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Ok, so I have a collada file that was obtained from Sketchup (free version) by exporting as google earth. I rename the .kmz file to a .zip, extract and there's a .dae within.
I am using the Collada DOM library to load and render the model. That works fine.
The problem I'm having is that I now need to texture the model. Sketchup exported UV Coordinates in the dae file, so I figured I was good to go – I just needed to create a texture that wraps around the model properly to display as I want it to.
So I read up a little bit on UV coordinates, and as I understand it, they correspond to a percentage value of the width and height of an image… so usually between 0 and 1, but can be otherwise for looping textures or whatever. In my case, they are between 0 and 1.
From here I thought I could calculate X and Y values on the image by multiplying the UV coordinates by the size of image I want to use as a texture and then draw lines (per triangle) to show which parts of the image will map to which triangles. I wrote a simple PHP script utilizing GD to create this image.
The image looks similar to what I would expect, except that many faces are overlapping. I would have thought no face would overlap another. Would that be the way that the UV coordinates are created by Sketchup or am I misunderstanding what the UV coordinates represent?


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Australian Rules-'Stain for our game': AFL apologizes again to Goodes
MELBOURNE, pananginok.ru Aug 25 (Reuters) – The Australian Football League's failure to support Aboriginal player Adam Goodes during the 2015 booing of the Sydney Swans champion was a "stain" for the sport, chairman Richard Goyder said.
Goodes, who played a team record 372 games for the Swans in the Australian Rules top flight, was booed by stadium crowds throughout his final season in one of the country's darkest sporting sagas.
The AFL apologized to Goodes in 2019 but the former Australian of the Year remains estranged from the league and declined induction Avitop official website to the sport's Hall of Fame.
"The conclusion to his AFL career with the Sydney Swans was an incredibly difficult period that caused great hurt for Adam and the subsequent time it took for the game to recognize and apologize for this hurt also had a very significant impact," Goyder said at the Hall of Fame's awards ceremony.
"Our failure to stand with him at the time it was happening and call out what was happening was a stain for our game.
"The unreserved apology that the game provided him in 2019 was too late, but, on behalf of our Commission and the AFL, I apologize unreservedly again for our failures during this period.
"Failure to call out racism and not standing up for Adam let down all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, past and present."
Goodes won two championships with the Swans and two Brownlow Medals as the league's "fairest and best" player in 2003 and 2006.
He used his Australian of the Year title to push for Indigenous Australians' rights but his views upset conservatives and right-wing pundits who branded him divisive.
The vitriol spilled over stadium fences in his final season, with crowds booing his every touch of the ball.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Karishma Singh)

subset: commoncrawl


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First – Happy Saturday! We've had several men working on our house for the last two weeks residing our house. (!!) The old siding was rotted and peeling beyond repair. We also were able to knock out that awkward window in our shower and side right over it! All this to say, they are working right outside of the window I'm sitting in front of and I feel a little rude. So this post will be short today.
Earlier this spring I posted another dresser that I was tackling – my mom's dresser that she had when she was a kid.
You can see more of the "before" photos and how I stripped the paint here in this old post.
It took me a long time to refinish this piece because there were many layers of paint, and also needed quite a bit of sanding to take out a lot of dings and scratches.
I am happy to say that it has spent the last month happily living in my bedroom!!
Today I'll share an "after" and I'll be back to explain the sanding and pre-staining process I tried this time around.
Happy Saturday!!
What are your plans today? I'm getting together with one of my best girlfriends!


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To the Catholic church;
Abraham was married and had sons, Moses was married and had sons, Arron was married and had sons, King David was married and had sons, etc. etc. etc.
When a man or woman is called to serve by the Holy and divine spirit of the living God, there is a covenant between them. It is a deeply personal commitment . Why then does the catholic church insist upon abstinence of marital relations ?
Does this not go against the holy temple of which God Himself dwells ? I am not speaking to those who are called to abstain by the holy spirit, but to the men in positions of authority that are presumably superseding the authority of God by inflicting this punishment that is not of God.


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Prior to recent data tampering by current government funded climate scientists, there was a Medieval Warm Period, and four degrees warming from 1830-1930 at Philadelphia, Montreal, Spitzbergen, Britain and Washington DC. Arctic warming was even greater.
Soviet Is Heard From on Climate – Case of Greenland – View Article – NYTimes.com
The warmth of the 1930's was very inconvenient for government agencies like NASA and NOAA which depend on global warming funding, so they simply erased it.
Data.GISS: GISS Surface Temperature Analysis


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(AUDIO) Ira Kaufman Says You'd Create a Big Problem if You Get Rid of Darrelle Revis
Ira Kaufman 2-28-14
Jason LaCanfora reported earlier this week that teams are interested in trading for Darrelle Revis. The trade may seem far fetched, but the Bucs could rid themselves of Revis' $16 million salary if they move him. Bucs beat writer Ira Kaufman joined Booger and Rich to discuss just how real a Revis trade could be.
Kaufman said that he thinks Revis is ready to reclaim his throne as the best corner in football. He said if the coaches can't find a way to use one of the best corners in football then shame on them.
Kaufman said that we have to remember that the Tampa 2 is based on a furious four man pass rush but the Bucs don't have that. Unless they go out and get a premiere pass rush, then they don't have the personnel to play the cover 2 defense. Kaufman isn't willing to give up the best corner in football.
One thing Kaufman didn't like about Revis was the way he seemed to pack it in the last game of season in New Orleans. He said Lovie Smith will see that on tape but overall, he had a good season especially when you consider that he wasn't 100%.
Kaufman did say that anyone thinks Revis will restructure his contract is crazy.
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Shakespeare deconstructed book covers.
Our challenge for this assignment is to produce four, deconstructed book designs, based on a list of Shakespeare plays. As a group, we decided how an A2 area should be split up into four book covers.
The main challenge for me was I knew very little of Shakespeare and his plays. I felt somewhat daunted by the task of understanding the stories and their plots, environment setting, characters and language etc. It felt as if a study of Shakespeare was required before the task could truly be undertaken. This is a subject in its' own right.
By reading the plays' synopses and having conversations with people who are familiar with Shakespeare, accompanied with research, I began to digest the subject. With time, I formed some understanding and I have been able to gain enough understanding of the plays to begin to explore textures.
With the focus on craft techniques, textures and colours that reflect plot and setting, there is a strong element of this assignment which feels like creative art project crossing into set design (based on the environment setting).
Creating textures.
I experimented with a number of techniques and ideas starting with gluing and painting lace and feathers. I also painted through the lace, leaving some patterns and used the painted lace to imprint.
I have mixed silver metallic paints with acrylics to produce opulent metallic colours. This technique is used through many of the textures, as I feel it fits well with the theme.
Foam and cardboard cut-outs. A soldering iron is used to carve patterns into the foam.
A selection of card craft and sequins glued onto the substrate and painted over.
For more textures there is plenty of weaving, sponging, gluing and painting.
In total, I have some 25 sheets of experimental textures to use. I have scanned and photographed many of these textures so that I am able to use them digitally in the future. I have chosen not to use any digital imagery or manipulation for this exercise.
Choosing the typeface.
I was looking for something that felt as if it belonged. Although some of the standard fonts may have sufficed, I was looking for something that helps to express the atmosphere of the plays. On my quest, I came across an image of a typeface that has a Celtic feel and fitted the Shakespeare brief effectively.
The next step was to make the typeface usable, which meant producing block letter forms. This part involved a digital process to manufacture type blocks to use in a hand crafted manner.
This image is processed and modified in Illustrator.
The laser cutter is used to cut out five complete alphabets of varying size. These are cut from 3mm birch ply sheets. An illustrator file is also created to make 6mm thick MDF wood blocks for these letters to be glued onto.
The end result is three sets of complete alphabet block letters in varying sizes. These are for block printing. Also there are three sizes of cut letters to use for negative space composition. I felt this was worth doing as an exploration exercise and these may well be useful for other projects.
Deconstructing the image.
Having explored and played with texture, colour and text, the challenge of splicing all this up and reassembling it in a deconstructed manner feels like trying to make some designed order from mess. What seems to be clear is there is an element of randomness. The end design is through exploration and process. It is difficult to anticipate the outcome at the beginning of the project.
With a selection of textures now complete, I need to decide which Shakespeare play is going to be the largest dominant design, which will be the smallest and which two are going to be mid-sized.
I also need to decide what text I am using, what sized type and the deconstructed techniques of printing them. Some will be made of negative space, and some of positive space.
To complete this I consider all the textures as a whole by laying them out on the floor and taking a good long look at them. This helps get an over feel of how they may fit together. Once I start to deconstruct, I cannot erase something I am not satisfied with. The difference between hand craft and digital is the willingness to commit to the next step. There is no going back.
- I begin to cut and place textures into position
- Once happy with the texture composition, I take selected textures and using various methods, I begin to place my chosen text.
- The composition is reformed
- Once happy with the newly placed pieces, they are fixed in position.
- More textures and text are added that overlap the individual pieces. This adds a further layer to the overall composition.
- Now all the four book covers are positioned together in an A2 configuration. To complete the whole look, I use the largest laser-cut font, to etch "Shakespeare" across the all four covers. The overall effect is that when all covers are placed together, the name "Shakespeare" becomes visible whilst remaining deconstructed for each cover.
The end result.
As an extra exercise I have looked at how to present my reflective diary:
Reflective thoughts.
This seems to have been a lengthy project, requiring much more time than formally allocated, although that may be in part due to my ambitious approach and initial concept. Block printing onto raised textures successfully has proved incredibly difficult. Stenciling using airbrushing may be a good alternative, making it possible, in addition, to achieve a ghosted, deconstructed appearance. Splicing and gluing the many elements together over a large area also proved a testing part of the process. The glue seemed reluctant to bond all the parts down and there was a lot of curling corners. It was at this stage I felt doubtful and disheartened and questioned my initial concept and approach. However, once I had left the glue to set under a weighted board, and trimmed off the excess, I could see the composition working. After applying the final layers of type, I am pleased with the end result.
I have acquired an appreciation of deconstructed composition and that the end design is through exploration and process. Also I understand how we may intemperate symbols and fragments of information in order to make some overall sense and meaning of it.
Similarly this has been a great exercise in expressing feelings, emotions, environments etc through texture and colour. New techniques have been learned through experimenting and creating coloured textures.


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Top Things to Do in Columbus, Ohio
Traveling is more than a hobby; it is a way of life. Based in Ohio, Shasta Matova has visited Europe, Uganda, and the United States.
Fun and Free Attractions to See When You Visit Columbus, Ohio
Most people don't think of Columbus as a tourist destination. They simply think of it as the Capital City of Ohio and the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes. They may think of it as someplace they get stuck in when they attend a conference, convention, watch a concert, play, or ball game, or when they visit relatives. But after they have gotten a taste of everything that Columbus has to offer, they think differently and come visit it again, this time as a tourist.
Let me tell you about some of the travel and tourism attractions that make the city fun and unique. Most of them are free to visit. There are a few others that do charge an admission fee, but they are worth the price of admission, especially for first-time visitors.
Since the Convention Center is downtown, let me show you a map of the downtown area, and some of the attractions that are offered here. To help you get oriented, High Street runs north and south. Streets that are named "East" are located east of High Street, and streets that are named "West", are west of High Street. So, Broad Street is divided into East Broad, and West Broad and High Street is where the name changes. Similarly, Broad Street runs east and west, and divides the streets named "North" and "South". This means that North High Street begins at Broad Street and goes north, and South High Street begins at Broad Street and goes south. The numbers start at 0, so the smaller the number, the closer you are to Broad Street or High Street.
Downtown Destinations in Columbus, Ohio
City Hall on West Broad Street and The Ohio Statehouse at Broad and High are both historic buildings that are downtown. There is a statue of Christopher Columbus in front of City Hall on West Broad Street. The statehouse offers tours of the building and events that will help your children learn how the government is run.
There are many other fun things to do downtown. Let's see what they are.
Short North and Arena District
A. Short North
The Short North neighborhood is filled with small Mom and Pop stores, boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants. Most of them are located right on High Street. You will be able to find unique items here that are not available in the big department stores. You can support the smaller stores, browse the art galleries, and stop by the Russian Tea Room. Be sure to look for the murals that are painted on the buildings in this area.
If you want to go bar hopping, the short north has some bars. If you go farther north on High Street, you will find the OSU campus area.
B. Arena District
Going south from the Short North is the Arena District. The Arena is there, of course, but it also has a variety of other attractions as well, such as movie theaters, bars and restaurants. The area is filled with many shops and boutiques. Be sure to go to the North Market; the whole building is filled with many different stores and restaurant vendors. There is a farmer's market in the summer.
On the other side of Broad Street, and a couple of blocks west is COSI, the Center of Science and Industry. It is one of the largest modern-built science centers in the United States. They have fun and interactive ways you and your children can learn science through exhibits and live shows. They have standard, classic exhibits, some extra exhibits that require a separate ticket, including the giant screen theater, and host traveling exhibits. It has an admission fee, but you can easily spend an afternoon or a whole day here, and learn a great deal so it is a great investment.
D. Scioto Mile
The Scioto Mile is a path that runs alongside the river. It is a beautiful place to take a walk, go bike riding, or walk your dog. There is a restaurant at Scioto Mile Park, but there aren't a lot of other food vendors along this walk though, so be sure to pack your lunch or locate a restaurant that you will go to as part of your walk if you plan to walk for a while.
E. Art in Columbus—Topiary Park, Columbus Museum of Art
The Columbus Museum of Art has its own collection and hosts a variety of traveling exhibits. It has a restaurant and statues outside as well. When you are finished there, be sure to visit Topiary Park is a re-creation of Georges Seurat's famous post-impressionist painting, "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jattedone" with topiaries and a pond. The Topiary Park is free and is a beautiful and restful place to have lunch after you are finished admiring the topiaries.
It is a relatively small park and works wonderfully in combination with the main library, which is right behind it. The library has a mural made by Aminah Robinson on the stairs and often hosts a variety of other art exhibits. Combine both with the Columbus Museum of Art which is nearby. There is a small fee for the art museum except on Sundays when it is free.
Read More from WanderWisdom
F. German Village
German Village is a historic district just south of downtown Columbus. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and is filled with privately restored Italianate homes with quaint little gardens. Schiller Park has recreational facilities, gardens, and an amphitheater.
There are also a lot of small independent shops in the area, such as bakeries and coffee shops, bars, and liquor stores. Be sure to visit the Book Loft when visiting the German Village. It is one of the nation's largest independent book stores. It is in a historic home and has so many rooms filled with books that you need a map to see all 32 rooms.
Just west of German Village is the Brewery District which also has restaurants and bars.
G. Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
While the downtown area has lots of attractions, there are sites that are worth visiting throughout the city. Franklin Park Conservatory is situated in Franklin Park, which is about two miles east of downtown on Broad Street. This big park (58.77 acres) has a pond, a community garden, a playground, and many other features that make it a great place to visit on its own.
The conservatory requires an admission fee and features plants from throughout the world. It usually has a special display that rotates from time to time, such as artwork and butterflies that are added to the gardens.
When you are finished visiting the park and conservatory, you may want to head further east on Broad Street to see the Town and Country Shopping Center. It may have been the oldest strip mall in the country.
Other Columbus Attractions
Park of Roses
The Park of Roses is located just off North High Street, just north of the Ohio State University. It is 13 acres filled with 11,000 beautiful roses. They are well labeled so you know the name of the beautiful and fragrant flower you want to place in your garden. The park is a wonderful place to enjoy and walk around and is a scenic place to take photographs. It is especially lovely in June when the Rose Festival takes place.
This huge and beautiful park is free to visit. It is situated in Whetstone Park, which offers a variety of sports activities, fishing, walking trails, and playground areas. When you are done, you can also visit the nearby Clintonville branch of the Columbus library.
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
While the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is not officially in Columbus, it is in nearby Powell and is renowned for its animals and Jack Hanna. There are amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles from many parts of the world.
Some examples include Stingray, African Lion, American Bison, Asian Elephant, West Indian Manatee, Bonobo, Koala, Red Kangaroo, Black Rhino, and Mexican Wolf. The Zoo is open year-round, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. During the winter, they host WildLights. This seasonal light display provides an extra ambiance to see the animals at night.
The zoo is a big park with lots of open spaces to recreate the natural habitats of the animals. When you get tired, there is a train ride and a boat ride you can take to rest your feet.
The adjacent Zoombezi Bay is a water park that has many rides and pools. There are separate entrance fees for the Zoo and Zoombezi Bay.
Shopping in Columbus
There are many places to shop in Columbus, and this article has already listed several. The Short North and German Village have independent retailers and restaurants.
If you are interested in big-name department stores, you will want to visit the shopping centers. The biggest and newest shopping centers in Columbus are Easton, on the northeast side of town, and Polaris, which is farther north.
Easton Town Center is located close to the airport, in the northeast part of town. They have a large list of shops, including Nordstrom, Macy's, Coach, Apple, Victoria's Secret, Crate and Barrel, a movie theater, and restaurants. This is a complex of shops, some of which are housed in one building, with many other freestanding buildings in the area.
Polaris Fashion Place is located farther north, and also has a large number of shops, including JCPenney, Andrews Jewelers, Pottery Barn, and Bath and Body Works.
Other Attractions
Columbus is home to many colleges and universities, including Capital University, Ohio Dominican University, Devry University, and The Ohio State University.
The Ohio State University has many sports teams including men's basketball, women's basketball, and, of course, football. The Columbus Clippers is a baseball team that plays their home games at Huntington Park. The Blue Jackets hockey team plays their home games at Nationwide Arena. The OSU Buckeyes football team plays at the horseshoe-shaped Ohio Stadium.
There are plays, concerts, and performing arts. The Columbus Symphony Orchestra plays at the Ohio Theater. Promusica Chamber Orchestra and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra play at the Southern Theater. The Newport Music Hall has big concerts.
There are plenty of special events that happen in Columbus, such as the Red, White and Boom! fireworks show, the Jazz and Ribs Fest, the Greek Festival, and Oktoberfest. Experience Columbus offers a calendar that will let you know what is happening in the city when you visit.
Visit Columbus Ohio
While Columbus is not known as a tourist destination, as you can see, there are a lot of great things to see and do here. Once you have seen them, you may want to return as a tourist, and see more of the attractions and see more of the performances.
Questions & Answers
Question: When is the Jazz and Ribs festival in Columbus, Ohio?
Answer: The Jazz and Ribs Fest will be held July 19 – 21, 2019 from 11am – 11pm on Friday and Saturday and until 8:30pm on Sunday at the Columbus Downtown Riverfront at 233 S Civic Center Dr. in Columbus, Ohio.


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How do you get stains out of a porcelain toilet?
Put a small amount of Borax into the toilet bowl and then use a toilet brush to spread it around. Allow the mixture to sit in the bowl for 20 minutes after adding 1 cup of vinegar. To remove stains from the bowl, scrub it with a toilet brush. To clean the toilet, flush it.
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HomeX virtual experts will assess your issue (for free!) and can resolve simple problems.


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Friday will once again be an opportunity for people to visit local establishments, get a cup of coffee – or not – and talk with Pensacola Police officers.
The second Coffee with a Cop this year is scheduled from 7 to 9 .m. this Friday, Dec. 16, at the following locations:
This is an opportunity to ask officers questions and discuss concerns. There is no agenda and no speeches.It's just an opportunity to find some common ground – or grounds depending on the type of coffee you drink.


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When an ad surprises me these days, I want to kiss the creatives. It is so hard to do something in 30 seconds that has an unpredictable end.
John Lewis did it two years ago with the boy impatiently waiting for Christmas, but most of the time the story is short and the conclusion is a given.
This ad from KesselsKramer in Amsterdam for citizenM Hotels is great fun. They hooked me with the swans made of towels then made me laugh with their end and tag line.
Wonderfully simple and memorable, with the product perfectly integrated.
I hear clichés crunching under KesselsKramer's heels.


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By Sal Bommarito
Every day, the presidential campaign gets a bit crazier. The choices available to the voters during this cycle include a boisterous, rude self-promoter, a pathological liar and a self-proclaimed socialist. What is a voter to do on Election Day?
It's mind-boggling that these three people are the best that our political system has to offer. The Republican and Democrat establishments need to be revamped and staffed with recruiters that have some sense about what kind of person is qualified to hold office, especially the Oval Office.
A New York Times article on May 20th clearly delineates the predicament voters find themselves in. It can't be any more obvious that the two main candidates are not qualified if favorability, values, leadership, trustworthiness and temperament are important person traits for the next leader of the free world.
Here is a summary of the Times poll for Trump and Clinton (Sanders no longer can win the Democrat primary):
Character Traits Trump Clinton
Favorability 26% 31%
Values 31% 37%
Leadership 55% 54%
Trustworthiness 31% 21%
Temperament 27% 48%
Why are we settling for a future president who doesn't have the right stuff to be our next leader? I've heard about all the anger brewing among the electorate. Some people are so pissed off that they are threatening violence. Can you imagine that? The greatest country in the world isn't capable of a transition of power without disorder.
As I read about the most radical elements in each party expressing disenfranchisement, I scratch my head. Every person, rich or poor, in this country gets one vote. It makes no difference how much money a voter contributes to a candidate. The one person, one vote rule doesn't change.
The contentious primaries are reminiscent of darker days. Revolutions in America, France, Russia and China along with the rise of fascism in Germany come to mind and are noteworthy. In those political struggles millions of people died because citizens wanted a different type of government. The ones that ultimately settled on a democracy at the time have had the most success by any measure.
What disturbs me the most is that the leaders of each party are the ones inciting violence. Ignorant and inexperienced rebel rousers believe that hand-to-hand combat and a hostile attitude will somehow create a better government. To them, marching, disrupting and attacking opponents is "cool." The last time this type of protest was cool, and justified, was when the U.S. was fighting an immoral war in Vietnam and African Americans demanded liberty. Now, we have Occupy This and Occupy That, anarchists that disparage our legal and political system and our way of life.
Before one complains about how tough life is in America, he or she should consider what it's like to be in Africa, or at refugee camp in the Middle East. We have a great thing happening here in America. Why tear it down?
Back to the election. I guarantee that violence would not be prevalent today if we had credible candidates. Our political system needs to do a better job vetting candidates at all levels of government.
I'm afraid that the general election is going to be an embarrassment fraught with name-calling and lies, and the ultimate victor may seriously damage our country's reputation for decades.
Good luck picking a candidate on Election Day.


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Congratulations to Katie Aartse-Tuyn and Ritchie Jackman who were both brave enough to run the London Marathon and raise money for Wallace & Gromit's Children's Charity. We are very happy that we were able to make not only one, but two dreams come true and raise money for a good cause, all at the same time.
Katie managed to finish the marathon in 3hrs 41min 38sec and raised a total of £1500 for the charity. Ritchie was very close behind and finished in 3hrs 57min 4sec and raised a total of £1400 for the charity. Both finished in very respectable times and raising nearly £3000 between them was simply brilliant. We are very thankful to our runners and all the supporters who were involved as we couldn't have done it without you.
Below are some pictures and you will notice that that it is hard to tell that they had just completed a marathon. How do you manage to look that great after completing a 26 mile run?! We love your determination and are very proud of you both.


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Vineyard Canyon Road - Central California is abundantly blessed with many great scenic and backroad drives and this is one of our favorites. Located mainly in Monterey County, this route begins at the northern limit of San Luis Obispo County and ends at the doorstep of Parkfield, right on the San Andreas Fault.
It is a favorite of bicyclists, motorcyclists and antique car enthusiasts since it like taking a step back to a quieter, slower time. A previous Photo of the Week selection.
7 June 2013
Vineyard Canyon Road is one of the many great scenic drives that are to be found in Central California.
Backroad drives can be fun even if there is no particular destination at the end because of the sights along the way. This drive, however, arrives at the small town of Parkfield on the San Andreas Fault.
Famous for the earthquake studies that have been taking place there since the 1980's, Parkfield does have a cafe (click here for hours) and a lodge. Do note, however, that there is no gas station. You passed the last one in San Miguel.
Please don't mistake this road with Vineyard Drive which is west of Templeton. That is a lovely road with many available stops along the way for wine tasting. Vineyard Canyon Road isn't "that" road.
Here is the Google map for the trip:
on any of the photos on this page allows you to see them in a larger
We're starting this trip in San Miguel, but you could just as easily come into Parkfield from the east, via Highway 46 or 41 and Cholame Valley Road.
You cross over the Salinas River, immediately turn left onto Cross Canyons Road and then in just a few feet, another left onto Indian Valley Road.
This takes you past dry farm hay fields on the right and irrigated alfalfa fields on the left.
After a couple miles the junction with Vineyard Canyon Road appears and you'll bear to the right.
You might wonder how this road got its name as there is only one vineyard on this road and that is nearly to Parkfield.
It is derived from the mission days when all this land from the ocean to the San Joaquin Valley belonged to Mission San Miguel. Various agricultural projects were distributed throughout the land grant and just a half mile over the Monterey County line there is a natural free-flowing spring (look for the heavy growth on the right side of the road) which irrigated the mission's vineyards back in the day.
Today, those fields grow alfalfa, but the name remains.
The lush irrigated farmlands soon give way to dryer grazing and fields where dryland farming relies on the winter's rain.
You're likely to encounter wildlife anywhere along this road, but deer and wild pig can frequently be seen helping themselves to the farmer's handiwork.
It's worth noting that care should be taken as the deer and other wildlife can leap out in front of your vehicle without warning. I highly recommend that you read my page on How to Drive Backroads before setting out on this or any other drive off the main highways.
Wild turkeys are commonly seen along here, as are quail. Bobcats are a rarer sight and mountain lions rarer still, but a possibility.
In the way of flora, oaks and digger pines dominate the trees. Central California is also home to chamise which covers much of the hills throughout.
Grazing over the years has changed many of the hills from being covered in chamise to hosting grass.
Wildflowers can be found here in the springtime, but not in the abundance of other places like Shell Creek Road to the south. There are nice displays of bush lupines at the summit and poppies all along the road.
Approximately 14 miles from the county line brings you to the summit of this road.
You've gradually climbed from 700 feet in elevation at the beginning to 2600 feet here.
From this point, you can see all the way to the Santa Lucia range which separates the Salinas Valley from the Big Sur coast. In the opposite direction you can see eastward to the Temblor Range that separates Central California from the San Joaquin Valley.
If you wish to stop and enjoy the view, be careful as there is only one suitable place to safely stop and park. That is a gated drive just on the southern side of the pass on your left. There aren't long sight lines here on the road so be cautious.
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Central California Backroads from Vineyard Canyon Road
Discover Central California homepage


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According to the American Academy of Dermatology, acne is the most common skin condition in the United States. Unfortunately, the sensitive condition can be difficult to treat with over the counter creams and can cause self-consciousness.
At ROXY Plastic Surgery, we are proud to serve patients with our revolutionary laser acne scar treatment in Columbus, Ohio. Let's take a look at how laser treatments work to fight stubborn acne so you can get the bright and glowing skin you've always dreamed of.
At ROXY Plastic Surgery, we use our state-of-the-art equipment to help our patients fight acne. Acne laser treatments use wavelengths that target the acne causing bacteria, hindering the ability of the bacteria to multiply. These treatments will slow down the overactive glands to bring oil production to a more normal level.
Over time, the number of lesions and severity of your breakouts will reduce, giving you the healthy, glowing skin you desire.
Not only will these treatments help fight acne, but they improve the appearance of any dark spots or scars you may have from preexisting acne. Since there are different types of acne scars, we offer different types of laser treatments with varying strengths and weaknesses that can improve acne scars. The type of laser treatment you receive will depend on the severity of your scars and dark spots and the results you desire.
The great thing about laser acne scar treatment is the procedure is minimally invasive and does not include any surgery or downtime. Results are very effective, too. The laser acne scar treatment works to break down scar tissue and stimulate healthy growth of new tissues in its place.
Laser acne treatments and laser acne scar treatments usually involve at least 7 treatment spaced out about every one to two weeks. Treatments do not last long, usually 30 minutes, and can fit seamlessly into your schedule.
Once you arrive at ROXY Plastic Surgery, we'll apply a topical numbing medicine which will keep you comfortable during the treatment. With no downtime, so you can drive yourself home or even go to work following your appointment.
Most individuals do not need to maintain their laser treatment, however, you may wish to have one treatment at 6 months and then every 1-2 years after that if you desire. Ongoing treatment may be best for teens or young adults that also suffer from regular breakouts.
If you are looking for brighter and clearer skin, laser acne scar treatments may be right for you. When you schedule a consultation at ROXY Plastic Surgery, Dr. Grawe will meet with you to determine if you are a candidate for treatment. Once you complete your series of acne laser treatments, you'll finally be able to enjoy clear skin!
Schedule a consultation by calling our office at 614-764-7699 or contact us today to book your appointment at ROXY Plastic Surgery.


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It's time for financial professionals to become a profession in substance, not just in name.
The Securities and Exchange Commission proposed new rules for brokers and financial advisers last week. Observers have understandably focused on the big change, which requires brokers to disclose their conflicts and look after clients' best interests.
But a more modest proposal deserves discussion. Namely, the SEC would subject financial advisers to continuing education requirements.
It's a wise move. Financial innovation is happening at a dizzying pace. More investment options are available today than ever before, spanning many different types of assets, geographies and investing styles, and new products are coming to market all the time.
That's a challenge for an aging industry. The average age of financial advisers is 50, according to Cerulli Associates, and just 11.7 percent of advisers are younger than 35. Whatever advisers learned when they were trained for the job decades ago is most likely outdated.
Continue reading "Financial Advisers Need Steady Learning to Keep Earning"


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Date(s) - 06/04/2019
2:00 pm CDT - 3:00 pm CDT
Even if you don't have full control over your library's website, you can take small steps to improving your user's experience while using it.
You'll learn how to write better for the web, tweak navigation and graphics, and other small fixes to assist in creating a website that solves your user's problems, not adds to them.
Laura Solomon, MCIW, MLS, is the Library Services Manager for the Ohio Public Library Information Network. She has been doing web development and design for more than twenty years, in both public libraries and as an independent consultant. She specializes in developing with Drupal. She is a 2010 Library Journal Mover & Shaker. She's written three books about social media and content marketing, specifically for libraries, and speaks nationally on both these and technology-related topics. As a former children's librarian, she enjoys bringing the "fun of technology" to audiences and in giving libraries the tools they need to better serve the virtual customer.
Competency Index for the Library Field: Technology Competencies
Skill Level: Introduction & Beyond Basic
Registration is closed for this event.


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Machining is an art and the resulting product coming out of it is a "reflection" of our abilities. This reflection in turn leads to recognition hence we maintain it. We as an enterprise love this art and give our whole and soul to this art.
Since our inception i.e. from 1995 we are into machining. We have a conventional set up of machines such as center lathes , Horizontal milling machine, vertical milling machining, drilling , tapping , thread rolling, centerless grinding, cylindrical grinding, Automats , polygon turning machine, band saws etc.
As an organization we like to learn and keep ourselves up-to-date. To keep up with the changing pace of technology we also invested in CNC machines, VMC machines, bundle cutting machine, vibrodeburring machine, marking machine. To add value we have ultra-sonic cleaning machine, TIG welding, forging setupand clean room for assemblies, heat treatment facility & few SPM's (special purpose machinery). We have a good supplier network for surface treatment and allied machining needs. With the aforementioned set up, the ability to select right materials based on customers' requirements, our very own inspecting facility &the right systems in place we are fully equipped to meet the customers' requirements.Our customers are from various sectors of engineering namely automotive, telecom, hydraulics, switchgears, waste management and construction equipment's.


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Reading Comprehension - Inference Day 2
Inference is when you pick up ideas from the text that are not always written in the text itself. You're not looking for what is there – you're looking for what is meant by it.
Load up and review the PowerPoint below (same as Tuesday). This will review what you remember about "Inference Iggy" and the type of questions he will be asking you after you read each short piece of text over the next 4 days.
There are 2 PowerPoints and 2 tasks below. One is aimed at Year 2 and the other for Year 3. You can choose your own level of difficulty ... or even do both if you prefer.
Once you have read the short piece of text, complete the questions. The answers are on the last sheet ... so no cheating! You can use the answers to double-check your work at the end.


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For Families
Parents and families of children with autism can feel alone and uncertain of what the future holds. The Faison Center is here to provide you with a sense of community among staff and other parents who understand the difficulties you are facing, and to support you with a comprehensive range of lifespan services for children and adults of different abilities.
"I cannot count the number of times that families have said to me, 'When we found Faison we found hope.' For those families, hope gives a welcome peace of mind. But The Faison Center provides much more than hope, we provide results. Toddlers who came to us unable to speak, can now tell their parents they love them. Students who could not be educated in the public schools are being provided an education that allows them to achieve their personal goals. Adults who have lived at home all of their lives are now able to live their own lives and reach a level of independence they and their families never thought possible."
W. Brian McCann
President & CEO, The Faison Center


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How to test content of a mouse-click in QWebEnginePage?
dcortesi last edited by
In an app using QWebView/QWebPage, one can ask the QWebPage for its mainFrame() or currentFrame(), getting a QWebFrame.
The QWebFrame offers the method hitTestContent(pos) which tells whether the thing at that position is a URL, an image, or something else. I use this in a custom context menu for a QWebPage, to find out if the item right-clicked for the context menu was a URL.
It seems the QWebEnginePage does not offer access to a frame, or any other way of finding out the content under a mouse click. One can create a custom context menu, but I do not see how to determine if the right-click fell on a URL or not. Is this available?
dcortesi last edited by
Let me just add that if you right-click in a Chrome browser window, the context menu is quite different depending on whether you right-click on a link ("Open Link in New Tab," etc), on an image ("Save Image as..." etc), on open text ("Back", "Reload" etc), even different again on an image that is inside a link.
So the browser code itself certainly has all the details of the target under a right-click. With QWebPage that information is available. I hope that it is available from QWebEnginePage and that I have just overlooked it.


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Così fan tutte, English National Opera, ENO, London Coliseum, May 2014Posted on 17 May 2014
In this new co-production with the Met in New York, English National Opera has a winner. During the overture a dozen circus performers (strongman, bearded lady, sword swallower, dwarves et al) emerge from a chest and are a continuous background presence, reminding me of the Commedia del Arte figures in Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos.
Each starts with a word card, interchanging places to make various sentences, and at the end of the opera they interchange partnerships just as the singers themselves have done. In the meantime they help change sets and scenes, operate an extraordinary contraption that spins round to bring the young men back to life after their fake suicide in Act I, and operate a giant lever controlling a balloon carrying Fiordiligi into the air for her guilt ridden Per pietà in Act II.
Balloons and spinning contraptions are all of a part with Phelim MrDermott's extraordinary production that sets the action in a mid-twentieth century seaside town (Coney Island) with a fun fair. When the lovers, Ferrando and Guglielmo change places they abandon their naval lieutenants' uniforms for rock 'n' roll clothing and hairstyle, and Don Alfonso even appears in a brightly sparkling tuxedo towards the end. Tacky, yes, but it's huge fun, with McDermott's Improbable Company and its actors ever at the ready to drive the action forward.
Tom Pye's clever set designs allow interiors and outside to be switched at will and the magical chest that produced the circus performers reappeared from time to time, serving as an exit for the disguised lovers when Don Alfonso announces the return of the naval officers. Excellent lighting by Paule Constable, and the balloon ride in Act II was accompanied by a wonderfully romantic night-time scene with fairground lights behind. The fantastical nature of the Così story is well matched by the theatrical staging, and when a naval officer and ratings leave with to join the ship taking the lovers away only to creep back surreptitiously on stage, it shows at once the gullibility of the young women and Don Alfonso's delicate set-up.
His partner in deception, Despina was gloriously sung and acted by Mary Bevan, who gave a very pretty delivery of her famous Act II aria on girls knowing what's what. With Kate Valentine as a poetic Fiordiligi, and Christine Rice as a cheeky Dorabella, playing and singing their roles to perfection this strong cast was well complemented by young American tenor Randall Bills as a sincere Ferrando making his UK debut, Marcus Farnsworth as a charmingly ready Guglielmo, and Roderick Williams as an earthy Alfonso.
Conducting by Ryan Wigglesworth gave full regard to the singers, whose expressive acting and fine diction (in Jeremy Sams' translation) overcame the absence of the expected surtitles, missing due to a first night technical hitch. But this was all huge fun, and I expect it to become a standard item in the ENO repertory.
Performances start at 7 pm and continue on various dates until July 2 — for details click here.


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Here are the winners from my "Favorites of 2008 Giveaway!"
Every Good and Perfect Gift goes to Christa
Riven goes to Stacie V.
When Crickets Cry goes to AmandaSue
Healing Stones goes to Katie McNamara
The Lauren Holbrook Series goes to Megan
Happily Even After goes to Alexia
My Hands Came Away Red goes to Jennifer from Rundipinne blog
The Day of Evil Series goes to Kerrie
The Eric Wilson books go to grams
The Pawn/The Rook go to Needanap2
Hope Rising goes to Mary
in the separate Brandt Dodson giveaway,
Daniel's Den goes to Gretchen
Thanks for entering and congrats to the winners!
PS: Someone asked how I keep track of who wants to be entered for what books in a large giveaway like this. I usually make an Excel spreadsheet for each book/series and put your names on a list(s) for the book entries. I then use a random number generator to select the winner from each list.