Day One of the SNOWBOARDER Magazine Summer Games was all play. The contestants who hadn't seen each other since the last flakes fell from the 2012/13 winter were hamming it up on the hill during the Pole Vault and Triple Jump events, high-fiving in the summer sun, and generally enjoying a quasi-reunion high up on the Palmer Snowfield.
However, Day Two was crunch time, and many of the riders realized that immediately, as chatter of which team was currently in the lead began to ricochet around the start gate of the Balance Beam event. With the High Cascade single barrel drop down bar serving as the setup for the Balance Beam, the rules were simple: Best trick wins. The action heated up during the one-hour jam session with nearly every competitor hitting the feature and earning their team one hundred points, but a few standouts began to emerge.
Under the watchful eye of guest judge Dan Brisse, riders like Brandon Cocard, Spencer Schubert, Corrine Pasela, Jaeger Bailey, and Garrett Warnick showed veterans such as Gigi Rüf, Shane Flood, Chris Grenier, Bode Merrill, Desiree Melancon, Zac Marben, and more of the established elite that the new vanguard of rail riders is set to fly jibbing's flag in the years to come. With every variation of hardways, taps, bonks, and gap outs on the feature, it was Warnick who took third place, while Cocard snuck his way into second with an at-the-buzzer half Cab gap out 50-50 to back 180. However, Spencer Schubert was the kid to beat from early on in the event, and no one could catch up. Spencer took the win, but the surprise of the Balance Beam event was none other than Ami Voutilainen, who took the win and the much-needed points for his team in the legend category. Harking back to the turn of the millennium, Ami greased a gap out boardslide to fakie that got more cheers than any other trick that went down. Ami's most definitely still got it, and his win shocked the field who had already conceded the victory to Shane Flood before the event even started. But Flood couldn't quite land his switch front board and Ami V. got the W.
The High Jump in the minipipe was the most entertaining to watch, not only because it was a session comprised of possibly the most varied and eclectic snowboarders to ever session a minipipe together, but also because the pressure was on. It was the second-to-last event of the final day of Summer Games, and this is where the team element of the Summer Gams came into play in a big way.
With the first place position still up in the air and calculations still not officially tallied, every rider rode their hardest with the hopes of a last-minute win to give them the points needed to head south of the border to Cab San Lucas for some R&R before winter kicks off yet again. Gigi Rüf came out firing on all cylinders and was the frontrunner from the halfway point, but as one of the most celebrated pipe riders of our generation dropped in and gave Gigi a run for his money (Danny Davis), others were stepping up and airing out in a big way, and they included: Johnny Brady, Chris Grenier, Brandon Cocard, Garrett Warnick, Shane Flood, Brandan Gerard, Bode Merrill, Scott Blum, Peter Line, Desiree Melancon, Ben Bilocq, Temple Cummins, Chris Roach, among others.
[Editor's Note]: See what I'm saying about a varied field?
But in the end, Gigi took the win with Danny Davis in second, and Zac Marben in third, while Peter Line won for the legends. Going into the final event, the 1,000 meter dash, there was no way of knowing who was currently in first, so standing atop the High Cascade lane with their feet strapped in, you could feel the tension because there was a good chance that this event would decide which team would take the win.
At the mid-way point in the 1,000 meter dash, the field fired by me at terminal velocity, and seeing as I was shooting photos at the time, I could only make out the two riders in the lead, and they were both on my team, so you could imagine my excitement, but after disappearing over the deadly left turn cattrack island, all I saw was carnage as Blum and Bode stayed on their feet and turned the corner with Garrett Warnick, Johnny Brady, and Ben Bilocq hot on their heels. My excitement turned to nervousness when I got down and heard the Blum blew out on the final turn and missed the final gate. However, Bode took the win which was relieving to hear, with High Cacade's Johnny Brady and Ben Bilocq taking second and third. Desiree Melancon won for the women (side note: Desiree ended up being the Summer Games Overall MVP, earning more points individually than any other competitor), and Shane Flood taking it for the legends.
On our way down to the awards at the HCSC skate course, my team was all assembled and we were discussing the very distinct possibility that we most likely didn't win. We hadn't been keeping track of the points but we simply figured that either High Cascade's troupe of John Cavan and Mary Walsh's squad edged us out. But when the winning team was announced, it was indeed Desiree Melancon, Scott Blum, Bode Merrill, Brandon Cocard, and Peter Line, and we went crazy with excitement…and then went straight to Charlie's while the campers were all treated to a brand new pair of Flips Audio headphones and photo opportunities with their favorite pros.
Big thanks to High Cascade Snowboard Camp, Drift Innovation HD Cameras, Leatherman, and Flips Audio for making the First Annual Summer Games such a success.


text:
Royal Bank of Scotland educate small business customers with Agylia
To enhance its service offering to small business customers, the Royal Bank of Scotland wanted a way to reach them with the latest support materials.
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) wanted to reach its small business customers with good quality eLearning across a wide range of employment law & HR, health & safety and environmental management topic areas.
The aim was to provide a rich selection of learning resources for customers, so enhancing the service offered by RBS.
Agylia was selected to host the learning resources and deliver them via a mobile learning App that could be used both online and offline. The Agylia App can provide learning resources, including eLearning courses and reference materials, for customers to use at any time, in any place – an important part of the solution. It was also crucial that the user interface was smooth and attractive to support the RBS reputation as a leading provider of financial services.
The range of eLearning courses was created by our learning services team, using the Agylia eLearning authoring module. The courses were engaging, informative, interactive and based on internal training source content from RBS.
Agylia is used to centrally manage the delivery of the eLearning courses – together with a range of corporate communications, such as magazines, newsletters and technical updates – to chosen user groups.
The easy-to-use Agylia mobile learning App provides an intuitive and attractive interface, along with a smooth user experience. It was designed to fully integrate with the RBS corporate branding.
The Agylia mobile learning App consists of a course catalogue to enable offline storage and completion of eLearning courses. Data feeds selected from a range of corporate communications, such as RSS, news, blogs and Twitter feeds, were set up within the App – this provided a single interface to a range of learning and corporate communications resources.
The App also includes performance support tools designed for use by the audience to increase the usefulness and enjoyment of the App. These performance support tools help users to calculate employee legal entitlements, such as maternity allowances and holiday pay.
RBS MentorAware App
Small business customers at RBS can download the App from the App Store. The eLearning courses can be preloaded inside the App or downloaded separately from a mobile learning platform. For this project, the chosen route was to preload content within the App and allow registered users to unlock it.
All content was hosted on Agylia, which allows new and updated content to be pushed out to users quickly and easily from this centrally managed point. This means RBS can keep the content – and therefore their customers – up to date with the latest legal and best practice developments.
Full push update functionality was included, enabling users to see at-a-glance when new or updated courses were available. Data tracking and usage analytics were provided, enabling RBS to gain valuable insights into the mindset and usage patterns of the audience. For example, the bank could identify which content has been most used by customers; which has been returned to frequently; which content is less used; and where potential exists for future development products and services.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Expert cutting and fabrication cannot alone create best-in-class parts. To manufacture parts of the highest quality, it requires a flawless design. Without that, all other processes of the manufacturing process can go awry—and that can cost your company valuable time and money.
That's why at BenCo, we have a team of experienced designers ready to help ensure your parts and components start off on the right foot. Our designers have worked on a wide variety of projects for clients with diverse needs. Whether you need a part designed from the ground up or need an existing design evaluated, our team is here to assist you in making parts that are the best that they can be.
Read on for three advantages our design services can deliver on your next project.
With years of experience in improving the durability and precision of parts made from various metals and other materials, we have the in-house skills to create designs that ensure maximal strength and functionality. From identifying the ideal type of metal, to determining the placement of tabs and holes, to choosing the most effective fabrication process, we consider all factors.
We have a deep understanding of every manufacturing process, which enables us to design with purpose and laser focus on your goals. No matter what your business manufactures, your parts and products are in capable hands with our team.
Not only do our designers know how to make parts stronger, but they also know how to make them as cost-effectively as possible. They have extensive experience in designing parts and products for OEMs. They have helped countless customers save money by assessing objectives and customizing how to best approach a job.
For example, they know how to lay out jobs in a way that will yield a higher quantity from each piece of material and recommending new technologies (like PEMing or 3D Tube Cutting) to bring down costs. Our team also evaluates production workflow and determines how to group functions to create time and expense efficiencies.
When you choose BenCo Technology, you get all your manufacturing needs satisfied in one place. We have a full complement of design, laser cutting, and metal fabrication equipment so that your parts and products can be executed flawlessly and according to plan.
From prototypes to short runs to full-blown production runs of thousands of parts or finished products, you'll never have to worry about any details slipping through the cracks.
With our ability to handle your jobs from start to finish, you won't waste time and money taking your parts from one vendor to another to complete individual processes. We even offer rush orders when you're in a pinch and need your parts to happen overnight. By having us as your one-stop solution, you gain peace of mind that your jobs will be accomplished accurately, on-time, and at a cost your business will appreciate.
Contact us today to discuss your next job! We'll be happy to join you in exploring how our design services and other manufacturing capabilities can make your next project more profitable.


Another Long Walk: And the Hiking Begins….
August 12: Late in the night, my neighbors trickled into their beds and promptly went to sleep. The next morning, when I was ready to get up and get going, they were still all fast asleep so I left them that way. I sneaked downstairs and took a shower—presumably my last one for quite some time—and grabbed breakfast which consisted of cereal and bread. Bread, if you didn't know it, is a staple of the French diet. They can't have a meal without bread. They have entire shops dedicated to break—not unlike Starbucks in Seattle with one on every block. Maybe even two on some blocks. People walk around with bread in their packs, in their hands. It's always a hard bread that I find difficult to chew. I think they might even play a form of baseball using their bread as a bat.
I headed back to my room and my bed to pack up all of my worldly possessions and finally my neighbors had woken from their slumber. Two of them were German who also spoke no French, but they did speak English so I could talk to them. The third person was French, but he also knew English. A room full of English-speaking people! That couldn't have been coincidence…. I suspect the girl who checked me in assigned English-speaking people to that room.
One of the Germans said something in French and asked me if I understood it. "Not a word," I told him.
Then I went in search of an Internet café which I saw the day before to let Amanda and my mom know that I had made it to Le Puy okay and would be starting my hike soon. Except that the Internet café was closed on Sundays. Curses! Foiled! I ended up walking to the tourist office and I noticed they had a computer available free to use, but they asked people limit themselves to using it for only 10 minutes at a time. That was plenty for me!
Until I sat down and tried to type. I know foreign keyboards can be a challenge—I've typed on many a Latin American keyboard and fumbled my way through it—but the French keyboard confounded them all! These people actually switched around the letters of the keyboard! And it type a number, I had to use the SHIFT key! The symbols I never use—no shift key required. But oh, for people who want to type a number, they make you work at it. Dates, times—I found myself chasing that SHIFT key all over the place. I barely managed to type two sentences before my ten minutes were up.
It started off with a procession of folks, including one person swinging incense around all over the place. A little while later, all of the kids were sent to the back of the cathedral. Why segregate the children? This was the Catholic church we're talking about here! Fortunately, though, it all seemed to turn out well when the kids came back out later in the progress carrying candles towards the front and left them there. I have to admit, they were pretty adorable. One kid waved to everyone he passed, marching to the front like he was the grand marshal of a parade. Another boy waved to his parents, obviously proud of his part in the proceedings. Then the kids left their candles up front and they all scattered back to their parents.
There was a lot of talk—none of which I understood since it was all in French, but honestly, I didn't understand most of the English-language preaching going on in the states. So it wasn't really a whole lot different, and I found myself nodding off and itching for something more entertaining like I did in church as a kid. In fact, the kids seemed pretty itchy for something more exciting stuff to happen as well.
They had everyone stand up, sit down, stand up again, sit down again, stand up again, blah, blah, blah…. Then everyone stood up and started kissing. WHAT THE HELL?! I looked around in panic. Why was everyone kissing? I didn't want to kiss anyone. I didn't want anyone kissing me? Oh, those French…. I should have guessed…. Had I known I was supposed to kiss all my neighbors, I would have squeezed myself next to the cutest girls I could find. The guy next to me must have sensed my discomfort (or found me repulsive), because he stuck out his hand for a handshake. Thank GOD! Praise the Lord! A handshake will do just fine! I can do that. =) I shook his hand, and that of an older lady behind me.
Then they started with the whole communion thing where everyone marched up to the front to be fed stale bread. I didn't really want to participate—I just wanted to watch the proceedings, not to participate in them. Anyhow, I already shook the hands of two strangers nearby! Wasn't that enough already? I guess not….
I didn't get more than five minutes down the trail before I took my first detour. I had seen the impressive, volcanic summit the day before I wanted to hike to the type. Since then, I learned it was called Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe, and it cost 3 euros to enter. So I detoured, paid the price, and climbed the steep hillside path. It didn't take anywhere near as long as I thought it would and the views from the top were spectacular. The summit was crowed with a 10th century chapel dedicated to St. Micheal—it really amazes me how old some of these places are. In the tenth century they were building this chapel! The first person knows to hike from Le Puy to Santiago did so over a thousand years ago! This kind of history basically doesn't exist in the United States. The New World hadn't even been discovered when these places were built. They were already hundreds of years old when Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
I couldn't read any of the information signs since they were all in French and everything I learned was from a partially-English brochure I got at the entrance.
The rest of the day, I took no more details and stayed on path, each step taking me closer to Santiago. The trail climbed steeply over roads out of Le Puy, eventually heading off onto dirt roads with almost no traffic at all. I only traveled 22 kilometers that first day, but managed to go through several towns so small that you'd miss them if you blinked including: St. Christophe-sur-Dolaison, Tallode, Liac (where I had to scare off two mean dogs by shouting them down in English and waving my trekking pole at them), Lic, Ramourouscle, Montbonnet, and Le Chier.
That's a lot of little towns for such a short distance. =) Most of them had absolutely no facilities, and probably wouldn't show up on any quality map.
Le Chier did have a water faucet in town, however, and I filled up with water there and camped in a meadow near some trees outside of town. I only passed two Camino hikers the whole day, but I figured most of them left Le Puy much earlier in the day than I did. Three times I ran into herds of cattle on the roads, and I stood aside as the traffic jam passed.
The hike itself, so far, was largely uneventful.
see the cathedral behind me in the distance.
But, of course, a side-trip to Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe was in order!
Inside the cathedral, after mass was over.
Catholic arobics! We know the mass well and we were a little lost during the Irish mass we attended. We purposely went to one in Irish instead of English. For the future, if you aren't Catholic you aren't suppose to go to Communion.


text:
Suspect Subjected to Strip Search
The plaintiff and appellee in the case is Lynda L. Watt. The defendant and appellant of the case is the Police Department of the City of Richardson.
A New York Criminal Lawyer the City of Richardson is appealing the finding of the district court that states that the strip search that was performed was constitutionally invalid.
Lynda Watt was with her five year old son on the third of March in 1985. She was pulled over by a police officer because the vehicle that she was driving had an inspection sticker that was expired. She told the officer that she was borrowing the car from her mother's estate and he issued a warning. However, when the officer conducted a routine computer check on Watt, he discovered a warrant that was outstanding for failing to license her dog. While this offense is only punishable by a fine, the police officer was required to arrest Watt.
Watt fully cooperated with the officer during her short custody. It was not apparent that she was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The search of Watt's purse revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Additionally, a Nassau County Criminal Lawyer said she volunteered information about a previous arrest for a minor drug offense in 1974. This conviction had not shown up in the computer search done by the police until she gave her surname. The police conducted a pat down search.
During this time Watt was told that she would need to post bail of $160. She did not have the cash with her so she called a neighbor to bring the money and to pick up her son. The police were aware that she would be released shortly.
The police then told Watt that because she had a criminal history record that she would be required to submit to a visual strip search. This is in regard to a policy of the city that states that any individual who is detained on a drug charge, shoplifting (petit larceny) charge, or weapons charge, or has a history of any of these offenses, must be strip searched.
Watts protested the strip search, but finally submitted. This included a visual body cavity inspection performed by a female communications officer. The strip complied with the policy of city and took place in a cell that had no windows or television cameras. The strip search was negative as were the other searches.
Case Discussion and Verdict
Analysis of the policy of the city in regards to a strip search begins with the decision made by the Supreme Court in the case of Bell versus Wolfish, which approved a policy that allowed strip searches of detainees after they had contact with an outside visitor. The reasoning was that it would deter the smuggling of weapons and contraband being brought into the facilities.
In this particular case, it is not the city's policy on strip searches that is in question. It is the question of whether or not the strip search was valid in this particular case. The police would not have known of the prior drug conviction of Ms. Watt had she not been forthcoming with the information. In addition, she was cooperative, obviously sober, and rational throughout the process. This behavior should have been considered before the strip search was conducted. For these reasons this court is affirming the prior courts judgment in the case.
At Stephen Bilkis & Associates we offer free consultations to anyone that is in need of legal advice, whether you have been charged with sex crimes, theft or a drug crime. We have several office locations throughout the metropolitan area of Manhattan for your convenience. You may call and talk to one of our expert lawyers at any time and set up an appointment to get the legal advice that you need.
Posted in: Criminal Procedure, Nassau, New York, New York City, Petite Larceny and Sex Crimes
Updated: May 5, 2012 12:00 am


text:
\Mapnik\AggRenderer
--SKIPIF--
<?php if (!extension_loaded("mapnik")) print "skip"; ?>
--FILE--
<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

require_once('util/test_case.php');

class AggRendererTest extends MapnikTestCase
{
    private $basePath;

    private $exampleMap;

    public function setup()
    {
        $configOutput = [];
        exec('mapnik-config --input-plugins', $configOutput);
        \Mapnik\DatasourceCache::registerDatasources($configOutput[0]);

        $this->basePath = realpath(__DIR__ . '/data');

        $this->exampleMap = new \Mapnik\Map(640, 480);
        $this->exampleMap->loadXmlFile($this->basePath . "/world.xml", false, $this->basePath);
        $this->exampleMap->zoomAll();
    }

    public function testConstructor()
    {
        try {
            $renderer = new \Mapnik\AggRenderer('foo');
        } catch (\Throwable $e) {
            assert(
                $e instanceof TypeError,
                'Instantiating \Mapnik\AggRenderer with wrong number of arguments did not throw type error.'
            );
        }

        $image = new \Mapnik\Image(640, 480);
        $renderer = new \Mapnik\AggRenderer($this->exampleMap, $image);
        assert($renderer instanceof \Mapnik\AggRenderer, 'Instantiating \Mapnik\AggRenderer failed.');
    }

    public function testApply()
    {
        $image = new \Mapnik\Image(640, 480);
        $renderer = new \Mapnik\AggRenderer($this->exampleMap, $image);

        assert($renderer->apply() === true, 'AggRenderer->apply() failed.');
    }
}

new AggRendererTest();

?>
--EXPECT--

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub