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Plastic Masks, PPE, Biomedical Waste Choke Water Bodies In India
COVID-19 has rolled back significant wins in India when it comes to plastic waste, with the usage of single-use plastic products like masks and gloves surging in the pandemic.
Nalini Ravichandran, Mongabay-India
Biomedical waste dumped near the Yamuna river near Signature Bridge on July 27, 2020 in New Delhi.
Hindustan Times via Getty Images
On September 16, when Subhash Chandran, a scuba diver, along with four others, went for their first underwater clean-up post the lockdown at Rushikonda beach in Visakhapatnam, they found floating in the seabed N-95, surgical and cloth masks and other biomedical waste. The divers removed over 1500 kg of waste over three rounds till September 27.
The Rushikonda beach was recommended by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for the coveted 'Blue Flag' certification on September 19, the International Coastal Cleanup day. The eco-label is given to the cleanest beaches in the world meeting stringent environmental and safety criteria. Over the years, there has been a 70 percent decline in marine species with many figuring as endangered species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. The single-use plastic protective gears are a new threat to aquatic lives.
Chandran, the founder of the scuba diving centre Platypus Escapes, had removed 17,000 kg of wet plastic over 57 days in November, last year. "It is an ocean of plastic and biomedical waste, flowing through open drainage systems from hospitals and litter on the beach," he said.
According to the World Health Organization, every month the world needs 89 million plastic medical masks and 1.6 million protective goggles, which are made of polypropylene and may take even 500 years to degrade in the ocean.
While flamingos flocked to a locked-down Mumbai and a nilgai was reported to have walked on an empty road in Uttar Pradesh, the jubilation over nature having an edge over mankind stops short right there. "In our Mumbai's Juhu beach clean-up drives during May-August, we found 10,000 masks, 1050 gloves and PPE kits discarded along the coastline," claimed Braja Kishore Pradhan, founder, Aahwahan Foundation.
Chennai's lakes polluted with medical waste
The National Green Tribunal had taken suo moto cognizance of indiscriminate dumping of biomedical waste in water bodies in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, earlier this year. "On July 6, panic-stricken fishermen from the Thiruchinakuppam road in Tiruvottiyur, Chennai found masks, syringes, blood bags and testing equipment dumped along the seacoast. Biomedical waste has also been traced in the Anakaputhur and Manivakkam lakes (in Chennai). The waterbodies in Vandalur, Otteri Nalla, Porur, Maduravoyal, Muttukadu and Puzhal had always been dumping grounds for medical supplies. Before Covid-19, a government hospital bed would generate around half a kg of biomedical waste per day which has now gone up to 3-5 kg (per day). Though the city leads the biomedical waste generation in the state, the handling capacity is only 25 percent," said Prabhakaran, an environmental engineer at Poovulagin Nanbargal, an environmental group.
Ezhilan Nanganathan, a consultant physician said that while medicos take appropriate precautions in managing waste from Covid-19 wards, it is the biomedical waste generated from infected persons under home care that needs utmost focus.
A senior official from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) stated that reckless dumping along water bodies by clinics, smaller hospitals and pharmacies has escalated in the last seven months.
"We have identified two pharmaceutical companies among the violators. We cannot operate CCTVs everywhere as illegal dumping happens at odd hours in isolated, open spaces and waterbodies. TNPCB officials are working round-the-clock with manpower crunch as most districts have a single officer with just two engineer subordinates to assist. Monitoring and penalising offenders can only help to a degree. Inculcating responsibility and accountability among the public and stakeholders is more important," said the official.
Poovulagin Nanbargal had sent its recommendations to the Tamil Nadu government demanding that at least one Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment and Disposal Facility (CBWTF) be set up per district. They stated that nearly 47 tonnes of medical waste is produced every day in the state but there were only 11 facilities that could handle a maximum of 34 tonnes of waste as per pre-pandemic figures.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Tamil Nadu had generated 401.29 tons of biomedical waste in August and engaged only eight CBWTFs. N. Mahesan, Chief Engineer, Solid Waste Management, Chennai Corporation was unavailable for comment.
Waste segregation and management
"We need to constitute a separate collection and disposal system for masks and gloves at source, without leakages. States like Goa and Kerala had a relatively better segregation system in place even before the pandemic and added just another vertical. The strengthening of Panchayati Raj institution, effective communication till the grassroots, decentralisation of responsibilities and funding are crucial. Small and medium enterprises must be incentivised and more emphasis laid on local initiatives. Around 70 percent of marine litter is a result of mismanagement on land," said Swati Singh Sambyal, an independent waste management expert.
"Biomedical waste disposal is not lucrative enough for hospitals since they have to pay recyclers and therefore, some of them go for illegal dumping," noted Anil Choudhary from the Green Waves Environmental Solutions, Telangana. A senior official from the CPCB said that it is upon the state pollution boards to keep the violators in check.
"The waste that we see ashore is only the tip of the iceberg as ocean beds end up taking the brunt. We removed 1000 kg of plastic in Kodi beach in a four-week cleanup drive since July. There weren't many masks as villagers prefer cloth over single-use masks," said Bharath Bangera, a Clean Kundapura Project volunteer, Udupi district, Karnataka.
Covid-19 has also backfired the significant wins over plastic waste. "The quarantine centres in Trivandrum have switched from stainless steel utensils to plastic cups and plates. No one is disputing the importance of keeping frontliners well-protected but it is time to go beyond single-use plastic safeguards and come up with environment-friendly and sustainable alternatives. Reusable masks, gloves and frequent handwash should become the norm. PPEs can be sterilised, washed, reused later to be shredded and recycled," said Shibu Nair, India Coordinator, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives- Asia Pacific.
It is estimated that Asian rivers are responsible for 86 percent of the total global plastic emission to the ocean. An ongoing UNEP project started out last year studying plastic litter entering the Ganga river and as a second phase it will survey the types of single-use plastics that had increased due to Covid-19.
"The CounterMEASURE project aims to find how plastic waste enters river Ganga and the types of single-use plastics that had increased due to Covid-19," said Atul Bagai,who heads the United Nations Environment Programme's India office. The United Nations has designated 2021-2030 as the 'Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development'.
"We have seen plastic debris in microscopic planktons, which form the basis of marine food chain but the quantum of plastic that has made it to the system of larger predatory fish like sharks, tuna and snappers is unknown," said Naveen Namboothri, a marine biologist. Abandoned fishing nets are also deadly for marine lives and they constitute the majority of plastic pollution in oceans, last year's report by Greenpeace had stated.
"Right now I am treating four turtles, which were entangled in nets and had their limbs amputated due to the strangulation. A large piece of plastic was found in one of them too. Consuming plastic can injure their internal organs and unable to feed, they die in pain and starvation. Lockdown or not, we continue to have dolphins and turtles, landing dead ashore. Oil spill is also another concern," said Dr. Shantanu Kalambi, a veterinarian with the Reef Watch Marine Conservation Centre in Kundapur.
India joined the United Nations Environment's 'Clean Seas Campaign' in 2018. The first step towards the goal was to frame a National Marine Litter Policy by studying marine pollution on the country's 7,500 km coastline. "The work on formulating the policy got stalled due to lockdown. Marine litter is threatening to change the entire ecosystem as once debris enter the sea, we lack resources to clean-up. Plastic and biomedical waste littered near river mouths, get washed down the waterways and end up in ocean beds during monsoons. While it is dangerous for aquatic lives, it also makes marine food unsafe as once microplastics enter the human chain, they could be carcinogenic in the long-term. There have been sporadic developments in Chennai and Pondicherry on filtering plastics in the estuaries just before they enter the sea but marine litter issues can be tackled only through a collective discourse by all states along the coastline. Unless there are proactive measures to ensure awareness and nil littering by people, the high-budget river cleaning projects will only be a temporary solution," said MV Ramana Murthy, Director, National Centre for Coastal Research.
According to M Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, there is a need to conduct studies on PPE and mask litter. "Research has been initiated to find the effects of the pandemic on marine ecosystem. The way forward is to estimate the source and also investigate how marine litter is reaching the ocean. There should also be policies to control at source by augmenting biomedical waste treatment facilities and improving the collection system to meet the increased load of marine litter," he said.
India's discourse is dominated by terrestrial issues, with a bare understanding of coasts. "Oceans make up three-fourths of the earth's surface, produce 50 percent of the oxygen we need to survive and are a large carbon sink. Protection of the marine ecosystem has to begin by addressing the concerns of coastal communities, developing marine tourism guidelines, funding research on marine species, restoring beach habitats and stopping port expansions handling hazardous cargo in biodiversity-rich areas, home to key marine species such as cetaceans, sea turtles, corals etc.," said Puja Mitra, founder, Terra Conscious, Goa.
This was first published on Mongabay-India.
CoronavirusCOVID-19Newsplastic pollutionplastic
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Freeholder Director Kate Gibbs announced today that the County Health Department, in concurrence with the County Office of Emergency Management, has declared a Code Blue Weather Emergency to be in effect from 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 24 through 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 26, due to the extreme cold temperatures forecasted. County officials will assess weather conditions again on Friday to determine if additional precautions are needed.
For general cold weather precautions, check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/.


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NIAGARA REC SPORTS CO-ED OUTDOOR SOCCER RULES
Games are played rain or shine.
Shin pads must be warn by all players. If a player is not wearing shin pads he/ she will be asked by the referee to leave the field and the player may not return until shin pads are on.
Games will consist of 2- 35min halves with a brief rest between halves.
There are no offsides for coed soccer.
This is an adult league – 18 and older.
No slide tackling by outfield players. Goalkeepers are not permitted to slide outside of their penalty area. An indirect free kick will be awarded to the opposing team and potentially a foul awarded to the siding player (at the referees discretion).
A slide tackle in the box will be an indirect free kick unless the referee deems it a foul at which time a penalty kick will be awarded.
Players can slide if there is no other player in the vicinity of the sliding player. He/ she may do his to score or stop a goal, to stop a ball from going out of bounds. If any other player is around it will be deemed a slide tackle, this call is 100% up to the referees discretion.
All players must be registered with NRS and sign the waiver form in order to be eligible to play in the league.
Team captains are responsible to ensure all team members (including themselves) are registered and eligible to play.
Teams will consist of 8 outfield players and a goalkeeper.
The goalkeeper can be Male or Female; the gender of the goalkeeper does not affect the make up of outfield players.
Pulling the goalie
– Any player can play the goalie position but there must always be a designated goalie wearing a different colour jersey/ shirt (different from their team and the opposing team) to indicate they are in fact the goalie. The goalie is permitted to play anywhere on the field but only when in their own goalie box are they granted goalie privileges (ie using their hands to play the ball).
– If a team wishes to "pull the goalie" there must still be one player wearing a different colour shirt signifying they are playing the goal position at all times.
– Substitutions of the goalie can be made on the fly or if there is a stoppage of play. Goalie Substitutions can be made from either the sideline or at the teams goal area.
A maximum of 5 outfield male players are allowed on the field
A minimum of 1 outfield female players shall be on the field at all times.
There is no maximum number of female players
A min of 6 players (including the goalie) are needed to play, one outfield player must be a female or the team will forfeit.
If a team fails to meet the minimum player requirements the game will be stopped by the referee, the opposing team will by given 3 points for a win and a score of 2-0 (if more goals were scored during the game that number will stand), the team failing to meet the min player requirements will be given 0 goals.
Ejected players must not take any further part in the game and must leave the park so they are not seen or heard by anyone on or around the field they were ejected from within 2 minutes of being ejected. They can not change on the side line, they will grab their kit bag, leave the facility and get changed away from the field. If they do not leave within 2 minutes the game is a forfeit loss for their team. If they return the game is a forfeit loss for their team.
Substitutions will be made at any time on the fly, the only time play will stop for a substitution will be for a goalkeeper change.
Substitutions will be made at the sideline at the center line.
Substitutions may not hinder play or give the substituting team any advantage in any way, offensively or defensively.
Teams is required to bring one game ball to play with each week.
Nets and flags are in boxes at each park, the referee will open the box for the teams to access the nets and flags before the start of the first game.
Teams playing the first game of the evening must put up their own net and set up the flags.
Teams playing the last game of the night will take down their own net and flags and place them neatly in the box at the parks.
Nets are to be taken down as soon as the game is over BEFORE players go to the bench to remove equipment etc. The referee will then lock the boxes.
Player's Equipment
Teams must wear same coloured and numbered uniforms.
Players shall not wear anything which endangers themselves or other players. The referee will make this decision.
Basic compulsory equipment shall consist of shorts, socks, shin guards, footwear, and a numbered shirt.
Goalkeepers must wear colors which are distinguishable from all outfield players and the referee.
It is referees discretion to allow the goal keeper to wear any headware or not. NRS recommends caps not be warn.
A player who is asked to leave the field of play because of defective or dangerous equipment may not re-enter the field of play until the referee is satisfied that the equipment is permissible.
Metal cleats are not allowed
We play rain or shine, hot or cold, dress appropriately and be ready to play.
If it has been raining all day and the city closes the parks we will first post something at the top of the main page and the schedules page on this website.
If we are at a computer we will also send email notification's to everyone registered in the league. This may not always be a possibility so check the website first, if there is nothing on the website assume the game is on.
If it is after the first scheduled game time and there is lightening it will be the referees discretion if the game will continue to play or not. The same goes for subsequent games scheduled for that evening.
If a game is called after it has started due to lightening a game shall be considered complete if 55 minutes have been played.
Team Colours
Each Team is to bring an alternate Jersey to every game as there are some similar team colours in each division.
A team colour list can be found on the website, there are some teams that have similar or identical colours. Alternate shirts will be a must for these games.
The alternate shirts don't have to have numbers on them but your regular set does.
If you are playing a team with the same or similar colour as make sure you have the alternate shirts as one team must switch.
If neither team wants to change, the first team listed on the schedule will have to change shirts to an alternate colour.
If that team does not want to change they will automatically loose the game 0 – 2.
Shirts must be warn at all times by all players on the field.
Colours that are close such as Navy Blue and Black the referee may make one team change as they are too similar, this will be the referees decision.
Team Roster – Player Eligibility
A roster list can be found on the website under the regular season schedule.
If your name is not on the team roster you are not eligible to play in the league.
To be eligible to play in the league each player must
Register online and complete all 3 steps (via a link given only to the team captain)
Completely fill out, sign the waiver a part of the registration process.
Final step is to pick your league and team.
If completed correctly you will see the players name on the team roster. If the player is not on the team roster they did not complete registration fully and will have to re-register.
Once players have completed the above they are added to the team roster on the team roster page and they are eligible to play in the league.
Anyone not on the team roster page is not eligible and playing illegally.
Teams caught playing with unregistered players. The player(s) will be removed form the field immediately and the team will automatically lose their current game and the next game on the schedule. (The teams can still play this game minus the illegal player(s) but it will be a loss on the schedule.)
If teams are short at the game they can borrow players from another team ONLY if the opposing team captain agrees to it BEFORE the game begins. Borrowed players must be registered with another team in the NRS league. Outside players are not allowed and must fully register with the team before playing
Process for challenging player eligibility
All players must carry some form of picture ID and be ready to show the referee or the opposing team captain if asked.
The team captain of the team challenging the eligibility of an opposing team's player(s) must pull up the team rosters on the phone and approach the opposing team's bench and speak to the team captain regarding the player in question with the roster.
If the team captain refuses to do so the team will get an automatic loss and the player in question will be removed from the field immediately.
The team captain (of the team in question) must verify the player in question is in fact on the roster and ID must be shown by the player to verify they are in fact the person listed on the roster on the website.
If the player is found not to be on the team roster and/ or does not show ID to prove they are who they say they are, notify the referee and they will be removed from the game and the offending team will take a loss for that game.
Teams have until the beginning of their game to register players. All registrations are time stamped in our back end.
Duration of the Game
The game shall be divided into two equal halves, the length of which shall be 35 minutes. The half-time interval shall be 5min max.
If for any reason, a game is terminated before full-time, the local organizers shall decide the outcome of the game.
If a game is cancelled due to lightening or any other reason the game shall be considered complete if 40min has been played.
Start of Play
At the beginning of the game, choice of halves and the kick-off shall be decided by the toss of a coin.The team which wins the toss shall decide which goal to attack in the first half. The other team will take the kick-off. At a kick-off, all players shall be in their own half of the field of play. All players opposing the team taking the kick-off shall be not
less than 6 yards (5.5M) from the ball until it is kicked-off. The game shall be started by
the referee giving a signal. The ball will be in play when it is kicked forward into the
opponent's half of the field.
For any infringement of this rule, the kick-off shall be retaken.
Should the player taking the kick-off play or touch the ball a second time before it has
been played or touched by another player, a free-kick shall be awarded to the opposing
team.
After a goal has been scored, the game shall be restarted by a kick-off, to be taken by
a player of the team against which the goal was scored
After the first half of play, the teams shall change halves and the kick-off shall be taken
by a player of the team opposing that which started the game.
For any stoppage not mentioned elsewhere in these rules, the referee shall restart the
game by dropping the ball at the place where it was when play was stopped, unless
play was stopped in the penalty-area. In this case, the ball shall be dropped on the
penalty-area line at the point nearest to where the ball was when play was stopped.
The ball shall be in play as soon as it touches the ground.
A goal may be scored directly from a kick-off.
Ball In and Out of Play
The ball is OUT of play:
When the whole of the ball has crossed the goal-line, or touch-line, whether on the
ground or in the air.
When the play has been stopped by the referee.
The ball is IN play:
At all other times including when it rebounds into play from a goal-post, a cross-bar, or
a corner flag post, or referee and remains in the field of play.
Method of Scoring
A goal is scored when the whole of the ball has crossed over the goal-line, between the
goal-posts and under the cross-bar, provided it has not been thrown, carried or
intentionally propelled by hand or arm, by a player of the attacking team, except by a
goalkeeper from within his own penalty-area.
The referee shall be the sole judge as to whether a goal has been scored.
During the course of play, should any outside agent prevent the ball from passing into
the goal or assist the ball into the goal, play shall be stopped. The referee shall restart
the game by dropping the ball.
Free-kick
NRS Soccer has both direct and indirect free kicks
Direct Free Kick
A direct kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following seven offences in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:
Kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
Trips or attempts to trip an opponent
Jumps at an opponent
Charges an opponent
Strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
Pushes an opponent
Tackles an opponent
A direct kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following three offences:
Holds an opponent
Spits at an opponent
Handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his/her own penalty area)
Indirect Free Kick
An indirect kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, commits any of the following offences:
Touches the ball again with his/her hands after he/she has released it from possession and before it has touched another player
Touches the ball with his/her hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him/her by a teammate
Touches the ball with his/her hands after he/she has received it directly from a throw-in by a teammate.
An indirect kick is also awarded to the opposing team if, in the opinion of the referee, a player:
Plays in a dangerous manner
Impedes the progress of an opponent
Prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his/her hands
Commits any other offence, not previously mentioned with the direct kick rule, for which play is stopped to caution or send off a player
For any infringement of the rules when the ball is in play, the referee may
award a free-kick to the non-offending team. The free-kick shall be taken from the
place where the infringement occurred, unless the free-kick is awarded to the attacking
team within its opponents' penalty-area. In this case, the kick shall be taken from that
part of the penalty-area line which runs parallel to the goal-line, at the point nearest to
where the offence was committed.
At the taking of a free-kick, the ball shall be stationary and all opponents shall be not
less than 10 yards from the ball until it has been kicked. The ball shall be in play
when it is kicked and moved.
A player taking a free-kick within his own penalty-area shall kick the ball into play
beyond the penalty-area. The ball shall be in play when it has been kicked and moved
and has passed outside the penalty-area. All opponents shall be outside the penalty area
and not less than 10 yards from the ball until it has been kicked. For any
infringement of this rule, the free-kick shall be retaken.
A player taking a free-kick shall not play or touch the ball a second time until it has
been played or touched by another player. For any infringement of this rule, a free-kick
shall be awarded to the opposing team.
A goal may be scored directly from a free-kick
Penalty-kick
A penalty-kick shall be taken from the penalty-mark. All players, with the exception of
the defending goalkeeper and the player taking the kick, shall be outside the penalty area
but within the field of play, not less than 6 yards (5.5M) from the ball until it has
been kicked.
The goalkeeper shall remain on his own goal-line facing the kicker, and between the
goal-posts, until the ball has been kicked.
The player taking the penalty-kick must kick the ball forward. The ball shall be in play
when the ball is kicked and moves forward. The player shall not play or touch the ball a
second time until it has been played or touched by another player.
If necessary, the time of play shall be extended to allow a penalty-kick to be taken.
For any infringement of this rule:
By a member of the defending team, the kick shall be retaken if a goal has not been
scored.
By a member of the attacking team, if a goal is scored it shall be disallowed and a freekick
awarded to the defending team, to be taken from the place where the infringement
By a member of both teams, the kick shall be retaken whether a goal has been scored
If, after the kick has been taken, the ball or the goalkeeper is interfered with by an
outside agent, the kick shall be retaken.
Fouls and Misconduct
NO SLIDE TACKLES ALLOWED
A player who, in the opinion of the referee, intentionally commits any of the following
offenses (but not limited to), shall be penalized and a free-kick will be awarded to the opposing team:
Handles the ball deliberately, (except a goalkeeper from within his own penalty area)
Tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent
before touching the ball
Should a player commit one of the above offences within his own penalty-area, a penaltykick shall be awarded.
2-5min Penalties, Red & Yellow cards
If an offense is committed the referee has the option to do one of the 4 based on the severity of the offense (at the referees discretion).
1. Award a Free kick.
2. 2 or 5 minute penalty
3. Yellow Card
4. Red card
Players can be given both a yellow card and a 2 or 5 minute penalty.
If a goal is scored while playing short the team can go back to full strength but the player serving the penalty must stay off until the penalty is over.
A red card will result in a min 1 game suspension.
Continual red cards or any conduct that jeopardizes the safety or well being of another player, staff member or spectator, including foul language and/ or personal and/ or racial remarks/ threats will result in permanent suspension from the NRS soccer season and potentially any/ all future NRS events and leagues. No refund will be given NRS reserves the right to decide what type of conduct is worthy of suspension.
Yellow Card – Indicates a formal "caution" for any of the following 7 offenses:
"unsporting behavior" – this includes hard fouls; holding an opponent or deliberately handling the ball for the purpose of preventing an opponent from gaining possession of the ball; faking an injury; saying things that are designed to confuse or distract an opponent; harassment (such as jumping around, shouting or making gestures to intentionally distract an opponent; jumping in front of a corner kick, free kick or throw-in; worrying the goalkeeper or trying to prevent him from putting the ball into play; & adopting a threatening posture), gaining an unfair advantage by leaning on, climbing on the back of, or holding a teammate or the goal; blatant cases of holding and pulling an opposing player or his uniform; any action designed to deceive the Referee; and behavior which in the Referee's judgment is unsporting or causes an unfair advantage,
dissent by word or actions,
persistently breaking the rules,
delaying the restart of play,
defenders failing to stay the proper distance away from the kicker on a corner kick, free kick or throw-in (see "Corner Kick" & "Free Kick"),
entering or re-entering the field without the referee's permission
deliberately leaving the field without the referees permission.
A player who receives 2 Yellow Cards in one game is given a Red Card & ejected.
A player who receives 4 yellow cards throughout the season will be suspended for min one game. Repeat offenders will be dealt with accordingly including potential suspension from the league.
Red Card – A player must be shown a Red Card and "sent off" (i.e., made to leave the field) for the 7 offenses listed below. A player shown a "Red Card" & sent off may not be replaced during that game (i.e., his team must play a player "short" for the rest of the game; ). The 7 offenses for which a player must be shown a Red Card and sent off are:
serious foul play (includes any use of excessive force or brutality against an opponent when challenging for the ball. Examples include a dangerous slide tackle from behind, or an "over the top tackle" in which a player raises his foot so the cleats could hit a player, or a two footed tackle that takes down the opponent. FIFA has broadened this definition by saying that "Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force and endangering the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play. For current rules visit www.fifa.com, Laws of the Game. The above quote is from Questions and Answers, Additional Instructions for Referees). The rules now include "Decision 4", which says: "A tackle, which endangers the safety of an opponent, must be sanctioned as serious foul play".
violent conduct,
spitting at anyone,
deliberately touching the ball with a hand in order to prevent a goal or to deny an obvious goal scoring opportunity (such as to prevent a "Breakaway"…. this does not apply to the goalkeeper within his own Penalty Box)
fouling an opponent to prevent an obvious goal scoring opportunity (e.g., holding to stop a breakaway),
using offensive, insulting or threatening language and/or gestures,
or receiving a second yellow card in one game.
Ejections/ Forfeits
A game shall be declared a forfeit if a team fails to field the required number of players prior to or during the game, refuses to continue the game after a suspension of play, intentionally tries to delay or hasten the game, or intentionally violates a rule of the game after being warned by the referee. (see short handed rule for exceptions)
A forfeit shall be declared if a player, ejected from the game by an referee, does not leave the park when directed to do so. They must leave the park, they can not stay in the stands. If an ejected player leaves the park and comes back the game is a forfeit.
An ejected player must leave the park entirely within 1.5 minutes of being ejected and not say another word to the referee or opposing team. Do not change on the bench, bring all your equipment to your car. The ejected player must not continue to speak with the referee or opposing team or the game will be a forfeit.
If the ejected player does not leave the park in 1.5 minutes or continues to talk to the referee or opposing team, additional games will be added to the suspension.
An ejected player can not return to the field at any time during or after the game or the game will be a forfeit and will result in longer suspension.
A forfeit shall be declared if a player/ team, does not give his/ her name to the referee immediately after being ejected.
When a player is ejected and must leave the ball park, that player must move far enough away so that they may not be seen or heard by the participants of the game and may not participate with the game in any manner.
If a forfeit takes place the other team will be awarded the greater of a 3-0 win, or keep the current game score (if a partial game has been played) which ever is greater.
In order for a player who has received a red card to be reinstated into the league a fine must be paid. Fines will be progressive for each suspension, and will double each consecutive time with a min of $20.00 for first offense based on the reason for the red card.
Player suspensions are handled by Niagara Rec Sports and suspension duration is decided on a case by case basis. As Niagara Rec Sports is a recreational sports league we take red cards very seriously and suspension duration will reflect this.
Throw-in
When the whole of the ball has crossed the touch-line, either on the ground or in the
air, there shall be a throw in from the point where it left the field of play, by a member of the team opposing that who last touched the ball. The player taking the Throw-in shall face the field of play and throw the ball from on or behind the touch line. The ball will be in play immediately after it enters the field of play. If the player taking the throw-in plays or touches the ball a second time before it has been played or touched by another player, a free-kick shall be awarded to the opposing team.
Goal-kick
When the whole of the ball has crossed the goal-line, either on the ground or in the air,
excluding that portion between the goal-posts, having last been played or touched by a
member of the attacking team, a goal-kick shall be awarded to the defending team.
The ball shall be kicked into play from a point within that half of the penalty area
nearest to where the ball crossed the goal-line.
At the taking of a goal-kick, all opponents shall be outside the penalty-area until it has
been kicked into play. The ball shall be in play when it has traveled directly beyond the
penalty-area.
If the player taking the goal-kick plays or touches the ball a second time before it has
A goal may be scored directly from a goal-kick.
Corner-kick
When the whole of the ball has crossed the goal-line, either on the ground or in the air, excluding that portion between the goal-posts, having last been played or touched by a member of the defending team, a corner-kick shall be awarded to the attacking team.
The corner-kick shall be taken from within the corner-arc nearest to where the ball
crossed the goal-line.
The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves.
If the player taking the corner-kick plays or touches the ball a second time before it has been played or touched by another player, a free-kick shall be awarded to the opposing team
A goal may be scored directly from a corner kick
Off sides
There are no off sides
Non Players / Spectators
Only players will be permitted on the players bench side of the field. All non players (parents and fans) watching the game MUST be on the opposite side where the bleachers are.
If any non player steps on the field of play during the game especially in an aggressive or argumentative manner the non player and the player they are there to watch will be removed form the game. The player may also face further suspension and the non player may be banned from the facility for the remainder for the season.
NRS reserves the right to define a "player" or "non player" in any manner we seem fit. If a non player is decided to be a non player (regardless of past playing time/ duration) the non player/ spectator rules will be applied immediately. If the non player does not leave the bench area/ player side of the field immediately the team will forfeit the game.
Overall Standings Tie Breakers
If there is a in the standings based on points the following will be used as a tie breaker.
Total Most Points (3 points for a win, 1 for a tie)
Head to Head (if applicable)
If everything is equal a coin toss
There can be no ties in the playoffs, if the game is tied at the regulation teams will go directly into penalty shots immediately after the final whistle is blown.
Penalty Shots (Playoffs only)
Penalty shots will begin directly after the regular time expires.
Anyone on the bench or field can take a shot (teams don't have to sub a player on the field just so they can take a penalty shot).
Best of 5 rounds will alternate Guy, Girl, (or girl guy) until there is a winner.
If still tied after 5 rounds penalty shots will continue one round at a time until there is a winner.
Everyone (of their specific sex) must shoot on the team before starting the order over goalies included.
This is the only time where goalies gender counts as a Male or Female and to follow the above penalty shot rules.
Yellow cards will carry over from here on until the last game of the Playoffs. This goes for all games including the friendly. 4 yellow cards total = min 1 game suspension. (2 yellows in one game = a red).
Team captains are responsible for bringing a first aid kit to each game.
Players must have played in at least 2 regular season games in order to be eligible to play in the playoffs.
Alcohol, Smoking and Drugs
There is to be no consumption of Alcohol or drugs including smoking cigarettes or marijuana at the parks and especially on the benches at the games. Any person breaking this rule will be asked to leave the park and the team can potentially forfeit the game.
NRS will not tolerate physical altercations or racism of any kind under any circumstances. Any player(s) involved in this behavior be banned from the league at the discretion of Niagara Rec Sports.
There is a zero tolerance for violence and aggression or racism. It will be up to the referee to make the call at the game and give the consequences for the game night (ejection from the game, yellow card). It will be up to Niagara Rec Sports as to consequences given after the game regarding suspension from future games or potentially the entire league for the remainder of the season. Any physical violence towards another player, or verbal abuse of a referee the player will be suspended indefinitely until a decision has been made regarding the duration of the suspension and can result in removal form the league. Racism, physical violence and abuse towards an referee will result in removal from the league.
Niagara Rec Sports reserves the right to remove or disallow any player from the league at any time throughout the year. No refunds will be given if/ when players are removed from the league.
Niagara Rec Sports reserves the right to add, alter, remove rules either verbally or on any rules page at any time as we deem fit, any rule changes will be effective immediately. Rules discussed at the team captains meeting are to be considered part of the league rules.
For other league rules visit this page.
NRS In Action
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Dodgeball 1
Niagara Rec Sports Soccer 1
NRS Soccer 2
Indoor Soccer Money Tournament 1
2013 Fall Dodgeball Team 1
Niagara Rec Sports 2013 Indoor Soccer Tournament Champions
Beach Volleyball 1
2013 Spring Beach Volleyball Champs
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text:
Cultural and EducationalProgramsTrade & Investment
Secretary Diokno Outlines Philippines Socio-Economic Goals
Lucille Ferraren — May 4, 2018
Secretary Diokno (right) with co-sponsor representatives, l-r: Paul Shmotolokha (US-Philippines Society), Professor William Wise (Moderator), Anna Bantug-Herrera (The Asia Foundation).
WASHINGTON, D.C.- The US-Philippines Society and the Asia Foundation hosted a Southeast Asia Lunch Seminar, moderated by Professor William Wise, with Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, April 18 at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace in Washington, D.C. Secretary Diokno shared an upbeat perspective on prospects for real socio-economic progress under the Duterte Administration with an audience representing government agencies, universities, professional associations and US-Philippines Society members.
Secretary Diokno outlined the government's socio-economic agenda to reduce poverty to 14% by 2022 and sustain annual economic growth at 7%-8%. In support of these goals, the Philippine Government has prioritized accelerated infrastructure and human capital development as key expenditure items in the National Budget of 2018.
Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno (right) presents the Build Build Build Infrastructure Program. Representing the US-Philippines Society, Director Henry B. Howard welcomed the Secretary.
"By the time we step down in 2022, we shall have ushered in the golden age of infrastructure," Secretary Diokno said, emphasizing the expected benefits of the Build Build Build program, a five-year $180 billion infrastructure program. The program is envisioned to increase productivity, create jobs, increase incomes, and strengthen the investment climate leading to sustained inclusive growth. Over 75 high impact projects including the prior administration's initiatives on the pipeline, will add roads and bridges, transportation, flood management, water supply and irrigation, and other public infrastructure projects. To reach these targets and minimize under-spending, Secretary Diokno initiated the "Cash-Basis" budget limiting program implementation to one fiscal year. Allocations not spent during the budget year are lost.
Diokno cited the government's expansionary fiscal policy, the benefits of Tax Reform and improved revenue collection to fund the programs. He also stated that the government is expecting economic growth to outpace the acceleration of debt accumulation and that debt-to-GDP growth ratio would be manageable.
The Secretary said that 38% of the budget will be allocated for education, healthcare, social services, and skills training. Major programs include the conditional cash transfer program, national health insurance, universal access to tertiary education, and the full implementation of K-12.
"We have a very young population with a median age of 23 years old. In an aging world, that is a very formidable national asset," Secretary Diokno said in reemphasizing the importance of education, training and capacity building.
At the end of his presentation, Diokno predicted that by 2022, the administration will have succeeded in building a modern Philippines, with first world infrastructure, a competent and trained workforce, more decent jobs and higher wages, and an open and effective governance system.
The presentation was followed by discussion on challenges to sustained growth, initiatives in government procurement, areas of U.S. collaboration, Marawi rehabilitation, Boracay recovery, educational programs, and environmental protection. During the exchange, Secretary Diokno described the competitive bidding process and transparency initiatives under the Government Procurement Law directing interested parties to the website www.build.gov.ph.
According to US-Philippines Society President Ambassador John F. Maisto, "Secretary Diokno's presentation on the Duterte Administration's budget and policy priorities drew a diverse Washington audience interested in gaining a fuller understanding of opportunities for increased bilateral trade and investment as the Philippine economy continues to demonstrate impressive growth."
Ms. Anna Bantug-Herrera, associate director of The Asia Foundation's Washington DC office said, "We were pleased to host Secretary Diokno today and to convene a discussion about the Philippines' budget priorities. The Asia Foundation, having maintained a country office in the Philippines since 1954, looks forward to continuing to contribute to the equitable growth and sustainable development of the country."
Tags:Department of Budget and Management,Secretary Diokno,The Asia Foundation
NEDA: PH to Strengthen PH-US Trade
Positively Filipino: "What is the US-Philippines Society?" by Ambassador John F. Maisto
Community and Sectoral OutreachDisaster ReliefEventsRegional Security
June 4: A Forum on Marawi Siege One-Year Later


Need some fresh makeup ideas that'll jazz up your LBDs during holiday party season? Look no further than the spring 2012 runways which were loaded up with fresh new ways to do the ultimate party makeup look: the cat eye. Come check out 4 of my favorites and tell me if you'd try 'em out.
A model on the runway at Matthew Williamson's spring 2012 show.
Bright idea: The beauty look at Matthew Williamson was all about fresh skin and a great, classic cat eye, reinvented with bright hues. Try a '40s-inspired jewel tone for your holiday soirees.
Double up!: Lovers of the cat eye, this one's for you: Follow Giorgio Armani's lead by mimicking your cat eye liner with a second layer of smoky eyeshadow, leaving space between the flicks. It's futuristic and cool yet cocktail party-friendly.
Khol cat: Peel your eyes off L.A.M.B.'s very runway-only hairstyle and focus on the gorgeous khol cat eye action happening in this photo. A very dramatic idea, all on its own. Pair with her bounciest curls or you sleekest chignon. The guys will love it.
A model backstage at Fendi's spring 2012 runway show.
Gold rush: I'm not suggesting you apply gold foil to your eyebrows a la the models at Fendi, but bright metallics are having a moment and I believe it's worth a test run. For a wearable version think Emma Watson at the last Harry Potter premiere.
So dolls, what's the verdict? Would you try any of these dramatic cat eye looks on for size?


text:
Gapp-Shapp
Which is your zodiac sign??
Thread starter J@tti
J@tti
..Majajan..
Ä®ïë§
You like...
Sincere people, freedom, being busy, laughing at silly jokes and scary movies (sometimes).
You dislike...
Gossip, moody mates, being taken for granted and you absolutely hate lies.
You're best at...
Leading the pack as a leader, pushing yourself to the limit and making difficult decisions
Deep down...
U are just a sensitive softie with a lust for life 'n' love. U dream of having a gang of mates, a happy home environment 'n' wild holiday adventures.
Your career...
Choose a job in publishing, entertaining or climb to the top as a company boss - anything where you're in charge of exciting and interesting projects.
Tight-fitting clothes in bright colours (red especially) look great on you - as do sporty-looking clothes or anything fashionably stripey. Fluffy, girlie clobber isn't your style at all.
As a mate...
A friendly and focused type, u want everyone to be happy. U can't stand dishonesty or people who talk behind ur back and won't be shy to mouth off at 'em if they do.
As a girlfriend...
U take the lead in a relationship, teasing ur boy wiv passionate kisses 'n' behind-the-scenes butt squeezes. If he's worth his salt 'n' wants to keep u, he'll return the favour with hot dates and plenty of pressies.
If your boyf's an Aries...
He lurves being in charge, so let 'im off once in a while 'n' pretend he is. Tell him how clever, capable 'n' cute he is 'n' he'll be eating out of ur hand. Mind the temper though - he's far from bootylicious when he's blowing his top. Play it cool till he's calm and then wait for him to say sorry. He must've been the one who was wrong, right?
Celebrity Ariens:
Jennifer Love Hewitt, (21/3/79), Damon Albarn 23/3/68), Sarah Jessica Parker 25/3/65, Elton John (25/3/47), Mariah Carey (27/3/69), Chris Evans (1/4/66), Victoria Beckham (7/4/75) and Sarah Michelle Gellar (14/4/77).
Täü®ü§
Yummy food, clothes, massages, nature and being tickled (gently).
Naff jeans, pushy people, ear-splitting music and being rushed.
Creating something beautiful out of nothing - think cooking, art or gardening.
U need to know that people love u 'n' want 'em to show it. While you're not a show-off, u do like to be noticed and enjoy getting compliments. Secretly, you are keen to make lots of money.
Think money, nature and beauty. Choose from banking, art, accounting, music and gardening.
You're more concerned with comfort than looking like a supermodel. You enjoy shopping for clothes, but don't like spending too much on them. You love pretty dresses and dainty shoes are a must! Although you like to look good, you don't like your clothes to attract too much attention. You like well-cut, not-too-tight clothes best in soft, natural fabrics.
A lovable, loyal sort, your close friends can always count on u when the going gets tough. Stubborn beyond belief, u find it difficult to say sorry, but you'll make an effort to patch things up. And u don't forget birthdays.
You need romance like a fish needs water. Good food, bear hugs 'n' mountains of flowers make you mushy. Loyal 'n' affectionate, you expect ur boyf to be faithful. If he cheats on you, he's in serious trouble
If your boyf's a Taurus
Make an effort to dress up for dates. These types have great style and appreciate u going to all that trouble. Don't rush ur crush either - he likes to take his time when kissing, eating or chatting. Be patient with him or you'll scare him off. Taurus boys are slow-moving sweeties 'n' he's worth the wait.
Celebrity Taureans
Uma Thurman (29/4/70), Michelle Pfeiffer (29/4/58), David Beckham (2/5/76), Richard Blackwood (5/5/72), George Clooney (6/5/61), U2's Bono (10/5/60), Martine McCutcheon (14/5/76), Natalie Appleton (14/5/73) and Janet Jackson (16/5/66).
Gëmïñï
Pearl or moonstone.
Interesting conversations, wacky movies, new places 'n' people and being first in line for the latest CD or fashion trend..
Being told what to do, being told what not to do and people who sit in ur space for hours saying nothing.
Organising parties, thinking up brilliant ideas for projects 'n' stuff and doing six different things at the same time.
U are always looking around the corner for the next exciting person, place or adventure to stimulate ur restless mind. U like to be involved in whatever's happening and hate being left out of things.
Bend ur mind around a career in computer technology, theatre directing or feed ur adrenalin by becoming a circus performer.
With fashion, as with everything else, you're a creature of extremes. One day, you'll pull out all the stops and really go to town on your appearance, the next you'll deliberately dress down. Yellow's your top colour but actually, you look good in any bright shade. You're a complete sucker for shoes, especially non-sensible ones, but being such a fast walker, you'd probably do your feet a favour by sometimes opting for less crazy styles.
You are loads of fun to be around. People love your sense of humour and laugh-a-minute conversations. Always game to try out new things, u really are the life of the party and mates think u are just fab.
U get bored easily, so ur boyf's got to be a fun sort who enjoys surprising u. Clever and witty, u are quick to ditch someone who can't match ur mental magnetism, but watch that sharp tongue and learn patience. Not everyone's as brilliantly brainy as u!
If your boyf's a Gemini..
Learn to think on ur feet. He likes to play word games with u so best u engage that brain at all times. Not as physically affectionate as other signs, he is still a major flirt and loves being surrounded by girls.. So don't be shy to play hard-to-get sometimes. He'll love the challenge.
Celebrity Geminis
Naomi Campbell (22/5/70), Lenny Kravitz (26/5/64), Denise Van Outen (27/5/74), Kylie Minogue (28/5/68), Noel Gallagher (29/5/67), Mel B (29/5/75), Angelina Jolie (4/6/76), Johnny Depp (9/6/63), Liz Hurley (10/6/65), Nicole Kidman (20/6/66) and Prince William (21/6/82).
Çäñ©ë®
Ruby.
Spending time at home, family get togethers, making pizza with mates and listening to soothing music.
Violent movies, people who shout at u and being let down by those u love.
Making people feel good about themselves, listening to their problems and being a trustworthy, loyal mate.
U want peace more than anything. Home life is important to u and if there's domestic squabbling, u become deeply depressed.
Become a musician, journalist, interior decorator or chef.
Cancerians tend to have simple tastes: loose-fitting clothes in natural fabrics and dark colours. You prefer unfussy outfits, but that doesn't mean you don't like to glam it up when you're in the right mood.
U are a gentle person who may be quite possessive of ur friends. If someone lets u down, u may brood in ur room for days. But when u feel safe 'n' secure, ur generous personality takes over and mates get spoilt rotten.
U are sensitive and moody, so u like lots of cuddles and kisses to keep balanced 'n' chirpy. Quite secretive, u are shy to reveal ur feelings at first but warm up once ur boyf gets to know u better.
If your boyf's a Cancer...
Tread carefully, girl. He's got an ultra-soft heart that breaks easily. Not one for wild flings, he enjoys spending time alone with u 'n' may even be a bit clingy when u wanna go off on ur own for a bit.
Celebrity Cancerians
George Michael (25/6/63), Adam Woodyatt - Ian Beale in EastEnders (28/6/69), Liv Tyler (1/7/77), Keith Duffy(1/7/74), Pamela Anderson (1/7/67), Shane Lynch (3/7/76), Tom Cruise (3/7/62), Courtney Love (9/7/64), Tom Hanks (9/7/56), Anna Friel (12/7/76), Gisele Bundchen (20/7/80) and Robie Williams (21/7/52).
Lëö
Star onyx.
Bold colours, big laughs 'n' being the centre of attention.
Boring nights in, being told off and being ignored in the street.
Showing off ur best side at parties and on stage, motivating people when they're fed up and being the first one to volunteer for a dangerous mission.
U need to be noticed for all the good stuff u do. Helpful but haughty, u will do anything for those u love, as long as they shower u with affection and thanks.
Film director, architect, photographer or sports administrator
You like fashion, but like to mix stuff you already own with new items. This can set you apart from the crowd and that's fine by you - even if people do stare sometimes. You adore all that glitters - from lurex to lame. You can be conservative when you need to be but ideally you like to look a bit flashy.
U are the natural leader of the pack. Friends flock around to soak up ur energy like moths to a flame. Watch that big head though - nobody likes an egomaniac. Display ur generous side and remember that pride comes before a fall.
Bright, bold and bodacious, u turn heads wherever u go. No shrinking violet, u are passionate and faithful in love, but expect ur honey to worship at ur feet. U crave attention and may sulk for days if u don't get it!
If your boyf's an Leo..
Watch out world - this one's hot. Vain and confident, he'll sweep u off ur feet and make u feel like a princess. Tell him how precious he is and he'll purr like a well-fed tabby. Forget to tell him and he'll start clawing the furniture in a fury. A Leo boy believes he is king of the beasts.
Celebrity Leos
Jennifer Lopez (24/7/70), Matt Le Blanc (25/7/67), Kate Beckinsale (26/7/74), Sandra Bullock (26/7/64), Kevin Spacey (26/7/59), Lisa Kudrow (30/7/63), Fatboy Slim (31/7/63), Geri Halliwell (6/8/72), Barbara Windsor - Peggy in EastEnders (6/8/37), Melanie Griffith (9/8/57), Whitney Houston (9/8/63), Antonio Banderas (10/8/60), Halle Berry (14/8/68), Ben Affleck (15/8/72), Madonna (16/8/58), Matthew Perry (19/8/69).
Vï®gö
Paying attention to detail, solving difficult problems and getting the job done on time.
Confused and lazy people, pointless conversations and mates who can't make up their minds about where to go for coffee.
Organising projects, meeting deadlines, staying out of trouble and keeping ur head when everyone else is running around in circles.
U wish the world was run by Virgos, coz if it was, there'd be no long queues at the mall and no computer crashes. Chaos confuses and annoys u.
Attention to detail is ur thing, so become an anthropologist, police chief, undercover agent or magazine editor.
You like to be trendy, but won't wear clothes you know don't suit you. You like to be neat, clean and smart - even when you're slobbing out, your baggy jeans will be ironed to a crisp! Simple clothes appeal the most, but you do like the occasional frill and flounce.
U are a kind, helpful person but have a very critical side. U pick ur friends carefully and choose quality over quantity. Try not to judge them too harshly - not everyone is as clean, organised and together as u are..
Forget the tear-jerking cards 'n' furry teddies - Virgo girls are practical, honest and expect high standards from their sweethearts. U work hard at a relationship as u don't believe in failure, so he's lucky to have someone as dedicated as u on his side.
If your boyf's a Virgo...
Don't play emotional games with him, no matter how fed up u are. He prefers to use his head, not his heart, to sort out relationship rifts, so always be clear and honest about what u want from him. He expects the same from u, so be blunt and don't beat around the bush.
Celebrity Virgos:
Richard Neville - ex-Five (23/8/79), Shania Twain (28/8/65), Michael Jackson (29/8/58), Cameron Diaz (30/8/72), Salma Hayek (2/9/68), Keanu Reeves (2/9/65), Hugh Grant (9/9/60), Macy Gray (9/9/70), Prince Harry (15/9/84), Davina McCall (16/9/67), Jada Pinkett (19/9/71), Jarvis Cocker (19/9/66), Liam Gallagher (21/9/72) and Billie Piper (22/9/82).
Lïß®ä
Opal or aquamarine
Pretty ornaments, cuddly toys, romance and candles.
Loud computer games, wrestling, yesterday's fashions and being lonely.
Patching up problems between mates, always seeing both sides of the story and surrounding yourself with beautiful things and people.
You yearn to find ur soul mate - the one man who will sweep u off ur feet and ride into the sunset on a big white horse. Love and relationships are what matter to u most.
In keeping with ur caring nature, choose veterinary science, teaching or medicine.
You like clothes with a sexy, feminine feel. You love frills and flounces but won't wear them unless they're in fashion. You look good in a variety of colours from bright red and navy to softer, more pastelly shades. When it comes to accessories, you like jewellery but it has to be discreet and understated. No tiaras for you, thanks very much!
U will go to any lengths to avoid tiffs and hate it when a friendship breaks up. Ur mates find u interesting and objective but they get frustrated when u can't make up ur mind. Mostly, though, they think u are trustworthy and terrific.
U love being part of a couple and will work ur socks off to keep things calm 'n' cosy. Arguments bother u so u would rather avoid an issue than knuckle down and sort it out. U are happiest when everything's rosy and crumble into a tearful heap when it's not.
If your boyf's a Libra...
Expect him to be a good listener but give him space to say his piece too. Libra boys find it difficult to make tough decisions, so learn to read his mood and take the lead about where to go on dates, etc. He'll soon come round if u handle with care.
Celebrity Libras
Michael Douglas (25/9/44), Catherine Zeta-Jones (25/9/69), Declan Donnelly (25/9/77), Will Smith (25/9/68), Gwyneth Paltrow (28/9/73), Gwen Stefani (3/10/69), Alicia Silverstone (4/10/76), Kate Winslet (5/10/75), Sigourney Weaver (8/10/49), Matt Damon (8/10/68), Eminem (17/10/72) and Dannii Minogue (20/10/70)
§©ö®pïö
Topaz.
Mystery novels, candlelit dinners and knowing everybody else's business.
People competing with u, revealing ur inner secrets and being asked embarrassing questions.
Figuring out what makes people tick, picking yourself up when ur down and being brave enough to try out new things.
U enjoy finding out more about the world around u and will work hard to make a success of ur life. U want to get to the top and u usually do.
Bring out the drama queen in u by becoming an actor, hotel manager, PR boss or restaurant owner.
Ruled by Pluto, the planet of transformation, you like to change your image as often as possible. You tend to favour comfortable, casual clothes, but prefer the tight and stretchy variety to the baggy look. You're overall image is pretty smart and elegant and you have the clever knack of making anything you wear look really original.
U are a lively, loving friend who enjoys deep conversations and gossip. Ur mates soon learn that talking behind ur back is a no-no, though. U expect them to be loyal to u and will lash out with ur tongue if they let u down.
U are a sexy seductress, oozing charm 'n' wit. Ur boyf is bowled over by ur animal magnetism, but finds u secretive and possessive. U become insanely jealous if he looks at anyone else and will dump him in no time if he doesn't stay faithful to u.
If your boyf's a Scorpio..
These bodacious boys drip are mildly mysterious and enjoy playing games to test ur loyalty. He'll want to find out what makes u tick and knows just how to press ur buttons. Let him have his fun but be sure to tell him off if he gets too personal.
Celebrity Scorpios
Joaquin Phoenix (28/10/77), Julia Roberts (28/10/67), Winona Ryder (29/10/71), Louise Nurding (4/11/74) Letitia Dean - Sharon in EastEnders (4/11/67), Ethan Hawke (6/11/70), Mark - A1 (7/11/78), Calista Flockhart (11/11/64), Leonardo DiCaprio (11/11/74), Usher (14/11/78), Ant McPartlin (18/11/75), Meg Ryan, (19/11/61), Bjork (21/11/65), Goldie Hawn (21/11/45) and Alex James - Blur (21/11/68).
§ägïttä®ïü§
Turquoise or lapis lazuli.
Going abroad, watching comedy movies and learning risky new skills such as bungee-jumping or scuba-diving.
Routine, living in the same town all ur life, EastEnder re-runs and boring food.
Inspiring people to overcome their fears, winning arguments and smiling when u are surrounded by gloomy faces.
U are a wandering spirit with a lust for adventure and travel. No matter where u are, there's always somewhere else u would like to be - just for a day or two. U hate being cooped up.
ki instructor, sports journalist, human-resources manager, advocate or social worker
Fashion-wise, you're constantly changing - one minute you're massively slobby in a stained old sweatshirt and ancient trackie pants; then the next you opt for an OTT party look, complete with feather boas and masses of glitter. Generally though, you prefer going casual, because you have to feel comfortable.
U are honest and speak ur mind without fear. Friends like ur outgoing personality and often turn to u when they need fun and adventure. U aren't interested in gossiping and get irritated when that's the only topic of conversation.
U are a bag of laughs, thrilling ur boyf with ur thirst for adventure. He'll appreciate ur down-to-earth personality 'n' loves that u get on so well with his mates. A pleasant partner, u are undemanding and enjoy an easygoing relationship.
If your boyf's a Sagittarius
Adventurous and cocky, he loves travelling and wants u to join him on his journey. Let ur hair down, take it easy and enjoy the ride with this cute character. He often gets restless, so make an effort to see and do new things instead of chillin' on the sofa every night
Celebrity Sagittarians
Zoe Ball (23/11/70), Dane Bowers - Another Level (28/11/79), Gary Lineker (30/11/60), Britney Spears (2/12/81), Lucy Liu (2/12/68), Aaron Carter (7/12/87), Nicole Appleton (7/12/74), Christine Aguilera (18/12/80), Brad Pitt (18/12/65), Stephen Spielberg (18/12/47), Keifer Sutherland (21/12/66) and Jamie Theakston (21/12/70).
Çäp®ï©ö®ñ
Gamet.
Having a goal and sticking to it, creating order out of chaos and finding fame 'n' fortune by working hard
Lazy people who duck responsibility, sitting around all weekend doing nothing and having ur plans changed at the last minute.
Finding out what you're best at and working away quietly to achieve ur dreams.
U believe in having a life plan and will work until dawn to make sure u get what u want. U don't understand people who don't have a plan - how can they be successful if they don't know what they want?
Working hard comes naturally to u, so consider teaching, farming, architecture or banking.
You look best in smart, tailored clothes. A sexy little pin-striped suit, or a neat ribbed jumper and kilt looks great on you. As do mega-shiny boots or shoes.
U take ur time to form strong, solid friendships. Steady and reliable, mates admire ur gutsy attitude towards work and life in general. A great organiser, they'll be glad to have u around when things get hectic.
All work and no play is the only thing that gets in the way where love's concerned. U take life so seriously. Force yourself to relax with ur boyf and he'll find u a thoughtful, dedicated sweetie. Time out together will strengthen ur bond too.
If your boyf's a Capricorn..
Don't stand between him and his goals. He knows where he's going and will take u along if u let him get on with the job. Being supportive of his dreams will earn u major brownie points. And he'll push u to do ur best too.
Celebrity Capricorns
Ricky Martin (24/12/71), Helena Christensen (25/12/68), Jared Leto (26/12/69), Denzel Washington (28/12/54), Jude Law (29/12/72), Cate Blanchett (1/1/69), Marilyn Manson (5/1/69), Nicolas Cage (7/1/64), Mark Lamarr (7/1/67), David Bowie (8/1/47), Kate Moss (16/1/74), Jim Carrey (17/1/62) and Samantha Mumba (18/1/83).
Äqüä®ïü§
Amethyst.
Rebelling against rules, sharing new ideas and trying out crazy new hairstyles.
Being stuck in a rut, animal abuse and pollution of the planet.
Inventing new things and dreaming up brilliant ideas to make the world a better place.
You really care about ur planet and everybody on it. Ur greatest desire is to rid the world of poverty, war and pollution. If anybody can do it, u can.
Inventor, TV journalist, reflexologist, computer whiz.
You're individual but always stylish. You like ethnic clothes and love bright colours (blues and turquoises in particular). You often wear mad clothes that other people laugh at - then weeks later, they're copying you! You trailblazer, you!
U would walk through fire and swallow frogs' legs for ur friends. Being a good mate is one of ur best qualities and even though they think you're a bit dotty sometimes, they love u for being the sweetest, most generous soul on the planet.
U want a boyfriend who's a bessie mate, so you'll look for someone u can hang out with as well as kiss. Ur freedom is important to u, so boys who cling or want ur attention 24 hours a day won't last long.
If your boyf's an Aquarius
This guy cares about the environment, the poor and the state of the world, so capture his heart by being interested in more than just the latest Atomic Kitten single. He's a kind, slightly wacky type, so don't expect traditional kissy-kissy romance.
Celebrity Aquariuns
Emma Bunton (21/1/76), Vic Reeves (24/1/59), Nick Carter - Backstreet Boys (28/1/80), Elijah Wood (28/1/81), Minnie Driver (31/1/71), Lisa-Marie Presley (1/2/68), Natalie Imbrulglia (4/2/75), Brandy (11/2/79), Jennifer Aniston (11/2/69), Christna Ricci (12/2/80), Robbie Williams (13/2/74) and John Travolta (18/2/54).
P里ë§
Soppy movies, beautiful sunsets, log fires and cosy celebrations like Christmas.
Excessive swearing, smelly armpits and people who trample all over u.
Making decisions by listening to ur heart - not ur head - and being able to pick up negative vibes as soon as u walk into a room.
U are a dreamer, not a planner. Ur world would be perfect if everybody else took care of the details 'n' u were left to sit under a tree and write books or something.
Art curator, landscape designer, translator or writer.
You have a talent for making even the dowdiest clothes look good. You can take this too far though, and look too scruffy at times. Loose, floaty clothes are your favourite.
U get lost in ur own thoughts sometimes, which they find frustrating, but mates like ur easygoing nature. Never one to rock the boat, u like to go with the flow and don't mind changing ur plans to suit the crowd.
U are dreamy and romantic. Living in ur own little world, u love staring into ur boyf's eyes without saying a word. Soft as butter, he'll love how sentimental u are and finds u plain adorable.
If your boyf's a Pisces...
A bit of a gentle giant, these types are artistic and see u as their creative inspiration. Don't be surprised if he dedicates a poem, computer game, tree or movie to u. He smothers u with sweet words 'n' hugs and really believes u are his beautiful princess.
Celebrity Pisceans
Drew Barrymore (22/2/75), Melinda Messenger (23/2/71), Ronan Keating (3/3/77), Patsy Kensit (4/3/68), Stephen Gately (17/3/76), Bruce Willis (19/3/55)
GeNie_iN_a_boTtLe
~~brOwn sUg@~~
0t dats absolutely rite
Sonia_Nz
>>>>MaHiYa<<<<
J@tti said:
damn this is soooooooo scary the whole description about a gemini is sooo correct open booook the person jus described the tru geminian personality....
huslta_fo_lyfe
menoo tan pata ni chalda je koi emotional games khede mere naal.....coz prolly i use ma heart instead of head affled:
khasa such hai.....
The Ominous
Come get Some......
Aqua Jhooth jeha lagda J@tti tun tan mein Green Peace vala bana dita hai
yeppie, libra waala vi zyaada sach ni lagda
MeHRaM
sadial
i dont believe in that
sydneysider said:
star sign fer ni dassia.....chalo Date of birth hi dass deo.....
guywidattitude
bEtTa LeAvE dIs BoY aLoNe
same here.................
Avada_Kedavra
True. There's a lot more to us than these words. But for some people they do match.
I read Linda Goodman's book and 90% of it matched my personality.
But overall I dont really believe in these things.
I am a Saggi
nn nn nn Srry for the huge pic...i cant even edit it nn
Avada_Kedavra said:
whr is da pic??????????????? affled:
It's supposed to be above "I am a saggi"
khaas pic ni si...saggi di pic si
it says downloading items...i dunno ki hoya...par badda jeha gap aa na... i think othe pic honi si
**The Ominous** said:
green peacee vahleee teh honaa hi ahhhh matlabh thodee pichee green peaceee lagg jaunii pretttyy sooon cozzzzzzzz cozzzzz stuart littleee nu kihneee timeeee takkk apnaa avataaar banaa kee rkahiaa siiiiii cruelty on animalsss hawwwwww :
Some1
Focusing on ________
u can edit it lol ... u c da buttons on da rite ? now luk left on ur post ... magiiccc tere's a edit button
Pardesan Punjaban
Alone but Happy
glitters9
hey i think everyone wants to read compatibility report with other signs..if sumbody is having this kind of stuff then one should post it here...
Bring out the drama queen in u by becoming an actor, hotel manager, Page Ranking boss or restaurant owner.


Fare Mistake: $442-$482 Business Class to China!
No, don't pinch yourself. This fare (or should I say fare mistake?) is available for many dates, it seems at least till the end of May. I was unable to find anything even close to this fare in the summer.
The flights are routed via ORD, but flights between Chicago and Beijing won't pull that fare. Again, hurry up because they are killing this fare as we speak.
HT: One Mile at a Time.
← Trip Cancellation Insurance–Is It a Worthy Credit Card Benefit?


A Place By Damao, styled BYDAMAO.COM on its English signage, has been open for around six months in a rather unassuming storefront on Halsted in Bridgeport. I wasn't sure at first, around the time they first opened, what kind of business it was, since the signage was very ambiguous and there were not any pictures of food items on the windows to indicate what might be inside, but I am glad I went in to satisfy my curiosity. It's a great little cafe, with only few tables, churning out Chengdu-style delights with charm and characteristic málà flavor.
This is a small, family operation (the young man, who I think is the owner, is from Chengdu), but the flavors and homey atmosphere remind me in ways of Tony Hu's Lao Sze Chuan in the old days when I first encountered his fare (c. 2005), before he went on to conquer the world and Las Vegas. It's stimulating, satisfying stuff at an excellent value, with plenty of weirdness to satisfy foodies. The menu, though, is quite small, and it does not make any concessions to the Americanized palate. This cafe caters to the local Chinese community, including students studying here from overseas.
The menu consists of Sichuanese spicy braised dishes, barbecue (including rabbit), and Sichuan standards such as bell dumplings (钟水饺), homemade sausages, sweet-and-spicy noodles (甜水面), and vegetables/meatballs in málà broth (a vegetarian version is available).
There are even a couple desserts. I ordered "iced water cake with fermented rice" (酒酿冰粉) without having any idea what it would be, and I was delighted to receive a sweet, slightly boozy gelatin, served very cold, which was a perfect ending to an otherwise fiery, mouth-numbing meal.
All that, and you only tell us about a freekin' dessert?
For real, thanks for the heads up!
I loved the food on my first visit here! Just past the 55 underpass on Halsted, driving south on this stretch hundreds of times, I'd never noticed a strip mall set off the road (you can park right in front!) This same strip houses Taipei Café (which we bang-banged afterwards, sharing a few cold apps which were decent and a milk tea which was lovely).
APbD is a hole in the wall, to be certain. Bright and clean though, with a cold holding unit proudly presenting the offal offerings du jour. Menu design is user friendly and hip with cute illustrations. The spot was jumping with young and presumably Chinese clientele at 12:30.
3/4 of these dishes make the tippy top of best-things-I've-eaten-this-year list status.
Duck tongues. Served cool from the case, this was the weakest link of the lunch. Good though, all about that cartilaginous texture. Simply dressed in maybe just chile oil. This had me pining for the dry chili version at Double Li.
Spicy soft bean curd. We were expecting a mapo dish. But as you can see, this is a rather sophisticated, composed prep. Almost as dainty as a good chawanmushi, but with bolder toppings, of note were the crispy roasted soybeans.
Wontons in hot soup. We were planning to order the bell dumplings, but laikom spied this deep bowl of demonic stuff wafting by us to another table. The ambiguous name on the menu is easy for the eyes to skip over, but hot damn, am I glad we ordered this. If this thing is prepped consistently, this dish has the promise of an LTH all star in the making. Supple dumplings filled with pork and a yet-to-be-identified filling with a vegetal crunch bobbling beneath the surface of volcanic liquor straddling the soup/sauce divide. Slap-your-face mala on par with (the 100% on point lately) dan dan at Katy's.
Roasted pig feet with peanuts. Nick K at the Trib did a profile on this one recently, which was probably my inspiration to check this place out. This stuff did not disappoint. I'd call this more ankle than trotter, joints encased in jiggly, fully rendered skin and cartilage with a few meaty bits. So much gelatin that napkins were completely decimated by sticky fingers, embarrassingly so even. Lightly dusted with Sichuan spices, this pork candy hardly needed much embellishment. Peanuts a nice touch though.
If I have one nit about this place its the prices. This reasonably portioned lunch for two set us back $48 with tip. The pig feet alone were like $14.99. Worth every cent though. Flock here!
Happy to report round 2 roasted pig feet (now with plastic gloves!) and wonton in hot soup retain their best-things-I've-eaten-this-year status. Pig feet even meatier and ever so sticky-icky. Delicate wontons gracefully dance in their electro broth. The spicy soft bean curd was also on point with more of the salty/sour minced pickle.
The weakest dish of this visit was the bell dumplings, which might fare better on a lesser table (comparable to Chengdu dumplings at other spots.) But the sweet-ish shrimpy filling and basic chile oil/soy dressing proved no match for the fireworks of the wonton in hot soup.
I had been eyeing this place, but the high prices for "street food" and the fact that I actually found Chengdu street food a bit underwhelming when I visited had kept me away. The glowing reviews here redirected us Friday night.
We ordered the spiced potatoes, the wontons in hot soup and the pig feet.
The very good seasoning on the potatoes reminded us of a similar potato dish we ate in Xi'an, though this one was a bit sweeter and had a bit too much "ma" even for me, let alone my wife. However, the real problem here was that I am 90% sure that these are store-bought frozen crinkle cut fries that aren't even reheated well as they are still quite firm. A properly prepared version with fresh boiled potatoes quickly fried in the spice mix would be inimitable.
The wontons were glorious. Flavorful filling in perfect slippery, tender wrappers. I can't say I have ever eaten a better one. Bonus points for a hot/sour broth that has way more character than a typical wonton soup.
Then we come to the pig trotters. These look amazing, just like the pictures shared here. However, I can firmly say that my skepticism about the price was justified. The problem here is that it doesn't have any flavor. Yes they are sticky with gelatin and jiggly fat, but that is the least you should expect from a Chinese pig foot. You can literally go down the street to Min's Noodles and order similar braised pig feet for less than half the price of these. Curiously, Min's also managed a rather bland version of this dish.
Overall, the overpriced and underwhelming pig feet and frozen potatoes kind of turned me off the place despite the magnificent wontons. It will be hard to find the urge to visit again with good Taiwanese eats nearby or Homestyle Taste a bit further down the street.
I had a great meal here back over the winter and had looked forward to returning. But the second time around, a recent group lunch, was more of a mixed bag, though I did enjoy some of the items we shared . . .
Loved the dense, chewy texture but thought they were pretty one-dimensional flavor-wise. Chili oil definitely helped them along.
One of my favorite items this time around. The wrappers were light and supple. I loved the intense broth and thought the wonton filling had great flavor.
Good stuff but nothing that cannot be had at many other places -- at roughly the same level.
This dish I just did not get. Not even the delicious 'spicy business' in which they were smothered could save these severely soft, seemingly-undercooked foodservice fries.
I really liked this last time out and the texture was great but I thought the dumplings themselves were devoid of flavor.
I enjoyed this dish quite a bit. The sticky, crunchy, gelatinous texture was really satisfying and the pork flavor and spice were there, too.
Just fine but a shadow of what they were the first time out. That time, they seemed a lot fresher and brighter. It seemed like the same sausage this time but more tired.


text:
Supermega API
=============

supermega.Session
-----------------

*C->S*
ug?, us!, (usl), uq?

*S->C*
k

Performs initial authentication against the MEGA servers, caches auth credentials and
centrally stores sid/nid as well as sequence IDs.

This class also polls the MEGA server for new events, and distributes them accordingly. (TODO)

supermega.User (not exposed)
--------------
Stores meta information on a given user.

* Public key
* Master key
* Derived key (from password)

supermega.Meta / File / Directory (not exposed)
--------------

*C->S*
f, p?, d, m, a, l, s, k, g?, u?

*S->C*
t, d, s

Stores meta information about a particular node. This is essentially the API's single
model (for now). Nodes form a tree, and MEGA exposes three trees as of now: CloudDrive,
Inbox, Trash.

A node can represent:
* A directory (with subnodes)
* A file (with file contents)
* A special node (root, inbox, trash)

File upload could be handled from this class, depending on MEGA API requirements.

_Questions:_

* Can non-leaf nodes contain file data?

supermega.Contents (part of models.File)
--------------
Handles de/encryption as well as verificiation of file contents. There are two possible
usage scenarios:

1. Used with an unencrypted file on the local filesystem / on a remote location, creates
   an encrypted one in a local cache. (TODO)
2. Used with an encrypted file stored in a local cache, creates an unencrypted one.

_Encrypting a file:_ (TODO)

1. Generate symmetric encryption key and setup crypto
2. Split stream into chunks
3. Iterate over file chunks
   1. Encrypt chunk
   2. Calculate CBC-MAC of encrypted chunk
   3. Store MAC
   4. Upload encrypted data
3. Calculate meta MAC

_Decrypting a file:_

1. Obtain necessary crypto secrets and IVs
2. Iterate over file chunks
   1. Decrypt chunk
   2. Verify chunk integrity
   3. Write to stream

supermega.Request (private)
---------------------------
Handles a single request. Needs a supermega.Session for user credentials and a sequence
number. If a request fails it is automatically retried using exponential back-off.
Returns a response object, that might indicate errors or supplies response data.

supermega.Response (private)
----------------------------
Handles mixed error code / json responses for a request. Takes a requests.response object.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
int StateSpace::angle_bins;
int StateSpace::velocity_bins;
int StateSpace::torque_bins;
double StateSpace::angle_max;
double StateSpace::velocity_max;
double StateSpace::torque_max;

StateSpace::StateSpace(const PriorityQueue<float, double>& queue, int _angle_bins, int _velocity_bins, int _torque_bins, double _angle_max, double _velocity_max, double _torque_max) :
	space(_angle_bins, std::vector<std::vector<PriorityQueue<float, double>>>(_velocity_bins, std::vector<PriorityQueue<float, double>>(2*_torque_bins+1, PriorityQueue<float, double>(queue))))

{
	angle_bins=_angle_bins-1; //offset is to account for array indexes starting at 1
	velocity_bins=_velocity_bins-1;
	torque_bins=_torque_bins-1;
	angle_max=_angle_max;
	velocity_max=_velocity_max;
	torque_max=_torque_max;
}

StateSpace::SubscriptProxy1 StateSpace::operator[](const double angle)
{
	//error if angle exceeds bounds
	// ***COMMENTED OUT TO PREVENT RUN-TIME ERRORS***
//	if (std::abs(angle) > angle_max)throw std::domain_error("angle argument exceeded");

	//get the coefficient
	int coef=0.5*angle_bins;

	//descretise index
	int discrete_index = static_cast<int>( std::round( coef*(1+1/angle_max) ) );

	//return appropriate object
	return SubscriptProxy1(space[discrete_index]);
}

//searches state space by state object
PriorityQueue<float, double>& StateSpace::operator[](const State & state)
{
	//call the subscripts with the members of the state object
	return (*this)[state.theta][state.theta_dot][state.torque];
}


I've been trying for one night long on getting Windows 7 RC to run on my Lenovo S10, I've tried following several guides, but it seems that a combination of each of them seems worked for me.
Installing Windows 7 is pretty easy and straight forward, but the tricky bit is making your USB Drive bootable.
0. Make sure your mainboard support USB Booting, and make sure your USB Drive is bootable.
1. Extract the Windows 7 image file (iso) to a folder your hard drive, in my case, I'll use "D:WIN7".
For Windows 7 Release Candidate 1 (32 bit), the extracted files will be 2.37 GB in size, with 837 files and 164 folders, so your USB Drive has to have at least 4 GB Capacity.
2. Download HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool and/or Lexar USB Bootit.
3. Format your USB Drive to FAT32 using those tools.
6. Restart your computer, make sure you've changed the boot priority in the BIOS for USB Drive to have higher priority than your hard drives, then you should be able to boot up Windows 7 Setup from your USB Drive.
Ugh, it was late and I was drunk and darn happy!
7. Install Windows 7, remember to pull the USB Drive off after the computer restarts when the initial setup is completed, otherwise you'll see the Setup screen again.
Please tell me your results, I'm anxious to know!


text:
Lenape Valley edges Boonton - North, Section 1, Group 1 first round - Girls soccer
Updated: Nov. 02, 2021, 7:45 p.m. | Published: Nov. 02, 2021, 7:26 p.m.
By Casey Roland | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
After an hour of scoreless play, Mia Schuddeboom and Mia McLean scored a goal apiece in the final 20 minutes to lead fifth-seeded Lenape Valley to a victory at home over 12-seed Boonton, 2-1, in the first round of the NJSIAA/Wawa North Jersey, Section 1, Group 1 tournament.
11/2 - 4:00 PM Girls Soccer
Boonton 1
Lenape Valley 2
Complete Box Score »
Chloe Naylor and Mia Santana tallied an assist apiece for Lenape Valley (13-4-1), which will face fourth-seeded Waldwick in the quarterfinal round on Friday.
Boonton (8-10) scored a goal on a penalty kick in the last minute of the game to cut the final deficit in half.
The NJ High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now and be among the first to get all the boys and girls sports you care about, straight to your inbox each weekday. To add your name, click here.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.


Cali Cavy Collective: a blog about all things guinea pig: Whee are now on Facebook!
Whee are now on Facebook!
Yes, the Cali Cavy Collective is now on Facebook!
Yay, welcome to Facebook! You can put a Facebook badge on your blog too (with the Twitter button) so more people can find your FB page!
That's a good idea, thanks Vegan Wheekers!


text:
Le Mesnil-Aubry ist eine französische Gemeinde mit  Einwohnern (Stand: ) im Département Val-d'Oise in der Region Île-de-France; sie gehört zum Arrondissement Sarcelles und zum Kanton Fosses (bis 2015: Kanton Écouen). Die Einwohner werden Mesnilois genannt.

Geographie
Le Mesnil-Aubry liegt etwa 22 Kilometer nordnordöstlich von Paris. Umgeben wird Le Mesnil-Aubry von den Nachbargemeinden Villiers-le-Sec im Norden und Nordwesten, Mareil-en-France im Norden und Nordosten, Fontenay-en-Parisis im Osten, Le Plessis-Gassot im Südosten, Écouen im Süden, Ézanville im Südwesten sowie Attainville im Westen.

Bevölkerungsentwicklung

Sehenswürdigkeiten

 Renaissance-Kirche Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité (Monument historique seit 1840), im 16. Jahrhundert erbaut, imposanter Glockenturm

Persönlichkeiten
 Louis-Emmanuel de Valois (1596–1653), u. a. Baron von Le Mesnil-Aubry

Literatur
 Le Patrimoine des Communes du Val-d'Oise. Flohic Éditions, Band 1, Paris 1999, ISBN 2-84234-056-6, S. 223–227.

Weblinks

Ort in der Île-de-France

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Disclaimer: I am a Google employee, but the views expressed in this article are not those of my employer.
This is part 2 of a series exploring what the Kotlin® language can uniquely offer Android developers. Last time there was some detail on how to get Kotlin support added to an Android project. Now we'll actually dive into code and see how some Kotlin language features can be used to do nifty things in an Android project.
When I first encountered Kotlin and pored over the list of language features, one thing in particular stood out to me. Kotlin has a feature called type-safe builders that lets you express object creation in a style that looks declarative. It allows a syntax that looks a lot like Gradle build files. But where Gradle and Groovy are dynamically typed, Kotlin is statically typed, so the compiler will let you know if you're assigning values to properties that don't make sense.
The typical examples of type-safe builders show how it's possible to build nested data structures, like XML documents. When I think Android and XML, layouts and views quickly come to mind. If Kotlin is good at building up stuff like XML programmatically, perhaps it would do well with view hierarchies. So, that's where I started. I figured I would try to create a sort of shorthand for building view hierarchies programmatically, which is code-intensive if you're doing it in the Java® language.
Important note: I will be referring to lambdas frequently going forward. Before continuing, be sure you understand what that means in the context of computer programming, even if not specifically for Kotlin. In short, it's a way of expressing an anonymous function that you would pass inline to another function or assign to a variable.
The core feature of Kotlin that makes type-safe builders possible is called lambda with receiver. Let's get straight into an example that's actually useful. Kotlin allows you to define functions outside of classes, and that's all I'm doing here. Also note that the names of variables come before their types, which is the opposite of the Java language.
The word reify means "to make an abstract thing concrete". As a Kotlin keyword on a function's generic type, this means that you have compile-time access to the JVM Class object specified for the generic type in the body of the function. So this bit of code says that the function v makes use of a "reified" generic type named TV (think "Type of View") which must be View or a subclass of View. The function must also be declared inline for this to work. The caller then gives TV a specific type in angle brackets when calling the function.
v takes two parameters, a Context and a lambda named init. init is special because it's a lambda with receiver type function reference. A lambda with receiver is a block of code that requires an object of a certain type. This required object is referenced by the keyword "this" in the body of the lambda. The type of the receiver object here is the reified generic type TV.
In our specific case, function v is declaring, "I'm going to create an object of type TV, and I need you to tell me how to initialize it". So this new TV type object becomes the receiver of the provided lambda, and the lambda is invoked by v with view.init() so it can perform some actions with the view. The "-> Unit" in the syntax is just saying that the lambda returns type Unit, which is like the type void in Java code. In other words, it returns nothing.
v declares a parameter called init which is a lambda with receiver for type TV.
v creates and initializes a TV type object and invokes the lambda on it to initialize it.
The lambda sees the TV type object as "this" in its chunk of code.
To reference the reified generic type TV's implicitly available Class object in the function, you can use the expression TV::class.java. This kind of expression is a very special Kotlin feature for reified generic types that drastically reduces the amount of code you must write in functionally equivalent Java code.
This is another unfamiliar syntax to Java programmers. In the Java language, all the arguments to a function always appear inside the call's parentheses, which can be a lot of added lines if it includes an anonymous callback. But in Kotlin, there is a special syntax when a lambda is the last argument to a function. This syntax allows the lambda to appear in curly braces immediately following the parentheses of the function call. You could put the whole thing inside the parentheses, but most of the time it's neater this way and keeps the function call parentheses on the same line, so they're easier to track. Also, this lambda syntax is similarly available when inlining anonymous Java objects that have a single method, such as Runnable.
The IDE's autocomplete suggests which methods are backing Kotlin properties.
As you can see, the Kotlin plugin is pointing out to us that the property called "text" (among other properties) is derived from the underlying JavaBeans-style getter and setter methods of the TextView type receiver object.
Since the compiler doesn't know exactly what a TV is yet in the method body of v, we can't instantiate it using new + classname. However, we can use the reified class object (TV::class.java) to locate a Constructor that takes a Context as the single argument. It's conventional for Android View types to have a constructor with this signature, and we're depending on it. This Constructor object can be invoked to get a new instance of type TV, with the same effect as the new keyword in Java code. This is a reasonable price to pay for the flexibility of having a single function work for all types of views instead of creating a whole new function for each type of view you want to build. And we can optimize this a bit more later in a future part to this blog series.
That's a whole lot of convenience for a few lines of code! If you're new to Kotlin, you might want to go back and digest this a second time, because some of these concepts can be very foreign to Java programmers. It certainly took me a bit of studying to grok all this new stuff.
This is just the beginning of my experiment. There's still many ways this function could be enhanced and made easier to use. For example, it would be great if we could build entire nested view hierarchies in a single expression. So stay tuned for the next post in this series to see how we can use Kotlin to do that!