint of power plants that burn wood. John Gunn of the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences was one of the researchers who did the study. He says the results challenged conventional wisdom.
JOHN GUNN: Basically, we found that if you're going to switch from using fossil fuels for energy to using more wood for energy that, for a period of time, the atmosphere would see an increase in greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.
Categories 21st Century Problems, climate change, Diversity and species conservation, Role of science Tags biomass, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences Post navigation
Courthouse News Service on Timber Industry's "obnoxious" NFMA lawsuit
MT: Trapping in Lynx Country Jeopardizes Recovery Efforts, Violates ESA
14 thoughts on "NPR: Wood Energy Not 'Green' Enough, Says Massachusetts"
Personally, I tend to gravitate towards peer reviewed studies myself. Interesting NPR didn't cite the paper that this research came from. I little research shows that it came from a non-profit out of Maine with a small portion of the story told. The snip that was left out:
"Over time, however, re-growth of the harvested forest
removes this carbon from the atmosphere, reducing the carbon
debt. After the point at which the debt is paid off, biomass begins
yielding carbon dividends in the form of atmospheric greenhouse
gas levels that are lower than would have occurred from the use of
fossil fuels to produce the same amount of energy (Figure 1)."
http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/doer/renewables/biomass/manomet-biomass-report-full-hirez.pdf
Please focus on the "for a period of time" portion of John Gunn's quote.
Solar NJ
Massa. is NEVER satisfied when it comes to energy conservation. I think its great, but we keep on spending more and more. We need to reach a good market first before we continue to downpour our money on solar.
-Sharone Tal
David Beebe
The very brief NPR story was woefully inadequate in regards to providing the public with the facts exposing the myth of biomass being carbon neutral.
An international committee citing several peer reviewed scientific papers (http://www.eea.europa.eu/about-us/governance/scientific-committee/sc-opinions/opinions-on-scientific-issues/sc-opinion-on-greenhouse-gas) states in the introduction:
"It is widely assumed that biomass combustion would be inherently 'carbon neutral' because it only releases carbon taken from the atmosphere during plant growth. However, this assumption is not correct and results in a form of double-counting, as it ignores the fact that using land to produce plants for energy typically means that this land is not producing plants for other purposes, including carbon otherwise sequestered. If bioenergy production replaces forests, reduces forest stocks or reduces forest growth, which would otherwise sequester more carbon, it can increase the atmospheric carbon concentration. If bioenergy crops displace food crops, this may lead to more hunger if crops are not replaced and lead to emissions from land-use change if they are. To reduce carbon in the air without sacrificing other human needs, bioenergy production must increase the total amount of plant growth, making more plants available for energy use while preserving other benefits, or it must be derived from biomass wastes that would decompose and neither be used by people nor contribute to carbon sequestration."
(This, of course, supports the Manomet conclusions.)
The Scientific Committee of the EEA went on to state:
"The potential consequences of this bioenergy accounting error are immense. Based on the assumption that all burning of biomass would not add carbon to the air, several reports have suggested that bioenergy could or should provide 20% to 50% of the world"s energy needs in coming decades. Doing so would require doubling or tripling the total amount of plant material currently harvested from the planet"s land. Such an increase in harvested material would compete with other needs, such as providing food for a growing population, and would place enormous pressures on the Earth"s land-based ecosystems. Indeed, current harvests, while immensely valuable for human well-being, have already caused enormous loss of habitat by affecting perhaps 75% of the world"s ice- and desert- free land, depleting water supplies, and releasing large quantities of carbon into the air."
Well, then, I guess the extreme option is to close all coal and gas power plants, in favor of whatever baseload they can get from their "green elite" energy, eh? Or, turn their entire populations into "snowbirds", who fly south when the weather turns cold. Yep, ban all the coal-powered electrical devices, regardless of the impacts. When the future won't be resolved to some people's exceedingly narrow views, the past is ultimately blamed for today's inaction.
The anti-biomass fanatics continue to use scare tactics, which aren't based in fact. Their claims of 30 million clearcut acres is quite bogus. They reverse engineered that figure, based on that 50% biomass energy figure, as applied to the US. NO ONE in the Forest Service is saying that we would be ramping up clearcutting, to feed biomass plants. And, NO ONE in the Forest Service ever will!
Bob Zybach
Is water vapor "like" carbon dioxide? I think one of the key problems with this whole trace element in the atmosphere industry that has grown so large in the past 25 years, is that most of the public has been misled into believing greenhouse gases perform the same basic function as greenhouse glasses. And that scientists clearly understand the role of atmospheric water vapor in estimating global temperatures.
I wrote a peer reviewed paper for EPA on the topic of carbon sequestration in conifer forests as a method of controlling the climate about 20 years ago. My research didn't gibe with Hanson's "predictions" and that was the last I was paid to do work on this topic. Principal conclusions were that the predictive models were too simplistic to accurately predict weather or climate, either one, and that converting the nation's agricultural lands into tree farms to store carbon didn't seem like a good idea. Mostly, I tried to demonstrate that the predictive models were incapable of accurately predicting the past, and therefore equally incapable of predicting the future. I continue to believe that the same problems persist.
The bottom line is that plants love CO2, and the world is fed by plants. The climate can only get colder or warmer, and the latter is better for people and for most plants and animals. If humans can actually control the climate by choice of cars, light bulbs, and energy sources, then that is great news. We should be getting better with practice as time goes on and data becomes more refined. In the interim, we should be wary of any governmental regulations designed to affect the climate — I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but certainly there has to be an underlying motive to this nonsense that makes some sense.
Why is the government trying to do this, really? And what are they basing these actions on, exactly? As a veteran of the Cold War, Nuclear Winter, Holes in the Ozone, and Y2K Hysteria, I have to remain skeptical of these current claims of Apocalypse. Especially when "believers" and "deniers" can be generally classified as Democrats or Republicans. I'm guessing money, mostly.
"The anti-biomass fanatics continue to use scare tactics, which aren't based in fact. "
(Larry Harrell Fotoware)
To what, and to whom are you referring? The scientific committee of the EEA? The Manomet scientists? NPR? (More likely), me?
As usual, I find it difficult to respond directly to your comments because they are so filled with unsupported hyperbolic claims casting wild aspersions, using loaded terms, and generally denigrating and labeling those who dare express points of view differing from your own.
Can't you (Doctor Zybach and Derek) find therapy for this compulsion to personally attack others in order to get your points across?
Your choice to comment this way (especially alongside the "Charter for Compassion" in the right column directly across from your comment) mystifies me as to how you (or the moderator of these comments) regard such comments as convincing, constructive or consistent with the NCFP goal expressed in "About":
"Our goal is to solicit broad participation from a cross-section of interests in a respectful atmosphere of mutual learning on topics related to the Forest Service and public lands policy.
There were many claims of "30 million clearcut acres" if biomass were to be considered as "green". Similarly, I guess we could say that if solar was going to be 50% of our energy baseload, we would need 30 million acres of solar panels across the US. Or, if we wanted wind power to supply 50% of our baseload, we would need to install 80,000 windmills on remote ridgetops across the US. I just picked those numbers out of the air but, I think you get the idea of how things can be twisted and slanted to match whatever message one might want to discredit.
Pretending that biomass could supply so much power, under today's real world restrictions is not based in fact. I think we could claim that responsibly harvested biomass could qualify as "green", and some folks simply don't want that.
Thanks Larry,
We are in full agreement "Pretending that biomass could supply so much power, under today's real world restrictions is not based in fact.", and that is consistent with the conclusions of the EEA scientists — citing several peer reviewed scientific papers.
(But without a specific reference to, what, where, and by whom, are the "many claims (made) of 30 million clear cut acres", I cannot respond to what you are referring to, especially when it is purported to be "similar" (equivalent) to 30 million acres of solar panels and 80,000 windmills.)
I think I do get the gist of your comment now, and can agree with both you and the EEA scientists who also concluded in the paper I referenced, there are ways to use biomass for energy production (such as using industrial waste streams for energy production) which can be preferable to using fossil fuels.
The main problem in the present US energy policy and the role of biomass as a substitute for the use of fossil fuel, of course, (as always with timber harvest) is a matter of appropriate scale, and the gross carbon accounting error being applied.
My point is that applying a similar "inappropriate scale" to other forms of green energy, like wind and solar power, results in a "less green" form of energy, with all the impacts thrown in. Pretending that solar or wind power can supply up to 50% of our energy needs (and still be elitist green) is as ludicrous as saying that biomass could supply the same amount. And, yes, we have already seen where some people resist wind and solar power projects. Surely, we'd see even more backlash if we intended to ramp up the scale on wind and solar projects, radically, to supply half our energy needs.
http://www.ewg.org/clearcut-disaster
"EWG calculates that the current goal of generating 25 percent of U.S. electricity from renewable sources by 2025 would require the equivalent of clear-cutting between 18 million and 30 million acres of forest."
"By 2030, as utilities become more dependent on biomass to meet their renewable fuels targets, the devastation could encompass 50 million acres of forest."
Would that be all on private timberlands? Of course, the Forest Service would never clearcut such vast areas.
David: It is you, again, who persists in attacking others (read your last few posts as examples), myself included, in order to try and make whatever point it is you're trying to make. I'd hazard a guess as to why you seem to need to do this, but you would be offended.
Please let me point out one fact to you in this discussion chain — your so-called "peer reviewed science" had the word "opinion" in its URL THREE times! First I've ever seen such a thing. I think they're trying to tell you something, David — something about people (including scientists) having opinions.
Finally, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop trolling my posts and feeling compelled to respond. It's an irritating habit and it never seems to add much to a discussion. If you are that interested in me and my opinions, you can send me an email or call me on the phone and discuss it with me personally. Trolling is unnecessary.
Doctor Zybach,
Again, you are using unsupported claims. Unless you provide the evidence of my comments "attacking others", then I cannot meaningfully respond. It is not my intention to "attack" and I hope you will provide this evidence so I know what your claims of attacks are.
Similarly, your "peer reviewed" assertion of "Log Banks" as a strategy for sequestering carbon underwater, underground, or in arctic climates for decades or centuries", went unsupported in your referenced paper on carbon sequestration. http://www.nwmapsco.com/ZybachB/Reports/1993_EPA_Global_Warming/index.html
I suspect that failure to support your — opinion — (in contrast to the EEA scientists backing up their opinion with accepted published science) had a lot more to do with it being "the last (time you were) paid to do work on this topic."(1993), than the fact that the paper 'didn't gibe with Hanson's "predictions."
Given you provided no hint of even a back-of-the-napkin calculation of areal extent and volume required to meaningfully store trees to sequester carbon this way; the logistical exercise of cutting down trees to take them someplace else to prevent decomposition (but excluding anaerobic methane production?) in order to grow more trees; the colossal transportation and environmental costs of this curious cut and bury exercise; the economic investments required, (the failure of any return on those investments) — and other myriad practical, real world considerations — I now understand your personal experience of peer review. You have every reason to be a skeptic of peer review based upon your paper alone.
Conversely, and in regards to your assertion that, "Principal conclusions were that the predictive models were too simplistic to accurately predict weather or climate", Hansen, et al. has recently provided a thoroughly researched paper using historical weather data to demonstrate his predictive models were quite accurate (though understated), and that we can expect further increasing temperature extremes in magnitude and frequency.
Here's an excellent interview demonstrating the wonderfully simple approach he used:
http://current.com/shows/viewpoint/videos/the-dice-are-loaded-nasas-james-hansen-warns-escalating-climate-crisis-requires-intervention/
In response to your claim that,
"The bottom line is that plants love CO2, and the world is fed by plants. The climate can only get colder or warmer, and the latter is better for people and for most plants and animals."
"Climate can — only — get colder or warmer?" Climate can do a lot more than that.
"Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, precipitation, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods." (Wiki)
Further, climate responds to forcings creating positive feedbacks unaccounted for in your "bottom line" which is neglecting the concurrent weather extremes and disastrous consequences that the Hansen, (et al.) models predicted.
THAT is the bottom line — not your simplistic assertion "plants love CO2".
David: Thank you for the improved tone and coherence of this latest posting. So far as your verbal assaults on other participants in these discussions (myself included), I will leave it to you to go over your more recent posts and see if you can spot the snide comments and baseless assertions you've made regarding the character and capabilities of others. They're pretty obvious.
I am also pleased that you have actually taken the time to read my paper on carbon sequestration. It was one of my earlier scientific publications, made while I was just starting my graduate studies, and there are portions of it I wish I had made clearer. One of those portions was my tongue-in-cheek proposal to log old-growth and float a portion of the trees to Antarctica, or sink them beneath the water so they wouldn't rot and therefore return carbon-dioxide to the atmosphere — and so other trees storing more carbon dioxide could be grown in their stead. It was intended to be wryly humorous, not serious.
The point I was trying to make is that growing trees to sequester carbon is a dumb idea. Despite the stated opinions of others, my opinion remains that forests are essentially carbon neutral over time. I have seen little in the literature — including your submissions and Hansen's assertions — to make me think otherwise. Bottom line is that I don't think C02 is poisonous, and also believe that our oceans and atmosphere can readily absorb a lot more of this gas and with mostly beneficial results to the plants and animals (including people) of our planet.
PS One area in which we are in complete, and maybe surprising, agreement is the fact that my paper stands as a fine example of why I don't trust the peer review process as it has been practiced by the EPA and other agencies and universities the past few decades. A good peer review would have resulted in a much better paper — and maybe even continued funding for my research.
Thanks to Doctor Zybach for offering his paper for discussion.
(broken link to the referenced Doctor Zybach "carbon sequestration in conifer forests as a method of controlling the climate" paper)
Here's the correct link:
http://www.nwmapsco.com/ZybachB/Reports/1993_EPA_Global_Warming/index.html
Here's an additional link to the recent Hansen et al "Climate Dice" which gives a rebuttal to his critics, including further data to prove just how wrong those critics are:
http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2012/20120811_DiceDataDiscussion.pdf


Life is not about who we're with; what we're wearing; where we live or how much money we earn. It is all about unfolding an understanding about your Self and about Life itself. One of the speediest ways to unfold understanding is through your relationship. In no other way is who you are and what you think exposed as in a relationship.
If you're in a relationship and you're hurting there, here are some ideas to consider that might keep you in the relationship. Some people learn the hard way that if you don't clean up what is in one relationship, you will simply drag it to the next relationship, because you are the common denominator.
• You Put Down the Character of the Other. You and your significant other will not always agree. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but when minor disagreements escalate into attacking your significant other's character, this is an enormous red flag. Remember those days when you loved him or her because of their good traits? They're still there.
• Hateful Actions. If you've forgotten the good about your "other," you may slide into thinking of them with no love present. You'll roll your eyes, make hand gestures, say insulting things to them, tease them with cruelty, etc. and all this will be motivated by hate. They might react to what you're putting out there, but that hatred is inside of you. Not a healthy idea.
• The Blame Game. If all that is wrong in your relationship is the other fellow's fault, you are feel incapable of resolution. It's wiser to ask yourself what role you are playing here. What input and responsibility can you own. Whatever you own, you can change. You can't fix what belongs to another. Blaming your spouse will put the brakes on genuine communication toward a resolution.
• Going Silent. A friend's husband would lie face down on their sofa and refuse to discuss any problems by going completely silent. He wouldn't respond to any of her questions. It's as if she wasn't even there, and that is the key point: silence removes another from the situation entirely. This resolves nothing except to initiate a breakup.
One of the most beautiful things about this life is the limitlessness of individuality. Think about how many different ways there are to prepare the very same piece of steak, for example. Think about how many ways there are to plant a garden. Each individual has his or her ideas about how things should be in life, and for sure, in a relationship.
One of the ideas for harmonious relationships requiring acceptance of another's individuality is this one: "Let's agree to disagree." This says: It's okay for me to have my take on things. It's okay for you to have your take on things. At this time, neither of us wants to budge, so let's just agree to disagree on this point.
When you were young and in love, what you didn't think about beyond how beautiful the other was, their physical attributes, and the fact they were attracted to you is this: both of you brought to the table unresolved problems that could take dozens of years into the future to be resolved.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote a sonnet in the late 1800s but its words are true still today.
• Do I keep tract of what is true and good about you?
• Do I keep sacred the work of our relationship and not share it outside the relationship?
• Do I speak about my own thoughts and feelings without starting sentences with "you" and placing blame outside of myself?
Love inside of a relationship takes decisive intention, dedication for the long haul, and plenty of hard work. This is why it's said that the quickest way to unfold understanding is inside of a relationship. When your love grows to embrace all the foibles of your mate and all the bumps in the road you've encountered, you can celebrate your success.
Hi Maria and Pat - thank you for this submission, which is being forwarded on to the publishers for use in a future edition. ~ Blessings!


Mark these upcoming Saturdays on your calendar! Meet all the Congressional 19 Candidates, one per Saturday, at the Delhi Village Board Meeting Room, 9 Court St, Delhi, NY.
Saturday, March 24th, is Jeff Beals!
For more information on Jeff and our other 5 Congressional (House of Representatives, NY District 19) candidates, see the links on our Candidates page.


Team DRAMA SCENE is made up of passionate individuals who are well versed in the drama skill set. Our small team of facilitators are industry professionals from around the globe, many of whom are performers themselves.
In short we are passionate about performance and sharing our knowledge with others.
DRAMA SCENE was founded by Ferne Reynolds Lategan in 2008. Ferne is a qualified speech and drama professional and holds an Honors Degree in BA Dramatic Art.
Having lived in Dubai since 2003, Ferne decided to return to her first love, drama and founded DRAMA SCENE with around 30 students. Under her vision and guidance the school has grown into the largest skill based performing arts school the region as well as the largest private LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) Exam centre in the Middle East. Ferne believes in combining technique with creativity in order to offer drama as more than just a past time but a life long skill set. Under her guidance, many of her teen students have been accepted into top drama courses within international universities and drama schools across the UK, US and Canada in an effort to pursue careers in performance.
Aside from teaching and managing DRAMA SCENE across the ME, Ferne adjudicates interschool debating, performing and public speaking events in and around Dubai and produces and delivers corporate workshops. She is further passionate about directing and in 2012 co-directed Love, Loss and What I Wore written by Nora Ephron. Ferne herself is no stranger to performing. Whether on stage, in front of a camera or co hosting the awards ceremony for The Dubai International Film Festival Ferne is at home in front of an audience. Her experience covers numerous stage productions, soap operas and cameos in international films.
Emma's teaching career began at the age of 14 when she was asked to assist her Principal at her dance and drama school. Since then Emma has gone on to teach children, teenagers, adults and royalty across the globe in countries including the UK, Romania, Portugal, Australia and now the UAE.
Emma grew up in Bath in the UK where she began her training at the age of 3 with the Dorothy Coleborn School of Dance and Drama. She then went on to further her training at The London College of Dance and Drama, Mountview and The Actor's Centre.
Best known for playing the role of 'Bella' from the BBC's Children's favourite The TWEENIES (live and pre recorded) Emma boasts a professional performing career spanning over 30 years. Emma's experience and adaptability continues to see her perform globally in a number of contrasting roles for prestigious companies including BBC Worldwide, Imagine Theatre, Wish Films, Fiery Angel, HiT Entertainment, Novel, Bareface, FIVES Milkshake!, Fatafeat TV, Flash, NIKE, Cartoon Network, Warner Bros, Popular Productions, Sky TV and Chorion, to name but a few.
Emma continues to perform professionally both in the UK and the UAE.
Ellen-Gayle Harewood hails from the UK and has been performing since she was very young – first appearing on TV in CITV's 1992 show – "Wail of the Banshee" as a teenaged Jubilee Jones.
Having trained in 2004 – 2006 at The Academy Drama School, London, Ellen-Gayle has completed several TIE (Theatre in Education) tours across the UK. Teaching Drama has also been a big part of Ellen-Gayle's journey over the last 20 years. She has created youth drama groups in communities across the UK – writing, directing and producing many showcases. She has taught summer camps internationally to include South Africa, Uganda, and of course the UAE. Ellen further founded Mariposa Performing Arts in the UK in 2015, offering drama as a co curricular in schools and specifically to students with special needs.
Ellen has performed and delivered several theatre-based training workshops within corporate organizations (including NHS, Lush Cosmetics, & various UK Country Councils).
Ellen is no stranger to performing in the UAE, she has performed with Popular Production's Sound of Music (2010), Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing (2011) & Love, Loss & What I Wore (2013). Ellen is a part of Dubomedy's alumni, having studied and performed comedy with them from 2011-13. In addition, Ellen-Gayle has worked within their volunteer program, "Clowns Who Care".
Emma was schooled in Qatar and there she found her love for Drama. She has been performing since 2010 and completed her training in the UK at a performing arts college and furthered her studies at Manchester Metropolitan University receiving a First-Class Honors degree in Drama.
Emma's actor training covered Acting, Directing and Dramaturgy. Her training mainly surrounded the practitioner Stanislavski based but she also has a keen interest in Psycho-physical Theatre, where she revived training from Animikii Theatre.
Emma is also trained in Musical Theatre and has been vocally trained from a young age. Last year she received training from West End stars and performed on The Phantom of the Opera stage in London's West End.
Emma began teaching at her school in Doha, she ran a Drama after school club for children in KGS 2 and 3. On returning to the UK Emma taught at youth centers supplying them with Acting and Musical Theatre workshops. During the Summer months Emma taught at Camps in the UK conducting lessons in Drama, Musical Theatre and Singing. During her time at University she ran a Theatre Society directing and performing in 6 productions from Devising to Shakespearian.
Emma has worked both on and off stage as well as a few Television advertisements. She has a keen interest in exploring and discovering herself through Drama and particularly enjoys the engagement the children have with the subject and seeing how they develop from it.


Attention all you DIY fans, Etsy has created a new market just for you "makers". It showcases projects and craft supplies and also shares crafts project ideas. For example, the piece above is a digital download available to print immediately-no waiting for it to be mailed. The pattern includes a color image for reference, symbol charts and DMC floss list you'll need to complete the project. HandmadeMN member Hop Stitch Designs offers this design and many more in her shop.
Projects- a variety of projects, time required and skill level for each.
Let me highlight a few of our local suppliers for you.
MiniMushrooms grouping of Riley Blake designs is one of many fabrics she offers.
Earth Grown Crayons offers her unique variety of Handmade crayons under the Paper, Party & Kids category.
Squirrel design just one of many offered by Earth Grown Crayons.
Maybe you are a jewelry maker looking for charms, beads or other materials for your next project.
Our Deeders Beads can help you out.
Jewelry making tools are available from our HandmadeMN member's shop Evies Tool Emporium.
Jewelry saw and blades for the budding jewelry maker.
The Paper, Party & Kids category also includes stamping, bookbinding, origami and more.
TC Witchcraft Factory hand carved this Running Puppy rubber stamp.
The Projects section was really fun to explore. They show a project and all the steps to make one yourself. What's really easy is they round up all the materials from various Etsy shops so you can order all or part of what you need in one step.
It's worth your time to explore what's available online in the new Etsy Studio.
It's a time to dance around the May pole, deliver May baskets to neighbors and Grandma, and honor workers and the fight for the eight-hour workday.
But for the garden obsessed, like me, it really marks the beginning of the first month of intensive gardening, when we have the most energy and inspiration for getting out and making our little patch of earth beautiful again.
I've been a gardener for more than 40 years now, which has given me lots of opportunities to learn from my mistakes, and to develop an appreciation for both the practical and aesthetic aspects of gardening.
Here follow a few tips from the lessons I've learned, along with some Minnesota handmade items that complement them.
Hey! These would also make terrific Mother's Day gifts, wouldn't you know.
When perusing my garden journal this spring, I was reminded that I was a little slow to start picking Japanese beetles off my roses last year, which led to an increasingly difficult problem to manage. Reading about that reminds me to be watchful so I can address the problem as soon as it begins, and to take preventative measures, such as applying beneficial nematodes once the ground is warm enough.
That's just one reason why a garden journal can be one of your most useful tools, and this unique handmade journal/scrapbook made by TC Witchcraft Factory may be just what you need to get started.
Gardens that welcome butterflies, bees, and other insects are not only more productive, but also more beautiful, as these dainty creatures hover and dance in the air like fairies while providing useful services such as pollinating our crops and patrolling for pests. Helpful insects will feel at home in your garden if you don't use pesticides, if you're not overly tidy (weeds in corners and in the lawn are a banquet for beneficials), and if you plant a variety of flowers, especially native ones.
Seeds and sometimes plants of a few Minnesota native and butterfly friendly flowers are available from The Owl Shop, which also sells vintage items for home and garden. This is rose milkweed, also known as swamp white milkweed, which is a more attractive and less weedy variety than the common milkweed, but just as appealing to monarchs. The seeds can be planted now, or check with the shop to see if they expect to have some plants ready soon.
When I go out to weed, I carry two buckets: a small one with my tools, and a larger one for the weeds. But I don't really need all my tools every time, so I'm thinking that this cotton canvas half apron from Anna Terre Designs would come in very handy. It has three deep pockets for small tools, gloves, or seed packets, and a loop for holding a long-handled hand hoe. She has several of these in different patterns and fabrics.
And here's a weeding tip: Too overwhelmed to tackle the weeding in mid summer when it's hot? Just edge the garden instead. You'll be amazed by the illusion of tidiness it creates; I have received complements on some very weedy gardens with neatly defined edges.
After a session of digging and weeding, be sure to wash hands and arms throughly with soap and cold water to remove not just dirt, but also plant oils that can irritate skin or even cause a rash. Why cold water? To avoid opening pores and allowing those oils to penetrate the skin. That's what's recommended for treating exposure to poison ivy, but other plants can also cause dermatitis, depending on your particular skin sensitivities and the plants in your garden.
Why not use a wholesome handmade soap to clean the grit and plant oils off your skin? This rich unscented soap from Faith, Soaps and Love is a fine choice for all skin types, although they also have herbal soaps if you prefer something a little fancier.
For extra good measure, you could follow that with some soothing Gardener's Balm from Bath-N-Beads.
One of the joys of gardening is bringing in a bouquet of lovelies to enjoy indoors. Picking flowers also promotes more blooms, and in the case of spring bulbs, it directs the plant's efforts into nourishing its roots for next year instead of trying to turn blossoms into seeds. Also, picking large-blossomed flowers like peonies before a rain can save them from becoming too heavy for their stems to support (just be sure to hold peonies upside down and shake out the ants before bringing them inside).
I have an older urban garden with an abundance of hostas and daylilies. I've removed a lot of them to make way for a greater variety of plants, but I do like keeping a few around, in part because their leaves actually look very nice in floral arrangements.
After you've gathered a nice bouquet from your garden, show off your homegrown beauties in a handmade vase, such as this lovely oval ceramic one from Diane Gamm.
Display individual stems and small bouquets in a unique bud vase made with Lake Superior stones from Naturally Unique Rock.
Smaller bud vases, like this one by Nicole Baxter, are great for sweet little posies, as well as the daisies and dandelions that kids like to pick and give to Mom or Grandma.
Come to think of it, a handmade vase filled with flowers, whether from your garden or the store, makes a very nice Mother's Day gift even for moms who don't garden.
And here's one more gardening tip especially for Minnesotans: No matter how warm and tempting the weather may be in early April, don't be fooled into jumping the season. And never ever plant tomatoes before Memorial Day weekend!


text:
ACCEPTED

#### According to
The Catalogue of Life, 3rd January 2011

#### Published in
Hedwigia, Beibl. 23: 85 (1884)

#### Original name
Phacidiella salicina P. Karst., 1884

### Remarks
null

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Senior Software Development Engineer, iOS - Mobile Platform
Olympia, Washington, United States
About the team We provide a suite of products and services that empower Zillow Group's iOS and Android development teams to build outstanding mobile applications. By using our shared libraries, services, and infrastructure, developers can focus on building the experiences our users need to dream, shop, and transact on their next home. About the role We're looking for an iOS Software Developer with strong architecture and development skills and a passion for mobile DevOps, observability, and engineering productivity. On the Mobile App Platform team, our "customers" are our peers developers, product managers, and quality engineers at Zillow Group. You'll build internal SDKs that allow Zillow's mobile app developers to integrate with systems powering authentication, experimentation, data science, design systems, and more. You'll work on our powerful iOS continuous delivery platform built on Kubernetes and AWS macOS EC2 instances. You'll teach development teams how to use our powerful monitoring and logging SDKs to identify and resolve issues before they reach our users. If you have a passion for driving velocity, standardization, and release automation across dozens of engineering teams, this is the role for you! This role has been categorized as a Remote position. "Remote" employees do not have a permanent corporate office workplace and, instead, work from a physical location of their choice which must be identified to the Company. Employees may live in any of the 50 US States, with limited exceptions. In certain cases, an employee in a remote-designated job may need to live in a specific region or time zone to support customers or clients as part of their role. In Colorado, the standard pay range for this role is $144,000.00 - $230,000.00 Annually. This range is specific to Colorado and may not be applicable to other locations. Who you are You're passionate about making it easy and efficient to deliver fast-changing, large-scale mobile applications. You love to give tech talks, architecture presentations, and write how-to guides Expert understanding of Kotlin, Java, and Android SDKs Expert scripting abilities and experience integrating and automating a wide variety of systems Experience with popular build tools such as Gradle, Android Build Tools, Command Line Tools, and SDK Manager, and familiarity with Kotlin DSL Experience with at least one CI/CD system, such as Gitlab, Jenkins, TravisCI, Bitrise, or other. Experience with unit, functional, and UI testing in Android using frameworks like Espresso and Flank 5+ years of software development experience Additionally, the following items are preferred, but not required: Experience with Firebase Test Lab and remote/distributed UI testing tools Familiarity with cloud providers such as AWS and declarative infrastructure tools including Terraform, Packer, and Ansible Familiarity with containerized applications and orchestration, including tools and platforms like Docker and Kubernetes. Familiarity with metrics and log collection/visualization/alerting using platforms like Crashlytics, Grafana, Prometheus, DataDog, or Splunk. In addition to a competitive base salary this position is also eligible for equity awards based on factors such as experience, performance and location. Get to know us Zillow is reimagining real estate to make it easier to unlock life's next chapter. As the most-visited real estate website in the United States, Zillow and its affiliates offer customers an on-demand real experience. Millions of people visit Zillow Group sites every month to start their home search, and now they can rely on Zillow to help make it easier to move and no matter what job you're in, you will play a critical role in making this vision a reality. Our efforts to streamline the real estate transaction are supported by a deep-rooted culture of innovation, our passion to redefine the employee experience, a fundamental commitment to Equity and Belonging, and world-class benefits. We're also building the workplace of the future, where our employees are less tethered to the office, and have more flexibility in their lives. But don't just take our word for it. Read recent reviews on Glassdoor and recent recognition from multiple organizations, including: Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For List 2021, TIME 100 Most Influential Companies list, Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index 2021, Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Corporate Equity Index and HRC's Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality 2021, Fortune Best Workplaces for Millennials 2021, and Fortune Best Workplaces for Women 2021. Zillow Group is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive, innovative environment with the best employees. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact us at . Applicants who receive job offers from Zillow Group will be asked to sign a Proprietary Rights Agreement which includes confidentiality, intellectual property assignment, customer and employee non-solicitation, and non-competition provisions. If you are contacted for a role at Zillow Group and wish to review a copy of the Proprietary Rights Agreement prior to receiving an offer, you may request a copy from your Recruiter. See what information we collect about you.


text:
Q: Excluding/including traffic based on URI in Google Analytics profile filters How do you exclude traffic from a certain directory (and everything under it) from an entire Google Analytics profile?
Example:
www.thesite.com - should be tracked
www.thesite.com/directory/ - should not be tracked, along with anything below it

A: After lots of experimenting I found a way to do this. I hope this can help someone else later.
Under Profile >> Filters there are predefined filters and custom filters. The predefined exclude would not work for me no matter how I wrote it, but I didn't manage to get the custom filter to work.
I used:
Filter type: Custom filter - Exclude
Filter Field: Request URL
Filter Pattern: (^/directory/)
This works for both excludes, and to "include only", i.e. to create a profile that ONLY tracks things going to www.thesite.com/directory/


text:
A Great Poem about Soldiers by, Rudyard Kipling
Heli-gunner Tom http://heli-gunnertom.blogspot.com/
Old Solder Tom's Journal--http://heli-gunnertom.blogspot.com/
'After reading the post, I thought that some of you might be interested in the full poem "Tommy" by Rudyard Kipling and published in 1892. Some of the poem is a little hard to get due to the language of the time and place it was written. However it's central theme of the disregard and ultimate disrespect for soldiers by society in general makes it clear that a general lack of appreciation of soldiers is nothing new. Anyway I think it is worth the read. I think we may have listed it before, but I think some of you may not have read it. The paraphrase is right on the money.'
I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play.
I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.
Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.
We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind",
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind.
You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!
Of course none of this comes close to the despicable treatment by our own government, the worst of all enemies many Tommy's have faced in the last 60 years. However, I do think it reflects on the media since it seems they will not even report the facts of what is and has been on going against Veterans/Widows by our own government. I guess they are either anti-veteran or they are scared poop less by our own government.
This is not the fair and constitutional government with justice for all I was brought up to believe actually existed and was worth dying for to protect.
The Nation YES --------Our own government NO!
Everyone is watching the poles for the upcoming election. Yet, the poles for our congress are less than a 14% approval rating. If polls mean anything (debatable), why would any Veteran or Widow in his or her right mind vote for an incumbent with this kind of rating? Just putting the same old tired rhetoric for Veterans back in office for another two years of inaction. I am talking about in general now so do not hit me with there are exceptions to the rule and I agree.
I have to marvel at what congress does do in these issues where they are adding benefits for Veterans and crowing about it. Number one, you have to be alive to collect these benefits. Number two, you have to be able to work to take advantage of these benefits.
Neither of which seem to be a real concern by Congress as Veterans die with no Service Connection and no disability based on Service Connection based on no transparency of rules and preordained negative decisions made for thousands of Veterans by the chief of Veterans denial; The Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs an Executive Branch appointee (The Defendant).
http.//tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com Heli gunner Tom at Wednesday, October 15, 2008 1 comments Links to this post
A Great Poem about Soldiers by, Rudyard Kipling...


text:
var tslint = require('gulp-tslint');
var gulp = require('gulp');
var gutil = require('gulp-util');
var cleanCss = require('gulp-clean-css');
var path = require('path');
var sass = require('gulp-sass');
var sh = require('shelljs');
var plumber = require('gulp-plumber');
// var karmaRun = require("./etc/build/tasks/karma-run");
var karma = require("karma");
var karmaParseConfig = require("karma/lib/config").parseConfig;
const webpack = require("webpack");
var WebpackDevServer = require("webpack-dev-server");
var webpackTask = require("./etc/build/tasks/webpack");
var webpackWatchTask = require("./etc/build/tasks/webpackWatch");

var configContext = require("./etc/build/config/configContext");
var configSrc = require("./etc/build/config/config");

var pkg = require('./package.json');

gulp.task("default", ["lint", "sass", "webpack"]);

gulp.task("git-check", function (done) {

    if (!sh.which("git")) {
        console.log(
            '  ' + gutil.colors.red('Git is not installed.'),
            '\n  Git, the version control system, is required to download Ionic.',
            '\n  Download git here:', gutil.colors.cyan('http://git-scm.com/downloads') + '.',
            '\n  Once git is installed, run \'' + gutil.colors.cyan('gulp install') + '\' again.'
        );
        process.exit(1);
    }
    done();
});

gulp.task("lint", function () {

    return gulp.src(configSrc(configContext.DEV).PATHS.lint_path)
        .pipe(tslint())
        .pipe(tslint.report({
            summarizeFailureOutput: true
        }));
});

// gulp.task("webpack", webpackTask);
gulp.task("webpack", function(callback)
{
    process.env.NODE_ENV = "dev";
    webpack(
        require('./config/webpack.dev')({env: 'development'}),
        function(err, stats)
        {
            if(err) throw new gutil.PluginError("webpack", err);
            gutil.log("[webpack]", stats.toString({
                // output options
            }));
            callback();
        }
    );
});

gulp.task
(
    "webpack-dev-server",
    function(callback)
    {
        // modify some webpack config options

        var myConfig = require('./config/webpack.dev')({env: 'development'});
        // Start a webpack-dev-server
        new WebpackDevServer(
            webpack(myConfig),
            {
                publicPath: "/" + myConfig.output.publicPath,
                stats: {
                    colors: true
                }
            }
        )
        .listen(
            3000, "localhost",
            function(err)
            {
                if(err) throw new gutil.PluginError("webpack-dev-server", err);
                gutil.log("[webpack-dev-server]", "http://localhost:3000/webpack-dev-server/build/index.html");
            }
        );
    }
);

gulp.task("sass", function (done) {

    gulp.src(configSrc(configContext.DEV).PATHS.sass)
        .pipe(sass().on("error", sass.logError))
        .pipe(gulp.dest("./www/build/css/"))
        .pipe(cleanCss({
            keepSpecialComments: 0
        }))
        .pipe(rename({ extname: ".min.css" }))
        .pipe(gulp.dest("./www/build/css/"))
        .on("end", done);
});

gulp.task("watch", function ()
{
    gulp.watch(configSrc(configContext.DEV).PATHS.lint_path, ["lint", "webpack"]);
    gulp.watch(configSrc(configContext.DEV).PATHS.templates, ["webpack"]);
    gulp.watch(configSrc(configContext.DEV).PATHS.sass, ["sass"]);
});

gulp.task("test", function (done) {

    karmaRun({
        autoWatch: false,
        singleRun: true
    }, done);
});

gulp.task("test-watch", function (done) {

    karmaRun({
        autoWatch: true,
        singleRun: false
    }, done);
});

function karmaRun(options, callback)
{
    // https://gist.github.com/renegare/9173656

    var configFilePath = path.resolve("./karma.conf.js");
    var log = gutil.log;
    var colors = gutil.colors;
    var config = karmaParseConfig(configFilePath, {});

    Object.keys(options).forEach(function(key) {

        config[key] = options[key];
    });

    var server = new karma.Server(config, function(exitCode) {

        log('Karma has exited with ' + colors.red(exitCode));
        if(callback)
        {
            callback();
        }
        process.exit(exitCode);
    });
    server.start();
};


text:
Q: Why Serialize fails to do its job? I have a simple model for testing:
[Serializable]
public class PageModel : IPageModel
    {
        Guid _guid;

        public Guid GUID
        {
            get
            {
                if (_guid == Guid.Empty)
                    _guid = Guid.NewGuid();
                return _guid;
            }
            set
            {
                _guid = value;
            }
        }
        public bool ShouldSerializeGUID()
        {
            return false; // GUID still serialized!
        }
}

I try to serialize it like this:
    JavaScriptSerializer serializer = new JavaScriptSerializer();

    string jsonData= serializer.Serialize(pageModelInstance);

Can someone please tell me what I am missing here?
Is there another way to do conditional serialization?

A: Basically, JavaScriptSerializer doesn't support that pattern of conditional serialization. So: use one that does - fortunately, Json.NET does support this, and works fine:
string jsonData = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(pageModelInstance);

(no other changes needed, although you can safely remove the [Serializable] - that isn't needed)


text:
Overcoming the 20 million user milestone, KuCoin Exchange announces a commemorative team battle event. -
Overcoming the 20 million user milestone, KuCoin Exchange announces a commemorative team battle event.
Global cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin has announced that it has reached 20 million users. The new milestone comes after the platform reported a record number of registered users in the first half of 2022.
Notably, KuCoin has attracted over 9.75 million new registered users in the first half of 2022 as highlighted in the KuCoin H1 2022 report, bringing the total number of users to over 20 million. The figures show a doubling of registered users in 7 months as the exchange previously reported that it had reached the 10 million user milestone in December 2021. The 219% increase in user base in the first half of 2022 is largely due to the expansion of the exchange's operations in Asia, which resulted in the attraction of 5.6 million new users, a 659% year-over-year increase. Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, and Europe saw 216%, 152%, and 142% new user registrations year-over-year, respectively.
"As KuCoin's 5th anniversary approaches, the number of registered users has surpassed 20 million, which is another milestone for us. KuCoin is growing at a fast pace with each user's support and trust, regardless of the market conditions. To express our gratitude to users, we will provide more innovative products and services related to NFT, GameFi and Web 3.0 to facilitate users' access to the crypto world," said Johnny Lyu, CEO of KuCoin.
The main reasons behind this growth in user numbers are KuCoin's globalization strategy and focus on new market penetration through better community and language support for new products and feature launches.
The addition of BRL and EUR fiat trading pairs, as well as BTC/BRL, ETH/BRL, USDT/BRL, BTC/EUR, ETH/EUR and USDT/EUR has helped the exchange penetrate Latin American and European markets. These factors, coupled with new product launches that have strengthened the exchange's entire ecosystem, have enabled it to attract new users.


VALLETO presents an evening celebrating women on Saturday, June 16, 2018 at 7:30pm at CPR-Center for Performance Research, 361 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn. Doors open at 7pm with an exhibition before the performance. Tickets are $18 in advance ($15 for students in advance, $20 at the door cash only), and are available at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3448149.
RSVP for VALLETO presents an evening celebrating women to add comments!


text:
TED Attendee
Comedian and actor
Lily Tomlin has been honored by the Kennedy Center and awarded the Mark Twain Prize — and she's still making vital, hilarious comedy.
Throughout her extraordinary career, Lily Tomlin has won seven Emmys; a Tony for her one-woman Broadway show, Appearing Nitely; a second Tony for Best Actress; a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics' Circle Award for her one-woman performance in Jane Wagner's The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe; a Grammy for her comedy album, This Is a Recording; and two Peabody Awards, the first for the ABC television special, Edith Ann's Christmas: Just Say Noël, and the second for narrating and executive producing the HBO film, The Celluloid Closet. In 2003, she received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, and in December 2014 she was the recipient of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors in Washington DC.
She made her film debut in Robert Altman's Nashville, and gave a generation-defining performance alongside Dolly Parton and Jane Fonda in the workplace revenge comedy 9 to 5.
Lily Tomlin's TED talk
Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin
A hilarious celebration of lifelong female friendship
Posted Dec 2015
More news and ideas from Lily Tomlin
Live from TEDWomen
Women at war, women as friends: The talks in Session 6 of TEDWomen 2015
What is an idea, really, if you keep it to yourself? No, ideas are meant to be shared. In this session, stories of connection — from Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, who have been friends since 9 to 5, to Jenni Chang and Lisa Dazols, a couple who traveled around the world documenting the lives of "supergays." Short recaps of […]
"Women's friendships are a renewable source of power": Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin at TEDWomen 2015
Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin have been friends since 9 to 5. And the pair walks onto the TEDWomen stage to talk about the importance of female friendship, the audience standing up to applaud as they take a seat on a couch. "What do you look for in a friend?" asks host Pat Mitchell, kicking off the conversation. […]


Are you at the point in your life where you don't want to shovel the driveway or mow the lawn weekly? Visit this spectacular "maintenance free community" and imagine your dream home. With spacious ranch style floor plans and first floor masters starting in the 300's, Arlington Heights is an elegant community of homes featuring open green spaces, sidewalks, and street lamps throughout the entire neighborhood.
Arlington Heights is conveniently located near Exit 9 off of Interstate 87 ("the Northway") and 5 minutes from all of the grocery stores, shopping, dining, and entertainment. Some Exit 9 favorites include popular restaurants like Wheatfields, Blue Spice Gourmet Thai, Pasta Pane, Sushi Thai at the Park, Bellini's Italian Eatery and many more. Exit 9 also features gourmet sandwich shops, coffee houses, gyms, several grocery chains, Department and specialty stores, Lowes and Home Depot, and Regal Cinemas.
Arlington Heights is also only 20 minutes from Saratoga Springs, an international tourist destination famous for its thoroughbred racetrack as well as luxury shopping, dining, and entertainment.
Your new Belmonte Builders home includes many standard features that are typically upgrades. Please feel free to compare our quality to other builders. We are sure you will see the difference you get with your new Belmonte home.
Learn more about this Belmonte neighborhood and the quality features of a Belmonte built house by calling Sharon at 518-527-4914 or visit Sharon at an open house. The stunning model home at Arlington Heights is open daily from 12:00-4:00 except Wednesday and Friday.


text:
Abacetus olivaceus is a species of ground beetle in the subfamily Pterostichinae. It was described by Tschitscherine in 1900.

References

olivaceus
Beetles described in 1900


Wedding is a 'bizarre' and 'ruthlessly funny and impressionistic deconstrction of a wedding', the second collaboration by Glen Neath and Hannah Ringham (Shunt). The show premiered at Shoreditch Town Hall, and relocated to Forest Fringe during the Edinburgh Festival 2014.
Brilliant, unsettling, human, tragicomic, true.
Glen Neath and Hannah Ringham's superb THE WEDDING is like an episode of The Good Life on crack. I strongly recommend it to you all.
Just as bizarre as I was expecting, and also rather enjoyable. Plus free cake & cava!
"Wedding" was a giddy joy, if we ever get married @HannahRingham and @GlenNeath can run it.


Mosquitos must be one of the top five annoying things on the planet. We all know what it's like to have a relaxing picnic interrupted by incessantly itching bites, or to lay awake all night listening to the whining of the little insects flying around our heads, looking for their dinner. There are many ways to ward off biting bugs, from using Vicks VapoRub to garlic, and there is one thing these all have in common- to produce an odor that mosquitos simply don't like.
Fortunately, there is one common vitamin that when ingested, produces an odor on our skin which is repellent to mosquitos but undetectable by humans.
That one vitamin is Vitamin B1, otherwise known as thiamine. Although not scientifically proven, many people attest to the effectiveness of Vitamin B1 as a mosquito repellent. It also has a plethora of other fantastic health benefits, so why not give it a try?
The recommended dosage is 25-50mg, three times a day. There are concentrated supplements available from the pharmacy, but there are also common foods which are high in Vitamin B1, and adding these delicious foods to your diet may make you less appealing to mosquitos! Sunflower seeds, beans, whole grains and yeast make the list, as well as kale, cauliflower and broccoli.
According to Organic Facts, it plays an important role in maintaining a healthy nervous system, as well as healthy skin, hair, eyes, mouth and liver. It also helps our bodies to withstand stress, which we can all use a little help with sometimes!
B1 is a key player in converting sugar into usable energy, and it works as a powerful antioxidant which can slow down the aging process. It is even good for our mental health. Just taking B1 isn't the only thing you can do. Keep reading for 4 more tips to keep mosquitos at bay.
Got a holiday coming up? Start taking the B1 supplements two weeks in advance — Love to Know advises that this is roughly how long it takes for the vitamin levels to build up in your body. And on that note, Vitamin B1 is water soluble, meaning it can be flushed from your body very quickly. Keep up your stores of B1 by continuously taking it in supplement form, and by snacking on the vitamin-rich foods listed above.
Most bug sprays contain neurotoxic chemicals such as permethrin and DEET. Love to Know explains that we absorb a lot through our skin and those chemicals go straight into our blood stream — so do we really want those harsh chemicals pumping through our bodies? There are some occasions when those bug sprays may be the safest option, but for places where mosquitos don't carry serious disease, it could be worthwhile trying natural alternatives, such as Vitamin B1.
If the mosquitos are out in force, you can add another layer of protection by making your own repellent. Try this recipe, by David Wolfe — it uses only two ingredients! He recommends crushing fresh parsley with apple cider vinegar and leaving to sit for a few hours. Or you can try these recipes which use a simple mixture of olive oil and essential oils, the scent of which is known to deter bugs. Be sure to dilute the essential oils so that they're safe to use on your skin, and follow the usage instructions carefully — essential oils are not right for everyone.
Pediatric Insider explains that mosquitos breed in standing water, so try to empty any empty flowerpots, birdbaths or gutters that might be proving an ideal breeding place. Mosquitos don't venture too far from their homes, so if they can't breed in your backyard, chances are you'll see a lot less of them.
To summarize, there are many ways to repel mosquitos and you don't have to put harsh chemicals on your skin to do it. Try using natural bug sprays and being aware of where mosquitos are breeding around your home, and of course, dose up on that Vitamin B1! It is a safe and naturally-occurring part of a healthy diet, so you'll notice other great health benefits too.
Note that if you are traveling somewhere with risk of malaria, yellow fever, or other serious diseases carried by mosquitos, you should consult your doctor to discuss more stringent ways to deter mosquitos. However, if you're looking for a healthy, toxin-free way of deterring mosquitos and it is safe to risk an occasional bite, stock up on Vitamin B1 — it's a healthy alternative.


FootGolf - Just Kick It!
When I was asked to create a post for the new Cleveland Metroparks Blog, FootGolf was the only thing on my mind!
Growing up a soccer player in Northeast Ohio and later becoming a certified coach, the game isn't completely foreign to me. We used to play our own version of FootGolf all the time - although we never had a golf course to play on. We'd simply take a corner flag, place it somewhere on the field, and see who could hit the flag in the least amount of kicks. Simple as that!
What I didn't know is that this game is actually a sport played worldwide. In June 2012, the first FootGolf World Cup was held in Hungary, and shortly after the United States officially named FootGolf a sport. And here I was thinking my friends and I were the only ones that played this marvelous game!
1. You don't need soccer or golf experience to enjoy the sport.
FootGolf is a hybrid version of soccer and golf, but it's not only for soccer players and golfers. In fact, FootGolf is a great sport for everyone. If you are capable of kicking a ball, you can play FootGolf! Girls, boys, men, women, kids and adults are all welcome to give it a kick.
2. It's easy to learn and doesn't require much equipment.
The rules are pretty simple. I won't get into specifics here, but let me explain the gist of it. Like golf, each hole has a teeing area and a set par. Simply place a size 5 regulation soccer ball in the teeing area, find the flag marking the hole, and give it a kick (yes, there are specific oversized holes that your soccer ball will fall into. You do not need to get it to land perfectly on the tiny golf hole). Each kick counts as a point. When the ball is in the hole, you are done with that round and total up your points. Just like golf, you want the least amount of points possible. All you need is a soccer ball, a course and a way to keep score!
There isn't the fast pace, extensive running of soccer, but that doesn't mean it's not a great way to exercise! Ditch the golf cart and walk the course to get your heart pumping and your legs moving. You're also going to want to stretch out your legs to make those long shots!
4. It's a great way to show off your style.
FootGolf is played in golf attire, so grab your knee high argyle socks, fedoras and visors and get to the course. Remember – no soccer cleats are allowed on the greens!
5. It can be super competitive or super chill.
You'll get out of FootGolf exactly what you put into it. Growing up the only girl between two boys molded me into quite the competitor, but it is totally up to the players how competitive the game will be. FootGolf is a great way to unwind with friends. I know it's hard to picture after these arctic blasts, but being outside with friends and a ball at your feet may just be the perfect way to start or end your day. If you're a serious FootGolfer, you can compete amongst your friends, or check out reason number 6 explaining why FootGolf is so awesome!
6. There are FootGolf leagues and tournaments.
The official FootGolf league in the United States is the American FootGolf League (AFGL). Check out their website to learn about upcoming tournaments you might enjoy. Who knows – the next FootGolf World Cup Champion could be you!
You read that right my friends! Starting spring 2014, you can head on over to Mastick Woods Golf Course, sign up for a tee time and get FootGolfing! Keep an eye on www.clevelandmetroparks.com/footgolf to stay up-to-date on everything Cleveland Metroparks FootGolf has to offer!
Until then, Just Kick it!


text:
Apple's most underrated WWDC announcement
Cody Lee on June 14, 2012
Looking back at it, there was no shortage of announcements during Apple's WWDC keynote on Monday. An all-new MacBook model, major updates to its desktop and mobile operating systems, and a new Maps app — not bad for an afternoon.
But amongst all of the oohs and ahhs of the new products and updates, there was one particular announcement that sort of flew under the radar. According to Apple, it now has more than 400 million active credit card-linked iTunes accounts…
At first glance, this may not seem like a very big deal. But let's put this into some context. Paypal, arguably the most well-known digital payment provider, had somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 million accounts as of 2011. And only around 100 million of those were active.
This means that Apple, for the sake of this argument, has roughly 4x the reach of the current leader in digital payments. That, my friends, is a pretty big deal. Especially when you consider all of the recent talk that the company is looking to enter the still-up-for-grabs mobile payment space. But why haven't we seen anything materialize yet?
The truth is, creating a universal wireless payment platform is a lot tougher than it sounds. Even for a company as big as Apple. Just ask Google. The search giant announced its NFC-flavored Wallet service 12 months ago, and it still seems like little more than a pipe dream. Even large companies like Visa, who do this kind of thing for a living, are having trouble getting both consumers and businesses on the same page (see payWave).
But from the outside, it seems like the key to a successful mobile payment platform can be broken down into a 3-part equation. First, you have to build a large user-base — the bigger the better — and convince them all to give you their credit card information so you have a way to bill the payments. Second, you need to get businesses on board. Once again, the more the better. The more businesses you have using your service, the more customers you will attract, and vice versa. And finally, you have to find a seamless way to connect the two. Be it NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, whatever.
Now, Apple is already off to a good start with the first part of the equation. The aforementioned 400 million iTunes accounts would definitely serve as a nice opening user-base. And that number will undoubtedly grow substantially over the next 5 years.
As for the second part, Apple may have just taken care of it with the new Passbook application. The program is essentially a virtual "pocket" of sorts, allowing users to digitally store gift cards and event tickets. But more importantly, the app's API is open to the public. And Apple is already encouraging businesses to integrate their services with it. Obviously, the more companies that participate, the more useful it becomes.
That just leaves the third part of the equation, the seamless connection, which Apple has yet to make a move on. We've heard rumors and speculation regarding both NFC and Bluetooth 4.0, but nothing in the form of concrete evidence. Personally, I'd like to see them partner up with a company like Square, and use their geolocation-based technology. But that's just me. It'll be interesting to see how Apple plays this one.
The bottom line here is that Tim Cook and company appear to be quietly moving some major pieces into place to eventually make a move into the mobile payment space. And that's probably a good thing. Think of it this way: have you ever used the Easy Pay service in the Apple Store app and thought, "wow, I wish it was this easy to shop everywhere?" Well, maybe soon, it will be.
Major US carriers, Google form mobile payments alliance, Apple not on board
The iPhone 5 Rumor Roundup
Apple Pay is coming soon to Hong Kong's Octopus transit card system


The bike already weighed 890 pounds wet by itself, and then I had another 100 pounds of camping gear loaded on to it, and yet I was taking it down a 10% downgrade, descending 1,100 feet over three miles of switchbacks all on gravel road.
The truth is that I was excited to ride it, but also nervous. I mean, the bike was damn heavy.
I figured I could just go slow. That's always the safe thing, right? Except when you have other vehicles behind you, waiting to get around you, it somehow makes you want to go faster.
Seems you never know what you're made of until you push yourself to the limits.
The Moki Dugway is part of State Route 261 in south-eastern Utah. It one of those proverbial roads, "out in the middle of nowhere", and now seemingly exists more as a rite of passage for motorcyclists, seeking to test their skills. But at one time, it existed for trucks carrying uranium ore from Fry Creek to Mexican Hat.
You wonder why the State doesn't just pave this thing. But then again, why? It wouldn't be the Moki Dugway without it. Riders wouldn't go out of their way to ride it. And nearby Navajo villages like Mexican Hat would never bring in tourist dollars.
Some things are just better off leaving alone.
It was April of 2009 that I got my opportunity to ride it. I had just spent the night camping in Natural Bridges National Monument, and had awoke to find a layer of frost on my 2005 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic Electra Glide (the second one after I totaled the first). From here, I would head south-west all day, hoping to reach the little known Grand Canyon Caverns along old Route 66.
But in my way stood Moki Dugway.
As it turned out, it wasn't the twisty, steep, gravel road that made it seem frightening. It was the amazing view.
Moki Dugway starts from atop a massive mesa nearly a quarter-mile up into the sky. You look over the edge and you can see a hundred miles into the horizon, almost like looking out the window of an airplane. When you consider how steep the decline, how narrow the road, and how slippery the gravel can be, it's a humbling experience.
I made my descent, taking it slowly.
But it seemed rather easy, so I increased my speed.
Then I got to the first switchback, applied the brake easily, and found my tires slipping a little. I rounded the turn, and opted to keep the bike in low gear just so that I wouldn't have to rely on the brakes.
After a few switchbacks, it seemed rather easy.
And by the time I traversed enough elevation, it didn't seem as precarious anymore. I wondered to myself, "Is that it? Is that what other riders have been raving about?"
I guess what's to really rave about this road is the awesome view from the top. I could have watched it forever. Imagine how amazing the sunrises from here!
Well, once I hit the bottom, and the asphalt returned, I rode into the tiny town of Mexican Hat, where I stopped at the Old Bridge Grill (inside San Juan Inn), where I had a roast beef sandwich on Indian fry bread. An old Navajo guy sat down with me and had some stories to tell. I hardly understood him, but I did a good job of pretending.
That looks like an amazing road. I had not heard of it before. Now it has to go on my "to ride" list.


text:
[CmdletBinding()]
param()

# Arrange.
. $PSScriptRoot\..\..\lib\Initialize-Test.ps1
Register-Mock Find-VstsFiles { $expected } -- -LegacyPattern $solution
Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\Import-Module $PSScriptRoot\..\..\..\Tasks\MSBuild\MSBuildHelpers
$expected = 'Some solution 1', 'Some solution 2'
$solutions = 'Some * solution', 'Some ? solution'
foreach ($solution in $solutions) {
    Register-Mock Find-VstsFiles { $expected } -- -LegacyPattern $solution

    # Act.
    $actual = Get-SolutionFiles -Solution $solution

    # Assert.
    Assert-AreEqual $expected $actual
}