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Happy Aloha~♥ Friday (*´∀`*) ♪♪!
The past eleven weeks of drama watching proved to be a most fun and fruitful experience as we just wrapped up watching "Long Vacation" a couple of weeks ago, and so we're onto another great and memorable drama series and this time it will be none other than my #4 all-time favorite drama from my personal list which I shared here a few weeks ago. ^^
~Reminiscing an all-time favorite drama series…
~Hana yori dango (episode 1)~
(English subtitled)
(note: there is a bit of "EnGrish" happening in the translation where a phrase like "I don't know" may read something like "I'm don't know"… however rest assured that the dialogue throughout is completely understandable. Just a tiny hitch in the translation here. ^^*)
So once again I'll be posting each episode singly, one episode per week every Friday …all 11 episodes here thereby emulating a "live" week to week drama watching experience ^^.
This time I'm going for a drama series which strikes all the highs, lows and in between(s) of one's heartstrings, however this time anticipate a laugh out loud to cry like crazy "dramedy" where its inevitable spell will cause jaw dropping, your heart thumping and your funny bone tickled to an extreme of at times surreal measures. Now for the IDOL connection we've got both guy~candy and girl~candy all covered in the most YUM~♥ imaginable!! For the girls you've got ARASHI's Matsujun and Oguri Shun leading the cast while for the guys it's all about the main lead of our story played by the uber~adorable Inoue Mao… and yet it's all about great storytelling, acting and the never to be forgotten experience of the "Hana yori dango" world. And when it comes to drama theme songs, "WISH" stands pretty high atop that special tier and it's performed by the incomparable ARASHI!!! And trust me, if you're not already familiar and head over heels with this song, you soon will be after just a couple of episodes or sooner =).
~Spoiler-free synopsis~
Makino Tsukushi is the only poor student at Eitoku Gakuen, a school of the ridiculously rich and privileged that is ruled by "Flower 4" or "F4"… a group of four boys who come from extremely powerful families: Domyoji Tsukasa- the leader and heir to the Domyoji World Finance Group/ Hanazawa Rui- the introverted son of a large company/ Nishikado Sojiro- a "player" who is the heir of a tea ceremony school/ and Mimasaka Akira-a playboy with ties to the underground. If a student gets on "F4's" bad side, he gets a red notice and is bullied and driven out of school. Makino Tsukushi hopes to pass her days quietly without drawing any attention to herself however one day…
So I got the idea to watch and comment along with each episode before actually publishing each post publicly, as my thoughts/reactions came to me in "real time", so hopefully this acts like a conversation starter if you reply to any of the comments below and add new ones of your own thoughts if you'd like, as this great drama series rolls along =).


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Environmental Config Transforms, Part 2
In the previous article we updated the build process to support environmental config transforms in projects and to have the transforms run on any build. In this article we are going to package up the implementation to make it very easy to add to any project. There are a couple of things we want to wrap up.
- Place the .targets file into a shared location
- Add an import into the current project to the .targets file
- Add environmental config transforms into the project
- Remove the default config transforms generated by Visual Studio
Update 28 Aug 2016: Refer to this link for updated code supporting Visual Studio 2015.
Installing the Shared Targets File
The default location for storing shared .targets files is MSBuildExtensionsPath. This property is set automatically during builds and will, by default, be pointing to
C:Program Files (x86)MSBuild. If you look under this directory you will see that the standard .targets file shipped by .NET are already there. We need to place our .targets file under there as well but we should create a subdirectory for our file. This prevents us from colliding with other files and provides a convenient place to store additional files if we need them. For this article I'm going to call the directory P3Net.
For a single machine you can easily just create the directory and copy the file into it. But for several machines a better approach is to provide an installation script. I've attached a simple one called Install.ps1 to this article. One issue that the installation has is that you have to be an administrator to write to the directory so either the script has to be run using an elevated account or it will need to be manually done using Windows Explorer.
Irrelevant of how the file ultimately gets installed we now need to update the project file that we used last time to use the new path.
<Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)P3NetP3Net.targets"/>
Reloading the project and rebuilding the solution should result in no errors. In the future if we need to modify the .targets file then we'll have to redeploy it. We could, if we wanted, move this to a VS extension but the extension would need to be installed using administrator privileges.
Creating the Item Template
Now that we have the .targets file in a shared location we can set about creating an item template to generate the config transforms for any project we want. In previous articles we went over how to create item templates using T4 and how to deployment. In this case we'll be creating an item template but it won't use T4. We will however use the same deployment process that we used in the previous articles. If you have not yet done so then download the version from the final article. We will add the template to the solution so it is deployed like the others.
Before we can create the template we need to decide what config transforms we need for our environments and what they should contain by default. To keep it simple we will stick with the environments we defined in the last article (Production, Test) and our transforms will simply contain the environment name. For your environments you'll want to set up any additional, standard transforms you'll need. It is important to note that the actual environment transform files isn't relevant to the build as it builds all the transforms.
Following the instructions for adding new item templates that were discussed in the template article we do the following to the ItemTemplates project.
- Create a new directory called EnvConfigs
- Add the environmental configs that we want into the folder. Since we do not know whether this a web or Windows project rename the files to
base.environment.config. We'll see later how to rename them.
- For each transform set the following properties:
- Build Action = Content
- Copy to Output = Do Not Copy
- Include in VSIX = True
- Add the .vstemplate file to the project and update it accordingly.
- Set the following properties for the .vstemplate file
- Build Action = Content
- Copy to Output = Do Not Copy
- Include in VSIX = True
- (Optional) Category = My Templates
Here's what my .vstemplate looks like.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> <VSTemplate Version="3.0.0" Type="Item" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/vstemplate/2005" xmlns:sdk="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/vstemplate-sdkextension/2010"> <TemplateData> <Name>Environmental Configuration Transforms</Name> <Description>Template for generating basic environmental config transforms.</Description> <Icon Package="{FAE04EC1-301F-11d3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}" ID="4600" /> <TemplateID>f7a423ac-7948-42a7-b9b9-cba719569106</TemplateID> <ProjectType>CSharp</ProjectType> <RequiredFrameworkVersion>4.0</RequiredFrameworkVersion> <DefaultName>Environment</DefaultName> <TemplateData> <TemplateContent> <ProjectItem SubType="Code" ReplaceParameters="true" ItemType="None" TargetFileName="web.Test.config">base.Test.config</ProjectItem> <ProjectItem SubType="Code" ReplaceParameters="true" ItemType="None" TargetFileName="web.Production.config">base.Production.config</ProjectItem> </TemplateContent> </VSTemplate>
There are a couple of interesting points about this file. Notice the
Icon element. Since VS already ships with icons for config transforms I'm using the same values for my icon. This gives the user a consistent icon for both versions. The
DefaultName element is not a full file name and won't actually be used anyway.
The most interesting part of this is the template contents. There is a project item for each environment transform. The target file name is a partial path starting with the
web.config file. This causes VS to insert the transforms as subfiles under the base file. This mimics the behavior that you see in VS today.
At this point we have a working item template but there are still a couple of issues. The first issue is that the template is keyed to a web project. If we try to use it on a Windows project it will be using the wrong config. We need to fix that but we cannot using the existing .vstemplate file. Instead we need to modify the project item entry to use a template property that we can replace when the template runs. Here's the updated project item elements.
<ProjectItem SubType="Code" ReplaceParameters="true" ItemType="None" TargetFileName="$BaseConfigFileName$.Test.config">base.Test.config</ProjectItem> <ProjectItem SubType="Code" ReplaceParameters="true" ItemType="None" TargetFileName="$BaseConfigFileName$.Production.config">base.Production.config</ProjectItem> </ProjectItem>
Now all we need to do is replace the template property with the actual config file name when it is inserted. But to do that we need to use a template wizard.
Creating a Template Wizard
Most templates do not need any code to support them but some do. For those that need custom code you have to write a template wizard. The documentation makes lots of restrictions on template wizards but based upon the current behavior of VS and building on the existing template deployment architecture we can simply create a new template wizard project as part of our template project and deploy it along with the item templates.
- Create a new class library called
- Add references to the following assemblies
- EnvDTE (set
Embed Interop Typesto false)
- Microsoft.Build
- Microsoft.VisualStudio.TemplateWizardInterface
- System.Windows.Forms
- TemplateLib (contains some extension methods)
- EnvDTE (set
- Add a new class called
EnvironmentConfigsWizardthat implements IWizard.
The code for the wizard is too long to post so I'll only mention the
RunStartedCore method. This method is called when the template runs. It will be responsible for doing the heavily lifting. Here's the code.
private void RunStartedCore ( EnvDTE.DTE dte, Dictionary<string, string> replacementsDictionary, WizardRunKind runKind, object[] customParams ) { //Get the current project var project = dte.GetCurrentProject(); //Get the configuration file var configFile = GetConfigurationFile(project); if (configFile == null) ReportErrorAndCancel("No configuration file could be found."); //Set the template parameters replacementsDictionary.Add("$IsWebProject$", configFile.ProjectType == ProjectType.Web ? 1 : 0); replacementsDictionary.Add("$BaseConfigFileName$", configFile.BaseConfigFileName); }
The method first finds the config file in the project. Based upon the config file name it knows whether this is a web or Windows project. It then updates the template property accordingly so that the .vstemplate file will generate the correct target information.
Now that the template wizard is defined we need to update the .vstemplate file to reference the wizard. Add the following to the end of the .vstemplate file.
<WizardExtension> <Assembly>P3Net.MyTemplateWizards, Version=184.108.40.206, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null</Assembly> <FullClassName>P3Net.MyTemplateWizards.EnvironmentConfigsWizard</FullClassName> </WizardExtension>
The above elements identify the assembly to load and the class within the assembly that will be used to support adding the template to the project. Now we need to hook it up to the deployment project.
Adding Wizard to Setup
To add the template wizard library to the setup we do the following.
- Open the .vsixmanifest file in the designer
- Go to the Assets tab and click New
- Select Assembly as the type
- Select A project in the current solution as the source
- Select the project
- Click OK
The template wizard will now be deployed as part of the extension. We have just a couple of more issues to resolve before we are done.
Removing the Default Config Transforms
The next issue we need to resolve is the removal of the default transforms that are most likely in the project. This is a simple matter of removing the files from the project so we update the
RunStartedCore method from earlier to find and remove any existing transforms before we add our new ones.
//Remove the default config transforms if they exist RemoveProjectItem(configFile.ConfigurationItem, configFile.BaseConfigFileName + ".Debug.config"); RemoveProjectItem(configFile.ConfigurationItem, configFile.BaseConfigFileName + ".Release.config");
The above code only removes the default transforms. If you wanted to remove them all you would need to update the code.
Importing the Targets File
The final issue to solve is getting the shared .targets file into the project. We don't want to manually have to do that so we will modify the template method to check for the import of the .targets file. If it hasn't been imported yet then the template will add it. Here's the code.
private void EnsureStandardTargetIsImported ( EnvDTE.Project project ) { var buildProject = ProjectCollection.GlobalProjectCollection.GetLoadedProjects(project.FullName).First(); //Check for the import var hasImport = (from i in buildProject.Xml.Impors where String.Compare(Path.GetFileName(i.Project), SharedTargetsFileName, true) == 0 select i).Any(); if (hasImport) return; //Make sure it exists first var extensionsPath = buildProject.GetPropertyValue("MSBuildExtensionsPath32"); var targetsPath = Path.Combine(SharedTargetsFilePath, SharedTargetsFileName); var fullPath = Path.Combine(extensionsPath, targetsPath); if (!File.Exists(fullPath)) ReportErrorAndCancel("The standard .targets file could not be located."); //Add it buildProject.Xml.AddImport(@"$(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)" + targetsPath); }
The above method gets the imports from the project and looks for the shared .targets file. If it isn't found then an import is added to it otherwise nothing happens. A call to this method is placed in the template method shown earlier.
We are done. We have a new item template that generates the environmental transforms that we need and cleans up the existing version that VS uses. Whenever the project is built all the environmental transforms are generated and stored so we can easily build once and deploy to any of our environments.
Additionally we have added a template wizard to our T4 template project that we can use as a basis for more advanced templates in the future. Finally we created a shared .targets file that we can use to add new build tasks to any project.
Download the Code

subset: commoncrawl


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Use Code SUMMER10 To Save 10% On All Orders!
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Our Software allows you to snap photos on the go while analyzing objects under the microscope, or you can use your mouse or camera tap button on your computer or Android device to avoid disrupting your image. We use dynamic image sensors which keep steady from allowing you to get an in-depth 30 frames per second. The camera comes with a stabilizing stand to allows you to focus easily on the desired location of what you are analyzing.The 1000X Microscope has 8 LED lights built in with a dimmer switch to adjust it to a brightness which suits your surrounding light and time of day. On the side, we have the 1 click Snap Shot button which will instantly take a photo and save to your computer and a one-click zoom button to easily switch to your zoomed in presets all the way from 40x to 1000x!


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These are tools, pages and applications that you may find useful.
Congratulations Tumi! #WeAreCBE https://t.co/okBo7hfw5d
RT @EdMattersYYC: Applications close next Friday for our Investing in the Future Student Award.
This is the golden ticket for @yyCBEdu students to a post-secondary future that may have seemed out of reach. We have six $80,000 scholarships to disburse!
Learn more & apply:
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Today was the last day of classes before spring break. We hope all of our students and school staff have a fun, safe and rejuvenating break! #WeAreCBE https://t.co/f87mrxP9Te


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Rick Holmes: The best books read in 2009 ...
A confession: The small table by my bedside holds a stack of reading material that grows and grows. It's got newspaper articles I'm sure I'll get to, magazines abandoned half-way through, a book I was fired up about when summer vacation ended, 100 pages from the end, that I haven't returned to since and a couple of books recommended by friends.
The reading stack piles up until I can't read the time on the front of my bedside clock, and until the papers start falling to the floor when I reach over to slam the snooze button.
So I understand it's hard to find the time to read even the books you really want to read. That's why I was delighted some years back when I discovered books on tape. I spend at least an hour a day in my car, and if you count listening to someone else read a book as reading -- and I do -- I've read a long list of terrific books while getting from here to there.
Audiobooks are expensive. I was tempted to buy Stephen King's "Under the Dome" the other day, but $75 is just too much. So my literary appetite leads me every few weeks to the public library, where they have a fine, ever-changing collection of books on CD at just the right price: Free.
I don't often find exactly what I'm looking for, but I regularly find books I wouldn't have noticed in a bookstore that turn out to give me hours of pleasure. My wife knows that when I volunteer to run an errand at least an hour's drive from home, it's usually because I can't wait to get back to my book. One piece of advice: Go for the unabridged versions; if it's a good book, you'll finish the abridged version with a deep dissatisfaction, wondering what you missed.
Now here's some other advice. For the third year in a row, I've asked colleagues on the MetroWest Daily News staff and our associated blogs to share a few words on the best book they've read this year. This isn't a best-seller list, and the books weren't necessarily even published this year. There's nothing wrong with reading a good book, whatever its age. But if you've got a bookstore gift card rattling around in your wallet, or if you're headed down to your public library to pick out an audiobook, here are some suggestions:
"The Yankee Years"
Reading about the Yankees might not be something some Red Sox fans want to do during the holidays, especially after watching New York win the World Series this fall, but "The Yankee Years," by Sports Illustrated baseball writer Tom Verducci and former Yankee and current Dodger manager Joe Torre, provides a fascinating insight into the other half of what could be the greatest rivalry in sports.
Red Sox rooters will find especially interesting Torre's insights into the Yankees' comeback victory over the Red Sox in the 2003 American League Championship Series and Boston's epic victory over New York in the 2004 ALCS after trailing in the series 3-0. Torre is also pretty candid about his relationships with the stars of the Yankees and the Steinbrenner family, something which eventually caused him to leave New York for Los Angeles.
- Art Davidson
"Olive Kitteridge"
Southern crazy has always been my genre of choice for a fun read, but Elizabeth Strout made me a fan of Maine stream of life tales with "Olive Kitteridge." Spare but spot-on prose gives the reader room to think.
A snippet from page 193 is likely enough to tell you whether it should be on your to-read list: "Anita was in the driveway holding the rifle with both her hands, but carefully, sort of, not aiming at anything. 'Hi there,' she said. Her eyes were shiny, and there were drops of sweat in the pale pockets of skin right below them."
- Julia Spitz
"The Inheritors"
William Golding's 1955 novel "The Inheritors" is remarkably original, bold and barely read today. Coming shortly after the international success of his debut novel, "Lord of the Flies," Golding imagined the minds of a band of Neanderthals struggling to survive the Ice Age with the vestigial language and technical skills we associate with humanity. Yet by a great inventive leap, Golding brings them alive as thoughtful primitives trapped by their genetic limitations. Then a superior, more ruthless species, Homo sapiens, our ancestors, invades their precarious world as actually happened, leading to the extinction of our evolutionary cousins. Golding has written the ultimate Stone Age novel of manners in which related but distinct races can't find common ground, resulting in one group's destruction and the other group's corruption.
Writing after World War II about something that happened about 40,000 years ago, Golding reimagined the dynamic that drives human history.
- Chris Bergeron
"The Good Soldiers"
In a bad year for books, I thought that David Finkel's "The Good Soldiers" was not only the best Iraq book written yet, and not only the best war correspondent book written in 30 years, but also the first truly outstanding example of gonzo journalism to surface since Hunter S. Thompson went off to the Swiss Girls Boarding School in the sky.
I've actually read the book about three times, which is weird for me, but one of the things I've been pondering is the originality of the writing. Finkel describes the quiet before the battle as "the sound of glass bending." Think about that for awhile.
- Rob Meltzer
"Fugitives and Refugees"
I really enjoyed "Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon." The book is written by Chuck Palahniuk, the author of "Fight Club" and other novels, but in this one he discusses his hometown of Portland, Ore.
If you have read any of his fiction books, you will know he has an odd sense of humor, and reading "Fugitives and Refugees" you get a glimpse of the experiences and the people who have made him that way. He takes you into some hidden places and little known history/myths about his hometown. I have visited Portland and would never have guessed about some of the wacky things that go on in the Rose City. The book does not hold any punches, so I would not recommend it for children or teenagers.
- Charlie Breitrose
"Duma Key"
Stephen King's "Duma Key" is a spooky ghost story that revolves around a man who suffers a brain injury and loss of an arm in an industrial accident, which sets in motion major life changes including a divorce, sale of his business and eventual move to the lonely island of Duma Key in Florida.
There he finds he can commune with spirits at first thought to be beneficial, but come on, this is a Stephen King novel, you know those spirits have their own agenda. "Duma Key" is well-paced, insightful and filled with a sense of doom that never really fades even after you've finished the last page. King is a master of character development and he has you rooting for the protagonist Edgar Freemantle even though you know the former contractor's rebirth as a successful artist can only be temporary.
This is a good follow-up read for those who enjoyed his previous novel, "Lisey's Story." In an interview, King said "Lisey's Story" - a story about a writer with supernatural powers that allow him to escape to another, dark world - was ultimately about marriage whereas Duma Key is a divorce novel. If you've got an extra 28 hours to spare, go for the unabridged audio book.
- Rob Haneisen
"All the President's Men"
It probably seems a cliche coming from a newspaper reporter, but "All the President's Men" was the best book I read this year. The book, by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, reveals a lot more than the classic movie. For example, the reporters were not always correct with their information about Watergate. But the book shows just how much they put on the line for what they believed in -- hard work that eventually paid off.
- Paul Crocetti
"My Life in France"
The best - and, I admit, the only - book I read this year was "My Life in France" by Julia Child. Although the hype was around "Julie & Julia" this year, all the discussion of Julia Child made me interested in her (not some New Yorker who wanted to cook like her).
A friend who has spent some time with Julia recommended "My Life in France" and warned me I'd long to travel to Provence and other parts of France if I read it. He wasn't kidding! Not only was I left drooling with hunger after every chapter, but it took all of my will power (and realization that the bank account was low) to not book a flight and spend a couple months in France. It was fascinating to learn how she fell in love with food and the journey she took that led her to writing renowned cookbooks and appearing on PBS to teach housewives how to cook a la France.
- Nicole Simmons
I recommend "Netherland" by Joseph O'Neill. After learning it was the only work of fiction on President Obama's summer reading list, I picked up the book. It takes place in New York City both pre- and post-9/11. The book takes on the complexities of life in a major city, the effects of 9/11 on city residents, the immigrant community and what simmers under the surface of everyday life.
- Liz Banks
"The Post-American World"
It has become common of late to talk about the decline of America, a discussion that typically is nothing more than the pessimistic flip-side to boosterist rhetoric of America triumphant. In "The Post-American World," Fareed Zakaria takes a more nuanced view. It's not about America's decline, the editor of Newsweek International writes, but "the rise of the rest" -- China, India, Brazil and the other emerging economic powers.
Raised in India, educated in the U.S. and reporting from around the world, Zakaria sees the coming era with eyes unblindered by American exceptionalism. He cites America's strengths -- higher education, immigration, a culture that values innovation -- while telling us things Americans need to know about the rest of the world. Zakaria offers big-picture ideas, backed by anecdotes and statistics, in accessible prose.
- Rick Holmes
"The Unlikely Disciple"
The best book I read this year is "The Unlikely Disciple" by Kevin Roose. Roose, a sophomore at Brown University, decides to transfer to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. - the world's largest evangelical Christian college.
Roose gives up drinking, dancing and R-rated movies for a whole semester, and opens himself whole-heartedly and does his best to live as an evangelical Christian. Roose sings in the Rev. Falwell's church choir, takes classes about evangelism, and even spends his spring break in Florida trying to "save" people.
In the end, Roose doesn't become a devout Jesus follower, but he sheds light on how the students at Liberty live and what their beliefs are. This is a book that both evangelical Christians and non-believers alike are reading to "figure out how the others live."
- Krista Perry
"Wesley the Owl"
I recommend "Wesley the Owl," a tale about a biologist who adopts an abandoned, injured owlet and their almost 20-year relationship. Also, "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," which is, needless to say, a unique take on the classic tale.
- Julie Cohen
"The Book Thief"
The best book I read this year was "The Book Thief," by Markus Zusak. It's actually a story in the "young adult" genre, but our book club of middle-aged ladies loved it.
It tells the story, through the eyes of an 11-year-old girl, of a German family who hides a Jewish man during World War II. It very movingly depicts the poverty in Germany during that period, and how many everyday Germans were confused and scared about what was going on. The Nazis are not depicted sympathetically at all, but its portrait of ordinary Germans is a far cry from "Hitler's Willing Executioners."
- Cathy Buday
Rick Holmes, opinion editor of the MetroWest Daily News, blogs at Holmes & Co. (http://blogs.townonline.com/holmesandco). He can be reached at email@example.com.


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|The White House
President George W. Bush
|Print this document
Daniel L. Rubini
Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Justice in Iraq
Daniel L. Rubini is the Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Justice in Iraq. Rubini joined the staff of the Coalition Provisional Authority in September.
As senior advisor, Rubini advises CPA administrator Ambassador L. Paul Bremer on justice issues, such as the judiciary and prisons. In addition, Rubini assists Iraq.s justice minister and chief justice in their operation of Iraq.s newly independent judiciary.
Judge Rubini is a U.S. administrative law judge for Social Security Administration Office of Hearings and Appeals. In addition, Rubini has been an officer in the United States Army Reserve Judge Advocate General Corps for more than 32 years. He has held the rank of colonel since 1994. During his service in the U.S. Army Reserve, Rubini has received specialized training in civil affairs, terrorism and law of war. He has been named a Distinguished Member of the US Army Civil Affairs Regiment.
Rubini has served on US Army Civil Affairs Ministerial Advisory Teams in Kuwait (Desert Shield/Storm) and Haiti. In addition, he was the Chief of Civil Affairs in Central America as part of US Southern Command.s recovery operation after Hurricane Mitch.
A native of Buffalo, New York, Rubini earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and his Juris Doctor degree from Temple University Law School.


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Noellia is very patient, she's 26 and I think I've known her since she was eighteen. She never seems to mind when I fumble with a new camera or try out some silly new lighting technique.
Today I was using four fluorescent fixtures behind one of my 6 by 6 foot scrims to do nice soft lighting. I was shooting with the ever present Samsung camera and, embarrassingly enough, I was playing around with the touch focus and touch shutter on the touch screen. I think it actually works but I'd only want to do that technique as long as my camera was anchored to my tripod. If I was holding the camera with one hand and poking with the other I'm afraid I'd drop the whole rig.
I shot the image above with the 85mm lens at something like f2.8. I kept poking N's eyes on the screen to make sure I was hitting focus there. I think I got it at least 50% correct.
I have accidentally found another use for wi-fi. I pulled the microSD card out of the camera slot before I unmounted the card icon. To be honest I don't think I even remembered to power down the camera. At any rate the card wasn't readable in a card reader or in the SD slot on my computer but the camera was able to automatically upload the 800+ files we took to my DropBox folder. Nice save.
Of course that means the camera is sitting on the edge of my desk endlessly uploading while my Dropbox account is endlessly syncing with my desktop application. The endless joy of technology.
More Noellia images to come....


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Tensions Rise as U.S. Seeks Answers from Tesla over No Recall
U.S. safety investigators want to know why Tesla didn't file recall documents when it updated Autopilot software to better identify parked emergency vehicles, escalating a simmering clash between the automaker and regulators.
In a letter to Tesla, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told the electric car maker Tuesday that it must recall vehicles if an over-the-internet update mitigates a safety defect.
"Any manufacturer issuing an over-the-air update that mitigates a defect that poses an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety is required to timely file an accompanying recall notice to NHTSA," the agency said in a letter to Eddie Gates, Tesla's director of field quality.
The agency also ordered Tesla to provide information about its "Full Self-Driving" software that's being tested on public roads with some owners.
The latest clash is another sign of escalating tensions between Tesla and the agency that regulates partially automated driving systems.
In August the agency opened an investigation into Tesla's Autopilot after getting multiple reports of vehicles crashing into emergency vehicles with warning lights flashing that were stopped on highways.
The letter was posted on the NHTSA website early Wednesday. A message was left early Wednesday seeking comment from Tesla, which has disbanded its media relations department.
NHTSA opened a formal investigation of Autopilot in August after a series of collisions with parked emergency vehicles. The investigation covers 765,000 vehicles, almost everything that Tesla has sold in the U.S. since the start of the 2014 model year. Of the dozen crashes identified as part of the probe, 17 people were injured and one was killed.
According to the agency, Tesla did an over-the-internet software update in late September that was intended to improve detection of emergency vehicle lights in low-light conditions. The agency says that Tesla is aware that federal law requires automakers to do a recall if they find out that vehicles or equipment have safety defects.
The agency asked for information about Tesla's "Emergency Light Detection Update" that was sent to certain vehicles "with the stated purpose of detecting flashing emergency vehicle lights in low light conditions and then responding to said detection with driver alerts and changes to the vehicle speed while Autopilot is engaged."
The letter asks for a list of events that motivated the software update, as well as what vehicles it was sent to and whether the measures extend to Tesla's entire fleet.
It also asks the Palo Alto, California, company whether it intends to file recall documents. "If not, please furnish Tesla's technical and/or legal basis for declining to do so," the agency asks.
Tesla has to comply with the request by Nov. 1 or face court action and civil fines of more than $114 million, the agency wrote.
In a separate special order sent to Tesla, NHTSA says that the company may be taking steps to hinder the agency's access to safety information by requiring drivers who are testing "Full Self-Driving" software to sign non-disclosure agreements.
The order demands that Tesla describe the non-disclosure agreements and how they are signed by Tesla drivers. The company also must say whether Tesla requires owners of vehicles equipped with Autopilot to agree "to any terms that would prevent or discourage vehicle owners from sharing information about or discussing any aspect of Autopilot with any person other than Tesla."
Responses must be made by a Tesla officer under oath. If Tesla fails to fully comply, the order says the matter could be referred to the Justice Department for court action to force responses. It also threatens more fines of over $114 million.
Tesla has said that neither vehicles equipped with "Full Self-Driving" nor Autopilot can drive themselves. It warns drivers that they must be ready to intervene at all times.


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What Happens to Donated Clothing?
The Disturbing Truth of What Happens to Your Donated Clothing
Have you ever wondered what happens to clothing that you donate? Shannon Whitehead, a Sustainable Apparel Consultant, fills us in on where the clothing goes after you drop it off.
How often do you drop off clothes at your local charity shop? If you're anything like the rest of the country, Goodwill and Salvation Army are the perfect resources for discarding the stuff you don't need.
The pair of jeans that don't fit you anymore? Donate.
The sweater with the small hole in the armpit? Donate.
The dress that's been pushed to the back of your closet? Donate.
Most of us see these donation centers as a way to throw out what we don't want without actually throwing it out. In fact, we believe we're doing the world a service by giving our old clothes to those living somewhere in need.
In reality, what we've come to believe isn't that simple. I'd go so far to say it's fundamentally flawed. Here's why:
- About 4.7 billion pounds of clothing are donated by Americans each year. Some of that ends up in landfills, some of it is recycled into rags and insulation, and some of it ends up in the markets of Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Whether it's Goodwill, Salvation Army, Savers, or another charity shop, employees at all of these stores are sorting through the hundreds of bags of discarded clothing that comes in every day. Sifting through mostly worn, old, and faded garments, only about 10 percent of the clothing donated is good enough to be resold in the retail store.
- So what happens to the other 90 percent? The charity shop sells the garments by weight or by the bin to textile recyclers. The clothing is shipped to a recycling plant where employees sort the garments by "grade" and fiber. As shirts, dresses, pants, and jackets come off a conveyor belt, an employee must make a snap decision as to where that piece of clothing will end up next.
- The clothing deemed "resellable" is shipped in containers by the tons to countries such as Ghana, Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Tanzania, and Rwanda. One-hundred-pound bales are then sold to sellers in these countries at a profit for the recycling plant. One bale costs around the same amount as feeding a family of five for a month in a country such as Cameroon.
- The bales are not allowed to be opened until the purchase is final. So, the seller is relying completely on the employee who made a snap decision in the recycling center. If a recycler missed a hole in a shirt or a broken zipper on a pair of pants, the seller ends up paying for the mistake. The quality of the clothing is only as good as the recycling plant's sorting method.
- So, the plant must be pretty strict then, right? Actually, it's a toss-up. While there are responsible recyclers, there are just as many that are lenient and careless. In fact, there is no auditing system or accountability control should an entirely damaged bale show up in Africa. Because the seller needs to make the money back to buy his or her next bale, one bad purchase can result in bankruptcy.
- The global trade of secondhand clothing is a multibillion dollar industry for developed countries. With our clothing waste being sent overseas by the tons, there's little chance of African countries, as a whole, developing their own textile trade. In the last 10 years, local industries, such as garment-making and tailoring, have collapsed, leaving hundreds of thousands of workers unemployed.
People will argue that the secondhand clothing industry in Africa is booming. And, on the surface, it is — over one-third of Sub-Saharan Africans wear secondhand. The reality, though, is that for as long as the secondhand clothing industry thrives, Africa economy is unlikely to improve.
According to Professor Garth Frazer from the University of Toronto, no country has ever achieved a sustainable per capita national income (at a level associated with a developing economy) without also achieving a clothing-manufacturing workforce that employs at least one percent of the population.
Over the years, certain African nations have attempted to ban or restrict the influx of Western clothing imports. In an effort to give existing industries a chance and to maintain traditional culture, countries such as South Africa, Uganda, and Nigeria have tried to implement regulation. While it's done some good for those countries, it hasn't provided a solution.
Simply put, as long as we, the consumer, continue to buy and discard at our current rate, there will be a market for our wasted fashion. And we will likely continue to believe that once it's out of our closet it's out of our hands.
The facts in this post can be attributed to the research of Lucy Siegle, author of "To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing Out the World?", an op-ed by Tansy Hoskins in The Business of Fashion, and various other sources.
—Shannon Whitehead
Check out more smart tips from Whitehead:
6 Things You Should Know About Your Clothes
5 Tips For Revitalizing Your Wardrobe (Without Buying Anything)
4 Things to Remember Every Time You Shop For Clothes
12 Days of Conscious Consumerism: An Interview With Ethical Threads


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Themes For PC: Would you like to use some of the best exclusive Android or iOS applications on your own PC & Laptop so wait no more. We at apkpristine.com provide you with the method by which you can install Themes even if its official Windows or Mac version is not available. So, let's start on how to download Themes For PC, Windows, or Mac. Themes is one of the best apps in the Personalization category, developed by Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd..
About Themes
Themes has a rating of 3.7 stars with the reviews from 117359 people. It's easily one of the best apps in Personalization category apps. With over a 500,000,000+ Downloads. Due to the increasing number of downloads its constantly being updated while currently being in its version that is 8.0 and up. As we have heard from Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. that they are constantly working on a newer version of Themes and making it easy for us to use their App by removing Bugs and Adding a lot more content.
[box_id com.huawei.android.thememanager table]
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We are going to use two of the most Famous Emulators to run Themes on PC & Mac. As both of these emulators are easily available at their official sites so download them first before moving forward. They allow us to run all applications available on iTunes or Appstore on our PC. So, let's see how to Download & Install Themes using emulators.
Blustacks is one of the best Android or iOS emulators out there and it's around 4x faster than your Smartphones so Most of the Apps run Smoothly on it. We will provide a universal guide to install App name using any Android emulator you like. So let's get started on our installation Guide for Themes For PC.
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- Install the Emulator from the Downloaded setup.
- Run the Emulator and log in with your Google Play Store Account.
- In the search bar of Play Store write "Themes" and click "Enter".
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- Themes will show as an icon in the Emulator. Run it and Enjoy!
For an alternative, you can download the Themes Apk from a 3rd Party Provider and install it using the Emulator feature of installing via APKs. In this way, you don't have to log in using your credentials but can Still enjoy Themes on PC using Blustacks.
The list of good emulators comprises Bluestacks, MemuPlay, Ko Player, Nox Player, Andyroid, etc which also have decent installations and popularity. If you have already installed any of these, you can try installing Themes for PC with these. However, Bluestacks and Memuplay are the fastest and recommended ones to play or install Themes latest version on your laptop.
Also See: franceinfo : actualités, info en France & le monde
Themes FAQs
These are some questions asked by these app users and our website visitors; so do check it out to get more details of this app.
Q. 1: Is Themes available for PC/laptops (windows & mac)?
Ans. No, this app is not available on windows nor on the mac store; but with Android Emulators, you can use this app.
Q. 2: Is Themes safe?
Ans. Yes, this app is completely free to use, and this one is available on the play store so it follows all the terms and conditions.
Q. 3: How to install Themes for PC/Laptop (Windows & Mac)?
Ans. To install this app first install the android emulator and then install this app with the help of the play store.
These are some questions asked by app users but if you still have any let me know in the comment box. And in some countries, you may not able to download torrent files because the ISP blocks the website.
Themes is on the Best Apps in its Personalization category developed by Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. and now it's available for you on your PC or Mac using emulators that are free to use. We have issued a Full Guide on How to Download Themes on PC using two of the best emulators in the market. So, if you have any queries regarding the Themes or its Installation method feel free to contact us in the comments.


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Starting in the Championship, Wayne Bridge managed 66 minutes for Brighton and Hove Albion as they won 6-1 at home to Blackpool. That result cements their place in the play-offs with two games remaining.
Very much a Sheffield Wednesday starting regular, Jeremy Helan completed another 90 minutes as the Owls drew 1-1 with Ipswich to edge further away from the relegation places.
Dutch defender Karim Rekik saw some rare action for Blackburn this week, coming off the bench in the 63rd minute. The Ewood Park side were heavily beaten 4-0 by Watford as they continue their own fight against the drop.
Alex Nimely remains on the sidelines for Crystal Palace as he nurses a hamstring injury.
In League One, Eirik Holmen Johansen took his place on the bench for Scunthorpe following the return from injury of regular keeper Sam Slocombe.
The Iron beat MK Dons away 1-0 to give themselves a very slim chance of avoiding relegation on the final day of the season.
Slocombe has been impressed by the young City keeper's performances, telling the Scunthorpe Telegraph: "I think Eirik has been fantastic for us. In a couple of games he's made some fantastic saves.
"Against Leyton Orient he pulled off two fantastic saves while it was 2-1, so we got the win in that."
...Sam Slocombe on Eirik Johansen...
Dropping down to League Two, Adam Drury was an unused substitute as Burton Albion went down 1-0 to Bradford, ending their hopes of automatic promotion.
There was better news for Alex Henshall's Chesterfield, who beat Fleetwood 3-1. The City youngster entered the fray from the bench with seven minutes remaining.
In Scotland, Ryan McGivern sat out Hibernian's goalless draw with Aberdeen through suspension – the Northern Ireland defender has picked up six yellow cards this season automatically incurring a one match ban.
On the continent, Omar Elabdellaoui could play no part in Eintracht Braunschweig's 1-1 draw. They remain second in the 2.Bundesliga.
Sick so couldn't play today!:/ but 1-1 today. Boys did well and worked hard! Hope I will be ready for next game against ingolstadt!:)3points— Omar Elabdellaoui (@OmarEla14) April 21, 2013
Said to be attracting interest from Premier League sides, Abdi Ibrahim played the full 90 minutes for Stromsgodset in Norway's Eliteserien as they overcame Lillestrom by a solitary strike at the weekend.
Elsewhere, Luca Scapuzzi came on for the last 23 minutes as Varese triumphed 1-0 over Ternana in Serie B.
Roque Santa Cruz was an unused substitute for Malaga, who lost 5-1 away to Valencia, while Mohamed Abu was absent for Lorient in Ligue 1 as they beat Toulouse 1-0.


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Philips Tornado energy-saving bulbs provide instant brightness and make colors appear more vivid. Due to its compact design, this low-consumption spiral bulb fits almost anywhere, saving energy and money for up to 8 years. See all benefits
Philips energy-saving bulbs are designed to last. With a lifetime of up to 8 years, you can avoid the hassle and cost of frequently replacing bulbs, while saving energy year in, year out.
Philips keeps its promises about lamp performance. You can trust what the Philips packaging is saying about light output, lifetime and wattage equivalent to incandescent lamps.
Energy savers reduce the amount of energy in your home, which not only results in a lower energy bill, but also in less carbon (CO2) output by your energy supplier. Together we make this a better world to live in.
All Philips energy savers save energy from the moment you turn the switch. During their lifetime they use fewer kW and thus also result in a lower energy bill. The level of energy saving differs per lamp type and technology.


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This information was published in January 2017
Relevance of gender in the policy area
The term 'sport' implies two different perspectives that are increasingly considered at EU level: professional sport, and sport as a leisure activity. While, in professional sport, athletes receive annual salaries plus incentives tied to individual and team performance, amateur athletes are not paid for their athletic performances. In addition to amateurs, an increasing number of women and men are choosing sport as a leisure activity, mainly for recreation and health benefits.
In both cases, sport represents a large and fast-growing sector of the economy and makes an important contribution to growth and jobs. This is particularly true of professional sport, where economic aspects play an important role. However, it is also true of the sport and leisure industry, which covers a wide range of areas such as sport and recreation, health and fitness, outdoor pursuits and gaming.
From a gender perspective, sport exemplifies a societal and cultural process in which the social construction of femininity and masculinity plays a key role in influencing behaviours and approaches.
Sport is traditionally associated with 'masculine' characteristics, such as physical strength and resilience, speed and a highly competitive, sometimes confrontational spirit. In many societies, women who engage in sports are perceived as 'masculine', while men who are not interested in sports are considered 'unmanly'.
However, sport can also be used as a means to achieve gender equality through the establishment of general values such as fair play, non-discrimination and teamwork. It can also be used to increase opportunities for girls, if local contexts and gender relations are taken into account and addressed. Sport can give women and girls access to public spaces where they can gather, develop new skills, gain support from others and enjoy freedom of expression and movement. It can promote education, communication, negotiation skills and leadership, all of which are essential to women's empowerment. Sport can also increase women's and girls' self-esteem and enable them to make choices about their lives. Moreover, sport can provide a channel to inform girls and women about reproductive health and other health issues.
Nevertheless, a number of practical barriers to women's participation in sport still exist.
Establishing gender equality in sports policy will involve action in the following areas:
- increasing women's participation in sports activities
- attaining equal representation and gender sensitivity in decision-making
- achieving gender equality in sports coaching and teaching
- eradicating gender-based violence in and through sport
- eliminating gender stereotypes in sport and in media coverage of sport.
Gender inequalities in the policy area - Main issues
Women's participation in sports activities
According to the Eurobarometer survey of 2014, men are more likely than women to exercise or play sport: 45% of men do so at least once a week, compared with 37% of women. Meanwhile, the survey found that 37% of men never exercise or play sport, compared with 47% of women.
The difference between women and men is strongest in the younger age groups: 74% of men aged 15–24 exercise or play sport at least once a week, compared with 55% of women in the same age group. The gender gap is narrower for older age groups, with men exercising or playing sport only slightly more than women in the 40–54 years and 55+ age groups. The same pattern applies when it comes to regular physical activity (defined as an accumulation of 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise performed on at least 5 days each week): the gap between women and men is significant in the youngest age group (15% compared with 8%), but then narrows in the older age groups.
While gender inequalities in participation rates are an issue for all sports, this is particularly true of certain sports that are traditionally associated with men. For example, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has 5.4 million registered men football players in Germany, compared with 0.8 million registered women players. In England, the figures are 1.3 million registered men football players and 98,000 registered women players, while in France the figures are 1.7 million and 49,000 respectively.
In the Olympic Games of 1900, held in Paris, 22 women (out of a total of 997 athletes) participated in 5 sport disciplines. Since then there have been gradual changes in women's involvement at all levels of the Olympic Movement. The London Olympic Games in 2012 were the first in history where women competed in every sport. Furthermore, since 1991, all new sports wishing to be included on the Olympic programme must also feature a women's event.
Equal representation and gender sensitivity in decision-making
On average in 2015, only 14% of all top decision-making positions in sports federations in Member States were occupied by women, ranging from 3% in Poland to 43% in Sweden. In the majority of countries the share of women in decision-making positions was below 20%.
Similarly to other areas of decision-making, vertical segregation is visible in decision-making in sports: the gender gap widens as the seniority of the position increases. While overall women made up 14% of decision-making positions, they represented only 5% of the total number of presidents.
On average, at European level, women made up 14% of decision-making positions in the continental confederations of Olympic sports in Europe in 2015. Only 4% of the presidents or chairpersons (i.e. only one out of 28) and 9% of vice-presidents (i.e. eight out of 91) were women. The share of women among board members was 15%.
When data were collected, 9 of the 28 European confederations (32%) had a gender quota for the highest decision-making body (executive committee, presidium, board of directors) and only one failed to meet this quota, i.e. had no women in top decision-making posts. In 4 of the remaining 19 European confederations without a gender quota, women were absent from the highest decision-making body.
Within the International Olympic Committee (IOC), progress has been made, yet it remains slow. There were no women on the committee between 1896 and 1981, while in 2014 there were 24 women IOC members out of a total of 115 (women therefore occupied fewer than 25 % of the places on the committee). Moreover, fewer than 20% of the members of the governing bodies of affiliated bodies, such as the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), are women. Europe has the lowest representation of women on the NOC General Assembly, which is structured into five geographical regions: Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Oceania.
Similar patterns can also be found in other European and/or national sports organisations. The barriers women face in taking on decision-making and management positions can partly be explained by the different values, attitudes and behaviours historically associated with women and men, but also by the masculine connotations found in sport.
The phenomena of horizontal and vertical segregation are also influencing decision-making, with women being recruited to less prestigious and lower-paid leadership positions in sports organisations. Furthermore, procedures for election or nomination to leadership positions do not usually consider gender criteria.
Gender equality in sports coaching
As a profession, sports coaching is dominated by men. Based on figures in 7 EU Member States, it is estimated that only 20% to 30% of all sports coaches in Europe are women. However, these figures are lower for the number of women coaches with a coaching qualification. For example, at the most recent women's football FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Cup, there were 3 male team coaches for every woman.
Women coaches are more often found in sports that have a high proportion of women participants (e.g. dance, gymnastics, figure skating and equestrian sports) and they predominantly work with women, adolescents or children who compete at local and regional levels. However, the number of women coaches in almost all sports seems to be disproportionally low in relation to women's overall membership of the sport. This means that the representation of women coaches in many sports is much more sporadic than the overall numbers indicate. It also means that many men are coaching women and girls, even in women-dominated sports, and very few women are coaching men. At the elite level, the number of women coaches is very low and, in cases where women coaches work with athletes at higher performance levels, they typically occupy assistant coaching positions, supporting male head coaches.
Gender-friendly guidance and coaching may reduce the high dropout rate of girls and women from sport, while also tackling sexist gender stereotypes in sport and creating a positive social and educational climate for all. Gender-friendly guidance and coaching also feed into the EU Dual Careers strategy and in particular to offering better support to young women and young men when implementing 'dual careers arrangements which allow them not to be forced to choose between education and sport or work and sport'.
Gender-based violence in and through sport
Prevalence data for gender and sexual harassment in sport vary between 14% and 73% in the 9 European countries that have undertaken empirical studies in this area. It is thought that gender and sexual harassment occur in all sports. The experience of sexual harassment increases as one moves from the recreational to the elite level. Verbal sexual harassment seems to be the most frequent form of harassment in sport.
Gender-based violence in sport includes abuse and sexual harassment inflicted by male coaches on women and girls. Some environments (especially those traditionally labelled as 'masculine') are characterised by misogyny and homophobia. Gender-based violence is also particularly related to issues of intersectionality, with disabled women suffering from more episodes of violence than other women. In 2007 the European Parliament urged Member States to 'identify best practices in the fight against sexual harassment and abuse in sport'. However, action and evaluation varies by sport and by country.
Gender stereotypes in sport and the role of the media
Sports are predominantly divided into 'male' and 'female' domains and in many sports mixed gender participation is not accepted. In many cases, sports governing structures and the media have send messages that confirm these divisions rather than challenge them. Moreover, the portrayal of women and men athletes by the media reinforces stereotypical perceptions of gender roles. Women athletes are still depicted in a way that contributes to the marginalisation of women's achievements in sport, due to the emphasis placed on femininity and sexual attraction instead of strength and skills. The presence of this type of coverage devalues women's accomplishments. Despite the considerable increase in girls' and women's participation in sport and a growing audience interested in women's elite sport, there are still significant differences in the media coverage of women and men's sports, with men's sports receiving far more media coverage than women's sports.
A further aspect that needs to be considered is the lack of women in sports journalism. Internationally, women represent only 10 % of positions in print media and media production. At the 2012 London Olympics, only 15% of the journalists and photographers were women. Gender inequalities extend into media organisations, where women hold only 27% of senior management positions.
Existing policy objectives at EU and international level
EU level
As a policy area, the sports sector is gaining more attention in the EU because it intertwines with education, health and business policies.
European Council
Following the Lisbon Treaty which came into force on 1 December 2009, sport has become a competence of the European Union and consequently, the European dimension in sport is to be further developed, taking particular account of the social and educational function of sport.
The EU coordinated activity on gender equality in sport policy started in 2010 when the EU Council, in its Conclusions on the role of sport as a source of and a driver for active social inclusion, introduced the objective of encouraging gender equality in sport. This especially concerns access to sport and representation on decision-making bodies, and including active measures against gender stereotyping. In the same Conclusions, the Member States and the Commission are invited to promote actions related to the mainstreaming of gender equality issues into sports related activities. In particular, this should include equal gender access to decision-making positions, as well as address sport in connection with gender roles as set out in the strategy for equality between women and men 2010 – 2015.
Following this first Conclusion, in 2014 the UE Council adopted specific Conclusions on gender equality in sport, education, youth, culture and sport.
Member States, UE Commission and Sports organisations are called for, inter alia:
- developing and maintaining national action plans or strategy on gender equality in sport, in close cooperation with the sport movement
- mainstreaming the gender perspective in all aspects of sport policy and promoting the elimination of gender stereotypes at all levels
- highlighting the value of diversity and gender balance in sport administration and promoting gender equality in decision-making at all levels and in all fields of sport
- increasing gender balance on executive boards and committees in the area of sports, as well as in management and coaching and try to remove non-legislative obstacles preventing women from taking up such functions
- launching, in cooperation with the international sport bodies, a 'pledge board' on gender equality in sport
- developing educational materials for the training of decision-makers and coaches in sport to promote gender equality at all levels of education and sport training
- including gender equality objectives as a condition for the granting of public funding to sport organisations.
In 2014, the EU Council under the Greek EU presidency (first semester of 2014) promoted a seminar, Gender-based Violence in Sport: Protection of Minors which was held on 20 March in Athens. This event called for the addressing and regular monitoring of gender equality in sport at all levels and fields of sport, and for the assessment of the nature and extent of gender-based violence in sport, focusing in particular on elite sport, the coach-athlete relationship, the entourage around the sport-athlete relationship and the peer athlete-athlete relationship. It was also emphasised that sufficient support tools (e.g. support services, counselling and telephone hotlines) need to be developed for the athletes who have suffered sexual harassment or violence in sport.
European Commission
In its Communication on the development of the EU dimension in sport from 2011, the Commission proposed actions focusing especially on access of women to decision-making positions, the fight against gender stereotypes, and access to sport for immigrant women and women from ethnic minorities.
Following this, it called on a group of experts to develop a proposal for strategic and specific actions on gender equality in sports for the period 2014 – 2020. The experts identified a number of priority areas: gender equality in decision-making, coaching, media coverage and putting an end to gender-based violence in sports. These priorities were well received at an EU conference on gender equality in sport of 3 – 4 December 2013 in Vilnius, which helped put the topic back on the political agenda of Member States and sports organisations.[25] International, European and national stakeholders examined possible strategic actions with a view to reaching gender equality in sport by 2016 – 2020 and called on the Commission, Member States and the sport movement to develop a plan of strategic actions in this field.
The EU Work Plan for Sport (2014 – 2017) foresees the preparation of Expert Group recommendations or guidelines on gender equality in sport, possibly followed by a pledge board by the end of 2015.
The Erasmus+ funding programme started in 2014 and has a sport component that promotes voluntary activities, social inclusion, equal opportunities and awareness of health-enhancing physical activity through increased participation.
European Parliament
The European Parliament addressed the issue of gender equality in sport policy in its 2003 Resolution on Women and Sport. The Resolution recognises the importance of sport as one of the main cultural activities among Europeans, and stresses the practice of sport as a fundamental right and as a means of self-expression and fulfilment, as well as a force for citizenship and solidarity, and finally as a means for improving physical and mental health. On the other side, the Resolution considers the strong disparities in access to sport activities between women and men and also between women themselves as a relevant issue of equity among women and men. Moreover, it stresses the presence of gender-based stereotypes in sport where dominant models of masculinity and femininity are reproduced. Finally, it recognises the under-representation of women in technical and medical staff, as well as in decision-making of the sector. As a consequence it affirms, among other things, the need for actions to guarantee women and men equal access to sporting activities at all levels. In particular, to:
- abolish the distinction between male and female discipline in top-level sport
- take action for improving women's participation in technical roles and in decision-making
- take action for protecting the health of women athletes
- adopt measures for the prevention and elimination of sexual harassment and abuse.
EP also referred to gender issues of sport in relation to education in its 2007 Resolution of the role of sport in education. The Resolution recognised the importance of the full participation of girls and women in sporting activities at all levels, and considered gender equality and non-discrimination to be objectives that form an integral part of sport's educational and social functions. It stressed the need to ensure equal access and participation for women and men, boys and girls at all levels and in all functions and areas of sport, irrespective of their social background. This should pay attention in particular to people with disabilities, given that disabled women can face double discrimination. Moreover, it urged the Commission to identify best practices in the fight against sexual harassment and abuse in sport.
More recently, in its Resolution on the European dimension in sport (2012), the EP once again raised the topic of gender issues in sport. In particular it:
- encourages the Commission and the Member States to acknowledge the importance of sport as a means of promoting peace, economic growth, intercultural dialogue, public health, integration and the emancipation of women
- calls on sport organisations to further encourage women's participation in sport and in the governance bodies of sports organisations by guaranteeing equal access to sporting activities, in particular for girls and women from disadvantaged backgrounds, by promoting female participation in sport and giving women's and men's sports and results equal prominence and visibility
- encourages Member States to develop measures enabling female athletes to reconcile their family and professional sports lives and to promote gender equality into governmental policies on sport
- calls on the Commission to encourage the exchange of information and good practices with regard to equal opportunities for people of both genders in sport
- calls on the Commission and Member States to include gender mainstreaming (GM) into all its sports related activities, with a specific focus on access to sport for immigrant women and women from ethnic minorities
- calls on the Commission and Member States to focus on women's access to decision-making positions in sport and media coverage of women in sport in their gender mainstreaming, and to ensure that sport policies and legislation are based upon sex equality
- calls on the Commission and Member States to support and encourage European research into the specific character of female sporting activities, the reasons why women and girls give up sport, and the persistence of inequalities in women's access to sport
- encourages the creation of women's networks in the field of sport to promote exchange of best practices and information.
International level
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe – from its inception – has considered equality between men and women in all spheres of public and private life as a fundamental principle of human rights and democracy.
Promoting gender equality in sport has been a key objective of the Council of Europe from the very outset of its programme in the field of sport. The adoption of the European Sports Charter in 1975 and a number of recommendations has provided a reference for governmental policies in sport and enabled individuals to exercise their "right to participate in sport". In the field of promoting gender equality, the Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy 2014 – 2017 states that the Council of Europe will strive to achieve gender mainstreaming in various policies, among which is sport.
Within the 2007 Council of Europe Recommendation on gender mainstreaming in education, references to sports are also included as follows: (it is recommended) to "promoting gender mainstreaming in sports and leisure activities, where gender-based stereotypes and expectations may affect girls' and boys' self-image, identity-building, health, skills acquisition, intellectual development, social integration and gender relations".
The Committee of Ministers adopted a recommendation on gender mainstreaming in sport in January 2015 (CM/Rec(2015)2) covering notably the following fields : equal participation and power in all sphere at all levels of sport, equal access to and use of sport resources, equal rights through the elimination on the ground of sex.
The Council of Europe is currently carrying out the Balance in Sport project co-financed by the European Union, aimed at identifying and testing generally agreed gender equality indicators in sports. It should map the situation of women's participation in sport including in leadership and coaching, the portrayal of women athletes in the media and the prevalence of gender-based violence.
United Nations
Sport was included in the Beijing Platform for Action in 1995 and in Beijing +5 in 2000.
In November 2003 UN Resolution 58/5 was adopted which called on governments to use sport as a means to promote education, health and peace. This was followed in 2011 by the follow-up of the UN General Assembly on the Vienna Declaration and the recognition of sport as a human right.
The first World Conference on Women and Sport was held in 1984 in Brighton (UK) and led to the Brighton Declaration in 1994 which was a call for equity and equality in sport from facilities and administration to research and education. In June 2014 at the conference in Helsinki, more than 410 sports organisations signed the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration on Women and Sport. Also the UNESCO MINEPS declarations of Athens (2004) and Berlin (2013) called for specific actions to promote equal opportunities in the area of sport.
Starting from 2014, an International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSP) has been established by the UN General Assembly. The adoption of this Day signifies the increasing recognition by the United Nations of the positive influence that sport can have on the advancement of human rights, and social and economic development. In his 2015 speech, the UN Secretary-General highlighted the role sport can play in achieving sustainable progress and change, by defining sport as "a major force in eliminating gender barriers".
Policy cycle in sport
How and when? Sport and the integration of the gender dimension into the policy cycle
The gender dimension can be integrated in all phases of the policy cycle. For a detailed description of how gender can be mainstreamed in each phase of the policy cycle click here.
Below, you can find useful resources and practical examples for mainstreaming gender into sport policies. They are organised according to the most relevant phase of the policy cycle they may serve.
Practical examples of gender mainstreaming in sport
Working in collaboration with home country sports councils – the Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR) and equity organisations – UK Sport developed the Equality Standard for Sport in 2004. The Standard provides a tool for sports organisations to work progressively towards equality by ensuring that equality is integrated into all aspects of sports bodies' operations and services to members, athletes, staff and volunteers.
Since the late 1990s, the Finnish Government programmes have included explicit gender equality goals. These have included, for example, increasing the proportion of women among decision-makers, narrowing the gender pay gap, more equal distribution of family leave and combating violence against women.
The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture published Sport and equality 2011: Current state and changes of gender equality in Finland in 2012, with a set of recommendations on how to mainstream gender into the sport. Recommendations included integration of gender considerations into the state administration, municipalities and sport organisations budgets. This is supported by the use of specific indicators that help show how the situation affects women and men and assess the degree of compliance with the equality plans. Other recommendations cover use of gender impact assessments, competence development tools and sharing good practices.
The key milestones of the EU policy sport are presented below.
Read the conslusions here.
The 2007 White Paper on sport, in association with the Pierre de Coubertin action plan, became the European Commission's cornerstone for the sport sector. This was followed by a series of plans and funding programmes.
This meant that an EU sport programme could be developed and supported by a budget. Sport could also be promoted in other EU policy areas such as education and health, and EU sports ministers began having official meetings. Read the article here.
Read the conclusions here.
Read more about European Union Erasmus+ funding here.
Read the conclusions here.
Current policy priorities at EU level
Many of the competences in the area of sport lie with the Member States. However, at EU level there are three core policy areas: the integrity of sport, the economic dimension of sport, and sport in society. Within each area are ongoing and new priorities, all of which are at different stages of planning, activity and evaluation.
The integrity of sport
This policy area has an ongoing commitment to fight doping in sport and supports the Anti-Doping Convention as the international legal instrument, and the World Anti-Doping Agency. Match fixing and corruption in sport is viewed as a serious threat to the integrity of sport, and in March 2013 the European Parliament adopted a Resolution on these issues. The protection of minors is a key concern for the EU. This includes overtraining, missed education, doping and sexual abuse.
To support and encourage good governance, the EU has set out a series of principles for sporting bodies at local, national and European levels. The principles include the need for financial transparency, management expertise, stakeholder communications and ethical practices.
The economic dimension of sport
In the areas of sustainable financing, the legacy of major events and economic benefits the EU's priority is to provide guidance on state aid, VAT and structural funds within a framework of sustainable finances. Priority is also given to guidance on commercial property rights and other mechanisms which can protect and encourage grass-roots sport.
Sport and society
Health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) continues to be a policy priority for the EU. Sport has been identified as a sustainable economic sector which can positively contribute to the delivery of the EU's Europe 2020 strategy through job creation. One priority is to develop guidelines on dual careers for athletes to prepare them for life after sport. Within society the value of volunteers to sport is critical, and raising awareness and rewarding and recognising volunteering remains an area for continued policy development.


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How does the NL Central stack up against the Cubs?
Before Cesar Izturis took off for Pittsburgh on Thursday after being traded by the Cubs, general manager Jim Hendry had a request.
"I told him, 'Why don't you go over there and beat some of those National League Central teams we're trying to stay on top of or catch,' " Hendry said.
Ah, the National League Central.
It was supposed to be a soft-as-toilet-paper division — and it's lived up to that billing. Just two of the division's six teams — Milwaukee (55-43) and the Cubs (51-46) — were over .500 entering play Monday. While it could end up being a two-team race, the other four teams will have a hand in it, either by getting hot or by trying to knock off the Cubs and Brewers.
The Cubs have 41 of their remaining 65 games against NL Central competition, but just three games vs. the Brewers. That means the Cubs will have to make hay against the rest of their division foes, starting tonight, when they open a three-game series at St. Louis, and continuing with three more games at Cincinnati, starting Friday.
Here is a closer look at the Cubs' five division foes and how they stack up (record through Sunday in parentheses):
Brewers (55-43)
This year: The Cubs are 7-5 vs. the Brewers.
Head-to-head games left: 3
Reason to scoff at them: Ace pitcher Ben Sheets and center fielder Bill Hall are on the shelf.
Reason to fear them: The Brewers were solid anyway, and now that rookies Ryan Braun and Yovani Gallardo are on fire and Prince Fielder is putting together an MVP-type season, they could be tough to catch.
Cardinals (45-50)
This year: The Cubs are 3-2 vs. the Cardinals.
Head-to-head games left: 11
Reason to scoff at them: The Cards' laughable starting rotation had ex-Cub Todd Wellemeyer in it before he got hurt. And Chris Carpenter's season-ending elbow injury doesn't help matters, as St. Louis was counting on him to return later in the year.
Reason to fear them: Last year, people wrote off St. Louis — and the Cards ended up winning the World Series. They enter this series vs. the Cubs having won five of their last eight games. A sweep of the Cubs would put St. Louis two games behind the North Siders.
Astros (42-56)
This year: The Cubs are 4-2 vs. the Astros.
Head-to-head games left: 9
Reason to scoff at them: Like the White Sox, the Astros are a mere shell of the team that went to the World Series in 2005. Some think the "Carlos Lee Factor" is in effect. Wherever he's gone lately, his teams have underperformed.
Reason to fear them: The Astros have a habit of being a tough second-half team, and that's not good for the Cubs.
Pirates (41-56)
This year: The Cubs are 4-5 vs. the Pirates.
Head-to-head games left: 6
Reason to scoff at them: They gladly took the offensively challenged Izturis off the Cubs' hands.
Reason to fear them: This team doesn't fear the Cubs. The Pirates took two of three from the Cubs in the teams' series leading into the All-Star break.
Reds (41-58)
This year: The Cubs are 2-4 vs. the Reds.
Head-to-head games left: 12
Reason to scoff at them: They have been playing so poorly this season that rumors are rampant they'd consider trading stars Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn.
Reason to fear them: Brother Rice High School graduate Pete Mackanin, the Reds' interim manager, had his team playing at a .588 clip in his first 17 games since taking over July 2. If they keep that up, they could give the Cubs fits.
More Cubs coverage can be found online at www.dailysouthtown.com/sports


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On a day that started like any other, Mia (Chloe Grace Moretz) had everything: a loving family, an adoring boyfriend, and a bright future full of music.
Suddenly, a family drive on a snowy day changes everything. In an instant, almost all of that is taken from her.
Caught between life and death, Mia spends one critical day contemplating a future that is now more unknowable than ever. Is love enough to keep her here? Tragic but ultimately hopeful, this is a romantic, riveting and uplifting story about music, life and love.


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June 10th, 2012
Megachurch pastor Creflo Dollar on his daughter: 'She was not punched'
By Steve Almasy, CNN
Atlanta (CNN) - Telling thousands of parishioners that he should never have been arrested, Pastor Creflo Dollar said at his Sunday morning service he neither choked nor punched his 15-year-old daughter, as she claimed in a report to police.
Dollar, senior pastor of World Changers Church International in suburban Atlanta, told congregants in the sprawling megachurch and listening at one of more than a dozen satellite churches that when the facts of the case come out, they will be "appalled."
"The truth is, she was not choked. She was not punched," Dollar said.
On Friday, deputies responding to a 911 call photographed a scratch on the daughter's neck and arrested Dollar on charges of simple battery, family violence and child cruelty. Dollar said the mark on his daughter's neck is more than 10 years old, the result of eczema, a skin condition.
CNN's Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories
"I want the church family to know that all is well in the Dollar household," he said, in his first public comments since spending more than 12 hours in jail. He immediately addressed the issue upon taking the pulpit Sunday, speaking for nearly eight minutes about the challenge of raising children and denying he had hurt to his daughter.
After Dollar told the crowd about the skin abrasion, one man yelled, "Case dismissed!"
Dollar's daughter said she argued with her father over attending a party, investigator Brent Rowan of the Fayette County Sheriff's Office told CNN on Friday.
Rowan said the daughter told the deputies that her father charged her, put his hands around her throat and began to choke her, according to a police report. She said he then slammed her to the ground, punched her and beat her with his shoe.
Deputies also spoke with another daughter, 19, who corroborated her sister's account of what happened.
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Dollar blamed the devil for causing the controversy, saying that to discredit his message of "prosperity gospel," the enemy must discredit the messenger.
Prosperity ministers preach that God rewards the faithful with wealth and spiritual gifts. Pastors such as T.D. Jakes, Dollar and Joel Osteen have become the Prosperity Gospel's most well known preachers, building megachurches and business empires with a message equating piety with prosperity.
Dollar's church claims about 30,000 members and has an $18 million, 8,500-seat sanctuary about 15 miles from downtown Atlanta.
Friday's incident was emotionally charged and escalated from an argument, Dollar said Sunday. But he never intended bodily harm to anyone, he assured the audience.
"I love her with all my heart," he said, shaking his head with conviction.
Creflo Dollar's Prosperity Gospel finds followers and critics
He cited a Bible verse from Psalms that talks about malicious witness against the good man, and evil men delighting when he stumbled.
He later, during his sermon, also joked about the arrest, saying that being a religious man sent to jail "upped my resume."
"Paul ... Jesus ... and Creflo," he said to a huge cheer.
The pastor, known for his pinstriped suits, laughed at being clothed in a yellow jumpsuit and sandals while being handcuffed and being held in a cell.
For most of the service, Dollar spoke of the people being "the righteousness of God by faith," the third in a series of sermons he prepared weeks ago, he said.
"No weapon that forms against you shall prosper," he reminded the audience, citing scripture.
At the end of the more than hourlong appearance, he said that he was persevering thanks to God's love.
"And we couldn't do it without the love of you brothers and sisters."
After the service, congregants declined to comment on Dollar's appearance.
Since he started his ministry in an elementary school cafeteria in 1986, Dollar has earned praise and criticism.
Supporters say he has preached a message that's financially empowered his parishioners and challenged the idea that Christians should be ashamed to be rich.
Critics call him "Cash-Flow Dollar," and say his message perverts the Gospel.
CNN's John Murgatroyd and John Blake contributed to this report.
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About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.


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Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series I/Volume I/Confessions/Book X/Chapter 36
Chapter XXXVI.—A Third Kind is "Pride" Which is Pleasing to Man, Not to God.
58. Shall we, then, account this too amongst such things as are to be lightly esteemed, or shall anything restore us to hope, save Thy complete mercy, since Thou hast begun to change us? And Thou knowest to what extent Thou hast already changed me, Thou who first healest me of the lust of vindicating myself, that so Thou mightest forgive all my remaining "iniquities," and heal all my "diseases," and redeem my life from corruption, and crown me with "loving-kindness and tender mercies," and satisfy my desire with "good things;"[1] who didst restrain my pride with Thy fear, and subdue my neck to Thy "yoke." And now I bear it, and it is "light"[2] unto me, because so hast Thou promised, and made it, and so in truth it was, though I knew it not, when I feared to take it up. But, O Lord,—Thou who alone reignest without pride, because Thou art the only true Lord, who hast no lord,—hath this third kind of temptation left me, or can it leave me during this life?
59. The desire to be feared and loved of men, with no other view than that I may experience a joy therein which is no joy, is a miserable life, and unseemly ostentation. Hence especially it arises that we do not love Thee, nor devoutly fear Thee. And therefore dost Thou resist the proud, but givest grace unto the humble;[3] and Thou thunderest upon the ambitious designs of the world, and "the foundations of the hills" tremble.[4] Because now certain offices of human society render it necessary to be loved and feared of men, the adversary of our true blessedness presseth hard upon us, everywhere scattering his snares of "well done, well done;" that while acquiring them eagerly, we may be caught unawares, and disunite our joy from Thy truth, and fix it on the deceits of men; and take pleasure in being loved and feared, not for Thy sake, but in Thy stead, by which means, being made like unto him, he may have them as his, not in harmony of love, but in the fellowship of punishment; who aspired to exalt his throne in the north,[5] that dark and cold they might serve him, imitating Thee in perverse and distorted ways. But we, O Lord, lo, we are Thy "little flock;"[6] do Thou possess us, stretch Thy wings over us, and let us take refuge under them. Be Thou our glory; let us be loved for Thy sake, and Thy word feared in us. They who desire to be commended of men when Thou blamest, will not be defended of men when Thou judgest; nor will they be delivered when Thou condemnest. But when not the sinner is praised in the desires of his soul, nor he blessed who doeth unjustly,[7] but a man is praised for some gift that Thou hast bestowed upon him, and he is more gratified at the praise for himself, than that he possesses the gift for which he is praised, such a one is praised while Thou blamest. And better truly is he who praised than the one who was praised. For the gift of God in man was pleasing to the one, while the other was better pleased with the gift of man than that of God.


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For a long time, VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) existed more in theory than in reality. For years, I read about VPNs in books and magazines, but hardly ever saw anyone actually using one. However, that's starting to change these days. More and more companies are starting to use VPNs as a cost-effective alternative to dedicated WAN connections. As more companies are beginning to use VPNs, I've started seeing more examples of the right way and the wrong way to implement them. In this article we will look at some VPN configurations to avoid.
In case you're unfamiliar with VPNs, VPNs are a method of creating a secure connection between two networks over an insecure medium; typically the Internet. The premise behind the technology is that since practically everyone has access to the Internet, companies can use it as the route between their offices, rather than relying on expensive dedicated WAN connections. Because of the way that VPNs work, each network must have a computer that acts as a sort of VPN router. This computer's responsibility is to determine which packets are destined for the remote network, secure those packets, and send them to their destination.
Because of the role of this server, many people try to use the same server both to control their VPN, and to host their company's Internet connection sharing. However, bad things happen when you create a VPN connection on a computer that's running Windows' Internet Connection Sharing service. When you create such a configuration, all of the traffic from clients that would normally be destined for the Internet will be passed through the VPN link instead. This not only means that your clients won't be able to access Internet resources, but it also means that all of the branch office's computers will be passing data across a VPN connection using the credentials of the Internet Connection Sharing account, rather than using the security settings that you defined for the VPN connection. As you can see, this configuration in addition to not working correctly, poses great security risks.
Another bad configuration involves people trying to hook the raw Internet connection directly into a network hub. Typically, this occurs in situations in which DSL is used for Internet access, since most DSL modems plug directly into a network card in a server. However, I've seen administrators plug the DSL modem into a hub, and then try to plug a VPN server and an Internet connection sharing server into the hub. The problem with this approach is that it directly exposes your network to the Internet. Network clients can gain access to the Internet without even passing through a VPN server or Internet connection sharing server. Such a configuration exposes your entire network to the outside world, making it extremely vulnerable to attack or information theft. Instead, you should always have a firewall between your Internet connection and your VPN server. Many firewalls, such as Microsoft Proxy Server, can even act as a sort of Internet connection sharing server (without using the Internet Connection Sharing service).
As you can see, setting up a VPN incorrectly can cause your network to malfunction and can pose serious security risks. As you create a VPN, just remember not to use either of the configurations we've described.
Brien M. Posey is an MCSE who works as a freelance writer. His past experience includes working as the director of information systems for a national chain of health care facilities and as a network engineer for the Department of Defense. Because of the extremely high volume of e-mail that Brien receives, it's impossible for him to respond to every message, although he does read them all.


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12 Luminous Shadow Artworks
I'm a big fan of shadow art, especially the ones where piles of trash have been assembled just so to produce something entirely different on a wall. Luckily, there are plenty of artists like Kumi Yamashita, Tim Noble and Sue Webster to fuel my addiction. Some of these you might have seen floating around the Interwebz before. Many will be new to you. Have a favorite? Let us know in the comments below.